[February 08, 2021] DTE Announces New Leadership to Drive Commercial Focus and Expansion The Board of DT Equipment ehf. (DTE) (www.dtequipment.com), a leader in real-time intelligence from liquid metals and developer of next-generation analytics for metals production and processing, is pleased to announce the appointment of Karl Matthiasson as Chief Executive Officer. Karl Matthiasson, formerly Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, and a co-founder of DTE with extensive experience within the aluminium industry, succeeds Sveinn Gudmundsson, the Company's founding CEO, who steps into the role of Chief Technology Officer. The changes reflect further strengthening and specialization of DTE's executive team in line with the Company's growing commercial strengths and market-facing focus. Sveinn Gudmundsson, in his new role as CTO, will focus on leading the technical development and ramping up production of the Company's analytic hardware and software systems, including further product development of associated spectrometry, optics, laser technologies, software development and artificial intelligence-based processing. Richard MacKellar, Managing Partner at Chrysalix Ventures and Chaiman of the Board of DTE, commented, "Chrysalix is excited and supportive of the organizational changes at DTE. We welcome Karl to this new role in the Company as we continue to drive the growth of DTE to fulfill its potential in leading change in the metals analytics field. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Sveinn for his outstanding leadership up to this point, which continues with the challenge of leading DTE's technology development - the breakthrough innovations achieved were key factors for Chrysalix to invest in DTE." Karl Matthiasson, CEO commented, "Sveinn has been the leading force behind DTE's success thanks to his capability to innovate and deep insight into the needs of metals producers. We thank him for his continued dedication and service to the Company -- together we will continue taking DTE's technology to the next level." Find out more about DTE's real-time liquid metals intelligence solutions at www.dtequipment.com About DT Equipment DTE, based in Reykjavik, Iceland, is a leading innovator in the field of real-time intelligence from liquid metals, helping customers to maximize value, efficiency, safety and sustainability. DTE's vision is to transform metals production and processing with next-generation sensors and analytics, driving digital transformation of the metals industry towards Industry 4.0, while contributing to the 1.5-degree challenge. DTE's solution range combines first-in-industry LP-LIBS (Liquid-Phase Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) elemental analysis with a powerful machine learning cloud platform, delivering valuable intelligence and predictive insights from liquid metals across the entire value chain. For more information, please visit www.dtequipment.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210207005056/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Josep Borell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media in Berlin on Aug. 26, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) EU Expels 3 Russian Diplomats, Defends Envoys Ill-Starred Moscow Trip BRUSSELSGermany, Poland and Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats in a coordinated retaliation on Feb. 8 for the expulsion of three European Union diplomats by Russia while the EUs foreign policy chief was visiting Moscow last week. The tit-for-tat expulsions underscore the volatility in East-West relations and an erosion of trust among former Cold War foes, as the West accuses Moscow of trying to destabilize it and the Kremlin rejects what it sees as foreign interference. The EU executive defended Josep Borrell over his trip to Russia where he said he had learned of the expulsions via social media while speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Feb. 5. A protester holds a poster of Alexei Navalny in Hollywood during a demonstration in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Los Angeles on Feb. 6, 2021. (Ringo Chiu/Reuters) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 8 that the removal of diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden, accused by Moscow of taking part in protests last month against jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, took place a day before Borrells trip. Germanys Foreign Office, in a statement regarding its ejection of a Russian diplomat, said the German diplomat booted out by Moscow was only carrying out his task of reporting on developments on the spot in a legal fashion. Polands Foreign Ministry said it ordered a member of Russias consulate in the city of Poznan to leave in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Stockholms action was a clear response to the unacceptable [Russian] decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only performing his duties. Russias Foreign Ministry said the EU countries action against its diplomats was unjustified and unfriendly, Interfax news agency reported. Appeal Ignored, Borrell Says In a blog released late on Feb. 7, Borrell said his pleas to Russia to halt the expulsions were ignored. Estonias former defense chief Riho Terras, now an EU lawmaker, has started a campaign to call for Borrells resignation. But the executive European Commission said it had no regrets about Borrell making his first trip to Moscow as the coordinator of EU foreign policy because Russia was on a course toward confrontationwhich Borrell sought to avert. The trip was necessary. One doesnt give up on a trip because it looks difficult, Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said in Brussels. A trip is not a success or a failure on the basis of what happens during a particular moment. Peskov told reporters that Russian officials were not the initiators of the collapse in relations. Borrell on Feb. 9 will address the European Parliament, which has called for sanctions to stop the completion of the Nord Stream 2 energy pipeline between Russia and Germany. Some EU states are now intensifying a push for new Western sanctions against Moscow, two diplomats said. Poland convened a two-hour-long video call with EU states on Feb. 8 that was joined by envoys from Britain, the United States, Canada, and Ukraine, as well as two allies of Navalny, Vladimir Ashurkov and Leonid Volkov, to discuss policy on Russia, including sanctions. Navalny was jailed on Feb. 2 after a Russian court ruled he had violated the terms of a suspended sentence in an embezzlement case that he says was trumped up. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny talks to one of his lawyers, left, while standing in the cage during a hearing to a motion from the Russian prison service to convert the suspended sentence of Navalny from the 2014 criminal conviction into a real prison term in the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 2, 2021. (Moscow City Court via AP) Disconnecting East and West During Borrells visit, he and Lavrov gave a news conference at which the Russian minister described the EU as an unreliable partner and the Spaniard praised Russias COVID-19 vaccine. Borrell went to Moscow to seek Navalnys release and to try to relaunch EURussia relations. But in his Feb. 7 blog post, he said the Feb. 5 news conference had been aggressively staged and the trip had been very complicated. Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat, wrote Borrell. It will be for member states to decide the next steps, and yes, these could include sanctions. EU foreign ministers will discuss Russia on Feb. 22. Russia has been under Western economic sanctions since it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 but is also a major energy supplier that helps the West in areas such as upholding the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. By Robin Emmott and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber The recently launched Infinite Screen, the largest adverting LED wall installed, inside any mall in India yet, is becoming the talk of the town amongst the brands. This giant advertising LED wall is 39.4FT (W)X 16.4 FT (H) in size, which provides an exceptional mega resolution of 4224PX (W) X 1760PX (H) along with sound support. Installed at the most go to mall of Mumbai city, (Infiniti mall, Malad, Mumbai), this giant advertising LED is making each brand campaign on it - The highlight of the mall. Brands like Bank of Baroda, ITC, Samsung, Netflix, Cadbury and many more have already boarded this beautiful mega LED screen, with their latest campaigns and are becoming the eye candy for all the mall visitors. Mr. Ketan B Lakhani, Director, Orienta Cine Advertising said, We are extremely happy with the response of our newly launched LED screen Infinite at Infiniti mall, Malad, Mumbai. This year end has been fantastic in terms of our delivery to our all clients, in making their brand campaigns the highlight of the most go to mall of the country. Being in the adverting business from almost 5 decades, we always believe in providing the best, innovative and impactful solutions to our clients and Infinite screen has definitely added one more feather to the cap. Mr. Mukesh Kumar, CEO, Infiniti Mall said, We are thrilled to have the Infinite LED wall installed at Infiniti Mall, Malad. It has added more value and is providing a great visual treat to patrons visiting the mall. Certainly, it has become one of the highlights of the mall and this is the first time we have installed such a giant screen and it seems to be a very exciting collaboration. President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy at the State Department in Washington, on Feb. 4, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Administration Plans to Rejoin United Nations Human Rights Council The United States is reengaging with the United Nations Human Rights Council and plans to rejoin the body, the Biden administration said on Feb 8. While the council is a flawed body in need of reform, the U.S. withdrawal in 2018 not only didnt encourage meaningful change, it created a vacuum of U.S. leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. To address the Councils deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership, he said. Members are announced for the council once a year, meaning the United States cant rejoin immediately. For now, the United States will engage as an observer, which includes participating in negotiations and working with partners on introducing resolutions. It is our view that the best way to improve the Council is to engage with it and its members in a principled fashion. We strongly believe that when the United States engages constructively with the Council, in concert with our allies and friends, positive change is within reach, Blinken said. Mark Cassayre, U.S. charge daffaires at the U.S. mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters: While recognizing the Councils flaws, we know that this body has the potential to be an important forum for those fighting tyranny and injustice around the world. By being present at the table, we seek to ensure it can live up to that potential. The reengagement fits Bidens outlook on international partnerships, with the belief that its better to try to change them from within than withdraw entirely. The Trumps administration withdrew the United States from the council nearly three years ago, pointing to some of the biggest human rights abusers, including China, being among the members. Overview of the United Nations Human Rights Council is seen in Geneva, on June 6, 2017. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Worse than that, the Human Rights Council has become an exercise in shameless hypocrisy, with many of the worlds worst human rights abuses going ignored and some of the worlds most serious offenders sitting on the council itself. China is one of the current 15 members, along with Bolivia, Cote dIvoire, Cuba, France, Gabon, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan. The council started a new term on Jan. 1. Each nation is slated to be a member for three years, and cant serve consecutive terms. The United States could apply to fill one of three seats held by Western European countries Austria, Denmark, and Italy. Those seats are up for grabs in October. Fijian diplomat Nazhat Shameem Khan, the new president of the council, told colleagues on Feb. 8 that the council would continue to work on responding to deep inequalities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know, as a community of nations, that emergencies and disasters, whether caused by a climate crisis or a health emergency, have the effect of exacerbating existing inequalities and of deepening poverty, Khan said. This Council, and the constructive and inclusive nature of the dialogue it is able to host, is crucial to the building of societies which are fairer, resilient, and built on human dignity and equality. In doing so, the Human Rights Council takes on a role which is capable of transforming social, national, and global relationships. There was no mention of the Chinese Communist Partys egregious human rights abuses, such as the widespread detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the brutal ongoing persecution of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong since 1999. A group of House Republicans had urged Biden not to rejoin the council, alleging it has failed to seriously advance the basic tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has instead bolstered some of the most oppressive regimes in the world. The United States should not grant this body any further credibility with its membership, they said. British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) says it will team up with a German company to develop new vaccines to target variants of the new coronavirus. The announcement comes as concern grows that some changes, or mutations, in the virus that causes COVID-19 are making the health crisis harder to fight. GSK plans to invest $181 million to support research efforts of Germanys CureVac, which is developing vaccines that use messenger RNA, or mRNA, to attack the virus. GSK said it will also help make up to 100 million doses of the companys existing COVID-19 vaccine candidate this year. In a recent statement, the companies said there is a need to increase efforts against new variants to keep one step ahead of the pandemic. The announcement comes as public health officials around the world raise concerns about new virus variants that may spread faster or resist existing vaccines. While viruses continually change, most of the changes cause little concern. But scientists are closely following new mutations in an effort to quickly identify new variants that might cause problems. Officials in England are carrying out special coronavirus testing in targeted communities. The move is aimed at stopping a new variant before it spreads widely and hurts a nationwide vaccination program. The variant was first identified in South Africa. The British testing effort, involving about 80,000 people, will center on eight areas where the variant is believed to be spreading. A number of cases were found in people who had no contact with South Africa or anyone who traveled there. Public health officials are concerned about the variant first identified in South Africa because it contains a mutation of the virus spike protein. The spike protein is targeted by existing vaccines. The mutation may mean the vaccines offer less protection against the variant. We believe that next generation vaccines will be crucial in the continued fight against COVID-19, GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley said in the statement. Crucial is a term that means very important. Walmsley added in the statement, we [GSK and CureVac] will combine our scientific expertise in mRNA and vaccine development to advance and accelerate the development of new COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Im John Russell. Danica Kira reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story variant n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind dose n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time spike protein n. a kind of protein that protrudes from some viruses advance v. to move forward accelerate v. to move faster : to gain speed WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SIOR is pleased to announce it has named Robert Thornburgh, SIOR, CCIM, CPM, FRICS, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Thornburgh, a long-standing commercial real estate specialist and trailblazer based out of Los Angeles, California, brings more than 25 years of exemplary industry knowledge and leadership experience, with a strong focus on integrity and a transformational, service-oriented style of leadership. He comes to SIOR from Kidder Mathews, where he was a shareholder and regional president of brokerage for many years. During much of his professional career, Thornburgh served as the CEO at Heger Industrial, a prominent real estate firm with a 60-year legacy in the Los Angeles market. Additionally, he has also served as SIOR Global President and sat on the SIOR Board of Directors. His knowledge and commitment to SIOR are longstanding and valuable assets. He has also been consistently recognized across the commercial real estate industry for his emphasis on innovation and his passion to help others achieve their goals. In 2020, he was honored as a "Best Boss" by ALM Media. "It is with immense pleasure that I accept the role of SIOR Chief Executive Officer," said Thornburgh. "Being an SIOR has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career, so I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to contribute in forward-thinking ways to this amazing organization and the broader commercial real estate industry that I care so deeply about." Thornburgh began building an early foundation for a career path in real estate. Prior to leading Heger Industrial, he worked with R3 Investment Group in the 1990's - an investment company he still owns to this day. In 2017, Heger merged with Kidder Mathews. As part of the merger, Thornburgh joined the company's executive leadership team where he was influential in expanding the firm's presence across the West Coast. He proudly holds four of the most respected designations within the commercial real estate industry SIOR, CCIM, CPM, and FRICS. This is a distinction that less than one percent of all global commercial real estate practitioners maintain. Thornburgh takes over as CEO as the organization celebrates its 80th anniversary and commemorates a designation that has signified the highest standard among industrial and office professionals since its inception. He was selected for the position out of a number of highly qualified candidates, vetted by both executive recruiting firm Korn Ferry and an SIOR CEO Selection Committee led by Craig Meyer, SIOR. Established in 1941, SIOR now extends to 48 chapters worldwide, consisting of more than 3,400 members in 42 countries. "We are beyond excited to welcome Robert Thornburgh as our new leader," said SIOR Global President Mark Duclos, SIOR. "While our search was exhaustive, Robert's knowledge of the industry, passion for this organization, and commitment of integrity and innovation will guide us toward a prosperous future. No one will work harder, and be more dedicated to our organization, members, and staff. He has already proven to be an excellent mentor and role model to myself and so many others, and I look forward to where this organization is headed with him at the helm. About SIOR (www.sior.com) The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) is the leading global society for industrial and office real estate professionals. Individuals who earn their SIOR designation adhere to the highest levels of accountability and ethical standards. Only the industry's top professionals qualify for the SIOR designation. Today, there are more than 3,400 SIOR members in 42 countries. www.sior.com SOURCE Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Related Links https://www.sior.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. Kampala Central's MP Muhammad Nsereko (Independent) has laid groundwork to become Deputy Speaker. FDC's founding member Yusuf Nsibambi, the MP-elect for Mawokota South, according to our sources, has also been strategising on how to become Deputy Speaker. With the incumbent, Jacob Oulanyah, looking to challenge Rebecca Kadaga for the position of Speaker, the post of Deputy Speaker has attracted a number of candidates who include an NRM crew of West Budama North MP Jacob Oboth-Oboth, Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among, Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa, Gomba West MP Robinah Rwakoojo, Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo and State Minister for Finance David Bahati. Ms Among, for instance, is understood to have sent out text messages this week to MPs asking them to back her campaign to deputise the Speaker. But to beat the odds, sources say Mr Nsibambi is looking to rely on an alliance between FDC and National Unity Platform (NUP) MPs and some Independents. To win Mawokota South, Mr Nsibambi forged an alliance with NUP as he openly backed the party's presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, and apparently bankrolled other NUP candidates in Mpigi District in the process helping the party capture the LC5 position which was taken up by 28-year-old Martin Ssejjemba who ousted NRM's Peter Claver Mutuluza. "There is a great understanding between Nsibambi and Mathias Mpuuga," a source said, referring to Nyendo-Mukungwe MP-elect who is NUP's vice president for Buganda region and also looked as a possible Leader of Opposition in the coming Parliament. While Mr Nsibambi has a telepathic understanding with NUP leadership, Mr Nsereko seems to be at war with the party which is now the biggest in the Opposition and they are unlikely to support him. Mr Nsereko's relationship with NUP reached rock bottom during the recently concluded elections in which Mr Nsereko sparred with NUP's Fred Nyanzi who is Mr Kyagulanyi's elder brother. Mr Nsereko beat Mr Nyanzi, having polled 16,998 against his 15,975 which prompted Mr Nyanzi to go to court asking for a recount on grounds that his agents had been denied access to about 53 polling stations. The magistrate consequently dismissed Mr Nyanzi's case, calling it a fishing expedition and ordered him to pay casts, prompting Mr Nsereko to insinuate that Mr Kyagulanyi's brother is an NRM stooge. "Who is he [Mr Nyanzi] working for?" Mr Nsereko asked. When asked about his intentions to stand as Deputy Speaker, Mr Nsibambi said, "I especially want to fight for the independence of the Legislature, which has on several occasions come under attack by the Executive. The principle of separation of powers must be seen to work; that's my main mission." It's going to be interesting how Mr Nsibambi, Mr Nsereko and to some extent Mr Ssemujju pitch for both deputy speakership considering that all of them are Baganda and Muslims yet regional balance is a key factor when MPs are voting to fill the two positions. "They come from the same region and same tribe," a source familiar with these intricacies of choosing both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker said. "That complicates matters for them." In 2016, there was drama in Parliament when President Museveni, for the first time, decided to oversee the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. In that race, Kamuli District Woman MP Rebecca Kadaga beat Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo while Oulanyah got the better of Mr Nsereko. Mr Museveni's decision to attend stemmed from Mr Nsereko's refusal to heed the President's counsel to withdraw from the Deputy Speaker race. The NRM caucus, which Mr Nsereko attended, had already agreed to support Mr Oulanyah for the Deputy Speaker's seat. If Mr Nsibambi throws his hat in the ring, it will mark another milestone in the political career of this veteran lawyer who was part of the legal team that represented Dr Kizza Besigye during the infamous rape trial of 2006. It was Mr Nsibambi together with the late Sam Kalega Njuba, Wandera Ogalo, Kiyemba Mutale and Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi who secured Dr Besigye's bail in late 2005 before Justice James Ogalo who secured bail - a move that allowed Dr Besigye to campaign for 2006 presidential elections. Before he could start defending Dr Besigye, at the age of 24, Mr Nsibambi was made company secretary of Greenland Bank, a dominant financial institution in the 1990s that was instituted by a group of principally Muslim businessmen. Bank of Uganda closed it in 1999 after it became insolvent. The bank's closure was as a result of its decision to buy the embattled Ugandan Commercial Bank (UCB), Mr Nsibambi later said. After the closure of Greenland Bank, he joined a law firm, Nyanzi, Kiboneka and Mbabazi Advocates as a partner, a firm where High Court Judge Yasin Nyanzi was once a partner. He worked there for seven years, but he later he was ousted because of his association with Dr Besigye. "The firm got a lot of pressure [because some people associated it with Kizza Besigye]. Clients were withdrawing instructions. Other partners were not politicians like me. We sat and agreed that I should leave. When I left, I formed a firm called Nsibambi and Nsibambi Advocates," Nsibambi who has been a lecturer of law at Makerere University where he taught the likes of Norbert Mao, Jacob Oulanyah, Maj Gen James Mugira and the late Brig Noble Mayombo, told the media. Though he was into politics, Mr Nsibambi was sceptical about engaging in elective politics. "I have been so much involved with politicians. I actually realise that most of them are jobseekers. There has been a deliberate attempt to devalue leaders and leadership in this country. When you look at leaders, you seem to see people who are selfish, job seekers and conmen," the soft-spoken Nsibambi once told The Observer in an interview in 2016. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. While he kept off elective politics, Nsibambi got into chicken rearing in Nkozi, Mawokota South, a project he believed would improve the livelihoods of his people. Mr Nsibambi and his friends thought of forming an economic model village in Nkozi, using poultry farming as the launch pad. "We are offering 100 to 200 chicks per family. We have about 140 people who have registered. We put up model chicken house structures; we provide the chicks and we provide the general guidance and medicine. Thereafter, each of these farmers is going to open a bank account in Centenary bank. We expect to have a total of 50,000 birds in that model village," Nsibambi said back then. "So, why do I waste my money and energy on our politics that is full of treachery when I can cause a change in the lives of other people?" he queried. Of course, Mr Nsibambi has since changed his mind. He is an MP-elect having defeated NUP's Joel Mirembe Nsubuga, NRM's Susan Nakawuki and Independent John Bosco Lubyayi and now he wants to go for deputy speakership. He says he expects support from the legislators of his party FDC and NUP, whose leader Robert Kyagulanyi backed him during the campaigns. He also hopes to attract the legislators of DP, Independents and what he calls moderate NRM MPs. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Government's proposal to reduce import duty on steel products in Budget 2021-22 would make their imports more competitive and in turn exert near-term pricing pressures on domestic steelmakers, rating agency ICRA said. In its report on implications of duty changes on the steel industry, the agency, however, said that domestic steel demand may remain favourable in the coming months on the back of several positive announcements made in the Budget and this in turn is likely to keep domestic steel prices buoyant unless the international prices correct significantly from the current levels. "The reduction in duties will not affect imports from countries like South Korea and Japan, with which India has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). However, imports from China and other non-FTA countries would become more cost-competitive now. Chinese export HRC prices have already witnessed a 10 per cent drop in January 2021 due to lower domestic demand during winter months of November-March, and at current prices, the landed HRC prices from China at new duty rates are trading at a 10 per cent discount to domestic HRC prices," said Jayanta Roy, Senior Vice-President & Group Head, Corporate Sector Ratings, ICRA. "Therefore, everything else remaining the same and considering the lead time of about two months for the imports to arrive at the Indian shores, domestic HRC prices could correct by up to 10 per cent by end-March 2021 to align with the international prices and remain competitive in the domestic market," he added. The budget action to cut duties followed a steep increase in domestic steel prices. Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices rose about 54 per cent during July-December 2020 from end-June 2020 level of Rs. 36,250 per tonne on the back of a strong recovery in the domestic demand and a similar 56 per cent increase in international steel prices. While the prices increased further in January 2021 to touch a record of Rs. 58,000 per tonne, resistance from the end-user industries led to a roll-back in prices, which are currently trading at Rs. 56,000 per tonne. To protect the interests of the end-user industries of steel from such elevated steel prices, the government, as a part of the Union Budget 2021-22, announced a reduction in custom duty on flat steel products to 7.5 per cent from 12.5 per cent and on long products to 7.5 per cent from 10 per cent earlier. As per the report, domestic steel consumption would receive a boost from the government's continued thrust on infrastructure with a 26 per cent higher capital outlay, while the secondary steel producers would benefit from the improved scrap availability and lower input costs on the back of proposed doubling of the ship-breaking capacity by FY2024 and a duty reduction on steel scrap till end-FY2022. The government's Rs. 2.87-lakh crore allocation to the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) scheme and the addition of 100 more districts to the city gas distribution network would also provide a fillip to steel pipe sales, ICRA said. Additionally, domestic steelmakers stand to gain from the urban infrastructure push in the form of a 175 per cent increase in capital allocation to Metro Rail infrastructure in multiple cities and launch of a new scheme to bolster public bus transport services, at a cost of Rs. 18,000 crore. "Short-term reduction in steel prices is expected to be more than counterbalanced in the medium term by a sharp increase in infrastructure spending by the Government and its effect on the domestic steel demand," Roy said. Tunis/Tunisia Prime Minister and Acting Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi met on Thursday evening with a delegation from the National Union of Internal Security Forces led by its Secretary-General Nabil Ayari. The meeting discussed the concerns and legislative and social demands of police and prison staff, the Prime Ministry said on Friday. Mechichi decided at the end of the meeting to task the Minister to the Prime Minister in charge of Civil Service and Governance with meeting with the union to discuss the material and legal situation of staff members. He also instructed the General Secretariat of the Interior Ministry to prepare a financial study within one week to regularise the professional situation of staff. A study to reassess the risk premium will be commissioned, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Investment Support. The PM praised security forces for "the great professionalism shown in dealing with protests which sometimes turned violent" in a bid to have police caught in violence and tarnish the image of the security institution. He said he respects the right to peaceful protest but decries violations against police. He also pledged to follow up on agreements that will be concluded with the union out of keenness to preserve the rights of police staff. The Rajya Sabha passed The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory cadre The sixth day of the Budget Session of Parliament saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing for protesting farmers to call off their over two-month stir, while assuring them that the Minimum Support Price System will continue. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha returned to normal functioning on Monday after a week-long disruption over the Centre's farm laws following an appeal from defence minister Rajnath Singh. Replying to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President, Modi sought to target the Opposition for its U-turn on the agriculture sector reforms by quoting his predecessor Manmohan Singh and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. He also alleged that some people are trying to defame Sikhs and said that the nation should guard against the "andolan jeevi", a new "breed" of agitators which has emerged in the country and who cannot live without agitation. Responding to Modi's remarks, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said farmers will not allow "business over hunger" and once again put forth the demand for a law on MSP. Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November demanding the repeal of three new agriculture laws that they say will end the minimum support price (MSP) based procurement of crops like wheat and paddy by the government and usher in big corporates into the farm sector. They have rejected the government's offer to suspend the reforms for 18 months and have not joined talks after 11 rounds of talks ended last month. The issue of the farmers agitation figured in the Lok Sabha as well, which began normal functioning after seeing repeated adjournments last week over the farm laws. During the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president for his speech at the beginning of the Session, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chouwdhury flayed the government for its handling of the farmers protest and some Opposition members reiterated their demand for the roll back of the laws. Opposition members also targetted the government over various other issues such as the response to international comments on farmers' protest and the purported WhatsApp chats concerning the Balakot air strike. The Lok Sabha sitting was extended till midnight. Rajya Sabha Replying to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the President for his address to Parliament at the start of the current Budget Session, Modi slammed those abusing protesting Sikh farmers, saying it will not do the country any good. Modi further appealed to the protesting farmers to call off their over two-month-long stir, assuring them of continuing with the purchase of crops at an administered price or MSP. "Give the agriculture reforms a chance," he said. In an apparent reference to tweets by pop star Rihanna and Swedish climate-activist Greta Thunberg favouring the agitating farmers, Modi played on the term 'Foreign Direct Investment or FDI' to warn against deleterious influences from abroad. He also hit out at some of the protestors, saying a new crop of agitators has emerged in India who cannot live without agitation and the country should be beware of them. He also pointed to statements made by his predecessor Manmohan Singh and former agriculture minister and Maratha leader Sharad Pawar to attack Opposition parties as having done a 'U-turn' on their own words. In an oblique reference to agitating Sikhs being called 'Khalistani' terrorists and other names, the prime minister said, "India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs. This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious," he said. "Language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." "We mustn't forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the Partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. And the business of weapons was carried out in the northeast. All this affected the nation," he said. These laws, he said, address the root cause of the agrarian problem and are aimed at helping small farmers but indicated that the government was open to amending the laws. "I assure you that mandis will be modernised," he said. "MSP was there (in past). MSP is there (now). MSP will remain in the future." Modi appealed farmers to end their agitation while inviting them again for a dialogue. All the amendments moved by the opposition to the President's address, including mention of the repeal of farm laws, were negated. The Rajya Sabha also passed The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, through a voice vote even as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad raised doubts over the Centre's intention of giving full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Opposing the Statutory Resolution and Legislative Business (Bill for Consideration and Passing), the Jammu and Kashmir (Amendment) Bill 2021 as the first speaker, Azad said it was perhaps his last speech in the House and he didn't want to use harsh language but contrary to the government's tall promises behind converting Jammu and Kashmir into a UT, development had been stalled, industry couldn't enter and unemployment is on the rise. Azad's Rajya Sabha tenure ends on 15 February. Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy had earlier moved a motion for considering the Bill and a statutory resolution on the draft law in Rajya Sabha. The Congress leader batted for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir , saying development had halted, there was an increase in unemployment and industries were closing, making survival difficult in the region. He also said hghways were in a dilapidated condition and ceasefire violations have risen causing severe damage to land and property. Tourism had taken a toll on account of months-long curfew earlier and then due to COVID-19 pandemic, schools, colleges and universities were closed and no salaries were being given to teachers. Had there been elected representatives they could have taken responsibility and addressed the issues, he said. "Give statehood and conduct elections," Azad demanded and said it is a border region and both the enemies, Pakistan and China, are sitting on our heads, and under the circumstance the government should strive to win the hearts of locals and strengthen its hands. Azad also said that though it was Muslim-majority state, the executive remained largely Hindus and urged the government not make "Kashmir a guinea pig for experiments." While participating in the debate, BJP's Dushyant Gautam said that political parties in the state were exploiting the people under the guise of Article 370. RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha wanted to know whether the changes proposed under the bill were temporary or permanent in nature. He also wanted to know from the government whether there had been any increase in fresh recruitment in militancy in the valley after the change of Jammu and Kashmir's status. BSP's Ashok Siddharth also supported the bill, however, said earlier 50 percent of the state cadre KAS officials were elevated to IAS cadre but after this, their elevation would be reduced to only 33 percent and this should be looked into. AAP's Sushil Kumar Gupta said the government should take steps to normalise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and restore its full statehood as promised earlier. BJP's Shamsher Singh Manhas said UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have several development schemes which are getting implemented. Lok Sabha Lok Sabha resumed normal functioning on Monday after a week-long disruption over the Centre's three farm laws following an appeal by defence minister Rajnath Singh. After the House convened at 5 pm following a brief adjournment, Singh said the tradition of thanking the President has been continuing for long and it should not be broken in a healthy democracy. He also said that Rajya Sabha has already passed the Motion of Thanks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply and "I appeal to members not to break this tradition in the Lok Sabha". Singh said that members are free to speak on farm laws during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks. Speaker Om Birla disallowed all adjournment motions also appealed to the members to allow the House to function and not indulge in sloganeering. Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury too said that the tradition should not be broken. "Our demand was to discuss the issue of farmers who have been sitting in the cold on the borders of Delhi in protest against farm laws. It is regrettable that they are being stopped from entering the capital by sharp nails and barbed wires," he said. He said the Opposition wanted an assurance from the government for a standalone discussion on the farmers' issue either after the debate on Motion of Thanks or after the discussion on Budget. Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks, Chowdhury alleged that the government had sent "vandals" to Red Fort to "desecrate" the monument and defame the ongoing farmers' agitation, and demanded that a JPC probe be held to uncover the "big conspiracy". "With such a strong home minister like Amit Shah, how can some people reach the Red Fort, that too on 26 January when the highest level of security was in place in Delhi.Why isn't there a proper investigation into it. It is actually a big, well-planned conspiracy to defame the farmers. The fact is that you have sent some vandals to the Red Fort to create vandalism. Forces within the government are behind it," he alleged. He was referring to the Republic Day incident during the farmers' tractor rally when protesters had stormed the Red Fort, hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts and clashed with the police. The Congress leader also demanded a similar investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the alleged TRP scam and purported chats of a television anchor that have allegedly been linked to Balakot airstrikes. Secrecy still shrouds the Balakot operation, Chowdhury said, alleging that it was reported that the action was taken keeping in mind electoral benefits. Chowdhury asked the government as to why it was "so much afraid" of a teenaged climate-activist, Greta Thunberg, that it engaged the whole machinery to counter her tweets supporting the farmers' agitation against the three agricultural laws. "The whole world is discussing about India. Your action is bringing disrepute to India. Why are you so much afraid of an 18-year-old Greta (Thunberg). Why are you making Greta persona non grata? You have misguided (former test captain) Sachin Tendulkar, (music legend) Lata Mangeshkar," he said, referring to Tendulkar and Mangeshkar's tweets. In the House where Modi, home minister Amit Shah, Rajnath and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were in attendance, Chowdhury likened the current situation in Delhi with Kabul, Baghdad and Syria, saying that barricades, barbed wire and nails have been put in and around the sites of the farmer protests at Delhi's borders. Chowdhury alleged that the Central Government had earlier conspired against the Muslims and now against the farmers. "Farmers are at Delhi's borders. More than 200 farmers have lost their lives. Why is the prime minister not talking to them? Why this arrogance ? You have a majority and you are trying to bulldoze through your majority. Don't insult the farmers, don't wage a war against the farmers. Are they your enemy?" he said, lashing out at the Modi government. The Congress leader said that the government did not convene the Winter Session citing the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting that "dissent, disagreement and dialogue are the hallmark of our civilisation". Chowdhury said the BJP is bereft of any national icon and was borrowing icons. "There is nothing wrong in borrowing. But try to understand and comprehend these icons. You often take the name of Netaji (Subhash Chandra Bose). But why not take the names of (Jawaharlal) Nehru or Indira Gandhi. This reflects your pettiness," he claimed. The Congress leader also asked the government to come clean on China's alleged transgressions into Indian territories and noted that the prime minister had asserted that nobody had intruded into the country. Chinese soldiers should be held by their necks and thrown out of Indian territories, he said. DMK's TR Baalu called on the Centre to repeal the farm laws and said it should not stand on "false prestige and ego". Baalu also accused the government of transgressing on state's powers and also demanded that Tamil be made an official language. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra too demanded that the three new farm laws be repealed and came down strongly on the MEA's response to Thunberg and Rihanna's tweets on the farmers' protest. Moitra slammed the BJP government, saying it has turned propaganda into a cottage industry. She questioned the government for slapping sedition against journalists, and trying to take over state governments by "hook or crook". She repeatedly used terms like cowards and cowardice to slam the government for "hiding behind" power and authority and alleged that it has made India a "virtual police State" by charging critical voices with sedition. In her strong-worded speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, she lashed out at the government for making "hate and bigotry" a part of its narrative and alleged that the judiciary and the media have also "failed" the country. According to the Hindu, Moitra referred to the WhatsApp Chat leaks and said India is in a state of undeclared emergency. "The judicary stopped being sacred when it failed to uphold the Constitution," the report quotes her as saying. Her reference to a sexual harassment accusations against a former Chief Justice of India created uproar in the Lower House, with treasury members accusing her of violating parliamentary rules and demanding that her remarks be expunged. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal termed her comments against the former CJI, who was not named, as "shameful". RSP MP NK Premachandran, who was in the Chair, said her remarks will be expunged if found objectionable. Moitra also criticised the government's decision to impose a nationwide lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19 . She also slammed the government over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 in this House on the pretext of granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus and other minorities in neighbouring countries," she said. "At the same time, it threw into abusive insecurity millions of Indians who had been living in this land for generations. But the rules by which this act will be implemented were not yet prepared by December 2020, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs," she added. "The deadline has yet again been extended till April 2021. If indeed this govt cared so much for those persecuted in the neighbouring countries, why does it miss the deadline to notify these rules?" Participating in the debate, BJP member Virendra Kumar said the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and it will remain so in the future too. The Modi government has been trying to double the income of the farmers through various measures, he said. Referring to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three agricultural laws, Kumar said there was some anxiety among a section of farmers but the government has tried to allay their concerns through discussions and so far 11-12 rounds of talks have taken place. Kumar said the government has so far given Rs 1,13,000 lakh crore financial assistance to farmers and has been trying to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) of various agriculture products. The BJP member said those who had incited people to create vandalism at the Red Fort or doubted the efficacy of the Indian vaccines, could not be called leaders. Kumar also listed the Modi government's initiatives for the welfare of migrant labourers, reforms in labour laws, empowerment of women and providing houses to all homeless people by 2022. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, who initiated the debate last week, attacked the West Bengal government, saying the TMC government was "playing politics" with the people on various issues like the coronavirus vaccines. West Bengal is set to go for Assembly elections in April or May. Against this backdrop, Chatterjee alleged that the state government was not doing anything for the people and that the state's chief minister was in "silent mode". Chatterjee said there are various problems and incidents in West Bengal but "Didi is in silent mode", an apparent reference to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "People will give reply in 2021," she said during her speech, which was a mix of Bengali, Hindi and English. Amid recent controversy over chanting of 'Jai Shri Ram' in West Bengal, Chatterjee said, "Jai Shri Ram is not a bad word... It is not just uttered by BJP but by the whole nation". After the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address was extended till midnight on Monday, BSP MP Ritesh Pandey took the Centre to task over the two-month-long farmer protest and unemployment in the country. He said it was "shameful" that farmers were being called "terrorists" by some political leaders. "We should listen to farmers, and roll back the farm laws," he said. BJP MP Pinaki Mishra also urged the Centre to bring in a law for MSP to allay the fears of the protesting farmers and added that the government must implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission "in letter and in spirit". With inputs from PTI A father of two who raped two ex-girlfriends after they refused to get back together with him has been jailed for 12 years. Father of two Prince Chunga, 27, of Radcliffe, near Bury in Greater Manchester, attacked one victim after bumping into her during a night out and then repeatedly raped the other after luring her to his home. He had earlier rekindled his relationships with both women only to force himself on them in separate assaults a year apart. After the victims reported the attacks to police, Chunga tried to smear one by lying that she had had made a false rape accusation against another man. In a statement the first victim told police: 'What happened that night changed my life. I could not sleep for days. 'It has affected every single relationship I have had ever since. I do not trust anybody. I used to be confident. But now I'm scared because of what happened to me. Father of two Prince Chunga (pictured), 27, of Radcliffe, near Bury in Greater Manchester, attacked one victim after bumping into her during a night out and then repeatedly raped the other after luring her to his home 'When I go out, there has to be two or three people with me because I fear what might happen.' The second victim said: 'This has impacted every part of my life. I have less confidence, I do not like being at home by myself at night. When I go out, I want people to be with me.' At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Chunga was convicted of rape by a jury. He denied wrongdoing but Judge John Edwards told him: 'You displayed breath-taking arrogance and a sense of entitlement. 'These are two young women, each of whom had a relationship with you and each gave a similar account of their experiences, where you would not take no for an answer. 'In both cases, you showed a disregard for their wishes. Both these women were forced to indulge you and the fact you chose to go to trial has meant that both these women have had to relive their ordeals.' At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Chunga was convicted of rape by a jury The court heard Chunga had bumped into the first victim by chance in a bar in March 2019 whilst she was out with a female friend. Daniel Calder prosecuting said: 'He was acting in an overtly sexual manner, referring to her as his ''girlfriend'', touching her bottom and making comments about sleeping with her. 'She told him explicitly: ''No, you're not gonna sleep with me'' and it was obvious she looked uncomfortable. 'Later at 4am she intended to walk to the nearby taxi rank but the defendant pulled up in his car and beeped his horn and offered her a lift home. 'When she got in, he asked her where she wanted to go and replied: ''home'' which was clearly not the answer he wanted to hear. He told her they were going to a country park and although she repeated that she just wanted to go home, his mind was already made up.' During the journey the victim told Chunga: 'I don't know what you expect but I'm not having sex with you. No, nothing, like zero per cent chance, nothing!.' But Chunga parked up at Burrs country park near Bury, kissed her and then forced his hands into her underwear, before raping her as she begged him to stop. He was arrested later but was bailed after claiming the woman had made a false complaint of rape against a friend. In March last year he targeted a second ex-girlfriend after contacting her and suggesting they meet up. Mr Calder added: 'He collected her from her father's house and took her to his home address, But once inside he seemed in a rush to get her upstairs. He encouraged her to get into the bed, telling her to 'get comfortable.' She asked him: 'why are you being weird but he replied: 'I'm not.' 'He took off his clothes down to his boxer shorts and proceeded to repeatedly rape her, saying he loved her.' The victim went to police after Chunga dropped her back at her father's home. He claimed both women consented to sex. In mitigation defence counsel Soraya Lawrence said: 'Other girlfriends have spoken of him as being supportive and respectful. He is someone who has been able to have relationships with woman.' Chunga was also banned from contacting the victims for life under the terms of a lifetime restraining order. [February 08, 2021] Shipa Announces New Integrations with HashiCorp Vault, Istio, and Private Registries; Version 1.2 of Shipa's Full Lifecycle Application Management Framework Hits GA SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shipa, Corp. , delivering a cloud native application management framework built for the full application lifecycle, today announced the general availability of Shipa 1.2. The new version adds several key integrations, capabilities, and improvements that are purpose-built to solve developers persistent frustrations and inefficiencies trying to deploy, scale, and manage applications across multiple Kubernetes clusters and clouds. Shipa 1.2 adds new integrations that make the framework simple to use with other solutions popular with application developers and DevOps teams. By providing out-of-the-box integrations ready to connect in minutes, Shipa is further reducing cloud native development complexity and deployment time by seamlessly working with its users existing stacks. New integrations which add to Shipas existing integrations in the Shipa 1.2 framework include: Istio: Shipa users can now use their existing Istio ingress controller for their deployed applications. This includes leveraging the open source service mesh for traffic routing rules, including canary rollouts based on traffic-percentage splits. Istio-generated service metrics, as well as CNAME and HTTPS certificate management, are also now available and included in Shipas network mapping capabilities as part of this integration. Shipa users can now use their existing Istio ingress controller for their deployed applications. This includes leveraging the open source service mesh for traffic routing rules, including canary rollouts based on traffic-percentage splits. Istio-generated service metrics, as well as CNAME and HTTPS certificate management, are also now available and included in Shipas network mapping capabilities as part of this integration. HashiCorp Vault: Shipa users can inject secrets from their HashiCorp Vault into their Kubernetes applications deployed using Shipa. The framework enables users to pass all requisite vault annotations through shipa.yaml; annotations are then used by Kubernetes Vault sidecar to inject secrets into users applications. Shipa users can inject secrets from their HashiCorp Vault into their Kubernetes applications deployed using Shipa. The framework enables users to pass all requisite vault annotations through shipa.yaml; annotations are then used by Kubernetes Vault sidecar to inject secrets into users applications. Private registries: Shipa now provides the ability to deploy applications with Docker images stored in private registries. This feature uses an image URL, Docker username, and password/accesstoken to gain access. Shipa is now offering full support for JFrog Artifactory, Docker Hub, Amazon ECR, Azure Container Registry, Google GCR, Nexus repository, and more. Shipa 1.2 is an important release for developers using our framework, said Bruno Andrade, CEO, Shipa. Shipa exists to eliminate the headaches inherent to building and scaling on cloud native architectures. While the benefits of cloud native transformations are clear, inefficiencies remain rampant. Developers continue to get dragged into the infrastructure layer, where they have to learn, create, and manage infrastructure-related objects and files. Operations teams, meanwhile, struggle with providing developers with streamlined workflow experiences that can still ensure control and security. Our new integrations are a key part of empowering a more enjoyable developer experience while significantly increasing development speed and workflow efficiencies. Theres a lot to be excited about with Shipa 1.2, and theres never been a better time to try it out . Additionally, Shipa 1.2 now empowers its users with a visual translation of standard Kubernetes network policies, representing the simple abstraction level that Shipa provides when restricting or allowing traffic flow between applications and services. With Shipa, developers and DevOps teams can set customized rules for the application and have an automated visualization of all application policies and dependencies displayed through their Shipa interface. Chart animation shows how network traffic moves between all graphed nodes, so users can have an exact representation of the incoming or outgoing network flow. An object dependency map is also enabled for all applications (including their status and other detailed information), making it easy for users to continue to actively support applications post-deployment. The map is an excellent tool for developers to quickly understand how applications are configured, and it is designed to be used across a wide range of purposes. Shipa 1.2 also expands framework flexibility to better meet users in the cloud environments they are working in. The new release expands Shipas multi-cloud functionality to include AKS, EKS, OKE, GKE, IKS, and OpenShift. Shipa has also made improvements to its multi-tenancy model. Additional Information and Resources Request a demo View a demo Shipa documentation About Shipa Shipa delivers a cloud native application management framework built for the full application lifecycle. Using Shipa, organizations speed up cloud native application migrations implementations by eliminating persistent workflow inefficiencies. For developers, Shipa provides an application-centric way to develop, deploy, and manage cloud native applications without requiring Kubernetes expertise. For platform and DevOps engineers, Shipas framework gives you the ability to implement controls and guardrails while enabling developer experience and speed. Shipa is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Contact Kyle Peterson kyle@clementpeterson.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b391a924-51ba-4a4e-9c1d-9c38603512fc [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Humanitarian issues cannot be linked to political recognition. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic, David Babayan, stated this in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am. Mr. Babayan, what is the situation in foreign policy? And what are the tasks facing the Republic? What Artsakh and the Armenian people had to go through, of course, cannot but affect the foreign policy of our country and make some adjustments in its implementation. It can be said that, despite the historical blows and the irreplaceable human and territorial losses, a number of traditional issues in foreign policy have remained unchanged. This is the final peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, the international recognition of the Artsakh Republic, the development of bilateral relations. Naturally, the further strengthening of intra-Armenian ties has remained unshakable. However, the current situation also dictates a number of important tactical changes. First of all, foreign policy must be very flexible. Moreover, in fact, diplomats should not only be people directly involved in foreign policy, but also many government agencies; this is the imperative of the time. All steps should be considered a few steps ahead, PR, emotions and toasts should be minimized. Naturally, the main task today is to preserve Artsakh's subjectivity, including geopolitical. And the geopolitical significance of Artsakh has remained even in this situation, as the Transcaucasian region, the geopolitical balance of power in it is one thing with us, it is completely different without us. Moreover, the disappearance of Artsakh will become a detonator of tectonic explosions in the vast areas of the Near Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Volga region, Eastern Europe, and so on. These are the most important peculiarities of the situation. As for the spread of information on social media about the dissolution of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry, these reports do not correspond to reality. In any case, we do not have such information. By the way, the top leadership of Artsakh commented on these reports, noting that they did not correspond to reality. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working as before. There is a little more work now. We do not advertise our work, and rightly so. The field of work is large and the amount of work is also large. There were publications in the media and social media about the problems related to entering Artsakh. Explain what it is about. A new monitoring system is being introduced to prevent terrorists from entering the republic. We are improving the system of issuing visas, and there are indeed technical problems. We apologize for the inconvenience. All the issues will be completely resolved in a few days. Let me clarify. The publications were that from now on Stepanakert will coordinate entry permits with Baku. Is that right? There is no agreement with Baku, and there cannot be. The system does not assume an agreement with Baku to enter the territory of the Artsakh Republic. In this context, there can be no dependence on Azerbaijan. There has been a lot of talk about protecting the rights of citizens of unrecognized countries. How are things going in that regard? As far as the humanitarian sphere is concerned, the status should not matter at all. What happens if the state is not recognized, then its people can be subjected to genocide, and then saying that the state is not recognized? This is how one can treat any state, withdraw recognition, organize genocide, and then say that it is an unrecognized state. Such political discrimination is unacceptable, as being recognized and humanitarian issues are not related. The justification of genocide against the people or their cultural heritage cannot be conditioned by the lack of recognition; this is a gross violation of humanitarian law, morality, and ethics. There is talk of the need to protect the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories controlled by Azerbaijan, but in fact ... Azerbaijan stubbornly refuses to allow the visit of UNESCO representatives. This is also a very serious issue. [Russian] peacekeepers play a very important role here. It is due to the efforts of Russia and President Putin that the Dadivank [monastic] complex was not in fact destroyed by Azerbaijan. But there are many [Armenian] monuments, churches, and cross-stones that are being ruthlessly destroyed by the Azerbaijani side, and we cannot have some bearing on it in any way. It is therefore important that the international community be involved so that the responsibility does not rest solely on the peacekeepers or on one side; in this case, on Russia. After all, cultural heritage is a world treasure. This should be done by international organizations; in this case, by the UN which, according to the agreement, should also participate in the resolution of humanitarian issues in Karabakh. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 New Delhi : Farmer unions agitating against the three agri laws on Monday asked the government to fix a date for the next round of talks, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to end their stir and invited them to resume the dialogue. They, however, objected to Prime Minister Modi's remarks in Rajya Sabha that a new "breed" of agitators called "andolan jivi" has emerged in the country, and said that agitation has an important role in a democracy. Farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka, who is a senior member of the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha which is spearheading the ongoing stir, said they are ready for the next round of talks and the government should tell them the date and time of the meeting. "We have never refused to hold talks with the government. Whenever it has called us for dialogue, we held discussions with Union ministers. We are ready for talks with them (government)," Kakka told PTI. Eleven rounds of talks have been held over the contentious farm laws but the impasse continues as the farmer unions remain firm on their demands -- the repeal of the three laws and legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). In the last round of talks, the government had offered to suspend the laws for 12-18 months, but the farmer unions rejected it. Thousands of agitating farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points --- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur --- for over 70 days. While replying in Rajya Sabha on Monday to a debate on the President's address, PM Modi assured the farmers that Mandis will be modernised, saying "Not just this, MSP was there, it is there and will remain." "We urge those sitting on the agitation that even though it is their right to agitate, the way the old people are sitting there, is not right. "They (agitators) should be taken back. They should end the agitation and we will together find a solution as all doors are open for dialogue. From this House, I again invite them for dialogue," Modi said while appealing to farmers to end their agitation. Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who is also a member of Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, said that the government has already said "hundreds of times" that the MSP will not go anywhere and it will remain in place. "If the government is claiming that MSP will remain, why doesn't it provide a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for our crops," Kohar told PTI. He said that the farmer unions are ready to resume talks with the government, but there should be a formal invitation. "Any issue can be resolved through proper dialogue. We are ready in-principle to resume talks," the farmer leader. In his speech, Modi slammed the mushrooming of a new breed of 'andolan-jivi' -- professional protestors -- who are seen at every agitation. These "parasites feast on every agitation," he said. "Agitation has an important role in democracy. People have a right to oppose the government's wrong policies," Kakka said, referring to the remarks by the prime minister. Sukhdev Singh, Punjab general secretary of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, sought to know why the government is not ensuring a legal guarantee on MSP for crops and alleged that it is trying to divert the issue. Farmer leader Baldev Singh also said that government should repeal these farm laws and provide a legal guarantee on MSP for farmers' crops. Earlier in the day, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said business over hunger will not be allowed in the country. "There will not be any business over hunger in the country. If hunger goes up, the price of crops will be decided accordingly. Those who wish to do business over hunger will be driven out of the country," Tikait told reporters at the Ghazipur protest site. To press their demands, protesting unions held a nationwide 'chakka jam' last week, during which national and state highways were blocked in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country. PTI BUN BUN RT RT This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. This CARES 2.0 federal funding offers the opportunity to focus on addressing the educational needs exacerbated by the pandemic, said Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. As we all continue to navigate these challenges, it will be critical to better understand and take actions to mitigate the learning loss resulting from COVID-19, as well as capitalize on any opportunities for growth that have come to light as a result of this challenge. CITY Hall has got on board to help in the fight against Covid with the construction of vaccination booths. The venue will be used as a vaccination hub to ease pressure on hospitals and on GP services over the upcoming months. Former Lord Mayor and Blackpool GP Dr John Sheehan welcomed the news ahead of plans to start vaccinations at his own clinic next week. The HSE and City Council have worked together on so many projects, he said. This is just another example of the positive things that can be achieved when they come together. "Other venues were being looked at for vaccinating but City Hall is such a large setting that is so well known to people. He also acknowledged the venues historical significance. I suspect this was where the Polio vaccine was administered too. This is particularly good news for practices where they dont have the space or sufficient numbers of patients over the age of 70. Practices with less than 200 for vaccination are being advised to partner up with a larger practice or vaccination hub. Thats really what is happening. He hopes that the roll-out of vaccinations for over-70s will be the beginning of a significant reduction in Covid cases. Its great to see vaccinations being rolled out, he said. This is something really positive. Although most practices are ready to do it in the morning, it will be another week before we can start. Dr Sheehan hopes the development can bring about dramatic improvements to the current situation. Hopefully, the roll-out of the vaccines for over-70s will mean the start of the numbers finally dropping. Once the over-70s are vaccinated its going to make a huge difference. Dr Sheehan said there is still hope that medically vulnerable groups on the bottom of the vaccination list will be prioritised. This will probably change every week since its an ever-evolving situation. Meanwhile, work is underway on a number of large-scale vaccination clinics in Dublin, Cork and Galway as part of new plans for administering the Covid-19 vaccine to those over the age of 70. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Remember the Capitol attack? Not the one Republicans in Congress wish we would forget, but another that has receded from memory along with other pre-pandemic calamities. In September 2019, an anti-vaccination agitator hurled a cup of menstrual blood from the gallery of the California Senate onto lawmakers below, dedicating the act of terrorism to the dead babies. It splattered 10 senators, among them Dr. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat and pediatrician best known for his courageous campaign to compel life-saving childhood immunizations in the face of the sort of hysteria that motivated the attack. A Santa Cruz area woman was arraigned on felony charges for the crime in January 2020, weeks before the coronavirus began to suspend life as we knew it while we hoped for a vaccine. The 2019 attack bore parallels in kind if not degree to the assault now on trial in the U.S. Senate, another violent disruption of the rule of law in the name of paranoid fantasies. After the California Senate was forced to evacuate its chamber on the years last night of legislating, Pan decried an attack on the democratic process that must be met with strong condemnation by everyone. And that is how California officialdom reacted, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to state Senate Republican leader Shannon Grove, who would go on to lose her leadership position after denying the Trump-inspired storming of the other Capitol. Also like the Washington riot, however, what happened in Sacramento was preceded by a series of official and semi-official acts that were not as clear in their defense of the truth and the law, inflaming the ensuing chaos. The California attack came soon after the culmination of an uneasy negotiation between Pan and Newsom over the senators legislation to stamp out dubious medical exemptions from school vaccinations amid a resurgence of measles. The governor ultimately signed the bill, but not before demanding concessions that weakened it for the second time in a few months, reneging on an agreement to support an earlier compromise. The final accord was so fraught that it required a second piece of legislation and a bill signing reportedly choreographed to allow distrustful legislators to withdraw the measure should Newsom change his mind again. The governors public wavering on the bill encouraged and emboldened the anti-vaccine activists who thronged the Capitol, disrupted hearings and menaced lawmakers. Some of the protesters were ushered into meetings with a top Newsom adviser and with first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom while the bill hung in the balance. As weve just learned all over again, however, lunatic fringes can be fed, but they cant be sated. On the day Newsom finally signed a weakened crackdown on vaccine dodgers, demonstrators shouted the Assembly out of its chambers and blocked an entrance to the Capitol. By the end of the week, there was blood on the Senate floor. Shortly after last months breaching of the U.S. Capitol, anti-vaccine activists were in the California Capitol threatening violence again. We didnt buy guns for nothing, one warned lawmakers from the same Senate gallery. Another referred to the campaign to recall Newsom, which has links to anti-vaccine and other extremists. Fatefully, the more mainstream grievances fueling the recall include the states slowness in vaccinating the population against the coronavirus. Newsom has presided over an uneven and confusing rollout that puts California among the worst-performing states in an underperforming country. Hes in the midst of trying to right the effort by turning it over to private health care giants in an arrangement that his administration has struggled to explain. The anti-vaxxers are adding to his troubles in this endeavor, too. A well-meaning prioritization of health care workers ran up against alarming proportions declining to get the shots. A mob shut down a mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium. Experts worry the anti-science movement could leave the population short of collective immunity even if the government overcomes logistical failures. Last February, when the coronavirus had just begun sickening and killing Californians, the states first partner was recorded reassuring protesters outside the Newsoms home that she believed there needs to be more conversation around only giving children the vaccines that are most essential. It was difficult then to imagine how obviously and immediately essential vaccinations would soon become for so many, not least the governor. Josh Gohlke is The San Francisco Chronicles deputy opinion editor. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Four conditions must be met by the Syrian Democratic Council if it wishes to join the Syrian Negotiating Committee, reports Al-Modon. The Syrian Negotiating Committee has set four conditions that must be fulfilled should the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) be allowed to become part of it. This coincides with a statement by a former American envoy that his country does not support a Kurdish state in Syria. The Head of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Anas al-Abdah, said in an interview with Al-Modon on Sunday that SDC joining HNC has not been formally discussed, but he stressed that the existence of SDC as one of the components of the committee could be on the table if four conditions are met. According to Abdah, the conditions are for it to give up its ties to the [Kurdistan Workers Party] PKK, expel foreign Kurdish elements from Syria, commit to the geographic unity of Syria and the goals of the Syrian revolution, and to give up any plans to form an autonomous administration or [implement] separatist agendas. The Autonomous Administration had announced its rejection of any decisions as a result of the meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva. The Vice-Presidency of the Executive Council in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Hamdan al-Abed, said that all that has been proposed since the beginning of the Syrian crisis is the sharing of power and influence. Abed added, according to Hawar News Agency, at the beginning of this month, that any decision issued by any conference or committee that does not take into account the interest of the Syrian people and does not guarantee the rights of all its components is setting itself up for failure. The Syrian people are the ones who decide their destiny, away from foreign alliances and dictates. Announcing the conditions coincided with the statements of former US envoy in northeastern Syria, ambassador William Robak, about the Autonomous Administration. The Autonomous Administration is not a state, Robak said in an interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper. It is unstable, and is a makeshift solution to fight [the Islamic State] ISIS. American presence is important for these measures [fighting ISIS] to continue. However, we will not stay in northeast Syria forever. Robak added that the situation in this region is different from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and what we said and did, as well as our relationship with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was clear: we do not support the establishment of a Kurdish state there and we do not believe that working on establishing it is a constructive approach. According to Robak, the US provided advice to the SDF, which relied on the continuation of the relationship with the US and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the provision of security in northeastern Syria, as well as implementing confidence-building measures and not provoking Turkey such as establishing a state or using certain ideology or Ocalan symbols, referring to the leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of political theater as they accused House Democrats of exploiting the chaos and trauma of last months riot at the U.S. Capitol for their partys gain. In a brief filed on the eve of the impeachment trial, lawyers for the former president leveled a wide-ranging attack on the case, foreshadowing the claims they intend to present when arguments begin Tuesday on the same Senate floor that was invaded by rioters on Jan. 6. They suggest that Trump was simply exercising his First Amendment rights when he disputed the election results and argue that he explicitly encouraged his supporters to have a peaceful protest and therefore cannot be responsible for the actions of the rioters. They say the Senate is not entitled to try Trump now that he has left office, an argument contested by even some conservative legal scholars, and they deny that the goal of the case is justice. Instead, this was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people, the lawyers wrote in a brief obtained by The Associated Press. Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain, they added. The trial will begin in earnest Tuesday with a debate and vote on whether its even constitutional to prosecute the former president, an argument that could resonate with Republicans keen on voting to acquit Trump without being seen as condoning his behavior. Under a draft agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the proceedings will break Friday evening for the Jewish Sabbath at the request of Trumps defense team and resume on Sunday. There will likely be no witnesses, and the former president has declined a request to testify. Trumps second impeachment trial is opening with a sense of urgency by Democrats who want to hold him accountable for the violent Capitol siege and Republicans who want it over as quickly as possible. The proceedings are expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated trial that resulted in Trumps acquittal a year ago on charges that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trumps rally cry to fight like hell and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. Trump very well could be acquitted again, and the trial could be over in half the time. Under the terms of the trial being negotiated, it would launch first with a debate over its constitutionality, a key argument of the former presidents defense. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., forced a vote on the issue last month, and senators will again be confronted with a debate and vote. Opening arguments would begin Wednesday at noon, with up to 16 hours per side for presentations. Trump is the first president to be twice impeached, and the only one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House approved a sole charge, incitement of insurrection, acting swiftly one week after the riot, the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died of injuries the next day. So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who have been sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Most are also witnesses to the siege, having fled for safety that day as the rioters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the electoral count certifying Bidens victory. Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are expected to rely on the trove of videos from the siege, along with Trumps incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defense team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trumps first impeachment. Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call. Democrats argue its not only about winning conviction, but holding the former president accountable for his actions, even though hes out of office. For Republicans, the trial will test their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP. Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the siege, Republican senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. But in recent weeks GOP senators have rallied around Trump arguing his comments do not make him responsible for the violence. They question the legitimacy of even conducting a trial of someone no longer in office. On Sunday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi described Trumps impeachment trial as a meaningless messaging partisan exercise. Paul called the proceedings a farce with zero chance of conviction and described Trumps language and rally words as figurative speech. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial proceedings were delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new presidents initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to put as much distance as possible from the bloody riot. At the time, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, drawing 44 other Republicans to his argument. A prominent conservative lawyer, Charles Cooper, rejects that view, writing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Sunday that the Constitution permits the Senate to try an ex-official, a significant counterpoint to that of Republican senators who have looked toward acquittal by advancing constitutional claims. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trumps ardent defenders, said he believes Trumps actions were wrong and hes going to have a place in history for all of this, but insisted its not the Senates job to judge. But 45 votes in favor of Pauls measure suggested the near impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Only five Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Pauls motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Schiff was on NBCs Meet the Press, Wicker spoke on ABCs This Week, Paul was on Fox News Sunday and Graham was on CBS Face the Nation. Were trying to thread the needle, Mr. Cuomo said. We want the performances. We dont want mass gatherings, we dont want large crowds. The events, the state said, will take place in parks, museums and parking lots, as well as on subway platforms and in transit stations. People can follow a new Twitter and Instagram account, @NYPopsUp, for details about upcoming performances. Many will be shown online. The series will be spearheaded by the producers Scott Rudin and Jane Rosenthal, along with the New York State Council on the Arts and Empire State Development. It is part of an arts revival plan that the governor had announced during an address in January, when he had said the state would organize the pop-up performances beginning Feb. 4. The series will begin Feb. 20 at the Javits Center in New York City with a free performance for health care workers that will feature Jon Batiste, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cecile McLorin Salvant and Ayodele Casel. The performers will travel across the city to all five boroughs, performing in parks and street corners, as well as at the footsteps of Elmhurst Hospital and St. Barnabas Hospital. Mr. Cuomo said some of the events would use flexible venues that do not have fixed seats, and could therefore be reconfigured to allow for social distancing, including the Shed, the Apollo Theater, Harlem Stage, La MaMa and the Glimmerglass Festivals Alice Busch Opera Theater. Andrew Krasner, CFO of AssuredPartners Andrew will partner across all platforms to help advance the companys strategic objectives. We are excited about having him join the team and he will be a great addition to our leadership team," said CEO, Tom Riley. AssuredPartners announced today that Andrew Krasner has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President effective February 8, 2020. Andrew will be responsible for driving AssuredPartners financial strategy and performance while working closely with AssuredPartners Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tom Riley, and broader leadership team. Most recently, Krasner was the Global Treasurer and Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for Willis Towers Watson. In this role, Andrew was responsible for all aspects of Willis Towers Watsons Treasury function as well as the companys global M&A and strategic investment activity. Andrew Krasner stated, I am excited to join an organization which has experienced such tremendous growth, demonstrates commitment to its clients and colleagues and has such a remarkable culture. I look forward to working with the rest of the leadership team to bring a strategic financial perspective to the organization. We are looking forward to Andrews ability to drive the companys future financial success, stated CEO Tom Riley. Andrew will partner across all platforms to help advance the companys strategic objectives. We are excited about having him join the team and he will be a great addition to our leadership team. ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC. Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida and founded by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in England. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners has grown to over $1.6 billion in annualized revenue and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in the United States with over 190 offices in 34 states in addition to London and Belgium. For more information, please contact Jamie Reinert, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 513-624-1779 or jamie.reinert@assuredpartners.com, or visit http://www.assuredpartners.com. While the shutdown of many sectors of society last spring in Michigan due to COVID-19 caused a lot of difficulties, H.H. Dow High student Abigail Ahn found a silver lining: more time to pour into her musical pursuits of violin and piano. "The quarantine brought a much slower and more flexible lifestyle that really allowed me to invest more time in developing my technique, and because of that, I came out a dramatically different musician than when I came into it," Ahn said, referring to the period from mid-March, when school buildings were closed, to the end of August, when in-person instruction was able to resume. "I was able to really focus on playing. There were a lot fewer distractions." This school year, Ahn, now a senior, is enrolled in the hybrid option of learning partly at home and partly at school. "So that has definitely continued to allow me to spend more time practicing as well," said Ahn, who has played in the symphony orchestra for four years and the honors orchestra for three years at Dow. Symphony orchestra, Ahn explained, is strictly a school commitment and is a larger ensemble, while honors orchestra is extracurricular, includes only stringed instruments and requires a separate audition. She said the orchestra ensembles have been an invaluable support for her. "I feel very grateful to have been a part of the Dow High orchestra," Ahn said. "It's a very unique environment. We're all wanting to be the best musicians we can be. (But at the same time), we really are each other's cheerleaders. My fellow musicians have been there cheering for me. And when I experience disappointment, I feel a lot of comfort from them." Dow High orchestra director Amanda Thoms is grateful to have been Ahn's instructor for the last seven years. "Abigail is among the best musicians it has been my pleasure to teach. For seven years, she has risen to every challenge I have been able to give her because she is both a talented and hard-working violinist. I have been lucky to have her in class for so long," Thoms said. Music has been almost a lifelong pursuit for Ahn, who started taking piano lessons at age 4 and took up violin at about the age of 9. "My parents started me in piano because they knew that would be a good foundation for music for me," she said. Then, in fourth grade, it was her own choice to try the violin. Interestingly, Ahn said a violin can last "for generations." She got her current violin two years ago and plans to keep it for the rest of her life. Ahn intends to major in materials science and engineering at an as-yet-undecided university, and to continue her musical pursuits at the same time. "I am really looking forward to becoming involved in orchestra in the future. It will be a great way to connect with people at the university and on into the future," Ahn said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Real estate brokerage Khai Hoan Land is expected to file for an IPO on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange Khai Hoan Land's board and shareholders both agreed to file for an IPO with 20 per cent of its capital, from existing shareholders or the issuance of new shares. In case of a new issuance, the maximum number of shares offered will be 32 million shares. The method of implementation is public auction via HSX. Khai Hoan Land was established in 2009 by founder Nguyen Khai Hoan with a charter capital of only VND6 billion ($260,870). The company experienced a sharp increase in charter capital in 2016-2017, from VND50 billion ($2.17 million) to VND3 trillion ($130.43 million). In 2019, the company reduced its charter capital and then increased its capital again to the current VND1.6 trillion ($69.57 million). Khai Hoan Land is a major real estate broker in the southern area, where it holds around 30 per cent of the market. The company is currently a partner of a series of large real estate developers such as Vingroup, Masterise Group, VinaCapital, and Lotte. In 2020, Khai Hoan Land recorded a net revenue of VND303 billion ($13.17 million) and after-tax profit of nearly VND97 billion ($4.2 million), which are 2.2 and 9.5 times as much as the figures in 2019. A large part of its net revenue comes from real estate brokerage activities. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister once again offered to hold talks with agitating farmers, while expressing the Centres willingness to amend the three farm laws in a bid to end the protests at Delhis borders. We urge those sitting on the agitation that even though it is their right to agitate, the manner in which the old people are sitting there is not right. They (agitators) should be taken back. They should end the agitation and we will together find a solution as all doors are open for dialogue. From this House, I again invite them for dialogue, Modi said, while delivering his speech on the motion of thanks to the Presidents address to both Houses of Parliament. He also assured the agitating that MSP and mandis wont go away. I assure you that mandis will be modernised. Not just this, MSP was there, it is there, and will remain. Cheap ration given to over 800 million people will continue. Please do not try to spread misinformation. We also need to strengthen means to increase the incomes of farmers, Modi said. ALSO READ: Uttarakhand rescue work gathers pace: At least 26 dead, over 190 missing The prime minister said the Union agriculture minister was in constant dialogue with and there was no tension yet, as both sides are trying to understand each other. We should move forward and not take the country behind. All the and the government, protesters should give these reforms a chance and see if this change helps them. We are ready to remove shortcomings, Modi said. The prime minister also dug out old statements such as one by his predecessor Manmohan Singh supporting reforms to allow to sell their produce where they get the best price. He said the parties had done a U-turn on their own words. Modi hit out at those behind the protests, saying a new breed of agitators called andolan jeevi has emerged in the country that cannot live without agitation. He added that a new FDI (foreign destructive ideology) had come up in the nation and we need to be more aware to save the country from such ideology. Reacting to Modis offer, Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait reiterated the unions demand for a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, along with the repeal of the laws. Other leaders didnt reject the proposal outright, but wanted a formal offer on talks from the Centre. ALSO READ: After PM's invite, farm leaders say ready for talks, ask govt to fix a date Meanwhile, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: The prime ministers address had no substance and as usual he made a political speech. The prime minister tried to mislead in his speech and said nothing to resolve the issues of farmers. The Centre received support from ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who said the new laws were in the interests of the farmers. I really like Reply All, and especially their deep dives. This was an excellent and deeply frustrating episode. Reply Thread Link Any recs? I've been looking for a new and interesting podcast to get into. This story seems promising but if you have a few favs from Reply All, point me in the right direction! (if you don't mind) Reply Parent Thread Link The episodes that sold me were 102 and 103 (Long Distance, parts 1 and 2). It starts out being silly, and appears to be just a comedy podcast, and eventually becomes really thought-provoking and nuanced. I don't want to give too much away, but listen to those. If you don't like them, the podcast probably won't be your cup of tea. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ep 158 "case of the missing hit" is really good too. Reply Parent Thread Link The Least you could do (episode #162, just looked it up) was such a good episode. The Snapchat Thief was great too #130 Edited at 2021-02-08 05:01 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Do podcasts get write ups or articles that summarize things they talk about? Because it sounds interesting, but having to listen to people speak is a huge downside. Reply Thread Link there's a transcript if you click on the link! Reply Parent Thread Link That is exactly what I was hoping for! Reply Parent Thread Link Ooo yes, drag them to hell Reply Thread Link my podcast consumation is way down since i don't really go anywhere anymore i was just watching June's new cooking video on Delish, and the comments are very concerned about her getting paid fairly Reply Thread Link This is one of the best typos I have ever seen in my entire life. Reply Parent Thread Link lol I was thinking the same thing Reply Parent Thread Link I love watching Delish now instead of BA. June is my favourite and I worry about the same thing. She seems pretty overworked a lot of the time but at least shes moving into a bigger place apparently? I follow her on insta though and she argues with people a lot or gives them the time of day when she shouldnt. Reply Parent Thread Link claire has been killing it in her own channel. B.A. though, is a flop Reply Thread Link i know i have always been in the minority and never impressed with her but I still find Claire's recipes uninspiring and her episodes are ... kind of boring (to not say irritating at certain parts). Reply Parent Thread Link i think that's why people like her tho lmao Reply Parent Thread Link the ba subreddit is overloaded with photos of people doing her recipes and they all seem so dull and dry. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link same n idg why people like to explain that this is what makes her videos fun to watch. no thanks Reply Parent Thread Link I liked Claire on BA and I watch the Dessert Person videos (the intro is so cute) but she always seems to overcomplicate things. I get that thats how you bake as a professional baker but Im not gonna test the temperature of my milk to bloom my yeast. I dont even have anything to test it with. Im kind of a no fuss baker and if I go to a lot of effort I want it to be worth it and not just doing extra steps because thats how its done. If any baker requires me to own a kitchen aid Im usually out. Theyre expensive and I dont have the space. Its a real pet peeve of mine when recipes only mention a stand mixer as a method. I will almost always look for another one if I read that. Edited at 2021-02-08 08:47 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link If the color beige were a baking book it would be that book. Everything about it is totally bland and there are not any good tips to make it "inspire confidence". I find it so strange that people would not bother to learn how to feed themselves if not for stanning a bunch of BA employees. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i love that she kept vinny Reply Parent Thread Link I'd read this earlier cos Rick Martinez had mentioned it in his Stories and it's so frustrating and rage-inducing to hear about what was happening tbh. I recently left a job despite the pandemic/not having another job to go to for the first time in my entire adult life because of how toxic the environment was and how put down I was throughout my time there. I questioned how much of it was because I was a WOC and it makes me angry that I'm not/can't be sure. Reply Thread Link I feel you. Like I REALLY feel you. Incoming rant: I've finally found a job that I actually enjoy doing (its at a local pet shop) and its a relief to not hate what I do to earn money finally, esp since I have a lot of mood cycling due to bipolar disorder and I have a bad history of walking out on jobs because of shitty work environments on top of just not being invested in the actual work. (Also also I have a criminal record from stupid shit I did when I was younger...which is a whole 'nother story...but until I can afford to have it expunged, it will effect my job options) So now that I'm doing this- the work is awesome because i adore all animals and I'm trying to gain some experience in order to move on into working at a vet's office and getting a vet to sponsor/mentor me so I can qualify for an online vet tech licensing program. My MAIN point is that at this job my boss is the owner of the store and not only do I see signs of racism and deal with weird micro managing and just overall unique-to-me treatment that I can't help but attribute to my race. I'm one of two black people there and he has felt the same way. Theres just no one thing I can point to as evidence of what I feel but, its there. (Also we get 15min breaks during 10hr shifts which I known is fucking illegal) I just don't want to lose this oppurtunity to reach my goals or leave a job that I like and coworkers I love. Sorry for the novel. I guess I needed to vent? Edited at 2021-02-08 03:11 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Anytime bb! If it helps, a friend convinced me to stay the entire season before leaving (to preserve my future hireability) so that's what I did before I ended up leaving. Honestly your job sounds pretty dope boss aside, so as far as the job is still of use to you and your goals, I'd encourage you to stick it out and maybe focus on the positive aspects of it (like your co-workers and the animals) for as long as you can, and once you can claim a year or two on your resume, don't hesitate to put in your two weeks and find something that serves you better! Also if you trust your co-workers enough to talk to them about the work environment, I always felt that it was super cathartic to know that your peers feel the same way about a particular situation and made the job a lot more bearable because it feels like your feelings about it are legitimized Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Im there with you. Black girl here, quit in April to nothing because I was done with the abuse and would rather struggle through my savings and freelance gigs until I find something than keep dealing with it. I look at my white male (actually literally anyone that isnt black and female) counterparts freaking thriving and I wonder if its me or if its something else. Edited at 2021-02-08 01:48 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link marlon wayans must feel so vindicated. i remember tryna watch his ep a few years ago and oh my gawd it was so fucking awkward. like he was getting rushed through a complex process and every attempt he made to lighten the mood was curbstomped. mind you. this is marlon wayans and off color comedy is his jam. but i remembering being like 1. this is about one of the only eps i can find with a bipoc celeb so that's weird and 2. if this how they treat him then i just know they do the bipoc employees dirty. Reply Thread Link Carla was so awful to him in his ep Reply Parent Thread Link yes!!! and it was super jarring too. cuz i was doing a binge of different eps and having a good time. so the vibe legit went from "carla having fun with celebs like natalie portman and elizabeth olsen" to "carla acting like marlon wayans barged into the kitchen unannounced and forced her to work with him." Reply Parent Thread Link I was meh about Carla but I thought I'd give her a chance after the ep with Miz Cracker, then I saw that ep and nooooooope. So awkward. Even the obtuse white people in the comments were asking what was up with her attitude. Simply bc he made a white/black joke lmaooooo. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I was so confused when Carla popped up on Sohla's show with the Babish guy tbh... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link rewatching and it's SO MUCH WORSE than i remembered? less than 2 mins in he's telling jokes and getting literally silence from her... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I decided to rewatch it and Holy shit it is so much worse than I remembered?? She's rushing him, not responding to his jokes, and the whole thing is just so uncomfortable. It seems like she just wants to finish the damn video. Carla isn't even smiling at all. Reply Parent Thread Link Between this podcast and Brad's messy AF canning episode both dropping this week, BA is having yet another bad week. Reply Thread Link What happened with the vid? Reply Parent Thread Link It's Alive! did an episode titled "Brad Cans Seafood". That's the title, so you assume yk, you are canning seafood and it'll be shelf-stable. His guest referred to the product as short-term shelf stable (not a thing) and Brad said he would keep his in the fridge. No where did they mention that actually you can't can meat at home and that the product would NEED to be fridged they basically cooked it in a water bath which can reach up to 212 degrees but you need a pressure-canner to reach 250 degrees for any meat product to be safe otherwise you are risking botulism and other assorted nasty food-borne illnesses. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I told the youtubes to stop recommending the BA channel to me over the summer, I had no idea they were still putting stuff out. Yikes. What was messy about Brad's video? Edited at 2021-02-08 01:57 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah but they addressed that better than any of the racism. I just saw a screenshot of the apology. Reply Parent Thread Link It was really hard to hear about all the hoops Rick had to jump through in order to "succeed" and get his recipes published in the magazine and then that one asshole tell him that he had it easy because he was just "cooking his mom's recipes" omg so insulting... Reply Thread Link I just want that shitty guy walk up to a French chef and tell him he has it easy cooking French cuisine because he grew up eating French food. Reply Parent Thread Link very interested in this. I've read so many different perspectives of this saga over the year Reply Thread Link ooh this is a lot more in-depth than what we've seen so far right? i'm gonna wait for all the eps before listening to the whole thing i think Reply Thread Link I've been meaning to listen to this since rick mentioned it a couple of days ago. I am glad those that left are doing good now. They all got book deals and have appeared whereever they wanted, and we now know, they are getting paid. The one where sohla/ham and priya/seth build gingerbread houses was so good and crazy, i love it. Reply Thread Link So Rick's new cooking series is really good and calming to watch. I hope he gets all the love and support, he deserves it. Reply Thread Link The flavor profile of his series is not for me but I always run the video in the background when it pops up to give it a view. Rick rules! Reply Parent Thread Link I made one his vegetarian recipes yesterday and it was so good. Twice baked sweet potatoes are my new favorite thing! I can't wait for his cookbook. Reply Parent Thread Link I watched that last night and it looks soooo good Reply Parent Thread Link I've been loving his Mazatlan home reno updates on insta too! I'm so jealous of his life and his rescue pup Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i haven't gotten into anything from former BA staffers yet but this is so good?? kicking myself for not checking it out sooner Reply Parent Thread Link I love him. I look forward to his instagram stories every day lol. His house is beautiful, the food he cooks looks amazing, and his dog is the cutest! He really seems to be living his best life and I'm here for it. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Him and Sola are so good at explaining the actual mechanics of cooking and WHY you need to do stuff a certain way. Like not only am I learning how to cook this meal but I know why doing it the way they tell me gives me the end result. Theyre so talented. Reply Parent Thread Link I was hoping someone would post this. I appreciated that they didn't have any white people in the first episode and focused it on the people who were being harmed. There were also some references to unnamed managers and I was hoping someone would figure out who they were talking about lol Reply Thread Link Residents temporarily evacuated from Homestead after fire, no injuries A Saturday afternoon fire in an apartment at a senior living complex was quickly extinguished and nobody was injured. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset and the Cupecoy Sunset Toastmasters Club hosted the Level Up workshop at the St. Dominic High School from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, January 30th. The workshop offered five sessions comprising of Career Perspective, Public Speaking and Communication, Budgeting, Time Management, and Building Your Self-esteem. The objective of this annual workshop serves to provide the youth with reinforcement and support as they prepare for the workforce and higher education. Presenting on Career Perspective was Rotarian Suenah Laville-Martis, and Semona Sorton conducted the Public Speaking and Communication workshop. Immediate Past President Jaida Nisbett presented on the topic of Budgeting, MP Ludmila Duncan conducted the Time Management workshop, and Rotarian Fabiana Richardson empowered the students with the Building your Self-esteem segment. A total of 39 students from the Charlotte Brookson Academy, Milton Peters College, St. Maarten Academy, St. Dominic High School, St. Maarten Vocational Training School, and Sundial school attended the workshop dressed in business casual attire, which was a requirement of the workshop. Also during the day, which was filled with very informative sessions, local Soca artist King Vers rendered motivational words to the students, stressing the importance of becoming a well-rounded individual, and ended his talk with a brief, yet energetic performance. January is Vocational Service Month on the Rotary calendar. Vocational Service is at the heart of Rotary, which was founded on the classification system of membership. Level Up continues to allow the members and supporters of the club to share their professional knowledge in their respective vocation to educate our youth. With Cupecoy Sunset Toastmasters Club supporting this venture and establishing a mutual agreement to host this years workshop, it is evident that both clubs understand the importance of growth and improvement of professional skills, especially among our youth. We will ensure that we find new ways to sharpen the skills of our future leaders as they prepare to face the real world. The more knowledge an individual gains of a specific skill set, the more confidence they will have when performing these skills as they mature, President Elisia Lake of Rotary Sunset stated. A very elated President Damien Schmidt stated: On behalf of Cupecoy Sunset Toastmasters Club, we were very excited to be a part of this amazing project. Rotary is all about community development and Toastmasters is all about personal development, so this was a very great project for us to collaborate and work together on. The students were also excited and got a lot of ideas to think about. This project is also important because it introduces these young minds to topics that are not covered in schools. Ultimately, we look forward to these students being triggered and motivated to continue to develop themselves. Vice President for Education of Toastmasters Sunset Cupecoy, Adecia Rutherford, added that the workshop was timely, motivational, and impactful while supporting our future leaders in preempting and overcoming the challenges that lie ahead in the journey of life. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset and Cupecoy Sunset Toastmasters Club would like to thank all schools and students for assisting and taking part in the workshop. A special thank you is also extended to the various presenters who shared their knowledge with the attendees and St. Dominic High School for allowing the clubs to use its facilities to host the workshop. Jizzakh Petroleum, an oil and gas company focused on developing Uzbekistans energy sector, has announced significant progress in the construction of a new gas chemical complex in Uzbekistan, based on methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology. Jizzakh Petroleum is a major investor in the project located in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, which will use domestic feedstock to enable monetisation of natural gas, via the production of export-oriented and high value-added products in demand within the country. The creation of the future Gas Chemical Complex will lead to the development of the domestic textile industry, as well as import substitution and an increase of production in the automotive and construction industries. Based on in-depth studies and assessments conducted with partner, Wood, six technology licence agreements have been signed in January early February 2021 with leading international companies. These milestones follow the September 2020 announcement on site selection and the completion of marketing and feasibility studies by consulting and technical partners - IHS Markit, Nexant, and Wood. Other milestones include: Jizzakh Petroleum has engaged White & Case as the projects legal advisor and Mott MacDonald as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment consultant; An agreement has been signed with Woodon FEED Formal letters of intent have been received from SACE (ECA of Italy) and Bank Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy) for financing FEED; Negotiations have taken place with Marco Polo International (USA) and KTM Kimyevi Maddeler (Turkey) for the offtake of polymer products. Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov said: The Government of Uzbekistan welcomes the progress that has been achieved in relation to this Bukhara complex. We view this project as a model for future interaction between Uzbekistan business and international partners. This partnership is the key to the accelerated development program being implemented by our government, in particular, the Ministry of Energy. Having completed site selection just last year, we are delighted that discussions with Jizzakh Petroleum have so quickly led to this series of agreements with major international licensors. - TradeArabia News Service Joe Biden is a corrupt politician of the old-fashioned variety. He has no fixed convictions about anything. Thats why he has been on both sides of so many important issues. Biden has never been in the business of accumulating power in service of a policy agenda. He has always been in the business of accumulating power to feed his ego and enrich the Biden family. Theres nothing awful about this. Biden is following in the footsteps of a great many politicians. And unlike some of them Bill Clinton comes to mind Biden did no disservice by not being committed to a policy agenda. The man isnt intelligent enough to have contributed to the common good in that way. Hunter Biden is the best known, but hardly the only, family member Joe enriched. At the same time, however, Hunter Biden seems impoverished a drug addict (maybe a recovering one), the target of a criminal investigation (albeit one that Joe Biden is likely to abort), and a laughingstock (or at least a punchline). Now, Hunter Biden has written a book about his addiction. Joe Biden is touting the work. Yesterday, he told CBS: The honesty with which he stepped forward and talked about the problem. And the hope that, it gave me hope reading it. My boys back. Im sorry to get so personal. The last sentence is a lie. Biden went on television precisely to get personal (and to promote his sons book). This was a publicity stunt. Miranda Devine at the New York Post wasnt taken in. Of the Joe Biden interview, she writes: This is a practiced move by Biden to use sympathy as a shield to protect his familys corrupt business dealings in foreign countries. He cunningly has framed the narrative so that anyone who dares poke into Hunters business is crucifying a heroic recovered addict who already has suffered enough. Biden probably has suffered over the years watching his son descend into addiction, but his campaign knew Hunter was a liability, so they strategically prevented the dirty family business from becoming a campaign issue by turning scrutiny of Hunter into a no-go zone. Team Biden could only have accomplished this with the complicity of the mainstream media and Big Tech. Bidens team could take the formers complicity for granted. Apparently, it had to work a little to ensure the latters. Devine says: Big Tech censorship [of the Biden-China], we now discover, thanks to an extraordinary expose by Time, was part of the conspiracy to save the 2020 election . . . a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information. They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. The article goes on to explain that the year-long election fortification strategy, engineered by the AFL-CIO, involved Silicon Valley as a central player. Progressive activists moved to pressure platforms to enforce their rules, both by removing content or accounts that spread disinformation and by more aggressively policing it in the first place. Vanita Gupta, Bidens nominee for the number three job at the Department of Justice, played a central role, or claims to have done. Civil-rights attorney Vanita Gupta told Time, It took pushing, urging, conversations, brainstorming, all of that to get to a place where we ended up with more rigorous rules and enforcement. To that end, she attended a dinner of civil-rights leaders where Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was pressured to ramp up censorship in the lead-up to the 2020 campaign, and met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Biden now has nominated her for associate attorney general. Job well done. Its a little surprising that pressure was required. What leverage did Gupta and her gang have? According to Time, they could offer protection from a powerful anti-Trump alliance of leftist and racial-justice activists. With Gupta likely to be installed as a central figure in the Biden DOJ, she will, indeed, be in a great position to protect Big Tech. And Hunter Biden. Devine concludes: So now we can understand why Facebook and Twitter moved so rapidly and decisively to censor The Posts Hunter Biden laptop stories. And we can see why they deplatformed the sitting president and were unfazed by criticism of that shockingly autocratic move from world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. At a congressional hearing, they were impervious to the disapproval of Republican senators while testifying virtually about their censorship. As for Hunters book: It will be nothing but a con job if Hunter doesnt fess up about his $1.5 billion deal with a subsidiary of a Chinese bank, and all the other lucrative deals in parts of the world where his father had influence. And Hunter wont be fessing up. [February 08, 2021] DVP Launches World's First Decentralized Security Crowd-testing Platform to Solve Security Issues of DeFi Ecosystem. SINGAPORE, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With global interest in decentralized finance peaking, DVP is creating a crowd-testing platform to resolve security challenges and make the DeFi ecosystem safer and more secure with a view to help people leverage the massive opportunities of the sector. DVP Decentralized Vulnerability Platform is the world's first decentralized autonomous organization (DAO)-powered vulnerability testing platform created to solve security issues of DeFi ecosystems. It is an international community of information security professionals (White Hats) that seeks to act as a bridge between the white hats and blockchain projects to provide an efficient and transparent blockchain security information platform, which will help improve the overall security awareness and build a better blockchain ecology. The DVP community of white hats can help blockchain projects identify the security vulnerabilities and deliver them to DVP. As reward, the white hat will be paid the corresponding bounty. Through this model, DVP seeks to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship for both the blockchain projects and the white hats. How DVP works DVP is an ecosystem where the community conducts multidimensional audits of smart contracts and protocols to notify blockchain projects about bugs, if any. With the surge in the value locked in DeFi projects, the venture will act to curb the alarmingly high number of security breaches. The bounty program launched by DVP invites white hats to conduct massive testing of blockchain products. Their review will give manufacturers an idea about where the project is heading. In return, they can claim token rewards while the manufacturers save costs, facilitating a win-win situation for both parties. DVP makes use of blockchain technology and token-incentive schemes to establish an anonymous security crowd-testing platform. It connects blockchain vendors with white hat communities, efficiently reducing the hidden vulnerabilities and safeguarding the interests of the digital information industry. Why DVP? 2020 has been a phenomenal year for cryptocurrencies, not surprisingly, considering the global economic downturn forced by a pandemic. Market sentiment leaned towards unconventional assets, and the significance of decentralized assets reached a larger mass not to mention the price rise of most digital assets. The most important development in the crypto industry has definitely been the wide traction garnered by DeFi. Breaking geographical and financial barriers, DeFi opened up a new trove of possibilities for investors and crypto enthusiasts alike. Despite this, the fact remains that as DeFi grows, so does the number of hacks and security breaches in the ecosystem. Being an industry that is reliant on finance, blockchain, and the web, DeFi carries some potential security threats that could put hundreds of millions of digital assets in jeopardy. The most efficient solution to eliminate the hidden dangers in the DeFi space is to find the vulnerabilities and fix them in advance. However, most start-up companies that offer security solutions today lack infrastructure and skilled professionals. Established companies may have years of capital and the latest infrastructure, but over-the-roof pricing and the complex processes involved are nightmarish. This is where DVP comes in. "By decentralizing the security testing process using the expertise of white hats, DVP has cracked the challenge of providing excellent services without the need to invest resources, which is difficult for any single company," said Daniel, CEO of DVP. Forging strategic alliances DVP offers a wide range of security services tailored to the DeFi industry. From vulnerability search, information aggregation to situation awareness, DVP has got it all covered. Reputed blockchain vendors like Gate.io, Cobo, F2pool, Vechain, Coinw, Kcash, Contentos, and Neo are some of the platforms to make use of the services offered by the DVP community. In the future, DVP will extend comprehensive support to the BSC (Binance Smart Chain) DeFi ecosystem. An exclusive bounty program will be developed and the white hat community will be encouraged to mine for vulnerabilities in DeFi projects on BSC. Joining hands with the world's top security communities like PeckShield and BCSES, DVP has today grown into a large technical community with more than 15000 White Hats. "By combining the benefits of modern infrastructure with the skilled community of white hats from around the world, DVP will safeguard the interests of the blockchain industry from potential threats. The concept of finding vulnerabilities as a key to solving security issues in the DeFi industry has brought together such a brilliant community of white hats from around the world," said Kateryna, Marketing Director of DVP. The number of registered white hats increased by around 3,360 in 2020 and the average number of bug submissions per month exceeded 225. Last month alone, the number of big submissions per month hit 229. Mature business model DVP has a futuristic business model that aligns with the vision put forth by the DeFi industry. The technical abilities of the diverse community and the bounty incentives offered by thousands of partner vendors have been used for the growth of the platform. The reward system on DVP goes beyond daily vulnerability mining. Users can make use of the attractive incentive schemes and special bounty activities launched by DVP from time to time. DVP offers rewards as high as 30 ETH. To date, 2003 ETH has been issued, which is around 2.8 million USD. DVP will continue to support the DeFi industry in its unprecedented track of growth. By strategically finding and eliminating the increasingly complex and intensive attacks that hinder the mass adoption of DeFi, DVP will play a key role in the further evolution of the industry. The security crowd testing project launched by DVP has been a huge success so far. More white hats are welcome to join the community and lend a hand to DeFi ventures in resolving their shortcomings. For more information, please visit www.dvpnet.io View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dvp-launches-worlds-first-decentralized-security-crowd-testing-platform-to-solve-security-issues-of-defi-ecosystem-301224037.html SOURCE DVP [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. MANZINI Bus rank pastors, as they are known, have dispelled claims made by public transport operators that they are one of the superspreaders of COVID-19. Most people are familiar with bus rank pastors, especially those who use the Manzini Bus Rank as a means to transit to their homes or workplaces in the outskirts of the region. In most occurrences, the pastors travel across the country preaching the Word of God, while on board public transport vehicles with commuters as their audience. It is worth mentioning that this is not a new concept as many pastors have utilised public transport to spread the gospel for many years. However, with the recent threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the public, along with public transport operators, have expressed their concerns over the noble work of these bus rank pastors. Bus rank marshal Bhekumuzi Sithole said before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the number of bus rank pastors was reasonable. However, Sithole claimed that since the pandemic, the numbers have almost tripled, especially after the most recent ban on religious gatherings. Sithole claimed that on average, before the emergence of the pandemic, about 20 pastors passed through the bus rank and on board public transport. However, according to Sithole, during the second wave of the pandemic, about 40 50 pastors arrived through the bus rank, and on board public transport. In the beginning, we noticed that there were new faces of pastors who used public transport as their altar. We did not have an issue with this, as they were also going about the business that they believe in. However, it started becoming a challenge when we noticed that they did not wear face masks while preaching, Sithole explained. Sithole, along with some of his colleagues, expressed how challenging the COVID-19 pandemic has been to the transport industry, with some of the revised COVID-19 restrictions, stating that only 80 per cent carrying capacity was allowed in public transport vehicles. They explained that with the transport industry taking into consideration the safety of its customers by purchasing sanitisers and ensuring social distancing within their vehicles, the defiance of simple COVID-19 regulations by the pastors was a challenge. According to some bus drivers, who usually transport the pastors, they have to kick out some of the bus rank pastors from their vehicles, as they would board the vehicles as though they were passengers. However, according to the drivers, a few minutes into the trip, the pastors would take off their face masks and start preaching. They explained that they received complaints from their customers every day about the pastors possibly infecting them with COVID-19, yet the pastors never adhere to their warnings. One bus driver, who identified himself as Methula, said on a daily basis, every 20 minutes a bus rank pastor would board their vehicles, on some occasions several times before the vehicles left the bus rank. Methula explained that they have warned not only pastors, but also vendors who boarded their vehicles to sell their wares, as there was always the threat of contracting the virus through the exchange of money. He expressed that even the pastors who accepted offerings from numerous members of the public exposed themselves to the virus and in turn, would spread it to more people. The bus drivers added that instead of accepting offerings from members of the public, the pastors should instead preach the Word of God and then alight from the vehicles while also adhering to COVID-19 regulations. We have tried to warn them to at least adhere by using sanitisers and wear their masks, however, they continue to do as they please. If they were really doing the Lords work, they should put into consideration the safety of their audience, they expressed. In a joint statement made by the countrys three Christian church bodies last Friday, the church bodies sternly advised public transport operators to immediately call police officers in the event that any pastors were found to be defying government health regulations by preaching at the bus rank. Netflix requests the pleasure of your company to join in and celebrate the most extravagant and glamorous weddings of India! This Valentines Day, block your calendars to indulge in the most unique and lavish modern Indian weddings with heart-touching stories, unbelievably beautiful clothes and breathtaking locations. Your dream wedding Pinterest board is now coming to life with Netflixs reality series, The Big Day. After all, weddings are the happiest and most important days of a couples lives and theres so much that goes into creating the perfect setting to celebrate the union of two souls in love. And what could be better than the day and month of love, to showcase these beautiful magical stories to the world. The festivities kicked off today with the trailer launch that gave a glimpse of the first collection of the series (second collection to follow soon) inviting audiences to partake in the unforgettable moments. And there are plenty of those with stories about modern Indian millennials who do not believe in towing the line. From planning a truly sustainable wedding, which is the need of the hour, to a bride that does not believe in following traditions blindly, the stories would definitely touch a chord. Produced by Conde Nast India, the two-part collection follows the journeys of 12 different, and differentiated, couples (six couples in each collection), as they take the reins of planning the wedding of their dreams. Join them as they take you behind-the-scenes, navigating their way through an eye-opening list of shenanigans and soul-stirring moments that go into creating the spectacle that is the great Indian wedding. All this with a side of family drama, unique personal struggles, triumphs and much more, to create the most heartening and lavish real-life weddings that are no less than Bollywood blockbusters. Come take the plunge with Netflixs latest reality series The Big Day Collection 1 releasing on Valentines Day, February 14, 2021! Yes Bank announced that Brickwork Ratings (BWR) has withdrawn the ratings of Tier I Subordinated Perpetual Bonds (Basel II) of Yes Bank. The rating withdrawal is on account of redemption of the rated instrument. Yes Bank has redeemed the said instrument by exercising the call option on 30 December 2020. BWR has received the payment confirmation from the trustee and has also received the request for withdrawal of rating from the bank. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Concannon, who celebrated her 80th birthday last year and is still involved in the day-to-day running of Don Juans, grew up in Mexico and moved to Park Ridge in 1964. She worked in restaurants for years before deciding to open up her own Mexican restaurant in 1983 when she signed a lease for the building at Northwest Highway and Oshkosh. The number of people who are contracting Covid-19 in Laois continues to drop but there is some way to go before the incidence decreases to the level it was at before the third wave, according to the latest figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). NPHET reported on Monday, February 8 that 11 new cases have been reported in Laois by labs. This means that average cases over five days is 18 a day. The population incidence is now 281 per 100,000 people on the back of 238 cases in the past two weeks. Laois has a higher incidence than neighbouring Kilkenny and Tipperary but is lower than Kildare, Offaly and Carlow which has the second-highest incidence in Ireland. FULL COUNTY BY COUNTY BREAKDOWN AT END OF STORY. Read also: FRONTLINE FIGHT EASING AT PORTLAOISE HOSPITAL The latest cases push the total official number of cases in Laois to 2,780 since February 2020. The incidence at the end of November when restrictions were lifted was 55.5 per 100 k on the back of 45 cases in the previous two weeks. The NPHET statement said the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has today been notified of 6 additional deaths related to COVID-19. Of these deaths, 5 of these deaths occurred in February, and one occurred in January. The median age of those who died was 84 years and the age range was 75-95 years. There has been a total of 3,687* COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. (*denotification of 5 deaths.) As of 2pm today, February 8, 1,212 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 176 are in ICU. There were 39 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. As of midnight, Sunday, February 7, NPHET said the HPSC has been notified of 829 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 204,397 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today 401 are men / 426 are women, 63% are under 45 years of age while the median age is 35 years old. NPHET highlighted 386 in Dublin, 39 in Meath, 36 in Cork, 35 in Kildare, 32 in Louth and the remaining 301 cases are spread across 20 other counties. FULL COUNTY BY COUNTY BREAKDOWN AT END OF STORY. The 7 day incidence is 145.5 per 100,000 people while the 5-day moving average for new cases is 1,008. NPHET said that As of February 5, 230,776 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland: 151,212 people have received their first dose 79,554 people have received their second dose NPHET says the COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community. The pandemic has removed teenagers sense of independence from their parents, the childrens commissioner in Northern Ireland said. Lockdown has disrupted that natural rite of passage where they gravitate towards young people of the same age, Koulla Yiasouma added. Zoom calls and social media have replaced the regular socialising which is the hallmark of youth. Koulla Yiasouma said: As young children and people get older they move away from their parents being their support, although still significant carers and significant adults in their lives. They move away from that and move to their peers and social support system. That is the promise we make to them as you grow older you will be more independent and will spend more time with your mates and we have taken that away from them. She said there was no evidence young people were breaking pandemic rules prohibiting gatherings outside the home more than anyone else. She added: That is a natural rite of passage and you are hearing that pain because we have taken that away from them; the pandemic has taken it away from them. We cannot underestimate it and all we have replaced it with is schoolwork or Zoom calls. Expand Close Thomas said he missed the routine of club activities inside and outside school (Family Handout/PA). / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Thomas said he missed the routine of club activities inside and outside school (Family Handout/PA). Thomas, 16, from Banbridge, said he missed the routine of club activities inside and outside school. He said it would be very strange to return to them once lockdown is over. Demotivation is another big issue. I find it very hard to get myself to do my schoolwork. He added: I am finding it hard to stop being as lazy. Young people face uncertainty about predicted exam grades and dramatic changes in how lessons are delivered, with remote learning replacing face-to-face teaching. Schools have been closed since Christmas to most, bar the children of key workers and those with special needs. Natasha, 18, from Killyleagh, said: You need people in your own age group to talk to instead of just talking to your parents all day or just family members. I get on with my parents but you are surrounded by the same people every day and you are at some stage going to blow up because you are seeing the same faces every day it can be almost overwhelming. Whenever you are not talking to your parents you are facing a screen doing homework all day. Expand Close Madeline said too much screentime could be detrimental to peoples mental health (Family handout/PA). / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Madeline said too much screentime could be detrimental to peoples mental health (Family handout/PA). Madeline, 18 and from Belfast, said they were spending all day online, lessons via laptops then social media using phones. She said that added up to a lot of screen time, which can be detrimental to mental health. She recalled she had taken the start of the school year, when restrictions were eased, for granted. I really miss seeing my friends. Conor, 16, from Saintfield, felt that uncertainty over grades was one of the main challenges. At times his broadband slowed down or froze, leaving him 15 minutes behind. Natasha also believed virtual lessons could be awkward, while Madeline said being in front of a camera all day felt like an invasion of her privacy. Madeline acknowledged that greater independence was helping prepare her for university. It has been quite challenging to learn how to think positively in the pandemic for everyone. I find I have learned a lot more gratitude. We have the privilege of still being able to do our education in some way, able to continue learning, which in itself is still something to be thankful for. Vaccines against COVID-19 from four companies will arrive in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. "We have agreed to supply vaccines to Ukraine from Pfizer, Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Novavax companies. The first stage of vaccination will begin this month. Our doctors, the military and the National Guard will be the first to receive the vaccine," Zelensky said at the opening of the "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" Forum on Monday. At the same time, the president said that having already resolved the issue of vaccine supplies to the country, Ukraine faced a new problem, namely "lack of faith in vaccination, refusal to vaccinate by a significant part of the population." "This is a new but very serious issue that we all need to address. Personally I am ready, like most world leaders, to show that vaccination is important, safe and necessary," the president said. The president said that Ukraine will buy only safe vaccines from world manufacturers. "There is no official information that the Russian vaccine has a 91% effect, neither from WHO nor from world experts. The head of WHO said today that there are several key points to pay attention to, one of them fakes. Citizens of Ukraine are people and definitely not rabbits. We have no right to experiment on them," Zelensky said. "Today I will talk to Pfizer. We should get one million vaccines in February. In addition, there are agreements with the Chinese manufacturer. There are agreements with the U.K. and the United States," he added. The president said that Ukraine must purchase vaccines and provide an opportunity for all Ukrainians to be vaccinated. "As a state, we will lift the bans on people who are vaccinated or have contracted COVID-19," Zelensky said. The head of state also said that Ukraine has developed a vaccination roadmap, which provides for proper and equal access for all citizens of Ukraine. "Its main task is to cover at least half of the population of Ukraine during 2021 and early 2022," the president said. Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections. The study, published Feb. 5 in Cell, reveals a new twist in the complex relationship between humans and their associated microbes, and points the way toward novel therapies that could help combat a rising tide of drug-resistant pathogens. The new discovery stemmed from work on inflammatory bowel disease, which often causes patients to carry larger than normal populations of fungi in their guts. These patients often develop strong antibody responses against mannan, a molecule common to a wide range of fungal species. However, Dr. Iliyan Iliev, associate professor of immunology in medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Weill Cornell Medicine, noticed that healthy controls in these studies also had some level of anti-fungal antibodies. There was no actual evidence for fungal infections in the healthy individuals that we examined, so we started thinking about the possible function of those antibodies." Dr. Iliev, Study Senior Author, Member, Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease The team developed a platform that allowed them to determine which gut fungi are targeted by antibodies in the blood of individual patients. They detected a strong response against the yeast Candida albicans. Turning to experiments in mice, Dr. Iliev and Itai Doron, a Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences doctoral candidate in the lab and lead author on the study, found that colonizing the animals' guts with Candida albicans caused them to develop antibodies against the fungus in their bloodstreams, even though they didn't develop blood-borne fungal infections. Instead, the animals' immune cells appeared to transport fungal antigens to the spleen, stimulating the production of circulating antibodies in the bloodstream. "Those fungi just educate that immune response," Dr. Iliev said. In patients with suppressed immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients and some cancer patients, fungi in the gut can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Dr. Iliev and his colleagues mimicked this process by treating mice with immunosuppressive drugs. When a Candida species colonizes the gut of these mice, the fungus moves into the bloodstream, causing a fatal infection. Treating the mice with purified anti-fungal antibodies from donor animals protected the immunosuppressed mice from these infections. The same strategy worked against infection with either Candida albicans or the emerging pathogenic yeast Candida auris, which has become a major cause of fungal disease in immunosuppressed patients and the elderly in recent years. Collaborating with researchers at INSERM in Paris, France, the Weill Cornell Medicine team also looked at serum from patients with mutations in a gene called CARD9. This mutation affects a critical adapter protein in the immune system, leaving the affected individuals susceptible to severe fungal infections. Dr. Iliev's team found that the serum of these patients lacked the anti-fungal antibodies normally seen in serum of patients without this mutation. Experiments in mice confirmed an essential and specific role for CARD9 in priming the production of anti-fungal antibodies. Graphic depicting relationship between fungi in gut, antibody levels and CARD gene Relationship between gut fungi, anti-fungal antibodies, CARD9 gene, and fungal immunity. Image courtesy of the Iliev lab. The results suggest that normal intestinal fungi such as Candida albicans may function as a kind of intestinal vaccine against fungal infection in healthy people, by inducing the production of bloodborne antibodies that can target multiple species of potentially pathogenic fungi. When those fungi do enter the bloodstream, the antibodies bind them and target them for destruction by cells of the immune system. In patients with suppressed immunity, the anti-fungal antibodies may decline, leaving them vulnerable to fungal infection. New therapies that involve either stimulating the production of anti-fungal antibodies, or injecting such purified antibodies directly into patients' bloodstreams, could potentially help combat these increasingly common infections. If that approach works, it would be a welcome development. "Many fungal infections in immunosuppressed patients and elderly patients are happening by translocation of pathogenic Candida species from the gastrointestinal tract, and the survival rates upon systemic spreading are alarmingly low," said Dr. Iliev. Media Obsession With Jan. 6 Extremely Frustrating to Law Enforcement: Retired Sergeant National Police Association spokesperson retired Sgt. Betsy Smith says the media is currently spending a great deal of time talking about the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol but not enough on violent riots perpetrated over the past year by Antifa and other activist groups. Right now, their current obsession is, you know, white supremacy, white supremacists, and the Capitol riot. They dont want to talk about the other 99 percent of violent riots that American law enforcement has been dealing with for the past almost year, Smith, a 29-year veteran of a large police department in the suburbs of Chicago, told NTDs The Nation Speaks. Were focusing on one riot on January 6, and its very, extremely frustrating to law enforcement, she said. Protesters clash with police at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo) Smiths concerns come as protesters, including Black Lives Matter and far-left activists, continue to clash with police in cities across the nation. Some of the activists are alleged to be members of the anarcho-communist group Antifa and other far-left groups, who have taken advantage of a number of peaceful protests calling for police reform by creating a scene of civil unrest and engaging in violence, lighting fires, looting, and damaging property. On Inauguration Day, protesters were seen marching in the streets of Seattle and Portland, Oregon, before some individuals started to riot. Videos and photos from the aftermath show property damage and vandalism, including damage at a courthouse. Individuals in both cities were arrested for assault, rioting, and reckless burning, according to the police departments. Independent reporter Andy Ngo, who has been closely monitoring and reporting on Antifa in Portland, said some of the rioters who were arrested at the Jan. 20 Portland riots had been arrested at Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and released. More recently, members of Antifa and other protesters were seen marching the streets of Washington on Feb. 6, chanting burn it down. At one point, a group, donned in black, briefly clashed with police in front of outdoor diners when protesters ignored officers instructions to move back, according to a video filmed by an independent reporter. When most Americans wake up and take a look at their phone, or their newspaper to get their news, theyre not going to see much Antifa activity unless they live in an area where Antifa is extremely prevalent, Smith said. She said an example of this was the Jan. 20 Seattle and Portland riots, saying that most people had no idea that had occurred because the media very much gives them a pass. Smith also lamented the lack of leadership to help police officers prepare for such violent protests. She said that to prepare officers for these situations, there needs to be more intelligence sharing between local law enforcement agencies, federal government agencies, as well as a sharing of resources. [Protesters] dont necessarily show up in secret, Smith said. Theres lots of planning, most larger law enforcement agencies and certainly the federal government have intelligence officers that collect data and very often they know that these protests these riots are going to occur. She added that officers also need to have the right equipment in order to be physically prepared. Dozens of police officers across the country were injured during riots seen through the summer of 2020. A protester burns an American flag in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 26, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) [The equipment] keep those officers safe while theyre trying to protect small businesses, she said. And very often, like we saw in Minneapolis, minority-owned small businesses, theyre being destroyed, and that destroys peoples lives. The National Police Association is a not-for-profit organization that educates Americans about the job of law enforcement, assists police officers through legal filings, seeks to combat anti-police sentiment, and works with public officials to further the interest of law enforcement. NTD anchor Cindy Drukier contributed to this report. A disgruntled client who accused a law firm of being a 'total waste of money' and a 'scam' in a scathing Trustpilot review has been ordered to pay 25,000 in libel damages. Philip James Waymouth claimed firm Summerfield Browne had given him a service 'full of errors' that showed a lack of understanding of the law. He had hired the company in a dispute over the enforcement of a court order for a fixed fee of 200. Waymouth wrote in his review: 'Once they have your money they are totally apathetic towards you. You will learn more from forums, YouTube and the Citizens Advice website about your case, for free.' However, lawyers at the firm slammed his claims, dismissing them as untrue and defamatory. Philip James Waymouth said that firm Summerfield Browne had given him service 'full of errors' that showed a lack of understanding of the law The firm brought a claim against Waymouth to the High Court in London, seeking damages and an order forcing Trustpilot to take down the review The firm brought a claim against Waymouth to the High Court in London, seeking damages and an order forcing Trustpilot to take down the review. Waymouth had labelled the company, 'a total waste of money and another scam solicitor.' He wrote; 'I paid upfront for a legal assessment of my case, but what I got was just the information I sent them, reworded and sent back to me. 'No new information or how to proceed or what the law says or indeed the implications of what was done. I Just got their false assumptions, full of errors showing a lack of understanding for the situation and the law.' Waymouth was not legally represented and refused to attend the remote hearing, claiming he was living in Sweden. Waymouth added that the firm had 'made no attempt to negotiate out of court and claimed they refused to respond to his offers on three occasions. He claimed: 'They are suing for personal gain.' Judge Master David Cook said in his ruling, however, that Waymouth said that 'the entire situation' was one of the law firm's 'own creation'. In his ruling backing the solicitors, the judge said Waymouth, 'tends to shoot wildly from the hip.' The judge said: 'Ultimately the question will be whether the Defendant is prepared to engage rationally in the court process. 'He is a litigant who tends to shoot wildly from the hip and he should be required to focus his fire.' He added: 'It is beyond any dispute that the words complained of had a clear tendency to put people off dealing with the claimant firm. 'It is a serious matter to accuse a solicitors' firm of dishonesty and any such allegation is likely to deter those who are unfamiliar with the firm from using its services. There is supportive evidence that the number of inquiries fell dramatically after the review was posted.' Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions in the East Sea have increased. China's policy in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) in 2020 remains unchanged: Promoting illegal claims, while further undermining the claims of Southeast Asian countries through on-field activities as well as domestic policy and propaganda activities. Aggression on the field In 2020, China continued to use outposts on the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands) and Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratly Islands) of Vietnam to support naval and coast guard operations. Since the beginning of 2020, Chinese maritime law enforcement vessels have been present continuously in the East Sea. Its 5302 coast guard vessel was present at a number of island features of Spratly Islands in March. The Chinese coast guard force has become increasingly aggressive in the East Sea, threatening ships of other countries. Photo: SCMP/AP At 3 a.m. on April 2, 2020 when a Vietnamese fishing vessel was operating in the waters of Truong Sa Archipelago, it was attacked by a Chinese ship and it sank. The next day, China threatened two other Vietnamese fishing boats which came to help the sunken ship and took them to Phu Lam (Woody) Island in Vietnams Hoang Sa Archipelago. In the evening of that day, China released these two ships and eight fishermen from the sunken fishing boat. Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at RAND (USA) said that the case in which a Vietnamese fishing ship was attacked by a Chinese coast guard vessel and sunk showed that "China is ready to use force to ensure its East Sea claims". On April 23, 2020 Philippine naval ships patrolling the area around the Malampaya oil field were pointed at by the Chinese warship 541. On May 5, 2020 three Chinese Coast Guard ships appeared near the Scarborough Shoal in the East Sea. About 40 nautical miles away, a Filipino ship was drilling for oil exploration. In addition, the Chinese coast guard illegally confiscated fishing equipment of a Filipino fisherman. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note protesting this action. In the Nam Con Son basin, China encroached upon Vietnam's exclusive economic zone when on the morning of July 15, 2020 Chinese coast guard ships entered block 06.01, where Vietnam was conducting oil and gas exploration activities, for the 4th time. In addition, China also deployed reconnaissance aircraft on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross Reef) of Vietnams Truong Sa archipelago. Jane's (UK) news site on May 12,2020 cited satellite images showing the Chinese navys aircrafts on the Fiery Cross Reef. In August, the Chinese army deployed H-6J bombers to Woody Island. In October, they dispatched ships and aircraft to track the US John S. McCain guided-fire destroyer when this ship was conducting free navigation operations (FONOP) near Hoang Sa Archipelago. Using domestic law to reinforce unauthorized claims Establishment of "Xisha" and "Nansha" On April 18, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China blatantly announced that the State Council had just approved the establishment of the so-called "Xisha" and "Nansha" of Sanya City, Hainan Province. According to the Chinese side, the "Xisha authorities" manage the islands of the so-called Xisha archipelago (Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam), the Macclesfield and the surrounding waters. Phu Lam (Woody) Island, which belongs to Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam, is illegally occupied by China. Photo: CSIS/AMTI China placed the so-called "Xisha authorities" on Phu Lam Island - the largest structure in the Hoang Sa archipelago, while the "Nansha authorities" "manages" the islands of the Nansha archipelago (Vietnams Truong Sa Archipelago) and its surrounding waters, the so-called "Nansha authorities" are stationed in the Fiery Cross Reef - a structure belonging to Truong Sa Archipelago that China militarized recently. Promoting civil activities on artificial islands China is building self-sufficiency of artificially entities that were illegally built in the East Sea to bring more people, including soldiers and "civilians", to these places. The Chinese navy teamed up with Chongqing University to test new technology on a 300 square meter of land in Phu Lam Island and after one month they harvested more than 750 kilograms of vegetables thanks to the technology of growing vegetables on sand. This technology will be replicated to other entities illegally occupied by China in the East Sea. Declaring standard titles for illegally-occupied entities On April 19, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China announced the so-called "standard titles of 25 islands and rocks in the East Sea" and "55 geographic island features on the bottom of the East Sea". These entities are concentrated mainly in the western part of the East Sea, located along the so-called "cow's tongue line". Notably, among these entities there are shoals located deep within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, and some are less than 60 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast or about 50 nautical miles from the Vietnamese baseline. A list of 80 island features was posted on the website of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, changing the concept of "coastal waters". China recently announced the amended (effective from August 1, 2020) "Technical rules for inspection according to the law of ships in domestic voyages" which was issued in 1974. In this document, China established the so-called "Hainan-Xisha navigation water". This area is located between 2 points on Hainan Island and 3 points on the Hoang Sa Archipelago. China has also changed the term, calling this area "coastal water", replacing the previous "offshore water" phrase. Meanwhile, the islands of the Hoang Sa Archipelago only have a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles, which is incapable of creating exclusive economic zones to create "coastal zones" as determined by China. Announcing the newly revised Armed Police Law On June 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an order to publish the newly revised Law on People's Armed Police Force. The new law makes it clear that armed police are responsible for enforcing law enforcement at sea through Coast Guard forces. Under this law, the Coast Guard is more integrated into the military forces, participating in training, drills and rescue operations with the Navy. And in emergency situations, the Central Military Commission will assume power to control the Coast Guard. A Chinese naval vessel approaches the Indonesian naval vessel that is on patrol near the Natuna Islands. This move is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Coast Guard and the military, with the aim of increasing pressure on the East Sea and other disputed areas. With the revised law, the Coast Guard is actually "China's second naval force" at sea. Announcing the draft law, giving many privileges to the Coast Guard The Coast Guard Bill was announced by Beijing on the website of the National People's Congress on November 4 for referendum until December 3. This bill empowers the Coast Guard, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction are infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea or in the face of the risk of being illegally violated. The artificial islands that China illegally filled, renovated and built in the East Sea are placed within the scope of the Coast Guards protection. The Coast Guard is allowed to remove constructions built by foreign countries in waters under "management" of this force. In addition, the Coast Guard is allowed to confiscate and destroy foreign ships if they "illegally encroach on the waters" of China. It can be seen that the bill is a step to strengthen the cooperation between the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Navy, creating a premise for the Coast Guard to increase its presence in the seas. Fishing ban The fishing ban in the East Sea started from 12 a.m. on May 1 to 12 p.m. on August 16, 2020. The restricted area stretches from the northern waters of the East Sea to 12-degree north latitude, including part of the Gulf of Tonkin and Hoang Sa archipelago under Vietnamese sovereignty. Propaganda of false sovereignty claims China has issued irrational sovereignty claims in the East Sea through many forms such as inserting the "cow's tongue line" in conference documents... On March 16, on Facebook and Twitter of the Chinese Embassy in Italy, an article about the solidarity between the two countries attached a picture of the "cow's tongue line". China has subtly incorporated the "cow's tongue line" in movies, from "Operation Red Sea" (March 2018), "Abominable" in October 2019, to "Go Ahead" in 2020. Rejecting the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)s ruling, interpreting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in a way that benefits China Since the PCA issued its ruling in 2016, Chinese scholars have written a series of articles rejecting the PCAs authority as well as the PCAs ruling. China also interpreted relevant provisions of the UNCLOS in its own favor. They interpreted Article 8 of the Foreword: "Matters not covered by the Convention will continue to be governed by the rules and principles of general international law" to affirm that "UNCLOS does not cover all matters at sea". Since then, China has interpreted and applied international practice in its own favor, making claims on the establishment of baselines and territorial waters of an archipelagic state to apply to the Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratlys) and Hoang Sa (Paracels), or making claims to "contiguous waters" and sovereignty over "related waters", concepts that do not appear in international law. Directing criticism to the outside, especially the US Articles by Chinese authors all lead to the conclusion that the US is a key factor "destroying a stable peace situation" and "militarizing" the East Sea, or that the US is the country that wants to dominate the East Sea through the exercising of freedom of navigation in this sea. China has tried to spread and advertise itself as a peace-loving, responsible, country that is compliant with international law. But in reality, these images and China's actions are not compatible with each other. China's propaganda about the East Sea is mostly wrong, but it promoted propaganda to make these wrong views ingrained into the perception of domestic and international public opinion. Hoang Viet Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A new report from Open Doors sheds light on the Christian prisoners in North Korea today and the faithful are urged to pray for them by their names. Christian persecution in North Korea dates back to the 1950's, per Huffpost, and it is for that reason that the country is consistently named as the number one persecutor of Christians on the list curated by the watchdog organization Open Doors USA (via FOX News). In fact, North Korea has been on the top of the list for 18 years now. As a Juche socialist state, North Korea follows a Constitution that says "citizens have freedom of religious beliefs," but the actions of the government led by Kim Jong-un says otherwise. To this day, there are Christian prisoners in communist North Korea, and the faithful are urged to pray for them. Here are some Christians who are imprisoned in North Korea and are in need of prayers, according to Open Doors: Kim Jong-Wook is a Baptist missionary who ran underground churches and provided shelter for North Koreans who fled to China. He also helped North Koreans escape to South Korea. He was arrested in 2013 and has been sentenced to a life of hard labor for various charges, including "malignantly hurting the dignity" of the ruling Kim family. He is currently in poor health. Kim Kook-Kie , along with Choi Chun-Kil , was arrested and sentenced to hard labor in 2015. They were Christian missionaries who were accused of "conducting religious propaganda" against the communist state. Kie is also in poor health. Ko Hyon-Chol is a missionary who gained South Korean citizenship after defecting from the North. He was accused of having a plot to kidnap children from North Korea to be sold for adoption abroad. He was sentenced to lifelong hard labor in 2016. Kim Won-Ho, like Ko, also defected from North Korea, acquired South Korean citizenship, and became a missionary. He was sentenced to a life of hard labor in March of 2016. The faithful are urged to pray for these and the many more Christian prisoners in North Korea who are forced to do hard labor in detention centers, re-education camps, and political labor camps. A life of hard labor Ex-prisoners who spoke to Open Doors revealed that Christian prisoners in North Korea's re-education camps follow a strict daily routine that began with a 5:30 a.m. roll call and a 6 a.m. breakfast with meager meals. Hard labor begins at 8 a.m., when prisoners are forced to do agricultural work for four hours straight, without breaks. At noon, another insufficient meal is given along with a 2-hour break. At 2 p.m., prisoners are sent back to work for another four hours. At 6 p.m., "criticism session" followed, wherein prisoners must "criticize each other and ourselves about the things we did wrong that day." Then they were given dinner. At 8 p.m. would come the toughest part of the day, wherein Christian prisoners in North Korea would need to stay awake despite being physically and mentally tired from the day, in order to pay attention to ideological training. At 9:30 p.m., prisoners are accounted for before their bedtime at 10 p.m. As for those in detention centers and political labor camps, the punishment is more severe. Christian prisoners in North Korea who are sent to detention centers are no longer questioned and instead are subject to a harsh beating without food or water. Those in political labor camps are prisoners who are believed to have committed the most serious crimes and are often never heard of again. The report estimates that there are about 50,000 to 70,000 Christian prisoners in North Korea today. The Korean Workers' Party Transcendental Guidance System accuses the "American imperialists" of spreading religion to "crush our republic," Christianity Today reported. Open Doors Asia's Jan Vermeer said, "Often we think of North Korea as a weird country ruled by a line of nutty dictators. But these are very smart people who have left no room for any type of religion, because that would set the people free in their mind." The UK government has assured that all the undocumented immigrants will be able to get COVID-19 vaccines against the novel coronavirus with no deportation risk. As per the BBC report, the Britsih ministers have said that they want everyone to be immunised to SARS-CoV-2 and urged the people unlawfully living in the country to register with a GP (general practitioner) as the jab is free of cost, regardless of a persons immigration status. However, the policy is not an amnesty for the illegal immigrants and no-one will be reportedly left out of mass vaccination drives. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed Britain, the government had announced that anyone seeking a check-up or treatment for coronavirus would not have their immigration status checked. It is now being followed for vaccinations as well. Moreover, the UK government has reportedly also said that it will work with the outside governments in order to ensure that everyone is registered with a GP. The media outlet quoted the former UK minister, Conservative Julian Smith saying I welcome everybody, whoever they are, getting a jab. Read - UK PM On Vaccines And Virus Variants, Border Controls Read - UK's Official Terror Threat Level Lowered To 'substantial' 12 million people vaccinated in the UK UKs vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said in a statement on February 8 that 12 million people have been vaccinated in the country against the novel coronavirus and lauded the incredible pace. He said, Earlier this week, we saw one of the greatest milestones in our fightback against this virus, as the number of people who received their first dose ticked over 10 million, and has now surpassed 12 million. Were now vaccinating at an incredible pace, and during one hour on Saturday we delivered nearly 1,000 jabs a minute across the United Kingdom. The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic, and it is thanks to the hard work of everyone involved that we have vaccinated over 90% of over 75s and visited every eligible care home possible with older residents in England, he added. Read - UK Minister: Vaccine Modified To Keep Up With Variants Read - Queen Elizabeth II Pressurized UK Govt For Clause In Law To Conceal Private Wealth: Report WASHINGTON - Senior Democrats on Monday will unveil legislation to provide $3,000 per child to tens of millions of American families, aiming to make a major dent in child poverty as part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion economic relief package. The 22-page bill to dramatically expand direct cash benefits to American families was obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its release. Under the proposal, the Internal Revenue Service would provide $3,600 over the course of the year per child under the age of 6, as well as $3,000 per child of ages 6 to 17. The size of the benefit would diminish for Americans earning more than $75,000 per year, as well as for couples jointly earning more than $150,000 per year. The payments would be sent monthly beginning in July, a delay intended to give the IRS time to prepare for the massive new initiative. The bill, spearheaded by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, emerges as congressional Democrats accelerate their plans to enact Biden's stimulus plan within weeks. It also comes days after Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, surprised policymakers with a proposal to send even more in direct cash per child to American families, lending bipartisan support to the major push for child benefits. Biden's proposed child benefit has quickly emerged as a potentially defining feature of his administration's economic agenda - one that could make a lasting imprint on American welfare policy. Its execution could also prove crucial to deciding Democrats' ability to maintain control of Congress, given its likely direct impact on the lives of tens of millions of voters. Despite Romney's support, several Republican lawmakers and conservative scholars have started criticizing similar measures because they would give government aid both to working and nonworking Americans alike. That has set the stage for a major political clash over the new benefits. Biden's plan has been estimated to cost upward of $120 billion per year, which would add to the national deficit as part of the Democrats' broader package. "The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it's devastating. ... This money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone's head or food on their table," Neal said in a statement. "This is how the tax code is supposed to work for those who need it most." America has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the developed world, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, in part because it spends less on child benefits than almost any other. Neal's plan would only create the new benefit for one year, but congressional Democrats and White House officials have said they would push for the policy to be made permanent later in the year. White House officials and Senate Democrats have reviewed Neal's legislation and are supportive of the proposal. Aides cautioned some of its details may change between now and final passage of the legislation. It is also unclear whether Democrats can pass the new child benefit through the Senate under the rules of reconciliation, the parliamentary procedure they are using to pass Biden's stimulus without Republican votes.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she is aiming to pass Biden's relief package, which would include the child benefit, through the House within two weeks. An analysis by Columbia University researchers of Biden's proposal found it would cut the number of children in poverty by as much as 54 percent, the equivalent of 5 million children. More than 1 million Black children would be lifted out of poverty by the plan, the researchers found. "Of all the policy issues being discussed this Congress, of all the things we are working on, the biggest impact we can make for economic justice in our country - and enact measurable transformational change - lies within this policy that would slash child poverty," said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who has been involved in similar efforts in the Senate, in an interview. The White House called generally for an expansion of the Child Tax Credit in its initial stimulus proposal, largely leaving how to do so to congressional Democrats. Neal's office has now filled in those details. Under his bill, the IRS would base eligibility for the payments on families' prior year income, which is also similar to how it sent out stimulus payments last year. The legislation would create an online portal, managed by the Treasury Department, for families to update their incomes if their annual incomes decline and they became eligible for the payment as a result. The IRS would begin sending out payments July 1 in a similar fashion to how it sent out the stimulus payments, directly depositing the payments in taxpayers' bank accounts. Crucially, the benefits would not be deducted off taxpayers' existing tax liability, meaning American parents would still receive $250 per month per child - or $300 per month per young children - even if they have an existing tax obligation with the IRS. The benefits will also be delivered monthly in an attempt to help poorer parents facing fluctuations of income. That may be difficult for the IRS to achieve. Treasury officials have told Democratic lawmakers that they will do their best to implement the program. But concerns remain about the capacity of the tax agency to stand up the new benefit during a pandemic and filing season that has already stretched the IRS thin. Congress has also substantially cut IRS funding over the past decade, largely due to Republican efforts to curb its influence. The Democratic plan calls for substantially increasing funding for the IRS to implement the plan, although the precise amount remains unclear. It also says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen can adjust the monthly payment structure if she decides it is "not administratively feasible" and instead deliver the payments at the "shortest interval" that is. Neal's plan also creates a "safe harbor" provision for parents who are mistakenly sent the benefit. Many parents who are caring for a child one year may not the next, but since eligibility is based on prior year income the IRS may still send them a check anyway. The "safe harbor" provision aims to prevent parents of poorer and moderate incomes from being saddled with a surprise bill at tax time because the IRS incorrectly assumed they were owed the child benefit, excluding them from requirements to pay the bill back at the end of the year. The Neal plan represents an expansion of an existing $2,000 Child Tax Credit under current law, both through extending it to low-income families and by making it more generous. Under Neal's plan, the phaseout parameters for this existing $2,000 would not change. Lowering the income requirement for that $2,000 would reduce its value for more affluent families, and violate Biden's pledge not to raise taxes on families with below $400,000 in annual income. Some policy experts fear Neal's plan could create unnecessary administrative complications for families with sharp fluctuations in income. Chye-Ching Huang, executive director of the New York University Tax Law Center, said on Twitter that numerous countries with similar child benefit programs have "caused massive hardship and (& political firestorm)" by creating surprise end-of-year bills for families who were incorrectly disbursed the payment over the year. She cited the case of Australia, where in 2015 about 350,000 families were overpaid benefits and faced aggressive debt-collection tactics. "The basic point is that you want to do everything possible to avoid creating this type of hardship for families. Safe harbors should be very robust," she wrote on Twitter. Romney's proposed expansion of child benefits would have sent payments to every American, regardless of their income, through the Social Security Administration. Under Romney's plan, child benefits that went to affluent households would then be clawed back at tax filing time by the IRS. By instead tethering the benefit payments to annual income, Democrats risk creating an administrative headache for both the IRS and taxpayers, said Sam Hammond, a policy expert at the right-leaning Niskanen Center who helped craft Romney's plan. The diminishing size of the benefit may mean the IRS would deposit checks worth as little as $10 in the bank accounts of more affluent Americans. Romney's plan included the elimination of an existing federal welfare program and cuts to food stamp benefits, which Neal's proposal would not. "There is something symbolically important about this being a universal child benefit," Hammond said. "Overall, Neal's plan would be, unequivocally, a massive win against child poverty. But it could do more to clean up the administrative complexity of the current system by making the payment universal." Booker said he supported the push to making the program more universal but resisted the idea of endorsing a plan that would send benefits to affluent Americans. Matt Bruenig, founder of the left-leaning think tank People's Policy Project, warned tying the benefit to prior year status would mean some families receive too much or too little money if they have changes in their number of children, custody, or marital status. "Since these things cannot be known in advance, the IRS is being instructed to assume each family's situation is exactly the same as it was the last time they filed taxes," Bruenig said. "Many families whose circumstances change will end up receiving lower monthly payments than they are eligible for - or find themselves with a massive surprise tax bill at the end of the year." Under Neal's plan, the rules for immigrant children are the same as under existing law, meaning a child needs to have a Social Security Number for the family to receive the benefit but the parents do not. About four million tax returns were filed by those without a Social Security Number before Republicans restricted eligibility in their 2017 tax law. On the right, conservatives have begun increasingly arguing that the expansion of child benefits represents a dangerous expansion in America's welfare programs. Scott Winship, director of poverty studies at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, wrote last week that Romney's plan would discourage poor Americans from working by giving them government subsidies. "We know that the negative income tax experiments of the 1970s found that on net, greater benefits led to a sizable decline in employment among single mothers, and research on the state and federal welfare reforms of the 1990s found that, on net, less generous benefits led to more work in the population affected," Winship said in an email Sunday. "My concern is that the Romney proposal's incentives for some low-income parents to work more would be weaker than the incentives for some to work less - both because the child allowance benefits can replace earnings foregone but also because the Earned Income Tax Credit that would be available to many single parents under the proposal would be less generous than it is now." Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., have been involved in crafting similar legislation in the Senate, as have Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., in the House. The White House believes Neal's plan is consistent with the provisions of his stimulus proposal. "The President has made it a central priority of his first legislative proposal to cut child poverty in half this year through a child tax credit expansion in the American Rescue Plan, and looks forward to working with members of Congress on this legislation," a White House spokeswoman said in a statement. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A Michigan man has been indicted on five charges in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Karl Dresch, 40, of Calumet, in the Upper Peninsula, was arrested last month on a criminal complaint. A grand jury for U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia late last week handed down a five-count indictment. Dresch is held without bond in the Chippewa County Jail pending his transfer to the District of Columbia. The most serious charge, obstruction of an official proceeding, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison upon conviction. Dresch also faces charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and obstructive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, the indictment said. Dresch attended a rally for then-President Donald Trump before he allegedly joined others in a mob that rushed the Capitol and sent lawmakers, staff and others running for cover. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died in the insurrection. Trump is accused of inciting the riot and is subject of an impeach trial that begins Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the U.S. Senate. The riot delayed the Senate and House of Representatives certifying the election for President Joe Biden. Trump, who lost the popular election by 7 million votes, has convinced many followers that the election was stolen. On the day of the insurrection, Trump tweeted that Vice President Mike Pence, whose role was to preside over certification of Electoral College vote, lacked the courage to overturn the vote, which Pence had no authority to do. Dresch was among Trump believers. He allegedly vowed there would be war everywhere if we let the election get stolen. The day after the insurrection, he allegedly wrote on Facebook, Mike Pence gave our country to the communist hordes, traitor scum like the rest of them, we have your back give the word and we will be back even stronger. In a detention hearing in Marquette, Beth LaCosse, an assistant public defender, said Dresch had some strong political views, but said there was no evidence that her client was armed or disruptive at the Capitol. She said he should be released on bond and would travel to Washington, D.C., as required. U.S. Magistrate Judge Marteen Vermaat, who ordered Dresch held, was concerned that Dresch had firearms and ammunition at his home. He had a 2013 felony conviction for fleeing-and-eluding police so he was not allowed to possess firearms. In the days leading to Jan. 6, Dresch told of his plans to go to Washington, D.C., on Facebook, the FBI said. He posted a photo from inside the Capitol that said, We are in. Read more: Judge jails Michigan man in Capitol insurrection over guns, Facebook statements Beach Street shut for the season at Muskegons Pere Marquette Park Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Iran said on Monday that it only cares about actions and not words, following remarks by US President Joe Biden that sanctions will not be lifted to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. When America returns to its commitments, "it can sit at this table again", said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh at a press briefing. Iran's supreme leader on Sunday urged the United States to lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to live up to commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers, state TV reported, but Biden says the US won't be making the first move. Biden rejected the idea in a "CBS Evening News" interview taped Friday and aired Sunday. He was asked if the US will lift sanctions first in order to get Iran back to the bargaining table. "No," Biden replied. He was then asked if Iran has to stop enriching uranium first. Biden nodded. Former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018 from the atomic deal, which saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Biden has said he will seek to revive the deal, but insisted that Iran must first reverse its nuclear steps, creating a contest of wills between the nations. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) In the event of a pandemic, delayed reactions and a decentralized approach by the authorities at the start of a follow-up wave can lead to longer-lasting, more severe and more fatal consequences, researchers from the universities of Zurich and Toronto have found. The interdisciplinary team compared the Spanish flu of 1918 and 1919 in the Canton of Bern with the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The Spanish flu was the greatest demographic catastrophe in Switzerland's recent history, causing approximately 25,000 deaths in the country during 1918 and 1919. In the wake of the current coronavirus pandemic, there has been increased public and scientific interest in the events of that time. An interdisciplinary team of researchers in evolutionary medicine, history, geography and epidemiology from the universities of Zurich and Toronto has spent several years analyzing historical data on the spread of influenza-like illnesses during 1918 and 1919 in the Canton of Bern. The canton is ideally suited as a Swiss case study, because it is large and has a diverse landscape, it was hit particularly hard by the Spanish flu, and right at the start of the pandemic in July 1918 it introduced an obligation to report cases. Public health measures effective in the first wave The results of the new study show that the spread of Spanish flu differed depending on the region. In the first wave in July and August 1918, the Canton of Bern intervened relatively quickly, strongly and centrally, including by restricting gatherings and closing schools. "We see from the numbers that these measures - similar to today - were associated with a decrease in infection numbers," says co-first author Kaspar Staub of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich. After the first wave had subsided, the canton lifted all measures entirely in September 1918, which led to a rapid resurgence of cases and the onset of a second wave after only a short time. Delayed action at start of second wave was fatal At the beginning of the second wave in October 1918, the Canton of Bern reacted hesitantly, unlike in the first wave. Fearing renewed economic consequences, the cantonal authorities left responsibility for new measures up to the individual municipalities for several weeks. "This hesitant and decentralized approach was fatal and contributed to the fact that the second wave became all the stronger and lasted longer," says co-first author Peter Jueni of the University of Toronto. In addition, shortly after the peak of the second wave in November 2018, there was a national strike with demonstrations on social and labor issues and, most importantly, larger troop deployments. These mass gatherings, as well as a subsequent relaxation of the ban on gatherings when the number of cases was still far too high, were accompanied by a significant resurgence in infections. Ultimately, about 80 percent of the reported illnesses and deaths were attributable to the second wave. History repeats itself in 2020 By comparing the weekly case counts of the Spanish flu and coronavirus, the researchers found that the second wave started in almost the same calendar week in both 1918 and 2020, and the official delayed response was similar. "While there are still considerable differences between the two pandemics, the steadily increasing parallels between 1918 and 2020 are remarkable," Staub says. The study also shows that empirical knowledge from past pandemics - for example, on the challenges and how to deal with follow-up waves - is available. "Since November 2020, deaths from Covid-19 have far exceeded those caused by cancer or cardiovascular disease and for around three months it has been the most common cause of death in Switzerland. In view of the high death rate during the second wave in comparison with other countries, and with the threat of a third wave due to virus mutations from England, South Africa and Brazil, lessons from the past could help the authorities and the public to rethink their response," adds Jueni. Historical archive data with relevance for the present day The study was based on records in the Bern State Archives of cases of influenza-like illness by municipality and region, as reported weekly by doctors to the cantonal authorities. "These records are a real treasure trove and a great example of how data that is more than 100 years old can be relevant today," Staub says. Back in 2015, the research team began transcribing the more than 9,000 medical reports with over 120,000 influenza cases from 473 Bernese municipalities between June 1918 and June 1919. They then analyzed the data using modern epidemiological methods and reconstructed the measures taken at cantonal level to prevent the spread of the pandemic to create an overall picture. ### The Galactica, Pegasus and Argo prospects have been independently assessed to add 6.1 billion cubic feet to the companys P50 unrisked prospective helium resource. An initial three to five well drilling campaign is planned for the Colorado project. ( ) ( ) welcomes the independent prospective resource evaluation by Sproule Incorporated for the Galactica, Pegasus and Argo prospects which lie within a proven helium play fairway in Colorado, USA. The assessment has added a total P50 unrisked prospective helium resource of 6.1 BCF across the newly assessed prospects, with the historic wells at Galactica and Pegasus having interpreted gas shows. This has increased the companys total P50 prospective helium resource 175% to 9.6 billion cubic feet (BCF) across five assessed prospects in the Las Animas portfolio. Almost triples the total resource Blue Star managing director Joanne Kendrick said: This resource assessment is an outstanding result for Blue Star, which brings our total P50 resource to 9.6 BCF net recoverable helium from the five prospects we have had assessed in the Las Animas portfolio. This almost triples our total resource which, together with the interpretation of gas columns at two historic wells within the Galactica and Pegasus prospects, is hugely supportive of our planned drilling program. We will continue to secure additional acreage within the prospect areas and look forward to the issue of the recent leases won at the December 2020 Bureau of Land Management auction at which stage we will be updating the prospective resource across these prospects. The Federal acreage won at the December 2020 auction is not included in this resource evaluation and an evaluation of prospective resource associated with that acreage will not be published until those leases are issued to Blue Star. Galactica, Pegasus and Argo net prospective resource leasing. Helium charge The play elements of helium charge, high-quality reservoir and the presence of a good top seal have been proven to extend across the Argo, Pegasus and Galactica prospects. Helium charge is regionally proven as demonstrated by the Model Dome field analogue with the gas analysis for eight wells in the Model Dome area showing an average of 8% helium content. There are additional wells in the area that have helium tests which show that the helium source and migration routes are widespread such as the Govt Cynthia True #1 well which flow tested 8.8% helium, however, it lies under Federal protected lands like the historic Model Dome field and is not available for leasing. This well is situated on an interpreted independent fault bounded structure on the northern nose of the greater structure on which the Galactica and Pegasus prospects are also located - around 12 miles away. Notably, helium soil gas survey analyses across the region performed by Blue Star also support the presence of widespread helium source and migration (charge). Reservoir presence Petrophysical analysis commissioned by the company of wells associated with and surrounding the Argo, Pegasus and Galactica prospects has confirmed the presence and reservoir quality of the Lyons Formation sandstone to be consistent and as good as seen at the Model Dome analogue. The analogue Model Dome Field contained the Hoff Heirs #2 well which had a tested production rate from the Lyons Formation of 500 mcf raw gas per day and the Govt Cynthia True #1 well also flowed gas from the Lyons Formation. Top seal presence The top seal is confirmed at the Model Dome analogue and by the gas accumulation at the Govt Cynthia True #1 well. Petrophysical analysis suggests that the top seal across the Argo, Pegasus and Galactica prospects is of good quality and generally improves regionally to the east of Model Dome across the prospects. Development potential Given the proven play elements and gas interpretation in key wells, the geological chance of success is assessed by the company to be moderate to high for an exploration target with Galactica and Pegasus having lower risk by way of having good well control with petrophysical analysis and interpreted gas columns. The company believes that, based on the work it has done to date, the chance of development, upon a discovery, is strong. Modular, skid-mounted processing units located proximal to any discovery would concentrate the raw gas stream to around 98%+ gaseous helium, which could then be loaded at site onto an offtakers tube trailer for transport to a liquefaction plant or end-user. Forward work program The company is planning an initial three to five well drilling campaign to maximise the prospective resources being tested. Engineering estimates have confirmed the expected dry hole cost at circa US$300,000. Should the first well on any prospect discover helium, Blue Star intends to conduct a log evaluation and well testing program. If commercial production rates of helium are indicated during the well testing, that well may be completed as a producer, in which case completion costs have been estimated at US$100,000 (in addition to the dry hole cost). The total fund for construction of Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya has crossed Rs 600 crore in 20 days, as per the trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday. People from every walk of life are making contributions. The dedication fund campaign will run till February 27 and the campaign will gain more speed in the next 19 days. In another development, the members of the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad have come forward to take part in the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Shetra's mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Today through the 'Nidhi Samarpana Abhiyan', Muslim brothers of Faizabad have donated Rs 5,100 for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. They have also told us that even in the future they shall participate in the temple`s construction," Ram Bhawan President Shakti Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. Haji Saeed Ahmed, Member, Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Ayodhya, told ANI, "Lord Ram is everybody's and Ram Temple belongs to everyone. We all Muslims in large numbers will assist in the construction of the temple." He added, "Lord Ram belonged to our Hindustan and we too belong to this nation. We belong to Lord Ram's dynasty, we are all one. We are not from Iraq, Iran or Turkey. Hindus are our brothers." Syed Hafiz, Chairman, Sayed Mohammad Ishtiyak Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Nawabganj, Gonda said, "I am very happy to donate for this good cause and would like to appeal to all my Muslim brothers to come forward and actively contribute for temple construction." Meanwhile, as per the latest reports, people in Madhya Pradesh have so far made a total contribution of over Rs 100 crore. There have been reported more than 10 people in the state who have donated Rs 1 crore, whereas, more than 20 people have contributed Rs 50 lakh. Notably, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust started the mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya on January 15. It will go on till February 27. Earlier on August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had performed the 'Bhoomi Pujan' for the temple in Ayodhya. 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. Moscow vows to apply "soft power" to promote the concept in Ukraine. The Kremlin has declared Ukraine part of the territory covered by the so-called "Russian world." In response to a request by an UNIAN correspondent in Russia to elaborate about the topics that were discussed at the meeting of the Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin February 5, the Russian leader's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the issue of supporting Russian compatriots was on the agenda. "Here Putin spoke about the profile issue that was on the agenda issues of the 'Russian world.' Indeed, the 'Russian world' was, remains and will be a priority topic for the Russian government. Protection of this world, development of relations with this world, and various mechanisms to support this world," Peskov said. Read alsoUkraine "embraces openness" with report on Russian hybrid warfareWhen asked by UNIAN whether Ukraine is part of the "Russian world" for the Kremlin, he said: "Of course, there are a lot of Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine they all belong to the 'Russian world,' and it would be really stupid to deny cultural, historical ties, and common roots. We know that such a line to deny these common things is being pursued by Ukraine, but we don't like this." Answering another question on what tools will be applied to promote the "Russian world" in Ukraine, Peskov said it would be "soft power." He went on to claim Russia "never employs tools that would be in breach of international law." Reporting by UNIAN Opinion Article 8 February 2021 perhaps whats more powerful than the actual mushrooms themselves, is the knowledge and passion gained from cooking and savoring them, beams Fernando Salazar- the current Co-Founder and Executive Vice President at E-SPAIN and Food and Beverage Consultant at Strategic Solution Partners. Advertisements WHAT IS SORIA GASTRONOMICA? Salazar perfectly describes the unique energy of Soria Gastronomica, International Mycological Congress -Castilla y Leon, Spain - an international, multidisciplinary congress about the world of mycology and the use of mushrooms in gastronomy all over the world. WHO & WHY IS SORIA GASTRONOMICA? The event brings together those in the gastronomy, mycology, science and mushroom production to share, learn, and enjoy the world of mushrooms (Soria Gastronomica). Salazar, an internationally recognized gastronomy expert, represented the United States in this prestigious international congress. He spoke on the use of mushrooms in the USA and the exponential growth in interest for mushrooms as an alternative to animal protein WHERE IS SORIA GASTRONOMICA? There were weekly segments launched throughout the month of October, showcasing an international congress of chefs from 7 different countries, scientists, gastronomy experts and producers from all over the world speaking on the topic of mushrooms. See below for all country participants and their local mushroom: Mexico: The Blue Mushroom or Blue Saffron Milk Caps || Jihi landia or xi i kuilu (Lactarius indigo) The Blue Mushroom or Blue Saffron Milk Caps || Jihi landia or xi i kuilu (Lactarius indigo) New Zealand: Cultivated Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius delicious) Cultivated Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius delicious) Spain: Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius delicious) Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius delicious) Japan: Kinoko (" children of the trees") Kinoko (" children of the trees") Canada: The Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum) The Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum) China: Cordyceps (Ascomycete Fungi) and Tea Tree Mushroom (Agrocybe Aegerita) Cordyceps (Ascomycete Fungi) and Tea Tree Mushroom (Agrocybe Aegerita) Portugal: Ceps (Boletus Edulis) OVERVIEW OF SORIA GASTRONOMICA AGENDA The weekly sessions contained the following Monday, October 5th - Mexico and New Zealand Session 1. Jihi landia or xi i kuilu - The Blue Mushroom or Blue Saffron Milk Caps Session 2. Cultivated Saffron Milk Caps and its use in cuisine in New Zealand Session 3. The traditional cuisine of the Niscalos - Saffron Milk Caps Monday, October 12th - Japan and Portugal Session 4. Cultivation and use of the Kinoko (" children of the trees") in Japanese cuisine Session 5. Mushrooms - The Spring of the Autumn - Boletus Edulis Monday, October 19th - China and Canada Session 6. The use of mushrooms in Chinese cuisine: health and flavor - Cordyceps and Tea Tree Mushrooms Session 7. The Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum): development and mycological innovations in Quebec, Canada Monday, October 26th - Spain Leaves Shaped from Mushrooms - Created by Chef Oriol Castro of Disfrutar - A Two Star Michelin Restaurant in Barcelona Photo: Strategic Solution Partners Session 8. R + D + I in the kitchen of the micromycetes in Mugaritz Session 9. The reappearance of morels on the table Session 10. The Truffles of the Desert Session 11. Innovating with the mycological diversity of Pinar Grande (Soria) Tuesday, October 27th - France, Spain and USA Session 12. Mycological recipes without cooking: marinated and fermented Session 13. The molecular cuisine of fungi Each day was separately broadcasted and recorded. This year's documented event has been selected to participate in the International film festival: Life-off Global Network. Click here to watch. NEXT EVENT- STAY TUNED! This coming November, stay abreast on all things bite-sized with the 4th World Tapas Competition to be broadcasted from Valladolid, Spain. Like Soria Gastronomica, the World Tapas Competition will be broadcasted online due to COVID19. 15 Chefs, representing various countries around the world, will be in competition. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim worlds top religious institution, has welcomed the recent preliminary ruling of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) which stipulates the court has jurisdiction to investigate any crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, describing the ruling as a "a glimmer of hope to restore part of the usurped Palestinian rights." "I call upon the international community to support the Palestinian people until the establishment of their independent state, with Holy Jerusalem as its capital," El-Tayyeb wrote on social media on Sunday. On Friday, the ICC said it has the authority to investigate crimes committed in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, a step that vexed Israeli officials and was welcomed by Palestinians. The court said the decision lays the groundwork for opening a criminal investigation. Investigating Israeli atrocities during its 2014 war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as well as its construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank have always been a demand by many Palestinian officials at the ICC. The ICC investigates and tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including war crimes in accordance with the Rome Statute, the court's founding treaty. Palestine joined the court in 2015, but Israel has never ratified the Rome Statute. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, hailed the ICC's "This is a great day as we have achieved what we want, and starting today the International Criminal Court will begin to accept the cases that we previously submitted." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assailed the decision, saying in a video statement "When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes, this is pure anti-Semitism," reported Reuters. US State Department Spokesman Ned Price tweeted on Saturday: "The United States objects to todays @IntlCrimCourt decision regarding the Palestinian situation. Israel is not a State Party to the Rome Statute." Egypt has maintained its position of rejecting illegal settlements in Palestinian territories as well as its full support for establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders. Al-Azhar has repeatedly condemned Israeli violations of Palestinian rights including Tel Aviv's aggressions againstIslamic holy sites in Jerusalem and the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Short link: [February 08, 2021] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Solidarity Bahrain B.S.C. AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "bbb+" of Solidarity Bahrain B.S.C. (Solidarity Bahrain) (Bahrain). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Solidarity Bahrain's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also consider, in the form of lift, Solidarity Bahrain's strategic importance to its parent company, Solidarity Group Holding BSC (c), a leading provider of Islamic insurance solutions in Bahrain and Jordan. Solidarity Bahrain's balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), its strong level of liquidity, and its good financial flexibility, with access to the capital markets. Offsetting factors include the company's high dependence on reinsurance and elevated asset risk due to the concentration of its investments in Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. AM Best expects Solidarity Bahrain's operating performance to remain adequate over the medium term, supported by positive and improving technical profitability, as well as moderate investment income. In 2019, the company reported a return on equity of 11.7%. Similar profitability is expected for 2020, as a result of continued underwriting discipline and a reduction in claims levels expected to result from the restrictions imposed by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemc. Solidarity Bahrain is a leading insurer in Bahrain, with gross written premium of BHD 30.9 million (USD 82.3 million) in 2019. However, the company's business profile remains constrained by its concentration in Bahrain, which is a relatively small and very competitive insurance market. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005658/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Union Minister Prakash Javadekar Despite its huge population, India has succeeded in keeping its "coronavirus-related losses to a minimum" compared to the USA and other European countries, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said. Speaking after flagging off a vehicle campaign aimed at dispelling rumours about COVID-19 vaccines, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said more than 50 lakh healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated since the vaccination drive began on January 16. This campaign will also spread awareness about the government's efforts towards achieving the aim of the "aatmanirbhar Bharat". Apparently referring to COVID-19 fatalities in India, Javadekar said, "the whole world is fighting coronavirus. However, even with its population of 130 crore, India has managed to keep its losses lesser than the USA, and other countries in Latin America and Europe". India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to1,08,26,363 with 12,059 new infections being reported in a day, while the daily deaths fell below 100 for the third time this month, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The death toll increased to 1,54,996 with 78 daily new fatalities, the lowest recorded after nine months, the data updated at 8 am on Sunday showed. Javadekar said a "new phase of communication" has begun with the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination. "After inoculating healthcare and frontline workers, people above the age of 50 years will be vaccinated, and the entire population later," the Union minister said. Officials said this vehicle campaign intends to take the message of COVID-19 vaccination and the pandemic- appropriate behaviour to the last mile in Maharashtra. Artistes of the song and drama division of the I&B Ministry will spread the awareness through folk performances popular in respective regions of Maharashtra, they said. Under this campaign, 16 specially-fabricated vans will travel across 36 districts of the state. The drive has been designed and implemented by the Regional Outreach Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the IEC Division of the Maharashtra health department. The vans will also display messages through LED screens. These vehicles will be live tracked through GPS, the officials said. Meanwhile, speaking with reporters on the Union Budget 2021-22, which was presented in parliament on February 1, Javadekar defended the proposed privatisation of public sector undertakings. "The privatisation will help to save tax-payers' money that are being spent on the loss-making companies. The Union government's stand is clear on divesting such entities," he said. The BJP leader said such a move on divestment was dubbed the "sale of an ornament" when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government was in power, but that decision proved helpful ultimately. "Such PSU's are not ornaments," he added. When asked about Tesla's proposed entry in Karnataka andMaharashtra failing to attract the company, he said, "in a competition, one wins while another loses. "However, to attract such investment, states should have friendlyrelationships with foreign companies," he said. Javadekar said the Budget indicates the government's views on the aatmanirbhar Bharat. "We have allocated funds for the infrastructure development, but did not levy any tax," he added. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed By Kim Hyun-bin Kim Beom-su, the founder of the country's leading messaging application Kakao, announced Monday that he will donate half of his wealth to help tackle societal issues. Kim has over 10 trillion won in assets including 12.5 million shares of Kakao worth 5.7 trillion won. Figure 1Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su In a New Year's message to employees the chairman wrote "I pledge to donate over half of my wealth to resolve societal issues. In this tumultuous period these issues have worsened in a number of ways and I cannot delay my decision any further. To formalize my stance I am in the process of making an official donation pledge." Kim said he was working on the specifics of where to donate his money but added that he wants to help people in need in areas Kakao has not already offered support. "With the strengthening of contactless business and rapid technological advancement, the world is entering a new phase which it has never been experienced before," the chairman said. "This is only the beginning and we don't know how the world's tides will turn. There are currently mixed feelings with half fearful while the other half is looking forward to the changes." The chairman said there were more problems at hand that cannot be resolved using old approaches and emphasized the need to enhance communication to better tackle the problem. Last year, marking Kakao Talk's 10th anniversary Kim emphasized the need to become more attentive to society's issues. "Once a corporation has good will it can use it to make the world a better place," he said. "There needs to be more attention to societal issues and I want to find more means to engage and resolve pending issues." Chairman Kim established Han Game in 1998 and merged the company with Naver in 2000, before working as a joint representative of NHN through 2007 and then leaving for the United States. He returned to Korea in 2010 and launched Kakao Talk before acquiring Daum Communications in 2014. ADVERTISEMENT The Commandant of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), Olayinka Olayanju, has said that Ibarapaland is safe and free of killers and kidnappers. The Oyo State government, two weeks ago, deployed 200 operatives of the Amotekun in Ibarapa Local Government Area of the state to checkmate the crisis between Ibarapa indigenes and herdsmen. These operatives will launch missions to rid the forests of criminals. They will be presenting daily reports of their activities to me in the short run and periodic reports in the long run, the governor, Seyi Makinde, had said. Before the deployment of the operatives, self-styled Yoruba warrior, Sunday Igboho, had issued a quit notice to herdsmen in the community and subsequently led a charge to evict them. Mr Olayanju, a retired colonel, in a statement in Ibadan on Monday, said that he would personally lead anyone interested in taking a tour of parts of Ibarapaland earlier hit by herders/farmers crisis. According to him, farmers and the law-abiding people in the area are going about their businesses without molestation. He also denounced some audio and video posts on social media, which tend to raise what he called clearly unfounded alarms about the Ibarapa security situation. I am in Aiyete and Ive been moving around Ibarapaland freely, no one has reported any adverse security issue to me. No security challenges observed in Ibarapa Central and North contrary to rumours been peddled, Mr Olayanju stated. (NAN) DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) - We are approaching the four year anniversary of murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi. One week from Sunday marks four years since the girls' bodies were found. The families still have no answer as to who is responsible for this tragedy, but they continue to have hope and to channel their grief into something positive. "It's frustrating," said Mike Patty, Libby's grandfather. "Unfortunately, it is really sad that we've had to wait this long," said Kelsi German, Libby's older sister. "If I say something to someone about it and their like, what year is coming up? I'm like four. And they're like already four?" said Anna Williams, Abby's mother. "It doesn't seem possible because it feels like yesterday." On February 13th 2017, Abby and Libby went missing while walking on the Monon High Bridge in Delphi. Their bodies were found the next day. It's been two years since investigators released an updated sketch of the suspect, along with video and audio Libby bravely recorded on her phone. "We'd much rather be going to a ball game and watching the girls and going to band concerts and stuff," said Eric Erskin, Abby's grandfather. "Watching them go to the prom, just all the things that was robbed, that was taken away from them," added Patty. This would have been the girls' senior year at Delphi Community High School. Their fellow 2021 classmates made sure they weren't forgotten by painting a parking spot in their honor. "It's really cool to watch her friends all graduate and come out here and visit her. And all the awesome things they are doing and are going to do," said Kelsi. "But it's bitter sweet knowing she doesn't get to do that with them." Kelsi regularly visits Libby at her resting spot, bringing along one of their favorite treats to share. "We would always go after school and get a small fry and a large sweet tea," she said. "It's where I feel closest to her, I can enjoy her presence and we can talk, or she can talk and I can listen." Kelsi, who just recently celebrated her 21st birthday, is now in her third year at Purdue studying forensic psychology. She wants to work the families of homicide victims to help them deal with the loss. She said it's important to her to use her platform on social media to bring attention to other unsolved murder cases around the country, to help them in their fight for justice too. Photo: Abby and Libby's parking spot memorial at Delphi Community High School. News 18 asked Williams if she would also like to meet at Abby's grave, but she politely declined to preserve her privacy. "It's like your own home or her room, that belongs to me," she said. "Somebody out there knows what happened and what they did to our children and I'll be damned if he gets to see her room or any of that personal space." No investigators from the Indiana State Police are talking with media this year about the case. They released the following statement on February 1st: "Law enforcement continues to utilize County, Local, State and Federal resources to accomplish our goal. There is still a dedicated, multi-jurisdictional team working on this case every day, which includes two Carroll County detectives, two Indiana State Police detectives and other law enforcement officers. We continue to actively investigate all tips and leads we receive by phone and email. This type of violent crime cannot and will not go unanswered." "We don't have an arrest, we don't have a conviction," said Patty. "The investigators are continually working on this. They haven't stopped." The families said they keep in touch with investigators every few months, if only just for reassurance that tips are still coming in and they are still working on leads. ISP did confirm that Superintendent Doug Carter met with the families this past week, as he has done every year since the girls were killed. ISP's definition of a cold case is when five years have passed with no new tips or leads. With tips being received daily, ISP said this is far from being considered a cold case investigation. They have added Abby and Libby's case to the Crime Door App. People can download the app and through virtual reality, they can walk the bridge as the girls would have seen it. Kelsi said she was the first to see the profile and wanted to experience it alone because of the emotional impact of it all. But she is hopeful it will continue to spread Abby and Libby's story, and will hopefully lead to someone sending in the tip that they need to solve the case. "Even if they catch the guy tomorrow and even if we know and pray to god that this does not happen to another family, the girls still aren't going to be here, and that is bottom line," said Williams. As the families continue to deal with yet another year of grief over their loss, they're turning that grief into something positive with the Abby and Libby Memorial Park. A playground, amphitheater, trees, pic-nic shelters and softball diamonds have all been installed over the summer and fall. Two wind chimes sing into the cold air by the amphitheater, always reminding those who come of the reason for the park. "These girls, our family, our community, everybody around the state, we all deserve justice," said Patty. "Just like this park, it's taken a community to build it, we need the community and the state to get this case solved as well." Much of the materials and labor used so far to get the park moving has been through community donations of time and resources, donations the families said they are extremely grateful for. The goal is to have the park open and ready for softball season this spring. They are also hosting their annual food drive at the Delphi United Methodist Church on Friday and Saturday. "The girls would have supported a food drive and a pet food drive, pandemic or not and now we've seen that the need is very great here in our local community," said Williams. The families are asking the community to come forward with any information they may have. "Law enforcement has always emphasized is that they may only be short one piece of evidence or one tip," said Erskin. They are also asking the community to keep their hope, faith and patience strong. "We're going to get answers," said Kelsi. "If he's out there we're going to find him." "We just have to keep that faith and that hope and keep praying," said Williams. If you have any information to share about the murder of Abby and Libby, please reach out to investigators. The email is abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com, or call you can call 844-459-5786. Below are the two sketches Indiana State Police have released since the start of the investigation. The one on the left is the most recent. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The specialists of the International Mine Action Center of the Russian defense ministry continue demining works in the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the Russian defense ministry reports. The engineering units of the Russian peacekeeping forces have already cleared nearly 1191,3 hectares of land, 352 km long roads. 24,181 explosive devices were found and neutralized. In the course of demining and clearing the territory of explosive objects in Nagorno Karabakh, Russian peacekeepers use modern robotic systems. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Las vacunas ya estan en el Peru???? Agradezco el esfuerzo del sector publico, privado y la sociedad civil que hicieron posible este logro. Empezaremos la primera fase de vacunacion protegiendo a la primera linea de peruanas y peruanos que arriesgan su vida por nosotros. [February 08, 2021] Compatio Raises Seed Round and Brings Total Investment to $2.4 Million Retailers Streamline the Purchase of Complex Products -- Accelerating Sales, Increasing Customer Loyalty and Decreasing Costs SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compatio, the Intelligent Commerce platform that accelerates purchases online, today announced it has completed a $1.5 million Seed Round of financing. With participation from both existing and new investors, a $250,000 investment from the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) was the catalyst to attract the final investment to close the round. The round was led by Kurt Hellweg, former CEO of American Dehydrated Foods. Compatio participated in the Springfield-based efactory 2019 accelerator, which was instrumental in helping build Compatios investor network. This investment adds to Compatios $900,000 Pre-Seed Round, bringing total funding since launching the development of its revolutionary knowledge-based commerce platform to $2.4 million. The funds will help the company aggressively expand its sales and marketing efforts, as well as broaden and accelerate product development. ECommerce was growing at a rapid pace and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated that growth. However, many retailers selling products that include multiple components have failed to create an effective online user experience, limiting their ability to take advantage of eCommerce opportunities, said Kurt Hellweg, lead investor. We are excited about Compatios solution as it recreates a personal user experience in an eCommerce environment. Compatio's intelligent Product Graph technology encodes expert product knowledge into digital commerce channels so eCommerce sites can function like experienced sales agents, guiding buyers to exactly the right products that fit their needs precisely. This increases retailer revenues throuh highly-accurate cross-selling, decreases costs due to returns and improves customer satisfaction. Buyers, whether consumers or corporate, enjoy a faster, more seamless, and more confident purchasing experience when buying complex products. In todays multi-channel retail marketplace, retailers of all sizes must move quickly to create a personalized eCommerce experience. Consumers and corporate buyers will continue to rethink the retailers they work with and those that focus on selling a holistic solution versus a series of products will win out, said Tim Baynes, CEO and Founder of Compatio. Retailers can not only increase sales and improve customer loyalty, they can increase margins. Our retailers are seeing several hundred percent ROI within just weeks of implementing our system. About Missouri Technology Corporation Missouri Technology Corporation is a public-private partnership created by the Missouri General Assembly to promote entrepreneurship and foster the growth of new and emerging high-tech companies. Its mission is to provide leadership and make strategic investments that help entrepreneurs create and grow technology-based Missouri businesses. MTC mainly focuses on bioscience industries that build on the states agricultural history. About efactory The efactory is a business incubator, training center, support network and more. The efactory opened its doors in March 2013 with one goal in mind: to serve as a one-stop shop for small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout southwest Missouri. Today, its services cover all the bases - everything from office space for growing companies to custom trainings for established businesses. The efactory is proud to be part of the IDEA Commons district, Missouri State Universitys vision for an urban innovation park. To learn more, visit here . About Compatio Based in Springfield, Missouri, Compatio is building the worlds first Knowledge-Based Commerce platform, and the only digital commerce platform engineered specifically to sell complete solutions and not just products. Tim Baynes, Compatios Founder and CEO, is globally recognized for his expertise in product configuration, a.k.a. CPQ or configure-price-quote systems. He has designed, implemented and led project teams for these systems at Fortune 100 companies worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.compat.io/ . Media Contact: Tim Johnson or Victoria Guimarin UPRAISE Marketing + PR for Compatio compatio@upraisepr.com Victoria: 510.331.9548 Tim: 415.385.9537 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Social Democratic Party (PSD) Senator Titus Corlatean proposed on Monday, in plenary sitting, in the context of the Government's decision to reopen schools, the physical presence of parliamentarians at the activities of the Senate, in compliance with health safety measures. "I have the mandate of the PSD senatorial group to submit to your attention and to the Permanent Bureau, for the next period, to take a decision to return to the Senate activity with physical presence. As long as the Government took the decision for children to return to school face to face, with the required health measures, as long as the vaccination process progresses, I think it is the duty and the obligation of the members of the Romanian Senate and the Parliament to return to work not only virtually, but with physical presence, with the measures required that the General Secretariat knows very well," Corlatean transmitted. The PSD proposal will be discussed in the Permanent Bureau, said the President of the Senate, Anca Dragu. AGERPRES Anna Reed had expensive tastes. She could afford them. She was from a very privileged background, after all; her family owned a renowned racehorse stud farm in Yorkshire. Still need a Louis Vuitton suitcase, a Mulberry handbag, a Burberry trench coat, a pair of Louboutins, a Chopard watch and much, much more, she once tweeted from a shopping expedition to Munich. It was typical Anna. On her last trip, travelling around the globe a 21st birthday gift from her millionaire father before the world went into lockdown she continued in the style to which she was accustomed. How many people of her age, on what was effectively a gap year, would have been able to stay at the Hotel la Palma au Lac at the foot of the Alps, overlooking Lake Maggiore? Just hours after that romantic champagne meal on the evening of April 9, 2019, hauntingly captured in a photograph on Facebook, Anna (right) was found dead in Room 501 back at the Hotel la Palma au Lac Anna checked into Room 501 on the top floor (more than 350-a-night even off-season) with the boyfriend she had met on her globe-trotting adventure. Shortly after arriving at the glamorous destination, they had shared a 100 bottle of Brut champagne over dinner at the lakefront Osteria Nostrana restaurant. Annas family and friends at home, who described her as bright, beautiful and bubbly, would have been shocked at the appearance of her male companion. Mark Schatzle was shaven-headed and covered in tattoos. The word warrior was emblazoned on his forehead, there was an inverted cross on his cheek, and his knuckles bore the initials FTW (F*** The World). It would be hard to envisage a more incongruous or unlikely couple: the privately educated British heiress and a former nightclub bouncer from Germany, eight years her senior, who had two children from a previous relationship. Appearances can sometimes be deceptive; but not, it would seem, in the case of Marc Schatzle (aka Marc Dirtywhite). Just hours after that romantic champagne meal on the evening of April 9, 2019, hauntingly captured in a photograph on Facebook, Anna was found dead in Room 501 back at the Hotel la Palma au Lac. Annas family and friends at home, who described her as bright, beautiful and bubbly, would have been shocked at the appearance of her male companion Staff recall her agitated boyfriend they had been dating for a few months turning up in the lobby to raise the alarm. A post-mortem examination concluded that Anna had died from strangulation. She had also suffered small cuts and fractures. The investigation into her death has now been concluded and has culminated in 30-year-old Schatzle being sent for trial, charged with her murder and a string of other alleged offences including fraud, theft and drug misdemeanours. His account of the dark events which unfolded in Room 501 has added to Annas familys grief. He claims that she died in a sex game that went wrong; in other words, it was an accident. The rough sex or Fifty Shades Of Grey plea is becoming increasingly common both in this country and abroad. At least 18 women in the UK have been killed during so-called consensual sexual violence in the past five years alone, which has led to an amendment being incorporated into the Domestic Abuse Bill, ruling out consent for sexual gratification as a defence for causing serious harm following an outcry over a series of acquittals on such grounds. The investigation into her death has now been concluded and has culminated in 30-year-old Schatzle (pictured) being sent for trial, charged with her murder and a string of other alleged offences including fraud, theft and drug misdemeanours Swiss prosecutors, however, were not convinced by Schatzles story and believe Anna was killed for financial gain. Investigators found her credit card concealed in a lift at the Hotel la Palma au Lac in Locarno, an Italian-speaking resort in southern Switzerland. They suspect Schatzle stole it, either before or after Annas death, and then hid it, hoping to return for it to use it later. Either way, he was thoroughly unsuitable boyfriend material. And one can only wonder how much the troubled young woman knew about him in the short time they were together. For, as we can reveal today, Schatzle has a long criminal record, including convictions for violence, and had served time in prison. He also had a problem with alcohol and cocaine, according to one former girlfriend who has spoken to German media, and was heavily in debt, too. On social media he used the handle Marc Dirtywhite; in one rather menacing picture he can be seen facing the camera wearing a leather biker jacket with winged insignia. Dirty White is the street slang for raw cocaine, but the Dirty White Boys are also a white supremacist group, which draws support from biker gangs, many of whose members were jailed in Texas recently. When we asked Schatzles lawyer about his clients past convictions and possible links to the Far Right, he said they were not related to the case. Perhaps it is stating the obvious, but Anna Reed could not have come from a more different world. She and her elder sister, Millie, were raised in Harrogate, the affluent North Yorkshire spa town. Staff recall her agitated boyfriend (second from left) they had been dating for a few months turning up in the lobby to raise the alarm The Reed family is well known in the area. They run the 300-acre Copgrove Hall Stud, founded by Annas great uncle, Guy Reed, a prominent owner and breeder of racehorses whose pink, black and gold checked silks have been worn by the likes of Lester Piggott down the years. Annas father, Clive Reed, 64, who was separated from her late mother is a trustee of Copgrove Hall. The family also owns property in Monaco. It would be easy, therefore, to form the wrong impression of Anna, who was educated at 15,000-a-year Ashville College in Harrogate, as a somewhat pampered and indulged young woman; that is not the picture, however. Those who knew Anna while she was growing up have spoken of a lovely girl who was happy to babysit for neighbours children, and who inherited her familys racing genes. Jennifer Birtwistle, who owns an equestrian centre in Harrogate, taught the young Anna to ride, and she remembers her fondly. She never had a boyfriend in the ten years I knew her, she said. Horses and riding were her life. She told other girls she would much rather have a horse than a boyfriend. She was an extremely good rider. She competed in local and county shows, and we were hoping shed make a career in showjumping. But it was not to be. In 2014, when Anna was 17, her mother, Mary, a maths teacher at a college, died suddenly, aged 49, after falling down a flight of stairs having suffered an aneurysm. Fellow guests are said to have complained of the sounds of arguing coming from Room 501 shortly before Anna was found dead. Schatzle was arrested just hours later Ahead of her mothers funeral, a grief-stricken Anna tweeted: Tomorrow is a day I never expected or want to come. The tragedy had a devastating effect on the sixth-former. She gave up her A-level studies, fell in with the wrong crowd, and simply went off the rails, to quote one friend. She ended up in hospital on one occasion after crashing a motorbike while drunk. She was very talented but overnight she gave it all up, her mentor Mrs Birtwistle recalled. It was such a shame. Anna would eventually move to Berlin, one of Europes great party cities, where she worked as a model and was a familiar face at Soho House, the fashionable private members franchise. Anna was the most lovely girl, said photographer Gili Shani. Everyone loved Anna. Some time in 2018, around a year before she arrived at Hotel la Palma au Lac with Schatzle, she had left Berlin to embark on her round-the-world trip. Ramada La Palma au Lac in Locarno, Switzerland, where Anna Florence Reed was found dead in April 2019. Five months later, a credit card belonging to the former private schoolgirl was discovered hidden in a panel of the hotel elevator. Investigators suspected it was stolen by Mr Schatzle, who claimed he hid it there as a joke Anna chronicled her travels across Asia and Europe on social media. She is believed to have met Schatzle in Thailand. In one picture posted online, he and Anna posed in front of a rooftop swimming pool with palm trees in the background. Another showed them on sand dunes in the desert. But how much did Anna actually know about him? Michele Bochsler is the mother of his two children and was his partner for eight years. Through the intercom of her modern apartment block in Zurich, she said he never has been violent and insisted he did not murder Anna. That is the 100 per cent truth, she told us this week. But it wasnt. Schatzle was already serving an eight-month suspended sentence for assault in his home town of Jestetten, close to the Swiss border in south-west Germany, when he entered Annas life. The district court heard how he was on his way home with two friends in October 2018, when a 17-year-old boy accidentally bumped into him. The boy apologised, but Schatzle became aggressive and had to be held back by his pals. He shook them off and chased after the teenager. Locarno and Maggiore Lake in Ticino, Switzerland. The hotel where Miss Reed was found sits on the picturesque lake When he caught up with him, he spat in the boys face and attacked him. The youngster thought he had been punched in the side, causing him to bleed. When a doctor examined the youngster in hospital, however, he said he could have been stabbed. Three years earlier, Schatzle, who also has a conviction for burglary, knocked out a mans tooth in another violent confrontation, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to attend rehabilitation for alcohol and drug abuse. At around the same time, he was also reportedly involved in a road rage incident after parking his red Alfa Romeo across several parking spaces. When a fellow driver complained, Schatzle is said to have smashed up his car. Schatzle worked as a bouncer in various pubs and nightclubs on the Swiss-German border. In 2017, he set up a staffing and recruitment company which closed a little over a year later with outstanding debts of nearly 5,000, according to official financial records. The amount would have been much higher had money owed to a string of creditors not been written off in the legal process. The company was later declared bankrupt. Schatzle is alleged to have gone travelling on the proceeds of an insurance scam. So Anna could not have been in worse company. Until they met, could Schatzle have imagined staying in luxury hotels and drinking 100 bottles of champagne on the banks of Lake Maggiore? Fellow guests are said to have complained of the sounds of arguing coming from Room 501 shortly before Anna was found dead. Schatzle was arrested just hours later. Annas father and sister flew to Switzerland after receiving the tragic news of Annas death. But, like the family of backpacker Grace Millane, who was also aged just 22 and was found strangled in a hotel room in Auckland in New Zealand in 2018, their grief was compounded by a further ordeal. Schatzle, they learned, would be employing the same defence as the man who would be convicted of murdering Grace. Marcs defence is that they were playing a sexual game, his lawyer Yasar Ravi said when contacted by the Mail yesterday. It was an accident. It was sexual play. He ran out and got the hotel to get a doctor and emergency services. It happened in the room so there were no witnesses. The rough sex defence used by defendants in such cases has been widely condemned for victim shaming and re-traumatising families, which is why Parliament voted to outlaw it. Annas family have never spoken about what happened. But a simple message on her Facebook page reads: We hope that people who love Anna will find comfort in visiting her profile to remember and celebrate her life. Additional reporting: Rob Hyde in Germany and Alexandra Williams in Switzerland. The COVID-19 vaccine is a marvel of modern medicine. It's the fastest a vaccine has ever reached people in history, and it is well-documented at being highly effective in limiting COVID-19 deaths and severe cases. But with it comes a lot of questions, especially as the vaccine becomes more widespread and different options become more available. And while things aren't back to normal just yet, Dr. Jeffrey Martin, the chief of clinical epidemiology at UCSF, told SFGATE that once more people get the vaccine, transmission can and will reduce. "Every person who gets any vaccine contributes to decreasing transmission within the community," he said. And once transmission really reduces, "that's when we can really feel safe," he assures. "That day is not far off, in my estimation." Below, some common questions about the vaccine. Can you sign up for vaccine waitlists? In short, not really. For the most part, health care providers will notify individuals when they are ready for the vaccine. Sometimes, last-minute openings for spare vaccines will become available. Some counties, including Alameda, San Francisco and Marin, offer "interest" forms that will notify individuals when it's their turn to receive the vaccination. (But it's not quite a waitlist you'll still have to contact a health care provider in order to schedule the shot.) Will we need to get the COVID-19 vaccine every year? That remains unclear, but the chances are good. Per Yale Medicine infectious diseases expert Onyema Ogbuagu, we'll figure out the answer to that question within the next six months as researchers gather more data from the initial COVID-19 vaccine trials staged last year. But according to Johns Hopkins, the fact that individuals can still contract COVID-19 even after getting the vaccine is a potential indicator to the need to be consistently re-upping. Can you become infected after getting the vaccine? Yes. "You can certainly become infected again after getting the vaccine," Martin at UCSF told SFGATE. The goal for any immunization, he explained, is to attain "sterilizing immunity" essentially, your body blocking every attempts at being infected with the virus but that's not the case here. That said, the good news is that even if you get infected, it is almost certain that you will only get a mild form of the virus. "These are degrees of magnitude," he said. "It's a lot better than if a person got an infection if he or she hadn't been vaccinated." Jane Barlow/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Can you still transmit the virus once you have the vaccine? No vaccine is 100% perfect. That means that, despite incredibly high rates of efficacy, there is the very, very small chance that you'll develop COVID-19 and could spread it to someone else who is un-immunized. (That person, then, is much more likely to contract a severe form of the virus.) "To my understanding, it's not been documented that someone has gotten reinfected and infected another person," Martin said, "but I have no doubt that that will happen." For that reason, it's still advised to wear a mask and social distance even after you get the vaccine, at least until we reach a level of herd immunity. A study by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which developed one version of the vaccine, found that theirs may help cut down the rate of transmission. But those results are specific to that version of the vaccine, which is unavailable in the United States. And it's still an imperfect result. How fast does the vaccine take to work? "Very soon," Martin said. "After around ten days or so," he said, "you will begin to see some reduction in risk compared ot people who had no vaccine." But it'll take at least a month for the full vaccine to work to its maximum efficacy, assuming you get the second dose more on that later within that timeframe. One finding by Yale's Ogbuagu suggests that the second dose can bump up the immunity rates by nearly double. Courtesy of CVS Pharmacy/CVS Health What happens if you only take one of the two doses? Experts have repeatedly urged against skipping the second dose. Carlos Malvesutto, a doctor at Ohio State, said in a report that the first dose prepares the immune system while the second "induces a vigorous immune response and production of antibodies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests taking it within a three- to four-week timeframe. That said, the organization also reports that "there is no maximum interval between the first and second doses for either vaccine." Martin emphasizes that it's not "an all or nothing thing," especially this early into the vaccine rollout process. "If they missed their three- to four-week window and they take it right now, they won't skip it," he said. "I think the strong belief is that you will have a lot more protection than you would if you hadn't gotten one," he said, "[and] maybe a little less protection than if you got both." What if I get an allergic reaction after taking the first vaccine? While uncommon, there have been reports of individuals getting a range of allergic reactions to the vaccine. In short, you have to make risk-benefit analysis with an allergist to decide whether taking the second dose is worth it. "A serious reaction should be evaluated by an allergy doctor," Martin said. "It's not an absolute given that one should or should not [get the vaccine]; that can be a complicated medical decision." The good news is that you will still get "really good protection" with one shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Are there any differences between one-shot vaccines (Johnson & Johnson) and two-shot vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer)? In the grand scheme of things, not really. Martin says all the vaccines approved and being rolled out "are actually very close in their performances" in preventing severe disease. "The truth is, they may be indistinguishable for preventing severe disease." "One may prevent mild disease ore than the other, but it's just that," he added, "mild disease where you're out for 3 to 5 days." Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. A health worker prepares a dose of Chinese-made Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Belgrade Fair, Serbia, Feb. 4. AFP-Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin The Chinese Embassy in Korea said its government is seeking to provide its own developed coronavirus vaccines for Chinese nationals here. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming stated, "We are consulting with the South Korean government over whether to provide vaccines developed in China for the 1 million Chinese citizens living here." But the ambassador did not specify which firm's vaccines the country is planning to administer and how the distribution process would take place. Derek OBrien, Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 8 taunted Trinamool Congress MP Derek OBrien over his claims of stifled freedom of speech in the country. I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/KAORTjR3rg ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 During his Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovinds address in the Rajya Sabha on February 8, Modi said: I was listening to Derek ji. He had chosen good words freedom of speech and intimidation. The Prime Minister added: When I was listening to him (TMC MP Derek OBrien), I was wondering whether he is talking about West Bengal or India. All this (intimidation, gag order) is common in Bengal, that is why he might have said it." Modis remarks hinting that the TMC MP's comments on the Centres response to the ongoing farmers protest in Delhi would be more suited to describe the situation in West Bengal came after Derek O'Brien said the BJP government at the Centre is trying to muffle the voice of reason and protest. Notably, when Modi made these comments, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had already staged a walkout from Parliament. One of the goals of the Independent Investigations Unit of Manitoba, according to its website, is to ensure all Manitobans trust the independence and impartiality of our work, and have confidence in our investigative findings. Editorial One of the goals of the Independent Investigations Unit of Manitoba, according to its website, is to "ensure all Manitobans trust the independence and impartiality of our work, and have confidence in our investigative findings." Growing criticism stemming from the IIUs recent decision to not pursue charges in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Eishia Hudson by a Winnipeg Police Service officer suggests the unit is falling short of that objective. The IIU looks into all serious incidents involving police officers in Manitoba, especially when it appears a police officer might have caused a death or serious injury, or has broken the law. The WPS contacted the agency shortly after the shooting, which occurred on April 8, 2020, after a police pursuit related to a liquor-store robbery, and an investigation was launched, leading to the Jan. 28 release of the IIUs final report. Investigators interviewed 20 witnesses, including three of the four passengers in the Jeep that Eishia was driving and six police officers who were at the scene, as well as bystanders, one of whom took cellphone footage of the incident that was circulated on social media and was later included in the IIU probe. News that a traffic camera installed at the busy intersection where the shooting took place broke down five hours before the incident after 345 days of operating without interruption robbed investigators of another view of what happened. The coincidence will only exacerbate mistrust among Eishias family and the police services critics. The officer involved, who remains unnamed, provided his notes and a prepared statement to the investigation, but chose not to be interviewed by IIU. According to the Police Services Act, "subject officers" are not compelled to submit to IIU questioning. The IIU forwarded the file to Crown prosecutors, who advised not to press charges against the officer, stating there were no factual or legal reasons to do so. Eishias father, William Hudson, said he knew the IIU would clear the officer even before he read the report a statement indicative of a lack of trust in the units work before its investigators began working the case. Mr. Hudsons lawyer questioned the IIUs independence at a press conference held after the reports release, pointing out that most of the units investigators are former police officers (only three of eight are not) and the head of the agency, Zane Tessler, is a former Crown prosecutor. Winnipegs police have long been accused of systemic racism by many in the Indigenous community, and Eishias death and the IIU response will have added more fuel to the assertion. The findings of the 1999 Aboriginal Justice Inquiry stated Manitobas legal system has ill served Indigenous people, and the perception that the provinces courts are unfair has changed little in the years since. The IIU decision in this shooting will surely be viewed as more of the same. A Statistics Canada survey released last November revealed Manitobans trust in police is the lowest among all provinces. Only 34 per cent of Manitobans surveyed responded that they strongly trust police, compared to a national average of 41 per cent. The IIU cannot repair decades of suspicion and doubt of Manitobas policing and legal system on its own. It can, however, take steps toward a fairer system for all by following its mandate. If it truly is intent on ensuring trust, independence and impartiality, a useful start would involve hiring more investigators who do not have ties to Manitoba law-enforcement organizations. EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season. CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15. GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season. BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career. Vote View Results [February 08, 2021] Ferguson Selects Salesforce to Power its Digital Transformation SAN FRANCISCO and NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today announced that Ferguson, the largest U.S. distributor of plumbing supplies and a major distributor of HVAC equipment, has selected Salesforce to power its digital transformation. Ferguson will leverage the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform to gain a single source of truth and complete view of its commercial and residential customers wherever they are engaging with the companywhether online, in the showroom or plumbing counter, or on the phoneto better track and manage their projects from anywhere. Ferguson has been a trusted wholesale supplier of direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business commercial and residential plumbing and heating supplies for more than 65 years with strong, often decades-long, relationships with contractors and individual consumers. With the spike in essential construction and home renovations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the temporary closure of local showrooms, Ferguson needed to rapidly digitize many key aspects of its business. Ferguson will use Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Commerce Cloud, Tableau CRM, and Experience Cloud to create more personalized and efficient experiences for customers across every channel, and enhance their associates' productivity with: A Single Source of Truth: Salesforce's unified platform will give Ferguson a 360-degree of customer engagement acrossits different business unitsenhancing associates' insight and knowledge of each customer and their project and enabling them to deliver more personalized service and support across every channel. Salesforce's unified platform will give Ferguson a 360-degree of customer engagement acrossits different business unitsenhancing associates' insight and knowledge of each customer and their project and enabling them to deliver more personalized service and support across every channel. Connected Purchasing Experience: Salesforce's B2B and B2C commerce solutions will help streamline the buying process for customersfrom initial inquiry to order processing and fulfillment. Experience Cloud will give everyone involved with a project more visibility, allowing Ferguson's associates to collaborate on orders with the customer through an online portal where they can view and manage supplies and materials. Salesforce's B2B and B2C commerce solutions will help streamline the buying process for customersfrom initial inquiry to order processing and fulfillment. Experience Cloud will give everyone involved with a project more visibility, allowing Ferguson's associates to collaborate on orders with the customer through an online portal where they can view and manage supplies and materials. Intelligent Insights and Recommendations: Tableau CRM will surface business insights from across the company and provide both associates and customers with proactive product recommendations and next best actions, such as replicating a previous order. Bret Taylor , President and COO of Salesforce. "We're proud to power their digital transformation and use the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform to make their vision a reality." "Every decision we make is centered around our customers, and our customer relationships are truly the foundation of our business," said Michael Sajor, Global CIO and SVP, Ferguson. "It's important that we maintain these genuine connections and drive a personalized customer experience not only at our brick-and-mortar Ferguson locations and on our customers' project sites, but also in the digital space. Salesforce is an important tool that will help us link the two experiences, creating and celebrating the best digitally enabled human relationships. The end goal is a seamless experience for the customer no matter where and how they want to do business with us." About Salesforce Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to digitally transform and create a 360 view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com. About Ferguson Ferguson is the largest wholesale distributor of residential and commercial plumbing supplies and pipe, valves and fittings in the U.S. The company is also a major distributor of HVAC equipment, fire protection systems, waterworks and industrial products and services. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson has sales of $18.9 billion and approximately 26,000 associates in 1,400 locations. Ferguson and its subsidiaries serve customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean. Ferguson is part of Ferguson plc (www.fergusonplc.com), which is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FERG) and on the FTSE 100 index of listed companies. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ferguson-selects-salesforce-to-power-its-digital-transformation-301223693.html SOURCE Salesforce [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The trial is taking place in a courtroom in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, but which Palestinians hope will be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Mr. Netanyahu faces multiple charges. In one case, he is accused of granting political favors to two businessmen in exchange for gifts worth several hundred thousand dollars, including cigars and Champagne. In other cases, he is accused of having sought favorable media coverage from major news outlets in exchange for regulatory changes that benefited their owners. If convicted, Mr. Netanyahu could face several years in prison, but a verdict is not expected for several months, if not years. The trial has already been delayed several times by coronavirus restrictions and it may yet be delayed again. The judges will decide this week whether to uphold a request made on Monday by Mr. Netanyahus lawyers to postpone the summoning of witnesses until after the March 23 election Israels fourth in two years. But either way, many analysts say they believe that the trial may not have a large impact on public opinion. The election is widely considered an informal referendum on Mr. Netanyahu. But most voters formed their opinions on the allegations against the prime minister long ago, since the trial and the investigation that led to it have dragged on for years, said Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli political analyst and pollster. Could the opening of the trial really change anybodys mind? Dr. Scheindlin said. So far, I dont really see it. None of this is new people have had years to factor this in, she added. In fact, one reason Israel faces yet another election in such a short span of time is because the pools of voters who support and oppose Mr. Netanyahu have remained fairly equal in size in recent years. This has made it impossible for either Mr. Netanyahu or his political opponents to achieve a stable parliamentary majority, leading to election after election to break the deadlock. Fridays watershed refusal by the Independent Planning Commission of the proposed expansion of the Dendrobium Mine was a bubble-puncturing reality check for both the mining company and the Department of Planning. Eight kilometres west of Wollongong, the mine extracts metallurgical coal some 350 metres below the Metropolitan Special Area of the Woronora Plateau. The Special Areas are catchment lands set aside to protect the water flowing into Sydneys reservoirs. Trespassers risk fines of up to $44,000 if they enter. The Dendrobium Coal Mine near Wollongong, 2021. Credit:Getty Senior staff in the Department of Planning had championed the Dendrobium proposal, which would extend mining from 2024 to 2048. The proposal was, however, flawed and ill-considered. Its aggressive mining threatened extensive fracturing of the overlying rock, high-volume and in perpetuity water losses, drainage of watercourses and swamps, watercourse contamination, loss of biodiverse habitat, landscape dislocation and destabilisation, loss of First Nations heritage sites, greenhouse gas additions, and increased risk of extreme fire in and around the catchment. Its barely a year since the Berejiklian government announced it would fast track the expansion of the desalination plant, with Water Minister Melinda Pavey stating that securing water supplies for the city was critical, noting dam levels were dropping faster than seen before. Climate change is here and the times they are a changin though perhaps not for some in the Department of Planning. In the departments assessment, there were no economically viable mining options that would not result in unacceptable damage, so maximum damage was then acceptable. Suggestive of Orwells double-speak, senior Planning staff argued at the start of the commissions public hearing in December that maximising water loss by allowing maximum damage was actually beneficial for Sydneys water supply. This was because the consequentially maximised compensation would fund capital works and repairs. Perhaps I should consider selling my kidneys and buying a dialysis machine or two. Feature News Samoan democracy hangs in the balance as a constitutional arm wrestle plays out with the world watching 5:56 pm GMT+12, 26/05/2021, Samoa By Patricia A. O'Brien New battlelines in Samoas ongoing political crisis were drawn this week. After an evening swearing-in ceremony on the lawn of parliament house, Samoa now has two governments claiming a mandate to rule. What comes next will have vast ramifications Despite a veneer of democracy, Samoa is sliding into autocracy By Patricia A. O'Brien The fragility of democr Read more By Patricia A. O'Brien New battlelines in Samoas ongoing political crisis were drawn this week. After an evening swearing-in ceremony on the lawn of parliament house, Samoa now has two governments claiming a mandate to rule. What comes next will have vast ramifications Read more By Patricia A. O'Brien The fragility of democr Business News $300m direct spending on COVID-19 related matters: Fiji Economy Minister 5:54 pm GMT+12, 26/05/2021, Fiji The Fijian The government has spent $300m (US$150 million) directly on COVID-19 related matters. Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said $160m (US$80 million) has been paid out so far in the two phases of unemployment benefits through the Fiji National Provident New tough guidelines announced for Fiji businesses wanting to operate The Fijian Government has set out stringent measures and mandatory minimum parametres for s Read more Celebration as first travel bubble flight lands in Rarotonga There were tears, singing and applause as the first travel-bubble flight from New Zealand landed Read more The Fijian The government has spent $300m (US$150 million) directly on COVID-19 related matters. Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said $160m (US$80 million) has been paid out so far in the two phases of unemployment benefits through the Fiji National Provident Read more The Fijian Government has set out stringent measures and mandatory minimum parametres for sThere were tears, singing and applause as the first travel-bubble flight from New Zealand landed Workers at risk of developing an incurable, progressive and fatal lung disease need greater protections across a range of workplaces, the union movement says, warning proposed new health and safety measures wont help thousands of Australians. Joanna McNeill, a 34-year-old mother of two, was diagnosed with silicosis last year after returning from maternity leave. She worked in an administration role at a quarry and was exposed to dust with her office close to the main blast site. Joanna McNeill was diagnosed with silicosis after coming back from maternity leave last year. Shes just 34 years old. Its the unknown which is so terrifying, Ms McNeill said. At the moment I am feeling healthy, but I dont know if that will be the case in one year, let alone five or 10 years and as a mum of two young daughters that terrifies me. The Australian Workers Union is leading a push for tougher national regulations to protect all workers exposed to deadly silica dust, with fears Australia could be hit with a tsunami of deaths in the coming decades. Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. OROVILLE, Calif. The Butte County Sheriffs Office (BCSO) made four arrests in the armed robbery of an Oroville convenience store that occurred back in January. Investigators say Michael Martin robbed the 7-Eleven store on Monte Vista Avenue on Jan. 31, using a sawed-off shotgun. The suspect, Michael Martin, left the store in a Toyota 4Runner after getting an extremely small amount of cash from the store clerk. Martin's sister, Misty and her boyfriend, Kevin Simon were also arrested for providing the gun, gloves and ski mask used in the crime, according to the sheriffs office. Detectives say Martin's mother, Gaylynn Martin, was arrested for driving him to the robbery, in the Toyota 4Runner, and helping him escape. After the arrest of Misty and Michael, detectives say they located evidence the sawed off shotgun used in the robbery was located at a residence near the 5600 block of Farley Street. Detectives were able to retrieve the shotgun. 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. Geojit's report on Agri Picks The USDA has cut its estimate for India's 2020-21 (Aug-Jul) cotton output to 28.9 mln bales (1 US bale = 218 kg) due to lower yields. The sugar industry has written to the food ministry seeking a solution to the problem of exports of sugar to Iran, which has not happened this season, a senior industry official said. The Food Corp of India is mulling another cut in the offer price for rice at its weekly auction programmethe open market sales scheme--to clear out stocks from the central pool, senior government officials said. The food ministry has warned sugar mills against selling the sweetener below the minimum price in the domestic market, a senior government official said. It has asked state governments to take action against defaulting mills under the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Tamil Nadu government waived loans worth 121 bln rupees taken by farmers from co-operative banks, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said in a post on Twitter. Madhya Pradesh aims to procure 390,000 tn mustard and 137,000 tn masur harvested in 2020-21 (Jul-Jun) rabi season at the minimum support price, a state government official said. The government has bought around 13,730 tn moong harvested in the 2020-21 (Jul-Jun) kharif season so far from farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Haryana, a government source said. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A candy-making company is looking for people to try out their chocolates and candies and honestly review them. The company is based in Canada and is called "Candy Funhouse". The candy-making firm has given details about the job vacancy and the position they call a "candyologist." The candyologist will help select 10 new and original candy creations by narrowing their selections from hundreds of possible options, according to the company. The company on its official website wrote that they are looking for 'full-time and part-time candy and chocolate and candy taste testers. The company added that the job will be remote. "Candidates should have enthusiasm and eagerness to try confectionery products. We are looking for honest and objective opinions on the products that will be taste-tested. Candidates will be responsible for tasting and reviewing from the 3,000 products we currently carry," Candy Fun House wrote. The company said applicants should have a High School diploma, basic writing skills, good communication skills, fluency in English, and no food allergy. Besides, the candidate must be a Candian or US citizen of 18 years or older. Further, the company informed about the salary details of a candylogists. The part-time position is 15 hours a week at $30 (Rs 2,185) an hour and the full-time spot is 40 hours at the same rate. All applications have to be in by February 15 -- the day after Valentine's Day. Could it be? Kim Kardashian posted an incredible nature painting on Monday, February 8 and said that her 7-year-old daughter, North, made it. Read article My little artist North, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 40, captioned her Instagram Story. Courtesy of Kim Kardashian/Instagram The mini masterpiece showed a lake scene with two trees in the foreground and mountains in the back. The little one covered the mountains in snow, added reflections to the water and painted purple and white flowers. Read article The reality star told Ellen DeGeneres in April 2017 that her and Kanye Wests eldest daughter is really, really smart and knows how to outsmart her parents. She is Kanyes twin, the Selfish author said during the Ellen DeGeneres Show appearance. Same personality, says the same wild things. I mean, shell just sit, looking at me, and be like Mommy, I dont like Ellen, or whoever it is. And Im just like, Not now! And shes just like, Why, Mom? Im being honest. The Los Angeles native called Saint, 5, her twin at the time, explaining, Hes so sweet. And hes just, like, such a good, good boy. Like, such a good person. North just beats him up all day long, and he so doesnt cry. She and the rapper, 43, who are also the parents of daughter Chicago, 3, and son Psalm, 21 months, are headed for a split but their kids dont know anything about their marital woes. Their kids are very used to their dad living in another state, a source exclusively told Us Weekly last month, noting that the estranged couple have been working in different states since September 2019 when the Grammy winner found a place in Wyoming. (Kardashian, for her part, has remained in Los Angeles.) Courtesy of Kim Kardashian/Instagram Us confirmed that the E! personality has been speaking with divorce lawyers since July 2020 and has been preparing her divorce settlement with attorney Laura Wasserman ahead of officially filing. Read article Amid her split, the KKW Beauty creator has been documenting her kids lives on social media, from showing Saints Japanese counting skills in January to photographing Psalms reading time on Monday. Her and the Chicago natives issues will air on the final season of KUWTK, and West is less than thrilled that the cameras captured their relationship troubles, a source exclusively told Us last month. He and Kardashian tied the knot in May 2014 in Italy after two years of dating. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. The attack took place shortly after negotiators failed to end a stalemate over the selection of a new president. Islamist terror group Al-Shabaab took responsibility for the attack near the town of Dhusamareeb. At least 13 members of Somalia's security forces were killed on Sunday in a roadside bombing attack, shortly after emergency talks between Somalia's politicians failed to end a stalemate over how to select a new president. The bomb hit a convoy belonging to regional intelligence units of the Galmudug state, senior military official General Masud Mohamud said. The convoy had been traveling near the town of Dhusamareeb, which had hosted talks over Somalia's delayed election. Talks ended without a conclusion on Saturday, just days before the term of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was set to expire. "We are getting terrible reports that 13 security men are all killed in the blast which destroyed their vehicle in the Galmudug province," said Mohamud. Among those killed was a senior regional intelligence officer. The Islamist terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on its Andalus radio station. The group has ramped up attacks in the Galmudug state in central Somalia as the country's leaders gathered in Dhusamareeb, north of the capital Mogadishu. Somalia likely to miss voting deadline Somalia is likely to miss a February 8 deadline to choose a new head of state, after several days of negotiations between the central government and federal states broke down. Without a resolution, the breakdown in talks could create a constitutional crisis in country that is already confronting a violent Islamist insurgency and widespread food shortages. Mohamed flew back to the capital, Mogadishu, without a deal on the staffing of regional electoral commissions, Osman Dube, the information minister, said late on Friday. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Somalia Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Lawmakers 'refused to resolve issues' "No agreement was reached," said Dube. "The government offered to negotiate and settle all the disputed issues, but some brothers have failed to understand, and refused to resolve the issues." "The government has shown flexibility to compromise, gentleness and readiness to negotiate, but some leaders tried to exploit that openness to seek more. That will not work," he added. Mohamed, who is currently seeking a second term in office, later told lawmakers that there was still one more chance for a deal, without offering further details. "If it fails again, then the decision [on the way forward] will be for the parliament," he said. Another round of talks possible The president is expected to announce another round of talks at a joint sitting of parliament on Saturday. He reached an agreement with the leaders of Somalia's five semi-autonomous regions in September, to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2020 and early 2021. However, the deal broke down after lawmakers couldn't agree on how to conduct the election process. Somalia earlier aimed to hold its first direct election since 1969, but opted instead for an indirect voting system where special delegates chosen by clan elders pick the country's lawmakers, who in turn choose the president. However, even under that system, regional authorities in at least two of Somalia's five federal states, Puntland and Jubbaland, opposed holding the election. (Reuters, AFP, dpa) Coca-Cola Femsa Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola beverages in the world, was making a move toward cloud-hosting for their own and their partners applications. The CTSO of Coca-Cola FEMSA was aware of the risks involved, so he championed for more structured security. In the end, this enterprise attained: Integrated static, dynamic and mobile application security testing Continuous application monitoring Comprehensive vulnerability management And more Dive into the full case study to see how Fortinet supported Coca-Cola FEMSA in their security quest. Modi asks farmers to end protests, slams 'foreign destructive interference' Prime Minister on Monday slammed those calling agitating Sikh farmers names, saying it won't do the country any good as he went on to appeal to the protesting farmers to withdraw their over two-month-long stir and give the new agriculture reform laws a chance. He also slammed the politics over the farm laws, saying opposition parties were mum over the reasons for the agitation. Punning on the term FDI, which stands for Foreign Direct Investment, Modi said a new thing of FDI has emerged in India, which he said was Foreign Destructive Ideology. Read more to raise $1 bn via dollar bonds for Bhushan acquisition, capex is planning to raise $1 billion to fund its acquisition of Bhushan Power and Steel and refinance old loans. A banking source said talks with the company are currently focused on the structure of the offering and seeking necessary approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). "The issue will be launched as early as this month," said a banker. Read more plans Rs 3 trillion in sovereign bond purchases to cap yield at 6% Indias central bank will target to buy more than Rs 3 trillion ($41 billion) of sovereign bonds in the year starting April 1 to cap benchmark yields at about 6 per cent, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Reserve Bank of India has so far bought about Rs 2.5 trillion of net debt in the current financial year. The figure will be as high as Rs 3 trillion by end-March as authorities are keen to shrink the spread between the 10-year bond yield and repo rate to around 150 basis points from more than 200 basis points, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Read more Dixon's shares soar on founder Vachani's bet to make phones in India Almost three decades ago, Sunil Vachani borrowed $35,000 so he could start making 14-inch television sets in a rented shed outside New Delhi. It was an unconventional choice given India, though renowned for software and services, had long lagged behind in manufacturing. Today, Vachanis startup has grown into a sprawling electronics empire. His boasts a market value of more than $2.5 billion and the capacity to produce about 50 million smartphones this year. Its an early indicator of the countrys opportunities -- and challenges -- in building a sophisticated manufacturing sector, a top priority for Prime Minister Read more puts vaccinations on hold over variant data will put on hold use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot in its vaccination programme, after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Sunday that the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after a trial showed the vaccine did not significantly reduce the risk of mild or moderate COVID-19 from the 501Y.V2 variant that caused a second wave of infections starting late last year. Read more The first 196,800 doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford were delivered throughout Monday morning (8 February) to practically all the regions across Spain. The anticipation about the start of the inoculation campaign for the third formula marketed in Spain after those of Pfizer and Moderna was, however, much cooler than on the two previous occasions. The controversy about the lack of data on the efficacy of this vaccine among the elderly and the decision of the Spanish health authorities to veto its use to people over 55 years of age are now joined by doubts about its efficiency against one of the new much more contagious strains of the Covid virus - the South African one. Hours before the autonomous regions began to distribute the vials of AstraZeneca among their vaccination centres, the South African government announced that it was suspending the massive inoculation of the prophylaxis after publishing a study that reveals that the formula provides minimal protection against mild to moderate infections caused by the dominant coronavirus variant in the country, although it does seem to work in the most severe cases. Experts from Spains Ministry of Health said last week that they would exclusively use the AstraZeneca vials for the vaccination of social and health workers not on the front-line - as well as dentists - as long as they have not reached the age of 55 and have no previous pathologies. Spain is one of the countries with the most restrictions against the AstraZeneca vaccine. France, Germany, Poland, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Greece and Portugal have imposed age limits, in most cases, 65 years, to inject the AstraZeneca formula. AstraZeneca has announced that it is already working on a new vaccine that is effective against the South African strain and that it could be ready in the autumn. It is easy to adapt the technology. It will be like working on the flu vaccine, explained the director of the pharmaceutical giants vaccination programme, Sarah Gilbert, speaking on the BBC. Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Monday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting Q3 earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Companies set to announce their earnings are BPCL, Aditya Birla Fashion, Astrazeneca Pharma, Balkrishna Industries, Bombay Dyeing, Godrej Consumer Products. Share Market News Live: Sensex hits new high, Nifty at 14,925; ITC, ONGC, SBI, Maruti top gainers Adani Enterprises: The company arm bought 23.5 percent stake in Mumbai international airport for Rs 1700 crore. Britannia: The company reported a profit of Rs 452.6 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 368.9 crore in Q3FY20. Company's revenue rose to Rs 3,165.6 crore from Rs 2,982.7 crore YoY. Punjab National Bank: The bank reported a profit of Rs 506 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 621 crore in Q2FY21. Company's revenue fell to Rs 8,313 crore from Rs 8,444.9 crore QoQ. BEML: The company signed a MoUs with 11 entities to explore & enhance business in defence & aerosapce. Maruti Suzuki: Total production in January 2021 dropped to 1.60 lakh units from 1.79 lakh units in January 2020. Ashoka Buildcon: The company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 88.4 crore in Q3 FY21 against Rs 32.4 crore in Q 3FY20, while its revenue increased to Rs 1,305.5 crore from Rs 1,280.4 crore YoY. Fortis Healthcare: The company posted a consolidated profit of Rs 53.88 crore in Q3 FY21 against a loss of Rs 69.3 crore in Q3F Y20. Company's revenue rose to Rs 1,177 crore from Rs 1,169 crore YoY. Sanofi India: The company reviewed the proposed plan of the Sanofi Group to globally sell some of its old brands along with their trademarks which Sanofi Group owns. Mrs Bectors Food Specialities: The company reported a profit of Rs 20.67 crore in Q3FY21 as against Rs 11.14 crore in Q3FY20. Company;s revenue rose to Rs 225.75 crore from Rs 203.8 crore YoY. Hindustan Aeronautics: The company and Safran signed MoU for Collaboration in the development, manufacture, maintenance, training and upgrade of high-thrust aero-engines. Pfizer: The company reported a profit of Rs 141.2 crore in December quarter 2020 as against Rs 139.1 crore in December quarter 2019, while its revenue increased to Rs 593.5 crore from Rs 538.2 crore YoY. KPI Global Infrastructure: The company signed new long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) for sale of 13.15 MW solar power for a period of 20 years under Independent Power Producer (IPP) business vertical. The company received the intimation for cancellation of 1.995 MW order of solar power plant under captive power producer (CPP) and Independent Power Producer (IPP) segment of the company. Earnings today: BPCL, Aditya Birla Fashion, Astrazeneca Pharma, Balkrishna Industries, Bombay Dyeing, Godrej Consumer Products, NMDC, Redington India, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company, Sun TV Network, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Usha Martin and Vakrangee among other will announce their December quarter results on Monday. TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him during a fresh hearing being held on Monday, the Haaretz newspaper reported. The session, which was initially scheduled for January 13, was postponed by the Jerusalem District Court to February 8 over the COVID-19-related restrictions. The prime minister has reaffirmed a written response submitted by his defense team to the court in his own name, saying that he was not guilty to all the charges against him, according to Haaretz. Netanyahu's arrival at the court was met by about 150 demonstrators who took to the street carrying signs such as "the State of Israel vs. Benjamin Netanyahu" and "May The Defendant Rise," the newspaper reported. Netanyahu has been the subject of multiple corruption investigations, including over claims he received expensive gifts from various businessmen, advanced a law that would benefit one of Israel's major newspapers and supported looser regulation of telecommunication company Bezeq in return for positive coverage. The inquiry forced the prime minister to abandon all ministerial posts except the premiership, with Israel rocked by a lengthy political power crisis that triggered the country's fourth elections in two years after the collapse of Netanyahu's center-right coalition. The snap elections would take place on March 23. The court proceedings are expected to take years to wrap up. If convicted, the 70-year-old politician may face up to 10 years in prison for bribery and up to three years for fraud and breach of trust. A police constable recently dismissed for getting pregnant out of wedlock, Omolola Olajide, has filed a suit praying for an order reinstating her to the police force. Ms Olajide, a constable attached to Iye-Ekiti Police Division, Ekiti State Police Command, was dismissed on January 20, 2021 for allegedly violating section 127 of the Police Act with her pregnancy. PREMIUM TIMES on Monday saw a copy of her complaint which she filed February 3 at the National Industrial Court in Akure, Ondo State, to challenge her dismissal. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) are sued in the suit as the three defendants. She contends through her lawyer, Funmi Falana, that her purported dismissal by the defendants was discriminatory and a violation of the various provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. The Ekiti State Government has similarly filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, describing section 127 of the Police Act which was cited by police authorities in dismissing Ms Olajide as discriminatory and unconstitutional. The suit, which was filed on behalf of the state government by its Attorney-General, Wale Fapohunda, seeks an order nullifying the said section 127 of the Police Act. Claims In her statement of claim filed in court, Ms Olajide stated that the reason given for her disengagement in a signal sent to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of her station in Iye-Ekiti on January 20, was that I contravened regulation 127 made pursuant to the Police Act against women getting pregnant before marriage and consequently dismissed. All police documents in my possession were also to be retrieved with immediate effect and my salary stopped, she added. She also stated that she was never invited for interrogation or question by the defendants before her employment was terminated. That I was however called on the phone by the DPO Iye-Ekiti, DSP Humphrey Ogbu on January 21, 2021 informing me to be at the Nigeria Police Medical Service, Ekiti State Command, Cottage Hospital, Ado Ekiti, to undergo a medical test. That I went for the test alongside one ASP Dauda Jimoh who collected the original copy of the result of the medical test on behalf of the defendants. According to her, the medical test conducted on her at the Police Medical Service, Ekiti State Command, was done after the signal of my dismissal was already issued and sent out by the 1st defendant. The plaintiff said she had been diligent at her duties before her termination of employment. ALSO READ: Police justify dismissal of pregnant cop She also noted that her lead counsel, Mrs Falana, had, using the platform of her Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA), written to the IGP on January 28, 2021, requesting that she be reinstated to the police force but nothing was done. Prayers The plaintiff therefore asks the court to declare that her purported dismissal via the January 20, 2021 signal is null, void and unconstitutional as it violates Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. She also wants the court to declare that the provisions of Regulation 127 of the Police Act against women police getting pregnant before marriage is discriminatory but does not apply to their male counterpart who impregnate women whilst unmarried is illegal and unconstitutional. The plaintiff wants the court to rule that such discrimination violates the Claimants rights under Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) and Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and the said provision should be annulled. ADVERTISEMENT She also seeks an order directing the defendants to reinstate her to her status as constable without prejudice to her entitlements and promotions which may have accrued to her during the period of her purported dismissal. In addition, she also wants the court to issue an injunction restraining the defendants from further interfering with her rights, privileges and performance of her duties as a constable with the 3rd defendant. A woman gestures in support of supermarket workers holding placards in protest in front of a Food 4 Less supermarket in Long Beach, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) California Inequality, Class Divide Now Similar to Mexico, Expert Says The class divide and inequality in the state of California are currently at levels similar to those seen in Mexico, according to author and university professor Joel Kotkin. Kotkin, urban futures fellow at Chapman University, and author of The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class, told Epoch Times affiliate NTD that a major factor driving residents and business owners out of the state is that the gap between the middle and upper class is now wider in California than virtually any other place in the country. According to an Urban Reform Institute report (pdf) published in October 2020 and co-authored by Kotkin, over the past two decades, California has seen a net loss of about 2.4 million peopleor 7 percent of its 2000 population. The figure excludes the most recent exodus linked to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Meanwhile, California also has the highest poverty rate in the United States. Kotkin highlighted the states energy policy, which makes California very expensive for anything that uses energy. Were basically trying to get rid of natural gas. Were systematically destroying our own once very large oil industry. And so manufacturers certainly have to go elsewhere, he said. Californias climate policy and rising property prices also are contributing to the number of people leaving the state, Kotkin said. In our climate policy, we have made the mistaken idea that the way to deal with climate is to force people to live in small apartments in urban areas, he said. Whereas the vast majority, even before COVID-19, wanted to live in a single-family house more in the suburbs. Weve created the highest property prices in the countryone of the lowest homeownership rates. If youre a young family in California, unless you make a lot of money or you robbed the bank or have rich parents, youre going to probably have to either accept the fact that youre going to live in an apartment, that youre probably never going to own anything, probably not going to have kidsor you go somewhere else, he said. If you cant own a home, youre always going to be at the mercy of your landlord, you wont have anything to rely on. Thats where were losing so many people, which I think does not bode well. Im frankly more worried not about the people leaving, but the people who arent coming. A worker carries a box of groceries to load into a vehicle at a mobile food distribution from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank at the Hollywood Bowl during the CCP virus pandemic in Los Angeles, on Feb. 5, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Kotkin noted that when he came to California in 1971, it was common to meet people who had moved from other U.S. states. Based on a study hes working on, Kotkin said foreign-born people who had been drawn in huge numbers to California over the past two to three decadesimmigrants attracted by opportunityare now going elsewhere. Los Angeles is actually seeing a bit of a drop in its foreign-born populationtheyre going to Dallas, theyre going to Nashville, theyre going to Fayetteville, Arkansas. When you look at the great rise of California in the latter part of the 20th century, a lot of it was driven by both domestic migration and foreign immigration. Both of those have dropped. California Gov. Gavin Newsoms stringent lockdown policies have also played a role, Kotkin suggested, noting that the Democratic governors ban on outdoor dining was a very bad move. There was no justification for it. It caused huge problems, Kotkin said. While Newsom has acknowledged the states housing pitfalls, and has called for building 3.5 million new homes by 2025, an analysis (pdf) of census data by Kotkin found that housing construction continues to lag in the state, burdened by lengthy permit processes and often years of litigation, with 110,000 housing units built in 2019. This number is far below the 302,934 units built in 1986 when California had a third fewer residents; at the current rate, it would require nearly 30 years to build 3.5 million homes, according to Kotkin. The greatest creation of wealth, probably in the world, is now taking place in California. At the same time, the average Californian is doing less well, he said. The country also uses vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. Hungary's National Center for Public Health has allowed the use of Sputnik V, a Russian-produced vaccine against the new coronavirus. Russia's TASS news agency reported this with reference to Hungarian Human Resources Minister Kasler Miklos' post on Facebook on February 7. Read alsoChina approves Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine for general public use media In his words, the National Center for Public Health has completed official research on the Sputnik V vaccine, "which found that the vaccine meets the medication qualities declared by the producer and can be used in humans." "Under the relevant authority's decision, another vaccine (Sputnik V) has been licensed for the use in Hungary in addition to coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca," he said on Facebook. "Thus, we now have four vaccines available to fight against the coronavirus," he added. Hungary in November 2020 became the EU's first country to receive samples of the Sputnik V vaccine for research. In January 2021, Hungary's National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition analyzed Sputnik V documents and preliminarily approved the vaccine. The final decision on the use of the Russian vaccine was to be made only by the National Center for Public Health. 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%. On August 24, Putin agreed with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on testing of the Russian vaccine in Belarus, which will become the first country to receive that vaccine. Ukraine's Health Ministry has repeatedly stated that the vaccine had not passed the third phase of clinical trials, and therefore could not be used in Ukraine. In January 2021, Putin launched a mass vaccination campaign in Russia. Reporting by UNIAN Embu Governor Martin Wambora made a grand entrance back into the region on Saturday, promising to sell the Building Bridges Initiative and quickly address salary delays in counties. and The newly elected chair of the Council of Governors (CoG) warned that Mount Kenya residents who reject the BBI will live to regret it as the region is its main beneficiary. He said he will crisscross the Central region to promote the BBI as it is a "priority" and will ensure grassroots regions are allocated resources. "Residents will punish themselves if they don't support the document," he told coffee farmers at Rukuriri Primary School. He added, "We shall have increased bursaries for our children and ward development funds if the BBI is endorsed. Our people should take the BBI seriously and ignore its critics." Mr Wambora noted that President Uhuru Kenyatta has been leading the push for the BBI so that residents of Mt Kenya, which is highly populated, can live comfortably and have peace. "The President is telling us to embrace this document because he loves us. He means well for us so we should listen to him," he said, adding the counties' funds allocation will increase from 15 per cent to 35 per cent. "Counties will have adequate funds for development, salaries and other financial needs. The BBI is good for us all so we should vote for it when time comes," he said. Salaries issue Regarding salaries, Mr Wambora said he had already met with Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani and discussed how to end the salary crisis, which is hampering quality service delivery in counties. "My main task is to ensure workers get their salaries on time so they can meet their financial obligations," he said. Residents turned up in Embu town in large numbers to welcome Mr Wambora, who was unanimously elected the CoG chair succeeding Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. He attributed his victory in the race to head the CoG to confidence and residents' prayers. After addressing the people, he proceeded to his Runyenjes home town, where he announced that more than Sh10 million has been set aside for the youth to start businesses. "The youth should now apply for soft loans and carry out businesses of their choice to earn a living," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Coffee farmers Governor Wambora addressed the farmers during their consultative meeting with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, to discuss implementation of reforms in the sector. The governor said farmers should earn a minimum of Sh100 for a kilogramme of coffee in order to break even. He said Embu has already found a market for coffee in the US and Europe so farmers will soon benefit from their hard work. CS Munya said civic education will be carried out nationally so that Kenyans can know what the BBI entails. "People will be properly educated so that they can make the right decision," he said, adding the initiative is not a push for a Raila Odinga presidency. He accused the Tangatanga faction of the ruling Jubilee Party, which is allied to Deputy President William Ruto, of spreading propaganda for selfish gain. Lord Myners of Truro will retire as Chancellor of the University of Exeter after five years in the role Lord Myners to retire as Chancellor of the University of Exeter after five years Lord Myners of Truro will retire as Chancellor of the University of Exeter after five years in the role, it has been announced. Paul Myners CBE, who will be 73 in April and a former Government Minister who has led some of the UKs best known businesses, will relinquish the role at the end of 2021. Cornishman Lord Myners, who was brought up in Truro by his adoptive parents, took over the mantle of Chancellor from Baroness Floella Benjamin in July 2016. Speaking of his retirement from the position, Lord Myners said: It has been a pleasure and an honour to have served as Chancellor and to have presided over many graduation ceremonies during this time. As a proud Cornishman, it has been a privilege to have been a part of the Universitys successes over the past five years and to have been able to meet and congratulate so many new graduates as they set out to change the world. Lord Myners has chaired household name companies including Marks & Spencer, the Guardian Media Group and Land Securities. He was Chairman of the Trustees of the Tate during a period of change in 2004 to 2008, and has held other non-commercial appointments including Chairman of the Low Pay Commission, a Directorship of Singapores sovereign wealth fund and membership of the Court of the Bank of England. He was appointed City Minister in Gordon Browns government in 2008, and joined the House of Lords as Lord Myners of Truro, in the County of Cornwall. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Exeter. During his time as Chancellor, Paul has shaken the hands and signed the graduation certificates of 20,000 students and has played a prominent role in supporting the Universitys fundraising and alumni relations. Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, paid tribute to Lord Myners, saying: On behalf of everyone in the University community, I would like to thank Paul for his service as Chancellor and for being such a great friend of the University for many years. The search now begins for his replacement. We will be looking for an exceptional individual to support our new long-term strategy. Sarah Turvill, Chair of Council at the University of Exeter added: The Council of the University would like to extend its deepest gratitude to Paul for all the support he has provided to the University, to our students and alumni over the past five years. He will be a difficult act to follow. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX City officials want an outside investigation into claims of a challenge coin with inappropriate messaging and imagery being circulated among Phoenix police officers. The frontside of the coins show a man being shot in the groin with the date of an August 2017 protest on the backside. The coin was apparently circulated among some members of the police department following a protest when officers used tear gas and bean bag rounds on protesters. One protester kicked a gas canister and then was shot in the groin with a pepper ball. The protest formed following a visit from then-President Donald Trump and a rally at the downtown Phoenix Convention Center. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Police said people started throwing rocks and bottles at officers and law enforcement responded with pepper balls, pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Two activist groups later filed a federal lawsuit claiming police used excessive force while dispersing the crowd. Police Chief Jeri Williams said in a statement Saturday that hate speech in any form is unacceptable and the department would take disciplinary action against officers involved in illegal or unethical behavior. Greene made a speech on the House floor Thursday, claiming she no longer holds some of those loony beliefs. But her show of remorse is not convincing. She has exploited the controversy to raise money for her next campaign, portraying herself as a victim. After losing her committee seats, she tweeted that she is literally laughing thinking about what a bunch of morons the Democrats (+11) are for giving some one like me free time . . . Oh this is going to be fun! Imperial Valley News Center CEO Sentenced for $150 Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Brownsville, Texas - The CEO of a Texas-based group of hospice and home health entities was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for falsely telling thousands of patients with long-term incurable diseases they had less than six months to live in order to enroll the patients in hospice programs for which they were otherwise unqualified, thereby increasing revenue to the company. Henry McInnis, 50, of Harlingen, Texas was convicted by a federal jury in Brownsville, Texas, in November 2019 of one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, obstruction of justice, as well as six counts of health care fraud. McInniss co-conspirator, Rodney Mesquias, 50, the owner of the hospice and home health entities, was also convicted following the November 2019 trial. He was sentenced to 240 months in prison in December 2020. Two other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. McInnis, as CEO of the company, directly oversaw a reprehensible criminal scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in fraudulent bills, the falsification of patients medical records, and the payment of unlawful kickbacks, said Acting Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. McInnis preyed upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society, including many who suffered from diminished mental capacity and who were falsely and cruelly told by co-conspirators that they had only months to live. Todays significant sentence demonstrates the departments continued commitment to pursuing individuals, at all levels of corporate management, who engage in criminal schemes that prioritize profits over patient care. Families seek to give comfort and support to their ailing loved ones when all other medical options are gone, said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBIs San Antonio Field Office. It is unconscionable and evil to prey upon the most vulnerable in our community to commit fraud against government-funded programs. The FBI is committed to protecting our communities from those who may not have the strength to protect themselves. McInnis and his co-conspirators reprehensible and deceitful actions to defraud Medicare werent without harm: vulnerable beneficiaries were unnecessarily enrolled in hospice care, preventing them from accessing needed curative care, said Special Agent in Charge Miranda L. Bennett, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate those who put ill-gotten profits above the well-being of patients in our health care system. From 2009 to 2018, McInnis, Mesquias and others orchestrated a scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice and other health care services. McInnis served as the top corporate officer and administrator and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. McInnis had no medical training and worked previously as an electrician. However, he acted as the de facto director of nursing for the Merida Group. Witnesses at trial testified McInnis directed employees to admit unqualified patients to hospice and home health, keep unqualified patients on services for long periods of time and fired and reprimanded employees who refused to participate in the scheme. McInnis also oversaw and enforced a company-wide practice of falsifying medical records to conceal the scheme. Multiple witnesses testified McInnis ordered employees to alter medical records to make it appear patients were terminally ill. In reality, some were employed or even participating in sporting events. The jury also heard that McInnis explained the purpose of the falsified records was to allow the Merida Group to pass insurance company audits. As CEO, McInnis also adopted a policy that paid illegal kickbacks. They directed bribes to physicians under the guise of medical director fees to certify unqualified patients for hospice and home health. In some cases, they improperly offered payoffs to marketers in exchange for recruitment of patients who could be placed on extremely expensive hospice services. HHS-OIG, FBI and Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted the investigation. Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. About this blog In the interests of doing something different to every other wine blogger, this blog delves into the world of wine data, instead of wine itself. The intention is to ferret out some of the interesting stuff, and to bring it out into the light, for everyone to see. In particular, I draw pictures of the data as William Playfair said (in 1805): "whatever can be expressed in numbers may be represented by lines". So, I'd rather show you a graph than a paragraph. Hopefully, this will be both interesting and informative. Advertisement Radio host Kyle Sandilands has spent more than $1million on a tropical retreat in Port Douglas, Queensland. He will use the 2.5-hectare property primarily as a holiday home, but will also occasionally broadcast his KIIS FM breakfast show from there when he's not in Sydney. While no sale price has been disclosed, the house was listed for $1.3million and it's believed Kyle, 49, paid about that figure, reports The Cairns Post. Inside Kyle Sandilands' $1.3million love nest: The radio host, 49, and his girlfriend, Tegan Kynaston, 34, have bought a three-bedroom property in Port Douglas with an infinity pool and home studio Broadcaster: Kyle will use the 2.5-hectare property primarily as a holiday home, but will also occasionally broadcast his KIIS FM breakfast show from there when he's not in Sydney. Pictured during Monday's show The home is an entertainer's dream for Kyle and his girlfriend, Tegan Kynaston, and features a blue-tiled infinity pool which looks out to the hinterland. The estate seamlessly blends the indoors and outdoors with large sliding windows leading out to the deck. There's three bedrooms and three bathrooms, meaning Kyle and Tegan have plenty of space for guests, as well as a breezy open-plan living and dining area. Fancy a dip! The home is an entertainer's dream for Kyle and Tegan and features a blue-tiled infinity pool which looks out to the hinterland The couple have already settled in and were recently spotted shopping for homewares in Cairns. Kyle had announced the purchase on air last week during an interview with The Amazing Race host Beau Ryan. 'I just bought a house up there [in Port Douglas], it is that beautiful,' he said on The Kyle and Jackie O Show. Stunning: The estate seamlessly blends the indoors and outdoors with large sliding windows leading out to the deck Port Douglas is known for its exquisite beaches and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, and is also near to Daintree National Park. The town itself, which is a one-hour drive north from Cairns, is filled with boutique shops and restaurants and is popular with tourists and backpackers. It's another home to add to Kyle's property portfolio, which includes a farm in the NSW Southern Highlands. He also owns a $5million mansion in Los Angeles. Luxury living: There's three bedrooms and three bathrooms, meaning Kyle and Tegan have plenty of space for guests, as well as a breezy open-plan living and dining area (pictured) Neat and tidy! One of the larger bedrooms features polished floorboards and is surrounded by lush greenery The former Australian Idol judge and his girlfriend, 34, moved into a multimillion-dollar mansion in Sydney's Woollahra in September. They are renting the place for about $5,000 per week. Located a few minutes' drive from his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson's mansion, the three-storey home boasts seven bedrooms, five bathrooms and an outdoor pool. Kyle began dating Tegan, his former personal assistant, about a year ago. Love nest! The couple have already settled in and were recently spotted shopping for homewares in Cairns. Kyle and Tegan are pictured here in the swimming pool With the recent narrative of zero tolerance to terrorism, hyped nationalism and bashing of so called liberal thought in the country, I too tried to convince myself that the killing of the escaped terror suspects from Bhopal jail was justified. But I could not. Try as I did, I found it indefensible. Killing terrorists is OK, but killing unarmed ones in cold blood, when they could have been captured easily, is not correct. Neither law nor my conscience allows accepting this act as tolerable in a civilized society, let alone praiseworthy. The European Commissions decision to prevent coronavirus vaccine from crossing the Irish border into Northern Ireland was baffling, Stormonts First Minister said. Arlene Foster claimed the hastily-reversed gaffe exposed the true priority of Brussels protecting its own trading bloc. The European Commission was forced into an embarrassing U-turn after facing intense criticism for attempting to hinder the free flow of Covid-19 vaccines across the Irish border using a legal clause called Article 16 in the Northern Ireland Protocol. almost 126k in 48hrs. Trigger Article 16. We want unfettered GB-NI Trade. - Petitions https://t.co/2cw17VBWFC Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) February 6, 2021 The DUP leader said: It is baffling beyond baffling. She added: It was wrong in so many ways, the fact the EU were going to use a mechanism we were told could only be used in extremis, to stop vaccine from coming into the UK through Northern Ireland. The decision to suspend part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland during the vaccine supply row was an oversight, the blocs ambassador to the UK has admitted. It came amid a furore over coronavirus vaccine supply in the bloc, with Brussels angered by AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm, reducing the amount of the Oxford-designed inoculations it could deliver to the EU. Senior European politicians conceded it was a mistake to try to unilaterally suspend part of the protocol to prevent Northern Ireland being used as a back door to move inoculations from the EU into the UK. The move caused consternation on both sides of the Irish Sea, angering Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein. The protocol, which governs the movement of goods in and out of Northern Ireland post-Brexit, was created to ensure continued free flow of trade across the Irish border. It does so by moving regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea, with checks focused primarily on produce moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. The DUP has vowed to oppose the protocol. Expand Close The protocol was created to ensure continued free flow of trade across the Irish border (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The protocol was created to ensure continued free flow of trade across the Irish border (Liam McBurney/PA) Unionists and loyalists believe Northern Irelands position within the UK has been undermined by the protocol, which was incorporated into the Withdrawal Agreement. Trade in items like plants and soil has been disrupted. Mrs Foster told the Stormont Assembly on Monday: These are not just teething problems. There are huge problems and they need to be addressed. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is aware of growing discontent around the problems in unionist communities. It has expressed concern about manpower levels as it faces potential challenges arising from Brexit and the pandemic. Northern Irelands police chief has warned the service is likely to lose 300 officers over the next year. PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the force is facing a 23 million funding deficit. Mrs Foster said she spoke to Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis on Monday about funding for recruitment of police officers. It is absolutely critical that instead of a reduction in police numbers we actually see an increase, she said. Mrs Foster said that was critical for public confidence in policing and making sure everyone in society feels protected and feels safe. New Delhi: The Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday protested against the Amarnath terror attack in Agra. While holding a protest march, they brandished weapons including pistols, rifles and swords. "Would like to say to government of India, if Amarnath don't get revenged within 15 days, will have to take law in our hands to protect pilgrims," said an activist Govind Prashar. The Amarnath terror attack has been condemned by many in the political circle. Condemning the attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pained beyond words on dastardly attack on peaceful Amarnath Yatris in J&K. The attack deserves strongest condemnation from everyone. India will never get bogged down by such cowardly attacks & the evil designs of hate, tweeted PM Modi. Congress President Sonia Gandhi also expressed sorrow over the Anantnag attack targeting Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, asked for investigation into lapses in security. Terrorists killed seven pilgrims from Gujarat, including six women, and injured 32 others as they struck at abus in the district, in the worst attack on the annual pilgrimage since the year 2000. #WATCH: Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad protest against #AmarnathTerrorAttack in Agra brandishing weapons (pistol, rifle and swords) pic.twitter.com/FMj4zC0MMp ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 12, 2017 Also read: Amarnath Yatra: Several measures taken to beef up security following terror attack, says Hansraj Ahir Also read: Terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims 'reprehensible', says US For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Churches in California were finally permitted by the Supreme Court to hold indoor worship services after months of legal battles over coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed resumption of indoor worship services in California with 25% capacity limitation but retained the prohibition on singing or chanting inside houses of worship. The 6-3 ruling was released on Feb. 5, The Christian Post reported. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have approved the application for resumption of indoor worship services with limited capacity, as well as singing and chanting. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett have voted lifting the ban on indoor worship but retained the restriction on singing. On the other hand, Justices Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor have dissented. According to The Mercury News, the injunction is a victory to religious leaders and activists who defied Gov. Gavin Newsom's pandemic restriction for months. The governor's office released a statement through Newsom's spokesperson, Daniel Lopez, saying that it "will continue to enforce the restrictions the Supreme Court left in place and, after reviewing the decision, we will issue revised guidelines for worship services to continue to protect the lives of Californians." The injunction was a response to the legal challenges filed by South Bay United Pentecostal Church (SBUPC) in Chula Vista and the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, as well as other religious worship disputes in the state. Justice Gorsuch contended that the ban on churches is inconsistent with the rules being enforced to other indoor places such as buses, malls and salons which were allowed to open at limited capacity. "If Hollywood may host a studio audience or film a singing competition while not a single soul may enter California's churches, synagogues, and mosques, something has gone seriously awry," his statement said. Justice Kagan, one of the judges who dissented, said that the "mandate defies our caselaw, exceeds our judicial role, and risks worsening the pandemic." She argued that in accordance to the rules of the state, worship services are just the same as secular gatherings such as political assemblies, which pose a threat of COVID-19 infection. More to The Christian Post's report, Chief Justice Roberts who voted lifting of the ban but retained the restriction on singing stated that, "The State's present determination-that the maximum number of adherents who can safely worship in the most cavernous cathedral is zero-appears to reflect not expertise or discretion, but instead insufficient appreciation or consideration of the interests at stake. Deference, though broad, has its limits." In November 2020, a judge in California allowed San Diego to reopen strip clubs. But last month, the US. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request of SBUPC to overturn California's restriction on indoor worship services. California faced a number of legal challenges resulting from the rules and restrictions it implemented relative to the coronavirus pandemic. In earlier reports, Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in California defied the government-mandated restrictions and court actions to keep the church open. In spite of the fines imposed to the church then, he fought for its legal right to continue holding worship services. On Thursday, 4th February 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands in a landmark ruling, found Dominic Ongwen guilty on 61 of the 70 charges against him. For most Ghanaians, this made no news, as Ongwen is not known here. For me however, the name and the ruling by the ICC brought back memories of one of my most difficult experiences. Dominic Ongwen was an abducted child-soldier who became one of the top commanders of a guerilla group called the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony. Among other offences, Ongwen was found guilty of War Crimes and Crimes against humanity. President Chissano Between February 2008 and June 2009, I lived in Kampala, Uganda. I was the Senior Military Adviser to former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, who was appointed in 2006 by the UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan as his (UN) Special Envoy for the Lords Resistance Army-Affected Areas. The countries were Uganda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. LRA Starting around 1986, the Lords-Resistance-Army led by a primary school drop-out Joseph Kony, stated a rather amorphous campaign to overthrow the Ugandan government and convert Uganda into a Theocratic state with him Kony as the Head-of-State. Taken for a joke, the LRA soon gained notoriety as a brutal organization fighting the Ugandan government. Its brutal forced recruitment was horrific and mainly targeted children under twelve for easy indoctrination. Such boys, who were initially recruited from Konys home region of Northern Uganda, were forced to have sex with their sisters after which they were made to shoot dead their parents. This was to ensure that they never thought of escaping back home from the Garamba Forest straddling DRC and South Sudan. Those they left behind they mutilated by cutting off their noses, mouths, ears, fingers and limbs! Once in Garamba, they were taught how to kill using scape-goats who were accused of attempting to escape. In no time, they became killing-machines. Ongwen During the trial, 45-year-old Ongwens lawyers argued that, Ongwen himself was a victim abducted as a child into the LRA. The prosecution however countered it that, while it was true that he was recruited as a child-soldier, Ongwen perfected the art of killing which he enjoyed, so fast that he became the youngest of the top five LRA commanders. Personal Experiences I interviewed an escapee in Juba, South Sudan in 2008. At 24, Henry had lived in the jungle since he was abducted at 12. As part of preparations to reintegrate him into his home in Northern Uganda, I asked what his reaction would be if he was rejected. Letting out a loud squeal, he leapt at me reaching for my oesophagus. The good physical/social distancing I maintained during such interviews paid off as I had seconds to jump back while he was restrained. He then asked me, if adults could not protect him twelve years earlier from being abducted, why should they reject him for escaping back home? He declared he would kill anyone who dared him. Obviously, he was more animal than human. Dangers Since we operated in four countries, traveling of necessity had to be by air. On one occasion while speeding for a take-off, I heard an explosion followed by braking and screeching of tyres! The pilot later joked that, if he had not aborted the take-off, we would have ended up as lunch for the fish in Lake Victoria just at the end of the Entebbe runway. At another time, while flying in a helicopter from the Garamba Forest to Juba in very bad weather through hilly terrain and over tall trees, we heard a loud noise. To Mr Presidents question General, shall we make it? I simply said God willing, Sir! When we landed in Juba about two hours later, President Chissano told me General, God has willed! With moist eyes, we had a long embrace. The pilot confirmed the rotor missed the hillside by a few feet! Our bodies may never have been retrieved if we had crashed! Conclusion After so many years of hiding in the jungle, Dominic Ongwen has finally faced the law and been convicted. Indeed, on 5 February 2021, a 95-year-old German lady was charged for her role in killings in concentration camps in WW2. In Ghana, it appears the let-the-blood-flow mentality of 1979 which led to the executing of Generals, the murder of judges and the disappearance of over 200 Ghanaians according to Amnesty International persists in some heads! Unfortunately, some who were not born then have adopted violence. Violence before/during/after the 2020 elections attests to this. Ongwens conviction should remind us that, violence does not pay. As Martin Luther King said, the arm of the moral universe might be long, but it still bends towards justice! No matter how long it takes, wrongs will be righted, in some cases posthumously for the perpetrators, like Oliver Cromwell! Crime has no expiry date! So, let us live in peace as Ghanaians! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP! Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association Nairobi, Kenya Council Chairman Family Health University College Accra [email protected] Source: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)/ [email protected] 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 Sinn Feins criticism of Northern Irelands chief constable over the policing of a Troubles commemoration has been blasted by the DUP as ringing hollow. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill described frank exchanges as she met Simon Byrne and told him of unprecedented anger over the arrest of Mark Sykes, a victim of the Sean Graham bookmakers shootings. However, Arlene Foster expressed concern at Mr Byrnes public apology issued on Saturday evening along with the suspension of an officer, and described events as having all the hallmarks of trial by social media. The First Minister also stressed that police decisions should be made on law, not politics. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Ms ONeill said: I made it clear that the events of last week, both the arrest of a victim laying flowers on the anniversary of the Ormeau Road massacre and the PSNIs failure to intervene as dozens of masked UVF members roamed the streets have created a crisis in public confidence in policing. The stark contrast between the policing operations in East Belfast and on the Ormeau Road has caused considerable anger and I reflected this to Simon Byrne. She added: I left the chief constable in no doubt that the events of recent days are a watershed moment for policing and public confidence in policing. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Speaking after leading a DUP delegation to meet with Mr Byrne, Mrs Foster said decisions about the matter should have been made at the completion of the Police Ombudsman investigation. Given the antics of Sinn Fein at the Storey funeral and their disregard for Covid-19 rules, their criticism of the police rings utterly hollow, she said. She also warned that those organising events to mark atrocities from Northern Irelands troubled past have a duty to act in compliance with the law. While we understand the need for a proportionate and sensitive policing response, operational decisions must be fair and balanced, she said. There should be no apology for enforcing the rule of law. Earlier, UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt said the incident on the lower Ormeau Road on Friday was very unfortunate, but no excuse for any politician to use it to question or undermine confidence in the police service. On Sunday, Mr Byrne denied being in anyones pocket as he expressed concern police were being used as a shock absorber in intensifying political clashes. He also rejected claims commanders had scapegoated two inexperienced officers sanctioned after the arrest of Mr Sykes. We have been bashed frankly by recent events and it just seems sometimes that we cant seem to win, he said. The police chief again made clear he had no intention of resigning. UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt (Niall Carson/PA) Its been a tough week, but Im not the first chief constable here thats had to suffer or be accountable for criticism over the last 50 years, he said. There were angry scenes on Friday when police challenged commemoration participants amid suspicions the size of the public gathering breached coronavirus regulations. Mr Sykes, who was shot several times in the 1992 outrage, was handcuffed and arrested in chaotic exchanges captured on social media. He was released a short time later. The conduct of the two sanctioned officers is being examined by the independent watchdog, the NI Police Ombudsman. The episode followed just days after police officers failed to arrest anyone when they encountered a large gathering of masked loyalists staging an apparent show of strength in east Belfast. The PSNI has also been facing claims of discriminatory policing from loyalists and unionists, who are angry that officers have not intervened when large crowds have gathered for the funerals of former IRA men. The most high profile of these occurred last June when senior Sinn Fein figures joined hundreds of mourners at the funeral of well-known republican Bobby Storey. Sometimes you just feel like we cant do right for doing wrong, said Mr Byrne. He added: I recognise here that there is often different and competing political views and actually sometimes the police are the shock absorbers of all of that sort of narrative. I think its about resolve and resilience and keeping on our path to be impartial and were here to uphold the law. I cant stop political commentary, nor would I want to, I think it just would be important at the moment for political space, so that my officers and team and staff can carry on with the issues of policing rather than getting involved in the political debate. He denied scapegoating the two officers, who only joined the PSNI last July. We werent influenced by anybody else, we werent pandering to criticism or any other inferences, he said. I fully understand some of the accusations but we have to work within due process and actually look at the conduct regime that informs our decisions, sometimes they are not popular but this isnt about scapegoating, theres a process that will now take place, we dont presume what the outcome is. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) - New Albany's middle and high schools were placed on "soft lockdowns" Monday morning. According to the New Albany School District, the lockdowns lasted for approximately 20 minutes while police officers investigated an area near the middle school. NAMS & NAHS were both placed on soft lockdown for about 20 minutes while police were investigating a call that involved an area near NAMS. No one was ever in danger and all lockdowns have now been lifted. New Albany Schools (@naschoolupdates) February 8, 2021 The district says no one was ever in danger and all lockdown has since been lifted. New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson said officers received a report of shots fired. His officers responded to the vicinity but could not determine where the reported shots may have originated or if the report was true. MBABANE - The countrys flagship radio music show is back ! With arguably has one of the most listenership, the Eswatini Top 20, is back on the airwaves for a new season with a few tweaks. Also known as the radio charts, the Top 20 returned last Friday at 8pm, with 20 new entries dominated by music from Eswatini. The show which airs on Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) is back to being presented by the popular Double Impact team of Bongani Bobo Dlamini and Bongani Tizalami Dube following the return of the former having taken a two-year sabbatical to pursue further studies. In his absence, the show had been steered by Lindelwa Lindz Mafa and Tizalami until December 2020. The return of the show marks big oppourtinities for an artist, manager, a music business entrepreneur. Charts can turn music from an under-the-radar creation into an acclaimed piece of art, thanks to plays on radio airplay stations, social media rankings, digital downloads, streams on music streaming services and more. Music charts tell most people what to listen to and where the whole music industry is going for the time being. Charts are forever adapting to the music industry. Many years ago, for example, audiences had to wait for Channel YemaSwati, Eswatini Tv or Channnel O to play music videos, or for EBIS local radio station to play songs that would lead music lovers to buy cassette tapes to listen to on repeat. Popularity nowadays is largely based on streams, YouTube views and even social media influen. so how have charts incorporated this into their rankings? presenters Explaining how the chart show is compiled, the presenters of Double Impact, Bongani Tizalami Dube and Lindelwa Lindz Mafa said the charts are typically reflective of whats currently popular and on heavy rotation across various radio stations in Eswatini and in the SADC region. Various radio stations in the region share their weekly charts in the music compiler group, and some post these on their websites and social media pages. These ratings are then assessed by each station, with respective presenters empowered to use objective discretion to rate the music. This model is used by almost all major radio stations in the region, the likes of MetroFM, Ukhozi FM, Ligwalagwala FM, YFM, Botswanas Yarona FM, Zimbabwes StarFM, among many others, explained Dube. For radio, the primary focus is the listener; hence the chart show scans all popular shows to ascertain what the listener wants, not what the artist wants. However, said the presenters, the chart show takes a deliberate stance to promote local music by ensuring that an unofficial 75 per cent quota is reserved for local music in the charts. This is why we will always have some few tracks from outside Eswatini making it to the charts, so as to truly reflect the popular (pop) culture thats prevailing on the ground in Eswatini. influence Pop culture is influenced not just by radio, but by music thats played at recreational places like clubs; music that is heavily downloaded from online sites; music thats played at parties (including the virtual lockdown parties on tv), etc, he said. Dube added, That is why while South African radio stations like MetroFM would have the likes of Beyonce etc. on their Top 40 charts, but still ensure there are more South African songs on their charts, as they are in the South African territory. Likewise, we have few South African and American songs, but we ensure that the bulk is local as we want emaSwati to compete neck-and-neck with their global compatriots. In all honesty, the digital era we are in has fast tracked globalisation, hence music shows, including chart shows, cannot be an island on their own. Listeners preferences are wide and vast, and they have to be respected while tactfully influencing loyalty to local as well. Meanwhile, the radio presenter also stated in no uncertain terms that the chart show is a hallmark for excellence hence strict quality requirements are observed. The chart show is responsible for unearthing some of todays big names in the arts locally, and continues to introduce new talent. stations Historically and how radio stations do it in other parts of the world, music charts are lists based on popularity of songs and albums. They are showcased in order to highlight the trends of each era according to the level of consumption. In the modern day world, it is about physical sales, digital downloads and radio airplay. What typically counts when compiling these, as stated by Rolling stone Magazine (an American monthly magazine that focuses on popular culture) are physical sales, digital downloads, radio airplay, streams, video views, and social media influence. For many decades, commercial radio airplay has been highly coveted by songwriters, musicians and record labels alike because of its enormous promotional power and reach. It has been well understood that consistent commercial airplay accompanies significant record sales, generates public performance royalties, and burnishes a recording artists profile. Some local musicians believe airplay impacts sales or concert attendance. For others, its part of a broader brand awareness and exposure strategy. For a few, airplay on digital platforms has become a noticeable revenue stream on its own. And for most, airplay on any platform remains elusive. However, more shows on radio that promote new talent and up-and-coming artists include Fifidopes Local Playlist, where social media users vote for songs theyll want to hear; Linda Jeles Local Playlist and Supaphlys Local Jams, among others. A show thats strictly local is the Swazi Rhythm, presented by Lindelwa Lindz Mafa and partially produced by Tizalami. The coalition government led by President Thierry Santa in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia has collapsed after pro-independence politicians resigned, citing persistent economic issues and unrest over the sale of nickel assets. Five members representing the pro-independence groupsUC-FLNKS and the Union Nationale pour LIndependance (UNI)resigned on 2 February. Both groups are members of the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), which campaigns for independence from France. Santas conservative anti-independence coalition, LAvenir en Confiance (LAC), has led the current government for just 18 months. The LAC issued a statement accusing the separatists of causing a political crisis in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising economic and social tensions. People attend a referendum in Noumea, New Caledonia, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Mathurin Derel) The FLNKS resignations came as the government debated its budget and the future of the countrys nickel industry. The islands hold nearly a quarter of the worlds reserves of the strategic mineral, with the industry hit hard by a collapse in the world price in the wake of the global financial crisis. New Caledonias 54-member Congress has two weeks to choose 11 new members from the four main parliamentary groups. Under the Noumea Accord, a 1998 agreement between the French state and supporters of independence, New Caledonia is administered by a multi-party government. Any minister who resigns must be replaced by a member of the same parliamentary group. If no successor is nominated the government loses office and congress must choose the new members who, in turn, elect a new president. In their resignation statements, Louis Mapou (UNI) and Pierre Chanel Tein Tutugoro (UC-FLNKS) said that throughout 2020, New Caledonia had traversed a deep internal crisis. They cited social and economic conditions that had built up over many years, uncertainty over preparations for the next independence referendum and the COVID-19 pandemic which has had significant impacts since last March. The rupture between the pro-and anti-independence factions of the ruling elite has shattered the fragile political arrangement established under the current parliament to suppress growing anger among the working class. The FLNKS represents the interests of a relatively privileged layer of Kanaks who are seeking a larger slice of the economic pie and greater political say. Its statement declared that the multi-party government found it difficult to work in collegiality and concluded: The institutional process has broken down, and consensus has become less and less the norm. Discussions between New Caledonias political groups and the French state [over independence] have been interrupted. Santa in turn expressed alarm about destabilisation of New Caledonias economy and politics in the coming weeks, and condemned the scorched earth policy of the independence movement. By triggering a political crisis in the midst of managing the health crisis, a possible budgetary crisis and severe economic and social tensions, the independents posed an immense risk to all of New Caledonia, he declared. The crisis follows protest riots in recent months over the sale of Brazilian mining giant Vales Goro Nickel plant, which threatens the jobs of some 3,000 workers after years of financial losses and conflict with indigenous Kanak communities over land degradation. During protests in Noumea on November 8 and 9, cars were torched, shops vandalised and people injured in clashes with police, who used tear gas. French riot police were deployed in several areas while an elite squad was sent to the plant, which was damaged and forced to shut. Vale has signed a binding sale agreement with an international consortium involving Prony Resources and Swiss financier Trafigura. However, Kanak leaders and pro-independence parties, backed by the trade unions, have sought to steer growing anger behind a bid led by local company Sofinor, arguing that majority ownership of the mine should rest with New Caledonians. Sofinor is the financial arm of the pro-independence Northern Province. The dispute over the Goro sale erupted alongside last years independence referendum, the second of three planned plebiscites. In October, the territory voted by a 53.3 to 46.7 percent majority in favour of remaining a part of France. Support for independence, however, appears to be growing, with a third and final referendum due in two years. Fuelling these developments are intensifying social and class conflicts. Miners, processing workers, truck drivers, airport workers and others have engaged over recent years in militant struggles to defend jobs and conditions, bringing them into conflict with the entire ruling class. Invariably, these struggles have been sold out by the trade unions, leaving many workers angry and frustrated. Noumea remains a polarised capital, where many low-paid workers live in slum conditions. The Kanaks, who make up 44 percent of the territorys 270,000 population, are socially disenfranchised, with many still living in primitive, subsistence circumstances in rural villages. The simmering crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The isolated archipelago has registered just 47 cases from the virus and no deaths. However, it faces an unprecedented budget crunch due to the impact of border closures on the tourism-dependent economy. In November the government was forced to extend travel restrictions in and out of the territory until the end of July 2021, because of the worsening global pandemic. With enormous pressure on the economy, a vote on the 2021 budget has been pushed back to March, a decision opposed by the pro-independence parties and cited as one of the reasons for their resignations. The budget impasse follows a dispute last September over a $US270 million loan from the French Development Agency (FDA) to cope with the impact of the pandemic. The loan was accepted by Santa as the territorys social security system experienced severe problems. The anti-independence Caledonia Together (CT) party accused Santa of abandoning New Caledonias sovereignty in terms of fiscal, health and social matters. CT warned that to repay the debt over 25 years the government would need to levy $US165 million in additional taxes by 2021 which they said would kill the economy and increase the social divide. The 2020 budget, totalling $US 600 million, was only finally approved after being increased to cover the costs of health crisis management, along with the FDA loan. Political tensions have been deepening for some time. Although on the same side on the independence question, CT and the anti-independence parties, calling themselves the Loyalists, have been at loggerheads since last year. In the 2019 elections, the once dominant CT suffered a severe electoral setback, being left with only one minister in the 11-strong collegial government. The small Eveil Oceanien (EO), with three seats in Congress and a minister in the outgoing government, may hold the key to any forthcoming parliamentary regroup. The EO draws support from the Wallisian, Futunan and Tahitian communities, which have historically supported anti-independence parties. However, last year the EO Congress members formally joined the UC-FLNKS parliamentary group. EOs leaders have been holding discussions with the FLNKS this weekend to determine their next steps. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Using a once-classified, cutting-edge telescope to scour the heavens, Jack Drummond studies the little guys in our solar system. An astronomer at the Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland Air Force Base, Drummond has made a career out of studying small asteroids and the even smaller moons that orbit them. Last month, Drummond and his team published an article in the Icarus International Journal of Solar System Studies about the 3-mile-wide moon Olympias, which orbits an asteroid called Roxane. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Drummond was one of the astronomers who discovered the moon in 2009, and the paper relies on multiple observations over a decade or so. Drummonds research has taken an ironic path. In 1987, when he was a researcher at the University of Arizona, he published a paper that explained why it was impossible for asteroids to have their own moons orbiting them. But he said his theory was proved wrong four years later, when the Galileo spacecraft on its way to Jupiter recorded a small asteroid with its own moon. At that time, there were lots of reports of possible moons from asteroids going in front of stars and many reports of shadows. But they were never confirmed, Drummond said in an interview. The Galileo spacecraft opened up the floodgates. Drummond has worked at Kirtland since 1991. He received his Ph.D. from New Mexico State University and started at Kirtland after adaptive optics technology was declassified. Adaptive optics had been a government secret for two decades prior, he said. The technology, Drummond says, untwinkles the stars and gets down to the resolution produced by the telescope. The result is a much clearer portrait of celestial bodies. Up until then, all asteroids were points of light, he said. Suddenly, you could see how big asteroids are. Drummond now works at Kirtland as a contractor for Leidos, an engineering company. He previously worked on the Air Force base as a government civil servant. Col. Peter Norton, the Space Electro-Optics division chief, said the telescope crew and researchers at the SOR have come to rely on Drummonds expertise. You can engage him in a fruitful conversation on almost any subject he is a great colleague to have on the SOR team, he said. Drummond said studying moons around small asteroids has all sorts of real-world applications. For the military, the science can make the space near Earth safer. The SOR is an Air Force program that is transitioning to the Space Force. Drummond says his research can help the military, which has concerns of possible collisions between satellites or other objects in near-Earth space. The reason we even look at the asteroids at the SOR is because they are a good proxy for manmade satellite observations, Drummond said. Nobody wants to be near each others satellites. We cant tell two satellites to get together. Instead, we look at asteroids and their moons. Its a perfect analogy, a perfect proxy. But the research is also valuable to astronomers. When an asteroid and its moon are discovered and their orbits mapped out, its only a matter of using the laws of physics to find their mass and volume. From those measurements, scientists can figure out what the asteroid is made of. My personal prediction is that in 500 years most of our resources will come from the asteroid belt. Were going to be going and mining them, and so we need to know what theyre made of, Drummond said. And if a near-Earth asteroid is going to hit the Uarth, is it going to be soft and flaky or is it going to be hard and metallic? So we need to study all these guys. Mark Redfern receives an NIH award to establish a new program in the Human Factors of Aging to inform, support, and advance research focused on improving the lives of older adults PITTSBURGH (Feb. 8, 2021) ... In this digital age, where the internet accelerates technological development, there has been a surge of scientific innovation designed to improve the quality of life for patients in need. However, there are physical, cognitive, and sensory issues that are often overlooked during the process, resulting in poor design for a particular user group -adults aged 65 and older. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this group will comprise more than 20 percent of the U.S. population starting in 2030. Highlighting the importance for safety and efficacy, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration has made incorporating human factors a priority for device approval which can significantly impact the road to commercialization, leaving many researchers stuck in the design phase. Unfortunately, many of these technologies and interventions struggle to advance to commercialization. A new program at the University of Pittsburgh hopes to help investigators navigate this common roadblock. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, Professor Mark Redfern will establish a Human Factors of Aging program at Pitt to inform, support, and advance the translation of research focused on improving the lives of older adults. "There are a huge number of factors to take into consideration when designing for older adults, and with this program, we hope to educate our investigators and innovators and create a collaborative community to help translate research across the University," said Redfern, professor of bioengineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering. In 2018, Redfern spent part of a sabbatical at the FDA to learn more about how human factors are evaluated. He will use this knowledge along with his 20 years of experience in human factors and aging research to help investigators at Pitt advance their work. "Many changes occur with age that should be considered in design. For example, vision changes can include loss of acuity, contrast sensitivity, depth perception and field of view, making a display more difficult to see. Physical changes such as reduced strength and struggles with balance can also occur, making devices designed for mobility perhaps more difficult to use," he explained. "On the cognitive side, memory and attention may be an issue so developers must design a product understanding these limitations. "My goal is to help make our investigators aware of these factors that they may not have otherwise considered as they think of translating their research into action." Redfern will use this K07 award to educate investigators, their post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. He currently teaches a course on Human Factors Engineering of Medical Devices for engineering students, but now wants to develop courses and workshops more broadly for the University community. He will also use the Human Factors Laboratory within the Human Movement and Balance Laboratory to help them develop and test prototypes. As part of the program, Redfern hopes to bring together a network of people with a vested interest in aging research - from engineers and clinicians to companies and University centers. "One of the most exciting things is our partnership with Pitt's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center," Redfern said. "Their knowledge about the impact of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease on functional capabilities will be integrated into the program to improve design for older adults with these challenges. This collaboration will give program participants a practical and robust education on the human factors of aging." Ultimately, he hopes that this program will advance the world-class translational research at Pitt and have a positive impact on the lives of older adults. If successful, he will develop resources to extend the program nationally. ### Chandigarh, Feb 8 : Taking suo motu cognisance of the arrest of labour rights activist Naudeep Kaur nearly a month ago by Haryana Police, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes on Monday asked Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to ensure relief for her. In a communique to the Additional Chief Secretary, the commission sought official intervention, besides ensuring relief to the victim as the matter was "serious" and an "act of atrocity on a member of a Scheduled Caste community". The commission also sought a report by February 23 after the initiation of requisite action immediately. Chairperson Tejinder Kaur said the commission took cognisance of the matter since Naudeep is a resident of Sri Muktsar Sahib district in Punjab. Naudeep Kaur, 23, was arrested on January 12 during the farmers' protest at Kundli in Haryana. Naudeep's case came to the fore as US Vice President Kamala Harris' neice Meena Harris claimed in a tweet that she was "tortured and sexually assaulted" in police custody. However, the police said she was facing serious criminal cases. Hyderabad, Feb 9 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday declared that local bodies would be strengthened and would be made to play an active role in rural development. He said the Zilla Parishads and Mandal Parishads would be given funds like the Gram Panchayats and they would be assigned fixed responsibilities. He promised to allocate funds for Zilla and Mandal Parishads in the state's budget for 2021-2022. Stating that the New Panchayat Raj Act has empowered the Gram Panchayats to utilise their funds totally without taking any permission from the mandal and district level officials, he called for its effective implementation. The Chief Minister held a review meeting on measures to be taken to strengthen the local bodies. Minister Indrakaran Reddy, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj, Sandeep Sultania, Principal Secretary, Finance, Ramakrishna Rao and other officials attended the meeting. "The government has taken a decision to strengthen the local bodies and implementing it. As part of this, the Finance Commission is releasing funds directly to the Gram Panchayats and Municipalities. Every month, Gram Panchayats are released Rs 308 crore and Municipalities Rs 148 crore. Since there is no dearth of funds, programmes like Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi are successfully implemented," said Chandrasekhar Rao. He pointed out that villages now have dump yards, tractors, plant nurseries and Vaikunta Dhams. In a similar way, special funds from the Finance Commission would be released to Zilla and Mandal Parishads. He felt if these funds are linked with the MNREGS, more funds can be accrued. "Fix responsibilities to Zilla and Mandal Parishads besides releasing funds. Officials should suggest what kind of responsibility should be given to Zilla and Mandal Parishads. I will discuss about these suggestions personally with the Zilla Parishad chairpersons. Then we will take a final decision," he added. The Chief Minister said new Panchayat Raj Act has given powers to Gram Panchayats to spend their funds totally. He noted that in some places, for works worth more than Rs 2 Lakh, the old rule of taking permission from the Mandal officers is being implemented. "This is against the new Act. The Gram Panchayats have every right to spend funds for the needs of their villages. No one should interfere in this. On this matter, the officials should clarify once again," the CM said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text People in the Chilean capital Santiago gathered on Sunday to mourn Francisco Martinez Romero, a young street juggler who was shot dead by police on Friday. A makeshift memorial was erected outside his family home where local residents laid flowers in tribute. "They killed him for doing art," read a banner. Police said Martinez Romero was shot after he refused to cooperate with officers at an identity check. A video circulated widely on social media showed an officer shooting toward the feet of the man, who was carrying and sometimes waving what appeared to be two blunt machetes used in his performance. After a moment, he leaped out and rushed toward the officer. Several shots were fired and the man collapsed in the street. A local judge ordered the officer, who was not identified, held for investigation for two days. The shooting of Martinez Romero, aged 27, has renewed protests over alleged police violence. The video angered some in the country, which has seen repeated controversies over allegations of police brutality against protesters in recent years. The National Human Rights Institute says that more than 450 people suffered eye damage from supposedly non-lethal projectiles fired by police during street protests that erupted in 2019. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Indian Army personnel along with Engineer Task Force opened the mouth of tunnel at Tapovan in the flood-affected Uttarakhand's Joshimath as rescue operations continued more than 24 hours after the disaster hit. A senior Indian Army official said: "Rescue work continued throughout the night with earth movers by installing generators and search lights." The rescued people were given medical aid at the field hospital created by the army at the site. Indian Air Force helicopter sorties were carried out for insertion of rescue teams before first light. "Reconnaissance of higher reaches were also made to detect any avalanche threat," said a senior officer. Around 150 people were feared dead in the flash flood that devastated the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited project on river Dhauli Ganga near Tapovan. "An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operation is on, situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and police," the NTPC said in a statement on Sunday. The flash flood occurred in river Rishi Ganga near Joshimath around 10.45 a.m. on Sunday after a part of a glacier fell in the river exponentially increasing its volume. Due to this, the Rishi Ganga hydro project near Reni village was completely devastated. The Border Road Organisation (BRO) bridge on Joshimath - Malari highway was also completely washed away. "There were six grazers with their livestock and they were also taken away by the flash flood," said local administration. Rishi Ganga meets Dhauli Ganga near Reni village due to which Dhauli Ganga also flooded. Around six houses of the village also washed away. Further two bridges connecting villages on the other side of river also got washed away. The BRO has managed to clear and reopen the Rishikesh-Joshimath-Mana road which was blocked at Hathipahad due to the flash flood. The National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations along with the army in the region. The Central government is monitoring the situation and joint efforts of all the agencies are being made to rescue those trapped. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Insead tops Financial Times Global MBA rankings 2021, US schools continue to dominate list Photo courtesy: Facebook/INSEAD The Financial Times Global MBA ranking for 2021 saw American business schools once again dominate the list. While the list was topped by Insead, based in France and Singapore, over half of the top 100 schools were based in the US. In second place was the London Business School followed by Chicago: Booth. The rankings are calculated from data including alumni salaries three years after graduation, the quantity of research in recognised journals and the diversity of students and faculty. Data gathering was disrupted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of which some American schools like Harvard, Stanford and Wharton suspended participation. Leading US business schools which performed well included Yale, Northwestern: Kellogg, Duke: Fuqua, Dartmouth: Tuck and Virginia: Darden. Among Singapore based schools were National University of Singapore Business School (14), Nanyang Business School, NTU (37) and Singapore Management University: Lee Kong Chian (58). The Indian School of Business (ISB) was the highest ranked Indian institute on the list at 23. The other four Indian schools on the list were all Indian Institute Management schools - namely, IIM Bangalore (35), IIM Calcutta (44), IIM Ahmedabad (48) and IIM Indore (94). Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:01:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - COLOMBO -- The Sri Lankan government said on Monday that it will begin to vaccinate the workforce, aged 30 to 60 against the COVID-19 virus from March as soon as more vaccines arrive. State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control Sudharshani Fernandopulle said 4,000 centers had been planned to be utilized for this task and each center will administer a total of 300 vaccinations each, with 2,000 centers in operation per day. - - - - PHNOM PENH -- School meals resumed in Cambodia after the situation of COVID-19 has been brought under control, according to a joint statement released on Monday. Approximately 280,000 school children in 1,113 schools across 10 provinces missed free nutritious school meals during the nationwide school closure to curb the COVID-19 spread, said the statement jointly released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program. - - - - MUSCAT -- The Omani Health Ministry on Monday announced 316 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 135,990, the official Oman News Agency reported. Meanwhile, 155 people recovered during the past 24 hours, taking the overall recoveries to 127,853, while one person reportedly died, pushing the tally up to 1,535, according to a ministry statement quoted by ONA. - - - - TOKYO -- Tokyo reported 276 new daily COVID-19 cases on Monday, marking the first time since Dec. 7 last year the number of confirmed infections per day has dropped below the 300-mark, and the second straight day cases have remained below 500. Monday's figure also compares to a record 2,447 daily cases reported in the capital of 14 million when a state of emergency was declared for the Greater Tokyo area on Jan. 7 when infections marked a sharp rise. - - - - DOHA -- The Qatari Health Ministry on Monday announced 427 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 154,525, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. Meanwhile, 123 more recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 147,033, while one death was reported, pushing the tally up to 251 for the third consecutive day, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA. - - - - ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan received a batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese military during a handover ceremony held on Monday at the Noor Khan Air Base near Pakistan's capital Islamabad. Pakistani Lt.-Gen. Nigar Johar, surgeon general of the Pakistan army, and Maj.-Gen. Chen Wenrong, defense attache of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, attended the handover ceremony. - - - - KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwait reported on Monday 996 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 171,994 and the death toll to 969, the Kuwaiti Health Ministry announced. The ministry also announced the recovery of 582 more patients, taking the total recoveries in Kuwait to 162,120. Meanwhile, it said that 8,905 coronavirus patients are receiving treatment. Enditem New Feb 8 : The chorus for Rahul Gandhi to be appointed as party president is growing with state units passing resolutions reiterating the demand ahead of organisational polls slated for May. The latest to join this bandwagon after Delhi and Chhattisgarh is Telangana. A unanimous resolution was passed in a meeting attended by AICC Telangana in-charge and MP Manickam Tagore and all the 33 DCC presidents, state unit president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and CLP leader Bhatti Vikrarmarka. Prior to this, the Chhattisgarh state unit had passed a similar resolution proposed by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and seconded by Mohan Markam, state unit president and PL Punia who is in-charge of the state. The Delhi Congress, too, had 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 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 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." Rahul Gandhi had resigned in May 2019 as President of the party following a debacle in the General Elections and Sonia Gandhi was appointed Interim President in August. The issue was raised by Congress leaders who demanded sweeping reforms in the party and elections from block to the CWC level in August 2020. But the party has decided to hold elections in May after the polls of five states. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 could be on its way to have a university devoted exclusively to study on fine arts, including music, with the government giving in-principle approval for the Rs 300 crore project. According to noted musician Neetu Kumari Nutan, this was revealed at a meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishor Prasad, in the state capital last week wherein distinguished persons from various walks of life were invited to offer their suggestions for the state budget. "I was delighted when Art, Culture and Youth department principal secretary Ravi B Parmar said the upcoming state budget will contain a proposal for the Kala Vishwavidyala," Nutan, a Sangeet Natak Akademi member who was one of the attendees of the meeting, told PTI. The state budget is scheduled to be tabled before the assembly on February 22. "The site for the proposed university will be decided once the budgetary approval is received," a state government source said. Nutan, a doctorate in music, claimed that the announcement was a fruition of her efforts. She has endeavours to restore the pristine glory of Bhojpuri folk music which has of late been associated with sleaze. The musician disclosed that at the pre-budget meeting held last year which was chaired by the then Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi who held the post as well as the finance portfolio for nearly a decade and a half, she had submitted a written proposal for setting up a "Kala Vishwavidyalaya". "I contended that such a university will greatly enhance the state's soft power besides being feasible from the point of view of revenue generation. "Serious students of arts from far and wide would be visiting to pursue their researches just like they throng Prayag Sangeet Samiti and the Chandigarh-based Pracheen Kala Kendra," said Nutan whose many laurels include 'Lokvid Samman', conferred in 2019 by the Prayagraj-based North Central Zonal Centre for Culture (NCZCC), which is controlled by the Union ministry for culture. "In the progress of any country, its cultural wealth plays an intangible but substantial role. My sincere thanks to Sushil Modi and Tarkishor Prasad. I am also thankful to ministers for culture and tourism, Mangal Pandey and Jivesh Kumar respectively, who were among those present at the meeting last week and had shown enthusiasm for the proposed project," the musician added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (See related story on Italy's political crisis) ROME, FEB 8 - Pope Francis called on the Italian people to show unity on Monday, with the country in the grip of a political crisis in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Italian people was the first in Europe to find itself faced with the consequences of the pandemic," he said in an audience with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. "I call on it not to let the current difficulties defeat it, but to work in unity to build a society in which no one is cast aside or forgotten". The pope also recalled that this year Italy is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante. (ANSA). Construction work on Texas 151 and Loop 410 will close both routes Monday Feb. 8 through Feb. 15, according to a blog post from the Texas Department of Transportation. RELATED: Why it will soon feel like winter in San Antonio All the main lines of Loop 410 will close from W. Military Drive to Marbach Road for bridge work from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Then nearby, drivers can expect full closure of eastbound mainlanes from Ingram Road to Loop 410 for continued construction of flyover ramps also from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The routes have been traced in Google maps above. Over 4 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to be given to states, UTs: Centre Afghanistan receives half million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from India India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Kabul, Feb 08: India has successfully handed over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghan officials on Sunday as its gift to the people of the war-torn nation, a goodwill gesture described by Afghanistan as "a strong sign of generosity and sincere cooperation" of New Delhi with Kabul. In a tweet, the Indian Embassy in Kabul said, "1st Batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Afghanistan. A consignment of half a million dose of COVID vaccine gifted by India to the people of Afghanistan arrived in Kabul today." UK won't issue 'immunity' COVID-19 passports India's Charge d'Affaires Raghuram S handed over the consignment of vaccines to Wahid Majrooh, Acting Minister of Public Health, it said. "My profound gratitude to my friend @DrSJaishankar, the government & people of India for assisting 500k dozes of 'Made in India' vaccines to address #Covid spread in Afghanistan. A clear sign of generosity, commitment & strong partnership indeed," Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar tweeted. The Afghan Foreign Ministry expressed its sincere gratitude for the assistance and delivery of the first shipment of the COVID 19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) by "Afghanistan's generous supporter and strategic partner, India." "The donation of five hundred thousand doses of vaccine to tackle the spread of COVID in Afghanistan in the current difficult circumstances is a strong sign of generosity and sincere cooperation of the Republic of India with the government and people of Afghanistan," it said in the statement. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News As a part of expanding cooperation between the two countries, the COVID relief assistance had been announced by India earlier on January 8 during a telephone call between Jaishankar and Atmar. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 9:07 [IST] The government is protesting the new Chinese law that authorizes Chinese warships (coast guard or navy) to open fire on trespassers. This came two days after the Filipino foreign minister observed that the new Chinese law was none of our business. That may have pleased the Chinese officials the Foreign Ministry has to deal with, but it caused an uproar in the Filipino legislature and the population in general. Having been reminded about who he worked for and why, the Chinese have now been informed that the Philippines is officially not amused. The Usual Suspects For the Philippines, the biggest security problem is internal, and that is the crippling corruption that has left the Philippines in last place for the post-World War II economic boom that enriched all East Asian nations except the Philippines and North Korea. The resulting economic weakness made it more difficult to deal with internal as well as external threats. Currently the major external threat is China. The Philippines is not alone in facing this threat but is the weakest member of the regional coalition that has formed to resist Chinese aggression and territorial demands. Internally the Philippines is in much better shape. The major security threat is the drug gangs and all the criminal behavior they make possible. In comparison, other threats are in decline. Counterterrorism efforts over the last decade have reduced the armed opposition from Moslem separatists and Islamic terrorists as well as communist rebels trying to ignore the epic failure of communist governments after the 1980s. The primary Moslem threats are currently three Islamic terrorist groups, all now affiliated with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). The largest of these is Abu Sayyaf, which is down to a about two hundred active armed members and key supporters. The remainder is split between two smaller but similar groups; BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) and Maute Group. Abu Sayyaf has been around since the early 1990s, initially as a radical breakaway fringe group of the larger Moslem separatist MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). At first Abu Sayyaf was more outlaw than Islamic terrorist but gradually changed as it developed more links with Islamic terrorist groups around the region and the world. There were never more than 500 active members of Abu Sayyaf and that number varied depending on how much cash the groups had obtained from extortion or ransoms of locals or foreigners. Another factor was how intense the government effort against them was. That was because Abu Sayyaf also provided sanctuary for foreign Islamic terrorists and that made them a larger threat. Since 2000 Abu Sayyaf has been seen as a major security and Islamic terrorism problem in the south, and from 2015 on the efforts to eliminate the groups increased dramatically. That meant thousands of additional soldiers and marines searching areas where Abu Sayyaf usually established their camps. This effort was aided by obtaining more aircraft and sensors (aerial vidcams and electronic monitoring gear), first from the U.S. troops assisting and later by purchase for use by Filipino forces. When it became too difficult to find valuable kidnap victims, Abu Sayyaf went to sea, attacking ships and taking foreign crews for ransom. This backfired as neighboring nations, especially Indonesia, became active allies in the fight against Abu Sayyaf. BIFF was originally formed to demand independence for the Moslems in the south. By 2014 the majority of Moslems and Christians in the Philippines agreed to an autonomous Moslem region on the southwest coast of the large southern island, Mindanao and the string of smaller islands (Sulu, Basilan, Tawi, Tawi) extending from southwestern Mindanao towards Malaysia. Bangasamoro is where most Filipino Moslems live and the new Moslem entity has more autonomy. Bangasamoro Moslems are now responsible for maintaining the peace. This is no small matter because, more than elsewhere in the Philippines, the Moslem south has long had many more clan militias that believed it was their right to engage in private wars. Not all the clans share the official attitudes about who has the right to make war in Bangasamoro. In late 2018 the decades long state of war against MILF ended and since then MILF has been a lot more useful in eliminating Islamic terror groups. Bangasamoro governs the four million Moslems in the south. Down there the Moslems are outnumbered by Christians who had moved south during the last half century. Nationwide there are about 11 million Moslems and over 90 million Christians. The Christian Filipinos are better organized, more industrious and economically more successful. The Moslems believe they should run Mindanao even if they are the minority, because Mindanao is the local "Islamic homeland." While some in the government were willing to concede this, the Christian majority in Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines, does not. Because of this, groups like BIFF, ISIL and Abu Sayyaf are treated as outlaws in Bangasamoro and have lost support and members since 2014, but remain active, though a lot less active. Maute Group is similar to BIFF and both joined Abu Sayyaf in forming the Filipino branch of ISIL in 2016. Maute Group was nearly wiped out during the May-October 2017 battle for Marawi City. In December 2017 the army confirmed that all seven Maute brothers died as a result of Marawi. These men were the core leadership as the largest ISIL faction in Marawi City was from the Maute Group, who unexpectedly brought in hundreds of their own gunmen who were willing to fight to the death and triggered an existing plan to gather in Marawi City to inspire local Moslems to rise up and drive out Christians. That did just the opposite and resulted in nearly all the thousand or so ISIL gunmen who showed up getting killed. Only about a dozen were willing to surrender and a hundred or so apparently escaped. The thousands of soldiers and police sent in to eliminate the ISIL force suffered 168 dead. The Maute Group was formed in 2012 by members of the Maute family, which is one of the larger and wealthier clans in the south. The seven Maute brothers got mixed up with clan politics, MILF and eventually ISIL. Because all seven brothers died in Marawi City, the group limped on by recruiting from outside their clan. That has kept Maute Group going but, like BIFF, both groups have fewer than a hundred active members and Abu Sayyaf has about twice that. Since 2017 the major source of losses to the local ISIL branch has been members who surrender or simply desert. The amnesty plan available to most ISIL members. Those known to have participated in murder or kidnapping are not eligible for amnesty but the government will negotiate a deal depending on how much useful information is being offered. February 6, 2021: In the south ( Maguindanao province) eleven more BIFF members surrendered, along with their weapons. The amnesty program makes it possible to the eleven to return to civilian life if none have committed major crimes. The former BIFF members complained of constant pressure from the security forces and no financial support from BIFF leadership. February 4, 2021: In the south (Lanao del Sur province) soldiers found and disabled three bombs that had been built and placed by local BIFF members to protect one of their camps while also killing soldiers and demoralizing the surviving troops. Tips from local civilians, who see BIFF as a bunch of bandits, enabled the soldiers to find the bombs before they could be triggered. January 31, 2021: In South Korea a team of Filipino Navy officers and sailors completed their inspection of the second Rizal class frigates that were ordered in 2016. The second ships was declared in compliance with all contractual obligations and the South Korean crew that helped with the inspection, would take the ship to sea on February 5th for the five day voyage to the Philippines. These frigates cost $169 million each and are smaller versions of the South Korean FFX (Incheon class) frigate. The Rizal class frigates are 2,600-ton ships armed with a 76mm gun, a SMASH 30mm autocannon RWS (Remotely Operated System). This is Turkish system using the American Bushmaster 2 cannon. It has 150 rounds of ammo that can be fired singly or at up to 200 rounds a minute (3-4 a second) at targets up to three kilometers distant. The Italian 76mm cannon is also RWS and can fire 85 rounds a minute at targets up to 20 kilometers distant. Rizal is equipped to handle a CIWS (close in weapons system) like Phalanx but is not yet armed with one. There are also mounts for four 12.7mm machine-guns. The Rizal is called a missile frigate because it has lots of missiles. There are four South Korean anti-ship missiles (sort of improved Harpoons) with a range of 160 kilometers. There are also four South Korean 320mm lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes with a range of 19 kilometers. There are two twin-launchers for Mistral heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles with a range of six kilometers. There is also space for an eight cell VLS (vertical launching system) but, as with the CIWS the fire control system can handle these if installed. There is also a hanger and landing pad for a helicopter. There are also two RHIBs (rigid inflatable speedboats) for landing parties. Leaving out the CIWS and VLS cells and using the simpler Mistral anti-aircraft missiles kept the price down. The Rizal can also handle a towed sonar but does not have one yet. There is a sonar built into the hull. There is a 3-D air search radar as well as a navigation radar, a fire control radar and an electro-optical tracking system. The Rizal has a crew of 65 with accommodations for twenty more sailors plus 25 passengers. Top speed is 48 kilometers an hour and range is 8,300 kilometers. Endurance is 30 days. While the Rizals are capable to long-range cruises most of their time will be spent patrolling coastal waters and the Filipino EEZ. Given that the Philippines consists of 7,600 islands, there is plenty of coastline. Some of those islands are in the South China Sea and claimed by China. January 27, 2021: In the south (Cotabato province) BIFF was suspected of planting a bomb near a bus station that exploded, killing two people and wounding four. Police sought the bombers who were apparently from neighboring Bangasamoro. January 26, 2021: The 2020 international corruption ratings show the world that the Philippines not making progress dealing with corruption. In 2020 the Philippines ranked 115 out of 180 nations compared to 113 in 2019, 99 in 2018 and 111 in 2017. The annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index measures corruption is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually Yemen/15, Syria/14, South Sudan/12 and Somalia/12) have a rating of under 15 while of the least corrupt (Finland, New Zealand and Denmark) are over 84. The Philippines has a has a score of 34, same as it was in 2019. For 2020 the least corrupt nation in region was Singapore, which ranked 3rd out of 180 nations. The current Singapore score is 85 (same as 2019) compared to 65 (65) for Taiwan, 67 (69) for the United States, 40 (41) for India, 30 (28) for Russia, 61 (57) for South Korea, 42 (41) for China, 18 (14) for North Korea, 36 (37) for Vietnam, 74 (73) for Japan, 37 (40) for Indonesia, 38 (38) for Sri Lanka, 25 (26) for Iran, 71 (71) for UAE (United Arab Emirates), 31 (32) for Pakistan, 26 (26) for Bangladesh, 25 (26) for Iran, 19 (16) for Afghanistan, 28 (29) for Burma, 61 (61) for Israel, 15 (15) for Yemen, 33 (35) for Egypt, 25 (26) for Nigeria, 44 (44) for South Africa, 21 (20) for Iraq, 40 (39) for Turkey, 53 (53) for Saudi Arabia, 33 (30) for Ukraine, 47 (45) for Belarus, 56 (58) for Poland, 80 (80) Germany, 40 (39) for Turkey, and 25 (28) for Lebanon. A lower corruption score is common with nations in economic trouble and problems dealing with Islamic terrorism and crime in general. The Filipino corruption score has not changed much since 2012, when it was 34. There is still a lot of corruption in the Philippines but it is no longer acceptable (as in everyone does it). The hardcore corrupt believe that once Duterte is gone (presidents can only serve one term of six years) the good old ways will return. Yet former presidents, especially notably effective ones, retain a lot of influence on who gets elected and what happens after the election. January 22, 2021: China enacted a new law authorizing their navy and coast guard to use lethal force to protect Chinese coastal waters, including those that are disputed by nations. In other words, Chinese coast guard and navy vessel commanders have the authority to open fire on trespassers, even when international courts have declared it is the Chinese who are trespassing. That was the case with the Philippines, which brought the issue to an international court with jurisdiction. In 2016 that United Nation recognized Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled against China and stated that occupying uninhabitable rocks and building artificial islands did not confer an EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Ownership of rocks gets you, at best 22 kilometers of territorial waters from the edge of each rock rather than 360 kilometers for EEZ rights. At first the U.S. merely called for China to comply with the court ruling, something China said it would not do even before the court completed its deliberations. The Americans did continue to carry out aerial and naval FONOPs with warships to assert the right of innocent passage. This annoyed the Chinese, who claimed most of the South China Sea was under Chinese control and no foreign ship or aircraft could enter without permission. China has been claiming areas long recognized as belonging to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines. That has caused all these nations, plus the United States, Japan and South Korea to form an alliance to halt Chinese aggression. Until the new permission to open fire law, Chinese armed coast guard and navy vessels had only been used to intimidate trespassers and have never opened fire. There has been violence in the form of bumping or even ramming trespassers. This has led to the countries being threatened to send their own warships to defend their territory. Until now this would usually cause the Chinese warships to back off. But the new low allows Chinese captains to order crews to prepare for combat and use the fire control radars to concentrate on possible targets. In the Chinese playbook this means the Chinese want to goad someone else to open fire first, which would make China the designated victim (according to Chinese media) and justified in unleashing violent and probably overwhelming retaliation. [February 08, 2021] Mill Point Capital Partners with Prime Pensions Inc. Prime Pensions Inc. ("PPI" or the "Company"), an independent provider of retirement plan recordkeeping, consulting, actuarial and administration services, announced that it has partnered with Mill Point Capital, a middle-market private equity firm focused on the business services, IT services and industrials sectors. Founder Scott Feit will continue as CEO while retaining a significant ownership stake in the Company. Prime Pensions is a leading provider of third-party retirement plan compliance and administration services to small and medium-sized businesses. Key services include plan design and implementation, recordkeeping and annual administration, consulting and other actuarial services to ensure its clients are compliant with the Department of Labor, IRS and other regulatory organizations. Since the Company's founding in 2012, Prime Pensions has been both a top service provider and thought leader in the retirement plan administration industry. The Company is headquartered in Florham Park, NJ and primarily operates in the Northeastern U.S. Scott Feit, CEO of Prime Pensions, commented, "Our partnership with Mill Point provides meaningful resources to drive both future grwth and expansion of our client base. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing exemplary service to our customers." "Under the leadership of Scott Feit and his team, Prime Pensions has grown into a true market leader in retirement plan administration services. We look forward to partnering with Scott and PPI to execute on multiple growth opportunities and other strategic initiatives," said Dustin Smith, Partner of Mill Point. About Prime Pensions Headquartered in Florham Park, NJ, Prime Pensions is an independent provider of retirement plan compliance and administration services primarily to small and medium-sized businesses. Prime Pensions is not affiliated with any investment product provider and does not offer investment advice. For more information, please visit www.primepensionsinc.com. About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the industrial, IT services and business services sectors. The firm works with executive partners to leverage its investment professionals' experience while providing strategic and operational guidance to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.millpoint.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005110/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Fatal Shooting By West Kentucky Star Staff Thirty-four-year-old Charles Holloway pleaded guilty in February in the death of 35-year-old Reggie Dowell of Mayfield at a gas station in 2019. Police said Holloway was a friend of Dowell, and Holloway admitted to shooting him after an argument took place in the vehicle in which they were passengers. He was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years on a second degree manslaughter charge, and two years on each of two counts of wanton endangerment. All counts are to run consecutively for a total of 14 years. He'll be eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of his sentence. MAYFIELD - A Mayfield man charged with another man's death has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Advertisement The underwater world has never looked so magical, mysterious and mesmerising. These photographs are some of the stunning medal winners in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021 contest. They show just how awe-inspiring Mother Nature can be in aquatic mode - and how fragile she is. And they also underscore the sheer skill and determination of the world's finest underwater snappers, who brave underwater caves and shark-infested reefs to bring us unforgettable pictures, some of which took years to plan. The overall winner is Renee Capozzola from California, whose picture of blacktip reef sharks cruising beneath gulls at sunset in French Polynesia left the judges' jaws on the floor. She triumphed over 4,500 underwater pictures entered by photographers in 68 countries. Meanwhile, Mark Kirkland, from Glasgow, was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021 for his amazing picture of a frog in a pond near his home. The judges said: 'We hope that this year's stunning collection of winning images provides a welcome escape to everyone who enjoys them and a chance to reconnect with the underwater world.' Scroll down for MailOnline Travel's pick of the bunch. This stunning image, third in the compact camera category, was taken by Spanish photographer Isaias Cruz off the coast of Bermeo in the Basque Country. He said: 'This image was taken in summer while doing a shark dive. Being surrounded by three blue sharks, this pelagic ray appeared to check the bait. It was a very rare encounter. This animal has not been sighted before in these waters, and I too had never seen this animal before.' The judges praised the photo for its 'beautifully timed symmetry' German photographer Tobias Friedrich claims gold in the wrecks category thanks to this mind-blowing photograph, taken near Nassau in the Bahamas. The judges said: 'Images leap out for several reasons; David and Goliath scale, magnitude and unambiguity to name three and this image has all of those and more. If you want to know the secret formula for a classic wreck shot, look no further.' Tobias said: 'This wreck was totally new to me and a big surprise when we descended as the bow is hanging almost completely over a sandy overhang' U.S snapper Karim Iliya takes the loftiest podium spot in the 'behaviour' category thanks to this amazing picture of a striped marlin in a high-speed hunt in Mexico. He said: 'This is a terrifying scene for the small fish, fleeing for their lives as a striped marlin hunts them. The slightest mistake means life or death. There are often birds hunting from above and sometimes a dozen other marlin and sea lions attacking from all sides. The marlin is one of the fastest fish in the sea, a terrifying predator for a small fish in the great blue desert. I went to Mexico to document these feeding frenzies but did not expect such a fast-paced hunt, almost too fast for my brain to process. For a brief moment, this scene unfolded before me and I had to rely on all my instincts and practice underwater to take this photo. I used natural light and stayed on the periphery of the bait-ball to minimise disturbance. Watching wild animals hunt is one of the greatest spectacles in nature' The runner-up spot in the behaviour category is claimed by Chinese photographer JingGong Zhang for this picture of a fish face-off off the coast of Wakayama, Japan. JingGong said: 'This is a picture of blenny in a fight. It is a species of chaenopsid blenny found around Japan and South Korea. Its most distinctive feature is its very cool hairstyle, often referred to as a punk blenny or Mohican blenny. In fact, this kind of blenny fight scene is very rare because they usually just stay in their lair and don't interact with other individuals. But during the breeding season, if an area is too densely populated, the blenny will engage in fierce fights for a mate, and these fights are often quickly settled. Blenny is one of my favorite projects. From getting information to the long waiting and searching, it took me about three years intermittently to shoot this scene. I would like to thank my Japanese friends who have helped me in this process. At the same time, I am very honored to share this charming moment' This striking image shows a larval lionfish off Florida's coast - and it snared U.S photographer Steven Kovacs the silver medal in the macro category. He said: 'Drifting near the surface at night in over 700 feet of water, I came across this one-inch larval lionfish off the coast of Florida during a blackwater dive. This individual was exhibiting more beautiful coloration than usual, so I set out to capture its fins in full display. It's a challenging task, not only because they shun bright lights and usually try to flee, but also because they fully flare their fins in a defensive posture very sporadically and only for brief moments. I was very fortunate to be able to capture this particular individual in all its glory' Behold the winner of the 'British waters compact' category. It was taken by UK photographer Ian Wade and shows a swan feeding in St George Park, Bristol. How did Mr Wade take the remarkable image? By throwing his GoPro into the water. He said: 'I decided to attach a small weight to the back of my GoPro and threw it into the lake a short distance from me. The small weight would mean the GoPro always fell on its back, so I could shoot at an almost vertical angle. I have connected the GoPro to my Phone so I could remotely fire off images. The GoPro hitting the water had attracted the swans' interest and they swam over. I waited until one of the swans was in the correct position and with its head underwater and shot a high-speed burst of images enabling me to capture this picture.' The judges described the image as 'beautiful' LEFT: Australian photographer Diana Fernie takes first prize in the 'black and white' category with this breathtaking picture, snapped in the Solomon Islands. The judges said: 'Great use of all the tones from rich black right through to clean white. The composition is classic and the decision to convert to black and white was a winning choice.' RIGHT: This amazing picture by Japanese photographer Ryohei Ito, taken off the coast of Tateyama in Japan, has been awarded first prize in the portrait category. Ryohei said: 'As the Asian sheepshead wrasse grows older, it changes sex from female to male and at the same time it develops a large lump on its head. I thought about the lighting and composition so that the image of the bump and the powerful face could be conveyed, and challenged many times. He lives in a shrine under the water and looks just like a guardian deity. I would like to thank my teacher, Keigo Kawamura, for teaching me how to take underwater pictures, and Hiroyuki Arakawa who guided me' The judges were bowled over by this image, taken by U.S photographer Martin Broen in a section of an underground river in Mexico called Cenote Monkey Dust. In awarding it the runner-up prize in the 'wide angle' category, they said: 'The very best cenote images often catch the judges eyes in UPY. But Martin's picture raises the bar significantly both in terms of jaw-dropping beauty and for its technical achievement. This is a place few humans are capable of even reaching, so to get there and then produce a such a demanding piece of photography while in the darkness, deep underground and underwater is a stunning achievement' This is the wide-angle category winner - and the overall winning image. It was taken by U.S photographer Renee Capozzola off the coast of Moorea in French Polynesia. The judges said: 'A sunset ballet of reef sharks and sea birds in a tranquil corner of the Pacific Ocean is a richly deserved winner of the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021. This is an image of hope and a glimpse of how the ocean can be when we give it a chance, thriving with spectacular life both below and above the surface.' Renee said: 'The sharks came into a nice composition, and I got lucky with the birds as well. Since many shark species are threatened with extinction, it is my hope that images of these beautiful animals will help promote their conservation' Briton Grant Thomas takes home the runner-up medal in the wrecks category with this picture, taken off Jordan's coast. It shows a piece of military hardware deliberately sunk for divers to explore. Judge Martin Edge said: 'This is one of my most favourite photographs of the entire competition. As soon as I saw this shot I was mesmerised by the complexity of the lighting, the staging and just about everything else' A basking shark gulps microscopic plankton off the coast of the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland, in an image that has snared UK photographer Mark Kirkland the runner-up spot in the 'British waters wide angle' category. The judges said: 'This image raises the bar for basking shark shots. There is so much that has to come right to get a shot like this that it might seem impossible, but we now have proof. It is possible and it's absolutely awesome.' Mr Kirkland revealed that the shot took two years to plan, during which time he experimented with various lenses and filters This eye-catching picture of a hairy panda goby fish off Indonesia's coast is the runner-up in the compact category. The photographer behind it, Malaysian ManBd, said the fish was very shy and took a long time to pop its head out. The judges said: 'A fantastic and challenging subject, expertly photographed wth the innovation youd expect from a former winner of UPY's Up & Coming Award' UK-born photographer SJ Alice Bennett snaps up two titles with this image, taken in a water-filled Mexican cave: 'Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021' and 'Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2021'. The judges said: 'We always value fresh vision in the Up & Coming category and the combination of incredible lighting and shallow depth of field empower this image with originality and truly capture the spirit of adventure that the photographer was striving for' Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2021 is Karim Iliya for this picture of a very crowded island off the coast of Panama's Guna Yala region. The judges said: 'A stark visual reminder of how we humans over-populate and totally develop land, then overfish the surrounding delicate environment. This image captures that unnatural and unsustainable imbalance perfectly' Take a bow, Mr Malcolm Nimmo. This UK photographer has won the 'British waters macro' category with this incredible image of a variable blenny fish, taken in the waters of Plymouth Sound. The judges said: 'A beautiful UK fish portrait. Everything about this image is perfect.' Does this fish have something of the Jar Jar Binks about it? We think so Angola has a huge wealth of mineral resources but, almost a decade after the end of a crippling civil war, it has yet to map them out and take advantage of the natural treasures, Antwerp Facets says. If there was a title for under-performer in the diamond producing sector, the perennial winner would almost undoubtedly have been Angola. With abundant alluvial deposits and literally hundreds of kimberlite formations dotting a fault line that runs from the from Huila and Benguela provinces in the southwest, to the Huambo and Bie provinces, to the Luanda Sul and Lunda Norte provinces in the northeast, the country should have long been an African powerhouse, alongside Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. For decades, Angola was a country mired in civil conflict, first as a result of a long insurgency against the former Portuguese colonial government, which ended with the countrys achieving independence in November 1975, and then with a 27-year civil war, during which time there practically zero investment in the country's diamond mines and other natural resources. Diamonds were being mined illegally, however, and Angola had the distinction of being one of the nations that sparked the conflict diamond crisis in the late 1990s. With the end of the civil war in 2002 the situation took a turn for the better. Indeed, Angola has become something of an economic powerhouse in Africa, posting double-digit growth thanks mostly to the expansion of its oil industry. It is sub-Sahara's second-biggest oil producer after Nigeria and has ambitious plans to grow its energy sector. Its economy is expected to grow by a modest 3.7 percent this year, but by around 12 percent next year, boosted by higher oil prices, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said last month. After oil, diamonds are Angola's most lucrative assets. The country produced 8.4 million carats of diamonds worth $976.3 million in 2010, according to data from the Kimberley Process, making it the fifth-largest producer in volume terms. About 70 percent of the country's diamonds are considered to be gem quality, while 20 percent are near gem quality, and 10 percent are for industrial use. Headquartered in Luanda, the most powerful force in the Angolan diamond industry is state-owned and run Endiama (Empresa Nacional de Diamantes). It was established in 1981 to serve as the national concessionary of mining rights in the diamond industry. It typically does this in partnership with other companies, many of them foreign. According to Angolan law, Endiama is automatically entitled to a minimum of 51 percent of all exploration projects carried out by foreign firms. In addition, the miners must commit to carrying out and financing prospecting according to tough deadlines since the Angolan government is keen to increase its diamond production rapidly. This contrasts with neighbouring producer states Botswana and South Africa where miners fully own the operations and pay royalties to the government. The main diamond mining operation in Angola is the Catoca mine, which is one of the largest in the world. The mine is owned by a consortium including Endiama and Russia's Alrosa with 32.8 percent each and Odebrecht of Brazil with 16.4 percent. The remaining share was held by the Diamond Finance CY BV Group, controlled by Lev Leviev, who earlier this year was reported have sold his stake to Chinas Sonangol International for $400 million. In terms of companies involved in the country, De Beers invested in the past in a concession in the country's northeastern region, while BHP Billiton was also involved until it sold its interests in the Alto Cuilo and Luangue exploration projects to Petra Diamonds. A range of other mines are operating as well, and the news on that front is often encouraging. Australia-headquartered Lonrho Mining reported this month the discovery of a 53.25-carat diamond from its Lulo Project in Lunda Norte province, which it owns together with Endiama. The stone is more than twice the weight of the next biggest diamond recovered at Lulo, a 22.25-carat stone uncovered last November. Lonrho has recovered 102 diamonds weighing 173.85 carats at an average grade of 51.2 carats per 100 cubic metres from its current sample. In addition, South African miner Trans Hex recently reported that output from its Somiluana mine in Angola more than tripled in the first half of the year to 20,473 carats with the average value per carat soaring 38 percent to $434. And just last week [November 14-20] Endiama announced that an Angolan businessman will be investing in the diamond sector with the aim of re-launching the Lucapa Mining Society Project which has been inactive since 2008 due to the global financial crisis. In many respects, Angola is regarded as one of the last greatly untapped diamond resources. "Angola is a huge country with a vast mineral wealth," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Des Kilalea. "The aim for the government should be to carry out a geological survey so that it can be accurately known which minerals exist. This has been mentioned in the past, but I don't believe it has been carried out yet." Among the companies involved in searching for diamonds is De Beers, which after a long absence from Angola has invested $150 million in exploration work over the last six years. In 2010, eight kimberlites were added to the companys Angolan portfolio bringing the total number to 158 discoveries. The Lunda Norte concession yielded the most prospective portfolio at both an early and advanced stage of exploration, with 114 kimberlite discoveries. But for foreign operators, Angola remains a tough country in which to do business. Securing mining licenses in Angola can be difficult process with bureaucracy blocking progress. The relatively high level of uncertainty for investors can mean that even after obtaining prospecting rights and producing a feasibility study, they cannot be certain of the final agreement with the government. Angola reportedly is working on a new law for the mining sector that will regulate the way diamond companies distribute their revenues from projects, a senior Endiama official said last year. The legislation will call for diamond companies to use 50 percent of their revenues to pay for operational costs, while the rest would be used to pay taxes, investors and to help develop the local community, said Sebastiao Panzo. The current law stipulates that mining companies in Angola pay 35 percent of their profits in taxes to Endiama but it does not stipulate how firms should distribute their revenues. "The goal is to make the mining sector more attractive for investors and also contribute to the development of local communities," Panzo said. Securing diamond concessions from illegal miners is an ongoing concern for the companies involved in the Angolan diamond sector. The regional governor of the diamond-rich northeastern province of Lunda Norte in Angola said in August that officials are moving ahead with work to strengthen its border security. Border fences and other security measures are being put in place along the 770-kilometer land frontier and 120-kilometer river border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to prevent the entry of illegal diamond miners, said governor Ernesto Muangala. The government has prioritized an increase in the number of border police and is acquiring and installing modern equipment for border control, Muangala said. The Angolan government to expelled around 70,000 immigrants in 2009, according to the country's Foreign Service. Locally, the government is trying to regulate artisanal mining. In June, the first of 120 mining certificates attributed to artisanal producers in Cuango by Joaquim David, the countrys minister of Geology, Mining and Industry. License holders are obliged to sell their diamonds to Sodiam, which is an Endiama subsidiary. The artisanal miners will also have to maintain records of their operations and sales results, as well as pay taxes and cooperate with government officials. Angola does have a rudimentary beneficiation programme, modelled on those that have been introduced in South Africa, Botswana and South Africa. The jewel in the crown in the state-owned Angola Polishing Diamonds, Angola Polishing Diamonds, which was inaugurated in 2005 with an initial investment of about $10 million. But, according to its managing director Miguel Bondo Junior, the company is currently only processing diamonds worth $4 million per month, which is about 20 percent of its capacity. "eSpring's superior filtration capabilities can filter out over 160 contaminants, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds, and particulates in sizes down to 0.2 microns," said Janice Wung, Program Manager, Industrial Business Unit, Frost & Sullivan. "Its patented smart chip technology connects and monitors water filtration cartridge life. This technology notifies users via audio and visual indicators when it is time to replace the filter cartridge to ensure a fuss-free experience. The eCoupled Wireless Power feature also completely isolates the UV bulb from the power source without the need for electrical contact. This helps combine the UV and carbon technologies into a single cartridge, making the eSpring durable and easy to replace." As one of the pioneer HWT brands in the region, Amway's eSpring has an edge among many emerging brands. In 2019, eSpring experienced a 2% revenue growth because of new units sold and a proportionate increase in replacement filters. This success is primarily attributed to the Amway Business Owner (ABO) distributor team. In 2019, Amway continued in its efforts to equip its ABO team with the necessary tools, programs, and infrastructure to create sustainable business opportunities. In addition to ABOs, Amway promotes continuous engagement through various platforms and initiatives. These platforms have been effective in disseminating information to ABOs while encouraging two-way communications. Amway has one of the most extensive aftersales service offerings and recently improved its maintenance and installation services and ensures proactive communications related to product notices. "Consistently deploying innovative strategies through its distribution channels, superior product lineup, and excellent aftersales services, Amway continues to stay ahead of the technology and demand curve," noted Wung. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Kala Mani.S. P: +607-560 3656 E: [email protected] About Amway Amway is an entrepreneur-led health and wellness company based in Ada, Michigan. It is committed to helping people live better, healthier lives across more than 100 markets worldwide. According to Fortune magazine, it is among the Top 50 privately held, family-owned companies in the United States. Top-selling brands for Amway are Nutrilite, Artistry and XSenergy drinks all sold exclusively by entrepreneurs who are known as Amway Business Owners. Global sales of $7.9 billion made Amway the No. 1 direct selling business in the world, according to the 2020 Direct Selling News Global 100. For company news, visit www.amwayglobal.com/newsroom. SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links www.frost.com Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. In times of coronavirus pandemic, the bakery Kreyenbuhl in Switzerland tries to cheer customers up with with self-made "Vaccine Berliners". The customer can himself inject the sweet "vaccine into the pastry. And he even has the choice between two flavors: raspberry or Baileys liqueur. Photo: AFP Forcing workers to have a coronavirus vaccine to keep their job would be "discriminatory", Downing Street has said. The statement came following reports that ministers believed employers who required their staff to receive a jab would be protected under health and safety laws. Some care home staff are reportedly refusing to have a Covid jab, with some providers said to be considering not hiring staff who have refused the vaccination on non-medical grounds. And Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers, said last month that his London-based company would not take on anybody who has not been vaccinated. Boris Johnson's official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on that "taking a vaccine is not mandatory and it would be discriminatory to force somebody to take one." The DailyTelegraph reported some ministers believe companies which adopt a "jab for a job" stance would be protected. The newspaper quoted a government source as saying: "Health and safety laws say you have to protect other people at work, and when it becomes about protecting other people the argument gets stronger." But prime minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Monday: "Taking a vaccine is not mandatory and it would be discriminatory to force somebody to take one." The government has previously declined to say whether it is recording data on who has refused a coronavirus vaccine. One of the UK's largest care home groups, Barchester Healthcare, said last month that it will not hire new staff who have refused the vaccine on non-medical grounds because of the vulnerability of its residents. However Unison has urged the government to take action against any care home employers who refuse to employ staff who are hesitant about having the jab. Dwarf galaxy UGC 5288 (seen here in pink) is 16 million light-years from Earth. It is surrounded by a huge disk of hydrogen gas (purple) that has not been involved in the galaxys star-formation processes and may be primordial material left over from the galaxys formation. Credit: B. Saxton from data provided by Van Zee, NOAO, NRAO/AUI/NSF For decades, space and ground telescopes have provided us with spectacular images of galaxies. These building blocks of the universe usually contain several million to over a trillion stars and can range in size from a few thousand to several hundred thousand light-years across. What we typically see in an image of a galaxy are the stars, gas and dust that constitute these sprawling systems. But there is a hidden component of galaxies that does not emit enough visible light for us to see. This component, a gas that holds clues to how galaxies grow in size over time, is the subject of a recent study by a team of researchers including Christopher Dupuis, Assistant Professor Sanchayeeta Borthakur, Mansi Padave and Rolf Jansen of the School of Earth and Space Exploration with Rachael Alexandroff of the University of Toronto and Timothy Heckman of Johns Hopkins University. The results of their study have been recently published in The Astrophysical Journal. The gas the team studied is located in the extended disk of galaxies, an area called the "circumgalactic medium," a large halo around every galaxy that is under its gravitational influence. Galaxies similar to the Milky Way have stellar disks as large as 200,000 light-years across with extended disks that can be over twice that size. "Extended disks play an important role in how galaxies grow," explained lead author and graduate student Dupuis. "As the gas travels from the circumgalactic medium into the extended disk, it will eventually be turned into new stars." Since this gas does not emit enough visible light for us to see it, detecting it outside of galaxies is difficult. Scientists have traditionally used a bright object, called a quasar, located behind the galaxy being studied. They measure the light of the quasar and then determine how much of it is "lost" (absorbed) due to the gas that is around the galaxy. In this study, however, the team employed a relatively new technique. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the MMT Observatory, they analyzed the light from a background galaxy (rather than a quasar) to obtain the measurements. This allowed them to make a size estimate for the gas cloud. "These two datasets enabled us to compare how the gas in the extended disk is moving related to the stars and allowed us to confirm that the gas was in the extended disk of the galaxy," said Dupuis. This figure shows a two-dimensional spectrum of the gas cloud host galaxy that the team obtained with the MMT Observatory. This portion of the spectrum is what they used to measure how the stars in the galaxy are rotating. Knowing how the stars move allowed the team to confirm the gas they measured using the Hubble data was part of the extended disk of the galaxy. Credit: Dupuis et al./MMT "While we believed that most galaxies in the past should have large gas disks that eventually formed stars like the sun, there was little observational confirmation," added co-author Borthakur. "This result solidifies our understanding of what fueled the stars that we find today, including our sun." The research team hopes that future projects will be able to use this new technique to study large numbers of galaxies once the construction of next-generation, ground-based telescopes is complete later this decade. Telescopes like the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), of which ASU is a partner, will be able to collect data on dozens of different systems similar to ours, and subsequent studies of extended disks and their properties will aid in our understanding of galaxy growth. "Using galaxies as background sources will revolutionize our understanding of the large gas reservoirs around galaxies critical for star formation," said Borthakur. "With a powerful telescope like the GMT, we will be able to get many more lines of sight to map these hidden structures by using plentiful, faint background galaxies rather than just the rare bright quasars as the light sources." Explore further At cosmic noon, puffy galaxies make stars for longer More information: Christopher M. Dupuis et al. Discovery of a Low-redshift Damped Ly System in a Foreground Extended Disk Using a Starburst Galaxy Background Illuminator, The Astrophysical Journal (2021). Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Christopher M. Dupuis et al. Discovery of a Low-redshift Damped Ly System in a Foreground Extended Disk Using a Starburst Galaxy Background Illuminator,(2021). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abcc69 The Centre on Sunday sent 5,00,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Afghanistan as part of New Delhi's vaccine diplomacy. The 'Made in India' vaccine doses arrived in Afghanistan from Mumbai earlier last morning. Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar expressed his "profound gratitude" to the government and people of India for the vaccine doses that will help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "A clear sign of generosity, commitment & strong partnership indeed," Haneef said. Read: India Managed To Keep Its COVID-19 Losses To Minimum: Prakash Javadekar India delivers vaccine doses to 15 nations This comes after External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said India has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccine doses to at least 15 countries, while another 25 nations remain in the queue. MEA Jaishankar said that India is dealing with three types of countries - low-income nations, price-sensitive nations, and the ones that directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies. New Delhi is currently supplying doses that are being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), which is producing AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. Read: India To Continue Providing Humanitarian Assistance To Myanmar Amid Military Coup: MEA Last week, the External Affairs Ministry announced that India is planning to give 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the United Nations as part of the COVAX initiative. India also said it will gift 10 million doses to Africa. India has gifted over 55 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines to its neighbouring countries so far, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius. India is also planning to commercially sell the COVID-19 vaccines to Saudi Arabia, Canada, and other countries, while it has already engaged in deals with Brazil, and Morocco. Read: India Becomes Third Country In The World With Highest COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered While supplying COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries, India is also running its own inoculation drive since January 16. India has approved two COVID-19 vaccines - AstraZeneca's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. India, which is running one of the largest vaccination programmes in the world, has vaccinated more than 5.7 million people to date, primarily health care professionals and other frontline essential workers. Read: India To Supply Over 1 Billion Doses Of COVID Vaccines To UNICEF As Part Of COVAX Scheme The hearing continued in his absence, with his lawyers arguing for more than an hour that constitutional procedures had not been followed. The judges appeared skeptical and repeatedly called on the defense lawyers to wrap it up. The prosecution then rejected those arguments, saying the attorney general had approved the investigations in dozens of meetings. HONG KONG, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CareCapital Advisors Limited ("CareCapital") announces the appointment of Mr. A P A Bindusaran as Executive Director and Head of DSO Clinical and Business Development. Prior to joining CareCapital, Mr. Bindusaran spent 16 years in R&D, clinical affairs, treatment planning operations in different companies ranging from dental technology start-ups to global dental leaders. CareCapital is the only sizable investment firm in the world that focuses on dentistry, and provides a patient and collaborative environment for dental entrepreneurs and talented executives to realize their visions. CareCapital provides venture capital, growth stage financing and buyout capital in minority and majority formats, in dental businesses spanning Asia, Europe and Americas. By being an owner of dental clinical organizations, product technology and software and service providers, CareCapital brings the needs of the customer to the front and center of its businesses, and strives to evolve the traditional buy and sell dynamic into one of true mutual value creation throughout the value chain. Mr. Bindusaran's role is to help large dental service organizations operate even better, by integrating diagnostic, treatment planning and patient experience technology into their operations, and to invest in businesses that share this focus across Asia, Europe and Americas. Mr. Bindusaran stated, "CareCapital's long-term ownership of businesses throughout the dental value chain allows me to truly focus on mutual value creation. I am excited to further develop CareCapital as the investor of choice for executives who love the collaborative and dynamic nature of dentistry." Mr. Dai Feng, a Partner of CareCapital, stated that "Our portfolio companies and we are motivated by a vision for the future of dentistry. Mr. Bindusaran shares our values and we welcome him to join CareCapital to lead DSO Clinical and Business Development. Mr. Bindusaran's sensitivity to clinical needs, understanding of technology to meet those needs and his global experience will help CareCapital to further empower our business portfolio." ABOUT Mr. A P A Bindusaran Mr. A P A Bindusaran graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from National University of Singapore with a specialization in BioMechanics. In 2006, Mr. A P A Bindusaran was the first employee of BioMers Private Limited. He was responsible for the research, development, clinical affairs and digital treatment planning. During the period, he invented SimpliClear custom solutions and the world's only rectangular composite arch wire, which helped to transform the company from manufacturing orthodontic wires to providing custom orthodontic device solutions. Mr. A P A Bindusaran joined Ormco in 2014 as a Senior Manager of R&D Digital and Clinical Affairs with a focus on digital orthodontics, innovative materials, R&D and clinical trial management. He was instrumental in reinvigorating Insignia as one of the successful digital products in orthodontics. In 2017, Mr. A P A Bindusaran joined Straumann as the Global Head of Orthodontic Technology in Switzerland and took charge of the development strategy of technology and clinical operation of ClearCorrect, one of the main brands in Europe and the United States. He was also responsible for multiple M&A and co-operation projects. About CareCapital Advisors Limited A long-term investor focused on the global dental and oral care industry, CareCapital is committed to providing a patient and collaborative environment for dental entrepreneurs and talented executives to realize their customer-centric visions. CareCapital invests heavily in technologies, training, brands and enterprises that span the entire dental industry. In dental technology, CareCapital invests in industry-leading operating teams and R&D talents and capabilities in a broad range of dental applications including clear aligners, implants, bone regeneration, imaging, scanners and restoration. CareCapital has majority stake in AngelAlign, Purgo Biologics, and Neoss, strategic investment in CareStream Dental, and strategic partnership with BEGO and Medit. In clinical education, CareCapital invests in large research dental hospital and DSOs. It empowers them by bringing in global education resources, organizing strong dental specialties and building state-of-the-art training centres, in order to provide highest quality dental services. In software and IT, CareCapital leverages its strong information technology team to empower a large number of dental distribution companies and dental practices, to provide enhanced service experience for dentists and product brands. Through the largest dental distribution network in China, including CC Dental and XinHuaGuang Dental, CareCapital strives to upgrade the digitalization level in the dental industry. SOURCE CareCapital 8th February 2021 Runtime 16:32 London South East catches up with Brett Boynton, CEO and Managing Director of Tectonic Gold (TTAU.PL) to learn about its proprietary research and exploration into Intrusion Related Gold Systems (IRGS). Put simply it's about locating the next generation of gold discoveries, and this Aquis Stock Exchange listed business is setting the gold standard for exploring in the prolific New England Orogen gold belt in Queensland, Australia. As Boynton explains, each of Tectonics projects must have the potential for the three million ounces of gold necessary to attract the attention of a big partner such as Evolution or Rio Tinto who have in-house IRGS experience. Once the preserve of academics, IRGS has gone from the theoretical to the practical and Tectonics work has been recognised by Australias Federal Government who have funded the company's research into the adoption of technology associated with the oil and gas industries. The Aquis Stock Exchange sees Tectonic as a success story and has promoted Tectonic to the Apex Segment of the AQSE Growth Market. This certifies that the company has a minimum market capitalisation of 10 million, at least 25% of shares in public hands, at least 2 market makers, a minimum 2 years trading history and has adopted a recognised corporate governance code. A sign-language interpreter who was outed as a Trump supporter says she has been 'canceled and humiliated' for her political views, and claims she has not been contacted by the Biden administration since the story broke. Heather Mewshaw, a freelancer ASL interpreter who appeared at a White House press briefing last month, revealed she has not been asked back since it was revealed that she has translated far-right videos into sign language. 'I was canceled and humiliated publicly and it was unjust and unfair,' Mewshaw said as she spoke out on the controversy for the first time. She further claimed that critics are trying to shut deaf people out of political debates by shutting down interpreters making content available to them. Heather Mewshaw has blasted critics for 'canceling' her, revealing that she has not been invited back to the White House as an ASL interpreter since being outed as a Trump supporter 'The goal of my activity... is all about access,' she told the New York Post. 'Deaf people just want a chance to decide for themselves what information is out there.' Mewshaw is a self-confessed Trump supporter who worked for the previous White House translating media briefings between November and December last year. She then appeared at a briefing by Biden spokesman Jen Psaski on January 25, at which she announced an ASL interpreter would cover every future briefing. Just two days later, Time magazine published an article outing Mewshaw for her political views - and noting that she runs a group of interpreters who translate far-right content into ASL. The group used to be called Right Side ASL but changed its name to Hands of Liberty after Facebook shut their old page down for violating its rules. Among the videos that Mewshaw and her team have interpreted are ones by Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, entitled What Really Happened On January 6th? - referencing the storming of the Capitol Building on January 6. Another featured Stella Immanuel, a doctor who touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid and was once promoted by Trump before it emerged that she also believes alien DNA is being used in medical experiments, and that vaccines were being made to stop people being religious. But Mewshaw insisted she does not endorse the content she interprets and is merely providing 'a service', whether for those on the left or right of the political spectrum. Critics, Mewshaw insisted, 'don't want this content to be interpreted because they don't believe in it.' Mewshaw, bottom right, was introduced Monday by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, main, after the new president's administration announced it would be adding a sign language interpreter to its daily press briefings Mewshaw's critics had created a petition after the Time magazine expose was published calling for her to be sacked, which gathered some 8,000 signatures. The National Association of the Deaf also warned at the time that all ASL interpreters should be properly vetted before translating at an event. 'Care must be taken by everyone who hires an ASL interpreter to ensure that they are properly vetted for any interpreting job, whether it is a medical appointment, a job interview, a court proceeding, or a White House press briefing,' a spokesman said. They added that they were glad to witness 'history in the making' with Psaki's announcement that ASL interpreters would attend every press event. Psaki had said of her inclusion, President Biden 'is committed to building an America that is more inclusive, more just and more accessible for every American, including Americans with disabilities and their families.' A petition has been started to have Mewshaw removed from her role Mewshaw manages the Hands of Liberty Facebook page. The group had been called Right Side ASL before it was deleted by Facebook, Time magazine reports Mewshaw as also been pictured in a MAGA hat and signing to videos that include vaccine misinformation and false claims about the 2020 election and the Capitol riots She introduced by Psaki as 'today's interpreter Heather'. By Tuesday a different woman was being used by the White House. On Wednesday a third interpreter was seen in footage. The move to include an interpreter marks a shift from the Trump administration, which had only sporadic press briefings and didn't include one until late in the former president's term. Last August, the National Association of the Deaf joined five deaf individuals in suing Trump and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, charging the failure to provide an interpreter undermined the ability of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans to access key information about the coronavirus pandemic. The next month, a federal judge ordered the White House to include American Sign Language interpretation at all televised briefings on the virus. The ruling said the interpreter could be in the frame physically near the speaker or off-site. It said the White House was required to make the interpreter feeds accessible online and on television using a picture-in-picture format. The Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) has called for an upward adjustment of the GH1.80 feeding allowance for prison inmates to reflect current living conditions in the country. According to the Bono Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GPS, Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (DSP) Johann Nii Narh Nartey, the current GH1.80 daily feeding fee for an inmate was woefully inadequate to meet three meals for each inmate. "We are supposed to reform and rehabilitate prisoners," he said, and wondered how the GPS was going to be able to reform a hungry prisoner. DSP Nartey made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic on measures the service was taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Sunyani Prison. Adjustment He said an upward adjustment in the feeding allowance for prison inmates had become very necessary, in view of the fact that it was more than 10 years since the allowance was last adjusted. Mr Nartey suggested that since the prisoners were adults, feeding them must be at par with what boarding students in senior high schools received. He explained that prison inmates needed to be fed well to boost their immune system, so they would be able to withstand diseases most common in prisons in the country. "We need to improve the quality of meals for our prisoners," he said, and encouraged relatives of inmates of prisons to take along with them raw foodstuffs for cooking during visitations. According to him, even though such a move was not in sync with the strict rules of the Prison Service and its motto: Vigilance, Fortitude and Humanity, it was imperative that the humanity aspect of the services motto was given attention to make prisoners comfortable. Overcrowding The Sunyani Central Prison was built to contain a maximum of 450 inmates, but as of last Friday, the population was 846. DSP Nartey said the overcrowded situation at the prison had resulted in the inmates developing all kinds of skin diseases. "The number of inmates sometimes go beyond 900, and in such situations, we have to decongest by sending some of the inmates to prison camps at Yeji in the Bono East Region and Kenyase and Duayaw-Nkwanta, both in the Ahafo Region," he said. Managing COVID-19 DSP Nartey explained that all the inmates of the Sunyani Central Prison had been supplied with face masks, while Veronica buckets had been placed at vantage points to encourage regular hand-washing, all in an effort to forestall the spread of the COVID-19. In addition, he said, two cells had been kept specially as "Isolation rooms" where new inmates were kept for the mandatory two weeks quarantine before they were allowed to mingle with the rest of the inmates. Furthermore, he said, the Sunyani Municipal Assembly and the Sunyani East Rotary Club had taken turns to disinfect and fumigate the prison to support what the management of the prison did occasionally to ward off the disease. Inadequate water supply He said because the number of inmates was increasing, it had become necessary that water supply to the prisons was improved upon. DSP Nartey explained that the Sunyani Municipal Assembly had sunk one borehole to supplement the water supplied by the Ghana Water Company, which was not regular. He said the constant pressure on the borehole resulted in occasional breakdowns and that had made it very difficult to pump water to the various areas of the prison. While commending philanthropic organisations and individuals for their regular donations to the prison, DSP Nartey called on philanthropists and people with the means to go to the aid of the Sunyani Prison, particularly with items that offered protection against the COVID-19. He said as part of measures to ensure physical distancing within the various departments of the prison, the service had directed all expectant and lactating female prison officers to stay off work for a period. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday stressed the need of united efforts by all segments of the society including Ulema and Mashaikh to transform Pakistan into a true Islamic welfare state in line with the principles of Riasat-e-Madinah. "Turning Pakistan into Riasat-e-Madina is not like an on-off switch. It requires change of mindset a revolution in thinking and united efforts. Imran Khan cannot do it alone," the Prime Minister said while addressing the Ulema and Mashaikh conference here. He said that Pakistan was the only country in the world which was created in the name of islam. Ulema and Mashaikh also played important in that respect and stood with the Father of Nation Quad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the struggle for getting a separate homeland for Muslims of Subcontinent, he added. \more\932\867 Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Nierteti / El Fasher / Jebel Marra One person was killed and 10 people were injured in three separate violent robberies in Central and North Darfur on Saturday. One attacker was killed as well, several others were wounded. Adam Okarou told Radio Dabanga that gunmen driving a four-wheel-drive attacked Joint Forces in the Garani area, 11 kilometres from Nierteti, on Saturday evening. The attack left one of the gunmen dead. Three others were wounded. No troops from the Joint Forces were hurt. Okarou said that the dead and injured attackers were transferred to Zalingei, where the wounded were treated. The attack took place after the joint forces arrested a gunmen they caught looting a lorry in the Garani area on Saturday morning, Okarou said. Three gunmen intercepted the lorry eight kilometres from Garani and fired shots at the vehicle, causing it to overturn. This caused injuries to seven people. Three of them were transported to Nyala while a fourth was transferred to Golol. He explained that the families of the injured had filed a report with the Joint Forces in Garani. Nierteti In a separate incident on Saturday, a director of agricultural services was attacked while he was inspecting a project 10 kilometres southwest of Nierteti. They attackers, who were using sticks, injured three people: Adam Isa Haroun (48), the owner of the car rented by the director, Mohamed Adam (32), the project manager, and Hasan Tijani (30), an employee from the agricultural services. The attackers unsuccessfully tried to loot the car and steal the victim's mobile phones. Following the attack, the victims filed a report with the Nierteti police, and were taken to Nierteti Hospital for treatment. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. El Fasher Demonstrators blocked one of the main roads in the North Darfur capital El Fasher yesterday to protest against the killing of a farmer. The protest made it impossible for buses to leave the city. The protestors explained that the farmer, Mahdi Matar Idris, was stabbed to death by shepherds on his farm in the Arafana area, east of El Fasher on Saturday. The protestors demanded the arrest of the perpetrators, a discussion regarding livestock, and the evacuation of the government forces from the Jagoujagou area. The wali (governor) of North Darfur, Mohamed Arabi, said in a press statement that the Joint Forces managed to arrest three shepherds who are now under investigation. Jebel Marra The governor of South Darfur, Mousa Mahdi, said that fighting is taking place between the Kadoura and El Noun factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) in the eastern Jebel Marra area. Mahdi stated that the fighting led to the displacement of a large number of people and that the state has provided supplies and materials. He criticized the police and said that the director of police did not cooperate. He also praised the role of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in maintaining security in South Darfur. He said that the policies of the former regime regarding ownership of weapons are the main cause of the security problems in the state. Olivia Newton-John says those who criticize "Grease" and say it is sexist and lacking in diversity need to relax a little bit, according to comments she made on a recent podcast. The legacy of the 1978 film, which also starred John Travolta, has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the BBC aired the movie over the holidays in the U.K. Viewers complained of misogyny, racism and homophobia, according to Britain's The Times. Related: He originally danced with Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 classic Grease. Newton-John, 72, called those comments kind of silly in a recent interview on the Australian podcast "A Life of Greatness." "The movie was made in the 70s about the 50s," she said. "Its fun. Its a fun movie musical and not to be taken so seriously. I think everyone is taking everything so seriously. We need to relax a little bit and just enjoy things for what they are." Newton-John went on to say she doesnt view "Grease" in the way her critics do, and that its just a fun movie that entertains people. Thats all. Newton-John said she was initially reluctant to take on the role of the prim Sandy Olsson because she was not sure she could pull off playing a 15-year-old girl when she was 28. Hearing of her hesitation, the studio sent someone to convince her. They sent John Travolta to talk me into it, she said, recalling him walking up her driveway with his piercing blue eyes, intent on her taking the role. How can you resist that, right? she said. Newton-John and Travolta remain close, and she said "Grease" is one of the things holding their friendship together, saying the two of them shared something incredibly unique making that film that is still so loved. As for dealing with criticism during her career, Newton-John said she stopped reading articles and reviews that critiqued her work long ago, due to the suffering it caused her. I just kind of remove myself from that situation now, she said, and whats that saying? Its going to be tomorrows fish-and-chip paper, so just let it go. Moneycontrol, Indias leading financial news digital platform and CommsCredible, an integrated communications consultancy, have come together to partner with Grant Thornton Bharat, one of the largest fully integrated Assurance, Tax & Advisory firms in India, to launch Faces of Vibrant Bharat (FoVB), an initiative that tells stories of organisations making an impact on India's social fabric with their work at the grassroot level. In phase one, FoVB will tell stories of 52 sociopreneurs who are laying the foundation of India's emergence as a vibrant economy. This phase will culminate with a grand event that will bring together all the faces recognized under the initiative. The event will focus on an exchange of ideas for collaboration and learning through panel discussions, keynote presentations, networking sessions and much more. Commenting on the initiative, Vishesh Chandiok, CEO of Grant Thornton Bharat, said: "The current pandemic has highlighted the massive disparity in our society. It has also shown the potential of how a nation can progress when it comes together. Our whole objective of starting this initiative is to bring together India's sociopreneurs and give them a platform to connect, engage and inspire. We want to help these sociopreneurs bridge the business challenges so that Bharat (India) rises to achieve its goal of becoming a $10-trillion economy." Adding his views, Binoy Prabhakar, Editor of Moneycontrol, said: We are thrilled to partner Grant Thornton and CommsCredible to launch Faces of Vibrant Bharat (FoVB). As storytelling is at the heart of everything that we do, it is a pleasure to be associated with an initiative that tells the stories of people and organisations driving real change at the grassroots. Social entrepreneurs play a vital role to push through development in rural parts where the traditional entrepreneurial approach and textbook business solutions might not work. It will be interesting to hear the experiences of these sociopreneurs. Sharing his views on the initiative, Aman Dhall, founder of CommsCredible, said: "We are very pleased to partner with Grant Thornton Bharat and Moneycontrol on this very exciting initiative. We believe India is on a cusp of long-term change, and this coming decade will be led by the collective effort of these sociopreneurs. We are very happy that we are a partner in curating and sharing stories of these promising sociopreneurs." South Dakota Republican Bill Seeks to Nullify Biden Executive Orders A bill introduced in the South Dakota state legislature would grant the states attorney general the authority to determine whether President Joe Bidens executive orders are constitutional and potentially nullify them at the state level. The proposed legislation, which describes itself as an act to authorize the review of certain executive orders issued by the President of the United States, was sponsored by a group of 15 Republican lawmakers, including 2 state senators. If passed as written, the bill would allow the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council to review any executive order, which by nature requires no approval from Congress. Upon review, the Board may refer the order to the attorney general for further examination. The attorney general will then determine whether South Dakota should seek an exemption from the application of the order if deemed unconstitutional. According to the latest version of the bill, South Dakota should be able to exempt itself from any law and order that restricts a persons rights or that is determined by the attorney general to be unconstitutional if it falls into any of six specific categories. Those categories are laws related to a pandemic or other public health emergency; the regulation of natural resources; the regulation of the agricultural industry; the regulation of land use; the regulation of the financial sector through the imposition of environmental, social, or governance standards; and the regulation of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The legislative effort to potentially exempt South Dakota from the presidents executive orders comes after the decision to end the $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline project, part of the Biden administrations plan to address the climate crisis. According to the original plan, the 1,200-mile pipeline would cross South Dakota and deliver more than 830,000 barrels of oil each day from Alberta, Canada, to Nebraska, where it would connect existing facilities to reach the refiners on the Gulf coast. Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said last month that she was very disappointed about Bidens order to cancel the pipeline, which she called wrong policy on energy and the environment. This pipeline is not only just creating jobs and helps us secure an affordable energy supply, it also is safer for our environment, Noem said at a press conference. History has proven over and over again that the way we are transporting our energy supply today is compromised in many ways and it would be safer through a pipeline than on trucks and trains. British aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce said Monday that it will temporarily shut its jet engine factories for a fortnight this summer to combat a coronavirus-fuelled slump in demand. Rolls added in a statement that the move was part of its ongoing efficiency drive to counter chronic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has savaged global air travel. "As we continue to manage our cost base in response to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the whole commercial aviation sector, we are proposing a two-week operational shutdown of civil aerospace over the summer," the company said in response to media reports. "We understand that this will be disappointing to our colleagues and intend to reduce the impact on pay by spreading it across the year." Rolls-Royce, which will publish annual earnings in March, added it was holding talks with trade unions over the matter. "As part of the agreement reached with the union last summer, we agreed in principle to enter into negotiations about delivering a 10-percent productivity and efficiency improvement across our civil aerospace operations in the UK," it said. "We have now begun complex and constructive discussions with the union on how this can be achieved." Explore further Rolls-Royce UK staff strike over possible Singapore switch 2021 AFP LORAIN COUNTY -- The election filing deadline for the Lorain County May 4 primary was Feb. 3. Candidates made their decisions on running for election and cities decided on their issues for the ballot. For those who visit the Lorain County Board of Elections building at 1985 North Ridge Road East, Lorain, there is a nice surprise. The Ohio Secretary of State requested an update to the entrance, which now features a wider entryway with more sidewalks and a glass-enclosed entrance with ADA-compliant doors accessible by push buttons. There are two tax issues on the May 4 ballot: Avon Lake will be asking voters to renew a 2-mill ambulance and EMS levy. The City of Lorain is seeking a 1.7-mill renewal levy for their fire department. Here are the candidates seeking a spot on the November General Election ballot: Avon Lake City Council-at-Large -- Voters will choose no more than three among Zachary Arnold, Michelle Connors, Martin E. ODonnell and Karl C. Zuber. Avon Lake Ward 3, unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2023 -- Deanna M. Leitner and Mark A. Spaetzel. North Ridgeville City Council-at-Large -- Electors will vote for no more than three candidates for four-year terms: John Kevin McNulty (Democrat), Paul Wolanski (Democrat), Steve Ali (Republican), Georgia Awig (Republican), Bob Chapek (Republican), Martin DeVries (Republican), Christina Doran (Republican), Jason Jacobs (Republican) and James R. Maleski (Republican). The Lorain County Board of Elections will certify the issues and candidates on Feb. 11. The 2021 General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2. For questions, contact the Lorain County Board of Elections at 440-326-5900. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. WESTPORT A duplex fire displaced three people Sunday, officials said. Crews responded to the home on Bayberry Lane around 6:30 a.m. and found fire on the first and second floors and the attic. A working carbon monoxide detector alerted the second-floor residents to the fire, who then told those on the first floor to evacuate. All of the residents were outside by the time crews arrived, officials said. The Westport Fire Department responded with four engines, one ladder truck, one rescue truck and two shift commanders. They used two hoses to knock out the fire, officials said. Westport Police and EMS also responded and the Wilton and the Wilton and Fairfield fire departments covered the stations during the call. No injuries were reported. The fire was investigated by the Westport Fire Marshals Office. The Westport Fire Department reminds residents to have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on all floors of their homes. China will build the world's biggest dam in the Himalayas' foothills, where the ancient Yarlung civilization founded the first Tibetan Empire. China's state-owned media shared their plans for a 60-gigawatt mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in the Tibetan Autonomous Region in November last year (TAR). Beijing has now redoubled its efforts on its hydropower projects in Tibet to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, regardless of the criticism drawn because of the dams from Tibetan rights groups and environmentalists. Tenzin Dolmey, who was brought up among the Tibetan exiles in the Indian country and is now teaching Tibetan language and culture in Melbourne, had never set foot on the Tibetan Plateau. Still, she had been brought up with the tales of the great rivers and mountains that formed her ancestral home. "When we would swim in the rivers, we were told to never use it as a bathroom, because there are river gods in the water," she said. READ: Biden Announces US Will No Longer Be Involved in the Saudi-Yemen Conflict, To Pull Out US Support As the river represents the body of the goddess Dorje Phagmo, one of the highest incarnations in Tibetan culture, the Yarlung Tsangpo is of particular significance. Respect for this natural world was born from the Tibetan Plateau's unique ecosystem and dates back centuries, says Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, the head of Environment and Growth at the Tibetan Policy Institute. But since Tibet was annexed in 1950 by China, governed by Communist Party (CCP), Zamlha said that Tibetans had lost all words in what is happening on their land. "We had absolutely no dams before Chinese occupation, not because we were not able to harness it, but because we had immense respect for the nature of the rivers," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. "The Chinese will do anything to benefit their growth and this is very frustrating because Tibetans are not consulted." he continues. ALSO READ: Biden Does Not Want Trump To Receive Intelligence Briefings, Claims He Might 'Slip and Say Something' World's biggest dam by China in the rivers of Tibet. China's world's biggest dam will be built in The Yarlung Tsangpo. The river reaches heights of almost 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) above its sea level from its origin in western Tibet's glaciers. Its size makes it the highest river globally as it winds its way across the Himalayan mountain range. The river also plunges 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) into what is known as the Grand Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo, it creates a gorge more than twice the width of the United States' Grand Canyon. The precipitous fall makes it especially conducive to hydroelectric power collection. Still, experts have then warned that the record-breaking dam may have political and environmental implications. The mega-dam can produce up to three times the hydroelectric power of the current biggest dam in China, the Three Gorges, a project that has forced more than 1.4 million people to relocate. But the displacement of residents to make way for dam projects on the Yarlung Tsangpo is part of the development, with local media stating that almost 2,000 people were displaced in 2015 to create the Yagen Hydropower Station. According to the state-backed Global Times newspaper, the Yarlung Tsangpo dam will be installed in Medog County, which has a population of 14,000 people. READ MORE: House Democrats Pass Budget Resolution To Clear Path for Approval of Biden's $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Package @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. THIS week a Royal Navy nuclear powered submarine docked in Gibraltar. Immediately, environmentalists on the Spanish side of the border claimed that it was a floating bomb and it had come to Gibraltar to be repaired. Many years ago a Royal Navy submarine did come to Gibraltar to be repaired and quite rightly environmental concerns were expressed. But this was not the case with this submarine which sailed two days later. An Italian aircraft carrier had been scheduled to visit Gibraltar this week as well, but the visit was canceled as a result of pressure from the Spanish authorities. The Italian vessel will now go to a Spanish port. The authorities in Gibraltar have logged and registered scores of Spanish vessels which have entered Gibraltarian waters illegally. I think you can safely say that it was not a case of faulty navigation! While Spain is one of Britains principal allies and we are made exceptionally welcome here, I think it should reconsider its attitude towards Gibraltar. It is not really the way to behave, especially as thousands of Spaniards, work on the Rock. Britain, I dont think, will ever surrender sovereignty of Gibraltar until a majority of Gibraltarians ask to become part of Spain. I dont think it could be said that Spain is winning the battle for hearts and minds on Gibraltar with what could be described as its bully boy attitude.... The illegal incursions into Gibraltar waters are usually by Spanish warships, these same vessels serve alongside the Royal Navy in NATO. I think a change of attitude is needed. Spain needs to accept that things will not change as long as it continues with its present tactics. The only thing they are doing is making the pro-British element on the Rock even stronger. Leading Public Relations (PR) and Social Media agency, Crosshairs Communication has added one more brand in the list and bagged Indias first Clean Beauty Marketplace, Vanity Wagon. The brand will nourish the core expertise of Crosshairs Communication in beauty sector. Vanity Wagon is India's first and largest clean beauty marketplace. One of the finest information-oriented beauty marketplaces, that pledges to bring only toxin-free and natural beauty products to its consumers. Vanity Wagon believes in sustainable beauty and stands firm in its mission to educate the audience and deliver whats best for them. Founder of Crosshairs Communication, Stuti Jalan is thrilled about signing up with the brand Vanity Wagon, further she added Crosshairs Communication always looks forward to live up the expectations of the brands. At Crosshairs Communication, we believe firmly to address their communication goals, press coverage and image building for the brand and eagerly await the challenges and responsibilities that come in hand. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Bangkok: Myanmars military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis civilian government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Mondays military takeover. He did not say when the election would be held, but repeated claims that last Novembers poll, won by Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD), had been fraudulent. Myanmar nationals living in Thailand hold a picture denouncing Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a protest in front of the United Nations building in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit:AP In the capital Naypyitaw, crowds of protesters chanted anti-coup slogans and told police they should serve the people not the military, according to media and a live feed of events. Police turned water cannon on protesters and warned that they might use live fire if the demonstrators did not disperse, but the protests ended without bloodshed. Nissan began a field test of new mobility services as part of a partnership to promote future community building in Japan. The partnership agreement between three local governments and eight companies aims to develop new modes of transportation, and to promote the use of renewable energy, in the Hamadori area of Fukushima Prefecture. The overall goal is to help develop a revitalized, resilient and sustainable low-carbon community. The field operation tests are aimed at assessing receptiveness among residents and visitors to the community. The tests include operation of an EV shuttle service that runs in a loop around the central district of Namie town at a high frequency, using roadside stations as mobility hubs. The hubs connect to other vehicles, including personal vehicles, which serve as spokes and are used for travel to nearby areas. The service supports both passenger and cargo transport. It includes home delivery of packages using spoke vehicle such as EV taxis and utilizing Japan Post vehicles for efficient delivery, as well as roadside station pickup of purchases from supermarkets. The tests also include running an autonomous vehicle on a route around central Namie. The long-term vision is to create sustainable transportation services that offer convenience and contribute to the economy. To help create a sustainable, low-carbon community, the partnership initiative includes building an energy management system that uses electric vehicles and stationary rechargeable batteries. It also aims to enhance the use of renewable energy at various facilities. The participating companies will also use their know-how to support projects related to tourism and revitalization, aimed at creating a more attractive local community. Additionally, they plan to cooperate to make the community more resilient through the use of electric vehicles to supply power at stores and other sites during disasters. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX A pack of endangered Mexican gray wolves has become two. Two wolves and three of their pups were sent from the Phoenix Zoo to the El Paso Zoo in Texas last month in a bid to bolster the number of predators. Three other pups, all female, stayed in Phoenix, adjusting to an emptier den and establishing a new hierarchy, The Arizona Republic reported. They were a little skittish for the first day or two, but theyve settled in really well. Jade is emerging as the alpha female, followed by Luna then Scarlet, said Dawn Addelson, a carnivore keeper at the Phoenix Zoo. The Phoenix Zoo doesnt have a breeding pair anymore, but it plans to change the enclosure to make it appealing to a breeding female wolf, Addelson said. The other wolves were transferred under a cooperative breeding program aiming to help the Mexican gray wolf survive. Weve enjoyed having them at the Phoenix Zoo these past few years, but they are needed elsewhere to contribute to making the most genetically diverse matches to help support the ongoing genetic health of wild wolves, said Bert Castro, zoo president and CEO. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The five wolves transferred to Texas were placed in quarantine at the El Paso Zoo until the first week of February. Animal curator John Kiseda said he was hopeful they will have adjusted to their surroundings by the time the zoo reopens following a pandemic closure. We have to see how they react to the new space before they get put onto exhibit. We want to make sure theyre comfortable in their enclosure, Kiseda said. So far, theyve done well. Kiseda said he hopes the breeding pair will continue to reproduce so El Paso becomes home to a multigenerational pack. A subspecies of the Western gray wolf, the Mexican gray wolf was listed as endangered in 1976 after being pushed to the brink of extinction. From the 1960s to the 1980s, seven gray wolves believed to be the last of their kind were captured and a captive breeding program began. Since wolves started being released in the late 90s, the wild population has grown by an average of 15% in the past 10 years. The latest annual census of the species found 163 wolves in the wild 76 in Arizona and 87 in New Mexico. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :Researchers have developed a new method using artificial intelligence (AI) to counter emergent mutations of the coronavirus and speed up vaccine development to stop the pathogen responsible for killing thousands of people worldwide. The method developed by researchers at University of Southern California Viterbi school of Engineering in the US is easily adaptable to analyse potential mutations of the virus, ensuring the best possible vaccines are quickly identified solutions that give humans a big advantage over the evolving contagion. Their machine-learning model can accomplish vaccine design cycles that once took months or years in a matter of seconds and minutes, Medical Daily reported . "This AI framework, applied to the specifics of this virus, can provide vaccine candidates within seconds and move them to clinical trials quickly to achieve preventive medical therapies without compromising safety," said Paul Bogdan, Associate Professor at USC Viterbi and corresponding author of the study. "Moreover, this can be adapted to help us stay ahead of the coronavirus as it mutates around the world." When applied to SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes Covid-19 the computer model quickly eliminated 95 per cent of the compounds that could have possibly treated the pathogen and pinpointed the best options, said the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The AI-assisted method predicted 26 potential vaccines that would work against the coronavirus. From those, the scientists identified the best 11 from which to construct a multi-epitope vaccine, which can attack the spike proteins that the coronavirus uses to bind and penetrate a host cell. Vaccines target the region or epitope of the contagion to disrupt the spike protein, neutralising the ability of the virus to replicate. The method is especially useful during this stage of the pandemic as the coronavirus begins to mutate in populations around the world. Some scientists are concerned that the mutations may minimise the effectiveness of vaccines which are now being distributed. Recent variants of the virus that have emerged in the UK, South Africa and Brazil seem to spread more easily, which scientists say will rapidly lead to many more cases, deaths and hospitalisations. But Bogdan said that if SARS-CoV-2 becomes uncontrollable by current vaccines, or if new vaccines are needed to deal with other emerging viruses, then USC's AI-assisted method can be used to design other preventive mechanisms quickly. "The proposed vaccine design framework can tackle the three most frequently observed mutations and be extended to deal with other potentially unknown mutations," Bogdan said. Alieu Momar Njie, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), has revealed that Gambians who will turn eighteen years old by December 4th, 2021 will be registered as voters in the upcoming presidential election in 2021. "We are saying that everybody who is eighteen above or will be eighteen from December 4th will be allowed to come and register and will get his/her voter card on the spot," he said. Njie made the remarks on Thursday, 4th January, 2021 during the launching of the Open Society Forum The Gambia (OSFG) voter registration campaign. Chairman Njie said to register, one must have a birth certificate, ID card or passport, and those in urban Gambia can get any of these attestations from the Alkalolu or chiefs, likewise those in Greater Banjul Area. "Very soon we will be going all over the country for one and half month to make sure everybody is registered and get your voter card on the spot," he said. Commenting on the delay of voter registration, Chairman Njie said they are working hard to ensure the process is undertaken as soon as possible. "When we decide or know when the voter registration will take place, we will ensure that everybody is informed on time, because election starts with voting," he said. Njie said since last year, they programed to ensure those in the diaspora will vote. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said: "In our activities that we programed, it was to take place in July this year that we will go all over the world where most Gambians are to come and vote." Njie assured that with the help of government the diaspora will be part and parcel of the electoral system; not only to vote but be voted for as well. "There are plans to have those in the diaspora to be voted for into parliament in The Gambia like Senegal," he revealed. Njie also said having an informed electorate is a plus for any electoral activity, because it promotes public participation, transparency and confidence in the process. He promised that the IEC will continue to make the clarion call that "Election is the Business of All", therefore they called for the full collaboration of all stakeholders in the electoral process. Njie further assured that the commission would continue to serve the Gambian electorate efficiently and diligently. TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML) (NYSE: DNN) is pleased to announce its 2021 evaluation program plans for the Company's 90% owned Wheeler River Uranium Project ("Wheeler River" or the "Project"), including additional field testing activities to support the further de-risking of the application of the In-Situ Recovery ("ISR") mining method at the high-grade Phoenix uranium deposit ("Phoenix"). View PDF Version The Wheeler River Joint Venture ("WRJV") has adopted an approach to advancing the Project whereby completion of a formal Feasibility Study ("FS") would be coordinated with the submission of a final Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS"). This approach respects the interactive nature of the Environmental Assessment ("EA") consultation process, allowing for the integration of outcomes from environmental assessment, community consultation, and project design efforts. Our current objectives target initiation of the formal FS process in late 2021 and the submission of a draft EIS in early 2022. In support of these objectives, the WRJV approved a $24.0 million evaluation budget for 2021 (100% basis), which is highlighted by the resumption of the EA process, as well as the advancement of engineering studies, metallurgical testing, and field programs. Denison's share of the 2021 evaluation budget for Wheeler River, net of operator fee recoveries, is $19.4 million. This press release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated November 13, 2020 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated June 2, 2020. Highlights from Wheeler River 2021 Evaluation Program Resumption of EA process: Activities planned to support the EA process in 2021 include the progression of engagement activities, adapted to reflect COVID-19 protocols, to facilitate information sharing with interested parties. Advancing the EA process is also expected to involve the completion of various third-party technical studies and Provincial and Federal regulatory engagement ahead of the submission of a draft EIS, which is currently targeted for early 2022. Significant work programs in support of the EA process resumed in January. Activities planned to support the EA process in 2021 include the progression of engagement activities, adapted to reflect COVID-19 protocols, to facilitate information sharing with interested parties. Advancing the EA process is also expected to involve the completion of various third-party technical studies and Provincial and Federal regulatory engagement ahead of the submission of a draft EIS, which is currently targeted for early 2022. Significant work programs in support of the EA process resumed in January. Advancement of ISR field programs: The installation of a 5-spot Test Pattern ("Test Pattern"), consisting of commercial-scale wells ("CSWs"), is planned for Phoenix . The Test Pattern is expected to allow for the further evaluation and confirmation of the ore body's hydrogeological characteristics. Installation of the Test Pattern is also expected to support the finalization of the production well design pattern, confirm cost estimates and designs for the CSWs, validate permeability enhancement options, and provide the necessary datasets for permitting and set-up of a lixiviant test in 2022. The lixiviant test is expected to be a key de-risking milestone for the Project as it is intended to confirm technical feasibility, as well as verify the permeability, leachability, and containment parameters needed for the successful application of the ISR mining method at Phoenix . The 2021 field program is fully permitted, with all approvals received from the provincial government to commence work on site. The installation of a 5-spot Test Pattern ("Test Pattern"), consisting of commercial-scale wells ("CSWs"), is planned for . The Test Pattern is expected to allow for the further evaluation and confirmation of the ore body's hydrogeological characteristics. Installation of the Test Pattern is also expected to support the finalization of the production well design pattern, confirm cost estimates and designs for the CSWs, validate permeability enhancement options, and provide the necessary datasets for permitting and set-up of a lixiviant test in 2022. The lixiviant test is expected to be a key de-risking milestone for the Project as it is intended to confirm technical feasibility, as well as verify the permeability, leachability, and containment parameters needed for the successful application of the ISR mining method at . The 2021 field program is fully permitted, with all approvals received from the provincial government to commence work on site. Continuation of detailed ISR metallurgical testing: Extensive laboratory studies replicating the ISR process flowsheet are planned to test and optimize the mineral processing aspects of the Phoenix operation. Studies are expected to include additional core leach tests followed by uranium-bearing solution ("UBS") preparation, through column leaching, to allow for bench-scale tests planned to simulate each unit of operation in the process plant. Extensive laboratory studies replicating the ISR process flowsheet are planned to test and optimize the mineral processing aspects of the operation. Studies are expected to include additional core leach tests followed by uranium-bearing solution ("UBS") preparation, through column leaching, to allow for bench-scale tests planned to simulate each unit of operation in the process plant. Progression of engineering activities: Desktop and field investigations are planned to finalize specific Project details necessary for the EA and engineering inputs required to formally initiate the FS. Areas of investigation are expected to include site layout design and earthworks updates, electrical power studies, borrow pit investigation, geotechnical analysis, final ISR well designs and decommissioning plans. David Cates, Denison's President & CEO, commented, "Our Saskatoon-based technical team has made considerable progress towards de-risking the use of the ISR mining method at Phoenix since the Pre-Feasibility Study for Wheeler River was released in late 2018. The Company is well-funded for 2021, and has developed an ambitious evaluation program, which reflects a significant ramp-up of our technical and environmental activities. Our 2021 plans are focused on achieving Denison's goals of initiating a formal FS by late 2021 and submitting a draft EIS in early 2022 the completion of which are both important steps necessary for the Company to make a future development decision for Phoenix." David Bronkhorst, Denison's Vice President Operations, added, "Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Denison's technical team made significant progress de-risking critical elements of the Phoenix ISR project in 2020 notably through the independent confirmation of 'proof of concept', completion of another productive ISR field program, and the decision to adopt a freeze wall design for ISR mining at Phoenix. Building on these successes, we have developed a plan for 2021 that is designed to result in significant progress towards further de-risking the ISR mine plan for Phoenix including the installation of a 5-spot Test Pattern, and the completion of various detailed engineering and metallurgical test work programs." Resumption of Environmental Assessment process The Environmental Assessment is a key element of the Project's critical path. EA related activities are expected to include technical assessments and reviews associated with the preparation of the draft EIS. The technical assessments will evaluate the significance of the Project's potential effects on the biophysical environment, as well as human health and cultural heritage. Furthermore, a major component of the EIS will address both the beneficial and potentially adverse socio-economic and land use effects of the Project. In connection with advancing the EA process, activities in 2021 are also planned to include the progression of engagement efforts (adapted to reflect COVID-19 protocols) to facilitate information sharing with interested parties, and the continued collection of specific baseline environmental data to provide added continuity and integrity to the information collected through each phase of the project. Advancement of ISR field programs Additional field and laboratory work is planned in 2021 to further increase confidence and reduce risk in the application of the ISR mining method at Phoenix. The main objectives of the 2021 ISR field program are to further evaluate, confirm and model the hydrogeological characteristics of the Phoenix ore body, finalize the production well design pattern, confirm cost estimates and designs for CSWs, validate permeability enhancement options, and provide the necessary datasets for the permitting and preparation of a lixiviant test in 2022. The lixiviant test is expected to be a key milestone in the de-risking process intended to confirm technical feasibility and verify the permeability, leachability and containment parameters needed for the successful application of the ISR mining method at Phoenix. The 2021 field program is fully permitted, with all approvals received from the provincial government to commence work. The 2021 ISR field program is expected to have the following key components and objectives: Test Pattern: Installation of a 5-spot Test Pattern in the area identified as Phase 1 of the planned development sequence for Phoenix (see Denison's news release dated Dec. 1 , 2020). The Test Pattern will consist of five new CSWs and is designed to evaluate hydraulic conductivities and connections between wells (including GWR-032) spaced from 5 to 30 meters apart (see Figure 1). Permeability enhancement tools will be utilized to engineer a minimum level of hydrogeologic conductivity between the variably spaced wells. Subsequent conductivity will depend on the natural permeability of the ore body via the fracture/structure network. The variable spacing approach will provide valuable data that will allow for the continued evaluation of the natural hydrogeological conditions of the deposit and our ability to effectively engineer minimum levels of hydraulic conductivity, at different well spacing distances, using permeability enhancement tools. The data will be critical in optimizing the final wellfield design. Additionally, the Test Pattern will help finalize construction sequencing, cost estimates, and schedule for the installation of CSWs at Phoenix . Based on current designs, the Company estimates approximately 6.6 million pounds U 3 O 8 (7,717 tonnes at 39.2% U 3 O 8 , above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U 3 O 8 ) in Probable mineral reserves are contained within the expected operating perimeter of the Test Pattern (see Figure 1). These mineral reserves represent approximately 30% of the approximately 22.2 million pounds U 3 O 8 (37,242 tonnes at 27.1% U 3 O 8 , above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U 3 O 8 ) in Probable mineral reserves estimated within the boundaries of Phase 1. These estimates are derived as a direct subset of those reported in the Technical Report titled "Pre-feasibility Study for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada " dated October 30, 2018 with an effective date of September 24, 2018 . The key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral reserves herein remain unchanged. Installation of a 5-spot Test Pattern in the area identified as Phase 1 of the planned development sequence for (see Denison's news release dated , 2020). The Test Pattern will consist of five new CSWs and is designed to evaluate hydraulic conductivities and connections between wells (including GWR-032) spaced from 5 to 30 meters apart (see Figure 1). Permeability enhancement tools will be utilized to engineer a minimum level of hydrogeologic conductivity between the variably spaced wells. Subsequent conductivity will depend on the natural permeability of the ore body via the fracture/structure network. The variable spacing approach will provide valuable data that will allow for the continued evaluation of the natural hydrogeological conditions of the deposit and our ability to effectively engineer minimum levels of hydraulic conductivity, at different well spacing distances, using permeability enhancement tools. The data will be critical in optimizing the final wellfield design. Additionally, the Test Pattern will help finalize construction sequencing, cost estimates, and schedule for the installation of CSWs at . Based on current designs, the Company estimates approximately 6.6 million pounds U O (7,717 tonnes at 39.2% U O , above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U O ) in Probable mineral reserves are contained within the expected operating perimeter of the Test Pattern (see Figure 1). These mineral reserves represent approximately 30% of the approximately 22.2 million pounds U O (37,242 tonnes at 27.1% U O , above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U O ) in Probable mineral reserves estimated within the boundaries of Phase 1. These estimates are derived as a direct subset of those reported in the Technical Report titled "Pre-feasibility Study for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, " dated with an effective date of . The key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral reserves herein remain unchanged. Hydrogeological Tests: Hydrogeological pump and injection tests will occur before and after each CSW installation and will evaluate the effectiveness of permeability enhancement on an individual well basis within the deposit test area. After the hydrogeological tests are completed on individual wells, multi-day pump and injection tests and additional hydrogeological tests will be performed on the collective Test Pattern. These tests are intended to assess the Test Pattern's total permeability, and support an ongoing assessment of the ability of various permeability enhancement tools to normalize the varying levels of permeability associated with the natural fracture/structure network of the deposit. A full-scale tracer test is also planned for 2021, which is expected to support an assessment of the arrival time from a centre well ("injection well") to the outer ring wells ("recovery wells"). The test is expected to establish breakthrough times for each CSW and confirm sub-surface pathways, allowing for a more complete understanding of the hydrogeologic elements expected throughout Phase 1. All test work in 2021 will be conducted using site groundwater. Following the field tests, detailed hydrogeological and geochemical modelling of the test data will be carried out by various Qualified Persons ("QPs"). The hydrogeologic test work planned for 2021 is also expected to provide the necessary datasets for the design and permitting of a lixiviant test in 2022, which is expected to make use of the same Test Pattern installed during 2021. Hydrogeological pump and injection tests will occur before and after each CSW installation and will evaluate the effectiveness of permeability enhancement on an individual well basis within the deposit test area. After the hydrogeological tests are completed on individual wells, multi-day pump and injection tests and additional hydrogeological tests will be performed on the collective Test Pattern. These tests are intended to assess the Test Pattern's total permeability, and support an ongoing assessment of the ability of various permeability enhancement tools to normalize the varying levels of permeability associated with the natural fracture/structure network of the deposit. A full-scale tracer test is also planned for 2021, which is expected to support an assessment of the arrival time from a centre well ("injection well") to the outer ring wells ("recovery wells"). The test is expected to establish breakthrough times for each CSW and confirm sub-surface pathways, allowing for a more complete understanding of the hydrogeologic elements expected throughout Phase 1. All test work in 2021 will be conducted using site groundwater. Following the field tests, detailed hydrogeological and geochemical modelling of the test data will be carried out by various Qualified Persons ("QPs"). The hydrogeologic test work planned for 2021 is also expected to provide the necessary datasets for the design and permitting of a lixiviant test in 2022, which is expected to make use of the same Test Pattern installed during 2021. Monitoring Wells: The field program includes the installation of 11 monitoring wells ("MWs") in the Phase 1 area (see Figure 1). The MWs will surround the Test Pattern on all sides and above the ore zone. Sensors installed at varying depths, from 30 to 450 meters, will monitor pressure changes and the distribution of fluid flow above, along strike, and below the ore body during the various hydrogeological tests, pump and injection tests, and during the full-scale Test Pattern tracer test. The MWs will also help to define sub-aquifers and confirm the basement units as suitable aquitards for the purposes of finalizing the freeze wall design. Continuation of detailed ISR metallurgical testing As the Project advances towards the FS and as the EA progresses, advanced metallurgical work will be conducted to verify and optimize the metallurgical processing elements proposed for the Phoenix ISR mining operation. This work will support plant designs for the FS, and the technical assessments required for the EA, by providing accurate process flow diagrams, mass balance and waste stream information for all unit operations. Studies are expected to include additional core leach tests (see Denison news release dated Feb. 19, 2020) to verify the ISR mining process and the overall rate of recovery expected from the deposit. The tests involve the use of undisturbed core samples to assess metallurgical recovery while simulating in-ground conditions. The results of these tests are intended to confirm the lixiviant characteristics and the UBS head grade anticipated for Phoenix, thus facilitating the definition of the lixiviant composition required for the future lixiviant test and informing the anticipated UBS characteristics. Following the core leach tests, up to 3,000 litres of UBS will be generated through column leaching with the resulting solution utilized for a bench-scale testing program that is expected to consist of laboratory tests where each unit operation expected in the process plant will be simulated. Progression of engineering activities Numerous engineering activities are planned for 2021 focusing on obtaining and finalizing the specific project details necessary to support the EA process and the formal initiation of the FS. These studies include overall site layout and earthworks updates, electrical power studies to inform back-up generator and switchgear selection, borrow pit location selection, geotechnical analyses, final ISR well design, and decommissioning plans. The results of the 2021 field program are expected to inform a decision from the WRJV regarding the formal initiation of a FS during the second half of 2021. If approved, transitioning into the FS will mark the initiation of further engineering work in the areas of surface infrastructure, plant design, and ground freezing. About Wheeler River Wheeler River is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan including combined Indicated Mineral Resources of 132.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 (1,809,000 tonnes at an average grade of 3.3% U 3 O 8 ), plus combined Inferred Mineral Resources of 3.0 million pounds U 3 O 8 (82,000 tonnes at an average grade of 1.7% U 3 O 8 ). The project is host to the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, discovered by Denison in 2008 and 2014, respectively, and is a joint venture between Denison (90% and operator) and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited (10%). A PFS was completed for Wheeler River in late 2018, considering the potential economic merit of developing the Phoenix deposit as an ISR operation and the Gryphon deposit as a conventional underground mining operation. Taken together, the project is estimated to have mine production of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 over a 14-year mine life, with a base case pre-tax NPV of $1.31 billion (8% discount rate), Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 38.7%, and initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million. The Phoenix ISR operation is estimated to have a stand-alone base case pre-tax NPV of $930.4 million (8% discount rate), IRR of 43.3%, initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million, and industry leading average operating costs of US$3.33/lb U 3 O 8 . The PFS is prepared on a project (100% ownership) and pre-tax basis, as each of the partners to the Wheeler River Joint Venture are subject to different tax and other obligations. Further details regarding the PFS, including additional scientific and technical information, as well as after-tax results attributable to Denison's ownership interest, are described in greater detail in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Pre-feasibility Study for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated October 30, 2018 with an effective date of September 24, 2018. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Denison suspended certain activities at Wheeler River during 2020, including the EA process, which is on the critical path to achieving the project development schedule outlined in the PFS. While the EA process has resumed, the Company is not currently able to estimate the impact to the project development schedule outlined in the PFS, and users are cautioned against relying on the estimates provided therein regarding the start of pre-production activities in 2021 and first production in 2024. About Denison Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to the Wheeler River project, Denison's Athabasca Basin exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering over 250,000 hectares. Denison's interests in the Athabasca Basin also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV"), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest and Midwest A deposits, and a 66.9% interest in the J Zone and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake property. Each of Midwest, Midwest A, J Zone and Huskie are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill. Denison is engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Closed Mines group (formerly Denison Environmental Services), which manages Denison's Elliot Lake reclamation projects and provides post-closure mine care and maintenance services to a variety of industry and government clients. Denison is also the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride. Qualified Persons The technical information contained in this release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. David Bronkhorst, P.Eng, Denison's Vice President, Operations, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the applicable United States and Canadian legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential to'. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the planned scope, elements, and objectives of the 2021 evaluation program, including the EA process, ISR field programs, metallurgical testing and engineering activities; the results of the PFS and expectations with respect thereto; development and expansion plans and objectives, including plans for a feasibility study; and expectations regarding its joint venture ownership interests and the continuity of its agreements with its partners. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For example, the modelling and assumptions upon which the work plans are based may not be maintained after further testing or be representative of actual conditions within the Phoenix deposit. In addition, Denison may decide or otherwise be required to discontinue the 2021 Field Test or other testing, evaluation and development work at Wheeler River if it is unable to maintain or otherwise secure the necessary resources (such as testing facilities, capital funding, regulatory approvals, etc.) or operations are otherwise affected by COVID-19 and its potentially far-reaching impacts. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 13, 2020 or subsequent quarterly financial reports under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources and Probable Mineral Reserves: This press release may use the terms 'measured', 'indicated' and 'inferred' mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms have been prepared in accordance with the definition standards on mineral reserves of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum referred to in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Disclosure Standards ('NI 43-101') and are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, these terms are not defined under Industry Guide 7 under the United States Securities Act and, until recently, have not been permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'). 'Inferred mineral resources' have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. In addition, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve" and "probable mineral reserve" for the purposes of NI 43-101 differ from the definitions and allowable usage in Industry Guide 7. Effective February 2019, the SEC adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act and as a result, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources". In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, as required under NI 43-101. However, information regarding mineral resources or mineral reserves in Denison's disclosure may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies. Follow Denison on Twitter @DenisonMinesCo Figure 1: Plan Map Showing Location of Phoenix Deposit (Phase 1) ISR Test Pattern SOURCE Denison Mines Corp. Related Links http://denisonmines.com/s/Home.asp Botswana has agreed to help Liberia establish systems to help expand the country's diamond trade, according to a statement from the government's Executive Mansion in Monrovia, Tacy reported. Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama was in Liberia last week for a two-day working visit with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during which the two presidents discussed broad areas of cooperation, specifically including Liberia's diamond-mining sector. During a joint meeting with Liberian and Botswana cabinet officials, President Khama emphasized his country's willingness to help in whatever way it could, according to the Executive Mansion. As part of the cooperation, Liberia's Minister of Lands, Mines & Energy has been invited to visit Botswana to observe the country's supervisory systems of its upstream and downstream diamond sectors. President Sirleaf, who accepted an invitation from President Khama to pay an official visit to Botswana in the near future, said her country would be willing to learn "from the experience of Botswana" and endeavor to put into place structures to improve governance in all sectors of the country. Despite what the weather app on your phone might tell you, snow at the lowest elevations in northwest Oregon later this week is far from certain. While some weather apps showed snowflakes for every day between Thursday and early next week, forecasters at the National Weather Service said the region could see snow, or just freezing rain, or just plain old rain, or nothing at all. For Portland, there is just an insane amount of uncertainty in the models, said meteorologist Tyler Kranz. Some models keep Portland completely dry. Other models are much wetter but come with temps too mild for snow. The uncertainty stems from a large mass of frigid Arctic air heading south toward the United States. Last week, forecasters thought the bulk of this air would fall east of the Rocky Mountains, but more recent models are showing some of that air making it into the Pacific Northwest. Kranz said it is entirely possible the cold air mass could shift farther west than originally predicted, butting up against the east side of the Cascades and funneling east winds through the Columbia River Gorge. But for the Portland area to get snow, that cold air will need to meet up with moisture at the right time and temperature. Will snow levels drop below 500 feet? Thats the big question, Kranz said, noting that some models called for no precipitation at all while others showed freezing rain in places like Troutdale and Camas, but not much else. I cant say theres no chance of accumulating snow, but its a small chance given all the other possibilities. What is certain, Kranz said, is that colder temperatures are on the way along with stronger winds. Beyond that, he encouraged Portland-area residents to keep an eye on the forecast. By Wednesday, we should have a better idea for what kind of precipitation were looking at, Kranz said. Well just have to wait and see. -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. A picture taken at a police station by noted Russian photographer Dmitry Markov, which turned into an online symbol of the mass rallies in support of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, has been sold for 2 million rubles ($26,800). Markov wrote on Facebook over the weekend that the picture showing a riot-police officer sitting at a desk with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin hanging on the wall behind him had been sold at an online auction to a person, whom he named only as Yekaterina. According to Markov, the money will be given to two groups focusing on the rights of protesters in the country -- OVD-Inform and Apology of Protest. Markov took the picture when he was detained along with hundreds of protesters on February 2 and taken to the police station in Moscow. On that day, a court in Moscow found Navalny guilty of violating the terms of his suspended sentence relating to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The court converted the sentence to 3 1/2 years in prison. Given credit for time already spent in detention, the court said the Kremlin critic would have to serve 2 years and 8 months behind bars. The ruling sparked protests across the country, with more than 1,400 people being detained by police on February 2. Speaking to RFE/RL earlier last week, Markov said that his picture was "very illustrative." "To get a full idea [of the picture] it would be great to see people who were sitting in front of that riot-police officer. There were young people, some around 25 years old, and the [police officer] is obviously close to 50. And he is ashamed, he is afraid to show his face, he is wearing a balaclava indoors even though it was very hot there," Markov said, adding that one could feel that the officer was scared. Navalny was arrested at a Moscow airport on January 17 upon his arrival from Germany, where he was being treated for a poison attack in Siberia in August, for which he blamed the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied any involvement. The 44-year-old opposition politician's arrest has sparked mass protests across Russia. Boris Johnson has ordered a probe into attempts by far-left activists to 'hijack' movements such as Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion. Bosses behind the investigation say they will look at the impact of 'progressive extremism' on cause groups - something described as a current 'blind spot' by those leading the probe. As well as the far-left, the investigation will also cover far-right extremism. It is being launched following concern among ministers about 'unacceptable behaviour' linked to political causes, according to the Daily Telegraph. Former Labour MP John Woodcock, who now sits in the House of Lords as Lord Walney, will lead the investigation. Lord Walney, who is now an unaffiliated peer, told the Telegraph that Britain must heed the warning signs in America, where far-right protesters stormed the US Capitol building last month. But he named the hard-left Socialist Workers Party (SWP) as one of the groups to have had 'success' at infiltrating high profile causes. Boris Johnson has ordered a probe into attempts by far-left activists to 'hijack' movements such as Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion. Pictured: People gather in Trafalgar Square last year for a Black Lives Matter rally Bosses behind the investigation say they will look at the impact of 'progressive extremism' on cause groups - something described as a 'blind spot' by those leading the probe. Pictured: People gather London last year for a Black Lives Matter rally He told the paper: 'We must be vigilant against a similar blind spot in Britain to the prospect of progressive extremism - that is, unacceptable disruption or even violence carried out in the name of progressive causes to which the political establishment and large majority of the population have great sympathy, like climate change and racial injustice.' Lord Walney told the Telegraph there is a significantly bigger problem with far-right extremism compared to the far-left. Former Labour MP John Woodcock, who now sits in the House of Lords as Lord Walney, will lead the investigation However he said Britons were much better at 'seeing through' attempts by the far-right to gain public support. Lord Walney also told the Telegraph that politicians were more likely to show support for groups such as Unite Against Fascism - who are alleged to have links with the Socialist Workers Party. He added: 'I want to look at the way anti-democracy, anti-capitalist far-Left fringe groups in Britain like the Socialist Workers Party tend to have much more success hijacking important causes ... than the far-Right, and the harm that may do.' It comes amid concern that hard-left groups such as the SWP infiltrated the Black Livers Matter group during protests last summer. Gary McFarlane, a prominent member of the (SWP), was pictured at a Hyde Park protest as Star Wars actor John Boyega gave a speech to crowds. Mr McFarlane has been described as a 'hard-left firebrand' who called an injured policewoman 'stupid' and condoned shooting racist police officers. The activist, who has appeared on Russia Today (now RT), has previously been described as part of the Black Lives Matter group. BLM UK have always denied links to the SWP. In a statement last year, they said: 'None of the leadership of BLM are, or have ever been members of the SWP. 'Any groups which are part of SWP and claim to be part of BLM have nothing to do with us.' Meanwhile, organisations who backed the Black Lives Matter movement have moved to distance themselves from BLM UK, who have previously criticised Israel and have called on the British government to 'defund the police'. Extinction Rebellion, meanwhile, were last year described as a 'key threat' in a counter-terrorism assessment carried out by City of London police. Extinction Rebellion meanwhile were last year described as a 'key threat' in counter-terrorism assessment carried out by City of London police. Pictured: The group 'occupied' Oxford Circus with a boat in 2019 The force grouped environmental protest movement alongside 'far-right organisations' in an assessment of its counter-terrorism operations, seen by the Guardian. The group have carried out a spate of non-violent - but often highly disruptive - protests over the last three years. More than 300 people were arrested during a single day of climate change protests in central London last September, in which bridges were blocked and protesters glued themselves to parts of buildings. The group also 'occupied' large areas of central London in 2019, including Oxford Circus, where a pink boat was used to block off the busy road. MailOnline has attempted to contact the SWP, UAF, BLM UK and Extinction Rebellion for comment. In a statement, Extinction Rebellion said: 'The Home Secretary has tried labelling us as violent extremists before and it didnt fool anyone. 'So as a nonviolent movement that is open to anyone, wed like to make sure John Woodcock has our number. 'Will he be calling up one of the thousands of grandparents, parents and kids who are exercising their democratic right to protest? 'It feels slightly absurd that yet more public money is being put into useless party political projects rather than on the real crises we are facing.' A spokesperson for the Socialist Workers Party said: 'John Woodcock, a peer in the House of Lords, is to head up a review that lumps together left wing groups such as the SWP with the far right. 'Far right groups use violent street movements to push their racist agenda against Muslims, migrants and refugees. They peddle antisemitism. 'The SWP is involved in anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigns, Black Lives Matter, support for Palestine and the movement demanding action on climate change. There is no comparison with the far right. 'The SWP has not hijacked these campaigns. Our members across Britain are involved in local and national initiatives like these that fight for social justice. We do this alongside other socialists, trade unionists, MPs and campaigners. With a world in crisis - from pandemic to climate change to the rise of the far right - these campaigns on the ground are crucial to defeating the right and fighting for a better world. We are proud to be part of them. 'And we also fight for a socialist world instead of the chaos and destruction of capitalism.' The findings of the investigation will be sent to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Priti Patel in May. In his speech to the diplomat corps accredited to the Vatican, Francis spoke of the consequences of the epidemic. The health crisis and the fair distribution of vaccines. The crisis of democracy and the coup in Myanmar. The economic crisis and the Next Generation EU plan. The increase in migrants and illegal rejections. Respect for religious freedom. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Solidarity and, even more, "fraternity" is the response that Pope Francis indicates to overcome the many crises healthcare, economic, political, social, educational and above all human - created by the pandemic that has dramatically demonstrated the interdependence of the different parts of the world, despite the persistent differences between rich and poor countries. The pandemic was at the centre of Pope Francis long and articulate speech addressed this morning to the representatives of the 183 States - to which the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta must be added - which have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Francis recalled the extension "for another two years, of the validity of the Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops in China, signed in Beijing in 2018. The agreement is essentially pastoral in nature, and the Holy See is confident that the process now begun can be pursued in a spirit of mutual respect and trust, and thus further contribute to the resolution of questions of common interest." The speech on the consequences of the pandemic + was also an opportunity to recall particular situations, from Myanmar - where "the path to democracy undertaken in recent years was brusquely interrupted by last weeks coup detat" - to Syria and Lebanon - which "risks losing its identity and finding itself caught up even more in regional tensions"- from the Holy Land where "Mutual trust between Israelis and Palestinians must be the basis for renewed direct dialogue"- to the" deterioration of relations in the Korean Peninsula , from the persistence of "smouldering conflicts" in the southern Caucasus to that in Libya. Naturally, the analysis of the "crises" started with healthcare. The pandemic, in the words of Francis, highlighted the "of the value of life, of every individual human life and its dignity, at every moment of its earthly pilgrimage, from conception in the womb until its natural end. It is painful, however, to note that under the pretext of guaranteeing presumed subjective rights, a growing number of legal systems in our world seem to be moving away from their inalienable duty to protect human life at every one of its phases. Hence the affirmation that healthcare cannot be guided by economic criteria and the renewed demand for an equitable distribution of vaccines, which are not reserved for rich countries. Francis observed however that Earth is also suffering. The environmental crisis has shown itself, in particular, with the effects of climate change, with dramatic consequences such as "the floods in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, which have caused many deaths and left entire families without means of subsistence. Covid-19 has also caused an economic crisis, with unemployment, poverty and human exploitation. Francis said that this crisis " provides a helpful opportunity to rethink the relationship between individuals and the economy. There is need for a kind of new Copernican revolution that can put the economy at the service of men and women, not vice versa. In a word, a different kind of economy: one that brings life not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it. "Common and shared initiatives are also needed at the international level, especially to support employment and protect the poorest sections of the population", such as "the allocation of funds proposed by the Next Generation EU initiative". Francis renewed his request to " forgiving, or at least reducing, the debt that burdens the poorer countries and effectively prevents their recovery and full development " and also the consideration that economic sanctions " which, more often than not, affect mainly the more vulnerable segments of the population rather than political leaders. Another consequence of the economic crisis was also the increase in the number of migrants which " increase in migrants who, as a result of the closing of borders, had to resort to ever more dangerous travel routes. This massive flow also met with a growing number of illegal refusals of entry, frequently employed to prevent migrants from seeking asylum, in violation of the principle of non-refusal (non-refoulement). Many of those who did not die while crossing seas and other natural borders were intercepted and returned to holding and detention camps, where they endure torture and human rights violations. "Far deeper" than the other crises is the "political and democratic" one. It is highlighted by " the increase in political conflicts and the difficulty, if not actually the inability, to seek common and shared solutions to the problems afflicting our world. This has been a growing trend, one that is becoming more and more widespread also in countries with a long tradition of democracy. " Vitalizing democracies is a challenge in the present historic moment, one that directly affects all states, whether small or large, economically advanced or in the process of development." The political crisis has effects also at the international level, even if "there are still encouraging signs, such as the entry into force, a few days ago, of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the extension for another five-year period of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Lastly, "the most serious: the crisis of human relationships, the expression of a general anthropological crisis, which concerns the very conception of the human person and his transcendent dignity". In this regard, Francis stressed that The need to halt the spread of the virus has also had implications for a number of fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, restricting public worship and the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. It must be recognized, however, that religion is a fundamental aspect of the human person and of society, and cannot be eliminated. Even as we seek ways to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, we cannot view the spiritual and moral dimension of the human person as less important than physical health. Freedom of worship, furthermore, is not a corollary of the freedom of assembly. It is in essence derived from the right to freedom of religion, which is the primary and fundamental human right. This right must therefore be respected, protected and defended by civil authorities, like the right to bodily and physical health. For that matter, sound care of the body can never ignore care of the soul." 2021 - concluded the Pope - is a time that must not be wasted. And it will not be wasted if we can work together with generosity and commitment. In this regard, I am convinced that fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us. Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in todays world. (FP) Concerned Gambians from diverse backgrounds dubbed "Open Society Forum The Gambia" (OSFG) have launched voter registration campaign amid the upcoming 4th December 2021 presidential election. The launching marks the beginning of the sensitization program that will actively encourage citizens to register and exercise their franchise. The ceremony took place on Thursday, 4th February, 2021 at the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, Kanifing. Aminta John-Wadda, President for Open Society Forum The Gambia (OSFG) said their group is a non-partisan and inclusive organization that advocates for citizens to participate in the democratic dispensation process of the country. She remarked: "This is a historical event since it is not led, directed or encouraged by any political group, but by concerned Gambians who see the need to encourage youths and the dispirited to participate in the selection of their leaders." She said in any participatory democracy, voting is a civic duty and a constitutional right whereby citizens do exercise their fundamental rights in electing their officials to serve them in various capacities. "We aim to support women, youths, marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens in various communities to exercise their franchise," she said. Alieu Momar Njie, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Chairman, said the campaign is timely considering the forthcoming voter registration and other key electoral activities that IEC plans to roll out soon. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Such a forum is very important as it would enable voter education personnel to effectively take on their roles and responsibilities," he said. Chairman Njie said the IEC has an open-door policy and it would be pleased to collaborate with all other partners and stakeholders in the electoral process. "It is also important to take note of the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic and take necessary measures to protect yourself and others," he said. Yusuf Taylor, Youth Representative, said registering every single Gambian that will turn 18 years by December 4th 2021, is not a small task and they need to mobilize all the resources they can to achieve success in this venture. Taylor thus urged all Gambians to spend time now to search for their official documents and ensure that they get the right resources together so that every eligible voter is registered and not left behind. Banka Manneh, Diaspora Representative, urged the IEC to ensure they use everything in their powers to enfranchise the diaspora so that they can vote. The strain on the unity and relationship of Pangu Pati parliamentarians in Morobe province has become obvious, with Morobe Governor and Deputy Party leader, Ginson Saonu, attacking the government of Prime Minister and Pangu Pati leader, James Marape, and challenging his Morobe MPs. Governor Saonu also announced his initiation of court proceedings against the government and the developer of Wafi Golpu Joint Venture, and taking a swipe at the nine MPS for not listening and adhering to the growing call from within the province not to accept Deep Sea Tailing Place, as part of the mine. The governor was accompanied by executives of the partys provincial branch, who also called on their parliamentarians in Lands and Physical Planning Minister and Lae MP, John Rosso, National Planning and Monitoring Minister and Finschaffen MP, Reinbo Paita, Tewai-Siassi MP Dr Kobby Bomareo and Nawaeb MP Kennedy Wenge, to come out and support the position of Governor Saonu. It is now obvious that most of the nine MPs from Morobe province and especially the four Pangu Pati MPs, are not in support of the position of Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu against the Deep Sea Tailings Placement or DSTP system, which has been accepted following the signing of the Environmental Permit by the national government. Governor Saonu was the first Morobe MP to come out in opposing the DSTP, which is the wish of most of the people and rural communities, and up until now, only Nawaeb MP, Kennedy Wenge is the only one also opposing the DSTP system. Governor Saonu has warned that politics, the upcoming 2022 National General Elections and money can destroy leaders in Morobe province and in the process compromise the livelihood of the people and admitted that his speaking against his own members and government by halting the project in a court proceeding, could cost him his political career. The Pangu Pati Morobe branch will host a forum for all Morobe MPs to make known their position in public to the people of Morobe. NBC News / PNG Today Next : One new COVID-19 case reported - PNG total cases at 867 NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carolina Campbell has been appointed managing director to lead the Context Family Network (CFN), a network of single-family offices and family enterprises. She will join the company in February, be based in Los Angeles and report to Eric Noll, Context Chief Executive Officer. "Carolina's extensive background in investment banking and success fostering growth among entrepreneurial founders make her a natural to grow Context Family Network. She will provide the leadership and expertise needed to serve our network of single-family offices and family enterprises," Eric Noll commented. CFN members will continue to connect with global peers, family offices, and family enterprises across industries in a safe and protected environment. Campbell Background Campbell is an accomplished leader with two decades of experience in business development, C-suite management, sales, marketing, and scaling revenue models in various verticals. Before joining Context, Campbell was a managing director and partner at Evercore ISI where she managed an outsourced Investor Relations team supporting 1,000+ corporate issuers across 15 industry verticals. Her team advised clients through deal transactions and capital raising, which ultimately led to creating and maintaining strategic shareholder bases. She is also the founder of Illuminate Consulting Group, an outsourced CFO/COO firm working with mid-stage, revenue positive, growth founders raising capital to scale their business to the next level. Campbell graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. About Context Family Network Context Family Network (CFN) is the exclusive networking and membership group for established family offices, executive, and family members worldwide. Members have access to online and in-person networking and collaboration and Context 365, a global app and community where members can access family offices peers, market intelligence, and top-performing fund managers across asset classes. To learn more and join the Context community, please visit www.context365.com. Follow us: LinkedIn Twitter SOURCE Context Summits LLC Related Links https://www.context365.com China appears to have stripped millions of Hong Kongers of legal protections by declaring it will no longer recognise dual British nationality. The UK Foreign Office warned Monday that citizens who enter Hong Kong on a British passport 'may be treated as a Chinese citizen by local authorities' and may not be entitled to consular assistance if they are arrested. It comes amid a crackdown on pro-democracy dissenters by Beijing which has seen critics rounded up, amid fears they could be sent to mainland China for trial. It also appears to defy the Joint Declaration which governed the 1997 transfer of power from Britain to China, which says foreign travel documents will be recognised. Britain has warned that holders of overseas passports will not get consular assistance if they are arrested in Hong Kong as authorities said they no longer recognise dual nationals Beijing has long refused to recognise dual nationality of its own citizens, forcing them to renounce citizenship of China in order to acquire a foreign passport. The same law also technically applied in Hong Kong, though until now diplomats had routinely been given access to dual nationals in detention. Warnings by the Foreign Office issued on Monday raised fears among diplomats that this would not be the case in future. It comes amid a spat between the UK and Beijing over the status of overseas citizen passport holders. In July last year, the UK said it would grant a path to full citizenship to any of the passport holders after China extended its authority over Hong Kong using a draconian security bill which has since been used to stifle free speech and protest. It is thought that 5.4million Hong Kongers qualify for British overseas citizen passports, and there are around 400,000 currently in use. The US and Canada have also protested in recent weeks that dual nationals are being required to choose between their Chinese and foreign nationalities. The move to strip millions of legal rights comes amid a crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, which saw newspaper owner Jimmy Lai (pictured) arrested under security laws 'We have deep concerns that this new Hong Kong policy will compel people to declare their citizenship under duress and without an opportunity to understand the full implications of the declaration, and is ripe for abuse by law enforcement,' the US State Department said. Hong Kong was officially recognised as an independent territory of China after Britain handed over control in 1997, with additional freedoms granted to citizens over and above those on the mainland. But China has been slowly exerting more control over the territory in recent years, facing off against sometimes violent protesters in the process. Last year, in a major power-grab, it passed security laws which extend its legal jurisdiction over Hong Kong and allow possible life sentences for those accused of undermining Chinese authorities, among other things. Critics said the laws would be used to stifle free speech and foreshadowed a wider assault on public freedoms, calling it 'the end of Hong Kong'. Since then a number of people have been charged under the law including newspaper owner Jimmy Lai, owner of Apple Daily which is a fierce critic of Beijing. Lai, who is currently languishing in jail after being repeatedly denied bail, is charged with collusion with foreign forces. By Matthew Frankel Montclair is in a state of chaos. The towns school district was forced last week to cancel its in-classroom opening when the local teachers union chose not to show up to school at the last minute. Now, both sides, the superintendent and the teachers, are in court. Prior to the escalation, my wife and I determined that it would be safer if our kids continued with the remote learning option. However, all of us need to respect that many parents in Montclair disagree and want school doors opened. This conversation is occurring in almost every school district right now. What makes Montclair unique is that its mayor, Sean Spiller, happens to also be the vice president of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the teachers union, the most powerful special interest group in the state. Spillers loyalty to the NJEA is easily understood. As the second-highest officer of the NJEA, Spiller has a fiduciary duty to advance the interests of his union. His union members dues have also brought him millions of dollars in salary and funded his political campaigns in Montclair. Regarding in-school learning, Spiller has publicly taken his unions position that vaccinations remain the only way to guarantee safety, which is in opposition to Montclairs superintendent, the school board and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Spillers alignment with his union has worsened the situation, giving political cover to Montclairs local teachers to execute extreme tactics previously unseen in our community. While I understand the teachers cause, in fact, I agree with it, not showing up to work at the last minute, without warning, is not the answer to this problem. Isnt it interesting that Spiller does not want in-person learning because of COVID-19 but seemed to have no concerns with in-person fundraising? In the fall, Spiller attempted to organize an in-person fundraiser for a dark money political group. And, as seen, yet again last week, Spiller has shown that his fiduciary responsibility to NJEA far out-weigh the many diverse voices of Montclair. I have never met Sean Spiller. I have tried, as part of a group of Montclair parents. A few years ago, Spillers conflict of interest first reared its head after he successfully lobbied to serve on the towns Board of Estimates, which oversees the budget, most of it going directly to members of the union he serves. Unfortunately, after Montclair families shared their concern, Spiller refused to engage and the issue led to yet another lawsuit. In the end, state Superior Court Justice threw Spiller off the board, citing an undeniable and disqualifying conflict of interest. After this ruling, I again tried to reach Spiller, hoping to find common ground. He ignored the request and chose to publicly slam parents who agreed with the judge, stating it was straight out of the right-wing playbook. As a life-long Democrat, who started walking door-to-door for the party when I was 11 years old and eventually worked in the White House for a Democratic president and the U.S. Capitol for the House Democratic leader, this made me shake my head in disgust. Most recently, Montclair is once again seeing the Spiller playbook in full form. In addition to his support of the Unions position on in-school learning, he continues to show little respect for other sides. When asked last week by the Montclair Local, to respond to this conflict-of-interest issue, Spiller termed the concern as neoconservative. While a catchy word, it did not go unnoticed that neo-conservativism advocates for the promotion of interventionalist in international affairs. The mayor also attempted to challenge the journalistic integrity of the Montclair Local by launching a ridiculous conspiracy theory that the question was motived by the newspapers Board of Trustees, where I serve as a volunteer. It should be noted that board members have nothing to do with the papers editorial decisions and the paper has a clear editorial independence policy. It also should be noted, that once again, as he has always done, Spiller never answered the question. Spillers true loyalties and how they affect decisions concerning Montclairs children are legitimate concerns, as is his long track record of ignoring and minimizing dissenting voices. Instead of following the Trump example of conspiracy theories, siding only with those who fund him, and demonizing those who disagree with him, I hope Spiller will one day follow the lead of Joe Biden. Rather than more lawsuits, Montclair would be a far better place if Spiller was transparent in his beliefs, showed interest in different points of view, and built relationships and respect with all the people in the town he serves. Matthew Frankel lives in Montclair, serves on the board of the Montclair Local newspaper and is the founder and CEO of MDF Strategies. He and his wife have two children in Montclair Public Schools. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. KYODO NEWS - Feb 8, 2021 - 21:43 | World, All China is expected to appoint Wang Yajun, a senior official of the ruling Communist Party, as the nation's new ambassador to North Korea, succeeding incumbent Li Jinjun, a diplomatic source said Monday. Given that North Korea has cut off traffic to and from China since early last year amid lingering fears that the novel coronavirus could intrude into the country, it remains to be seen when Wang, 51, will assume office. The replacement of China's ambassador would come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the congress of the ruling Workers' Party in January, expressed eagerness to deepen relations with other socialist nations such as China. All eyes are on whether China will attempt to get closer to North Korea, as their ties with the United States have shown little sign of improving soon even after Joe Biden became the new U.S. president last month. Beijing, Pyongyang's most influential ally, has been at odds with Washington over several issues including trade, state-of-the-art technology and alleged human rights abuses, while U.S.-North Korea talks on denuclearization and sanctions relief have been stalled. Wang is currently serving as deputy head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Li, 64, was tapped as China's ambassador to North Korea in 2015. On Monday, meanwhile, North Korea marked the 73rd anniversary of the founding of its army. The Rodong Sinmun of the Workers' Party said in its editorial, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency in English, that the country's army has become the "strongest elite revolutionary army which is capable of smashing up any forces of aggression at a blow." Earlier in the day, citizens and military personnel laid flowers and bowed in front of giant statues of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il, the former leader who died in 2011, on Mansu Hill in the heart of Pyongyang. With North Korea's trade with its neighbors, China and Russia, plunging against a backdrop of the pandemic as well as powerful typhoons and flooding, concerns have been mounting that its citizens have not received adequate daily necessities. ==Kyodo Xiaomi announced the first Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone back in December, the Mi 11, but the phone was exclusive to the Chinese market until today. The company is hosting its global launch event for its Mi 11 smartphone and the event itself will kick off at 2PM UTC. While the specs sheet is already known, we are still waiting on availability dates and, of course, prices. Last week a report claimed that the base Mi 11 variant in Europe will ask 799. We will know if that is true soon in the next hour or so. While exploring Mayan ruins and lost cities in the jungles of Guatemala, I emerged from a dense forest one day in search of something truly elusive: a Wi-Fi network. The year was 2006. I was with my wife and two sons on the trip of a lifetime, going from one Mayan site to another across five countries over six weeks. I wasnt on vacation. I worked during the entire trip. At the time, I was writing a weekly opinion column for Computerworld, with consulting work on the side. I decided as an experiment to tell neither my editor nor my clients that I would be traveling. I wanted to conduct an experiment to see if they would even notice that I was abroad. (Spoiler: They didnt.) With a deadline imminent, I really needed that internet connection. After trudging through a forest from the village where we were staying to a small town rumored to have a hotel, I found it: a run-down building with Hotel hand-painted on it, with a metal table and two chairs beside the structure more or less in the dirt road. More importantly, I checked my phone and there it was: Wi-Fi! (In that place in those days, Wi-Fi was rare, but if you could find it, there was never a password involved.) I sat down, logged in, sent my column and breathed a sigh of relief. Sweltering in the Central American humidity and swatting away mosquitos, I didnt know at the time that I was living in the future. The rise of remote work When the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rush to remote work in early 2020, it merely accelerated an existing trend. The rise in remote work didnt exist in a vacuum. It was part of a larger trend toward the rise of flexible work, where many computer-using professionals found themselves working at times off-site and after-hours. The importance of flex work became well established in the past five years. LinkedIns Global Talent Trends 2019 report found a 78% increase in LinkedIn job posts referencing flexible work between 2016 and 2018. Remote work itself in the US rose by 173% between 2005 and 2018, according to March 2020 data from Global Workplace Analytics. Flex work and remote work are part of the same phenomenon. But when the pandemic hit, what had been a slow trend became an overnight one. And large-scale remote work appears to be here to stay. The numbers tell a compelling story. A report from AngelList and Buffer published last February found that nearly all (98%) of the 3,500 global remote workers it surveyed would prefer to work remotely, at least part-time, for the rest of their working lives. Employees who work remotely prefer it so much that 29% would quit if they had to go back to the office, according to a recent survey by LiveCareer. Owl Labs found in its 2020 State of Remote Work US report that allowing remote work reduces employee turnover on average by 25%. Dont look now, but tomorrows remote work wont look even remotely similar to todays. Its time for businesses of all sizes, C-suite executives, and IT professionals to understand the consequential and surprising future of remote work. After the rush to remote work, what comes next? What flex work and remote work have in common is that they both emerged in the context of a historically new reality a digital technology-enabled disconnection between work and location, and between work and time. The pandemic work-from-home trend proved once and for all that work doesnt always need to be done in an office or during office hours. This decoupling coincides with several other trends that will fundamentally change the nature of remote work. These trends are: A reduced desirability of cities because of the pandemic and fears of future pandemics. A reduced desirability of cities because of a decades-long rise in the cost of urban living. A reduction in the cost of solar energy, which is now the cheapest form of energy, according to the International Energy Agency. The coming revolution in satellite internet. The rise of ride-sharing companies like Uber and home-sharing companies like Airbnb. The global rise in incentives designed to lure remote workers. Because of the confluence of these trends, remote workers will increasingly become extremely remote workers, choosing to live in rural or wilderness locations, in nomadic scenarios where they dont live in any one place, or even in just one country. The digital nomad movement In 1997, a Hitachi executive named Tsugio Makimoto predicted that in the future, mobile technology would enable people to go anywhere in the world and keep working, enjoying the benefits of a New York salary and a Chiang Mai cost of living. In fact, it didnt really work out that way. The overwhelming majority of digital nomads today arent regular full-time salaried employees. They tend to be freelancers and entrepreneurs, working in a narrow range of jobs mainly software development, graphic and web design, and marketing. I myself turned into a digital nomad after my Guatemala experiment, and Ive been living and working nomadically and mostly abroad since then. Like most digital nomads, I dont work for a company. Im an entrepreneur and freelancer. What happens next is that digital nomadism will go mainstream: Full-time employees in a wide range of job types will go in large numbers where they really havent before into the countryside and out of the country. During the pandemic, millions of employees have experienced the unhappy combination of working at home, supervising their childrens remote schooling, and rarely leaving the house for months on end all the while paying a premium for access to office buildings and schools they cant currently go to. The inevitable thought process occurs: I really can work from home. If Im working from home, why am I paying so much for my home to be here in this expensive, crowded place? I could live anywhere. While pandemics and high costs will push professionals away from cities, other forces will pull them away from cities. Satellite internet services like SpaceXs Starlink and low-cost solar means that living in remote or rural areas and, eventually, in other countries where fast internet connectivity has been hard to come by finally becomes feasible and desirable. For the first time ever, people will be able to live off the grid in small rural towns or in other remote locations while enjoying close to fiber-quality internet connections at low cost. Governments, strapped for cash and seizing the remote work opportunity, are re-writing their visa requirements to attract traveling professionals. They realize that a digital nomad essentially takes a salary from a foreign country and spends it locally (without taking a job from a local). Countries like Croatia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic are on the forefront of this movement and are particularly attractive because their visas grant entry into the European Union and, in Estonia and the Czech Republic, also bypass the stringent Schengen Area rules. (Croatia is part of the EU but not the Schengen Area.) Elsewhere in the world, countries as diverse as Australia, Dubai, Costa Rica, and Thailand are also introducing visas aimed at remote workers. Some American states like Vermont; cities like Tulsa, OK; and regions like northwest Arkansas will actually pay people up to $10,000 to move there, as long as you have income from a different state. The current model, where remote workers live and work within commuting distance to the office, will be replaced by a new model of many remote workers living far away. And thats a bigger challenge than it sounds. How extremely remote work changes everything Companies facing the new world of remote work should not assume that its just like the old world but with more people doing it. Its a new situation, with more employees and more types of employees living farther away. Here are the issues youll be grappling with in the new world of extremely remote work: Vastly more complex HR hiring, benefits and more. An employee working full time from home already adds complexity. Hiring in other states and countries sounds great until you consider that you have to comply with the tax, employment, and leave requirements including meal breaks, overtime, vacation pay, and other issues where each employee is based, not just where the company is based. If you have employees in 30 states, you have to comply with the law in those 30 states. International hiring amplifies that complexity. New pay issues. Different companies differ on whether to change the pay of employees who transition to remote work. The idea goes that a salary often takes into consideration the high cost of living in an expensive or premium area, but if people move to a place with a lower cost of living, they dont need the same compensation. Employees may not see it that way. A new world of legal issues. When employees move to remote work status, or when remote workers are out of state or international, the legal complexities can add up, according to Scott M. Nelson, a partner at the Houston law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth and an expert in remote work law. For starters, most employment laws still apply to remote workers: workers compensation, discrimination, wage law, overtime issues these dont change when employees are working remotely. On top of what stays the same, a host of legal issues arise for remote workers. For example, reasonable accommodations in the employees home to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act fall on the employer. And if employees are working in other cities, states, or countries, the laws in their locations normally have to be adhered to as well. Wait, cities? Thats right. Some large cities have unique legal requirements for hiring, leave, and other issues. Employee handbooks, privacy policies, and other documents need addenda taking local requirements and laws into account. Some national governments assert primacy in labor and employment law, even for US residents living in that country and working for a US company. Germany, for example, may require approval by a local works council (a kind of small-scale, company-specific alternative to a labor union) for any changes to your companys employment policy. Significant tax implications. As with hiring and employment law, the new world of extremely remote work comes with major tax implications, according to Nelson. Employing workers in different states could require state tax withholdings in those states. Data privacy considerations. Employees abroad will be generating, storing and transmitting data, and that data may come under the jurisdiction of the country or zone where the employee is living and working. Potential costs for office space and equipment. Youll need to revisit expense reimbursement for office supplies, office equipment, etc., which (depending on location) may even be required by law California Labor Code Section 2802 is one major example. New categories of employees going remote. We tend to think of certain classes of employees or executives staying in the office while others work remotely. But in the new world of remote work, all assumptions are off the table. IT staff, HR leaders, executives, and others may be working from home along with everyone else. Security. Heres the big one. Remote employee security is a much bigger deal when more people are working from home and many are in other states and countries. Left on their own, employees may abandon best security practices. Physical security to company computers and data cant be assumed. Cybercriminals are actively targeting the new opportunity of the mass migration to remote work. Communication. The LinkedIns Global Talent Trends report found that the biggest challenges with remote work are team bonding, collaboration, and work oversight. Casual, spontaneous face-to-face water cooler conversations may appear needless and frivolous but in fact help employees bond, make work more enjoyable, lead to valuable work ideas, prevent loneliness, and contribute to understanding managements objectives. The widespread impulse to embrace videoconferencing as the solution to the loss of in-person interaction turned out to be problematic. Video-chat exhaustion (Zoom fatigue) is very real, and its not sustainable to keep employees on video calls for hours each day. Having employees scattered around the world in multiple time zones also forces a reconsideration of how meetings work. Without in-person communication, managers and co-workers alike need to embrace a new style of communication, one thats more explicit and specific, and simultaneously more flexible and compassionate. Direction from managers to employees may look more like specifying a job for a consultant, with detailed, measurable outcomes, deadlines, and expectations spelled out. At the same time, it may look more like a negotiation, to make sure employees are not made to feel pressured to do more than they can. And frequent quick check-ins from managers and among co-workers can help workers feel connected and keep projects on track. The new imperative to focus on employee health. While some employees automatically thrive in a remote work scenario, others suffer. Loneliness, a sense of isolation, and insecurity plague many employees thrust into a remote role. Its important for all companies to accept and take action on this new reality in a variety of ways everything from informal check-ins and virtual coffee klatches to employee resource groups and well-being programs. How to get started preparing for the new remote work Allowing employees to work remotely used to be optional. Now, its far less so for most organizations. Just as employers felt compelled to embrace the flex-work movement in order to hire and retain the best employees, successful companies will embrace remote work and extremely remote work for the same reason. Now is the time to lay the groundwork. Assemble a team of leaders (employees, consultants, or both) that includes experts in remote work and international work matters, accounting, and tax law. If you have large numbers of employees moving abroad, consider bringing in an expert in outbound immigration matters. Focus on the creation or re-creation of policies and practices that lower your tax burden and tackle the complexities of employing people in other states and countries and that enable your company to comply with all the necessary laws and regulations. Assume that you will be changing literally every policy, including your employee handbook, remote work policy, security policies, and others. Revisit your compensation policy and standards. You may need to pay people less or more based on location, changing roles, and other factors, and shift around budgets to match the new reality. Reconsider cloud solutions where in the past you may not have. With a hybrid employee model (with in-house, remote, extremely remote, and flex employees across most divisions of the company) youll be more likely to benefit from a hybrid cloud model, cloud applications, and other tools that will enable the flexibility and security for the new era. Revisit the efficacy of your communication tools. Business communication is a fast-moving sector, and the ideal tools for gluing together a large hybrid organization do not yet exist. Look for new and emerging approaches to communication and collaboration over the coming year or two. Reconsider your budgeting assumptions as spending shifts from office infrastructure and business travel to home infrastructure, training, security, and other IT. Bake in flexibility everywhere you can. Focus on a new management style within the organization that favors over-communication, employee wellbeing, and flexibility. Years ago, I managed to continue work in multiple locations in an extremely remote Central American jungle, connecting through whatever random network I could find, and my employers had no idea where I was. Thats the future for all of us: Assume your employees could be literally anywhere. Hyderabad, Feb 8 : The Telangana government on Monday issued orders for implementation of 10 per cent reservations for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the state. The general administration department issued the Government Order (GO) for 10 per cent reservation to EWS into educational institutions and for initial appointments to posts in services under the state. The order mentions that 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 provides for reservations for the economically weaker sections of society in higher educational institutions, including private institutions whether aided or unaided by the state, other than the minority educational institutions referred to in Article 30 of the Constitution of India and also provides for reservations for them in posts in initial appointments in services under the state. Citizens other than the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes are eligible to get benefit of the 10 per cent quota. Necessary amendments to rules and guidelines in this regard shall be issued by the General Administration Department and Education Department separately. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on January 22 had announced the reservation for EWS. "There is a need to implement 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to those economically weaker classes. We have decided to implement 10 per cent reservations to the EWS while continuing the reservations to those who are already enjoying the benefit as it is," he said. "As on date in the state, 50 per cent reservations are being implemented to the weaker sections. With 10 per cent reservations to the EWS, the reservation percentage will be 60 per cent," he added. It was in 2019 that the Centre had announced 10 per cent quota for EWS but the Telangana government had not taken a decision to implement it in the state. The Modi government had told the Supreme Court last month that the decision to implement the 10 per cent quota for the economically weak sections in states lies with the state governments. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment stated this in response to a petition seeking the implementation of the quota in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Telangana legislature in 2017 had already passed a Bill enhancing reservation for Muslims from four per cent to 12 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes (STs) from six per cent to 10 per cent. The state had requested the Centre to amend the Constitution to relax 50 per cent upper limit for quota to all sections as prescribed by the Supreme Court. Despite repeated demands by the Chief Minister, the Centre did not agree to the proposal. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Police in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw used water cannon on Monday against protesters demonstrating against a coup a week ago when elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained, video from the scene showed. Police fired the water cannon in brief bursts against a group of the thousands of protesters who had gathered. The video showed some protesters appeared to have been hurt when they were knocked to the ground. Police appeared to stop using the water cannon after protesters appealed to them, but the demonstration continued. (Editing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Tom Hogue) Record numbers of employment opportunities have been posted by the Bryant Amica Center for Career Education for Bryant's class of 2021, with more than 800 jobs posted in January alone. Jeff Selingo's Wall Street Journal op-ed discusses what employers are looking for in graduates entering the job market. What Selingo suggests for all of higher education is precisely Bryant's strength, placing our graduates in the top 2% nationally for return on investment in higher education (ROI). Employers are vying for graduates equipped with the critical skills Bryant graduates develop through their course work and campus life. These comprise core 21st century business skills including finance, accounting, data analytics, information systems, digital marketing, communication and design-thinking. "To ensure that students receive a strong return on their education investment, higher education must forge strong alignment with labor market and societal needs and business skill requirements," said Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., an economist, management educator and frequent business and government policy advisor. "That real-world connection is exactly why Bryant graduates are in high demand now, even in a weak labor market, and why they succeed and earn one of the highest starting salaries in the country." President Gittell is available for interview. "Providing students, regardless of their major, with the skills that employers are seeking should be part of every academic department's curriculum," writes Selingo, adding that "a psychology major who acquires data analysis skills through research or internships can unlock more than 100,000 additional entry-level jobs paying on average $60,000, versus $39,000 for psychology majors overall." Selingo's research, and that of many other labor market experts, has identified that breaking into the job market after college is much less about the prestige of where graduates were educated than it is about the skills they possess and how prepared they are to be effective in their first professional placement. In addition, if graduates are delayed in securing post-college employment or place poorly they suffer with depressed earnings throughout their lifetime. These findings highlight the importance of Bryant's focus on real-world ready education for today's economy and the labor market expected over the next decades. Since the University's integrated business and liberal arts curriculum was introduced in 2004, Bryant has been a national leader in preparing students with the combination of skills employers need now. Advanced technical and analytical studies, applied research and experiential learning are interwoven into the undergraduate curriculum so Bryant students develop skills many of their peers acquire only through postgraduate study. For 2019, Bryant graduates earned a median starting salary of $60,000, with 99% employed or in graduate school within six months of commencement. Every student graduates with both a major and a minor, combining business with the liberal arts, and every student benefits from practicum experiences that put theory into action. These experiences begin as early as Bryant's nationally recognized Innovation and Design Experience for All (IDEA) program for all first-year students. "It matters to both students and their families that college graduates are real-world ready and have a well-paying job with strong career advancement opportunities after commencement," said Bryant University Provost Glenn Sulmasy. "At Bryant, students expand their intellectual interests while exploring career paths and preparing to contribute in their jobs on Day 1 after graduating. These goals are not mutually exclusive but rather mutually dependent. This is what we do at Bryant University as a matter of course. It is what distinguishes Bryant from every other school in the nation." SOURCE Bryant University Related Links www.bryant.edu A Co Waterford couple are shocked to have been given an MRI scan date of July 2024 for their daughter, who has an aggressive form of childhood arthritis. Aoileann Ui Bheaglaoi, 11, had been on a 23-month waiting list for an initial diagnostic MRI scan in Crumlin Childrens Hospital when her appointment date, in November 2020, was cancelled due to Covid-19 disruptions. However, Aoileanns parents, Cait and Padraig O Beaglaoi, were left speechless when they were given a new scan date in July 2024, a wait of a further three years and eight months. When she was first diagnosed and given a date for November 2020, I was gobsmacked, mum Cait Ui Bheaglaoi said. So you can well imagine that when we were told in October that she was now on the list for July 2024, there were just no words. It just beggars belief. Aoileann, who has Down Syndrome and epilepsy, was diagnosed aged nine with painful juvenile arthritis in December 2018, having been referred to Crumlin Childrens Hospital by a neurologist and paediatrician in Cork University Hospital. Aoileann is non-verbal and cant describe her discomfort, but Mrs Ui Beaglaoi said her daughter began having crying bouts that the family knew were being caused by pain. She started treatment in January 2019 and has been waiting for a diagnostic scan ever since. An MRI for diagnosis is the gold standard, Mrs Ui Beaglaoi said. Best practice is that they should be followed up every six months, to track and chart how the drugs are performing. In the absence of a scan, doctors at Crumlin Childrens Hospital have been assessing Aoileanns condition by manipulating her joints manually. Children with Down Syndrome are at elevated risk of juvenile arthritis, a risk highlighted in 2017 when Irish researchers Dr Charlene Foley and Dr Orla Killeen revealed that 1 in 50 children with Down Syndrome has juvenile arthritis. It was hoped the research would increase awareness of the prevalence of juvenile arthritis amongst children with Down Syndrome and lead to improvements in their care. Children with learning disabilities need a general anaesthetic for a successful MRI scan and Crumlin Childrens Hospital has the only MRI machine manned by an anaesthetist in the country. Mrs Ui Bheaglaoi said she knows of many other families whose children with Down Syndrome are also waiting for scans. She said the scan service was completely substandard". "They are being left in pain and theyre suffering because of it, thats the harsh fact of it. Theres suffering on a daily basis. Mrs Ui Bheaglaoi complained to a patient advocacy service when they were given a date for July 2024 and was told the automated waiting list was calculating dates based on the backlog caused by Covid-19 closures, as well as on procedural changes under current hospital guidelines. Mr O Beaglaoi said: Id like the Health Minister to understand that these children are in a lot of pain and distress and that they are unable to express what pain and distress theyre in. This diagnosis service is vital to being able to interpret their condition and manage the treatment of their condition, and its very unfair that these children without a voice arent being given a means of diagnosing their condition. A representative of Crumlin Childrens Hospital said in a statement: "CHI sincerely regrets that children and their families are experiencing long waiting times for their MRI appointments. "We recognise that too many children are waiting too long for their appointments and we are making every effort to reduce these waiting times. "Each request for an MRI scan is carefully examined by Consultant Paediatric Radiologist who prioritises the request based on clinical urgency. Covid-19 restrictions have also impacted on waiting times. The representative said CHI was in conversation with the HSE to supply and staff a second MRI scanner, but that no time frame for the provision of the second scanner was currently available. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here NEW DELHI: Actress Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari, who has been arrested by Mumbai Police on allegations of shooting and uploading pornography videos on her website, is being falsely implicated, claimed her publicist. IANS reported a statement issued by Gehana's publicist Flynn Remedios on Sunday evening, that claimed that the videos produced and directed by Gehana's company GV Studios 'at most can be classified or categorized as Erotica'. The statement read, "Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari is totally innocent. She is not involved in any porn film racket etc. As the producer and director of her company GV Studios, she has only produced and directed films that are permissible in law and at most can be classified or categorized as Erotica. She is being falsely implicated and trapped or made a victim by vested interests and business competitors who are out to defame her." It further said, "We have full faith in the judiciary and the Indian legal system. Unfortunately, Mumbai Police, which is otherwise the best police force in the world has mixed up and clubbed together Gehena`s Erotica film making work with hard porn and hard porn makers in India. There is a legal difference between Erotica or sensual or bold films and hard core porn, but unfortunately, we are really saddened by the fact that the cops have clubbed both together. We hope the courts will identify the difference and give Gehana justice in the coming days." Gehana was arrested on February 6 after Crime Branch of Mumbai Police conducted a raid at a bungalow in Madh Island in Malad. According to the police, she was to be produced before a court on Monday. Miss Asia Bikini 2012 winner Gehana is known for featuring in the Alt Balaji web-series 'Gandii Baat'. Apart from this, she has also featured in Hindi and Telugu films and has worked for more than 80 commercials. An actor and model by profession, Gehana is a native of Chirimiri, Chhattisgarh and was born in 1988. Her real name is Vandana Tiwari. Her mother Meena Tiwari is a housewife and her father Rajendra Tiwari was an education officer. (With IANS inputs) A major in the British Army who was awarded an MBE for his charity work has today been found guilty of defrauding the Ministry of Defence out of 13,000. Royal Engineer Lloyd Hamilton misused taxpayers' money to send his children to one of the country's most expensive boarding schools. The father-of-two, who had been based in Cyprus at the time, was only allowed to claim allowances while his wife Liz was living with him. However, after a breakdown in their marriage, his wife, a Cambridge-educated IBM manager, remained at their 500,000 four-bedroom home in Hamble, Hampshire. Royal Engineer Lloyd Hamilton (pictured) has today been found guilty of defrauding the Ministry of Defence out of 13,000 at Bulford Military Courts, Wiltshire Major Hamilton, 47, was cleared of a second count of fraud relating to more than 25,000 after the court heard evidence he made claims while believing his marriage would survive and that his wife would join him in the Mediterranean. He sent his wife texts saying he knew he was being investigated for fraudulently claiming 38,892 worth of fees for sending his children to Queen Elthelburga's Collegiate in Yorkshire. Prosecutors alleged most of the fees at the 49,875-a-year school were paid for fraudulently when the Major knew he was no longer eligible. Bulford Military Courts, Wiltshire, heard that between July 1, 2017, and August 1, 2018, Major Hamilton had been based at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Today, a panel found him not guilty of one charge of fraudulently claiming 25,964 between July 2017 and January 2018. The father-of-two, who had been based in Cyprus at the time, was only allowed to claim allowances while his wife Liz was living with him However, they found him guilty of fraudulently claiming 12,964 between January and August 2018 when he knew his wife would not be coming to live with him. Throughout the 12-month period there were 'substantial difficulties' in the couple's relationship and Maj Hamilton told his wife he thought it was best if she remained in the UK. Over the course of the trial the court heard he told friends he 'didn't want to continue walking blindly through life' just for the children and wanted a divorce. In text messages sent in September 2017 his wife, a Cambridge educated IBM manager, begged him to give their marriage a chance. She said: 'I love you and want to try and stay married. I would be lost without you please don't stop talking to me I love you.' After a breakdown in their marriage, his wife, a Cambridge-educated IBM manager, remained at their 500,000 four-bedroom home (pictured) in Hamble, Hampshire Prosecutors also said trips made to Cyprus by Mrs Hamilton were taken just to maintain the 'facade' that they were still together. In early 2018, Major Hamilton sent messages to his wife telling her he suspected his continuity of education allowance (CEA) claims for thousands of pounds were being questioned. The average salary for a Major in the British Army is around 54,000 according to the Ministry of Defence. In one text, he said: 'So there are a lot of indications that work are looking into why you are not here. Ff this leads to me being investigated I will be f*****g fuming.' Prosecuting, Commander Peter Barker said: 'The allegation was that having submitted a claim for CEA he failed to disclose information he was under a duty to disclose and that information was that was his wife, Mrs Hamilton, was not living with him in the service family accommodation in Cyprus* Today, a panel found him not guilty of one charge of fraudulently claiming 25,964 between July 2017 and January 2018. However, they found him guilty of fraudulently claiming 12,964 between January and August 2018 when he knew his wife would not be coming to live with him 'In this case the crown say over the entire period of the charges, a period of 397 days, the allegation was that Mrs Hamilton was not living at the work address. 'In fact, she only spent 99 days in Cyprus, 25 per cent of that time. 'The crown say that the marriage was in substantial difficulties and then broke down irretrievably.' In order to claim the education allowance, a partner's spouse can only be away from their work address for 90 days over a year long period. After having been found guilty, Major Hamilton will be sentenced at Bulford Military Court (pictured) at a later date Commander Barker told the court that Maj Hamiltons two children, a daughter aged 12 and in year 7, and a son, then 10, and in year 5, both attended Queen Elthelburgas. The school is ranked as one of the most expensive boarding schools in the country. Maj Hamilton is one of the founding members of Toe in the Water, a tri-service charity that uses competitive sailing to re-inspire injured servicemen and women to see beyond their injuries. After having been found guilty, Major Hamilton will be sentenced at Bulford Military Court at a later date. (Natural News) Imagine a world in which political dissidents are imprisoned, brainwashed, and tortured by the millions in order to reeducate them or steal their organswhile they are still alivebefore being killed. This isnt a horror movie by Eli Roth. You dont have to imagine anything. It is going on in China this very day, and it has been for decades. (Article by Ulysses S. Tennyson republished from 100PercentFedUp.com) Establishment newspapers and our own FDR government have always skewed to the left. This is why they covered up the atrocities of fascism (which is definitively a leftist ideology). They admired fascism and saw it as a fun experiment that they could learn and borrow from to mold society in their own image (that is, after all, the motto of Fabian socialism, the original word for progressive). That is, until Hitlers atrocities led to inevitable war because fascism is evil and people who admire it, like communism, are foolish or twisted. Those at the top of any such big government power structure always eventually become mad with power. Nevertheless, history is repeating and amplified. The West (aside from President Trump) is behaving similarly with China, today. The only real difference is that China is far more powerful than Hitler could have ever dreamed of being and they seem to be torturing and killing far more people than Hitler ever did prior to WWII. China has been groomed by globalists like Biden to reign supreme through the The Great Reset at the end of this decade. Biden is at best soft on China, and realistically there is massive evidence to suggest that he and his family have been on the take from China for years (here, here, here, here, here, here, herethe list is endless, feel free to search for Biden and China on this website). Chinas One Belt One Road political initiative is a massive land and power grab and debt entrapment scheme around the globe to own all major land masses and 3rd world nations. Now, a new report has been released confirming the horrific allegations of mass organ harvesting of live peopleespecially prisoners of conscienceover at least two decades in China. The Epoch Times reports: A California resident said his relatives in China were involved in state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting and had asked him for patient referrals from the United States, a recent human rights report revealed. Lu Shuping, a U.S. permanent resident originally from Shanghai who is now past 70 years old, gave his full name in making the revelation to the New York-based nonprofit, World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), in October 2016. The human rights group did not release the interview details for four years out of concern for Lus safety. The ET report goes on to show that Lu was offered living, fresh organs, including corneas, livers, and kidneys: The older sister of Lus sister-in-law, Zhou Qing, worked as the director of the Shanghai Wanping Hospital in Xuhui district, according to Lu. During a trip to China in 2002, Lu recalled that Zhou, upon learning that he knew many doctors through his home renovation business in the United States, asked if he could connect her with anyone who needs an organ transplant, especially cornea, kidney, or liver. While Lu, Zhou, and her husband were sitting together one day, her husband told me in person that she went to a military hospital to do [organ transplant surgery]. He also said that its quick money and the sum is quite large, Lu told WOIPFG in an interview. He said, you should get people over from outside, and that this is in really good quality, all fresh and alive, Lu said. The Epoch Times goes on to note that this report, while damning, is just another among years of consistent evidence (including one study from 2019) suggesting that anyone in China who disagrees with the government ends up in reeducation camps or as a tortured living organ donor: The information from Lu adds to a growing pile of evidence pointing to a massive on-demand organ industry, where prisoners of conscience, such as practitioners of the faith group Falun Gong, are killed for their organs, which are sold for profit for use in transplant surgery. One frequently persecuted minority in China are the Falun Gong, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers a cult to be eradicated by any means necessary: Adherents of Falun Gong have been a target for severe persecution since 1999, when the Chinese Communist Party mobilized its entire security apparatus to eradicate the discipline. Millions of adherents were arrested and thrown into labor camps, prisons, psychiatric wards, and other detention facilities. But the grotesque horror only gets worse from here. Zhou describes the scene when torturing victims for their organ: Zhou, the Shanghai doctor, had performed several organ removal surgeries but later stopped due to fear, Lu said. She said that she was having nightmares for doing this, Lu said. Lu prodded his sister-in-law, Zhou Yu, to reveal more details about what she knew of her sisters work. She relayed that when Zhou Qing performed the operations, people who were not sedated would scream with all their might in sheer agony. She said anesthesia cannot be used in every place, and the area where it [the organ] is needed cannot be anesthetized, Zhou said. The fresher and the less anesthetized, the better. The quality is guaranteed, you can be rest assured, he recalled his sister-in-law telling him. These people kept saying Falun Dafa is Good when they first went in [for surgery], the sister-in-law told him. Like any totalitarian regime, the entire corrupt grotesque process was overseen by multiple people, including a corrupt amoral military force to ensure everyone had culpability and to prevent anyone from saying anything or stepping out of line (sound familiar?): A total of three to five people, including armed police and military doctors, were usually present in the operation room. What is worse is that this story is not unique. Over the past few decades, numerous similar stories have arisen and been largely ignored as Western governments, institutions, and businesses ingratiated themselves to Chinese influence and money: Zhous account is eerily similar to information from whistleblowers such as Annie and Peter, who first approached The Epoch Times in 2006 with information about organ harvesting in China, drawing international attention over the issue. Annie, whose ex-husband was a neurosurgeon in Liaoning Province of northeastern China, said her husband removed corneas from Falun Gong practitioners who were still alive at the time of surgery. The victims bodies were then thrown into incinerators after surgery. In 2009, a man who was working at the police bureau in Liaoning at the time recounted in vivid detail how he witnessed two military surgeons cut open a middle-aged Falun Gong practitioner who was still alive to extract her organs. While China claims that it has been sourcing all organs through voluntary donations since 2015, WOIPFG, in an investigation from 2015 to 2020, has gotten doctors, including those from Shanghai, to admit on record to using Falun Gong practitioners organs in transplant surgeries. Eight doctors from various Shanghai hospitals promised in phone calls short waiting times, from immediate to one to two months. While according to official data, Shanghai received a total of 400 organ donations from August 2013 to August 2017, the citys Renji Hospital alone boasted that it conducted over 800 liver transplant surgeries in the year 2017, which Chinese media said has created the worlds highest annual liver transplant record for one institution. In Shanghais Pudong area, around a dozen practitioners recently reported that police officers have arrived at their homes and forcibly entered to draw samples of their blood, at times threatening arrest if they dont cooperate. Experts said these could potentially be used for organ matching. Still excited to get that China Virus PCR test so the newly installed anti-American soft-on-China Biden government can have all your genetic information? Like Hitler and every fascist and communist and authoritarian before him, China seeks to rule the world through force and has no moral qualms with killing or experimenting on its people. And, as in the 1930s, America is remaining largely silent decades after the whistle has been blown. What does history say happens next? Let us know in the comments, below. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. (CNN) A new children's book called "Doctor Li and The Crown-Wearing Virus" is the origin story of Doctor Li Wenliang, who first raised the alarm that a novel coronavirus was spreading in Wuhan, China. The police tried to silence Li, but he continued to speak out. In the book, a 7-year-old, May, learns about Doctor Li's courage and she takes action to cultivate hope. The illustrated book was written by the New York Times best-selling author Francesca Cavallo. It was first made available as a short, downloadable book for free. The online version was downloaded more than 60,000 times in just a couple of weeks and later translated by volunteers into 38 languages. Cavallo told CNN she believes she received so many requests from parents and educators for the print version of this book because they wanted to give children a better explanation of deeper events during the pandemic. So she chose not to wait to write a longer version of the book. Dr. Li died on February 7, 2020, from coronavirus. Cavallo said that "he became a symbol of freedom, of the importance of science, so the fact that he was featured in a children's book was a hugely important way to preserve his memory." Cavallo also worried about the increase in racism toward Asian-Americans and thought many kids would forever associate the virus with China -- and Chinese people. "I didn't want those kids to associate an Asian face with the virus," Cavallo told CNN. "That's the kind of racism that's extremely hard to eradicate when you grow up. I wanted them to associate the face of Doctor Li with the face of the first hero of this pandemic." After launching a crowdfunding campaign, Cavallo and her team were able to raise more than $52,000 funds in less than a month through Kickstarter and published the book in November. It sold more than 15,000 worldwide with copies in English, Italian, simplified Chinese and Pilipino. Cavallo said the book inspires children to be brave in the face of adversity, adding that "it also celebrates empathy by showing kids what this crisis means for everyone and will offer you and your children. [It provides] a space to explore their feelings about the pandemic and an opportunity to be inspired and to make sense of what happened together." The book is being sold directly online and some publishers around the world are distributing it in the Philippines, Italy and Singapore. Cavallo also recently closed a distribution deal. Starting July 2021, Undercats' books will be distributed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, which could allow "Doctor Li and The Crown-Wearing Virus" to reach millions around the world. This story was first published on CNN.com 'A new children's book about Wuhan's coronavirus whistleblower teaches bravery' A Lanesboro woman, who owns and runs her own yoga business, is offering frontline workers online free classes to help them get through this testing third lockdown. Tricia Fleming said we all recognise the long hours and hard work that frontline workers have put in throughout the pandemic. They put their own health on the line for the sake of others, and its time to show our appreciation. Her business, Hot Yoga Athlone, is offering all healthcare workers, members of An Garda Siochana and the fire brigade service access to three free online yoga classes. Tricia explained, The hot yoga classes are known for their physical and emotional healing benefits and are ideal for those with sore backs, injuries, stress, anxiety and more. She added, Its the least we can do to help and support all of these hard workers, especially given how tough the last few weeks have been. Tricia said she has had an amazing response so far since launching the offer last Friday. She remarked, The main reasons people are saying they need it is for back pain and mental stress. This shows how much our frontline workers need to be looked after mentally and physically. Tricia trained to become a hot yoga teacher in 2002 and she has been teaching hot yoga throughout Ireland and as far afield as Thailand and South Africa since 2003. If you are a frontline worker and would like to sign up for these free yoga classes simply visit: https://mailchi.mp/831c82b7adce/free-online-classes Please contact Tricia on 086 3763363 or at hotyogaathlone@gmail.com for further details. When it was learned in 2016 that Russia may have hacked the emails of John Podesta and the DNC, and passed the fruits on to WikiLeaks to aid candidate Donald Trump, mighty was the outrage of the American establishment. If Russias security services filched those emails, and a troll farm in Saint Petersburg sent tweets and texts to stir up rancor in our politics, it was said, this was an attack on American democracy and its most sacred of rituals the elections by which we chose our leaders. Some called it an act of war. Others compared it to Pearl Harbor. Almost all agreed it was intolerable interference in the internal affairs of the United States which called forth both condemnation and retribution. Yet, when it comes to interfering in the affairs of other nations, how sinless, how blameless, are we Americans? During the Cold War, the United States regularly dumped over regimes we believed imperiled our cause Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, the Congo in the 1960s. After the Cold War, the United States was a major mover in the color revolutions that changed regimes in Ukraine and Georgia. According to Victoria Nuland, then of the State Department, now back again, $5 billion was pumped in to effect the overthrow of the democratically elected pro-Russian regime in Kiev and its replacement by a pro-American one. This was the triggering event that caused Vladimir Putin to annex Crimea to secure his countrys Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol. Consider the reaction in this capital to the arrest and imprisonment of dissident Alexei Navalny, following his return from Germany, where he had been treated for chemical poisoning, allegedly by Putins security services. In an editorial, Nothing But a Poisoner, The Washington Post thundered: Western governments should be doing what they can to help this unprecedented challenge to Mr. Putins autocracy survive and grow... Mr. Putin has dedicated himself to exploiting the weaknesses in democratic systems. Now is the time to return the favor. Consider what the Post is calling for here: The U.S. and NATO nations should openly side with protesters in Russias cities whose goal is the overthrow of Putin and of the internationally recognized government of Russia. How, one wonders, would Americans react if Putin openly urged worldwide support for the Stop the Steal mob that invaded the U.S. Capitol to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election? Though Americans are divided over racial, cultural, social and moral issues, liberal interventionists still talk of our universal values that represent the future toward which all nations should aspire. Among these are the values of democracy as practiced in the United States. These are the standards by which other nations are to be judged. And nations that do not conform to these standards are candidates for U.S. interference in their affairs. Ours is an ideological imperialism of a rare order. Where did we Americans acquire the right to intervene in the internal affairs of nations be they autocracies, monarchies or republics that do not threaten or attack us? When we have intervened in these nations militarily, disaster has most often been the result. It was partly because the regimes of Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen did not comport to our ideas of good governance that we went in militarily to change them. Result: millions of dead, wounded and displaced Arabs and Muslims all across the Middle East. A historic calamity. When the Arab Spring arose, we embraced it. The democratic revolution was here! And what happened in the largest Arab nation that responded as we insisted, Egypt? An ally of 30 years, President Hosni Mubarak, was ousted. The Muslim Brotherhood was voted into power. It was replaced a year later by a new general, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a man more ruthless than Mubarak. Last week, the generals in Myanmar (Burma) ousted the civilian leadership of the country and assumed full power. President Joe Biden reacted reflexively, calling it a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy. In a democracy, said Biden, force should never seek to override the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election. Derek Mitchell of the National Democratic Institute, a subsidiary of the National Endowment for Democracy, explained: Democracy is one of the pillars of the Biden Administrations foreign policy agenda. They recognize they have to address this pretty seriously. The question is what to do. Actually, the larger question, the basic question is why the internal affairs of Burma, a nation 10,000 miles from the United States, are the business of the United States. The post-Cold War world, where America stood in moral judgment of the democracy credentials of all other nations, and acted against those that did not sufficiently conform, is coming to an end. And if we do not give up this ideological imperialism, that end, especially where Russia and China are concerned, could come sudden and soon. PAT BUCHANAN is the author of Nixons White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever. To find out more about him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. Retail giant Walmart's decision to build a $220 million import distribution center off Interstate 26 in Dorchester County was by far the biggest economic development announcement in the Charleston region in 2020, according to a new report from the S.C. Commerce Department. The 3-million-square-foot facility, announced in July, will take goods imported through the Port of Charleston and distribute them to 850 stores throughout the Southeast. It will be the anchor tenant in the State Ports Authority's retail-focused Ridgeville Commerce Park and is expected to start operations by April 2022 with about 1,000 employees. Walmart's capital investment ranks No. 3 on Commerce's list of top projects announced statewide last year. It follows a $400 million Mark Anthony Brewing facility that will make White Claw hard seltzer in Richland County and a $314 million agricultural technology campus to be built in rural Hampton County. The agriculture center was the state's top job creator in 2020, with an estimated workforce of 1,500 when it opens in 2025. Billed as the nation's largest Opportunity Zone investment, the project is a joint venture between a trio of food and packaging firms that will grow pesticide-free produce in greenhouses, package the food and then distribute it to grocery stores. The 1,000-acre campus was announced in September. The Walmart distribution center was the state's second-biggest job announcement last year. Technology firm Vigilent Labs was the only other Charleston-area announcement to make both the investment and job creation top 10 lists. The company recently started production of an instant-view COVID-19 antigen test at its campus on the former Navy base in North Charleston. The $104.6 million investment will create 400 jobs, the company has said. Industrial investment in the state totaled $4 billion in 2020 up from $2.4 billion in 2019. Since taking office in 2011, Commerce Department chief and former BMW executive Bobby Hitt has helped to attract $43 billion worth of projects, including Lowcountry vehicle manufacturers Mercedes-Benz Vans and Volvo Cars. It's the eight year that Hitt's office has recruited at least $4 billion in investments. "To increase our recruitment to $4 billion in capital investment particularly during an unprecedented year takes a remarkable amount of collaboration and unwavering commitment from many partners across the state," Hitt said in a statement. New businesses made up 54 percent of the number of new jobs announced in 2020 while expansions accounted for the remaining 46 percent. Companies based in the United States accounted for 64 percent of the investments in 2020, followed by Canada at 10 percent, China at 6 percent and Germany at 4 percent. Businesses from a variety of other countries made up the remaining 16 percent of investments. All told, the 126 economic development projects announced in 2020 are expected to create 11,147 new jobs. During Hitt's 10-year tenure, more than 150,000 jobs have been created. Nurdle exports Petrochemical firm Braskem Americas has started exporting plastic pellets to foreign markets from its North Charleston warehouse as part of a deal with the State Ports Authority. The company's global export hub on the former Navy base accepts plastic pellets shipped by rail from production facilities in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It then packages those pea-sized pellets, also known as polymer resins or nurdles, to be shipped overseas through the Port of Charleston. The export facility, located in part of a warehouse built by plastics exporter Frontier Logistics, can handle up to 450 million pounds of pellets annually. The North Charleston site will employ 60 workers. Plastic pellets are the raw material for products like plastic bottles, automobile parts and medical supplies. Braskem, headquartered in Brazil, joins a handful of plastic pellet export operations that have set up shop in the Charleston region in recent years. Over time, they are expected to ship a combined 50,000 cargo containers full of pellets to foreign markets. Natural gas deal Charleston-based GreenGas USA has signed an agreement with Carolina Gas Transmission to supply renewable natural gas to wholesale and direct industrial customers through a hub in Georgetown. GreenGas takes waste from hog and dairy farms and converts the methane produced by that waste into renewable natural gas. The gas is then injected into an interstate pipeline operated by Carolina Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway's natural gas transmission and storage business. The hub will be in service by 2022 and is expected to create nine jobs. "The GreenGas USA team is incredibly pleased to help our customer Carolina Gas Transmission achieve operational carbon neutrality, play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and build a better, more sustainable future for our children," GreenGas founder Marc Fetten said in a statement. The methane that's captured during the natural gas conversion process reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The Georgetown project will offset the carbon dioxide equivalent of more than 77,300 metric tons of emissions annually, the equivalent of eliminating emissions from more than 16,700 motor vehicles per year. The on Monday cleared The Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. The bill was introduced in the Upper House of the Parliament last week. Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said the Constitution of India is now fully applicable on Jammu and Kashmir, and that the bill will enable availability of officers in who have experience of running union territory administration. He said around 170 central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the bill will increase the strength of officers in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said he did not promise Shiv Sena - then BJP's partner - to share the chief minister's post if the alliance retained power in Maharashtra after the 2019 Assembly polls. Shiv Sena, which ditched the BJP soon after the polls to form the government with the NCP and Congress, shot back, wondering what took the senior BJP leader over a year to come out with his version on the much-discussed topic in the state politics. "I don't make promises in closed rooms. Whatever I do, I do it openly. I don't do politics in closed rooms," Shah said, after inaugurating a private medical college at Kankavli in Sindhudurg district. He said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress is like an auto-rickshaw whose three wheels were pulling in different directions. "This (MVA) is an unholy alliance and an outcome of betraying the people's mandate which was for a BJP-Shiv Sena government led by (BJP's) Devendra Fadnavis," Shah said, adding the MVA alliance is a result of the lust for power. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly polls in over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post with the BJP, and later forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress to come to power. Also Read: Thanks for Understanding, Says Sena's Sanjay Raut After Amit Shah Clears Stand on Maha Guv Letter Row Thackeray had claimed that Shah, who was then BJP president, had assured at his 'Matoshree' bungalow in Mumbai that the CM's post would be shared by the two parties, and the BJP reneged on the promise. It is being claimed that the BJP broke the promise, Shah said, adding his party honours the promises it makes. "We don't speak white lies. We are the ones who honour commitments. In Bihar, we had said that even if the BJP gets more seats, Nitish Kumar will continue to be the CM," Shah said. Slamming Thackeray, Shah said the Shiv Sena leader addressed poll rallies with him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the Maharashtra Assembly elections. In the poll posters of Shiv Sena candidates, Modi's pictures were bigger than Thackeray's, Shah said. "We sought votes for the BJP-Sena alliance led by Fadnavis. Why didn't you speak out then? You just garnered votes in Modi's name," Shah said. Reacting to his remarks, Sena leader and former Union minister Arvind Sawant said the fact that Shah took a year and half to claim that he had not made any promise (to Thackeray) on sharing chief ministers post raises suspicions. "Uddhv Thackeray spoke about this (promise) on many occasions - even in the state legislature - but Shah had remained silent. After the Assembly election results, Shah went to Haryana for government formation talks but remained silent on Maharashtra's political developments," the Sena leader said. The Thackeray family is known in Maharashtra for honouring promises made, he said. [February 08, 2021] Leading Bitcoin Cash Backers Reveal Bullish Plans In a New Documentary Medellin, Colombia, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YouTube film details the latest news, future plans and potential for mass adoption from key developers, investors & community A new documentary from the founders of BitcoinCash.Site on cryptocurrency Bitcoin Cash has been released, which explains the technology, use cases and future of the sometimes controversial P2P currency in 2021. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a decentralised digital currency created through a fork of Bitcoin BTC in 2017. In Bitcoin Cash: The Road To Mass Adoption, leading figures from the BCH ecosystem explain the reasons for their optimism and their contribution to the development progress in 2021. Having emerged from the uncertainty surrounding developer funding, many developers, analysts and supporters believe Bitcoin Cash is headed for a breakout year in 2021. Throughout the 37-minute film, available now on the Bitcoin Cash Site YouTube channel, respected contributors such as Roger Ver, Josh Green, Shomari Prince, George Donnelly and Jonathan Toomin explain why they view BCH as the blockchain worlds best answer to the greatest challenges within the global financial system. The films participants also reveal the exciting code changes they are working on and the most promising applications of the technology due for release this year. A distributed development roadmap Although BCH has no official roadmap, the collection of development teams remain committed to the original vision of an open, permissionless payment network, as well as the fundamental characteristics of supply, emissions, mining algorithm and low feesthat distinguish BCH from its rivals. The documentary details a raft of improvements for the coming year, from Scalenet, which is already producing 256MB blocks, to double-spend proofs, which are already being adopted by wallets and nodes, and are expected to radically increase zero-conf security on Bitcoin Cash. Community developers such as Jonathan Toomim are working on faster transactions, while others believe they can vastly increase the chained-transaction limit in 2021, in what would be a game-changing breakthrough for gaming and gambling dapps. Community-driven efforts to drive adoption Although technological advancements are essential to securing BCHs future, The Road To Mass Adoption reveals how its community of independent development teams, marketers and commercial entities are driving adoption of the coin and its broader applications. Experienced teams behind Electron Cash, AnyHedge and Bitcoin Cash Node are working to make BCH more reliable and accessible this year, illustrating the faith and potential in the top-10 coin. Payment widgets, financial derivatives powered by smart contracts, decentralised exchanges, fundraising tools and code libraries that simplify developer onboarding are among just some of the pioneering projects envisioned by the people we meet. The film also shares footage from community events and organisers in Europe, the US, Latin America and Asia, and uncovers the most difficult challenges facing BCH from the people who know the technology best. With invaluable insights on technical and commercial developments, The Road To Mass Adoption documentary aims to give its supporters confidence that 2021 will be the year Bitcoin Cash cements its position as a leading cryptocurrency, overtaking Ripple and bringing economic freedom to millions of people across the globe. To hear the latest news and opinions from BCH experts and learn how you can get involved, watch Bitcoin Cash: The Road To Mass Adoption now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arFDrjx_2JY To take a deeper dive into what the dozens of Bitcoin Cash development teams are working on, see the unofficial Bitcoin Cash 2021 roadmap at https://bitcoincash.site/blog/unofficial-bitcoin-cash-roadmap-2021/ Media Details Company: BitcoinCash.Site Email: hello@bitcoincash.site Website: https://bitcoincash.site/ Telegram: @Georgedonnelly Disclaimer: All investment strategies and investments involve the risk of loss. Nothing contained in this article should be construed as investment advice. Any reference to an investment's past or potential performance is not, and should not be construed as, a recommendation or as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, Feb 8 : Beginning February 2021, The Art Platform (TAP) India is hosting new exhibitions by six galleries, along with selected works under a new section on the website called TAP Showcase. The section is now featuring an exhibition titled 'Trees: Nature and Imagination' curated by Mitch Crites and Minhazz Mazumdar. The show explores the versatility of trees both as form and as muse for artists across time and space. This show explores the versatility of trees both as form and as muse for artists across time and space. Artists' reactions to trees, their understanding of the profoundly symbiotic and yet also, the deeply conflicted relationship between humans and trees has made for some wonderful art. Image Source: IANS News Another exhibition on TAP, 'Nature Unbound' features artists Samir Mohanty; Laxmipriya Panigrahi and Suchender P, and captures the miraculous beauty of the natural world that finds itself under a constant threat. With nature as a muse, the artists celebrate its rare insights while addressing the environmental crises we continue to face with the advent of industrialisation, urbanisation and over-consumption. The exhibition re-evaluates humans as a small part of the nature while delving into its grandeur and evoking sublimity. Khovar and Sohrai paintings by Tribal Art Forms, a collaboration between two Contemporary galleries Exhibit 320 and Blueprint12, are also on view on TAP India. Khovar is the marriage art of the tribals and scheduled castes of Hazaribagh living in hill villages and agricultural valleys. Khovar or the comb-cut art is done during the marriage season (May-June). Sohrai is the harvest art celebrated during the winter season (Oct-Nov) by almost all tribes in Jharkhand. Image Source: IANS News The online exhibition by Emami Art, titled 'The Feel of Nature' features artist Kalpana Viswas, Ghana Shyam Latua, David Malaker, and Prarthana Hazra. According to the gallery, the works of these four young artists from Bengal are concerned with nature, exploring their subtle, sensuous and even critical relationships with it. Each of them looks at nature differently. It appears as intimate worlds of feminine senses and sensibilities in the works of Kalpana Biswas and Prarthana Hazra, and also as a contested site of contradictions in Ghana Shyam Latua's works. On the other hand, David Malakar's works are charged with the sublime presence of nature and its phenomenal beauty and grandeur. (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) -- Syndicated from IANS Russians seek to compromise the very idea of the event and hinder participation of foreign leaders. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has noted Russia's "fierce resistance" ahead of the Crimean Platform summit, which is to take place on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence with participation of international partners. In an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian service, the minister said the summit had been postponed from May to August due "several factors." "We just decided to win more time for quality preparations. This is a new initiative, so anything new needs careful elaboration. And COVID, too. You see, now the situation is that no one flies anywhere. You can see what's happening even in Europe with the restrictions being introduced. Therefore, it was postponed to August due to a combination of factors. I can tell you the more we work with countries and explain to them what this is and how it will work, the more support we find. We're seeing very positive dynamics," Kuleba said. "I can also honestly tell you the more positive the reaction of partners, the more we record of Russia's efforts to compromise the Crimean Platform and to prevent participation of certain states in the summit. They are already stooping as low as sending direct signals to certain leaders of state and government that if they attend the Crimean Platform summit, they will face a response on their part. Fierce resistance from Russia is already being observed! The two goals are to discredit the very idea and hinder participation of leaders," he added. The minister stopped short of revealing the names of foreign leaders who would be taking part in the summit. "When the list is finalized, we will be happy to make the announcement. Right now it would be contrary to logic and diplomatic practice," Kuleba said. Earlier, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova (Dzheppar) said a declaration would be adopted following the Crimean Platform summit on the end of occupation of the peninsula. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Russian side is ready to take part in the Crimean Platform initiated by Ukraine if the problems of the peninsula are discussed at this site from water supplies to transport infrastructure. Russian-controlled "head" of Crimea Sergey Aksenov said the creation of a new international platform would not help "return Crimea." Crimean Platform to end Russian occupation of the peninsula On September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who participated in the general debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, called on partners to join an international platform for the end of the Russian occupation of Crimea. In December, Zelensky announced that the creation of the Crimean platform had already been backed by powers on both sides of the Atlantic. Read alsoForeign Minister Kuleba: Ukraine takes tough stance on water for CrimeaThe platform will operate at several levels. The first, the highest one, is the political level, which will involve heads of state and government. The second level is that of top diplomats and defense chiefs, the third is the inter-parliamentary level, and the fourth will involve non-governmental experts. An expert network will be created to enhance the effectiveness of government action, as well as engaging additional intellectual resources in the platform's work. The Crimean Platform Summit is scheduled for August 23, 2021. Russian occupation of Crimea Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had occupied the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held for Crimeans to decide on accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities reported that allegedly 96.77% of the Crimean population had voted for joining Russia. On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin. Read alsoYanukovych faces charges for Kharkiv accords on Russia Navy in CrimeaThe West did not recognize the annexation in response to which sanctions against Russia were introduced. Ukraine's parliament voted to designate February 20, 2014, as the official date when the temporary occupation of Crimea began. Reporting by UNIAN (Newser) February is a big month in terms of Mars exploration, and it gets started Tuesday with a crucial moment in what AFP calls the first Arab space mission. A probe launched by the United Arab Emirates from Japan in July is on track to reach the planet's orbit at 10:30am Eastern, reports CNN. The Hope probe will have to pull off a complex maneuver that involves slowing from about 75,000mph to about 11,000mph in the final half-hour of its flight, and the UAE is inviting people to track progress at its space agency's website. If all goes well, the probe will not land on the planet but will instead circle the equator and begin providing what New Scientist describes as an unprecedented look at Mars' atmosphere. The mission is expected to last about two years. story continues below The UAE is hoping to become the fifth entity to successfully reach Mars, after NASA, the former Soviet Union, India, and the European Space Agency. However, another nation is expected to join the list on Wednesday: China also launched a probe in July, and its Tianwen-1 mission is intended to both orbit and land on the planet. Meanwhile, NASA's Perseverance roveralso launched in Julyis expected to reach the planet on Feb. 18. There's no guarantee of success for any of the missions. "Less than half of the spacecraft that have been sent to Mars have actually made it successfully," Pete Withnell of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics tells CNN. He adds, however, that "this is a highly practiced, highly simulated, and highly analyzed event, (and) I cannot imagine being better prepared than we are right now." (Read more space exploration stories.) ADVERTISEMENT Ecobank Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian unit of Lome-based Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, will raise $300 million Eurobond from the international debt market by means of the issuance of senior notes, pursuant to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 144A and Regulation S, the lender said in a press release obtained by PREMIUM TIMES. The capital raised from the transaction will offer medium-term funding and aid Ecobanks capacity to back foreign trade and service in Africa at a time when an intra-continental free trade pact is gaining traction. The notes will be quoted on the London Stock Exchange in expectation that they will be traded on its regulated market, and are to be issued via a Dutch special purposes funding vehicle. Mashreqbank PSC based in Dubai and Renaissance Capital are the joint bookrunners to the deal, Bloomberg said, citing persons close to the subject who spoke on condition of anonymity. Ecobank said the Central Bank of Nigeria had expressed its no objection to the plan. It should be noted that the Transaction is subject to prevailing market conditions and the conclusion of the necessary Transaction documentation, the lender said. The debt-raising proposal is emerging after yields on Ecobanks $500 million of bonds set to mature in April 2024 toppled from historic peaks attained when the coronavirus broke out, to trade close to their best levels since early in March. Ecobank announced plans in January to support micro, small and medium scale enterprises in Africas biggest economy with N50 billion, being the proceeds of a newly raised subordinated debt. That will enable it to exploit more a sector that contributes half of Nigerias gross domestic product and 96 per cent of total number of businesses. MILWAUKEE, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE: MTG) today issued an Operational Summary of the primary mortgage insurance of its insurance subsidiaries for the month of January 2021. The summary is also available on the company's investor website under Newsroom, Press Releases. The information concerning new delinquency notices and cures is compiled from reports received from loan servicers. The level of new notice and cure activity reported in a particular month can be influenced by, among other things, the date on which a servicer generates its report, the accuracy of the data provided by servicers, the number of business days in a month, transfers of servicing between loan servicers, and whether all servicers have provided the reports in a given month. Notices of delinquency are typically reported to us when loans are two payments past due (for example, for January we report as a new delinquency any delinquent loan that missed its December 1st (or earlier) payment that was not previously reported to us.) We expect the number of delinquencies will continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Delinquency activity will be influenced by various factors, including the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the length of time that measures intended to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 remain in place, the resulting level of unemployment, and the impact of various government initiatives to mitigate the economic harm caused by COVID-19 and efforts to reduce its transmission. The information concerning the percentage of loans in forbearance is based on the most recent information provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs), as well as loan servicers, and we believe substantially all reported forbearances are related to COVID-19. While the forbearance information provided by the GSEs refers to delinquent loans in forbearance as of the prior month-end, the information provided by loan servicers may be more current. November December January Beginning Primary Delinquent Inventory (# of loans) 61,521 59,236 57,710 Plus: New Delinquency Notices 5,024 4,941 4,810 Less: Cures 7,212 6,352 6,094 Less: Paid Claims 95 112 108 Less: Rescissions and Denials 2 3 3 Ending Primary Delinquent Inventory (# of loans) 59,236 57,710 56,315 % of New Delinquency Notices in Forbearance 49% 46% 47% % of Primary Delinquency Inventory in Forbearance 63% 62% 60% About MGIC Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation "MGIC" ( www.mgic.com ), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality through the use of private mortgage insurance. From time to time MGIC Investment Corporation releases important information via postings on its corporate website, and via postings on MGIC's website for information related to underwriting and pricing, and intends to continue to do so in the future. Such postings include corrections of previous disclosures, and may be made without any other disclosure. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information for MGIC Investment Corporation alerts can be found at https://mtg.mgic.com/shareholder-services/email-alerts . For information about our underwriting and rates, see https://www.mgic.com/underwriting . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward looking statements. Forward looking statements consist of statements which relate to matters other than historical fact, including matters that inherently refer to future events and involve certain important risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. More information about the risks, uncertainties and assumptions affecting the company can be found in the risk factors included as Exhibit 99 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. No investor should rely on the fact that such statements are current at any time other than the time at which this press release was issued. SOURCE MGIC Investment Corporation Related Links http://www.mgic.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) The Philippine government is ready to start its COVID-19 vaccination drive on February 15, Malacanang bared on Monday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing that the government can start the deployment of the initial doses of vaccines by next week. "Ilang tulog na lang at darating na ang unang batch ng ating bakuna...Handang handa po ang ating gobyerno para magsimula ang ating vaccination drive nitong ika-15 ng Pebrero," Roque said. [Translation: The government is totally ready to start the vaccination drive this February 15.] He then clarified that the target date for inoculation will still depend on the arrival of the vaccines from the COVAX facility, a global platform led by the World Health Organization that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines. COVAX already conveyed that the arrival is slated for the middle of the month, Roque said. "The COVAX communication says it will be mid-February. I think this week, COVAX will communicate to tell us exactly when," he said. "Let's see po baka mamayang gabi maireport na ni Secretary Duque kay President Duterte exactly when (Let's see, Secretary Duque may report to President Duterte on tonight's briefing the exact date), but we're expecting COVAX to contact us anytime now because they will ship the [Pfizer-BioNTech] vaccines via airline." President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to address the public after meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases later in the day. Under the government's immunization plan, health workers will be the first to get the shots. These are expected to arrive in the second or third week of February to cover around 56,000 medical frontliners and hospital staff at the Philippine General Hospital, Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium or Tala Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the East Avenue Medical Center. Family and fans of the Indian film legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor may have to wait longer for their ancestral home to be turned into museums, thanks to the exorbitant prices for the properties quoted by the current owners. Many on India were very enthusiastic over Pakistan's Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa government's decision to buy and convert the two historic buildings into museums to honour the Bollywood legends and preserve their contribution to Indian cinema. But despite its good intentions, the government has found it difficult to proceed with the matter due to the high prices that current owners of the houses are demanding. According to reports, the owner of Dilip Kumar's ancestral home has demanded Rs 25 crore for the property. The owner of Raj Kapoor's home has demanded Rs 200 crore for selling the house to the provincial government. The Department of Archaeology in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to allocate sufficient funds for purchasing the two buildings, which have been declared as the national heritage and lie in the heart of Peshawar city, an official said. The government has nevertheless set the price for Dilip Kumar's house at Rs 80.56 lakh while the rate for Raj Kapoor's has been fixed at Rs 1.50 crore, which is a far cry from what the owners are demanding. Historic buildings Veteran actor Dilip Kumar's over the 100-year-old ancestral house is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. The house is in shambles and was declared as a national heritage in 2014 by the then Nawaz Sharif government. As per reports, its owner Haji Lal Muhammad bought the property in 2005 for Rs 51 lakh. He refused to sell the property at the rate fixed by the government as he feels it severely undervalued the property, even after 16 years of sale. Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, also located in the same locality. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the building. It has been declared national heritage by the provincial government. Dr Abdus Samad Khan, the head of the department of archaeology, told media that the owners of the two houses had on several previous occasions tried to demolish the buildings for constructing commercial plazas in view of their prime location. All such moves have so far been blocked by the department which wanted to preserve them keeping in view their historic importance. Ali Qadar, who owns Kapoor Haveli said that he did not want to demolish the building and made many contacts with the archaeology department officials to protect and preserve this historic structure which is national pride. He has nevertheless demanded Rs 200 crore from the KP government. In 2018, the Pakistan government decided to convert the Kapoor Haveli into a museum, heeding a request by Rishi Kapoor who died this year in Mumbai. However, the announcement to this effect could not be materialised despite a lapse of around two years. (With inputs from PTI) ADVERTISEMENT Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has decried the level of corruption in the states healthcare system, describing it as a deliberate act to further run down a collapsed system. Mr Obaseki, who stated this in Benin on Sunday at a town hall with medical doctors in the state, said the meeting was convened to discuss the way forward for the states healthcare system. I have seen corruption like never before in the healthcare system. The level of corruption in the healthcare system in the state is alarming and unacceptable. We have drawn the line; it will no longer be business as usual. Its left to you to either join us or take a bow honourably, he said. Mr Obaseki queried the modality of having just one doctor in Igarra, the headquarters of Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state, and two in Auchi, while there were more doctors in Benin, doing nothing. Patients in these areas visit private hospitals because they have lost faith in our system. On no account should any doctor refuse posting. For the past 10 months now, I have had the opportunity to discuss the healthcare system in the state, it is so clear the system has collapsed. I have information to this effect. We have no choice, but to move forward and collectively, we must improve the system and make the people trust the system again. We have come to the end of the road of the old order, and now we must chart a new course for a better and improved healthcare system in Edo state, he said. Mr Obaseki said the need to move the state forward led to the introduction of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS). Every doctor must now account for what they do to justify their salaries, we must be up and doing as some of you earn twice more than me, who is the governor of the state. You have to provide a good healthcare system for Edo people; we must improve our healthcare system. I will put my life on the line for Edo people, their health is important to me and worth dying for; they voted me into power, he stressed. The governor also decried a situation where records and data of monthly patients attended to was not readily available in the hospitals. We, as the authority that is supposed to certify death and issue certificates, do not have records that can easily be accessed, he said. The governor, thereafter, visited the Stella Obasanjo Hospital to ascertain the level of facilities on the ground, after which he gave the health workers a one-week ultimatum to organise themselves and come up with lasting solutions to the problems of healthcare in the state. (NAN) Attorney General Steve Marshall's office on Monday announced that "current and former Terminix customers in Alabama, victimized as a result of the pest control companys unconscionable price increases and failure to provide paid-for services, may now file claims for restitution." From the news release: In November, the Attorney Generals Office announced a historic $60 million settlement with Terminix International in response to the companys alleged illegal business practices targeting Alabama consumers, and Terminix began cooperating with the State of Alabama to correct these wrongs. As part of the State of Alabamas consumer settlement with Terminix, a court-appointed receiver is now ready to receive claims from current and former Terminix customers in Alabama who suffered from the companys unconscionable overcharging and failure to provide paid-for services, said Attorney General Marshall. These actions violated several provisions of the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a state law designed to protect consumers from deceptive, fraudulent, unconscionable, and illegal acts committed by businesses operating in Alabama. My office has worked closely alongside that of Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich in ensuring that consumer relief is available to the tens of thousands of Terminix customers who were victimized by the companys alleged illegal business practices, many of whom reside in Baldwin and Mobile counties. District Attorney Rich was the first to receive consumer complaints about Terminix in southwest Alabama and promptly notified my office to investigate. I appreciate her teamwork in protecting the rights of Alabama consumers. Since the announcement last fall of the Settlement by the Attorney General against Terminix, many of you have called and contacted our office with questions about how to go about making a claim against Terminix, said District Attorney Rich. There are tens of thousands of victims right here in Mobile County. Today, I am so pleased to be able to announce how you go about filing a claim. If you were a Terminix customer or are currently a Terminix customer, please contact the receiver to file a claim and seek a refund as a result of this settlement made by our Attorney General. Under the settlement, the court-appointed Receiver will administer an uncapped $25 million consumer fund to pay claims against Terminix. Terminix may add to this fund as needed to address consumer claims. Claims may be filed from anywhere within the state of Alabama for repairs, inspections, treatment, termite damage or premiums charged by Terminix. Customers to Get Refund Without Filing a Claim All present Terminix customers who were overcharged for pest control services in 2019 and 2020 will be issued refunds for the overcharges without the customer having to file a claim. The Receiver expects to begin mailing the refund checks to customers by May of 2021. Customers Who Need to File a Claim All former Terminix customers who closed their contracts with the pest control company due to unfair pricing may file a claim to receive either: A one-time $650 payment, or A payment for the difference between the old Terminix contract and a new contract with a different pest control company, or Refunds of any excessive payments made in 2019 or 2020. Baldwin and Mobile County Terminix Customers Under the settlement, all current Terminix customers in Baldwin and Mobile counties will receive a retreatment and termite inspection at no additional cost. Many of these retreatments have already been performed. All current Terminix customers in Baldwin and Mobile counties will have their termite protection service reinstated to their 2018 rate, if so desired. How to File a Claim To file a claim, present and former Alabama Terminix customers should visit the Receivers website at www.terminixfund.com to access forms which can be completed online, or downloaded, printed and mailed to the Receiver for processing. Jeffrey C. Schneider, the court-appointed receiver, can also be contacted at: Levine, Kellogg, Lehman, Schneider + Grossman LLP 201 South Biscayne Blvd. 22nd Floor Miami, Florida 33131 terminixfund@lklsg.com (786) 347-2564 (Phone) (305) 403-8789 (Fax) Under the previously announced State settlement with Terminix, $20 million was also awarded to the Attorney Generals Office to settle the State of Alabamas claims against Terminix and to be reinvested in statewide consumer protection efforts. An additional $4 million has been paid by Terminix to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. And, Terminix has made a $1 million charitable contribution to the Auburn University Department of Entomology. Terminix agreed to adopt a reasonable and affordable price increase schedule to prevent it from charging consumers with unconscionable and exorbitant annual rate increases for its termite services. The Terminix investigation was conducted by the Alabama Attorney Generals Consumer Interest Division, working in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Terminix issued this response to the state's announcement: We believe that the settlement reached with the Alabama Attorney Generals office is a fair resolution that is in the best interest of our customers, specifically those in Mobile and the surrounding counties. As stated in the agreement, the company does not admit to any fraud or wrongdoing in connection with our business practices. Over the last year, we have made substantial improvements in our operations, claims management processes, governance structure, and quality assurance, including completing a $10 million supplemental treatment plan to address customer concerns during 2020, before this investigation began. The improvements have enhanced our ability to treat Formosan termites and serve our customers more effectively. This settlement and these enhancements continue our efforts to support our customer base in the area. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal officials over its new policy to pause nearly all deportations for 100 days. The Attorney Generals Office (AGO) is asking the U.S. District Court in Arizona to rule the new policy violates federal law and Arizonas existing agreement with DHS. Halting deportations for 100 days raises serious safety concerns for Arizona communities. Not only could the plan release individuals charged with or convicted of crimes into Arizona communities, but law enforcement officials have told the AGO they are concerned whether those being released are being tested for COVID-19. There are serious concerns that DHS' new policy will further stress hospitals and social services at the local and county level. It is unconscionable for DHS to release potentially dangerous detainees into our state, especially when no efforts are made to coordinate with applicable courts and probation departments. I am asking the court to enforce the law, said Attorney General Brnovich. As a first-generation American I support the need for comprehensive immigration reform, but it cannot be achieved through untenable executive orders. Recently, a federal judge in Texas ruled the new DHS policy likely violates the law and imposed a 14-day nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO). The TRO was extended another 14 days and is now set to expire on February 23. It has come to the AGO's attention that within the first three days of the enacted policy (and before the TRO), DHS released 27 aliens in the Phoenix area. This is the third-highest number in the country. Law enforcement officials have told the AGO that many of the individuals released may not have been properly tested for COVID-19, nor did DHS try to coordinate with local health or police agencies. "These new executive actions have restarted the mass flow of migrants to our border and will soon have a significant impact on the resources of local governments, said Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot. Under this moratorium on deportations, hundreds, and soon to be thousands, of migrants will potentially be turned loose in Arizona as well as other Border communities without any means of testing for communicable diseases including COVID-19. Healthcare systems in many smaller communities are already operating at near-full capacity and potentially overwhelming them runs contrary to the COVID-19 mitigation plan we were promised. Having a change in the immigration process and releasing migrants into local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic will place an even greater burden on the local communities healthcare systems that are already over stressed, said Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholas. We need to protect our communities while the pandemic is ongoing. AGO Lawsuit Details On January 20, 2021, at the Presidents direction, DHS ordered a blanket halt on nearly all deportations for 100 days, including those charged with or convicted of crimes. Federal law requires when an alien is ordered removed, the U.S. Attorney General shall remove the individuals from the United States within 90 days. The new DHS policy also violates its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the AGO. The MOU requires DHS to provide Arizona with 180 days written notice of proposed immigration actions and offer an opportunity to consult and comment on the proposed action before implementation. However, no contact was initiated by DHS. General Brnovich made two different requests to DHS to comply with the MOU, but DHS has refused. The 100-Day Pause on Removals is a sudden and sharp departure from DHSs previous policy. Additionally, there is no indication that defendants considered the potential threats to public safety in Arizona. The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has already ruled on this type of issue in an immigration case regarding the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) when the former administration tried to rescind the DAPA program. SCOTUS struck down the action for being arbitrary and capricious because it did not consider a more limited policy. In todays filing, Attorney General Brnovich is asking the court to declare the DHS Immigration Pause Memorandum violates the MOU signed with Arizona, and several federal laws, including 8 U.S.C. 1231. STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The rescuers of Artsakh have found 2 more bodies of fallen servicemen during the search operations in Varanda (Fizuli) which has come under the Azerbaijani control, the State Emergency Service of Artsakh told Armenpress. The dead servicemen will be identified after forensic examination. As of February 8, the total number of the bodies found in the battle zones has reached 1367. Today the search operations will not be conducted in connection with the shift of the Russian peacekeeping troops, the statement says. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Thousands of educators gathered outside closed public school buildings across the city Monday, publicly pushing back against a Philadelphia School District reopening plan they say endangers staff and students. As they waited for a neutral third party to determine whether the school system has met safety conditions necessary to reopen, school staff waved signs and bundled up against frigid weather, teaching from tents and folding chairs rather than go inside buildings as Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. had instructed. We want to work, said Elanda Tolliver, an educational assistant at Samuel Gompers Elementary in Wynnefield. But we want to come back safe. Thats all were asking. Educators cheered news that the city, school system, and Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia have plans to set up vaccination sites for teachers and other school workers inside district buildings by the end of the month, but many teachers said vaccination alone is insufficient without other assurances. Hite had ordered some teachers back to buildings Monday in advance of a student return scheduled for Feb. 22; Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan urged members not to return. Hite had threatened discipline for any of the prekindergarten through second grade teachers who did not report to buildings, but the city stepped in late Sunday night, saying teachers did not have to report to work until Peter Orris, a Chicago doctor and public health expert, had ruled. As of right now, we are still in ongoing discussions with the parties and are focused on getting kids back into schools as soon as possible, said city spokesperson Lauren Cox. Environmental conditions inside Philadelphias 200-plus largely old buildings are at issue; ventilation is a particular concern. READ MORE: We are not ready to go into unsafe buildings: No word from mediator, but Philly teachers will still protest Hite on Monday said the reopening plan was the result of 11 months of careful and science-based preparation by thousands of district staff who have been working tirelessly in our schools to ensure every school has a wide range of safety layers in place as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Health Departments. The superintendent has said that nearly a year into the pandemic, its crucial to return as many students to classrooms as possible, particularly given the supports schools provide and the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has had on families of color and those living in poverty. About 9,000 students, less than 8% of the total district population and just a third of those eligible to come back, have signed up to return later this month for in-school instruction two days a week. Its the third reopening attempt for the school system, whose students have been fully remote since March. Flanked by teachers, politicians, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, Jordan stood outside Gompers and blasted what he called Hites half-baked reopening plan. Philadelphia teachers, Jordan said, refuse to risk their lives in order to sit in school buildings that are unsafe. I wont stand for it. A growing chorus of lawmakers have supported teachers demands to delay reopening until environmental questions are answered and teachers are vaccinated. But Mayor Jim Kenney has made clear his desire to have teachers back in classrooms as soon as possible. City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who crisscrossed the city speaking to teachers Monday, said those who call for students to return because other districts have gone back are ignoring the decades-long problems with Philadelphia schools. If this was your building and you had to go to work with occupancy levels of 0 or 2, would you go? said Brooks, the mother and grandmother of district students. READ MORE: Why are you silencing us? New Philly school board public comment policy draws ire. At C.W. Henry in Mount Airy, 10 teachers stationed themselves in front of the building Monday morning and conducted virtual lessons while parents delivered food and signs and offered support. Good morning everybody, happy 100th day of school! said kindergarten teacher Colleen DiMartino, facing a laptop set up on a desk. If youre 100 days smarter, put your wiggle worms in the air and wave them like you dont care, she said, waving her arms in front of the screen. DiMartino and Meredith Schecter, a first-grade teacher, explained to their students that they were getting into good trouble, a reference to the quote from late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. I just dont know that there was enough data around bathrooms and hallways and really all of the spaces in our schools, to make sure that the ventilation was appropriate, Schecter said in an interview. When Kevin Watkins middle school social studies students asked him why he was teaching from his phone outside their school, Welsh Elementary in North Philadelphia, he was honest: He was working, but also protesting. One seventh grader told Watkins she stood with him. She said she wants to put posters up all over the neighborhood that say, Safe schools, said Watkins. Around Watkins, a dozen colleagues sat in beach chairs, stood huddled under a heat lamp, or sat in cars to keep warm against the winter chill. READ MORE: Get Phillys kids back in classrooms as soon as possible, Kenney and City Council tell School District School board member Mallory Fix Lopez, who spent time outside Childs Elementary School in South Philadelphia talking to teachers, said she believes teachers should be back inside schools if the terms of the PFTs reopening agreement have been met, but there is not yet public evidence thats the case. It is still not OK that the public is expected to trust the process without that transparent information, Fix Lopez said. I think there have been missteps around communication. The districts history of papering over environmental problems including lead paint, asbestos, and a disastrous $50 million construction project at Benjamin Franklin High makes teachers wary of the safety promises, they said. With a large stock of aging buildings, the district simply doesnt have the money or time to upgrade to the standards common in better-resourced private and suburban schools, officials have said. Some Philadelphia schools have no mechanical ventilation; the plan there is to open windows and use fans to help circulate air. Teachers at Richmond Elementary in Port Richmond said some often taught in coats during the winter pre-pandemic. In the recent past, theyve coped with damaged asbestos, raw sewage, and a rampant rodent problem. They dont have confidence in the district. I just want the kind of buildings for our city kids that kids in the suburbs have, said special education teacher Sam McKinlay. Ill sit out in the cold forever if I have to. READ MORE: Window fans may be Phillys fix for schools with poor ventilation. But teachers and parents are saying no way. The fan plan, in particular, has raised alarm with teachers and parents. District officials have called the fans a good-faith effort to ventilate about 1,100 rooms and said room temperatures will be monitored. Weingarten said when she first saw pictures of the fans, I thought it was a [Saturday Night Live] parody. It is a mockery, and it is incredibly disrespectful to think that something like this would fly, Weingarten said. At E.M. Stanton in the citys Graduate Hospital neighborhood, Ashlee Graves, a special-education assistant and parent of a sixth grader, said air flow was key for her. If we have proper ventilation, Ill be OK with coming in here without having a vaccine, said Graves. But dont come in and give us fans on a cardboard slat, and talking about, This is what its supposed to be. These schools some of them are over 100 years old, even more. You cant tear them down. So fix them. STRATFORD Authorities had no updates Monday about the police shooting of a domestic violence suspect Friday night. A spokesperson for the states top prosecutor said no new information would be forthcoming until Tuesday. Tomorrow the information will get released, Alaine Griffin, director of communications for Chief States Attorneys Office, said. Everythings coming together today. I wont be able to release anything until tomorrow. Connecticut State Police said the officer-involving shooting happened around 7:35 p.m. Friday on Main Street after Stratford police attempted a traffic stop where force was used. Hartford States Attorney Sharmese Walcott asked state police detectives to investigate the shooting. State law mandates a prosecutor from a different judicial district oversee investigations into deadly uses of force by police. Stratford police and state police on Monday referred questions to Walcott, who did not respond to messages seeking information. State police said Friday that the suspect who was shot did sustain injuries and was transported to an area hospital, but there have been no further updates about the persons condition. State police said a gun was recovered at the scene, and that officers involved were wearing body cameras. Per a 2019 law on the investigation of deadly uses of force, a preliminary report with certain details about the incident must be released within days of the incident. Body camera footage must also be released to the public. After the investigation by state police detectives, Walcott will decide whether or not the use of force by Stratford police was legally appropriate. Anyone with information is asked to call the Eastern District Major Crimes Squad at 860-896-3230. February 08 : Mukesh Khanna who is better known as 'Shaktimaan' has opened up 'Shaktimaan Institute of Acting' in Mumbai wherein he guides the students who want to pursue their career in acting. The actor spends time with the students here and works on their voice modulation, body language and much more. He spoke to News Helpline about this new venture, rise of OTT platform and much more. Talking about this institute, he said, "All the work for this institute had been done before Corona. But Corona changed our lives completely. I did not step out of my house during the entire lockdown. But now everything is back to normal, so we have started the classes finally. I had committed to the students that I will guide them in their journey here and I will fulfil my promise." He further added, "Shaktimaan came as a teacher in our lives. I feel I am a teacher now. Whatever I have learnt in so many years of my career, I want to share my experience with these students. I want to teach these students the correct nuances required for acting." These days OTT platform is on a great rise, sharing his views on it, he said, "OTT platform is very bad for the audience. There is no censor board. They are showing whatever they want to show. In our times, content was the king. In today's scenario, TRP has taken over everything so content is getting affected. The content on TV is bad and on OTT Platform it is worse. The makers these days are ready to show anything just to create controversy and get TRP Mukesh was also the chairman of Children's Film Society India from which he resigned in February 2018. He is the founder and director of MK Films. Francis made the appeal in his annual foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, which was postponed after he suffered a bout of sciatica nerve pain Rome: Pope Francis urged governments on Monday to use the coronavirus crisis as a revolutionary opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just and where basic health care is guaranteed for all. Francis made the appeal in his annual foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, an appointment that was postponed for two weeks after he suffered a bout of sciatica nerve pain that made standing and walking difficult. Francis urged the governments represented in the Apostolic Palace to contribute to global initiatives to provide vaccines to the poor and to use the pandemic to reset what he said was a sick economic model that exploits the poor and the Earth. There is need for a kind of new Copernican revolution that can put the economy at the service of men and women, not vice versa, he said, referring to the 16th Century paradigm shift that stated the sun was at the center of the universe, not the Earth. He said such a revolutionary new economy is one that brings life not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanising, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it. Francis has frequently called for the world to use the pandemic as a chance to re-imagine a global economy that values people and the planet over profits, and one where fraternity and solidarity guide human relationships rather than conflict and division. The 84-year-old Francis hit those themes in his lengthy address, which was delivered in a larger reception hall than usual to provide greater social distancing for the 88 ambassadors who attended. At the end, Francis invited each one up but said he wouldn't shake their hands and urged them to keep their distance. Francis has been vaccinated against the virus. In his speech, he called for basic health care to be provided to all. He noted that those on the margins of society and who work in the informal economy have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with the fewest social nets to survive it. Driven by desperation, many have sought other forms of income and risk being exploited through illegal or forced labour, prostitution and various criminal activities, including human trafficking, Francis warned. He said children have suffered from an educational catastrophe" with closed schools, women have been victims of domestic abuse, the faithful have been deprived of communal worship and that all of humanity has been restricted from close human contact. Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in todays world," he said. In addition to the pandemic, Francis listed other areas of particular concern, starting with the coup in Myanmar, which Francis visited in 2017. He called for political leaders to be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue aimed at the good of the country. He called for the war in Syria to finally end, noting that 2021 marks its 10th anniversary, and urging the international community to address the causes of the conflict with honesty and courage and to seek solutions." He praised the UN treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons and the extension of the START treaty between the U.S. and Russia. He also called for disarmament efforts to extend to conventional and chemical weapons. 21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan May 28, 2021 08:15 PM Pune, India, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global medical clothing market is set to gain momentum from the rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections. Besides, the rising awareness campaigns regarding the benefits of clinical clothing would affect the market positively. Fortune Business Insights provided this information in a recent report, titled, Medical Clothing Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Surgical Drapes, Medical Scrubs and Gowns, Gloves, Facial Protection, Sterilization Wraps, Protective Apparels and Others), By Application (Hospitals & Physicians Offices, Outpatient Facilities, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027. The report further states that the medical clothing market size was USD 63.3 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 99.9 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT: November 2019 : Ansell Limited teamed up with ProGlove to develop hand protection solutions by using innovative technology. It would enable the right personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance at the workplace. : Ansell Limited teamed up with ProGlove to develop hand protection solutions by using innovative technology. It would enable the right personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance at the workplace. November 2018: Superior Uniform Group, Inc. successfully acquired CID Resources Inc. to gain ownership of the rising medical clothing providers and enter into a new segment in the uniform market. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/medical-clothing-market-102704 Outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic to Surge Demand for Medical Clothing In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic occurred because of coronavirus. The virus is anticipated to have its origin in snakes or bats. The WHO also tagged Covid-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Centers for diseases control and Prevention (CDC) mentioned that among all the emerging infectious disease that affect humans, around 75% of them originate from animals. Hence, the increasing concerns regarding infectious diseases are likely to boost the medical clothing market growth in the coming years. Besides, zoonotic diseases have a tendency to affect public health worldwide, especially the emerging countries owing to their lack of control strategies. However, medical clothing often has to be approved by the regulatory bodies, such as the FDA. It involved extra expenses. Therefore, it may hinder the market growth. The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic. We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/medical-clothing-market-102704 Surgical Drapes, Scrubs and Gowns Segment to Lead Fueled by its Usage in Multiple Healthcare Institutions In terms of product, the market is divided into protective apparel, sterilization wraps, facial protection, gloves, surgical drapes and gowns, and others. The surgical drapes and gowns segment held 33.0% medical clothing market share in 2019. This growth is attributable to their rising usage in multiple healthcare institutions stoked by their ability to protect the staff from blood-borne pathogens of the patients. Coupled with this, increasing technological advancements, rising hygiene awareness, surging patient pool, and rising awareness regarding infections would contribute to the growth of this segment. North America to Remain at the Forefront Stoked by Developed Healthcare Infrastructure The market is geographically fragmented into the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and North America. Amongst these, North America procured USD 25.5 billion in 2019 and is set to dominate in the forthcoming period. This growth is attributable to the presence of numerous medical clothing manufacturing companies, increasing prevalence of acute and chronic diseases, and developed healthcare infrastructure. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is estimated to grow rapidly by exhibiting high CAGR on account of the increasing awareness programs amongst the masses regarding hygiene and safety. Quick Buy - Medical Clothing Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102704 Fortune Business Insights lists out the names of organizations present in the global market. They are as follows: Cardinal Health, Inc. Halyard Health 3M Company Medline Industries, Inc. Superior Uniform Groups Semperit AG Holding Ansell Healthcare LLC Medline Industries Molnlycke Health Care Barco Uniforms Other prominent players Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/medical-clothing-market-102704 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Market Scope Market Segmentation Market Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Overview of COVID-19 Impact on Medical Clothing Market Snapshot of Advancement in Products of Medical Clothing Key Emerging Trends in Global Medical Clothing Market Key Industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships Global Medical Clothing Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Surgical Drapes, Scrubs and Gowns Gloves Facial Protection Sterlization Wraps Protective Apparel Others TOC Continued. ! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/medical-clothing-market-102704 Have a Look at Related Reports: Medical Equipment Financing Market Size , Share & Industry Analysis, By Device Type (Diagnostic Equipment, Therapeutic Equipment, Patient Monitoring Equipment, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Laboratories and Diagnostic Centers, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 E-prescribing Market Size , Share & Industry Analysis, By Delivery Mode (Web-based, On-premise), By Prescription Type (Controlled substance, Non controlled Substances) By End User (Hospitals, Physician's offices, Pharmacies) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Telerehabilitation Market Size , Share and Covid-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Products, Services), By Application (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Chronic Diseases, and Others), By End-User (Healthcare Facilities and Homecare); and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 Drug Delivery Market Size , Share & Industry Analysis, By Route of Administration (Injectable, Nasal, Topical & Transdermal, Oral and Others), By Type (Conventional and Advanced), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, and Online Pharmacies) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. 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Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs New Delhi, Feb 8 : Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to thoroughly probe the violence during the farmers' tractor rally, including hoisting of a religious flag at the Red Fort on Republic Day. Speaking on the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said that the onus of security was on the Union government. "You (government) decided to permit the farmers to carry out the tractor rally. You decided the route...then how did the miscreants reach Red Fort? The entire incident seems suspicious, it needs a thorough probe," Chowdhury said, amid noise from the treasury benches. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were engrossed in the discussion, Chowdhury said the violence seemed to be planned by those who appear to be close to the government. "Amit Shahji is a tough minister but despite him being the Home Minister how did the miscreants dare to enter the secure Red Fort? It seems that the sequence of events which led to the violence was part of a conspiracy to malign the image of innocent and poor farmers who are agitating on borders of the national capital for two months," said the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. He also accused the ruling BJP of violating the code of Official Secrets Act over alleged leak of details of the Balakot air strike. "Four top officials of the government were privy to such confidential security information but a TV journalist got the secret news prior to the air strike. It's a serious breach...and we demand a probe," he said. Underling the recent Twitter war following the controversial tweet of young environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Chowdhury said that there was no need for the government and its active supporters on social media to go after an 18-year-old girl who had only supported the farmers' agitation. "The world has changed a lot and these days people do give opinions on events happening around the globe. Greta only supports the farmers' cause," he said, adding, "when our Prime Minister goes to America and says that 'Abki baar Trump sarkar' then nobody objects. So why are we worried about a child's tweet in support of the farmers?" The United Nations special envoy for Yemen who arrived in Iran Sunday for talks on the grinding war in the Arab world's poorest country met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday. Martin Griffiths' "immediate priority" in Tehran is to push for a nationwide ceasefire, urgent humanitarian measures and the resumption of the political process, his office has said. Those goals repeatedly have proved elusive over years of ruinous war that have left the country deeply divided. The talks are part of a broader effort to negotiate a political solution to the nearly six-year conflict pitting Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Yemeni government forces supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.The trip comes just days after President Joe Biden announced that the US will end its support, including some arms sales, of the Saudi-led coalition's war against the Houthis. The long-awaited move refocused a spotlight on the world's worst humanitarian crisis and was welcomed by many Yemenis and aid groups that hope the policy change might add to momentum for peace talks.The visit was planned long before Biden's announcement, Griffiths' spokeswoman Ismini Palla said.The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north in 2014. Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and other countries, launched a bombing campaign to expel the Houthis and restore the internationally recognised government months later.Iran, seeing an opportunity to aid a war of attrition against rival Saudi Arabia, has provided the Houthis with military and political support, according to Arab countries, the West and United Nations experts.Tehran long has denied the allegations, despite evidence to the contrary. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The disinvestment policy announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman brings into sharper focus the question of allowing public sector units (PSUs) to hold sway in crucial realms such as space and defence. These along with atomic energy; transport and telecommunications; power, petroleum, coal and other minerals; and banking, insurance and financial services are strategic sectors where PSUs will continue to have a role. At the same time, the new rules allow Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in other sectors to be privatised as and when the NITI Aayog puts them up for disinvestment. The latest Public Sector Enterprise Survey identifies 257 CPSEs including 184 profit-making enterprises. Since the late 1990s, successive central governments have hesitated to carry out any serious PSU disinvestment, steadfastly refusing to cede majority stakes in profitable PSUs to industry. This was widely criticised because the governments presence in non-strategic sectors such as, say, ship-building not only denied opportunities for competent private players but often led to inefficient PSUs bleeding the exchequer. So, ran the argument, the government must step aside and allow industry a bigger role in these sectors. While this argument has its merits, strategic sectors such as defence, space and oil exploration represent the other side of the coin where the governments role is rightly viewed as a necessary evil. The only rider being that this role should be based more on collaboration, rather than competition, with industry. This is even more significant today when industry participation is perceived as pivotal to New Delhis ambitious plan to raise Indias current annual defence production of Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 1.85 lakh-crore in the next five years. Countries such as the United States, Russia and China have their own domestic defence industries that supply their respective military forces based on arms contracts given by the government. This has a major downside as it lends political overtones to the military-industrial complex, and major corporations often monopolise the sector. In the case of India, industry plays a far lesser role than defence PSUs in arms acquisition, although a sizeable number of private players actively participate in the defence sector. Unfortunately, the lack of competition and adequate R&D wherewithal of these companies have led to the absence of a robust public-private partnership in this strategic sector. No wonder then that this has often spelt unacceptable delays in the completion and delivery of major projects. In fact, a recent study by Boston Consulting Group says Indias private industry, which provides sub-contractors to defence CPSEs, accounts for less than 10 percent of the countrys defence spending. This is in sharp contrast to the CPSEs contribution of 20 percent. The defence reforms set in motion recently will hopefully rectify this and provide greater synergy between the private sector and the government in line with the Make in India initiative the cornerstone of the countrys indigenisation programme. One good way of redefining the role of defence PSUs is perhaps to include periodic and systematic audit mechanisms in the proposed reforms for these sectors. Such measures will go a long way in ensuring PSUs offer healthy competition to industry in the sector and the partnership endures. Disinvestment in the space sector may be easier to carry out. Unlike the defence sector, where the military and industry never had a level playing field, the space sector read the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) always had industry involvement in some form or another in its satellite and launch vehicle programmes. Compared to the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and its subsidiaries, ISRO enjoys remarkable autonomy which enables it to outsource the building of several small to mid-sized satellites ranging from 300 kg to 2000 kg to private players, their manpower and facilities. The idea is for ISRO to provide the requisite training for industry at its centres and share its time-tested design and testing facilities, leaving ISRO scientists free to focus on R&D for other key technologies. Corporate houses such as Godrej, the Tatas, L&T, HAL and Mahindra now routinely supply critical systems, spacecraft parts, and even liquid propulsion for launch vehicles. Since low cost access to space is the watchword in the global space industry, opening the door wider will encourage more big players to join in the effort to bolster Indias launch capability, which currently boasts 30-35 percent cheaper launches than other countries. This is not to suggest that private players be given unfettered access to strategic sectors such as space where PSUs must continue to have a crucial balancing role. After all, unregulated industry involvement in the space domain would be the last thing anyone wants and least of all ISRO. By its very nature, space technology needs heavy investment and this opens up the possibility of rich private entities dominating the sector. It is with this in mind that the government has established a new PSU, New Space India Limited (NSIL) that acts as ISROs commercial arm. The NSIL is mandated with marketing ISROs R&D projects and help build launchers such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLVs) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLVs) with industry collaboration. However, for these unprecedented structural reforms to work, the government has to draw up adequate regulatory frameworks. Only then will the new policy achieve its goal of attracting huge private sector investment, enhance productivity and take India to a higher growth trajectory, as NITI Aayog chief Amitabh Kant says. The addition of more than 500 remote acres to the Pinchot State Forest will enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in the North Pocono area, state officials say. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday the acquisition of a 528-acre property known as the Blumer tract within the forests Thornhurst section that expands the state forest to more than 49,635 acres. The tract divides the Susquehanna and Lehigh river watersheds, and its donation to DCNR by the nonprofit Conservation Fund will help to bring protection to both, according to the department. Part of the property drains into the Watres Reservoir, a public water supply, and part into a creek that feeds the exceptional value waters of the Upper Lehigh River, DCNR officials said. Kyle Shenk, northeast regional director of the Conservation Fund, called the tract an important piece for the state forest and its recreational offerings, including its outstanding trail system. This is a great addition, especially now more than ever with the whole want and need to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, Shenk said. Thats a gem up there. Its nice to add to it. The acquisition of the property eliminates a sizable inholding or privately owned land inside the boundary of a publicly owned protected area in the state forest system, DCNR spokesman Terry Brady said. More than that, the addition comes at a time when, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people seem to have suddenly noticed that Pennsylvania has 2.2 million acres of state forests and decided that they need to explore, he said. As a core-forest area with remote and primitive pockets, the Blumer tract offers a chance for a rustic wilderness experience, he said. The tract is accessible by foot using the Pinchot Trail and Watres Loop Hiking Trail, or overland from Pittston Road. This is the beauty of this tract, Brady said. Its designed for people who are now discovering remote wilderness. The Conservation Fund acquired the tract using money provided by a voluntary mitigation fund the Williams Companies Inc. created as part of a natural gas pipeline project, Shenk said. Over the past decade, the nonprofit organization has completed projects that have added more than 14,500 acres of protected land within the Pinchot State Forest, according to its website. The biggest addition came in 2015, when the Conservation Fund facilitated the acquisition of 8,120 acres from Theta Land Corp. as part of the Enhance Penns Woods initiative. Maddy Hill will reprise her role as Nancy Carter in EastEnders after nearly five years away from Albert Square. The soap character will make a surprise return to Walford after settling down to start married life in New Zealand with her husband Tamwar Masood, played by Tenet star Himesh Patel. Nancy first arrived in the square with the Carters in 2014 and quickly became embroiled in drama as her family took over The Queen Vic. Expand Close Maddy Hill (BBC) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maddy Hill (BBC) However, her unlikely romance with Tamwar resulted in them heading off on an adventure, travelling around the world. After her exit from EastEnders in 2016, Hill joined Casualty as the paramedic Ruby Spark. She left the show after two years in April 2020 when her character decided to look after her baby niece after her sisters death. Hill said: Im so excited to be coming back and reconnecting with all the hilarious, warm, talented cast and crew and meeting some lovely new faces. Expand Close Maddy Hill with co-stars Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright (Ian West/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maddy Hill with co-stars Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright (Ian West/PA) I absolutely loved playing Nancy and have often wondered what shes up to, so feel very grateful to be able to rediscover her five years on. Jon Sen, executive producer of EastEnders, added: Were delighted to have Maddy back and I cant wait for audiences to see whats in store for Nancy. Theres a lot of mystery surrounding her return and shes coming back to a family that have been through a very difficult year things are definitely not as Nancy left them. Maddy is a fantastic actor and we feel very lucky to have her back in Walford. Hill will begin filming this month with her scenes airing in spring. Animal rights activists stage a protest at Gwanghwamun, Seoul, in this Jan. 25 photo, calling for a halt to the culling of poultry as a method to prevent the spread of avian influenza, saying there are other options. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji While the government has been bolstering measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza, animal welfare organizations and veterinarians are criticizing the measures culling poultry regardless of whether or not they have been infected. They say culling is nothing more than animal slaughter, and vaccines for the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu should be introduced as a preventive measure. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the number of chickens and ducks culled here, since last Nov. 26 when the first H5N8 case broke out, topped 25.3 million as of Feb. 3. There were 75 cases of infections nationwide. In Gyeonggi Province alone, more than 6.8 million chicken and ducks in 83 poultry and egg farms were culled during the same period. Of these, 4.24 million at 65 farms, or 61 percent, were culled as a preventive measure although they were not infected with the virus. The government has been culling all poultry within a three-kilometer radius of infected farms since 2018. However, animal welfare organizations and veterinary associations are questioning whether the government's policy is the only viable solution. Members of 45 organizations, including the Korea Association for Animal Protection (KAAP), held a press conference in Gwanghwamun in Seoul last month, saying more than 100 million poultry have been buried underground since the very first outbreak of avian influenza here in 2003. "Based on scientific and elaborate analysis, culling should be carried out mainly on the farms infected with the virus. As a fundamental measure to solve the problem, a vaccine for H5N8 should be introduced, just like vaccines turned out to be the fundamental solution to end the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," said Lee Won-bok, head of the KAAP. "Although the country can minimize culling by using vaccines, the government sticks to culling and it seems to only be because of administrative convenience." Lee Sung-sik, head of the Gyeonggi Veterinary Medical Association, also said even though there is a simple test kit that can detect the virus within three hours, the government adheres to culling the animals without convincing reasons. "It seems the authorities are hesitant out of fear of losing the country's status as a bird flu clean zone if they use vaccines for avian influenza, but now we have to begin vaccination as the virus breaks out every year," he said. According to him, losing its status as a "bird flu clean zone" could result in restrictions on the export of domestic poultry and related products, and increase the possibility of allowing imports of poultry products from China, which have been banned as the country is not designated as a clean zone. In August 2008, Korea declared itself a bird flu clean zone in accordance with guidelines set by the World Health Organization. He also noted the biggest reason for the government's hesitation to implement a vaccination program is fear of a virus mutation that could be deadly to humans. Culled chickens are buried near a poultry farm in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 21, after an outbreak of avian influenza was confirmed there. Yonhap A Delhi court has denied granting bail to, Shahrukh Pathan, one of the accused in the Delhi riots case on the grounds that he could go absconding. Pathan was captured on camera pointing his gun at a police officer during the Delhi riots on February 24, 2020. He was caught from Uttar Pradesh's Shamli District on March 3. Denying his petition, the court observed, "The accused is alleged to have participated in the riots and has been duly identified. His picture speaks volumes about the involvement and the conduct of the accused on the said day." Special prosecutor D.K. Bhatia opposed the bail petition on grounds that after the incident at Jafrabad metro station, Pathan had absconded and hence could repeat it again. Pathan was arrested by the Delhi police on March 3 from the Shamli bus stand in Uttar Pradesh after a video of him wielding his gun and running towards head constable Deepak Dahiya set the social media abuzz. After he was identified, a case against him was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, being a member of unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, and sections of the Arms Act. Following his arrest, the illegal weapon and two live cartridges were also recovered from his home. Also read: Delhi Riots: Court Grants Bail to Man in Murder Case, Cites Humongous Delay in Eye Witness Statement Pathans counsel Khalid Akhtar told the court that his client had been behind bars for the past 10 months, despite the non-commencement of trial. He also claimed that head constable Dahiyas statement is contradictory to the video and that the complainant was never shot at, Akhtar argued. Taking into account the allegations against Pathan regarding his conduct on February 24, 2020, additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat observed, What is material is the gravity of the offense and the allegations against the accused which are quite grave. And added to it is the conduct of the accused showing that he does not satisfy the triple test for the grant of bail. The Northeast Delhi riots, which broke out between February 23 and 26, resulted in the death of 53 persons. At least 581 persons were injured, out of which about 97 persons sustained gunshot injuries. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Universal Music Group said it has pulled its music from Triller after no agreement had been reached with the L.A. music video app. "We will not work with platforms that do not value artists," UMG said in a statement Friday. "Triller has shamefully withheld payments owed to our artists and refuses to negotiate a license going forward." Universal Music Group represents hip-hop artists including Drake, the late Pop Smoke and Eminem. Yanking their music from the platform would hurt Triller as its users make videos that include parts of songs. UMG has a license with viral video app TikTok a" Triller's biggest competitor. Triller said in a statement that its agreement with UMG expired about a week ago and it has not withheld payments from artists. "Triller does not need a deal with UMG to continue operating as it has been since the relevant artists are already shareholders or partners on Triller, and thus can authorize their usage directly," the company said. "Triller's statements are 'removed from reality,'" UMG countered. It is unclear how many UMG artists have individual deals with Triller. Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment on that. At least one music industry group expressed concern over the dispute. "It's sad to see Triller join the long list of tech companies that talk big about music but fail to deliver for artists, songwriters, and fans," said the Artist Rights Alliance, a group that advocates for artists, in a statement. "We strongly support the ongoing fight for fair treatment for music creators and an online world in which all music is licensed and paid for." Triller CEO Mike Lu said he was not personally aware of Universal Music Group's decision until 5 a.m. PT. "This has to be a bad Punk'd episode. I'm waiting for Ashton to jump out of my closet," Lu said in a statement. "Our relationship with UMG is solid. Its biggest artists are investors and partners in Triller and Universal owns parts of Triller." But 7digital, which provided the back-end connection for Triller to UMG's library of songs, said in a statement made at 1:39 a.m. PT that it was aware of UMG's decision. "The Company confirms that this announcement by UMG has no financial impact on its business nor does it have any impact on its own relationships with either party," 7digital said. Triller, launched in 2015, rose to greater prominence last year, when rival TikTok was in danger of being banned in the United States due to the Trump administration's concerns about its ties to China. Triller is majority-owned by Proxima Media, an investment firm led by Ryan Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh was once the head of mini-studio Relativity Media, which later entered bankruptcy and underwent restructuring. Explore further TikTok countersues rival video app Triller in patent defense 2021 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. As many as 2,379 candidates have cleared the preliminary test. An estimated 15,369 candidates appeared in the recruitment exam conducted on 6 December, 2020. The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has announced the results for the 31st Judicial Services 2020 preliminary exam on its official website. Candidates who appeared for the recruitment exam can check their result by visiting bpsc.bih.nic.in. The commission has published a PDF document that contains the roll numbers of the shortlisted candidates. According to Hindustan Times, as many as 2,379 candidates have cleared the preliminary test. In the recruitment exam conducted on 6 December, 2020, as many as 15,369 candidates had appeared. Follow these steps to download the BPSC Judicial Services merit list: Step 1: Visit the official website of BPSC at http://www.bpsc.bih.nic.in/ Step 2: Find the link that says Results: 31st Bihar Judicial Services (Preliminary) Competitive Examination. (Advt. No. 04/2020) on the homepage and click on it Step 3: You will be redirected to another page Step 4: The PDF file with the roll numbers of all the qualified candidates mentioned on it will appear on the screen Step 5: Check for your roll number to see if you have managed to clear the prelims. Step 6: Download the document and take a print out if necessary Here is the direct link to the BPSC Judicial Services prelims 2020 result. The commission has also released the final answer keys of the two papers in the prelim exams apart from the merit list. As per Scroll, BPSC is going to upload the marksheets of all the candidates on its website shortly. Also, notification about the main exams will be out soon too. Candidates will have to be prepared in five compulsory subjects and a few optional subjects. There are five compulsory subjects: General Knowledge, General Hindi, General English, Elementary General Science and Law of Evidence and Procedure. There are five optional subjects of which candidates have to pick any three. Commensurate with the lease renewal, Scotiabank will be vacating space at the top of 40 King St. W. For the first time since the building's construction, one of the best office spaces in Canada will be available for lease in 2023. Scotia Plaza in Toronto is owned by KingSett and AIMCo. 40 King St W. has been recognized with a Zero Carbon Building Performance v2 Certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), making it the largest certified Zero Carbon Building in Canada at more than 1.5 million square feet. "We are very pleased that Scotiabank will continue to be a prominent tenant in the complex that bears its name. This renewal is a testament to how valued partners can work together to achieve a collective objective. Sustainable premium office real estate continues to be integral to promoting collaboration and productivity among employees in the workplace." --Bill Logar, Executive Vice President Asset Management, KingSett Capital "We are proud to renew our tenancy in Scotia Plaza, the largest zero carbon-certified building in Canada. We continue to believe in the importance of having a prominent, physical location in Toronto's downtown core." --Stephen Morson, SVP Real Estate, Scotiabank. "This extension is a testament to the outstanding efforts of our operating and tenant partners. Scotia Plaza's Zero Carbon certification fully aligns to AIMCo's sustainability commitments and the property continues to be a great investment for our clients." -- Tony Vadacchino, Director, Real Estate, AIMCo About Scotia Plaza Toronto's Scotia Plaza is made up of four buildings: 40 King St. W., 44 King St. W., 100 Yonge St. and 11 Adelaide St. W. Scotia Plaza's 40 King St. W. is one of four buildings (at more than 1.5 million square feet) that has earned the Zero Carbon Building Performance v2 Certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), and has a Transition Plan in place to remove all carbon-intensive mechanical system over the next 18 months. The building is going beyond the Zero Carbon Building Performance v2 certification's latest zero carbon balance requirements by also offsetting its emissions from waste-to-landfill generated onsite using Gold Standard certified carbon offsets. The building has also achieved the largest Fitwel certification in Canada for a Multi-Tenant Base Building. Developed by the CDC, this world-leading certification system promotes occupant health and wellbeing across seven health impact categories by incorporating evidence-based design and policy strategies to support physical, mental and social health within the space. Other environmental certifications include LEED Platinum and WiredScore Certified: Gold. Please see the building backgrounder for more information regarding environmental sustainability technologies and processes. To read about the full Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard, please go to CaGBC.org/zerocarbon. About Alberta Investment Management Corporation AIMCo is one of Canada's largest and most diversified institutional investment managers with more than $118 billion of assets under management. AIMCo was established on January 1, 2008 with a mandate to provide superior long-term investment results for its clients. AIMCo operates at arms-length from the Government of Alberta and invests globally on behalf of 31 pensions, endowments and government funds in the Province of Alberta. For more information on AIMCo please visit www.aimco.ca. or contact Denes Nemeth, Vice-President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, 1-780-392-3857, [email protected]. About KingSett Capital KingSett Capital is Canada's leading private equity real estate investment firm. Founded in 2002, KingSett has raised $12 billion of equity for its Growth, Income, Urban, Mortgage and Affordable Housing strategies. KingSett owns interests in an $18.4 billion portfolio of assets. KingSett continues to seek further opportunities to invest in a wide range of real estate properties, developments, joint ventures and mortgage lending. SOURCE KingSett Capital For further information: is available at www.kingsettcapital.com. Follow KingSett on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/kingsett-capital. Stellar MLS announced today its need for a Chief Technology Officer. For nearly 30 years, Stellar MLS has worked alongside tech giants to pioneer technology to help real estate professionals. The company serves over 65,000 real estate professionals in Florida and Puerto Rico, making the organization the largest MLS in the Southern United States. As the real estate landscape evolves, Stellar MLS continues to work across the tech supply chain to deliver resources and tools for its members. "Stellar MLS is pushing the envelope with new concepts and thinking about the subscriber's experience with their technology and tools. They refuse to accept the status quo for their subscribers and marketplace."- Jack Miller, President T3Sixty. Stellar MLS's management team comprises top executives hailing from all areas of the industry and across sectors. The team works closely with the organization's board of directors to align strategy, technology, capital, and operations to grow the organization, generate returns for stakeholders and provide the best resources for its customers. "As Stellar continues to grow, so does our commitment to our customers. We are excited to welcome an additional leader to our team. The right person will have a deep understanding of real estate technology and also embody the spirit of our Stellar culture where we always put the customer experience first," says CEO, Merri Jo Cowen. Stellar MLS has begun their executive search in collaboration with T3Sixty, a trusted advisor and management consultancy offering real estate consulting, research, and analysis. T3Sixty will assist the organization in searching and screening for candidates to fill the new executive position. To start the application process for the Chief Technology Officer Position at Stellar MLS, visit: https://www.t3talent.com/questionnaire About Stellar MLS Headquartered in Altamonte Springs, FL, Stellar MLS (Stellar) is Florida's largest multiple listing service (MLS) company, with over 65,000 customers in Florida and Puerto Rico. Owned by 15 shareholder Realtor Associations, Stellar MLS offers a comprehensive suite of productivity and marketing tools to professionals in the real estate industry. To complement its core residential offerings, Stellar MLS operates a commercial information exchange called My Florida Commercial Real Estate, located at MFCRE.com. For more information on Stellar MLS, please visit StellarMLS.com. Minnesota legalized the use of medical cannabis with a physician's prescription, but it is still listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the state and federal government, putting it on the same level as illicit narcotics such as heroin and LSD. That has some legal ramifications for gun owners among the 43,000 people registered in the state's medical cannabis program. State Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, has multiple sclerosis and is registered in the state's medical cannabis program. Hamilton told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he cannot renew his permit to carry a gun or legally use a firearm to hunt in Minnesota because the state and the federal government still list medical cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. "The bill I am proposing would make medical cannabis a Schedule 2 drug legal with a prescription but yet allowing you to renew your permit to carry and hunt with a firearm if you so choose," Hamilton said. Hamilton said if Minnesota lawmakers make that change it would still contradict federal law. ..... [February 08, 2021] VIP Capital Funding, Patience is a virtue for Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 Raleigh, North Carolina, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Joshua Triplett, CEO of VIP Capital Funding and his team of consultants have been prompt in helping small business owners to kick off 2021. The remembrance of the 2020 COVID-19 hit is still fresh on many small business owners' minds that left them stranded and scrambling for working capital to stay afloat for the livelihood of their business and employees. Aid came faster as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), along with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) came with haste. Many business owners were insulated but heading into 2021 much of those funds have been exhausted and now business owners have been awaiting additional funding, namely the Paycheck Protection Program 2.0. Through first hand experience the controversial transition between the Trump and Biden Administration put a halt on the PPP round 2 in January when business owners were expecting and needing it most. VIP Capital Funding has adapted and has helped many business owners get their applications process under their control, but the SBA has remained flushed with millions of applications to process. With that being said Joshua Triplett advises with complete transparency that small to medium size businesses remain patient as the SBA and its under-writers get to applicants accordingly. There is great optimism in this month of February that PPP round 2.0 applicants will be streamlined and business owners will once again be insulated. Although COVID-19 has picked up steam through its rampant spread through the United States and world wide, Joshua Triplett remains optimistic that vaccines will roll out and herd immunity will take effect over the next 12 months. This should allow business owners to begin to thrive as the stimulus aid will help bring back unemployed workers and the economy will prosper. The backbone of the economy in the United States, in which 99% of businesses are small-medium sized should hold strong, and continue pushing and shoving their products and services. With complete transparency many small to medium sized business owners have been pending and left confused about the application process of the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP 2.0). Joshua Triplett, wants small-medium sized business owners to understand that this time around is a bit different as it is requiring more verification, not saying it is more difficult but the process is more time consuming. Reason being is because businesses must show a 25% reduction in annual revenue and depending on the lender this can be shown through an annual P&L between 2019-2020 or a given quarter between 2019-2020. This requires more time for business owners to gather, and for under-writers to under-write. VIP Capital Funding has been actively helping small business owners through the PPP with a hands on dedicated approach that has been successful in getting many small-medium sized business owners funded throughout the delay. Joshua Triplett advises many to seek PPP 2.0 aid within his company as his group of highly trained consultants have been working around the clock up to 7 days a week since the start of 2021 to help get the funds that small-medium sized business owners need to stay insulated throughout Q1-Q2 this year. Joshua Triplettis also optimistic about a new loan product from the Biden Administration over the coming month or two to add additional working capital to businesses to help the livelihoods of millions of hard working U.S. citizens who are eager to get back to work and help our country thrive. VIP Capital Funding a top fin-tech has become a beacon for many small business owners through its modernized and dedicated system where business owners feel a sense of security knowing they are being helped by a dedicated consultant who is working hard to procure capital for the business. VIP Capital Fundings mission is to help solve the financial problems of as many business owners as they can help through their simplified and effective approach that has left many business owners grateful. While traditional banks have been overwhelmed, VIP Capital Funding has been able to tend to many business owners needs and ultimately get the job done in solving financial problems to keep business owners thriving. Cash flow is king and Joshua Triplett and his group of very experienced officers have a deep level of understanding across hundreds of industries which leaves both VIP Capital Funding and their clients more than satisfied when funding is done at a lot faster rate than traditional banks. Pivoting from the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP 2.0), VIP Capital Funding is versatile in procuring working capital for business owners through its private lenders and investors. The capital that VIP Capital Funding provides works well for business owners who are not only in a pinch, but for business owners who strategically place bulk orders at 20%-40% discounts to negate the cost of the capital which is tax deductible. VIP Capital Funding would be more than happy to help your business through these troubling times. If you are in need of PPP 2.0 capital or private lending business capital, we are eager to help. Contact Details You may get in touch with Joshua Triplett via his LinkedIn or Twitter handle VIP Capital Funding contact information: Website: https://vipcapitalfunding.com Office Phone- 800-735-7754 Email- consultation@vipcapitalfunding.com Will Winston, Vice President Direct- 919-521-8954 Email- will.winston@vipcapitalfunding.com Cheynne Chong, Director of Risk Management Direct- 919-521-8451 Email- cheynne@vipcapitalfunding.com Carlos Hernandez, Senior Vice President Direct- 919-300-0203 Email- carlos@vipcapitalfunding.com Kenneth Lewis, Chief Financial Officer Direct- 702-517-3144 Email- kenneth@vipcapitalfunding.com This news has been published for the above source. VIP Capital Funding [ID=16851] Disclaimer: The information does not constitute advice or an offer to buy. Any purchase made from this story is made at your own risk. Consult an expert advisor/health professional before any such purchase. Any purchase made from this link is subject to the final terms and conditions of the website's selling. The content publisher and its distribution partners do not take any responsibility directly or indirectly. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the company this news is about. Attachment Joshua Triplett [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gang boss Cornelius Price faces being locked up in an English jail for the rest of the year after a court ruled that his kidnapping trial will not start until December 6 next, the date of his 40th birthday. An administrative officer said the case at Wood Green Court is fixed for that date and is expected to last between eight to nine weeks. Notorious criminal Price (39) is who is linked to the Maguire gang involved in the deadly Drogheda feud, is one of six people who have been charged in England over a plot to kidnap two men. He has now been locked up in medium security HM Prison Dovegate in Uttoxeter on the kidnapping charges for almost seven months and is unlikely to get bail until his trial is completed. Mark Kavanagh (32), who is also a leading player in the Maguire faction, is also facing charges in relation to the kidnap plot but he was granted bail on January 29 last. Price and Kavanagh were among six people arrested last July following a major investigation by the West Midlands Organised Crime Unit. Senior sources say that Kavanagh has not returned to Drogheda since being given bail almost a fortnight ago and is understood to be still based in the UK. Prices gang are the chief suspects the savage murders of Willie Maughan, and his pregnant girlfriend Ana Varslavane at Prices property in Gormanston, Co Meath, on April 14, 2015. His gang are also the chief suspects for the murder of Benny Whitehouse and Price was previously arrested for this crime. Mr Whitehouse was shot dead at Clonard Street, Balbriggan, on September 25, 2014, in front of his partner as part of a separate feud in the north Co Dublin town. In the UK, Price is charged with two counts of conspiring to falsely imprison Muhammed and Shah Ali last July, as well as two counts of conspiring to blackmail both men on the same dates. Drogheda man Mark Kavanagh, whose address is listed as Manchester, is also charged with two counts of conspiracy to falsely imprison and two counts of conspiracy to blackmail. Originally from Yellowbatter in the Co Louth town, Kavanagh, like many of those with links to the feuding Drogheda gangs, fled Ireland a year ago and the situation in the town has calmed considerably since then. While based in England, he hooked up with other members of the Maguire gang, including Price. Two other men, Darren McClean and Quincy Bramble, are charged with the kidnap of Muhammed Ali on July 8. This duo also remain in custody on the charges. The two accused, as well as Price, Kavanagh, Danny Bridges and Lisa Finnerty, are also charged with conspiring to unlawfully and injuriously imprison Muhammed and Shah Ali, and detain them against their will, between July 7 and 17. All six also face charges of blackmail with a view to making unwarranted demands of monies from the same complainants on the same date. The case will next be heard at Wood Green Crown Court before Judge David Aaronberg on May 19 next for a further case management hearing in which the defendants may be arraigned on the charges. Taipei: It was never going to last. For most of the past week, thousands of internet users in China spent their days and nights engrossed in intimate and taboo conversations with strangers across the country, as well as in Hong Kong, Taiwan and throughout the Chinese diaspora. They asked questions about the protests in Hong Kong, reports of mass detentions of Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and female orgasm - all topics that would normally be quickly censored on any Chinese social media platform. Clubhouse users asked questions about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Credit:Jeff Widener For a brief time, those bounded by the Great Firewall, Chinas system of internet controls blocking access to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, had found an island of unregulated speech in the US-based app Clubhouse, an invitation-only platform where users talk in audio-chat rooms. The app, which debuted in March but gained popularity after Elon Musk joined last week, had escaped the notice of Chinese regulators. Ukraine has chosen the European Green Deal strategy and has the necessary resources for its implementation, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "We are prepared for the challenges facing Ukraine in the context of the green transition, the decarbonization of the economy and the need to reform the coal sector and the transformation of coal mining regions," Shmyhal said during a video conference with representatives of with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany. He said that Germanys experience in the successful closure of mines and the transformation of coal regions is particularly important for Ukraine, and welcomed the launch of a new energy partnership last August. The head of government said that the gradual abandonment of the use of coal envisages the development of the Concept and the State Program for the Transformation of Coal Regions. According to the Prime Minister, such a program is currently being elaborated for the period up to 2030. Denys Shmyhal said that, currently, there were 61 coal regions in Ukraine. These are mono-cities that are tied to a single enterprise, coal mine or station. "All these regions have the old infrastructure of the 60s and 80s of the last century. Depletion, mine closures and the gradual strategic closure of the coal mining industry, in general, will create social tensions in the future. We must take a number of strategic steps to provide social security for the people in these regions," the Prime Minister said. Shmyhal noted that in this context, the experience and support of Germany and the European Union are of paramount importance for Ukraine. In this regard, Denys Shmyhal welcomed the establishment of the Partnership Secretariat and emphasized that the Government of Ukraine stands ready to cooperate with the Project Office for the Transformation of Coal Regions with the support of the German development agency GIZ for the development and implementation of pilot projects. "We have prepared two mines - in Donetsk and Lviv regions, which we proposed to take for the implementation of joint pilot projects. They must demonstrate the results of the transformation so that we can extend them to other coal regions," Shmyhal said. The Prime Minister said that Ukraine had chosen the European Green Deal as its strategy: "We have all the essential government programs, as well as the National Plan for Reducing Emissions from Large Combustion Plants". In addition, Ukraine, according to Denys Shmyhal, should also launch a joint project to transform coal regions with the World Bank. "It is important to ensure the transformation of coal regions is accompanied by the creation of new economic incentives so that new competitive clusters and new innovation and technological industries appear on the basis of coal industry enterprises. After all, the selected regions have the appropriate infrastructure: transport routes, substations, and power grids," the Prime Minister said. German Federal Government Commissioner for Structural Change in the Ukrainian Coal-Mining Regions Stanislaw Tillich noted that Germany expresses readiness to accompany the process of transformation of coal regions within the framework of the energy partnership with Ukraine. For his part, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Andreas Feicht added during the meeting that Germany also seeks to deepen the partnership with Ukraine in the field of hydrogen energy. British Prime Minister on Sunday expressed solidarity with India after a glacier burst in Uttarakhand, which led to massive flooding in the state. Taking to Twitter, Johnson said that the UK is ready to offer any support required to India after the devastating in "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed," he tweeted. A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of on Sunday triggering massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. Following the incident, leaders across the world including French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed condolences to the victims of the glacial burst. "France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families," said Macron in a tweet. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has rescued 12 people who were trapped in the tunnel near the Tapovan area following a glacier burst. "We are assuming that around 125 people are missing. The number can be higher," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. (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.) Launching Bare Metal Cloud in Amsterdam and Singapore is a major milestone for us as we continue our efforts toward aligning the platform with the needs and demands of agile organizations, said Ian McClarty, President of phoenixNAP. phoenixNAP, a global IT services provider offering security-focused cloud infrastructure, dedicated servers, colocation, and specialized Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) technology solutions, today announced the availability of its Bare Metal Cloud platform in Europe and Asia. In addition to Phoenix and Ashburn locations, which provide low-latency connectivity to the US East and West coasts, customers can now deploy physical machines in Amsterdam and Singapore in a matter of minutes. Both Amsterdam and Singapore Bare Metal Cloud nodes are housed in world-class data center facilities, strategically interconnected to deliver robust network connectivity in Europe and the APAC region. By deploying Bare Metal Cloud servers in these new locations, customers can bring their apps closer to the end-user while taking advantage of reduced network latency, faster performance, and improved fault tolerance. Launching Bare Metal Cloud in Amsterdam and Singapore is a major milestone for us as we continue our efforts toward aligning the platform with the needs and demands of agile organizations, said Ian McClarty, President of phoenixNAP. This expansion is a remarkable win for our DevOps-oriented customers who are looking to increase their digital presence on a global scale. As of now, Bare Metal Cloud is available in the three largest world markets the US, Europe, and Asia. This is beneficial for our customers because it opens the door for them to expand into new markets and grow internationally. Customers can automatically provision any of the 20 pre-configured instances through the web-based UI or API across all four locations with the same level of agility, speed, and flexibility. Depending on the instance configuration, networking options include 2x10 Gbps and 2x25 Gbps transfer speeds, which is enough to meet high throughput and low latency demands for the broadest set of workloads. This year will be marked as a year of continued global expansion for Bare Metal Cloud. In the coming months, our customers will have the ability to deploy Bare Metal Cloud servers in even more locations across the US and Europe. And to celebrate these monumental achievements, we will be rolling out special pricing across all regions for both new and existing customers, announced William Bell, EVP of Products at phoenixNAP. In addition to new locations, Bare Metal Cloud now offers more reservation options that are geared toward customers who require guaranteed resource availability. Along with standard hourly and monthly billing options, customers can also reserve a specific server configuration for a longer period one, two, or three years. Bare Metal Cloud is developed in an agile manner, and with each two-week sprint cycle, we enhance the platform with new features and functionality. This level of dexterity allows us to be very responsive to our customers needs and market trends, said Martin Wielomski, Director of Products at phoenixNAP. Along with the addition of new locations and reservation options, we have also expanded the list of available operating systems that users can install automatically with their machines. In addition to Ubuntu and CentOS, users can now deploy Windows Server 2019 Standard and Datacenter editions. We are also hard at work developing new instance types, Infrastructure as code modules such as Terraform, Ansible, and Pulumi, and integrating Bare Metal Cloud with other platforms which will make it easier for customers to run their own private or hybrid cloud environments. Overview of new Bare Metal Cloud features and functionalities: New locations: Amsterdam and Singapore Addition of the Windows Server 2019 OS Standard and Datacenter versions Extended reservations: 12, 24, and 36 months Custom-built Terraform, Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and Pulumi modules Improved SSH key management Private network only instance options What is Bare Metal Cloud? Bare Metal Cloud servers are physical non-virtualized single-tenant machines delivered with cloud-like flexibility and speed. Users get unlimited access to the servers physical hardware, giving them more freedom to customize their environments. Provisioning a Bare Metal Cloud server is as easy as deploying a virtual machine. All it takes is a couple of clicks or a simple API call to deploy a physical machine and get access to the raw power of dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage resources. With 20 different instance types, users can choose between general-purpose, compute-optimized, and memory-optimized servers, allowing them to run a wide variety of demanding workloads. For more information, visit the official Bare Metal Cloud page and explore all available instances and pricing options here. About phoenixNAP phoenixNAP is a global IT services provider with a focus on cybersecurity and compliance-readiness, whose progressive Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions are delivered from strategic edge locations worldwide. Its cloud, dedicated servers, hardware leasing, and colocation options are built to meet always evolving IT business requirements. Providing comprehensive disaster recovery solutions, a DDoS-protected global network, and hybrid IT deployments with software and hardware-based security, phoenixNAP fully supports its clients business continuity planning. Offering scalable and resilient OpEx solutions with expert staff to assist, phoenixNAP supports growth and innovation in businesses of any size enabling their digital transformation. Visit https://phoenixnap.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for more information. phoenixNAP is a Premier Service Provider in the VMware Cloud Provider Program and a Platinum Veeam Cloud & Service Provider partner. phoenixNAP is also a PCI DSS Validated Service Provider and its flagship facility is SOC Type 1 and SOC Type 2 audited. The World Health Organization (WHO) was recently able to send a team of experts to Wuhan, China, where the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19 originated before ravaging the whole world, and after the required quarantine period, investigation for the pandemic's origin has started and it seems like the experts are one step closer to the truth. WHO Investigators Found COVID-19 Origin Evidence According to Mirror, the WHO team was given unrestricted access, meaning they could ask whoever is needed and investigate places that they believe is essential to uncover the truth behind the viral pandemic. Nevertheless, British zoologist Peter Daszak said in an interview that the team has sent a list of people they wanted to interview and places they wanted to visit to the Chinese government. As per Daszak, the list did not receive any opposition from the authorities, so they were able to begin their investigation. As the investigation progressed, the zoologist said that they have found evidence of the COVID-19 origin and that everything they found out thus far is being "pieced together," so the world is hopeful that the WHO investigation team can shed light into how the pandemic really started a year after it sent countries into lockdowns. "We are not running rogue here, we are talking to our hosts. We are in a foreign country, we are guests of China right now," Daszak said. "This is a good, collaborative, scientific approach to understanding more about the origins of COVID." Read More: COVID-19 Vaccine Shortage Warrants Investigation of Dark Web Marketplaces Visiting the P4 Lab in Wuhan Institute of Virology There have been several theories as to how the viral pandemic began, but one of the questions many people asked is if COVID-19 came from a lab in Wuhan. When asked about that, Daszak answered and said they have found "no evidence of that at all." Nevertheless, he assured that they have talked to the people of the lab in question and had a "good and honest and frank informative answers" from them. The lab in question is the P4 lab inside of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). According to the Global Times, the WHO investigators visited the P4 lab on Wednesday last week, February 3, 2021. Even before the expert team from the United Nation's agency stepped within Chinese land, the laboratory has already refuted the claims, with Chinese authorities saying the theory was nothing but a smear campaign led by some politicians in the United States. There has been no past evidence that the COVID-19 virus was man-made nor leaked from a lab. Investigation Continues WHO experts, led by Peter Ben Embarek, confirmed that they met up with Shi Zhengli, a leading virologist in WIV, who has been dubbed as the "Bat Woman" for her years of work and contribution in researching bats and viruses. The team of experts are trying to investigate the origin of the pandemic to help prevent any future outbreak from happening, as per NDTV. As of now, the investigators are still working in Wuhan with the people and the authorities and are yet to announce what they have discovered, but it's not surprising if the team will do so in the next few weeks. Related Article: New COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Will Combine Different Vaccines for the First Time This article is owned by Tech Times Written by: Nhx Tingson 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 04:15:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address after he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Asked if the United States will lift sanctions first to get Iran back to the negotiating table, Biden said "no." He also gave an affirmative nod when asked if Iran had to stop enriching uranium first. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would not lift sanctions against Iran unless Tehran stops enriching uranium, according to an interview broadcasted on Sunday. Asked if the United States will lift sanctions first to get Iran back to the negotiating table, Biden said "no" in a Friday interview with CBS News. Biden also gave an affirmative nod when asked if Iran had to stop enriching uranium first. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Saturday that Iran is losing patience with the new U.S. administration's "recent signals to retain illegal sanctions" on the Islamic Republic, Press TV reported. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had noted that Washington would only return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, once Tehran meets its commitments, warning of a long road ahead. The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) and the European Union. Iran is allowed to enrich uranium within certain limits under the deal. Iran said last month that it was starting to produce 20 percent enriched uranium, as part of Iran's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which was approved by the parliament in December 2020. Relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated since May 2018 when former President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed harsh sanctions against Iran. In response, Tehran has gradually dropped some of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019. A court here has directed the Delhi police to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) on a complaint filed by social activist Harsh Mander to lodge an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party leader for allegedly provocating people to commit riots in February last year. The riots in northeast Delhi left 53 dead and several hundred injured. The court was hearing the matter on the direction of the Delhi High Court, which was approached by Mander last year. Since, the matter has already once gone to the High Court of Delhi, this court deems it appropriate to call the report from DCP concerned. Let action taken report be called from DCP concerned for March 9 on the complaint given, Metropolitan Magistrate Himanshu Raman Singh said in an order passed on January 29. In his complaint, Mander had sought registration of an FIR against Mishra for encouraging violence against Anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protestors, and engaging in criminal activities under Sections related to giving provocation with intent to cause riot and making, publishing or circulating statement, rumour, report etc. to cause public mischief. He also urged the court to direct police to arrest Mishra and prosecute him in accordance with law. (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 Overdose Leads to Drug Charges for Two By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A reported drug overdose led to the arrest of two Paducah residents on drug charges.On Friday, deputies with the McCracken County Sheriff's Office were called to a drug overdose in the Lone Oak area. The victim was revived with Narcan and taken to a hospital for treatment.Detectives reportedly learned that the overdose victim had taken Fentanyl.Police searched a home on Oaklawn Drive in Paducah, and allegedly found 19-year-old Jadon Matthews attempting to flush counterfeit Oxycodone. Detectives tested the pills and said they were found to contain Fentanyl.Police said the search also uncovered evidence indicating that Matthews had sold Fentanyl to the overdose victim.Matthews was arrested and charged with trafficking in Fentanyl, possession of marijuana, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia.While continuing the investigation, detectives arrested Tyler Hanenberger in the parking lot of a business on Irvin Cobb Drive. Police said they found cash, 64 Oxycodone pills, and 29 Xanax pills, all suspected of containing Fentanyl. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 15:17:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YINCHUAN, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- For more than 50 years, Jiang Jie has written Spring Festival couplets for villagers in his neighborhood. As a tradition, Chinese people write Spring Festival couplets, a two-sentence, auspicious poem written on red couplets in anticipation of a prosperous Lunar New Year. As the Spring Festival is just around the corner, Jiang has joined other villagers in writing the couplets again. The difference this year is that each of them wore a mask under the requirements of COVID-19 control and prevention. "It's like a ceremony for us to say goodbye to winter and say hello to spring. Likewise, we bid farewell to poverty and pray for luck in the coming year," said Jiang, 80. Jiang lives in the Shenjiahe Folk Cultural Village, Yuanzhou District of Guyuan City in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The village is home to various forms of intangible cultural heritage, including paper-cutting, painting and Chinese calligraphy, and many villagers like Jiang are good at this art form of writing with ink and brushes. In Shenjiahe, it's an annual tradition to write Spring Festival couplets for villagers in the Chinese Lunar New Year, and the event usually attracts up to 1,000 villagers to the site, said Shen Kebin, the activity organizer. "We have written the couplets for generations," said Jiang, adding that in this way, villagers do not need to buy couplets from markets and could save money in preparation for other necessities for the Lunar New Year. Among more than 30 pairs of couplets written by Jiang, one pair reads: Shake off poverty with governmental help and make fortunes with our own hands. A horizontal scroll bears the words "Hope for the future." "I like this one most. It shows the life we have been fighting for," said Jiang. Yuanzhou District was once a national poverty-stricken locality. For Jiang, his younger years were marked by water shortage. Thanks to China's targeted poverty-alleviation efforts, villagers now have access to tap water, electricity and the internet. Benefiting from an irrigation project, the vast arid land in Yuanzhou District has become the base to 14,667 hectares of vegetables, which have increased people's income and enriched the variety of dishes on locals' dining tables. Yuanzhou District shook off poverty last March. Jiang's son has bought a car. Gone are the days when Jiang had to walk or ride on a donkey. "I feel so satisfied with my life now, and I write down those changes in couplets too," Jiang said. "What's written in the couplets should keep pace with the times and reflect changes in society," said Shen Kebin, the activity organizer, adding that nearly 400 Spring Festival couplets have been written under the themes of festival celebrations, fighting against poverty and the coronavirus. According to Shen, most of the couplets were written online in WeChat groups, in line with rules against COVID-19. Cai Jinghua, 12, was the youngest to take part in the activity. In his couplets, he wrote "We should always be grateful to those who lifted us out of poverty and keep us safe amid the COVID-19 epidemic." Enditem The government has held 11 rounds of talks with farmer leaders so far, the last one on 22 January before the Republic Day tractor parade that led to violent clashes New Delhi: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the government is ready to resume talks with the farmers protesting the new farm laws but asserted that despite repeated proposals, the protesters have not come up with any "concrete suggestion" so far. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to farmer unions that the government was "just a phone away" to discuss any issues raised by them, Goyal said "but for that somebody at least has to make call so that we can move forward". "This government is sensitive towards farmers' issues. The PM and the government is ready to discuss it with them. The PM even said he was just a phone call away, but somebody at least has to call so that we can move forward," the minister said during a press conference. He added that the farmers were being misled on a few issues and some people have been successful at confusing them. "We even proposed to make the laws stricter through change of wordings, we proposed to suspend the laws for 18 months. We keep reading in news 'tareekh par tareekh' (date after date) but it should be 'prastav par prastav' (proposal after proposal). But we are yet to hear a concrete suggestion from the farmers," said Goyal, who is also the minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry. The government has held 11 rounds of talks with farmer leaders, the last one being held on 22 January before the tractor parade on 26 January which ended in violent clashes between the police and the protestors. The minister also condemned the act of hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort during the tractor parade on Republic Day, calling it "unfortunate", while insisting that the government was ready to move past that and find a solution through dialogue. He added that when the government brings a bill it is for the benefit of the people and if anyone has issues with it, they should bring it up instead of depriving others of it. "There are crores of farmers in India, these laws will benefit them, especially the small farmers. We have looked into how to improve their income. We understand these will only benefit the farmer, if you have issues we can discuss but why deprive the rest of them from its benefits," the minister added. Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | Feb. 8, 2021 The Pennsylvania House approved Friday for the National Guard to be involved in the states COVID-19 distribution process. The state will receive around $26 million from its opioid settlement with McKinsey. Traffic will be detoured in Lancaster County for seven months during as a bridge is replaced. Plus, over a dozen dogs and puppies were recused from an unlicensed kennel. Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa. Todays episode refers to the following articles: If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too. Promoting the Biden administrations proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package, U.S. Congressman Richard Neal said neither he nor the president see any room for negotiation with Republicans on the $1.9 trillion bottom line. This is about a pandemic. This is about stability, the Massachusetts Democrat said Monday afternoon, speaking alongside Gov. Charlie Baker at the State House. I often hear people say stimulus. This is about stability. Neal, who serves as chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, instead touted the proposed relief package as a way to advance the nations vaccination plan and aid states and cities that have struggled to cover costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Baker cited his FY22 budget as an example of the ripple effects of the coronavirus-driven recession; the governor proposed a smaller budget than what was passed the year before. Baker has filed as $45.6 billion budget for fiscal 2022. And while the state continues to see fewer unemployment claims than it did early on in the pandemic, as of two weeks ago more than 165,000 Massachusetts residents remain out of work. Appearing on the governors news briefing, Neal outlined the terms of President Joe Bidens proposed stimulus package. In addition to a proposed $1,400 check for eligible residents, he noted the plan includes an extended child tax credit, enhanced unemployment benefits through September, rental assistance, funding for schools to reopen and funding to advance a national vaccination program. If approved and signed into law quickly, Neal said Americans could see the benefits of the latest stimulus package as quickly as April 1. With a Democratic majority in the House and Senate for the first time in a decade, Biden doesnt need bipartisan support to get the stimulus package passed. But there are some disagreements among GOP and Democratic leaders, as well as gripes from progressives in the House. Some Republicans and conservative Democrats have called for full stimulus payments to go solely to those earning $40,000 or less, with those earning $50,000 or more being completely exempt. Biden has considered an income cap of up to $65,000. The proposed income thresholds from Republicans has drawn criticism from Democrats, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is absurd to be telling working-class people, somebody who has a decent union job theyre making $55,000, $60,000 sorry, youre not eligible for the program, Sanders told CNN on Sunday. It makes no sense to me at all, nor do I think it makes sense to the American people. The previous two COVID-19 relief bills sent full stimulus checks first a $1,200 check and then a $600 check to Americans earning under $75,000 and married couples earning under $150,000. When asked about the possibility of a $65,000 income cap, Neal did not say whether he supports the idea. Instead, he touted his proposal for a child tax credit of at least $3,000 per child. The CARES Act that was passed in the spring, he said, did not include such relief for parents. The point that you raise is entirely legitimate about income-based guidelines, Neal said in response to a question from MassLive but discussed other challenges to get stimulus checks to Americans. Neal went on to say he doesnt want to see those making $300,000 a year getting stimulus checks, but he did not say whether he supports the income cap of $60,000 or $65,000. One issue he said the Treasury Department encountered is some people who earned under $12,000 a year, or married couple who jointly earned $24,000 a year, did not file taxes. Federal officials had to trace Medicaid records to get those people their stimulus money. Related Content: Market Research Manager, Geneva Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund Country: Switzerland City: Geneva, Switzerland Office: UNICEF Geneva Grade: P-4 Closing date: Monday, 1 March 2021 Market Research Manager, P-4, PFP, # 11050, Geneva, Switzerland Job no: 537581 Position type: Fixed Term Appointment Location: Switzerland Division/Equivalent: Partnerships School/Unit: Geneva, Switzerland Department/Office: Private Fund Raising and Partnerships Categories: Private Fundraising and Partnerships, P-4 UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. Strategic office context: UNICEFs current objectives for the Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) are to: 1) Mobilize Resources from the Private Sector: this includes raising funds from individuals, corporations and foundations. Within resource mobilization, the current emphasis is on balancing acquisition of new donors with retention of current donors, acquiring more donors digitally, and diversifying our income streams including regular donations, cash donations, major donors and legacies. 2) Engage with the Private Sector: this includes engaging with individuals and corporations to garner their support for children. Working with corporations, and in addition to resource mobilization, UNICEF will capitalize on the corporate experience and competence in relevant areas such as digital transformation, communication, transportation, education, health care, in addition to ensuring that corporations respect child rights in all their practices. Working with individuals, we will engage the public in financial and non-financial ways to support children causes through donations, volunteer work, advocacy, and acting as influencers. Market Research Manager Contribution: The Market Knowledge Unit (MKU) is responsible for bringing external perspectives about the world, the development and humanitarian sector, and audiences to UNICEF, to ensure that our decisions are externally sensitive, and evidence based. We do this by designing and interpreting public opinion surveys, conducting market analysis, tracking trends and identifying audience insights. MKU turns data into insights, connects the dots across different areas of knowledge, identifies best practices for reapplication, and provides the tools to turn the knowledge into action and results for children. The Market Research Manager ensures that UNICEFs relationship with its audiences is at the highest possible level and that our communication and branding efforts contribute to such an objective. This includes designing, conducting, and interpreting public opinion surveys among different audiences to understand their values, motivations and behavior in order to enable UNICEF to communicate with them in relevant and persuasive ways. The Market Research Manager will make evidence-based recommendations identifying opportunities and addressing challenges to help UNICEF achieve its objectives. The Market Research Manager will work collaboratively with internal stakeholders in the Headquarters, Regional Support Centers, Country Offices and National Committees. In addition to designing, conducting and interpreting highest quality research, the Market Research Manager will distill the knowledge generated and communicate it in clear ways that result in a direct business impact. Purpose of the Job: Overall, the purpose of the position is to help increase UNICEF fundraising revenues and private sector engagement by designing, conducting and interpreting market research surveys and making recommendations to PFP (especially top management and Country Relationship Teams), National Committees, Regional Offices and Country Offices. The Market Research Manager, under the overall guidance and direction of the Chief Market Research is accountable for managing market research projects, playing a key role in the formulation of UNICEF and PFP strategies, in addition to sub-strategies including the fundraising strategy, digital strategy, communication and advocacy strategy, and brand strategy. S/he is responsible for establishing research plans and overseeing work progress to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocations, results based-management approaches and methodology and UNICEFs Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework. S/he holds shared responsibility for strategic recommendations and decisions on situation analysis, programme/project planning, implementation and evaluation as well as administrative decision making on use of funds and human resources that have significant impact on projects. For every child, hope Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 1. Managing consumer research Align on priorities with the Chief Market Knowledge and set direction of opinion surveys. Provide overall policy guidance and direction and coordinate activities. Provide consultation on problem areas and operational issues. Monitor work progress and ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards. Agree clear and achievable work objectives for each supervisee, monitor performance, and ensure appropriate development and training of staff. Provide support and guidance to staff, and leadership to foster and maintain staff engagement and motivation as well as sound staff-management relations. 2. Understanding business needs and translating them into testable hypotheses. Meet with relevant stakeholders to define the business needs. Establish realistic briefs provided for new research projects that meet business needs. 3. Designing market research plans. Ensure new research project results are actionable and address business issues. Ensure high quality execution of research studies. Provide business partners with relevant high-quality research recommendations. Direct audience contact to identify needs and wants. Stay up to date with latest developments in consumer and market research methodologies and technologies and bring into UNICEF. 4. Analyzing and presenting consumer and market research findings Conduct training disseminate knowledge & insights and provide guidance to business partners on the use of opinion surveys. Business partners are fundraising, communication, brand and campaign specialists in PFP, HQs, National Committees, Regional Offices and Country Offices. Make recommendations based on opinion surveys and trends tracking. Provide guidance on sensitive and specialized issues, and on global and strategic issues. To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... Education: An advanced university degree in social sciences, communication or equivalent technical field is required. Tags child rights digital strategy fundraising human resources market analysis market research performance standards project management public opinion qualitative research resource mobilization social sciences Alternatively, a first level university degree in a relevant field combined with 10 years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Specialization or course work in quantitative / qualitative research, marketing, statistics or psychology is an asset. Experience: Minimum of eight years of professional work experience at the international level in market research including multi-country opinion survey project management is required. Knowledge and experience of various global markets as well as consumer products and brand research are required. At least three years experience of people management is required. Language requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN languages consider an asset. For every Child, you demonstrate... The functional competencies required for this post are... Core Values Care Respect Integrity Trust Accountability Core competencies Drive for Results (LIII) Communication (LIII) Working with People (LII) Functional Competencies: Analyzing (LII) Persuading and Influencing (LIII) Entrepreneurial Thinking (LII) Remarks: UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEFs Entitlements page. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. Advertised: Jan 21 2021 W. Europe Standard Time Application close: Mar 01 2021 W. Europe Standard Time has joined the elite club of companies with Rs 1-trillion market capitalization (market-cap) on the BSE, after its share price hit a new high of Rs 28,059, rallying 5 per cent in intra-day trade on Monday. The company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cement and cement related products surpassed its previous high of Rs 27,356, touched on February 4, 2021. With the market-cap of Rs 1.01 trillion, at 01:30 pm; stood at number 33th position in overall market-cap ranking, the BSE data shows. The stock was up 4.5 per cent at Rs 27,926, against 1.3 per cent risen in the S&P BSE Sensex. became the second pure cement company after UltraTech Cement (Rs 1.85 trillion market-cap) to achieve the feat. Thus far in the six trading days of February, Shree Cement has surged 23 per cent after the company reported healthy Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) growth of 28.2 per cent year on year (YoY) to Rs 1,089 crore driven by improved sales volume (up 14.6 per cent YoY to 7.16 MT) and lower production costs. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 11 per cent during the same period. Shree Cement is one of the strongest players in the northern region with operating units at Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Apart from stronghold in north, which accounts for around 66 per cent of revenues, the company also has increased its share in east and south with operating units at Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar as well as operating unit in Karnataka. Tracking the data since FY07, Shree Cement has always reported double digit return on equity (RoE); thus speaking strongly of the managements efficient capital allocation. These healthy returns have been generated with net debt/EBITDA remaining below 1x throughout this period. Analysts at ICICI Securities believe the same is going to be maintained despite new capex announcement involving capex of Rs 1,000 crore with an aim of doubling the capacity in seven years. We expect the company to continue its leadership on the costs that would, in turn, help it to consistently gain the market share with improved profitability and return matrix. Thus, it remains long term structural play. Hence, we maintain our BUY rating on the company with a revised target price of Rs 31,000/share (20x FY23E EV/EBITDA) (earlier target price Rs 28,000), the brokerage firm said in results update. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A grand jury declined to indict a 29-year-old man after he was apprehended by police during a raid of a home in New Brighton where officers allegedly recovered a gun and drugs. Alberto Reyes was taken into custody along with Victor Guadalupe, 28, when police executed a search warrant at an apartment on Van Tuyl Street in New Brighton around 6 a.m. on Jan. 21. Bad luck, not criminal behavior, led to the arrest, his attorney alleges. Mr. Reyes had nothing to do with guns and drugs, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time that night and the grand jury saw that and they vindicated his story, said his attorney, Kelvin Richards. The attorney added that the case was dismissed and sealed and Mr. Reyes is free and he has no criminal record, but it was a bad experience. Reyes had been looking for a job in Manhattan on the day prior to his arrest. He stepped off the Staten Island Ferry and walked to Guadalupes apartment instead of taking public transit for an additional roughly 45 minutes to reach his own home in the borough, the lawyer said. The friends visited, Reyes decided to sleep over and planned to leave early in the morning. He didnt know, he was sleeping, it was six in the morning, Richards said. All he heard is a flash bang, and a bunch of lights and guns pointed at him. Richards said that Reyes provided identification and told the officers that he didnt live in the house, but officers apparently didnt believe him and placed the 29-year-old man under arrest, Richards said. The judge set $10,000 cash bail, which was hard for him to post, and $50,000 bond for his first arrest, the lawyer said. Reyes mother and girlfriend were able to post bond and he was released from jail. Reyes then appeared before the grand jury. We presented our case and two of the grand jurors asked questions, Richards said, noting that grand jury proceedings are secret so he is unable to disclose details about the proceedings. Richards noted that the outcome of cases could be very different from the initial charges made by authorities. Far too often, when our clients are arrested its reported right away and people dont get to see the end result of these cases because an arrest doesnt mean a conviction, Richards said. Anybody can get arrested. The grand jury voted a No True Bill for the charges against Reyes and the case against Guadalupe still is pending, according to a law-enforcement source. Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is seen behind the justice statue at the Supreme Court of Canada, which could be asked to rule on the constitutionality of Bill C-7. To level the playing field for end-of-life options, palliative care should be made available to all Canadians. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Instead of Expanding MAiD, Expand Palliative Care Commentary A good friend of ours died last year of a slow-growing but inexorable form of lung cancer. In his final months, he received expert outpatient care from a team of palliative-care specialists. When the end was imminent and breathing became difficult, he was asked if he preferred lucidity with suffering, or comfort. Comfort, he whispered. His medication was adjusted, and he relaxed into sleep. He died peacefully the next day. A few months previous to his death, his wife, distressed at his now-rapid decline, had wondered aloud to me if she should introduce the subject of MAiDmedical assistance in dying, i.e. euthanasiato their ongoing conversation about his condition. (The term MAiD was stolen from palliative care by the euthanasia lobby in order to obscure the bright moral line between easeful transition to a natural death and killing by lethal injection.) I begged her not to. I said her husband was aware of his right to euthanasia, but if she brought it up, it could well act as a signal to him that this was her preference. She took my advice, and later thanked me for it. In Canada, physicians do routinely inform patients that they have the option of euthanasia, and many thousands of Canadians choose it. In 2019, 2 percent (5,631 cases) of all Canadian deaths were medically assisted (3.3 percent in British Columbia). Bill C-7, which proposes to expand access to euthanasia, would make Canada one of the most permissive countries in the world for physician-assisted death. C-7 was rushed through the House of Commons last year, and Senate hearings are concluding to meet a Feb. 26 deadline, at which point the Supreme Court may or may not be asked to rule on its constitutionality. Justice Minister David Lametti has not ruled out the possibility of referring the bill to the top court, rather than waiting for a lower court decision on whether it goes too far (or, for the Kevorkianists, not far enough). Up to now, euthanasia was only permissible for those whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable. C-7 opens the door for euthanasia to anyone who is enduring what he or she considers to be intolerable suffering, physical or mental. (Although it rules out euthanasia for the mentally ill, one can easily see the legal complications in distinguishing mental illness from illness-fuelled clinical depression). C-7 also removes the provisions for a mandatory 10-day reflection period, which would mean sufferers can demand and receive death on their worst day, when slight improvement the next day might have changed their mind. In addition, the bill reduces the requirement from two independent witnesses to one, who may be a paid caregiver. In 2015, the Supreme Courts Carter decision resulted in euthanasia legislation that explicitly called for evidence of the first years of operation to be explored in a review in 2020. Such evidence would have included medical histories of those who chose euthanasia, analysis of the nature of the suffering and attempts to relieve it, documentation of procedural steps, and impacts on loved ones. But we dont have that evidence, nor has there been a review. There are also cases in which euthanasia has been withheld, but we dont know why, or the results of that withholding. In fact, University of Toronto professor of medicine and law Harvey Schipper and former federal deputy minister Harry Swain noted in a July 2020 article in the Vancouver Sun: We have no evidence on which to base change in the law in any direction. Schipper and Swain characterize this lack of evidence and the way MAiD is evolving in Canada as troubling, even dangerous. The rush to expand MAiD, given government inaction on data collection and the void where disciplined examination of the facts should be, turns policy-making on its head, say the two experts. In every other field, from pipelines to seatbelts, from new airplanes to new medicines, the onus is on the advocate to provide clear, scientific evidence that the idea is safeneither painful to the user nor distressing to the community, they write. Regarding distress to the community, in the case of Vancouvers Louis Brier nursing home we have a perfect example of how ideological zeal amongst euthanasia advocates can easily trump community sensitivities. This nursing homenot an acute-care facilityfor Orthodox Jews was funded by and meant for survivors of the Holocaust. Legal euthanasia is a traumatizing concept among their residents, and they dont permit it on their premises. But an outside doctor (a Hemlock Aid activist) with no visiting privileges and without documentation came to perform euthanasia for a consenting resident after hours, causing anguish to the other residents. It seems very clear that C-7s expansions were drafted in a spirit of what we might call zeitgeist bias rather than with the objectivity and prudence appropriate in a government making literal life-and-death policy decisions. Once you accept the logic that suffering justifies killing, it is not easy to set boundaries. Only about 30 percent of Canadians have access to the kind of palliative care our friend had. Too few disabled Canadians have adequate support services. Too many people with disabilities live with substandard care. They are choosing euthanasia because dying with dignityan apparently compassionate phrase shielding the movements chilling presumption that chronic illness, disability, and dependence automatically strip human life of dignityis privileged over living with dignity. As National Post columnist Chris Selley noted in a recent column on this issue, the COVID crisis has laid bare the shameful conditions in many care homes that make suicide preferable to the squalid animal existence that is currently the only other option for many trapped residents. In Gerbert Mark van Loenens book Do You Call This A Life? about right-to-die laws in the Netherlands, Dutch physician Joke Groen-Evers noted that, when talking with a terminal patient, she would feel bound to bring up the subject of euthanasia, and nine times out of 10 the patient would return with a request for euthanasia. Finding herself more comfortable suggesting palliative care, she stopped using the E-word. And what do you know: Almost no one asks for it anymore! she said. If you mention euthanasia, they will ask for it. If you mention palliative care, then that is what they will choose. That is instructive and heartening to know. And yet, there is no use in doctors mentioning palliative care as a default if it isnt available to all Canadians. If the government really cared about Canadians rights, it would put C-7 on the back burner and introduce a bill that guarantees all Canadians the right to palliative care and/or the support services they need to live out their natural life with dignity and comfort. Once the playing field for options is levelled, and only then, should our euthanasia law be expanded. Barbara Kay has been a weekly columnist for the National Post since 2003. She also writes for thepostmillennial.com, Quillette, and The Dorchester Review. She is the author of three books. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Constitutional Court of Armenia on Tuesday was to consider the petition of the opposition factions of the National Assembly (NA), whereby they dispute the constitutionality of the constitutional amendments made in June last year. Armenian News-NEWS.am was informed by the Constitutional Court that, by the petition of the respondent, the hearing of this case was postponed until February 17. The matter refers to the constitutional amendments that came into force in June last year, as a result of which Hrayr Tovmasyan was dismissed from the post of the President of the Constitutional Court, whereas the respective powers of Constitutional Court Judges Alvina Gyulumyan, Hrant Nazaryan, and Felix Tokhyan were terminated, and they were sent to retirement. And in August of the previous year, the NA opposition Bright Armenia and Prosperous Armenia factions had petitioned to the Constitutional Court. According to them, the NA had gone beyond its constitutional powers in the aforesaid decisions, and therefore they dispute the constitutionality of the constitutional amendments made in June last year. Thus, it turns out that the newly elected president and members of the Constitutional Court will consider a petition which, in fact, disputes their legitimacy. 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. Hyderabad: Telugu film star Allu Arjun's vanity van was hit by a container lorry in Khammam district in Telangana and the driver and an attendant who were travelling in the vehicle escaped unhurt, police said on Sunday. The van suffered minor damage when the lorry coming from behind rammed into it at Satyanarayanapuram on Saturday. Neither the actor nor his makeup team were in the vanity van when the incident happened, a police official said. Besides the driver, an attendant was in the vehicle which was returning here from a film shoot. Based on the van driver's complaint, a case was registered against the container lorry's driver, the official added. Arjun was recently in Andhra Pradesh in connection with shooting of his upcoming film 'Pushpa'. Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) has announced that it had carried out a campsite clean-up awareness drive in collaboration with Abu Dhabi City Municipality and Abu Dhabi Police. The month-long drive was aimed at educating campers about the importance of ensuring the cleanliness of desert campsites and highlighting the negative effects of littering and dumping waste in undesignated areas. It included various awareness activities to encourage sustainable and environmentally responsible behavior among campers and sensitize them about the challenges resulting from improper waste disposal on the desert environment. As part of the campaign agenda, Tadweer and Abu Dhabi City Municipality formed a task force in collaboration with their strategic partners to conduct joint field visits and communicate the campaign's key messages and objectives to the public through various channels. Tadweer Director General Dr Salem Al Kaabi said: "In carrying out the campsite clean-up awareness drive for the second year in a row, we aimed to promote the cleanliness of public places and ensure the aesthetic appeal of the emirate." "This supports Abu Dhabi governments objective of achieving sustainable development as envisaged by Abu Dhabi Environment Vision 2030," he noted. Al Kaabi pointed out that the clean-up drive was focused on promoting sound environmental practices among campers by educating them about safe and eco-friendly waste disposal methods. "Such efforts will help us create a clean, and safe environment in the emirate. At Tadweer, we plan to conduct more of these awareness campaigns on a regular basis to ensure a healthy, clean and safe desert environment for all," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Zhao Jing, a staff member from China Communications Construction Company's Ethiopian branch, shows Spring Festival kits distributed by the Chinese Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 6, 2021. The kits, containing face masks, disinfectant wipes and other epidemic prevention materials, were distributed to overseas Chinese by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia on Saturday. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Spring Festival kits containing face masks, disinfectant wipes and other epidemic prevention materials were distributed to overseas Chinese by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia on Saturday. During the distribution ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan expressed gratitude to overseas Chinese for their contribution to the China-Ethiopia relationship and cooperation in improving Ethiopia's infrastructure. Zhao said the Chinese embassy has been concerned about the health and welfare of overseas nationals. "The welfare of overseas Chinese citizens is always close to the heart of the Chinese government. The Chinese embassy wishes all of you a happy lunar new year, health and happiness," Zhao added. Xia Tian, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said that distributing the Spring Festival kits to overseas Chinese citizens is a reminder of the need to protect against COVID-19 and keep them healthy. "I am very moved to receive the Spring Festival kits, and I can feel the care and warmth from motherland," said Zhao Jing, a staff from China Communications Construction Company's Ethiopian branch. 2 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2021) - Canadian cannabis dispensary Supherbs is announcing the launch of Supherbs Affiliates, designed for Canadians to earn money from home while national regulations require many industries continue to work from home. Supherbs is adding a handful of Canadian cannabis reviewers, influencers, streamers, authors, forum contributors and other creatives in the cannabis ecosystem to the team, but the spots are limited. Supherbs logo To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7742/73966_631987d3fac4d8e58aa16cc6b620.jpg Since mid 2020, Canadians have seen a handful of workplace tasks move into a home office setting in response to growing rates of COVID 19. Studies are reporting upwards of 80% of Canadians prefer the change and want to work from home. Transitioning into a new normal, it's expected that many home offices will remain for the long term, as businesses scale back unnecessary close contact operations, many of these positions reside in administrative office and customer service areas. With an influx of working-from-home positions, a rise in average daily social media usage, and general time spent online, 2021 is creating unique opportunities for marketers, reviewers, lifestyle social channels, and anyone with the drive to create an online presence. Oberlo reports that 9 of 10 purchases in 2021 come post reading reviews - that's a great sign for anyone looking to earn revenue for sharing affiliate links. A Supherbs spokesman provided a statement on the recent launch of their affiliate program: "This is an opportunity for Canadians who have been prevented from the ability to work in these hard times, to earn revenue from home. There's a massively active cannabis community online in Canada, from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TheWeedTube, Twitch, CannaSOS, ALLBUD. Supherbs is here to help the go getters on these platforms who are limited to native advertising find an option that works for them, so Canada now has access to an affiliate program that pays monthly via Interac and Paypal." Affiliate marketing is a way to make passive online revenue in exchange for promoting a brand's assets or message. Traditionally businesses will offer a signup discount and a trackable URL in which affiliates will share. Once a click converts into a sale, affiliates can track their earnings and cash out within a given time frame. Each affiliate program operates with different guidelines, for example, Supherbs offers its affiliates 15% on each sale. Ads are made for affiliates, and it's as simple as sharing a basic message in videos, social media posts, and encouraging a social network to visit a website that aligns with their interests. The Supherbs Team is reaching out to any individuals, organizations and online communities that draw inspiration from cannabis on a regular basis. "If you're a website owner, blog author, regular forum contributor or streamer, there's an opportunity for you to start earning," said Gene, the spokesman for Supherbs Canada. Sign up to join the Supherbs team at https://supherbscanada.store/affiliates PRESS: Michael Raymond Marketing, Supherbs Canada marketing@supherbscanada.store Related Images supherbs-dispensary.jpg Supherbs Dispensary Related Links Cannabis Affiliates Cannabis Dispensary To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73966 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. While replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded those who have been questioning the Indian democracy over the ongoing farmer's protests, asserting that the country's democracy is a human institution and not a foreign institution. "People who cast aspersions on democracy and question the power of India, I would like to request them to understand that our democracy is not a western institution at any cost, it is a human institution," said PM Modi in his speech. PM Modi also quoted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and said, "India's nationalism is neither narrow nor selfish and not even aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. This quotation was given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose." "We've forgotten the ideals of Netaji. We've started cursing ourselves. I sometimes get surprised, the world gives us a term and we start following it - 'Largest democracy of the world' - it feels good to hear this but we didn't teach our youth that India is the mother of democracy", the Prime Minister added. While slamming the opposition for constantly instigating the farmers, PM Modi said, "There is a group who are called 'andolan jeevi', they are always present in every protest, whether it is protests of lawyers, students, labourers, or anyone, they will get involved both from the front or the back of the curtain. It is a gang who are obsessed with andolan (protests) and keep looking for reasons to somehow be a part of it. We need to identify such people, who reach everywhere and give it an ideological stand and mislead people, our country should be aware of these people." READ | PM Modi To Reply To 'Motion Of Thanks' On The Presidents Address In Rajya Sabha Today Budget Session of Parliament productive despite disruptions So far the first 6 sittings of the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing budget session have proved to be very productive. As per the official statement, the House has recorded a productivity of 82.10 percent. During these 6 sittings, Rajya Sabha had witnessed a 15-hour debate on Motion of Thanks at the President's address. The ongoing protests by the farmers against the Centre's 3 contentious farm bills have dominated the agenda of Parliament in the first week, and both the Houses witnessed multiple disruptions over the issue. READ | Bengal's Haldia Prepares To Welcome PM Modi; Assam Set For Hospitals' & 'Asom Mela' Launch According to the official statement, against the total scheduled sitting time of 20 hours and 34 minutes, 4 hours 14 minutes were lost on February 3, due to disruption. The members, however, sat for extra 33 minutes beyond the business hours on Friday. Earlier on Wednesday, day 4 of the session, the Centre and Opposition arrived at a consensus to allocate 15 hours to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the topic of farm laws. Besides discussing farm laws, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeking to replace the Ordinance in this regard, was also introduced during the week. During the first week of the budget, the House saw 8 Zero Hour and 7 special mentions made during the first week. The house also saw eight Zero Hour and seven special mentions made during the first week. as per sources, the Rajya Sabha will take up the discussion on the general budget for 2021-21 during the coming week for which 10 hours have been allotted. Currently, the budget session is being held in two segments and the first part will conclude on February 13. READ | Bengal's Haldia Prepares To Welcome PM Modi; Assam Set For Hospitals' & 'Asom Mela' Launch READ | PM Modi Chairs High Level Meet At Parliament; Amit Shah, Narendra Tomar Present Plans to rollout the AstraZeneca vaccine have been paused after trials showed it to be less effective against mild to moderate forms of the B.1.351 coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa. [ON AIR] Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize updates the nation on Covid-19 vaccines. Tune into Newzroom Afrika on DSTV channel 405 for more. ##VaccineRollOut #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/G41pnj5b7m Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 7, 2021 Trial Other options One-million doses of the AstraZeneca shot, intended for healthcare workers in the first phase of the country's vaccine programme, arrived amid much fanfare from the Serum Institute of India on 1 February.The delay was announced by health minister, Zweli Mkhize, in a press conference on Sunday. "What does that mean for our vaccination programme which we said will start in February? The answer is it will proceed."Instead, the vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer will come into play coming weeks while experts consider how the AstraZeneca shot can be deployed."From next week for the next four weeks we expect that there will be J&J vaccines, there will be Pfizer vaccines. So what will be available to the health workers will be those vaccines.""The AstraZeneca vaccine will remain with us... Up until the scientists give us clear indications as to what we need to do," he added.Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at Wits University, who was part of the press conference, said the results from the AstraZeneca trials were disappointing and a reality check.Recruiting over 2,000 participants started towards the end of the first wave, but while the study was under way the new variant started spreading in the country -especially in the Eastern Cape and became a dominant part of the second wave of the pandemic.The evidence collected showed that the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the new variant. Before 31 October, when the trial began results showed promise and the likelihood of protecting against mild cases of the virus. Results had shown that the vaccine was 75% effective with a single dose in 14 days. These same results could not be replicated based on the new variant.He said the question of whether the AstraZeneca vaccine would be effective against severe forms of the virus had not been answered as the study did not aim to answer that question. A larger study would be needed, Mahdi said.He said had the virus not mutated, the results would have been promising.Madhi said it was not all doom and gloom as vaccines like the one-dose vaccine offered by J&J offered more promising effectiveness against the SA variant and severe forms of the virus.Professor Glenda Gray agreed that early results were more promising and the vaccine could be a silver bullet.The single-dose vaccine was shown to be 85% effective in preventing severe disease and death in the 501Y.V2 variant.We are in advanced discussions to further evaluate the single shot Covid vaccine in South Africa in an accelerated manner, said Gray.The country would also get 9-million doses from Johnson & Johnson, 20-million from Pfizer and 12-million from the Covax facility. A diabetic mother died as her daughter searched the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region for insulin. Women gave birth unattended in the dark because their hospital had no electricity or staff at night. Accounts from residents, medical workers and humanitarian groups illustrate people's plight as Ethiopia struggles to revive a heavily damaged healthcare system in Tigray three months after fighting erupted between the military and the region's former ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Some hospitals are barely functioning, with no water, electricity or food, they said. Most were looted of medicines; staff members fled. "The health system in Tigray is reportedly nearly collapsing," the United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a Feb. 4 report, noting that only three of 11 hospitals were working properly in the cities of Mekelle, Quiha and Maychew. Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse said conditions were improving rapidly. The government has sent supplies to 70 of the region's 250 health facilities, along with 10 ambulances, she told Reuters last week. "So many health facilities have been looted, so we are working to get more equipment to the region," she said. "The focus is to restore services, supporting health workers to come back and ensure they have the supplies." Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared victory over the TPLF two months ago, but details of the devastation have been slow to emerge as communications to the region remain patchy, and the government tightly controls access for journalists and aid workers. Reuters has not been able to visit the region and could not independently verify accounts provided by residents and medical workers. Prior to the outbreak of fighting on Nov. 4, most people in Tigray had easy access to a hospital or clinic, according to the Ministry of Health. The conflict disrupted basic services, including diabetes treatment and maternal care, leading to "too many preventable deaths", the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a Jan. 27 statement. Only 30 of the region's 280 ambulances are still available, according to OCHA. One woman described searching the northern Tigray town of Sheraro, on Dec. 22 for pills to prevent pregnancy after a friend told her she had been gang-raped by five men. "Not a single worker was in the hospital," the woman told Reuters by phone, saying she was too afraid to be identified. "The whole hospital was looted ... Apart from the roof and doors, nothing was left." She tried a health centre, but said it too had been looted. SLOW RECOVERY When French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) visited the northern city of Adigrat in mid-December, the hospital was mostly deserted, it said in statement last week. There were hardly any medicines, and no food, water or money. Some injured patients were malnourished, the group's emergency coordinator for Tigray, Albert Vinas, said in the statement. Some services have since resumed, but the hospital still has no chemicals for its laboratory and no therapeutic food for malnourished children, an Ethiopian medical worker stationed there told Reuters on Saturday. He asked not to be identified, because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. Hospitals in the towns of Adwa and Axum, in central Tigray, also had no electricity or water when MSF visited. All the medicines had been stolen from Adwa hospital and furniture and equipment broken, Vinas said. "I saw people arrive at hospital on bicycles carrying a patient from 30 km (19 miles) away, and those were the ones who managed to get to hospital," he said. "People die at home." MSF is now supporting four regional hospitals along with smaller health centres, and running mobile clinics in 15 locations. RURAL AREAS OUT OF REACH Most rural parts of Tigray remain out of reach to humanitarian groups because of continuing insecurity, or because they lack permission to go there, aid workers told Reuters. The TPLF withdrew from the regional capital Mekelle and major cities, but low-level fighting has continued in some areas. Ethiopia's Ministry of Peace said on Saturday that it was "moving with urgency to approve requests for international staff movements into and within Tigray" to ensure humanitarian assistance is expanded without delay. A team from international aid group Action Against Hunger reached a town west of Mekelle for the first time on Jan. 23 and found it "pretty deserted". "We want to start having mobile health and nutrition clinics to operate in the rural areas," the group's country director Panos Navrozidis told Reuters, but added security was still fragile. Staffing at medical facilities also remains a problem. As many as 20 or 30 women were giving birth unattended daily in the central town of Shire because the hospital is not staffed overnight, an aid worker who visited last week told Reuters. Almost all healthcare workers in Tigray had gone unpaid since the conflict began, a regional government report noted on Jan. 8, and three healthcare workers told Reuters last week they had still not been paid. Health Minister Tadesse said money was being sent to local authorities as quickly as possible. Hospitals in Shire and Axum were functioning again, she said, although Adwa hospital remained out of service. Help is coming too late for some. One woman told Reuters her 55-year-old mother died in Mekelle on Dec. 4 after the family was unable to find insulin. Mehbrit, who asked to be identified by one name for safety reasons, said she tried hospitals, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and other diabetics, but no one had spare insulin. For days, she said, she jolted awake each night to check her mother's laboured breathing. "I was praying to God to bring mercy in the house," Mehbrit said. "The insulin came 13 days after my mother died." Short link: Children in Amber Alert found safe near Mitchell The missing children were recovered and are safe, according to the Davison County Sheriff's Office. Summer day camps should be considered the perfect place for coronavirus infections to multiply with children playing in close quarters for several hours at a time. But a new study suggests that when most activities were held outside and mitigation measure were followed such as masking and social, there were few infections. Researchers from Duke University looked at data from more than 6,800 campers and staffers from 54 YMCA day camps across North Carolina. They found just 10 children and nine staff members with confirmed symptomatic cases of COVID-19 - and believe only two of the cases were contracted at the camps themselves. The team says that its study provides evidence that 'in-person' such as school and camps 'outweigh' the risks when proper measures are followed, and matched the call by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for in-person learning in schools to restart. Researchers looked at coronavirus infections among 6,830 campers and staffer at 54 YMCA day camps across North Carolina in 2020 (file image) A total of 10 of 5,344 campers - or 0.18% - tested positive for the virus with the majority occurring at indoor camps Nine staff members out of 1,486, 0.6%, were infected with COVID-19 with no difference between outdoor, indoor or split camps 'Our study suggests that appropriate measures to reduce the spread of disease can create an environment where normal childhood activities such as day camp, school and after-school recreation can be provided with minimal risk,' said lead author Dr Emily D'Agostino, an assistant professor in Duke's Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, in a news release. 'The study also highlights the critical importance of academic partnerships with community organizations for promoting pediatric health.' For the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, the team looked at data from 54 YMCA day camps in the greater Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. The camps were held between March 2020 and August 2020 at 31 sites across six counties. Each camp had staffers that were trained in following the locally mandated recommendations such as daily temperature checks, symptom screenings, mask for both campers and staffers, frequent hand washing and sanitizing and social distancing. All attendees were split into small groups with one staffer per 10 campers, and no more than two groups were allowed to play together. Results showed that in total, just 10 of 5,344 campers - or 0.18 percent - tested positive for the virus. Just one case occurred at a primarily outdoor campsite, providing more evidence that outdoor transmission is rare. More than half the cases, six, were at primarily indoor camps while the remaining three were split outdoor and indoors. Meanwhile, nine staff members out of 1,486 staff members, 0.6 percent, were infected with the virus. Unlike the campers, there was no statistical significant difference in the number of staffers who got sick at outdoor camps as opposed to indoor camps or split camps. The most commonly reported symptoms for both the children and camp counselors were fever and cough, with 55 percent and 45 percent, respectively, reporting these signs. No hospitalizations were reported and there were no COVID-19 case clusters - defines as more than five cases - at a single camp. What's more, through contact tracing, the researchers determine just two patients were possibly infected at camp, while the rest occurred outside of camp. 'This is part of the growing body of evidence demonstrating that if precautions like masking, distancing and hand washing are taken, coronavirus transmission can be avoidable in congregate settings for children during times of high community incidence,' co-author Dr Sallie Permar, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told News Medical. 'These results suggest that the benefit of in-person programming for supporting youth learning and mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations, outweighs the risk of viral spread. 'This is true not only in a school setting, but in a camp setting where children are engaging in activities like playing outside and at the gym and doing crafts.' In addition to matching calls by the CDC to reopen schools, the study also builds upon research last month by another team at Duke. They looked at 11 school districts with nearly 100,000 students and staff members open for nine weeks of in-person instruction, in which they found only 32 within-school cases of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. What's more, no instances of child-to-adult transmission of COVID-19 were reported within the schools. 'These data should be helpful to school systems and childcare providers as they navigate this exceedingly difficult time, yet work to promote the wellbeing of children and primary caregivers,' said co-senior author Dr Ibukun Akinboyo, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at Duke. Major fund manager VanEck has backed winemaker Treasury Wines decision to keep upmarket label Penfolds within its stable amid speculation over potential plans for a three-way demerger of the troubled business. On Monday, media reports said Treasury was in the last stages of finalising plans for a structural separation of its operations into three segments: a US business, a high-end vintner, and a commercial wine company. It was suggested this separation could be ahead of a formal demerger of one or more parts of the business, however, the company denied this, telling investors it was not currently considering a demerger of any brands/businesses within its portfolio. Penfolds is not up for demerging at this point, says Treasury. Credit: This included the potential demerger of the companys signature Penfolds brand, which had been in the works early last year before being put on pause in November. A spokesperson for the company reiterated the plan was still on pause. 2020 was rough. Many lost loved ones due to COVID-19. Some lost jobs or businesses and are desperately trying to recover. For the rest of us wearing masks, social distancing, and quarantining felt a bit like being grounded for bad behavior when we were kids. But we are still grounded. Granted, its for everyones benefit, but its still difficult and most of us are plumb tired. A hard year in life can leave us wondering about purpose. What is this life all about? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing with my life? We can easily become discouraged and depressed. We might begin to search for meaning in all the madness. The Bible is full of encouraging verses about life to get us through hard times. Here are some Bible verses about life that can encourage you now. Bible Verses about Life - What Does the Bible Say about the Purpose of Life? The Bible is clear on purpose. Its about Gods purposes not our personal agenda. Here are a few scriptures about our purpose. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. Isaiah 46:10-11 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 According to Pastor Rick Warren, there are 5 purposes to a life well-lived. If youre not familiar with him, hes the author of the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life. Its a great resource when seeking Gods purpose for our lives. Here are the 5 purposes he points out: 1. Worship God wants me to center my life around Him. Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 2. Fellowship God wants me to learn to love His family. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 3. Discipleship God wants me to cultivate spiritual maturity. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God. Hebrews 6:1 4. Ministry God wants me to contribute something back. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of Gods grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 5. Witnessing God wants me to tell others about His love. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting peoples sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Even when we recognize our purpose is found in God, we still need uplifting words of encouragement to help us deal with the struggles we face in life. Whether its job loss, divorce, or illness, God doesnt leave us to face these struggles alone. Hes with us whether we recognize Hes there or not. He doesnt leave or forsake His children. As we get to know God and grow as Christians, we find true comfort in His Word. Im so thankful Hes given us a book to turn to for guidance and reassurance through difficult times. Here Are 17 Encouraging Bible Verses about Life: Joy: Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 126:5 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11 Hope: Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 Love: Because of the LORDs great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. Psalm 31:7 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 Faith: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. Psalm 119:30 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. Psalm 149:5 How Can I Use Bible Verses about Life to Find Encouragement in Everyday Life? I have a friend who used to have scriptures written on little scraps of paper taped to her bathroom mirror, on her refrigerator, and various other places in her home. Sweet, encouraging reminders of Gods love. Now that Im older, I do the same thing. My computer at work has post-it notes stuck to it, scribbled with scripture, to remind me while Im working. Some subscribe to receiving a scripture of the day via email or an app. This is also a good way to receive a quick reminder or an encouraging word from God. Whatever area of life you need encouragement in, write a few uplifting scriptures on note cards or post-it notes. Plaster them in places where you wont miss them as encouragement throughout the day. You can even print this article and cut out some of the encouraging scriptures included here. Tape them up in places where youll see them on a regular basis. It has been a hard year but being grounded isnt so bad if were grounded in truth, seeking God, and finding purpose in His work. We will fulfill our destiny when God is the center of our lives and we revolve around Him like the earth revolves around the sun. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Further Reading 30 Powerful Bible Verses about Life 15 Bible Verses For Experiencing Life 40 Bible Verses About Life That Will Lift Your Heart and Soul Photo Credit: Unsplash/Priscilla-du-preez Melinda Eye Cooper grew up in the Missouri Ozarks but lives near Nashville, Tennessee. She and her husband have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three beautiful granddaughters and a spunky dog named Lincoln! Melinda writes articles and devotions. She also writes fiction and is currently working on a middle-grade fantasy novel. She grew up in a large family, and many of her devotions and stories are inspired from her childhood. Visit her website here. You can follow her on Facebook here or Instagram here. Industry Update Appointment 8 February 2021 Matthew Mullan Named Cluster General Manager At Three soon-to-open Hilton properties in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Ahead of their openings later this year, Hilton has named the cluster general manager for three hotels on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island. Matthew Mullan will lead the teams at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, and DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Residences, using more than three decades of experience to propel the hotels into the public eye. Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 17 world-class brands comprising nearly 6,000 properties with more than 954,000 rooms, in 117 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the worlds most hospitable company, Hilton earned a spot on the 2019 Worlds Best Workplaces list, and has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its 100-year history. more information Recent Appointments at Hilton Jan Jansen - General Manager 17 May 2021 Conrad Hong Kong has hired Jan Jansen as its general manager. Previously in 2016, Jansen first joined the hotel as the hotel manager, before being recruited as opening general manager of Conrad Hangzhou two years later. read more Sasha Tyas - General Manager 10 May 2021 Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, the highly anticipated hotel opening this July, has announced Sasha Tyas as general manager. Sasha aims to bring the intimate hotel's commitment to handcrafted hospitality to life and nurture local talent to develop a strong team of luxury hospitality professionals. read more New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a fervent appeal to protesters to end their agitation against the new farm laws even as he questioned opposition parties for their sudden "U-turn" on the agriculture reforms. The Prime Minister also hit out at those behind the protests, saying a new "breed" of agitators has emerged in the country who cannot live without an agitation and the country should be beware of them. Narendra Modi He also said the new FDI (Foreign Destructive Ideology) has emerged in the country and "we need to be more aware to save the country from such ideology". Modi also stressed that India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs and the language used by some for them will not benefit the country. He alleged that some people are also trying to defame Sikhs. "This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The country takes pride in the contribution of Sikhs, but some people are trying to defame them. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious. The language used by some for them will not benefit the country," he said. Narendra ModiOn the farm sector and the ongoing protest, Modi said, "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised". He quoted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector and said Congress should take pride that Modi had to do what the former Prime Minister wanted. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in, he added. The glacier break in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district that resulted in an avalanche and huge floods have killed at least 14 people and over 170 people are missing. The natural disaster, on Sunday morning, ended in flooding in the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga. While thousands have been evacuated, homes have been washed away in the floods. Reports suggest that the hydel projects of Rishiganga and NTPC have sustained severe damage. Here's what we know so far: News18 has learnt that at least 14 bodies were discovered by the the Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) and that 170 people are still missing 22 from Rishiganga hydro power project and 148 from the the National Thermal Power Corporation's hydro power project that was under construction. The ITBP have said that at least five PWD bridges have been washed away. ANI reported that the ITBP has rescued 12 workers were rescued from tunnel no 2 and 30 workers were still trapped in tunnel no. 1 near the Tapovan hydro power project. Videos tweeted by ANI early on Monday showed rescue operations under way: #WATCH Uttarakhand: SDRF removes the debris and slush at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli to carry out the further rescue operation. Latest visuals from the site. 8 bodies have been recovered in the rescue operation so far. (Source: SDRF) pic.twitter.com/TSkzSgnI2N ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Several hydro power projects in the area were severely damaged by the avalanche and floods. An NTPC spokesperson told The Indian Express, An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operations are on, (the) situation is being monitored continuously with the help (of the) district administration and police." Hindustan Times reported that the under-construction Rishiganga project was completely washed away by the flood waters and boulders rolling down from the Raini Village. A team of scientists of DRDO-SASE were flown in on Sunday night to Dehradun and left for the Joshimath area for surveillance and reconnaissance, reports said. Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced 4 lakh compensation for the kin of those who have lost their lives. NDTV reported that rise in water levels of the Dhauli Ganga river on Sunday night forced authorities to suspend rescue operations around the river. Messages poured in from across the world with UK Prime Minister Borris Johnson saying, "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed." The spokesperson from the UN Secretary General said, "Secretary-General is deeply saddened by reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand. He expresses his deep condolences to families of victims and to people and Government of India." Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Twitter, "Devastating news for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following flash flooding in Uttarakhand. Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time. " Dubai Parks & Resorts and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have teamed up to offer every teacher and school employee at private schools in Dubai a free annual pass to Dubai Parks and Resorts. Mouza Al Suwaidi, Chief of Engagement at KHDA said: In the last few months, teachers and school staff all over Dubai have shown great passion, resilience and commitment to high quality learning and the wellbeing of children, for which we are truly grateful. We hope these annual passes will give them many days of happiness with family and friends in a safe environment. We appreciate the opportunity to work with our friends at Dubai Parks & Resorts on this initiative, which will bring so much joy to so many people. Rami Mashini, VP of Sales and Marketing at Dubai Parks and Resorts said: It is our pleasure to partner with the KHDA to honour the education staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to support Dubais students. It has been a difficult time for everyone as they navigate through online learning and keeping students safe and educated so we hope a free pass to a whole year of fun at our amazing parks where they can enjoy over one hundred rides, shows and attractions, will help to put smiles on their faces. Dubai Parks and Resorts feature enhanced health and safety procedures to protect guests and staff. Some of these include temperature checks prior to entry; routine deep cleaning of all areas in the parks; appropriately distanced lockers, tables and counters; and reduced capacity in restaurants, rides and shops. To redeem the free annual park pass, teachers and school staff should visit one of the guest services counters at Dubai Parks and Resorts before February 28, 2021 and bring the unique code in the information letter given by their school, along with valid teacher ID, if applicable. The Dubai Parks and Resorts annual park pass is a ticket to a whole year of fun that will give school staff unlimited access to endless fun at three unique and immersive theme parks: MOTIONGATE Dubai, BOLLYWOOD PARKS Dubai and LEGOLAND Dubai, as well as the LEGOLAND Water Park. Valid until February 28, 2022, the pass will give them access to more than 100 rides, the worlds tallest swing ride, the Bollywood SkyFlyer, an array of family friendly attractions, and live shows and performances. Another benefit of the initiative is that teachers and school staff can purchase additional annual passes for their friends and family at a 20% discount. TradeArabia News Service Former SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun, right, a candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea for the Seoul mayoral by-election, greets an elderly supporter in Gangseo District, southwestern Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap By Do Je-hae Former SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun is leading in the popularity polls for the Seoul mayoral by-election to take place April 7, according to the latest polls. A survey conducted by Hankook Research at the request of the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, published Monday, showed that 25.8 percent out of 800 Seoul citizens surveyed said the former five-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was the most suitable candidate to become the next mayor of the capital. Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the minor opposition People's Party and a former presidential candidate, trailed Park with 19.5 percent. Other notable candidates, former main opposition People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Na Kyung-won and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, followed with 12.9 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively. The survey came as Ahn was proposing joining hands with the PPP to field a single candidate representing the opposition bloc a proposal that the PPP has not shown much interest in yet. It also showed that voters are most interested in policies related to housing and real estate in the upcoming by-election. When asked about the biggest issues in the election, housing and real estate topped the list with 49.7 percent, followed by jobs (11 percent), welfare (10.5 percent) and response to the COVID-19 pandemic (10.1 percent). Only 4.7 percent mentioned countermeasures to sexual harassment by powerful officials, which is the reason the by-election is being held. The winner will succeed the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of the DPK who killed himself last July amid allegations he sexually harassed a female employee. Despite her ratings going up, former Minister Park said she was still aware that this will be a difficult race for her party. "Support for the ruling party is declining in Seoul, so we still need to capture the hearts of its citizens with a humbler mindset," Park said in a radio interview, Monday. A Realmeter survey released last week showed support for the PPP was 35.2 percent, up 6.3 percentage points from the previous week; but that for the DPK decreased by 7.8 percentage points to 25.7 percent. (Natural News) The FBI reportedly raided the homes of two Trump supporters who spoke at rallies the day before the Capitol protest and is now contacting random Trump supporters who didnt attend any Capitol protest-related events for questioning. (Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com) From CNN: The FBI recently raided the homes of two men who sponsored an invective-laced rally near the US Capitol a day before the deadly insurrection, the first known search warrants involving people who organized and spoke at rallies preceding the attack. CNN learned of the raids through an eyewitness account, public records, a lawyer representing one of the rally organizers and an FBI spokeswoman who confirmed details of the searches. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed that federal agents executed search warrants last week at two properties in Orange County, California, which public records indicate belong to Russell Taylor and Alan Hostetter. The two men run the American Phoenix Project, which co-sponsored a pro-Donald Trump rally near the Supreme Court on January 5, one day before the attack. Neither man has been charged with any crimes. Footage of the rally shows the men spewing militant vitriol: Hostetter told the crowd to prepare for war tomorrow against vipers in Congress who refused to nullify President Joe Bidens win. Taylor said, We will not return to our peaceful way of life until this election is made right. Court documents related to the search warrants are still under seal, but the raids are the first publicly known federal actions against people who organized rallies linked to the Capitol attack. Federal investigators have issued more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants in the probe. [] An FBI spokesperson told CNN the search was conducted at the property Taylor owns at 6 a.m. Wednesday. CNN obtained photos and videos of FBI agents at his house hours later. Spokespeople for the FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment further about the raids or what investigators were searching for, noting that the case files are still sealed. A lawyer for Taylor, Dyke Huish, told CNN that the agents were just gathering information on people that were at or near the Capitol building on the day in question, referring to January 6. Huish said Taylor cooperated with investigators and the search was finished without incident. Eimiller, the FBI spokeswoman, said no arrests were made during the searches. Taylor acknowledged the raid on his Orange County home in a Telegram post on Friday. Using a pseudonym, Taylor urged his followers to hold the line, adding, I am working with a lawyer and per his recommendation he said to keep on the down low for a bit to stay off any radars. Hostetter is a former infantryman, sheriffs deputy, SWAT officer and police chief, The Washington Post reported. Their story sounds a bit strange, especially the whole part about how Taylor cooperated with investigators. Neither took part in the storming. Their story has a lot of parallels with Proud Boys founder Enrique Tarrios, who we now know was a prolific FBI informant for years. Im not making any accusations in this case but any time people shoot their mouths off about violent revolution you have to be suspicious. The Gateway Pundit reported on Thursday that Noel Fritsch, formerly of Big League Politics, had his home visited by the FBI on Wednesday even though he was no where near the rally or subsequent takeover of the Capitol Building. EXCLUSIVE: FBI Visited Home of Trump Supporter Who Was Working in DC, But Did Not Even Attend the Rally @NoelFritsch https://t.co/gAmfZ3LwF1 Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) February 5, 2021 Fritsch says that the agents harassed his pregnant wife and attempted to intimidate her, while she was home alone with their four young children, The Gateway Pundit reported. Hip hop artist and stanch lock down critic An0maly also said he was contacted by the FBI on Wednesday morning for questioning even though he didnt attend the event, wasnt in DC and wanted zero part in it. .@LegendaryEnergy same happened to me today. 2 of Rosenstein's goons harassed my 39 week pregnant wife mid-day while she's at home raising our 4 boys, 7 & under. Worse, promising future intimidation, they told her they'll have to keep coming back til we speak. https://t.co/ugR0wO08XL Noel Fritsch (@NoelFritsch) February 3, 2021 Here's original tweet I replied to. pic.twitter.com/mBnzFYTMbj Noel Fritsch (@NoelFritsch) February 4, 2021 [FBI discussion starts at 10:52.] Tucker Carlson reported Thursday night that Bank of America searched through their customers data for purchases that may have been related to the Capitol protests and handed their private information over to the feds which resulted in at least one entirely innocent person being questioned by the FBI. As a reminder, the only person killed in the Capitol building was Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot dead at point blank range by a Capitol police officer while unarmed. Officer Brian Sicknick, who was a patriot that was disgusted with our corrupt ruling class and had called for regime change in Washington in the past reportedly died of a stroke after experiencing a blood clot. CNN saves this nugget for the 8th paragraph: Medical examiners did not find signs that the officer sustained any blunt force trauma, so investigators believe that early reports that he was fatally struck by a fire extinguisher are not true.https://t.co/coAVfuXhin Jon Miller (@MillerStream) February 5, 2021 From Forbes: Two law enforcement officials told the New York Times last month that Sicknicks injuries were the result of being hit in the head by a fire extinguisher, but a medical examiner has reportedly disputed that account, according to CNN, finding no evidence of blunt force trauma. ProPublica reported last month that the family got word that Brian Sicknick had a blood clot and had had a stroke; a ventilator was keeping him alive. Though the FBI is aggressively working to imprison everyone who had any connection to the Capitol protest, they took a knee during the Black Lives Matter riots last year. The FBI also took a knee when it came to raiding Jeffrey Epsteins island video showed electronics from his house were removed before the FBI eventually raided the joint and to this day they still dont appear to have ever raided Epsteins Zorro Ranch. It came out just two weeks ago that billionaire Leon Black gave Jeffrey Epstein $158 million in addition to the bare minimum $46 million Epstein received from billionaire Les Wexner were either of their homes raided by the FBI? Revealed: Jeffrey Epstein Received At Least $200 Million From Billionaires Les Wexner And Leon Black https://t.co/zcdobEs2Di Chris Menahan (@infolibnews) January 26, 2021 Of course not! As a reminder, Epstein reportedly worked as an FBI informant to secure a sweetheart plea deal when he was facing life in prison back in 2007. Epstein allegedly informed on two Bear Sterns executives both of which were acquitted and managed to serve only 13 months and had the FBI close their criminal probe into his alleged crimes. Alexander Acosta, who oversaw the plea deal, reportedly told the Trump transition team when asked about his handling of the case that I was told Epstein belonged to intelligence and to leave it alone. Incidentally, whatever happened to the vast trove of lewd photographs that appear to be of underage girls that the FBI seized from Epsteins massive townhouse in New York City? Did they seize the suspected blackmail Epstein had on high-level politicians to bury it? The FBI was tipped off to Jeffrey Epsteins operation all the way back in 1996 and did nothing to hold him accountable for over two decades. The whole case has been successfully covered-up and memory-holed. Had the FBI spent one one-hundredth of the time theyre spending going after random Trump supporters on investigating Epsteins network they could have blown the whole operation wide open. They chose not to. That should really tell you everything. Read more at: InformationLiberation.com On Wednesday at noon Eastern time, join Future Tense for a discussion with Hao Wu about the making of his latest documentary, 76 Days. On Jan. 23, 2020, China locked down the city of Wuhan, home to 11 million people, to combat the emerging COVID-19 outbreak. Shortly afterward, filmmaker Hao Wu returned home to New York City after visiting his family in Shanghai but was unable to reenter China to say goodbye to his dying grandfather. So Wu began exploring ways he could document the COVID-19 crisis from the United States. In collaboration with two filmmakers on the ground in Wuhan, filming in four separate hospitals, Wu created 76 Daysa gut-wrenchingly raw narrative about death and rebirth in a city ravaged by the pandemic. Viewers in the U.S. and Canada can stream the film by going to the 76 Days website and selecting a local theater theyd like to support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I spoke with Wu about the creation of 76 Days, takeaways from the early days of the pandemic, and the simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring stories of patients and health care workers in Wuhan. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Riley Davis: Tell me a little bit about the timeline for creating this documentary. I know you were in China right up until lockdown. When after that did you start working on this film? Hao Wu: In early February, a U.S. network had just approached me and asked me if I wanted to make a film. So thats when I started researching the project. I reached out to over a dozen filmmakers who had started filming on in Wuhan. After talking to them, thats how I found my two co-directors. And then, as they continued filming, we started collaborating over the internet. They would upload the footage every day after filming to a cloud service in China, and then I would download the footage in New York. Advertisement For a long time, we couldnt figure out how to tell the story. I actually reached out to filmmakers in other countries, like in Italy, Spain, South Korea. I started filming in New York myself in March. For a while, we thought we were going to make a global pandemic film. But I think in the end, I just realized how unique my co-directors footage wasand still is. So in early April, we just decided to really focus the story on Wuhan alone. And then we decided to use the lockdown as a container to tell the story. In early July, we submitted the film to Toronto and once the Toronto International Film Festival accepted it, we just finished it by the time we premiered in early September. Advertisement Who are your other two co-directors? Can you talk a little bit more about how they got such unrestricted access during filming? Weixi Chen is a video reporter for Esquire China who also makes documentary films on the side. Anonymous is a local photojournalist, for a local state-owned newspaper, who didnt want to be named because of his job. When I started putting the film together, I guess subconsciously I was looking for that glimmer of hope in the footage. Hao Wu Access to hospitals was actually a decision that was made at the hospital level. So its really up to each individual hospital what type of people they would allow in, or what kind of access they would grant. But Weixi, through his own personal connections, found a medical team from elsewhere in China coming in to support a local Wuhan hospital. So he got himself in with that medical team. Anonymous already knew several hospitals, and he also was sent to the hospital to take photos as part of the local newspapers reporting. Im extremely fortunate that I found co-directors who definitely can shoot really empathic, amazing footage on the front line. Advertisement Advertisement And this was sort of a unique situation, I imagine, given that you werent on the ground for filming. How did the editing process differ from your other movies? In the past, I shot and I edited my own film. Because I edit my own film, I know what type of footage and what type of shots I would need. And usually, I work very closely with a cameraman. I will also be the second camera on the shot, or I will film footage myself. But with this one, I really feel like the way my co-directors were approaching the subject is very similar to my approach, just in some of the shooting style and their instincts as filmmakers, and their instinct as to how to follow characters. In that way, theres some common ground to start with. Advertisement You were in your own lockdown in New York City as you were working on the film. Did that inform any of the editorial choices you made as you were putting the film together? Absolutely. I think theres several things that affected me emotionally as I was putting the film together. One is my family. My grandpa passed away, and I wasnt able to say goodbye to him. So thats a big emotional burden for me to have carried this last year. Theres immense guilt and immense sadness, not being able to say goodbye to him. I was also worried about my parents, who have cancer, and I was worried when we would be able to see each other again. And I thought of how the U.S. government completely fumbled in its response to the pandemic. To live in New York during that time and to experience the dystopian feel, all around the city, and the peoples fear and despair here. And also, immediately afterward, the Black Lives Matter protests started all over the country. It just felt like the country was in a very precarious situation. So when I started putting the film together, I guess subconsciously I was looking for that glimmer of hope in the footage. I was looking for small gestures of kindness in my characters. Advertisement Advertisement Another big thing is, obviously, the anti-Asian racism that started happening here. For me, as a Chinese American, for the first time it felt unsafe to even walk out in New York. And then witnessing the geopolitical finger-pointing, the U.S. blaming everything on China and China becoming extremely defensive. So thats another consideration as I went into the edit. There were so, so many heartbreaking moments and gratingly raw parts of the film. How did you even begin to choose which to show and what to concentrate on? I think I was just following my emotional instinct. Basically, I went in and searched for all the gems. Then I tried to figure out how to link them together. And this film is a great departure from my past films. Ive never done this type of film before. But in the early stages of editing, I definitely went back to look for inspiration, trying to go back to some of the classic documentary film where theres no narration, theres no explaining, just putting the viewers there in the situation. Advertisement Its almost like a war zone inside of a hospital. Was there anything that you particularly wish you could have included in the final cut that you couldnt? I know there was so much in there already. Advertisement Advertisement I wish we could have known who could eventually emerge as the main characters in the film, so we could have filmed them more. But my co-directors really couldnt tell who might be the main character, especially in the early days of the lockdown. Other than the old grandpa whos wandering the hallway, who, because my co-director Weixi shot so much footage of him, we knew early on could be a recurring character. But for a lot of the other characters, we only got to know that they could play an important role in the film as we were approaching the end of filming. But thats just the nature of the production, just because it was so chaotic and its almost like a war zone inside of a hospital. Advertisement One of the details that I loved, which I was hoping you could explain, were the health care workers hazmat suits and what was written on them. At the very beginning, the hospital workers wrote their names on the back of the hazmat suit, because everybody was covered up and you couldnt tell who is who inside the contamination zone. That was just for conveniences sake. But as the conditions in the hospitals started to come under control, they had more time, they were less stressed out. Later during the lockdown process, they started drawing pictures on the suitsthey wrote the food they craved, the things they missed. It was little human moments, for them. Advertisement What are your thoughts on the pandemic? Has your perspective shifted for better or worse after spending so much time depicting Wuhan and this very extreme situation and response? Advertisement Ive become more optimistic because during the editing, I started reading about past pandemicsabout the AIDS crisis and the Spanish flu, the plague. In most of those books, the message is pretty dark. And anytime a pandemic happens, each community is just trying to protect themselves and theyre trying to blame other people for causing it. The other side of human nature really comes out. But with this pandemic, Ive been really encouraged not just from what the footage showed me of what happened in Wuhan, but also because of the stories I learned in New York from my friends. Its also from stories I heard from filmmakers in Spain and in Milan. Its how people really volunteered to help the stricken, helped those people locked inside their apartments, delivered groceries, drove people around. Advertisement The same story happened in Wuhan as well. Chinas going through a lot of changes. People say the society there can be really cutthroat, really cold. But in times of crisis, you do see local Wuhan residents, just like residents in Milan and Madrid, who helped each other. By no means are there only these kinds of heroic stories. In every city, there are also very selfish stories about people discriminating against each other, people shunning patients who have recovered from COVID-19. But there are indeed heartwarming stories that happened everywhere, and that gives me hope. Advertisement And since youve spent so much time critically thinking about the pandemic from Wuhan and from here, what parallels do you see between the Chinese governments response to the early days of the pandemic and the U.S.s? Do you think either has managed to start effectively managing the crisis, over a year later? Advertisement I think the Chinese government definitely has done a great job. Just today, the New York Times had a great article about it, basically talking about what the Chinese government did right, and also why it cannot be entirely applied in the United States, just because of our political system, and also what we want here, in terms of our values, our normal practices. So if you only look at case numbers, death numbers, and GDP numbers, China has done a fantastic job. But part of the reason we made some of the film so raw and so unflinching is because I dont want people to forget this. I still think theres a lot more we need to think about, maybe once this is over. What we in the U.S. can learn from not just China, but also from other Asian countries, and how can we balance the collective good versus individual freedom in times of crisis? Advertisement Advertisement It is a wake-up call, though. For me, as an immigrant and living in my adopted homeland, for a long time I always thought the U.S. has the best system. Not just political system, but economic and scientific as well as public health. So to see, over the last year, how we completely messed up our response, it really made me question my own assumptions about the superiority of the U.S. system. Was there anything that surprised you while you were making this, either in terms of the health care workers responses, or in the little details your counterparts captured, or anything that just made you go, Wow, I never would have expected that? I think for me, the biggest surprise came when I started showing the film and many Chinese friends came up to me and said, The nurses are so nice to the patients. Why are they so nice? Because in recent years, there has been growing tension between health care and patient populations in China because the health care costs are rising so high, and also the resources are really limited in China. Theres a lot tension, and there has been increasing violence from patients with their doctors in China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some people were really shocked to see that in these hospitals, the nurses were almost like a surrogate family. So yeah, that came as a big surprise to me, because thats not something I was thinking about when I was editing this film. I think there are a couple of reasons why. One is in times of crisis, some people naturally want to reach out more to help each other more. Second is that the government was paying for everything, so the patients had no complaint essentially about the quality of the care. Gradually, I think patients just realized that theyre being cared for totally cost-free. So thats another reason why the relationship between workers and patients could be so harmonious inside the hospital during the lockdown. So where do you go next from this? Are you working on anything else COVID-related, or anything else that youre excited about? Im developing both narrative as well as documentary projects at the moment. But I think Im done with COVID. It was emotionally draining experience making this film. I think I just want to take a step back and just watch other COVID films from my filmmaker friends. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. WASHINGTON - The Senate on Monday confirmed Denis McDonough as President Joe Biden's veterans affairs secretary, choosing a non-veteran but a manager with years of government service to lead the sprawling health and benefits agency. McDonough, 51, was chief of staff in Barack Obama's second term and held senior roles on the National Security Council and on Capitol Hill before that. He told senators at his confirmation hearing that while he is not a veteran, his long career as a behind-the-scenes troubleshooter and policymaker would serve him well at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a massive bureaucracy beset by multiple challenges. "I can unstick problems inside agencies and across agencies, especially at an agency as large as VA," McDonough told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in January. Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called VA's mission to care for veterans "one of organization, institutional know-how, and administrative troubleshooting." McDonough's "decades of experience at the highest levels of government" qualify him for that mission, Schumer said. McDonough was confirmed on an 87-to-7 vote. VA, the second-largest federal agency, includes health care services for 9 million veterans, a vast benefits bureaucracy and dozens of national cemeteries. Management and workforce challenges have long beset leaders in both parties. A scandal over fudged wait-time lists for medical appointments led Obama to fire his first veterans' chief. McDonough succeeds Robert Wilkie, former president Donald Trump's second VA leader. Under Wilkie, the agency expanded options for veterans to see private doctors outside the government-run system and advanced an ambitious, multibillion dollar modernization of its antiquated medical records system. Wilkie's tenure closed out with a scathing inspector general's report in December that found he campaigned to discredit a congressional aide who said she was sexually assaulted at VA's medical center in the District. Wilkie, who left office on Inauguration Day, disputed the findings. McDonough, a Minnesota native, was Obama's deputy national security adviser during the Navy SEAL raid in 2011 that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. He was also a longtime congressional staffer, which appealed to senators in both parties who during his confirmation hearing demanded better transparency and communication than they said they got from Wilkie. McDonough's profile in the Obama White House grew around one of the administration's most ambitious second-term initiatives to counter the wait-times scandal, the Veterans Choice Act. The legislation expanded the ability of veterans to receive private health care. Trump expanded the program with the Mission Act. McDonough takes over a VA that is struggling to ensure that health care workers and veterans in its care are vaccinated against covid-19 and receive timely treatment when they test positive for the virus. Female veterans, the fastest-growing group of former servicemembers, have reported sexual harassment at VA facilities. The electronic records project, which aims to syncveterans' medical records with Defense Department records from their military service, has run into rollout delays, cost increases and in recent weeks, major operational glitches at its first pilot site in Spokane, Wash. Labor-management relations in the workforce are at a low point. And amid a continuing debate over private care, a commission Congress approved to consider whether underused VA hospitals should close is gearing up to review the system. The effort is likely to tap into political sensitivities in congressional districts about closing hospitals. "This is not an easy job," Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said before the vote. In his career in public service, "Denis McDonough has demonstrated he can get the job done, working across agencies and finding common ground," Tester said. "Veterans need someone like Denis fighting in their corner." McDonough is the second non-veteran to lead VA, following David Shulkin, a physician and former hospital executive who was Wilkie's predecessor under Trump. Veterans' groups had pushed for a leader from the post 9/11 era and were caught off guard when Biden nominated McDonough, continuing his pattern of turning to Obama-era staffers for his Cabinet. McDonough told lawmakers he got a taste of the veteran's life on trips to Iraq and Afghanistan while he served in the Obama White House. He said he saw the effects of long deployments on families and regularly visited wounded troops at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The Israel Police clashed with a group of men they said were shooting at a house Feb. 1 outside the Arab town of Tamra. It was part of a larger effort by the police to combat rising crime in Arab society. A firefight broke out when the gang started shooting at the police with automatic weapons. When it was over, two young people were dead. One was suspected of firing at the house, but the other, Ahmed Hijazi, was a nursing student who happened to be in the vicinity but was not implicated in the incident. Internal Affairs arrived at the scene immediately after the shooting and began interrogating the police officers involved. The next day, thousands of people from Tamra and other Arab towns and villages took to the street to protest Hijazis death and the police's inability to rein in crime in Arab society. Over the weekend, thousands more took part in a march through the city to protest escalating crime rates in the community. Ayman Odeh, the head of the Joint List, was among the participants. He told the crowd, If the victim were Jewish, the whole country would grind to a halt. The role of government and the police is to stop bloodshed, not to shed even more blood. A group of Arab journalists announced that they plan to protest what happened by leaving the police spokespersons WhatsApp groups. They explained, This decision is intended to protest police statements that consistently blame the victim and the Arab sector, of which we are a part. Ali Mughrabi of Channel 13 News appealed directly to Israels decision-makers, saying, As I wander about Arab society, I am personally witness to a torrential flood of bloodshed. My children hear gunfire every single day and can already distinguish between pistol fire and fireworks. He later told Radio 103 about his decision to leave the police WhatsApp group, explaining, We saw how the police lie to our faces with the statements they send through the spokespersons office. They think we work for them. They consider Arab journalists a tool to relay their message, not something that operates in a critical and supervisory capacity. Inevitably, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken full advantage of the chaos. He has adopted a new strategy for the upcoming March election, embracing the Arab community instead of ostracizing it and inciting conflict. He spent the last few weeks visiting Arab towns and villages and holding Zoom meetings with Arab mayors to discuss burgeoning crime and violence in their towns. As part of a larger program to combat crime in the Arab sector, the prime minister and Minister of Internal Security Amir Ohana announced Feb. 3 that they were appointing Aharon Franko, former chief warden of the Prison Service, to head the project. Netanyahu mentioned the incident in Tamra that killed Hijazi, saying, What is happening now in Arab communities is terrorism. There is no other way to describe it. Sometimes, the loss of its victims is very painful to all of us. I want to send my condolences to Ahmed Hijazis family. The Arab community was outrage by the news of Frankos appointment. Just 12 years ago, when Franko served as chief of police in Jerusalem, he attacked the Arab community over riots that erupted at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall and called Arabs ungrateful. Speaking with a group of journalists, he explained, We insist on freedom of religious worship. The police allowed the many Muslim worshippers who came to the Temple Mount to observe Ramadan and everything went smoothly. And yet, they are rioting now, during the Jewish New Year season. Ahmad Tibi, another Joint List senior, was quick to respond to Netanyahus announcement and Frankos appointment, tweeting, Crime in Arab society is a cancer that we must fight against and get under control. The crime against Arab society is racism. Odeh called Frankos posting an appointment in the spirit of Netanyahu. He explained that the prime ministers plan to handle crime in the Arab society is nothing more than an election stunt on the backs of Arab murder victims after more than a decade of promises. Joint List Knesset member Aida Touma-Suleiman responded to the appointment, Colonialism is alive and kicking, when an officer is appointed by the prime minister to deal with children. Though Netanyahu likely a celebratory reception for his plan, many people remember that just nine years ago, on the Knesset's day dedicated to studying crime and violence in Arab society, the prime minister announced, It is time to increase law enforcement significantly in Arab towns and villages. It is time to do just that. Nine years on, Netanyahu apparently needed an election campaign to remind him that Arab civilians are being murdered in this country on a weekly basis. The State Emergency Operation Centre said 27 people were rescued alive 12 from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishi Ganga site The toll in the Uttarkhand disaster apparently caused by glacier burst has risen to 26 with more bodies being recovered while 171 persons are still missing, officials told news agency PTI on Monday. Officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre reported the recovery of more bodies and feared the toll would rise, a day after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst through its banks in Chamoli district. It appeared to have triggered an avalanche and a deluge that ripped through the Alaknanda river system in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. Two power projects NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishi Ganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers caught in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. The missing people include those working at the hydel power project sites and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away, officials said. Experts, however, are still trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster in Joshimath. "It was due to lakhs of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on top of a naked hill," Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told reporters after meeting ISRO scientists. "According to the scientists, the area where the calamity struck is not prone to avalanches and apparently it was not caused by a glacier burst as initial reports suggested," he said. He also appealed to people to not make the tragedy an occasion for building an "anti-development narrative. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a delegation of Uttarakhand MPs of his government's support to the people of the state and said it is working to strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural disaster in future. Efforts on to rescue those trapped, says CM On Monday evening, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was briefed by ITBP Western Command ADG MS Rawat who reached the spot on Monday morning on the operations being carried out at the Tapovan tunnel at Joshimath. Speaking to reporters, Rawat said," A joint team of the NDRF, SDRF and the Army is conducting a rescue operation. The team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel, it may take 2-3 hrs to reach the t-point. Efforts underway to safely rescue those who are stuck in the tunnel." A joint team of NDRF, SDRF & Army is conducting a rescue operation. The team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel, it may take 2-3 hrs to reach the t-point. Efforts underway to safely rescue those who are stuck in the tunnel: @tsrawatbjp pic.twitter.com/E88ap7Lhnr PIB in Uttarakhand (@PIBDehradun) February 8, 2021 Rawat also chaired a multi agency meeting on the rescue efforts in Tapovan. A multi agency meeting was held this evening at NTPC video conferencing hall in Joshimath presided over by Sh Trivendra Singh Rawat, Hon'ble CM Uttarakhand on rescue efforts in Tapovan. ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Uttarakhand Police beside other agencies were present at the meeting. pic.twitter.com/Yav7mU8rW2 PIB in Uttarakhand (@PIBDehradun) February 8, 2021 In a tweet earlier, the Uttarakhand chief minister had said, "I am leaving for Joshimath and will be spending night there. Tomorrow I plan to visit the affected areas and will also meet people. Our relief and rescue operations are continuing in full swing and we are doing best to save lives." According to PTI, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said that efforts were focussed on rescuing 30-35 labourers trapped in a 250-metre tunnel at Tapovan. The rescue efforts in the affected areas near Joshimath, about 295 km from Dehradun, gained momentum with teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinating to rescue those feared feared trapped in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project. #WATCH | Uttarakhand: A joint team of ITBP, Army, SDRF, and NDRF inside the Tapovan tunnel in Chamoli for rescue operation. pic.twitter.com/VZ3SfCchK3 ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Sniffer dogs and heavy mechanical equipment, including bulldozers and JCBs, were deployed in the areas to aid the rescue workers. While Indian Air Force teams left for the affected areas to ramp up relief efforts, personnel from multiple forces worked through the night. "Our teams worked overnight to rescue about 30 workers who are trapped in the tunnel. Specialised equipment for such operations has been deployed. We are hopeful we will able to rescue everyone," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI in Delhi. The work was complicated by the fact that the tunnel is slightly curved, making difficult to clear the slush, debris and silt blocking it. "There is a huge amount of debris inside the tunnel. About 80 metres inside the tunnel is cleared and accessible, and it looks like about 100 more metres of debris will have to be cleared," he added. Pandey said nearly 300 ITBP personnel are currently deployed at the site. Another official said 34 people are estimated to be trapped in the ''head race tunnel'' or HRT. The entire landscape was coloured a sandy grey, many structures swept away and buried under piles of silt. Thirteen villages are cut off due to the damage to roads and bridges, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said. Essential food supplies are being sent there by helicopters. The State Emergency Operation Centre said 27 people were rescued alive. Of these, 12 were saved from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishi Ganga site. DRDO, ISRO to study cause of tragedy, says Rawat In an interview with PTI, the Uttarakhand chief minister had said a comprehensive analysis of the entire incident is being carried out to avert future tragedies, and asserted the immediate priority was to provide food and other assistance to the affected people. Rawat said the incident appeared to have happened due to the breaking of the glacier and the Chief Secretary has been instructed to find out the real reasons. "A DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) team is already studying the cause of this tragedy and we have also sought the help of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists and experts for the same," he said. "We will build an elaborate plan to avert any potential tragedy going forward" after a comprehensive analysis is carried out into the cause of the incident, Rawat said. "We have made all arrangements needed for the rescue and relief operations along with providing healthcare facilities to the affected people. Most importantly, we are working on re-establishing the connectivity to the affected villages," he told the news agency, adding that the extent of economic loss will be ascertained in due course. "The Rishiganga Power Corporation and the NTPC are assessing the damage to their projects. But, right now our topmost priority is to save lives and rehabilitate the affected people," he said. Rawat said multiple teams have been drawn, both from the Centre and the state's disaster relief agencies, along with the defence forces who have been convened to lead the huge rescue operations. The state's Director General of Police has been camping in the affected areas since Sunday while the Garhwal Commissioner and the DIG Garhwal have also been instructed to remain there, he said. "The entire team of the district administration has been engaged in the relief and rescue operations in the area since Sunday. Officers from other districts have also been sent on the spot so that the post-mortem of the dead bodies found can be done on priority," Rawat said. "Prime Minister Modi has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the dependents of the deceased," Rawat added. On the support from other quarters, he said President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, CDS General Vipin Rawat, among others have assured of all possible cooperation. Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and RK Singh as well as Pauri MP Tirath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand minister Dhan Singh Rawat also met the affected families in disaster-hit Tapovan and Raini and assured them of all support. RK Singh said the glacier burst has caused an estimated loss of Rs 1,500 crore at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and has put a question mark on its scheduled commissioning in 2023. "The project was scheduled to be commissioned in 2023. But there is a question mark now on how long it will take to desilt it as lakhs of tonnes of silt is lying at the project site," Singh told reporters in Tapovan. "As of now it is difficult to say when we will be able to resume work at the site and when the project will be commissioned," he said. However, the Union minister ruled out any possibility of the project being scrapped. In a video provided by the force, a team of senior officials was seen analysing the tunnel's map to find the best way of approach. The tunnel has only one entry, an official said. Teams of the NDRF had reached late Sunday night and were seen using shovels to clear the tunnel's approach. The force also used canine squads to help rescuers detect traces of life under the debris. More teams have been sent to the site on Mi-17 helicopters that landed at the helipad in Joshimath, NDRF chief SN Pradhan said in a Twitter post. With no clarity on what led to the disaster and experts pointing to climate change, scientists also headed to Chamoli to understand what had happened. Some teams from the Army, including from the Medical Corps, have also reached the disaster spot, a senior official supervising the operation said. Three of those rescued on Sunday evening were admitted to the ITBP hospital at Joshimath, nearly 25 km from the Tapovan power project site, as they were feeling uneasy, the officials said. They are stable now. As rescue efforts continued on a war footing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands ready to contribute to the ongoing rescue and assistance efforts in Uttarakhand if necessary. The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres. Expressing solidarity with those affected by the glacier burst, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the whole country is with the people of the state and it is important that relief operations are not hindered in the next few days. With inputs from PTI KARACHI, Pakistan Some climbers call it the savage mountain. K2 stands as the worlds second-tallest summit, after Mount Everest, and some climbers consider it even more perilous. Only last month did one group become the first to successfully scale it during winter, braving dangerously thin air and temperatures that can plunge past minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. On Monday, rescuers and mountaineers underscored the dangers of climbing K2 in winter after the authorities in Pakistan said that three climbers had been missing since Friday and that hopes of finding them alive were evaporating. The missing climbers were Muhammad Ali Sadpara, a 45-year-old from Pakistan; John Snorri, 47, from Iceland; and Juan Pablo Mohr, a 33-year-old Chilean. The authorities said that they would continue the search on Tuesday after halting operations briefly on Monday because of poor visibility. But officials and some family members expressed little hope that the three would be found alive. There is no hope for anyone to survive at 8,000 meters after three days, said Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of Mr. Sadpara. The younger Mr. Sadpara had been part of the expedition but aborted his ascent at an altitude of 8,200 meters after his oxygen pipe started leaking. Now the search operation should continue to recover the bodies, he added. Al Salam Bank - Bahrain (Al Salam Bank) recently announced the launch of its exclusive Loyalty Rewards Scheme, the first of its kind in the kingdom, which aims to reward all customer banking transactions. The scheme is designed to reward customers for daily transactions, with loyalty points being earned on all banking services, namely, maintaining a monthly balance in an account, opening a Wakala account, availing new financing facilities, topping up financing facilities, as well as transactions on prepaid or credit cards. With the Loyalty Rewards Scheme, customers also have the potential to receive points using any of the Banks online channels or by signing up for electronic statement or the various products and services offered by Al Salam Bank. Customers may then redeem their collected points in exchange for a wide range of rewards and benefits, including cash-back options, Gulf Air miles, hotel reservations, airline tickets, as well as car rental services worldwide. Customers will also be able to redeem points easily at the Banks online store and benefit from preferential pricing on banking products and services. Commenting on the launch of the Loyalty Rewards Scheme, Head of Retail Banking at Al Salam Bank - Bahrain, Mohammed Buhijji, said: We are proud to be the first bank in the Kingdom of Bahrain to launch a loyalty scheme of this kind, strengthening our commitment to providing banking experiences tailored to the needs of individual clients. Our customers deserve the best rewards every day, and through this program we will provide increased opportunities for them to earn loyalty points by rewarding with every transaction they make with us. This initiative comes as a token of our great gratitude to our valued customers, as it is in line with our endeavours to enrich their experience beyond traditional service, and encourage our customers to register to avail the benefits. This scheme is a gamechanger compared to the existing loyalty programs in the banking sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where rewards have previously only been offered only against card transactions. To commemorate the launch of the Loyalty Rewards Scheme, Al Salam Bank also introduced a special promotional campaign, giving customers who register and activate their rewards accounts before April 1 the chance to enter a draw to win additional bonus points totalling one million points. We would like to invite everyone to switch their banking transactions to Al Salam Bank- Bahrain, allowing them to collect points with the Loyalty Rewards Scheme, which will allocate a million points in an exclusive offer, for a limited period. We have also taken the initiative to create a special website dedicated to the loyalty scheme, in order for our valued customers to keep record of points, and redeem rewards easily, continued Buhijji. The Al Salam Bank Loyalty Rewards Scheme is set to transform the banking sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the Sharia compliant financial institution setting a new precedent for banks in the region. - TradeArabia News Service Neesha the dog, who was rescued by hiking doctors Ciara Nolan and Jean Francois Bonnet in the Wicklow Mountains. THE owner of a dog recovered in a miracle rescue from the snowy Wicklow Mountains after two weeks believes her late mother may have helped bring the pet home. Eight-year-old golden retriever Neesha was found by hikers after going missing while out for a walk with family a fortnight ago. The dog was rescued by doctors Jean Francois Bonnet and Ciara Nolan, who discovered Neesha near the summit, freezing and unable to walk or bark. Jean Francois carried the pet 10km down the mountains to safety before contacting an animal rescue service to find her family. Nurse Erina OShea-Goetelen (52), from Aughavannagh, Co Wicklow, explained how her husband Serge, her daughter Shannagh (20) and son Caolin (16) had been out for a walk up the mountains with Neesha on January 23. The family were on their way home and went to put Neesha and their other dog, a three-year-old German Shepherd called Harley, on their leads when the pets bolted after deer. My husband and children ran after the girls (the dogs), but they were faster, Erina said. The family believed the dogs would return to their nearby home but there was sign of either until Harley appeared nearby the next day. Neesha was still missing, Erina said. We looked every single day, up and down. We called her and put her bed out. We got loads of tips on Facebook and we searched high and low, but there was no sign. A man even got in touch and offered to try to find Neesha with his drone but the weather became too poor. One week after Neesha vanished, tragedy struck. Erinas beloved mother, Sally OShea (82), passed away in a nursing home in Armagh. Sally had loved Neesha and Erina hadnt been able to tell her mother the dog had been missing in the days before her death. It was an awful week. I had to deal with the grief of losing mum and Neesha. Mum was ill, and shes at peace but I know she loved Neesha and I couldnt bear to tell her on video calls that Neesha was missing. Read More We were up to mums funeral on Wednesday and we took Harley. Mum had lived with us for three years and she adored Neesha. Shed give her wine gums. I said: Now mum knows Neesha is lost and maybe shes up in heaven with her. We were getting our heads round that and it was a weird week with the funeral and everything. Three days after mums funeral, we thought theres no chance of finding Neesha shes too old, its too cold up there. I said: Neeshas gone, shes up in heaven with mum, shes looking after her. Then, that evening, a call was made to the family home. Ash Animal Rescue in Wicklow left a voicemail for the family to tell them the two doctors had found Neesha up the mountains. Id given up, Id even been talking to a friend about getting a replacement dog because Harley was lonely, Erina said. Ash phoned and told me someone had found a golden retriever with a pink coat and they think shes ours. The family travelled to the doctors house nearby and couldnt believe their eyes. The dog was exhausted and cold but she managed to stand up to greet Shannagh. She had some cuts on her skin, which turned out to be dermatitis, but the family made a trip to the vets and now the dog is on antibiotics. Shes receiving all the TLC she needs. Two weeks, its unreal. Neesha was found two weeks to the day she went missing, Erina said. Its a pure miracle really. It was Baltic up there and shes not a young dog. Those two weeks were torture, a nightmare for our family. A lot of people are saying to me they think mum was looking out for Neesha and I really think she could have been. I dont know how Jean Francois carried Neesha all that way. We can never thank them enough. Neeshas part of our family. Its amazing what the couple did for her. How they cared for her. And the public all tried to help us. We will never forget it. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 4:58 am Dozens of Washington hospitals have learned that N95 respirator masks believed to be purchased from 3M are knockoffs and were not manufactured by the company. After receiving notice from 3M about the possibility that some masks were counterfeit, the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) on Friday alerted the state's hospitals and asked them to pull potentially affected masks from their supplies. WSHA asked the state's 115 hospitals to sort through their mask supplies and several have sent masks to 3M for testing. On Saturday, the company confirmed that some were counterfeit, the hospital association announced Sunday. WSHA officials said they're unsure how 3M originally discovered the fraud. And it's unclear where the masks originated or how many masks are fakes, because hospitals around the state are still sending samples in for testing. But the issue affects the supply of somewhere between hundreds of thousands to more than a million N95 masks, said Cassie Sauer, president and CEO of WSHA. "We are having hospitals go through all their masks and look for what they can find," she said. She estimates the state's hospitals spent $5 million to $8 million on the fakes. She said it's unclear whether the counterfeit masks are less safe than those manufactured by 3M. The hospitals' discovery of fraudulent masks is the latest snafu in the often frenzied, globe-spanning efforts to procure what has been an essential safeguard for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Even as demand has spiked for masks capable of filtering tiny airborne particles, many hospitals in Washington state have remained selective about quality. When Washington state offered last year to supplement hospitals' supplies with N95 masks it purchased from China's BYD, some hospitals took a pass, saying that the samples didn't fit well. They preferred the models they've long used, such as masks made by 3M, over ones manufactured by BYD, an automotive conglomerate that converted some production lines to churn out protective medical gear and received U.S. approval to sell N95 masks last year. 3M's fraud division and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are investigating the fraudulent masks, Sauer said, but it's unknown whether any money will be recoverable. In the meantime, she said, 3M is expediting an order of 1 million masks to Washington to help backfill for any counterfeit supplies. In a message to UW Medicine staff, administrators said Saturday that N95s used around Christmas were among those fraudulently labeled as 3M masks. Officials said they have since replaced suspected fakes with backup masks from the system's stockpile. The health care system has not seen an increase in COVID-19 infections tied to the fraudulent masks, officials said. The hospital association said it plans to offer more details at a Monday news conference. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said last week that the agency has seized at least 12 million knockoff N95 masks since the start of the pandemic. Seattle Times staff reporter Daniel Gilbert contributed to this report. ___ (c)2021 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. ALBANY The largest health care union in the nation has launched a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign to reform the nursing home industry by addressing inadequate infection control, low wages, high turnover and other issues plaguing the long-term care sector. The campaign by 1199SEIU, representing 65,000 members in over 340 nursing homes across the country, aims to support legislation to hold nursing home owners and operators accountable to ensure quality care for New Yorks most vulnerable while also establishing protections for workers in the field. The union's Invest in Quality Care campaign comes on the heels of a state attorney general's report that revealed nursing homes with fewer staff had more coronavirus-related deaths. The campaign is focused on New York, but labor leaders said they hope to spark similar reforms and efforts elsewhere. While many of the issues underscored in Attorney General Letitia James report have afflicted the industry for years, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the chronic shortcomings in the nursing home industry. Milly Silva, executive vice-president of 1199SEIU, said the chronic issues are finally gaining attention and the union is looking to seize upon that momentum. The Invest in Quality Care campaign that we are undertaking as health care workers, as essential workers, and especially as nursing home workers, is about calling attention to the very real and dangerous conditions that have existed in nursing homes and the impact that it has had on the residents, on their loved ones and also on the caregivers, Silva said. The attorney generals report found the poor conditions contributed to 12,743 confirmed and presumed resident deaths in New York as well as high rates of infections and illness for nursing home caregivers. Those deaths and illnesses disproportionately affected workers who are primarily women of color and residents of color, Silva said. The labor union is working with their partners in the health care field and mobilizing for virtual events to garner support for legislation that seeks to reform the industry. Those efforts include ensuring proper infection control, adequate personal protective equipment supplies, and transparency from companies and organizations in the industry, Silva said. Lets hold the industry, those owners, accountable to have to shift those dollars toward care at the bedside and investment in the workforce through higher wages, training and better equipment, she said. You will actually see an improvement in the care outcomes that our residents need. The attorney generals report also took issue with the states current reimbursement model for nursing homes, arguing that it gives a financial incentive to owners of for-profit nursing homes to transfer funds to related parties (ultimately increasing their own profit) instead of investing in higher levels of staffing and PPE. Among those reforms could be a minimum staffing requirement for nursing homes, labor leaders noted. New York is one of only 10 states that has no minimum staffing requirement. New Jersey recently enacted a minimum staffing requirement for certified nursing assistants (CNAs), among other reforms, Silva said. Washington: US President Donald Trump has lauded the transparency of his eldest son over the release of a chain of emails showing a Russian source offering sensitive information about his White House rival Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the presidential election. In an email to 39-year-old Donald Trump Jr, who is in the middle of a political storm over his meetings with a Russian source, his music publicist Rob Goldstone said the information would incriminate Hillary (Clinton) and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency, Trump said in a statement which was read out by the White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during her daily news conference. While Trump Jr said he hopes that by releasing these emails would bring an end to the controversy, the opposition political leaders called for investigation and claimed that this is yet another indication of the connection between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Donald Trump Jr has admitted and documented that he, Jared Kushner, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer with the understanding that she was a Russian government lawyer providing damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of Moscows effort to help President Trumps campaign, said Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. The attempt by these top Trump advisors - to solicit the support of a hostile foreign power to win the American presidency - is unprecedented in our history, he said. The need for Special Counsel Muellers investigation and our Congressional inquiries to continue has never been more clear. Pending any investigation, no one who participated in the Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya should have access to any classified information, especially material relevant to our national security, Krishnamoorthi said. Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the email shows that Trump Jr clearly understood the intent of the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya. Instead of welcoming information from the Russian government, the Trump team should have immediately notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Im not a prosecutor, but I think this is an extremely serious issue and needs to be followed up on by Robert Muellers investigation and the Congressional Intelligence Committees immediately, Cardin demanded. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein said these emails are deeply disturbing. They appear to show direct coordination between the Trump campaign and possibly the Russian government itself, she said. Theres no escaping it: the Trump Campaigns inner circle met with an agent of a hostile foreign power to influence the outcome of an American election. The American people face a White House riddled with shadowy Russian connections and desperate to hide the truth, said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. One after another, senior Trump officials have been caught hiding secret meetings with Russian agents. The incendiary news of the meeting arranged by Donald Trump Jr is a grave development in the investigation of Trump officials possible collusion with Moscow, she said. The New York Times, which first broke the story, said the emails show just how eager Trump Jr was to accept what he was explicitly told was the Russian governments help in his fathers campaign against Hillary Clinton. The Justice Department, as well as the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, is examining whether any of President Trumps associates colluded with the Russian government to disrupt last years election. American intelligence agencies have determined that the Russian government tried to sway the election in favour of Trump, the report said. The daily claimed that Trump Jr released the entire chain of emails on Twitter after it told him that they were publishing the emails that they had in their possession. Several Congressional committees were reportedly considering to question Trump Jr about his meeting with a Russian offer of providing compromising information about Hillary Clinton. Congresswoman Grace Meng sent a letter to the US Federal Election Commission urging that it perform an official investigation into the actions of the Trump campaign to determine whether they violated federal election and criminal law. Congressman Elijah E Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said the email chain confirms that the presidents son was both aware of and supported the Russian governments efforts to help the president get elected. Our country has a fundamental principle that a foreign adversary should not and cannot interfere with our sacred elections, period. The soul of our very democracy depends on it. I remind my colleagues from both parties the Constitution does not give Congress the right to remain silent in the face of this threat. We must investigate. And we must act on our findings, he said. The Washington Post said these emails clearly showed that Trump Jr understood he was taking the meeting as a way of channeling information directly from the government of a nation hostile to the United States to his fathers campaign. It is the most concrete public evidence to date suggesting that top Trump campaign aides were eager for Russias assistance in the campaign, the daily reported. Sanders told reporters that President Trump is frustrated that Russia continues to be an issue. I think that the President is, I would say, frustrated with the process of the fact that this continues to be an issue, she said in response to a question. And he would love for us to be focused on things, like the economy, on healthcare, on tax reform, on infrastructure. And thats the place that his mind is, and thats what hed like to be discussing, Sanders said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Navalny's Challenge to Putin: A Q&A with Vice Provost Hanson Russian and Soviet expert: Stephen E. Hanson is the vice provost for international affairs, the director of the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies and Lettie Pate Evans Professor in the Department of Government at William & Mary. Reves Center photo Photo - of - Hide Caption Stephen E. Hanson is the vice provost for international affairs, the director of the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies and Lettie Pate Evans Professor in the Department of Government at William & Mary. Hanson is also a renowned expert in Russian and Soviet history and politics, so we reached out to him to help put into broader context the recent headlines about Alexey Navalny and Russian protests. Alexey Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has called on President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on at least eight high profile Russian figures it says are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. FBK said it had submitted a broader list of 35 people in total in a letter addressed to Biden with eight named on a "priority shortlist." The letter says seven of the 35 individuals are already on US sanctions lists. Do you think that is a reasonable/viable request? Will it have the impact for which they hope? Navalnys request that the U.S. impose new sanctions on some of Russias richest oligarchs is perfectly logical for an anti-corruption campaigner like him. And although the U.S. has imposed sanctions on some of these individuals in the past, there has been a tendency for U.S. foreign policy to leave loopholes for some of those closest to President Putin to continue to travel to and do business in the West without too much difficulty. Having said that, there are several challenges for the Biden Administration in carrying out this sort of request. First, to be effective, sanctions of this kind must be closely coordinated with our European allies, who have diverging interests in their relationships with Russia and who are less likely to follow the American lead than in the past. Second, the events of January 6, 2021 have at least temporarily undercut Americas global image as a democratic leader, which might rob such sanctions of some of their previous moral force. Finally, in the longer run, the overuse of sanctions as a major instrument of American power can eventually accelerate efforts by Russia, China, and others to develop alternative currency systems independent of the U.S. dollaralthough this is not an immediate prospect, to be sure. As reported in the NY Times, Navalnys associates have said, only street protests can force the Kremlin to change course. As weve seen on the news, tens of thousands of people have rallied for Mr. Navalny each of the last two weekends in cities across Russia. But is that the kind of public pressure to which Putin has responded in the past? Is there anything in past experience that would suggest he would be affected by it much less relent? The massive street protests across the Russian Federation since Navalnys return to his homeland are clearly very significant. For the first time in the Putin era, there is clearly one universally-recognized leader of the opposition forces, around which quite disparate groupings are now rallying. The impressive show of national coordination by the oppositionin the dead of winter, amid brutally cold temperatures in many Russian citiesmight, in turn, raise doubts among some Russian high officials and oligarchs in the Kremlin about just how long President Putin can remain impervious to such challenges. He is, after all, nearing his 70s, and twenty years in power is a long time for a single leader by any comparative standard. Having said that, the elite around Putin has remained quite united against Navalnys movement thus far. Many of these individuals have known Putin personally since before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and their loyalty runs very deep. Until and unless we see signs of an elite split at the highest levels of the Russian state, the oppositions hopes for near-term regime change in Russia are likely to be disappointed. Navalnys associates and supporters seem full of optimism. Leonid Volkov, a top aide, said on Facebook that Navalnys group would continue to organize protests, investigate corruption, and support Kremlin critics in elections. We know that everything is only beginning, Mr. Volkov wrote. Were in a moment of enormous moral superiority. The whole country saw how Putin is afraid. In theory, in a true democracy moral superiority and public opinion can be a force for change, but in a country like Russia, does it really affect Putin and his government? Has Putin ever shown that he cares about moral superiority and public opinion? Moral authority and public opinion do matter in Russia, as they do in all societies. And Navalnys undeniable bravery in returning home after his poisoning, risking almost certain imprisonment under harsh conditionsand perhaps deathwas a key catalyst of the current protest movement. One of the Kremlins typical PR ploys in dealing with opposition figures to date has been to portray them as cynical opportunists who are really in it for the money, or who must be in the employ of the Western special services, or both. This sort of negative publicity usually works very well in dividing Russian public opinion, given the generally skeptical attitude of Russians toward politicians in the post-Soviet era, and the fact that there are indeed many cases of fake opposition leaders and parties set up to serve the interests of particular business groupings or political factions. But this tactic simply doesnt work in dealing with Navalny now. The regime can and does make the case that Navalnys past flirtations with Russian nationalism are a dangerous sign, that if he were to gain power he would only destabilize the country, and that he is helping to spread COVID-19 with his calls for mass demonstrationsbut they cant effectively argue that Navalny is simply an opportunist who is in this for himself alone. And that is a big change that reduces the power of pro-regime propaganda significantly. Can you think of any comparable public demonstrations in Russian or Soviet history? In terms of their geographic scope, relatively broad representation of different strata within the Russian populace, and remarkably unified messaging, these are the most significant large scale demonstrations in Russia since the late Soviet era, when Democratic Russia mobilized millions of people to protest against the Communist Party of the Soviet Union led by Gorbachev. Having said that, its important to note that there have also been major public demonstrations throughout the Putin era, including large-scale protests against election fraud when Putin returned to the Presidency after the Medvedev interregnum in 2011-2012, well-attended marches against changes to pensions and benefits and against malfeasance by state officials, and significant protests in several Russian cities against the removal of popular local leaders. The notion that Russians are by nature quiescent in the face of authoritarian rule is a highly misleading myth. Last week the United States formally extended a critical nuclear accord with Russia for five years, opting to prolong limits on the arsenals of both nations two days before the treatys expiration date and bringing a measure of stability to U.S.-Russia relations on nuclear matters. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the extension of the New START accord ensures verifiable limits will remain on Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine launch ballistic missiles and heavy bombers until 2026, and keeps in place a mutual verification regime that gives the United States greater insight into Russias nuclear posture. Is this something that is in play because of Navalny or is it an issue that is independent? Does it have any impact on Navalnys case? The five-year extension of New START is very good news, since it represents the last major arms control agreement between the worlds two largest nuclear powersand starting arms control over entirely from scratch would have been a daunting prospect. The Biden Administration is correct to argue that the U.S. needs to work with Russia on topics of potential mutual interest, including arms control, climate change, international management of the Arctic region, and so on, at the same time as it tries gradually to rebuild U.S. credibility as promoter of global democracy and human rights. In a way, this is simply a return to Americas traditional foreign policy posture. Even at the height of the Cold War, when U.S. criticism of the Soviet Unions human rights record was sharp and persistent, diplomatic meetings and leadership summits between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were a regular occurrence. Do you have any instinctive sense of how things with Navalny might play out? Where is this all headed? In the short run, Putin hopes that the lengthy prison sentence meted out to Navalny, along with the arrests of many of his closest associates, will buy enough time for the protest wave to die down. In combination with several recent changes to Russian law that strictly limit freedom of speech and that can brand even ordinary Russian citizens with opposition views as foreign agents, there is certainly a chance that such a strategy of increased repression will be effective. But there has been some serious damage done to Putins image as a benevolent father of the nation during these events. Navalnys well-produced video about Putins Palace on the Black Sea has been viewed over 100 million times, mostly within Russia. Many of his allegations about Putins hidden wealth have been covered earlier in the Western media, but particularly for younger Russians who have never lived under any other leader, Navalnys case that Russias current economic travails are due to high-level corruption at the very top will no doubt be compelling. A French teacher who warned of the spread of radical Islam in the country has been placed under police protection after he allegedly received death threats. Didier Lemaire said the threats began after he wrote an open letter saying the state did not do enough to protect Samuel Paty, the French teacher beheaded in a jihadist attack last October. French prosecutors today said they were investigating the alleged threats against the philosophy teacher. Mr Lemaire teaches at a high school in Trappes, a low-income Paris suburb with a large Muslim population that has become emblematic of the government's efforts to curb radicalism. Didier Lemaire said the death threats began after he wrote an open letter saying the state did not do enough to protect Samuel Paty, the French teacher beheaded in a jihadist attack last October Authorities say hardline Salafist conservatism has attracted a widespread following in the town, which authorities say was the home of around 50 people who left to fight alongside jihadists in Iraq and Syria in recent years. Mr Paty, 47, was beheaded near his school in a Paris suburb by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Chechen, on October 16. The teacher was killed after he showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad for a debate on freedom of expression, angering parents who targeted him in a social media campaign. Mr Lemaire wrote a few weeks after the beheading in the news magazine Le Point: 'I have been a witness to the sectarianism that is taking an increased hold on people's bodies and minds'. Mr Paty, 47, was beheaded near his school in a Paris suburb by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Chechen, on October 16 He said that Mr Paty 'was not protected by an institution that underestimated the threat'. Mr Lemaire said he has since received threats. Prosecutors from nearby Versailles said: 'We have been alerted to the worries expressed by this teacher with regards to threats he allegedly received.' No further detailed were added. A police source confirmed that Mr Lemaire is now under police protection. 'In accordance with his wishes, the school district will ensure, in cooperation with the police, conditions that will allow him to continue teaching at the school,' the Versailles board of education said in a statement. Mr Paty's murder sparked a torrent of outrage that prompted President Emmanuel Macron to crack down on Islamist extremism and violence in a country reeling from a wave of jihadist attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 250 people. Mr Paty's murder in France has been followed by a wave of anger against Emmanuel Macron (pictured next to Paty's coffin in Paris last month) throughout the Muslim world Protesters burn an effigy depicting French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration in Kolkata, India on November 4 Macron came out strongly in support of the right to free speech - saying 'we will not stop drawing cartoons' - while French media and even city authorities defiantly re-published the caricatures, which are offensive to many Muslims. The French leader was denounced as Islamophobic by detractors abroad, particularly Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and anti-France protests took place in many Muslim-majority countries from Bangladesh to Lebanon. In response to Paty's death, Macron's government shut a number of organisations deemed Islamist and drafted law legislation initially called 'the anti-separatism bill' which cracks down on foreign funding for Islamic organisations. Since the attack, there have been a number of cases whereby teachers have been receiving threats - even from their pupils. In November last year, a French high school pupil was arrested for threatening to behead his teacher 'like Samuel Paty'. The male pupil sent a message in a private Snapchat group asking other pupils to 'threaten with death' one of their school teachers. Weeks earlier, police in France questioned four 10-year-olds who voiced support for the beheading of Samuel Paty and who said they would kill their own teacher if he lampooned Islam's prophet. 'They justified the teachers assassination by arguing that it was forbidden to offend the prophet and adding that they would kill their teacher if he caricatured the prophet,' Interior Ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said. Again in November last year, a 14-year-old French pupil was arrested after he threatened his teacher as she showed photos of a demonstration sparked by the attack on Charli Hebdo. The teenager, from Savigny-le-Temple, allegedly told his teacher in class: 'I'll cut you up like Samuel Paty'. When one thinks of a goat,they are reminded of a little animal grazing grass or maybe an animal who they must have spotted while walking around in the wild. However, what one would have perhaps failed to imagine would be goats enjoying surfing in the sea. But as they say, never say never. An incident like the one mentioned above took place in California recently. According to a report in The New York Post, the surfing goat belongs to a person named Dana McGregor. He owns The Surfing Goats, which is basically an organisation that gives surfing lessons to humans and critters. According to his organisations official website, they offer packages for those people who are interested in learning surfing. There is an option for the person to choose whether he or she wants to do it with or without a goat. In fact, to make surfing more accessible for all, there is a provision for kids and adults with special needs. They are trained under the organizations Beautifully-Abled Surf Camp. The event of the goats surfing happened on what seemed to be a very usual day for McGregor. He had finished training a child with special needs at the San Clemente Pier in Orange County, when he decided to go on a surf with his friends. He shared his surfing board with a goat named Piso. His friends too had joined him for the fun ride. While he was at it, huge crowds gathered which included people who were cheering, recording videos and were having a good time watching the rather rare sight. Reacting on the incident, McGregor told the media portal that this activity is his way of bringing hope and healing to peoples lives. Soon after this incident, people shared photos of McGregor and his gang surfing with the goat. As expected, the internet was surprised with it and could not keep calm. Soon, enough pictures and clippings of the incident started going viral on the internet. A user on Twitter named Allen J Schaben shared the snaps of the goat surfing. The stunning images of the goat got people dropping comments like, awesome, so fun etc in the reply section. It is obvious to wonder as to how did the idea of surfing with the goat came to his mind. A report in Los Angeles Times describes that back in time, McGregor had a pet goat named Goatee. Whenever he used to go for his days work i.e. to do or teach surfing, she would cry very much back at his home. The surfer says that the crying of the goat was so intense that his neighbours used to get annoyed. As a result, he started brining Goatee with him and taught her surfing. Soon after,she not only became comfortable with surfing but also became a good attraction for the tourists. So from then on, his goats come with him to the beach and surf too. Churches and Covid-19 survey needs your help Churches and Covid-19 survey needs your help A major study of the impact of Covid-19 on church communities, their current needs, what they have been doing in response and how they might plan for the future is asking for churches to send in their own views and insights. An online Churches and Covid survey has been launched and is open for responses until February 21. The survey is a partnership between the Historic England, the Church of England, the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, the National Churches Trust, and the University of York. An initial survey launched in September 2020 and attracted over 2,500 responses which have already helped to shape decision-making and guidance. This new, very-focused survey is for all churches. It should only take five minutes to complete but will make an important contribution to planning for the future. It concentrates on: Obtaining a snapshot of the levels of church and community needs and challenges at this point in the pandemic Identifying the ways in church buildings and activities have continued to support communities Churches' plans for the remainder of the crisis period and for recovery The resources and support which will be needed (especially from government) if churches are to mobilise their unique assets and maximise their contribution to rebuilding lives and communities "People value places of worship both as peaceful havens in a frightening world and as a source of lovingly-offered practical support. This survey invites them to tell us what really matters and how places of worship can help individuals and communities as we recover from the pandemic," said Historic England. "Churches are the obvious go-to places to help with the country's recovery," said Claire Walker, Chief Executive, National Churches Trust. The evidence of grassroots need and experience is making a really significant contribution to decision making, providing food for helpful guidance and enabling the sharing of creative responses to Covid-19, said Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester Please visit the Churches and Covid website to find out more and take the survey. The survey will run until February 21. Keith Morris, 08/02/2021 The death has occurred of Micheal Patrick Behan Leinster Lodge, Athy, Kildare (06-01-1948 to 07/02/2021) Micheal passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his family. Needed, wanted and loved by all those close to him. We were so very blessed to have him. Predeceased by his parents Michael and Claire and brothers Patrick and James (Jim). Deeply mourned by his loving wife Vera, of fifty years, sons Gavin and Michael, daughters Sarah, Emily, Veralouise and Ruth, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, seventeen grandchildren, sisters Breada and Clare, extended family and many friends. Micheal will be making his final journey from Leinster Lodge on Wednesday morning to arrive for Requiem Mass in St. Michael's Parish Church , Athy for 11am, limited to ten people. The cortege will journey via Ballyroe and Wright's Cross. The Mass will be livestreamed, see www.parishofathy.ie. Burial afterwards in St. Michael's New Cemetery, Athy. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to The Irish Cancer Society. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions may leave a message in the 'Condolences' section below. The death has occurred of Marcella (Madge) Clarke (nee Quinn) Kilcullen, Kildare Marcella (Madge) Clarke (nee Quinn), St Brigid's Avenue, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, who died 6th February 2021, peacefully, at her residence, surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of the late Harry and mother of the late Patsy. Deeply regretted by her loving sons Barry, Brian, Gerry and Vivian, daughters Anita, Loretta and Joan, sons in law Andy, Ronan and Eamon, daughters in law Pat, Ann and Bernie, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, neighbours, relatives and friends. Removal from her residence on Tuesday morning, February 9th, at 9am to The Church of the Sacred Heart and St Brigid, Kilcullen, arriving for 9.30am requiem Mass. Funeral afterwards to New Abbey Cemetery. House private on Tuesday morning. Due to current guidelines regarding public gatherings, a private funeral will take place, restricted to 10 people in church. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but due to current guidelines cannot, please feel free to leave a message of condolence for Madge's family at the bottom of the page. Funeral Mass will be live-streamed on www.mcnmedia.tv May Madge Rest In Peace The death has occurred of Gerry Finn Orchard Park, The Curragh, Kildare Sadly missed by his loving mother Ann, father Syl, sisters Olivia and Mary, brothers Syl Jnr and Michael, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, relatives, neighbours and friends. May Gerry Rest In Peace Funeral Arrangements Later The death has occurred of Pat Hyland Oghill House Stud, Monasterevin, Kildare Peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family. Predeceased by his mother, Sadie and father Nicholas. Much loved brother of Stephanie (Maher), James, Phil (Murphy), Hugh, Vonie (Macken), David and Paul. Deeply regretted by his loving family, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, extended family relatives and friends. May Pat Rest In Peace Due to current government guidelines a private family funeral will take place on Tuesday, with requiem Mass in St Peter & Paul's Church, Monasterevin at 11am and interment afterwards in St Brigid s cemetery, Nurney. Family flowers only please. For those who cannot attend but wish to send condolences please use the link below or send on in the traditional manner. The funeral and burial can be viewed on www.streamlive.ie and Monasterevin Parish web cam. The family appreciate your co operation and understanding at this time. The death has occurred of Jacinta (Janice) Smith (nee O'Neill) Celbridge, Kildare / Arklow, Wicklow SMITH (nee ONeill), Jacinta (Janice) (Celbridge, Co. Kildare and formerly of Arklow, Co. Wicklow) February 6th, 2021 passed away peacefully in the loving care of the staff at Connolly Hospital with thanks to caring staff at Elm Hall Nursing Home. Beloved wife of Brendan, dear mother of Tara, Mark and Philip and a devoted grandmother to Luke, Liam, Molly, Damian, Sadie and Brandon. Jacinta will be dearly missed by her family, daughters-in-law Lisa and Hannah, son-in-law Alan, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, friends, extended family and neighbours. May She Rest in Peace A private funeral will take place due to government advice regarding public gatherings. When the current circumstances have passed we look forward to celebrating Jacinthas life with friends and extended family at a later date. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, may join the private family Funeral Mass on Friday morning, February 12th at 11 am by following this LINK or please leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com. Family flowers only, donations if desired to The Irish Wheelchair Association. The death has occurred of James (Jimmy) Cross Main Street, Rathangan, Kildare James (Jimmy) Cross, Main Street, Rathangan, Co. Kildare February 6th 2021, peacefully in the loving care of the staff at Beech Park Nursing Home, Kildare. Beloved husband of the late Kathleen. Most treasured father to Angela. Loved and missed by Angela, her husband Anthony, and adoring grandchildren Stephen and Ellen. Deeply regretted by his brothers, sisters, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews & wide circle of friends. May He Rest In Peace. In line with Government and HSE guidelines a private family mass will take place on Monday (February 8th) at 12 noon in the Church of the Assumption & St. Patrick, Rathangan (max 10 people), followed by burial in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Rathangan. Neighbours and Friends are welcome to line the route to Church and Cemetery while following Social Distancing guidelines Jimmy's Mass can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/c/icatholicplayer Those wishing to leave a message may do so on the Condolence section below. The Family thank you for your understanding at this difficult time. The death has occurred of Martin HANLON Carna, Suncroft, Kildare HANLON Martin (Carna, Suncroft, Co. Kildare) - 5th February 2021 (suddenly) at his home. Predeceased by his mother and father John and Lilly, brothers Jody, Michael and John. Sadly missed by his loving sisters Mary, Ann and Grainne, brothers Tommy, Paddy, Tony and Noel, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, extended family, relatives and friends. May Martin Rest in Peace A private funeral will take place due to advice on public gatherings. Those who would have liked to attend but cannot due to current restrictions can leave their condolences on the RIP condolence section below. House Private, please. Funeral Arrangements Later The death has occurred of Patrick (Pat) Hipwell Moone, Kildare Sadly passed away on 5th Februrary 2021 in the loving care of the staff of Cloverlodge Nursing home. Predeceased by his loving wife Maura, parents Thomas and Annie and sister Molly Sullivan. Sadly missed by his sister Babs Allen, nieces Carol, Liz and Ann and nephews John and Gary. He will be sadly missed by the Allan family and friends. MAY PAT REST IN PEACE Due to government advice regarding public gatherings a private funeral will take place for family and close friends. Reposing in Dunne's Funeral Home, Mill Road, Castledermot, on Sunday from 3pm to 8pm and Monday 12 noon to 8pm for family and close friends. Removal on Tuesday to the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Moone for Requiem Mass at 11am (max 10 people in Church). Followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Pat's funeral Mass will be live streamed via webcam. The Nigerian Independent Petroleum Company (NIPCO) has disclosed its commitments to broaden the scope of petroleum products marketing with a view to ensuring seamless supply across the country in 2021. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NIPCO, Mr. Suresh Kumar, stated this in his New Year message, tagged "Message of Hope." A statement at the weekend by the Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, NIPCO, Mr. Lawal Taofeek, quoted the managing director as saying that the company was poised to upgrade its workforce, as it constantly reviews its safety processes and procedures to ensure a hitch-free operating system during the year. Noting that the year 2020 was the most challenging across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kumar said the company rose to the challenge with resilience and courage and described its workforce as panacea to the success story last year. He expressed delight in the way the company has risen to the pandemic challenge, noting that the resilience and courage exhibited during the year had in no small measure contributed in keeping the organisation's core business going. According to him, the company is committed to human capital development as panacea to the company's success story. Kumar, therefore, implored all employees to discharge their duties with diligence and professionalism to improve service delivery to all stakeholders in the hydrocarbon industry. The MD noted that the company's success in 2020, was also predicated on its ability to operate diligently in the industry without compromise safety, coupled with the usual stellar customer satisfaction. He urged all personnel to continue to observe the organisational core values, work towards building a more cohesive and effective organisation and strive towards greater heights by 2021. He posited that as NIPCO continues to grow, there would be more opportunities for all cadres of the workforce to advance further with the company. "As part of the digital transformation and resource development efforts, our employees would have greater access to upgrade themselves through online training platforms as well as training conducted by in-house and external trainers", Kumar said. He hinted that broadening the company's marketing horizon was another plank the firm intends focusing on in the new year to further improve its bottom-line. DUBLIN, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Infrared Thermometer Market by Type (Fixed, Portable), Component (Optical, Display & Interface Units), Application (Medical, Non-Medical), End-use (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), and Geography - Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global infrared thermometer market is projected to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2025 from USD 2.3 billion in 2020. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2020 to 2025. The major factors driving the market's growth include the increasing number of COVID-19 patients and the rising adoption of infrared thermometers across the manufacturing sector and construction applications. However, accuracy issues in infrared thermometers is restraining market growth. Based on type, portable to be the fastest-growing segment between 2020 and 2025 The infrared thermometer market has been broadly categorized into 2 types - fixed and portable. By type, the portable segment is expected to dominate the infrared thermometer market. One factor for the high adoption of portable infrared thermometers is their use in industrial and commercial end uses. Handheld infrared thermometers are non-contact, inexpensive, easy to use devices that help in rapid temperature measurement. Due to COVID-19, handheld infrared thermometers are being widely used for temperature screening at various commercial places, as high body temperature is one of the symptoms of COVID-19. Based on components, optical components to be the fastest-growing type between 2020 and 2025 The infrared thermometer market has been broadly categorized by component into optical components, electronics, display & interface unit, and others. By component, the optical components segment is expected to grow at the highest rate in the infrared thermometer market. Optical components, including detectors, are used to detect the reflected infrared energy, focus the radiation energy onto the IR detector, and filter out radiation outside the desired wavelength band. The display & interface unit segment is expected to hold the largest size during the forecast period. Based on application, medical to be the fastest-growing segment between 2020 and 2025 The infrared thermometer market has been broadly categorized by application into medical and non-medical. The non-medical application is expected to hold a larger market share, in terms of both value and volume, while the medical application is expected to grow at a higher CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period. The major factors for the growth of the medical application are the lower cost, higher accuracy, and rising adoption of infrared thermometers for temperature screening due to COVID-19. Based on end-use, commercial to be the fastest-growing segment between 2020 and 2025 By end use, the industrial segment is expected to hold the largest share, while the commercial segment is expected to grow at the highest rate. The growth of the industrial segment is attributed to the higher adoption of infrared thermometers in industrial manufacturing, industrial processing, and other such industrial segments. The commercial segment is expected to grow primarily due to the significant adoption in commercial segments such as hospitals and healthcare facilities, banks and financial institutions, retail, government, and hospitality sectors. APAC infrared thermometer market to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period The market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, and the region is expected to dominate the global market by 2025. The growth of the market in APAC is mainly due to the higher adoption of medical thermometers in commercial, industrial, and residential end use segments. Factors such as price-competitive market, availability of low-cost products, presence of local manufacturers, population growth, and investments in healthcare would also boost the market growth in APAC during the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 3.1 Pre-COVID-19 Scenario 3.2 Post-COVID-19 Scenario 3.3 Optimistic Scenario (Post-COVID-19) 3.4 Pessimistic Scenario (Post-COVID-19) 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in Market 4.2 Infrared Thermometer Market, by Type 4.3 Market, by End-use 4.4 Infrared Market in APAC, by Country and End-use 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increasing Number of COVID-19 Patients 5.2.1.2 Rising Adoption of Infrared Thermometers Across Manufacturing Sector 5.2.1.3 Rising Adoption of Infrared Thermometers in Construction Applications 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Accuracy Issues with Infrared Thermometers 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Opportunities for Second Generation of Infrared Thermometers 5.2.3.2 Rising R&D Investments by Companies, Governments, and Capital Firms to Develop Innovative Thermal Scanning Solutions and Infrared Thermometers 5.2.3.3 Rising Adoption of Infrared Thermometers in HVAC and Refrigeration Applications 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Limitation of Infrared Thermometers in Crowd Screening 5.3 Value Chain Analysis 5.4 Ecosystem 5.5 Porter's Five Force Analysis 5.6 Use Cases 5.6.1 Optimizing Furnace Operation Using Infrared Thermal Imaging 5.6.2 Development of Infrared Thermometer That Can Measure Temperature in Extrusion and Hot-Rolling Aluminum Alloys 5.6.3 Hot Axle Detection Using Infrared Thermometer 5.6.4 Fever Screening Kit Using Infrared Thermometer to Screen People 5.6.5 Infrared Thermometer for Industrial Processes 5.7 Technology Trends 5.7.1 Change-of-State Sensors 5.7.2 Thermocouples 5.7.3 Infrared Night Vision Cameras 5.7.4 Thermal Scanners 5.7.5 Displays for Infrared Thermometers 5.7.6 Sensors for Infrared Thermometers 5.8 Pricing Analysis 5.9 Trade Analysis 5.9.1 Thermometers: Global Import Data, 2019 (USD Million) 5.9.2 Thermometers: Global Export Data, 2019 (In USD Million) 5.10 Patent Analysis 5.11 Market Regulations 6 Infrared Thermometer Market, by Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Fixed Infrared Thermometers 6.2.1 Fixed Infrared Thermometers are Permanently Mounted and are Used to Monitor Temperature of Processes 6.3 Portable Infrared Thermometers 6.3.1 Rising Demand for Portable Infrared Thermometers due to COVID-19 7 Infrared Thermometer Market, by Component 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Optical Components 7.2.1 Optical Components Focus Radiation Energy Onto the IR Detector and Filter Out Unwanted Radiation 7.3 Electronics 7.3.1 Electronics Consist of a Controller, an Amplifier, a Signal Conditioning Module, and an Analog-To-Digital Converter 7.4 Display and Control Units 7.4.1 Displays Show Warnings and Readings Whereas Interface Units Provide Data to Other Modules 7.5 Others 8 Infrared Thermometer Market, by Application 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Non-Medical 8.2.1 Infrared Thermometers are Used in Non-Medical Application for Industrial End-use 8.3 Medical Infrared Thermometers 8.3.1 Medical Infrared Thermometers are Mainly Used in Commercial Applications 8.4 Factors to Consider while Selecting an Infrared Thermometer 8.4.1 Accuracy 8.4.2 Emissivity 8.4.3 Temperature Range 8.4.4 Reading Speed or Response Time 8.4.5 Design 8.4.6 Backlit Display 8.4.7 Warranty 9 Infrared Thermometer Market, by End-use 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Residential 9.2.1 COVID-19 Pandemic Has Led to a Rise in Use of Infrared Thermometers in Residential Areas 9.3 Commercial 9.3.1 Commercial Use of Infrared Thermometers is Mainly in Healthcare, Government, and Retail Sectors 9.4 Industrial 9.4.1 Significant Adoption of Infrared Thermometers in Industrial Manufacturing to Spur the Market Growth 10 Geographic Analysis 10.1 Introduction 10.2 North America 10.3 Europe 10.4 APAC 10.5 RoW 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Market Share Analysis, 2019 11.3 Competitive Evaluation Analysis 11.3.1 Star 11.3.2 Pervasive 11.3.3 Emerging Leaders 11.3.4 Participant 11.4 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Evaluation Quadrant, 2019 11.4.1 Progressive Companies 11.4.2 Responsive Companies 11.4.3 Dynamic Companies 11.4.4 Starting Blocks 11.5 Competitive Situations and Trends 11.6 Market: Application and Regional Footprint 12 Company Profiles 12.1 Key Players 12.1.1 Fluke 12.1.2 Flir 12.1.3 Testo 12.1.4 Omron 12.1.5 Microlife 12.1.6 Hill-Rom 12.1.7 Omega Engineering 12.1.8 PCE Instruments 12.1.9 Chino Corporation 12.1.10 Ametek Land 12.2 Other Key Players 12.2.1 Robert Bosch 12.2.2 Optris GmbH 12.2.3 Contec Medical Systems Company Ltd. 12.2.4 Nureca 12.2.5 Trumeter 12.2.6 Double King Industrial Holdings (China Victor) 12.2.7 Yuwell-Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment & Supply Co. Ltd. 12.2.8 Wika Group 12.2.9 Emerson 12.2.10 Horiba 12.2.11 Keyence 12.2.12 Zebronics 12.2.13 Amphenol 12.2.14 Melexis 12.2.15 Calex Electronics 12.2.16 Detel 13 Appendix 13.1 Discussion Guide 13.2 Knowledge Store: The Subscription Portal 13.3 Available Customizations For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/olo5gh Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Vietnam will receive 4.8 to 8.2 million of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses AZD1222 for free, which are shared by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), a global initiative Vietnam has engaged, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday. COVAX, which aims at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, is led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others. The doses are said to arrive in Vietnam in batches from now to the second quarter of this year and will be given for free. The Ministry of Health has assigned the General Department of Preventive Medicine to draw a plan on using COVID-19 vaccince. According to Nguyen Minh Hang, deputy head of the department, the plan is expected to be finished this week. The first prioritized group to get the vaccination is medical staff members who are participating in combating the pandemic and treating COVID-19 patients, Nguyen said. Then, we will move to the next groups. In Vietnam, AZD1222 is used to vaccinate people aged 18 to 60. Earlier, Vietnam also ordered to buy 30 million of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine which are expected to arrive in Vietnam in batches within this quarter. The vaccination price has yet to be revealved. Besides the imported vaccine, four domestic manufacturers are currently researching and developing namde-in-Vietnam COVID-19 vaccine, of which two units are conducting human trial on volunteers. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Credit: Curtin University Curtin University researchers studying one of the oldest collections of ancient animal bones in the world have used DNA still present in the bones to identify 17 animal species, including two rodents previously not known to be in the collection. Lead researcher Dr. Frederik Seersholm, Ph.D. candidate from Curtin's Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory at the School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said the research involved ancient bones collected during cave excavations done in Brazil in the 1800s by Danish naturalist P.W. Lund, who was famous for his description of giant prehistoric animals such as the South American saber-toothed cat and giant sloths. "Lund decided to donate his entire fossil collection to the King of Denmark and in 1845 hundreds of wooden boxes of the bones were carried by mule from Lagoa Santa to the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and shipped to Copenhagen," Dr. Seersholm said. "Unfortunately for the collection, the king died in 1848 shortly after it arrived and the vast majority of the more than 100,000 ancient bone fragments were never formally describeduntil now." Dr. Seersholm said the analysis, done in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, demonstrated the potential for ancient DNA studies on P.W. Lund's famous bone collection. "In this study we show that even though the collection is old, and has had a very 'rough' life with long periods of terrible storage locations, DNA is still present in the bones," Dr. Seersholm said. "This finding has tremendous implications for future studies of the collection, which holds thousands of ancient bones still to be analysed. "By analysing 100 small bone fragments from P.W. Lund's collection with carefully optimised ancient DNA methods, we were able to genetically identify 17 species, representing 11 mammals, two birds, one fish, and three frogsand of these, two species of rodent that have never before been described in the collection." The researchers analysed samples of owl regurgitation excavated from caves by P.W. Lund in the 1840s and sequenced short DNA fragments to identify different species. The study was undertaken by an international team led by Professor Morten Allentoft, also from Curtin's TrEnD Lab at the School of Molecular and Life Sciences. Professor Allentoft said the findings could suggest that the negative effects of poor storage conditions are negligible compared with the long-term DNA degradation that bone specimens undergo in the environment before excavation. "So far, successful genetic research on the material collected by Lund has been limited to two samples of human skull bone, but with the identification of well-preserved DNA in even the smallest of bones from the collection, we now know that its potential for exciting ancient DNA research is much greater than anyone anticipated," Professor Allentoft said. "There is without doubt a great deal of information to be retrieved from the fragmented bones of P.W. Lund's collection, and it is likely that the collection holds important future discoveries of extinct South American species." The study, "Ancient DNA preserved in small bone fragments from the P.W. Lund collection," was published in journal Ecology and Evolution. Explore further Uncovering the lost world of New Zealand from fossil bone DNA More information: Frederik V. Seersholm et al. Ancient DNA preserved in small bone fragments from the P.W. Lund collection, Ecology and Evolution (2021). Journal information: Ecology and Evolution Frederik V. Seersholm et al. Ancient DNA preserved in small bone fragments from the P.W. Lund collection,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7162 Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Alongside improving your vision, a new smart contact lens design could monitor for conditions including diabetes, heart disease and stroke, a study has reported. Researchers from the UK, US and China developed the lens, which features a mesh sensor layer that can measure levels of light, temperature and even glucose in tears. The latter has use beyond monitoring for diabetes, the team said, with complications of stroke and heart disease closely related to disorders of blood glucose regulation. The design, the team have said, does not impair the wearer's vision or ability to blink, and could be adapted in future to facilitate retinal function tests as well. The lenses could even be given power modules and antennas, potentially allowing the lens to transmit data wireless to a computer for analysis. Alongside improving your vision, a new smart contact lens design could monitor for conditions including diabetes, heart disease and stroke, a study has reported (stock image) Researchers from the UK, US and China developed the lens (pictured left on an artificial eye), which features a mesh sensor layer (shown in yellow, right) that can measure levels of light, temperature and even glucose in tears in order to monitor for health complications 'The Covid-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the entire scientific community,' paper author and bioelectronics expert Yunlong Zhao of the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute told the Times. Many of us, he added, have been 'asking how our work could help those suffering from similar future medical emergencies.' 'We are confident that devices that utilise our sensor layer system could be used as a non-invasive way to help monitor and diagnose peoples health.' 'Our ultra-thin sensor layer is different from the conventional smart contact lenses,' paper author and engineer Shiqi Guo of Harvard University told the Times. These lens designs typically feature 'rigid or bulk sensors and circuit chips that are sandwiched between two contact lens layers and make contact with tear fluids via microfluidic sensing channels.' In the new lens design, however, the serpentine sensor mesh contacts tears directly comes with 'easy assembly, high-detection sensitivity, good biocompatibility and mechanical robustness,' Dr Guo added. 'Further, it doesnt interfere with either blinking or vision,' he said. The design, the team have said, does not impair the wearer's vision or ability to blink, and could be adapted in future to facilitate retinal function tests as well. Pictured: the serpentine mesh, depicted left, with the three different sensor modalities and, right, the full lens itself The lens is one of a number of efforts to develop a 'smart' contact lens whether to monitor blood glucose levels or coming in the form of a soft robot that can allow the wearer to zoom in by blinking. One design from California-based start up Mojo Vision, and sporting a UK-built processor features an tiny LED display that packs 300 pixels within half a square millimetre that can show content streamed to the wearer from their phone. 'We have to build something that shows you information that doesnt distract you, helps you, goes away when you dont need it and stays off when you dont want it,' Mojo head of product Steve Sinclair told the Times. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Matter. Police in riot gear have been a common sight in Yangon for the past two days, as tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against the military coup. With columns of peaceful protesters flooding the downtown streets, the heavy deployments of troopsaccompanied by police vans and water canon trucksnear the protest venues in downtown Yangon and Hledan near Yangon University are a grim reminder that a crackdown against the demonstrators could happen any time. So far, the authorities have refrained from reacting. But their batons could be wielded at once, with a phone call from the generals giving the go-ahead. You may also like these stories: Thousands Take to Streets of Myanmar to Protest Military Takeover Australian Adviser to Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Detained Myanmar Copper Miners Join Anti-Coup Strike Ugandan troops serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have donated COVID-19 personal protective equipment and sanitary items to an Internally Displaced Persons' (IDP) camp in Mogadishu to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the the founding of Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF). Known as 'Tarehe Sita,' it also commemorates the day when the National Resistance Army (NRA), led by Yoweri Museveni, launched an armed struggle to end misrule in Uganda. This year, the 40th 'Tarehe Sita' was celebrated under the theme, 'Celebrating UPDF at 40: Fruits of a fulfilled partnership of maintaining and consolidating people's security, stability and prosperity'. Joined by local leaders and residents from Hamar Jajab district of Mogadishu, the UPDF troops also cleaned Marine Market within the AMISOM Basecamp to encourage sanitation and hygiene especially as the world fights a pandemic. "Our contribution of PPEs to Internally Displaced People will help them to protect themselves while the world looks to finding a lasting solution to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to focus on our mandate and the mission in Somalia to ensuring security and stability in this part of the region," said the Deputy Commander of the AMISOM Ugandan contingent, Col. John Winston Mugarura. The Hamar Jajab District Commissioner, Mohamed Abdi Ahmed thanked AMISOM for the donation towards the fight against COVID-19 and praised the cordial relations between AMISOM troops and members of the community. "The items donated by the AMISOM Ugandan contingent will help the area residents, especially those living in the Towfiq IDP camp. They include liquid detergents , sanitizers, face masks, and others". Ministers are worried about upsetting the Chinese over genocide allegations in Xinjiang, a former Tory leader claimed, ahead of a crunch Commons vote on the issue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to avert a Tory revolt over the handling of genocide allegations by backing a compromise plan which would allow MPs to consider allegations of atrocities rather than the courts. But former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the compromise did not allow Parliament to do anything that MPs and peers could not already do, and claimed ministers were intent on blocking the courts from considering genocide claims. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has dismissed the compromise plan being backed by Boris Johnson (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Government has been involved in a parliamentary battle over proposals to outlaw trade deals with countries that are committing genocide a dispute taking place at a time when the Chinese authorities activities in Xinjiang are under intense international scrutiny. Ministers have insisted that decisions on trade deals and international relations should not be matters for the courts. But peers have refused to back down over amendments to the Trade Bill which would force ministers to withdraw from any free trade agreement with any country which the High Court rules is committing genocide, setting up a Commons clash on Tuesday. The Government will back a compromise plan put forward by Sir Bob Neill, chairman of the Commons Justice Select Committee, which would put the matter in the hands of parliamentarians rather than judges. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The Government shares the grave concerns about human rights abuses in Xinjiang behind Lord Altons amendment and understands the strength of feeling on this issue. However, that amendment could embroil the courts in the formulation of trade policy and conduct of international relations and risks undermining the separation of powers. The amendment put forward by the chair of the select committee, which the Government will be supporting, addresses the concerns raised by the parliamentarians to take a stand on credible reports of genocide by a prospective trade partner while ensuring a specific duty on government to act. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Sir Bobs amendment would mean a debate and vote could be held in Parliament following a select committee report on credible allegations of genocide. But Sir Iain told the PA news agency: Sadly this amendment doesnt do anything which cant already be achieved today. The Government has constantly stated that only a court can decide on genocide and call it genocide and yet they are blocking any access to the UK courts. He has put forward an alternative proposal which would allow parliamentarians to refer genocide cases to the courts. But he said ministers clearly are trying desperately to stop the courts ever coming in on this one because they dont want to upset the Chinese. The Foreign Office particularly doesnt want to do this because they are worried it will upset the Chinese, he added. The Governments majority was cut to just 11 as Sir Iain and more than 30 Tory colleagues rebelled when the issue was considered in the Commons in January. Tory backbenchers indicated the vote on Tuesday would be tight but the Government was in overdrive in an attempt to woo would-be rebels. Meanwhile, Downing Street stressed the need for academics to comply with laws on international exports, following reports that almost 200 experts are being investigated on suspicion of unwittingly helping the Chinese government build weapons of mass destruction. The Times reported they are suspected of violating strict export laws intended to prevent intellectual property in highly sensitive subjects being handed to hostile states. The Prime Ministers spokesman said: Exporters of military goods and those engaged in the transfer of military technology including universities and academics require a licence to export or transfer from the UK. Its obviously vitally important that universities and academics comply with relevant export control but I dont have anything further to add. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2021 -- According to a new market research report "eDiscovery Market by Component (Software (Processing, Review and Analysis, Identification, Preservation and Collection, and Production and Presentation) and Services), Deployment Type, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size expected to grow from USD 9.3 billion in 2020 to USD 12.9 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.6% during the forecast period. The key factors that are expected to drive the growth of the market are the focus on proactive governance with data analytics and the emergence of new content sources. Browse in-depth TOC on "eDiscovery Market" 253- Tables 54- Figures 241- Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=11881863 Services segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period The volume of data that needs to be analyzed is growing day-by-day due to the increasing number of sources that generate data. Services form an integral part of the eDiscovery and include managed services, support and maintenance, and training, consulting, and integration services. The majority of companies across the globe want to exert more control over their eDiscovery data and operations. But Organizations fail to do so due to the lack of resources to execute the required in-house operations in-house. The eDiscovery managed services offer support for data collection through data management and document review. eDiscovery managed services offer a business partnership that allows organizations to have the cost predictability and control they need and the security and required eDiscovery workflows. SMEs segment to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period SMEs have a low marketing budget and often lack the resources and capabilities for effective marketing orchestration. SMEs, with their limited budgets, try to scale up their businesses through cost-effective techniques to generate maximum RoI from their spending. One of the most widely impacted by COVID-19, Italy, came up with an emergency plan of USD 28 billion that could help them inch slowly toward normalcy. As businesses across sectors are finding it a challenge to stay up and running, it has been a particularly distressing time for SMEs, who gloomily stare at an uncertain future. IT and telecommunications vertical to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The IT and telecommunications vertical is experiencing increased data generation due to the advancements in technologies, such as 3G and 4G. The introduction of 5G technology in the near future is expected to generate a large volume of data. This vertical faces challenges in maintaining IP copyrights and data collection due to a broad customer base. It deals with cross-border data privacy and security challenges by regulators and anti-trust inquiries. Hence, companies in this vertical are exposed to more scrutiny as regulatory and consumer demands change. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=11881863 North America to account for the highest market share during the forecast period Companies in this region have adopted eDiscovery solutions to regulate cybersecurity and data breaches, handle cross-border jurisdiction differences and privacy issues, manage investigation matters and litigation, and maintain standards to meet all discovery obligations. North America is further segmented into the US and Canada. The US is expected to be the major revenue contributor to the eDiscovery market in North America. After the US, Canada is expected to present significant growth opportunities for eDiscovery solutions and service providers. The major players in the eDiscovery market are Microsoft (US), IBM (US), OpenText (Canada), Deloitte (US), Micro Focus (UK), ZyLAB (The Netherlands), Relativity (US), Nuix (Australia), Logikcull (US), KLDiscovery (US), Exterro (US), Thomson Reuters (Canada), Knovos (US), Casepoint (US), Nextpoint (US), DISCO (US), Veritas (US), One Discovery (US), Congruity360 (US), Onna (US), Everlaw (US), Texifter (US), Allegory (US), Evichat (Canada), and Reductech (UK). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of key players in the eDiscovery market with their company profiles, recent developments, COVID-19 developments, and key market strategies. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, and strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com MnM Blog: https://mnmblog.org Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/e-discovery.asp Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Facebook reportedly removed just recently a Facebook post that narrates a woman's story, on how she went from living under the Chinese Communist Party's tyrannical rule to living under freedom in America. According to ChinaAid, Williams Tang Williams' video entitled #WalkAway is her personal story that narrates her journey from growing up under the tyrannical rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Chengdu, Sichuan Province to living freely in New Hampshire. She started off the video by introducing herself and where she grew up from. Then she continued by saying "Living under communism is an absolute nightmare." Williams said that growing up, her family shared a common bathroom with 8 families and only had 1 water faucet. She also mentioned how the government under Mao Zedong would give them coupons to tell them how much they should only eat in a month. They are also not allowed to express themselves freely in terms of style when going to school. All girls had the same haricut and had no earrings. Further. a speaker would go off every 6 in the morning to remind them to go to school and work. "Kind of like a concentration camp" as described by Williams emphasizing the fact that their government controls everything they do. "We did not know what the world is like outside of China." It was in college when she finally found out the truth about their government. So she became rebellious and she met some foreign students including Americans who told her "about America, about the Declaration of Independence, the bills of rights, I've never heard of before in China, [about] special individual rights." She was immediately wowed and said she needs to go to this country and flee China someday. Williams also said that her dreams will not come true if she stays under Chinese tyranny, "When I become a law school faculty member, at the age of 21, I decided: this is not the country I want to spend my whole life in." She said she went to apply for a passport to leave China but was only granted permission after seven attempts. She added that she didn't have anyhing when she went to America. She started with nothing but she was very motivated to live her American dream of freedom. It took her 9-20 years to fully learn English and get rid of her "educational garbages from China" and then she said that she realized, "my entire life in China for 24 years were full of lies" She also recounted in a 2020 blog she wrote for The Free Date Project: "For as long as I can remember, we were totally controlled by the Communist Party of China (CPC), and its Chairman at the time, Mao Zedong. Like many, I was brainwashed in public school from a very early age to conform and obey, and oppressed throughout my youth for having my own opinions. "I remember being told things like: Chairman Mao was our supreme leader who loved us more than our parents, the CPC was the only Party for the poor and working class, and the Capitalists and dissidents must be eliminated. We chanted every day "Long live Chairman Mao, 10,000 years and another 10,000 years." Mao became a God to my generation. We had to worship him, obey him and the CCP. "I didn't know anything about liberty at the time.... At the time, I didn't really have a clear conception or understanding of what I was fighting for, or against. ..." she wrote. She then added that she has traveled around the country to "tell my story to as many people as I can. The story of what it really is like to grow up under the tyranny of socialism and communism. My hope is to help educate youth about the importance of freedom and the fight to preserve it." Williams aims to encourage everyone to not only value freedom but fight to protect this precious gift. She told her story so that the country she now loves does not become the country she left. Watch her #WalkAway video below: Shrugging off the disruptions of the year gone by, businesses and agencies are looking for a strong revival in 2021. Over the next few weeks, Adgully as part of its annual TRENDING NOW endeavour will be presenting the strategies and views of a cross-section of industry leaders as they go about reclaiming lost time and market opportunities and build for a stronger future, armed with the lessons of 2020. Abhishek Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, sees a significant recuperation in sentiment, especially in the aftermath of Budget FY22. Purpose marketing, consumer activism, and TV returning to the fore in terms of ad spends are some of the key trends that Gupta sees in 2021. Outlook for 2021 There is an overhang of uncertainty from 2020, but there has been a significant recuperation in sentiment, especially in the aftermath of Budget FY22. There are some clear trends that have been emerging since the end of 2020 and I see these dominating the calendar year 2021: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant change in customer behaviour. There is a higher resonance with brands that act as responsible corporate citizens and stand for a cause. So, purpose marketing will become a noteworthy part of brand strategy going forward. With Budgets being rationalised across the board, TV as a media had to take a backseat. Digital has emerged on top in the last year as Internet usage and content consumption increased. However, with the onset of the new financial year in April, we will see TV returning to the fore. In fact, I would expect some bit of spends happening on TV in this quarter too, considering this a business critical period, especially for financial services companies. Consumer activism has become very prominent since the last year, with social media being used as the tool for creating noise around a subject. Be it the recent Myntra logo controversy or the Tanishq fiasco last year, there is a clear tilt in the way consumers are dictating how brands project themselves. It will be interesting to see how different brands tackle or respond to instances of consumer activism as it is not an easy line to toe. Great expectations The year 2020 was definitely one of a kind, and while it has had an adverse impact on businesses, it has transformed perception towards insurance. People have realised the criticality of financial protection and the true purpose behind insurance. While it has traditionally been a push product in India, we will gradually see it becoming a pull product. This shift in customer behaviour will also dictate the industry narrative. Last year, the industry took a decisive step towards building the insurance category with the campaign Sabse Pehele Life Insurance. Category building has traditionally been limited to bigger market players, but we will see small to mid-sized companies also making foray into this space. With insurance becoming a key purchase area for masses, we will also see significant increase in marketing efforts by companies and a proportionate increase in spends in the medium term. Key learnings from 2020 I have primarily two takeaways from 2020: Handsome hunk Ruslaan Mumtaz is all set to feature in Indo-African film Namaste Wahala, which is scheduled to release on February 14, 2021 (Valentine's Day) on Netflix. The film is an interracial romance in which, an Indian boy falls in love with an African girl, played by Nigerian actress Ini Dima-Okojie. Recently, in an exclusive chat with Filmibeat, Ruslaan Mumtaz revealed the reason behind making Namaste Wahala (Hello Trouble). Ruslaan said, "This film was offered to me last year. The makers had said that this is an African film which is to be shot and released in Africa. The makers made this movie because they think that Indian and African culture is very similar. Apart from that, Bollywood is a big thing in Africa. So, everybody knows about Bollywood. Hence, they wanted to make this movie which will have elements of Bollywood." While elaborating more about the same, the MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar actor added, "The film has a lot of songs as well as lip-sync tracks in it. They wanted this kind of a Bollywood feel. And that is how, this concept came out. When I did Namaste Wahala, I had no idea that one day it will become a Netflix original. I just went and shot for it." Sharing a story about his casting in Namaste Wahala, Ruslaan Mumtaz said, "They wanted a Bollywood actor. The makers knew actors like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and other big stars. The director saw my pictures and she said that this guy looks like a Bollywood actor and said I want this boy. This is how I came on board." Also Read : EXCLUSIVE: Ruslaan Mumtaz On Son Rayaan Celebrating His First Diwali: It's Fun And Exciting Namaste Wahala is directed by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja and it also stars Richard Mofe-Damijo, Joke Silva, Sujata Sehgal and others in pivotal roles. The trailer is already out on the internet and it is getting a positive response from the masses. Also Read : Ruslaan Mumtaz On Birth Of Son Amid The Nationwide Lockdown: I Was Extremely Worried VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomd Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Zoomd Ltd. (collectively, "Zoomd" or the "Company"), the marketing tech (MarTech) user-acquisition and engagement platform, announces that it has retained A-Labs Advisory & Finance Ltd. ("A-Labs") to lead an investor relations and shareholder communication program. A-Labs has been one of the industry's noticeable brands in managing capital markets strategies, investment banking and investor relations, having created a uniquely diverse network of institutional investors, family offices and retail investor groups. A-Labs has built a reputation of best practices in all aspects of corporate governance and shareholder communications alongside a strong delivery of company messaging and management of market expectations. Doron Cohen, Managing Partner and CEO of A-Labs, stated that: "We believe Zoomd is one of those stories that need to be presented for better discovery by savvy investors. A uniquely positioned MarTech company with clear value proposition, blue-chip clientele and a strong news-flow potential must be more visible on the investment community radar. We are here to work with management and help communicate their story and unique potential globally." Amit Bohensky, Chairman and Co-Founder of Zoomd, commented: "We have been working closely with the A-Labs team on our TSXv listing and they are intimately familiar with our company and story which makes them unique candidates to communicate our potential to investors in Canada and the U.S. We look forward to working with the team to get our story out there and drive increased following by quality investors." About Zoomd Zoomd (TSXV: ZOMD) (OTC: ZMDTF), founded in 2012 and began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in September 2019, offers a site search engine to publishers, and a mobile app user-acquisition platform, integrated with a majority of global digital media, to advertisers. The platform unifies more than 600 media sources into one unified dashboard. Offering advertisers, a user acquisition control center for managing all new customer acquisition campaigns using a single platform. By unifying all these media sources onto a single platform, Zoomd saves advertisers significant resources that would otherwise be spent consolidating data sources, thereby maximizing data collection and data insights while minimizing the resources spent on the exercise. Further, Zoomd is a performance-based platform that allows advertisers to advertise to the relevant target audiences using a key performance indicator-algorithm that is focused on achieving the advertisers' goals and targets. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1039696/Zoomd_Logo.jpg For further information please contact: Amit Bohensky Chairman Zoomd [email protected] Investor Relations: Lytham Partners, LLC Ben Shamsian New York | Phoenix [email protected] SOURCE Zoomd Technologies Ltd. Related Links https://zoomd.com He was an important figure in laying the groundwork for the anti-Blackness that fueled the anti-abolitionist movement, that fueled the backlash against Reconstruction, that fueled the Jim Crow era, Mehta said. He played a pivotal role in providing pseudoscientific justification for a lot of the racism we see and experience today. He wielded power as a scientist, and he used that to provide cover and justification for white supremacy. That they put his name on a school, an institution of education, is all the more reason for us to interrogate his history. And its all the more reason for us to take the name off the school. Geologist and engineer Little, who brings over 35 years of 'know-how' to the table, was the founder of Orezone Resources Inc Having been a company with producing operations in Nevada and Mexico, GORO recently spun out its Nevada unit into a separate public company and is now focused solely on Mexico (NYSEAMERICAN:GORO) (FRA:GIH) has further bolstered its Mexico mining aims by adding experienced resource executive Ron Little as a board director. Geologist and engineer Little brings over 35 years of 'know-how' to the table and was the founder of Orezone Resources Inc, which was sold to IAMGOLD in 2008, creating , of which Little was president and CEO until 2017. "Little's background as an engineer, combined with the backgrounds of Ms Lila A. Manassa Murphy, Mr Joseph Driscoll and Mr. Allen Palmiere, the new board members added to Gold Resource Corporation's board of directors in late December, position the company to optimize its strategy of reinvesting in its Oaxaca, Mexico asset," GORO said in a statement on Monday. "Their collective expertise will assist in the development of the company's objectives of best-in-class governance and operational excellence." Gold Resource Corp underwent a shift in focus recently. Having been a company with producing operations in Nevada and Mexico, it spun out its Nevada unit into a separate public company and is now focused solely on Mexico. Allen Palmiere is its new chief executive. Last week, there was positive news from its flagship Mexico asset, when it reported drilling hit further mineralization above areas which are currently being exploited at its Aguila project. Underground drilling at the Don David mine, in the footwall development ramp of the mine's Switchback vein system, and to the northeast of the Arista vein system, saw 12 holes confirming the northern strike and up-dip extensions of the mineralized system. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 276 new coronavirus infections in the capital on Monday. The daily tally dropped below 300 for the first time since December 7. A total of 104,121 people have tested positive for the virus in Tokyo since the pandemic began. One hundred and four people are currently in serious condition. Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar on February 8, 2021. (Image: AP Photo) People marched through Monywa, in the heart of Myanmar, and Mawlamyine, on the eastern coast, demanding an end to military rule. They refused to disperse in the casino town of Myawaddy, even when the police fired warning shots. In Sagaing Division, in the foothills of the Himalayas, a man from the Naga ethnic group wearing a fur hat garnished with hornbill feathers and boar tusks raised his arm in a defiant salute. And in Yangon, the largest city in the country, columns of red-clad protesters surged toward Sule Pagoda from as far as the eye could see. Nearly a week after the countrys generals staged a coup, detaining civilian leaders and catapulting Myanmar back to army rule, people are speaking up. By the hundreds of thousands on the weekend, they marched in cities and towns across the country. They carried red balloons and ribbons as well as the crimson flag, emblazoned with a white star and golden fighting peacock, of the ousted National League for Democracy party. And they chanted in unison for the freedom, once again, of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader who spent 15 years under house arrest during the militarys nearly 50-year grip on power. For five years, Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy had led a civilian government that had received two decisive mandates from the electorate, even as the military retained much authority. The army coup Feb. 1 ended any illusion of power sharing. In the past, the military has met rallies like these with guns, shooting Buddhist monks and student protesters alike. Its response already includes dozens of arrests and telecommunications outages that evoked the days of isolation under junta rule. But the memory of army massacres of pro-democracy protesters as recently as 2007 did not stop marchers from pouring onto the streets over the weekend. I dont care if they shoot because under the military, our lives will be dead anyway, said Ko Nyi Zaw, who joined a rally Sunday. Before we die completely, we have to protest. Even in Naypyitaw, the capital that was purpose-built by the generals early this century, hundreds of motorcycles rolled across normally empty avenues, streaming National League for Democracy flags. In the refugee camps in Bangladesh, where about 1 million Rohingya Muslims who fled army pogroms in Myanmar now shelter, people joined the call for a restoration of civilian government, even if Aung San Suu Kyi defended the military against accusations of genocide from international prosecutors. They killed Rohingya, they tortured us, and we havent forgotten those brutal days, said Abdur Rahim, who escaped from Myanmar and now lives in the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh, the largest single refugee settlement in the world. We express solidarity with those who are protesting against the military government in Myanmar. The internet was severed in Myanmar on Saturday, just like during the coup, but was restored a day later. No one knew, though, when another outage might cut off the country again. In the hours when they could, protesters posted live videos on Facebook. Tens of millions of people offered their support online, a stream of hearts and likes for each citys display of defiance. On Saturday night, what sounded for a moment like gunfire crackled through the air in Yangon and the city of Mandalay, but the noise turned out to be firecrackers. A rumor, emanating first from text messages among soldiers, radiated out into the population: Aung San Suu Kyi had been freed. People lit firecrackers in delight and sang protest anthems. But the rumor was just that, and perhaps even disinformation. On Sunday, some of the protesters said they thought the military had spread the false rumor about Aung San Suu Kyis release in order to stop people from coming out. They said the possibility of such psychological warfare, during an internet blackout, had angered them. The military is spreading fake news about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said Ma Maw Maw Tun, who marched Sunday. I dont accept that, and we will protest until the military dictatorship is gone and the civilian government returns. Over the weekend, the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar said on Twitter that it supported the right of the people of Myanmar to protest in support of the democratically elected government and their right to freely access information. We repeat our calls for the military to relinquish power, restore the democratically elected government, release those detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence, a second tweet said. In Yangon, the street protests Sunday felt like a giant party, a release from the stress of a military putsch and also a moment to ignore the coronavirus pandemic through the first mass gathering in months. But the specter of the military still loomed. Medics stood on guard, awaiting what they feared was to come. People monitored movements from military bases in case soldiers were seen heading toward the protests. Demonstrators placed food, water and red roses in front of police officers in riot gear as a peace offering. Some knelt in obeisance. Officials from the National League for Democracy said that as a party they did not want people on the streets. Instead, they urged a campaign of civil disobedience, which has been growing with each day, too. U Aung Kyaw Thu, a party veteran who survived the militarys bloody crackdown in 1988, said memories of that massacre still loomed. I want people to stay at home because if people cannot restrain their emotions, then the tensions will get bigger and there will be more casualties, he said. They will shoot when they want, and I am afraid for the people. By Hannah Beech c.2021 The New York Times Company A new public health declaration went into effect on Superbowl Sunday in Iowa, lifting all statewide mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings, including at bars and restaurants. On Friday, Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds gave a press conference that did not explain the reasoning behind easing the states restrictions. The order comes exactly one week before Iowas public K-12 schools will be forced to offer 100 percent in-person learning. Since March there have been more than 324,000 confirmed cases and over 5,100 deaths from COVID-19 in the state. While daily infections and deaths have declined from their peak in mid-November 2020, a seven-day average of 743 Iowans are confirmed COVID-19 positive and 30 are dying every day. Iowas mask mandates and regulations were only ever partial. At their most stringent, as of December 2020, face coverings were required only when around people for 15 minutes and where social distancing was not possible, indoor gatherings were limited to no more than 15 people and outdoor gatherings were limited to 30. In this Aug. 14, 2020, file photo, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks during a news conference, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) Large cities like Des Moines and Iowa City have, so far, maintained their public gathering restrictions and mask mandates, but infections rates will climb as community spread increases due to the malicious negligence of the ruling class with the homicidal campaign to reopen schools and the economy. Reynolds, a shameless Trump apologist, has recklessly pursued herd immunity in Iowa, resulting in one of the highest death rates in the country of 1,619 deaths per million in population. The state ranks 47th in vaccine distribution, with roughly 7 percent of Iowans having received the first of two vaccine injections. Iowa will see thousands more needless deaths as a result of well-documented increases in community spread via public school openings. The pandemics impact is expected to be compounded by the UK COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 strain which was discovered last week in Johnson and Bremer counties. The UK variant is much more contagious and may be more deadly; it is expected to be dominant variant in the US by March. According to a new law passed by the state legislature last month, on February 15 Iowa K-12 schools must begin to hold in-person classes for all students who choose to attend classes in person. Although Iowa educators were slated to receive the vaccine starting February 1, Iowas abysmal vaccine distribution and availability ensures that most educators will be forced into schools without any inoculation. Many school districts, in order to comply with the law, are offering students either 100 percent in-person learning or 100 percent online learning, removing hybrid learning options that allowed for some social distancing. The ruling class in Iowa is using the pandemic as an opportunity to loot the public education system and transfer public funds to for-profit charter schools as well. Under the guise of addressing public schools that are failingdue, in part, to the immense strain of the pandemicthe state legislature also passed a bill creating Student First Scholarships that enable students in underperforming public schools that receive federal assistance to transfer to private and charter schools and bring public funding with them. In effect, this legislation establishes publicly-funded scholarships for private school tuition and expands Iowas charter school program, while defunding schools in poor and working-class areas. Educators and all workers across the United States should see Iowas homicidal push to force teachers and students back into classrooms, with little to no vaccinations and no public health regulations, as a warning. The push to open up schools is the beginning of the push to open up the entire economy and return parents back to similarly deadly workplace conditions. Though vaccines are now being distributed, the ruling class is seeking to maximize its profits and force the economy to reopen, no matter the death toll. As Chicago teachers fight against the Chicago Public School system and the Chicago Teachers Unions deadly push for a safe return to schools, educators around the country must look to entire the working class, and organize rank-an-file safety committees to prepare for a general strike to shut down schools and non-essential businesses with full compensation for workers and small businesses to end the pandemic. Nairobi Two Marsabit County officials are among four suspects arrested by police officers drawn from the Border Patrol for supplying arms, ammunition, and ration to warring factions in the strife-torn Turbi - Sololo border. The four were on board a county government vehicle and are said to have been supplying bandits with the arms in thickets of Funa Qumbi. Detectives said they have since established that the county government vehicle was under the control of Sololo Member of County Assembly Halkano Konsa. "Meanwhile, the suspects will be presented before court on Monday February 8th, while the riffle will be subjected to ballistic examination by our ballistic experts and adduced as an exhibit in court during trial," the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said. The County legislator is being pursued by police, after he went into hiding. One of the County employees was found in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle, with 10 rounds ammunition, police said. The area has lately experienced clashes between warring communities, and while it was initially linked to war over resources, authorities says it is politically motivated. Authorities are set to kick off a major disarmament operation in the troubled Northern Kenya region, with special focus on Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa and Wajir Counties. "The Inspector General of Police (Hillary Mutyambai) is already working on the logistics ahead of that operation," said Fred Matiangi, Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary on January 19. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He was speaking after meeting leaders from the counties. He said the government will also undertake an audit of the National Police Reserves in the area following a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The audit is set to inform how and where more security resources and personnel should be added so as to restore calm in the volatile region. Matiangi said some of the violence is instigated by politicians ahead of 2022 elections. "It is the nature of our country, when we are moving towards an election cycle, you see an escalation of inter-communal tension," Matiangi said, while promising to crackdown on leaders inciting inter-clan violence. We have to be very sincere, that some of these violence has a relationship to a political activity, intention or expressions," the CS said. He also directed area chiefs to strictly serve within their administrative units assigned to them, saying those overstepping jurisdictional boundaries will be fired. Ukraine has agreed to buy the drug only from the world's leading manufacturers who had had their vaccines approved internationally. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will not be buying Sputnik V, a Russian-produced vaccine for COVID-19, stating that "Ukrainians are no rabbits" and so the government has no right to stage experiments on them. He made the comment at the All-Ukrainian Forum, titled "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses," as reported by an UNIAN correspondent on February 8. "There is no official information from WHO and leading European and world experts that the Russian-made Sputnik V is a solid vaccine with the efficacy at 90%-91%," he said. "I believe that Ukrainian citizens are human beings and, I beg your pardon for such a comparison, they're definitely no rabbits. We have no right to stage experiments on them. Therefore, we have agreed only with those leading vaccine manufacturers that are globally approved, whose products are already yielding really serious positive results worldwide," he added. 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. Read alsoZelensky says vaccinated citizens to enjoy restrictions liftMoscow 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%. Earlier, Zelensky said Ukraine did not buy the Russian-made vaccine against COVID-19 as no one could guarantee the quality of that vaccine. Reporting by UNIAN Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Three men, including the CEO of an e-commerce site, were booked on Sunday for allegedly putting up for sale online of rocks taken from the Govardhan Hill here, police said. Govardhan Hill in Mathura is considered a sacred site for Hindus as it is the setting for many legends relating to the life of Lord Krishna who is believed to be embodied in the earth of the hill. Stern action would be taken against the company, its CEO, and the supplier for inciting religious feelings by misusing the facility of information technology, SP (Rural) Shirish Chandra said. He said an FIR has been filed under Section 265 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act against founder-CEO Dinesh Agarwal, co-founder Brajesh Agrawal and Mathura-based supplier Ankur Agrawal. The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Mathura-based social worker Keshav Mukhia at Govardhan police station, the SP said. Ten more complaints on the issue filed at the same station have been clubbed for a single probe, officials said. According to the police, the website claimed that the rocks were "natural" and quoted its price as Rs 5,175 per piece. Hundreds of people demonstrated in front of Govardhan police station against attempts by the company to "trade the deity". Siya Ram Baba, a saint from Mathura, condemned the act by the company saying, "Govardhan is Krishna himself. Anybody entering into a trade involving Govardhan would be inviting the wrath of the deity." Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Brahmin Mahasabha has decided to meet the Mathura DM on Monday for strict action against the company and the supplier. (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.) Rest? Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said that to build a successful company, startup founders shouldn't take weekends or vacations while building their businesses. "For my particular way of being, it is true that I did not believe in weekends and vacations," said Bill Gates at a Village Global conference a couple of years ago he spoke about his way of working when he was in his twenties. He also indicated that the sacrifice that an entrepreneur makes during his first years is very great, but that leads to success . "I have a very ingrained position that there should be a very big sacrifice during those first years," said the second richest man in the world, according to data from Bloomberg, with an estimated fortune of 106.7 billion dollars. The Microsoft co-founder noted that people can get over the worship and mythologize the idea of working extremely hard, but more importantly, he doesn't recommend it for everyone. Gates is the second richest person in the world and is currently worth around $ 107 billion. He co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and owns 1% of the current business. In the same interview with Eventbrite's Hartz , Gates revealed his biggest mistake: Not setting up Android. He said the failure to launch a competitor to Apple's iOS operating system was a $ 400 billion error. However, it is not the first business giant to think the same. The founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and China's richest man, Jack Ma , was criticized for supporting the Chinese labor practice known as '996': working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week. While Elon Musk has said that he works 120 hours a week for Tesla to achieve his goals, regardless of whether it prevents him from seeing his children, taking vacations or sleeping. Related: 8 Habits of Productive, Happy and Energetic People How to stop feeling unhappy about the success of others What Should You Do When Team Members Are Not Doing Their Best? Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved 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. Diplomatic immunity does not extend to terrorism, and that is very bad news for Iran's embassies. [Update: David Keasey makes the important point that Assadollah Assadi was diplomatically accredited to Germany, but not to France. Hence, his criminal activities in and against Freance were not covered by diplomatic immunity.] On February 4, 2021, a court in Antwerp, Belgium delivered a guilty verdict with 20 years of imprisonment in the case of Assadollah Assadi, a career Iranian diplomat who plotted a bombing attack against a major gathering of Iranian opposition members in France. The attack was thwarted by authorities across multiple countries, resulting in Assadi's arrest, along with his co-conspirators. Assadollah Assadi (YouTube screen grab). The case's details highlighted the Iranian regime's terror-based foreign policy and how its policies threaten global peace and The case's details highlighted the Iranian regime's terror-based foreign policy and how its policies threaten global peace and security. First, Assadi was the third counsel at the Iranian regime's embassy in Vienna, but historically, he has ties with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. According to documents obtained by German police, Assadi had made hundreds of trips to eleven European countries and had paperwork documenting cash payments made to dozens of Iranian operatives. "The trial of Assadollah Assadi is the tip of a massive terrorist iceberg," said Struan Stevenson, a former European Parliament member. "As a diplomat, you can't make hundreds of visits to different countries without permission from your ambassador. And the ambassador takes his command from Tehran. There's no doubt that this plot was ordered by Khamenei, Rouhani, Zarif, and Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi." The Iranian regime has attempted to shrug off responsibility for the bombing plot, calling it a rogue operation and a false flag operation. According to information obtained by the European authorities and the Iranian Resistance, the attack was planned and ordered from Tehran's highest levels of power. "We know that the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the regime President Hassan Rouhani, and the always-smiling Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, all three knew about the attack, all three agreed to the attack, and all three ordered it. If you reflect on this, you can imagine the scope of this attack," said Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former vice president of the European Parliament. During an online conference held in October, Cristophe Marchand, a lawyer specializing in international criminal law, stated, "[Assadi] claims to have diplomatic immunity. But if he does so, then he also accepts responsibility by the regime for this horrible act." Much of this activity throughout Europe is based around the regime's need to suppress any attempts to create a pro-democratic government in Iran. The regime has a long history of targeting and assassinating Iranian dissidents abroad. In this case, if the bombing had succeeded, then the victims would have included dozens of politicians and prominent figures from different countries who had attended the event. "I was sitting very close to Madam [Maryam] Rajavi. First-rank political figures were sitting in a space of a few meters around her. You can imagine the consequences if such an attack succeeded. The attack could have caused hundreds of deaths. The consequences would have been catastrophic," said Vidal-Quadras. The targeted conference was attended by thousands of Iranian dissidents and supporters, including the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). According to confessions from Assadi's accomplices, they had been instructed to plant the bomb as close as possible to Rajavi's location. Assadi also told Belgian authorities that his case was being watched by undisclosed groups in Iran and that there would be consequences if he was found guilty. This attempt is not the first one where the regime targeted the Iranian resistance. In March 2018, there was another Iranian bombing plot planned for the Persian New Year in Albania. That event was also attended by politicians and international supporters of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a member of the NCRI. This thwarted bombing was also traced back to the regime's embassy in Tirana. The Albanian government eventually expelled the Iranian ambassador and another diplomat for their roles in undermining the security of Albania. These are just two examples from decades of the regime using its embassies and diplomats as a cover for its activities. In tandem, the regime has engaged in its old tactic of arresting foreign nationals in Iran and using them as bargaining chips in its negotiations with the West. Just a few days before Assadi's trial began in November 2020, the regime announced that it would be executing jailed Iranian-Swedish doctor Ahmad-Reza Djalali, as part of its bid to put pressure on the European authorities. This tactic shows that the target and potential victims of Tehran's terrorism are not just Iranian political refugees, but also all European citizens. Throughout the past few decades, the appeasement policies of Europe and the international community have enabled Tehran to expand its terrorist tentacles throughout the continent. These cases show the failure of a policy that centers on containing Tehran's malign behavior through continuous concessions and letting the regime get away with crimes and violations of international norms and values. While the Belgian court will pass its verdict shortly, this case should be viewed within the broader picture of international policy toward Iran. It should serve as a wake-up call, particularly for European leaders who have straddled the fence. This is not an isolated case or the end of the story. A terror machine is threatening the security of all European citizens. The only way to stop this Iranian terror machine is when Europe acts in a concerted manner to shut down the regime's embassies, cultural centers, and front organizations involved in these activities. All diplomats and agents of the regime found involved in spying and terror plots are a threat to global security. As such, they need to be expelled from European countries. If they are posing as political refugees, they must be stripped of their legal status and expelled back to Iran. A firm policy, both from Europe and Unite State as a whole, will bring the Iranian regime's terrorism apparatus to heel. If anything less is attempted, then Tehran will exploit those cracks and continue to bring terror, fear, and death into the Middle East, Europe, and the larger global community. 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. Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo has assured president-elect Museveni that the poll petition filed by his rival Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, who is seeking to annul his January 14 victory, will be handled with "utmost fairness" starting this week. The head of the Judiciary went on to lament before Mr Museveni of how the said poll petition will be heard in a tent due to lack of a spacious courtroom to observe social distancing as a measure to minimise the spread of Covid-19 disease. "There is a presidential petition that has been filed and a number of people have been taken to court. I know we will selflessly and with utmost fairness handle this petition," Justice Owiny-Dollo briefed Mr Museveni. He added: "One thing you [President] need to know, the courtroom for the Supreme Court is fabricated because it was not a normal courtroom. It will not be possible to sit nine justices while following social distancing. So the Supreme Court of Uganda beginning next week for the next 45 days or there about, will sit in a tent to determine a grievance and bring to closure the issue of presidential petition... . in a tent." This newspaper understands that the said tent will be erected at one of the hotel premises in Kampala from where the hearing will be conducted. The Chief Justice was speaking during the opening of the new law year at High Court premises in Kampala on Friday, where the judicial officers take stock of the previous year and make projections for the new law year. Justice Owiny-Dollo, who is going to lead a panel of nine justices to determine the election petition, did not give more details of the case. The practice in the Judiciary does not allow discussing a case that is before court as this can bias a judicial officer handling it, legally termed as prejudicial. Likewise, Mr Museveni remained mute about the petition challenging his re-election but agreed with the Chief Justice that there is need to construct the Judiciary headquarters, which he said is symbolic. Also at the same function, Justice Owiny-Dollo listed a number of challenges that the institution he is heading faces. He revealed that the Judiciary is operating with only 47 per cent staff, and tasked President Museveni to cause the appointment of more judicial staff at all levels. "The entire Judiciary has a paltry total number of 377 judicial officers serving a population projected at 45 million people," Justice Owiny-Dollo lamented before the President. "With such glaring manpower gaps, there is no way the people can receive the justice they are entitled to," he added. President Museveni agreed with Justice Owiny-Dollo about the dire need to recruit more judicial officers before promising to hire an extra 2000 magistrates to address the staffing gaps. "The proposal by his lordship to have a Chief Magistrate per district, I totally agree, I don't see why not if we have all these Gomboola [sub-county] chiefs, why not have enough judicial officers deployed in the country? We can pay 2,000 magistrates, we can plan for that. 2,000 is not too many," Mr Museveni said amid applause from the judicial officers in attendance. The Chief Justice also compared the Judiciary with its sister arm of government, the Parliament, saying its budget is three times bigger. Background The petition On Monday last week, Mr Kyagulanyi through his lawyers, lodged a presidential election petition challenging Mr Museveni's victory. Core to his 26 grounds that he listed to annul Mr Museveni's victory, Mr Kyagulanyi contends that the Electoral Commission (EC) conducted the January 14 election not in accordance with the law and that this greatly affected the final results. The leader of Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party now wants Mr Museveni's win annulled and the EC to hold fresh elections. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. On January 28, the EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, released the final presidential results, indicating that Mr Museveni won the polls with more than six million votes (58 per cent), while Mr Kyagulanyi came in the second position with 3.6 million votes (35 per cent). In total, there were 11 presidential candidates. "By way of comparison, the legislature has 426 members, now increased to 520 members in the next Parliament. Added to this are the district and other lower local government councils. Therefore, the legislature has thousands of members to perform its constitutional mandate. This contrasts very sadly with the 379 judicial officers to carry out equally important and extremely demanding tasks the Judiciary is mandated to do," he further said. He, however, informed the judges about other competing priorities like the defence, education, roads and health, saying Uganda is a former failed State that is just being rebuilt and they should work with the resources that they have for now. Mumbai, Feb 8 : Filmmaker and popular casting director Mukesh Chhabra on Monday shared a major throwback from his younger days, where he is seen sporting a haircut that harks back to actor Rahul Roy's style in the 1990 superhit, Aashiqui. The Dil Bechara director posted the picture on his Instagram account and captioned it as: "School days Rahul roy hangover ?? #anu and Aanchal ?? @anudara @amananchalsharma." He is seen in the throwback image with old friends Anu Dara and Aanchal Sharma. The picture invited fun comments, including from filmmaker Farah Khan Kunder, who wrote: "Kaha Hai Tu (Where are you)?" Mukesh's directorial Dil Bechara was late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's final release last year. The film, released digitally amid lockdown, is a remake of the Hollywood film The Fault In Our Stars, inspired by John Green's bestseller of the same name. Sushant passed away before the film released. Dil Bechara also stars Sanjana Sanghi. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery China blocked the social-media app Clubhouse on Monday after a week in which users conversed on topics typically censored in Chinese media, including the treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang Province and the status of Taiwan. Clubhouse, a Silicon Valley startup created in 2020, facilitates audio discussions between users and can only be joined with an invitation from another user. The app has gained popularity in elite social circles in the U.S., but Chinese users began joining en masse after Elon Musk appeared on the app in January. Musk has an impassioned base of followers in China. However, some of the chatrooms that opened held conversations on topics that are generally censored in China. Some conversations occurred between ethnic Han Chinese and Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the latter of which confirmed reports of concentration camps run by the government in the province. Taiwanese citizens also spoke with Chinese residents on the status of the island, whose independence is denied by China. Clubhouse is exactly what Chinese censors dont want to see in online communicationa massive, freewheeling conversation in which people are talking openly, Xiao Qiang, founder of the China Digital Times, told The New York Times on Monday. Its also a reminder that when there is an opportunity, many Chinese have a desperate need to talk to each other and to hear different view points. Clubhouse also offered a rare outlet to express dissent toward the Chinese government. For example, a group of users created a chat group for a silent memorial to Li Wenliang, The Wall Street Journal reported. Li, an ophthalmologist and resident of Wuhan, was one of the first medical professionals to warn of the coronavirus outbreak. Li himself died of coronavirus on February 6, 2020, and Clubhouse users set up the memorial chat on Saturday to mark the anniversary of his death. China maintains an internet Great Firewall to prevent widespread usage of foreign media, although Chinese citizens often connect to foreign sites with VPNs. American companies Google, Facebook, and Twitter are all banned in China. More from National Review Former Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah says Ghanaians should not deliberately flout COVID-19 safety protocols as the country readies to receive 19.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at the end of June. He said on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie that adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols is the best way to fight the spread of the virus. According to him, COVID-19 vaccine cannot not guarantee ones safety after insisting that we must all protect ourselves. Vaccine is not 100% protective; you take more than two doses and yet it will not work, he said. Listen to full interview below Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New Delhi, Feb 8 : Continuing its streak of low numbers of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 11,831 new infections in the last 24 hours even as its overall tally mounted to 1,08,38,194, health officials said on Monday. For over a week, the daily new infections have been below 15,000 while the deaths have been below 200-mark for more than a month now. On January 19, India had reported 10,064 new cases, the lowest this year. Last year, the lowest 9,633 cases were recorded on June 3. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that there were 84 more Covid-19 fatalities, taking the overall death toll to 1,55,080 As per the ministry's data, there are 1,48,609 active cases as of now after 11,904 patients were discharged in a day. Till now, 1,05,34,505 persons have been discharged. The recovery rate has increased to 97.2 per cent, while the fatality rate is down to 1.43 per cent. A total of 20,19,00,614 samples have been tested for Covid-19 up to February 7. Of these, 5,32,236 samples were tested on Sunday, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Nearly six million (58,12,362) doses of corona vaccine doses have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16 after approval for 'Covishield' and 'Covaxin'. As per the Health Ministry, India ranks 3rd globally in terms of the vaccine doses administered in the country, even though many countries had launched their vaccination campaigns before India. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Workforce House Dems look to expand TSA screeners' workplace protections A group of senior House Democrats reintroduced a bill on Friday to give frontline airport screeners at the Transportation Security Administration the full range of protections afforded to other feds, including collective bargaining rights, whistleblower rights and the ability to appeal adverse actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board. This isn't the first time House Democrats have tried to move the TSA workforce into Title 5 status. A bill to accomplish the move was introduced last year. The original law that established the TSA after the attacks on September 11, 2001 gave the TSA administrator wide powers over its personnel management system. The new Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act of 2021 would take away those broader authorities and order the Secretary of Homeland Security to convert TSA personnel to Title 5 of the U.S. Code after abolishing the TSA personnel policies. "It is long past time that we provide this critical workforce the pay, protections and respect they deserve," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. "Despite their zero-fail mission, [transportation security officers] are among the lowest paid federal employees and are denied the workforce rights available to other federal employees. This is simply unacceptable." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Appropriations Committee chairwoman; Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) Oversight and Reform chairwoman; Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman; Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee chairwoman; and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee chairwoman also joined in re-introducing the bill. Many of these lawmakers cited the work of TSA employees in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Since its onset, over 6,400 TSA employees have contracted the virus, and 15 have died as a result, according to data released by the agency. Lawmakers behind the bill also pointed to low morale in the agency and dissatisfaction with low pay rates that lag behind other feds. TSA pay satisfaction was at 30 points in 2019, according to the OPM's annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The new bill would give TSA workers the rights and protections other feds get as Title 5 employees, including access to third party dispute resolution, pay under the General Services wage system and full collective bargaining rights. In 2011, the agency's administrator allowed airport screeners to unionize. The American Federation of Government Employees represents TSA employees. However, those rights are still limited compared to Title 5 feds. "Under current rules, they are not afforded the same rights to organize as other workers. This creates the dual issue of dragging down morale and hampering efforts to hire and retain skilled and qualified personnel," Coleman said in statement about the bill. The bill also includes a section guaranteeing that the pay rates of employees don't go down in the process and one reinforcing the prohibition on striking among airline screeners. It would also create a transition period for grievance procedures and instruct the Homeland Security Secretary to work with the officers' union in planning the conversion of employees to Title 5. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:32:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said on Monday that it will begin to vaccinate the workforce, aged 30 to 60 against the COVID-19 virus from March as soon as more vaccines arrive. State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control Sudharshani Fernandopulle said 4,000 centers had been planned to be utilized for this task and each center will administer a total of 300 vaccinations each, with 2,000 centers in operation per day. Sri Lanka is expected to receive 300,000 of the Sinopharm vaccine from China this week, while a further 1.8 million vaccines of the AstraZeneca are also expected to arrive this month under the World Health Organization's COVAX facility. Sri Lanka has also placed an order of 1.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca from India. Meanwhile, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said the vaccination program on military personnel had been completed after Sri Lanka received 500,000 vials of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India on Jan. 27. Enditem 2021 Genesis GV80 Chicagoland Review by Larry Nutson +VIDEO Premium Utility By Larry Nutson Executive Editor and Bureau Chief Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel The 2021 GV80 is the first utility vehicle (UV) from Genesis, the luxury vehicle brand from Hyundai Motor Group. GV80 made a noteworthy and attention getting appearance at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, the only major auto show to take place in the CV-19 pandemic year 2020. I had a good up-close and personal look at the GV80 and was quite impressed by its luxury look and premium exterior and interior design. The GV80 midsize utility shares its architecture with the G80 sedan riding on an exclusive rear-drive platform. The all-new GV80s ability to maximize passenger comfort and design flexibility while balancing performance and safety capability all stems from its carefully engineered chassis. The GV80s large crest grille is flanked by two-line graphic lighting that extends beyond the headlamps, to front fender side lights and into the rear quarter and the taillamps. This Genesis lighting signature is certainly unique and an element I found attractive. Bright trim in the door lower panels carries to the rear across the facia. GV80 has seating for five, however there is one three-row seven-seat offering. The all-new GV80 is offered in Standard, Advanced, and Prestige trims in 2.5T or 3.5T configurations. Theres also the choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive with the 2.5T. All 3.5T configurations are AWD. The 2.5T is so named for its 300hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that develops 311 lb.-ft. of torque. Correspondingly, the 3.5T has a 375hp 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 that develops 391 lb.-ft. torque. Both use an 8-speed automatic transmission. Comfort, Smart, Eco, Sport and Custom modes are selectable, with shift paddles allowing for manual gear control. All GV80s are rated to tow up to 6,000 lbs. Cargo area behind the second-row seat is 34.9 cu.ft. and can increase to 84 cu.ft. with the seat folded. EPA test-lab fuel economy ratings are 21 city mpg and 25 highway mpg for all 2.5T configurations and 18 city mpg and 23 highway for the 3.5T. As is todays consumer must-have, the GV80 is equipped with a complete array of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) safety features. The 5-seat interior is plenty roomy. The low dashboard height and large glass area makes for clear sightlines and outward visibility. Slim air vents, a large central infotainment touch screen, low mounted HVAC controls and an uncluttered steering wheel provide an inviting and functional driving environment. Transmission gears are selected with a center console rotary controller. Just ahead of it sits the infotainment multimedia controller that is turned and pushed to make selections. Redundant controls are steering wheel mounted. The infotainment screen is a big reach so these controls are the ones to use. The all-new GV80 has a starting base price of $48,900 for the 2.5T RWD. The 2.5T AWD is priced at $54,650, the 3.5T AWD is $59,150 and the seven-seat 3.5T Advance+ is $65.050, plus a $1,025 destination fee for all. For my Chicagoland drive experience I spent time in a 2.5T AWD Prestige with a base price of $63,400. I thought the GV80 a deserved consideration compared some well-established competitors from American, German and Asian brands. The powertrain delivers decent all around performance. The cabin is quiet. The Prestige trim has active noise control system that cancels out road and wind noise. Ride quality is very smooth. Theres lots of tech features and luxury appointments. Heated and ventilated seats also have a massage feature. Road Preview uses a front camera to detect road irregularities in your path and adjusts the electronically-controlled suspension for greater comfort. A 21-speaker Lexicon premium audio system with 1,050 watts of power makes for concert hall listening. More details on the 2021 Genesis GV80 can be found at www.genesis.com. Genesis provides a 5-year/60,000 mile warranty that includes 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance as well as 3 years/36,000 miles complimentary Service Valet. The GV80 is in dealer showrooms now. Genesis was ranked the #1 brand in the industry for the second consecutive year in JD Powers 2019 Initial Quality Study (IGS), was named #1 ranked brand in the JD Power 2020 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) as well as #2 brand in the annual Consumer Reports 2020 Report Card rankings. More models are coming from Genesis. Recently the GV70 utility vehicle (UV) made its debut. Its the fifth model and second UV in the Genesis lineup and will reach the market in 2021. 2021 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy February 23, 2021; If you were not familiar with the Genesis car brand you should be now. Tiger Woods suffered leg injuries in a car crash in Southern California. Tiger was driving a new 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV at excessive speed and lost control, according to reports. His injuries were not life-threatening. Law enforcement officials said the crash integrity of the Genesis GV80 and Woods' use of a seat belt may have saved his life. Passive safety features required for new vehicles today provide outstanding occupant protection. The Genesis GV80 features a front seat center air bag that in combination with front and side air bag cushion the occupants. , Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:52:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is ready to license additional foreign air cargo operators in order to bridge the export transport deficit, a senior government official said Monday. James Macharia, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, told journalists in Nairobi that the country is facing growing demand for exports especially for horticultural products to the European Union. "So as long as there is fresh produce for exports which requires airlifting we shall continue to licensing even foreign aircraft because what is important is to have aircraft to carry produce from here," Macharia said when Kenya Airways commissioned its first re-purposed passenger Boeing 787 dreamliner to a cargo aircraft. The Kenyan official said that it is secondary whether Kenya Airways or any other foreign airline ferries Kenyan produce to the rest of the world markets. "What is critical is that all produce is taken out of this country," Macharia stressed. He noted that Kenya Airways has been gradually increasing its fleet of air cargo planes but it has not been sufficient to meet domestic demand hence the need to complement with foreign air carriers. The east African nation two weeks ago licensed a 767 Boeing aircraft to ferry goods out of the country amid growing demand for exports. "So we are gradually managing to increase capacity and this is what makes a big difference," Macharia noted. He added that the country is keen to encourage exports of fresh produce because it is a key source of foreign exchange earnings as well as a source of employment especially in the rural areas. Enditem Brazil's environment minister has reached an agreement with the local unit of Carrefour to sponsor a chunk of the Amazon rainforest as part of a new program he's betting the forest's future on. Carrefour pledged to invest 4 million reais per year ($744,000) in the preservation of a plot of the Amazon, Minister Ricardo Salles said in an interview Friday. The Brazilian unit of the French retailer confirmed the deal in a statement to Bloomberg News. The agreement marks the kick-off of the minister's view for a framework to manage outside funding for the Amazon -- the so-called "Adopt-a-Park" program, which President Jair Bolsonaro will formally decree into effect on Tuesday after a six-month delay. Under the new structure, outside players -- companies, investment funds, or even individuals -- can sponsor the preservation of a plot of the forest for about 10 euros per hectare. The program offers Salles and Bolsonaro a chance to fight the tide of criticism over Brazil's management of the endangered forest by shifting some responsibility for the ecosystem's future to private entities. Around 15% of the Amazon, or 63 million hectares, is available for sponsorship under the "Adopt-a-Park" program. Yet Bolsonaro's stance toward the forest as a whole -- minimizing fires and defunding enforcement environmental agencies -- have drawn condemnation from environmental organizations and investors alike. It is also hindering Brazil's efforts to join the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported on Saturday. The agreement with Carrefour Brazil, whose shares were removed from an index of social and environmental sustainability after security guards killed a Black man in one of its local stores last year, makes the company responsible for the survival of 75,000 hectares of rainforest, roughly equivalent to the area of New York City. Another five companies are in talks with the government for similar sponsorships, according to Salles, who could not disclose their names because the negotiations are ongoing. He said the six players together would provide 14 million reais for Amazon protection efforts. That amount would be equal to half the financial support the government commits each year to the protection of those areas. "Today, the government invests only 28 million reais per year to preserve all conservation areas inside the Amazon," Salles said. Although not land sales, the pledges do require companies to assume a duty to protect the plots from fire and deforestation, to regenerate degraded areas, and to invest in infrastructure improvements. That task will not be easy: the forest has been burning at a record rate. Salles has not elaborated on how investors will be held accountable. During his presidential campaign, President Joe Biden said the U.S. should mobilize $20 billion to stop the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and impose "significant economic consequences" if deforestation continued, a suggestion Bolsonaro chafed at. Salles is working to moderate that tone, he said. He met U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Todd Chapman last week in Brasilia and promised to patch up any misunderstanding. "I made it clear during the meeting with Todd that I am 100% aligned and willing to work with the Biden administration on the environmental issue," Salles said. In a Jan. 29 letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris titled "Amazon Protection Plan," a group of former U.S. cabinet secretaries and climate change experts encouraged U.S. action for the forest's protection, saying the Amazon's survival will "require new policies, skilled diplomacy, and great determination." Salles said that while he agreed with the criticisms of Brazil's management of the forest pointed out by the climate group, the key is funding: "I am hoping to receive the $20 billion that Biden promised during the campaign. These funds will be welcome." COLUMBUS, OhioBroadening the definition of obstructing justice, delaying expiration dates of liquor licenses, and making fertility fraud a felony are just some of whats being sought in a slew of bills introduced in the Ohio House on Friday. The bills 67 in all also include a number of renewed attempts to pass high-profile legislation that failed to become law last session, including a long-sought school-funding overhaul, multiple bills to revise or repeal the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 energy law, and expand broadband internet access to parts of rural Ohio. Under House Bill 22, the crime of obstructing justice would be expanded to include failing to follow a lawful order from a law enforcement officer or diverting a law enforcement officers attention via taunting, throwing objects, or coming close enough to touch them. I know that the timing of it looked like it solely stems from the riots (last year) -- and Im not talking about peaceful protests, but the actual riots and the vandalism -- that took place, said state Rep. Jeff LaRe, a Fairfield County Republican co-sponsoring the bill. But, in reality, it has to do with the day-to-day duties of law enforcement and when theyre in a situation where theyre trying to detain somebody or hold the perimeter of a crime scene, and youve got people that arent giving them their space and are throwing stuff at them. However, LaRe said the change, should it become law, could definitely come into play during protests if, for example, officers are trying to keep a group contained to a certain area and people start throwing water bottles at police. When asked if the bill would make taunting a police officer a crime, LaRe noted that the bill only covers incidents when someone is attempting to distract the officer from another person committing a crime. But he added that theres some vagueness to the word taunting and that he is open to ideas about how to firm up the language of the bill. The penalties for obstructing justice range from a misdemeanor to a first-degree felony, depending on the severity of the crime that the person is trying to distract or hinder the officer from dealing with. Under another measure, House Bill 46, Ohio restaurants and bars with liquor licenses set to expire in 2021 would not have to renew them until 2022. The bill, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Adam Miller of suburban Columbus and Republican state Rep. Sara Carruthers of the Cincinnati area, would also eliminate a requirement in current law that only 35% of a restaurant gift certificates value can be used to purchase alcohol (the rest must be used to buy food). House Bill 64, from state Rep. Jena Powell of Darke County, seeks to crack down on cases where a fertility doctor uses his own sperm to impregnate a patient without her knowledge. Such cases have increasingly come to light as children born as a result of such procedures take DNA heredity tests, though some victims have encountered trouble bringing the doctors to justice. HB64 would make it a third-degree felony in Ohio for a health-care professional to use human reproductive material on a patient without their consent. Other newly introduced bills deal with issues left over from the last legislative session, which ended in December. One of the most prominent is a long-sought overhaul of the states K-12 funding system, which was ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court more than two decades ago. House Bill 1 (a designation usually given to top-priority legislation) is similar to a bipartisan reform plan put forward last session by House Speaker Bob Cupp, a Lima Republican, and then-state Rep. John Patterson, an Ashtabula County Democrat. That previous bill, House Bill 305, passed the House but died in the Senate. HB1, like HB305 before it, would decrease schools reliance on local property taxes and increase state funding by an estimated $2 billion per year. Much of the criticism of the bill involves that price tag. There are also Republican and Democratic bills to repeal House Bill 6, which authorized a $1 billion-plus bailout to two northern Ohio nuclear power plants. The law is now under intense scrutiny after former House Speaker Larry Householder and four allies were arrested and accused of running a $60 million bribery scheme to get the bill passed. Since then, legislative Republicans have talked about repealing the law, but so far theyve done nothing. House Bill 2 seeks to address another issue left over from last session: expanding high-speed broadband internet to areas of the state that dont yet have it. The bill, introduced by state Rep. Rick Carfagna, a Delaware County Republican, would offer $20 million in grants to internet providers to expand their network. Like school-funding reform, the Ohio House passed the measure last session, but it stalled in the Senate. Lebanese Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe stressed the importance of Egypt's role in resolving the Lebanon crisis, saying Egypt is the Arab country that is most familiar with the differences among the Lebanese people and means of resolving them. In statements on Saturday 06/02/2021 to "Nida Al Watan" newspaper, the minister said that Egypt has always played a positive role and took stances in support of the Lebanese people. Egypt will not hesitate in helping the Lebanese side at any time, Wehbe made it clear. However, Egypt will leave room for internal consensus before taking the initiative to back solutions that will be reached through dialogue among all Lebanese parties, he said. He went on to say that the formation of a new government in Lebanon is a prerequisite for any international or Arab move to be taken by Egypt, France or any other country to help Lebanon. He further called for expediting the process of forming a new government and upholding the national interest away from personal interests. MILFORD Although Joan Kwon Glass has been writing poetry since she was in kindergarten, the national spotlight that President Joe Bidens inauguration shone on poets has made this an especially exciting time to be one. I think the presidential inauguration brought poetry to the forefront when Amanda Gorman was chosen to recite her poem The Hill We Climb, said Glass, who teaches social studies in Darien. She was the first National Youth Poet Laureate to do so. I think bringing in a young person got people excited, Glass said. It is an exciting time to be a poet, and I want to run off that energy here in Milford. Glass was recently named Milfords poet laureate by the city, the library and the Milford Arts Council. She was selected through a competitive application and interview process by a panel of community members and literary experts. She said her focus during her four-year term would be working with younger writers. Ive been thinking of ways to incorporate opportunities for kids of all ages, Glass said. I love working with teenagers, working with younger kids. It would be wonderful to get them to write creatively or to learn how to share their writing and help them build confidence. Milford Library Director Christine Angeli said Glass had an accomplished track record. Joan is an accomplished writer whose poems have been published in numerous online and print journals, such as West Trestle, The Mantel and South Florida Poetry Journal, Angeli said. She is a featured poet on Poetry as it Ought to Be and her work has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The City of Milford Poet Laureate program is an honorary, non-compensated position. It was started in 2016 to elevate poetry in the consciousness of Milford residents and to help celebrate the literary arts. The Poet Laureate acts as an advocate for poetry, literature and the arts through public readings and participation in civic events. Glass credits Adrienne Rich and Walt Whitman for helping her put pen to paper. Poetry is the world I operate in. It is what inspires me and where I feel most at home in my writing, she said. I have a stack of books on my nightstand with works by Ellen Bass, Margaret Atwood and Eugenia Leigh, who is my favorite living poet, among them. Leigh is a Korean poet and my mother is Korean. Glasss Korean roots run deep. Kwon was my grandmothers maiden name and we were very close, Glass said. I lived in Korea during middle school and it is a large part of my life experience. Glass, who is active in the Milford Arts Council and Historical Society, will read original poetic works at civic functions. She believes poetry is cathartic. Ive read a lot about memory, about family and also how to process loss in my life, especially the past few years, Glass said. Honestly I dont know what I would have done without poetry to read and write, she said. I told a friend, I dont know how non-writers process difficult things that happen to them. I dont know how people do it. Glass said writing saves her from internalizing grief, and helps her soldier on when shes feeling down. It helps to continue on in life being the things that are important to me: a good teacher, mother, and friend, she said. When she is writing, Glass said she has a comfortable chair in her dining room that is her designated writing area. But with three children, an anxious dachshund and a parrot, privacy is a luxury. There is a staircase that is right by the chair, she said. Ill look up and all of the kids are perched on the stairs looking at me. william.bloxsom@hearstmediact.com Twitter: @blox354 Past attempts foreshadowed that the IPO attempt of EVN Genco 2 would be a flop The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX) has published the results of the auction registration for the stake of EVN Genco 2. The company offered 580 million shares or 48.9 per cent of its charter capital to investors with the initial price of VND24,520 ($1.06) per share and expected to acquire VND14.225 trillion ($618.5 million) from the sale. However, only 14 investors registered to join the auction, registering 262,500 shares, including 200,000 shares from a single foreign investor, 10,500 shares by five Vietnamese people, and 52,000 shares by eight domestic investors. At present, EVN Genco 2 owns a 100 per cent stake in Trung Son Hydropower One Member LLC, which operates Trung Son hydropower plant with the designed capacity of 1 billion kWh per year. It also owns a series of thermal power companies including Pha Lai, Haiphong, and Thac Mo, among others. According to its financial statement, the company generated 17.8 million kWh, equaling 97 per cent of its plan for the whole year and 7 per cent of the power coursing through the whole national power grid. The unmarketable IPOs of EVN Genco had precedent because they own too many member companies and subsidiaries. Buying stakes in the plants one by one will help investors limit risks. Previously, EVN Genco 3 failed in its IPO in February 2018 when only 2.8 per cent of the offered shares was sold. Dunzo, Indias most loved local commerce and delivery app, in association with Brandscope -the Hyperlocal specialist agency from the house of dentsu international, has launched a punny outdoor campaign. Launched in Pune, a city that stays indoors, the campaign has managed to attract just the right eyeballs. Through this campaign, Dunzo has strategically chosen five-pin codes - locations where it has witnessed both emerging demand and a potential new demographic. The brands media presence has always been focused on millennials and Gen Z whereas outdoor campaigns are traditionally geared towards a more general audience. However, marrying data and a witty sense of humour has led the brand to create a series of targeted and memorable billboards that has had users ordering on the app in each of the pin codes the billboards have been placed. Speaking on the campaign, Sai Ganesh, Brand Lead, Dunzo said, At Dunzo, we have always believed in building the right customer answer. With a demand for essentials across the city, we know Dunzo can be a lifeline for people staying home. Through this strategic experiment, we wanted to understand if this is a good channel to reach a wider demographic in one of our fastest-growing cities, Pune. We saw a spike of 15% in the number of orders in those billboard pin codes. We also witnessed a 39% increase in organic traffic on the app. This campaigns metric has invoked some much-needed confidence in us planning our future 360 campaigns in the city. Anand.V, Associate Vice President, Brandscope added, Understanding Dunzo's brand tonality and TG was key in helping us design the right positioning of the outdoor placements. Using our proprietary tool 'OOHZONE', we identified PIN-code clusters to target locations that resonated with the target audience and delivered maximum visibility and impact. For the record, Dunzos brand and social media strategy has been garnering a lot of attention from users and influencers alike. Leveraging its signature pun and moment marketing to convert audiences into customers, Dunzos brand team has been delivering results over the past year in terms of increasing orders and retention. As Dunzo continues to grow in the cities of Pune, Mumbai, and Chennai, it will place a greater emphasis on widening its demographic and user base. Available on the play and app stores, Dunzo is one of the fastest-growing local commerce and delivery companies in India. Imperial Valley News Center Man Sentenced for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Minors in the Republic of Kenya Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Thursday to over 15 years in prison plus a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Michael Driscoll of the FBIs Philadelphia Field Office made the announcement. According to information provided to the court, the investigation of this case revealed that Gregory Dow, 61, of Lancaster County, traveled to the Republic of Kenya in 2008 to start an orphanage which came to be known as the Dow Family Childrens Home. While running the orphanage with his wife, Dow sexually abused, on multiple occasions, four minor girls between October 2013 and September 2017. During this time period, he maintained ties to the United States. The FBIs Philadelphia Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from Kenyan authorities and local law enforcement in Lancaster County. Trial Attorneys Lauren S. Kupersmith and Lauren E. Britsch of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy M. Stengel of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 12:06:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Staff members do nucleic acid testing work at a novel coronavirus detection lab in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) There's a certain need for more tracing to be done all over the world in order to really trace down the origin of the virus as there have been a number of media reports about early cases in other countries, said the ambassador. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- It is against the spirit of humanitarianism to politicize the origin-tracing of COVID-19 as the world is still under the threat of the pandemic, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "I think when people make accusations, they have to prove these accusations. And to say these things at the time when we're still faced with the pandemic is against the spirit of humanitarianism," Cui said when Fareed Zakaria, anchor of CNN's GPS, raised a question in an interview aired Sunday on allegations that the virus was leaked from the Wuhan virology institute lab. "I think people have to be careful not to make groundless accusations," said Cui, adding that now an expert group from the World Health Organization (WHO) is working in Wuhan with their Chinese counterpart. Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, addresses the 15th anniversary and Chinese Lunar New Year gala of China General Chamber of Commerce-U.S.A. in New York, the United States, Jan. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "They are working very hard. They are trying to look at all the facts. We are very supportive to their work," he said. Cui said he has also participated in some conferences between Chinese and foreign experts. "They are real scientists. They are looking at the whole pandemic from the point of view of scientists, not any politicians," he said. The ambassador said there's a certain need for more tracing to be done all over the world in order to really trace down the origin of the virus as there have been a number of media reports about early cases in other countries. "So the human race could be better prepared when we are faced with another virus again. So please do not politicize the whole issue. Please let the scientists do their professional job," he said. SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestChile, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, highlighted the results of the Milken Institute's Global Opportunity Index 2021, which positioned Chile as the Latin American country with the greatest potential to attract foreign investors. "Chile received the highest ranking in the region due to its strong performance across all categories measured, particularly regarding how friendly its institutions are to foreign investors," stated the California-based institute. InvestChile According to the report, Chile showed the best performance in the five categories measured by the Index - business perception, economic fundamentals, financial services, institutional framework, and international standards and policy - and ranked 36th globally. In Latin America, it was followed by Uruguay (48th), Costa Rica (55th), Mexico (64th) and Panama (65th). Sweden led the global ranking, followed by the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The director of InvestChile, Andres Rodriguez, commented that the results are good news for Chile, particularly given the situation of foreign investment globally. "World foreign direct investment was down by 42% in 2020, so it is important to stay competitive, offer good business opportunities and stand out regionally," he said. "Despite the pandemic, InvestChile's portfolio grew by 23% last year, with a 20% increase in the number of projects, demonstrating the interest of foreign investors in starting operations or expanding their business in Chile. In this process, it is essential that they have a public agency like InvestChile, which assists foreign investors and provides free advice to facilitate their installation and expansion in our country," added Rodriguez. The Global Opportunity Index assesses countries' strengths and challenges according to the support that their institutions and policies provide for foreign investment. The annual ranking uses 96 variables, including a country's macroeconomic outlook, potential for future innovation and development, access to financial services and compliance with international standards, as the basis for a forward-looking analysis of the potential for foreign investment in 145 countries. Press Contact: Francisca Schwerter, [email protected] Denisse Vasquez, [email protected] Related Images investchile.jpg InvestChile SOURCE InvestChile Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) At least 15 people were injured after a 6.1 magnitude quake hit Davao del Sur on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management said. In its Monday report, the NDRRMC said those hurt were from Cotabato Province, which felt up to Intensity 5 of the quake over the weekend. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology rated this intensity as "strong." Eight landslides were reported in two municipalities of Cotabato Province -- seven in Makilala and one in M'lang. No other details were provided on the identities and specific location of the casualties. At least 21 houses were also reported damaged in M'lang and in Kabacan, another municipality of Cotabato. Also damaged were two churches in M'lang, two private establishments in Kabacan, and a hospital in Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province. The NDRRMC added Kidapawan Medical Specialist, Madonna Medical Center, and Kidapawan Doctors Hospital Inc. temporarily moved patients to evacuation sites so damage to the buildings could be assessed. Patients and staff have since returned to the hospitals. In Davao Region, at least three damaged infrastructures were reported in Bansalan and Davao City, including a university gym, a temporary treatment and monitoring facility, and a barangay hall. Meanwhile, at least three houses in Bansalan were damaged. At least 45 residents of Davao City were evacuated to UP Mindanao Faculty and Staff Housing - Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility, NDRRMC added. The quake in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur that hit past noon on Sunday was initially recorded at magnitude 6.3. Its was downgraded by Phivolcs to magnitude 6.1 later in the day. READ: Magnitude 6.3 earthquake rattles Davao del Sur Mischievous Pup Keeps Ruining Fur Family Photos With Hilarious Pose From The Exorcist To many a parents dismay, not every kid takes family photographs as seriously as they should, while some more mischievous ones go out of their way to make silly faces whenever a camera goes off. But one dog in New Zealand has taken silly photographs to a whole new level. Kiko, a ginger Finnish spitz, has caught the internets attention with a ridiculous pose she seemingly insists on making whenever her owner takes a picture. As you can see, first. she turns her back on the photographer, as if rebelling, and then bends over backward to look at the camera upside-down, like some kind of canine contortionist. Bizarre, right? The dogs owner, Ashleigh Macpherson, told Bored Panda that she trained all her dogs to sit still and pose for the camera. Kiko sits with the other dogs, but since shes still a young puppy, she doesnt quite obey. Kiko was a Covid puppy and was raised during the lockdown, Ashleigh told the outlet. She was a singleton puppy who had no littermates. So her company that she grew up with was the cats. Maybe thats why shes such a weird character. Oh, there was one good one, at least. Now, the white dog in the photograph is Kaya, a 6-year-old white Swiss shepherd. The other dogs are Tofu, Kikos 1.5-year-old biological sister, and Mika, their 3-year-old mother. They are crazy little dogs who are sassy and very cat-like, the proud owner and dog mom said. They are very talkative and have so much to say. They are small dogs with huge personalities. By far the silliest of those personalities is Kiko. She doesnt reserve her upside-down glances solely for photographs, either. If she is facing the opposite direction, she will automatically want to turn her head and look at me, Ashleigh said. Its her own little trick. In fact, Kiko does her little trick so often, Ashleigh revealed to Unilad, that she has turned it into an actual trick that can be performed for amusement on command. Reminiscent of the possessed main character in The Exorcist, now when Ashleigh gives the command demon! Kiko does the pose automatically. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kaya & Ashleigh the human (@kayatheshepherd) Maybe she loves looking at the world upside down, Ashleigh speculated. But one things for sure: The internet is loving looking at Kiko looking back at us in her topsy-turvy way. Oh this is too cute and so fabulous, one netizen commented on a picture of Kiko on Instagram. Omg these are GREAT, said another. Shes not broken, one commenter joked. Just a little bent. A little bent, indeed. This story was last updated in February 2021. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 School drop off for the first day of term one looked very different this morning, with secondary students, teachers and parents masked up. The mandatory mask rule was applied by the WA government under its post lockdown transition measures for the Perth and Peel regions. Students and staff arrive at Churchlands High School with masks for the start of school 2021. Credit:Sharon Smith All school staff, parents and secondary students in the regions are required to wear a mask, only primary students are not. While children under 12 are not required to wear a mask in public, if they are 11 and at secondary school they must on school grounds. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra will soon be launching an investigation into the tweets which were shared by celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar and others. In the tweets, they shared their concern of international propaganda trying to spoil India's image and also preached the 'India Against Propaganda' notion when it comes to the ongoing farmers' protest. Their tweets came in the wake of international pop star Rihanna and activist Greta Thunberg's tweet supporting the farmers' protest in India. According to a news report in Opindia, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has stated that the tweets made by celebrities, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Lata Mangeshkar, Virat Kohli and others will be probed by the Maharashtra Intelligence agency to find out if they were made under some pressure by the Modi government or if the celebrities genuinely wish to extend their support on the Farm Laws. The Maharashtra government is under the opinion that extending support to one's country against international propaganda calls for an investigation and is a suspicious activity. The Maharashtra Home Minister also added that the resemblance between the tweets shared by the celebrities looked like a coordinated and planned activity. Deshmukh revealed this as the main reason behind the tweets of these celebrities being investigated by the state intelligence agency. Also Read: Mia Khalifa Takes A Dig At Priyanka Chopra For No New Post On Farmers' Protest The leaders earlier today also had an online meeting with Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who is currently in isolation after being tested positive for COVID-19. The news report also stated that Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant has stated that he will ask the Maharashtra Home Minister to launch an investigation into the matter, to find out if the celebrities had tweeted under the pressure of the central government. Sawant had revealed about this to ANI stating, "There is a similar pattern behind these tweets by the celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, sportspersons Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal. The contents of the tweets by Nehwal and Kumar are the same while Shetty had tagged a BJP leader. This shows that there was communication between the celebrities and the ruling party leaders. It needs to be investigated if there was any pressure from the BJP on these national heroes for such advocacy on social media. If so, these celebrities need to be given more protection." Also Read: Mia Khalifa Tweets In Support Of The Farmers' Protest; Becomes A Top Trend On Twitter International pop sensation Rihanna's tweet on the farmers' protest in India had been followed by some Indian celebrities taking to their social media handles, to caution their followers against a global spear campaign against the country. These celebrities showcased their support for the Farm Laws and asked their fans and followers to stay united in the wake of the protests. Some of these celebrities included Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Saina Nehwal, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and Suniel Shetty. Tel Aviv, Feb 8 : Israel has started lifting Covid-19-related restrictions, almost six weeks after the country entered a third nationwide lockdown to curb the pandemic. The ban on travelling more than 1,000 metres from home was lifted on Sunday, while some businesses also started reopening, reports Xinhua news agency. Schools and kindergartens remain closed and outgoing and incoming flights are still banned, except for exceptional cases. Israel entered its third nationwide lockdown on December 27, 2020 as the country rolled out a large-scale Covid-19 vaccination drive. So far, about 3.4 million have received the first shot of the vaccine. With a population of about 9 million, Israel has reported a total of 687,492 coronavirus cases and 5,096 deaths so far. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rafale induction ceremony cost exchequer over Rs 41 lakh: Rajnath Singh India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 08: The induction ceremony of the first five Rafale jets at the Ambala Air Force base on September 10 last cost the exchequer a little over of Rs 41 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh GST, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Monday. "The first five Rafale aircraft of IAF were formally inducted into IAF on September 10. The arrangements for this event were made mostly through local resources of IAF. The total expenditure on the event was Rs 41.32 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh of GST," he said. Singh said all new variant of aircraft are traditionally inducted into the Indian Air Force through a "befitting ceremony". PM Modi quotes Manmohan Singh to blunt Opposition offensive on farm laws The Rafale induction ceremony was attended by French Defence Minister Florence Parly and the top echelon of the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the aircraft. The first batch of the five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The formal induction ceremony of the fleet had taken place nearly six weeks later. A second batch of three Rafale jets arrived in India on November 3 while a third batch of another three jets joined the IAF on January 27. The Rafale jets are India''s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News The fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff for the last nine months. The first squadron of the Rafale jets is stationed at the Ambala air base while the second one will be based at the Hasimara base in West Bengal. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 15:30 [IST] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York City will re-evaluate its policy for closing public school buildings if there are two coronavirus (COVID-19) cases reported, Mayor Bill de Blasio said during an interview on Friday. While fielding questions during his weekly appearance on WNYCs Brian Lehrer Show, de Blasio was told by a teacher that he and Chancellor Richard Carranza should do away with the two-case policy of shuttering buildings for 10 days. Under the citys school reopening plan, a classroom with one confirmed case or more would quarantine the entire class for 10 days. Two or more unrelated cases without any clear links could shutter the entire building for 10 days. The mayor explained there are circumstances where two COVID-19 cases could lead to a closure of a school building for 10 days. He added that sometimes two cases do not lead to a longer closure, sometimes they do. But I hear loud and clear that policy is being re-evaluated, obviously, because we need to improve our ability to get it exactly right, de Blasio said on the show. The Department of Education (DOE) didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Since schools opened in September, there have been frequent closures of buildings with more than 1,300 buildings closed for at least 10 to 14 days due to two or more unlinked COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year, city data shows. There are currently 92 schools closed for 10 days. All public schools were closed in mid-November after the citys positivity rate reached the 3% threshold to shutter buildings. While that threshold is no longer being used, individual schools are closed if there are multiple coronavirus cases. Elementary schools and District 75 schools, which serve special education students, reopened shortly after the systemwide closures in December. But individual school closures continued to rise at the end of 2020 after random testing was increased to once a week. De Blasio announced Monday that middle school students will begin returning to the classroom Feb. 25, with teachers and staff returning the day before. So how do I know if my school has positive coronavirus cases? The DOE said it would notify school communities if there are confirmed coronavirus cases in a childs school. The agency asks families to sign up for an NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) so they can be contacted via phone, email, or text message. You can sign up here if you dont have an account. The DOE created a Daily COVID Case Map that shows all known cases of coronavirus at public schools. It is updated Sunday through Friday at 6 p.m. The map will show schools with a positive coronavirus case, with different color-coded dots. A red dot indicates a building has been closed, a blue dot indicates one (or more) classrooms in a building has been closed, and a grey dot indicates a member of the school community tested positive, but the school community wasnt exposed. New Yorkers are also able to see the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases in their childs school using the states online portal. The portal shows cases for public, private, Catholic and charter schools, as well as universities and colleges. 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: FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Ending the deadlock on three contentious farm laws that hit the functioning of the Lok Sabha last week with opposition's protest, the House is expected to return back to its normal functioning on Monday and resume motion of thanks to the President's address as well as take other Business. With indications of several parliamentarians -- both from the opposition and treasury benches -- it is learnt that there has been some sort of compromise among them on the issue and they are now ready to support the proceedings of the Lower House when it will assemble for the day at 4 p.m. Over 10 key opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, RSP, YSRCP, have been protesting against the government seeking discussion on the three farm laws to repeal them. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) former allies Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena have been also staging protests against the government since the beginning of the Budget Session. While talking to IANS, several MPs, including Congress's senior leader Shashi Tharoor and Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said the opposition is expected to participate in the proceedings as per normal course. Question Hour, Zero Hour as well as other Businesses of the House are to take place with proper coordination and support of all members. Written answers related to the separate questions sought by MPs from nine ministries will be tabled by the concerned Ministers. Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar will lay answers on the table from Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' for the Ministry of Education; Arjun Munda for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; Dharmendra Pradhan for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Santosh Gangwar for the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Prahlad Singh Patel for the Ministry of Culture; Raj Kumar Singh for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Sanjay Samrao Dhotre for the Ministry of Education, and Anurag Thakur for the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs. Besides, reports of the Standing Committee on Information and Technology will be presented by Congress MP Shahsi Tharoor and BJP MP Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee is to resume her speech on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address -- a tradition in which all the members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha participate after the beginning of the session. The Rajya Sabha concluded its discussion on the motion of thanks on Friday but it got stalled in the Lok Sabha due to protest by the opposition on three contentious farm laws, leading to adjournment of the House's each sittings last week with completion of very little Business. The Lok Sabha list of Business also mentions general discussion on Budget 2021-2022. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is to move the The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 for the consideration and passage to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Bill was introduced in the House on February 4. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Kangana Ranaut has a penchant to amaze her fans and movie-lovers with her performance and her roles. Today she decided to start the new week with some dhamakedaar clicks from her upcoming film on social media and left us amazed. Kangana Ranaut took to her Twitter account and shared two clicks from her film Dhaakad. In the picture, we see Kangana in a body-hugging black leather suit. Shes blazing guns as shes holding mean-machines in her hand and the clicks dont look anything short of Hollywood flick. Talking about her character, she tweeted saying, They call her Agni... the brave one #Dhaakad I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi the goddess of death ... #Dhaakad. Now thats one first look thats surely amazing and dropped our jaws with excitement. Cant wait to watch this action flick where well have a female actor kicking ass and knocking out the goons! They call her Agni... the brave one #Dhaakad I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi the goddess of death ... #Dhaakad pic.twitter.com/nZjuDFFpZC Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 8, 2021 Also starring Dhaakad is Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta. The actress has been shooting for this action flick and even putting her heart and soul in her fitness prep of the film. She has been training hard to have a tough physique that in turn will help her in doing some mean action-sequences by herself. Love this woman and her dedication. She also has Tejas in her kitty which she will start shooting soon. Geneva, Feb 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Feb, 2021 ) :The World Health Organization and its Covax partners cautioned Monday against dismissing AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine after several setbacks, insisting it remained an important, life-saving tool. The AstraZeneca vaccine is currently a vital part of Covax, which was set up to procure Covid-19 vaccines and ensure their equitable distribution around the world. It accounts for almost all of the 337.2 million vaccine doses Covax is preparing to begin shipping to some 145 countries during the first half of the year, once it receives WHO authorisation, which is expected next week. But the vaccine has run into several setbacks. "It is vastly too early to be dismissing this vaccine," said Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which co-leads the Covax vaccine facility with the WHO and Gavi. "It is absolutely crucial to use the tools that we have as effectively as we possibly can," he said, speaking at the WHO's regular bi-weekly press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. Regulatory authorities in several European nations have refused to authorise the vaccine for use among the over-65s -- by far the most vulnerable age group for serious Covid-19 disease -- due to a lack of data proving its efficacy among older people. And South Africa said Sunday it would suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the jab failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. - 'Concerning news' - WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the study's findings were "clearly concerning news." But he stressed that there were "some important caveats", pointing in particular to the small size of the study with only 2,000 participants, urging more research. Other WHO experts also pointed out that the interval used between the two doses of the vaccine in the study was just a month -- far shorter than what has been deemed to be optimal to enhance its efficacy. WHO's vaccines chief Kate O'Brien pointed to other studies showing the vaccine could have a "meaningful impact against severe disease", including with the B.1.351 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first detected in South Africa. She said the organisation's vaccine expert group, which met earlier Monday to discuss its recommendations on the use of the jab, had appeared optimistic about its prospects against the variant. The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) is due to render its verdict later this week. However O'Brien said the experts had expressed "a very positive view on proceeding with the use of the vaccine including in settings where variants are circulating". Gavi chief Seth Berkley agreed that current evidence indicated the jab "is an efficacious vaccine." At the same time, he underscored the need to continue monitoring all the Covid vaccines, and possibly adapting them to better battle new variants "if found to be scientifically necessary." The WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan meanwhile said it was vital to use the tools available now to save lives. "The Primary job of vaccines right now is to reduce hospitalisations and deaths, and right now... they are working to do that," he said. "We may need better vaccines to do more than just stop deaths and hospitalisations."But "in emergency management you have got to do what you can do now," he added. Governance Watch Alliance, a pro-democracy group advancing the cause of the rule of law, has petitioned the Appointments Committee of Ghanas Eight Parliament over the credibility of some Ministers-designate, saying they should not be approved to serve in the government. They said some public officials, according to the Alliance, were given the opportunity to serve in the first term of the Nana Akufo-Addo-led Administration, but failed to live up to expectation. They demonstrated a high level of incompetence and ineptitude in the discharge of their duties which cost the country in many ways. We believe they must not be given the opportunity to serve in such a high office again, the Alliance appealed in a petition jointly signed by Mr. Patrick Kwame Atuah, the President, Mr. Joshua Fugah, the General-Secretary, and Mr. Yakubu Moro, the Director of Research. The petition, a copy made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Kumasi, cited Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, Minister-designate for Finance, Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister-designate for National Security, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, Minister-designate for Defence, and Dr. Afriyie Akoto, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture. The others include Ms. Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Minister-designate for Communication, Ms. Hawa Koomson, Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mr. Godfred Dame, Minister-designate for Justice and Attorney-General, as well as Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister-designate for Roads and Highways. The petition stressed the need for the Vetting Committee to subject the Ministers-designate to critical scrutiny in relation to their various conducts while at their respective portfolios when they make an appearance. Touching on the revelations as contained in the Corruption Risk Assessment Report conducted by the Special Prosecutors Office on the Agyapa Deal, the Alliance said the direct involvement of Mr. Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister then in the whole saga was unfortunate. The petition on the eligibility of Mr. Kan Dapaah, cited the Takoradi missing girls saga as well as the murder of undercover investigative journalist, Ahmed Suame, stressing that the failure of the then National Security Minister to deal effectively with the issue was a testimony of his incompetence. It indicated that the Defence Minister-designate in the analysis of the Alliance could also not pass the litmus test, because under his watch the military has been heavily involved in illegal mining activities of which there are video evidence to that effect. Mr. Nitiwul as the Minister of Defence witnessed for the first time in the history of the Fourth Republic, the invasion of the Chamber of Parliament by fully-armed military personnel, which brought shame to the country, the petition noted. It accused the Minister-designate for Agriculture of supervising the collapse of the poultry industry due to his inefficiencies, saying the Ghanaian farmer today was struggling to come by maize, soya, wheat brand and other materials needed for poultry feed. The petition did not leave out Ms. Koomsom for what it described as her emotional temperaments and personal conduct which are full of insults and not deserving of somebody expected to occupy that high office. Focusing on the Minister-designate for Communication, the petition said Ms. Owusu Ekuful during her tenure saw a loss to the state of over eighty million US Dollars of the taxpayers money as a result of the Kelni GVG deal. We appeal to the Appointments Committee not to approve or recommend her nomination. This would enable a review of the Kelni GVG contract in the interest of the nation, the petition appealed. 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 New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday unleashed a barrage of charges against the Punjab government for providing shelter to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is accused in several heinous cases in UP. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that Ansari is getting five-star treatment in a Punjab jail, and questioned why state government is supporting a gangster? Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, did not mince words in criticising the Punjab government before a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R. Subhash Reddy. "He (Ansari) is happy in Punjab jail and he is enjoying," Mehta said. The Solicitor General added added that Ansari is being vociferously defended by the Punjab government. He said the Punjab government claims that he (Ansari) is suffering from depression, but in reality he is enjoying his time in jail. "The Punjab government is supporting a gangster. There are very serious cases pending against Ansari and the trials of the same are pending in Uttar Pradesh," Mehta contended before the top court. The Uttar Pradesh government has moved the top court seeking Ansari's transfer from Punjab to UP. However, the Ropar jail authorities have refused to hand him over citing medical grounds. Mehta added that summons were issued against Ansari, but then he got an FIR registered against himself in Punjab and did not even file for bail, rather he is enjoying his time in Punjab. The Uttar Pradesh government has termed the FIR as a complete sham and a design to help Ansari escape the law in UP. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ansari, said that his client can appear through video conferencing in cases in Uttar Pradesh. Mehta rebutted that Ansari cannot choose a forum and he cannot sit in five-star accommodation and then appear for trial in Uttar Pradesh. Mehta told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the Punjab government, "You are supporting Ansari." In an affidavit, the Uttar Pradesh government said that Ansari has been sheltered in Punjab for the past two years on the basis of two FIRs filed against him. "The respondent state of Punjab has made a mockery of the federal structure of the Constitution by seeking to defend an accused who is a gangster and a history sheeter," said the affidavit. The Uttar Pradesh government added that more than 30 FIRs and over 14 criminal trials, including for heinous crimes like murder, are pending against Ansari in various MP/MLA courts, where his personal appearance has been sought. Slamming the Punjab government, the Uttar Pradesh government said that its response is an attempt to gloss over and draw a veil over its true intent to not produce Ansari before a court in UP. "The state of Punjab has not proceeded with the investigation of the FIR No. 5 of 2019 or filing of the chargesheet for two years even after arresting the accused on January 22, 2019 and lodging him in jail since January 24, 2019," said the UP government. Earlier, the top court had directed the Punjab government to file a detailed reply on the pending case against Ansari, including the status of trial along with a report on his medical condition. (Sumit saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in) South Africa will put on hold use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot in its vaccination programme, after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Sunday that the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after a trial showed the AstraZeneca vaccine did not significantly reduce the risk of mild or moderate COVID-19 from the 501Y.V2 variant that caused a second wave of infections starting late last year. Prior to widespread circulation of the more contagious variant, the vaccine was showing efficacy of around 75%, researchers said. In a later analysis based mostly on infections by the new variant, there was only a 22% lower risk of developing mild-to-moderate COVID-19 versus those given a placebo. Although researchers said the figure was not statistically significant, due to trial design, it is well below the benchmark of at least 50% regulators have set for vaccines to be considered effective against the virus. The study did not assess whether the vaccine helped prevent severe COVID-19 because it involved mostly relatively young adults not considered to be at high risk for serious illness. AstraZeneca said on Saturday that it believed its vaccine could protect against severe disease and that it had already started adapting it against the 501Y.V2 variant. Still, professor Shabir Madhi, lead investigator on the AstraZeneca trial in South Africa, said data on the vaccine were a reality check and that it was time to "recalibrate our expectations of COVID-19 vaccines". South Africa hopes to vaccinate 40 million people, or two-thirds of the population, to achieve some level of herd immunity but has yet to administer a single shot. It had hoped to roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine to healthcare workers soon after on Monday receiving 1 million doses produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII). Instead, it will offer health workers vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech in the coming weeks. "What does that mean for our vaccination programme which we said will start in February? The answer is it will proceed," Mkhize told an online news briefing. "From next week for the next four weeks we expect that there will be J&J vaccines, there will be Pfizer vaccines." NEW APPROACH Professor Salim Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist advising the government, said there needed to be a new approach to immunisations, given uncertainty about how effective current vaccines would be against the 501Y.V2 variant. First a vaccine should be used in a targeted group to assess hospitalisation rates, and then if it proves effective in reducing hospitalisations it could feature in a wide-scale rollout, he said. If it was not effective in reducing hospitalisations, individuals who had received it should be offered another effective vaccine, either a booster based on the variant or another vaccine, Abdool Karim added. It was probable that South Africa would experience a third wave of infections when winter starts in around four months' time, Madhi said. He added that it would be "somewhat reckless" to discard the 1 million AstraZeneca doses the country had received when there was still a chance they could protect against severe COVID-19. Anban Pillay, health ministry deputy director-general, said the expiry date on the AstraZeneca doses was in April, but the government was speaking to the SII to seek an extension or exchange. Madhi said South Africa might want to reframe its target group for vaccination. "It really needs to be centred around the prevention of severe disease and death from what will likely be a resurgence sometime soon." Also read: Oxford coronavirus vaccine less effective against South African variant, says study Also read: Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine effective against mutant UK variant ISTANBUL - Demonstrations have been banned for a week in the area of the court of justice Anatolico in Istanbul, where initiatives had been scheduled Monday against the arrest of students from the prestigious University of Bosphorus who have been fighting for over a month against the appointment of dean Melih Bulu, who is considered close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The measures come after over 500 arrests carried out in the past few weeks in several areas of the city during demonstrations dispersed with police charges and tear gas. A court is scheduled to rule on the confirmation of pre-trial custody for 61 members of the university. A new protest has however been scheduled on Monday afternoon on the campus of the college. Meanwhile a controversy continues on Erdogan's latest decree concerning two new faculties of law and communication in the university at the center of the protests. According to opponents, it is a move to legitimize the dean with the support of new members of the academic body, given that the great majority of professors currently teaching at the university have backed the students' protest, considering Bulu not qualified for the role and criticizing his appointment from above and the fact that he comes from other institutions. AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Solis Security, a cybersecurity and tech services professional services firm based in Austin, Texas, and MyITpros, the leading Austin based managed IT, cloud, and security services provider, today announced a definitive merger agreement. The two organizations join forces to bring the Solis Security managed IT portfolio of customers along with the entire team of associated professionals with managed IT and cybersecurity expertise into the IT support and proactive management and technology consulting resources of MyITpros. Under the terms of the merger agreement, effective today, the companies will combine business operations immediately with ongoing best practice and operational consolidation over the coming year. Solis Security and MyITpros will operate under the name of MyITpros and Bill McCharen will continue as CEO of the combined entity. "We feel strongly that joining forces with Solis Security will allow us to achieve our goals for growth and continued advancement towards becoming not only the leader in the Texas marketplace but growing into a National player of prominence. Our new and existing clients will benefit from the collective experience and capabilities of the combined company," said Stefanie D'Aulizio, Director of Client Success at MyITpros. "We are delighted to become one team with Solis Security. Besides technology expertise, we have common values, which ensures that we will remain a service organization first with our clients at the heart of everything we do. We have been serving businesses in our local community and greater Texas for over 25 years, combining our two companies and our complementary offerings will enable us to continue innovating and growing our top tier service offering," added Bill McCharen, CEO at MyITpros. Solis Security CEO Terry Oehring added, "We wanted to find the perfect fit to combine our IT business with and upon my first interaction with Bill I could tell that our organizations both cared about and live a core set of values that would ensure great team integration. That was the number one point of consideration for us." Solis Security and MyITpros deliver some of the most innovative and successful technology solutions in the Texas marketplace. Combined, the companies have more than 60 professionals working from core operations in Austin and San Antonio. The combined team will continue to drive technology innovation while providing customers with world-class levels of support. About MyITpros Founded in 1993 in Austin, TX, MyITpros supports over 170 businesses with managed, cloud and security services. Our mission is to help and empower people and businesses with a future-focused IT system that drives a business forward. For more information, visit https://www.myitpros.com About Solis Security Founded in 2003, the company assists hundreds of companies in industries where compliance is a requirement and part of everyday life. The company has practical experience in a variety of regulated industries, including insurance, healthcare and financial services for companies ranging from 20 employees to over 1,000. For more information, visit http://www.gosolis.com Media Contact: Stefanie D'Aulizio Director Client Success [email protected] 203-231-3289 www.myitpros.com SOURCE MyITpros Downing Street is abuzz with talk of a peerage for Kate Bingham the biochemist turned venture capitalist who has masterminded Britain's world-beating Covid-19 vaccination scheme. When she took the unpaid post last spring, Boris gave her a simple instruction: 'Stop people from dying.' Bingham seems well on the way to achieving that: the latest figures show some 17 per cent of Britons have had their first jab, compared to a pathetic 3.5 per cent across the EU. Downing Street is abuzz with talk of a peerage for Kate Bingham the biochemist turned venture capitalist who has masterminded Britain's world-beating Covid-19 vaccination scheme Kate Bingham's husband is Treasury Minister Jesse Norman, pictured far left with Kemi Badenoch, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Steve Barclay on Budget Day last March As Joni Mitchell sang, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Now Bingham, who is married to Treasury Minister Jesse Norman and prefers to keep a low profile, is quietly heading back to the City as planned. But don't fear. My civil service mole tells me there's already talk of Boris luring back the vaccine fairy godmother with a job at the Ministry of Defence. Top brass could do with a sprinkle of her stardust: procurement in the MoD has been a shambles for decades. A National Audit Office report last year revealed a hole of up to 17.4 billion in the ministry's finances. For the fourth successive year, its equipment plan covering everything from jet fighters to frigates has been unaffordable. Flagship aircraft carriers such as HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, which were delivered late and billions over budget, are now at risk of being unable to operate properly. My Whitehall source cries: 'We need Kate Bingham. Boris told her to save lives with the vaccines now she should go into the MoD and save billions.' Handforth, the sexy Netflix sequel? There seems to be no end to the talents of Jackie Weaver, the unlikely heroine of the council's Zoom room who wielded total 'authority' over the squabbling men attacking her Could Netflix be poised to grab the rights to the hilarious Handforth council meeting that went viral last week? Lizzy Talbot, the 'intimacy co-ordinator' responsible for the steamy romps on the streaming service's smash-hit Regency drama Bridgerton, says she is 'absolutely desperate to physically choreograph the sexual tension in this contentious parish council meeting'. There seems to be no end to the talents of Jackie Weaver, the unlikely heroine of the council's Zoom room who wielded total 'authority' over the squabbling men attacking her. You couldn't make it up. Keir Starmer was embarrassed by a leaked report which urged him to drape himself in the Union flag and enthusiastically (as an ex-republican) embrace the Royal Family to deal with Labour's patriotism problem. And who gave the advice? Step forward, ad agency Republic! Barry's farewell to his old China Few will lament the departure of China's UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming, who was memorably embarrassed on The Andrew Marr Show last year after he unconvincingly denied that China was forcing Uighur Muslims into concentration camps Few will lament the departure of China's UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming, who was memorably embarrassed on The Andrew Marr Show last year after he unconvincingly denied that China was forcing Uighur Muslims into concentration camps and then blustered as he was confronted with photographic evidence. Beijing's man did, however, manage to gather some friends for a virtual leaving do proudly publishing a photo of the happy event online. And who was in attendance? As the Guido Fawkes blog has pointed out, among the guests was ex-Labour shadow minister Barry Gardiner, who has received more than 500,000 since 2015 from a Chinese law firm with links to the Communist ghouls who run the country. Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted last week that the shlocky disaster movie Contagion released in 2011 taught him that there would be a global scramble for vaccines in a pandemic, and that it helped to shape his Covid-19 immunisation strategy. This prompted Michael Dugher, once Gordon Brown's Downing Street chief spokesman, to mutter: 'Thank God he wasn't watching old episodes of It'll Be Alright On The Night.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock pictured taking a coronavirus test at a new Covid-19 testing facility for staff who have to travel to their offices in the Houses of Parliament in London The Oldie magazine, champion of the aged and hard of hearing, reports how confusing it is that so many members of the House of Lords have names that sound the same. Labour's Lord Foulkes noted recently that he is competing for attention with Lady Fookes, a Lord Faulks, a Lord Fox and newly ennobled Baroness Fox. Luckily, however, help is at hand. There are four peers called Hunt. Tally ho! Protests over the appointment of a ruling party loyalist as the head of Bogazici, one of Turkeys most prestigious universities, show no signs of abating even as the government continues to detain and jail students in a bid to intimidate them into submission. Beyza Buldag, a student at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, became the 10th student to be imprisoned in connection with the demonstrations following a Feb. 7 raid on her home near the port city of Izmir. Her alleged crime was to run a Twitter account, Bogazici Solidarity, which published an open letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to not bow to government pressure. Do not mistake us for those who obey you unconditionally. You are not a sultan and we are not your subjects, it read. Prosecutors deemed that Buldag had insulted Erdogan and incited hatred and the intent to commit crimes. Evidence against Buldag rests on her mobile number and that linked to the offending Twitter account both ending with the same two digits. Buldag has denied all the charges. Since Jan. 4, students at Bogazici have been demanding that Bulu, an alleged plagiarist and a former parliamentary candidate for Erdogans Justice and Development party, resign. Faculty have joined in the fight to deny Bulu legitimacy. They say his appointment is part of an ongoing effort to extinguish academic freedoms and defies the universitys custom of picking its own rector. The right was effectively scrapped in a slew of emergency decrees issued by the government in the wake of the failed January 2016 coup. Erdogan has since hand-picked presidents for over 20 universities with 11 appointed this past week alone. But the pushback from Bogazici, a bastion of liberal thinking, has been fierce. The protests intensified on Feb. 1, when security forces broke up demonstrations at the university staged in response to the arrests of two students. A further 150 students were detained. Images of baton-wielding police clubbing and tear-gassing students sparked a fresh round of protests that spilled over to the capital Ankara and several other cities. Tensions spiked when students exhibited a poster depicting Islams holiest site, the Kaaba, overlaid with an LGBT flag. Erdogan swiftly seized the moment to turn the protests into a fresh culture war pitting what he called terrorists and vandals against his conservative base. There is no such thing as LGBT, Erdogan claimed in an address to his partys youth wing. "You are not the LGBT youth, not the youth who commit acts of vandalism. On the contrary, you are the ones who repair broken hearts," he said. His hawkish interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, upped the ante. LGBT people were perverts, he declared, prompting Twitter to remove his tweet and the US State Department to join numerous Western officials in rebuking Turkey. The controversy serves the government well, distracting attention from soaring food prices and bolstering its narrative about foreign meddling. Prominent Turkey mobster Alattin Cakici, who has close ties to Erdogans ultranationalist allies in the Nationalist Movement Party, waded into the debate. In a handwritten letter tweeted on Feb. 7, Cakici told Bulu to not resign from Bogazici, where provocative actions orchestrated by Western powers were being staged. What a vote of confidence; 10s of academics, countless students at the university dont want you, but the mafia boss thinks you are right for the job, sneered Turkish Twitter personality Has Avrat. The protests are the biggest since the Gezi demonstrations that swept across Turkey in the summer of 2013. They too were the product of Erdogans stubborn refusal to consider popular sentiment, in this case over government plans to build a mall in Gezi Park, a rare green space in the heart of Istanbul. Twenty-two people were killed and 8,000 others injured in what the government labeled a Western-inspired plot to overthrow Erdogan. Criminal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators, mostly academics, human rights activists and globally acclaimed philanthropist Osman Kavala, continue. Analysts say that Erdogan is keen to draw parallels between Gezi and the unrest at Bogazici in a bid to tar both with the same conspiracy-drenched brush. Such polarizations have always been beneficial and functional for Mr. Erdogan as they have so far helped him create a majority in his favor, commented Edgar Sar, co-founder of Istanpol, an independent think tank in Istanbul. But with the economy in the doldrums and the government facing mounting criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tactic may no longer be as useful. Moreover, unlike Gezi, the current demonstrations are predominantly based on a single issue, Sar said. The Gezi protests rapidly evolved into a platform for numerous other grievances. Its evident that [the government] sees this as a zero-sum power struggle which they cannot tolerate to lose, because they consider any loss to be a clear indicator of their weakness and thus the beginning of other losses, he added. The Turkish president is particularly concerned that Turkeys secular and pious youth have succeeded in finding common ground in opposing his increasingly arbitrary rule, said Aykan Erdemir, who heads the Turkey program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank in Washington. Erdemir was alluding to the participation of pious Bogazici students in the protests. Belkis Sayin, a 20 year-old-psychology student, is among them. Sayin told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview, Faith is a very important part of my life. She said the reason she took part in the protests was because of the undemocratic manner in which the rector was appointed. Sayin continued, I was two years old when Erdogan came to power. I want to be a part of positive change. There are many pious students who think like I do. The voter pool is growing younger. Sayin comes from a family of AKP supporters. She, however, voted for the secular main opposition Republican People's Party when she cast her ballot for the first time in the 2018 parliamentary elections, she said. To contain this threat, Erdogan will be quick to criminalize the entire spectrum of protesters, Erdemir noted. To his disappointment, Erdogan is likely to discover that his polarization tactics are less effective to lure Turkeys pious youth, who just like their secular peers, bear the brunt of record-high youth unemployment and decline in purchasing power and are less amused by the symbolic triumphs political Islam offers, he added. That is not to say that Erdogan faces any real or immediate threat to his 18 years of uninterrupted rule. The protesters at Bogazici have neither the intention nor the means to threaten the government, said Sar. And for all the students' bravery, the intimidation is beginning to have an effect. Sayin said she had stopped taking part in the protests because to be honest, I have quite a bit of homework, and well, because, I am scared of going to jail. She added, I know many other students who share the same fears. BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The Walton Family Foundation today announced a new strategic plan for its next five-year grantmaking cycle. The plan reflects the foundation's mission to tackle tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to expand access to opportunity for people and communities. Working across its three, longstanding programmatic areas protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, improving K-12 education, and investing in the foundation's home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta the plan places a strong emphasis on supporting innovative and inclusive solutions that support individuals and organizations striving for change in their communities. "Today's challenges are more complex and interconnected than ever, and solutions require setting ambitious goals, bringing people with different ideas and backgrounds together, and developing innovative approaches," said Annie Proietti, board chair of the Walton Family Foundation. "As we work toward lasting change for tomorrow, we are committed to unlocking opportunity today and breaking down barriers that stand in the way." The five-year plan prioritizes three goals across the Walton Family Foundation: championing community-driven change to ensure the foundation's work reflects the voices and needs of communities in which it works; prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion in the grants the foundation makes and the voices it engages; collaborating with partners to develop innovative approaches that bring people, resources and ideas together from across government, local communities, and the private and philanthropic sectors. The Walton Family Foundation will provide more than $2 billion in philanthropic support over the next five years to achieve these goals. Caryl M. Stern, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation, said, "To create meaningful and positive change in the communities we serve, we must first listen to and learn from those closest to the complex challenges. That insight will empower breakthrough ideas that are the building blocks for the big system change we hope to achieve." ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM The Environment Program envisions North America as a leader in improving water quality and availability through climate-resilient approaches to agriculture, water resource management and sustainable fisheries. Over the next five years, the program will work toward this vision by supporting efforts to protect water resources in the face of climate change. Specific initiatives will: Drive Innovation : Working with on-the-ground partners to develop, test and drive the widespread use of innovative agricultural water resource and fisheries management practices. : Working with on-the-ground partners to develop, test and drive the widespread use of innovative agricultural water resource and fisheries management practices. Use Markets to Advance Sustainability : Supporting community leaders who are using market demand for sustainably produced products to improve agricultural practices and fisheries management. : Supporting community leaders who are using market demand for sustainably produced products to improve agricultural practices and fisheries management. Encourage Smart Policy: Elevating the voices of those most affected by water policies to bring their perspectives to bear in crafting policy solutions that strengthen environmental and economic outcomes in their communities. Elevating the voices of those most affected by water policies to bring their perspectives to bear in crafting policy solutions that strengthen environmental and economic outcomes in their communities. Engage & Empower Diverse Allies: Working with stakeholders from within and beyond the environmental field including expanded engagement with Communities of Color, who disproportionately experience the more severe impacts of climate change. K-12 EDUCATION PROGRAM The K-12 Education Program seeks to increase access to high-quality K-12 education that puts opportunity and a self-determined life in reach for every child, especially those most in need. Specific initiatives will: Increase Achievement & Opportunity : Supporting community-designed and community-driven educational change across the country. : Supporting community-designed and community-driven educational change across the country. Foster Diverse, Durable Coalitions : Building strong, diverse coalitions that advance policies so promising, community-demanded educational models can thrive. : Building strong, diverse coalitions that advance policies so promising, community-demanded educational models can thrive. Accelerate Breakthrough Innovation: Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators breaking down barriers to progress and developing new solutions to advance students' learning and growth. HOME REGION PROGRAM The Home Region Program honors the Walton family's shared values and commitment to Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta by supporting local efforts to create opportunity and enhance quality of life for all who call these communities home. The plan envisions Northwest Arkansas as one of the most vibrant and inclusive regions in the nation. Specific initiatives include: Advance Economic & Cultural Vibrancy: Supporting Northwest Arkansas' diverse and innovative regional economy, so small businesses and startups can flourish and world-class cultural and other opportunities are accessible to all. Supporting diverse and innovative regional economy, so small businesses and startups can flourish and world-class cultural and other opportunities are accessible to all. Foster Inclusive Growth & A Sense of Belonging: Working with a broad spectrum of local organizations to ensure everyone can fully participate in the region's economic and other opportunities, while also building meaningful connections across diverse communities to inspire a genuine and shared sense of belonging. Working with a broad spectrum of local organizations to ensure everyone can fully participate in the region's economic and other opportunities, while also building meaningful connections across diverse communities to inspire a genuine and shared sense of belonging. Support Community Leadership & Capacity-Building: Engaging and elevating the voices of a diverse array of local leaders and supporting organizations working most closely with the community. The foundation's work in the Delta will focus over the next year on gaining a deeper understanding of how to support community-driven change most effectively. The next 12 months will offer opportunities for learning from community partners and exploring how to best support their work helping ensure residents have equitable access to resources and opportunities. Areas of exploration include education and youth engagement, economic asset building for individuals and families, and coalition building to maximize impact. About the Walton Family Foundation The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. In 2019, the foundation awarded more than $525 million in grants in support of these initiatives. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . SOURCE Walton Family Foundation The damage bill for a Halloween hailstorm that struck Springfield and several other Ipswich suburbs is now almost $805 million, and residents are calling for a senior Queensland government minister to oversee the recovery. Large hail and rain battered 1795 properties at Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Rosewood, Greenbank and Boronia Heights when a severe storm cell ripped through on October 31. The Springfield Lakes home of Lee Clarks family after the Halloween hailstorm on October 31, 2020. In some sections of higher streets at Springfield Lakes along Highland Crescent and Summit Drive two in every five homes is damaged. Cracked roofing tiles are exposed under temporary, lashed-down tarpaulins, which in some occasions have been retied four times. The landslide win by TMC in the West Bengal elections unarguably proves that Mamata Banerjee has rightfully earned her position to be in power for the third term after fighting and winning the battle of her life, what can easily be termed as the most difficult poll of her political career. This fighter woman singlehandedly fought against the formidable and battle-hardened election armies of the BJP that was personally led by the mighty Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and their entourage. She may have lost Nandigram but has won Bengal. Didi has shown us that her leg may be broken but her determination and fighting spirit isnt. The BJP may argue that they have substantially risen from a mere 3-4 assembly seats in 2016 to 75+ in 2021 which is a win in itself. No doubt its creditable but lets recall the election images. Mamata Banerjee on a wheelchair fighting against the entire machinery of BJP put on grounds being spearheaded by the PM himself. In hindsight, its only natural to deduce that the BJP certainly wasnt so invested in the state election to become a runner-up. It most definitely is a huge set-back for the BJP. It also raises questions if the Prime Minister and Home Minister should have been so personally invested in the state elections when the country is fighting the biggest medical emergency that has engulfed the entire nation. The question to them would be was it justified? The result of the election also sends a message that BJP has been halted in its skated objective of making Bharat an opposition-mukt Bharat. TMC alongside others may be on their way to form a national nucleus to combat the BJP which is the need of the hour given the fact that a healthy democracy can only exist with the presence of a strong opposition. The election results also leave us to ponder upon the fact that Hindutva has its own limits. While the BJP put everything into this election including its autocratic central power, it failed to polarize the state. It failed to divide the state on religious lines. On the contrary, the people of Bengal have voted quite tactically making sure the minority votes werent divided. Although a lot was said in the heat and dust of the elections and this election can be termed as one of the most bitterly fought elections, the results somehow are a reflection of what Bengal really stands for. Its a state inspired by art, culture, literature, sports but certainly not religious divide. Its worthwhile to remember the famous lines penned by Shri Rabindranath Tagore himself Bangalir pran Bangalir mon Bangalir ghare joto bhai bon ek hok ek hok hain Bhagavan. The war cry of the TMC Khela Hobe should now turn into a victory cry Khela Jeete Gachhe Now that TMC under the sole leadership of Mamata Banerjee and political strategy of Prashant Kishore (I-PAC) has emerged victorious, scripting a spectacular win, one mustnt forget that it needs to create a new narrative of governance going forward. It has to bring an end to the cut-money culture, take on its own goons and syndicates and better manage the national pandemic and environmental disasters. They must remember that this election has come at a huge cost, at the cost of lives. Only then will TMC not fail its people and their trust, and be on its way to be truly a party that may have future national imprints and ramifications. Priyam Prasad, Sales & Social Media Enthusiast, Lifestyle Writer Instagram: www.instagram.com/thatpisceangirl Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) Starting today, fans of vivos Y series of mid-range phones can now purchase its newest handset that ticks all boxes on productivity, gaming, and versatility vivo Y31. Vivo Y31 packs a longer battery life, functions seamlessly among several apps with a high-performance processor, and takes photos and videos in stunning detail even at night. It is now available in the retail market for P12,999. Those who will be getting vivo Y31 from February 6-12 will also receive exclusive freebies that include a 10,000mAh power bank and a pair of high-quality bluetooth earphones, together worth P3,899. The vivo Y31 packs a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.79 aperture on the rear. It is fine-tuned with a second 2-megapixel bokeh camera and a third 2-megapixel macro camera, well complemented by an 8-megapixel camera on the front for finer selfies. It is also powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supported by a proprietary fast charging which are perfect for all-day fun. The smartphone that can deliver all-day performance, the vivo Y31, is finally here! Now, you can enjoy a smartphone that has a longer run time, functions seamlessly among several apps, and takes photos and videos in stunning detail at night. The vivo Y31 is available beginning Feb. 6, for only P12,999. That non-stop gadget action is matched with an ultra-reliable processor. Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset(11nm). It is an octa-core processor with a clock speed of 2.0 GHz along with an Adreno 610 GPU that allows for a lag-free, multi-tasking between apps. The dual-sim device runs on FuntouchOS 11 based on Android 11. To top it off, it stands out in accessibility with its side-mounted fingerprint scanner technology. Storage is not a problem as well for the vivo Y31 as it is supported by an 8GB and 128GB RAM/ROM storing capacity. The new handset assures reliable safekeeping of your fun memories and creative works. Vivo Y31 users might also find its sleek 8.36mm slim and light form enticing. The phone comes in two stylish colors: Racing Black and Ocean Blue. These specs and features put together a remarkable device that favors everything that this generation is aboutcreative, productive, and loves to be entertained. Get your hands on the latest vivo Y31 in all vivo stores and kiosks nationwide. For more details on the vivo Y31, visit www.vivo.com/ph and follow vivo Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit the official vivo store on Shopee and Lazada. JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today celebrated its five-year anniversary of being established in the United States in 2016. MTPA has followed an unwavering patient-first philosophy focused on advancing innovative treatments for people facing serious and life-threatening diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "Having personally been a part of the MTPA journey from the beginning, I am humbled by what we have achieved as one team, with one mission: helping patients," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "We have accomplished many things in the first five years working together to serve the ALS community, and we look forward to seeing the journey ahead over the next five years as we continue to expand our product pipeline and strengthen our support of people who suffer from ALS and other debilitating conditions." In 2017, MTPA launched RADICAVA (edaravone), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with ALS. Since RADICAVA became available in August 2017, more than 5,500 patients have been treated in the U.S. and approximately 1,500 healthcare providers have prescribed the therapy to one or more of their patients.1 In March 2018, MTPA established a subsidiary, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA), which introduced RADICAVA in Canada in November 2019. "We deeply appreciate MTPA's commitment to supporting patients with ALS, their families, and caregivers," said Donald S. Wood, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. "MDA agrees with MTPA that 'One scientific breakthrough can change countless lives.' We look forward to working toward the same goals and hope to achieve many scientific advancements in the years to come." Recent MTPA initiatives to support the ALS community include: A licensing and supply deal for the U.S. rights to commercialize EXSERVAN (riluzole), an oral film formulation of riluzole for the treatment of ALS. As a result of the deal, MTPA will be the only company in the U.S. with two FDA-approved ALS treatments. (riluzole), an oral film formulation of riluzole for the treatment of ALS. As a result of the deal, MTPA will be the only company in the U.S. with two FDA-approved ALS treatments. Revised REFINE-ALS biomarker study protocol to address the safety concerns of people with ALS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes give patients the ability to consent to participate virtually, with the option to utilize telemedicine and home health agencies in lieu of in-clinic visits. The study is designed to identify and measure specific biomarkers and clinical assessments in people with ALS in the U.S. who are treated with RADICAVA. Enhanced the Searchlight Support Out-of-Pocket Assistance Program. The updates enable more efficient communication and exchange of information, including a new "hybrid" card that can be used to help access appropriate pharmacy and medical co-pay assistance for eligible patients with commercial insurance. Out-of-Pocket Assistance Program. The updates enable more efficient communication and exchange of information, including a new "hybrid" card that can be used to help access appropriate pharmacy and medical co-pay assistance for eligible patients with commercial insurance. Established the RADICAVA JourneyMate TM program, which is designed to connect people with ALS and their families to live educational support, which can help answer questions about RADICAVA and ALS. JourneyMate program, which is designed to connect people with ALS and their families to live educational support, which can help answer questions about RADICAVA and ALS. The ALS Care Locator online tool continues to be expanded, and now has more than 1,047 infusion centers listed. Initiated clinical study exploring daily dosing of an investigational oral formulation of edaravone (MT-1186). The study, sponsored by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Inc. (MTDA), is the postmarketing commitment following the U.S. FDA approval of RADICAVA IV. About RADICAVA (edaravone) IV The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) IV on May 5, 2017 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).2 Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone IV was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. Marketing authorization was granted in Canada in October 2018 and Switzerland in January 2019. INDICATION RADICAVA is indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have asthma. are allergic to other medicines. are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA? RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished. RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma). Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects. The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com. About EXSERVAN (riluzole oral film) EXSERVAN, an oral film formulation of riluzole, was developed by Aquestive Therapeutics using its PharmFilm innovative drug delivery technology. The oral film is placed on the patient's tongue and quickly dissolves without the need for liquids or food. RILUTEK (riluzole) tablets was the reference product during the oral film development. Oral film riluzole was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2019. INDICATION EXSERVAN is indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use if you are allergic to riluzole or to any of its ingredients. Before using EXSERVAN, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take and all your health conditions, including if you: Have hepatic (liver) impairment. Are taking strong or moderate CYP1A2 inhibitors such as ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fluvoxamine, methoxsalen, mexiletine, oral contraceptives, thiabendazole, vemurafenib, zileuton. Are pregnant or intend to become pregnant during EXSERVAN therapy, or if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed during EXSERVAN therapy. EXSERVAN can cause serious side effects, including: Hepatic Injury: Cases of drug-induced liver injury, some fatal, have been reported in patients taking riluzole. Consult your healthcare provider promptly if you experience unexplained nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, or jaundice and/or dark urine. Cases of drug-induced liver injury, some fatal, have been reported in patients taking riluzole. Consult your healthcare provider promptly if you experience unexplained nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, or jaundice and/or dark urine. Neutropenia: Tell your healthcare provider if you develop a fever while taking EXSERVAN. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop a fever while taking EXSERVAN. Interstitial Lung Disease: Tell your healthcare provider if you have respiratory symptoms such as dry cough and difficult or labored breathing. Discontinue EXSERVAN immediately if interstitial lung disease develops. The most common side effects include oral hypoesthesia, asthenia, nausea, decreased lung function, hypertension, and abdominal pain. These are not all the possible side effects of EXSERVAN. Consult your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects and if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Use EXSERVAN as prescribed. The recommended dosage for EXSERVAN is 50 mg taken orally twice daily at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Place EXSERVAN oral film strip on the top of the tongue where it will adhere and dissolve. Do not cut or split the film or take liquids with EXSERVAN. Do not chew, spit, or talk while EXSERVAN is dissolving. For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please click here. About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company with one of the longest histories of pharmaceutical companies in Japan.3 In accordance with the corporate philosophy of "contributing to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals," the Company formulated the key concept of Open Up the Future under the Medium-Term Management Plan 2016-2020. Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas immune-inflammation diseases, diabetes and kidney, central nervous system, and vaccines Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA and MTDA. For more information, go to https://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e/. Media inquiries: Debbie Etchison 908-340-8578 [email protected] 1 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America Inc., Data on File as of January 2021. Based on internal data not independently verified. 2 RADICAVA U.S. Prescribing Information. August 2018. 3 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD. SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Related Links https://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e New Delhi, Feb 8 : India and Bangladesh will look at ways to jointly enhance productivity in the agriculture sector with forward and backward integration in the field. The two countries could also look at expanding trade in the sector and leverage each others strength. Sources said that preliminary work has started and the focus would be on the north east states. "Some work has started on India Bangladesh jointly working in the agriculture and agro-products sectors. The area where the two countries can collaborate is the north east," an insider said. Agriculture is one of the primary sectors with significant socio-economic implications as about 60 per cent of the population is engaged in the sector, which is also dependent on climatic conditions. "This is an area where we both should work with greater synergies and collaboration. Agriculture can have game-changing potential between our two countries. Bilateral cooperation in this sector can pave the way to overcome the current economic challenges. Agriculture sector has huge socio-economic dimensions," Piyush Goyal, Minister, Commerce & Industry, consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, earlier said. India and Bangladesh have faced similar challenges in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has left many jobless while thousands of migrant labourers have been forced to return to the agriculture. Besides, both countries due to their proximity also face similar climatic challenges such as floods and cyclones. According to AgNews, a digital magazine with a focus on agriculture, there is need for deepening bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh which already enjoy "close diplomatic relation and porous land border" on improving productivity in the farm sector. "The economic shutdown is hampering movement of products between the two countries and affecting farmers of the countries. With the opening up of the land ports, reviving the marketplaces along the borders of Bangladesh and North East India, can strengthen business-to-business communication. Hence, the enhanced cooperation will help farmers of both countries to market their agricultural products. This kind of cooperation can benefit farmers of both countries, increase regional trade and assist in export earning," it noted. Sources said that there is a great degree of political willingness to expand co-operation in this critical area. "The most important point is political willingness and that is there from both sides, so it is important to press the pedal as agriculture has the ability to push economic growth and generate employment," a person familar with the development said. While there are several issues including the contentious water sharing pact which are yet to be resolved, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina have chartered a new course in bilateral relations between the two countries. The two countries have already decided to improve connectivity. In December, rail connectivity between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh was resumed after almost 55 years. The two countries are now work out the modalities to open up a bus route between Dhaka and Siliguri. The route is expected to be opened this year. India is also looking at fast-tracking the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India Nepal (BBIN) initiative which will boost connectivity among the South Asian neighbours through rail and road. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) Michael B. Jordan said he would be willing to return for Black Panther 2 while appearing on Good Morning America on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT Jordan portrayed the villainous Erik Killmonger in the first Black Panther film. How the sequel will pan out is in question following the death of lead star Chadwick Boseman at the age of 43 in August. Black Panther 2 is scheduled to be released on July 8, 2022. Ryan Coogler is returning to direct. "I can't say too much about that one honestly. With the year that we've had and the loss of a dear friend, they were figuring out whatever they need to do and what was best for the franchise," Jordan said. "But you know they're family so if I ever have the opportunity to get back into that franchise, I would," he continued. Jordan recently celebrated on Instagram Boseman earning four posthumous Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for is performances in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods. Jordan starred in a Super Bowl LV ad for Amazon's Alexa where he became new vessel for the home device. The commercial played up Jordan's looks after the actor was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2020. "Everything timed out perfectly with the Sexiest Man Alive title so I figure I'd put that to use a little bit and we came up with a way to make that work," Jordan told GMA about the ad. YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmars new military rulers on Monday signalled their intention to crack down on opponents of their takeover, issuing decrees that effectively banned peaceful public protests in the countrys two biggest cities. Protesters hold posters with an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi as they march in Yangon, Myanmar on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Tension in the confrontations between the authorities and demonstrators against last week's coup in Myanmar boiled over Monday, as police fired a water cannon at peaceful protesters in the capital Naypyitaw. (AP Photo) YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmars new military rulers on Monday signalled their intention to crack down on opponents of their takeover, issuing decrees that effectively banned peaceful public protests in the countrys two biggest cities. The restrictions were ordered after police fired water cannons at hundreds of protesters in the capital, Naypyitaw, who were demanding the military hand power back to elected officials. It was just one of many demonstrations around the country. Rallies and gatherings of more than five people, along with motorized processions, were banned, and an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew was imposed for areas of Yangon and Mandalay, the countrys first- and second-biggest cities, where thousands of people have been demonstrating since Saturday. Protesters in Yangon rallied Monday at a major downtown intersection raising three-finger salutes that are symbols of resistance and carrying placards saying, "Reject the military coup" and "Justice for Myanmar." There were also demonstrations in towns in the north, southeast and east of the country. A protester waves a Myanmar flag during protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Tension in the confrontations between the authorities and demonstrators against last week's coup in Myanmar boiled over Monday, as police fired a water cannon at peaceful protesters in the capital Naypyitaw. (AP Photo) The decrees enabling the new restrictive measures were issued on a township-by-township basis, and were expected to be extended to other areas as well. They say they were issued in response to people carrying out unlawful actions that harm the rule of law, a reference to the protests. The growing defiance was striking in a country where past demonstrations have been met with deadly force. That resistance was happening in Naypyitaw, whose population includes many civil servants and their families, spoke to the level of anger among people who had only begun to taste democracy in recent years after five decades of military rule. "We do not want the military junta," said Daw Moe, a protester in Yangon. "We never ever wanted this junta. Nobody wants it. All the people are ready to fight them." In this handout satellite photo provided by Maxar, large crowds take part in protests following last week's military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Myanmars military government has imposed a curfew and bans on gatherings of more than five people in the countrys two biggest cities as protests against its coup show no sign of abating. (Maxar via AP) The coup came the day newly elected lawmakers were supposed to take their seats in Parliament after November elections. The generals have said that vote was marred by fraud though the countrys election commission has dismissed that claim. State media for the first time on Monday made reference to the protests, claiming they were endangering the countrys stability. "Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline," declared a statement from the Ministry of Information, read on state television station MRTV. "We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law." In this image taken from a video aired on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing speaks in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. In his first speech to the nation after grabbing power a week ago, Myanmars military chief blamed politicians and the election commission for forcing him to stage the coup detat. (Myawaddy TV via AP) However, the military commander who led the coup and is now Myanmars leader made no mention of the unrest in a 20-minute televised speech Monday night, his first to the public since the takeover. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing instead repeated the claims about voting fraud that have been the justification for the militarys takeover, allegations that were refuted by the state election commission. He added that his junta would hold new elections as promised in a year and hand over power to the winners, and explained the juntas intended policies for COVID-19 control and the economy. The growing protests recall previous movements in the Southeast Asian countrys long and bloody struggle for democracy. On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters rallied at Yangons Sule Pagoda, which was a focal point of demonstrations against military rule during a massive 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks. The military used deadly force to end both of those uprisings. Aside from a few officers, soldiers have not been in the streets at protests this past week. Photos of the standoff in Naypyitaw on Monday showed a vast crowd of protesters hemmed in on several sides by large numbers of police and police vehicles. Officers there trained a water cannon on the crowd, which was gathered near a giant statue of Aung San, who led the countrys 1940s fight for independence from Britain and is the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader who was deposed by last weeks takeover. Suu Kyi who became an international symbol of the countrys fight for freedom while detained in her home for 15 years and earned the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts is now back under house arrest. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent watchdog group, says 165 people, mostly politicians, had been detained since the Feb. 1 coup, with just 13 released. One foreigner has been confirmed held by the authorities, Sean Turnell, an economist at Australias Macquarie University who was an adviser to Suu Kyis government. He was detained Saturday under unclear circumstances. A statement from the office of Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said he was being provided with consular support and described him as "a highly regarded adviser, member of the academic community" who should immediately be released. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, speaks at the meeting of the Executive Council of Ministers of African Union (file photo). Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat has been re-elected chairperson of the African Union Commission, getting an endorsement from nearly all voting members of the continental bloc. The vote, decided on Saturday evening, saw Mr Faki elected unopposed, something that had always been expected after the AU said he was the only contender. He got 51 votes out of 55 with three abstentions and one other member being ineligible to vote. Faki's victory is the highest in the African Union's history and he got 15 more votes that he did last time, even though this vote only went through one round. He will be deputised by Rwandan banker, Dr Monique Nsanzabagwana, who was until Saturday the deputy governor of the Rwandan central bank. Her election went through rounds that were mostly an East African affair. She defeated Uganda's Prof Pamela Mbabazi and Djibouti's Hasna Bakarak Daoud. New gender rules Under the new rules of governance engineered by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, a chairperson and deputy cannot be of the same gender so it was always expected that Faki's unrivalled run will see him have a female deputy. Dr Nsanzabagwana will replace Ghana's Quartey Thomas Kwesi, who chose not to contest the seat for a second term. Others in this race for deputy included Gambia's Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang and Ghana's Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee. They fell by the way side. The African Union Commission, the secretariat of the continental body, is currently composed of the chairperson, deputy chairperson and eight commissioners. The new reform agenda proposes, among others, the reduction of the executive positions to the chair, deputy and six commissioners, from 2021. The vote for commissioners is expected to be completed by Sunday and a new team announced promptly. On Saturday evening, African Union chairperson, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, said Faki had had a "solid" management of the continental body's secretariat, especially after he rallied member states to agree on a Covid-19 response plan. "I appreciate the solid partnership in steering the AU in the past year. You demonstrated focused and strong leadership in addressing the health and economic challenges wrought by Covid-19, and I wish you all the best during this new term," Ramaphosa said in a statement. Tshisekedi takes over The South African leader handed over power to President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who will now be chairperson of the African Union for the next one year. "As we hand over the baton to the DRC, we are determined to continue working with President Tshisekedi to ensure that Africa becomes an integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of African renaissance," Ramaphosa said earlier in his speech to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. Faki himself said he had been "humbled" by the number of votes that significantly increases his confidence level. The vote occurred at the 34th Ordinary Summit of the AU, an annual ritual that often happens every start of the year. This time, it is happening virtually as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions. End conflicts Under Faki, the AU had promised to end conflicts by 2020 pursue integration on the continent and help develop infrastructure. But Faki admitted "emerging threats" had meant that the continent failed in its targets, even though he cited the launching of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCTA), peace deals in Sudan and South Sudan, peace efforts in the Central Africa Republic and the rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea as some of the successes. "The year 2020 was initially scheduled as a cut-off year to silence the guns on the continent, the year from which democratic peace would function as a powerful lever for justice and socio-economic development. Looking at the state of affairs, I note that we have moved only half way," Faki told the foreign ministers during a virtual sitting of an organ called the African Union Executive Council, the second highest organ of the African Union. Faki named the rise of violent extremism, religious radicalism, post-electoral conflicts, recurrent attacks by terrorist groups, "the violent awakening of communitarianism and various socio-political expressions of the public governance deficit" as challenges member states "must take up to place the continent on the irreversible trajectory of political modernity". This week, Faki and his commissioners launched a report, 'Taking Stock, Charting the Future', an accountability statement of the African Union Commission and who were elected in February 2017. Upgrade early warning system The officials said the continental sorely needs to upgrade its early warning system, which it argues will help stop the fighting before it begins. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Chad Governance International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Silencing the guns will require enhancing state-society relations and addressing structural causes and triggers of conflict and emerging threats in a sustained manner and should therefore become a rallying call for the union beyond the current term of this Commission," the Report published on Tuesday said. One of the conflicts they cited was one in Tigray, Ethiopia, saying it reflected a weakness on the AU's early warning system. They said there was a "need to invest in structural conflict prevention, political dialogue, mediation and post-conflict reconstruction and development". "Several member states continue to endure humanitarian challenges that are either conflict induced or as a result of natural disasters. The recent conflict in Ethiopia brings to the fore the need for member states and the union to invest in early warning and early response as well as conflict prevention efforts to avert humanitarian disasters," the report launched ahead of AU elections next week said. "The union should work to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts through dialogue, mediation and respect for the rule of law and human rights. Within 15 hours, engineers of Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital set up a 300-bed field hospital in the northern province of Dien Bien. The hospital was basically completed at 10am on February 7, said Dr Dao Xuan Co, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital. Six experienced engineers of Bach Mai Hospital worked overnight to finish setting up this hospital. The field hospital in Dien Bien has 300 beds, including 30 specialized beds for intensive recovery. As the shops selling medical materials and equipment in Dien Bien were closed due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the staff of Bach Mai Hospital had to transport everything, even small screws, from Hanoi to Dien Bien. Bach Mai Hospital has fully prepared medical equipment such as compressed air cylinders, oxygen tanks, ECMO systems, dialysis systems... for the field hospitals operation. Experts of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, Department of Preventive Health, Bach Mai Hospital, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology are divided into groups to implement other professional tasks, on-the-job training, and field survey. Previously, Bach Mai Hospital assisted Hai Duong to set up field hospital No. 2 at Hai Duong Medical Technical University within 22 hours. On February 5, Dien Bien province recorded three Covid-19 cases, becoming the 11th epidemic-hit province in the country. On the same morning, the Minister of Health sent an elite team to Dien Bien to support the fight against the epidemic. Dien Bien has not had experience in tracing and treating Covid-19. The province's testing capacity is only 200 samples per day. By February 6, the Ministry of Health sent 30 medical experts in the fields of prevention, treatment and testing to Dien Bien. The three patients in Dien Bien are under stable conditions. Six experienced engineers of Bach Mai Hospital worked overnight to finish setting up this hospital. Thuy Hanh Three COVID-19 treatment hospitals set up in Hai Duong province Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long on January 28 asked relevant units to establish three COVID-19 treatment hospitals in Hai Duong province, where 73 community infection cases were confirmed over the past two days. New Delhi: Special task force on Sunday (February 7) made another arrest in relation to the January 26 Red Fort violence, which broke out during the farmers protest. Police arrested the accused Sukhdev Singh, who had Rs. 50,000 reward on his head, from Chandigarh after a 100 km chase. As per the reports, Delhi police was trying to trace the accused for the past ten days. Earlier, the police had to face two failed attempts to arrest the accused, the first attempt was made at his residence in Karnal, Haryana and another was following a tip from Chandigarh. But days later, following another tip-off the special task force learned that the accused's latest location was near Centra Mall, Chandigarh, where the arrest was made. Sukhdev Singh has been brought to the Delhi Police Crime Branch and will be presented before the court on Monday (February 8). As per the authorities, 38 FIRs have been registered and over 126 people have been arrested in relation to the Republic Days Red Fort violence. Additionally, the police have collected over 70 pictures of the potential suspects and are digging for more information on them. The authorities are also, repeatedly, going through the photos and videos taken during the violence for more leads. Live TV Advertisement Ursula von der Leyen has taken a barbed swipe at Boris Johnson over his 'space race' approach to vaccines as she faces a huge backlash over the EU shambles. The European Commission president complained that some countries saw the drive to inoculate populations as a Cold War style 'confrontation'. The comments, as she addressed students attending the online Warwick Economics Summit, follow bitter clashes between the bloc and Britain over supplies. Meanwhile, German minister Peter Altmeier has dismissed comparisons with the UK's faster rollout, saying Mr Johnson's handling of the crisis had resulted in a higher death rate and 'endless suffering to tens of thousands of families'. The UK hit another vaccination milestone yesterday, with 12million people having been given jabs. However, there are rising concerns today that mutant coronavirus strains could derail the huge push - with research suggesting the AstraZeneca jab is less effective against the South African variant. Asked on a visit to Derbyshire if the lockdown timetable could be delayed by the worrying news, the PM said: 'We are very confident in all the vaccines that we are using. 'I think it is important for people to bear in mind that all of them we think are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death which is the important thing.' In other developments in the pandemic today: The UK is on course to hit its target of vaccinating the 14.5million most vulnerable days before the February 15 target date, with 450,000 being jabbed every day; But Storm Darcy is bringing chaos with up to a foot of snowfall and 50mph winds causing crashes, rail cancellations and vaccination centre closures; A top immunologist at Imperial College London said the UK 'can still win' the fight against Covid because there will only be a 'finite' number of worrying variants; Illegal immigrants will be granted an 'amnesty' to come forward for Covid jabs amid concerns they ; Bosses who demand their staff get the coronavirus vaccine in order to work would not be breaking the law, ministers believe, amid fears employees could be forced into mandatory vaccination; Details of the UK's hotel quarantine scheme will finally be announced 'in the coming days' as scientists suggest GPS could be used to help ensure compliance from arrivals; South Africa will suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with Oxford's jab amid fears it does not work as well against the variant that emerged there; UK ministers have made clear they are looking at extending the school year in England amid fears the most vulnerable children have fallen further behind. Ursula von der Leyen has taken a barbed swipe at Boris Johnson over his 'space race' approach to vaccines as she faces a huge backlash over the EU shambles Mr Johnson (pictured last week) has been careful not to gloat over the UK's faster rollout than the EU Ms von der Leyen conceded last week that the UK had been able to act like a 'speedboat' compared to the EU's 'tanker' in securing jabs. And speaking to the summit on Saturday she said: 'When I was your age the world was still divided into two blocs. 'The superpowers fought to expand or maintain their sphere of influence. This world is long gone... yet the old confrontational mindset is back.' Following her humiliatingly-abandoned threat to block exports to the UK after AstraZeneca faced production problems in Belgium, she said: 'Think of Covid-19 vaccines. 'Some countries view the search for a vaccine as a race among world powers, like the race for space in the 1960s.' She added: 'This is not a competition between Europeans, Russians, Chinese and Americans this is too serious.' Meanwhile, German economy minister Peter Altmeier - an ally of Angela Merkel - rejected criticism that it has a vaccination rate of just 3.7 per cent. 'I don't want to compare with Great Britain,' he said. 'Their number of infections is far too high to this day. The death rate is significantly higher than ours. 'This has brought endless suffering to tens of thousands of families. So far we have come through the crisis much better in Germany.' No10 has deployed extra testing into 11 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community The three Covid variants causing international alarm emerged in Britain, South Africa and Brazil German economy minister Peter Altmeier - an ally of Angela Merkel - rejected criticism that it has a vaccination rate of just 3.7 per cent 'Hotel quarantine' plan will finally be unveiled in the 'coming days' amid rising fears over South African variant Scientists have floated GPS tracking of phones to help secure UK borders amid rising fears over importing Covid variants - as ministers said details of the 'quarantine hotels' plan will finally be revealed in the 'coming days'. SAGE experts cited the option as a way of increasing compliance with isolation, with fears many are simply ignoring the rules once they get to Britain. The new quarantine system is not expected to be up and running until February 15, despite being announced three weeks ago, as concerns run high over the threat from mutant strains and whether they could delay lockdown being eased. Preliminary research has suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine might only reduce severe illness from the South African version, rather than blocking it altogether. South Africa has suspended rollout of the jabs until the situation becomes clearer. In a round of interviews this morning, health minister Edward Argar offered reassurance about the effectiveness of the vaccine. He stressed that the 'dominant strains in the UK currently are not the South African strain', with 'only a small number of cases of that'. He told Sky News: 'There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation, severe illness and death, which is ultimately what we're seeking with these vaccines.' But Mr Argar refused to give a firm timetable for when Matt Hancock will announce the details of the 'hotel quarantines' plan, which had been promised last week, merely saying it will be 'in the coming days'. Advertisement A SAGE expert warned today that the UK could face lockdown restrictions for longer if the South African Covid variant becomes more widespread. A study yesterday found the Oxford University jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert at Warwick University and member of SAGE, said the finding could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we can't get on top of this.' Despite the concerning new finding, UK ministers have urged Brits to keep faith in the British-made vaccine, saying there is 'no evidence' it will not block severe disease. Mr Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of Covid jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. The comments were echoed by vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi last night, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the vaccines. Government sources insisted had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out Boris Johnson had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in Britain, but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community. Officials will analyse every positive result produced in postcodes in London, Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Lancashire, Worcester and Walsall in the West Midlands, to prevent the strain from becoming widespread. One of South Africa's top infectious disease experts said today the Oxford jab should still protect against severe disease. Professor Salim Abdool Karim, head of the country's Covid response unit, pointed to the trial of Johnson and Johnson's jab, which uses the same technology as Oxford's and was shown to be 100 per cent effective at stopping Covid hospitalisations and deaths. Mr Argar said this morning there was 'no evidence' that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is not effective at preventing severe illness from coronavirus. He told Sky News: 'There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation, severe illness and death, which is ultimately what we're seeking with these vaccines.' South Africa suspends rollout of Oxford jab South Africa will suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the drug failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. Africa's hardest-hit nation was due to start its campaign in the coming days with a million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. The suspension marks an important setback for the country, but officials said vaccine deliveries from other producers would soon be available and allow the campaign to move forward. 'It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters during a virtual press conference. Advertisement The minister noted that the 'dominant strains in this country are not the South African strain', with 'only a small number of cases of that'. Meanwhile, despite the fast progress there are questions over whether the UK's vaccine rollout could be disrupted by Storm Darcy. Most of England and Scotland is now covered in snow, with temperatures plunging as low as -7C in Scotland as a 'bitterly cold' weather system swept in from Ukraine and the Black Sea. Three of East Anglia's largest vaccination centres remained closed due to the snow today, after initially shutting their doors on Sunday. A yellow snow warning is in place across the eastern half of the UK from first thing today until midnight on Wednesday, running from the south coast near Brighton up to the Shetlands off northern Scotland. A more serious amber warning is in place for Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk and a small part of south-east London, where forecasters are warning of power cuts. This will last until midday today. Rail services have also been disrupted, with Southeastern advising passengers not to travel and Greater Anglia expecting disruption until midday. In Norfolk alone, around 350 schools are closed because of the snow and ice, after sub-zero temperatures created perilous conditions on roads. The Met Office says snow falls of up to 10cm (3.9in) will be widespread in the amber areas, increasing up to 30cm (11.8in). The heaviest snow is expected to be today before easing slightly tomorrow and Wednesday. Unions push back at plan to extend school summer term by TWO WEEKS as Boris Johnson vows to go 'flat out' to help children catch up after Covid Unions were today pushing back at plans to extend the school year in England as Boris Johnson vowed to go 'flat out' to help children catch up. The PM said getting pupils' learning on track was the government's 'single biggest priority' amid fears the most vulnerable have fallen even further behind during the pandemic. The comments came after it emerged ministers are looking at continuing the summer term for another two weeks, with the holiday time redistributed to existing breaks in the autumn and winter. Study during the warmer months could be easier as windows and doors can be kept open in school buildings to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. A new study has found that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds found remote learning significantly more difficult than other students last year. However, unions have signalled they will oppose the changes, insisting parents are 'craving getting back to normal'. On a visit to a vaccination centre in Derbyshire this afternoon, Mr Johnson said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be announcing a full catch-up blueprint soon. 'We have got to work flat out now as a country as a society to remedy the loss of learning that we have had,' he said. The extension is being considered as No10 insisted that the worrying news about the AstraZeneca being less effective against the South African variant had not changed plans to get children back in classrooms from March 8. Many schools across England are due to break up for the summer holidays on Friday July 23. A two-week extension would therefore see pupils continuing to attend class during the first week of August. The government is looking at continuing the summer term for another two weeks, with the holiday time redistributed to existing breaks in the autumn and winter (file picture) Unions accused of 'highjacking' pandemic to push for pay rises Britain's biggest teaching union has been accused of 'hijacking' the coronavirus crisis to push for pay rises and long-term perks while the educations of millions of children are shipwrecked. The National Education Union (NEU) is including pay increases in 'key demands' and bosses have called for any reduction in class sizes to be 'long-term' - not just for social distancing during the pandemic. Union leaders congratulated their members for getting schools closed down, claiming it was their threats to not turn up to class which led to Prime Minister Boris Johnson shutting schools in England in January. The NEU came under fire from furious Tory backbenchers after a 'gloating' email from the union to its 500,000 members was leaked which told them 'You did it!' as the third national lockdown was announced. The union, which has described the pandemic as a 'turning point' in relations between teachers and Downing Street, has thwarted every proposal by the government to get children back into classrooms. Now it has set out 'key demands for all workplaces' in a five-point 'Covid bulletin' to reps which calls for a 'permanent' and 'automatic' pay rise, an end to work assessments during the coronavirus crisis, risk assessments, and extra time to plan, prepare and assess students' work. Advertisement Asked on a round of interviews this morning whether ministers are considering making the summer term longer, health minister Edward Argar told BBC Breakfast: 'It's quite right that Gavin (Williamson, the Education Secretary) is looking at a whole range of things to see how we can make sure the impact on them is minimised to the extent that's possible. 'But it would be premature for me to comment on what may or may not be what he does announce.' Boris Johnson has said schools across England will not reopen until March 8 at the earliest. The Prime Minister has said he will publish a lockdown exit strategy later this month amid mounting pressure from Tory MPs to bring forward a return to classrooms. Changing the school year is one of a number of options reportedly being looked at by Number 10 as the Government develops its plans to help students catch up on lost time. Government sources made clear that no decisions have been taken at this stage. But there are reports the two weeks of lost summer holidays could be added to the autumn half-term and the Christmas holidays. Extending those holidays would also provide a longer so-called 'fire break' in the colder months, providing more time for infections to fall. As the policy work continues, resarch by non-profit body ImpactEd again highlighted the damage to the prospects of children. Its study monitored 62,000 pupils in England through eight months of 2020 to assess the effect of online schooling during the pandemic. Their report, Lockdown Lessons, found that among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds those at schools eligible for the Government's Pupil Premium grant only 45 per cent said they understood their schoolwork in lockdown, compared with 57% among other students. The survey assessed pupils using a range of measures including their home learning environment, their metacognitive strategies and their learning habits, in order to determine a 'Covid-19 Learning Index'. It found pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds gave their home environment a 6% lower score than other students and reported lower scores on metacognition, leading to a sharply lower Covid-19 Learning Index score of 3.21 compared with 3.35 from non-disadvantaged pupils. 'Across all of these learning measures, and those associated with wellbeing, students eligible for Pupil Premium reported worse than average outcomes,' the report said, adding disadvantaged students had also scored 5 per cent lower on questions about their resilience. The report's authors recommended that 'post-lockdown support should be carefully evaluated to ensure that pupils who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are benefiting'. 'If interventions are not having the desired effect, they should be stopped,' the report said. The survey also found pupil wellbeing overall across the first period of lockdown was perhaps not as adversely affected as feared. Using a 35-point scale, the average score for wellbeing was 23.8 in May, 24.1 in June, and 24.0 in July, compared with a pre-lockdown score of 23.6. Pupils in years 10 and 11 reported the greatest challenges with motivation, the survey said, a condition which did not improve after lockdown. Mumbai, Feb 8 : A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's verbal assault on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena on Monday hit back, charging the Bharatiya Janata Party of using its ex-ally as "a ladder" to ascend in state politics. At a function in Sindhudurg on Sunday, Shah had virtually labelled Thackeray a liar, saying the BJP had never assured the Maharashtra CM's post by rotation to the Sena after the October 2019 Assembly elections. Countering this, the Sena's Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant on Monday referred to a meeting of BJP-Sena leaders held at Matoshri in February 2019 followed by a press conference. At that time, then BJP Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - now Leader of Opposition - had announced the seat-shring arrangement for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with "equal power-sharing formula". "Then, why did it take him (Shah) over a year to speak up on this," Sawant asked pointedly to the then BJP President Shah who now referred to the 3-party alliance as "an autorickshaw government". Shah had even accused Thackeray of junking the late Balasaheb Thackeray's principles and ideologies in his greed for power by entering into an alliance with Nationalist Congress Party-Congress and becoming the CM. To this, the Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut added in mock sympathy that "the wounds run deep in the BJP" which is still in a shock how - though it ruled over so many states - it failed to capture power in Maharashtra. Shah added sarcastically that if the BJP had treaded on the Sena's path, its (Sena's) existence would have been 'erased' permanently in the state. Raut replied to this in a tweet: "In 1975 Rajni Patel and in the 1990s similarly Murli Deora said that Shiv Sena will be wiped off... Again in 2012 Prithviraj Chavan said the same thing and on all the occasions the Shiv Sena came up even stronger than earlier!" Sawant added that all those people "who had cursed the Shiv Sena have come and gone... But five generations of Thackeray family has worked for the people of Maharashtra." He said all the people know that the BJP had only used Shiv Sena as a "ladder" to grow in the state politics with the late Balasaheb Thackeray's blessings. What's on February 8-14 (Daily updated) EXHIBITION Hanoi-Exhibition celebrating New Year Until Feb 10, An exhibition to celebrate the success of the 13th Party Congress and the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3). Featuring 167 works of art, created on a variety of materials, including oil, acrylic, lacquer and silk, all diverse in visual languages and styles. HCM City- Book street festival to mark Tet holiday Until Feb 15, Annual book street festival taking place along Mac Thi Buoi, Nguyen Hue, and Ngo Duc Ke streets. On Nguyen Hue street, the highlight of the event is set to be books detailing the life of President Ho Chi Minh, along with photo exhibitions showing the development of Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi- Exhibition showcasing pottery artworks Until Feb 10, Fine Arts Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street An exhibition entitled Spring Pottery 2021 featuring nearly 100 pieces of pottery by 50 artists who are members of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Hanoi-Fragments of Nostalgia Until Mar 7, 10 am 07 pm Mo Art Space, 136 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District From the organizer: A solo showcase of Phan Tuan Ngoc Fragments of Nostalgia. The exhibition is a retrospective of the artists memories, delivered through desaturated colors, playful minimalism and poetry. Ngocs work experiments mainly with installation, oil on canvas and mixed media on Do paper. About the artist: Phan Tuan Ngoc (b. 1983) majored in Chemistry and Biology, but chose to pursue an art career as he was deeply in love with the beauty of colors and materials. Ngoc has been active since 2009, with work exhibited at many famous local showcases such as Vietnamese Art Exhibition (2020), Exhibition of Young Artists Club (2017-2019), Biennale of Saigon (2017, 2019), Vietnam Regional Exhibition II (2013-2020), Group Exhibition at Vietnam National Museum of Fine Art (2019), and VOSAP Art from Heart Contest Exhibition (2020). Hanoi-Exhibition features paintings by people with autism Until Feb 29, Megan Gallery, 299 Trung Kinh street, Cau Giay district An exhibition entitled Sac Mau - Nhung Manh Ghep (The Pieces of Colours) showing some 40 paintings by To Do Huong Giang, Nguyen Van Duy, Vu Do Tuan Duy, Nguyen Trung Hieu, Pham Quang Huy and Nguyen Danh Lam. The artists, who are aged from 13 to 22 years old and have autism, have learned to paint at a charity painting class run by artist Luong Giang. Hanoi-Online exhibition featuring shared culture of Vietnam, Australia Until March 12, 2021 An online exhibition, the "Skilled Hands, Shared Culture" featuring 20 contemporary Vietnamese and Australian designers, artists and artisans whose work contributes to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities. The Vietnamese artists joining the exhibition comprise Le Giang, Nguyen Tan Phat, Nguyen Thi Dung, Nguyen Van Loi, Pham Thi Ngoc Tram, Vu Kim Thu and Van Ngo Trong, while their Australian counterparts consist of Claire Tracey, Grace Lilian Lee, Lindy de Wijn, Michelle Hamer, Muhubo Salieman, Slow Art Collective, Vermin, Vicki Couzens, Vipoo Srivilasa, Yu Fang Chi and Kieren Karritpul. The exhibition runs until March 12, 2021, at https://rmitgallery.com/exhibitions/skilled-hands-shared-cultures. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Drone survey under the pilot phase of the central scheme SVAMITVA,which aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India, has been completed in about 23,300 villages of nine states and property cards have been prepared and distributed/under distribution to about 2.30 lakh property holders of about 1,432 villages till last month, Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said on Monday. In an interacton with reporters on the progress of various schemes under the ministry and budgetary allocations for the next financial year, Kumar said that the pilot phase of SVAMITVA, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year on National Panchayat Day on April 24, has been sucessful in solving property related disputes in the villages of Haryana and elsewhere where the pilot phase has been implemented so far. A total of Rs 913.43 crore has been provided to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in Budget 2021-22, a 32 per cent increase over the revised estimate of 2020-21. The major part of it is provided under the scheme Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) with main focus on convergence with Mission Antyodaya through capacity building of the rural local governments. The infrastructure facilities like panchayat bhawans, computer and broadband connectivity, trained manpower etc. and providing quality training to the elected representatives and other functionaries of the PRIs are the principal components of RGSA. A provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for the scheme SVAMITVA to provide the 'record of rights' to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas in villages and issuance of property cards to the property owners through survey of village areas with help of drone technology by the Survey of India. The pilot phase of SVAMITVA had been approved with a Budget outlay of Rs 79.65 crore. The pilot phase of this scheme is being implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, Kumar said. Likewise, 210 CORS (Continuous Operating Reference Stations) are being set up in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh and these are likely to be completed and operationalised by March 2021. The scheme would ensure CORS network coverage across the country by 2022, said the Panchayati Raj Secretary. The Survey of India has deployed about 130 drone teams in the states which are being slowly augmented with the supply of 'Made in India' drones by the suppliers. It is expected that about 250 drone teams will be in place by March 2021 and steps are being taken to deploy about 500 drone teams in the states/UTs in 2021-22, he added. The ministry has sent a proposal to the Department of Expenditure with an outlay of Rs 566.23 crore for extending the scheme to the rest of India to cover nearly 5.41 lakh villages. In 2021-22, with a Budget provision of Rs 200 crore, 16 states will be covered targeting 2.30 lakh villages, said Kumar. The drone requirements for the SVAMITVA scheme has boosted the drone manufacturing sector in India. The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have now developed survey grade drones and supply for 175 units had been given to 'Make in India' product companies. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Queen's Crown Estate has sold off its lucrative rights to offshore wind farms in a move that could net the company - and subsequently the Treasury - nearly 9billion in a decade. The Crown Estate, which manages the Queen's public property and land before handing profits back to the public purse, said it had auctioned off eight gigawatts of potential new offshore wind capacity. Bosses of the business say the move will help the UK meet its demand for renewable electricity. Oil giant BP is among the businesses to win the rights to build new wind farms. The firm says the two sites it has invested in, located between the Isle of Man, Bangor and Liverpool, could power up to 3.4million UK homes. The Crown Estate owns the seabed off the coast of the UK and so is a vital part of freeing up land for offshore wind projects. The Crown Estate, which manages the Queen's (pictured) public property and land before handing profits back to the public purse, said it had auctioned off eight gigawatts of potential new offshore wind capacity Bosses of the business say the move to create more off-shore wind farms (pictured: Library image) will help the UK meet its demand for renewable electricity Oil giant BP (pictured: BP CEO Bernard Looney) is among the businesses to win the rights to build new wind farms What is the Queen's Crown Estate? The Crown Estate is a 14.1billion UK real estate business which manages the Queen's public property and land. The Crown Estate is separate from the Queen's private portfolio, known as the Duchy of Lancaster. An map showing the assets of the Crown Estate It is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown - meaning it is held by the monarch for as long as he or she is on the throne. Since 1760, the net income of The Crown Estate has been surrendered to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the monarch under successive Civil List Acts, passed at the beginning of each reign. In the last 10 years alone, the money given to the treasury has totalled 2.9billion. Its large property portfolio includes almost 250 central London properties, mostly around the St James' Park and Regent Street areas. It also owns large areas of seabed around Britain, particularly on the east coast of England, as well as large areas of land across the UK. The Crown Estate currently employs around 430 people and its current CEO is Dan Labbad - who moved from a top European role at Australian property and construction firm Lendlease. Advertisement It said the latest round could help save the UK around 12.5million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, or around one fifth of annual household emissions. It also helps the Government to get closer to its target of having 40 gigawatts of wind power in British waters by 2030. However, the system used by the Crown Estate to run the auction was criticised by RenewableUK. The trade body says the auction system pushed up prices for businesses aiming to deliver much-needed renewables into the UK's grid. In the last leasing round, a decade ago, 32 gigawatts of potential wind farms were assigned, the association said. It also said that last time there were no so-called 'option fees' levied on bidders. 'The result of this leasing round shows that, while demand for new offshore wind projects has never been higher, too few sites were made available to meet this demand,' said RenewableUK's deputy chief executive, Melanie Onn. 'Any auction run on that basis will inevitably lead to high fees like these, and our concern is that this could ultimately mean higher costs for developers and consumers.' Meanwhile, BP said it has partnered with German firm EnBW to win the option to develop two leases for offshore wind development. It is a major move into renewables for the energy giant, which has a public ambition to green its dirty public image. If fully developed, the two sites will have a capacity of around three gigawatts, enough to power 3.4 million UK homes, according to the company's calculations. They are planned to come online in seven years. Together with EnBW, BP plans to make four annual payments of 231million into each of the two projects. It would mean a total investment, split between the partners, of more than 1.8 billion. The two sites are located between the Isle of Man, Bangor and Liverpool. They cover approximately 800 square kilometres - roughly half the size of Greater London, the company said. Pictured: A map showing the areas (in blue) where the wind farms will be allowed to be built Other winners in the latest auction include German energy giant RWE, with a site off the coast of Yorkshire, the Green Investment Group and French oil giant Total, off the Lincolnshire coast, and a partnership between Spain's Cobra Group and Flotation Energy, west of Blackpool. BP chief executive Bernard Looney said: 'Success in this round marks BP's entry into one of the world's best offshore wind markets. 'This is both important progress towards BP's transformation into an integrated energy company as well as a significant next step in our long history in the UK.' I think society has made us feel like its not OK (to be an introvert) because we live in a society that rewards extroversion, she said. The more you talk, the louder you are, the more critical you are look at social media, its like youre rewarded for that behavior and all of those tactics to get your word out. Yet if youre a quieter person ... your delivery is not valued as much. Eleven cases of the South African variant of coronavirus have been detected in Ireland. Dr Cillian De Gascun, medical virologist and director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, told a National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing that all the cases are directly linked to travel. A variant first detected in Brazil has not been found in Ireland, where the so-called Kent variant is the most dominant. The briefing heard that all variants are being monitored. Another milestone reached in vaccination programme rollout a vaccination data now updated daily at:https://t.co/KAhKnv78NS Well done to Fran and a@HSELivea team! pic.twitter.com/CAWJKbmmGe Brian MacCraith (@muirtheimhne) February 8, 2021 Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn urged adherence to public health advice. Viruses cant mutate if theyre not replicating, he said. So the fewer the amount of virus we have in this country, the less chance there is of a mutation thats going to have a knock-on impact on vaccine effectiveness. Professor Philip Nolan, chairman of the Nphet Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said Ireland remains on track for 200 to 400 cases a day by the end of February if the effort to stay home continues. Meanwhile 230,776 doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Ireland, including 151,212 first doses and 79,554 second doses. By Benjamin Jumbe Human rights activists have expressed disappointment with government for failure to account for some missing Ugandans. It comes days after the minister of internal affairs in his statement to parliament noted that investigations are currently ongoing to trace 31 people out of the 44 cases registered. He told legislators that 13 cases had so far been handled admitting that the majority were not kidnaps as alleged but rather were arrested lawfully. Speaking to KFM, the executive director of Legal Aid Service Providers Network Sylvia Namubiru said it was embarrassing that government cannot account for people taken by its security agencies. She says this among other things points to gaps in security and lack of coordination therein hence the need to address these issues and guarantee all Ugandans security as mandated by the constitution. The U.K., South African and Brazilian variants of COVID-19 have been detected in increasing numbers here, but Korea has found itself at the back of the queue for vaccines. Seventy-three countries have already begun vaccinations. Israel has been the fastest, inoculating 60 percent of the population so far. The effects of vaccination apparently begin to show when around 20 percent of a country's population has been inoculated. The U.K. has reached a vaccination rate of 18 percent and the U.S. 12 percent, so infections are soon expected to decline. But the Korean government cannot even say when the first round of vaccinations could start. The first shipment of 117,000 doses from Pfizer for around 60,000 people acquired through the WHO-led COVAX Facility arrives some time this month. But Korea cannot call on drugmakers to speed up deliveries due to a global shortage. AstraZeneca's vaccine has been the most widely available, but supply bottlenecks have slowed down the rollout. The government says it will be available here from the end of this month. Health authorities hope to get their hands on enough doses for 750,000 people, starting with patients in nursing homes or geriatric hospitals. But last week, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it is wary of using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 amid doubts over its efficacy. Health officials will strengthen screening of visitors from 27 countries that have reported cases of variant coronavirus infections, lowering the suspect body temperature from 37.5 to 37.3 degrees Celsius. The announcement came as Korea reported 12 more variant infections on Sunday. But medical experts said that is only a stopgap and speeding up vaccination is the most effective remedy. Jung Jae-hun at Gachon University's Gil Medical Center said, "The variants are spreading quickly, which means immunity among in the population needs to be higher. We need to increase the rate and amount of vaccinations." Jun Byung-yool at Cha University said if the AstraZeneca vaccine is unproven for over-65s, the government needs to start vaccinating people under 65 instead. And Lee Keun-hwa at Hanyang University said, "We need to consider a wide range of scenarios to speed up vaccination." The government is in a bind. On the one hand it fears a resurgence of group infections over the Lunar New Year and has extended lockdown until after the holiday. But it eased the curfew on coffee shops, restaurants and other small businesses in 14 cities outside Seoul from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. to help relieve the financial burden on storeowners. The 9 p.m. curfew remains in place in the greater Seoul area, and shops violating it will be slapped with a two-week suspension. That in turn has incensed among cash-strapped storeowners in the capital region. One 40-year-old restaurant owner in northwestern Seoul said, "I was hoping for social distancing rules to be eased, but authorities have come up with even more restrictions." Meanwhile, the daily tally of new coronavirus infections fell to 289 cases as of Monday morning, below 300 for the first time since late November. Sydneys remaining lockout laws will be axed next month and restrictions on Kings Cross will be lifted to allow venues to open beyond 1.30am in a push to revive the citys COVID-hit economy. The changes mean last drinks across the city will now be served until 3.30am. The final lockout laws will be removed from Kings Cross, allowing venues to open beyond 1.30am. Credit:SMH NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Kings Cross had transformed since the laws were introduced in early 2014. Safety will continue to be a focus for the state government with the ID scanners system, which requires some venues to record patrons ID during busy times, to remain. The changes come almost nine years after 18-year-old Thomas Kelly was killed in a one-punch attack in Kings Cross as he walked along Victoria Street with his girlfriend. 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. Opinion Myanmar Making Noises for Democracy Anti-coup protesters in Yangon on Saturday. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy I was woken early last Monday with a call from an international news agency covering the military coup in Myanmar. This news shocked me because I had miscalculated the generals attitude. I had thought military chief Min Aung Hlaing would not take the chance while under the threat of serious human rights violations and crimes under international law and while the country struggles with COVID-19. I was wrong. Neither international pressure nor the pandemic was serious enough for Min Aung Hlaing. Within a few hours of the coup, the situation turned upside down. The homes of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint were raided. The 20-lane highway outside the parliament was blocked with military hardware and elected members of parliament were held hostage in their accommodation. No one was allowed to go into the ghost city. On the same day, crowded Yangon became very quiet. Queues formed at ATMs and people tried to buy rice and other food. The internet was temporarily cut as soldiers raided telecoms offices. Soldiers smashed into the control room at Myanma Posts and Telecommunications, an employee confirmed. As Facebook is the main means of communication in Myanmar, we immediately lost connection with the outside world. A desperate sadness and anger among people grew because their beloved leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and U Win Myint are being detained and elected MPs are held hostage in Naypyidaw. Once the internet returned, anger against the coup grew on Facebook. Three of my closest friends, politician U Mya Aye, film director U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi and writer U Htin Lin Oo, posted on Facebook that soldiers had arrested them. Some 88 Generation leaders, U Min Ko Naing, Ko Jimmy and Daw Nilar Thein went into hiding to avoid arrest. Broadcasts from the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima went down after the coup and it is unknown when they will return, although posts continue online and on Facebook. Journalists feel endangered but continue reporting with limited access and high risks. Military-owned Myawaddy TV said the military-appointed vice-president, ex-general Myint Swe, had transferred power to the Tatmadaw (military) under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution for a year. The Tatmadaws justification is based on allegations of the Union Election Commissions fraud during the November general election. Most people believe this is just an excuse. The military wants to take back power from the people because of its guardianship mindset. They believe in militarism, not democracy. As might is always right for the authoritarian leader, violence is always possible. Senior National League for Democracy (NLD) figure U Win Htein posted a video on Facebook saying: The countrys economy is going down. At this time, the fact [Senior General Min Aung Hliang] conducted a coup shows that he doesnt think about the future. The NLD repeated Daw Aung San Suu Kyis appeal for people to oppose the coup through nonviolent means and civil disobedience, such as online campaigns and boycotting military law. I was live reporting the whole day, giving updates. All the NLDs chief ministers and the ministers of information, health, education and telecommunications were detained. They were forced to resign and move from their official residences within three days. The whereabouts of key NLD leaders are unknown. Friends warned me to keep quiet on Facebook to arrest. As a political journalist and writer, I cannot keep quiet. The minute I heard about the coup, I was ready to report to the international media. I was feeling desperate that our young democracy is likely to die in the darkness of military dictatorship. My parents experienced the 1962 coup and I lived through the 1988 uprising. My son has experienced his first coup, aged 21. It is totally unacceptable. So I cannot keep quiet on Facebook for fear of arrest. I keep posing to stimulate my friends, journalists, writers, poets and intellectuals in my social network to think of every way to fight against military rule. People soon started banging pots and pans, honking car horns, lighting candles and singing revolutionary songs at 8 pm to oppose the coup. At 8 pm when I was preparing for live reporting, I heard nothing in my neighborhood, so I banged pans on my balcony. Within a few seconds, my neighbors joined in and car horns started honking non-stop for half an hour. Our campaign was very successful one day after the coup. We clearly said, no, to the military. It brought me some hope and silenced my desperation. I realized that I was not alone. I collected peoples videos of the drum revolution for Facebook. Myanmars demands for democracy are being heard around the world. You may also like these stories: Public Backlash, Sanctions Threat Put Myanmar Junta Appointees in Tight Spot Thousands Take to Streets of Myanmar to Protest Military Takeover Australian Adviser to Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Detained Glenn Greenwald has slammed what he calls the 'junior high hall-monitor tattling' among the 'woke' media, dubbing it 'Stasi-like citizen surveillance'. The journalist, part of a team that won a Pulitzer for reports about government surveillance programs based on leaks by Edward Snowden, shared his thoughts on what he calls 'authoritarian "reporting"' on Substack Sunday. In it Greenwald points to New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, who falsely accused a tech investor of using the word 'retarded' during an online chat she was monitoring. Greenwald also namechecks CNN's Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy, NBC's Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny and the Times' Mike Isaac, Kevin Roose and Sheera Frenkel, calling them 'hall-monitor reporters'. He writes: 'A new and rapidly growing journalistic beat has arisen over the last several years that can best be described as an unholy mix of junior high hall-monitor tattling and Stasi-like citizen surveillance. 'They have insufficient talent or skill, and even less desire, to take on real power centers...so settle on this penny-ante, trivial bulls*** tattling, hall monitoring, speech policing.' Greenwald announced his resignation from The Intercept - the site he co-founded - in October claiming editors 'censored' an article he wrote criticizing Joe Biden. He added Sunday: 'These examples of journalism being abused to demand censorship of spaces they cannot control are too numerous to comprehensively chronicle.' Glenn Greenwald. pictured, has slammed what he calls the 'junior high hall-monitor tattling' among the 'woke' media, dubbing it 'Stasi-like citizen surveillance' He accuses Darcy of 'sitting around with Brian Stelter petulantly pointing to people breaking the rules on social media and demanding tech executives make the rule-breakers disappear'. Greenwald refers to the 'little crew of tattletale millennials' at NBC and their 'twerpy work' as 'scrolling through 4Chan boards'. He also calls out the New York Times who 'quickly donned their hall-monitor goggles and Stasi notebooks to warn that the Bad People had migrated to Signal and Telegram' in the wake of Parler's removal from the internet. Greenwald says that leaves the US with the 'unimaginably warped dynamic in which U.S. journalists are not the defenders of free speech values but the primary crusaders to destroy them'. Greenwald adds: 'They do it in part for power: to ensure nobody but they can control the flow of information. They do it partly for ideology and out of hubris: the belief that their worldview is so indisputably right that all dissent is inherently dangerous disinformation. 'And they do it from petty vindictiveness: they clearly get aroused find otherwise-elusive purpose by destroying peoples reputations and lives, no matter how powerless.' Greenwald also namechecks CNN's Brian Stelter, left, and Oliver Darcy, right, NBC's Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny and the Times' Mike Isaac, Kevin Roose and Sheera Frenkel, calling them 'hall-monitor reporters' NBC's Ben Collins, left, and The New York Times Mike Isaac, ight. Greenwald refers to the 'little crew of tattletale millennials' at NBC and their 'twerpy work' as 'scrolling through 4Chan boards'. The New York Times' Kevin Roose, left, and NBC's Brandy Zadrozny, right. Greenwald calls out the New York Times who 'quickly donned their hall-monitor goggles and Stasi notebooks to warn that the Bad People had migrated to Signal and Telegram' in the wake of Parler's removal from the internet. The New York Times' Sheera Frenkel. Greenwald writes: 'A new and rapidly growing journalistic beat has arisen over the last several years that can best be described as an unholy mix of junior high hall-monitor tattling and Stasi-like citizen surveillance' He adds: 'They clearly get aroused find otherwise-elusive purpose by destroying peoples reputations and lives, no matter how powerless. 'Whatever the motive, corporate media employees whose company title is journalist are the primary activists against a free and open internet and the core values of free thought. 'Its primary objectives are control, censorship, and the destruction of reputations for fun and power. Though its epicenter is the largest corporate media outlets, it is the very antithesis of journalism.' DailyMail.com has contacted CNN, the New York Times and NBC for comment. New York Times reporter Lorenz had tweeted accusing Silicon Valley entrepreneur Marc Andreessen of using the r-word during a chat on the new audio app Clubhouse. She also shared images of those in the discussion who had 'not called him on it'. In reality another person who was part of the Clubhouse discussion had said Redditors call themselves r****d revolution. Greenwald argues: 'Anyone who spent any time at all on the sub-Reddit thread of r/WallStreetBets knows that r****ss was the single most common term used by those who short-squeezed the hedge funds invested in the collapse of GameStop. 'It is virtually impossible to discuss the ethos of that subculture without using that term.' When Lorenz was corrected and told Andreessen had not used the word she said it had sounded like him and deleted her tweet. Greenwald points to New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, pictured, who falsely accused tech investor of using a slur during online chat she was monitoring Pointing to another recent example Greenwald also focuses on the resignation of top New York Times reporter Donald McNeil Jr., who announced he was standing down from the paper after 45 years Friday following his use of the N-word. In a letter to staff McNeil Jr. said he 'originally thought the context in which I used this ugly word could be defended' but now realized 'it cannot.' Greenwald wrote: 'The overarching rule of liberal media circles and liberal politics is that you are free to accuse anyone who deviates from liberal orthodoxy of any kind of bigotry that casually crosses your mind just smear them as a racist, misogynist, homophobe, transphobe, etc. without the slightest need for evidence and it will be regarded as completely acceptable. 'Thats the purpose, the function, of these lowly accusatory tactics: to control, to coerce, to dominate, to repress.' He notes that others 'are rightly terrorized by these lowlife tactics, intimidated into silence and conformity.', adding: 'They know if they express views these Stasi agents and their bosses dislike, their reputations can be instantly destroyed. So they remain silent or pliant out of necessity.' Top bosses at the New York Times had previously said McNeil should be 'given another chance' saying he hadn't used the word with 'malicious or hateful intent' during the Times-sponsored school trip but also changed tact Friday telling staff 'we do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent.' The ousting of the man who was the paper's star COVID-19 reporter came after a group of 150 staffers sent a letter to the executive leadership Wednesday stating they were 'deeply disturbed' by the paper's handling of the incident and demanding a full investigation into 'newly surfaced complaints' against McNeil. Entrepreneur Marc Andreessen pictured in 2016. New York Times reporter Lorenz had tweeted accusing Silicon Valley entrepreneur Marc Andreessen of using the r-word during a chat on the new audio app Clubhouse Lorenz also shared images of those in the discussion who had 'not called him on it' Pulitzer Prize-winning colleague Nikole Hannah-Jones, the reporter behind the 1619 Project which aims to reframe America's history to put the impact of slavery at the center of the narrative, also vowed to call parents and students who took part in the trip in question to find out what McNeil said and in what context, sources told the Daily Beast. Donald McNeil Jr. (above) resigned Friday over his use of the N-word The Daily Beast first reported last week that multiple students and parents had lodged complaints against McNeil back in 2019 after he allegedly used the N-word, said white privilege does not exist and made disparaging comments about black people during a company-sponsored school trip to Peru. The Times has been rocked by a number of scandals of late. The same day McNeil resigned, audio producer Andy Mills also announced he had left the paper in the midst of sexual harassment claims and the Caliphate podcast embarrassment. The veteran journalist described the 2019 incident saying he said the N-word when asked by one of the students whether he believed a classmate should be suspended for using the racist slur. 'On a 2019 New York Times trip to Peru for high school students, I was asked at dinner by a student whether I thought a classmate of hers should have been suspended for a video she had made as a 12-year-old in which she used a racial slur,' he said, according to the Washington Post which obtained a copy of the note. 'To understand what was in the video, I asked if she had called someone else the slur or whether she was rapping or quoting a book title. In asking the question, I used the slur itself.' He extended his 'sincerest apology' to the students on the trip as well as his colleagues who he said he 'let down.' The paper faced a backlash over its handling of the crisis with a group of over 150 staffers sending a letter to execs Wednesday both slamming their handling of the scandal and calling for a full investigation and an apology from McNeil. The Senate did not agree, and Belknap stood trial. Belknaps lawyers rather baldly argued for acquittal on the basis of party loyalty, contending that Belknap was no more corrupt than many members of Congress. But they grounded their chief argument on a conjunction. They contended the Constitutions pairing of removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States made removal and disqualification inseparable. If Belknap no longer held office, the House could not impeach him and thus the Senate could not convict him and disqualify him from future office holding. The House managers contended that the and only signified that removal and disqualification were two distinct steps. It was illogical and without any historical precedent in British law from which impeachment derived to think those accused could escape punishment simply by resigning or having their term expire. In Belknaps case, what was to stop Grant or another president from reappointing him to another office? The managers did not reach their conclusion on the basis of a single case. The corruption of the Gilded Age had created a plethora of potential impeachments. Schuyler Colfax, Grants vice president, had been involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal, but his malfeasance came before he held civil office. His activities raised the question of whether impeachment covered crimes committed before holding civil office or only during the term of office. The House decided that the impeachment power targeted only acts committed while in office. Impeachment was remedial rather than punitive. Punishment of the officeholder was only incidental to the ultimate judgment, the goal of which was to remedy the evil. But remedying the evil meant that officeholders could be pursued and convicted even after they returned to private life for the high crimes and misdemeanors committed during their terms in office in order to prevent them from ever holding office again. There was no time limit on impeachment. On most of the articles of impeachment, 36 senators from both parties voted to convict. The appeal to party loyalty proved persuasive. Twenty-four of the 25 senators who voted to acquit were, like Belknap, Republicans. Despite the previous vote affirming the Senates jurisdiction, 22 senators said they voted to acquit because the Senate lacked jurisdiction over a private citizen. Because the Senate needed a two-thirds majority 40 votes to find him guilty, Belknap walked. The outcome disturbed the Senate, and four senators attached opinions to the trials proceedings. Two of those opinions by Thomas Norwood of Georgia and John Stevenson of Kentucky are particularly pertinent today. Few seeking to convict Mr. Trump would embrace the larger politics of Norwood and Stevenson, both Southerners and white supremacists bitterly opposed to Reconstruction and civil rights legislation. But today their arguments resonate with modern liberals rather than conservatives or white supremacists. Norwood argued from history and precedent that the impeachment process was remedial. The purpose of the constitutional clauses providing for impeachment were not simply to remove a person from office but to purify government, prevent future crimes and give warning to those who would attempt crimes. Stevenson claimed that under the interpretation of those who denied the Senates jurisdiction, government could become a carousel of corruption and criminality. The corrupt could dismount from office as necessary and remount when the time was opportune. MOSCOW - Russian science - and President Vladimir Putin's ambitions of turning the country into a global technology powerhouse - is having something of a moment. Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine now has a globally recognized seal of approval after British medical journal the Lancet published a peer-reviewed paper last week that put the vaccine in the same league as Western doses - with 91.6 percent efficacy 21 days after the first shot and 91.8 percent for those over 60 years old. For Russia's biotech industry, the results are heady validation after facing Western skepticism, fueled largely by Russia's decision to release the vaccine before medical trials were complete - even using researchers as test subjects. It's also a powerful calling card for Sputnik in a world desperate to expand vaccine supply lines. Sputnik V is registered in at least 16 other countries or territories, mainly in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Latin America. The European Union, facing vaccine supply shortfalls, is now looking at possibly clearing the way for Sputnik and a Chinese vaccine. Sputnik's apparent success capped an audacious, and at times seemingly reckless, push that reflected Russia's capacity for scientific improvisation. Russian experts piggybacked on existing vaccines developed in the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology but ran roughshod over normal scientific protocols. After the fall of the Soviet Union, funding for science collapsed and researchers flocked to the West. Putin has tried to re-energize stagnant Russian science, pouring money into universities and research labs. In 2018, he called for more published research and practical applications. In the past decade, Russia has built several cutting-edge science institutions such the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, also called Skoltech, outside Moscow. But a lingering Soviet mentality sets bureaucratic barriers for collaboration with foreign scientists or imports of research materials. - - - Ilya Yasny, head of scientific research at Moscow-based investment fund Inbio Ventures, called the Sputnik V development "more of an outlier" than a signal that Russian medical science has emerged as a serious global contender. "The main problem is regulation," he said. "Our laws and guidelines are, I would say, 15 years behind the European Union." Three years ago, Putin announced a national research strategy that promised 900 new laboratories, including 15 world-class research centers focused on mathematics, genomics, materials research and robotics. He said many Russian drug developers still saw the global standard for clinical trials - three stages and broad demographic testing - as "unnecessary hurdles." To gain lasting credibility, experts say, Russian scientists need to publish more papers in peer-reviewed international journals like the Lancet and collaborate with foreign scientists. But Russia is heading in the other direction. It has been trailing the world for many years in publications in major international scientific journals, according to a study of 22 million scientific papers from 2005 to 2017 by Vit Machacek and Martin Srholec from the Institute for Democracy and Economic Analysis in Prague. Scandals around plagiarism and duplication in Russian scientific research saw the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the retraction of more than 800 scientific papers in January 2020. Putin's 2012 "Project 5-100" poured money into select Russian universities, targeting 21 institutions and aiming to get five into the top 100 globally by 2020. It failed. Only one, Lomonosov Moscow State University, made it to number 84 in the QS World University rankings. The Times Higher Education rankings included none. Russian and Soviet science has always focused the most resources on nuclear physics, weapons and space. Putin often boasts of the country's deployment of hypersonic missiles, a development that could presage an arms race. Still, Russia has chalked up some solid achievements in medical research, including the development of an Ebola vaccine and a vaccine for Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, another coronavirus outbreak first reported in 2012. And money is flowing. On Friday, Putin dubbed 2021 as Russia's "Year of Science," and the government pledged science and medical research funding of $280 billion to 2030. - - - Russians, too, are slowly warming to Sputnik after some initial hesitation. A survey published Feb. 2 by the Levada Center, an independent polling agency, found only 38 percent of Russians were willing to vaccinate in December. Of those who were unwilling, 30 percent planned to wait for the results of clinical trials. At the dowdy first-floor corridor in Moscow municipal clinic No. 5, nurse Irina Vasilyeva syringed up 0.5 milliliters of Gam-COVID-Vak - otherwise known as Sputnik V. She sighed as queues for the vaccine grew. "It seems as if the whole of Russia decided to get vaccinated today," she said on a holiday morning, Russian Christmas Eve on Jan. 6. Russian officials, meanwhile, have basked in the Lancet glow. "There are no arguments left for critics of this vaccine. The article in the Lancet is a checkmate," said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which backed the vaccine's development. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the research publish in the Lancent as evidence that Russia was right to register the vaccine before Phase 3 trials. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, noted the Lancet's validation came at "a good moment" for Russia as the E.U. struggles with its slow vaccine rollout. But so far, no drug or vaccine developed by Russia alone has received approval for use across the E.U. - the next potential big step for Sputnik V on the international stage. Supply glitches and other problems have left E.U. supplies low with its two main vaccines: one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and another by U.S.-based Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that Sputnik was welcome in Europe if it won approval. "It does say something about the quality and integrity of the scientific enterprise within Russia, which a lot of people disparage or dismiss as decayed and obsolete and underfinanced and underpowered, and that so many of their scientists had fled to greener pastures in Europe and North America," Morrison said. "This would seem to fly in the face of that." David Holden, Regius professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, said Sputnik "appears to have been well designed," in an interview commenting on the Lancet paper. "Overall," he said, "I think it's very encouraging indeed." Yet Russian researchers cut some corners to get there. Gamaleya chief Alexander Ginzburg and dozens of other colleagues injected themselves with the vaccine in April even before it had been tested on monkeys. He said Russia fast-tracked the vaccine by merely tweaking a MERS vaccine they had already developed. But a Germany-based Russian science journalist and molecular biologist, Irina Yakutenko, called the Sputnik push "not a good way to do science." "There was not enough research on animals before they started to use it on people," she said. "I hope they won't decide that now we can develop drugs using this shortcut way," Yakutenko added. "To develop drugs, you need the best medical science, and you should do everything according to the protocols. It takes a long, long time. It takes a lot of money." Other critics have taken aim at Russia data that underpinned the Lancet article. "There is a gross lack of transparency" in the Sputnik V trial, said Italian biologist Enrico Bucci, adjunct professor at Philadelphia's Temple University, In September, he and 14 other scientists co-wrote a letter to the Lancet criticizing earlier Sputnik V research published in the journal. The group also did not obtain data they requested from Russia, he said. Yasny, of Inbio Ventures, also criticized the lack of transparency and said it was possible the efficacy of the vaccine was exaggerated, although he still believed it was a good vaccine. He said Russia's reflexive resistance of Western levels of transparency and medical science norms only undermines confidence. In Argentina, where Sputnik V is being rolled out, only 39 percent trust the Russian vaccine, according to polling firm Poliarquia. "In my opinion, they should publish as much information as they can," Yasny said. "But this is not in their DNA. They prefer to conceal things." - - - The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan in Moscow, Mary Beth Sheridan in Mexico City and Ana Vanessa Herrero in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. Michael Letcher, an award-winning writer, director and editor of documentaries that often addressed culture and race in Alabama, died over the weekend at age 71. Letchers death was confirmed by author Frye Gaillard, whose collaborations with Letcher included work on his 2011 film In the Path of the Storms. According to information provided by Gaillard, Northport resident Letcher died after a brief illness unrelated to COVID-19. In the Path of the Storms, which won a regional Emmy, examined life in Bayou La Batre in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Letcher also won a regional Emmy for Tuskegee, Alabama: Living in Black & White, which was not his only work to address race and civil rights. Others included Gods Will, about Mississippi preacher Will Campbell, an early and prominent white supporter of the civil rights movement; Coming to a Crossroads, about Hispanic immigrants in Alabama; and Journey to the Wilderness, an examination with Gaillard of white Southern heritage and civil rights. Other subject matter included Fairhopes unique evolution as an experimental colony (A Fair Hope), A Birmingham roller-derby team (Knocking Girls Down) and one of the states most beloved authors (Ghostwriter: The Spirited Life of Kathryn Tucker Windham). Mike was just an amazing story-teller, said Gaillard. He understood the hurt in the world, and was drawn to people who tried to make it better, who lived decent lives, and believed in small-d democratic values. As he did. I always thought Mikes kindness was the animating force in his films that and his respect for his subjects, and for the talent of his collaborators like [cinematographer] Preston Sullivan. I cant tell you how much he will be missed. Mike was always a calming force, said Alabama photographer Sheila Hagler, who also collaborated on In the Path of the Storms. His calmness was matched by his passion for community, for story-telling, and his compassion for others. I am heart-broken. Letchers films most often aired on Alabama Public Television and public broadcasting stations across the country. Letcher had spent more than 40 years with the Alabama Center for Public Television at the University of Alabama, and along with Sullivan operated Tuscaloosa-based independent production partnership Dragonfly Public Media. Survivors include Letchers wife, Mary Weekes Letcher; daughter, Samantha Woods; brothers, Greg Cuzzort and wife, Jane Cuzzort, Don Cuzzort and wife, Barbara Cuzzort; stepson, Zach Rives and wife, Alyssa Rives. A memorial service is planned for later in the Spring. Links to free viewing of many of Letchers films can be found at dragonflypublicmedia.org. As the world remains grounded, carriers have sped up the retirement of older aircraft to bring in newer planes that are greener and go further, faster. In the latest edition of CNNs Business Traveller, host Richard Quest examines how aviation fleets have been reimagined during the Covid-19 pandemic. The rollout of several new aircraft, including the Boeing 777X, has been delayed by the pandemic, but the opaque nature of the industrys recovery has made purchasing new models an even more challenging negotiation. Quest speaks to Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, who says he prides himself on getting the best from aircraft manufacturers: If you ask both Airbus and Boeing, they will tell you that Qatar Airways tortures them before we sign an agreement with them. We are very meticulous, we make sure that we protect the interests of the airline but at the same time, we play very fair with our suppliers both Airbus and Boeing. It's a two-way street. In the era of more fuel-efficient planes, CNN hears that changing aircrafts of different routes can make a huge difference to profitability. Business Traveller examines which is the pivotal factor in this equation: the route or the aircraft? To understand how airlines decide which plane to purchase, CNN speaks to aviation industry analyst Henry Harteveldt: If you take a look at the performance specifications: range, passenger and cargo capacity, you'll often see the in the proverbial Venn diagram. If you cross the two aircraft, there's a lot of commonality in terms of what they can do. They want an airplane that can operate multiple missions. They don't want aircraft to be specialists if they can avoid it. Before the pandemic, airlines had been able to open new routes that previously had been too expensive to run, such as Perth-London and Singapore-New York. Now, with routes closed and fewer passengers flying, airlines are still trying to keep as many jets in operation with a greater emphasis on cargo capacity. Finnairss Traffic Analysis Manager, Aaron McGarvey, explains to Quest how the airline is managing their fleet in response to the pandemic: We've actually kind of simplified it. The strategy has been keeping the smallest, most cost-efficient aircraft in Helsinki and park the rest. We have a very sophisticated origin and destination forecasting system from our revenue management colleagues, which kind of tries to forecast how many passengers will be on any given plane at one point in time. It solves that 3D jigsaw puzzle. Mumbai, Feb 8 : Actors Sharib Hashmi and Kumud Mishra will join Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna in the upcoming espionage thriller, Mission Majnu. "I am extremely delighted and thrilled to be a part of 'Mission Majnu'. I was overwhelmed by the script of the film. What makes it riveting for me is that it is strongly themed on patriotism and valour. I am honoured to be celebrating the hard work of RAW agents through this film," Sharib said. Kumud added: "I am excited to be a part of this gripping story." The details of their roles are currently under wraps. The espionage thriller is based on an ambitious covert operation of India, and is inspired by real events of the 1970s. It is the story of an Indian mission in Pakistan. Director Shantanu Baagchi said: "We welcome Sharib and Kumud on board. As a director, it is reassuring to have such amazing actors who will elevate the script to make it an exciting watch." The film is written by Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arrora, and Sumit Batheja. The film will be shot extensively in Lucknow and Mumbai. It is slated to release later this year. Anyone travelling for essential reasons across the border will not have to worry about being fined by Gardai, according to Deputy Ruairi O Murchu. The Sinn Fein TD speaking about the measures, which came into effect on Monday February 8, which would see everyone in a vehicle, deemed to be engaged in non-essential cross-border travel, each being hit with a 100 fine. Deputy O Murchu said: Anyone who is travelling for essential reasons across the border has nothing to worry about. "Gardai will use their discretion, but they will issue fines as a last resort. "People should not engage in non-essential travel and should stay within the 5km zone. "We are going to be living with the need to suppress Covid-19 for a considerable time and the difficulties have been made even more real with the discovery and spread of new strains. "Cross border fines show the need for an all Ireland response. "We need to sort problem with data sharing on international travellers and the government needs to engage to a greater degree with the Northern Executive and the British government to deliver all Ireland or two- island response to combat the pandemic. "After max suppression part: It is an absolute necessity for test, trace and isolate infrastructure to be made fit for purpose to chase down infections, when numbers are greatly reduced and society is opened to a greater degree. "Travel restrictions and mandatory hotel quarantine should have happened at an earlier stage, but they have to happen now. "There have been mixed messages from the government and these restrictions should have been introduced earlier. "Along with pre departure, there should be arrival PCR testing along with mandatory hotel quarantine. "There have been cases of people who continued to travel after fines were handed out at the airport, which means that fines alone are insufficient. "As Dr Tony Holohan told us at the Oireachtas Committee on Transport in November, there were periods last summer, when incidence numbers were much lower than now, where around a quarter of Covid-19 cases were linked to international travel." He added that very good progress has been made by the people of Louth, and around the State, in supressing the Covid-19 virus. He said: "A huge amount of work has been done to keep the numbers down, but the numbers are still higher in Louth, where there is a 14-day incidence rate of 471, compared with the average in the State of 338. "We need to continue to do what we are doing, as hospitals and nursing homes continue to be under pressure from this virus. Deputy O Murchu is one of a number of European elected representatives who were due to engage in a virtual meeting with the EUs health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, on Monday. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Deputy O Murchu said he intended to raise the huge ramifications from the EU difficulties with AstraZeneca, which led to the EU threatening to trigger Article 16 of the Irish Protocol. He welcomed, however, the news that those aged over 70 are starting to get vaccinated next week, with a completion date of the middle of May. He said the decision not to use the AstraZeneca vaccine in the older population was due to a lack of trial data for older people before the vaccine was approved. This decision may change in the future. Deputy O Murchu said: "The use of AstraZeneca for frontline workers should ensure that their vaccinations are sped up. Everything is caveated on vaccine delivery but we more clarity around the anomalies in the various groupings of those in line for the vaccines." Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 WASHINGTON By the time George Nader pleaded guilty last year to possessing child pornography and sex trafficking a minor, his once strong alliances in President Donald J. Trumps inner circle had been eroded by his cooperation with the special counsels investigation into Mr. Trumps team and its connections to Russia. So as Mr. Nader sought to fight the charges and reduce his potential prison time, he turned to a lawyer with a deep reservoir of good will with the president and a penchant for taking unpopular, headline-grabbing cases: Alan M. Dershowitz. Mr. Dershowitz told Mr. Naders allies that he had reached out to an official in the Trump administration and one in the Israeli government to try to assess whether they would support a plan for Mr. Nader to be freed from United States custody in order to resume a behind-the-scenes role in Middle East peace talks, and whether Mr. Trump might consider commuting his 10-year sentence. Mr. Dershowitz helped craft a proposal which Mr. Naders allies believed he was floating at the White House in the final days of the Trump presidency for Mr. Nader to immediately self-deport after his release from a Virginia jail. Under the plan, Mr. Nader would board a private plane provided by the United Arab Emirates to return to the Gulf state, where he holds citizenship and has served as a close adviser to the powerful crown prince. NEW HAVEN A Yale graduate student fatally wounded Saturday may have been targeted for death, instead of being killed in a random act, police said Monday. Kevin Jiang, 26, who studied at the Yale School of the Environment and lived in West Haven, was shot to death on Lawrence Street between Nicoll Street and Nash Street Saturday night. At a press conference, Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said Jiang was familiar in the East Rock neighborhood, where he was killed. He declined to discuss the matter in detail, noting the ongoing investigation. We are looking into whether or not Mr. Jiang was targeted. We have developed information that the incident may not have been a random act, that he was in effect targeted, Reyes said. This was not, sort of, a drive-by. It seems like it was much more up-close. The department does not believe the community is at risk of further violence connected to the incident, Reyes said. In response to the suggestion that the killing may have been an incident of road rage, Reyes said the department is exploring all angles. It is too early to speculate about the motive for the slaying, he said. Reyes said the department is doing everything we possibly can to arrest Jiangs killer, as well as the individuals who shot at the home of New Haven Assistant Superintendent of Schools Paul Whyte, and to prevent further shootings. The department has seized 16 guns this year, he said, noting its commitment to curbing violence. There is no one thing that I can tell you that is contributing to the violence in New Haven, but we are doing everything we can to make sure the citys safe, said Reyes. Reyes asked the public to supply any information they have about the incident, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Chief Medical Examiner James Gill announced Jiangs manner and cause of death Monday. He said Jiang suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities. Jiangs death was the citys sixth homicide of the year. Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins said the Yale Police Department had offered the services of our entire investigative unit to help New Haven police with the case. Jiangs death was significant in many ways, he said. Reyes stressed the importance of the departments collaboration with Yale, saying their partnership could not be closer, as well as with federal partners. The department will continue to leverage those relationships, as well as its ties to the community, he said. Right now, were in a rough patch, said Reyes. The city is a safe city. Were experiencing a spate of violence, but I have full confidence were going to turn this around. Mayor Justin Elicker and Yale President Peter Salovey expressed dismay and offered condolences to Jiangs family at Mondays press conference. A man outside Jiangs West Haven home said the family did not want to comment at this time. The Yale community is grieving right now. This is the loss of an extraordinary young man. He was committed to applying his talents to improving the world, said Salovey. He wanted to use his education and experiences to make a positive difference in the world through environmental stewardship. ... Kevin gave so much to this community, and he had more to give. So we remember him; we remember him fondly. We feel for his family, his fiancee. Elicker said it was a very, very challenging time for our community, noting that violence had increased in New Haven, as well as in cities across the country, in the past year. I want to underscore that this is a top priority, addressing the violence in the city, said Elicker. This (period of violence) is a tragedy for our city. We have to do everything possible to make sure were doing everything we can to keep people safe and keep people alive. Salovey said Jiangs death illustrated the ways in which we are all connected in this world, and reiterated Yales commitment to the community. Jiang was a volunteer at Trinity Baptist Church, where he was expecting to be married in the near future, Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson said on Facebook. As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Above all he looked forward to Jesus promise of the resurrection from the dead, said Hendrickson. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same. Jiang originally was from Chicago, was an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Washington, according to Yale University. His fiancee, Zion Perry, described Jiang as a gift from God in an email to the Register. Kevin...was a true and righteous man after Gods own heart. Life is so precious and short, and I am so thankful that God brought us together, Perry said. I know that he is with his Heavenly Father now in perfect peace. I cannot wait to see him again in Heaven and the New Heaven and Earth. I believe God can bring life even out of evil death because God brought salvation to the whole world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jiang said in a Jan. 30 Facebook post that he had proposed to Perry and she said yes, and noted his powerful faith and the impact she had made on his life. The Rev. Boise Kimber, at a separate press event Monday, called for the city to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing violence in New Haven and expand its partnerships in addressing crime. He called on the community to aid police and noted his support for further investing in the department. The recent violence had sparked fear among residents, he said. cause behind each of the homicides in the city is important, he said. This is an urgent call for this administration to pull together a major group to deal with violence in our community, said Kimber. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States will not offer sanctions relief as a way to entice Iran back to the negotiating table over the countrys nuclear program. Biden, in a clip from a CBS interview on Sunday, indicated that Iran would have to stop enriching uranium before his administration would lift sanctions. When asked if the U.S. would lift sanctions to get Iran back to the negotiating table, Biden said "no." Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Sunday that Tehran would only return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal when Washington lifts sanctions, Iranian state TV reported. "Iran has fulfilled all its obligations under the deal, not the United States and the three European countries ... If they want Iran to return to its commitments, the United States must in practice ... lift all sanctions," state TV quoted Khamenei as saying. "Then, after verifying whether all sanctions have been lifted correctly, we will return to full compliance," he reportedly added. DUBLIN, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market By Fashion Type (Beauty & Cosmetics, Jewelry & Accessories and Apparel), By Influencer Type (Nanoinfluencers, Microinfluencers, Macroinfluencers, and Megainfluencers), By Region, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2020 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market size is expected to reach $9.2 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 38.5% CAGR during the forecast period. Influencer marketing is a kind of social media marketing that utilizes endorsements and product mentions from influencers, who have a huge dedicated social following and are considered experts in their own domain. The major reason why influencer marketing work, is because of the huge amount of trust that social influencers have built up with their followings and the recommendations from them helped brands to use it as social proof to their potential customers. Fashion brands are adopting influencer marketing strategies to maximize their reach and capture a larger audience. Technological interruption in advertising practices and marketing strategies have supported companies to invest more efficiently in the marketing campaigns and receive a higher return on investment (ROI). Influencer marketing allowed fashion brands to boost their reach and promote their products in the most effective and innovative ways to relate to brand values. The increasing use of social media platforms, all around the world, is adding to the increasing benefits of influencer marketing for fashion brands. This aspect is estimated to further fuel the expansion of the market in the nearby future. By Fashion Type Based on Fashion Type, the market is segmented into Beauty & Cosmetics, Jewelry & Accessories and Apparel. The cosmetics and beauty category dominated the market in 2019. This attributed to the increasing focus of beauty and cosmetics companies on using social media platforms in extracting a positive brand image and increase sales. The chosen cosmetics often influenced by personal preference type of skin and skin tone, because of this, people rely more on influencers to provide the right advice through promotional videos or makeup tutorials. By Influencer Type Based on Influencer Type, the market is segmented into Nanoinfluencers, Microinfluencers, Macroinfluencers, and Megainfluencers. The nano influencer category made a revenue share in 2019. This attributed to a higher engagement rate and the ability to connect with niche audiences, hence offering brands a chance of penetrating the market effectively than before. Nano influencers also have more packed communities with their audiences and guarantee less risk of engaging with fake followers, which provides more filtered leads for companies. By Region Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. In 2019, North America leads the market for fashion influencer marketing. This can be attributed to the increasing use of social media platforms and high-speed internet in the area. A significant revenue share in 2019 is captured by Europe, which can be attributed to the presence of many major luxury fashion brands like Yves Saint Laurent SAS, Christian Dior SE, and Chanel in the particular area. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include IZEA Worldwide, Inc., Launchmetrics, Inc., Klear, Upfluence, Inc., AspireIQ, Inc., Mavrck, InfluencerDB Tech GmbH & Co. KG, Speakr, Inc., Juliusworks, Inc. (Hypr Brands) and Socially Powerful. Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology 1.1 Market Definition 1.2 Objectives 1.3 Market Scope 1.4 Segmentation 1.4.1 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market, by Fashion Type 1.4.2 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market, by Influencer Type 1.4.3 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market, by Geography 1.5 Methodology for the research Chapter 2. Market Overview 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 Overview 2.1.2 Market Composition and Scenario 2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market 2.2.1 Market Drivers 2.2.2 Market Restraints Chapter 3. Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Fashion Type 3.1 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Beauty & Cosmetics Market by Region 3.2 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Jewelry & Accessories Market by Region 3.3 Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Apparel Market by Region Chapter 4. Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Influencer Type 4.1 Global Nanoinfluencers Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Region 4.2 Global Microinfluencers Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Region 4.3 Global Macroinfluencers Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Region 4.4 Global Megainfluencers Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Region Chapter 5. Global Fashion Influencer Marketing Market by Region 5.1 North America Fashion Influencer Marketing Market 5.2 Europe Fashion Influencer Marketing Market 5.3 Asia Pacific Fashion Influencer Marketing Market 5.4 LAMEA Fashion Influencer Marketing Market Chapter 6. Company Profiles 6.1 IZEA Worldwide, Inc. 6.1.1 Company Overview 6.1.2 Financial Analysis 6.1.3 Recent strategies and developments 6.1.3.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions 6.1.3.2 Acquisition and Mergers 6.1.4 SWOT Analysis 6.2 Launchmetrics, Inc. 6.2.1 Company Overview 6.2.1 Recent strategies and developments 6.2.1.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions 6.2.1.2 Acquisition and Mergers 6.2.1.3 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements 6.3 Klear 6.3.1 Company Overview 6.3.2 Recent strategies and developments 6.3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements 6.4 Upfluence, Inc. 6.4.1 Company Overview 6.5 AspireIQ, Inc. 6.5.1 Company Overview 6.5.2 Recent strategies and developments 6.5.2.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions 6.6 Mavrck 6.6.1 Company Overview 6.7 InfluencerDB Tech GmbH & Co. KG 6.7.1 Company Overview 6.8 Speakr, Inc. 6.8.1 Company Overview 6.9 Juliusworks, Inc. (Hypr Brands) 6.9.1 Company Overview 6.9.2 Recent strategies and developments 6.9.2.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions 6.9.2.2 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements 6.10. Socially Powerful 6.10.1 Company Overview For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pid1k Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Chobani, the private Chenango County-based company that is the national leader in Greek yogurt, is considering taking its shares public as it moves into making more plant-based food products. And that could mean a huge financial windfall for Chobani employees, who have been promised a share of the company if or when it is sold or becomes public. Chobanis potential initial public offering could yield $7 billion to $10 billion for the company, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The proposed IPO is not certain, but the company appears to be laying the groundwork for it, the Journal reported. In 2016, Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya announced that he would give full-time employees shares worth nearly 10% of the value of the companys growth between then and the time he might sell the company or take it public. At that time, the companys value was estimated at between $3 billion and $5 billion. That means the IPO could create $4 billion to $5 billion in growth, if the estimates are correct. Chobanis 2,200 or so employees would then stand to earn 10% of the increased value, or $400 million to $500 million. Details of how that would be split are not known. In a statement, Ulukaya did not confirm or deny the IPO, while acknowledging the companys recent moves into plant-based products, like oatmilk. As we create the food company of the future, well look at all options carefully to fuel our ambitious plans, especially with oatmilk and plant-based products, Ulukaya said in a statement. An IPO is definitely one exciting direction but whether or not were public, well keep disrupting and making things better. Chobanis employees are split between its original operations in and around Norwich (headquarters) and South Edmeston (yogurt plant) in Chenango County and its second plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Idaho plant is the worlds largest yogurt making facility. Ulukaya, an immigrant from Turkey, founded Chobani in 2005 in a former Kraft Foods yogurt plant in South Edmeston. By 2011, Chobani had become the leading U.S. maker of Greek yogurt, a booming food category that had barely existed in the American market a few years before. Chobani has maintained its strong position in Greek yogurt, which is thicker, denser and tangier than the standard yogurt most Americans had consumed before. More recently, Chobani has been moving to other fast-growing products, such as coffee creamer and oatmilk, along with dairy-free yogurts and vegan probiotic drinks. The competition in the market for such products is likely driving the notion of an IPO, which would give the company needed cash to continue its growth, according to a report at vegconomist.com. More CNY business news Price Chopper and Tops Markets to merge Hard seltzer drives Anheuser-Busch to invest millions in CNY brewery Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. BSF inspector general for the Jammu frontier NS Jamwal said that the intruder 'could be a terrorist guide who had travelled for a reconnaissance' Jammu/New Delhi: An unidentified man, suspected to be a Pakistani intruder, was shot dead by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Pakistan international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, officials said. Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, NS Jamwal said the intruder could be a terrorist guide who had come for a reconnaissance or was carrying something to deliver on this side of the border. The incident took place near the Chak Faquira border post (border pillar no 64) in the Samba sector around 9.45 am, they said. Jamwal said it was around 2.30 am when BSF personnel noticed suspicious movement and kept a close watch on the intruder who hid himself in the bushes. Again at around 9.45 am, he started moving aggressively towards the border fence and was repeatedly warned by the sentry who then fired a few rounds, he told reporters, adding that the intruder was hit and killed. The spot where the body was found is around 40 metres from the International Border (IB) on the Indian side, officials said. Samba and Kathua sectors along the international border (IB) in Jammu are witness to repeated infiltration attempts (by terrorists). This is the same area where an underground tunnel was detected in August and an intruder was shot dead on 23 November last year, the IG BSF said. The senior official said the force was waiting for the investigation report to know exact details of the incident. We are waiting for police and Pakistani rangers for a thorough search of the area. He could be a guide or had come for a recce or deliver something on this side. Things will be clear after the investigation, he added. Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in an interview over the weekend with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) pidgin warned that the conflict between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in different states of the federation can degenerate into civil war if the federal government fails to properly handle it. Soyinka also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation and dissociate himself from the activities of those who run their businesses by displacing, killing, raping, torturing and by occupying lands that do not belong to them. You would recall that amid the increasing herdsmen violence in the South-west, Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu had directed all Fulani herdsmen living in any part of the state's forest reserves to leave within seven days. In Oyo State, a Yoruba youth leader, Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Sunday Ighogho) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Fulani community in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government area of Oyo state, over allegation that they are responsible for the rising insecurity and kidnapping in the area However, a human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana noted that the order Akeredolu issued that herdsmen should leave forest reserves within seven days was legal. Condemning the alleged killing and raping by Fulani herdsmen nationwide, Soyinka said there "is a need to ensure that the matter is settled amicably." He said: "My fear is that it could degenerate into violence that ends up in-- hate to use the word--a civil war unless we take action. I am glad that governors are already dialoguing with groups like Miyetti Allah (cattle breeders)," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "I am also glad that they are already discussing agreeing to obey the rules and that other groups are already liaising. I think we need to ensure they reach a consensus that will be fair to all parties "We are struggling against an enemy that believes in acting the way he pleases. They believe they have immunity or that nothing can happen to them. That is why, in my own state, you find a soldier taking the side of an enemy. "They actually escort killers, rapists, raiders while flogging the victims. That wouldn't happen if the people are conscious of the nature of their enemy and are encouraged to collaborate with the security forces." He further tasked the president "to address the nation. He should address the nation in unambiguous terms. Say openly that I know I am the patron of Cattle Rearer Association of Nigeria. Cattle rearing is a business and I rear my cattle on a business term. "I do not run my business by killing people. I do not run my business by raping, by displacing or by torture. I do not run my business by occupying land that does not belong to me," Soyinka tasked the president to dissociate himself from the nefarious activities of Fulani herdsmen. Demos are baiting and begging for more violence By Mark Alexander Over the last four years, the Democrat Party's most ardent hate hustlers, in collusion with their Leftmedia propagandists and their Big Tech free speech suppressors, have perfected the politicization of hate, aiding and abetting now countless leftist insurrections across the nation. They have effectively used their "hate platform" to foment fear, anger, and division in order to systematically disunite America giving rise to leftist mob rule. Their uprisings began with destructive "historic cleansing campaigns," which devolved into violent "antifa movement" assaults and then crystalized last year with the deadly urban burn, loot, and murder riots based on the BIG Lie that our nation is infested with "systemic racism." Hate hustlers and their supporting cast are nothing new, as evident in the writings of Frederick Douglass, Booker Washington, and Martin King. But what is new is their ability to proliferate hate and division through mass media networks. During the six months leading up to the 2020 election, on top of politicizing the devastating ChiCom Virus pandemic, Democrats stirred the hate. The primary proliferators of this have been House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and now-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), but it's become abundantly clear that the Biden/Harris regime is now the launching platform. Joe Biden fanned the riot flames declaring, "Does anyone believe there will be less violence ... if Donald Trump is reelected?" Of course, Donald Trump's election didn't create the hate; it merely revealed it. Notably, however, Trump's rhetorical "style" did nothing to suppress that anger, and I believe it is largely accountable for why he is a one-term president. Likewise, Kamala Harris said, "They're not gonna stop before election day in November, and they're not gonna stop after election day. ... They're not going to let up, and they should not, and we should not." So committed was she to those "peaceful protesters" that she supported a bail fund for their release. Many of them were re-arrested, and at least one violent protester was re-re-arrested. Socialist "Squad" member Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) was more to the point: "You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there's unrest in our lives." (The Twitter police must have missed this hate rhetoric because accounts for Biden, Harris, and Pressley have not been suspended.) Of course, Democrats were promoting constituent violence before their "Summer of Rage." Recall that last year, Schumer addressed a mob on the steps of the Supreme Court, fomenting disruption while a case was being deliberated: "I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions." Recall that Pelosi told her constituents: "If there is some collateral damage for some others who do not share our view, well, so be it." Recall that ahead of the 2018 election, Hillary Clinton declared that Democrats can't be civil: "You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for. ... I believe, if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and or the Senate, that's when civility can start again." Recall that Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) incited Democrats: "Go to the Hill today. Please, get up in the face of some congresspeople." Recall that Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told Democrats, "What we've got to do is fight in Congress, fight in the courts, fight in the streets..." Recall that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) called on Democrats to harass Republicans in public places: "If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere." Notwithstanding any limits on their abject hypocrisy, Democrats were able to identify one riot in the last four years they could all condemn, ad infinitum the one perpetrated in the Capitol building in early January by a fractional faction of jackass thugs. That small atypical break-off group of violent radicals, clearly distinguishable from the otherwise lawful and respectful Trump rally attendees, were less likely inspired to violence by anything Donald Trump said than they were by the rhetoric spewed by a primary benefactor and promoter of that rally: fringe agitator and perpetual charlatan Alex Jones. He has a long and sordid history of promoting wholly discredited conspiracy theories, and he has amassed a substantial "alternate reality" cult following. Jones's path to promote "Stop the Steal" was paved by one of his most noted adherents, the eccentric Roger Stone. The night prior to the post-rally eruption, Jones rallied his ilk by declaring: "We have only begun to resist the globalists. We have only begun our fight against their tyranny. They have tried to steal this election in front of everyone. I don't know how this is all going to end, but if they want to fight, they better believe they've got one." The next day Jones fired up his bunch even further, yelling, "We declare 1776 against the new world order. We need to understand we're under attack, and we need to understand this is 21st-century warfare and get on a war-footing." Predictably, Demos used the disgraceful Capitol incident as a catalyst to lure more violence, and the Jones followers are precisely the type they're trying to bait and hook. It is a callous and crass political calculation, and they know exactly what they're doing. Despite Biden and Harris having declared themselves "The Great Uniters," they set about carpet-bombing conservatives with a record number of executive orders in their first 10 days. As political analyst Rich Lowry notes: "The dulcet tones of Biden's inaugural address already seem an artifact of a bygone era. ... Biden has proved willing, too, to go it alone via rapid-fire, unilateral executive actions. ... Joe Biden, who has never been woke himself, is attempting to deliver victories to the left wing of his party almost unimaginable eight or 12 years ago and do it quickly." So brazen has the leftist collusion and rhetoric been what David Horowitz calls a "Tsunami of Hate" from the Democrat Party that former Demo presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard condemned it outright: "The John Brennans, Adam Schiffs, and the oligarchs in Big Tech who are trying to undermine our constitutionally protected rights and turn our country into a police state with KGB-style surveillance are also domestic enemies and much more powerful, and therefore dangerous, than the mob that stormed the Capitol." Actually, much more dangerous, and their political theatrics are both grossly disproportionate to the actual threat and unprecedented since the Civil War. The nation's capital looks like an occupied war zone with National Guard battalions and an absurd array of hardened barriers and the Democrats want to make those barriers permanent. To take the fear and angst nationwide, the FBI issued a national violence alert for all state capitols none of which has occurred. Nancy Pelosi, apparently needing a reality check, publicly ratcheted up the rhetoric by warning that conservative members of Congress are "the enemy ... within." According to Pelosi, "I do believe, and I have said this all along, that we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives, a threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is happening outside." She added, "We have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the [House] floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress." Topping that off, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that Biden and Harris had ordered intelligence agencies to conduct a "comprehensive threat assessment" on domestic terrorism: "The [January 6] assault on the Capitol and the tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we have long known. The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat." That was code for the administration's objective to, in effect, classify as terrorists more than 100 million conservative grassroots Americans. Having spent some years engaged in counterterrorism analysis, I can tell you with certainty: The Democrats' actions are an open invitation to incite violence, and as I noted previously, that is precisely their calculation. The Demo proliferators of hate and division are banking their political fortunes on more anarchist violence that they will attribute to "Trump supporters." And, given that a growing number of Americans believe, accurately, that the Leftmedia and Big Tech have systematically suppressed our First Amendment rights, thus monopolizing public opinion, Demos are inviting a shift from ballot box to bullet box. Their strategy extends well beyond enhancing the theatrical optics around the upcoming Trump impeachment farce. The incessant claims of impending insurrection are a disgraceful endeavor to lure mentally unstable conspiracy nuts out of their rat holes and then use their actions, or intended actions, as fodder for continuing the leftists' war on all conservatives. In the oft-apropos words of Barack Obama's former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel: "You don't ever want a good crisis to go to waste; it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." Or more recently, in the words of the Left's biggest benefactor, billionaire socialist George Soros, about how to manipulate the public during the ChiCom Virus pandemic: "I would describe it as a revolutionary moment when the range of possibilities is much greater than in normal times. What is inconceivable in normal times becomes not only possible but actually happens. People are disoriented and scared." Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. Check out news you should not miss today: Society Vietnam on Monday morning reported four new cases of locally-transmitted COVID-19 with all being staff members at Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport, increasing the countrys tally to 2005, according to the Ministry of Health. Ho Chi Minh City on late Sunday night imposed an emergency blockade on the Ma Lang neighborhood with 1,900 residents in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward to take samples for COVID-19 tests and sterilize the area as a local resident had been confirmed as a new infection case. According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam will receive 4.8 to 8.2 million of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses AZD1222 for free shared by COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access), a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and others. From 6:00 am today, the northern province of Quang Ninh has suspended its interprovincial public passenger transport activities by road and waterway to ensure the prevention and control of COVID-19, the provincial Peoples Committee announced on Sunday. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is seeking the Prime Ministers approval for a project on planting at least one billion new trees by the end of 2025 for the countrys sustainable growth, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. Police in the southern province of Vinh Long early Monday morning detained 37 motorbikes and 41 people after preventing a group of more than 100 motorbikers from illegal race on the stretch of National Highway 1 through Tam Binh District thanks to report from local residents. Bringing electricity to the country's most far-flung is one of the most important and impressive achievements Vietnam has made since the national reunification, with the number of households having access to electricity increasing from 2.5 percent in 1975 to 99.54 percent in 2020, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. Lifestyle The central city of Da Nang on Sunday announced to suspend its firework shows to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year which falls on February 12 this year) to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two girls aged two and three were rushed to hospital in Birmingham after being mauled by an escaped guard dog in a shocking street attack. The two girls were both injured during the attack in the Saltley area of the city, with one dragged around in the dog's mouth 'like a rag doll'. It is understood that a guard dog escaped from nearby business premises before attacking the two girls. They are not thought to be in a life threatening condition. Footage shared on Facebook shows the dog attacking the girls and a woman. Officers from West Midlands Police were called to reports of a dog attack in St Saviour's Road, Birmingham, just after 12.30pm on Monday. Footage shows the dog sprinting across the road in Saltley, Birmingham and attacking the two girls and woman they were with The girls and the women started screaming as the dog neared them and tried to back up against a wall The three-year-old had hand and leg injuries after being bitten and the two year-old had scratch marks and a leg injury. In the shocking footage, piercing screams rang out as the woman tried to fight off the dog. A passing driver stopped at the scene and other people ran out of their homes to help. One man from a car tried to prize the child away from the dog and the girls were eventually placed in the man's car for their safety. Police said the animal has been seized. Officers from West Midlands Police were called to reports of a dog attack in St Saviour's Road, Birmingham, just after 12.30pm on Monday In the shocking footage, piercing screams rang out as the woman tried to fight off the dog with locals running to help A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said both children were treated at the scene before being taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital. He added: 'We had multiple calls reporting a dog attack on two young girls on St Saviours Road in the Saltley area of Birmingham at around 12.35pm this lunchtime. 'An ambulance was immediately sent to the scene. On arrival, the crew found the two girls, one with serious injuries. 'They were both assessed and treated at the scene before being taken on blue lights to Birmingham Children's Hospital where medics were awaiting their arrival. 'Their condition is not life threatening.' Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, moments before addressing the general debate of the General Assembly's seventy-fourth session. analysis Somalia's President Mohamed Farmaajo could be facing the most challenging time of his presidential career, exactly four years since he was elected the ninth head of the Horn of Africa country. Having failed to organise elections, and with no deal in sight on when polls can be conducted, Farmaajo will, after February 8, be legally in office only based on a legal motion endorsed by the Federal Parliament in September last year. The motion said all incumbents leave office once new ones are elected and sworn in. It didn't give timelines though. But it appears the problem is now political. On Sunday night, key stakeholders started warning they will withdraw recognition of Farmaajo as the Head of State, if he chooses to stay on beyond February 8. Abdullahi Hersi, the Puntland State Information Minister, told the media on Sunday that his region will no longer see Farmaajo as the Federal President of Somalia. And the Council of Presidential Candidates, a caucus of opposition politicians seeking to unseat Farmaajo, said it will not recognise his government. They recommended the formation of a "transitional council' to oversee the implementation of that September 17, 2020 Agreement on indirect elections. In a statement on Sunday night, the group, which included former Presidents Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as ex-Prime Minister Hassan Khaire, said the transitional team should be led by the two Speakers of Parliament: Abdi Hashi of the Senate and Mursal Mohamed of the House of the People; and include regional leaders, civil society groups and representatives from political parties. "President Farmaajo's term of office has ended. Anyone who wants him to continue staying in power will be partly responsible for the country's instability and collapse," said Abdishakur Abdirahman, leader of Wadajir Party. "We call on outgoing President to abide by the constitution to avoid losing the rights of a former president. The delayed election is actually not the issue, as all of the four previous elections had been delayed for one reason or the other. For the fourth time since January 2011, Somalia failed to hold elections on schedule," said Adam Hirsi, a former Jubbaland State Minister, now a political analyst on Somalia and the Horn of Africa. "This is unfortunate but not new. And, like we always have, we shall find a way." No end in sight That way wasn't clear by Monday morning and it seemed the vultures were swirling around Farmaajo, waiting to pounce. Abdusalam Salwe, a former Permanent Secretary in the Somalia Office of the Prime Minister, said that the Prime Minister and his government should legally be in charge until a new election is held, arguing that Farmaajo's powers end on February 8. "As of today, [there's] no legal mandate for Mohamed Farmaajo and the members of both Houses," he said referring to the bicameral federal Parliament which included the Senate and the House of the People. "Federal member state presidents and stakeholders should call a consultation meeting for the next chapter," Salwe added. Hirsi admits Farmaajo's presidency has had challenges, but he says the former diplomat has tried to rebuild the national army, tame corruption and elevate the country's voice on the international arena, and lifted the economy by creating key institutions. But he was poor on judicial reforms, human rights and failed to pass a constitution as well as organise elections on time. To be fair, politicians in Somalia knew from as early as October that elections could be delayed. This was after the initial timelines for nomination of polling officials and their training were missed. Abdi Aynte, a former Planning Minister and co-founder of the Heritage Institute in Mogadishu, said the scenario in Somalia is now "uncharted territory." "The legal term of an elected president has never expired without a political agreement," he argued on Monday. "Neither an inclusive election nor a deal among actors is in sight. Tension is palpable. It's a huge setback to peacebuilding and state building agenda." Farmaajo, however, sees an external hand in the chaos. In a speech to the Lower House of Parliament on Saturday, he said Somalia has been an arena of foreigners interfering in its affairs. "As a matter of fact, external meddling and foreign interference continue to affect implementation of the elections and our affairs as a nation in general," he said. Kenya's "meddling" In the past, Somalia has accused Kenya of meddling in its affairs and ended up cutting diplomatic ties with Nairobi. But some observers argue that Somalia has been faced with many outside powers with an interest to guard and that Farmaajo made selective accusations. "Farmaajo has used the 'sovereignty' argument to escape accountability and to act extrajudicially," Adam Abdulle, a Somalia political analyst, said. "The UN in Somalia and others went along with this flimsy argument even as the outcome was clear to everyone." Farmaajo's rallying of Parliament failed after Speaker Mohamed indicated there won't be talk about extension. Farmaajo's talks between his side and federal state leaders in Dhusamareb, some 400km north of Mogadishu, had also failed to produce a deal on the way forward, representing a bad week for the country. Speaker of the Senate Abdi Hashi had earlier written to the African Union and other international partners on Thursday, asking for intervention in the stalemate. "An impartial intervention by Somalia's African and international partners is urgently needed to move the process forward," he wrote. Hashi, a politician from the breakaway region of Somaliland, had represented some of the issues that caused the failure of reaching a political deal in Dhusamareb. Gathering in the capital of Galmdug state, President Farmaajo and leaders from the five federal states had pored over the election date, election model, participants, venues and polling officials. Hashi had objected to the list of commissioners meant to conduct elections for representatives from Somaliland. But it wasn't the only issue at hand. The three-day talks between Farmaajo and leaders of Hirshabelle, Galmudug, Jubbaland, Puntland and South West states failed to address key concerns, among them the composition of the federal electoral polling teams as well as the mode of voting for MPs, especially in the restive Gedo region in Jubbaland. Participants included President Farmaajo, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and the presidents of the five Federal Member States, namely Said Deni of Puntland, Ali Gudlawe of Hirshabelle, Abdiaziz Laftagareen of South West, Ahmed Kariye Qoorqoor of Galmudug plus the mayor of Mogadishu Omar Filish. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Somalia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Information Minister Abdukar Dubbe told journalists in Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state and the venue of the gathering, that the leaders will meet again to iron out the differences. Dubbe, though, accused some federal state leaders of refusing to give and take. Farmaajo and Jubbaland leader Ahmed Islan Madobe disagreed on how to elect 16 representatives from Jubbaland. Madobe demanded total control over Gedo, one of the planned venues where elections for MPs was to take place, under the September 17 agreement. After they fell out, Madobe walked out of the meeting. Later, Madobe accused Farmaajo of blocking the search for a solution. The National Consultative Forum was also supposed to discuss concerns that some of the members of the Federal Electoral Implementation Teams (FEIT) were either biased, were cronies of the president, or were spies out to rig the election. The meeting was also meant to address composition of electoral teams for Somaliland representatives, deployment of troops to Gedo which is opposed by Jubbaland, and whether Benadir region (Mogadishu) should have 13 representatives in the Senate. Some observers think Somalia has fallen victim to entrenched clan politics. "De-clanising of national politics is a key driver of the handshake and overriding interest should be public,. not about some winning and others losing," Hamza Abdikadir Sadik, a Somali lawyer and a parliamentary aspirant in Benadir region, said on Saturday. "Politics must be about the next generation," he said. While online meetings were previously reserved for communicating with long-distance colleagues and clients, the pandemic has made sure they are now the norm for intra-team communication as well. Skype, one of the worlds most widely used communication tools, has finally added support for an important work from home requirement - blurring your background on Android. In an update that began rolling out earlier this week, Microsoft added support for blurring your background on Android devices running Android Marshmallow (6.0) and above. You would think that Microsoft would release this feature for Android first, considering that it has greater market share globally, but this has already existed on Skype for Apples iOS for two years now. In fact, Skype for Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux as well as the zero-install web interface have all supported blurring your background before Android gained the new functionality. Also read: Microsoft Authenticator has a new cross-platform Autofill feature making it a true Apple Keychain rival Background blur lets you continue your conversations without distracting your contacts, by focusing on your face and blurring everything else in the background, presumably using machine learning and edge detection to identify a cutout of your face and blur everything else around it. Enabling the feature is simple - you can go to the three-dot menu and then tap 'Blur my background' while you're already in a call. The feature works extremely reliably, with the software blurring not just static backgrounds, but also moving objects and people moving around you. Read more: Microsoft reminds business users of July-end deadline to migrate from Skype for Business Online to Teams Another handy feature has received an update as well - Reactions. Microsoft says that when you receive an instant message, youll see the usual smiley next to it, youll be able to react using different emoji reactions. Microsofts support page does say that these reactions will vary as per the region you live in, so you may probably not see some reactions due to local laws or other issues. You can also customise the reactions menu to add even more reactions, according to the company. A Belfast firm developing new zero-emission electric fast ferries will more than treble its workforce to 100 by next year, it has emerged. Artemis Technologies is undertaking a major recruitment drive as it ramps up its programme to develop and build a new class of zero-emission fast ferries in the city. The 60m project, backed by UK Research and Innovations flagship Strength in Places Fund is being led by the companys chief operations officer and Co Down man, Professor Mark Gillan. Mr Gillan is a former Formula One chief, who has held a series of top roles including head of race at Williams. This is an incredibly exciting time for Artemis Technologies, and the wider maritime sector, as we make strides towards a net zero future for the industry, both in the UK and across the globe, he said. Operating from Northern Ireland, together with our partners in the Belfast Maritime Consortium, we are working to deliver transformative new technology that will revolutionise maritime transport. We are recruiting for a number of key roles throughout the organisation and are particularly interested in hearing from exceptional potential candidates in the fields of flight control and complex systems engineering and electronics, project planning, procurement, electric drive train, naval architecture, and a range of support and administration roles. Many of these are jobs that simply did not exist in Northern Ireland a year ago. There is a huge opportunity here to ensure that we, as a region, hold on to our most talented minds while also attracting leading global experts. He has held engineering leadership roles across the world, including senior posts in Formula One with McLaren, Jaguar/Red Bull, Toyota, and as Head of the Race Team at Williams. Ever since Indian government scrapped Section 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, political leaders in Pakistan lost their mindfulness by making senseless public statements in media. Imran Khan has come under fire from his own people and Pakistani media for his immature statements and giving frequent threats to India. Almost every day, Imran Khan and his faceless ministers have been threatening India with nuclear war. Does Imran Khan understand that if nuclear war takes place, there will not be any Pakistan in the world map and it will be converted into a desert where no human civilization and plantation will take place for next 1,000 years? It looks that Imran Khan has gone into depression, losing mental balance and he is suffering from a serious incurable disease. What was his previous image, a 'Playboy'? And now by his actions and irresponsible statements, he lost his all goodwill and image. Does any one accept him as the Prime Minister of Pakistan? Imran Khan went from China to USA to gain support for Kashmir but he returned Pakistan with empty hands after being insulted from all corners. He goes to various countries and international financial institutions for financial support like a beggar but no one is interested to give Pakistan any dollar amount because they know that Pakistan has gone bankrupt and where will they use that money. A country which harvests terrorism in every part of that country, has been internationally exposed on several occasions. They lost their countrys image and now is earning the label of the poorest country of the world. Mr. Imran Khan, there is a sincere advice for you and your people. Leave or stop dreaming about Kashmir because it was, it is, and it will remain an integral part of an integrated India. Better pay attention how to save the rest parts of your country from disintegration because the way people have been reacting in POK, Baluchistan and Sind, very soon Pakistan will likely split into another 2-3 countries. Look at the state of your economy which is in bad shape. Almost all financial indicators have seen a downward trend. The growth rate fell by almost 50 percent from 6.2 percent to 3.3 percent. Prices of commodities are touching sky; your people are dying of hunger and Imran Khan every day makes stupid statements about Kashmir. Pakistan media has been making mockery of Imran Khan. This man does not feel the shame for what he has been doing for Pakistan. To conclude, today, social, economic and political situation in Pakistan is worst ever since Pakistan was created. Pakistans international reputation is at the lowest ebb, it is labelled a terrorist country and one of the poorest countries of the world. Ever since, Imran Khan became Prime Minister of Pakistan, he gave only insult and 'badnaami' to Pakistan. The man should resign immediately because he is becoming a risk factor for achieving stability in South East Asia. Lekin Besharmon ko kya farak padta hai. His arguments may be that Pakistan Badnaam hua to kyaa hua, Duniya mein naam to hua. Imran Khan is to be blamed for Pakistans current agony and the bankrupt economy. SOUTH HAVEN, MI After a weekend of strong winds, snow and frigid temperatures, the Lake Michigan shoreline looks dramatically different this week. A mild December and January left the waters of Lake Michigan, near South Haven, mainly open and free of ice. But, over the last two weeks, temperatures fell and ice finally began to take shape along Southwest Michigans shoreline. Much of the Black River channel, which feeds into Lake Michigan at South Havens piers, is now also covered in ice. RELATED: When will Michigan climb above freezing? It might be a long time The south pier and the communitys South Beach were full of frozen ice balls, floating along the shoreline late last week. Now, South Havens beachfront looks like a winter tundra as sand and ice covers the sandy beach and blurs the line between land and water. Lake Michigans famous ice shelves have also taken shape along the shoreline in the wake of the weekend storm. First responders in South Haven and elsewhere along the Lake Michigan shoreline caution residents and visitors against going out onto the piers during the winter months, warning of dangerous conditions and treacherous ice. The ice-covered pier and shoreline snow shelves look inviting for the adventurous, but they are extremely dangerous.... Posted by South Haven Area Emergency Services on Sunday, February 7, 2021 Also on MLive: Blue ice building up near Michigans Mackinac Bridge Gorgeous ice shards are piling up along Lake Michigan Lake Michigan saves part of state from plunging to 20 below zero Susanna Reids penchant for low-cut dresses was played for laughs on Monday as she opened her top while presenting the latest edition of Good Morning Britain. The presenter, 50, surprised viewers after co-host Piers Morgan referenced her low-cut outfit as they prepared to hand over for an outdoor weather report in freezing Hertfordshire. 'I could not be dressed more inappropriately for the weather,' she admitted. 'But in this studio, I don't want to rub it in, it's really really warm.' Here we go: Susanna Reids penchant for low-cut dresses was played for laughs on Monday as she revealed her cleavage while presenting the latest edition of Good Morning Britain Prompting a murmur of agreement from Piers, he joked: 'But you are appropriately dressed for all those page leads about you getting your... out.' In response Susanna pulled the lapels of her blouse further apart, drawing a burst of surprised laughter from her co-host. In January Piers joked that Susanna had made headlines for rather unexpected reasons while covering US president Joe Biden's inauguration. Over to you: The presenter, 50, surprised viewers after co-host Piers Morgan referenced her low-cut blouse as they prepared to hand over for an outdoor weather report in Hertfordshire Joke: 'I could not be dressed more inappropriately for the weather,' she admitted. 'But in this studio, I don't want to rub it in, it's really really warm' He told viewers: 'Yesterday, this huge historic day But it was nothing to do with the [US] inauguration. 'It was Susanna Reid's cleavage, which appears to have made a huge, huge impact on the nation.' The presenter playfully responded to the backlash as she said: 'Women shouldn't have boobs at breakfast - they're for later on... shocker, women have boobs!', before her fellow anchor added: 'Well here they are, 11 years later... 'And they are still complaining about your cleavage! I'm very relieved on behalf of the nation that you have decided to put them away today because we can't cope. We can't cope with that kind of heat at 6.43am in the morning.' Banter: Prompting a murmur of agreement from Piers, he joked, 'But you are appropriately dressed for all those page leads about you getting your... out' Revealing: In response, Susanna pulled the lapels of her blouse further apart, surprising her co-host in the process Speaking to The Sun's TV Mag, Piers recently claimed his co-host secretly enjoys the attention afforded her appearance. He said: 'It was quite funny because normally she would hate that kind of stuff, she likes to pretend she hates it, but then I dont think she does. 'Ive always had a theory that she loves it but pretends to hate it. When she turned 50 something changed because about three days later she was voted best bottom in the world or something, including JLo and Beyonce, and she couldnt have been happier.' President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that she asked the countries of the European Union to donate some of the vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease to Ukraine. She said in a video message at the opening of the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" on Monday in Kyiv, that due to COVAX initiative, doctors and medical staff in Ukraine will receive the first vaccines this month, millions more doses of vaccine will arrive in Ukraine by the summer. The EU is the largest donor to the COVAX initiative, and they are proud of that. And in addition to COVAX, she asked other EU members to donate some of their vaccines to Ukraine. She added that since the beginning of the pandemic, the EU has supported the Ukrainian people. We sent masks, ventilators, and also allocated EUR 200 million to support your business during the lockdown, she said. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on Monday said it will launch its all electric SUV I-PACE in India on March 9. The company has already commenced bookings of the model in the country. "After the fabulous response to the digital launch of the Land Rover Defender, we are excited about curating yet another digital experience for the launch of Jaguar I-PACE in India," JLR India President and Managing Director Rohit Suri said in a statement. This digital event will provide a peek into a future-facing urban metropolis that is practically designed from the perspective of a sustainable ecosystem, uses innovative technologies and supports efficient modes of mobility like electric vehicles, he added. Equipped with a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery, the Jaguar I-PACE produces 294 kW and 696 Nm torque, helping it accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. The company has tied up with Tata Power to provide office and home charging solutions to customers of I-PACE. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Two men have been charged painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks in Larne (Brian Lawless/PA) Two men charged with painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks in a Northern Ireland port town have been granted bail. Mechanic William Donnell, 21, and farm labourer Mitchell Leeburn, 25, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday. Donnell, from Belfast Road in Larne, and Leeburn, from Deerpark Road, Kilwaughter, both face eight counts of criminal damage and a further count of possessing an article, namely spray paint, with intent to damage property. All the alleged offences occurred in Larne on Saturday. The charges relate to graffiti at a variety of locations in the town, including on several retail outlets, Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties, a Roads Service road sign, a number of walls and a billboard. Police had objected to bail on the grounds the two accused could commit offences if released. District Judge Peter King granted bail with several conditions attached, including a night-time curfew and a prohibition on entering Larne town centre. The accused, who appeared via video-link from a PSNI station in Antrim, having been in custody since Saturday, spoke only briefly to confirm they understood the charges. Inspections on animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended last Monday amid concerns over the safety of staff. That came after separate graffiti threatening port staff appeared last month. Officials from Mid and East Antrim Council, Stormonts Department of Agriculture and the EU Commission all stopped working at the facilities, which carry out checks required as part of Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. Environmental health staff from Mid and East Antrim Council returned to their duties at Larne Port on Friday. It has not been confirmed when the other officials, who work at both Larne and Belfast, might return to work. On Monday, the council announced that work by staff and contractors to clean up graffiti in the borough had been suspended after alleged incidents over the weekend. Council officials have asked the PSNI to carry out a threat assessment before clean up works resume. In court on Monday, a detective constable told Judge King he could connect the men accused of Saturdays graffiti spree to the charges. The officer said the PSNI was opposing bail amid concerns the pair could commit offences if released. Theres been 22 incidents of criminal damage in relation to the EU exit in Northern Ireland since the 1st of January this year, he said. He referred to the political fallout since Brexit. There has been heightened tensions in the area of Larne that has resulted in checks in Larne being stopped due to the perceived threat, he said. The judge made clear there was no evidence before court that the two accused had anything to do with those threats. The height of the allegations at this stage against Leeburn and Donnell is that they graffitied, he said. The officer said there had been eight separate incidents of graffiti in one night and the only reason the perpetrators stopped was because police chased them. The detective constable said the graffiti included target signs. Barrister Aaron Thompson, representing the two accused, suggested the target sign was painted by altering the vowel O within a word. The judge responded: I think its slightly beyond that its a separate character as opposed to a vowel inside the graffiti. The judge said police had provided him with an album of images of the graffiti, adding that the slogans included All bets are off, Larne says no to Irish Sea border, We do not support the Irish Sea border and other variations on the same theme. Mr Thompson said Donnell had offered an explanation to police as to why spray paint had been found in his car when it was searched by officers. Hes a mechanic and he said it wouldnt be in any way unusual for him to have access to spray paint and hes denied the matters, he said. Bail was set at 500 for each accused. Conditions included a prohibition on contacting witnesses and their co-accused. They will be electronically tagged, cannot encroach into Larnes 40mph speed limit zone, and must stay at home from 8pm to 7am. Both men were granted legal aid. The case will be heard again at Ballymena Magistrates Court on March 25. WASHINGTON Democrats plan to include an at least $3,000-per-child annual tax credit, paid to American families monthly in 2021, in the coronavirus relief bill that is hurtling toward passage by Congress. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, has been pushing to expand the child tax credit for 20 years in Congress and now as chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, she helped secure this temporary increase and is leading the fight to make it permanent. Aimed at fighting child poverty during the pandemic, the proposal in the coronavirus bill would raise the child tax credit to $3,600 for families with children up to six years old and pay $3,000 per child up to age 17 for couples earning up to $150,000 or individuals up to $75,000. The credit would decrease in size for higher income earners until it is phased out. The child tax credit is normally $2,000. Its not fully accessible to low-income people who do not pay taxes. But using lessons learned from distributed stimulus checks to non-taxpayers, Democrats now plan to pay the new enhanced tax credit to non-tax filers. Over one in three children do not qualify for the tax credit because their parents earn too little, according to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. In Connecticut, 26 percent of all children do not qualify, a DeLauro aide said. Also, unlike the lump sum refund, parents will get this tax credit paid in monthly installments of $300 for parents of young children or $250 for older children. Increasing the child tax credit during the pandemic has bipartisan support. But not everyone favors doing so permanently like DeLauro. In the current pandemic relief bill under consideration, we would support increasing the Child Tax Credit to $3,500, and $4,500 for young children, said Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida. However, we do not support turning the Child Tax Credit into what has been called a child allowance, paid out as a universal basic income to all parents. That is not tax relief for working parents; it is welfare assistance. DeLauro, whos been pushing to reform the child tax credit since 2003, made clear Monday that she believes a temporary expansion should be the stepping stone to permanent change. Shes pushing the Biden administration on that point and brought up the child tax credit in a Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday. We build the architecture for the future ... so were not just throwing money at a situation but we are looking at enduring transformation change, DeLauro said. DeLauros permanent expansion would offer the credit to more families of higher income levels: up to $150,000 per year for individuals and $200,000 per year for couples. The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimates it will cost $117 billion to expand the child tax credit per year. But Democrats like Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and Ritchie Neal, D-N.Y., argued the investment would have significant returns by cutting poverty. They cited estimates that their bill could cut child poverty by nearly 45 percent, cut Black child poverty by 52.4 percent, Hispanic child poverty by 45.4 percent and Native American child poverty by 61.5 percent. Increasing the child tax credit generally has some bipartisan support and proposals to expand it now have been offered by Democrats and Republicans. In their tax reform bill in 2017, Republicans doubled the maximum child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, recently released a proposal to give parents a $350 per month benefit for young children and $250 a month for school-aged children, while eliminating other federal tax benefits for families, like head-of-household status and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program. He would also get rid of the state and local tax deduction completely to pay for his proposal, an idea sure to have opposition from high tax blue states like Connecticut. DeLauro said she welcomes ideas to the table but opposed his decision to cut other programs helping low-income families, suggesting this change would mean Romneys proposal would not cut poverty as much as as her own proposal. Romney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other Democratic proposals to reform the child tax credit have also been proposed. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Amid protests from the opposition, the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill was passed in the state Legislative Council on Monday. While this bill was cleared by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on December 9, 2020, the government deferred tabling this bill in the Legislative Council reportedly owing to the lack of support from JD(S). When newly elected Deputy Chairman MK Pranesh called for a vote on this bill, several opposition leaders came to the well of the House, started sloganeering and tore copies of the legislation. While a total of 31 MLCs belonging to Congress and JD(S) were present in the House as compared to 28 from the ruling BJP, the former failed to demand a division of votes. Thus, the bill was passed through voice vote. However, it remains unclear as to whether the HD Deve Gowda-led party wanted to oppose or abstain during the voting process. The bill will replace The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance, 2020 promulgated on January 5. Repealing the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 35 of 1964), it entails strict penalties. The Karnataka government has made it clear that beef consumption and slaughterhouses has not been outlawed. Read: Karnataka Min Orders To Withdraw Cases Against 'gau Rakshaks' After Cow Slaughter Law Here are key provisions of the bill: Cattle has been defined as "cow, calf of a cow, bull and bullock of all ages and he or she buffalo below the age of thirteen years". The slaughter of cattle is prohibited. The exemptions are cattle operated upon for vaccine lymph or research. purpose at a government-recognized institution, suffering from a disease, and buffalo above the age of 13 years. The transport, sale, purchase, and disposal of cattle for slaughter is prohibited. In case of conviction of a person, the confiscated cattle, vehicle, premises, and materials will be forfeited to the state government. All offences are cognizable and no suit will be instituted against the competent authority exercising powers under this ordinance. If a person contravenes provisions of this ordinance, he faces a jail term of 3-7 years or a fine of Rs.50,000-Rs.5 lakh or both. The Karnataka government can establish institutions to take care of cattle. Every existing gaushala will get registered with the registering officer within three months from the commencement of this ordinance. Read: Karnataka HC Issues Notice To Govt On Plea Challenging Anti-cattle Slaughter Ordinance Read: 'Don't Allow Emotions To Overtake Science': JD(S) Slams K'taka Anti-cattle Slaughter Bill ADVERTISEMENT The Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has said 103 health facilities across the state were shut for non-compliance with regulatory standards in 2020. This update was given on the official Twitter handle of the state government on Sunday. Abiola Idowu, the Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, disclosed this at a virtual meeting with staff of the agency on Friday. The facilities were shut down for infractions ranging from quackery, operating beyond schedule, lack of qualified medical personnel to non-registration of facilities and lack of basic equipment, she said. According to the official, some of the facilities had been reopened, having corrected the infractions and pledged to abide by set standards. Other facilities will however remain sealed until they do the right thing, Mrs Idowu emphasised. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how 32 illegal pharmacies and patent medicine stores were sealed off in March 2020 for illegal operation and operating beyond the scope of practice. Mrs Idowu said the state government is committed to fighting quackery and unprofessional conducts in the health system. She added that the recent validation of the five-year strategic plan for the agency will go a long way in improving the quality of healthcare delivery to Lagosians through efficient and effective monitoring of health facilities in the state. The official also disclosed that the agency has deployed the use of the Health Facility Inspection Tool (Health FIT), to enhance effective and efficient inspection and monitoring of health facilities in the state. She warned that the agency will not tolerate any form of illegal health practices and urged all health facility operators across the state to abide strictly with the set standards to avoid sanction. New health facilities in Lagos state are also expected to register with HEFAMAA before starting operations, to protect the health of the people and avoid sanction. Mrs Idowu encouraged Lagosians to support the government in the fight against quackery and illegal operation of health facilities by reporting people behind such acts to the agency. A delegate casts her vote in the electoral process to choose members of parliament into Somalia's House of the People in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 6 December 2016. A bomb blast in central Somalia killed at least a dozen people on Sunday, including a local intelligence chief, according to officials. The attack, which wounded several others, targeted the vehicle of Abdirashid Abdi Qooje as it passed through the village of Eldhere 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Dhusamareb, the administrative capital of Galmudug State. Qooje was the head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency in Dhusamareb. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, security officials in the region confirmed the attack and number of casualties on condition of anonymity. "A military vehicle carrying Dhusamareb intelligence chief Abdirashid Abdi Qooje, was attacked while traveling between Eldhere and Guriel town, killing him and 11 of his bodyguards," one security official said. Several others, including three soldiers, were also wounded and were transported to hospitals in Dhusamareb for treatment. Local media have placed casualties at 14 people. Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group based in the Horn of Africa country, claimed responsibility for the attack. This was the third bombing in Somalia over the last 24 hours. One civilian was killed and three others wounded in a bomb blast Saturday evening in the capital Mogadishu. On Sunday, three soldiers guarding the Mogadishu-Afgoye highway construction site were wounded in another bomb blast outside Mogadishu. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Riot police block the road to prevent protesters from marching forward Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Yangon, Myanmar. (Image: AP) Police in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw used water cannon on Monday against protesters demonstrating against a coup a week ago when elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained, video from the scene showed. Police fired the water cannon in brief bursts against a group of the thousands of protesters who had gathered. The video showed some protesters appeared to have been hurt when they were knocked to the ground. Police appeared to stop using the water cannon after protesters appealed to them, but the demonstration continued. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said they would add a Joni Mitchell song to their 'dinner playlist' after a teenager recommended it to them during an online poetry class at the weekend. The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, were the guests of honor during a digital event organized by poetry group Get Lit in honor of Black History Month, during which Meghan 'shared some of her favorite lines' with the aspiring performers, while Harry expressed a keen 'interest' in poetry. In a screenshot shared by Get Lit on Instagram, Prince Harry and Meghan are seen beaming with joy as they introduce themselves to the participants in the free class - which was attended by aspiring poets aged between 13 and 19 - many of whom are seen staring open-mouthed at the on-screen couple. Meghan and Harry, who joined the call from the couple's $14 million mansion in Santa Barbara, were also recommended a Joni Mitchell song by one of the young poets, with the group's leader Mason Granger commenting on Instagram: 'They talked about poetry, Meghan mentioned Joni Mitchell and one of them gave her a song recommendation, it was cool.' Meanwhile Diane Luby Lane, Get Lit's founder and executive director, told HuffPost: 'They took music suggestions from the Poets and said it would be their dinner playlist.' Surprise! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance in an online poetry class on Saturday, which was held in honor of Black History Month Diane also shared: '[Meghan and Harry] They both listened so deeply to every word of the 3 poems that they heard.' Meanwhile she explained the couple also 'discussed deep things like racism and the importance of listening to one another.' Sharing the news of the couple's appearance on Instagram, the Get Lit poet page commented: 'Weve saved the best for last! Guess who surprised our poetry class this weekend?!' 'It was the best weekend EVER! Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were magic and kind and interested in poetry!' the caption continued. Happy as can be: Harry, 36, looked very tanned as he and his wife, 39, joined the online class from their $14.5 million home in Montecito, California Praise: Get Lit Poetry shared a screenshot from the class on Instagram, along with a gushing caption in which it was revealed Meghan 'shared some of her favorite poetry lines' in the class 'The Duchess even shared some of her favorite poetry lines. We are so grateful for their visit in honor of Black History Month. It goes down as most epic experience in Get Lit history!' Meghan Markle's love for Joni Mitchell In 2017, Meghan named the ten women who changed my life in a list which was headed by primatologist Dian Fossey, but also featured Rosie the Riveter a poster girl of the Second World War and Joni Mitchell. Speaking to Glamour, Meghan placed the Canadian singer and songwriter at No 5. She said Joni's song California had become something of an anthem in her life, and said she listened to the tune whenever she was feeling homesick. Advertisement Although the post did not share further details about which poems the Duchess chose to share, she has previously recited lines from A Note from the Beach by Matt Haig, as well as quoting pieces from Maya Angelou. On its website, the organization explains that it is working to 'increase literacy, empower the youth, and inspire communities' through poetry, revealing that it now teaches it curriculum in more than 100 schools across California. In the screenshot shared by Get Lit, Harry and Meghan are seen grinning from ear-to-ear while several of the students stare back at them in shock, with one even covering her mouth in surprise. Both the Duke and Duchess dressed casually for the occasion, with Harry wearing a white polo shirt and a leather necklace, while Meghan is seen modeling a pale blue button down, with her long brunette hair left in loose waves around her shoulders. The image also showed that the couple logged on to the Zoom call under the username 'DoS', which likely stands for either the Duke or Duchess of Sussex; Harry and Meghan have maintained the use of their royal titles since stepping down as senior members of the royal family in January last year, and often use them when they are taking part in public engagements. Poetry teacher Mason Granger, who led Saturday's class, thanked Meghan for encouraging his students to use their voices for the greater good, revealing that she discussed with them how significant the 'ripple effect of a single voice' can be. 'Soooo Prince Harry and Meghan dropped into my poetry class on Saturday and kicked it with the Get Lit Players for a multitude of minutes,' Mason wrote. High praise: Poetry teacher Sheila J also took to Instagram to thank the couple, describing their appearance in the class as the 'wildest thing' 'My favorite part of it all was Meghan echoing so many sentiments weve talked about in class, about this particular moment in time/history to be a young person and the ripple effect of a single voice. 'The root of them deciding to come is because at some point in their lives, they were moved by a poem. And whoever wrote that poem at some point thought to themselves, Does this even matter? Is anyone even listening? And they shared it anyway. 'Fast forward ripple ripple ripple and these kids get a surprise 45 minute chat with the Prince Harry and Meghan. It was pretty surreal. My kids shared poems, they asked questions, the kids answered and asked questions back, they responded authentically (they actually read and learned the kids bios Id sent earlier).' Another teacher, Sheila J, echoed those sentiments in her own post, in which she thanked Harry and Meghan for their 'kindness and generosity'. Several of the participants in the class also took to social media to share their surprise at seeing Meghan and Harry pop up on their screens, with one - Cielo - writing: 'So...Prince Harry and Megan Markle came to our [Get Lit Poetry] practice on Saturday. Excitement: Several of the students opened up about the class in their own Instagram posts, which were all shared at the same time on Monday afternoon Leaders: Poetry teachers Sheila and Mason Granger thanked Meghan and Harry for their participation in the class, and revealed that the couple did homework on each student 'I- Im at a loss for words on how cool and incredible this experience was. They were super kind, respectful and so genuine. I loved being able to hear them experience the impact of words and poetry with my fellow glps!!' Another - Jovana - thanked the Duke and Duchess for giving her the chance to 'share the art of poetry' with them, while joking about how shocked she looked in the image taken during the class. 'Live footage of me looking MORTIFIED trying to hold a conversation with Megan Markle,' she wrote. 'Thank you so much Get Lit for the opportunity and thank you to the [Duke] and Duchess of Sussex for allowing us to share the art of poetry with you.' Inspiration? The couple's participation in the class comes days after it was reported that Meghan has been approached with some 'very serious book deals' The posts were all shared at around the same time on Monday afternoon - with the official Get Lit account leading the publicity charge in what appears to have been a carefully-timed release that was no doubt coordinated with Harry and Meghan's team of aides. While Meghan was praised for helping to inspire the students in the poetry class, it is possible that they also helped to kickstart her own personal writing projects - after it was reported last week that she has some 'very serious book deals on the table'. According to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, the Duchess is considering writing a book and has been approached with 'lucrative offers from respectable publishing houses.' Since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family alongside the Duke, the Duchess has secured lucrative deals including a contract with Spotify worth up to $40 million and a partnership with Netflix believed to be worth upwards of $100 million. Having already mirrored much of the career paths of former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, Meghan now appears to be following in their footsteps once again with her own lucrative book deal. A source explained: 'Meghan has some very serious book deals on the table. They are all up for consideration.' President Barack launched his memoir A Promised Land in November, while his wife Michelle released her biography Becoming in 2018. With the economic recovery picking up pace and attractive home prices, analysts say it is a good time for investors to put in money in stocks of companies. Those who have spare funds and are looking to invest, buying a residential property now can is also be a good option from a long-term perspective. However, the return expectation of investors from these two asset classes should be realistic, especially from the stock market perspective, given the sharp run up in these counters since their March 2020 low. Over the past two years, residential has been primarily driven by end-users. According to Consultants, investors accounted for just about 20 per cent of the overall buying activity. Over the years, implementation of the (Regulation and Development) Act implemented in 2016 combined with other shocks such as demonetisation, the introduction of GST and now Covid-19, has led to a consolidation in this sector. The stage is set for investors to get active again. However, the days of reaping fast and massive profits from real estate are over. Investors must come to the market with more realistic return on investment (ROI) expectations. Short-term speculative real estate investments are neither viable nor profitable anymore. With housing prices remaining range-bound over the past 7-8 years, the pickup in demand will eventually cause prices to harden again. A suitable investment horizon for Indian housing is 5-10 years, says Prashant Thakur, director and head of research, Consultants. Property prices, too, have seen a gradual rise over the years. In the eight major metro cities in India National Capital Region (NCR), Kolkata, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore average property prices have moved up in the range of 2 per cent to 38 per cent between 2013 and 2020, ANAROCK data show. On the other hand, sales of residential units across eight major Indian metros, according to Knight Frank, reached pre-Covid levels at 61,593 units in the December 2020 quarter (Q4CY20). On average, these cities had recorded total sales of 61,467 units in 2019. On its part, the government has also been proactive. Mumbai, for instance, reduced stamp duty rate from 5 per cent to 2 per cent for the period from September 1st 2020 till December 31st 2020, and to 3 per cent until March 31st 2021. Last week, the Delhi government slashed circle rates by 20 per cent for all categories of properties for the next six months. Many areas had seen market rates go below circle rates, which was hampering transactions. Complications like the difference between the lower market rate and the higher circle rate being added to the buyer's income and taxed at the marginal income tax rate was a deterrent. Lower transaction costs will certainly incentivise buyers towards looking at opportunities said Mudassir Zaidi, executive director (North) at India. At the bourses, most realty stocks have done exceedingly well since their March 2020 lows. The has outperformed the Nifty50 index, rising 100 per cent as compared to 91 per cent gain in the frontline index. Among individual stocks, Sobha, DLF, Godrej Properties, Brigade Enterprises and Indiabulls Real Estate have gained in the range of 100 per cent to 223 per cent during this period. In this backdrop, analysts suggest investors remain selective on realty stocks and buy only where there is revenue visibility and a credible promoter backing. One cannot paint the entire sector with the same brush. The returns over the past few months in realty stocks have been phenomenal. Investors need to be selective now, cautions G Chokkalingam, founder and chief investment officer at Equinomics Research. A former chairman of Debenhams who made multi-million pound personal gains from the store has claimed its downfall was due to 'bad luck'. John Lovering, who in his heyday was one of the best-known figures on the UK retail scene, added that online fashion group Boohoo has snapped up the Debenhams brand at a rock bottom price. The 71-year-old made a multi-million pound sum from the float of Debenhams in 2006 after three years of private equity ownership. In the money: Former Debenhams chairman John Lovering has claimed the 243-year-old department store chain's downfall was due to 'bad luck' Speaking to the Mail from his 1.5million farmhouse in East Sussex, he denied claims he made a 21million profit but said he had given 12million of his Debenhams shares to a charitable trust he runs. Lovering, a governor of 21,000-a-year private school Dulwich College in south London, served as chairman of the collapsed department store chain between 2003 and 2010, over which period he was paid 1.5million. Over his long career, he has chaired a wide range of retailers including Go Outdoors, Homebase and Maplin Electronics as well the Odeon cinema chain and pubs group Mitchells & Butlers. He and his wife Brenda are the sole directors of the farm surrounding their home, which has assets of almost 20million. He denies any responsibility for Debenhams' demise and said corporate success or failure was 'often about luck'. Lovering also claimed that in paying 55million for Debenhams, Boohoo had snatched one of the 'best deals of all time'. He said: 'Debenhams has a 400million-500million internet business and I think Boohoo has done one of the smartest deals of all time only paying 55million.' Between 2003 and 2006 Debenhams was owned by a consortium of private equity firms. Asked if he felt he and others who served during the period of private equity ownership and its aftermath at Debenhams were being made a scapegoat for its collapse, he replied: 'Someone once said, 'The past is a foreign land', but clearly attitudes and values from 12 to 15 years ago are different than they are today. Milked: Between 2003 and 2006 Debenhams was owned by a consortium of private equity firms I think the business got a bit complacent, underestimated the competition with Primark at the discount end and lots of innovation around. 'Also there were one or two poor appointments. They didn't drive the business forward. 'One doesn't want to be critical but it's always sad to see one's legacy not optimised.' Lovering added: 'It seems to me there are two separate issues in this story. 'Was Debenhams crippled by debt? The answer to that is 'No'. Is it right that individuals and private equity houses can make such a vast return? I think the issues have got confused. It's often about luck.' He said he had given 12million of his shares in Debenhams to his charity, the Lovering Charitable Foundation, established in 2007, which supports projects for underprivileged children and the elderly and has built two schools in Angola, in southern Africa. A former trustee for Save the Children, he added: 'I've always tried to balance looking after my shareholders in the private equity world with wider social responsibility and it's for others to judge whether that has been achieved.' The first China-made vehicle, a Jiefang-branded truck, rolled off the assembly line in 1956 in Changchun, Jilin province. The city, known as the cradle of the country's auto industry, has since produced millions of vehicles of marques such as the indigenous Jiefang and Hongqi and the foreign Toyota and Audi. In the new energy vehicle or NEV segment, however, Hefei, the capital of East China's Anhui province, is a better known name, mainly thanks to its hugely rewarding investment in Nio. In early 2020, the city, through its State-owned investment arm, reached out to salvage the cash-strapped startup, acquiring a 24.1 percent share for 70 billion yuan ($10.8 billion). Back then, the New York-listed carmaker was on the brink of bankruptcy, having failed to secure more finance for vehicle development and business operations. Its net loss was over 11 billion yuan by the end of 2019. Thanks to people's increasing confidence in the sector and the success of Tesla, Nio has a valuation similar to Volkswagen AG's, the world's second-largest carmaker by sales, with its stock price surging 13 times to around $60 in less than a year. Hefei is one of the many Chinese cities that are looking to the NEV industry in the hope of finding new economic drivers. Real estate was a quick choice, but China is calling for efforts to cool down the overheated segment for healthy and sustainable development. "To many, the investment in Nio was like a lucky and massively rewarding bet. Yet, a closer look will reveal that Hefei was determined to upgrade its local industry," said Roy Lu, director of the Gasgoo Auto Research Institute. Hefei's pillar industries include household appliances. Official data show its annual output hit 100 billion yuan back in 2011, becoming the first of industries in the city to reach the milestone. Yet, without new economic drivers, the city's GDP growth slowed down from 9.8 percent in 2016 to 7.6 percent in 2019. The deal with Nio has sped up the city's growth through more lucrative high-end manufacturing. In November 2020, Hefei released a blueprint, planning to build an annual production capacity of 1 million NEVs in five years, with the industry generating an annual output of 100 billion yuan. One month later, Volkswagen announced it would build a $3 billion electric vehicle plant in the city with its partner JAC. The German carmaker also increased its stake in the joint venture from 50 percent to 75 percent. Volkswagen is also in the process of paying $1.34 billion for a major stake in a local battery maker. In January, another EV startup, Leapmotor, moved to Hefei. Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, is trying its hand with the industry again, after startup Byton's plant in the city stalled operations in 2020 because of financial difficulties. Founded by BMW executives, Byton was one of the most promising startups in China, with its models expected to take on those from premium brands, including Audi and BMW. With the help of the Nanjing government, Byton inked a $2 billion deal in January with Apple's contract manufacturer Foxconn, which will also help the startup to ensure that its first volume vehicle will roll off the assembly line in the first quarter of 2022. Foxconn, with smartphone plants in the city, is planning to make Nanjing a production base of its automotive business, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Several days after its deal with Byton, it established an NEV company with a registered capital of 323 million yuan in Nanjing. "This will allow us to contribute toward the further growth of the EV industry, a demonstration of our commitment in the transformation of the traditional automotive industry," said Young Liu, chairman of Foxconn, in a statement. While encouraging the sector's growth, the central government is asking local authorities to be prudent to prevent overcapacity. In November, the National Development and Reform Commission launched an investigation into NEV projects planned since 2015, to examine their construction and production. Lu at the Gasgoo Auto Research Institute said local governments were more enthusiastic about the sector several years ago. They started to show restraint when a project involving US carmaker Saleen in Jiangsu province proved to be bogus in 2019. Data show that from 2015 to the end of the first half of 2017, there were more than 200 NEV projects in the country, some planned and some under construction. They involved projected investment of 1.03 trillion yuan and combined planned production capacity of 21.24 million vehicles. Last year, 1.37 million NEVs were sold in China. "The cooperation between Nio and Hefei is a very positive case in the development of the NEV industry," said John Zeng, managing director of consulting firm LMC Automotive Shanghai. "It shows that local governments should have a professional and qualified team, which can offer scientific project evaluation and investment suggestions, to avoid aimless development." Australian media companies may have healthier balance sheets in the near future thanks to the News Media Bargaining Code. The relevant bill, which is likely to be enacted soon, forces Facebook and Google to pay news outlets for the use of their content. This solves two problems at once. On the one hand, media companies have been struggling to find ways to generate revenue. On the other, platforms currently only pay for news on an ad-hoc basis. They also make unilateral decisions about how their algorithms work, which can affect how many people find their way from Google and Facebook to news websites. Melanie Silva, Google managing director and vice-president for Australia and New Zealand, appears via videoconference during a Senate hearing. Credit:Sydney Morning Herald The governments plan is to take the power out of Google and Facebooks hands. They will no longer be able to pick and choose who they want to negotiate with. Instead, they have to talk with any Australian media outlet that makes more than $150,000 and wants to strike a deal. If the parties cannot come to an agreement, an arbitration panel will choose between their final offers. Outlets are also protected by an additional clause. Facebook and Google cannot favour one publisher over another just because of how specific negotiations turned out. The ban on the rebroadcasting of the Russia-RTR channel in Latvia is a political action that grossly violates Riga's international obligations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) The ban on the rebroadcasting of the Russia-RTR channel in Latvia is a political action that grossly violates Riga's international obligations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. On Monday, Latvia's media watchdog banned the rebroadcasting of Russia-RTR in the republic for a year. Earlier, Latvian cable operator Tet announced that it would stop rebroadcasting the largest Russian tv channels PBK (rebroadcaster of Channel One in the Baltic countries), NTV Mir, Ren TV Baltiya, Kinokomediya and Kinomix. The rebroadcast will stop on February 1. Instead of the listed channels, viewers will be offered others, the company announced that it was also continuing to search for channels that can be added to the package. "We regard the decision of the Latvian authorities to ban the broadcasting of the Russia-RTR TV channel for a year as a political action that grossly violates Riga's international obligations to ensure freedom of speech and pluralism of opinions," Zakharova said in a commentary. She stressed that the channels of Russia's VGTRK had been subjected to restrictive measures in Latvia for several years under various far-fetched pretexts. "The current story is no exception ... We see in the banning of Russian channels Riga's stubborn desire to eradicate the Russian and Russian-language media, the Russian language, as well as any dissent from the national media at all costs. Latvia once again neglects the rights of the Russian-speaking population of the country, ignoring its obligations in the field of ensuring human rights and thus violating the fundamental principles of a democratic and civil society," Zakharova said. "We call on relevant international organizations and the human rights community to properly respond to the repressive policy of Latvia in the field of media regulation, as well as double standards in ensuring the rights of foreign media and their own citizens," the spokeswoman said. The authorities of the Baltic countries have repeatedly obstructed the work of the Russian media. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced clear signs of a coordinated line of these states. Cases of harassment of the media in the Baltic states "clearly demonstrate what demagogic statements about the adherence of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn to the principles of democracy and freedom of speech are worth in practice," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. There is also another vaccination challenge well soon confront that we can resolve now with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Because it only requires one shot rather than two, it makes eminent sense to target especially 18- to 24-year-olds the group that will most likely relocate at the end of the academic year for that vaccine at this time. Otherwise, every state could find itself with the complicated logistical challenge of trying to administer a second shot to individuals who have relocated, including to other states, at the end of the academic year (and what a year its been). Firefighters continued checking the building and noticed a small amount of soot on the door jamb of a unit on the first floor, McKay said. Upon entering the unit, the firefighters discovered smoke from the ceiling to the floor and remnants of a fire that had largely burned itself out, he said. MIDDLETOWN Connecticuts only all-electric school bus will enable the district to not only reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and lower fuel costs, but ensure children a more healthful ride to and from school. State and local officials unveiled DATTCOs small Collins Type A All-Electric School Bus Monday at the high school. The $350,000 vehicle runs on five sodium chloride batteries, according to President Don DeVivo. Prices for diesel-powered small buses start around $60,000, and the larger ones cost $80,000s and up, according to the company. A DATTCO official said the New Britain-based transportation company paid $100,000 of the $270,000 price tag for this particular bus, with the rest paid from the Volkswagen Settlement Program. The settlement program centered around claims by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Trade Commission that the German automaker used technology to bypass emissions regulations. Development costs for such vehicles are very expensive, said DeVivo, who expects the price tag to come down. He likened the situation to 50-inch televisions selling for $4,000 when they first emerged. Now, they are $400, he said. It was a significant cost, but theres a cost to being first, DeVivo said. His company was able to replace one diesel-powered school bus with an electric one. There will be more on the way beginning in September, he said. We like to be first here in Middletown, Mayor Ben Florsheim said. We like to be the leaders when it comes to new, progressive ideas that are going to not only help our environment, not only protect our future, but also it makes sense for our school district budget, our city budget, and for our taxpayers. The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters approached DATTCO about submitting a grant request to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to apply through the Volkswagen Settlement Program, CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown said. The VW settlement provides detailed information on the types of projects states can undertake, including repowering or replacing vehicles, according to its website. Transportation accounts for 38 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, Brown said. This is really where the rubber meets the road when it comes to doing things that invest in climate change mitigation. This is the perfect example of where it can be local, state, and our federal government finally going in the right direction. In the early 2000s, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was involved in a study led by Environment & Human Health Inc., according to Vicki Hackett, deputy commissioner of energy. The study measured the emissions levels from inside school buses, she said. They found the diesel emissions for the school bus could make it into the cabin pretty easily, increasing exposure to children on the bus who were on 30-minute or longer rides, Hackett said. Any reduction in those diesel particulate emissions for children whose lungs are still developing is really important, she said. One of the biggest advantages is maintenance, DeVivo said. Theres no engine, theres no oil changes, youre really saving, he said. The city is known for its progressive action. In November, the district was the first to pilot a free COVID-19 mobile testing program at all district schools. Last summer, Connecticut Biotech donated 220 face mask exoskeletons to Middletown teachers as part of a pilot program. These 3D-printed frames are worn outside a disposable or cloth face covering using facial recognition technology. We pride ourselves on being the first in experimentation and testing, said Middletown Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner, adding that innovation and creativity is something the district prides itself on. This is the future of education, to be able to align our progressive academic program around innovation, the superintendent said. Florsheim praised DATTCO for taking the initiative. We know this is the way the market is going, we know the climate crisis requires us to act, so we are going to act, he said. Its an incredible reusage of the Volkswagen settlement, because we know how important it is to start moving to electric vehicles. For information, visit vwclearinghouse.org, my.lwv.org and dattco.com. Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the Connecticut League of Women Voters approached DATTCO about submitting a grant request to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to apply through the Volkswagen Settlement Program. It was the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters that approached DATTCO. Leading Faucet Brand Delivers New Pull-down Kitchen Faucets & Inventive Features LAKE FOREST, Calif., Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pfister, an industry leader in thoughtful, architectural design styles for every taste, introduces two innovative new kitchen faucets steeped in practical luxury and sophisticated design, including three novel features intended to make life easier in the kitchen. The company is known for its stylish and elegant, feature-packed pieces for the kitchen and bath including some of the bestselling and award-winning product lines and state-of-the-art technologies. Pfister Debuts Inspired and Innovative New Features at KBIS 2021 MagnePfit The Pfister MagnePfit magnetic docking feature uses powerful magnets to keep the spray head firmly secured to the spout. A firm connection is important for a seamless user experience and to prevent a dangling spray head. The magnets work in conjunction with a weight located on the hose to provide quick and effortless retraction of the spray head after use. Auto-Align Manually aligning the spray head after each use can be cumbersome. Auto-Align technology simplifies that process by removing the need for manual alignment and positioning. Threaded grooves subtly located at the base of the spray head work with corresponding grooves inside the spout to re-orient the spray head for perfect positioning. Auto-Align technology even allows the option to have the spray toggle buttons face outward for easy identification and operation, or face to the back for a more concealed, smooth appearance. HydroBlade This innovative spray pattern is engineered to blast away hard-to-clean messes with ease. The high-pressure water blade uses high velocity and concentrated force to blast away hard-to-clean messes from plates, cups, sinks, and other surfaces. Pfister Unveils New State-of-The-Art Faucets All three of these original features and more are now available on two exquisitely designed faucet models, the new Norden pull-down kitchen faucet and the new Port Haven pull-down kitchen faucet. Norden Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet Angular edging alongside soft swoops and curves become 3-D art that is as ergonomic as it is captivating. In addition to HydroBlade, Auto-Align and MagnePfit features, the multi-function spray heads with wipe-clean nozzles and a limited lifetime warranty round out this feature-rich offering. The Norden faucet is sold now in kitchen and bath showrooms nationwide and available in stainless steel, polished chrome and matte black. Port Haven Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet Keeping with the theme of popular trends, Port Haven fixtures thrive in modern rustic, modern industrial, and eclectic traditional kitchen designs. The Port Haven kitchen faucet collection also includes a matching style pull-down bar and prep faucet as well as a bridge faucet with an included side spray. The Port Haven faucet is now available in polished chrome, stainless steel, brushed gold, polished nickel and Tuscan bronze in kitchen and bath showrooms nationwide. Pfister Showcases Additional Introductory Displays Montay Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet This ergonomic stunner incorporates a pull-down spray head at just the right height for no-reach cleanup. All the hidden inner workings are made to last as long as its modernist exterior adorns your kitchen. The Montay faucet, the chic reflection of our best technology, is finished in shining simplicity. The Montay faucet is now available in polished chrome, stainless steel, brushed gold, and matte black in kitchen and bath showrooms nationwide. Bruton Culinary Faucet Equipped with everything you need to prep, cook, and clean in the kitchen, the Bruton faucet is a functional work of art. The placement of the coil and the knurling details are both practical and decorative, adding to the performance and its timeless design. It is beautifully symmetrical and offers maximum clearance and reach. The Bruton faucet is now available in polished chrome, stainless steel, and matte black in kitchen and bath showrooms nationwide. Highbury Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet The new traditional aesthetic is softer than previous generations. Like a raised eyebrow above classic bone structure, The Highbury faucet invites you in on the secret of lasting style: clean, proportionate lines with just enough detail to stand out in any gathering. Lingering brunch, anyone? The Highbury faucet is available in-store at Ferguson Showrooms and online at Build.com by Ferguson. Push & Seal Expansion for Trade Portfolio The Push & Seal feature is a completely re-thought drain assembly that is easy to install and use. Press to seal and again to open. It is that easy. No tools are required for installation of this innovative drain assembly, saving lots of time spent in a cramped space. In fact, the Push & Seal assembly can be installed in under four minutes. The Push & Seal advanced compression lock seals the drain completely so the sink stays filled, even overnight. The innovative Push & Seal drain is now available on even more bath collections including Deckard, Pfirst Series, Weller and Pfirst Modern. Weller Bath Collection - Now Available in Matte Black Finish A top seller in the Pfister portfolio, the Weller bath collection is the standard for transitional style. The gracefully arched spout and angled handles work together to complement a wide range of decor, making Weller fixtures the ideal selection for those who want to update or upgrade their bathroom. For an even greater range of style applications, the Weller collection is now offered in the popular Matte Black finish. It also comes equipped with the Push & Seal feature, the innovative drain assembly that installs in under four minutes. The Weller collection is available online at Ferguson and Build.com. Fortis Collection Unveils New Additions To Luxury Plumbing Family Celebrated for its craftsmanship and matchless philosophy of seamlessly integrating high fashion with outstanding quality, the bestselling Fortis line of bold contemporary kitchen and bath accessories is inspired by the history, nature, architecture, and landscapes of the companys home in the style capital of Milan, Italy. Meticulously Crafted Luxury Bath Collections Bold and evocative, the Gattinara and Vitrina lines are both opulent bath collections within the FORTIS family of products. These stunning and stylish European- inspired collections include all the elements needed to fully outfit a bathroom from faucets to valve trim, shower accessories to towel bars, towel rings, and robe hooks. Select the modern transitional shapes of the Vitrina collection in polished chrome, brushed black, or brushed gold. The audacious contemporary shapes of the Gattinara collection are available in polished chrome and brushed nickel. Virtual KBIS attendees will also get a peek at the two-handled Corsini luxury lavatory configuration. Minimal and sleek, the Corsini collection is available in a mirror-like polished chrome and brushed nickel with both lever and paddle handles available in the same box. Dramatic and Dazzling Kitchen Faucets Beyond the bathroom, the Fortis brand is presenting attendees with a magnificent selection of kitchen faucets. The AC54200 culinary faucet, with its unique bridge connection between spout and faucet, produces a 160-degree movement for extended spray head reach. Choose from high-sheen polished chrome for a lustrous feel or select the high contrast, subtle look of soft brushed black. The 7855500 model is an elegant, modern culinary faucet cleverly constructed of silicon and brass materials for greater flexibility and 360-degree reach, while the RK59100 exquisite swan neck spout design suits any modern, high-end kitchen. Able to rotate 180-degrees and equipped with a two-function sprayer, homeowners can choose the RK59100 with a glassy polished chrome finish or dull matte of brushed nickel. Finally, the 6459100 is a modern, sleek pulldown kitchen faucet boasting an ergonomic handle, two-function sprayer, and 180-degree spout rotation. The polished chrome and brushed black will suit any modern, minimalist kitchen. About Pfister Pfister is the fixture company that has been pushing creative boundaries and exceeding customer expectations since 1910. True faucet people, the strength of Pfisters engineering teams has led to technical breakthroughs like TopPfit easy installation technology, React touchless faucets, Xtract filtration, MagnePfit magnetic docking, Push & Seal drain innovation, HydroBlade spray technology, and Spot Defense stay-clean surfaces. Well-known for aesthetic excellence and craftsmanship at a great value, Design Made Right has become Pfisters calling card for loyal consumers and pro customers alike. Above all, Pfister remains a company of people-people, who cheerfully and proudly stand behind their Pforever Warranty. Part of the Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI) division of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), Pfister is headquartered in sunny Southern California, with products sold online and through retailers and distributors throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. Discover more at https://www.pfisterfaucets.com. About Fortis Sitting comfortably alongside Baldwin bold, sleek hardware in the Spectrum Brands luxury portfolio, Fortis faucets and accessories are designed, engineered, and manufactured in Italy. Known for its modern, contemporary European designs, Fortis products are made of brass, delivering outstanding quality and durability and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. The high-end, European-inspired plumbing products are ideally suited for hospitality and other European-inspired design applications. To learn more about the Fortis portfolio of products, please visit https://www.fortisfaucet.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Danyel Tiefenbacher 949-672-4173 danyel.tiefenbacher@spectrumbrands.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b07f82d0-c5a4-4dbd-be6e-bc8f51fcb47d https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f50df721-3028-4ffe-88c1-f83f9b61894e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2f935a2e-aa1a-4255-8acf-a27567dd494f TANZANIA has intensified efforts in ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by teaming up with five neighbouring countries, it was disclosed. Acting Director of Child Development in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Mr Sebastian Kitiku , on Saturday said that with increasing new trends of cross boarder FGM practices, Tanzania has formed a joint taskforce with others to help in controlling girls being trafficked. He said since 2019 Uganda, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia formed the taskforce after an agreement to prohibit trafficking of girls for FGM, terming it a new cross border malpractice trend that must be fought. Besides, the common front to fight the menace, the government had put in place a number of initiatives including adopting the National Plan of Action to prevent and eradicate violence against women and children with all its forms, and engage stakeholders to ensure the practice is eliminated. As the country joined the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey 2015/2016 indicates that the prevalence of FGM has dropped in the two decades from 18 per cent in women aged 15-49 years to 10 per cent in 1996 . However, in implementing the agreement, Mr Kitiku said the country has conducted a number of capacity building trainings to Regional Security Committees in the borders of Sirari (Tarime), Holili (Rombo), Namanga (Longido) and Horohoro (Kilindi) so that they note the techniques being used to traffic girls and women for FGM. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tanzania Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Elaborating, he noted the ministry in collaboration with districts along the borders have been using community radios and television to propagate anti-FGM messages. He said the government on March 15, this year will launch a National Plan against FGM as they want to end the menace which has adverse health impact to girls and women who undergo it. Mr Kitiku said they also impose a 500,000/- fine or six month imprisonment or both for, whoever will be found guilty of practicing FGM. The acting director, further pointed out that the societies should also join forces with the government to end FGM practice with statistics showing that one out of ten women have undergone the genital cut in their lifetimes in the society. Mr Kitiku named the regions with high cases and their per cent in bracket as Manyara (58), Dodoma (47), Arusha (41), Mara (32) and Singida (31). He further said mid next month in Arusha the ministry will organize a national stakeholders' conference against FGM, where the national plan will also be launched and deliberate strategies on how to deal with the menace. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed on February 6, to spread awareness and educate people about the problems female faced due to genital mutilation. With the theme this year-No time for Global Inaction: Unite, Fund and Act to end FGM, the celebration was aimed at ending FGM with support from every quarter especially youth and other stakeholders. People cross the Suchiate River on a raft from Guatemala to Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico on Jan. 18, 2021, as a new migrant caravan, mostly of Hondurans heading to the United States is expected to arrive. (Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images) Mexico Says Expecting Migration Surge in 2021 Mexico officials have said they expect a spike in mass migration this year driven by natural disasters, failed economies, and the negative impact of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus pandemic. Nashieli Ramirez Hernandez, the head of Mexicos Human Rights Commission (Comision Nacional de Derechos Humanos, CNDH), said during a press briefing last week that the institution came to the conclusion after closely monitoring conditions in Central and South America, Breitbart first reported. We are expecting an increase in the migration flow, Ramirez said. Not long ago there was a caravan coming from Honduras that tried to reach the country. While that one was stopped, there is a latent topic there and people will continue to arrive. She said the CNDH expects a spike in migration in smaller groups, rather than in large caravans, linked to the negative economic impact of ongoing pandemic. Ramirez also cited reports of an upsurge in human smuggling operations along human trafficking routes. Just weeks earlier, Mexicos Human Rights Secretary, Alejandro Encinas Rodriguez, said he believed the country would face new challenges in migration flows in the coming months, warning of the effects of the pandemic and hurricanes that struck Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Mexicos federal government has not yet addressed the Biden administrations prompt dismantling of former President Donald Trumps border security measures. The Biden administration, on its first day in office, signed executive orders and issued memos to temporarily suspend deportations of illegal aliens, reverse former Trumps ban on travel from terror-prone countries, halt border wall construction, stop adding people to the Remain in Mexico program, preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and release a sweeping immigration package to Congress that includes amnesty for millions of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. The Attorney Generals (AG) of both Arizona and Texas have sued Biden over a memo from the administration that ordered a freeze on the majority of deportations for 100 days. On Jan. 20 (pdf), the Department of Homeland Security released the memo, which imposed a moratorium on most deportations and outlined categories of immigration offenders who will continue to be subject to arrest and eventual removal, including those who pose a national security risk or are suspected of terrorism or espionage. Arizona AG Mark Brnovich a Republican, announced the lawsuit on Twitter late on Feb. 3, stating that he believes the policy puts Arizona public safety at risk, saying the suit asks the U.S. District Court in Arizona to rule that the 100-Day Pause policy violates federal law. U.S. Border Patrol agents carry out special operations near the U.S.-Mexico border fence. (David McNew/Getty Images) The chief deputy in Pinal County, Arizonaa 90-minute drive away from Mexicotold Townhall that the situation on the United States southern border is worsening following the change of administration and its policies. Thomas said that the crisis at the border had begun to re-emerge at around the end of 2020 because the human and drug trafficking cartels expected President Joe Biden to have a hands-off attitude with regard to the border situation. When [Trump] took office, we saw that this area out here went completely dead. Nobody was moving, nobody was smuggling because [the cartels] knew that Trump was going to put all hands on deck out down here and that they would be intercepted so it came to a screeching halt, Thomas said. It was a very slow trickle to get back to some kind of normal but it never got back to where it was, Thomas added. A map showing the Pinal County boundary, the U.S.Mexico border, and the major highways in central-south Arizona. (The Epoch Times) Thomas said that since Biden has ordered to halt the construction of the southern border wall, it has created more trouble for Pinal County since it doesnt have physical barriers, promoting the criminals to funnel through, reaching the highway and then transporting drugs or bodies throughout the country. Samuel Allegri contributed to this report. Armenia will not hold snap parliamentary elections - this was the result of a three-month struggle between the government and the opposition after the defeat of the Armenian occupation forces in the Karabakh war. Representatives of the "My Step" said at a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that the parliamentary opposition (the "Prosperous Armenia" and "Enlightened Armenia" parties) did not support the proposal to hold snap parliamentary elections, and society was indifferent to this initiative. Meanwhile, the demand to hold snap parliamentary elections was the second point of every protest action for three months after the demand for the immediate resignation of Nikol Pashinyan. The present developments clearly show that the key forces of the anti-Pashinyan movement failed to win this internal, political war - on the contrary, Nikol Pashinyan came out a winner, at least at this first stage. The answer lies on the surface: during this time, the opposition was unable to offer voters any intelligible alternative to the current Armenian government. It wasn't possible, since the "war party" of the instigators of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan, was actively inciting protests, all its programs were based on the promise of the inevitability and infinity of military confrontation with Azerbaijan, arguing that the war being the basis of the Armenian statehood. The war with Azerbaijan really underlies the Armenian statehood that Kocharyan, Sargsyan and their Karabakh clan have been building since the 1990s. However, Armenia already said 'no' to this approach in the spring of 2018, when the 'Velvet Revolution' took place, forcing Serzh Sargsyan to resign from the post of Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan then came to power almost by accident, people voted for him only because he had nothing to do with the Karabakh clan. Today, almost three years later, this principle has not gone anywhere. Of course, looking at Nikol Pashinyan, many citizens of Armenia think that the country needs a more professional leader, but now there is simply no one to replace him. At first, the opposition tried to formally disguise itself by nominating Vazgen Manukyan as its candidate, but it is not a secret for anyone in Armenia that he is still a representative of the "war party". When it became clear that the 'Vazgen Manukyan' project had failed, the "war party" nominated Robert Kocharian, the architect of modern Armenian fascism and the guarantor of aggression against Azerbaijan. And this event fundamentally clarified the state of affairs in Armenia's political field: no matter how bad Nikol Pashinyan is, the people who are trying to displace him are even worse. Therefore, it is not surprising that the government decided to abandon the idea of snap parliamentary elections - there is simply no need for them now, when the country needs a guaranteed implementation of the November Statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which ended the war and opened the way to peace in the South Caucasus. 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 we approach the one-year mark of the pandemic in the United States, calling the last 12 months unprecedented would be an understatement. The world has been turned upside down and the banking and financial industry has been faced with immense challenges in implementing nationwide programs to help businesses and individuals. But with those challenges have come remarkable opportunities to connect in meaningful ways with our clients. As we progress into 2021, those opportunities are going to continue, and I absolutely believe we look forward to much brighter days ahead. First Draw Paycheck Protection Program Loans: ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ In March, Congress passed the CARES Act to provide $2.2 trillion in stimulus to the economy. The legislation included the Paycheck Protection Program, which through the Small Business Administration supplied more than $525 billion in potentially forgivable loans to struggling businesses. During the first round of PPP loans, WaFd Bank supported 6,588 businesses across its eight-state footprint and extended $782 million in PPP loans to clients through the SBA. In New Mexico alone, WaFd Bank approved 674 PPP loans totaling $59.4 million with many of these loans being for customers new to WaFd Bank. Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness: Quoting one of my branch managers, Brandy Murphy, Yes, there have been learning curves on both sides, but to be able to call a client and let them know that their loan has been forgiven pushes me daily to continue to work hard for all our clients. It gives me joy to wake up every day, come to work and know that I have the opportunity to help businesses in need. As of (last) week, 49% of our PPP First Draw clients have applied for forgiveness and 73.5% of those loans have already been forgiven; 98% of the loans forgiven received complete forgiveness and only 2% were partially forgiven. PPP First Draw clients still have up to 10 months after their covered period to apply for forgiveness. Second Draw PPP Loans: For the second round of PPP funding, WaFd Bank New Mexico is focused on supporting its existing clients who need additional funding to weather the pandemic. As of early this week, the SBA has only disbursed $34 billion of the $284 billion available which is at a much smaller rate when compared to the PPP First Draw when the SBA went through $350 billion in two weeks. Consequently, it appears that there is going to be plenty of funds available for applicants who meet the new Second Draw requirements. Words of Advice on your Second Draw PPP application: Be patient Second Draw PPP loans are still a work in progress that is being tweaked every day. The SBA is currently taking more than three days to approve and assign an SBA number, which is different from First Draw where an SBA number was assigned immediately at the time of bank submission. This change has been made for compliance reasons and to reduce fraud. The SBA is also still undergoing several updates to their portal each day as different situations arise. Dont make Second Draw more complicated than it needs to be. Per my commercial banking manager, Joshua Smith, If a borrower reads the SBA guidance, the Draw Two payroll calculation and qualification is straightforward and easy to follow. A straightforward application allows the banks underwriter to be more efficient in turning it around and submitting it to the SBA. Much of your information submitted during First Draw can also be used again in the Second Draw application. Perhaps the greatest lesson learned during the pandemic has been a deeper appreciation for New Mexicos resilient communities, strong work ethic and their ability to come together. The executives desk is a guest column providing advice, commentary or information about resources available to the business community in New Mexico. To submit a column for consideration, email gporter@abqjournal.com. the executives desk Millions more doses of vaccine will arrive from the EU in Ukraine by summer. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has called on EU member states to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine. Speaking online during the all-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Answers," she recalled the creation of the global COVAX Facility, thanks to which Ukraine will receive the first batches of vaccines as early as this month. Read alsoUkraine set to vaccinate half of population against COVID-19 in 2021, early 2022According to the official, millions more doses of vaccine will arrive from the EU in Ukraine by summer. All vaccines are safe and effective since they have been thoroughly verified by the independent European Medicines Agency, she said. The EU Commission president added the EU is on the side of Ukraine since it belongs to the European family. COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine On December 30, Ukraine signed a contract with China's Sinovac for the supply of 1.9 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine. On January 30, 2021, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said Ukraine would receive 117,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX (the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility) in February. From the middle of February to the end of June 2021, Ukraine will obtain 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of an AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. First to get vaccinated will be healthcare workers, the elderly, and seriously ill patients. Read alsoZelensky says vaccinated citizens to enjoy restrictions liftIn December 2020, the Health Ministry's coronavirus task force approved a COVID-19 immunization plan under which at least 50% of Ukrainians (20 million people) are to be vaccinated during 2021-2022. On January 29, the National Commission for technology-related and environmental safety and emergencies approved a schedule for vaccination against the coronavirus in Ukraine in 2021. On February 4, Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said the vaccination against COVID-19 in the country would start on February 15. Reporting by UNIAN gettyimagesbank By Lee Kyung-min Concern is mounting that the latest real estate policy could escalate into full-blown property rights disputes, as residents in redevelopment zones would have fewer options to be heard after the government eased related rules. At issue will be whether eminent domain, the action by the state of taking property from a private owner for public use or benefit, will infringe on the individual property rights of residents in areas designated by the government for redevelopment projects. Experts say the supply-bolstering measure of providing 836,000 new homes nationwide by 2025 could be thwarted by legal battles that could drag on for years, with the prompt improvement in housing for a large number of the public becoming more elusive. They also say state-run redevelopment projects to increase housing supply should be equally pursued with proper resettlement plans for "evicted" residents, who are sometimes left with few options but to move far away from the metropolitan area. This fans concerns of gentrification, a process whereby existing communities are displaced and dispersed by the introduction of more expensive housing and businesses that cater to wealthier customers rather than serving community needs. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Feb. 5 that over 800,000 homes will be built via state-run redevelopment and reconstruction projects. This is a notable change from the two dozen previous "botched" real estate policies, defined by demand control including a heavier tax on multiple homeowners and tighter lending rules for mortgage seekers among other measures to curb property speculation. A considerable part of the new policy will be conditioned on the government leading development after taking over land and property from private owners, a process to be shortened following a revised rule concerning eminent domain. A related rule requires a separate vote for finalizing a state-led reconstruction plan after it is initiated with the agreement of more than half of the area's residents. But the government lowered the minimum consent required to 67 percent of the total, significantly down from 75 percent. This means the government can railroad the project even with a third disagreeing. "The lowering by almost 10 percentage points of the minimum consent needed can be a central point of dispute in a court ruling," an attorney said on condition of anonymity. The issue in his view may require a constitutional interpretation, since the government is likely to argue that time is of the essence citing policy priority about providing affordable housing for low-income people. "Japan, for reference, requires the minimum consent be no lower than 80 percent, far stricter compared to Korea. Which argument the court would find more compelling remains to be seen," he said. The troubling scenario of gentrification can very much become a reality, if residents do get forced out of their current residences despite their opposition, according to Construction Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK) senior research fellow Doo Sung-kyu. "A large numbers of residents in those areas are low-income earners, with their only property being aging and run-down housing," he said. "Even if the government gives proper compensation according to related rules, it will be far short of what they need to move to nearby areas, given housing prices have nearly doubled in Seoul." The government plans to guarantee landowners a return that is up to 30 percentage points higher than previous figures, in a move to increase the participation of wealthy individuals without whom the entire project could be derailed. Owners of old, aging apartments will be exempt from a related rule whereby a certain amount of profit gained from the redevelopment project be returned to the government. They will also be able to leave their apartments unoccupied for two years, in another major exemption from tightened real estate policy balked at by multiple homeowners. Affordable housing will be built for residents leaving redevelopment zones, a policy that will benefit senior citizens who lack monthly income. Data from the Korea Center for City and Environment Research showed only 32.7 percent of apartments in four favored districts in Seoul were occupied by their owners, indicating the remaining 67.3 percent were held by real estate speculators. The four districts were Gangnam, Yongsan, Nowon and Mapo. By Zhao Wenhuan and Ding Wendong BEIRUT, Feb. 8 -- The 19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer contingent to Lebanon, who has been under long-term high pressure for performing high-risk mine sweeping and Blue Line maintenance tasks, conducted a comprehensive live-fire drill on February 6. During the drill, emergencies such as airstrikes by fighter jets, attacks on camp gates by unidentified personnel, fire outbreak in the camp, and emergency evacuation occurred one after another without any notification in advance, some of which were even set up for the first time. "Although some emergencies were encountered for the first time, the peacekeepers were still able to deal with them properly with quick and efficient response," said Gao Jie, the staff officer for on-site guidance. He remarked that the Chinese contingent had normalized various combat readiness exercises to ensure all the peacekeepers are fully prepared for war at all time. According to Du Jia, commander of the 19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer contingent to Lebanon, since they were deployed to the mission area last August, the COVID-19 pandemic has kept spreading and the gunshots and artillery often blasted around the camp. With unidentified fighter jets hovering over the sky and stray bullets flying into the camp from time to time, the security environment became increasingly severe. In response, the contingent analyzed the local situation and timely communicated with competent departments of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Command. They also organized at least three times of drills every week, involving the emergency defense, fire fighting and medical rescue, and conducted the activities for combat readiness day once every month. Through such constant drills, they have gained a deeper understanding of the operation strategies and improved the capability to deal with emergencies. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... LOS LUNAS Niagara Bottling has been doing well enough in the last few years that it is now looking to expand its production at its Los Lunas plant. Originally slated as an action item during the last Los Lunas Village Council meeting, Niagara Bottling requested the village amend its water/wastewater agreement with the company to double its production. Los Lunas Mayor Charles Griego amended the agenda at the beginning of the meeting, and turned the action item into a discussion item, citing the need for more information. He noted the request could put a load on the villages water system, and questioned how an increase in production from Niagara would affect it. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The hope, Niagaras John Utton said, is to bring this item back to the council at its Feb. 11 meeting. He mentioned a couple of loose ends that need to be worked on between the company and the village. Niagara Bottling is expecting a 46% to 60% increase in head count and staffing, Jason Vangalis, a representative with Niagara Bottlings economic development government relations team, said during the meeting. Currently, the plant has 40 to 50 employees. Niagara Bottling would need an increase of water diverted from the village from 285 acre feet per year up to 650 acre feet per year if its expansion plan is to be approved. One acre-foot of water is a little less than 326,000 gallons. The proposed agreement between the village and Niagara Bottling requires the latter to transfer suitable water rights into the villages wells by lease to offset their water consumption, according to the agenda. Niagara Bottling plans to get those water rights through PNM, as it was previously done under the current water/wastewater agreement that was approved in 2017. If the council approves the agreement, the hope is increased production at the plant would begin next January. My understanding is that if its approved, then we would take steps to order the equipment for the second line, Utton said. That equipment is manufactured in Germany and its about an eight to nine month lead out period our hope is that by January of 2022 so a year from now we would expand the plant. Michael Jaramillo, public works director for the village, said if the agreement is approved, Niagara could hook up directly to Well 7, which is near the plant. While it isnt needed to provide the amount of water the company is requesting, Jaramillo said, the reason is that when anybody takes water from the village, we would hope to be able to maintain our capacity or our requirement to our communities. Niagara Bottling would pay for the infrastructure of the second line and would purchase equipment to do so. Village officials are concerned about the load of local water that would be diverted to Niagara for possible expansion. Were waiting for information concerning loads on our water system based upon current demands that we have based upon the villages current population and projected growth, as well as other agreements that we have for the provision of water and peak demands within those agreements and stuff, said Larry Guggino, the villages attorney. The council talked about possible penalties for overages in a revised agreement, although it wasnt discussed in-depth. Niagara, a bottling company headquartered in California, leases about 44% of the facility, which once housed Merillat on the westside of Interstate 25, according to a 2017 News-Bulletin article. Representatives from Niagara Bottling said about 90% of the water bottled at its plant in Los Lunas stays in New Mexico. Bihar Chief Minister on Monday launched an ambitious project that aims to upgrade the Medical College Hospital and make the largest public health care centre in the state "world class". At a function held inside the historical PMCH campus, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the 5462-bed hospital coming up at a cost of Rs 5540 crore, which is expected to be complete in seven years, besides unveiling a plaque commemorating the occasion. In his speech, Kumar expressed the desire that the project be completed within five years, ahead of the deadline, and spoke at length about the affinity he has for the PMCH which happens to be situated in the vicinity of the engineering college, now upgraded as an NIT, of which he has been an alumnus. Fondly recalling the past glory of the once reputed medical college and hospital, the chief minister said in the past the PMCH used to be popular among patients from outside Bihar, including the adjacent country of Nepal. He said the government will also be working towards making the new and improved PMCH more accessible than it is now, situated along the crowded Ashok Rajpath street which is prone to traffic snarls. An elevated road would come up to facilitate easy transit of vehicles without getting stuck in the Ashok Rajpath. Besides, an approach road will be built to connect the hospital with the "Ganga Path", which is being constructed along the banks of the river and has come to be known as the "Marine Drive of Patna" in local lexicon. The chief minister also took the opportunity to shower praise on the states medical professionals for keeping COVID 19 under control in Bihar where the mortality rate has been far lower than the national average and vaccination was taking place at a rapid rate. Kumar said while mortality rate due to deadly coronavirus is 1.44 per cent in the country its 0.50 per cent in Bihar. He said its matter of pride that Bihar has the highest vaccination percentage in the country. Addressing the function, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said since the hospital is part of his Sahib Lok Sabha constituency it was his duty to extend all cooperation to it. He said the centre as well as NDA government in the state are committed to development of Bihar. Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad, state Health minister Mangal Pandey and Principal Secretary Health Pratyaya Amrit were present on the occasion 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.) Dodoma TANZANIA Commission for Aids (TACAIDS) says men who live with HIV/AIDS die faster than women because of failure to begin using antiretroviral drugs early. Speaking here yesterday during a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Drugs, TACAIDS Executive Director Dr Leonard Maboko said that even as men die in a huge number, statistics show that new infections were increasingly among women compared to men. "When it comes to HIV testing, many men have been becoming reluctant, and even when we do make follow ups on those who do voluntary testing, many of them are delaying in beginning dosage," he said. Dr Maboko told parliamentarians that the number of deaths in men was increasing because they do not begin using ARVs on the required time. "And those who begin using drugs do not follow appropriate doctors' advice, but women have always been voluntarily testing, beginning dosage on time, as well as considering advice from physicians, that is why many of them live longer," he noted. Expounding further, Dr Maboko said the 2019 statistics show that people living with HIV were 1.7 countrywide, whereas men were 628,830 while women were 983, 471. He, however, said deaths caused by the disease in men were 12,225, compared to 9,304 in women. "New HIV infections in 2019 were 77,084, whereas women were 39,614 and men were 28,870 and children under five years were 8,600," he said. Dr Maboko added that some of the steps taken to reduce HIV infection rate was strengthening awareness campaigns on testing and immediate use of drugs. Speaking during a meeting, Maswa Member of Parliament Stanslaus Nyongo said the report from TACAIDS was shocking, insisting that it was high time to intensify campaigns to have men test their HIV status, as well as immediately beginning to take the dosage. When opening the meeting, Minister of State, in the Prime Minister's Office, responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Ms Jenista Mhagama said that medical services to people living with HIV had improved, adding that as of December 2019, about 1.2 million people were getting ARVs. London: A new hotel quarantine system modelled on Australias hardline border regime is in disarray just a week before starting in Britain, as concerns grow over the spread of a mutant coronavirus strain. Under the plan, British citizens arriving home from dozens of countries badly affected by the so-called South African variant will be forced to spend 10 days in government-approved hotels at their own expense. Whitehall officials announced the plan in January after studying whether Australian-style border measures could stop the new strain from gaining a foothold in Britain and undermining the vaccine rollout. Early evidence suggests the variant might make the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab less effective in stopping people from catching the virus or developing mild and moderate illness, although scientists still believe it will prevent serious disease and death. The Dark Energy Camera (DECam), which was originally designed for the Dark Energy Survey, has captured one of the deepest images ever taken of Messier 83, a spiral galaxy playfully known as the Southern Pinwheel. Built by the US Department of Energy, DECam is mounted on the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSFs NOIRLab. Credit: NOIRlab Astronomy enthusiasts might wonder why a camera called the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) would be used to image a single spiral galaxy. DECam has in fact already finished its main job, as the instrument was used to complete the Dark Energy Survey, which ran from 2013 to 2019. Like many people, rather than enjoying a quiet retirement, DECam is remaining occupied. Members of the astronomical community can apply for time to use it, and the data collected are processed and made publicly available, thanks to the Astro Data Archive at the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC) Program at NSF's NOIRLab. DECam's continued operation also makes sumptuously detailed images like this one possible. Messier 83, or the Southern Pinwheel, is located in the southern constellation of Hydra and is an obvious target for a beautiful astronomical image. It is oriented so that it is almost entirely face-on as seen from Earth, meaning that we can observe its spiral structure in fantastic detail. The galaxy lies around 15 million light-years away, which makes it a neighbor in astronomical terms. It has a diameter of around 50,000 light-years, so it is a little diminutive in comparison to our own Milky Way, which has a diameter of 100,000200,000 light-years. In other ways, however, the Southern Pinwheel probably gives a good approximation of how our Milky Way would look to a distant alien civilization. Six different filters were used on DECam in order to create this spectacular new view of a classical beauty. Filters allow astronomers to select which wavelengths of light they wish to view the sky in. This is crucial for science observations, when astronomers require very specific information about an object, but it also allows colorful images like this one to be created. Observing celestial objectssuch as the Southern Pinwheelwith several different filters means that different details can be picked out. For example, the dark tendrils curling through the galaxy are actually lanes of dust, blocking out light. In contrast, the clustered, bright red spots are caused by glowing, hot hydrogen gas (which identifies these as hubs of star formation). Dusty trails and dynamic ionized gas have different temperatures, and are therefore visible in different wavelengths. Filters allow both to be observed separately, and then combined into one intricate image. In all, 163 DECam exposures, with a total combined exposure time of over 11.3 hours, went into creating this portrait of Messier 83. Yet these observations were not just about creating a pretty picture. They are helping to prepare for upcoming observations by Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a future program of NOIRLab. In ten years of operation, starting in 2023, Rubin Observatory will carry out an unprecedented optical survey of the visible sky named the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). "The Messier 83 observations are part of an ongoing program to produce an atlas of time-varying phenomena in nearby southern galaxies in preparation for Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time," said Monika Soraisam of the University of Illinois, who is the principal investigator for DECam's observations of Messier 83. "We are generating multi-color light curves of stars in this galaxy, which will be used to tame the onslaught of alerts expected from LSST using state-of-the-art software infrastructure such as NOIRLab's own ANTARES alert-broker." Built by the US Department of Energy (DOE), DECam is mounted on the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at CTIO in Chile. DECam is a powerful instrument that uses 74 highly sensitive charge-coupled devices (CCDs) to take images. CCDs are the same devices that are used to take photos in everyday cell phones. Of course, the CCDs in DECam are much larger, and they were specifically designed to collect very faint red light from distant galaxies. This capability was crucial for DECam's original purpose, the Dark Energy Survey. This ambitious survey probed one of the most fundamental questions of the Universewhy is our Universe not only expanding, but expanding at an accelerating rate? For six years DECam surveyed the skies, imaging the most distant galaxies to collect more data to enable astronomers to further investigate our accelerating Universe. Taking beautiful images such as this one must seem a lot simpler for DECam. "While DECam has fulfilled its original goal to complete the Dark Energy Survey, it continues to be a valuable resource for the astronomical community, capturing sweeping views of objects like Messier 83 that both delight the senses and advance our understanding of the Universe," said Chris Davis, Program Director for NOIRLab at the National Science Foundation. Explore further Dark energy camera snaps deepest photo yet of galactic siblings Provided by NOIRlab Donald Trump Jr. will go to Wyoming to campaign against Republican Rep. Liz Cheney after she voted to impeach his father. 'I hear it's lovely during primary season,' he told Politico's Playbook. Cheney has been under fire from conservatives since she voted to impeach Donald Trump even as establishment Republicans - such as Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell - have defended her for voting her conscious. She survived a challenge from conservative House members to stay in the GOP leadership in Congress but she's been censured by the Wyoming Republican Party and already has garnered one primary challenger with more mulling a run. The primary is a ways off - it's in August 2022 - but Trump Jr's message was a clear warning to the congresswoman that the Trump family won't forget she was one of ten House Republicans to vote to impeach. Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former president, has become one of the Trump family's most prominent campaigners. He was a regular on the trail for his father and for other Republicans during the 2018 and 2020 elections. He's also become a strong fundraiser for the party. Donald Trump Jr. will go to Wyoming to campaign against Republican Rep. Liz Cheney after she voted to impeach his father Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney survived a challenge to her place in GOP Leadership after her impeachment vote, but she's been censured by the Wyoming Republican Party and has garnered one primary challenger His warning shot came as the Senate is preparing to start Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday. He is expected to be acquitted as many Senate Republicans argue he can't be impeached since he's no longer in office. The warning also came after Cheney doubled down on her criticism of Trump, criticizing him for claiming the election was stolen and saying he has no place in GOP leadership. 'People in the party are mistaken,'she told 'Fox New Sunday.' 'They believe that BLM and Antifa were behind what happened here at the Capitol. It's just simply not the case, not true and we're going to have a lot of work we have to do.' 'People have been lied to. The extent to which the president, President Trump for months leading up to January 6th spread the notion that the election had been stolen or that the election was rigged was a lie and people need to understand that,' she added. 'We need to make sure that we as Republicans are the party of truth that we are being honest about what really did happen in 2020 so we actually have a chance to win in 2022 and win the White House back in 2024.' And she bluntly said the former president 'does not have a role as the leader of our party going forward.' 'The single greatest threat to our republic is a president who would put his own self interest above the Constitution, above the national interest,' she told Fox News. Trump loyalists have been going hard after Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. In late January, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a prominent Trump ally, flew to Wyoming to campaign against her. About 1,000 people took part, many of them carrying signs calling for Cheney's impeachment though several were supportive Former President Trump is reportedly furious with both Cheney and House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, who stood by her during the conservative challenge to her leadership. Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Southern Florida, has been livid and fuming to aides about what he views as a betrayal by McCarthy for standing by Cheney, CNN reported. Donald Trump is reportedly 'livid' at Liz Cheney and House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy On January 28, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida led a rally against Cheney in front of the Wyoming Capitol. About 1,000 people took part Republican officials in Wyoming said they invited Liz Cheney to the censure hearing but she didn't attend. An empty chair labeled 'Representative Cheney' sat at the front of the meeting room Wyoming State Sen. Anthony Bouchard announced he will challenge Liz Cheney in the August 2022 Republican primary Cheney will remain as the third-ranking member of the House GOP leadership after winning the vote in the House Republican Conference, 145 to 61. His anger came a week after McCarthy visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to try to cool tensions and reassure the former president he still has a role to play in the GOP. Cheney, meanwhile, already garnered one primary opponent and there is time for more to come. Conservative State Senator Anthony Bouchard announced his challenge to her a week after she voted to impeach Trump. Bouchard founded the gun rights group Wyoming Gun Owners and spoke at two protests at the state Capitol in recent months - one protests state COVID restrictions and the other decrying the election results. Darin Smith, a Cheyenne attorney who lost to Cheney in the 2016 primary, said he is mulling another challenge to her. Cheney easily won her primary contests in 2018 and 2020, with about 50,000 more votes than her second-place Republican challengers. The winner of the primary usually wins the general election in the heavily-GOP state. But she still faces fallout even as she defends her vote. The Wyoming Republican Party voted overwhelmingly Saturday to censure Cheney. Only eight of the 74-member state GOP's central committee opposed the censure. The censure document accused Cheney of voting to impeach Trump even though the House of Representatives didn't offer Trump 'formal hearing or due process.' Republican officials said they invited Cheney but she didn't attend. An empty chair labeled 'Representative Cheney' sat at the front of the meeting room during the hearing. Advertisement Cases of the 'super COVID' variant that originated in the UK are spreading rapidly across the United States, a new study claims. Researchers estimate that the variant, known as B 1.1.7., is between 35 percent and 45 percent more transmissible than strains seen earlier on in the pandemic. Because of its more contagious nature, infections of the variant in the U.S. appear to be doubling about every 10 days. The study appears to back a forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which predicted the variant would become the dominant variant in the nation by March. Currently, there are at least 700 confirmed cases of the variant in the U.S., according to a DailyMail.com analysis of state and federal data. Experts are also warning that the increased transmission rate of B 1.1.7. makes a spring surge inevitable - despite plummeting cases and hospitalizations - and increase the urgency of getting as many Americans vaccinated as quickly as possible. 'You need to get vaccinated when it becomes available as quickly and as expeditiously as possible throughout the country,' said Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, in a press briefing on Monday. 'And the reason for that is...viruses cannot mutate if they don't replicate. And if you stop their replication by vaccinating widely and not giving the virus an open playing field to continue to respond to the pressures that you put on it, you will not get mutations.' In the UK, which was forced to go into lockdown due to the variant, infections and hospitalizations are also on the decline, leading some to wonder if the nation has turned the corner of the pandemic. There are at least 700 cases of the UK variant known as B 1.1.7. in the U.S., a DailyMail.com analysis of state and federal data reveal A new study found that B.1.1.7 was present in 0.2% of cases in the U.S. in October, and was found to be present 3.6% at the end of January Researchers found the new variant's prevalence among positive test results is increasing, doubling every 10 days across the country (above) Cases involving the new variant are most prevalent in Florida (top graph) and California (bottom graph), doubling every nine days and 12 days, respectively '[B 1.1.7] is here. It's got its hooks deep into this country, and it's on its way to very quickly becoming the dominant lineage,' co-author Dr Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, told The Washington Post. The UK variant was first discovered in the county of Kent in September but was not deemed a 'Variant of Concern' (VOC) until December. It now accounts for at least 61 percent of cases in Britain. Most estimates put it at about 70 percent more infectious, but some studies suggest it could be twice as infectious. More moderate projections say its transmissibility is only about 56 percent higher. Officials in the UK says that variant may be 30 to 40 percent more deadly, and so far there have been two deaths in the US linked to the variant. The study found that B 1.1.7 cases currently make up more than 5% of all cases in Florida (orange, left) and 4% of all cases in California (orange, right) For the new study, published on pre-print server medRxiv.org, the team sequenced 500,000 samples of the virus, called SARS-CoV-21 tested at Helix facilities since July 2020. Beginning the week of October 18, 2020, just 0.2 percent of daily positive cases appeared to be linked to the UK variant. The first case was identified in the U.S. on December 31, showing that the variant was in the country much earlier than previously believed. However, the increase rapidly took off in January. The nationwide proportion of B 1.1.7. cases increased from 0.8 percent of all positive tests during the first week of January 2021 to 3.6 percent in the last week. Results showed that cases across the county are doubling every 9.8 days. Researchers found the majority of B.1.1.7 sequences from the U.S. cluster were in two states: Florida and California. Of 212 B.1.1.7 samples sequenced, 96 came from California and 87 came for Florida. The new report estimates that cases are doubling California every 12 days and even faster in Florida, at every nine days. The authors note that B 1.1.7. still spreads the same way that original variants did and that masks and social distancing will help. Several states saw their number of positive cases exponentially rise in January (above), matching CDC models that B 1.1.7. will become the dominant strain in the U.S. by March According to the CDC, Florida has the highest number of B 1.1.7. cases with 201 as of Monday morning, followed by 150 in California. The study only looked at data through the end of January, but co-author of the study Dr Kristian Andersen, an immunologist at Scripps Research Institute, told The Post that the proportion of cases in Florida involving the new variant may have risen to 10 percent in the last week along. Dr Mary Jo Trepka, an epidemiologist at Florida International University, told The Post that he is not surprised by the number of B 1.1.7. infections in Florida. She says it is due to a lack of travel restrictions and mitigation measures such as mask mandates - even as cases continue to decrease across the county. On Monday, the U.S. recorded fewer than 100,000 cases in a day - the first time since November 3. 'We're in good shape in terms of numbers of cases coming down, the hospitals are doing well. So is that going to reverse because we're seeing these variants?' she told The Post. 'The message is that we have to work harder to prevent transmission of all these cases of covid. If we don't we'll potentially see more variants. We need to get everybody vaccinated and we need to do a much better job at preventing transmission.' The new study comes on the heels of a report from Imperial College London, which showed the increased virulency seen in the B 1.1.7. variant. The non-peer reviewed study was based on samples taken from nearly 86,000 Britons. In a series of graphs, researchers looked at case trends in a subset of NHS England Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) areas, which are geographic subdivisions of NHS Regions. They showed that the November lockdown ordered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson helped bring down rates of the original strain of coronavirus, bit did little to suppress the spread of the mutated strain in England. This is demonstrated by the graphs with three lines showing case numbers. There is a thick line showing the total number of cases in the respective region, a green line showing the original strain of COVID-19 (S+) and a yellow line showing the new variant (VOC). The thick line at the top of the graph showing the total number of cases in each area changes color between green and yellow based on the number of tests showing instances of the VOC among those included in the study. Areas in the South East of England - including London - show a rapid rise of the mutated strain of Covid-19, while the original strain kept at relatively low levels during the lockdown - showing the prevalence of the new strain in those areas. These include Kent and Medway, Mid and South Essex; South West London Health and Care Partnership; and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West. Declines in cases can somewhat be attributed to vaccines, experts say, with daily rates picking up speed for an average of 1.4 million - and reaching two million on Sunday A total of 31.5 million people - about 9.6 percent of the population - have received at least the first injection and 9.1 million - 2.7 percent - have been fully inoculated Dr Ali Mokdad, a professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), told DailyMail.com last week that a surge was inevitable. 'The variants may delay our decline sometime in April because, they will, in 100 days they usually take over - that's what we've seen in London,' he said. 'If we've haven't reached a high number of vaccinations, we may see a little bitt of a bump in April - never to levels that we have seen in this winter, but instead of cases going down, we'll see first a bump and then cases going down.' He notes the decline is due to a mix of factors, some of which include vaccinations. In the U.S., more than 59 million doses have been distributed and more than 41.9 million have been administered. That figure is an increase from 16.5 million on January 20, Inauguration Day. A total of 31.5 million people - about 9.6 percent of the population - have received at least the first injection and 9.1 million - 2.7 percent - have been fully inoculated. The average number of shots going into arms in the two weeks since Biden's inauguration has been around 1.4 million per day on average, more than the president's original goal of one million per day but less than his new goal of 1.5 million per day. Mokdad warns that people still need to be vigilant, keep modeling good behavior and continue to become vaccinated when shots become available. 'Even if we see these declines, we shouldn't celebrate yet,' he said, nothing that this led to a surge in cases in late June and early July after a drop in infections in May. 'We should be more vigilant because it's telling us that if we can control this virus if we behave..Stay away each other from other until we reach herd immunity.' They are the annual journeys of late winter and early spring: Factory workers in China heading home for the Lunar New Year; American college students going on road trips and hitting the beach over spring break; Germans and Britons fleeing drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter. All of it canceled, in doubt or under pressure because of the coronavirus. Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel. It means more pain for airlines, hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations that were already struggling more than a year into the pandemic, and a slower recovery for countries where tourism is a big chunk of the economy. Colleges around the U.S. have been canceling spring break to discourage students from traveling. After Indiana University in Bloomington replaced its usual break with three wellness days, student Jacki Sylvester abandoned plans to celebrate her 21st birthday in Las Vegas. Instead she will mark the milestone closer to home, with a day at the casino in French Lick, Indiana, just 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. I was really looking forward to getting out of here for a whole week. I wanted to be able to get some drinks and have fun see the casinos and everything and honestly see another city and just travel a little, she said. "At least its letting us have a little fun for a day in a condensed version of our original Vegas plans. Like, Im still going to be able to celebrate. Im just forced to do it closer to home. At bus and train stations in China, there is no sign of the annual Lunar New Year rush. The government has called on the public to avoid travel following new coronavirus outbreaks. Only five of 15 security gates at Beijings cavernous central railway station were open; the crowds of travelers who usually camp on the sprawling plaza outside were absent. The holiday, which starts Feb. 12, is usually the worlds single biggest movement of humanity as hundreds of millions of Chinese leave cities to visit their hometowns or tourist spots or travel abroad. For millions of migrant workers, it usually is the only chance to visit their hometowns during the year. This year, authorities are promising extra pay if they stay put. The government says people will make 1.7 billion trips during the holiday, but that is down 40% from 2019. Departures from Beijing and Chengdu in the southwest are forecast to drop 75%, according to travel associations. Each news cycle seems to bring new restrictions. U.S. President Joe Biden reinstituted restrictions on travelers from more than two dozen European countries, South Africa and Brazil, while people leaving the U.S. are now required to show a negative test before returning. Canada barred flights to the Caribbean. Israel closed its main international airport. Travel into the European Union is severely restricted, with entry bans and quarantine requirements for returning citizens. For air travel, the short-term outlook has definitely darkened, said Brian Pearce, chief economist for the International Air Transport Association. Governments have poured $200 billion into propping up the industry. The United Nations World Tourism Organization says international arrivals fell 74% last year, wiping out $1.3 trillion in revenue and putting up to 120 million jobs at risk. A UNWTO expert panel had a mixed outlook for 2021, with 45% expecting a better year, 25% no change and 30% a worse one. The overall prospects of a rebound in 2021 seem to have worsened, the organization said. In Europe the outlook is clouded by lagging vaccine rollouts and the spread of the new variants. That means there is a growing risk of another summer tourist season being lost said Jack Allen-Reynolds at Capital Economics. That would put a huge dent in the Greek economy and substantially delay the recoveries in Spain and Portugal. Travel company TUI is offering package vacations in the sun in Greece and Spain, but with broad cancellation provisions to attract cautious customers. Places that can be reached by car, such as Germany's North Sea islands and the Alps, are benefiting to some extent because they offer a chance to isolate. The German Vacation Home Association says the popular locations are 60% booked for July and August already. Thailand, where about a tenth of the population depends on tourism for its livelihood, requires a two-week quarantine for foreigners at designated hotels costing about $1,000 and up. So far, only a few dozen people a day are opting to visit. Tourist arrivals fell to under 7 million in Thailand in 2020 and are forecast to reach only 10 million this year from 40 million in 2019. Indonesias resort island of Bali has deported dozens of foreigners and began restricting foreign arrivals on Jan. 1 as its coronavirus caseload has exceeded 1 million. Gerasimos Bakogiannis, owner of the Portes Palace hotel in Potidaia in Greece's northern Halkidiki region, said he is not even opening for Western Easter on April 4 but will wait a month for Greek Orthodox Easter on May 2 and, he hopes, the start of a better summer. If this year is like last year, tourism will be destroyed, he said. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Migrants living in Britain will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines regardless of whether they have the legal right to live and work in the country, the government said on Monday, adding that getting the shot would not trigger immigration checks. The Daily Mail newspaper has reported that those living in Britain who entered the country illegally would be encouraged to register with their local doctor so they could be vaccinated when their turn comes. Asked about that report, which described the policy as an "amnesty", a government spokeswoman said: "Coronavirus vaccines will be offered to everyone living in the UK free of charge, regardless of immigration status. "Those registered with a GP (General Practitioner) are being contacted at the earliest opportunity and we are working closely with partners and external organisations to contact those who are not registered with a GP to ensure they are also offered the vaccine." The government said patients undergoing vaccinations, treatment or testing for the coronavirus were not subject to immigration status checks. Britain has already given first vaccine shots to more than 12 million people. The vaccination programme is running ahead of its European peers, in part due because Britain was the first to approve shots from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Britain's vaccination strategy makes no formal priority of migrants, instead focusing on reaching the eldest and most vulnerable first. However, some European countries have made a priority of vaccinating refugees, given the risk that new arrivals being housed in asylum centres could spread infection. In Germany, asylum seekers have been included in the second group to be vaccinated - along with people over 70 and police officers - and should start getting shots in March, according to the government's vaccination strategy. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. (Photo : Photo by Getty Images) WUHAN, CHINA - MAY 11: (CHINA OUT) A women wears a mask while uses iPhone pass the crossroads on May 11, 2020 in Wuhan, China. The government has begun lifting outbound travel restrictions after almost 11 weeks of lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. Samsung Galaxy S21 is currently one of the best camera smartphones in the market. It is also considered as iPhone 12's greats rival. Also Read: Huawei Mate X2 Foldable Phone Launches Feb 22: Specs, Price, and More One of the biggest the features of Samsung Galaxy S21 is the improvements made to telephotography. One of these the addition of Zoom Lock of the current S21 series. According to Android Central's latest report, Zoom Lock intelligently stabilizes the camera at particularly far zoom ranges. This new camera feature makes a huge difference in sharpness reducing shakiness when capturing photos. To help you more, here's how to activate Samsung Galaxy S21's Zoom Lock feature. All you need to do is follow these exact steps; Samsung Galaxy S21's Zoom Lock Open the Camera app. Zoom in on the camera until you see a wide-angle preview of your shot in the upper lefthand corner of the viewfinder. On the Galaxy S21+ and S21, you'll see this preview starting 20x. On the S21 Ultra, it'll appear at 30x. Aim the camera at a distinct subject, such as text or a person. Samsung Galaxy S21's camera will analyze the shot and, after a moment, the preview box will turn yellow to denote that Zoom Lock has automatically turned on. Since Zoom Lock drastically lessens your device's shakiness using a combination of electronic and optical image stabilization, as well as AI feature, you can combine it with Samsung Galaxy S21's Space Zoom feature, which provides you 100x zoom capability. Activating Space Zoom feature Samsung Galaxy S21's Space Zoom feature provides you 100x zoom capability. Toms Guide reported this new feature is an effective way to get up close and personal. However, you need to know that it some downsides, such as fuzzier or grainy images and photos. To help you more, here are the exact steps you need to follow for you to activate it; Launch the Galaxy S21 Ultra's camera. Using the menu above the shutter button, set the shooting mode to Photo and frame your shot. Spread your thumb and forefinger on the viewfinder to zoom in; you can make a pinching motion with those same fingers when you want to zoom out. The viewfinder on your Galaxy S21 Ultra will show a scale of your zoom level across the bottom of the screen when you're shooting in portrait mode. If you look for this scale, it also appears on the left side. For more news updates about Samsung and its upcoming devices, always keep your tabs here at TechTimes. Related Article: Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold's Details, Leaked! Price, Specs, Release Date, and More! This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of political theater and accused House Democrats on the eve of the former presidents trial of exploiting the chaos and trauma of last months Capitol riot for their partys gain. Trumps legal brief is a wide-ranging attack on the House case, foreshadowing the claims his lawyers intend to present on the same Senate floor that was invaded by rioters on Jan. 6. The sharp-tongued tone, with accusations that Democrats are making patently absurd arguments and trying to silence a political opponent, makes clear that Trumps lawyers are preparing to challenge both the constitutionality of the trial and any suggestion that he was to blame for the insurrection. While never willing to allow a good crisis to go to waste, the Democratic leadership is incapable of understanding that not everything can always be blamed on their political adversaries, no matter how very badly they may wish to exploit any moment of uncertainty on the part of the American people, the defense lawyers say. In their brief, they suggest that Trump was simply exercising his First Amendment rights when he disputed the election results and argue that he explicitly encouraged his supporters to have a peaceful protest and therefore cannot be responsible for the actions of the rioters. They also say the Senate is not entitled to try Trump now that he has left office, an argument contested by even some conservative legal scholars, and they deny that the goal of the Democrats case is justice. Instead, this was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people, the lawyers wrote. House impeachment managers filed their own document Monday, asserting that Trump had betrayed the American people and that there is no valid excuse or defense. His incitement of insurrection against the United States government which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a president, the Democrats said. The trial will begin Tuesday with a debate and vote on whether its even constitutional to prosecute the former president, an argument that could resonate with Republicans keen on voting to acquit Trump without being seen as condoning his behavior. Opening arguments would begin Wednesday at noon, with up to 16 hours per side for presentations. Under a draft agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the proceedings will break Friday evening for the Jewish Sabbath at the request of Trumps defense team and resume on Sunday. There will likely be no witnesses, and the former president has declined a request to testify. This impeachment trial will be different because of COVID-19 restrictions. Rather than sitting at their desks through the trial, senators may be spread out, including in the marble room just off the Senate floor, where proceedings will be shown on TV, and in the public galleries above the chamber, to accommodate social distancing, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Trumps second impeachment trial is opening with a sense of urgency by Democrats who want to hold him accountable for the violent Capitol siege and Republicans who want it over as quickly as possible. The proceedings are expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated trial that resulted in Trumps acquittal a year ago on charges that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trumps rally cry to fight like hell and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. Trump very well could be acquitted again, and the trial could be over in half the time. Biden will be busy with the business of the presidency and wont spend too much time watching, press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked on Monday. Trump is the first president to be twice impeached, and the only one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House approved a sole charge, incitement of insurrection, acting swiftly one week after the riot, the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died, including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died of injuries the next day. So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who have been sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Most are also witnesses to the siege, having fled for safety that day as the rioters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the electoral count certifying Bidens victory. Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are expected to rely on videos from the siege, along with Trumps incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defense team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trumps first impeachment, said on NBCs Meet the Press. Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call. Democrats argue its all about holding the former president accountable for his actions, even though hes out of office. For Republicans, the trial will test their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP. Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the siege, Republican senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed fingers of blame at Trump. But in recent weeks they have rallied around Trump, arguing his comments do not make him responsible for the violence and questioning the legitimacy of trying someone no longer in office. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial proceedings were delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new presidents initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to put as much distance as possible from the bloody riot. At the time, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, drawing 44 other Republicans to his argument. The 45 votes in favor of Pauls measure suggest the near impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Only five Republicans joined with Democrats to reject Pauls motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Security officials in Dhusamareb have said they have killed eight Al-Shabaab militants and wounded one other who were involved in the mortar shell attacks last night in Dhusamareb city. According to the officials who spoke to the media the militants who fired two mortar shells on late Thursday night were killed in an operation conducted by the Turkish trained Gorgor troops following the attack. On Tuesday Somali National Army (SNA) killed at least three Al-Shabaab fighter after mortar shell attacks on building and the airport in town. Among those killed was the leader of the group in charge of areas between Elbur and Dhusamareb. Dhusamareb is hosting a conference between the country's next leaders over the electoral impasse. Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) had been undergoing treatment for cancer since 2018 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (House of Representatives) Rep. Ron Wright Dies After Testing Positive for CCP Virus, Battle With Lung Cancer Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) died Feb. 7 after he tested positive for COVID-19, according to his office. He was 67. Wright was reelected in November 2020 while in the midst of battling cancer. Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue, according to a statement sent by Wrights office to news outlets on Feb. 8. Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn. As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end. Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice. Wright kept a vigorous work schedule after he contracted the virus, according to his office. Wright and his wife were taken to Baylor hospital with COVID-19 symptoms. On Jan. 21, Wright said he tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus after he came into contact with someone who had the virus. I am experiencing minor symptoms, but overall, I feel okay and will continue working for the people of the 6th District from home this week. I encourage everyone to keep following CDC guidelines and want to thank all the medical professionals on the front lines who fight this virus head-on every single day, he said at the time, according to his office. The Texas Tribune reported that Wright was hospitalized in September 2020 while he was being treated for lung cancer. Wright was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and called it a kick in the stomach when he spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at the time. Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-La.) died in December 2020 while he was battling the CCP virus. Letlow, 41, wasnt yet sworn into office when he died. Former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial begins Tuesday, but "details of the proceedings are still being negotiated by the Senate leaders," The Associated Press reports. "So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called," in part because the senator-jurors are themselves witnesses to the Jan. 6 Capitol siege at the center of Trump's sole "incitement of insurrection" charge. "Several of the House impeachment managers wanted firsthand testimony to help prove their case that Trump incited the Jan. 6 riot," calling either Capitol Police officers to testify about their experience battling pro-Trump rioters, White House officials who witnessed Trump's actions and inaction during the assault, or Georgia officials Trump pressured to overturn the election, Politico's Playbook team reports. "But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Biden administration officials have been eager for the process to move quickly," privately frustrating some Democrats who want a detailed public rendering of Trump's perceived malfeasance. On the whole, Trump's trial "has Democrats and Republicans in rare agreement: Most senators want to get it over with, and they want the former president to go away," Politico's Andrew Desiderio reports. But "Democrats see the best way to achieve that goal as voting to convict Trump," while "Republicans, particularly those nervous about Trump's continued stranglehold on the GOP, just don't want to poke the bear." Trump "does a pretty good job of being a victim," one GOP senator told Politico. "If he were to be convicted, there would be an uproar among his supporters. And it would probably energize them." But Democrats and numerous Trump allies agree that a detailed public discussion of the pro-Trump mob storming the Capitol will probably weaken Trump long-term, Politico says. And while Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) haggle over the trial's parameters, "the House impeachment managers will likely be permitted to use videos and other visuals to make their case a serious advantage for Democrats given that much of their case relies on Trump's public statements and other available footage from the riots at the Capitol." Democrats could also try to compel Trump to testify, but that would be "a simply terrible idea," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) argues. "He will perjure himself, so he's the one at risk. But I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed my first full Trump-free week of the last five years." More stories from theweek.com Jared and Ivanka reportedly warn Trump 'he can still screw this up' ahead of likely impeachment acquittal Trump reportedly avoided calling Biden a 'predator' in ads because it would 'open up his own can of worms' A show trial with no reason to watch Credit: CC0 Public Domain Pure spin current without any accompanying net charge current can ensure low dissipation in information processing and storage. Pure spin current can be produced by optical illumination in systems with broken spatial inversion symmetry with special photon energy or polarization angle. But it is difficult in practical application. Recently, a research group led by Prof. Zheng Xiaohong from the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP), Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), proposed a new and robust route to achieve pure spin current by photogalvanic effect with two-dimensional (2-D) centrosymmetrical antiferromagnets. The study was published in npj Quantum Information on Feb. 4. "Due to the preservation of structural inversion symmetry and spin polarization antisymmetry in these materials, the charge photocurrent induced by the spin photogalvanic effect (PGE) is definitely zero," said lead author Jiang Peng, a doctoral student. "While finite photocurrents for both spin channels with opposite flow directions and equal magnitude are still generated, giving rise to a pure spin current." The researchers constructed a dual-gated photoelectric device with a zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR), which had intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the two edges and spin degenerate band structure. They found that the generated pure spin current was neither dependent on the photon energy, nor on the polarization feature of the applied polarized light. Moreover, it demonstrated that spin-splitting band structures were not necessary. "The device may work in the sense that both fully spin polarized current and pure spin current can be generated, by tuning the dual gates applied to the two leads," said Prof. Zheng. This PGE-induced mechanism can be extended to other 2-D centrosymmetric magnetic materials with spin polarization antisymmetry, providing a new way for the experimental generation of pure spin current in the photoelectric field. Explore further Highly efficient charge-to-spin interconversion in graphene heterostructures More information: Peng Jiang et al. Two-dimensional centrosymmetrical antiferromagnets for spin photogalvanic devices, npj Quantum Information (2021). Peng Jiang et al. Two-dimensional centrosymmetrical antiferromagnets for spin photogalvanic devices,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41534-021-00365-7 A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia have confirmed that they are now no longer in talks with Apple over the Apple Car partnership. There have been plenty of reports over the last few weeks claiming that Apple was in talks with Hyundai to develop and manufacture the Apple Car starting 2024. The official statement from Hyundai and Kia will now put such speculations to rest. Recent reports claimed that Apple was also talking to other carmakers for manufacturing the Apple Car. A month ago, Hyundai had issued a statement confirming that it was talking to Apple for Apple Car production, though it noted the iPhone maker was also talking to other carmakers. It had retracted this statement a few hours later but it was already too late by then. Reportedly, Apple was to invest $3.6 billion in Kia for the latter to help manufacture Apple Car at its factory in Georgia. The production was slated to begin from 2024, with the first year production target set to 180,000 units. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had recently claimed that the first Apple Car will be based on Hyundais E-GMP platform which is rated for a range of 318 miles and can charge to 80% in just 18 minutes. With Hyundai now claiming that it is no longer in talks with Apple over Apple Car, it is unclear if the production talks between the two companies have actually come to a stop or if the statement has been issued just to put all rumors to rest. If not Hyundai, it remains to be seen which company Apple partners with for Apple Car production. Japanese carmakers like Toyota and Honda do not have the spare production capacity and are too busy with the development of their own EV platform to partner with Apple. Nissan could be one potential partner for Apple, though again this remains to be seen. [Via Bloomberg Anti-vaxx movements could stop the UK, US and other countries from eradicating coronavirus, America's top infectious disease expert has warned. Dr Anthony Fauci one of the most trusted clinicians in the US compared efforts to wipe out Covid to measles. Both are spread through infectious droplets expelled in coughs and sneezes. He said: 'Measles has a spectacularly effective vaccine, it is 98 per cent effective at preventing infection. 'And yet because of the failings of the vaccination programmes in different parts of the world as well as the anti-vaxx feelings some countries have I know the UK are experiencing that, just as the US is you have to have a uniform acceptance of the vaccine in order to really eradicate an infection.' Dr Fauci told Radio 4s How to Vaccinate the World programme: 'I think that would be a difficult goal to achieve, at least right now.' Number 10 fears uptake will peak at about 75 per cent of Britons around 50million people. Around 12.3million Britons have already had their first dose. Approximately 41million Americans have been vaccinated. Numerous surveys have shown ethnic minorities who studies have shown are up to three times as likely to die from Covid are more reluctant to get the jabs due to a mistrust in the Government. Dr Fauci has warned that anti-vaxx movements could stop countries from eradicating Covid-19. He is pictured at a press conference on January 21 Mufti Zubair Bult, a Muslim imam and chaplain, receives the Covid-19 vaccine at Whetley Medical Centre in Bradford. The vaccines minister has warned of lower uptake in ethnic minorities as Boris Johnson launches efforts to ensure everyone gets their jabs Dr Fauci warned it would be a 'difficult goal' to get rid of Covid-19 because of vaccine resistance in the population. He said it was not clear what level of immunisation was needed to achieve 'herd immunity', when a disease stops spreading because enough people are protected. But he pointed to measles where around nine in 10 need to be immunised to stop this virus spreading in the community. 'We know for measles it is about 90 per cent and once you get into the 80s you get breakthrough infections as weve seen sadly in the US,' he said. 'But as for SARS-CoV-2, although its still an estimate I think its somewhere between 70 and 85 per cent of the population that would need to be vaccinated or will have needed to have been infected before you can say you do have herd immunity.' He added herd immunity was most likely possible to achieve for individual countries where an 'overwhelming' proportion of the population had been vaccinated. 'I think it is achievable in the UK, I think its achievable in the EU as well as in the US,' he said. 'Some countries that don't have the resources to do that it might take a bit longer.' Nadhim Zahawi, the Covid jab deployment minister, revealed last week 85 per cent of Britons were planning to get the jab, heralding it as the highest uptake in any jabs programme ever run by the NHS. But Mr Zahawi, who was born in Iraq and moved to the UK aged nine, added although figures suggest uptake is high, vaccine hesitancy 'is skewed heavily towards BAME communities'. SAGE number 10's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has warned low uptake among minority groups could pose a 'significant risk' to Britain's vaccine drive if enough people turn the jab down. The US-based Pew Research Centre found 60 per cent of Americans would get the jab in a survey published in December. They said this was up 10 per cent from September, as the injections become more widely available in the country. Only 21 per cent of adults said they would not get vaccinated and were 'pretty certain' more information would not change their mind. Maybe because he got his culinary degree from a design school Rhode Island School of Design had a culinary program back in the day chef Steven Marsella wants his food to look as pretty as it tastes. Marsella, co-culinary director for Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, also is executive chef at the companys latest addition, a Tavola, which opened in late December in the space formerly occupied by Bravo! Italian Kitchen on the outskirts of Lakeside Shopping Center. From the open kitchen to the imported wood-fired Valoriani pizza oven, a Tavolas setting is lovely, with lots of light wood and Italian tile, physically distanced seating and plenty of natural light. A large square bar dominates one corner of the space. The menu delivers an accessible array of regional Italian dishes, many reflecting the chefs love affair with the food of his heritage. Of course, we serve traditional dishes like veal piccata and parmigiana, but we present them in a modern way, he says. His meatballs with Sunday gravy feature an Italian trinity: ground pork, veal and beef. They are served with house-made red sauce and a ramekin of fontina cheese fondue for dipping. The calamari starter speaks to Marsellas Providence, Rhode Island, upbringing. This is literally the states official appetizer, he says. Tender calamari is flash fried and spiked with hot pickled peppers and served with lemon aioli. A log of goat cheese is baked al forno and served with red gravy, pesto and garlic crostini. Nibs of sausage and Parmesan combine for a savory stuffed artichoke dish. Thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza is topped with everything from muffuletta makings to pepperoni and roasted vegetables, and imported pasta is served with all kinds of savory sauces. Lobster ravioli is bathed in creamy lobster butter sauce and folded fingers of casarecci pasta soak up smoky Amatriaciana tomato sauce, a Roman gold standard. Lasagna is a house favorite and features rolled tubes of fresh dough smothered in a rich Bolognese sauce informed by just a hint of nutmeg. A baked casserole of butternut squash, pancetta and sage simmers in Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Plates are adorned with fresh herbs and arrive bright with color and texture. Gluten free pasta options are available. Marsella grew up in an Italian household in a city that has always had many immigrants from the boot, many who originally settled in the Federal Hill or Little Italy section of town. My grandmother lived with us and cooked every day, and my mom worked and also cooked every day, he recalls. We ate dinner as a family at the table every night. Although Italian food can be rich and carb-centric, a Tavola which means at the table offers many lighter alternatives. Seafood lovers will appreciate grilled salmon prepared with ancient grains, braised greens and blistered tomatoes, served with mint salsa verde on the side. Grilled whole trout is accompanied by brown butter vinaigrette, toasted almonds and a side of grilled broccolini. Meaty swordfish is grilled and served with fingerling potatoes, broccolini and tomato-olive salsa. The busy bar features an Italian-centric wine list, craft cocktails and a seasonal frozen specialty the limoncello daquiri is popular. Happy hour is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily and features drink and appetizer specials. Piccola Gelateria supplies silky gelato and sorbetta in seasonal flavors, and the dessert menu includes favorites like tiramisu and lemon mascarpone cheesecake. This is the third restaurant the company has opened in Jefferson Parish, with Boulevard American Bistro further down Veterans Memorial Boulevard and a second location in Elmwood. The company also is expanding into St. Tammany Parish with a Boulevard location planned for the Northshore, says CEO Marv Ammari. Its been a positive thing to have new places opening, since half of our French Quarter spots remain closed, he says. Jefferson Parish is a welcoming place for restaurants. 3413 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 577-2235 Lunch and dinner daily Dine-in, outdoor seating, pickup and delivery available Budsi's Authentic Thai opens in Marigny Dont even think about asking chef Budsaba Mason for an egg roll. The United States and the European Union on Friday hailed demonstrators in Belarus six months after disputed elections, in a message sure to irritate President Vladimir Putin of neighboring Russia. US President Joe Biden's administration and the Europeans said they backed a "day of solidarity" called for Sunday by Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who believes she defeated President Alexander Lukashenko, an authoritarian ally of Putin, in August. "We continue to be amazed by the exceptional strength, resilience and courage of the Belarusian people in the face of unyielding repression," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. "They continue to demand freedom and democracy. The world has been inspired by the people of Belarus, especially Belarusian women peacefully demonstrating for the right to have a voice in Belarus' future," he said. Price said the United States backed a "peaceful and inclusive dialogue" in Belarus, where demonstrators have kept taking to the streets. The European Union issued a similar statement, saying that "many thousands" have been detained in Belarus and pointing to "hundreds of documented cases of torture." "The European Union continues to stand firmly with the people of Belarus," said a statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and enlargement coordinator Oliver Varhelyi, promising economic support for a democratic Belarus. In a recent interview with AFP, Tikhanovskaya said that the "regime will collapse from within" and drew a parallel to protests in Russia led by Alexei Navalny, who was allegedly poisoned last year and was arrested on his return to Moscow last month. Tikhanovskaya ran for president after her husband was imprisoned after trying to register to run against Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania, is calling for elections in which Lukashenko is not a candidate, a proposal rejected by the president. Biden has vowed to robustly promote democracy and to take a tough line on Russia, drawing a contrast with his predecessor Donald Trump's warm words for Putin. Addis Ababa, Feb 08, 2021 (SPS) -The Saharawi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Uld Salek, affirmed on Monday, the recent statements in which the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs attacked Algeria after the defeats of his country in the AU XXXIV Summit are plagued with fallacies that will inevitably lead Morocco to the abyss. In statements to SPS, in response to the allegations of the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Uld Salek considered that "the usual fallacies of the Moroccan Foreign Minister, and the insistence of his country in continuing the policies of occupation and expansion and threatening all neighbors, will finally lead the kingdom to an abyss. The 34th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, by video conference in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has clearly demonstrated that Morocco has no sovereignty over Western Sahara, rejecting the Moroccan maneuver aimed at setting up infrastructure projects in West Africa across the occupied zones of Western Sahara.SPS 125/090/TRA Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed against the allotment of land in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village for the construction of a mosque, following the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. The court, however, granted liberty to the petitioners to move a fresh petition with appropriate pleadings. Two Delhi-based sisters had moved the Lucknow bench of the court on February 3, claiming ownership of the five-acre land allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of the mosque. Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Ramesh Kumar Singh had opposed the plea, saying the plot numbers allotted for the mosque were different from those mentioned in the petition. He also said the petition was filed without ascertaining facts in such an important issue and as such it is liable to be dismissed forthwith. Justices D K Upadhyay and Manish Kumar expressed concerns over the filing of the petition in a cursory manner without ascertaining facts. Confronted with the correct facts, senior lawyer HGS Parihar, appearing for the petitioners, realised his mistake and requested the court to allow him to withdraw the petition with the liberty to file a fresh one with appropriate pleadings. Accepting the plea, the bench dismissed the petition with liberty to the petitioners to move a fresh plea with correct and appropriate pleadings. Rani Kapoor alias Rani Baluja and Rama Rani Punjabi had said in the petition that their father, Gyan Chandra Punjabi, had come to India from Pakistan during partition in 1947 and settled in Faizabad (now Ayodhya) district. They claimed that their father was allotted a 28-acre land in Dhannipur village by the Nazul department for five years, which he continued to possess beyond that period. Later, his name was included in the revenue records, the petitioners had said. However, his name was struck down from the records, against which their father filed an appeal before the additional commissioner, Ayodhya, which was allowed, they said. The petitioners further claimed that the consolidation officer again removed their father's name from the records during consolidation proceedings. Against the order of the consolidation officer, an appeal was preferred before the Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Sadar, Ayodhya, but without considering the said petition, the authorities allotted five acres of their 28-acre land to the Waqf Board for the construction of the mosque, they claimed. The petitioners demanded that the authorities be restrained from transferring the land to the Sunni Waqf Board till the pendency of the dispute before the settlement officer. The state government has allotted the five-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board in Dhannipur village for the construction of the mosque in compliance with the Supreme Court direction in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque title suit. After six months in Chinese detention, an Australian journalist has been formally arrested in China on spying charges. That's according to Australian officials on Monday. Cheng Lei was a high-profile TV anchor working in Beijing at China's state-owned news channel CGTN, but she was detained last August on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said officials had visited Lei six times since then. "On Friday evening, the Australian government was informed by Chinese authorities through our embassy in Beijing, that Australian citizen Cheng Lei has now been formally arrested on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. We will stay in close touch with the Chinese authorities, as that progresses and, as I said, provide all possible support." Lei's arrest comes after a year of worsening relations between China and Australia. Australia had lobbied for an international investigation into the source of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Afterward, Beijing slapped tariffs on a number of Australian goods, like wine. Following Lei's detention, two Australian foreign correspondents in China were flown back home. Their departure left Australian media without any correspondents in China for the first time in decades. Video Transcript - After six months in Chinese detention, an Australian journalist has been formally arrested in China on spying charges. That's according to Australian officials on Monday. Cheng Lei was a high profile TV anchor working in Beijing at China's state-owned news channel, CGTN. But she was detained last August on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said officials had visited Lei six times since then. MARISE PAYNE: On Friday evening, the Australian government was informed by Chinese authorities through our embassy in Beijing that Australian citizen, Cheng Lei, has now been formally arrested on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. We will stay in close touch with the Chinese authorities as that progresses, and as I said, provide all possible support. - Lei's arrest comes after a year of worsening relations between China and Australia. Australia had lobbied for an international investigation into the source of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Afterward, Beijing slapped tariffs on a number of Australian goods, like wine. Following Lei's detention, two Australian foreign correspondents in China were flown back home. Their departure left Australian media without any correspondents in China for the first time in decades. - In Shanghai here, for example-- De facto, Europe is moving away from Russia and has decided to follow American policy by fomenting instability in Russia and preparing a coup. The EU closes the door, becoming suspicious and lying. Russia has remained open, reliable, truthful, honest and sincere. By acting in this way, the EU will find itself alone with having as its only friend a global tyrant whose interests are not the wealth and stability of Europe. If Europe is to follow this path, Russia will respect its decision but cannot maintain an open relationship and support totalitarianism. Just Me thinking Oh my! Lavrov was and has reached his point of no return with the EU Children Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: Today, we have simply stuck in an issue, which the West seeks to push into the background, for some reason, instead focusing on the protests and rallies in Russia. The issue in question is the quest for truth in regards to what happened to Navalny, when and where, Lavrov also said: This is impolite, to put it mildly, and such arrogance from the cultured Europe, I think, is unacceptable. If our partners believe that we do not deserve the information that would confirm their allegations against the Russian authorities, it will be on their conscience. We advocate honesty, transparency and we will not recalculate these principles, Lavrov met with EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell To put it mildly: Russia has the high road, and asks politely for the proof of what the EU says.instead the EU crawls in the gutter even more! As a guest never go into someones home and bold face lie.when the host knows the truth! Im not upset that you lied to me, Im upset that from now on I cant believe you. Friedrich Nietzsche Borrell just arrogantly lied in the face of truth! As the West destroys the relationship within all aspects, with Russia. The lack of even pretense for protocol, has become a flagrant violation upon what is really the most vital form of Geopolitical alliance the EU actually has. To burn bridges that have been burned and yet burned again and again will set a tone and trust issue for many many years to come EU and USA! There is a limit to how far you can push with your flagrant, non-base lies and accusations! WtR A lie is a lie. A white lie is a lie. A half truth is a lie. A hidden truth is a lie. A lie by omission is a lie. A lie is a lie. Smriti Sinha PS: Its refreshing to hear Russian representatives finally being candid, even if polite when describing their Western Partners. Im certain the Russian people are getting impatient with the placating and timid words, and appreciate this standing up for Russias dignity PSS: MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Russia is surprised with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrells evaluation remarks on his visit to Moscow, because they differ from his previous statements, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS.We were surprised with Borrells evaluation of his visit results as it stands in contrast with statements he had delivered at a news conference in Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said commenting on the statement made by Borrell on his personal blog. Source: Moscow surprised with Borrells evaluation of his visit to Russia Russian Politics & Diplomacy TASS Footage shows him follow her back to her home where he made his way inside Chilling CCTV images showing a jealous ex-boyfriend stalking his former girlfriend while she was on a Tinder date shortly before he stabbed her to death have been shown to a jury. Cristina Ortiz-Lozano was allegedly killed in a 'frenzied' attack by spurned lover Abdelaziz El Yechioui Ourzat, the night she went out with another man she met through the popular dating app. Images shown during the murder trial show Ourzat, still wearing his work uniform of black trousers and tie with a blue shirt and carrying a dark rucksack on his back, following Miss Ortiz-Lozano and her date from the opposite side of the road. The court heard 'beautiful' Spaniard Miss Ortiz-Lozano, 28, went to Sprinkles ice cream parlour and the Giddy Bridge pub in Southampton, Hants, with Vincente Breso-Biosca in September 2019. Cristina Ortiz-Lozano was allegedly killed in a 'frenzied' attack by spurned lover Abdelaziz El Yechioui Ourzat, the night she went out with another man she met through the popular dating app Chilling CCTV images show Ourzat stalking his former girlfriend while she was on a Tinder date shortly before he stabbed her to death. The footage was show to a jury at Winchester Crown Court The Norwegian Cruise Line worker had dumped Ourzat, a baggage handler at the city's docks, about a month earlier. Describing the footage at Winchester Crown Court, prosecutor Kerry Maylin said Ourzat was 'hiding in the shadows' outside the pub so he could watch the pair on their date. The jury was shown footage of Ourzat going into the pub. When Miss Ortiz-Lozano spotted him, she and Mr Breso-Biosca left suddenly. Mr Breso-Biosca told the court her face changed 'drastically' and she seemed scared like 'somebody terrified of an animal'. 'She said she had seen her ex-boyfriend and wanted to leave immediately,' he said. Prosecutor Kerry Maylin said Ourzat was 'hiding in the shadows' outside the pub so he could watch the pair on their date. Pictured: Photograph of Vincente Breso-Biosca and Cristina Ortiz-Lozano taken on their date Ourzat denies murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility As they walked back towards her house, Ourzat could be seen on CCTV following them on the opposite side of the road, hanging back at road crossings so he didn't get too close to his target and ducking behind street corners so they couldn't see him. Ourzat stalked his victim all the way to her home in Southampton before stabbing her 23 times in her kitchen with a knife, the court heard. Mr Breso-Biosca, who was waiting outside, told the court he 'kicked the door down' after hearing his date scream. He said: 'My whole body knew she was terrified.' When he reached the kitchen, he found Ourzat kneeling on top of her. 'She was laying on the floor on her back,' he said. 'He was on top of her with one hand on her throat. 'As soon as I got to the door of the kitchen he grabbed the knife with his other hand. 'He was kneeling on top of her. He had her under full submission. He was trying to choke her or hold her down. Ourzat stalked his victim all the way to her home in Southampton before stabbing her 23 times in her kitchen with a knife, the court heard 'She was already gone.' Neighbour Alan Mach heard the commotion and went inside the house to inspect what was going on. He said: 'He [Ourzat] was just crouching down beside her. There was blood around the woman who was lying on the floor. 'He had a knife. He reacted [to seeing me] by a look. It wasn't a normal look. There was madness in his eyes.' Ms Maylin described Ourzat, 30 and of Moroccan descent, as 'a jealous ex-boyfriend in a fit of rage who conducted a frenzied attack on her, quite simply because she had gone out with a male, not Mr Ourzat, on the night of the killing'. He denies murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. The trial continues. The best historical murder mysteries combine the compelling momentum of detective fiction with a plunge into the past that's both enlightening and exciting. Two recent offerings transport readers into fascinating settings - and the first, in particular, features appealing characters, who are the true draw of any well-told tale. Ever since Arthur Conan Doyle situated his sleuth Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, Victorian London has been the ur-setting for detective stories. The Irish novelist Paraic O'Donnell starts off "The House on Vesper Sands" in winter 1893, re-creating a foggy metropolis of dark menace and eerie beauty, and populated by a properly Dickensian cast. Gideon Bliss, a sheltered Cambridge undergraduate comes to the capital at the request of his uncle. When Gideon cannot find his relative, a clergyman, he ends up joining forces with Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard in the search. The central mystery concerns the fate of several young women of slender means, including a seamstress, who - visiting a mansion in the opening chapter - is shown to be in great pain from words she sewed into her own skin, and later leaps to her death out an attic window. Another of these young women is pretty Angie Tatton, whom Gideon met and fell in love with when she worked in his uncle's house. He discovers her laid out on the altar of a creepy church, wearing nightclothes and muttering incomprehensibly about "keeping the brightness hidden." Gideon is then rendered unconscious by an unseen hand, and when he wakes again, Angie has disappeared. Octavia Hillingdon, a society reporter for a London broadsheet, eager to graduate to the news pages, has meanwhile begun researching rumors about disappearing girls and the diabolical "Spiriters" who steal their souls, and in the process she encounters Gideon and the inspector, where at an isolated villa on the Kentish coast, they all witness the climax of the story. Vivid atmospherics and frequently comedic dialogue animate this highly polished novel. Inspector Cutter comments to his young protege at one point: "There is not much, Bliss, that you do not know how to say. It is more in the shutting off of the valve that you are inclined to struggle." Readers may be inclined to struggle with keeping track of the tale's various strands, and the occult aspect at the heart of the mystery won't be to everyone's taste, but O'Donnell's rendering of the past is faithful not only to how people ate, spoke and dressed in 1893, but also to how they thought. Many Victorians, living in an era of scientific and technological progress, felt an opposite pull - captivated by the supernatural, by ghost stories, by spooky phenomenon. "The House at Vesper Sands" summons up that spirit, beckoning it from a long dead world and into our own. The publishing world's insatiable appetite for historical fiction set during World War II shows no sign of abating. In "The Historians," by Cecilia Ekback, the action takes place in neutral Sweden and touches upon little-known aspects of Swedish history - including an obsession with racial purity, and discrimination against the non-Nordic, indigenous Sami population of the country's northern reaches. By 1943, when the book opens, Nazi Germany is pressuring the Swedes for more iron. Laura Dahlgren, who works in the trade ministry, is horrified to discover the body of a young woman, a former classmate from her university, tortured and killed. As she investigates how the victim's history thesis could be the key to uncovering her murderer, two parallel narratives develop, one concerning the suicide of an archivist and the other the disappearance of Sami workers near the Blackasen Mountain mine. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and gradually zeros in on a conspiracy that explains all the events. The reader must endure a slow start as various plotlines are established, but the pace quickens at the halfway mark. Ekback excels at presenting red herrings, and the plot zigzags in intriguing ways. The novel also examines the pervasiveness of racial stereotyping and the shifting allegiances in wartime Sweden, where plenty of people sympathized with Adolf Hitler's Germany. Ekback, herself Swedish-born, provides valuable historical context in an afterword, which some readers may want to read first, for it contains no spoilers. But it does reveal the bold liberties she took with the facts. Having uncovered racist thinking in her native land, Ekback uses "The Historians" to suggest the evil actions those odious ideas could have led to. Every author of fiction set in the past has to gauge how tolerant readers will be with pure invention, and mysteries are imaginative confections as a rule. But because Ekback's book has within its scope the politics of a particular moment - Sweden on the tightrope of neutrality in 1943 - the demand to hew close to the record was perhaps higher than she reckoned. Though the overly speculative nature of the story is a weakness, its construction and dramatic denouncement are quite satisfying, and this what-if story illuminates a little-explored corner of wartime Europe. - - - McHugh is the author of "A Most English Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughter." The Coast Guard was looking for a missing boater Monday morning near Lake Felicity. Update: The boater was rescued Monday after his engine died and left him stranded overnight. A Coast Guard helicopter found him in his boat near Calm Lake and a boat crew from Wildlife and Fisheries reached him and helped. Percy Dardar III, 37, from Pointe-aux-Chenes launched his vessel from a boat ramp around 3 p.m. Sunday to look for oysters, authorities said. The Terrebonne Sheriff's Department alerted the Coast Guard at 5:30 a.m. Monday that Dardar had not yet returned. He was last seen in a 24-foot white Carolina skiff and was wearing a hoodie, jeans and a white shrimping boots. The Coast Guard is searching the area with its New Orleans-based helicopter crew and its Grand Isle-based shallow water boat crew. Plus, the Terrebonne Sheriff's Department, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Lafourche Sheriff's Department also are searching. Anyone with information is asked to call the Coast Guard command center at 504-365-2200. PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA 2010 The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova" an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe [February 08, 2021] Touchstone Investments to Acquire Certain Retail Mutual Fund Business Assets from AIG Life & Retirement AIG Life & Retirement, a division of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG), and Touchstone (News - Alert) Investments, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Western & Southern Financial Group, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Touchstone to acquire certain assets of AIG Life & Retirement's Retail Mutual Funds business. AIG's Life & Retirement's Retail Mutual Funds business manages $7.8 billion in assets across eighteen funds as of December 31, 2020. In the proposed transaction, which is subject to fund shareholder approval and is expected to close in mid-2021, twelve funds with approximately $7.5 billion in assets would be reorganized into Touchstone funds. Under the terms of the agreement, twelve retail mutual funds currently managed by SunAmerica Asset Management, LLC (SAAMCo), a member of AIG Life & Retirement, will be reorganized into either existing Touchstone funds or into newly created Touchstone funds, each of which is or will be advised by Touchstone. Six retail mutual funds currently managed by SAAMCo not included in the transaction will be wound down and liquidated. AIG Life & Retirement will retain its fund management platform and capabilities dedicated to its variable insurance products. Tables 1 and 2 below set out the proposed actions for each fund. "Our retail mutual funds platform has been a pioneer in rules-based investing and has generated long-term returns since its inception," said Kevin Hogan, Executive Vice President and CEO of AIG Life & Retirement. "The decision to sell this business is not related to AIG's decision to separate the Life & Retirement business, rather we determined that it was no longer core to our offering. We are confident that the funds' shareholders will benefit from the experienced management, strong distribution platform, scale and service that Touchstone will provide. I would like to sincerely thank the team that has helped to make the retail mutual funds business the success that it is today." "We are committed to providing a seamless transition for AIG funds' shareholders to our Touchstone funds," said Blake Moore, President and CEO of Touchstone. "We believe that our actively managed mutual funds provide innovative solutions to help shareholders achieve their financial goals. We are confident that both AIG funds' shareholders and their financial professionals will be well served by Touchstone." After the completion of the acquisition, the Touchstone complex will exceed $30 billion in assets under management and will include 33 mutual funds across asset classes and investment styles for both retail and institutional investors. Piper Sandler and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP advised AIG on the transaction. Table 1: AIG funds that will be mapped into existing Touchstone Funds AIG Fund Reorganized into existing Touchstone Funds AIG Focused Alpha Large-Cap Touchstone Large Cap Focused Fund AIG Focused Growth Fund Touchstone Sands Capital Select Growth Fund AIG Active Allocation Fund Touchstone Balanced Fund AIG Multi-Asset Allocation Fund Touchstone Balanced Fund AIG Strategic Value Fund Touchstone Value Fund AIG Senior Floating Rate Fund Touchstone Credit Opportunities Fund AIG U.S. Government Securities Fund Touchstone Active Bond Fund AIG International Dividend Strategy Fund Touchstone International Equity Fund Table 2: AIG funds that will be mapped into new Touchstone funds AIG Fund Reorganized into new Touchstone Funds AIG Focused Dividend Strategy Fund Touchstone Dividend Equity Fund AIG Select Dividend Growth Fund AIG Strategic Bond Fund Touchstone Strategic Income Opportunities Fund AIG Flexible Credit Fund The AIG funds to be wound down are: AIG Government Money Market Fund; AIG ESG Dividend Fund; AIG Income Explorer Fund; AIG Small-Cap Fund; AIG Commodity Strategy Fund and the AIG Japan Fund. Disclosures A Registration Statement for each of the Touchstone Dividend Equity Fund and the Touchstone Strategic Income Opportunities Fund has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but is not yet effective. Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. Fund securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This information shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. Investors should consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. The prospectus and the summary prospectus contain this and other information about the fund. To obtain a prospectus or a summary prospectus for Touchstone Funds, contact your financial advisor or download and/or request one at TouchstoneInvestments.com/resources or call Touchstone at 800-638-8194; the prospectus and summary prospectus for an AIG Fund can be obtained from your financial advisor, the AIG Funds Sales Desk at 800-858-8850, ext. 6003, or at aig.com/funds. Please read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus carefully before investing. AIG Funds are advised by SunAmerica Asset Management, LLC (SAAMCo) and distributed by AIG Capital Services, Inc. ( ACS (News - Alert) ), Member FINRA. Harborside 5, 185 Hudson Street, Suite 3300, Jersey City, NJ 07311, 800-858-8850. SAAMCo and ACS are members of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Not FDIC or NCUA/NCUSIF Insured. May Lose Value. No Bank or Credit Union Guarantee. Not a Deposit. Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency. Investors and shareholders of the AIG Funds are urged to the read the proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC carefully and in its entirety when it becomes available because it will contain important information about the reorganizations. The proxy statement/prospectus will not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus (when it becomes available) at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. About AIG American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube (News - Alert) : www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter (News - Alert) : @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn (News - Alert) : www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries and jurisdictions, and coverage is subject to underwriting requirements and actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. About Touchstone Investments Touchstone Investments is a Distinctively Active mutual fund company committed to providing investors with access to strategies sub-advised by institutional asset managers. It employs an integrated and rigorous process for identifying and partnering with highly skilled asset managers with organizational stability, quality personnel, strong adherence to investment discipline and solid infrastructure. These attributes constitute what Touchstone holds to be the necessary elements of repeatable and competitive results over time. Touchstone advocates a robust approach when constructing portfolios that use only active strategies or employ active strategies to complement passive ones. This philosophy has produced a diverse but focused product offering that gives investors a full breadth of investment options across styles and asset classes, including U.S. equity, international/global equity, income and multi-asset funds. Based on fundamental investing, Touchstone's actively managed, high-conviction, concentrated portfolios are benchmark aware but not benchmark constrained. The Touchstone Funds are advised by Touchstone Advisors, Inc., a registered investment advisor, and are distributed nationally through intermediaries including broker-dealers, financial planners and institutions by Touchstone Securities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Touchstone, Touchstone Funds and Touchstone Investments are federal service mark registrations and applications owned by IFS Financial Services, Inc. Touchstone Securities, Inc., Touchstone Advisors, Inc., and IFS Financial Services, Inc., are members of Western & Southern Financial Group. For more information, please visit TouchstoneInvestments.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005772/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pinellas Park, FL, USA: Amidst pandemic COVID-19, Chhath festival was celebrated by a number of Patnaites and others from Indian Diaspora locally here in Florida (USA). The peoples faith in the worship of lord Sun and Chhathi Maiya is deeply rooted in people who understand its glories and believes. This is the only Hindu festival which is dedicated to Lord Surya (Sun) which is a unique source of natural power. https://www.patnadaily.com/index.php/readers-write/14862-patnaites-celebrate-chhath-in-florida.html#sigProId847f477aba View the embedded image gallery online at: Pandavas of Hastinapur used to rejoicing the faith in order to solve their issues and regain their lost kingdom. This is one of the few Hindu revels where there is no idolatry involved. Shashti Mata and the Sun God Surya, along with his consorts Usha andPratyusha, the Vedic Goddesses of Dawn and Dusk respectively is worshiped. Here also people gather together on this occasion to worship Sun and Chhathi Maiya. This years rituals started on November 18, 2020 with Nahai-khai. The second day better known as Kharna/Lohanda was observed with usual zeal and enthusiasm on November 19. On that day, the Vrati, after a daylong fast, offered Kheer, Roti/Puri (bread) along with banana to the Mother Nature after the sunset. The blessed food also help break their fast marking the conclusion of the second day of puja. This offering was also accepted by other devotees as prasad. Third days Pooja was observed on November 20, 2020 by offering Sanjhiya Arghya to the settling Sun. That includes various seasonal fruits and local new harvest along with famous traditional sweet Thekua, made out of wheat flour, jaggery and gee. Arghya was offered by the Vraties after taking holy bath and standing inside the water. The festivity continued through the night with folk music and devotional and traditional songs on Chhath by devotees until the Bihaniya Arghya. This Arghya was performed on November 21 in the similar manner with that of Sanjhiya Arghya. The festivity concluded with Paran in which the Vrati break their fast with delicious mouthwatering Indian traditional food with participating families and friends. President Museveni and half of his 28-member Cabinet have remained active on social media despite the government's official ban on the micro-blogging sites. Only 10 of them had neither tweeted nor posted anything on Facebook by 4pm yesterday, 27 days after the government shut down the Internet and social media on January 11, 2021. Five full ministers - Attorney General William Byaruhanga, Adolf Mwesige (Defence), John Byabagambi (Karamoja Affairs), Raphael Magyezi (Local Government) and Hilary Onek (Refugees) - could not be found on either Twitter or Facebook. It was unclear if they use different names or never subscribed to the platforms. The government through the communications sector regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), blocked social media citing security reasons while President Museveni accused Facebook of being undemocratic. This followed Facebook's decision in early January 2021 to take down the accounts of more than 50 pro-Uganda government campaigners it accused of "Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour". Two days before the January 14 poll, UCC executive director Irene Sewankambo ordered telecom companies and Internet service providers to "immediately suspend any access, use, direct or otherwise, of all social media platforms and online messaging applications over your network until further notice". The telecoms and Internet service providers acted promptly, blocking access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and other social media sites. But when the government restored Internet services on January 18, two days after President Museveni was declared winner of the presidential elections, many Ugandans began accessing social media through virtual private network (VPN). UCC itself, without reversing or revising the ban, resurfaced on social media under the cover of darkness and at 9.48pm on January 20 tweeted that "content development support programme - supporting the audio-visual industry in Uganda" in apparent reference to a new programme. A one @stephentugu in a rejoinder noted: "It's insane how someone violates their own deeds." Another person, using the handle @rogersKalemera, tweeted that "social media is still off as per the government [ban] other than those that are using VPN. But how is UCC accessing Twitter?" The communications regulator did not respond or explain its access to the site. Our examination of the accounts of Cabinet ministers, three key government entities and that of government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo shows that these users combined had tweeted and retweeted 823 times. They also posted a total of 119 messages on Facebook between January 11, when social media was blocked, to 4pm yesterday. Nearly half of the tweets (359) were by the Ministry of Health, the Government of Uganda and Uganda Media Centre (UMC), a government communication-clearing house. Of the 464 tweets by Cabinet ministers and other senior government official, 358 were by UMC executive director Mr Ofwono Opondo alone. He did not receive or return our repeated calls last evening. The most active minister on twitter during the still obtaining social media ban is Frank Tumwebaze of Gender, Labour and Social Development followed by his Works counterpart, Gen Katumba Wamala and newcomer twitter user Elly Tumwine (Security) while ICT Minister Judith Nabakooba, who doubles as the government spokesperson, ranks fourth. Gen Tumwine joined twitter during the ban, on January 20, 2021, and has since tweeted and retweeted 19 times on security and other political matters. We picked on the ministers because they are responsible for the country's policy direction and would be expected to lead by example and comply with government ban on social media. Asked why Cabinet ministers including herself were active on micro-blogging sites in defiance of official ban, and whether they were navigating their way through VPN, Ms Nabakooba said: "I am not there [on social media]. Somebody else is managing it (my account). I can only access the Internet when I reach the office." The shutdown of social media has significantly affected Ugandans by denying advertising platforms for small business, deprivation of cheaper social and family networking as well as international communication. Ms Joan Nabuma, a kiosk owner in Kansanga, a Kampala suburb, said: "it is ironic that our leaders in government block us from using things they are using. You wonder how they even expect us to receive the messages they post on their social media accounts when we have been barred from accessing them." The executive director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, told this newspaper last week that the Internet and social media shutdown affected testing for, and transmission of, Covid-19 results. Whereas the East African Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafire is quiet on Twitter, he has within the social media ban period posted messages on Facebook at 22 times. Most of the messages shared by the ministers and government agencies relate to their official work or retweets of work initiated by counterparts, which appears calculated to expand the reach of information from the government to the citizens, most of whom without access to VPN remail in information blackhole. The government has also blocked regular access to VPN and Youtube, meaning users in Uganda are currently unable to install the former on their mobile phone handsets or access the latter. Ministers and government spokespersons have lately shared information about the latest acquisition of the second Airbus A330neo last week and post-election security. President Museveni, in reply to Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli's congratulatory messaging, tweeted at 4.48pm on January 18, 2021 responded to thank Mr Magufuli and Tanzanians, promising continued cooperation on business and politics. Mr Museveni or his courtier also announced his last Thursday's address, in which he proclaimed return of semi-candidate classes to school on March 1, on his Twitter handle, suggesting social media use has become unavoidable for government and its executives. Mr Julius Mucunguzi, the head of communication at the Office of the Prime Minister, declined to explain how the social media accounts of Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda have remained active despite the ban, referring further inquiries to the ICT minister. State ICT Minister Peter Ogwang, who is also using social media, on January 21 threatened action against individuals circumventing the blockade using VPN in a manner suggesting government official are having an exemption under a catch-all policy. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Governance ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The ban also affects law-abiding citizens who paid Over-The-Top (OTT) tax, introduced in May 2018, to enjoy social media service while tax avoiders can access the micro-blogging sites as long as they have Internet connection. Ministers were contacted declined to say whether they are using VPN or not and whether they are playing by a rule different from that for citizens. Mr Robert Kirenga, the executive director of the National Coalition of Rights Defenders-Uganda (NCHRD), said the government's reason of internet shutdown and refusal to restore social media access was not justified. "In whatever justification they gave, whether it was national security, there was a mechanism they would (have) used to ensure (peace), after all they had deployed troops all over... even if I were to incite (people) using internet to go the street, which streets would they go to when government had deployed hundreds of foot soldiers?" he said. Facebook ban On January 7, Facebook shut a slew of accounts belonging to Ugandan government officials accused of seeking to manipulate public debate ahead of elections. "This month, we removed a network of accounts and pages in Uganda that engaged in CIB (Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour) to target public debate ahead of the election," Facebook's head of communication for sub-Saharan Africa, Kezia Anim-Addo, said in an email. 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. ALBANY The attorney for a former University at Albany student convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime on a CDTA bus ride in 2016 told the regions appellate court Monday that his client was held to an unfair standard of justice because of her race. Mark Mishler, the lawyer for 25-year-old Ariel Agudio, told appellate justices in Albany that his client and co-defendant Asha Burwell, both of whom are Black, faced legal consequences for their actions that other people who call 911 to report crimes never face. Such calls are made during upsetting circumstances when adrenaline is flowing, Mishler told the Appellate Division of state Supreme Courts Third Department in Albany. He said no 911 call is 100 percent perfect. The standard that the People wish to uphold in this case and solely this case, Mishler said, referring to prosecutors, apparently is that if a Black person calls 911 and alleges a racial incident, that they better damn well be 100 percent accurate in every single word that comes out of their mouth or they will be subject to prosecution. Appellate Justice Christine Clark asked Assistant District Attorney Vincent Stark, who argued the appeal for District Attorney David Soares, if Agudio had been held to an unrealistic standard. The judge said that 911 calls can be known to be inaccurate due to the excitement of the moment. "I don't think we are, your honor," Stark replied. He said he found Mishler's argument "somewhat offensive -- and I can't imagine my boss, the DA, found it any less offensive. I imagine he'll find it far more offensive." Soares, now in his fifth term, is Black. "I don't think we're holding anybody to a particularly high standard here," Stark said. "The standard we are holding them to is you cannot call the police and lie, just flat outright lie. That's what occurred here." On Jan. 30, 2016 Agudio and Burwell, both from Long Island, and a third student, Alexis Briggs of Chemung County, who is also Black, took a CDTA bus in Albany known as the drunk bus -- to go back to the university's uptown campus at about 1 a.m. Agudio and Burwell got off the bus and called 911 to report that white men and women had jumped them and that the bus driver did nothing. The incident led to an on-campus rally and national attention. Footage from the bus ride taken on cell phones, however, showed the students appeared to be the attackers. UAlbany expelled Agudio and Burwell and suspended Briggs, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation, In April 2017, an Albany County jury convicted Agudio and Burwell of two counts of falsely reporting an incident. One count was for the 911 call in which Agudio said they were jumped on the bus. She said they were subjected to racial slurs, that her hair was pulled out and that boys hit them. The other count was for tweets about the incident which allegedly caused a public alarm. Acting Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough sentenced both women to three years' probation, 200 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine. Last year, the Third Department tossed Burwells conviction related to the tweet and upheld her conviction for a false report in a 911 call. On Monday, Mishler told the court that while Agudio did not hear the N word, as she claimed in her 911 call, her friends had told her they heard it. He said Agudio heard people use other racist terms, such as being called ratchet b------s," before calling 911. She said in essence, I was the victim of a racial crime. She believed that to the core of her heart, Mishler said. She heard racial slurs. He said they heard people on the bus tell them to "get a job" and call them "ignorant," which Mishler said was clearly a racial attack. "That's what was going on on the bus. To say that these three Black women injected race into a situation where they honestly believed that race was part of the situation is, frankly, offensive," he said. Mishler did not argue the conviction related to Agudios tweets because prosecutors have agreed that it should tossed; Stark asked the Third Department to issue the same ruling for Agudio as it did for Burwell. Clark asked Stark about Mishler's argument that Agudio believed she was a victim of a racial crime. Stark said Agudio was not jumped by anyone, nor the victim of any crime. "As far as the racial element to it, I don't know, I don't really see that, your honor," he said. Stark said prosecutors probably took on more of a burden than was necessary. "We bit off more than we had to. I don't think we bit off more than we can chew," he said. A decision is expected within the next two months. The battle belongs to the Lord. Heard that phrase lately? In songs, in sermons, in podcasts. It seems that fellow believers are encouraging us to remember that regularly. But Ill be honest, when I turn on the news or look on social media...it doesnt always look like Hes winning. And my heart feels so very discouraged. It would be easy to allow fear or complacency to take over, but thank goodness, the Lord has given us reminders in His word that He is faithful...no matter how the battle rages on. What Is the Context of 1 Samuel 17:47? In 1 Samuel 17, we find one of the most famous stories from the Bible. The story of David and Goliath, shared with children through the ages as an example of how trusting in God helps us slay the giants in our lives. I remember listening with wide eyes as my Sunday School teacher shared how David, a small shepherd boy, armed with only a slingshot and five smooth stones, defeated a giant because He trusted in God. It was amazing to think about! You see, the Israelites were in trouble. Real trouble. The Philistine champion, a nine-foot giant named Goliath, had challenged them to send one man to fight him. And whichever army lost, would be the others slaves. Fear had settled in the hearts of the Israelites, and they were deeply shaken (1 Samuel 17:11). But David. One day, his father asked him to leave his shepherding duties and take gifts to his brothers, who were stationed in the Israelite camp. When he arrived, he heard Goliaths taunts and asked, Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26). His brothers rebuked him for inquiring about the reward for killing the giant, but as word spread, David was summoned by Saul. Saul argued that David was not able to defeat a man of war since his youth (1 Samuel 17:33). He was just a boy! But little did he know, he was a boy with amazing faith. David told him, The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine! (1 Samuel 17:37). So Saul relented, offering him his own armor to wear, but David chose to take only his shepherds staff and sling. As David approached Goliath, he was mocked, but his response is everything. David replied to the Philistine, You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heavens Armies-the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lords battle, and He will give you to us! (1 Samuel 17:45-47). And He did. David hurled one stone at Goliath with his sling, and it hit him in the forehead. The giant fell face down, and David used Goliaths own sword to kill him and cut off his head. When the other Philistines saw this, they ran away. So what does this mean for us? What Does It Mean that the Battle Belongs to the Lord? The Lord has such a beautiful way of taking everyday moments in our lives and tying them to His Word. And as I studied Davids response to Goliath, a memory of my son came to mind. When he was around five, we were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. We had played round after round, and the score was tied. We both smiled with anticipation of this one last shoot, but I was not prepared for what my sweet boy was about to do. As we finished calling, Rock, Paper, Scissors, I laid my hand out as paper, but my son spread his arms wide and yelled, God! We both giggled for many minutes after because, in case youre wondering, God trumps everything else. Yall, Goliath came with a sword, spear, and javelin. But David came in the name of the Lord. Sword, spear, javelin...God. Rock, paper, scissors...God. It doesnt matter what earthly things we bring to the battle, yall. Those who trust in the name of the Lord will have the ultimate victory. But how do we set our minds to know, without a doubt, that He is enough...and we can trust Him? How Do You Let the Lord Fight Your Battles? When David spoke to Goliath on that fateful day, he shared three things before he killed him. Things that I wonder if his fellow Israelites took to heart. Things that I know we should today. Because battles will inevitably come. Whether through relationships, health diagnoses, finances, addictions, political issues, or other areas, we will be faced with moments in time where we must choose to fight for ourselves or those we love. And when those moments come, we must remember to stand strong by remembering these three truths: What we see with earthly eyes is not all there is. You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heavens Armies-the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied 1 Samuel 17:45. One of Satans biggest strategies is using our small world view against us. He wants us to believe that what we see with earthly eyes is all there is. That the sword, and the spear, and the javelin of Goliath vs. the stone and slingshot of David were the only weapons for the battle that day. But we know thats not true. There is a spiritual realm where the Lord and His angels are fighting like never before. And if we confine our viewpoint to what is right in front of us, fear will absolutely win. The Lord has given us armor that cannot and will not be overpowered or penetrated when we stand firm and call on His name, no matter what our eyes may tell us. So claim out loud that you are coming in the name of the Lord of Heavens armies, confident that the Lord is more than able. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT. The Lord will give us what we need, as we look to Him as the true Conqueror. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head 1 Samuel 17:46. David was the one who shot the stone. The one who killed Goliath with the sword when he fell. The one who cut off the giants head. But the Lord was the conqueror. We must remember, as David did, that we are simply tools the Lord can use to fulfill His purposes. Like Moses, He can give us the words to speak. Like Gideon, He can equip us with the willingness to follow. Like Esther, he can fill us with unimaginable courage. The Lords power has no limits. And His purposes will prevail, in spite of our weaknesses when we are willing to be used for His glory. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT. Victory may not happen in the way we expect it so that people will know it is the Lord. And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear 1 Samuel 17:47. When David offered to fight Goliath, Saul prepared him with earthly wisdom. He gave him his armor, helmet, and sword. But David rebuked him, instead choosing to use what could only be considered foolish in the eyes of the world. And why would he do that? For one, the armor was too big, but I also believe David knew something Saul didnt. The people expected armor and a sword. But if David had chosen to fight in that manner, the armor and sword might have been credited with his safety...and his victory. So there David was. With only a slingshot, staff, stones, and the presence of the Lord. And that day, everyone...everyone...knew that it wasnt a small shepherd boy who rescued his people, but the Lord. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:8-9 The battle is not truly ours, but the Lords. This is the Lords battle, and He will give you to us! 1 Samuel 17:47 The Lord loves his people. He loves you and me! And He will not allow evil to prevail forever. Trust the Lord to do what He says. And wait with expectation to see all that He is going to do in His perfect timing. What to Do While We Wait for Victory Yall, waiting is hard. Especially when it seems like you are in a losing battle. One hard thing after another, after another, after another. There may be one step forward for every two steps back. But do not be defeated. David told Goliath that when he was done with him, the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! (v.46). And that must be our goal as well, friends. Remember that what you see in front of you is not all there is. Ask the Lord to equip you for battle. And pray that through it all, the Lord will be glorified as you allow Him to fight for you. He will be victorious. Photo credit: GettyImages/gorodenkoff Maggie Meadows Cooper is a wife, mom, educator, author, and blogger with a longing for women to grow a heart for Jesus and others. She is the author of the childrens book Bumper and blogs at The Little Moments about what the Lord is teaching her through her children and everyday life. She contributes to Blogs by Christian Women, Devotional Diva, She Disciples, and Connecting Ministries. An educator with a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Auburn University (War Eagle!), she has twenty years of experience working with young children. She loves all things chocolate, real Coca-Cola, and lives with her husband, three children, and two rambunctious dogs in Opelika, Alabama. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. "Be Still and Know that I Am God" "Pray Without Ceasing" "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" "All Things Work Together for Good" "Do Not Fear" The introduction of artificial control mechanism to curb mobility, such as vaccination passports, will throw humanity into an even worse past than the pandemic itself, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "Mobility was one of the key features of our world, and it made our world more humane, because acquaintance and regular contact with another culture, another country, erased contradictions and allowed us to feel the unity of the world. Certain control must be exercised, of course, but artificial control mechanisms to curb mobility will actually be throwing the world back into the past, even much worse than the pandemic itself," Kuleba said at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" on Monday in Kyiv. According to him, so far there are no comprehensive solutions regarding vaccination passports. "I remain a moderate optimist. I believe that the coronavirus has started us in a period when countries are showing greater unity, greater solidarity with each other. In this I am an optimist. And moderate in that I believe that this is a temporary phenomenon. I think that as soon as all markets are saturated with vaccines, drugs and treatment protocols for coronavirus [COVID-19], the situation will begin to roll back, and we will again hear a lot of selfish rhetoric in the world from different countries," Kuleba said. The Minister pointed out that one of the important tests is access to the vaccine. "Now we already see how diplomats and politicians have to skillfully balance the war for vaccines with the need to help their closest partner. But this is the test that we are passing now," he said. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, the second will be a test for the resumption of mobility in the world, including the full functioning of the visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU. "This is where we will see very serious things: how much mobility in the world will resume both in a controlled pandemic and after or in the process of its extinction, how quickly people will be able to travel freely again, whether artificial restrictions will not be invented to control the movement of people in the world, whether additional difficulties and procedures will be introduced for this," he said. Kuleba said that some of these procedures may be quite reasonable, and it should not be considered that any additional procedure is discriminatory by definition. "But where will the border lie between reasonable procedures aimed at protecting the health of citizens and procedures that significantly limit the mobility of people in the world, this will be a very serious test for humanity for its unity," he said. We have seen many SUVs and pickup trucks literally take the nation's drag strips by storm lately. Ladies now go the Raptor way to establish a bit of empowerment over various cars, such as a C7 Corvette or a Tesla Model 3. Fords Edge and the soon to be obsolete Fusion battle for night-time supremacy, and the examples could probably go on forever if we dig deep in history.Sure, its going to be a long time before these lightly modified trucks will be capable of replicating a traditional muscle vs. import six-second battle but no one says they cant have a go, right? That was probably the thinking behind creating these two F-150 trucks, whose owners decided that all bets are off, even if that meant going against another Blue Oval The Drag Racing and Car Stuff guys have captured some interesting action at the Street Car Takeover event that recently took place in Bradenton, Florida. And by that, we mean a few entertaining skirmishes that involve a red 2018 F-150 supercharged to Gen 3 2.9-liter Whipple levels with some help from the specialists at JS Fab & Performance, as well as a blue F-150 thats sporting a hulking turbo assembly (there are no details on this build, though).Because the supercharged example is the focus of this recent video (embedded below), we first see this alleged two-class winner at the Bradenton event line up against a 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 to set the bar as high as possible.With a 9.89-second run at 147.49 mph (over 237 kph), the Stang doesnt succumb to the Whipple charms of the F-150, which still comes out with its honor largely intact, thanks to a close 10.246-second result (at 135.99 mph/219 kph). After a quick walkaround (0:50), its time for the supercharged and turbocharged F-150 units to ruffle each others feathers a little bit (from the 1:35 mark).This time around, the Whipple build comes out on top, as the blue turbo has to contend with holding the styling supremacy (that huge bulge on the hood takes precedence against the double side exhaust), and a lesser 10.37s result against an even better than before 10.13s run from the red F-150.No worries, because the blue example will retaliate against an A90 Toyota Supra from the 2:30 mark with an excellent result of 10.15s to the import models 11.03s run. On the other hand, the supercharged F-150 remains preoccupied with domestic battles, as up next (from the 3:05 mark) comes a battle with the ubiquitous Dodge Challenger Demon.Unfortunately, we have to contend with a botched attempt from the latter, so we just move on towards the presentation part (from 4:20) and see how the red F-150 fared against a few other contenders. Those included an older Chevy truck that didnt quite rise to the occasion even though it had a neat setup sticking out through the hood. Jon Hoffman and Stephen Riner were best friends for nearly six decades. The Houston men bonded over toy airplanes on the first day of first grade and were practically brothers from that moment on. Kelly Riner-Hamons said her father, who died in August in hospice care, spent the final months of his life heartbroken that he never had a chance to say goodbye to Hoffman found dead, beaten and his throat cut, in his CB radio shed. He would cry, Riner-Hamons, of Dickinson, said. He would wake up in the morning and he would forget that Jon was gone. Adding to his pain was that Hoffmans killer hadnt been found. He was devastated that they had not caught the person who did it because Jon was the most generous, sweet man that you would ever meet, she continued. Deputies on Friday arrested 30-year-old Moises Renteria Carranza nearly a year after Hoffmans death on his brothers property in the Aldine neighborhood, according to court records. The arrest was a relief to Riner-Hamons, who at one point canvassed the neighborhood herself to seek information leading to Hoffmans assailant. She looked to Hoffman, 64, as an uncle. Riner-Hamons was born without a right hand and Hoffman, who years earlier lost the use of his arm, showed her how to drive a car and tie her shoe. He helped my parents cope with that, she said. It gave them hope. Over the past 12 months, multiple neighbors in 13000 block of Lillja Road, near Aldine Mail Route Road, came forward to Harris County Sheriffs Office investigators with information about his assailant, according to court records. Among the tips was that Carranza had been prowling that property and others in the days leading up to the gruesome Feb. 27 discovery of Hoffmans body. Police found a trail of blood leading up to a shed near Hoffmans trailer and found the man on the ground with a slit throat, according to charging papers. Hoffmans brother David who lived in a house on the same 2.5-acre property said he had not seen or heard from his sibling for two days prior to the discovery. He went to the trailer that morning to check on him but he was not there. He and some neighbors then found him in the shed, police said. The David Hoffman and an investigator walked through the crime scene and determined that five firearms were also missing from Hoffmans trailer. A jean jacket that he did not recognize was also found. Investigators spoke to neighbors who recalled sighting a suspicious man in the area. One resident said he saw a man hop his fence only to be scared off by his dog. That resident confronted the man on another occasion and asked him to leave after his daughter spotted him snooping around the Hoffman brothers property. She and another witness saw him looking through the shed windows. Within hours, the neighbor recalled hearing gunshots from another property. Police believe that might have been from another resident firing two warning shots at a prowler. Surveillance footage from the encounter showed the same man that the first resident had described in the backyard. The man, now believed to be Carranza, made a run for the fence and bayou after the gunshots, investigators said. On the Monday before Hoffmans body was found, surveillance footage and neighbors placed Carranza at a nearby gas station and taqueria. Person-of-interest flyers were posted as the businesses and months later, a woman reported to police that Carranza her family member looked like the suspect, investigators wrote. She had kicked him out of her home in July because he had been making sexual advances toward a teen relative. Police scoured a trash can in his old room for DNA evidence. Evidence gleaned from a can of Pepsi later matched what was found on the denim jacket left in Hoffmans shed. Multiple witnesses, when shown a photo of Carranza, identified him as the suspicious man seen at the property, according to investigators. An anonymous tipster then revealed that Carranza, a Mexican national, was still in the Houston area and working as a construction worker. He was arrested in the 27700 block of Interstate 10 in Katy without incident, police said. Officials on Saturday ordered Carranza held at the Harris County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. nicole.hensley@chron.com Aizawl/Imphal, Feb 8 : The security forces and Customs officials have seized human hair and brown sugar worth Rs 4 crore in Mizoram and Manipur, which were smuggled in from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said on Monday. In a joint raid conducted on Sunday evening, Assam Rifles troopers and Customs officials seized human hair contained in 120 bags from Chhungte village in Mizoram's Champhai district. According to the Assam Rifles officials, no one was arrested in connection with the seizure of human hair valued at around Rs 2 crore. "Over the years, Assam Rifles has been a force reckoned to fight the smuggling menace in Mizoram. Extensive and regular anti-seizure operations have been successfully carried out to thwart the smuggling nexus along the India-Myanmar border," an official release said. In Manipur, a combined team of the police and Assam Rifles seized brown sugar worth Rs 2 crore and arrested three persons from Bishnupur district. A police officer said the security personnel arrested three persons during a routine search at Tangjeng near Ibudhou temple and the smuggled drugs were seized from their possession on Sunday. The detainees and the seized drugs were handed over to the Kumbi police station. Officials said the drugs and various other contraband including Areca nuts are smuggled in from Myanmar which shares 1,643 km of unfenced border with four northeastern states -- Mizoram (510 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km) and Nagaland (215 km). Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:01:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Palestinian factions began on Monday a two-day national dialogue in Egypt's capital Cairo to discuss the political and technical issues related to the upcoming general elections in Palestine. The factions include the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah Movement, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, and some left-wing groups. The leaders of the 14 Palestinian factions, coming from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and other locations, arrived in Cairo on Sunday, to participate in the dialogue, which is under the auspices of the Egyptian security intelligence. Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of Fatah Central Committee, told reporters in Ramallah that the dialogue will be based on the former understandings that has been reached on holding the general elections in Palestine. Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh, who is currently in Cairo, said in an emailed press statement to Xinhua that the dialogue "is an important station to agree on holding free and transparent elections for our people everywhere." "Hamas is opened to a comprehensive dialogue that leads to rearranging the internal Palestinian situation, ending the internal division and preparing for a political system based on the principle of partnership," Haniyeh said. He said his movement has a vision on how to prepare for the next period after the elections. However, he didn't elaborate on the details of Hamas vision, but said the next stage should be based on conciliation and partnership. In a decree issued in January, Palestinian President Abbas announced that the 2021 general election will include the legislative elections being held on May 22, presidential elections on July 31 and the Palestinian National Council elections on Aug. 31. The last presidential elections were held in March 2005 and the legislative elections in January 2006. Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since ousting the Fatah-dominated Palestinian self government in the summer of 2007. Since then, the Palestinian territories are split into a Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-dominated West Bank. Enditem This week, Southwestern Seminary and Baylor University settled a lawsuit with a charitable foundation that restructured its leadership and took control of millions in funding following the firing of Paige Patterson, former president of Southwestern, in 2018. The two Texas Baptist schools sued the Harold E. Riley Foundation last year, alleging a secret coup to divert gifts away from them, despite being designated as the sole beneficiaries of the foundation. The parties settled in a Tarrant County, Texas, court on Monday, with four leaders from Southwestern and Baylor replacing the board members accused of trying to seize control of the Foundation and its assets. Harold E. Riley, the late benefactor and namesake, had set up the organization to fund his alma maters. The resigned board membersMike C. Hughes, Charles Hott, and Augie Botoagreed not to hold any leadership positions or employment at charities in Texas or at any Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) entities. They are not able to serve in any fiduciary capacity, whether as an officer, director, or trustee, per the terms of the settlement. Hughes had been Southwesterns vice president for institutional advancement under Patterson (20062017), and Boto had been a longtime SBC Executive Committee member, serving as executive vice president and interim president two years ago. Colby Adams, an incoming board member and Southwesterns vice president for strategic initiatives, told CT he could think of no other instance in which leaders had been subject to such restrictions across the denomination, but we believe this is a just result, given the inappropriate actions of the persons involved in this matter. Boto offered a statement by text message to Baptist Press, saying, The services rendered by the foundations trustees have always been in keeping with Harold Rileys wishes, as well as in the best interests of both Southwestern Seminary and Baylor University. I trust the new trustees that the beneficiaries have chosen will commit themselves to do those same things. I wish them well. Southwestern president Adam Greenway said that the outcome vindicates the schools decision to pursue litigation in the case. While painful and costly, this cause of action was necessary to protect charitable donors who deserve the confidence that the purpose of their generous gifts will be fulfilled with integrity and without interference, said Greenway, who became president in 2019. This victory is not only for Southwestern Seminary and Baylor University, but for all who are committed to ensuring that resources intended to advance Kingdom purposes are not misused. In December 2020, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sided with Southwestern and Baylor by intervening in the case and issuing a subpoena compelling testimony from Patterson. Southwestern said seminary leaders say they will cooperate with any further investigation by the attorney generals office following the settlement of their civil suit. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Chamoli : , Feb 8 (IANS) The ITBP has deployed its sniffer dog squad for rescue operations and the force has so far cleared 90 meters inside the tunnel near Tapovan Dam in Chamoli district, which was damaged after a glacier burst triggered a flash flood in the region, claiming several lives and nearly 150 missing. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which was pressed into the rescue operation soon after the incident took place on Sunday morning, further said that another 100 meters inside the Tapovan tunnel was to be cleared. "At least 90 meters stretch of debris in the tunnel has been cleared till now. ITBP personnel are working hard to clear the rest of the stretch inside the tunnel. Another 100 mtrs believed to be left to be cleared," said the ITBP in a statement. During the clearance, the force said it was using its expert sniffer dogs at the Tapovan tunnel for the rescue operations. ITBP's Additional Director General (Western Command), Manoj Singh Rawat, took stock of the rescue operations by the border patrol organisation at the Tapovan tunnel earlier on Monday and discussed the map of the tunnel with the project authorities at the spot. ITBP, one of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), has been playing a key role in the rescue operation. More than 200 ITBP personnel reached the spot soon after the glacier breach on Sunday morning at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered a massive flood that hit two hydropower projects -- NTPC Tapovan hydel power plant and Rishi Ganga hydel power plant. "A total of 200 people are still estimated to be missing. However, we have so far recovered 11 bodies from the spot," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey told IANS after getting inputs from the state administration. Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar also communicated the same information to the media here. The NDRF, ITBP and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations along with the army in the region. The Centre is monitoring the situation and joint efforts of all the agencies are being made to rescue those trapped. One column and Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment have been deployed in the area. Indian Army personnel along with ETF opened the mouth of the tunnel at Tapovan in the flood-affected Uttarakhand's Joshimath as rescue operations continued more than 24 hours after the disaster hit. Navy divers were also on the standby. Indian Air Force also helped transport the NDRF teams and relief materials. NDRF personnel carried the rescue work by clearing the debris with the help of excavators and shovels. Terrain, low temperature and debris in the tunnel is posing a major challenge for the rescuers. Besides this, a team of scientists, which was flown to Dehradun last night, has also left for Joshimath area for surveillance and reconnaissance earlier in the day. The team will keep a surveillance and do reconnaissance of the spot. The glacial burst led to the rising of water levels in the river Rishi Ganga, which washed away the Rishi Ganga small hydro project of 13.2 megawatt. The flash flood also affected the downstream hydro project of NTPC at Tapovan on the river Dhauli Ganga, which is a tributary of the river Alaknanda. The flash flood occurred in Rishi Ganga at around 10.45 a.m. on Sunday due to a glacier falling into it and exponentially increasing the volume of water. Due to this, the Rishi Ganga hydro project was completely devastated. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed A California Democrat has been accused of breaking Covid rules with a backyard wedding that she held over the summer. Diana Becton, district attorney for Contra Costa County near San Francisco, allegedly hosted the rule-breaking party on August 1 as she wed her husband. Becton has admitted the party took place but denies it broke Covid rules, which at the time allowed outdoor religious ceremonies but banned wedding receptions. Diana Becton, district attorney for Contra Costa County near San Francisco, has been accused of breaking Covid rules with a backyard wedding that she held over the summer It comes after California governor Gavin Newsom was pilloried for attending a friend's birthday at Michelin-starred winery French Laundry in November. News of Becton's party emerged as neighbors told the San Francisco Chronicle that they had notes put through their doors in July last year warning of an event August 1 that would include '20 to 30 additional cars' on the street that day. Grace Lee, who lives a few doors from Becton, recalled seeing the party over her backyard fence and confirmed there were 'a lot more cars' on the street than usual. She also recalled hearing loud music and partying that continued 'until around 9 or 10pm.' At the time, outdoor parties were banned under California coronavirus laws that prohibited events where people were unlikely to adhere to mask-wearing and social distancing rules. But Becton has denied that the event carried on late into the evening. Instead, she insists the guests arrived around 3pm and left no later than 7pm after being served a meal with wine. 'In my tradition we don't just have a wedding,' she said. 'We have a wedding and then there's usually something that accompanies that.' Any music neighbors overheard late in the evening was likely played by her while she tidied up the event, she added. She claims all guests were temperature tested at the door, wore masks throughout, and were sat at socially distanced tables with the people they arrived with. California Governor Gavin Newsom is shown above, left, sitting with ten others in the indoor/outdoor dining room at The French Laundry on November 6, without a mask. The photos were obtained by Fox 11 LA via a Twitter user All guests were close family or loved ones, she said, adding that she sought advice from public health officials before hosting and they agreed that 'there didn't seem to be anything that would prohibit the event.' Contra Costa County has been among the counties hardest hit by Covid-19, and was averaging 203 new infections daily on the day of Becton's wedding. But Becton insists she wasn't aware of a surge in cases at the time. 'I don't know what the surge was at that time. Nobody in our event got COVID-19,' she said. 'I really thought I was in that arena of a cultural ceremony, so those were the guidelines that I was following.' Other neighbors dismissed her reasoning, saying they are 'really upset' that a public official whose job it is to enforce Covid rules 'got away with' hosting a party. Retiree Karyl Toms told The Chronicle: 'No surprise here, the poor suckers are locked down and people who have power get to do what they want.' Just a day before Becton hosted her event, Newsom had slammed California's reopening plan into reverse - ordering bars and restaurants in some counties to close again just weeks after reopening while reimposing stay-at-home orders. The reversal came amid a worrying rise in Covid cases, with health officials warning that another lockdown might be necessary unless the data improved. Newsom later received criticism for attending another event at the French Laundry winery at a time when other Californians were being urged to stay indoors. The birthday dinner, which was attended by a dozen other guests, did not technically breach Covid restrictions that allowed for mixed groups at restaurants. But the scandal was hugely damaging for Newsom who had publicly urged people not to attend such events, and led him to issue an apology. Fall-out from the event also led opponents of the California governor to issue recall petition that has reached 1.4million out of a necessary 1.5million signatures. The petition, launched by the California Patriot Coalition, has until mid-March to reach its goal. Shares of hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 683, up 7 per cent on the BSE, in the intra-day trade on Monday after Adani Airports completed acquisition of 23.5 per cent stake in "Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL), the flagship holding company of for its airports business and a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, has acquired 23.5 per cent equity stake, i.e. 282 million equity shares of Rs 10 of Mumbai International Airport, from ACSA Global and Bid Services Division (Mauritius) for Rs 1,685.25 crore," said in a regulatory filing. READ FILING HERE MIAL is engaged in the business of development, construction and operation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. This acquisition forms part of the transaction pursuant to which AAHL proposes to acquire controlling interest in MIAL, it added. In August 2020, had signed an agreement with GVK Group to acquire its 50.5 per cent stake in The deal also included acquisition of 23.5 per cent stake held by the two South African companies. Earlier on January 19, 2021, announced that Adani Jaipur International Airport, Adani Guwahati International Airport and Adani Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the company, have signed the concession agreement with Airports Authority of India for the operations, management and development of Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram Airports respectively. The concession period is 50 years from the commercial operation date, it said. Adani Enterprises, which is engaged in mining services, solar manufacturing, agro, roads and airport services business, reported a profit after tax attributable to owners at Rs 297 crore for October-December quarter (Q3FY21), as against Rs 426 crore in the previous year, quarter owing to exceptional write off of exploration block on termination by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The consolidated total income for the quarter increased by 6 per cent year on year at Rs 11,788 crore owing to increased sales in solar manufacturing business, the company said. At 10:47 am, Adani Enterprises was trading 5 per cent higher at Rs 627 on the BSE, as compared to a 1.4 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. A combined 5 million equity shares changed hands on the counter on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report. Kenneth D. Baker began turning over stock in his company to employees in 2006; today, the Southampton-based NewAge Industries is entirely employee-owned. And there are 16 millionaires among the 226 employees, some of them working on the factory floor, said Baker, CEO of the plastic and rubber-tubing manufacturer. I wanted a high-performance company, and if you dont give ownership to the employees, youre not going to get that extra effort that owners give, said Baker, 67, of Ambler. Now, Baker hopes to help more companies regionally and nationally see the benefits of Employee Stock Ownership Plans, or ESOPS. The CEO has donated $3 million to Montgomery County Community College to start the Baker Center of Excellence for Employee Ownership and Business Transformation, which will promote and educate about ESOPS and other employee-employer partnerships. Its the largest gift in the colleges 56-year history, said Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, president of the college. Ken is enabling us, as an organization, to advance our strategic agenda, our mission and our vision of inspiring, leading, and transforming not only the lives of our students, but our community, she said. The new effort will help with the regions workforce development and economic recovery, she said. The new center, which will support county and regional businesses, will be on the colleges Blue Bell campus, Bastecki-Perez said. It will include an open-resource library and host certificate programs, workshops, and events, and provide courses. READ MORE: Biden aide calls Bucks firm model for workers-owners Baker has been a longtime donor to the college, providing about 15 scholarships per year. One scholarship recipient ended up getting a full-time job at NewAge Industries, and later his father, who was looking to transition, got one, too, Baker said. Since 2008, Baker has served on the colleges foundation board and has lectured at the school. His wife, Valerie, has taught psychology there for more than 20 years and his daughter is an alumna. Baker is also the cofounder and chair of the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership and a board member of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, a nonprofit. While beneficial for employees, ESOPs also help employers, who are looking for highly motivated and talented employees, Baker said. They can help if the business owner wants to create a succession plan, he said, and there are tax benefits. Theres going to be lots of conversation and courses [at the center] about how employee ownership changes the culture of a company and how it makes it much more productive and creates wealth for the employees, he said. Employees dont want to misuse equipment or waste materials because its their equipment and materials, too, he said. READ MORE: NewAge Industries installs rooftop solar energy system Baker grew up in Hatboro and went to Upper Moreland High School. He tried college, but found that he had dyslexia and that college really wasnt for him. In 1985, he joined NewAge Industries, which was started by his father. But Baker said he actually began working at the company much earlier, when he was 6. He prepared mailings at the familys dining-room table, and served as a janitor of sorts when he was in high school. He bought out his father and brother in the 1990s, he said, and became the last Baker standing. About that time, he recalled seeing a mailing about employee ownership and attended a conference in Chicago. He was intrigued. The company had more than $100 million in sales in the last year, Baker said, and it most recently has been involved in the making of tubing systems for COVID-19 vaccine production. We are very proud of that, he said, and we are very, very busy. about banking services jumped 57 per cent to 3.08 lakh for the year to June 30, 2020, the Reserve Bank said on Monday. In its annual report on Ombudsman Schemes, the central bank said over a fifth of the complaints were about services at ATMs or with debit cards, followed by mobile or electronic banking at 13.38 per cent. Non-observance of Fair Practices Code (FPC) was at third place. Complaints received regarding credit cards, failure to meet commitments, levy of charges without notice, loans and advances and non-adherence to the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) norms increased this year as compared to previous year. The number of complaints pertaining to 'Direct Sales Agent (DSA) and recovery agents' increased from 629 complaints in 2018-19 to 1,406 this year, it said. The disposal rate declined marginally to 92.36 per cent, as against 94.03 per cent in 2018-19 as the surging complaints had to be handled by the same number of staff, it said. On the non-bank finance companies front, there was a 386 per cent jump in the number of complaints received by the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies at 19,432 and the disposal rate stood at 95.34 per cent. The Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions handled 2,481 complaints during the year with a maximum 43.89 per cent being related to non-adherence of code for payment transactions. Deputy Governor M K Jain said the year was a challenging one for the financial consumers vulnerable to the adverse consequences of the pandemic and commended the Ombudsmen offices for being functional through the difficult period. He also said the will strive to improve the disposal rate going forward. Governor Shaktikanta Das had last week announced a plan to integrate all the three offices (banks, NBFCs, digital payments) into a single ombudsman for the country. The share of SBI and nationalised in the decreased to 59.65 per cent as against 61.90 per cent, on the back of a surge in the share of private SBI had the largest share among lenders in the number of maintainable cases disposed at 48,333, followed by HDFC Bank at 15,004, ICICI Bank at 11,844 and Axis Bank at 10,457. The turnaround time for complaints went up to 95 days from the 47 days in the year-ago period, and stood at 45 days for the January-June 2020 period, it said. The Chandigarh office led when it came to maintainable complaints in 2019-20 with 30,574 concerns as against under 21,000 complaints across two ombudsmen offices in Mumbai and about 29,000 in New 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.) Press Release February 8, 2021 First batch of OFWs victimized in Syria successfully repatriated; Bong Go calls on gov't to protect Filipinos from human trafficking, renews push for DOFil After a grueling battle for repatriation, six Filipino migrants who were victims of human trafficking in Syria, safely returned to the Philippines on Saturday, February 7, following support and assistance from President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and other concerned government agencies. "Nagpapasalamat po kami kay Pangulong Duterte at Senator Bong Go dahil napakalaki ng tulong ng ibinigay nila para sa pagsisimulang muli namin ng buhay sa bansa," said one of the migrant workers whose name could not he disclosed at this time given the ongoing case. "Maliban po sa tulong, naramdaman naming hindi kami iniwan ng pamahalaan, lalo na nina Pangulong Duterte at Senator Go," they added. Aside from official government aid, Go's office also extended additional assistance to the OFWs and their families. "Parte po ito ng kalinga at malasakit programs para sa ating OFWs na suportado namin ni Pangulong Duterte," said Go. He also said that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking or IACAT is working with the victims so trafficking cases can be filed against the perpetrators. "Dapat lamang po na papanagutin ang mga human traffickers na ito dahil mga salot sila sa ating OFWs. Hirap na hirap na nga ang mga kababayan natin, may mga nangsasamantala at nambibiktima pa," he said. "Ayaw ko talagang makitang merong mga OFWs natin na naaabuso, lalo na nasa malalayong lugar sila. Sa mga nang-aabuso ng kapwa tao, dapat sa inyo putulan ng...!," he exclaimed. The IACAT has launched last year the digitized Integrated Case Management System to manage and ensure coordinated government action against the trafficking of OFWs. The OFWs, repatriated through Etihad Airlines, included six out of 35 migrant workers in Syria who were victims of human trafficking. They were welcomed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Undersecretary of Migrant Workers Affairs, the Presidential Management Staff, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of Senator Go. The Office of the President and DFA provided financial and other forms of assistance to the repatriated OFWs. The Office of Senator Go also extended aid and vowed to provide additional support. According to the information posted by the Philippine Embassy in Syria, the services of Syrian lawyers were already engaged to file cases against the individuals reportedly behind the trafficking of OFWs in the country. Other victims are being processed at this time so they can also be repatriated back home. The embassy also expressed its concern on several matters related to the repatriation of trafficked Filipinos, such as securing an exit visa from their 'kafeel' or employer even after paying already for their flight and fines imposed by the Syrian immigration office. Some of the victims, according to reports, have been in the embassy facility for as long as two years because they cannot secure exit visas and airfares back to the Philippines. Meanwhile, the DFA is currently conducting an administrative investigation against certain officers and personnel of the embassy who reportedly failed to act on the concerns of the trafficking victims. DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. sent a new team to Syria to overhaul the personnel at the embassy. Earlier, Go has expressed his grave concern over the reported trafficking of some Filipino women forcibly taken to Syria and abused by their employers, saying that this is one of the reasons why he is bent on pushing for the passage of a bill that will establish the Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil) that will better protect their rights and advance their welfare. "Bagong bayani kung ituring natin sila na halos sampung porsiyento ng ating populasyon. Sana naman ay suklian natin nang mas maayos at mas mabilis na serbisyo ang kanilang sakripisyo para sa kanilang pamilya at sa bayan," Go said in a statement. The bill creating the DOFil is one of the priority measures of the present administration as mentioned numerous times by President Rodrigo Duterte, including in his last two State of the Nation Addresses. The President recently certified this most recent version filed by Go as urgent. It is also one of the top twenty priority measures identified by both houses of Congress this year. "One of the main features of my proposed DOFil bill is the one country-team approach," Go noted, stating that this requires all officials in Philippine diplomatic posts to act together as one team, regardless of their mother agencies, in the country of assignment, in protecting the rights and advancing the welfare of Filipino migrant workers there, with guidance from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Foreign Service Posts. The proposed department can also initiate and help prosecute human trafficking cases in coordination with the Department of Justice. Go added that overseas Filipinos in distress may swiftly be provided with assistance due to the one country-team approach. "Kung in distress ang isang Pilipino abroad, kadalasan, hindi nila alam kung saan lalapit para humingi ng tulong. Minsan sa radyo, meron sa Facebook. Pero kung merong one country-team approach tayo, alam ng mga kababayan nating humihingi ng tulong kung saan pupunta," he said. Gov't mulls e-registration of residence address Obliging citizens to have their passports stamped is one of the obsolete practices that should be abolished, believes the ministry, which champions digital reform in Ukraine. Reporting by UNIAN If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter The company, which focuses on connecting western brands with the Chinese ecommerce market, said it is aiming to raise up to 10mln through a share placing and subscription that will accompany the listing , an e-commerce platform that some have dubbed as the mini Hut Group, has said it is aiming to raise around 10mln through a listing on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London. The company, which focuses on connecting western brands with the Chinese ecommerce market, the worlds largest, said the funds will be raised by way of a placing to institutional investors and a subscription to qualifying investors, with its listing on the Aquis exchange targeted for March. Samarkand said the proceeds of the fundraising will be used primarily to further develop the functionality and services of its Nomad ecommerce platform as well as expanding its business development activities and making further strategic acquisitions. For the eight months to November 30, the company reported revenues of 16mln, up from 3.8mln in 2019, while it swung to a pre-tax profit of 1.8mln from a 1.1mln loss in the prior year. "The Chinese eCommerce market is larger than the next 10 markets combined and more than 50c of every dollar spent online globally happens in China, yet many Western brands have struggled to penetrate this market effectively. Since 2016, Samarkand has been helping these brands penetrate and maximise their exposure in this key territory. We established Samarkand to provide a more direct-to-consumer route to the world's largest eCommerce market reducing the risks, costs and barriers to entry that have discouraged Western brands from entering the Chinese market for so long, Samarkand co-founder and chief executive David Hampstead said in a statement. "With the recent global events and the full impact of Brexit starting to be felt by brands and retailers it has never been more important for companies to reach new markets. In the first few months of 2020 China added 92mln new eCommerce consumers, more than the entire population of Germany, bringing the number of active consumers to 715mln. With our suite of solutions we are ideally placed to take advantage of the rapid market expansion and the macro-economic changes that are taking place. We have achieved 166% like-for-like growth in recurring revenue in the 8 months to 30 November 2020 vs the prior period and grown our list of brand partners and number of deployments of our technology. "The listing on Aquis will enable us to access capital which can accelerate our momentum, maximise the opportunity ahead and deliver outstanding results for all stakeholders. We look forward to welcoming new investors at an extremely exciting time for the group and to sharing a highly prosperous future", the CEO added. Transnetyx was founded in 2000 and launched the world's first fully automated genotyping system for detecting transgenic, knockout, knock-in, SNP and CRISPR mutations in animal research models. Since the first test in 2004, Transnetyx has processed nearly 25 million samples worldwide in 24 or 72 hours with 99.97 percent accuracy. With the acquisition of BrainBits, Transnetyx will be able to isolate the exact piece of CNS tissue a scientist needs from the specific model and age of the animal they are using for their research. The tissues are suspended in Hibernate media and delivered fresh overnight, for higher cell viability, quicker activity and more consistent results. "We are always looking for ways to further our mission of serving the research community," said Bob Bean, president and co-founder of Transnetyx. "With the product line we are acquiring, we can extend new offerings to our growing global family of researchers." BrainBits will continue its operations in Springfield, Illinois under the Transnetyx Tissue brand. About Transnetyx Memphis-based Transnetyx is a research support company dedicated to serving research and saving time by removing redundant, yet necessary tests conducted in genetic research. Transnetyx's mission is to provide faster, more accurate and more affordable methods to help support responsible, reproducible research. Transnetyx has the technology and processes in place to provide faster, easier and more accurate results to biomedical researchers worldwide. By optimizing resources, Transnetyx has paved the way for research to advance and deeper understandings to emerge. For more information, visit www.transnetyx.com . About BrainBits BrainBits narrows the gap between research and discovery by providing fresh, never frozen, micro-surgically dissected, live rat and mouse brain tissues and essential storage media. Products are shipped overnight to help scientists accelerate their research. For more information, visit www.brainbitsllc.com. # # # Contact: Ken Reese, BrainBits [email protected] SOURCE Transnetyx Related Links http://www.transnetyx.com/ Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 5:10 am Students at schools, colleges, and universities in Washington state could soon gain access to free menstrual hygiene products, such as tampons and pads, in their school bathrooms starting in 2022, if a bill up for consideration in the Legislature passes into law. Advocates for the bill say providing equitable access to the products is an especially timely issue, given the economic impacts of COVID-19, and puts tampons and pads on par with other necessities such as soap and toilet paper. They also argue that offering them at no cost in schools will offer menstruating students the freedom to focus. Those who testified at a public hearing this week cited a Harris Poll of 1,000 teens aged 13-19 who menstruate, which was commissioned by Thinx Inc., a period-proof underwear company, and the youth-led nonprofit PERIOD. The survey found 1 in 5 of the teens had struggled to afford the products or werent able to purchase them. Over 4 in 5 had missed class time or knew someone who had because they didnt have access to period products, and 61 percent had worn a tampon or pad for over four hours due to lack of access to products, which puts them at risk of infection and TSS (toxic shock syndrome). The effects of lack of access to menstrual hygiene products includes the risk of infection, emotional anxiety, and logistical challenges, bill sponsor Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, said at a Tuesday hearing. And through HB 1273, menstruating students will have free access to these products in schools, allowing them to better focus on their education. Last year, the Legislature passed a bill into law that exempts menstrual hygiene products from the states sales and use tax. A bill to require the products be offered at public schools made it through the state Senate on a unanimous vote but stalled in the House. According to the Free the Tampons Foundation, which advocates for increased availability of free menstrual products, California, New York, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Virginia have passed legislation requiring schools to provide the products for free. Washington was among several states to introduce bills to that end in 2020, according to the National Education Association. The bill up for consideration this year has some bipartisan support: Among the bills 28 co-sponsors is Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier of Port Orchard, and Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, sponsored a companion bill in the Senate. It would require school districts, charter schools, state tribal compact schools, and private schools serving grades 6-12 to make the hygiene products available at no cost in gender-neutral and female-designated bathrooms by the 2022-23 school year. The same would be required in public and private colleges and universities. The costs would fall to the schools, which could apply for grants or partner with nonprofits or community organizations to get the products. A case of menstrual hygiene products can cost $29-57, according to a fiscal note, and sanitary dispensers can cost $200-400. Total costs for school districts in fiscal year 2023 could amount to $1.86 million, then $363,950 per year after that, according to the note. It uses Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction data to estimate there are roughly 7,480 female-designated bathrooms in about 1,255 schools in grades 6-12, assumes schools dont currently provide the products, that every bathroom would get a $200 dispenser, and that schools would go through one $29 case per month. Jinyang Zhang, a high school senior, pointed out in her testimony that the estimates include the cost of dispensers that arent required by the bill cheaper methods are acceptable. And, she said, it doesnt account for public school districts that already offer free menstrual products. I believe that this is a worthy investment for our low-income students and the future of our workforce, she said. Zhang was among several students who testified at the public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday. Students shared data and sometimes personal stories of how the effort could clear the way for menstruating students success. One Lake Washington student shared a story of a student who got her period during a standardized test and had to sit uncomfortably through the exam when denied access to her backpack to grab a pad or tampon. We support this bill because menstruating students should not have to choose between their period and their learning, high school senior Ramya Arumilli testified. While costs vary by university, a fiscal note shows the University of Washington, which already provides free menstrual products in most buildings, would have estimated costs of $725,792 in the 2021-23 biennium and $688,480 the next two biennia. Western Washington Universitys estimate is $196,300 the initial biennium, then $86,000 per bienna. Some who testified proposed changes to the bill while expressing support. Samantha Fakharzadeh, who was representing the students of Washington State University with the Washington Students Association, advocated for the language to be more inclusive of the experience of transgender students. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) recommended adding that schools serving grades 3-5 also make period products available in school health rooms or other locations. This bill supports students, said Laurie Dils with OSPI. Particularly students living in poverty or experiencing homelessness, those who may be unable to afford period supplies, those who may not have regular access to transportation to purchase supplies, and those who may lack the needed support from caring adults to access supplies. The bill is scheduled for executive session in the Appropriations committee Thursday afternoon. ADVERTISEMENT The Oyo State government on Monday issued teaching appointment letters to 150 newly recruited teachers who are living with one form of disability or the other. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presentation of the appointment letter was done at the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) complex, secretariat, Ibadan. Alamu Akinade, the chair, TESCOM, who supervised the presentation of the appointment letters, said it was the climax of the recruitment of 7,000 employees comprising teaching and non-teaching staff as approved by Governor Seyi Makinde. Mr Akinade said the commission decided to issue the letter publicly to the successful applicants to enable it clear the air over complaints and misgivings that some able-bodied applicants are among the 150 successful disabled. If there is complaint against any of the newly recruited disabled; we will withhold the appointment letter immediately. The TESCOM boss further disclosed that the recruitment process for 50 disabled persons for the non-teaching positions would soon be completed. On his part, Idowu Ogedengbe, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Administration, said the recruitment process was based on merit. Mr Ogedengbe said though the disabled applicants were exempted from computer-based test but we interviewed all of them. We have close to 400 applications but 330 showed up for the interview, while the best 150 were successful. We ensure that the successful ones have the necessary qualifications and competency also they are not able-bodied persons trying to take the job meant for disabled persons. Ayodele Adekanbi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Persons Living With Disabilities, said efforts were underway to ensure those employed are equipped with necessary teaching aids and conducive environment to discharge their functions. Two of the newly recruited special teachers, Banke Alabi and Emmanuel Osungbayi, expressed joy over the appointment and pledged to be dedicated to duty and carry out the teaching job optimally. (NAN) West Midlands mayor Andy Street has condemned the owners of GKN over the decision to close its last car parts plant The Tory mayor of the West Midlands has condemned the owners of GKN after the engineering giant unveiled plans to close its last remaining British car parts factory. Andy Street, a former boss of department store group John Lewis, said the decision to shut the automotive plant in Birmingham went 'entirely against the spirit' of Melrose's promises when it mounted a hostile takeover of GKN three years ago. In a letter to the company's management, he also claimed the shock decision makes little sense given the 'enormous opportunities' presented by electric cars, in which the region is seeking to become a world leader. GKN, which was bought by Melrose for 8billion in 2018, announced the closure of the Erdington car component assembly plant last week, putting 519 jobs at risk. The company insists the plant, which counts Jaguar Land Rover among its customers, is no longer globally competitive. GKN Aerospace's nearby King's Norton factory closed two years ago. The Mail campaigned against the takeover of GKN which made cannonballs used at the Battle of Waterloo and helped build the Spitfire amid fears it could lead to job losses, site closures and asset sales. Erdington is thought to be the last British-owned car components plant left in the country, with the skilled work it carries out now expected to be sent abroad a loss that one expert said puts 'another nail in the coffin' of the UK car industry. Seen by the Mail, Street's letter to GKN Automotive boss Liam Butterworth said the decision to close the Erdington site in use for 50 years was 'deeply disappointing'. The 57-year-old businessman-turned-politician (pictured) said: 'I'm afraid this proposed closure, combined with the closure in Kings Norton, suggests that I and others were right to question the [GKN] takeover three years ago. 'I would urge you and your Melrose colleagues to reflect on your actions following the commitments given in 2018, and look again at this proposed closure and see if alternative options can be explored to keep the site open.' Pointing to JLR's plans to develop electric cars and proposals for a battery plant in the Midlands, Street added: 'I see a region that could lead the world in modern automotive production'. Howard Wheeldon, an industrials analyst, said the closure was 'another nail in the coffin' of the Government's industrial strategy. A spokesman for Melrose said it had 'honoured every single promise' it made to Government at the time of the GKN takeover, which were 'a matter of public record'. She added: 'We are investing tens of millions every year into ground breaking research and development projects.' Ukraine did not know that civil aviation was in danger when the Malaysian Boeing flight MH17 was shot down over Donbas in the summer of 2014, the European Pravda Internet publication said, citing the NU Dutch newspaper. According to Head of the Dutch Foreign Ministry Stef Blok, there is not enough evidence to recognize Ukraine legally responsible for the incomplete closure of the airspace. It is noted that the lower house of the Dutch Parliament insisted on the investigation, because it wanted to get more clarity on the role that Ukraine played in this disaster. Among other things, the MPs wanted to know why the airspace over the conflict area was not completely closed. Thus, according to a report of the Flight Safety Foundation, "insufficient facts have been established to indicate that the Ukrainian authorities at the time responsible for civil aviation safety over eastern Ukraine were aware of a threat to civil aviation above Ukraine, except that part of the airspace that was already closed," Blok said in a letter to deputies. According to media reports, the minister said that, apparently, the Russian civil aviation authorities, which were responsible for the already closed airspace adjacent to the war area in eastern Ukraine, also did not see a threat to civil aviation. The Dutch parliament was asked to conduct an investigation in October 2019. The Netherlands then turned to Russia and Ukraine with a request for cooperation. "In practice, the implementation of this cooperation took longer than expected," Blok said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Press Trust of India A hacker group has allegedly leaked data of Army personnel using Bharti Airtel network in Jammu and Kashmir, however, the company has denied any breach in its system. The group, with the name of Red Rabbit Team, hacked some Indian websites and posted the data on the web pages of those portals. The hackers shared some links of those web pages on Twitter in a comment over a tweet of cyber security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia and tagged several media organisations. Strange! @airtelindia already aware about this alleged breach since last 3 months. Hacker posted all email conversations with airtel too. They also posted POC video. What steps taken to remove and patch? I am also an Airtel Subscriber.#InfoSec #DataLeak #GDPR #databreaches pic.twitter.com/Tdu9mMMIOW Rajshekhar Rajaharia (@rajaharia) February 2, 2021 The query sent to the Indian Army did not elicit any reply but an Army official said "We are not aware of any such information but it appears to be malicious intent of some inimical elements". When contacted, Bharti Airtel spokesperson denied any breach of its server. "We can confirm there is no hack or breach of any Airtel system as claimed by this group. Multiple stakeholders outside of Airtel have access to some data as per regulatory requirements. We have apprised all the relevant authorities of the matter to, therefore, investigate this and take appropriate action." "This group has been in touch with our security team for over 15 months now and has made varying claims in addition to posting inaccurate data from one specific region," the spokesperson said. The links shared by the hacker were initially accessible with mobile number, name and address of subscribers but stopped working after sometime. Red Rabbit Team in a message to PTI claimed that it has access to pan-India data of Bharti Airtel through a shell uploaded on the company's server and will leak more data soon. Rajaharia said that hackers have failed to show any credible evidence of possessing pan-India data of Bharti Airtel and it is also unclear on the way they got subscriber's data. "The hacker group failed to show evidence that they have a whole India database. Their claim of shell upload may be also fake. The video of SDR portal seems real but only a short portion of data may leak via this. It is still unclear how they got access to whole Jammu and Kashmir subscriber data," he said. Telecom operators are required to give access to government and law enforcement agencies of subscriber data registration (SDR) portal through which phone numbers and subscribers details can be verified. Rajaharia said that hackers may be from Pakistan. "The website which was used to upload alleged Airtel data was hacked on 4 December 2020 by Mr Clay (TeamLeets - a Pakistani Hacker Group). This indicates that a Pakistani hacker group TeamLeets may be behind this data leak," Rajaharia said. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City continues to operate normally after one of the airport staff tested positive for the coronavirus on February 6, according to airport authorities. Passengers wait for check-in at the domestic terminal at Tan Son Nhat international airport in HCM City (Photo: VNA) Pham Vu Cuong, deputy director of the airport, said: The infected employee did not come into contact with passengers because he works for the luggage loading service. His infection has not affected the airports operation. The airport has activated the highest level of pandemic prevention measures since the northern outbreak in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces, he added. At an urgent meeting on February 6 afternoon, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said: There is no need to shut down the countrys largest airport. Its hugely urgent to trace and test those who had close contact (F1 and F2) with the employee and one of his two younger brothers who later tested positive for the virus, in both the city and Binh Duong province, Tuyen said. The entire airport was disinfected immediately. About 60 people came into contact with the two patients, city authorities said on Sunday morning. The airport employee tested positive after travelling from HCM City to his hometown in Binh Duong province. A block of apartments where the patient and his two brothers live was locked down immediately. The HCM City Centre for Disease and Control (CDC) said it confirmed the employees positive test after testing 5,900 out of nearly 7,000 employees at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, beginning on January 30, as ordered by the city government following the third wave of local infections from the north. The HCM City CDC rushed to test the remaining 1,000 employees of the airport through the night and completed all the samples by Sunday morning. The results will be annouced as soon as possible, they said. According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), all employees of Vietnams 21 airports out of 22 airports have been told to be tested for Covid-19. Of the 22 airports, the Van Don airport in Quang Ninh province, which has been receiving repatriation flights with a number of passengers testing positive for COVID-19, has been locked down since January 28 after a number of airport employees tested positive. It is set to reopen on February 13. Airports strict measures The Tan Son Nhat airport has ramped up measures to prevent the spread of the virus during the Lunar New Year holiday. Medical screenings will be strictly conducted at the airport in line with the Government and the Health Ministry. Passengers who fail to comply with regulations on aviation security, conceal infections, or fail to fill in health declarations accurately will be punished under the Criminal Law. The airport will allocate staff to be on duty around the clock during the holiday. Airport staff are required to wear face masks while on duty, wash hands with alcohol-based sanitiser, have their body temperature checked, and disinfect surfaces regularly. Dao Thi Hoa, 28, a passenger service staff at the airport, told Vietnam News: COVID-19 prevention measures have been tightened at the airport for Lunar New Year when there is a huge number of passengers. Each employee is provided with face masks, gloves, face shield, and alcohol-based sanitiser while on duty. The number of passengers has surged in the last few days, two or three times higher than normal days. I always wear gloves, face mask, face shield, wash hands regularly with alcohol-based sanitiser, and disinfect the check-in counter surface. Passengers are asked to wear face masks at all time at the airport, and maintain social distancing when queueing up. We will provide face masks when passengers need them. Tran Thi Thuy, 45, a passenger from the central province of Nghe An, said: Today I wore double face masks. Its important to always wear a face mask, keep distance, and wash hands frequently with alcohol-based sanitiser in public places. When asked if she was afraid to travel by air now, she said: Ive been super careful, but its not that scary as I can see everyone is wearing a face mask. Alcohol-based sanitiser is available almost everywhere at the airport, and passengers get their body temperature checked before getting onboard. Based on my observation since the pandemic broke out since early 2020, I trust in the serious measures taken by the airport authorities and the Government. When I arrive in my hometown, I will stay at home, restrict travel, and only have contact with family members, she said. Airlines stringent measures Airlines operating at the Tan Son Nhat airport have been ordered to strictly implement all measures in line with the Health Ministrys guidance. Social distancing measures are applied on flights in which middle seats are kept vacant and no meals are served. In a related move, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced it will intensify prevention measures during the holiday. All passengers must have their temperature checked before boarding, fill out a health declaration, and wear a face mask throughout the flight. Passengers will be provided with alcohol-based towels on board. Passengers must also abide by social distancing measures at check-in areas and will be given sanitised wipes. At the end of day, all aircraft will be thoroughly sprayed with disinfectant. All passengers are strongly recommended to follow the Health Ministrys 5K (in Vietnamese) message: Khau trang (face mask) Khu khuan (disinfection) Khoang cach (distance) Khong tu tap (no gathering) Khai bao y te (health declaration). According to Vietnam Airlines, the number of air passengers has gradually increased ahead of the Lunar New Year. During the holiday period, Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO are expected to serve an average of 20,000 passengers per day from Tan Son Nhat. Many flights are full (80 to 90 per cent) from HCM City to destinations like Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai, Hue, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. Thousands of passengers in recent days have been flocking to the domestic terminal of the Tan Son Nhat airport to return home for the holiday celebration. The airport areas have been packed with long queues. Almost all the passengers arriving at the airport wear a face mask, and some of them even wear protective clothing. Since January 28, Vietnam has recorded more than 400 locally transmitted cases as of February 7 afternoon. New infections have been detected in 12 cities and provinces so far. The outbreak in the north is the largest in Vietnam since a cluster emerged in the central city of Da Nang last July and quickly spread to most regions of the country, leading to the countrys first fatalities from the pandemic. This week, Vietnamese people will be celebrating the Lunar New Year, an occasion for family reunions that will see millions travel to their hometowns. Containment efforts could become more complicated during the holiday period when big indoor gatherings are more common. CAAV raises COVID-19 warning to highest level at airports The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) late February 7 issued a directive on intensifying urgent COVID-19 prevention and quarantine measures at airports since travel demands have increased for the Lunar New Year holiday while the COVID-19 situation becomes more complicated. As many airport staff members were tested positive with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the latest cases at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the CAAV ordered airport authorities, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, domestic airlines and other firms in the aviation industry to strictly follow prevention measures and instructions from the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Transport and the CAAV. The CAAV asked aviation businesses and authorities to raise the COVID-19 warning status to the highest level, particularly at airports and flight control facilities. Staff members must stay vigilant against the pandemic, and carry out prevention measures as requested by the authority, the directive said, adding both aviation staff and passengers must wear face masks properly, wash hands with soap or use the alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 percent of alcohol. Besides, any passenger with abnormal symptoms must be reported to medical authorities while equipment and high-risk areas at airports must be constantly disinfected to prevent contamination, the CAAV said. All domestic airlines need to require passengers to obey COVID-19 prevention rules before and during boarding, along with implementing the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Controls direction on quarantine for flight crew. Furthermore, they are asked to pen measures to handle violations of quarantine rules, and prevent the spread of virus to the community through flight crews. Vietnam logged four locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections in Ho Chi Minh City in the past 12 hours as of 6am on February 8. All the new patients are baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and work in the same team with Patient 1,979 who was confirmed positive with the coronavirus over the weekend. The country has recorded 2,005 SARS-CoV-2 infections so far. Of the total, 1,115 are locally-transmitted cases, with 422 detected since the latest coronavirus outbreak hit the nation on January 27./. VNS/VNA Four Tan Son Nhat airports baggage handlers announced as new cases of Covid-19 At 6am on February 8, the Ministry of Health announced four new locally-transmitted cases of Covid-19 who are staff at Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City, bringing the total number of patients in the country to 2,005. Therapy and support services for children have become a memory for many parents during the pandemic. (Photographee.eu/Shutterstock) Kids With Mental Disorders Surge as Pandemic Topples Support Systems Stabilizing social connections and support systems have disappeared, leaving parents and children in crisis A bag of Doritos, thats all Princess wanted. Her mom calls her Princess, but her real name is Lindsey. Shes 17 and lives with her mom, Sandra, a nurse, near Atlanta. On May 17, 2020, Lindsey decided she didnt want breakfast; she wanted Doritos. So she left home and walked to the Family Dollar store, taking her pants off along the way, while her mom followed on foot, talking to the police on her phone as they went. Lindsey has autism. It can be hard for her to communicate and navigate social situations. She thrives on routine and gets special help at school. Or got help, before the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and forced tens of millions of children to stay home. Sandra said thats when their living hell started. Its like her brain was wired, she said. Shed just put on her jacket, and shes out the door. And Im chasing her. On May 17, Sandra chased her all the way to Family Dollar. Hours later, Lindsey was in jail, charged with assaulting her mom. (KHN and NPR are not using the familys last name.) Lindsey is one of almost 3 million children in the United States who have a serious emotional or behavioral health condition. When the pandemic forced schools and doctors offices to close last spring, it also cut children off from trained teachers and therapists who understand their needs. As a result, many, like Lindsey, spiraled into emergency rooms and even police custody. Federal data shows a nationwide surge of kids in mental health crisis during the pandemica surge thats further taxing an already overstretched safety net. Take Her Even after schools closed, Lindsey continued to wake up early, get dressed, and wait for the bus. When she realized it had stopped coming, Sandra said, her daughter just started walking out of the house and wandering a few times a week. In those situations, Sandra did what many families in crisis report theyve had to do since the pandemic began: race through the short list of places she could call for help. First, came the calls to her states mental health crisis hotline, but they often put Sandra on hold. This is ridiculous, she said of the wait. Its supposed to be a crisis team. But Im on hold for 40, 50 minutes. And by the time you get on the phone, [the crisis] is done. Then theres the local hospitals emergency room, but Sandra said she had taken Lindsey there for previous crises and been told there isnt much they can do. Thats why, on May 17, when Lindsey walked to Family Dollar in just a red T-shirt and underwear to get that bag of Doritos, Sandra called the last option on her list: the police. Sandra arrived at the store before the police and paid for the chips. According to Sandra and police records, when an officer approached, Lindsey grew agitated and hit her mom hard on the back. Sandra said she explained to the officer: Shes autistic. You know, Im OK. Im a nurse. I just need to take her home and give her her medication. Lindsey takes a mood stabilizer, but because she left home before breakfast, she hadnt taken it that morning. The officer asked if Sandra wanted to take her to the nearest hospital. The hospital wouldnt be able to help Lindsey, Sandra said. It hadnt before. They already told me, Maam, theres nothing we can do. They just check her labs, its fine, and they ship her back home. Theres nothing [the hospital] can do, she recalled telling the officer. Sandra asked if the police could drive her daughter home so the teen could take her medication, but the officer said no, they couldnt. The only thing they could do, the officer said, was to take Lindsey to jail for hitting her mom. Ive tried everything, Sandra said, exasperated. She paced the parking lot, feeling hopeless, sad, and out of options. Finally, in tears, she told the officers, Take her. Lindsey doesnt like to be touched and fought back when authorities tried to handcuff her. Several officers wrestled her to the ground. At that point, Sandra protested and said an officer threatened to arrest her, too, if she didnt back away. Lindsey was taken to jail, where she spent much of the night until Sandra was able to post bail. Clayton County Solicitor-General Charles Brooks denied that Sandra was threatened with arrest; he said that while Lindseys case is still pending, his office is working to ensure that the resolution in this matter involves a plan for medication compliance and not punitive action. Sandra isnt alone in her experience. Multiple families interviewed for this story reported similar experiences of calling in the police when a child was in crisis because caretakers didnt feel they had any other option. The Whole System Is Really Grinding to a Halt Roughly 6 percent of U.S. children ages 6 through 17 are living with serious emotional or behavioral difficulties, including children with autism, severe anxiety, depression, and trauma-related mental health conditions. Many of these children depend on schools for access to vital therapies. When schools and doctors offices stopped providing in-person services last spring, kids were untethered from the people and supports they rely on. The lack of in-person services is really detrimental, said Dr. Susan Duffy, a pediatrician and professor of emergency medicine at Brown University. Marjorie, a mother in Florida, said her 15-year-old son has suffered during these disruptions. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, a condition marked by frequent and persistent hostility. Little thingssuch as being asked to do schoolworkcan send him into a rage, leading to holes punched in walls, broken doors, and violent threats. (Marjorie asked that the familys last name or her sons first name not be used to protect her sons privacy and future prospects.) The pandemic has shifted both school and her sons therapy sessions online. But Marjorie said virtual therapy isnt working because her son doesnt focus well during sessions and tries to watch TV instead. Lately, she has simply been canceling them. I was paying for appointments and there was no therapeutic value, Marjorie said. The issues cut across socioeconomic linesaffecting families with private insurance, like Marjorie, as well as those who receive coverage through Medicaid, a federal-state program that provides health insurance to low-income people and those with disabilities. In the first few months of the pandemic, between March and May, children on Medicaid received 44 percent fewer outpatient mental health servicesincluding therapy and in-home supportcompared to the same time period in 2019, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Thats even after accounting for increased telehealth appointments. And while the nations emergency rooms have seen a decline in overall visits, there was a relative increase in mental health visits for kids in 2020 compared with 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, from April to October 2020, hospitals across the United States saw a 24 percent increase in the proportion of mental health emergency visits for children ages 5 to 11, and a 31 percent increase for children ages 12 to 17. Proportionally, the number of mental health visits is far more significant than it has been in the past, said Duffy. Not only are we seeing more children, more children are being admitted to inpatient care. Thats because there are fewer outpatient services now available to children, she said, and because the conditions of the children showing up at ERs are more serious. This crisis isnt only making life harder for these kids and their families, but its also stressing the entire health care system. Child and adolescent psychiatrists working in hospitals around the country said children are increasingly boarding in emergency departments for days, waiting for inpatient admission to a regular hospital or psychiatric facility. Before the pandemic, there was already a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds for children, said Dr. Christopher Bellonci, a child psychiatrist at Judge Baker Childrens Center in Boston. That shortage has only gotten worse as hospitals cut capacity to allow for more physical distancing within psychiatric units. The whole system is really grinding to a halt at a time when we have an unprecedented need, Bellonci said. A Signal That the Rest of Your System Doesnt Work Psychiatrists on the front lines share the frustrations of parents struggling to find help for their children. Part of the problem is there have never been enough psychiatrists and therapists trained to work with children and intervene in the early stages of their illness, said Dr. Jennifer Havens, a child psychiatrist at New York University. Tons of people showing up in emergency rooms in bad shape is a signal that the rest of your system doesnt work, she said. Too often, Havens said, services arent available until children are olderand in crisis. Often, for people who dont have access to services, we wait until theyre too big to be managed. While the pandemic has made life harder for Marjorie and her son in Florida, she said it has always been difficult to find the support and care he needs. Last fall, he needed a psychiatric evaluation, but the nearest specialist who would accept her commercial insurance was 100 miles away, in Alabama. Even when you have the money or you have the insurance, it is still a travesty, Marjorie said. You cannot get help for these kids. Parents are frustrated, and so are psychiatrists on the front lines. Dr. C.J. Glawe, who leads the psychiatric crisis department at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said that once a child is stabilized after a crisis, it can be hard to explain to parents that they may not be able to find follow-up care anywhere near their home. Especially when I can clearly tell you I know exactly what you need, I just cant give it to you, Glawe said. Its demoralizing. When states and communities fail to provide children the services they need to live at home, kids can deteriorate and even wind up in jail, like Lindsey. At that point, Glawe said, the cost and level of care required will be even higher, whether thats hospitalization or long stays in residential treatment facilities. Thats exactly the scenario Sandra, Lindseys mom, is hoping to avoid for her Princess. For me, as a nurse and as a provider, that will be the last thing for my daughter, she said. Its like [state and local leaders] leave it to the school and the parent to deal with, and they dont care. And thats the problem. Its sad because, if Im not here Her voice trailed off as tears welled. She didnt ask to have autism. To help families like Sandras and Marjories, advocates said, all levels of government need to invest in creating a mental health system thats accessible to anyone who needs it. But given that many states have seen their revenues drop due to the pandemic, theres a concern that services will instead be cutat a time when the need has never been greater. Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media; and Cory Turner, NPR; and Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR. This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes NPR, Illinois Public Media, and Kaiser Health News. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The above has been published by Proactive Investors Limited (the "Company") on its website and is made available subject to the terms and conditions of use of its website (see T&C ). ... Oakland, Calif. -- An analysis of Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California early in the COVID-19 pandemic found racial and ethnic disparities in the likelihood of testing positive for the coronavirus, but no significant disparities in mortality among those who were hospitalized. According to the study published Feb. 8 in Annals of Internal Medicine, Latino patients were nearly 4 times as likely as white patients to become infected with the virus, while Asian and Black patients were 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 as white patients. The odds of hospitalization were also higher for Latino, Asian, and Black patients with COVID-19 than for white patients. However, the study did not find racial disparities in mortality among patients hospitalized after infection. The authors of the study said the findings reinforce the urgent message to health systems to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their highest-risk communities by seeking to reduce transmission among the most vulnerable. "We need to continue to explore the reasons why some communities have higher infection rates, which in a pandemic can be deadly," said lead author Gabriel Escobar, MD, an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. "It's also our responsibility as clinicians and health care leaders to improve the way we reach out to these communities." While research from other health systems has also found racial disparities related to COVID-19, this analysis was the first to follow a cohort of patients from virus testing through the complete course of the disease, the authors said. "COVID-19 has dramatically altered the patterns of health care delivery across the world making it more difficult than ever to trace patients' experiences and outcomes," said coauthor Vincent Liu, MD, MS, a research scientist with the Northern California Division of Research and critical care specialist with The Permanente Medical Group. "Kaiser Permanente's comprehensive health data from testing to medical care and hospitalization allow us to carefully assess the impact of racial and ethnic differences at each stage." The study examined a total of 3.5 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, 2.6% of whom, or 91,212 people, received a COVID-19 test between Feb. 1 and May 31, 2020. Of the total, 4%, or 3,686, tested positive. The study confirmed other research linking specific comorbidities with increased mortality from COVID-19, and that nonwhite patients were more likely to have chronic health conditions. However, the authors noted that there are complex reasons why that might be. "Many factors may contribute to comorbidity and intrinsic risk, including the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination, through mutually reinforcing inequitable systems (structural racism)," they wrote. Unadjusted hospital mortality rates were highest among white patients (17%), followed by Black patients (12.7%), Asian patients (10.5%), and Hispanic patients (9.7%). After adjusting for age, severity of illness, and comorbidities, racial and ethnic differences were no longer significantly different. Neighborhood and age as risk factors Along with following the outcomes for those who tested positive, the analysis also looked at the role of geographic location, finding infections clustered in areas with higher proportions of nonwhite members, regardless of their health risks for COVID-19. The researchers found race was a major factor in likelihood of infection, but contributed in a minor way to hospitalization, admission, and death. For those adverse outcomes, age was the major predictor. The findings bring an important message to health care leaders, said coauthor Stephen Parodi, MD, associate executive director of The Permanente Medical Group and national infectious disease leader at Kaiser Permanente. "Health care systems are in a position to take action in their communities in response to these inequities," Dr. Parodi said. "Specifically, we must continue to pursue initiatives such as community education, contact tracing, and public health partnerships. We are deepening community connections to address social determinants in response to an unprecedented health threat that is taking an unequal toll." Clinicians also have a role in reducing inequities, and Kaiser Permanente has taken steps to support clinicians in doing so, said coauthor Yi-Fen "Irene" Chen, MD, associate executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. "The pandemic has moved many medical visits to telehealth, which has many benefits, but we must remain aware of the digital divide that could make this technology harder to access in some traditionally underrepresented communities," Dr. Chen said. "Addressing such issues is part of Kaiser Permanente's longstanding commitment to health equity." Dr. Chen noted the importance of addressing equity in vaccination. "Now that COVID-19 vaccines are available, physicians and health care providers must employ culturally tailored messaging for communities that experience health disparities, to make sure they are optimally informed and protected," she said. ### Funding for the research came from The Permanente Medical Group. Coauthors also included former Division of Research investigator Alyce S. Adams, PhD, now with Stanford University; Catherine Lee, PhD, Lauren Soltesz, MS, G. Thomas Ray, MBA, and Laura C. Myers, MD, MPH, of the Division of Research; Charulata M. Ramaprasad, MD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center; and Richard Dlott, MD, of Kaiser Permanente Martinez Medical Offices. About Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Hello God, Its Me: a stirring book filled with words of wisdom that focuses on the beauty of believing God and His plans. Hello God, Its Me is the creation of published author Donald Ennis, an author who loves God and reading the Holy Bible. Ennis writes, I believe that God has timing. His timing will never be with yours but better. I always pray to God. He will never let me down. I look at him. I dont look at a man. Gods ways are the best. When you know him, you cant go wrong. Hello, God, its me Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Donald Enniss new book encourages the readers to strengthen their faith in God no matter how hard their life may seem. Through this book, the author aims to bring God at the forefront so readers may come to see His encompassing grace and compassion for His beloved children. View a synopsis of Hello God, Its Me on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Hello God, Its Me at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Hello God, Its Me, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Kaitlyn Romoser first caught Covid-19 in March, likely on a trip to Denmark and Sweden, just as the scope of the pandemic was becoming clear. Romoser, who is 23 and a laboratory researcher in College Station, Texas, tested positive and had a few days of mild, coldlike symptoms. In the weeks that followed, she bounced back to what felt like a full recovery. She even got another test, which was negative, in order to join a study as one of the earliest donors of convalescent blood plasma in a bid to help others. Six months later, in September, Romoser got sick again, after a trip to Florida with her dad. This second bout was much worse. She lost her sense of taste and smell and suffered lingering headaches and fatigue. She tested positive for Covid once more along with her cat. Romoser believes it was a clear case of reinfection, rather than some mysterious reemergence of the original infection gone dormant. Because the coronavirus, like other viruses, regularly mutates as it multiplies and spreads through a community, a new infection would bear a different genetic fingerprint. But because neither lab had saved her testing samples for genetic sequencing, there was no way to confirm her suspicion. "It would be nice to have proof," said Romoser. "I've literally been straight up called a liar, because people don't want to believe that it's possible to be reinfected. Why would I lie about being sick?" As millions of Americans struggle to recover from Covid and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S. health officials may be overlooking an unsettling subgroup of survivors: those who get infected more than once. Identifying how common reinfection is among people who contracted Covid as well as how quickly they become vulnerable and why carries important implications for our understanding of immunity and the nation's efforts to devise an effective vaccination program. Scientists have confirmed that reinfections after initial illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus are possible, but so far have characterized them as rare. Fewer than 50 cases have been substantiated worldwide, according to a global reinfection tracker. Just five have been substantiated in the U.S., including two detected in California in late January. That sounds like a rather insignificant number. But scientists' understanding of reinfection has been constrained by the limited number of U.S. labs that retain Covid testing samples or perform genetic sequencing. A KHN review of surveillance efforts finds that many U.S. states aren't rigorously tracking or investigating suspected cases of reinfection. KHN sent queries about reinfection surveillance to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of 24 responses, fewer than half provided details about suspected or confirmed reinfection cases. Where officials said they're actively monitoring for reinfection, they have found far more potential cases than previously anticipated. In Washington state, for instance, health officials are investigating nearly 700 cases that meet the criteria for possible reinfection, with three dozen awaiting genetic sequencing and just one case confirmed. In Colorado, officials estimate that possible reinfections make up just 0.1% of positive coronavirus cases. But with more than 396,000 cases reported, that means nearly 400 people may have been infected more than once. In Minnesota, officials have investigated more than 150 cases of suspected reinfection, but they lack the genetic material to confirm a diagnosis, a spokesperson said. In Nevada, where the first U.S. case of Covid reinfection was identified last summer, Mark Pandori, director of the state public health lab, said there's no doubt cases are going undetected. "I predict that we are missing cases of reinfection," he said. "They are very difficult to ascertain, so you need specialized teams to do that work, or a core lab." Such cases are different from instances of so-called long-haul Covid, in which the original infection triggers debilitating symptoms that linger for months and viral particles can continue to be detected. Reinfection occurs when a person is infected with Covid, clears that strain and is infected again with a different strain, raising concerns about sustained immunity from the disease. Such reinfections occur regularly with four other coronaviruses that circulate among humans, causing common colds. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for investigating for possible reinfection when someone tests positive for Covid at least 90 days after an original infection (or at least 45 days for "highly suspicious" cases). Confirmation of reinfection requires genetic sequencing of paired samples from each episode to tell whether the genomes involved are different. But the U.S. lacks the capacity for robust genetic sequencing, the process that identifies the fingerprint of a specific virus so it can be compared with other strains. Jeff Zients, head of the federal Covid task force, noted late last month that the U.S. ranks 43rd in the world in genomic sequencing. To date, only a fraction of positive coronavirus samples has been sequenced, though the Biden administration is working to rapidly expand the effort. On Feb. 1, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters that sequencing has "increased tenfold" in recent weeks, from 251 sequences the week of Jan. 10 to 2,238 the week of Jan. 24. The agency is working with private companies, states and academic labs to ramp up to 6,000 sequences per week by mid-February. Washington's state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, Dr. Scott Lindquist, said officials have prioritized genetic sequencing at the state laboratory, with plans to begin genotyping 5% of all samples collected. That will allow officials to sort through those nearly 700 potential reinfections, Lindquist said. More important, the effort will also help signal the presence of significantly mutated forms of the coronavirus, known as variants, that could affect how easily the virus spreads and, perhaps, how sick Covid makes people. "Those two areas, reinfection and variants, may cross paths," he said. "We wanted to be in front of it, not behind it." The specter of reinfections complicates one of the central questions of the Covid threat: How long after natural infection or vaccination will people remain immune? Early studies suggested immunity would be short-lived, only a few months, while more recent research finds that certain antibodies and memory cells may persist in Covid-infected patients longer than eight months. "We actually don't know" the marker that would signal immunity, said Dr. Jason Goldman, an infectious diseases expert at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. "We don't have the test you could perform to say yes or no, you could be infected." Goldman and colleagues confirmed a case of reinfection in a Seattle man last fall, and since then have identified six or seven probable cases. "This is a much more common scenario than is being recognized," he said. The possibility of reinfection means that even patients who've had Covid need to remain vigilant about curbing re-exposure, said Dr. Edgar Sanchez, an infectious diseases physician at Orlando Health in Florida. "A lot of patients ask, 'How long do I have to worry about getting Covid again?'" he said. "I literally tell them this: 'You are probably safe for a few weeks, maybe even up to a couple of months, but beyond that, it's really unclear.'" The message is similar for the wider society, said Dr. Bill Messer, an expert in viral genetics at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, who has been pondering the cultural psychology of the Covid response. Evidence suggests there may not be a clear-cut return to normal. "The idea that we will end this pandemic by beating this coronavirus, I don't think that's actually the way it's going to happen," he said. "I think that it's more likely that we're going to learn how to be comfortable living with this new virus circulating among us." Kate Garraway was seen arriving at London's Global Radio studios on Monday, days after admitting she is uncertain about Derek Draper's future amid his Covid battle. The presenter, 53, who presents a show on Smooth Radio, wore a protective blue face mask amid the pandemic as she headed to work. Kate carried a large tan tote bag and a reusable bag as she headed to work in the capital. Work: Kate Garraway was seen arriving at London's Global Radio studios on Monday, days after admitting she is uncertain about Derek Draper's future amid his Covid battle The presenter wrapped up warm in a fluffy pink coat, which she wore with a black top and flared jeans. The star completed her ensemble with heeled black boots as she headed into the studios. The outing comes after Kate revealed she is uncertain about Derek's future, 10 months after he contracted Covid. The Good Morning Britain host has often spoken candidly about her husband's ongoing fight and supporting their two children Darcey, 14 and William, 11, since he was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in March last year. Walk: The presenter, 53, who presents a show on Smooth Radio, wore a protective blue face mask amid the pandemic as she headed to work Speaking on the 5 Years Time podcast last week, Kate confessed that after months of uncertainty, she is still unsure if Derek will recover, but is continuing to hold out hope. She explained: 'It's been really tough for us. Derek got really sick in the beginning of March... 'Even though we're hoping he can recover, it's taking a very, very long time. We don't know how much he can recover. So that's impacted on us obviously dramatically. So, it's been really difficult.' Revealing that she had a more positive outlook this year, she added: 'Everybody is hoping 2021 will bring just a bit of hope and relief. 'The vaccine is here now, so everybody is hoping that will help Covid, I think, and help us regain some normality.' Brave: Kate carried a large tan tote bag and a reusable bag as she headed to work in the capital Kate also noted that returning to work on GMB and hosting Smooth Radio has provided a welcome distraction amid her personal crisis. While Derek no longer has coronavirus, the virus has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs. Back in September, he passed the grim milestone of becoming the longest patient battling coronavirus in hospital in the UK, with doctors telling Kate that Derek's infection was the 'highest they had seen in a patient who had lived'. Although Derek continues to fight his illnesses, doctors have warned that he may 'never come out of a coma'. Uncertainty: Kate recently revealed she is uncertain about her husband Derek Draper's future, 10 months after he contracted Covid (pictured in December 2019) Speaking on GMB last week, Kate's colleague Piers Morgan, 55, urged viewers to take the virus seriously and made the stark revelation that Derek remains in perilous condition. In his desperate message to viewers, Piers said: 'We know from our colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband is still in a coma from Covid. He may never come out of that coma. She's been told this, and it's heartbreaking.' Just days before, Kate gave a heartbreaking update on her husband's ongoing battle with Covid-19, saying 'his body has been ravaged' by the virus. Kate spoke to Piers and Susanna Reid about her upcoming book which will detail the last year of her family's life, admitting she's been feeling 'physically low and at the end of my tether' since Christmas. 'Derek's still ravaged from the effects of Covid from way back in March, his recovery is incredibly uncertain,' Kate explained. She added that she's working with Derek's medical team to come up with new treatments but she's finding the scale of the current Covid death rate 'unbearable'. 'I'm trying to look for new things and new ways and talking to doctors about what we can do for him meanwhile people are still dying in extraordinary numbers - people that aren't older and haven't got underlying conditions, it's unbearable.' She added to Piers that he inspired her to write her book The Power Of Hope after he told her to keep a diary since the early days of Derek's illness: Candid: The Good Morning Britain host has often spoken candidly about her husband's ongoing fight since he was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in March last year 'You and Susanna say: "You're just an inspiration to keep going", and I thought if I could tell my story and some of the people that have helped me then maybe that will be helpful for people.' Kate took to Instagram to share the front cover of her 'raw and emotional story', The Power Of Hope, about her husband's 'long fight'. Kate told her followers Derek's 'journey is far from over' and the family are working out what their 'new future will look like'. She wrote: 'Hello everyone - I've not been on here for a while as I've been taking time to gather myself and focus like everyone else on getting through this latest lockdown. Struggle: While Derek no longer has Covid, the virus has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs (pictured December 2019) 'The pandemic is far from over and so is Derek's journey but I have decided to share our story and what's helping to keep me going, as we all try to work out what our new futures will look like. 'I am really hoping that it will help you with all that you are going through.' In August, Kate revealed she was writing a self-help book but explained that she was given the deal before Derek's illness and was tweaking the book to include 'insights' from the ordeal. Derek has regained minimal consciousness from his medically induced coma and while he has not been speaking, he heartbreakingly mouthed the word 'pain' in October last year. Finally: Kate's children, daughter Darcey, 14 and son William, 11, finally got to visit their father in hospital in December (pictured in 2018) Kate's children finally got to visit their father in hospital in December. She admitted the family reunion was 'heightened with emotion' because her children saw how Derek was 'very changed' by his battle with the virus. She explained: 'It was very heightened with emotion, because he's very changed. 'So all the routines that we'd normally do, it was one of those moments that it was so wonderful but also it amplified how sad everything was. And how different it is. 'But it was still fantastic, and we're very grateful to have had that opportunity.' Kate has been unable to see Derek due to new restrictions introduced during the third lockdown, which bans any visitors on the COVID-19 ward where he is recovering. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out in strong defence of the three controversial agricultural reform laws brought in by his government and urged the protesting farmers to end their agitation. Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the Presidents address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mr Modi said: End your protests and we will all sit together and talk. We are ready for talks and I am inviting you again for a dialogue from this House. The PM added that agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar was in talks with the farmers union leaders. Taking on the Opposition, the PM said the Congress had taken a U-turn on the farm laws, reading out the words of former PM Manmohan Singh. He added: Those who are not listening to what we are saying will hopefully listen to Manmohan Jis words. You should, in fact, be proud of the fact that Modi has to do what Manmohan Singh said long ago. Mr Modi assured farmers that MSP tha, MSP hai aur MSP rahega (the minimum support price will remain). No one should spread misinformation, he added. The PM hinted that there was a conspiracy behind the protests and said FDI could be termed Foreign Destructive Ideology, and that the country should be aware of this. With the protests against the farm laws having gone international, with tweets by pop icon Rihanna and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg supporting the agitating farmers, Mr Modi said: In the last few years, we have witnessed a new category of protesters Andolan jeevi, who one can see in every agitation. We need to protect this country from these Andolan Jeevi, who are actually parjeevi. They dont have their own strength, but they join all agitations. Talking about the Oppositions protests against the farm laws, the PM said: A lot was discussed in the House but mostly it was on the protest, not on the solution you can oppose the procedure but could have explained to farmers that it is high time for these farm reforms but now they are saying they were not consulted before, like fufaji uncle who gets angry for not being invited to a wedding this happens in large families. Mr Modi added that the earlier framework did not work favourably for the farmers and alleged the Opposition parties had kept silent on the core issues of farmers. Mr Modi said the number of marginal farmers with small landholdings had increased from 51 per cent in 1971 to 86 per cent at present. Taking a did at the internal strife within the Congress, Mr Modi said that while he was happy that Ghulam Nabi Azad had praised his government (on the holding of elections in Kashmir), he cautioned the Congress not to do the opposite just because Mr Azad had said so. He said: I hope your party takes it in the right spirit. They shouldnt make the mistake of doing just the opposite considering it as the view of the G-23. The Congress, meanwhile, hit back at the PMs assertions. Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge said: In the wake of the farmers agitation, we expected the Prime Minister would take back the laws and bring them back to Parliament after consulting with all stakeholders. But he didnt mention that. He only said people are agitating without understanding the laws. Is it possible? He added: He (PM) is misleading everyone by saying that people dont know what is in the laws. Are we all fools? "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.- E. M. Forster Vadim Kotelnikov writes, "Steve Jobs was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our generation. His success story is legendary. Put up for adoption at an early age, dropped out of college after 6 months, slept on friends floors, returned coke bottles for 5 cent deposits to buy food, then went on to start Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios." Steve jobs went through vagaries of life of all sorts from his early childhood till his death due to cancer on 5th October, 2011, at the age of 56. But, Steve was Steve - an icon of passion who loved himself thoroughly all through and tried to do what he used to profess, ''Do what you love to do. Find your true passion... The only way to do great work is to love what you do." Absolutely correct! Anthony Robbins, speaker and author says it this way, "There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether its the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson. In fact, passion is the genesis of genius." Take the example of one of the greatest sons of soil who lived on this earth only for 39 years, but his contribution has been unparalleled and unmatched. He is the man widely known all over the world as Swami Vivekananda. He was full of passion to know himself, his motherland and the rest of the world with a view to serve the humanity at large in his own inimitable manner. As a young man of 25, he started his Bharat Darshan and travelled through length and breadth of the country like a wandering monk for five years. Swami Vivekananda's speech at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in September 1893 when he was aged only 30 has been the true testimony of his great passion for making this country and in turn the world a better place for every human being, irrespective of religion, region, class, color or country. One of the world's greatest military leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte who said that there was no word like 'Impossible' in his dictionary, was extremely passionate about his mission in life. He built one of the strongest army in Europe with five lakh trained soldiers that used modern tactics and strategies to win the battles even in the most difficult situations. Napoleon used to motivate his forces and people as a passionate leader. On one occasion he said, "I closed the gulf of anarchy and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it... All men are equal before God. Wisdom, talent, and virtue make the only difference between them. We find such inspiring examples in different fields of activity ranging from literature, singing, dancing, cooking, mountaineering to administration, agriculture, space science, film making and whatnot who made us extremely proud by their creed and deed to be imbibed and emulated. Very interestingly, pursuing one's passion is replete with moments of suspense and pleasure worth experiencing and enjoying. The American children's writer, T. Alan Armstrong puts it nicely in these words, "If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you." Dr. Goldman, who assumes his post on April 1, is an internationally renowned pediatric oncologist and physician-researcher whose appointment is part of a long-term, strategic effort to strengthen Phoenix Children's research program, bring bench-to-bedside treatments to the health system's patients and enhance its world-class clinical programs. "It's impossible to overstate the value Dr. Goldman will bring to our institutions and to Arizona children and families," said Phoenix Children's CEO Robert L. Meyer. "He will stop at nothing in his search for cures to devastating illnesses and will bring a new level of rigor, excellence and inquiry to our research tradition and clinical programs at Phoenix Children's." "In our partnership with Phoenix Children's Hospital, we seek to advance education and research so that we can provide the very best care for children who need it most. We are excited to welcome Dr. Goldman, who brings a distinguished record as a physician, researcher and leader to his new role as the chair of our Department of Child Health," said Dean Guy L. Reed, M.D., dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix. "We are grateful to Dr. Mitch Shub, the previous chair of the department, who has done so much over many years to promote education and research at the College and to advance the care of children in Phoenix and beyond." Dr. Goldman is tasked with continuing to grow a robust research and education enterprise in one of the fastest-growing markets in the country, and recruiting the nation's top talent. He will oversee a research program that consists of 700 studies, 640 research investigators and 90 research staff members including research scientists, associates, biostatisticians, pharmacists, nurses, coordinators and assistants. In his role leading the Department of Child Health science laboratories at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Dr. Goldman and his team will focus on translational research across all aspects of children and family health to innovate clinical care, advance new therapies for common and rare childhood diseases, and to improve the emotional, educational and cognitive well-being of children. In addition to his work to advance the research agenda, Dr. Goldman will continue to cultivate and grow the academic mission of both organizations, which currently educate more than 113 residents and 63 fellows. "I am honored and excited to join this world-class children's health system and uniquely progressive medical school to bring innovation and advances to children and their families," said Dr. Goldman. "The partnership between Phoenix Children's and the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix will enable us to find new, better and less-toxic treatments for children. I'm also thrilled for the opportunity to work with Arizona's diverse populations, to understand the challenges facing individuals of all backgrounds, and to work toward alleviating health disparities and improving care for all children." Dr. Goldman comes to Phoenix after a 23-year tenure at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, formerly known as Children's Memorial Hospital, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he was the division head of Hematology-Oncology, Neuro-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation; was honored as the Meryl Suzanne Weiss Distinguished Professor in Hematology, Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation; and served as a professor of Pediatrics. An accomplished leader in brain tumor research, his contributions to the medical and scientific communities are significant. Dr. Goldman has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has held leadership positions with the Children's Oncology Group, is a member of the National Cancer Institute's Brain Malignancies Steering Committee, serves on multiple committees for the American Society for Pediatric Hematology Oncology, is a member of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium's Executive, Steering and Scientific Committees, and has served as a faculty member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, among numerous others. In recent years, Dr. Goldman's research has focused on new therapies for pediatric brain tumors including diffuse midline gliomas. He also is the recipient of dozens of awards including Loyola University's 2020 Stritch School of Medicine Alumni of the Year for Excellence in Research and Innovation, the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation's Pioneer Award for outstanding contributions in pediatric neuro-oncology and brain tumor research and the University of Chicago's Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. He is regularly included in America's Top Doctors, America's Top Doctors for Cancer and in Chicago Magazine's annual Top Doctors issues. "In partnership with surgeon in chief, Dr. Dan Ostlie, and physician in chief, Dr. Jared Muenzer, Dr. Goldman will enhance Phoenix Children's clinical excellence and innovation," said Meyer. "His work alongside our physician-researchers will amplify our efforts and bring new hope to children with life-threatening conditions." Phoenix Children's physicians engage in research across multiple clinical disciplines including cancer, neurology, cardiology and pulmonology, and this research is expected to expand significantly with Dr. Goldman at the helm. Indeed, Dr. Goldman's appointment comes on the heels of groundbreaking new research from Phoenix Children's/University of Arizona physicians, including a study co-authored by Michael Kruer, M.D., confirming the genetic basis for some cases of cerebral palsy. This research was published in Nature Genetics in October. Dr. Goldman's prior hospital appointments include Children's Memorial Research Center, Children's Memorial Hospital and Wyler Children's Hospital. He received his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and completed his internship, residency and fellowship at the University of Chicago Hospitals. About the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated 593 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and 2,400 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy. For more information, please visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu. (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram) About Phoenix Children's Phoenix Children's is one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems. It comprises Phoenix Children's HospitalMain Campus, Phoenix Children's HospitalEast Valley at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, four pediatric specialty and urgent care centers, 11 community pediatric practices, 20 outpatient clinics, two ambulatory surgery centers and six community-service-related outpatient clinics throughout the state of Arizona. The system has provided world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families for more than 35 years. Phoenix Children's Care Network includes more than 850 pediatric primary care providers and specialists who deliver care across more than 75 subspecialties. For more information, visit phoenixchildrens.org. SOURCE Phoenix Childrens Related Links http://www.phoenixchildrens.org Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called on the Ukrainian authorities to continue on their path towards joining the EU and NATO. He wrote about this on his Twitter account on the occasion of the second anniversary of the adoption of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the strategic course towards membership in the EU and NATO. "Two years ago, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to amend the Constitution by stating strategic objectives to join the EU and NATO. This historic decision consolidated Ukraine's geopolitical choice," the report reads. Nauseda assured that Lithuania supports Ukraine's efforts and urges the country to stay strong on this way. On February 7, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding the strategic course of the state on acquiring full-fledged membership of Ukraine in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization)," initiated by the President. ish If you looked at Amber Ruffin's ascent in late-night TV on paper, it wouldn't necessarily reveal anything unique - except for maybe the one obvious thing: She's not a White man. But like many of them, she too had toiled for years for years in Chicago-based improv ensembles, sharpening her comedy skills. She also first walked through the halls of 30 Rockefeller Plaza to just miss the cut on "Saturday Night Live." That audition earned her a seat in the writer's room for Seth Meyers when he took over as host of NBC's "Late Night" in 2014, where she was the only Black woman at the table. Her on-air bits on Meyers's show became such a breakout hit that Peacock, the parent company's new streaming site, offered Ruffin her own weekly gig on Friday nights - "The Amber Ruffin Show," which premiered last fall to critical acclaim. While the men of late-night ditched their suits during the pandemic and went for the open-collar casual of a substitute teacher trying to keep it together during the endlessly infuriating lunacy of 2020, the 42-year-old Ruffin galloped onto her show's set (filmed in the same studio as Meyers's show) intent on putting on a real show, dressed in impeccably tailored shiny suits with alluringly fancy string ties. She has no studio audience (thanks again, pandemic), but she fills her half-hour each Friday night with a vibrant combination of shrewd commentary and musical numbers that assert her take on the world. "Things [on the show] can get more serious than I thought, and I'm constantly surprised by that - I don't know how many times I have to learn that lesson. But you can really go in on some s---, and people are fine with it," Ruffin says. "I think they just want to hear the truth and there aren't a lot of people telling the truth. Not that truth." That truth being that even the most horrifying aspects of America's struggle to reckon with itself (or not) can sometimes be so ridiculous that she has no choice but to see a penetrating kind of humor in it. "Lately, there's been a lot of talk about systemic racism," Ruffin said in a recent episode of her show. "Everyone claims they want to fix it, but we can't even agree on what 'it' is. We just know it's bad, like poverty or pollution - or the way White people dance." The publishing industry has been eager to get Ruffin to write one of those tra-la-la star-comedian memoirs about this journey, in her trademark style, but she shooed away the chance to self-aggrandize. Instead, she took it back to her hometown of Omaha and directed the spotlight on her older sister, Lacey Lamar. Ruffin and Lamar's "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism," released last month and now a New York Times bestseller, chronicles the real stories of the mortifying ignorance and racism that Lamar, 46, has encountered in her life and career in directing retirement communities around Omaha. The accounts read like a delicious (and horrifying) group chat you can't stop checking in on. "Some of these stories are old, but a lot of them are post-Obama stories," Ruffin writes. "A lot of folks think things like this don't happen anymore." There's a line in the book where Ruffin stops to actually wonder, for herself and for Lacey and for the reader, if anyone has ever done this in the modern era - kept a list of every last offensive comment, action, aggression, disappointment and hurt that a Black person endures over a lifetime? And if so, did they find it as absurdly funny as these sisters do? It seems no one has, so that's why they wrote the book. The list is long. They recall the sheer frequency of times that a young Lamar was stopped in their local J.C. Penney under the flimsiest suspicions of theft. ("They're so famous in my family that we changed their old jingle from 'J.C. Penney! Doing it right!' to 'J.C. Penney! Up against the wall and spread em!,' " Ruffin writes.) Or the co-workers, bosses, teachers, cops, neighbors or even doughnut shopkeepers whose comments and actions inflict such a specific psychological toll over the years that it can be hard to keep an ongoing tab. Except that's exactly what Lamar started doing. "It's always been this running joke, when things happen to me, people would say 'Oh, that's going in the book; that's Chapter Two,'" Lamar says. "So I just have been keeping lots of journals from work when racist things would happen to me. I would write them down if I had to go to H.R. and file a complaint." Lamar eventually learned to place "zero faith" in the typical employer's ability to make things right - or even care. Confronting bias at work became such a redundant cycle, she says, that she can predict when she has made too much of a fuss. "One time I was [visiting Ruffin] and I told her, 'Yeah, when I get back they're going to let me go. They're probably talking about it right now.' Came back to Nebraska and they got me." Usually the only thing left to do was to debrief her kid sister, who relishes hearing Lamar's latest galling tale. Hence the book's title: You won't believe what just happened - but sadly, you will. It's this aspect of Ruffin's humor (laughter in the face of exasperating outrage) that sets her apart on the late-night scene. Her recurring bits on "Late Night," including "Amber Says What?," delivered litany of clever wallops on topics that would be too radioactive coming from the mouth of White hosts. One of Ruffin's most popular bits on Meyers's show was in fact called "Jokes Seth Can't Tell," where he tees it up - "According to a new report, the U.S. has an out-of-control population of so-called 'super-pigs' " - and she knocks it out, "Hey, that's not nice. Just call them cops," with a devastating yet scampishly endearing directness. "I think the thing I always remember about Amber is she presents, and it's very authentic, as this incredibly upbeat and optimistic person and that is a very true thing about her," Meyers says. "But it also provides this really good smokescreen to the very hard truths that she wants to talk about. I think there is this misperception sometimes about people with bouncy personalities that they are ignoring what ails the world, whereas in Amber's case you realize, 'Oh, no it's just the way she's going about dealing with it.' " The same approach informs "The Amber Ruffin Show"- an offbeat romp through the news in late-night style. The show's only formal segment involves a behind-the-desk monologue of Ruffin's cutting insights, but can just as easily spin off into a nearly beat-for-beat musical number praising President Biden's ho-hum Cabinet picks inspired by Bob Fosse's "Cabaret." ("Bore me daddy, bore me all night long, bore me hard, bore me good. . . . ") Tarik Davis is Ruffin's announcer/co-conspirator on the show; the two have been working together in comedy for nearly two decades, since they both performed in Boom Chicago's improv outpost in Amsterdam, circa 2003. He says he knew then that Ruffin was a singular talent. "Inside, Amber is actually a 'My Little Pony' cartoon, and if you watch carefully, she will prance around and sing and a rainbow will come out of her mouth and it's great," Davis says. "But also be aware, there is also a sharp horn. And that pony watches everything and is an apex predator. . . . I don't know if people know just how on-the-ball she is. I think people are finding out more and more, there's the comedy aspects of her, but those moments in the camera when she's just shooting straight and talking? That is also very much, 100 percent Amber Ruffin." Shooting straight is a common trait in Ruffin's family. Still, it's a delicate matter to take personal stories and commit them to the page. Reactions, Lamar says, can be funny: Casual friends and co-workers, catching wind of the book, have pored over the stories to deduce if they're one of the unnamed offenders. Lamar got a call from one woman who thought one story might be about her, but also didn't believe it could be. "And I said, 'No, that is you, you did that.' " Ruffin and Lamar's mother, Theresa, didn't want to appear in the book, but with apologies from her daughters, she's a vital presence in some of their stories, heroically confronting teachers and other authority figures who dared to treat her children as less-than. At several points in the book, Ruffin interrupts the humor to acknowledge that many of her family's experiences, when totaled up this way, exact a heavy burden. It would be easy for both the authors and the readers to give up in futile exhaustion. "Mrs. Art showed her true colors when she told the class that slavery was not as bad as it seemed. It made white people look bad, but having slaves was nothing but peer pressure," Ruffin writes about Lamar's fifth-grade art teacher. "This woman called slavery a result of peer pressure. Is this what white people think? Wait. Don't answer that. I don't ever want the answer to that question. Lacey knew then that it was okay not only never to get this woman's approval, but also to dislike her." So how do they maintain hope? Not only for themselves but for a young Black generation, including Lamar's daughter? "My daughter won't be able to tolerate it. She'll be like, 'Are you out of your mind? This can't be happening,' " Lamar says. "Will [racism] happen to her? Oh, absolutely, if she stays in Omaha it will happen to her. Kids that are growing up today, they just aren't tolerating anything and I do love that. I've seen her do her little walkout at school and she'll call me - 'Mom, there's a walkout against racism at school, and we're doing it.' "I already know that she will fight against it, so I'm not worried about her at all." There is funny to be molded from that fight. Ruffin is seeking that harmony of humor in truth-telling amid despair, but it's not always easy. In the week following the killing of George Floyd last summer, Ruffin's personal stories on "Late Night" (some of which are included in the book) became must-watch TV - such as the time a Chicago police officer drew his gun and pinned her to the hood of his cruiser for giddily skipping down an alley. The medium of late-night offers that wide reach to affirm the values of hard truths even for those who've experience it daily firsthand. And the funny can be found in the progression of those truths, as the hypocrisies of this country get laid to bare. Take the recent Ruffin and Davis duet, "Joy," about the Capitol rioters facing consequences for their actions. "I've never had this many messages on Amber's bits," Lamar says. "People were like 'Can she say that? Is she in trouble?' And I said, 'Amber can say whatever she wants to on her show.' But it was like how people were really feeling at that time, that people were getting in trouble for storming the Capitol building. You know, it was just like, 'That is just how we feel! Because we couldn't have done that.' And Amber just did it beautifully in a song. And one lady said, 'I'm watching it with my grandmother, and she's been humming this around the house all day like it's a real song.' " Meyers can't help but admire ("with no small amount of jealousy," he adds) the quickness with which Ruffin has commanded a voice on her show. "It is so exciting to think that she has started this show, and if there's ever a time where it's important to have a live audience, it is when you are starting something, because that is the instant feedback you need," Meyers says. "So, it's nuts to think there will be this other, huge evolution of her show when she gets an audience full of people who are already fans of hers in those seats. And that is just going to be a celebration when that day comes." It's a fine needle to thread - getting people to laugh at gags that are about all the uncomfortable truths they may still not see. But Ruffin has been ready and able to do that her entire career. "I like feeling a little embarrassed when I'm performing," she says. "That, I think, is the sweet spot. If you feel like 'Ooh, I don't want anyone to see me doing this'? That's when you're onto something." This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. On Jan. 28, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the government to write draft rules restricting foreign technology companies operating in Russia. These forthcoming mandates could include requiring that foreign firms open offices within Russian territory. Setting up local shops in Russia might not prompt thoughts of internet control, but this move, if it happens, would fit exactly into the Kremlins internet control model. Its a tactic that some authoritarian countries have already tried and others may follow, particularly in places where internet control strategies are much less technically focused than in China and instead focused more on melding offline and online control. Advertisement To understand these recent orders, we have to look back to some recent history. The year 2019 was a busy one for Russias internet: The Duma, the lower house of Russias federal assembly, introduced a bill in late 2018 to pursue a domestic internet in the country, which could be isolated from the rest of the world at will, and by early 2019 it was gaining momentum. Lawmakers contended that a disconnection test of the internet (vaguely defined) was on the calendar for April 1, though no such experiment happened that day. Putin signed the domestic internet bill into law on May 1, 2019, and it went into effect that November amid much discussion of subsequently planned Kremlin disconnection tests. (Its not clear if those actually happened, either.) Reports began to surface in late 2019 that internet companies were hitting roadblocks in implementing steps required by the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Moscow has been relatively quiet since 2020 about the domestic internet. The COVID-19 pandemic has captured the attention (though not the serious care) of the Kremlin and its relevant agencies, and contributed to authorities pushing back the in-effect date of already planned rules to limit the influence of foreign-made software in Russia. But the recent announcementthat Putin has ordered the government to develop draft rules for increasing control of foreign internet companies operating in Russiamakes clear the government remains focused on raising barriers for foreign tech companies. So far, the Kremlin has not released much information about the contents of this order, besides the fact of its delivery. According to the Kremlin press release, the draft rules should impose requirements on foreign technology companies operating in the Russian segment of the Internets information and telecommunications network. That list should include forcing those firms to open representative offices in Russian territory. Putin gave the relevant government personnel until Aug. 1 to submit these proposals. At the same Dec. 10 meeting where officials discussed these mandates, they also raised, in a typically staged-and-later-publicized fashion, the topic of American technology companies and their censorship of Russian state-controlled media. Advertisement Advertisement Its possible more rules may be announced in the coming months. But the discussed requirement for foreign technology companies operating in Russia to stand up domestic offices is particularly significant. Moscow isnt the first authoritarian government to look into this kind of rule. A key provision of Vietnams 2019 cybersecurity law, for instance, is requiring offshore service providers to set up offices within the country. Written in a way that broadly implicates many different businesses and data-holders, the lawwidely criticized as promulgating digital repression under the veil of cybersecurity and safetyhas now clearly been used to suppress political speech the government deems undesirable and to elevate pressure on foreign internet companies operating within Vietnam. Advertisement Requiring foreign technology companies to set up offices within Russias borders would allow the Kremlin to expand the offline, traditional coercive mechanisms it uses to maintain online control to foreign internet companies operating in Russia. State internet control in Russia has never been about purely technical measures to monitor data flows and filter access to content. Instead, it has encompassed a range of online and offline measures that collectively shape norms of behavior and coercively target internet users who defy Putins regimesurveillance of internet posts is combined with detentions of the individuals running politically focused messaging channels, for example. Advertisement Similarly, if a foreign company has local offices in Russia, and local representatives of that company stationed within Russias geographic borders, the internet regulators orders to censor information or the security services demands to hand over data suddenly become far more real. Harassment by the federal security service (FSB), visits from local police units, and court-ordered punishments can have a much greater impact on data and content decisions the Kremlin wants to control if there are company people on the ground who will be affected. This is not to pretend as if foreign tech companies do not already bend to the Kremlins censorship will within Russia. Roskomnadzor, the internet and media regulator, has ordered foreign internet platforms to remove COVID-19 fake news throughout the pandemic, with notable degrees of compliance; similarly, YouTube and TikTok were complicit in removing Russian government-flagged content about the Alexei Navalny protests. Raising the costs of noncompliance, however, is always an attractive goal for the Kremlin. Forcing companies to have an office and personnel based in Russia is one way to do just that. Advertisement Neither Facebook nor Twitter currently have an office in Russia. Google closed its Russia office in 2014 after the Kremlin introduced new internet restrictions on data. Apple doesnt even have a physical retail location in Russia, yet these and many other companies still have a business presence in the country: collecting data on citizens through online product sales or delivering their digital services to Russian citizens. Whatever ends up happening with the draft rules, we know one thing: It will be a further example of Putins 2000 vision of a dictatorship of law extended to the internet domain, where online restrictions meet physical, offline coercion, and where the introduction of unilaterally passed rules and rubber-stamped laws only solidifies the states authoritarian efforts to control the web. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Ireland has hopefully already passed the worst of the disease this year and we will not have to go back to a time like January again, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn has said. However, he warned that there are unknowns when it comes to new variants and if people who have been vaccinated can still pass on the virus, and that this can alter fundamentally the course of this pandemic over the next year. I think what we can say to people is that certainly our intention would be that the we have already passed what is the worst of this disease this year and that we will not have to go back through what we went through in January again, Mr Glynn said. Read More I would hope that we will move in a steadily, more positive frame over the coming months. But that is contingent on us keeping this disease actively suppressed once we get disease numbers down. If they go back up, weve seen what will happen, he added. The Department of Health confirmed today six further deaths and 829 more Covid-19 cases in the Republic of Ireland. This brings the total number of coronavirus related deaths in the country to 3,687 and the total number of cases to 204,397. Five of the six deaths occurred in February, and one occurred in January. The median age of those who died was 84 years and the age range was 75-95 years. As of 8am today, 1,212 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 176 are in ICU.There were 39 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. Of the cases notified today, 401 are men and 426 are women. 63pc are under 45 years of age The median age is 35 years old There are 386 cases in Dublin, 39 in Meath, 36 in Cork, 35 in Kildare, 32 in Louth and the remaining 301 cases are spread across 20 other counties. As of February 5, 230,776 Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the Republic of Ireland. Some 151,212 people have received their first dose while 79,554 people have received their second dose. This comes as frontline workers are today due to receive their first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after 21,600 vials arrived in the country. The vaccines arrived over the weekend and were put into cold storage in Dublin. Writing on Twitter, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: Big day: The (HSE) has just sent me this video of the first 21,600 doses of AstraZeneca arriving from Belgium to the national cold chain store in Dublin well done to all. The vaccine is easier to manage than others so far approved because it can be injected by a GP or a pharmacist straight out of a fridge. However South Africa has put on hold the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. British Minister of State for Health, Edward Argar has set about reassuring the British, saying South Africa has only imposed a temporary halt on using the Astrazeneca vaccine. "There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation and severe illness and death, which ultimately is what we're seeking with these vaccines today," he said. It is just over a week since the European Commission granted conditional marketing authorisation for the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for over-18s. Irish public health officials have chosen the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for the over-70s over the AstraZeneca jab due to a lack of data for their effectiveness in older people. Veteran Broadway wig designer Paul Huntley has announced his retirement at age 87. Working up until the pandemic began, Huntley's decision was spurred by the worldwide theater shutdown, as well as a recent fall that fractured his pelvis, according to the New York Times. Huntley designed wigs and styled hair for more than 200 Broadway productions over the course of his career, beginning with Mike Nichols's 1973 revival of Uncle Vanya and ending with 2020's Diana: A True Musical Story, which was in previews when stages went dark and was subsequently taped for Netflix. Among his scores of shows are the original productions of Cats, The Producers, Hairspray, and Fun Home, as well as revivals of Company, Sweeney Todd, The Music Man, and Kiss Me, Kate. He designed wigs for Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, Faye Dunaway in Network, Glenn Close and Patti LuPone in multiple shows, and, at Taylor's request, created personal hairpieces and eyebrows for Nichols, who'd been bald since the age of 4 after a bad reaction to a whooping-couch vaccine. Born in England, Huntley has returned to his home country after selling his Upper West Side townhouse, citing financial hardship caused by the pandemic, according to the Times. He intends to return to New York for the reopening of Diana, at a date to be determined. He is the recipient of a 2002 special Drama Desk Award and a 2003 Tony Award for Excellence. The Banjul Magistrates' Court has sentenced one Lamin Touray, a clearing agent for violating the Revenue Laws of the country. Mr. Touray, who was dragged to the court by The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), was charged with three counts such as; falsification of custom documents contrary to Section 242 (1) of the Customs and Exercise Act. On count (2), he was charged with forgery of official documents contrary to section (318) and punishable under section 324 of the criminal Code Cap 10 volume 111 laws of The Gambia and count (3), uttering false document contrary to section (328) of the criminal code, Cap10, Volume111 laws of The Gambia. When the charge sheet was read to him and interpreted, he pleaded guilty to all three counts. The presiding Magistrate Jobarteh sentenced the accused to pay the following fines: Count (1), D10,000 in default to serve 2 years in imprisonment. Count (2), D20,000 in default to serve 2 years in jail and count (3), D20,000 in default to serve 2 years in imprisonment with all counts to run concurrently. The Gambia Revenue Authority GRA was represented by one of their legal officers, Modou Njie. The diary entry for the day his father, Max, died read: "Dear Dad died today." Syd Barrett was 15. In a letter to his girlfriend Libby three days later, he said: "I could write a book about his merits. Perhaps I will some time." He never got to write it. Later this month, Omnibus Press, in collaboration with Barrett's estate, will publish the late genius's collected lyrics in an authorised form for the first time. But who was Syd Barrett? He was the young visionary who wrote eight of the 11 tracks on Pink Floyd's debut, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Released in 1967, the album is the apogee of English psychedelic music along with The Beatles' Sgt Pepper. It was also the last album Syd ever recorded with the band he founded in 1965. His state of mind had been damaged by LSD. He was rock's original doomed romantic poet, an acid-casualty Icarus. Tom Stoppard would later use Syd as a metaphor for beautiful lost youth in his play Rock 'n' Roll. Expand Close Syd with Pink Floyd, the band he founded in 1965. From left to right, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Syd with Pink Floyd, the band he founded in 1965. From left to right, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright There is the awful story in 1967 of the writer Jonathan Meades calling to Syd's flat in Egerton Court opposite South Kensington tube station in London. He didn't seem to be in. Hearing "this terrible noise", Jonathan asked the people in the house what the scary sound was. "They sort of giggled and said, 'That's Syd having a bad trip. We put him in the linen cupboard'." In August 1967, Roger Waters, the band's bassist, and Syd's childhood friend, brought him to an appointment with RD Laing, the most forward-thinking psychiatrist in London at that time. Syd wouldn't get out of the taxi. Legend has it that Laing was later played an interview of Syd by the band. Laing felt that he was incurable. Waters believed Syd suffered from schizophrenia. On July 28, 1967, Syd walked out of a BBC pop show called Saturday Club. The band's manager Peter Jenner told the BBC that he had suffered a "nervous collapse". Later that night at Pink Floyd's show at the UFO club on Tottenham Court Road in London, he barely sang or played a note. His deterioration continued. At the band's show two nights later at the Alexandra Palace, his condition was described as "near-catatonic". He had to be carried onstage. In the dressing room of a show in November 1967 at the Cheetah Club in Santa Monica, Syd poured a tin of Brylcreem on his head, letting it go down his face. He resembled a "guttered candle", remembered Waters. He then crushed the contents of a bottle of the tranquilliser Mandrax into his hair and took the stage. Back in England, he didn't show up for a gig and was replaced at the last minute by Davy O'List of the Nice. On January 3, 1968, Syd's school friend Dave Gilmour was asked to join the band, although Syd hadn't yet left. In early 1968, when the band were all living together in Richmond, Waters recalled how Syd was contributing zero to the group. They didn't have the heart to tell him. "So, when I went off to play gigs, I'd tell Syd I was going out to get cigarettes. It was awful." He played his last show with Pink Floyd on January 20, 1968 in Hastings. On April 6, 1969, his departure from Pink Floyd was announced in the music press and he was officially out of the band he had founded. After his exit, he released two solo albums in 1970, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, both produced by Gilmour. "Eternally eloquent as Van Gogh's cornfields" was how one of Syd's many biographers Tim Willis described the albums. The last interview he gave was in 1971. "I work in a cellar, down in a cellar," he said, referring to the basement of his mother Winifred's house in Cambridge. "I think of me being a painter eventually." He played two or three short shows in Cambridge with a band called Stars. After one show in the Corn Exchange in 1972, the band's bassist Jack Monck recalled how "it was obvious to everyone present that the wheels had come off. You were just witnessing the breakdown of someone in performance". Syd was rarely seen again. His last public appearance was in the summer of 1973 at a public hall in Cambridge. He turned up uninvited and briefly jammed onstage with Jack Bruce of Cream, before disappearing into the audience during the poetry readings; one of which was by Pete Brown. The latter recognised his face in the crowd and said, "I'd like to dedicate this next poem to Syd Barrett, because he's a native of Cambridge who I consider to be one of the great poets and songwriters of his generation." "No, I'm not!" Syd said and shuffled off. From then on, he retreated into the shadows. He lived between his mother's house in Cambridge and a flat in Chelsea, where he slept on a mattress on the bare floorboards that he had painted green and red, ate eggs which he boiled in a kettle and lived on royalty cheques from his former band. There was a brief attempt to make a third solo album in 1974 that came to nothing. On June 5, 1975, he arrived at Pink Floyd's sessions for the Wish You Were Here album in Abbey Road. He entered the studio at the moment they were recording 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' - a song the band had written about him. But when he walked into the studio, no one knew who he was. Waters had assumed he was someone with Gilmour. Gilmour assumed he was with the rest of the band. It was 45 minutes before they realised who the shaven-headed, dishevelled-looking man was. At one point, so the story goes, Syd decided he wanted to clean his teeth. He attempted to do this by holding a toothbrush and jumping up and down on the spot. Almost as strangely, Syd then asked the band, who hadn't seen him in years: "When do I put my guitar on?" In 1977, Malcolm McLaren, manager of The Sex Pistols, allegedly tried to get Syd to produce his band's Never Mind The Bollocks album. In 1982, he left the flat in Chelsea and decided to return home to Cambridge. He walked the entire 50 miles. He lived in that house until his death of pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006, aged 60. The man who influenced Bowie, Brit Pop, Blur and Paul Weller - the very English-sounding vocals and a lyrical style that owed much to Lewis Carroll - as well as the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain and Radiohead, lived like a hermit. He never left the house. Syd, whose mother died in 1991, was indifferent to - or unaware of - the outside world's obsession with him because of a moment from his distant past. In 2008, his younger sister Rosemary said: "He just tried to put that whole thing away. If anyone called him Syd he wouldn't answer [his real name was Roger]. He wasn't Syd because Syd was Pink Floyd. He wasn't being clever by being reclusive, he was just being himself. Roger was never mentally ill. He was assessed by quite a few psychiatrists over the years and they always said he's unusual but there is no illness. There was no cure because there was no illness. He never fitted into the norm but that's what made him so special." Shine on. 'The Lyrics of Syd Barrett' will be published by Omnibus Press, 14.99 on February 18 Mumbai, Feb 8 : Nitya Mehra recently directed a segment of the digitally-released anthology Unpaused, and feels the experience was much like directing a short film. Mehra, who made her full-length feature debut in 2016 on the big screen with Baar Baar Dekho, starring Katrina Kaif with Sidharth Malhotra.Mehra, feels every story is just a story and does not let medium or platform alter her vision. "I personally don't think there is any difference when it comes to directing for OTT or for films. At the end of the day we are storytellers and when I go on the sets I have to put on the directors hat and my process is very much the same," Mehra tells IANS. However, there is one thing that she felt was different. "Unpaused was part of an anthology, so it was a short film compared to a series where I am doing a 45-minute episode or a feature film where I am doing a two-hour film. That way, the format was different," she notes. "For me, the main thing is how do I tell the story which is on paper. How do I best get my actors to perform and make them believable, how best do I get them to emote and create the drama or comedy or the genre. When I get down to write a script, I am not thinking that if I am doing it for OTT, I should use a different device," she says. With theatres being allowed 100 per cent occupancy, Bollywood is gearing up to get back in business. As a filmmaker, Mehra understands the nervousness of producers who have big-budget films lined up. "I know theatres have opened up. I cannot wait for the day when theatres are full. It is important for our industry to survive the pandemic. It's not about showing faith and releasing films. It is about the pandemic not being over. A lot of money has gone into making these films. In the end the film business is a business. I understand why big budget producers are worried," she says. "Now that the vaccine is out, it will take a couple more months for things to stabilise, and that will give confidence to not just the film industry but all other industries as well," she says. The filmmaker adds: "I do believe that the film industry will come together and take the right decisions because a lot of money is riding on these film and you want to wait for the right time to be able to make that money back." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text KHAMMAM: AICC in-charge for Telangana Manickam Tagore, launching a scathing attack against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, on Sunday said that the Congress will order a full-fledged inquiry into his corrupt deals after it comes to power in the state. He alleged that the Chief Minister had earned crores of rupees from various contracts. The TRS and the BJP that are pretending to be fighting against each other are making friendship in Delhi. While Rao fears that his illegal income would be exposed, the BJP leaders are not talking about his corrupt administration, Tagore said. He wanted to know why the Centre was not ordering investigations by the Enforcement Directorate, income-tax department and the CBI into Rao's irregularities. Referring to defections by Congress MLAs, he said that all those who joined the ruling party will pay a heavy price in the days ahead. I swear on the name of Lord Sitaramachandra Swamy that the MLAs who were elected on the Congress symbol and left the party should not be taken into the party under any circumstance. It is sad that the leaders won on the party symbol but ditched the Congress and joining the TRS", he said. Booth-level committees will be constituted in all districts to take forward the decision taken at Khammam, he said. Each and every leader and cadre should adopt a 'winning in our booth is a respect' slogan. Congress will win the next elections in Telangana state, he said. He said that special focus would be laid on strengthening the party structure in the state. He said that all mandal, town and district-level committees would be constituted within 15 days and the 15-member booth-level committees within 30 days. Booth-level committees will comprise a president, social media coordinator and booth-level assistant (BLA) who will deal with the voter list. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. New York: A US judge rejected Ghislaine Maxwells effort to keep under wraps an excerpt from a 2016 deposition that she fears could undermine her criminal trial on charges she aided the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and committed perjury. US District Judge Loretta Preska said on Monday, local time, Maxwell had only a minimal privacy interest in the 20-line excerpt, because it concerned massages and not private sexual activity of consenting adults, and the public had a right to see her testimony. Ghislaine Maxwell lost her bid to keep her 2016 deposition suppressed. Credit:Getty Images There is no reason not to unseal this portion of testimony, the Manhattan-based judge wrote. While the court acknowledges M. Maxwells interest in a fair criminal trial, Ms Maxwell can argue all her points to the presiding judge in her criminal trial, as she has already. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A project manager working on London's Nightingale hospital who went 'berserk' and tried to kill his mother and stepfather has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. James Wells, 43, of Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, was working as a project manager at London's Nightingale hospital at the ExCel centre at the time of the incident. He stood trial at Bristol Crown Court accused of attacking his mother Linda Holford, 70, and her husband Adrian Holford, 75, at their home on March 30 last year. Jurors heard Wells had become stressed at work and was driven to the couple's home in Shalbourne, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, by a colleague. He was said to have used fireplace tools at the detached property, as well as a pewter tankard, to bludgeon the couple hours after arriving. Bristol Crown Court previously heard that Wells had become stressed at work and was driven to the couple's home in Shalbourne, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, by a colleague. Pictured: Police at the property in Shalbourne Wells pleaded not guilty to two charges of attempted murder and a charge of assaulting a police officer by reason of insanity. The jury, following a week-long trial and five hours and nine minutes of deliberations, found him not guilty on Monday of the charges by reason of insanity. Mrs Justice Stacey said she would dispose of the case, which could include a hospital order and possible restrictions on Wells, at a hearing next month. 'This has been a particularly harrowing case which all of us must have been affected by,' the judge told jurors. 'You have heard this very, very sad story this past week. Everyone has been impressed by your attention to detail and care. The jury, following a week-long trial and five hours and nine minutes of deliberations, found Wells not guilty on Monday of the charges by reason of insanity. Pictured: Police at the scene 'I really want to thank you on behalf of everyone at Bristol Crown Court for doing what was such a difficult and harrowing case.' The judge said Wells was receiving treatment for his mental health issues at a secure hospital in Hampshire. 'There is no sentence because Mr Wells is not guilty of a criminal offence because, as you have decided, he was insane at the time,' she told the jury. 'There is the need for me to decide on what's called disposal. The important thing is to make sure that the public is protected from any risk of serious harm.' The judge said she would hear further medical evidence about Wells to decide on the case ahead of the next hearing, which is due to take place in early March. 'This trial and this exercise has been about you deciding and reaching your verdicts and concluding that Mr Wells is not guilty by reason of insanity for these three terrible acts,' she said. 'Now the opportunity will come for Mr Wells and his family to rehabilitate and recover from this awful, awful episode.' During the trial, Ray Tully, prosecuting, said it was accepted that Wells carried out a 'vicious attack' that resulted in life-threatening injuries, and the issue in the case was his mental state at the time. Before the incident Wells was a 'hardworking family man' who had worked on projects across the world, including the Beijing Olympics, Mr Tully said. Colleagues working at the Nightingale hospital raised concerns about him on March 29, and it was arranged that he would speak to someone about his wellbeing. On March 30 he told an occupational health nurse he had not slept for four days and believed he was having a breakdown. He was taken to his mother and stepfather's house and arrived there at about 4pm. Wells went for a walk with his mother, ate dinner and then went to bed before re-emerging with a case at about 7pm. Mr Holford later described how Wells then 'went absolutely berserk' and attacked the couple. Police and paramedics attended the property at about 7.50pm and a Taser was used on Wells, who was then arrested. Mrs Holford spent a month in hospitals receiving treatment for injuries including a fractured skull, facial fractures, broken eye sockets and teeth, and bleeding on her brain. Mr Holford sustained lacerations to his scalp, a puncture fracture to his skull, and a broken jaw and nose. The couple had a 'wonderful' relationship with Wells, who was married with two children, before the incident. He was never interviewed by police about what happened, following psychiatric assessments, jurors were told. When Veronica Petits daughter Franyimar was just a year old, she began to suffer from mobility problems due to the irregular growth of the bones and tendons in her right foot. Doctors told Veronica that without an operation, little Franyimar would have to rely on crutches for the rest of her life. But the 26-year-old single mother of four young children did not have the means in her native Venezuela to access specialized surgery for the now-five-year-old Franyimar. She knew that her only chance was to seek help abroad. They (my children) are the motor that is pushing me forward, said Veronica. The family is one of many who have sought safety in Colombia. An estimated 5.4 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants are displaced abroad, having fled widespread food and medicine shortages and insecurity back home. The situation in Venezuela represents one of the largest displacement crises in recent history. Many Venezuelans lack any legal status. This means they are marginalised and vulnerable to exploitation. And while COVID-19 restrictions briefly slowed the pace with which Venezuelans had been leaving their country over the past year, many have once again begun to make the arduous journey across the region, seeking to meet their basic needs. Those who arrive in Colombia today tend to be in even more dire circumstances than those who fled two years ago. Many Venezuelans are now arriving exhausted, weak and penniless, often with no option but to sleep on the streets or in bus terminals, where they are at even greater risk of exposure to COVID-19. Working odd jobs back home in the northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo, Veronica could barely put food on the table. Hungry and desperate, the family crossed the border to Maicao, where they slept in a bus station every night. Veronica worked for a local woman in exchange for one meal a day, which she would split five ways between herself and her children. After nearly a week sleeping in a bus station, Veronica and her four kids found shelter at the Integrated Assistance Centre in Maicao, Colombia. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Venezuelan single mother Veronica hopes for a better life for her four kids in Colombia. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo The family was eventually offered a spot in the citys Integrated Assistance Centre, or CAI, with the help of aid workers from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Established by the Colombian government and the international community, the transit shelter provides temporary housing and lifesaving assistance to homeless Venezuelans in vulnerable situations similar to Veronicas. During a visit to the CAI on Saturday 8 February, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi had the opportunity to meet Veronica, together with other Venezuelan families who are struggling to rebuild their lives. Of the 1.7 million Venezuelans currently in Colombia, more than half are in an irregular situation. Many Venezuelans still havent been able to regularise their stay in Colombia and lack any legal status in the country. This means they are not only marginalised but also vulnerable to exploitation, Grandi said, underscoring that regularisation would mean more predictable access to employment and to services such as health care and education. I hope to be regularised here in Colombia so my daughter can get the surgery she needs. The High Commissioners visit comes at a time when countries across the region are struggling to cope with the impact of COVID-19, which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives throughout Latin America and has left a devastating toll on the regions economy. I want to share a message of great appreciation to the government and the people of Colombia for their generosity towards Venezuelan refugees and migrants, said Grandi. He noted, however, that this generosity should not be taken for granted and made a strong appeal for more international support for Colombia. Veronica and her children are among the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees and migrants with no official status in Colombia. She says it has prevented her from getting a job and enrolling the kids in school. It has also made it impossible to get little Franyimar the medical attention she so desperately needs. I hope to be regularised here in Colombia in order for my daughter to be able to get the surgery she needs, for my children to go to school and to be able to work and give them a better life, she said, adding that she dreams of opening her own bakery someday and serving up the chocolate cake and other treats that are among her childrens favourite foods. Report claims most of the revered Hindu sites in Pakistan in state of decay India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Islamabad, Feb 08: Most of the revered sites of the minority Hindu community in Pakistan are in a poor condition and the authority responsible for their upkeep has failed to maintain them, leaving the ancient worship places in a state of decay, according to a recent report by a Supreme Court-appointed commission. The report, prepared by a one-man commission, was submitted to the Supreme Court on February 5 and presents a dismal picture of the community's most revered sites in the country, the Dawn newspaper reported on Monday. Govt tells Twitter to remove 1,178 Pakistan-Khalsitani accounts The report also highlights that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), responsible for their upkeep, has failed to maintain most of the ancient and holy sites of the minority community. Dr Shoaib Suddle's one-man commission has been established by the Supreme Court but it has three supporting members, Dr Ramesh Vankwani, Saqib Jillani and the attorney general for Pakistan, who has nominated the deputy attorney general to participate in fact-finding activities of the commission, the report said. By infiltrating farmer protests, Khalistanis want to create separatist mindset in India The commission members visited the Katas Raj Mandir in Chakwal on January 6 and Prahlad Mandir in Multan on January 7 in Punjab province. The findings in the report presents a general picture of decay and obliteration of two of the four most revered evacuee sites in Pakistan. The report said that collaborative efforts should be taken to renovate Terri Mandir (Karak), Katas Raj Temples (Chakwal), Prahlad Mandir (Multan) and Hinglaj Mandir (Lasbela). It also suggested an amendment to the ETPB Act to establish a working group for rehabilitation of the holy sites belonging to Hindus and Sikhs. The report has also requested the Supreme Court to direct the ETPB to get involved in the reconstruction of the desecrated Terri mandir/samaadhi and cooperate with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for efficient implementation of the directives given by the apex court from time to time. In December, a temple in Terri village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Karak district was torched by members of radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party (Fazal ur Rehman group). The attack on the temple drew strong condemnation from human rights activists and the minority Hindu community leaders, prompting the Supreme Court to order its reconstruction. PM Modi quotes Manmohan Singh to blunt Opposition offensive on farm laws The Supreme Court in its order of January 5 directed the ETPB "to submit a detailed report of all temples, gurdwaras and other religious sites all over Pakistan which come under the purview of ETPB". According to the ETPB letter, out of 365 temples, only 13 were being managed by them, leaving responsibility of 65 with the Hindu community, and practically abandoning the rest of 287 to the land mafias, the report said. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. The majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents.They often complain of harassment by the extremists. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 14:14 [IST] LIMERICK will have its own mass vaccination centre, it has been confirmed by a government minister this Monday afternoon. However, it looks likely that it will be located just over the county bounds in Clare. It follows reports in the media over the weekend of large scale vaccination clinics to be established in Dublin, Cork and Galway with no mention of Limerick. Minister Niall Collins told the Leader he has received a lot of queries in relation to this. "I can confirm that there will be a mass vaccination centre for Limerick," said Minister Collins. He said it is his understanding that the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Ennis Road has been earmarked and that the details are currently being worked out by the HSE. "I expect an announcement from the HSE in the coming days," said Minister Collins. The vaccination centre is expected to cater for people from Limerick and Clare. Local Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney has also welcomed the news. He said: "The expected announcement of a mass vaccination centre in the coming days for the people of Limerick is welcomed, whilst it is expected the majority of people will receive their vaccines in the community from their GP and pharmacy it is still extremely important that a mass vaccination centre is set up in Limerick." Limerick Mass Vaccination Centre I have received confirmed that a Mass Vaccination Centre will be opened in Limerick... Cllr Dan Mc Sweeney on Monday, 8 February 2021 He said he had also received a number of calls asking why Limerick was not included in earlier plans for a vaccination hub, and he admitted he is concerned that the current location is actually situated over the Limerick border in Clare, "and not more central." It's hoped three vaccination centres will be set up to serve the people of the region over the coming weeks. Alabamas first LGBTQ-affirming public charter school held a wall breaking ceremony Monday morning, marking the start of renovations to an empty three-story office building in Homewood that will become the Magic City Acceptance Academy. School officials used rainbow-colored sledgehammers to demolish walls inside symbolically and physically. We are breaking down walls, Principal Michael Wilson said. We are breaking down barriers in the community. Wilson noted the long journey it took advocates to get to this point. We are the perfect example of the old saying that is that a dream deterred is not necessarily a dream deferred, Wilson said during the ceremony, which was broadcast live on Facebook. The schools charter application was denied multiple times before getting the okay to move forward in November. The school currently is taking applications to fill 400 student slots in sixth through 12th grade. The deadline to apply is March 10. If more than 400 students apply, a lottery will be held in accordance with Alabamas charter school law. We are accepting all children, Wilson said, including, Children that may be experiencing difficulty academically and may be suffering because of that. People in marginalized communities where they feel their schools are not strong enough. Public charter schools must accept all students who apply and cannot discriminate or set requirements for enrollment in the school. Were an affirming space for everyone. Were an especially affirming space for the LGBTQ community, Wilson said. The reason we say that in our mission is because they dont hear that. They need to see that in print and see that we are a space where they can come and be who they are. What sets the school apart from others, Wilson said, is not only the LGBTQ-affirming mission but also the full set of supports for students it will offer, including social workers, mental health professionals and medical professionals, when needed. Wilson said all students will have individualized learning plans. Every student will have a part in planning their progression through our academic program, he said. Renovations should be completed by August. The first day for students will be the Tuesday after Labor Day. About a dozen officials attended the ceremony, including Homewood City Councilors Carlos Aleman and Nick Sims. Anytime we have an opportunity to create inclusive spaces for our kids, its a great thing for our city, Aleman said. Homewood already has fantastic schools. This only complements that. It will be a great addition to our community. Border Force detained 49 migrants at Dover after they attempted to cross the English Channel in three boats on Saturday - taking the number of arrivals this year up to 285. Six men were initially caught making the crossing in a brand new grey, yellow and blue rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) amid calm and mild conditions in the early hours of Saturday morning. Two more crossings quickly followed, carrying 43 people from France to Britain. Six men were taken ashore by Border Force on Saturday after they were spotted in a new rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) in the early hours of the morning. They were followed by two more vessels carrying 43 people People traffickers took advantage of calmer conditions in the English Channel on Friday and Saturday to ferry vulnerable people across to Britain People traffickers have been taking advantage of recent milder weather. But as Storm Darcy moved in on Sunday - and conditions in the channel got worse - the number of crossings reduced. Meanwhile official in France managed to prevent 92 people from making the crossing. Among them were 13 people who had got into difficulty in the Pas-de-Calais strait, while the coastal maritime surveillance boat (VCSM) Escaut, of the maritime gendarmerie, rescued 26 migrants and took them back to France at 10.30am. Friday saw 13 migrants reach the UK in the first crossings of the month, while French officials prevented 123 people from crossing - including one boat that had 10 people on board. Border Force boats could be seen towing the vessel back to share at Dover on Saturday morning The latest arrivals takes the number who have been detained so far this year to 285, January 9 was the busiest day so far when 103 people arrived in six boats. A total of 223 asylum seekers made it to the UK last month in 15 boats. A record 8,410 migrants made the dangerous journey in 2020. Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp said: 'Overnight the French authorities stopped 215 migrants from crossing from France to the UK, through the joint operational and intelligence deployment shared by our two countries. Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp said the Government has new powers to treat asylum claims as inadmissible, if they have travelled through safe countries 'The Government continues to undertake substantial measures to tackle this unacceptable problem of illegal migration. 'In January we introduced new rules which mean we can treat asylum claims as inadmissible if they have travelled through safe countries to get to the UK. 'Criminals are exploiting migrants for profit and are selling false dreams of life in the UK. 'These crossings are illegal which is why we are pursuing the criminals behind these crossings, returning migrants who have no right to stay in the UK to safe countries and will continue to do everything we can to make this route unviable.' Christians in the Australian state of Victoria are fearing for their religious freedom after the legislature voted to ban so-called conversion therapy. The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill criminalises practices seeking to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Christians have voiced concern over a subclause making it an offence to carry out "a religious practice, including but not limited to, a prayer based practice, a deliverance practice or an exorcism." Church leaders in the state fear that they could fall foul of the law simply for offering prayer or counselling to someone struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity. Under the Bill, conducting suppression practices carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years or a $10,000 fine. Ahead of the vote, dozens of faith leaders raised their opposition in an open letter to Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria. "Religious organisations, parents and families, faith-based schools, ministries, and other individuals will face scrutiny, investigation, censorship, significant jail terms and large fines for exercising their religious duty to teach or advise individuals who request support to maintain adherence to religious constructs of sexuality and gender," they wrote. The Bill passed the legislative council on Thursday night by 29 votes to nine after a 12-hour debate. Martyn Iles, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, said the Bill "basically criminalises the truth". "It takes those truths about marriage, about gender, about sex, about family ... things that Christians hold dear, which are part of creation itself, and it says that those ideas, the expression of them, the living out of them can become criminal acts. "There's not many laws that I can say that about." He went on to say that Christians must continue to support and pray for those who come to them for help, even if it means breaking the law. "I want to say something that's going to sound a little bit radical but it's so true, especially in this case. We must live as though this Bill doesn't exist," he said. Republished with permission from Christian Today Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on National Disaster Response Force deployment, rescue work and relief operations. Local media reported farmers hearing a loud thundering sound before the wall of water from the Nanda Devi glacier swept relatives, cows and trees away from them. More than 300 Indo-Tibetan Border Police officers were deployed on Monday to search for dozens of survivors stuck in hydro-electric tunnels after villages near the disaster zone were evacuated. The flood, triggered by a glacial burst, where water trapped behind a frozen glacier is suddenly released due to melting, swept through hydroelectric plants in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday. A glacial flood that tore through a Himalayan valley, killing at least 12 people with fears for 170 more, has sharpened concerns about an acceleration in climate change disasters, as rescuers scramble through the hostile terrain to find survivors. Indian scientists on Monday said that satellite and Google Earth imagery indicated there was no glacial lake in the region, raising the possibility that a water pocket inside the glacier burst as it melted, triggering the torrent of water that sent tonnes of debris rushing down the ravine. Weather data shows the Chamoli area in the Hindu Kush Himalaya had recorded less than 10 millimetres of rain since Friday. Water pockets are lakes inside the glaciers, which may have erupted leading to this event, said Mohd Farooq Azam, assistant professor at the glaciology and hydrology division at the Indian Institute of Technology. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case. Loading In the past two decades Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast as they were at the end of the 20th century, according to a 2019 study in the Science Advances journal. The research found the rapid acceleration posed a fundamental risk to the 240 million people who live and work in the Hindu Kush region, with limited rainfall and rising temperatures melting glaciers that lead to floods, followed by drought. The area is home to more glaciers than anywhere else in the world outside the north and south poles. In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees, warming in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will likely be at least 0.3 degrees higher, according to the 2019 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Such large warming could trigger a multitude of biophysical and socio-economic impacts, such as biodiversity loss, increased glacial melting, and less predictable water availabilityall of which will impact livelihoods and well-being in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich, along with a coalition of attorneys general from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories, have reached a $573 million settlement with one of the worlds largest consulting firms, McKinsey & Company (McKinsey). The settlement resolves investigations into the companys role in working for opioid companies, helping those companies promote their drugs, and profiting from the opioid epidemic. The settlement, after payment of costs, will be used to abate problems caused by opioids in participating states. Arizona will receive $13,350,614.04 from the settlement, pending court approval. This is the first multistate opioid settlement to result in a substantial opioid-related payment to the states to address the epidemic. "This is just another step in the journey of holding companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "Even though no amount of money can bring back the lives lost, I hope our settlement provides the funding needed for programs to help those battling opioid addiction. We will continue to hold individuals and corporations responsible for putting profits over the health of Arizonans. In addition to providing funds to address the crisis, the agreement calls for McKinsey to prepare tens of thousands of its internal documents detailing its work for Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies for public disclosure online. In addition, McKinsey agreed to adopt a strict document retention plan, continue its investigation into allegations that two of its partners tried to destroy documents in response to investigations of Purdue Pharma, implement a strict ethics code that all partners must agree to each year, and stop advising companies on potentially dangerous Schedule II and III narcotics. Todays filings describe how McKinsey contributed to the opioid crisis by promoting marketing schemes and consulting services to opioid manufacturers, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, for over a decade. The complaint details how McKinsey advised Purdue on how to maximize profits from its opioid products, including targeting high-volume opioid prescribers, using specific messaging to get physicians to prescribe more OxyContin to more patients, and circumventing pharmacy restrictions to deliver high-dose prescriptions. When states began to sue Purdues directors for their implementation of McKinseys marketing schemes, McKinsey partners began emailing about deleting documents and emails related to their work for Purdue. McKinsey's work for opioid manufacturers extended beyond Purdue. McKinsey collected millions of dollars designing and implementing marketing programs similar to those it created for Purdue for the country's largest opioid manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson and Endo, increasing the sale and use of opioids in Arizona. Representative image For a vast majority of Americans, a coronavirus vaccine is like sleep for a new parent: Its all you can think about, even if you have no idea when you will get it. People are scrolling through perpetually crashing websites at 3 a.m., or driving 150 miles each way in the snow. Others are lining up at grocery stores for hours on end, hoping to snag a leftover shot, or racing to hospitals amid rumors of extra doses. Many more are tossing in bed in the dark, praying that tomorrow will be their mothers lucky day. Pandemic lessons in improving the medical system A small portion about 11% have received one or two shots of the vaccine, leaving the nation in a medical and cultural interregnum. Some of those with only one shot are in a precarious limbo, in states snarled over second-dose distribution. 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 Byzantine rules setting up tiers of the eligible mean most will be holding their collective breath for months down the road, as another set moves gingerly toward the restoration of their lives on the other side of the divide. Ive been struck with the outpouring of grief and loss that the obstacles to getting the vaccine has generated, said Niti Seth, 73, a psychologist and department dean at Cambridge College in Boston. She has been unable to get a vaccine appointment, despite spending all hours of the day and night online reading and clicking. A glimpse of the possibilities of reclaiming our lives has led, paradoxically, to a more palpable sense of what we had to give up, Seth said. Debates over masks, indoor eating, testing availability and school reopenings all now center on a single axis: the lagging rollout of the vaccine. It is the alchemy of unrelenting waves of exhaustion, fear, hope, uncertainty and pandemic fatigue, said Lindsey Leininger, a health policy researcher and a clinical professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. I stay focused on the lotus mud metaphor and think about how gosh-darned beautiful we are all going to be when we come out the other side. Still, although cases and hospitalizations continue to decline, and as the pace of vaccinations picks up, some Americans including those now vaccinated and ostensibly protected are approaching the spring and summer with quite a bit of trepidation. The divide is still quite wide between the haves and the have-nots, and many fear that even a vaccinated nation and world will not restore a sense of safety or security. Weeks into the rollout, there are stories of heroism, supreme luck and perseverance, and those of ignominy and widespread inequality. Some post their injections and vaccination cards on social media, while their friends and neighbors contemplate a spring of double masking, a tool in the race between vaccines and the new, more contagious variants of the virus snaking their way across the nation. The Nextdoor website has become an outpost for sightings of vaccination sites, as neighbors rush to refresh their browsers. There are tales of resentment and stories of guilt. Marsha Henderson has become a bit of a shot whisperer with her friends in Washington, D.C., after securing doses for herself, her husband and their 40-year-old daughter who works in health care. Many of the sites on the citys websites turned out to not have any vaccines, so she realized she needed to only check times for grocery stores. She gamed out times to recheck. You have to have the ability to be on a computer in the middle of the day and sit there, said Henderson, 71. She became so good at it, an ambassadors wife called her for tips. Still, she said, her second shot Wednesday wont change my behavior. I am more comfortable with the Comcast man to fix my computer, and there is some rain damage I need to get fixed, she said. But I will be doing carry out and outdoor dining probably for another year, in part because we dont know the variants. In New York, Jamie Anderson emailed a nonprofit group in northern Manhattan on behalf of her father, Jimmy Mattias, who is 66. The nonprofit called me on Tuesday to get his details, said Anderson, who lives in the Bronx, not far from her father in Washington Heights in Manhattan. He was called on Wednesday to confirm an appointment, and Thursday morning he had his first dose. It was so fast, I truly couldnt believe it. Mattias, who works as a manager at a storage center, said extra efforts had been made to vaccinate people his age, but he had no intention of making the effort on his own because he feared missing work. Shes my daughter, and she is looking out for me, he said. His co-workers and bosses are all younger, jealous yet thrilled for him, while friends his age are skeptical. Some dont think the system was designed to create a vaccine that quickly, he said. I tell them this is not the 1800s, things happen faster. Lets face the facts, this is a horrible situation. Catherine Sharp, a freelance photographer in Brooklyn, like many New Yorkers, has had less luck. Sharp, 26, relocated to Illinois recently to help her parents, a relocation that has developed into a part-time job trying to get shots for her father, 67, who has been living in Katonah, New York, and her mother, 65, in Morris, Illinois. It was like a sneaker drop, she said. You are not going to get the Off-White sneakers. Its just impossible. As she waited, both she and her mother contracted the virus, and her mother, a cancer survivor, was hospitalized. This is my worst nightmare, Sharp said. I know some of my moms friends have gotten it. I just dont understand the algorithm. A good 40% of my time is spent on this. I wake up, I get my coffee and say, I gotta do this. For a few of those at the back of the line largely younger, healthier people who are working from home luck and perseverance can pay off in a split-second, sometimes with a side of guilt. Darla Rhodes lives in Pasco, Washington, is 47 and works remotely for a startup. Even though she has diabetes, she did not think she would be getting a vaccine anytime soon. But when the assisted living center where her grandmother lives offered vaccines to residents, and some of them refused them, the vaccinators had 30 minutes to get those shots in peoples arms or supplies would perish. Her sister, who happened to be dropping off groceries for their grandmother, got the ball rolling. Rhodes likened the sudden access to flying standby. It was utterly unexpected, Rhodes said. But I jumped in the car, drove 15 minutes, filled out some paperwork and got a shot. After posting about her experience on Facebook, she said, One person said, Hey I cant even get a shot for my grandma, and my response was it was either that or it goes to waste. Doug Heye, a Republican consultant in Washington, D.C., had heard about the trick of lining up at grocery stores, in the hopes of getting any remaining doses that were not used for residents given high priority, like those ages 65 and older, or front-line and essential workers. The more needles we get into arms, the faster we can move past this, Heye, 48, said. That applied to me, personally, as well. So he recently positioned himself at his local Giant supermarket at 5:15 a.m., where he found himself second in line in the pharmacy section. I spent nine hours in a grocery store. Lunch was beef jerky and barbecue potato chips. It is too bad they dont have the vaccine at Whole Foods or Balducci. It was like camping out for Bryan Adams tickets back in the day, and theres no VIP line or anything like that. At the end of a long day staring into other peoples grocery carts, he and four others drew the last doses. Obviously, its a flawed process, and there can and should be better ways of doing this like letting seniors register for any extra doses first, for instance, he said. But thats just not happening. I wasnt cutting in a line, no VIP concierge nonsense, didnt call in any favors. Heye said he was considering how to get his life back, scanning Facebook for friends who had received their two shots so that they could resume some semblance of a social life. Those with two shots just over 2% of the total population as of Sunday at this point essentially live alone on private islands. Some may be in professions like health care where many of their co-workers are also inoculated. Others are in a sort of suspended animation, more comfortable at a grocery store or hugging a grandchild, yet still waiting for the rest of the nation before they swim ashore. I feel very fortunate to have already received both doses of the Moderna vaccine, said Pamela Spann, 68, who lives in Daingerfield, Texas. When the only pharmacy in her county offered shots in the last week of December, she was first told that she was too young to get the first dose. But a clerk did write down her name in a notebook. I was so surprised when I was called that evening for an appointment the next day, Spann said. She received a second dose Jan. 26. Having missed out on her first year of retirement travel, Spann is waiting for others in her circle to get shots. I am most looking forward to visiting my family again, she said. I also look forward to visiting and playing games with friends. Still, she and many others who have been vaccinated or developed antibodies by contracting the virus feel a sense of trepidation. I think life will never be as carefree as life before, Spann said. I will be more aware of new viruses throughout the world and what they might mean to me. Centenary University abruptly fired four tenured professors, including the president and vice president of its faculty union, in an outrageous decision explained purely as a cost-saving maneuver, according to attorneys representing the professors. The former professors, including one who had served as the private universitys provost, filed a lawsuit Monday claiming Centenary violated the terms of their tenure status when it terminated them in December 2019. The suit also claims the firings at the Hackettstown campus were discriminatory. Two of the professors are older than 60 and one is transgender. While Centenarys conduct in firing our clients is outrageous given the many sacrifices they made to the school over the years, we are even more troubled by the schools targeting of this particular subset of tenured professors, said Paul Hunczak, an attorney representing the professors. Centenary University said in a statement that it has not yet reviewed the lawsuit. The university does not comment on pending litigation and will defend against the claims through the court process, it said. Centenary has previously said it had cut staffing in some areas to prepare for adding new academic programs that will best prepare students for careers in the evolving job market. Tenure, typically earned after at least a half dozen years teaching and a rigorous review, provides college faculty with nearly permanent job security, barring special circumstances. At Centenary, the university can terminate tenured professors only for performance, disability reasons, because of a financial exigency or because it is eliminating an entire academic program or department, according to the lawsuit. The university did not cite any of those exceptions when it terminated the tenured professors in December 2019, the suit claims. If Centenary had, administrators would have needed to consult with the faculty senate before firing the professors, and the university would have been required to attempt to redeploy the professors to other positions, according to the lawsuit. The professors were told their positions were eliminated in order to prevent a financial exigency in the short term and to enable the University to reach its long-term goals, according to the lawsuit. Centenary, a small liberal arts institution, has seen its enrollment plummet in recent years. It had 1,681 students at the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year, down nearly 27% from 2014, according to data compiled by the state Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. Without warning, Centenary informed the four tenured professors they would lose their jobs during finals week of the fall 2019 semester, according to the lawsuit. The faculty union wrote a letter challenging the firings, but the professors appeals were summarily dismissed and rubber-stamped by a mediation panel, the lawsuit claims. One of the professors, Carol Yoshimine, taught at the university for 32 years. Another, James Patterson, worked at Centenary since 2001, served as provost from 2011 to 2016 and was faculty union vice president at the time he was fired. Chris Adamo, who taught at Centenary for 15 years, and Patrick Maley, who came to Centenary in 2012 and was the faculty union president, are the two other former professors suing. (Maley is a theater critic for NJ Advance Media.) The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, including front pay, back pay, and the value of health insurance, other benefits and reputational damages. Its no secret that academic tenure has been under attack in American higher education, Patterson said in a statement. This lawsuit is an effort to stem that tide, and hold Centenary, the institution that the four of us devoted our professional lives to, responsible for the commitments it made to each of us. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com. Have a news tip or a story idea about New Jersey schools? Send it here. Kerala: Fishers opting for juvenile harvesting by Navamy Sudhish February 08,2021 | Source: The Hindu As the fisheries sector enters another annual lean season, fishers in many parts are opting for juvenile harvesting, a dangerous and illegal practice that invariably leads to the depletion of marine stock. Apart from affecting aquatic biodiversity, boats targeting shoals of edible juveniles also risk the growth of seafood industry. According to fishers, the current dry spell will continue for a couple of months and they are forced to net whatever is available. Fishing days started to shrink after Ockhi and in 2020 we got minimal working days. Till January end there was a marginal increase in catch, but now we are going through a very difficult phase. We know the practice is unethical and harmful in the long run, but right now we cant survive without indulging in juvenile fishing, says Surendran, fisher. Despite Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) warning the fishers not to harvest oil sardines, many of the boats return with the fish staple that had hit the lowest catch volume in 2019. After CMFRI researchers found scattered sardine shoals along Kerala coast in January 2021, fishers were advised not to catch them for three or more months even if they fall above the Minimum Legal Size (MLS). What we get in market now is oil sardines that are at the brink of MLS and its a very alarming situation. They trap sardine shoals with mesh size normally used for catching anchovy and if the practice continues, it will reflect in the catch of 2021. The researchers have spotted occurrence of shoals and only after observing the exploitation rate we can talk about the change in biomass and catch. Their predictions had gone wrong in the past due to juvenile exploitation, says Dr. K.K.Appukuttan, marine fisheries expert and former scientist with CMFRI. He adds that a good percentage of the juvenile catch end up at fish meal plants and an organised group is working for the fish meal fish oil (FMFO) industry. They use carrier boats to ferry the catch and load it in trucks at night. Fisheries officials say though they get several complaints about juvenile fishing, not many boats with fish below MLS are seen in harbours. We are well aware of the stock status of oil sardine, but if the catch is above MLS we cant take any action. All we can do is spread awareness, says K.Suhair, Deputy Director, Fisheries Department. 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. Hackers published what they claim is the personal information of 2.5 million Airtel subscribers from Jammu & Kashmir on a public website, according to independent cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia. The data included full names, mobile phone numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and Aadhaar IDs. On 3 February 2021, the day after Rajaharias revelation, Airtel rejected the finding, saying that there was no data breach from the companys end and that the data released by the hacker group showed glaring inaccuracies. The hacker group Red Rabbit initially claimed that it was able to upload a shell to the Airtel server, granting it remote control of a machine. Rajaharia, though, thinks the data is more likely to have come from the Airtels Subscriber Details Record (SDR) portal. Telecom companies grant government law enforcement agencies access to their SDR portals for surveillance and criminal investigation purposes. He said he viewed an email conversation between Red Rabbit and Airtels security team, in which the latter requested the hackers to take down the website hosting the leaked data till the company was able to investigate the breach. Rajaharia was also able to independently verify some of the data by matching numbers from the compromised database with that presented by the Truecaller app or on the Aadhaar portal. A Pakistani connection? Rajaharia said that Airtel was able to have the website hosting the leaked data taken down, but the hackers responded by hosting the database again on five different websites. The hacker group also shared a Telegram ID with major Indian media outlets to prove that the hack was authentic. Furthermore, the hackers isolated the information of army personnel in Jammu & Kashmir and posted that database on a public website as well. Rajaharia pointed out that the website that hosted the stolen data, livefibre.in was a GoDaddy domain that was hacked by Mr. Clay, belonging to the hacker group TeamLeets, on 4 December 2020. TeamLeets, the researcher said, is one of Pakistans biggest hacker groups. Red Rabbit posted the stolen database on a website hacked by TeamLeets, and that can only be possible if Red Rabbit is either TeamLeets or belongs to the hacker group, said Rajaharia. The fact that Jammu & Kashmir was targetedand specifically army personnel stationed in the statepoints to a Pakistani connection, he added. The Facebook page of the hacker group TeamLeets says: Our target is to break the securityWe are Pakistani Leets. Anupam Kher Is Deeply Disturbed & Saddened By Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Mishap By sharing a clip from the glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, veteran actor Anupam Kher on Sunday said that he is 'deeply disturbed and saddened' by the incident. The Saaransh star also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. The Hotel Mumbai star took to Twitter and shared a video that captured the effects of the bursting glacier and the increased water level in the river. "Deeply disturbed and saddened by the #GlacierBurst in #Chamoli, Uttarakhand!," tweeted Kher. Deeply disturbed and saddened by the #GlacierBurst in #Chamoli, Uttarakhand! May God give the strength to the families who have lost their dear ones in this horrific tragedy. And may the injured recover soon! #NaturalDisasterpic.twitter.com/rMecVOjzXq Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) February 7, 2021 Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured in the tragedy, he added, "May God give the strength to the families who have lost their dear ones in this horrific tragedy. And may the injured recover soon! #NaturalDisaster." Earlier in the day, several Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Randeep Hooda, Sidharth Malhotra and many others sent out prayers for people affected in Uttarakhand's glacier burst. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is monitoring the situation after the water level in the Dhauli Ganga River increased following an avalanche near a power project at Raini village in the Tapovan area.The avalanche was triggered after a glacial burst in Chamoli district on Sunday. Alabama on Monday will expand who is eligible to receive immunizations against COVID-19 but health officials cautioned theres still not enough vaccine for everyone who qualifies for a shot. Beginning Monday, everyone 65 and older; educators; grocery store workers; some manufacturing workers; public transit workers; agriculture employees; state legislators and constitutional officers will be eligible to get vaccinations. Previously only health care workers, first responders, nursing home residents and people 75 and older were eligible. If you are eligible for a vaccine, then we will get you one if want to take it. But it is not going to happen immediately for everyone. There is still going to be awhile before we have enough, Dr. Scott Harris, the state health officer, told reporters Friday. Harris said an estimated 1.5 million people will be eligible for the vaccinations. The Alabama Department of Public Health site has a map of providers providing shots. The state is opening large, drive-thru clinics in eight cities: Anniston, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa. Harris said it will require 3 million doses to give the 1.5 million people the two shots required for maximum protection. The state has so far received 923,750 doses and is receiving about 70,000 per week. So far, 436,962 doses have been given. Harris said the remaining doses have someones name on it through appointments and clinics for a first or second shot. The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced it is opening an a third clinic, this one at Parker High School, for vaccinations. People do not have to be UAB patients but must fall in the statewide eligibility group. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin urged people in the city to get vaccinated. We are not out of the woods yet. So I really want to encourage the citizens of Birmingham to take advantage of this site, Woodfin said. More than 8,500 people in Alabama have died of COVID-19, including confirmed and probable cases. More than 472,000 have tested positive. While the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most people, it can be deadly for the elderly and people with serious health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease. ADS Its first big challenge was Vietnam, where Huey helicopters have been used by the American army for various purposes, especially as its a versatile machine thats up to everything, from air assault to carrying soldiers and ammunition.If these few words are enough to get you excited, well, heres the good news. A NASA-operated UH-1H is listed for sale by Heli-X , and you can be the one to fly it home for the right price.First and foremost, the helicopter is located in Colleyville, Texas, and if required, it can be shipped with a series of upgrades, according to the listing.The airframe has a total time of 5682.2 hours, while the T53-L-13B engine has 970 hours on the clock. The equipment list includes everything from the pilot and copilot ICS controllers, a Garmin transponder with-B out, to dual controls, copilot instruments, and a new battery.As standard, the UH-1H was pretty much the same as the UH-1D, but the biggest difference was the new engine, whose purpose was specifically to allow the transportation of up to 13 people. Therefore, 1H came with a single Lycoming T53-L-13B with 1,400 shaft horsepower (shp), whereas the UH-1D was originally powered by a Lycoming T53-L-11 engine. An upgraded Nighthawk model featured some military goodies, too, including a landing light and an M134 7.62mm gun.On the other hand, the UH-1H is believed to be one of the most popular models ever released, especially because it allowed for carrying a bigger load. Its production has eventually taken place in Taiwan and Turkey too.If all of the above makes you drool over the Bell UH-1H, you can have NASAs very own example for just $874,500, with some financing options also offered by the dealer. Ocean Downs General Manager Bobbi Sample has announced the new 2021 Ocean Downs race schedule consisting of 44 race nights starting Sunday, June 6 and ending with the last race on Wednesday, Sept. 15. We are look forward to an exciting racing season in 2021. We would like to say a special Thank you to the CSOA and horsemen for all of their continued support and cooperation. Ocean Downs will continue to offer a fun, family friendly atmosphere for all of those living and visiting Ocean City and the surrounding communities as we have for more than 70 years. said Sample. The race schedule is a Sunday, Monday and Wednesday format with first-race post time set for 7:05 p.m. (EDT). There will be no racing on Sunday, July 4 in celebration of Independence Day. The Maryland Racing Commission will be presented this schedule for final approval at its next monthly meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25. (Ocean Downs) Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:42:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture said Monday that insecurity in northern parts of the country alongside poor infrastructure is fuelling the spread of desert locusts. Peter Munya, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives said that insecurity in northeastern Kenyan counties of Mandera and Wajir is hampering aerial and ground spraying of the pests. "This has allowed some swarms and swarmlets to seep through all the way to Isiolo and now Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi and Nakuru counties," Munya said during a high-level emergency desert locust consultative meeting in Nairobi. He said that poor infrastructure is a huge challenge, adding that some regions with swarms are hard to access due to lack of roads, gazetted forests, reserves and game parks. Munya said that teams fighting desert locusts also lack storage and transportation facilities while poor communication with the public is undermining efforts to contain the pests. He said that the government is in the process of developing a desert locust management strategy to address the menace in the long term since the locusts may be in the country for a longer period of time. "Here in Kenya, desert locust invasion poses a serious threat to achievement of one of the pillars of Big Four Agenda - attainment of 100 percent food and nutrition security in the country," said Carla Mucavi, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative to Kenya said. Mucavi said that FAO has intensified efforts to contain the pests within recession areas through preventive control. She said that FAO will put additional effort into managing the second wave of the desert locusts through a regional strategic approach by setting up regional operational bases where affected counties are clustered. So far, about 183 swarms have settled in the Kenya while 157 have been controlled, reflecting an 86 percent success rate in control efforts. Kenya has deployed 11 aircrafts to help in spraying against the desert locusts. Enditem Alleged sponsor of Navalnys foundation arrested in absentia in $400K embezzlement case RAPSI 11:16 08/02/2021 MOSCOW, February 8 (RAPSI) Moscows Basmanny District Court on Monday issued an arrest warrant in absentia for businessman Alexander Khomenko, an alleged sponsor of Alexey Navalnys foundation labeled as foreign agent, as part of a case over 30 million-ruble (over $400,000) embezzlement from the Moscow Regions budget, the courts press service told RAPSI. Earlier, Khomenko, who is also the head of Stroy Engineering and VIP Service companies, was put on the international wanted list. The defendant is to be put in detention for 2 months after his arrest in Russia or extradition. According to investigators, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the legal entities headed by Khomenko and Sergiev Posad Social and Economics College signed 10 state contrants for the capital repair of the educational organization in the Moscow Region. However, Khomenko and other defendants deceived Moscow Regions education officials submitting documents containting false information on the works cost to them. Thus, they embezzled over 30 million rubles. As far as information goes, Khomenko sustained Navalnys foundation financially. Currently, he is allegedly hiding in Ukraine, the Investigative Committee reported earlier. A group of almost 200 British academics from more than a dozen UK universities could face jail, as officials probe whether they may have unwittingly helped the Chinese government build weapons of mass destruction. Officials are investigating the academics amid suspicion they may have breached laws designed to protect national security and human rights. The academics, who are from 20 UK universities, including some of the most prestigious in the country, are suspected of breaching the Export Control Order 2008. The law carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence for those who breach it. It is intended to prevent intellectual property in highly sensitive fields - including military and security - from being sent to hostile states. Pioneering technology on aircraft, missile design and cyberweapons may have been sent to China, according to the Times. Officials are preparing to send around 200 enforcement notices to those suspected of breaching the rules, the reports add, though this has since been denied by a Government source. Meanwhile, a source told the Times: 'We could be seeing dozens of academics in courts before long. A group of almost 200 British academics from more than a dozen universities could face jail, as officials probe whether they may have unwittingly helped the Chinese government build weapons of mass destruction. Pictured: Library image showing A Dongfeng-41 intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles group formation Officials at HMRC (pictured: The HMRC Headquarters in London) are investigating the academics amid suspicion they may have breached laws designed to protect national security and human rights 'If even 10 per cent lead to successful prosecutions, we'd be looking at around 20 academics going to jail for helping the Chinese build super-weapons.' Boris Johnson's senior aide in conflict of interest row over China's new embassy A top aide to Boris Johnson has been caught up in a conflict of interest row over claims he helped broker a deal for China's new embassy on behalf of the Government while being paid by two of the companies involved. Lord Udny-Lister helped the Foreign Office lead talks with China over its 255million deal to buy Royal Mint Court - near to the Tower of London. But while working on the talks, which took place between 2017 and 2018, the-then Sir Edward Lister also worked for two of the companies involved in the deal, according to the Sunday Times. Lord Lister, 71, who is now Mr Johnson's chief strategy adviser in Downing Street, worked as a paid consultant for American commercial real estate giant CBRE. The company were hired by China to identify and buy a site for its new embassy. He was also a paid adviser to London property firm Delancey, who owned the Royal Mint Court, while the talks were in place, according to the Sunday Times. Both companies told the paper Lord Udny-Lister took no direct part in the negotiations. A spokesperson for CBRE told MailOnline: 'Sir Edward Lister did not have any involvement with CBRE on the Royal Mint Court transaction. 'He was employed as consultant with CBRE between October 2016 and December 2017.' A Government spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Sir Eddie Lister undertook this work as a Non-Executive Director of the FCO at the request of the government. There was no conflict of interest.' Advertisement A Government spokesperson today told MailOnline: 'Exporters of military goods and those engaged in the transfer of military technology specified in the Export Control Order 2008 - including universities and academics - require a licence to export or transfer from the UK. 'It is their responsibility to comply with the regulations.' It comes as the Mail on Sunday revealed how the academics could be hit by 'enforcement notices' - imposed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - over alleged breaches of export controls in their dealings with Beijing. It is understood the security services fear some academics have been sharing pioneering British technology could be facilitating the dictatorial Communist government's repression of minorities and dissidents. The MoS has agreed not to identify the universities at the centre of the inquiry on the grounds of national security. The security service investigation, led by HMRC, was launched amid growing concern in Downing Street that academics were engaged in a 'new gold rush' to strike deals with the Chinese over cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs. 'Exporters of military goods and those engaged in transfer of military technology specified in the Export Control Order 2008 including universities and academics require a licence to export or transfer from the UK,' said a Government spokesman. 'It is their responsibility to comply with the regulations.' Last week, Manchester University cancelled an agreement with a Chinese military technology company after being warned that it supplied technology platforms and apps used by Beijing's security forces in mass surveillance of Uighur Muslims. The university said it was unaware of China Electronics Technology Corporation's alleged role in the persecution of Uighurs until receiving a letter pointing out the links from the Commons foreign affairs select committee. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the committee, writes in today's MoS that 'some in Britain's universities have lost their moral bearings and are not promoting academic freedom, but undermining our strategic interests.' The Tory MP argues that Britain is making a mistake to open up universities too much. 'We are handing over the secrets that will help an often-hostile country become the greatest military power of the 21st Century.' The Government investigation came after a report by the Henry Jackson Society last October criticised the Government for failing to prosecute any academics for export control violations. The study by think tank Civitas accuses 14 of the 24 top universities in the UK of having ties with Chinese weapons conglomerates and military-linked research centres involved in nuclear weapons schemes and developing futuristic technology. Pictured: A hyper-sonic test missile is launched by the US Navy Chinese troops take part in marching drills ahead of an October 1 military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at a camp on the outskirts of Beijing, China, in 2019 Terrifying missiles so high-tech it's almost impossible to stop them HYPERSONICS China is spending huge sums to create hypersonic missiles that will go so fast (up to twenty times the speed of sound) that military chiefs believe they will be invulnerable to any form of defence. Indeed, some analysts fear that human capability to respond to such lethal weapons will be inadequate and that the only way to protect against them would be to rely on artificial intelligence and computer systems. Travelling several miles a second as they deliver surprise attacks within minutes of being launched, they have been described as a 'game-changer' for warfare. Although America, too, has such Star Wars-style weapons in development, General John E. Hyten, commander of US Strategic Command, told a Senate committee three years ago: 'We don't have any defence that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us.' Such missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, would deliver precision attacks on people, vehicles and buildings. To test such weapons, the Beijing government said three years ago it was building a wind tunnel that simulated conditions up to 25 times the speed of sound. And a contractor has said it has carried out a six-minute test flight for a hypersonic missile. The complexities of developing hypersonics using sophisticated sensors, guidance systems and innovative propulsion methods have been compared to building the atomic bomb. GRAPHENE This is a revolutionary material with enormous defence and manufacturing potential. One atom thick and the thinnest and lightest material known to man, it conducts heat, absorbs light, stretches and is 200 times stronger than steel. It was invented by researchers in 2004 at Manchester University with China's President Xi Jinping having made an official visit to their lab. Among its military applications are as coatings on ballistic missiles, wiring in hypersonic vehicles exposed to high temperatures, camouflage of vehicles and body armour for troops. Chinese reports suggest that the Z-10 attack helicopter a rival to Boeing's Apache has been equipped with graphene armour developed at the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials. The institute has ties to three universities in Britain, where it collaborates on two centres specialising in research into the use of graphene in the aerospace industry. Chinese media have reported plans to use graphene coatings on military installations on artificial islands built in the South China Sea, an area where Beijing has controversially deployed Jin-class ballistic missile submarines armed with nuclear missiles. SPY TECHNOLOGY One of the most sinister recent trends in China has been the creation of a surveillance state that seeks to control 1.4 billion citizens through a constant watch over their movements, thoughts and words. People are tracked via a massive network of street cameras, facial recognition technologies, biometric data, official records, artificial intelligence and monitoring of online activities as mundane as things like shopping and takeaway food ordering habits. The most extreme example is in the Western province of Xinjiang, where Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are under 24/7 surveillance. Much of the network was developed by the state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, which supports work at four Chinese universities with ties to seven British universities. CHINESE UNIVERSITIES As part of President Xi's bid for China's global supremacy, he has employed a so-called 'military-civil fusion' strategy that involves universities playing a central role in maximising the country's military power. China's constitution also stipulates that all new technologies, even if developed by the private sector, must, by law, be shared with the People's Liberation Army. A key research institution is the National University of Defense Technology, in Hunan, which is controlled by the military and specialises in hypersonics, drones, supercomputers, radar and navigation systems. It has links with eight British universities, including a formal collaboration with one world-renowned seat of learning. Eight other UK universities have ties with the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which spends 60 per cent of its research budget on defence activities. Another important centre is the Harbin Institute of Technology. It has a joint research lab with the nation's leading ballistic missile manufacturer and has links with three British universities. DRONE SWARMS The Beijing government is developing swarms of 'suicide' drones to hover in the sky as they locate their target while communicating with each other and co-ordinating their movements without any human input. This marks the next era of robotic warfare, with autonomous weapons replacing current drones that have to be pre-programmed or are remote-controlled. The United States and Israel are also working on such technology, while Britain, too, tested a swarm of 20 drones last month with sorties from RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria. The advanced technology uses computer algorithms often modelled on biological studies of insects and fish to create self-navigating drone squadrons. NUCLEAR WEAPONS In total, China is estimated to have 350 nuclear warheads, including 204 on operational long-range missiles fired from landbased launchers, 48 on submarines and 20 'gravity bombs' to be dropped from aircraft. A recent Pentagon report warned that, in its bid to catch up with Russia and the US, Beijing plans to double its nuclear arsenal over the next decade as part of President Xi's drive towards global dominance. Many of these weapons are being developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a massive state-owned conglomerate that has links with at least five UK universities. Advertisement Independently, a report released tomorrow will expose the astonishing extent of collaboration taking place between British universities and Chinese academic centres, many with deep research links to the People's Liberation Army. The study by think tank Civitas accuses 14 of the 24 top universities in the UK of having ties with Chinese weapons conglomerates and military-linked research centres involved in nuclear weapons schemes and developing futuristic technology. It suggests scientific discoveries by our universities risk boosting China's drive for military supremacy by assisting its development of hypersonic missiles, radar jamming systems, robotics, spacecraft and stealth vehicles. British taxpayers are paying for research that might unintentionally help China's military soon attain a potentially dominant position,' said Radomir Tylecote, the study's lead author and a former Treasury official. 'This is strategically incoherent especially when UK spending on research for its own military needs is so anaemic.' Civitas reveals the China Electronics Technology Corporation which has admitted its purpose is to 'leverage' civilian electronic systems for the benefit of China's armed forces backs work at four military-linked universities in the People's Republic with ties to seven British universities. The giant firm is seen as one of the main architects of Beijing's sinister surveillance state. The think tank report entitled 'Arming China? The Chinese military complex and its potential exploitation of scientific research at UK universities' examines the relationships that 20 UK universities have with 29 military-linked universities and nine military-tied firms, which include some of the country's biggest arms suppliers. A dozen of the Chinese universities have been deemed 'very high risk' by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, while another ten are termed 'high risk'. Civitas, which stresses that all the British universities have benevolent intentions, turns the spotlight on some of the country's most famous academic institutions as concerns grow over China's increasing belligerence. The universities all insist their work is for wider benefit to society, that many research results are openly published in scientific literature and that they make strenuous efforts to comply with all rules designed to protect security and intellectual property. Cambridge University, the Civitas report says, has co-operated with the National University of Defense Technology, a military-run research institution that has been sanctioned by the US. Beijing has boasted this collaboration will 'greatly raise the nation's power in the fields of national defence, communications and high precision navigation'. A Cambridge spokesman told the MoS: 'All of the university's research is subject to ethics governance and export control regulations.' Imperial College, another world-leading British scientific centre, has three research units sponsored by major Chinese weapons manufacturers. 'Science is a global endeavour, and we are proud to work with our peers in academia and industry all over the world,' said a spokesman. Civitas accuses Manchester University of having provided 'China's main nuclear missile conglomerate with a UK taxpayer-funded research centre'. A subsidiary of this firm under US sanctions also funds a unit at Strathclyde University, which plays a leading role in British space research. Manchester also co-operates with Chinese funders to exploit graphene, the revolutionary new material that won two of its researchers the Nobel Prize and is seen as having huge military potential given its immense strength and flexibility. Both Manchester and Strathclyde insist they work closely with relevant authorities to ensure they are fully compliant with all policies and export protocols. Queen Mary University of London has established a 'collaborative partnership' with China's Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), praising the 'particular strengths in aerospace and marine engineering' of a university that describes itself as 'devoted to improving and serving the national defence science and technology industry'. NPU has at least 13 defence laboratories into areas such as jet propulsion, space technology and torpedo guidance. 'We are proud of our transnational educational and research partnership with NPU,' said a Queen Mary spokesman, adding it followed 'rigorous procedures' regarding security and ethics. Southampton, according to the Civitas report, has links with Harbin Engineering University that were praised for helping the Chinese institution build a 'world class' position in naval architecture. It plays a key role in China's ambitions to build the world's biggest and best-equipped navy. A Southampton spokesman said their collaborations had 'potential to create wide-ranging societal benefits', adding that they followed Government advice and the Harbin partnership simply replicated their undergraduate studies. Harbin is also one of 15 Chinese civilian universities that have been implicated in cyber-attacks, illegal exports or espionage operations. China has a long history of weapons sales to some of the world's most repressive regimes such as Iran, Myanmar and North Korea. Lianchao Han, a former Chinese government official and now leading pro-democracy activist, said Beijing had long seen academic exchange programmes as a way to modernise its military through exploitation of open Western research institutions. 'China has invented all kinds of programs from inviting Western professors to lecture in the country through to hiring them for consulting work and funding joint research projects between universities. These schemes enable it to acquire dual-use technologies for both civilian and military gain and build a formidable army. Sadly, most Western universities and research institutions are shortsighted and still fail to see China's strategic intent.' British universities have looked increasingly to China as a source of income, having more Chinese students than any other country, paying 1.7 billion a year in tuition fees, and for research funding as they developed a network of academic links in both nations. Yet concerns have grown over such ties since hardline President Xi Jinping took power in 2013. He has ramped up nationalist rhetoric, spent massively on armed forces, silenced dissidents, unleashed genocide in Xinjiang and showed far more foreign policy aggression as seen with China's brutal crackdown in Hong Kong. Many leading Chinese universities have long been linked to the military, whether through their own research labs or via funding from conglomerates often state-owned that dominate the country's weapons industry. These ties have been strengthened under Xi through a policy called 'military-civil fusion' designed to maximise military power. This includes a constitutional obligation for all new technologies to be shared with the 2,250,000-strong People's Liberation Army. China's Communist leadership is intent on matching US military might within six years and then use advanced technology to win the battle for global supremacy by 2049, centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Beijing government is developing swarms of 'suicide' drones (file image) to hover in the sky as they locate their target while communicating with each other and co-ordinating their movements without any human input The Civitas report calls for a register of Chinese firms and institutions with military ties that should be barred from supporting research in Britain, an audit of university sponsorship policies and a new agency to monitor academic relationships. One British defence contractor, who has removed all Chinese-made parts from his firm's products as a precaution in case of conflict, said he thought some universities might be missing the key point of rules designed to stop misuse of technology. 'People fall into the trap of arguing that they only designed the product for civilian use, neglecting the fact that the regulations say 'can be' used for military purposes.' TOM TUGENDHAT: Our academics are prostrating themselves to a Chinese regime guilty of genocide By Tom Tugendhat for Mail on Sunday China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, recently bade farewell to this country in characteristic style. Dwelling on golden memories of his time here, he recalled his 'humble part' in President Xi Jinping's state visit in 2015 and New Year's Eve parties on the banks of the Thames. He also mentioned the happy days when he was awarded honorary degrees in ceremonies at the Universities of Huddersfield and Nottingham. The details were telling. What had the Chinese ambassador done to merit these garlands? Here was a man who represented a country accused of genocide by our closest ally, the United States; whose state broadcaster has been refused a licence to disseminate propaganda in the UK; and whose companies are connected to an army that targets our innovations. He was certainly no natural friend to Britain. Sickening details of the persecution of Uighur Muslims involving concentration camps, torture, sterilisation, brainwashing and rape have been emerging for years. Yet Beijing's ambassador to Britain would blithely argue albeit unconvincingly that video footage allegedly showing vast numbers of blindfolded, shackled and shaven-headed Uighurs waiting to be led on to trains, was an everyday prisoner transfer. The next minute, he'd be given the red-carpet treatment by British universities. China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, recently bade farewell to this country in characteristic style Huddersfield University gave him an honorary doctorate in 2019 when a new Confucius Institute there opened, 'in partnership with the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai'. The focus of this tie-up was 'innovation in science and technology'. Meanwhile, His Excellency became an honorary Doctor of Law from Nottingham, urging his young audience to 'consolidate the China-UK Golden Era' and to 'handle differences with wisdom'. Such snapshots and the murky web of financial deals they hint at look increasingly like a sham. Why have Britain's universities been prostrating themselves so enthusiastically to the Chinese state that denies freedom of thought? The ugly truth is that some of our universities, a fundamental part of the UK's innovation-based economy, have been motivated by a mixture of naivety and greed. Among the most prestigious institutions in the UK are some which have been topping up their income with sponsorship from Chinese military and tech firms which, it should not need saying, have aims that run fully counter to our own. And these universities have been doing this while in receipt of billions in British taxpayer cash. The Commons foreign affairs committee, which I chair, has noted that despite 100,000 Chinese students at British universities, there has been precious little debate about China's influence on campuses, despite evidence that it is undermining academic freedom and closing down free debate on subjects such as Tibet and Taiwan. Even Universities UK, which represents our 140 universities, has warned of 'misappropriation of research output, including the seizing of research data and intellectual property'. Has UK-based research been used in the repression of minorities and democracy activists in China? I fear it is all but certain our universities have, perhaps only in part, become enablers in the crushing of dissent. Huddersfield University (pictured) gave him an honorary doctorate in 2019 when a new Confucius Institute there opened, 'in partnership with the East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai' Three examples stand out from new research by Civitas. There are Cambridge's ties to China's National University of Defense Technology an organisation sanctioned by the US over nuclear missile development. Also, Imperial College's research units, sponsored by Chinese weapons suppliers, including the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, which is designing the latest generation of stealth fighters. Finally, there are the Scottish centres, one of which is researching radar jamming with a military-linked laboratory in China. Make no mistake: these are some of the best universities not just in Britain, but in the world. They are at the cutting edge of research and attract the world's brightest students and teaching. Universities should collaborate with the private sector in research. For example, millions of us will benefit from the partnership between Oxford and AstraZeneca to produce a vaccine for Covid-19. But in the race to stay ahead, it is obvious some in Britain's universities have lost their moral bearings and are not promoting academic freedom, but undermining our strategic interests. In opening the doors of our universities to China, we are bargaining away our competitive advantage and, for a price, handing over the secrets that will help an often-hostile country become the greatest military power of the 21st Century. University leaders must recognise that the great hope of the past two decades that China was steadily opening up politically as its economy became more competitive has been dashed. A Maoist personality cult has been established around President Xi, with his personal 'thought' inserted into China's constitution, to be studied by all. He has allowed what Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has called a 'grievous attack on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms' by ordering the mass arrest of politicians and activists. Freedom is being crushed so blatantly that the UK is giving many of Hong Kong's residents all British passport-holders the right to live and work here. Universities need to wake up to these abuses. The Government must introduce rules that govern the research British higher education institutions carry out with Chinese involvement, sponsorship or support. Particular attention must be paid to science and technology, where it is clear our competitive advantage is being handed to a strategic adversary. It seems Xi has learned from Lenin the capitalist really will sell you the rope you use to hang him. Or in our case, design it. Bengaluru, Feb 8 : In a bid to eliminate middlemen and to give farmers' access to multiple markets, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, on Monday launched its 'Arka-Vyapar' mobile application during five-day national horticulture fair 2021. IIHR Director M.R. Dinesh told IANS that the very aim of this app is to provide direct marketing linkage to farmers. "It is an open application and any one can install it on his or her mobile. Through it, one can sell or buy produce," he said. The director said that this app will also provide market updates regularly. He added that for a long time, farmers have faced the biggest hurdle in terms of middlemen controlling the market, and now it is farmers who will be in control of the things. "The market dynamics will change as the farmer will have control since he can sell his produce to whoever pays the highest rate," he said. After releasing this app virtually, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director-General Trilochan Mohapatra said that the 'Ark Vyapaar' will help farmers to double their income. "Most of the horticulture produces being perishable... this app will bridge the demand and supply gap. This could turn out be disruptive technology," he said. Donald Trump faces allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 (Evan Vucci/AP) Arguments begin on Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6. Here are five key questions about what to expect when senators hear the case against the former president in the very chamber that was besieged by insurrectionists. Will Donald Trump be convicted? It is unlikely. While many Republicans were harshly critical of Mr Trump for telling supporters to fight like hell and go to the Capitol, their criticism has since softened. The shift was evident during a test vote on January 26. Only five Republican senators voted against a motion that was aimed at dismissing the trial. It will take a two-thirds vote of the 100-member Senate to convict Mr Trump of the impeachment charge, which is incitement of insurrection. If all 50 Democrats voted to convict him, 17 Republicans would have to join them to reach that threshold. Most Republicans have avoided defending Mr Trumps actions on the day of the riot. Instead, politicians have argued that the trial is unconstitutional because Mr Trump is no longer in office. Democrats and many legal scholars disagree. After the January test vote, many Republicans indicated Mr Trumps acquittal was a foregone conclusion. Do the math, said Maine senator Susan Collins, one of the five Republicans who voted to move forward with the trial. Expand Close People loyal to Donald Trump climbing the west wall of the US Capitol in Washington (Jose Luis Magana/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People loyal to Donald Trump climbing the west wall of the US Capitol in Washington (Jose Luis Magana/AP) Still, some Republicans said they were waiting to hear the arguments at trial. Ohio senator Rob Portman voted for the effort to dismiss, but said that constitutionality is a totally different issue than whether Mr Trump is guilty of incitement. How do Donald Trumps lawyers mount a defence without angering the Senate? It is a tough needle to thread. Mr Trumps team will probably try to remove the emotion from the case and focus on legal and practical arguments against conviction. In their first filing for the trial, his lawyers made clear that they will challenge the constitutionality of the trial now that Mr Trump has left the White House. That could give an out to Republican senators who are inclined to acquit the former president without condoning his behaviour. The defence could also argue the trial is pointless with Mr Trump no longer president, because removal from office is the automatic punishment for an impeachment conviction. Democrats note that after a conviction, the Senate also could bar Mr Trump from holding public office in the future. Expand Close Insurrectionists loyal to Donald Trump breached the Capitol in Washington (John Minchillo/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Insurrectionists loyal to Donald Trump breached the Capitol in Washington (John Minchillo/AP) To the extent that defence lawyers are forced to grapple head-on with the violence and chaos of January 6, they probably will concede the horror of that day but blame it on the rioters who stormed the Capitol. Mr Trumps lawyers assert that he never incited the insurrection. How do the House impeachment managers get through to sceptical Republicans? It will not be easy. For the prosecutors, the bottom line is that the riot would not have happened without Mr Trump, so he must be held to account. Its a simple case that Democrats feel does not need to be exaggerated, especially because five people died amid the chaos, and senators were victims themselves. The Senate quickly evacuated just as the insurrectionists were pushing up stairwells close to the chamber. Once senators were gone, rioters broke in and rifled through the politicians desks. Expand Close The House chamber on January 6, before a violent mob stormed the US Capitol (J Scott Applewhite/AP/Pool) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The House chamber on January 6, before a violent mob stormed the US Capitol (J Scott Applewhite/AP/Pool) In a brief filed recently previewing their arguments, the House impeachment managers used stark imagery and emotional appeals to argue Mr Trumps guilt. Their filing said senators were feet away from the swarming rioters, and noted that those outside wearing Trump paraphernalia shoved and punched Capitol Police officers, gouged their eyes, assaulted them with pepper spray and projectiles. In the House, the impeachment managers wrote, terrified members were trapped in the Chamber; they prayed and tried to build makeshift defences while rioters smashed the entryway some members called loved ones for fear that they would not survive the assault by President Trumps insurrectionist mob. Those scenes will be brought to life at the trial. Prosecutors are expected to play video of the attack during their presentations. Will we hear from Donald Trump? That does not seem likely. He has rejected through his lawyers a request by impeachment managers to testify. A subpoena seeking to compel his testimony is not expected at this point. Expand Close Donald Trump is in Florida (Chris Szagola/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump is in Florida (Chris Szagola/PA) Mr Trump also no longer has access to Twitter, which he relied on extensively during his first impeachment trial last year to attack the case against him and to retweet messages, videos and other posts from Republicans haranguing Democrats. With Mr Trump at his Florida resort, his lawyers will be left to make arguments on his behalf. Democrats pledged to hold Mr Trumps unwillingness to testify against him at trial, but the argument may not resonate. It is not clear that Republican senators even the many who are likely to acquit him really want to hear from him. What happens if Donald Trump is acquitted? The likelihood of Mr Trumps acquittal worries some senators, who fear the consequences for the country. Some have floated the possibility of censuring Mr Trump after the trial to ensure that he is punished in some way for the riot. But there also may be another way for Congress to bar Mr Trump from holding future office. Expand Close A flag hangs between broken windows after a violent mob broke through police barriers outside the US Capitol (John Minchillo/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A flag hangs between broken windows after a violent mob broke through police barriers outside the US Capitol (John Minchillo/AP) In an opinion piece published last month in The Washington Post, Yale law professor Bruce Ackerman and Indiana University law professor Gerard Magliocca suggested Congress could turn to a provision of the 14th Amendment that is aimed at preventing people from holding federal office if they are deemed to have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution. The professors wrote that if a majority vote of both Houses agree that Mr Trump engaged in an act of insurrection or rebellion, then he would be barred from running for the White House again. Only a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress in the future could undo that result. by Thomas Han Cardinal Andrea Yeom Soo-jung presided over the ordinations, confirming the local Churchs commitment to support vocations to the priesthood. One of the new priests is a missionary bound for Latin America. Seoul (AsiaNews) Card Andrew Yeom Soo-jung presided over the priestly ordination of 20 new priests in Myeongdong Cathedral last Friday. Mindful of COVID-19 regulations, only the parents and parish priests of the new priests attended the service, together with the auxiliary bishops and some other concelebrants. The ordinations confirmed the springtime of vocations that the South Korean Church is experiencing. In thanking God for this gift, Cardinal Yeom said in his homily that he wanted to continue to further promote and encourage openness to the priestly calling. The cardinal, who is Archbishop of Seoul, extended a special thanks to the parents of the new priests, for their willingness to support their sons in their vocation to serve the Church. One of the 20 new priests belongs to the Seoul International Catholic Missionary Society, a missionary congregation founded by the Archdiocese in 2005 to send missionaries to Latin America. Two others were trained at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, which was set up in the South Korean capital in 2014 by the Neocatechumenal Way. One of the new priest comes from Rome (Italy), 39-year-old Fr Fabiano Rebeggiani, who trained in Seoul. The celebration of priestly ordinations provided the Archdiocese with an opportunity to greet two leading figures present as concelebrants: Mgr Seo Sang-Bum, former parish priest of Daechi-dong, recently appointed military ordinary, and Mgr Mario Codamo, charge d'affaires of the nunciature in South Korea, who will soon transfer to Romania to take up a new post. In thanking the Church of South Korea, in particular Cardinal Yeom for his pastoral dedication, Mgr Codamo expressed admiration for the missionary commitment of the Archdiocese of Seoul. 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 I predicted, things were not going to go so smoothly for the National Rifle Association in bankruptcy. Today, the Hon. Phillip Journey, a Kansas state judge who was recently elected to the NRA's board of directors, filed an examiner motion in the case. There are some bombshells in Judge Journey's motion, including that the NRA board was never informed of the bankruptcy filing or the creation of the venue-hook subsidiary! That cause me to go back and look at the NRA's bankruptcy petition. There's no board authorization of the filing attached! Instead, there's an authorization by the NRA's special litigation committee. The special litigation committee's purported authority to file the NRA for bankruptcy is language in its enabling resolution about undertaking actions to "reorganize or restructure the affairs of the Association". Is that a grant of authority for a chapter 11 filing? I'm skeptical. I would have expected express language about filing "for bankruptcy under title 11 of the United States Code" or the like. "Reorganize or restructure the affairs" could include a lot of things other than bankruptcy, and given the importance of bankruptcy for corporate governance, this doesn't seem like the sort of power to be given by implication. Cut out everything extra. Adding more tasks, even self-care, to your to-do list is not a panacea for burnout. In some cases, it may in fact be a recipe for a higher mental load the invisible labor that goes along with managing a household and even more guilt when you feel that you failed. I often tell my patients that the true work of self-care is recognizing you are the only one who can give yourself permission to take back your time and energy. This may mean having hard conversations with your partner (if you have one), family members and employer about what tasks are realistic right now, and which items will have to wait (or go by the wayside). Watch how you talk to yourself. It is not uncommon for my patients to say things like, I should be doing more. Its one way that women have internalized a culture that demands they bear the brunt of caregiving while simultaneously devaluing that job. When it comes to dealing with such widespread social betrayal, talking to yourself with kindness helps you remember that you are not to blame for this mess. For example, instead of berating yourself for ordering takeout meals three nights in a row, try saying something like, My home feels chaotic because the world is chaotic, not because Im a bad mom. Remind yourself that perfection and order are not the goals compassion and flexibility are. Invest the little time you have in what feeds you. Lucia Ciciolla, a researcher and assistant professor of psychology at Oklahoma State University, has found that there are four important factors that align with well-being for moms: satisfaction with friendships, authenticity, feeling seen and loved, and feeling comforted. The quality of our relationships is correlated with emotional health and satisfaction in life, Dr. Ciciolla says. Nurturing authenticity in life partnerships, friendships and family ties can lessen the intensity of burnout. Channel your rage proactively. While it sometimes feels like just another burden to speak up or push for support at work, making your frustration known can help you feel better. Dr. Kali Cyrus, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recommends taking the leap if you can. The fear of hurting someones feelings, bothering them, or getting in trouble pales in comparison to the piece of you that is lost when you dont do it, she said. So take one small action at a time. That could mean suggesting that a Zoom meeting be changed to a quick phone call, or inquiring about how performance reviews will account for the demands of parenting in the pandemic. Lashing out at the Centre for extending the deadline for framing the rules on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra on Monday, questioned the Centre's commitment towards 'those persecuted in the neighbouring countries'. Alleging that the passage of CAA had thrown millions of Indians into insecurity, she said that the ruled had not been framed as of December 2020. The CAA was passed by the Parliament in December 2019, which led to nationwide protests demanding a repeal. MHA informs Parliament 'CAA rules are being framed'; deadline extended till July 2021 TMC: 'Why no framing of CAA guidelines?' Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019 in this House on the pretext of granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus & other minorities in neighbouring countries: Mahua Moitra, TMC MP in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/bblPdpjvoH ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 PM Modi slams 'Andolan Jeevis' & hails Sikhs; warns of FDI - Foreign Destructive Ideology CAA rules being framed: MHA On February 2, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha that the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act were being framed. The Act which has come into force on January 10, 2020, is yet to be widely used as the Centre is yet to frame the rules for the contentious law. Rai informed that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted an extension of time up to 9 April and 9 July 2021, respectively to frame these rules. Recently, Home Minister Amit Shah had said rules of CAA are yet to be framed and the law will be acted upon after COVID vaccination is completed. Recently in January, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) took out torchlight processions as a mark of protest against the CAA ahead of PM Modi's visit to Guwahati. police barricaded the AASU headquarters ''Swahid Bhawan'' and did not allow the protesters to move out with torchlights, but the students'' body staged their protest behind the barriers. Several protesters shouted slogans against Modi, Shah and Sonowal and demanded that the CAA and EIA be repealed along with the implementation of the report of the Clause Six Committee. Assam witnessed massive protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR after the Centre passed the Citizenship Amendment Act. Assamese people fear a massive inrush of migrants which will threaten their indigenous culture - violating the Assam accords. The BJP is yet to convince the state subjects of the merits of CAA, after the disastrous NRC drive which resulted in the exclusion of 19 lakh citizens. Rajnath Singh appeals Lok Sabha to debate, not break decorum; Oppn demands farm debate What is the CAA? The Citizenship (Amendment) Act amends the previous Citizenship Act 1955 to make refugees who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship. Moreover, the Bill exempts the inner line permit areas in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and areas falling under the Sixth Schedule in the regions. It will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. The Supreme Court is yet to hear the 150 pleas challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), after it refused to stay its implementation. Congress' Adhir Ranjan defends Greta Thunberg, says Sachin-Lata 'misled' by Centre The origins of Black history month in the United States can be traced to 1926 when Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson suggested a week in February be set aside to acknowledge African Americans central role in the formation of the country. The week was selected to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, a former slave famous for his antislavery oratory and writing. Fifty years later, President Gerald Ford took it a step further by proclaiming February Black History Month to honor the neglected accomplishments of African Americans. Since 1976, every American president has made the same designation, endorsing a specific theme for each February. Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity is the 2021 theme. Both the tradition and theme have special meaning for Alia Casborne, who for the past 10 years has been the city of Mandevilles director of cultural development and events. A longtime history buff, Casbornes job gives her the opportunity to highlight contributions Black people made to the north shore communitys history. Casborne notes that titanic figures such as Douglass and Martin Luther King are well known for their accomplishments, but many everyday African Americans also deserve recognition for contributions that often fly under the radar. I just love that Black History Month has become for the general public more than just MLK and the few people that you hear about, said Casborne, a New Orleans native who graduated from Warren Easton High School and Xavier University. People are actually realizing that theres a rich history involving all African Americans and it extends to many places and many people. Her uncle, New Orleans barber Walter Kelly, is one of those people. He marched with Martin Luther King and had a picture of the two of them in his barbershop. Casborne and her husband live in Mandeville and are the parents of two daughters, both Tulane University graduates. After graduating from Xavier with a degree in business administration and marketing, Casborne spent the first part of her career working for BellSouth Corporation, first in Birmingham, Alabama then in Lafayette. After eight years in corporate marketing in New Orleans, she took the cultural development job in Mandeville in 2010. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up I was hired to create and promote a cultural calendar of events, Casborne said. The idea was to give people things to do in their own backyard and to add to the quality of life here. Its a lot of fun and extremely rewarding. As a result, the city now boasts a series of free concerts at the Mandeville Trailhead, an annual Louisiana Philharmonic concert on the lakefront, a July 4 fireworks show, a farmers market on Saturdays as well as other events. Casbornes job allows her to shine the spotlight on many overshadowed contributions that Black citizens made to the history of Mandeville, which currently has an African American population of about 3%. For instance, Casborne serves as a liaison for the historic Dew Drop Inn, a rustic Jazz Hall in Old Mandeville. Built around 1895, it is an outgrowth of the Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Association, a civic-minded group of African Americans who cared for the sick and provided food, housing and funeral arrangements during a time when Black residents could not buy insurance or find support elsewhere. The association constructed the building to serve as its base. Shortly after it was built, New Orleans Jazz pioneers such as Buck Henry and Kid Ory crossed Lake Pontchartrain to perform there, they found receptive black audiences for spirited Saturday night dances. Billed as the oldest unaltered rural jazz hall in the world, the Dew Drop continues to host musicians from around the world who get a dose of Black history when they perform. Black people built that place as a way to support one another, Casborne said. The nearby Rubys Roadhouse is said to have been built in the early 1900s by African American lumberjacks who were not allowed in other area clubs. It was called Bucks Brown Derby before desegregation allowed it to morph into a neighborhood bar and music venue that has staged artists like Anders Osborne, the Radiators, Maria Muldaur, The Boogie Men, Rockin Dopsie and so many other local favorites. Segments of the television series "Treme" were filmed at Rubys. Both Rubys and the Dew Drop are part of a historic marker tour that Casborne created to highlight historical places in the city. So for me, African American history is every day, she said. I think not just about the popular people and the grand things that they did. I think about my ancestors and the things that theyve done, along with the people who were instrumental in building the Dew Drop. Those things are worth celebrating, along with the larger things. U.S. Rep. John Katko voted on Friday for legislation that will increase federal investment in apprenticeship programs. The House passed the National Apprenticeship Act, which is expected to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities. It includes $400 million for apprenticeship programs in the 2022 fiscal year, with $100 million increases every year through the 2026 fiscal year. Over a five-year period, funding for state apprenticeship agencies will increase from $75 million in 2022 to $115 million in 2016. According to a summary of the bill, the funding will support the creation of registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs. The legislation also encourages employers to recruit apprentices who face employment barriers, such as individuals with past criminal records and people with disabilities. The measure contains other provisions related to regulations and standards for apprenticeships, including ensuring that there is equal opportunity for participation in the national programs. It also codifies into law the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship, which will aim to increase participation in apprenticeship programs and work with industries to expand apprenticeship opportunities. Squelching through a field full of enormous pregnant sows some of which have become alarmingly over-friendly Norfolk pig-farmer Rob Mutimer endeavours to ease my trepidation. Dont worry, theyre very placid, he says, adding with a mischievous grin: Except for the 24 hours after theyve given birth, when they turn into complete psychopaths. Seconds later, something hits my knees with the force of a ten-tonne truck, almost sending me sprawling in the mud. A 35 st porker has sneaked up behind me and is using my legs to rub herself down. Some light amusement on my visit last week to Mr Mutimers family farm at Swannington, ten miles north of Norwich, whose bucolic scenery, enhanced by a 13th-century church, once featured in a Waitrose TV advertisement. Such moments of levity are to be seized on, because running one of Britains 10,000 pig farms these days isnt a barrel of fun. From the Yorkshire Dales to the flatlands of East Anglia, where much of our pork is produced (with an annual net market value of 1.3 billion), life for pig farmers has become an interminable Groundhog Day. A grim struggle just for survival. Nigel Mutimer with his sows - just three of the 100,000 pigs languishing in farms across Britain as part of a vast backlog which has grown due to the increased bureaucracy since Brexit The bleak mood is reflected in a soon-to-be-published poll by the National Pig Association (NPA), of which Mr Mutimer is vice-chairman. It will reveal that 15 per cent of members are so disenchanted with the industry that they are considering selling up. There is similar disillusionment in the firms that transport their livestock, roughly half of which, worth 610 million, is exported. So what is causing this slough of despond? The grunts and oinks of 30 over-fattened sows, lolloping around in a huge shed behind the field, provide a fitting sound effect to Mr Mutimers explanation. Had the system been running smoothly, he tells me, the sows we can hear having delivered their allotted half-dozen litters would have been taken for slaughter on the day I was there last week. Their carcasses would then have been shipped from Felixstowe to Rotterdam, and within a day of arriving at the Dutch port the prime cuts would have been butchered for shops and restaurants across Europe. Cheaper components would have satisfied Germanys insatiable appetite for sausages such as bratwurst and salami, while trotters, ears and heads would have gone to Africa and Asia, where no part of the pig is wasted. (In China, which has surpassed Europe as our biggest pork export market following an outbreak of swine fever which decimated domestic herds, even a boars penis is considered a delicacy). Pig farmer Nigel Mutimer says that while some pork goes out via French ports, it is largely sent through Dutch ports where border officials can be much worse when it comes to paperwork That day, however, the lorry would not be coming as planned to collect Mr Mutimers 30 sows. They may not be fetched by the slaughterhouse, in Suffolk, before March. They are among a vast back-log of more than 100,000 unsold pigs now languishing in limbo on farms across Britain. For in the first three weeks of January, we sent not a solitary sausage across the Channel. Why? Bureaucracy, replies Mr Mutimer caustically, echoing the word our fish merchants spat out repeatedly a fortnight ago, when I reported the deliberate obstructions they are encountering at French customs. This time, however, petty-minded border officials at Calais and Dunkirk are not the arch-villains. The pork industrys ire is aimed squarely at the Dutch authorities, whose po-faced intransigence when enforcing the pettiest EU customs and health regulations can make the French seem almost obliging by comparison. In some ways, in fact, our pork producers plight and indeed that of our beef and lamb exporters is even worse than that of our fish firms. Each consignment of fish we sell into Europe must be accompanied by 42 pages of documentation. But when it comes to cattle, sheep and pigs, separate parts of which go to various countries, that number rises to a dizzying 72! Dutch customs officers can be seen confiscating dozens of sandwiches and packets of meat from people arriving via ferry from the United Kingdom at Hoek van Holland, the Netherlands Yes, you read that correctly. Thats 72 separate sheets of A4 paper, each one a minefield of incomprehensible appendices, sub-sections and Brussels-concocted gobbledegook, for every refrigerated truckload. Before Brexit, these wagons were required to carry just two documents which took a couple of minutes to complete: a goods consignment docket known as a CMR, and a delivery note. Seldom were they checked. The voluminous wad they now need occupies admin staff and veterinary surgeons for hours. It is so fiendishly complex that Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, sent me a slideshow presentation of the new system because it was too difficult to explain verbally even for an expert like him. Customs officials at Rotterdam are well aware how easily small mistakes can be made when filling in these forms which must be completed in ballpoint pen because, astonishingly, the system still hasnt been digitalised. Yet they are only too willing to delay tonnes of fresh meat until it nears the end of its shelf-life, or even send it back to Britain if the wrong colour ink is used to cross out an inapplicable clause, or a signature is misplaced. The lorry driver turns up at the port with this great big wedge of paper and the Dutch authorities will spend hours poring over it, says Mr Mutimer, 47, who lives on the farm his father founded, with wife Helen and two daughters. Theres a lot of one-upmanship after Brexit, so theyll do far more checks on our products than on exports from New Zealand or anywhere else. Rotterdam is the biggest port for pork, but some goes into France. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and handles nearly 15million containers a year The Dutch are worse than the French, if anything. Remember that it was the Dutch who took that ham sandwich off a British lorry driver . . . (Indeed, who could forget that symbolic act of post-Brexit disdain which made international headlines?) Honestly, just try dealing with the Dutch! They are polite to your face but theres no compromising at all. They are just taking everything by the letter of the law. They will go through everything with a fine-tooth comb, which is totally disproportionate when they have let all this go through without any paperwork for the last 30 years. From the stories that filter back to him from despairing lorry drivers, Nick Allen concurs. The Dutch have actually been the toughest of the lot to crack. They have been more pedantic than anyone, he tells me. The French have picked up things, but very often theyve been relatively helpful in explaining to people what theyve done wrong. It has been a lot tougher [for exporters] going the Dutch route [into Europe]. Some of it could be the basic feeling of wanting to make a point. Mr Allen recalls an unedifying wrangle that arose last month, when a British lorry carrying tonnes of pigs heads attempted to pass through Rotterdam. The freight company claimed our Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had led them to believe they didnt need certification that the load had been checked for pork-worm; Dutch officials insisted they did. The resultant delay was so protracted that the heads had to be destroyed. Unable to rely on the arrival of British exports, longstanding European customers threaten to look elsewhere for their sausage-meat and tenderloins. Pictured: the port of Calais, France So why are these Little Netherlanders, who ordinarily pride themselves on their laid-back approach to life, now behaving so vindictively? Could it be, as the Mails columnist Dominic Lawson suggested last week, that their disgruntlement stems from the growing realisation that Britain is better off out of Europe? That their former Prime Minister Mark Rutte was wrong when, following the Brexit vote, he preposterously declared: England has collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically. Certainly that statement has backfired spectacularly in recent days. Holland has been riven by violent civil disorder as anti-lockdown protests triggered by the imposition of the first curfew since World War II have spread. Meanwhile, the Netherlands rollout of the Covid vaccine programme has been lamentably late and slow even by EU standards. As of last Tuesday, it had inoculated just 2.24 people per 100 of the population, one of the lowest percentages in Europe. The UK, with 17.64 jabs per 100 people, is way ahead at the top of the European league table. Whatever the reason for their border games, the malign campaign on the part of the Dutch is strangling every part of the pork industry. Though exports have tentatively resumed, they are running at 40 per cent of the usual volume. Unable to rely on the arrival of British exports, longstanding European customers threaten to look elsewhere for their sausage-meat and tenderloins. All this on top of the pandemic, which has closed restaurants and shops, leaving Europe awash with cheap pork, the price of which has halved from 90p a kilo deadweight to 46p in the past year (unlike that of British lamb and beef, which has actually risen in value since the virus struck because demand still exceeds supply). Taking food from the UK to EU: What are the rules post-Brexit? Since January 1, 2021 - when Britain officially left the EU - rules governing what food can be taken into the EU from the UK have tightened. The EU does not allow for meat, meat products, milk and dairy products for personal consumption to be brought in from countries outside the union. This now includes the UK after Brexit, meaning anyone crossing the Channel will be subject to food confiscations if they do not follow these rules. There is an exemption for powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons, if weighing less than 2 kilograms, and if they meet other criteria. Plants and plant-based products are also now subject to stricter measures. The rules stem from the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease endemic within the EU. 'It is known that dangerous pathogens that cause animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever can reside in meat, milk or their products,' EU guidance reads. 'Therefore, pathogens could be introduced into the EU if personal goods containing meat, milk or their products are sent by post or carried in the baggage of travellers arriving from countries outside the EU, where such pathogens may be circulating.' Advertisement It is just killing us, says Mr Mutimer, a taciturn East Anglian not given to over-dramatising, who has furloughed most of his 26 staff and hears still more despairing stories as vice-chairman of the NPA. But couldnt Britain overcome the problem by becoming self-sufficient in pork, I ask him? After all, because shoppers here will generally eat only certain cuts, such as loins and joints, plus copious amounts of bacon, we import marginally more than we export. Among fish merchants there is much talk of re-educating British palates to enjoy all the species caught in our own waters. Couldnt the same be done for pork? Shooting me a sceptical glance, Mr Mutimer says he has his doubts. The Chinese may enjoy eating pigs ears, but can you imagine them selling in discerning parts of London? Up in North Yorkshire, the NPAs chairman, Richard Lister, shares his deep concerns. He points to the ruinous expense pig farmers must incur to keep thousands of animals trapped by the unworkable system, at a time when the price of the cereals they eat is rising sharply. We got 70 sows away a few days ago, but Ive still got about double that number left here on the farm, he told me. It costs about 10 a week to feed them, so that will add about 1,400 a week to our operating costs for maybe a month, and I wont make any profit at all on these animals. Additionally, Mr Lister has accrued a backlog of some 2,000 slaughter pigs. These are the sows progeny, which are fattened up and sold when their weight reaches somewhere between 83kg and 105kg. Having to keep these smaller pigs is a further financial headache, for if they exceed their specified market weight they lose value. Back in Norfolk, Mr Mutimer, who was also saddled with 2,000 slaughter pigs until a few days before my visit, when he at last shifted 800 (a gruelling task that meant rising at 2am) succinctly explains why: No one wants a spade-sized pork chop on their plate, do they? The NPA is so fearful for the future of the British pork industry that it is calling for a crisis meeting between processors and retailers and Environment Secretary George Eustice. In a letter to Mr Eustice a few days ago, Mr Lister appealed for the Governments help in resolving the crippling cross-border imbroglio. And he pointed to the unfairness of the unreciprocated Brexit deal whereby Britain agreed to grant EU exporters a six-month stay of grace before the strict enforcement of our customs regulations. Most pig processors expect to enter a loss-making situation in the first quarter of 2021, he wrote. The overall picture is now one of enormous disruption to our export supply chain but of minimal problems and relative ease for EU imports to the UK. This imbalance combined with other pressures and Covid-19 is a serious threat to our industry. The NPA says the requested meeting has yet to be scheduled, though they have been offered a hearing with farming under-secretary Victoria Prentis. However, while he praises Whitehall civil servants for trying to unravel the red tape, Nick Allen is not convinced that the Government is really listening. I think theyve put their heads in the sand, says the British meat processors representative. As for Boris Johnsons suggestion that the hold-ups are simply teething problems, Mr Allens members experiences tell him that these are only partly responsible for the snarl-ups. Last weekend, in the latest example of bureaucratic megalomania, a driver carrying British lamb reported being delayed for many hours by an EU customs officer who decreed that the labels must be marked with a zero after the initials GB. On this occasion the jobsworth was in Dunkirk. If trade between Britain and Europe really is to flourish to our mutual benefit, Mr Allen says the entire EU regulatory system must be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. As matters stand, British meat entering Europe must fight through a forest of archaic rules designed 30 or 40 years ago to check imports of deep-frozen produce shipped from the other side of the world, he says. The process is so outdated that it hasnt been adapted for computers. Until Brussels introduces a fully digitalised customs system suitable for the 24/7, just-in-time international trade in fresh meat, the delays and turn-backs will continue long after the so-called teething problems are resolved. Should anyone think he is overstating the size of this waking nightmare, I suggest they swallow an aspirin and look at the diagram he sent to me. This makes the new EU meat export game look like a crazy snakes-and-ladders board. It contains more acronyms than all the episodes of Line Of Duty combined. Take Box 9, which attempts to explain what happens when a lorry of pork rolls off the ferry in a port such as Rotterdam: All goods undergo document inspection and identity checks. The rate of inspection is set by EU rules. BCP/SIVEP may hold goods while checks take place. BCP/SIVEP updates TRACES NT with outcome of inspection and approval by CA is also required prior to release. *If goods do not pass inspection they are subject to special treatment, either re-exported (not necessarily to GB) or destroyed. EU BCPO will alert relevant CA. Want to read more? No, I thought not. Hog-tied by this nonsensical Brussels-speak, is it any wonder that many British pig farmers are seeking easier and more profitable ways of bringing home the bacon? .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX Republicans who control the Arizona Senate fell one vote short on Monday of holding the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt for failing to turn over voting machines and ballots from the November election that lawmakers want to examine as they continue to question President Joe Bidens win in the state. One Republican member joined all 14 Democrats in voting against a contempt resolution. If the measure passed, the five-member board could have been subject to immediate arrest. Republican Sen. Paul Boyer broke ranks, angering his fellow Republicans. He said finding the board in contempt while theres still a chance for a solution was not the right thing to do. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Ive always said, so long as theres hope for both sides to work with one another, I want to do all I can in my limited power to have us work amicably together, Boyer said. We still have time to work together on this. GOP Senate President Karen Fann leaned on Boyer to change his vote, saying that not passing the measure lets the board off the hook. The contempt resolution could be revived if Boyer agrees to back it. Other Republicans blasted Boyer for breaking ranks. Sen. Warren Peterson, who heads the Judiciary Committee and issued the subpoenas that the board is refusing to honor, said it was clear the board was being obstinate. The bottom line is we have made a request, issued a subpoena, and they have given us the finger, Peterson said. They refuse to comply with the subpoena. Thats why theyre in contempt. Thats why they deserve to be found in contempt. The Senate has been trying since mid-December to get access to ballots and other materials so they can do their own audit of the election results. They are prompted in part by the many Republicans who subscribe to unfounded claims that President Joe Biden won Arizona because of problems with vote counting. GOP senators say theyre just trying to boost voter confidence in elections. The board has already turned over a massive amount of data requested by the Senate as it seeks to perform an outside audit of the election that saw former President Donald Trump lose in the state. Some Republicans continue to raise unfounded claims of potential fraud or miscounts, which were rejected by a series of Arizona courts, including the state Supreme Court. On Monday, the board filed for a restraining order and injunction barring the Senate from voting to hold it in contempt while a court considers a request it filed on Friday to quash the subpoena. That court filing says the effort by the Senate is a sham. Supervisor Steve Gallardo, the only Democrat on the board, said hes concerned that backers of former President Donald Trump will take matters into their own hands if the Senate resolution passed. You know, what really concerns is not (Senate sergeant at arms) Joe Kubacki showing up to my door, or even (state police), its the rhetoric of these people online these are the people with zip ties. And I would hope that Karen Fann knows whos she talking to, Gallardo said. Every time she throws something out there, this whole group that was part of this insurrection, thats the audience that shes talking to. Someones going to get hurt if they dont stop this, he said. And Sen. Kelly Townsend, a Mesa Republican, seemed to imply that was likely while talking about her vote. She and other Republicans say theyve been inundated with calls from voters who believe Bidens victory in Arizona was due to fraud or other voting issues. This shouldnt fall into the hands of the public when theyre so lathered up, Townsend said. So public, do what you gotta do. The county board supervisors said in Fridays court filing that while they respect the power of the Legislature to issue subpoenas and have provided much of the information lawmakers seek, it would be illegal to turn over the ballots, and allowing access to voting machines by unqualified personnel would render them useless in future elections. Fann said despite the politicization of the fight between the board and the Senate, her position in the Legislature is helping fulfill its proper oversight role. This is not personal, this is business, Fann said. And they are doing what they feel they need to do and we are doing what we feel we need to do. Refugee welcome and immigration reform are back on the political agenda in North America: In October 2020, Canadian Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino promised to resettle 65,000 people who are seeking asylum to Canada over the next three years, and President-Elect Bidens first post-election promise was to raise the United States ceiling for annual refugee resettlement to 125,000. Its time to return to an old question, for this new moment: what is a Christian response to people-on-the-move? We offer that a biblical ethic of kinship compels and shapes a distinctive Christian welcome of people who are seeking a homea common Biblical theme. An ethic of enfolding and protecting vulnerable people as kin runs through the life-blood of scripture. This model of kinship points to something broader than a family bond; the loyalty of kin is not dependent on blood. An ethic-of-kinship is Scriptures invitation to live in loving solidarity with one another, to bring the weakest among us to the center of our communities. A biblical ethic of kinship enfolds people who are seeking asylum into the protective center of society. Kinship is found in the well-known Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:2537). Answering the lawyers question, Who is my neighbor? Jesus tells the story of a man who was set upon by robbers and left to die. A priest and a Levite each cross to the other side of the road to avoid having to help. In the course of events, it is a Samaritan trader who stops, has pity, treats his wounds with oil and wine, who bandages him, puts the man on his own donkey, and pays for his convalescence. Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man? Jesus asks. In Jesus world, neighbor was a kinship term. To put Jesus question another way: Who treated this guy like family? A Samaritan did. But the lawyer cant even bring himself to say the word: The one who had mercy on him, the lawyer mumbles begrudgingly. Samaritans were headed for hell, outside of the covenant of Godor so some thought. We will return to the Samaritan in a moment, but don't miss the response of the priest and the Levite. In crossing the road, they were probably avoiding the contagion of a half-dead body, according to the religious standards of the day. Some of Jesus listeners would have nodded with approval at their good sense, even admiring their piety in crossing the road. Avoiding the half-dead wasnt so foolish, according to the mores of first century Judaism (or segments thereof). But lets come to the present day for a moment: These sorts of priests and Levites are still around. And they appear sensible enough, as they call us to cross the road. The text of a 2019 Bible study on immigration written for the Trump administrations White House Cabinet Bible study group and for members of US Congress argues for the inherent responsibility of a government to advance the country, meaning its leaders will want to enact immigration policies that only allow people into the country who can advance it, not detract from it. Sensible enough, perhaps? And yet how does this claim fare in light of Jesus call to kinship? The parable demonstrates the tender, welcoming way of Jesusan ethic of enfolding vulnerable outsiders as our kinsfolk. But the tale is multi-layered. An outsider, an impure Samaritan, exemplifies the welcoming way of Jesus. Through the figure of the Samaritan, the parable not only demonstrates the tenderness of the kingdom of God, but it also turns the self-assumed piety of Jesus audience on its head. Self-interested tribalism has no place in the kingdom of God, no matter how religious one might appear. The point here is that the priest and the Levite go out of their way to avoid helping. This brings to mind expensive border walls. It reminds us of Australian off-shore detention facilities that cost four million dollars per (refugee) inmate this year. Western nations all too often assume the roles of the priest and the Levite. And yet, Western nations might put themselves in the shoes of another character, as well: the robbers. Think of the unjust trade policies, wars, arms sales, and disproportionately large contributions to global warming promulgated by Western nations. This sort of behavior leaves vulnerable economies around the world lying half-dead, and it produces the mass displacement of people we then work so hard to keep out. We pursue this theme in more detail in our book Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics. This biblical ethic of kinship is powerful and could transform the worlds response to mass displacement. On the ten-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the global community to move toward a stronger sense of global kinship. Annans appeal reflects this biblical ethic of kinship that we see in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The good Samaritan treated the dying man as one would treat family. Jesus parable echoes Old Testament passages that call Gods people both to love your neighbor as yourself and also to love the stranger as yourself (Lev 19:18, 3334). Again, love, in this passage, is a kinship term. We are to enfold the strangerthose who are seeking a homeas our kindred. The world is increasingly mobile. Human migration will not go away just because we build walls. We have a choice in this moment of change to determine again the posture we wish to embody, the kinds of communities we want to cultivate, and the actions we can take to build global kinship in the face of so much violence and harm, at our hands and at the hands of others. Will it cost us? The Samaritan provided for the injured man out of his own means. Will it demand changes? During COVID, our societies have demonstrated an enormous capacity for change and innovation. We can upend normal life overnight, when we have a clear vision of the end goal. But responding to this call is not a matter of mere human desireit is a matter of repentance and of spiritual transformation. Recognition and acceptance of the Biblical call to kinship should prompt us to repent of our own participation in the harm done to people globally. It can lead us to open wide our imaginations to how our own Christian communities can embody the loving embrace of Jesus and how we can call upon our societies to do the same. It can lead us to embrace our own vulnerabilities as we enfold one another, helping us to joyfully grasp new opportunities for mutual transformation. Dr. Mark R Glanville has authored Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Ethics in Global Politics. Co-written with Luke Glanville (IVP, February 2021). He is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, and an Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) scholar. Marks recent scholarship explores dynamics of kinship and ethics in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). Mark pastored for 14 years in urban, justice-seeking churches. Luke Glanville is associate professor of international relations at Australian National University and the author of Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics (with Mark R. Glanville) and Sharing Responsibility: The History and Future of Protection from Atrocities. Four persons are assisting the Accra Regional Police Command (ARPC) over the murder of one Osei Owusu, 32. The suspects, namely: Ben Darko 68, James Sarpong 67, Asante Bright 31and Sika Kwaku Victor 18, have been transferred to the Amasaman Divisional Police Command to assist in investigations. However, one Opanin Asane Kwame, 64 years, who is alleged to be the owner of the two Pump Action guns was also arrested. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, Head of Public Affairs Unit of the ARPC, briefing the Ghana News Agency, said the suspects were likely to face murder as well as possession of firearm and ammunitions without lawful authority charges after investigations. She said on February 07, 2021 at about 1120 hours, information was received from the National Police Control Room, Accra about a shooting incident at Menpemehoasem near Obodan in the Eastern Region, leading to the death of some persons. DSP Tenge said upon receipt of the information, the Amasaman Commander Gabriel Hiamade, led Divisional Patrol teams to the scene. The Abusuapanin of Odumase community, Kofi Akotia, was met and it was gathered that about two weeks ago the Chief of Aburi, Nana Gyan Kwasi engaged the said Kofi Akotia to ensure that clear boundary demarcations are created to separate lands between Mempemehuasem and Odumasi since both communities fall under his control, she added. The Head of Public Affairs Unit said the boundary demarcation exercise commenced last week without informing the Adjen Kotoku police which jurisdiction the area fell under. DSP Tenge said on the same day, at about 0845 hours, the Abusuapanin Kofi Akotia and his youth got a hint that some people were grading Mempemehuasem lands. They also mobilized and proceeded to the place but the people doing the grading quickly left the scene with their machines on seeing Akotia and his people approaching. Whilst Abusuapanin Akotia and his team were returning home, the youth of Odumasi numbering about eight, with two of them holding Pump Action guns, confronted them on the way and verbal exchanges ensued, DSP Tenge explained. She said they opened fire on Akotia and his men, inflicting serious injury on Owusu who later died at Nsawam Government Hospital whilst receiving medical attention. The Divisional commander and his team had spoken to the factions to remain calm and assist police to go into the matter. Meanwhile a Patrol team is currently in the town monitoring the situation. Arrangements are being made to transfer the body of Owusu to the Police Hospital Morgue for preservation and autopsy, she said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Food banks have played an essential role in the distribution of emergency food relief throughout the United States for more than 50 years. They have been more visible than ever before during the pandemic, with many organizing large drive-through pantries, where people line up in vehicles to receive boxes of food from mask-clad staff and volunteers. This uptick in demand for their services is happening as an estimated 1 in 6 adults and 1 in 4 children are experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic rates that are about 50 percent higher than before the coronavirus outbreak. Food banks are getting a boost from the relief packages that Congress approved in 2020 and huge donations from some of the richest Americans. But, based on our research regarding food banks, were concerned that they still need more support to help everyone who cant get enough to eat. An innovation from the 1960s John van Hengel, a devout Catholic who was deeply concerned about hunger, created what is widely considered to be the first food bank to efficiently distribute unmarketable food to people who otherwise might not get enough to eat when he opened the St. Marys Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1967. Van Hengel went on to establish a national umbrella group of food banks and food pantries initially called Second Harvest, which was later renamed Feeding America. Today, its the nations largest hunger relief organization, with a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries. Food banks collect food through local and national partnerships and distribute it to people facing economic hardship. Historically, food banks collected surplus food from suppliers and distributors. Unfortunately, this also included nutritionally low-quality foods, even including soda and candy. In recent years, new policies and practices food banks embrace have helped ensure that food pantries regularly distribute healthier food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to shelf-stable items like canned soup and beans or bags of dried pasta. In 2001, 2.8 percent of U.S. households obtained food from a food pantry at least once. By 2014, that share had doubled to 5.5 percent. The increased reliance on food banks is directly related to the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, the sharp economic downturn spurred by a mortgage and financial crisis. The Great Recession not only increased U.S. rates of poverty and food insecurity. It marked the first time that food insecurity rates exceeded poverty rates. This indicates that more middle-class Americans are now struggling with food security a problem that appears to be deepening today. Unable to help everyone who needs a hand U.S. food banks provided the equivalent of 4.2 billion meals between March and November 2020. At least 80 percent of them are supporting more people than they did before the pandemic. Many people who have never visited a food bank before are relying on them now. For example, 4 in 10 people visiting food banks between March and June 2020 were first-time users, a number that will likely climb before the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and the economy improves. While food banks have made progress on the task of feeding the millions of Americans who struggle to get enough to eat, they will fall short by an estimated 6-8 billion meals in 2021, leaving many people food-insecure. Other efforts to address food insecurity Aside from the establishment of large food pantries, there are other efforts underway to help the massive growth in U.S. food insecurity. These include scaled-up mobile food pantries, home food delivery programs, school-based food pantries and apps that help people make the most of the sometimes unfamiliar produce they may get from food pantries with recipes and cooking tips. A growing number of food banks are partnering with social service and health care providers, insurance companies, universities and businesses to provide an array of support for people who are experiencing food insecurity. This includes transporting people to food pantries and helping them enroll in federal and state food assistance programs as well as food prescription programs, health promotion and disease prevention programs, and job training. Given that food insecurity is rooted in social, economic and political inequities, we believe that these multi-pronged approaches are essential for alleviating hunger in America. Himmelgreen is a professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida. Heuer is a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology and public health education at the University of South Florida. This essay was first published in The Conversation. The Watchdog: At the Texas Capitol, 1,000 new air cleaning units are installed to fight the coronavirus IQALUIT, Nunavut - Flights have been grounded and most operations suspended at an open-pit iron ore mine on Nunavut's Baffin Island as protesters upset about its expansion plan continue to block the site's road and air strip. The Mary River mine sits about 150 kilometres south of Pond Inlet, Nunavut as shown in this undated handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.*MANDATORY CREDIT* IQALUIT, Nunavut - Flights have been grounded and most operations suspended at an open-pit iron ore mine on Nunavut's Baffin Island as protesters upset about its expansion plan continue to block the site's road and air strip. Hunters from Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet set up the blockade last Thursday, after travelling two days by snowmobile to get to Baffinland's Mary River mine. The mine, which is about 150 kilometres south of Pond Inlet, works on a rotating schedule, with employees flying in and out every few weeks. The company said there are 700 workers currently at the site. "Food and supply flights have been suspended, as well as employee and contractor transfers, search and rescue flights, and other North Baffin air traffic support services provided by the Mary River airstrip," Baffinland said in a statement Monday. The company said it has had numerous meetings with organizers at the blockade and in Pond Inlet. It also said it has asked the hunters to "relocate off the airstrip and allow runway maintenance to take place and flights to resume. "So far these discussions have not yielded any progress," Baffinland said. The hunters said they set up the blockade because their voices aren't being heard at environmental hearings on the mine's proposed expansion. The expansion, if approved, would double its iron ore output to 12 million tonnes and build a 110-kilometre railway from the mine to the ocean to transport it. The railway would be the first in Nunavut and the most northern one in Canada. Some hunters and community members in the North Baffin region have also said they worry the mining company is moving too fast and not properly considering the effects an expansion would have on wildlife, including narwhal and caribou. The protest group stationed at the air strip and mining road has grown to include 15 hunters. Rallies in support of the hunters also took place across Nunavut on Monday. In Iqaluit, where the temperature hovered around an unusually warm 3 C, a group of about a dozen people gathered outside the elders' centre. Abraham Kublu, who grew up in Pond Inlet and sat on its hamlet council for 17 hears, held a sign in Inuktitut that said Baffinland is rushing its expansion. "We should be respecting our land. For so many years, the community of Pond Inlet has been raising a lot of concerns," Kublu said. Kublu said he believes Baffinland doesn't have enough information about how the mine's expansion would affect wildlife on the north side of Baffin Island. In Taloyoak, in western Nunavut, protesters gathered carrying cardoard signs, with some reading, "We support Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay" and "No to Baffinland." In Pond Inlet on Friday and Saturday, when the temperature was about -38 C, protesters gathered outside the community hall while hearings on the mine's proposed expansion took place. Among the concerns are that caribou will not be able to cross the proposed railway and increased ship traffic will drive away marine mammals. The mines shipping port in Milne Inlet opens onto narwhal habitat and lies within Tallurutiup Imanga, a national marine conservation area. The proposed expansion would see 176 ships travel in and out of Milne Inlet each year. If they start doing 12 million tonnes a year, our marine mammals will be completely extinguished in our area," Inuarak said. Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, Nunavut's member of Parliament, said in a statement her office has reached out to federal Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O'Regan "to attempt to mediate the situation at Mary River." "The ongoing protests are about encouraging continued consultations and dialogue. I look forward to Baffinland, the minister and community members being able to sit back at the table and discuss how to move forward in everyone's best interests," Qaqqaq said. Baffinland has said its expansion plans will include mitigation measures to protect wildlife, such as caribou crossings on the railway and reduced ship speeds to minimize disturbances to marine life. The company has also signed a benefit agreement worth $1 billion over the life of the mine with the Qikitani Inuit Association, the regional Inuit organization that represents the affected communities. The agreement will only take effect if the expansion is approved. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. A round-up of some of the big share price moves in London on Monday Yourgene Health PLC ( ), the diagnotics group, has sent its shares 8% to 12.05p lower in afternoon trading, with the warning that while trading in the second half was better than the first, full-year sales will be below market estimates. The company said it made around 4mln from coronavirus testing, including through the UK's Fit to Fly and Test to Release schemes, but this was crimped by restrictions on domestic and international travel. Along with its network of partners, the company said it was "primed" for the reopening of the UK economy and international travel markets, with an expanded testing capacity in Manchester facility that is currently only operating at around 25%, around half the volume seen in December, with testing partners experiencing similar volume reductions. ( ) was another faller, down 10% to 57.4p, after revealing that annual sales and profits fell more sharply than expected as coronavirus affected costs and its contract income business. Five significant land sales, which were at an advanced stage of documentation with solicitors, were also aborted due to the disruption from the virus, the southern England housebuilder said. Inland also said that chairman Terry Roydon will step down after fourteen years on the board. Falling even further was BSD Crown Ltd (LON:BSD), the Israeli food importer, after its controlling shareholders offered to buy up the remaining shares in the company at 30p apiece. The trouble is, the shares were trading at 44.6p at the close on Friday. Having obtained professional economic advice the companys audit committee has approved the proposed purchase price, subject to reaching a definitive agreement between the parties. Investors did not approve, with the shares dragging their heels down 18% to 34p. Noon: French Connection keeps rising as Mike Ashley's Frasers sells stake PLC ( ) shares have risen again after Mike Ashleys ( ) sold its 24.93% stake. French Connection on Friday revealed it had been approached with possible offers by two separate parties. Ashley, who has a history of taking strategic stakes in fellow retail companies, first built up a stake in 2017 with the shares trading above 30p, and with the price having recovered from last years lows below 4p on the bid news, he has clearly taken the opportunity to cut his losses. 10.29am: Abingdon Health tumbles after newspaper splashes government contract failings ( ) shares have tumbled 16% to 88p after a Daily Mail article highlighted how the government ignored legal advice to give failing company a huge Covid test contract leaving taxpayers with 87mln bill when tests didn't work. The maker of rapid antibody tests, which floated on AIM in December, put out a statement referring to its previous statements, having said last month that it had received an order for 1mln tests out of an initial framework agreement for 10mln coronavirus tests, which had been delivered on January 8. It said that, as noted previously, this contract will expire on February 14 and confirmed that no further orders beyond the initial 1mln tests were expected to be placed under that government contract after it had failed to gain approval from the medicines regulator for home use of those tests. Judicial review proceedings have been independently brought against the government over the contract award. READ: flies higher after being targeted by private equity group Group PLC ( ) shares shot 28% higher to 295p in early trading on Monday after the debt purchasing group was targeted by an all-cash bid from private equity firm TDR Capital. TDR, which is also part of the consortium that has just taken over Asda, said that after three approaches had been rejected it has made a fourth approach to Arrow regarding a possible offer priced at 305p per share. Intriguingly, while Arrow has not yet commented on the bid, founder Zachary Lewy, who is also the groups chief Investment officer, has confirmed in a binding letter his support for the proposal, though he holds only 0.3% of the shares. Meanwhile, ( ) was also on the rise again after it confirmed that it is working on significantly scaling up production of its lateral flow tests at its facility in Alva, Scotland. The AIM-listed company said it will notify investors when it wins any contracts or supply agreements to utilise this extra capacity. Shares in Omega, which hit an all-time high last autumn before halving later in the year when encouraging vaccine news emerged, added 22% to their recent gains at 85p this morning. Proactive news headlines: ( ) told investors that the WR-38Z and WR-16aZ wells at the West Rustavi field have been brought back online safely, with oil and gas now flowing into the fields Early Production Facility (EPF). ( ) clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck KGaA, and Inc. As part of the tie-up, 4D pharma will start a clinical trial this year BAVENCIO, a drug for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma developed by Merck and , in combination with 4Ds MRx0518. PLC ( ) is to increase the production capacity of the first module at its Vatomina graphite project in Madagascar to 9,000 tonnes per year. The upgrade comes in the wake of increased demand for Tirupatis high-quality flake graphite. It will also result in an increase to near-term cash flows from operations. ( ) ( ) said its liquid biopsy was integral to a study assessing the progression non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer and understanding why the disease may become resistant to a particular line of treatment. ( ) has confirmed expectations from a November update that its earnings will more than double in 2020. In a brief trading update for the year to December 31, the conference call and remote meeting technology specialist said earnings (EBITDA) are expected to be around 15.3mln, up from 6.4mln in 2019, while revenues are forecast to rise to around 50.2mln from 42.5mln. Learning Technologies Group PLC ( ) said it has acquired PDT Global, a UK-based provider online of diversity & inclusion (D&I) training solutions, for an initial cash sum of 13.2mln. Pan African Resources ( ) has advised shareholders of that it expects headline earnings per share to be between US$0.0205 and US$0.0217 when it reports its interim results for the period to end December on 16 February 2021. The increases earnings and headline earnings that the company is expecting to report come as a result of a boost to gold revenues to US$183.8mln, up from US$132mln in 2019. The average gold price received increased by 27.4% to US$1,865 per ounce, as the company sold more gold overall. Seeing Machines Limited ( ) said its driver monitoring system (DMS) software, a key enabler to the General Motors Super Cruise driver assistance feature, is now available in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. ( ) has released drill results from definition and step-out drilling at the Minto mine conducted during 2019 and 2020. Drilling was conducted on the Minto North II, Copper Keel South, Copper Keel West, and Copper Keel North areas. Highlights included 38.9 metres grading 1.66% copper and 0.51grams per tonne gold, 15.75 metres grading 1.44% copper and 0.35 grams per tonne, and 21.6 metres grading 1.16% copper and 0.64 grams. ( ) has appointed Dr Michael Rendall as its new chief engineer and product officer starting next month. Rendall was previously head of engineering and industrialisation for the consumer electronics product group Dyson, where he led its battery and energy storage programmes. Prior to that Rendall had worked on prototypes for the conversion of ammonia into electricity, a technology being developed by AFC, when he worked at Diverse Energy which was a pioneer in the use of fuel cells as a self-contained power source. ( ) ( ) said a softer market for coal has resulted in a lower portfolio contribution, although the drop is also set against the context of a record year in 2019. The 2020 portfolio contribution rebounded strongly in the final quarter as commodity markets started to recover, particularly iron ore and copper which rallied during the second half of 2020 and coking coal prices which continue to recover in 2021, currently trading at around US$156 per tonne. s ( ) partner in the Algoa-Gamtoos license, offshore South Africa, has provided a new prospective resource estimate which details the potential for some 5.27bn barrels of oil to be present. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the new estimates are triggered by the reprocessing of 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic data which improved the image quality, improved confidence, and identified new targets. Altogether, the new estimates have increased prospective resources by 54%. ( ), the commercial passenger aircraft leasing company said it has entered into a new lease for an ATR72-600 for delivery from the factory in Toulouse. Delivery to an existing Asian client airline is expected to occur on or around the 10 March 2021. he lease is for eight years and is at current market rates. The aircraft was previously purchased into inventory in December 2019. In a statement, Jeff Chatfield, executive chairman of Avation, said: "We anticipate that on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that regional travel will improve extremely rapidly, and that ATR aircraft represents the ideal solution for short duration sub 100 seat routes". (LON:AUZ) the AIM-listed exploration and development company operating in Europe, has announced the publication of its circular to shareholders concerning the proposed reduction of share capital via cancellation of the company's share premium account, the cancellation of the deferred shares and the authority for the company to buy back shares. Dr Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented: "This timely circular is being distributed in advance of the completion of our new Joint Venture with Ozaltin and Proccea. The proposed General Meeting concerns a capital reorganisation which will enable the Company to pay a special dividend. Since receiving shareholder ratification of the joint venture agreements signed at the end of last year and the approval received from the Competition Authority in Turkey last month, we are expecting to conclude all remaining formal corporate procedures in the near future. We are continuing to advance rapidly on all fronts and we look forward to keeping the market updated on our progress." ( ), the precious and base metals exploration and development company, announced that its new chief executive officer, Shaun Day, has commenced his role at the company. As announced on December 15, 2020, Day succeeds Gervaise Heddle, who will remain on the board and part of the Greatland executive team until March 12, 2021, to ensure a smooth transition. In a statement, Day commented: "I join Greatland at a very exciting time for the business and with a strong platform in place to drive further growth. Greatland will continue to progress its core strategy - advancing Havieron while pursuing value from our other exploration targets with tier-one potential. Beyond this, I intend to apply my experience from growing major mining companies to oversee the development of Havieron and to scale-up the wider business. ( ) has highlighted a strong performance for 2020 despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a trading update for the year to December 31, the regenerative medical devices specialist said revenues for the year will be 12.8mln, in line with the prior-year figure of 13mln despite the impact of the pandemic, adding that it also ended the period with a strong cash position of 9.5mln following a fundraising in June. ( ) told investors that the Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but commercial volumes were not discovered. ( ) (CSE:XOP), an international oil and gas exploration and development company announced that it has repaid in cash the balance of the loan from Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC and YA II PN, Ltd announced on June 15, 2020. The remaining balance of 400,000 was repaid in cash on February 5, 2020 without penalty. As such, the company has met all of the terms and conditions of the lenders under the loan agreement. In a statement, Arthur Millholland, COPLs president and CEO, commented: "We would like to thank Riverfort and Yorkville for providing the loan in June of last year which was strategic to the restructuring of the Company. It has allowed us to proceed to where we are today nearing the completion of the Atomic acquisition." . ( ) ( ) has announced that, further to its announcement on December 21, 2020, it has issued 325,000 shares in the company to Bacchus Capital Advisors Limited in connection with the financial advisory services provided for the period from December 18, 2020 to January 31, 2021. The shares were issued at a deemed price of C$0.27 per share. Mkango said it will issue a further 625,000 shares on December 18, 2021, should its engagement continue with Bacchus continue until such date. The company added that it continues to work closely with Bacchus, whose mandate encompasses mergers and acquisitions, takeover defence, strategic and other financial advice. CentralNic Group PLC ( ), the global internet platform that derives revenue from the subscription sales of domain names and web services, has announced that its bondholder meeting held on January 29, 2021, approved the amendment to the bond terms disclosed in its announcement of January 15, 2021. As a result, Pareto Securities has been mandated to arrange a series of fixed income institutional investor meetings starting the week commencing Monday February 8, 2021, to issue a tranche of bonds with a volume of approximately 15mln euros (US$8mln). The group said any debt raised will be used for consideration for the acquisition of near-term identified targets. PLC ( ), the AIM-listed metals exploration and development company said on Friday that it has received notices to exercise warrants over 8,860,758 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each. It said 3,597,600 warrants are being exercised at a price of 1.0p per ordinary share and 5,263,158 warrants at an exercise price of 0.75p per ordinary share. Subscription monies of 75,450 have been received by Power Metal in respect of these exercises. ( ) , the AIM-quoted exploration company focussed on West Africa said that following an exercise of warrants and options over ordinary shares in the company it is issuing 19,188,315 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the company, The group noted that 19,138,315 warrants were exercised at 0.68p each and 50,000 options at 0.37p each. ( ), a minerals exploration and development company, has announced that it will be attending the Mexico Mining Forum from February 10-11, 2021. The digital forum will include a program of networking and informational events that will allow Alien to engage with a vital audience in one if its main countries of operation. Alien currently holds the Donovan 2 copper and gold project and the San Celso and Los Campos silver projects in Zacatecas state, Mexico. The forum typically takes place in Mexico City but will be entirely online for this year's edition, with thousands of e-business meetings that will bring together industry experts in an effective and targeted networking platform. Bill Brodie Good, CEO & Technical Director of Alien Metals, commented: "Alien's attendance at the Mexico Mining Forum will be an excellent opportunity for us to directly engage with key stakeholders and investors in the country. We are very excited to be involved and look forward to meeting other attendees from the mining community to both showcase our exciting projects and also to discuss potential further opportunities for Alien in line with our strategy." Details of the conference can be found at: https://mexicobusinessevents.com/mining/2021 Redx Pharma PLC (LON:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on oncology and fibrosis, announced on Friday that its annual general meeting will be held at 11.00am on March 2, 2021, at Block 33, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TG. In light of the Stay-at-Home Measures which prohibit all non-essential travel and larger public gatherings and to ensure the safety of the limited number of people whose attendance at the meeting is essential, shareholders will not be allowed into the AGM. Accordingly, shareholders may submit questions related to the business of the AGM to the directors in advance of the meeting. by 5.30pm on February 25, 2021, to Andrew Booth, Redxs company secretary, by email at a.booth@redxpharma.com. Following the AGM, the group said its board will respond to any questions submitted by shareholders in advance of the meeting and the answers will be posted on the investor FAQs section of the company website. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote by proxy, appointing the chairman of the meeting, using the card distributed with the notice of meeting, to ensure their vote counts. The proxy is also available in the investor resources section of the company's website: www.redxpharma.com Japanese medical equipment manufacturer Shimadzu Corporation on Monday announced the sale of testing kits for detecting the coronavirus on surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, monitors and other devices TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) Japanese medical equipment manufacturer Shimadzu Corporation on Monday announced the sale of testing kits for detecting the coronavirus on surfaces such as doorknobs, keyboards, monitors and other devices. "The two main transmission paths for the novel coronavirus are considered to be via droplets or contact. Until now, however, it has been very difficult to determine its presence [on a surface] via PCR by taking a sample with a cotton swab due to its small concentration on surfaces. The new kit consists of a special concentrate and reactive agent, which you use by simply wiping an object's surface with a cotton swab, available everywhere, and putting it into a liquid," the company said in a statement. The developers claim that the creative agents allow determining the virus' presence with the PCR test in 100 minutes. A kit for 100 tests is expected to cost approximately $2,600, not counting taxes. According to various studies, the coronavirus remains on plastic surfaces for up to 72 hours, up to 48 hours on steel surfaces and up to 24 hours on cardboard ones. On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision holding that, while California cannot ban indoor church services entirely, it can restrict churches to 25% of their full capacity as well as ban all singing and chanting. This is better than nothing, but, considering the First Amendment, it's still not good enough. This ruling is good, but there are deeper reasons why religious exercise deserves special protections from government restrictions. It is not just to protect our right to attend our churches or synagogues. It is so that we can develop the moral understanding necessary to administer government. American citizens must have a morality they can impart to government because government is incapable of morality. The stricture of the First Amendment suggests that the Founders fully understood this principle: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The Bill of Rights begins with a series of inalienable rights. The first impression is of six independent parts: (1) establishment of religion, (2) exercise of religion, (3) free speech, (4) free press, (5) peaceable assembly, and (6) petitioning the government for redress of grievances. However, these six parts can also be seen as three connected pairs: Establishment and exercise of religion Free speech and free press Peaceably assemble and petition government The first pair recognizes the source of our morality. The second pair is the free expression of ideas by voice or print. Those ideas are derived partly from the protected exercise of religion. The third pair is the understanding that the assembled people are necessary to provide the government's direction. Thus, the First Amendment states six specific rights, with three general applications, all to serve one purpose: it is an inalienable right for discerning, moral people to be able to communicate to government when it has become immoral. The amendment establishes religion and its exercise as the basis for the whole process. Our speech is not separate from our religion; it communicates our moral understanding. The Framers recognized that moral people formed by religious observance were necessary to impel the government in the way it should operate. For religion to function morally, it is to operate without restriction. Where does a free press fit into this? In 1791, the press was an actual machine that people used to communicate information and ideas. There was no "media" class. The British recognized that free written communication was powerful and sought to regulate it by destroying actual presses. Today, the free press should have the same meaning it did in 1791: people may own the machines to distribute information, and the government may not regulate their use, whether they are paper presses or computers. Each pair highlights something the people should be free to use. Government cannot touch our churches and religious institutions because they are necessary for our knowledge and enlightenment. Government cannot control any tools including our voices that we use to communicate our ideas and values. Finally, the government cannot control our relationships with others or our gatherings to communicate directly to the government itself. Not one of these rights should be restrained. John Adams stated clearly the moral principles underlying the First Amendment: We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. The framers wisely connected these three rights. They understood the combined right of greater power than each of them alone has. The Supreme Court has correctly decided that religion cannot be considered of lesser value than other activities of the citizens. However, the justices have failed to see that it is our unrestricted religious institutions that give us the moral direction to communicate and gather to seek corrections for government wrong. By allowing California to direct worship, they are still ceding too much power to the government. Image: Photo by Shaun Frankland on Unsplash. Matthew 19:26 is one of Jesus more astonishing statements. Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. What is He talking about? Who is He talking to? The context in which Jesus said these words the story in which this verse is found provides the answers. Jesus is telling his disciples that God can save people from their sin, though they cannot save themselves. What Is the Context of This Verse? In Matthew 19:16, a young man approaches Jesus and asks what good thing he can do to earn eternal life. Jesus answers that there is only One who is good. The young man does not yet see his own sinfulness, so Jesus tells him that if he wants eternal life, he must obey the commandments Gods law. The man has the audacity to ask, Which ones? His desire to obey doesnt come from a love for God but from a desire to earn heaven. He wants to know exactly how much he must obey to cross the line into eternal life. Ever patient, Jesus lists six commandments: - Do not murder - Do not commit adultery - Do not steal - Do not give false testimony - Honor your father and mother - Love your neighbor as yourself In pride or ignorance, the young man declares that he has always kept all these commandments. But he knows he is still lacking something. Jesus gently points out his love of money by saying, Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. The rich man went away sad, because he was not willing to part with his great wealth. Jesus had revealed the mans sin out of love, so that he could see his need of a savior. But the young man would not turn from his pride or his love of material things. Jesus turns to his disciples and remarks that it is terribly hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. He emphasizes just how difficult it is by using an old saying Its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples are shocked, dumbfounded. Jesus is saying that it is nearly impossible for a rich man, with all his advantages, to be right with God? Then what hope do the poor have? For that matter, if being part of Gods kingdom hinges on obeying all the commandments perfectly AND not loving money, who on earth would qualify? The disciples see clearly what the rich man could not. None of us can earn eternal life. We have all broken Gods law, and most of us crave material things and financial security more than we long for Jesus. Who then can be saved? they ask Jesus. Jesus does not water down the truth or try to make them feel better. He affirms their understanding of the situation, With men this is impossible, then reassures them, But with God, all things are possible. Photo credit: Unsplash/Diana Simumpande What Does This Verse Mean? Our sinful nature is insurmountable by human standards. The rich man knew deep in his being that his careful appearance of obedience to the law was not enough because he was still sinful. Jesus says that hate and lust are sins that lead to death just as surely as visible sins like murder or adultery (Matthew 5:21-27). Gods kingdom is free of sin thats part of what makes it so glorious and we are full of sin. We are soaked in pride and greed and selfishness from our first temper tantrum to our last bitter thought. Based on our own merit, it is absolutely impossible for us to dwell in the presence of a holy, perfect God for all of eternity. When Jesus tells the rich man that there is only One who is good, He is talking about Himself. Being God, He was able to live a perfect human life. Even as a child, Jesus never sassed His parents or took his brothers toy. For his entire life, every word that came out of His mouth was true. Every thought He entertained was loving and good (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus came to earth on a mission (Mark 10:45). After living a perfect human life, He allowed Himself to be falsely accused and publicly executed. He came to bear our shame, to take our punishment. Then He rose from the dead in power, defeating sin and death forever. Those who believe in Jesus exchange their sin and hopelessness for His clean record and glorious reward. Blameless and pure, we then enter into a relationship with God Himself and enjoy eternal life with Him. Even more astonishing, God adopts us as His children, and we share in the inheritance of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:17). How Are All Things Possible with God? Only God could overcome the power of sin and death. Only Jesus sacrifice could wash us clean and restore our relationship with God. Gods power is mind-boggling. He spoke into existence the universe and everything in it, as easily as a king might call for afternoon tea. Trees and elephants and entire galaxies burst onto the scene because God told them to. Imagine the power to call into being whatever you could think up. All the things on earth that we view as powerful - oceans, lions, governments, you name it are part of Gods creation and are under His control. This is how He parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), shut the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22), and directed mighty kings to do His bidding (Ezra 1:1). Jesus demonstrated His rule over nature when He ordered a deadly storm to cease. The howling winds and crashing waves were stilled in an instant (Matthew 8:23-27). Colossians 1:16-17 tells us that He is the One who holds all things together. There is nothing no ruler or force, visible or invisible outside of His authority. Photo credit:Getty Images/solarseven Does This Verse Mean I Can Do Anything? The power of God is not a blank check for us to get whatever we want in the moment. James 4:3 is a blunt rebuke about self-serving prayer, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. On the other hand, the apostle Paul prays that Christians would know His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:19-21). What is possible with God? With God, you can witness boldly and bravely (Acts 1:8). With God, you can resist temptations and overcome addictions that look impossible to conquer (1 Corinthians 10:13). With God, you can experience peace and contentment even in poverty or illness or isolation (Philippians 4:12-13). With God, you can persevere through pain and loss that seem impossible to endure (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). With God, you can stand firm in your faith no matter what the enemy throws at you (Ephesians 6:10-17). Strong Enough There is no one too sinful or too broken to be reconciled to God, to be made clean and whole. God can restore you, make you new, and give you life eternal. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21). Photo credit: Getty Images/spukkato Jeannie Myers is a freelance writer enjoying the beauty of creation in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. God has blessed her with five beautiful children here on earth and two in heaven. Jeannie loves reading, camping, singing, and playing board games with her kids. Jesus has carried her through some difficult waters, and her heart's desire is for the hurting to know His love and mercy. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. Listen to our Daily Bible Verse Podcast Now! An Australian mum has been left feeling disappointed and frustrated after her daughter was told she couldn't eat anything in her packed lunchbox as it contained too many sweets. The doting mum forgot to order the tuckshop food in the morning, so the young girl only ate a fresh banana from the lunchbox and a Vegemite sandwich given to her by someone else. Inside the packed lunch was a single small bag of Twisties chips, Naturals Ropes lollies, a banana and blueberry yoghurt. Emily, who wasn't aware of any new strict school rules regarding food, described the situation on the Lunchbox Ideas Australia Facebook group and asked other parents for advice regarding food policies. The post was quickly flooded with hundreds of responses from sympathetic parents who encouraged Emily to speak to the teachers at the school. Inside the lunchbox was a single small packet of Twisties chips, Naturals Ropes lollies, blueberry yoghurt (pictured) as well as the banana, which the child ate Poll Should the teacher have prevented the girl from finishing her lunch? Yes No Should the teacher have prevented the girl from finishing her lunch? Yes 131 votes No 1143 votes Now share your opinion 'Just picked my daughter up from school and as I've asked her about her day, she has reminded me that I forgot to order her tuckshop. I'm so disappointed with myself,' she captioned the Facebook post. 'I asked her if she just ate what I had packed her for morning/afternoon tea, but she told me that she only ate her banana, as she was told that she couldn't eat the rest of her lunch as it was sweets and she's not allowed sweets. 'I'm so upset with myself enough, let alone add the frustration that she hasn't been able to eat her [food] that I've packed.' The post was quickly flooded with hundreds of responses from sympathetic parents who encouraged Emily to speak to the teachers of the school Emily said when they arrived home she found the remnants of the Vegemite sandwich in a brown tuckshop bag. Besides nuts and dairy products that are often banned from lunchboxes, Emily said she was unaware of any school policy or guideline regarding what should or shouldn't be packed for lunch. 'Am I overreacting or would you be as furious as I am?' she asked the online community. What does the ideal school lunch sandwich contain? * WHOLEGRAIN OR SOURDOUGH BREAD: Slow release carbohydrates help to stabilise blood sugar levels. * PROTEIN: Lean meat, salmon, tuna, egg or tofu will help with alertness and endurance. * HEALTHY FATS: Things like sunflower seeds, avocado and pumpkin seeds increase satiety, help to stabilise kids' moods and boost their concentration. * VEGETABLES X 2-3: Foods such as capsicum, carrot, mashed potato and cucumber contain fibre, vitamins and minerals kids need to keep their immune systems healthy. Source: Lee Holmes Advertisement 'Unless there was a no food such as nuts I don't understand why she couldn't eat this,' one parent wrote. 'If I was the teacher I would give her mum a call you and could've brought her some lunch or organise the tuck shop,' another said. A third added: 'It's unfair to not let a child eat what the mother has packed. It is also not their choice - they are there to teach, not teach your kids what to eat.' 'I think it warrants a conversation before you go all scorched earth. My son came home one day and told me he wasn't allowed a certain food, and after lots of probing I realised it was actually another child who said it to him, not the teacher,' another suggested. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Senior IAS officer and Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Apurva Chandra, said on Monday that the government is considering the objections raised by the trade unions to 12-hour daily work shift. "See, there will be a maximum of 48 hours of work in a week. If someone works for 8 hours a day, then there will be 6 working days per week. If a company opts for 12-hour working per day for its employees, it means four-day working and three holidays," Chandra told IANS at the Shram Shakti Bhawan here on Monday. The senior 1988-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, who has been Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment since October 2020, said: "If daily working hours are increased, you will have to give the workers similar holidays also. There will be 5 or 4 working days if duty hours are increased. It will now be mutually agreed to by the employees and employers as to what is appropriate for them. No one will be able to work for 12 hours a day." The Ministry is engaged in formulating relevant rules and regulations to implement the four new Labour Codes in the next few weeks to usher in labour reforms. The new labour laws will not compromise the interests of labourers and employees in any way, Chandra said. "Rules and regulations are now being framed on provisions related to working hours. There is no final word as yet. Once the rules are formulated, things will become more clear. The Ministry wishes to assure that establishments will not be able to exploit their employees at any cost." "For the first time, all types of workers in the country will now get minimum wages. New schemes are being brought in for migrant labourers. Provident fund facility will be given to ensure social security to all kinds of labourers. All workers -- in organised and unorganised sectors -- will be covered by ESI. Women will be allowed to work in all kinds of trade, and allowed to do night shifts." Chandra said that the implementation of codes on wages, industrial relations, occupational safety, health and working conditions and social security will ensure social security to all employees. "The process of making rules under the four Labour Codes is going on. The rules will be ready in the next few weeks." The IAS officer said that different state governments will have their own labour laws. "Both central and state governments have the right to make their own rules on this subject. The state governments are independent to make rules and regulations according to their own conditions. However, in case of any confrontation, the rules of the Centre hold precedence," he said. The Secretary said that a web portal will be set up for registration of unorganised sector workers by May or June. "It will enable collection of proper data on registration of workers in the unorganised sector, including migrants, to facilitate formulation of policies on remunerative wages. The labourers registered on the portal will be provided annual free insurance for accidents and disabilities under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana," Chandra added. Through the end of 2020 property/casualty insurers paid out or reserved $7.7 billion On claims of all types resulting from Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta in Louisiana, the state insurance department reported. The Louisiana Department of Insurance said policyholders had filed 290,847 claims of all types from the three storms as of Dec. 31. Of those, 161,704 claims, or 56%, have been closed with collective payments reaching $5 billion. The information was generated from a data call to all authorized property/casualty insurers in the state, including surplus lines insurers, to submit claims data on Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta. The figures include claims from personal and commercial insurance. They do not include claims or payments from the National Flood Insurance Program. However, FEMA in mid-January reported that the NFIP had paid out more than $110 million in flood claims to 3,249 Louisiana policyholders for damage resulting from Delta and Laura alone. Laura Policyholders have filed 169,891 claims from Hurricane Laura, which struck Southwest Louisiana on Aug. 27, 2020, as a Category 4 storm. Calcasieu, Rapides, Beauregard, Ouachita and Vernon parishes had the most claims from the storm. As of Dec. 31, 2020, insurers had closed 77% of the claims from Hurricane Laura, 59% of which were closed with payment. Total paid losses, plus reserves, on reported claims from all surveyed lines of insurance for Hurricane Laura at the end of 2020 came to $6.6 billion, representing the overwhelming majority of damage in Louisiana from the record 2020 hurricane season. Delta Hurricane Delta, a Category 2 storm that made landfall in Southwest Louisiana on Oct. 9, 2020, had generated 71,945 policyholder claims by the end of the year. Policyholders in Calcasieu, Lafayette, Acadia, East Baton Rouge and St. Landry parishes have filed the most Delta claims. At the end of 2020, insurers had closed 82% of all Delta claims, and 53% of those claims were closed with payment. Insurers had paid or reserved $556 million to cover losses from reported claims from all surveyed lines of insurance for Hurricane Delta by the years end. Zeta Hurricane Zeta made landfall in Terrebonne Parish on Oct. 28, 2020, as a Category 2 storm. Policyholders filed 49,011 Zeta-related claims through the end of last year. Most of the claims came from Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Lafourche parishes. Insurers closed 79% of reported Zeta claims and 46% of those claims were closed with payment. Total paid losses, plus reserves, on reported claims from all surveyed lines of insurance totaled $499 million for Hurricane Zeta at the end of 2020. The LDI will continue to collect data from property/casualty insurers to monitor the claims process. The final deadline for 2020 hurricane data is Oct. 8, 2021. Policyholders can file supplemental claims if they incur additional expenses in repairing their properties or if they discover previously unknown storm damage, LDI said. Complaints The LDI reported that nearly 80% of the 873 complaints it has received related to the 2020 hurricane season concern homeowners insurance. As of Jan. 11, 2021, policyholders had filed 691 homeowners insurance complaints about claims from Laura, Delta and Zeta. The LDI investigated and closed 597 of the complaints by that date. The department also received complaints about various types of residential, auto and commercial property insurance, as well as complaints about insurance adjusters and agents, but the majority of complaints have been related to homeowners insurance. The most common grievance was claim delay. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has urged any policyholder in a dispute with their insurance company to call the department. Interested parties can visit www.ldi.la.gov/complaintdata to see complaints sorted by company name, premium written and the complaint index, which measures complaints for a company relative to the amount of premium written. Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested $3 billion in federal block grant aid for hurricane recovery, saying insurance dollars and other available assistance are insufficient for rebuilding needs. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Trends Claims Louisiana Hurricane Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2021) - Graph Blockchain Inc. (CSE: GBLC) ("Graph" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide a corporate update on the Company's developments during the past 2020 year and wish to outline expected strategies for the new year. Graph's primary focus in 2020 had been the development and implementation of its blockchain-enabled technology. In 2021, the Company will focus its resources on monetizing blockchain technology either in its current capacity or through the integration with other technologies. In addition, the Company intends to explore new emerging blockchain technology projects that have near-term commercial viability and to raise further capital for their development. With this in mind, the Company created a special committee consisting of two directors, Andrew Ryu, and John McMullen, to review M&A opportunities in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector. The Company has received interest from various private companies in the blockchain sector with interest in being acquired by the public company. On January 26, 2021 the Company entered into a definitive share exchange agreement dated January 25, 2021 (the "Agreement") with Babbage Mining Corp. ("Babbage"). This acquisition will benefit the Company on monetizing its blockchain technology and distributed ledger with Babbage's cryptocurrency, Altcoins. By mining Altcoins through Proof of Work and Proof of Stake, Babbage is able to give its investors exposure to the vast emerging market of cryptocurrencies with the significant technological disruption and potential gains that Altcoins represent. Graph's Recap of 2020 In January 2020, the Company announced the appointment of Govinda Butcher as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and to the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), replacing Jeff Stevens, Interim CEO and Chairman. During this period, the Company was conducting its due diligence with respect to its previously announced acquisition of Shroom Street Limited ("Shroom") in November 2019; after finishing its due diligence and concurrent with the expiration of the parties' letter of intent, the parties decided not to proceed with the transaction. In January 2020, the Company also announced the appointment of Matt Humphreys to the Board. In addition to being on the Board, Mr. Humphreys took on the role of advising the Company on the buildout of a blockchain based e-Commerce platform to serve the psychedelics industry. In March 2020, after further review of the psychedelic sector, the Company decided not to proceed with this line of business. In February 2020, the Company announced that it received approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") to raise up to $500,000 CAD through the offering of units via a non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") at price of $0.03 per unit (a "Units) and each Unit being comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and a half Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, being a "Warrant") exercisable at a price of $0.06 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the issuance date. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause whereby if the Common Share price on the CSE is equal to or greater than $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 15 consecutive trading days, the Company may, by notice to the holders of the Warrants, reduce the remaining exercise period applicable to the Warrants to no less than 30 days from the date of such notice. On March 11, 2020, the Company announced the closing of the first tranche of the Financing; a total of 5,000,000 Units for gross proceeds of $150,000 were issued during this first tranche. In March 2020, Graph appointed Christian Scovenna as President and COO to review the business of the Company and look for new growth opportunities. The Company reviewed potential blockchain acquisitions but did not enter into any agreements at the time. As part of this review, the Company also announced it had executed a financial advisory agreement with Gravitas Securities Inc. ("GSI") to assess future business opportunities and develop a capital markets strategy as the Company's financial strategic advisor. In May 2020, the Company announced that it terminated the mandatory U.S. public reporting obligations relating to its Common Shares. In accordance with the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), mandatory U.S. public reporting can be terminated because less than 5% of the trading volume of the Common Shares were traded in the United States. The Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators continue to be made and are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com. In May 2020, the Company announced that Govinda Butcher had resigned as the Company's CEO and Chairman of the Board effective May 19, 2020, and that Christian Scovenna was appointed as CEO. In addition, Fiona Fitzmaurice, (BA, ACCA, CPA, CGA) joined the Company as its new Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"). Alex Mackay and Andrew Male stepped down from the Board to accommodate changes in the Board and management; and two directors from Datametrex AI Limited (controls over 10% of the voting securities of the Company), Andrew Ryu and Paul Haber, joined the Board. Mr. Ryu was appointed the Chairman of the Company, and Mr. Haber (CPA, CA), was appointed as the Chair of Audit Committee. In May 2020, the Company announced the development and future roll out of its proprietary Wellness Marketplace platform. The BlueStem marketplace ("BluStem") would be used to create an e-Commerce ecosystem for B2C and B2B audiences in support of scaling both its own and its partnership brands. The Company expects revenue growth through the BluStem e-Commerce platform from the sale of products, marketing, licensing, and product fulfillment fees including the Company's own brand "BluStem" that will leverage white-labeling supply chain partnership agreements. The Company will not be putting up its own capital for the PPE products due to its broker relationship. The Company continues to operate the BluStem e-Commerce platform and receive revenue. The Company made the decision to innovate with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as it represented both a danger and an opportunity. The crisis created significant new opportunities for growth in the short term and seeing the opportunities emerge from the pandemic is not the same as being able to take advantage of them. The pandemic changed nearly every aspect of our lives, and with the interruption of products and services, how supply chains deliver them, the Company decided take advantage and to venture in the PPE space and leverage overseas relationships the Company had in securing PPE products. On June 4, 2020, the Company completed the second, and final, tranche of the Financing. A total of 11,666,666 Units were issued during this final tranche of the Financing for gross proceeds of $350,000. In June 2020, with the increase in infection rates of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company provided an update on the launch of the BluStem blockchain enabled e-Commerce marketplace (www.BluStem.ca). As announced on May 25, 2020, the Company anticipated to proceed with the launch of the BluStem during the first week of June. However, BluStem's Shopify Plus account remains pending due to a backlog of applications as a surge of companies have been looking to sell PPE and other COVID-19 related products online. In August 2020, the Company announced it has entered into a binding letter of intent ("LOI") in connection with the proposed acquisition of Third Eye Insights Corp ("Third Eye"). Following a due diligence process and further discussions with the Parties, the parties have decided not to proceed with the transaction and was announced in September 2020. In September 2020, the Company announced the resignation of Fiona Fitzmaurice as the CFO and appointment of Mr. Don Shim, (BA, CPA, CA) as the new CFO. The Company also announced that Chairman of the Board, Mr. Andrew Ryu, was stepping in as the interim CEO of the Company, after departure of former CEO, Christian Scovenna. In September 2020, it was announced that the Company has received the first order of PPE through the BluStem multi-channel e-Commerce marketplace. The value of the sales was approximately CDN $63,000. In September 2020, the Company announced that it has entered into debt settlement agreements (the "Settlement Agreements") with three creditors (the "Creditors") to settle an aggregate of $386,004 in debt (the "Debt") for services provided by the Creditors to the Company (the "Services"). In settlement and full satisfaction of the Debt incurred in connection with the Services, the Company issued to the Creditors an aggregate of 7,720,080 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Debt Shares") at a deemed issue price of $0.05 per Debt Share (the "Debt Settlement"). The Creditors include a related party, Datametrex AI Limited, who has control of over 10% of the voting securities of the Company and will be receiving 5,120,080 Debt Shares. In December 2020, the Company announced second quarter 2021 ("Q2") financial and operating results. The Company's net income increased to $84,483 in Q2 compared to a loss of $11,429 in the same period last year. The Company's current assets improved significantly to $548,028, which includes cash, trade and other receivables and inventory, compared to $128,365 at the end of fiscal year ended April 30, 2020. The Company's revenue was $397,051 for Q2 with a gross profit of $97,803, resulting from the sale of all COVID-19 related essential products, including lab equipment and supplies as well as personal protective equipment. Included in the results for Q2 is a non-cash gain on settlement of debts of $193,002. Despite the revenue being generated from PPE sales, the Company is working on further developing its blockchain enabled e-commerce platform. The issuer has generated no revenue related to blockchain technology and that revenue to date is solely derived from sale of PPE. About Graph Blockchain Inc. The Company is a blockchain development company that provides high performance blockchain solutions that include graphic data analysis and consulting services, implementation of data mining analysis through the use of graph databases and speed enhancements of blockchain control systems for businesses and government. This includes the medical industry, including the provision of solutions to provide secure and managed e-commerce blockchain enabled transactions on the companies BluStem Wellness Platform. Additional Information on the Company is available at: www.graphblockchain.com. For further information, please contact: Jamie Hyland Phone :604.442.2425 Email: jamie@graphblockchain.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of the proposed Acquisition and the Financing. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events, or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73956 Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been formally arrested in China after six months of detention on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday. Cheng, who hosted a business show on the English channel of Chinas largest state media broadcaster CCTV and was a high-profile anchor on its English-language channel CGTN, was arrested on Jan. 5, Payne said. She was initially detained in August last year. Payne said the Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Ms Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention. Tensions between Australia and China have been high for the past year after Canberra called for an international investigation into the source of the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing responded with trade reprisals. Payne said officials had visited Cheng, who has two children living in Australia, six times during her detention, most recently at the end of January. In the days after Chengs August detention was made public, two Australian foreign correspondents were flown out of China, helped by Australian consular officials after the pair were questioned by Chinas state security ministry. Chinas Foreign Ministry subsequently revealed that Australias security agency had questioned Chinese journalists working in Australia. An ITBP operation to rescue people trapped inside a tunnel near the Tapovan dam is currently underway and heavy machinery, like JCBs, is being used to clear the debris. As per the latest reports, ITBP personnel have rescued all 16 people who were trapped in the first tunnel near Tapovan in Chamoli, whereas rescue operations for the second tunnel is still going on. At least 11 people are feared dead and over 203 missing after a glacier crashed into a dam Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday (February 7). The incident triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. On the other hand, aerial rescue and relief missions have resumed with Mi-17 and ALH helicopters flying from Dehradun to Joshimath with disaster relief teams on board, Indian Air Force official told ANI. Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam, also known as Rishi Ganga Project was completely washed off following a glacier burst in the Chamoli, said the Indian Air Forces initial report as Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) deployed at Joshimath has undertaken recce of the affected areas. More than 150 labourers working in a power project are missing. The ITBP is carrying out the rescue operation in the affected areas in Chamoli. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. "No need to spread panic. The glacier burst yesterday, boulders and debris followed which washed away the Raini power project causing a massive impact on Tapovan. All of this happened yesterday. 32 people from first and 121 people are missing from the 2nd project," said Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand DGP. Additionally, the PMO has announced Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured. SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP said the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. Live TV Party above individual: LDFs message by not giving Shailaja another shot As social media debates Shailajas exclusion, CPI(M) comes out in defence of decision Kerala Assembly elections 2021: BJP promises law against love jihad India oi-Briti Roy Barman Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 08: Ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised to bring an Uttar Pradesh-like law against love jihad in Kerala, if elected to power. The BJP state president has made it clear that if they come to power, NDA will enact a law against Love Jihad. BJP has highlighted the events of illegal and forceful conversions in the state. The opposition, however, has slammed the move and called it an attempt to polarize. NCP leader Majeed Memon stated that Kerala is one of the most literate states and the people there believe in secularism and the move will not woo the voters in Kerala. However, BJP state President K Surendran stated that the Love jihad is a serious issue and apart from Hindu organizations, the Christians are also demanding for the same law. K Surendran also alleged that the minorities were being treated unfairly in the state. While Christians were being denied minority benefits, Muslims were being given undue benefits, he said. "Despite the BJP and churches expressing their views against love jihad, the Left and Right fronts are not even acknowledging it. Even in minority rights, there is discrimination in Kerala. Why the ruling and opposition parties in Kerala have not made their stand clear despite the fact that the Christian churches have complained to the prime minister that the Christians are not getting the population benefits when the Muslim community is getting undeserved rights," the BJP leader claimed. Ghulam Nabi Azad retires as MP, hopes for Pandits' return to Kashmir | Oneindia News The love jihad law, introduced by the Yogi Adityanath government last year, forbids conversion done through "misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means". The law provides for jail term of one to 5 years, and a minimum fine of Rs 15,000. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 18:56 [IST] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Nehan, Japan's most popular K-pop idol website, has revealed which female idols are the most popular in the country. Want to know who made the top? Then keep on reading! Sakura Takes the Top Spot! Sitting at number one is IZ*ONE's Miyawaki Sakura, or simply Sakura. Sakura debuted with IZ*ONE in 2018 after she participated in the Mnet survival show "Produce 48" and snagged second place in the finale, making her the group's Japanese center. She is one of the three Japanese members in IZ*ONE. It is no surprise Sakura took the top spot. Prior to her debut with IZ*ONE, Sakura was already active as an idol in Japan. She joined HKT48 in 2011, AKB48's sister group from Fukuoka. She is the first HKT48 member to rank in the AKB48 general election and has promoted A-side songs with AKB48. Before debuting with IZ*ONE, Sakura was the vice-captain of HKT48's Team KIV and had a concurrent AKB48 Team A position. TWICE Member Mina Bags Second Place Mina is one of TWICE's three Japanese members. Mina was able to debut in South Korea after she was street cast while shopping with her mom in Osaka. She trained for around a year before she competed in the survival show "SIXTEEN" and was one of the nine successful trainees that would debut in TWICE. Since then, Mina has gained fame for her ballet skills and for helping improve relations between Japan and South Korea. Most Popular Korean Female Idol The first Korean K-pop idol to be mentioned on the list is APRIL member Naeun, who ranked at number three. Naeun debuted with ARPIL in 2015 and rose to fame for her acting career. She first rose to stardom for her role in the teen web drama "A-TEEN." Since then, she has acted in the second season of "A-TEEN" and other web-dramas, such as "I Have a Secret" and "Twenty Twenty." She has also acted in TV dramas, most notably "Extraordinary You." The TOP 30 Most Popular Female Idols in Japan: 1. IZ*ONE's Sakura 2. TWICE's Mina 3. APRIL's Naeun 4. TWICE's Sana 5. IU 6. TWICE's Momo 7. KARA's Seungyeon 8. APRIL's Chaekyung 9. APRIL's Rachel 10. APRIL's Chaewon 11. APRIL's Jinsol 12. APRIL's Yena 13. KARA's Goo Hara 14. KARA's Youngji 15. TWICE's Tzuyu 16. TWICE's Dahyun 17. (Former) KARA's Nicole 18. KARA's Gyuri 19. TWICE's Jeongyeon 20. BLACKPINK's Lisa 21. NiziU's Miihi 22. (Former) KARA's Jiyoung 23. IZ*ONE's Nako 24. TWICE's Jihyo 25. TWICE's Chaeyoung 26. IZ*ONE's Hitomi 27. TWICE's Nayeon 28. Girls' Generation's Yoona 29. NiziU's Mayuka 30. ITZY's Chaeryeong Did your favorite female idol make it to the top 30? Tell us in the comments! For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this. Written by Alexa Lewis New Orleans and Louisiana are heading for a seismic shift in how justice is administered as New Orleans District Attorney-elect Jason Williams The latest state data shows that the winter surge of COVID-19 cases is losing strength in New York as statewide hospitalizations, test positivity rates and daily deaths continue to drop. More and more New Yorkers are getting vaccinated and herd immunity could be reached sometime toward the end of the year. Things are going so well right now, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that the state will allow indoor dining to resume on Friday in New York City rather than waiting until Valentine's Day, as he previously said. We have to walk and chew gum at the same time, Cuomo said at a Monday virtual press conference about loosening public health restrictions. We respond to the data. We respond to the facts that we face today. Facts may change tomorrow. New research, however, highlights how new variants of the coronavirus might upend ongoing progress against the pandemic. Vaccines might become less effective and public health experts warn that caseloads could go back up if public health restrictions are loosened too quickly. Opening indoor dining in New York City is premature and risky, Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, said in an email. With the appearance of new variants that threaten our vaccines, it is critically important to do everything possible to stop the replication of this virus. New York City is reporting thousands of new cases per day, and the infection rate and total hospitalizations still exceeds the thresholds cited by the governor when he shut down indoor dining in the five boroughs in December. South Africa has already paused the distribution of a new vaccine developed by AstraZeneca because of new data showing decreased effectiveness against mild and moderate cases of COVID-19. While evidence shows vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna holding up against the new variants, the increased transmissibility of a coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom could mean that infection rates will spike. New research, which has yet to undergo peer review, warns of devastating consequences to COVID-19 mortality and morbidity in the U.S. in a few months, if decisive action is not immediately taken to better monitor and control new variants of the coronavirus. New York has confirmed 59 cases of the variant, which is expected to become dominant nationwide by March. Less than 1% of coronavirus tests in the Empire State and nationwide are currently screened for the variant. Efforts are underway to increase screening for variants to 10% of new virus cases in New York City where the bulk of cases in the state are located by the end of the month, though officials say meeting that goal requires additional cooperation from the private sector. Trying to get laboratories that are primarily focused on things like human genome sequencing specifically for cancer or other conditions to shift their interest to work on pathogens sometimes takes effort, Dr. Jay Varma, a senior public health adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio, told The New York Times. Legislation newly introduced in Congress would allocate $2 billion to the effort to help the country match the widespread variant screening done in the U.K., Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. Increasing screening to adequate levels will require a national effort, according to new research slated to be published in the scientific journal Cell, but there is still a lot that state and local governments can do to keep new variants under control. School closures and travel bans would not do much to curb their spread, according to researchers. But increasing the number of people wearing masks, better indoor ventilation and the temporary closure of non-essential indoor spaces where face coverings cannot be worn could do the trick if policymakers would only heed the advice of public health experts. We finally have the chance right now to bring this back under control, Sam Scarpino, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, told ProPublica. But if we ease up now, we may end up wasting all the effort we put in. The Cuomo administration has defended its policies on indoor dining by pointing toward the declining number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the state as reason enough to loosen restrictions to help the beleaguered restaurant industry. Other big states like Michigan and California are also moving to lift restrictions on indoor dining despite their current caseloads. The 25% cap on indoor dining capacity in New York City strikes a balance between the demands of the hospitality industry and the 50% limit currently in place in other areas of the state. Some evidence suggests that indoor dining is a relatively minor public health matter compared to the social gatherings in private residences that state officials have said drove the winter surge in cases. The announcement by the governor that indoor dining would resume on Friday is the latest sign that the governor is just trying to give the people what they want. Events like the Super Bowl highlight how pandemic fatigue is spreading just as widely as the new variants. New Yorkers will have their own chance to vote with their wallets this week on whether the time has come to enjoy eating out no matter how high the public health cost might be. Why, then, allow restaurants to open their dining rooms at all? the New Yorker writes. Its to create the soothing illusion of progress against the virus, against economic disaster, toward some sense of a return to normalcy. KABUL Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan offers its deepest sympathies to the people and governments of Republic of India for the precious lives lost in the Uttarakhand glacier burst, on February 7, 2021. In a statement, Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar expressed his deepest sympathies to Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the families of victims and all those affected by the disaster. We are standing in solidarity with the people and government of India at this difficult time. We pray for the lost lives, safety and swift recovery of those missing. Following the Himalayan glacier burst in the Uttarakhand state of India on Sunday, at least 14 people have been pronounced dead and more than 150 individuals are still missing. The glacier fell down the Himalayan and avalanched down the mountains to the river, crashing into two hydroelectric projects and causing raging flash floods. Based on the footage that showed the tragic event, water, rock, and dust barreled through a narrow ravine in the Chamoli district of the Himalayan state. The rushing water and debris also swept through buildings, trees, people, and even carried with it parts of a dam. As a result, people who live down the river were encouraged to evacuate from their homes, CNN reported. On Monday, Chamoli District Police announced that rescuers were able to save 15 people who were trapped inside a tunnel. The authorities also stated that rescuers have been working round the clock to help find survivors and recover the bodies of those who died. Moreover, the police stated that rescue operations at the moment are focused on digging through a second tunnel which is blocked by debris. Meanwhile, during a press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stated that the glacier burst triggered an avalanche which resulted in a blockage of debris at a state-owned NTPC hydro project. In addition, Rawat referred to the incident as a "terrible disaster" and said that the state is still expecting significant damage to infrastructure and significant loss to human lives. READ ALSO: Tom Brady Bags 7th Super Bowl Title, Leads Tampa Bay Buccaneers To Victory Rescuers Work to Save Dozens Trapped in Tunnels At the moment, the Associated Press reported that rescue efforts are still ongoing to save 37 workers from a power plant who were trapped in a tunnel after the Himalayan glacier burst. Rescue efforts following the glacier burst are being led by the Indian Army alongside India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) members. More NDRF teams are expected to arrive in the area by Monday as they are being airlifted from New Delhi. Based on the report, after the deadly flash flood on Sunday, more than 2,000 members of the police, military, and paramilitary groups have been involved in the search and rescue operations. Moreover, officials said that they are also focusing on saving more than two dozens of workers who are stuck inside a tunnel in one of the hydropower plants that was affected by the Himalayan glacier burst. It was also stated that the workers have been out of contact since the flood flash through the power plant. According to authorities, they also fear the possibility that more people are dead. Search boats have been deployed in the river to search for bodies, and search teams also surveyed the banks of the river with binoculars in search of bodies that could have been washed away, The Hindustan Times reported. Climate Change Meanwhile, many people have already pointed to climate change as a major contributing factor to the Himalayan glacier burst. But it was noted that there are also other cause possible causes of the glacier burst such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and water pressure build-up. Indian School of Business, research director and adjunct professor Anjal Prakash, who also contributed to the United Nations' research on global warming said that the Himalayan glacier burst looked like a climate change event due to global warming melting glaciers in the world. RELATED ARTICLE: UN Security Council Fails To Agree on a Joint Statement Condemning the Myanmar Coup @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change has stated that recent confiscation of over 10 containers filled with logs is set for a court hearing. Last month, officials from the Department of Forestry and the police made an arrest of over 10 double-feet containers filled with timber logs ready for transportation at the Buffer Zone in Tallinding with one Mr. Conteh alleged to be the owner. Lamin Dibba, in a statement following engagement with the National Assembly Select Committee on Environment regarding the reported arrest and confiscation of the illegally processed timbers, said the arrest made by the Gambia police and Forestry officials has shown the commitment the Environment Ministry attaches to the protection of the environment. He added that following the confiscation of the alleged timbers, the Inspector General of Police and other relevant authorities were informed for further collaboration to prevent future illegal processing of timber logs for exportation/importation without going through legal process. "I personally have to call the Inspector General of Police to inform him about the arrest and confiscation of the timbers logs. This shows how ready we are in working with the police to avoid the unlawful trade of logs in the country. "And equally both the permanent secretary and the director of the Department of Forestry were instructed to make all necessary litigation at the court," he said. According to him, since the start of the exercise by the Department of Forestry in tracing out the number of unwarranted landing site for logs throughout the country, the over 100 spotted unjustified landing sites for timbers were reduced to 20, citing that several arrests were made last year on illegal trade of logs. "Before, we use to have over 100 landing sites for timbers in the whole country; which was terrible and unlawful. But since the start of the operations to put proper measures on landing site of timber logs, this has now been greatly reduced to 20 identified sites only," he revealed. The Environment minister, early last year was alleged by a BBC investigative report on the illegal sale of red timbers from neighbouring Senegal, an allegation he denied, saying he had never met with any dealer about timbers. The updated logo for the LeTV app which refers to the company's 12.2 billion yuan debts to investors. [Photo/VCG] As Spring Festival approaches, the troubled Chinese streaming giant LeTV updated its official app logo on Saturday, claiming it owes investors 12.2 billion yuan. The stunt instantly created buzz online, making headlines across the country. The Chinese Lunar New Year normally sees major internet players sharing dividends and subsidies with users in the form of coupons, vouchers and lucky money, allowing them to consume various commodities from food and goods to movie tickets during the holiday. For example, Sina Weibo announced it will be distributing 100 million yuan in subsidies, JD.com said it will split 1 billion yuan, Pinduoduo will share 2.8 billion, Douyin 2 billion, Kuaishou 2.1 billion, and Baidu 2.2 billion. The companies all incorporated the astronomical figures into their new logos for Spring Festival. But LeTV, once hailed as "China's Netflix," bucked the trend by releasing a new logo "boasting" that it owes 12.2 billion yuan. Users who download or update the app can see the new logo. Some internet users remarked that the hilarious stunt was particularly ironic since the company's debts are equal to all the subsidies and dividends that the other internet giants plan to hand out. LeTV said in a statement to media on Sunday that the change of logo image will not affect its streaming services for users or services on its own TV sets. "We have updated the app user experience and will provide more online content for people to enjoy. Everyone knows we owe money, but though we have difficulties, we are facing them with optimism and working hard to serve our users." It also clarified that it really owed 15.3 billion yuan and the new logo was just a publicity stunt. LeTV was delisted from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in July 2020, with its share price registered at 0.18 yuan and total market value recorded at 718 million yuan. The company's market value evaporated by more than 99% compared with its peak of 170 billion yuan. Founded in 2007 by Jia Yueting, LeTV bought the copyrights for a large number of movies and dramas at a very low price, turning a profit from 2007 to 2009 when most video streaming websites were unable to. In August 2010, LeTV floated on the A-share market, becoming the first video website to go public there. After the listing, Jia's next overambitious plan was to build seven ecosystems: internet and LeTV Cloud, content, large screen TVs, smartphones, sports, automobiles and LeTV Finance. However, Jia admitted in a nonpublic letter in November 2016 that LeTV was experiencing funding problems, with a crisis then breaking out in LeEco, LeTV's parent company. The company's indebted founder later stepped down and was added to China's nationwide blacklist of debt defaulters. Jia fled to the United States in late 2017 and has been banned for life from participating in China's securities market, as well as hit with a fine of 241.2 million yuan ($35.2 million) by Chinese securities regulators. Chinese courts have so far ordered the company to repay nearly 150 million yuan to investors. At the recent Public Relations Society of America New Orleans annual Fleurish Awards gala, marketing and public relations practitioner Kim Bergeron received four awards, including the organizations prestigious Silver Anvil Award. For the second year in a row, Bergeron was the only solo practitioner to be recognized with a Silver Anvil, the industrys highest honor recognizing excellence in strategic public relations. The award was presented in the category of The Great Idea, in recognition of the Be Like Jane social media campaign she created for The Northshore Collaborative to help raise money to feed front-line workers during the pandemic. Bergeron also took home an Award of Merit in the category of Crisis Communications Corporate/Government and two Awards of Merit in Social Media categories for Facebook and blog posts for RightBrainDiaries.com. Although the Fleurish Awards gala traditionally takes place in November, this year's event was held virtually via Zoom late last month. Bergeron offers advertising, marketing, public relations and special event productions, serving organizations and advertising agencies throughout southern Louisiana, through her boutique agency, Kim Bergeron Productions, and blog RightBrainDiaries.com. Will Commercial Real Estate Recover in 2021? With the COVID-19 pandemic devastating many industries worldwide, tourism and commercial real estate are two of the most prominent and the most negatively impacted. With remote working forced upon many companies across the UK and abroad, the commercial property market has plummeted; fallen off a cliff is possibly the best metaphor to highlight the industry's plight amid the pandemic. With tourism hit as well, hotel rent delinquency rates grew from 1.5% in the US during January 2020, to approximately 25% in July 2020 according to one report from Yahoo Finance. What Does the Future Hold for Commercial Properties? With Twitter announcing that a large percentage of their employees will be able to work from home permanently, and Facebook stating that they are looking to hire workers remotely - the future of commercial real estate does not look especially promising either. With remote working allowing people to escape the hustle & bustle of city centre life, will people retreat to the suburbs? The fact that you could live anywhere globally and work for a major corporation may also mean that city centre commercial properties could be hit even harder, with more supply and less demand. The residential property market is likely to be affected in too. Many experts such as Daniel Austin, chief executive officer at ASK Partners Ltd, suggest that commercial offices may transition into a hybrid model with home working, local office hubs, and a head office. However, the commercial property demand is likely to fall in 2021, with an increase in commercial properties bought to be converted into residential properties. With the technological infrastructure in place thanks to the availability of high speed broadband, encrypted internet connections, video conferencing software and phone answering services, its possible that many entrepreneurs will look to cut overheads and start remote businesses too. A Renaissance for Suburban Office Space One of the big questions will be around city centre metro areas and landmark office and business locations such as Canary Wharf. In New York, the Financial Times reported that there has been a mass exodus to the suburbs, with people looking to capitalise on the remote working trend of 2020 and relocate to larger homes in areas such as Westchester and New Jersey. Back in the UK, Daniel Austin back in May 2020 stated that the inquiries around village properties for residential use soared, but they may have been related to the best weather in terms of temperatures and sunshine that the country had experienced for quite some time. There is a chance that, as more people work from home and move away from city centres, suburban offices may become more common and office space in these areas may become more in demand. These local offices will allow people to work at home or near home and meet up and socialise with colleagues. Green Office Buildings In London, living-walls are being implemented across the city to help offset some of the pollution. It is likely that this trend of green walls, biophilic designs and environmentally friendly construction techniques will increase in 2021. Despite the current exodus to the suburbs, it is still predicted that most of us will be living in cities by the year 2050. In China, they are planning to develop entire forest cities in the Liuzhou area in an attempt to reduce air pollution levels. Massive living walls have already be installed in cities such as Barcelona. The plants' maintenance is relatively easy, as they are all connected by tubes, allowing them to be fed with programmed doses of water and nutrients. In cities such as Singapore, biophilic design has also been an essential consideration for the area's temperature. With plants able to reduce offices' temperatures, they can cut air conditioning bills in an eco-friendly way. The heat island effect has meant that temperatures have risen over recent years in the densely populated Singapore. With global warming not going away any time soon, and the UK experiencing hotter summers than ever before, the cooling effect of living walls and green office designs is likely to be considered here too. Warehousing & Industrial Properties Thanks to the surge in online shopping during the pandemic, industrial warehouses and storage facilities that work with online retailers such as Amazon have seen an increase in demand. 20% of US sales were online at the start of the pandemic, this rose sharply to 30% once the pandemic had led to lockdowns. It is thought that this rise would have taken over 5 years if it had not been for the pandemic. Because of this, the demand for warehousing and logistical services jumped dramatically. Unfortunately, the demand for warehouse and online retail has been mirrored by the drop in demand for traditional bricks & mortar shopping. Investment Opportunities for Property Developers Whilst it may be bleak in some respects; some experts argue that 2021 may be the best time in decades to invest in commercial property. Whilst the newspapers and the media in general will highlight the plight of any big named retailers that are shutting down, such as Debenhams and Topshop; that does not necessarily mean that investment in high street retail is to be avoided. Smaller shops have also been hit hard by the pandemic. Whilst that is bad news for retail, it does give property developers and investors some alternative options when it comes to looking for properties that can be converted into residential homes. The government is aware that the UK has more commercial property than it needs. For this reason, the government has issued new permitted development rights that allow investors to develop and convert commercial buildings into residential properties without the usual reams of paperwork that have to be endured and navigated. Commercial property is relatively cheap per square foot, especially when there is a surplus amount on the market. Residential properties are often double the value per square foot. With the right investment, and the right skills or contacts, purchasing a commercial property in 2021 could prove a lucrative investment. By Sumeet Manhas 2021 Copyright Sumeet Manhas - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Vultures Gunning for Mexican Energy Sector, and AMLO Feb. 7 , 2021 (EIRNS)With President Donald Trump out of the way, the assault against Mexicos energy sovereignty and its President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has begun in earnest. The City of London, Wall Street rating agencies and press organs, the climate crisis mafia, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and others of this ilk have joined the energy multinationals in threatening President Lopez Obrador, that if he proceeds to reassert the governments predominant role over energy production and supply, economic warfare will be unleashed against Mexico. Expectations have been high that the Biden government would back the foreign private interests, unlike President Trump, who ignored such demands. In an editorial today (Mexicos Dangerous Addiction to Fossil Fuels; Lopez Obrador Has an Outdated, State-Led Vision for the Energy Market), the Editorial Board of Londons Financial Times ordered the Biden team to get moving. The Biden administration should lose no time in reminding Mexico of its international obligations on trade and climate change, they wrote. The first shot of the offensive was fired on Jan. 31, by Wall Street Journal Americas hatchet-woman, Mary Anastasia OGrady, who labeled AMLO a strongman and demagogue comparable to Venezuelas Hugo Chavez, out to centralize power. The pile-on then took off when AMLO sent to Congress the next day his long-announced bill to roll-back the provisions of the 2014 energy privatization reform which forces the Federal Electricity Commission to prioritize purchase from highly-subsidized foreign wind and solar companies over the more reliable electricity produced by state-owned hydroelectric, oil and gas, and nuclear plants. A Fitch Ratings analyst told a regional debt webinar this week, that the bill, if passed, would be considered a negative risk factor for rating Mexican government bonds. HR Ratings suggested that passage would be a source of potential conflict with the U.S. government, and thereby threaten access for Mexican exports to the U.S. market. U.S. Chamber of Commerces Senior VP of the Americas Neil Herrington denounced the deeply troubling electricity bill, claiming it would open the door for a monopoly in the electricity sector ... directly contravene Mexicos commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement ... limit access to clean energy ... [and] undermine the confidence of foreign investors in the country at the precise moment enhanced foreign direct investment in Mexico is needed more than ever. Mexicos rightwing Business Coordinating Council (CCE) charged that the bill would lead to a monopoly and indirect expropriation of private plants. Associated Press attacked the bill for favoring dirty fuel, over green-energy. The VP for Strategy and New Initiatives at Washington, D.C.s quasi-governmental Wilson Center, Duncan Wood, said it will weaken confidence in the economy ... [and] weaken Mexicos commitment to reducing emissions. The neoliberal Mexican Institute for Competitivity in Mexico City protested that it will lead to noncompliance with the Paris Accords. With AMLOs party holding a majority of votes in both chambers of the Congress, the bill could pass. This outcome was complicated by Mexicos Supreme Court ruling midweek, overturning regulatory changes made by the Federal Electricity Commission last year along the lines of the now-introduced bill. The court ruled that prioritizing reliability over cheapest price as criteria for fuel purchases, is anti-constitutional and anti-competitive. Progressive vision loss, and eventually blindness, are the hallmarks of juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or CLN3-Batten disease. New research shows how the mutation associated with the disease could potentially lead to degeneration of light sensing photoreceptor cells in the retina, and subsequent vision loss. The prominence and early onset of retinal degeneration in JNCL makes it likely that cellular processes that are compromised in JNCL are critical for health and function of the retina. It is important to understand how vision loss is triggered in this disease, what is primary and what is secondary, and this will allow us to develop new therapeutic strategies." Ruchira Signh, Ph.D., Study Lead Author, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Visual Science The study which appears in the journal Communications Biology. Batten disease is caused by a mutation in the CLN3 gene, which is found on chromosome 16. Most children suffering from JNCL have a missing part in the gene which inhibits the production of certain proteins. Rapidly progressive vision loss can start in children as young as 4 and eventually develop learning and behavior problems, slow cognitive decline, seizures, and loss of motor control. Most patients with the disease die between the ages of 15 and 30. It has been well established that vision loss in JNCL is due to degeneration of the light-sensing tissue in the retina. The vision loss associated with JNCL can precede other neurological symptoms by many years in some instances, which often leads to patients being misdiagnosed with other more common retinal degenerations. However, one of the barriers to studying vision loss in Batten disease is that mouse models of CLN3 gene mutation do not produce the retinal degeneration or vision loss found in humans. Additionally, examination of eye tissue after death reveals extensive degeneration of retinal cells which does not allow researchers to understand the precise mechanisms that lead to vision loss. URMC is a hub for Batten disease research. The Medical Center is home to the University of Rochester Batten Center (URBC), one of the nation's premier centers dedicated to the study and treatment of this condition. The URBC is led by pediatric neurologist Jonathon Mink, M.D., Ph.D., who is a co-author of the study. Batten disease is also one of the key research projects that will be undertaken by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-supported University of Rochester Intellectual and Development Diseases Research Center. To study Batten disease in patient's own cells, the research team reengineered skin cells from patients and unaffected family members to create human-induced pluripotent stem cells. These cells, in turn, were used to create retinal cells which possessed the CLN3 mutation. Using this new human cell model of the disease, the new study shows for the first time that proper function of CLN3 is necessary for retinal pigment epithelium cell structure, the cell layer in the retina that nourishes light sensing photoreceptor cells in the retina and is critical for their survival and function and thereby vision. Singh points out that understanding how RPE cell dysfunction contributes to photoreceptor cell loss in Batten disease is important first step, and it will enable researchers to target specific cell type in the eye using potential future gene therapies, cell transplantation, and drug-based interventions. The shocking moment a woman confronts an elderly couple for leaving their panting dog locked inside a hot car has been captured on camera. Tamika Dudley posted a series of videos to Instagram when she discovered the dog in the underground car park of a shopping centre in Indooroopilly, Brisbane, at the temperature hit 31C on Sunday. 'Is this a joke... there's a dog in the car' she says. 'He's literally panting right now.' Tamika Dudley discovered the panting dog in an underground carpark in Brisbane Ms Dudley told her 14,000 Instagram followers she had called the fire department and RSPCA and would wait with the tiny dog - believed to be a cavoodle - until its owners came back. She posted a photo of the dog to Instagram and captioned it: 'Sweet angel, it's OK, you will be out of there soon.' Ms Dudley waited by the car until an elderly couple returned and started unloading shopping bags into the boot of the car. 'Is this your car? You've left your dog in the car', she says to the pair. Ms Dudley posted a series of videos to her Instagram exposing the elderly couple for abandoning their dog Before they can reply, she interrupts them and says they don't deserve to own animals. 'I've called the fire brigade, I've got your number plate and I'm going to call the RSPCA on you,' she says as the couple leave. Dog owners who leave their pets in a hot car in Queensland can face a maximum fine of $220,000 or three years' imprisonment. The RSPCA says dogs can often be dead in as little as six minutes when locked inside a parked car on a hot day - even if the car was parked in shade or an underground car park. The RSCPA advises people who see a dog in distress inside a car to note down the vehicle's registration number and report it to the RSPCA Cruelty Hotline. If the dog is in a car at a shopping centre, the charity also recommends telling management so they can page the owner over the public speaker system. If you grew up in central Lake County back in the day, when Long Grove was a crossroads with a few aging stores and the venerable Village Tavern anchoring the intersection at Old McHenry Road, you may remember the bridge did not have a wooden roof. It was merely an iron truss bridge with railings over the usually mild-mannered creek. What is keeping the NA1SS amateur station off the air? Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and its partners are troubleshooting what is keeping the NA1SS amateur station off the air. ARISS became aware of the problem after an attempted contact with a school in Wyoming, between ON4ISS on Earth and astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG at NA1SS, had to abort when no downlink signal was heard. ARISS has determined that the problem is not with the radio equipment on board the ISS Columbus module. ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, explained that during a 27 January spacewalk to install exterior cabling on the ISS Columbus module, the coax feed line installed 11 years ago was replaced with another built by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. It included two additional RF connectors to support the Bartolomeo payload-hosting platform installed last spring on Columbus. "On 26 January, prior to the EVA [extravehicular activity], our Columbus next-generation radio system was shut off and the ISS-internal coaxial cable to the antenna was disconnected from the ARISS radio as a safety precaution for the EVA," Bauer said. During the spacewalk, an external four-connector coax feed line replaced one with two RF connections. This change was made to allow ESA to connect ARISS and three additional customers to Bartolomeo, as compared to ARISS and one additional RF customer," Bauer explained. With the spacewalk completed, the ISS crew restarted the ISS amateur radio station on 28 January, but no voice repeater or automatic packet repeater system (APRS) downlink reports were heard and no downlink signal was heard during an attempted scheduled school contact either. Bauer said that because the exterior cable is not an ARISS cable, ARISS is working with ESA and NASA on a way forward. "NASA has opened a Payload Anomaly Report on this issue. We have talked to both the NASA and ESA representatives," Bauer said. Nairobi Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta on Sunday received her 2019 Macky Sall Prize for Dialogue in Africa from Defence Cabinet Secretary Dr Amb Monica Juma. The prize was awarded on 11th December last year at the Museum of Black Civilization in Dakar, Senegal by President Macky Sall and received by Dr Juma on behalf of the Former First Lady who couldn't travel because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The annual prize is awarded to African personalities who use dialogue to avert conflict on the continent and is named after the Senegalese President Macky Sall who is a celebrated African mediator. The Former First Lady was awarded for continuously and quietly using dialogue to diffuse tension in the country and the region over the years especially for her leading role in ending the political tension that followed Kenya's 2017 General Election. Speaking when she received the award from Dr Juma at her Nairobi home, the Former First Lady thanked CIRID for the recognition saying it was an honour for Kenya's frontline role in the search for lasting peace and stability in Eastern Africa. "I didn't know that there are people who know where we've come from as a country and how they settled on me as the recipient of the award. I am grateful," the Former First Lady said, and thanked Dr Juma for collecting the award on her behalf. At the prize handover ceremony attended by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, Dr Juma was accompanied by Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua and Foreign Affairs PS Amb Macharia Kamau. Patna, Feb 8 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today announced to develop Patna Medical College Hospital ( PMCH) into a world class 5462 bed hospital at an expenditure of Rs 5540 crore. While laying the foundation stone of the development project of PMCH, Mr Kumar asked the concerned authorities to complete the upgradation within 5 years. He also asked to constitute a committee of experts for regular monitoring of the project. He said that all kind if ailments would be treated under one roof and arrangements were being made in such a manner that the patients do not need to go outside for treatment. Haiti plunged deeper into a constitutional crisis Monday, with rival claims to the presidency, allegations of a coup attempt and police deployed to the Supreme Court. The political chaos in the Western Hemisphere's poorest threatened to further undermine the country's teetering democracy, as fears mounted that the warring factions and their proxies - including the street gangs who control large swaths of Port-au-Prince, the capital - could push long-simmering violence to new levels. "We are witnessing the making of a Somalia in the Americas," said Ralph Chevry, a board member of the Haiti Center for Socio Economic Policy in Port-au-Prince. On Monday, opponents seeking to end the rule of President Jovenel Moise declared Supreme Court Judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis as interim president. The move came a day after Moise said authorities had arrested 23 people linked to a failed coup to install a different Supreme Court judge, Yvcikel Dabresil. Dabresil was arrested early Sunday. "The coup failed," Foreign Minister Claude Joseph told The Washington Post Monday. "To our brothers in the opposition, our message is, be patient. Wait your turn and use legal means." The sides are embroiled in a long-running dispute over the length of Moise's term. The opposition says it ended Sunday. Moise says he has another year. Moise, 52, was elected to a five-year term that was supposed to begin in 2016. His claim to more time is based on a year-long delay in his taking office amid disputed election results. Moise dissolved parliament in January 2020 and has been ruling by decree ever since. Opponents see a dictator in the making. The crisis is an early foreign policy test for President Biden. Moise was viewed favorably by the Trump administration, in part due to his willingness to stand with Washington against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The State Department under Biden, the United Nations and the Organization of American States have backed Moise's view of his departure date. But a State Department spokesperson expressed caution on Monday: "We understand the Haitian National Police is investigating 23 individuals who were arrested over the weekend. The situation remains murky and we await the results of the police investigation." The spokesperson added a call for legislative elections "as soon as technically feasible, followed by 2021 Presidential elections." A group of U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, have joined the opposition in demanding Moise step down. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., and six colleagues called on the United States to "unambiguously reject any attempt by President Moise to retain power." Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., said the group was pushing for a "more aggressive message" in response to concerns of the Haitian diaspora in the United States. But he said he "understood" the new administration needed to maintain a working relationship with Moise to mediate "free and fair elections." Haitians harbored doubts about the alleged coup. Andre Michel, spokesman for the opposition Democratic and Popular Sector, called it "a big joke." He said the opposition would continue to press for Moise to step down. "In the coming hours and days, the mobilization will continue for the installation of the new president," he said. The government alleged a plot involving a senior judge and police officials. "They wanted to have the president killed, and then they would enter the palace with the Supreme Court judge Yvickel Dabresil," said Joseph, the foreign minister. "It was a conspiracy." Joseph forwarded recordings to The Washington Post that have circulated widely on Haitian social media. They are said to capture a coup plotter discussing plans with the head of palace security. Armed Haitian police were patrolling the entrance of the Supreme Court on Monday. Joseph said they were there to "protect" justices from potential attacks. Moise addressed the nation from the Port-au-Prince airport on Sunday. "The dream of those people was an attempt on my life," he said. He said he was not a "dictator," but a democrat. Civil society groups critical of Moise have been calling for a transitional government in Haiti for months. Human rights activists and others say his government has ties to street gangs that have been terrorizing the nation. In June, witnesses in Port-au-Prince claimed to have seen gang members ride in the armored vehicles used by the national police and special security forces. Moise's government denies the charges and says it is fighting the gangs. One faction of the divided opposition named Jean-Louis, 72, interim president. In a video address, the judge said he had "accepted the choice of the opposition and civil society, to serve the country as interim president for the transition." Moise's justice minister called the man a "usurper" who was violating the law. Few nations are as vulnerable as Haiti. The country has suffered decades of misery, shedding the yoke of the Duvalier father-then-son dictatorships in the 1980s only to suffer the failure of repeated efforts to lift its population out of dehumanizing poverty. The 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 Haitians and left 1.5 million homeless brought an avalanche of international organizations and promises, finally, of transformative aid. But many of the charities have since departed, the transformation unrealized, leaving a mix of resentment and hopelessness as the country has teetered on the verge of anarchy. - - - The Washington Post's Andre Paultre in Port-au-Prince contributed to this report. Most recently, Wamsley served as CEO and Founder of Helix Inc., a patient-care technology startup specializing in integrated medical solutions for health systems. In this role, he was responsible for the operations and oversight of all aspects of the organization and personnel, while driving sales and company growth. Prior to that, Wamsley was Vice President and CSO, Sales and Marketing at Wellright, LLC., where he was a core member of the executive team. "I couldn't be more excited to be a part of the Therapy Brands team and look forward to making an impact in the physical therapy markets," said Wamsley. In addition to his executive leadership acumen, Chad has more than 20 years of sales and management experience in the insurance and health and wellness industries. "We are thrilled Chad has joined the Therapy Brands family," said Adam Aitken, Executive Vice President at Therapy Brands. "His extensive executive management and sales background adds incredible value to our team, and we look forward to the impact his leadership will have on our brands." About Therapy Brands: At a time when both topics of mental health and digital connectivity are at the forefront of the cultural conversation in the U.S., Therapy Brands is equipping tens of thousands of practitioners to effectively address the mental and behavioral needs of some of the country's most vulnerable populations. Through fully integrated practice management and EHR solutions provided by Therapy Brands, mental and behavioral healthcare providers are able to improve patient quality of care and support better health outcomes for those they serve. Therapy Brands is headquartered in Birmingham, AL and employs more than 500 people nationally. For more information, please visit us at https://www.therapybrands.com/. Contact: Emily Claypool [email protected] SOURCE Therapy Brands Related Links https://www.therapybrands.com A COUNTY Limerick man who broke into three houses in the parish where he lives in one day has travelled an unfortunate road of highs and lows. Peter Mulready, aged 35, of Glenaine, Hospital pleaded guilty to three theft charges at Kilmallock Court. Inspector Pat Brennan said on July 26, 2020, gardai received a series of reports from the Hospital area. From a property on the Knockainey Road, Hospital, he said a red cement mixer valued at 500 was stolen. In the neighbouring house, a mini green clothes hanger costing 10 was taken. At Lower Main Street, Hospital, a chainsaw valued at 200; a yard brush, 30; a shovel, 40 and a bicycle foot pump were stolen. A suspect was nominated and subsequently arrested. He made admissions, said Inspector Brennan, who added that Mulready has 28 previous convictions. In 2014, he received a six year prison sentence with the final two years suspended for having drugs in excess of 13,000 for sale or supply. Liam Carroll BL, who represented Mulready, said his client has travelled an unfortunate road of highs and lows. When he was released from prison he went down a positive path and became a foreman. He continued to work there until last March when he lost his job. Things began to go awry. He started taking tablets, pills, ecstasy. He committed these crimes to fund his habit. He apologises wholeheartedly for taking peoples belongings and knows it cant happen again, said Mr Carroll. The barrister said Mulready is getting drug counselling twice weekly and is clean of illicit substances. Mr Carroll handed in a letter from a well known wealthy businessman to Judge Marian OLeary. He started working for free in one of his properties and was subsequently offered employment and a place to reside which he is more than thankful for. He has had his difficulties in the past but is endeavouring to be a productive member of society. He has had his knock backs but it has never stopped him in the pursuit of bettering himself. He has found new employment, a new place to live, is hopeful of remaining sober and not falling back into addiction again. He has made endeavours that are now bearing fruit for him, said Mr Carroll. Judge OLeary ordered a pre sanction report from the Probation Services. He was doing well and then something happened, said Judge OLeary. I wrote a piece earlier in response to Bruce Springsteens first commercial ad for Jeep for the Super Bowl. I left it with the hope that sanity will prevail because, as Americans, we have shown that ability to triumph over all odds. I do believe that sanity and the truth will ultimately triumph. But I also wrote about how Democrats and the media are deliberately demonizing the GOP and encouraging people to hate us. In support of the U.S. Department of Defense's Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, Regulus Global built, integrated and delivered a $3.5 million modular shelter and hygienic solution system. The modular units provide immediate shelter, kitchen and sanitary necessities for displaced citizens and/or disaster response personnel in the wake of a hurricane or natural disaster. "In 30 days, Regulus Global designed, developed and delivered a hurricane response system to the Bahamas; and that is just one example of our team's unwavering focus on pragmatic humanitarian solutions," said Brad Stewart, director of innovation and design solutions, Regulus Global. "The real asset of the mobile, modular shelter solution sets is their multi-purpose utilization in this case, not only for disaster preparedness but also for the Bahamas' pandemic medical response as mobile COVID treatment centers." The Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management & Reconstruction and NEMA received the modular shelters late last year as part of the United States' support for the Bahamas reconstruction after Hurricane Dorian. Designed and manufactured in the company's Virginia Beach, Va. facility, these modular shelters were tailored to accommodate up to 400 people, including two kitchens and six shower/latrine sanitary units. The shelters can be deployed together or separately among the Bahamas' islands. The custom-made shelters provide support for natural disasters, pandemic response, and supplemental emergency mitigation needs for the Bahamian community. "It's important to be prepared for hurricanes and natural disasters, even in the midst of a pandemic," said Stewart. "At Regulus, we're committed to supporting the U.S. and international community with scalable modular humanitarian, expeditionary and medical solutions for quick response times, in times of need." Regulus Global, a leader in innovative design, enables capability from initial requirement through delivery to sustainment. Specializing in the humanitarian, commercial medical, national security and defense industries, Regulus works to understand the mission and then provides the requirements analysis, emerging technologies, equipment, and scalability to meet the critical needs of organizations and agencies worldwide. Transforming the end-to-end lifecycle, Regulus supports organizations, businesses and government agencies worldwide with its systems design, development and execution expertise. Regulus Global is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., with subsidiary offices in Mexico City and Torreon Coahuila, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has operated in more than 70 countries worldwide. SOURCE Regulus Global Related Links http://www.regulusglobal.com Iraq needs crude oil to trade at $80 a barrel to be able to plug its budget holes, according to oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail. In an interview with Shafaq news agency, the top official said, "Iraq will export in 2021 about one billion and 100 million barrels of crude oil according to market data. The budget needs 140 trillion dinars ($96 billion). The price of $ 80 a barrel is the right price to make Iraq can pay the budget dues." However, there is no chance of oil rising that high this year, Abdul Jabbar Ismail also said. Last December, the minister said Baghdad had budgeted for an average oil price of $42 a barrel for 2021, compared with $56 for 2019. The official told Shafaq news agency that he expected Brent to hit $60 a barrel this quarter, however, rising to $62-63 by the third quarter if Covid-19 vaccines become widely available. Brent is currently trading close to $60 on signs of tightening supply. Iraq is OPEC's second-largest producer and one of the countries most dependent on oil revenues to prop up its war-battered economy: as much as 90 percent of government spending comes from oil revenues. Because of this dependency, Iraq has been finding it hard to stay within its OPEC+ production quota, which led to clashes with the de facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia. Following pressure from the bigger producer, Iraq pledged to deepen its production cuts and, according to the latest data, has been having some success. In a bid to secure more oil revenues, the country also tried a new kind of contract, essentially borrowing money, to be repaid in crude oil. A Chinese company, Zhenhua Oil Co, signed up for the deal that will bring in some $2 billion annually for Baghdad, according to Bloomberg. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The CJM asked the jail authorities to check the Supreme Court's website for the bail order, following which Faruqui was set free, Indore: A day after a Supreme Court bail order, it took a late night phone call from a Chief Judicial Magistrate that prodded Indore jail authorities to swiftly make arrangements for the release of stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, who is accused hurting religious sentiments. In the call on Saturday night, Indore's Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) asked the Central Prison authorities in Madhya Pradesh to check the Supreme Court's website for the bail order, following which Faruqui was set free, a senior official from the jail administration said on Sunday. Arrested on 1 January for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, Faruqui was in the jail for 35 days. On Friday, the SC granted him interim bail after the Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected his bail plea on 28 January. The apex court also stayed the production warrant issued against Faruqui by a court in Prayagraj in connection with an FIR lodged there. Indore Central Jail's superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bhangre told PTI that, "A CJM rang us up on Saturday night. He said if we have not got the SC's official order regarding Faruqui, it can be checked on the apex court's website." The jail official said they then checked the order which mentioned that all warrants against Faruqui have been stayed. "On this basis, he was set free," the official said. Asked why they did not check the SC's website before the CJM's call, the superintendent said since the matter is "sensitive", they were waiting for the order (hard copy) to reach them through an official source. "This caused such a situation," he said. Earlier, even after Faruqui's lawyers completed legal formalities in the district court, the jail authorities did not set him free on Saturday evening, contending that a production warrant of a Prayagraj court was pending against him. Hours before his release, Faruqui's lawyers had submitted a copy of the SC's order in a local court, which then directed that he be released on a bond of Rs 50,000 and a security of the same amount. But, he was not released at that time. Another official of the Indore Central Jail on Saturday said a court in Prayagraj had ordered Faruqui's production in a similar case on 18 February. Citing the jail manual, he had said an order from the Prayagraj court or a competent government officer was needed to release him. A couple of hours before Faruqui was released, his cousin Zaid Pathan said they were disappointed by the jail administration's stand. "Our belief in the judiciary was strengthened after the Supreme Court order," he had remarked. Media persons had gathered outside the jail after getting the news of his release, but according to eyewitnesses, Faruqui walked out of the jail quietly after being set free late Saturday night. Faruqui and four others were arrested following a complaint by a BJP MLA's son that objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were passed during a comedy show at a cafe in Indore on New Year's Day. Myanmars military rulers on Monday ordered a curfew and banned gatherings in the countrys two largest cities. The move follows days of protests against the military overthrow of the government last week. The first government orders covered Yangon and Mandalay, but measures for other parts of the country were also expected. Gatherings of more than five people were banned, along with motorized processions. Curfews were set from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. The military said the measures were ordered to stop unlawful actions. On Monday, police fired a water cannon at demonstrators in the capital, Naypyitaw. Protests were also reported Monday in Yangon, Myanmars largest city, as well as Mandalay and other places. The protesters are demanding that the military return power to the democratically elected government. We do not want the military junta, said Daw Moe, a protester in Yangon. We never ever wanted this junta. Nobody wants it. All the people are ready to fight them. The military seized power on February 1, the day newly elected lawmakers were supposed to take their seats in Parliament. The generals said they acted because of wrongdoing in the November election. They accused the countrys ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, of not investigating election wrongdoing. Myanmars election commission has dismissed both claims. Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, or NLD, won the November elections easily, with the military-backed party receiving little support. The military declared a one-year state of emergency after it seized power. Suu Kyi has been restricted to her home since being removed from office. State media reported on the protests for the first time Monday and claimed the demonstrations were endangering the countrys security. Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline, said a Ministry of Information statement read on state television station MRTV. We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law. The countrys new military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, said in a televised speech that his government planned to hold new elections and hand over power to the winner. He added that the military was prepared to form a true and disciplined democracy that would be different from past periods of military rule. Myanmars history includes a long and bloody struggle for democracy. On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered at Yangons Sule Pagoda, the center of past public uprisings against military rule in 1988 and 2007. The military used deadly force against demonstrators to end both of those uprisings. Suu Kyis party has asked for international recognition as the rightful representative of the people. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners is a human rights organization based in neighboring Thailand. The group says that at least 165 people, mostly politicians, have been detained in Myanmar since last weeks military overthrow. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story procession n. a line of people or vehicles that moves forward slowly as part of a ceremony or public event junta n. a military government that has taken power in a country by force stability n. the quality of not being likely to change or move discipline n. the control of a person's behavior using rules and punishments The Federal Government has distributed free agricultural inputs and quality seeds to smallholder farmers in Gombe State. This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The statement by the chief information officer, in the ministry, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, quoted the Minister of State, Mustapha Shehuri, who inaugurated the event, as saying that it would ensure food and nutrition security, create more jobs for the youth, as well as boost dry-season farming. The minister, while performing the exercise at the ministrys office complex in Gombe, said it was part of the mitigation measures against the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and the flood disaster that had wreaked havoc on farmlands. Mr Shehuri said the ministry would support breeder and foundation seed production, as well as link up with private seed companies to ensure that certified seeds were made available to farmers nationwide. He said improved rural infrastructure and other value chain support would invariably contribute to the attainment of President Muhammadu Buharis desire of ensuring easy access to quality food and nutrition for Nigerians. The ministry has supported Gombe State with subsidised input with over 350 3HP and 30 7HP irrigation pumps, multipurpose threshers, over 70 motorised and dual powered sprayers, amongst others. Under our World Bank assisted nutrition programme, we have provided multiple training and homestead farming input packages, including tomato, pepper, pawpaw, among others, in five local government areas of the state, as well as irrigation kits designed to improve household nutrition. The small-holder farmers in the state will today receive the following free inputs; 10,000 gum arabic seedlings, 15MT of rice seed, 2.5 mt groundnut foundation seeds, 1,000 kg of castor seeds, 1,500 kg of cashew nuts, he said. Also, to be distributed were, Ratkin and Liptol organic insecticides to combat armyworm infestation and equipment like water pumps, maize threshers, among others, the minister said. So far, the ministry has performed similar exercises in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Oyo, Cross River and Imo states, with this being the eighth edition, assisting smallholder farmers with quality inputs to ensure sustainable food security, job creation and revenue generation to grow the nations economy. In our input distribution efforts, at least 35 per cent of these inputs are targeted at women farmers, this is in line with the targets set in our National Gender Action Plan and policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women, he said. Mr Shehuri also said in order to alleviate the effect of flood on farmers, inputs were distributed to farmers in Jigawa, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Benue. He tasked the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs to produce more food for the nation. The minister also called on other stakeholders to provide similar support to farmers so that together we can defeat COVID-19 pandemic and become self-sufficient in food production. Elation In his remarks, Gombe governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, appreciated the federal government for the distribution of agricultural inputs and quality seeds to smallholder farmers in the state. Mr Yahaya said that it would not only cushion the effect of COVID 19 pandemic but also promote dry-season farming, boost production and generate income for the farmers and the state at large. The input distribution was kicked-off with two physically challenged people as the first beneficiaries to receive the packages from the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Karima Babangida. ADVERTISEMENT In a separate visit to Bauchi State, Mr Shehuri had assured Governor Bala Mohammed that the ministry would continue to work with state governments, farmers and other stakeholders to achieve President Buharis promise of diversifying the economy, including revitalising and modernising the agricultural sector. We want to see farmers earning a decent income and to be fully integrated into the mainstream of our national economy, he said. Responding, Mr Mohammed said the state had result-driven policies and programmes which allowed investors to invest in the agricultural sector. He said the policies would provide a conducive business environment for willing investors, create jobs and boost the economic growth of the people. The minister also visited Soro community in Bauchi, where the ministry, through the Department of Rural Development, was constructing a 1.5 km asphaltic road aimed at providing an access road for farmers, for increased production and revenue generation. (NAN) 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. Ascent, a Singapore-headquartered SaaS, AI, and ML-driven company, has announced the appointment of Reza Asgari as Chief Executive Officer of Ascent Business Technology for the US market. In his new role as CEO, Reza will be leading Ascents US business and will work closely with Companys Founder and President Kundan Shekhawat in the expansion of the US market and achieving its next level growth. Apart from the US market, Reza will also be involved in various business aspects of Ascent at the global level. Prior to joining Ascent Reza Asgari has spent the first half of his career in CIO positions managing technology for various banks and brokerage firms building trading floors and complex trading applications. In the second half of his career, Reza has held Partner positions in Unisys and other large organizations such as Coopers & Lybrand, PwC, and most recently as a Partner at IBM with practices in Financial Risk Management and Payment Cyber Security. Reza has a BS in Accounting, MBA in Corporate Finance and his PhD course work is in Information Technology and minor in Finance. Welcoming Reza, Kundan Shekhawat, Founder and President of Ascent Business Technology, said, Im very pleased to announce the appointment of Reza Asgari to our growing team in the US. Reza comes with a wealth of experience in Finance and Technology in the Financial Services industry in the US and the Emerging Markets. I am convinced he will bring what is needed to develop and expand Ascent Business to achieve the next level of growth not just in the US market but also globally. Speaking on his appointment, Reza Asgari, CEO, Ascent Business Technology US, I am incredibly elated by this opportunity and look forward to working with a fast-growing and ambitious firm such as Ascent to build an innovative competitive edge with a client-centric approach in the US region, as well as globally. Ascent Business is expanding its global footprints and recently started its operations in Toronto to cater to the growing demand of the fintech industry in Canada. With a deep understanding of the global economy and markets, Ascent ensures that its clients stay ahead of the seismic changes brought by the rapid development of cutting-edge fintech. The company enables this through a host of different innovations, leveraging its considerable expertise in the worlds of machine learning and AI. Ascent serves clients throughout North America, Asia, and the Middle East, including some of the worlds largest financial institutions, including Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bank Dhofar, Doha Bank, Burgan Bank, Emirates Global Aluminium, and HCL. Dhanush, the National award-winning actor is all set to romance Malavika Mohanan in his 43rd outing in Tamil cinema. As per the latest updates, the star pair has wrapped the first schedule of the Karthick Naren directorial, which has been tentatively titled D43. Malavika Mohanan revealed the update herself with a Twitter post, recently. The gorgeous actress took to her official Twitter page and shared two lovely pictures with her co-star Dhanush, along with a special note. "So glad to have met you and worked with you, my fellow Leo co-actor! Will miss your infectious laughter, learning so much from you every day, and our mutual love for 'Maggi' @dhanushkraja Had a blast of a first schedule, and can't wait to start the second one soon! #D43," wrote Malavika Mohanan on her Twitter post. As per the reports, Dhanush has taken a break from the shooting of D43 till May 2021, to join his highly anticipated Hollywood project, The Gray Man. The project, which is directed by Russo Brothers and produced by Netflix, features the talented actor in a pivotal role. The actor will soon travel abroad to kickstart the shooting of this prestigious venture. If things go as planned, Dhanush will resume the shooting of the Karthick Naren directorial by the beginning of May 2021, after he finishes The Gray Man. As per the reports, the D43 team is planning to finish the portions that do not need the leading man's presence, before his return. D43, which marks Dhanush and Karthick Naren's first collaboration is said to be a complete action thriller, that revolves around a young man who is in search of his father's killer. GV Prakash Kumar has composed the songs and original score for the project, which is bankrolled by Sathya Jyothi Films. Also Read: Suriya Tests Positive For Coronavirus; Reveals That He Is Under Treatment Master: The Deleted Scene From The Thalapathy Vijay Starrer Is Winning The Internet! WESTON, Mass., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fastweb (www.fastweb.com), the leading website for scholarship and financial aid information and a member of the Monster network, celebrates the achievements of African Americans throughout history during Black History Month with a spotlight on scholarship opportunities available for today's students. In Fastweb's new resource Scholarships for African American Students students can view a comprehensive list of scholarships in academic areas such as engineering, psychology, financial services, business administration, STEM fields, and more. Award amounts range from $500 to $30,000. Relevant internships are also included. Fastweb encourages undergraduate, graduate, and college-bound African American students to help fund their college education by applying for scholarship opportunities. "Fastweb is committed to helping students achieve their academic goals by bringing them relevant scholarship resources," said Mark Nelson, Vice President, Fastweb. "Our 2021 resource compiles scholarship opportunities for African American students from educational institutions, foundations, and other organizations across a variety of career disciplines." Fastweb encourages all students to become familiar with financial aid and how to utilize it to help pay for college. Students should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form now to start the federal student aid process. Information on the FAFSA application can be found in Fastweb's Financial Aid section. Visit Fastweb.com or download the Fastweb app for more helpful free online resources. About Fastweb: Fastweb, a top site in the Monster network, is the nation's recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, one out of three college-bound seniors use the site and more than 50 million users have benefitted from Fastweb's information and services. Fastweb lets students create personalized profiles that can be matched against its expansive databases of colleges and scholarships. To learn more about Fastweb, visit www.fastweb.com and follow Fastweb on social media for the latest on paying for school all year long: Twitter (at @PayingForSchool); Facebook; Instagram and Pinterest. About Monster Monster is a global leader in connecting the right people to the right jobs. Every day, Monster aims to make every workplace happier and more productive by transforming the way employers find talent and candidates find careers. For 25 years, Monster has worked to transform the recruiting industry. Today, the company leverages innovative digital, social, and mobile solutions to enable employers and candidates to see each other more clearly. Monster is a digital venture owned by Randstad North America, a subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a $26 billion international provider of flexible work and human resources services. SOURCE Fastweb Related Links http://www.fastweb.com AJ Hunter, a first-time author and world traveler, has completed her new book In Time of War: a gripping story about crime, corruption, and a revolt in time of war. The author said that she began writing eight years ago as an attempt to connect with other people. A nomad at heart, she travels to connect with people and experience new things. Hunter writes, When the only thing left to hide behind is a mask, you get desperate. I used to take photos of crimes as they happened, afraid to intervene. I was just trying to help my police department keep up with civil unrest in the middle of a war with Centauri, a country convinced we killed their prince. Their mercenary, Lioness, blew up part of the city. When she left my best friend covered in burns, I understood photos were not enough to protect people. I found the corruption that danced through our countrys War Office trying to appease the enemy enough to keep our soldiers alive. They want Spades of all people, the boy that tells nothing but lies. I have learned that when you dont have a name, people think of you when they say, Somebody should fix this. So I became Revolutionary, and I am demanding a revolt to free my home from the domineering grip of the enemy. Published by Page Publishing, AJ Hunters exciting tale talks about justice from the eyes of a revolutionary scarred by the events that transpired. This book is a reflection of todays definition of heroes and villains, and expertly-crafted metaphor about todays politics and governance, a must-read for individuals seeking justice between the lines of a work of fiction. Readers who wish to experience this suspenseful work can purchase In Time of War at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. A 25-year-old New York City man was shot and killed in Atlantic City on Friday, authorities said. Dameer Smith was shot once around 9:30 p.m. on the 1300 block of Pacific Avenue, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said Monday. Smith was brought to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in the city, where he was pronounced deceased. No arrests have been made and no motive was disclosed. The investigation is ongoing. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Some Hazleton officials are giving pause to a request from an advisory committee to Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission for city council to formally condemn hate and bias as the region responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of Hazletons advisory committee to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission are questioning why city officials have not acted on a resolution that the advisory group presented nearly six months ago. The resolution calls on everyone in Hazleton and the surrounding communities to take a stand against acts of hate and bias that they say have been occurring across the nation during the pandemic. It also wants the city to ensure that all members of the community are granted equitable access to resources and are afforded equal protection under the law. This is not in response to anything specific, said Elaine Curry, who chairs the local advisory committee. Were just saying to our leaders, We want you to set the tone for the community and say this is what we believe. We are against any form of hate or bias in our community and we want members of the community to replicate what we stand for. But some city officials said that although they dont disagree with the committees ideals, they wonder whether a formal resolution is the answer. Why do we have a resolution (proposed) when we are already doing that? council President Jim Perry said. I dont know of any other communities here that are doing that. I dont think we have those kind of issues here. It wasnt something we were confronted with on any aspects whether its police, fire or code. Im not sure if we need to do this. Council will decide whether to discuss the advisory committees resolution at an upcoming work session, he said. Councilwoman Lauren Sacco, meanwhile, said the resolution was never acted on because it was not presented in a formal council setting. No one came to present or talk about it, Sacco said. There was an email sent. (The solicitor) looked at it, told us on our behalf that nothing really needed to be done. We didnt move forward. If its not presented and not put up, it kind of dies. Sacco, however, said she spoke with Curry after council received an email from the local committee earlier this week and asked if the resolution came from an issue that council was not aware of. I feel everyone gets along, Sacco said. Im not really sure where this came from. At a time when the country is upside down, I feel very blessed that the community we live in is the community we live in. When COVID hit, we came together. Local organizations and council members served meals to all families, even those that werent from the city, she said. The school district also stepped up, providing food during the pandemic, she said. We fed families of every nationality, of every color and people who werent necessarily citizens of Hazleton, Sacco said. When COVID hit this community, I was making videos, speaking to people of every color. I even had an employee join me to translate every sentence I said in Spanish. I always say kindness knows no skin color. Im a little taken aback with this. Weve never had a council thats been more on the same beat of a drum. We dont support discrimination. We fully support every nationality in this community. Mayor Jeff Cusat declined to comment about the request. Origin The advisory committee has been waiting for the city to act since it presented the resolution in August 2020, said Francisco Torres, a local committee member who also serves on Pennsylvania Commission on Latino Affairs. The proposal states that the city administration recognizes the challenges the pandemic poses for all residents, as well as acts of bias against communities of color, citizens who hold various religious beliefs and ethnic minorities across the nation. It also acknowledges calls made by the governor and state police to end these acts of bias and hate. It goes on to state that the city administration will remain committed to ensuring everyone in the community has equitable access to resources and calls on Hazleton and neighboring communities to respect the individual humanity and dignity of all residents, to stop bias, prejudice and hate, and to stand united. We strongly urge all businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations to create conditions that avoid discrimination against patrons, and to stand up against any acts of hate or bias, the proposal reads. Torres believes the resolution is pretty straight forward and said that it was introduced in response to a nationwide feeling of bias and animosity as the number of cases increased during the early stages of the pandemic. Here in Hazleton, there were some comments at the beginning that the Latino community was not doing enough to take care of themselves that it wasnt self-isolating and there was a lack of information, Torres said. That was the talk, but we knew a lot of the spread was going on in the factories. Local bias partly was that that thats why there was COVID in Hazleton. Torres said that line of thinking wasnt factual, as cases surged worldwide. The resolution, he said, is intended to have the community take a unified stance as it battles the pandemic. Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission recommended having similar resolutions signed by every city, he said. It really was up to the cities to take it upon themselves or not, he said. Wed like to see Hazleton at the forefront. Even if other communities havent done it, it would be great to see Hazleton do it. We want to be sure everybody stays united in the moments of crisis. Curry said the resolution also serves as a reminder that the local committee is available for the community. Residents who feel they are being discriminated against can file complaints with the state commission. Gary Lawler, who serves as vice chair of the local committee, said the resolution was submitted to ensure all members of our community have their viewpoints included in decisions that affect the entire community. This is especially important now as we all need to work together to get through and recover from the pandemics impact on our community members, he said. Chad Lassiter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Citys response City Solicitor Sean Logsdon said hed like to hear more about what initiated the resolution and whether other communities received similar requests. I have not gotten an answer to those questions, he said. When the city was originally approached, Logsdon said he wasnt sure whether the advisory council understood how resolutions are enacted and whether the group wanted council to simply sign a letter or take formal action. Logsdon asked Curry to give city council an overview of the request at Wednesdays work session, which will be held virtually. Perry said that council spoke out in opposition to some members of the public who blamed people who commute from other states to work in Hazleton for spreading the virus and felt strongly enough to sign a letter that condemned that line of thinking. He thought the issue had been put to rest. Still, Perry said hes not sure a resolution is warranted. Would someone come to us for a resolution against murder, rape and robbery? Perry said. Yeah, were against all that. Were all for equality. Were against racism. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) has been applauded by many with credits to his thrilling ending. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) had a similar blood-filled climax sequence. Now, the director of the latter film, Quentin Tarantino compared the two and claimed that his movie had a scarier ending. Also Read | Quentin Tarantino Speaks On The 'subversion' In The Talk Show Ending Scene Of 'Joker' Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is scarier than The Silence of the Lambs, says Quentin Tarantino In a recent interview with The Empire Film Podcast, Quentin Tarantino explained how his Once Upon a Time Hollywood plot end had more at stake than The Silence of the Lambs plot conclusion. He said that when someone watches OUATIH with an audience the first time, it achieves something he thinks is" difficult to achieve" in a movie. It achieves terror, he noted. The audience is "terrified" for Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) and the air in the theater changes. The filmmaker stated that they are genuinely afraid. He mentioned that the sequence at the end of The Silence of the Lambs is magnificent. However, he would push back on one aspect of it. Tarantino mentioned that he has seen some movies before. He did not think Jodie Foster (Clarice Starling character) was going to die. The director asserted, at that point in the classic movie, he would have been surprised if it ended with Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) killing Jodie Foster. He said that he has seen too many movies to think that was actually going to happen. The acclaimed director noted that one of the reasons the ending of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood works so effectively is because Cliff could die. Also Read | Quentin Tarantino To Turn 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Into Novel, Says 'coming Soon' Also Read | Simon Pegg Ends Feud With Quentin Tarantino Over 'Star Trek's' Direction The ending of The Silence of the Lambs plot has Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling revealing the identity of Jame Gumb as murderer Buffalo Bill. She unknowingly enters his home but figures out the reality. After being in the dark, following a power cut out Bill, she shoots him dead. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood plot climax has Cliff Booth surrounded by the group of hippies at the house of Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio). He heroically fights them in a bloody sequence. But all ends well with the hippies being the ones suffering. Also Read | 'The Kid Detective' Ending Explained; Know Who Killed Patrick And Why? Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Photo: Oliver Morris/Getty Images In 2019, New York Times reporter Donald McNeil Jr., working as a tour guide for high-school students traveling to Peru (a service apparently offered by the paper), got into an argument with several of them. The debate centered around whether one of the students classmates deserved to have been suspended over a video that surfaced of her, as a 12-year-old, saying the N-word. McNeil, according to a statement released by the Times, asked about the context of the word was she rapping, or quoting a book title, or using the word as a slur? McNeils distinction apparently made little headway with his interlocutors, who accused him of using the term himself. Two weeks ago, the Daily Beast reported on their allegations. At first, Times editor Dean Baquet argued that McNeils action was regrettable but that he deserved another chance to learn from the mistake. But after 150 Times staffers wrote to express their outrage, McNeil resigned. Some journalists suggested McNeil, the Times lead narrative reporter on the coronavirus pandemic, was often prickly or difficult to work with. This is probably true. It is also consistent with a pattern of other politicized firings. James Bennet made a lot of enemies. When I reported on David Shors firing, I heard many whispers that there were other factors at work in his termination aside from the precipitating charges of racism. Most people who have employers have a list of credits and debits with their bosses, and one dramatic event may suddenly tip the balance to make them no longer worth keeping around. In the absence of a full accounting of this episode, I cant make any firm judgment about the merits of McNeils departure. For all I know, he could have been acting unprofessionally for years, and it took a few teens to force the Times to take action it should have taken years ago. What I can analyze is a pair of concrete statements from the papers editor. In his first statement explaining his decision to retain McNeil, Baquet explained, It did not appear to me that his intentions were hateful or malicious. In his second statement explaining McNeils departure, Baquet wrote, We do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent. First, a staffers intent in saying offensive words mattered. Now, intent does not matter. Describing the use of a slur is now, per Times policy, no better than using it. Given the institutional importance of the Times, this seems to be a watershed moment. This episode raises a narrow point about language and a broader point about process. Begin with the language question. Until very recently, the prevailing (if not unanimous) view was that mentioning a slur was an entirely different thing than using it. There was a boy in my school growing up who began subjecting me to regular anti-Semitic insults. Then at one point, he called me a kike. The word had an immediate, electric impact on me. I am not equating the power of the word kike with that of the N-word, which has a uniquely deep and tragic history as a weapon of subjugation in American life. I am merely saying that I understand how being the target of a slur can provoke an instinctive response of fear and anger, unlike other unpleasant language we can more easily endure. And yet Ive never considered the mere utterance of the word to be a provocation. Ive heard and participated in plenty of discussions about the word kike. None of them has registered in the same category as being called the term. Six years ago, Ta-Nehisi Coates made a similar point about the N-word: When people claim that the word must necessarily mean the same thing, at all times, spoken by all people, one wonders whether they understand how the very words coming out of their mouth actually work. Coates was specifically addressing the appropriation of the term by Black people and not considering quoting or describing its use. But his emphasis on the primacy of context in interpreting the word seemed, at least to me, self-evident. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy addressed the point more directly in a letter to fellow professors last year. Kennedys letter distinguishes between use of the term and vocalizing it: I do not use it in the sense in which use of the term is rightly condemned. I do not bandy it about gratuitously, much less to taunt, threaten, demean, or insult anyone. But I do quote the term out loud in an effort to drive home to audiences the pervasiveness of anti-black prejudice and, more specifically, the way in which this troublesome word has been an integral part of the soundtrack of American racism. Those of us who share Kennedys view should be flexible about our position. The purpose of language is to communicate effectively. If your audience is traumatized by the vocalization of a word, that inhibits communication, and so you should find another word. There seems to be a generational split over vocalizing the N-word. If we are going to to change norms, people can find a way to adjust. (Ive always felt hesitant to vocalize slurs against other groups simply because it is so easily misunderstood.) But if we are going to decide to change our standards so that vocalizing a slur in any context is considered unacceptable, that doesnt require us to erase the distinction between use and mention. You can decide that mentioning a slur is also unacceptable without going so far as to treat it as the same thing. The Daily Beast, which first reported on the encounter, quotes a Times spokesperson reporting that it found, through its internal investigation, that McNeil repeat[ed] a racist slur in the context of a conversation about racist language. The storys reporting doesnt challenge that description. Yet the headline charged that McNeil was accused of using the slur. Now, maybe the Daily Beast wants to implicitly take the side of students who see no important distinction between use and mention, but many readers older than, say, 30 will understand its headline to mean that McNeil was accused of calling somebody the N-word. It would be one thing to decide that not only is it unacceptable to use a slur but it is also unacceptable to utter or mention in it any form. It is another thing to treat those two different actions as completely indistinguishable, as the Daily Beast appears to have done. Whats even more troublesome is when authorities decide to apply the new norm retroactively. I know of a teacher who lost her job when a video surfaced on social media showing her reading the word to her class. She was reading from a well-regarded book written by a Black author about Jim Crowera racism. The video was a decade old. And yet, when it came out last summer, when student activists in the wake of the George Floyd murder were looking to bring change to their immediate surroundings, she became the proximate target. Last summer, after New York Times staffers claimed an op-ed by Tom Cotton put their lives in danger, the Times officially apologized for publishing it. The official line is that the column failed to meet its standards; i.e., Cotton alleged that antifa radicals had infiltrated some racial-justice protests (he was right) and that its tone was needlessly harsh, as if the op-ed page had previously been devoid of harsh tones. Now it is applying a no-tolerance standard toward the vocalization of racist language, regardless of intent. In both cases, the standard has been formulated in the face of pressure and applied retroactively against staffers who could not have known they existed. Germany, Sweden, and Poland are each expelling a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow's expulsion last week of diplomats from the three EU countries for allegedly taking part in protests in support of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny. "Today the Federal Foreign Office has declared a staff member of the Russian Embassy in Berlin persona non grata," the German Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry said Moscow's decision to expel the European diplomats "was not justified in any way," insisting that the German Embassy staffer had been acting within his rights under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to "inform himself about developments on site." The Swedish and Polish governments made similar announcements. "We have informed the Russian Ambassador that a person from the Russian Embassy is asked to leave Sweden," Swedens Foreign Minister Ann Linde wrote on Twitter. "This is a clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only performing his duties." Poland's Foreign Ministry said on February 8 that it had asked a worker at the Russian Consulate in the western city of Poznan to leave. "The Foreign Ministry took the decision today in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden to recognize an employee of the Consulate General of Russia in Poznan as persona non grata," the ministry said on Twitter. The Russian Foreign Ministry immediately hit back. "Today's decisions by Poland, Germany, and Sweden are unfounded, unfriendly, and are a continuation of the very series of actions that the West is taking with regard to our country and which we qualify as interference in our internal affairs," spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state channel Rossia 1. Russia last week announced that diplomats from Sweden, Poland, and Germany personae non gratae for allegedly participating in a protest to support the Kremlin critic on January 23. The Swedish, Polish, and German governments have denied that their diplomats participated in the demonstration. The February 5 announcement came during a tense visit by Josep Borrell to Moscow, where the EU's top diplomat had an intense day of meetings with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who called the EU an "unreliable partner." The coordinated retaliatory move by the three EU members came after the Kremlin on February 8 defended its decision to expel the European diplomats. "The Russian side has shown clearly that it isn't going to tolerate anything like this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on February 8. For his part, Borrell wrote in his blog on February 7 -- a day after returning from Moscow -- that an "aggressively-staged press conference and the expulsion of three EU diplomats during my visit indicate that the Russian authorities did not want to seize this opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue with the EU." Peskov declined to comment on Borrell's statement, saying that he does not "presume to judge what could have influenced such an assessment." On February 2, Navalny was found guilty of violating the terms of a suspended sentence he received in connection with an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The court converted the sentence to 3 1/2 years in prison. Given credit for time already spent in detention, the court said the Kremlin critic would have to serve 2 years and 8 months behind bars. Navalny, 44, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany where he was treated for a nerve-agent poisoning that he says was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin has denied. More than 1,400 people were detained by police in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities after the court ruling on February 2. More than 10,000 were rounded up by police during nationwide protests in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on January 23 and January 31. Rattled by some of the biggest anti-government protests in years, Moscow has accused the West of hysteria and double standards over Navalny and has accused the United States and others of meddling in Russia's internal affairs. In addition to the Navalny case, relations between Moscow and the EU have been sorely strained by Russias 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea and its support for separatist formations waging a war against Kyiv in parts of eastern Ukraine, the EUs rejection of a disputed presidential election in Belarus and its criticism of a brutal crackdown by the government of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and other issues. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and TASS Amid a spike in fresh cases, Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates, banned all gatherings and shut theaters from Sunday. The number of guests has been limited to 10 for marriage ceremonies and family gatherings, Abu Dhabis Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said in a tweet on Sunday. Funerals and mourning services are allowed to have 20 people. As part of the restrictions announced on Sunday, Abu Dhabi will limit capacity in malls, restaurants and hotels. The fresh cases in the United Arab Emirates have been quadrupled since November. Last week, Abu Dhabi cut attendance at workplace in government and semi-government entities to 30%. Employees with chronic health conditions and those older than 60 were ordered to work remotely. The recent surge in cases has also forced neighboring Dubai to reintroduce curbs on hotels and air travel, and the emirate replaced its top health official last month. It also closed all bars and pubs for the entire month of February. UAE has also started a massive inoculation program. It has administered 4.2 million vaccine doses in a population of about 10 million, one of the highest rates of vaccinations per 100 people globally. The current approach for the country is we make available for the people whatever vaccines have been going through the clinical trials, and at the same time partner with different entities to enhance this industry," Amer Sharif, the head of Dubais COVID-19 Command and Control Centre, told Bloomberg TV.. The UAE has approved shots developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, as well as Chinas Sinopharm. It has also given Russias Sputnik vaccine authorization for emergency use, while Dubai last week received the first shipment of AstraZeneca Plc-Oxford University vaccine from India. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The Dutch parliament has released a report on the completion of an additional inquiry into the airspace closure above and around eastern Ukraine in relation to the downing of Flight MH17. This was reported by an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague. The Flight Safety Foundations report notes that the inquiry did not find sufficient facts that Ukrainian authorities responsible for analysing security risk levels in civil aviation airspace and those establishing restriction of airspace in a conflict zone were aware of a threat to civil aviation before the downing of Flight MH17. Therefore, the Dutch government sees no reason to review its previous position, namely the lack of convincing legal evidence to hold Ukraine accountable for its decision not to close airspace over the war zone. As Ukrinform reported, the Dutch parliament supported the MPs' proposal for an additional study of the circumstances of non-closure of the airspace over Donbas at the time when flight MH17 was shot down. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that Ukraine acted in accordance with the ICAO rules in force at that time and, based on an analysis of the existing risks, reported on the armed conflict and imposed bans on civil aviation flights. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died. The international Joint Investigation Team reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk. In May 2018, the Netherlands and Australia officially accused Russia of involvement in the MH17 crash. ish NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. Scott Perry might be the most loved congressman in Pennsylvania right now. And the most loathed. Democrats, devastated by their failure to defeat the Harrisburg-area Republican in a region where they thought they were making headway, are outraged by revelations of his connection to a failed scheme to help former President Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election results. Republicans, devastated by Trumps loss, see the Iraq war vet and staunch conservative as one of the last remaining politicians in their corner, still fighting for an election they wrongly think was stolen. The split reflects the complicated, polarized politics of central Pennsylvania, with Perry at the center of a problem facing both parties: how to unite and move forward after a mixed-bag election of wins and losses. Perry confirmed late last month that he introduced Trump to a sympathetic Justice Department lawyer, Jeffrey Clark, who discussed a plan to oust department leadership and use the countrys top law enforcement agency to invalidate Georgias Electoral College votes. Its unclear how much Perry was involved other than connecting Trump and Clark. But for months hes been one of the most vocal Pennsylvania Republicans in pushing Trumps false claims of a stolen election, including voting against certifying President Joe Bidens win in the state. Theres shock. Theres anger. Theres particularly the sense of, How can he really be my representative? said Susan Roller, a Democratic activist organizing Fire Perry Fridays protests every other week outside his York, Wormleysburg, and Harrisburg offices. The new group is modeling itself after Tuesdays with Toomey, which formed in opposition to Sen. Pat Toomey. Activists are also writing letters to Perrys corporate donors. Perrys office didnt respond to multiple requests for an interview. But Republican officials, activists, and voters in his district said his star is only on the rise, and pushed back on the notion that his support for Trump will backfire. READ MORE: Pa. Congressman Scott Perry acknowledges introducing Trump to lawyer at the center of election plot This does not hurt Scott Perry, York County GOP chairman Jeff Piccola said. His people are rallying around him, promoting him for higher office. Perry won reelection in the 10th Congressional District by seven percentage points, a big margin for a race analysts saw as one of the countrys more competitive contests. He did so partly thanks to big turnout from Trump supporters and a robust, in-person campaign. As Perry spoke at Baptist churches and drove cars around the dirt track at Yorks speedway, his opponent, Eugene DePasquale, largely avoided in-person campaigning. We made the right moral decision, but clearly it had an impact politically, said DePasquale, the former state auditor general. Limited public polling suggested a tight race. But internal surveys by DePasquales campaign missed about 40,000 voters who turned out for Perry. Linda Meyers Drei, a Republican activist in York who volunteered on Perrys campaign, likely registered some of them at the racetrack or through pastors whose congregations got involved in Perrys campaign. We realized these were the people we needed to get, Meyers Drei said. They were the true-blue conservatives, but they were registering to vote for the first time in their 60s. And Scott was relatable. He drove a race car. Hed say to them, What can I do for you? And he means it. READ MORE: Suburban voters in Pennsylvania rejected Trump but not the Republican Party Although Biden won Pennsylvania, many other Democrats lost as Biden voters supported Republicans down-ballot. That ticket-splitting didnt play a big role here. Biden improved on Hillary Clintons performance in the district but still lost by three points. And Biden outperformed DePasquale only in a few areas, such as Hershey, York, and Camp Hill. Perry prevailed thanks to big margins in more rural parts of Dauphin County, home to Harrisburg, a county where DePasquale needed to run up the score but won only 52% of the vote. Democrats improved in fast-growing Cumberland County, but not by enough. And Perry crushed DePasquale in York, the most Republican county in the district. Voter turnout was about 80% in York, and the county went for Trump by about 60,000 votes, his largest raw margin in the state. Their voter turnout was historic and I think that clipped us, DePasquale said. DePasquale hasnt ruled out a 2022 rematch. The House Democrats campaign arm is in talks with him, a source close to DePasquale said. He sent out fund-raising emails blasting Perry last week. A moderate Democrat, DePasquale was seen as an ideal candidate for the area. But now Democrats are divided over what went wrong and what to do next. Some think DePasquale made mistakes such as aligning himself too closely with the partys progressive wing. (He held several fund-raisers with candidates endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.) Others think he wasnt progressive enough or that a nonwhite candidate could have boosted turnout in Harrisburg, the districts largest city. Democrats hope that by reminding voters of Perrys ties to Trump, theyll capture moderate Republicans in 2022 and mobilize the districts growing number of Democrats. In the last month, some Republicans have changed their voter registration, mostly to independent. We need to make sure voters dont forget what hes done, said Rogette Harris, the Dauphin County Democratic chair. When you meet him one-on-one, hes very nice. But its about what they do when theyre in Congress, not what they do when theyre at the church picnic. READ MORE: From September: The Philly suburbs arent the only suburbs where Democrats are on the rise in Pennsylvania Democrats also hope that in 2022, with Trump off the ballot and his supporters potentially less energized, any challenge will be stronger. And the decennial redrawing of congressional maps could make the district more competitive. Every race will matter in determining control of the closely divided U.S. House. Nicholas Sones, a local Democratic strategist, said the party should focus on Perrys support for Trumps false election claims. Perry won on the same ballots and under the same rules he later painted as illegitimate. What Congressman Perry attempted to do was deny every Pennsylvanian their right to vote, Sones said. It remains to be seen how much that kind of message will resonate. Perry is appealing to voters who just got him reelected and are happy with what hes doing. Six Republicans from the district gathered last week for lunch in New Cumberland just south of Harrisburg across the Susquehanna River. They came to talk with Piccola, the York GOP chair, and a reporter about Perry and the partys future. All six were college-educated, some with multiple degrees, and have largely sworn off mainstream news in favor of conservative websites. Each doubted the results of the presidential election and celebrated Perrys questioning of it. There is no evidence of widespread fraud in Pennsylvanias presidential election. Republicans argue that the rules used to administer the election were unlawful, but courts, including Trump-appointed judges, have rejected that claim. The postelection controversy has been stirred by unfounded claims of fraud, leading about three-quarters of Republicans to doubt the results, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week. READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvanias presidential election by Trump and his allies Everything [Perry] did was legal, said Anita Marchesani, a psychologist and judge of elections who lives in Manchester Township. You want to call it highly distasteful? Ninety-eight percent of politics is highly distasteful. He said hed support the president and that has been very, very important to me. Marchesani, who attended the Jan. 6 protest in Washington but didnt participate in the deadly Capitol attack, said she sees no connection between what Perry did and the insurrection. The tension of opposite ideas is what has made this nation great, said Kathy Beckford, a York baker who is originally from West Philadelphia. Thats what created this society, but now thats gone and its This is the narrative. There can be no dissent. Beckford, whose father emigrated from Jamaica, said shes particularly fed up with a cancel culture that she feels unfairly targets her, a Black woman, as racist for supporting Trump and Perry. When you have a lot of people who arent being listened to, for one, theyre going to try to find somebody who is going to listen to them, Beckford said. I think thats the whole reason Trump was voted into office. But now, its even worse. You cant even have a question of fraud. Youre dismissed. That frustration has such Trump supporters as David Chiaverini questioning whether he will keep voting. I feel something was not right, Chiaverini said. And until someone tells me otherwise, I am not going to be comfortable that when I vote the next time that my vote is going to be properly counted. My fear is that like-minded people, that are not idiots ... are going to get disenchanted with the process. Piccola said keeping voters engaged without Trump on the ballot and despite the election legitimacy doubts he fanned is an obstacle for the party moving forward. Scott Perry, he helps with that task, Piccola said. Because people here, they might be fed up with politics but they trust him. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com More than 146,000 students from 207 government schools today resumed their studies, marking the start of the second semester of the academic year. However, their classes will be held virtually under the strict precautionary measures taken by the National Medical Taskforce and competent authorities to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and ensure the safety of students and the community. The education ministry has issued a guide that covers all health, logistical, educational and evaluation aspects regarding the exceptional learning conditions. The ministry has also provided support through its educational platforms that feature hundreds of lessons, academic activities, tests, past exams and model answers. The ministry is also using television and radio channels and YouTube to present lessons to all students, including those with special needs. Hotlines have also been set up to ensure easy and open contact between all stakeholders. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Burma Myanmars Military Re-Arrests Two Chief Ministers Karen State chief Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmars military on Monday arrested the chief ministers of Karen State and Sagaing Region from the government residences where they were under house arrest. The arrests come after the National League for Democracy (NLD) figures made speeches online, strongly condemning the coup. NLD information committee member U Kyi Toe said Karen State chief minister Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint was taken by the military at around 2 pm on Monday. A relative of the chief minister said the military seized her phone and her location is unknown. In a video posted a few hours before her arrest, Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint called on soldiers to defend the people and unite with the public. We, the people, are supporting you from our taxes and state funds. You are fed by public funds. It is time for the soldiers to stand for the people, join hands with people And you face those who give you orders. I appeal to our soldiers, be united with the people, she said. Sagaing chief minister Dr. Myint Naing was arrested on Monday morning after posting a video speech calling on the public to keep protesting. We will need to continue our fight until the military regime falls, he said. A source close to the chief minister said he was taken to the western command. The Yangon and Mandalay chief ministers were also reportedly re-arrested by the military from their government residences, where they were under house arrest. Their locations are unknown. You may also like these stories: Where Is Spokesman U Zaw Htay? 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Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed Ukraine will receive about 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine until the beginning of summer, including about 1 million doses in February. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this during the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" in Kyiv on February 8, Ukrinform reports. "I'm sure we will have about 10 million vaccines by the summer, maybe even more. The task is to order vaccines wherever there are vaccines," Zelensky said. According to Zelensky, Ukraine will receive more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in February. He also reminded that back in November there were plans to create a special platform where Ukrainian citizens could sign up for vaccination. Before the start of mass vaccination, such a platform would be launched, Zelensky assured. As reported by Ukrinform, the Ministry of Health is planning to start vaccination against COVID-19 in February 2021. The Ministry of Health intends to vaccinate 50% of the population of Ukraine in 2021-2022. Ukraine will receive 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX Facility. The delivery of the first batch of 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine is expected in mid-February. Ukraine also signed an agreement to purchase 1.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. iy Strategic Financial Solutions, a leading financial services firm that provides debt relief solutions for people in challenging financial situations, announced that it has donated $18,000 to the ASPCA. The donation helps the ASPCA, a national leader in animal rescue and protection, work to end animal abuse and neglect. "COVID-19 has profoundly impacted our communities over the past year, and we have proactively put the safety of our Strategic Family, and our family of families, first," said Ryan Sasson, CEO of Strategic Financial Solutions. "Unfortunately, COVID has also had a tremendous impact on animal shelters and rescues. Many of our Strategic employee-owners have pets as part of their family, and it was important to them that we help the ASPCA and animals in need. I know how much my two pups have helped bring joy and love to my family during these tough times, and I hope that this helps to bring that to many other families." The money donated by Strategic will be used to help fund animal care across the country. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals works to save animals from dogfighting, puppy mills, hoarding, and other cruelty situations. The ASPCA also provides medical care and behavioral rehabilitation for animals and helps thousands of animals find loving homes every year. "As a pet parent, I know how strong the bond between people and their pets can be," said Andy Pyne, VP of Operations at Strategic Financial Solutions. "Our employee-owners take great pride in knowing that this donation will help the lives of animals all over our country. I continue to take incredible pride in how we have responded to this pandemic and know that we will continue to do the right thing for our families and the pets that add such joy to our lives." About Strategic Financial Solutions Strategic Financial Solutions is a leading financial services company that provides comprehensive debt relief solutions for people in difficult financial situations. Through its personalized, tailored approach that includes debt consolidation loans and debt resolution programs, Strategic Financial Solutions has successfully resolved more than $1 billion in debt, and funded loans, for over 100,000 clients. Strategic Financial Solutions has been named one of the fastest-growing companies in New York City twice by Crains New York and has been recognized by INC. 500 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. Strategic ranked 21st in the Best Companies to Work for in New York State program and is a Certified Great Place to Work. More information can be found at http://stratfs.com. Contact: Gary Foodim CMO Office: (212) 810-4544 Email: gfoodim@stratfs.com This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. February 08, 2021 / 11:00 PM IST all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Houses along the way were also swept away as the waters rushed down the mountainsides in a raging torrent. The India Meteorological Department informed that there is no rainfall warning in the region for the next two days. Uttarakhand News Highlights: A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on February 7, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 19 people dead and 202 missing who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- XI'AN, China, Feb. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Silk Road Carnival 2021 & The Silk Road Cloud Spring Festival Gala" kicked off in the evening of February 3 at Tang Paradise, Xi'an, Shaanxi. The 24-hour "Silk Road Carnival" Convergence Media Webcast Show and the 3-hour "Silk Road Cloud Spring Festival Gala" showcased the Silk Road culture to the audiences in 36 countries around the world and celebrated the Chinese New Year together with them. The show was hosted by Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation together with Wuzhou Communication Center, People's Daily Online, and Qujiang New District Management Committee under the guidance of the State Council Information Office and the National Radio and Television Administration and was presented on the media websites in China and the countries along the "Belt and Road". As a wonderful, melodious, and interesting show, the 24-hour "Silk Road Carnival" brought tasty global foods, treasures of the Silk Road, legendary stories of the Silk Road, and the new charm of the new Silk Road to the audiences by exploring themes such as "A Bite of The Chinese New Year", "The Silk Road Family", "Good Morning, Earth!", and "You're Not Far Away From Me - Stories About The Pandemic Fight". The "Silk Road Cloud Spring Festival Gala", as the final show, was held in the evening of January 4 at Yongning Gate of Xi'an City Wall. Performers from China and abroad brought together a variety of art forms such as music, dance, acrobatics, and opera to provide the global audience with a meticulously prepared cultural feast themed with The Minor New Year's Day. With an objective of "staging a harmony and great show", the super "New Spring Festival Gala" in this Internet age aroused enthusiastic responses from the whole society. SOURCE Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A broad coalition of industry groups, elected officials, and state agricultural leaders including U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan are standing up to defend the interests of American blueberry growers by submitting letters of support for the International Trade Commission (ITC)'s investigation into the serious injury caused by surging imports of foreign blueberries, the American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) announced today. "Conducting this investigation is important to assess the full scope of the impact of these imports on domestic producers," according to a Feb. 3 letter co-signed my Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). "It is vital to maintain a domestic blueberry industry in the United States so that American families are not dependent on foreign imports for our food supply." In a letter submitted to the ITC on Feb. 5, the National Farmers Union (NFU) noted that growers' operating returns fell 32.4 percent between 2015 and 2019 because of rising imports. "The significant surge of low-priced blueberry imports in the last several years, coupled with the timing of these imports during U.S. harvesting periods, has had a devastating effect on U.S. blueberry growers, processors, and the rural communities where they live and work," said Rob Larew, president of NFU, which represents approximately 200,000 family farmers and ranchers across the United States. "The concerns of farmers whose markets are negative impacted by imports and the data that supports those claims must be taken seriously." The Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Georgia Farm Bureau and Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association also sent letters to the ITC last week, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of the swell in blueberry imports into the United States, including for American consumers. "Not only do these imports threaten domestic businesses and livelihoods, they also expose U.S. consumers to products from countries with poor or inconsistent product safety records," said John Hoblick, president of the 136,000-member Florida Farm Bureau Federation. Further, in a recent letter signed by 21 industry groups, Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, urged the Commission to recognize the serious injury affecting domestic blueberry growers, adding: "Blueberry growers deserve a chance to sell their goods in the United States at reasonable prices and deserve the breathing space of effective safeguard relief to make the necessary adjustments to sustain a secure domestic supply of blueberries." These supportive statements follow similar remarks made to the ITC during a January 12 hearing where several members of Congress testified in support of American blueberry growers, including U.S. Reps. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.), Gregory Steube (R-Fla.) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.), as well as Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nicole Fried. "Year after year, our farmers prove resilient in the face of great challenges," Fried said. "While we can't stop pandemics or natural disasters, this is one challenge the ITC can take on. America's growers are the best in the world, and the ITC can help them succeed by providing a level playing field for our producers to compete." In December, the Alliance also received support from a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress in a letter urging the ITC to make an affirmative determination in the case, in addition to a letter signed by eight members of the Michigan delegation in the House of Representatives. These letters and remarks come ahead of the ITC's vote to determine whether the domestic blueberry industry has been seriously injured, or is threatened with serious injury, by the influx of imports from countries like Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Canada, which is scheduled to take place on February 11. Blueberry imports have surged by 62 percent since 2015, as these countries have ramped up production to sell into the American market, increasingly during the U.S. harvesting windows. About American Blueberry Growers Alliance American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) is a national association representing blueberry growers and farmers in the United States. ABGA provides a unified voice for blueberry growers in states across the country, including California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan, advocating on behalf of their interests and for the long-term viability of the domestic blueberry industry. For more information, visit: americanblueberrygrowers.com. SOURCE American Blueberry Growers Alliance The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Monday reported 7.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,901 crore for October-December period of the ongoing financial year. The state-owned company's revenue from operations rose 1.6 per cent YoY to Rs 87,293 crore. Total expenses declined 1.5 per cent to Rs 83,257 crore. Also read: No more ETF route for minority stake sale; Air India, BPCL strategic sale by June Refinery throughput stood at 9.11 million metric tonnes (MMT) during December quarter as compared with 9.81 MMT in the year-ago period, while market sales rose to 11.18 MMT from 11.08 MMT a year ago. On a standalone basis, the state-owned company's net profit more than doubled to Rs 2,778 crore from Rs 1,261 crore in the year-ago quarter. The average gross refining margin (GRM) of the company for April-December period stood at $2.90 per barrel as compared with $3.13 per barrel in the same period in 2019. The company's board also declared an interim dividend of Rs 16 per share. On Monday, shares of BPCL closed 1.17 per cent higher at Rs 419.90 on the BSE. Also read: BPCL sale: Anil Agarwal's Vedanta in talks with banks to raise $8 billion Also read: Three bidders in fray for BPCL stake sale: Dharmendra Pradhan MILTON -- A woman whose body was found Sunday along an Interstate 80 off ramp in western Union County was possibly of Asian or Native American descent, state police said. Investigators Monday asked the publics help identifying the female who they said carried no identification. A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worker spotted the body at the Mile Run interchange just before 7 a.m., police said. They described her as being between 20 and 40 years of age, 5-2 to 5-6, 120 to 140 pounds with brown hair. More specific information is expected to be learned from an autopsy, they said. She was wearing blue maternity jeans, a purple shirt and a black leather jacket, but no shoes or socks, they said. It is believed she traveled through Indiana and Wisconsin between Thursday and Saturday but investigators would not say how they know this. They also would not disclose if they believed she was killed where the body was found or elsewhere and the remains were dumped there. The Mile Run interchange is in a rural section of the county about seven miles east of Loganton in eastern Clinton County. There are no businesses at the interchange, which at this time of year is used mostly by vehicles transporting snowmobiles to the state forest that surrounds it. Anyone with information about the woman is asked to contact state police at Milton at 570-524-2662. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 11:06:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Strenuous efforts are underway to rescue around 35 to 40 workers reportedly stuck inside a tunnel in India's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand which was hit by a glacier burst on Sunday, confirmed an official at the local disaster management office. The tunnel, located near the glacier burst site, is said to be filled with several feet high slush and debris. Heavy machinery is being used to clear the tunnel and rescue the workers stuck inside. Rescue operations continued throughout the night though at a slower pace due to darkness. Nearly 150 people are said to be missing for over 20 hours now in the affected areas. Most of these are said to be workers employed at local hydro power plants. So far 10 dead bodies have been recovered, and 12 persons were safely rescued from inside one of the tunnels on Sunday, a few hours after the natural tragedy struck the area. The glacier burst had severely damaged a couple of power projects in the state. Over 125 workers at these power plants are feared to have been washed away by flash floods. State chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told media persons last evening that at least five local residents, 180 sheep and goats had gone missing. "We have an adequate number of helicopters to carry out relief and rescue work," he said. Enditem Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. ABAKA today announced it has been selected by Bank Director to be profiled in the prestigious FinXTech Connect directory. ABAKA, the global leader in digital saving and retirement enterprise SaaS solutions, today announced it has been selected by Bank Director to be profiled in the prestigious FinXTech Connect directory. FinXTech Connect, powered by Bank Director, is a curated directory of emerging technology companies who are strategically partnering with financial institutions of all sizes. Each company included in the FinXTech Connect platform solves a problem that financial institutions face, specifically around the challenges of strategic growth, creating efficiencies, and reducing risk, said Michelle King, CMO of Bank Director and FinXTech. We are thrilled to be able to recommend ABAKA for its innovative technology that encourages financial planning around the world. ABAKA was hand-selected by the Bank Directors editorial team to be featured in the platform for its existing roster of bank clients. FinXTech Connect strives to make it easier for U.S. financial institutions to better discover potential technology partners and solutions. It is an honor to be featured in the FinXTech Connect platform, said Fahd Rachidy, founder and CEO of ABAKA. At ABAKA, we aim to bridge the gap between banks and their customers, enabling banks to provide their customers hyper-personalisation by recommending the right product, to the right customer, at the right time, through our AI-powered Next Best Action technology. With the help of FinXTech Connect, we hope to build meaningful relationships with community banks across the U.S. ABAKAs Artificial Financial Intelligence innovative technology platform was carefully vetted by Bank Directors editorial team, having to prove a history of financial performance and customer success stories. It was selected for its unique economy applications and seamless data exchange platform that provides ABAKAs enterprise clients with access to customer data while building insights and intelligence through conversational AI, Next Best Actions, and hyper-personalised behavioural nudges. Based in the UK, ABAKA offers a world-leading suite of cutting-edge AI-powered digital solutions, including ABAKAs AI-powered Next Best Action, an AI-recommendation engine which delivers hyper-personalised customer engagement, and ABAKA's Conversational AI chatbot which helps some of the worlds largest financial institutions scale up digital advice through human-like conversations. About ABAKA ABAKA is the global leader in digital saving and retirement enterprise SaaS solutions, powered by Artificial Intelligence. Its mission is to help financial institutions make financial security a reality for everyone, from saving and wealth to insurance and retirement planning. ABAKA has created an AI-driven recommendation engine that gives the financial services industry the means to engage with their customers Artificial Financial Intelligence through conversational AI chatbots, predictive Next Best actions and intelligent nudges. For more information, please visit abaka.me. About FinXTech Launched in 2014, FinXTech is a resource powered by Bank Director, which specializes in connecting a hugely influential audience of U.S. bank leaders with technology partners at the forefront of innovation. FinXTech makes it easier for banks and technology companies to work together - through its exclusive in person events, editorial content and online FinXTech Connect platform. For more information, please visit FinXTech.com. Media Contact Janine Savarese 908-461-5767 jsavlowe@savcopr.com Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Britain's calls for a delay before full post-Brexit trade rules are imposed on Northern Ireland's ports were backed by Dublin last night. Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said he was open to the idea of modest extensions of the grace period before checks are introduced on more goods crossing the Irish Sea. His intervention will be seen as a boost to the Government ahead of crunch discussions in the coming days with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which has led to delays at ports as well as threats to staff carrying out inspections. Britain's calls for a delay before full post-Brexit trade rules are imposed on Northern Ireland's ports have been backed by Dublin Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said he was open to the idea of modest extensions of the grace period Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who will host meetings with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in London, is asking for another two years before supermarket stock, medicines and parcels are checked. Mr Coveney said: 'Certainly I would be open to advocating for modest extensions of grace periods when appropriate to try to, first of all, reassure people that we're listening to them in Northern Ireland, because we are, and then, secondly, so that we can ensure that businesses can operate as best they can under the protocol.' The protocol avoided creating a hard border with the Republic of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market but this means goods from the UK mainland must be checked when they arrive in Belfast or Larne. Mr Coveney insisted the protocol was generally working, with the volume of goods arriving into Northern Ireland's ports similar to this time last year. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is asking for another two years before supermarket stock, medicines and parcels are checked Will this be au revoir to au pairs? Families could be forced to wave au revoir to their au pair because of post-Brexit immigration rules. Au pairs have now been classed as highly skilled workers by the Home Office under the new points-based immigration scheme. It means they must earn a minimum of 20,480 a year to qualify for a visa and work in the UK. Currently, most only get 100 a week pocket money as well as free bed and board, plus a contribution towards language classes during their year-long stint. The industry fears the rule change will spell the end of the au pair system for the estimated 45,000 British families who rely on them for affordable childcare. Jamie Shackell of the British Au Pair Agencies Association said: If the Home Office doesnt provide a simpler visa route for au pairs, then the programme will be lost. It is inappropriate to categorise au pairs as skilled workers as they have no formal childcare qualifications they dont belong in that bracket. However, some Brexiteers said it was only right that wealthy Britons paid fair wages for childcare. Advertisement Asked about the Democratic Unionist Party's calls to scrap the protocol, he replied: 'You cannot simply scrap an element of an international treaty five weeks into its implementation, because you don't like elements of it.' German MEP David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, told the BBC yesterday 'practical solutions need to be developed and implemented, the sooner the better' to the protocol. Meanwhile the Government has disputed claims by hauliers that exports from Britain to the EU have plummeted since Brexit. The Road Haulage Association said the volume of exports from UK ports fell 68 per cent in January compared with the same time last year. It also said that up to 75 per cent of lorries arriving from the continent returned empty because of a lack of goods, delays and UK companies halting trade with Europe. But the Cabinet Office said it 'did not recognise the figures' and insisted: 'Disruption at the border has so far been minimal and freight movements are now close to normal levels.' The Government has called for the extension until 2023 of a series of post-Brexit grace periods already in place for supermarket goods, chilled meats, parcels, medicines and pets crossing the Irish Sea. Last night businesses warned of more looming red tape as the Government prepares to introduce additional controls on animal product imports from the EU in April. Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, told the Guardian: 'If we have as much trouble importing as we are having exporting it could be quite challenging.' Unions representing San Francisco Unified School District employees announced a tentative agreement with the district Sunday to safely reopen the citys public schools a major step in a contentious, monthslong debate that has pitted city officials against district leaders. A key component of the agreement allows a return to classrooms once the city reaches the red tier, the second most restrictive level of Californias reopening blueprint, if vaccinations against the coronavirus are made available to on-site school staff. If the city progresses to the orange tier, a less restrictive category with moderate virus spread, teachers and other staff would return without demanding vaccinations. The tentative agreement addresses the health and safety standards necessary for the return of students at all grade levels, preschool through 12, and the parties have agreed to meet and confer on any additional negotiable impacts of the districts plans for the return of middle and high school students, district officials said in a news release Sunday. The agreement will go before the Board of Education on Tuesday, Feb 16. Its the first significant movement toward return to in-person instruction for the districts 52,000 students, and offers frustrated families hope that at least some schools and classrooms will be open before summer break. But the district will need to reach an agreement with the teachers union on daily schedules and other educational aspects of in-person learning, which means there is still no target reopening date and the district is likely still several weeks, if not months, from bringing the first students back. Since San Francisco currently remains in the purple tier, the states most restrictive, reopenings presumably would still be down the road under the deal announced Sunday. When the time comes, county health officials also would have to sign off on the reopening details. This is a major step forward toward a goal that we share with so many parents: safe reopening of school buildings for students and staff, the unions said in a statement. In addition to reaching agreement around baseline safety standards, the unions also negotiated groundbreaking language that provides school district support for vaccine prioritization, availability, and education for their members. The announcement came after a week of massive pressure on unions and district officials to reopen the pandemic-shuttered schools, which included dueling news conferences and a weekend protest where frustrated parents demanded that kids be allowed back in classrooms. On Wednesday, City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued the district and school board, saying they failed to create a specific and concise state-required plan to reopen. District officials said they did have a plan. This is progress, but its not enough, John Cote, spokesman for the City Attorneys Office, said Sunday. We have not seen the details of any agreement, and so far this raises more questions than answers. There does not appear to be any agreement on classroom instruction and schedules, for example. The school district would need to share the whole plan and show us that it is concrete and meets the requirements of state law. A day later, a tearful Mayor London Breed stood before children holding signs that read I miss my friends at a news conference with families and urged both sides to end finger-pointing to get schools open. It just really breaks my heart to be here, to see these kids and these families, to know what theyve been going through, Breed said. Kids are struggling in our city, and we all know it. At their Friday news conference, the unions outlined their conditions, including the availability of vaccinations in red-tier school reopenings, and said theyd be willing to resume in-person teaching without shots once the city is in the orange tier. Hundreds of parents and students marched Saturday, wearing face masks, from City Hall to school district offices, demanding a prompt resumption of in-person learning. They decried what they felt was a lack of strategy for reopening and the inadequacy of instruction over only the Zoom online platform. We are so glad to learn that after months without significant progress, labor leaders and SFUSD administrators appear to have made a breakthrough, said Meredith Dodson from Decreasing the Distance, a group of San Francisco parents pushing for schools to open. The group organized Saturdays march. We remain firm that we want to see a deal that incorporates public health expert guidance, to get students back this spring. It depends on the details of their proposed agreement, but its still possible this agreement doesnt get kids back until the fall. We have many questions that we hope to have answered as details are shared with us. The agreement immediately drew criticism: It falls so far short of getting children back in classrooms because it doesnt follow recommendations from health experts who say schools can operate safely if masking and social distancing guidelines are followed, said Dr. Jeanne Noble, director of the UCSF emergency departments COVID-19 response and associate professor of emergency medicine. Frankly, I dont think SFUSD is taking seriously the recommendations from the CDC, from our health department, from mounting evidence across the world, about schools being able to reopen safely, Noble said. Their decisions are hurting our children. Its like the death of expertise, essentially. Noble also blasted the apparent failure to include middle and high schoolers in the plan. Middle and high school students is where were seeing the worst outcomes from social isolation and the worst metrics in mental health harms, she said. Susan Solomon, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, countered Nobles critiques Sunday, saying, So long as Mayor Breed moves quickly to vaccinate teachers and school workers, we can move quickly and equitably to reopen San Francisco schools. San Francisco public schools have been closed since mid-March, even though 15,000 private school students in the city are back in classrooms. Given the constant shift during this pandemic, its important to do all we can for the health and safety of our students, families, staff and community, school board President Gabriela Lopez said in a statement Sunday. I am excited we have found common ground on these baseline standards with our unions, paving the way for our gradual reopening of schools. Schools in purple-tier counties are allowed to open for K-6 grades if their average adjusted case rate is below 25 cases per 100,000 population and they file a safety plan. County health officials allow schools to reopen with a waiver under the purple tier, but it appears the deal announced Sunday would not allow San Francisco district schools to do so. This agreement sets the stage to safely reopen schools in San Francisco. Now we need City and State officials to step up and make vaccines available to school staff now, while UESF continues to focus on finalizing agreements around classroom instruction, schedules, and continuing to improve remote learning for the students and families who choose not to return even with these standards in place, Solomon said in a statement. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the date that the Board of Education will take up the tentative agreement. The correct date is Feb. 16. Tatiana Sanchez and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez, @jilltucker After securing necessary permits and independent sources of funds, the company plans to drill test targets that have been defined in a sampling exercise. ( ) (FRA:8EE) has delivered further high-grade cobalt, nickel, copper and silver result from a recent grab sampling program at the Punta Corna Project in northern Italy. This program comprised detailed mapping and sampling of seven mineralised main veins and confirmed mineralisation over an approximate 2-kilometre strike length. Bests from vein sampling include: 5.0% cobalt, 6.5% nickel, 0.3% copper and 11 g/t silver, and 5.8% copper and 405 g/t silver from San Giovanni Vein samples 603 and 499; 1.0% cobalt, 0.4% nickel, 0.2% copper and 38 g/t silver from San Carlo Vein sample 698; 2.2% copper and 452 g/t silver, and 1.2% copper and 260 g/t silver from Santa Barbara Vein samples 703 and 704; 4.5% copper and 566 g/t silver from Speranza Vein sample 614; and 10.0% copper and 964 g/t silver from Bocca del Prete Vein sample 701. Once the necessary permits and independent sources of funds have been secured, the company plans to drill test the targets that have been defined. Confidence in untapped mineral potential Alta Zinc managing director Geraint Harris said: Our exciting results and an in-depth review of both historical exploration and recent research have given us increased confidence in the largely untapped mineral potential of Punta Corna, and the role it could play in the hugely supportive energy metals thematic in Europe. This leads us to the next step, which is to drill test a number of the exciting targets on the property. This is complementary to our strategy to define and develop the Gorno project, to help satisfy the strong demand for clean and traceable sources of raw materials that exists in Europe. The project Altas Punta Corna Project is in the Italian Alps, at an elevation of between around 1,300 and 2,800 metres and 65 kilometres drive from the city of Turin. According to the company, mineralisation is also present over at least 1.3 kilometres of vertical elevation with good potential for further veins to be discovered in-between the known vein sets as part of a new, EU-backed, research project. Taking advantage of the topography and repeating parallel vein structures, a number of short holes are planned to intersect multiple mineralised veins. Both the main veins and several new, closely spaced, mineralised sub-veins will be targeted. Punta Corna has been selected as a project area for a cutting edge hyperspectral satellite remote sensing project (PRIMSA) by the University of Naples in partnership with the European Union, CSIRO (Australia) and the British Geological Survey (BGS). According to the company, Punta Corna is complementary to its base metals strategy in Italy and, like the Gorno Project, will benefit from the current initiative by the EU to secure clean domestic sources of base and energy metals. Sampling exercise During the 2020 field season, Alta collected 150 samples surrounding the known hydrothermal veins to assist in calibrating the satellite imagery. The PRISMA system will be used to define and map any potential alteration related to the mineralised veins. If successful, the technique will be a highly efficient and effective exploration tool to help Alta define additional target areas. Can we think of life without water? Certainly not. Water has been undeniably the most precious gift by the nature. One cant imagine the existence of life without water. Whether it be terrestrial, aquatic or amphibians or plant kingdom, everyone needs water to stay alive. In ancient era, civilizations flourished along the river for the same reason. Off and on, the voices have been raised from various quarters about the decreasing availability of water and to promote the methods of its conservation. Suddenly the water has become a buzzword since the Prime Minister of India expressed his deep concern and appealed all the celebrities and intellectuals to join the campaign and aware the masses about the issue of availability of water. The drivers of water demands have been agriculture, domestic, energy production and industries. Widening gap between the availability and demand of water has created tension between the nations and even within the states of a country. India has been at loggerheads with China and Pakistan over the distribution of water from the rivers falling within their boundaries. Similarly, the water has been the contentious factor behind the inter-state disputes in India as evident from the tension between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka or Delhi and Haryana. Why suddenly, this issue has gained so much of prominence? It is not so; this is actually the manifestation of deepening concern of the last few decades when certain parts of our country have been acutely grappling with the scarcity of water. This is not an issue confined to a particular area. Instead, in the recent years, per capita availability of water has emerged as a grave concern across the globe and especially in the developing countries like India where population density has escalated like anything and results into the dried-up earth and difficulty to fulfill the requirement of water. You all are aware how Marathwada region of Maharashtra is crippling with the shortage of water. A news had flashed recently which frightened me from inside thinking that how dreadful would be the life of next generation. The news was that in a village of Marathwada people are using the used water for bath. A member of a family sits on a cot and places a pot below the cot to collect the same water which a member has used for bathing, this used water will again be utilized by another member of the family and this process will continue till all the members of a family have their bath from the same used water!!!! In this column I am discussing the situation of our country and particularly about Bihar. The states of our country are full of diversities in terms geographical characteristics including the spatial variability of water. Water availability per person is dependent upon the population and hence, water availability per capita has been progressively diminishing due to population load. The grimness of the situation can be assessed from the fact that at the National level the average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was about 1820 cubic meters1 and 1544 cubic meters respectively which may reduce further to 1341 and 1140 in the years 2025 and 2050 respectively. When we turn to the flashback, we can imagine the abundance of availability which was about 5178 cubic m per year in 1951 and it indicates how with the time the luxury of having water would be a tale of the past. Technically, annual per-capita water availability of less than 1700 cubic meters is considered as water stressed condition, whereas annual per-capita water availability below 1000 cubic meters is considered as a water scarcity condition. Due to spatial variation of precipitation, the many regions of India have been considered as water stressed/water scarce regions. Due to the huge load of population, the demand of water and consequent over extraction of ground water has placed Bihar under water stressed region. It can be understood from the fact shared by different sources that the gross per capita water availability in Bihar reduces from about 1,9502 cubic meters/year in 2001 to 12003 cubic meters in 2011 and may go down to about 1,170 cubic meters/year in 2050. Some of the states in India have traditionally been placed under water stressed region. Bihar once abundant with good level of ground water is now gradually earning the recognition as a water stressed region. It happened primarily due to improper use of water, erratic rainfall, rampant deforestation, contamination of water and lack of its conservation. The state has been mostly dependent upon the ground water to fulfil its requirement of domestic or agricultural use. The rampant private boring and tube wells have severely depleted the level of ground water. The situation has got worsened for the last few years especially in urban areas, the level of groundwater has menacingly gone down. People remain in queue before handpumps and taps installed by the government. They scuffle with each other to get the water and sometimes the situation turns violent. Rainfall is the biggest source of the recharging of the groundwater. However, the pattern of rainfall has not been consistent in the last few years. If we see the statistics of rainfall in this region during last two decades, below-normal rainfall has been recorded, particularly, the years of 2004, 2009-10, 2015 and 2018 have seen a dismal precipitation. With the reducing precipitation, water bodies have dried up and recharging of ground water has been at stake. At some places the level of groundwater is so low that the handpumps and borewells have stopped running the water and people are either going far away to collect the water or are forced to collect the water from unhygienic sources. Not only the human beings but animals are wandering in search of water or dying thirsty. It has adversely affected the agricultural yield and agriculture has no more been a lucrative means of livelihood. Water bodies are dried up and irrigation through tube wells costs exorbitant for the poor. Though, the forest cover in the state has been around 7 percent, the deforestation in the recent years has been quite visible. In the name of infrastructure creation to meet the requirement of the population, irreversible damage has been caused to the environment. With the expansion of urban areas, trees have been felled indiscriminately and it has resulted into the scorching summers, decreasing water retention capacity of soil and more importantly, rain deficit year by year. Unplanned urbanization and lack of waste disposal system have also added fuel to the fire in the escalation of pollution. Pollutants in the form of plastic and other waste have not only spoilt the quality of water, they have also jeopardized the existence of water bodies. Such contamination has reduced the usability of water in spite of its availability and people are forced to use the polluted water. Many districts of Bihar have harmful chemicals like arsenic and fluoride in water which badly affect the health of the users. An initiative recently taken by the state government to ban the use of plastics has been a praiseworthy step. However, it would be premature to remark on how effectively it has been enforced. Worse, the rampant encroachment of water bodies has cast a shadow on the existence of rivulets and natural water bodies. A recent example is about a rivulet used to flow across the city of todays Patna got extinct due to illegal encroachment. I am sure the new generation would hardly believe that a drain stuffed with garbage was once a rivulet and a source of water for the nearby inhabitants. There are several instances of such illegal occupation resulted into the extinction of the water bodies in Bihar. Inadequate management of water has also been a biggest concern in Bihar. Illegal connection of water supply is usually visible in urban areas which are ignored by the urban local bodies. On the other hand, users are not sensitive enough to use the precious resource judiciously and make aware the people who are not known to the imminent problem. We often see how apartment dwellers recklessly misuse the water in washing their vehicles and campus and how in urban slums running water from the pipe goes to the drain. This is the sheer responsibility of local bodies to curb the misuse of water with awareness and stringent actions, if required. MGNREGA could have been a better channel which has been mandated to focus on water conservation, drought proofing and renovation of water bodies including desilting of tanks. However, the performance of MGNREGA has not been much encouraging in Bihar and in the past a controversy was also reported in its implementation. The government needs to promote the project like Jal Sanchay, especially in drought prone districts. The Jal Sanchay was implemented in Nalanda district where check dams were constructed as well as traditional system of irrigation was accorded equal significance. The project resulted into the improved conservation of water in the district. It was identified as one of the successful methods of water conservation by the central government. Considering the gravity of the situation, it is the opportune time to address the issue of quantity and quality of water. The Government of Bihar under its seven-resolve program (Saat Nischay Karyakram) has been trying to ensure the availability of drinking water through piped water supply, however, it is regrettable to share that the Government itself has recently expressed anguish over the misuse of drinking water under this scheme. If the Government is keen on conserving water, it will have to adopt two-pronged strategy - one is to enforce the strict law over the misuse of water and fix the accountability of the department concerned and secondly, intensive awareness campaign about the repercussions of shrinking water table and how to promote the sensible use of water. In addition, to conserve the surface water as well as ground water interdepartmental coordination and the commitment at the level of the state government is indispensable, for instance, Public Health & Engineering department, Rural Development, Water Resources and Forest department should work closely to improve the quality and enhance the quantity of ground water. Through Rural works, MGNREGA can be effectively used for water conservation in water scarce areas and promote the pilot as done in Nalanda, while Water Resources department should properly care and desilt the rivers and canals and the department of Forest should put the efforts to curb the illegal felling of trees in the name of development. The government must focus on making the water harvesting system mandatory the system, especially in urban area. Similarly, private boring for personal use must be restricted to reduce the unwanted extraction of ground water and local bodes should ensure the timely availability of water to the households. The drafted water policy of the state should be promulgated with the commitment wherein the community-based management of water and sanitation is more talked about. We really need to wake up now because if not now, then never!!!!! [1] http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=168727 [2] https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/qualitative-and-quantitative-water-scarcity-issues-bihar-presentation [3] https://www.gwp.org/globalassets/global/gwp-sas_files/cwp-reports/report-on-review-of-draft-bihar-state-water-policy-in-line-with-national-water-policy-2012-in-context-of-climate-change The state Department of States failure to advertise a pending state constitutional amendment, which would have enabled many sexual abuse victims to sue their assailants and enablers, was inexcusable. State Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar acknowledged as much with her resignation. Because of statutes of limitations for civil litigation, many adults who suffered abuse as children cannot now sue their tormentors. The amendment, which easily passed both legislative houses, would have provided a two-year window for victims to file lawsuits. The primary defendants in such litigation would be Catholic priests, their dioceses and bishops, most of whom were identified in the landmark 2018 statewide grand jury investigation on that abuse. The process for a state constitutional amendment takes two years, including a statewide referendum. The states blunder means that the soonest an amendment could make it to the ballot would be in the 2023 spring primary election. Timing is critical now because of impending bankruptcy proceedings for some dioceses and the Boy Scouts of America, another likely defendant. Republican state senators justly condemned the Democratic administrations blunder. But they could have opened the litigation window by legislation as early as 2018. The state House has passed such a law. Now lawmakers are talking about using a rarely invoked procedure to get the amendment to the ballot this spring. But that procedure is to be used in the event a major emergency threatens or is about to threaten the Commonwealth and if the safety or welfare of the Commonwealth requires prompt amendment. Though the matter is serious it does not threaten the commonwealth. Invoking the emergency procedure would ensure litigation from likely defendants. A group of Democratic senators has introduced a bill to open the litigation window by law. The Legislature should pass it. ROME, FEB 8 - Lazio, the region around Rome, on Monday started vaccinating over-80s in its much-delayed COVID vaccine rollout. The pensioners got the jab at Italy's premier infectious disease hospital, Rome's Spallanzani Hospital, and at another 49 administration points in the region, 22 of them in Rome. Among the first to be vaccinated at the Spallanzani was Nicola, 86. "It went really well," he said. "I was really impressed by the organisation, the promptness and the professionalism with which the doctors welcomed us. "My son had reserved a place online and I was among the first to be vaccinated this morning. "Let's hope we get out of this pandemic as soon as possible. "I feel safer now". Italy has been hit by vaccine delivery delays on the part of Pfizer and AstraZeneca. The government has said it is considering legal action against both companies. In the latest news on the vaccine front, the government has approved giving the AstraZeneca jab to the under-55s. Italy is also looking forward to getting a home-grown vaccine later this year, to bolster the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines. A COVID vaccine developed by the Italian company ReiThera will be available from September, Italian drugs agency AIFA said late last month. A few million doses of the ReiThera jab may be administered starting in that month, AIFA President Giorgio Palu' told Sky TG24. Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the Italian state would put public money into taking a stake in ReiThera, which is based at Castel Romano on the outskirts of Rome. Gianni Rezza, the health ministry's director of prevention, said that Italy must prepare for eventual new strains of COVID-19, at the presentation of a new consortium for the genetic study of SarsCov2. The aim of the consortium is to follow the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and monitor immune response to vaccination, a press conference at the health ministry in Rome heard. It aims to identify variants of the virus and prepare for future pandemics. Palu' said "this is only one of the first pandemics we are going to see because other pandemics will come from the animal world. "We cannot miss this opportunity". (ANSA). Ghazipur Border, Feb 8 : The farmer leaders protesting at the borders of Delhi against the agricultural laws have appealed to the farmers to get involved in relief work following the glacier burst in Uttarakhand. Several people are feared dead in the Tapovan area of Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district in Sunday's disaster caused by the bursting of the glacier while more than 150 people are still missing. Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union said, "Farmers will help in the disaster relief in Uttarakhand. The administration can tell us what help is needed after the tragedy in Uttarakhand, and farmers will help them on every front." At the farmers' 'Mahapanchayat' in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana on Sunday also there was an appeal from the farmer leaders to join the relief work. After the glacier broke on Sunday morning, the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers were flooded. The flood washed away homes of thousands of people in several villages. Rescue operations are still on in Uttarakhand and many people have been evacuated. The government has also announced compensation for the dead and injured. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed By Damali Mukhaye The opposition Forum for Democratic change has asked government to release the list of all Ugandans abducted by security operatives in the last few months. This followed a number of families across the country decrying missing relatives who they say were picked by security operatives in plain clothes. Addressing journalists at their offices in Najjanankumbi, the deputy spokesperson John Kikonyogo says as government claims it has arrested some of its operatives in relation to this, it should release the list of those so far arrested and when they will be produced before court. He also says government should release the full list of abducted Ugandans, expressing concern over lack of coordination within the security circles . Appearing before parliament last week the minister of Internal affairs Gen Jeje Odongo said they were still investigating the whereabouts of 31 out of 44 kidnap cases reported. Starving dogs are being left to each other alive at a secretive animal pound on the paradise island of Mauritius. An expat that visited the government-run facility in December 2020 to search for his missing pet has recounted the 'inhumane' conditions, including dogs eating the feet of other dead and dying canines and lapping up their blood. The man, who did not want to be named, said he saw cages with up to 30 or 40 animals inside - some of which were wearing collars - as well as a female member of staff emerging from a room wearing a butcher's apron covered in blood. In a voice recording, shared with MailOnline by animal welfare group Humane Society International (HSI), the man said he was forced to leave his phone in the car before entering the notorious pound - known as the Mauritius Society for Animal Welfare (MSAW). 'If Mauritians knew what was happening inside there, if they let them film, they would all be standing outside [protesting],' the man said. A disturbing new video - secretly filmed in December and released by HSI - shows a dead dog being torn apart by a pack of skeletal hounds before they begin attacking and eating another dog that is still alive. It barks and howls in pain as the pack tear at its frail limbs in the 20-second clip, filmed at the pound, which has been the subject of animal cruelty accusations for years. Several other dogs in the overcrowded cell watch on as blood pools around the dead and dying animals. At the end of the video, a dog with prominent ribs can be seen picking at the remains of the dead dog, which appears to have been left in the cell. Starving dogs are being left to each other alive at a secretive animal pound on the paradise island of Mauritius, disturbing footage and witness accounts have revealed In 2015, a MSAW employee was secretly filmed stabbing dogs in the heart with a lethal injection, despite the government scrapping its catch-and-kill policy two years earlier. Thousands of dogs and puppies are rounded up from Mauritius' streets and beaches each year by government dog catchers and taken to MSAW where they are killed if no one comes to collect them, according to HSI. The group said there are an estimated 250,000 dogs on the island, most of which are owned but unsterilised and free to roam the streets and beaches, breeding and giving birth to puppies. The beach dogs are mainly well liked but can be considered a nuisance to the island's wealthy holiday makers, which HSI said include almost 150,000 Brits each year. The group previously operated a successful spay and neuter programme on the island, with a free clinic which it said sterilised thousands of dogs. An expat that visited the MSAW in December 2020 to search for his missing pet has recounted seeing 'inhumane' conditions, including dogs eating the feet of other canines and lapping up their blood and overcrowded cages HSI said it has been waiting more than a year for approval of an island-wide spay and neuter plan but this has yet to come to fruition despite 'repeated attempts' to engage with authorities and the support of a luxury beach-side hotel. 'The thousands of tourists who visit Mauritius each year would be shocked to learn that the puppies they play with on the beach could be rounded up to languish and die in a hellish government pound,' Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK said. 'Despite the clear success of HSIs spay and neuter program on the island offering a humane way to gradually reduce the number of roaming dogs, there appears to be a complete lack of political will to truly improve welfare. 'MSAW has proved itself unfit to be in charge of the lives of these vulnerable dogs who deserve to be treated with compassion and respect, not left to starve and cannibalise each other. 'Culls may seem like a quick fix, but as well as being heartless they are also hopeless at actually reducing the number of dogs in the long term,' Bass said. The MSAW pound's policy of requiring members of the public to leave their phones and cameras behind in order to enter, allows the pound to operate in virtual secrecy. Animal welfare group Humane Society International said the dogs had been 'left to starve and cannibalise each other' at the MSAW pound Animal welfare groups have also been refused entry to assess the welfare of the dogs inside, according to HSI. Campaigners are now calling for MSAW to be completely reformed into an independently-operated body focused on animal welfare and for the pound to be converted into an animal hospital. They are also demanding Mauritius' Animal Welfare Act (2013) be revised to include a mass sterilisation programme and that severe penalties be introduced for animal cruelty. Among the other appeals are calls for respect for animals to form part of the national school curriculum in order to prevent future animal abuse, the introduction of dog adoption programmes and for Mauritius to open its borders to veterinarians from overseas who are currently not permitted to work on the island. Campaigners have taken out an injunction against the catch and kill policy, which is due in the Supreme Court on February 17th. MSAW and the Minister of Agro-industry and Attorney General, Maneesh Gobin, have been summoned to appear. A single mother says she is suffering from depression after being forced to take unpaid leave to home school her son because her bosses refused to furlough her. The mother - who does not want to be named for fear of losing her job - is one of more than 2,000 parents who have had their requests to be furloughed refused amid lockdown this year. The job retention scheme currently allows bosses to furlough parents who can't work due to a lack of childcare while schools remain closed to all but vulnerable children or those of key workers. But it is at the employer's discretion whether or not to grant them furlough - which would see parents receive 80 per cent of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of 2,500. Nearly 80 per cent of working mothers who asked to be furloughed for childcare reasons since schools shut have been refused, a survey by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) found. A single mother has been forced to take unpaid leave to home school her son because her employer refused to furlough her in lockdown (file image) Seven in 10 requests for furlough turned down for working mothers According to a study by the Trade Union Congress union, nearly three-quarters of working mothers who have applied for furlough following the latest school closures have had their requests turned down. Of those 3,100 who requested furlough, around 2,200 (71%) had their request turned down. It also found that some 78 per cent hadnt been offered furlough by their employers. And 2 in 5 (40%) of all mothers who replied were unaware that the furlough scheme was available to parents affected by school or nursery closures. Nearly all (90%) of those who replied said that their anxiety and stress levels had increased during this latest lockdown. And almost half (48%) were worried about being treated negatively by their employers because of their childcare responsibilities. Around half (44%) of mums told the TUC they were worried about the impact having to take time off work would have on their household finances. A quarter (25%) of mums were using annual leave to manage their childcare but nearly 1 in 5 (18%) had been forced to reduce their working hours and around 1 in 14 (7%) were taking unpaid leave from work and receiving no income. Source: TUC Advertisement Meanwhile, some 90 per cent had seen their anxiety and stress levels increase during the latest lockdown - while almost half were worried about being treated negatively by their employers because of their childcare responsibilities. Employers are now being warned they face an imminent 'mental health crisis' and could be guilty of sex discrimination if they refuse to furlough parents. Earlier this week, Analise La-Band - a chartered occupational psychologist and mother-of-two - revealed had to quit her job last summer in order to teach her children at home as schools closed during lockdown. Issues sourcing childcare is a valid reason for employers to offer full-time or part-time furlough to staff unable to work their full contracted hours. However, thousands of struggling mothers are getting turned down by bosses. A single mother from Hull said: 'Being a single mum I had no childcare and was worried and my anxiety was not good, so I asked my company for furlough. 'They point-blank refused because they are still open and do not want to be taking on a cover person and furlough me as well. 'But if they did it's the Government that would be paying me so I am confused as to why its not an option. But I'm a "leave it alone" person rather than a fighter. 'I am constantly worrying about work and depression is taking over my life. 'I believe its not a difficult solution due to my circumstances but I have had to go to HR but they have told me similar. 'So I am very close to be handing my notice in. That won't help financially but my son comes [before] work.' Ms La-Band told Radio 4's Today programme that she was forced to resign due to the pressures of home schooling. The mother-of-two said yesterday: 'Unfortunately I was forced to resign last summer as a result of the difficulty of trying to balance work and home school. 'My request for furlough was rejected and I didn't see any other option so I've not been working since. 'I'm obviously very concerned with how I can maintain my career and get into the workforce again at some point, having had to make a very difficult decision to withdraw from it when i really wouldn't have had i had any other choice at the time.' TUC general secretary, Frances O'Grady, said the Government's lack of support for working parents was causing huge financial hardship and stress - and hitting low-paid mothers and single parents hardest. She said: 'Just like in the first lockdown, mums are shouldering the majority of childcare. 'Tens of thousands of mums have told us they are despairing. 'It's neither possible nor sustainable for them to work as normal while looking after their children and supervising schoolwork.' Since April 2020 the job retention scheme has allowed bosses to furlough parents who can't work due to a lack of childcare - but the survey found that 78 per cent of working mothers had not been offered furlough. Joeli Brearley, who set up the organisation 'Pregnant Then Screwed' which fights for parents' rights, told the BBC that bosses who are rejecting furlough requests could be guilty of 'indirect sex discrimination' if they refuse to furlough working mothers. Analise La-Band (left) a chartered occupational psychologist and mother-of-two, had to quit her job last summer in order to teach her children at home as schools closed during lockdown. Right, Joeli Brearley, who set up the organisation 'Pregnant Then Screwed', which fights for parents' rights Rishi Sunak's job retention scheme currently allows bosses to furlough parents who can't work due to a lack of childcare Unions push back at plan to extend school summer term by TWO WEEKS as Boris Johnson vows to go 'flat out' to help children catch up after Covid Unions were today pushing back at plans to extend the school year in England as Boris Johnson vowed to go 'flat out' to help children catch up. The PM said getting pupils' learning on track was the government's 'single biggest priority' amid fears the most vulnerable have fallen even further behind during the pandemic. The comments came after it emerged ministers are looking at continuing the summer term for another two weeks, with the holiday time redistributed to existing breaks in the autumn and winter. Study during the warmer months could be easier as windows and doors can be kept open in school buildings to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. A new study has found that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds found remote learning significantly more difficult than other students last year. However, unions have signalled they will oppose the changes, insisting parents are 'craving getting back to normal'. On a visit to a vaccination centre in Derbyshire this afternoon, Mr Johnson said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be announcing a full catch-up blueprint soon. 'We have got to work flat out now as a country as a society to remedy the loss of learning that we have had,' he said. The extension is being considered as No10 insisted that the worrying news about the AstraZeneca being less effective against the South African variant had not changed plans to get children back in classrooms from March 8. Many schools across England are due to break up for the summer holidays on Friday July 23. A two-week extension would therefore see pupils continuing to attend class during the first week of August. Advertisement She also warned of a mental health crisis as burnt out parents are being forced to work 17-hour days, incorporating six hours of tuition into their working day. She said couples are taking it in turns to do home schooling, beginning work at 5am then rotating child care and working late into the night. She told MailOnline: 'Women are now just walking out of their jobs because they just can't keep doing it, and their mental health is so bad. They're walking away. 'Our analysis from ONS data shows that women aged between 25 and 34 have the highest per cent of redundancies and between August and October last year, women were 60 per cent more likely to be unemployed than men. 'It's so concerning having mothers out of the workforce because it's so dificult to get them back in. 'We should be deeply concerned about it, because it is about child poverty at the end of the day it - it affects whole families.' Her concerns follow news that England's schools are not due to reopen until March 8 - as the Prime Minister resists mounting pressure to accelerate. Meanwhille, Wales confirmed its intention to restart some primary classes after the February half term. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething confirmed that some of the youngest age groups would go back to school from February 22 under a similar plan to that underway in Scotland. Ms Brearly told Radio 4: 'Many are not getting any break whatsoever...you've got six hours of unpaid work you now need to cram in to you job. 'The average day has increase from 9 hours to 11 hours under lockdown that's already 17 hours of work you have to do before you consider cooking or cleaning or shopping or sleeping, or doing anything for yourself whatsoever. 'We're hearing from frantic mothers who are completely burnt out and their mental health is rapidly deteriorating. 'They can request to be furloughed and we would hope that their employer would consider that - but 70 per cent of mothers who've requested to be furloughed have had that request rejected. 'That could be indirect sex discrimination, because the caring responsibilities usually fall to women. 'And so if [employers] say you can't be furloughed, that could be perceived as sex discrimination. 'We would really ask them to seriously consider that and if they don't, they're they're going to have a mental health crisis on their hands. 'Over the summer between a third and 40 per cent of employers made redundancies so many are surviving on skeletal staff and desperately trying to rebuild their business. 'Of course they need their employees, and they need them on full productivity, but sadly we're seeing mothers being pushed out of their jobs because they're unable to work on full productivity.' According to a study by the Trade Union Congress union, nearly three-quarters of working mothers who have applied for furlough following the latest school closures have had their requests turned down (file photo) Founder of the blog Mother Pukka, Anna Whitehouse added: 'What working parents have been tasked with in lockdown is not humanly possible. 'You're looking at an average eight hour working day, six hour school day, 12 hours of parenting wrapped around that - that's 26 hours in a 24 hour day. And I'm hearing daily from women who are stepping back, standing down and logging off because they're burning out. 'Some are quitting out of choice, many not. Because who looks after kids home-schooling? Who looks after pandemic patients when out of hospital? Who takes a Tesco shop to elderly neighbours? 'Who runs community What's App groups making sure everyone has everything they need?' Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the United States, participates in a discussion during the seventh U.S.China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, on June 24, 2015. (Chris Kleponis/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Ambassador Repeats Conspiracy Theory That Pandemic May Have Originated in the United States Chinas ambassador to the United States has renewed the Beijing regimes conspiracy theory that the CCP virus may have originated in the United States. Cui Tiankai, in an interview with CNN that aired on Feb. 7, was asked if World Health Organization (WHO) experts who are currently in the central Chinese city of Wuhan investigating the origin of the virus, would be granted full access to China. They are already in Wuhan. They have been in Wuhan for quite a few days, Cui said. My question is, will they be allowed to come here [to the United States] to do the same thing? Cui also brushed aside theories that the virus may have originated from either a so-called wet market or a laboratory in Wuhan. I think when people make accusations, they have to prove these accusations, he said. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, originated in Wuhan, although researchers worldwide are still unclear on exactly when and how the virus first emerged. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it had reason to believe several researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill with COVID-19-like symptoms in the autumn of 2019. The suggestion contradicted a claim by a researcher at the institute who said there was zero infection among lab staff and students. This isnt the first time China has sought to blame the United States for causing the pandemic. In March last year, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused the U.S. Army of bringing the virus to Wuhan when participating in a military sports event. On Jan. 18, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, also suggested that WHO experts should conduct origin-tracing in the United States. Beijing also has tried to pin the blame for the pandemic on other countries, including Italy and India. At a Feb. 5 daily briefing, Wang Wenbin, another spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, suggested that relevant parties should invite WHO experts to their countries for an origin-tracing study. In the same CNN interview, Cui also denounced a recent British Broadcasting Corp. report about the persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, saying that its sources were untrustworthy. The broadcaster had reported that Chinese men engaged in mass rape, sexual abuse, and torture of Uyghur women detained inside internment camps in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region, based on interviews with several former detainees and a guard. Beijing has detained more than 1 million ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz people, in these camps; most of them practice Islam. Beijing claims these camps are vocational training centers. I even visited some of the vocational training centers. They are just like a campus. Not a labor camp, but campus, Cui said. The Washington-based nonprofit Campaign for Uyghurs, in a statement following the BBC report, said, We hope that leaders and individuals across the world will sit with this painful reality, and search deep in your conscience to respond. Ziba Murat, a senior researcher for the organization, said on Twitter: As a daughter of a #Uyghur doctor who is imprisoned in one of those camps, & as a woman, this is extremely painful to read. Anyone who still thinks this is OK and bowing to #China AND turning their back on #Uyghurs, is equally complicit. Murat is the daughter of missing Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman told Reuters that the BBC report was disturbing and said China should allow immediate and independent investigations by international observers. In January, then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Chinese regimes persecution of Uyghurs and other majority-Muslim ethnic minorities as genocide and crimes against humanity. New York police are now searching for the suspect behind the slashing of a Filipino man in a subway last week. Noel Quintana, 61, was on his way to work when he noticed that another man on the subway was kicking his bag. When Quintana confronted the man, the latter took out a box cutter and slashed the Filipino on the face. None of the other passengers came to Quintanas aid. Read: Husband of missing Fil-Am Maya Millete reportedly uncooperative as search continues Photo of the man who allegedly attacked Noel Quintana. Photo: New York Police Department Quintana said he didnt realize his face was badly injured until he touched it and felt the blood on his fingertips. He said he became afraid of dying from losing so much blood. I thought he punched me or something and when I saw the reaction of the people in the train I thought I was hit, he told New York Daily News. I saw my hand [was bloody] because I put my hand on my face. It was bleeding profusely, he added. Quintana went to the next subway stop where a member of the staff helped him by calling 911. He was brought to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. The wound, which ran across his face, required a hundred stitches. Meanwhile, the attacker fled the subway when the train came to a stop at First Avenue and 14th Street. New York police have released images of the attacker and are asking for the publics help to find him. He was described as between 20 and 30 years old, wore a North Face jacket, red hoodie, blue jeans, red bandanna, and light-colored sneakers. Quintana said this is not the first time he was hurt on the subway. He was mugged two years ago but it was nothing compared to this attack. He has been taking medicine to help him tolerate the pain on his swollen face. This article, Filipino mans face disfigured after attack in New York subway, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Prices of petrol and diesel shot up 347 percent and 338 percent respectively between 2010 and 2019, due to the cedis persistent depreciation, taxes and levies, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Security (IES). In 2010 the average pump price of petrol stood at GH1.16 per litre (GH5.22 a gallon), but in 2019 the average price was GH5.18 per litre (GH23.31 a gallon). Likewise, the average pump price of diesel moved from GH1.18 per litre (GH5.31 a gallon) in 2010 to GH5.17 per litre (GH23.27 a gallon) in 2019. The analysis was carried out using data from the Energy Commission (EC), National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and IES MarketScan data, and revealed that by the end of 2019 domestic consumers of these products were paying more than four times the amount they parted with for a litre of fuel in 2010. Even as price deregulation and the falling prices of crude oil over the past decade offered a great opportunity for fuel consumers to spend less on the commodity, the poor performance of the cedi against major trading currencies, and the introduction of additional taxes/levies, eroded the benefits presented to consumers, IES said. Cedis depreciation Over the period, the cedi depreciated approximately 265 percent beginning at a yearly average of GH1.43 per US dollar in 2010 to a yearly average of GH5.22 per US dollar in 2019. Regardless of general reduction of crude oil prices over the decade, the cedi-depreciation, government fiscal policies among other factors significantly affect the price Ghanaians pay at present for finished products, IES said. Additionally, historical data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and US Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that performance of the cedi on the forex market greatly affects ex-pump prices Ghanaians pay more than crude oil prices does. Meanwhile, had it not been for the global COVID-19 pandemic, it said, the price of domestic petrol that sold at GH5.30 per litre in early 2020 and is currently at GH5.10 per litre could have been more than GH6 per litre today. The pandemic led to a slump in crude prices for a good part of 2020; hitting a 21-year low of US$16 per barrel in April, and trading at negative US$30-plus the first time oil price has turned negative because of reduced global economic activity and markets lockdown due to the virus. Furthermore, the period also saw the introduction of several taxes and levies including the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy (PSRL), Road Fund Levy, Energy Fund Levy, Energy Debt Recovery Levy, and the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT). The margins cover the Primary Distribution Margin (PDM), BOST Margin, fuel marking margin, marketers margin, and the dealers (retailers/operators) margin, IES indicated. The report added that: But for some government fiscal policies which led to the introduction of new taxes and margins over the past five years, prices could have been much lower than we see at the pump today. The introduction of new taxes and levies, the upward adjustment in the RFL, the EDRL and the PSRL in 2019, plus the 100 percent increase of the BOST Margin, fundamentally aided in seeing pump prices go up. Consequently, year-on-year, the pump price of petrol went up averagely 18.4 percent within the period. The year 2014 recorded the highest year-on-year increase of 37 percent, with an average price of GH2.84 per litre as against GH2.07 per litre in 2013. Meanwhile, the least yearly increase of petrol pump price was recorded in 2019, as average price per litre increased from the previous rate of GH4.80 to GH5.18. Before deregulation Prior to full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector in 2015, when consumer price for fuel was below the supply cost, government intervened through various forms of subsidisation because it had the exclusive right to do so through the NPA. These interventions, IES noted, in a way distorted the market as it created perverse forms of incentives, resulting in unnecessarily high pump prices not reflective of international market conditions. However, the introduction of full deregulation has seen Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) actively negotiating prices with Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs) to benefit the final consumer. Domestic fuel prices were seeing sharp annual increases prior to price deregulation of 31 percent in 2011, 12 percent in 2012, 22 percent in 2013, and 37 percent in 2014, IES stated. Nevertheless, from 2015 onwards it said, the highest annual price rise recorded was in 2018 at 17 percent with annual increases falling below 8 percent in 2019: This literally means that introduction of the price deregulation regime in 2015 has greatly contributed to a slowdown in the margin of annual price increases over the last 5 years. Key indicators of local fuel prices Key determinants of local fuel prices at the pump, the study says, include: global crude oil price, prices of finished products on the world market, the foreign exchange (forex) rate of the cedi to the US dollar, and the taxes and levies that are slapped on price per litre of domestic fuels. The ex-pump price the price the public buys fuel at the various filling stations is a sum of ex-refinery price, export duty, taxes/levies, marketers and dealers margins. The ex-refinery price constitutes the cost of product on the international market, insurance, freight, and other related charges. Source: B&FT 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 GRAND RAPIDS, MI Meijer plans to host a series of vaccine clinics throughout the state this week as part of a push to administer 25,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Walker-based retailer said in a news release that residents age 65 and older who register with Meijer are eligible for a dose of the vaccine. Meijer launched its vaccination program in partnership with the state on Jan. 15, and it has since provided 20,000 doses of the vaccine in Michigan and 30,000 doses overall. We are very proud of the role our stores and pharmacies continue to play in this massive effort to vaccinate people against COVID-19, Rick Keyes, Meijers president and CEO, said in a statement. As a pharmacy partner to both the State of Michigan and the federal government, we have been able to receive vaccines and quickly administer doses to thousands of people in our communities, usually within 72 hours. Company spokesperson Frank Guglielmi said Meijer plans to host 70 vaccine clinics this week at 40 of its stores. The vaccine is available by appointment only, and Meijer is not disclosing which of its stores are offering clinics. These are not walk-up clinics, he said. People who have registered will be notified of their appointment and which store location. Some stores will have clinics over two days, some stores will have one-day clinics. Meijer says this weeks aggressive vaccine schedule is possible through partnerships with several counties and cities in Michigan, along with doses received from the State of Michigan and the Centers for Disease Control. Im extremely proud of the amazing work our store and pharmacy teams have done to create a quick and efficient process for our vaccine clinics, said Jason Beauch, Meijers vice president of pharmacy. The importance of these clinics is not lost on our team members and patients its a very emotional experience for everyone involved. Those who are eligible and wish to receive the vaccine can register by texting COVID to 75049, visiting clinic.meijer.com, or in-person at their preferred Meijer pharmacy location. Read more: Blue ice building up near Michigans Mackinac Bridge Violators of dine-in ban, mask mandate get food licenses suspended 136 infected in 32 new coronavirus outbreaks, says Michigans Feb. 8 school outbreak report [February 08, 2021] Avast Joins Coalition Against Stalkerware PRAGUE and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast (LSE:AVST), a global leader in digital security and privacy products, today announced that it has joined the Coalition Against Stalkerware , a group of cybersecurity vendors, victim services, and academic researchers working to combat tech abuse. Avast has also announced that it has added functionality to its mobile antivirus product that will alert users with a customized detection notification for apps known to be stalkerware. Avast joins Coalition Against Stalkerware and improves identification of stalkerware through mobile security products. Stalkerware, sometimes also referred to as 'spouseware' or 'creepware', is a type of malware that gives remote access to monitor the personal devices of a significant other such as a partner, spouse, child, family member or acquaintance without their consent or knowledge. This usually includes access to all accounts and information on the phone, such as email, texts, photos, and social media sites; it can also include accessing the phone's camera and microphone. Unfortunately, stalkerware installs increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Avast Threat Labs reports a 55.2 percent increase globally in spyware1 and stalkerware from March through December 2020, in comparison to the first two months of 2020. Analysts note that stalkerware has been accelerated further by shelter-in-place restrictions as partners now have access to each others' phones more readily when their regular movements are curtailed. Since August 2020, Avast Mobile Security automatically provides a specific notification on the device if stalkerware is detected on their phone, distinguishing it from other malware so potential victims can be aware they may be being surveilled. "Stalkerware has been running rampant since the start of the pandemic and it's on us as protectors of digital freedom to use our product for the greater good," said Ondrej David, head of mobile threat research. "We are proud to support the industry's initiative against this form of cybercrime, so that it is clear to a person they may be under unwanted surveillance. It is important that people know if their privacy is being invaded so they can make more informed decisions and stay safe." The Coalition Against Stalkerware, founded in November 2019, works to combat the use of surveillance software to track a person without their knowledge or consent and offers actionable hel to victims of tech abuse. The coalition allows leading security technology companies and aid organizations to exchange insights into the problem and drive educational activities. Avast is proud to join founding members such as Electronic Frontier Foundation , Network to End Domestic Violence, Operation Safe Escape , Weisser Ring and other leading security software companies in the coalition. "NNEDV is thrilled to see how the Coalition Against Stalkerware has grown," said Erica Olsen, Safety Net project director for the National Network to end Domestic Violence (NNEDV). "There is such power in companies and organizations coming together to collectively address an issue like this. These partnerships, between security companies and victim services, can create new approaches and policies to addressing technology abuse that truly have an impact." If you or someone you know is the victim of tech abuse, reach out to the following sources to get help: WomensLaw.org WomensLaw Cyberstalking The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline National Domestic Violence Hotline : +1-800-799-7233 National VictimConnect Resource Center: +1-855-4-VICTIM StaySafeOnline Illinois Stalking Advocacy Center About Avast: Avast (LSE: AVST), a FTSE 100 company, is a global leader in digital security and privacy products. With over 435 million users online, Avast offers products that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Visit: www.avast.com About Coalition Against Stalkerware: The Coalition Against Stalkerware ("CAS" or "Coalition") is a group dedicated to addressing abuse, stalking, and harassment via the creation and use of stalkerware. Launched in November 2019, the Coalition Against Stalkerware now has 26 partners, including founding partners Avira, Electronic Frontier Foundation, the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, G DATA Cyber Defense, Kaspersky, Malwarebytes, The National Network to End Domestic Violence, NortonLifeLock, Operation Safe Escape, and WEISSER RING. The Coalition looks to bring together a diverse array of organizations to actively address the criminal behavior perpetrated through stalkerware and raise public awareness about this important issue. Due to the high societal relevance for users all over the globe, with new variants of stalkerware emerging periodically, the Coalition Against Stalkerware is open to new partners and calls for cooperation. To find out more about the Coalition Against Stalkerware please visit the official website www.stopstalkerware.org 1 Spyware refers to "software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive," while stalkerware refers to the software that enables a remote user to monitor the activities on another user's device without that user's consent in a manner that may facilitate intimate partner surveillance, harassment, abuse, stalking, and/or violence. (source: Coalition on Stalkerware https://stopstalkerware.org/what-is-stalkerware/) Media Contact: PR@avast.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avast-joins-coalition-against-stalkerware-301224087.html SOURCE Avast [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NEW DELHI : The Ministry of Labour and Employment is likely to complete the process to finalise the rules under the four labour codes paving the way for making reforms are reality soon. Besides, the ministry is also progressing to roll out a web portal by June 2021 for registration and other facilities of workers in the unorganised sector, including gig and platform workers and migrant workers as enshrined in her budget speech this year by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Rule making process is already underway and likely to complete in the coming week. All stakeholders are also consulted in framing of rules. This ministry would soon be in a position to bring into force the four Codes, viz., Code on Wages, Industrial Relations, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) and Social Security Codes," Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra in a media briefing on Monday. The labour ministry had envisaged implementing the four labour codes from April 1 this year in one go. The ministry is in the final leg of amalgamating 44 central labour laws into four broad codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and OSH. The ministry wants to implement all four codes in one go. The work on setting up of the portal for informal workers by this ministry is progressing as per the schedule, Chandra told reporters adding that the portal will collect relevant information on gig, building and construction workers, among others. The portal will help formulate Health, Housing, Skill, Insurance, Credit and food schemes for migrant workers. Chandra informed that the portal will be rolled out by May or June 2021 for registration and other facilities of workers in the unorganised sector, including gig and platform workers and migrant workers. The enrolled workers on the portal will be provided with an incentive of free coverage for a period of one year for accidental and disability cover under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bhima Yojana(PMSBY). Chandra also told that the Labour Bureau, an attached office under this ministry, has started vigorously work on four new survey for Migrant workers, Domestic workers, Employment generated by Professionals and Transport Sector. The Bureau will also commission 'All India Establishment based Employment Survey (AIEES)'. Results of all these surveys are likely to come within eight to nine months from the start of actual field surveys, he added. About the budget proposal to bar employers for taking deduction of delayed amount of social security contributions, Chandra said, "It is a very good announcement in the budget as it will provide security of amount deducted by employer towards payment of contribution deducted from employee on account of employees Provident Fund and Employees Insurance Scheme." On the rationalisation of tax-free income on provident funds, he said, "This decision will stop high net worth individuals to misuse a welfare facility and earn wrongfully tax-free income as assured interest return. Interest portion is calculable on a year-to-year basis just like bank interest." Under the provision, taxpayers will be required to include the annual income from contribution beyond 2.5 lakh into their PF accounts while filing their returns. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. ROME, FEB 8 - Health Minister Roberto Speranza has called for "utmost prudence" amid alarm at scenes of crowds in Italy's cities at the weekend, the first since before Christmas in which almost the whole nation was a "yellow zone". In Italy's tiered system of COVID-19-linked measures, in yellow zones restrictions are relaxed significantly, with shops open and bars and restaurants allowed to serve customers at tables until 6pm. As of Monday, 17 regions-autonomous provinces are yellow zones, after Sardinia and Trentino were bumped down a tier. But Alto Adige remains a red zone, meaning all bars, restaurants and non-essential shops must close, as is the province of Perugia and some towns in the province of Terni in Umbria and some towns in Abruzzo and Molise. There is also concern about the spread of new COVID-19 variants. Cases of the highly infectious British strain, for example, have been detected in schools in Marche. (ANSA). 21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan May 28, 2021 08:15 PM New Delhi: Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering on Monday (February 8) condoled the loss of life in the state of Uttarakhand due to a glacier burst and subsequent flooding. "Sending prayers for the souls lost to the Uttarkhand flood and wishing courage to those who are fighting the disaster. May those who are still missing be found in good health. We are with you, dear friends in India," the Bhutan PM tweeted. Bhutan PM's statement came after a glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District in Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. The glacier burst washed away the Raini power project causing a massive impact on Tapovan due to which 32 people from first and 121 people are missing from the second project, said Uttarakhand Director-General of Police (DGP) on Monday. Aside from the Bhutan Prime Minister, various world leaders including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed condolences over the natural disaster. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday wrote on his official Twitter handle, "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed," he tweeted. Following the incident, leaders across the world including French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed condolences to the victims of the glacial burst. "France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families," said Macron in a tweet. Additionally, Nepal also offered condolences to the families of the victims of a glacial burst in Uttarakhand. In a Twitter post, Nepals Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to the flash floods in Uttarakhand. "We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash flood caused by an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for the safety of those missing.@PradeepgyawaliK @PaudyalBR." The US State Department said: "Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured." Taking to Twitter, Australian PM Scott John Morrison commented that Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time. "Devastating news for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following flash flooding in Uttarakhand. Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time," he tweeted. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. He added that the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. As many as 15 people have been rescued so far while 14 bodies have been recovered from different locations following the glacier burst, said Chamoli Police on Monday. The ITBP is carrying out the rescue operation in the affected areas in Chamoli to rescue trapped people. (With Agency Inputs) UPDATE: The 3-year-old who died in a crash Friday night at Route 33 South and the entrances to Interstate 78 in Lower Saucon Township was Jason Otero Jr., Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said. The boy died from multiple blunt force trauma and his death was ruled an accident, Lysek said. INITIAL POST: A 3-year-old boy from Manlius, New York, died Friday night after he and two other people were thrown from a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer during a two-vehicle crash on Route 33 South at the Interstate 78 interchange in Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania State Police report. The SUV, driven by a 35-year-old woman from the same city not far from Syracuse, was traveling south, as was a 2017 Kia Sportage driven by a 54-year-old woman from Wind Gap, police said. The Mercury tried to head onto the eastbound ramp to Interstate 78 while the Kia was attempted to head westbound on the interstate, police said. It wasnt clear in which lane or lanes the vehicles were driving. The westbound entrance ramp gets traffic from both lanes of Route 33 South while the eastbound ramp is fed by the left lane past the far end of the Lehigh River bridge. The vehicles crashed about 7:55 p.m. and the Mountaineer struck the concrete center media and the vehicle rolled, police said. The driver of the Mercury, who was not wearing a seat belt, a 7-year-old girl from Manlius who wasnt wearing a seat belt, and the 3-year-old, who was not properly strapped in, were all ejected from the vehicle, police said. The 3-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene by the Northampton County Coroners Office, police said. Coroner Zachary Lysek couldnt be reached Monday morning to see if the cause and manner of the childs death has been determined. A 1-year-old girl, who was restrained by a seat belt, and a 16-year-old girl remained in the vehicle, police said. It wasnt clear if the 16-year-old was wearing a seat belt, a news release said. The driver of the Mountaineer suffered a possible serious injury, police said. The 16-year-old, the 1-year-old and the 7-year-old were also injured, police said. All four were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, police said. The driver of the Kia was not hurt, police said. The crash remains under investigation and its possible later in the week authorities will release names of the drivers and the child who died. It is a traffic offense for children and drivers not to be wearing seat belts, police said. Traffic on Route 33 South was detoured onto Freemansburg Avenue and the exit ramps remained closed until 2:30 a.m., police said. The Troop M Collision Analysis Reconstruction Unit, the Troop M Forensic Services Unit, Fast Lane Towing, Suburban EMS, Wind Gap EMS, Bethlehem Township EMS and the Northampton County District Attorneys Office assisted troopers. District Attorney Terry Houck said that when all the facts are available, his office will look at them and determine if it should take any sort of action. Anyone who needs a car seat installed can call their nearest state police barracks in Pennsylvania, a trooper said Monday. Each barracks has certified installers. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription. Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Bonita Bonnie Currey-Stamps passed away peacefully on February 3, 2021 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was born Bonita Lee Peterson on Sept. 29, 1946, in Moline, Il., to parents LeRoy and Edna. Living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she married Tom Currey in 1967 and moved to Chattanooga, his hometown, where they raised four children. She later married John Stamps in 2010. Bonnie spent much of her life dedicated to medical and mental health initiatives, having started her calling volunteering and committing her time to many local organizations, including serving as the president of both the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Auxiliary and the Mental Health Associated of Greater Chattanooga. In 1986, Bonnie was one of the founding members of the AIM Center in Chattanooga, a non-profit organization providing psychosocial rehabilitation to adults living with serious mental illness. She spent 25 years as President and Executive Director of AIM, before retiring in 2013. During that time, the organization grew exponentially and attained international recognition in the mental health community. She served on multiple mental health committees, commissions, and boards and received numerous awards and recognitions, at both the local and state level. Her legacy will live on with the AIM Center and the thousands of lives that she and her work have touched over the years. Bonnies retirement years were spent with her friends and family, serving her church, and traveling the world. She was a strong believer in her faith and was a member of Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church. She served on the Vestry and spearheaded the Growth and Preservation capital campaign. Bonnies friends and family will remember her as a mother and a friend, as a leader and teacher, and as a confidant. She was an elegant and gracious woman with a personality that brought joy and friendship to all those who encountered her. Bonnie is survived by her husband, John Stamps; children, Jeff (Tracey) Currey, Byron Currey, Todd Currey, and Ashley Currey; and her grandchildren, Ella Grace and Anna Kathryn. She is also survived by her stepchildren, Kim (Tom) Roberts, David (Kat) Stamps, and Hunter (Amelia) Stamps; and step-grandchildren, Sage, Eliza, River, Brooklyn, and Madison. She was preceded in death by her parents; two half-brothers, Chuck and Bill; and sister, Ruth Ann Everett. Due to COVID restrictions, the family will hold a private service. There will be an open Celebration of Life for Bonnie to honor her memory when the pandemic allows. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Bonnies memory to the AIM Center, 472 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN, 37402 or to Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church, 1607 W. 43rd Street, Chattanooga, TN 37409. Arrangements entrusted to Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services Franklin -Strickland Chapel, 1724 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37404, 423-265-4414. Please visit our website to share your memories: www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. In a pre-planned attack by the Chinese army on Indian soldiers with nail-studded sticks and iron rods (as per media reports) recently, is a cowardly act and should be strongly denounced. India's twenty brave soldiers sacrificed their lives in Galvan valley face-off for the honor of their motherland. There have been more casualties on the other side, as well. We must not forget that conflicts or wars thrust on each other is no good for any nation. They are a stigma on humanity and need to be sorted out peacefully with mutual respect and trust. Any breach will lead to a still more problematic situation for both countries. It is, after all, the humanity that suffers by way of miseries and catastrophic consequences inflicted upon the people. Planning and waging a war of aggression is a crime against humanity. Therefore, hate war and love peace is the best way to save humanity from being depraved. Humanity is already paying heavy toll due to pandemic triggered by Covid-19 globally, waging and giving rise to war will be yet another disastrous step to desecrate humanity. Dr. Shiben Krishen Raina 2/537 Aravali Vihar (Alwar), Rajasthan 301001Member, Hindi Salahkar Samiti, Ministry of Law & Justice (Govt. of India) Senior Fellow, Ministry of Culture (Govt. of India) Dr. Raina's mini bio can be read here: http://www.setumag.com/2016/07/author-shiben-krishen-raina.html Just one year ago this month, Democratic U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez were deciding whether to convict President Donald Trump of high crimes and misdemeanors and remove him from office. Theyll do it again beginning Tuesday. The U.S. Senate will serve as a jury in the trial of Trump, who was impeached an unprecedented second time on charges that he incited the Jan. 6 insurrection by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. I regret that were at where we at, that we even have to go through impeachment because a president takes actions that ultimately undermine the Constitution, undermine his oath of office, Menendez told NJ Advance Media. Nobody knows Jersey politics like NJ.com. Add your email now and dont miss a story. Thats where weve been, certainly with this president, in both cases, he said. In this case, the charges are even as a higher degree of consequences in terms of what was done to the country. Spurred by Trumps disproven claims of a fixed election, rioters stormed the building, vandalized offices, broke windows and threatened to kill Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress counting the certified electoral votes that would make Joe Biden the next president. Five people were killed, including a Capitol Police officer, South River native Brian Sicknick. Booker said he didnt want to be a part of history, but Congress needed to hold Trump accountable. The assault on the Capitol was a very, very shamefully sad day in American history, Booker said. We brought this upon ourselves and the presidents actions clearly instigated this. His perpetuation of a lie, his inviting a mob to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and storm the Capitol, this is to me a very sad chapter. Half of Americans in a Quinnipiac University Poll released last week supported convicting Trump, including 12% of self-identified Republicans, with 45% in opposition. The poll of 1,075 U.S. adults was conducted Jan. 28-Feb. 1 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. Ten Republicans along with every Democrat voted to impeach Trump Jan. 13. The first time, no Republicans and all but two Democrats voted impeach the president on charges that he withheld congressionally approved aid to a foreign country Ukraine for personal political gain. One of the two Democratic dissenters, New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, then switched to the Republican Party and was celebrated by the president the following month at a Wildwood campaign rally. As a Republican, Van Drew voted against impeachment again. The trial is to begin Tuesday, where impeachment managers from the House will lay out their case against Trump. It remains to be seen if any witnesses will be called and how long the trial will last, since the new Democratic majority also wants to confirm Bidens Cabinet nominees and pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package as soon as possible. The first Trump trial lasted almost three weeks, but Menendez said he expects this one to be shorter. Booker and Menendez both supported calling witnesses in the first trial, though the Republican majority rejected them. Menendez said he would open to hearing from them this time around. While we all experienced what happened on the 6th, Im sure there could be witnesses who could testify as to what happened before, Menendez said. Was there any organizing of the crowd by administration-related officials? This wasnt just a chance incident. There was preparation. There was a plan. Menendez, a member of the House when the GOP majority impeached President Bill Clinton in 1998, and Booker, now will have served as jurors in two of the four presidential impeachment trials in U.S. history. (The fourth was for Andrew Johnson in 1868, who was acquitted by one vote.) Its awful and sad and unfortunate that the extreme behaviors of a president should have brought this upon himself to make history in this ignominious way, Booker said. This is nothing Im happy about. This is something I feel a sense of gravity and sadness about. With a two-thirds majority needed to convict a president, Trump easily was acquitted when every member of the Republican majority except Mitt Romney of Utah supported him. Menendez and Booker both voted to convict. Booker said more Republicans might come on board this time. This is something different when youre hearing even Republican colleagues, Booker said Unlike his last impeachment youre hearing far more bipartisanship on this one. Still, only five Senate Republicans opposed an effort to dismiss the trial on the grounds that the Senate could not try an impeached president who no longer was on office, even as then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to begin the trial when Trump was in the White House. One reason for proceeding is that if Trump is convicted, the Senate by majority vote could then ban him from ever running for federal office again, including for president in 2024. Though Booker welcomed Trumps impeachment and Menendez called on him to resign, both senators insist that they will listen to the evidence before announcing how they will vote this time around. I always believe that if youre going to act as a jurist in the trial, you have an obligation to listen to the prosecutions case and the defense case, Menendez said, President Trump has a high burden here because of what all of us in the Senate experienced on that fateful day. Booker expressed a similar sentiment. It is important as a juror that I take my oath seriously, Booker said. I think everybody deserves representation and, frankly a defense, so I will listen with an open mind. But its also very evident that we are holding a trial in a crime scene. Literally, we will debating this in the same place where those insurrectionists came and desecrated the sacred space. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. President Museveni (right), accompanied by his wife Janet Museveni, signs a book to mark the Tarehe Sita day. President Museveni has said no group or organisation can defeat his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. He said although NRM had some poor arrangements, it managed to secure massive victory in the 2021 General Election. On the voting day, some people did not turn up and those who turned up at some polling stations, could not find NRM polling agents and that's how we managed to get that percentage but the actually political support for NRM is 80 per cent, therefore it is not easy for anyone to defeat NRM politically in Uganda," Mr Museveni said while presiding over celebrations of the 40th anniversary of Tarehe Sita at Mbuya army headquarters on Saturday. Tarehe Sita refers to February 6, the day he launched the guerrilla war in 1981. Mr Museveni also revealed that his government cannot support people who do not support it. Mr Museveni was declared winner of the January 14 election with 58 per cent vote. The President revealed that between 1960 and 1965, he supported the Democratic Party (DP) because it had two positive points; one being that they did not believe in election cheating and another one was that their leader, Benedict Kiwanuka, was not a "double talker" (one who says one thing and does a different thing). He, however, said DP has a weakness of sectarianism. "DP had a relationship with one political party in Germany called Christian Union party. It used to donate to us good vehicles. There was another donor group called Konrad-Adenauer Foundation from western countries. "These had different interests in Uganda. Uganda Peoples Congress also had links with another German social democratic group. It helped UPC in commencing the construction of Uganda House. The involvement of foreign groups into Uganda's politics was always with the last governments but NRM cannot accept that," Mr Museveni said. Mr Museveni has also suspended indefinitely activities of the donor funding agency Democratic Governance Facility, saying it was bankrolling programmes or organisations that undermine his government. File image: AP South Africa halted use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine on February 7 after evidence emerged that the vaccine did not protect clinical trial volunteers from mild or moderate illness caused by the more contagious virus variant that was first seen there. The findings were a devastating blow to the countrys efforts to combat the pandemic. Scientists in South Africa said Sunday that a similar problem held for people who had been infected by earlier versions of the coronavirus: The immunity they acquired naturally did not appear to protect them from mild or moderate cases when they were reinfected by the variant, known as B.1.351. The developments, coming nearly a week after 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine arrived in South Africa, were an enormous setback for the country, where more than 46,000 people are known to have died from the virus. They were also another sign of the dangers posed by new mutations in the coronavirus. The B.1.351 variant has spread to at least 32 countries, including the United States. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The number of cases evaluated as part of the studies outlined by South African scientists Sunday were low, making it difficult to pinpoint just how effective or not the vaccine might be against the variant. And because the clinical trial participants who were evaluated were relatively young and unlikely to become severely ill, it was impossible for the scientists to determine if the variant interfered with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines ability to protect against severe COVID-19, hospitalizations or deaths. The scientists said, however, that they believed the vaccine might protect against more severe cases, based on the immune responses detected in blood samples from people who were given it. If further studies show that to be the case, South African health officials will consider resuming use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, they said. The new research findings have not been published in a scientific journal. But the discovery that the AstraZeneca-Oxford product showed minimal efficacy in preventing mild and moderate cases of the new variant added to the mounting evidence that B.1.351 makes current vaccines less effective. Pfizer and Moderna have both said that preliminary laboratory studies indicate that their vaccines, while still protective, are less effective against B.1.351. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson have also sequenced test samples from their clinical trial participants in South Africa, where B.1.351 caused the vast majority of cases, and both reported lower efficacy there than in the United States. These results are very much a reality check, Shabir Madhi, a virologist at University of the Witwatersrand who ran the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine trial in South Africa, said of the findings released Sunday. The pause in the countrys rollout of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine means that the first shipments will now be put in warehouses. Instead, South African health officials said they would inoculate health workers in the coming weeks with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has shown strong efficacy in preventing severe cases and hospitalizations caused by the new variant. Johnson & Johnson has applied for an emergency use authorization in South Africa. But health officials there indicated that even before it is authorized, some health workers could be given the vaccine as part of an ongoing trial. In the AstraZeneca-Oxford trial in South Africa, roughly 2,000 participants were given either two doses of the vaccine or placebo shots. There was virtually no difference in the numbers of people in the vaccine and placebo groups who were infected with B.1.351, suggesting that the vaccine did little to protect against the new variant. Nineteen of the 748 people in the group that was given the vaccine were infected with the new variant, compared with 20 out of 714 people in the group that was given a placebo. That equates to a vaccine efficacy of 10%, though the scientists did not have enough statistical confidence to know for sure whether that figure would hold among more people. Researchers also conducted laboratory experiments on blood samples from people who had been vaccinated and found a significant reduction in the activity levels of vaccine-generated antibodies against the B.1.351 variant compared with other lineages. Beyond the troubling news about the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, Madhi reported evidence suggesting that past infection by earlier versions of the coronavirus did not protect people in South Africa from the B.1.351 variant. In order to determine who had previously been infected by the coronavirus, researchers tested blood samples from people who had enrolled in a trial of the Novavax vaccine, but who were given placebo shots and not the vaccine itself. The researchers compared the levels of infection by the new variant in people who showed evidence of having previously had COVID-19 with the levels of infection in people who did not, and found no difference. That suggested, Madhi wrote on a slide presented Sunday night, that past infection by original variants of SARS-CoV-2 do NOT protect against mild and moderate COVID-19 from the B.1.351 variant. He said it was possible that the potential of the B.1.351 variant to evade immune responses in people who had previously been infected accounted at least in part for why South Africa has suffered such a devastating second wave of the virus in recent months. Researchers from the University of Oxford acknowledged Sunday that the vaccine provided minimal protection against mild or moderate cases involving the B.1.351 variant. They are working to produce a new version of the vaccine that can protect against the most dangerous mutations of the B.1.351 variant, and have said they hope it will be ready by the fall. This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected, Andrew Pollard, the chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a statement. But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa using a similar viral vector, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on health care systems by preventing severe disease. Moderna has also begun developing a new form of its vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against the variant in South Africa. B.1.351 has become the dominant form of the virus in South Africa and has been found in several dozen countries. A small number of cases have been reported in South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. Scientists believe that B.1.351 may be more adept at dodging protective vaccine-generated antibodies because it has acquired a mutation, known as E484K, that makes it harder for antibodies to grab onto the virus and prevent it from entering cells. Novavax said its vaccine was just under 50% effective in preventing COVID-19 in its South Africa trial. Johnson & Johnson reported that its single-shot vaccine was 57% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 in South Africa, though it still offered complete protection against hospitalization and death after four weeks. Another fast-spreading variant of the virus, known as B.1.1.7 and first identified in Britain, does not appear to interfere with vaccines. All five of the leading vaccines, and most recently AstraZenecas product, have been found to offer similar levels of protection against B.1.1.7 compared to earlier lineages of the virus. AstraZenecas vaccine has been authorized by around 50 countries, including Britain, which has found dozens of cases of the variant first seen in South Africa. In the United States, regulators are waiting on data from a large, late-stage clinical trial of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine that is expected to report results in March. By Benjamin Mueller, Rebecca Robbins and Lynsey Chutel c.2021 The New York Times Company The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu is surprised at the content of Rojo Mettle Nunoo's witness statement. Rojo Mettle Nunoo who was one of the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Electoral Commissions (EC) strong room during election 2020, filed a 9 page, 32 paragraph witness statement on Thursday (February 4, 2021) in support of the petition filed by Former President John Dramani Mahama challenging the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as winner of the presidential election. Rojo Mettle Nunoo, the third witness of the Petitioner, John Mahama in the ongoing Election petition, had catalogued a number of incidents prior to and after the declaration of the Presidential Election results by the Returning Officer and 1st Respondent, Jean Mensa, which he insists cannot be "swept under the carpet" since it "undermines the credibility of the polls and cast grave doubts on the integrity of those assigned responsibilities for a free, fair and transparent conduct of elections." Reacting to this on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', Charles Owusu disclosed his "surprised at what he (Rojo Mettle Nunoo) wrote...in this life, we need to be truthful; the truth cannot be hidden...lies always get exposed. I don't understand: that somebody will tell you to go out? He recalled how "in 2012, Rojo Mettle Nunoo was sitting in a chair and taking pictures in the strongroom; he and Bernard Mornah, it was like a fanfare...so if it was a different person making these comments (in 2021) that he was misled or asked to go and see the candidate, I would have believed it...he is just deceiving Ghanaians" Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements ISS, Skylab astronauts connect over new US spacecraft flight record February 8, 2021 Astronauts on the International Space Station celebrated their SpaceX spacecraft reaching a milestone on Sunday (Feb. 7), by connecting with a former NASA astronaut who helped set the previous, long-standing record. The four crew members who launched on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft "Resilience" last November marked their capsule surpassing the 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes that was the prior U.S. record for a spacecraft in flight, as set by the Apollo command module that flew on the Skylab 4 orbital workshop mission in 1973 to 1974. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, along with Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), spoke with Skylab 4 science pilot Ed Gibson on Sunday, one day shy of the 47th anniversary since he and his two crewmates, the late Jerry Carr and Bill Pogue, landed back on Earth. By coincidence, the prior and current U.S. spacecraft duration records were set 47 years and one day apart. "On our 84th day in space, Crew-1 extends the record for most days in space for a U.S. human space capsule," Glover wrote on Twitter. "Historic 'joint' crew photo!" added Noguchi, captioning an image showing him and his three Crew-1 crewmates together with Gibson, who was connected by video on a computer screen. "We were honored and thrilled to talk to Skylab astronaut Ed Gibson." For Gibson, the 84 days logged on Feb. 8, 1974, were more than just a record for his and his crewmates' spacecraft; it was also the longest time that any American astronauts had lived in space. That record stood until June 6, 1995, when NASA astronaut Norm Thagard exceeded 84 days on board the former Russian space station Mir. (Thagard, whose Mir mission extended another month for a total of 115 days, launched and landed on two different spacecraft.) Since then, U.S. astronauts have been logging increasingly longer stays on board space stations, beginning on Mir and then aboard the International Space Station. Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly holds the current American record for a single spaceflight, set at 340 days in March 2016. By comparison, the longest that one of NASA's shuttle orbiters remained on orbit was 17 days, 15 hours and 53 minutes. The longest time in flight logged by any crewed spacecraft to date was 215 days, 8 hours and 22 minutes, set by Russia's Soyuz TMA-09 capsule in 2007. The call between the Crew-1 astronauts and Gibson, which was not broadcast to the public, was organized by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), an organization representing more than 400 individuals who have completed at least one orbit in a spacecraft. "We are honored and privileged to be able to connect astronauts around our home planet with each other and with their friends and colleagues on the International Space Station!" the ASE wrote in reply to Noguchi's tweet. "Glad we could help! Congrats to you and the crew!" NASA also noted the new record on its website and social media channels. SpaceX's Dragon "Resilience" is slated to return the Crew-1 astronauts to Earth in late March after about 160 days in flight. SpaceX designed Dragon to be capable of remaining docked to the space station for up to 210 days. Crew-1 astronauts Mike Hopkins, Soichi Noguchi, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover connect with Skylab 4 science pilot Ed Gibson (on screen) to mark their SpaceX Dragon "Resilience" overtaking his command module's 84 days for the U.S. flight record. (NASA) The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft "Resilience" is seen docked to the Harmony module at the International Space Station on Jan. 27, 2021, 11 days before surpassing the U.S. crewed spacecraft flight duration record held by Skylab 4 since 1974. (NASA) The Association of Space Explorers (ASE) arranged for Crew-1 astronauts Mike Hopkins (at left), Victor Glover (at right), Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi on the International Space Station to talk with Skylab 4 science pilot Ed Gibson on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. (NASA) 2021 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Maryland General Assembly is poised this week to override several landmark bills that Republican Gov. Larry Hogan rejected last year, including a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the state's public education system and two taxes that would help pay for the restructuring: a tax on digital streaming and a first-in-the-nation tax on digital ads. In its first floor session since the legislature convened last month, the House of Delegates voted 95-37 on Monday to override Hogan's veto of the school overhaul bill. The Senate is expected to vote to overturn the veto later this week. The bill would set in place a 10-year plan to expand prekindergarten; increase funding to schools with a high percentage of poor, special education or limited-English students; raise teacher pay and increase standards for teachers; and add more programs to ensure students are prepared for college and careers. Its authors say the legislation is designed to move Maryland from a "middle of the pack" system to one of the best in the world. The overhaul in education policy is the biggest effort by a state to reshape public education since Massachusetts - now considered to have the top-performing school system in the country - passed legislation more than 30 years ago. House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke, D-Montgomery, said the Maryland measure will give students "a better start in life than we have given them in the history of the state." When he vetoed the measure last year, Hogan criticized its $4 billion-a-year price tag as too costly - especially with the coronavirus pandemic impacting state revenue. He also said it lacked accountability and a funding source. The governor also vetoed the digital ad tax and the streaming tax, however, which were two of the ways Democrats planned to pay for the education overhaul. Hogan and a coalition of small business groups argued the digital ad tax would ultimately be passed along to advertisers, hitting small businesses and entrepreneurs trying to stay afloat during the pandemic. Legislative leaders say schools and the widespread distance learning that resulted from the pandemic highlight and exacerbate the inequities the bill aimed to address. Democrats said the bill is designed to ensure that a child receives a top education regardless of where they live, their skin color or how much their parents earn. They said the state cannot afford not to address the inequities that currently exist. "Even before the pandemic, the disparities were stark and widespread," Del. Alonzo Washington, D-Prince George's, said Monday. "Disadvantaged students aren't asking for a handout. They are asking for a level playing field." Republican lawmakers countered that the plan costs too much money, especially given the toll the pandemic has had on the state's economy and Maryland families. Others questioned whether more money will result in better outcomes for students. "I care deeply about the success of our students . . . but surely our students and teachers can understand we cannot spend money that we don't have," Del. Jesse Pippy, R-Frederick, said. The legislation was based on recommendations by a commission of policy experts and lawmakers who presented the legislature with a grim picture of the current state of education in Maryland. It found that fewer than half of Maryland kindergartners enter school ready to learn, and fewer than 40% of high school graduates are prepared for college or a career. The commission predicted that the future would be bleaker and that there would be dire consequences for the state's economy if sweeping changes were not made. The House voted 90-42 on Monday to overturn Hogan's veto of the digital streaming tax, which would include video, music, books, apps, games and software. Based on data from other states, legislative analysts project that the tax could raise $83.1 million in fiscal 2021 and $118.6 million in fiscal 2025. On Thursday, the House will take up the pioneering tax on targeted digital ads, which aims to collect up to $250 million a year by taxing media giants such as Facebook and Twitter. Lawmakers who crafted the tax say it is designed to make companies pay for using personal data to serve up tailored advertisements on web browsers and social media platforms. In addition to Hogan and the business groups, a trade group representing regional newspapers has encouraged lawmakers to nix the digital ad tax. The Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association, to which The Washington Post belongs, argues that local news organizations already in dire economic conditions would be subject to the tax. The Maryland Senate is expected to take up the override vote on Friday. Technology industry groups have long signaled they will consider challenging the constitutionality of the tax if it becomes law. They say it would infringe on both First Amendment rights and the federal laws against taxing Internet companies in a discriminatory way. A 25-year-old man who was allegedly behind the wheel of a car that chased and rammed a stolen vehicle, before losing control and killing 22-year-old Jennifer Board, has been charged with murder. A group of three allegedly followed the Hyundai aggressively through Townsvilles streets on Friday night before hitting it from behind and crossing the median strip to collide head-on with Ms Board, who was on a motorcycle and died at the scene. It comes as the Palaszczuk government is set to announce changes to the youth justice system in the wake of a series of other high-profile incidents involving juveniles in the past two weeks. The Bushland Beach man has been charged with one count of murder and will appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Zimbabwe, which discovered a vast diamond field in Marange about five years ago, is slowly becoming a recognised budding player in the diamond industry. Prior to the discovery of the Marange diamond fields, the country had two known diamond mines. The two are Rio Tintos Murowa Diamond Mine and a privately-owned River Ranch Mine. For years there was a deafening silence regarding the diamond industry in Zimbabwe, until Marange gems dredged up on the scene in 2006 sparking what is commonly known as a diamond rush. Harare dispatched ruthless security personnel in a frantic bid to bring sanity in the diamond area. Civic groups, however, claimed thousands were killed during the clean up exercise, an allegation the Zimbabwean government refuted. Smuggling of diamonds also became rampant; while some overzealous civic groups branded Marange stones, blood diamonds, a move that later saw the Kimberley Process suspending the export of these gems. As Zimbabwe unsuccessfully fought to have its Marange diamonds gain international recognition, it also had to deal with a legal battle against Africa Consolidated Resources (ACR), which acquired claims to the diamond fields after De Beers gave up the area after a long period of exploration. The diamond giant claimed the diamond fields were uneconomic. This claim irked Harare and now strongly thinks De Beers looted its gems throughout the period it was in the country. So, despite a protracted war in the court, Zimbabwe revoked the ACR claims saying it had acquired them fraudulently. Despite ACRs pleas to establish a joint-venture with Harare, it went on to grant mining claims to several firms that are currently digging for diamonds in partnership with the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). After realizing the potential that the diamond fields had, the Zimbabwean government announced that its cabinet had agreed unanimously" to own 100 percent of all diamond mines under the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act. The broad principle that has been set up by government is that the alluvial diamonds belong to the state and they must benefit the people of Zimbabwe, the local media quoted Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment minister Savior Kasukuwere as saying last year. Finance Minister Tendai Biti was also quoted then as saying that Zimbabwe would like to have all alluvial diamond mining conducted by the state. There is consensus in government that there has to be a new Diamond Act that says alluvial diamond mining in Zimbabwe be conducted by and through the state, Biti said in a mid-term budget speech. He said the inclusive government desperately needed revenue from diamonds to revive the countrys ailing economy. Biti said private companies the government had joint ventures with were not sharing the wealth, hence the need to nationalise. Apart from the 100 percent ownership of all alluvial diamonds mines, Zimbabwe said locals would also own a 51 percent share in non-alluvial mines, a move that would affect Murowa Diamonds and River Ranch. This 51 percent ownership policy would not only apply on diamond mines, but would also affect all mining operations in the country, as well as other foreign owned companies, be it in the banking sector or manufacturing. Several miners were, however, resisting the move and had made their own proposals instead. The Chamber of Mines proposed to comply with the 51 percent local ownership laws by selling 26 percent equity stakes and making up the remaining 25 percent with empowerment credits comprising corporate social investment, local procurement and skills development. Kusukuwere claimed the government had rejected this proposal. Mining companies operating in Zimbabwe will not be given the so-called empowerment credits for social initiatives and will not be discussed as most of the proposals submitted so far fall short of governments expectations, he was quoted as saying by local media. The debate rages on. However, Zimbabwe had completely turned a blind eye on events unfolding in Angolas diamond industry. In a massive climb-down, Angola dropped last March, a policy that stated state-owned gem miner Endiama had to own 51 percent of every concession of kimberlite mining. Endiama chairman Antonio Carlos Sumbula said recently that Angola abandoned the policy because it discouraged investments. He said Endiamas shares would rather be negotiated with each company. Saumbula said Angola wanted to bring investors to prospect for new diamonds in the southern African nation. Diamond prices have improved, now we go to the next stage, he was quoted as saying. Were seeking new investors so they can prospect new areas and identify new reserves. He said Endiama had discussed investments with Russias Alrosa, which operates the Catoca diamond mine in Angola, as well as South African and Israeli companies. Zimbabwe might state that De Beers had an equal partnership agreement with the governments of Botswana and Namibia, as a point to justify its stance. However, what should be noted that these agreements do not reflect the countries policies on ownership structures as they were only limited to Namdeb, in the case of Namibia and Debswana in the case of Botswana. There are some diamond firms in these countries that have full ownerships in diamond mining ventures. So, it remains to be seen whether Zimbabwe would come to a realization that investors turn to shy away when stringent entry requirements are set. Angola was indeed a good example on how bad policies can scare away potential investors. Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough&Polished JACKSON, MI -- Its a well-oiled machine. With help from Michigan Army National Guard members, the Jackson County Health Department was able to provide the second dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine to more than 400 health care providers, first responders and people age 65 and older. Were fortunate here in Jackson County that we have this heated garage to do these vaccine clinics out of, Mathew Budd, Jackson County Health Departments director of personal and preventative health, said at the Feb. 5 clinic at a Jackson County Department of Transportation garage. Doing the drive-thru clinic at the open garage adds another layer of safety for the vaccinators, many of whom have already received a vaccine, as well as for the drivers who get to remain inside their vehicles, health officials said. Sgt. Christian Grow, a combat medic with the National Guard, administered doses to several residents. Its a massive effort, Grow said. There is a lot of need for help. I can say that I am glad to be a part of it because anything I can do in the community. not even my own, but anywhere across the state, to get things back to normal is something I am very proud to be a part of. Besides National Guard members, nurses and health department staff were on site to assist with vaccinations. We do have a very large waiting list at this point, and theres definitely a wait to make an appointment, Budd said. Many people experience side effects like soreness, which are common and expected from the second dose, but Jackson County health officials said theyre yet to experience anyone with an adverse reaction at any of the countys clinics so far. MORE JACKSON NEWS: Mini Polar Plunge helps police officers raise money for Special Olympics Former Jackson bible institute being eyed as potential trauma-informed shelter New 24/7 crisis services are alternative to hospitals for mental health needs in Jackson, Hillsdale COVID relief funds may be added to foreclosure prevention fund in Jackson 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. While our government responded strongly to Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, with the external affairs ministry issuing a statement, it hasnt said anything on this downgrade, which more people will read and take seriously than someones tweet. (Representational Photo: PTI) The Economist is a magazine though it refers to itself as a newspaper. It is over 175 years old and sells about 10 lakh copies a week. Its readers are mostly professionals, highly educated and with higher incomes. It is one of the very few magazines in the world, and possibly the only one of its size, which makes more money from subscriptions than it does from advertising. That means that its readers purchase it for its content. One years subscription costs Rs 15,000 in the United States, meaning that each issue is Rs 300. The magazine promotes free market policies of the sort generally associated with conservative, meaning right-leaning, parties. The Economist Intelligence Unit is its research and analysis division. Each year it compiles a Democracy Index, which shows the state of democracy around the world. This month, it gave its results for 2020. It would be instructive to see what it has said about India. We have fallen from a global ranking of 27 in 2015 to 53. This is mainly, the Economist Intelligence Unit says, because democratic norms have been under pressure since 2015, and as a result Indias global ranking slipped from 27th to 53rd as a result of democratic backsliding under the leadership of Narendra Modi. The slippage has not come due to electoral processes and political participation where, as most of us will accept, India continues to do well. The problem is on the side of political culture and civil liberties, where since Narendra Modi took over in 2014 India has declined. In January 2014, in the UPAs last days, the EIU gave India its highest rating of 7.92. This slid to 7.74 in 2015 and then 7.23 in 2017 and then dipped to 6.9 in 2019 and 6.61 in 2020. The EIU classifies India as a flawed democracy. It describes flawed democracies as countries that have free and fair elections and, even if there are problems (such as infringements on media freedom), basic civil liberties are respected. However, there are significant weaknesses in other aspects of democracy, including problems in governance, an underdeveloped political cu-lture and low levels of political participation. In the last few years, India has seen the increasing influence of religion under the Modi premiership, whose policies have fomented anti-Muslim feeling and religious strife, has damaged the political fabric of the country. Remember, this is the magazine the worlds topmost corporate executives and decision makers read. While our government responded strongly to Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, with the external affairs ministry issuing a statement, it hasnt said anything on this downgrade, which more people will read and take seriously than someones tweet. The EIU says that the enactment in December 2019 of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 continued to fuel riots in 2020, with several left dead following clashes in February in the capital city, New Delhi. The act introduces a religious element to the conceptualisation of Indian citizenship, a step that many critics see as undermi-ning the secular basis of the Indian State. The magazine does not deny Modis popularity but says that it comes from the same aspects it finds concerning. It says that he participated in the ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid, and notes the temples construction will further endear Modi to his Hindu nationalist base. Unfortunately for us, this is not a popularity contest. The EIU says: On top of these issues, the authorities handling of the pandemic has also led to a further erosion of civil liberties in 2020. And finally, it notes by contrast, the scores for some of Indias regional neighbours, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan, improved marginally in 2020. For those who think Indias democracy is just fine and there has been no change in the past few years, perhaps it would be instructive to see what has happened on a few issues. The first is the introduction of electoral bonds. This is a mechanism whereby corporates and even foreign entities can donate money anonymously to political parties. Readers may not know that over 90 per cent of the total value of the bonds donated since the scheme began two years ago are bought in Rs1 crore denominations. Meaning its not the common man giving money secretly to parties. Second, that the Modi government has changed the RTI law to make its commissioners dependent on the government for their term and salary. Third, that the Constitution was repeatedly violated through bypassing the Rajya Sabha by illegally calling pieces of legislation money bills. The manner of the passing of the farm laws, where the Rajya Sabha was not even allowed to vote despite it not being a money bill, will tell us where things stand today in democratic India. The Economist also ran a story on India in this weeks edition headlined Indias government is censoring people before they comment. It quotes Idi Amin, late Ugandan dictator, who once declared he respected freedom of speech, but could not guarantee freedom after speech. The magazine says Indias government seems to be taking this concept one step further. Despite running what is often hailed as the worlds biggest democracy, it has gained a taste for curtailing freedom before speech. This is what the world made of issues like the jailing of Siddique Kappan by UP and Munaqar Faruqui by MP. If you were angered, like Sachin Tendulkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Virat Kohli, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar, by six-word tweets from Western celebrities, you should consider what their most respectable and respected voices are also saying. President Joe Biden has proposed sending $1,400 checks to every eligible American, as part of his massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Shark Tank investor and Chairman of OShares ETF, Kevin OLeary, told Yahoo Finance Live thats not the best use of taxpayer money. We're just sending everybody free money from a helicopter, he said. That's not a great idea. Instead, OLeary said the U.S. government should only send checks to the unemployed, and pour more money into ramping up vaccine distribution. I don't know why we're sending checks to people that are already employed, said OLeary. That makes no sense to me. The deal should be this. If you are displaced by the pandemic, we will send you a check, because you're unemployed. OLeary cautions that the U.S. is in danger of putting too much stimulus into the economy and risking horrific, horrific inflation. Hes also not a fan of industry bailouts, including to the beaten up airlines. We have too many airlines in terms of capacity because business spending will be down somewhere between 20% and 25% for years to come, he said. Just give unemployment checks to the employees. They're highly trained. They'll find new jobs in the digital economy. And airlines are very good at going bankrupt... They do it every 10 years. So it's just fine. Stop spending money there. Travelers check in at the American Airlines terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Los Angeles. From Britain's EasyJet to American and Delta in the U.S., airlines are cutting even more jobs to cope with a crushing drop in air travel caused by the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) OLeary recommends a similar approach for the struggling restaurant industry, where 4 million jobs have been lost during the pandemic. I'd like to take care of everybody that works in a restaurant that's unemployed. I do not want to bail out every restaurant owner. I'm sorry, he said. A better way to spend on restaurants would be to spend more money on the logistics of getting the vaccine out. Because I can guarantee you, when people feel safe again, they will go to restaurants. It's an industry that bounces back very, very quickly. OLeary said he currently has restaurants in his portfolio of businesses that are going bankrupt amid the pandemic but that the ones that are going to survive will be the ones that should come back because they're still relevant. Photo by: STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2020 12/17/20 Restaurants in New York City continue to suffer economic hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. Freezing temperatures, a Nor'Easter and outdoor only dining have only made matters worse. Many have been unable to weather the storm and have been forced to close permanently. Some states, including Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts, and New York recently deemed restaurant staff essential workers, bumping them up the list for those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. When you've got tens of millions of people that have no jobs, they're the ones who we should be taking care of, OLeary said.The whole country is waiting to get vaccinated at least the ones that want the vaccine, and we can't do it. And we're sending checks to people that already have jobs in the meantime? It just seems crazy. Alexis Christoforous is an anchor on Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AlexisTVNews. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Find live stock market quotes and the latest business and finance news For tutorials and information on investing and trading stocks, check out Cashay A woman who was abandoned in Hong Kong before being adopted by a British couple has admitted she just wants to find relatives who 'look and sound like her' in 'one of the toughest ever' Long Lost Family searches. Claire Martin, 60, was nearly two-years-old when she arrived at Heathrow Airport from Hong Kong's overcrowded orphanages in December 1960 after being adopted by a couple in Liverpool. But despite the happy adoption, Claire struggled to fit into the predominantly white community, recalling: 'As soon as I went to school it was very obvious that I was different from everybody else.' The mother-of-one was abandoned in a stairwell and with records scarce and no information about her birth family, co-presenter Nicky Campbell admits on tonight's Long Lost Family that Claire's search for her family has been 'one of the toughest'. But Claire refuses to give up, explaining: 'I just have to hope... Even if I can't find my birth parents, I will be happy to find any birth family. I just want to meet somebody who looks like me, sounds like me, thinks like me, laughs like me.' Thanks to DNA testing, Claire eventually discovers distant blood relatives - including a woman she was already friends with Joanna Battershell. Scroll down for video Claire Martin (pictured), 60, was nearly two-years-old when she arrived at Heathrow Airport from Hong Kong's overcrowded orphanages in December 1960 after being adopted by a couple in Liverpool But despite the happy adoption, Claire (pictured after her arrival at Heathrow Airport in 1960) struggled to fit into the predominantly white community, recalling: 'As soon as I went to school it was very obvious that I was different from everybody else.' Claire was nearly two-years-old when she was adopted into Britain from Hong Kong's overcrowded orphanages. Her adoption was arranged through an international scheme, which sent around 100 children to the UK in the 1960s to be adopted by British couples. Looking back she says: 'The only thing that I know absolutely is that I arrived at Heathrow airport on the 20th December 1962. At the airport everyone's going off to their destinations or coming back, but for me it's different, this is the start of my life.' Claire grew up near Liverpool and had a happy adoption but struggled to fit into the predominantly white community. She recalled: 'As soon as I went to school it was very obvious that I was different from everybody else. I remember when I was about six or seven, I prayed to be white but I woke up and I was still Chinese.' At the age of twelve, Claire's adoptive mother died and her need to find out about her birth family intensified. Now married with a daughter of her own, she still craves answers: 'It's a huge void not knowing who you are it's very difficult to survive without roots.' The mother-of-one was abandoned in a stairwell and with records scarce and no information about her birth family, co-presenter Nicky Campbell (pictured) admits on tonight's Long Lost Family that Claire's search for her family has been 'one of the toughest' Co-presenter Nicky admits to Claire that the search for her birth parents has been a difficult one for the Long Lost Family team. He explains: 'This really is one of the toughest searches that has ever come our way. I know that our search team felt that finding anything more about your mother is impossible in the UK and the only way to do it was for you to be out there on the ground in Hong Kong where it all started.' Wanting to stay positive, Claire replies: 'I just have to hope that I find someone who lives there, someone who remembers something. Even if I can't find my birth parents, I will be happy to find any birth family. 'I just want to meet somebody who looks like me, sounds like me, thinks like me, laughs like me. I haven't got anybody like that. And now's the time to do it. If I don't do it now, anybody with any memories 58 years ago will be gone. 'If my mother had me when she's very young, it's possible she's still alive. But it's nearly 60 years ago, so we're asking somebody quite elderly to remember something that unlocks it all.' But Claire (pictured with co-presenter Davina McCall) refuses to give up, explaining: 'I just have to hope... Even if I can't find my birth parents, I will be happy to find any birth family. I just want to meet somebody who looks like me, sounds like me, thinks like me, laughs like me.' She added: 'Obviously I'd like to find my parents but I would be happy to find any birth family because it would give me a sense of belonging, which I haven't had.' With only her birth certificate and no information about her birth family there's a limit to what Claire can uncover from the UK. As such, she's sent to Hong Kong to try and discover more. She makes an emotional visit to the stairwell where she was abandoned, saying: 'I very much get the impression [my birth mother] wanted me to survive because she left me probably the most comfortable place she could find to leave me. 'People often ask me I if can forgive my mother for leaving me, but I think she was in such dire and desperate circumstances she didn't have any choice.' Claire launches an appeal across Hong Kong media in the hope that someone will come forward with information and follows a lead on her birth certificate to Po Leung Kuk, one of the city's orphanages. She meets with an archivist who shows Claire a photo of the matron who signed her birth record but sadly there is no evidence remaining of Claire's time at the orphanage. Eventually, she does get a response to her appeal, with David Chor coming forward and explaining his family worked in the building where Claire was found. Thanks to DNA testing, Claire (pictured during the show at Heathrow Airport) eventually discovers distant blood relatives - including a woman she was already friends with Joanna Battershell David was around ten years old at the time and remembers his mother calling the police. Overjoyed to have found some connection to her past Claire says: 'I can't believe it. I've actually met somebody [who saw] me in 1960. After all the emotion I've been through, at last I've had some good news!' As well as the appeal, Claire takes DNA tests, which are added to several online databases. Unfortunately, her closest matches turn out to be too remote to trace her birth parents. However, there are a number of distant blood relatives, many based in the UK and incredibly one of them, Joanna Battershell, is already a close friend of Claire's. Claire and Joanna met up eight years ago when they discovered they flew into Heathrow on the same flight to be adopted. Speaking about being related, Claire says: 'It's just unbelievable! We've always said we are sisters in spirit. 'It's extraordinary that I went all the way to Hong Kong looking for relatives and, in the end, found them in the UK I feel as though I have got a family now, which I never had before and it's a big family.' Long Lost Family airs at 9pm on ITV tonight Consider the kaleidoscope, that extraordinary toy invented by a Scottish scientist named David Brewster in 1817. As Brewster noted in his patent application, he had developed a device using mirrors and pieces of colored glass inside a tube that, when rotated, creates an infinity of patterns. And why? For the purposes of rational amusement, he explained. Two hundred years later, the kaleidoscope has another use, as well. A metaphorical one. Brewsters ingenious invention with its myriad mirrored reflections reminds us of the endlessly varied reflections of history. Those shifting reflections are not right or wrong, necessarily. They are perspectives reconsidered, reconfigured. In kaleidoscopic terms, they are images of history observed in a new light. In light of all this nation has experienced since last years commemoration, Black History Month 2021 is an especially opportune time to reconfigure, reconsider: Two hundred forty-five years after the nations founding, we elected our first Black vice president, our first woman and our first graduate of a historically Black university, all in the person of Vice President Kamala Harris. Nearly two-and-a-half centuries is a long time waiting. Two hundred thirty-three years after initially being admitted to the Union, Georgia elected its first Black U.S. senator in the person of the Rev. Raphael Warnock, one of a duo who flipped the Senate to Democratic control. Warnock is senior pastor at Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both Martin Luther King, Jr, and his father ministered. Two-and-a-third centuries is a long time waiting. Georgia during the past year lost a native son who personified momentous black history. John Lewis, the Georgia congressman who as a young man worked alongside King in the Civil Rights Movement, died of cancer. Not long before his death, the civil rights icon who, as a young Freedom Rider was beaten within an inch of his life urged demonstrators not only to protest and object but also to repair the nation: Organize. Demonstrate. Sit-in. Stand-up. Vote. Those demonstrators had taken to the streets in cities across the nation in response to the killing of George Floyd, a former Houston resident (Cuney Homes in the Third Ward) who died after being pinned for more than nine minutes under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. Floyds cruel and senseless death not only ignited marches and protests but also forced a painful reconsideration of law enforcement in minority communities. His death and the death of other Black men at the hands of trigger-nervous police officers has forced us to face the importance of a phrase some had considered a mere slogan: Black Lives Matter. Floyds death was not the only outrage that marred the past year. Just a few weeks ago, we witnessed the outrageous invasion of the nations Capitol by insurrectionists, many of them proudly white supremacist. Their mindless rampage resulted in destruction and death. Meanwhile, we suffered through - and continue to suffer through - a pandemic that disproportionately affects Black people and other Americans of color. The kaleidoscope is more than a toy, as designers will testify; Black History Month is more than a rote reminder that Black Americans are integral to the warp and weave of this nations many strands. Black History Month is a moment in time when we emphasize the need for active reflection, reconsideration. Let us amplify, elevate and expand those efforts this year. We urge Houstonians this month to take advantage of libraries, museums and other cultural institutions that have mounted exhibits - primarily online - that contribute to realigning historys reflection. Our schools, colleges and universities can take this time to reflect on the social and cultural cost of ignoring or minimizing the Black American experience, even as they search for approaches that broaden and deepen our understanding of the diverse American experience. (Texans of a certain age will remember teach-ins, broad, action-oriented seminars that grew popular in America during Vietnam.) Lawmakers meeting in Austin this session can re-reflect on a number of the states knottier problems health care, housing and criminal justice among them through a Black History prism. Black History Month is a time to remember those among us who exemplify struggle and perseverance, yesterday and today. being American is more than the pride we inherit, as 22-year-old inaugural poet Amanda Gorman recited for us last month. Its the past we step into and how we repair it. And yet theres more to the story, more to our shared history, than trauma. In the Ted Talk words of Nigerian novelist Chimandi Ngozi Adichie a few years back, theres also liberation, creativity and intersecting identities. In this diverse and richly variegated nation, this kaleidoscopic nation, those sterling qualities of ingenuity and reinvention are just cause for celebration. Ministers have ruled out introducing a new property levy to replace stamp duty and council tax after a study found it could lead to higher bills in the South East. MPs were told last month the idea of introducing a proportional tax based on home values was under review. But last night a Government spokesman said: We have no plans to introduce a new form of annual property tax. The idea of property tax reform was sparked amid the looming end to the stamp duty holiday, due on March 31. The Government says it has 'no plans' to introduce a new form of annual property tax It is being pushed by the Fairer Share campaign, which has been in discussions with Treasury officials about the plan since before Christmas. They said yesterday that if the proportional property tax were levied annually at 0.48 per cent of a home's current value it would raise the same amount across the country as council tax and stamp duty. This would reduce bills in most parts of the country, making households in England around 435 a year better off. In so-called Blue Wall seats - traditionally Labour constituencies in the north taken by the Tories in 2019 - it would save the average householder 660 a year. But a significant minority of households across the country - 24 per cent - would be worse off. Households in London are most likely to see an increase in their annual bills, reflecting the extreme rise in house prices over the past 30 years. Andrew Dixon, chairman of Fairer Share, said: 'The UK already has one of the highest yielding property tax regimes. 'We should not be imposing additional taxes at this challenging time for households. Instead, we should replace stamp duty - a tax imposed on property owners before they have even collected the keys to the front door. 'And we should replace council tax which has led to low-income households paying a tax rate five to ten times higher than those fortunate enough to live in million pound properties. The wrong households are paying the wrong taxes at the wrong time. 'Both of these unpopular taxes should be scrapped and replaced with a proportional property tax. This would be simpler, fairer and would mean more cash in most people's pockets. Crucially, our model also ensures that nobody would have to pay out on day one if they cannot afford to.' Fair Share said there were 78 constituencies where more than 99 per cent of households would benefit from moving to a proportional property tax. Across all the 44 'blue wall' seats, 97 per cent of households would be better off. Every single household would benefit in both the Blackpool South and Bishop Auckland constituencies that the Conservatives won in 2019, with households saving an average 750 per year in the former and 900 a year in the latter. The property tax idea was backed by a number of Tory backbenchers in the north. Kevin Hollinrake, Tory MP for Thirsk and Malton and chair of the Property Research Group, said: 'The time is right to put fairness back at the heart of how we tax property. 'Replacing stamp duty and council tax with a proportional property tax would ensure homes are taxed at their current value. It would also boost transactions throughout the market, creating huge economic output at a time when we most need it.' Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP Shareholder Charles Birenbaum is participating in a series of business-centered workgroups on the future of electric vehicles in California, hosted by the California Chamber of Commerces (CalChamber) Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Birenbaum is chair of the committee for the 2021 session, and has served on the CalChamber Board of Directors since 2017. Designed in conjunction with Governor Gavin Newsoms recent executive order directing the state to require that all new cars and passenger trucks sold within California be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035, the CalChamber virtual workshop series is titled, Getting to 2035: Opportunities and Challenges for Electric Vehicles in California. The workshop series will include the following topics: The State of the Automotive Industry Utilities and Infrastructure The State of the Fueling Industry Small Business and Agricultural Consumers Birenbaum serves as the firms chair of Northern California and co-chair of the firms Labor & Employment Practices Labor-Management Relations group. He is an experienced labor and employment attorney who focuses his practice on traditional labor and employment law matters and has wide-ranging experience litigating in state and federal courts, as well as with various administrative agencies. CalChambers Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is dedicated to implementing chamber policy, such as support for developing and maintaining an efficient, integrated network of roads, transit, rail, ports, and aviation facilities that are highly accessible for all users; support for strong economic growth; and encouragement for a high quality of life. According to its website, CalChamber is the largest broad-based business advocacy group in California, working at the state and federal levels for policies that strengthen Californias business landscape. About Greenberg Traurigs Labor & Employment Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Global Labor & Employment Practice serves clients from offices throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Members of the practice have had numerous trial wins and are frequently called upon to handle complex, bet-the-company, and large high-stake cases, including nationwide class and collective actions. On the labor side, a leading group of lawyers regularly represents management with labor-relations matters. Labor & Employment team members assist clients with complex employment issues, and design practical, proactive strategies that can be readily implemented by todays human resources professionals. In addition, the practice is recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the areas of Labor and Employment Litigation, Labor-Management Relations, ERISA Litigation, Workplace & Employment Counseling, and Trade Secrets Litigation. Visit Greenberg Traurigs Labor & Employment Blog for insights and analysis of the latest labor and employment developments, including legislation, regulations, cases, policies, and trends. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 20:41:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIYUAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang has stressed solid work in benefiting the people and constantly improving their living standards amid continuous development. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour in Yuncheng of north China's Shanxi Province on Sunday. Enditem India and Afghanistan could sign a pact this week for the construction of the Shahtoot dam, which aims to provide safe drinking water to 2 million people in Kabul and supplement irrigation facilities in Afghanistan, two people familiar with the development said. The foreign ministers of the two countries are likely to sign the agreement for the almost $300-million project at a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, one of the people mentioned above said. The virtual meeting could happen on Tuesday or Wednesday, the person said. The dam is expected to be built on the Maidan river tributary of Kabul river. The dam project has been in the works for several years even as Pakistan has expressed concern that it would reduce water flow into the country. When built, the Shahtoot dam is expected to have a storage capacity of 147 million cubic metres of water. It is designed to meet the drinking water requirements of roughly 2 million of Kabuls approximately 6 million residents and irrigate about 400 hectares of agricultural land in Chahar Asiab and Khairabad districts in Kabul province, according to news reports. At the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, foreign minister S. Jaishankar had made it clear that India will construct the dam. He had also announced more than 100 projects worth $80 million that India would undertake in Afghanistan. The projects underscore Indias support to the Afghan government headed by Ghani and its people, besides underlining New Delhis intentions to remain involved in development work despite the possibility of the Taliban returning to Kabul following a power-sharing arrangement. India has been wary of the Taliban, in view of the groups proximity to Pakistan and its military spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Ghanis government is engaged in peace talks with the rebel group after the US struck a deal with the group last February to facilitate the withdrawal of US-led foreign troops after almost two decades. India has completed a large number of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, including the construction of a 218-km road from Delaram to Zaranj along the Iranian border to provide alternative connectivity for Afghanistan through Iran, the Salma dam and the Afghan parliament building, which was inaugurated in 2015. Since 2001, after the US-led war on terrorism ousted the Taliban regime from Kabul, India has pledged and implemented development and reconstruction projects worth more than $3 billion, according to the Indian foreign ministry. So far, India has undertaken 400 plus projects" in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, according to officials. To improve trade and connectivity with Afghanistan, India has been trying to develop the Chabahar port in Iran and also launched an air freight corridor between several Indian and Afghan cities. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. PITTSBURGH, Feb. 8, 2021 - With the aid of sophisticated machine learning, researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine demonstrated that a tool they developed can rapidly predict mortality for patients facing transfer between hospitals in order to access higher-acuity care. This research, published today in PLOS One, could help physicians, patients and their families avoid unnecessary hospital transfers and low-value treatments, while better focusing on the goals of care expressed by patients. Each year, nearly 1.6 million patients--or as much as 3.5% of all inpatient admissions--are transferred from one hospital to another to access specialized care for complex conditions. "However, securing these services often requires burdensome travel and reduced community support for patients and their families. While some may recover from the acute illness, many others realize little benefit in terms of improved outcomes," said Daniel E. Hall, M.D., corresponding author of the study, as well as medical director of high-risk populations and outcomes at the UPMC Wolff Center and associate professor of surgery at Pitt's School of Medicine. To address this gap in the coordination of patient care, which currently relies on the ad hoc judgement of bedside clinicians, Hall and his team developed a real-time tool that can predict mortality outcomes for patients at the time of hospital transfer and deliver these results to physicians in less than five minutes. Using data from nearly 21,000 patients aged 18 and older who were transferred to a UPMC hospital during a 12-month period, the researchers developed and validated a mortality risk-assessment tool dubbed "SafeNET" (Safe Nonelective Emergent Transfers). After studying other mortality risk models currently used in hospital intensive care unit and admission settings, Hall and his team constructed a list of 70 independent variables used in one or more of these models, including patient demographics, vital signs, lab tests and other factors. They then analyzed UPMC billing data and inpatient electronic health records to determine if these variables were recorded by the receiving hospital and focused only on those available within three hours of transfer. That culled the list to 54 of the 70 variables. Using guided machine learning on both training and test sets of the data, the team ultimately developed their SafeNET algorithm composed of 14 variables that reliably and rapidly predict in-hospital, 30-day and 90-day mortality for transferred patients. They also compared SafeNET's predictive ability to another tool used for patients with infection--and found that the SafeNET algorithm was more accurate and could be used in a more general patient population. "Our overarching goal was to provide much-needed information to front-line physicians to trigger and inform shared decisions about the highest risk patients," said Hall. "This tool could help to direct additional resources to these patients to ensure that the plan of care is consistent with the patient's values and goals. Frequently, transferred patients and their families don't understand the severity of the illness they are facing and have unrealistic expectations about the outcomes that a transfer for higher-level care will produce." By piloting the tool in three hospitals within the UPMC system, the researchers built SafeNET as an easily accessible, web-based application. SafeNET guided users to enter as many of the variables as were immediately available and then generated a predicted mortality risk--doing so accurately even when at least one variable was missing, which occurred more than half the time. Hall cautions that further work is needed before widely deploying SafeNET. Since the data were restricted to a single, multi-hospital system, the findings may not generalize to other care settings. And some of the information that feeds the algorithm may be subject to bias. Work is ongoing at UPMC to build care pathways triggered by the SafeNET score that direct needed resources to patients at greatest risk of poor outcomes. For instance, the tool is being used in pilot studies to initiate goal-clarification conferences among clinicians contemplating a transfer between hospitals, and to deliver remote, video-conferenced palliative care services to patients being considered for transfer. "SafeNET is not meant to supersede clinical judgement," Hall noted. "Instead, its intent is to trigger a 'pause' so that clinicians are better prepared to inform and guide patients and families, preferably before a critically ill patient is transferred. We know that patients or their surrogates who participate in conversations with physicians about their values tend to receive care that is consistent with their preferences. SafeNET may be an effective and inexpensive tool for facilitating those important conversations." ### In addition to Hall, other study authors are Stefanie C. Altieri Dunn, Johanna E. Bellon, Andrew Bilderback, Jeffrey D. Borrebach, Jacob C. Hodges, Mary Kay Wisniewski and Tamra E. Minnier, all of the UPMC Wolff Center; Matthew E. Harinstein, M.D., of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, and Joel B. Nelson, M.D., of Pitt and UPMC. Funding and support for this work were provided by UPMC. To read this release online or share it, visit https:/ / www. upmc. com/ media/ news/ 020821-hall-safenet . About UPMC A $21 billion health care provider and insurer, Pittsburgh-based UPMC is inventing new models of patient-centered, cost-effective, accountable care. The largest nongovernmental employer in Pennsylvania, UPMC integrates more than 90,000 employees, 40 hospitals, 700 doctors' offices and outpatient sites, and a 3.9 million-member Insurance Services Division, the largest medical insurer in western Pennsylvania. In the most recent fiscal year, UPMC contributed $1.4 billion in benefits to its communities, including more care to the region's most vulnerable citizens than any other health care institution, and paid more than $800 million in federal, state, and local taxes. Working in close collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC shares its clinical, managerial, and technological skills worldwide through its innovation and commercialization arm, UPMC Enterprises, and through UPMC International. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside among the nation's best hospitals in many specialties and ranks UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh on its Honor Roll of America's Best Children's Hospitals. For more information, go to UPMC.com. About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine As one of the nation's leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1998. In rankings recently released by the National Science Foundation, Pitt ranked fifth among all American universities in total federal science and engineering research and development support. Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region's economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see http://www. medschool. pitt. edu . http://www. upmc. com/ media Contact: Wendy Zellner Office: 412 586 9777 Mobile: 412 973 7266 E-mail: ZellnerWL@upmc.edu Contact: Courtney Caprara Office: 412 647 6190 Mobile: 412 592 8134 Email: CapraraCL@upmc.edu VIBO VALENTIA, FEB 8 - Italian police on Monday arrested three people at the seaside resort town of Tropea near Vibo Valentia in Calabria on suspicion of illegally removing bodies from tombs at the local cemetery to make way for fresh bodies. The three were all cemetery workers. They allegedly extorted money from mourning relatives to get their late loves ones a place in the cemetery, police said. The remains they removed from the graves were either burned or thrown into rubbish bins, police said. The arrestees were named as Francesco Trecate, 62, his son Salvatore (38), who has a record for petty crime, and Roberto Cintartese (53), all from Tropea. "The crimes were carried out with spinechilling conduct and offending the piety of the dead", said Vibo Valentia chief prosecutor Camillo Falvo. "They disposed of the bodies mercilessly and ruthlessly," he said. (ANSA). Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. Washington: Democrats in Congress have callously harnessed the deadly Capitol riot of January 6 for their own political gain, Donald Trumps lawyers argue in a legal brief ahead of the former presidents Senate impeachment trial. In a 78-page brief released on the eve of Trumps second impeachment trial, his lawyers argue that Trump was only speaking figuratively when urging his supporters to fight like hell against the election result and say he should not be held responsible for his supporters actions. Trumps speech to supporters before the Capitol riot will be a focus of his second impeachment trial. Credit:The New York Times They state that the fiery speech Trump gave to supporters just before the assault on the Capitol cannot and could not reasonably be interpreted as a call to immediate violence or a call for a violent overthrown [sic] of the United States government. Trumps impeachment trial, which begins on Wednesday (AEDT), will see the former presidents conduct again dominate debate in Washington less than a month after his departure from the White House. A New York City passenger rail tunnel, widely considered among the most vital U.S. infrastructure projects, was canceled once and revived, only to be stuck in limbo during President Donald Trump's term. The Gateway Program to ease the toughest East Coast train bottleneck has brighter prospects under President Joe Biden, who for decades commuted on Amtrak between Delaware and Washington. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former city mayor, says he wants the project to move forward; Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a Brooklyn native, has said the rail project will likely get more federal funding. Polly Trottenberg, a former New York City transportation commissioner, will serve as Buttigieg's deputy. 1. What would Gateway do? It would double rail capacity between New Jersey and New York's Pennsylvania Station with a new route under the Hudson River and a rehabilitated existing tunnel. It also would add tracks and concourses at Penn, the nation's busiest train station. Funding is in place for another component, the replacement of the Portal Bridge, a swing span over the Hackensack River whose occasional malfunctioning can strand tens of thousands of travelers. 2. Why is it seen as so urgent? Age, salt and traffic. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 flooded the link, called the North River tunnel, with corrosive saltwater, bringing trains to a halt for days. Amtrak calls the tunnel safe but increasingly unreliable because contaminants that seeped into the concrete continue to cause cracks and weaken the power system. First opened in 1910, the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) tunnel consists of two single-track tubes. Each weekday it handles about 450 trains, or 200,000 passenger trips, servicing Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and NJ Transit's commuter lines. 3. How long can the tunnel last? No one knows. In 2014, Joseph Boardman, Amtrak's then-chief executive officer, gave it about 20 years, but officials warn that it could become unusable far sooner. The rehabilitation alone calls for each tube to close for two years, one at a time. That would cut peak service by 75%. The governors of New York and New Jersey say a total tunnel shutdown would lead to a regional economic catastrophe and upend the Northeast Corridor, an area that produces 20% of the nation's gross domestic product. 4. What would fixing this take? About eight years for tunnel construction, then four years to get both existing tubes rehabilitated and in service. The project's estimated cost is $11.6 billion. The Portal Bridge replacement's total is $1.8 billion. 5. Who will pay for Gateway? Amtrak has committed $1.2 billion. A combined $5.5 billion would come from New York, New Jersey and the bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees airports, bridges, tunnels, a subway and ocean ports. Project officials are seeking $5.5 billion in federal funds. 6. Why has this process taken so long? Officials began planning a second tunnel, called Access to the Region's Core, or ARC, in 1995, and scored full funding of $8.7 billion and a 2018 completion date. But it was canceled in 2010 by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie -- a Republican who would run for president in 2016 -- citing poor design and potential cost overruns. He then spent some of the ARC money on road projects that otherwise would have required a gasoline-tax increase. Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, proposed Gateway in 2011. 7. What did Trump do? In 2018, he threatened to shut down the government if a spending bill directed federal funding for the Hudson tunnel. The Trump administration put it near the bottom of a projects list competing for federal mass-transit help. Gateway was ineligible for federal taxpayer money, they said, because New York and New Jersey hadn't pledged enough cash. The International Monetary Fund, in its latest World Economic Outlook, said that Chinawith effective epidemic containment measures, a forceful public investment response, and central bank liquidity support have facilitated a strong recovery. Helger Berger, the IMF's China mission chief and Assistant Director in the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, said in a written interview with People's Daily that China's economic recovery is progressing well and there needs to be more focus on rebalancing in the future. He appreciated a series of measures taken by China to safeguard multilateralism. Photo taken on Nov. 3, 2020 shows the view of the Lujiazui area of Pudong, east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) In terms of growth this year, China's recovery is well on its way, but still lacks balance. The recovery has been helped by a strong containment effort and swift policy actions early on to mitigate the crisis and support the recovery, including ramping up public investment. However, the recovery of private consumption has been lagging, Berger said. The IMF expects China's economy to gain momentum this year as labor market conditions continue to improve and incomes and consumption gather strength. To consolidate growth, China should avoid premature withdrawal of fiscal support, and should phase out special financial support and strengthen regulation once growth is on a firm footing, Berger suggested. China's overall growth performance over the last 40 years has been truly remarkable, said Berger. He spoke highly of the significant progress China has made in financial opening-up. He said that China has made significant progress in the opening up of the financial sector, where reforms have continued despite the crisis, with the government adopting a new foreign investment law and streamlining the negative list for foreign investment, for example. He expressed optimism that China would continue to make progress in this area in the future. "As China continues its reform agenda to rebalance the economy, implementing structural reforms to further open up its markets and increase competition will strengthen the resilience of China's domestic economy and keep it attractive for foreign investment." "China has also been an important contributor to the recovery in global trade. Higher growth in China has also brought higher imports as firms are importing raw material and other inputs and consumers order goods from abroad. This has bolstered demand in China's trading partners and beyond", Berger said. On China's growth prospects, Berger said reforms could be implemented in key areas to improve productivity and ensure high-quality growth. Berger said the impact of the outbreak is global and called on all countries to work together to uphold multilateralism. "On the vaccine front, it is good to see that China is contributing to the very important task of making affordable and effective vaccines available to low-income countries, including through the Covax initiative", he said. On the urgent need to counter the climate crisis, He also said the IMF welcomed China's recent announcement that China will strive for CO2 emissions to peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. "This is an urgent task that the world can only shoulder together". As for China's ongoing digital RMB (or eCNY) efforts, Berger said the IMF is closely following the rollout, adding that the progress China has made is exciting and that "it will be important to learn from the pilots that are underway." He believes that the PBOC's digital currency has the potential to promote financial inclusion and improve payment efficiency, expand the coverage of payment services to unbanked households and lower transaction costs for households and small firms. The eCNY could also help the targeted delivery of fiscal support and improve transparency in public finances. He suggested that it is necessary to closely monitor and assess the risks associated with digital currencies. Haitian President Jovenel Moise announced that police have arrested more than 20 people he accused of trying to kill him and overthrow his government. Among those arrested is a Supreme Court judge who has the support of opposition leaders demanding that Mr Moise step down. Mr Moise spoke at Haitis airport in Port-au-Prince, flanked by the countrys prime minister and the police chief as he prepared to leave for the southern coastal town of Jacmel for the opening ceremony of its yearly carnival, which is being held amid the pandemic. There was an attempt on my life, he said. Mr Moise said the alleged plot began on November 20 but did not provide further details or any evidence except to say among the people arrested is a judge and an inspector general with the police. Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest to demand the resignation of Haitian President Jovenel Moise (Dieu Nallo Chery/AP) Reynold Georges, a lawyer who once worked as a consultant for Mr Moises administration but has since joined the opposition, denounced the arrests in an interview with radio station Zenith FM. We ask for his release immediately, he said of Irvikel Dabresil, the Supreme Court judge who is being detained, adding that the court system should shut down until he is free. Mr Georges also called on people to rise up against Mr Moise. Also arrested was Police General Inspector Antoinette Gauthier, according to a statement from the Young Bar Association of Port-au-Prince, which accused Mr Moises administration of sowing terror and said Sundays actions should not be tolerated. The arrests come on the day that opposition leaders claim Mr Moise should resign, saying that his term ends on Sunday. Mr Moise has repeatedly stated that his five-year term ends in February 2022. A protester sets up a burning barricade (Dieu Nallo Chery/AP) Former president Michel Martellys term ended in 2016, but a chaotic election forced the appointment of a provisional president for one year until Mr Moise was sworn in in 2017. The opposition has organised recent protests demanding that Mr Moise step down, and normally congested streets in Haitis capital and elsewhere remained empty on Sunday as a handful of demonstrators burned tyres. Meanwhile, Mr Moise appears to have the support of the administration of US President Joe Biden. Ned Price, a US State Department spokesman, said on Friday that the US has urged Haiti to organise free and fair elections so that parliament can resume operations, adding that a new elected president should succeed Mr Moise when his terms ends in February 2022. Mr Moise is currently ruling by decree after dissolving a majority of parliament in January 2020 after no legislative elections were held. He is planning an upcoming constitutional referendum in April that critics say could award him more power, while general elections are scheduled for later this year. The family of a 12-year-old boy struck and killed by a Bergen County sheriffs officer two years ago on a multi-lane highway at night has filed a lawsuit against the officer, the county and the department. Christian Tawadros, a student at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Fair Lawn, was trying to cross U.S. 208 with his brother and other children when he was struck by an SUV driven by Officer Michael Sansevere, officials have said. The boy died at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 9 p.m. on April 14, 2019 in the southbound lanes, according to the suit, filed last month in Superior Court of Bergen County. The lawsuit states Sansevere drove the police vehicle in an inattentive, careless, reckless and negligent manner when he struck the child. The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and later released, police said. Sansevere was on routine patrol of Route 208 when the crash occurred in the left lane near an exit ramp, the Bergen County Prosecutors Office said at the time. The lawsuit states the victims brother, who is also a minor, witnessed his brothers pain and suffering and has continued to suffer mental anguish and psychological harm. While the suit accuses Sansevere of recklessness, it also alleges the county and borough were negligent in hiring the officer and in trusting him with the vehicle. The family is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with costs of the suit. Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton said Monday he could not comment on the case because of pending litigation. But Cureton offered his condolences to the boys family through a spokeswoman. The unimaginable loss of a child is one he hopes to never experience nor endure the pain and suffering of the officer involved, the spokeswoman, Keisha J. McLean said in an email. We must use this opportunity to educate our children on traffic safety, to avoid a tragic accident such as this, the sheriff said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. India's COVID-19 contact tracing app Aarogya Setu has been integrated with CoWIN portal where citizens can find vaccine-related information and certificate. According to the government, if the citizen has received at least one dosage, the Aarogya Setu app can provide the vaccination certificate after providing relevant details. The government had earlier announced that it would soon launch the dedicated CoWIN app that will allow citizens to register for COVID-19 vaccine and find other related information. The CoWIN platform is currently restricted to government officials through which they are monitoring the COVID-19 inoculation drive of frontline and healthcare workers. Citizens can find the CoWIN portal on Aarogya Setu via a dedicated section. The portal has three sections namely, Vaccination Information, Vaccination Certificate, and Vaccination Dashboard. As the name suggests, the information portal contains the latest news around COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination drive in India. It also includes videos, debunking myths around the vaccination programme. The certificate section provides COVID certificate to those who have received at least one dosage. Here, citizens are required to provide their beneficiary reference ID that they will (or have) receive after registering on the CoWIN app, once it is available. Notably, the Vaccination Dashboard provides all nation-wide and state-wide stats on COVID-19 inoculation drive in India. As of Monday, over 53 lakh front line workers have received at least one dosage, the data shows. The same statistics are available on the CoWIN website. Recently, the government announced that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for registration on CoWIN portal. Speaking on privacy, the government added that all rules are in line with guidelines stated in the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). The COVID-19 vaccination drive kickstarted in India on January 16. Through the CoWIN app, citizens will be able to view beneficiary coverage programme, beneficiary dropouts, sessions planned/ sessions held, and other vaccine-related information. Need information on COVID19 Vaccination. COWIN details are live on Aarogya Setu. Access Vaccination Information, view COWIN Dashboard and download your Vaccination Certificates if you have recd at least one dose of COVID19 Vaccination.@GoI_MeitY @NITIAayog @NICMeity Aarogya Setu (@SetuAarogya) February 7, 2021 Users must get the latest version of the Aarogya Setu app from Google Play Store or Apple App store to access the CoWIN dashboard on the app. The country further strengthens its role as a guarantor of global food security. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says the country has joined the United Nations' Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which reports to the UN General Assembly through the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "Ukraine is already a guarantor of food security in many countries worldwide thanks to its traditionally strong food exports. Joining the UN Committee on World Food Security provides our country with additional opportunities to influence global food policy. Ukraine further strengthens its role as a guarantor of global food security," the ministry's press service reported Kuleba as saying on February 8. The top diplomat reiterated that in the 2019-2020 marketing year, Ukraine toped the world's ranking of sunflower oil exporters, and became a runner-up in barley supplies, fourth in corn exports, and fifth in wheat shipments. "The important role of our state was especially evident at the start of the pandemic, when global supply chains were disrupted. Ukraine continued to fulfill its obligations and significantly contributed to the food security of its partners in the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, and North Africa," he said. Read alsoFoodstuff output on decline in UkraineKuleba stressed that the role of the guarantor of world food security should in no way affect domestic food balance. Since experts say there is no threat to national food stocks, there is no risk to exports and domestic consumption. Background The UN Committee on World Food Security was established in 1974. Its Secretariat is located at the Food and Agriculture Organization's headquarters in Rome. The Committee discusses food security and nutrition globally, developing relevant guidelines and recommendations for countries in this regard. Reporting by UNIAN A few months back, a friend and I were trying to encourage our colleagues to donate for the relief activities of the India-Pakistan flood of September 2014. Barring few, the general response was Why now? The floods are over. They were not an insensitive group of people. They were just victims of a short attention span that natural disasters typically receive from both the governments and the general public. Our memory is short lived, empathies and sympathies limited to the few days that the media chooses to cover the event. Once that phase is over, we go back to the mayhem of our usual lives till we have another flood that throws us off our usual cacophony and compels us to pause. Therefore it is not surprising that even though the relief and rehabilitation work is still underway in Kashmir and far from complete in the aftermath of the September 2014 floods there is no reporting on this issue. To add to its woes, Kashmir currently finds itself drowning in another deluge. Risk from Floods in India The Fifth Assessment Report of the Inter Government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in February-March 2015 suggests an increasing vulnerability to natural disasters like floods in the coming years. It estimates one million people in the flood risk zone in South and South East Asia due to expected increase in sea level. Further, poor urban planning with blatant infrastructure development without paying heed to its environmental consequences and land encroachment will increase the risks of natural disasters manifold. The consequences of natural disasters on perpetuating poverty, high government expenditure on relief and rehabilitation would be a grave challenge that nations will face. The National Flood Commission of India states that 40 million hectares of land in India is flood prone which makes India one of the highly flood prone nations of the world. Clearly, there is an urgent need for the government to rethink its flood management approach and practices. A three pronged strategy needs to be followed to evolve a disaster management policy. First, there is a need to revise flood policies from a preventive to management approach. Second, a call to build a regional support network body of aid providers and last, but most important, keeping the political will for flood management sustained and alive. Thinking Beyond Embankments India's flood policy history dates back to the National Flood Program launched in 1953. India's key focus on flood prevention and targeted structural controls, especially embankments, has remained unchanged over the years. Experts have highlighted the risks of embankments unless they are of adequate quality and can withstand the peak period of the flood. Embankments also increase the destructive power of the floods causing sudden flash floods. Nonetheless, they do remain an important element of the flood management infrastructure and their constructions need to be well thought and monitored for quality assurances. Additionally, they need to be complemented by non-structural measures like better forecasting techniques and dissemination. There is a need for a holistic approach anchored in micro management of the small water sheds in various flood risk and catchment zones. A Regional Network of Relief Providers The floods in Kashmir and in the North East highlight that we should be sharing knowledge and expertise across geographical boundaries. A joint response may be a good way forward both from the views of effectiveness and for strengthening diplomatic ties with the neighbors. The Indian Prime Minister's extension for flood relief to Pakistan administered Kashmir last year has to be applauded for its diplomatic tact. It is a good step in this direction. There is a need for a more permanent relief action network in the region. A South Asian network of government panels, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and international aid agencies to work towards increasing aid effectiveness for disasters. It should work out a clearly chalked out guideline to help support aid delivery across the region. At present, for every international remittance towards relief, there is a bank processing fee of US$ 200. Such transaction costs can be substantially reduced by harmonising cross transnational regulations for aid. Owing to its dominant status in the region, India should rightfully lead such an initiative. Role of the Media The media also has a crucial role to play here. It can both facilitate and hurt the success of such an initiative. For instance, the attention that the Indian media gave to stories of a section of Kashmiris and their attitude to the armys role in flood relief was irresponsible. It posed dangers of fuelling conflict in the disaster torn region. In India, floods are often seen from the lens of being the wrath of gods and beyond man's control to manage. The media often gives space to these archaic views and reinforces prejudices. For a regional network to address floods to flourish; there is a need to disassociate flood from religion and associate it closely to climate change. Only then can we have a common understanding of vulnerability across nations with diverse contexts. The media clearly has a crucial role to play here. Conclusion None of this would work unless there is sustained political interest towards managing our responses to disasters better. The Uttarakhand floods in June 2013 and the successive Jammu and Kashmir floods have been perhaps the worst disasters of our times. They should be seen as an eye opener to look beyond our standard knee jerk responses that have yielded only marginal benefits. The ad hoc responses of setting up commissions with large mandates and little authorities and one-off relief packages need to be done away with. These should be replaced by a more long term focus on strengthening of the institutional mechanism and improvement in forecasting and information disseminating systems. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced that Tomas Blas has been promoted to head of Property, Spain. Blas, who has 17 years of industry experience, joined BHSI in 2019 as head of Technical Lines in Spain. In his new role, he will be responsible for BHSIs entire property lines portfolio in Spain, which includes corporate business property insurance for all industries and technical insurance solutions focused on construction, power, energy and engineering risks. Prior to joining BHSI, Blas was regional head of Engineering Lines, Mediterranean Region, at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), and head of Engineering Lines for Spain & Portugal and Global Practice Group Leader of Utilities, Services, IT & Communications, at AGCS. He holds a degree in industrial engineering from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha and an executive masters degree in business administration from the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. Blas is based in BHSIs office in Madrid and can be reached at Tomas.Blas@bhspecialty.com or +34 914 141 694 Source: Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) Topics Excess Surplus Property Berkshire Hathaway People hold National League for Democracy party colours on their balcony as they protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: Reuters Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Myanmar yesterday to rally against the military coup, marking the biggest protests in the country since the Saffron Revolution 15 years ago. An internet shutdown by authorities failed to deter demonstrators from gathering to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The peaceful protests were the boldest demonstrations in Myanmar since 2007, when thousands of monks rose up against the military regime, helping to usher in democratic reforms. Up to 100,000 people are believed to have taken part in the protests then. Some estimates put yesterdays protests at a similar size. The protesters sported red shirts, red flags and red balloons, the colour of Ms Suu Kyis National League for Democracy Party. We dont want military dictatorship! We want democracy! they chanted. Protesters gestured with the three-finger salute that has become a symbol of protest against the coup. Drivers honked their horns and passengers held up photos of Ms Suu Kyi. Activists said this weekend they would not back down even if the junta resorted to violence. It comes after the army overthrew Ms Suu Kyis government last Monday, abruptly halting the countrys transition to democracy. Successive military juntas ruled Myanmar from 1962 until 2011, when a quasi-civilian government began opening up the country and its economy. Ms Suu Kyi came to power after free elections in 2015, and although her reputation has been tarnished internationally by a brutal campaign against the countrys Rohingya Muslim minority, she remains hugely popular domestically. Read More On Saturday, the authorities blocked internet access for 24 hours but that did not stop students, doctors, nurses and others from marching in the countrys largest city, Yangon, and elsewhere. We will protest until Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is released and her government is back in power, said Zin Mar, a businesswoman. They may shoot us, like in 1988, she added, referring to pro-democracy protests in which soldiers killed an estimated 3,000 people. But I dont care, the protesters must win. Yesterday, armed police with riot shields stood in lines as protesters faced them, chanting: Its our duty to get the military junta to step down. So far, the rallies have remained peaceful, although local media reported police had fired warning shots in a bid to disperse a group in the south-eastern city of Myawaddy. The reports added 14 people were arrested but later freed after a crowd gathered in front of the Myawaddy police station to demand their release. Protesters yesterday raised the possibility of a general strike, which would add to the challenges facing Myanmars economy, alongside the Covid-19 pandemic and the risk the West might raise sanctions in response to the coup. We will go on strike until the elected government is back in power, vowed Thiha Soe, a 23-year-old engineering student. We need to go on until the end. If we fail, our lives will be dead under the junta, he said. Medical staff in government hospitals and university teachers across the country have already gone on strike in a civil disobedience campaign. Nyi Lin Soe (42), a protester, said he expected people to be hurt in the coming days. I think the junta will crack down on us as the crowds are bigger day by day. Khin Zaw Win, director of the Tampadipa Institute think tank in Yangon, said the military regime had cemented its grip on power forming a new cabinet, detaining most of Ms Suu Kyis government and bringing charges against her and President Win Myint. I would say the military regime is back and is here to stay for at least a year maybe more, said Mr Khin. Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the people yesterday and asked Myanmars leaders to seek democratic harmony. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) Celebrating Valentines Week, we are listing down the best romantic films from regional cinema every day. Romance is probably the most common genre of filmmaking, but making a good romantic film that stands the test of time is not an easy task. Telugu films are known for their dramatic plotlines and peppy music. The films weve picked are some of the most commercially successful ones that have made stars out of actors like Allu Arjun, Naga Chaitanya and Vijay Deverakonda. Manmadhudu (2002) Manmadhudu is the perfect romantic entertainer to start off your Telugu film watchlist this week. Nagarjuna Akkineni plays a manager in an ad agency who despises women after feeling cheated in a past relationship. Sonali Bendre plays an employee at his company, who find out about his tragic past and the two eventually fall in love. But there are multiple hurdles before they can unite. Nagarjunas brilliant performance makes the film completely enjoyable. The music by Devi Sri Prasad is appealing and the locations beautiful. Manmadhudu is considered one of the most romantic Telugu movies of all time. Arya (2004) Allu Arjun turned on his charms as the lover boy early on in his career. Arya is his second film and is regarded as one of the most remarkable romantic entertainers of Telugu cinema. Playing the title role, the stylish star wowed the audiences all over the world with this film directed by Sukumar. An outgoing and free-spirited college boy Arya falls in love for the first time with another student Geetha, who is already dating Ajay. The love triangle intensifies as more drama ensues, until the lead pair realizes they were destined to be together. Another film with music by Devi Sri Prasad, Aarya has been reviewed as a cocktail of fun and more fun which has it all - romance, eternal love, mush, flowers, embraces, sunsets and sacrifices. Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005) Starring Siddharth and Trisha, the film marks the directorial debut of Prabhu Deva. The story loosely follows the plot of 1989 Hindi film Maine Pyar Kiya, where an affluent boy travels to the village of his girlfriend against their parent's wishes to prove his love. The film's title was inspired by the song of the same name from Varsham (2004), sung by KS Chithra. The film is one of the popular romantic titles Siddharth shot to fame with. His portrayal of Santosh and his romance with Trisha helped the film become a blockbuster. Siddharth was awarded Filmfare Award South for his performance. The film was remade in nine other languages - the highest for any Indian film. Ye Maaya Chesave (2010) Ye Maaya Chesave is one magical project that stemmed from the concept of a Tamil movie that Gautham Menon was making. The film was shot along with the Tamil version Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa with a different cast and climax. Stars of both the Tamil and Telugu films appear in each others movies. In the Telugu version, Naga Chaitanya stood out with his performance as a mechanical engineering graduate Karthik who aspires to become a film director. He became a renowned face just by his second film. This ones an all-time favourite among Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Akkineni fans. AR Rahmans music, the lead couples chemistry made this a memorable romantic drama in Telugu cinema. Arjun Reddy (2017) The film launched Vijay Deverakondas career nationally, portraying him as the ultimate tragic romantic hero. Starting with college romance, it shows the progression in the love life of two individuals who cannot unite, initially because of caste differences, and ultimately because of misunderstandings and ego. The film is a modern take on the Devdas theme, of how a mans life falls to ruin when he is separated from the woman he loves. Despite its problematic issues, Arjun Reddy remains one of the most popular Telugu films of recent times, the success of which was replicate in Hindi as well. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The Delhi High Court has stayed the Single Judge Bench order directing Status Quo of Future Retail Limited (FRL) -Reliance Deal. As per the order issued by the court, Amazon had no reason to seek a status quo order, when it wasnt interested in the deal. According to CNBC-TV18, statutory bodies such as the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) and Competition Committee of India (CCI) were not present before the Delhi High Court. However, the Delhi High Court could not have restrained statutory authorities such as SEBI. "The Honble (Honourable) Court also observed that statutory authorities cannot be restrained in private litigation from acting in accordance with the law," Future Retail said in a stock exchange filing. The court, in its order, has also noted that the directions passed are only prima facie, will not come in the way of orders to be passed by the single judge bench. "We are not inclined to deal with issues raised, as the single judge bench order is yet to be pronounced," it said, as per reports. On February 2, Future Group rejected the Delhi High Court's proposal to enter into talks with e-commerce giant Amazon for amicable resolution with the latter in a Rs 24,713-crore deal with Reliance Industries (RIL). The Delhi High Court had proposed the appointment of a two-judge panel to help Amazon and Future Group negotiate a settlement. Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. An elderly man had his coronavirus vaccine appointment canceled due to a small medical debt. Michael Rogan, 72, was set to receive his first dose of the vaccine last week at the Boulder Medical Center, Colorado, after weeks of trying to schedule an appointment. The Longmont man said his relief quickly turned to disappointment after he received a phone call from the center, cancelling the appointment because they found he had a $243.85 outstanding bill. The COVID vaccines are supposed to be free for all after the government agreed to pick up the tab, investing more than $10billion, to tackle the pandemic. Medical providers are not allowed to charge a copay, out of pocket expenses, surprise billing or balance billing to patients, whether they have insurance or not. 'I never expected to have to pay up and be square before I could get the vaccine,' Rogan told 9NEWS. Scroll down for video Michael Rogan, 72, had his vaccine appointment canceled over unpaid medical debt His partner, Liz Kitzerow, called out the Boulder Medical Center for being 'totally unethical' He said he had been unable to pay the outstanding debt because he and his partner are not currently working. It wasn't disclosed what the bill was for, but Rogan is a cancer patient. Rogan had also received an email from Boulder Medical Center, informing him he couldn't make any other vaccine appointments until the debt was paid. After the issues with the Boulder Medical Center, Rogan did ultimately get the vaccine 'I thought it was totally unethical,' said Liz Kitzerow, Rogan's partner. 'It was my understanding that everything was free, and nothing standing in the way for Americans to get this vaccine.' 'As it stands, there should be no copay, no out-of-pocket that anybody faces to receive the vaccine,' said Adam Fox, Deputy Director of Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Pictured: The Boulder Medical Center, where Rogan was set to receive his first vaccine An email 9NEWS obtained shows the Boulder Medical Center saying the bill needs to be 'paid before you can schedule a vaccine appointment' Rogan (right) eventually received an apology and an appointment for Friday After 9NEWS contacted the health center on Thursday, the CEO called Rogan to apologize and help schedule an appointment for the following day. Rogan has now received his first vaccine dose. Medical centers and hospitals may choose to charge fees related to administration and facility use when giving patients the vaccine. While Rogan's situation is unique, vaccine appointment cancellations are not. Nationwide, vaccine appointments have been canceled, primarily due to either a shortage in supply or because of the winter weather that has gripped much of the country in recent days and weeks. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports there have been 405,289 cases of COVID-19 in the state. The United States recently surpassed 27 million total coronavirus cases and 463,000 deaths Of those cases, 5,454 people have died of the virus in Colorado, which has seen an 0.03 percent decrease in the 7-day positivity rate. Vaccine rollout in Colorado is well underway to fight against the coronavirus scourge. Colorado is currently in its 1A and 1B phase of their vaccine administration plan. So far, 539,590 people have received just the first dose of the vaccine, while 207,562 people have received both of their vaccine doses. The vaccine numbers come as the White House continues to boost their nationwide vaccine plan, with hopes of administering 100 million shots in 100 days. The United States has surpassed 27 million coronavirus infections and 463,000 deaths from COVID-19. There is a 'very credible case' that China's treatment of Muslim Uighurs amounts to the crime of genocide, a formal legal opinion has concluded. A group of leading lawyers in the UK made the statement after reviewing evidence of a series of state-mandated conduct against the ethnic minorities, including measures to prevent births within the Uighur community. They also cited the 'intentional infliction' of serious harms to Uighurs in detention and forcible transfer of Uighur children to carers outside their communities. Rights groups have estimated that more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people have been rounded up in camps in the far-flung province of Xinjiang. The picture purports to show detainee in a Xinjiang 're-education camp' located in Lop County A legal opinion from a group of leading British lawyers concluded that China is committing crimes against humanity and genocide against Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang Province. The photo, taken in Xinjiang's Hotan in 2017, shows a screen featuring news about President Xi The letter also asserted that Beijing is committing crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China (XUAR). It claimed that the crime is carried out through enslavement, imprisonment, torture, rape, enforced sterilisation, among others, citing 'sufficient evidence'. In particular, the assessment held Chinese President Xi Jinping personally responsible for these crimes against humanity and genocide. Social media footage purports to show Uighur Muslim prisoners being transferred in China In particular, the assessment held Chinese President Xi Jinping personally responsible for these crimes against humanity and genocide. The photo shows Xi addressing the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in Beijing on January 22 'Xi Jinping controls the overall direction of State policy, and has made a range of speeches exhorting the punitive treatment of Uyghurs,' read one piece of evidence quoted in the letter. Two other top Chinese officials named were Chen Quanguo, Party Secretary of XUAR since 2016, and Zhu Hailun, Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Committee from 2016 to 2019. 'The evidence reviewed above suggests the close involvement of Xi Jinping, Chen Quanguo and Zhu Hailun in initiating and implementing a range of measures which, taken together, target Uyghurs with a severity and to the extent that one could infer an intent to destroy the group as such,' the letter wrote. Beijing insists that the steps it has taken are necessary to combat terrorism and a separatist movement. This file photo taken on June 2, 2019, shows a facility believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, in Artux, north of China's Kashgar Former detainees claimed that Muslims were forced to eat pork and speak Mandarin in those internment camps. This file picture taken on June 26, 2017, shows a policeman standing guard as local Muslims arrive for the Eid al-Fitr morning prayer at the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar A legal opinion, also known as an opinion letter, is a written statement from a respected Queen's Counsel QC - a British lawyer of high rank - who gives a professional judgement by assessing the evidence and the law. It is not a substitute for legal advice. The judgement on Xinjiang was made by lawyers at Essex Court Chambers in London, led by Alison McDonald QC. The news comes amid strained political ties between Britain and China after the UK's efforts to address allegations of human rights abuses against the Uighur minority in Xinjiang and widen residency rights for Hong Kongers. China now acknowledges that it has opened 'vocational education centres' in Xinjiang, but denies any abuses. State media footage (above) shows Muslim trainees working in a garment factory at the Hotan Vocational Education and Training Center in Hotan on January 9, 2019 It also comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he agrees with Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State under Trump, that Beijing is carrying out genocide in the western region of Xinjiang. Rights groups have estimated that more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people have been rounded up in camps in the far-flung Chinese region. Former detainees claimed that Muslims were forced to eat pork and speak Mandarin in those internment camps. Other evidence suggested that some detainees were turned into forced labour under coercive state-run employment programmes. After initially denying their existence, China now acknowledges that it has opened 'vocational education centres' in Xinjiang, but denies any abuses. Beijing insists that the steps it has taken are necessary to combat terrorism and a separatist movement. Officials have lambasted Pompeo's declaration and accused him of trying to undermine Beijing's relations with President Joe Biden. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga East in the Upper East Region, Dr Dominic Ayine, has explained that he was part of those who advised Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, NDC MP for Asawase in the Ashanti Region to apologise to the judiciary over the latters bribery allegation. Alhaji Muntaka alleged on January 7, 2021 a Supreme Court Judge was persuading a female MP from the NDC Caucus in Parliament to vote for Professor Mike Oquaye during the election of the Speaker for the 8th Parliament. However, after Alhaji Muntaka had published an apology, Dr Ayine stated that even though he knew what actually happened, he advised his colleague to retract the allegation and apologise in order to keep the democratic dispensation growing. Our democracy is still fragile, we need to as much as possible ensure it grows very well, sometimes, when these issues happen, you have institutions locking horns or personalities in institutions locking horns, Dr Ayine, former deputy Attorney-General postulated. Suggesting that all was not well between the legislature and the judiciary, he pointed out that if my colleague had not heeded my advice, several activities that would have led to proving such claim will rupture the cordial relationship between the two arms of government. Giving a typical scenario, Dr Ayine noted that the judiciary drives an MP to a committee hearing or contempt proceedings, remember we are two coequal branches of government and the judiciary wouldnt have been able to say Parliament should not make an enquiry into the allegation. If we were making an enquiry into this and it is public enquiry, youll find out the two arms of government are at loggerheads and fighting each other so Alhaji Muntaka should have investigated before making the claim public, he said. Alhaji Muntaka on February 6, in a press release retracted an allegation a Supreme Court Justice tried to bribe an NDC MP-elect to influence her in election of a Speaker of Parliament. In his statement, he apologised for any harm done to the image and reputation of Justices of the Supreme Court and members of the Judiciary and indicated that existing historic cordial relations between the legislature and the judiciary would not be affected by the allegation but continue to grow in the interest of the country. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A photo of just a few people on an almost-deserted beach could be misleading. (Courtesy of Aleksandr/Dreamstime.com) Beware of Travel Ads That Seem Too Good to Be True The advertisement for a Caribbean hotel touts ocean view, and there isfor guests who climb to a rooftop terrace and peer far into the distance. A restaurant website is replete with rave reviews that give no hint they were written by people who were paid for their positive ratings. The photograph shows people enjoying a nearly deserted beach that, in reality, is usually is packed with other sunbathers. When it comes to making travel plans, whether youre picking a destination, place to stay or eat, or handling other arrangements, its wise to keep in mind that tried-and-true adage, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While the majority of travel-related ads and reviews are legitimate, a surprising number arent. Research by the University of Illinois and BestSEOCompanies.com, a firm that helps businesses select the best search engine optimization vendors, suggests that as many as 20 percent to 40 percent of online reviews are fake. In fact, theres an entire mini-industry consisting of so-called review farms that willfor payfurnish positive write-ups and recommendations for companies, including some in the travel field. Travel reviews with all five stars might mean a great hotel or restaurantor a paid review. (Courtesy of Andrew Kosui/Dreamstime.com) A Google search makes clear how prevalent this practice is. Among sources that pop up are How to Buy Reviews, Buy Positive Reviews Online, and Buy Bulk Reviews. This is important to know because many people depend upon reviews and advertisements in making travel, restaurant, and other decisions. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of people always or almost always look at online reviews, and more than 80 percent do so at least sometimes. One aspect of those evaluations is star ratings, which many people use as a guide in selecting hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that they assume have been given high grades by customers. While thats true in most cases, its also true that some high-star ratings might be bogus. Experts note that the more reviewers who have provided stars, the less likely it is that they have been manipulated. Myles Anderson, founder of the business marketing firm BrightLocal, says the more the merrier when it comes to the number of stars given to a business. He explains that it is harder and more costly to influence a rating when theres a relatively large number of critics. Written reviews can be even more importantand impactfulbecause they have the added influence of advice from people who have stayed at a hotel, dined at a restaurant, sailed on a cruise ship, or visited a destination. Or have they? Here are a few things to look out for. Does the review use specific words? Many fake write-ups employ general words rather than specific descriptions. That can be a warning sign that theyre generic evaluations that were submitted by paid writers. Is there a number of very short reviews? People who take the time to send an evaluation following a meal they actually ate or a trip they took usually wish to express themselves more fully. Are there only highly praiseworthy postings? As Saoud Khalifah of Fakespot.com points out, We all know nothing is ever picture perfect. His company provides information useful in evaluating the reliability of online reviews on websites, including TripAdvisor.com and Yelp.com. When it comes to spotting false or downright fake reviews that can trick travelers, the good news is that help is on the way. There are steps you can take to figure out whats real and whats not that can reduce the likelihood that you may be duped. Use reputable sources of information. Heres the advice of Andy Beal, CEO of Reputation Refinery, a reputation consulting company: Focus on finding reviews from travel-related websites that you already trust will show authentic reviews and weed out as many fake reviews as possible. From there, focus on reading the three- and four-star reviews, as they will often point to the positives and negatives and are less likely to be a paid review. Travelers looking for helpful reviews should go to reputable sources. (Courtesy of JesadaWongsa/Dreamstime.com) Diversify your search. Even if you have had a good experience using one travel website, check out others. The results might verify the information and opinions you already have, but its possible you may get some helpful details or opinions that will be useful. Delve into the details. A restaurant may get a number of positive ratings because it serves good food, and a hotel might be praised for its comfortable rooms. However, there could be other factors that can detract from an otherwise pleasant experience. Do some restaurant diners refer to less-than-stellar service? Are public areas of a hotel run-down and in need of refurbishment? Does it sound too good to be true? Most things in the real world are a mixture of good and not so goodor even bad. If a review is full of over-the-top praise, that could be a tipoff that its not real. Phrases such as the best ever or absolutely fantastic could have been written by someone who stayed at a hotel or dined at a restaurant. However, they also might be examples of the buyer beware syndrome that should prompt you to be a fully informed traveler and consumer. When You Go Refer to these tips when planning your next trip and check out the promises made in brochures and on websites before booking. Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Copyright 2021 Creators.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 06:30:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) Shultz is one of only two Americans to have held four different federal cabinet-level positions. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- George Shultz, who severed as U.S. secretary of state in the Ronald Reagan administration, died Saturday at the age of 100. His death was announced on Sunday by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where Shultz had worked for more than three decades. "Our colleague was a great American statesman and a true patriot in every sense of the word. He will be remembered in history as a man who made the world a better place," Condoleezza Rice, a former secretary of state and current director of the Hoover Institution, said in a statement issued by the Hoover Institution. Shultz is one of only two Americans to have held four different federal cabinet-level positions. U.S. Secretary of State George Pratt Shultz talks with friends at the "21st Century Forum" in Beijing, China, Sept. 4, 1996. (Xinhua/Liu Jianguo) He served as secretary of labor, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and secretary of the treasury in the Richard Nixon administration. He was secretary of state in the Reagan era from 1982 to 1989. Analysts noted that Shultz, a firm believer in diplomacy, helped steer the Cold War to a peaceful end. He played a crucial role in negotiating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between Washington and Moscow, which leaders of both sides signed in 1987. Citing Russian violations, the Donald Trump administration formally withdrew from the treaty in August 2019. Born in New York City in December 1920, Shultz graduated from Princeton University before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. He later earned a Ph.D. in industrial economics in 1949 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) and Roche Products Saudi Arabia (RPSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a new partnership that will see the two entities collaborate on initiatives to develop the kingdoms healthcare and life sciences sector. Under the MoU, RPSA will work together with MISA to enable the industrys growth potential by facilitating investment opportunities and capacity building of local talent; developing policy and regulation; and enhancing healthcare delivery in the kingdom through establishing public-private partnerships with organizations across the life sciences ecosystem. The MoU was signed at MISA headquarters in Riyadh by representatives from MISA and RPSA in the presence of Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Investment for Saudi Arabia. During the ceremony, MISA and RPSA shed light on the strategic objectives behind the new partnership and discussed how the MOU will target Saudi Arabias biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing, research and development, clinical care and diagnostics offerings. A variety of projects are already under way as part of RPSA and MISAs new collaboration, including a policy alliance to enhance the personalised healthcare and clinical trials landscapes in the kingdom and unlock their investment potential. RPSA also plans to operate a range of educational initiatives under the MOU, including a graduate program and on-site professional training at their facilities across the country. Al Falih said: Saudi Arabias nascent biotechnology and life science industries will play a central role in driving our post-pandemic economic recovery. The Ministry of Investment is enabling these critical sectors of tomorrow through launching regulation that is designed to attract investment which harnesses and develops their untapped growth potential. The past 12 months have shown us that Saudi Arabia has one of the G20s most resilient economies we recorded a 12% increase in FDI in the first half of 2020 despite a challenging economic backdrop. We look forward to collaborating closely with RPSA as part of this new strategic partnership to harness their world-leading expertise, develop the long-term capacity of our national healthcare landscape, and enable Saudi Arabias continued economic transformation through Vision 2030. A multinational biotechnology and pharmaceutical giant headquartered in Switzerland, RPSA has been active in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years and became a fully operational legal entity in 2018 with the support of the Ministry of Investment. The company has already contributed significantly to developing Saudi Arabias life sciences capacity and recently established a multi-industry consortium with other private sector healthcare providers to optimize sector innovation and enhance patient experiences. Dr Abdulrahman Sabra, General Manager of Roche Products Saudi Arabia, said: Today we celebrate our partnership with MISA, a valuable alliance that will enable us to continue in our journey to serve patients across the kingdom. As a multinational pharmaceutical company, our innovation, cutting-edge technologies and personalized approach to healthcare are the cornerstones that support us on our mission. We acknowledge the importance of having public-private partnerships, and we believe that this will be an integral part in collaborating with the authorities towards their commitment to enhance the healthcare ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and in the realisation of the kingdoms Vision 2030. Prioritised for development as a strategic industry of the future in line with Vision 2030, healthcare and life science disciplines, such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, are set to benefit from a range of pro-business incentives being introduced across Saudi Arabias investment environment in the near future, such as Special Economic Zones. The latest regulations will build on previous incentives, which include 100% foreign ownership for healthcare companies, to help unlock opportunities and attract investment that enables infrastructural development and capacity building across the kingdoms nascent life sciences industry. - TradeArabia News Service The owners of the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar and Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have been urged to reach a settlement over the rate fixed for the purchase of the historic buildings. However, the owner has refused to sell it at a rate fixed by the government. While citing the reason for denying the offer by the government, the owner of Dilip Kumar's house said that he would demand Rs 25 crore for the prime location property which is severely undervalued by the authorities. Dilip Kumar's house in Pakistan Haji Lal Muhammad, the owner of actor Dilip Kumar's ancestral house in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that he had purchased the property in 2005 for Rs 51 lakh after completing all formalities required for the transfer of the land and possesses all the documents of the house. He further added that it is unjust on part of the government to fix the rate at Rs 80.56 lakh for the property after 16 years. Muhammad explained that the four Marla property is very expensive in Mohallah Khudadad Qissa Khwani Bazar, where the rate of one Marla land is above Rs 5 crore. READ | Raj Kapoor's Ancestral Home In Pakistan Severely Undervalued By Govt, Says Current Owner In January 2021, the provincial government approved the release of Rs 2.35 crore to purchase the ancestral houses of the two legendary actors, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, located in the heart of this city. The price of Dilip Kumars four marla (101 square metres) house has been fixed for Rs 80.56 lakh. Meanwhile, the prize offered for Raj Kapoors six marla house (151.75 square metres) was Rs 1.50 crore. READ | 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili' Cast: Actors That Were A Part Of This Iconic 1985 Romantic Movie Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Last month, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister's special assistant on information Kamran Bangash said that he is hopeful that the provincial government would reach an amicable settlement with the owners of both the buildings for their purchase to convert them into archaeological museums. The owners of the two buildings have made several attempts in the past to demolish them for constructing commercial plazas in view of their prime location. However, all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve them, keeping in view their historic importance. The buildings have been declared the national heritages by the provincial government. READ | Sivakarthikeyan Announces 'Doctor' Release Date And Reveals New Poster On Instagram, See READ | Unseen Pic Of The Day: Madhubala's Old Photo With Her Sister Chanchal Is Truly Unmissable (With Inputs from PTI) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. OTTAWA, Canada, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Versature, a leading provider of unified cloud communications solutions to businesses across Canada, today announced that it has rebranded its business as net2phone Canada . The fast-growing Canadian subsidiary of net2phone will continue to provide Canadian firms with innovative cloud communications solutions and outstanding service. "Our new name aligns perfectly with our mission," said Jonathon Moody, President and COO of net2phone Canada. "We are focused exclusively on providing our Canadian clients with powerful communications and collaborations solutions while leveraging net2phone's global infrastructure and technology development platforms." net2phone Canada offers businesses across Canada an easy transformation to untethered, unified communications across devices and channels. By leveraging the power of the cloud, net2phone enables intelligent conversations with customers, suppliers, collaborators and employees wherever they are located and using whatever device they prefer. "We invite companies across the country to kickstart their transformation with net2phone Canada's unified communications platform," added Moody. "It's highly intuitive to use and easy to manage, so that the adoption process goes very smoothly and the benefits are readily apparent to employees and customers." "The biggest challenge we faced in the shift to work from home was delivering that personal touch you just can't get over email," said Michael Parwicki, CEO of MYCOR Insurance Solutions, a net2phone Canada customer. "So, we decided to ditch our old phones for a new virtual system that wouldn't hold us back. In no time, net2phone Canada had us safely up-and-running with everything we needed for our laptops and mobile phones, enabling our teams to seamlessly transition to untethered communications." Why Choose net2phone Canada? Complete Communication Toolkit: Take advantage of international calling to over 40 countries, create a custom experience using the SONAR Client Portal, effortlessly share conference lines with a click, dive deep into insights and analytics to improve decision-making and optimize team performance, or jump into Huddlethe all-new video-conferencing tool for up to 50 people. Take advantage of international calling to over 40 countries, create a custom experience using the SONAR Client Portal, effortlessly share conference lines with a click, dive deep into insights and analytics to improve decision-making and optimize team performance, or jump into Huddlethe all-new video-conferencing tool for up to 50 people. Enterprise-Level Integrations: More than just a dial tone! Discover a growing collection of off-the-shelf integrations for industry-leading cloud-based systems, tools, and technologies designed to improve efficiency and optimize workflows across the organizationor use net2phone's open API to develop custom-built solutions. More than just a dial tone! Discover a growing collection of off-the-shelf integrations for industry-leading cloud-based systems, tools, and technologies designed to improve efficiency and optimize workflows across the organizationor use net2phone's open API to develop custom-built solutions. Data Safety and Security: The privacy and safeguarding of critical business data has never been more important. Remain compliant with security standards, industry-specific laws and global regulations by taking advantage of secure hardware provisioning, geographically redundant data centers and call encryption technology. The privacy and safeguarding of critical business data has never been more important. Remain compliant with security standards, industry-specific laws and global regulations by taking advantage of secure hardware provisioning, geographically redundant data centers and call encryption technology. Get the Latest Hardware: Never compromise on connection quality with access to top-of-the-line communications hardware from trusted brands including desktop phones, conference units, headsets, cordless devices, and indoor paging and telecom systems. Start your digital transformation with net2phone Canada Today! Connect with a product expert to discover why net2phone is the digital communications platform that is changing the way Canadian businesses communicate. Contact net2phone Canada today for a free, personalized walkthrough of the SONAR Client Portal at https://net2phone.ca/demo . To learn more about all of net2phone Canada's products and features, visit https://net2phone.ca/product-features . For pricing details, visit https://net2phone.ca/plans-pricing. About net2phone Canada net2phone Canada is a cloud-based business phone service provider, helping Canadian organizations drive business performance through powerful UCaaS tools. Founded in 2003, net2phone Canada has a growing network of dedicated professionals, both in-house and through its Channel Partner Program, working together to deliver a uniquely reliable technology and service experience. About net2phone net2phone's cloud business communications solutions help businesses around the globe succeed through smarter conversations. net2phone is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a provider of telecommunications and payment services. To learn more, visit net2phone.com. All statements above that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "target" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors. Our filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. SOURCE net2phone Canada; net2phone Supermum leatherback turtle lays eggs at Thai Muang PHUKET: Marine wildlife officers believe that a large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phang Nga last night is that same turtle that has laid four other nests in the area, including on Phukets Kata Beach on Jan 1. marineanimalsnatural-resourcesenvironment By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 8 February 2021, 11:14AM The nest at Kata Beach is expected to hatch on or soon after Feb 25. Photo: DMCR The nest at Kata Beach is expected to hatch on or soon after Feb 25. Photo: DMCR The nest at Kata Beach is expected to hatch on or soon after Feb 25. Photo: DMCR The nest at Kata Beach is expected to hatch on or soon after Feb 25. Photo: DMCR The large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phuket Nga last night (Feb 7) is believed to now have laid five nests in the area since laying its first nest on Kata Beach on Jan 1. Photo: Jan 1 The large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phuket Nga last night (Feb 7) is believed to now have laid five nests in the area since laying its first nest on Kata Beach on Jan 1. Photo: Jan 1 The large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phuket Nga last night (Feb 7) is believed to now have laid five nests in the area since laying its first nest on Kata Beach on Jan 1. Photo: Jan 1 The large leatherback turtle that laid a nest on Thai Muang Beach in Phang Nga last night (Feb 7) is believed to now have laid five nests in the area since laying its first nest on Kata Beach on Jan 1. Photo: DMCR Officers at Khao Lampi Hat-Thai Muang National Park in Phang Nga were patrolling the beach when they found the large mother turtle clambering ashore some eight kilometres north of the main park office, explained Park Chief Haritchai Rittichuay. The site was about 1.3km north of the nest laid on Thai Muang Beach on Jan 31, he added. The turtles shell was 150cm long and 100cm across, he added. The nest was laid in the sand above the high-tide mark, Mr Haritchai noted. The nest will not be moved and the eggs allowed to incubate naturally, which is expected to take 55-60 days, he said. A bamboo pen has been erected around the nest to protect it from natural predators and officers have been tasked with ensuring that the nest is not disturbed, he added. Prarop Plangngarn, Chief of the Phuket Marine National Park Operations Center 2, based at Sirinath Marine National Park, noted that the nest laid last night was the 18th turtle nest discovered during the current turtle nesting season. The size of the turtle last night is similar to the one that laid a nest at Kata Beach on Jan 1, he said. Officers believe that the nest at Kata Beach was the first laid by the turtle, and the nest laid last night was the fifth nest laid by the same turtle this year, he added. The Kata Beach nest remains protected by marine park officers, and is expected to hatch on Feb 25 or in the days immediately after. Officers have set up a protective enclosure around the next, and an information centre to educate local residents and visitors about the importance of protecting marine life. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Former Mighty Ducks Child Actor Beats Addiction, and His Before and After Photos Are Incredible Former child actor Shaun Weiss, now in his 40s, is celebrating one year sober after hitting rock bottom from a meth addiction that landed him in prison. Now, the former user is unrecognizable next to his gaunt photos from early 2020. His transformation was catalyzed in part by close friend and fellow actor Drew Gallagher. On Jan. 27, Gallagher posted a photo of himself and Weiss together, sitting outside a TGI Fridays in Los Angeles, on Instagram. He captioned: Happy 1-year-sober for @shaunweiss. What a journey and what a recovery!!! Shaun Weiss (L) and Drew Gallagher sitting together outside TGI Fridays in Los Angeles, from Gallaghers Instagram post on Jan. 27, 2020 (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) In the photo, Weiss is shown with his arm around Gallaghers shoulder and grinning. Just four months prior, Gallagher shared Weisss before and after photos on Facebook, praising his friend for achieving sobriety. Last Christmas I picked up Shaun and for the first time in his life he looked in the mirror and couldnt recognize himself, wrote Gallagher. Weiss had no teeth, his diabetes was out of control, he had a chronic hunch, and he couldnt sleep without being beaten up. He weighed a mere 84 pounds (approx. 38 kg). Weisss before photo, at rock bottom, and after photo, at 269 days sober (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) Theres not a blameless Shaun Weiss here, Gallagher, who met Weiss while shooting a TV pilot, told People. [But] if you were to spend any time with him, you would have a drastically more compassionate understanding hes mentally ill. Hes just sick, and everybody gives up on him. Hes like a brother to me, Gallagher added. I wont abandon him. New Jersey native Weiss, 42, shot to fame as Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks movies in the 1990s. His health spiraled out of control, however, when he was seized by drug addiction as an adult. Then, a series of arrests in California eventually led the actor to admit he had hit below rock bottom. Drew Gallagher (L) with close friend and former child actor Shaun Weiss (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) Gallagher (R) with Weiss (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) In 2017, Weiss served 12 days in jail for petty theft. After his release, he was arrested five days later for possessing meth, for which he served 90 more days. Returning to jail in August 2018 for public intoxication prompted Weiss to check into rehab. Yet, recovery remained out of reach until March 2020, following a January arrest for breaking and entering while under the influence of meth. Then, Weiss checked into rehab again, moving into a sober living facility at the onset of the pandemic. To aid his friend in his recovery journey, Gallagher started a GoFundMe campaign and raised over $16,000. Speaking to The Epoch Times online, Gallagher explained that he has been solo-fundraising to get Weiss the treatments he needs from the beginning of his rehabilitation. Im doing all I can to raise more to help get him a car, and get into his new apartment, he said. Gallagher and Weiss on Thanksgiving in 2020 (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) Weiss smiles with his new upper veneers. (Courtesy of Drew Gallagher) Weiss had extensive dental surgery last August to replace his rotten teeth with brand-new veneers, after which photos of the transformed celebrity started making headlines. His face and mouth feel like tenderized meat as he recovers from each oral surgery, said Gallagher, but he is feeling blessed to be getting a new set of permanent teeth. Dental surgeon Dr. Gabe Rosenthal waived the bill for the costly procedure, said Gallagher, allowing the former addicts funds to be spent on sober-living accommodation and groceries. Shaun is thriving! Gallagher announced on Facebook, adding that since getting sober, Weiss is even weaning off insulin. Hes not only sober and clear-headed, but he is also giving back and is focused on helping others. This story was last updated in February 2021. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter February 08 : Kriti Sanon is currently shooting for her upcoming film Bachchan Pandey along with Akshay Kumar. On the first day of the shoot, the actress shared a picture from the sets and expressed her happiness to start the first film of 2021. Since then, Kriti has been sharing glimpses from her sets while updating her social media fans about the shooting. Taking to her Instagram handle today, the Luka Chuppi actress shared a picture from the sets. In the picture, the actress can be seen getting the final touches before she starts delivering her performance. Final touches.. The seconds before Action.. when Im still a bit of ME but also a bit of MYRA .. #Myra #BachchanPandey #BTS @nadiadwalagrandson: @harjeetsphotography, the actress wrote. Directed by Farhad Samji, Bachchan Pandey is a Sajid Nadiadwala production. The film went on the floors early last month in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The film also stars Arshad Warsi and Jacqueline Fernandez. The makers of the film have planned a two-month-long shoot schedule, which will continue till March 2021. While Akshay plays a gangster who aspires to become an actor, Kriti essays the role of a journalist who wants to become a director. Arshad Warsi will play Akshays friend and a member of his gang. Abhimanyu Singh has been roped in as the villain in the film. From the first look of Akshay in the film, his fans were excited to see the actor in a never seen before avatar. The film will be released on January 26, 2022. Meanwhile, on the work front, Kriti Sanon will be next seen in Hum Do Humaare Do with Rajkummar Rao. The actors had earlier shared screen space in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi, produced by Dinesh Vijan. Dinesh has got the same pair for his next production venture as well. Hum Do Humaare Do is directed by debutante director Abhishek Jain. Kriti also has Bhediya with Varun Dhawan in her kitty. Exports of beauty products increased last year despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Korea Customs Service said on Sunday that cosmetics exports rose 16.1 percent on-year to almost US$7.6 billion. The growth was apparently due to the continued popularity of Korean pop culture. Sales of skin care, hair and bath products rose, but declined for color make-up products like blush and lipstick. By destination, exports to China increased 24.5 percent to $3.81 billion, accounting for 50.3 percent of the total. Shipments to the U.S. and Japan soared 21.6 percent and 59.2 percent, respectively. While exports increased, imports declined more than 6 percent to $1.48 billion. It was the second annual decline in a row. University of North Georgia (UNG) students Elizabeth Hoyer and Bailey Pieplow dream of working for the FBI one day. Hoyer wants to be a profiler, and Pieplow aspires to become a linguist. Both women know they need an advantage over other job applicants. One possible edge is proficiency in a critical language while another is a study abroad program. Hoyer and Pieplow are on their way to securing both advantages as they are among six UNG students selected as Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) semifinalists. "This came as a surprise," said Pieplow, a senior pursuing degrees in Spanish and modern languages with a Chinese language and literature concentration. "There were a lot of applicants, and I wasn't expecting to be chosen as a semifinalist. But I am very grateful." Hoyer, a freshman pursuing a degree in psychology who is in the Honors program, and Pieplow were surprised to be selected as semifinalists since they were first-time applicants. Hoyer hopes to study Korean while Pieplow aims to study Chinese. The other four are repeat applicants: Dr. Victoria Hightower, assistant director of the nationally competitive scholarships office and associate professor of history, said having six semifinalists shows the strength of UNG's language programs, the mentorship of its faculty, and the encouragement students receive. She also praised the hard work of the applicants who complete five essays that explore their cultural knowledge, motivations, and futures. "I am always humbled by the amount of work our students put in to these applications, both physical and emotional," Hightower said. "These scholarships require the students to think about their lives in five or 10 years. This takes a lot of emotional energy, and they are up for the task." Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the CLS program funds American undergraduate and graduate students to complete intensive language study abroad in the summer. Finalists will be chosen later this month. Students interested in learning more about nationally competitive scholarships should contact ncs@ung.edu for more information. Also, students interested in learning about funding and programs to study abroad in a variety of projects can visit the Center for Global Engagement website. MONTREAL - Residents of Montreal's northeastern St-Leonard neighbourhood expressed sadness and shock on Monday at news a 15-year-old girl had been shot to death in the area the night before. MONTREAL - Residents of Montreal's northeastern St-Leonard neighbourhood expressed sadness and shock on Monday at news a 15-year-old girl had been shot to death in the area the night before. Half a dozen police cars could be seen around a blocked-off parking lot and a small stretch of road on a residential street just south of Jean-Talon Street, as technicians worked to analyze the scene. A block away, a police car idled in front of a two-storey brick home cordoned off with orange tape, within view of a busy elementary school playground. A police officer leaves the crime scene Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Montreal, where a 15-year-old girl was killed in a shooting last night. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz We were sorry to hear about the loss of a young girl, perhaps a student, with her future before her, neighbour Ali Hellal said. He said he has lived in the area for more than 10 years and this was the first time hed heard of a violent crime nearby. Its quiet here, always, he said. Police said the girl was inside a stopped car Sunday night with another person, and they were talking to people outside when shots were fired from a second vehicle that had pulled up. The girl and a 21-year-old man who was on the sidewalk were hit by bullets, and Montreal police confirmed Monday that the girl had died from her injuries. The man, who was hit in the upper body, managed to take shelter a block away, and police said he was conscious and talking when he was taken to hospital. Montreal police spokesman Raphael Bergeron said the vehicle from which the shots were fired drove off, and the two men inside were wearing masks, making it difficult for witnesses to provide a description. Another neighbour, Danny Cimino, said the area has been very quiet lately, especially with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Im very shocked that a 15-year-old girl got shot right here when nothing ever happens, he said. Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said the shooting was "very sad," and offered condolences to the families of the victim. "It is unfortunately too early to comment on the reasons for this shooting, an investigation will shed light on the circumstances," she said in a statement Monday. Guilbault said the Quebec government was aware of a "rise in violent events" in Montreal in recent weeks and said it had already invested in programs to help reduce gun violence. Police technicians left the scene in the early afternoon, and as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, no suspects had been arrested, police said. The killing in St-Leonard is Montreal's fifth homicide of 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. (CNN) - The Biden administration will reengage with the United Nations Human Rights Council, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday -- its latest bid to reverse the policies of the Trump administration and return to a foreign policy with roots in multilateral institutions. In a statement, the top US diplomat said that President Joe Biden "has instructed the Department of State to reengage immediately and robustly with the UN Human Rights Council." The United States will begin that engagement in an observer role, Blinken said, "and in that capacity will have the opportunity to speak in the Council, participate in negotiations, and partner with others to introduce resolutions." The UN Secretary General welcomed the US decision. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement the the "United Nations looks forward to hearing the crucial voice of the United States across the Council's urgent work." The Trump administration quit the UN Human Rights Council in 2018. Then-US Ambassador the theUN Nikki Haley accused the Geneva-based body of bias against Israel and failing to hold human rights abusers accountable. "For too long," Haley said, "the Human Rights Council has been a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias." "Human rights abusers continue to serve on, and be elected to, the council," she said. "The world's most inhumane regimes continue to escape its scrutiny, and the council continues politicizing scapegoating of countries with positive human rights records in an attempt to distract from the abusers in its ranks. There are 47 member states on the Council, and current members include countries that have been accused of grave human rights abuses like China, Russia and Venezuela. In his statement, Blinken said, "We recognize that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel." "However, our withdrawal in June 2018 did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of U.S. leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage," he said. "When it works well, the Human Rights Council shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as an important forum for those fighting injustice and tyranny," Blinken continued. "The Council can help to promote fundamental freedoms around the globe, including freedoms of expression, association and assembly, and religion or belief as well as the fundamental rights of women, girls, LGBTQI+ persons, and other marginalized communities." "To address the Council's deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership," he said. The reengagement with the Human Rights Council is the latest effort to restore US standing on the global stage through involvement in multilateral organizations and treaties spurned by the Trump administration. Biden reversed the US departure from the World Health Organization. He also rejoined the Paris climate accord. The Biden administration has also reversed a number of Trump-era foreign policy decisions over the last several days, suspending migration agreements with Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and moving to rescind the foreign terrorist organization designation of Yemen's Houthi rebels. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden administration will reengage with UN Human Rights Council" One of my dreams is to set my footprints all over the beautiful landscapes in Canada, including the famous Eastern trails. Comparing to Americans, Canadians are nicer, and among Canadians, Saskatchewan people are nicer in mainland continent. However, People in Newfoundland are the nicest in Canada. Victoria island is famous for its beauty both in terms of weather, landscape and producers in Canada. But, lots of visitors and travelers neglect or have no chance to know an even better island in Canada. Amost all Canadians have travelled on Trans-Canada Highway, the principal hightway of Canada and the world's longest national road, also known as the #1 highway. Unfortunately, many Canadians could not tell where it starts and where it ends. Fascinated by the answer? The answer is a big piece of rock in the Atlantic Ocean, and in further detail, Newfoundland and a city called St. John's St. John's is the capital of province Newfoundland, in full name Newfoundland & Labrador, and the oldest city in Canada, existing on maps as early as 1519. St. John's sits on the easternmost coast of Canada, along the Atlantic Ocean, and it is where Trans-Canada highway starts. I traveled to St John's in the end of June of 2019 with my family, hoping to watch whales and icebergs, to taste the cord fish, salmons, lobsters, and snow crabs, as well as to enjoy the costal line of the Atlantic Ocean. I could obviously taste the flavors of salmons and snow crabs are much fresher, tenderer and juicier than that from the Pacific Ocean. Eastern trails Eastern trails are on the cliffs of coastal line. Walking on the trail, you could sometime find hikers with tent packed on their shoulders. These hikers walked several days or weeks on the trail. But there are no official camping sites along the trail. The good things are there are many good places suitable for camping and tenting, so hikers could camp along the trail anywhere at night, which was very attractive to our inland hikers. Following are some photos of Eastern trail near St. John's Seeking of whales and icebergs Next day, starting from the real start point of Tran-Canada highway, we drove west to Trinity, Bonavista, Terra Nova National Park, Cape Freels, Musgrave Harbour, then Twillingate, in order to seek whales and icebergs. We did see whales but did not find decent size of icebergs, only small ones because the best time for watching iceberg is from April to May. In the end of June or early July, most of the icebergs melted and collapsed. However, we found the most delicious lobsters and snow crabs at Twillingate. We bought some and brought home. Amazingly, these things survived for almost one week by just staying in a damp wrapping. We missed Fogo Island because of foggy weather. There is another place called Gros Morne National Park worthy of visit, but we don't have enough time to drive there. It would be my destination for my next visit to St. John's. From Twillingate, we drove to a small town called Gander. Gander is a small town with only about 11 thousand population. It is worthy to mention that on the day of 911, many flights from New York and nearby cites were diverted to Gander. Thousands of passengers were hosted by the residents of Gander for days before they could fly home safely. And then, one piece of steel from the world trade center was gifted and kept in the Aviation Museum of Gander for memorizing of the hospitality of the people here. St. John's and Newfoundland is always a vivid magnificent place in my memory. I love you in the deep of my heart, and my love lives there forever. The route we followed: Tinity trail Above is the lobster fishing boat we bought lobster The Following is the vedio of whale watching: >>> CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Value Colleges ( www.valuecolleges.com ), an independent online guide to the best values in undergraduate and graduate education, is pleased to share three new rankings: 25 Best Value Online Master's in Addiction Counseling for 2021 https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/best-online-addiction-counseling-masters/ Top 25 Best Value Online Bachelor's in Addiction Counseling for 2021 https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/best-online-addiction-counseling-degrees/ Top 25 Best Value Online Certificates in Addiction Counseling for 2021 https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/best-addiction-counseling-certificate-online/ For all rankings, Value Colleges focused specifically on fully accredited colleges and universities with an established reputation for quality. The top 3 online Addiction Counseling Master's programs are: 1) Wake Forest University, 2) University at Buffalo, and 3) University of Oklahoma. The top 3 online Addiction Counseling Bachelor's programs are: 1) Purdue University Global; 2) Texas Tech University; 3) Indiana Wesleyan University. The top 3 online Addiction Counseling Certificate programs are: 1) Purdue University Global; 2) University of California, Los Angeles; 3) University of Michigan. Value Colleges congratulates the top 3 in each category, as well as all of the top addiction and substance abuse counseling degree schools! The full lists, in alphabetical order, can be found below. In an era marked by an epidemic of opioid abuse, as well as alcohol and other drugs, addiction and substance abuse counseling is critical. With great demand, students can find online certificates, bachelor's, and master's programs to help them begin a career, or advance in their current career. As the editors state, "An online substance abuse counseling degree program prepares graduates to work in individual/group settings using tools and techniques to help those with alcohol and drug abuse issues break free from the addictive behavior that is causing havoc in their lives." Many working students "find that programs for substance abuse counseling degrees online offer the flexibility and convenience for those students who need to continue to work full-time or have busy parenting responsibilities." According to the editors, "A master's degree in addiction counseling online focuses on a career path in addiction counseling, and it can also help professionals working in mental health counseling, adolescent counseling, and social services." Value Colleges has a mission to help future students - whether they are working professionals, new graduates, minority and first-generation students, or others - to find residential and online degree programs that will help them make their goals a reality. Value Colleges is independent and unbiased, ranking degree programs, providing guides for the complex financial and professional questions of college students, and offering honest facts about the potential and pitfalls of a college education. Top 25 Best Addiction Counseling Master's Programs for 2021 Auburn University Drexel University George Washington University Grand Canyon University Indiana Wesleyan University Liberty University Mid-America Christian University Monmouth University Regent University Texas Tech University Thomas University Union College University at Buffalo University of Alabama University of Mary University of Massachusetts - Boston University of North Texas University of Oklahoma University of South Dakota University of Southern Maine University of the Cumberlands Wake Forest University Walden University West Virginia University Wright State University Top 25 Online Addiction Counseling Bachelor's for 2021 Alvernia University Aspen University Bay Path University Campbellsville University Chicago School of Professional Psychology Crown College Eastern Kentucky University Empire State College (SUNY) Fort Hays State University Grand Canyon University Indiana Wesleyan University Liberty University Northwestern State University of Louisiana Ohio Christian University Ottawa University Purdue University Global Southern New Hampshire University Springfield College University of Central Arkansas University of Cincinnati University of South Dakota University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Walden University Washburn University Western New Mexico University Top 25 Online Addiction Counseling Certificates for 2021 Appalachian State University Arizona State University Bethel University California Southern University College of DuPage Grand Canyon University Jamestown Community College (SUNY) Mercer University Mid-America Christian University Minnesota State University Moorhead Mount Wachusett Community College Northeastern Illinois University Old Dominion University Purdue University Global Saint Joseph's University UCLA UNC Charlotte University of California, San Diego University of Florida University of Mary University of Michigan University of Wisconsin Villanova University Wake Tech Community College Waynesburg University Contact: Rhonda Corey Media Manager, Value Colleges [email protected] (919) 864-2220 SOURCE Value Colleges Verloop.io, a leading customer support automation platform, has been a pioneer in automating customer support with its deep and insightful machine learning patterns formed across languages and dialects since 2015. This startup, which now supports over 15,000 companies in over 10 languages such as English, Hindi, Arabic, Konkani, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hinglish, and more, has developed its product on Google Cloud. In a detailed case study on Google Cloud, Gaurav Singh, the CEO & Founder of Verloop.io, speaks on how the platform helped them to concentrate on core resources allowing time and mind space for achievable innovations. "Google Kubernetes Engine, Google AI, and data storage tools give us the scaling power, low-latency, and creative freedom to turn our vision into reality," said Singh. Verloop.io's chatbot devised a solution specific to a few key industries in a one-size-fits-all world: e-commerce, banking, real estate, and a deep insight into the end-to-end journey of these sectors. The advanced chatbot can now provide end-to-end robotic support in 92% of cases without human intervention. The Google case study finds Verloop.io also depends on Cloud Logging and Cloud Monitoring to offer 24/7 customer support even while running major system upgrades and unexpected demand spikes. The startup once saw peak loads of six to ten times its usual load over two quarters, but Google Cloud had seamlessly accommodated the excess traffic, without the team having to worry about it, it said. Added to that, being a part of the cloud infrastructure helps Verloop.io's engineers solve problems as they happen. "An integrated logging, monitoring, and alerting system allow our engineers to trade issues across the microservice landscape and identify and resolve problems quickly," said Singh. Verloop.io innovated an Oracle-like chatbot that can speak multiple languages; it uses various Google technologies and its natural language processing stack (NLP), including TensorFlow. "More than 80% of our natural language queries are answered using transformer-based models, a key contribution from Google Research," said Singh. -TradeArabia News Service At a plenary session on Monday, the Senate elected Gheorghe Atileanu deputy chair of the council monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for a four-year term, 81 to one. According to the legal provisions, qualifying for the office of chair or deputy chair of the council monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are people with a full legal capacity who are university graduates with at least a bachelor's degree and experience with human rights, especially the rights of persons with disabilities. AGERPRES Australian health authorities have backed AstraZenecas vaccine despite a decision by South African authorities to delay rolling out the jab after early clinical data showed it offered minimal protection against the COVID-19 variant spreading through that country. Health Minister Greg Hunt on Monday confirmed AstraZenecas vaccine would start arriving in Australia in early March. Health Minister Greg Hunt and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The advice I received both from the Chief Medical Officer in writing and in discussion with the head of the vaccines taskforce Professor Brendan Murphy this morning is preliminary, but there is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease or death, Mr Hunt said. On Monday morning South African authorities said they would suspend use of the AstraZeneca shot after clinical data showed it gave minimal protection against B.1.351, a variant of SARS-CoV-2 which contains several mutations that cut the ability of antibodies to neutralise the virus. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Helga Zepp-LaRouche on EIR and The LaRouche Organizations Expose of Great Reset Feb. 7 , 2021 (EIRNS)Harley Schlanger of The LaRouche Organization, interviewed Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and chairwoman of the Schiller Institute, regarding the report which will be released this week by Executive Intelligence Review on the Great Reset or Great Transformation and its relationship to the Green New Deal, the policy of Malthusian population reduction which was exposed in the late 1960s by her late husband Lyndon LaRouche. This was a subject of an online conference from the Davos billionaires Jan. 25-29. Harley Schlanger: Helga, why is this being so aggressively pushed right now? Helga Zepp-LaRouche: The reality is that the entire trans-Atlantic financial system is hopelessly bankrupt. They didnt do anything when the systemic crisis erupted in 2008 other than massive quantitative easing, money pumping, and now the bubble is about to burst. And this is a whole trick: The Great Reset and the Green New Deal, means they want to inject $30 trillion for a next and final bubble in which only those who participate in the speculation, i.e., the billionaires, would become rich, and the mass of the population would be impoverished. This is not workable. Schlanger: They call this a financial regime change. What do they mean by that? Zepp-LaRouche: Well, no longer are governments and parliaments supposed to make legislation which decides how things are arranged, but they want to have a green dictatorship, whereby it is the central banks that decide how much meat you can eat, if any at all; how much travel you can do, with what kind of car or e-car, or whatever. This will mean an eco-dictatorship which will make any previous dictatorships look like a picnic. Schlanger: When your husband first took this on in 1971, he described it as a Schacht corporate policy. What does that mean? What is the importance of Schachtianism? Zepp-LaRouche: Its a form of self-cannibalization of the labor force. The problem is, if you replace coal and fossil fuels and you dont go to nuclear, you are only relying on so-called green renewable technologies and energy sources, then you go to a very low energy flux-density, which means you cannot maintain modern industrial nations. This will be an attack on the living standards as we have never seen it, and it means genocide for the developing countries, because, as people know, we have a pandemic which is out of control; we have a famine of biblical dimensions as the head of the World Food Program David Beasley is warning, again and again. So if you destroy the industrial capacities of the so-called industrial countries by doing this, you leave the third world in a catastrophe. So you call for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypsehunger, disease, pestilence and warand that will lead to a gigantic depopulation. And that was the essence of what Hjalmar Schacht [Hitlers central banker and finance minister] was all about, because his policy ended in the concentration camps, and that is in a different way what we are looking at today. Schlanger: You have called this the new fascism. What is the distinction then, between Schachtianism from the 30s and 40s, and what you mean by new fascism today? Zepp-LaRouche: Just because it doesnt have all the aspects of the old fascism of Mussolini, Franco, Hitler and so forth, if you impose that kind of a reduction of the living standard, and you go to energy flux-densities which will mean blackouts, it will mean a collapse of industry, the effect is the same. So one should not look at the label, one should look at the effect of these policies which are a complete destruction of the labor force. Schlanger: You just published an article on the danger of a nuclear war. How is this related to the Great Reset? [Helga Zepp-LaRouche on the Message from the Biden Administration: Nuclear War Is a Real Possibility, ] Zepp-LaRouche: The situation is such that you have an unbelievable anti-China, anti-Russia campaign already, mainly because China is rising, Asia is rising, and there is an effort by certain oligarchical forces in the West to contain that rise. Now, if you destroy the Western economies, if you deindustrialize Europe, the United States, and possibly other countries that go along, then you will get into an unavoidable conflict with China and Russia. China may pay lip service to the Green agenda, but China is pursuing clean, modern coal plants, nuclear fission plants; they have a very ambitious program for thermonuclear fusion, where theyre practically ahead in the world. So the geopolitical opposition is already saying, like Adm. Charles Richard, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command, is already saying that a nuclear war is likely, and that the Pentagon has to shift from the idea that a war is not likely, to that its very likely. I mean, if you put all of these things together, this policy inevitably would lead to World War III. Schlanger: In spite of all this, in the last few days youve expressed a certain amount of optimism that this can be defeated: Whats the basis for your optimism? Zepp-LaRouche: I think that these policies become so blatant, that there are people starting to discuss it. And I think the only way to defeat it is to get the word out as far as possible, what is behind these policies, make sure that everybody knows that. For example, in 2009, at the Copenhagen climate summit, the G77 countries and the Non-Aligned Movement, they said they will not sign onto such a suicide pact. Im absolutely sure that Russia and China are very aware of what is the intention of these policies. So the more people, industrialists, heads of small and medium-size entrepreneurs (SMEs), Mittelstand entrepreneurs, trade unionsthe more people discuss that and understand that there is an alternative to that, to impose the Four Laws of Lyndon LaRouchea global Glass-Steagall policy; national banks in every country; combine these national banks for a New Bretton Woods credit system, exactly as Franklin D. Roosevelt intended it; and then go for a massive industrialization of Africa and the Middle East which urgently need that. And then we can change this. And I think more and more people inside the United States and Europe will understand that it is in their best interest to not go along with this policy. Schlanger: Given this international potential, what happens in the United States is key. So what should our viewers do to make sure we defeat the Great Reset and the Green New Deal? Zepp-LaRouche: As I said, get the news about what is behind this out as far as you can; get your friends, your acquaintances, your colleagues familiar with this; make sure your Congressman, your other elected officials, the mayor, city council, that they all know about that, because it will come down to the elected officials to impose this policy, and that will bring them into an absolutely incredible conflict with their conscience and with the interest of the people they are supposed to represent. Schlanger: Helga, thank you for your insights on this, and for your wok on getting this report out. Its coming out this week in the upcoming issue of Executive Intelligence Review, and shortly afterwards, will be a smaller section of it in a pamphlet distributed by The LaRouche Organization. So Helga, thank you, and Ill see you soon. Pakistani authorities have issued a notification to shift British-born al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the main accused in the sensational kidnapping and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002, from jail to a newly-built facility within the boundaries of the Central Prison in Karachi. The notification on Saturday came days after a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial ordered to shift 46-year-old Sheikh from the death row cell to a rest house run by the government. All suspects "are to be shifted to the newly constricted Rooms for meeting of spouses with Prisoners situated outside of main prison and within boundary of Central Prison Karachi, the Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing the notification issued by the Sindh Home Department on February 6. However, "NO internet, telephone and for that matter any device/ means of communicating with outside world is to be provided," the notification read. It allowed only suspects' families access to them from 8am to 5pm everyday but restricted them from bringing anything from outside of the prison, the paper said. To maintain maximum security, however, a list of family members is to be provided by the counsel of detainees to the advocate general Sindh, secretary home or IG prison, Sindh and only the ones mentioned in the list will be allowed access to the detainees during permitted hours. The families of the suspects will also be offered space in Qasr-e-Naz a federal government owned building in the city along with transport to and from the place of detention, the notification said. The apex court had rejected the government's appeal to suspend the Sindh High Court's verdict on the acquittal of the accused and asked it to file an appeal against the high court's decision. Pearl, the 38-year-old South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was abducted and beheaded while he was in Pakistan investigating a story in 2002 on the links between the country's powerful spy agency ISI and al-Qaeda. In April 2020, a two-judge Sindh High Court bench commuted the death sentence of Sheikh to seven years imprisonment. The court also acquitted his three aides who were serving life terms in the case almost two decades after they were found guilty and jailed. The Sindh government and the family of Pearl filed petitions in the apex court, challenging the high court verdict. Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed their appeals against the acquittal of Sheikh and ordered his release, a judgement denounced by the American journalist's family as "a complete travesty of justice." The US government has asked Pakistan government to ensure that those involved in murdering Pearl should be punished. The Sindh government filed a review petition in the apex court against the acquittal of Sheikh and his three accomplices. Voicing outrage over the acquittal of Sheikh and his aides, the White House asked Pakistan to expeditiously review its legal options, including allowing the US to prosecute them to secure justice for Pearl's family. Amid mounting pressure from the US and the UN, a spokesman of the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) said that the federal government will file an appropriate application before the apex court to be allowed to join as a party in the proceedings and further seek review and recall of the court's January 28 judgement. The apex court on February 1 rejected the government's request to suspend the order to release Sheikh and his three aides - Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib - in the case but extended their interim detention order by one day to hear the government's position on the case. On Tuesday, the court ordered immediate removal of Sheikh from the death row cell. The Pakistan government is scrambling to keep Sheikh in custody after the top court had ordered to release him if he was not wanted in any other case. The pressure mounted on Pakistan as the US Secretary of State Blinken called Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to demand justice for Pearl. Pearl's murder took place three years after Sheikh, along with Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, was released by India in 1999 and given safe passage to Afghanistan in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814. He was serving a prison term in India for kidnappings of Western tourists in the country. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 DUBLIN, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Telecom API Market by Technologies, Application and Service Types, Stakeholders, User Types, Deployment, and Platform as a Service Types 2021 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Now in its ninth year of coverage, the publisher offers the most comprehensive research analyzing the telecom API market ecosystem including players, platforms, tools, solutions, and service offerings. This report provides an in-depth assessment of the global and regional telecom API market, including business models, value chain analysis, operator strategies and a quantitative assessment of the industry from 2021 to 2026. Furthermore, the report evaluates the current state of the market and outlook for the future including analysis and forecasts for the telecom API market, which is segmented in many ways. Report Findings: Global Telecom API related revenue will reach $674B by 2026 by 2026 Global UCaaS revenue will reach $91B by 2026 with 48.0% CAGR by 2026 with 48.0% CAGR Enterprise-hosted deployment is growing most rapidly through 2026 While the smallest in revenue overall, MEA is fastest-growing region at CAGR 40.2% Global Communication Service Providers (CSP) continue to see Telecom APIs as a means of leveraging their network and subscriber assets to generate revenues with high margins. However, the ecosystem remains one in which largely third-parties, such as OTT players, maintain the end-user relationship with app and service clients, while CSPs merely provide data as a service on a B2B basis. While this model may suffice for CSPs with respect to the consumer segment and SMBs, it is not sustainable for large corporate clients. CSPs are facing increasing pressure to provide a greater variety of high-quality enterprise communications and business collaboration solutions. Accordingly, the author sees this as an area ripe for leveraging Telecom APIs to offer value-added carrier offerings such as team collaboration, telepresence, and unified communications (UC) as part of a Telecom API enabled marketplace. This vision is beginning to come true. With the help of leading Telecom API and Communications-enabled app providers like Ribbon Communications, AT&T has recently launched an API Marketplace, which is something that the author has recommended since 2011. Offering a turn-key approach by leveraging solutions such as Ribbon's Kandy APIs and Wrappers, AT&T plans to facilitate enterprise customer ability to leverage telecom assets for embedded applications. Ribbon is also supporting KPN's Telecom API marketplace. Other leading telecom vendors such as Mavenir support the programmable telecom (Telecom APIs, platforms, and apps) ecosystem. The company recently announced its Mobile-Native Unified Communications and Collaboration as a Service (mUCaaS) solution. One of the key differentiators claimed by this solution is the ability for business-critical communications are prioritized by the mobile network using quality of service indicators that don't have to compete with other existing OTT UCaaS applications. For many larger Telecom API vendors, a substantial proportion of revenue continues to be generated from SIP Trunking in support of their client's VoIP, UC, and other IP-based communications apps and services. However, many smaller players are innovating in areas that have high growth potential such as analytics data, device information, edge computing, and number management for calls, data, and subscribers. The last category, in particular, is emerging as an important area for unwanted call management solutions including robocall management. Longer-term, we see CSPs leveraging Telecom APIs and related tools to support a variety of industry requirements in which carriers are amply positioned to leverage their market position. Those opportunities include Internet of Things (IoT) authentication, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), and support of Blockchain. Three areas that represent great opportunities for carriers to aggressively pursue solution development in the more near-term timeframe are AI, IoT, and Mobile Edge Computing. Report Benefits: Gain a better perspective of the State of the Market for Telecom APIs Identify challenges and opportunities across the entire API ecosystem Understand the role of Telecom APIs within the realm of Programmable Telecom Identify leading companies and solutions for Telecom API enabled apps and services Understand the market dynamics, players, and outlook for communication enabled apps Forecasts for every major Telecom API area including Categories, Solutions, Stakeholder Share, and more Forecasts for Telecom API support of Unwanted Call Management including Do Not Disturb and Call Screening Key Topics Covered: 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Introduction 3.0 Telecom API Overview 3.1 Role and Importance of Telecom APIs 3.2 Business Drivers for CSPs to Leverage APIs 3.2.1 Need for New Revenue Sources 3.2.2 Need for Collaboration with Development Community 3.2.3 B2B Services and Asymmetric Business Models 3.2.4 Emerging Need for IoT Mediation 3.3 Telecom API Categories 3.3.1 Access Management 3.3.2 Advertising and Marketing 3.3.3 Billing of Non-Digital Goods 3.3.4 Content Delivery 3.3.5 Directory and Registry Management 3.3.6 Enterprise Collaboration 3.3.7 IVR/Voice Solutions 3.3.8 Location Determination 3.3.9 M2M and Internet of Things 3.3.10 Messaging and other Non-Voice Communications 3.3.10.1 Text Messaging 3.3.10.2 Rich Communications Suite Enhanced Messaging (RCS-e) 3.3.10.3 Multimedia Messaging 3.3.11 Number Management 3.3.12 Payments including Purchaser Present Verification 3.3.13 Presence Detection 3.3.14 Real-time Communications and WebRTC 3.3.15 Subscriber Identity Management 3.3.16 Subscriber Profile Management 3.3.17 Quality of Service Management 3.3.18 Unified Communications and UCaaS 3.3.19 Unstructured Supplementary Service Data 3.3.20 Unwanted Call Management and Robo Calls 3.3.21 Voice/Speech 3.4 Telecom API Business Models 3.4.1 Three Business Model Types 3.4.1.1 Model One 3.4.1.2 Model Two 3.4.1.3 Model Three 3.5 Enterprise Market Segmentation 3.5.1 Use Case Segmentation 3.5.2 Workforce Management 3.5.3 Fraud Prevention 3.5.4 Call Centers 3.6 Competitive Issues 3.6.1 Reduced Total Cost of Ownership 3.6.2 Open APIs 3.6.3 Configurability and Customization 3.7 Applications that use APIs 3.8 Telecom API Revenue Potential 3.8.1 Standalone API Revenue vs. API enabled Revenue 3.8.2 Telecom API-enabled Mobile VAS Applications 3.8.3 Carrier Focus on Telecom API's for the Enterprise 3.9 Telecom API Usage by Industry Segment 3.10 Telecom API Value Chain 3.10.1 Telecom API Value Chain 3.10.2 How the Value Chain Evolves 3.10.3 API Transaction Value Split among Players 3.11 API Transaction Cost by Type 3.12 Volume of API Transactions 4.0 API Aggregation Marketplace 4.1 Role of API Aggregators 4.2 Total Cost of Operation with API Aggregators 4.2.1 Start-up Costs 4.2.2 Transaction Costs 4.2.3 Ongoing Maintenance/Support 4.2.4 Professional Services by Intermediaries 4.3 Aggregator API Usage by Category 4.3.1 API Aggregator Example: LocationSmart 4.3.2 Aggregation: Intersection of Two Big Needs 4.3.3 The Case for Other API Categories 4.3.4 Moving Towards New Business Models 5.0 Telecom API Marketplace 5.1 Data as a Service (DaaS) 5.1.1 Carrier Structured and Unstructured Data 5.1.2 Carrier Data Management in DaaS 5.1.3 Data Federation in the DaaS Ecosystem 5.2 API Marketplace Companies 5.2.1 Kong (Mashape) 5.2.2 Salesforce (Mulesoft) 5.2.3 TeleStax 5.3 Telecom API Ecosystem Vendors 5.3.1 APIs part of Infrastructure and Services Portfolio 5.3.1.1 Ericsson 5.3.1.2 Huawei 5.3.1.3 Nokia Networks 5.3.1.4 Ribbon Communications 5.3.2 API Capabilities acquired via Merger & Acquisitions 5.3.2.1 Amdocs 5.3.2.2 Aspect Software 5.3.2.3 BICS 5.3.2.4 CA Technologies 5.3.2.5 Cisco 5.3.2.6 Google 5.3.2.7 Oracle 5.3.2.8 Persistent Systems 5.3.2.9 VoIP Innovations 5.3.2.10 Vonage 5.3.3 API Capabilities Independently Developed 5.3.3.1 Apidaze (VoIP Innovations) 5.3.3.2 Apifonica 5.3.3.3 Bandwidth Communications Inc. 5.3.3.4 CLX Communications 5.3.3.5 Fortumo 5.3.3.6 hSenid Mobile 5.3.3.7 Hubtel 5.3.3.8 MessageBird 5.3.3.9 Syniverse 5.3.3.10 Telnyx 5.3.3.11 Tyntec 5.3.3.12 Twilio 5.3.3.13 Vidyo 5.4 Telecom Application Development Market 5.4.1 Communications-enabled App Marketplace ("CAM") 5.4.1.1 Market Opportunities and Challenges 5.4.1.2 Marketplace Facilitators 5.4.2 Improving Existing Apps and Services Marketplace 6.0 Telecom API App Enablers 6.1 Monetization of Communications-enabled Apps 6.1.1 Direct API Revenue 6.1.2 Data Monetization 6.1.3 Cost Savings 6.1.4 Higher Usage 6.1.5 Churn Reduction 6.2 Telecom App Development Issues 6.2.1 Security 6.2.2 Data Privacy 6.2.3 Interoperability 7.0 Communication Service Provider Telecom API Strategies 7.1 Carrier Market Strategy and Positioning 7.1.1 API Investment Stabilization 7.1.2 Carriers, APIs, and OTT 7.1.3 Leveraging Subscriber Data and APIs 7.1.4 Telecom API Standards 7.1.4.1 GSMA 7.1.4.2 TM Forum 7.1.5 Telecom APIs and Enterprise 7.2 Select Network Operator API Programs 7.2.1 AT&T 7.2.2 Verizon Wireless 7.2.3 Vodafone 7.2.4 France Telecom (Orange) 7.2.5 Telefonica 7.3 Carrier Focus on Internal Telecom API Usage 7.3.1 The Case for Internal Usage 7.3.2 Internal Telecom API Use Cases 7.4 Carriers and OTT Service Providers 7.4.1 Allowing OTT Providers to Manage Applications 7.4.2 Carriers Lack the Innovative Skills to Capitalize on APIs Alone 7.5 Carriers and Value-added Services 7.5.1 Role and Importance of VAS 7.5.2 The Case for Carrier Communication-enabled VAS 7.5.3 Challenges and Opportunities for Carriers in VAS 8.0 API Enabled App Developer Strategies 8.1 Telecom APIs as a Critical Developer Asset 8.2 Judicious Choice of API Releases 8.3 Working alongside Carrier Programs 8.4 Developer Preferences: OTT Service Providers vs Carriers 9.0 Telecom API Vendor Strategies 9.1 General Strategies 9.1.1 Value Chain Enhancers and Development Facilitators 9.1.2 Moving from Platforms to Cloud-based CPaaS 9.2 Specific Strategies 9.2.1 Reliance upon SIP Trunking 9.2.2 Improving Existing Solutions 9.2.3 Increased Focus on Enterprise Solutions 9.2.4 Embracing Next Generation Use Cases 10.0 Global Markets for Telecom APIs 10.1 Telecom API Market by Category 10.2 Telecom API Market by Service Type 10.3 Telecom API Market by User Type 10.4 Telecom API Market by Network Technology 10.5 Telecom API Market by Deployment 10.6 Telecom APIs Market by Platform as a Service 10.6.1 Telecom APIs Market by CPaaS 10.6.2 Telecom APIs Market by UCaaS 10.7 Telecom API Market by Module 10.8 Telecom API Market by Stakeholders 10.9 Telecom API Market by Region 11.0 North American Markets for Telecom APIs 12.0 Latin American Markets for Telecom APIs 13.0 European Markets for Telecom APIs 14.0 APAC Markets for Telecom APIs 15.0 MEA Markets for Telecom APIs 16.0 Telecom API Success Stories 16.1 Patronus 16.2 RumbleUP 16.3 Rently 16.4 Phone.com 16.5 VOIPo 17.0 Technology and Market Drivers for Future API Market Growth 17.1 Service Oriented Architecture 17.2 Software Defined Networks 17.3 Virtualization 17.4 Internet of Things 17.5 Bringing it all Together for a Bright Telecom API Future 17.6 IoT WANs and Telecom APIs 18.0 Conclusions and Recommendation 19.0 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nhbavj Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com This is the terrifying moment a swimmer sprints out of the ocean as two sharks nip at his heels. The beachgoer was enjoying a dip in the shallows of Ohope Beach, 90 minutes east of Rotorua in New Zealand in late January, when holidaymakers screamed 'shark, shark'. The terrifying incident was recorded by 15-year-old Eliza Squire, who was staying at the Ohope Top 10 Holiday Park. A swimmer has sprinted out of the surf after beach goers alerted him to the ominous fins (pictured) hovering right behind him The man (pictured) was enjoying a dip in the shallows of Ohope Beach, 90 minutes east of Rotorua in New Zealand in late January, when beachgoers screamed 'shark, shark' The terrifying incident was captured on tape by a 15-year-old holidaymaker who was staying at the Ohope Top 10 Holiday Park The swimmer casually emerged from the surf, having ducked under water and been unable to hear locals shouting loudly from the sand. He then walked slowly through the seawater, as shark fins are seen terrifyingly close to him before he suddenly turns around. He makes a dramatic dash to shore, launching himself onto a wave and swimming with broad strokes to get away. As he reaches closer to land, other people in swimsuits including a young boy, are shown peering out towards the surf to see the fins. The father of the teenager who took the footage, Phil Squire, said there was a crowd gathering to alert the man in the water. 'People were shouting, shark, shark! Two fins appeared near the man and he got a huge fright and took off,' he told Stuff NZ. The surfer said other people around the beach had heard there were shark sightings. 'Information does travel up and down the beach and I guess one of the clues that there might be a problem was that there were a lot of people out of the water.' Mr Squire said people needed to remember the ocean is the domain of marine other creatures and human guests needed to be aware of them. 'I'm a surfer and you realise these areas are the sharks' natural habitats and people visiting rightfully need to be careful.' The unaware man (pictured) first casually emerged from the surf, having ducked under water and been unable to hear the concerned vacationers shouting loudly from the sand The swimmer (pictured) walked slowly through the seawater at first, as shark fins are seen dangerously close to him before suddenly turning around and clocking the two fins Reading-based Dialog Semiconductor has agreed to sell itself for 4.3bn to Japan's Renesas Electronics A chip maker that counts Apple among its customers has become the latest British firm to be targeted by a foreign suitor. Reading-based Dialog Semiconductor has agreed to sell itself for 4.3billion to Japans Renesas Electronics. The deal is likely to add to fears that British firms whose share prices have been laid low by the pandemic are proving cheap targets for rivals abroad. From the start of 2020 to mid-March, Frankfurt-listed Dialogs shares plunged by more than 50 per cent as the Covid-19 crisis sent stock markets into a tailspin. By last month the shares had recovered their losses, and they had increased 25 per cent so far this year, off the back of strong sales of Apples new iPhone, before the Renesas Electronicss offer. The deal is likely to prove controversial after the saga of British chip group Arm, first taken over by Japans Softbank, and now being bought by US rival Nvidia. That takeover is being scrutinised by the Competition and Markets Authority amid fears it could result in less competition and higher prices in the global chip market. A more contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in Britain is spreading rapidly in the United States, doubling roughly every 10 days, according to a new study. Analyzing a half-million coronavirus tests and hundreds of genomes, a team of researchers predicted that in a month this variant could become predominant in the United States, potentially bringing a surge of new cases and increased risk of death. The new research offers the first nationwide look at the history of the variant, known as B117, since it arrived in the United States in late 2020. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that B117 could become predominant by March if it behaved the way it did in Britain. The new study confirms that projected path. Nothing in this paper is surprising, but people need to see it, said Kristian Andersen, a co-author of the study and a virus expert at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. We should probably prepare for this being the predominant lineage in most places in the United States by March. Andersens team estimated that the transmission rate of B117 in the United States is 30% to 40% higher than that of more common variants, although those figures may rise as more data comes in, he said. The variant has already been implicated in surges in other countries, including Ireland, Portugal and Jordan. There could indeed be a very serious situation developing in a matter of months or weeks, said Nicholas Davies, a public health researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who was not involved in the study. These may be early signals warranting urgent investigation by public health authorities. Davies cautioned that US data is patchier than that in Britain and other countries that have national variant monitoring systems. Still, he found results from some parts of the United States especially worrisome. In Florida, where the new study indicates the variant is spreading particularly quickly, Davies fears that a new surge may hit even sooner than the rest of the country. Read | US administers 41.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines If these data are representative, there may be limited time to act, he said. Andersen and his colleagues posted their study online Sunday. It has not yet been published in a scientific journal. When the British government announced the discovery of B117 on Dec. 20, Andersen and other researchers in the United States began checking for it in US coronavirus samples. The first case turned up Dec. 29 in Colorado, and Andersen found another soon after in San Diego. In short order it was spotted in many other parts of the country. But it was difficult to determine just how widespread the variant was. B117 contains a distinctive set of 23 mutations scattered in a genome that is 30,000 genetic letters long. The best way to figure out if a virus belongs to the B117 lineage is to sequence its entire genome a process that can be carried out only with special machines. The CDC contracted with Helix, a lab testing company, to examine their Covid-19 samples for signs of B117. The variant can deliver a negative result on one of the three tests that Helix uses to find the coronavirus. For further analysis, Helix sent these suspicious samples to Illumina to have their genomes sequenced. Last month Helix reached out to Andersen and his colleagues to help analyze the data. Analyzing 212 US B117 genomes, Andersens team concluded that the variant most likely first arrived in the United States by late November, a month before it was detected. The variant was separately introduced into the country at least eight times, most likely as a result of people travelling to the United States from Britain between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The researchers combined data from the genome sequencing with Helixs overall test results to come up with an estimate of how quickly the variant had spread. It grew exponentially more common over the past two months. Also Read | Vaccines alone are not enough to beat Covid-19 In Florida, the scientists estimate that more than 4% of cases are now caused by B117. The national figure may be 1% or 2%, according to his teams calculations. If that is true, then 1,000 or more people may be getting infected with the variant every day. The CDC has recorded only 611 B117 cases, attesting to the inadequacy of the countrys genomic surveillance. In parts of the country where Helix does not do much testing, it is likely delivering an underestimate of the spread, Andersen cautioned. I can guarantee you that there are places where B117 might be relatively prevalent by now that we would not pick up, he said. Theres still a lot that we have to learn, said Nathan Grubaugh, a virus expert at Yale University who was not involved in the study. But these things are important enough that we have to start doing things now. It is possible that chains of B117 transmission are spreading faster than other viruses. Or it might be that B117 was more common among incoming travellers starting new outbreaks. I still think that we are weeks away from really knowing how this will turn out, Grubaugh said. The contagiousness of B117 makes it a threat to take seriously. Public health measures that work on other variants may not be enough to stop B117. More cases in the United States would mean more hospitalizations, potentially straining hospitals that are only now recovering from record-high numbers of patients last month. Also Read | In coronavirus pandemic, more people choose to die at home Making matters worse, Davies and his colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine posted a study online Wednesday suggesting that the risk of dying of B117 is 35% higher than it is for other variants. The study has yet to be published in a scientific journal. Communities can take steps to fight variants like B117, as Grubaugh and his Yale University colleagues recently described in the journal Cell. For instance, they said, health officials should reinforce messaging about wearing effective masks, avoiding large gatherings and making sure indoor spaces are well ventilated. The scientists also urged governments to require sick leave for people diagnosed with Covid-19 to stop workplace spread. Such measures could help to significantly reduce community transmission, Grubaugh and his co-authors wrote. Vaccinations can also be part of the strategy to fight B117. In Israel, where the variant is now predominant, new cases, severe illnesses and hospitalizations have already dropped significantly in people older than 65, a group that was given top priority for vaccines. What we need to do with the current vaccines is get them into as many people as we can as quickly as possible, Andersen said. Driving down B117 will also reduce the risk that the variant will evolve into something even worse. Already in Britain, researchers have found samples of B117 that have gained a new mutation with the potential to make vaccines less effective. It is not clear whether these viruses will become common. But they demonstrate that the coronavirus has a lot of evolutionary space left to explore. We should expect them to crop up here, Andersen said. Whatever was true elsewhere is going to be true here as well, and we need to deal with it. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Priyanka Chopra has recalled when a director told her to undergo a breast augmentation in order to 'fix her proportions' after winning Miss World in 2000. In a new interview, the actress, 38 - who details the encounter in her new memoir Unfinished - admitted she 'never had the courage to stand up for myself' and insisted similar assessments on budding thespians are 'so normalised'. The screen star also championed women for taking control of their careers and declared she's now 'proud' of herself. 'I never had the courage to stand up for myself': Priyanka Chopra has recalled when a director told her to undergo a breast augmentation after winning Miss World in 2000 (pictured) The media personality first rose to fame as the recipient of Miss World 2000, and went on to dominate the Bollywood industry. On the shocking meeting, Priyanka told Metro: 'It's so normalised that it doesn't come up in conversation. I talked about a movie that I walked out of because of how I was spoken to by the director. 'It was early in my career, but I never told him why I walked out. I never had the courage to stand up for myself, and actually admit it. Because I heard so often, ''Don't be a nuisance, you're new in the industry.'' 'I fell for it too, even though I consider myself a forward-thinking, smart girl. I learned from that over time, but at that time, I was terrified.' 'I heard so often, ''Don't be a nuisance, you're new in the industry''': In a new interview, the actress, 38, insisted similar assessments on budding stars are 'normalised' (pictured in 2019) 'He suggested that I get a boob job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt': The Bollywood icon detailed the encounter in her new memoir Unfinished The Sky Is Pink star first touched on her experience in her autography as she said: 'After a few minutes of small talk, the director/producer told me to stand up and twirl for him. I did. 'He stared at me long and hard, assessing me, and then suggested that I get a boob job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt. 'If I wanted to be an actress, he said, I'd need to have my proportions ''fixed'', and he knew a great doctor in LA he could send me to. My then-manager voiced his agreement with the assessment.' The Mary Kom actress claimed she was left feeling 'stunned and small' as she wondered whether she was 'cut out for this business after all'. 'I was terrified': The Mary Kom actress confessed she was left feeling 'stunned and small' as she wondered whether she was 'cut out for this business after all' (pictured in 2020) Despite her initial insecurities, the producer has gone on to lead a successful international career, expanding to the US from 2015. Earlier this month, the brunette confessed to being 'shocked' when her 28-year-old husband Nick Jonas proposed to her after just two months of dating. Speaking of the proposal, the film star told Elle UK: 'I didn't expect the proposal at that point... It was two months! I thought it would happen, but it was still a complete shock. [But] I relinquished control and I just went with it. 'We were just sporadically meeting for about two years. We were texting and stuff, and there may have been a part of me that wanted something serious. 'But I was taking a hiatus from guys at that point. I didnt want anyone romantically. But theres always been something about Nick, which is why we always ended up staying in touch, no matter where we were.' The pair went on to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony at Jodphur's Umaid Bhawan Palace in December 2018, bringing to an end a life-changing year. The couple work through the challenge of ensuring they see each other every three weeks, as their busy careers keep them in different parts of the world. Results of intl language exams can be counted as final certification in foreign language in 2020/2021 academic year The results of international language exams can be counted as the national final certification in a foreign language in the 2020/2021 academic year, the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine said. "The Ministry of Education and Science has developed guidelines on the specifics of the national final certification in foreign languages in institutions of general secondary education in the 2020/2021 academic year," the ministry's press service said. According to the ministry's order on the conduct of the national final certification in the 2020/2021 academic year, applicants for education who have chosen the history of Ukraine as their third subject for certification can choose a foreign language as their fourth subject and vice versa. At the same time, applicants for education who have chosen one of the foreign languages as their third subject may choose another foreign language as their fourth subject. In addition, applicants for complete general secondary education who, in the current or previous calendar year, received a certificate (diploma) of the international language exam in a foreign language at the B-1 level and higher level (for classes that study a foreign language at the standard level or academic level) or level B-2 (for classes with advanced study of foreign languages) and the highest level, the results of these exams are counted as attestation in a foreign language. The recommended list of international language exams, the results of which are counted as certification in a foreign language in the 2020/2021 academic year, can be found on the Education Ministry's website. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON As the Trump administration was nearing the end of an unprecedented string of executions, 70% of death row inmates were sick with COVID-19. Guards were ill. Traveling prisons staff on the execution team had the virus. So did media witnesses, who may have unknowingly infected others when they returned home because they were never told about the spreading cases. Records obtained by The Associated Press show employees at the Indiana prison complex where the 13 executions were carried out over six months had contact with inmates and other people infected with the coronavirus, but were able to refuse testing and declined to participate in contact tracing efforts and were still permitted to return to their work assignments. Other staff members, including those brought in to help with executions, also spread tips to their colleagues about how they could avoid quarantines and skirt public health guidance from the federal government and Indiana health officials. The executions at the end of Donald Trumps presidency, completed in a short window over a few weeks, likely acted as a superspreader event, according to the records reviewed by AP. It was something health experts warned could happen when the Justice Department insisted on resuming executions during a pandemic. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ ___ Its impossible to know precisely who introduced the infections and how they started to spread, in part because prisons officials didnt consistently do contact tracing and havent been fully transparent about the number of cases. But medical experts say its likely the executioners and support staff, many of whom traveled from prisons in other states with their own virus outbreaks, triggered or contributed both in the Terre Haute penitentiary and beyond the prison walls. Of the 47 people on death row, 33 tested positive between Dec. 16 and Dec. 20, becoming infected soon after the executions of Alfred Bourgeois on Dec. 11 and Brandon Bernard on Dec. 10, according to Colorado-based attorney Madeline Cohen, who compiled the names of those who tested positive by reaching out to other federal death row lawyers. Other lawyers, as well as activists in contact with death row inmates, also told AP they were told a large numbers of death row inmates tested positive in mid-December. In addition, at least a dozen other people, including execution team members, media witnesses and a spiritual adviser, tested positive within the incubation period of the virus, meeting the criteria of a superspreader event, in which one or more individuals trigger an outbreak that spreads to many others outside their circle of acquaintances. The tally could be far higher, but without contact tracing its impossible to be sure. Active inmate cases at the Indiana penitentiary also spiked from just three on Nov. 19 the day Orlando Cordia Hall was put to death to 406 on Dec. 29, which was 18 days after Bourgeois execution, according to Bureau of Prisons data. The data includes the inmates at the high-security penitentiary, though the Bureau of Prisons has never said whether it included death row inmates in that count. In all, 726 of the approximately 1,200 inmates at the United States Penitentiary at Terre Haute have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to Bureau of Prisons data. Of them, 692 have recovered. ___ Advocates and lawyers for the inmates, a Zen Buddhist priest who was a spiritual adviser for one prisoner, and even the families of some of the victims fought to delay the executions until after the pandemic. Their requests were rebuffed repeatedly and their litigation failed. And some got sick. Witnesses, who were required to wear masks, watched from behind glass in small rooms where it often wasnt possible to stand six feet apart. They were taken to and from the death-chamber building in vans, where proper social distancing often wasnt possible. Passengers frequently had to wait in the vans for an hour or more, with windows rolled up and little ventilation, before being permitted to enter the execution-chamber building. And in at least one case, the witnesses were locked inside the execution chamber for more than four hours with little ventilation and no social distancing. Prison staff told their colleagues they should first get on planes, go back to their homes and then they could take a test, according to two people familiar with the matter. If they were positive, they said, they could just quarantine and wouldnt be stuck in Terre Haute for two weeks, said the people, who could not publicly discuss the private conversations and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Following Halls execution in November, only six members of the execution team opted to get coronavirus tests before they left Terre Haute, the Justice Department said in a court filing. The agency said they all tested negative. But days later, eight members of the team tested positive for the virus. Five of the staff members who had tested positive were brought back to Terre Haute for more executions a few weeks later. Yusuf Ahmed Nur, the spiritual adviser for Hall, stood just feet away inside the execution chamber when Hall was executed on Nov. 19. He tested positive for the virus days later. Writing about the experience, Nur said he knew he would be putting himself at risk, but that Hall had asked him to be at his side when he was put to death. He, and Halls family, felt obliged to be there. I could not say no to a man who would soon be killed, Nur wrote. That I contracted COVID-19 in the process was collateral damage of executions during a pandemic. Later, two journalists tested positive for the virus after witnessing other executions in January, then had contact with activists and their own loved ones, who later tested positive as well. Despite being informed of the diagnoses, the Bureau of Prisons knowingly withheld the information from other media witnesses and decided not to initiate any contact tracing efforts. ___ By mid-December, prison officials said that both Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgs were sick. They were the last two prisoners to be executed, just days before President Joe Biden took office. Death row was put on lockdown after their results, inmates told Ashley Kincaid Eve, a lawyer and anti-death penalty activist. But even though they had also tested positive, she said Higgs and Johnson were still moved around the prison potentially infecting guards accompanying them so they could use phones and email to speak with their lawyers and families as their execution dates approached. Eve said prisons officials may have worried a court would delay the executions on constitutional ground if that access was denied. In response to questions from the AP, the Bureau of Prisons said staff members who dont experience symptoms are clear to work and that they have their temperatures taken and are asked about symptoms before reporting for duty. (The AP has previously reported that staff members at other prisons were cleared with normal temperatures even when thermometers showed hypothermic readings.) The agency said it also conducts contact training in accordance with federal guidance and that if staff are circumventing this guidance, we are not aware. Officials said staff members were required to participate in contact tracing if they met the criteria for it and agency officials couldnt compel employees to be tested. We cannot force staff members to take tests, nor does the CDC recommend testing of asymptomatic individuals, an agency spokesperson said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The union for Terre Haute employees declined to comment, saying it did not want to get into the public fray of this whole issue. Elsewhere, union officials have long complained about the spread of the coronavirus through the federal prison system, as well as a lack of personal protective equipment and room to isolate infected inmates. Some of those issues have been alleviated, but containing the virus continues to be a concern at many facilities. ___ No more executions have yet been scheduled under Biden. The Bureau of Prisons has repeatedly refused to say how many other people have tested positive for the coronavirus after the last several executions. And the agency would not answer questions about the specific reasoning for withholding the information from the public, instead directing the AP to file a public records request. The Bureau of Prisons said it also took extensive efforts to mitigate the transmission of the virus, including limiting the number of media witnesses and adding an extra van for the witnesses to space them out. It has argued witnesses were informed social distancing may not be possible in the execution chamber and that witnesses and others were required to wear masks and were offered additional protective equipment, like gowns and face shields. The agency also refused to answer questions about whether Director Michael Carvajal or any other senior leaders raised concerns about executing 13 people during a worldwide pandemic that has killed more than 450,000 in the U.S. Still, it appears their own protocols werent followed. After a federal judge ordered the Bureau of Prisons to ensure masks were worn during executions in January, the executioner and U.S. marshal in the death chamber removed their masks during one of the executions, appearing to violate the judges order. The agency argued they needed to do so to communicate clearly and that they only removed their masks for a short time and disputes that it violated the order. ___ In a Nov. 24 court filing on the spread of COVID at Terre Haute, Joe Goldenson, a public health expert on the spread of disease behind bars, said hundreds of staff participated in one way or another at each execution, including around 40 people on execution teams and those on 50-person specialized security teams who traveled from other prisons nationwide. He said he had warned earlier that executions were likely to become a superspreader. Medical and public health experts repeatedly called on the Justice Department to delay executions, arguing the setup at prisons made them especially vulnerable to outbreaks, including because social distancing was impossible and health care substandard. These are the type of high-risk superspreader events that the (American Medical Association) and (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have been warning against throughout the pandemic, James L. Madara, the executive vice president of the AMA, wrote to the Department of Justice on Jan. 11, just before the last three federal executions were carried out. ___ Tarm reported from Chicago and Sisak reported from New York. _____ On Twitter, follow Michael Tarm at twitter.com/mtarm, Michael Balsamo at www.twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1 and Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, replying in the Rajya Sabha on discussion on motion of thanks to Presidents address, spoke on a range of issues from the farmers protests to how India fought Covid-19 was now being called the pharmacy of the world. Modi also quoted former prime minister Manmohan Singh to put across his point on the farmer laws. As he made his speech, MPs of the Trinamool Congress staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha. The prime minister took digs at the Congress and TMC for their criticism of his government and quoted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Here are some highlights from his speech: On the farmers protest Speaking the the agitation by farmers against the three farm laws PM Modi said, " Everyone in Parliament talked about farmers protest but didn't speak on the reason behind the protest. There are challenges. But we have to decide whether we want to be part of the problem or the medium of solution." The prime minister also highlighted its work with the farmers in the country saying, "Since 2014 we have initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for the small farmers." In relation to the farm laws PM Modi also quoted former PM Manmohan Singh, "Manmohan ji is here, I'd read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. "There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get highest rate of return. ...It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market." On Opposition parties not backing farm laws her said, "The opposition to farm laws lacks in substance. We need to decide if we want to be a part of the problem or the solution. Every government has stressed that there are reforms needed in the farming sector, but now politics seems to be taking over." On agitating farmers Modi reiterated again that the government was ready to speak to farmers on their issues. "We are always open for talks with farmers. I have said this in past and saying it again. We have to convince the agitators. Someone has to do this work. We are open for talks with the agitators send the old people home." He said, "MSP is there, MSP was there, and MSP will be there. Those people who get subsidised ration, will continue to get." Also read: Live: PM Modi Quotes Netaji to Take Dig at Oppn, Hails India as Mother of Democracy On the Sikh community PM Modi said, ""This country is proud of every Sikh. What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less. I have been fortunate to spend crucial years of my life in Punjab. The language used by some against them and the attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." He also recalled how Sikhs had suffered during the partition and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On protests PM Modi said, "Today there is a new class of people called andolan jivi...they cant live without doing andolan we need to identify such people. They are there when there are protests by lawyers, students anyone." "There is also a new FDI which is seen today, that is foreign destructive ideology we need to be aware of this." On Covid-19 PM Modi said that the Covid-19 period added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism. "Corona was an unknown enemy...we had to save live and our nation from it. Today the world has seen the important role india has played in these difficult times," he said. Giving the credit for fighting Covid-19 to the people of the country Modi said, "Doubts over India's handling of the pandemic were seething all across the world. Covid wasn't just a threat on India, but on entire humankind. India fought an unknown enemy to save its citizens with a new attitude and frame of mind. Credit of winning war against Covid-19 goes to India." "India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for world. This increases our self-confidence," he said. On as the 'pharmacy of the world' India has been sending vaccines and medicines to different countries, including its next door neighbours. While this has attracted praise from all quarters, Modi said in the Rajya Sabha, "India emerged as pharmacy of world during pandemic, delivered medicines to 150 countries." Dig at TMC's Derek O'Brien While the Trinamool Congress staged a walk out and has questioned the Modi government on several fronts including farm laws and freedom of speech, PM Modi took a dig at MP Derek O'Brien saying, "I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too." On the Congress PM Modi also took on Congress's Pratap Singh Bajwa, talking about the Emergency period, imposed by then Congress prime minister Indira Gandhi. He said, "Bajwa sahab from Congress was also speaking. He was speaking in such detail that I thought he will reach Emergency (period) shortly and speak on it, he is just one step away from it. But he didn't go there. Congress disappoints this country a lot, you did that too." On Indian democracy PM Modi quoted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and said that India was not just the biggest democracy but also mother of democracy. He said, "Our democracy is not a Western institution, but a human institution." On the world's perception of India PM Modi said, "The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet." In Jordan solar plants to supply retailers Yellow Door obtains funds for 31 mn dollars for solar projects (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 8 - The Yellow Door Energy has secured 31.2 million dollars for the development of solar energy projects in Jordan, Emirati daily The National reports. The National spoke about the new projects of the company, which is based in the United Arab Emirates. The newspaper said that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and German Investment Corporation (DEG) have agreed to provide 10.6 million dollars for the construction of eight solar photovoltaic plants in Jordan. Spain is also participating with funding worth 1.5 million through the European Union, with results-based payments and technical assistance. The solar PV plants under development will reportedly supply energy for all the services of phone network Umniah, a Jordanian operator, the supermarkets Carrefour and Safeway and for stores Taj Mall and Classic Fashion. Yellow Door Energy said in a statement that "in total 48.3 megawatts per hour of renewable energy capacity will be added to Jordan's power system". The project provides for the reduction of lower carbon dioxide emissions by over 49,000 tons annually. And will be the largest power provider for private companies in Jordan. The Yellow Door Energy manages solar production plants in the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan. (ANSAmed). Northern Ireland's chief constable has denied being in anyone's pocket as he expressed concern police were being used as a shock absorber in intensifying political clashes. Simon Byrne also rejected claims commanders had scapegoated two inexperienced officers sanctioned after a controversial operation that saw a Troubles survivor arrested at a memorial event for victims of a loyalist atrocity. Mr Byrne dismissed allegations levelled by both unionists and nationalists that the police adopt different approaches for different communities. "We have been bashed frankly by recent events and it just seems sometimes that we can't seem to win," he said. The police chief again made clear he had no intention of resigning. "It's been a tough week, but I'm not the first chief constable here that's had to suffer or be accountable... for criticism over the last 50 years," he said. "Actually quitting is the easy thing and whatever next week looks like, frankly, the in-tray is the same and I'm just determined to carry on with the support of my team to actually deliver what we set out to do." Expand Close A masked gang of around 40 men in east Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A masked gang of around 40 men in east Belfast Over the weekend Sinn Fein claimed there was a nationalist crisis of confidence in policing after officers intervened at the commemoration for victims of a loyalist massacre at a bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road. Angry scenes unfolded when police challenged participants amid suspicions the size of the public gathering breached coronavirus regulations. Mark Sykes, who was shot several times in the 1992 outrage, was handcuffed and arrested in chaotic exchanges captured on social media. Mr Sykes was released a short time later. The conduct of the two sanctioned officers is being examined by the independent watchdog, the NI Police Ombudsman. The episode followed just days after police officers failed to arrest anyone when they encountered a large gathering of masked loyalists staging an apparent show of strength in east Belfast. Expand Close Sinn Fein politicians at the funeral of Bobby Storey / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein politicians at the funeral of Bobby Storey Sinn Fein has highlighted the two incidents as evidence of two-tier policing. The incidents came in a week when police were also dealing with increasing tensions over Brexit that led to the withdrawal of staff conducting trade checks at Larne and Belfast ports amid safety concerns. "I think this has been a unique week, I've never known anything like it in my professional police experience," Mr Byrne said. The PSNI has also been facing claims of discriminatory policing from loyalists and unionists, who are angry that officers have not intervened when large crowds have gathered for the funerals of former IRA men. The most high profile of these occurred last June when senior Sinn Fein figures joined hundred of mourners at the funeral of well-known republican Bobby Storey. "Sometimes you just feel like we can't do right for doing wrong," said Mr Byrne. He added: "I recognise here that there is often different and competing political views and actually sometimes the police are the shock absorbers of all of that sort of narrative. "I think it's about resolve and resilience and keeping on our path to be impartial and we're here to uphold the law. "I can't stop political commentary, nor would I want to, I think it just would be important at the moment for political space, so that my officers and team and staff can carry on with the issues of policing rather than getting involved in the political debate." In regard to claims from some unionists that the move to suspend one officer and reposition another was pandering to Sinn Fein, he said: "This was an objective evidence-based decision, we looked very carefully at what we did. By no means was it a knee jerk, we're not in anyone's pocket but it was recognising this was a serious matter." He denied scapegoating the two officers, who only joined the PSNI last July. "We weren't influenced by anybody else, we weren't pandering to criticism or any other inferences," he said. "I fully understand some of the accusations but we have to work within due process and actually look at the conduct regime that informs our decisions, sometimes they are not popular but this isn't about scapegoating, there's a process that will now take place, we don't presume what the outcome is." In terms of enforcing Covid regulations, Mr Byrne highlighted the challenge of keeping pace with legislation that had been changed multiple times in less than a year. He said: "Sometimes people say we got the balance wrong, but at the end of the day I think a number of things collide here - firstly, it's fast law, regulations have changed, tactics have had to change to keep pace with that, but public expectations haven't. "And I think frankly in terms of people's feelings and emotions, people are tired or frustrated and want to see a route to normality and sometimes we're caught up in all of that." Mr Byrne, who will meet delegations from the DUP and Sinn Fein today, added: "What I'm appealing for people is effectively to dial down the tone, for calm, wise heads to help us in a route to normality, whether it's in the context of EU exit, policing the regulations or the day-to-day policing. "We have a job to do and we need the space to get on with it." Omar Sanneh, Acting Focal Person of the Resilience Sea Project, under the Department of Park and Wildlife Management has called for the protection and preservation of seagrasses, claiming that seagrasses are flowering plants that grow entirely underwater and serve as a feeding ground for fish among other marine organisms. "The importance of seagrasses cannot be over emphasized. It serves as a feeding ground for fish. Most of the fish you see here is because of the seagrasses because it provides them food and it's highly rich in nutrients. It also serves as a breeding ground for the fish, meaning the fish lay their egg on seagrasses," he said. Mr. Sanneh made these remarks during a visit to Kartong and Gunjur beaches in West Coast Region. Six African countries including The Gambia are currently benefiting from the Resilience Sea Project. The sub-regional project funded by MAWA officials is a pilot one to be implemented in three phases. Two species of sea grasses (Haodulewrightii and Cymodocesnodosa) have been identified in the country, he explained, adding that another sea grass (Zosteranoltii) could be found in the country. "Seagrasses can only be found in shallow regions and over 70 species of seagrasses has been discovered globally", he highlighted. Another important ecosystem service that the seagrasses provided, he added, is that it also serves as a feeding ground for turtles. "The Gambia is a turtle hot spot ground. Turtles depend on seagrasses as their food. Seagrasses also reduce the impact of climate change. Seagrasses can also be used as raw materials in the manufacture of mattresses among others," he further said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Oceans By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He stated that seagrasses are not the same as seaweed, adding that: "sea grasses are flowering plant while seaweed is not a flowering plant." The Resilience Sea Project Focal Person noted that dragnet poses a great threat to seagrasses, saying that dragnet is even banned in the country. According to Mr. Sanneh, water pollution is also a threat to seagrasses. "Water pollution is a very serious challenge for the marine environment. The level of water pollution in the country at the moment is alarming". He said there is a need to jealously safeguard our water from pollution. Sanyang said there is a high probability that industries along the soil land are discharging their waste water into the sea. "Most industries waste water contains heavy metal," he said, adding that these are metals that are highly reactive. Sanneh said awareness creation on the significance of seagrasses is crucial to enhance preservation of seagrasses in various communities. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on February 8 said that Russia is rejecting constructive dialogue with the bloc and that Europe must draw the consequences. In a statement on Twitter, Borrell said that his visit to Moscow highlighted that Russia does not want to seize the opportunity to have more constructive dialogue. He further called it regrettable and added that the EU and Russia were drifting apart after a complicated visit which saw the expulsion of the three EU diplomats over allegations from Moscow that they had attended protests. My visit to Moscow highlighted that Russia does not want to seize the opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue with the EU. This is regrettable and we will have to draw the consequences. Read my blog post:https://t.co/S3QP2uSsNO pic.twitter.com/q8pUDbEFAF Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 7, 2021 READ: European Leaders Condemn Russia's Move To Suspend Diplomats Over Navalny Protests Further, in a blog post, the top EU diplomat also said that the relations between Europe and Russia had been low for a number of years and had deteriorated even further since Navalny was poisoned in an attack the opposition leader has blamed on the Russian state. He added that it seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat. He went on to defend his visit arguing that criticising Russia from a distance will not bring greater security to the European Union. At times, the discussion with my Russian counterpart reached high levels of tension, as I called for Mr. Navalnys immediate and unconditional release, as well as for a full and impartial investigation into his assassination attempt, he said We have to face challenges, including meeting others in their home turf, just when negative events are unfolding. If we want a safer world for tomorrow, we have to act decidedly today and be ready to take some risks, Borrell added. READ: 'Russia Gas Pipeline Project To Continue': Angela Merkel Amid Ongoing Navalny Row Borrell to debrief EU members on Feb 22 Borrell will debrief his trip to foreign ministers from the EU member states on February 22 and the EU leaders will discuss their strained ties with Moscow at a summit in March. The decision to impose sanctions must be decided unanimously after a proposal from member states. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that while both the European Union and Russian Federation share several contracts on trade, politics, personal data protection and implementation of JCPOA, their ties have been severed since 2014. Primary causes include Russias illegal annexation of Crimea, support for rebel groups in eastern Ukraine, policies in the neighbourhood, disinformation campaigns and negative internal developments. Putin administrations intervention in Syria, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa have also irked the bloc promoting it renew several sanctions against Moscow. READ: Russia Suspends European Diplomats For Participating In Rally Seeking Navalny's Release READ: Borrell Hopes Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Will Be Certified In European Union Press Release February 8, 2021 Speech of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on the deferment of the implementation of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act My esteemed colleagues, I actually have a lengthy privilege speech prepared but I will opt for a more commonsensical approach on the subject I would want to speak throughout. Mr. President, the committee on public services, I understand they'll be conducting a hearing tomorrow on Republic Act 11229, this is the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act. There are several resolutions filed deferring the implementation of Republic Act 11229 otherwise known as the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act - P.S. Resolution 64 and P.S. Resolution (unclear). Mr. President even Malacanang is also supportive of the intent of the resolution which is the deferment of the implementation that is according to Sen. Bong Go. Now, if the reason for the postponement is due to the pandemic, this is alright with me. I support such a move. However, if the reason for the postponement is not due to the pandemic, but the law is being misinterpreted, that I cannot support. Are we just going to allow our country to remain as a third world country in terms of safety of children? Many have a very low understanding of the law that we passed. There are countries similarly situated or shall we call underdeveloped or the least developed countries such as El Salvador, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Mozambique, Lao People's Democratic Republic, but their implementation of their car seat or child seat safety law is doing well or are doing well. In the first world countries obviously - United States, Europe, even in the developed countries here in Asia, when you rent a car, you will have to rent a child seat if you have a child with you. Wala namang umangal, no one complains. They've had it for years; it has been effective. As I have said, no complaints. Bakit dito sa atin, hindi na nga naiintindihan yung batas, nagrereklamo pa? Mr. President let me be very specific. Republic Act 11229 is a very simple law with just 18 sections, only nine of which are considered to be cruxes and the rest are just the usual standard provisions. But why is it misinterpreted? Here is a sample of a misinterpretation: a radio announcer or shall I call annunciator says that what can she do? She's barely 4'10. Eh doon daw sa pag sumakay siya sa harap o sa likod daw baka hulihin daw siya ng pulis. Bakit, mukha ka bang 11 years old? Eh mukhang 50/12 eh. Tinatanong ni Senator Villanueva ano raw yung 50/12 - 62. Like the age of the presiding officer, he is 60/12, 60/12 lang. Mukha ngang 62 kahit na - ang liwanag, Mr. President. The law is so clear - child. Mukha ka bang child? Mr. President, even a midget is not a child if he is beyond the age that has been mentioned, which is below 12 years old. Social media contributes to the misinterpretation. Meron nagsasabi na eh paano daw yung anak niya 11 years old lang eh 5'8. Eh di hindi kailangan, hindi ba. Common sense. Eh 5'8 pala eh, kahit five years old lang yun, hindi kailangan. It has to be combined. The law says combine the age and the height, ganoon. At saka weight. Yun ang maliwanag na maliwanag doon. I do not know what has gone through some of our friends. Now, why is a car restraint system necessary? Mandating the use of age appropriate, 'yun ang nasa batas, 'age-appropriate child restraint system,' like car seats and booster seats, are one of the evidence-based road safety policies that will save lives of the minor passengers and will give them a better chance of surviving a car crash. 'Yun yun. The law covers only below 12 years old and with a height of less than 150-centimeters or 49-inches. If a child does not fall in this age and height requirement as provided by law, the usual seatbelt will suffice. Kasi po, tingnan ninyo. Kung ang bata ay, let us say, malaki-laki pero 11 years old, pag nag seatbelt, saan ang tama ng shoulder belt, sa leeg. Nung mag booster seat yung bata, six years old, five years old, hindi mo nilagyan ng child restraint, hindi naka seatbelt yun dahil pag sineatbelt mo yun, sa ilong ang tama ng shoulder belt, kaya kailangan yung child seat na tinatawag. And that is the safety, because, according to a published article by the Pediatric Trauma Department of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Michigan, U.S.A., bones develop with age, not size. So even if your child is big for their age, their spine needs to be protected. Thus, the age of the child is a big factor. Kinonsider lahat ng committee natin yan nung araw. All the Senators present when the bill was approved, even on third reading, voted in favor in the 17th Congress. Dalampu na Senador ang bumoto rito. Twenty affirmative votes, no negative votes, no abstention. Sa House of Representatives, 225 affirmative votes. Let us stop the blame game. There are people saying that naku daw merong mga gustong kumita, mga Chinese kaya daw ipinasok itong batas na ito. If that is the argument, well, then do not buy the iPhone dahil assembled in China. The Xiaomi products, Huawei, Lenovo, shoes like Nike, Adidas, and other top sneaker brands. As they are all manufactured in China, baka kumita ang China pagka ganoon. Puro U.S. ang bilhin ninyo. Some plastic wares, furniture, housewares, various items sold through Lazada, Shopee, puro China yun, so it is not a reason. Huwag ninyong gagamitin na dahilan kasi baka raw may kikita lang, meron lang gustong kumita sa gobyerno. Mr. President, really. I wonder, in this issue, I wonder who the cerebrally challenged are? The implementors, or those opposing the law on social media? I hope this will be answered tomorrow in the hearing, because, Mr. President, although we have numerous laws already relative to road safety, implementation is always the problem. Some of the existing road safety laws are the Seatbelts Use Law, the Anti-Drugged and Drunk Driving Law, Children's Safety on Motorcycle Act, Road Speed-Limiter Act, the Anti-Distracted Driving Act. Ganoon pa man, our country is behind when it comes to the safety in transportation, especially the safety of the children. We are behind in transportation, and that includes the Department of Transportation. I can only pray that our children and grandchildren do not get hurt because of our misunderstanding of the law. Kaya please, basa muna bago kumontra. Thank you, Mr. President. CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today launched its CE-IVD-Marked, Applied Biosystems TaqPath COVID19 HT Kit that is compatible with the Amplitude platform. The high-throughput solution enables clinical and public health laboratories to efficiently test up to 8,000 COVID-19 samples a day with fewer staffing requirements and a reliable supply of kits, reagents and consumables. The highly automated Amplitude platform is a molecular diagnostic system that allows labs to increase their COVID-19 testing capacity by combining Thermo Fisher's extraction and real-time PCR instruments with liquid handling products from Tecan Group. The system leverages a high-throughput version of Thermo Fisher's TaqPath COVID-19 CE-IVD RT-PCR Kit, which received CE-IVD Mark in March 2020. The high throughput diagnostic assay, compatible with the Amplitude platform, also received Interim Order Authorization from Health Canada on January 21. Thermo Fisher has secured a contract with a large provincial authority in Canada for Amplitude systems to help fight the pandemic. "Accurate and reliable testing that can scale is essential in addressing the spread of any disease, especially COVID-19," said Mark Smedley, president of the genetic sciences business of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The Amplitude platform embodies our goal of empowering public health and clinical lab professionals to generate accurate results at higher volumes and use them to make informed health care decisions that lead to the management of a pandemic that is still raging around the world." With the Amplitude platform, customers receive a reliable supply agreement and up-front monthly delivery of reagents to ensure that COVID-19 testing needs are met. Thermo Fisher now has capacity to produce more than 20 million tests per week and continues to work closely with laboratories, governments, academic institutions and other stakeholders to ensure each has a reliable supply of tests and materials. For more information on the Amplitude platform, please visit www.thermofisher.com/amplitude. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $30 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. Media Contacts Mauricio Minotta Phone: +1 760-929-2456 E-mail: [email protected] Ariane Lovell FINN Partners Phone: +1 646 307 6317 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com Shannon ONeill wants to start coworking again. ONeill is the founder of sexual wellness startup MMURE, which sells vibrators, lube and other accessories. She joined the Philadelphia location of coworking space The Yard in December 2019 to escape the isolation of her home. She liked the flexible contracts and the community of entrepreneurs that shared advice over pizza in the communal kitchen. Thats where a lot of the value of coworking spaces comes from, ONeill said. The pandemic, however, has severely limited this support network. Its so much harder to connect with someone that youve never met over a computer, she said. You lose some of the magic of being able to talk to someone everyday and have access to their expertise. Coworking spaces are shared workplaces that allow members to rent out desks, offices, or suites and typically offer amenities like free high-speed internet, office supplies, and coffee. What makes coworking spaces attractive isnt just the cost-savings but also the innovative environments they cultivate. Some have attempted to capture the benefits of these business incubators online with mixed results. And as social-distancing requirements stretch on, many in the startup community fear that a generation of Philadelphia entrepreneurs is being denied an essential ingredient of success: each other. I often think of entrepreneurship as a roller coaster, said Jennifer Maher, CEO of the coworking space 1776. Theres ups and downs, and you need other people that are going through those same highs and lows to kind of balance out what youre feeling. Since the pandemic started, Maher and others at 1776 have tried to make that community virtual. They created a new membership level for online-only resources while the offices remain closed, providing access to exclusive programming, a mentor database, and an online portal to connect with other entrepreneurs. Theyve also opened several online workshops to the public, covering startup basics like raising capital or assembling a C-Suite team. But the transition to a virtual community hasnt been easy. When youre not physically coming together, you lose the social aspect of that water cooler chatter, of people just getting to know each other, Maher said. And virtual resources are only a feasible option for those with regular access to the internet and a private work area at home, she added. While 1776 has adopted new social distancing protocols and adjusted membership costs for those who continue to use their physical office space, Maher knows that this doesnt fully resolve the pandemics limitations. But were trying to continue to serve the neighborhoods were in and have people know that our workspaces are a safe environment for those able to come in. CIC Philadelphia, the local branch of a national network of coworking spaces, faced even more challenges for members using their laboratory space. We actually never fully closed, said CIC Philadelphia Director Sally Guzik. We had several companies that were deemed essential businesses, sometimes because they were lab scientists researching the COVID vaccine, so that kept us open. Like 1776, CIC has also implemented new social distancing and cleaning protocols to keep all areas of the coworking space open at limited occupancy. But much of the community has moved online. One program that CIC took virtual was their annual 36for75 initiative that allows 36 entrepreneurs free access to the coworking space for 75 days. Gaurang Bham, a recent Drexel graduate and founder and CEO of Phoodiea smart food delivery app startup was a member of the 2020 class. Before the pandemic, Bham enjoyed having a centralized location for his team. If a developer has to understand system architecture ideas, it helps to be in the same room with a whiteboard, he said. You can only do so much over Zoom. Bham recalls that one contact he made at a coworking space helped him set up connections with several local restaurants and food trucks, simply out of the goodness of his heart. Bham has maintained his existing social network since workplaces were driven online. But, Bham adds, hes had trouble increasing his network since the pandemic. When things are over a call, theres not as much motivation to reach out and meet people because its a more formal format, he said. Regular access to resources like these in-person communities, or even to reliable internet and office space, can bring a budding engineer closer to a breakthrough, argues Fox Business School Professor Alan Kerzner. A very good way to be financially independent is to start your own business, he said. It sure doesnt guarantee financial success, but if you find it, youre basically controlling your own destiny. Making sure these pathways are open to a diverse range of entrepreneurs can be an important step toward bridging the wealth gap. A 2018 research paper from the economic inclusion nonprofit Interise reported that the wealth associated with white Americans is ten times higher than those of Hispanic/Latino- and African-Americans, but the gap between white and African-American business owners decreases to a factor of three. Progress is hindered, however, if communal working groups are limited to online. If you dont have regular connectivity, it can be a real issue, Kerzner said. Even a highly productive work-from-home environment can only take new entrepreneurs so far. I still believe doing that face-to-face is much more effective. Entrepreneurs like MMURE founder ONeill hope to return to pre-pandemic collaboration. I 100% cant wait to get back to a coworking space, she said. Theres an energy about being around all of these people that feel like your co-workers, and I cant wait to be a part of it again. The Future of Work is produced with support from the William Penn Foundation and the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the projects donors. When Jennifer Murray became pregnant with a surprise third baby in late 2018, she found herself missing an important piece of the puzzle. Advertisement Advertise With Us When Jennifer Murray became pregnant with a "surprise" third baby in late 2018, she found herself missing an important piece of the puzzle. She didnt have a hospital bag, and had to "waddle" around Brandon putting one together herself. TYLER CLARKE/THE BRANDON SUN Friends and business partners Patricia McGarvey and Jennifer Murray hold up the bags they fill with all the necessities for pregnant womens trip to hospital. Murray has since joined friend/business partner Patricia McGarvey in filling this gap in the marketplace by compiling hospital bags for other pregnant women. Growing up in Ireland, Murray said its a tradition for the mothers or mothers-in-law of pregnant women to prepare hospital bags for them. Filled with things like toiletries, sanitary pads, breast pads, disposable underwear, lip balm and other important items, the bags are a necessity. "When youre heavily pregnant, the last thing you want to do is waddle from shop to shop," Murray said, adding this is exactly what she had to do, in the August heat. "The sweat was dripping off me, it wasnt particularly pleasant." McGarvey also from Ireland originally came upon a similar problem when pregnant with babies five through seven in Brandon. Her latest came a year ago in the dead of winter, which added its own difficulties. "In the wintertime, you dont want to step outside here," she said, the pain of a winter chill lingering in her voice. The duos home-based online business, Eires Leanai meaning Irish Babies has the two prepare hospital bags for women so they dont have to worry about this part of preparation. Despite many businesses faltering during the COVID-19 pandemic due to health regulations and concerns, theirs has started out on a positive note. With pregnant women already suffering the effects of hormonal imbalance, McGarvey said theyre more likely to feel extra anxiety when it comes to the virus. Having hospital bags ordered online at ultimatebabybags.ca and delivered to their doorstep nullifies the health concerns associated with visiting various stores. Although the businesss online format broadens its scope, it remains very much a local effort, with both women based in Brandon and offering free delivery within city limits. The two entrepreneurs path toward Eires Leanai (soon to be renamed Dottie and Grace after two of their daughters because few Canadians can pronounce their current name or know what it means) is full of coincidence. They both emigrated from Ireland to Canada within the past few years Murray seven years ago and McGarvey five and chose Brandon as their home. They grew up two hours from one another Murray in Dublin and McGarvey in Cookstown, Northern Ireland and married men named Mark Patrick. "We have a joke that Mark is the father we just dont know which one," Murray said with a laugh, the joke being McGarvey has come to believe her husband can get women pregnant by simply looking at them. The two connected approximately three years ago when McGarvey phoned SellOffVacations in Brandon, where Murray is employed. "I heard the accent, and no word of a lie weve been besties ever since," Murray said. "You seek people from home because of similarity and all the rest, but it feels like Ive known her for life, now." The two have expanded their business beyond basic hospital bags to include things like bags specifically for premature babies, which fathers can order online, have delivered or picked up and "take the credit for having his s--- together," McGarvey said. Murray and McGarvey are the featured guests on this weeks episode of the "Worked Up Moms" podcast, which is coming out Wednesday on both Spotify and SoundCloud. The weekly podcast is hosted by local moms Trina Bandura, Mandy Wark and Anna Dumas. tclarke@brandonsun.com Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB States Think They Know Best Limiting Local Authority Over the past couple of weeks, the city of Austin has purchased two hotels, pursuing a new tactic to address its serious homelessness problem. Much of the money is coming out of the police budget. Last year, the council approved shifting millions from policing to pay for supportive housing programs, as a public safety priority.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been a persistent critic of Austins decision to cut its police budget and divert funds for other uses. Defunding police is reckless and endangers lives, Abbott tweeted last month. We will defund cities that tried to defund police.Last year, the governor floated the idea of having the state take over policing for the center of Austin. He called on all Texas candidates last November to support a pledge against police funding cuts. Now, he supports legislation that would block cities from cutting their police budgets.Other states, including Arizona, Indiana and Louisiana, are also considering legislation that would block localities from reducing police or public safety budgets. We have to provide some certainty to people that this isnt going to happen, says Indiana state Sen. Mike Bohacek. Law enforcement is a service that is necessary and needed, and residents need assurances its not going to be used as a political tool.Policing isnt the only area where legislators are weighing new demands on localities. Education and health are hot topics as well. States such as Florida, Iowa and Tennessee are threatening to withhold funds from school districts that arent offering in-person instruction. We will not let any local government shut down schools, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last year. Were not going to let any local governments do these things. 2018 survey found that 70 percent of local health officials and 60 percent of mayors had abandoned or delayed policies due to the threat of state preemption. The coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated health preemption efforts. Bills have been introduced in roughly half the states to put new limits on public health authority, including their ability to shut businesses or impose mask mandates."Local government is a creation of the state," says Missouri Sen. Andrew Koenig, who is sponsoring health preemption legislation. "When it comes to shutting down businesses and taking people's rights away, the state government has a right to step in."Legislators like Koenig are responding to current conditions, but in a sense, their actions are nothing new. Over the past decade, state lawmakers have preempted local governments in a broad array of policy areas, preventing minimum wage increases, gun control laws, plastic bag bans and ordinances to protect gay and transgender rights. Although such high-profile battles have drawn the most attention, preemption has become habitual in some states, with legislators looking to micromanage areas such as parking regulation and building design requirements.Communities have a right and a responsibility to govern in a way thats most helpful to their constituents, but states are stepping in and preempting on a regular basis, says Julia Wolfe, an analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank, and coauthor of a study looking at preemption in the South The efforts to block localities from cutting public safety budgets represents a worrying new trend. Already, more than 40 states place limits on local taxing authority. If states are going to stop cities and counties from adopting their own spending priorities no matter how misguided they may be that raises the question of whether localities will be masters of their own fates or merely subservient branch offices of the state.Local governments are in a total bind, says Kim Haddow, director of the Local Solutions Support Center, which produced another recent preemption study . Youre going to limit our ability to raise taxes, and then youre going to tell us what we spend.In Indiana, bills have been filed both to have the state take over the Indianapolis police department and to block localities in general from reducing public safety budgets by more than five percent or, when times are bad, by more than a percentage reflecting overall revenue decline.Cities such as Austin and Los Angeles that decided to divert resources away from police did so in response to last years racial justice movement. Sen. Bohacek says he wanted to be proactive and make sure Indiana cities dont go down the same road. If cities want to spend more money on social services or try out experiments like buying a hotel to provide housing, he says, they can take it out of roads, they can take it out of parks, they can take it out of a lot of things.But not policing. Bohacek concedes that public safety often consumes more than half of local budgets, but says residents need certainty that police, fire and emergency services will be maintained. The consequences of not doing so, he says, are too great.And hes not sympathetic to arguments that local officials might want to rethink their own priorities and should have leeway to do so. He notes that cities and counties are created by the state and argues that the state needs to put up guardrails and make sure they do the right thing."I hear this argument that these are elected officials and if people dont like what they can do, they can vote them out, Bohacek says. But, he warns, You can do a lot of damage in four years.While Bohacek expresses doubt about the wisdom of locally-elected officials, part of the argument against local health orders is that theyve sometimes been issued by appointed or career staff.One of the things that this pandemic has really demonstrated is how much authority unelected bureaucrats actually possess, says Jonathon Hauenschild of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a conservative group that has drafted model legislation influencing bills that would curb the health powers of governors and local officials.The Missouri Legislature is considering a variety of ways to limit local health regulations . Health departments might be restricted to issuing orders and regulations for no more than 14 days out of a two-year period, unless they receive sign-off from the Legislature."It's very simple: People have constitutional rights," Sen. Koenig says. "I don't know why local control means that the local government can do whatever they want, even if it means violating people's rights."Koenig says health departments do have a role in inspecting restaurants for health violations, but contends that shutting them down en masse -- with the government choosing which businesses can stay open -- is going overboard. "Local control is actually you as an individual in a free society," he says. When Preemption Is a Habit But health experts argue that local officials need to have the flexibility to act fast based on local conditions. Being able to be nimble to address these problems is really critical, says Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at National Association of County and City Health Officials.Although the pandemic is affecting all communities, its not affecting all communities the same way at the same times. Casalotti notes that more aggressive testing and tracing can lead to hyperlocal responses, with officials detecting outbreaks down to the neighborhood level. Thats something state officials and certainly not legislators cant be on top of everywhere at once.Whats more, the coronavirus is not the only health challenge. Tools taken away now might be needed in the future. There have been hepatitis A outbreaks around the country in recent years, but they have not risen to the level of national attention or even necessarily been a priority for state lawmakers. There are public health crises that pop up all the time which are localized, Casalotti says.Hauenschild argues that the coronavirus pandemic clearly has everyones full attention. State officials have access to better data than local officials, he says. Some of the reason for preemption would be to make sure theres a uniform statewide standard for administration of the emergency and uniformity of response, he says.But if local officials need, in effect, to ask for permission to act, that can cause needless and harmful delays. Particularly when legislatures in most states only meet for a few months a year or, in a few cases, only every other year.It would be like saying the patient can go into the ICU, but youre going to have to call me up every hour to get my approval, says Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association. And, by the way, Im not going to be by the phone.Sanchez, a former Texas health commissioner, says its critical that policymakers and stakeholders at all levels hold discussions once the pandemics over about how to rectify policies and systems that turned out to be inadequate or misguided. Hauenschild raises an important point when he notes that emergency powers acts were generally written decades ago to address different sorts of crises than a pandemic that will soon hit the one-year mark.But its one thing to try to build the plane and fly it at the same time, as is often said during a crisis. Its another thing to ground the plane entirely. Ordering that time-tested health techniques be discarded while the pandemic is still taking lives is a bad mistake, Sanchez argues. What you want to get built in are appropriate checks and balances, as opposed to hard stops and taking away rights, he says.State preemption efforts used to be about setting floors making sure minimal standards are followed everywhere. The current trend is to erect ceilings, blocking cities and counties from going further than the state as a whole. As new technologies emerge, states are keeping localities from making their own decisions over things like cell tower placement, notes Angelina Panettieri, a legislative director with the National League of Cities.This isnt a grassroots uprising of people deciding this is what they want, she says. This is being driven by big companies with deep pockets that are able to invest in a lot of lobbyists who can change the regulations that affect their bottom lines.Wolfe notes that theres often a racial element at work. You have these predominantly white state legislators making decisions and setting ceilings that keep communities of color from putting into place policies, Wolfe says.If not always racial, theres certainly a paternalistic attitude at work, with state officials convinced they know better than mayors and county commissioners about what policies work on the ground. Back in 2016, Arizona enacted a law that allows any legislator to challenge local ordinance as potentially conflicting with state law. If the attorney general agrees, the locality loses state funding.Abbott has called for a broad-based law in Texas to block local regulations, rather than taking multiple rifle-shot approaches at preemption. It seems like the logical next step.Maybe states are signaling that there shouldnt be a sense of local power, says Lori Riverstone-Newell, an expert on preemption at Illinois State University, that there really should be a subordination of local governments to the state. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an almost 80% decrease in primary care office visits in Ontario and a 56-fold increase in virtual visits, found new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). "Initial reports from primary care providers during the pandemic in both Canada and the United States showed major disruptions to care, decreased payments, challenges keeping offices functioning, lack of personal protective equipment and widespread uptake of virtual care, but we didn't know how COVID-19 had affected in-person office visits," says Dr. Rick Glazier, senior scientist at ICES, researcher at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital and lead author of the study. In this study to understand the impact of the pandemic on primary care, researchers from ICES and Unity Health Toronto looked at billing information for primary care from March to July 2019 compared with March to July 2020, during the pandemic. They found that Total primary care visits decreased by 28% from 7.66 to 5.51 per 1000 people per day Older and sicker Ontarians experienced the smallest decline in total visits Rural residents experienced an increase in total visits of 6.4% Virtual care (telephone and video) made up 71.1% of all visits in 2020 compared with 1.2% billed before the pandemic Total office visits declined abruptly in March 2020 and increased in the following months but were still lower in July 2020 than the previous year. "Our findings are reassuring because the groups with the highest care needs, including those older than 65 and those with higher morbidity, maintained higher levels of care. At the same time, there was an overall decrease in care, and we don't know how much of that decrease was for care that could reasonably be deferred and how much was for care that was needed but missed," says Dr. Tara Kiran, senior author of the study, family doctor at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto and scientist at ICES. Provincial and territorial governments are currently paying primary care physicians for telephone and video visits, although the future of this type of care after the pandemic is unknown. "Canadians appear to be highly satisfied with virtual care and up to one-third would like virtual care to be the first point of contact after the pandemic. There is support for virtual care to be covered by employer health plans, posing challenges to continuity of care and equity, if virtual care is not publicly funded in the future," the authors write. ### "Shifts in office and virtual primary care during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada" is published February 8, 2021. As concerns over hosting the San Antonio Stock Show and rodeo grow (and go on to include a change.org petition), others are turning to drive-thru events to keep festivities going. Frost Bank is inviting the public to an old-fashioned drive-thru Chuck Wagon breakfast and lunch, according to a press release. Select Frost locations will bring a socially-distanced rodeo event complete with Chuck Wagon that will be serving eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, cobbler, brisket, beans and more. There will even be a fiddler to perform live music as cars wait in line to add to the rodeo spirit. The event is free and open to the public. See select Frost location dates and times to attend. Mumbai, Feb 8 : Sunny Leone has refuted cheating claims levelled against her, saying that half-baked information is as dangerous as misreporting. On her part, she has alleged lack of timely payment in the concerned deal. Last week, Sunny was questioned by Kerala Police at a private resort in Thiruvananthapuram. The interrogation was conducted following a complaint filed by an events manager in Kochi in an alleged cheating case. R. Shiyas, who conducts events in and around Kochi, had filed a complaint with the Kerala DGP alleging that Sunny had taken Rs 29 lakh from him while promising to attend various inaugural functions in the state but failed to do so. The case is related to a 2019 event. She has now accused the events organiser for sharing incorrect information, and hopes that law will take its course. "Half information is as dangerous as misreporting. And this is yet another case of the same. I want to set the record straight," Sunny said. "As an artiste, work is worship for me. I was nothing but gracious, understanding even moving my schedule multiple times over the organisers. But they wouldn't commit to a set date. It is customary that to lock an actor's time, an advance has to be paid upfront, which wasn't done till the nth hour," she continued. There's absolutely no chance that if I have set a date and time for an event, I wouldn't show up," Sunny added. "But due to a lack of timely payment from their end coupled with the fact that they dilly dallied on finalising the date, I bowed out. I have other commitments in Poovar. These are testing times and we have been shooting round the clock, putting ourselves at risk, to make sure the industry is back on its feet. Such slanderous claims and unethical behaviour on part of the event co-ordinators are deeply hurtful and unsolicited. I have already given the statement to the investigating officers and they are investigating the co-ordinators as well. Let law take its course," she further said. Sunny is currently in Thiruvananthapuram district, where she is shooting for the new season of "MTV Splitsvilla". According to a source, the event "was constantly getting rescheduled, eventually clashing with her other work engagements". "Moreover, the fees never paid in its entirety. Rs 12.50 lakh, which was to be paid seven days before the event as per the agreement, is yet to be cleared. She, however, has graciously agreed to attend the event if it matches her schedule," claimed the source. The source also claimed that there were around five other celebrities who backed out from the event due to similar experience with the organisers, which is currently being investigated. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text by Vladimir Rozanskij Long queues of cars wait for hours to fill their tanks. Many are left without; with the danger the vehicles will be blocked by cold until the spring thaw. Director of the National Institute for Statistics forecasts the need for ration cards for many consumer goods. Moscow (AsiaNews) - An energy crisis is underway in the Far Eastern territories of Russia, between the banks of the Amur River (on the border with China) and the Pacific coast. After having suspended production at the NNK-Khabarovskij NPZ refinery - officially due to restructuring and modernization of the plants - there are problems for the supplies of AI-92 and AI-98 (Super and Super lead-free) petrol in various regions of the area. The inhabitants of Khabarovsk and the coastal area of Primorsky speak of total fuel shortages, and the same is also true in the Amur region and in the autonomous Jewish region of Birobizhan. The NNK factory was operational until January 30th; after that, kilometric queues began forming at all the service stations, without the guarantee of access to fuel. Making matters worse during the coldest days of this winter - even down to -40 / -50 degrees below zero owners have to keep their car engines running for a long time, often even at night, with the risk of not being able to restart the engine until the spring thaw. One inhabitant of Khabarovsk, Aleksandr Larionov, says: I decided to get up at 4 and I managed to get petrol by miracle, after a few kilometres of queuing; a friend of mine stayed in the queue from one in the morning until 5, and by the time he got to the station, the petrol was out". The vice-president of the regional government, Anatolij Litvinchuk, said that the supplies were guaranteed, but not all the convoys of tankers reached their destination. In his opinion, the situation will normalize in a few days, but the population has very little faith in the promises of the administration, which has been fiercely contested for almost a year after the arrest of governor Sergej Furgal, who was fighting corruption. Negotiations are currently underway with other oil companies in the country. They should ensure the operation of at least 30% of the service stations, but it is not known which of them will be in operation: finding gas for ones care will become a sort of treasure hunt. The psychological mechanisms of Soviet times are back, when a lack in basic consumer goods was the norm: where there is a long queue, it is worth getting in line. Another Soviet custom is the full tank of speculators, who then resell the fuel on the black market. In addition to the problem of refuelling, the queues for gasoline undermine the circulation of traffic, except in areas completely without gas stations. The cars in the queue, in fact, completely occupy one of the two carriageways of the routes, creating inextricable traffic jams. The contradictory messages that citizens share on social media only add to the confusion on the streets of cities and provinces. Many petrol stations also work only with credit cards, which are not accessible to all citizens. These facts confirm that Russia is taking many steps backwards at the economic level, as stated in a February 5 report by the same Court of Auditors. Pavel Malkov, director of the National Institute for Statistics (Rosstat), believes it will soon become inevitable to ration various consumer products with the card system, another reminder of Soviet times. The slide towards absolute poverty levels of many citizens had already begun in 2015, after the introduction of sanctions and the economic crisis. The year of the pandemic accelerated the freefall, which it is hoped will slow down after the mass vaccination of the population, which began early in the year. Worst Cooks in America winner Ariel Robinson, who has been charged with beating her adopted white daughter to death, tweeted about her three white children's privilege after adopting them to 'complete' her black family. Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry, 34, are both in jail on suspicion of beating their adopted three-year-old daughter Victoria to death on January 14 at their home in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The black couple have two biological sons. In February 2020, they adopted three white children - Victoria and her two biological brothers. It's unclear why Victoria and her brothers were put up for adoption. They have not been accused of harming any of the boys. On social media, Robinson gushed that they 'completed' her family and allowed her to teach all of her children equality by parenting them the same way despite their different races. But on January 14, the couple called 911 to report that Victoria was unresponsive. She later died in the hospital and doctors gave blunt force trauma as the cause. Her biological extended family now say that she and the two white boys were being abused by the Robinsons for months and that the system 'failed' them. It's unclear why the children went to live with the Robinsons rather than with any of their biological relatives. Police are yet to provide a motive for the suspected abuse. Ariel Robinson and her husband Jerry are in jail on suspicion of homicide by child abuse charges. The couple have two biological sons (far right). In February 2020, they adopted Victoria Rose (left) and her two biological brothers. Ariel gushed on social media about how the three new kids completed their blended family. Victoria died from blunt force trauma injuries on January 14, 2021 The couple in their mugshots. On January 14, they are thought to have called 911 because Victoria was unresponsive. The police report is largely redacted but they made reference to an incident the day before that they said may have caused the child's injuries On social media, Robinson portrayed her family as being happy, 'complete' and 'diverse'. She said she was 'invested' in tackling systemic racism and used her blended family as a proof of it. On January 6, after the Capitol riot, she tweeted about the different privileges the kids have based on their skin color. 'In my house, my black children get treated the same as my white children, and my white children get treated the same as my black children. 'It's a shame that when they go out into the real world, that won't be the case. #whiteprivilege #BlackLivesMatter,' she said. She then tweeted about being a mother to 'four beautiful boys' but said nothing about Victoria. On January 6, after the Capitol riot, Robinson tweeted about how some of her kids have white privilege and others don't On social media, Robinson said she was obsessed' with the children. She posted photos of them being a happy, blended family Victoria is shown, left, before she was adopted and right, less than a year later. Her biological extended family say she was abused from the start and that the system 'failed' her The siblings' have a large biological extended family who are now speaking out to say the system failed them but it's unclear why none of them could care for the kids before the were put up for adoption 'It's a shame that as a proud mom to 4 beautiful boys, I can't protect them from the reality and evil of this world once they leave the house. However, I will fight and use my voice to make a difference. 'To bring awareness and change so that one day, that change will come.' In another tweet, she said: 'I will never have to worry about my white sons and that makes me happy. What makes me sad is that every worry I don't have for them will be multiplied for my black sons. Until this is fixed, we are NOT the USA we can be. Justice, fairness & equality for all! #BlackLivesMatter.' On January 11, three days before allegedly beating Victoria to death, she posted a collage of photographs of the pair on Twitter. She captioned it: 'We go together like ketchup & MUSTARD! #MiniMe Being a girl mom is awesome'. The last thing she posted on social media the day Victoria died was about her weight loss struggles. Police were called to the family's home in Simpsonville, North Carolina, at 2.16pm on January 14. Robinson and her husband are thought to have called 911, telling the operator Victoria was unresponsive. Much of the police report is redacted but they hinted something had happened the day before that might have made Victoria lose consciousness. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Robinson posted these photos of Victoria days before her death. She captioned them: 'We go together like ketchup and mustard' The Robinsons with their two biological sons before they adopted the three white children Robinson won Season 2020 of Worst Cooks in America. The show has now been pulled by the Food Network Doctors ruled the cause of her injuries as multiple blunt force trauma, and the couple was arrested. Victoria's biological family has since spoken out to say the system failed her. The children's biological mother has not been identified. But their maternal great-aunt, Stacey Phares, told Greenville News: 'As a family, we feel like the system failed. We trusted the system.' They are now campaigning on social media and with a Change.org petition for an overhaul to adoption screening laws in Victoria's name. Authorities have not brought any charges against the couple for allegedly abusing any of the other kids. On Instagram last year, before the adopted children went to live with them, Robinson said: 'They are perfect in every way possible. They are going to be the perfect addition to our family. 'They are the missing puzzle pieces and they will complete our family.' She earlier described how the family had been selected by an adoption agency to take the three kids home with them. Cancer Histopathologic image of colonic carcinoid. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 Colorectal cancer screening rates jumped by more than 1,000 percent when researchers sent take-at-home tests to patients overdue for testing at a community health center that predominantly serves people of color. Instead of the oft-standard text message that simply reminds a patient that they are overdue for screening, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania made it the default to send a take-at-home test to the patient's home unless they opted out via a text message prompt. The research was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. "Colorectal cancer screening rates remain limited in underserved populations, which includes those in the clinic we partnered with," Shivan Mehta, MD, associate chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine and an assistant professor of Medicine. "We saw that there is an opportunity to use text messaging and new insights from behavioral science to increase uptake." Colorectal cancer can be especially deadly if it is not discovered early enough for curative treatment. Across the United States, regular screening rates are relatively low, particularly in community health centers, where less than half of eligible patients are up-to-date. One study, in particular, found that the number of deaths from colorectal cancer among Black people was 40 percent higher than in white people, and 100 percent higher than in Asian/Pacific Islanders. One method consistently used to boost screenings is the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). These kits just require a stool sample from a patientwhich can be provided at homethat are then returned to a laboratory by mail and analyzed for the trace blood associated with colorectal cancer. While a colonoscopy remains the gold standard because it is the most thorough check and only needs to be completed once every 10 years, FIT kits are much easier for patients to handle and likely to be completed, even though they only clear a patient for a year. Looking to increase low completion rates, the researchersled by Mehta and the study's first author, Sarah Huf, MBBS, a former Commonwealth Fund Fellow at Penn and now an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College Londondecided to focus on completing FIT kits. As such, they randomly split a group of more than 400 patients overdue for screenings into two equal arms: one that just received a single reminder text and another that received FIT kits unless patients sent a response to an introduction text to say that they didn't want them. Almost 90 percent of these patients were Black, and half were Medicaid beneficiaries. From March to May 2018, these patients were enrolled to either receive the reminder text (the control group) or to receive the FIT kit pending an opt-out (the intervention group). The latter group also received up to three follow-up texts with messages based on proven behavioral science techniques to nudge them into returning the kits. By the end of the period studied (12 weeks from when each patient received their first text message) a little more than 2 percent of the patients in the control group had completed a FIT kit or had a colonoscopy. But for the intervention arm of the study, nearly 20 percent had done the same. When looking purely at FIT kit return rates, the intervention arm increased by more than 17 percentage points. In the control, it was less than two. And while screening rates did remain relatively low, the improvement showed great promise for the population served. "It is important to note that this is a population at a community health center that may not routinely seek out medical care, especially preventive care, so there is a low baseline screening rate," Huf explained. "Future interventions may need to address issues such as reading comprehension and not having a stable place to live." What was especially important for the type of clinic this study was performed in was the cost to apply it. For the 200 patients in the intervention arm, it only cost about $150. "For these types of health clinics, minimizing cost is critical for sustainability since they have many competing health priorities for their patients," Mehta said. Moving forward, Mehta and his fellow researchers plan to explore how best to offer the choice of colonoscopy or FIT kits to patients in the populations that receive care at this type of health center. Explore further Providing more testing choices does not increase colorectal cancer screening rates More information: Sarah W. Huf et al. Text Messaging and Opt-out Mailed Outreach in Colorectal Cancer Screening: a Randomized Clinical Trial, Journal of General Internal Medicine (2021). Journal information: Journal of General Internal Medicine Sarah W. Huf et al. Text Messaging and Opt-out Mailed Outreach in Colorectal Cancer Screening: a Randomized Clinical Trial,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06415-8 Stamford and Darien and our surrounding communities are the crown jewels of the state of Connecticut. Im running to be your state senator for the 27th district (which covers much of Stamford, and most of Darien south of Interstate-95) to make them even better. As a Stamford native and graduate of our public schools, I know firsthand the incredible opportunities our community provides to an ordinary family like the one I grew up in (well, they were extraordinary to me, but Ill assume you know what I mean). Quality schools; natural beauty; community; and diversity across every conceivable dimension: these are just a few things afforded to every family and child privileged to call Stamford or Darien their home. I know our communities have a bright future, so long as we get our priorities straight in Hartford. That is why I will bring forward-thinking ideas to benefit our community that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can all unite behind, including: Providing business and economic relief: As your state senator, I will propose the Just Compensation Act of 2021, which will compensate business owners for losses caused by restrictions imposed on their activities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. When the government takes private property for a public use, like building a new school, or widening a city street, it is obligated to pay just compensation to the property owner. The same logic applies to government regulations which prevent a business from operating. It is our duty to provide just compensation to businesses whose operations have been shuttered by COVID-19 restrictions, and we should do all we can to eliminate unreasonable business restrictions to alleviate such harm imposed in the first place. Empowering local government to do whats best for their communities. Far too often, the impact of state law on our municipal budgets and operations is overlooked. Take Stamfords labor agreements with our public employees, for example. Mayor David Martin and his administration deserve credit for reforming our public sector labor agreements to protect both our employees and the taxpayer. But the mayor is fighting an uphill battle. Because of the state law known as MERA (the Municipal Employees Relations Act), it is incredibly difficult for Stamford and Darien and their employees to negotiate sensible collective bargaining agreements, as such agreements are subject to binding arbitration. Lets reform MERA, and allow our municipalities and their employees freedom when negotiating labor contracts. Local government, and not the state, should be in the drivers seat whenever possible. Making Connecticut a center for technology and innovation. Just as Delaware is the corporate law capital of the country, Connecticut can become our nations cryptocurrency and digital asset capital. Connecticut has tremendous financial and intellectual capital in our state and the surrounding areas, and can attract significant investments in the technology, blockchain, and cryptocurrency space by being proactive and creating a comprehensive legal and regulatory environment supportive of blockchain innovation, including clarifying the state tax implications of owning, selling, and trading digital assets, updating our states Uniform Commercial Code, and enacting consumer protection laws for users of cryptocurrency and other digital assets. With the right priorities in Hartford, Connecticut can and will become a hub for innovation and technology. Unfortunately, our state government threatens our continued prosperity. Look no further than the proposed statewide property tax which would raise taxes on homes worth $430,000 or more. A good legislator must be ready to say no repeatedly, to bad ideas such as this new property tax, and I will say no: no to new tolls, new taxes, school regionalization, and to Hartford taking control of local zoning laws. I will be a voice of sanity in Hartford, and I will be firmly focused on keeping the cost of living down as much as possible, and control of local government in the hands of our local officials. While Stamford and Darien are not without their challenges, I trust in our communities future success and vibrancy. Only our state government which has been headed in the wrong direction for far too long can get in our way. As your state senator, I promise to bring a new approach to Hartford. I will be A New Voice for Stamford and Darien. I hope to have your support in the special election on March 2 at your normal polling place or earlier by absentee ballot. Joshua Esses is the Republican-endorsed candidate for the 27th state Senate district. His website is www.EssesforCT.com. Manitobas new COVID-19 case numbers and test positivity rates continued to drop over the weekend as health officials mull a further loosening of pandemic restrictions in time for the long weekend. Manitobas new COVID-19 case numbers and test positivity rates continued to drop over the weekend as health officials mull a further loosening of pandemic restrictions in time for the long weekend. The province announced 80 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths Sunday with the most cases and all deaths in the capital city. Of the new cases, 31 were identified in Winnipeg, with 28 cases in the Northern health region, nine in the Prairie Mountain health region, eight in the Southern Health-Sante Sud region and four cases in the Interlake-Eastern region for a total 30,237 lab-confirmed cases of the virus since the onset of the pandemic. The province is reporting 3,256 active cases of the virus and 26,135 people who have recovered from COVID-19. Sundays deaths include one man in his 70s, one man in his 90s and a man in his 100s from the Winnipeg health region, as well as one woman in her 80s linked to the outbreak at the Poseidon Care Centre in Winnipeg. The provinces five-day test positivity rate continues to improve, ringing in at 6.1 per cent provincially and 3.8 per cent in Winnipeg. Lab data indicates 1,434 tests were completed Saturday for a total 489,506 tests completed since February 2020. As the city's rate falls towards three per cent, it approaches the level of positivity the province said in the summer would lead to changes in restrictions. Last week, provincial officials said they were considering relaxing restrictions when the current public health order expires on Feb. 13. All child-care providers working in licensed child-care centres, nursery schools and family or group child-care homes which includes eligible early child development specialists and autism applied behaviour analysts will soon be able to access rapid testing. Appointments at the pilot test site, located at 1066 Nairn Ave. in Winnipeg, will be open to these child-care providers on Monday. As caseloads and test positivity rates continue to drop in southern Manitoba, provincial leaders are considering relaxing some pandemic restrictions when current health orders expire on Feb. 13. Among proposed changes, public health officials are considering the resumption of in-person religious services though current restrictions have not been a limitation for some groups. South of Steinbach on Sunday, the Church of God Restoration gathered for another indoor service. "If they could, theyd shut us down, but theres a power on our side," Church of God minister Tobias Tissen told the congregation during the service, which was posted online, as he gestured towards the outside of the building. An RCMP spokeswoman said officers were in a support role at the church, about 15 kilometres south of Steinbach, as Manitoba Justice and the public health inspectors monitored for non-compliance. The church, which has been sanctioned multiple times for public health violations, posted a similar livestream video last Sunday. Though cases may be improving in the south, ongoing case spikes in remote northern communities have prompted military intervention. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to Pauingassi First Nation on Saturday to respond to an ongoing outbreak in the community of just over 600 people, according to a social media post from the Armed Forces. The community, located some 280 km north of Winnipeg, has been under strict lockdown all week; band operations and schools have been closed, public gatherings prohibited and residents are asked to stay home except for essential trips. The Southern Chiefs Organization took to social media Friday to note that more than 25 per cent of Pauingassi community members had tested positive for the virus. The province also announced on Sunday that the outbreaks at Le Chalet de La Broquerie assisted living facility in La Broquerie and Deer Lodge Centre, Lodge 2 West in Winnipeg have been declared over. with files from Grant Burr julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Beginning Monday, school districts across New Mexico will assume greater responsibility for deciding when its safe to put students, teachers and staff back together in classrooms and schools. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams announcement in her State of the State address gives school districts a green light to expand in-person options, as long as districts have met certain safety conditions. Those of us in the business community are familiar with meeting safety conditions in our operations and in our county to expand in-person services. Many districts may decide not to expand in-person learning right away, and thats probably the way it should be. These are important decisions and should be made only after a district has thoroughly reviewed its individual situation. But those who are ready who have, among other steps, upgraded air filters and improved indoor air quality, moved desks 6 feet apart, marked hallways with stand here stickers and stockpiled cleaning supplies and masks can move a step closer to the normal we all miss, a normal that is good for students, good for working parents and good for New Mexico. The states plan provides school districts with a range of options, including in-person for very small schools, hybrid and remote learning formats provided they meet the statewide criteria. Schools form the base of the pyramid that our economy is built on. They both educate the workforce of the future and make it possible for parents the workforce of the present to return to work and/or pursue higher education or vocational training they need to get ahead. Many of New Mexicos workers, as essential workers, have kept going to work during the pandemic while struggling to find adequate care for children who are attending school remotely. Expanded in-person learning will provide the sorely needed support to these working families and a critical first step in restoration and recovery of our economy. When the virus first arrived last March and little was known about it, the governor quickly moved to protect public safety, including the closure of public schools. In the fall, following an evidence-based review and analysis of conditions, some districts were allowed to bring students back a couple days a week, alternating between groups. The permission was linked to the virus data in the county where a school was located, and to rigorous requirements that the science at the time recommended, including mask-wearing, social distancing and improvements to indoor air quality. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ In her address, the governor once again exhibited her sincere desire to continue balancing the safety of New Mexicans with the challenging needs of our economy. Interestingly, the timing of the governors announcement coincided with new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention citing evidence that in-person instruction can be safe with mask-wearing and social distancing, just as New Mexico requires. That said, the very same CDC guidance linked the safety of in-person learning to continued adherence to COVID Safe Practices, along with the NM COVID-Safe Practices. By continuing to follow these safe practices, our children will be given the very best chance to stay in the classroom with their teachers and friends and give our businesses the best chance to expand their offerings. Our top priority has been and will remain the safety and well-being of all New Mexicans. Until we have beaten this pandemic, we need to proceed with caution and support the fact-based decisions that have worked for New Mexico. The decision and plan to expand in-person learning, at the discretion of individual school districts, is the right one and at the right time. A new banknote has caused havoc in the Syrian economy, writes Alsouria Net. The introduction of a new 5,000 Syrian pound banknote has sent prices soaring and caused the currency to drop against the US dollar. The first effect was the deterioration of the pounds exchange rate, reaching its lowest value in history; on Sunday, the Syrian pound reached 3,200 pounds per dollar. On Jan. 24, 2021, the Central Bank launched the new banknote, at which time the exchange rate was 2,910 pounds per dollar, rising to 3,000 pounds within two weeks. After the currency was introduced, economists and analysts, most notably the former Minister of Economy Lamia Assi, feared that the introduction of the currency would lead to an increase in the money supply in the market, which would lead to a decrease in the exchange rate. As for the second effect of the new banknotes introduction, the prices of basic materials have risen dramatically over the past few days, according to the pro-regime newspaper, Al-Watan. The newspaper stated, quoting economics professor at Damascus University Shafiq Arbash, that prices have increased between 25 and 30 percent. The newspaper emphasized that prices are rising without any account or control that violators are afraid of. The Secretary of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Muhammad al-Hallaq, considered the price soaring a result of the high exchange rate, and not the introduction of the new cash category. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. From the just-drinks cellars What happened in drinks on this day in This time last year, competition watchdogs in Australia gave the green light to the Asahi Group purchase of Anheuser-Busch InBevs Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) unit in the country. The US division of Heineken denied breaking the law after alcohol watchdogs in the country fined the brewer US$2.5m for allegedly supplying on-premise outlets with its draught beer system free of charge. Anheuser-Busch InBevs Bud Light bore the brunt of accelerating volume declines in US mainstream lager in 2017. Back in early-2017, just-drinks sat down with the CEO of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Hugues Lechanoine, to discuss the family-owned wine companys flagship brand, Mouton Cadet, as well as the sponsorship opportunities available to wine brands and the issues facing wine brand owners in emerging markets. Thematic Reports Are you worried about the pace of innovation in your industry? GlobalData's TMT Themes 2021 Report tells you everything you need to know about disruptive tech themes and which companies are best placed to help you digitally transform your business. Find out more 2016 Hybrid soft drinks may confuse consumers Soft drinks brand owners risk consumer confusion in the US as they fuse drinks categories to create hybrid beverages, research suggested. Heinekens Tecate lager brand secured an official sponsorship arrangement in the US for 2015s world title boxing fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Germanys Wild launched its Capri-Sun brand in India seven years ago, creating four flavours specially formulated for the market. Coca-Cola Amatil was looking to save up to AUD285,000 (US$297,000) a year by producing a new bottle it claimed would be the lightest in the global Coca-Cola system. Neither Heineken nor the UB Group would be drawn on speculation in 2012 suggesting the Dutch brewer was poised to raise its stake in UBs United Breweries unit. 2011 Grupo Aje to consider IPO Latin American cola producer Grupo Aje was considering an initial public offering in 2011, according to reports. For further details on how to subscribe to just-drinks, click here After tweeting in support of the farmers' protest in India, former adult star Mia Khalifa has now taken a jibe at Priyanka Chopra in her latest tweet. Apparently, she is upset with the Quantico actress for not speaking up as the rage around the protest continues to aggravate post American pop star Rihanna's tweet. Mia compared Priyanka's silence with Shakira's Beirut devastation and wrote on her Twitter page, "Is Mrs. Jonas going to chime in at any point? I'm just curious. This is very much giving me shakira during the Beirut devastation vibes. Silence." See her tweet. Is Mrs. Jonas going to chime in at any point? Im just curious. This is very much giving me shakira during the Beirut devastation vibes. Silence. Mia K. (@miakhalifa) February 7, 2021 It is to be noted here that Priyanka Chopra was one of the first ones from the Bollywood brigade to tweet in support of the farmers last year. The actress had tweeted, "Our farmers are India's Food Soldiers. Their fears need to be allayed. Their hopes need to be met. As a thriving democracy, we must ensure that this crises is resolved sooner than later." Priyanka Chopra's tweet had received backlash from Kangana Ranaut who had accused the actress of instigating the farmers. In a series of tweets, Kangana had written, "People like @diljitdosanjh and @priyankachopra will be hailed by the left media for misleading and encouraging farmers protests, pro Islamists and anti India film industry and brands will flood them with offers and English/living in colonial hangover media houses will felicitate them with awards, the problem is whole system is designed to make anti nationals flourish and grow and we are too less in numbers against a corrupt system, but I am sure magic will happen in every fight of GOOD versus EVIL, evil has been much stronger, JAI SHRI RAM." The ongoing farmers' protest has caught global attention after international pop star Rihanna, teenage activist Greta Thunberg and other foreign celebrities tweeted to show their solidarity with them. On the other hand, Bollywood has a divided opinion on the protest. While stars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and others extended their support to Ministry of External Affair's statement slamming foreign celebrities for commenting on the matter, other celebrities like Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker and others called out their industry colleagues for posting identical tweets on farmers' protest. ALSO READ: Mia Khalifa Tweets In Support Of The Farmers' Protest; Becomes A Top Trend On Twitter ALSO READ: Jacqueline Fernandez's Friend Amanda Cerny Ready To Not Be Part Of Bollywood For Supporting Farmers' Protests Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday (February 8, 2021) shot dead a Pakistani intruder along the India-Pakistan international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district. The incident took place at around 9:45 AM on Monday in area of BOP Chak Faquira, Sector Samba, Kathua, Jammu. "On 08 Feb' 2021 at about 0945 hrs, ever vigilant BSF troops observed a Pak Intruder heading towards BS fence near BP No 64 in area of BOP Chak Faquira, Sector Samba, Distt Kathua, Jammu," said BSF. They added, "Despite repeated warnings, intruder kept moving under suspicious circumstances and approached fencing in an aggressive manner towards BS fence and was fired upon by BSF troops. Dead body of 01 Pak intruder presently recovered. Distance from IB apprx 40 mtr (own side)." Despite repeated warnings, intruder kept moving under suspicious circumstances & approached fencing in an aggressive manner towards BS fence and was fired upon by BSF troops. Dead body of 01 Pak intruder presently recovered. Distance from IB apprx 40 mtr (own side).#NationFirst BSF (@BSF_India) February 8, 2021 According to Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, NS Jamwal, the intruder could be a terrorist guide who had come for a reconnaissance or was carrying something to deliver on this side of the border. Jamwal informed that it was around 2.30 am that the alert BSF personnel noticed suspicious movement and kept a close watch on the intruder who hid himself in the bushes. He added, "Again at around 9.45 am, he started moving aggressively towards the border fence and was repeatedly warned by the sentry who fired a few rounds." Live TV AMHERST During Saturdays remote meeting of the four towns comprising the regional school system, Amherst Town Councilors said lack of consensus on a method to determine the amount each municipality should pay for grade 7-12 education could lead to the districts demise. The Amherst officials did not go into detail at the Feb. 6 meeting on what a break-up might look like such as whether some of them might advocate completely divorcing town from regional district, or remain with one or two of the other communities in the school system. At issue is a state formula, in effect since 1993, that apportions local assessments using wealth-based criteria premised on a municipalitys ability to pay versus a straight head-count method. Amherst-Pelham regional district also includes Leverett and Shutesbury. The district has not adopted the state formula. It uses a hybrid model that combines about half of the headcount method and about half the state formula. The regional school system, formed 40 years ago, is for grades 7-12 and does not include the elementary schools in the four towns. Amherst is the largest community with nearly 40,000 residents, and as such pays the lions share of the regional school costs, having the most students. Leverett and Shutesbury populations are between 1,800 and 1,900, and Pelham about 1,300 residents When the district was formed, a regional agreement the four towns signed delineated how assessments would be apportioned. They agreed to use headcount as the criteria, which at the time was the way this was done. Thats what we all agreed to when we formed the region; we had a compact forty years ago when we joined the region, Amherst Town Council Andrew Steinberg said. He is also chairman of the Councils Finance Committee. Steinberg said retaining elements of the headcount arrangement is necessary. He said that apportioning assessments otherwise using 100% of the state formula - is going to destroy this region. In 1993 following lawsuits seeking to force the state to more fairly apportion education aid to cities and towns, and provide more resources to less wealthy or poorer communities the legislature approved the landmark Education Reform Act. The Act created rules that said state aid would be based on a municipalitys ability to pay. The Chapter 70 law describes rules for this wealth-based formula: for disbursement of state aid; and a concordant wealth-based formula for local contributions the assessments to fund public schools in Massachusetts cities and towns. For stand-alone districts not part of a regional school system, calculating the amount to fund the municipalitys education only involves the communitys local school board and its city council, or town meeting, depending on the form of government. In regional school systems, each municipality participates in budget approval process. The states wealth-based formula says using student head counts, to apportion each towns assessment is not an option -- unless there is consensus of all the towns in a regional district to do so. Otherwise, assessments must use the wealth-based formula, according to the 1993 education reforms -- that is, unless town meetings and/or city councils in a district all agree to use an assessment method deviating from the state formula. The Act was updated in 2007, when each towns wealth and its ability to pay was calculated using an improved method to ascertain both property values, and personal income in a community. The Amherst-Pelham district has used a hybrid. The district uses 45% of the wealth-based state formula, and also 55% of strictly student head counts, per the regional agreement. There had been some movement in recent years for the district to transition fully to the state formula. During Saturdays meeting, Amherst, Leverett and Pelham officials, said they are not interested in using a 100% wealth-based formula to apportion the assessments. Shutesbury finance committee members, and the towns administrator, at the Saturday meeting, expressed concern at unwillingness to transition to the state formula. They said the district has had nearly three decades to comply with the wealth-based assessment formula the Education Reform Act had mandated. Data from department of revenue, and the state department of elementary and secondary education, indicate Shutesburys ability to pay is the lowest of the four towns, meaning it is the least wealthy community in the regional district. State data says Leverett, by comparison, has the greatest ability to pay, followed by Pelham and then Amherst. Shutesbury finance committee member Bob Groves said, Amherst has resources that other towns dont have. If we had adopted the state assessment formula when it came out this conversation might not be happening, he said. This budget has to be approved by every town and Shutesbury town meeting may not approve a budget at odds with the states assessment method, he said. One thing that rings true, Amherst Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke said after Groves spoke, is that the regional agreement seems the most fair. Amherst and Pelham are paying a lot more per pupil than Leverett and Shutesbuary and that seems unfair, she said. As Andy said, using the state formula to calculate assessments could lead to disintegration of this district, she said. We have a regional agreement; we should stick with that agreement, Hanneke said. During the meeting a Pelham official said: our goal is full regional agreement and/or stay at 45 percent; 35 percent would be better. Julie Shively, Chair of Leverett Select Board said: Leverett has never wanted to progress towards 100% of the state formula. Shutesbury Town Administrator Rebecca Torres said, I am disheartened by position Amherst has taken. This abrupt dismissal of those efforts I find shocking, she said. Equity issues has been out there a long time Melody Chartier, of Shutesbury finance committee, said the headcount method always disadvantages those with less wealth. Amherst-Pelham Regional School Superintendent Michael Morris said the tension between ability to pay . . . is not new. . . there are real differences of opinion that are being highlighted. . .this is a topic we will discuss Tuesday night at the budget hearing. He said, all four towns do not have agreement. We are not leaving today with what seems like a consensus for a path forward, Morris said at the Feb. 6 meeting. Related: WASHINGTON As Samuel Hahn of the Metropolitan Police Department struggled to hold back rioters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, a group of veterans among the protesters repeatedly yelled the same refrain at him: Remember your oath. Youre breaking your oath. Officer Hahn, a Marine before joining the citys police, listened in astonishment. The oath that every member of the military takes is the same one as a police officer, which is to uphold the Constitution, he later recalled. There was this cognitive dissonance between what I was doing and what the people screaming at me were doing, which is the very thing that is antithetical to that oath. Veterans at the Capitol that day stood on both sides of the barricades after serving in every branch of the military and at all ranks. Some had deployed at the same time to the same regions of the world, and some bore the same physical or emotional scars of the era. They were all about the same age, and while their reasons for joining the military varied greatly, they shared a strong sense of patriotism, expressed in diametrically opposite ways. Officer Hahn joined the military in 2010 to help prime him for an eventual job in law enforcement. Working as a Washington police officer is similar to his Marine service, he said, because it is something larger than yourself. The European Unions Green Deal places environmental sustainability at the heart of future economic development and targets a climate-neutral economy by 2050. But in a world of globalised supply chains, the bloc must be careful not to outsource its environmental impact to other nations, say experts. The first step to avoid this is to develop methods to measure the extent of Europe's supply chains and how they interact. The vast majority of the EUs food production takes place within its borders, but about two-thirds of the non-food crops such as those used to produce biofuels its residents consume are from other regions, according to research by FINEPRINT, a project which uses fine-scale data, for example satellites, to create global maps of where natural resources are being extracted. To address the environmental impacts linked to mining, agriculture and forestry, requires identifying where the extraction is taking place within a country, says Dr Stefan Giljum, an associate professor in the Institute for Ecological Economics at Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria, and FINEPRINT principal investigator. It is not sufficient to look at the average national impact, he says. He gives the example of soybean exports from Brazil, and whether the beans were either grown in a rainforest (area) that was cleared last year or in the south where agriculture has been around for about 300 years. But Dr Giljum and colleagues found that many of the datasets necessary to their research simply did not exist, so they decided to create their own. Their map of global mining activity , for example, found that mining activity uses an area of about 57,277 km, about double the size of Belgium. Mines The team manually identified and marked more than 6,000 mining locations on satellite images, and the next step is to automate the recognition process. This would allow them to identify new mines, and investigate how land use has changed over time. The main problem with (automatically detecting mines from satellite images) is that you need solid training data in order to make sure that the algorithm can learn what is a mine versus a road or a building, Dr Giljum said. And this large new mining dataset can help train the software. FINEPRINT, which ends in 2022, is also looking at other commodities and uses data about soybean, oil palm, copper, iron, coal and oil production among others. A high percentage of environmental impacts occur at the very first stages of the supply chain, Dr Giljum said. The ultimate aim is to connect fine-scale data of resource extraction and related environmental and social impacts and trace them along international supply chains all the way to the final consumer, he says. We want to create information for decision-makers, so that we can inform them of (a specific commoditys) environmental profile. This is particularly important if the EU wants to push its Green Deal agenda: Europe is in a special position because it is (highly) dependent on imports and ecosystem services in other parts of the world, and we have a responsibility to be concerned about these (distant) impacts, he said. But the reality is that while Europe is able to control what occurs in member states, the bloc and the world needs frameworks to understand how supply chains intersect and influence each other. Soybean There are environmental impacts that arise outside the borders of the EU, but that occur because of the demand taking place across the EU, says Simon Bager, a doctoral candidate at the Universite catholique de Louvain in Belgium. Bagers work focuses on deforestation and how policy action by the EU can reduce ecosystem destruction linked to commodity imports, such as beef, soy, palm oil, and cocoa. Large swathes of natural forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America, have been uprooted in favour of commodity production to meet consumer demand for food and feed. China consumes the majority of Brazils soy exports. In the EU, soybeans mainly sourced from the United States are primarily used for animal feed. Each year, the EU alone imports commodities associated with the destruction of some 190,000 ha of forest. Bager is part of COUPLED, a project which aims to understand the factors from local governance to global demand that influence land use in an increasingly interconnected world. COUPLED uses an idea called telecoupling to explain these connections, says Professor Jonas stergaard Nielsen, a specialist in human land use and global climate change at The Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems, based at Humboldt University in Germany, and COUPLED coordinator. The concept of telecouplings originated in the area of climate change research, where it is called teleconnections, said Prof. Nielsen. Teleconnections, a concept often used in atmospheric science, refers to climate links between two geographically separate regions. They say you can have a storm in the North Atlantic and that manifests as a drought in central Australia. He gives the example of a dry forest in Argentina becoming a soybean field in order to feed pigs in Germany, whose meat is ultimately sold to China. The supply chain encircles the globe, but land use is local and influenced by individuals, companies and governments with their own agendas. COUPLED, which is a training programme, brought together 15 PhD candidates to investigate telecoupling as a method to track global supply chains. The real issue is spillover systems and whether your supply chain is sustainable from a systemic perspective, Prof. Nielsen said. He points to sustainably produced pineapples in Costa Rica, which are packed on pallets made from rainforest-sourced wood. The spillover system (the pallets) renders the supply chain unsustainable. Things are connected and often in surprising and unexpected ways. Things are connected and often in surprising and unexpected ways. Professor Jonas stergaard Nielsen, Humboldt University, Germany Telecoupling Telecoupling allows those involved in the system not only to map out the supply chains extent, but also look for possible solutions. As part of his work on deforestation, Bager and colleagues developed a research paper on EU policy options for addressing deforestation associated with commodity consumption within the EU. In this, they identified eight specific actors involved in the supply chains that can lead to deforestation such as consumers, governments, companies, landowners, etc., and summarised existing proposals into 86 unique policy options which target different actors. These range from the politically difficult, such as trade agreements, to fairly easy, such as the EU providing information to consumers, says Bager, but also vary in the ability to reduce deforestation. To increase impact, it is also important to concentrate efforts on sectors that are the most responsible for deforestation, such as soy, palm oil and cocoa, rather than rubber or maize which have smaller deforestation footprints. But if the EU and the world in general plans to reduce its environmental footprint and curb climate change, it will need to better understand the extent of its supply chains and devise ways to regulate and control them. Because of its economic heft, the EU has the ability to drive change and chart a path towards environmentally sustainable supply chains, Bager says. Our work focuses on deforestation, but you can also talk about biodiversity loss and water. The EU is getting more and more aware that it needs to address these impacts (beyond its own borders). The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global GLP-1 receptor agonist market size is expected to reach USD 18.2 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 6.1%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The strong product pipeline and formulation advancements are driving the market. In addition, novel innovative products are booming the market. In September 2019, Rybelsus, the first and only oral GLP-1 analog was approved by the U.S.FDA for improving the glycemic control in type-2 diabetes patients. It is a semaglutide-based product developed by Novo Nordisk, which is currently under review by European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). After receiving the approval, the market may witness significant growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies are focusing on research collaborations for developing new GLP-1 products. For instance, in September 2018, Eli Lilly and Company entered into a license agreement with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd for OWL833. OWL833 is Chugais proprietary oral GLP-1 agonist candidate and as per the agreement Eli Lilly will obtain global commercialization and development rights. The companies are currently aiming on geographical expansion for increasing the sales output. Novo Nordisk is expanding its business by investing in the manufacturing unit located in North Carolina. The company holds around 50.0% of the market share of GLP-1 receptor agonists and is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period. Furthermore, in July 2018, Sanofi invested about USD 74.1 million in China for establishing an R&D hub to enhance its global reach. Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/glp-1-receptor-agonist-market? The companies are also focusing on getting approval for other indications like obesity and major adverse cardiovascular events by authorities like the U.S.FDA, EMEA, and others for the existing products to increase their life cycle. For instance, in January 2020, Novo Nordisk received the U.S. FDA approval for Ozempic for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) in type 2 diabetes patients. GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Market Report Highlights Trulicity was the largest revenue-generating segment in 2019 owing to high prescription rate Ozempic is expected to witness the fastest growth rate over the forecast period due to the benefits like cardiovascular risk reduction, weight loss, and controlled HbA1C levels North America was the largest revenue-generating region in 2019, followed by Europe. The main factors contributing to their growth are increased usage of GLP-1 products, increasing R&D expenditure by government,and well-established biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industry in U.S. and Canada Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region over the forecast period due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes that supports the uptake of the medication The key market players are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, product development, product extension, and regional expansion to increase their market share. GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global GLP-1 receptor agonist market based on product and region: GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Victoza Ozempic Trulicity Bydureon Saxenda Others So when they do need to turn to a pantry it doesnt need to be a trauma-filled experience where you are standing out in the cold for hours, where you walk away feeling less than, said Nicole Robinson, vice president of community impact. How can it be an experience where you actually light up when you walk into a program? Why cant it look as great as a grocery store? HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. (NYSE: TPRE) ("Third Point Re" or the "Company"), a specialty reinsurer, announced today that it has made three senior hires to strengthen its existing leadership team, ahead of the company's anticipated merger transaction with Sirius International Insurance Group Ltd. ("Sirius" or "Sirius Group") to form SiriusPoint Ltd. ("SiriusPoint"). Tim Mardon will join the senior underwriting team at SiriusPoint as Global Head of Property Reinsurance. He will be based in Bermuda, subject to Bermuda Immigration approval. Mr. Mardon brings more than 22 years of experience in the reinsurance industry. He joins from Chubb Tempest Re Bermuda, where he was Division President, responsible for all operating aspects of the company's Bermuda-based Property and Casualty reinsurance business. Mr. Mardon is expected to join the Company in the second quarter of 2021. Prashanth Gangu joins the SiriusPoint executive team as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President of Insurance and Services at the beginning of March. He will be based in New York. As COO, Mr. Gangu will oversee SiriusPoint's operating platform with an emphasis on upgrading technology and operational capabilities. Responsible for enterprise strategy and capital allocation, he will direct corporate development and lead the evaluation of strategic investment and partnership opportunities. Mr. Gangu will also serve as President of the Insurance and Services division, responsible for managing and growing a technology-enabled insurance business. Included in the Insurance and Services division will be: Global Accident and Health (A&H) business SiriusPoint's Lloyd's platform Managing General Underwriters (MGUs), International Medical Group (IMG) and ArmadaCare Managing General Agents (MGAs) including Arcadian Risk Capital SiriusPoint's insurtech portfolio, including investments in Rhino, Pie Insurance and Noblr Mr. Gangu joins from Oliver Wyman, where he is a Partner and Head of Americas Property and Casualty Insurance. Mr. Gangu has almost 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, across strategy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), distribution, product, underwriting, risk, operations and technology. Rachael Dugan joins Third Point Re in New York as General Counsel on February 22, 2021 and will serve in the same role on the executive team at SiriusPoint following the expected closure of the merger. With a diverse legal background and a focus on M&A, Ms. Dugan joins Third Point Re from private investment firm Reverence Capital, where she has been General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer since 2019. Previously, she spent more than five years at Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), as Chief Strategy and M&A Counsel. Ms. Dugan began her career at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York. Sid Sankaran, Chairman of Third Point Re, said: "I am delighted that Prashanth, Rachael and Tim will be joining the SiriusPoint leadership team at this exciting time. "With the exceptional talent, global footprint and robust balance sheet of the combined company, we will have a strong base for building an innovative, disciplined and sustainable business. We are aiming to enhance our existing relationships and improve the economics of our key lines of business, while looking at ways that we can grow intelligently and leverage technology to improve how we manage risk, use data and develop new strategic opportunities." Mr. Sankaran will become Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SiriusPoint upon completion of the merger of Third Point Re and Sirius Group, which is expected to occur on or around February 26, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of all closing conditions. SiriusPoint will be a global diversified company, providing insurance and reinsurance solutions across Accident and Health, Property, Liability and Specialty Lines to clients and brokers located in almost 150 countries. About Third Point Re Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. (Third Point Re) is a Bermuda-headquartered holding Company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (TPRE). The Company underwrites Specialty, Property and Casualty business through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. and Third Point Reinsurance (USA) Ltd., which both have 'A-' (Excellent) financial strength ratings from AM Best. With offices in Bermuda, New Jersey and London, the Third Point Re companies specialize in finding innovative solutions for niche and complex risks. You can learn more by visiting: www.thirdpointre.com. Media Contact Mairi Mallon Rein4ce [email protected] +44 7843 067533 SOURCE Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. Related Links http://www.thirdpointre.bm Actress Yoon Jeong-hee / Korea Times file Yoon's husband refutes claim, saying contents of petition are groundless By Kwak Yeon-soo Speculation is mounting over the wellbeing of Yoon Jeong-hee, 77, who dominated the silver screen in the 1960s and 1970s as one of the three most-sought-after actresses, after an online petition claimed that the ailing star suffering from Alzheimer's disease and diabetes has been neglected by her immediate family her husband and daughter. An anonymous person posted a petition on the website of Cheong Wa Dae, Friday, claiming, "Yoon is in a lone fight against Alzheimer's and diabetes in an apartment in the suburbs of Paris without being properly cared for by her spouse, because they live apart." The real names that appeared in the original text were removed by the administrator for privacy reasons. "It has been two years since her husband has seen her (Yoon). Her daughter lives nearby, but she's unable to take proper care of the actress because she's busy with her own work and family life. (Yoon's) siblings asked the daughter to allow them to call and visit the ailing actress freely, but the daughter set strict rules about visitation hours and the length of visits as if she's a prisoner," the petitioner wrote. "As a result, siblings are allowed to call her only once a month for 30 minutes, and visit her once every three months for two hours. This is clearly a violation of freedom of association and human rights." The authenticity of the petition could not be proven, but it drew more than 2,000 signatures as of noon Sunday. In 1991, during his first full term in the Texas Senate, Democrat Rodney Ellis carried a bill through the upper chamber that would require the word negro be removed from the names of 19 locations around the state, including Negrohead Lake in Baytown. Thirty years after the bill became law, just one of the locations has been renamed. Now, Ellis and other local, state and federal officials again are pushing for the word negro to be stripped from Texas geographic names as the law envisions, along with other locations that were not included in the legislation. As a liberated Democrat this is not about Democrats, its not about Republicans, I say liberated Democrat because I am unbought and unbossed I find the utilization of the word negro to denote a person of African ancestry to be greatly offensive, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said at a news conference Monday. It connotes a caricature of human inferiority reminiscent of a bygone era when blackness was defined by a predominantly white power structure. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, an arm of the Department of the Interior, oversees the process for renaming land units and geographic features. In 1999, the board rejected Texas proposal to rename Negrohead Lake as Lake Henry Doyle, after the first Black law student at a state-owned school in Texas, because it did not observe any evidence that there was any local involvement in the renaming process. The lake sits on federal land in the precinct of Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who said he plans to introduce a resolution at Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting that will call for the name change. Baytown Mayor Brandon Capetillo said the City Council also will take up a resolution in support of the renaming at its Thursday meeting. The resolutions will not immediately implement the name change, though officials are hoping they will satisfy the boards requirement for local involvement in the renaming process. Meanwhile, Green is hoping to speed things up at the federal level. Last September, he and U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland a New Mexico Democrat who would be the first Native American to run the Department of the Interior if confirmed by the U.S. Senate introduced a bill aimed at quickening the process for renaming land units and geographic features that have offensive and racist names. The legislation would form a group called the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names that would be tasked with recommending name changes to the Board on Geographic Names. The current system is time-consuming, lacks transparency and public involvement, and is ill equipped to address the vast nature of the problem, Haalands office said in a statement in September. State officials also plan to resubmit the unchanged names to the Board on Geographic Names, which is expected to take up the proposals at a meeting on Thursday and perhaps finish the process by June, according to Ellis. Its the right thing to do, Ellis said. This is Black History Month. Its an appropriate time to do it, and do it now. In at least two previous cases, the federal government has issued a blanket charge to remove pejorative terms from geographic features and locations across the country. In 1962, at the request of the interior secretary, the board substituted negro for a common racial epithet in the names of more than a hundred locations. Twelve years later, it replaced an anti-Japan racial slur with Japanese on several locations across the country. Google Maps Texas still has 39 locations and geographic features with racially offensive names, Ellis said. That does not include former Gov. Rick Perrys family hunting camp in West Texas, which some locals still referred to by its former name, which contained a racial epithet, by the time Perry ran for president in 2011, the Washington Post reported. Perry told the Post that his parents painted over the large rock that displayed the offensive name at the ranch entrance in the 1980s, but some visitors recalled seeing the name in the 1990s and possibly later. Perry disputed those reports after they emerged. Bishop James Dixon, the recently elected president of the NAACP Houston branch, said the widespread use of racially offensive geographic names should be preserved in history books in Texas and other states to show the kind of discrimination that Blacks and Latinos and others have endured for all these years in America. He, Ellis and other elected officials spoke outside the NAACP Houston branch, displaying a map of the offensively named locations. We dedicate our time and energy to when there will be a day when this map will not exist, with the names that are shameful to our history and our heritage and are an embarrassment to all of Americas children, Dixon said. jasper.scherer@chron.com twitter.com/jaspscherer Local authorities began on Monday to demolish parts of a 13-storey building in Giza near the Ring Road after a devastating fire ravaged the building for 10 days. According to a source at Giza governorate who spoke with Al-Ahram, the demolition of the building started with its main facade, not the side that overlooks the ring road. The fire started on 30 January in a shoe warehouse in the building due to an electrical short circuit, the buildings owner, who also runs the warehouse, told the prosecution. Egypts prosecution ordered last Tuesday the detention of the building owner for four days pending investigation into several charges, including constructing an unlicensed building, constructing a building on agricultural land, and ignoring industrial safety standards. The building consists of 108 apartments, 15 of which were occupied. The residents were evacuated and no casualties have been reported. The prosecution has ordered the demolition of the building to ensure the safety of the surrounding buildings as well as the ring road. Short link: FP Trending Instagram launches a new Parent's Guide for India. The guide was launched ahead of the Safer Internet Day, aligned with the global theme of 2021 Together For a Better Internet. It is aimed to help young people be safe. It additionally informs parents about the safety features that exist on the platform. It will be available across many countries that would provide parents with a better understanding of the changing digital landscape. According to Instagram, the guide would act as a conversation starter between parents and children, offering tools that exist to keep their children safe on the platform. The new 2021 Guide has inputs from key organisations that work actively on the rights and safety of children, which include Cyber Peace Foundation, Center for Social Research, Young Leaders for Activity Citizenship, Aarambh India Initiative, Suicide Prevention India Foundation and Its Ok To Talk. The Guide takes into account features like DM reachability controls that give business accounts and creators the control to choose who could add them to groups on Instagram Direct or message them. It also gets bulk comment management that gives people the option to delete bulk comments and block or restrict multiple accounts for negative comments. It comes with other features too like Emails from Instagram and Support Requests. Commenting on the Guide, Dr Rajana Kumari, Director of the Center for Social Research, said on how children live a very active life online today for which parents need to update themselves in ways they can actually be of help to their children. Instagram had partnered with Yuvaa last year, which happens to be a youth media, community engagement, and insights company that launched an initiative called #366daysofkindness". This platform engaged youngsters via workshops with key influencers and psychologists on nurturing a safer online environment. Washington: US Representative Ron Wright has died after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, his office said, making him the first member of the US Congress to die from the pandemic disease that has claimed nearly 464,000 American lives. Wright, a 67-year-old Texas Republican, had also been battling cancer. He was elected to Congress in 2018 and had seats on the House Foreign Affairs and Education and Labour Committees. Ron Wright, centre, died two weeks after he was admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Credit:AP Dozens of lawmakers from the US Senate and House of Representatives have contracted COVID-19 or been exposed to the deadly virus over the past year. Wright is the only sitting member of Congress to succumb to the disease. Luke Letlow, a 41-year-old Republican from Louisiana who won election to Congress in November, died of COVID-19 late last year before he could be sworn into office. Donald Trumps attempt to overturn the result of the presidential election has left US taxpayers with a bill topping half a billion dollars. According to the Washington Post, at least $488m has been spent by the federal government and another $28m by states in dealing with the January 6 insurrection and stepping up security in its aftermath. And an avalanche of unsuccessful court cases brought by the Stop the Steal campaign has run up a legal bill exceeding $2.2m. An estimated 25,000 troops were deployed in Washington DC after the uprising at the Capitol, which claimed five lives. With plans to maintain the security measures until mid-March, the bill is likely to increase further. A ring of steel will be in place this week as the Senate embarks on Mr Trumps second impeachment trial, at which he is accused of inciting insurrection, opens tomorrow. Bruce Castor, who will lead Mr Trumps defence team, said: When you have the president of the United States give a speech and says you should peacefully make your thinking known to the people in Congress, hes all of a sudden a villain. Mr Trump is accused of whipping his supporters into a frenzy with claims of election fraud before they stormed the Capitol. But one of the former presidents most loyal supporters, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, said it was for history to judge Mr Trumps role in the riots not the Senate. I think Im ready to move on, Im ready to end the impeachment trial because I think its blatantly unconstitutional, he said in a TV interview. . Meanwhile, Liz Cheney, the senior Republican congresswoman who was censured by her party for backing impeachment, defended her stance. Read More We are the party of Lincoln, we are not the party of QAnon or anti-Semitism or Holocaust-deniers or white supremacy or conspiracy theories. Thats not who we are, Ms Cheney said on Fox News Sunday. Meanwhile, the Senate will pause former Mr Trumps impeachment trial from Friday evening to Saturday evening this week to honour a request by a Trump attorney who observes the Jewish Sabbath. The one-day delay raises questions about how long it will take to finish the trial, which is set to begin in the Senate tomorrow. The Senate is not currently scheduled to be in session during the week of February 15. While Democrats and Republicans have said they hope to resolve the impeachment trial quickly, President Joe Biden is simultaneously trying to win approval for his nominees in the Senate and trying to push a $1.9 trillion coronavirus economic relief package through Congress. Discussions about the structure of the trial are ongoing, a spokesman for Democrats said yesterday. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) Read More Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Femtosecond direct laser writing as a 3D printing technology has been one of the key building blocks for miniaturization in modern times. It has transformed the field of complex microoptics since the early 2000s. Especially medical engineering and consumer electronics as vastly growing fields benefit from these developments. It is now possible to create robust, monolithic and nearly perfectly aligned freeform optical systems on almost arbitrary substrates such as image sensors or optical fibers. Simultaneously, the miniaturisation of spectroscopic measurement devices has been advanced, for instance based on quantum dot or nanowire technology. These are based on computational approaches, which have the drawback of being calibration sensitive and require complex reconstruction algorithms. In a new paper published in Light: Advanced Manufacturing, a team of scientists, led by Professor Alois Herkommer from the Institute of Applied Optics and Professor Giessen from the 4th Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart, Germany, have demonstrated an angle-insensitive 3D-printed miniature spectrometer with a direct separated spatial-spectral response. It has a volume of less than 100 100 300 m. The design is based on a classical grating spectrometer and was fabricated via two-photon direct laser writing combined with a super-fine inkjet process. Its tailored and chirped high-frequency grating enables strongly dispersive behavior. The miniature spectrometer features a wavelength range in the visible from 490 nm to 690 nm. It has a spectral resolution of 9.2 1.1 nm at 532 nm and 17.8 nm 1.7 nm at a wavelength of 633 nm. Leading author Andrea Toulouse assesses the potential as: "With its volume of less than 100 100 300 m we explore a whole new size range for direct spectrometers. An order of magnitude this small could only be realised by computational approaches until now. In contrast, we translate the spectrum directly into a spatially encoded intensity signal which can be read out with a commercial monochromatic image sensor." "For 3D-printed microoptics, the complexity of the optical design marks an innovation. Refractive, diffractive and spatially filtering elements have never been combined in such a small volume to create a complex and monolithic measurement system." "Our spectrometer could be fabricated directly on a miniature image sensor as the tip of a distal chip endoscope. This way, regions in the human body could be examined with extremely high bending radii that were not accessible before" the scientists forecast. "It could also be an interesting approach for hyperspectral imaging where the spectrometer would be used as a unit cell (macro pixel). The redistribution of spectral energy instead of high-loss Fabry-Perot-filtering could thus enable highly efficient hyperspectral imaging sensors. The ever-growing world population could benefit from such a camera if it was used for spectral mapping in precision farming, for instance." ### About 150,000 families in the Rwandan capital city Kigali have received welfare support from the government since Jan. 18 when a COVID-19 lockdown came into force, an official said on Sunday KIGALI (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :About 150,000 families in the Rwandan capital city Kigali have received welfare support from the government since Jan. 18 when a COVID-19 lockdown came into force, an official said on Sunday. The lockdown, which was only imposed in Kigali, is scheduled to be replaced with a curfew and other restrictions since Monday. Up to 3,500 tons of assorted foodstuffs were distributed and benefited roughly 500,000 people, said Anastase Shyaka, a minister of Local Government, during a talk show about the status of the COVID-19 pandemic on national broadcaster Rwanda Television. The minister warned COVID-19 patients treated from home against violating isolation measures after the lockdown to be eased on Monday. The lockdown in Kigali has led to reduction in transmission of the virus and eased pressure on health personnel, Tharcisse Mpunga, state minister in charge of Primary Healthcare, said in the same talk show. Daily COVID-19 caseload in Kigali has dropped from an average of around 200 before the lockdown to 50-60 patients currently, he said. Private businesses can resume with essential staff at no more than 30 percent from Monday, while markets and malls will open for essential vendors with not exceeding 50 percent. However, public employees, except those providing essential services, will still work from home, and movements between Kigali and other provinces will continue being prohibited, except essential services and travels. 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The report was submitted on February 5 by the one-man Shoaib Suddle Commission, which was set up by the apex court, Dawn news said in a report. It regretted that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which maintains Hindu and Sikh places of worship in Pakistan, "failed to maintain most of the ancient and holy sites of the minority community". On January 6 and 7, the Commission visited the Katas Raj Mandir in Chakwal and Prahlad Mandir in Multan, respectively, and in the report it decpited a general picture of decay and obliteration of two of the four most revered evacuee sites in Pakistan. The Commission also requested the Supreme Court to direct the ETPB for the reconstruction of the desecrated Teri Mandir/Samaadhi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which was destroyed after being forcibly occupied by a Muslim cleric in 1997. The report also suggested the establishment of a working group for rehabilitation of the holy sites belonging to the two minority communities, Dawn news reported. Of the 428 Hindu temples in Pakistan that existed before Partition, only around 20 have survived, according to an official survey. Some of the major Hindu temples in Pakistan include Shri Hinglaj Mata temple (Balochistan), Shri Ramdev Pir temple (Sindh), Umarkot Shiv Mandir (Sindh), and the Churrio Jabal Durga Mata temple (Sindh). According to the 2017 Pakistan Census, Hindus make up for 2.14 per cent of the country's overall population. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday, in the first such summit of PM Modi in 2021. In 2020, PM Modi had several virtual summits with his counterparts from Australia, the European Union (EU), Sri Lanka, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Both India and Afghanistan share a close partnership. Amid the pandemic, India sent 75,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan and was also able to send more than 20 tonnes of life-saving medicines and other equipment to address the COVID-19 challenge. On February 7, India sent 500,000 India made COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan, making it the first country to do so. The virtual summit will see many announcements including a likely signing of the agreement on Shahtoot dam that will provide clean water to two million residents of the national capital Kabul. This will be the second dam India will be building in the country after the Salma or IndiaAfghanistan friendship dam in Herat Province of the country. The agreement was also announced by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his address to the Afghanistan Conference in November 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday vehemently denied that the agriculture laws will end Minimum Support Price (MSP) or the mandi system of crop procurement. PM Modi said, "I assure you that mandis will be modernised. Not just this, MSP was there, it is there and will remain. Cheap ration given to over 80 crore people will continue. Please do not try to spread misinformation. We also need to strengthen means to increase the incomes of farmers." Reeling out statistics, the prime minister said over two-third of farmers have small landholdings and the new laws give them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere, helping to realise the best prices. He slammed those abusing agitating Sikh farmers, saying it won't do the country any good as he went on to appeal to the protesting farmers to withdraw over two-month-long stir and give the new agriculture reform laws a chance. Committed to the welfare of the hardworking farmer and the transformation of the agriculture sector. https://t.co/DVrrLnsYsP Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 The PM also slammed the politics over the farm laws, saying opposition parties were mum over the reasons for the agitation. Punning on the term FDI, which stands for Foreign Direct Investment, PM Modi said a new thing of FDI has emerged in India, which he said was Foreign Destructive Ideology. 12 ? , pic.twitter.com/pQxOuwYvB5 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 "We need to be more aware to save the country from such an ideology," he said while replying to a discussion in Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session. He also slammed the mushrooming of a new breed of 'andolan-jivi' -- professional protestors -- who can be seen at every agitation. These "parasites feast on every agitation." , , , ! pic.twitter.com/KIYWi6FPlB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 In an oblique reference to agitating Sikhs being called 'Khalistani' terrorists and other names, the prime minister said the nation was proud of every Sikh. "India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs. This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious," he said. "Language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." MSP , MSP , MSP ... pic.twitter.com/lh6Xv1oth1 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 Farmers from Punjab and other northern states have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for over two months against the three new farm reform bills that they fear will end the current practice of the government buying their produce like wheat and paddy at a Minimum Support Price or MSP. "We mustn't forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. And the business of weapons was carried out in the northeast. All this affected the nation," he said. PM Modi also criticised the opposition for not listing out the reasons that prompted the stir against the farm laws. These laws, he said, addressed the root cause of the agrarian problem and are aimed at helping small farmers. The opposition parties too advocated farm reforms, he said citing a statement by his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the need to reform the procurement system. COVID-19 - a new challenge that brought out the best in us. India is strengthening the global fight against the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/mHozAoxTOZ Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 The prime minister asked the farmers to end the agitation saying the government is ready for talks. "I invite you to come forward and solve the problems of the agriculture sector by making those protesting against the laws to understand the reforms... Let's move forward together," he said. He said the agriculture minister has been holding constant dialogues with farmers and has held several meetings with them and there is no tension yet as both sides are trying to understand each other. "We urge those sitting on the agitation that even though it is their right to agitate, the manner in which the old people are sitting there is not right. They (agitators) should be taken back. They should end the agitation and we will together find a solution as all doors are open for dialogue. From this House, I again invite them for dialogue," he said while appealing to farmers to end their agitation. "We should move forward and not take the country behind. All the opposition and the government and protesters should give these reforms a chance and see if this change helps them. We are ready to remove shortcomings," he said. The prime minister admitted that there were problems in the agriculture sector and said everyone together has to find a solution to them. "I feel time cannot wait. Every law requires reforms as we are not ones living in a static state. We should all move together with good reforms," he said. Further, the prime minister said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were efforts to challenge the nation's borders but the trained and brave soldiers gave them a befitting reply and every India should be proud of this. He said that India has a clear view on the situation on LAC (Line of Actual Control) and there would be no laxity in developing border infrastructure. He also lauded Leader of Opposition and Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad for praising the Centre for holding local bodies elections in Jammu & Kashmir. PM Modi hoped that people in the Congress party would take his praise of the government in the right spirit and would not see it as "advice of G-23", in an apparent reference to a letter written to the Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi by 23 senior party members, including Azad. All the amendments moved by the opposition to the President's Address, including mention of the repeal of farm laws, were negated. The social audio app Clubhouse is seen on a mobile phone in this illustration picture taken on Feb. 8, 2021. (Florence Lo/Reuters) Clubhouse App Reportedly Blocked in China Amid Surge in Popularity U.S.-based audio app Clubhouse appears to have been blocked in mainland China after users had flocked in recent weeks to the platform for uncensored discussions. An increasing number of Chinese users have gravitated to the invitation-only app, seeing it as a rare forum to express their opinionsas it doesnt record the conversations and thus provides a degree of privacy. Dialogues about Hong Kongs freedoms, the suppression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Taiwans sovereignty, and other topics that Chinese censors usually deem too sensitive flourished on the app, even as Chinese users mused when Chinese authorities might come after the platform. On one popular Chinese online marketplace, prices for the apps invite codes soared to as much as 400 yuan ($62). Netizens made similar offers on the all-in-one social media app WeChat. The burst of free expression was short-lived. On Feb. 8, thousands of Chinese internet users began complaining about having trouble accessing the app. Some also posted screenshots of their phone, with the error message: An SSL error has occurred and a secure connection to the server cannot be made. I only had one day of happiness, one user lamented on Weibo, a popular Chinese microblogging platform. Another complained that a chat group about Taiwan had seemingly disappeared. The Chinese hashtag #ClubhouseBlocked was temporarily trending on Weibo before censors scrubbed it from search results. Just registered a Clubhouse account this morning, and now its already closed. Great, another person wrote on Feb. 8. A Weibo user with the moniker Veronia at the Seaside wrote that the purported censorship didnt surprise her, given that its the traditional craft of the porcelain countryan euphemism for China. Cui Xiaohuo, a former Chinese newspaper editor, shared a screenshot via Weibo of an email notification from Douban, a Chinese social networking site, informing him that his post with a Clubhouse hashtag had been removed. The Weibo post has since vanished. The hawkish state-run tabloid Global Times said in a Feb. 8 editorial that the app is no free speech haven, citing an anonymous Clubhouse user who said discussions on the platform could become anti-China political propaganda in a short period of time. Some Clubhouse users whose phone numbers begin with a Chinese country code also found that they could no longer receive verification messages sent from the app, Hong Kong media HK01 reported. As the app requires account verification for new and returning users, this would block mainland users from accessing their accounts if they log out or create a new account. Some said that they could still access the app by using a VPN, encryption software that helps users to get around the Chinese internet firewall, according to the outlet. Clubhouse didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. President Biden said he felt that "my boy is back" while reading the forthcoming memoir from his son, Hunter, which explores his son's battles with addiction. "You know, I'll bet there's not a family you know that doesn't have somebody in the family that had a drug problem or an alcohol problem," Biden said during an interview with "CBS Evening News" that aired Sunday. The younger Biden will publish a memoir titled Beautiful Things, co-written with the journalist Drew Jubera, in April. The book will be a personal narrative about addiction and recovery, according to publisher Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Hunter has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for much of his life. In 2014, he was discharged from the Navy after suffering a relapse and has since sought treatment in drug rehab facilities. "But the honesty with which he stepped forward and talked about the problem. And the hope that it gave me hope reading it," the vice president said, visibly emotional. 'So where do we turn? Faith.': Biden urges a turn to faith at National Prayer Breakfast notable for absence of Trump Meet the Bidens: A who's who of the new first family The book is not expected to focus on Hunter's experience in politics, where he has been a mainstay by his father's side since childhood. Hunter has been the target of especially intense criticism from many on the political right, who have both scrutinized the junior Biden's business dealings while also fabricating conspiracy theories about his activities abroad and his relationship with the president. In December, it was reported that Hunter's taxes were under investigation by the Department of Justice over his business dealings in China, among other financial transactions. The issue will present a challenge to the Biden administration as it seeks to follow through on its commitment to restore the independence of federal law enforcement while navigating a tense political environment. Story continues Fact check: Old claim linking politicians' sons to Ukraine is partly false More: Trump's conspiracy theories thrive in Ukraine, where a young democracy battles corruption and distrust Throughout the yearslong attacks on Hunter, the president has defended his son, denying any wrongdoing and reaffirming his love and support for his younger son. When former President Donald Trump attacked Hunter during an October presidential debate, Biden defended his son while acknowledging Hunter's struggles with addiction. "He's overtaken it, he's fixed it, he's worked on it, and I'm proud of him," Biden forcefully retorted. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Joe Biden reflects on Hunter Biden's memoir about addiction By Mark Leonard BERLIN The United States is suffering from a double crisis. Headlines in recent months have focused mainly on America's crisis of democracy, but its crisis of global power may turn out to be more consequential in the long run. America's crisis of democracy has been personified in the figure of Donald Trump, the defeated "divider-in-chief" who still commands leadership of the Republican Party. His successor, Joe Biden, has embarked on a political project to reunite the country, and has already revived many of the institutions that Trump attacked while in office. But reversing America's deepening polarization and spiraling inequalities will not be easy in a political environment driven by demographic change, media fragmentation, and electoral gerrymandering. As difficult as it will be to repair America's democratic institutions, it will be harder still to refurbish America's global image. Following the Cold War, the U.S. enjoyed a power premium. Because friends and foes alike routinely overestimated American interests, the U.S. enjoyed outsize influence in countries and regions around the world. But thanks to the Iraq War, the 2008 financial crisis, and the Trump presidency, the world no longer places a premium on U.S. power; if anything, it now applies a discount. After all, rather than maintaining an interest in the crises of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and other regions, the U.S. has pulled back, and other powers have filled the vacuum. In Latin America, the U.S. can still fulminate against Venezuela's government, but to little effect. In much of Sub-Saharan Africa, China has become the most important player. In Syria, Libya, and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region of the South Caucasus, it is Russia and Turkey that are shaping the future. But most shocking of all are developments in America's oldest, staunchest ally: Europe. With the COVID-19 pandemic killing millions worldwide, it was easy to miss the fact that the European Union and China concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment in late 2020. After seven years of negotiations, the CAI was pushed over the line just weeks before Biden's inauguration, with the Europeans dismissing public pleas by the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to consult with the new administration first. By pressing ahead, the EU publicly undercut the Biden administration's top foreign-policy priority of re-engaging with allies to manage the China challenge together. The EU thus squandered the trust of the new U.S. administration (as well as that of Japan, India, and Australia), and emboldened China to pursue a divide-and-rule strategy vis-a-vis the democratic world. The signal sent by Europe's brazen disregard for U.S. interests should send chills down American policymakers' spines. It is no less striking that it was German Chancellor Angela Merkel who negotiated the CAI. Merkel is a committed Atlanticist who would not oppose the U.S. even when it decided to invade Iraq in 2003. Many Europeans back then were unhappy with President George W. Bush's administration, and worried that America had too much power. Today, the problem is inverted: Europeans are happy with Biden and his China agenda, but fear that America is too weak to pull it off. In this respect, European leaders are simply acting on what their citizens think. A recent pan-European survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations finds that a majority of Europeans were delighted to see Biden elected, but have deep doubts about America's capacity to come back as a global leader. Similarly, a majority fears that the U.S. political system is broken, and that Americans can no longer be trusted after having elected Trump in 2016. Moreover, across the 11 countries surveyed, six out of ten respondents think that China will become more powerful than the U.S. within the next ten years, and at least 60 percent of respondents in each country surveyed say they can no longer rely on the U.S. to defend them. The implications for European policymaking are radical. Most Europeans think they should be investing in their own defense, rather than relying on the U.S.; and many now see Berlin, rather than Washington, DC, as the "go-to" capital for leadership. Most alarmingly, most Europeans are not interested in the Biden team's goal of developing a common transatlantic approach to China. A majority in each country wants to remain neutral in any future conflict between the U.S. and China. This shocking finding first emerged in polling conducted a year ago, when many could dismiss it as a reflection of Europeans' revulsion toward Trump. That explanation no longer works. To be sure, opinion polling offers only a snapshot of views at a given moment, and it is possible that European attitudes will evolve as Biden and his team bring America back to the world stage. Biden has brilliant advisers in Sullivan, his "Indo-Pacific czar" Kurt Campbell, and many others, and his administration is crafting a tough China strategy that is far more inspiring to U.S. allies than Trump's bullying bluster ever was. As Campbell and Sullivan explained in a 2019 Foreign Affairs essay, they envision "competition without catastrophe" co-existence without compromising on core values. That is a strategic doctrine all Europeans should embrace. But a bigger challenge than selling U.S. allies on a China strategy will be restoring faith in America's might and staying power. As the Chinese economy grows, and its links with the rest of the world become more important, America's own prospects will increasingly depend on its international alliances. Securing a balance of power that favors open societies in every part of the world will be at least as important as preserving an open society in America itself. Mark Leonard is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). Workers transfer the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 7, 2021. A chartered flight carrying the first batch of the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Cambodia on Sunday, welcomed by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Phnom Penh International Airport. (Photo by Gao Bingnan/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- A special plane carrying the first batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrived here on Sunday. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen was among hundreds of people who were awaiting the arrival of the vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport. The event was live broadcast on the prime minister's official Facebook page; the state-run National Television of Cambodia; Fresh News, the country's online news provider; and several other TV channels and social media platforms. BIG THANKS "I'm delighted to hear about the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Cambodia," Om Sophorn, a 32-year-old taxi driver in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua. "It brings hope for my life and I hope our economy will be vibrant again." He expressed his gratitude to the government and people of China for providing the vaccines to the Southeast Asian nation. "This clearly demonstrates that China always helps Cambodia in difficult times and through this emergency aid, I believe that the relations between the two countries will be rooted deeper in the hearts of the peoples of the two countries," he said. Chim Sovankiri, a 31-year-old rickshaw driver in the city, said he was totally confident in the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines, and he hoped that he would receive it in the near future. "I thank China for helping us in this difficult time, and we will remember this generous support," he said. In an interview with Xinhua, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong also expressed his gratitude to China for providing the Sinopharm vaccine, saying that it was the first vaccine that Cambodia had received so far. CLOSE TIES Pov Sok, an advisor to the Cambodian prime minister, said the vaccines' arrival was another historic milestone in Cambodia-China relations. "This is a new testament to the unbreakable relations and solidarity between our two countries," he told Xinhua. "Through this emergency aid, I strongly believe that the Sino-Cambodian ties will reach a new high." Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said Cambodia was one of the first countries to receive vaccine assistance from China and that the donation has clearly reflected China's unwavering commitment to promoting COVID-19 vaccines as global public goods. "It is hoped that these vaccines can play a positive role in helping Cambodia fight the COVID-19 pandemic," he said during the handover ceremony of the vaccines held at the airport. Quoting a Cambodian proverb saying "a good friend must help each other in difficult times," Hun Sen said that the donation of the vaccine bolstered the friendship and cooperation between both nations. Similarly, Namhong said on Sunday that the donation symbolizes the long-lasting ties between China and Cambodia. VACCINATION CAMPAIGN "Vaccines are a key strategic solution that can ensure people's lives, improve long-term public health, and guarantee the overall recovery of economic and social activities," Hun Sen said. The Sinopharm vaccine, he added, has been recognized as a safe and effective vaccine, and it has been approved for use by many countries. According to the prime minister, a vaccination drive will begin on Feb. 10 in the country, with prioritized groups composed of doctors and nurses, the armed forces, teachers, journalists, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, and garbage collectors, among others. He said the country plans to inoculate approximately 10 million people, or about 60 percent of the population. Cambodia on Thursday authorized the emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine, saying that "the vaccine is used safely in China and other countries." The Southeast Asian nation has so far registered a total of 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 454 recoveries, according to its Ministry of Health. UK based fintech and issuer payment processor Paymentology, has formed a strategic collaboration with Visa in the Middle East through Visas Fintech Fast Track Programme. Paymentology, which provides issuer side card processing across four continents and is at the forefront of the card processing space, has been granted Visa Ready certification globally and joins an ecosystem of award-winning technology innovators committed to building tomorrows banking technologies. Visa Ready certification allows Paymentology which is a cloud-based payments processor to empower banks to offer tailored products through access to real time data. Visa Ready certification assures banks and financial institutions globally that third party payment solutions meet Visas high security and functional standards. Through its association with Visas Fintech Fast Track Programme, Paymentology is set enable the digital transformation taking place across the banking sector. Joining other innovators and through a shared commitment for banking technology, Paymentology will enable issuing banks to offer smarter, more secure and streamlined payment solutions. Powering the digital issuance journey with Visa Ready certification, Paymentology joins an ecosystem of Visa Ready certified Fintech Fast Track players in the region. The Visa Ready certification further boosts customer confidence in our capabilities. It also enables us to deploy Visa card programs faster for banks around the world. We are of particular appeal to digitising banks who are looking to move away from legacy processors to more economic, more agile and more flexible solutions, says Shane OHara, CEO at Paymentology. Visa is delighted to grant Paymentology with Visa Ready certification. Paymentologys cloud native processing solution, with open API interfacing and live at point of spend feed to the banks, makes it easier for digitising banks to migrate away from legacy systems. By joining Visas Fintech Fast Track programme, we believe this collaboration will ultimately help our traditional and fintech clients deliver improved customer experiences faster and easier than ever, said Otto Williams, Vice President and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintechs and Ventures in CEMEA at Visa. We are looking forward to building out the capabilities that we can offer to fintechs and together drive the expansion of a digitally connected payments ecosystem. Paymentology is positioned as a cloud-based processor capable of offering dedicated and co-hosted processing across the full retail banking and challenger banking space. Paymentology is the issuer processor of choice by customer-first digital banks, along with other Visa Ready processors leads the drive to provide scalable secure processing for the larger field of digitising retail banks around the world. -- Tradearabia News Service Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel are using machinery to clear mud as they try to rescue more than three dozen power plant workers trapped in a tunnel in the Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, on Feb. 8, 2021. (Indo Tibetan Border Police via AP) Rescuers in India Digging for 37 Trapped in Glacier Flood RUDRAPRAYAG, IndiaRescuers in northern India worked Monday to rescue more than three dozen power plant workers trapped in a tunnel after part of a Himalayan glacier broke off and sent a wall of water and debris rushing down a mountain in a disaster that has left at least 18 people dead and 165 missing. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups, and police have been taking part in search-and-rescue operations in the northern state of Uttarakhand after Sundays flood, which destroyed one dam, damaged another, and washed homes downstream. Officials said the focus was on saving 37 workers who are stuck inside a tunnel at one of the affected hydropower plants. Heavy equipment was brought in to help clear the way through a 2.5-kilometer (1.5-mile)-long tunnel and reach the workers, who have been out of contact since the flood. The tunnel is filled with debris, which has come from the river. We are using machines to clear the way, said H. Gurung, a senior official of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police. Rescuers search for bodies in the downstream of Alaknanda River in Rudraprayag, northern state of Uttarakhand, India, on Feb. 8, 2021. (Rishabh R. Jain/AP Photo) Authorities fear many more people are dead and were searching for bodies downstream using boats. They also walked along river banks and used binoculars to scan for bodies that might have been washed downstream. The flood was caused when a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier snapped off Sunday morning, releasing water trapped behind it. Experts said the disaster could be linked to global warming and a team of scientists was flown to the site Monday to investigate what happened. The floodwater rushed down the mountain and into other bodies of water, forcing the evacuation of many villages along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Video showed the muddy, concrete-gray floodwaters tumbling through a valley and surging into a dam, breaking it into pieces with little resistance before roaring on downstream. It turned the countryside into what looked like an ash-colored moonscape. A hydroelectric plant on the Alaknanda was destroyed, and a plant under construction on the Dhauliganga was damaged, said Vivek Pandey, an Indo Tibetan Border Police spokesman. Flowing out of the Himalayan mountains, the two rivers meet before merging with the Ganges River. A man reacts after he was pulled out from beneath the ground by Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel during rescue operations in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, on Feb. 7, 2021. (Indo Tibetan Border Police via AP) The trapped workers were at the Dhauliganga plant, where on Sunday 12 workers were rescued from a separate tunnel. A senior government official told The Associated Press that they dont know the total number of people who were working in the Dhauliganga project. The number of missing people can go up or come down, S. A. Murugesan said. Pandey said Monday that 165 workers at the two plants, not including those trapped in the tunnel, were missing and at least 18 bodies were recovered. Those rescued Sunday were taken to a hospital, where they were recovering. One of the rescued workers, Rakesh Bhatt, told The Associated Press said they were working in the tunnel when water rushed in. We thought it might be rain and that the water will recede. But when we saw mud and debris enter with great speed, we realized something big had happened, he said. Bhatt said one of the workers was able to contact officials via his mobile phone. We waited for almost six hourspraying to God and joking with each other to keep our spirits high. I was the first to be rescued and it was a great relief, he said. People inspect the site near the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, on Feb. 7, 2021. (AP Photo) The Himalayan area where Sundays flood struck has a chain of hydropower projects on several rivers and their tributaries. Authorities said they were able to save other power units downstream because of timely action taken to release water by opening gates. The floodwaters also damaged homes, but details on the number and whether any residents were injured, missing, or dead remained unclear. Officials said they were trying to track whether anyone was missing from villages along the two rivers. Government officials airdropped food packets and medicine to at least two flood-hit villages. Many people in nearby villages work at the Dhauliganga plant, Murugesan said, but as it was a Sunday fewer people were at work than on a weekday. The only solace for us is that the casualty from the nearby villages is much less, he said. By Biswajeet Banerjee and Rishabh R. Jain OTTAWA - Hotel operators seeking to take part in Canada's mandatory three-day quarantine for returning travellers can now access the criteria, though it comes as cold comfort to a battered industry. A WestJet employee assists a person checking in for a domestic flight at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - Hotel operators seeking to take part in Canada's mandatory three-day quarantine for returning travellers can now access the criteria, though it comes as cold comfort to a battered industry. The conditions posted online put the government one step closer to fulfilling its late-January pledge that all passengers returning from non-essential trips abroad will have to self-isolate in a federally mandated facility for up to 72 hours at their own expense. The government has not said when the measure, which aims to head off COVID-19 cases and contagious variants of the novel coronavirus at the border, will come into effect. Hoteliers say the criteria seem reasonable, but doubt the quarantine rule will deliver a significant boost in business to the hammered hospitality sector. To qualify as a "listed hotel," lodgings must be near one of the four airports currently accepting international flights in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. They must provide transportation from the airport, free wireless internet access and no-contact meal delivery to rooms, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Hotels would also have to set up a process for brief outdoor breaks and report daily check-in and checkout numbers, as well as non-compliant guests to the agency. That means monitoring traveller movement within the building, it says. Hotel submissions are due on Wednesday, two days after the criteria were posted online. Hotel operators question whether the quarantine order, which will see guests pay upwards of $2,000, including the cost of a mandatory COVID-19 test, will help them rebuild after a sector collapse. "I don't think this is going to boost anything," said Eve Pare, who heads the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal. "There'll be very few travellers." Association members have lost $700 million in room revenue and laid off 90 per cent of their staff, she said. "It's been a disaster since the very beginning of the pandemic." She added that the health agency's criteria seem easy to meet for hotels that lie within the requisite 10-kilometre radius of the airport. "What they ask, it's pretty much what's already there," she said, referring to stipulations from ventilation to laundry to cleaning protocols. Hotels that have all but shut down will have to rehire cooks or order food from off-site, she noted. The need to quarantine in a hotel is one of a series of federal measures targeting international travel in the past month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 29 that Canadian airlines had suspended flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30, and that hotel self-isolation was en route. As of Jan. 7, residents who choose to fly abroad have had to provide proof of negative results for a COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours before departure back to home soil. The upcoming quarantine rule has faced resistance from civil liberties advocates concerned about its impact on mobility rights. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said Monday it might unfairly impact Canadians particularly lower-income travellers who need to care for sick relatives or receive specialized medical care abroad. In a letter to the federal transport minister and attorney general, the association demanded Ottawa carve out quarantine exemptions and fee waivers for certain situations. The quarantine order is not the only area where Ottawa is playing catchup. The Canadian Transportation Agency now faces a backlog of more than 16,000 unprocessed complaints from air passengers. The buildup follows a surge of complaints after airlines began cancelling flights en masse without refunding customers starting in mid-March, as well as a slew of complaints in the preceding months when a passenger rights charter came into force. About 60 per cent or nearly 8,000 of the roughly 13,400 complaints filed to the agency since mid-March relate to refunds, the regulator said in an email Monday. "It really underscores the need for the government to find some way to mandate the airlines to provide passenger refunds," said NDP transport critic Taylor Bachrach. The question for the government is, what improvements are they going to make to ensure that passenger complaints actually get heard by the CTA?" The agency took 157 business days on average to resolve a complaint in 2020-21, compared to an average of 55 business days the year before, according to the regulator's response to an order paper question from the NDP. Marc Garneau, when he was federal transport minister, announced in November the government planned to negotiate an aid package for struggling airlines that would be conditional on them agreeing to offer reimbursement for cancelled trips, but negotiations have faltered. "To the extent that the announced negotiations between the government and airlines on financial assistance result in the payment of refunds to some passengers, a portion of the almost 8,000 complaints referenced above may be quickly resolved," the transportation agency said. Fresh funding allocated to deal with the influx of complaints allowed it to start hiring 29 new employees in June and retain 32 others whose terms were set to wrap up last spring, the regulator said. It has processed some 9,000 complaints over the past 11 months. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. The sudden floods washed away hydroelectric stations on the river system and killed at least 10 people so far. Another 143 are missing as scores of labourers were trapped in tunnels due to the sudden water rush A team of scientists from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are headed to the Joshimath region to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance of the Uttarakhand floods, as per the Home Ministry. A spokesperson for the Home Ministry told PTI the team of DRDO-SASE scientists were flown into the state capital of Dehradun on night of February 7. Meanwhile, Kalachand Sain, director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology which comes under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said two teams of glaciologists will leave Dehradun on February 8. Follow our LIVE blog on the Uttarakhand floods here "The teams will study the reasons behind the incident. Our teams will be looking into different aspects of glaciology," Sain said. As per the report, the scientists have studied glaciers and seismic activities in the Himalayas and were also part of the study of the 2013 Uttarakhand flash floods. Likely cause of flood: Kalachand Sain stated a glacial burst is widely considered the cause (also the cause of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods), with a close second reason being a possible cloudburst. Sain however added the incident was quite peculiar due to no reported snow or rain on the day of the incident. In case of a glacial burst or Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), usual paths of the glacier may burst due to increasing pressure or external reasons which can cause widespread flooding. Assistant Professor Mohammad Farooq Azam with IIT-Indore called this a rare possibility as Google Earth images do not show a glacial lake near the area of incident. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case," he said. In the event of a cloudburst, Professor AP Dimri from the School of Environmental Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University said the possibility while rare could be considered during this time of the year adding: It does look like a GLOF event right now. Another explanation is climate change, with Prof Azam citing increasing thermal profile of ice which has gone from -6 to -20C to -2C, thus making it more susceptible to melt. Anjal Prakash of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also backed the climate theory, calling the global warming situation irreversible now. Also Read | Did the rising number of dams in Uttarakhand trigger the disaster? There is also criticism of the hydel projects, with environmental experts blaming increasing human intervention in the ecologicall- sensitive Himalayan region for making it more vulnerable to climate change. Heavy construction work in the fragile eco-sensitive zones should be avoided, Avinash Chanchal, senior climate and energy campaigner, Greenpeace India said. What we know so far: Uttarakhands Chamoli district experienced avalanche and massive flooding on February 7 after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off causing overflow of the Alaknanda river system consisting of the Alaknanda river, the Dhauli Ganga and the Rishi Ganga all tributaries of the Ganga. The sudden floods washed away hydroelectric stations the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project (Raini) and NTPCs Tapovan-Vishnugad Hydel project (Tapovan) on the river system and killed at least 10 people so far. Another 143 are missing as scores of labourers were trapped in tunnels due to the sudden water rush. There were 153 people missing from the two hydel projects at Raini and Tapovan out of which 10 bodies have been recovered while 143 are still missing. The efforts are focussed at the moment on rescuing 30-35 people trapped in a 250-metre-long tunnel at Tapovan, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar told PTI. Progress in rescue efforts: Teams of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have also left for the avalanche-hit areas to ramp up relief efforts. Though all arrangements are in place there is no need for any helicopter rescue in the affected areas. Only two villages including Raini are cut off where essentials are being supplied, the DGP said. Besides the hydel projects, civilian houses in the path of the flood waters down mountain sides were also swept away. There is fear of damage in human settlements downstream, including in heavily populated areas. Many villages were evacuated and people taken to safer areas. (With inputs from PTI) The government is launching its latest National Consultation public survey concerning when to lift coronavirus restrictions during the week of Feb. 15, the Prime Ministers chief of staff said on Friday. Gergely Gulyas told an online press conference that the second wave of the pandemic in Hungary was in a phase of stagnation, meaning any easing of restrictions would have to be cautious and gradual. If current trends continue, the restrictions may be eased in two steps, on March 1 and a month later, he said. Concerning vaccinations, Gulyas noted Hungary has effective agreements with Russia and China, giving the country a good chance of inoculating significantly more people in February and March than other European Union countries. Gulyas said it was important for the government to implement measures that had widespread public support and to consider what measures Hungarians would be willing to accept and suffer. Whereas the epidemic had appeared to be waning up to the end of last week, it now seemed to be stagnating, he said, adding that a new variant of the virus spreading faster than earlier ones may be a factor. Hopefully a third wave could be prevented, he said. Gulyas noted that health-care staff, alongside residents and employees of homes for the elderly, have now been inoculated. Gulyas said the government has received a request from the Hungarian Olympic Committee to give potential competitors in the Tokyo Olympics vaccination priority, and 800-900 doses have been set aside accordingly. Asked whether Hungary would be prepared to supply ventilators to Portugal or provide any other help, he said aid would be considered if such move did not put Hungarian lives in a risk. The minister called Hungarys access to the EUs recovery fund and seven-year financial framework a key issue of the year. The first tenders are scheduled to be called on February, and the government is working to guarantee the inflow of amounts well over 1,000 billion forints (EUR 2.8bn), he said. These transfers, he said, were not donations but either loans to be repaid or monies due to Hungary because it had opened its market to the competitors of more advanced EU member states, he said. In January, two celebrations were observed: the first day of the new year on Jan. 1 and the inaugurations of a new president and vice president of the United States of America on Jan. 20. What made the inauguration so special is that this is the first time a woman, former Sen. Kamala Harris, has been elected to be the vice president of the United States of America, and the Zonta Club of Auburn is recognizing this historic event in the history of America. Vice President Harris has experienced a number of "firsts" in her life: she was the first woman to be elected as district attorney of San Francisco, California; the first woman to be elected attorney general of California; and finally, as a woman of color, in running for and winning a seat as a U.S. senator for California. So this got me to wondering about other women who were the first in their field and there were many who pioneered as the firsts in law, medicine, science, space travel and politics, to name a few. Listed below are some of these women and their contribution to the advancement of women in the world: Belle Aurelia Babb became the first female lawyer in the United States in 1869, admitted to the Iowa bar; she devoted her career as a college educator and administrator. Help from outside amidst outbreak clear indication Vaccine Maitri has paid off US assures of continued support to India to fight COVID-19 India-US joint exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' begins in Rajasthan India oi-Briti Roy Barman Jaipur, Feb 08: India-US joint exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' commenced at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan on Monday, which will continue till February 21. Advance Light Helicopter WSI 'RUDRA', MI-17, Chinooks, Stryker Vehicles of US and BMP-II Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicles of India among those to be utilised in the exercise. The US Army contingent, comprising 270 soldiers, on Saturday arrived at the Indian Air Force office in Suratgarh to participate in the 16th edition of the joint military exercise ''Yudh Abhyas 20''. The Indian Army extended a warm welcome as per military etiquettes to the US Army contingent, followed by an exchange of pleasantries between contingent commanders and soldiers of both armies. Started in 2004, Exercise Yudh Abhyas-20 is the sixteenth edition in the series of bilateral exercises under this banner. The last edition of the joint exercise was held in Seattle, USA. The joint exercise would focus on Counter-Terrorism operations under United Nations Mandate. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest running military training and defence cooperation endeavours between India and US. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News The joint bilateral exercise is indicative that both the countries understand the common threat of terrorism and stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the same. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 17:17 [IST] Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan has said special funding for Kilkenny Carlow Education and Training Board will help tackle educational disadvantage and equip adult learners will new skills during the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding is part of a national allocation of 5.8 million secured by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, TD, under the Mitigating against Education Disadvantage Fund. Commented Deputy Phelan said: Part of Budget 2021, this new fund will support community education for adult learners and will especially help with online learning which has become increasingly important due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 27,320 in funding for the Kilkenny Carlow Education and Training Board will help a range of community-based organisations to provide new courses designed for adult learners. The investment includes: 3,000 for Digital Training at the Amarach New Scheme, 2,800 for An Gairdin Beo, 4,900 for the Living Skill Programme at Camphill, 11,420 for Kingsriver Community Innovation and 5,200 for Dig It Grow Happy at SOS Kilkenny. The fund will help local, community providers, through the tried and tested structures of the Education and Training Boards, to encourage learners to re-engage with education and training and provide the devices and software needed for education during the ongoing public health restrictions. Speaking on the launch of the Mitigating against Education Disadvantage Fund, Minister Simon Harris said: We know that too many people in Ireland have difficulties with reading, with numbers or with digital skills. Some people may not have got the help they needed earlier in their lives, but what I want people to know is that there is friendly and non-judgemental help there for you now. There are services all over Ireland which will gladly assist you with the skills youd like to learn. "One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted was educational inequality be it a lack of devices like laptops or someone not having the connectivity to study online. The funding I am announcing today is specifically designed to tackle those inequalities and support access to community education, added Minister Harris. I commend Minister Harris, continued Deputy Phelan for securing this funding and enhancing supports for adult learners during Covid-19. By supporting course-providers and by securing equipment, such as laptops and other devices, as well as educational software, we can help encourage people to re-engage with education, gain new skills and grasp new opportunities. The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed the implementation of single-judge order to Future Retail Ltd (FRL) and various statutory authorities to maintain status quo regarding the Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance Retail. The court also turned down Amazon's request to keep its order in abeyance for a week so that it can explore appropriate remedies. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh passed in the interim direction on FRL's appeal challenging the February 2 order of the single-judge bench. While staying the February 2 order, the court said that statutory authorities, like National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), cannot be restrained from proceeding in accordance with law with regard to the deal. The court also issued notice to Amazon and sought its stand on FRL's appeal by February 26 when it will commence day-to-day hearing of the matter. Also read: How Future Retail is at JioMart's mercy On February 2, the single-bench court of Justice JR Midha had blocked Future Group's deal with Reliance Industries after Amazon raised objections. The court had passed the order while hearing Amazon's plea on an emergency award passed by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), which restrained Future from selling retail assets to Reliance. In October last year, Amazon Inc. had approached the SIAC, alleging that Future Group violated the contract by entering into the deal with rival Reliance and demanded to halt the deal with Mukesh Ambani-led company. Also read: Future vs Amazon: Kishore Biyani's firm to challenge Delhi HC order on deal with Reliance In August 2019, Amazon had agreed to purchase 49 per cent of one of Future's unlisted firms -- Future Coupons Ltd -- with the right to buy into flagship Future Retail after a period of three to ten years. Future Coupons holds 7.3 per cent equity in BSE-listed FRL -- that operates popular supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar -- through convertible warrants. In August 2020, Future reached an agreement to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing units to Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) -- which operates the retail business of RIL -- for Rs 24,713 crore. With PTI inputs Newfront Insurance in San Francisco, Calif., has named Joseph Benedetti a principal and employee benefits producer. Benedetti is based out of the Los Angeles area and supports clients across all of California. He joins Newfront from OneDigital Health and Benefits, where he was a client executive working with small and midsize employers. He has seven years of experience in the benefits industry. Newfront Insurance is a tech-enabled brokerage firm. Topics California Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday while delivering the motion of thanks to the Presidents address in Rajya Sabha quoted eminent Hindi poet Maithili Sharan Gupt to stress that India must grab the opportunities to play a larger role at the global stage. Avsar tere liye khada hai, fir bhi tu chupchap padha hai. Tera karmshetra bada hai, pal pal hai anmol, arey Bharat uth, aankhen khol, the PM said in his address, which translates to Opportunity stands for you, yet you lie idle. Your field of work is big and every moment is precious. Hey India! Wake up, open your eyes. But the Prime Minister not only recited the poem, but gave it his own twist too to fit his message of building a self-reliant India. The PM said that had Gupt been alive today, the lines of his poem would have been something like this: Avsar tere liye khada hai, tu aatmavishwaas se bhara padha hai, tu har baadha, har bandish ko tod, arey bharat, aatmanirbharta ke path pe daud. This translates to: Opportunity stands for you, you are filled with self-confidence, you break every barrier, every restriction. Hey India, run on the path of self-reliance. The PM said said that India has truly become a land of opportunities now. "Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm and a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by," he said. He also spoke about the country's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and said the entire world has appreciated India's efforts. "Worldwide, people have accepted that India played a crucial role in battling the pandemic," the PM said, adding that while India was once dubbed a "third-world country", it is now helping out with vaccines. "India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for world. This increases our self-confidence," PM Modi said. Members of Parliament (MPs) must set good examples in the fight against COVID-19 to motivate the public to adhere to the preventive protocols, an educationist has said. They must also show leadership as representatives of the people by avoiding acts that could undermine the fight against the virus and send wrong signals to their constituents to flout the safety protocols. Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, the Principal of Jackson College of Education, gave the advice in reaction to reports that some MPs had been attending proceedings in Parliament despite testing positive for Covid-19. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, she said: What saddens my heart is how some MPs are frustrating the Speaker. You know you have tested positive and you still want to be in the chamber. Please stay home and save your colleagues from infection, she said. It would be recalled that the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on February 3, expressed concerns over the flouting of the Covid-19 protocols by some MPs, who attended parliamentary meetings despite testing positive for the virus. That development, Mrs. Jackson said, was unacceptable and a disincentive to those who were going all lengths to abide by the preventive measures, as advocated by the government. She said the second wave of the disease had proven to be more devastating and required the collective efforts of every Ghanaian to stop the spread, adding that the MPs had a critical role to play as leaders. Mrs. Jackson said the lawmakers owed Ghanaians the responsibility of championing public safety after prescribing punishment for offenders of the protocols. It is disheartening for people to be arrested on the streets for not wearing face masks while MPs, who enacted the laws, are committing even more grievous offences, she said. She called for a review of the GH12,000.00 fine slapped on offenders, saying it was too high and unrealistic for the ordinary person to pay. The disregard for the protocols by some members of the public, she noted, was a recipe for disaster considering the number of people who had died in the last few months and charged government to step up public education. Lets observe the safety protocols religiously to protect ourselves and loved ones from infection, she appealed. 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 Initial Data Suggest Early Signs of Disease Stabilization in Children with Fatal Neurologic Disease Plan to Submit IND for Next Clinical Study in 2H2021 PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD) today announced positive initial results from its first in-human study of its CLN3 Batten disease gene therapy program, AT-GTX-502. The results are featured in a virtual poster presentation at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium 2021, being held February 8-12, 2021. The poster is also available in the Events and Presentations section of the Amicus Therapeutics corporate website. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Childrens Hospital is conducting the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of a single one-time administration of AT-GTX-502 gene therapy for classic juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL), also known as CLN3 Batten disease. With no approved treatments, CLN3 Batten disease is a fatal neurologic disease that leads to blindness, motor impairment, learning difficulties, epilepsy and, ultimately, premature death. Primary outcome measures are determined using the physical impairment subscale of the Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS), a clinical rating instrument developed specifically to assess disease progression in children with verified JNCL and includes evaluations of motor, behavioral, seizure and functional capabilities. UBDRS separately scores measures of vision, motor, speech, tone and abnormal movement over time. Higher scores indicate greater physical impairment. Clinical Data Highlights: Initial safety data are available for the first four children up to 15 months post-administration of the AAV-CLN3 gene therapy. Preliminary efficacy data are available for the first three children with CLN3 Batten disease in the low-dose cohort for up 15 months post-administration of the AAV-CLN3 gene therapy, as well as one participant with CLN3 Batten disease in the high-dose cohort for up to 3 months post-administration of the AAV-CLN3 gene therapy. Initial results of the study suggest that AT-GTX-502 was well tolerated and demonstrated potential early signs of disease stabilization compared to a natural history dataset. Story continues Safety (n=4) : Treatment with AT-GTX-502 was generally well tolerated. The majority of adverse events (AEs) were mild or moderate and unrelated to treatment. No pattern of AEs related to AAV or CLN3 immunogenicity were observed. Additional details are provided in the presentation. Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale: For the three subjects treated in the low-dose cohort (n=3), the mean yearly rate of change in UBDRS Physical Impairment scores was +0.07 over 12 months vs +2.86 in untreated subjects from published natural history (n=82). Jeff Castelli, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer of Amicus Therapeutics, stated, We are pleased to share this first set of clinical data for our intrathecal AAV gene therapy for CLN3 Batten disease and the second clinical program in our Batten portfolio. Preliminary results from this analysis suggest early signs of disease stabilization and has the potential to slow the neurological disease progression in children with CLN3 Batten disease. We are encouraged by the data and hope to make a meaningful impact for individuals living with CLN3 Batten disease, an ultra-rare, devastating neurodegenerative disease with no approved treatments. Emily de los Reyes, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator at Nationwide Childrens and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Neurology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine is leading the CLN3 clinical trial at AWRI. Regulatory interactions for AT-GTX-502 are ongoing and the Company expects to provide feedback on the clinical path forward later this year. Amicus has exclusive rights under a license to the CLN3 gene therapy program developed at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Childrens Hospital. About AT-GTX-502 AT-GTX-502 is a novel gene therapy in Phase 1/2 development for CLN3 Batten disease, a rare, fatal, inherited lysosomal disorder with no approved treatment that primarily affects the nervous system. AT-GTX-502 is dosed in a one-time infusion to deliver a functional copy of the CLN3 gene to cells of the central nervous system. The therapy is designed to address the underlying enzyme deficiency that results in progressive cell damage and neurodevelopmental and physical decline. In the U.S., AT-GTX-502 was granted Fast Track Designation and Rare Pediatric Designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration. AT-GTX-502 also holds Orphan Drug designations in both the U.S. and in the EU. About Batten Disease Batten disease is the common name for a broad class of rare, fatal, inherited disorders of the nervous system also known as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, or NCLs. In these disorders, a defect in a specific gene triggers a cascade of problems that interferes with a cells ability to recycle certain molecules. Each gene is called CLN (ceroid lipofuscinosis, neuronal) and given a different number designation as its subtype. There are 13 known forms of Batten disease often referred to as CLN1-8; 10-14. The various types of Batten disease have similar features and symptoms but vary in severity and age of onset. Most forms of Batten disease/NCLs usually begin during childhood. The clinical course often involves progressive loss of independent adaptive skills such as mobility, feeding and communication. Affected children may also experience vision loss, personality changes, behavioral problems, learning impairment and seizures. Children living with Batten disease typically experience progressive loss of motor function and eventually become wheelchair-bound, are then bedridden and die prematurely. About Amicus Therapeutics Amicus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FOLD) is a global, patient-dedicated biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and delivering novel high-quality medicines for people living with rare metabolic diseases. With extraordinary patient focus, Amicus Therapeutics is committed to advancing and expanding a robust pipeline of cutting-edge, first- or best-in-class medicines for rare metabolic diseases. For more information please visit the companys website at www.amicusrx.com, and follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates, the timing and reporting of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials and the prospects and timing of the potential regulatory approval of our product candidates. In particular, this press release relates to interim data from an ongoing Phase 1/2 study to investigate intrathecal administration of AAV-CLN3 gene therapy. The inclusion of forward-looking statements arising from this interim data, ongoing study and natural history preliminary data should not be regarded as a representation by us that any of our plans will be achieved. Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this press release may turn out to be wrong and can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. For example, with respect to statements regarding the goals, progress, timing, and outcomes of discussions with regulatory authorities, and in particular the potential goals, progress, timing, and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business, including, without limitation: the potential that results of clinical or preclinical studies indicate that the product candidates are unsafe or ineffective; the potential that it may be difficult to enroll patients in our clinical trials; the potential that regulatory authorities, including the FDA, EMA, and PMDA, may not grant or may delay approval for our product candidates; the potential that preclinical and clinical studies could be delayed because we identify serious side effects or other safety issues; and the potential that we will need additional funding to complete all of our studies. Further, the results of earlier preclinical studies and/or clinical trials may not be predictive of future results. The interim data and Phase 1/2 study discussed herein is inherently preliminary and early in the study, derived from a limited patient set, and later trial results with this patient set or others may not be consistent with these preliminary results. In addition, all forward-looking statements are subject to other risks detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and we undertake no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. CONTACTS: Investors: Amicus Therapeutics Andrew Faughnan Sr. Director, Investor Relations afaughnan@amicusrx.com (609) 662-3809 Media: Amicus Therapeutics Diana Moore Head of Global Corporate Communications dmoore@amicusrx.com (609) 662-5079 FOLDG Our esteemed politicians have done it again! Unhappy with the Muslim referece in the name of one of the most historical railway stations in India that held a special place in the heart of many travelers on the Howrah-Delhi line, the Narendra Modi government, at the behest of one of the nation's most revered and well-respected historian Dr. Yogi Adityanath, who also moonlights as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, on June 4, 2018 issued an order to change the name of Mughalsarai railway station to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction. As we know, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (1916-1968) was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 'pracharak' (literal translation - propagandist) and also the co-founder of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the grandfather of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He died under mysterious condition when his body was found lying beside a railway track at, you guessed it, Mughalsarai railway junction. Reports at the time suggested Upadhyaya was pushed from the train by two robbers when an attempt to snatch his belongings went awry. Days later, two men were arrested but later acquitted in the lack of sufficient evidence. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may not know one end of an economic or history book from the other but he sure knows how to appease radical Hindu nationalists and how to offend the minorities. That has been his schtick all his life. Like his predecessors in UP and his counterparts in Bihar, he remains woefully incapable of coming up with a strong development plan to attract investors, improving healthcare and education, or raising the standard of living of the farmers and other citizens of the state. So, like our very own avatar of Lord Ram, Buddha, Chanakya, and Gandhi all blended into one otherwise known as Nitish Kumar, our beloved leaders engage in stunts like renaming railway stations and other structures and monuments, hunting for those who are beef-eaters, love jihad, Ghar Wapasi, prohibition, dictating what to wear and not wear and what to celebrate and not celebrate. Ask them if any new hospital or educational institute of world standard has recently come up in the state, these 'gyani' leaders will point you to billions of inaugurations they have done during their regime to improve the lives of the people. Ask them to give a specific date when a proposed hospital would become a reality, they will invariably give you a date that is after the next election, whenever that may be. Very convenient, ain't it? Wonder why Mughalsarai was not named after Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister who was born in Mughalsarai and, like Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, also died under mysterious condition. Also, while I am still wondering, when will Taj Mahal rechristened as, um, say, Godse Bhawan? Or, Fatehpur Sikri be renamed as Dronacharyapuri? Or, Allahabad be renamed as Madan Mohan Malivya Nagar? Opened in 1883, Mughalsarai station, now considered to be in the top-ten busiest railway stations in the country, was set up along the Grand Trunk Road by the East India Company to link Howrah in West Bengal to Delhi, the seat of power, by rail. This is where travelers during the Mughal period used to camp overnight to take a break from their journey thus earning it the name of Mughal and Sarai (Inn). By changing its name, the UP government, and by extension, the BJP, has once again proven that its agenda, first and foremost, is to spread Hindutva, and everything else comes second when it should be just the other way round. And before I am taken to the woodshed for being a 'bleeding-heart liberal', I assure you I am a BJP supporter given the fact that there is no better alternative in India so I am sort of stuck with the saffron party. However, unlike most 'bhakts', I am just not into fundamentalism, or 'Talibanism' - Hindu or Muslim! The people of Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, began sending greetings via online platforms in a unique local way to their relatives and friends who choose to spend Spring Festival elsewhere. On February 4, the "Lesser New Year" on the Chinese lunar calendar, Harbin launched an online event themed "Let's Laugh Together." Organizers released several Spring Festival posters and creative emojis that feature landmarks and winter sights of Harbin, as a way to express sincere greetings and good wishes from the "city of ice and snow." To meet people's demand for cultural products and services during Spring Festival, Harbin has organized more than 200 online cultural activities in four categories: cloud performance, cloud exhibition, cloud tourism, and livestreaming. Though miles apart, people can enjoy high-quality original dramas, ballets, evening galas and orchestral concerts online, without the need to leave their homes. Moreover, traditional celebration activities such as folk dance, folklore lectures, and lantern riddles are also moved online. Abundant ice and snow resources are Harbin's privileged assets. In previous years, citizens and tourists celebrated Spring Festival by visiting the Harbin Ice and Snow World or skating on the iced Songhua River. This year, to make up for the regret that people cannot experience ice and snow on site, Harbin plans to present an online tourism activity via new media platforms, which will allow net users to have a glimpse of the charm of Harbin and watch world-class shows staged in the Harbin Polar Land and oil painting exhibitions of renowned Russian artists, among many others, for free. Besides, five museums including the Museum of Heilongjiang Province will provide VR panoramic exhibitions, and 11 museums will present online exhibitions via the WeChat platform during this year's Spring Festival. Harbin already developed a new Spring Festival custom integrating culture and tourism in 2019, enabling locals and tourists to experience the charm of the city while enjoying the joyful atmosphere of the festival. As night falls, numerous red lanterns and colorful lamps light up the Russian-style Central Boulevard, creating a festive ambience. Golden corn, red chili and red paper carrying Chinese character "Fu" ("happiness") add a folk flavor to the Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo. The Yingjie Snow Dreamland full of rural flavor and the Sunac Snow Park with a European style are attracting visitors with their intriguing charm. SOURCE Information Office of the Municipal Government of Harbin A delegate casts her vote in the electoral process to choose members of parliament into Somalia's House of the People in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 6 December 2016. Puntland regional state has said it will not recognize Farmaajo as Somalia's president after his term expires on Monday. Puntland Information Minister Abdulahi Ali Hirsi condemned remarks by President Farmaajo in parliament on Saturday accusing Puntland state obstacle to the implementation of Sep 17 election deal. "On midnight Sunday we will no longer recognize Farmaajo as President we will recognize him as former President," Hirsi said during a press conference. Addressing the parliament on Saturday President Farmaajo blamed Puntland and Jubbaland leaders for the failure of Dhusamareb electoral talks. "The September 17 2020 agreement was written by Said Deni and the rest were just watching now Jubaland and Puntland have refused the deal they even refused when I said 'don't shame us of the world," Farmaajo told MPs. Farmaajo also accused foreign countries of meddling the country's political affairs. The country is likely to miss the 8 February deadline after political leaders failed to ink an agreement over elections on Friday. Family members of Darrell Zemault Sr. a Black man who was killed on Sept. 15 in a fatal police confrontation said they are left with more questions than answers after viewing the body camera footage last weekend. Zemault's daughter Susie and Celeste Brown, Zemault's goddaughter and organizer with Defund Police SA and Black Futures Collective, watched the San Antonio Police Department's body camera footage of Zemault on Friday after asking to view it for nearly five months. SAPD allowed the two to watch the footage after the family filed open records, started an online petition, and asked District 1 Councilman Roberto C. Trevino for help. The family asked for the footage to learn what led police officers to shoot Zemault in front of his West Side home. RELATED: Family of Darrell Zemault Sr. now allowed to see SAPD body cam footage of fatal shooting The department said its officers went to Zemault's home to arrest him on two family violence warrants. SAPD said the incident escalated after Zemault tried to grab one of the officer's gun, which resulted in another detective shooting Zemault in the back. Zemault was 55. The family released the statement below after viewing the footage: "Our family was left with more questions than answers. The San Antonio Police Department did not allow us to view footage from all five officers, nor did we see camera footage from the police vehicles. We only saw two clips from two angles that were roughly 2-3min each along with one edited clip which was slowed down. When we asked why we were only given access to these clips, we were told that they were only showing the ones which in their opinion 'showed why the shooting occurred.' The Police department further did not allow the family to bring legal representation with them to the viewing, which is unacceptable. "Our fight for justice is far from over. The limited, controlled footage that was presented left the family with many questions around the entire incident. The San Antonio Police Department continues to withhold vital information from our family and the public. We are disappointed by the lack of transparency from the City, our Mayor, and the Police Department. Our family had to fight to even view this limited footage, and it is unacceptable that it took over five months for this day to come. The policies on the timely release of body camera footage need to be clarified, standardized, and made transparent to the public so that no family is left to experience this sort of ongoing agony." Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Half of Americans believe that the Senate should convict Former U.S. President Donald Trump in an upcoming impeachment trial for his alleged role in inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol earlier this year, local media said. The impeachment trial of the former president -- his second in little more than a year is set to begin on Feb. 8, weeks after the House voted to impeach him for stoking the riot with toxic rhetoric before and during the insurrection. Forty-one percent of respondents believe that Trump should be held guilty, The Hill reported, citing a Marist poll. Meanwhile, 90 percent of Democrats said Trump should be convicted, while only 5 percent believe he should be acquitted, according to the poll. Conversely, 90 percent of Republicans desire an acquittal for Trump and only 5 percent cling to a conviction. There is much more to this bipartisan outrage more division is seen among independents, with 49 percent believing that Trump should be found guilty. A crowd of Trump's supporters overwhelmed police and violently breached the Capitol on Jan. 6 when Congress was certifying President Joe Biden, the then president-elect's victory in the 2020 White House race. The chaos and violence forced a lockdown on the Capitol grounds and left five people dead, including a police officer, and dozens of others injured. The Marist poll surveyed 1,313 U.S. adults on Jan. 24-27. Source: Xinhua/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 Delhi LG gets more teeth as President Kovind gives nod too NCT bill 29 MPs give notice for 204 amendments to pressure government India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 08: The Opposition, in a bid to build pressure on the government, have given notice for 204 amendments to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint session. The subjects on which they have sought amendments include the farmers' agitation, leaked WhatsApp chats of Arnab Goswami and the pandemic. As many as 29 MPs from 11 parties, including the Congress, TMC, Left parties and DMK have given notices seeking amendments. A number of Opposition members have expressed regret for the President not mentioning any solution to the ongoing farmers' protests against the three farm Bills passed by Parliament in the monsoon session. The world is watching, India a land of opportunities: PM in Rajya Sabha MPs Sougata Ray from the TMC, NK Premachandran (RSP), Faizal PP Mohammad (NCP), KP Subbarayan and M Selvaraj (CPI), PR Natarajan (CPM) and Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Benny Behnan, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriackose, Ravneet Singh and TN Prathapan have sought a reference to the farmers' agitation. Eden and Suresh want the speech to have a reference to the "widespread protests" and "alleged police atrocity on the farmers in Delhi and the sad loss of life of a protesting farmer". India is 3rd top-most country to give highest doses of vaccine against COVID-19 The amendments sought by the Opposition to the President's address are seldom carried out as the treasury benches enjoy a majority in the House. The BJP enjoys a comfortable majority in this Lok Sabha. But the Opposition parties' move assumes significance against the backdrop of their MPs disrupting the procedures during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, which is rare. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News With the agitating farmers' unions keeping the movement detached from parties, moving amendments referring to the protests is "to send a political message and to build pressure on the government", said a leader. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 11:07 [IST] Haiti - Politic : Senator Lambert, President of the Senate apologizes Sunday February 7 deadline, Senator Joseph Lambert, President of the Upper House, notes in a note that no consensual solution, which could have taken the country out of the crisis, was found within the deadline on the part of the Senators "We consulted and we could not reach a conclusion which settles the controversy of interpretations." Note from Senator Joseph Lambert : "[...] Very bad news punctuated this day with the arrests that occurred in the highest instance of the judiciary and the high command of the National Police https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32966-haiti-flash-coup-foiled-all-official-details.html The next few days will obviously be dark and the chaos I have so denounced is imminent. We have a duty today to look at Haiti and the Haitian people, before and above all other considerations. For more than forty-eight hours, my fellow Senators have been hard at work and never cease to seek a common position, but have not succeeded in harmonizing points of view, so much they embarrass themselves in divergent interpretations of the ambiguity which separates Articles 134-1 and 134-2. The situation is too delicate and the expectations too pressing. The Senate codepositor of national sovereignty, in these difficult times, should have an appropriate and useful position. The reflections deserve to be enriched. Senators must come back to it by measuring the dangers that threaten the country and taking into account the measurement of the stakes without deviating too much from the sense of history and popular expectations. As a Senator and a public figure, I have my personal position. I maintain it and profess it until that precise moment. It lies in the scrupulous respect of the Constitution and precedents in the application of certain articles, in particular article 134-2. I regret not having been able to find a common position on the part of the Senators. We consulted and we were not able to reach a conclusion that settles the controversy of interpretations. Also, I am obliged to apologize to the population because I cannot give them an unfinished word in this period of acceleration of history with the latest events which took place in the fear of outbreaks and disarray of the political class. As for me, I remain standing at the bedside of my sick country. I keep talking to each other until the last attempt to break Haiti out of the impasse." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32966-haiti-flash-coup-foiled-all-official-details.html HL/ HaitiLibre The pace of highway construction during April-December 2020, on average, was 28 km a day amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Parliament was informed on Monday. Total constructed across India during the period was 7,767 km, Road Transport and Minister told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "Average pace of construction of National (NHs) during COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020-21 since April, 2020 to December, 2020 was 28 km per day," Gadkari said. Of the total 7,767 km NHs constructed during the period, the highest 1,662 km was constructed in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 6,858 crore followed by 552 km in Uttar Pradesh ( Rs 1,351 core) and 495 km in Madhya Pradesh ( Rs 1,446 crore), the minister said. Rajasthan saw construction of 464 km of highways, Uttarakhand (441 km) and Bihar (406.50 km) during the period, he said. Total budget including internal and extra budgetary resources (IBER) for the current fiscal year for the highways sector was Rs 1.08 lakh crore. (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.) Brandi Glanville has stirred up controversy as she said she would like Armie Hammer to have her ribs after two of his ex-lovers accused the actor of asking for that part of the anatomy to eat it. The 48-year-old TV star took to Twitter late Sunday night to post a message aimed at the embattled 34-year-old actor. She wrote: 'You can have my rib cage [growing heart emoji] how do you just keep getting hotter and hotter #letsbbq.' Scroll down for video Courting controversy: Brandi Glanville (left) has stirred up controversy as she said she would like Armie Hammer to have her ribs after two of his ex-lovers accused the actor of asking for that part of the anatomy to eat it 'You can have my rib cage': The 48-year-old TV star took to Twitter late Sunday night to post a message aimed at the embattled 34-year-old actor The actor is accused of a host of shocking allegations recently with the leak of social media messages which included acts of cannibalism, graphic sexual experiences, abuse and a BDSM fetish. Several of Glanville's followers were horrified by the post and even urged the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star to delete it. One wrote: 'This tweet is deplorable. There are very serious abuse allegations against this person. You are mocking these and all victims. Ive always had compassion and empathy for you even when your behaviour didnt always warrant. This has gone too far.' Another fan wrote: 'brandi its not too late to delete this tweet.' '#letsbbq': Glanville seen in Los Angeles back in June 2018 'This has gone too far': Several of Glanville's followers were horrified by the post 'It's not too late': Some even urged the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star to delete it Taking a stand: Several Twitter users were not pleased by the post Glanville seemed to be referencing a recent media appearance by Armie's ex-lover, Paige Lorenze, who told The Kyle and Jackie O Show that he allegedly wanted to remove one of her ribs and eat it. 'In non-sexual settings he asked me on multiple occasions to remove my ribs,' she said. 'He wanted to find a doctor in LA to like, remove the ribs that I don't need. And he wanted to, like, he has a smoker at his house in L.A. and he wanted to smoke it and eat it.' The model admitted that she took it as 'dark humor' at first, before he made the request 'five times' to the point that she believed it was more of a 'serious thing.' 'He would always say, "I wonder what it tastes like, I bet it tastes good," stuff like that,' she claimed. Revealing: Glanville seemed to be referencing a recent media appearance by Armie's ex-lover, Paige Lorenze (pictured), who told The Kyle and Jackie O Show that he allegedly wanted to remove one of her ribs and eat it When asked if she thought the Call Me by Your Name actor would have really eaten her ribs, Lorenze responded firmly: '100 percent.' The actor often tied up Lorenze, hit her with paddles and planned out 'high protocol nights' of painful sexual moves, which often left her covered in bruises. Hammer's ex-girlfriend, Courtney Vucekovich, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the Call Me By Your Name star was into 'master-slave fetishes' and told her he wanted to break and eat her ribs. The Dallas-based app founder said she met Hammer in June through mutual friends, and from the beginning he was 'intoxicating.' 'Guys I DID NOT KNOW the extent of whats being alleged': Glanville later backtracked on her tweet on Monday afternoon 'He's a very charming, intense human being. But once you start talking to him, he's pretty aggressive right from the start. Not violent, but just sexually aggressive in the way he speaks,' she said. Glanville later backtracked on her tweet as she wrote: 'Guys I DID NOT KNOW the extent of whats being alleged against AH I just read he was getting divorced and thought he was hot. 'No more headline porn for me! I have learned my lesson' Moving on: Hammer has since been dropped by his talent agency WME after pulling out of two film projects amid his controversy surrounding 'leaked cannibalism and rape messages' Interesting: The actor's publicist has stepped away from working with the actor according to a Friday report from The Hollywood Reporter, the WME logo is shown This came just days after Hammer had been dropped by his talent agency WME after pulling out of two film projects amid his controversy surrounding 'leaked cannibalism and rape messages.' The 34-year-old actor's publicist has stepped away from working with the actor according to a Friday report from The Hollywood Reporter. He has exited multiple film projects in recent weeks over graphic messages he allegedly sent several women over social media. Out: Just last week it was reported that Hammer was stepping down from the Paramount Plus series The Offer, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of creating The Godfather, according to Variety Just last week it was reported that Hammer was stepping down from the Paramount Plus series The Offer, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of creating The Godfather, according to Variety. Hammer was reportedly set to lead the 10-episode show as Godfather producer Al Ruddy, which follows his work on the iconic '72 film. Hammer began trending online earlier this month after a series of sexually graphic Instagram DMs that he allegedly wrote to a woman were leaked publicly by an anonymous, now-private account, House of Effie. Armie also dropped out of his film with Jennifer Lopez titled Shotgun Wedding. Revenge is a dish best served cold: Hammer was reportedly set to lead the 10-episode show as Godfather producer Al Ruddy, which follows his work on the iconic '72 film Amid multiple accusations, the actor broke his silence about the rape fantasies, BDSM and cannibalism accusations waged against him in a statement to DailyMail.com last month. 'I'm not responding to these b******* claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,' he told DailyMail.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. Caulfield Station could become a major bottleneck once the $13.7 billion Metro Tunnel is built in 2025, if multimillion-dollar upgrades to construct a new concourse do not go ahead. The Victorian Transport Action Group is calling for up to $70 million worth of upgrades to the second-busiest station outside the city, arguing Caulfield Station could face overcrowding if the need for better interchange facilities is overlooked. Caulfield train station. Credit:Paul Jeffers The group comprises transport experts, former policy officers and professionals. Their call is backed by Glen Eira mayor Margaret Esakoff and the Public Transport Users Association. Caulfield Station had 4.7 million myki touch-ons in 2017/18, and patronage is expected to surge once the Metro Tunnel is built in 2025 and airport trains run through Caulfield four years later. Bengaluru, Feb 8 : Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca India on Monday announced that it has received marketing authorisation for its anti-diabetic drug -- dapagliflozin -- in India for the treatment of patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to third stage. This permission paves the way for the launch of Dapagliflozin Tablets 10mg into a new disease area in India. AstraZeneca's dapagliflozin is the first medicine in SGLT-2i class to move into a new disease area by demonstrating efficacy and safety data for the treatment of patients with CKD, the company said in a statement. "With the approval of dapagliflozin for CKD in India, an already effective Type-2 Diabetes and select heart failure treatment can now be used by nephrologists in the management of CKD," said Anil Kukreja, Vice President - Medical Affairs & Regulatory, AstraZeneca India. "Dapagliflozin is the first SGLT2 inhibitor to demonstrate such unprecedented efficacy in management of Chronic Kidney Disease," Kukreja added. Detailed results from the ground-breaking Phase III DAPA-CKD trial showed that AstraZeneca's dapagliflozin on top of standard of care reduced the composite measure of worsening of renal function or risk of cardiovascular (CV) or renal death by 39 per cent compared to placebo in patients with CKD Stages 2-4 and elevated urinary albumin excretion. The results were consistent in patients both with and without Type-2 diabetes. CKD is a serious, progressive condition defined by decreased kidney function affecting nearly 700 million people worldwide, many of them still undiagnosed, and the most common causes are diabetes, hypertension and glomerulonephritis. Residents temporarily evacuated from Homestead after fire, no injuries A Saturday afternoon fire in an apartment at a senior living complex was quickly extinguished and nobody was injured. Daniel Levy has had a weekend of firsts, as he hosted Saturday Night Live on Saturday. The four-time Emmy winner has also just appeared in his first Super Bowl commercial on Sunday. He took an M&M hostage, as he offered an empty apology for his sweet tooth in his hilarious debut Super Bowl ad for the beloved candy, which aired Sunday during the big game. Weekend of firsts: Dan Levy just appeared in his first Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, after hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time on Saturday Sweet tooth: He took an M&M hostage, as he offered an empty apology for his sweet tooth in his hilarious debut Super Bowl ad for the beloved candy, which aired Sunday during the big game The 37-year-old was the last in a series of vignettes, in which people used M&M's to apologize for things like mansplaining and gender reveal parties gone wrong. He practiced social distancing during an al fresco lunch with the Green and Brown M&Ms, assuring them: 'I promise I will not eat anymore of your friends.' Levy then slid them an already opened bag of milk chocolate M&M's, as Green folded her arms and asked: 'Really?' They noticed the Red M&M inside Levy's car, banging on the window for help, as the Canadian writer/director/actor unlocked the door and responded: 'OK, it might happen one more time.' Apology tour: The 37-year-old was the last in a series of vignettes, in which people used M&M's to apologize for things like mansplaining and gender reveal parties gone wrong Social distancing: He practiced social distancing during an al fresco lunch with the Green and Brown M&Ms, assuring them: 'I promise I will not eat anymore of your friends' Peace offering: Levy then slid them an already opened bag of milk chocolate M&M's, as Green folded her arms and asked: 'Really?' Off the wagon: They noticed the Red M&M inside Levy's car, banging on the window for help, as the Canadian writer/director/actor unlocked the door and responded: 'OK, it might happen one more time' The Schitt's Creek star recently teased the ad to People: 'The goal of the spot is just about connecting people and finding ways to bring people together. 'Especially coming out of a pretty strange and tumultuous year. I think it's such a hopeful little spot. It is funny and sweet, and I can't wait for everyone to see it.' He added: 'I've always really admired the M&M's commercials. They've always been self-aware and funny and bright. I was walked through what this spot would be and I was in, I was hooked. 'It's a very rare opportunity that you read something and you're like, "I have no hesitation, reservationthank you very much, the answer is yes."' Levy also expressed his excitement for hosting SNL for the first time this weekend, along with first-time musical guest Phoebe Bridgers. Live from New York: Levy recently expressed his excitement for hosting SNL for the first time this weekend, along with first-time musical guest Phoebe Bridgers Dream come true: The Happiest Season actor said: 'SNL is something that I have honestly dreamed about since I was a very precocious elementary school student. It is a dream come true' A weekend to remember: He added: 'And then to follow it on a Sunday with a Super Bowl spot that I'm just so proud of, it's going to be a weekend to remember for sure' He said: 'It is a one-two punch of things that I never dreamed of for myself. It's a strange time to have lovely things happen. 'At the same time, I think it's so important to really sit and acknowledge the good things that happen, considering how strange these times are. So my plan is to really soak in all of it and have as much fun as I possibly can.' The Happiest Season actor's father Eugene Levy, 74, was supposed to host the show back in 1985, when Dan was just a year old, but the Writers Guild of America's strike derailed his episode. He continued: 'SNL is something that I have honestly dreamed about since I was a very precocious elementary school student. It is a dream come true. 'And then to follow it on a Sunday with a Super Bowl spot that I'm just so proud of, it's going to be a weekend to remember for sure.' In another recent milestone, Levy earned his first Golden Globe nomination last week for Best Supporting Actor Series, Miniseries or Television Film, thanks to his portrayal of David in the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Mazda's China retail sales edged down 1.6% from a year earlier to 20,634 units in January 2021, the Japanese automaker announced on Feb. 5. The decrease wholly resulted from a double-digit sales decline confronting FAW-Mazda. The joint venture with FAW Group delivered 6,239 vehicles last month, which were 17.2% fewer than that of the year-ago level. As of Jan. 2021, FAW Mazda' monthly deliveries had represented two-digit year-on-year decline for the sixth month in a row. With 14,395 vehicles delivered, Changan Mazda accounted for nearly 70% of Mazda's China retail sales in January. It also recorded a 7.2% year-on-year increase, posting upward movement in monthly deliveries for seven consecutive months. Mazda3 Axela; photo credit: Changan Mazda As for specific models, the Mazda3 Axela from Changan Mazda was still the best-selling with 9,693 units delivered in Jan., much more than the totals of the Mazda CX-4 (3,304 units) and the Mazda6 Atenza (2,935 units) from FAW-Mazda. According to previous local reports, Changan Mazda was about to reduce the output of the CX-8 to 15,000 units per year and introduce an all-new SUV code-named J59E instead. Based on the CX-30, the new BEV is said to accelerate from zero to 100km/h within only 8.3 seconds. With a planned annual capacity of 5,000 vehicles, the project may be completed in June 2021. Mazda CX-4; photo credit: FAW-Mazda Mazda Motor was considering cutting its global output by a 34,000 vehicles in February and March due to a chip shortage, Reuter reported earlier this week, citing two sources familiar with the matter. According to the persons, the company planned to reduce its domestic output of the CX-5 by around 3,900 vehicles this month. It was also mulling over an output cut in Japan, China and Mexico for the Mazda3 and the CX-30 models. South Africa will suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the drug failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. Africa's hardest-hit nation was due to start its campaign in the coming days with a million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. The suspension marks an important setback for the country, but officials said vaccine deliveries from other producers would soon be available and allow the campaign to move forward. 'It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters during a virtual press conference. The special infection unit in the city of Tshwane, South Africa pushes a man showing symptoms of Covid-19 inside an ambulance Coronavirus cases have fallen in South Africa after reaching an alarming new peak in January, but the country's mutant strain continues to cause concern at home and abroad Daily deaths from Covid-19 have also fallen, but are still slightly higher than they were at the peak of the first wave - with 46,290 having died in all The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, which conducted the trial, said in a statement on Sunday that the AstraZeneca vaccine 'provides minimal protection against mild-moderate Covid-19 infection' from the South African variant. But in a full paper due to be published on Monday, AstraZeneca said that none of the 2,000 participants developed serious symptoms. That could mean it will still have an effect on severe illness, although not enough data is available yet to make a definitive judgment. Lagging behind in the global vaccination race, South Africa received its first delivery of a million doses on Monday. An additional 500,000 doses are expected this month. All are AstraZeneca vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India, and some 1.2 million health workers were to be first in line for the shots. 'In the next four weeks, we will have the J&J and Pfizer,' said Mkhize, referring to vaccines made by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech. Discussions with other vaccine producers are also ongoing, particularly Moderna and the makers of the Russian Sputnik V jab. Mkhize recently announced having reserved 20 million Pfizer/BioNTech doses. The 1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccines obtained by South Africa, which will expire in April, will be kept until scientists give clear indications on their use, he said. 'The second generation of the vaccine to fight all variants will take longer to produce,' said Salim Abdool Karim, epidemiologist and co-chair of the scientific committee at the South African health ministry. Pictured: A health worker prepares the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine at the Mignot Hospital in Le Chesnay near Paris South Africa plans to vaccinate at least 67 percent of its population by the end of the year, or around 40 million people. The country has recorded nearly 1.5 million infections and more than 46,000 deaths from the virus. The AstraZeneca study data, which has not yet undergone peer review, 'appear to confirm the theoretical observation that mutations in the virus seen in South Africa will allow ongoing transmission of the virus in vaccinated populations', it said. 'Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at low risk.' But the vaccine developers in Britain said informally that the results offered some hope that the shots could prevent deaths from the variant. 'We may not be reducing the total number of cases but there is still protection against deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease,' said Sarah Gilbert, who led the development of the vaccine with the Oxford Vaccine Group. It could also be 'some time' before they determine its effectiveness for older people in fighting the strain, she told BBC television. AstraZeneca told AFP that 'we do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease. 'Neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks,' added the spokesperson. Researchers are currently working to update the vaccine, and 'have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works' that they would 'very much like' to be ready for the autumn, she added. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. A majority of Americans would support the Senate convicting Donald Trump and barring him from holding federal office in future, a new poll has found, with more people backing the move now than at any point during his first impeachment trial. As many as 56 per cent of Americans would strongly support the Senate convicting the former president, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Sunday, while 43 per cent oppose his conviction. The ABC survey suggests a growing number of people are in favour of Mr Trump's conviction as the start of his trial looms larger, with a Quinnipiac University poll several days earlier suggesting that 50 per cent of Americans were in favour and 45 per cent opposed. Mr Trumps popularity has tumbled from the days of his first impeachment trial, when the split of those for and against his conviction was 47 per cent to 49 per cent, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll at the time. The polls are an indication of the impact on public perceptions from the riots at the Capitol building last month. More people now believe that there are greater extremist elements in the Republican Party than the Democratic Party, according to the latest polling. Mr Trump's second impeachment trial begins in the Senate on Tuesday, with the former president facing accusations that he incited the mob with a Washington rally speech calling on them to "fight" the result of November's election. Senate members will hear evidence, set to include videos of the events of 6 January, as Democrats try to convince at least 17 Republicans to join them in voting to convict Mr Trump and bar him from future office, because a two-thirds majority is required. Trump aides are confident that he will be acquitted, given 45 of the 50 Republican senators previously voted to dismiss the trial. Many have argued that since he is no longer president, the process to remove him from office is obsolete. Jakarta, Indonesia -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/07/2021 -- Fintech, or financial technology, has become a business that has been hotly discussed since the past five years. When viewed from market needs, it is not surprising that the field of Fintech is a promising business. The ease of getting an online loan (pinjaman online) through a fintech application is the main reason why this business is so loved. If we compare online loans with borrowing money at the bank, it seems that there are many advantages, especially in terms of the speed of getting a loan. Borrowing money at the bank sounds very traditional. You have to come to the bank, fill out all the paperwork, and you can get new money after waiting for some time. The presence of online loans is a solution for those of you who want to get money by credit quickly and easily. However, because so many people need loans, this business is often misused by online loan (pinjaman online) application owners to deceive their customers. You need to wisely choose a trusted online loan. Make sure that the application is registered with the OJK (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) in Indonesia and legally recognized. The requirements for online money loans through the Kredit Pintar application are not difficult, which only requires an electronic KTP. Unlike conventional banking financial institutions, applying for a loan on Kredit Pintar is processed 100% through the application, without face to face. You only need to prepare a photo ID and selfie, and fill in some personal data information before applying for a loan. All verification tests are carried out without face to face, therefore when taking pictures the results must be absolutely clear. Kredit Pintar is one of the most trusted online loan platforms, as evidenced by its registration at the OJK (Financial Services Authority) and AFPI (the Indonesian Funding Fintech Association). The two institutions become financial institutions that guarantee the failure of a fintech in Indonesia. Kredit Pintar which is covered by PT. Kredit Indonesia, guaranteed to work in a professional and quality manner. Even though there are many customer doubts about borrowing money online, Kredit Pintar can guarantee your trust through the best service. The process for obtaining a loan is also fast, you only need 10 minutes, you can already receive loans of up to 20 million rupiah. By using Pinjaman Online Kredit Pintar, you will not go through a complicated and difficult registration process. Just download the app on the Google Store and follow the steps below. 1. Enter email along with mobile number 2. Identity verification 3. Photo with KTP 4. Fill in personal data 5. Enter the bank account number 6. Fill in the loan nominal 7. Pinjaman online loan will be transferred to your account Using pinjaman online Kredit Pintar can make your various transactions easier. You don't need to worry about the interesest that are given. You can get low interest and a loan limit of up to 8 million rupiah through the aplikasi Kredit Pintar. In terms of trust, customer trust is the main thing that is always put forward. The data that the customer provides will not be distributed without the customer's knowledge. In addition to the convenience and trust that customers can get, various kinds of vouchers and discounts can also be obtained by customers when borrowing from Kredit Pintar. You can make the best use of the ease of getting a money loan (pinjaman uang). Don't forget to obey to pay the loan according to the specified time so you don't get a fine. Select a loan application that is registered and recognized by the authorized institution. Media Contact Kredit Pintar 8 Treasury Tower lt 53 Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD) Lot 28 Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav 52-54 Senayan, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta Selatan 12190 Phone Number: (021) 50598882 cs@kreditpintar.com https://www.kreditpintar.com/ ADVERTISEMENT A Magistrates Court sitting in Agbowa, Lagos State, on Monday sentenced a 24-year-old man, Daniel Johnson, to four months imprisonment for stealing goods worth N70,000. Mr Johnson had been remanded in Correctional facility since his first arraignment on June 19, 2018, on two counts charges of breach of peace and theft. Although the defendant had earlier pleaded not guilty to the offences, the court on Monday found him guilty on the second count of theft. The Magistrate, C.K Tunji-Carrena, consequently sentenced the convict to four months imprisonment in a Correctional Centre. Mrs Tunji-Carrena, however, freed the convict, saying he had been in detention since August 2019. I find the defendant guilty on count two as the prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that you committed felony to wit stealing. I hereby sentence you to four months imprisonment. But having been in detention since August, 2019, you are hereby free to go, she ruled. Earlier, the prosecutor, Yomi Egunjobi, a police inspector, told the court during the trial that the defendant committed the offences on June 18, 2018, around 2:30 a.m. at Government Model College, Owutu Ikorodu. He said the defendant scaled the fence of the school and stole two gas cylinders, one tabletop cooker and school mattress all valued at N70,000. Mr Egunjobi said the school maintenance officer and Security Guard caught the defendant as he tried to escape with the stolen items. (NAN) Glance is not an app but actually a built-in feature of smartphones which provides personalized content driven by artificial intelligence-driven and that too in various regional languages. These languages include English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bahasa, on the lock screens of Android smartphones. Continue reading to know how to use glance app and the various glance app features. Also read | Cold War Firebase Z Memory Corrupted: Find Out How To Capture Mimics Using Essence Traps Also read | Cold War Firebase Z Essence Trap: Follow This Guide To Use The Essence Trap Properly What is Glance App? One of the most interesting things about Glance is that it is not an app. Since it is not an app, it is not going to be available on the Play Store. It actually is a part of the phone or can even be considered as a built-in feature which can be accessed just like any other feature. So this also means that for those who want to use it, they will need to purchase a smartphone which has this feature enabled. As of now, it is available on almost all of the Samsung and Xiaomi smartphones, which include the Redmi Note 7 duo which was launched recently. Some of the other models including the Samsungs Galaxy A, M and J series of Samsung, POCO F1 and many of the Xiaomi devices. There is no need to do anything extra for enabling this feature so users can just start using it out of the box. Glance provides three modes of content which can be described as: First Mode The first mode of Glance is on the lock screen. When you wake up the phone, there will be new content every time and this will include a visually-rich image along with a news headline. Second Mode The second mode will give you an option to know more about something on the screen that catches your interest. Depending on whether you are using a Samsung or Xiaomi device, the steps will differ. For the Samsung device, you will have to use the swipe down feature starting from the centre of the display. For the Xiaomi device, you will need to either swipe right or you can also hit the button that is present right beside the headline. Third Mode The third mode of this Glance feature is the simplest and users can just scroll up or down on both Samsung and Xiaomi phones which will provide them with different content each time. Also read | Fortnite Textures Not Loading: How To Fix The Textures Glitch? Also read | Cold War Firebase Z: Steps On How To Complete The Easter Egg Mission Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said business over hunger will not be allowed in the country and once again demanded a law on minimum support price (MSP) for crops along with the repeal of new contentious agri-marketing laws. The Bharatiya Kisan Union spokespersons comments came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modis address in the Rajya Sabha during which he assured MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Desh mein bhook pe vyaapaar nahi hoga. Bhook kitni lagegi anaaj ki keemat utni hogi. Desh mein bhook se vyaapaar karne walon ko baahar nikaala jaaega (There will not be business over hunger in the country. If hunger goes up, price of crops will be decided accordingly. Those wanting business over hunger will be driven out of the country), he told reporters. The way rates of a flight ticket fluctuate three to four times a day, the price of crops will not be decided the same way, Tikait said. On the PMs remark about the emergence of a new community which is engaged in protests, Tikait said, Yes, this time it is the farmers community which has emerged and people are also supporting the farmers. He said what the farmers protesting against the new laws have highlighted is that there is no law on MSP, because of which traders loot them by buying crops at lower prices. He also slammed the attempts to divide the ongoing movement of farmers on caste and religious lines. This movement was first portrayed as Punjabs issue, then Sikhs then Jats, so on and so forth. The farmers of the country are united. There is no small farmer or big farmer. The movement belongs to all farmers, he said. Earlier in the day, Modi in his response to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in Rajya Sabha, said, MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised. Reacting to the PMs speech, another farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who is also member of Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, said that the government has already said hundreds of times that the MSP will not go anywhere and it will remain. If the government is claiming that MSP will remain, why doesnt it provide a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for our crops, Kohar told PTI. Asked about the PMs invitation to farmer unions for talks, he said that protesting farmer unions are ready to hold talks with the government, but it should come through formal channels. Any issue can be resolved through proper dialogue. We are ready in-principle to resume talks, the farmer leader. Sukhdev Singh, Punjab general secretary of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, sought to know why the government is not ensuring a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, adding that it is trying to divert the issue. New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Congress on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in which he said that MSP will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme for 80 crore people, had "no substance" and was "misleading". Talking to media persons outside Parliament, Congress' Rajya Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge said they hoped the Prime Minister would say something on three farm laws over which the farmers are protesting for the last 75 days. He said that the Congress expected that the Prime Minister, looking at the agitation of the farmers, will repeal the farm laws and will then speak to the stakeholders to bring fresh laws in Parliament. "But he did not discuss anything like that," he said. Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Kharge said: "He (Modi) said that they are protesting without knowing what is there in the three farm laws. Can it happen like this? Farmers who till their lands and all the opposition parties know everything about the three farm laws." He said that the Congress has given a pamphlet to the government on the farmers' issue. "But the Prime Minister ignored all the facts. He rejected concerns of farmers, graduates and scientists saying nobody knows anything. He is misleading the people by saying that nobody knows what is there in the three farm laws," he said. "Are we all fools? And are all the farmers sitting on protest fools?" He described the Prime Minister's reply in the Rajya Sabha as a political speech. On the Covid-19 pandemic, Kharge said: "On February, I asked clearly in Parliament whether it is a fact that Covid related deaths per million in India are much higher than other south Asian countries. And the government's reply to that was that for the questions 'A to C', Yes." "We don't talk without substance, it is their written reply," he said. Congress MP Deepender Hooda said: "This Government is not able to understand the depth of these protests. Ignoring the difference in culture, language, religion, these farmers have reached the doorstep of the Centre but it is really unfortunate that the government has neglected their struggle." Hooda said that "we are very much disappointed" with the Prime Minister's speech. Congress leader Nasser Hussain said: "We could have boycotted his address but we were hoping that maybe today the Prime Minister will repeal the three farm laws. The same Prime Minister, because of whom the entire country is having issues like falling GDP growth, clashes at Galwan Valley, protesting farmers, is asking the opposition to be a part of the solution rather than being part of the problem." Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also slammed the Prime Minister's remarks. "In Parliament today, Prime Minister Modi said that FDI is also 'Foreign Destructive Ideology'. This from someone whose governance has been based solely on FDI - Fear, Deception, Intimidation." Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill in a tweet said, "Prime Minister says 'MSP tha, hai or rahega' - then why don't give the same in written in the form of a law Mr Prime Minister? Also write that the private companies cannot buy the farmers produce below the MSP. Farmers cannot trust Prime Minister's speech because they know difference between law and lofty speeches." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Leveraging emerging technologies, vast vehicle fleets, and a range of services, FedEx has kept pace with the constantly changing customer demand KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) was recently recognized by Frost & Sullivan with the 2020 Malaysia Customer Value Leadership Award. The recognition was based on a recent analysis of the Malaysian express international courier services market undertaken by Frost & Sullivan. Annually, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers with a focus on improving the return on the investment that customers make from its services or products. The Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. "FedEx Malaysia has successfully leveraged a combination of huge global network establishments, large fleets, and innovative international courier service solutions to address industry challenges," said Norazah Bachok, Senior Analyst, Best Practices, Frost & Sullivan. "It has created a strong foothold in the market with its focus on automated robotic technologies, online digital facilities enhancements and strategic partnerships. Furthermore, the company has invested in technologies such as robotic process automation (RPA) to boost productivity and employs online and digital tools to deliver next-level user experiences. To enhance its services for eCommerce customers, it has firmed up strategic alliances that will help it expand service accessibility outside Tier I cities and empower its customers, especially small and medium businesses." Supported by a vast global delivery network, FedEx Malaysia has established operations in the market that connects customers with delivery and pick-up services to and from all major countries in the world. Its ability to provide solutions and services based on customers' requirements, whether they demand inexpensive services or vehicle, time, and day-specific services gives it a distinct market advantage. FedEx is one of the world's largest express transportation companies, serving more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. It has more than 400 flights operated in Asia Pacific per week. In Malaysia, FedEx has 17 branches and more than 1,400 employees. It has three gateways in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Penang International Airport (PEN) and Senai Mini Gateway. All these airports are linked to its intraAsia delivery network, which connects 20 cities in Asia-Pacific for next-day delivery. Its top solutions and services are FedEx International First, FedEx International Priority, FedEx International Economy, FedEx International Priority Freight, FedEx International Economy Freight, and Special Services. Through FedEx International First, it offers early morning deliveries worldwide for time-critical shipments. FedEx International Priority offers time-definite deliveries to more than 220 countries and territories around the globe. With FedEx International Economy, it provides cost-effective deliveries that are not time-critical. The FedEx International Priority Freight and FedEx International Economy Freight cover the delivery of shipments in bulk from the location of origin to multiple locations in select countries. It also offers custom solutions such as charter flight, vehicle, next flight out, and on-board courier. About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Press Contact: Kala Mani.S. P: +607-560 3656 E: Kala.Manis@frost.com About FedEx Express FedEx Express is one of the world's largest express transportation companies, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee1. About FedEx Corp. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $75 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its nearly 600,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com. 1 Subject to relevant terms and conditions. Chennai, Feb 8 : After four years, former AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala returned to Tamil Nadu on Monday to a grand welcome by supporters, with her arrival leaving the ruling party in jitters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Sasikala, who left from Bengaluru in the morning, was greeted by large number of people at several places en route with firecrackers, garlands, showers of petals and drumbeats. Her convoy comprising buses, vans and cars was heading for Chennai after brief halt at various points and amid tension at few places as the police tried to restrict the number of vehicles. A close aide of J. Jayalalithaa, Sasikala left from a resort on Bengaluru outskirts after paying tributes to portrait of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Sasikala was released from jail on January 27 on completing four-year jail term in a Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case. Wearing a face mask, she was accompanied by her nephew and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran. Unfazed by the police complaint lodged against her by AIADMK for using the party flag a few days ago, Sasikala's vehicle carried the flag. After Sasikala used an AIADMK flag on her car after her discharge from a hospital in Bengaluru last week, the AIADMK had lodged a complaint with the police in Chennai. The ruling party leaders urged the DGP to stop her from using the party flag. However, Dhinakaran defended the use of AIADMK flag saying she is still the General Secretary of the party. He pointed out that petitions challenging her expulsion from the party are pending in court. People in the convoy and those welcoming Sasikala were seen carrying flags of both the AIADMK and the AMMK. Policemen were deployed in large numbers at Hosur on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. The police removed posters and flexis put up by Sasikala's supporters at few places. Clad in a green colour saree, 'Chinnamma' as Sasikala is fondly called was sitting in car. She was seen responding to the greetings of the supporters with folded hands. She will stay at her niece J. Krishnapriya's residence in Chennai's T. Nagar area. Krishnapriya is the daughter of J. Ilavarasi, Sasikala`s sister-in-law, who was also sentenced in the disproportionate assets case. Sasikala was released from prison on January 27. She, however, remained at the Government Victoria Hospital, where she was admitted after testing positive for Covid-19 while under judicial custody. After her discharge from hospital on January 31, she was staying in the resort to complete her quarantine period. Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Jayalalithaa's disowned foster son V.N. Sudhakaran were sentenced to four years imprisonment by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case in 2017. The case was originally filed against Jayalalithaa and the three others for amassment of assets disproportionate to their known sources of income between 1991 and 1996. The trial court in Bengaluru had convicted all the four but the Karnataka High Court later acquitted them. On appeals challenging their acquittals, the Supreme Court confirmed and restored the trial court order convicting Sasikala, Illavarasi and Sudhakaran. Since Jayalalithaa died in December, 2016, the apex court abated appeals against her acquittal. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... LAS VEGAS Federal authorities in Arizona have arrested a man near the U.S.-Mexico border who is suspected in a 2016 homicide case in Las Vegas, authorities said. The Las Vegas police department said on Friday that Victor Delgado Jr., 27, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection near a border crossing in Nogales, Arizona. Delgado is awaiting extradition to Las Vegas, where he faces multiple charges including murder. It wasnt immediately known if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. Police said two men allegedly began fighting at the gas pumps in front of a Las Vegas gas station on Oct. 13, 2016, around 6:15 a.m. when a third person approached and fired several shots, killing a 28-year-old man. The Clark County coroners office identified the man as Daniel Villanueva. Police said the shooter and one of the men fled the scene. Arrest warrants were later issued for two men, including Delgado. Police said they believed the suspects left and then returned to the Las Vegas area in 2019. Records show the other man identified by police as Jordan Delgado has not yet been found. Authorities have not released any information on the relationship between the two suspects. It wasnt immediately known if Jordan Delgado has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The building that formerly housed the 167-year-old St. Simons Episcopal Church in Concord is being prepared for demolition by a developer planning to build 19 single-family homes on the site, the Advance has learned. According to Zillow, the property was sold in December 2020 for $6 million. City Building Department (DOB) records show that the Great Kills-based Oak Developers filed an application for the demolition of the existing church building at 1055 Richmond Rd. on Jan. 13, 2021. But it has yet to be approved, according to DOB records. City Building Department records say the Great Kills-based Oak Developers filed an application for the demolition of the existing church building at 1055 Richmond Rd. on Jan. 13, 2021. (Jan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance) The records also show that the developer filed an application to subdivide the existing large lot into 19 smaller lots in October 2020 and plans to build single-family homes on the site. The zoning of the site is R1-2, which allows for as-of-right development of single-family homes. This application for the building permits has yet to be approved by the DOB, agency records show. Oak Developers didnt return Advance/SILive.com phone calls about the project. CHURCH HISTORY St. Simons Episcopal Church moved from its former building on Clove Road to its current home on Richmond Road in Concord on April 3, 1961. The church was founded in 1854 as St. Simons Free German Chapel of the Protestant Episcopal Church, which served a largely German population in Stapleton, according to nycago.com. City records show that the developer filed an application to subdivide the existing large lot into 19 smaller lots in October 2020 and plans to build single-family homes on the site. (Jan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance) The website said the churchs first services were held in a small building on Targee Street, Stapleton, and later in the First Baptist Church. St. Simons became an independent parish in 1955, according to nycago.com. The church building on Richmond Road was shuttered in July 2019. At the time the church closed, Nicholas Richardson, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, told the Advance/SILive.com: The catalyst [for the church closing] is a steadily aging and diminishing congregation, which has gotten to the state where it simply isnt sustainable anymore. While the church was open, it was working with several groups that rented space for meetings and other services at the site. The church building on Richmond Road was shuttered in July 2019. (Jan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance) The Episcopal Diocese of New York wasnt immediately available for comment about the sale of the property. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER In February 1971, onboard the Apollo 14 Command and Service Module Kitty Hawk, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa was conducting observations, experiments, and scientific investigations in lunar orbit, while his fellow crew members, Commander Alan Shepard and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell explored the Fra Mauro formation on the Moons surface. A statement by NASA History, on Feb. 4, recounts that 50 years ago onboard Kitty Hawk, in Roosas personal travel kit, was a canister of approximately 400-500 loblolly pine, sweet gum, redwood, Douglas fir, and sycamore tree seeds. When the mission returned to Earth, NASA stated, the seeds were germinated and grew into what were referred to as, Moon Trees, which can be found around the U.S. and the world. NASA cites acting NASA Chief Historian Brian Odom, who said in the statement: The historic voyages of the Apollo program were about bold exploration and incredible scientific discovery. He added, Apollo 14 included the widest range of scientific experiments to that point in the program, but in the case of Roosas Moon Trees, it was what the astronauts took with them on their lunar journey that has left such an indelible mark on the landscape back on Earth. According to the statement, it was a joint effort between NASA and the U.S. Forest Service, with a two-fold purpose - as part of an experiment to determine the effects of deep space on seeds, and also to help raise awareness about the Forest Service and particularly the wildland forest firefighters called smokejumpers, who jumped out of airplanes to combat the blazes. Where did the idea come from? According to NASA, Ed Cliff, chief of the Forest Service, came up with the Moon Tree concept. Cliff, who was aware that Roosa, in the 1950s - before becoming a military aviator and astronaut - had served as a smokejumper, contacted the astronaut to propose the idea, NASA said. In charge of the project, was Stan Krugman, a geneticist at the Forest Service, who selected the seeds that flew on Apollo 14 into lunar orbit, NASA said. There was a mishap. During decontamination processes following the mission, the canister ruptured, mixing the seeds together, and compromising the experiments environment, according to NASA. Although the seeds were feared to be dead, according to NASA, they were sent to Forest Service offices in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Placerville, California, to see if any could be germinated and grown into saplings. Some 450 saplings were grown. Where did the saplings go? NASA History noted that Moon Tree saplings were gifted to schools, universities, parks, and government offices, many as part of the U.S. bicentennial celebrations in 1976, with locations being chosen, in part, to ensure compatibility of climate conditions to the respective tree species. NASA cited then-President Gerald Ford, who said in a telegram to U.S. Bicentennial Moon Tree planting ceremonies: This tree which was carried by Astronauts Stuart Roosa, Alan Shepard, and Edgar Mitchell on their mission to the Moon, is a living symbol of our spectacular human and scientific achievements. It is a fitting tribute to our national space program which has brought out the best of American patriotism, dedication, and determination to succeed. After decades of growth, NASA noted, trees that traveled to the Moon, which were planted beside their Earth-grown counterparts, show no differences from those that never left Earth. Read more: Fifty years ago, Alan Shepard blasted from an endless sand trap and we just now found his ball Where were they planted? According to NASA, a Loblolly Pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the Emperor of Japan, among others. Trees have also been planted in Washington Square in Philadelphia, at Valley Forge, in the International Forest of Friendship, and at various universities and NASA centers. A sycamore Moon Tree is growing at Koch Girl Scout Camp in Cannelton, Indiana as well as Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. A list of Moon Tree locations can be found here. There is a second generation of trees. NASA explained that second-generation trees, grown from Moon Tree seeds, are sometimes known as Half-Moon Trees and are also growing around the world. One such Half-Moon Tree can be found at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama - standing outside a building that played a key role in development of the Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo 14 mission, NASA said. NASA had this to say, All crops grown in space have Apollo 14 in their roots. Five decades after the mission that took seeds to the Moon, the trees that grew from the seeds stand as living, leafy testaments to humanitys first voyages to the Moon, while the crops grown in space since enable the continuation of humanitys exploration of the cosmos. READ MORE: Australian journalist and mother-of-two Cheng Lei has been formally arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. The Chinese-born TV anchor, who moved to Australia at the age of nine, has been detained since August, without charge, allowing Chinese investigators to question her for up to six months without guaranteed access to legal aid. Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist who worked for Chinas state media, has been arrested. Credit: Getty Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions. Australian embassy officials have visited Ms Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on 27 January 2021, in accordance with our bilateral consular agreement with China, she said. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cornell Capital LLC ("Cornell Capital"), and Trilantic North America, two leading private investment firms, today announced that they have acquired trustaff Management, Inc. ("trustaff"), a leading provider of travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing services, and CardioSolution, a managed services offering providing cardiologists and support personnel to hospitals. As part of this transaction, Cornell Capital and Trilantic North America have also agreed to acquire Stella.ai, Inc. ("Stella"), a VC-backed, AI-driven online marketplace for employers and job seekers that brings cutting-edge technology expertise to the staffing sector. The combination of these companies will create a leading healthcare staffing platform with a unique technology-driven approach. Founded in 2002 and family-owned, trustaff serves a wide variety of healthcare provider needs through trustaff Travel Nurses, which places nurses and allied professionals on 13-week travel assignments, and trustaff Personnel Services, which provides per-diem temporary staffing. trustaff is one of the largest travel nurse staffing firms in the United States, having placed healthcare professionals at more than 2,000 healthcare facilities, including hospitals and medical centers across the country. Founded in 2011 by Perrin Peacock and Dr. Lou Vadlamani, CardioSolution is a physician-led organization that specializes in building, augmenting and operating cardiovascular programs for underserved communities across the country. Backed by world-class investors, including Charles River Ventures and The Seek Group, Stella is the first inter-company candidate referral network for large employers. Powered by a common application, ATS integrations and matching algorithms, Stella provides an efficient and seamless experience for both candidates and hiring firms. Stella has built networks in hospitality, wireless communications and healthcare, and is headquartered in New York City. Cornell Capital and Trilantic North America intend to accelerate growth at the combined company by creating an industry-first platform for temporary healthcare staffing built on data science and automation. This differentiated platform will be further enhanced by each company's growth-oriented management, long-standing hospital and healthcare facility relationships, and high-performing sales and recruiting teams to drive attractive synergies and long-term success. "trustaff and CardioSolution are leaders in the healthcare staffing industry, and we are thrilled to partner with both teams as we successfully build this combined company," said Stephen Trevor, Partner of Cornell Capital. "As demand for healthcare staffing solutions continues to increase, their scalable model, entrepreneurial cultures and strong relationships position the combined company for continued geographic expansion and accelerated growth, both organically and through additional acquisitions." "We are delighted to join Cornell Capital, as well as the senior management of trustaff, CardioSolution and Stella, as long-term investors in the combined company," said Jeremy Lynch, Partner of Trilantic North America. "Healthcare staffing and services, and the intersection of human capital and technology, are key areas of focus for us, as is aligning with founder-led businesses such as trustaff, CardioSolution and Stella. We are excited to support this first class team during its next phase of growth." In conjunction with the announcement, Adam Zoia, CEO and Co-Founder of Stella, has been named CEO of the combined company, succeeding Brent Loring, CEO of trustaff, who is retiring. Mr. Zoia is an industry leader and has been applying technology and data science to recruiting for nearly 25 years, including at Glocap, a high-touch executive search and temporary placement firm for financial professionals that he founded in 1997 and where he remains Chairman. Sean Loring, President of trustaff, has been named Chairman and will continue to help lead the business with Mr. Zoia in his new role. In addition, both Brent and Sean Loring remain investors in the business, alongside other members of trustaff and CardioSolution management. "Today's announcement is a testament to the strength of trustaff and CardioSolution's differentiated offerings and the dedication of our talented teams," said Sean Loring. "Both trustaff and CardioSolution have defined themselves by operational excellence and a demonstrated ability to scale and identify growth opportunities. I am confident that with the support of Cornell Capital and Trilantic North America, the combined company is poised for its next chapter of growth as a trusted partner to both our travel nurses and healthcare facility partners." "trustaff and CardioSolution are pioneers in the travel nursing and healthcare staffing sectors, and I am delighted to take on this role," said Mr. Zoia. "I have developed strong relationships with the teams at Cornell Capital and Trilantic North America, and look forward to leveraging their significant experience growing leading business services companies. We will also benefit from the deep expertise of Sean and the rest of management in continuing to operate these well-run businesses. Together with Cornell Capital, Trilantic North America and the talented employees at trustaff and CardioSolution, we are committed to driving speed and efficiency, using enhanced technology to meet growing market demand." Citizens Bank, N.A. and UBS Securities LLC are acting as joint lead arrangers for the transactions. Specific financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed. The Stella transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. trustaff will continue to operate from its headquarters in Cincinnati and offices in Boca Raton, Dallas, Nashville and Scottsdale. CardioSolution will continue to operate from its headquarters in Cincinnati. The combined company plans to expand its operations in New York City. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to Cornell Capital. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal advisor to Trilantic North America. Citizens M&A Advisory is acting as financial advisor to trustaff and CardioSolution, and Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is acting as legal advisor. About Cornell Capital Cornell Capital LLC is a U.S.-based private investment firm with over $4.0 billion of AUM and offices in New York and Hong Kong. Partnering with strong, entrepreneurial management teams, the firm takes a value-oriented approach to investing across the consumer, financial and industrial sectors. Founder and Senior Partner Henry Cornell, who served as the Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs' Merchant Banking Division prior to founding Cornell Capital in 2013, leads a highly-seasoned senior leadership team with decades of shared investing experience. For more information, visit www.cornellcapllc.com. About Trilantic North America Trilantic Capital Management L.P. ("Trilantic North America") is a private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments in North America. Trilantic North America's primary investment focus is in the business services, consumer and energy sectors. Trilantic North America has managed six private equity fund families with aggregate capital commitments of $9.7 billion. Trilantic North America has been recognized by Inc. Magazine's 2019 list of Top 50 Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms. For more information, visit www.trilanticnorthamerica.com. About trustaff Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, trustaff is one of the largest and most well-respected healthcare staffing companies in the industry. trustaff is proud to represent some of the most skilled healthcare professionals in the market and help place them at outstanding facilities across the country. Over the last 18+ years, trustaff has experienced exponential growth and has become one of the nation's most well-respected travel healthcare agencies. For more information, visit www.trustaff.com. About CardioSolution CardioSolution offers a unique turn-key solution, delivering comprehensive cardiovascular service lines to hospitals nationwide. We are a team of more than 100 physicians and clinical support staff serving millions of patients across 23 communities nationwide. For more information, please visit cardiosolution.com. About Stella Backed by world-class investors, including Charles River Ventures and The Seek Group, Stella is the first inter-company candidate referral network for large employers. Powered by a common application, ATS integrations and matching algorithms, Stella provides an efficient and seamless experience for both candidates and hiring firms. Stella has built networks in hospitality, wireless communications and healthcare, and is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit www.stella.jobs. Media Contacts Cornell Capital Julie Hamilton / Tim Ragones / Julia Sottosanti Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 Trilantic North America Mariel Seidman-Gati 646-818-9013 [email protected] SOURCE Cornell Capital LLC Related Links https://cornellcapllc.com/ Goldies Bagels in Columbia, Mo. has a slogan, a tagline if you will, that pretty much sums up its mission: Made by moms for your mornings, meetings and mazel tovs. We dream of having a cafe space someday that caters to families with young kids. Thats how Sarah and I met, explains Amanda Rainey, 36, who runs the bagel operation with friend and fellow mom Sarah Medcalf. Her son is like three months younger than my oldest, continues Rainey, who is Jewish and whose daughters, Rosie and Micah, are 41/2 and almost 2. We started meeting with a group of friends who had kids in that same period, and we got coffee every week for maybe the first six months of our kids lives, which was a huge support that we all needed. There was one coffeeshop that we would go to that had one table, kind of in the corner, where we could feed our babies. Theres just not a kid-friendly place in town that has even a little area with some toys, which is what wed eventually like to create. ADVERTISEMENT In the meantime, Goldies Bagels operates out of Pizza Tree, a 900-square foot pizza joint that was opened in downtown Columbia in 2014 by Rainey and her husband, John Gilbreth. The restaurant closed its small dining room and ended its late night hours during the pandemic. Today, customers can pick up pizza for lunch and dinner from a sidewalk window all orders are take-out. Most mornings, Pizza Tree doubles as Goldies, selling breakfast pizzas (whole and by the slice) and five different kinds of freshly baked bagels from the window, along with bagel sandwiches such as the yenta with lox, for $10.50, piled high with whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon lox, capers, cucumbers and red onion. Another favorite boasts turmeric and black sesame seeds as a nod to Mizzous gold and black school colors. When we opened Pizza Tree, I was working at Hillel at Mizzou, says Rainey, who grew up in St. Louis, graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 2003 and celebrated her bat mitzvah at Shaare Zedek. From the time we opened, I said Johnny, we are going to make bagels someday. We can use the same equipment (as pizza) for the most part and use the same flour. But it turns out you can only open one restaurant at a time, so it took another six years before we made bagels. Coincidentally, the same week Pizza Tree opened, Rainey traveled to New York City to participate in a free, week-long workshop for twenty-somethings called Tent, run by the Yiddish Book Center. These workshops center on the connection between modern culture and Jewishness; in Raineys case, the focus was food. We went to the New York Public Library and looked through their archives of old menus. We did a food crawl in the Lower East Side. It was really inspiring, she says. Thats when I knew someday, Im going to do a little bit more with Jewish food. So at the beginning of the pandemic, with more time on my hands, I started baking bagels at home. I had never made bagels before and its a two-day process. It also became a weekend ritual where we would mix the dough on Saturday and make bagels on Sunday. We started making and selling them (as Goldies Bagels) in August first as a pop-up on Mondays before expanding to daily service. Rainey says she and Medcalf are still working on our recipe. There are a lot of variables and a lot of little things to tweak. We never set out to make authentic New York bagels, though we are inspired by that, she adds. We are inspired by other restaurants doing more modern Jewish food and also pulling from what we were already doing at the pizza shop. Goldies Bagels use a sourdough base, much like the pizzas at Pizza Tree. After the bagels are mixed and shaped, they are left to cold ferment overnight before they are boiled in malt syrup and then baked in the pizza oven. The finished bagels are bigger than most and seeded on both sides. For the Super Bowl, the women featured pretzel bagels. For Valentines Day, they plan to make chocolate chip bagels. Rainey hopes to grow the business once the pandemic is over to include catering. She belongs to the only synagogue in Columbia, Congregation Beth Shalom, where she taught religious school while attending college at Mizzou. She says many of the 100 or so families who attend the Reform shul are interfaith. Still, there are bnai mitzvahs and other Jewish occasions to celebrate, and what better way to do just that than with bagels? I grew up at Ladue and thats a very different experience from what my daughters will have here. They likely will be the only Jewish kids in their classes, says Rainey, who as part of a two-year, post-graduate fellowship worked for the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Miss. Thats part of why its important for me to do this and to be very explicitly, outwardly proud of how Jewish Goldies is. If you look at our Instagram page, I post videos of my kids celebrating all the Jewish holidays. We went live on Instagram and made challah a few weeks ago. We did a fundraiser for Tu BiShvat and got people to donate four cases of fruit and some money to the food bank. Its nice to be able to bring my Jewish education background and my Jewish identity to what I am doing, and in a sense, create my dream job. R-Day violence was staged by govt: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in LS India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Feb 08: Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday accused the government of staging the violence during the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said, "The most important question is how could the miscreants reach Red Fort on a day like Republic Day?... I am sure that this was an incident staged by the government." Meanwhile, "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future," Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday declared during his speech in Parliament, removing all doubts about the future of the scheme that guarantees farmers a predetermined price delinked from market rates for specific crops, thereby subsidising them. In his over hour-long address, the PM spoke at length about the need for reforms in the farm sector while making it amply clear that the government will not back down and agree to repeal of the three legislations. On the other hand, Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait also accused the PM of "confusing" people over the issue of MSP and said the farmers unions protesting the new laws are open to discussions with the government. "Desh mein bhook pe vyaapaar nahi hoga. Bhook kitni lagegi anaaj ki keemat utni hogi. Desh mein bhook se vyaapaar karne walon ko baahar nikaala jaaega (There will not be business over hunger in the country. If hunger goes up, price of crops will be decided accordingly. Those wanting business over hunger will be driven out of the country)," he told reporters. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 23:51 [IST] SPRINGFIELD Activists are calling foul to the citys restrictions on the number of people who can virtually attend the City Councils Speak Out portion of their regular meeting. Pioneer Valley Project Director Tara Parrish said a large number of the organizations members will not be able to participate in a Zoom presentation of the public participation segment Monday evening before the regular City Council meeting. Only the seven people who have signed to formally address the council are allowed to be in the virtual meeting while the 89 others who wished to attend and view it in real-time will not. We are not asking that they open the meeting to public questions outside the normal format of Speak Out, she said. Our problem is that the public comments are not live-streamed in real-time. No one can see them as they happen. City Council meetings air on Comcast cable access Channel 17 and are live-streamed on the city and Focus Springfield websites. Council President Marcus Williams told councilors that to allow residents to participate in the Speak Out portion during the pandemic without actually attending a meeting in City Hall, speakers can with the City Council office at least two hours in advance of the 6 p.m. Speak Out start time will be recognized to address the council. They will be given a link to use to participate in a Zoom meeting. However, only they will be allowed into the virtual meeting. The new rules go into effect Monday, Feb. 8. Focus Springfields Station Manager and Executive Producer, Stephen Cary said while the city can accommodate large numbers of people in its Zoom presentations, it cannot control the individual participants. Open microphones and live cameras on attendees computers would all be accessible during the meeting and trying to individually mute each participant would be a nightmare. Cary pointed to problems a Longmeadow diversity task force is having. During a recent virtual meeting, the Longmeadow Coalition for Racial Justice Task Force was Zoom bombed by an unknown attendee and was peppered with shouted racial slurs and swastikas splashed across the screen. Flash Another 15,845 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,945,680, according to official figures released Sunday. The country also reported another 373 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 112,465. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. The figures recorded on the weekends are usually lower due to the the delay in reporting in some regions. Earlier Sunday, the British Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said on Twitter that "surge testing" is being deployed in more areas where cases of coronavirus variants have been found. The DHSC said additional surge testing and sequencing is being deployed to targeted areas around Worcestershire, an area in Sefton, and areas in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. "Surge testing is in addition to existing extensive testing, and in combination with following the lockdown rules and remembering hands-face-space, will help to monitor and suppress the spread of the virus," the department said in a statement. Meanwhile, more than 12 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that Britain remains "on track" to complete the vaccination of the top priority groups, which cover 15 million people, by mid-February. Downing Street has confirmed that all British adults aged 50 and older are expected to be offered a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by early May. Britain aims to offer all adults their first dose by autumn. England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Talentedge, a leading Ed-Tech firm in India has appointed Abhinav Upadhyay as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). He will be responsible for handling all aspects of the brand and product marketing besides changing the way Talentedge drives transformation within to create impact outside amongst its audience and learners. Upadhyay brings with him nearly two decades of experience as a growth and marketing advisor as well as a business and marketing leader across sectors. Talentedge was the first to introduce Live & Interactive learning in the Higher Education and Executive education space in India. With deepening Internet penetration & the new National Education policy creating a huge opportunity for Talentedge, the company is looking to bolster its leadership team and Upadhyays appointment is a step in that direction. Commenting on his new role, Abhinav Upadhyay, Chief Marketing Officer, Talentedge, said I am thrilled to partner Aditya and the entire Talentedge team to drive the vision of creating the most powerful brand in the higher education space from India. The opportunity to build the Talentedge brand while leveraging technology as an enabler & work with a great team on a mission to drive outcome based education is going to be extremely challenging but rewarding at the same time. I look forward to a journey of unprecedented growth for Talentedge An alumnus of Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Upadhyay won the MICA Bronze Medal for Academic Excellence after graduating in business administration. He has been at the forefront of technology adoption in products & marketing and is known for having propelled high-powered growth for companies that hes been a part of. Upadhyay is known for his transformational leadership for brands, products and businesses across a wide range of industries like Telecom, Remittances, Foreign Exchange, Prepaid Cards, Online Forex, Education and EdTech. Upadhyay has also been an entrepreneur and a growth & marketing consultant for various companies. He has also authored many articles around technology, digital, marketing and growth. On the new development, Aditya Malik, CEO and MD, Talentedge added, I am delighted to have Abhinav at the helm of our Brand and customer experience efforts and am confident that his experience in building brands, driving growth and creating a superior customer experience is going to be a huge asset for Talentedge as we build the future of Higher Education and career development in India. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Moody's Investors Service has changed India's power sector outlook from negative to stable on generation growth. Accordingly, on February 6, India's Central Electricity Authority reported a 3.1 per cent year-on-year growth for the country's power generation in January, the fifth consecutive month of power generation growth after six months of decline driven by coronavirus pandemic. "We have changed the outlook for the Indian power sector to stable from negative, recognising the better prospects for the sector as a result, amid an improved macroeconomic backdrop," Moody's Investors Service said in a statement. "Sustaining growth in power generation indicates a stabilisation of the operating environment, which was severely impacted by the lockdowns to contain the pandemic." As per a statement, the expectations of a rebound in India's real GDP growth to 10.8 per cent in fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 after a sharp contraction in fiscal 2021, further underpins the potential for improving growth in power demand and a more stable picture for the sector. "We do not expect any further material deterioration in the cash conversion cycle for the power companies from current levels, which also supports the change in outlook." "Furthermore, we expect that our rated issuers can absorb a degree of increased delays in payments from their consumers." The first 10 months of fiscal 2021, saw power generation growth decline to 2.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis. "Renewable energy generation (excluding hydropower) reported 4.3 per cent year-on-year growth for the same period." "Wind generation was weak and will adversely affect those power companies with a high volume of wind generation in their portfolios - namely ReNew Power Private and Greenko Energy Holdings." On Thursday, the BMJ (formerly, British Medical Journal ) published an editorial accusing the worlds governments of social murder in their collective response to the pandemic. The BMJ is one of the worlds oldest and most prestigious medical periodicals, with a publication history going back to 1840. Its editorial, Covid-19: Social murder, they wroteelected, unaccountable, and unrepentant, is signed by executive editor Kamran Abbasi. It is a devastating indictment of policies implemented over the past year that have led to the deaths of more than two million people. Mortician Triston McAuliff works in a cooler holding deceased people Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Springfield, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Murder, the editorial begins, is an emotive word. In law, it requires premeditation. Death must be deemed to be unlawful. How could murder apply to failures of a pandemic response? The BMJ then goes on to argue that the term is entirely appropriate: When politicians and experts say that they are willing to allow tens of thousands of premature deaths for the sake of population immunity or in the hope of propping up the economy, is that not premeditated and reckless indifference to human life? If policy failures lead to recurrent and mistimed lockdowns, who is responsible for the resulting non-covid excess deaths? When politicians willfully neglect scientific advice, international and historical experience, and their own alarming statistics and modelling because to act goes against their political strategy, is that lawful? Is inaction, action? At the very least, the BMJ writes, covid-19 might be classified as social murder, pointing to the use of the term by the socialist leader Friedrich Engels in describing the political and social power held by the ruling elite over the working classes in 19th century England. The editorial savages the lying justifications of capitalist politicians, who say they have done all they can or that the pandemic was uncharted territory; there was no playbook. None of these are true. They are self-serving political lies from the gaslighters in chief around the globe. The characterization by the BMJ of the response to the pandemic is entirely accurate. Around the world, politicians deliberately and knowingly handicapped government responses to the pandemic, often claiming that the mass infection of the population was desirablein a policy dubbed herd immunity. Its not possible to stop everyone getting it, and its also not desirable because you want some immunity in the population, declared Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser to the Boris Johnson government in the UK. In Sweden, state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell demanded that schools remain open to further spread the disease, declaring, One point might speak for keeping schools open in order to reach herd immunity more quickly. In the United States, US President Donald Trump demanded that his government slow the testing down, in order to conceal the scale of the disease from the population throughout 2020. I wanted to always play it down, Trump told journalist Bob Woodward in March. Not only Trump, but members of Congress in both political parties were fully briefed on the massive threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they refused to alert the public, encouraging the population to travel, go to restaurants, and send their children to school. The policies of governments have been dictated by one overriding priority: No measures could be taken to stop the spread of the virus that impinged on the interests of the financial oligarchy. The slogan, the cure cant be worse than the disease, first coined by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, meant in practice that the necessary measures to stop the virusincluding the shutdown of non-essential production, with full income to all workerswere unacceptable to the ruling class. These social interests dictated not only the initial cover-up of the pandemic, but also the premature reopening of schools and workplaces, which helped fuel a massive resurgence that has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people since the lifting of partial lockdowns in the spring. In its most damning passage, the BMJ concludes, The social murder of populations is more than a relic of a bygone age. It is very real today, exposed and magnified by covid-19. It cannot be ignored or spun away. Politicians must be held to account by legal and electoral means, indeed by any national and international constitutional means necessary. What conclusions follow from the sober assessment provided by the BMJ? The journal argues forcefully for accountability, but how is this accountability to be achieved? The editorial calls for the public to vote out elected leaders and governments that avoid accountability and remain unrepentant, adding that the US showed that a political reckoning is possible. This is a reference to the 2020 US political election, in which voters overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump, the worlds leading advocate of herd immunity, handing the Democratic Party not only the White House, but control of both houses of Congress. But more than two weeks since Inauguration Day, Biden has made clear that his administration will continue the policies of its predecessor. Since Inauguration Day, Michigan, Illinois and New York have all lifted restrictions on indoor dining, and schools are rushing to reopen in every state where they remain remote. The centerpiece of this policy is the drive to force 23,000 Chicago educators back on the job, which is supported by all sections of the political establishment. The effort by millions of people to repudiate the policy of social murder through the ballot box has been a failure. As for the courts, to which the BMJ also appeals, they have repeatedly struck down the most rudimentary measures to contain the pandemic. In other words, none of the institutions of the capitalist state are capable of changing a pandemic policy rooted in the most fundamental social interests of the capitalist class. Just as the policies of herd immunity or, as the BMJ puts it, social murder, are rooted in the class interests of the financial elite, so, too, the opposition to these policies must express the interests of another social force, the working class. As the BMJ notes, the term social murder was coined by Engels in his 1845 masterpiece, The Conditions of the Working Class in England, one of the early works of Marx and Engels as they formulated the theory of scientific socialism. Engels wrote: When society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessaries of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence knows that these thousands of victims must perish, and yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual; disguised, malicious murder, murder against which none can defend himself, which does not seem what it is, because no man sees the murderer, because the death of the victim seems a natural one, since the offence is more one of omission than of commission. But murder it remains. Three years later, Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto, which formulated the definitive response to the ruling classs acts of social murder: The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interests of the immense majority. The aim of this movement, they wrote, must be the overthrow of capitalist property relations and the expropriation of the ruling class through socialist revolution. What was true then is even more true now. The interests of all societyexpressed in the demand for emergency measures to contain the pandemic through lockdowns with full economic compensationare represented nowhere but in the movement of the working class. The social interests of the working class and the interests of human society as a whole are expressed in the worldwide struggle for socialism. This movement will not only take the necessary measures to save human lives and finally tame the pandemic, but see to it that the politicians and corporate executives guilty of social murder are brought to justice. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. KYODO NEWS - Jan 27, 2021 - 17:37 | World, All, Coronavirus Nepal launched on Wednesday a vaccination drive against the new coronavirus that has killed slightly over 2,000 people so far in the Himalayan nation. In the first phase, nearly 430,000 people, such as health care workers, sanitation workers, security personnel, ambulance operators and prisoners, will be inoculated using 1 million doses recently donated by neighboring India. The vaccine used in the campaign is Covishield -- developed by British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, and manufactured by Serum Institute of India. Earlier this month, Nepal approved the vaccine for emergency use. The nation aims to inoculate 70 percent of its roughly 29 million people. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli thanked India on Wednesday for enabling Nepal to start vaccinating its people early. Oli said the government is working to procure more vaccines to proceed to the second, third and fourth phases of vaccination. "I believe we will be able to vaccinate everybody in three months," Oli said. Nepal has 270,092 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Related coverage: Fate of Tokyo Olympics hinges on coronavirus vaccines: Bill Gates Tokyo reports 973 new coronavirus cases Japan PM apologizes over lawmakers' hostess bar visits amid virus emergency Too early to speculate on whether President Xi would attend BRICS summit in India Be combat ready President Xi tells PLA ahead of Chinese New Year India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: Chinese President, Xi Jinping has directed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be combat ready during the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays. President Xi also said that they should prepare for an information warfare as key to victory over the enemy forces. The statements were delivered during a visit to the PLA Air Force unit Southwest China's Guizhou province. The statements come in the wake of a tense standoff with India as well as along the maritime zone along the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea. With a hot summer ahead, India ups surveillance capabilities along LAC "During the Spring Festival, the entire army must strengthen combat readiness on duty to guard national security and the happiness and tranquillity of the people," Xi said. The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival holidays are the most important ones on the Chinese calendar. 100s of millions travel back home while ministries and government departments either work with minimal staff or are on holiday. Xi also said that in modern wars, the right to control information has become the key to victory in the war. The Chinese PLA has stepped up operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. There has been fresh beefing up of artillery guns, surface to missile units and self propelled howitzers. The PLA is undertaking fresh deployment in all the three sectors with fresh constructions of revetments in the finger area of Pangong Tso. There has also been fresh deployment of 35 military vehicles and four 155 mm PLZ 83 self propelled howitzers in sheds just 82 kilometres from the LAC across Ghuman in east Ladakh. Sources say that there is additional deployment of vehicles, heavy equipment and new construction work is also taking place in the past month near the Rudok surveillance facility, which is 90 kilometres away from the LAC. LAC row: Chinas actions have been met with an appropriate response PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News The PLA is also strengthening its positions around the Spanggur Tso with the induction of firepower and troops. The Chinese Army has also moved a surface to air missile unit near the PLA camp in Lhasa, which is 228 kilometres away from the Indian border. A new shelter comprising 5 barracks has also been observed across the Lipulekh pass along with multi barrel rocket launchers at the Rubinkha PLA camp, which is 23 kilometres away from the India-China Tri-junction. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 13:36 [IST] In the clutches of a cold snap and an ongoing pandemic, a lack of 24-hour shelters or warm public spaces leaves Manitobas unhoused population at serious risk. In the clutches of a cold snap and an ongoing pandemic, a lack of 24-hour shelters or warm public spaces leaves Manitobas unhoused population at serious risk. In recent weeks some have drawn ire from local leaders for taking shelter in bus stations, leading Manitobas Liberal caucus to call for both immediate and long-term supports to protect vulnerable Manitobans through the coldest weeks of winter, and to provide ongoing access to all-encompassing support networks. At a press conference Sunday, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont and Jon Gerrard, MLA for River Heights, unveiled the second part of a report on homelessness, outlining 10 steps the province could take to mitigate the impacts of houselessness on the provinces most vulnerable people, including immediate housing and better co-ordinating existing supports. "Right now this is a killing cold," Lamont said, urging immediate action on 24-hour warming spaces for those in need. "People say: Why are homeless people in bus shelters so much, its that for decades, including under the NDP, people who are homeless and go to a shelter have no place else to go in the day." In the absence of malls, libraries, coffee shops and other warm public spaces owing to pandemic restrictions, Manitobas unhoused population has been left with few options to escape glaring windchill and dangerous temperatures, Lamont stressed. "The COVID-19 pandemic has really exposed problems in the way we address homelessness," Gerrard added. As an immediate effort, Lamont said spaces in both the private and public sectors like churches, malls, and community centres should be opened as a warm places to go in the day. The Liberal caucus also recommends immediately adding signage, maps and free masks in bus shelters to help those in need access both safe protective equipment and resources pointing towards the nearest shelter or warming space. Steps like these, said community activist Michael Redhead Champagne of the #LetOurRelativesIn campaign, could be taken "tomorrow" and provide meaningful change. "The number one most important thing that we need to work on right now is utilizing existing resources that are under-utilized; examples include city of Winnipeg buildings and Manitoba housing stock," Redhead Champagne said Sunday. "Churches and malls in the private sector, and I think the public sector, especially the city and province, have access to building stock that we could just use immediately we dont have to build fancy new buildings we can just use what we have." During a pandemic winter, Redhead Champagne said access to healthcare, housing supports, mental health and addiction services has been limited especially for those who need it most. "I think its really highlighted the inequalities and inequities that were there previous to the pandemic, theyve been really laid bare for everyone to see now," he said. "The people that are in the most pain right now have the least amount of resources during a pandemic, and Im not okay with living in a Winnipeg or a Manitoba where thats okay." Through the pandemic, Gerrard noted the federal government has earmarked funds to the tune of $1 billion for provinces, municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies and non-profits to purchase underutilized buildings to convert to affordable housing units, though Gerrard said the Manitoba government has done little to take up on the offer. Beyond this pandemic winter, the Liberal caucus recommends centrally coordinating existing mobile support units like those offered by Main Street Project, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and Street Connections, to shift the response to homelessness away from policing and towards trauma-informed and properly-trained support teams. Those teams, Lamont and Gerrard stressed, should have Indigenous leadership in boards and in management to help ensure address the inequities that leave Indigenous people at greater risk of experiencing homelessness. Redhead Champagne said Indigenous leadership in these roles would lead to a "healing-centred" approach that emphasizes anti-racist, culturally safe and historically-informed solutions to social inequities. While groups like End Homelessness Winnipeg have already begun consolidating harm-reduction and housing resources, Redhead Champagne said the province could provide streamlined access to employment and income assistance and addictions treatment, and provide better supports for youth aging out of provincial care to help curb the issue of homelessness at its root. julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers Opposition misguiding farmers over farm laws: BJP India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Lucknow, Feb 08: BJP national vice-president Radha Mohan Singh on Sunday accused the Opposition of misguiding farmers over the farm laws to regain their lost ground. He alleged that the Opposition wants to destabilise the country though its politics of lies and deceit. Ready for talks, but won't accept anything less than repeal of agri laws: Farmers union In a statement issued here, Radha Mohan Singh said the conspiracy of the Opposition parties to regain their lost ground by misguiding farmers will be written in black letters. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News But, the country will continue to move forward to become a strategic and economic superpower as envisioned by the public and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 10:29 [IST] Access Garage Doors, an industry leader with more than 15 years of experience in residential and commercial garage door repair and installation, is thrilled to continue its national expansion with a new location in the Midwest. The newest franchise in South St. Paul, Minnesota, is owned by experienced business entrepreneur Mike Rustad. Access Garage Doors specializes in offering homeowners a comprehensive selection of services to repair existing equipment, as well as a wide selection of high-quality new garage doors and openers. Access Garage Doors is a Master Authorized Clopay dealer and an Authorized Service Provider for LiftMaster, Home Depot, Genie, Clopay, and Amarr. Access Garage Doors is capitalizing on its strong momentum from a successful 2020. During a challenging economy, the brand expanded beyond its company headquarter in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to an impressive seven new franchise locations around the country. The newest location in South St. Paul, Minnesota, welcomes another franchise partner to the Access family. As long as there are homes with garages, there will always be demand for garage door repairs and new installations, said Jesse Cox, President and CEO of Access Garage Doors. The home improvement industry is strong and presents incredible opportunities for our brand and our franchisees. The experience Mike Rustad brings to the table, combined with the affordable and recession-resistant Access Garage Doors business model creates an incredible team to serve the South St. Paul region. The scalable, low-overhead franchise model offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to start their garage door business from a home office and expand their operations as the business grows. A tested business model, industry-leading training, and corporate support opens the door to success for new franchise owners. Dedication to providing great customer service is a core value for Access Garage Doors, and that really appealed to me, said Rustad. No matter what business youre in, caring about your customers and helping them troubleshoot a problem in their home or business is what makes a company like Access stand out from the competition. Im excited to take the next step in my business career with this growing brand. For more information about Access Garage Doors franchise opportunities, please visit: https://accessdoorcompany.com/franchise/. To learn more about Access Garage Doors, please visit: https://accessdoorcompany.com/. ABOUT ACCESS GARAGE DOORS Founded in 2005, Access Garage Doors provides service, installation, and sales of state-of-the-art residential and electric openers. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Access is a top-tier Master Authorized Dealer for one of the largest garage door manufacturers, Clopay, and is a top-tier LiftMaster ProVantage Dealer. Access also carries brands such as Amarr Doors, Genie, Craftsman, Chamberlain, Marantec, and Sommer, and services Hormann, Wayne Dalton, CHI, Raynor, Sears, Linear, Lynx, Overhead Door, Ideal Door, Windsor Door, Stanley, Door Link, Ryobi brands. Access is a long-term member of the International Door Association as well as the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga. A robber whose crime against two tourists near the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin featured on the Joe Duffy radio show will be sentenced for his role in the offence next month. Paul Heaney (37) and Gareth Mallon (39), who had a realistic imitation firearm, robbed an Italian student of 60 and attempted to rob his teacher before fleeing the scene. The court heard the case attracted some media attention and featured on the Liveline show on RTE radio. Heaney, who was not armed during the offence, attended voluntarily at a garda station a few days later. Mallon was sentenced to four year imprisonment for his role last December. Heaney, of Michael Mallin House, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and attempted robbery at Longs Place on October 21, 2019. He has 51 previous convictions. Garda Cormac O'Donnell told Grainne O'Neill BL, prosecuting, that a group of 30 students in their late teens and their teachers had been in the Guinness Storehouse. A student at the back of the group was approached by a man, Mallon, who pointed a gun at his legs and said softly money money money. The second man, Heaney, was unarmed and had a tissue over his face. The student handed over 60 and the man then pointed the gun at one of the teachers who screamed. Another teacher came to her aid and the two robbers ran off. A woman nearby videoed the robbery on her mobile phone. Heaney presented himself to gardai a few days later. Gda O'Donnell agreed with Fiona Murphy SC, defending, that Heaney placed himself at the scene with the person who produced the gun. He agreed Heaney played a lesser role but said it had been a joint enterprise. Heaney had told garda he had not been involved with planning the robbery. Ms Murphy said Heaney had expressed remorse and regretted his involvement in the offence. She said he had been on his way to get tablets when he bumped into the other individual involved. She said he had a difficult early life and had fallen into a cycle of going into custody, doing well, being released and falling 'off the wagon', then reoffending in a life marred by drug use. She said he is clean of drugs at present and anxious to engage with rehabilitation. Judge Elma Sheahan ordered urine analysis to be carried out and adjourned sentencing until Match 8 when the case will be finalised by video link. Dilip Kumar Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the owners of the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor have been urged to reach a settlement over the rate fixed for the purchase of the two historic buildings for converting them into museums. Faisal Faroqui, a Peshawar-based spokesman for Dilip Kumar, told media persons here on Sunday that Peshawar lives in the heart of the Indian legendary actor and he always discusses his association and sweet memories with his birth place and the ancestral home in Mohallah Khudadad where he was born in 1922 before being shifted to India in 1935. The family and the fans of the Indian film legends were very enthusiastic over the provincial government's decision to convert the two historic buildings into museums to honour the Bollywood legends and preserve their contribution to the Indian cinema, he said. He said preserving the ancestral houses of the legendary actors will not only promote importance of Peshawar but also strengthen Pakistan's tourism industry, he said. The provincial government early this month approved the release of Rs 2.35 crore to purchase the ancestral houses of the two legendary actors located in the heart of this city. The price of Dilip Kumar's four marla (101 square metre) house has been fixed for Rs 80.56 lakh while that of Raj Kapoor's six marla house (151.75 square metre) for Rs 1.50 crore. After procurement, both the houses will be converted into a museum by the provincial archaeology department. However, the owners of the ancestral houses have refused to sell the buildings at the rate fixed by the provincial government, saying the prime-location property has been severely undervalued. The owner of legendary actor Dilip Kumar's ancestral house has demanded Rs 25 crore for the prime location property which he said has been severely undervalued by the authorities. The owner, Haji Lal Muhammad, said he had purchased the property in 2005 for Rs 51 lakh after completing all formalities required for transfer of the land and possesses all the documents of the house. He said it is unjust on part of the government to fix the rate at Rs 80.56 lakh for the property after 16 years. The owner of the ancestral house of Raj Kapoor demanded Rs 200 crore for the property in Peshawar. The government had fixed the rate of the property at Rs 1.50 crore. Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born here. The building, which is in shambles, has been declared a national heritage by the provincial government. The owners of the two buildings have made several attempts in the past to demolish them for constructing commercial plazas in view of their prime location but all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve them, keeping in view their historic importance. Armenia had an interior ministry until former President Robert Kocharian abolished it and turned the police into a separate structure subordinate to him two decades ago. The police became accountable to the prime minister after Kocharians successor, Serzh Sarkisian, engineered the countrys transition to a parliamentary system of government. The Armenian Ministry of Justice recommended the re-establishment of the ministry headed by a full-fledged cabinet member in a three-year strategy of police reforms proposed to the government a year ago. Pashinian signaled his approval of the idea during a meeting with senior government and law-enforcement officials held on Monday. A process of forming the Ministry of Internal Affairs soon is on our agenda, he said, adding that it will be part of very important reforms of the Armenian police. A government statement on the meeting said Pashinian discussed with the officials a preliminary model of the structure of the ministry as well as the ongoing creation of a new police unit tasked with road policing, crowd control and street patrol. The statement gave no details of the proposed structure. Pashinian faced opposition calls to turn the police as well as the National Security Service (NSS) into ministries accountable to the parliament after he swept to power in May 2018. He opposed such a change until recently. Advertisement Matt Hancock today claimed Britain is 'turning a corner in our battle against coronavirus' as daily deaths plunged to a six-week low and cases continued to fall. Department of Health figures show another 333 Covid victims were recorded today, the lowest 24-hour toll since December 27 and a drop of 18 per cent on the 406 last Monday. Another 14,104 infections were also added to the official tally. The daily figure has dropped by a quarter week-on-week, with today's number lower than at any time since December 8. Analysis shows infection rates are lower than at any time since before Christmas in all four nations of the UK. Despite revealing the second wave was shrinking, the Health Secretary warned the number of infected patients in hospital and daily deaths were both still 'far too high'. Almost 30,000 NHS hospital beds are currently taken up by Covid patients 50 per cent higher than the worst days of the first wave last spring but down from 40,000 at the peak of the second wave in January. Praising the success of lockdown in tonight's Downing Street press conference, he said: 'We are turning a corner in our battle against coronavirus, the vaccine rollout is going well, and if you are aged 70 or over and havent been contacted yet please get in touch now. 'And all the time we must be vigilant and do what it takes to tackle any new variants that arise. For now, the most important thing that you can do is get the jab when the time comes, stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.' While the big picture shows infections are falling in most parts of the country, the decline is slow and positive tests were still rising in 17 areas in the week ending February 3. One of those areas was Rutland in the Midlands, where new infections more than doubled from 180 per 100,000 people to 386. And in another glimmer of hope that Britain could be freed from lockdown restrictions within weeks, another 278,988 people got their first dose of a vaccine yesterday. Despite being one of the slowest days of the rollout so far, it means 12.3million Britons have now been immunised. It comes after Boris Johnson today refused to rule out longer restrictions if the mutated strain which Oxford University said could worsen how well its vaccine works can't be kept under control in Britain. An alarming study found the British-made jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain. Mr Hancock also said today that all over-70s in England who haven't yet had a Covid vaccine should book their own online. He claimed take-up of the vaccines has so far been 'significantly better than we hoped for' but said No10 would do everything it could to ensure everyone gets jabbed. Matt Hancock today claimed Britain is 'turning a corner in our battle against coronavirus' as daily deaths plunged to a six-week low and cases continued to fall As England's national lockdown enters its second month and the virus continues to fade, an analysis by the Press Association shows that infection rates in all four countries of the UK are now at pre-Christmas lows. In England, the average infection rate was at 222 positive tests per 100,000 people for the week ending February 3, which was the lowest since 221 per 100,000 in the week to December 13. Wales saw its rate drop to 122, lower than at any time since before November and a fraction of the 649 per 100,000 it saw at December's peak. In Scotland the rate dropped to 123 per 100,000, down from 144 a week earlier and lowest since December 20, when it was 121. Northern Ireland's infection rate fell to 178 per 100,000 which was its lowest positive test rate since 177 in the week up to December 15. On a smaller scale the Public Health England data show that per-person infection rates are coming down in all regions of England, with the lowest in the South West at 147 per 100,000 and highest in the West Midlands, with 286. London is the only part of the country where all boroughs saw cases decline in the past week. Some regions have seen numerous local authorities record an increase in the numbers of people testing positive, despite lockdown. INFECTION RATES STILL RISING IN 17 AREAS Coronavirus infection rates were still rising in 17 areas of England in the week to February 3, official figures show. A Press Association analysis of Public Health England data revealed that, while the big picture shows infections are falling in most parts of the country, the decline is slow and positive tests were still going up in some areas. One of those areas was Rutland in the Midlands, where new infections more than doubled from 180 per 100,000 people to 386 an increase of 114 per cent. Other places where case numbers were growing in the week to February 3 the most recent data including Tamworth, Boston, East Lindsey, Hinckley & Bosworth, Kettering, Oadby & Wigston, Rushcliffe, Blackpool, Wyre, North Tyneside, Sunderland, North and North East Lincolnshire, Torbay, Mid Devon and Eastleigh, PA's analysis found. All nations of the UK and all regions of England, as a whole, saw their infection rates decline, many to the lowest levels since before Christmas. Advertisement The biggest rise was in Rutland, where the infection rate rose by 114 per cent. Other places where case numbers were growing in the week to February 3 the most recent data including Tamworth, Boston, East Lindsey, Hinckley & Bosworth, Kettering, Oadby & Wigston, Rushcliffe, Blackpool, Wyre, North Tyneside, Sunderland, North and North East Lincolnshire, Torbay, Mid Devon and Eastleigh, PA's analysis found. Britain's big news of the day is the risk of lockdown rules being extended if the South African variant of coronavirus cannot be brought under control. Research published over the weekend suggested that Oxford University and AstraZeneca's vaccine may not protect people from moderate Covid-19 if they catch the mutated strain of the virus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who brought in tougher-than-ever lockdown rules last time a new variant took hold in Britain, today would not rule out that the South African variant could lead to a delay in easing restrictions. His comments came after Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert from Warwick University and member of the SAGE sub-group SPI-M, claimed the finding that the Oxford jab doesn't protect against mild illness could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we can't get on top of this.' Mr Johnson, pressed on whether there could be a delay, said: 'We think that all the vaccines that we're using, both the vaccines that we're currently using, are effective in stopping serious disease and death. 'We also think, particularly in the case of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, that there is good evidence that it is stopping transmission as well, I think 67 per cent reduction in transmission with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. 'They remain of massive benefit to our country and to the population as we go through the pandemic and I've no doubt that vaccines generally are going to offer a way out. With every day that goes by you can see that medicine is slowly getting the upper hand over the disease.' He added: 'We will be continuing to study the results, the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout, and that's going very, very fast indeed, and we will be looking at ways in which the population is starting to respond to the vaccines as we prepare to say what we're going to do in the week of the 22nd and what kind of roadmap we want to lay out.' One of South Africa's top infectious disease experts said today the Oxford jab should still protect against severe disease. BORIS JOHNSON 'WON'T RULE OUT' LONGER LOCKDOWN TO TACKLE NEW VARIANT Boris Johnson today refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African coronavirus variant continues to spread amid fears Oxford University's vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. An alarming study found the British-made jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. One prominent SAGE adviser claimed the finding meant 'more restrictions might be needed for longer'. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, Boris Johnson refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' Top experts including Oxford academics and the UK's leading vaccine panel also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the roll-out. Government sources insisted the worrying study which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Advertisement Matt Hancock says over-70s no longer need to wait for Covid vaccine invite from the NHS and they can book their OWN jabs online as No10 says it's on track to immunise all over-50s by end of April All over-70s in England who haven't yet had a Covid vaccine should book their own online, Matt Hancock said today. The Health Secretary held a Downing Street press conference tonight to trumpet the success of the rollout so far, confirming the NHS is on track to hit its target of immunising the 15million most vulnerable Brits by next Monday. Almost 12.5million people have already received their first dose of vaccine and the health service is administering 450,000 every day, on average, putting the country well on track to hit the milestone next Monday. Previously, over-70s were told to wait until they were contacted by the NHS to make sure over-80s, care home residents and patients with serious underlying health conditions had first access. People in that age group can now schedule an appointment using the NHS booking service or those unable to get online can phone 119. Mr Hancock said take-up of the vaccines has so far been 'significantly better than we hoped for', claiming it has hit a staggering 95 per cent in people in their late 70s, 91 per cent of over-80s and almost three quarters of people in their early 70s. He said the Government had been expecting approximately 75 per cent. Frontline health and social care workers, who are also included at the top of the priority list, are also being urged to come forward and to speak to their employer about arranging an appointment if they've not had a dose. And GP practices have been told to contact any extremely vulnerable patients who have still to receive their first injection. Figures show that another 270,000 Covid vaccines were administered yesterday, which marked another Sunday dip for the otherwise successful programme. A combination of GP surgeries being closed and supply issues is thought to be the cause for the Sunday stumbles. Meanwhile, Downing Street said today it expects to have vaccinated all over-50s by the end of April, raising hopes that Britain could drop the vast majority of curbs in May. Boris Johnson is under pressure to step up the reopening of the country as soon as the top nine groups - around 32million people - are covered. Britain is jabbing at record pace, dishing out more vaccines per person than any country in the world other than Israel. But there are fears the world-beating rollout could be undermined if the South African Covid variant becomes more widespread. A study published yesterday suggested Oxford University's vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. Mr Johnson today refused to rule out extending lockdown if the strain continues to spread. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a Downing Street press conference tonight that the NHS is on track to hit its target of offering Covid vaccines to 15million most vulnerable Brits by this time next week The NHS is now vaccinating an average of 450,000 people per day across the UK with hundreds of centres open for patients over the age of 70. Pictured: 73-year-old Richard Moss gets vaccinated at Elland Road football stadium in Leeds The UK has one of the most advanced Covid vaccination programmes in the world, with the first and second doses spaced by 12 weeks instead of three which has allowed the NHS to rattle through one in five adults already (Pictured: 72-year-old Mewa Singh Khela gets his vaccine at Elland Road) Brits over 70 who are registered with a GP but haven't received their first Covid jab are being encouraged to come forward to book their own appointments Mr Hancock said: 'From today, I have a message for everyone aged 70 and above. Until now, weve said please wait for the NHS to contact you. But now that message is changing. 'If you live in England and are 70 and over and have not yet got an appointment to be vaccinated, then please contact the NHS. 'The easiest way to do this is through the national booking service online at NHS.uk or if you cant get online then you can call 119 or you can speak to your local GP practice.' The NHS has also urged people who have been given two jab slots to cancel one so the slot can be used by someone else. This might occur if a patient's GP surgery books an appointment as well as the national booking service. Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and a practising GP, said: 'The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with every eligible care home receiving a visit and millions more people being vaccinated at one of over 1,500 centres across the country thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleagues. 'But if you are aged 70 and over, and haven't yet received your vaccine, please come forward and make an appointment as soon as you can. 'The vaccine is safe, simple, and will offer you and those around you crucial protection against this virus.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock added: 'Thanks to the huge efforts of the NHS, volunteers and local authorities we have vaccinated an incredible 12 million vulnerable people so far including around nine in 10 of all over-70s. 'We are on track to meet our goal of offering everyone in the top four priority groups a jab. 'So far we have said please wait until the NHS contacts you. I now urge everyone aged 70 and over who hasn't yet had a vaccination to come forward and contact the NHS to book in their jab. 'And if you have grandparents, relatives and friends over 70, please encourage them to book an appointment as soon as possible, so they can be protected against this awful virus. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic and, by ensuring you and your loved ones get booked in for a jab, the NHS can give those most at-risk the protection they need as we continue to fight this disease together. It comes after an alarming study found the Oxford University jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the South African strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' Top experts including Oxford academics and the UK's leading vaccine panel also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the roll-out. Government sources insisted the worrying study which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community. Health workers administer a Covid-19 vaccine at a drive through vaccination centre at Batchwood Hall in St Albans, north of London, today It comes as a World Health Organization director hailed the UK's decision to delay the second dose of Covid jabs, describing it as a 'brave' move. Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's chief Covid-19 expert, said Britain's decision has been 'a great lesson to the rest of the world'. The gamble was controversial when announced by UK regulators, who over-ruled scientists who said the Oxford and Pfizer Covid vaccine doses should be given no more than three weeks apart because this is what had been done in clinical trials. Covid vaccine centre in Hackney has to close early because of 'really low uptake' A Covid vaccination centre in London has had to reduce its opening hours because not enough people are coming forward for the jab. The John Scott inoculation hub in Hackney, East London, claimed 'really slow patient uptake' forced it to close at 2pm on three days last week. The centre, which is open to patients from 40 GP surgeries, had been administering vaccines from 10am until 8pm every day until the sudden drop-off in appointments. Health chiefs fear vaccine hesitancy among black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) groups is behind the poor uptake in the diverse inner London borough. Around 45 per cent of Hackney's population is made up of people from BAME backgrounds, predominantly of black African or Caribbean ethnicity. Numerous surveys have shown minorities - who studies have shown are up to three times as likely to die from Covid - are more reluctant to get the jabs due to a mistrust in the Government. And a report over the weekend suggested twice as many white over-80s had been for a jab compared to elderly black Britons. Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said today officials had been too slow to shut down anti-vaxx myths online. Other vaccine hubs and GP practices have already began jabbing the over-60s after successful roll-outs in their areas. Health officials could move to lower risk groups if uptake remains low in Hackney but the priority remains the over-70s, NHS staff, care home residents and workers. NHS City and Hackney clinical commissioning group said staff ha Advertisement But government experts said a single dose of either jab appeared to offer enough protection against Covid that people could wait another nine weeks for their second. This policy has led to a staggering 12million people getting their first dose of a Covid vaccine in the UK already more than in any other country in Europe. Dr Nabarro told Sky News: 'I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated.' The World Health Organization, however, has still refused to endorse the approach and its advice is still to use the three-week gap. Pfizer also did not give its blessing. Although 511,000 people have already had a second dose of their vaccine in the UK, the vast majority are being postponed and will start in March, by which time at least the 15million over-70s and most vulnerable will have had a first dose. Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Dr Nabarro said: 'The advice of the WHO on intervals between vaccine doses was based on what the manufacturers did in what we call the phase three trials of the vaccine. 'WHO and its committees really has to work on the basis of what manufacturers have told them, but isn't it wonderful that it has turned out, as a result of the UK's bravery, frankly, that these extended intervals seem to be associated with greater protection.' He added: 'Yes, I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated and, yes, it has taught a great lesson for the rest of the world. Thank you, British scientists.' Government scientists and ministers had been repeatedly forced to justify their decision to tear up the manufacturer instructions on the Covid vaccines. When the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs got emergency approval, both came with the recommendation that everyone get the second dose three weeks after the first. But, in the face of an out-of-control outbreak with the new fast-spreading variant, and a 'lumpy' vaccine supply chain, officials extended the window to three months. Doctors and independent researchers were furious, saying there was no evidence the vaccines worked in this way and it would deprive people of second doses they had been promised. But the UK regulator held its line. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said at a Downing Street press conference in January: 'By extending the gap we are going to, over the next three months, be able to essentially double the number of people who will be vaccinated. 'So if, by a process of not very difficult mathematics, if over that period there is more than 50 per cent protection then youve actually won. 'More people will, overall, have been protected than would have been otherwise. 'And our quite strong view is that we think the protection will be quite a lot more than 50 per cent so therefore in net public health terms there will be substantially more protection by going faster.' He said it was still SAGE and the Government's view that everybody needs a second dose and said there had been 'vigorous scientific debate' about the policy. Professor Whitty added: 'Clearly, if we had infinite vaccines we might have taken a different approach but, clearly, we dont. 'At this point in time, for the next three to four months, the number of vaccines we have available is going to constrain our ability to get through the 25 to 30million people we must do to get through all of the JCVI areas.' Unrest has been continuing in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon (file image). Cameroon's government displayed an "openness" towards dialogue for solving the country's ongoing Anglophone crisis, during a visit by the Vatican's number two earlier this week, according to a top church official from the Anglophone regions. "There is a kind of openness for dialogue," said Andrew Nkea, Archbishop of Bamenda. "But how this is going to come about, I think we must also be discreet in the way we handle those things." Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, completed a visit to Cameroon on Wednesday, after a five-day trip during which he met President Paul Biya and held mass in Bamenda, the capital of the North West Region. Fighting between armed separatists and Cameroon's military continues in the North West and South West regions. The Catholic Church believes the only way to stop fighting and end the conflict is to hold talks between the warring sides. "The cardinal was able to say to all the powers that be that dialogue was the most important tool for the solution of this problem," Nkea told Africa Calling podcast, referring to discussions he sat in on between Parolin and the government. Boycott and continued violence Parolin's visit to the Anglophone regions was marked by deserted streets, as armed separatists called for a boycott of his trip to Bamenda, but nevertheless, many church goers showed up at his mass. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin expresses Pope Francis' closeness and concern for Cameroon and the African continent, in his homily during the imposition of the pallium on Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda.https://t.co/z8rPntZpfp - - Vatican News (@VaticanNews) February 1, 2021 Fighting and violence also continued during Parolin's visit as three people were allegedly killed by Cameroonian soldiers on 31 January in the village of Semndzen, located in Bui Division in the North West Region. Troops were searching for separatists, locally known as Amba Boys, and allegedly shot three villagers in the bush who were tapping palm wine, mistaking them for fighters, according to information RFI received. Cardinal Parolin said during his trip to Cameroon that the Catholic Church, at both a local level and in Rome, is ready to facilitate dialogue between Yaounde and the separatists. Cameroon's Anglophone crisis, an unravelling catastrophe "This facilitation depends on the actors involved, we cannot force the partners to dialogue," said Nkea, in an interview. Both the government and separatists have at times viewed the church's efforts for mediation with some suspicion. Local church leader Cardinal Christian Tumi had been trying to help bring fighting to an end, however, he was kidnapped by gunmen in the North West region on 5 November. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Cameroon Religion By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "It depends on the openness of the government, and it depends on the openness of the separatists," said Nkea, discussing the possibility of future peace talks. Building foundation for talks Nkea would not be drawn on what the next steps for possible mediation might be, but mentioned steps and instruments that need to be put in place to lay the groundwork for any talks. "Now, it's modalities," he added. "Things have moved at least a step forward," said Nkea, describing candid talks with the authorities in Yaounde. "One of the big problems we're talking about in this dialogue is there are at least 8 to 10 different leaders of the separatist groups," said Bamenda's archbishop, underlining the importance of including everyone. "This needs time, and that's the delicate aspect of it," said Nkea. Fighting started following protests in 2016 by Anglophones over perceived marginalisation by the Francophone ruling majority. A crackdown on demonstrations led to a self-proclamation of independence for a state called Ambazonia and ultimately fighting between the army and separatist fighters. Both separatist groups and Cameroon's military have been accused of killing civilians and committing rights abuses during the Anglophone crisis. Human Rights Watch said this week that soldiers killed at least nine civilians in the South West region on 10 January. The human rights watchdog said the soldiers looted homes and threatened residents. Cebu (CNN Philippines, February 8) - There's no scientific basis yet that the new COVID-19 variant first detected in the UK caused the rise of coronavirus infections in Cebu, the Department of Health Central Visayas said on Monday. The regional health office made the statement in response to a previous remark by the OCTA Research Group in Manila. DOH Central Visayas spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said OCTA's claim would only be possible if the results of the 70 samples sent to the genome center yielded positive results for the new variant. Loreche dismissed pronouncements made by members of OCTA Resarch over the weekend that the sudden rise in cases in Cebu was caused by the B.1.1.7 variant. She said other factors contribute as well in the surge, and not just the presence of the UK variant or any other variant. The DOH-7 conducted bio-surveillance in the major cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. It picked 70 samples from a cluster of COVID-19 patients, which were sent to the Philippine Genomic Center in Manila on Monday. From the 70 samples, only 62 qualified and will be tested for sequencing if they are of the UK variant. "If positive sila lahat (If they are all positive) then that is when we will be able to say it (rising cases) was probably caused by the variant. But take note that there are other factors which contribute to the rise also," Loreche said. The results of the sequencing is expected to be completed within seven days. Meanwhile, Doctor Loreche announced that some 117,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be arriving for hospital workers in Central Visayas before February 15. Training will be conducted beginning Tuesday until Wednesday for those who will administer the vaccines. There are more than 2,900 health care workers in the region and not all will be given the vaccine. The rest will have to wait the next batch of doses, which will either come from Pfizer or other vaccine makers. Complementing local acute care services like those provided by Ascension St. John Owasso, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies, and 24-hour nursing care, to restore functional ability and quality of life. It will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. "Through the opening of our second hospital with Ascension St. John, we'll be able to support even more individuals in need of intensive, rehabilitation services provided in a hospital setting," said Barb Jacobsmeyer, executive vice president and president of inpatient hospitals at Encompass Health. "Since opening our Broken Arrow hospital in 2016, we have seen an increased demand for our care, and we will continue to work closely with the team at Ascension St. John to make sure our patients are receiving the high-quality care they deserve." "We are thrilled to be partnering with Encompass Health on this rehabilitation hospital in Owasso. This new facility represents our commitment to providing accessible, personalized care for our patients," said Mike McBride, FACHE, Ascension St. John Regional President and COO. "We are very pleased to expand our rehabilitation services for the communities we serve." The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies and activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard. About Ascension Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2020, Ascension provided $2.4 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 160,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care including 146 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization. Visit www.ascension.org . About Encompass Health As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 137 hospitals, 241 home health locations, and 82 hospice locations in 39 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, cost-effective integrated healthcare. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com , or follow us on our newsroom , Twitter and Facebook . Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. This hospital's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against this hospital; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays, including in connection with the regulatory review and approval process; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health and this hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the ability to successfully complete and integrate this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues, cost savings, and productivity improvements arising from the related operations and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; this hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's or its partners' information systems; this hospital's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on this hospital's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020. Encompass Health contacts: Ascension St. John contact: Media: Hillary Carnel | 205 970-5912 Media: Caitlin Faeth | 918-949-0712 [email protected] [email protected] Investor Relations: Crissy Carlisle | 205 970-5860 [email protected] SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. Related Links http://www.encompasshealth.com The education and safety by the Chicago Teachers Union of students, teachers and everyone else involved with the Chicago Public Schools has been an issue involving students being locked out for in-person education. Students in grades K-8 have for more than a week been directed by CPS to remain home for remote learning and not to return for in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CTU and CPS continue to be locked in coming to a safe reopening plan. The CPS released its reopening plans on its website with the following opening and closing statements: CPS is trying to move people back into school without being clear about their safety standards. We dont trust them. They have misrepresented their safety preparations, ignored arbitrators orders, and appear to be more focused on the mayor and her political considerations than the well-being of us and our students. The CTU is putting forward a safe reopening plan that undercuts CPS ability to lie about us being the people who are hurting education. We will go back to in-person school when CPS can demonstrate that they have taken our concerns seriously. Our key demands concern Safety, Equity, and Trust. While the list that follows is not exhaustive, it represents our key demands that come out of hundreds of meetings with members, parents and community stakeholders, and bargaining sessions since March. The union will ratify our full demands soon. Locally, efforts to ensure quality education and safety have been working. North Schuylkill Education Association President Scott Houser said transparency on all sides has been positive in the district. The NSEA represents 150 teachers. Basically from our end, Ive been in contact with Dr. (Robert) Ackell pretty much since last March when we were out, Houser said. We talked almost daily to discuss situations. Basically, our administrative team did a great job as far as getting us started with the hybrid plan and then easing into all the students coming back. They took a lot of safety precautions, spent money on things to sanitize the school, and I think theyve been very proactive and very transparent with the people who had COVID or had to be quarantined because of it. There was no hiding of anything. And Dr. Ackell basically keeps me and our union in the loop of whats going on and where are numbers are. If we have a concern, we address it. It seems to be working here really well. Pottsville Area Education Association President Adrian Portland represents 164 teachers in the district. He was asked similar questions about the teachers and the administration working together. Portland said that he had no comment at this time. Were currently in the process working back and forth with the district, so Im not interested in saying anything while were currently working together, Portland said. Schuylkill Haven Education Association President Chuck Grabusky also said there is very good cooperative efforts among all involved in the education services at the school district. Schuylkill Haven teachers completely understand the need for in-person learning, Grabusky said. No question, it is 1,000 times better for the students, and teachers prefer teaching in person. Grabusky, a high school business and social studies teacher and seven-year president of the SHEA, added, Our elementary has been 100% in person since the beginning. Our middle school has been hybrid and now is back to 100% in person, and the high school is transitioning to 100% in person starting next week. He explained that the district set up a pandemic team last spring with teacher representation that has had input all year on reopening plans. The district has supplied face coverings, shields and hand sanitizer to all students and teachers, and has also purchased temperature kiosks and sanitizing chlorine guns that are used every evening. There are extra custodians on duty to clean every cafeteria table between lunches. I would say the vast majority of Schuylkill Haven teachers have felt comfortable with the efforts the district, with input from us, has been making to combat the virus while keeping the schools open, Grabusky said. I would say the plan, particularly for the high school, has worked extremely well. The high school has only closed proactively after the holidays. We have not had to shut down because of cases. To the Editor: Re Injustice and a Shot in the Arm, by Anton DiSclafani (Op-Ed, Feb. 6): This chaotic and unfair rollout could have been smooth and equitable. We should have had a centralized registry. Each person should have had to fill out a detailed form that would have determined his or her Covid vulnerability, including factors like work, health, living conditions and age. So, for example, a young person with health issues living in cramped quarters doing a risky job would have gotten a higher priority rating and a shot sooner than, say, an older person with no risk factors. Proximity to a vaccination site would dictate where you would get inoculated, and your rating would determine when. Then you would have simply been assigned a date and a venue. We do similar things for voting, for taxes, for Social Security and Medicare. This could have been organized before the vaccines were even approved. Instead, we have a scramble that surprise, surprise is colossally unfair and stressful; many who need the vaccine the most will be getting it last. Bridgerton officially had the biggest debut ever for a Netflix original series with over 82 million views in its first four weeks, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Naturally, this has put a massive new spotlight on many of its stars, some of whom are already rumored to be fielding major offers. Will a Bridgerton star be the next Black Panther? Rege-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor in Netflixs Bridgerton. | Netflix RELATED: Bridgerton: The Most-Telling Spoilers From the Books Rege-Jean Page has been a standout for many new fans in the first season of Bridgerton, thanks to his sultry yet layered performance as Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings and the primary love interest of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor). Said fans would probably be excited to see Page show up everywhere and not just in further seasons of the regal romance series. According to a new rumor, this might just be on the cards as Page is said to be in discussions for a huge role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The rumor stems from the interesting gossip blog, Crazy Days and Nights (more on that later), and suggests that Page is circling a new character for Black Panther II who will take up the mantle of the titular Wakandan hero left vacant after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. How many grains of salt this rumor should be taken with is unclear. The writer of the blog the story originates from claims to be a Hollywood lawyer and typically shares extremely salacious and sometimes outlandish gossip about celebrities, posted in quick snippets and usually without names. The internet host who has been banned everywhere, received a bunch of under the table crypto money was supposed to share the six figure windfall with several other people, a post from January read. He has stiffed all of them. Well, they probably wont kill him until they torture him for his digital wallet password. That sort of thing. Nonetheless, Hollywood is an often salacious and occasionally outlandish town, and some of the authors tidbits have proven true in the past. At the very least, they arent worth writing off altogether. Who could Page be playing in Black Panther II? 8 2 M I L L I O N with love From all of us To all of you #BRIDGERTON pic.twitter.com/NhVMdQRcXi Rege-Jean Page (@regejean) January 27, 2021 RELATED: Bridgerton: What Was It Like When Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page First Met? So, if this rumor ends up having a measure of truth, who could the Bridgerton star be playing? ComicBookMovie.com has an interesting and quite plausible theory: Kasper Cole. Cole was first introduced by writer Christopher Priest and artist Dan Fraga in 2002. At the time, sales on Black Panther were flagging and the decision was made to replace TChallah with a new character. The biracial son of an African man and a Jewish woman, Cole is an NYPD narcotics officer who is best known as the street-level crimefighter, White Panther. Cole later takes over the mantle of Black Panther for a time, lending more credence to the theory that he might lead Black Panther II. Pages distinct biracial upbringing would also make him a strong candidate to play a character like Cole. The son of an English preacher and a Zimbabwean woman, Page spent the first part of his childhood in Harare, Zimbabwe, and later moved to England for secondary school. This isnt the only major franchise rumored to be courting Page after his rise to fame in Bridgerton. He also said to be among the names under consideration to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond after the release of No Time to Die, whenever that ends up being. COLUMBUS, Ohio In May 2018, voters approved a sweeping re-write of how Ohio draws its congressional lines, billed as a way to end gerrymandering and give the state fairer political maps. This year, Ohioans will find out whether or not thats actually how the system will work. The new rules require state legislators when drawing congressional maps to keep the most counties intact, and limit the number of times and how they can split others. The new system also requires more buy-in from the minority party, which as of now is Democrats, although its still possible, just more complicated, to pass maps without them. Backers of the redistricting reform, including Republican legislative leaders who placed the issue on the ballot, said it would create more competitive districts and more fairly represent Ohio voters. If that turns out to be true, it would be a major change. Under the current maps, drawn up by Republicans in 2010, Ohio is split into 12 Republican districts and four Democratic ones. The oddly shaped maps were designed to create 12 safe Republican districts and four Democratic ones, giving 75% of the states seats to Republicans. The map designers were so successful at creating uncompetitive districts that no seats changed hands over a decade, even in years when Democrats performed relatively strongly, getting close to half the overall votes statewide. While its not a certainty, Ohio is expected to lose a congressional seat after the U.S. Census results are released in April, due to likely population gains in other states. Its an open question whose district might be drawn out, forcing them to retire or challenge another incumbent. And if Ohio gains or loses Democratic seats under the new system, it could have implications for control of Congress, meaning the process will be closely watched by national observers. Ohio is perhaps the biggest mystery on the national map, because its reform experiment is untested and depending on the outcome, four or five seats could swing either way, said Dave Wasserman, a political analyst for the Cook Political Report who specializes in studying congressional maps. The House right now is essentially a five-seat Democratic majority. So Ohios process is a really, really big deal. The Ohio League of Women Voters, a good-government group that played a key role in passing the constitutional amendment, is hoping for a map-making process thats more transparent than the last time around, when much of the work occurred in a hotel room that legislative staff called the bunker, said Jen Miller, the groups executive director. Additionally it is our sincere hope that the legislature remembers that nearly 75% of Ohioans wanted bipartisan, transparent, fair maps, Miller said. And we will be making sure that the voters are participating in the process, and pressuring lawmakers to uphold both the letter and the spirit of that amendment. How will the new process work? Under the old system, the Ohio General Assembly could pass congressional maps through a simple majority, while state legislative districts were approved by a panel of statewide elected officials. Because Republicans controlled both the legislature and statewide offices in 2010, they had full control over the process. The maps were good for 10 years. Under the new system, the majority party, which is still the GOP, must get at least some level of approval from the minority party to get 10-year congressional maps. If a first attempt fails to get 60% approval from both the state House and Senate, which must include half of each chambers minority party lawmakers, then map-making responsibility heads to a smaller commission. That commission is made up of the governor, the state auditor and the secretary of state who all currently are Republicans as well as four state lawmakers, including two from the minority party. It can draw 10-year maps, if the minority-party members agree. If not, the process heads back to the legislature, with a lower threshold of required minority-party votes. If one-third of the minority party members dont agree, then the legislature can pass 4-year maps, repeating the same process when they expire. Theres a similar new process for state legislative lines, under a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2015. Under that system, a similar redistricting commission develops the maps, which last for 10 years if they get bipartisan approval, and for four years if they dont. Any maps can be challenged with in courts, with the Ohio Supreme Court getting ultimate authority to decide. Republicans currently control the court by a 4-3 margin, although three Republican seats are up for election in 2022. Will the new maps be more bipartisan? Republican legislative leaders are saying publicly that their goal is to reach a bipartisan agreement for congressional maps, and thus, maps that are in place for 10 years. Optimistic Matt says well have a 10-year map, said Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican who became leader of the Senate in January. But realistic Matt says well have a 10-year map too, because I think the people involved on both sides of this are smart people, and they realize the incentives to get a 10-year map. But House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat who likely would serve on the redistricting commission, said she suspects Republicans will use the new system to their partisan advantage. She said she hopes those who were around when the constitutional amendment was passed in 2018 will remember the spirit of bipartisanship that led legislators to put it on the ballot in the first place. It will be up to them if theyre going to do the honorable thing and follow the spirit of the law, or if theyll decide were going to kick Ohioans in the face and were going to pick [voters] instead of citizens picking us, she said. Larry Obhof, a Republican and former Senate president who helped push the reform through, said he expects the new process will yield a more evenly split map. Not eight and eight certainly, but not necessarily 13 to two or 12 to four either, he said. I think it will be somewhere in between. But Wasserman, the political analyst for Cook Political Report, said he thinks the new system leaves room for Democrats to lose seats. Democrats believe their worst-case scenario is four seats, he said. Im not convinced thats true. Districts to watch The biggest question is which districts might become more competitive or even flip parties. Here are some contenders: Ohios 9th District AKA The Snake on the Lake Current representative: Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo 2020 presidential results: Biden +19 The 9th District stretches from Toledo to Cleveland, and has been called the Snake on the Lake for its serpentine, long shape, making it a poster child for gerrymandering. Its heavily Democratic now, thanks in part to voters who are packed in from Lorain County and western Cuyahoga County. But if the district is redrawn to be more geographically compact and focused on Northwest Ohio, it likely would lean more Republican, even with reliably blue Lucas County anchoring it, since surrounding counties like Wood and Erie counties have become more Republican leaning in recent years. Ohios 13th Congressional District Current representative: Tim Ryan, D-Trumbull County 2020 presidential results: Biden +4 The 13th District, which includes parts of Mahoning, Portage, Summit, Trumbull County, was one of Ohios most competitive in 2020, with Biden winning by only 4 points, although Ryan was re-elected by 8 points. Many political observers assume the district will be redrawn as a Republican one, given the Mahoning Valleys drift toward Republicans since former President Donald Trumps election in 2016. But its also possible the 13th District will be redrawn to include more of Summit County, while keeping Mahoning County, making it a more Akron-focused, but still Democratic leaning district. One Ohio Republican not directly involved in the process thinks Ryan would be able to keep his seat unless Republicans intentionally draw him out. I dont know how you do that under the new rules. I think geography favors him, the Republican said. Ryans political plans could affect how 2022 looks. Hes among the Democrats who are considering running for the U.S. Senate, which would require him to abandon his congressional seat. While hes known for flirting with running for higher office before backing off, political observers are taking him seriously this time around. Ohios 1st Congressional District Current representative: Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati 2020 presidential results: Trump +3 The 1st District, which includes parts of Cincinnati and all of Warren County, has seemed like the most likely pickup opportunity for Democrats since the new maps debuted in 2012. The closest they got was in 2018, when incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Chabot beat Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, by 5 points. Despite Trumps narrow 3-point victory in 2020, Chabot won re-election by a more comfortable 7 points. Under the new rules, Cincinnati, like Cleveland, must be entirely contained within a single district. The surrounding Hamilton County is increasingly Democratic, which makes the 1st District a strong pickup opportunity for Democrats. On the other hand, Republicans could look to offset Cincinnati by adding parts of Butler County, an adjacent, heavily Republican suburban county. Ohios 16th Congressional District Current representative: Anthony Gonzalez, R-Rocky River 2020 presidential results: Trump +14 The 16th District, which spans from Clevelands western suburbs south to Wayne County and east to parts of Stark, Summit and Portage counties, is worth watching. Trump won the 16th District, represented by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Rocky River, by 14 points. But if its redrawn to more heavily represent the Cleveland suburbs and Summit County, it could become more competitive. Theres some thought among political observers that Gonzalezs recent vote to impeach Trump could make Republicans less interested in protecting him politically, although he just as easily could face a tough primary challenger if it remains similar to how it is now. Chinese people are celebrating the upcoming Spring Festival. The experience from 2020 suggests that COVID-19 has been a particularly tough enemy. Despite the success in placing it under control after painful lockdowns and extensive nucleic acid tests, relaxation might undermine previous achievements. As a result, travelling during the festive days cannot return to pre-COVID-19 levels. While patience will be required for a longer period, Chinese citizens can be optimistic about the future. The management of the problem in 2020, the subsequent return of China to growth and the usage of vaccines generate hope for better days to come. Objectives are clear and straightforward. The pandemic has not derailed the effort to eliminate poverty and has not discouraged the Chinese leadership from striving to create a moderately prosperous society and continue to elevate living standards. Putting its own house in order, China is gradually strengthening its international presence. As challenges are of transnational character, multilateral cooperation remains the only reliable and safe antidote. On a frequent basis, China has been reiterating its commitment to acting multilaterally and joining hands with its partners against common threats. China's concept in creating a community of shared future for mankind, first proposed four years ago, encapsulates this philosophy. Difficulties are tremendous. Limits of international collaboration in spite of the common objective were revealed last year. The new administration in Washington seems determined to bring the U.S. back to the international forefront and the Chinese leadership will obviously look to coordinate actions with it. In his talk during the online meeting of board members of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi said mutually beneficial cooperation ought to be broadened. Although expectations should not be raised very high, the momentum is now better than before. No light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is yet to be seen. Of course, enhanced global cooperation, especially between Beijing and Washington, will move us nearer the daylight. The world recession, deepest after WWII, cannot be reversed without a joint response that will also make developing countries the focus of attention. Rising inequalities could be a reason for instability and conflict. The international community needs to act preemptively instead of waiting to mitigate a crisis at later stages. China has supported a relevant debt relief mechanism for African countries in the context of the G20, while it is continuously seeing the Belt and Road Initiative as an engine of growth to facilitate global recovery. Last year Chinese citizens were occasionally treated as "carriers" of the virus, at least in the Western discourse. It was a period during which the West was interpreting COVID-19, as if it would respect borders. This year the situation looks different due to the global consequences of the pandemic. Chinese citizens may still be reluctant to celebrate the victory against the virus that persists internally and externally but are proud of their country, its progress and achievements. Successful policies are judged in the course of time. The Year of the Ox will not signal a difference in the Chinese thinking but a possible change in the international impact of this thinking. The more world citizens push for solutions, the more international cooperation will flourish. The Chinese ethos can thus gain ground. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. OTTAWA - Hotel operators seeking to take part in Canada's mandatory three-day quarantine for returning travellers can now access the criteria, though it comes as cold comfort to a battered industry. A WestJet employee assists a person checking in for a domestic flight at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - Hotel operators seeking to take part in Canada's mandatory three-day quarantine for returning travellers can now access the criteria, though it comes as cold comfort to a battered industry. The conditions posted online put the government one step closer to fulfilling its late-January pledge that all passengers returning from non-essential trips abroad will have to self-isolate in a federally mandated facility for up to 72 hours at their own expense. The government has not said when the measure, which aims to head off COVID-19 cases and contagious variants of the novel coronavirus at the border, will come into effect. Hoteliers say the criteria seem reasonable, but doubt the quarantine rule will deliver a significant boost in business to the hammered hospitality sector. To qualify as a "listed hotel," lodgings must be near one of the four airports currently accepting international flights in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. They must provide transportation from the airport, free wireless internet access and no-contact meal delivery to rooms, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Hotels would also have to set up a process for brief outdoor breaks and report daily check-in and checkout numbers, as well as non-compliant guests to the agency. That means monitoring traveller movement within the building, it says. Hotel submissions are due on Wednesday, two days after the criteria were posted online. Hotel operators question whether the quarantine order, which will see guests pay upwards of $2,000, including the cost of a mandatory COVID-19 test, will help them rebuild after a sector collapse. "I don't think this is going to boost anything," said Eve Pare, who heads the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal. "There'll be very few travellers." Association members have lost $700 million in room revenue and laid off 90 per cent of their staff, she said. "It's been a disaster since the very beginning of the pandemic." She added that the health agency's criteria seem easy to meet for hotels that lie within the requisite 10-kilometre radius of the airport. "What they ask, it's pretty much what's already there," she said, referring to stipulations from ventilation to laundry to cleaning protocols. Hotels that have all but shut down will have to rehire cooks or order food from off-site, she noted. The need to quarantine in a hotel is one of a series of federal measures targeting international travel in the past month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 29 that Canadian airlines had suspended flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30, and that hotel self-isolation was en route. As of Jan. 7, residents who choose to fly abroad have had to provide proof of negative results for a COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours before departure back to home soil. The upcoming quarantine rule has faced resistance from civil liberties advocates concerned about its impact on mobility rights. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said Monday it might unfairly impact Canadians particularly lower-income travellers who need to care for sick relatives or receive specialized medical care abroad. In a letter to the federal transport minister and attorney general, the association demanded Ottawa carve out quarantine exemptions and fee waivers for certain situations. The quarantine order is not the only area where Ottawa is playing catchup. The Canadian Transportation Agency now faces a backlog of more than 16,000 unprocessed complaints from air passengers. The buildup follows a surge of complaints after airlines began cancelling flights en masse without refunding customers starting in mid-March, as well as a slew of complaints in the preceding months when a passenger rights charter came into force. About 60 per cent or nearly 8,000 of the roughly 13,400 complaints filed to the agency since mid-March relate to refunds, the regulator said in an email Monday. "It really underscores the need for the government to find some way to mandate the airlines to provide passenger refunds," said NDP transport critic Taylor Bachrach. The question for the government is, what improvements are they going to make to ensure that passenger complaints actually get heard by the CTA?" The agency took 157 business days on average to resolve a complaint in 2020-21, compared to an average of 55 business days the year before, according to the regulator's response to an order paper question from the NDP. Marc Garneau, when he was federal transport minister, announced in November the government planned to negotiate an aid package for struggling airlines that would be conditional on them agreeing to offer reimbursement for cancelled trips, but negotiations have faltered. "To the extent that the announced negotiations between the government and airlines on financial assistance result in the payment of refunds to some passengers, a portion of the almost 8,000 complaints referenced above may be quickly resolved," the transportation agency said. Fresh funding allocated to deal with the influx of complaints allowed it to start hiring 29 new employees in June and retain 32 others whose terms were set to wrap up last spring, the regulator said. It has processed some 9,000 complaints over the past 11 months. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to visit Cairo, but Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has a condition: Netanyahu must make a positive statement on the Palestinian issue, such as re-committing to the two-state solution, Israeli sources tell me. Why it matters: The Egyptians are concerned that they're on track for a rocky start with the Biden administration. They want to reinvigorate their role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to send a positive sign to the White House and to increase their relevance as a partner for Biden. Between the lines: Sisi doesnt care so much about the Palestinian issue but he knows Netanyahu is looking for a photo-op for his election campaign and is trying to get a diplomatic achievement for Egypt out of it," a source familiar with the discussions told me. Driving the news: The potential visit has been under discussion for several months as the Abraham Accords came together and the political transition began in the U.S. Netanyahu last made an official visit to Egypt a decade ago, when Hosni Mubarak was still in power. Even then the visit was to Sharm al-Sheikh and not Cairo. Since then, Netanyahu has visited Egypt secretly several times. Behind the scenes: The visit almost took place about a month ago, but the Egyptians had second thoughts after early elections were called in Israel, two Israeli sources tell me. The trip was postponed, and when talks resumed the Egyptians made the request for a goodwill gesture on the Palestinian issue in the context of the visit. The Egyptians specifically raised the idea of Netanyahu making a statement of commitment to the two-state solution, the Israeli sources said. Netanyahu had reservations about that proposal during an election campaign in which he's trying to mobilize his right-wing base. The state of play: The visit is now on hold, but the Israeli sources say efforts are being made to find a compromise. The issue came up again when Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Jerusalem last week for talks with senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu. Worth noting: Sources close to Netanyahu denied knowledge of any condition for the visit, and denied that the matter was raised during Kamel's meeting with the prime minister. What to watch: Biden criticized Egypt during the election campaign for its human rights violations, and the Egyptians fear their close ties with the Trump administration won't carry forward to Biden. (Newser) A Philadelphia police officer is facing multiple charges after crashing his car into a home, injuring both occupants and killing one of their dogs. Police say 27-year-old Gregory Campbell was driving drunk in northeast Philadelphia around 8:20pm Saturday when he lost control of his 2014 Dodge Dart, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The vehicle became airborne and slammed into the residence, pinning a 53-year-old woman. "Her husband was screaming that his wife was stuck underneath of the car and that he needed to move the car in order to get to her," neighbor Martin Brown tells WPVI. She was hospitalized in critical condition. The 45-year-old husband was hospitalized in stable condition and Campbell was treated for a head laceration. story continues below Campbell faces charges including DUI and aggravated assault. "The consequences of choosing to drive while under the influence are enormous, and all too often, life-changing, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. "A family should always feel safe in their home, and yet the actions of this individual shattered that reality," she said. "The fact that the offender, in this case, is a Philadelphia police officer is appalling. Police officers must be held to a higher standardeven while off-dutyand I assure the victims and the public that a complete and thorough investigation will take place." It's not clear whether Campbell has been fired, the Washington Post notes. (Read more Philadelphia police stories.) San Francisco, Feb 8 : Tesla CEO Elon Musk is putting up $100 million as part of a new XPrize Foundation competition focused on carbon removal technology. The carbon removal contest, announced on Monday morning, will run for four years and is open to teams around the globe. Fifteen teams will be selected for the competition within 18 months and they will each get $1 million and 25 separate $200,000 scholarships will be given to student teams who enter. The grand prize winner will be awarded $50 million, second place will receive $20 million, and third place will get $10 million, The Verge reported on Monday. "We want to make a truly meaningful impact. Carbon negativity, not neutrality," Musk said in a statement. "This is not a theoretical competition; we want teams that will build real systems that can make a measurable impact and scale to a gigaton level. Whatever it takes. Time is of the essence," he added. Winners will have to "demonstrate a solution that can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans and lock it away permanently in an environmentally benign way," according to the XPrize Foundation. Judges will be looking for solutions that could remove one ton of CO2 per day that can scale to gigaton levels. Musk first announced that he was donating money towards a prize in January, not long after he passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world. When that happened, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO asked his millions of Twitter followers for "ways to donate money that really make a difference." The $100 million is coming from Musk's own foundation. This donation roughly doubles the amount he has publicly given away to date through the Musk Foundation. Barcelona, Feb 08, 2021 (SPS) - A coordination body for the movement of solidarity with the Saharawi people in Catalonia was established on Sunday, thanks to the efforts of the Saharawi regional office in this region of Spain and the various associations of friendship and solidarity aimed at unifying efforts and plans around solidarity action with the Sahrawis. At their first meeting held on Sunday by videoconference, the various associations committed to implementing new action plans adapted to the state of emergency established in Western Sahara since November 13, 2020, following the violation by the Morocco of the ceasefire agreement in the buffer zone of El Guerguerat. Speaking within the framework of this meeting, the regional representative of the Frente POLISARIO in Catalonia, Abidin Bucharaya underlined the importance of the coordination of actions to achieve concrete results in the fields of action of the said Catalan solidarity movement known historically for its support for the Saharawi people. Abidin Bucharaya told the SPS, that "the Establishment of this coordination aims to contribute to the achievement of the expected objectives, in addition to supporting the actions carried out by the Spanish solidarity movement through Catalonia".SPS 125/090/TRA To bring this pandemic to an end, a large share of the world needs to be immune to the virus. The safest way to achieve this is with a vaccine. Based on WHO guidelines and information from the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, we present a quick map of vaccination in Egypt What is the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines that Egypt has obtained? The first main vaccine in Egypt is the Sinopharm vaccine, which uses a virus that is still alive to provoke an immune response. However, the virus has been altered and severely weakened so that it causes few, if any symptoms. The vaccines phase 3 trials are still ongoing, but the efficacy rate is reportedly 79.3 percent, reaching up to 86 percent in some trials. It has a 99 percent efficacy in producing antibodies to the novel virus and 100 percent efficacy in preventing cases from showing moderate or severe symptoms The vaccine is administered in two doses, three weeks apart, and is kept refrigerated at 2-8 degrees Celsius. The second main vaccine in the country is AstraZeneca, whose mechanism relies on engineering a harmless virus so that it contains the gene for the SARS-COV-2 spike protein. Phase 3 trials are completed with an efficacy rate of 62 percent. It is administered in two doses, 4 weeks apart, and refrigerated at 2-8 degrees Celsius. Pfizer is another vaccine that the government is in negotiations to bring into the country. Data has shown that the vaccine starts working soon after the first dose and has an efficacy rate of 95% seven days after the second dose. It requires two injections given 21 days apart. Finally, there is the Russian Sputnik vaccine that has been submitted to the Ministry of Healths clinical research file, and it is assumed that they will soon start clinical studies in Egypt. What are the possible side effects of the vaccination? Expected side effects of the Sinopharm vaccine is a feeling of pain, redness, stiffness, and itching where the vaccine was taken, along with fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, allergy, pain in the muscles and joints, and convulsions. The Egyptian Health ministry said these side effects generally do not require a certain treatment and usually go away without any medication. Who are not allowed to take the vaccine? According to guidelines issued by the WHO, the following categories are not allowed to take the COVID-19 vaccine due to either adverse reactions or insufficient research results: 1- People with a history of severe allergic reactions to any of the components of the vaccine. 2- Pregnant or breastfeeding women (insufficient data). 3- Children under the age of 16 (further studies needed). 4- Immune-compromised persons (further studies needed). Will the vaccination end the possibility of contracting COVID-19? According to the WHO, vaccination efficacy differs from one vaccine to the other and according to the recipient. Thus, for the foreseeable future, caution must be taken into consideration, including continuing to wear masks, physically distancing, avoiding crowds, and applying other health measures. What are the vaccines already available in Egypt? The first batch of vaccines that Egypt acquired was Chinas Sinopharm in December 2020, and later in January, Egypt received 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. On 4 February, the third batch of Sinopharm was received, and Health Minister Hala Zayed announced that the government signed a deal to import another 100 million vaccine doses. Who will get vaccinated first? The process of vaccination for citizens will be further revealed in the coming weeks, but the roll-out for medical staff working in chest and fever hospitals and 40 isolation hospitals nationwide has already started, kicking off from Abu Khaleefa hospital in Ismailiya. The minister stated in a televised segment on 31 January that the Ministry will start vaccinating the elderly along with people with chronic diseases against COVID-19 in mid-February. In a televised interview, Zayed said the vaccine will be provided to citizens at a low price; LE 100 or less for each of the two doses. Citizens included in the cash support program Takaful wi Karama, who are unable to purchase the vaccine, will take it for free. After the end of the first quarter of 2021, the ministry will announce a date for other citizens, who are not among the priority groups, to take the vaccine Where are the vaccination centres? The 31 announced centres for receiving the vaccines are as follows: 1- Nozha Medical Centre (Cairo). 2- Katamiya Medical Centre (Cairo). 3- Zohour Centre (Cairo). 4- Vacera (Giza). 5- Mit Okba Health Centre (Giza). 6- African Centre for Womens Health (Alexandria). 7- Somouha Centre for Womens Health (Alexandria). 8- Nasser Institute (Qaliobiya). 9- Kafr Shokr (Qaliobiya). 10-Kiman Fares Medical Centre (Fayoum). 11-Beni Suef Hospital (Beni Suef). 12-Mubarak Family Medicine Unit (Suez). 13-Sammalout Hospital (Minya). 14-Iman General Hospital (Assiut). 15-Heart and Digestive System Centre (Sohag). 16-Al-Ahrar Hospital (Sharqiya). 17-Foqat Educational Hospital (Qena). 18-Luxor Fever Hospital (Luxor). 19-Aswan Fever Hospital (Aswan). 20-Family Health Unit in Ahya (Red Sea). 21-Kharja General hospital (El-Wadi El-Gedid). 22-Kilin Hospital (Kafr El-Sheikh). 23-Cardiac Hospital (Matrouh). 24-Cardiac and Digestive System Hospital (Damietta). 25-Mansoura International Hospital (Daqahliya). 26-Dinshal Educational Hospital (Beheira). 27-Al-Nasr Hospital (Port Said). 28-Al-Mahalla Institute (Gharbiya). 29-Menouf General Hospital (Menoufiya). 30-Ismailiya Hospital (Ismailiya). 31-Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital (South Sinai). What are the steps citizens should expect at the vaccination centre? The ministry outlined the process for a citizen to obtain the vaccine in 8 steps, as follows: 1- The person shall register to obtain the vaccine through the website or by heading to the vaccination centre. 2- The citizen heads for assessment at the time and place specified. 3- Temperature is measured at the facilitys entrance. 4- Citizen shall go to the electronic registration office to review the data, verify the required documents, and receive the informed consent. 5- The explanation what the citizen is consenting to and completing the basic information. 6- Receiving the first dose. 7- Heading to the same place at the specified date for the second dose and following the same previous steps. 8- If any minor or moderate symptoms appear that require medical advice, the citizen must go directly to the post-vaccination clinic. Short link: ANN ARBOR, MI - Although the University of Michigans stay-in-place recommendation from the Washtenaw County Health Department has expired, officials are still urging caution as they continue to monitor spread of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant. The order expired just before midnight Sunday, Feb. 7, ending a recommendation directed at UM undergraduate, graduate and professional students enrolled this winter and residing on or off campus in Washtenaw County. Students had been permitted to leave their residences only to participate in limited activities, including in-person classes, work or research that cannot be completed remotely, obtaining food and medical care and other approved activities. Although the order has expired, there is still a heightened urgency for everyone to use COVID-19 prevention measures as much as possible and to remember there is risk of exposure to the virus when in contact with others, Washtenaw County Health Department Spokeswoman Susan Ringler-Cerniglia said. Unfortunately, we are seeing increased cases of COVID-19 among young adults across the county, Ringler-Cerniglia said. With regard to the variant, you may also be seeing that cases have been identified in other counties. A snapshot of COVID-19 cases within Washtenaw County showed that 47% of confirmed cases diagnosed between Jan. 21 and Feb. 3 were in people between age 18 and 22. The health department will continue to offer additional, no-cost testing each weekend where positive results will be sequenced for the B.1.1.7 variant, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Details of the next no-cost, drive-thru testing event will be confirmed as soon as possible. The university continues to increase its testing efforts and will continue to do genomic surveillance to look for variant infections in our community, UM Spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen said. An update to the UM campus community on Feb. 5 notes the university is expanding its weekly mandatory COVID-19 testing to all graduate and professional students living on or coming to the universitys Ann Arbor campus. Undergraduate students attending classes in person already are undergoing weekly mandatory testing. Testing for graduate and professional students will begin on Feb. 16, UM President Mark Schlissel wrote in a message to the campus community. In the message, Schlissel acknowledged the growing spread of COVID-19 within the campus community, which includes 23 cases of the more contagious B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant. This helps the university identify COVID-19 in the community and reduce potential further spread by moving infected individuals into isolation quickly, Broekhuizen said. READ MORE: COVID-19 variant identified in Eaton County University of Michigan students told to stay home as virus variant cases climb From student mental health to teacher vaccinations: Education stories from around the state Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Burma Thousands More Civil Servants Join Movement Against Myanmar Military Health-care workers from Naypyitaws 1,000-bed hospital strike for a sixth day on Monday. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy Myanmars civil disobedience movement has gained momentum across the country with thousands of civil servants, including in Naypyitaw, going on strike against military rule. The no recognition, no participation approach was launched by medics last Wednesday and joined by increasing numbers of ministerial staff. Thousands more health, education, investment, social welfare and construction ministry and forest and railway department staff joined the strike on Monday. Staff at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations said in a statement that they are unwilling to work under military rule and had joined the movement. The protests expressed their belief in the basic rights granted under the 2008 Constitution, it said, calling on other civil servants to join the movement. A Department of Social Welfare staff statement said: We will get back to work only after power is handed back to the democratically elected government. U Than Toe Aung, deputy permanent secretary at Ministry of Construction, posted on Facebook that he was joining the movement on Monday. I strongly condemn the military dictators who forcibly seized power and unlawfully formed the State Administrative Council, he wrote. I call on my colleagues to follow suit to help bring down the dictatorship. Teachers, forestry staff, general administration department employees and nurses in uniform have joined protests in many cities. The public have backed the growing civil disobedience movement with mass demonstrations nationwide to demand the release of detained leaders and activists and call for an end to military rule. Meanwhile, the military government continued to roll out its new administration, replacing ministers and their deputies at the Union, state and regional levels. You may also like these stories: Anti-Coup Demonstrations Reach Myanmars Protest-Proof Capital Crackdown Looms As Myanmar Military Warns Anti-Coup Protesters Myanmars Military Re-Arrests Two Chief Ministers Wales makes vaccine progress Health Minister busts significant misinformation such as It does not contain pork This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 8th, 2021 More than 600,000 people across Wales have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Currently those over 80, care home staff and residents, health care workers, over 70s and those who have been asked to shield are being invited for a vaccine. The Welsh Government is aiming to vaccinate the top four priority groups by the middle of the month. Vaccinations of both the Pfizer BioNtech or Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines are being carried out in GP surgeries, local vaccination centres, care homes and mass vaccination centres across Wales. As of today 603,976 first vaccines have been administered and 2,792 second doses. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has vaccinated more than any other health board in Wales, with 130,112 vaccinations given to date. A breakdown of the number of vaccines issued in the six local authorities can be found below:- Wrexham: 23,376 Anglesey: 15,926 Gwynedd: 24,010 Conwy: 28,280 Denbighshire: 21,474 Flintshire: 26,280 Other: 4,458. Speaking at todays Welsh Government press conference Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: Our vaccination program continues to go from strength to strength. On Friday we passed the half a million people vaccinated milestone. Today, after an incredible effort from our teams across Wales, the latest figures show almost 604,000 people have received their first dose of the vaccine. The hard work continues every day this week, as we make progress towards a mid-February target of offering everyone in the top four priority groups their first dose of the vaccine. We now have 43 mass vaccination centers operating across Wales, more than 400 GP led clinics providing vaccines and there are clinics taking place in 38 hospitals across Wales. On Friday and Saturday are incredible teams vaccinating the equivalent of 1% of the population of Wales on each day. Weve now vaccinated a larger proportion of the total population than any other part of the UK. But as we have regularly said, this isnt a race between the four nations and its not a race between the governments, its a race against the virus. This is a phenomenal effort. And as we know, every vaccine delivered is another small victory against the virus. Mr Gething also outlined the need to increase the up-take of vaccinations for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, to strongly refute misinformation about the vaccine and issue a plea for all ethnic communities to help in the fight against Covid-19. He noted that tomorrow he will joining a roundtable discussion about COVID vaccination with community and faith leaders, which is part of a wider, ongoing piece of work, to answer peoples questions and concerns about the vaccine. Mr Gething added: As we all know, Covid-19 is having a disproportionate impact on our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. This isnt fiction, its fact. Our communities have experienced higher levels of illness and, sadly, death rates have been higher than among the white population. The ONS analysis is clear, males of Black African ethnic background had the highest rate of death involving COVID-19, 2.7 times higher than males of White ethnic background; females of Black Caribbean ethnic background had the highest rate, 2.0 times higher than females of White ethnic background. The reasons for this are complex, and may be related to factors such as health conditions, employment, deprivation or social characteristics. What we must never forget is that behind each figure is a family, a community and a neighbourhood that are impacted and damaged. Thats why, today, the Welsh Government is issuing a plea, to all our ethnic communities across Wales, we need to dispel misinformation and unite as a country to protect those we care about the most, from this deadly virus. I want to make it abundantly clear to all, the vaccine contains no pork products or traces of foetal matter and is safe for all ethnic minority and faith communities. Taking the vaccine, is the only way to boost immunity to Covid-19 and will help us limit the spread within our communities. Itll help us save our brothers and sisters, our family and friends, our neighbours and our colleagues. We cannot allow this dreadful situation to continue. So join with us, and help to become part of the solution by taking the vaccine and encouraging others in your communities to do so, so that we, in the near future, can return to normal life once again. We noticed that the number of vaccines being issued in the over 80s and care home staff appears to have slowed down in the last few days, we asked the Health Minister about the reasons for that, and also if there was any fresh detail on vaccine hesitancy for a younger age group. The Minister replied, On the take up of care home residents, we have essentially practically completed our program in care homes. We are still doing the last few where we know we couldnt get into vaccinate as the whole care home or people within those care homes. So you will see that rise but only on a very slow basis, because were literally dealing with with much, much smaller numbers. Its also the case of course not everyone will take the vaccine. We are not going to force people to take the vaccine. When it comes to vaccine hesitancy in younger people, this is partly because of the significant misinformation that is being spread on a range of different forums, social media in particular. There are people who are worried about concerns on a range of things. There is absolutely zero evidence that the vaccines affect male or female fertility, but some people are concerned about this and different scare stories. It is why its so important that we are responsible in what we say about the vaccine, that were responsible for how we report what happens, politicians, members of the public and indeed members of the press as well. I do think though that as we see much greater levels of population protection, I hope that well see more and more people doing the right thing for themselves, and everyone else around them too. A foundation dedicated to making Northeast Pennsylvania healthier will grant $1.5 million to seven organizations over the next three years to support initiatives aimed at bolstering the regions health care workforce. A separate $700,000 scholarship program established by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation will support the development and retention of nursing professionals. With the rollout of the foundations Careers in Care program, the focus will be on feeding the pipeline of the health care workforce in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties, said Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which administers the NEPA Health Care Foundation. She and James Clemente, chairman of the health care foundation board, said that means a strong education component. What came out of is there just arent enough students engaging in health care education early enough, Ducceschi said. They arent understanding the options that are out there. They arent getting enough access to knowledge of possibilities of careers. So we really have to infuse and invest more money in health care pipelines at an earlier date. The challenge will include removing barriers to diversity and making access available to students from all racial and economic backgrounds, she said. That is something the foundation heard repeatedly during its 30 site visits with health care providers, nonprofit organizations and others during its 2019 regional listening tour. Clemente said some of the Careers in Care initiatives are expected to have an immediate impact. With others, the foundation is taking a longer view, anticipating they will contribute to a more robust workforce in the future. The organizations in line for grant funding include: Lackawanna College, Scranton, for its three-year plan to enhance the pipeline of local health care professionals and increase the number trained and retained in the region. United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Scranton, for its Upward Economic Mobility Program, which partners with Johnson College to offer unemployed and underemployed individuals the opportunity to obtain technical certification as a certified nursing assistant or medical assistant. Johnson College, Scranton, to establish a mobile hands-on training laboratory to teach students what it is like to work in the health care field. St. Josephs Center, Scranton, for direct support professional wage increases. Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium, Dimock, to increase health care career awareness and work-based learning placements for regional high school students. Childrens Service Center, Wilkes-Barre, for its scholarship program addressing the lack of racially diverse behavioral health professionals. Greater Hazleton Partners in Education, West Hazleton, for Career Pathways to Health Care Program, which promotes learning about health science and medical professions for middle school students with discussions led by health care professionals from the Lehigh Valley Health Network. The foundation said the Careers in Care nursing scholarship program will be open to students with demonstrated financial need who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing and who will practice in Northeast Pennsylvania. The Scranton Area Community Foundation hopes to have detailed instructions on how students can apply on its online portal by March 1, Ducceschi said. These scholarships will provide the much needed financial support to students who may otherwise not have been able to further their education, Theresa Tulaney, Ph.D., director of nursing and associate professor of practice at Marywood University, said in a statement. In addition, it will allow students to focus on their education instead of having to work many hours to alleviate difficult financial situations. Clemente described the foundations three-year funding for Careers in Care as a baseline. The initiative is the foundations first into workforce development, and it had to start with something, he said. If we see its working and we see more money is needed, we are certainly going to address that issue, he said. LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- J P Jenkins, the UK's oldest trading platform for private companies, is delighted to announce the launch of its new online trading platform JPJ Direct. The Company has created an ecosystem for a secondary market, giving greater visibility and liquidity to unquoted private companies and encouraging wider share ownership through two different routes to market. Coinciding with the platform's 30th Anniversary, the newly launched online trading platform, JPJ Direct, offers private companies a direct shareholder investment facility allowing for fast, efficient online trading without requiring a broker or intermediary, making it simpler than ever to buy and sell private company shares. JPJ Direct will now be available alongside existing Traditional facility which, to date, has offered a significant number of unquoted companies such as Weetabix, Arsenal FC, Adnams Brewery and National Car Parks, a mechanism for shareholders and prospective investors to trade shares on a matched bargain basis, via their respective brokers. J P Jenkins offers an array of benefits and liquidity solutions for investors, shareholders and companies. It can provide a facility for both shareholders and employees of unquoted companies to buy/sell shares, raise their capital markets profile, reduce the cost and burden of AIM/LSE quotations. Also offers cross border listings for foreign companies seeking access to the London market. The platform allows a market for shares to develop and companies to reach new investors helping to drive growth. Commenting on the launch of JPJ Direct, Malcolm Burne and Veronika Oswald, Directors, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of JPJ Direct. The private market has returned impressive results over the last decade however, with limited secondary markets there is a scarcity of venues through which private investors can source and assess interesting investment opportunities. "Furthermore, whilst there are a variety of ways to invest in late stage and scale up private companies there are very few ways to exit and few options available to companies which offer a de-risked proposition where investors have peace of mind with liquidity options. "At J P Jenkins we have developed a flexible and cost-effective platform that addresses these issues and allows investors to be matched with various investment opportunities. Through JPJ Direct and JPJ Traditional we have created a marketplace which benefits all stakeholders, offering simple navigation, matched trading and quick settlement, all of which promote and help drive future growth. Now as we enter our 4th decade, we look forward to not only continuing to help and support companies to grow but also, to change the way people invest in private companies." For further information on JP Jenkins and JPJ Direct please visit: https://jpjenkins.com Enquiries: J P Jenkins Veronika Oswald Tel: +44 (0) 207 469 0937 Yellow Jersey PR Tel: +44 (0)20 3004 9512 About J P Jenkins: J P Jenkins is the well-known platform for dealing in unlisted companies. It provides a solution that enables these companies to allow their existing shareholders and prospective investors to trade in their shares. The J P Jenkins trading facility has been used by some well-known companies, such as: Weetabix, NCP, Arsenal, West Ham, Adnams Brewery, Man City, Liverpool FC and many more. J P Jenkins provides the following services: An exit for shareholders. A share trading facility in companies that have de-listed from LSE, AIM, AQSE Exchange Growth Market or companies that have raised finance via crowdfunding, angels and EIS schemes. A market-driven share price for liquidity, probate valuation and diversification of portfolios via an easy process. Communication of news to shareholders and the wider investment community. SOURCE J P Jenkins Newsfrom Japan China said Monday that it has ordered U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc. to improve its operations after customers reported about abnormal acceleration and battery fires of its products. The Chinese government said it has urged the manufacturer to abide by the country's laws and regulations, strengthen internal management and take measures to protect public safety. The Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with the ruling Chinese Communist Party, lambasted Tesla on Saturday, saying it "recently filed a fresh recall of up to 36,126 imported" vehicles. The recall "reflects the brand's ignorance... The virus was first identified in December 2019 and all the countries of the world buried those who died of COVID-19 infection. by Mass L. Usuf Science should not be used as a shield for normative policy judgments. Engaging in the science charade encourages science politicization and undermines political accountability. (Jonathan Adler, Professor of Law in Supreme Court Economic Review). For how long can the truth be suppressed? For how long can racism hide behind the cover of ground water contamination? For how long are the true medical professionals going to tolerate this charade of desecrating the ethics of medical practise, the integrity of the profession and their self-dignity? The High Commissioner is deeply concerned by the trends emerging over the past year, which may representearly warning signs of a deteriorating human rights situation states the latest report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) dated 27 January 2021. This tomfoolery has now hit the international arena. The world is looking down upon Sri Lanka as acting: (1) in violation of fundamental rights entrenched in its own constitution; (2) in violation of international obligations; (3) in violation of human rights; (4) in contrary to scientific evidence available in the field of virology and epidemiology and, (5) is causing disaffection within communities by its discriminative policies against religious minorities. These are very serious matters. It is now not only the burial matter but many other issues too have been dugged up. As citizens, you and I, may have to ultimately bear the burden and face the wrath of the international community. For how long can the world be fooled? The OHCHR Report has urged, Member States to pursue alternative international options for ensuring justice and reparations and support a dedicated capacity to advance these efforts. This is a two-pronged approach of the OHCHR. The first is collective action and, as a backup, individual State action. The shame that has befallen this country is the mere fact that Sri Lanka has been picked by the world body for negative scrutiny. As a country, we have been ashamed in the international stage. Our deficiency in the skills of sophisticated engagement protocols, exacerbated by myopic and knee jerk foreign policies will have ramifications: (1) on our international relations especially, in the sphere of bi-lateral, unilateral and multi-lateral engagements; (2) the image and reputation of Sri Lanka in the diplomatic fora, isolation from her international peers and others with whom she has ties; (3) on foreign participation in the economic activities of Sri Lanka like trade, financial flows, investment; (4) on the ownership of assets abroad, travel by government officials; and, (4) the human rights record of our country Theunsustainable policy stand of forced cremation of COVID-19 dead besides belying science, is also in violation of the fundamental rights in the Constitution, international obligations and human rights.Any sane person reading through the facts below will understand this. 1) The virus was first identified in December 2019 and all the countries of the world buried those who died of COVID-19 infection. The Ministry of Health Provisional Clinical Practice Guidelines on COVID-19 Suspected and Confirmed Patients dated 27th March 2020 allowed for burial of dead bodies under certain conditions. 2) This decision was changed four days later, on the 31st March requiring that all COVID-19 victims be cremated. (The Extraordinary Gazette notification 2170/8 of 11th April 2020). Thereby, deliberately denying the right for the Muslims and Christians (and some from the Buddhist/Tamil communities) to bury their dead according to their religious teachings or personal wishes. 3) According to the government, the reason for not allowing burial is to prevent contamination of the ground water by the COVID-19 virus. It is interesting to evaluate this position of the government in the light of scientific evidence. Medical Science a) World Health Organisation -in its guidelines dated 24 March 2020 regarding the disposal of COVID-19 infected bodies have clearly laid down burial as one of the safe methods of disposal. (1). b) The World Health Organisation document states, the claims that the virus spread directly through groundwater have not been scientifically substantiated and there is no indication that the virus could be transmitted through drinking water. (2) c) WHO, CDC and ECDPC - On the basis that burial is safe, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Center for Disease Control and Prevention of United States ((WHO), CDC) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) had issued clear and extensive guidelines on handling dead bodies for cremation or burial. (3). d) Experts Team - On 24 December 2020, the Ministry of Health of the Sri Lanka Government appointed an Experts Team in the field of immunology, virology and microbiology to provide their recommendations on whether burial can be allowed. (4). The Experts Team in their report clearly stated that the virus cannot replicate in a dead body and the remaining virus would die over a period of time. It stated that the virus infection is not a water-borne disease therefore, contamination of water is very remote. The Experts Team recommended cremation or burial with guidelines. They also emphasised that the dignity of the dead and their families should be respected and protected. (5). e) College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) One of the leading medical institutions, in their positional paper, voiced their specialist opinion. It stated that with more than 80 million global infection cases and 1.7 million deaths, there is no evidence in the nearly 85,000 published scientific literature on COVID-19 that the virus was transmitted through a dead body. Further the spread directly through groundwater have not been scientifically substantiated. Virus may not spread from dead bodies but there is a possible to spread through hospital sewage, waste from isolation and quarantine centers, faecal-oral transmission but not from the dead bodies. They concluded urging that each citizen of Sri Lanka should be allowed to be cremated or buried as per his/her and the familys desire within the strict guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Health. (6). f) Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) - Another leading medical institution in their response to the issue of COVID 19 death management in Sri Lanka had expressed their views in favour of burial. There are no reports of the virus being infective via ground water. Even in the case of severe waterborne diseases like Cholera, burial of infected dead bodies was allowed. It is unlikely that the virus could remain infectious within a dead body for any significant period of time. The council of the Sri Lanka Medical Association is with the view that burial of COVID-19 dead bodies could be permitted in Sri Lanka. (7). Further, it stated that disposal of COVID-19 dead bodies has affected ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka. In view of the cultural diversity of Sri Lanka, it is essential to have a proper policy for disposal of the dead which is acceptable to all. United Nations Human Rights (a) United Nations High Commissioner forhuman rights -(OHCHR) - In its latest report dated 27 January 2021, titled, Sri Lanka on alarming path towards recurrence of grave human rights violations the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) details as follows: the UN High Commissioner is deeply concerned by the trends emerging over the past year, which may represent early warning signs of a deteriorating human rights situation. With regard to burial, the High Commissioner notes that WHO guidance stresses that cremation is a cultural choice. (8). As stated above, the World Health Organisation in its guidelines dated 24March 2020 regarding the disposal of COVID-19 infected bodies have clearly laid down that burial as one of the safe methods of disposal. (b)UN Special Rapporteurs - The following four UN Special Rapporteurs: (i) Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; (ii) the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; (iii) the Special Rapporteur on minority issues; and, (iv) the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism in a communication to the President of Sri Lanka stated as follows: We are concerned that the amendment is inconsistent with the Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19 guideline provided by World Health Organisation (WHO Guideline). Furthermore, we are concerned of the lack of consideration provided and the lack of sensitivity in the MoH Guideline to different communities and their religious and cultural practices. The Special Rapporteurs reiterated the point that WHO Guideline provides that people who have died from COVID-19 can be buried or cremated. (9). (c) Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) The Commission on 20 November 2020, highlighted that any restriction on a fundamental right, even at a time of crisis, must be imposed under strict justifications. It recommended to permit burial of bodies of persons who succumb to the Covid-19 virus while adhering to required health guidelines. It also urged the government to ensure compliance with the Constitution of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankas international obligations. (10). (d) Civil Society, Rights Activists and Civil Organisations Recognised individuals consisting of professionals, academics, lawyers, specialists, intellects, reverend priests and 29 civil society organisations issued a statement urging the government to permit burial of the COVID-19 dead bodies. They said that the governments ongoing forcible cremation policy without proper scientific evidence has caused much suffering and grievance to certain religious groups. The statement called upon the government to enable those from religious minority to bury their dead. (11). More than 190 countries in the world have buried the COVID-19 infected dead bodies and are continuing to do so. There is not a single evidence that ground water has been contaminated. The above provides a synopsis of the ongoing human rights violation by the forced cremation policy of the Sri Lanka government. Before any action is imposed on Sri Lanka by outside bodies, it will be prudent for the government to revisit the current policy and permit burial. This will safeguard and protect the image and reputation of Sri Lanka internationally. Such a decision will also allow the Muslims and Christians (and some from the Buddhist/Tamil communities) to bury their dead as per their wishes. Footnotes: 1. Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19 dated 24 March 2020 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331538/WHO-COVID-19-lPC_DBMgmt-2020.1-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 2. (Water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. World Health Organization, 29th July 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/ WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC-WASH-2020.4). 3. College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, https://ccpsl.org/ 4. Letter of appointment of a panel of virologist, microbiologist and immunologist for expert opinion on safe disposal of human remains of COVID-19 infected people. Dated 24/12/2020. Ref No: SH/CORONA/05/2020-Vol II. Signed by Maj Gen (Dr) S H Munasinghe, Secretary Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. 5. Disposal of corpse of persons infected with SARS-Cov-2 virus - Recommendations by the Expert Group dated 28/12/2020. 6. College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, ccpsl website. 7. Response of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) to the issue of COVID 19 death management in Sri Lanka 8. Link to report: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ Countries /LK/ Sri_LankaReportJan2021.docx 9. Reference: AL LKA 2/2020 8 April 2020 10. Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Observations and Recommendations on Extraordinary Gazette No.2179/8 dated 11th April 2020. 11. Statement of Civil society and Civil Organisation dated 04th January 2021. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... When lawyers talk about legal ethics, they can mean either of two quite different things. Most lawyers, or at least all the lawyers I ever cared to associate with, are alert to possible conflicts between representing the clients interests and doing what the law requires. They are scrupulously honest with the courts while scrupulously maintaining their clients confidences. They treat opposing counsel fairly while giving nothing away. These and many other competing demands are baked into the practice of law. Being an ethical lawyer in this everyday sense starts with constant awareness of potential conflicts. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Then theres the Rules of Professional Responsibility, sometimes referred to as the ethics rules although they might more accurately be described as a catalog of things that can cost lawyers their bar cards. The Rules dont come close to defining the whole universe of unethical behavior by lawyers. Instead they specify the few specific forms that might compel the Supreme Court and its Disciplinary Board to act. The worst form of attorney bad behavior, the one most likely to prompt the Supreme Court to yank a lawyers license, is stealing money from a client. The presumptive form of discipline for knowingly misappropriating client funds is disbarment. That quote is from the New Mexico Supreme Courts 2019 opinion explaining its disbarment of Jennie Behles, an Albuquerque bankruptcy specialist who practiced law in the state for nearly 50 years. Its extraordinarily rare for the court to strike a longtime practitioner from the rolls, but it found that Behles had expended client funds she had been ordered to hold in trust, failed to maintain complete records of her client trust fund account, failed to keep client money separate from her own, and unreasonably charged a contingent fee on the return of her clients court bond. The item in that charge sheet that might seem least serious, the failure to maintain adequate records, became very serious indeed for Behles when the Taxation and Revenue Department began to ask about her law firms failure to pay taxes. According to a Decision and Order issued by a hearing officer on the last day of 2020, the office manager of the Behles law firm, who is also Behles husband, admitted that he had neither reported [the firms] gross receipts nor paid associated gross receipts tax since October 2010. The firm did, however, collect gross receipts taxes from its clients. The decision continues: There was similarly no record of [the firm] reporting corporate income or paying associated corporate income tax in any relevant year. When the auditors came to call, the firm was unable to provide complete documentation regarding its income over the years. At the hearing on their tax protest, Behles and her husband testified that their janitor allegedly misunderstood the significance of some bins of documents, and he took them out and he burned them.' Although the audit commenced in July 2017, Behles apparently didnt mention this disaster to the auditors until September 2019. The next year, a burglar broke into the office and stole computers storing other firm records, and took the back-ups, too. The Decision and Order laconically recites that the hearing officer regrettably found Taxpayers evidence on these incidents to be unreliable and lacking credibility. Tax statutes and regulations require companies to keep adequate financial records. When they dont, the department is empowered to use alternative means to calculate the companys income. With the Behles firm, the department examined bank records, which showed deposits of more than $5 million over the time period covered by the audit. The department used that figure as the basis for its calculation of the firms total income and consequent tax liability. The firm was given the chance to prove the departments calculation incorrect. But carrying that burden would have required documentation, which it couldnt provide. Lest anyone be tempted to roll the dice in hopes that the departments estimate will be less than the true amount of income, the Legislature imposes a 50% penalty for the willful attempt to evade or defeat a tax. Paying gross receipts tax for years, then ceasing to pay it, as the Behles firm did, meets the definition of willfulness. Altogether, the firm was assessed $663,716 in back taxes, plus $332,388 in penalty (which isnt exactly 50%, a discrepancy unexplained in the decision), plus interest, which continues to accrue. The hearing officer denied the firms protest, with one small exception. The firm and its auditors agreed to reduce the calculation of its total income by $71,406, which will produce a small downward adjustment in the assessed tax, penalty and interest. But the final bill will still be staggering. The firm has the right to appeal. Joel Jacobsen is an author who in 2015 retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com. Elon Musks SpaceX have begun testing their Starlink broadband service in the English countryside, a technology which could prove transformative. SpaceX aims to blanket Earth with high speed broadband coverage that could prove revolutionary in rural parts of the United Kingdom. Primitive versions have been available to those who live and work in the most poorly connected regions for a few years, but these options have tended to deliver unreliable coverage and low latency. Elon Musk, who earlier this year became the richest man in the world, founded SpaceX in 2002 as a manufacturing and space transportation company. In 2015 they created the subdivision Starlink which plans to deliver their global broadband service. In November Starlink were granted a licence by UK telecoms regulator Ofcom which allows them to sell the satellite dishes and other communications equipment that pick up the signals emitted by their satellites. Starlink already own more than 1,000 active satellites, which is more than a quarter of the active satellites currently orbiting Earth. The extent of the network is unprecedented, whilst the technology is considerably more advanced than earlier satellite broadband options. The satellites will beam high speed, low latency broadband to the ground, meaning a faster and more reliable service for users. The satellites will create a network that is in low orbit, just 340 miles from Earths surface, compared to current satellite internet which uses spacecraft more than 22,000 miles from the surface. This is one of the primary reasons that Starlink are expecting to deliver a far better quality of internet. The companys website claims that they want to create near global coverage of the world by the end of this year. Currently enough satellites have been set up for a beta service to be provided in northerly latitudes which has meant Starlink have been able to start trialling the service in the UK. People living in specific areas have been invited to try out the service: those who have had this opportunity have reported that the service is straightforward to use and simply made up of a Wi-Fi router and a small satellite dish. Musk said in November last year: Right now it takes about five minutes to set up, but with future improvements probably about three. "No technical knowledge is required, it just needs to be pointed at the open sky and plugged in." SpaceX is not the only company driving the advance in satellite broadband: OneWeb are a company that are part-owned by the UK government and are Starlinks closest competitor, they aim to have 648 satellites in orbit by the end of 2022 and an eventual constellation size of 7,000. This is still a long way behind the extraordinary targets of Starlink, who already have permission to launch 12,000 satellites and aims to have an eventual 40,000 strong network, pending approval from the UN backed International Telecommunications Union. Could this improve rural business? Much of rural Britain is crippled by poor broadband connectivity: the UK is 47th in the world for average broadband speed, but many remote areas struggle to get close to that. Last year an NFU survey of mobile and broadband connectivity showed that 30% of farmers have broadband speeds below 2 Mbps. And just 17 percent have access to speeds which are above 24 Mbps, compared to 96.5% of the overall population. Starlink say that their broadband will offer speeds between 50 and 150 Mbps, with reports from customers piloting the service confirming they are consistently getting download speeds of around 80 Mbps. It is consistency that is key. Dr Jane Atterton, from Scotlands Rural College (SRUC), is an expert in rural business and policy, she said: For rural businesses it is not just about the speed of broadband access but also reliability, which is arguably more important. "You do not want a connection that will suddenly drop out when you are in the middle of a payment transaction or a video call. It is reliability that satellite broadband should bring: using 4 and 5G are common solutions for those in poorly connected areas, however these lack range and suffer similar coverage issues to broadband, with outdoor coverage of 4G services at just 66%. Starlink are currently charging their UK customers 439 for the satellite dish and other communications equipment, with a regular monthly fee of 89 and an additional 54 shipping fee. This pricing is clearly targeting customers with a lack of other options, but despite the steeper price and not reaching the super high speeds that can be accessed by fibre optic, the technology could nonetheless prove transformative. Alongside the pandemic It is possible that a considerably improved internet connection in the countryside, twinned with the effects of the Covid pandemic, could persuade firms to move out of major cities and use more satellite offices in rural areas. With the pandemic forcing many people to work from home, many businesses are being led to question the large sums they spend on city centre office leases. Dr Atterton said: There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence of people moving out of city centres into rural areas during the pandemic. "This is something that we are hoping to do more research on, but it is certainly possible that digital access is something that would enhance, or hold back, this trend. The improvements in satellite broadband could open up parts of the UK that were never an option for businesses before. It is already a common trend that people in their fifties take early retirement from a job in the city and start small businesses in the countryside," Dr Atterton explained. "However, there is limit to which rural areas people move to. For example, in Scotland people might already be moving into rural areas around Edinburgh, but an island off of the west coast is less attractive for them." BOGOTA, Colombia, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL;NYSE: EC), pursuant to the provisions set forth in Article 5.2.4.1.6 - Decree 2555/2010, does hereby confirm the information published in several media outlets that last February 5, 2021, received a written communication issued by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, whom, among other things, announced that: They agree to sign an exclusivity contract with Ecopetrol pursuant to which, during the first half of 2021, Ecopetrol will be required to consummate the bid it submitted on January 27, 2021 to acquire 51.4% of the outstanding shares of ISA under an Inter-Administrative Contract. to acquire 51.4% of the outstanding shares of ISA under an Inter-Administrative Contract. They reserve the right to propose adjustments to the price range subject to the results of the appraisal and due diligence processes that it undertakes in parallel to Ecopetrol. Ecopetrol is Colombia's largest firm and is an integrated oil company that is among the 50 largest in the world and the four largest in Latin America. In addition to Colombia, where it generates over 60% of the country's production, it is active in exploration and production in Brazil, Peru and the United States (Gulf of Mexico). Ecopetrol operates the largest refinery in Colombia, most of the country's oil-pipeline and polyduct network and is significantly increasing its share of bio-fuels. This press release contains statements relating to business prospects, estimates of operating and financial results, and Ecopetrol's growth prospects. All are projections, and therefore are based solely on management's expectations of the company's future and its continuous access to capital to finance its sales plan. Achieving these estimates in the future depends on its performance under given market conditions, regulations, competition, the performance of the Colombian economy and industry, and other factors; therefore, they are subject to change without prior notice. For further details, please contact: Head of Capital Markets Juan Pablo Crane Phone: +571-234-5190 Email: [email protected] Media Engagement (Colombia) Jorge Mauricio Tellez Phone: + 571-234-4329 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A. Related Links http://www.ecopetrol.com.co Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) The Department of Agriculture is offering loans to market vendors and financial aid to hog transporters severely affected by the two-month price cap on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila, Secretary William Dar said on Monday. The price ceiling of 270 per kilo for kasim and pigue, 300 per kilo for liempo, and 160 per kilogram for dressed chicken sold in Metro Manila takes effect starting today. The agriculture chief said they will give zero interest loans that market vendors can use as capital. The same benefits are extended to backyard hog raisers, he added. "Alam naman natin na sila ay nasa mercy ng wholesalers. Ito ang inaasikaso ngayon para mabigyan sila ng pautang, zero interest, para mas maraming lumahok sa kampanyang ito," he told CNN Philippines. [Translation: We know they are at the mercy of wholesalers. We are working on providing them zero interest loans so they will follow the price ceiling.] National Federation of Hog Farmers Chairman and President Chester Tan said the price ceiling could discourage meat vendors in Metro Manila from selling fresh products. Most pork and chicken vendors in Balintawak Market have resorted to selling frozen meat, saying adhering to the price ceiling will mean big losses for them. Some vendors have also opted to close their stalls on the first day of effectivity. Meanwhile, no pork and chicken products are being sold in Mega Q Mart on Monday morning. Dar said as the government's "number 1 strategy" was to allocate P27 billion-worth of assistance for commercial hog raisers to help them repopulate in their area. He also said they will provide transport assistance to help bring in hog shipments to the capital region. P21 per kilo will be given to those who will transport live hogs or meat from Mindanao. P15/kilo will be granted to those from Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and extreme Northern Luzon. P10/kilo of transport assistance will be given to shipments from Calabarzon and Central Luzon. The official said the 60-day price ceiling is a short-term solution while the government studies the expansion of the minimum access volume or MAV for pork imports at 4,210 metric tons to cover the projected shortfall for the year. Tan said this move may affect local stockholders negatively instead of fixing the problem. "Actually this will discourage our stakeholders, producers to repack their stock, or to expand their business. The product will again compete with our local producers," he told CNN Philippines on Monday. Pork prices have been steeply moving up as supply continues to take a hit with some pork-producing provinces still recovering from African swine fever outbreaks. The government also alleged that some businesses are illegally manipulating the prices of meat supply. President Rodrigo Duterte recently formed a government task force on economic intelligence to go after market manipulators. The DA-led task force will deal with profiteers, price manipulators, hoarders and smugglers. CNN Philippines correspondent Melissa Lopez contributed to this report. Pancras Karema, 30, is the co-founder and CEO of Expeditions Maasai Safaris, a tour and travel company based in Nairobi. Karema holds a Bachelors degree in Tourism and Political Science from the University of Nairobi. In 2018 he won the Young Male Entrepreneur of the year from the Young Entrepreneurs Awards (YEA). He shared his career trajectory with nation.africa. ************************ I had a normal childhood growing up in Nanyuki, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kenya and I used to see a lot of tour vehicles when growing up. Being the firstborn in a family of three, I had to take care of my younger siblings. This taught me how to be responsible, skills I still apply to this day. My mother is a former teacher and my late dad was a lecturer at the University of Nairobi. My educational journey started at Bingwa, a local primary school in Nanyuki before joining Ontilili High School which is located inside Mount Kenya Forest. After my O-level, I joined the University of Nairobi and I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Tourism and Political Science from the same University. I co-founded Expeditions Maasai Safaris with my childhood friend and now our MD, Lawrence Ndegea in 2014. While at the university, I used to organise hikes and outings for classmates, and since I was pursuing tourism, I fell in love with the whole idea of creating experiences for others for a profit. Career progression After high school, I interned with the Kenya Tourism Board and this cemented my dream of formalising my travel business giving birth to Expeditions Maasai Safaris. The most satisfying moment in my line of work is when I receive messages of gratitude from our customers after they have enjoyed a safari. Knowing that we played a part in creating a fulfilling holiday experience for them makes me happy. I am also very thrilled when I see my team doing their work with passion and going out of their way in ensuring our customers get value for booking with us. Being able to create opportunities for fellow young people in this country is something I am very proud of. My career progression has been an incredible journey from just two childhood friends who believed in each other to becoming a full-fledged tours and travel business championing domestic tourism. We now have three branches, two in Nairobi and one in Mombasa, and I consider the opportunity to lead a dynamic team of young professionals into believing in our vision for tourism in this country progress. Value people Passion has been the key driver of growth. Entrepreneurship is not easy and if you are not passionate about what you do, challenges will easily demotivate you. I have learnt to value people, especially those working with you to build the brand and this has really helped Expeditions Maasai Safaris in terms of brand evangelism as our team owns the brand. Among the people who influenced my career trajectory is my late dad Dr Fredrick Karema (may his soul rest in peace). A strict disciplinarian and academician, he pushed me a lot to excel academically and in life. He used to advise me to go for what I was passionate about. He also taught me the value of serving others and this is a principle I have embraced by putting our customers satisfaction before profit. Key decisions I have taken along my career journey is deciding not to look for employment, instead, I expounded on opportunities around me and took the initiative to transform them into business situations. My future plan is to expand my business to the rest of the East African region. Sardinia moves back to yellow zone as Alto Adige imposes three-week lockdown. Alto Adige in northern Italy will be put under a lockdown from 8 February amid high numbers of covid-19 cases, including the first detected case of the new UK variant of the virus, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The autonomous province has placed itself under a three-week lockdown, with effect from today. The measures announced by local authorities include the closure of shops, bars and restaurants, distance learning in schools, a ban on travel between towns - unless for urgent or necessary reasons - and an obligation to wear FFP2 masks. The move comes into force the same day that Sardinia moves back to a lower-risk yellow zone, joining much of the rest of Italy. Here is the current picture of Italy according to the colour-coded map, region by region, from 8 February. Red zone (highest risk): No regions. The province of Perugia, and six towns in the province of Terni, in the Umbria region, become zone rosse until 21 February. There are also 27 towns in the region of Molise classified as red zones. Orange zone (medium risk): The autonomous province of Bolzano-Alto Adige, Puglia, Sicily, Umbria. Yellow zone (lower risk): Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania (Naples), Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio (Rome), Liguria, Lombardia (Milan), Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Turin), the autonomous province of Trento, Sardinia, Tuscany (Florence), Valle d'Aosta, Veneto (Venice). White zone (lowest risk): No regions Photo credit: MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com. Businessman Anand Mahindra on Sunday shared a video by Skymet founder Jatin Singh of the Uttarakhand glacier burst highlighting the fact climate change is a reality and climate activists campaigns have been justified. Mahindra wrote in his post, Glacier burst is a phrase I was unfamiliar with but which, unfortunately, I think we all will get overly familiar with. "This is what climate activists have been warning us about. The dangerous future they alerted us to may already be here," he added. Glacier burst is a phrase I was unfamiliar with but which, unfortunately, I think we all will get overly familiar with. This is what climate activists have been warning us about. The dangerous future they alerted us to may already be here. pic.twitter.com/uKYvl9CpnT anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 7, 2021 A glacier broke off in the Tapovan-Reni area of Uttarakhands Chamoli district, leading to massive flooding in the Alaknanda river system that swept away anything stood in the way. Hydel projects, bridges and houses along the river were washed away. Around 100 people who were working did not return home and are now feared to be dead. French President Macron expresses solidarity French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday expressed Frances full solidarity with India in the wake of a glacier burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district that triggered a massive flood in the region. France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families, Macron said on Twitter. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off on Sunday, triggering a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, and leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. A massive operation has been launched to rescue people from the flood-affected areas. (with PTI inputs) Masai School, Indias first career-focused alternative education start-up, launches its first-ever digital ad campaign, Career Hai, Compromise Nahi. True to the proposition of Career Hai, Compromise Nahi, the campaign highlights the compromises Indian youth are expected to make on the career front when choosing a job versus chasing their dream careers. With the objective of creating awareness, the brand has launched three ad films as part of the campaign which talk about the constraints and fears aspirants face while making career choices, depicted through experiential stories. Common instances like facing apprehensions from friends and family when one shares their ambitions or managing financial constraints have been depicted in light hearted situations, bringing out true insights. The films also highlight Masai Schools unique offerings which enable aspirants to overcome the common challenges in pursuing a career, and choose their dream roles in coding. The offerings include learning a new skill at 0 upfront cost, no registration fees, and an allowance of 15k/month for top performing students which can be repaid later only when you earn INR 5 lakh per annum and above. Masai School follows the unique study now pay later model by integrating the Income Sharing Agreement (ISA) which allows students to pay the course fees after they get a high paying job. This model has proved beneficial to many deserving students by removing the financial barriers to access quality education. Similarly, the company also offers an allowance program to enable students and support their learning in a risk-free environment, without having to worry about ongoing financial commitments. Speaking about Masai Schools very first ad film campaign, Ankur Kayesth, Senior Vice President of Masai School said, Our campaign Career Hai, Compromise Nahi is aimed at talking about the most common fears and judgements job aspirants face in their journey towards pursuing their dream careers. The ad films are also an articulation of the earnest efforts of Masai School to make a difference in the lives of those who wish to pursue a career in coding. Through this digital campaign, we hope to reach out to coding aspirants across the length and breadth of the country and emphasize that with determination and commitment, dreams do come true. The campaign was conceptualized by Autumn Grey and directed by Pratap Dhulap. Indiana legislators are poised to finalize a fast-tracked proposal that will give a broad shield protecting businesses and others from lawsuits by people blaming them for contracting COVID-19. The proposal is a top priority of Republican legislative leaders and GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb even though supporters dont point to any such lawsuits in the state. Supporters maintain that the liability protection is needed to remove a cloud of uncertainty for factories, restaurants, stores and other institutions like universities so that they can stay open without facing lawsuits from employees or customers over possible coronavirus exposure. Republicans who dominate the Indiana House and Senate have already approved similar versions of the liability protections and a final bill could reach Holcombs desk within the next couple weeks and months before final action is taken on most of this years legislation. The proposal would be retroactive to March 1, 2020 just before the first coronavirus infection was confirmed in Indiana and only allow lawsuits against businesses when gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct can be proved with clear and convincing evidence. Republicans call the protections a key step toward economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down some businesses for months and the state health department says has killed nearly 12,000 people in the state. Its critical for supporting jobs and bringing back our economy throughout the state, Republican House Speaker Todd Huston said. Congressional Republicans have pushed for a national legal shield, but it has stalled amid opposition from Democrats. Businesses across the country have raised lawsuit fears, with similar protections approved last year in some states, such as Georgia, Iowa and Tennessee, while lawmakers in Alabama, Montana, North Dakota and other states are working to adopt them this year. Warren Mathies, a lobbyist for the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, urged lawmakers this past week to make sure the liability protections didnt apply to medical errors that werent related to COVID-19 and to recognize how difficult it would be for someone to ever prove they contracted the coronavirus at a specific business or workplace. You have to show a direct causal link to the exposure and thats an impossibility, Mathies said. So thats why our members are OK with clarifying that if you go to a restaurant you shouldnt sue for COVID. Major business organizations, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the state manufacturers and restaurant associations, support the proposal. Opposition has come from those worried nursing homes could escape responsibility for patient deaths stemming from neglect or other misconduct. Questions about whether to shield nursing homes and other medical providers from lawsuits will be addressed in a separate bill that will go before legislators later during this years session, said Senate Majority Leader Mark Messmer, a Republican from Jasper. Most Democratic legislators have so far voted against the shield proposals. Democratic Rep. Ryan Hatfield of Evansville said he supported the concept of broad legal protections, especially for small businesses, because of the difficult decisions they have faced during the pandemic. But he said the current protections are too broad. I believe that there will be Hoosiers harmed by this legislation that were harmed in a way that has nothing to do with COVID-19, Hatfield said. Messmer, the proposals lead sponsor, said businesses still needed to follow safety protocols to protect their employees and customers. We are in a litigious society, whether you think we are or not, Messmer said. And just because there are no lawsuits filed to date doesnt mean that there wont be lawsuits just around the corner. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Lawsuits Legislation Indiana Israel intends to ask dozens of allies to convey a "discreet message" to Fatou Bensouda, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), tomorrow and urge her to not move forward with an investigation against Israel on alleged war crimes in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, two Israeli officials tell Axios. Why it matters: Israel is very concerned any investigation could lead to international arrest warrants against Israel officials and military officers. The Israelis are also concerned such an investigation will boost BDS campaigns against Israel. Driving the news: The Israeli foreign ministry sent a classified cable to dozens of Israeli ambassadors around the world on Sunday with instructions to start a lobbying effort around Friday's ruling from ICC judges, which cleared the way for an investigation against Israel. The Israeli officials said the cable was designated as Urgent and included an instruction that ambassadors should come to the office on Sunday in order to read the classified cable and start reaching out to the governments of the countries they are posted in. In the cable, the Israeli ambassadors were instructed to ask foreign ministers and heads of government in the countries thy are posted in to issue public statements of opposition to the judges decision. So far only the U.S. and Australia issued such statements. What they are saying: "The U.S. objects to the ICC decision regarding the Palestinian situation. Israel is not a State Party to the Rome Statute. We will continue to uphold President Bidens strong commitment to Israel and its security, including opposing actions that seek to target Israel unfairly, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Friday. The cable included another sensitive instruction to encourage governments to put political pressure on the ICC prosecutor. We ask that (governments) send a discreet message to the prosecutor asking her not to move forward with the investigation against Israeli and not give this case a high priority, the cable reads. You are instructed to tell the highest levels of government that if an investigation against Israel starts it will create a continuous crisis between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that will not allow any diplomatic progress to take place between the parties, the cable read. Whats next: The ambassadors were asked to tell friendly countries that Israel wants to open special channels of dialogue that will focus on the ICC issue. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to send letters to dozens of leaders around the world asking for their support in countering any investigation. Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi are expected to make phone call to several of their counterpart in main world powers and allies to discuss the issue. Flashback: Bensouda announced the potential investigation into Israel and Hamas over alleged war crimes during the 2014 war in Gaza, as well as the construction of West Bank settlements by Israel, in December 2019, and Israel and the Trump administration immediately began attempting to mobilize opposition to try to convince the judges to block it. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 07:42:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Fuyuan discusses follow-up plan of Hualong One project with team members in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 4, 2021. China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically-designed third-generation nuclear reactor, entered commercial operation on Jan. 30, 2021. Zhang Fuyuan, 66, is the chief designer of Hualong One ZH-65 steam generator. After five years of continuous research, design, modification and verification test, Zhang Fuyuan led his team to complete the technology research for independent design of ZH-65 steam generator in 2015. The ZH-65 steam generator is about 21 meters high, 4.6 meters in maximal width, weighing 365 tonnes. It was dubbed by designers "Da Bai". The steam generator 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 Zhang and other experts from the Nuclear Power Institute of China. Up to now, with the design drawings approved and signed by Zhang Fuyuan, 76 sets of steam generators have been manufactured. Out of these, 60 sets have been put into use or installed, while 16 are in the making. (Xinhua/Liu Kun) A Springfield alderwoman has been chosen to succeed former state Sen. Andy Manar to represent the 48th Legislative District. Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat, resigned from his state Senate seat to take a senior advisers post with Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration. A committee chosen to name his replacement met this weekend to discuss the post and voted unanimously to appoint Doris Turner of Springfield to fill the remainder of the term. The 48th District stretches from the east side of Springfield to Decatur and south to Christian and Montgomery counties. It includes portions of Macoupin County. Last month the selection committee named eight finalists for his replacement. From the start, we wanted to make sure that this was an open and transparent process, said committee Chair Pam Monetti, who is chairwoman of the Macoupin County Democratic Party. We wanted to make sure that the candidate we selected would share our values and commitment to our communities, Monetti said. We wanted to find someone who would be a bold fighter for the families in the 48th District. We know we found that in Doris Turner. Turner was first elected to the Springfield City Council in April 2011 after 10 years on the Sangamon County Board. She recently retired from the state after 33 years, 22 of them with the Department of Public Health. I am thankful to receive the support and appointment of the county chairs in the 48th District, Turner said. This is an honor of a lifetime and not something that I will take for granted. We are facing a difficult road ahead as our state rebuilds from the devastation of COVID-19. The gravity of this will weigh on me every day as I work to get our kids back in school and our businesses reopen. From Bunker Hill to Decatur and everywhere in between, its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Turner was the first African American to chair the Sangamon County Democratic Party and the first African American to be elected to the executive board of the Illinois County Chairmens Association. She is a member of Grace United Methodist Church and worships regularly at Greater All Nations Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. She is a past member of the Springfield/Sangamon County Health Initiative Board of Directors, Springfield/Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, and Voices for Illinois Children Springfield Leadership Team. She is a current member of the Memorial Medical Center Parent University Newsletter Editorial Board, Springfield/Sangamon County Minority Health Coalition, Lincoln Land Community College Eastside Advisory Board, Springfield Chamber of Commerce Q5 Initiative Diversity Council and a founding board member of the Southern Illinois University Federally Qualified Health Center. A lifelong resident of Springfield, she and her husband, Cecil, have three children and nine grandchildren. Ukraines developing telecom market has attracted international investors in recent years. One of the major players, Russias MTS, in mid-2020 sold its interest in Vodafone Ukraine to Azerbaijani investors. The market has continued to face considerable difficulties resulting from the annexation of Crimea by Russia, as well as from unrest in eastern regions. The Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed to a faltering economy, with GDP expected to have fallen 7.7% in 2020. This has put pressure on telcos revenue. The sizeable broadband market enjoys effective cross-platform competition. DSL remains an important platform though it has been eclipsed by fibre following efforts by operators to build networks based on FttP. Wireless platforms such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX exist on a smaller scale, and there is ongoing investment aimed at delivering a national wireless network. A number of wireless broadband licensees have also had their concessions extended to 2025, which will provide greater certainty in investment decisions. The competitive mobile market is dominated by the three network operators Vodafone Ukraine (sold by MTS in late 2019), Kyivstar (owned by VEON) and Lifecell (owned by Turkcell). These dominant providers have effectively stymied the development of the MVNO sector by promoting their own low-cost subsidiaries. As a result, the MVNO market remains underdeveloped and few operators have been licensed thus far. Nevertheless, in coming years a gap in the low-cost segment may provide the opportunity for MVNOs to thrive. Mobile broadband services present a significant growth opportunity. Significant investment has been made in extending LTE infrastructure. Spectrum in the 900MHz band was refarmed for LTE services, and new licences were issued to the MNOs in mid-2020. The MNOs have also more recently concentrated on 5G, supported by the regulator which has drawn up a plan to develop 5G based on new spectrum releases in 2021. This report provides an overview of Ukraines telecom market, including profiles of the major operators, a review of telecom network infrastructure, regulatory measures, and emerging network developments. The report also reviews the mobile market, offering a range of statistics as well as assessments on the key players and technology deployments. In addition, the report covers the fixed-and fixed-wireless broadband segments, including subscriber forecasts. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key developments: Vodafone Ukraine further develops NB-IoT capabilities; MTS Group completes sale of Vodafone Ukraine to Bakcell; Legal amendments to Telecoms Law widen regulators powers; Fixed-line and mobile providers team up to offer bundled services; Ukrtelecom extends fibre-based services to additional communities; Aero extends WiMAX licence to 2025; Report update includes the regulator market data, State Statistics data to June 2020, telcos operating and financial data to Q3 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Get a Full Copy of this Report Developing Telecoms market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the worlds largest continually updated online telecommunications research service. The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report: Report title: Ukraine - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses Edition: December 2020 Analyst: Henry Lancaster Number of pages: 165 Companies mentioned in this report: Ukrtelecom, Kyivstar (Beeline), Datagroup, Eurotranstelecom, Vega, Velton Telecom, Intertelecom, ITC, Telesystems, Golden Telecom, PAN Wireless, Volia Cable, Ukrainian Radio Systems, Lifecell (Astelit), Vodafone Ukraine (MTS, Bakcell) Single User PDF Licence Price: US$1150 For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Ukraine-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?r=83 (Alliance News) -A boohoo Group PLC on Monday said it has agreed to buy the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands out of administration for GBP25.2 million. The AIM-listed online-only fashion retailer will be buying the e-commerce and digital assets and associated intellectual property rights, including customer data, related business information and inventory of the Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands. The deal does not include any stores. The brands are part of Philip Green's Arcadia Group Ltd, which went under back in November, putting 13,000 jobs at risk. Arcadia's crown jewel, Topshop, was snapped up along with Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT by ASOS last week. boohoo said the deal should strengthen its menswear proposition, with Burton an "established brand". "We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the assets associated with the online businesses of the three established brands Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis. Acquiring these well-known brands in British fashion out of administration ensures their heritage is sustained, while our investment aims to transform them into brands that are fit for the current market environment," said boohoo Chief Executive John Lyttle. The UK high street continues to suffer from restrictions to control Covid-19. Like Arcadia, department store chain Debenhams also sunk into administration. boohoo in January announced a deal for all of the intellectual property assets of Debenhams Retail for GBP55 million in cash. Shares in boohoo were down 4.0% at 350.30 pence in London on Monday. By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 16:16:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Party members at a village of Xibaipo, an old revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Hebei Province, to unite and work hard with the local people for a better life. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when writing back on Sunday to the CPC members of Beizhuang Village in Xibaipo Township, Pingshan County. It was in this village where the revolutionary song "Unity is Strength" was first sung 78 years ago, before spreading to the rest of the country, Xi noted. He said he was pleased that the Party members have led villagers there to pass down the revolutionary spirit, unite as one and work hard, and shake off poverty. "Unity is strength, which is as strong as iron and steel," Xi said. The history of the CPC, over the past hundred years, has seen the Party uniting and leading the people to strive for a better life, of which Xibaipo-based cadres and people have a deeper understanding, Xi said. Xi expressed hope that Party members there could better unite local people on the journey to fully building a modern socialist China. In June 1943, the opera "Unity is Strength" and the eponymous song were created and premiered at Beizhuang Village. Party members there recently wrote to Xi, briefing him on the achievements local people, inspired by the song, had made in poverty reduction and expressing their determination to lead their fellow residents toward rural vitalization and a better life. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, West Bengals GSDP will grow by 1.2 per cent in 2020-21, said state finance and industry minister, Mitra said that according to the latest data available on advance estimate, will not only not shrink, but will grow by at least 1.2 per cent. It may be even higher than that, he added, while drawing a contrast with the Indian economy, which is projected to contract by 7.7 per cent. Mitra addressed the Bengal Business Conclave & Synergy - a conclave organized by different departments of the state government and supported by Ficci - virtually. The conclave focused on five districts - Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata. ALSO READ: Govt set to divest stake in defence PSUs Garden Reach, Mishra Dhatu A major part of West Bengals growth comes from the MSME sector; there are about nine million units in the state. Mitra said that till end-December, banks had lent about Rs 50,000 crore to the MSMEs. By the end of March, there are chances that it will go up to Rs 70,000-75,000 crore, he added. Before the pandemic, the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) had set a disbursement target of Rs 90,000 crore for the fiscal. Apart from facilitating bank lending, the state government was also looking to simplify procedure to allot land in the industrial parks operated by three government agencies. These agencies offered land on different terms and separate names industrial parks, industrial estates and growth centres to MSMEs as well as large industries. The state has now decided that terms of conditions of offering land, lease terms, transfer rate, etc. would be standardized and put up on the website. New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary Giridhar Aramane says that the new scrapping policy has been brought in keeping in view the interests of vehicle owners, not the automobile industry. "The scrapping policy will not just reduce the economic loss of vehicle owners but also protect their lives. Road accidents will also be reduced. In the next few weeks, a notification for screening of vehicles that are 15 and 20 years old will be issued. While commercial vehicles will be declared junk after 15 years, the term for private vehicles is 20 years," said Aramane. He, however, asserted that the scraping policy is not mandatory but voluntary. People will be motivated to follow the directive. What was the need to bring in a new scrapping policy? Will it benefit the automobile industry? In response to this question, the 1988 batch senior IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre put forward three major reasons. "We have not thought about the benefits to the automobile industry from the scrapping policy. Our focus is on benefits to vehicle owners. According to one estimate, a person who runs an old car loses between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 every year. The loss to a truck owner is between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The scrapping policy will reduce this economic loss. At present, 50-60 lakh old vehicles are registered in the country. Some of these have already been scrapped. As part of the policy just 15 to 20 lakh new vehicles will be sold in the next four years. I do not see it as a big advantage to the automobile industry." Citing safety as the second major reason behind bringing in a new policy, Aramane said the rate of accidents and deaths from new vehicles is much lower than older vehicles. "In fact, 15 to 20 year old vehicles do not have seat belts and airbags. So, travel in such vehicles can be fatal. New vehicles adhere to far higher safety standards. The rate of head injuries is also lower in accidents caused by new vehicles. Thus, the aim is to motivate people to acquire new vehicles by scrapping vehicles that are 15 years to 20 years old. We are motivating the states to impose green tax on old vehicles," he further said. Aramane, who assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in May 2020, referred to environmental pollution in major cities of the country as the third reason behind bringing in the policy. "There is more pollution in cities such as Delhi, Kanpur and Mumbai. Old vehicles spread more pollution. The elimination of old vehicles will improve the air in India's cities. Automated fitness centres will be opened across the country where the fitness test of vehicles that are 15 to 20 years old will be mandatory. Such centres will be operated by private parties. However, the government will monitor these centres," he told IANS. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will put in place technology and infrastructure to ensure that even if you do not have the money, you'll be able to pass through the highway toll plaza and the money will be deducted from your account. "We are now discussing this scheme with the law ministry. The scheme may be implemented on the ground in the next six to seven months. If you cannot pay toll and don't have the money, you can give it later. We are going to create such a system." Aramane said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will also launch a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims soon. "States are being motivated to levy green tax on old vehicles. The vehicle scrapping policy will have an investment of about 10,000 crore rupees and about 35,000 people will get jobs. The increase in funds for the Ministry in the Budget will facilitate timely completion of the projects. It will also give an edge to the economy," he added. Derry is to get its first 'cloth nappy library'. The Zero Waste North West group has received funding from the National Lottery Awards for All fund to establish the library for the Derry and Strabane District Council area. The local group said that nappy libraries are increasingly popular across these islands, with proven success in supporting communities to take crucial steps towards waste reduction. Designed to promote the use of cloth nappies, they work to educate communities about the significant financial and environmental benefits of transitioning away from using disposable nappies. Every person who makes this switch can make savings of over 300 per year and prevent approximately 365 to 1095 disposable nappies from going to landfill annually. Over the past two years ZWNW parenting meet-ups have brought together people from different communities, providing information about and supporting the transition to reusable nappies. The nappy library will continue this work, employing a project worker to support communities in making positive changes. Marian Farrell, chair of Zero Waste North West, said: "With a lifespan of 500 years, disposable nappies are among the biggest contributors to waste. "By encouraging a widespread move to cloth nappies, this project will positively impact our shared environment. "The initial cost and transition to cloth nappies can seem daunting but this project will provide advice and support to promote the practise of Re-Use with the library of nappy products." TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tequity, an M&A advisory firm with an exclusive focus on global enterprise cloud, software, and digital transformation companies, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to The Crevalle Group, a Salesforce partner headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, in their acquisition by K2 Partnering Solutions, the global leader in consultative technology solutions. This strategic acquisition, which was completed on December 31, 2020, will expand K2's existing footprint within the Salesforce ecosystem in North America. This marks Tequity's 11th successful Salesforce cloud ecosystem transaction. Will Drescher, President of The Crevalle Group, said "The team and I are excited to join forces with K2 as we both strive to provide the highest level of service along with the best Salesforce talent." On his experience working with Tequity, he added "The Crevalle Group, as a leading supplier of Salesforce talent, selected Tequity to assist in finding an acquisition partner as Tequity knows the Salesforce ecosystem extremely well." Alex MacKay, Managing Partner at Tequity shared "We have invested extensively into the SFDC consulting partner and AppExchange ecosystems. The current valuation and key metrics knowledge that we have are street smart, based on our experience gained on multiple transactions working firsthand with buyers and sellers. Tequity also understands the most in-demand (highly valued) cloud solutions. All of this means we know how to match SFDC sellers with the best suited buyers." The Crevalle Group provides services in the United States and Canada that include Salesforce staff augmentation, managed services/enhancements/support, training, and contract & permanent staffing. K2 Partnering Solutions are headquartered in London, UK, with offices around the globe. The company's unparalleled understanding of the technology landscape and industry verticals means we provide unique consultative solutions in the Enterprise Cloud and on Premise, Predictive Analytics & Big Data, Social & Enterprise Mobility, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics markets. Commenting on the acquisition, Lori Larson, K2's President of the America's, said "I am thrilled that Will Drescher and team are joining K2. They will play a key role in our continued Cloud Market position and expansion. The combination of K2 and Crevalle provides a powerful solution to our valued consultants and clients." About The Crevalle Group The Crevalle Group is a Salesforce consulting and staffing firm that places Salesforce.com consultants throughout the United States and Canada. As a Salesforce.com Certified Silver Partner, The Crevalle Group helps with projects, support/enhancements, staff augmentation and contract and permanent staffing. Our team has over 100 years of combined staffing experience. www.thecrevallegroup.com About K2 Partnering Solutions K2 Partnering Solutions is the leading global technology solutions firm known for their consultative approach to business. The firm has over 3,000 highly skilled team members across locations globally, with expertise across all major cloud solutions including Salesforce.com, SAP, Oracle, ServiceNow, Workday and more, as well as cyber security, social and enterprise mobility, predictive analytics and big data, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. https://k2partnering.com About Tequity Tequity assists Executives and Shareholders of Enterprise B2B Cloud, SaaS, and IT companies with business growth and exit strategies. Our mission is simple: Achieve the best outcome for our clients. With decades of combined experience as executives, consultants, and owners of software and technology companies, we leverage our deep industry knowledge across tech ecosystems and our relationships with strategic, tech-focused buyers around the globe to drive successful M&A transactions. The right buyer, the best transaction. www.tequityadvisors.com Contact: Diane Horton, CBI, CM&AA Managing Partner Tequity Advisors 416.483.9400 [email protected] SOURCE Tequity Advisors The coroners office identified the woman as Kerry Tucker, of the 800 block of Fayette Street, in a release later that night. On Monday, the coroners office said the male was identified as Kenneth Crawley, also of the 800 block of Fayette Street. 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. School Principal Works Night Shifts at Walmart for Students in Need, Gifted $50,000 A South Carolina school principal has made headlines for moonlighting as a shelf stacker at Walmart to help support his students, 90 percent of whom live below the poverty line. The principal initially told no one that he had taken a second job. Henry Darby, the principal of North Charleston High School, who works three night shifts a week, firmly believes he hasnt done anything to warrant the accolade. For him, his students needs is all the motivation he needs to keep going. These students, they are the best of the best, Darby told Today. We love them dearly. Henry Darby, the principal of North Charleston High School. (Courtesy of Charleston County School District) Initially, Darby opted not to tell his Walmart manager, Cynthia Solomon, about his daytime career as a school principal, reported Today. Solomon said, Even before we knew, there was something special about him. Darby said he gets a little emotional thinking that some children are sleeping under a bridge, or a former student and her child, theyre sleeping in a car. He said in some instances when they visit students homes, they come across some real-life problems. [Y]ou knock on the door, there are no curtains and you see a mattress on the floor I wasnt gonna say no, he told Today. And at my age, you know, we dont ask for money. We just dont, he continued. You just go ahead and do what you need to do, he added. North Charleston High School students cheering on their principal, Henry Darby. (Courtesy of Charleston County School District) The hardworking principal was beloved by the student body even before his secret second job made headlines. One student told Today: Hes there when you least expect it but when you need him the most. Hes ready to help anybody, said another. Darby, who learned how to give back to the community from his mother, has a simple message: Just learn to help others. That is one of the greatest things that we could do in terms of human beings. On Jan. 29, in honor of this philosophy, Solomon presented the principal with a surprise check for $50,000 in front of cheering students, on behalf of Walmart, reported Today. He said that the donation would go a very, very long way for the kids and their families. In addition to Walmarts donation, a full-time student at the College of Charleston, George Kinzler, started an independent GoFundMe campaign in the hopes that the local community would support Darbys crusade. At the time of writing, the fund has raised almost $23,000. I am an optimist. But Im also a determinist, Darby told Today. I know that its going to get better. I know that my students will not always be in poverty, he said. I know that because thats what we are. America makes it better for everybody. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter here:TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter UNICEF will deliver 118,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine to Ukraine in February as part of the COVAX Facility. Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine Lotta Sylwander said this during the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" in Kyiv on February 8, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We - UNICEF - will be purchasing Pfizer vaccine through the COVAX Facility. Some 118,000 doses will arrive in Ukraine this month. They will be primarily intended for doctors, she said. At the same time, she noted that the reason for the delay in the start of vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine is "competition in the global market for access to vaccines." As reported, three COVID-19 vaccines have been certified in the EU, namely Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said earlier that Ukraine expects to receive 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine within the framework of the COVAX Facility, in particular 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and from 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine during the first and second quarters. The Ministry of Health plans to start a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in February 2021. The ministry plans to vaccinate 50% of the population of Ukraine in 2021-2022. As of February 8, Ukraine reported 1,246,990 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,141 new cases recorded over the past 24 hours. ish Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi should use his new leadership of the African Union to prioritize human rights and accountability across the continent. President Tshisekedi was elected chairperson of the African Union for 2021 during the 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government on February 6-7 2021. Tshisekedi takes over the leadership role amid unprecedented challenges in Africa due to the Covid-19 pandemic, armed insurgencies, inter-communal conflicts, abuses committed by non-state armed groups and state security forces, and election-related violence. The AU is also expected during 2021 to start implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, a flagship project of the AUs Agenda 2063, which aims at boosting intra-African trade by 52 percent, and thus accelerate Africas economic development by 2022. Agenda 2063 is described as Africas strategic framework for achieving its goals on inclusive and sustainable development. Tshisekedi should use his position to reassert the deep connections between development, democracy, and human rights in Africa, said Carine Kaneza Nantulya, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. He should lead the Union to support a rights-driven economic development agenda in 2021. As Africa continues to confront the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects, it is crucial for the Union to prioritize rights-driven Covid-19 strategies by encouraging all member states to guarantee the right to access quality health care and to an adequate standard of living. Impunity for massive human rights violations remains a key challenge on the continent. The AU leadership should make sure that pending African-led justice mechanisms start operating, the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, which has been pending for more than five years. Despite South Sudans recent approval for the establishment of the court in partnership with the AU the option for the AUs unilateral establishment should remain on the table. The AU raised hopes with its unprecedented Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan, and should not allow the interests of victims to be held hostage to further intransigence by the government. The AU leadership should also make sure that the Trust Fund for Victims of Hissene Habres Crimes starts providing compensation to his victims. The AU played a major role in Habres landmark trial, but the victims, who campaigned for justice for 25 years, have now been waiting another 4 years for the Fund to begin its work. In addition, the AU should encourage domestic justice efforts and other systems aimed at addressing accountability for mass atrocities and other serious human rights abuses. These include Guineas long-awaited trial of alleged participants in the 2009 stadium massacre, rapes, and other abuses more than three years after a domestic investigation closed. These and other initiatives such as AU member states speedy ratification of the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the establishment of an Africa led sanctions regime could contribute meaningfully to foster a culture of peace, human rights, and democratization. In 2020, the continent held more than a dozen general elections, many of them marred by violence, restrictions of civic space, unlawful killings, crackdowns on civic protests, and allegations of electoral frauds. Human Rights Watch research in DRC, Cameroon, Guinea, Central African Republic, and Ivory Coast indicates that a culture of impunity for abuses and institutional flaws in the administration of justice have a direct impact on civil and political rights, such as the right to vote and the right to political participation. In December 2020, the AU chair, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, stated that the 2019 AU theme Silence the Guns initiative underscored the importance of protecting rights for women and youth. These rights should remain priorities on the 2021 agenda, just as the AU has extended the Silence the Guns initiative until 2030. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Governance Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. President Tshisekedi assumes his functions at a time when the AU has been criticized for lacking the necessary will to castigate its members for violating their domestic and international human rights obligations and enforce its resolutions. Nevertheless, as chairperson of the AU Assembly, the Unions highest policy and decision-making body, he could improve respect for and protection of human rights in the region, in accordance with the African Charter. African governments can do more to integrate efforts toward economic development with meeting peoples aspirations for justice, freedoms, equality, and dignity, Kaneza-Nantulya said. The African Union should adopt a bolder stance for human rights, including by hinging the implementation of its agenda 2063 on the principles of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. A suspect has been arrested been taken into custody following a massive fire that destroyed all but the rock outer walls of an 111-year-old Texas courthouse, an official says. The fire at the Mason County Courthouse in Mason, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Austin, started at night on Jan. 4. No one was in the building. Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden said the flames could be seen from miles away. Right now, its just a shell, he told television station KXAN. It just breaks your heart to look at it. He told The Associated Press that fire investigators suspect arson in both the courthouse fire and another blaze around the same time at a house about a mile away. The Texas State Fire Marshals Office said in a statement that it has joined law enforcement agencies investigating the fire, but a spokesperson would offer no details on the investigation. The county sheriff has not returned a message from the AP. The courthouse, made from local sandstone, was being prepared for renovations, so all of the county records had been moved out, Bearden said. He said only some furnishings were in the building. He said the firefighters did their best but there wasnt anything they could really do to hold the flames down. Bearden said the courthouses bell tower, which featured a clock, was destroyed. Its just a terrible tragedy for the people here in the county, Bearden said. This is the focal point in our community, our county. Bearden said officials will have an engineer check the outer walls in hopes of eventually rebuilding the grand old lady. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Arson Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Q: I bought my home in 1997, and the title to the home described me as an unmarried person. I have since married, and I would like to change the ownership so that the home is owned jointly with my husband. How do I get that done? A: You can give an undivided one-half interest in the home to your husband by signing a gift deed. That deed would need to be recorded in the county deed records. Each of you would then own half of the home as your separate property. In another document, the two of you could then change the ownership so that the home is owned as community property. This form is called an Agreement to Convert Separate Property to Community Property. On HoustonChronicle.com: More columns from Ronald Lipman You should hire an attorney to prepare the deed and agreement for you. It is very important for you to understand that as the sole owner of the home, you would never lose it in a divorce. The home would not be awarded to your husband because it is your separate property. However, if you give him half of the home, he would likely be awarded half of it should your marriage end in divorce. Plus, as the owner of half, he could give his interest in the home to someone other than you upon his death. You would still have the right to live there for as long as you want, but you would have one or more co-owners looking over your shoulder, presumably wishing for the day when you finally move out or die. You would also only be able to leave half of the house to the persons of your choosing. Q: In October 2019, my late wife had emergency surgery to repair her hip. Medicare Advantage paid for everything. However, the doctor who interpreted the x-ray filed the insurance claim incorrectly. Eventually the $1,350 bill was turned over to a collection service. I have responded in writing to the collection service, stating my position. We signed forms at the time of my wifes admission to the hospital that we would guarantee charges that were not covered by insurance. That is fine. But should we also be held accountable for the mistakes of others? A: Just about everyone who has health insurance has probably faced a similar problem where they are billed for something that arguably (or definitely) should have been covered by insurance. The answer to your question is that you should not have to pay the bill. But it is probably going to take a lot of phone calls and emails until you are finally able to resolve the matter. The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not legal advice. Readers with legal problems, including those whose questions are addressed here, should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances. Ronald Lipman of the Houston law firm Lipman & Associates is board-certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Email questions to stateyourcase@lipmanpc.com In February 2017, Kim Jong Nam, the brother of Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was publicly assassinated by two young women, 25-year-old masseuse Siti Aisyah and 28-year-old waitress Doan Thi Huong. They were only dreaming of a show business future. Aisyah and Huong watch their hands glistening with the VX nerve agent they were smearing right at the eyes and to the face of Kim Jong Nam, the brother of Kim Jong Un, the two women thought it was all a joke to be filmed for a show. But both were mistaken for some oil with the liquid VX, which can be lethal at any dosage. The surveillance cameras captured the shirt Huong was wearing just for the occasion: it announced "LOL." in broad black letters. Both women washed their hands before leaving the airport and were arrested within days, mainly because their attorneys said they were just tricked, setting off years of legal proceedings and international media coverage. READ: Biden Announces US Will No Longer Be Involved in the Saudi-Yemen Conflict, To Pull Out US Support Investigators, however, were unswayed by the alibi. They accused Aisyah and Huong of murder. Each will be put to death if convicted. In the previous attack, eight North Koreans were also suspected, but only one was jailed temporarily. Before the investigation had begun, four of them had already returned home. Kim Jong Nam, who sent a letter to his brother Kim Jong Un 5 years ago at that time demanding mercy, pleading that his family had "nowhere to hide," had died while going to the hospital after the poison had drained his heart and lung muscles. In his final minutes, he was quoted as telling officials he had been sprayed with a substance. "Very painful," he said. "Very painful." ALSO READ: Biden Does Not Want Trump To Receive Intelligence Briefings, Claims He Might 'Slip and Say Something' Kim Jong Un and his brother's assassins story in the documentary A documentary about the tricky assassination was made, and is available if requested, is entirely focused on the interviews with Aisyah and Huong and their families. Lawyers and outside experts, and surveillance footage of the killing, most shocking and most personal, messages and social media posts from the two women, are also shown in the documentary. In summary, Assassins' offers perhaps the most full picture of Kim's death, the powers that set it in motion, and the two women who were left to face the justice system while the other killers fled, not aware of what they had done. After the two women were arrested and put on trial, the headlines record what happened next: Aisyah was released late in her case, her charge dropped from her home country of Indonesia under diplomatic pressure; Huong, of Vietnam, pleaded with a lesser crime of causing damage with a dangerous weapon and has since been released from jail. "This is a very absurdist, surreal story," documentaries Ryan White tells PEOPLE. "But at the center of it, it's sort of a cautionary tale of the dangers of social media, the internet, how people leverage those when they're seeking fame or a better life or a better paycheck. That story is universal. While Doan and Siti probably ended up in the most dangerous of situations, where that can go wrong, the world that they were ensnared in is happening all over the place for young people." he added. The movie has the structure of a spy thriller but a heart that beats. "The main thrust of the film is humanizing them," White says. "That's sort of the magic of documentary filmmaking, is that it allows you the time to really explore those types of things." Yes, it's outlandish about assassins, but so are the activities which it carefully tracks. Indeed, as the film makes clear, before their final work, the women believed they had been recruited for real videos and engaged in several real online pranks with their handlers. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mastercard executive chair Ann Cairns. Photo: PA Mastercard (MA) is becoming the cornerstone investor in a new $100m (73m) fund targeting female-led businesses. Mastercard said on Monday it would be the lead investor in a new female-focused venture capital fund set up by Astia, a Silicon Valley-based non-profit. Astia works to address funding disparities in for high-growth startups led by women. The firm has its own proprietary system for eliminating bias in investment decisions. Weve realised for quite a while that women founded companies are really underfunded, Ann Cairns, executive vice chair of Mastercard, told Yahoo Finance UK. Theyre struggling all over the world. WATCH: #ChamberBreakers: Mastercards executive vice-chair on educating and tackling tech bias Globally, just 2% of venture capital funding went to female-led businesses last year, according to Astia. Just 9% went to businesses with female representation in among leadership. There is a great deal of talk about inclusion and women within venture capital, but VCs need to do what they do best invest, Astia chief executive Sharon Vosmek said in a statement. Cairns said she met Vosmek several years ago and was so impressed by her company and their ethos. Since then weve been talking about can we work together and can we come up with something that Mastercard feels comfortable investing in, she said. Hence this fund. READ MORE: Mastercard's vice-chair Ann Cairns on her extraordinary rise to success Cairns declined to say how much Mastercard would be investing but indicated it would be significant. Other investors include former Goldman Sachs Asset Management chair Jim ONeill and California-based B-corp Portola Creek Capital. Astia hopes to finalised the fund by the second quarter of this year. Its not philanthropy, its just good business, Cairns said. Absolutely theres a financial motive. We know that were wasting trillions by having women not contribute to the world economy. From a Mastercard point of view, we recognise that women are incredibly important to our business because 85% of the day-to-day buying decisions are made by women. Story continues This is saying: look, we actually believe that women-led businesses are good investments and actually theyre performing very well during the COVID situation. Cairns said the fund was part of a range of initiatives Mastercard is running to help female founders. Others include a global women entrepreneurs index and efforts to connect 25m female-led small businesses to the global financial system in the next five years. WATCH: From oil rig to boardroom: How Mastercards Ann Cairns blazed a trail Aimee Lou Wood has revealed that she had a 'vulnerability hangover' after filming scenes where she pleasures herself for Sex Education. The actress, 26, who plays Aimee Gibbs in the hit Netflix series, admitted she worried about about how she looked during the shoot a short time after wrapping. Speaking on the Make It Reign podcast, Aimee added that the show's intimacy co-ordinator had warned her about the feeling and checked in with her days later. Candid: Aimee Lou Wood has revealed that she had a 'vulnerability hangover' after filming scenes where she pleasures herself for Sex Education (pictured in January 2020) According to The Sun, Aimee said: 'The intimacy co-ordinator said sometimes you'll feel pretty exhilarated after you've just done the sex scene, then a day or two later you get a bit of a vulnerability hangover and you're like, "S**t!" 'So she checks in on us a day or two after we've filmed it to see how we're feeling. With the scene, I was so supported on set. But a couple of days later I was like, "Oh, my god!" Detailing her thoughts, Aimee said: 'So many worries were ignited. I had a major vulnerability hangover. I was like, "I look hideous, my a*** in the air, so unflattering".' However she added that now she's pleased nothing was airbrushed, adding: 'Now I look back at that and think, "wow, great!".' Racy content: The actress, 26, plays teenager Aimee Gibbs in the Netflix hit which also stars Emma Mackey as Mauve Wiley (pictured together) Intimacy co-ordinators help actors and directors plan out their sex scenes, with Netflix also using the role in steamy hit Bridgerton. Sex Education left fans on a cliffhanger at the end of season two, with several potential storylines set up and an unexpected pregnancy. And lovers of the series hopefully won't have too long to wait to find out what happens next, after the cast confirmed filming had begun last September. Aimee previously spoke to Digital Spy about her hopes of the show making it to screens early in 2021 as she said: 'It looks like it's on track.' Honest content: Aimee detailed how the show's intimacy co-ordinator contacts the stars a few days after shooting their sex scenes to see how they're doing (pictured with Connor Swindells as Adam Groff) And after having already read a script for the first episode of season three, she teased that it's 'really, really good'. She went on: 'I'm desperate to see more. I'm so desperate, especially because I feel like the last season left us all in such interesting positions. But where the characters could go now is kind of limitless.' Meanwhile, Emma Mackey, who plays Maeve Wiley, gave a few hints about what we can expect from the upcoming series. Speaking to PORTER, the star admitted the set has become 'very regimented', with Covid testing being carried out twice a week to ensure the cast and crew's safety. Sweet: Aimee and her co-star Connor, who plays Adam, started dating after meeting on set (pictured together in January 2020) However she said sex scenes will still be included: 'We're all still, like, hugging and making out and doing intimate scenes.' In September, Netflix shared a snap of a doodle-covered script on Instagram, while the show's account posted a video of the cast getting prepared to leave lockdown and head back on set. Jean, played by Gillian Anderson, could be seen struggling with her technology as she prepared to film her preparation to head back to work. While other cast members including Asa, Chris Jenks, Connor Swindells, Jojo Macari hilariously got ready to reprise their roles. Chinenye Edeudu, Tanya Reynolds, Chaneil Kular and Alistair Petrie also featured in the clip. Nigerians on social media have planned another protest to express their displeasure over the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel to allow Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki tollgate. The panel of enquiry set up to look at the Lekki shooting incident on Saturday approved the reopening of the tollgate, amidst protests, following a prayer by LCC counsel that its order will allow the company to repair all damages done. The tollgate has not been operational since October 20 when armed soldiers opened fire at peaceful protesters gathered at the toll plaza. While five members the nine-man panel led by Doris Okuwobi voted in support of the reopening of the tollgate, four persons rejected. The dissent notwithstanding, the panel returned the control of the tollgate to LCC. The dissenters, among other complaints, said the report of the forensic examination on the incident that took play is yet to be disclosed. Following this decision, some Nigerians have planned a protest at the tollgate. The protest is fixed for Saturday, February 13, 2021, from 7 a.m. Some Nigerian activists, including former presidential candidate and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, have tweeted their support for the planned protest. See tweets below: OCCUPY LAGOS LEKKI TOLL-GATE! Saturday: 13th Feb, 7AM. "If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government" Emiliano Zapata.#RevolutionNow #EndSARS #OccupyLekkiTollGate Ayemojubar (@ayemojubar) February 8, 2021 Lagos State government, Lekki Concession Company and some members of the Lagos State Judicial Panel members inspired the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest planned for 7am on Saturday, February 13. 'Gbenga Sesan (@gbengasesan) February 8, 2021 https://twitter.com/iSlimfit/status/1358732168252506112?s=19 ADVERTISEMENT The Dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them. #OccupyLekkiTollGate Adeyemo Ridwan (@son_of_ot) February 8, 2021 This Saturday. Let's be ready for violence cos they'd bring it#OccupyLekkiTollGate pic.twitter.com/f9BO7TKOPu TimoSneh (@TimoNotWerner) February 8, 2021 The panel was a faux from the onset! You cant piss on the faces of citizens and tell us its raining #OccupyLekkiTollGate pic.twitter.com/fWqUyOImmQ (@mafeemusic) February 8, 2021 #OccupyLekkiTollGate You cant open a toll gate where victims of state sanctioned murder are yet to get justice. No Justice, No Re-Opening. pic.twitter.com/P7z5Cr3HCN Concerned Nigerians (@ConcernedNIG) February 8, 2021 https://twitter.com/Kaylechi_/status/1358739010093465601?s=19 What we have learned from the Judicial panels , #EndSARS , and #LekkiMassacre ; 1. Never negotiate with this govt. 2. When you go out on the streets, stay on the streets until your demands are met. 3. Prepare for violence, they always bring it. We should #OccupyLekkiTollGate Somto Onuchukwu (@chosensomto) February 8, 2021 https://twitter.com/Deji_Obadofin/status/1358732216323485712?s=19 https://twitter.com/osxtus626/status/1358730622769000448?s=19 https://twitter.com/iamProficience/status/1358536047479697411?s=19 A video tape of the Campaign Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in last years elections, Peter Mac Manu, in which he was explaining to journalists how the NPP collated its figures, was played in the Supreme Court on Monday, February 8. The tape was played as part of the ongoing hearing of the election petition. Mr Mac Manu is heard saying: They left because I remember former Ghanas Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sylvanus Tamakloe came looking for them but specifically he was looking for Rojo. So, he stood there and I told him that they just went out, I think they will come because their laptops are here. So he too was hanging around aaa, later I saw him. I said they will come, try and call him. So I just went out and came back. He was still standing, when I came they were not there. But we were waiting for Savelugu and I think certification of Bono East. Later Bono East came for all candidates but NDC were not there. The court resumed hearing of the case on Monday. The third witness of the petitioner, Mr Rojo-Mettle has started his cross-examination. At the last hearing on Friday, February 5, the Supreme Court struck out five paragraphs of his witness statement. The paragraphs that have been struck out are 4, 5, 6, 7 and 18. Source: adomonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Bangkok: Myanmars military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis civilian government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Mondays military takeover. He did not say when the election would be held, but repeated claims that last Novembers poll, won by Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD), had been fraudulent. Myanmar nationals living in Thailand hold a picture denouncing Myanmar military Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a protest in front of the United Nations building in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit:AP In the capital Naypyitaw, crowds of protesters chanted anti-coup slogans and told police they should serve the people not the military, according to media and a live feed of events. Police turned water cannon on protesters and warned that they might use live fire if the demonstrators did not disperse, but the protests ended without bloodshed. Anand Mahindra-led Mahindra Group has initiated talks with Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management to sell a majority stake in its clean energy portfolio firm Mahindra Susten in one of the most high-profile deals in the renewable energy segment in recent times, multiples sources with knowledge of the matter told Moneycontrol. If it fructifies, the deal would mark the second acquisition of a solar firm from a domestic conglomerate by Brookfield. Earlier, it had purchased Emami Power from the Kolkata based group, a story first reported by Moneycontrol on June 6, 2020. A term sheet has been signed recently between both the parties and due diligence has begun on the proposed deal, one of the persons cited above said, adding that there is no certainty that the ongoing negotiations will result in an eventual transaction. Rather than asset sales or minority stake deals, Brookfield Asset Management is more comfortable with majority transactions at the hold co level. Discussions are on, a second person told Moneycontrol. Earlier plans of selling around 600 MW of assets of Mahindra Susten to a suitable suitor are not being pursued actively for the time being. However, they may be re-visited later if required. Brookfield has edged ahead in the race for now, a third person told Moneycontrol. According to reports, the likes of NIIF (National Infrastructure Investment Fund), KKR and CPPIB had expressed interest in the assets of Mahindra Susten and these reports had pegged the deal valuation at around $500 million. Mahindra Susten has a good quality, well-built platform and is an attractive target as it possesses all three capabilities i.e assets, EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) and O&M (operations and maintenance), added a fourth person. When it comes to the deal rationale for Brookfield Asset Management, this fourth person told Moneycontrol that the Canadian investment firm has been focussing on the renewable energy segment in other jurisdictions and is keen to add capability in India, develop the Mahindra Susten platform and then take it global. All the four people spoke to Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity. Both Mahindra Susten and Brookfield Asset Management declined to comment in response to an email query from Moneycontrol. THE MAHINDRA STRATEGY In an interview to CNBC TV-18 dated February 8, 2021, Anish Shah, who takes over from Pawan Goenka as the new MD and CEO of the Mahindra Group in April, said that the Mahindra Group would continue looking for partners to invest in the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and IPP (Independent Power Producer) aspects of Mahindra Susten as they require very high investment, but will invest to grow significantly in the solar tech business. The auto to information technology conglomerate is looking to drive EPS (earnings per share) growth, RoE (return on equity) and free cash flows in FY 22 under Shah post an internal rejig exercise involving external businesses and other units. The latest Q3 results presentation of Mahindra & Mahindra classifies Mahindra Susten as a growth gem with focus areas as partnerships for EPC/IPP and scale solar tech. According to the presentation, as part of M&Ms overall capital allocation strategy, it has clubbed portfolio companies into: a) entities with clear path to ROE, b) quantifiable strategic impact, and c) unclear path to profitability; exit. To be sure, Mahindra Susten is not classified currently under the third category. A CLOSER LOOK AT MAHINDRA SUSTEN Incorporated in 2010, Mahindra Susten has a portfolio of 1.5 GW and has four different business verticals. The solar IPP division is involved in strategic investment in solar power production and development of renewable energy assets in India. Through its utility-scale solar business, it undertakes turnkey EPC projects around the globe across the life of the plant, from solar panel installation, sit survey and feasibility report to the lifetime maintenance of the plan. The distributed solar rooftop systems at Mahindra Susten include solutions for all roof types, be it commercial, car port or residential installation of solar panels systems. It has marquee customers like Soft Bank, Engie, First Solar and Renew. BROOKFIELDS RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY Brookfield Asset Management backs one of the worlds largest pure-play renewable power platforms. Its portfolio consists of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and storage assets spread across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The combined portfolio has a size of over 19 GW of installed capacity with an 18 GW development pipeline. As indicated earlier, Brookfield acquired Emami Power last year. The Emami Group had 11 MW of solar power projects in Karnataka, 10 MW at Charanka Solar Park, Gujarat, 3.3 MW of solar power project in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, and a 22.5 MW solar power project in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. Earlier, the Government of India had set a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, which included 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydro-power. Later in September 2019, at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an increase in the renewable energy target to 450 GW by 2030 from 175 GW by 2022. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) Authorities have arrested on Thursday a Chinese national wanted for kidnapping and holding for ransom two persons in November 2018. Ju Wenping was arrested in Pasay City by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Elenita Dimaguila of Branch 117 of the Pasay City regional trial court. He is accused of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention. No bail was recommended. According to the police, the suspect took part in the kidnapping of Wei Ming Sun and Yo Chen at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Nov. 8, 2018. He and the other suspects held the victims for ransom and received the amount of 2 million RMB (around 15M) via four wire transfers. The victims were released on Nov. 13 but prior to boarding a plane bound for China, they created a scene at Terminal 2 which resulted in the arrest of some of the kidnappers. The suspect, however, was able to escape. Ju Wenping is now detained at the Anti-Kidnapping Group lockup jail for interrogation and booking procedure. American carmaker Tesla said on Monday that it had invested around $1.5 billion in bitcoin, an internet-based form of money. The company is expected to begin accepting the digital currency as payment for its cars and other products in the near future. The announcement from one of the best-known American car companies sent the price of bitcoin up more than 10 percent. Tesla chief Elon Musk is a supporter of the digital currency. In recent weeks, Musk used the social media website Twitter to praise bitcoin. Musk said a week ago that bitcoin was on the verge of being more widely accepted by investors. Last December, he asked if it was possible to do large business deals in the currency. Eric Turner is a vice president of market intelligence at the research company Messari. He says more companies will use bitcoin now since Tesla has made the first move. He told Reuters, One of the largest companies in the world now owns Bitcoin and by extension, every investor that owns Tesla (or even just an S&P 500 fund) has exposure to it as well. The value of a Bitcoin has reached record highs in recent months. The currency has also gained support from major financial companies this year. The financial services company Blackrock recently permitted some of its funds to invest in the currency. However, government-run central banks around the world do not support the digital currency. The price of bitcoin has gone up and down wildly since it was created in 2009 by a mysterious developer or group going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. In 2017, for example, the price went from $975 on March 25 to more than $20,000 on December 17. A year later, it was worth less than $4,000. During the pandemic, bitcoin was trading at less than $11,000 in October of 2020. The price increased to more than $40,000 on January 8, 2021 and dropped to $30,000 three days later. Bitcoin was valued at more than $43,000 after Teslas announcement Monday. Tesla said in a document sent to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) early Monday that its $1.5 billion investment in digital currency and other alternative holdings may grow. Neil Wilson is a market expert for Markets.com. He said of Teslas Elon Musk, Hes now putting his money (shareholders) where his mouth is. He warned, But given his recent comments and adding #Bitcoin to his Twitter bio on January 29th it also raises a real question about possible market manipulation. In 2018, Musk was fined $20 million by the SEC for charges of wrongdoing related to his use of social media. Recently, Musk was involved in driving up the share prices of U.S. video game seller GameStop. While more companies have used the technology behind bitcoin, known as blockchain, the actual uses of bitcoin have not changed very much. Some businesses, such as Overstock.com, have accepted payments in bitcoin. Still, its popularity is low compared with normal currencies. Many individuals and businesses will not accept bitcoins for payments. But that could change if others follow Tesla and begin accepting the digital currency. Im Jonathan Evans. Hai Do wrote this report for VOA Learning English with additional reporting from Reuters. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story digital currency n. money that is recorded and held electronically on computers, bitcoin is one example on the verge idiom at the point when something is likely to happen exposure n. (financial) the amount of risk involved in holding a financial position in some investment fund n. (financial) an amount of money and investments from many different people and groups that is managed by financial experts alternative adj. not usual or traditional, outside of the normal manipulation n. to influence or control something in a clever or unfair way We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Mumbai, Feb 8 : Actor Rahul Bhat had to shoot in the nude for the upcoming film titled Man Naked. He says the challenge lay in the fact that the two-hour film was canned as a single shot project. Man Naked revolves around a 40-year-old struggling actor named Ronnie who realises that his career is finished. He gets drunk and passes out naked, only to hear the doorbell ring in the middle of the night. In a bizarre turn of events, his destiny changes as his nude video clips go viral and Ronnie becomes a star. The film is directed by debutant Sanjeev Kaul, who carved his niche in theatre. It is rare for an actor to bare all in Indian films, and the unit had to undergo several mock shoots with real camera and technicians to get it right in a single shot. "The challenge of doing this part was not only that it was a single shot film but also I had to be totally naked in most of it and also I had to remember an entire pros from the 'Soul of Lilith' and perform the monologue in the middle of the single shot in one take," said Rahul. Director Kaul said: "I wanted to portray an actor struggling to crack the formula for success and take his talent to the world. The film follows him over the course of one night in Mumbai and how his life changes after an incident." He added: "The idea of shooting the film entirely in one shot came from the need to be with our protagonist at every step and get intertwined in his environment just as he sees it." The film has been screened at several film festivals. It was a finalist at Tokyo International Film Festival and a semi-finalist at Montreal Film Festival. The film is an official selection at Venice Shorts, Cannes Independent Film Festival, Goa Film Festival and a winner in the categoried of Best Film, Best Actor and Best Director at The Next International film festival. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... NEW YORK As the U.S. economy undergoes an uneven recovery from the virus pandemic, many small business owners face a tough decision on whether and when to take on employees. The pandemic forced Meghan Gardner to let go of 16 staffers at Guardian Adventures, which ran educational summer camps, part of an industry decimated by the virus outbreak. While Gardner got a Paycheck Protection Program loan and ran online camps during the summer, by October she couldnt afford to pay her employees. Gardner would like to build her company back up, but the virus is still raging and the future for childrens group activities is still uncertain. Shes worried about the summer of 2021 being a repeat of 2020. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ So, for the time being, shes working as a consultant and holding off hiring. If I dont have my business up and running and make enough money to pay my employees, Id have to lay them off again, says Gardner, whose company is based in Burlington, Massachusetts. Owners such as Gardner who are rebuilding a business or starting anew after losing their companies are hesitant to make hiring commitments because its unclear not only when the pandemic will end, but whether theyll have enough revenue to justify bringing employees on. For many owners, its a question of how comfortable customers will feel about gathering in places like restaurants, stores and gyms. Retailers dont know yet how much business theyve permanently lost to online competitors. For owners starting over, its too soon to know if their brand-new companies will be successful enough to take on employees. Small businesses accounted for 47% of employment at U.S. companies, according to the most recent business census, in 2017. When payroll company ADP reported the pandemic forced the loss of 19 million jobs at its business customers in April, more than 10 million of those workers, or 52%, were let go by companies with fewer than 500 workers. Since then, small businesses have added about 6.2 million jobs, the most recent ADP data show. A new $284 billion round of PPP funding could give small business hiring a boost, although owners will have more leeway to spend the money on rent, marketing and other expenses than they did in earlier rounds. Through Sunday, the SBA approved more than 891,000 loans in the new round, totaling nearly $73 billion. More than two-thirds of the loans were for $50,000 or less, an indication the smallest businesses were seeking aid. In the first two rounds of funding last year, the government guaranteed 5.2 million loans worth $525 million. Newly sworn in Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testified at her confirmation hearing last month that its critically important to help small businesses with loans including those offered by the PPP. We will do everything we possibly can to get that money out to struggling businesses effectively, she said. When businesses fail that have been the backbones of their communities, thats permanent job loss for workers and a tragedy for the communities. About one in six small businesses have closed their doors since the pandemic began, according to data from UKG, a work scheduling software company. That points to a reduced base of small employers who will be able to rehire when ongoing vaccinations are able to bring the virus under control. And the pandemic has continued to harm many of those small companies that have remained open. In the week ending Jan. 10, 40% of small businesses reported lower revenue compared with the previous week, for the second week in a row, while only 5% reported a gain, according to a Census Bureau weekly survey. Thats forcing some small businesses to cut jobs again. The proportion laying off workers has topped 10% every week since mid-November, the Census found, after it fell below that mark in September. More than 12% of small businesses cut jobs in the week ending Jan. 10. If the years following the Great Recession are an indicator, small businesses will be slow to staff up again once the economy improves. Traditionally, owners hired on expectations of higher revenue. But after the recession, during which an estimated 170,000 to 200,000 companies failed, owners approach was not to hire until revenue justified the additional expense and risk. They found ways to operate their business more efficiently. Many owners also turned to independent contractors, or freelancers, to do work that employees did in the past. Hiring these workers rather than employees saved money owners didnt have to pay employment taxes or provide benefits for them. This strategy meant owners had more flexibility; they could hire workers who had specific skills for short-term projects. Lakesha Coles hires for her new publicity business have been independent contractors. She needed help quickly and its too risky to hire full-time employees for a company that just launched. Cole founded her business, she PR, after being forced to close gift shops in Portsmouth, Virginia, and Jacksonville, North Carolina, last year; revenue at both locations plunged as customers avoided in-person shopping, and Cole had to lay off three employees. Coles new Tampa, Florida-based company is doing well, and she does hope to hire at least two full-time staffers later this year. But first, she says, she needs to be sure her revenue stream is steady. I want to make sure I generate enough income so I can hire people and keep them. Even business owners who are hiring, such as restaurants looking forward to reopening when its safe to have indoor dining, are cautious. Bret Csencsitz hopes to reopen the Gotham Bar & Grill by the summer if government regulations permit, but he expects to have just 35 staffers instead of the 100 the Manhattan restaurant had before it closed in March. We simply dont understand what the marketplace is going to look like, says Csencsitz, the restaurants managing partner. But as diners return, he hopes to bring on more employees. While owners like Csenscitz will have more certainty as the pandemic recedes, others have financial issues that may derail hopes for hiring. Gardner expects to have to repay part of her PPP loan, which complicates the financial picture. My gut tells me that I will not have the company I had anymore, she says. 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. Unlike most ads that got airtime during the Super Bowl LV , Jeeps 2-minute-long film wasnt about showcasing new models , new technology, or announcing strategies for the coming years. Instead, it focused on the need for the United States to find common ground after a long period of turmoil and tension.Called The Middle, the ad features a spoken poem by Bruce Springsteen, while footage shows The Boss himself traveling to the literal middle of the United States, visiting a church in Lebanon, Kansas. The shot took place in January over the course of five days and represented a very close collaboration with the artist.The Middle is a celebration of the Jeep brands 80-year anniversary and, more timely, it is a call to all Americans to come together and seek common ground as we look collectively to the road ahead, Olivier Francois, global chief marketing officer of Jeep owner Stellantis, says in a statement.As Springsteen talks about the need to find the middle way so as to overcome whatever obstacles might come in the way of Americans, images show him doing a variety of activities: writing in a notebook, rubbing dirt on his hands, drinking hot coffee, lighting a candle, putting on a hat, and opening a door. Ambient music plays throughout, which Springsteen also wrote and recorded.Since this is a Jeep commercial, two vehicles do make a cameo. Theres a 1980 Jeep CJ-5 that serves as the hero vehicle and an even older, 1965 Willys Jeep CJ-5 that doubles as extra and appears in the background. Springsteen gives off a strong cowboy vibe, which would be in keeping with the message that hes traveled some way to get to the middle of the country. His horses are now all under the Jeep hood, of course.Not surprisingly, the ad did not fail to generate divisive reactions. While some point to the irony of Springsteens call for unity when hed been doing the opposite of that for the past four years, others note that Jeeps map of the ReUnited States appears to be missing a chunk of Michigan.But Jeeps heart was in the right place, for what its worth. A climber from Northern Ireland has described the moment he was forced to abandon a winter summit attempt on the worlds second-highest mountain. Three others are still missing, presumed dead, from the same expedition on K2 in Pakistan. A number fell to their deaths and 10 members of the expedition were removed by helicopter with sickness or frost injuries. K2 NEWS: Alas,A Noel Hanna from Co. Down had to abandon his summit push on K2 today along with the rest of the Seven Summit Treks team in extremely cold conditions. So close to the first ever winter ascent of an 8000m peak by a climber from the island of Ireland. An amazing effort pic.twitter.com/pTW6ISHtjj Paul Devaney (@Irish7Summits) February 5, 2021 Noel Hanna from Dromara in Co Down had been hoping to become the first person from Northern Ireland or the Republic to climb the peak in winter. He told the BBCs Good Morning Ulster programme: I thought, it is not for me, my life does not mean that much to get to the summit of K2 and we turned around and got back to high camp. He was at around 8,000 metres altitude and the temperature was minus 60 or minus 65, with eight or 10 hours of climbing still to go. He was forced to retreat due to the weather conditions. On Monday morning, he was on a 100km trek out of base camp and among only five walking out. Seven weeks ago, on the way in, there were 19 or 20. Mr Hanna said: Those are the dangers that you take when you go on the mountain, that is what you have to think of everybody going in is not going to come back out. A lot of it is making your own choices of when to turn around and when not to keep going. His wife Lynne said she was relieved. I always knew in the back of my mind with Noel that he has the experience to understand those limitations and the limitations of others around him, she said. I was very relieved to hear from him. He made the right decision. Liz Truss , Secretary of State for International Trade and a delegation have visited the Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday and Adar Poonawalla , chief executive officer (CEO) of SII. We have discussed on enhancing the relationship of India and UK further, in terms manufacturing and innovation in the healthcare space, Adar Poonawalla said in a tweet. "It was an honour to have the Secretary of State for International Trade, UK, @trussliz and a delegation visit our headquarters @SerumInstIndia. We discussed how to further enhance the existing relationship between India & UK on manufacturing & innovation in the healthcare space," the CEO of Serum said in the tweet. It was an honour to have the Secretary of State for International Trade, UK, @trussliz and a delegation visit our headquarters @SerumInstIndia. We discussed how to further enhance the existing relationship between India & UK on manufacturing & innovation in the healthcare space. pic.twitter.com/IY1mPJaoeO Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 8, 2021 Earlier, Mint reported that Liz Truss is in India on a four-day visit for talks with her counterpart Piyush Goyal on an enhanced trade partnership". "I am visiting the Serum Institute during my time in India, which is producing more than a billion doses of the UK-developed Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine. This will save lives across India and beyond its borders," the trade secretary said. SII is making some of the 1.3bn doses as part of COVAX to help vaccinate the Earth globe americas. The Flag of United Kingdom is co-funding 548m, Lizz Truss said in a tweet. "Met @adarpoonawalla at world's largest vaccine producer @SerumInstIndia on Flag of United Kingdom Flag of India collaboration and trade. They have made 100 million doses of the Oxford-AZ vaccine. Also making some of the 1.3bn doses as part of COVAX to help vaccinate the Earth globe americas. The Flag of United Kingdom is co-funding 548m," she tweeted. Met @adarpoonawalla at world's largest vaccine producer @SerumInstIndia on collaboration and trade. They have made 100 million doses of the Oxford-AZ vaccine. Also making some of the 1.3bn doses as part of COVAX to help vaccinate the . The is co-funding 548m. pic.twitter.com/ghIhvLua1x Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 8, 2021 The way India and the UK have supported each other in the fight against covid-19 has shown the power of our partnership and friendship. We have been grateful to India for keeping supplies flowing to the UK of critical medicines and medical-grade personal protective equipment, Trustold Mint. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Replicant 1982 saw the release of the movie Blade Runner set in 2019. In the film, replicants are androids that aspire to becoming human. The term was derived from the verb to replicate; to reproduce something. For 2019, it seemed like a neat idea to look at the years events through the lens of what had happened in 1969 and see if we can spot any replicants. One such example is impeachment. In 1969, Richard Nixon was elected as President of the United States. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, he resigned to avoid impeachment. And 50 years on, Donald Trump faced impeachment proceedings. Defy inventor Zenith In 1969, the infamous Manson Family went on a killing spree. 50 years later, Season Two of Mindhunter was a smash hit and Charles Manson was one of the protagonists. Mario Puzos novel The Godfather was first published in 1969; in 2019, Netflix released Martin Scoreses magnificent The Irishman. 1969 saw the first ever flight of the Boeing 747, Queen of the Skies. Fifty years later, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded, banned from flying as of March 2019. Also in 2019, scientists at a medical conference in Seattle announced that they had cured a patient suffering from AIDS only the second case in history in which there was a full recovery. And it was back in May 1969 that a certain Robert R. died later identified as the first case of AIDS in the US. In 1969, the first ever message was sent via ARPANET, between UCLA and Stanford universities in California. In 2019, 188 million messages a minute were exchanged over the Internet. And then theres the moon, of course. In 1969, astronauts first walked on its surface and in 2019, robots took their place, including Change 4, the first Chinese robot to land there. 1969 was also a crucial year for watchmaking, with the advent of the first quartz watch, the Seiko Astron, and the launch of the first automatic chronograph movements two technical innovations that have continued to influence the world of watchmaking to this day. Our selection for 2019 is the Zenith Defy Inventor. The year also marks the 50th anniversary of the brands El Primero movement, but weve gone for the Inventor as a watch that replicates the technical advances of 1969, whilst heralding a brighter future than the dystopian prospect portrayed in Blade Runner. *On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021. Order now Bengaluru, Feb 9 : Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) would make head-up display (HUD) systems for pilots in partnership with Israel's Elbit Systems Electro Optics Elop Ltd, the aerospace major said on Monday. "We signed a pact with Elbit to make and supply digital overhead head-up display (HUD) systems for guiding pilots in navigating their aircraft," HAL said in a statement here. A HUD system displays data or information for pilots to view with their head up and looking straight instead of seeing it in instruments on dash board at a lower angle in the cockpit. Though HUD systems were developed for military aviation, they are also being used in commercial aircraft, automobiles and other applications. "The HUD systems will be initially produced at our Korwa plant in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi. A dedicated facility will be set up for volumes later," said an HAL official. The company will upgrade its facility by acquiring the latest technology on HUD systems. "The digital HUD system with modern optics provides sharp brightness, larger field of view and larger head motion box," said the statement. The company has supplied to Indian Air Force about 500 HUDs for their Sukhoi-30MKI, Jaguar and MiG-27M upgrade fighters' fleet. "Our Korwa plant had a licensed transfer of technology agreement with Elbit for setting up the facility to make and maintain cathode-ray tube HUDs in the past. Elbit participated in the 13th edition of Aero India 2021 expo February 3-5. Anyone in England aged over 70 who has not been invited to receive a coronavirus vaccine should now contact the NHS to make an appointment, Matt Hancock has announced, in a change to the governments tactics. The health secretary issued the call at a Downing Street press conference, where he revealed that 91 per cent of over-80s, 95 per cent of people aged 75 to 79 and almost three-quarters of those aged between 70-74 have now received their first Covid-19 jab. The NHS has previously appealed to over-70s to wait for an invitation to be vaccinated, to avoid hospitals and clinics being overwhelmed with phone calls. But Mr Hancock said that the procedure was now being changed to try to make sure that as many as possible of the most vulnerable people are protected as the government approaches its 15 February deadline to vaccinate the over-70s, health and care staff and those with certain underlying health issues. This also offers a second chance for those who have turned down the jab to change their minds and get inoculated. Mr Hancock said he was thrilled at the high take-up of the vaccine among over-70s, declaring: We are turning a corner in our battle against coronavirus. But he added: Were not going to rest until all those who are vulnerable have been protected. So the NHS and local authorities and the teams working with them are doing everything they can to reach the remaining people in these at-risk groups. And well keep on searching for those final few per cent, even as we expand the offer of a vaccine to younger age groups. Mr Hancock said the government was on track to meet its 15 February target of offering the vaccine to priority groups one to four, before moving on to the next phase, in which all over-50s should be protected by 1 May. The NHS has worked hard to contact everyone in groups one to four, but we want to be certain, he said. So from today, I have a message for everyone aged 70 and above. Until now, weve said please wait for the NHS to contact you. But now that message is changing. If you live in England and are 70 and over and have not yet an appointment to be vaccinated, then please contact the NHS. If youre in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, we are also on track, working together, to meet the goal by 15 February and your local health teams will be in touch. Over-70s can book their appointments using the website www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or those unable to get online can call 119 or phone their GP practice. Health and social care workers, who are also among the top four priority groups for vaccination, should speak to their employer about arranging their jab. And GP teams have been asked to contact their clinically extremely vulnerable patients. The NHS has also urged people who have been given two jab slots to cancel one so the slot can be used by someone else. This might occur if a patients GP surgery books an appointment as well as the national booking service. So far 12 million people across the UK have received a Covid-19 inoculation. Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and a practising GP, said: The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with every eligible care home receiving a visit and millions more people being vaccinated at one of over 1,500 centres across the country thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleagues. But if you are aged 70 and over, and havent yet received your vaccine, please come forward and make an appointment as soon as you can. The vaccine is safe, simple, and will offer you and those around you crucial protection against this virus. ROCHESTER, Minn. - With subzero temperatures this week, you'll likely be letting your vehicle warm up a bit before hitting the road. It's important to know that when you start your car, you do not want to take off and start driving right away. Your engine is still cold and needs time to warm up. The Department of Energy suggests gently driving off about 30 seconds after you turn the vehicle on. The engine will warm up quicker when it's being driven, which helps the heat turn on sooner, you won't waste as much gas and it'll reduce emissions. However, some mechanics argue that's not enough time. The owner of Rochester Auto Care, Todd Lange, said you don't need to let it run for a super long time, less than 10 minutes should be enough. He explained another thing you can do that will help your vehicle warm up quicker is make sure the defroster is on for both the front window and back window. As for pushing on your gas to help it warm up, well that's not necessary. "The faster you rev the engine, the more heat you can create. But I think it might be a little defeating if you just sit in your car and rev it," Lange explained. "If you're gonna let your car warm up, I would just let it idle. Revving it is probably not a great idea." Lange breaks down why warming up your vehicle is important to unfreezing other parts as well. "A lot of the parts are moving parts and they're lubricated. The lubricants, especially when it gets super cold, they get harder and they thicken up," he explained. "So it is going to take a little bit more to get your vehicle moving. You know, bearings, that sort of thing, they're all internally lubricated with grease and the grease gets really thick when it's super cold out. So it is going to feel a little bit different and it'll sound different too." It is illegal to have an unattended vehicle running on a street or a public parking lot in Rochester. That's only if the key is in the ignition. A remote start is fine. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 05:00:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese and Lao representatives pose for a group photo after receiving China-donated vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, on Feb. 8, 2021. A batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Vientiane early on Monday. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) VIENTIANE, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Lao capital Vientiane early on Monday. The YTO Express cargo plane carrying the Chinese-made vaccines arrived at Wattay International Airport at around 1:00 a.m. local time. Lao Minister of Health Bounkong Syhavong and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong received the vaccines at the airport. At the airport, Bounkong expressed the gratitude for the support from the Chinese government and the people in Laos' anti-pandemic efforts. Lao health ministry thinks highly of the Chinese vaccine, believing that it's high quality and efficiency will help protect Lao frontline health workers and public officers, said the Lao minister. "Chinese vaccines have been proved for its safety and reliability. The Lao people are thus keenly looking forward to the vaccination," said the Lao official. Speaking on the occasion, Jiang said during China's battle against the pandemic, the Lao people have offered helping hands and China in the meantime puts Laos on the priority list of its vaccine aid plan. The ambassador wished that the Chinese vaccines would help Laos contain the epidemic, safeguard lifes and recover the economy. Enditem NEW TIME for the conference call invitation for investors and analysts 2020 full-year results on Thursday, 11 February 2021 Zug, Switzerland 8 February 2021 Coca-Cola HBC AG (CocaCola HBC) will release its 2020 full-year results on Thursday, 11 February 2021 at 7:00 am GMT. The press release will be available as of that time on the company's website: https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/en/investor-relations/results-reports-presentations. Please note a NEW TIME for our conference call with investors and analysts. To accommodate a busy reporting day on 11 February, we have decided to host our analyst call half hour later than usual, at 9:30am GMT. Coca-Cola HBC's management will host a conference call for investors and analysts on Thursday, 11 February 2021 at 9:30 am GMT. . India recorded 11,831 new Covid-19 cases in a span of 24 hours, pushing the tally of overall cases to 1,08,38,194, as per the Union Health Ministry on Monday. The country also recorded 84 fatalities in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll due to the Covid-19 to 1,55,080. India also saw 11,904 discharges in the past 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry, taking the total number of discharges to 1,05,34,505. The active coronavirus cases in the country stand at 1,48,609. The number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated on Sunday against COVID-19 has crossed the 58 lakh mark on day 23 of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination program. India is now the third topmost country with the highest doses of COVID19 vaccine administered, after the USA and the UK, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 20,19,00,614 samples have been tested up to 7 February with 5,32,236 samples being tested on Sunday. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The former President Donald J. Trump faced an impeachment trial in the Senate that quickly ended in his acquittal. The House swiftly impeached Mr. Trump just one week after a violent mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, charging him with incitement of insurrection. Mr. Trump is the first president ever to be impeached and stand trial twice. Heres how Mr. Trumps second impeachment has unfolded so far. A violent mob stormed the Capitol after a Trump rally on Jan. 6. Jan. 11 Article of Impeachment The House introduced one article of impeachment against Mr. Trump for his role in whipping up a mob that stormed the Capitol. The House passed a resolution on Jan. 12 that called on former Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip Mr. Trump of his powers. Mr. Pence refused. Jan. 13 House Impeachment Vote The House passed the article of impeachment, impeaching Mr. Trump for the second time. Yes 232 No 197 Not voting 4 Ten House Republicans voted for impeachment, dealing Mr. Trump more defections from his own party than had any previous president who faced impeachment. Mr. Trumps term ended on Jan. 20. Jan. 25 Delivery to the Senate House managers delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate. House Managers They are playing the role of prosecutors in the Senate trial. Diana DeGette David Cicilline Joaquin Castro Eric Swalwell Ted Lieu Madeleine Dean Stacey Plaskett Joe Neguse Jamie Raskin Jan. 26 Senate Trial Preparation Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in to preside over the trial and all 100 senators swore an impeachment oath to do impartial justice. A violent mob stormed the Capitol after a Trump rally on Jan. 6. Jan. 11 Article of Impeachment The House introduced one article of impeachment against Mr. Trump for his role in whipping up a mob that stormed the Capitol. The House passed a resolution on Jan. 12 that called on former Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip Mr. Trump of his powers. Mr. Pence refused. Jan. 13 House Impeachment Vote The House passed the article of impeachment, impeaching Mr. Trump for the second time. Yes 232 No 197 Not voting 4 Ten House Republicans voted for impeachment, dealing Mr. Trump more defections from his own party than had any previous president who faced impeachment. Mr. Trumps term ended on Jan. 20. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in to preside over the trial and all 100 senators swore an impeachment oath to do impartial justice. Jan. 26 Motion to Dismiss the Trial The Senate voted narrowly to table, or kill, the Republican effort to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional because Mr. Trump is no longer in office. Yes 55 No 45 All but five Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the trial, suggesting that there are not enough votes to convict Mr. Trump. Jan. 26 Writ of Summons The Senate issued a summons to the former president, asking him to respond to the article of impeachment by Feb. 2. Jan. 31 Mr. Trumps defense team Mr. Trump announced two members of his defense team just a week prior to the trial, after parting ways with his initial team. Mr. Castor is a former Pennsylvania prosecutor best known for declining to prosecute Bill Cosby. David Schoen Bruce L. Castor Jr. Feb. 2 Houses Trial Brief The House impeachment managers filed a 80-page trial brief. They argued that Mr. Trump was singularly responsible for the Capitol riot and cited the Constitutions framers in urging that Mr. Trump be convicted and disqualified from ever holding office again. Feb. 2 Trumps Response Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 14-page response. They denied that he incited the deadly assault on the Capitol and argued that the Senate had no power to try a former president. Feb. 4 Call for Trump to Testify The House impeachment managers issued a surprise request for Mr. Trump to testify under oath in his Senate trial. It was quickly rejected by his lawyers. Jan. 25 Delivery to the Senate House managers delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate. House Managers They are playing the role of prosecutors in the Senate trial. Diana DeGette David Cicilline Joaquin Castro Eric Swalwell Jamie Raskin Ted Lieu Madeleine Dean Stacey Plaskett Joe Neguse Jan. 26 Senate Trial Preparation Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in to preside over the trial and all 100 senators swore an impeachment oath to do impartial justice. Jan. 26 Motion to Dismiss the Trial The Senate voted narrowly to table, or kill, the Republican effort to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional because Mr. Trump is no longer in office. Yes 55 No 45 All but five Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the trial, suggesting that there are not enough votes to convict Mr. Trump. Jan. 26 Writ of Summons The Senate issued a summons to the former president, asking him to respond to the article of impeachment by Feb. 2. Jan. 31 Mr. Trumps defense team Mr. Trump announced two members of his defense team just a week prior to the trial, after parting ways with his initial team. David Schoen Bruce L. Castor Jr. Mr. Castor is a former Pennsylvania prosecutor best known for declining to prosecute Bill Cosby. Feb. 2 Houses Trial Brief The House impeachment managers filed a 80-page trial brief. They argued that Mr. Trump was singularly responsible for the Capitol riot and cited the Constitutions framers in urging that Mr. Trump be convicted and disqualified from ever holding office again. Feb. 2 Trumps Response Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 14-page response. They denied that he incited the deadly assault on the Capitol and argued that the Senate had no power to try a former president. Feb. 4 Call for Trump to Testify The House impeachment managers issued a surprise request for Mr. Trump to testify under oath in his Senate trial. It was quickly rejected by his lawyers. Feb. 8 Trumps Trial Brief Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 78-page brief, denouncing the impeachment case against him as partisan political theater. The House managers answered with a memo rebutting Mr. Trumps effort to dismiss the charge. Feb. 9 The Trial The Senate passed a resolution on the rules and procedures governing the trial. Feb. 9 Debate on Senates jurisdiction over Trump The House prosecutors and Mr. Trump's defense team debated the constitutionality of whether a former president can be tried by the Senate. Senators then voted to proceed with the trial. Yes 56 No 44 Pass Fail A majority of the Senate voted yes. A majority of the Senate voted no. The process ends Feb. 10-12 Oral arguments The House managers and Mr. Trumps defense lawyers presented their cases over three days. The managers used about 10 of the 16 hours allotted, while the defense took only about three hours. Feb. 12 Senator questions Senators questioned both parties for a few hours. Feb. 13 Decision on calling witnesses In a surprise decision, the Senate voted 55-to-45 to allow witnesses to be called. Yes 55 No 45 But after striking a deal with Mr. Trump's lawyers, the House managers dropped their call for witnesses. Feb. 13 Closing arguments Senators heard from both sides as the managers and Trumps defense team delivered their final arguments. Feb. 13 Senate Vote The Senate rejected the article of impeachment against Mr. Trump, with the vote falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict. Seven Republicans voted guilty. Yes 57 No 43 Two-thirds vote Fail Pass More than two-thirds of the Senate vote yes. Less than two-thirds of the Senate vote yes. Trump is acquitted Trump is convicted Disqualification from Future Office The Senate may subsequently vote on whether to bar Mr. Trump from ever holding office again. Majority vote Pass Fail More than half of the Senate votes yes. More than half of the Senate votes yes. Feb. 8 Trumps Trial Brief Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 78-page brief, denouncing the impeachment case against him as partisan political theater. The House managers answered with a memo rebutting Mr. Trumps effort to dismiss the charge. Feb. 9 In the first impeachment trial against Mr. Trump and the trial against President Bill Clinton, the Senate passed resolutions that set forth the guidelines for the trial proceedings prior to the opening arguments. The Trial The Senate passed a resolution on the rules and procedures governing the trial. Feb. 9 Debate on Senates jurisdiction over Trump The House prosecutors and Mr. Trump's defense team debated the constitutionality of whether a former president can be tried by the Senate. Senators then voted to proceed with the trial. In 1876, the Senate held an impeachment trial of a former war secretary, William Belknap, who had resigned just before the House impeached him. Yes 56 No 44 Pass Fail A majority of the Senate voted yes. A majority of the Senate voted no. The process ends Feb. 10-12 Oral arguments The House managers and Mr. Trumpvs defense lawyers presented their cases over three days. The managers used about 10 of the 16 hours allotted, while the defense took only about three hours. Feb. 12 Senator questions Senators questioned both parties for a few hours. Feb. 13 Decision on calling witnesses In a surprise decision, the Senate voted 55-to-45 to allow witnesses to be called. Yes 55 No 45 But after striking a deal with Mr. Trump's lawyers, the House managers dropped their call for witnesses. A violent mob stormed the Capitol after a Trump rally on Jan. 6. Jan. 11 Article of Impeachment The House introduced one article of impeachment against Mr. Trump for his role in whipping up a mob that stormed the Capitol. The House passed a resolution on Jan. 12 that called on former Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip Mr. Trump of his powers. Mr. Pence refused. Jan. 13 House Impeachment Vote The House passed the article of impeachment, impeaching Mr. Trump for the second time. Yes 232 No 197 Ten House Republicans voted for impeachment, dealing Mr. Trump more defections from his own party than had any previous president who faced impeachment. Mr. Trumps term ended on Jan. 20. Jan. 25 Delivery to the Senate House managers delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate. House Managers They are playing the role of prosecutors in the Senate trial. Diana DeGette David Cicilline Joaquin Castro Eric Swalwell Jamie Raskin Ted Lieu Stacey Plaskett Madeleine Dean Joe Neguse Jan. 26 Senate Trial Preparation Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in to preside over the trial and all 100 senators swore an impeachment oath to do impartial justice. Jan. 26 Motion to Dismiss the Trial The Senate voted narrowly to table, or kill, the Republican effort to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional because Mr. Trump is no longer in office. Yes 55 No 45 All but five Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the trial, suggesting that there are not enough votes to convict Mr. Trump. Jan. 26 Writ of Summons The Senate issued a summons to the former president, asking him to respond to the article of impeachment by Feb. 2. Jan. 31 Mr. Trumps defense team Mr. Trump announced two members of his defense team just a week prior to the trial, after parting ways with his initial team. Bruce L. Castor Jr. David Schoen Mr. Castor is a former Pennsylvania prosecutor best known for declining to prosecute Bill Cosby. Feb. 2 Houses Trial Brief The House impeachment managers filed a 80-page trial brief. They argued that Mr. Trump was singularly responsible for the Capitol riot and cited the Constitutions framers in urging that Mr. Trump be convicted and disqualified from ever holding office again. Feb. 2 Trumps Response Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 14-page response. They denied that he incited the deadly assault on the Capitol and argued that the Senate had no power to try a former president. Feb. 4 Call for Trump to Testify The House impeachment managers issued a surprise request for Mr. Trump to testify under oath in his Senate trial. It was quickly rejected by his lawyers. Feb. 8 Trumps Trial Brief Mr. Trumps lawyers filed a 78-page brief, denouncing the impeachment case against him as partisan political theater. The House managers answered with a memo rebutting Mr. Trumps effort to dismiss the charge. Feb. 9 The Trial The Senate passed a resolution on the rules and procedures governing the trial. Feb. 9 Debate on Senates jurisdiction over Trump The House prosecutors and Mr. Trump's defense team debated the constitutionality of whether a former president can be tried by the Senate. Senators then voted to proceed with the trial. In 1876, the Senate held an impeachment trial of a former war secretary, William Belknap, who had resigned just before the House impeached him. Yes 56 No 44 Majority vote Pass Fail A majority of the Senate votes yes. A majority of the Senate voted no. The process ends Feb. 10-12 Oral arguments The House managers and Mr. Trumps defense lawyers presented their cases over three days. The managers used about 10 of the 16 hours allotted, while the defense took only about three hours. Feb. 12 Senator questions Senators questioned both parties for a few hours. Decision on calling witnesses In a surprise decision, the Senate voted 55-to-45 to allow witnesses to be called. Yes 55 No 45 But after striking a deal with Mr. Trump's lawyers, the House managers dropped their call for witnesses. Feb. 13 Closing arguments Senators heard from both sides as the managers and Trumps defense team delivered their final arguments. Feb. 13 Senate Vote The Senate rejected the article of impeachment against Mr. Trump, with the vote falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict. Seven Republicans voted guilty. Yes 57 No 43 Two-thirds vote Fail Pass More than two-thirds of the Senate vote yes. Less than two-thirds of the Senate vote yes. Trump is acquitted Trump is convicted Disqualification from Future Office The Senate may subsequently vote on whether to bar Mr. Trump from ever holding office again. Majority vote Fail Pass Feb. 13 Closing arguments Senators heard from both sides as the managers and Trumps defense team delivered their final arguments. Feb. 13 Senate Vote The Senate rejected the article of impeachment against Mr. Trump, with the vote falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict. Seven Republicans voted guilty. Yes 57 No 43 Two-thirds vote Fail Pass Less than two-thirds of the Senate voted yes. More than two-thirds of the Senate voted yes. Trump is acquitted Trump is convicted Disqualification from Future Office The Senate may subsequently vote on whether to bar Mr. Trump from ever holding office again. Majority vote Fail Pass More than half of the Senate votes yes. Less than half of the Senate votes yes. How the current impeachment compares with previous ones Mr. Trumps impeachment last month by the House was not the quickest in U.S. history. That distinction goes to President Andrew Johnson. In 1868, he dismissed his secretary of war, Edwin M. Stanton, and was impeached just three days later, the culmination of a broad power struggle with the Republican-controlled Congress over Reconstruction. It is hard to determine a clear starting point for impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon and Mr. Clinton, and for Mr. Trump the first time. They all stemmed from ongoing scandals and investigations. But in each of them, the House voted and passed a resolution authorizing an impeachment inquiry and then moved forward with proceedings that lasted months. House proceedings Senate trial 0 50 100 150 200 days Johnson fired Stanton. Andrew Johnson 1868 Acquitted Impeached House authorized Judiciary committee to launch impeachment inquiry. Nixon resigned before the House could vote to impeach him. Richard Nixon 1974 House approved impeachment inquiry. Bill Clinton 1998-99 Acquitted Impeached House approved the rules for the impeachment inquiry. Donald Trump 2019-20 Acquitted Impeached A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Mr. Trump left office. Acquitted Donald Trump 2021 Impeached 0 50 100 150 days Johnson fired Stanton. Andrew Johnson 1868 Acquitted Impeached House authorized Judiciary committee to launch impeachment inquiry. Nixon resigned before the House could vote to impeach him. Richard Nixon 1974 House approved impeachment inquiry. Bill Clinton 1998-99 Acquitted Impeached House approved the rules for the impeachment inquiry. Donald Trump 2019-20 Acquitted Impeached Impeached Mr. Trump left office. Donald Trump 2021 Acquitted A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. 0 50 100 150 days Andrew Johnson 1868 Impeached Acquitted Johnson fired Stanton. Richard Nixon 1974 House authorized Judiciary committee to launch impeachment inquiry. Nixon resigned before the House could vote to impeach him. Bill Clinton 1998-99 House approved impeachment inquiry. Acquitted Impeached Donald Trump 2019-20 House approved the rules for the impeachment inquiry. Acquitted Impeached Donald Trump 2021 Impeached Mr. Trump left office. Acquitted A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Mr. Trumps Senate trial last year spanned three weeks. This year, the schedule set forth in the resolution on the trials rules paved the way for a quick proceeding that lasted less than a week. The difference, of course, here is that the Senate does know most of the facts because they were in fact directly involved. In some cases, they were victims of the attempted insurrection, said Frank O. Bowman III, an impeachment scholar at the University of Missouri School of Law. A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on February 7, causing a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 14 people dead and 125 missing. The flash flood in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers has triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Track this LIVE blog for latest updates on Uttarakhand flood "The operation to rescue the people trapped in a tunnel is underway. Efforts are on to clear the tunnel with the help of JCB machine. A total of 15 people have been rescued and 14 bodies have been recovered from different places so far. 125 are still missing," Chamoli police said on February 8. Uttarakhand glacier burst: Villagers raised alarm two years back Several districts, including Pauri, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Dehradun, have been put on high alert and forces of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been rushed in to help with the rescue and relief effort. We've intensified search operation at the 2nd tunnel. We've information that around 30 people are trapped there. Around 300 ITBP jawans are deployed to clear the tunnel. Local administration says that around 170 people are missing: Vivek Pandey, ITBP Spokesperson #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/Ab28klDcoB ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Vivek Pandey, ITBP Spokesperson said that the force has intensified search operation at the 2nd tunnel. "We have information that around 30 people are trapped there. Around 300 ITBP jawans are deployed to clear the tunnel. Local administration says that around 170 people are missing," Pandey added. Read: Uttarakhand flood | All you need to know about the tragedy In a series of tweets in Hindi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said teams of the NDRF were deployed for rescue and relief operations of the affected people while additional troops of the force were being airlifted from Delhi. "I have spoken to Chief Minister @tsrawatbjp ji, DG ITBP and DG NDRF regarding the natural disaster in Uttarakhand. All the concerned officers are working on a war footing to secure the people. NDRF teams have left for rescue operations. Every possible help will be provided to 'Devbhoomi'," he said. Uttarakhand flood: Helpline numbers and other key details As per reports, four NDRF teams (about 200 personnel) were airlifted to Dehradun and would head to Joshimath. Additionally, one column of the Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment, has also been deployed. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. During a challenging time for the aviation industry, Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. is offering to train pilots and other professionals in a very different type of aircraft. Rainbow Ryders, the official sponsor of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, is launching a training program aimed at teaching commercial and military pilots how to lead hot-air balloon tours. Rainbow Ryders founder Scott Appelman said the program will last 12 to 16 months, and will leave graduates with the necessary certifications and a guaranteed position at Rainbow Ryders. We see a great resource there in the existing industry, if they just want to take a look at something a little different, Appelman said. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The commercial aviation industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and associated travel restrictions. According to the industry advocacy group Airlines for America, passenger volumes on U.S. airlines dropped by more than 90% year over year last spring, and have been slow to recover. By the start of February, domestic passenger volume remained down 65% compared to the same period last year, and isnt expected to rebound to 2019 levels until 2023 at the earliest, according to the organization. The reality is, aviation has suffered horribly, said Daryl Williams, an aviation attorney based in Phoenix. Appelman said the industrys challenges provide an opportunity for Rainbow Ryders, which has grown quickly in recent years but still found it challenging to identify and train qualified balloonists. He said the program could be a way to help the company grow while giving pilots looking to leave the commercial aviation industry a chance to stay in the air. Participants would learn the specifics of piloting and maintaining a hot-air balloon, along with more subtle skills like leading tours and answering questions from guests. He said being an entertainer and communicator is nearly as important as the nuts and bolts of guiding a balloon. Every time you go up and fly these people, youre creating memories for them, Appelman said. Participants will receive a stipend, but Appelman said they will be expected to pay for propane and damages done to the balloon. Participants will earn a commercial hot-air balloon license and have a guaranteed job at Rainbow Ryders with a two-year commitment, Appelman said. We take good care of our people, because we need to be able to trust them, he said. Balloonists can expect to make between $60,000 and $100,000 annually, with benefits, he said. By comparison, the median annual wage for commercial pilots was $86,080 as of 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Appelman added that working as a balloonist also offers quality of life benefits like not having to travel from city to city. Williams, a pilot, said he sees significant differences between flying a hot-air balloon and flying a commercial airplane. Balloonists will have to get used to having much less control over their craft and traveling a much shorter distance. I am anxious to see if thats a successful transition, Williams said. Still, Appelman said there are certain skills, including monitoring weather conditions, that will feel familiar, even if they have to modify their approaches. 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Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com . ScanSnap is registered trademark of PFU Limited Japan. Product names and company names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective companies. Photo: DAMIAN POWER Researchers have determined through DNA analysis that the Vancouver Island wolverine thought to be a subspecies of their mainland cousins for nearly 100 years and more recently believed to be extinct is actually not that different after all. Vancouver Island University biology professor Jamie Gorrell and undergraduate student Evan Hessels collected DNA samples from museum skulls, bones and pelts of known wolverines from the Island and compared them with samples of wolverines taken at Bridge River, near Lillooet. The comparisons showed there was only a small genetic variation not enough to consider the wolverines on Vancouver Island a unique subspecies, said Hessels. The study by Hessels and Gorrell, co-authored by wolverine expert Eric Lofroth of Boreas Ecological consulting and Rich Weir from the B.C. Environment Ministry, was published last month in the Journal of Mammalogy. It throws cold water on the belief that the Island wolverine evolved independently here after being cut off from the mainland thousands of years ago, when ocean levels rose and severed a land bridge. The theory was similar to one explaining the evolution of the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) into its own distinct species. The Island wolverine was first identified as a subspecies in 1935 and thought to be different based on subtle variations in skull and bone measurements, said Gorrell. Hessels said further studies in the 1980s using full skeletons also noted small differences. But recent evidence has shown collared wolverines can swim up to five or six kilometres, said Gorrell, suggesting wolverines might have been populating the Island by island-hopping, likely through the Johnstone Strait between Port McNeill and Campbell River, similar to the recent behaviour of grizzly bears, which have been showing up near Sayward for several years. There hasnt been a confirmed sighting of a wolverine on Vancouver Island since 1992, although there are unconfirmed sightings almost every year, said Gorrell, including one as recently as two weeks ago at a log sort near Sayward. Wolverine spotters have created a group on Facebook Vancouver Island Wolverine Sightings to share what theyve seen and where. Its the Islands version of Sasquatch, said Gorrell. The population of wolverines on the Island isnt known, largely because of the elusive nature of the animal. It lives in remote areas and stays far away from people and human activity, with rare sightings usually in alpine areas of the North Island, said Gorrell. The voracious carnivore weighs up to 80 pounds, eats marmots, squirrels and deer, and has been known to take down even larger prey and fight bear over carcasses, said Gorrell. It is the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family and is related to the fisher and marten. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada lists the wolverines western population as of special concern, with about 13,000 ranging from the Island to Ontario. Scientists say wolverine habitat is increasingly fragmented by industrial activity such as logging and increased motorized access. The species has a low reproductive rate and requires vast secure areas to maintain viable populations. Gorrell said male wolverines have been known to wander over 800 square kilometres of range in search of food and mates, while females can cover up to 300 square kilometres. Resolving the subspecies question could allow for mainland wolverines to be relocated to the Island as part of conservation efforts. However, Gorrell said that could be dangerous for the survival of the Vancouver Island marmot, the most critically endangered mammal in Canada. The Vancouver Island wolverine is red-listed by the provincial government, which means the species is considered threatened or at risk of being lost to extinction. Last year, the Nature Conservancy of Canada listed the Island wolverine as one of 308 species of mammals, plants and invertebrates found only in Canada 105 of which are in British Columbia. Hessels said Island wolverine specimens collected from the Royal B.C. Museum, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia as well as bone and hide samples from the University of Colorado and University of California at Berkeley were used to extract DNA for analysis. He noted some of the samples were more than 100 years old, but researchers found enough usable DNA by drilling into molars and the nails of tanned pelts, as well as marrow on skulls and bones. Samples were taken from the remains of 12 individual Island wolverines, resulting in five viable DNA profiles. It was fascinating research and Im pretty excited to have my research published in the Journal of Mammalogy, said Hessels, 24, a Nanaimo native. I hope this research helps contribute to the conservation of wolverines moving into the future. Hessels completed his DNA analysis as part of his fourth-year undergraduate research project. He is also the recipient of a Vancouver Island University REACH Award, which provides students with a stipend to help them complete their own independent research project under the mentorship of a VIU faculty member. The project was funded by a VIU Inquiry Grant and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, which was awarded to Gorrell. The vaccine roll-out has been one of the biggest logistical challenges of our lifetime, involving a legion of NHS staff and volunteers (including, it was revealed yesterday, the actor Hugh Bonneville). Here, a pharmacist who's helping in a hub in London reveals in fascinating detail what it's like on the vaccination front line (speaking anonymously for patient confidentiality) while one of the Covid vaccine trial volunteers tells his uplifting story. One of the first patients of the day is a frail woman in her 80s all I can see of her face are her bright, clear eyes. I go through all the formalities ('Are you unwell with a fever? Have you ever had a serious allergic reaction? Are you waiting for a Covid test result or had the virus in the last 28 days?'), and she answers, her voice muffled by the crumpled blue face mask. As I inject the Pfizer vaccine into her arm, her eyes well with tears. But these aren't tears of pain from the needle, she reassures me, but of joy at finally receiving the protection she needs to be able to leave her house. Royal Navy personnel administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a coronavirus vaccination centre set up at Bath Racecourse, Somerset, January 27, 2021 'I haven't been out since March,' she says. 'I've lost countless friends to this thing and it's been a tough old year. I am just grateful to have been given this chance.' This is something I hear too often these days both in my day job as a pharmacist in a GP practice and now in the vaccine centre. Many vulnerable people have spent almost a year not seeing any human faces, except through windows or on screens. After she has been vaccinated, the woman sits in the booth for 15 minutes so I can monitor her for immediate side-effects. She then happily gets up and leaves another satisfied patient. Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, volunteering at a vaccination centre in Sussex A quick look up and I spot a manager talking to a fireman at the door. It turns out he works at the local fire station and he asks if we can call them if we have leftover vaccines. We have scheduled deliveries of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines throughout the week we're told about the quantities a week in advance so the local NHS GPs can book up appointments. Once the vaccines are out of the fridge and prepped, both must be used within six hours they won't keep until the next day. The vials come with multiple doses inside and there are often a few left over once we have finished booked appointments. To avoid disposing of the rest, we have a back-up 'overflow' list of high-risk patients and essential workers who can make it to the centre pronto, who we will call at the end of each day. The firemen are emergency workers, so, of course, we are keen to help if we can. We're given a list of 30-odd names to squeeze in and their contact numbers. We manage to vaccinate two (they seemed to appreciate our efforts) and add the rest to the overflow list. I HANDLE THE JABS LIKE LIQUID GOLD I have been doing this for around a month since the roll-out started, working most weekdays and weekends. Our vaccine centre a large community hall is run by the local GP surgeries, including the one I work at, and the practices provide staff for each session. The hall was converted to make it fit for purpose, which involved ordering dividers to create individual booths and pharmacy-grade fridges (which stay at 2c to 8c) to store the vaccines. There are around 20 people working in each shift: morning and afternoon (six hours each). I will often do both shifts because there is usually a shortage of vaccinators or 'mixers', and I can do both. The mixer's role is to keep track of the valuable vaccine stock and, in the case of the Pfizer jab, physically make up the vials. Today, it is my turn to mix. I take out the first six vials around an inch long of the concentrated Pfizer vaccine from the fridge and leave it for ten minutes to get to room temperature. You have to be very gentle with it it feels like handling liquid gold. A patient receives an injection of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine by Royal Navy medics at Bath racecourse, January 27, 2021 Then I add 1.8ml of saline and invert it ten times to mix it properly careful not to shake it. This gives me enough for six vaccine doses, each just a tiny 0.3ml per dose. This is based on the latest recommendations to get the most out of each vial. (The AstraZeneca vaccine is delivered ready-made and vials just need to be taken out of the fridge ten minutes before use each dose is 0.5ml.) We have people from all walks of life helping out. Some, such as pharmacists like myself working full-time, are paid (though it's 25 per cent less than my day job), but many are volunteers. Today, we have two new faces: a GP volunteer vaccinating in her spare time and a mother who has come in to work as a marshal after home-schooling her three children. How she can have the energy to put in another exhausting shift astounds me. The marshals are arguably the most important people here. They keep an eye on the number of people coming in and out, which vaccine booths are free, and wipe down the booths and chairs once patients leave. It's lovely to work with people you wouldn't usually get to, coming together for a great cause. Each shift starts with a debrief and plan for the next few hours. The mixers work out how many doses to prepare for the booked appointments (we may need more later for example, to vaccinate carers accompanying patients). The manager checks we have all had a negative lateral flow test (a throat swab) in the past 72 hours and we wait 25 minutes for today's test results. Sadly, one of the regular marshals tests positive and is sent home to do a PCR test. She never came back. I hope she's OK. One person down, so we call the staff's contacts for someone to volunteer in her place. Luckily, the wife of one of the GPs is available. HUNDREDS TURN UP WITHOUT A BOOKING Vaccinators aren't allowed just to collect more doses because it can so easily get out of control. As a mixer, I keep a careful tab on the numbers of patients coming in by asking the marshals and reception desk. This helps me ensure we have enough ready to go, so no one is waiting too long for theirs. Sadly, people fall through the cracks. I see a 70-something man in a booth; he has been there for some time. Although it is not my job today, I approach him and ask if he has been seen. It turns out he is clinically vulnerable and has been waiting for over an hour. Boxes of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine are pictured inside a storage fridge at a temporary Covid-19 vaccination centre set up at Derby Arena A marshal has forgotten to tell the vaccinator he's waiting, so I flag someone down to help. Although frustrated about the wait, he's happy to be here and says he understands the pressure on us. There are queues most days, but we get through them quite quickly. We let patients in 20 at a time, for 20-minute appointments (on Pfizer days, as there is a 15-minute wait after the jab) or five-minute appointments on AstraZeneca days. On average, we can see about 600 patients a day with Pfizer jabs, and 900 on AstraZeneca days but some days don't go to plan. It is a cold, rainy Thursday and we have 300 appointments booked in the morning. I take a look outside the shift hasn't started yet but the queue outside has already formed. By 9am, it is stretching half a mile down the road. A patient says his GP told him to come in without an appointment. It seems they've heard we have a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines today, which means we can often squeeze in more appointments. As it turns out, as well as the 300 booked appointments, there are around 300 walk-in patients for that morning session alone all jammed into an hour-and-a-half-long queue in the cold and rain. Many are elderly and vulnerable, and I can't help but question the GPs' decision to send them our way without much thought for the practical consequences. Even worse, in the chaos and because we have to stick to social distancing while queuing it is impossible to tell who has booked and who is trying to get a walk-in appointment, so everyone must wait their turn. Some people with booked appointments leave, unable to stand in the rain. Most people are cheerful and friendly but I see some disappointed faces and overhear heated conversations about the long waits. I agree with them this is unacceptable, especially as many of them are frail. This is not a walk-in service. At one point we run out of the forms patients fill in at reception these act as consent forms and record the details so their GPs can be alerted that they've had their first dose. A marshal runs to the newsagent and photocopies 500 more, then runs back. It is chaos. People queue up for their Covid jab at a vaccine centre in Brighton, East Sussex, January 28, 2021 MIX-UP THAT SENT MANY PEOPLE HOME It's another day and we have a stock of both vaccines this often happens (weekly, we get two Pfizer deliveries and one AstraZeneca). Usually, we use up the Pfizer stock first because, while it is made in the warehouse at -70c (-94f), it can only be stored at 2c to 8c (35f to 46f) for five days. The AstraZeneca vaccine can stay in our fridges for up to six months. We get a call that nearby care homes need vaccines, and the AstraZeneca one is better for them as it's easier to transport. The manager takes a quick look at the bookings and says we have enough Pfizer jabs to cover our day's appointments, so they can have our AstraZeneca stock. A man with a van soon arrives to collect it. But after he leaves and the mixers start their shift, they realise we only have enough Pfizer jabs for the morning session. Normally we'd simply switch them to the AstraZeneca but we'd just given those away. This is a disaster. We have to cancel 200 afternoon appointments. Cue a scramble to contact these patients and reschedule them for a few days later. Sadly, one of these is a 75-year-old who, despite having a booking, was caught in Thursday's queue, so didn't get hers done. Understandably, she was not pleased. VACCINATING A DEMENTIA PATIENT Some patients are particularly vulnerable and need extra time and care, including those with dementia. We see the milder cases, those living in the community. They tend to understand the vaccine process (more severe cases are seen in care homes). I approach a booth where there's a man in his late-70s sitting with his carer. He has dementia and I talk to him carefully, to make sure he understands what is happening. I tell him what I am doing. 'Now I am going put my hand on your shoulder can you roll up your sleeve?' I say. 'You might feel a sharp scratch on your arm, but please don't worry' and he seems calm. To ensure patients know which vaccine they've had, they're all given a little card with the jab and the date recorded on it; they must keep it safe until they're called for their second dose. Some lucky ones also get an 'I've had my Covid vaccination' sticker! Next, I see a man in his 20s who has Down's syndrome. He is chatting happily to his sister and though he jumps a bit as the needle goes in, he laughs it all off. As they wait after the jab, I ask his sister if she'd like to be vaccinated. She's not his professional carer, but for all intents and purposes she is a carer. The vaccinator has some discretion in such cases, but still I run it by the manager. The carer says she doesn't want to take a dose from someone more vulnerable, but I reassure her there's enough to go around. She and her brother are giddy with excitement. DEALING WITH A FEAR OF NEEDLES The next day starts with a man my age, in his late-30s. He is scared of needles and says he felt compelled to have this jab as he's considered clinically vulnerable owing to a chronic lung disorder. I tell him to focus on his breathing taking slow, deep breaths then talk to me about the shoes he's wearing. When I can see he is distracted and calm, I inject quickly before he has time to be scared, and he's fine about it. I often remind my patients how tiny the needle is. In fact, one woman couldn't believe she'd been injected as she didn't feel a thing. I took that as a compliment. THANKS FOR THE CHOCOLATES! People are so relieved to be vaccinated we've had countless boxes of chocolates, biscuits, even a freshly baked cake. There are no rules on this but, because of Covid, we throw away anything home-cooked. If it's sealed, one of us will take it home we're not allowed to eat on site. The next in my vaccine booth is one of the oldest patients I have seen. He is 92, a jubilant and delighted man, proud to be here. He tells the room he's loving this experience and boasts that he is the oldest person here. Next, I'm greeted by a woman in her late-80s wearing a floral dress and matching face mask. She says she's dressed up for this grand occasion and rare outing. I'm astounded that she looks so positive and happy after being cooped up for so long I spent two weeks in isolation last November after a colleague tested positive for Covid, and I felt awfully low and lonely. As she leaves, I see a middle-aged woman start clapping and cheering as she walks out, clearly elated and so grateful. There is a very lovely atmosphere here today. 'BUT I DON'T WANT THE PFIZER JAB' IN the booth sits a middle-aged man. When I explain he's having the Pfizer jab, he interrupts to say he'd prefer the AstraZeneca as his friends say it is better. I try to be understanding, telling him that both options are as effective as we need them to be and studies in thousands of people show they're both safe. But not convinced, he tells me to try to change his views. Conscious of the time, I tell him it's not my job as I'm not selling any particular brand. He stands up to leave I suggest he contacts his GP to rebook on another day when we have the AstraZeneca stock. He goes: it's his right, of course, but it was a waste of an appointment, which is frustrating. Today is the third day in a row I've done a long, double shift. I haven't seen my two children in days, but try not to dwell on it. By 6.30pm, the queue has gone but we have five spare doses of the Pfizer jab. We manage to give four to those on the overflow list, but there's one left: I'm asked if I'd like to have it. I can't help but feel guilt, but I accept it. While I've been lucky not to contract Covid, I've seen family members struggle and come close to death as a result of the virus so just like everyone else, I want this to be over. ARE WE BENDING THE RULES? Another busy day six weeks into the roll-out and by 7pm, as we count the number of patients waiting, we realise we will have a few shots left over (mainly because of no-shows). We hit the phones again. One patient manages to come in but there's no one else on the overflow list who can. Three doses left. Before time runs out, we ask the staff on shift. One of the marshals needs her first jab. She is young and healthy but we feel it's justified. One of the GPs had his first dose three weeks ago. The guidelines recommend the second is given between three and 21 weeks later but we give it to him now to avoid wasting the dose. This is certainly a last resort as the priority is to give as many people as possible the first dose. Another reason it's crucial to use up our stock is because if we don't hit our daily target, then the amount for our next delivery is reduced. So there comes a time in the day when we'll get anyone in to use up the last remaining doses regardless of their health or age, or what the guidance says. The last person in is a lucky 50-something, a friend of one of the marshals who lives locally. Some might say she skipped the queue but we can't ever justify wasting a precious drop of the vaccine. When our GP practice asked for people to help out with the vaccine roll-out, I jumped at it, and it's proven to be the most satisfying and rewarding job I've had. Most people are delighted to see us and grateful, and it really feels we're helping the country move forward. And I'm in there making a difference, too, one jab at a time. The heroic clinical trial guinea pig Josh Miller, 35, a research paramedic, who lives in the West Midlands Josh Miller, 35, a research paramedic, lives in the West Midlands. He says: When a friend urged me to volunteer for the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine trial in April last year, my initial reaction was not entirely enthusiastic. I was worried it might be time-consuming but after seeing so many people getting sick, I knew I should join up. Because it was a trial, none of us was allowed to know if we would have the real Covid vaccine or the control vaccine (a standard meningitis one) but after having my first jab in June I went back for a check-up every few months with my head held high, knowing I was doing something for others. It gave me a warm feeling. I had my second jab in August again, with no side-effects then in December, I was offered the Pfizer vaccine along with other paramedics and so immediately contacted my test team. Within a few hours they got back to me to say I had been given two doses of the vaccine as part of the trial. After so long not knowing, it was strange to find out suddenly, but I was really delighted. I've played a part in vaccine history and that's a special feeling. Advertisement Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Ontario will start allowing non-essential retailers to reopen in certain regions of the province. (Getty Images) Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled the governments plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions in the province, allowing non-essential retailers to gradually reopen in certain regions with limited capacity over the next two weeks. To start, three public health units will exit the provincial stay-at-home order on Wednesday and enter the green category reserved for regions with the fewest COVID-19 cases. The designation will allow non-essential retailers in Hastings Prince Edward; Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington; and Renfrew County to reopen. Most of the rest of the province will see the stay-at-home order lifted starting on Feb. 16, with the exception of Toronto, Peel and York, which will see the order lifted on Feb. 22. Areas that are no longer under the stay-at-home order will revert to Ontarios previous colour-coded restriction system, which allows in-person shopping at non-essential retailers, but under strict capacity limitations. Our number one priority will always be protecting the health and safety of all individuals, families and workers across the province, Ford said in a statement released Monday. But we must also consider the severe impact COVID-19 is having on our businesses. That's why we have been listening to business owners, and we are strengthening and adjusting the framework to allow more businesses to safely reopen and get people back to work. The grey level, the strictest in the colour-coded framework, allows non-essential retailers to open with 25 per cent capacity restriction. What level each region enters will depend on public health unit trends. The stay-at-home order will continue in 28 public health regions until Feb. 16, before transitioning to the colour-coded system and partially reopening. The three remaining regions that have been hit hardest by COVID-19 Toronto, Peel and York will revert to the previous restriction system on Feb. 22. The transition to the colour-coded system with regional restrictions is a positive one, said Dan Kelly, the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). He called Ontarios previous lockdown policy bizarre and ineffective, as it allowed big box stores to remain open while non-essential retailers across the province were forced to close. Story continues But Kelly said the lifting of restrictions is by no means enough to fend off further business closures. He said the province should also allow other businesses such as gyms, hair and nail salons and restaurants to also reopen under limited capacity. Allowing them to reopen with a capacity constraints would have gone a long way to at least extend the economic heartbeat to these businesses until such time that physical distancing requirements are no longer needed, he said in an interview. This is welcome news but its by no means going to mean the difference between success and failure for loads of businesses. The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) released a statement Monday that said Ontarios plan to allow retailers to reopen strikes an important balance between public and economic health one that is supported by both data and science. Ontarios retail sector needs time to rebuild and it cannot sustain another round of closures, RCC president Diane Brisebois said in a statement. This speaks to the importance of everyone government, businesses and citizens alike working together in the weeks and months ahead to preserve both public health and economic viability. Ontario had initially placed all non-essential retailers across the province into lockdown on Dec. 26. At the time, Ford said the action was without a doubt necessary to save lives and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. Groups representing business owners and the retail industry have been critical of the governments lockdown, arguing that it will push many companies out of business permanently. The CFIB warned last month that more than 220,000 businesses across the country are at risk of permanently closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. ADVERTISEMENT Two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been arraigned in a State High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for alleged extortion of motorists. Nigerias anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is prosecuting the case, identified the two officials as John Asegu and Otom Asueni, according to a statement issued on Monday by the ICPC. The ICPC told the court that the duo forcefully collected various sums of money totaling N3,500 from motorists as a fee to allow the motorists pass their checkpoint along Port Harcourt-Ahoada Highway. The ICPC also accused the defendants of using their position as public officers to confer undue advantage upon themselves by soliciting and accepting gratification. The FRSC officials were caught in the act after ICPC mounted a sting operation on them following intelligence, the agency said. According to the charge, the actions of the officials are contrary to and punishable under sections 8, 19, and 26 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. They are liable to imprisonment for seven years without the option of fine, if found guilty. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the 2-count charge. The trial judge, H. Aprioku, granted them bail, while the case was adjourned to March 26 for commencement of trial. The accused persons were, however, remanded in prison custody because of their inability to meet their bail conditions, ICPC said. A photo shows the logos of the online social media and social networking services Facebook and Twitter on a computer screen in Lille on Oct. 21, 2020. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images) Britains Adversaries Seeking to Tear Fabric of Society Apart Via Social Media: Defence Chief Britains adversaries are seeking to undermine UK society and interests by influencing tactically on social media, one of the countrys military chiefs said on Sunday. Our adversaries, our rivals, are exploiting the tools that are meant to make for a more utopian society, Joint Forces Defence Commander General Sir Patrick Sanders told Sky News Into the Grey Zone podcast. The countrys enemies are using social media against us, fuelling conspiracy theories and really sowing divisiontearing the fabric of society apart, he said. They could even be fuelling a civil war inside some of these societies. What happens in cyberspace has material consequences, Sanders explained. Its not magic. Its a combination of technology really clever technology and people, he said. I think of it as the deliberate manipulation of computer systems and data so that you can achieve real-world objectives, he added. Asked if the deployment of disinformation via cyber should be considered an adversarial attack, Sanders said, The real power is in influence not in sabotage. The most important weapons dont necessarily fire bullets, he said. Sanders explained that the Chinese regime has a concept of unrestricted warfare. This is their doctrine where they use all means to compel the enemy to accept ones interests, and thats trade wars, foreign aid assistance, cyber and information warfare, and capturing control of key technologies, he said. The use of cyberspace is one thing among many that such an adversary is weaponising to achieve strategic advantage and to change the nature of the international rules-based system, he said. This gradually pre-empts and achieves a fait accompli which leaves us weaker, he added. Sanders remarks follow Prime Minister Boris Johnson last November setting up the National Cyber Force (NCF), a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and Britains intelligence and security service, GCHQ, to collaborate on disrupting cyber threats to national security. Also speaking to the Sky News podcast, Director of GCHQ Jeremy Fleming explained why Britain needs such a cyber force. The UK is already a leading, responsible cyber player, he said. But its also clear that in todays world where technology is prevalent and where it affects all of our liveswe need to be able not only to defend the digital homelandwe need to be able to compete with our adversaries. We need to be able to contest in cyberspace, he added. Asked if Britain has used cyber tools offensively against other states, he did not give any specific operational details but implied that it had done so. Were able to say that its available to governments to use, he said. The UK hasnt hesitated and in many respects has led the way with some key allies in calling out behaviours when they have overstepped the lines that we have set. Sorry! This content is not available in your region , Cookies . cookies. Women have spent decades being told they should have a baby earlier, rather than concentrating on their careers. But now men are also being warned they are leaving it too late to start a family. Fertility expert Professor Sheena Lewis said: 'Lots of people put a lot of other things into their life before they think of parenthood, and I think that's been true of men in particular. 'Getting their career sorted out, getting the home, getting the nice car, and all those sorts of things.' There is increasing evidence that age may damage the DNA of sperm, which some experts say could affect men's fertility or the health of their children. Women have spent decades being told they should have a baby earlier, rather than concentrating on their careers. But now men are also being warned they are leaving it too late to start a family (file photo: semen analysis) Professor Lewis, of Queen's University Belfast, whose research focuses on DNA damage in men's sperm and who has developed a test for it through her company Examen, added: 'I'm just trying to dispel the myth that men can wait until they are in their fifties.' Speaking during an online webinar called 'Let's All Talk' for The Fertility Show which focused on male fertility, Professor Lewis advised men not to follow the example of celebrities like Ronnie Wood, Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart, or actor Kelsey Grammer in having children when they are older. She said: 'A common factor in all of those is they've got very young partners. 'Now that is fine - an older man can make a younger partner pregnant because she has got very young eggs, and her eggs can actually repair a lot of the damage that there is in the older sperm. 'But for the average person who is wanting to have a family, they're usually (aged) within five years of each other. There is increasing evidence that age may damage the DNA of sperm, which some experts say could affect men's fertility or the health of their children (file image) 'So, for a man to wait until he's 50, or 70, and then hope that he's going to be able to have a family with his partner, is just not going to happen.' Around half of cases of infertility in couples are caused by a problem with men, and the fertility industry has been criticised for focusing too much on women. But age is still not believed to be a major factor for male fertility, and experts have raised concerns over US clinics offering sperm freezing similar to egg freezing for women, when it is highly unlikely to offer any benefits to men. However Professor Lewis, whose research focuses on DNA damage in men's sperm, and who has developed a test for it through her company Examen (SUBS - pls keep), says men should consider whether it is 'wiser to have your children earlier'. She said: 'I'm just trying to dispel the myth that men can wait until they are in their fifties.' Speaking after the online event, she told the Daily Mail: 'Boys should have the same kind of education about their fertility at school as girls, so that they can build fatherhood into their ten-year plans. 'Men should join women on the centre stage when it comes to fertility.' live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More IndiGo on Monday announced it would be providing special Goan meal Xacuti on pre-booking to those who are travelling on flights connecting the Dabolim airport with four major cities between February 12 and February 17. These four cities would be Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, it said in a press release. The airline is celebrating Goa carnival at five airports Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad between February 7 to February 16. "The celebrations during the Goa Carnival will include local Goan dance at the airport, with staff dressed in traditional clothing and boarding announcements will be made in Konkani and English, it noted. "Additionally, special Goan food menu has been introduced as part of 6E tiffin including Veg and non-veg Xacuti which will be available exclusively on flights between Goa and Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for travel dates between February 12 and February 17, available via pre-booking on IndiGo website, it stated. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: New images of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus demonstrate the potential of the helium ion microscopy in bioimaging, especially for the imaging of interactions between viruses and their host organisms. Helium ion microscopy offers the opportunity to obtain direct views of biological samples such as cellular structures, virus particles, and microbial interactions. Imaging with this technique combines sub-nanometer resolution, large depth of field, and high surface sensitivity. Due to its charge compensation capability, the helium ion microscopy can image insulating biological samples without additional conductive coatings. This conductive coating changes the surface structure of the sample, said Professor Armin Golzhauser, a researcher in the Faculty of Physics at Bielefeld University. Helium ion microscopy does not require a coating and therefore allows direct scanning. Our study shows that the helium ion microscope is suitable for imaging coronaviruses so precisely that the interaction between virus and host cell can be observed, added Dr. Natalie Frese, also from the Faculty of Physics at Bielefeld University. Using the helium ion microscope, the researchers captured images of Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. Their images unveil the 3D appearance of the virus and the surface of Vero E6 cells with an edge resolution of up to 1.3 nm. Helium ion microscopy is well suited for imaging the cells defense mechanisms that take place at the cell membrane, said Professor Friedemann Weber, a virologist in the Institute of Virology at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. This method is a significant improvement for imaging the SARS-CoV-2 virus interacting with the infected cell, said Professor Holger Sudhoff, head physician at the University Clinic for Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Bielefeld University. Helium ion microscopy can help to better understand the infection process in COVID-19 sufferers. The teams paper was published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology. _____ Natalie Frese et al. 2021. Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy. Beilstein J. Nanotechnol 12: 172-179; doi: 10.3762/bjnano.12.13 The State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) has signed an agreement for the construction of a new bridge in Kremenchuk (Poltava region) for UAH 11.249 billion with the Turkish company Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret. On the part of Ukravtodor, the contract was signed by the head of the road service in Poltava region, Ivan Krapovnytsky, from Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret - executive director Tolga Akkas. Ukravtodor noted that the new bridge will improve the optimization of logistics routes in the center of Ukraine by reducing travel times for road transport. This will be achieved by increasing the speed limit for trucks from 36.8-53.3 km/h to 72.9 km/h, buses from 35.7-53.4 km/h to 71.1 km/h, passenger cars from 39.6-55.3 km/h to 81.5 km/h. "All plots that fall under the construction zone will be bought for state funds. If these are private plots where people live, or some other private plots, they will be bought out, transferred to the state ownership, and people will receive monetary compensation for this," Krapovnytsky said. RISHIKESH, India (AP) Indian authorities launched a search operation Sunday after part of a Himalayan glacier broke, sending a massive flood of water and debris slamming into two dams and damaging a number of homes. At least nine people were killed and 140 were missing. The flood was caused when a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in the Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning. A video shared by officials and taken from the side of steep hillside shows a wall of water surging into one of the dams and breaking it into pieces with little resistance before continuing to roar downstream. The Rishiganga hydropower plant on the Alaknanda River was destroyed, while the Dhauliganga hydropower plant on the Dhauliganga River was damaged, said Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police. Flowing from the Himalayan mountains, both rivers meet before merging with the Ganges River. Pandey said at least 42 workers got trapped inside two tunnels at the Dhauliganga plant. While 12 workers trapped inside one tunnel were rescued, at least 30 others were still stuck inside the other tunnel, he said. Another 140 workers at the two plants were missing, Pandey said. Surjeet Singh, a police official, said nine bodies were recovered so far amid intensified rescue operations that went into the night. Authorities installed halogen lights in the area to continue rescue operations. Paramilitary forces have gone 150 meter down in the tunnel to rescue people. The operation is expected to continue until we bring these people out alive, said Pravin Alok, a spokesman for the State Disaster Relief Force. There were also houses that were damaged in the flooding, said Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman, though he had no details on the number and whether any of the residents were injured, missing or dead. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups and police were helping in the rescue operation, Bejaria said. Pandey said soldiers who are experts in mountaineering and rescue operations had been called in. The situation is under control and there is no need for panic, he said. Officials said when the glacier broke it sent water trapped behind it as well as mud and other debris surging down the mountain and into other bodies of water. Many villages were evacuated as authorities issued an advisory urging people living on the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers to move to safer places immediately. Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct professor at the Indian School of Business who has contributed to U.N.-sponsored research on global warming, said that while data on the cause of the disaster in not yet available, this looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting due to global warming. The impact of global warming on glacier retreat is well-documented. Authorities emptied two dams farther down the river to stop the flood waters from reaching towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh, where popular tourist spots on the banks of the Ganges River were shut and all boating activities were stopped. It all started sometime around 10 in the morning. We heard a bang, which shook our village, Dinesh Negi, a resident of Raini village, told The Associated Press by phone. He said they watched from their village high above one of the rivers as the water turned muddy and surged in a torrent. We knew something wrong had happened, Negi said. We could see the fury of the river. Uttarakhand police chief Ashok Kumar said officials immediately alerted residents living in the area and evacuated them to safer places. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet said he was constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation. He added: India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyones safety there. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in Uttarakhand after heavy rains triggered landslides and floods, washing away thousands of houses and roads and cutting communication links in many parts of the state. About the photo: A view of the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. President Akufo-Addos Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare has indicated that the increasing infection rate of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country is not encouraging for citizens to joke with the safety protocols put in place by the government. According to him, tests conducted on some Ghanaians have shown that the country has recorded the new variants from South Africa, UK and Brazil apart from those travellers who were detected at the Kotoka International Airport with the new variants. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Dr Nsiah Asare disclosed that the new variants of COVID-19 have the fastest rate of infecting people couple with the fact that many Ghanaians have underlying health conditions, hence the need to protect themselves from contracting the new variants. We did the test at the Airport, we recorded the new variants and now we have people in Ghana who are positive for the new variants from South Africa, UK and Brazil. This is why we are calling on everyone to protect themselves and wear the mask so that they will not be infected with the new variants, he disclosed. The new variants have the fastest rate of infecting people and besides a lot of people have underlying health conditions, he stressed. He, however, alluded to the fact that the behaviour of the new variant of the COVID-19 has pushed Scientists who came up with the vaccine to go back to the table and embark on more research to deal with any new variants that might come again. Touching on the case count of the COVID-19 in the country, Dr Nsiah Asare said that the case count is still on the rise in the country. Our case count of the COVID-19 in the country is not encouraging; it is on the rise and that is why it has become very important for Ghanaians to adhere to the preventive etiquette put in place by the government . . . the number of deaths is also on the rise, he said. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Peter OMahony could become a marked man by referees after his dismissal in Irelands 21-16 Six Nations defeat in Cardiff. Thats the verdict of the worlds most capped referee, Nigel Owens, who told BBC Wales that officials often take heed of trends in players and teams actions. The Munster flanker was shown a red card by England referee Wayne Barnes in the 13th minute for making contact with the head of Wales prop Tomas Francis with his elbow as he drove into a ruck. I wouldnt go in with any preconceived ideas, but you are aware if someone has been sent off before for it, said Owens, the first man to control 100 Tests. It was very similar in the second half when Conor Murray got penalised, rightly so, for blocking near the end of the game. When we were in refereeing camp a year or so ago we actually discussed from an England v Ireland game Conor Murray doing that, subtly stepping around and stopping the chaser coming in. When referees do their prep work they will be quite aware of the trends and some players and some teams. When Peter OMahony is going into contact areas again, and a player is injured, it will be on the referees radar, hell think lets see what happened here. Im not saying that Peter OMahony is a dirty player but he paid the price for it (Sunday), and probably Ireland did as well. OMahony earned himself an unwanted piece of history through his rash action as he became the first Irish player to be sent off in a Six Nations match. Back in October 2020, he was dismissed in a PRO14 game against the Scarlets after picking up two yellow cards. The United Nations stands ready to contribute to the ongoing rescue and assistance efforts in Uttarakhand if necessary, Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said as the top leadership of the global organisation expressed sadness over the loss of life and damage from the glacier burst and flooding in the Indian state. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Commenting on the glacier burst, Stphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Guterres, said: The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday. The Secretary-General expresses his deep condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of India. The United Nations stands ready to contribute to ongoing rescue and assistance efforts if necessary, he said in a statement. Responding to the statement by Guterres, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said: Deeply appreciate the sentiments expressed by UN Secretary General on the glacier burst in Uttarakhand. Earlier in the day, President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir said that he is closely following the situation in Uttarakhand where the glacier burst resulted in massive flooding, with authorities saying seven bodies have been recovered while at least 125 people are missing. I'm closely following the news out of #Uttarakhand, #India, where the breaking of a glacier has led to at least 9 dead & 140 missing. As rescue efforts continue, my thoughts are with @IndiaUNNewYork and the Indian people, Bozkir said in a tweet that tagged India's Permanent Mission to the UN. In response to Bozkir's tweet, Tirumurti expressed gratitude, saying we deeply appreciate your sentiments. Thank you. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said that seven bodies have been recovered while at least 125 people are missing. The glacier burst led to a rise in water levels in the river Rishiganga, which washed away the Rishiganga small hydro project of 13.2 MW. The flash flood also affected the downstream hydro project of NTPC at Tapovan on the river Dhauli Ganga, which is a tributary of the river Alaknanda. Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst Live Updates: 15 dead so far, search on to find 150 missing people Also read: Uttarakhand tragedy: What's the reason behind glacier burst? Here's what experts say Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand opens portals after winter break, no pilgrims allowed due to Covid Uttarakhand glacier burst: 26 bodies recovered, 197 missing; experts study cause India oi-Madhuri Adnal Dehradun/New Delhi, Feb 8: Twenty-six bodies have been recovered and 197 people still missing after the Uttarakhand disaster apparently caused by a glacier burst, officials said Monday, as multiple agencies worked at rescuing over 30 workers feared trapped in a tunnel at a power project site. Officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre reported the recovery of more bodies and feared the death toll would rise, a day after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst through its banks in Chamoli district. It appeared to have triggered an avalanche and a deluge that ripped through the Alaknanda river system in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. Experts, however, are still trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster in Joshimath. "It was due to lakhs of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on top of a naked hill," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told reporters after meeting ISRO scientists. After a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to find out the reasons, "we will build an elaborate plan to avert any potential tragedy going forward", he said in an interview to PTI. Uttarakhand glacier burst: CM releases Rs 20 crores fund for relief and rescue operation Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a delegation of Uttarakhand MPs of his government's support to the people of the state and said it is working to strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural disaster in future. The missing people include those working at the hydel power project sites and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away, officials said. Two power projects - NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project - were extensively damaged with scores of labourers caught in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Thirteen villages are cut off due to the damage to roads and bridges, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said. Essential food supplies are being sent there by helicopters. Rescue efforts in the affected areas near Joshimath, about 295 km from here, gained momentum with teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinating to rescue 30-35 people feared trapped in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project. More teams have been sent to the site on Mi-17 helicopters that landed at the helipad in Joshimath, NDRF chief S N Pradhan said in a Twitter post. Some teams from the Army, including from the Medical Corps, also reached the disaster spot, an official supervising the operation said. Sniffer dogs and heavy mechanical equipment, including bulldozers and JCBs, were deployed. Officials said 27 people were rescued alive. Of these, 12 were saved from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishiganga site. Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar added that efforts were focused on rescuing 30-35 labourers trapped in a 250-metre tunnel at Tapovan. The work was complicated as the tunnel is slightly curved, making it difficult to clear the debris and silt blocking it. The entire landscape was coloured a sandy grey, many structures swept away and buried under piles of silt. "Our teams worked overnight to rescue about 30 workers who are trapped in the tunnel. Specialised equipment for such operations has been deployed. We are hopeful we will able to rescue everyone," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI in Delhi. "There is a huge amount of debris inside the tunnel. About 80 metres inside the tunnel is cleared and accessible, and it looks like about 100 more metres of debris will have to be cleared," he added. Pandey said nearly 300 ITBP personnel are deployed at the site. In a video provided by the ITBP, a team of senior officials was seen analysing the tunnel''s map to find the best way of approach. The tunnel has only one entry, an official said. Global warming or maybe a Western disturbance bringing fresh snow that melted could have triggered the deluge, experts said. The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation is among those investigating the disaster. It is not clear whether the flood was a typical Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) or some temporary damming due to a landslide and avalanche that might have blocked the mainstream to form a temporary lake which burst, said Ranjit Rath, director general of the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and R K Singh as well as Pauri MP Tirath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand minister Dhan Singh Rawat met the affected families in disaster-hit Tapovan and Raini. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed solidarity. With no clarity on what led to the disaster and some experts pointing to climate change, scientists also headed to Chamoli to understand what had happened. Three of those rescued on Sunday evening were admitted to the ITBP hospital at Joshimath, nearly 25 km from the Tapovan power project site, as they were feeling uneasy, officials said. They are stable now. The state government released Rs 20 crore to Chamoli district for rescue and relief operations. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands ready to contribute to the rescue and assistance efforts if necessary. "The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday," his spokesperson said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 21:42 [IST] BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) has become closer in multiple areas, including trade and investment, the promotion of China-Europe freight trains and project agreements. The following are some highlights of economic and trade cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. -- China's total trade volume with 17 CEECs reached 103.45 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, crossing the 100-billion-dollar mark for the first time, data from the Ministry of Commerce shows. This marked a year-on-year increase of 8.4 percent, higher than the growth rate of China's foreign trade and its trade with Europe as a whole. Logging an average annual growth rate of 8 percent from 2012, the growth of China's trade with CEECs is three times the growth of its foreign trade and two times the growth of its trade with Europe as a whole. -- China's foreign direct investment in the economic sectors of 17 CEECs, including energy, infrastructure, logistics and automobile parts, totaled 3.14 billion dollars by the end of 2020. The 17 countries invested 1.72 billion dollars in China during the period. -- The number of China-Europe freight trains stood at 12,400 in 2020, with key passages and destinations including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. -- Last year, the total contract value of China's newly signed overseas projects with the 17 countries spiked 34.6 percent to 5.41 billion dollars. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 At 6pm, February 8, the Ministry of Health announced 45 new locally-transmitted cases of Covid-19 in Vietnam, including 3 each in Quang Ninh and Hanoi, 2 in Gia Lai, 25 in Ho Chi Minh City and 12 in Hai Duong. Patient 2006 is a 7-year-old boy in Dong Trieu town, Quang Ninh province, who is the son of patient 1727. The boy has been quarantined since January 29. The child is under quarantine and treatment at Vietnam - Sweden Hospital in Uong Bi district, Quang Ninh. Patient 2007 is a woman, 43, a worker of Poyun Co., Ltd. based in Chi Linh City, Hai Duong province the countrys largest Covid-19 hotspot. She has been isolated since January 30. The patient is now treated at Vietnam-Sweden Hospital in Uong Bi. Patient 2008 is a 5-year-old boy in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province. The boy is patient 1553s son and has been isolated since January 27. The child is treated at Hospital No. 2 in Quang Ninh province. Patient 2009 is a 28-year-old woman in Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi. She had close contact with patient 1722. She is quarantined and treated at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh district, Hanoi. Patient 2010 is a 50-year-old woman, from Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi. She was infected from patient 2009. Patient 2011 is a 10-month-old baby girl, who is daughter of patient 2009. Both of them are under quarantined and treatment at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh district, Hanoi Patient 2012 is a 33-year-old man, from La Pa district, Gia Lai province. This person had close contact with patients 1952 and 1982. He is currently treated at Ayunpa Medical Center, Gia Lai province. Patient 2013 is a 32-year-old woman, from Kong Chro district, Gia Lai province. She had close contact patient 1845. The woman is also treated at Ayunpa Medical Center, Gia Lai province. Patients from No. 2014 to 2038 in Ho Chi Minh City had contact with previously reported cases at Tan Son Nhat airport. Patients No. 2039 - 2050 are those in the lockdown zone in Cam Giang and Kim Thanh districts in Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province Vietnams largest hotspot. By February 8 afternoon, Vietnam had a total of 2,050 cases of Covid-19, including 1,160 domestically-transmitted cases. Among patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments, 106 tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, seven twice and five thrice. The number of deaths related to the disease remained at 35. As many as 89,782 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are being quarantined, including 529 in hospitals, 19,879 in state-designated quarantine establishments and the remaining 69,374 at their residences. The Ministry of Health recommended people to continue serious following its message featuring 5K (in Vietnamese) Khau trang (facemask)- (Khu khuan) disinfection- (Khoang cach) distance- (Khong tu tap) no gathering (Khai bao y te) health declaration, and install the Bluezone tracing app in order to live safely with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nguyen Lien 24 positive cases related to four Tan Son Nhat airports baggage handlers reported Related to the four latest cases of Covid-19 in HCM City, who are baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat airport, 24 people are reported to be positive to SARS-CoV-2, said Dr. Nguyen Tri Dung, Director of HCMC Center for Disease Control. Ho Chi Minh Citys authorities have ordered the suspension of discos, bars, wedding centers, karaoke parlors, massage parlors and movie theaters from 12:00 pm Tuesday onwards, as per the latest direction by Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee. Speaking at a meeting with the Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday afternoon, the leader required all movie theaters, massage parlors, karaoke parlors, game centers, bars, beer clubs, discos and wedding centers to cease operation until further notice, citing complicated developments of the recent outbreak in the city. Besides, religious rituals and ceremonies with gatherings of more than 20 people will also be banned. Gas stations, essential retail stores, pharmacies and medical facilities will maintain normal operations, but with pandemic prevention rules strictly applied. The southern metropolis will cancel the opening ceremonies for Tet (Lunar New Year holiday) flower and book streets on Nguyen Hue Street. The activities will only be organized from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day. Further, Phong asked authorities at all levels to impose harsh punishments on those failing to wear face masks at public places. According to Ho Chi Minh Citys Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the southern metropolis has reported an additional 25 people tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. All the cases are linked to five confirmed patients No. 1,979, 2,002, 2,003, 2,004 and 2,005, who are baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Earlier on Monday, several residential areas in the city have been locked down to prevent the virus spread. Vietnam confirmed 45 new domestic Covid-19 cases on Monday evening, raising the total tally to 467 since its latest outbreak began on January 28. Of the new infections, Ho Chi Minh City recorded the highest number with 25 cases, followed by Hai Duong with 12, Hanoi and Quang Ninh with three each, and Gia Lai with two, according to the Health Ministry. With the new confirmed cases, Vietnam has registered 467 domestic Covid-19 cases in 12 cities and provinces since January 28. Up to now, the Southeast Asian country has reported 2,050 cases, in which 1,472 have recovered. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By Nam Hyun-woo Praveen Upadhyay, People & Culture Director for Korea at Philip Morris International, poses before an interview with The Korea Times at the tobacco company's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea When a company is starting a new business, developing new technology is not the only factor for success. It always comes with changes and improvements in the company's workforce and even corporate culture, so they can run the new business with fewer difficulties. This was the case for Philip Morris Korea. As the company is going through one of the biggest changes in its long history, pursuing e-cigarettes for the future of its business, the Korean unit is also facing the need to embrace new employees and change how people at the company work. "Since the launch of IQOS and HEETS, the whole objective was how we can have the organization become much more consumer-centric," said Praveen Upadhyay, People & Culture Director for Korea at Philip Morris International, during an interview with The Korea Times. "With our new reduced-risk products (e-cigarette), there are lot of new capabilities we have to build digital and customer care, for example because it is an electronic device and we need to have aftersales service, which we didn't have in combustion cigarette businesses. And now we have business-to-consumer business as well because we are running our own retail network." Philip Morris launched the IQOS heating device and HEETS tobacco for the device in Korea in 2017. From 2018, Philip Morris Korea transformed its plant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and begin producing HEETS. Upadhyay recalled the changes required the company to hire new employees and build new capabilities, so it could handle customer care and direct retailing, which were overlooked in the combustion cigarette business. According to the Indian national, the number of Philip Morris Korea employees grew by 35 percent from 2017 to 2020, with its headcount nearing 1,000 at the end of 2020. As the company gets into more complex business, changes were required in the way employees worked. "When it comes to the combustion cigarette business, the regulations were really clear things were pretty much decided at the top, then each of the functions had their own role to play," Upadhyay said. To grow this corporate culture, Upadhyay said the company's human resources management philosophy also became more "people-centric" to ensure the employee experience can be improved, thus the whole workforce can be more engaged, capable and high-performing. For this philosophy, he said the company introduced flexible working hours, remote working, half-day Fridays and enhanced its gender diversity. In terms of gender diversity, 33 percent of mid- and senior manager level employees are female at the company, and Upadhyay said the company seeks to improve this, raising it to at least 40 percent by 2022. Upadhyay added that Philip Morris Korea's experience as an early e-cigarette market is also coming as an important asset for Philip Morris headquarters' pursuit of e-cigarette business, making the Korean unit as a talent pool. Korea was the world No. 2 e-cigarette market following Japan according to 2019 Euromonitor research. Upadhyay has been working as Philip Morris Korea's HR chief since 2015. A Polish man who held over half a million euro worth of drugs in his Kildare home because he was struggling financially has been jailed for six years. Przemyslaw Goska (33) was also caught with almost 70,000 worth of cocaine in the back of a car he was driving. He admitted to gardai he had been asked to transport the drugs from point A to point B. Goska pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of MDMA with a value of 506,000 at his then rented accommodation in Louisa Park, Leixlip, Co Kildare on August 1, 2020. He also pleaded guilty to possession of the cocaine, which had a street value of 68,300 for sale or supply in a car that he had borrowed from a friend on the same date. He has no previous convictions either here or in Poland. Garda Jason Tone told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting that the house Goska was renting a room in at the time was under surveillance and a warrant was secured. The house was searched by gardai and the MDMA was found in a bag in a wardrobe in his bedroom. Goska was not at home at the time so gardai remained at the house until he returned later that afternoon. Goska and the car he had been driving were searched and the cocaine found on the back seat. Gda Tone said Goska was interviewed 10 times and although he co-operated in terms of his own involvement, he said he was too afraid to give gardai any further information. He said he had been promised money for holding the drugs and had also agreed to transport the cocaine from Point A to Point B. He said he hadnt intended to bring the cocaine into the house but had just returned home to pick up a change of clothes. Gda Tone accepted that it was someone else in the house who was under surveillance that day and Goska was not on the garda radar. He agreed with Damien Colgan SC, defending that Goskas motivation was to try and make a few bob to send back to his family in Poland and he felt he was used because of his vulnerable financial circumstances. Gda Tone accepted that the threat Goska was under was credible and that a letter provided from his former partner acknowledged that he was a good provider for his children. Mr Colgan said his client had come to Ireland three years ago to make money for his family and had been working in the construction industry. Judge Melanie Greally said she had taken into account Goskas co-operation with the garda investigation, his pleas of guilty and the hardship his family will be exposed to now as a consequence of his actions. She also acknowledged that Goska will find his time in prison more difficult because of both the global pandemic and the fact that he has limited English. Judge Greally imposed a sentence of seven and half years but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 18 months and leave Ireland within 14 days of his release from prison. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. A MOTHER has written a childrens book based on stories she used to tell her daughter to help her get to sleep. Henrietta Mackenzie penned The Secret Lives of Two Googly-Eyed Cats while on maternity leave. At one week old, her daughter Penny developed a potentially dangerous condition on her face and airways called segmental haemangioma. This is an overgrowth of blood vessels that form a red mark and swelling. After two weeks of doctors appointments she was eventually diagnosed and referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital. For the first two years of Pennys life she had to have medication, which disrupted her sleep patterns. Henrietta, who lives in Medmenham, used to make up stories about Pennys two soft toy cats to try to soothe her. She said: Penny was put on some strong medication until she was two, which disrupted her sleep and meant that I didnt get much sleep either. I would be up at 2am for a couple of hours and she has these googly-eyed cats and I used to tell her stories about them. I would talk about how, once she falls asleep, the cats would come alive and go out to have all sorts of adventures. I told her that when she falls asleep they go outside and hang out and get up to all sorts of mischief. Henrietta, who works in marketing and PR, decided to write down her ideas and came up with a rhyming story. This follows Milly and Tilly, the googly-eyed cats, who belong to a cheeky little baby called Penny. During the day, they sit on her mat playing games and acting like normal toys. But at night, when Penny is asleep, they creep out the back door in search of fun and adventure. Together they ransack bins, scrap with other cats and generally cause mischief. Then, at the end of the night, they sneak back inside and wipe their paws clean so Penny doesnt know that theyve been out all night. However, one day in winter, heavy snows falls. The cats decide to be brave and sneak out. But the snow is too deep for their little legs and they get stuck. They are rescued by a friendly dog, who was inspired by Henriettas neighbours Bernese mountain dog. In January 2019 she sent her manuscript to several publishers, who all expressed an interest in taking the story, and she signed up with Austin Macauley Publishers. Henrietta said: I spent much of my maternity leave just playing around with the idea and once I got a story together I sent it off to a handful of publishers. Austin Macauley came back first and said they really liked it and then a couple more came back later and they also said they liked it. I had to fill out an authors form and tell them about the values I was trying to project in the story, such as kindness and preparing children to be courageous and creative, and I had to think about what I wanted the front cover to look like and how I wanted the characters to look. I then started work with an illustrator to put together the concept as it is a picture book with big page images. It was a journey I didnt really know what the finished project would look like. I work with designers in my day job but I have never worked with someone like this. The images are really fun children love the big eyes. I am very excited to see the book and to read it to my daughter and I hope when she is older she will be really proud. Henrietta, who is now aged three and attends the Old Station Nursery in Henley, remains an outpatient at Great Ormond Street. Her skin remains very sensitive and she will continue to receive support for the next four years or so. Henrietta has decided to give half the proceeds of the book to the hospital in gratitude for her daughters treatment, while the other half covers her costs. She described the process of producing the book as really fun and has continued to write stories, including a sequel. The Secret Lives of Two Googly-Eyed Cats, which is for children aged three to five, is published today (Friday). It is available in hardback, paperback and on Kindle from Amazon and direct from Henriettas website, www. henriettamackenzie.ampbk.com Multidisciplinary team of international experts suggests participants should receive a "substantial" amount, be paid ethically. Healthy people volunteering to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, in order to help scientists better understand how to tackle the virus, should receive payment - if it is determined that these studies are otherwise ethical to proceed. Those are the findings of a new peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Bioethics, which has assessed the ethics of paying participants to take part in so-called 'Human Infection Challenge Studies' (HICS). Over the past few months there has been vast media coverage and discussion about the first COVID-19 HICS in the world, planned to begin in the UK later this year. This type of study can be particularly valuable for testing vaccines and can speed up the development of new vaccines. Using HICS for a disease that can be fatal and currently lacks a cure is ethically controversial. Part of that controversy has to do with whether participants should be paid for such a risky endeavor and how payment might affect their consent. Among the advocates of pursuing COVID-19 challenge trials is the organization, 1Day Sooner. 1Day Sooner sponsored the report on which the new study is based, seeking an independent assessment of whether and how much people should get paid to take part in challenge trials. The international research team from the UK, US, and Canada does not necessarily endorse the use of HICS for COVID-19. But if HICS proceed, their findings reflect that not only should participants be paid, but their payment should be "substantial". The research team - including experts in bioethics, economics, science, medicine, and law, as well as two individuals expressing interest in participating in SARS-CoV-2 HICS - created a framework for scientists to follow in order to ethically assess payments for people taking part in HICS. They also looked at payment in similar studies, but noted the difficulty of finding out this information. Our work was spurred by concerns that payment for SARS-CoV-2 HICS might require a novel ethical framework, which we ultimately determined to be unfounded." Holly Fernandez Lynch, Study Lead Author and John Russell Dickson, MD Presidential Assistant Professor, Medical Ethics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania "Payment for HICS participation should be treated like payment in other clinical studies involving healthy participants," she says. "High offers of payment are sometimes met with scrutiny and concern, but it can be ethically appropriate to offer substantial payment for research participation and we have to consider that low payment also raises significant ethical concerns." Professor Fernandez Lynch, who is a lawyer and bioethics expert, adds: "SARS-CoV-2 HICS should not be allowed to proceed in any setting in which there have not been adequate provisions made for compensating research-related harms, as well as other efforts to minimize risk and promote social value. "Our hope going forward is that our analysis will serve both to ease concerns about payment in these studies, should they proceed, and to advance the broader project of ensuring ethical payment to participants in all clinical research." The framework the team has developed is split into two-parts. The first focuses on three main motives for payment: 'reimbursement' (for out-of-pocket expenses), 'compensation' (which includes payment for time, burden, inconvenience of isolating, etc.), and 'incentive' (to broaden the range of individuals willing to consider participation). The second part considers appropriate compensation in the event any harm materializes - ranging from injury to death. In developing the framework, the team paid special attention to public trust, acknowledging that "research payments could affect public trust in several ways". Ultimately, they conclude that "the best way to promote trust in HICS is by helping the public understand why this design can be both scientifically important and ethically acceptable". "HICS can proceed only when strict research and ethical standards are satisfied," says co-author Thomas Darton, from the Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease at The University of Sheffield. Dr Darton is a HICS researcher, although he does not work with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He states: "If the risks associated with these studies are unreasonable in relation to their potential benefits, payment for participation cannot help achieve ethical acceptability. But if the research is otherwise ethical, it doesn't become unethical simply because payment is offered." Another factor the team considered is whether COVID-19 HICS would be "uniquely risky" and how that should influence payment levels. Ultimately, they concluded that "the ethical concerns about payment for these studies are the same as those for payment in all clinical research". "Although certainly relevant to considerations regarding the ethical acceptability of HICS, including the importance of planning for research-related harm, heightened risks do not support adopting a novel framework for HICS payment as compared to other types of research," adds co-author Emily Largent, the Emanuel and Robert Hart Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Limitations of the project include the team's perspectives being "limited to the Global North". They state, therefore, that additional considerations may be relevant when research is conducted elsewhere. The team also declined to identify a payment amount or even a range that would be appropriate for HICS or SARS-CoV-2 HICS. "Stakeholders must take the final step between conceptual guidance and actual payment offers on their own," the paper concludes. "This means that there may be several different payment offers that could be justified, but the framework can help determine which offers are ethically appropriate," says Professor Fernandez Lynch. A guest on the Antiques Roadshow last night was mocked for his rather unenthusiastic reaction after an expert revealed his Chinese table was worth up to 120,000. The episode saw Fiona Bruce and the team head to Culzean Castle in South Ayrshire, and the console was named one of the most expensive pieces of furniture ever featured on the programme. The owner told how he bought the table online from Boston, US, which cost him 7,000 including shipping. Antiques dealer Marc Allum said the ornate wooden console could fetch between 80,000 and 120,000 if it went to auction in Hong Kong - to which the owner simply replied: 'That's nice.' Scroll down for video A guest on the Antiques Roadshow last night was mocked for his rather unenthusiastic reaction after an expert revealed his Chinese table was worth up to 120,000 The episode saw Fiona Bruce and the team head to Culzean Castle in South Ayrshire, and the console was named one of the most expensive pieces of furniture ever featured on the programme Many viewers at home took to Twitter to remark on the collector's low-keyresponse, with one commenting: 'Thats nice? THAT'S NICE?!! I'd be effing and blinding like mad. That bleeper would be out in force with me!!' Marvelling over its intricate carving and construction, antiques dealer Marc Allum admitted it was 'one of the most spectacular and enigmatic piece of furniture that I've seen for a long time'. He added that it looked Western but was 'Chinese through and through', and suggested it could have been looted from the Imperial Palace in 1860 during the Opium war. 'If I look at the way this is constructed, it looks at first sight to be like an early 19th century platform based console table,' he said. Many viewers at home took to Twitter to remark on the collector's muted response, with one commenting: 'Thats nice? THAT'S NICE?!! I'd be effing and blinding like mad. That bleeper would be out in force with me!!' 'It looks to me to be made of zitan which is a member of the rosewood family. That's an imperial wood, it's a very auspicious wood. 'If we look down the leg, we can see this foot here, and I do know that there are some chairs in the summer palace that have a foot which looks literally identical to that. That's documented so we can see a similarity there as well. These are the pointers that this was made for the imperial court.' When it came to the valuation, Marc admitted it was 'really, really difficult' to put a price on it, but acknowledged that a similar smaller console table came up for auction several years ago. 'It had no platform base on it, it was missing its top and it wasnt in brilliant condition and it made 55,000,' he said. Marc said the table looked to be made of zitan which is a member of the rosewood family. 'That's an imperial wood, it's a very auspicious wood,' he added When it came to the valuation, Marc admitted it was 'really, really difficult' to put a price on it, but acknowledged that a similar smaller console table came up for auction several years ago and sold for 55,000 'What we have here is something we can't totally pin down, but it's an awful lot better than the 55,000 one. 'It's bigger, it's more complete, to me it's better quality. If we put it in a really good auction in somewhere like Hong Kong for instance, in a very specialised oriental sale, a table like this could make 80,000 to 120,000.' The owner smiled and replied: 'That's nice.' Writing on Twitter, a viewer remarked: 'Be a bit more excited about that 100K evaluation mate, one man's antique was only worth the 40 he spent getting the train here.' Antiques dealer Marc Allum said the ornate wooden console could fetch between 80,000 and 120,000 if it went to auction in Hong Kong Another wrote: '80-120k for the table,' followed by a shocked emoji, while others shared memes to express their surprise. The most expensive item to ever appear on the Antiques Roadshow was a Faberge flower in 2017, owned by a British army regiment. The detailed flower - just under 6in high- is one of only 80 surviving pieces in the world. Simon Shaw, the show's executive producer, described it as 'one of the most significant jewellery finds in 40 years of the programme's history', with suggestions it may be worth more than 1 million. Antiques Roadshow continues on Sunday on BBC1 at 8pm. ADVERTISEMENT The Police in Osun have appealed to residents of Erin-Osun and Ilobu communities in Irepodun and Orolu local councils to embrace peace while the state government finds a solution to their conflict. The state Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, gave the advice on Monday in Osogbo following a 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government on the communities, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Mr Olokode, in a statement, enjoined the indigenes of the communities to comply with the curfew order put in place by the state government. He warned that anyone found violating the curfew would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. The state governor, Gboyega Oyetola, also ordered the immediate deployment of armed policemen with support from the army to restore law and order in the troubled areas. At least two people reportedly sustained gunshot injuries in the latest clash between the two communities on Saturday. For years, Erin-Osun and Ilobu communities have been at loggerheads over a boundary dispute. Saturdays clash was said to be a result of demarcation by the officials of the Nigeria Population Commission (NPC). PREMIUM TIMES learnt that while many sustained various degrees of injuries, two persons identified as Azeez Adamu and Abdullahi Tairu were shot on their legs. Sources said residents of Erin Osun disagreed after the NPC officials in their demarcation ceded an area known as Ayedaade to Ilobu. The disagreement was basically because the NPC in their demarcation said Ayedaade belongs to Ilobu and that was not accepted by Erin Osun indigenes. It started with protest before it degenerated into a clash. Although nobody was killed but many were injured. At least two people sustained gun injuries, Kazeem Alli, a witness, said. This newspaper gathered that Messrs Adamu and Tairu have been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. Although state police command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, did not respond to our correspondent calls and text messages on the matter. She, however, told Punch Newspaper that The disagreement was because Erin Osun people claimed that part of their town at Ayedaade was being ceded to Ilobu during the Enumeration Area Demarcation. When police moved to the area, we met groups of people carrying arms and shooting at each other. One Adamu Azeez and Abdullahi Tairu both from Ilobu were shot in the leg. They were rushed to a hospital for treatment. Police have moved to the area to ensure peace. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. California mom Megan Bacigalupi has had enough. She wants her kindergartner and second grader back in their Oakland classrooms. But the coronavirus is spreading too quickly to open schools in Alameda County, based on the current state standards. And the local teachers union hasn't agreed to go back even after teachers have been vaccinated. So she expects her kids will be logging on to school from home for a while. "The impediments to opening are just too great," said Bacigalupi, who is lobbying California lawmakers to establish firm, statewide health metrics that, once met, would require schools to open. "In the end, it comes down to a lack of political will to get the kids back in the classroom." Parents across the country, many of whom relied on schools to care for their children while they worked, are frustrated and angry that remote instruction has gone on so long, even as grocery store clerks, city bus drivers and other essential workers have braved the risks of their workplaces. Lawmakers are increasingly joining their calls to get kids into classrooms, citing the loss of worker productivity and parents' concerns about the social, emotional and academic effects on children. President Joe Biden has pledged to open most schools within his first 100 days in office if Congress provides funding, and if states and cities adopt safety steps. But that will be a herculean task. Nearly one year into the pandemic, fewer than half of students are attending schools that are teaching in person every day, and the question of how and when to get kids back into classrooms often depends less on science than politics including the strength of local teachers unions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded recently that schools can reopen safely if their communities have low levels of the virus and they adhere strictly to measures such as requiring everyone to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks. But in numerous communities, those basic measures haven't been followed, even before the vaccine rollout and many teachers aren't convinced they will be safe on campus. With infection rates starting to decline nationally, many parents, superintendents, school boards and politicians insist this is the moment to stop striving for perfection and embrace the health measures necessary to get kids into classrooms safely. Some are even taking dramatic measures, such as the city of San Francisco, which sued its school district Wednesday to force it to open. The same day, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing that schools can safely reopen even if teachers aren't yet vaccinated. "If we wait for the perfect, we might as well just pack it up and just be honest with folks that were not going to open for in-person instruction in the school year," Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told school administrators breaking with the politically powerful California Teachers Association, which wants all teachers vaccinated before reopening. Teachers fear for safety In many states, teachers lobbied to be among the first to be vaccinated after health care workers and nursing home residents. But they also argue the vaccines alone are not enough to open schools. They want low levels of community spread. They want as many school staffers as possible vaccinated, which could take months. And they want assurances that schools won't relax masking, physical distancing and other safety measures. "We've had concerns about some districts being more lax even before the vaccine," said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. Dr. Mark Schleiss, a pediatrics professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, agreed that health measures must be enforced even after vaccination. "It's unfortunate that people think life goes back to normal, that once we get the vaccine, the masks come flying off," he said. "Vaccination doesn't take things back to normal." That's because there are still unknowns about the vaccines: It's unclear if vaccinated people can transmit the virus. Plus, not all adults can get a vaccine (for medical reasons), and about 5% of those who receive the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech versions might not be fully protected. Kids are another matter entirely: No Covid vaccine has yet been approved for use in children younger than 16. Teachers say they feel especially vulnerable when the virus is running rampant in a community, but health experts don't agree on exactly what that means. "We don't know a definite threshold," said Dr. Neha Nanda, medical director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California. In Montgomery, Alabama, four educators died within 48 hours in January, spurring the city's district to go remote starting Feb. 1. "We have educators who are dying from this. We know they're taking it home," said Theron Stokes, associate executive director of the Alabama Education Association teachers union. The politics of reopening As of late January, about 38% of K-12 public school students attended virtual-only schools, 38% attended in-person schools, and 24% attended hybrid schools that offered a mix of both, according to Burbio, a company tracking a representative sample of 1,200 school districts. Decisions about returning to school have often been driven by ideology in the absence of firm scientific guidance about community spread. Politics plays as big a role as health, said Bree Dusseault, practitioner-in-residence at the Center on Reinventing Education, a nonpartisan research center that has tracked 477 school districts since March. "Because the pandemic became so politicized, districts found themselves in political debates in their own communities." For instance, some politically motivated decisions to reopen schools were made despite dangerous surges in Covid cases over the summer. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott told schools in July they'd have to transition to in-person education after the state attorney general declared "sweeping" school closures unlawful. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to withhold state funding from schools that did not reopen in person. In Democratic strongholds such as New Jersey and Chicago, powerful unions have protested and delayed school reopenings. Union opposition played a part in the Oakland school district's decision to stick with remote-only learning in the fall, which boggled Bacigalupi's mind because Covid cases had dropped after the summer surge. At the time, restaurants, gyms and hair salons in her county were allowed to partially reopen, and some schools in neighboring counties had also opened. "One of the reasons it's so frustrating is that we can look at so many places and we see tens of thousands of kids back in school," said Bacigalupi, whose children, ages 5 and 8, have been out of school for nearly a year. "Im also just sad. And the sadness gets worse as you see whats happening to your kid. Its harming them." Bacigalupi said her second grader is like a different child he's quick to anger and struggles to regulate his emotions. He now gets counseling once a week. Balancing risks Under pressure, more schools are reopening by the day. In Cincinnati, city schools returned to a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning this month after a judge dismissed a teachers union lawsuit seeking to delay reopening. Public health officials say districts must acknowledge that holding school in person is a calculated risk, and take concrete steps to minimize the danger for staff members and kids. These include separating desks in classrooms even if that means holding class in a gymnasium erecting plexiglass barriers where possible and limiting school sports. "Implementing a combination of all of these layered approaches will make it a lot safer," said Krystal Pollitt, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the Yale School of Public Health, which last year issued guidance to help schools determine when to reopen. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country, has taken a number of measures, including installing upgraded air filters, purchasing an ionized cleaning system to sanitize surfaces and rearranging furniture in classrooms, said Kelly Gonez, president of the school board. But like the local and state teachers unions and the district superintendent, Gonez believes the rampant spread of Covid in the region must be addressed first. "Once the broader Covid conditions are in a safer place in the community, I think we will be ready," Gonez said. "We have the protocols in place to do this successfully." On Wednesday, the local American Academy of Pediatrics chapter countered that schools should reopen immediately because the social isolation, anxiety and lack of structure are "causing undue harm" to children. "'Safe' is a relative term," said Schleiss, the Minnesota professor. "Continuing to attend school with careful monitoring is reasonable. We don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good." The truth is, our children are constantly learning from us and how we engage with the world around us. We may not sit them down and talk to them about love of country and what might be considered over the top. But they are seeing how we respond to current events. They notice the causes we champion. And, all of these things work together to greatly influence the people they will end up being. Being patriotic and loving America isnt wrong. Im so proud that I get to call this place home. I didnt choose to be born here, but God blessed me beyond measure. I believe in praying for our leaders, expressing gratitude to our military and thanking God for the freedoms we enjoy. However, if that basic love and respect turns into a rabid form of Christian nationalism, its an idol no different than the golden calf the Israelites created. Instead, we are exhorted to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). What Is Christian Nationalism? We hear a lot about Christian nationalism in the news right now, but what is it? Andrew Whitehead, in his book Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States defines Christian nationalism this way: a cultural framework that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life. It contends that America has been and should always be distinctively Christian from top to bottom--in its self-identity, interpretations of its own history, sacred symbols, cherished values, and public policies--and it aims to keep it that way. But, the Christian in Christian nationalism is more about identity than religion. It carries with it assumptions about nativism, white supremacy, authoritarianism, patriarchy, and militarism. C.S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves, writes Love, having become a god, becomes a demon. In other words, love of anything (even things considered good) can reach a point to where it becomes a problem. As parents, we need to model the correct behavior that shows the next generation what is truly important. Here are a few things I believe we need to keep in mind as we shape the next generation. 1. Our Allegiance to God Should Surpass Our Allegiance to a Flag Ultimately, as Christians, we know that this is not our ultimate home. As Billy Graham once said, The Bible says that as long as we are here on Earth, we are strangers in a foreign land. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven. Our primary allegiance should be to the things of God, not to our country of residence. Thats not to say we shouldnt be patriotic. But, our love for America should never cause us to turn a blind eye to the things that matter to God. This has happened throughout our nations history, where people have chosen country over God. Leaders and citizens did spiritual and moral gymnastics to justify the evils of slavery and Jim Crow laws. And, today, we see the similarities in our modern political discourse. Well set aside the things we hear on Sunday if it means our political party is winning on the other days. In general, many of us display a passion for American policy and politics that we dont possess in our faith. We wave the flag, but wont reach out in love to a neighbor. We post on Facebook about how much we love America, but refuse to stand up for those in it who have been marginalized. Parents, our children need to see us showing the correct balance in our priorities. We can be patriotic and love our country, just like we can appreciate other things that this life has to offer. But, we should be men and women after Gods own heart first. Everything else comes afterwards. We need to talk to our children about the true history of this nation, how far weve come, and how far we have yet to go. They need to hear us say that our home is ultimately in heaven, and that God placed us where we are in order to make America better. They need to know that God is less concerned about so-called Christian policies coming out of the White House and more concerned about Christian living happening in your house. 2. Loving Americans Is More Important Than Loving America None of us chose our parents or our skin color. While we can choose where we live as adults, none of us chose where we were born. God, in His great mercy, allowed me to be an American. But, He didnt put me here for me to boast about my earthly home. He puts all of us where He wants us to bring about His kingdom on earth. Pastor and author Tim Keller wrote a book based on the well-known parable of the prodigal son called The Prodigal God. In it, he writes about the description of judgment day from Jesus in Matthew 25 and how many people be turned away because they didnt serve the hungry, refugee, sick or prisoner. Jesus says, Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25: 45-46). Keller writes, There is no contradiction to what we have heard from Jesus in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He is not saying that only the social workers get into heaven. Rather he is saying that inevitable sign that you know you are a sinner saved by sheer, costly grace is a sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of service to the poor. Jesus hates suffering, injustice, evil, and death so much that he came and experienced it to defeat it and someday, to wipe the world clean of it. Knowing this, Christians cannot be passive about hunger, sickness and injustice. Karl Marx and others have charged that religion is the opiate of the masses. That is, it is a sedative that makes people passive towards injustice Christianity, however, teaches that God hates the suffering and oppression of this material world so much, that he was willing to get involved in it and to fight against it. Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It is more like the smelling salts. Loving your country isnt necessarily wrong, as long as you are loving your neighbors first. For children to grow up with this proper perspective, they need to see their parents caring for the sick, reaching out to those in need, giving to organizations that make a difference and working hard to right the wrongs we see in our country. We have to ask ourselves difficult questions. What causes do we champion? Are these efforts on Gods agenda, or mine? 3. Caring for Outsiders Is More Righteous Than Loving People Just Like Us Im not here to introduce a debate about our national immigration policy. There are people far smarter than me who are better equipped to speak to those issues. But, from my reading of the Bible, its clear to me what Im supposed to do: love everyone, including strangers (or immigrants). Loving people like us is not hard for most of us. It makes sense people like me come from a similar place, having the same hopes and dreams for the future. But, loving people I dont know, especially those from completely different backgrounds, takes more intentionality. Too often, Ill hear or see patriotic types of remarks from people that are hostile to immigrants at best, and down-right hateful at worst. This has been very common over these last few years. The bottom line is that patriotism is not a fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). Immediately before this list, Paul describes some of the things that are the opposite, or works of the flesh. They include idolatry, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions and divisions. Thomas Kidd writes for The Gospel Coalition: Whats the difference between Christian nationalism (bad) and Christian patriotism (good in moderation)? Political theorist Benedict Anderson described nations as imagined communities: though nations may be vast in geography and population, many of us cherish such intense patriotic commitment that we would lay down our lives (or those of our children) to defend our country, and to promote its power around the globe. Obviously, traditional Christians ought to limit that kind of nationalistic fervor. As strangers and exiles on the earth, our ultimate allegiance is to Christs kingdom. Our love for a non-American brother or sister in Christ should exceed our comradeship with unbelieving American patriots, whose numbers are legion. Wow, thats one way to put it. As a follower of Jesus, I should have more in common with my Christian brother or sister in Pakistan, Mexico, Uganda or Russia than I do with the guy down the street who doesnt know the Lord but flies American flags from his porch. If we are doing anything that elevates America to idol status, we need to ask God to tear it down. To fulfill our Godly role as parents in teaching the next generation how to follow God, there cant be anything that stands in the way. Even good things can sometimes pull us off course. Our priorities as Christians, and what we need to model for our kids, are these: loving God and loving people. Loving country didnt make that biblical short-list of to-dos. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Enterline Design Services LLC. Brent Rinehart is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer. He blogs about the amazing things parenting teaches us about life, work, faith and more at www.apparentstuff.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @brentrinehart Uttarakhand glacier burst: Rescue operations can possibly take 24-48 hours, says NDRF India oi-Briti Roy Barman Chamoli, Feb 08: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director on Monday informed rescue operations in Uttarakhand, after the glacier burst in Chamoli district, may continue for 24 to 48 hours. "There's accessibility issue because it is a tough terrain. By road, only two teams could manage to reach...the remaining teams were airlifted. It's difficult to predict how long," added the NDRF Director. "Rescue operation underway in 2.5 km long tunnel. The problem lies with debris which's gradually being cleared. 27 people have been rescued, 11 are dead, 153 are missing, and out of 153, 40-50 are stuck in the tunnel and for the rest, there is a possibility of being washed away in Uttarakhand," he added. Uttarakhand glacier burst: Missing workers most probably from UP and Bihar District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria said that the rescue operations are in progress in collaboration with NDRF teams. The rescue teams will also reach the villages that are affected due to the breakdown of a bridge. "We have started rescue operations for 13 villages who are affected due to breakdown of the bridge and will provide them with food and medical assistance," Bhadoria said. A total of 14 bodies were recovered while over 170 people are still missing Over 170 labourers -- 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga -- are said to be missing, a spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced 4 lakh compensation for the family of those killed. Rawat also said teams from the police, the Army and the ITBP, as well as from the national and state disaster response forces, were "doing their best to save the lives of the workers at sites affected by the disaster". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 16:41 [IST] San Antonio Express-News file photo Martin Phipps, a prominent San Antonio attorney and owner of Paramour, was arrested Monday by the San Antonio Police Department, as reported by Emilie Eaton for the Express-News. Phipps, 51, is being investigated for harassment involving a woman from a previous romantic relationship, the sources said. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 TORRINGTON Angaza Mwando was inspired by what he heard at his groups first online cultural program about Black History Month. The turnout tonight is amazing, said Mwando, who shared a civil rights moment during the program, talking about the time he met Huey Newton, a founder of the Black Panthers. Angaza and Effie Mwando, founders of Our Culture is Beautiful, launched the first of a series of online cultural programs about Black History Month Friday, and were pleased with both the turnout and the speakers participation. Im just overjoyed to hear your statements, its very inspiring, Angaza Mwando said. Theres a cross-section of people here tonight, which is really great. The Mwandos started Our Culture is Beautiful as a way to celebrate the citys diverse population. They are also focused on getting local people involved in government. Speakers at Fridays forum included City Clerk Carol Anderson and City Councilwoman Sharon Waagner, as well as Joanne Creedon, principal of Forbes elementary school, and three Forbes teachers. Creedons school community started a race and equity committee at Forbes, and she shared the experience of that committee with the group. The commitment of our city to understand our diversity is amazing, Creedon said. We had talked about having a predominantly white, female staff, teaching a diverse student population, and knew it was important to our teaching staff to acknowledge our students differences. Michelle Boulette, a 20-year veteran teacher in Torrington, talked about the challenges of a diverse student group at Forbes. Every day I look out at my beautiful students and I see a very diverse population, she said. I see all these little brown faces, and theyre being taught by white women. I think its very important to do whatever we can to build our faculty and staff with more diversity. Boulette said the committee was trying to start a mentoring program for the students. Thanks to COVID-19, that didnt happen, she said. Hopefully ... we can get a mentoring program up and running. Special education teacher Kristin Talbot, identified as disabled and queer, said she was grateful to the Black community for their fight for peoples rights. Were not just learning about racism at school, were building it into our practices, Talbot said. Weve got a big, long list of books that star Black kids and Black characters, and are written by Black authors, she said. I cant tell your stories because Im not going to get it right. This way, we can share those stories from your perspective. The Mwandos also talked about Black leaders, musicians and other notable men and women who made significant change in history. Effie Mwando said she wanted to see more people run for office and get involved. To move forward, become city leaders, whether its City Council, or a legislator, or running for mayor, thats what its all about, she said. Weve shown you some examples of leaders, and next Friday, well do it again, and well have a totally different presentation and different speakers. She also encouraged people to use Black History Month as a way to educate themselves on the impact of Black Americans on the United States. Our Culture is Beautiful has a list of things people can do, from reading books and other literature to watching films, supporting businesses and learning new activities. Those experiences are going to last a lifetime, Effie Mwando said. She then spoke about a bill under consideration in the state legislature called the Crown Act. Do you believe people of color have a law that governs how they wear their hair? she asked the group. A Black American who has thick, curly hair, or wears an afro, can get written up on their jobs, or lose their jobs; (they) have the intellect, the education and the credentials to do that job, but they have to wear their hair a certain way, The Crown Act, she said, is written so a person can be themselves naturally, and wear their hair however they choose. The next Our Culture is Beautiful Black History Month program will be held Feb. 12 on Zoom. To attend, go to the groups Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Our-Culture-is-Beautiful-2399879000241046 or call 860-375-5842. New Delhi: Actor Shahid Kapoor treated fans to a new selfie in which he styled some cool shades that suited his rugged beard look. The actor recently took off for Goa with his wife Mira Rajput and has been sharing glimpses from the location. The actor took to Instagram to share this new picture in which he is seen posing in a car. The close-up selfie shows the actors sun-kissed face and stylish reflective aviators. Shahid has been actively posting updates from his time in Goa and his fans absolutely love it. Earlier he shared some laid back vibes on the weekend with a messy morning look. Fans gushed over the image in which Shahid is seen resting on a couch, posing with a winky face. Mira Rajput and Shahid shared many pictures from their vacation in Goa. The pictures from their glamorous vacation flooded the internet. Mira took the opportunity to flaunt her fabulous wardrobe and fans absolutely loved it. On the work front, the actor recently finished shooting for his upcoming film Jersey. He announced the release date of the film with a still from the movie and captioned the post saying that it will release on Diwali, November 5. The strange tale of the man with scissors for hands is coming back, but with a slight twist for the very obvious reason that Johnny Depp has been canceled following his divorce from Amber Heard. Winona Ryder is Kim, but now older, wiser and a single mother, and supposedly a successful career woman, since she can afford Cadillacs first-ever all-electric car, the Lyriq , which starts at $60,000.Timothee Chalamet is her son, Edgar. Like his father, he too has scissors for hands, which understandably makes everyday activities more difficult, if not downright impossible. You can see a day in his high school life in the video below, one of the two ads GM had running during the Super Bowl LV featuring the Lyriq. The other is the one in which Will Ferrell hates Norway for leading the electric revolution.Because his scissorhands do so much damage, Edgar ends up having to walk home from school when the bus driver would not let him board again. He dreams of driving his own car, but, of course, that too would be impossible.Unless that car is the new Lyriq, which comes with Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance that offers assisted driving on certain highways. The ad also offers a good look at the interior of the Lyriq, including the massive LED display with a customizable interface and a myriad of options. For Edgar, its what freedom looks like.You can see the ad in full below. For those of a certain age, those who grew up with Edward Scissorhands, it tugs at the heartstrings. For everyone else, it could serve as an introduction to a classic film while highlighting the electric future. Dozens of supporters of Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko clashed with police in the capital Dakar on Monday after a beautician accused the politician of rape. Sonko finished third in 2019 elections that saw President Macky Sall win a second term in office, and is considered a future presidential contender in the West African state. But controversy has dogged the politician since early this month, when Senegalese media reported that an employee of a beauty salon had filed rape charges against him. Sonko denied the charges in a series of Twitter posts late Sunday, saying he had visited the salon for massages to relieve back pain. The 46-year-old head of the opposition Pastef party added that the rape accusation was an "attempt at political liquidation," noting that two people had always been present during the massages. "I explicitly accuse Macky Sall... of fomenting this political plot against me," he said. A Pastef official told AFP that Sonko had refused to attend a police summons on Monday. On Twitter, Sonko said he did not attend because he had parliamentary immunity, but added that he would speak to investigators were his immunity lifted. Dozens of supporters gathered outside Sonko's residence in Dakar on Monday and hurled rocks at police officers, according to an AFP journalist. Officers fired tear gas to disperse them. The protesters later moved into nearby neighbourhoods and set up roadblocks at roundabouts. Sonko's current whereabouts are unknown. Senegal's government was also not immediately available for comment. The rape allegation comes amid uncertainty over whether 59-year-old Sall will run for a third term. Presidents in the former French colony are limited to two consecutive terms, but Sall launched a constitutional review in 2016, raising suspicions that he intends to run again. Other presidents in the region have used constitutional changes to extend their grip on power. In Guinea, 82-year-old President Alpha Conde won a controversial third term last year after pushing through a new constitution that allowed him to bypass a two-term limit. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, 78, was also elected for an equally contentious third term after having revised the country's constitution. lal-sd/mjs/gd Bear in mind two things. First of all, many Russians recall the 1980s, when their country was ruled by decrepit, aging Politburo hacks, hastening the demise of the Soviet Union. Those same Russians also recall the 1990s, when the United States, it is felt, imposed a level of democracy and capitalism upon Russia that was ever lacking in America itself, leading to chaos and bankruptcy. Russian journalists are not buying the Biden administration's party line. They do not trust American media coverage of Joe Biden. What they are reporting provides a very different and, apparently, more perceptive view of Biden than the breathless, glowing coverage provided by our own media. The very first Russian impression of Joe Biden is that he is weak and cowardly. Biznes Online Gazeta covered the inauguration. The Russian correspondent found great amusement in the "unprecedented security measures" undertaken ahead of the inauguration, when "dozens of neighborhoods were fenced off, beyond which a person could not even carry a balloon or ride a bicycle, classified as potentially dangerous objects," as well as the fact that Biden took his oath of office "guarded by a military division of 25,000 troops in a cordoned-off Capitol." The reporter hinted that the absence of spectators was as much for security reasons as for the pandemic. Despite the 200,000 flags displayed in the street before the White House, "it looked gloomy in the ringing silence." The Russian journalist made a point of noting that Biden's wife Jill had to support Biden with both arms as he took his oath of office. In this connection, the Russian reminded his readers that, after all, "Biden waited for this day for 33 years." As to Biden's stirring proclamation, "It's America Day! This is a day of democracy, a day of history and hope," the Russian has his doubts, since "Biden was reading from a huge teleprompter a hundred meters away." Following his review of the troops and his visit to Arlington, the Russian journalist noted, "the Head of State who took office went to the White House, where he will live, if age does not interfere the president is 78 for the next four years." Russians also make much of the fact that Biden holed up inside during a recent snowfall because of "a white cover only 5 cm thick," seeing it as an additional sign of weakness. Russian journalists are quick to point to evidence that Biden is not the sort of democratic leader one would expect from the world's leading democratic state. Russian news service Smotrim's press coverage of the inauguration includes the shameful "eviction of the National Guard fighters from the Capitol to an unheated parking lot," noting that the first lady's gesture to "personally express gratitude for their service" was to bring a single basket of chocolate cookies to the checkpoint for 25,000 guardsmen. The article added that, cooped up together like that in unsanitary conditions, in return for their service, several hundred National Guardsmen have now tested positive for the coronavirus and are under quarantine. The Biznes Online story was headlined, "Biden: 'If you Disagree with me so be it, this is Democracy, this is America" which Russians see as a contradiction in terms. Putin's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, was astonished that Biden would so readily agree to an extension of START 3, a nuclear disarmament treaty, in the one phone call he made to Putin on January 26, noting with amusement that "unlike us, he has not included his legislature in this decision," implying that Biden cannot rely upon his Congress, which is why he continues to issue directives without congressional involvement again, to Russians, a sign of weakness as well as an abandonment of democratic procedure. Putin, for his part, placed the decision of whether to extend START 3 before his Duma immediately after that phone call; the Duma voted to extend. Sputnik radio host Mikhail Sheinkman began his February 5 broadcast as follows: "Thanks to the bad weather in Washington, we managed to understand what awaits us. Because even Phil the groundhog, though sleeping, was pulled out of his burrow on February 2. Biden came out of his only on the fourth. Therefore the 'winter' in relations with Russia will be long." Russians anticipate that Biden's presidency will be a repeat of their eight years under the unpredictable, hawkish President Obama. Quoted in Pravda, Chairman Leonid Slutsky of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs had this to say about Joe Biden's February 4 speech to the U.S. State Department: "Biden's promise to toughly confront Russia is nothing new. The new American president has repeated all the cliches and patterns of the Obama administration. In fact, the White House is continuing the line of the undeclared Cold War 2.0." Slutsky added, quoted in Ria Novosti, "This ultimatum-imperative tone is absolutely unacceptable to Russia. We will not allow anyone to tell us how to conduct our domestic and foreign policy." The Pravda reporter commented, "What has he promised our country? During the election campaign, when it came to Russia, he constantly promised to make it pay for everything." Russian state Duma deputy Ruslan Balbek had this to say about the Biden speech: "Mr. Biden, you were very good at warming your pockets, the corrupt way, during Poroshenko's presidency [in Ukraine]. But this is no example, and your speech is not a decree. So go seal your wishes and threats in an envelope and let it go in the wind, since this will have the same effect upon the Russian Federation." Lynn Corum is a translator of Russian who studies developments in the Russian press that affect America's national interests. She has been researching and writing on Putin's stated plans since 2009 and is a world expert on Project Russia, the Kremlin's published state ideology. Image: W. Bulach via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Green Park Griffin Theatre Co February 6 Darlinghursts Green Park has particular significance for Sydneys queer population. It runs parallel to the wall on Darlinghurst Road once a popular spot for sex work and its now-demolished toilet block served as a gay beat (a spot for meeting other men for casual sex). For the next month, people will meet in this park to sit, don headsets, and watch a play steeped in that history unfold on a wooden bench. The two characters Warren (Steve Le Marquand), an ostensibly-straight man in his fifties visiting from regional NSW, and Edden (Joseph Althouse), a much younger Sydneysider who is openly out and in command of an easy sexuality are here to discuss the terms of an impending hook-up. (The park remains open during performances, and the unpredictability of passers-by is part of the magic). Warren (Steve Le Marquand) and Edden (Joseph Althouse) in Green Park. Credit:Brett Boardman Elias Jamieson Brown re-wrote Green Park amid the coronavirus pandemic to take place in the park itself, rather than setting it in an apartment, as originally planned. Its an unexpected blessing; the play teems with the trauma of gay history, and the park is inextricably linked to that past. The works heart beats in time with old ghosts. press release "Massive resources are also being deployed to upgrade our air conditioning system for the comfort of passengers..." Nigeria's flagship privately operated airport terminal, Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Lagos, is embarking on a massive upgrading of its X-ray machine and air conditioning systems for passengers safety, security and comfort. The Wale Babalakin Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL) operated MMA2, Lagos, has just spent about $500,000 importing a sizeable number of X-ray machines to enhance and accelerate the screening of passengers and cargoes, according to a press statement by Mikail Mumuni, Group Corporate Affairs Manager of BASL. Mr Mumuni added that "massive resources are also being deployed to upgrade our air conditioning system for the comfort of passengers as we always treat our customers as Kings and Queens." The BASL spokesman said the ongoing upgrading of the facilities is part of the company's determination to continue to give Nigeria the best airport terminal that is comparable to those available in the developed economies. "To satisfy our customers, we had to buy 50% of the money required for the importation of the X-ray machines from the parallel market as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was only able to allocate 50% to us. This, when added to the amount spent on the air conditioners, is a huge investment on our part, especially at this pandemic period when businesses are at low ebb and considering the fact that BASL is not a beneficiary of the Federal Government's COVID-19 Palliatives to the aviation sector," he said. Bi-Courtney Limited was granted a concession by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to design, build and operate MMA2. The company is required to under the concession agreement to transfer MMA2 to the FGN after 36 years of operation. MMA2 was constructed and completed within the schedule, a rare feat in Nigeria's aviation industry and the terminal has been adjudged the best in the country by both the private and public stakeholders. Signed. Mikail A. Mumuni Group Corporate Affairs Manager Credit: CC0 Public Domain Consumer behaviour and the corporate response to a changing marketing landscape have been driven by the advent of social media over the last 15 years or so. There are pros and cons, but companies that manage their social media outlets and engage with customers in a positive way can reap the rewards and manage their brands for an improved bottom line. Just how much of a boost to corporate success good brand management in social media and online social networks can be is still up for debate given the relatively small amount of research that has been undertaken in this area. Work published in the International Journal of Electronic Business, investigates the relationship between different content categories and user engagement as well as the impact on user trust of a brand and their ultimate intention to buy the brand. Vincent Gottel, Bernd Wirtz, and Paul Langer of the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer analysed 247 Facebook brand communities. As one would perhaps expect, they found that entertaining, vivid, informative, and credible content had a positive effect on user engagement. This positive effect is ultimately reflected in trust in a brand and purchase intention. The team writes that "This study represents one of the first confirmatory empirical research papers about success factors of social media brand community management in terms of content categories provided by community managers which positively influence user engagement." They thus suggest it could serve as the basis for future related conceptual and empirical research. Explore further Why consumers hide and unlike brands on Facebook More information: Vincent Gottel et al. Success factors of brand community management in social media, International Journal of Electronic Business (2021). Vincent Gottel et al. Success factors of brand community management in social media,(2021). DOI: 10.1504/IJEB.2021.112762 [February 08, 2021] Trend Micro U.S. Channel Leader Recognized as 2021 CRN Channel Chief DALLAS, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the leader in cloud security, today announced that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , has named Louise McEvoy, vice president of U.S. Channels, to its 2021 list of Channel Chiefs. The prestigious CRN Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes the channel's best leaders who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation, and growth. "We are continuously adapting our program to respond to the changing market dynamics and to meet our partners' needs. Under Louise's leadership, our channel program has been refreshed to enable and reward our partners for their cloud business, keeping it highly competitive and lucrative for our partners," said Hernan Armbruster, vice president of Americas Sales. "Louise's recognition to CRN's Channel Chiefs is a reflection of her expertise, leadership and commitment. Louise's professionalism, passion and drive make her an amazing leader and a role model for Trenders worldwide." This nomination follows several other accolades Trend Micro's channel program has recently earned. In 2020, market analyst firm Canalys, recognized Trend Micro's commitment to the channel and named the company a channel "Champion." Earlier this year, CRN named Trend Micro one of the 100 Coolest Cloud Companies for 2021 for both its partner and product solutions for the cloud. "CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industry's biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success." CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs . About Trend Micro Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world's most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn, and Facebook . 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trend-micro-us-channel-leader-recognized-as-2021-crn-channel-chief-301223353.html SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 AS the white pirogue drifted in the waters just off Belle Garden in Tobago early yesterday morning, fishermen working nearby knew something was wrong. What they saw in the small vessel stunned them. Fourteen bodies, all of them male, along with a skull and other skeletal remains, were piled inside the vessel as it floated four miles off Belle Garden, police confirmed. The bodies were all clad in tracksuits and green rain jackets and were severely decomposed, police investigators said. This was a horrific crime that shocked our local community in 1992, Hobart Police Detective Lt. Nicholas Wardrip said in a statement. Lofton was born in East Chicago, but moved to Tennessee at an early age. Lofton was interviewed by investigators in September 2020; however, he denied knowing either victim or even being in Indiana at the time of the murders. Investigators utilized DNA technology and interviewed witnesses to bring the case together against Lofton. The Reverend Dr. Charles Amarkwei, the Resident Minister of the Calvary Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has charged Christians to strictly observe the COVID-19 protocols in and outside the chapel to help contain the spread of the virus. He said though Jesus Christ could heal all diseases, it was important they did what was expected of them to keep the virus away. Rev. Dr. Amarkwei said, we need to keep trusting Jesus in this Covid-19 period to provide us with healing, but we also need to continue with the protocols judiciously. He noted that the study of Science was essential to the total development of the human being, hence the need for all to always wear nose masks, wash hands with soap under running water, use hand sanitiser and social disturbance to kill the virus. ...If we cannot use what we have in Science, it is then that God comes in with His healing power. He is already doing it, Rev. Dr. Amarkwei said, adding that knowledge in Science was from God. He asked his congregants not to panic over the spread of the virus, instead go by the protocols and encourage others to do same. Rev. Dr. Amarkwei said Christians were expected to be law abiding and reiterated the need for them to always be in nose masks. He asked them to have faith in the Lord and continue to pray for all health workers and government as the fight against the spread of the virus continued. 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 ODM leader Raila Odinga clashed with Governor Josphat Nanok during his third and last tour of Turkana County to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). The two leaders faced off at St Augustine Catholic Church in Lodwar on Sunday, with Mr Nanok criticising Mr Odinga for not agreeing with the idea of multiple choice questions. While the ODM boss was in Kakuma in Turkana East, Governor Nanok held a parallel rally at Lowarang'ek in the neighboring Turkana North. At that gathering, he faulted the BBI, saying it will not guarantee increased resources to marginalised counties. The duo later met at the church. Threat to decamp Mr Nanok told his party boss that he is ready to join another political outfit, claiming views by Turkana;'s residents and leaders were not captured in the document that could result in amendments to the 2010 Constitution. The county chief further said he has a problem with the revenue-sharing proposal as his county will lose a whopping Sh9 billion with focus on populations. "When you propose a capping in the Constitution based on population, what are you telling us? The formula says you can't get more than three times per capita in revenue sharing," he said. "In Turkana, where we have a population of one million people, our revenue will reduce from Sh10 billion to Sh9 billion if the BBI is passed." He said efforts for multiple choice questions and an assurance about equality in funding fell on deaf ears. The people's rights Mr Nanok warned that he will leave ODM if the Turkana community is ignored in decision making. "Since the BBI process started, I have called two leaders' meetings that brought together over 3,000 grassroots leaders from all parts of the county. We dissected the BBI report. If there is a community that understands the BBI better, it is the Turkana, because we looked at it ... every word, every sentence and every chapter, with the help of lawyers." He said the proposed constitutional changes are not popular in Turkana and that the county's leaders will not go against the wishes of their constituents. "Turkana residents elected me and in the last election, ODM scooped 60 percent of all the votes 40 percent went to Jubilee, which enticed voters using relief food," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He noted that Turkana's leaders will defend the rights of their people to ensure development as the county has a high poverty rate. Raila's criticism And before inviting the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, Governor Nanok said he had received reports that Mr Odinga and his team had been given a poor reception. In his address, Mr Odinga told him the reports were false as "Turkana is home and shall remain home". He claimed the governor has joined forces with political leaders of questionable character and asked him to tell his people the truth about the BBI. Mr Odinga further criticised Governor Nanok's administration over development, saying the people are wallowing in poverty yet they trusted him to improve their lives. The ODM leader further said the county will get more than Sh9 billion in additional funds and will have at least Sh20 billion from the national government, contrary to Governor Nanok's claims. Mr Odinga was accompanied by MPs Maina Kamanda (Nominated), Godfrey Otsosi (Vihiga), Jeremiah Lomurkai (Loima) Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Woman Representative), Mishi Mbogo (Likoni), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Ali Lokiru (Turkana East) and Caleb Hamisi (Saboti). As hopeful romantics turn to online dating apps this Valentines Day, scammers are scouring the sites for their next victims, the FBI warns. Those looking for love online should be careful of romance scams ahead of the Feb. 14 holiday, the FBI office in Richmond, Virginia, said in a news release. Well-rehearsed criminals search dating sites, apps, chat rooms, and other social media networking sites attempting to build relationships for the sole purpose of getting your money or your personally identifiable information, the agency said. Its best to only use reputable, nationally-recognized dating sites, although its likely that fraudsters are using them, too, the FBI warns. Users should never provide their personal or financial information, including requests from a potential suitor to use their personal bank account to transfer money. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about a similar romance scam that tricks victims into laundering stolen economic stimulus payments from the federal government. The consumer watchdog group said the gimmick typically begins with seemingly harmless requests from the scammer to receive money on their behalf and wire it overseas. It turns out that the money they want you to receive is actually stolen CARES Act funds, according to the BBB. After stealing it, scammers send the money through someone in the United States to make it harder for authorities to trace. The scammer may suddenly delete his or her dating profile once the conversation moves offline and become hostile or distant if you refuse to carry out the request, the watchdog group says. Money laundering and wire fraud are illegal, the BBB says. Although the money mule is a victim, too, they may still face prosecution. Romance scammers pretending to be engineers con NC women out of thousands, feds say Several scams have been reported in the the United States so far in 2021, according to the BBB Scam Tracker. One victim out of Virginia reportedly lost $2,000. Story continues I was scammed into providing one of my credit card numbers and bank account information from this fake person, according to a complaint posted online. They tried to open new accounts in my name, but thankfully were unsuccessful. ... They also tricked me into a brief friendship and relationship. The FBI also warns that Mr. Right or Ms. Right may peddle sob stories of severe life circumstances, tragedies, family deaths, injuries or other hardships geared at keeping your interest and concern. Dont believe them. To avoid being scammed, the FBI and the BBB say users should do their research by searching for the persons name and profile on other social media and dating websites. A reverse image search lookup on Google Images will also show if the photos used on a persons dating profile have been stolen from somewhere else, according to the BBB. Its always best to meet in a public place if you make plans to hang out in-person, and if youre traveling overseas to meet someone, provide family and friends with your itinerary, the FBI in Richmond says. Those who believe theyre a victim of a romance scam can file a complaint with the FBIs Internet Crimes Complaint Center and contact local law enforcement. California rapper who sang about stealing COVID-19 aid collected over $700K, feds say Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 23:55:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Intellectual Property Court Sunday accepted the case filed by the popular Chinese short-video platform Douyin against the Internet giant Tencent over alleged monopolistic behavior. Douyin claims that Tencent has been placing restrictions on users sharing Douyin content on its social-media apps WeChat and QQ in violation of China's antitrust laws. The short-video platform on Tuesday filed the case with the Beijing court, asking the court to order Tencent to cease its monopolistic practices. Douyin said on Tuesday that Tencent's widely popular WeChat started to impose restrictions on more than 30 short-video apps, including Douyin and Kuaishou, in April 2018, on the pretext of "regulating online short videos." While WeChat's restrictions for Tencent-invested apps, such as Kuaishou and Weishi, were lifted later that year, its ban on Douyin's video links has been effective until now. Tencent fired back later that day, claiming that Douyin's allegations were "maliciously framed" and that the short-video app has illegally obtained WeChat users' personal information through various methods of unfair competition. In response to Tencent's statement, Douyin said that Tencent made false allegations about the so-called illegal access to WeChat users' personal information and that Tencent's restrictions on Douyin constitute a "monopolistic act of abusing a dominant market position to exclude or restrict competition," which violates China's anti-monopoly laws. Enditem Dutch crime drama Stanley, Belgian political thriller Blackout and French thriller Cheyenne and Lola all premiere this Thursday at SBS on Demand. Stanley All four episodes available to stream. In Dutch with English subtitles. Stanley is a miniseries based on the life of Stanley Hillis (Jeroen Spitzenberger) one of the most infamous criminals in the Netherlands. Over the course of three decades, Stanley evolves from gentleman bank robber to ruthless kingpin, with the help of the government. In the early 90s, the public prosecutor, together with corrupted cops and customs officials, allowed thousands of kilos of drugs into the country, in order to catch the top of the Dutch drug empire. This resulted in the biggest legal scandal the Netherlands has ever known. Not just drugs, but also weapons and explosives could freely cross the borders. Stanley is about the cat and mouse game between the Justice Department and the criminal underworld, but especially about the remarkable players on both sides. Mistrust, money problems and betrayal lead to the breakdown of the brotherhood in Hillis group. And this means that eventually, heads will roll. Nobody is spared, not even Stanley. Blackout All ten episodes available to stream. In Flemish with English subtitles. Winter 2019. What so many people predicted on numerous occasions, becomes a reality when the Belgian power grid suddenly collapses. The nationwide blackout is a result of the sabotage of a reactor at the Westerdonk nuclear power plant. Whos behind it all? And why? Thats what Michael Dendoncker (Geert Van Rampelberg), head of department at the DA3 anti-terrorism unit is trying to find out. Michael has another good reason to investigate the incident. Just moments before the blackout Belgiums Prime Minister Annemie Hillebrand (Sara de Roo), received a video clip of her daughter Elke being held bound and gagged at an unknown location. The message included: When the light turns back on, your daughter dies. Annemie is torn between her sense of duty and the love for her daughter. Because of the blackout, eleven million people are stuck without electricity, without light and water, without heating. As a Prime Minister, she is responsible for their wellbeing. But pushed by her husband Herman, Annemie decides to prolong the blackout. Meanwhile Michael investigates the abduction of Elke in a country without electricity. An investigation he keeps a secret from his own team. At the same time, he leads that very team in the hunt for those responsible for the sabotage at the nuclear power plant. Blackout is a series filled with tension and mystery. At the same time, it confronts us all with such themes as ecology, sustainability, and national security. Cheyenne and Lola All eight episodes available to stream. In French with English subtitles. Cheyenne, 35, recently released from prison, is a tattoo artist who cleans the ferries between France and the UK to save money for a future life. Lola, 25, is a beautiful Parisian woman, selfish, and ruthless, who has just arrived in the North of France to move in with her lover. The past catches up with Cheyenne (Veerle Baetens) when she witnesses Lola (Charlotte Le Bon) killing her lovers wife. Cheyenne assumes shes going to be accused of the crime and the pair ripen into a ruthless duo. Different from one another, even antagonistic, Cheyenne and Lola operate quietly behind the backs of crime lords, cops, bosses, ex-husbands and lovers, to whom they present a clean, docile facade while they cheat, swindle, and kill when necessary. Thursday February 11 at SBS on Demand. Related At least three tenants are facing removal from their East Side apartment complex despite an ongoing moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The tenants all Honduran immigrants gathered Sunday outside the Edge Apartments, a labyrinth of run-down brick units near Salado Creek, to describe their precarious situation at a news conference organized by volunteers. We are living in a dark world, said Jonathan Chavez, one of the tenants who received a notice to vacate the property. What is happening here is confusing. Im not sure if its because of racism. There are a lot of questions about what is happening. Another tenant, Santos Alvarez-Bernardez, shared a notice left on his door that alleged that he and his wife had hosted unauthorized occupants in their apartment, a violation of his lease agreement. The notice said he owed more than $1,000 in back rent and demanded that he and his family vacate the apartment by Feb. 20. An order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to halt evictions is effective through the end of March. But the moratorium applies only to tenants who are behind on their rent payments. Landlords can still evict tenants for other violations, such as criminal conduct and damage to property, said Sandy Rollins of the Texas Tenants Union. The eviction moratorium doesnt prevent evictions for causes besides nonpayment of rent, Rollins said. The term of Alvarez-Bernardezs lease began in November and ends in October. The contract prohibits anyone other than him and six others listed in the agreement from staying in the apartment for more than five days in one week without permission. Alvarez-Bernardez, 42, acknowledged having visitors at his apartment but denied that anyone stayed overnight. Were a community here, he said. We visit each other. Some come and visit while they set up somewhere else. The Edge Apartments recently changed ownership to Diamante Townhomes. The company did not return a call requesting comment Sunday. Rollins called protecting tenants from eviction a public health issue especially now. Were still in a pandemic, she said. Losing housing means doubling up somewhere or on the streets. BChasnoff@ express-news.net The Lagos State government has finally spoken on the demolition of the property at 1 Kuku Street, Opebi, which led to the ejection of hundreds of families and mechanics occupying the land. In a statement released by Gbenga Omotosho, Commissioner for Information, on Sunday, the state confirmed that the Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers (LSSTF) carried out the demolition based on the petition received from the Meadows family, to eject the occupants of the land. Mr Omotosho, in the statement, said the task force obtained approval to embark on the enforcement, in conjunction with other government agencies. He added that the demolition was an execution of the judgement of the High Court of Lagos State. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how hundreds of people who resided at Monkey Village were rendered homeless and auto mechanics also dislodged from their compound at Opebi area of the state on December 31, 2020. A bulldozer, accompanied by officials of Lagos State agencies and police officers, arrived at the scene unannounced to demolish all structures erected by the residents, destroying several properties. The residents, who expressed trauma over the demolition narrated how they were caught by surprise as no notice was given by the state government. Investigation The manner in which the demolition of the property at No, 1, Kuku Street, Opebi, which was occupied by a mechanics association and Monkey Village, an expanse of land behind, took place prompted an investigation into the incident. Although the exercise was carried out by government agencies, provisions for demolition exercise in the laws of the state were not followed. PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed how the state agencies sided with land-grabbers, demolished properties and displaced several residents without notice. Mechanics occupying the land at Kuku Street, having paid rent to the said landowner and adequate dues to the state government, were dislodged. The activity was extended to Monkey Village, an informal settlement which sat on about seven plots of land without any prior notice a gross violation of human rights and provisions of the Lagos state urban planning law, which was said to have been followed in the demolition. Although it is common for the Lagos State government to carry out the demolition of shanties and illegal settlements across the state, due notices are often served to the occupants, months or weeks before the demolition/ejection takes place. In the case of the mechanic yard and Monkey Village, no notice of demolition was served on the occupants, despite the clear provisions of the state laws. The exercise was also carried out on December 31, 2020, which was new years eve when several occupants were away and unaware of the intended demolition. State government reacts But in a statement released by Lagos state government on Sunday, it said the demolition was due to a petition on land-grabbing written by the Meadows Family and several court documents provided by the petitioner. The petitioners tendered copies of judgements obtained from various courts (High Court Suit No. LD/513/80. Court of Appeal Appeal No. CA/1/92 and the Supreme Court SC/146/1995) and other documents showing their title to the land to substantiate their position, the statement partly reads. The state government said following the demolition on December 31, 2020, allegations were made by Monday Ubani, lawyer to the acclaimed owner of the land over a land dispute and the role played by government agencies in illegally demolishing properties. ADVERTISEMENT A committee was, thereafter, set up to investigate the matter, the statement contained. The Committee of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) to look into the complaint of a lawyer, M.O. Ubani (Esq.), published on social media on the 31st December 2020, in respect of land situate at 1, Folorunsho Kuku Street, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, has submitted its final report. In order to investigate all claims, the Committee invited all the parties involved to its sitting which commenced on 4th January until 1st of February, 2021, to ascertain the identity of the land upon which enforcement was carried out and determine the present legal status of ownership as well as the level of involvement of the State Government Agencies. It was established that the Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers (LSSTF) took its action based on the petition received from Messrs Millan Solicitors, on behalf of the Meadows family, to eject the occupants of the land in contention, which harbours shanties, mechanics and miscreants. Consequently, the Coordinator of the Lagos Task Force confirmed the authenticity of all documents presented by the petitioner and obtained approval to embark on the enforcement, in conjunction with other government agencies whose representatives were part of the Committee set up to establish facts of the matter Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ministry of Transportation and Office of the Surveyor-General, Lagos State, the statement reads. The government claimed that before the task force embarked on the enforcement, steps were taken in compliance with the relevant laws guiding removal of vehicles of the mechanics illegally operating on the land; removal of the shanties and ejection of the hoodlums from the site. The Meadows Family (the petitioner) was also invited to the Committee and it was established that after the execution of the judgement of the High Court of Lagos State, some mechanics and miscreants dislodged them from the land and all efforts to remove the trespassers had proved abortive until the petition to the Lagos State Special Task Force. The state said the committee ascertained that the ex-parte order submitted by Mr Ubani was in the name of Circle Nigeria Limited but the C of O attached thereto in the name of Kayode Owoseye Akingbade two different entities and Mr Ubani did not provide documents to justify which of the parties the land belongs to. The findings of the committee further indicate that all the Survey Plans from both the Meadows family and that of Mr Ubanis Client revealed that the subject land falls within the Meadows family land; and that the land on which enforcement was carried out by the LSSTF falls within the parcel of land for which Meadows family obtained a judgement in their favour in Suit No. LG/513/80. The social media publication made by Mr Ubani was to get public sympathy and blackmail the government and its agencies from carrying out their legal functions. The claim of Mr Ubani cannot be substantiated with cogent facts, the statement reads. It further assured that no illegal takeover of the property will be allowed by the government. The Special Task Force on Land Grabbers Law will be strengthened to grant the body power to remove trespassers from any land and put the rightful owner in possession of the property. VIRGINIA The Cass County Board is scheduled to meet in regular session at 7 p.m. today in the Cass County Courthouse at 100 E. Springfield St. Among the items on the agenda are: ISLAMABAD (AP) Bad weather on Monday forced Pakistani army helicopters to temporarily halt their search for three mountaineers who went missing while attempting to scale K2, the worlds second-highest mountain. The search was stopped just hours after it resumed for the third consecutive day, with officials uncertain when weather conditions would improve enough for it to resume again. Friends and family of the three Pakistani climber Ali Sadpara, John Snorri of Iceland and Juan Pablo Mohr of Chile grew increasingly concerned for their fate in the harsh environment. The three lost contact with base camp late on Friday and were reported missing on Saturday, after their support team stopped receiving communications from them during their ascent of the 8,611-meter (28,250-foot) high K2 sometimes referred to as killer mountain. Located in the Karakorum mountain range, K2 is one of the most dangerous climbs. Last month, a team of 10 Nepalese climbers made history by scaling the K2 for the first time in winter. Waqas Johar, a district government administrator, said on Twitter that almost 60% of K2 was under clouds. The search and rescue team was unable to find any clue of the climbers' whereabouts so far, he said, adding it will attempt again once the weather improves. Earlier, Sadparas son said in a video statement released to the media that the chances of the mountaineers' survival in the harsh winter conditions were extremely low. Sadpara, an experienced climber, had earlier scaled the worlds eight highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest in the Himalayas, and was attempting to climb K2 in winter. Miracles do happen and the hope for a miracle is still there, said Karar Haideri, secretary at the Pakistan alpine Club. He said a statement from the authorities was expected later on Monday. Sadpara's son Sajid Ali Sadpara, himself a mountaineer who was part of the expedition at the start but later returned to base camp after his oxygen regulator malfunctioned, said their chances after spending two to three days in the winter at 8,000 (meters' altitude) are next to none." Story continues The younger Sadpara praised the rescue and search efforts but said as a climber, I know that ... only a miracle can save their lives. The younger Sadpara's oxygen regulator had malfunctioned when he reached K2's most dangerous point, known as Bottle Neck, earlier last week. There, he waited for his father and two other climbers for more than 20 hours but with no sign of them, he descended. Since the climbers went missing, Iceland's foreign minister, Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, has spoken to his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, by telephone. According to Pakistan's foreign ministry, Qureshi assured him that Pakistan would spare no effort in the search for the missing mountaineers. Although Mount Everest is 237 meters (777 feet) taller than K2, the K2 mountain is much farther north, on the border with China, and subject to worse weather conditions, according to mountaineering experts. A winter climb is particularly dangerous because of the unpredictable and rapid change in the weather. Winter winds on K2 can blow at more than 200 kph (125 mph) and temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 Fahrenheit). In one of the deadliest mountaineering accidents ever, 11 climbers died in a single day trying to scale K2 in 2008. ___ Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this story. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The National Democratic Congress in the Lower West Akyem #constituency of the Eastern Region has lauded the Chief Executive for the Municipality for his achievement for the past four years and urged the Minister for Local Government and the President to retain him in office for another four years. According to the Communications Officer in the constituency, Mr. Benjamin Yamoah, the MCE, Seth Oduro Boadu, has served the people in the area wholeheartedly and through his hard work, people in the Municipality received their share of the national cake. He appealed for the retention of the MCE in office stressing Mr. Seth Oduro deserves another term. Mr. Benjamin Yamoah, speaking to the media, said "Seth Oduro Boadu has been the best Chief Executive the NPP has produced so far in the Municipality since 1992 and his achievements are unmatched to other Chief Executives who have served in the area under NPP`s administration." Recounting the achievement of the MCE, Mr. Yamaoh said he (Oduro Boadu) inherited an ultra-modern 73 lockable stores started by former MCE under John Mahama administration and he did not abandoned the project but continued and completed it and it is currently opened for use. He said the MCE started similar projects at the Asamankese lorry station and main market and have completed one while the other projects are ongoing, adding the projects have brightened the central Business center of the Municipality. The Communications Officer further stated that although the MCE is not from his party the NDC, he can vouch for him. He noted that, under the leadership of Mr. Oduro Boadu, the municipality has seen the construction of many schools, health and road infrastructure over the past four years. He cautioned Mr. Oduro Boadus detractors to stop their evil plans and accept the truth that he has outperformed as MCE. Profile of Seth Oduro Mr. Seth Oduro Boadu is currently the Treasurer of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) and he took over in April 2017 from Mr. George Mensah Akpalu who served for six years. He holds a Masters degree in Public Sector Management in Finance (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration -GIMPA) and the First Degree in Financial Accounting and Mathematics (University of Education, Winneba). Also, he has worked as Chattered Pensions Analyst (University of Nairobi -Kenya) and served as National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) National Financial Secretary for 12 years, Eastern Regional Branch of NAGRAT Regional Financial Secretary for 4 years, West Akim Teachers Welfare Scheme Chairman for the Audit Committee for 5 years and a former Teacher in Asamankese Senior High School as Head of the Business Department for 8 years. Source: Michael Akrofi/Peace FM News 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 SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EnGIS Technologies, a leading supplier of automotive software solutions, announced today that it has joined the Uptane project under the Joint Development Foundation. EnGIS has already begun work on integrating the Uptane framework into its EnAIR Over-The-Air (OTA) software management platform. This step further strengthens EnGIS' comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, which already supports several software update security systems and protocols. Integrating the Uptane framework will enable EnGIS to ensure safe and secure software updates delivered over-the-air to ECUs and systems in vehicles. The framework, now considered the de facto standard in the automotive industry for secure software updates, can fend off cyber-attacks from those aiming to compromise critical servers and networks that are used to sign and deliver software updates. "Protecting software updates from attack is absolutely critical given the threat landscape in the modern world," said Justin Cappos, member of the Board of Directors of the Uptane project and professor at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. "We are happy to have EnGIS Technologies among the group automotive suppliers that provide Uptane as a way to combat cyberthreats." Utilizing the Uptane framework is part of EnGIS' wider strategy to meet the upcoming WP.29 regulation. In June 2020, the United Nations adopted new regulations aimed at supporting the development of connected and highly-automated vehicles. This is the first time that automotive OEMs will need to meet strict requirements on how they provide secure over-the-air update capability. Dr Pyungsun Park, lead architect of EnAIR OTA at EnGIS, said that "working together with key players in industry and academia is key to effective cybersecurity. With the ever-increasing use of software in vehicles, coupled with the rise of connected cars, OEMs are moving quickly to implement over-the-air update capability, while being mindful of the emerging regulation and standards coming into force. EnGIS has been providing OTA updates since 2014 and is recognized as one of the first OTA service providers to support production vehicles. As such, EnGIS is well positioned to enable automakers to deliver highly secure updates, as well as help meet their compliance obligations under WP.29." About EnGIS Technologies EnGIS Technologies, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 208860) is a leading software development company that develops connected navigation software, ADAS, Mobility and Over-The-Air (OTA) software solutions for the automotive industry. Founded in 1998, EnGIS is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with offices in Europe. Learn more about EnGIS Technologies at www.engistech.com. About Uptane Uptane is a Joint Development Foundation project of the Linux Foundation, operating under the formal title of Joint Development Foundation Projects, LLC, Uptane Series. Uptane is an open and secure software update system design that protects software delivered over-the-air to the computerized units of automobiles. Learn more about Uptane at https://uptane.github.io. SOURCE EnGIS Technologies, Inc. The new liquor policy in Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a fresh bone of contention between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress as the latter is extending support to Uma Bharti to put Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a tight spot. Bharti has announced a campaign to seek liquor ban in Madhya Pradesh in contrast to the governments preparations to boost liquor supplies in the State, in order to ramp up revenues as well as to counter the menace of the flourishing liquor mafia. Ahead of the financial year close, the BJP government is set to revise the liquor policy and proposed amendments, including increasing the number of liquor outlets, ending cartelisation in the sector and initiating online sale of the liquor. Also read: Was Against Power Projects on Ganga, Its Main Tributaries, Says Uma Bharti Amid U'khand Tragedy Revamping excise policy is imperative for the government as revenues are plummeting after Covid 19, given the fact that excise proceeds are the backbone of the State exchequer. Meanwhile, former chief minister Uma Bharti had announced that she would go ahead with a campaign to ban liquor in the State from March onwards. She also cited the fact that during the lockdown when liquor shops were closed for months, no one died of liquor shortage. Meanwhile, the Congress party which itself had made efforts to boost liquor revenues during its tenure, was quick to back Bharti and her liquor ban campaign. Former minister PC Sharma on Sunday had lauded Bhartis views urging Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to exhibit courage and impose liquor ban in Madhya Pradesh. Saying that the poor people were falling prey to liquor and other kinds of addictions, Sharma had demanded that the BJP government should announce a liquor ban in the State on Gandhi Jayanti. Also read: Rape Accused Released on Bail Held for Sexual Assault, Murder of 5-year-old Girl in MP's Morena Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is unnerved with the campaign and said, We wish to make Madhya Pradesh a liquor-free state. However, he put a rider by saying that merely a liquor ban wont do but a social campaign is required to fight this menace. If there are consumers, liquor will keep getting supplied, said the Chief Minister at a public meeting. His cabinet colleague Vishwas Sarang had elaborated his governments stand on Sunday, saying Uma Bharti is talking about a social campaign but the Congress party was misquoting her. Our party has always been talking about de-addiction, which was the reason de-addiction was in the midst of Narmada parikrama in the past, he added. Congress reserves no right to speak of de-addiction as Kamal Nath himself had served liquor to actor Salman Khan and Jaqueline Fernandez during an award function in Indore, claimed Sarang. ADVERTISEMENT The police in Zamfara said they have rescued five kidnapped victims and recovered 11 rustled cows and stolen vehicles in Kaura Namoda, Birnin-Magaji and Gusau local government areas of the state. This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Sunday by the police spokesperson in the state, Muhammad Shehu. In its determination and commitment to rid the state of dwindling security challenges, the police command in Zamfara has made another breakthrough in three local government areas of Kaura Namoda, Birnin Magaji and Gusau. On February 4, police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, led by Divisional Police Officer of Kaura Namoda facilitated the unconditional release of five kidnapped victims who were abducted behind Namoda Secondary School and Zangon Danbade areas of Kaura Namoda town. All the rescued victims were medically treated, debriefed by the police and reunited with their families. Efforts to apprehend the perpetrators are ongoing, Mr Shehu said. He also said on February 3, another team of police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder on market patrol at Nasarawa Godal in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area, received an intelligence report about some cows suspected to have been stolen from Maradun Local Government Area. The report was effectively utilised, where 11 cows were recovered and taken to police in Gusau for discreet investigation and identification of rightful owners. On February 6, a report was received at a police station in Tudun Wada from one Hajiya Zainab Saidu of Gidan Dawa area of Gusau that on the same day, she parked her vehicle and entered the market but the car was stolen. The police in Tudunwada quickly led police operatives and pursued the criminals to where the vehicle was abandoned and recovered at Premier Road area, Gusau. All the suspects fled before the arrival of the police, Mr Shehu added. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abutu Yaro, commended the officers and men of the three police divisions for the wonderful achievements. Mr Yaro urged other divisions and formations to emulate them and work hard towards ensuring peace and safety of Zamfara. (NAN) Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese AI solution provider Horizon Robotics recently announced it has obtained a strategic investment from Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Co.,Ltd. (called Sunny Optical for short), a leading optical device manufacturer in China, marking a further drive for the startup's deployment of intelligence businesses. Horizon Robotics, Shunyu Zhiling signing agreements for strategic partnership Meanwhile, Horizon Robotics entered into a strategic partnership with Zhejiang Shunyu Zhiling Technology Co.,Ltd., a subsidiary of Sunny Optical, to jointly explore automobile intelligence technologies with ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), autonomous driving and intelligent cockpit as the focus, so as to offer the auto industry highly reliably vision solutions, help OEMs stand out from their rivals, and speed up the R&D and mass production of the products related to intelligent vehicles. Both parties intend to co-develop auto-related intelligent products and solutions by leveraging both parties core strengths, said Yu Kai, founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics. We grasp leading technologies and experience in such areas as auto-related intelligent chips and visual perception, while Shunyu Zhiling boasts expertise of photoelectric vision products. Through the widespread and in-depth collaboration, both of us will work hard on making our joint achievements factory installed in many production vehicle models, Mr. Yu added. The latest investment came after Horizon Robotics announced in early Jan. it banked up to $400 million in its Series C2 financing, which is led by CATL and involved other investors like Baillie Gifford, YF Capital and CITICPE. As of that moment, the startup had completed nearly 80% financing goal for its Series C round with $550 million raised. The investors involved in the funding round include Aspex, CloudAlpha Tech Fund, Hermitage Capital, Neumann Advisors, ORIX, Shandong Hi-Speed Capital, Yuantai Changqing Fund and CITICPE. Horizon Robotics said the proceeds would be used to speed up the R&D and commercialization of the next-generation Level 4/5 smart automotive chips. Pursuit of Justice Leads to Extradition in 1994 Santa Ana Gang Shooting The Orange County District Attorneys (OCDA) office has extradited and charged a man from Guatemala in connection with the fatal shooting of a rival gang member 26 years ago. The pursuit of justice never ends, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a Feb. 5 press release. No matter how long it takes or how far we have to go, we will never give up on holding someone accountable for killing another human being. The case dates back to Sept. 24, 1994, when 19-year-old Scott Sittler was shot in the head in Santa Ana. About two years later, brothers Erwin Sanchez and Giovanny Sanchez, as well as Daniel Paul Cruz, pleaded guilty to attempted murder charges. Giovanny Sanchez was sentenced to 11 years in state prison and was released in 2006. He was held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody until early 2009, when he was deported to Guatemala. Also in 2009, the attack that left attack left Sittler a quadriplegic ultimately killed him. He died after spending 15 years on a respirator. County coroners testified that the 1994 gunshot wound triggered a fatal train of events that directly led to the death. Following Sittlers death, Erwin Sanchez was convicted in 2011 of one felony count of first-degree murder for shooting him in the head, one felony enhancement of participating in a criminal street gang, and one felony enhancement of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to 29 years to life. Cruz pleaded guilty in 2013 to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter and admitted a felony enhancement of participating in a criminal street gang and a felony enhancement of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to 14 years in state prison. Giovanny Sanchez was charged in June 2009 with one felony count of murder, one felony count of street terrorism, with felony sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and being armed with a firearm in the commission of a felony. The Orange County District Attorneys Office began extradition proceedings for Giovanny Sanchez after the new charges were filed. Multiple agencies spent years working on his extradition to the U.S. before an FBI fugitive task force escorted him from Guatemala back to Orange County on Feb. 2. My investigators and prosecutors have worked tirelessly to bring this final suspect back to the United States to have his day in court, and that day is finally here, Spitzer said. The long arm of the law will always catch up with you. Sanchez is being held without bail at the Theo Lacy Facility. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 24. A TOTAL of 543.48 was raised in Remenham for the Royal British Legions Poppy Appeal last year. This was down on the 1,485.73 that was collected in the previous year. Organiser Carol Wissettt thanked residents for their donations. She has since stood down and been replaced by Pat Sly. The Dutch court in the case of the downed Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 announced decisions on the next requests of the defense of accused Russian Oleg Pulatov and announced that the regular hearing would start on April 15. "The court suspends examination in court until April 15, 2021, 10:00. It also suspends investigation in the cases of accused [Igor] Girkin, [Serhiy] Dubinsky and [Leonid] Kharchenko until the same date," presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis said. The judge also read out the decisions made on the previously announced motions of the defense of Pulatov, the only one of the four accused to be represented by lawyers. The court said that the defense had asked for an expert from by Russia's Almaz-Antey arms industry company Buk system to visit and examine the wreckage of the downed MH17. "There was also a request to investigate all the available wreckage and photos of those wreckage that were not recovered. The court believes that this is not necessary. Almaz-Antey said in detail its findings regarding the weapon that was used, it also reacted to the report the Netherlands Research Institute and the Royal Military Academy. The report showed that there was not enough information, in comparison with other studies," the judge said. He also said that the court wants to leave open the possibility for the investigating judge to provide an opportunity for experts to visit the reconstruction to properly understand the report. Regarding the visit to the reconstruction of the downed MH17, Steenhuis said that by his decision of July 3, 2020, he had already instructed the prosecutor to facilitate such a visit to Hilzeree. "It was also said that during the visit, the defense can be with an expert. In December 2020, the defense asked Mr. Bidermann for such assistance, and he agreed, stating that he was ready to do this. He and Mr. Kern will help the defense," he said. In this regard, the presiding judge said that such a decision had been made a long time ago, but the defense had only recently begun to take appropriate action. "On February 1, the defense spoke about visiting the reconstruction with Bidermann and examining the wreckage that is not part of the reconstruction, but no further requests have been made. Therefore, the court should not make any decisions regarding this," Steenhuis said. In addition, the court rejected the defense's motion to provide a photo of all the wreckage of the plane, including those that were not transported to the Netherlands and remained in Ukraine. "The court considers that in July the prosecutor provided the defense with a database of hundreds of photographs of all the wreckage identified. The photos taken at the crash site and in which the victims were captured were not provided, as the prosecutor does not want these photos to be disseminated," the judge said. At the same time, he instructed the investigation to check if there are more photos that can be provided to Pulatov's defense. The court also ruled on a linguistic examination of the intercepted telephone conversations. "As for the telephone conversations, which Pulatov does not remember, the court orders that Pulatov, 14 days from today at the latest on February 22 inform the investigating judge in which of the conversations he took part, if possible [established] five such conversations [...] This can then be used for linguistic research, comparative voice analysis," he said. Steenhuis also highlighted the decision for a special inspection during a visit to the reconstruction of the downed plane. "The court considers that such a decision can be made only after, based on the expert interviews with the investigating judge, the court gets a clear understanding of the difference in opinions on the possible launch site. Only if this is clear, the court can decide on a special examination during inspection," the judge said. In this regard, the court considers it necessary to prepare not only the visit to the reconstruction, but also "the left wing, the left motor, the stabilizer, the vertical part and the right horizontal tail." "These parts, as it turns out, play a role in the debate about a possible launch site between the aerospace center in the Netherlands and the Royal Military Academy on the one hand, and Almaz-Antey on the other. The court instructs the prosecutor's office, if such a visit is decided, to start organizing in advance now and inform the court before the next hearing. The proposed date for such a visit is possible between May 17 and May 28," Steenhuis said. The court did not sustain the request of Pulatov's defense about the radar database. "This is a request that the defense repeats again even after it was previously rejected by the court [...] The court does not consider this a useful task: and the investigation clearly explained that the prosecutor's office several times asked the Ukrainian authorities to transfer all data regarding other radar systems, and they received the answer was that all the information was transmitted. Therefore, this request was rejected," the presiding judge said. Convicted bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, famously said, because thats where the money is. In todays socially-distanced world, criminals increasingly are turning their attention to the money inside automated teller machines whether outside a bank or inside a neighborhood convenience store. And their smash-and-grab method of extraction often involving heavy equipment stolen from nearby construction sites has become yet another COVID-19 cost driver for insurance carriers. Travelers says that claims for damages because of ATM thefts increased by 220% from 2019 to 2020. Due to COVID-19 bank closures or restricted hours, customers are encouraged to use ATMs and banks are holding more money in them than before. You might not hear too many instances of someone just walking into a bank and robbing it, said Tracey Santor, bond product manager for Travelers. People might be relying more on ATMs. Thats where the money is going. Travelers says that claims for damages because of ATM thefts increased by 220% from 2019 to 2020. Santor said claims for cash stolen from smashed ATMs are often accompanied by significant property damages. The ATMs themselves can cost $30,000 to $80,000, she said. They may be stuffed with $40,000 in cash. Ive seen front-end loaders or big equipment take out the entire wall, she said. Ive read stories about liquor stores, in the middle of the day they ran their truck into it and they are like a pit crew in a NASCAR race. Task Force The Texas Bankers Association noted the uptick in ATM crimes and appointed an ATM Crime Task Force last fall to focus public attention to the problem. A TBA report says that Houston and Southeast Texas have long been a hotbed of ATM crimes, but last summer and fall its member banks reported even more numerous smash and grab attacks on the money machines. Criminals were using construction vehicles or heavy-duty trucks to rip apart ATM encasements to get access to cash. The association said the FBI also alerted it to a growing problem when it issued a Private Sector Liaison report in October that said criminals were using explosives to breach ATMs. Also that month, an insurance carrier told the associations Bankers Insurance Agency that they were experiencing losses at such a rate that it could soon impact bank policy deductibles and premiums. The task force said in a November report that organized crime is the predominant source of ATM crimes in Texas, with about 95% of those groups based in the Houston area. FBI officials taking part in the task force meeting said that they have made more than 50 arrests and are actively tracking about 250 suspects believed to be involved in the crime rings. Law enforcement sources told the task force that Texas banks have lost about $13 million from ATM thefts, but thats only half the problem. When the cost of equipment damage is combined with cash losses, the total estimated ATM smash and grab losses in Texas skyrocket to $24 million, the report says. Civil unrest after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd created a diversion that emboldened the ATM crime rings. A report by the Wall Street Journal, citing information from ATM supplier Cardtronics, said criminals attempted to breach 240 ATMs in 17 cities between late May and the end of June. About half of those were in Chicago and Philadelphia. The Journal, citing Philadelphia police, reported that 157 ATMS in the city were damaged or destroyed with explosives in 2020 compared to five in 2019 and two in 2018. The head of the police departments bomb disposal unit told the newspaper that most of the explosions occurred during civil unrest. Hundreds of other machines were damaged by mechanical means, the Journal reported. Security device manufacturer 3SI, citing data from the ATM Industry Association, said the number of ATM crimes increased 148% from 2019 to 2020. Theft of the whole ATM using a vehicle increased by 53% and the use of explosives in safe breaking attacks increased by 23%. Texas had the most ATM crimes by far, nearly doubling the number in more populous California, which ranked second. The average amount stolen was $83,000, 3SI said. The increase in crime led to the release of a new product. On Wednesday, 3SI announced that the launch of the ATM Cassette Tracker, a device that augments the ATM Tracker product that tracks the location of stolen machines. Lisa Moughan, marketing and communications manager for the Malvern, Pa.-based company, said each the tracking devices sends a signal directly to 911 dispatchers whenever motion is detected. She said the dispatchers can track the exact locations of stolen machines or cassettes as the criminals make their escape. She said the system protects responding police officers because they can hold off on moving in until the criminals reach a location that appears the most safe. That avoids high-speed chases that endanger police and bystanders both. Moughan said 95% of the money stolen from ATMs that are equipped with 3SI trackers is recovered by police. She said often the criminals have to leave the money behind because police start responding before theyve opened up the machines. Moughan said 3SI added the cassette tracker to its product offerings because criminals have upgraded their techniques. Instead of stealing entire machines, they use a hook and chain attached to a truck or tractor to yank the door of the machine and make off with the cassettes inside that hold the cash. They get more sophisticated all the time, she said. About the photo: A member of the Philadelphia bomb squad surveys the scene after an ATM machine was blown-up at 2207 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Topics Trends Fraud Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. A new Israeli policy permits people in The Gaza Strip to sell old metal and send it to Israel for processing. Gaza is a Palestinian area bordering Israel and Egypt. The territory has an estimated 49 percent unemployment rate. Many old cars from Israel were sent to the northern part of Gaza many years ago. These cars stayed at junkyards, places where old things that are no longer used are stored. Gaza does not have the factories needed to melt down and process the metal waste. Palestinian merchants estimate that 200,000 tons of metal waste has built up near Gazas border since an Israeli-led blockade of the territory started in 2007. Last October, however, Israeli officials cleared the waste metal for export to a crushing factory inside Israel. The move has brought revenue and jobs to the poor area. People in Gaza sell the waste metal for around $228 for one ton. Israel permits 1,000 tons to be exported per week. It is estimated that in four years, all the extra metal that remains will have been sold and recycled. The merchants say the exports have created work for about 6,000 Palestinian workers in Gaza. Gazans have earned about $3 million since the project started, Israel said. Emad Aqail is a 39-year-old metal worker from Gaza. He feeds metal into pressing machines, so it is ready for export. There is almost no work in townWorking in metals is exhausting, but it gives me the income I want. Many Gazans would like to crush and recycle the metal for use inside their territory. However, Israel and Egypt restrict machines from going into the Gaza Strip. The two countries consider the militant, Islamist group Hamas, which rules Gaza, a security threat. No equipment, such as new metal pressing machines, can be sent to Gaza because it can also be used to manufacture weapons. Lieutenant Colonel Abdallah Halabi is with Israels Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza. He said Israel aims to improve the Gaza Strips economy, because the quality of life and economic development in the Gaza Strip cant be separated from the stability of the regions security. Bahaa Al-Agha is the director of Gazas Environment Quality Authority. He welcomes the program because it clears out dangerous materials polluting Gazas soil and water. But the good economic results would have been greater, he said, if Israel allowed the establishment of factories to recycle these materials in the Gaza Strip. Im Armen Kassabian. Nidal al-Mughrabi from Reuters reported this story. Armen Kassabian adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story recycled v. to make something new from (something that has been used before) merchant n. owner or supervisor of a store or small business revenue n. money that is made by a business or organization stability n. the quality or state of not being easily changed allow v. to permit; to treat something as acceptable How is garbage recycled in your country? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. VISAKHAPATNAM: Lok Sabha member from Visakhapatnam M. V. V. Satyanarayana said he will resign from the parliament if the central government goes ahead with privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). Addressing a press conference along with senior trade union leader Mantri Rajaskehar at his residence in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, the MP said it is unfortunate that opposition parties are blaming YSRCP government in the state for a decision taken by the NDA government at the centre. Displaying the letter written by Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Satyanarayana said he, Anakapalle MP K. Satyavati and Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagi Reddy were among the first leaders who responded to the steel plant privatisation issue by joining a dharna at the RTC Complex opposing the centres decision. The MP said a delegation will visit New Delhi soon and hold discussions with union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman and other senior ministers for reconsideration of the decision. He pointed out that he had written a letter to union steel minister and finance minister on January 30 asking them not to privatise the steel plant though it was running in losses. Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagi Reddy said they will intensify their agitation against privatisation of VSP in the coming days in association with trade unions. Seoul/New Delhi, Feb 8 : In an apparent setback, Hyundai said on Monday that it is no longer in talks with Apple for the joint development of an autonomous vehicle. In a statement, Hyundai said that it "has received requests to co-develop autonomous electric vehicle from multiple companies but they were in the early stages and nothing has been finalised." On the joint development of autonomous electric vehicles with Apple, Hyundai clearly said that it was "not conducting consultations with Apple on the development of autonomous vehicles". Earlier reports mentioned that Apple was also discussing similar plans with other automobile manufacturers besides Hyundai. Last month, Hyundai confirmed that it was in talks with Apple to develop an electric car. After initially naming Apple in its statements, it removed the name of the tech giant from its further statements. The setback came as amid reports that the first Apple electric car will be built on Hyundai's electric vehicle platform and the initial model could lead to new vehicles built in association with General Motors and European manufacturer PSA. In a note to investors, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple's deep collaboration with current automakers (Hyundai Group, GM and PSA) who have extensive development, production, and qualification experience will significantly shorten the Apple Car development time and create a time-to-market advantage". "We believe that Apple will leverage current automakers' resources and focus on self-driving hardware and software, semiconductors, battery-related technologies, form factor and internal space designs, innovative user experience, and the integration with Apple's existing ecosystem," he added. Kuo believes that the earliest possible date for an Apple car to hit the market is 2025. The Apple car is rumoured to feature LiDAR technology, which could add a lot of depth to onboard AI functions. The vehicle is expected to use a "C1" chip based on the A12 Bionic processor with in-cabin AI capabilities such as eye-tracking. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gives a speech at a public gathering in the city of Mashhad, Iran on March 21, 2014. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) US Must Lift Sanctions Before Tehran Rejoins Nuclear Deal: Iran The leader of Irans Islamic regime said if the United States wants the regime to return to its commitments and rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, it must lift economic sanctions. Iran has fulfilled all its obligations under the deal, not the United States and the three European countries. If [the United States] want Iran to return to its commitments, the United States must in practice lift all sanctions, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a meeting, according to state TV. Then, after verifying whether all sanctions have been lifted correctly, we will return to full compliance. It is the irreversible and final decision, and all Iranian officials have consensus over it. President Joe Biden said he isnt planning to comply with Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran. Biden replied with a plain no after CBS News anchor Norah ODonnell asked him on Feb. 5 if the United States will lift sanctions first. Then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order that provides an authority to counter Irans conventional arms acquisitions, Irans indigenous manufacturing programs, and Irans ability to support paramilitary organizations with arms and materiel, the State Department said in a September 2020 statement. President Joe Biden speaks about the economy in the State Dining Room of the White House on Feb. 5, 2021. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Besides the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and the European Union joined the agreement in 2015, which was intended to limit Irans uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms. The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, saying the pact had failed to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons and allowed the Iranian regime to support terrorist activities internationally. Biden, by contrast, while campaigning as the Democratic presidential nominee, expressed a willingness to revive the deal. In September 2020, he wrote in an essay for CNN that if Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations. Tehran has already breached the deals key limits by building up its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, refining uranium to a higher level of purity, and using advanced centrifuges for enrichment. In January, the Islamic Republic stated that it has resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear site, well above the deals limit but far short of the 90 percent that is weapons-grade. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News One Mans Miraculous Recovery From COVID-19 Dong Nguyen feels lucky to have survived his encounter with COVID-19 last fall. At the most critical moment in his life, he found an unusual treatment that helped him recover. Nguyen, 66, a resident of Texas rarely went out last year due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. But on Aug. 3, 2020, he snuck out to the store to try his luck on the lottery. He said he wore a mask and was in and out of the store. Later that day, he developed a fever and cough that worsened in the evening. The next morning, he asked his wife and son to take him to the emergency room where he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. He was immediately hospitalized, quarantined, and treated for COVID-19, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. The doctor gave me antibiotics intravenously and gave me three or four other medicines, Nguyen told The Epoch Times. My blood sugar level was as high as 400 mg/dL, although Ive never had diabetes before. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), a normal blood sugar level before a meal is 80 to 130 mg/dL and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after a meal. Nguyen was also coughing non-stop and unable to eat or sleep. His condition deteriorated rapidly requiring supplemental oxygen. The hospital staff quickly placed me on supplemental oxygen, he said. From evening until dawn the next day, I was in a semi-coma state. Dong Nguyen, diagnosed with COVID-19, waiting to be discharged from the hospital to self-quarantine at home, in Texas on Aug. 7, 2020. (Courtesy of Dong Nguyen) Nguyen said the medications did not lower his blood sugar level or high blood pressure. He also had difficulty breathing, felt dizzy, and his head felt as though someone had cut it into half. Feeling hopeless about his recovery, Nguyen asked his doctor to be discharged three days after being hospitalized to self-quarantine at home with his familys help. He wasnt improving and didnt want to be alone. He felt another COVID-19 patient could use his hospital bed. The doctor allowed Nguyen to be discharged to be with his family since his son was a medical intern. He was released home with several medications, insulin injections, and two oxygen machines. Because I was so weak, my wife and son had to [help] carry me into the house, even though it was a short distance, Nguyen said. I felt fearful, worried, and pessimistic. My lungs felt ravishedpartly due to the CCP virus, the medications, and from not being able to eat or get any sleep for [almost] a week, he added. At home, a call from a family friend made him feel more depressed after hearing that someone they knew also had COVID-19 and was in a coma. At that moment of hopelessness, he remembered a friend who had introduced a mind and body practice to him and who also happened to be a medical doctor. He called her, told her about his condition, and asked about the practice. Nothing to Lose After thinking through his situation overnight, Nguyen, who is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, decided to take charge of his situation. With no improvement in his condition and against his sons advice, on Aug. 8 Nguyen made the decision to stop taking the medications to lower his blood sugar level and high blood pressure. He asked his wife to instead make a traditional Vietnamese home remedy for colds and flu that consisted of ginger, garlic, lemon, vinegar, and honey for him to take. People practice the exercises of Falun Dafa at a park in Sydney, Australia, on June 26, 2017. (Emma Morley) Nguyen also decided he wanted to begin living by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, the core tenets of Falun Dafa, the Chinese spiritual practice that became hugely popular in the early 1990s, and that his medical doctor friend had introduced him to. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, differed from other qigong practices in that it has a spiritual component that focuses on improving ones moral character. Unfortunately, the practices popularity and focus on traditional values made it a target of the Chinese Communist Party which continues to arbitrarily arrest, imprison, torture, and harvest the organs of people who uphold their belief in the practice. Condition Improves Nguyen said that he noticed immediate improvement even though he could only sit up to do the slow-moving Falun Dafa exercises. The effect was miraculous, he said. As I got to the third Falun Dafa exercise, I felt better. My respiration went up to 50 percent [from 10 percent], my voice was clearer, and I was no longer feeling feverish. My coughing also subsided and my blood sugar level dropped to 135 mg/dL, he added. In addition, Nguyen said he no longer required supplemental oxygen. After two days, Nguyen claimed that he felt strong enough to stand up to do the meditative exercises of Falun Dafa, while his breathing increased to 85 percent. His blood pressure and sugar level also stabilized. Nguyen said that he eventually got retested for COVID-19 several days later and was told that he was no longer infected with the CCP virus. Nguyen said he feels grateful to Falun Dafa for his recovery and his new positive outlook on life. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 20:01:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- The New Eurasian Land Bridge is an international passageway linking the Pacific and the Atlantic. The bridge runs from China's coastal cities of Lianyungang and Rizhao to Rotterdam of the Netherlands and Belgium's Antwerp, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. It serves more than 30 countries and regions. -- Over the past 28 years, the land bridge has undergone various changes, including the trains running over the route and the commodities the trains transport. -- The land bridge has helped bring closer economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe. by Xinhua writers Zhu Xiao, Lu Huadong and Zhong Qun NANJING/BERLIN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- At the port of Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu Province, several cranes are seen slowly lifting colorful containers and arranging them in a line, ready to be transported by China-Europe freight trains. The commodities, including face masks, elevators and construction materials, will be shipped to Asian and European destinations before the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. A returning China-Europe freight train from Kazakhstan arrives at the Xinzhu Station of China Railway Xi'an Bureau Group Co., Ltd. in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Yibo) The city of Lianyungang is the eastern terminal of the 10,900-km-long New Eurasian Land Bridge (NELB), an international passageway linking the Pacific and the Atlantic. The bridge runs from China's coastal cities of Lianyungang and Rizhao to Rotterdam of the Netherlands and Belgium's Antwerp, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. It serves more than 30 countries and regions. In the past five years, international freight trains made about 4,000 trips from Lianyungang's port. "In January alone, 32 China-Europe freight trains went through the port of Lianyungang, and 23 freight trains are slated for departure in February," said Zuo Xuemei, vice general manager of Lianyungang China-Kazakhstan International Logistics Co., Ltd. YEARS OF CHANGE On Dec. 1, 1992, a locomotive pulled the first international freight train to Central Asia and Europe from Lianyungang, marking the official opening of the NELB. The locomotive has been preserved to this day in the port of Lianyungang, bearing testimony to the transformation of economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe. Shen Gang, with Sinotrans Land Bridge Transportation Co., Ltd., said the company is the pioneer in providing transportation services on the NELB. "The first international train was loaded with 30 containers and 15 carriages of bulk cargo," said Shen. "At first, it was an internal-combustion locomotive with an average speed of 40 km per hour. Today, the railway has been electrified, with an average speed of 80 to 120 km per hour." Last year, 554 China-Europe freight trains departed from and arrived in Lianyungang. File photo taken on April 19, 2017 shows a worker operating a forklift to arrange products at a milk plant in Lowicz, Poland. The European Union (EU) is one of the largest milk suppliers to Chinese market. (Xinhua/Chen Xu) Recalling the old days, Shen said earlier workers had to go with the trains to ensure the safe arrival of commodities. "However, now we can obtain logistics information through the internet at any time, making the whole process more convenient and effective," Shen added. Bruce Wei, the general manager of World Jaguar Logistics Inc., Lianyungang Branch, started engaging in railway transportation services along the NELB in 2012. Products delivered through this route have undergone significant changes over the years, he said. "In the past, the main goods were second-hand automobiles and construction materials. But, today elevators, electronic products and solar panels are also shipped, which reflects improvements in people's living standards along the NELB," Wei said. The NELB is not just a mere transport corridor, it also links the inland Chinese provinces with Europe and connects all the inland countries between them, said Li Yuan, a professor at the Institute of East Asian Studies, the University of Duisburg-Essen. When the pandemic hit hard global maritime logistics, made-in-China medical supplies were consistently sent to Europe through the Eurasian continental bridge. This signifies the importance of the land-based transportation corridor, Li said. Last year, China-Europe freight trains transported 5,580 tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies to European countries including Germany, Serbia, Poland and Austria from the central Chinese city of Wuhan alone, authorities said in December. CLOSER COOPERATION China has become the biggest trade partner of the EU while the EU is now China's second-largest trade partner. The EU is also China's third-largest source and destination of investment. On Dec. 30, it was announced that China and the European Union completed investment agreement negotiations as scheduled after 35 rounds of negotiations, a milestone in the development of China-EU relations. The agreement will provide greater market access, higher level of the business environment, stronger institutional guarantees and brighter cooperation prospects for mutual investment. "The strengthening of economic ties, especially the elimination of investment and trade barriers between China and Europe, will lead to the steady recovery and growth of the global economy in the post-pandemic era," Li said. Aerial photo taken on Feb. 28, 2020 shows a China-Europe freight train at Zhengzhou Station, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An) Over the years, the land bridge has helped bring closer economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe. In the German inland port city of Duisburg, containers specifically made for China-Europe freight trains are often seen in various transfer hubs. They are used to export clothes, electronic products and domestic appliances from China to Europe. Meanwhile, more and more cars, machinery and food continue to enter China from Europe via the land bridge. Xavier Wanderpepen, who is responsible for China-Europe rail freight activities at Forwardis, a subsidiary of France's national railway company SNCF Logistics, was impressed by the surge of freight train operations between China and Europe during the first half of 2020. "In my company, since April 2020, demand for trains has increased sharply. The increase is more than 20 percent compared to 2019," Wanderpepen said. According to official figures, a record 12,400 China-Europe freight train trips were made in 2020, up 50 percent from the previous year. This is also the first time freight train trips between China and Europe have exceeded 10,000 per year. Workers load a container onto a train at Urumqi China-Europe Railway Express Hub in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Riding on the success of booming cooperation, Chinese and European companies are also seeing an increase in exchanges. In Duisburg, for example, more than 100 Chinese companies have started doing business, compared to just 40 in 2014, according to official figures. An investment center and a commercial association have also been established there. Even during the COVID-19 outbreak, China and Europe saw growth in bilateral trade, with the import and export between China and 27 European Union member nations rising about 2.6 percent year on year during the first seven months of 2020. "The China-Europe freight trains have played a big role in the economic development along the New Eurasian Land Bridge and in the growth of China-Europe bilateral trade in 2020," said Chen Fengying, a researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Aerial photo taken on Feb. 7, 2021 shows a view of the port in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Wu Xinsheng) Strengthening bilateral economic relations between the two sides would generate more business opportunities, create new jobs, and increase confidence in the economic recovery of China, Europe and the rest of the world, said Li Yuan. Chinese and European firms have huge opportunities for cooperation to build new economic corridors along the NELB, Li added. Logistics diversification is an advantage, and good land-based connections, such as the NELB, will make connections "broader and more robust," said Dr. Michael Borchmann, former ministerial director of the State of Hesse, Germany, and senior adviser of the China International Investment Promotion Agency. (Video reporters: Wu Xinsheng, Zhu Xiao and Yue Ting; Video editor: Zhang Yucheng) PARIS, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin extended his best wishes for Europe-China ties in a recent video message celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar Year of the Ox. Speaking initially in Chinese, Raffarin called for "well-being in the Year of Ox," before wishing all Chinese families good health and happiness. "For China, I wish the best possible growth, and therefore the best possible development in the New Year," he said. "For the world, I wish, first and foremost, peace, a balance of cooperation and friendship," said the veteran French politician. "For this, we turn our back on unilateralism, isolationism and protectionism, and we strengthen multilateralism," he said. Cooperation is "the answer" to all crises, he added. Raffarin said the completion of China-EU investment agreement negotiations in the last days of 2020 was "the sign of a good, win-win cooperation." He also expected France and China to develop their "sound, profitable and balanced" cooperation, particularly in culture. "Our two countries, our two civilizations are both deeply rooted in time. Without doubt, the culture is the most powerful seed of our friendship," said Raffarin, who received China's Friendship Medal in 2019 for his great contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperation between France and China. "Develop all the cooperation possible: scientific, technological, financial, economic, social, etc. But never forget this cultural contribution which is essential to our relations," he added. When Alabama officials announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix International in November, Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Richs phone started ringing. And ringing. And ringing some more. Our phones ring off the hook daily (with people) asking what I should do with Terminix and who I can get in touch with, said Rich. We wanted to get this information out as soon as possible for this very reason. Rich was joined by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Assistant Attorney General Dan Taliaferro on Monday at Mobiles Government Plaza to discuss the details about how people can file a claim against Memphis-based Terminix. Marshall said there could be up to 30,000 Terminix customers in Alabama overcharged for pest control services in 2019 and 2020 who could be eligible to file a restitution claim. Its the largest consumer settlement ever reached in Alabama, and was in response to allegations that the company was engaging in illegal business practices. Not everyone is eligible for the same benefits, he said. The restitution checks to Terminix customers will be mailed out by May. There is a two-year deadline to apply for restitution under the uncapped $25 million consumer fund that is paying out claims against Terminix. A court-appointed Receiver is administering the uncapped fund. Heres the details on what customers need to know: Customers to get refund without filing a claim All present Terminix customers overcharged for pest control services in 2019 and 2020 will be issued refunds for the overcharges without the customer having to file a claim. The receiver assigned to the settlement is expected to begin mailing the refund checks to customers in May. Customers who need to file a claim All former Terminix customers who closed their contract with the pest control company due to unfair pricing may file a claim to receive either: A one-time $650 payment, or A payment for the difference between the old Terminix contract and a new contract with a different pest control company, or Refunds of any excessive payments made in 2019 or 2020. Taliaferro said there are about 8,000 former Terminix customers who have since left the company and contracted with another pest control firm. Baldwin and Mobile County Terminix customers Under the settlement, all current Terminix customers in Baldwin and Mobile counties will receive a retreatment and termite inspection at no additional cost. Marshall said some of this work has already occurred. He said while the entire settlement applies to Terminix customers statewide, the retreatment options are geographically limited for Mobile and Baldwin counties only where the majority of problems occurred. The retreatments included in the settlement cost around $10 million. How to file a claim Claims may be filed from anywhere within the state for repairs, inspections, treatment, termite damage or premiums charged by Terminix. To file a claim, present and former Alabama Terminix customers should visit the Receivers website at www.terminixfund.com to access forms which can be completed online, or downloaded, printed and mailed to the Receiver for processing. Jeffrey C. Schneider, the court-appointed receiver, can also be contacted at: Levine, Kellogg, Lehman, Schneider + Grossman LLP, 201 South Biscayne Blvd. 22nd Floor, Miami, Florida 33131 The settlement wrapped up an investigation that began in February 2019, by Richs office after she received multiple complaints from Terminix customers over price increases for their termite bonds. According to TV media accounts last year, customers produced bills showing increases from $320 to $1,499. The Attorney Generals Office and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, through a joint investigation, discovered that Terminix engaged in a pattern of collecting annual termite production premiums from their Alabama customers, but failed to deliver or provide the termite protection services promised in the contracts. The investigation also showed that Terminix failed to provide consumers with thorough annual termite inspections as required by the companys contracts. Alabama consumers were also payng extra money to Terminix for pesticides they had already paid for and that had already been applied to their homes. Taliaferro noted that Terminix has since undergone changes in its leadership. The company, last fall, added Brett Ponton as its new CEO. The company maintains it did nothing illegally. In a statement, a Terminix spokesman said, We believe that the settlement reached with the Alabama Attorney Generals office is a fair resolution that is in the best interest of our customers, specifically those in Mobile and the surrounding counties. As stated in the agreement, the company does not admit to any fraud or wrongdoing in connection with our business practices. It continued, Over the last year, we have made substantial improvements in our operations, claims management processes, governance structure, and quality assurance, including completing a $10 million supplemental treatment plan to address customer concerns during 2020, before this investigation began. The improvements have enhanced our ability to treat Formosan termites and serve our customers more effectively. This settlement and these enhancements continue our efforts to support our customer base in the area. Marshall said the case was resolved without litigation, but that the settlement was reached from a state law that cracks down against fraudulent acts. Terminix can characterize it however they will, said Marshall. Our claims are under the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which seeks to protect consumers from deceptive, fraudulent and illegal acts. The result of this settlement is Alabama consumers will be made whole. We have an opportunity in Alabama to allow consumers to have recovery. Related content: $60 million Terminix settlement: 12,000 homes retreated for termites; some may receive $650 payments A decision to deny a top academic entry into the race to become Trinitys first female provost has been blasted as draconian and disproportionate. Dr Sarah Alyn-Stacey, a French lecturer and known advocate for academic freedom was, following a hearing last Thursday of an internal committee, refused entry from the race to succeed Paddy Prendergast as head of Irelands oldest university. Three candidates were confirmed and they are Linda Doyle, professor of engineering and the arts; Linda Hogan, professor of Ecumenics and Jane Ohlmeyer, Erasmus Smith's professor of modern history. The college has so far refused to disclose its reasons for not allowing Dr Alyn-Stacey to go before its 800-plus electors. Former senator Sean Barrett, a recent pro-chancellor of Trinity, blasted the interview committees decision to deny Dr Alyn-Stacey entry to the provost elections, referring to it as draconian and disproportionate. Dr Barrett admonished the decision to disqualify Dr Alyn-Stacey, saying that our voting rights are diminished, and the good name of TCD is tarnished because Irish society is deeply committed to the ballot box without disqualifications. Dr Barrett, who served as a member of the last provost elections interview committee, explained that: In the wider democratic society, it is over 100 years since the last Irish parliamentary disqualification. Dr Alyn-Stacy has said the college has blurred the distinction between an election and an appointment and given HR a crucial role in who will be the next Provost. An open letter, endorsed by 23 Trinity postgraduate students and two Trinity alumni, condemned the disqualification of Dr Alyn-Stacey, saying it was obscure and anti-democratic. In a statement to the student newspaper University Times, Trinity College said: While it would be wrong to comment on any individual application, the university is completely satisfied that the process meets the necessary criteria. Candidates may appeal a decision of the interview committee to the appeals committee, also appointed by the Board. 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. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Onco-immunology Company Pan Cancer T Launched as Spin-off from Erasmus Medical Center Details Category: Proteins and Peptides Published on Monday, 08 February 2021 15:33 Hits: 2000 - Dutch biotech company developing first-in-class T-cell Receptor (TCR) T-cell therapies - Seed investment by Swanbridge Capital and Van Herk Ventures with support from Health~Holland ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands I February 8, 2021 I Pan Cancer T B.V., a biotech spin-off from the Erasmus Medical Center founded by Prof. Dr. Reno Debets (CSO) and Dr. Dora Hammerl (VP R&D), announces the closing of a seed investment and start of operations. Together with Katrien Reynders-Frederix (CEO), the team is committed to the discovery and development of novel TCR therapies against solid tumors such as triple negative breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and glioma. Seed investors are Swanbridge Capital and Van Herk Ventures, and the Company is further awarded a Health~Holland grant for a public-private-partnership with Erasmus Medical Center. Over the past decades, innovations in cancer treatments have improved the survival of cancer patients. Despite successes of therapies like Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, the vast majority of solid cancers remain refractory to such treatments. Pan Cancer T introduces new treatment options for hard-to-treat solid cancers through adoptive therapy with T-cells that are genetically engineered with TCRs. TCR therapy exploits the ability of the immune cells, in this case T-cells, to specifically and efficiently recognize and kill malignant cells according to the expression of intracellular target antigens. The Company develops safe and first-in-class TCR T-cell therapies against unique and proprietary targets that are exclusively expressed by multiple tumor types but are absent in healthy tissues. In addition, the Company delivers smart treatments that act against tumor micro-environmental hurdles and maximizes the efficacy of TCR T-cells towards solid tumors. Katrien Reynders-Frederix, CEO of Pan Cancer T, said: "Immunotherapy currently holds a large potential for cancer treatment. Adoptive T-cell therapy is one of the most promising approaches that has already proven its feasibility and clinical benefit in tumors in several clinical trials. The team is committed to develop safe and potent therapies, and the first data underscore the potential of our lead program where T-cells are directed against the PCT-1 target. Thanks to the support of our investors and Health~Holland, we are able to advance our pre-clinical programs. I am honored to be part of a company that has the potential to positively impact millions of lives. We are looking forward to further expanding our investor base and raising a Series A financing round to accelerate our programs. Reno Debets, CSO of Pan Cancer T, Professor at Erasmus Medical Center and specialist in T-cell immunity and adoptive therapy of tumors, stated: The fact that tumors grow and metastasize is often a consequence of immune evasion, pointing to the inherent ability of T-cells to selectively recognize and potently destruct tumors. To translate this ability towards patient care, we exploit fundamental platforms established over the last decade in our laboratory. Our platforms cover tumor-selective targets for T-cells, technologies to identify safe and effective TCRs as well as strategies to overcome T-cell suppressive effects of the tumor micro-environment. It is exactly this research fundament that goes head-on against the current challenges of immunotherapies. I am really proud and confident that with our enthusiastic team we will make important steps towards improved patient care. Thijs Spigt, Director of Technology Transfer Office at Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam: Erasmus MCs mission is to provide excellence in patient care, education and research. A key strategic element supporting this mission is the valorization of research findings. The establishment of Pan Cancer T, together with Swanbridge and Van Herk, fits a series of perfect examples how Erasmus MC is able to translate excellent research into development of new therapies for difficult to treat cancer types. We continue to support the team and look forward to a prosperous future for the company. Cillian King, Investment Manager at Swanbrigde Capital, commented: Recent advances in our understanding of the immune system and its role in cancer have resulted in the uptake of many new immunotherapies into clinical practice. However, despite remarkable results for some patients, many patients still lack effective treatment options, particularly those with solid tumors with immune suppressive microenvironments. We believe the science, expertise, and vision behind Pan Cancer T has the potential to profoundly impact patient outcomes and we look forward to supporting the company along this exciting journey. About Pan Cancer T Pan Cancer T was founded in late 2020 and spun-off from Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) to advance first-in-class TCR T-cell therapies for hard-to-treat solid tumors. The Companys approach includes two differentiating elements. First, it exploits unique targets for T-cells that are exclusively expressed by multiple solid cancers. Second, it applies innovative technologies to select naturally occurring and highly specific TCRs that recognize these targets, as well as immune-modulating treatments to overcome tumor micro-environmental challenges in the targeted cancers. The Company has ongoing R&D programs to develop safe and effective adoptive T cell therapies amenable to large cohorts of patients with triple negative breast cancer, bladder cancer ovarian, lung adenocarcinoma, or glioma. For more information: www.pancancer-t.com About Swanbridge Capital Swanbridge Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund that is focused on (pre-)seed investments in the life sciences industry. The fund invests in the development of novel therapies, diagnostics and medical devices. Swanbridge Capital was founded in 2016 and is based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For more information: www.swanbridgecapital.nl About Van Herk Ventures Van Herk Ventures is part of the Rotterdam-based Van Herk Groep and holds a portfolio of investments in real estate, energy and life sciences. The Van Herk Groep invests in the life sciences sector through direct investments in private and listed companies and in venture capital funds. Major investments include Galapagos, Zealand Pharma, BioInvent, DCprime, Ablynx (sold to Sanofi), and Crucell (sold to J&J). For more information: www.vanherkgroep.nl/beleggingen About Erasmus Medical Center Erasmus MC is the largest University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Erasmus MCs primary goal is the establishment and maintenance of a healthy population. Nearly 14,000 employees devote themselves to providing outstanding care, facilitating world-class education and conducting pioneering research. These professionals are instrumental in developing expertise on health and illness. They link the latest scientific insights to practical treatments and prevention measures, thereby providing maximum benefit to patients and at the same time enable people to live healthier lives. For more information: www.erasmusmc.nl SOURCE: Pan Cancer T Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday. Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19. WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Antwanye Ford, President and CEO of Enlightened, Inc., was featured in Franchise Journal Magazine to discuss how he is leading his business through a global pandemic. The article, "2020 A Year of Perfect Change," outlines his thought process and the strategies he is taking to ensure the survival of his company. Enlightened is an award-winning company that provides Cyber Security, IT and management solutions to resolve complex business problems for federal, state, and local government agencies. Ford goes into detail about the importance of organizations that support small businesses, such as the US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC). This organization reflects the voice of Black Business across the country. The President's Circle, an offshoot of the USBC and created by the USBC President, addresses the concern of equity, business development, and employment in the Black community. In order achieve these objectives, they have held meetings with some of the largest businesses in the country. As more opportunities arise, it is imperative not to forget to look internally. During 2020, Ford and the rest of the Enlightened team performed self-audits to monitor business processes and costs. As life as we knew it switched to a virtual format, there were costs still associated with being in person, such as rent for an unused office space and other fixed costs. Enlightened employees worked together to reduce expenses, streamline and automate manual processes, and improve communication across the company. As a result, a more efficient company was created and innovation is now ingrained into a culture of continuous improvement. In addition to participating in organizations that can provide support, Ford explains the necessity of businesses and individuals to be flexible. As a result of Covid-19, entities required virtual services comparable to the ones that they had been receiving pre-pandemic. In order to be successful, being able to pivot and address the concerns of the market is key. In doing so, you open the business to additional opportunities. In Enlightened's case, working with the USBC and being able to efficiently pivot during the pandemic afforded them the opportunity to become an Amazon Web Services partner. "Amazon Web Services (AWS) is significant in support of Enlightened's mission to deliver scalable solutions to the federal, state and local governments, as well as the commercial sector, in both healthcare and life sciences projects," said Antwanye Ford, CEO of Enlightened. Read the article here: https://www.franchisejournal.com/february2021v Media Contact: Arielle Kozub 202-728-7190 [email protected] SOURCE Enlightened, Inc. Related Links www.enlightened.com Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on National Disaster Response Force deployment, rescue work and relief operations. Local media reported farmers hearing a loud thundering sound before the wall of water from the Nanda Devi glacier swept relatives, cows and trees away from them. More than 300 Indo-Tibetan Border Police officers were deployed on Monday to search for dozens of survivors stuck in hydro-electric tunnels after villages near the disaster zone were evacuated. The flood, triggered by a glacial burst, where water trapped behind a frozen glacier is suddenly released due to melting, swept through hydroelectric plants in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday. A glacial flood that tore through a Himalayan valley, killing at least 12 people with fears for 170 more, has sharpened concerns about an acceleration in climate change disasters, as rescuers scramble through the hostile terrain to find survivors. Indian scientists on Monday said that satellite and Google Earth imagery indicated there was no glacial lake in the region, raising the possibility that a water pocket inside the glacier burst as it melted, triggering the torrent of water that sent tonnes of debris rushing down the ravine. Weather data shows the Chamoli area in the Hindu Kush Himalaya had recorded less than 10 millimetres of rain since Friday. Water pockets are lakes inside the glaciers, which may have erupted leading to this event, said Mohd Farooq Azam, assistant professor at the glaciology and hydrology division at the Indian Institute of Technology. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case. Loading In the past two decades Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast as they were at the end of the 20th century, according to a 2019 study in the Science Advances journal. The research found the rapid acceleration posed a fundamental risk to the 240 million people who live and work in the Hindu Kush region, with limited rainfall and rising temperatures melting glaciers that lead to floods, followed by drought. The area is home to more glaciers than anywhere else in the world outside the north and south poles. In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees, warming in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will likely be at least 0.3 degrees higher, according to the 2019 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Such large warming could trigger a multitude of biophysical and socio-economic impacts, such as biodiversity loss, increased glacial melting, and less predictable water availabilityall of which will impact livelihoods and well-being in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Paying women almost as much as men has for years given companies an edge in competing for city of Albuquerque contracts. As long as the disparity between their male and female employees salaries did not exceed 7%, vendors bidding on city work qualified for a preference or at least they did until Mayor Tim Kellers administration reset the guidelines in January. Kellers administration kept the incentive program but eliminated all wiggle room, following Bernalillo Countys lead. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Now, only vendors who compensate men and women equally for comparable jobs can get the gender pay equity bonus during the citys vendor selection process. The playing field wont be level until women, and especially women of color, earn fair wages compared to their counterparts, Keller said in a written statement in January. Part of that means rewarding companies that walk the walk. But one expert is warning that the decision might backfire, undermining the programs overarching goal of bridging a long-standing pay gap by leveraging the citys contracting power. Martha Burk the consultant who designed the pay equity initiative Albuquerque rolled out in 2015 said she worries City Hall has moved the incentive too far out of reach by adjusting the qualification from 7% to 0%. Companies working to narrow the divide between mens and womens salaries may not bother now, she said. Even before the change, qualifying for the bonus was a relatively rare feat. It will be too hard to do; I think you have to incentivize people gradually to get them from point A to point B, and this to me seems like too big a step, Burk said. City Councilor Diane Gibson is also concerned about the reset to 0%. Gibson and fellow Councilors Klarissa Pena and Brad Winter co-sponsored the legislation creating the preference for city vendors that were approaching gender pay parity. She said many companies had such a long way to go that accelerating the standard jeopardizes progress. I think it effectively just kills the whole program that we worked so very hard on, Gibson said. The move to 0% is the latest in the citys yearslong work on gender pay equity. In 2013, the City Council passed legislation requiring that outside contractors submit a pay equity reporting form with their bids or proposals to determine the deviation between mens and womens compensation. Two years later with support from then-Mayor Richard Berry the council passed Gibsons ordinance creating a preference for bidders with a gender pay disparity of 10% or less. The city awarded those companies a Pay Equity Business Certificate worth a 5% preference. It meant a companys price proposal was considered to be 5% less than its actual bid during the citys vendor selection process. $175 million spent in 2020 City contracts are big business; in fiscal year 2020, the citys goods and services spending included $175 million through 371 competitively awarded contracts. Burk, who modeled Albuquerques program on a similar system she developed for the state of New Mexico, said it put the city at the forefront of the issue nationally. She said she still fields inquiries from other cities around the country looking to try something similar. Albuquerques pay equity bonus was designed so the city could reduce the allowable deviation; in 2017, the city trimmed it to 7% from the initial 10%. Burk acknowledges that rewarding any kind of gap may seem counterintuitive. But she saw it as a necessity given the stubborn chasm between male and female salaries. Even though New Mexico rates 15th nationally for gender pay equity, women working full time in the state receive an average of $8,789 less per year than men, according to the citys Gender Pay Equity Initiative web page. Thats a 21% pay gap on average, although data collected through the city procurement process has shown gaps of up to 40%. Wed all love to see a 0% pay gap, absolutely. Nobody is a stronger advocate for pay equity than I am. (But) I also knew if you go with too big a step too soon, theyll say, We cant do that. Lets just not try for this incentive, Burk said. Even with the wiggle room, the bonus is not common. Since 2015, only about 80 businesses have received the citys pay equity certificates. There are 33 active certificates currently, according to a city spokeswoman. A rewards-based approach for gradual improvement is logical, Burk said. Now is exactly the time But Haley Kadish, who administers the citys Gender Pay Equity Initiative, called the 7% disparity arbitrary and said the citys move to 0% puts it in line with Bernalillo County and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority two agencies that essentially piggyback on to the citys certification system. The county last fall was moving to amend its procurement code to match the citys then-preference for vendors with a 7% or lower gender pay differential. The goal was to create consistency in the metro area and a universal Pay Equity Certificate that worked across the city, county and water utility, according to a county official. But County Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty successfully pushed to limit the countys gender pay equity preference only to vendors without any disparity. She said her blood was boiling at the prospect of incentivizing any level of inequity. The commissioner said she does not share Burks fears about unintended consequences and wanted to push for progress. There should just be equal pay for equal work across the board, and I think now is exactly the time to look at this and do it, Pyskoty said. The city followed the county to preserve consistency and maintain the cooperative nature of the initiative, Kadish said. Kadish said the city is working to advance the initiative in other ways, including transparency. By March, she said, contractor pay gap data collected through the procurement process will be publicly available for the first time online. Ultimately, very few vendors take advantage of the Citys pay equity preference, Kadish said in written comments to the Journal. The drawback of lowering the threshold from the arbitrary threshold of 7% to 0% will result in fewer vendors being certified. However, the City weighed the options and decided to move forward in partnership with the County and Water Authority. Bianca Davila knew early on that her youngest child, Jordan Castillo, had special needs. Jordan was not hitting his developmental milestones and was having behavioral issues that prompted their pediatrician to refer him to the Center for Healthcare Services. There, Davila met families who recommended IDEA Public Schools, a fast-growing charter network that boasted a nearly 100 percent graduation rate. No problem that Jordan needed special education services. IDEA could help him, Davila was told. She enrolled Jordan in IDEA Eastside for kindergarten. But for the next three years, she said, she had to fight all the way to the networks highest levels to get Jordan tested for special needs. He received a diagnosis toward the end of second grade, she believes, only because she had emailed and called IDEA leaders at their headquarters. She withdrew Jordan after second grade and put him in Democracy Prep, a San Antonio Independent School District elementary campus operated by a charter network. But Davila didnt wait when similar problems persisted. She withdrew him again, this time in the middle of the year. San Antonio students who have received special education services leave charter schools at higher rates than traditional public schools, according to a new study from the University of Texas at San Antonios Urban Education Institute. Researchers tracked the mobility of about 200,000 students in Bexar County from 2007 to 2018, using Texas Education Agency data. They found charter schools were more likely to declassify and less likely to classify mobile students as needing special education services than traditional public schools. The analysis used the 12 years of data to compile a mobility rate: a number per 100 students showing the probability of changing schools from the start of one school year to the start of the next. For all students, it showed 18.3 out of 100 change schools in any given year at any grade level, said the studys author and the institutes director, Mike Villarreal. Students who received special education services after changing schools had a predicted school mobility rate of 31.3 percent at charter schools, compared with 22 percent at traditional public schools, which led researchers to believe students were changing schools in pursuit of special education services, he said. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Villarreal believes changing schools can harm childrens education as they adjust to new settings, and he thinks the higher mobility rates associated with charter schools support calls for greater state oversight. What it looks like to me, from the data, is that there is a churning process going on where kids are marketed and attracted in, and then the school sifts through them and pushes out the harder-to-serve students, Villarreal said. You see kids who are needing special education services at the top of the list to be pushed out. Advocates for the charter industry criticized the study for not distinguishing between students who moved in the middle of a school year, when its the most disruptive, and those who did so over summer break, when they can do it with minimal damage at the start of the school year. Movement within a school year was slightly higher in charters than in traditional school districts, according to TEA data, between 2014 and 2017. But in 2018, they were close: About 18 percent of kids moved from a charter school in the middle of the year and about 18.6 percent from a traditional ISD. It might not be surprising or harmful if charters have higher overall mobility rates when kids who changed schools at the start of a school year are included, said Starlee Coleman, the CEO of the Texas Public Charter Schools Association. Charters serve a disproportionately larger share of kids in poverty, she said, noting Villarreals conclusion that the largest factor associated with high mobility is poverty. Theres a big difference between switching schools in the middle of the school year and moving schools after the end of the school year when you realize that that school wasnt a good fit for you, Coleman said. What TEA themselves is concerned about is those midyear movements. An end-of-the-school-year move might be a totally legitimate move and a good thing for the kid. The fact that (Villarreal) mixes the two, kind of makes me think that maybe he is trying to get to the conclusion that he wants to draw. Coleman said shes not defending any school that denies special education services to a child thats against the law, she said. I want every kid to be in the school that is right for them, and for the vast majority of kids in Texas, thats going to be a really good ISD, Coleman said. Every story that they want to trot out, like this is proof that charters are terrible, we can match you with a story of a parent saying what happened to my kid in this ISD. That was the case for Erica Martinez when she tried to get special education services for her oldest son, Arron, who was diagnosed with autism in the spring of 2010, when he was 3. His neurologist told Martinez to call the neighborhood school and say she was referred for testing and integration services. They would know what she was talking about, the doctor assured her. Martinez said she called Cable Elementary School in Northside ISD and couldnt find anyone who knew what she was looking for, and she gave up after four months and countless unanswered phone calls. I was worried that if it took that long, then he was just going to be a number, she said. Martinez eventually found Lighthouse Public Schools. The principal said Arron was its only student with autism but that it would do whatever it takes to serve him, she said. I felt like I had a partner, Martinez said. Her two younger sons now also attend Lighthouse, and last summer the school hired Martinez to do family engagement work for it. Arron is now in seventh grade there and regularly earns As and Bs. Texas has been in trouble for denying special education services to thousands of students in both types of public schools. In 2018, a federal investigation found that the state violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when it arbitrarily set a cap of 8.5 percent on students receiving special education as a cost control measure. The process for getting a child screened in any school for such services can take as long as three to five months without any hiccups. From the time a parent or school official initiates a request, the school has 15 school days to respond. A team is assembled, and if it decides a student needs an evaluation, thats an additional 45 days to complete it, followed by 30 days to put a plan into action. School officials are prohibited by federal privacy law from talking about individuals, so IDEA officials would not comment on Jordan Castillos case. Tricia Lopez, IDEAs director of special programs who oversees the networks special ed services across Texas and Louisiana, acknowledged that in rare circumstances it takes longer to get services. If an IDEA campus fails to meet the TEA-required timeline, IDEA audits campus personnel to determine what went wrong and puts the campus on a corrective plan, Lopez said but its happened only a few times since 2013, when she came into her role. As soon as we become aware that a timeline is close to or has passed, we speed that process up and it becomes urgent, Lopez said. Jordan now attends Forbes Elementary School, a traditional public school in SAISD. His mother said the improvement has been dramatic, that he says his teacher cares about me because she always helps me. Parent-teacher conferences are smoother, and administrators have educated Davila on how to help Jordan at home. She finally has hope that he will catch up in his classes. Davila is not anti-charter. Her 12-year-old daughter has attended Brooks Academy most of her academic career, and theyve been happy with it. The difference, Davila said, is that her daughter doesnt need special education services. Villarreal said hes not trying to paint every charter school with the same brush. What I try to do is demonstrate to TEA how they can use their own data to flag schools that should be audited, Villarreal said. It doesnt mean schools should be automatically penalized. It shows that there is smoke and maybe we should investigate if theres a fire. He hopes Texas lawmakers this year pass legislation that includes direction to TEA that has them also measure school mobility from year to year, Villarreal said. Because that has a powerfully negative effect on student learning. krista.torralva@express-news.net ADVERTISEMENT Unknown gunmen have intercepted a hearse at the Benin bypass in Edo State conveying the corpse of an unidentified man from Lagos to Enugu State for burial. The gunmen were said to have fired sporadically on sighting the vehicle and forced it to a halt before abducting the younger brother of the deceased who was taking his elder brothers corpse to Enugu for burial. The driver of the hearse, Orejuwa Salami, was, however, not abducted. A resident of Ahor community, along the bypass, Osamudiamen Odia, said the incident happened on Saturday. Mr Odia, who said he was among those who went to rescue the driver after the kidnappers had left the scene, said the driver fell into the ditch after the encounter with the kidnappers. He said the driver of another vehicle, which was driving behind the hearse, was killed by a stray bullet from the gunmen. He said, Upon sighting the ambulance, the armed bandits opened fire on the driver but he managed to escape the bullets of the dare-devil kidnappers. The driver of the vehicle behind him was not lucky as he was hit by stray bullets and died instantly. The sporadic gunshots forced the vehicle driver to an emergency stop and the vehicle fell into a nearby ditch. The younger brother of the deceased who was sitting in front was kidnapped and taken into the bush. The journey was subsequently aborted because the ambulance was destroyed. The dead body was taken to another mortuary along the Benin/Auchi road axis of Benin City. The driver, Mr Salami, who narrated his ordeal to PREMIUM TIMES, described the incident as traumatic. He called for adequate security along major highways across the country. I carried this dead from Lagos and the destination was Enugu. The body of the dead man had been in the mortuary in Lagos and it was being conveyed to Enugu State for burial. When I saw the kidnappers I thought they were policemen and they started firing on sighting us. I had to bend down and the bullet hit the driver behind me, he said. The kidnappers are demanding N5 million ransom, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The police spokesperson in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, said some kidnap suspects were recently arrested along the bypass, adding that security has been beefed up along the route. FLINT, MI -- Nearly 100 years after Jefferson Elementary School was built on North Street, the city of Flint must decide whether the property can be reborn and whether a pastor who has seen it operate in the best and worst of times can be part of any turnaround. The Rev. Derrick Aldridge, pastor of 2nd Chance Church, wants the city to honor a commitment by the Flint City Council to sell the building at 5306 North St., to him for $1,000 -- a move that comes more than 40 years after the church led by his father, the late Rev. Avery Aldridge, first purchased the building from the Flint Community Schools and established the Foss Avenue Christian School there. But theres a sticking point. Derrick Aldridge and his church owned Jefferson before it slid into tax foreclosure in 2016, leaving behind an overdue property tax bill of more than $155,000, and the city says theres an unpaid water bill of about $100,000 tied to the property that is still outstanding. Despite losing the property more than four years ago after failing to gain a tax exemption, 2nd Chance has continued to maintain the school, using it to distribute water, diapers and water filters. Aldridge said the church still pays for the security system thats in place more than four years after losing ownership. I went to Jefferson School. Thats why it was so important to me, the pastor said. My mother was the principal there ... Im just trying to do good in the community -- (trying to) see if I can see something good happen. The city acquired Jefferson and several other properties that had gone through the tax foreclosure process before they could be transferred to the Genesee County Land Bank in late 2016, an unusual effort led by 1st Ward Councilman Eric Mays, who said the properties had the potential for redevelopment. I kind of nicknamed it the second chance pilot program ... I want to make history doing it, said Mays, who later pushed for a resolution passed by council to deed the property to Aldridge for $1,000. But the property was never transferred and Aldridge said Mayor Sheldon Neeley and Duvarl Murdock, his deputy chief of staff, told him recently that the property wont be given back without a plan for paying at least some of the outstanding water bill. We would like that building to remain in the community and not be torn down, said Aldridge, who believes the school could be converted into housing for women returning to Flint from prison and for nonprofit groups to offer services. If we had the deed, we could possibly do something, though he estimates needed repairs at $2 million or more. Mays has asked to discuss the issue during the councils meeting Monday, Feb. 8. We can take property and keep it in the hands of local people, Mays said. Some administration should have executed a quit claim deed ... We are going to push for execution of that transfer. An immediate transfer hasnt been supported so far by Neeley, who said in a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal that other water customers would end up paying the cost of forgiving the past water bill. The city of Flint is open and willing to work to get a positive resolution to this, the mayors statement says. The city of Flint has no interest in maintaining real estate. When we have an outstanding water bill, that cost must be fairly recouped for all. Residents cannot afford to absorb those costs. Jefferson is located near the citys northern border, constructed as part of a building boom by the Flint School District that was fueled by the growth of Flints automobile industry expansion in the late 1920s. The number of students in the city grew from 3,170 -- close to the number enrolled today -- in 1900 to 38,714 by 1929, according to MLive-The Flint Journal files. From 1924 to 1930, the district built 11 new schools, including Jefferson, to keep pace with that growth. The construction was part of a citywide building surge from 1920 to 1930, a period during which some of the citys best-known landmarks were constructed, including Central High School, the Durant Hotel, the Capitol Theatre and the Mott Foundation Building. But by the late 1980s, enrollment in city schools was in freefall and the school system embarked on the largest downsizing in its history, closing five elementary schools, including Jefferson; two middle schools and a high school. Jeffersons enrollment, which peaked at 843 students in 1965, had just 262 at the time it closed plus 104 students in a magnet program. Foss Avenue Baptist Church, led by Aldridges father, purchased Jefferson in January 1989 and one month later moved the churchs Foss Avenue Christian School into the building, relocating the contents of nine temporary school trailers, its staff and 160 students. In 1997, Northridge Academy, the first charter school to open inside the Flint School District, took over the site after church officials said they determined only a charter school could provide computers and updated equipment to fill the educational needs of children. Northridge later moved, and the Jefferson property was deeded at different times to Derrick Aldridge and 2nd Chance, according to Genesee County property records. Aldridge failed to gain a tax exemption for the property and taxes went unpaid until reaching more than $150,000 when Genesee County foreclosed. The city took the deed to the property but Aldridge and his church stayed on the site, giving community activist Quincy Murphy a lease to operate from there. Murphy later sued Aldridge for breach of contract in a case still pending in Genesee District Court. The Aldridge family is well known to longtime Flint residents. In addition to pastoring Foss Avenue Baptist, his father was the president of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action, a politically powerful caucus of city church leaders. He rose to prominence after founding his parish in a small house he rented with just a few members on a dirt road that is now known as Foss Avenue. Derrick Aldridge established his own church after his own personal struggles, having pleaded no contest in 1995 to attempted embezzlement in the taking of more than $11,000 from the old Flint City Market, which he managed. After he took over the leadership of his fathers church in 2006, he resigned after pleading guilty to improper possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle and possession of cocaine, according to MLive-The Flint Journal files. By the end of 2006, after his release from jail, he founded 2nd Chance and has continued to lead the church since, offering a message of forgiveness to others who have stumbled, leading services, Bible study and food giveaways. I was going to walk away from it, he said of Jefferson School. Councilman Mays said, let me try .... It has a lot of sentimental value to me. Well see whether (the city is) really ready to help. Read more on MLive: Judge orders Flint attorney to stop spreading very misleading water settlement information Flint Councilman Santino Guerra wont seek re-election, says its time to give someone else an opportunity Flint condemns Sunset Village Apartments after finding residents had no heat or water THE High Court has ordered Netstar Ambulance Services (NAS) to compensate a Bulawayo man more than $400 000 after he fell off a stretcher and got injured while being taken out of the company's ambulance upon arrival at a hospital. Mr Edward Stanley sustained a femoral fracture after the stretcher collapsed while he was being taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). He sustained 25 percent disability. The ruling by Justice Christopher Dube-Banda follows summons filed by Mr Stanley at the Bulawayo High Court, citing NAS and its two employees, Mr Humphrey Mwamsbi and Ms Charmaine Sibanda, who were both part of the ambulance crew, as defendants. Justice Dube-Banda said NAS is liable and should pay as its two workers were performing their duties at the time of the incident. The judge said since there are no scales existing by which pain and suffering can be measured, the quantum of compensation can only be determined by the broadest general considerations, which include the fall in value of local currency. "Awards must reflect the state of the economic development and current economic conditions of the country. General damages are awarded to compensate plaintiff for direct effects of the damage to the injured party or for loss," he said. "The objective of general damages is to enable the plaintiff to overcome the effects of the injuries, compensate him and not to penalise the defendant." Justice Dube-Banda said although he has no difficulties in rejecting the claim for loss of amenities, awarding Mr Stanley for damages for pain and suffering and loss of amenities would amount to double compensation. "In the result, it is ordered that default judgment be and is hereby entered in favour of the plaintiff in the sum of $436 380 for special damages being medical expenses, future medical expenses and general damages being pain and suffering," ruled the judge. Two months after Ellen DeGeneres revealed she had battled the deadly corona virus, she's obviously now ready to mingle. The 63-year old talk show host showed up at noon sharp in the Upper Village of Montecito, California for what was either a lunch or coffee meeting on Thursday. After unsuccessfully scanning the parking lot for her date, she used the upstairs restroom at Pierre LaFond & Co and emerged on the phone. 'Ah, okay, okay, another time then, no, no problem,' she was overheard saying into her iPhone, trying to seem upbeat. Ellen looked dejected after her lunch companion failed to show up in Montecito last Thursday. Despite once being a model for the Cover Girl brand, Ellen went makeup free for the casual meeting, donning a protective face mask, messy short hair, a wrinkled blue linen shirt and matching slacks Ellen arrived at noon sharp in the Upper Village of Montecito for the lunch date After scanning the parking lot for the person she was meeting, she used the upstairs restroom at Pierre LaFond & Co and emerged on the phone The person on the other end had obviously canceled, catching her off guard. The Upper Village has many restaurants and a high-end coffee shop so it is unclear where the meeting was to occur. Ellen was later seen walking alone several blocks back to her black Porsche Panamera and driving off. Despite once being a model for the Cover Girl brand, Ellen went makeup free for the casual meeting, donning a protective face mask, messy short hair, a wrinkled blue linen shirt and matching slacks. A Montecito local tells the DailyMail.com 'This is Ellen's normal look when she's here, nothing fancy. No one approaches her to pose for a picture or get an autograph, she doesn't send out that welcoming vibe.' Contrast that to the reception that famed other Montecito local Oprah Winfrey, 67, receives. 'Oprah on the other hand gets people yelling from cars, waving 'hi', wanting hugs and selfies. It's like the tale of two talk show hosts.' DailyMail.com revealed that Ellen's image took a major hit last year when it was revealed that behind the scenes she's been dubbed 'mean,' and credited for creating a toxic 'don't look her in the eyes' work environment on her long running talk show. Ellen has reportedly apologized to her staff and chalked much of her behavior up to 'being an introvert,' and wanting her own space that may have been 'misconstrued' by her staff. 'I'm a multi-layered person, and I try to be the best person I can be and learn from my mistakes,' she said. After scanning the parking lot for the person she was meeting, she used the upstairs restroom at Pierre LaFond & Co 'Ah, okay, okay, another time then, no, no problem,' Ellen was overheard saying into her iPhone, trying to seem upbeat Dejected Ellen was later seen walking alone several blocks back to her black Porsche Panamera and driving off. A Montecito local tells the DailyMail.com 'No one approaches her to pose for a picture or get an autograph, she doesn't send out that welcoming vibe' DailyMail.com revealed that Ellen's image took a major hit last year when it was revealed that behind the scenes she's been dubbed 'mean,' and credited for creating a toxic 'don't look her in the eyes' work environment on her long running talk show The negative press has led to a decline in The Ellen Show's ratings after dominating the market for nearly two decades. In December, it was revealed that American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson's talk show in its sophomore year gained 10% to earn a 1.1 national Nielsen rating for live-plus-same day. That same month Ellen's talk show declined 8% in ratings to 1.1, after the comedian contracted Covid-19. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Armen Papikyan to discuss media freedom developments in Armenia and areas in which the RFoMs institution can provide assistance, the OSCE website reports. Ribeiro welcomed the assurances that media freedom and safety of journalists are important topics on the governments agenda. She expressed her readiness to provide support to Armenia on issues regarding media freedom and the freedom of expression. Ribeiro and Papikyan talked about the challenge of fake news and its effects on media freedom, including the importance of media literacy as one of the elements to address the issue. Ribeiro and Papikyan further spoke about the regional South Caucasus Media Conference, organized annually by the RFoMs Office, and agreed to engage in further discussions about the upcoming 2021 event. They also discussed the prospects of co-operation in other areas and a possible visit of the RFoM to Armenia. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 9:21 am One night in January 2020, a man at Rainier School, a state-run center for developmentally disabled people, left his cottage without the knowledge of workers there and walked away into the dark, never to be seen again. That tragedy is one of the latest examples documented in a report by the advocacy group Disability Rights Washington (DRW) as it again calls on the state to shutter its residential habilitation centers. Titled "Shut Them Down," the report is the latest in a yearslong campaign by DRW seeking to close the Rainier School in Buckley, Pierce County, Fircrest School in Shoreline and Lakeland Village, in Medical Lake, Spokane County. The facilities have struggled for years with safety issues and reported deaths and serious accidents. Federal regulators in 2019 decertified part of Rainier School because of problems, leading state officials to transfer scores of residents out into the community. Beth Leonard, a staff attorney with DRW and co-author of the latest report, called the facilities "historic institutions that were created to segregate people with the development disabilities." "We have the capability to serve people in the communities ... so people can live in neighborhoods and near their families," she said. But the push to close the facilities have come as families of some developmentally disabled people believe those institutions remain the safest place for their loved ones. That includes Sabrina Whaley, the parent and guardian of Sergei Whaley-Taub, a longtime resident of the Fircrest School who has experienced a lifetime of multiple disabilities. She said she and others believe that larger institutions are the best way to make sure people get the daily help they need, such as preparing food, managing their medicine, moving around, and making sure they don't harm themselves or wander off. "For the greatest safety, and for his greatest well-being, that's the type of setting that he needs," said Whaley of her son. "And it's where he thrives." Now, after years of mediated talks between the state and elected officials, advocacy groups and people within the community of disable people, lawmakers are again proposing a plan to close most of the facilities. The recommendations come out of a work group mediated by the Ruckelshaus Center in late 2019 and call for gradually replacing the large residential facilities with housing in communities across Washington. It also recommends building a new skilled nursing unit at Fircrest School, to replace an aging facility there, in a move that would keep part of that campus open. Lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee are considering both of those moves this legislative session. Senate Bill 5268, sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser D-Des Moines, would lay the foundation for a transition away from the residential centers. It would require the state to forecast and then budget for the number of people requesting supported-living services. That would allow state officials to plan for supported-living homes in communities around the state. "It is a slow process," Keiser said. "You just don' turn out people who have lived there for 40 years." Co-sponsored by GOP Senate Minority Leader John Braun, of Centralia, the bill also has the support of the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), which oversees the facilities. On Friday, lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care voted to advance the proposal. Asked about the DRW report and the incidents it documents, a spokesperson for DSHS cited the agency's current work of shifting more residents into the community. "Since 2014, more than 600 clients have chosen to move out of (the facilities) and into the community through our Roads to Community Living program," wrote spokesperson Lisa Copeland in an email. Some have been outspoken in opposing the closure of the facilities, saying they have provided a good home to family members with severe disabilities. One of those is Whaley, whose son Whaley-Taub has spent years living at Fircrest School. Now 37, Whaley-Taub came to Fircrest about a dozen years ago after going through nearly two dozen caregivers in the community over a six-month period, Whaley said. At Fircrest, "he did relax, he started sleeping through the night, he started eating better," Whaley said. "He starting healing better." But the new DRW report documents other recent problems. Just days before the disappearance of the Rainier School man in 2020, another man left that facility site. "An off-duty staff member returning from lunch happened to spot him walking in heavy rain, without a coat, nearly a mile from campus," according to the report. In 2019, a Fircrest resident reported being hit by a staff worker, according to the report, and the resident told at least four other employees about the incident. But, "No one at Fircrest reported the incident to law enforcement or to the State Complaint Resolution Unit, in violation of mandatory reporting requirements." Legislators and Inslee are also considering $110 million for a new 120-bed skilled nursing-care unit at Fircrest School. Inslee included that funding in his new proposed capital-construction budget. Keiser said the state would always have a need for skilled services for aging individuals with disabilities who "need 24/7 nursing care." Meanwhile, moving people into community homes wouldn't necessarily solve the problems reported at the larger facilities. Keiser suggested that stricter reporting and oversight might mean that problems at places like Rainier School are just more visible than elsewhere. And, "There is no way to absolutely eliminate all personal risk to vulnerable people," Keiser added. ___ (c)2021 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. AstraZeneca is working on a new version of its COVID-19 vaccine for immunity against the South African coronavirus variant. The new version of its COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be available by autumn, lead researcher of the vaccine development programme in the University of Oxford said on Sunday. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford told BBC that the researchers have already started working on the first part of the manufacturing process. "It looks very much like the new vaccine will be available for the autumn. We're already working on the first part of the manufacturing process in Oxford, that will be passed on to other members of the manufacturing supply chain as we go through the Spring, and it looks very much like that we can have a new version ready to use in the autumn," said Gilbert. Gilbert said the researchers expect to show that the new version of the vaccine will generate antibodies that recognise the new variant. She said that from hereon, it will be very much like working on flu vaccines. People will be familiar that new components will be required in the vaccine every year to keep up with the new strains that keep emerging and circulating. The current version has shown reduced efficacy in fighting the South African variant called B.1.351. Meanwhile, South Africa has suspended inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine after a study showed that the drug failed to prevent moderate and mild cases of the South African variant. "It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said. The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, which conducted the trial, said in a statement on Sunday that the AstraZeneca vaccine "provides minimal protection against mild-moderate Covid-19 infection" from the South African variant. Meanwhile, biotech company Moderna said that its COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the new variants identified in the UK and South Africa. Moderna said that its two-dose regimen at 100 mg dose is effective against strains detected so far. Also read: AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shot put on hold over variant data Also read: Pfizer withdraws emergency use application for COVID-19 vaccine in India Bolivian environmental authorities on Sunday announced an investigation into the apparent poisoning of 35 Andean condors in a rural community, one of the most devastating such cases for the endangered species. "It is an irreparable injury to our nature and the species," the environment and water ministry said. Deputy environment minister Magin Herrera confirmed 35 dead condors had been discovered in the rural community of Laderas Norte, in the southern department of Tarija. "This loss is extremely serious, because we are talking about condors that could represent 0.5 percent of the world's condor population," said Diego Mendez, a biologist linked to a raptor research program, according to the news site Pagina Siete. The massive Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), which calls the South American mountain range home, has a 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) wingspan, making it one of the largest flying birds. Globally, there are some 6,700 condors but numbers are declining. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the condor as "near threatened" on its watch list. Authorities believe the birds were poisoned, possibly several days ago, though it is not clear if the species had been targeted. "There is a probability of poisoning directed at them or other animals, but since condors are scavengers, they still succumb," Mendez said. This is the largest case of its kind known in Bolivia and against an endangered species. "We condemn the act, we want it to be investigated. It is an act that hurts us. In this department, condors live and coexist with the (rural) communities without any problem," Tarija governor Adrian Oliva told reporters. The case was initially reported via social media. gbh/dg/to/wat A Beaumont pioneer in creating essential online tools for brands and small businesses is now part of a growing Houston company striving to change how e-commerce works. AmeriCommerce, headquartered in a historic building on Pearl Street in Beaumonts downtown, recently merged with Cart.com, combining its range of software already used by thousands of businesses with a growing platform. AmeriCommerce will now be a key part of Cart.coms tool set, allowing users to manage multiple online storefronts, use marketing tools and customer loyalty awards, and manage shipping and other essential options all in one place. The Beaumont company was founded in 2005 with the idea of freeing up business owners to focus on their products, not software, but Ed Sturrock founder and now chief technology officer for Cart.com has been working on those concepts even longer. Sturrock, who grew up in Vidor, was studying architecture at Texas A&M University in the late 1990s when he first began writing software for businesses, starting with the family business. Sturrock said he had been putting more interest into software and video games at the time than anything else, and he decided to make a project out of creating a website for his parents printing business. The foundation of our software now still comes from what I wrote at that time, he said. Instead of becoming an architect, Sturrock decided to take his interest in technology further and headed back to Beaumont, graduating from Lamar University with a degree in information technology in 2002. Sturrock soon capitalized on the growing need for businesses to transition to the internet that had inspired him in the first place, and the company grew with the help of partners such as Jack Cravy, who served as the chief operations officer before becoming an executive with Cart.com after the merger. AmeriCommerce was bought by CapitalOne Bank and integrated into its plans to offer e-commerce tools to businesses as a part of their banking services, but the company remained local, headquartered in the Edison Plaza office building in downtown Beaumont. Before the purchase, the company had already hit a milestone of $4 billion generated among all of its clients stores. Sturrock said the time with CapitalOne was good for the company and what it was trying to build, but the time came when the broad goals AmeriCommerce was reaching for didnt mesh with its place in the corporate scene it found itself in. The company led a successful buyback campaign in 2017 and became independent once again, eventually finding its current home on Pearl Street. Related: Beaumont business renovating historic downtown building About 14 employees work from the completely renovated modern office, formally vacant for the last several years, but Sturrock said they are still settling in after moving in at the beginning of last December. We had wrapped up what we thought was the last of the renovations about one week before the lockdown in March (at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic), Sturrock said. Luckily, we were already mostly remote after leaving Edison Plaza, and we still had more to do, as it turned out. Staying local was a priority, Sturrock said, and being able to revitalize a historic Beaumont building was a happy bonus in the companys new life. Sturrock has been a fixture on the board of Lamar Universitys Center for Industrialization, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, where he has been trying to foster the next generation of entrepreneurs who might be able to make their own mark on Beaumont. Moving forward, AmeriCommerce and Cart.com will try to forge a new path for e-commerce at a time when demand for services has skyrocketed. CEO Omair Tariq said Cart.com was created to become a comprehensive package of tools and resources brands will need as more of the retail market heads online. When we look at what is available, it is hard to find anyone that is enabling the kind of end-to-end services brands are going to need to keep up, Tariq said. We are a one-stop turnkey solution for anyone that wants to sell items online. Though global commerce data suggest some of the digital sales during the pandemic will eventually head back to brick-and-mortar evidenced by the 27.6% growth in e-commerce in 2020 estimated to slow to 14.3% growth in 2021, according to Yahoo! Finance consumers and businesses could be changing their preferences for the long haul. E-commerce platforms such as Shopify expect the global economy to recover more slowly than it did after the 2008 economic recession, but the rush to satisfy shoppers in quarantine has kicked off tech wars between Amazon and big box giants such as Walmart and spiked digital ad sales. Yet to be seen is how independent brands and businesses can get ahead now that consumers are expecting more access and efficiency when it comes to finding and buying products, which is where Cart.com hopes to come in. Tariq said the company is offering an opportunity for brands to grow and build their market share instead of just having a space next to thousands of other items on an online retailers website, but those broad goals are also going to take a lot of knowledge and manpower. We are expanding in tech, data and in the logistics space at the same time, he said. Were going to need expertise, talent and passion for these brands to make them successful. The company has consistently added assets to round out the services it can offer since Tariq and former RTIC Outdoors CEO Jim Jacobsen announced Cart.coms founding last December. Along with AmeriCommerce, the company acquired Optimal Agency, a digital marketing firm founded by former Google and Facebook experts, and creative branding studio Spacecraft Brands in January. On Wednesday, the company announced the acquisition of Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes, an Arizona-based provider of moving boxes that will use its existing supply chains and operational support to help Cart.com businesses with shipping solutions. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat, in his first phone call to the new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, once again blamed Washington for plunging bilateral relations to their lowest point in decades, dismissing foreign criticism of Beijing's Xinjiang and Hong Kong policies. From the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Office, Yang Jiechi, the top foreign policy advisor to Xi Jinping, told Blinken during their Friday call that the U.S. should "correct recent mistakes, and work with China to promote the healthy and stable development of China-US relations by upholding the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation," Yang, the China top diplomat, also stressed on his statement that, as well as political structures and developmental directions of their own choice, both sides should respect the core interests of the other, as he emphasizes. "Each side should focus on taking care of its own domestic affairs. China will firmly continue down the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and no one can stop the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Yang, china's top diplomat, added. Under the U.S. Presidency of Donald Trump, relations between Washington and Beijing were frequently fractious, which includes disputes over trade, technology, regional security, and human rights concerns. The latest remarks from President Joe Biden's new administration suggest that there will only be a little in the road of pullback. In the president's speech on Thursday, Biden described China as the United States' "most serious competitor" and with very keen plans to face Beijing's "attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance." According to the Chinese statement, Yang highlighted many significant sources of continued friction between the two countries, including Taiwan, during the phone call Friday. Though the two sides have been ruled independently for more than seven decades, Beijing asserts absolute sovereignty over Taiwan, a democratic island of nearly 24 million citizens. ALSO READ: Biden Does Not Want Trump To Receive Intelligence Briefings, Claims He Might 'Slip and Say Something' Why does China's top diplomat blame Washington? Since Biden took office, Beijing has stepped up military activity around Taiwan. On several occasions, they have sent combat aircraft, including H-6K bombers, into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. It was seen as a clear warning to the new U.S. administration that China would not yield sovereignty over the island. On Thursday, during the Biden administration, the U.S. Navy was able to send a guided-missile destroyer through the Taiwan Strait. The first time a U.S. warship had passed through the waterway that separates China and Taiwan. Yang also warned Blinken that China's internal affairs are related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. The nation does not tolerate any foreign intervention, the Chinese statement said. The former Trump administration has agreed that China is committing genocide in Xinjiang against Uyghur Muslims and ethnic and religious minority communities, a designation that Blinken has said he agrees. Previously, the U.S. State Department reported that up to two million Uyghurs, as well as members of other Muslim minority groups, have been detained in the region's sprawling network of internment camps. Blinken stressed that the U.S. would continue to stand up for human rights and democratic principles, particularly in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Blinken urged China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Myanmar, according to a reading of Friday's call from the U.S. State Department. The U.S. statement also claimed that Blinken reaffirmed that the U.S. would work with its partners in keeping China in the account for its "efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait," READ MORE: House Democrats Pass Budget Resolution To Clear Path for Approval of Biden's $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Package @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Several feared missing as glacier breaks in Uttarakhand's Joshimath. (Picture Credits: IANS) Almost eight years after floods in Uttarakhand claimed close to 5,700 lives, around 10 people lost their lives and over 150 are missing following a glacier burst and flash floods on the Alaknanda river in the States Chamoli district. A 13.2 megawatt (MW) small hydro project on the Rishiganga river was swept away in the glacier burst, which also damaged NTPCs 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugad project. According to media reports, the 400 MW Vishnuprayag project near Joshimath and 444 MW Peepal Koti project at Peepal Koti also faced damages. Follow live updates on Uttarakhand flood The incident has again raised concerns about the rising number of dams in Uttarakhand, which are allegedly harming the ecosystem. Safety concerns Based on data available with the Central Water Commission, there are 5,334 large dams in India, while another 411 are under construction. However, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in 2017 found that only 349 of these dams had disaster management plans in place. It also highlighted that Uttarakhand is among the States that had not prepared a comprehensive master plan for flood protection. Things have not improved in terms of dam management and flood-safety precautions in the last eight years. There is no legal framework in place to look into the structural or operational safety of dams. Even after the 2013 floods, construction of dams is going on, said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP). Also Read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: Villagers raised alarm two years back Over 75 per cent of the dams in India are more than 20 years old, which means they may require regular monitoring. What is even more alarming is the data put out by the United Nations in January 2021. The UN Universitys Institute for Water, Environment and Health stated that a large number of the 59,000 dams across the world were already well past their prime period, as these dams were constructed between 1930 and 1970, and designed for a lifetime of 50 to 100 years. The report stated that over 1,115 large dams in India will be at the 50-year mark by 2025. On the other hand, over 4,250 large dams would pass the 50-year mark, with 64 large dams being 150 years old in 2050. Warnings ignored Soon after the 2013 floods, a committee was set up by the Supreme Court to look into the status of dams in the State. The panel recommended that no more dams be constructed in the State. In August 2013, the Apex Court had ruled that no hydro-electric power projects should be set up in Uttarakhand. Despite the disaster, the Uttarakhand government is yet to frame a policy on hydroelectric projects and dams in the State. Investors should know that the era of dams is over in Uttarakhand. The higher Himalayas, where the valley bottom is at an elevation of 2,000 metres or more, are known as paraglacial zones. In this region, glaciers in the past have left behind a huge amount of debris and rocks. When there is heavy rainfall, small rivers with high slopes, such as Rishiganga (72 km), gather a lot of sediment and move it through very quickly. And when they meet a barrier, they gather more energy, said Ravi Chopra, Director of the Peoples Science Institute, who headed the Supreme Court panel, explaining the reason for the dam failure. He added that such barriers should be avoided in such areas. The committee had warned that glacial retreat, along with the construction of dams, may lead to large-scale disasters downstream. The Union Environment Ministry had also reiterated the Chopra committees findings in 2016. Despite all this, dam construction has been continuing in the State. A perfect example is the Alaknanda river, where the number of dams increased from 32 in 2013 to 37 now. NTPCs hydropower project, which was under construction at Tapovan Vishnugad, was expected to be commissioned in 2022-23. ROME, FEB 8 - Italy's Audit Court said Monday it will be hard to start getting the public debt back down again from the over 160% of GDP it is expected to rise to after European limits were waived for the COVID crisis. Court President Guido Carlino told the Senate that getting the debt back down "will be an arduous task". He said it would be "wrong" to push the debt beyond planned limits because of the lack of a European constraint on debt expansion. (ANSA). In a relief to a couple from Mumbai, convicted in Qatar to 10 years' imprisonment in a drug trafficking case, the highest court in Qatar has set aside their conviction and ordered a review of the case. The judgement was pronounced last month by Qatar's Court of Cassation following a hearing. As per the court, Mohammad Shareeq (30) and his wife Oniba Qureshi were arrested in July 2019 from the Hamad International Airport in Doha for carrying 4.1 kg of hashish in their luggage. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports The couple was subsequently convicted for the offence and has since been in prison. Qureshi was pregnant at the time of leaving for Qatar and gave birth to her daughter while in prison. According to the couple's plea in the highest court, they had gone to Qatar on a trip sponsored by Shareeq's aunt, who allegedly gave them a drug packet, falsely claiming it contained tobacco to be delivered to a friend in Qatar. At the Doha airport, they were stopped and searched by the authorities. They were subsequently arrested for carrying hashish in their luggage. However, the couple challenged their conviction, saying they had been unaware of the contents of the said package and that they had been tricked by Shareeq's aunt into carrying the drug. The Court of Cassation noted that an appellate court's order of the couple's conviction was "defective and worth for challenge" as it did not take into account their defence. "The verdict hasn't replied for the defence supported with the documents as they hadn't criminal intent as they were not knowing that the captured matters as narcotics," said the verdict of the Court of Cassation. "They were cheated by one of their relatives. This makes the verdict defective and worth for challenge," the order said. The court sent the case back to the appeal court where it will be reviewed by a new bench. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Govt tells Twitter to remove 1,178 Pakistan-Khalsitani accounts India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: The government has asked Twitter to remove nearly 1,178 Pakistan-Khalistanis accounts which are spreading misinformation about the farmer protests. Sources tell OneIndia that the government has identified these accounts which are spreading misinformation and posting provocative content around the farmers' protest. Twitter is yet to comply with the order, the source cited above also said. Khalistan, the real intent: Why demand for repeal of farm laws is just an excuse On February 3, the government put Twitter on notice for unblocking of over 250 accounts and posts that talked about farmer genocide. The government also issued notice to Twitter saying that the social media company was violating the Information Technology Act's Section 69 that provides for 7 years imprisonment. The notice read, " this is a motivated campaign to abuse, inflame and create tension in society on unsubstantiated grounds. Incitement to Genocide is not Freedom of Speech. It is a threat to law and order." Having considered in totality the contents of the interim order, the oral submissions of the advocate/representative of Twitter at the Committee meeting, and also the mail from Twitter expressing its disobedience of legal blocking orders, the competent authority is satisfied that it is necessary and also expident in the interest of public order and also for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to public order that Twitter as an intermediary under Section 2(1)(w) of the act is once again directed to block access by the public, the said Twitter handles and also the said hashtag with immediate effect. "You are aware of the prevailing situation, which not only has the potential, but has in fact, resulted into a major public order issue [violence] on 26.01.2021. The statutory authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that no adverse public order situation takes place and no cognizable offences are committed," the notice said. The notice also said Twitter has no constitutional, statutory or legal basis whatsoever to comment upon the interplay of statutory provisions with constitutional principles or to unilaterally read down the scope of statutory provisions as per its own limited private understanding of the constitutional and statutory laws of India. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Government officials said that Twitter had been asked to block over 250 accounts or tweets that were using a specific hashtag. The IT Ministry has blocked around 250 tweets and Twitter accounts which were being using ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag and making fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 10:36 [IST] Thousands of people joined anti-coup protests across Myanmar on Monday as workers went on a nationwide strike, demanding the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of democracy. In the commercial capital, Yangon, more than 1,000 people gathered at a park by mid-morning, helping to kick off a third straight day of rallies following last weeks coup. This is a work-day, but we arent going to work even if our salary will be cut, one protester, 28-year-old garment factory worker, Hnin Thazin, told AFP. In Myanmars second-largest city, Mandalay, more than a thousand had also gathered by mid-morning. And hundreds were seen turning out in the capital of Naypyidaw, riding around on motorbikes and honking car horns, while major rallies were also reported in other towns. Over the weekend tens of thousands of people massed on the streets across Myanmar in the biggest protests since the coup. Myanmars generals staged their putsch by detaining Suu Kyi and dozens of members of her National League for Democracy in pre-dawn raids on Monday last week. The generals justified the coup by claiming fraud in last Novembers elections, which the NLD won in a landslide. The junta has proclaimed a one-year state of emergency and promised to then hold fresh elections, without offering any precise timeframe. The coup has triggered widespread international condemnation, although neighbouring China has declined to criticise the generals. US President Joe Biden has led the calls for the generals to relinquish power. Pope Francis on Sunday also expressed solidarity with the people of Myanmar, urging the army to work towards democratic coexistence. Online calls to protest have prompted bold displays of defiance, including the nightly deafening clamour of people banging pots and pans a practice traditionally associated with driving out evil spirits. The surge in popular dissent over the weekend overcame a nationwide internet blockade, similar in magnitude to an earlier shutdown that coincided with the start of the coup. As protests gathered steam, the junta also ordered telecom networks to freeze access to Facebook, an extremely popular service in the country and arguably its main mode of communication. But on Sunday, live Facebook video feeds from multiple cities continued to show protesters marching through the streets. (AFP) France 24 is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish. ADVERTISEMENT Bigg Boss 14 Weekend Ka Vaar Highlights: Rubina Asks To See A Psychiatrist; Arshi Khan Evicted After bashing the contestants for their behavior in the past week, Bigg Boss 14s host Salman Khan apologized to the audience in last nights Weekend Ka Vaar for his outburst. He then re-entered the house via video call to greet the contestants. Salman asked Abhinav the meaning of tharki and explained that it doesnt mean anything more than a man with a roving eye, flirt. He then asked Abhinav if tharak is a bad word or the words he used to describe Rakhi, such as gandagi, gandi aurat, are worse. Abhinav accepted that the latter is worse. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) The superstar then asked Rubina if she thinks she is doing very well. When she said no, Salman slammed her for bringing up ex contestant Kavita Kaushiks name up again. He went on to add that Kavita even messaged him as she does not want to be a part of the show anymore. Salman further states that blaming the makers for everything is wrong. To this the actress replied that since the past few days she has started feeling like she has lost her mind and has even accepted that she needs help. Rubina even said that she has been asking to meet a psychiatrist since the last two days. Later Abhinav asked her not to use this word and claimed that her only problem is that she is not listening. Later Salman asked Rubinas sister Jyotika if she agrees with everything he said to the actress and Abhinav. Jyotika stated that she agrees but if he only heard her side he would be able to understand her better. She broke down and shared that Rubina has become emotionally weak as nobody in the BB house loves her or treats her well. She revealed that even when Rubina entered, she had a little friction with husband Abhinav. Salman then asks Jasmin her opinion about Rubinas water throwing incident and reaction to Rakhi pulling the drawstring of Abhinavs shorts. To this the ex contestant replied that the couple is smart not dumb and should have drawn the line with Rakhi earlier. Jasmin went on to question why Abhinav didnt draw the line when Rakhi asked him to drape her saree. She further claimed that they were enjoying the immunity and support they got from Rakhi and were playing along, but now they have conveniently changed the plot. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) Salman went back to talk to the housemates and told them that he has a few audience questions for them. He asked Rubina that fans feel she tends to get aggressive and want to know if shes like this in reality. Rubina replied that 7-8 years ago this was exactly how she was-- aggressive. Her relations with her parents were not great, she had temper issues and even dealt with suicidal tendencies. Opinionated, aggressive and not wanting to listen were reasons why her past relationship also didnt work. Rubina revealed that she tried to deal with it through yoga and meditation and felt that she has improved but maybe thats not the case. Salman told her that life is beautiful and she should enjoy it. By the end of the episode, Salman announced that Arshi Khan has been evicted from the controversial reality show after receiving the least number of votes. While Aly Goni burst into tears, Rakhi Sawant showered Arshi with kisses. Post Arshis teary farewell, Abhinav tried to explain to Rubina that he wants to hammer patience in her. When she interrupted him, Abhinav hit back by saying that this was the biggest issue with Jasmin that she stopped listening. Rubina got irritated and asked why he always brings up Jasmins topic. Well, tonight the family members of the contestants will be entering the house to support them during family week. Too much fun! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Digital Apartheid Is Upon Us Commentary It started innocuously. It was an acceptable drag coefficient from Facebook: just be careful what you say politically when you post something. The quick and seemingly inexpensive brown boxes from Amazon were addictive, so just accept the sneers and derision of the self-appointed newspaper of record (subsidized by Jeff Bezos, the common owner of both). Tweet away, but be careful next time youre released from the penalty box. Search all you want with Google, just ignore the first 100 returns that were algorithm-ed to shape your world view. Its been 10 years since the kindred dalliance between the Obama administration and the titans of Silicon Valley began to form and solidify. I point to 2010 and the summer push for Cybersecurity legislation as to when the alliance began to take shape. The initial encounters were tepid and taken with baby steps, but now its difficult to tell the difference between the Democratic administrations and Big Tech. Now we know there is a price for this lifestyle we became accustomed to and the gleeful surrender of our data. You will be deleted if you dont conform. Instead of working our alternative worldview and the cyber infrastructure to enable it over the past 10 years, we willingly traded freedom for convenience. Now what do we do to counteract this groveling obeisance were forced into when were the majority of the population? We need to walk away and build our own future. Lawfare The foundational battleground of societal warfare waged by the public/private progressive alliance is the legal battlefield. Social progressives have refined this capability to an efficient, highly effective, and ferocious art form. The alliance between the Democratic administrations and Big Tech aligned further with a legion of nonprofit organizations that are highly lawyered and have a very mature, repeatable model on how to leverage civil rights and environmental laws far beyond their original letter, spirit, and intent. Cancel culture, massive coercion of the business environment, and intimidation of public figures (with some exceptions) is the current high point of this art form. This progressive alliance has used lawfare as the vanguard of their color revolution to take over America. I would posit that one of the initial groups that refined lawfare from the left was the Southern Poverty Law Center. From that successful model, other activist groups moved onto other cause celebres such as the Nuclear Freeze movement of the 1980s, the takedown of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, and endless environmental browbeating that goes into attack mode when science is used to upend their litigation gravy train. It will never endwhy not? Its been very successful (and very profitable). Those being faced with this digital McCarthyism need to relentlessly establish their own legal takedown strategy, just like they did against Big Tobacco. Using the spirit of the Civil Rights movement and the 1964 Civil Rights Act (CRA) they must develop, refine, test, and improve the arguments that demonstrate that although political speech isnt a protected class in the CRA, the sheer volume and magnitude of Big Techs actions are beginning to negatively affect substantive portions of protected classes established in that law. Some states do provide some forms of protection in relation to political views. There should be more development of the use of the RICO Act, as well as equal protection and antitrust arguments. It will take time and there will be some court losses, but just like they did, we need to relentlessly return over and over and over again, building upon little legal successes here and there. Theres money to be made in these cases, and after some success is shown, that will release a ravenous pack of trial lawyers upon Big Tech. Our Own Data Storage Creating alternative hosting environments for data (i.e., facilities where our data is often stored) is perhaps an action more within immediate reach in the near future. There may be big names in data-center hosting such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), but alternatives exist. This is becoming more and more of a market-based commodity, so steering clear of providers inclined to be partisan combatants is wise. The mobile access to our data (smartphones, tablets, etc.) is a little more challenging. The two current dominant environments are Android and Apple (IOS). With that dominance comes the ability to essentially determine which apps are compatible and which are allowed to operate in their environments. In the wake of the Jan. 6 chaos in Washington, Twitter conducted great purges of users. Many immediately moved to Parler. Parler made a bad decision and assumed their App would be offered and maintained on these environments. When Android and Apple made decisions to not offer or maintain the Parler app, it brought Parler to an immediate halt. Gab, Rumble, and others developed their environments to be more old-school, web-based, and independent of Android and Apple and soon took many of the Twitter-to-Parler refugees. The scent of coordination between Twitter, Android, and Apple gives an opening to an antitrust lawfare counterattack. As dominant as Android and Apple may seem, their preeminence doesnt stretch that far into the past. And believe it or not, there are rising alternatives. In the fast-paced tech world, the peak of dominance is a transitory vapor that can come and go quickly. Mobile alternatives are in the making, we have to vote with our dollars to help accelerate this evolution. Disruptive technologies such as 5G are always opportunities for those companies more agile, hungry, and adaptive. Android and Apple need to watch their rear-view mirrors. Financial Systems The growing partisan behavior by financial system providers to enforce their worldviews is perhaps the most disturbing part of recent events. This thinly veiled social activism, which may have started with a focus on gun sales, is becoming a standard part of financial firm social activism and is being applied more broadly in support of favored issues. Access to capital is the lifeblood of businesses and citizens, and social activists know this. These financial providers are showing bolder willingness to asphyxiate any form of opposition. The financial sector not only introduced measures to limit conservatives, but at the same time, provide support to activist groups such as BLM. The all-in nature of these financial firms is craven. Because of this, a clarion call is sounded to establish new financial firms to ensure the full spectrum and diversity of society is serviced. Bank of America started small to ensure migrants received access to capital and financial services. It can be done again. With an eye toward the slogan from one of Jeff Bezoss toys, lets make sure democracy and our incredible republic dont die in the darkness of this oppressive Digital Apartheid. We can begin this journey in simple things such as web browsing using alternatives such as Dissenter, Brave, and DuckDuckGo, instead of the web browser that must not be named. The current Tech Titans started out small and grew giant. With a little bit of our coordinated effort, they can be retired and become remembered only as questions in future versions of nostalgia trivia games. The sooner we start, the sooner it will happen. Retired Col. John Mills is a national security professional with service in five eras: Cold War, Peace Dividend, War on Terror, World in Chaos, and now, Great Power Competition. He is the former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the Department of Defense. @ColonelRETJOHN Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. In a new interview with CBS Evening News, President Biden confirmed that his administration will not be lifting sanctions imposed upon Iran in order to bring Tehran to the negotiating table for the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Will the U.S. lift sanctions first in order to get Iran back to the negotiating table? Biden was asked by CBSs Norah ODonnell. No, the president replied. They have to stop enriching uranium first, asked ODonnell. Biden nodded in response. There are a few things that are ridiculous about this, the first being that the JCPOA does not require that Iran stop enriching uranium at all. As explained by Al-Monitors Arash Karami, the deal only calls for Iran to keep its level of uranium enrichment at up to 3.67 %, a level it only began exceeding when the Trump administration backed out of the deal and imposed sanctions. The administration later clarified that Biden meant Iran would have to return to its JCPOA levels before negotiations could begin, but the fact that neither the United States president nor the high-profile reporter interviewing him appear to have been clear on this says a lot about the vapid nature of Americas political/media class. More importantly, this is confirmation from the horses mouth that Biden is in effect continuing Trumps Iran policy. Trump began strangling Iran with crushing sanctions in an effort to force it to obey US dictates, and Biden is continuing that exact same strangulation while continuing to demand compliance with its dictates. The demands might be a little different, but the effect is identical since Tehran would never bow to either of them. The Iranian government has repeatedly made it abundantly clear that it will not be rejoining the JCPOA until the United States comes back into compliance, since it was the US who first abandoned it. It claims, correctly, that it was in full compliance with the agreement when the Trump administration unilaterally backed out in May 2018. The argument that it is therefore Washingtons responsibility to come back into compliance first is indisputable. Why would it re-enter a deal with a government that is clearly acting in bad faith and could just back out and impose civilian-killing sanctions on the nation again? And thats just getting back to the negotiating table for re-entering the deal as it is written. Gareth Porter reported last month that the Biden administration may plan on using the sanctions regime it inherited from the previous presidency as a Trump card to try and coerce Tehran into agreeing to a modified version of the deal. Neither of these things are going to happen. Iran will not modify the deal, and it will not come back into compliance before the government which first abandoned the deal comes back into compliance. And the Biden administration appears to be perfectly fine with this, reportedly toying with the idea of waiting all the way until after Irans presidential elections in June to even begin approaching the deal. The end result being that we still have a US presidency waging economic warfare upon Iran in exactly the same way it was before the 20th of January. Civilians are still having the life squeezed out of them by a far more powerful nation which does not view them as human beings, and its only a matter of time before this administration or a subsequent one causes another flare up which pushes things to the brink of hot war like we saw a year ago. Bidens Iran policy is in effect just a continuation of Trumps Iran policy that liberals can feel good about. Its Trumps Iran policy with gender pronouns in its bio. Choosing to continue an immoral course of action is just as immoral as choosing to initiate an immoral course of action. If youre beating someone up and you leave when I get there, and then I choose to continue assaulting that person, I am just as culpable in that assault as you are. Presidents who choose to perpetuate one anothers depraved policies are just as guilty of that depravity as their predecessors. Starvation sanctions are the only type of warfare in which it is considered normal and acceptable to deliberately target a civilian population with deadly force. But it is not normal, and it is not acceptable. Biden and his team of ventriloquists fully own the effects of their warmongering. They dont get to just scribble TRUMPS FAULT across them in crayon and act like theyre innocent. The mainstream media are fixated on the differences between the Biden administration and the Trump administration, just as they were fixated on the differences between the Trump administration and the Obama administration four years ago. If you can mentally mute that vapid soundtrack and look at the similarities between administrations instead, regardless of party affiliation and campaign platforms, youll learn a lot more about whats really going on in the world. _________________________ Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for at my website or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, or throwing some money into my tip jar on Patreon or Paypal. If you want to read more you can buy my new book Poems For Rebels (you can also download a PDF for five bucks) or my old book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else Ive written) in any way they like free of charge. California's various teachers unions are coming under increased scrutiny over their reluctance to return to in-person learning, especially in the wake of the state legislature's apprehension towards Gov. Gavin Newsom's school reopening plan. The state's most powerful teachers union the California Teachers Association, which has more than 300,000 members and is affiliated with the even more powerful National Education Association has taken the firm stance that teachers must be vaccinated before in-person learning resumes. That position conflicts with CDC guidance that teachers do not need to be vaccinated for in-person learning to be made safe. Newsom has expressed frustration, stating, "If everybody has to be vaccinated, we might as well just tell people the truth: There will be no in-person instruction in the state of California." It appears the state legislature has no plans to act on the governor's budget-related proposal to give school districts additional funding if they agree to a firm timetable for reopening schools. An SFGATE analysis of the California Teachers Association's political contributions found that the union has donated over $2.2 million to political candidates almost exclusively Democrats across the state over the past four years. Two of the lawmakers who most sharply criticized Newsom's plan during hearings State Sens. Connie Leyva and Richard Pan received $13,200 and $17,600, respectively, in contributions from the California Teachers Association (CTA) for their 2018 campaigns. Below is a list of findings from the analysis. All data comes from the California Secretary of State website. State Assembly There are currently 79 members of the California State Assembly (59 Democrats, 19 Republicans, one independent), as one seat is temporarily vacant following Assemblymember Shirley Weber's nomination for California Secretary of State. In the time between Jan. 1, 2017, and Nov. 3, 2020, the CTA made contributions to 55 of the current 79 members, or 69.6% of the chamber. Fifty-four of the 55 recipients were Democrats. Republican Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham of Paso Robles is the only member of his party's caucus who took CTA donations, receiving a combined $13,050 for his 2018 and 2020 campaigns. Of the 24 who did not receive CTA donations, 18 were Republicans, five were Democrats and the other was independent Assemblymember Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley, who used to be a Republican. The five Democratic members of the Assembly who did not receive any CTA donations over the past four years are Assemblymembers Marc Berman of Palo Alto, Marc Levine of Greenbrae, Blanca Rubio of Baldwin Park, Autumn Burke of Marina del Rey and Tom Daly of Anaheim. While Berman and Burke did not receive any contributions from the CTA, they did receive money ($4,000 and $3,000, respectively) from the smaller California Federation of Teachers, which also opposes the governor's reopening plan. State Senate There are currently 39 members of the California State Senate (30 Democrats, nine Republicans) as one seat is temporarily vacant following Sen. Holly Mitchell's resignation to join the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. In the time between Jan. 1, 2017, and Nov. 3, 2020, the CTA made contributions to 23 of the current 39 members, or 59.0% of the chamber. All 23 recipients were Democrats, and none of the chamber's nine Republicans received contributions. The seven Democrats who did not receive any CTA donations over the past four years are Sens. Steve Glazer of Orinda, Scott Wiener of San Francisco, Melissa Hurtado of Sanger, Robert Hertzberg of Van Nuys (Hertzberg did receive $8,200 from the CTA in 2014), Susan Rubio of Baldwin Park, Anthony Portantino of La Canada Flintridge and Ben Allen of Santa Monica. Of this group of non-CTA recipients, four of them Hertzberg, Hurtado, Allen and Portantino received California Federation of Teachers money. Hertzberg received $1,200, Hurtado received $4,400, Allen received $8,800 and Portantino received $14,300. Overall, 71.1% of the lawmakers in both chambers of the the state legislature have received contributions from either the California Teachers Association or California Federation of Teachers. Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press 2019 Who received the most money? The California politician who received the most California Teachers Association money over the past four years is Gavin Newsom himself, who took in $58,400 for his 2018 gubernatorial bid. That $58,400 was the maximum amount allowed for a gubernatorial candidate in 2018 by the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Tied for second place is a group of 13 legislators in the Assembly who received the maximum amount in both the 2018 and 2020 cycles (Assembly terms last just two years), which adds up to a total of $36,200 for the two races. The 13 assemblymembers who received max donations are Assemblymembers. Kevin McCarty of Sacramento, Anthony Rendon of Lakewood, Patrick O'Donnell of Long Beach (who chairs the Assembly Education Committee), Tasha Boerner Horvath of Encitas, Phil Ting of San Francisco, Rob Bonta of Alameda, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of Orinda, Jose Medina of Riverside, David Chiu of San Francisco, James Ramos of Highland, Mike Gipson of Carson, Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego and Ash Kalra of San Jose. The other 42 members of the Assembly who received CTA contributions took in amounts anywhere between $4,400 and $31,550. The maximum contribution amount is considerably lower for members of the Legislature than it is for gubernatorial candidates or other candidates seeking an executive office such as attorney general or secretary of state. For example, both former California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra received the maximum $29,200 from the CTA in their 2018 races, as did State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and State Controller Betty Yee, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis did not take any contributions from the California Teachers Association during her 2018 campaign, but did receive $12,000 from the California Federation of Teachers. For members of the State Senate, the maximum amount allowed was $17,600 in 2018 and $18,600 in 2020. There are six senators who received the maximum amount in either 2018 or 2020 (State Senate terms are four years, so each member ran a race exactly once in the past four years). The six senators who received max donations are Sens. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, Dave Cortese of Los Gatos, Josh Newman of Fullerton, John Laird of Santa Cruz, Ben Hueso of San Diego and Richard Pan of Sacramento. The other 16 members of the State Senate who received CTA contributions took in amounts anywhere between $8,880 and $13,950. Burma Amid Coup, Myanmar's NLD Lawmakers Form Committee to Serve as Legitimate Parliament Elected MPs from the NLD pose for a photo after being sworn in as lawmakers at a guesthouse in Naypyitaw on Friday. / National League for Democracy YANGONAs nationwide protests against the military coup gained steam across Myanmar, a committee representing elected members of the Union Parliament from the National League for Democracy (NLD) on Sunday condemned the military takeover as a criminal act and the military regimes cabinet as illegitimate. Formed by NLD MPs elected to office in Novembers poll, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) refused to recognize the military regimes cabinet and said the military overthrow of the civilian government by force of arms was a violation of the provisions of Chapter 6 of the Criminal Law. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is Myanmars Union Parliament. It was dissolved by the military following Mondays coup. After forming the CRPH, the NLD lawmakers notified UN diplomats and international parliaments that they should contact the committee to discuss government business, and not the military regime. The CRPH would conduct the regular functions of the Union Parliament, it said. The CRPH said the military coup was a criminal offense against the Union government. It praised members of the Myanmar public who have joined anti-coup rallies and urged them to continue and remain unified. Mass protests against the coup have spread nationwide, not only in Burmese dominated regions but also to the ethnic-dominated states of Kachin, Shan, Karen and Chin. Protesters are demanding an end to the military regime, and the release of detained national civilian leaders Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, as well as senior members of the NLD and prominent activists. Thousands of civil servants across the country have joined the civil disobedience movement to show their opposition to the military regime. The CRPH said the strength of public opposition to the military coup demonstrated that the militarys claim of electoral fraud lacked any basis in fact. It said the militarys unlawful actions were motivated by the personal interests of some military leaders. The military staged a coup on Feb. 1 just hours before the new NLD-dominated Parliament was set to convene, claiming it was forced to act over what it called electoral fraud in the Nov. 8 general election and the civilian governments failure to address the issue. The CRPH also thanked the ethnic parties and ethnic armed groups that have expressed opposition to the military coup. It said all citizens, regardless of race or religion, should be able to overcome the obstacles to the establishment of the federal democratic union to which they aspire. There is a great need for mutual understanding and cooperation among political forces [in opposing the coup], the CRPH said. On Friday, the committee advised UN representatives and the legislatures of foreign countries of its stance that the government led by President U Win Myint is the official government of Myanmar. The lawmakers said the illegitimate coup staged by military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is unconstitutional, adding that it does not revoke the legitimate authority entrusted to us by the people. Demonstrating their rejection of the militarys coup and cabinet, elected state and regional lawmakers have been sworn in at mobile parliamentary sessions starting from Sunday. You may also like these stories: Thousands Take to Streets of Myanmar to Protest Military Takeover Australian Adviser to Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Detained Myanmar Copper Miners Join Anti-Coup Strike The Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has invited online applications from qualified and experienced individuals for filling One Twenty (120) Manpower Personnel posts in BECIL in various capacities comprising Lab Attendant Gr. II, Medical Record Technician, Junior Medical Record Officer, Pharmacist Gr.II, Senior Mechanic, Dark Room Assistant Gr. II, Dispensing Attendants, CSSD Technician etc.to be deployed at AIIMS Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India on a fulltime basis. The application-cum-registration process towards the same started on February 06, 2021 and closes on February 22, 2021. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Manpower Personnel posts in BECIL Organisation Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) Educational Qualification Passed Matriculation or equivalent with ITI/Diploma in relevant trade; Class 12/Intermediate/10+2 with Science; Diploma/Degree in Pharmacy; Degree in Nuclear Medicine/Physics; B.Sc. in Microbiology/Medical Records Experience Refer to the advertisement Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location AIIMS Bhopal Salary Scale In the range of Rs. 17,303 to Rs. 42,950 per month as per the post Industry Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Application Start Date February 6, 2021 Application End Date February 22, 2021 BECIL Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for BECIL AIIMS Bhopal Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must fall in the age group between 18 to 40 years of age, with relaxation (upper age limit) for reserved categories as mentioned in the BECIL Notification 2021. Candidates must pay a prescribed amount of Rs. 830 (UR/OBC/Ex-SM) and Rs. 600 (SC/ST/PWD/EWS) respectively as application fee for various BECIL AIIMS Bhopal Jobs 2021 under BECIL Recruitment 2021 through online mode only as specified in the BECIL Notification 2021. Also Read: Chandigarh Police Recruitment 2021 For 25 Home Guard Posts, Apply Before February 14 BECIL Recruitment 2021: Education And Eligibility Desirous candidates applying for BECIL Manpower Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must have passed Matriculation or equivalent with ITI/Diploma in relevant trade; Class 12/Intermediate/10+2 with Science; Diploma/Degree in Pharmacy; Degree in Nuclear Medicine/Physics; B.Sc. in Microbiology/Medical Records form a recognised University/Institution with relevant years of work experience in concerned field as detailed in the BECIL Notification 2021. BECIL Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates for BECIL Manpower Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 will be done as per prescribed norms and requirement of the job as notified in the BECIL Notification 2021. Candidates selected for BECIL Manpower Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 will be paid a remuneration in the range of Rs. 17,303 to Rs. 42,950 per month as per the post. Also Read: BECIL Recruitment 2021 For Consulting Language Editors Posts, Apply Online Before February 12 BECIL Recruitment 2020: How To Apply Candidates applying for BECIL AIIMS Bhopal Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must register online on the official BECIL website and submit their applications on or before February 22, 2021. Download BECIL Recruitment 2021 Notification PDF for Manpower Personnel posts Two men arrested by police investigating the murder of Daniel Danny McClean in north Belfast have been released unconditionally. The two men, aged 46 and 38, were detained in the city on Friday and taken to Musgrave PSNI Station for questioning. Danny McClean was shot multiple times while sitting in a parked car in the driveway of a guesthouse on the Cliftonville Road in north Belfast last week. The shooting was reported to police shortly after 8pm and McClean, aged 54, was pronounced dead at the scene. He had links to dissident republican group ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann) and previously served in the British Army. McClean was expelled from the gang two years ago amid informant allegations. He was on bail facing arms charges and staying in a nearby bail hostel at the time of his murder. The two men were released on Monday and police enquiries are continuing. A PSNI spokesperson added: People arrested under The Terrorism Act must either be charged, released unconditionally or reported to the PPS - bail is not permitted under this legislation. Interviews under arrest are a key part of all investigative strategies and the police service is committed to following all lines of enquiry to keep our communities safe from those who would seek to cause serious harm. Time was when just about every bouffant on Broadway could be traced back to Paul Huntley. From The Elephant Man to Chicago, Cats to Thoroughly Modern Millie, Huntley was the designer behind the wigs and often-elaborate locks that helped define the lasting visual impression of some 300 projects, earning him a special Tony Award in 2003. He also designed hair for about 60 films, styling the likes of Bette Davis, Jessica Lange and Vivien Leigh. He turned Glenn Close into Cruella de Vil for the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians and Al Pacino into Phil Spector for the 2013 HBO biopic. He fashioned Tootsie twice, transforming Dustin Hoffman for the 1982 film and Santino Fontana for the 2019 Broadway musical adaptation. The costume designer William Ivey Long has pronounced him by far the premier hair designer on the planet hands down. Born in London to a working class family, Huntley grew up paging through his mothers movie magazines. He attended acting school but ended up helping with the wigs instead. DECATUR (AP) The dentist office doesnt have to be scary or intimidating, especially with Bob around. The gangly, hairy Goldendoodle comfort dog is a welcomed member of the Central Illinois Smiles team taking care of their patients. Bob trots from room to room, wherever he is needed. Like any loyal and busy employee, he responds to a call of his name or a simple cry, ready to get to work. He greets everyone at the door, said his owner, Dr. Katie Buskirk. He likes to walk around and say Hi to everybody thats waiting in the chair. But mostly he just brings smiles to peoples faces. When Buskirk, 38, began practicing at Central Illinois Smiles on North Woodford Street in Decatur more than a year ago, she brought Hazel, another therapy dog, with her. Hazel passed away two weeks ago at 10 years old. Bob joined the practice in October. Buskirk worked at a community health center for 11 years before she began her private practice two years ago. And Hazel was one of the first ones brought into the pack. Buskirk and her dogs are members of PawPrint Ministries, a team of trained comfort dogs. Hazel was certified nearly six years ago, allowing her to visit people in facilities that need support and comfort. She and Buskirk visited nursing homes, fundraisers and a free dental clinic. She kept people calm and happy, Buskirk said. At only a year old, Bob is new to the job. His training continues at home as well as in the office. Hes kind of like a baby moose. Hes all arms and legs, Buskirk said. But hell also sit and put his chin on a kids chest thats crying. Thats kind of the natural instinct for him. Hes a big sweetie. According to Buskirk, Bob is a hypoallergenic dog and is kept away from the equipment and other materials used in patients mouths. For those that do not like dogs or are allergic, Bob keeps his distance. Then he gets closed in my office, Buskirk said. The reactions have been positive. People feel like theyre at home, Buskirk said. Dental anxiety is common among adults as well as children, which can stop the patients from visiting the dentist, Buskirk said. One of the studies shows their biggest anxiety is when they are sitting in the lobby waiting to come back or when they are sitting in the chair waiting for the doctor, Buskirk said. Thats when Bob comes in. Patients with disabilities, including autism, often visit the dentist office. The comfort dogs have provided needed support and calmness during a stressful event. Hazel was able to lay on the lap of a nervous patient. We had one parent say that their child had never gotten through an entire cleaning before, Buskirk said. We were all crying all that day. Jennifer Dahn, PawPrint Ministries founder, has worked with comfort dogs and their owners throughout Central Illinois since 2014. Before COVID-19 closed facilities to the public, comfort dogs would visit nursing homes, hospitals, cancer centers and behavioral health centers. Once it starts to get a little more safe to be out, then well be able to pick up our routine visits, Dahn said. In the meantime, the dogs will provide their love and comfort in other ways, including window visits, posing for pictures and relaying encouraging notes transcribed by their owners. We try to reach out when we can in safe ways right now, Dahn said. The lack of interaction is not only heartbreaking for the clients, but also for the dogs. The animals are used to greeting people with hugs and kisses. We went from hundreds to zero, Dahn said about client interactions. The highlight of my dogs day was when the UPS man would show up at our house. To become a comfort dog, a special temperament is needed, according to Dahn. Community service is part of the job. A dog that thrives on pleasing their owner and seeing a lot of people or lots of personalities, Dahn said about the dogs personality. PawPrint Ministries has recently begun offering training sessions for new comfort dogs. Its important that our dogs are well trained and well behaved when they go out and get ready to work, Dahn said. Its important to us that the people we serve, we keep them safe as well. Bob is one of the lucky ones to still be employed. He doesnt know any different, Buskirk said. A Modern Three-Bedroom Villa on Costa Ricas Coastline $1.15 MILLION This modern three-bedroom home sits on a hillside in Dominical, a beach town in Puntarenas province, on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Built in 2016, the 3,500-square-foot house is oriented to maximize ocean views, with sliding glass walls in every room. The mountainous area, known as Escaleras, we sometimes refer to as the Hollywood Hills its home to some of the most amazing real estate in the area, said Tim Fenton, president of Blue Zone Realty International, which has the listing. The mountains are very close to the sea, so these homes are perched front row, overlooking the ocean. The single-story house is built from steel and concrete on just over a half acre. The front entrance, on the side opposite the ocean, opens directly into the living area, with vaulted ceilings that rise to 15 feet. The tiled floor extends beyond the retractable glass wall to form an outdoor patio with space for dining beneath a roof overhang. Clerestory windows above the wall allow more light. 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 Tropical rainforest, coconut palm beaches, primitive culture and moon-like landscapes, and some of the. Join us on our List and map of all volcanoes in Africa. Most volcanoes are located in the Great Rift Valley, but there are more. Support us - Help us upgrade our services! Weather reports Tsunami alerts Design upgrades Faster responsiveness Earthquake archive from 1900 onwards Additional seismic data sources Improved content in English Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: Android | IOS to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world. Maintaining our website and our free apps does require, however, considerable time and resources.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team. We're aiming to achieve uninterrupted service wherever an earthquake or volcano eruption unfolds, and your donations can make it happen! Every donation will be highly appreciated. If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently: Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 22:06:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHONGQING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- An Italian man in Chongqing, China, who loves authentic Chinese spicy food, is dedicated to promoting Chinese chili culture to the world. Gianluca Luisi came to China on a three-month backpacking trip 13 years ago, during which he toured the country from Beijing all the way down to Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. "I'm closely connected with China, and the longer I stay here, the more I love it, especially its food," Luisi said. After this tour, he resumed his college education in the UK and met his wife - who's from Sichuan, a province neighboring Chongqing, three years later. This international romance prompted him to pursue a career in China. In 2011, Luisi was admitted into a postgraduate program of international politics and economics at Peking University. After graduating two years later, he joined the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing. "That job was a real mission because it enabled me to let Italian people understand China and Chinese people to understand Italy," he said. It was during his stay in Chongqing that Luisi developed a love for chili - an ingredient that always appears in Chinese hot pot. In 2017, he decided to quit his job and run a chili business. "That's something that I see as my dream for life, and it's something that is really attracting lots of people like me, foreigners coming from all around the world," he explained. In the same year, he married his wife. Luisi believes Chinese cuisine is not just about dishes, but a culture. "I think maybe the cause I chose is endless. As a foreigner who promotes Chinese food abroad, I think I should do what I can for the culture," he said. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 MERIDEN A 27-year-old woman turned herself in Friday on a warrant, charging her in connection with a fatal crash from August, according to police. Alyssa Forster was charged with second-degree manslaughter while intoxicated, driving while under the influence of alcohol and failure to maintain minimal insurance. She was released on a court-set $35,000 bond. Sgt. Stanley Zajac, of the departments Accident Reconstruction Unit, said the charges stemmed from a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on North Broad Street on Aug. 20, 2020 around 12:30 a.m. Police said they received several calls about a man lying on the side of the road in the northbound lane of North Broad Street near the Berlin line. First responders were dispatched and found Berlin police already performing CPR on the victim later identified as Meriden resident Michael Cesareo. He was taken to MidState Medical Center, where he died. The investigation indicated that Cesareo was hit by a vehicle. Pieces of what police described as possibly a blue Nissan were found at the scene. Newington police reported they had stopped a blue Nissan Rogue after a concerned citizen followed the driver on the Berlin Turnpike because of reckless operation, Zajac said. The individual said the driver also hit a street sign in Newington, Zajac said. Zajac said the vehicle, being driven by Forster, had heavy front-end damage and windshield damage consistent with hitting a pedestrian. Meriden officers responded to Newington and confirmed the vehicle was the one involved in the crash that hit Cesareo, Zajac said. Forster was taken to Meriden police headquarters and officers found that she was intoxicated and gave her a Breathalyzer, Zajac said. Zajac said Forsters blood alcohol content was more than two times the legal limit. Police initially charged her with evading responsibility and reckless driving. She was released on bond. As the Accident Reconstruction Unit continued to investigate, an arrest warrant with additional charges was applied for and granted. The Meriden Police Department sends out its sincere condolences to the Cesareo family and wants to assure them that we diligently investigated this case in order to bring these additional charges, Zajac said. A business that was selling a highly toxic industrial chemical, implying it may be used for weight loss, has been served with a closure order by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The business, trading as www.FatBurney.com, was operating out of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and was found to be selling 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP). The FSAI said the websites address implied the substance may be used for weight loss. FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said: It is illegal for DNP to be sold for use as a weight loss product and it is not allowed in food. "There are serious health risks from taking slimming products purchased online which are not linked to a registered food business and we are urging consumers to remain very cautious and to only buy from established food businesses. The closure order was made under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020, and it relates to all the businesss activities in relation to the marketing and sale of DNP. Dr Byrne also pointed out that there has been one recorded death in Ireland due to DNP and the UK National Poisons Information Service has recorded 32 deaths in the UK since 2007. Meanwhile a closure order was also served under the FSAI Act, 1998, in relation to a meat business operated by Christian Krummel, from an outbuilding in Greystones, Co Wicklow. An inspector found there to be a grave and immediate danger to public health and that the business was operating without registration or approval. The business was found to be selling meat products produced from wild game meat where the carcasses had not undergone the required post-mortem inspection in order for the products to be deemed safe for human consumption. Mouse faeces was found in storage cupboards and in a bowl in the processing area. Dr Byrne said: The operation of any illegal food business will not be tolerated, and the full power of the law will be brought to bear to stop these food businesses from putting consumers health at serious risk. She urged consumers who may be in doubt about the legitimacy of a food business to contact the FSAI. A former member of the Republic's Seanad from Northern Ireland could thwart a voting pact between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in two forthcoming by-elections after claiming that TDs and senators from both parties have privately promised him their votes. Armagh man Ian Marshall, who is from a unionist background, lost his seat as an independent in the Republic's parliamentary upper house last year. The former president of the Ulster Farmers Union claims he also has pledges of support from members of the Green Party. "This says to me (the election) is not a foregone conclusion," Mr Marshall told The Sunday Times. "I'm not naive but I detect a lot of internal politics in Fianna Fail, and people will not be led by the nose. And there are people in Fine Gael saying its candidate (Maria Byrne) is wrong because she has no background in agriculture." Mr Marshall was left disappointed last June after he was overlooked by Micheal Martin who did not put him forward as one of the Taoiseach's 11 nominees to the upper house. The two Seanad vacancies follow the resignations of Sinn Fein's Elisha McCallion in October and Fine Gael's Michael D'Arcy the previous month. Former Sinn Fein MP Ms McCallion and two party officials resigned from the party over the failure to promptly return 30,000 in Covid-19 support funds wrongly allocated. The money was mistakenly paid to three Sinn Fein party offices under the Executive's Small Business Support Grant Scheme. Fine Gael has selected Maria Byrne, a Limerick former senator, to contest Mr D'Arcy's seat on the Seanad agricultural panel. Fianna Fail posted ballot papers to its parliamentary party on Friday so members can choose its candidate to replace Ms McCallion on the industrial and commercial panel. Sinn Fein is not contesting D'Arcy's seat and is backing Marshall for that vacancy. It has yet to decide whether to field a candidate for Ms McCallion's seat. The Green Party is not part of its government partners' pact. The understanding is that it will get the next Seanad seat that comes available. Hazel Chu, the Green lord mayor of Dublin, has told party leader Eamon Ryan that she wants to contest the seat vacated by Ms McCallion. Voting, by secret ballot, is confined to TDs and senators. The election quota is expected to be 110 votes. The combined voting strength of the Republic's three government parties is 123. Mr Marshall would need 14 government party votes plus all opposition and independents' votes to take the seat. The National Commission for Civic Education has tagged public accountability, rule of law, good governance, efficient management of the environment and natural resources devoid of corruption as critical ingredients necessary for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The NCCE recounted that the targets of goal 16 of the SDGs was the call for substantial reduction of corruption and bribery in all its forms and the need for nations to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. Ms Josephine Nkrumah, NCCE Chairperson in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday, explained that Ghana like many other developing nations established several anti-corruption and public accountability institutions for the fight against corruption. However, efforts at fighting corruption, holding persons and organizations entrusted with public resources to account for their stewardship and addressing poor environmental governance and practices in Ghana had not yielded the desired outcomes, she said. Ms Nkrumah said as part of its civic education engagements, NCCE had been involved in numerous education programmes aimed at supporting Ghanas anti-corruption and public accountability. She said recently the Commission through the programme dubbed, Accountability, Rule of law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP), an initiative which began in 2016 seeks to promote good governance and support national reforms to enhance accountability and strengthen anti-corruption efforts across the country. The NCCE anti-corruption programme through ARAP was instituted through an agreement between the European Union Delegation (EUD) and the Government of Ghana (GoG) to reduce corruption, improve accountability and respect for existing legal structures. Ms Nkrumah said the NCCE conducted a baseline study, in 2017, on public perception of the state of corruption, public accountability and environmental governance in Ghana. The findings of the study helped to inform and guide the Commissions nationwide education on anti-corruption, improved accountability and better management of the environment. The study also provided baseline data for assessing the progress of the ARAP by both coordinating and implementing agencies, she noted. Ms Nkrumah noted that in 2020, the Commission conducted another survey, which was married into an end-line report also focusing on an assessment of the outcomes of the public education and civic engagement activities carried out by the Commission under ARAP. The NCCE Chairperson said the results from the current 2020 Anti-Corruption study were compared with the baseline data to help gauge the impact of education activities undertaken by the Commission. The 2020 survey gathered information from 4,220 Ghanaians from 108 selected districts in Ghana. The data was collected in August 2020. The survey provided an understanding of citizens awareness and knowledge about the concepts of corruption and public accountability and opinions on the performance of anti-corruption /public accountability institutions in the country over the project implementation period (2017-2020). The report also provided detailed and comprehensive discussion of environmental concerns and perceptions on institutional response to manage the environment and natural resources. It also highlights citizens knowledge about NCCEs education on anti-corruption, public accountability and environmental management. 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 No power. No water. No problem? The COVID-19 emergency declarations San Antonio agencies had been enforcing since the beginning of the pandemic were defanged by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to lift the statewide mask mandate and occupancy limits for businesses. Before Abbott's order came into effect Wednesday, XTC Cabaret a club on the North Side had been cited over a dozen times for violating local declarations. Officials eventually disconnected the club's power and water. READ ALSO: FAQ: When and where Texans can get the COVID vaccine That didn't seem to stop XTC Cabaret's operations. On Tuesday, inspectors found a generator running and the club's sign lit. An employee was standing behind a podium outside the front entrance and people were going in and out of the building. A citation was issued for operating without a certificate of occupancy. On Friday, the city of San Antonio filed a lawsuit seeking temporary and permanent injunctions against XTC Cabaret. Officials want the the club shut down and the property boarded up for a year. The lawsuit was the latest round in an ongoing court battle. The club sued first in early December, asking a court to restore its certificate of occupancy that was revoked Nov. 24. The city responded with a lawsuit that made no mention of COVID-19 protocols. Rather, it described XTC as a den of criminal activity from prostitution to assaults with deadly weapons to drug dealing. Police officers have responded to the club over 300 times in the past two years. "The reputation of the property is known to both law enforcement and citizens as a place to which persons habitually go for criminal purposes," the city wrote. A succession of judges have denied XTC's appeals seeking the return of its certificate of occupancy, according to the city's latest lawsuit. The club told the city on Feb. 25 it would be reopening because it had an injunction. An attorney representing XTC tried to pass off a judge's notes as a court order, the city says, then threatened to sue each of the city officials as individuals in federal court. XTC told the city it would continue operating and "pay the fine of $200," the lawsuit says. Soon after, the city disconnected the club's utilities. Now, the city wants to shutter the club for one year and levy civil penalties $1,000 per day and per violation against XTC from the date the club was notified of the lawsuit to its resolution. The club's liability was $8,000 as of Friday, the city wrote. A Houston attorney representing XTC was not immediately available for comment Thursday. The City of San Antonio issued more than 4,000 warnings and 484 citations for violating the emergency declarations, according to an enforcement report. Officials had received more than 30,900 calls reporting violations as of Thursday. The social distancing orders, intending to slow the spread of COVID-19, first went into place on March 18. The most recent, a 10th addendum to the eighth emergency health declaration, went into effect on Sept. 21. Multiple city departments Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Metro Health and the San Antonio Police Department were enforcing the order. Here are the citations issued so far: March 9 - An inspection of XTC Cabaret, where the power and water had been disconnected, found a generator running and the club's sign lit. An employee was standing behind a podium outside the front entrance and people were going in and out of the building. A citation was issued for operating without a certificate of occupancy. March 6 - XTC Cabaret, located at 2023 Sable Lane, was cited twice for operating without a permit. The club's water service was disconnected by the San Antonio Water System. March 5 - At Cerveceria Chapultepec, located at 8403 Hwy. 151, the health and safety signs were not posted. There were groups larger than 10 people and employees were not wearing masks. A citation was issued. - Inspectors checked to see whether XTC Cabaret was open without a valid certificate of occupancy. The club's power had been disconnected on March 2. They found the club had power and was open with vehicles in the parking lot. A citation was issued. March 2 - At Walmart, located at 7239 S.W. Loop 410, employees and customers were not wearing masks. Social distancing features were in place but not being enforced. A citation was issued. March 1 - Inspectors visited XTC Cabaret, located at 2023 Sable Lane, to check if it was open without a certificate of occupancy. The club was open, with vehicles in the parking lot and "ladies entering the establishment." A citation was issued and police were informed the club remained open. February 27 - A caller reported people not wearing masks at A-Z Food Mart, located at 4003 E. Southcross. Inspectors found staff not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued. - A caller reported a large gathering at Independent Electrical Contractors, located at 5511 Ingram. Inspectors found several individuals not wearing masks or social distancing. The owner was hosting a large outdoor barbecue gathering. A citation was issued. - At Finnegan's, located at 16260 San Pedro, the health and safety signs were not posted, the social distancing features were not enforced, and people were not wearing masks. Two citations were issued. - An inspection of XTC Cabaret, which should have been closed, found the club open to the public without a certificate of occupancy. A citation was issued. February 26 - A follow-up inspection of XTC Cabaret, which should have been closed, found that the club continued to open with a food truck out front. A citation was issued for operating without a certificate of occupancy. - At Vybrations, located at 8800 Broadway, the health and safety signs were not posted, the social distancing features were not enforced, and employees were not wearing masks. The new bar, which opened on Feb. 21., was offering on-premises services despite lacking the proper Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission tag or a valid certificate of occupancy. Three citations and a notice of violation for the occupancy certificate were issued. February 25 - A caller reported that employees were not wearing masks at Susannas Mexican Restaurant, located at 2223 S. Zarzamora. Inspectors found that employees were not wearing masks. A citation was issued. - At XTC Cabaret, located at 2023 Sable Lane, the bartender was not wearing a mask. The club was operating without a certificate of occupancy. Two citations were issued. February 22 - At Mi Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant, located at 1151 Culebra, inspectors found that employees were not wearing masks and customers were not socially distanced. A citation was issued. - At La Patrona Cafe, located at 1502 N. Zarzamora, employees and customers were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued. - At Rainbow Shops, located at 1842 W.W. White, the health and safety signs were not posted. The manager told inspectors that only signs provided by the company were allowed to be displayed. A citation was issued. February 13 - At The Palace Gentleman's Club, located at 2482 N.E. Loop 410, customers were not wearing masks. A citation was issued. February 12 - At Perfect 10 Men's Club, located at 111 N.W. Loop 410, employees and guests were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued. February 11 - A caller reported people not following protocols at Live Thru This Tattoo, located at 619 S.W. 24th. Inspectors saw an employee and a customer not wearing masks. A citation was issued. February 10 - A caller reported employees at Cricket Wireless, located at 3610 Nogalitos, were not wearing masks. Inspectors found that employees were wearing masks but the health and safety signs were not posted. A manager told inspectors that the regional manager had removed all the paper signs and left directions not to replace them. A citation was issued. - At Lonestar Travel Center, located at 8730 I-35 South, and employee and a customer were not wearing masks. Social distancing features were in place but not being enforced. A citation was issued. - At Food Mart, located at 719 Palo Alto, employees were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued. February 8 - A caller reported a construction not wearing masks at 2566 Goliad. Inspectors saw workers not wearing masks where required. Police responded to identify the supervisor. A citation was issued. February 6 - At El Corona Nite Club, located at 7503 U.S. Hwy 90 West, staffers placing wrist bands on customers were not wearing masks. A citation was issued. - At Southside Expo Hall, located at 3822 Pleasanton Road, the social distancing features were not enforced. A citation was issued. - Tiny Cantina, located at 15900 La Cantera, was allowing on-premises consumption without the proper Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission tag. A citation was issued. February 5 - At The Industry, located at 8021 Pinebrook, social distancing features were not enforced. A citation was issued. - At Bar 301, located at 23567 I-10 West, an employee and two customers were interacting without wearing masks. A citation was issued. - Casa Rivera, a business within Market Square, had no posted health and safety plan or COVID-19 symptom sheet. A citation was issued. - A caller reported that people were not wearing masks at Blue Moon Mexican Restaurant, located at 3228 S. Flores. Inspectors found that staff and customers were wearing masks but the health and safety signs were not posted. A citation was issued. - At Amigos Food Mart, located at 2106 S. Zarzamora, the manager was not wearing a mask and did not put one on until asked to do so. There were no social distancing features or sanitizer available. A citation was issued. February 3 - At Plains Capitol Bank, located at 333 Wolfe, an employee was not properly wearing her mask while assisting a customer at the counter. A citation was issued. - At Delicious Tamale Factory, located at 3500 S. Presa, employees were not wearing masks or social distancing. A citation was issued. February 1 - A caller reported that employees were not wearing masks at Abundant Staffing, located at 300 N. Loop 1604 East. Inspectors saw three employees without masks and others not social distancing. They met with the manager, who came out without a mask on. A citation was issued. Click here for all citations issued in January. Click here for all citations dating back to April. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address in the joint session of Parliament on February 8 in the Rajya Sabha. In his 75-minute-long speech, Modi crystallised and encapsulated his governments achievements and vision for the country. That Modi is an orator and communicator par excellence is established, especially in the past six years, and his speech in the upper house had a measured restraint which only amplified the gravity of the speech and topics he dealt upon. What comes across clearly in the Prime Ministers reply is that his government is committed in its reform goals, and would want the fruits of development to reach one and all, especially sections which have traditionally been left behind by previous governments, such as the poor, the marginalised, the small farmers, etc. To better understand, and appreciate, the speech, it is important to look at the sequence of events that have unfolded in the recent past. The Union government has been facing stiff resistance from sections of farmers demanding that it withdraw the three farm reform laws passed late last year. Several rounds of talks have failed and peaceful protests which had been on for weeks together turned violent on January 26 in the nations capital. Opposition parties have joined cause with the agitating farmers and the negative international press has further muddied the waters. All this at a time when a pandemic is threatening the health and economic wellbeing of the nation. It is with this in the background that Modi stressed on the need to have hope and positivity, and the need to believe in Indias ability to lead in these uncertain times. He said that in 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of its Independence, such hopes and dreams will play an important role. His speech stressed on how India when it fought COVID-19 together was able to avert a catastrophe and in the process earned respect from world nations. He stressed on how India was able to fight the threats of smallpox and more recently, polio. A theme throughout his speech was the importance to believe in India, in its ability to deliver and its ability to be self-reliant (Aatmanirbhar). The uniqueness of Indian democracy was highlighted. Modi stressed that it was not based on western constructs, but was Indian in its root form. He also took the opportunity to highlight the achievements in foreign direct investment, about the prospects of a double digit growth, about the record high forex reserves, about the high Internet penetration, and high volumes of digital transactions. He also mentioned in passing about Indias defence capabilities through its surgical strikes. Modi acknowledged that there were challenges before the country, and said that the key question was whether we wanted to be a part of the solution to such challenges, or be a part of the problem. He referred to the Opposition by saying that politics would continue as long as one chose to be a part of the problem; development, on the other hand, would take place if we choose to be a part of the solution. Modis stress on the various initiatives for the farmers, especially the small farmer, was a highlight of the speech. These included the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Samman Nidhi Yojana, soil health cards, neem-coating urea, pension for small farmers, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and the Kisan Rail, and the Kisan Udaan. With this speech Modi has not only backed his governments resolve to go ahead with farm reforms, but has also taken away from those opposing these laws the excuse that these legislation are anti-farmer. Without a doubt, just about every industry has changed during the past few years. The world has changed, technology is progressing, and the expectations of businesses, consumers, and regular citizens have changed. The writing industry is not immune to these changes. Therefore, if you are thinking about ways to improve your writing, it is also crucial for you to think about how the industry has changed. That way, you will tailor your hand to meet these expectations, placing yourself in a successful position. What are some of the ways that writing has changed recently? What does this mean for the future of the writing industry as a whole? Reading Audiences Are Larger Than They Have Ever Been in the Past Even though it is true that you do not see many people sitting down with a book anymore, this does not necessarily mean that they are not reading. The reality is that reading has changed just as writing has changed. Today, reading audiences are more extensive than they ever have been in the past. Because people can access reading material from any location at any time, this also means that more people are reading. It merely means that they are reading in different ways. For example, many people reading news articles on their phones. Some people are deciding to listen to audiobooks on the go. Some people like to read on electronic devices, such as the Kindle. Therefore, people have slightly different expectations when it comes to the material they are reading. If you are looking to be a successful writer, you need to think about these various reading modalities when writing. Deadlines Matter More Than Ever in the Writing World In the past, writing deadlines tended to be flexible. For example, they might have specified that something was due at the end of a specific month without giving a particular date or time. Because people can access content from anywhere, deadlines are stricter than they ever have been in the past. The reality is that, in the writing industry, speed matters. People want to publish quickly, they want to publish first, and they want to post now. Therefore, writers need to make sure they use every tool available to them to meet these deadlines. For example, it might be helpful to use a character counter tool, a proofreading tool, and a plagiarism checker all at the same time to expedite the publishing process. When writers can regularly demonstrate that they can consistently meet deadlines, they are more likely to receive assignments in the future, which is beneficial for their careers. The Writing Industry Is Going To Continue To Change in the Future These are just a few of the many ways that the writing industry has changed during the past few years. The reality is that the writing industry will continue to change as the expectations of readers change and as new technological devices are developed. Therefore, writers looking to be successful in the modern era have to make sure that they are flexible and adaptable to these changing situations. When writers demonstrate this level of flexibility, publishers, editors, and other clients will be more willing to work with them. Even though some people might not like how the writing field is changing, the reality is that changes will continue to occur, and writers should be expected to adapt. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Frederick Shava, who is currently the countrys United Nations envoy, as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs following the death of Sibusiso Moyo a few weeks ago. In a statement, chief secretary of the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, said, The appointment of Dr. Shava will take effect upon issuance of an appropriate Gazette as senator for the Midlands province. In a tweet, the Ministry of Information said, His (Shava) wealth of experience in diplomacy is expected to drive the ministry to new heights. Shava resigned his ministerial position in the 1980s after he was cited by the Justice Sandura Commission as among several ministers, who were engaged in shady vehicle deals in what became known as the Willogate Car Scandal. Government officials were buying cars at Willovale Motor Industries and re-selling them at high prices to individuals and companies. Some of the ministers who were involved included the late Political Affairs Minister Maurice Nyagumbo, the late Home Affairs Minister Enos Nkala, the late Industry Minister Callistus Ndlovu and several others. Mnangagwa also appointed Chikomba Central Member of Parliament, Tapiwa Mhona, as Tranport Minister. He replaces the late Biggie Matiza, who succumbed to COVID-19. Mnangagwa further appointed journalist, Kindness Paradza, as the deputy information minister. He takes over from Energy Mutodi, who was fired a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. SarvaGram Fincare has raised Rs 77 crores in the second round of funding led by Elevation Capital. The investment for the rural lending startup has been raised through Elevation Capital, a venture capital firm. SarvaGram earlier received seed funding of Rs 25 crores from Elevar Equity which, along with Elevation Capital, now holds a majority stake in the company, The Times of India (TOI) reported. SarvaGram, founded by Utpal Isser and Sameer Mishra, aims at allowing livelihood upgradation for rural and semi-urban households in India. SarvaGram, which is currently present in Gujarat and Maharashtra, will soon expand to Karnataka and Rajasthan, Isser told TOI. He added that the startup would have 50 branches in the four states by mid-2022. The business model allows employees to take credit decisions within minutes and allow digital transactions restricting the use of cash, Issar told the publication.The company anticipates to record Rs 325 crore through lending, increasing to Rs 7,000-8,000 crore in five years. Considering that only a third of income in rural areas comes from farming, we have decided to look at lending outside the sectoral verticals like agriculture, salaried or self employed and provide loans assessing borrowers at household levels," Isser told TOI. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi conceded Monday that it was time to close the book on this election," hours after New York officials certified Republican Claudia Tenney's razor-thin victory in the nations last undecided congressional race. Brindisi's statement came three days after a state judge ruled that Tenney won the race for central New Yorks 22nd Congressional District by 109 votes. Brindisi said he congratulated Tenney and offered to make the transition as smooth as possible after several months of legal wrangling over the results. It has been the honor of a lifetime serving my hometown, the place I grew up and am raising my family, Brindisi said in a prepared statement. Unfortunately, this election and counting process was riddled with errors, inconsistencies and systematic violations of state and federal election laws. Judge Scott DelConte on Friday directed New York to certify results immediately. Commissioners with the state Board of Elections approved the results Monday in less than two minutes. Tenney had been the districts representative for one term, until she was defeated by Brindisi in 2018. "Claudia looks forward to serving her constituents once again as their duly-elected representative in Congress, campaign spokesperson Nick Stewart said in a prepared statement. DelContes ruling came after he spent three months reviewing ballot challenges and trying to fix a series of problems with vote tabulations. Tallies shifted as county election officials counted a flood of absentee ballots and courts weighed in on which challenged ballots could be counted. DelConte rejected an argument by Brindisis lawyers that certification of the election results should be delayed until an appeals court had a chance to review the case. The judge said that even if the results end up changing after any litigation, New York could simply amend its certification. The judge said only the U.S. House can order a new election or recount at this point. Sadly, we may never know how many legal voters were turned away at the polls or ballots not counted due to the ineptitude of the Boards of Election, especially in Oneida County, said Brindisi, hoping there will be an investigation into the massive disenfranchisement of voters. Democrats control the House with 221 seats. With Tenney yet to be sworn in, Republicans held 210 seats following the death on Sunday of U.S. Rep. Ron Wright of Texas, according to the House's website. Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days China is clamping down on big tech conglomerates by tightening its anti-monopoly guidelines for internet and digital payment services. The new rules effectively block companies from forcing sellers to choose between the leading online players, a common practice in the country, reports Reuters. The guidelines are aimed at Chinese heavyweights including e-commerce providers such as Alibaba Groups Taobao and JD.com and mobile payment services like Ant Groups Alipay or Tencents WeChat Pay. According to the countrys competition watchdog, the crackdown follows growing reports of anti-monopoly behavior online, which sees China grappling with similar issues to the U.S. around the unchecked growth of big tech. The regulator will also stop companies from price fixing, restricting rivals, and quietly using their data and algorithm perks to exploit the market. Ultimately, the plan is to stop monopolistic behaviours in the platform economy and protect fair competition in the market, the State Administration for Market Regulation states on its website. The rules cement a draft law issued in November and build on the regulators broader scrutiny of the tech sector. Chinas policy reversal towards local tech giants gained notoriety in recent months when it ordered billionaire Jack Ma to scale back expansion plans for an affiliate company. Mas Alibaba subsidiary Ant Group was told in December to reign in its ambitions to expand beyond payments into lending, insurance and wealth management. Some of the apps in question are already banned in the U.S., via an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump at the height of the trade war against China. India also blocked a total of 59 Chinese apps in the wake of a territorial dispute with China. State House, Banjul, 3 February 2021: President Adama Barrow received the Letters of Credence of the Malaysian High Commissioner to The Gambia, H.E. Shazelina Zainul Abidin, the Ghanaian High Commissioner, Gloria POKU, and Ambassador of The Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E Noha Ahmed MAHER KHEDR at a ceremony held at the State House in Banjul, on Tuesday. After inspecting the military Guard of Honour, the diplomats walked the red carpet to meet the Head of State at the diplomatic lounge of the presidency. In welcoming the diplomats, President Barrow congratulated both and through them, extended greetings to their respective Heads of State and Government. While expressing his government's readiness to work together with both the Republic of Malaysia and The Arab Republic of Egypt, he detailed out the areas of trade, tourism, renewable energy, and capacity building through education and training as possible areas of cooperation. The Gambian leader was elated by the presentation of the credentials, saying "it will enhance the already existing very good relationships as well as strengthen African integration in the case of Egypt." The Malaysian High Commissioner spoke to the media after the meeting and said Malaysia has good relations with The Gambia, which she intends to enhance through education for students and professional training for civil servants in various areas. In addition to being members of The Commonwealth and OIC, the Malaysian government is considered as a good friend of The Gambia and bilateral relations anchored on mutual respect. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The government of Malaysia over the past decade has helped the people of The Gambia, particularly in the areas of trade and capacity building by offering scholarships to deserving students as well as short and long term training for Gambian Civil Servants. In the same vein, the Egyptian Ambassador said the bilateral relations between the two countries is long-standing, and are finding new ways of strengthening the already existing strong ties. In 2018, President Adama Barrow, the first time a Gambian Head of State visited the Arab Republic, and since then, the relations have improved from strength to strength. The Gambia has received technical assistance in all its key development sectors from The Arab Republic of Egypt. President Barrow extended regards to his Ghanaian counterpart through the High Commissioner while thanking Ghana for the strong support in the ECOMIG and strengthening of institutions like the judiciary through technical support. 1. Take a virtual tour of a country youd love to visit. Maybe the pandemic has curtailed travel plans, but that doesnt mean you cant still plot together. Many countries have virtual tours available, if you search online. For example, tour the Highlands of Iceland. If you want to really get creative, plan cuisine to match. (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers on AIM in London on Monday. AIM - WINNERS Omega Diagnostics, up 40% at 96.98 pence, 12-month range 5.93p-126.95p. It will continue to modify its Alva-based facility to "upscale significantly" its lateral flow test production capacity as it noted a Financial Times article. The FT said the UK government has chosen three British companies to make rapid Covid-19 tests. The newspaper said Omega, SureScreen and Global Access Diagnostics have been selected by the Department of Health to produce up to 2 million lateral flow devices per day for the UK, according to two people briefed on the decision. Avacta Group, up 6.8% at 136.20 pence, 12-month range 13.00p-215.25p. Says it has entered into a commercial partnership with Mologic to accelerate to market Avacta's AffiDX SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow rapid antigen test. The pre-clinical stage biotechnology company said the partnership will provide the AffiDX antigen test a faster route to market by giving it a CE marking for professional use under rapid diagnostics firm Mologic's ISO13485 quality system. Tower Resources, up 11% at 0.56 pence, 12-month range 0.189p-0.650p. Notes its South African unit Rift Petroleum has received an updated resource at the offshore Algoa-Gamtoos license from partner New Age Energy Algoa. After reprocessing seismic data at the asset, overall portfolio volumes are 54% higher at Algoa-Gamtoos, Tower explained. AIM - LOSERS Bahamas Petroleum, down 67% at 0.68p, 12-month range 0.500p-5.722p. Bahamas said that while the Perseverance #1 well encountered hydrocarbons, commercial volumes of oil were not proven. The company said the Perseverance #1 well in the Bahamas encountered hydrocarbons, as well as successfully validating the structural model and the petroleum system. However, volumes of oil encountered "are not commercial". Tissue Regenix, down 12% at 0.65p, 12-month range 0.275p-1.280p. The company expects a revenue fall in 2020, citing the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The medical devices company expects revenue of GBP12.8 million, down 1.5% from 2019's GBP13.0 million. Its financial performance was "impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic". Inland Homes, down 10% at 57.75p, 12-month range 32.00p-89.85p. The company reported a fall in full-year profit as activity was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Its EPRA net asset value per share at the end of September 2020 was 103.97 pence per share, down 8.5% on a year ago due to a placing of 20.8 million new shares during the year. In a separate release, Inland Homes said Chair Terry Roydon will be standing down from the board at the conclusion of the company's annual general meeting in March. Senior Independent Director Simon Bennett will be promoted to chair, boohoo Group, down 4.5% at 348.40p, 12-month range 133.10p-433.50p. The AIM-listed online-only fashion retailer will be buying the e-commerce and digital assets and associated intellectual property rights, including customer data, related business information and inventory, of the Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands. The GBP25.2 million deal to acquire the former Arcadia Group brands does not include any stores. boohoo said Monday's acquisition is a "significant opportunity to grow" its market share. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Dear Amy: I recently broke up with my boyfriend of over four years. Although we love and complement each other well, the relationship was not progressing. When we started dating, we were on the same page about wanting to get married someday. I have two children from a previous marriage. Several times over the last two years Ive suggested he spend more time with them. He knows this is important to me. However, he is not interested in doing this. When I asked if he enjoyed the interactions with my children, he said that he didnt and that he only spent time with them so that I wouldnt get mad at him. Whenever I tried to discuss any future plans, such as moving in together, he said, I dont want to talk about it. He claims that he feels discouraged about our future because of minor disagreements weve had in the past. Ive done everything I can to learn and grow from those moments. All couples have disagreements, but he says he doesnt like any conflict. Whenever I raise an issue, he takes it as a personal insult, which derails any resolution. Obviously, communication is very challenging. I felt that he was sabotaging the relationship. We are both taking the break-up really hard. I have been patient and understanding, but its hard for me to continue in a relationship with no future. Am I wrong for breaking off an otherwise good relationship because of a communication problem? Worried and Wondering Dear Worried: I do believe youve made some mistakes. For instance: What took you so long to break up with this guy? You dont mention how old your children are, but if a future partner doesnt want to spend any time with your children (and then doesnt seem to like them when he does), its game over. He could be a great guy (and your children, not so much), but you and your kids are a package deal. Furthermore, any person headed toward marriage and being a stepparent had better become acquainted with conflict, no matter the age of the children. Entering a family system requires tact, humor, a generous spirit, and the ability to survive an occasional argument. Few people enjoy conflict. But mature people (like you) understand that conflict is inevitable and often leads toward growth. And (paraphrasing my mother, here): Being in a loving relationship is not supposed to be quite so much work. Dear Amy: My mother-in-law is a very sweet, kind and generous woman who hosted a large family gathering for 20 people, despite COVID restrictions in her community. While the (catered) food was being warmed in the oven and on the stovetop, she stuck her finger right into the food in the stovetop pan. She licked her finger clean and then repeated this with casseroles in the oven. I was hopeful that the heat of the stove and the oven would kill any virus or bacteria with which she contaminated the food. My question is, what could I have kindly said to help her understand that her actions rendered the food she was serving extremely unappetizing? I wouldnt want to hurt her feelings, but she doesnt seem to understand that her behavior is gross and unacceptable. Lost my Appetite Dear Lost: You state (with implied disapproval) that your mother-in-law defied COVID restrictions and hosted a large indoor gathering. You chose to attend this gathering. Post-holiday, COVID seems to be spreading mainly through these indoor family gatherings. My point is that you put yourself at far greater risk gathering for an indoor meal with 20 other people, than by consuming a casserole after your mother-in-law had poked her finger into it. As you know, this virus is spread through respiration, not through someone elses dirty fingers. Its like that classic scene from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The two characters are chased to the edge of a cliff, with no choice but to jump into raging water. Sundance admits: I cant swim! Butch says, Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill ya! You should get tested for COVID as soon as possible. Dear Amy: Responding to the heartbreaking question from Feeling Lost in Cheyenne, who had recently been through a miscarriage, thank you for sharing your own experience. I believe it really helps to talk with others who have been through this. My local hospital held an in-person support group. Attending meetings helped me so much. Grateful Dear Grateful: Online support groups are also extremely helpful. (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. Workers at risk of developing an incurable, progressive and fatal lung disease need greater protections across a range of workplaces, the union movement says, warning proposed new health and safety measures wont help thousands of Australians. Joanna McNeill, a 34-year-old mother of two, was diagnosed with silicosis last year after returning from maternity leave. She worked in an administration role at a quarry and was exposed to dust with her office close to the main blast site. Joanna McNeill was diagnosed with silicosis after coming back from maternity leave last year. Shes just 34 years old. Its the unknown which is so terrifying, Ms McNeill said. At the moment I am feeling healthy, but I dont know if that will be the case in one year, let alone five or 10 years and as a mum of two young daughters that terrifies me. The Australian Workers Union is leading a push for tougher national regulations to protect all workers exposed to deadly silica dust, with fears Australia could be hit with a tsunami of deaths in the coming decades. Anthony Albanese has urged his shadow cabinet to ensure all new policy proposals are offset with spending cuts, according to leaked documents that reveal the extent of the Opposition Leaders plan to dump Labors big tax-and-spend agenda in favour of a smaller platform. The documents obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reveal Mr Albanese is preparing Labor for a potential early election by ordering his top team to help restore the partys economic credibility as it readies its pitch to form government. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has struggled to get attention. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In an email to his cabinet colleagues on Friday, deputy leader Richard Marles said the leaders office would this week begin working on priority policy development areas that had been identified by its policy review committee. The leak comes amid growing internal unrest over Labors direction under Mr Albanese and criticism over his performance during the past 18 months. It also suggests both major parties will head to the next election without a major reform agenda, focusing on the economic and health challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Josh Ethan Johnson/A24; Niko Tavernise/Netflix; Takashi Seida/Paramount Pictures; Patti Perret/Amazon Studios; Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios En espanol | Many of the best known actors over 50, as well as some newcomers, are nominees for AARPs annual Movies for Grownups Awards, it was announced today. The awards will be broadcast on the PBS show Great Performances on March 28 at 8 p.m. (check local listings) pbs.org/moviesforgrownups and on the PBS Video app. The Movies for Grownups Awards champion films made by and for grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism and encouraging films that resonate with older viewers. And AARPs Movies for Grownups this year continues its commitment to celebrate quality content by expanding to honor standout TV programs in new categories. Each year at Movies for Grownups, we spotlight films that feature todays crucial issues and top grownup talents. In this pandemic year, when movies loomed larger than ever in our lives, we are excited to have such a bumper crop of masterworks and to recognize achievements on TV for the very first time, said Tim Appelo, AARP film and television critic. Hoda Kotb, NBC News TODAY co-anchor and co-host of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, will host the awards ceremony. Winners of the Movies for Grownups awards will be announced online March 4 at www.aarp.org/moviesforgrownups. President Adama Barrow has recently received the Letters of Credence of the Malaysian High Commissioner to The Gambia, H.E Shazelina Zainul Abidin, and the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E Noha Ahmed MAHER KHEDR, at a ceremony held at the State House in Banjul, on Tuesday 2nd February 2021. In welcoming the diplomats, President Barrow congratulated both and through them, extended greetings to their respective Heads of States and Governments. While expressing his Government's readiness to work together with both the Republic of Malaysia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, President Barrow detailed the areas of trade, tourism, renewable energy and capacity building through education and training, as possible areas of cooperation. The Gambian leader said he was elated by the presentation of the credentials, saying "it will enhance the already existing very good relationships as well as strengthen African integration in the case of Egypt." The Malaysian High Commissioner who spoke to the media after the meeting, said his country has good relations with The Gambia, which she intends to enhance through education for students and professional training for civil servants in various areas; that in addition to being members of The Commonwealth and the OIC, the Malaysian Government is considered a good friend of the Gambia with their bilateral relations anchored on mutual respect. She said the Government of Malaysia over the past decade, has helped the people of The Gambia particularly in the areas of trade and capacity building, by offering scholarships to deserving students, as well as short and long term training for Gambian civil servants. In the same vein, the Egyptian Ambassador said the bilateral relations between the two countries, is long-standing, and they are finding new ways of strengthening the already existing strong ties. The Egyptian Ambassador said in 2018, President Adama Barrow visited for the first time as a Gambian Head of State to the Arab Republic, and since then the relations have improved from strength to strength. The Gambia has received technical assistance in all its key development sectors from The Arab Republic of Egypt. In a similar diplomatic engagement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad Dr. Mamadou Tangara, received the Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to The Gambia, Her Excellency Gloria Poku, who was at the Foreign Ministry to present copies of her Letters of Credence on Tuesday 2nd February, before delivering her actual Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of The Gambia Adama Barrow, on 3rd February 2021. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The top Diplomats seized the opportunity to discuss the long standing friendly relationship between The Gambia and Ghana dating pre-independence. The discussions centered on ways and means of strengthening the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. The Minister on Wednesday 3rd February also received the Ambassador of Austria to The Gambia, Her Excellency Gerlinde Paschinger, in his office in Banjul. Ambassador Paschinger presented copies of her Letters of Credence to the Honourable Minister. Her actual Letters of Credence will be presented to President Barrow on Thursday 4th February at State House. Minister Tangara and Ambassador Paschinger laid emphasis on the sector of education, in which Austria would provide scholarships to Gambians and also provide long term diplomatic training for junior diplomats at the Foreign Ministry to undergo at the Austrian Diplomatic Academy. These scholarships will contribute immensely to building the capacity of Gambians across the board. During this brief diplomatic engagement, other bilateral issues were also discussed. Four Louisiana State Police troopers were arrested Monday following a "criminal investigation into use of force encounters" at the agency's Monroe-based Troop F, which was already reeling after a series of scandals over the past several months and an ongoing federal civil rights probe. Col. Lamar Davis announced the forthcoming arrests in an internal email to subordinates Monday. State Police officials later confirmed the arrests in a public statement Monday evening. The announcement came amid several investigations of possible misconduct, including two incidents in which troopers have been accused of brutally beating Black suspects. The new arrests appear to stem from previously unreported incidents, though the public statement did not identify alleged victims. The following troopers were arrested Monday: Jacob Brown, 30; Randall Dickerson, 34; Dakota DeMoss, 28; and George Harper, 26. This marks Brown's second arrest in recent months after investigators apparently found him liable of criminal acts in multiple separate cases. State Police released few details Monday about the incidents resulting in the new arrests. Officials said the first occurred in July 2019 during a traffic stop in Ouachita Parish when troopers found drugs in a vehicle. After making an arrest, Brown and Dickerson used excessive force on the handcuffed driver, deactivated their body cameras and lied about "alleged resistance by the suspect," according to State Police. Both troopers in that incident were arrested on simple battery and malfeasance in office. The second incident occurred in May 2020 following a car chase in Franklin Parish, officials said. After troopers used spike strips to stop the fleeing vehicle, the driver "exited the vehicle and immediately lay on the ground in a compliant position," according to the news release. But troopers DeMoss, Harper and Brown nonetheless used excessive force and deactivated their bodycams. They were arrested on simple battery and malfeasance. Brown also falsified reports and faces an additional count of obstruction of justice, officials said. Officials did not release the names of the suspects in those two incidents. Allegations of misconduct at Troop F started surfacing last year after the family of Ronald Greene sued State Police claiming troopers beat the man to death following a May 2019 traffic pursuit and then lied about their actions. The agency has thus far refused to release bodycam footage of the encounter to the public, though Greene's family was allowed to review it. +9 Attorneys highlight similarities in alleged beatings of Black suspects by Louisiana state troopers When he heard about allegations that Louisiana State Police troopers had beaten a Black man to death and then tried to cover up their actions, State Police had initially claimed Greene died upon impact after crashing his car during a police chase, but the lawsuit alleges troopers actually beat the man to death, leaving him "bloodied and in cardiac arrest" before covering up what happened. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The Department of Justice opened a federal civil rights investigation, which remains ongoing. The new arrests are not the first of their kind in recent months. Brown was previously arrested in December and accused in another beating of a Black suspect, Aaron Bowman, who has also sued the agency. That incident also occurred in the Monroe area in May 2019. In that case, Brown was arrested on one count each of aggravated second-degree battery and malfeasance in office. In addition to beating Bowman with a flashlight, the trooper was accused of trying to hide the bodycam footage from his superiors. Arrested Louisiana State Police Trooper struck man 18 times with flashlight, warrant says The Louisiana State Police trooper arrested in a use of force incident struck a Black man 18 times with a flashlight and then attempted to hid Davis said in an internal email to troopers Monday that he understands this is difficult news for Troop F and the rest of the agency. He called the decision heart-wrenching. "Although we once again face a situation that will undoubtedly bring negative public attention to our agency, we must remain committed to holding each other accountable," he wrote in the message, a copy of which was obtained by the Advocate. "This will build trust internally as well as externally in the communities we serve." Davis asked his subordinates to never "lose sight of who we are and what we represent." He asked them to remember feeling proud upon graduating from the State Police academy and donning their uniforms for the first time. "As you go to work, recall your training that ensures you are one of the best trained, most professional law enforcement officers in the country," Davis said. "And know without a shadow of a doubt that I support you as your carry out a very difficult and at times dangerous mission day and night." Davis is relatively new to his position as head of State Police. He was appointed in October and became the agency's fourth ever Black superintendent, pledging to uphold values of transparency and accountability among troopers during a time of turmoil and criticism. Attorneys representing Greene's family and Bowman have demanded complete reform of what they called a cultural problem at Troop F. Hours after learning he would be fired for his role in Greene's death, Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth died in a single-car crash in late September. Several days later, another trooper from Troop F the son of former agency head Col. Kevin Reeves was responding to a call when he rear-ended a vehicle, leaving the child and teen backseat passengers dead from the impact. State Police have not released information about whether Kaleb Reeves will be disciplined for his role in the crash. His father also spent decades with Troop F in Monroe before being appointed superintendent in 2017. Kevin Reeves stepped down from the position in late October; officials said he had planned to retire around that time regardless of the recent scandals. The immigration minister has denied that using former army barracks to house asylum seekers has been a public health disaster despite more than 100 residents contracting coronavirus. Challenged by opposition MPs about the conditions in Napier Barracks, a disused Ministry of Defence (MoD) site in Folkestone, Kent which was repurposed to house hundreds of asylum seekers in September, Chris Philp claimed the facility was appropriate and suitable. Residents have been banned from leaving the site since mid-January after a number of individuals tested positive for Covid-19, and more than 120 people are said to have since tested positive. The Home Office has faced mounting criticism over the conditions in both the Kent camp and another military site in Pembrokeshire, known as Penally barracks, with NGOs and lawyers warning of poor access to legal advice and barriers to accessing healthcare and mental health support. The Independent revealed last month that the Home Offices equality impact assessment of its decision to use the sites for asylum housing was made on the basis that better accommodation would undermine public confidence in the system. During Home Office questions in Parliament on Monday, shadow immigration minister Holly Lynch stated that the document made absolutely clear that the use of disused barracks as asylum accommodation was absolutely a political choice. She went on to ask Mr Philp: Does the minister not agree with me and others that the use of barracks as asylum accommodation has become a moral and public health disaster and people must be moved into dispersal accommodation as a matter of urgency? In response, the immigration minister said: I dont agree with that. Weve been consulting with Public Health England throughout this episode. The use of this kind of accommodation is appropriate and suitable. He went on to state: We need to have regard of a range of factors including value for money. Weve had to use a large number of hotels in order to accommodate people during the coronavirus pandemic which do not represent a particularly good value for money. I can say barracks type accommodation is not only suitable but is cheaper than hotels and all of us owe a duty to the general taxpayer to ensure value for money and this government makes no apologies for that. A number of charities, including the British Red Cross, Doctors of the World and the Helen Bamber Foundation, have called for the urgent closure of the army camps, warning that it is completely inappropriate and inhumane to place asylum seekers there. Stuart McDonald, SNP MP and member of the home affairs select committee, said during the House of Commons sitting on Monday that the equality impact assessment showed that the Home Office was pandering to gutter politics. Questioning the immigration minister, he said: Will the Home Office apologise for suggesting people in the UK oppose decent support and care for asylum seekers and close these barracks urgently? Mr Philp responded: There is no apology due. These barrack accommodation units were previously used by the brave men and women of our armed services. They were good enough for our armed services and they are certainly more than good enough for people who have arrived in this country seeking asylum. Mr McDonald proceeded to quote a former senior military chief, Nicholas Mercer, previously the armys top legal advisor, who described the use of barracks to house asylum seekers as wholly inappropriate and nothing more than naked hostility to very vulnerable people. The immigration minister did not respond to this point, but added: Thanks to the generosity of our approach, the number of people were accommodating has gone up from 48,000 to 61,000 during the pandemic, because we have taken a thoughtful and protective approach. In the wake of Brexit, deeper trade relations with India are an absolute priority, says Elizabeth Truss, UKs secretary of state for international trade and president of the board of trade. In India on a four-day visit for talks with her counterpart Piyush Goyal on an enhanced trade partnership", Truss said in an interview that India and the UK had agreed to set up working groups to make progress towards removing priority market access barriers. On tax problems faced by Cairn Energy and Vodafone, Truss said she hoped that arbitral awards by international dispute settlement mechanisms will draw a line under them. Edited excerpts. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports What will be the impact of the UK-EU trade deal on the India-UK trade relations? In which sector do you think will there be more opportunity for Indian companies? This agreement marked the start of the UKs new chapter as an outward-looking global Britain. It ensures continuity for our trade with Europe and respects our sovereign right to deepen trade with dynamic partners around the world such as India. India is an incredibly important friend, ally and economic partner for the UK, and we want to take that partnership to an even deeper level. India is already an economic powerhouse and will rise to become the worlds second-biggest economy, so we really do see a bright future for India-UK relations. Our trade relationship was worth 23 billion in 2019 and there are an incredible 383 Indian companies in the UK employing more than 82,000 people supporting jobs in every region and nation. However, there is potential for so much more. I want to champion the industries of the future with India: advanced manufacturing, services, digital and data trade. These forward-leaning sectors will drive recovery and future prosperity by providing high-quality jobs for our people and supporting economic growth as we recover from this dreadful virus. What non-trade and trade barriers are India and the UK seeking to address through the enhanced trade partnership" agreed to by both sides? We have taken great strides to remove barriers to trade already, with India recognizing the world-class standards of UK farmers by allowing Welsh lamb into its market for the first time. We have agreed to establish a number of working groups and make progress towards removing priority market access barriers. Meanwhile, we are supporting reforms to the business environment in India through the sharing of the UKs expertise and experiences on a range of areas, including better regulation, trading across borders, and standards to make it easier for UK investors and exporters to do business in India. India has proposed reforms in the post-Brexit immigration system in the UK. Will the UK government add India to the list of low-risk countries for movement of skilled workers? We have recently introduced a single global immigration system, where individuals qualify for a visa based on the skills they can bring to the UK and not based on which country their passport is from. This new system offers more flexibility than the previous system for Indian nationals wishing to work in the UK. We have broadened the skills threshold, lowered salary requirements, suspended the cap and removed the resident labour market test. We are also introducing a graduate route this summer, which will enable Indian students to work for up to 2 years in the UK, or 3 for PhD students, without needing a sponsoring employer. Our new system sends a message to the whole world that the UK is open for business and we want the top talent from around the world to contribute to our economy and society and help drive the UK forward, regardless of nationality. India has been demanding the signing of a social security agreement with the UK. When can we see any progress on that front? We are working with our Indian counterparts on a range of social and economic issues to promote the UK as a place to do business and trade. We are seeking to further improve our relationship. We value our international agreements with India and continue to work together to support our shared ambition for a stronger partnership. Indian companies such as Jaguar Land Rover owned by the Tatas are likely to face increased trade barriers in accessing the EU market post the Brexit deal. What effort is the UK making to deal with such non-tariff barriers? The UK remains a fantastic place to invest and do business in. Our agreement with the EU ensures there will be zero tariffs or quotas on trade between the bloc and the UK, where goods meet the relevant rules of origin, and includes provisions to facilitate trade and address non-tariff barriers for exports. This deal includes modern and appropriate rules of origin, which mean that goods produced in either of our markets can qualify for zero tariff trade. The rules of origin will allow manufacturers to use a significant level of input from abroad in British products, where appropriate, such as batteries in electric vehicles, but they prevent us having to accept imports from the EU at zero tariffs that are disproportionately produced elsewhere in the world. India has proposed an early harvest agreement with the UK on select items of mutual interest. Is such a deal feasible? We are considering all options in our bilateral negotiations that will ensure we can lower barriers to trade in a timely fashion, which will support our recovery and help pave the way to prosperity and help both nations recover from covid-19. Many analysts believe signing a free trade agreement with India is not on top of the priority list of UK. What groundwork needs to be done before venturing into such negotiations? Deeper trade relations with India are absolutely a priority and I am proud to be pushing on with our enhanced trade partnership. Before then, we are focused on deepening our trading relationship with further removal of barriers to trade and investment, while fulfilling our commitment to achieving an enhanced trade partnership this year. India and the UK have been collaborating on the covid-19 vaccine and have been seen as successful. What are the prospects for this partnership to grow in a post pandemic world? The way India and the UK have supported each other in the fight against covid-19 has shown the power of our partnership and friendship. We have been grateful to India for keeping supplies flowing to the UK of critical medicines and medical-grade personal protective equipment. I am visiting the Serum Institute during my time in India, which is producing more than a billion doses of the UK-developed Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine. This will save lives across India and beyond its borders. I am delighted that Wockhardt is helping produce these vaccines in North Wales. Whats more, this Indian pharmaceutical giant is extending its contract in a welcome move that will bring new jobs to the area. From supplying each other with goods to collaborating over vaccines, our partnership can only get stronger from now on. Do you see life sciences as an important area for UK companies to invest in India? Life sciences are not only important in our handling of the pandemic, but for our economic future. The industry is a priority sector for both the UK and India, as evident from both sides committing to work together to remove barriers and increasing trade under the ministerial joint economic and trade committee meetings. What are the prospects for investments in India in areas such as artificial intelligence and clean energy? We are natural partners in pushing new frontiers in innovation, with our brightest minds working under the UK-India Tech Partnership on artificial intelligence, driverless cars and virtual reality. Our nations are vibrant hubs for technology trade, with the UK home to the third-largest number of tech unicorns in the world and India hosting the third-largest number of tech startups. Together, we can help set new and better standards for modern trade in the 21st century. Tax issues involving Cairn Energy and Vodafone had adversely impacted ties. Have both countries come out of this? Its not for me to comment on investor-state dispute settlement cases. I hope these arbitral awards will draw a line under these issues and note that Vodafone has maintained its wish to continue operating in India. elizabeth.r@livemint.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Are we over the crisis or is it an illusion that Connecticuts economy seems to be recovering? Eleven months into the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the state legislature and threw the economy into a tailspin, Gov. Lamont on Wednesday will have strong tailwinds as he proposes a two-year, $44.5 billion budget. Still, his plan will be a big gamble at a time when the recovery, and the federal aid supporting it, remain impossible to predict. If congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden succeed in pushing through their planned $1.9 trillion relief bill, Connecticuts share should at least equal last years $1.4 billion in pandemic support. The governor also is hoping for a continuation of the surprise flood of sales and income-tax revenues, which recently turned an $800 million deficit into a modest surplus for the current budget year, ending June 30. The unexpected momentum cut huge projected budget shortfalls for the next two fiscal years in half. And the states emergency reserves are projected to reach as much as $3.7 billion or more this year, a record. All of that the rising federal aid, tax revenues and bank account points to easy ways around Connecticuts perennial budget gap, the headache governors and lawmakers have had to wrestle almost every year for decades as the state economy sputters. It will ease talk of tax increases and cuts in state services. But those shortfalls havent gone away. There is a $1.2 billion-dollar gap predicted for the 2021-22 budget year that starts July 1 and another large gap for the following year. Lamont has repeatedly said he doesnt want to raise tax rates, despite the clamoring from progressive Democrats willing to flex their muscular majorities in the House and Senate to force the states wealthiest to pay more. The states economic landscape, to say the least, is anything but clear, with an 8.2 percent unemployment rate, retail and hospitality industries still hurting from the pandemic, and no clear engines of growth. While the COVID vaccines are set to be a game-changer by the time enough people are inoculated this summer for a return to social normalcy, huge long-term budget hurdles remain not the least of which is more than $40 billion in unfunded liabilities in the retirement plans for state employees and public school teachers. Good news, bad news Good news about the recovery from the pandemic recession has left the progressive wing of the Democratic Party pushing for more programs to help people in need. State Treasurer Shawn Wooden recently reported that the states available cash pool for expenses is $6.4 billion, amid the improved projections for future years and an expected $138 million surplus for this year. This has put Connecticut in a much better financial position when compared with other states but there is still plenty of work to be done, Wooden recently wrote. We know that the real economy, thousands of hard-working families across Connecticut, are hurting. Our work remains to rebuild an inclusive economy that helps state and local governments bridge budget shortfalls and addresses deep inequities that have caused overwhelming economic pain to thousands through no fault of their own. In fact, were no better off than we were at the height of the Great Recession, warns Fred Carstensen, professor of finance at the University of Connectiut School of Business and director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis. The reality is Connecticut has a failing economy, never recovering from 2008 in either output or employment, Carstensen said last week. There is little indication that it is likely to do better going forward absent dramatic and visible changes in economic development strategy like having one and supporting policies and initiatives. I don't hear any discussion by the Governor or legislative leadership about the challenges of economic growth/development. Carstensen believes that the Office of Policy and Management, which is Lamonts budget office, as well as the General Assemblys nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis are both overestimating future revenues. Those are the agencies that in January slashed projected shortfalls by $1.2 billion a year. Economic growth has averaged 2.3 percent the last four years; there is no reason to think we will do better than that and it is more likely we will do less well, given the weaknesses in our economy and lack of dynamism, Carstensen said, stressing that the state is losing highly skilled, high-paying jobs and gaining low-skill, low-wage employment. Deficits are more likely to be $6-8 billion, of which the rainy-day fund might cover $4 billion, he said, looking ahead to the next several years. So we are still in a deep hole on the fundamentals. Gambling on high capital gains tax revenue is not a good way to go. Sometimes you win when you gamble, but you often lose. Given the instability of capital gains tax revenues, the likelihood is Connecticut will lose big on one of its sequential gambles. False sense of security? House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said Friday he believes the federal pandemic support might have helped hide some of the states weaknesses. He wants to see more of a focus on school kids at a time when manufacturers and trades need workers. He wants to make it easier for some children with learning difficulties to accepted into vocational high schools. Traditionally the governor speaks with optimism, and I expect that tone, Candelora said. Obviously he does not have an interest in broad-based tax increases. Chris DiPentima, president and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said Friday he is worried about a false sense of security, between the federal support and the unexpected revenue surge. Obviously were in a better place than we were in April, and the deficit was recently knocked in half, but we certainly for the need to keep our foot on the gas and address our structural and systemic issues, DiPentima said in a phone interview. He stressed the need to hold down taxes and use legislation to expand the tax base, including the fostering of thousands of new start-up companies spawned during the pandemic, including new manufacturers of personal protective equipment and cleaning services. We cant count on more found money, because they can breed complacency, DiPentima said. We have a little bit of wind at our backs but we need to build Connecticut stronger, with moderate fiscal reforms to continue to move the state forward. Max Reiss, Lamonts communications director, said Friday that recent data from the U.S. Postal Service indicates a net increase of 16,494 Connecticut addresses in 2020, compared to a net loss of 7,525 in 2019. Businesses and people are beginning to see the strength of our state, Reiss said, noting 40,000 new businesses, the growing budget surplus and record-level budget reserve. We feel these are all good signs that Connecticut is in a position of growth, which everyone wanted to see for a long time, Reiss said. In the current climate, on the cusp of budget negotiations between Lamont and legislative leaders and vaccines finally flowing into the state, only time will tell how Connecticut handles the continuing crisis. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Congress on Monday launched a 'Join Congress Social Media' campaign with an aim to have five lakh online 'warriors' who will work to save the 'idea of India'. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi issued a video statement for the social media campaign and said that it will counter hate and "defend the idea of India". In his video message, Rahul Gandhi said, "Nothing is hidden from you. In your schools, colleges and universities, you can see the oppression, you can see the attack on the idea of India." "Look outside Delhi and you can see what is happening with the farmers. The backbone of this war of the nation is a troll army. Thousands of people spread hatred and anger and they are paid to do so. We also need warriors to defend the ideas of liberal values, to defend the ideas of compassion, peace, harmony and affection. "Come join this army. This is not an army of hatred and this is not an army of violence. This is the army of truth and that is going to defend the idea of India. We are bringing this platform for you to give you the tools to fight back and win," he added. While launching the campaign at the party headquarters here, Congress' social media unit head Rohan Gupta, party spokesperson Pawan Khera, and AICC in-charge (administration) Pawan Kumar Bansal said the aim is to have five lakh social media warriors. Bansal said, "We are launching this social media campaign wherein we aim to have five lakh warriors. In every part of the country, several Congress leaders and workers keep working for the party through social media. We are calling them social media 'warriors'." Gupta also addressed the media and said that the Narendra Modi-led government is scared of social media and "we are giving a platform to the youth to raise their voice". "We all know that the government is scared of social media. Now the government writes to Twitter to ban certain accounts. Those who are against the government are anti-nationals. Through this, we are going to give the youth and the people of the country a platform to raise their voice. "If we want to defeat this arrogant government, we will have to fight unitedly. That is the reason why we are starting this campaign which has been named 'Join Congress Social Media Campaign'," Gupta said. He said that people can join the campaign through website, toll-free number or by WhatsApp. Gupta said the party will take this campaign to the people for a month and invite them to join. Then there will be a basic interview in all states and "we will give responsibilities accordingly". He said that people can work at different levels -- district, state and national -- and they will be given responsibilities accordingly. After a month of interviews, those who do well will be given training, Gupta added. "When the BJP came to power in 2014, many criticised the Congress for not being on social media, and when the party became active on social media, many said it is not on the ground, but now we are on both," said Khera. He was rushed to the hospital. A Ukrainian soldier was wounded by an enemy sniper not far from the village of Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region. This was reported by the Skhid (East) operational and tactical group on Facebook on February 7. Read alsoDonbas war escalation: 13 enemy attacks, four wounded, two killed on Feb 6 "Today, February 7, the Russian occupation forces once again violated the ceasefire and opened targeted fire on Ukrainian defenders' positions, using sniper weapons near Novomykhailivka in the Skhid (East) zone," it said. As a result of the attack, one member of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) received a gunshot wound. He was promptly taken to a hospital, where he is being provided with medical assistance. As UNIAN reported earlier, there were four wounded and two killed JFO members on February 6. Other news reports Reporting by UNIAN Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. For months Tanzanias government has insisted the country was free from Covid-19 so there are no plans for vaccination. The BBCs Dickens Olewe has spoken to one family mourning the death of a husband and father suspected of having had the disease. The fear is that amid the denial, there are many more unacknowledged victims of this highly contagious virus. A week after Peter not his real name arrived home from work with a dry cough and loss of taste, he was taken to hospital, where he died within hours. He had not been tested for Covid. But then, according to Tanzanias government, which has not published data on the coronavirus (COVID-19) for months, the country is Covid-19-free. There is little testing and no plans for a vaccination programme in the East African country. It is nearly impossible to gauge the true extent of the virus and only a small number of people are officially allowed to talk about the issue. Recent public statements have hinted at a different reality at a time when some citizens, like Peters wife, are quietly mourning the deaths of family members suspected to have had the virus. Several Tanzanian families have had similar experiences but have chosen not to speak out, fearing retribution from the government. The British government has banned all travellers arriving from Tanzania, while the US has warned against going to the country because of coronavirus. Since June last year, when President John Magufuli declared the country COVID-19 free, he, along with other top government officials, have mocked the efficacy of masks, doubted if testing works, and teased neighbouring countries which have imposed health measures to curb the virus. Mr Magufuli has also warned without providing any evidence that COVID-19 vaccines could be harmful and has instead been urging Tanzanians to use steam inhalation and herbal medicines, neither of which have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as treatments. It is unclear why the president has expressed such skepticism about the vaccines but he recently said that Tanzanians should not be used as guinea pigs. If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, he should have found a vaccination for Aids, cancer and TB by now, said Mr Magufuli, who has often cast himself as standing up to Western imperialism. The WHO disagrees. Source: bbc Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thanks for visiting PatnaDaily.Com, your exclusive source on the Web for news, facts, and figures relating to Patna and its neighbors. As we embarked on this project in the year 2000, we found that there was absolutely no exclusive site for information relating to Patna. This need echoed not only in Patna but also around the country. Further, as we all know, people from Patna can be found all over the globe, the need was even more felt, that eventually led to extensive research and fact-findings. However, after being in business for 20 years, we have come to realize that PD was in need of a new direction and news from Bihar was no more a priority as there are now literally dozens of other sources where you can get your daily fix for news from our state. What we feel is there's more of a need for exchange of ideas instead of discussing the same old, tired tropes like which politician said what and how to win elections based on caste calculations. After careful consideration, we have decided to do away with daily news updates and instead use this platform to foster and exchange ideas. We have always given voice to people from different religion and political persuasion and that will continue to be so. However, we will not allow articles that are blatant propaganda from politicians and their minions and those that foment political, social, or communal tension. Remember, this is a privately-held website and we reserve the ultimate right to publish or to not publish any article submitted to us that we deem inappropriate. Our decision in such matters would be final. PatnaDaily.Com is not affiliated with any political party or organization thus putting us in an unique position to appraise politicians or political parties, that is, to criticize or praise them as they deserve. Unlike other newspapers or websites, we are neither pro nor against any particular political party or group but we do intend to raise our voice against ill-conceived government policies and corrupt practices irrespective of the name of the party. Once again, we thank you for your patronage. Your comments, ideas, and suggestions are quite welcome. Your feedback to us will be highly appreciated and will help us decide the future and shape of this web site. Sunil Sinha Editor/Founder PatnaDaily.Com (Updated Feb. 7, 2021) Pakistan resorted to 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations last year in which 46 security force personnel were killed, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, referring to Pakistani hostilities along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. In reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, the defense minister said: "appropriate retaliation" to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by the security forces. "In addition, all violations of ceasefire are taken up with Pakistan authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meeting as well as weekly talks between the director generals of military operations of the two countries," Singh said. Diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasized at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control and the International Border as its obligations emanating from the understanding in vogue, he said. The defense minister said 299 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported till January 28 this year. According to official data, the number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2019 was 3,233.Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir. Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two union territories in August 2019.To a separate question on whether a proposal to develop indigenous conventional submarine was approved, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik in a written answer said the information is sensitive in nature and its disclosure is not in the interest of national security.Replying to another question, he said the recently held Malabar naval exercise enhanced synergy, interoperability and coordination between the participating nations. "The exercise highlights the convergence of views among the participating countries on maritime issues, and their shared commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order," Naik said. In the midst of growing concerns over China's military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region, India hosted the Malabar naval exercise in November last. Following India's invitation, Australia also participated in the exercise effectively making it a drill by all the Quad member nations. The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, is aimed at ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Malabar exercise was seen as a prelude to future military cooperation among the Quad member nations. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Throughout the coronavirus health crisis, health officials across the world have been advising people to take important precautions to protect themselves. We have been asked to wash our hands often and correctly. We have also been urged to stay socially distant from people outside our own household. And one of the most important precautions, of course, is to wear a face mask. But as the pandemic continues, some people are now asking: Can wearing two masks provide more protection against the virus? The quick answer is: it depends. Some health experts say it is possible that doubling up the masks could help in some situations. One of those experts is Dr. David Hamer. He is an infectious disease expert at Boston University. Wearing just one mask should be enough for most situations, Hamer told The Associated Press. But the mask needs to fit well, he adds, and not be loose. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a cloth mask made from two or more layers. The mask, the health agency adds, needs to cover both the nose and mouth. And it should fit snugly on the face. But even with the best fitting mask, some people might want extra protection in some situations. For example, people who are at risk for severe illness if infected with the coronavirus may want to wear two masks. People also may want to double up if they plan to be around others for long periods of time indoors or must be in an enclosed area, such as on an airplane. In high-risk situations, another expert suggests wearing a cloth mask as well as a surgical mask. Dr. Monica Gandhi is an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. She says wearing both a cloth and surgical mask -- with either mask on top -- could offer increased protection against the coronavirus. Wearing the two masks that way, Gandhi adds, could have a similar effect as wearing an N95 mask. N95 masks are a kind of personal protection equipment designed for health care workers and medical first responders. The CDC does not suggest that the general public wear N95 masks. Gandhi also advises the use of added protection for people who will be indoors in areas where infection rates are high. She offers another suggestion for situations where a person wants to receive the highest level of protection possible: A two-layer cloth mask that has a filter material in between. For people wearing single cloth masks for everyday use, Gandhi has one important piece of advice -- make sure the cloth is made from strongly woven material. She says the mask should also have at least two layers. The layers and tight weave make it harder for virus-carrying particles to pass through the material. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. Reporters at the Associated Press wrote this story. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. Quiz - Does Wearing Two Masks Provide More Protection? Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story precaution n. a measure taken beforehand to prevent harm or secure good household n. the people in a family or other group that are living together in one house mask n. a covering used to hide or disguise your face loose adj. of clothing : not fitting close to your body : not tight layer n. a covering piece of material or a part that lies over or under another snugly adv. fitting closely and comfortably surgical mask n. a rectangular-shaped face mask (as of fabric or polypropylene fiber) that is typically secured by two straps tied in the back of head and is intended to be worn by medical personnel during surgical procedures especially to protect the wearer against splashes or splatters of blood or body fluid and to prevent contamination of the patient's surgical wounds first responder n. a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance filter n. a device that is used to remove something unwanted from a liquid or gas that passes through it woven adj. to form (as cloth) by lacing together strands of material Resources tend to flow to places of density Many of the dynamics today in West Virginia would be familiar in old industrial towns in the Northeast, or in rural communities across the Midwest. The population is declining as young residents move away. So the tax base and ability to fund services are also shrinking. That makes it hard to support businesses, to prop up the housing market, to reinvent the economy. This is a relatively new pattern: that broad parts of the country are falling further behind, as other places grow more prosperous. For much of the 20th century, poorer parts of the country were catching up in wages. That trend ended around 1980, according to economists, when globalization and knowledge work began to reorder the economy, with tremendously unequal consequences depending on where you live. Today, however, no one in Washington is responsible for confronting that pattern, said John Lettieri, the president of the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington think tank that has proposed a new cabinet-level office to do that. Economists have only recently paid more attention to what they call spatial inequality, or the widening economic gaps between places. And policymakers are even further behind. Were never going to have equal growth in the country geographically, Mr. Lettieri said. But we cant tolerate a situation where a significant share of the country is actually losing ground as the national economy grows. In Washington, the problem isnt simply that the federal government lacks a comprehensive strategy for the state and others like it; many existing federal programs werent designed for these places. To qualify for federal housing aid, families must earn below a given share of the local median income. But entire counties in Appalachia have median incomes below the poverty line, leaving many poor families ineligible. Federal grant programs often require local matching dollars money the poorest communities dont have. Some health programs devote extra resources to rural communities, but misclassify which ones are rural. The federal government incentivizes banks to invest in struggling neighborhoods. But those incentives dont work well in rural communities with no local bank branches. The government also has an array of tax credit programs to support development. But they work best with large-scale urban projects, not small rural ones. Scale is really the enemy of rural development, said Dave Clark, the executive director of Woodlands Development Group and its partnering community lender, which have helped restore historical properties in small West Virginia downtowns. Nobodys getting rich off of these projects. We can structure them in such a way that people wont lose money. But theyre not going to be making a lot of money off these projects with the current tools we have in place. Top House Democrats are preparing to introduce legislation that would send up to $3,600 per child to millions of Americans, as lawmakers aim to change the tax code to target child poverty rates as part of President Bidens sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus package. The proposal would expand the child tax credit to provide $3,600 per child younger than 6 and $3,000 per child up to 17 over the course of a year, phasing out the payments for Americans who make more than $75,000 and couples who make more than $150,000. The draft 22-page provision, reported earlier by The Washington Post and obtained by The New York Times, is expected to be formally introduced on Monday as lawmakers race to fill out the contours of Mr. Bidens stimulus plan. The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and its devastating, said Representative Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and one of the champions of the provision. This money is going to be the difference in a roof over someones head or food on their table. This is how the tax code is supposed to work for those who need it most. The credits would be split into monthly payments from the Internal Revenue Service beginning in July, based on a persons or familys income in 2020. Although the proposed credit is only for a year, some Democrats said they would fight to make it permanent, a sweeping move that could reshape efforts to fight child poverty in America. First comprehensive modelling report on how Canada can achieve net zero emissions by 2050 shows success relies on decisive action in the face of uncertainty OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's Net Zero Future , published today by the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices , is the first in-depth scenario report to explore how Canada can reach net zero emissions by 2050. Canada can not only achieve net zero, the report finds, it can capitalize on unique advantages by doing so. However, success hinges on governments and businesses decisively scaling up solutions available today, while skillfully navigating unavoidable uncertainty. Achieving net zero emissions requires shifting to technologies and energy systems that do not produce greenhouse gas emissions, while removing any remaining emissions from the atmosphere and storing them permanently. To assess a mix of policies and technologies that could contribute to Canada reaching net zero within 30 years, the Institute analyzed more than 60 modelling scenarios and undertook supplementary research and consultation with policy experts, industry leaders, governments and civil society. The report finds Canada's success in building a prosperous net zero economy relies on advancing two distinct types of climate solutions: "safe bets" and "wild cards". Safe betscommercially available, cost-effective technologies like electric vehicles, heat pumps in buildings, and smart gridscan generate at least two-thirds of the emission reductions required to hit Canada's 2030 climate target. Canadian businesses, governments and households must massively scale up these solutions to achieve Canada's 2030 and 2050 climate commitments. This will require creating incentives through increasingly stringent policy. But success also requires wild card solutionshigh-risk, high reward technologies like advanced biofuels, zero-emissions hydrogen, and some types of engineered negative emission technologies that are not yet commercially available. If they prove viable, these emerging solutions could drive significant emission reductions between 2030 and 2050and could offer valuable export opportunities to meet growing demand for low-carbon technology and expertise. Realizing the potential of these solutions also requires policy, such as support for pilot projects, R&D, and tax incentives now, to increase the odds these prospective solutions come through. As major economies including China and the European Union move towards net zero emissions, Canada's energy systems and economy will have to keep pace or risk competitiveness pressures and shrinking market share. This is particularly apparent as the United States, Canada's largest trading partner, pivots under the Biden administration to pursue major investments in clean energy and a commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 or earlier. Forces outside Canada's control will likely be the primary drivers of structural changes within Canada's economy and energy systems in the decades ahead, the report finds. This includes not only climate policy action in other countries, but also forces like global oil market dynamics and shifting market trends and investor preferences. Developing both Canada's safe bet and wild card advantages is key to creating opportunities to pivot and adapt, the research concludes. Achieving Canada's 2050 target requires policy makers to act decisively in the face of uncertainty. To scale up safe bets, governments should continue to steadily increase the stringency of policies such as carbon pricing and flexible regulations. To advance wild cards, governments should spread their betssupporting a portfolio of emerging technologies, without delaying progress on existing smart bet solutions over the next crucial decade. QUOTES "Reducing Canada's emissions to net zero by 2050 is no small featbut it's doable. For Canada to prosper on the path to net zero, governments and private sector leaders need to navigate complex changes to our policy and energy landscapes, while acting decisively on the solutions and insight available today. Canada has significant advantages compared to our peers, but as technological disruptions and global markets shift the ground beneath us, decision makers will need to manage uncertainty while adapting to seize emerging opportunities." - Kathy Bardswick, President, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices "Uncertainty comes with the territory on Canada's path to net zerobut that's no reason to delay. There are many solutions we know will be central to reducing emissions in the next decadeelectric vehicles, more efficient buildings, and non-emitting electricity like wind and solar are all safe bets. Canada has every advantage, and little risk, in rapidly scaling up these solutions. At the same time, Canada will need to spread its bets by investing in a portfolio of wild card technologies, to increase the odds that some of these solutions will come through when we need them." - Jason Dion, Mitigation Research Director, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices RESOURCES WEBSITE | SUMMARY REPORT | FULL REPORT | ABOUT THE INSTITUTE The Canadian Institute for Climate Choices brings together experts from diverse disciplines to undertake rigorous research, conduct insightful analysis, and engage a range of stakeholders and rightsholders to bring clarity to the climate challenges and transformative policy choices ahead for Canada. We are publicly funded, non-partisan, and independently governed. Learn more at climatechoices.ca. SOURCE Canadian Institute for Climate Choices For further information: Catharine Tunnacliffe, Director of Communications, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices, 416 527-1777, [email protected] Egypt Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry affirmed during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday with his Yemeni counterpart, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, Cairo's constant stance that a political solution is the best way to settle the Yemeni crisis. A power-sharing cabinet has been formed late last year between the Yemeni government and southern separatists, a step that Egypt has officially welcomed. Shoukry, during the meeting, expressed confidence that the success in forming the new government would contribute to unifying efforts and backing the course of a comprehensive political solution for the Yemeni crisis, a statement by the foreign ministry read. The Egyptian minister reiterated his countrys fixed position on supporting the unity, independence, and territorial integrity of the Yemeni state. He highlighted the need for a political solution to the crisis based on the agreed relevant references. Minister Shoukry expressed Egypts support to the Yemeni governments endeavours that aim to achieve security and stability and advance the path of development in the country, the statement read. Bin Mubarak affirmed his countrys keenness to enhance bilateral relations with Egypt in a number of priority fields, including benefiting from the Egyptian experience in training Yemeni cadres. The Yemeni minister noted that his country is looking forward to holding a joint committee with Egypt during the current year. Bin Mubarak hailed Egypts stance towards the Yemeni crisis and paid tribute to Egypts support to the Yemeni government and the Yemeni community residing in Egypt. Egypt has been a supporter to the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It has frequently voiced support to the measures the kingdom takes to deter Houthi attacks against Saudi territories. Short link: RED DEER, Alta. - A company that operates a pork processing plant in central Alberta says a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility has grown to nearly 80 cases this weekend. RED DEER, Alta. - A company that operates a pork processing plant in central Alberta says a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility has grown to nearly 80 cases this weekend. Richard Vigneault, a spokesman for Olymel, says there was an outbreak at the company's plant in Red Deer in November, but it wasn't until Jan. 20 that there was a significant rise in infections. Vigneault says one person has died and employees were informed of the death on Jan. 28, but he says the company is still waiting on a report on the case and he won't be commenting further on it now. The union representing the 1,850 workers at the plant wrote a letter Friday to the facility's manager, requesting Olymel temporarily shut down the plant for two weeks and pay workers during the time off. Vigneault says Olymel has implemented measures to prevent the virus spread with help from provincial health officials, occupational health and safety officials and the union. He says the company is very sorry to all the staff who have been affected. "The fact is, no company can prevent an outbreak of some form or another during this pandemic," Vigneault said in an interview Sunday from Montreal. "We're doing all the sanitary measures to bring this under control." United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 president Thomas Hesse and secretary-treasurer Richelle Stewart said in their letter Friday that they want the company to treat the hazard the same as it did during an outbreak last March at its plant in Yamachiche, Que. Olymel announced March 29 it would temporarily close its hog slaughter and cutting plant in Yamachiche for 14 days after nine plant employees tested positive for COVID-19. The closure gave employees the time to self-isolate at the recommendation of the public health department, and the plant resumed operations on April 14. Vigneault said he wouldn't comment on the union's requests Sunday, but that he might have further word on Monday. Alberta Health Services said in an email that public health inspectors have been visiting the Red Deer site to review Olymel's COVID-19 mitigation measures and safety protocols. The email notes that preventive measures to enhance the safety of employees at the facility were previously undertaken by Olymel early on in the pandemic. "Olymel has robust processes in place to limit the spread of illness within their facility and has strict protocols in place regarding physical distancing, PPE, disinfection and other safety measures to support physical distancing of staff," the AHS email said. The email also noted AHS began another round of on-site prevalence testing for COVID-19 on Thursday to help identify anyone who may have the virus but be asymptomatic. Meanwhile, a beef processing plant in High River, Alta., that experienced a large outbreak last year is now dealing with another, smaller outbreak. Cargill said Sunday that six employees at the facility have recently tested positive for COVID-19, and that they are now in isolation and receiving appropriate medical care. Other employees who have been identified as having close contact are also being tested. "We also continue to work closely with health officials to ensure effective prevention, cleaning and quarantine protocols are followed within our facilities and beyond," Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said in an email. The plant, south of Calgary, shut down for two weeks in April because of an outbreak that initially affected 350 of its 2,200 workers. Eventually nearly half the workers contracted the novel coronavirus and two employees died. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2021. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The World Health Organization and its Covax partners cautioned Monday against dismissing AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine after several setbacks, insisting it remained an important, life-saving tool. The AstraZeneca vaccine is currently a vital part of Covax, which was set up to procure COVID-19 vaccines and ensure their equitable distribution around the world. It accounts for almost all of the 337.2 million vaccine doses Covax is preparing to begin shipping to some 145 countries during the first half of the year, once it receives WHO authorisation, which is expected next week. But the vaccine has run into several setbacks. "It is vastly too early to be dismissing this vaccine," said Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which co-leads the Covax vaccine facility with the WHO and Gavi. "It is absolutely crucial to use the tools that we have as effectively as we possibly can," he said, speaking at the WHO's regular bi-weekly press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. Regulatory authorities in several European nations have refused to authorise the vaccine for use among the over-65sby far the most vulnerable age group for serious COVID-19 diseasedue to a lack of data proving its efficacy among older people. And South Africa said Sunday it would suspend the start of its COVID-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the jab failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. 'Concerning news' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the study's findings were "clearly concerning news." But he stressed that there were "some important caveats", pointing in particular to the small size of the study with only 2,000 participants, urging more research. Other WHO experts also pointed out that the interval used between the two doses of the vaccine in the study was just a monthfar shorter than what has been deemed to be optimal to enhance its efficacy. WHO's vaccines chief Kate O'Brien pointed to other studies showing the vaccine could have a "meaningful impact against severe disease", including with the B.1.351 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first detected in South Africa. She said the organisation's vaccine expert group, which met earlier Monday to discuss its recommendations on the use of the jab, had appeared optimistic about its prospects against the variant. The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) is due to render its verdict later this week. However O'Brien said the experts had expressed "a very positive view on proceeding with the use of the vaccine including in settings where variants are circulating". Gavi chief Seth Berkley agreed that current evidence indicated the jab "is an efficacious vaccine." At the same time, he underscored the need to continue monitoring all the COVID vaccines, and possibly adapting them to better battle new variants "if found to be scientifically necessary." The WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan meanwhile said it was vital to use the tools available now to save lives. "The primary job of vaccines right now is to reduce hospitalisations and deaths, and right now... they are working to do that," he said. "We may need better vaccines to do more than just stop deaths and hospitalisations." But "in emergency management you have got to do what you can do now," he added. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Pictured: Julia Boika, 29, who died on Thursday A personal trainer and fitness model who tragically drowned during a late night swim is being remembered by heartbroken friends who have vowed to send her ashes to her parents overseas. Julia Boika's lifeless body washed ashore at Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast at about 10.30 on Thursday night amid harrowing conditions whipped up by ex-tropical Cyclone Lucas. The 29-year-old Ukrainian national, who was living in Melbourne, was found about an hour after she dived into the waves with British man Jake Jacobs, 32 - who was found floating around Main Beach a day later. Helena Santi is among the devoted friends who have been trying to organise the cremation and funeral on behalf of Ms Boika's grieving mother who lives in Crimea, on the south coast of the Ukraine. She explained the personal trainer had no family in Australia, but that the 'kind soul' made many friends across the east coast throughout her six years Down Under. Pictured: Julia Boika. The personal trainer was swimming in dangerous surf when she drowned Her friend Helena Santi said Ms Boika (pictured) was one of the kindest people she had ever met 'Julia was one of those people who is full of life - you always knew when she walked in the room. I don't think she had a bad word to say about anyone,' she said. The mother-of-one and her partner Gav Correa met Ms Boika when she moved to the Gold Coast three months ago and the three of them became friends almost immediately. Ms Boika became the couple's personal trainer and would arrive at their apartment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week to train after their infant daughter went to sleep. The couple last saw their friend on Wednesday - the day before she vanished. 'Julia was one of those people who is full of life - you always knew when she walked in the room. I don't think she had a bad word to say about anyone,' Helena Santi (pictured) said Ms Boika (pictured) had many friends in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast, but had no family in Australia 'We were just shocked,' Ms Santi said. 'I also do photography and I was supposed to do a shoot with her for her new personal training website, and it never happened.' 'She had so many plans that will never happen.' After Mr Jacob's body was pulled from the surf, Queensland Surf Lifesaving authorities closed ten beaches along the coast and warned swimmers not to go into the water. Upon seeing the dead body floating in the ocean, TV weather presenter Luke Bradnam - who was reporting on the dangerous swells at Narrowneck - stripped down to his underwear and dived in. Earlier reports claimed the pair were skinny dipping, with the 32-year-old local's car found at the scene decorated with a 'Get Naked Australia' sticker. British national Jake Jacobs, 32, was last seen entering the surf at Kurrawa Beach, Broadbeach - on the Gold Coast - about 9.20pm on Thursday night A memorial for Ms Boika (pictured) was held in Melbourne on Monday. Her body was cremated Ms Santi said her friend (pictured) was adventurous, but sensible, and found it difficult to believe she plunged into the very dangerous surf His pile of discarded clothes were also found on the beach. But Ms Santi said her friend was adventurous, but sensible, and found it difficult to believe she plunged into the very dangerous surf. She also said the pair barely knew each other. 'I think they had met three or four times - they did sound meditation together, but they didn't know each other well.' During the search for the missing pair, acting Inspector John Diggle told the Courier Mail they 'didn't expect to find anyone alive'. He described the conditions as 'appalling' with huge swells of up to 1.8 metres. The ocean was so rough that two officers suffered multiple injuries after they were thrown from the rescue boat. One of the officers in his 30s suffered rib, facial and back injuries, and an officer in his 40s sustained rib and facial injuries. During the search for the missing pair, acting Inspector John Diggle told the Courier Mail they 'didn't expect to find anyone alive'. Pictured: Ms Boika, who was found dead Ms Santi was so horrified by the incident she said that she sometimes finds herself in tears (Ms Boika pictured) Ms Santi was so horrified by the incident she said that she sometimes finds herself in tears. 'I'm bursting into tears int he middle of the shop because it was so unexpected,' she said. I do believe there are plenty of good people in this world, but she was really different - literally, no negative thoughts - sincere and genuine. She was the kindest. The world needs people like that.' Ms Santi and the fitness instructor's best friend from Melbourne Iana Burova set up a Go Fund Me page to help get their friend's ashes back to the Ukraine. 'Julia was one of these incredible rare people who just shines from inside, bright and incredibly kind,' Ms Santi wrote on the fundraiser page. 'This horrible tragedy literally happened the day after we saw each other. I loved her with all my heart.' Ms Boika was passionate about health and fitness. Ms Santi said she rarely saw her drink and she never used drugs Ms Boika's mother gave her friends permission to cremate her body in Australia and would like to give all her Australian friends the opportunity to say goodbye at a service held in Melbourne Ms Boika's mother gave her friends permission to cremate her body in Australia and would like to give all her Australian friends the opportunity to say goodbye at a service held in Melbourne. Ms Santi urged people to forego their morning coffee to help fund the funeral service, cremation, and to help ship her belongings to her family. 'After we pay all funeral, transportation expenses we will send the rest of the money to Julia's mother,' Ms Santi wrote. Social media tributes started flowing for Ms Boika on Sunday evening. Ms Santi's partner Gav said he was in 'complete shock'. 'Two days ago we were sat together in our apartment, now she's gone forever. How can life be so unfair to take such a young beautiful, bubbly and energetic person so early,' he wrote on Facebook. Rescuers pictured searching the area on Friday morning after the two swimmers went missing in 'horrendous' conditions. The woman's body later washed up on the sand Ms Santi said Ms Burova was charged with the task of informing the woman's mother in the Ukraine that her daughter was dead. Pictured: Mermaid Beach Another friend said the model was supposed to be at a photo shoot on Sunday. 'I still can't believe it. Julia was going to do a photo shoot today and then fly to Melbourne ... I can't believe it. Julia was so happy on the Gold Coast, she was all glowing,' she wrote. Ms Santi said Ms Burova was charged with the task of informing the woman's mother in the Ukraine that her daughter was dead. 'It was super difficult for her to do,' Ms Santi said. 'At first it was difficult for us to speak to her, but now she has started accepting condolences and responding to people.' Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 20:57:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The safety, efficacy and accessibility of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines have won recognition from many countries as inoculation programs are in full swing worldwide, a renowned Chinese scientist has said. Building global immunity through vaccinations requires concerted efforts of all countries, and Chinese companies are fulfilling their obligations to push for equitable distribution of vaccines, said Yang Xiaoming, the chief scientist of the vaccine project under China's national "863 Program," in a recent interview with Xinhua. As all groups of the world population are susceptible to the novel coronavirus, the pandemic can only be contained through collective efforts of immunization, preventive health measures and community-based health management by all countries, said Yang, also the chairman of Sinopharm's China National Biotec Group. China has decided to provide 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the World Health Organization's COVAX initiative to meet the urgent needs of developing countries, a concrete step to deliver on the promise to make vaccines a global public good, he said. More than 10 countries and regions, including Hungary, Seychelles, Pakistan and Morocco, have approved the emergency use of the Sinopharm inactivated vaccine, which was also officially registered in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and granted conditional marketing authorization in China, according to Sinopharm. Currently, most of the exported Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines are destined for developing countries, which have little capacity to develop or produce them, yet are in greater need of the life-saving shots than others, he said, stressing that Chinese companies are doing their part to promote the fair allocation of vaccines. Compared with developed countries, developing and underdeveloped countries have very limited procurement and payment capacity, as well as inadequate vaccine storage and transportation facilities. To address that, low-cost Chinese-made vaccines can be produced in large quantities, stored and transported at 2-8 degrees Celsius, which is consistent with existing storage and transportation conditions of vaccines in many countries. Therefore, there is no need to rebuild the cold chain system and facilities, making the vaccines more accessible and better help curb the spread of the virus in the developing world, said Yang. Yang said that many types of Chinese vaccines including inactivated ones are already the forerunners in global research and development (R&D) of vaccines. This shows that over the past four decades since China's reform and opening-up, the overall R&D capability of the Chinese vaccine industry as well as its processing equipment and supervision have improved significantly, he said, adding that in the past, Chinese vaccine developers could only follow others, but now they have caught up and even taken the lead. "Now our R&D and production process of inactivated vaccines are completely different from what they were decades ago -- there are improvements in production process and breakthroughs in technologies," said Yang. Adopting advanced cell culture and purification techniques, the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has achieved high production efficiency, and its indicators of quality control have reached internationally advanced level, he said. Chinese pharma companies are working around the clock to scale up production to ensure timely delivery of the vaccines to countries in urgent need. Sinopharm is expected to produce more than 1 billion doses this year, Yang said. "A company can contribute to the equitable distribution of the vaccines worldwide by producing more high-quality vaccines faster while meeting safety standards," Yang said. Enditem In his pajamas and bare feet, Bryan Prehn ran out into the living room and, with the gleeful abandon of the energetic 4-year-old that he is, flung himself onto the lap of an unsuspecting stranger who was there to talk to Bryans parents about their landlords effort to evict them. Hes just super sweet like that, explained his mother, Kristen Ellis, who shares a 2-bedroom apartment with her husband, Leland Prehn, and their two sons at Quail Ridge, a Kushner Companies property in Plainsboro. His brother Hunter, 5, has been diagnosed with ADHD, and because Bryan hasnt begun to speak, his parents suspect he may be on the autism spectrum. Thats the reason its worrisome, Ellis said of the eviction complaint filed against them. If it was me and Lee, we would figure it out. But with two young sons who both have development issues, Ellis said the potential impact of losing their home thanks to money problems that arose during the coronavirus pandemic is what keeps Ellis up at night and sends Prehn outside for the occasional cigarette. Thats why we stress about it so much, Ellis said. We try to keep the adult problems away from our children. A lawyer for a Kushner subsidiary that runs Quail Ridge, Westminster Management, filed the eviction complaint in state Superior Court last August, one of 81,199 eviction complaints filed by landlords statewide in 2020, according the state Administrative Office of the Courts. More than half of the eviction complaints last year were filed after Gov. Phil Murphy issued a moratorium on evictions barring landlords from locking tenants out of their apartments, but allowing them to begin the eviction process by filing complaints. Court hearings that would then produce a judges eviction order have been suspended under the moratorium, which will remain in effect for two months after the lifting of the coronavirus state of emergency, which now lasts through Feb. 18 following its latest 30-day extension this month. A federal ban was imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under former President Donald Trump, and extended by President Joe Biden through March 31. The lawyer who filed the complaint, Derek Reed of the Newark firm Ehrlich, Petriello, Gudin, Plaza & Reed, declined to comment, though a Kushner spokesperson issued a statement. Westminster has comprehensively abided by all federal, state, and local orders regarding residential tenancies during the COVID-19 pandemic including, without limitation, all eviction moratoria promulgated under the CARES Act and the September 4, 2020 Order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the statement, attributed to its general counsel, Christopher W. Smith, who defended the legality of the eviction filings, said. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and advisor to the former president, is a principal of Westminster. For now, at least, Prehns family is protected, if no less uncertain what theyll do whenever the eviction bans are lifted. Both parents are out of work, and their only income are the unemployment checks Ellis receives after she said she had to quit her job at a local dollar store to be home and safely care for the kids. Westminster Management, a Kushner subsidiary that runs the Quail Ridge apartment complex and other Kushner properties, is among countless landlords that have filed eviction complaints against tenants even while state and federal moratoria on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic remain in place. The temporary bans do not prevent the filings, and Kushner's top lawyer insists the company has abided by all state and federal laws.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media Prehn fell behind after losing his job at the Porky Products meat distribution plant in Carteret in January 2020, then was hired back in March, as the virus was erupting, but aggravated herniated discs in his back in September and has been out of work since, and no longer tries to pay rent. I was paying what I could, said Prehn, who now owes Westminster well over $10,000 in back rent on his $1,500-a-month apartment. I just never caught up. No one has contributed to the familys GoFundMe page. The Prehn family is far from alone. Tenants advocates warn of an avalanche of evictions, with an estimated 192,000 to 419,000 renter households in New Jersey at risk, according to an analysis by the Stout consulting firm for the National Council on State Housing Agencies. Camden tenant Margaret DeMore starting falling behind on the $1,000-a-month rent for her small row house after the shutdown last May of the solar panel company where she worked in Cherry Hill. She hasnt found work since then. DeMore said her wife had lost her marketing job at a different company after being denied the ability to work remotely so she could care for her school-age son. Were probably going to move out and go to another house, possibly with family members, Margaret DeMore said. But thats not set in stone. Although tenants cant be locked out for non-payment, the moratoria do not abate or cancel out their rent, and non-paying tenants fall deeper in debt every first of the month. The analysis by Stout estimated the total amount of unpaid rent through January in New Jersey could be as much as $832 million. Advocates note that the money is owed largely by tenants who fell behind in the first place because they had lost their jobs and much or all of their incomes. Just because a moratorium ends doesnt mean everybodys got their job back, and a great many people are going to have trouble paying their rent going forward, said Matt Shapiro, president of the New Jersey Tenants Organization. Leland Prehn, left, and Kristen Ellis, at home with their sons Hunter, 5, and Bryan, 4. The couple say Hunter has been diagnosed with ADHD and they suspect that Bryan is on the autism spectrum. They say their sons' well being is their main concern as they face the threat of eviction.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media Shapiro supports state legislation, the so-called Peoples Bill, that would give tenants 30 months to repay back rent. Murphy has vowed to sign it. Shapiro said he also supports partial debt forgiveness. It really is a horrible situation, said Shapiro, who joined the tenants group just after its founding in 1969. Worst Ive ever seen. And Ive been doing this for 50 years. The state did set aside $100 million in aid under the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program but that money soon ran out, and the program is no longer taking applications. So tenants and advocates alike have welcomed an additional $594 million allotted to New Jersey out of $25 billion in rental assistance nationwide included in the federal Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act, approved by Congress and signed by Trump in December. David Brogan, executive director of the New Jersey Apartment Association, which represents 265 landlords with 225,000 rental units, said every dollar in rent that tenants fail to pay is a dollar that landlords do not receive. So his members, particularly small landlords hit hardest by non-payment, were just as eager for relief as their tenants. Brogan said the state should use the federal emergency relief money to replenish the emergency rental assistance program or create something else like it. We know there is a crisis out there with regard to both landlords and tenants, and the federal government finally woke up to the problem in December, said Brogan. Now, its incumbent on the states to roll out that assistance, as quickly and efficiently as possible. A spokesperson for the state Department of Community Affairs, which administers the rental assistance program, said $344 million of the federal money will go toward rental and utility assistance, with the remainder made available to cities and counties. The Department is reviewing the federal information and is actively developing a program to administer the designated funds that complies with the federal restrictions on the funding, the spokesperson, Tammori Petty, wrote in an email. Meanwhile he and others say times are tough for landlords, too. A lot of landlords are small businesses or homeowners themselves, so to view them as Simon Legree trying to evict people and put them out in the cold is a mistake, said Alice Jump, a Manhattan-based lawyer for landlords in New York and New Jersey, referring to the slave-holding antagonist from Harriet Beecher Stowes novel, Uncle Toms Cabin. I think the stereotype is wrong. For small landlords, at least, the rent may cover the mortgage and maintenance of the property. Im just a regular person, Im not rich, said Stephanie Gordon, an Egg Harbor Township landlord who decided to rent her house there when she and her wife moved into a bigger place to accommodate their family. I have a home of my own, with six children. Gordon said a group of four tenants, all of them working, stopped paying rent when their lease ran out in November, but continued to live in her house for more than two months knowing they couldnt be locked out. And then I have to be paying the mortgage, and keeping the electricity on, Gordon said. And there are people out there who are taking advantage of the virus and they have no conscience about it. Eventually, Gordon said, she forgave $3,000 in rent and let the group leave, acting on her lawyers advice to avoid risking her delinquent tenants would remain, for free and indefinitely under the moratorium, until an opportunity to move on presented itself. Gordon said shes now reluctant to re-rent the vacant house. Im just glad its over with. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Middle Eastern airlines annual passenger demand in 2020 was 72.9 per cent below 2019. Annual capacity fell 63.9 per cent and load factor plummeted 18.9 percentage points to 57.3 per cent. According to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata), Decembers traffic was down 82.6 per cent compared to December 2019, and improved from an 86.1 per cent drop in November. International passenger demand in 2020 was 75.6 per cent below 2019 levels. Capacity, (measured in available seat kilometers or ASKs) declined 68.1 per cent and load factor fell 19.2 percentage points to 62.8 per cent. Asia-Pacific airlines recorded the steepest drop in passenger demand, slipping 80.3 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019. North American airlines full year traffic fell 75.4 per cent, while European carriers saw a 73.7 per cent traffic decline in 2020 versus 2019. Latin American airlines had a 71.8 per cent full year traffic decline compared to 2019 and African airlines traffic fell 69.8 per cent last year compared to 2019. Domestic demand in 2020 was down 48.8 per cent compared to 2019. Capacity contracted by 35.7 per cent and load factor dropped 17 percentage points to 66.6 per cent. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced full-year global passenger traffic results for 2020 showing that demand (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) fell by 65.9 per cent compared to the full year of 2019, by far the sharpest traffic decline in aviation history. December 2020 total traffic was 69.7 per cent below the same month in 2019, little improved from the 70.4 per cent contraction in November. Capacity was down 56.7 per cent and load factor fell 24.6 percentage points to 57.5 per cent. Bookings for future travel made in January 2021 were down 70 per cent compared to a year-ago, putting further pressure on airline cash positions and potentially impacting the timing of the expected recovery. IATAs baseline forecast for 2021 is for a 50.4 per cent improvement on 2020 demand that would bring the industry to 50.6 per cent of 2019 levels. While this view remains unchanged, there is a severe downside risk if more severe travel restrictions in response to new variants persist. Should such a scenario materialize, demand improvement could be limited to just 13 per cent over 2020 levels, leaving the industry at 38 per cent of 2019 levels. Last year was a catastrophe. There is no other way to describe it. What recovery there was over the Northern hemisphere summer season stalled in autumn and the situation turned dramatically worse over the year-end holiday season, as more severe travel restrictions were imposed in the face of new outbreaks and new strains of Covid-19. said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO. Optimism that the arrival and initial distribution of vaccines would lead to a prompt and orderly restoration in global air travel have been dashed in the face of new outbreaks and new mutations of the disease. The world is more locked down today than at virtually any point in the past 12 months and passengers face a bewildering array of rapidly changing and globally uncoordinated travel restrictions. We urge governments to work with industry to develop the standards for vaccination, testing, and validation that will enable governments to have confidence that borders can reopen and international air travel can resume once the virus threat has been neutralized. The IATA Travel Pass will help this process, by providing passengers with an App to easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for Covid-19 testing or vaccine information. In the meantime, the airline industry will require continued financial support from governments in order to remain viable, said de Juniac. - TradeArabia News Service Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. They Want to Destroy the United States, Andy Ngo Elaborates on Antifa Andy Ngo, journalist and author of the recently released book Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy, told NTD that Antifa isnt about to fade away just because former President Donald Trump has left office. Talking about his research on the inner mechanics and goals of Antifa, Ngo said that Antifa capitalized on claims in 2016 that Trumps term was a fascist regime, to assert that their group was all about opposing American fascism. But that was always just a pretext for them to cause misery and carry out homicides and attacks, Ngo said. Now they say that theyre just opposing America itself, because America upholds systems of fascism that is interlinked with white supremacy and racism. Andy Ngo. (NTD) Ngo said the perception of Antifa fading away with an announcement of a Biden election victory is incorrect. They rioted in Portland, for example, on the fourth of November. Theres been around a dozen riots in Portland and Seattle since then, he said. On the day that Biden was inaugurated, importantly, they actually destroyed the headquarters of the Oregon Democratic Party. And in Seattle there were some riots as well. Ngo said the Democratic party isnt as closely related to Antifa as some people think. Rather, they just had a common enemy (Trump) who allied them temporarily. Antifa has existed on the fringes of the far left in the United States, really, since about the 80s, Ngo said. But following recent events, Democrats have actually helped Antifa capture space in the mainstream left. Both of them were using irresponsible language and talking points about how this [the Trump administration] was ascendant American fascism, that we were on the cusp of another Holocaust. Ngo said the idea of opposing white supremacy and neo-Nazis gave Antifa an opening to move in, but according to his observations, the groups violent attacks have been indiscriminate. What I was witnessing on the ground in my home cityPortland, the epicenter of American Antifathat they were carrying out indiscriminate acts of violence, not just against property but against people. And they kept continuing to escalate and escalate, he told NTD. Antifa members prepare to clash with Patriot Prayer protesters during a rally in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 4, 2018. (John Rudoff/AP Photo) It was becoming embedded in Portland. It was becoming routine for us to have political violence on the streets, brawls for over a number of years. And then in 2020, they exploited the death of George Floyd to carry out acts of carnage, not just in Portland but in dozens of other American cities where they literally burned down neighborhoods to the ground, destroyed numerous lives, destroyed livelihoods, Ngo said. The mainstream media hasnt done a good job at explaining with exactitude what Antifa is, Ngo said, leading many to perhaps sympathize with the group that was being described as anti-fascist protesters opposing racists and the far-right and white supremacists. It sounds very noble and it makes people want to get on board with that, because that sounds entirely reasonable, Ngo said. But then, as I write in my book, you dive into the ideology of Antifa. And you look at the literature, you look at the thinkers that they look up to, the texts that form the basis of tenants of their ideology. You see very clearly that these are anarchists, communists. Ngo said their students go through extensive ideological indoctrination, lasting months at a time, and also in their curriculum, theyre taught how to make homemade weapons and how to use guns. Andy Ngo, a Portland-based journalist, is seen covered in an unknown substance after Antifa extremists assaulted him in Portland, Oregon, on June 29, 2019. (Moriah Ratner/Getty Images) When they talk about wanting to burn down the system, they do mean that literally. They want to destroy the United States, and not just destroying the nation-state but actually all its founding ideals. They view, for example, property rights, and freedom of expression, and other important founding ideas that make up the American philosophy, as the actors for fascism. White Collar Professionals and the Vulnerable Ngo said that from arrestee records following many months of rioting in Portland, he found that people who join Antifa belonged mostly to two groups: white collar professionals; such as academia, journalism, some of them were attorneys, and those who are extremely vulnerable, such as the homeless who were perhaps attracted by the food and shelter camps set up by the group. Then these vulnerable individuals are given riot gear and told and instructed to participate in the violence. These are usually the people who are first victimized and getting arrested and all that and getting injured or getting charged, Ngo said. And the people who are pulling the strings in the background, such as those who are making homemade weapons and homemade IEDs, and giving them out and passing them out to people, those people dont get apprehended. So I have a certain amount of sympathy for the people that are victimized, because theyre pulled into this extremist ideology and used as fodder for a larger political agenda. A man who was later assaulted by Antifa, second from left, faces off with Rose City Antifa members at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon, on June 29, 2019. (Moriah Ratner/Getty Images) An unidentified protester injured by Antifa extremists at Pioneer Courthouse Square on June 29, 2019. (Moriah Ratner/Getty Images) Americans have to understand that Antifa has quite wide appeal among the educated, Ngo said, because the ideological theoretical frameworks that form the basis of the ideologies are based off of historical thinkers, anarchists, and communists thinkers. And so it does appeal to those who are educated. So we shouldnt be surprised that some of the people who have been either convicted or accused of being part of Antifa violence have been academics. Institute of Technology Carlow has awarded academic scholarships to 51 students, including Kilkenny students, for the academic year 2020/2021. Now in its 17th year, the institutes academic scholarship initiative awards an academic scholarship to first year students who have attained the highest entry points for their chosen programme of study at Institute of Technology Carlow. The recipients were drawn from the Carlow and Wexford campuses and across the faculties of engineering, science, business and humanities. The annual academic scholarship ceremony is one of the highlights of Institute of Technology Carlows calendar; however, owing to the pandemic restrictions, this years event was reimagined as a virtual ceremony. Among the awardees were twin brothers Luke and Pauric Cush, past pupils of CBS Carlow. Luke is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering and Pauric is studying for a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Construction. Eight Chinese nationals studying at Institute of Technology Carlow were also presented with awards under the Claddagh Scholarship Programme. The Claddagh Scholarship Programme was established and organised by Education in Ireland and is open to citizens of China and Hong Kong. As part of the ceremony, six students Jolly ORick, Pauline Kelly, Paul McNamara, Martin Meaghar, Corlea Freeland and Robert Freeland - were recipients of gold awards for their volunteer work in the community. The Presidents Volunteers Award was established in association with UNUM and Carlow Volunteers Centre to harness, support and acknowledge the contribution that students at Institute of Technology Carlow make to the college, its environs or their own community. Speaking about the recipients of the Presidents Volunteer Award, Dr Patricia Mulcahy, President said: What an achievement in this extraordinary year. It speaks volumes about you and your character. You are truly role models for all of us and we could not be more inspired by you and what you have done to help others in our community in a year when volunteerism and helping others has never been more important. This is a very special occasion and I hope it is one you will look back upon with great pride. You have either navigated your way successfully to higher education or, while in higher education, have continued to help others on a scale warranting gold awards; all of this during one of the most challenging years that any one of us could have imagined. I am delighted and proud that you are students of our institute and part of our community of over 10,000 students and staff. You are all people of accomplishment and will go on to achieve even more. We cant wait to see what you do next. To view the academic scholarship ceremony, visit https://www.itcarlow.ie/study/school-leavers/scholarships/academic-scholarships.htm Advertisement The death of billionaire banking heir Benjamin de Rothschild, who died two weeks ago aged just 57, might have been expected to signal huge uncertainty for Edmond de Rothschild, the historic Swiss bank which still bears his father's prestigious name. However, it seems that, on the contrary, the driving force behind the historic Geneva bank - and a whole portfolio of other assets including a perfume house, luxury hotels and a vineyard - was never the thrill-seeking father-of-four...but instead his dynamic, and hugely talented, wife. Seemingly the epitome of a city slicker supermum with a clutch of A-list friends, Ariane de Rothschild, 55, who married into the Rothschild banking dynasty when she wed Benjamin in January 1999, has long since ensured the private investment house is a steady - and successful ship, overseeing an ambitious overhaul after the brand faltered in the early noughties and ensuring it could survive the kind of family tragedy that has sadly now ensued. Benjamin, whose battle with heroin addiction was well documented, died of a heart attack at the couple's grandiose home, Chateau de Pregny on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, on Friday 15th January, at the age of just 57. Dubbed 'the richest Rothschild', he was heir to $2.5billion fortune. Scroll down for video The couple pictured in 2013 with daughter Noemie, left ; the Baroness admits that she was happy to be undisturbed by her children's schools while working, saying: 'I always said to the schools, "If my daughters have acceptable grades, dont call me. Why do you have to keep calling?"' The glamorous blonde, unapologetically outspoken, seems to effortlessly mix running the Geneva-based family bank, which handles around $194 billion in asset management finance, with a glamorous party life her late husband shied away from in favour of pursuing his passion for yacht racing and fast cars (Pictured: Paris National Opera dance director Benjamin Millepied, his wife actress Natalie Portman, centre, and Ariane de Rothschild) European dynasty: The entire Rothschild family descends from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a powerful 18th century banker from Frankfurt, whose sons brought the family name to London, Paris, Vienna and Naples Ariane, who met Benjamin in Manhattan in the nineties and was wooed with a dozen red roses sent to her trader desk, shares daughters Noemie, Alice, Eve and Olivia - aged between 18 and 25 - with her late husband. Never content to lavish in the riches that such a fortune can afford, the baroness has instead been heavily involved in the bank since her husband found it in his sole control when he was just 34. The ex New York banking whizz currently oversees around $194 billion in asset management finance, and unlike her late husband, is partial to a high society party or cutting the ribbon on a five-star ski hotel opening, something he became less and less comfortable with. Far from straying from her first career, Ariane admits she relishes it, and despite taking off several years from work to raise her four daughters, once they reached school age, she said recently that she was more than happy to hand over their education to their respective private schools. In an interview with Tatler before her late husband's death, the statuesque blonde said her pursuits are '70 per cent banking' and she's credited with turning the once faltering bank back into sizeable profit In an interview with Tatler shortly before her husband's death she recalled how she was happy to be a hands-off parent when it came to her daughter's schooling, saying: 'I always said to the schools, "If my daughters have acceptable grades, dont call me. Why do you have to keep calling?".' The baroness admits the bank now takes up the majority of her working life, saying: 'Banking is 70 per cent of my time, the rest is the rest. I like to have an elastic brain.' Among the 'rest' is the Parisian perfume brand the House of Caron, which has been creating fragrances for 117 years but was also desperately in need of a revamp when Ariane decided to snap it up two years ago. There's also a kosher wine and vineyards partnership, now 30 years old, with Royal Wine Corp plus multiple inherited vineyards across the globe including in Argentina, France and South Africa. Driving force: Billionaire banking heir Benjamin de Rothschild died on January 15th at the age of 57 following a heart attack. The banking scion had increasingly retreated from the Geneva bank that bears his father's name in recent decades - but wife Ariane, 55, has taken on the prestigious bank with relish, all while raising the couple's four daughters - aged between 18 and 25 While her late husband shied away from parties, the baroness has embraced the high society shindigs that come with the family's surname (Ariane pictured at the Azzedine Alaia Perfum Launch Party in Paris in 2015) It's thought she's hopeful her offspring will take on the fragrance brand, with youngest daughter, Olivia already designing a bottle for the company's Aimez-Moi Comme Je Suis fragrance. The family tends to promote male heirs over female ones to higher rank of the Rothschild's, and prior to Edmond's death, his cousin David's son Alexander was seen at a likely successor, the FT wrote in 2016. However, the same article noted that Ariane had discussed the issue of with Jacob Rothschild, the British financier who left NM Rothschild [the U.K. merchant bank that became part of the Rothschild Group] after a fall out in 1980. Benjamin with his mother Nadine and wife Ariane in 2000 shortly after the couple were wed in January 1999 Benjamin's parents: Edmond de Rothschild and his wife Nadine in 1987 The entire Rothschild family descends from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a powerful 18th century banker from Frankfurt, whose sons brought the family name to London, Paris, Vienna and Naples. Despite Benjamin being the only son of Edmond de Rothschild, the scion apparently found little pleasure in being involved with the eponymous Swiss banking group. Indeed, as Benjamin stood back, distracted by a passion for fast cars, motorbikes and high-speed yacht races - as well as big game hunting, his glamorous wife stepped up - at her husband's request. In 1997, he was arrested for heroin possession, and had another brush with the police in 2007 following an affray with a laser pointer. A string of failed CEO appointments in the years before had seen profits slump by around 11 per cent, something which quickly transformed once Arine took the helm as Chief Executive and began enacting her plan to restore it to its former glory. Outspoken Ariane, who was born Ariane Langner, enjoyed a global childhood in El Salvador, Bangladesh and Colombia thanks to her father's job as a senior executive at an international pharmaceutical company. Prior to Ariane's rise to the top of the family bank, the couple were heavily involved in philanthropy, overseeing a foundation that supports education in Isreal. They also backed the Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital in Paris. The baroness is said to be unfazed by the heavy workload that banking brings but understands passing on the investment house to her four daughters isn't the easiest sell and she's had to steel them for the positives and negatives in life that their famous surnames might bring, telling them: 'You are what you do and to rebalance the weight of the name, you need to be very strong.' In a profile on the 'married-in CEO' the Financial Times said Ariane 'had come to wield great, and controversial, authority within the family.' THE BRITISH ARM OF THE ROTHCHILD FAMILY TREE The British branch of the Rothschild family, in a different approach to some of their European counterparts, are very happy to mix parties and politics - and the latest generation have multiple aristocratic marriages between them. Sisters Kate and Alice Rothschild, granddaughters of Victor, 3rd Baron Rothschild, married brothers Ben and Zac Goldsmith, respectively, in high profile weddings. Kate and Ben are now divorced. Their brother, James Rothschild married hotel heiress Nicky Hilton, sister of socialite Paris, in 2015. Famous British members of the Rothschild family (from left): Alice Rothschild with her husband Zac Goldsmith; Kate Rothschild with her then husband Ben Goldsmith in 2011. The pair are now divorced Meanwhile Nathaniel Rothschild, son and heir of Jacob, 4th Baron Rothschild, was married to socialite Annabelle Neilson, who died in 2018 at the age of 49. He is now married to former Page 3 girl Loretta Basey. Nathaniel, known as Nat, also has highly publicised friendships with people such as Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska whose 80million yacht was the scene of an infamous gathering in Corfu with George Osborne and Peter Mandelson which led to Nats dramatic and widely reported fall-out with Mr Osborne, an old school friend. In Europe, the Rothschild family has known tumultuous times. Amschel Rothschild, son of the 3rd Baron Rothschild who married Anita Guinness, took his own life aged 41 at the Le Bristol hotel in Paris in 1996. The French and Swiss branches of the family were also locked in a public feud over the use of the Rothschild name. It was resolved in 2018. Advertisement In January, Benjamin's death was announced in a statement from the bank that bears his name. It read: 'It is with great emotion and deep sadness that Edmond de Rothschild Group announces the passing of Benjamin de Rothschild. 'The thoughts of the Group's employees go out to his wife Ariane de Rothschild and his children, as well as to all his family and loved ones, to whom they extend their most sincere condolences. 'Visionary entrepreneur, passionate about finance, speed, sailing and automobiles, wine enthusiast, Benjamin de Rothschild was also an active philanthropist, namely involved in developing innovation within the Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital. 'With his unique character, Benjamin de Rothschild never ceased to transform and modernise his legacy, in line with the family's values.' Greeces left-wing opposition leader has accused the countrys prime minister of showing contempt for lockdown rules after attending a large outdoor lunch gathering. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on a weekend visit to the Greek island of Ikaria attended an outdoor lunch hosted by a local lawmaker. A video of the event posted on social media showed at least 25 people in attendance, while traditional island music, with drums and bagpipes, could be heard in the background. The government toughened lockdown measures at the weekend, expanding curfew hours to start at 6 p.m. in greater Athens and Greeces second-largest city, Thessaloniki, in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections that started in late January. Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras submitted a complaint to parliament Monday, accusing the prime minister of displaying unbelievable arrogance while restaurants around Greece and many businesses remain closed. A spokeswoman for the government, Aristotelia Peloni, said Mitsotakis would continue to visit remote parts of the country to promote the pandemic vaccination drive, adding that public attention on the outdoor lunch would undermine the purpose of the visit. In December, Mitsotakis was photographed posing with his mountain bike but without a mask alongside five motocross riders on a hillside trail outside Athens. He later apologized. The Deputy Communications Director of the NPP has cautioned the legal team of the NDC Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama to stop inciting their supporters against the court. According to her, the Apex Court of the land is there to serve the interest of the citizens and not to do the bidding of any political party. Mame Yaa, contributing to the ongoing 2020 election petition at the Supreme Court, stated that the posture and behavior of the opposition NDC legal team indicates that they must win the court case at all cost. "NDC and their legal team are behaving as if the court owns them fiduciary duty in the ongoing petition. I am not a lawyer but what I know is that the court is there to serve in the best interest of its citizens with fairness and true justice, therefore NDC and their legal team should stop inciting their supporters to believe otherwise. Also winning a court case depends on the facts and evidence of the case that are credible and how those facts are delivered during the trial. Casting aspersions and allegations do not win a court case. Don't destroy our only hope that helps protect our constitutional rights, she averred. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 40-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly running an illegal telephone exchange in Old Delhi's Chawri Bazar area, police said on Monday. The telephone exchange converted international voice calls into local ones through various software illegally and caused losses to the government, police said. Since they were not authorized to do so, the entire operation was illegal, senior police said. The accused has been identified as Imran Khan, they said. Khan had been running a tools shop for the last 13 years at Chawri Bazar but due to the financial crisis, he had provided that space to his uncle -- Zulfiqar Ali -- who was running the illegal telephone exchange, officials said.The accused also provided high speed wifi connection for the set up run by Ali, who is the main accused and is absconding. Ali, a resident of Turkman gate in central Delhi, had taken proprietorship for the illegal set up under the title -- Adeeba Enterprises. He also owns an agency of soft drink and is known as Raja in the locality, police said. The matter came to light after police received a complaint from the Department of Telecom (DoT) which stated that it had received inputs that an illegal international telecom setup was being run by Ali at Chawri Bazar, police said. The police said that calls from foreign countries including USA, UAE, Canada, Nepal and Australia were being converted illegally into local ones. Residents of the area informed the police that the premises, where the setup was being run, is owned by Ali and also occupied by his relative named Yusuf, he said. One laptop found connected to the internet on which apps for remote sharing were found installed and running at the spot, he said. "The accused was bypassing the legal international gateways and causing financial loss to government exchequer, Internal Long Distance licensees, National Long Distance licensees and Access service licensees to the tune of around Rs 60,74,000 per day," police said. Police suspects that the relatives of accused may be actively involved as well. The value of recovered items has been estimated to be approximately Rs 1 crore, police said. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) US auto dealers selling Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and other brands under the recently formed auto-making giant Stellantis NV have a message for the new leadership: Help us fix the ailing parts of the lineup or consider cutting back. For years, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, the car company that recently merged with Peugeot-maker PSA Group to create Stellantis, has operated seven vehicle brands in the USmore than many of its closest rivals. While some marques like Jeep and Ram have thrived, others have withered in recent years, dinged by a lack of new investment, aging models and sluggish sales, analysts and dealers say. The question of how to revive Fiat Chryslers weaker brands has lingered for years, and it now falls to Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares to answer it. Mr. Taveres has said he doesnt plan to cut any brands, and a Stellantis spokesman added that the company values its diverse lineup of brands, ranging from off-roaders at Jeep to family-haulers at Chrysler. Chrysler, a nearly 100-year-old badge that once was the companys namesake, now sells three modelstwo minivans and a large sedanabout half the number of nameplates it sold in showrooms a decade ago. Its US sales have steadily slid: last year it sold roughly 110,500 vehicles, about one-third its volume in 2015, according to company figures. Fiat, a maker of small cars reintroduced to the US in 2011, has also struggled with a limited lineup, quality woes and a sharp drop-off in sales. I dont think anyone would cry if Fiat left the US marketplace," said David Kelleher, a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealer in Pennsylvania who also chairs the auto makers US dealer council. But there are still some dealers who have sunk money into stand-alone Fiat-brand stores, and would like to see a return on that investment, he said. Dodge has some popular muscle cars, but many models havent been redesigned in years. Meanwhile, attempts to reboot Alfa Romeo and Maserati in the US remain a work in progress. While Alfa Romeo has had some recent sales success, the two premium Italian brands together still accounted for less than 2% of the USs total luxury market in 2020, according to J.D. Power. Mr. Kelleher said he hopes Mr. Tavares will prioritize the better-known US brands, such as Chrysler and Dodge, that have heritage but need more models and fresher offerings. I dont want to see them die on the vine, but right now, they are limited," he said. The brand challenge Stellantis faces in the US mirrors one that Mr. Tavares will confront globally: In merging the two car companies, he will have to figure out how to manage a massive collection of 14 automotive brandssome of them in need of repair, industry analysts say. The auto maker, now the worlds third-largest by sales, is also competing against rivals that have over time culled their brand lineups, in part because they were too capital-intensive to sustain. Ford Motor Co. began selling off brands during the financial crisis, a move that helped it avoid bankruptcy. General Motors Co. halved the number of brands it sold during its government-led restructuring in 2009. Other major car makers, like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have long only sold two brands: a luxury make and one for mass-market models. Former CEO Sergio Marchionne, who took control of Chrysler from bankruptcy in 2009, had a different tack. He reintroduced Fiat and Alfa Romeo to the US, hoping to expand global sales of those to brands and fill factories in Italy that were being underused. He also splintered off Ram from the Dodge lineup in 2009, making it into its own separate truck-focused brand. Mr. Marchionne died in the summer of 2018. Still, supporting a large number of brands can be taxing on company resources, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at car-shopping website Edmunds.com. It isnt just the expense of engineering new models but also other operating costs, such as marketing and advertising, that are needed to sell them to consumers. Something like 14 brands is just not sustainable at a time when your competitors are trying to conserve and consolidate," Ms. Caldwell said. Mr. Tavares, speaking to reporters last month following the mergers completion, said he wants to refocus investment on low-priority marques and use the groups engineering heft to quickly redesign models and freshen stale lineups. You will see some of those brands rebound based on the clarification of the vision," he said. Mr. Tavares had considered reviving Peugeot in the US but said recently it isnt in the immediate plans. Several dealers said they are open to dropping a brand or model if it means spending more on profit generators like Jeep and Ram that also have nameplates in need of updates. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was last redesigned in 2014. While it is getting a major overhaul for the 2022 model year, Massachusetts dealer John Morrill said the current model is so old, he has lost loyal Jeep customers to rivals with newer-looking SUVs. The company, he said, seemed to be diverting money from the golden goose." Jeremy Beaver, president of California dealership chain Del Grande Dealer Group, said he isnt sure all the brands will survive in the USand that is OK with him. At one point, he was one of the largest Fiat dealers in the US, but he dropped the brand a few years ago, saying it was no longer popular and sales were too slow. You dont want to try to be masters of all," Mr. Beaver said. We have to think about what cars fit in our market." While dealers wait for more direction from Mr. Tavares, some say they are in a holding pattern. Nebraska-based dealer Mickey Anderson said he is reluctant to invest in one of his Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealerships, even though it needs renovations. I would hate to redo the building, and then theres suddenly a change to one of the brands," Mr. Anderson said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Kroger, the grocery chain that owns QFC and Fred Meyer, said Friday it will offer employees a one-time $100 payment after they receive the coronavirus vaccine. Employees who cannot get the vaccine for medical or religious reasons can take an educational health and safety course to get the bonus, the company said. The payment is meant to encourage workers to get vaccinated and recognize our associates contributions, Kroger executive Tim Massa said in a statement Friday. The federal government says employers can mandate the vaccine, though for now most companies say they are not yet planning to require it. Kroger workers who receive the full manufacturer-recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible for the $100, the company said. Trader Joes said last month that it will pay employees for an additional two hours of work if they are vaccinated. Few Oregon grocery workers have access to the vaccine. The state has limited distribution to healthcare workers, teachers and nursing home residents until this week, when residents over age 80 can begin scheduling appointments. The national union that represents Kroger workers, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), called the payment a slap in the face, however, pointing out that the company announced this week it would close two stores in Southern California in response to a local mandate to raise pay by $4 an hour during the pandemic. Seattle passed a similar $4 requirement. If Kroger really cares about its employees, the company must share the profits the pandemic has generated with all of its frontline grocery workers across the country, UFCW President Marc Perrone said in a statement, calling for free vaccines for employees. Separate from the vaccine payment, Kroger said Friday it will also provide a $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points for workers, including front-line grocery and pharmacy employees, starting Feb. 11. -- The Seattle Times The Hague The International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber confirmed that Ali Muhammad Ali Abdelrahman (also known as Ali Kushayb) will remain in the custody of the ICC. Piotr Hofmanski, presiding ICC judge on the appeal, read a summary of the judgement in open court confirming the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II to reject the interim release of Kushayb this afternoon. On October 8, the Pre-Trial Chamber II officially rejected Kushayb's request for interim release to the court's host state, the Netherlands, pending trial. The decision was based on the Pre-Trial Chamber's conclusion that the continued detention of Kushayb appeared necessary "to ensure that the investigation or court proceedings are not obstructed or endangered," including ensuring the safety of witnesses. Kushayb filed three grounds of appeal to the decision on January 4, arguing that the reasons for his detention are grounded in inadmissible evidence. He further argued that the chamber "failed to appreciate his personal circumstances in rejecting his request for interim release," including his health and age. On January 11, ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, filed her response which noted that "the appellant is required to substantiate the reasons why he believes the Pre-Trial Chamber erred and how this impacted its decision to keep him in detention. His repeated failure to do so warrants the dismissal of those arguments in limine." The judgement of the Appeals Chamber published today reflects the response of the prosecutor, rejecting all three grounds for appeal made by Kushayb. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Warrant of arrest In 2007, the ICC issued arrest warrants against former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmed Haroun, and Kushayb for numerous counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kushayb was transferred to the ICC's custody on June 9 after surrendering himself voluntarily in the Central African Republic. On June 11, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC reclassified as public, with redactions, a second warrant of arrest against Kushayb. An ICC statement explained that the second arrest warrant was initially issued as secret on January 16, 2018. It adds three new charges of war crimes (murder) and crimes against humanity (murder and other inhumane acts) allegedly committed in Deleig and surrounding areas between March 5 and 7, 2004. Upon his arrest, the Sudanese government announced its support for his transfer to the ICC. Kushayb is also charged with a number of crimes by the Sudanese authorities. Sorry! This content is not available in your region ADVERTISEMENT The governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has warned that insecurity will continue to escalate in the northwest of Nigeria as long as the states refused to coordinate their policies in dealing with banditry. Mr El-Rufai spoke to BBC Hausa on Monday following Saturdays mass killings by suspected bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The bandits stormed a village in the area around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and killed 18 residents and robbed others. The governor said attempts were made at cooperation among governors in the northwest on tackling banditry but that it did not succeed because the governors adopted different policies in addressing the challenge. As a result, every state is fighting in it own way. If we cannot come together for the federal government to provide us with soldiers and police to enter the bush and kill all the bandits, it will be difficult to succeed in the fight against banditry, Mr El-Rufai said. There is no synergy among the governors in the northwest on how to end the banditry. But Kaduna is collaborating with Niger State on modalities to end the killings by the gunmen. State like Zamfara adopted a policy of dialogue with the gunmen, giving them amnesty, which I dont believe in. With this, we have differences on how to tackle the situation, the governor said. We sat together with the governors in Katsina but we disagreed on how to tackle the criminality. Some believed on dialogue while others didnt. It is deceitful to believe that a person who is now counting millions as gains from ransom will embrace dialogue and return to his previous lifestyle where he saw little money occasionally, Mr El-Rufai said. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, said his dialogue with bandits has significantly reduced killings in his state. Mr Matawalle said he will sustain the dialogue with the hoodlums as a result of its success. The peace process was the only way to address the security situation in the state and a lot of success has been recorded since the commencement of the peace process, the governor said on Friday. He said Allah instructed the Muslim Ummah to dialogue with one another to resolve crisis, insecurity and injustice in order to foster unity, understanding and love. My administration inherited the insecurity from the past administration but with peace dialogue initiative, the situation has been reduced to a minimum level, which now makes citizens of the state move freely without any fear of attacks or kidnapping as was the case before, the Zamfara governor said. DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) - We are approaching the four year anniversary of murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi. One week from Sunday marks four years since the girls' bodies were found. The families still have no answer as to who is responsible for this tragedy, but they continue to have hope and to channel their grief into something positive. "It's frustrating," said Mike Patty, Libby's grandfather. "Unfortunately, it is really sad that we've had to wait this long," said Kelsi German, Libby's older sister. "If I say something to someone about it and their like, what year is coming up? I'm like four. And they're like already four?" said Anna Williams, Abby's mother. "It doesn't seem possible because it feels like yesterday." On February 13th 2017, Abby and Libby went missing while walking on the Monon High Bridge in Delphi. Their bodies were found the next day. It's been two years since investigators released an updated sketch of the suspect, along with video and audio Libby bravely recorded on her phone. "We'd much rather be going to a ball game and watching the girls and going to band concerts and stuff," said Eric Erskin, Abby's grandfather. "Watching them go to the prom, just all the things that was robbed, that was taken away from them," added Patty. This would have been the girls' senior year at Delphi Community High School. Their fellow 2021 classmates made sure they weren't forgotten by painting a parking spot in their honor. "It's really cool to watch her friends all graduate and come out here and visit her. And all the awesome things they are doing and are going to do," said Kelsi. "But it's bitter sweet knowing she doesn't get to do that with them." Kelsi regularly visits Libby at her resting spot, bringing along one of their favorite treats to share. "We would always go after school and get a small fry and a large sweet tea," she said. "It's where I feel closest to her, I can enjoy her presence and we can talk, or she can talk and I can listen." Kelsi, who just recently celebrated her 21st birthday, is now in her third year at Purdue studying forensic psychology. She wants to work the families of homicide victims to help them deal with the loss. She said it's important to her to use her platform on social media to bring attention to other unsolved murder cases around the country, to help them in their fight for justice too. Photo: Abby and Libby's parking spot memorial at Delphi Community High School. News 18 asked Williams if she would also like to meet at Abby's grave, but she politely declined to preserve her privacy. "It's like your own home or her room, that belongs to me," she said. "Somebody out there knows what happened and what they did to our children and I'll be damned if he gets to see her room or any of that personal space." No investigators from the Indiana State Police are talking with media this year about the case. They released the following statement on February 1st: "Law enforcement continues to utilize County, Local, State and Federal resources to accomplish our goal. There is still a dedicated, multi-jurisdictional team working on this case every day, which includes two Carroll County detectives, two Indiana State Police detectives and other law enforcement officers. We continue to actively investigate all tips and leads we receive by phone and email. This type of violent crime cannot and will not go unanswered." "We don't have an arrest, we don't have a conviction," said Patty. "The investigators are continually working on this. They haven't stopped." The families said they keep in touch with investigators every few months, if only just for reassurance that tips are still coming in and they are still working on leads. ISP did confirm that Superintendent Doug Carter met with the families this past week, as he has done every year since the girls were killed. ISP's definition of a cold case is when five years have passed with no new tips or leads. With tips being received daily, ISP said this is far from being considered a cold case investigation. They have added Abby and Libby's case to the Crime Door App. People can download the app and through virtual reality, they can walk the bridge as the girls would have seen it. Kelsi said she was the first to see the profile and wanted to experience it alone because of the emotional impact of it all. But she is hopeful it will continue to spread Abby and Libby's story, and will hopefully lead to someone sending in the tip that they need to solve the case. "Even if they catch the guy tomorrow and even if we know and pray to god that this does not happen to another family, the girls still aren't going to be here, and that is bottom line," said Williams. As the families continue to deal with yet another year of grief over their loss, they're turning that grief into something positive with the Abby and Libby Memorial Park. A playground, amphitheater, trees, pic-nic shelters and softball diamonds have all been installed over the summer and fall. Two wind chimes sing into the cold air by the amphitheater, always reminding those who come of the reason for the park. "These girls, our family, our community, everybody around the state, we all deserve justice," said Patty. "Just like this park, it's taken a community to build it, we need the community and the state to get this case solved as well." Much of the materials and labor used so far to get the park moving has been through community donations of time and resources, donations the families said they are extremely grateful for. The goal is to have the park open and ready for softball season this spring. They are also hosting their annual food drive at the Delphi United Methodist Church on Friday and Saturday. "The girls would have supported a food drive and a pet food drive, pandemic or not and now we've seen that the need is very great here in our local community," said Williams. The families are asking the community to come forward with any information they may have. "Law enforcement has always emphasized is that they may only be short one piece of evidence or one tip," said Erskin. They are also asking the community to keep their hope, faith and patience strong. "We're going to get answers," said Kelsi. "If he's out there we're going to find him." "We just have to keep that faith and that hope and keep praying," said Williams. If you have any information to share about the murder of Abby and Libby, please reach out to investigators. The email is abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com, or call you can call 844-459-5786. Below are the two sketches Indiana State Police have released since the start of the investigation. The one on the left is the most recent. Our weekly roundup of books that should be on your radar. We love stories, and even in the age of Netflix-and-chill, there's nothing like a good book that promises a couple of hours of absorption whether curled up in bed, in your favourite coffeehouse, or that long (and tiresome) commute to work. Every week, we'll have a succinct pick of books, across diverse genres, that have been newly made available for your reading pleasure. Get them wherever you get your books the friendly neighbourhood bookseller, e-retail website, chain store and in whatever form you prefer. Happy reading! For more of our weekly book recommendations, click here. *** FICTION Six and a Third Acres: A Novel By Fakir Mohan Senapati; translated by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre, and KK Mohapatra Aleph Book Company | Rs 399 | 208 pages Father of modern Odia literature Fakir Mohan Senapatis novel, first published between 1897-99, talks about village politics, caste oppression, and land-grabbing under the zamindari system in colonial Odisha. Zamindar Ramchandra Mangaraj is known for land-grabbing and this time the six and a third acre land his eye falls on belongs to a humble weaver couple. Unable to fight back, the couple succumbs to the harsh realities of caste-ridden village life. Read more about the book here. The Time of the Peacock: A Short Novel By Siddharth Chowdhury Aleph Book Company | Rs 499 | 136 pages Author Siddharth Chowdhurys novel is set in the New Delhi publishing world. John Nair, managing editor of Peacock India, is throwing a grand party for the book launch of Best in Show: The Peacock Book of Indo-Anglian Fiction. With all of literary India in attendance, in walks Nairs old friend Ritwik Ray, the eccentric bard of Patna, with a new novel in hand, Godse Chowk. Read more about the book here. POETRY COLLECTION Hunchprose By Ranjit Hoskote Penguin Random House India | Rs 499 | 224 pages Poet Ranjit Hoskotes collection addresses questions like where is home, in a world beleaguered by climate crisis, pandemic, and genocide? Rife with linguistic experimentation, it celebrates our plurality. We see vulnerability and rupture in the erasure of ancient scripts, melting Arctic ice, and a lion tamers primal fear; and redemption through love in a dancers courage, a leather workers promise, and a locksmiths passion for ruins. Read more about the book here. When the Night Agrees to Speak to Me By Ananda Devi; translated by Kazim Ali HarperCollins India | Rs 399 | 120 pages Poet and teacher Kazim Ali translates French language writer, and 2010 awardee of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Ananda Devis poetry, bound by Mauritius island politics yet vast like the waters surrounding it. With lyrical, erotic prose, it brings alive everything, from the titles Night to skin, mud, a green sari, sound, and time itself. Read more about the book here. MEMOIRS and BIOGRAPHIES Unfinished: A Memoir By Priyanka Chopra Jonas Penguin Random House India | Rs 699 | 240 pages Priyanka Chopra Jonas memoir takes readers from her childhood to her teenage years in the US and return to India, where she won Miss India and Miss World, launching her acting career. She also discusses the challenges she faced navigating the Indian film industry and Hollywood. Besides her career, she also talks about her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, losing her father to cancer, marrying Nick Jonas, and more. Read more about the book here. Guru Dutt: An Unfinished Story By Yasser Usman Simon & Schuster India | Rs 599 | 336 pages Author and journalist Yasser Usman explores the life of Guru Dutt in this definitive biography. As a child, Dutt began as a dancer under the guidance of Uday Shankar, then becoming an unconventional filmmaker who still desired commercial success, and an entrepreneur running a film studio. All of this ran parallel to a deeply troubled personal life, including a tumultuous marriage with Geeta Dutt, eventually leading to his suicide. Read more about the book here. NON-FICTION The Punished: Stories of Death-Row Prisoners in India By Jahnavi Misra, Project 39 A HarperCollins India | Rs 499 | 176 pages Based on interviews conducted as part of a research project by Project 39A, writer Jahnavi Misra presents stories of death-row prisoners and their families. In one, an ex-bandit faces the silence of prison life with her notebook and pen. In another, a family recalls the night their son was arrested for rape and murder. And in another story, a woman learns through fellow prisoners that shes been allotted the death penalty. Read more about the book here. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Illustrative image (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta - The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) of Indonesia has considered granting emergency using licenses for three COVID-19 vaccines namely AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Novavax, Head of BPOM Penny K. Lukito said. Speaking at an online press conference on February 7, Peny said it will take up to 20 working days for the consideration process after BPOM has received all the necessary data from pharmaceutical companies representing vaccine manufacturers. According to Penny, BPOM is still waiting for these companies to complete the submission of data. However, data may be provided in stages, while the consideration is under process. Sinovac's Coronavac vaccine is the only one that has received an emergency licence from BPOM to date. In January 14, Indonesia officially launched the first phase of its national programme on free vaccination against COVID-19 among health workers and civil servants, with three million doses of Coronavac vaccine provided by Sinovac. The Indonesian government's updated data shows that nearly 800,000 people were given the first shot. Another 25 million doses of the vaccine are expected to be produced by the end of March with materials supplied by Sinovac, local officials said. Previously, the Indonesian government also identified seven COVID-19 vaccines that will be considered to be used in the country, including Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, Sinovac, and the Red and White Indonesian-developed vaccine. Meanwhile, Fresh News of Cambodia has reported that 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine funded by China were delivered to Cambodia on February 7. Under the plan, China will provide 1 million doses of COVID19 vaccine to Cambodia. In the first phase, 300,000 doses will be handed over to the Health Ministry, and the remaining 300,000 doses to the Ministry of Defence. A number of other Southeast Asian countries are also gradually implementing the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Singapore started its vaccination programme at the end of December 2020 and is expected to have enough vaccines for all residents by September 2021. Despite reaching an agreement to import 2 million doses of vaccine from China before April 2021 for health workers, Thailand has to rely on the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine of the UK that will be produced domestically for its extensive vaccination programme . McGriff has launched a new product that gives freight brokers the ability to purchase excess auto liability coverage online. TripExcess is a per-shipment excess liability product that will allow shippers, 3PL/brokers and motor carriers to maintain a required $2 million auto liability limit. Carriers can use TripExcess to contract loads that may be outside of their existing liability coverage, providing an alternative to typical annual excess liability policies. Brett McGinnis, an executive vice president at McGriff, said more shipper and 3PL/broker contracts are requiring the servicing motor carrier to provide a $2 million auto liability limit, which reduces carrier capacity since less than 5% of the operating carriers can meet this need. McGinnis, one of the primary developers of the new product, worked in partnership with wholesale broker Worldwide Facilities, as well as a US- based insurance company that is rated A (Excellent) with a stable outlook by A.M. Best. Traditionally, insurance has been purchased through annual contracts, but with servicing capacity now tighter than ever, the trucking industry has become more and more transactional, added McGinnis. TripExcess addresses the new transactional reality in the transportation space and offers a pay-as-you-go option, which allows freight brokers to maximize the volume they haul. McGriff is a full-service insurance broker providing risk management and insurance to clients across the United States. The firms coverages include commercial property and casualty, corporate bonding and surety services, cyber, management liability, captives and alternative risk transfer programs, small business, employee benefits, title insurance, personal lines, and life and health. McGriff Insurance Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Truist Insurance Holdings. Topics Agencies Excess Surplus New Markets Trucking The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released the results for the Chartered Accountants Foundation and Intermediate (IPC) examinations (both old and new courses). CA candidates can check the result on ICAI's official website - icaiexam.icai.org and also on caresults.icia.org. Apart from the foundation and intermediate courses results, the ICAI also released the merit list up to 50th rank. The list can be viewed on the official websites. The ICAI had declared the results for CA final course exams earlier this month. The ICAI had issued a notice on February 6 regarding the results. "The results of the Chartered Accountants Intermediate Examination(Old course & New Course) and Foundation Examination held in November 2020 are likely to be declared on Monday, the 8th February 2021(evening)/Tuesday, the 9th February 2021(morning) and the same as well as the All India merit (up to the 50th Rank) can also be accessed by candidates on the following websites: 1. icaiexam.icai.org 2. caresults.icai.org 3. Icai.nic.in," the notice read. CA candidates can access their results via their mobile phones. To view their results, candidates need to send an SMS to 57575 in the format given below: For Intermediate (IPC) Examination (Old Course) CAIPCOLD (space) XXXXXX (Where XXXXX is the roll number of the candidate for the Intermediate exams) For Intermediate (IPC) Examination (New Course) CAIPCNEW (space)XXXXXX For Foundation Examination : CAFND (space)XXXXXX (Where XXXXX is the roll number of the candidate for the Foundation exams) Candidates can also check the results on ICAI's official website by following these simple steps: Step 1: Open official website icai.org in browser Step 2: Click on the 'announcements' tab Step 3: Click on the result tab Step 4: Click on any of the given website tabs Step 5: A new page will open, log-in using credentials, results will be displayed In November 2020, a total of 4,71,619 CA candidates had appeared for the CA exams. This included CA foundation, intermediate, and final courses students. Those candidates who could not take the exams in November 2020 due to COVID-19 were asked to take the examinations in January 2021. Also read: CA Exams 2020: Students worry of COVID-19 risk as ICAI refuses to budge Also read: CA exams 2020: Students oppose ICAI for changing centres days before exams With some old couples, you wonder what the story is. They bicker, they exchange cruel taunts. But no matter how bad things get, they stay in unbreakable union. Theres a thing with that generation they just kept going and going, muses performer and writer Daniel Tobias. Theres no way theyre going to leave each other. They still love each other. Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias, as Jim and Barb in The Anniversary. Credit:Simon Schulter Clare Bartholomew, his writing and acting partner, agrees. We were talking about our own grandparents, about how they both used to argue a lot. We wondered why they stayed together. (Newser) No. Thats President Joe Bidens response to a question on whether hed lift economic sanctions on Iran to get the country back to the negotiating table for the Iran Nuclear deal. Speaking to CBS News, Biden indicated that Iran would need to stop enriching uranium first. Theres some ambiguity thereas the Guardian notes, Iran is permitted to enrich uranium within certain limits under the 2015 nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018. Last month, Iran announced that it had resumed enriching uranium to 20%, the BBC reports, far above the 3.67% cap established by the nuclear deal. Weapons grade uranium is enriched to 90%. On Sunday, Irans supreme leader urged the US to remove the sanctions, the AP reports. story continues below If [the US] wants Iran to return to its commitments, it must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification then we will return to our commitments, Iran state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying. Following the December killing of the Iranian scientist behind the country's disbanded military nuclear program, lawmakers in Iran approved a law to block international nuclear inspectors. In his interview with CBS News, which was taped Friday to air on Sunday, Biden also talked about US relations with China, saying, that the US doesnt need to have a conflict with Beijing, but theres going to be extreme competition. Biden said he hadnt had occasion to speak to Chinese leader Xi Jinping yet since Biden became president. (Read more Iran nuclear weapons program stories.) Since wind and solar power projects cannot provide all the electricity output to the national grid, building an energy storage system is being considered. Some solar power developers told VietNamNet that they have had to reduce the capacity by 30-40 percent, and sometimes 50-60 percent. This causes a big loss to investors, hundreds of millions of dong a day. Solar power plants have to cut the capacity partially because the transmission lines in some localities are overloaded and cannot receive the entire volume of electricity from the plants. As the electricity demand decreases, the oversupply occurs at some moments of the day, so the national grid doesnt mobilize all the electricity output from solar and wind power plants. According to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the total designed capacity of renewable energy sources has reached 21,560 MW. Of this, the real electricity capacity provided to the national grid accounts for 26 percent of load capacity at noon of ordinary days and 61 percent of holidays and weekends. The proportion of the renewable energy sources is expected to continue rising in the time to come. That is why EVN recently submitted a report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) about a mechanism to develop energy storage systems in Vietnam. EVN believes that developing energy storage systems is a necessity, which is also the advice by international consultancy institutions. EVN has joined forces with GE Energy Consulting to implement the technical assistance project on researching and developing energy storage systems in Vietnam, funded by USTDA. The consultants said with the low penetration rate of renewable energy, 15 percent in capacity, or 7 percent in output, the investment in storage system wont bring economic efficiency. They believe that investment would be effective only if the penetration rate is 15 percent at minimum. Calculations found that for the purpose of using storage system, to increase the renewable energy release capability, the equivalent operating coefficient of the storage systems energy will be very low, only 1-2 percent, and therefore will not bring efficiency. The energy storage systems will allow solar and wind power project developers to improve the operational efficiency and reduce the capacity they have to cut. Consultants also say that,technically, the development of storage systems to ease the overloading of the transmission network caused by renewable energy sources is just a temporary solution. The radical solution to the overloading is improving and building new transmission lines. Investors need to build storage systems According to EVN, the investment in energy storage devices for the purpose of easing the overloading of the transmission network wont bring economic efficiency to EVN, but will only bring efficiency to renewable energy project developers, who suffer losses because of capacity limitation. EVN and subsidiaries therefore will not make investment in batteries to store energy. The investment, if it is made, will be implemented by renewable energy plants, which are the direct beneficiaries. EVN has proposed setting up a legal framework and mechanism to allow renewable energy developers to invest. The energy storage systems will allow solar and wind power project developers to improve the operational efficiency and reduce the capacity they have to cut. The plants will recharge electrical energy into the storage systems when the electricity output is in excess, and will release electricity from the systems when necessary. Under the mechanism, the selling prices of the electricity from the storage systems wont exceed the prices of renewable energy plants. For the immediate time, EVN has proposed making a pilot investment in a storage system with capacity of 50-100 MWh. The purpose of the investment is adjusting the frequency to validate equipment performance, to assess capabilities, and to accumulate experience in operating storage systems. This will provide information to EVN to suggest the policies related to the development and operation of energy storage systems in the power system. The expenses during the investment and trial operation of the storage system will be taken into account as EVNs electricity production costs, or in accordance with regulations to be determined by appropriate agencies. Luong Bang Wind, solar power sees new boom Many wind and solar power projects are awaiting approval to be added to the list of projects to be developed under the national power development plan. Democrats on Monday will introduce a bill that will provide $3,000-per-child benefit to millions of American families as part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the 22-page bill ahead of its release, which would dramatically expand the existing child tax credit. In the proposal, families with children aged younger than six years old will be given a $3,600-per-child yearly benefit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or $300 per month. A $3,000 per child benefit will be given to those with children aged six to 17 years old, or $250 per month, said a report from Business Insider. However, these payments will decrease for single parents who earn more than $75,000 or couples earning more than $150,000 combined, noted Massachusetts Live. $3,000-Per-Child Benefit to Help Combat Child Poverty "The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it's devastating," Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement to MassLive Sunday. "This money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone's head or food on their table," he added. Read also: Biden Administration Weighs in on Using Executive Action To Provide Student Debt Relief Neal is expected to move forward with this bill amid the party attempting to move quickly in approving Biden's relief package. "This is how the tax code is supposed to work for those who need it most," he said. Data from Columbia University Center on Poverty & Social Policy showed that monthly poverty rates increased from 15 percent to 16.7 percent from February and September 2020, as the global pandemic took over the U.S. The researchers estimated that there would be an addition of 2.5 million more children who will live in poverty since May. Payments for the proposed benefit are expected to go out in July and will go on monthly from that point on. The timeline is driven by the IRS's need to prepare for the new measures that come with the benefit. Mitt Romney Proposes Sending Higher Direct Payments The bill comes after GOP Senator Mitt Romney put forward a proposal to send higher direct payments last week. Romney, one of the 10 Republicans who called for a compromise of $618 billion to the $1.9 trillion price tag, has called to send bigger checks per child for families. Under his proposal, an amount of $4,200 will be given to families with children up to six years old and $3,000 to those with children aged six to 17. Related story: #BidenLied Trends on Twitter as Critics Demand the 'Full' $2,000 Stimulus Checks He Promised During the Campaign Romney proposed paying for the checks by eliminating the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program. He also wanted cuts to tax credits that assist working families in paying for the program. "This proposal offers a path toward greater security for America's families by consolidating the many complicated programs to create a monthly cash benefit for them, without adding to the deficit," he said. Democrats are racing to approve Biden's stimulus plan within the first 100 days of the new administration, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants it passed within the next two weeks. Some elements of the president's proposal, including the tax credit, could face challenges as Democrats hold narrow control of the Senate and are still moving forward with some parts of it without the Republican support, reported Forbes. It's not clear whether rules of reconciliation would allow Democrats to pass the child tax credit. New research has revealed the devastating impact of Covid-19 on diagnosing oesophageal and stomach cancer Researchers have warned that the Covid-19 pandemic could have a devastating impact with many cases of cancer potentially remaining undiagnosed. It comes as a new study by Queens University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry highlights the impact of the pandemic on diagnosing cancer of the oesophagus (foodpipe) and stomach, alongside on the pre-cancerous condition, Barretts oesophagus. The findings have been published in the journal Gastroenterology and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference. Key cancer services, including diagnostic endoscopy services, were severely impacted when lockdown restrictions began last March as resources across the UK were diverted towards the pandemic response. Surveillance for patients with Barretts oesophagus, which in a small fraction of cases can progress to oesophageal cancer, was also suspended. Researchers investigated how the pandemic has affected the diagnosis of oesophageal and stomach cancer, as well as Barretts oesophagus. Analysing data from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, they estimated the number of patients who had been diagnosed with these conditions across Northern Ireland between March and September 2020, and compared this with data from 2017-2019. "We found that diagnoses of oesophageal and stomach cancer fell by 26.6%, meaning that 53 fewer patients than expected were diagnosed during the first six months of the pandemic," explained Dr Richard Turkington, clinical senior lecturer at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research. "For Barretts oesophagus diagnoses fell by 59.3% which represents 236 fewer Barrett's cases than expected." Professor Helen Coleman, deputy director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, says there will be missed opportunities for prevention of cancers due to the sharp decline in Barretts oesophagus diagnoses. She added: Coupled with the drop in expected numbers of oesophageal and stomach cancer diagnoses, we are very concerned that patients will present later with more advanced disease and have poorer survival outcomes as a result. It is vital that we protect and reinstate our cancer diagnostic services, such as endoscopy, to help minimise the impact of the pandemic on cancer patients. The research has been published to mark Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month and Helen Setterfield, chairperson of OGCancerNI, Northern Irelands oesophageal and stomach cancer charity, says it's a timely reminder of the major impact that disruption to endoscopy services has had on early diagnosis of oesophageal and stomach cancer. "We urge the health service to do all that it can to enable these conditions to be monitored and diagnosed quickly, as early diagnosis saves lives, she added. The researchers warn that the pandemic could have a devastating impact with many cases potentially remaining undiagnosed. They highlight the need for individuals with symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, persistent heartburn or unexplained weight loss to seek medical help as soon as possible. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that facilities at the permanent orientation camp in Ede, Osun State are inadequate to cater for corps members. The Chairperson of the NYSC Governing Board, Ambassador Fatima Balla Abubakar disclosed this when he visited the camp in Ede to assess the facilities. She appealed to the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, for the expansion of the facilities including the hall and the clinic. Hajiya Fatima, who took the appeal to the governor in his office in Osogbo lauded the state government for its contributions to NYSC as the camp was not only in good condition but also clean and in a serene atmosphere. She said NYSC was occupying a rented building as a secretariat and urged the governor to help NYSC to have its own secretariat. She also told the governor that erosion was threatening the camp and pleaded with the governor on erosion control. She commended the governor for the warmth and responsiveness towards the Nigerian youths. Responding, the governor promised to review the requests and assured that the state government would continue to support the scheme. Oyetola said: "NYSC is a scheme that is significant to national unity and integration. It has proved to be a major driving force for unity, particularly among the youths. There is nothing like religious or ethnic divide. Everyone is simply satisfied to be identified as a corps member. "This kind of atmosphere, where your affiliation or origin does not matter much, is what we should strive to attain in Nigeria. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Children Infrastructure By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "On the basis of this very critical and significant derivative of the scheme, it should actually be encouraged. Believe me, this is a scheme we are all proud of, having experienced its benefits. "Apart from fostering national unity and integration, the scheme has become a veritable tool for entrepreneurial training during the orientation programmes and this is very critical to youth engagement in our country today. "I would like to implore our youths to embrace this opportunity to foster unity across the country and shun violence. "Those serving in our dear state should also count themselves lucky because you have been posted to the most peaceful state in the country. Aside our overall peace profile, we have neither recorded instances of disputes between corps members and security agencies. This is also commendable. "But I must advise our corps members to ensure that they work closely and relate well with the community where they live," Oyetola added. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... BERLIN Germany, Poland and Sweden on Monday each declared a Russian diplomat in their country persona non grata, retaliating in kind to last weeks decision by Moscow to expel diplomats from the three European Union countries over the case of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Russia had accused diplomats from Sweden, Poland and Germany of attending a demonstration in support of Navalny, President Vladimir Putins most high-profile political foe. We have informed the Russian Ambassador that a person from the Russian embassy is asked to leave Sweden, Swedens Foreign Minister Ann Linde wrote on Twitter. This is a clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only preforming his duties. Germanys foreign ministry said Russias decision to expel the European diplomats was not justified in any way, insisting that the German Embassy staffer had been acting within his rights under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to inform himself about developments on site. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The ministry added that the decision was taken in close coordination with Poland, Sweden and the EUs diplomatic service. Polands foreign ministry tweeted that in accordance with the principle of reciprocity it considers the diplomat working at the Consulate General in Poznan as a persona non grata. In a statement, EU lawmakers also appealed to all EU Member States to show maximum solidarity with Germany, Poland and Sweden and take all appropriate steps to show the cohesiveness and strength of our Union. The parliamentarians called for a new strategy for the EUs relations with Russia, centered around support for civil society, which promotes democratic values, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights. The tit-for-tat expulsions come as EU officials ponder the future of the 27-nation blocs troubled relations with Moscow amid deep concern that their large eastern neighbor sees democracy as a threat and wants to distance itself further from the EU. Moscows decision Friday was as an extra slap in the face for the Europeans because it came as the blocs top diplomat foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Borrell said he learned about the expulsions on social media. The messages sent by Russian authorities during this visit confirmed that Europe and Russia are drifting apart, Borrell wrote in a blog on his return to Brussels. It seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat. He said the trip left him with deep concerns over the perspectives of development of Russian society and Russias geostrategic choices, and the expulsions, which he requested be dropped, indicate that the Russian authorities did not want to seize this opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue. Some EU lawmakers criticized Borrell for going, or for not insisting on visiting Navalny, who was arrested in January when he returned to Moscow after spending months in Germany recovering from a poisoning in Russia with what experts say was the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. On Feb. 2, a Moscow court ordered Navalny to prison for more than 2 1/2 years for violating the terms of his probation while in Germany. Borrell tried to arrange a prison meeting through Lavrov but was told to take it up with the courts. If you are familiar with the court procedures in Russia, you will know that it would take much more time than the duration of the visit, Borrells spokesman, Peter Stano, said Monday. Ultimately, the trip was never uniquely about Navalny. Russia is a major trading partner and the EU depends on it for natural gas. Its also a key player in talks on curbing Irans nuclear ambitions and has a central role in conflicts that impact on European interests, like those in Syria and Ukraine. Borrells aim was to deliver firm messages on the broad state of EU-Russia ties as much as on the imprisonment of Navalny, Stano said. EU foreign ministers will debate the issue Feb. 22 in preparation for the blocs leaders to weigh Europes Russia strategy at a summit on March 25-26. But the real challenge is overcoming the vast divisions between countries on how to approach Russia. EU heavyweight Germany has strong economic interests there, notably the NordStream 2 undersea pipeline project, and German and other ambassadors are reluctant to rapidly wade into any sanctions battle over Navalny. Despite calls for such punitive measures, particularly among some of Russias close but small EU neighbors like Lithuania, Borrell said Friday that no country has officially raised any proposals on who or what organizations to hit with sanctions. Cook reported from Brussels. Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed. By Baek Byung-yeul LG Energy Solution employees, left, and an SK Innovation employee hold their companies battery cells. / Courtesy of LG Energy Solution, SK Innovation A glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has shocked the entire nation. According to reports, the Reni village in Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, has suffered from flash flood, endangering the life of people living near the river bank. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) teams are currently working on rescue operations in the region. Many Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Sonu Sood, Kangana Ranaut, Dia Mirza, Shraddha Kapoor, Prasoon Joshi, and Abhishek Kapoor prayed for the victims. While many celebs opened up about climate change, others used social media platforms to share helpline numbers. Sara Ali Khan took her Instagram account and wrote, "Praying for the safety of the people of Chamoli. Hope those stranded or missing are rescued and brought home safe soon. Strength to them and to the rescue teams to cope with this disturbing tragedy #Uttarakhand". She also shared helpline number for those stranded in the high alert region. Kareena Kapoor Khan also took to Instagram Stories and wrote in all caps, "Sending prayers for the safety and well being of those affected by the terrible tragedy unfolding in #Uttarakhand." Actress Shraddha Kapoor sent out her prayers and tweeted, "Distressing to hear about the glacier breaking off in #Uttarakhand Praying for everyone's safety." Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar tweeted about the incident and said, "Terrifying visuals of the glacier burst in #Uttarakhand, thoughts and prayers for everyone's safety." Ajay Devgn took the chance to talk about the extreme climate conditions, and tweeted, "Is it our worst fears on climate extremes that are closing in on us? My thoughts & prayers are with the people of #Uttarakhand at this crucial hour. Hope we rescue as many as possible ?" Actor Sonu Sood who has helped many during the lockdown, tweeted, "Uttarakhand, hum aapke saath hai." Take a look at some more tweets by celebs, Hoping that Chamoli and other districts of #Uttarakhand stay as safe from the glacier burst and no lives are endangered . Prayers and strength for the people , the authorities and rescue teams. Prasoon Joshi (@prasoonjoshi_) February 7, 2021 What is the connection with what is happening in #Uttrakhand right now and cutting trees (deforestation), cutting into our mountains, building dams combined with climate change? - Innocent , unsuspecting people get hurt. Dia Mirza (@deespeak) February 7, 2021 Devastating news . May god watch over those in the path of this monster..Hari om #Uttarakhand #Chamoli Abhishek Kapoor (@Abhishekapoor) February 7, 2021 According to reports, the local police has revealed that the glacier burst had damaged Rishiganga Power Project, and those residing on the bank of the Alaknanda river are advised to move to safer places at the earliest. Police and disaster management departments immediately reached the location and were directed to deal with the situation. ALSO READ: Swara Bhasker, Sayani Gupta, Anubhav Sinha Slam B-town Colleagues For Sharing MEA's Statement ALSO READ: Meezaan Jaffery Dating Navya Naveli Nanda? Actor's Father Jaaved Jaaferi Reacts To Their Link-Up Rumours A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhands Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects -- NTPCs Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project -- were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Sixteen men were rescued safely from a tunnel in the Tapovan project but about 125 were still missing. As night fell in the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work in the difficult to access areas became more difficult, there were fears they may be dead. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said seven bodies were recovered and at least 125 were missing. Homes along the way were also swept away as the waters rushed down the mountainsides in a raging torrent. There were fears of damage in human settlements downstream, including in heavily populated areas. Many villages were evacuated and people taken to safer areas. By evening it was believed that downstream areas were safe and the Central Water Commission (CWC) said there was no threat to neighbouring villages. However, the water level in the Dhauli Ganga river surged up once again on Sunday night under the impact of the glacial burst during the day, creating panic among people living in the area. The sudden surge in the water level in the Dhauli Ganga at around 8 pm prompted authorities to suspend rescue operations underway to extricate 30-35 people trapped in the debris clogging one of the tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project. The rescue efforts will be resumed on Monday morning, the GM of the project said. Swirling waters of the river gurgling downwards are causing fear among people living in the area, he said late Sunday night. A 13.2 MW small hydro project on the Rishi Ganga was swept away in the glacier burst but there was no danger of floods in downstream areas as the water level had been contained, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was informed at an emergency meeting in the national capital earlier in the day. The NCMC was also told that people trapped in a project tunnel were rescued by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) while efforts were on to rescue those trapped in another tunnel. The operation was coordinated by the Army and the ITBP, an official spokesperson said. Connectivity with some border posts was totally restricted due to a bridge collapsing near Reni village, close to the project site, an ITBP spokesperson said. The border guarding force has units based in Joshimath, a short distance away, and managed to reach the spot within an hour of the first alert at about 10.45 am. Several districts, including Pauri, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Dehradun, were put on high alert and forces of the ITBP and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed in to help with the rescue and relief effort. The personnel were seen rappelling down steep mountainsides to aid in the rescue work. The India Meteorological Department informed that there is no rainfall warning in the region for the next two days. As details of the disaster came in, President Ram Nath Kovind said he was deeply worried about the massive glacier burst at Joshimath, about 295 km from Dehradun. Praying for wellbeing and safety of people. Am confident that rescue and relief operations on ground are progressing well, he tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was constantly monitoring the situation in the state. India stands with Uttarakhand, prays for everyone's safety, he said. PM @narendramodi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic avalanche caused by a Glacier breach in Chamoli, Uttrakhand. Rs. 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured. PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2021 Addressing a rally in West Bengal later in the day, he assured all help in fighting the calamity and said he was in constant touch with the Uttarakhand chief minister and Home Minister Amit Shah on the rescue and relief efforts being carried out. Shah also spoke to Rawat and assured him of all possible support to deal with the situation arising from the glacier burst and the resulting floods. LIVE : https://t.co/jprXHgW28x Trivendra Singh Rawat (@tsrawatbjp) February 7, 2021 In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said teams of the NDRF were deployed for rescue and relief operations of the affected people while additional troops of the force were being airlifted from Delhi. I have spoken to Chief Minister @tsrawatbjp ji, DG ITBP and DG NDRF regarding the natural disaster in Uttarakhand. All the concerned officers are working on a war footing to secure the people. NDRF teams have left for rescue operations. Every possible help will be provided to Devbhoomi, he said. Shah said the central government is constantly monitoring the situation in the state. Some more teams of NDRF are being airlifted from Delhi and sent to Uttarakhand. We are constantly monitoring the situation there, he said. A Home Ministry spokesperson said four NDRF teams (about 200 personnel) were airlifted to Dehradun and would head to Joshimath. One column of the Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment, has been deployed. Dr. Chris Brown will narrate The Dog House Australia coming to 10. The series, produced in-house by 10, and has partnered with Animal Welfare League NSW and is on the hunt for pet adoptions. If the last 12 months have taught us anything, its that the pure joy, companionship and Zoom call cameos a furry family member can bring us is priceless, he said. So I cant wait to help bring the stories of brave rescue doggos as they embark on the most important journey of their lives; into their forever homes. Prepare to let your love for these dogs off the leash. Animal Welfare League NSW CEO Mark Slater said: We are excited that the partnership with Dog House Australia will see an increased love for dogs and animals. We believe that millions of Australians will contribute towards a kinder and compassionate society through this opportunity. The Dog House Australia has teamed up with the Animal Welfare League NSW, to find furever homes for homeless doggos. And, there is only one man who can take viewers on the emotional journey where vulnerable dogs go from abandoned to adopted to adored. And that pawson is Dr. Chris Brown. And if this news hasnt made you sit up with ears on high alert, this surely will. The Dog House Australia is currently searching for families and individuals who are looking for a cute wet snoot to boop. Based on the popular UK show, The Dog House Australia will follow the dedicated carers at the Animal Welfare League, as they undertake a thorough match-making process between pawtential pooches and Aussie families, couples and individuals looking for a new four-legged friend. Potential candidates (based in NSW) can register at www.TheDogHouseAustraliaCasting.com.au Updated. Related Sertex Broadband Solutions has deployed equipment, materials, and personnel to begin construction of the island-wide broadband network on Block Island. Sertex is proud to partner with the Town of New Shoreham and BroadbandBI to bring reliable high-speed Internet service to Block Island residents, businesses, and visitors. Despite rough seas, winter winds, and limited ferry availability, Sertex Broadband Solutions - the leading regional expert in rural fiber optic infrastructure deployment - has mobilized equipment and transported thousands of feet of micro duct conduit onto Block Island. This is happening to prepare for construction of the new island-wide broadband network, the first publicly-owned/privately-operated fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network in Rhode Island. The Town of New Shoreham (TNS) Island-wide broadband network is in its early-stage make-ready and late-stage engineering phases. Following preliminary design work completed in December and January, underground drop construction to residences and businesses is expected to begin soon. Sertex engineering professionals are mapping out the route the fiber will travel across the island. The make-ready stage requires local utility and telecommunications providers to reposition equipment on the pole lines to make room for the new fiber optic cabling. Underground drops to individual properties will be planned in geographical waves. Coordination is required with property owners before any construction can begin in order to secure permissions for access and authorization of the drop route. To facilitate communication with Block Island property owners, Sertex and TNS launched a new website, BroadbandBI.com. Property owners and businesses are encouraged to visit the site to register now for a fiber optic drop, and later to subscribe for high-speed Internet and phone service. Sertex is proud to partner with BroadbandBI to bring reliable high-speed Internet service to Block Island residents, businesses, and visitors, said Michael Solitro, Sertex President and CEO. We anticipate building 62 miles of underground drop footage to connect the island. Coordination with Block Island property owners is essential to begin construction. By encouraging people to register early, our goal is to make as much progress as possible during the winter and early spring before the busy summer season begins. The Town of New Shoreham and Sertex have partnered to deploy the first publicly-owned fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network in Rhode Island. It will use four strands of the submarine fiber optic cable that connects Block Island to the mainland. With an $8 million capital expenditure authorized by the Town, the network will provide residents and businesses with access and choice for high-speed Internet and phone service with multiple plans from 25 Mbps to 1 Gbps with no data usage limits or caps. Once completed, the island-wide project will involve 41.6 miles of backbone construction, including 38 miles of underground cabling and 2.4 miles of aerial cabling. Sertex Broadband will design and construct a redundant link with multiple, geographically-diverse cables feeding the network so service is not interrupted if the primary fiber cable is damaged. The network will be built with all Corning products, allowing Sertex to provide the manufacturers 25-year warranty on all installed equipment. For more information, call Sertex Broadband at 860.317.1006 x 115 or email getconnectedbi@sertexbroadband.com. About Sertex Broadband Sertex is an expert in fiber optic infrastructure deployment in the Northeast. For over three decades, we have provided leading-edge services to telecommunication, utility, and municipal customers. The vision of Sertex Broadband Solutions is to deploy fiber-to-the-home networks in unserved and underserved areas and deliver gigabit-speed internet access to every home and business. Our model of publicly owned/privately operated networks is affordable and scalable with future-proof fiber technology. For more information visit http://www.sertexbroadband.com. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama said Monday that he will not run again in 2022. The six-term Republican is the longest serving Senator in the state's history. Today I announce that I will not seek a seventh term in the Senate in 2022. For everything, there is a season. I am grateful to the people of Alabama who have put their trust in me for more than forty years. https://t.co/UXNJyc3OPC Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) February 8, 2021 Shelby becomes the fourth Senator - all Republicans - to announce their retirement this cycle. The others are Richard Burr (NC), Rob Portman (OH), and Pat Toomey (PA). While those other states are expected to be somewhat to highly competitive, the GOP is very likely to hold the seat in this deep red state. Democrat Doug Jones was able to narrowly win a Senate seat here in 2017, but that was a special election with a flawed Republican nominee. Up for a regular six-year term this past November, Jones lost to Republican Tommy Tuberville by 20 points. In total, 34 Senate seats will be contested next year. Create and share your forecast with the 2022 Senate Interactive Map. Rahul Gandhi Congress president Rahul Gandhi will on Wednesday address a farmers' rally here, a senior party leader said. It will be the Gandhi scion's first public meeting after Congress formed the government in the state and initiated steps to fulfil its promise of waiving off farmer loans. The Congress-led government in Rajasthan had on December 19, 2018 announced a waiver for short term farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh and constituted a committee to decide the eligibility criteria. The announcement was in line with the Congress chief's pre-poll announcement to waive farm loans. "Promise of waiving off loans of farmers was a resolution of the Congress and the government has fulfilled its promise after coming to power," the party's in-charge for political affairs in Rajasthan, Avinash Pande said. "Congress president will be addressing a public meeting where farmers will express their gratitude," he added. The deadline to either continue working to extradite Mr. Assange by filing the brief or drop the matter reflects a common legal policy dilemma when a new administration takes over and confronts matters inherited from its predecessor. Newly installed officials face too many issues to make careful decisions on all at once, so some get punted. But litigation calendars can force early decisions about whether to proceed or shift direction in some cases. It is often easier to stay the course, based on an argument that the issue can be revisited later when there is more time. But once the new administration has started down that path, it owns the policy as a matter of political and bureaucratic reality and so can effectively get locked in. Complicating matters for making any decision to keep or jettison the Trump-era policy to go after Mr. Assange with criminal charges, the Biden administrations intended leadership team is not yet in place at the Justice Department. The Senate has yet to confirm Mr. Bidens nominee to be attorney general, Judge Merrick B. Garland. In the meantime, the department is being temporarily led by a caretaker career official, Monty Wilkinson, the acting attorney general to whom the letter was addressed. After Mr. Assange published the documents provided by Ms. Manning in 2010, the Obama administration engaged in extensive deliberations under Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. over whether to prosecute Mr. Assange but never charged him with a crime. By contrast, Ms. Manning, a low-level Army intelligence analyst who downloaded the archives of documents and sent them to WikiLeaks, was convicted at a court-martial trial in 2013 of leaking the documents and sentenced to 35 years in prison. President Barack Obama commuted most of the remainder of her sentence in 2017. But law enforcement officials under Mr. Obama shied away from bringing charges against Mr. Assange. They feared that there was no legally meaningful way to distinguish his actions from those of conventional investigative national-security journalism as practiced by mainstream news organizations like The New York Times. The Obama team did not want to create a precedent that could chill or cripple traditional journalism, according to people familiar with its deliberations. Negotiators have failed to end a stalemate over the selection of a new president, triggering a potential constitutional crisis. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's term is set to expire on February 8. Emergency talks between Somalia's politicians have failed to end a stalemate over how to select a new president, just days before the term of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is set to expire. Somalia is likely to miss a February 8 deadline to choose a new head of state, after several days of negotiations between the central government and federal states broke down on Friday. Without a resolution, the breakdown in talks could create a constitutional crisis in country that is already confronting a violent Islamist insurgency and widespread food shortages. Mohamed flew back to the capital, Mogadishu, without a deal on the staffing of regional electoral commissions, Osman Dube, the information minister, said late on Friday. Lawmakers 'refused to resolve issues' "No agreement was reached," said Dube. "The government offered to negotiate and settle all the disputed issues, but some brothers have failed to understand, and refused to resolve the issues." "The government has shown flexibility to compromise, gentleness and readiness to negotiate, but some leaders tried to exploit that openness to seek more. That will not work," he added. Mohamed, who is currently seeking a second term in office, later told lawmakers that there was still one more chance for a deal, without offering further details. "If it fails again, then the decision [on the way forward] will be for the parliament," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Somalia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Another round of talks possible The president is expected to announce another round of talks at a joint sitting of parliament on Saturday. He reached an agreement with the leaders of Somalia's five semi-autonomous regions in September, to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2020 and early 2021. However, the deal broke down after lawmakers couldn't agree on how to conduct the election process. Somalia earlier aimed to hold its first direct election since 1969, but opted instead for an indirect voting system where special delegates chosen by clan elders pick the country's lawmakers, who in turn choose the president. However, even under that system, regional authorities in at least two of Somalia's five federal states, Puntland and Jubbaland, opposed holding the election. (Reuters, AFP) I see all the COVID-19 testing and shots and everything on the news. Does anyone really know if a person who is 200 pounds needs a larger dose than a person who is like 100-pound or 150-pound person? Do they all get the same dose? It is something they are not telling the people. Maybe somebody out there knows and can answer these questions. Tamaqua All the climate change talk and executive orders being issued by President Biden, you would think there would be one reporter who would do a story to see if any of these politicians have solar panels or electric/hybrid vehicles. Do they put their money where their mouth is or it is just all talk? Pottsville I must have been asleep for four years. Can someone please tell me what President Trump did? Everybody said he was so great. Made America great. Only thing I remember is he built half a wall and put children in prison. Let me know. Schuylkill Haven I noticed that the same public figure is involved in the two lawsuits against the Borough of Shenandoah, the one concerning the water authority and the one concerning Shenandoah Valley School District. If these lawsuits both fail, is this public figure going to figure out a way to give the taxpayers money back for these legal fees? Shenandoah To the caller who just loves Lisa Von Ahn, you must be two peas in a pod, filled with hatred for the past Trump administration because that is all she ever wrote about. I wonder what she is going to write about now. Probably, like the rest of the Democrat Party, they will still be centered on hating Trump. They need to move on and get a life. Pottsville As far as the insurgents and everyone wanting to overthrow the government, remember one thing: No government, no benefits. No Social Security. No food stamps. No help with housing. Anything at all. There wont be any, so all you Republicans take note. Minersville I would just like to compliment you on the good article on Judge Hale. It convinced my wife to get the COVID shot. She was against it until she read that article. Thanks again. Lavelle Making numerous executive orders is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship. Hegins So, Trump signed executive orders in his presidency and the left called him a dictator. Biden signs more than any other president, and not for the betterment of America. What do we call him? New Boston If Trump actually did all the things he was accused of doing, he could run as a Democrat. Minersville Wake up, Girardville. Your best president ever has blood on his hands. Plus, he only loves himself. He should be impeached for inciting deadly violence on Jan. 6. He is a disgrace. He ruined the Republican Party and tried to destroy our democracy. He and his Trump mob failed to do so, however. Shenandoah According to local press reports, the Gabonese government is preparing to sell more shares held in three companies relating to telecoms, water and energy, and banking. Putting the sale down to a lack of cash and a need to build up financial resources, the reports say that according to the 2021 finance law, the countrys parliament has now authorized the state to sell its assets held in the Gabon Energy and Water Company (SEEG), the Gabonese Banking Union (UGB) ) and Moov Africa Gabon Telecom. At the moment, the states share of SEEG is 51 percent, of UGB 26.09 percent and of Gabon Telecom 49 percent. The recently passed law specifies that the assets in all three groups will be reserved for Gabonese investors. According to TeleGeography's CommsUpdate the state previously sold a 51 percent stake in the telecom operator to Maroc Telecom and currently owes the majority shareholder around $18.4 million. It adds that the Gabonese state will retain a holding in Gabon Telecom in order to monitor its progress. Gabon Telecom SA is the largest telecommunications company in the country, which has a population of just over two million; it has interests in both fixed and mobile communications. Gabon Telecom was privatised in 2007 when Maroc Telecom bought a 51 percent stake in the operator. In June 2016 Maroc Telecom merged Gabon Telecom with Moov Gabon, reducing the number of mobile network operators in the country from four to three. Maroc Telecom recently announced plans to rebrand its eleven subsidiaries in Africa as Moov Africa, effective from the beginning of this year. Maroc Telecom had an estimated 1.4 million subscribers in Gabon in the first half of 2020. Gateways Inn in Lenox Gets a Design Makeover LENOX, Mass. The Gateways Inn has received a design refresh over the last couple months from its new owners Mill Town Capital. The century-old Berkshire "cottage" closed to guests in mid-November so the private investment group could get busy on a full aesthetic refresh of all guest spaces, update internet connectivity, add technology amenities, implement several contactless features that are aimed to accommodate increased demand in public health concerns during the novel COVID-19 pandemic and provide integrated services for modern travelers. Managing Director of Mill Town Carrie Holland said the interior redesign is about 97 percent complete with finishing touches left. The inn and guest house reopened for February and is taking reservations. Mill Town purchased the property in July 2020 from Michele and Eiran Gazit, who had run the inn since 2012. The Gazits had been in the hospitality industry for a long time and sold the inn to reportedly move on to another project. "[The Gazits] were with The Gateways for a long time," Holland said. "I get the impression they had built some really great relationships with the guests and put the Gateways into a good place with the community, dining, lodging, and the special events and the music." The Gateways has a rich past. Harley Procter of Procter & Gamble built the mansion in 1912 for vacationing and entertaining. Its rectangular shape done in white to resemble Procter & Gamble's popular Ivory soap bar and it was based on designs by New York architects McKim, Mead & White. The Procters sold mansion in 1919 and, following the sale, it went through several owners including the country's first Michelin-starred chef in the 1970s. Over the years, the original architecture has been preserved and the interior boasts a mix of neo-classical elements including a hallmark staircase feature and Tiffany-style windows. The rooms are named for female characters from Shakespeare's plays, except for the smallest suite called "Puck." A majority of the design's implementation was lead by Mill Town's Design Director Emily Gabriel, who is the former head of product development at Annie Selke Co. She said the goal was to use a "less is more" design approach to keep things simple and less crowded, resulting in an airy and inviting vibe. "My first impression of the inn was that each and every room needed light both literally and figuratively. Choosing subtle and brighter colors to fill the space immediately transformed the feel of each room," said Gabriel. The Gateways' foyer received special attention from Gabriel because it is the hallmark interior feature, serving as an entrance to the other commons spaces. She said the subtle blue hue of paint chosen is sophisticated, clean, crisp, and feels like a breath of fresh air. Gabriel wants guests to feel invited, refreshed, and have their mood lifted when entering the space. "For me, it's always light and bright," she said. "There are times to make darker, bolder, more colorful decision but with the inn, with a variety of kind of subtle hues I think that was the best choice." A lot of the inn's original furniture was repurposed in the new design with the main focus being on the walls, window treatments, and floors. "It was really keeping everything that was there," Holland said. "Because it's such a beautiful structure and there is so much amazing artisanship that's in the wood details and the windows are amazing, so all of that was kept." The stand-alone cottage that resides behind the main inn is seen as the "little sister" to the main structure and was included in Mill Town's overhaul. The guest house has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and is tucked in a private tree-lined corner of the property. This space is reportedly popular for families, young couples, and small groups because it has a full kitchen, storage areas, private outdoor seating areas, and other private amenities. Over the past few months, it has been booked steadily despite the pandemic. Because the cottage is not contemporary with the inn, the space allowed Mill Town's team to introduce a more modern aesthetic to the design including bolder colors, modern furnishings, and unexpected design elements that are more of a departure from the tones found in the main inn. Gabriel said they especially enjoyed themselves with the design of the cottage. To incorporate a nod to local products and artisans, the inn is exclusively dressed with Annie Selkie's Pine Cone Hill bedding in the guest rooms. Gabriel feels that the textile selection is extremely important for the inn, and considering her former role with the company she felt that using Pine Cone Hill products was an obvious choice. Works from local landscape painters will be displayed in the common areas and in guest rooms to give guests a taste of Berkshires artists. Mill Town also has plans to conduct community programming during the summer season from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Jazz, and other musicians and culinary talents. Holland explained that they want visitors and residents to see the property as a special place to celebrate private events while feeling equally comfortable enjoying music on the lawn and a casual drink at the bar. Several years ago, Holland held her own wedding at the inn. She said that it felt formal and sophisticated for the event, but still enjoys coming back to the property for much more casual moments. The restaurant and bar are expected to reopen in early May with expanded indoor and outdoor dining options and featuring live music throughout the summer and fall. About a month after purchasing the property, Walker Street Grill was opened and had a successful season serving residents and travelers on the grounds of the inn. Around the holiday season, restaurant had a weekend outdoor pop-up during which it served out of a food truck. At the pop-up, visitors were able to enjoy the cuisine and the scenery of the inn's lawn while sitting by a fire pit. "We're cautiously optimistic about having a good summer," Holland said, hoping that the state of the pandemic permits to travel and hospitality. "We're just excited to be able to open again." In honor of the Gateways' grand re-opening, all guests staying at the inn during the month of February will receive a treat from local Lenox chocolatier, Chocolate Springs. Mike Kerley, Co-Fund Manager of Henderson Far East Income Trust, discusses the Trusts recent performance and which areas of the portfolio are specifically driving this performance. Mike also discusses how he believes a 2021 recovery will look for income investors and discusses the latest activity within the portfolio and where in Asia the team are looking to find dividend growth. 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Janus Henderson, Janus, Henderson, Perkins, Intech, VelocityShares, Knowledge Shared, Knowledge. Shared and Knowledge Labs are trademarks of or one of its subsidiaries. . Oxford University is to rename a prestigious professorship of physics after a Chinese software company accused of close links with the Communist regimes intelligence services in return for a 700,000 donation, the Daily Mail has learned. The Wykeham chair of physics, which was established in 1900 and comes with a fellowship at 14th-century New College, will now be known as the Tencent-Wykeham chair in honour of the computing conglomerate, Oxford sources revealed. Last night, as two former Cabinet ministers urged Oxford to reconsider, it became clear the decision has set the university on a collision course with its own most senior official. Lord Patten, Oxfords Chancellor and the last British governor of Hong Kong, said he could not comment on the grant from Tencent because he had known nothing about it until he was contacted by the Mail. But he added: Im strongly in favour of the proposal to do a comprehensive survey of relationships between China and all our universities. Given that China has become a surveillance state, is probably guilty of genocide against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and is snuffing out freedom in Hong Kong, we should be looking at these relationships very beadily. The prestigious Wykeham chair of physics at Oxford University (pictured) will now be known as the Tencent-Wykeham chair in honour of the computing conglomerate, sources have revealed Heritage that should be priceless Manners makyth man was William of Wykehams motto and it became that of both the great educational institutions he founded. When the politically adroit Wykehams career brought him great wealth, he used it to found New College, Oxford, in 1379, and Winchester College, originally a school to prepare boys for study at New College, in 1382. Born in 1324 in Hampshire, he rose from modest beginnings to become Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor then the highest political office in the land twice, under both Edward III and Richard II. When Wykeham died in 1404, he was one of the richest men in England. Historians say his motto was radically progressive for his era, measuring people not by their background but by their personal qualities. The University of Oxford has three statutory professorships in logic (established in 1859), ancient history (1910) and physics (1900) named after William of Wykeham. Past holders of the prestigious post in physics include Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, who played a major role in the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. The post was most recently held by David Sherrington, acclaimed for his work in condensed matter physics. William of Wykeham (pictured) founded New College, Oxford, in 1379 Advertisement Ive got no doubt at all that there are serious strategic and security issues at stake, because China represents a threat to liberal democracies all round the world. CIA sources have claimed that when Tencent was founded it received money and support from the Ministry of State Security, Chinas main intelligence agency. A Pentagon report last month said it has been working closely with Chinese security agencies on AI. Tencent owns the WeChat communications app, popular with millions of Chinese emigres to keep in touch with home. In an executive order last year, then-President Donald Trump said WeChat represented a security threat by collecting vast swathes of data on Americans and other users, and by allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives. WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the Chinese Communist Party deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party, the order said. The conglomerate denies that it received intelligence funding, saying its finances were transparent. It rejects accusations of wrongdoing. Ling Ge, Tencents Chief European Representative, an expert in quantum computing research, has a PhD in this field from Oxford. Last night she declined to comment on why her company is sponsoring the Oxford chair. It is not known whether she played a part in negotiating the grant. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith last night urged Oxford to reconsider its decision, saying: There seems to be no end to the degree that universities will bend the knee to China for money. The reality is Chinese companies are obligated to the Chinese security apparatus to pass on information on demand, and for Oxford to celebrate Tencent by renaming this professorship is grotesque. Former Brexit Secretary David Davis added: This is in my view a very unwise decision. Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, said he was amazed Oxford agreed to rename a prestigious chair for just 700,000. He said: The usual price for such things is in the millions. Having a foothold in the Oxford physics department is obviously of strategic interest to the Chinese government, and we should be very wary indeed of this kind of investment. Tencent owns the WeChat media and communications app, popular with millions of Chinese emigres to keep in touch with home and has been at the centre of data and privacy concerns Ling Ge, Tencents Chief European Representative, has a PhD in quantum computing research from Oxford and has declined to comment on why Tencent is sponsoring the Wykeham chair Tencent, whose operations now span the globe, was founded in 1998 by four entrepreneurs in the Shenzen industrial zone, across the border from Hong Kong. It has grown to become the worlds biggest computer gaming platform. As well as WeChat, it has a huge presence in social media and online shopping, and is worth about 500billion. Disclosure of the Tencent-Oxford link comes amid mounting concern at Chinese involvement in British universities. A Mail investigation last year highlighted how Chinas collaboration often smacks of infiltration. In a hard-hitting report yesterday, the think-tank Civitas highlighted how British universities have unintentionally bolstered Beijings military arsenal with research programmes. And The Times reported that up to 200 British academics face official probes as to whether they have inadvertently helped the Chinese militarisation effort. A spokesman for Tencent said: 'Tencent seeks to be a good corporate citizen wherever it operates, including through philanthropic efforts. Our philanthropic efforts are just that, and are conducted transparently, in good faith and without conditions. 'We have deep respect for the rich history and innovative future of the UKs higher education establishments, and are pleased to support their missions of learning, teaching and research. 'We are also proud of our long-standing and strategic partnerships with a wide range of UK innovators, businesses, and creative and cultural leaders. We look forward to working together with them to innovate, grow - including in China - and fulfil their global aspirations. Sam Armstrong, a China expert at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: Accepting this donation and renaming a chair obviously risks reputational damage. But there will also be security risks at forming relationships with Chinese firms in a field such as physics. It is not known if Ling Ge, pictured with physicist Brian Cox, played a part in negotiating grant Even apparently theoretical research may one day turn out to hold the key to new technology with huge practical applications. An Oxford University spokesman said: The University has a rigorous due diligence process and Tencent has been approved as an appropriate donor by our independent Committee to Review Donations, which includes independent, external representatives. We have a very clear position on academic independence from donations. Our donors have no say in setting the research and teaching programmes of the posts they fund, nor do they have any access to the results of research, other than publicly available material. Boris Johnson, meanwhile, faces a significant rebellion of Tory MPs today over trading with China despite its human rights abuses. Why we only have ourselves to blame Commentary by Edward Lucas Chinese spies have been looting British universities for years. That is one scandal. The other even more outrageous is that we are only now waking up to it. The fact that almost 200 leading UK academics are being investigated for their unwitting connections to Chinese weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes is scarcely surprising. As the think-tank Civitas details in its new report, 20 British universities have relationships with 29 military-linked Chinese universities and nine military-linked firms. Indeed, Chinas interest in our technology has long been overt. In October 2015, just two years after he became president, Xi Jinping made a point of visiting the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University during his trip to Britain. In October 2015, just two years after he became president, Xi Jinping made a point of visiting the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University. Pictured: scientist with graphene Graphene is a great British discovery, the worlds first super-material. It is one million times thinner than a single human hair, 200 times stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. It has the potential to transform our lives, used in everything from electronics and biomedicine to transport, defence and energy production. Manchester marked the Chinese leaders visit by proudly announcing a research partnership with Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant. Plus ca change! Now we have learned Oxford University is to rename its most prestigious professorship of physics after a Chinese software company which, according to a Pentagon report, has links to the regimes security agencies. But such sponsorships, research partnerships and commercial deals between British universities and China are starting to lose their gloss. Take Huawei, for example. Once seen as a vital partner in Britains 5G future, it is now seen as a menace an out-station of the Chinese Communist Party, and intimately linked with its repression at home and espionage abroad. In July last year, Boris Johnson announced a ban on the purchase of any new Huawei 5G equipment and ordered all of its existing technology to be stripped from the countrys telecommunications networks by 2027. The recent violent crackdown in Hong Kong and the introduction of a draconian new security law, along with claims of genocide against Muslim Uighurs, have accelerated concern. Belatedly, we are facing up to the reality that, under the guise of academic or commercial collaboration, our scientists and engineers allowed the regime access to our best technology including aircraft, missile design and cyber-weapons. We have only ourselves to blame because we have ignored the warnings. Chinas relentless search for foreign secrets was outlined in a series of devastating reports by analyst Alex Joske. In 2018, he published a groundbreaking investigation called Picking flowers, making honey a reference to the Peoples Liberation Armys own description of its activities: Picking flowers in foreign lands to make honey in China. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered all Huawei technology to be stripped from the country's telecommunications networks by 2027 and has banned purchase on 5G equipment Since 2007, Joske noted, the PLA (the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party) has sponsored more than 2,500 military scientists and engineers to study abroad. Tens of thousands of other Chinese scholars abroad have no overt ties to their countrys armed forces or spy agencies, but they can still be forced to co-operate. Beijing believes anyone with Chinese ethnicity is duty-bound to help the motherland unquestioningly. Failure to do so invites severe punishment. And now it is becoming clear the extent to which homegrown academics have been helping them, albeit inadvertently and often with the blessing of their university authorities and even our own Government. Universities have been told to haul in lucrative overseas students, to find external funding sources for their research and to commercialise their products wherever possible. In each case, China has been the answer more often than not part of the golden age in Sino-British relations initiated by the Cameron government. As the Mail reported in July 2020, British universities depend on 120,000 students from mainland China bringing in about 4billion in fees each year. That hardly encourages university administrators to ask searching questions about other activities. This paper has also highlighted a series of alarming links, including Cambridge Universitys ties to a Chinese military institution blacklisted by the US government, and Nottingham Universitys multi-million pound deal with Chinas main supplier of military aircraft. During the Cold War, we had a tightly controlled system governing technology exports to the old Eastern Bloc. The Soviet KGB still stole secrets, but in the USSRs decrepit planned economy these hard-won successes rarely turned into usable products. Modern China, by contrast, is a mighty economy. It uses our secrets ruthlessly. In many respects, such as super-fast quantum computing and applications for artificial intelligence, it is already far ahead. Moreover, whereas the Soviet Unions arsenal relied on a narrow range of technologies chiefly nuclear submarines and missiles Chinas WMD draw on a vast range of scientific research. Anything that makes materials stronger and lighter such as graphene is of potential use. So too are advances in acoustics, fluid dynamics and other fields involving mathematic wizardry. They help keep submarines undetectable. The breadth of British scientific expertise, in short, is both a triumph and a problem. Whatever China wants to steal, it will find on our shores. True, Britains new National Security Investment Bill, introduced into Parliament last November, now gives extraordinarily sweeping powers to scrutinise and block deals. But right now the sound of doors banging on empty stables is deafening. The real problem is that Britain is an open society in a globalised world. We thrive or so we assumed on free exchange of ideas. But the Chinese Communist Party is a ruthless rival bent on world domination by 2050. Our universities can no longer ignore the fact that the knowledge and expertise they are sharing may be put to malign use. So how might we counter the threat? Declining sponsorship for chairs in physics is certainly one way. But there are lessons to be learned from the close co-operation between counter-terrorism authorities and universities which has brought considerable success in beating back the radical extremists infesting our campuses. We have also built close ties between Government experts and universities when it comes to cyber-security. We need the same model, with discreet advice and warnings flowing in both directions, when it comes to Chinese industrial espionage and intellectual property theft. If we dont, the hardmen of Beijing will continue to make hay at our expense. UWs Parolin, Colleagues Explore 17th Century Recipe Book This page from the Baumfylde manuscript describes how to make sassages, or sausage. UW Honors College Dean Peter Parolin is the author of one of the essays in a scholarly journal that analyzes the 17th century recipe book. (Image courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library) A manuscript containing culinary and medicinal recipes, poems and aphorisms from the 17th and 18th centuries has been analyzed in depth by a University of Wyoming scholar and colleagues from 10 other universities. UW Honors College Dean Peter Parolin, an associate professor in UWs Department of English, contributed an essay to an edition of the Early Modern Studies Journal focused on the Baumfylde manuscript, which became publicly available online in 2016. The manuscript, held at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is known as a recipe book or receipt book -- a hand-written record held by a person, family or group to record information of importance to them as a central source of information on household management in the early modern era. This particular manuscript was started in 1626 by a woman named Mary Baumfylde, with additions made through 1758. This was a cool project, as we analyzed this manuscript from multiple perspectives -- what it tells us about earlier cultures, what it can do for us in the kitchen today, how we use digitized archival materials, and how we might teach this manuscript in our classrooms, Parolin says. The journals editor-in-chief, Amy Tigner, an associate professor of English at the University of Texas-Arlington, is a UW alumna, having received her bachelors degrees from the departments of Theatre and Dance, and Art, and her masters degree from the Department of English. The essays in the volume are significant, as they focus on a nearly 400-year-old manuscript that, until recently, hasnt been much considered at all, let alone in a scholarly context, Tigner says. The scholars in the volume shed light on womens domestic collaborative work and the knowledge that is passed on in the form of the recipe. Among the recipes included in the manuscript are directions to make sausage, pickled cucumbers, cookies and a type of mead; and poultice and other types of cures for various ailments. Poetry and aphorisms were added by a number of contributors over the years of the books creation. Parolins essay, the first of eight in the scholarly journals analysis of the manuscript, explores how the Baumfylde manuscript represents both a community and individuals. While it carries the name of one person, it contains multiple voices and perspectives, yet it ultimately projects a collective identity, he wrote. Additionally, Parolin suggests that todays society can benefit from learning about the individuals, families and communities that created the recipe books of the early modern era. By trying to identify in the manuscripts domestic regimens different from our own, we might be able to reorient our contemporary thinking through encountering different ways of being, he wrote. Of course, there are also continuities: We still inherit and experiment with dishes; we still collaborate; we still build community around the table. The Baumfylde manuscript and its many cognates, speaking to us from the past, have the potential to make us consider afresh our own investments, obligations and power as creators of contemporary cultures of the kitchen. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 5:00 am What does it mean when, year after year, no one in the Washington Legislature formally opposes a bill but the bill dies anyway? Such has been the fate of attempts to curb the unseemly and arguably unethical practice of public officials stepping down to take high-paying jobs as lobbyists. This year's effort is Senate Bill 5170, and Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, is once again pushing the boulder of reform up the impossible hill. At a Jan. 27 hearing on the bill, Sen. Sam Hunt even asked Carlyle, "Do you feel like Sisyphus?" Under the bill, powerful public officials lawmakers, statewide officials, chiefs of staff, agency heads, etc. would not be allowed to register as lobbyists for a year after they leave their jobs. They could work for a lobbying firm as an adviser, but they could not return to the Capitol to lobby for a year, except under narrow exceptions. As reforms go, this is about the least that could be done. But anything that slows the revolving door between public service and lobbying is welcome. About three dozen other states have cooling-off periods, many that are longer. An analysis of state records by The Seattle Times and Northwest News Network found that nearly 20% of registered lobbyists in the state previously had worked in elected office or state government. When state government insiders leave for a lobbying job, they have insights and information few others do. They understand how things really work in Olympia and how best to navigate legislative and regulatory processes. Perhaps most valuable, they have connections. In the past, it was a Rolodex full of numbers. Now, it's a contact list of people with whom someone has worked in the past. Personal cellphone numbers and maybe a favor owed make lobbying so much easier. People change jobs all the time for more money or greater job satisfaction. But when we're talking about democratic government, even if no one in power ever abuses their relationships when they become lobbyists, the perception among the public is that something untoward is happening, that wealthy industries are buying privileged access. That taint worsens when a lawmaker champions a bill for an industry or company right before jumping ship. So, what does the annual failure of the Legislature to pass even this modest reform mean? It means that sometimes lawmakers have no shame. They don't want to oppose something with such obvious popular appeal, and they don't want to jeopardize their own chance for a sweet lobbying job someday. This year, lawmakers should help Carlyle push his boulder over the top. ___ (c)2021 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ADVERTISEMENT Nigerias health minister, Osagie Ehanire, said on Monday that the country will receive additional 42 million doses of the approved COVID-19 vaccines in addition to the 16 million initially expected. Nigeria is expected to receive an initial 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines Global Assess Facility, COVAX, by the end of February. Mr Ehanire while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing said the 42 million doses will be delivered to the country through the African Union, African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT). Mr Ehanire said Nigeria subscribed to two multilateral vaccine access platforms; the first being the COVAX facility which was set-up to divide over a billion doses of vaccines across 92 low-and middle-income countries. The facility promised access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries population with an initial supply beginning in the first quarter of the year to immunise three per cent of their populations. The second platform is the AVATT, which has acquired 300 million doses of three types of vaccines to distribute to African countries based on their population, according to Mr Ehanire. Nigeria subscribes to this whole-of-Africa approach, that strives to ensure that we are safe and our neighbours are safe, he said. We shall be offered over 42 million doses by AVATT. If all the projected vaccines are supplied, we estimate we should have covered over 45 per cent of the population. Mr Ehanire also noted that Nigeria has had bilateral negotiations with Gamaleya of Russia over their Sputnik V vaccine, which has an efficacy of 91 per cent. We are also in talks with the High Commissioner of India over the COVAX vaccine of Barhat Institute. Both vaccines dossiers are under evaluation with NAFDAC, he said. At the briefing last week, Mr Ehanire had said the country is experiencing a delay in receiving the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccines because the manufacturers are yet to decide on when to deploy the vaccines. He, however, said Nigerians should expect the first roll-out of the vaccines this month. The date of first arrival of vaccines in Nigeria has kept changing because the decision lies with the manufacturer, who already has heavy commitments, he said. Nigeria has recorded over 130,000 COVID-19 cases and over 1,000 deaths. The main parameters of the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century are now being drawn, the top diplomat says. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell says his recent visit to Moscow was an act of principled diplomacy, aimed to test whether the Russian government was interested in addressing differences and reversing the negative trend in relations with the Bloc. "The reaction I received points visibly in a different direction," Borrell wrote in a blog, adding the "main parameters of the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century are being drawn." Read alsoOSCE Chairperson-in-Office Linde discusses Ukraine with Russian FM Lavrov in Moscow"The Russian authorities did not want to seize this opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue with the EU," the high representative noted. "An aggressively-staged press conference and the expulsion of three EU diplomats during my visit indicate that the Russian authorities did not want to seize this opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue with the EU," Borrell wrote. "While not fully unexpected, this is regrettable, also, dare I say, from a Russian strategic perspective," he added. "As EU, we will have to draw the consequences, reflect carefully on the direction we want to give to our relations with Russia and proceed in a united manner with determination." The official said his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov "highlighted that Europe and Russia are drifting apart." Russia is "progressively disconnecting itself from Europe," Borell believes. Reporting by UNIAN Bulldozer scoop soil containing various rare earth to be loaded on to a ship at a port in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province on Sept. 5, 2010, for export to Japan. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Australia Funds Tungsten Mine, While Slowly Prying Beijings Grip on Global Supply Australia has taken another step forward to loosening Beijings grip on the worlds critical mineral supply chains. The Tasmanian state government is offering a $10 million loan to the long-dormant Dolphin Tungsten mine on the remote King Island located in Australias Bass Strait. An additional $15 million of federal government support is currently being negotiated. Tungsten is the worlds second hardest mineral after diamond; it has an extremely high melting point, and is a critical component for high-end drills, electric vehicles, and military hardware. Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds once noted that each F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet requires 417 kg of rare earth and critical minerals. Capt. Andrew Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander, performs a dedication pass during the Melbourne Air and Space Show in Melbourne, Fla., on March 30, 2019. (Senior Airman Alexander Cook/U.S. Air Force) However, global tungsten production is largely controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who produce 82 percent of world tungsten supply, along with several other mineral supply chains. In recent years, the Australian and U.S. governments have moved to develop supply chains outside of Chinese control, due to concerns the CCP could limit access to the minerals as part of a geopolitical dispute. We note that several western governments have recently identified a crisis in the supply chain for critical minerals, particularly tungsten, for which North America currently has no mines in production, Johann Jacobs, executive chairman of King Island Scheelite said in an investor announcement. Therefore, we see a close alignment between the companys development objectives, the Tasmanian governments interests in maintaining and growing both Tasmanian jobs and export revenue, and the strategic objectives of the Australian government he said. Former U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in October over the United States reliance on China for rare earth minerals. Trump signed the executive order asking the Department of the Interior to investigate implementing the Defense Production Act, which would fund mineral processing onshore or outside of China. Trump also said he was planning to incentivise U.S. mining companies to pull their production operations from China and back to the United States. The Dolphin Tungsten project has been closed for around 30 years after falling tungsten prices in the 1990s made the mine not financially viable. However, a resurgence of demand due to new technologies, has seen the price rise. The company estimates the project could create up to 90 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, with around 55 ongoing full-time equivalent jobs on King Island, the Minister for State Growth Michael Ferguson said. Around 40 large vaccination centres are to be set up across Ireland to facilitate the rollout of jabs through the year, the HSE has said. Chief executive Paul Reid said some of the facilities would have up to 50 lanes to maximise the number of people receiving doses. Next Monday three large GP-led mass centres will open in Dublin, Cork and Galway as part of the rollout of vaccinations among the over-70s. The majority of over-70s will still receive their jabs at their own practice. We are in parallel working on an overall plan for bigger vaccination centres all across the country, probably about 40 of those all across the country, Mr Reid told RTE Radio One. Expand Close The HSEs Paul Reid (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The HSEs Paul Reid (Niall Carson/PA) Between some of them being 30 to 50 lane or places for vaccination, to some of them between 10 and 20. Weve significant progress made across those deployments all across the country and equally in terms of the workforce that we need to do that. So weve made really good progress about where we will deploy vaccination centres all across the country. Mr Reid said the Defence Forces could be involved in efforts to ensure older people living in remote areas were able to get access to a vaccine. The first batch of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in Ireland on Saturday. The 21,600 jabs, which were transported from Belgium, will be given to healthcare workers from Monday. Expand Close A woman walks past a billboard in Dublin urging people to hold on and heralding the arrival of vaccinations (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A woman walks past a billboard in Dublin urging people to hold on and heralding the arrival of vaccinations (Brian Lawless/PA) Ireland is using the two other approved vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, to vaccinate the over-70s amid uncertainty of the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca jab on older people. The vaccination programme carried out by GPs begins on Monday week, with the over-85 age group being prioritised. A further 12 Covid-19-related deaths were confirmed in Ireland on Sunday, along with another 1,024 new confirmed cases of the virus. As of 2pm on Sunday, 1,204 patients with Covid-19 were being treated in hospital, 178 of whom were in ICU. Mr Reid said hospital inpatient numbers were dropping but he warned that they still remained significantly higher than wave one of the pandemic. Were still 50% higher of hospitalised cases than we were at the peak back in April of the first wave, he said. So some relief for us (in terms of falling admissions) but were a long way from being out of the woods in the pressure on our hospital system just yet. Expand Close Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the UK should share any excess vaccines with Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the UK should share any excess vaccines with Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) Earlier, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald urged the UK to share any spare coronavirus vaccinations with Ireland. Mrs McDonald said a spirit of generosity and solidarity on vaccine sharing should extend globally. She was asked on Sky News if she would like to see excess UK doses being diverted to the Irish Republic, given the slower pace of vaccine rollout in the EU. Certainly if there is an excess of supply in Britain and if there is a capacity for that to be shared with Ireland at some point, well, yes, of course, absolutely, the project here is to get people vaccinated, she replied. This is a race against this virus and against death so, yes, I think a spirit of fairness and generosity needs to prevail in this, my goodness, above all other issues. So, yes, is the answer, and if the scenario were vice versa I would expect that a similar generosity would be afforded to the British people because the virus doesnt care about politics or borders or any of these things. We all share the same human biology and its just so important that the incredible work that has been done by scientists internationally, including at Oxford University, and across the globe, that the fruits of that endeavour and knowledge and expertise is shared in the way that good science would intend, and that means keeping all of our fellow human citizens safe and alive and well. Khartoum Sudanese novelist Ali Alrufa'ee has now opted to live on what he writes preferring to work and write in his home village of Algurair away from the noise of the cities. A graduate of the Faculty of Arts, University of Khartoum, Ali Alrufa'ee started his careers as an administrator, teacher and then a translator in the Gulf region. He has now settled down in his home village in the north of Sudan, writing and looking after his own farm. Rufa'ee has produced several novels and short story collections. Not very much was known about writer Rifa'ee until when his novel Jeenat Aailat Mero "Mero Family Genes" won two of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, category of unpublished literary works and the best novel for TV and film adaptation, in 2016. The Katara Prize for Arabic Novel is an Arabic literary prize based in Qatar. It was established in 2014 by the Katara Cultural Village. The total prize pool is $650,000 and the main prize $200,000, making it one of the riches literary prizes in the World. One of its sponsors is UNESCO. The winning novels are translated into five languages - including French and English. In addition to this Katara Prize, Rufa'ee had collected several other prizes. Novelist Mansoor Alsuwaim, who had in 2005 co-won the Altayeb Salih Novel Prize with Rufa'ee, says Rufa'ee's winning of the Katara Novel Prize, "is a practical indication of this writer's faith in and devotedness to his literary project on which he works in silence, away from the noise of the media. This project is one of the most sustainable and distinctive novel projects. Writer Rufa'ee is an established narrator, with a clear thumbprint in writing, whereby his published works are characterized with their rich language and their varied techniques and themes. I can state that he has become a distinct school in modern novel writing in Sudan, given the novelty of his themes and the techniquese uses," maintains Suwaim. Critic Majzoub Aydaroos said "Rufa'ee, who lives in the same geographical area expressed in the works of novelist Tayeb Salih, has coexisted with the people of that region, sharing their preoccupations and ambitions. Rufa'ee had expressed in his novels "Windows of the Other Face" and "A Tribe From Beyond the Horizon" the developments in his home area in Northern Sudan. His novels demonstrate great care about the language, a narration language in which he is concerned with the smoothness and beauties of the language in a manner unseen in contemporary fiction. He is a real addition to the Sudanese and Arabic narrative library." Majzoub Aydaroos Aydaroos also paid tribute to the Sudanese literary critics who "embraced" Rufa'ee's talent though he is always away from the limelight. It was because of this care accorded to him by the critics that the readers got informed about him, so qualifying him for the Tayeb Salih awards (Tayeb Salih Prize for Literary Creativity presented by the Abdel Karim Mirghani Cultural Center and Tayeb Salih International Award for Creative Writing sponsored by the telecommunication company Zain). The Katara prize and the other Arabic literary awards enthuse writers for more creativity. This prize and the prize won by Sudanese novelist Amir Taj Alsir constitute important breakthroughs for the Sudanese novel and qualify them for the position they deserve in the literary world, maintained Aydaroos. The late Sudanese Novelist Ibrahim Ishaq was of the view that the acclaim received by Rufa'ee was well deserved. "Writer Rufa'ee is an example of a diligent man of letters who reflected the general Sudanese environment," said Ishaq. Novelist and story writer Ahmed Alfadl said Rufa'ee is perpetual writer who bent himself on his careful work away from the city's noise. Writer Ali Alrufa'ee was born in the City of Atabara, Northern Sudan, on 9 August 1948. Then he grew up in his home village of Algurair, in the North of the country. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Entertainment Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mansoor Alsuwaim He graduated from the Faculty of Arts, University of Khartoum. He then worked as administrative supervisor and interpreter in the Desert Gharaba Forests Camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He then served as a translator in the Abu Dhabi Defense Force in the UAE also. Then he taught English in the intermediate education in Sirte (Libya). He is now working on his farm in his home village Algurair. His other novels include: -The Nile Crosses to the Other Bank - The Windmill -The Sun Sets Upwards In addition, he has written a collection of short stories he entitled "Who Can Buy My Father's Pants" and an unpublished collection of poems. He is father of three daughters, namely Tayseer, Belgees and Salma. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Sunrise said it will release the results as soon as they become available ( ) told investors that lab analysis of drill core from the Clayton Silver Project may not be available until later this month. The company issued a statement in response to a number of shareholder enquiries regarding the delay to the announcement of drill core assay results from a programme that took place in November 2020. The assay results have not yet been received by the company and it has been advised by the independent laboratory carrying out the assay work that the laboratory is continuing to work through a large backlog of samples, as originally advised by the company in its announcement of 9 November 2020, caused by the confluence of high demand for its services, and staff absenteeism due to COVID-19, the company said. The company will release the results as soon as they become available as is its normal practice for all material assay, analytical and test results. In November, the company reported that a drill hole at the Clayton silver-gold Project, in Nevada, passed through the target zone before being terminated at a depth of 104.7 metres. It was designed to twin and deepen a historic drill hole CL-15, which previously encountered 7.6 metres with a silver grade of 165 grams per tonne (g/t) and 0.4 g/t gold. The samples were sent to a facility in Reno, Nevada. YEREVAN. The investigators are resorting to tricks so that the injured party police officers do not testify in court. Hayk Alumyan, a lawyer of Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan, stated about this in an interview on Monday. "There are many violations in the case [on the events that occurred in the capital Yerevan on March 1, 2008]. It consists of many myths. One of them is that the rallies were peaceful, but they were brutally suppressed. Let me remind that 32 citizens are accused along the lines of this case; these people were without means of protection, whereas the 187 police officers, they were with means of protection. And we are told that the rallies were peaceful, whereas the police used disproportionate force. However, some of the 187 police officers have not been included in the list in our case [against Kocharyan and several other former senior officials]; this has no explanation. And those who were included, nonetheless, do not come to court. I definitely know of a few cases, and I assume it was like that in the case of others, too. The investigator says that they are the injured party of Kocharyan's actions. The injured party says that he is not the injured party of the actions by the authorities, but by the demonstrators. The investigator says, Well, then don't come to court. Those who think that they have suffered not from the actions by the authorities, but by the demonstrators, show their attitude to the case this way. But it would be better if they came to court; that is, the investigators are using a trick. There are gross violations also against those who want to attend court hearings," the lawyer said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 20:10:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Zhao Yang, Zhang Zhaoqing and Wu Qiong BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yang Mingming, an employee of a company based in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, has decided to stay in the city instead of returning to his hometown around 1,500 km away in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to celebrate the coming Spring Festival. To reduce the flow of personnel and curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, many places across China have encouraged residents and migrant workers to stay put for the most important festival in China usually marked by mass migration and family reunions. "It's the first time I choose to spend the festival away from my family," Yang said. "That's to protect my parents and myself from the risk of infections." Yang said he made the decision after discussions with his parents. "My parents sent me flavors from my hometown to make me feel at home and I will send them some ham made in Zhejiang to express my love to them," he said, adding that local government and his company also prepared subsidies and gifts for people like him. Disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus kept many indoors during the Spring Festival last year. This year, those not going home out of anti-epidemic concerns are choosing to send their regards to family members through video calls and cross-country gift deliveries while preparing meals and planning to join in local cultural activities. To many Chinese, dealing with the difficulties brought by the virus is bittersweet as they put health first, manage to adapt to new lifestyles and seek new forms of joy. PUTTING HEALTH FIRST A survey conducted by healthcare connector and digital service provider DXY shows that the COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated the growth of Chinese people's health awareness. According to the survey, 93 percent of the 56,196 respondents placed their physical health, rather than wealth, work or relationships, as their top priority in 2020. Consumption behavior reflected this heightened focus people placed on their physical health. Data from the online healthcare platform of JD.com shows that sales of health checkup products surged year on year on Nov. 11, 2020 during China's popular Singles' Day shopping festival. The mounting emphasis on health permeated into people's daily lives, as various groups pursued healthy lifestyles in their own ways. The thousand-year-long dining custom of the country took on a new look, as people either turned to eating individually served meals at small tables or using serving chopsticks and spoons when sharing dishes with family and friends. Although the new way of dining brings with it a degree of inconvenience and disturbs communication to some extent, it makes people feel safer. Three times a week at 6:50 a.m., 26-year-old Zhao Yang, gets ready to attend the online yoga lessons run by expert teachers, as the virus disrupted offline classes at fitness centers. "We start the morning class early as some students are working full time. They want to exercise before going to work," said Zhao. She also teaches office workers online yoga lessons herself in the evening. She noticed that more people, young and old, signed up for her online classes after the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak. Zhao Xiulin, a pensioner in her 70s, avoids using cash to pay for her purchases as a way to stay safe. With only limited experience using digital technology, she learned to pay by cell phone amid the epidemic. "I feel clean and safe not dealing with cash when shopping, and some acquaintances my age have also turned to digital payment," she said. EMBRACING LIFE ONLINE When maintaining social distance became a must amid the epidemic, internet platforms emerged as invaluable tools facilitating people's daily work and study. Data from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) shows that the number of people working from home reached 346 million by December 2020, accounting for 34.9 percent of all netizens in the country. The jump in demand also accelerated the expansion of online education, with the number of online education users hitting 342 million by December last year, surging by 109 million from June 2019, according to the CNNIC. Qu Di, a full-time worker and mother of two children, used to get up at around 6 a.m. and take more than one hour commuting to work, leaving her children with their grandparents the whole day. By working from home since the epidemic outbreak, she has been able to get up one hour later every day, make meals for her children, oversee their performance in their online lessons and take them for short walks in the community. She is also glad to see that her husband, an IT engineer who used to come home very late after work, has much more time to play with their children when working from home. "With everyone together, we do physical exercises every day and bake cakes occasionally. Although it's tiring to cook three meals a day and look after the children all the time, I love to be with my family," she said. In fact, many working people share Qu's feelings. Nearly 80 percent of those responding to a survey on telecommuting said they like working from home, citing reduced commuting time, less stress and the ability to care for their family, said a report released by 51job, a human resource service provider in China. Apart from meeting the necessary demands of those stranded at home, whether working, learning, shopping, seeking medical advice or hunting for jobs, online life has flourished, as an increasing number of people turn to short videos, livestreaming, online games, exhibitions and tourism as well as cloud communication in their leisure time. Chinese people listed family happiness as the second-most important thing in life, right after physical health, while listing mental health in third place, said the DXY report. The endeavors of seeking joy in life pick up steam offline as well when people try to cheer themselves up at hard times by purchasing toys with special design, creating new dishes and drinks, keeping pets, reading and enjoying arts. More Chinese people reflected upon or reshaped their values amid the epidemic, said Sun Yingshuai, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "People can see that money is nothing compared to a healthy life, and owning multiple cars and properties is nothing compared to living a happy life in the company of family and friends. Beyond material gains, studying, reading, quietly contemplating and other spiritual pursuits are once again drawing people's attention," Sun said. Enditem (Wang Siyuan also contributed to the story.) Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby announced Monday he would retire from the U.S. Senate in a move that has been anticipated for several months. Shelby, 86, issued a statement confirming his plans not to run again in 2022. He will serve the remainder of his term. Today I announce that I will not seek a seventh term in the United States Senate in 2022, Shelby said in the statement. For everything, there is a season. Related: Who will run for Richard Shelbys Senate seat? 10 possible candidates to watch Related: What happens when Sen. Richard Shelby leaves office? Shelbys retirement is a blow for Alabama, given his seniority in the Senate and his ability to funnel millions of dollars to the state for various projects over the years most recently an FBI campus at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville expected to top $1 billion. He was also widely credited for the Air Force decision to designate Huntsville as the preferred site for U.S. Space Command headquarters. Shelby served as the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee -- the committee that shapes federal spending -- until Democrats won control of the Senate last month. Shelby is now vice chair of appropriations and the senior Republican on the committee. I am grateful to the people of Alabama who have put their trust in me for more than forty years, Shelby said in the statement. I have been fortunate to serve in the U.S. Senate longer than any other Alabamian. During my time in the Senate, I have been given great opportunity, having chaired four committees: Appropriations, Rules, Banking, and Intelligence. In these positions of leadership, I have strived to influence legislation that will have a lasting impact creating the conditions for growth and opportunity. Serving in the U.S. Senate has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I have done my best to address challenges and find ways to improve the day-to-day lives of all Americans. I have also focused on the economic challenges of Alabamians, increasing access to education and promoting facilities to improve the quality of schools. I have worked to enhance Alabamas role in space exploration and the security of our nation. Further, I have supported the utilization of Alabamas greatest resources, including its unparalleled river system and the Port of Mobile. Jeff Sessions served with Shelby in the Senate for 20 years. The announcement by my friend and colleague, Richard Shelby, that he will not seek re-election is a significant moment in Alabama history, Sessions said in a statement Monday. No one in the history of the Senate or Congress has delivered more financial benefits for Alabama than Senator Shelby. His work has been of monumental importance. U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, the dean of Alabamas delegation in the House, described Shelbys retirement as a huge loss to Alabama. Senator Shelbys retirement will be a huge loss to Alabama and to our nation, Aderholt said in a statement. His work and influence has been felt in every corner of our state. Alabamas economic strength owes a lot to his leadership. I look forward to continuing to work with him the next two years on our respective Appropriations Committees to continue to serve and deliver for the people of Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey echoed Aderholts comments. Few people have had a more consequential impact on our state than Sen. Richard Shelby, the governor said in a statement. During his 42 years of service in Washington -- and even before than during his time in the Alabama Legislature -- Sen. Shelby was always influenced by the guiding principle of doing what was best for Alabama. His legacy will be felt for generations to come. Alabamas junior senator, recently-elected Tommy Tuberville, will become the states senior senator upon Shelbys retirement. Ive had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Sen. Shelby over the past few months and pick his brain about working in the Senate and politics, Tuberville said in a statement. But we never fail to discuss a little football, too. I look forward to working closely with Sen. Shelby over the next two years and using the remaining time as film study, so together we can better serve Alabama. Terry Lathan, chair of the Alabama Republican Party, said in a statement, Richard Shelbys name will be repeated for generations to come when speaking of his deep devotion to Alabama and the massive work he accomplished for our state. Katie Boyd Britt, president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, formerly worked on Shelbys staff and eventually became his top aide as chief of staff. She has been speculated to be a candidate to run for Shelbys seat. (Shelby) is truly Alabamas greatest statesman, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his service, Britt said in a message posted on Twitter. It was an honor to work for him on behalf of (Alabama) families, and his leadership will be greatly missed. We wish the Shelby family all the best in their next chapter. The Associated Press reported Friday, citing unidentified sources, that Shelby was telling friends he would not run again in 2022. Although I plan to retire, I am not leaving today, Shelbys statement said. I have two good years remaining to continue my work in Washington. I have the vision and the energy to give it my all. Thank you again for the honor you have given me the honor to serve the people of Alabama in Congress for the last 42 years. I look forward to what is to come for our great state and our great nation. Shelby is a Birmingham native served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 1986. He switched to the Republican Party in 1994. A highlight of his tenure has been his work in deepening and widening the Port of Mobile, a project his statement said Monday he believes will have a monumental and long-term impact on Alabamas economy. Shelby also highlighted his work in building up the U.S. military. He has worked to ensure that our nations warfighters are equipped with the tools they need to protect and defend the country, Shelbys announcement said. Shelby has previously served as chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and is the longest-serving member on the committee in history. He introduced legislation in 2003 and 2005 to reform government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and led efforts to tailor financial regulations following the Dodd-Frank Act and in 2015 introduced a reform bill to roll back regulations on Main Street banks and businesses, which became the framework for a reform bill signed into law in 2018. Shelby lives in Tuscaloosa with his wife, Annette. My service in the U.S. Senate would not have been possible without those who have encouraged me over the years, Shelby said in the announcement. I am particularly grateful for the support of my wife, Annette, and my entire family. Additionally, my staff, whose determination and loyalty have been unwavering, has been absolutely necessary in achieving my goals. Updated today, Feb. 8, 2021, at 8:55 p.m. with comment from Jeff Sessions. Updated today, Feb. 8, 2021 at 11:36 a.m. and 1:14 p.m. with additional information throughout. Jazmyn Finney is administered a CCP virus 15-minute rapid test at the student health center on campus at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 3, 2021. (Gerry Broome/AP Photo) Updates on CCP Virus: Mexico Says Expecting Migration Surge in 2021 Due to Virus Mexican officials have said they expect a spike in mass migration this year driven by natural disasters, failed economies, and the negative impact of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Nashieli Ramirez Hernandez, the head of Mexicos human rights commission, said during a press briefing last week that the institution came to the conclusion after closely monitoring conditions in Central and South America, Breitbart first reported. She said they expect a spike in migration in smaller groups, rather than in large caravans, linked to the negative economic impact of the ongoing pandemic. Hernandez also cited reports of an upsurge in human trafficking operations. Burkina Faso Hospitals Struggle With New Wave After managing to avoid a catastrophic initial COVID-19 wave for various reasons, possibly including under-counted figures, the conflict-riddled nation of Burkina Faso, like much of the rest of Africa, is trying to cope with a much deadlier resurgence of the CCP virus. Although Burkina Fasos virus figures are still relatively small compared to those in many parts of the world, officials worry that a general lack of understanding and adherence to basic safeguards will make it hard to rein in transmission, which could overwhelm the countrys already strained health system. Some California Churches Hold Indoor Services Some California churches opened their doors to worshippers after the state revised its guidelines for houses of prayer following a Supreme Court ruling that lifted a ban on indoor services during the pandemic. China Tightens Travel Restrictions As the Lunar New Year approaches, Chinese authorities are tightening restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of the CCP virus. In the northeastern city of Changchun, sources say that local authorities are underreporting the outbreak. Concerns Over Mutations During Chronic Infection A new UK study has raised concerns that the CCP virus has more chance to mutate during chronic infections, and it could mutate to outwit our vaccines, a leader of the study said. UK Wont Introduce Vaccine Passports The UK government will not introduce CCP virus vaccine passports, but people will be able to ask their doctors for proof of vaccination if needed for international travel, Britains vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday. Wuhan Residents Remember Whistleblower Doctor Thousands of Chinese netizens and scores of international rights groups paid tribute to Chinese whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang on Feb. 7, marking the one-year anniversary of his death from the virus that he had sought to warn other doctors about. Isabel van Brugen, Frank Fang, Nicole Hao, Lily Zhou, Alexander Zhang, and The Associated Press contributed to this report [February 08, 2021] Loanpal to Bring Approximately 100+ New Fintech Jobs to Northwest Arkansas BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Loanpal, America's number one point-of-sale payment platform for sustainable home solutions, today announced it will open a new operating center in Northwest Arkansas, bringing more than 100 jobs in financial technology to the region. Loanpal plans to hire local positions in customer operations, partner management, software engineering and data science. In addition, Loanpal will relocate several current employees to Bentonville to help build the company's presence. Loanpal is scheduled to open its new office in the 8th Street Market in early March 2021. "I am inspired to accelerate the growth of our company in Arkansas and look forward to making meaningful contributions in the Heartland," said Hayes Barnard, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Loanpal. "At the heart of our business is a drive to create more mission-driven American jobs that people are proud of, while building technology to connect a world in which we all live more sustainably." Loanpal offers a proprietary point-of-sale platform that equips businesses with the fast and frictionless digital tools they need to deploy sustainable home solutions at scale. The technology provides homeowners with flexible payment options that enable them to achieve everyday savings while updating their homes with modern, efficient technologies such as solar power, battery storage and energy smart heating and cooling. In addition, Loanpal's platform creates an efficient channel for financial institutions to deploy their capital in high-performing environmental, social and governance (ESG) assets. Since 2018, Loanpal has empowered more than 175,000 families to upgrade their homes sustainably with a convenient 'buy now, pay later' solution. Loanpal's platform is accessed by more than 12,000 sales professionals at the point of sale, supporting upwards of 20,000 jobs at partnering home improvement businesses across theUnited States. "One of my first priorities when I came into office as governor was to strengthen our state's workforce in technology and computer science," said Governor Asa Hutchinson. "Today, I am proud of the progress that we have made. Loanpal is a remarkable company, and their decision to locate a facility here in Arkansas is another example of the growth our state continues to see in the fintech industry." "We love to see tech jobs coming to Arkansas, and Loanpal's decision to locate in Northwest Arkansas speaks volumes about the faith they have in our workforce," said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. "These jobs will go a long way in improving economic conditions and quality of life for the region." "The positioning of this new location in the heart of Bentonville strengthens our economy by attracting tech talent and it also increases opportunity for local small businesses," said Graham Cobb, president and CEO of the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce. "We're proud to encourage and support moves like this, which demonstrate that efforts to showcase this 21st Century Community through events like the NWA Technology Summit are paying dividends. Congratulations to Loanpal and to the team working collaboratively to build the next generation of Bentonville." "Our community is constantly growing, and the recruitment of companies, like Loanpal, to our city is a big factor in Bentonville's growth," said Stephanie Orman, Bentonville mayor. "Our city is a wonderful place to live, work and play, and the companies that join us here help to improve that quality of life in our area." About Loanpal Loanpal is the nation's number one point-of-sale payment platform for sustainable home solutions. The company is committed to delivering a technology-enabled 'buy now, pay later' experience that is simple, fast and frictionless. Loanpal's proprietary technology platform is accessed by more than 12,000 sales professionals and has deployed approximately $5.8 billion of capital for solar and other sustainable home improvement products since 2018, empowering more than 175,000 families to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Loanpal is a proud partner of GivePower, a 501c3 corporation, whose mission is to build and deploy solar-powered clean water and energy systems to communities in need around the world. To learn more about Loanpal, visit, follow and connect with us at loanpal.com, @loanpal, and LinkedIn. Contact: Loanpal press@loanpal.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/loanpal-to-bring-approximately-100-new-fintech-jobs-to-northwest-arkansas-301224090.html SOURCE Loanpal [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. [February 07, 2021] Hong Leong Bank Marks First Bank in Malaysia with Store on An E-Commerce Platform KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Leong Bank ("HLB" or the "Bank") announced a new milestone in becoming the first bank in Malaysia to have an e-commerce platform offering, with the launch of its official store on Shopee Mall. This enables customers to sign-up for banking products and services anytime, anywhere without the need to visit physical branches. HLB's official store is part of the Bank's journey in fully providing digital banking solutions to meet the rising digital consumption. Last October, the Bank launched the country's first fully digital account onboarding through mobile app 'Apply@HLB', that leverages on e-Know-Your-Customer ("eKYC") technology. Domenic Fua, Group Managing Director and CEO of HLB said, "The Bank's digital-at-the-core strategy has helped in reimagining banking experiences, leading us to focus on a digital growth trajectory to make banking much more accessible and improve customer experiences. The success of eKYC has set the foundation for us to explore new opportunities in better serving customers on digital-only channels." E-commerce experienced significant growth especially over the last year. Shopee reported a 38 million monthly average visit traffic and is the most visited e-commerce site in Malaysia. Thus, making e-commerce a major growth area for HLB in expanding its digital banking proposition. Charles Sik, HLB's MD of Personal Financial Services said, "Offering banking products on e-commerce is a natural progression for us as customers shift their spending and consumption behaviour online. We are excited to have a presence on this platform where customers can open a HLB account without visiting our other channels. As a start, we are offering bank accounts with other types of banking products coming in the near future." Galvin Yeo, HLB's GM of Personal Financial Services for Deposits & Digital added, "Malaysians have developed a natural proficiency in navigating e-commerce platforms with the shift to digital and mobile-first lifestyles. The banking industry is playing catch up in the digital game considering you can get most essential items online or via e-commerce. With 9 out of 10 new digital consumers intending to continue using digital services post-pandemic, we are excited to reach out and serve customers on e-commerce sites. This will also challenge the Bank to constantly update and innovate our offerings to be exciting and relevant." For more information, please visit the Hong Leong Bank Official Store on Shopee Mall at https://shopee.com.my/hongleongbank.os SOURCE Hong Leong Bank [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Beneficiaries of a federal government monthly survival grant, who work in a hotel in Akwa Ibom State, have been forced to surrender the money for three months to the hotel management. Ten employees of the hotel, Duran Hotels, Uyo, including the hotel CEO, in October, enrolled in the Survival Fund scheme, an initiative of the Nigerian government to support small businesses and help protect jobs during the outbreak of COVID-19. The hotel employees received N30,000 each as a monthly grant from the programme. But as soon as the money hit their bank account, they were instructed by the CEO of the hotel, Anthony Achanya, to withdraw and hand it over to a senior official of the hotel, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The hotel would then give them a lesser amount of the money as salary. Mr Achanya, who did not deny the story, told PREMIUM TIMES that Duran Hotels acted in accordance with an agreement it had with the employees before their enrolment in the scheme. Mr Achanya, himself a registered beneficiary of the grant, said he introduced the scheme to the hotel workers. He said he had informed them that the grant money would be shared to cover other hotel workers who were not able to enroll. We have about 40 workers, said Mr Achanga who said he was only able to secure 10 slots for his hotel. The hotel, prior to the survival programme, was paying each of the employees N15,000 as monthly salary. The salary was increased to N17,000 after the hotel started benefitting from the federal grant. One of the employees, who identified herself simply as Ekanem, remitted only N29,000 to Duran Hotel in the first month. She claimed bank charges chopped off about a thousand naira from the grant. The hotel eventually stopped her December salary and fired her after she refused to remit the grant money for the other two months. Ms Ekanem denied Mr Achangas claim about the existence of an understanding that the grant money was meant to be shared to other employees. Two other employees, however, told PREMIUM TIMES there was such understanding. Mr Achanga said Ms Ekanems salary was stopped because she was unable to recover N26,000 from a customer whom she sold an item to on credit. Six of the employees were consistent in remitting the N30,000 every month, for three months, to the hotel, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, while two of the hotel workers who enrolled for the grant, left the hotels employ before the commencement of the programme. Mr Achanga said a former manager with the hotel, Lizzy John, went away with the grant money and other monies belonging to the hotel. Ms John denied the allegation. ADVERTISEMENT She said she only collated the workers name, their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and other information for enrollment for the grant, and that she resigned from the hotel in October before the first grant money was paid in November. Its a cheap blackmail, she said of the accusation from her former boss whom she said was still owing her N455,000 as unpaid salaries. Duran Hotels is a small hotel located in the heart of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital. Similar extortion is said to have been perpetrated by proprietors of private schools in Akwa Ibom State. A Nursery school teacher also narrated how his employer demanded 20k out of the 30k that was paid by FG and he refused to give it to the proprietress which led to his resignation from the school, a Facebook user, Eyakndu Ubong, said on the social media site. I dont know why some employers are this selfish, he added. The Survival Fund scheme is a component of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo heads a committee which produced the plan and is also overseeing its implementation. N27 billion was released for the implementation of the Survival Fund scheme nationwide, according to a report by ThisDay newspaper. This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19isolated from a patient, emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Credit: NIAID-RML The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine fails to prevent mild and moderate cases of the South African coronavirus strain, researchers said Sunday. The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, which conducted the trial, said in a statement that the vaccine "provides minimal protection against mild-moderate COVID-19 infection" from the variant. But in a full paper due to be published on Monday, AstraZeneca said that none of the 2,000 participants developed serious symptoms. That could mean it will still have an effect on severe disease, although there is not yet enough data to make a definitive judgement. The data, which has not yet undergone peer review, "appear to confirm the theoretical observation that mutations in the virus seen in South Africa will allow ongoing transmission of the virus in vaccinated populations", it said. "Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at low risk." But the vaccine developers in Britain said informally the results offered some hope that the vaccine could prevent deaths from the variant. "We may not be reducing the total number of cases but there is still protection against deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease," said Sarah Gilbert, who led the development of the vaccine with the Oxford Vaccine Group. It could also be "some time" before they determine its effectiveness for older people in fighting the strain, which is a growing presence in Britain, she told BBC television. "We might have to put it together from a number of studies," she said. AstraZeneca later told AFP that "we do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease. "Neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks," added the spokesperson. Researchers are currently working to update the vaccine, and "have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works" that they would "very much like" to be ready for the autumn, she added. UK vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government's strategy to combat the spread of the strain was to continue with its mass vaccination programme "as rapidly as possible" as well as "hyper-local surge testing" where it is detected. Britain is in the midst of a massive vaccination drive, which it sees as its way out of one of the worst outbreaks in the world that has seen more than 112,000 fatalities among those testing positive for the virus. It has so far vaccinated more than 11 million people using either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca shots. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been the source of an ugly row with the European Union, which is angry that the Anglo-Swedish firm was unable to meet the delivery target agreed with Brussels. France, Germany and Switzerland are also among countries to recommend the vaccine not be used for the elderly due to a lack of data. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Washington, D.C., Feb 8, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - In response to the Executive Order titled Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government, the Government Blockchain Association, GBA, is pleased to announce that we are launching the AI for Government Community, led by Mr. Oki Mek, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, (CAIO), for US Health and Human Services, (HHS).Mr. Mek, along with Jose Arrieta, Former CIO at HHS, developed Accelerate, the first blockchain-based program in the Federal government to get an authority-to-operate. This program was purported to save HHS $30 million over five years, according to MeriTalk, 2/11/2020. Mr. Mek's leadership will be instrumental in supporting government's use of Artificial intelligence (AI) for economic growth and improving the quality of life for their citizens.The International Community will meet virtually, the first Monday of each month, from 3-4 PM. On this call, Civil Servants from around the world can discuss best practices and lessons learned regarding government use of AI. Government employees from Tel-Aviv to Hyderabad can sign up discuss their intricate AI challenges.The GBA Artificial Intelligence & Government Community of Interest is open to anyone in government who would like to join the conversation. GBA membership is free for all government employees. If you would like to join this community, please go to the GBA Membership page to register as a free civil servant and then go to the Community of Interest page to join this group.The Government Blockchain Association (GBA) is the largest, most robust, and engaged blockchain association in the world. With over 120 chapters globally and more than 50 working groups, the GBA has thousands of public and private sector blockchain professional members from every continent. GBA members work in over 500 government offices at local, regional, national, and international levels.Source: Platoblockchain https://platoblockchain.net/gba-announces-new-ai-community-for-government/Contact InformationKathy Dache (GBA): kathy.dache@gbaglobal.orgGovernment Blockchain Association: https://www.gbaglobal.org/Kathy Dache is the Events Director of the Government Blockchain Association (GBA). She has over 30 years of training and events experience. She co-founded a blockchain professional networking group in 2016 and helped launch the Government Blockchain Association in 2017. She has conducted extensive research on blockchain and cryptocurrency topics including economic analysis, financial systems, and the impact of cryptocurrency adoption on governments.Source: Government Blockchain Association (GBA)Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. MAULDIN, S.C., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Xcelerate, Inc. (OTC: UDHI) is pleased to announce that Dr. Dilan Ellegala has accepted an invitation to join its Advisory Board, effective immediately. A University of Virginia trained neurosurgeon and former Harvard Clinical Instructor, Dr. Ellegala is an academician, medical inventor, and entrepreneur, with in-depth knowledge of med-tech commercialization. Dr. Ellegala has been at the forefront of clinical care and medical technology development for two decades. An honors graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, he served academic leadership roles as Director of Neurotrauma and Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery at major universities, a founding Dean for Global Health, and has had collaborations with the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at MIT/Harvard, Clemson Bioengineering, and private industry. He has authored over 50 peer reviewed research publications and holds multiple patent claims in ultrasound technology. Dr. Ellegala has successfully commercialized medical technology and applied it to advance clinical care. He has founded several successful medical companies including Sonospine LLC, a pioneer in ultrasonic spine surgery, and a virtual health company recently acquired by AdviNOW, LLC which applies artificial intelligence to healthcare. Dr. Ellegala has received numerous academic and clinical honors and has been consistently recognized for his excellence in patient care. In addition to his pioneering work in the US, he is a testament to the transformational power of teaching and the ever-present potential for change in the world, as demonstrated through his training of health care workers in remote Tanzania to perform brain and spine surgery. His groundbreaking work in global medical education is documented in the book, "A Surgeon in the Village: An American Doctor Teaches Brain Surgery in Africa", which was written by Pulitzer-nominated journalist Tony Bartleme. NBC's Tom Brokaw described the work as "A lyrical, inspirational and altogether rewarding account of first- and third-world surgeons working together to perform neurosurgery miracles in the heart of Africa." "This is truly a great day for Xcelerate," said Michael O'Shea, Xcelerate's CEO. "Adding a world class surgeon and medical technology innovator with incredible business savvy and people skills to our Advisory Board is exactly what we've been seeking to transition to our next phase of business development. Dr. Ellegala is a true humanitarian who is blessed with an abundance of innate goodness. I am honored to have him join our team and look forward to utilizing all of his extraordinary talents and abilities to aide us in our ongoing acquisition and product development efforts." To interview either Dr. Ellegala or O'Shea, contact Dilara Tuncer at 941-549-3571; [email protected]. SAFE HARBOR This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the Company's financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the Company's financial condition or results of operations; (iii) the Company's growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Media Contact: Dilara Tuncer 941-549-3571; [email protected]. SOURCE Xcelerate, Inc. The New Orleans Police Department deployed teargas on a crowd of protesters so quickly on June 3 that several officers didnt have time to don masks. Some cops on the front line had only had their first training on riot control that day. Meanwhile, the top commander on duty wasnt consulted before gas went flying, sparking panic in the crowd that night and a debate in the ensuing weeks over NOPD tactics. Those details are contained in an internal report obtained recently through a public records request. Over 305 pages, the NOPD report probes what Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson acknowledged in December were failures during the response to one of the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd under a policemans knee in Minneapolis. Ferguson says the NOPD has since instituted reforms, including a written policy for civil disturbances, but the June 3 melee on the bridge put into question a reputation for crowd control honed over decades of managing Carnival. Police had bolstered that reputation the night before, when hundreds of demonstrators against police brutality took to the elevated Interstate 10 Claiborne Avenue Expressway and blocked traffic. A faceoff was defused when Deputy Chief John Thomas and other police officers agreed to take a knee. On June 3, the police had information that protesters would again try to take one of the elevated interstates ringing downtown New Orleans, according to a statement given by a commander on duty that night, 1st District Captain LeJon Roberts. As protesters weaved through the streets of the Central Business District and Uptown New Orleans, it first appeared as if the night would pass without confrontation, according to officer accounts in the report by Public Integrity Bureau Sgt. David Barnes. Then came a tactical blunder. A "major catalyst" for the situation escalating that night was the failure of police to stop protesters from entering the expressway at the wrong point, Barnes said. Police had hoped the crowd would enter the roadway at a point where they could be steered off with ease. But the demonstrators quickly slipped past a handful of police cars stationed at the Camp Street onramp. From there, the only ways the protesters could move were down the Tchoupitoulas Street onramp or over the Crescent City Connection to the west bank. Police were using the Tchoupitoulas onramp as their own escape and supply route. Meanwhile, they worried that allowing protesters over the bridge would cut off Algiers from emergency services, according to the internal report. Roberts told Barnes that he worried about letting a hostile crowd cross the bridge. There was another factor at play. The first exit on the west bank would put protesters nearly into Gretna in Jefferson Parish, and Roberts did not want to allow the protest to leave into another jurisdiction. So officers on the scene decided to form a skirmish line and force protesters back in the same direction from which they came. The results were chaotic. Roberts wasnt able to come to terms with what he and other officers described as agitators at the front of the march. Protesters at the front started to hit the officers shields and break through the line, he said. Throughout the confrontation, Special Operations Division Capt. Brian Lampard and tactical officers were stationed in reserve. Thomas was the highest-ranking officer on duty that night, but he was coordinating protest response from the citys Real-Time Crime Information Center on North Rampart Street. Lampard didnt consult Thomas before giving the order to deploy teargas, according to their statements. Gas, gas, gas! Lampard shouted. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The chemical cloud spread so quickly that it even caught NOPD officers on the front line off guard. At least one officer was led back to paramedics coughing and gasping for air, according to the report. Lampard claimed that the crowd had been warned. But several protesters told Barnes they never heard any specific warning about gas. I was in the middle of the crowd. We were sitting, milling about, singing songs, and chanting. We were unable to see what was happening near the front of the crowd, one woman wrote in a typical complaint. It was sheer luck that no one died. Police conveyed general commands to halt via protest leaders, Barnes said. But he said there were no indication warnings were given by police prior to the first deployment of gas. Gas wasnt the only weapon used that night. Officers also fired rubber impact rounds at people in the crowd. Ferguson initially claimed only gas had been used then had to reverse course when protesters came forward with evidence to the contrary. Lampard claimed he had no idea that the rounds had been used. The sergeant in charge of the NOPDs grenadier team was recorded on a body-worn camera stating that an officer "was stingin' em," an apparent reference to Stinger .60 caliber rubber ball rounds. That sergeant later claimed that he didn't receive confirmation that the rubber balls were used on the night of June 3, because he didn't get a chance to formally debrief his team until the next day. He said that was because the officers were covered in gas and past the end of their shifts and there was no available overtime. Fergusons about-face generated lingering distrust and further anger over the forces handling of the protest. The New Orleans City Council in September passed an ordinance limiting the use of tear gas and other riot control agents. Inside the NOPD, officials have created a new policy for civil disturbances. Ferguson has touted it as the solution to many of the concerns raised by the June 3 melee, but the policy doesnt create new requirements for reporting the use of less lethal weapons like tear gas or rubber balls. The policy also doesnt change one practice in place on the night of June 3: Its still up to tactical supervisors like Lampard whether to deploy less lethal weapons on crowds. The department is in the process of reviewing new policies that would require officers to write specific reports when they launch tear gas or rubber balls during protests, Barnes said in his report, which was approved by a supervisor on Dec. 23. The NOPD didnt respond to a request for comment on whether and when those policies will be implemented. While Ferguson has called the night of June 3 an unfortunate incident, he hasn't faulted officers for deploying tear gas. That has prompted critics of the department to dismiss his statements as a half-apology. Top commanders within the department agree with Ferguson, according to their statements in the Public Integrity Bureau report. They said agitators left officers with no choice to use gas by trying to force their way through. When asked to weigh the benefits and the risks, Captain Lampard replied that there were approximately 2,000 protesters and less than 100 officers, Barnes wrote in his report. The protesters were throwing things at officers and were not content with merely passing by. Protesters statements to investigators placed the blame squarely on police, however. Several recalled seeing senior citizens and children on the bridge. Bilal Ali-Bey, who was hit with a projectile, told Barnes he couldnt understand why the NOPD didnt let the protesters cross the bridge. Mr. Ali-Bey stated the incident was a battle that people were not looking for and no one was prepared for, Barnes wrote. No one expected the turn of events. Financial losses at the UK's top 100 restaurant chains are expected to get worse after more than doubling last year, according to new findings. Accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young said the groups' losses soared from 269million in the year to March 2020 to 571million last year after strict Covid-19 restrictions caused widespread reductions to their footfall. It adds that restaurant businesses are likely to experience many more restructurings in the coming months - especially through Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA) - to allow them to continue operating. UHY Hacker Young's Peter Kubik: 'The hospitality industry is on a knife edge its survival is largely dependent on people feeling safe and returning to restaurants' UK restaurants, as well as pubs and bars, have been among the venues worst hit by the pandemic despite the considerable financial buffer provided by programmes like the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. Closures and job cuts have mounted as a consequence, including at major chains like Byron Burger, Carluccio's, Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia. Peter Kubik of UHY Hacker Young said his firm's figures 'reveal how seriously the UK restaurant industry was already struggling pre-pandemic. The most worrying part is the restaurants will be still having to absorb the impacts of lockdowns for weeks or months to come.' Losses at the top 100 UK restaurant chains soared from 269million in the year to March 2020 to 571million last year, according to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young He added: 'The hospitality industry is on a knife edge its survival is largely dependent on people feeling safe and returning to restaurants, which could be potentially months away.' UHY Hacker Young's warning comes a week after the chief executive of trade body UKHospitality warned that her sector was 'battling for survival,' and needed further economic support. Kate Nicholls called for a 5 per cent VAT cut to be extended along with an extra business rates holiday to help the industry through the next year. The chief executive of trade body UKHospitality warned last week that her sector was 'battling for survival,' and needed further economic support like the extension of the VAT cut 'Our sector has been the hardest hit sector by the pandemic and is staring into the abyss,' commented Nicholls. 'But if the right conditions and support are put in place, we could be justifiably optimistic of the future role hospitality can play in returning the country to growth and boosting employment.' She added: 'Extending these measures would act as a critical revival system saving many jobs and setting up the economy for much need job creation for the rest of the year.' About 660,000 jobs were lost in the UK hospitality industry during 2020, while the number of employees fell by over a quarter between December 2019 and the end of 2020, according to recent figures from technology business Fourth. Frankie & Benny's owner The Restaurant Group was already closing sites before the pandemic. In the month before lockdown began, it announced the potential closure of 90 more venues The pub trade saw the smallest drop in its workforce of only 22 per cent, but the restaurants, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), and hotel industries all lost at least 30 per cent of their employees. Even before Covid-19 restrictions were implemented though, market oversaturation, Brexit uncertainty, and declining consumer spending at mid-market dining chains like Jamie's Italian, were causing problems for the restaurant sector. The number of restaurant insolvencies climbed by a quarter in the 12 months to June 2019 after already increasing in the previous three years, separate research from UHY Hacker Young found. Frankie & Benny's owner The Restaurant Group was among the restaurant firms that were closing sites before the pandemic. In the month before lockdown began, it announced the potential closure of 90 more venues. Meanwhile, Pizza Express revealed in January that it made losses of 350million in 2019. Two months before that, the group said it had agreed to a restructuring of its debts, which totalled 1.1billion. Bosses within the hospitality industry have urged the government to appoint a 'Minister for Hospitality' to try and fight for the sector, which employs about 2.4 million people and contributed nearly 60billion to the UK economy in 2019. A petition organised by the Seat at The Table campaign on such a proposal attracted over 200,000 signatures and received a debate in parliament, but no such position within government has yet been created. ADVERTISEMENT The Ondo State Security Network also known as Operation Amotekun has announced the arrest of persons involved in illegal gold mining activities in the state. The suspects, according to the commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, were arrested at different locations in Owo forest reserves on Sunday. He gave the names of those arrested as Shuaibu Yahaya, Habbi Usman, Kabiru Waheed, Mohammed Nurudeen, Mohammed Sulaman, Ali Mustapha, Ismaila Wahab, Musa Zeehed, Gabbar Musa, Sule Adamu, Abba Suleman, Usman Kabiru, Yahaya Danladi and Usman Ali Zekeri. The Amotekun official told journalists in Akure, Ondo State, on Sunday that the suspects were arrested while operatives were enforcing the order given by Governor Rotimi Makinde that all illegal occupiers of forests reserved should vacate. The arrest took place at a forest reserve in Owo. We discovered the illegal mining locations in the course of our usual exercise, he said. We noticed that they have gone far in 50 different locations where they were mining. Nobody would have believed that Ondo state has this quality of gold until we got to the locations where the gold robbers were living and performing illegal mining. Beyond the arrest, the culprits will be prosecuted. When questioned about their illegal operations, one of the illegal miners, Mr Shuaibu, who hails from Kebbi State, narrated his journey into the illegal mining world. I have been performing the act since 2019. I came looking for a job and I was introduced by one of our leaders who is at large. He brought me to Ondo State for this job because I wanted to make some money. After digging very dip, we got the black gold and we separated the sand from the gold with a flat sieve with a rug. The rug will do the separation as we pour the sand on it. I am the second-best in getting the gold as it is a very high-quality gold. We only get it out and send back home to our boss (names withheld) who sell them and later pay us. The gold in the land is of very high-quality gold. Mostly we get 25 carats, 20 carats sometimes we get 15 carats gold. And we make good money. In addition, Mr Adeleye announced the arrest of five suspected armed robbers who were said to be operating along the Benin-Owo road. We also nabbed five armed robbery suspects who were operating along Benin -Akure road. And most times, it is early morning they strike. We worked on intelligence and sold a dummy to them and they were traced to Delta State where they were apprehended, he said. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images By now, you have either seen, or at least heard about, Oatlys first U.S. television commercial, a shoddily produced spot, in the companys words, that features CEO Toni Petersson and an electric keyboard, in a field of oats that looks it could be the default wallpaper of a Dell computer you bought in 1998. Petersson, eyes closed in musical ecstasy, sings, Its like milk, but made for humans, before launching into the chorus: Wow/ wow/ no cow/ no, no, no. It is not good. Charitably, we will say that it is Dylan-esque. It goes on for 30 seconds. It was also, you should know, produced in 2014, and ruled illegal in Oatlys native Sweden, in part because of the phrase its like milk, but made for humans. Running the ad now, Oatly says, is the companys way of saying hello to the millions of Americans that dont know our brand just yet and may not realize that Oatly is an easy way to help take on the climate crisis. Oatly, being Oatly, anticipated that you might not enjoy Peterssons musical stylings, which had apparently not gone over well in Finland. The company was already prepared with free T-shirts that said I Totally Hated That Oatly Commercial. They are infuriating. They are insipid. They are, as of this morning, obviously sold out. When Oatly launched in this country in 2016, its cheeky self-awareness was, arguably, charming. Its ads offered meta-commentary on the nature of advertising (They will stick an ad for oat milk anywhere these days; You actually read this? Total success.), and even if they were trying too hard Oatly has always been thirsty they were easy to overlook because oat milk was a welcome addition to the pantheon of milk alternatives. When people tried it, they lost their minds. Now, Oatly is everywhere, all the time, and its ubiquitous ads are no longer novel. They also do not reflect the companys current multinational reality. Oatly signed a $200 million deal with Blackstone this summer and is now mulling over a potential $10 billion IPO. Perhaps in 2014, Oatly had no choice but to send its CEO and a keyboard to sit in a Swedish oat field after a gentle summer rain, but an Oatly ad produced in 2021 would more likely take place in a boardroom, or possibly in New Jersey. This would all be much easier to handle if Oatly made a bad product, but the problem is, Oatlys faux milk is good. In coffee, which is the most important place for milk, it is decadently creamy, even according to people who can, and do, consume actual cream. Oatly milk is just sweet enough, and in cereal, it is exceptional, probably because it is, in some sense, also made of cereal. (This could be redundant, but it is complementary.) It is better than cow milk anything is better than cow milk but even taken on its own terms, Oatly reminds me of the Swedish childhood I did not have. Oatly knows all this! That is what is so infuriating. Oatly understands that its fake-quirky advertising is annoying. That its world-saving brand ethos We sell oatmilk [sic] but were really a sustainability company is transparently grandiose. That the very phrase oat milk is unpleasant to read or see. But Oatly remains an early standout in the alt-milk scene, and it is, in this opinion of this alt-milk drinker good in spite of itself. Oatly is smugly and self-consciously not good at making ads, but the company is nevertheless extremely and authentically very good at milking oats. Eat like the experts. Sign up for the Grub Street newsletter. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The present COVID-19 crisis has not only challenged the society and economy across the globe but it has also forced us to revisit the history of epidemics. In this context, the first historical account of an epidemic is found in Thucydides History of Peloponnesian War where he discussed about the plague of Athens which had struck the city during the period between 430 and 426 BCE. At the time of outbreak of plague, Athens was engaged in Peloponnesian War against the rival city state of Sparta. Thucydides, who had himself suffered and survived the plague and was also fighting war on Athenian side, wrote a detailed account of the sociological and psychological impact of the plague. As per the description of Thucydides, the disease affected every part of the human body. People in perfect health suddenly began to have burning feelings in the head and their eyes became red and inflamed. Inside the mouth there was bleeding from the throat and tongue, and the breath became unnatural and unpleasant. The next symptoms were sneezing and hoarseness of voice, and pain in chest accompanied by coughing. Subsequently, the stomach was affected with ache and the vomiting of every kind of bile. Inside body people felt the burning sensation and could not bear the touch of the lightest linen clothing. They wanted to be completely naked and liked to plunge into cold water. The residents of the city believed that the epidemic was the result of divine curse. They also supposed that the rival Peloponnesians had poisoned the reservoirs. However, Thucydides refuted these illogical observations and highlighted that the nature of disease was contagious which firstly appeared in Ethiopia and transmitted to Athens via Egypt, Libya and Persian Empire. The city of Athens was badly affected as its leader, Pericles, responded to the Spartan siege by moving people into city from the countryside that allowed the disease to spread easily in an overcrowded place. Thucydides observed that there was no recognised method of treatment, what did work in some cases did harm in others. At the beginning doctors were quite incapable of treating the disease because of their ignorance of the right methods. In fact, mortality among the doctors was the highest of all, since they came more frequently in contact with the sick. Overall, one third of total population died in this epidemic. Dead bodies were lying about unburied and the birds and animals that used to eat human flesh did not come near them. There was a complete disappearance of all birds of prey which meant that they too had died after tasting the flesh. Amidst this description of the epidemic, Thucydides also highlighted about the despair into which people fell after realising that they had caught the plague. The patients immediately adopted an attitude of utter hopelessness and lost their power of resistance. Collapse of Athenian morality was also observed by the Greek historian. The catastrophe was so overwhelming that men, not knowing what would happen next to them, became indifferent to every rule of religion and of law. Athenians gave up the usual practice of making laments for the dead. In the words of Thucydides many people, lacking the necessary means of burial because so many deaths had already occurred in their households, adopted the most shameless methods. They would arrive first at a funeral pyre that had been made by others, put their own dead upon it and set it alight; or, finding another pyre burning, they would throw the corpse that they were carrying on top of the other one and go away. People were afraid to visit others house. However, those who recovered from plague developed the immunity and took care of the sick patients. They were congratulated on all sides and felt so elated. The recovered patients fondly imagined that they could never die of any other disease in the future. In the long run, Athenians started to lose their political power due to the disastrous impact of the epidemic. The General of the city, Pericles, died because of the plague and finally Athens lost the Peloponnesian War in 404 BCE. The victory of Sparta led to a new chapter in the development of Greek civilisation. The historical account of plague by Thucydides, written about 2500 years from now, worked as a learning experience for the human civilization thereafter. Thucydides, who objectively wrote the sociological and psychological aspect of plague and Peloponnesian War, was later considered as the father of scientific history in the Western historiography. Gautam Chandra, Department of History, B. R. A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur. Mumbai: Mumbai Police have arrested a 19- year-old man from Haryana for allegedly posting a tweet about bomb blasts at some multiplexes in the city which later turned out to be a hoax, a police official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Banwari Singh, had also tagged the Mumbai Police and their commissioner in his tweet posted on January 22, he said. Arrest The man, in his post from a Twitter handle named 'Commando Singh', said explosions would take place in seven multiplexes where Hindi film "Madam Chief Minister" was screened in suburban Malad and Andheri, and Vasai in neighbouring Palghar district. After the police came to know about the message, they carried out checks at various multiplexes and later declared it as a hoax tweet, the official said. In the meantime, the accused deleted the tweet. Case registered The police here registered a case and their cyber cell started a search for the accused, who was nabbed from Haryana last week, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Rashmi Karandikar said. The police also seized a mobile phone from which the accused had tweeted the message, another official said. The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, he added. Suna East MP Junet Mohamed has publicly apologized to persons living with albinism in the wake of his controversial comments on Saturday. But he's stopped short of saying sorry to nominated senator Isaac Mawura, whom he says his comments were directed to. "I want to apologize to people born with albinism. My comments in no way reflect my opinions of them as upstanding citizens of our county. My comments were directed at the rotten character of Isaac Mwaura who exploits his disability for personal gain and incitement of violence," said Mohamed, considered a close ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga. Mohamed angered a section of Kenyans on social media after talking ill of Mwaura's Albinism. Speaking at a political rally in Turkana, Mohammed suggested Mwaura had 'bleached' his skin to get nominated to parliament. "It seems he bleached himself so he could secure himself nomination to the National Assembly first through the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), then Jubilee and now he has decamped to the Wheelbarrow movement," said Junet. Kenyans have meanwhile condemned Mohammed's sentiments. Junet has literally stoop too low to an extent of insulting Isaac Mwaura in reference to his skin. What he said is disrespectful and he should apologize immediately. It's not even funny. There is a line that you don't cross no matter what side of the political divide you are. - BRAVIN YURI (@BravinYuri) February 6, 2021 No 1 is asking u to be sympathetic to the person of Mwaura. He is a politician & he should get as much as he gives. That does not, however, give Junet, u or anyone else to use a condition millions suffer from as the weapon of attack. It is pathetic & justifying it is also UNCOUTH https://t.co/mJD6gHCmQX - Mohamed Wehliye (@WehliyeMohamed) February 6, 2021 Isaac Mwaura never chose to be born albino so for @JunetMohamed to insult and body shame him was beyond politics. I know Junet still have young family and you don't know what God can do. Watch your tongue. Mungu huwa halali. - Chebet (@KiruiChebet8) February 6, 2021 Junet stooped too low by ridiculing PWDs... ..not 1 but all of them. His fellow intellectual/blogging activists are abetting his actions. My party ODM & it's leader will never recover from this hit, similar to the ridicule of the clergy. Reward is coming in 2022. https://t.co/JPOZUYhLtY - Josphat Koli Nanok (@GovernorNanok) February 6, 2021 Others however did not see anything wrong with what Junet said. Hon. Junet said of Isaac Mwaura what Mwaura himself says of himself. It is not Junet who nicknamed Mwaura "muthungu wa Ruiru". It's Mwaura himself who nicknamed himself so. Hon. Junet then said "muthungu" only wants a third nomination. And it was in jest. 1/ Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. - Nyanza Man (@Disembe) February 6, 2021 William Ruto has been and still insults Raila Odinga everyday, calling him " Mganga"; Nobody ever condemned him. Junet only questioned Mwaura's capability of organising goons despite his situation; Leave Junet alone. - Lillian London (@lillian_owinga) February 6, 2021 Just watched Junet utterance about Mwaura.Politicians always want to outdo each other on the podium. Mwaura being a politician provoked a reaction but he didn't know it would come in what form. In politics there is no mercy.Junet just picked up the line without mercy. Pole Mwaura - Josh Oluga (@Josholuga) February 6, 2021 The National Commission and Integration Commission has condemned the utterances Junet. The commission further said it will take action against the Suna East MP. "The National Commission and Integration Commission condemns these utterances by Hon Junet Mohamed making fun of Hon Isaac Mwaura's disability. Such utterances are demeaning to persons living with disability, if left unattended it may trigger division between persons of different colors. The Commission is considering the matter with the view of taking appropriate action," the commission tweeted. A 35-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged offensive message posted on Twitter about Captain Sir Tom Moore. Sir Tom, who captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown, died in Bedford Hospital last Tuesday morning after testing positive for Covid-19. The Second World War veterans family said the last year of the 100-year-olds life was nothing short of remarkable and that he had experienced things hed only ever dreamed of. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: On Friday 5 February 2021, we received a report of an offensive tweet about Sir Captain Tom Moore who died on Tuesday 2 February. A 35-year-old man has subsequently been arrested and charged in connection with communication offences and is due to appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on Wednesday 17 February. Ms. Brown has brought her followers along with her through several attempts to get rid of this forever ponytail, as she described it on Instagram. In a second video, Ms. Brown demonstrated an attempt to wash it out: She filled her palm with a generous amount of shampoo, slathered it over her head and rubbed furiously. She wiped off the suds, which did not appear to have penetrated the glue layer, and seemed to be close to tears. She later posted on Instagram that a combination of tea tree oil and coconut oil that she left on her head overnight was an epic fail. This is the life Im living at this moment, she said in the video. This is the life that I guess Im going to have to live. Ms. Brown did not respond to interview requests on Sunday. Some users suggested natural remedies, many involving apple cider vinegar or various rubbing alcohol or acetone concoctions. A woman who identified herself as a licensed stylist suggested applying glycerin to her hair, letting it sit about 30 minutes and then massaging it to loosen the glue. We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair, Gorilla Glue said in a statement on Sunday. It called what happened a unique situation because the product was not intended to be used in or on hair because it is considered permanent. YEREVAN. A picket was held in front of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia, and demanding the release of Vahan Badasyan, Chairman of the United Armenia party of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and a Karabakh war veteran. Artur Grigoryan, one of the demonstrators, said in his speech that their protest was not political, but only a step to save the life of their freedom fighter friend. Political scientist Ara Papyan, in turn, added: "Yes, Mr. Badasyan said a thought; but many people have said such thoughts. There is a nuance of political persecution here. If you perceive it as a threat, it must be clearly defined what possibility that word had to be fulfilled." And Pavlik Manukyana released member of the Sasna Tsrer armed group which had taken over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan, held hostages, but later surrendered in July 2016noted: "The criminals have arrested a national hero because he said [PM] Nikol Pashinyan should be destroyed. I, too, will destroy [Pashinyan]. There are thousands like me. Its all the same; Nikol's end is being destroyed. Are you listening, police officers? Also, Manukyan expressed confidence that the real reason for Vahan Badasyan's arrest was that the Military Council of Armenian Liberation Warand consisting of honest Karabakh war veteranswas being formed in Armenia, and Badasyan is also its member. On January 28, Vahan Badasyan had told reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan that Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan should step down. "If he does not leave [power], then we will eliminate [him] physically, with weapons. I will start organizing." After that, he was arrested by the National Security Service of Armenia. Badasyan has been charged under the Criminal Code article on making public calls for seizing power, violating territorial integrity, or the forcible overthrow of the constitutional order. CROMWELL A local seventh-grader gas become a voice of hope for one Connecticuts U.S. senators, and a source of pride for the towns school district. Cole Leavitt was a winner in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest sponsored by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy. Coles essay was chosen from nearly 2,800 submissions statewide, school officials said. In all, 15 students from elementary, middle and high schools across the state were recognized for their essays in what is now the fifth year of Murphys annual essay contest. Three students were chosen from each of the states five congressional districts. The intent of the contest is to reflect upon Dr. Kings dream and their own aspirations, Murphy said in announcing the winners. 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 added. The essays submitted by students across Connecticut continue to give me hope, he said. 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. Cole is the son of Jason and Jennifer Leavitt. Lisa Hicks, administrative assistant to Superintendent of Schools Enza Macri, said Coles selection was amazing news. Hicks described Coles essay as quite an accomplishment. We celebrated Cole at the last Board of Education meeting, she added, noting that Cole was very excited. Following is Coles winning essay: When I reflect on MLKs famous I Have a Dream Speech, I initially thought how far the society of the U.S. has come. As I sit in my seventh-grade classroom, I notice how diverse the students are. No longer are there classrooms for white students and classrooms for Black students. Students of all colors are welcomed into the same school and the same classrooms. There no longer is slavery, but as a nation in 2008, the first Black president in the USA was elected. This must be something MLK could not even have imagined back in 1963. If I have learned nothing from the year 2020, I learned that in the U.S. there are still problems surrounding the topic of race. While we have come so far, there is still far to go. The Black Lives Matter movement and the reason the saying Black lives matter does not mean that white lives matter less. Right now, Black lives are facing an injustice that many white people find hard to understand because it is not something that affects them every day. I do not have to walk down the street with my hood on and worry about a police officer stopping me. I dont understand how that feels, but it affects me. I will never forget when I saw a police officer on TV kneel on George Floyds neck and kill him. Until we live in a world where everyone is truly treated equally regardless of the color of their skin, those words MLK spoke at the Lincoln Memorial hold the same meaning today, as they did then: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. jmill@middletownpress.com Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain likely. High 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low near 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Good morning, Bay Area. Its Monday, Feb. 8, and the pandemic has scrambled plans to resuscitate Bay Area shopping malls. Heres what you need to know to start your day. After a year of living with the pandemic, we know more about the coronavirus than ever before. But we still dont know what comes next. Public health experts have said for weeks that the U.S., in a race against variants, must vaccinate as many people as possible before new mutations of the coronavirus cause more widespread disease or make the vaccines less effective. That race is getting tighter. The chance for another surge in California is real, the states top health official, Dr. Mark Ghaly, said last week. Meanwhile, numbers are declining in California, but thousands still test positive every day. San Francisco has begun to reopen, but only partly, hardly enough to cover many businesses bottom lines. The road back to normality will be long and what shape that road will take is anyones guess. Read more on our live updates blog and our vaccine tracker. San Francisco school district and unions reach tentative deal to reopen classrooms. Contra Costa district attorney hosted wedding party as county battled summer surge. Extra vaccine doses given to lucky few outside San Pablo clinic, regardless of age. Bay Area religious leaders have mixed reactions to Supreme Court affirmation of indoor worship. Reopened Bay Area spas and salons tailoring their spaces to new pandemic reality. Keeping romance alive: How to enjoy Valentines Day during the pandemic. Around the Bay Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Retail revivals in limbo: Bay Areas malls-to-housing dreams held up by pandemic. Map: See which Bay Area malls are getting overhauls. A tsunami of exclusion: Language barriers stymie jobless Californians seeking EDD benefits. Housing impasse: A 300-unit complex sits vacant in Fairfield. Why? Air Force wont turn the water on. A giant in our community: George Shultz, who was President Ronald Reagans secretary of state, dies at 100. Reaction: Bay Area, California leaders recall Shultzs long legacy of service. From columnist Justin Phillips: Lets have real talk about race and inequality in the Bay Area. Shutdown by state: Hemp farmworkers in Half Moon Bay say they havent been paid for seven weeks. Chronicle Food Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle 2017 The first Chinese restaurants in the United States opened in San Francisco to cater to Chinese gold miners and workers in the mid-1800s. Now, in the Bay Areas Chinese neighborhoods, old-school chop suey houses exist side by side with farm-to-table restaurants. In a time when xenophobia and pandemic-era stereotypes have heightened the coronavirus economic impact on Chinese communities, its important to remember that the Bay Areas Chinese restaurants are an essential aspect of what makes the local food scene so great. To experience the best of Chinese food and drink, heres restaurant critic Soleil Hos list of places you shouldnt miss updated this month with more favorites. Where to order Lunar New Year specials at Bay Area restaurants, including dumplings and poon choi. Arts Cafe and its Samurai omelet live on as diner reopens in the Sunset District. Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com, anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com, and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Ballard Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest By West Kentucky Star Staff BALLARD COUNTY - A traffic stop Saturday in Ballard County led to a man's arrest on multiple drug charges.The Ballard County Sheriff's Office said deputies stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. Upon contact with the driver, 25-year-old Jaylen Vinson of Dongola, IL, deputies said there was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.During a search of the vehicle, deputies reportedly found baggies of marijuana, baggies used for packaging, and a large amount of cash believed to be proceeds of illegal drug sales. Deputies said there was also a juvenile in the vehicle who was found in possession of marijuana.Vinson was arrested and taken to the Ballard County Detention Center. He's charged with trafficking marijuana, unlawful transaction with a minor, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, careless driving, expired driver's license and license to be in possession. Cong leaders shower praises on Azad, say he has major role to play in coming months Atleast he doesn't hide his reality: Ghulam Nabi Azad praises PM for being frank about his past as tea-seller PM praises Azad in Parliament, adds 'G-23' taunt at Congress India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday heaped praise on veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad while taking a swipe at the grand old party's ongoing internal tension and the letter controversy. In his reply in the Rajya Sabha to a debate on the President's Budget session speech, PM Modi said the Congress veteran always speaks decently and never uses foul language. "Ghulam Nabi ji always speaks decently, never uses foul language. We should learn this from him, I respect him for it. He praised elections held in J&K, but I am concerned. I believe your party will take it in right spirit and not make the mistake of doing the opposite by taking it as the view of the G-23," the Prime Minister remarked. PM Modi quotes Manmohan Singh to blunt Opposition offensive on farm laws The 'G-23' reference was about the 23 senior leaders of the grand old party who had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, asking her for leadership change in the party. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Azad, part of the group of 23 leaders who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 seeking radical organisational overhaul. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 13:52 [IST] While breathing issues and weakness are some of the common post-coronavirus complications observed in patients, doctors in Mumbai have noticed a rare fungal infection, named as Mucormycosis in several patients. This fungal infection most commonly affects sinuses or lungs after inhaling fungal spores from the air, or the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, burn, or other types of skin injury. According to doctors, Mucormycosis causes blindness, organ dysfunction, loss of body tissue, and even death, if not treated in time. In a report in Hindustan Times, the doctors told the daily that there is a gradual surge in Mucormycosis across Mumbai. For instance, a patient named Shaila Sonar, a resident of Dhule was diagnosed with coronavirus on August 1. After a few months of recovery, she complained of pain in her mouth and developed swelling. By December, her conditions deteriorated, and then she got admitted to Global Hospital, Parel, on December 1. It was found, Sonar had Sinonasal Mucormycosis and surgery was the only option left. The daily, citing Dr Milind Navalakhe, a senior consultant ENT surgeon at the hospital, informed that the fungal infection had spread inside her mouth which infected her palate. "To stop the spread of the infection, we had to partially remove the palate. Otherwise, it could have reached her brain and proved to be fatal," the doctor added. The fungal infection disfigured Sonar's face and now she will require plastic surgery. Another doctor, Dr Amol Patil, senior consultant, ENT, at Nanavati Hospital removed the eye of a 30-year-old patient to remove the fungus that had infected his sinus. Later, doctors implanted the eye back. Mucormycosis is more common among people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body's ability to fight germs and sickness. Dr Navalakhe added that in the past three months, around 50 recovered with low immunity, and conditions such as diabetes have been detected with the fungal infection. A patient suffering from Mucormycosis has similar symptoms like cold or nasal block. According to doctors, initially, blackish discoloration on the inside of the nose and palate is seen. Therefore, it gets unnoticed to an advanced stage. And when the patients seek medical attention, it is already in the advanced stage called sinonasal mucormycosis. Looking at the rising number of this rare fungal infection cases in Mumbai, the Global Hospital has now launched city's first Mucormycosis clinic for early diagnosis of the disease. Also read: 'Foreign Destructive Ideology': PM Modi says beware of this FDI Also read: Privatisation spree: Govt may bring down number of PSUs to around 24 New Delhi, Feb 9 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan stated on Monday that there has been no causal connection between the deaths occurred after vaccination and the vaccines utilised under Covid immunisation programme. "There have been a few deaths reported of those who have received vaccines. However, it has not been established that their cause of death is a vaccine. I would like to appeal to everyone that the vaccines are safe," he said while interacting with reporters during an event. Harsh Vardhan also stated that the share of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) stands at 0.000312 per cent of the total vaccination. "More than 60 lakh people have received the vaccine doses so far and if we calculate the share of minor side effects that occurred post inoculation, it would come around 0.000312 per cent," he said. "If anyone still has a doubt over the safety and efficacy of vaccines, then they should do away with it," he suggested. The Minister was speaking at the event organised at Rajgarhia Vishram Sadan at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he had come to distribute blankets to the occupants. The programme was organised by Indian Red Cross Society where Harsh Vardhan himself is a chairperson. Meanwhile, he also reiterated his response in Parliament where he informed that in the third phase of the vaccination drive, the most vulnerable age group of people in the country -- those aged above 50 -- will get the first jab in March. "The vaccination for the third section of the priority groups -- people aged 50 and above -- will start in any week of March," the Minister said. The Health Minister also informed that seven more vaccines are under the pipeline while two are being used in Covid immunisation programme. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Donald Trumps lawyer, Bruce Castor, who is going to lead his defence during the impeachment trial on Monday, has said that he is planning to show videos of Democrats allegedly cheering on protestors during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) rallies in 2020, to bolster his defence. Mr Castor, who is the former acting attorney general of Pennsylvania, said: theres a lot of tape of cities burning and courthouses being attacked and federal agents being assaulted by rioters in the streets, cheered on by Democrats throughout the country. He emphasised that many of these (videos) shot in Washington are using really the most inflammatory rhetoric possible to use but there would be no suggestion that they did anything to incite any of the actions, reported Fox News. But here, when you have the president of the United States give a speech and says that you should peacefully make your thinking known to the people in Congress, he's all of a sudden a villain, said Mr Castor while acknowledging that he may use such videos. After the 6 January riots in the Capitol, the former president, who has repeatedly alleged election fraud, was accused of inciting his supporters who stormed the Capitol, leading to lawmakers rushing to safety. Subsequently, he was impeached for a second time by the House of representatives. He is now all set to face an impeachment trial in the Senate from 8 February. One of the main contentions of Mr Trumps allies and supporters has been that he is a private citizen now. The primary issue is the issue of jurisdiction. Does the Senate have jurisdiction to remove from office a private citizen who does not hold office? Mr Castor questioned. He explained that by the logic of Democrats, they can go back and impeach Abraham Lincoln too. Though founded in 2013, BLM spread across the US in 2020 after the death of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer with a series of protests spreading out to many cities. Last month, it was also nominated for the Nobel peace prize. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2021) - Advantagewon Oil Corp. (CSE: AOC) (OTC Pink: ANTGF) (the "Corporation", "Advantagewon", "AOC") announced today that it has entered into a share exchange agreement dated February 5, 2021 (the "Share Exchange Agreement") in respect of its investment in Starvolt Inc. ("Starvolt"). Starvolt is an electric vehicle designer and supplier whose proprietary technology is based on flexible solar panels. The investment in Starvolt furthers the Corporation's mission of being a leading provider of low-cost energy solutions. Advantagewon will acquire approximately 30% of the outstanding common shares in the capital of Starvolt (the "Starvolt Shares"), in consideration for the payment of 8,390,000 common shares in the capital of Advantagewon (the "Payment Shares") at a deemed price of $0.135 CDN per share to the holders of the Starvolt Shares being acquired by Advantagewon (the "Transaction"). The Payment Shares will not be subject to any hold period under applicable securities laws. Starvolt is a leading-edge EV designer / supplier of urban electric run / solar powered vehicles, their design and manufacturing are focused on single/dual passenger motor cycles, multi passenger 4 wheel cars and multi person mini buses, all powered by proprietary Flexible Solar panels with the highest power potential of any flexible solar array/software/hardware. All vehicles are designed for urban commuting and transportation options with the focus on harnessing the sound rays through the company's technologies to deliver the greatest distance of travel without requiring any plug-in charge. Paul Haber, Executive Chairman, stated "We are pleased to be able to acquire this technology. We believe it's a great step for us to become a more integrated energy supplier which will benefit our stakeholders by offering a more diverse product line." About Advantagewon Oil Corp. Advantagewon is focused on becoming a diverse energy producer. We currently have silos in oil, gas and solar. Advantagewon's common shares are listed on the OTC Markets in the United States and on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") in Canada. Advantagewon is a member of the CSE Composite Index (CSE: AOC). For more information please visit www.aoc-oil.com. For further information please contact: Mr. Paul Haber Executive Chairman Advantagewon Oil Corp. T: (416) 318-6501 Mr. Frank Kordy Secretary & Director Advantagewon Oil Corp T: (647) 466-4037 Forward-Looking Statements Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Corporation. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to: the terms and conditions of the Share Exchange Agreement; the expectations related to the Transaction, including the timing of the Transaction, resulting share ownership in Starvolt, and the conditions to completing the Transaction; Starvolt's business, products and future plans; and all requisite approvals will be obtained, including acceptance by the CSE. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. - 30 - To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73965 A teacher accused of repeated sex with a 14-year-old student has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges and has tapped a high-powered lawyer to represent her at trial. Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, appeared in front of a NSW District Court judge supported by her grandmother Dawn on Monday She was there to face allegations including that she repeatedly had sex with a male student at her school, 14, and sent a picture via Snapchat of her genitalia to him. School teacher Monica Elizabeth Young pleaded not guilty to 12 sex-related charges at the NSW District Court on Monday morning Young, left, faced court with her grandmother Dawn today. She and her husband are pictured, above, at an unrelated event, on right 'Not guilty,' she answered each charge, her high-pitched voice ringing through the Sydney courtroom. Judge Kate Traill heard the court will pre-recorded evidence from the alleged victim at a trial later this year. Prosecutors will also call two further witnesses. Meanwhile, Young's solicitor Ghazi Abbas told the court that high profile Sydney lawyer, former Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, is expected to represent Young at trial. Ms Cuneen famously prosecuted the gang rapist Bilal Skaf but in recent years has turned her hand to defence work, with clients including former detective chief inspector Gary Jubelin. Young was accompanied by her grandmother Dawn to court on Monday, attempting to use a green manila folder to shield her face from photographers Young was escorted out of the court by her solicitor Gazi Abbas Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC is expected to represent Young at court during a weeklong trial in September Young's solicitor Gazi Abbas successfully applied to have her bail conditions changed. Her house arrest conditions were dropped in exchange for an 8pm to 8am curfew, and rules including that she only goes outside in the company of her parents. She is only allowed to leave her home in the company of her parents or grandmother and is unemployed, the court heard. The case will come back to the court next month with the trial expected to be held over five days in September. Oman LNG's long-standing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Harib al Kitani has stepped down and Hamed al Numani has taken over as the new CEO, an Oman Daily Observer report said quoting a company statement. A company statement said: On the behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and contractors, Oman LNG is delighted to extend its sincere thanks and appreciation to Harib Al Kitani who has stepped down from his role as Oman LNG CEO, in preparation for his retirement. "With a long successful journey of four decades in the industry, Al Kitanis experience has contributed tremendously in shaping Oman LNG as a reliable and trusted supplier of LNG. We wish him all the best in his retirement and a big thank you for all he has done to drive our success, the statement said. A veteran of the sultanates gas and LNG industry, Al Kitani remained with Oman LNG from its inception in the late 1990s, holding high-level positions before helming the majority government-owned company as its CEO, said the report. Al Numani has over 20 years in the industry, leading critical LNG projects in Europe and the US. Hamed will continue leading Oman LNG in its journey towards being The Best at What We Do, the statement added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that new systems for monitoring biological threats should be strengthened and created in Ukraine. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the head of state said this in his speech at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" in Kyiv on Monday, February 8. "We need to strengthen and create new systems for monitoring biological threats, including research on the spread of pathogens in the animal world that are at risk of spreading to humans. We need to create an accessible, clear and comprehensive system for monitoring and forecasting biological threats in Ukraine and the world," Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine and the world can overcome all these challenges only together. Zelensky also said that Ukraine had something to be proud of in counteracting COVID-19. "Frankly speaking, the state of the medical system we inherited left no chance to avoid collapse and avoid catastrophe. The system of laboratories was destroyed, and there were five of them left for the whole country. The vertical of state sanitary doctors, laboratory assistants, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists was destroyed. In fact, we collected them across the country manually," he said. Zelensky recalled that at the beginning of the pandemic there was a lack of medical devices and equipment, and "we saw empty shelves" in the state reserve, but Ukraine quickly organized supplies from other countries and later launched large-scale Ukrainian production. He also recalled an increase in salaries for doctors battling COVID-19 to 300%, as well as an increase in payments to health workers at all levels. In addition, Zelensky noted that the lockdown last spring help "win important precious time." The January lockdown, according to the president, helped significantly increase the number of hospital beds. The three-day All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" started in Kyiv on February 8. op 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. China is a unique country of the world where freedom of speech of its people is taken away. Someone has rightly stated freedom of expression in China is a privilege, not a right. According to Qianfan Zhang (The constitution of China: a analysis-2012), Chinese constitution states that its citizens have freedom of speech and also freedom of press. Strangely, the same is not institutionally protected. It is also argued that even language used is vague. This gives government to use arbitrary and unilateral judgments. Citizens giving public speeches of wider impact on forbidden subjects are liable to severe punishments and warning. Furthermore, Benjamin Carlson (Global Post -2013) posited that Chinese people cannot talk 7 things in China. These are: judicial independence, crony capitalism, the historical errors of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), civil rights, civil society, freedom of speech, and universal values. Experts on Chinese affairs argued that Chinese government has made technology central to its repression. In fact, China uses a combination of growing economical means technical capacity for mass surveillance on its people. When Chinese people step out from their houses, their actions and moves are recorded into the central control room. Through powerful videos which are placed in streets and all over the cities, government officials collect tremendous amount of data. If any citizen commits any type of crime, it uses recognition algorithms and match video footage of criminals with photo in a national identification database system. Additionally, Chinese government is also known for scrutinizing individual citizens as evidence of disloyalty to the government. Now it started developing a powerful and comprehensive database on its citizens. It is also reported in media that China's government has been evolving algorithmic surveillance system on citizens. They are developing Artificial Intelligence to monitor control the activities of it citizens. This has been severely criticized by several scholars. The situation has been worst ever since Coronavirus started in Wuhan. During February 2020 (Zhong, R., NYT, 6 Feb, 2020) when the case of Coronavirus infections continued to surge, the Chinese government clamped down on news and controlled the Internet. It is also widely reported that China suppressed coverage of Coronavirus cases and thousands of deaths. Additionally, Chinese authorities have strictly censored what its people read and say online about the virus. It was also reported that local officials were cracked down for online rumours about Coronavirus. Chinese government has been accused for human abuses when Coronavirus situation deepened. Therefore, it looks that in their public life, Chinese people are forced to remain by and large in silence mode. AFLCIOs Trumka Criticizes Biden for Canceling Keystone XL Pipeline The head of the U.S.s largest federation of labor unions has criticized President Joe Bidens move to revoke the Keystone XL Pipelines permit last month, which affected tens of thousands of jobs. I wish [Biden] hadnt done that on the first day, AFLCIO President Richard Trumka said of the permit revocation. He told Axios on HBO that he believes it would be a mistake to halt the pipelines construction because it would eliminate jobs. Estimates say that the move to scrap construction would directly eliminate 11,000 jobs and could affect another 60,000. It did and will cost us jobs in the process, Trumka said. I wish he had paired that more carefully with the thing that he did second by saying, Heres where were creating jobs. We can do mine reclamation. We can fix leaks. We can fix seeps and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in doing all of that stuff. When asked about whether he believes Biden will view the move as a mistake, Trumka stated: I think so, yes. He added that he doesnt know whether Biden will cancel additional pipelines. If that happens, he hopes it will be paired with job creation that will be greater than the number of jobs lost. Bidens action was part of a series of executive orders on his first day in office on Jan. 20 that affects permits signed over the past 4 years that do not serve the U.S. national interest, including revoking the Presidential permit granted to the Keystone XL pipeline. The White House didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Trumka also made references to previous comments from Democratic officials that laid-off workers should learn to code. I said, Where are the computer programmer jobs at?' Trumka said in the interview. Uh, theyre in, uh, Oklahoma, and theyre in Vegas and theyre here. And I said, So, in other words, what were going to be is unemployed miners and unemployed computer programmers as well.' But Trumka, who has frequently praised Biden, remained hopeful about the presidents plans for mine reclamation and cleanup projects that would create new jobs where workers are laid off. [Biden] also promised to create jobs, good union jobs, and be the best union president we ever had, and I believe hell do that as well, he said. If you destroy 100 jobs in Greene County, Pennsylvania, where I grew up, and you create 100 jobs in California, it doesnt do those 100 families much good. On Feb. 4, the Senate backed the Keystone XL Pipeline, with two Democrats breaking with their party to join Republicans to vote on a symbolic GOP amendment in favor of the project. Im glad to see my amendment in support of the Keystone XL pipeline pass, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) wrote on Twitter. To the Senate Democrats who voted yes: your support cant stop here. Market In the budget week, the Indian market headed north. The Nifty and the Bank Nifty gained 9 percent & 16 percent during the week. The Nifty and the Bank Nifty touched an all-time high of 15,000 and 36,000 level on the last day of the week. The Nifty started the week at 13,785 and closed at 14,950. On the first day, gains were nearly 4.5 percent along with the OI (Open Interest) Built up of 9.5 percent. The long build-up on the first day gave strength to the Nifty that led the upward direction for rest of the week. Overall, the index gained more than 1,200 points (nearly 9 percent) along with the long build-up of nearly 22 percent. Similarly, the Bank Nifty gained more than 5,000 points (nearly 16.5 percent), along OI build-up of nearly 12 percent. The Nifty option band for the weekly expiry shows broader range with higher put accumulation; 15,000 strike holds immediate vital OI. Move beyond 15,000 could see further upward momentum. Sentimentally speaking, OIPCR has increased in the week from 0.98 to 1.4, indicating aggressiveness among Put writers. The Bank Nifty OIPCR, too, has shown aggressiveness on part of Put writers against the Call writers. The Bank Niftys OIPCR increased from 0.86 to 1.17. Market participants were nervous ahed of the Budget and India VIX spike to 25.5. However, VIX did not cross the 25.5 level, which is acting as the strong resistance level. After the Budget, VIX gradually declined and closed 23.34 versus the previous close of 23.32. Looking at the sector-specific contribution in the Nifty, all the sector chipped in. Private bank contributed nearly 500 points followed by NBFC (200 points). Among stocks, SBI gained almost 40 percent followed by Apollo Tyres & Canara Bank (nearly 22 percent each). UPL was the biggest loser declining -4.3 percent, followed by ZEEL (-2.5 percent), ICICI Prudential (-2 percent). Considering the the positive outlook depicted by the F&O activity, Modified Call Butterfly is advised. : The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. [February 08, 2021] CasperLabs to Join China's BSN as a Blockchain Partner Today, CasperLabs announced a partnership with China's Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN). The Casper Network will be available to BSN's global network of developers immediately upon Casper's mainnet launch in Q1 2021. Founded in Spring 2020 by Red Date Technology, BSN is an infrastructure initiative backed by the Chinese government to accelerate blockchain adoption in China and beyond. The BSN is a platform that provides developers with easy onboarding into public and private blockchains they can use to build applications with reduced operational costs, improved flexibility, and better regulatory oversight. Since its launch, the BSN has deployed more than 120 public city nodes across China, serving as data centers dedicated to running and processing transactions on the blockchain networks supported by BSN. The vision of the BSN is to build a "Digital Silk Road", establishing China as a major player in the global evolution of Web3, and building more efficient communication and coordination with the West. "We are happy to be working with CasperLabs to provide developers with the best protocol for building decentralized applications. We invite Casper to join our operations in China." - Yifa He, CEO, Red Date Technology and Director, BSN The partnership between CasperLabs and BSN will cement the role of Casper in the world's decentralized global infrastructure, providing enterprises and developers alike with access to the powerful capabilities of the public network. The integration will bring Casper's unique combination of scalability, security and decentralization to the BSN ecosystem. "Casper is the first fully decentralized, scalable and highly secure proof-of-stake blockchain. The CasperLabs team is committed to providing professional services and support to the growing number of enterprise organizations that are gravitating to blockchain technology to unlock value from existing assets, like contracts. Via our close partnership with BSN, we look forward to helping promote the continued adoption of this important public technology across global markets." - Mrinal Manohar, CEO and co-founder, CasperLabs Over the weekend, BSN and CasperLabs completed a virtual signing ceremony, establishing the partnership and bringing together the teams to celebrate the next phase of Casper's adoption in China. Omer Ozden, Chairman of RockTree Capital, a co-founding investor in CasperLabs, was critical in the formation of the partnership. "RockTree are honored to have helped bring BSN and CasperLabs together to form a partnership here today. We have immense confidence in both the Red Date and CasperLabs teams to spearhead the adoption of the Casper network and blockchain technology in China." - Omer Ozden, Chairman of RockTree Capital For more information about the Casper network and CasperLabs, please visit CasperLabs.io. ABOUT CASPER Casper lets organizations of all kinds realize the power and potential of blockchain technology. The Casper protocol, which will launch on mainnet in Q1 2021, powers the first fully decentralized, proof-of-stake blockchain network. Casper allows businesses to create new markets and unlock value by tokenizing nearly any asset, without compromising on performance or security. ABOUT CASPERLABS CasperLabs, the developer of the Casper Network, provides professional services and support for organizations building on the Casper network. Guided by open source principles, CasperLabs is committed to supporting the next wave of blockchain adoption among businesses and providing developers with a reliable and secure framework to build private, public and hybrid blockchain applications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005189/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] US vice president Kamala Harris was seen working out on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, days after her shattered glass portrait was installed on the national mall. The second-in-command was spotted working out, running up and down the steps with her secret service agents on Saturday, February 6. Samantha Borell, 26, from Baltimore, told the PA news agency: We were at the Lincoln memorial for a good 20 minutes while she was there working out with her husband and taking pictures with people. Ms Borell, a sales representative for Mondelez was visiting the city over the weekend. She said: It was very surreal. Shes just a normal person going about her day and getting a workout in. There were secret service all around her. She was interacting with people but made sure to keep her distance from them. Shes also tiny it was very surreal seeing the most powerful woman doing normal things. It comes as a portrait depicting her glass ceiling shattering career was unveiled at the foot of the memorial. The 6-by-6 foot (1.8m), 350-pound (159kg) portrait, depicts her face emerging from the cracks in a sheet of glass. Expand Close The installation from artist Simon Berger (AP/Carolyn Kaster) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The installation from artist Simon Berger (AP/Carolyn Kaster) The newly-elected vice president has notched a series of firsts during a legal and political career that has taken her from California to the office of vice president in Washington. She was the first woman and person of colour to serve as district attorney in San Francisco, the first woman and first black person to become Californias attorney general, the first black person to represent California in the US Senate and the first woman, black person and Asian American to be elected vice president. 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Li Qiaochu was taken away by police from Shandong's Linyi county after they requested a meeting with her in Beijing's Haidian district, according to a post to her Twitter account on Feb. 5. The call came after Li accepted the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write award on behalf of her partner, the jailed dissident Xu Zhiyong, and hours after she had tweeted her reaction to learning that Xu had been tortured in prison. Li is currently being held in the police-run Linyi Detention Center, the writers' group PEN America said in a statement on its website, adding that she was detained on suspicion of "subversion of state power." "This is an appalling escalation in the attempt to silence and punish Li Qiaochu for continuing to speak out about Xus case and about her own treatment at the hands of state security services," the group's CEO Suzanne Nossel said. "It may also represent an attempt to increase the pressure on Xu himself by targeting his loved ones." Nossel described Li as a "woman of tremendous courage and conviction." "She is being treated like a criminal for refusing to relent as her partner is detained and abused ... we call for her immediate release, and we insist the police stop pursuing these spurious charges," she said. In December, police forced Li into house arrest and threatened to detain her if she kept speaking out about Xus case, according to PEN America. Li was detained in February 2020 and released on bail on June 19, 2020 after being detained incommunicado under "residential surveillance at a designated location. Amnesty International said at the time that she was herself at risk of torture. Help for women, workers Li worked to find accommodation for thousands of migrant workers forcibly evicted from their homes by authorities in Beijing during a bitterly cold winter in 2017. She also played an active role in China's #MeToo movement, collating and publishing reports online of sexual harassment and abuse. After the pandemic struck, Li joined a volunteer team that handed out free masks to sanitation workers in Beijing, and helped pregnant women in quarantine areas to find doctors. She also worked to support victims of domestic violence, which saw a nationwide spike after hundreds of millions of people were placed under draconian quarantine lockdowns in central China. Li was summoned by police and held for questioning for 24 hours on Dec. 31 as part of a nationwide operation targeting a group of activists who met in the southeastern port city of Xiamen on Dec. 13. Xu Zhiyong, who founded the New Citizens' Movement, is also being held by state security police on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power" after he called on President Xi Jinping to resign. Xu, who had already served jail time for his spearheading of the New Citizens' Movement anti-corruption campaign, penned an open letter to Xi while in hiding following an earlier meeting in Xiamen, calling on him to step down. Reported by Han Qing for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan has called upon the international community to address the issues fuelling rising inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing the need for equitable global vaccine distribution, said a report. "This pandemic has really revealed and reinforced cracks in our world order along the lines of income inequality, gender inequity, social injustice, and you cant add health inequality on top of that," said Queen Rania in an interview to CNN. She urged countries with a surplus of vaccines to donate them to poorer nations. "We are all in a race against a pandemic, not against each other. I see no reason why those who have excess supply cant donate their surplus to poorer countries, and Im glad that some countries have committed to doing just that, she told CNNs Becky Anderson on the sidelines of the 20th Warwick Economics Summit. The Queen went on to say that while everyone has suffered some kind of loss since the start of the pandemic, this loss hasnt been felt equally. "While some people are enjoying the benefits of rebounding global markets, far too many people around the world are suffering from parallel pandemics of hunger, violence, and illiteracy" she stated. During the interview, Queen Rania also discussed how the pandemic has affected education and the importance of developing accessible remote learning programmes, and how women worldwide have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. She noted that now was the perfect time to Revamp, rethink, and redesign the workplace so that it better meets the needs of men and women. "Whatever normal we go back to, I know that we cannot go back to the old normal that left too many people behind. If weve learnt one thing from this crisis, its that were only as strong as the weakest among us, she added. analysis Since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power in South Africa in 1994, it has been dogged by corruption and abuse of power. These "sins of incumbency" - the seduction of politicians and public officials by power and their abuse of it for their own ends - became endemic during former president Jacob Zuma's term (May 2009 to February 2018). The details coming out of the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture have shown how deeply this has taken root. Can the governing party dig it out? The ANC passed a resolution on how to deal with dishonesty in its ranks at its 54th national conference in December 2017. It resolved that any of its cadres "accused of, or reported to be involved in, corrupt practices are to account to the Integrity Committee immediately or face disciplinary processes". It added that those who fail to give an acceptable explanation or to voluntarily step down while they face disciplinary, investigative or prosecutorial procedures were to be summarily suspended. The party's integrity commission was established in 2013 to be the custodian of this moral stance, after a series of scandals that damaged its public image. On a path to political morality? This, followed by the adoption of the anti-corruption resolution and election of Cyril Ramaphosa as president of the ANC, and of the country, created optimism that, finally, the party was set to mend its ways. That was easier said than done. Three years later, the resolution is embroiled in controversies, pitting the ANC's factions against each other. The biggest test came last November, when the party's secretary general, Ace Magashule, was charged with corruption and appeared in court. He defied the integrity commission's call on him to step aside, insisting that only the party's branches could make that demand. His loyalists pushed back against the resolution while those aligned to Ramaphosa supported it. The matter became embroiled in legalistic arguments about whether his stepping aside would be just and in keeping with the ANC's constitution, and that of the country, or not. But this misses the point in that it conflates morality and the law. It will scupper the resolution, robbing the ANC of a chance to clean up its act. If the distinction between morality and legality is blurred, the resolution could be mired in misconceptions. Morality versus the law Morality shapes people's lives, including their thoughts and actions, on the basis of what society generally accepts as right and wrong. It is used to check people's "self-interested, emotional, or sentimental reactions to serious questions of human conduct". This is what enables people to coexist. Morality depends on one's conscience to freely comply with societal expectations. The law, which the legal scholar Arthur Scheller Jr defines as "an ordination of reason for the common good", is a system of rules that prescribe behaviour and is enforceable. Various formations in society, such as political parties, may have their own laws or rules to regulate the conduct of their members. But such rules should not contradict the supreme law of the land - the constitution - especially in a constitutional democracy founded on the principles of the rule of law. Morals and laws are not binaries. They complement each other. When the law enhances moral conscience and morality promotes legal consciousness, people can live together harmoniously and ethically. The confluence of morality and law is what makes for a good society. This is what the ANC fails to grasp. It uses the law to stymie its own resolution, which is basically about the party reclaiming its political morality. Instead of those who run foul of the resolution stepping aside, contrasting legal opinions are sought. They don't provide clarity; they cloud a resolution that has all along been clear. As the American sociologist Robert MacIver once said, to turn all moral obligations into legal obligations would be to destroy morality. Innocent till proven guilty Subjecting the ANC's "step-aside" resolution to legal interpretation ignores the context that gave rise to it, and its aim of restoring morality within the party. That is imperative if the ANC is to regain trust in society and win votes. Sticking to the legal principle that one is innocent until proven guilty, just to keep those who flout the resolution in office, misses the point. The guilt or innocence of a person is a function of a juridical process or law. That they should step aside is a moral stance. It is also for this reason that the party established its integrity commission, whose mandate is to protect the image of the organisation and enhance its standing in society by ensuring, among others, that urgent action is taken to deal with public officials, leaders and members of the ANC who face damaging allegations of improper conduct. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The commission cannot pronounce on the guilt or blamelessness of a person, but on political morality - a function of moral conscience and consciousness. Unfortunately, it is becoming difficult for some in the ANC to appreciate this. Indeed, as the American political activist Upton Sinclair once said: it is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. Way forward The conflation of morality with legality has obfuscated a resolution that led many corruption-weary South Africans to believe that the ANC, which fancies itself "the leader of society", was set on a new path of moral political rectitude. Building organisational integrity requires that party leaders be guided by their moral conscience. These should shape the party's moral disposition in line with its values and principles to achieve its purpose, which has always been about the common good. Changing the party's rules to make the integrity commission's recommendations binding is not going to make party leaders and members internalise morality. What the ANC needs is genuine commitment to institutionalise ethical leadership among all in its ranks. Mashupye Herbert Maserumule, Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology Factory quotes for beef slipped 10c/kg last week bringing the cumulative drop in quotes over the last two weeks for prime beef to 15c/kg. Two weeks ago beef finishers were securing deals for steers and heifers that ranged from 3.80-3.95/kg today those same suppliers are back to 3.70/kg for bullocks and 3.80/kg for heifers, and they are not happy. Prices are back to 3.70/kg for bullocks and 3.80/kg for heifers Seldom have I received so many angry phone calls from the finishing community. Calls that in the main dwell on the lack of clarity coming from the processing sector as to why prices have been hit so hard, with the phrase "hatchet job" used by several to describe the current situation. All three main farming organisations are united in their condemnation of the processing sectors recent actions with Des Morrison ICMSA's livestock chair asking if this "No notice" decision to pull prices is connected to the need for feedlots to restock? "Having emptied their feedlots are they going into the marts in the hope of buying cheaply the kind of numbers that enable them to push down the prices they pay to finishers," Mr Morrison asked. ICSA's beef chairman Edmond Graham pointed out there was "No talk, no noise coming from the factories ahead of these cuts especially as northern buyers continue to mop up beef stock through the mart system at good prices beef that will end up on UK supermarket shelves. "Often times we would be told about difficult trading or currency conditions that did not happen this time. This time the factories just dumped on farmers" Mr Graham said. IFA's Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said attempts by the meat factories to talk down the trade are not justified based on the latest market reports. He pointed out that the Prime Export Benchmark price for the latest week had increased by 5c/kg with the Irish price only increasing by 2c/kg. "Beef prices in the UK are strong and steady, rising over 7p/kg since the beginning of January, and with sterling strengthening by 3pc over the same period to 87.7p/ market, conditions for Irish meat factories are favourable," Mr Golden said. Young bulls suffer the same fate as the bullocks and heifers with factories reportedly pricing them also 10c/kg less for the coming week. This means U's on 3.75/kg R's 3.70-3.65/kg and O's 3.55/kg. In the midst of all the price debris the cull cow does not appear to have fared too badly with R grade cows on 3.20-3.30/kg last week and O-grades on 3.00-3.10/kg while your better P+ animal operated around the 3/kg mark with lesser P's 2.80-2.90/kg. Granted these prices are averaging 10c/kg less but for an animal at the end of its working life, it's not a bad twist. What every beef farmer wants to know, however is why factories decided to pull prices so sharply and so suddenly. One factory agent told me in all seriousness it was the media's fault! Apparently reporting of prices in recent times was "unrealistic" and created "false expectations" especially around the strength of the mart trade. Members of the Luzerne County Board of Elections agreed Wednesday that they need to follow state election law and county regulations. There is still no consensus on what to do if state and county regulations conflict. The election board discussed, but did not vote, on an agenda item stating that state law would supersede the county charter and administrative code when a conflict arises. Board member Keith Gould noted there is constant conflict between the charter and state law. In those cases, the election board and other officials should always defer to state law, Gould said. Board Vice Chairman Peter Ouellette said board members need to remind ourselves that we do follow the laws. The board defers to the county office of law as the authority in cases when state and county regulations appear to conflict, Ouellette said. The question of conflicting regulations is tied to the question of what the election boards role should be, apart from certifying election results. In counties that operate under Pennsylvanias standard form of county government, the three county commissioners function as the election board. Under Luzerne Countys home rule government, the election board consists of five appointed county residents who do not hold elective office. Debate over the election boards role intensified in the preparations for the 2020 election, when board members were limited to advisory roles in the selection of a new voting system and the appointment of a new election director. The election board, the office of law and a county council election inquiry committee have explored what the boards role should be. There was no clear answer at Wednesdays election board meeting, conducted remotely. The election inquiry committee will present a report of its findings to the full council Feb. 9. In other business, county administrative services division head David Parsnik announced that anyone who plans to run for office in the May 18 primary may pick up a candidate packet at the county election bureau, in Suite 207 of the Penn Place office building in Wilkes-Barre. Candidates may begin to circulate nominating petitions Feb. 16. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. I guess we have to be thankful that we've made considerable technological advancements and more and more cars are equipped with dashcams in one way or another. Because twenty years ago, chances were that the guys you're about to see in this video would have gotten away with it. The incident happened in San Francisco, California, and it was caught on cam by a Tesla driver."I was driving on autopilot to meet my friend and I saw a black Honda Accord cut off a full block of traffic trying to get on the freeway on-ramp". It seems that the Honda Accord driver was in a rush, no doubt about that. But where's the fire? We see the Toyota Prius on the side camera of the Tesla and notice that the conspicuous looking Accord as well.As the Prius moves forward, it comes to a halt due to traffic, and we once again see the black Accord driving somewhat erratically as it stops close to the Toyota. The Tesla driver describes what happened next: "It was bumper to bumper and this guy came out, smashed the trunk window of the Prius in front of me, took out a bag of expensive camera equipment, and bolted."This sounds fishy, to say the least. Did the thieves already know about the camera gear inside of the Prius? It seems unlikely that this was a lucky guess for them. Someone must have tipped them off. Perhaps this was a revenge-crime? Either way, doing this in broad daylight suggests these guys were pretty determined to pull this off, and that they most likely have previous experience in engaging in such felonies.The Tesla driver does his part in restoring faith in humanity by helping the victims file a police report and providing the onboard footage, which should make it easier for law enforcement officers to track down the culprit and set things right. Although onboard cameras might scare off more potential thieves in the future, that doesn't necessarily mean that we'll live in a crime-free society; one can only hope for the best. Endeavor, a pioneering organisation leading the high-impact entrepreneurship movement worldwide, is expanding in Romania with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) among its founders. The EBRD is joining forces with Dedeman, a do-it-yourself chain and the biggest company owned by Romanian private investors, and Globalworth, a real estate company active in central and eastern Europe, to amplify the boost for Romanian entrepreneurs that Endeavor will provide. Founded in 1997, Endeavor today operates in more than 30 countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States of America, supporting entrepreneurs at the scale-up stage. The organisation currently supports more than 2,000 rigorously selected entrepreneurs, providing a world-class network and services to help them grow bigger, faster and more efficiently. Last year, Endeavor entrepreneurs generated more than US$ 20 billion in annual revenues and created over 4.1 million jobs. Mihnea Craciun, Managing Director of Endeavor in Romania, said: Endeavor will offer Romanian entrepreneurs a best-in-class seal of approval, an unrivalled personal and professional network, frictionless co-investment capital and peer-to-peer exchange of ideas in a truly global setting. Our aim is to select, mentor and dramatically accelerate the best high-impact entrepreneurs by helping them to think bigger, make better decisions by accessing talent, investors and global markets and multiply their impact by becoming role models, mentors and investors in their local ecosystems. We are thrilled to launch Endeavor in Romania to help local entrepreneurs scale up and multiply their impact by investing in, mentoring and inspiring the next generation. With access to Endeavors global network and the Endeavor Catalyst co-investment fund, and with support from a strong founding board, we are confident that Endeavor Romania will have a meaningful impact on Romanias most innovative entrepreneurs and the country at large, said Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg. The EBRD supported the opening of Endeavors Romanian branch by extending a 450,000 grant from the Turkey-EBRD Cooperation Fund, which is backed by the Republic of Turkeys Ministry of Treasury and Finance. Mark Davis, EBRD Regional Director for Bulgaria and Romania, said: The missions of Endeavor and the EBRD are complementary in many ways. We work towards catalysing the development of the entrepreneurial environment in Romania and are delighted to join forces. Using its business network in the country, the EBRD also helped identify and select a board of directors for Endeavor Romania. The local Board of Directors is chaired by Marius Stefan, CEO and co-founder of Autonom Group, and includes Monica Cadogan and Calin Fusu, the co-founders of Vivre, Vargha Moayed, Chief Strategy Officer of UiPath, Tiberiu Moisa, Deputy CEO at Banca Transilvania, Voicu Oprean, CEO and founder of Arobs, Andrei Dunca, co-founder and CTO of LiveRail, and Costin Taracila, Managing Partner of RTPR. Dan Lupu, Partner in Early Bird Venture Capital, will join as Senior Adviser. The Board is completed by the representatives of the three founding partners, Karina Paval of Dedeman, Dimitris Raptis, CEO of Globalworth Group, and the EBRDs Mr Davis. The EBRD is a major investor in Romania and focuses on financing infrastructure, boosting productivity and strengthening the financial sector. To date, the EBRD has invested 8.8 billion in the Romanian economy through 463 projects. Gurugram, Feb 8 : Three persons have been arrested on charges of theft of auto parts worth Rs 35 lakh from the premises of a private company in Gurugram, police said on Monday. Those arrested for the thefts are Shift Manager Rakesh Kumar of Rewari, Machine Operator Shahid of Gurugram and stolen property receiver Zahid of New Delhi. Police said Area Manager Dinesh Puri of Safe Express NH-48 Pvt Ltd said in his police complaint that during inspection of stocks on January 16, as many as 1,872 auto part items were found missing. He claimed that Shahid and Rakesh had stolen the items on January 6, following which they stopped reporting for duty. A case was registered at the Bilaspur police station. Acting on a tip-off, Farrukhnagar Crime Branch unit led by Inspector Inderveer arrested Rakesh and Shahid from the Bilaspur-Taurau Road on February 2 and took them on 5-day remand. Police also seized Rs 9 lakh from their possession. "During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the crime and disclosed that Shahid sold stolen items for Rs 11 lakh to Arif alias Chajju of Palwal district. Police arrested prime accused Zahid on February 5 and seized stolen property worth Rs 6 lakh from him," said ACP (Crime) Preet Pal Sangwan. The race is on to see which companies and countries can produce the greenest fossil fuels, and Texas is falling behind. In Riyadh, Paris and Washington, business executives and government officials are no longer talking about whether oil, natural gas and coal cause climate change. Instead, they are talking about who produces the cleanest version of those fossil fuels. Marketers call this process product differentiation. The company or region that can claim to produce the cleanest dirty energy could end up the last one standing as the world adopts cleaner alternatives wherever possible. Even in a much smaller market, oil and natural gas survivors will be profitable because there are some things clean technology cannot replace. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Oil and gas needs to accept climate reality, Biden help in winding down I first heard about green oil two years ago when Saudi Arabian officials started talking about how few greenhouse gases they emit while producing their crude. A Stanford-led study found that because Saudi Aramco does not hydraulically fracture its wells and only rarely flares excess gases, Saudi oil has the least impact on the climate. Add in the worlds lowest lifting costs, and Saudi oil becomes the logical choice for the European Union and other nations that will soon levy a tariff on petroleum imports based on their carbon intensity. As long as the right policies are in place, competing on carbon intensity will give you a higher share of the market, Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, predicted. Countries and companies that produce the really high-carbon intensity crudes are going to have a really hard time. The American Petroleum Institute, the industrys top lobbying group in Washington, recently argued that the Biden administration should boost domestic production because U.S. environmental laws are stricter than most. The administration is leading us toward more reliance on foreign energy from countries with lower environmental standards, API President Mike Sommers said in a statement denouncing a ban on new leases on federal lands. API, though, has vehemently opposed stricter environmental standards, including new limits on flaring and methane emissions. Foreign leaders, meanwhile, consider U.S. environmental regulations lacking. In October, the French government forced Paris-based energy company Engie to break off negotiations for a $7 billion liquefied natural gas export deal with NextDecade Corp. The contract was critical for NextDecade to attract financing for a new LNG export facility near Brownsville. President Emmanuel Macron and French environmentalists said Engie should not buy natural gas from fracked wells in the Permian Basin where flaring is out of control. Unless NextDecade can find other customers, itll have to scratch the project. Most governments are looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet their obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. The Biden administration plans to tighten rules for flaring and also order pipeline companies to plug leaks. Responsible oil and natural gas companies, particularly supermajors such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP, support tighter regulations. They know consumers want the industry to clean itself up. Reducing flaring also makes financial sense. In a study financed by the Environmental Defense Fund, energy experts at Rystad consulting calculated that companies could generate $440 million in additional revenue a year by 2025 if they spent $50 million to capture 98 percent of the methane coming out of their wells. Gov. Greg Abbott, though, is determined to make sure Texas producers end up blackballed. His latest political stunt was visiting an oil field service center in Odessa to order state agencies and lawmakers to fight all efforts to reduce emissions. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Entrepreneurs fight climate change with new battery raw materials, recycling Thanks, governor; you pretty much guaranteed European and Asian nations will shop for their liquefied natural gas elsewhere. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, has also decided to tell off the Europeans rather than reduce flaring. Terrible climate accords, bad investment decisions, and contract cancellations - this is what radical environmentalism gets us, Commissioner Wayne Christian wrote in a hilariously over-the-top response to Frances decision. Natural gas is clean, reliable, and affordable - why is that no longer good enough? Well, because energy markets are shifting under public pressure. to become more environmentally responsible. Governments, particularly Texas officials, can help by imposing transparent regulations and an emission-reduction certification process. Otherwise, producers like Saudi Arabia will take an ever-increasing share of a slowly shrinking market. If Texas wants to remain an energy exporter, it must give customers what they want. And when there are no alternatives, they want demonstrably cleaner fossil fuels. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com China has accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of creating fake news and has threatened to take measures against the public broadcaster. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Chinese authorities to stop interfering in news organizations reporting and to respect media freedom. A general view of the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London on October 30, 2017. Credit: Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP On February 4, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that a report on COVID-19 in China aired by the BBC on January 26 was fake news. It said in a statement that the UK public broadcaster had politicised the pandemic in its reporting and had held ideological bias against China. Beijing demanded an apology from the BBC and warned that it reserves the right to take a further step in addition to lodging the representation. In response to IFJs request for comment, a BBC spokesperson said: We stand by our accurate and fair reporting of events in China and totally reject these unfounded accusations of fake news or ideological bias. Chinas statement came minutes after Britains media regulator, Ofcom, revoked the broadcasting licence of China Global Television Network (CGTN), the English-language services of Chinas state media China Central Television (CCTV). Ofcom concluded that Star China Media Limited (SCML), the licence-holder for the CGTN service, did not have editorial control over CGTNs output and was therefore not a lawful broadcast licensee. On February 4, London-headquartered The Daily Telegraph separately reported that three Chinese spies who had worked in Britain on journalism visas had been expelled over the past year. The IFJ is concerned that China may have aimed its criticism at the BBC as retaliation for its recent disputes with the British government. The IFJ said: The IFJ calls on Beijing to stop interfering in foreign news organizations reporting and to respect media freedom. Reyes said one reason for the relatively modest reduction in staff size was the use of funds from the federal Paycheck Protection Program in the spring of 2020. Without additional outside support going forward, he added, there is potential for severe staffing reductions as well as continued enrollment declines. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the narrative against his government on the farmers' issue as he warned the country against the new FDI that now stands for "Foreign Destructive Ideology". He said that the country should not subscribe to this kind of people as these elements have the mentality to jump into each protest whether it be farmers' or lawyers' or students'. The Prime Minister was speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Motion of Thanks on President's address. Modi said: "A new type of people have propped up in the country they are "Andolan jivi". "Protest is there life-source and they can be spotted in each protest site be it on anything. They cannot live without protest, we have to identify them and protect our nation from them." Modi said that they instigate and then watch from the sidelines. He said that each state government is feeling the same brunt as these people are parasites for the country. The Prime Minister was responding to the discussion on President's address. The Motion of Thanks was passed without any amendments. Modi's speech came in the backdrop of continued farmers agitation at the Delhi borders that attracted international scrutiny after the Republic Day flare-up with many celebrities across the border stoking fire against the Centre's attitude on the movement. The Prime Minister was referring to people who were supporting the agitation. The farmers have been sitting on protest since November 26. Earlier Replying to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha on the President's address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said today scientists are working on 'mission mode' as a result the world's largest vaccination drive is taking place in the country and India is emerging as a pharmacy hub for the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. You are here: World Flash A batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Lao capital Vientiane early on Monday. The YTO Express cargo plane carrying the Chinese-made vaccines arrived at Wattay International Airport at around 1:00 a.m. local time. Lao Minister of Health Bounkong Syhavong and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong received the vaccines at the airport. At the airport, Bounkong expressed the gratitude for the support from the Chinese government and the people in Laos' anti-pandemic efforts. Lao health ministry thinks highly of the Chinese vaccine, believing that its high quality and efficiency will help protect Lao frontline health workers and public officers, said the Lao minister. "Chinese vaccines have been proved for its safety and reliability. The Lao people are thus keenly looking forward to the vaccination," said the Lao official. Speaking on the occasion, Jiang said during China's battle against the pandemic, the Lao people have offered helping hands and China in the meantime puts Laos on the priority list of its vaccine aid plan. The ambassador wished that the Chinese vaccines would help Laos contain the epidemic, safeguard lifes and recover the economy. A socialist economist feared by bond investors won the first round of Ecuador's presidential election, and will face either an environmentalist or a wealthy banker in a runoff after an unexpected fight for second place. Andres Arauz, who rejects austerity measures and attacked Ecuador's deal last year with the International Monetary Fund, got 31.5% of votes cast, according to the quick count published by the electoral authority late Sunday. The race for second place is still too close to call. In the fast count, Yaku Perez, from the Indigenous party Pachakutik, got 20.04%, giving him a wafer-thin lead over the conservative Guillermo Lasso, who got 19.97%. Perez opposes mining projects and wants to renegotiate Ecuador's debt, while Lasso backed the IMF deal and wants the country to have warm relations with Washington. The result confounded polls, which mostly predicted that Lasso would comfortably make the second round. Once the final vote has been tallied, either Perez or Lasso will face Arauz in the second round, scheduled for April 11. Arauz's strong showing means that the nation's dollar bonds "will definitely be weaker on Monday," said Siobhan Morden, head of Latin America fixed income strategy at Amherst Pierpont in New York. The campaign for control of Ecuador, an oil exporter and world-leading producer of bananas, shrimp and the balsa wood crucial for wind-turbine rotors, has become a battleground of international interests. Arauz, 36, is a protege of exiled former leader Rafael Correa, who allied the country with the socialist governments of Venezuela and Cuba and who often had an acrimonious relationship with Washington. The head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Charles Richard recently warned that a nuclear war between the U.S. and China or Russia has become a very real possibility. He wrote in the February issue of Proceedings, the U.S. Naval Institutes monthly magazine, that, There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons, if they perceived a conventional loss would threaten the regime or state. Consequently, the head of STRATCOM, which is responsible for the U.S. nuclear deterrent, incited the U.S. military to shift its principal assumption from nuclear employment is not possible to nuclear employment is a very real possibility. A U.S. Air Force strategic B-52 bomber flies over the Azraq desert, some 100 kilometers east of the Jordanian capital Amman, Jordan, May 24, 2016. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh) Although hyping up the so-called China threat and Russia threat is just an all-too-common practice of the U.S. political and military circles, its still shocking to see a U.S. senior military official fabricating the groundless allegation. As is known to all, ever since the first day of possessing nuclear weapons, China has declared the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. Therefore, as long as the U.S. does not launch a nuclear strike against China first, it does not need to worry that China will start a nuclear war. However, the U.S. political and military circles often raise various questions. For example, if the U.S. destroys Chinas nuclear missile bases with conventional weapons, will China use nuclear weapons to counterattack? Such a seemingly artful question actually reflects a kind of provocation and the offensive strategic thinking of America, which pursues pre-emptive attacks and wants to strangle its rivals. Historically, China has been confronted with nuclear blackmail from the U.S. since the beginning of the Cold War. Even when the two countries agreed not to take each other as a target of strategic nuclear weapons after the Cold War, several U.S. administrations still put China on the list for nuclear strikes. Its quite clear that the U.S. is more likely to start a nuclear war. Knowing well enough about these facts, the STRATCOM commander still gave such a warning that startled the world for the following reasons. He intends to keep Biden administrations mouth shut. Many Americans see the new administration as an extension of a third Obama term as it is staffed with Obama veterans, particularly in the field of arms control. They made great contributions to the signing of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia, and the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Irans nuclear program. Some of them also praised highly Obamas commitment to building a world without nuclear weapons. A typical Democrat, Biden prefers to pursue arms control, and he participated in arms control negotiations between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. Therefore, his administration desires to make new achievements in arms control. Following the extension of the New START treaty, the Biden administration may push for breakthroughs in a no-first-use policy when it comes to nuclear weapons. To reduce the threat of a nuclear war, Obama tried to sign an executive order to adopt the no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons at the end of his term, which was strongly resisted by conservatives. Today, the Biden administration is likely to complete Obamas unfinished work and reiterate no-first-use of nuclear weapons. Against such a background, Richard hyped up the hypothetical threat of a nuclear war against the U.S. by China or Russia so that the progressives would give up the intention of restricting America from using nuclear weapons. Richard wants to modernize Americas nuclear arsenal. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. fanned the confrontation among major countries, redeployment of nuclear weapons and preparation for nuclear wars in its National Security Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review. To this end, the U.S. would modernize its nuclear triad, a three-pronged military force structure that consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. Meanwhile, the country has developed new types of nuclear weapons, including the Long Range Standoff Weapon or LRSO, a new air-launched cruise missile, and low-yield submarine-launched nuclear cruise missiles (SLCM). The subsequently announced U.S. Nuclear Deterrence Policy further proposed that nuclear weapons platforms, such as F35 fighters, B-21 strategic bombers, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile system, and Columbia-class submarines, would be developed or upgraded. The U.S. may start to develop a warhead dubbed the W93, the first new nuclear warhead design for America's military since the 1980s. While some of these programs for nuclear weapons have been implemented, others are still in the research stage and their mass production and delivery depends on whether the U.S. Congress is willing to allocate more funds. The budget for maintaining and developing nuclear warheads hits 20 billion dollars in the draft defense budget for the fiscal year 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has been plaguing the U.S., leading to more than 26 million confirmed cases and several economic indicators hitting a record low. Considering Bidens urgent need to cushion the impact of the pandemic, as well as his wish for arms control, his administration is probably going to cut budget expenditures for upgrading nuclear weapons. To continue the redeployment of nuclear weapons, Richard surely exaggerated the threat of nuclear war facing the U.S. as much as possible. Richard also aims to build an anti-China alliance. He argued that the threats should not be left unchecked by U.S. officials and called on unity of effort to improve preparedness. In addition to the threat of nuclear war, Richard also accused China of aggressively challenging international norms by cyberattacks and threats in space, indicating that the so-called China threat covers various fields such as nuclear, cyber, space and emerging technologies. However, he went to extremes to magnify rifts or disputes in certain fields to all areas. In fact, China and the U.S. have achieved cooperation results in the above areas under the Obama administration. The two countries not only held nuclear security dialogues and high-level joint dialogues on cybercrime and related issues, but also made outstanding achievements in jointly addressing climate change and fighting Ebola. Together, they improved the global governance structure, instead of challenging international norms. In emerging fields such as space and artificial intelligence, China and the U.S., as the two most important major countries in todays world, should also work together to serve the common interests of all mankind. It is hoped that the Biden administration can truly inherit the legacy of the Obama administration to actively conduct dialogues in areas such as strategic stability and cyber security, and enhance pragmatic cooperation in global public health, climate and environment, in a bid to bring China-U.S. relations back to the track of sound and steady development as soon as possible. (Dr. Jiang Tianjiao is a lecturer at Fudan Development Institute of Fudan University.) PRESS RELEASE Feb 8, 2021 Anhad strongly condemns PM Modis statement in the Rajya Sabha today denigrating protestors and activists. As expected the troll army has gone all out trending #andolanjivi and attacking social activists. PM Modi habitually instead of dealing with serious issues, presently the three farm laws, coins new adjectives to malign all dissent in this country. It seems the earlier nomenclatures invented by the larger Sangh network to attack dissenting voices sickularist, urban naxals, anti- national, deshdrohi, tukde-tukde gang, khan market gang, terrorists, khalistani etc, have become stale , so a need to coin a new word to energize a fresh round of attacks and give fodder to the screeching anchors of the Godi media and bhakts. We want to remind the nation that there would have been no independence if there were no Andolankaris (not andolanjivis , parjeevi). The andolankaris of India have fought for a society which is just, equal, plural and diverse unlike their brand of andolan which has spread hatred and mayhem in this country from Advanis Rath Yatra in 1990 to Modis Gaurav yatra in Gujarat post 2002 carnage. Just as a reminder Mahatma Gandhi fought against discrimination of Indians in South Africa, against untouchability in India, he fought for farmers rights in Champaran, he fought for women rights, he fought against the British government to restore the collapsing status of the Caliph in Turkey, he led the non-cooperation movement, the Civil-Disobedience Movement , the quit India movement,. Dr Ambedkar led movements for The Annihilation of Caste. Dr Ambedkar addressed a Peasants Conference, he addressed a historic conference of railway workers, he opposed the creation of a separate state of Karnataka, he spoke on Industrial Disputes Bill because it took away the workers right to strike and he fought for the rights of minorities. While Gandhi and Ambedkar led many movements they also attended hundreds which were led by others. PM Modi should know that what he has uttered today kisi ki chal rahi hoti hai to wahan jakar baith jate hain doesnt apply on those who fight for equality and justice for all. Probably his major problem is that those who stand for a secular India do not participate in divisive movements led by the Sangh. Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Subhsh Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad and hundreds of other andolankaris of yesteryears as well as those of contemporary India lead their own struggles and participate in movements led by others who fight for the same idea of India which is plural, just, secular and diverse. PMs has given a call to identify the protestors and activists and to save the nation from them (Desh andolanjivi logon se bache aise logon ko pehchanne ki bahut avashyakta hai). Whenever such phrases are coined they are backed by organized physical attack on those who have disagreed with the present government. We strongly condemn it and if any violent attacks are perpetrated by non-state goons on protestors or activists PM will be directly responsible for it. Shabnam Hashmi Founding Trustee ANHAD New Delhi Mobile - 9811807558 We are surrounded by charts, graphs, and dashboards that try to summarize and surveil the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Multicolor maps of cases by county or ZIP code, jagged time series plots depicting case rates and fatalities. Thin bars lined up side by side in cigarette formation to document tests or hospital capacity. Even when the charts arent in front of us, we are discussing them with new household wordsspiking, flattening, hot spot. We havent seen this kind of explosion of data visualization since the advent of the Weather Channel. Millions are viewing charts published in newspapers, social media, state departments of health, all to check in on the status of the epidemic at various scales and localities. When was the last time a good portion of the country tuned in daily to a handful of charts? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these dashboards, none of which existed before March, are experiencing some growing pains. They offer the public a false sense of transparency and surveillance in a time of intense crisis. In the Washington Post, Jacqueline Wernimont characterizes them as vital, yet flawed, a turn of phrase that captures exactly how much we need tools to better communicate about the pandemic. Those who make and support these dashboards deserve gratitude and recognition for their efforts, but these resources are not without meaningful flaws that we should aspire to work through. While the purpose of data dashboards is to keep audiences up to date on real-time, reliable data, many COVID dashboards risk confusing audiences because of their design choices and lack of clear explanations about the data. Based on our repeated observations over the past year, COVID-19 dashboards have not fundamentally changed in their appearance or function since their inception. Peeking under the hood at the code that runs them suggests that the vast majority of these sites have been rolled out using off-the-shelf business analytics products, or repurposed visualizations from other topics or stories. This is for good reason: Developing and maintaining a website with live data and interactive charts is intensive in time, money, and computing infrastructure resources. But this also means that these websites do not fully meet the emergent needs of people living through the COVID-19 crisis. And even in the case of journalistic venues where visualizations have been evolving to be more bespoke for the pandemic, visualizations still adhere to conventions that confuse the purpose and message of the data presented. And these collective shortcomings could backfire. Advertisement Advertisement At first glance, these dashboards seem oddly familiar but foreign at the same time. Their design mimics familiar tools such as the activity counter metrics from our Fitbits, screen time reports from iPhones and iPads, and the quarterly sales reports from major companies. But what is their intended purpose? What specific problems or decisions are they supporting for viewers? Visualizing and reporting the summary figures for the COVID-19 pandemic is not as straightforward as measuring the number of steps you take in a day or number of transactions in a week. What counts as a fatality for COVID-19? Are cases counted as a positive test result or a presumed case determined by a patients clinical symptoms? When a daily total for new cases is posted, how do you assign a specific date to a new case? Is there a lag period? How often are these updated? What is the difference between a serology test and a PCR test? Are all of them counted together? What about patients who get two kinds of tests (nasal and saliva, for instance)are both results counted or just one? Whats the rate of false negative results? Advertisement Every state manages testing differently, and state and local bureaucracies that span private and public health facilities and government offices further complicate the situation. So there isnt a single set of answers that will work for every dashboard or graphic. And from Googles own dashboards to those of states around the U.S., there are not visible, consistent explanations for how the numbers arrived to your internet browser window. Some states place explanation at the forefront, but many others bury this in fine print. The distance between the charismatic set of visuals and the figuring that got us the numbers in the first place presents a vacuum for meaning making. And misinformation loves a vacuum for meaning making. Advertisement Advertisement Seen by a friendly reader who assumes consistent empirical values and practices, these dashboards could be considered helpful information. Seen by a hostile reader who sees any gaps in explanations as an opportunity for other narratives to make sense, these dashboards can be evidence used to draw very different conclusions about COVID-19. And these narratives abound. Throughout unofficial channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, (formerly) Parler, and message boards, there have been sustained concerns raised about the reliability of reporting COVID-19 data. These concerns more often than not paint a picture of government conspiracy, with the global pandemic a hoax or false flag used to secure power for nefarious actors. Seen in this way, these charts and graphs are proof of a nefarious liberal plot aimed at fooling the public, seizing political power, and robbing citizens of their liberty. Advertisement In each of these examples, data and charts are a reason for more distrust. To be fair, no dashboard or chart is going to shift a persons worldview to suddenly transform their trust in a given institution. Those already convinced of a corrupt plot to ruin America wont be persuaded by better documentation. But while these extreme visions of government conspiracy bolstered by bad data will not convert everyone who reads them, they do stand to sow significant doubt. And when anyone tries to validate wild claims about suspicious data by going to their states dashboard, they have a good chance of encountering information that isnt well-explained or is flat-out difficult to understand. Advertisement These charts and dashboards exist in a time of simultaneous public health and information crisis. Earlier in the pandemic, one team of researchers found that more than 50 percent of social media posts about COVID-19 were likely bot and troll activity. Misinformation is a reliably consistent feature of the information streams that people encounter every day: from simple allegations that hospitals are using COVID-19 to make more money to claims that the virus is part of a global plot to kill off a large portion of the population through the use of an engineered bioweapon paid for by President Barack Obama and Anthony Fauci. What much of this misinformation has in common is that it requires people to distrust the official reports of cases, deaths, hospital beds, and more, and it is far easier to sow this distrust when there are not clear explanations for what we see. Whats more, these dashboards run on interactive web applications that are difficult to archive for outside parties, and so re-creating the reports of a given dashboard for a given day are nearly impossibleit is difficult to check any claim against the historical record of COVID reporting. If the charts look good but are not clearly explained and are not accountable to archiving, they become more available to anyone reading the pandemic as a hoax or conspiracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For instance, the Arizona Department of Health Services dashboard for Dec. 9a time when cases (more than 7,000) and hospitalizations (more than 400) were climbing rapidlyshowed what appears to be a falling number of hospitalizations: Advertisement The problem is that the cases are updated daily, and those daily tallies can be updated retroactively due to a lag in reporting and processing cases. This is not spelled out explicitly. That can make it easier for observers to manipulate the information. In early July, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted a screenshot of the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard calling on the public to not accept the medias word and research the data and facts for themselves. He claimed that the screenshot showed a huge improvement in COVID-19 cases, which aligned with Biggs assertion that COVID-19 is an overblown hoax cooked up by the media and the Democrats. Advertisement And the misinformation involving charts and dashboards need not involve conspiracy theories and overtly political narratives. Many of the charts often obscure some of the biggest challenges of the pandemic. For instance, we have seen higher death rates among minority/low-income communities and tribal nations. But the lack of reporting from these areasitself the result of the same lack of resources that compounds the impacts of the pandemicis too often represented in a way that makes it appear as if there is no problem at all. For instance, this chart from the front page of the New York Times, which uses color shading to indicate the capacity of ICU facilities by hospital jurisdiction, presents areas with no data as the lightest possible shade for the map. And while there is a labeled scale at the top of the chart, it leads one to believe that the lighter the color, the further the area is from crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Northeastern Arizona, home to Navajo, Paiute, and Hopi people, is shaded in the lightest possible color. Indeed, many rural areas across the U.S. are treated similarly. But these areas have been some of the hardest hit, and presentations like this one tend to emphasize areas with more robust reporting instead. Clicking through to the full story reveals a more elaborate legend and chart: Advertisement Advertisement While this version has a legend designating the lightest shade on the map as no data, this is not a responsible presentation. Given the conditions surrounding the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19, and the rhetorical positioning of numbers by this map wherein darker and redder means more dire, no data could be considered something that may visually resemble the highest values in the data, not the lowest. In other words, if the question is where is it getting bad?, then lack of reliable data could be an indicator for things being quite bad. Areas that lack resources, medical facilities, and support for bureaucracies that manage the pandemic will not report data as consistently, and have critical vulnerabilities that are easy to blink past in this rendition. As presented, it is far too easy to mistake that there is no COVID problem in areas for which there is no data. And the implications of color similarity between lower ICU bed usage and no data at all encodes two very different situations as being far too similar. Using very different colors for nonreporting areas would be less visually appealing, and almost certainly cost the audience more time to understand the chart, but would mitigate the risk of someone making a snap and erroneous conclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The use of bar charts to present raw data can also obscure the view of the public and decision-makers when it comes to vulnerable populations. Take this example from the Virginia Department of Health in June. It offers little sense of how the raw count of affected persons stacks up against the overall demographics of the state. You cannot evaluate any disproportionate impacts by examining these charts unless you consult additional data. But this understanding of what percentage of persons of a given race and ethnicity are affected is crucial to getting any sense of the intersectional impact of the virus. Otherwise, why report cases by ethnicity at all? Advertisement And then there is the consistent reliance on maps and mapping to show the status of the pandemic. In our 50-state survey of state COVID dashboards this summer, nearly every state used a map as the central graphic for their health dashboards. Texas provides a good example. But it is misleading to frame the COVID-19 pandemic as something where spatial proximity matters most. Namely, being close to a county that has a high infection rate does not necessarily mean that your own county is at risk. The virus spreads where people go; county-by-county choropleths (or, maps shaded by area) are insufficient to show this kind of complex interaction among roadways, airports, travelers, and their destinations. These maps offer a false sense of surveillance. North Dakota, which was the right color this summer and not close to any affected areas, became the epicenter of one of the worst outbreaks by the end of 2020. Shaded county-by-county COVID maps had no descriptive or predictive value for that outbreak. They show us the world without showing us the parts that matter. Advertisement While facts and clarity alone will not solve misinformation or misunderstanding, improvements to COVID dashboards should decrease conjecture, senses of false security, and ambiguity. To be clear, the burden of presenting COVID-19 data is enormous. But there is something perverse about using the same tools to show the massive losses to a historic disease as one might use for fourth-quarter sales by region. What we show and how we show it should rise to the occasion. We should make sure that dashboards offer more, not less, explanatory value than the misinforming narratives that vastly outnumber the charts and graphs published by states and newspapers. When we visualize data about a pandemic, we should think about it as presenting key relationships, risks, and changes, not reporting out a virus or body count dressed up in a variety of formats. If theres no clear story for the data, there are plenty of available opinions out there on the internet to fill that gap. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Scientists have said that satellite and Google Earth images did not show a glacial lake near the region but there was a likelihood of 'water pockets', which might have burst, leading to massive flooding in parts of Uttarakhand after the Nanda Devi glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Though it needs further research and analysis, this event is not expected to be a cloudburst since Chamoli's weather reports showed sunny weather with no reports of rain till Sunday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that no adverse weather report is expected from Chamoli, Tapovan and Joshimath areas in Uttarakhand on February 8. "It's a very rare incident for a glacial burst to happen. There's a possibility of a water pocket in the region, which might have erupted. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case," IIT Indore's assistant professor of glaciology and hydrology Mohammed Farooq Azam was quoted by Times of India as saying. He added that global warming has led to a rise in temperatures in the region. According to a recent report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the temperature is increasing in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region. This, along with global temperature fluctuations, will have further impact in the Himalayan region. Meanwhile, the operation jointly carried out by State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) to rescue people from a tunnel in Tapovan is underway using a JCB machine, heavy earth moving equipment, and excavators. The biggest challenge in this rescue operation is 30-35 feet heap of mud. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said that 28 to 30 people are likely to be trapped in the Tapovan tunnel. So far, a total of 15 people have been rescued and 14 bodies have been recovered from different places, said the police. Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: Rescue operation on; 7 dead, 125 missing -- key highlights The Union budget was rightly praised for its honesty and transparency, for its boldness in ignoring the largely unfounded fear of a sovereign credit rating downgrade, and also for its clear articulation of a privatization strategy. Of course, much euphoria was on account of the relief of no new taxes, not even a covid cess, nor a wealth tax on the super-rich. But as the dust and euphoria settles, a sober examination of the budget is necessary. Can the large deficit be funded without causing interest rates to go up? Will its fiscal stimulus have a multiplier effect on aggregate growth? In the aggregate, the increase in total spending is hardly 1% over the previous years. So the budget is not really fiscally expansionary. Of course, its sub-component of capital spending on infrastructure has gone up considerably, which will catalyse private investment spending. But this increase has been made possible by cuts in its allocation for fertilizer subsidies and the rural employment guarantee scheme. More worryingly, the allocation for defence is nearly stagnant at a time when we face Chinese aggression on the border. Pensions are the fastest-growing component of defence spending. In the past 10 years, the share of Indias defence budget going toward pensions has risen from 18% to 28%, and is slated to be nearly 1.15 trillion next financial year. Even this number is probably under-provisioned, as the Centre may be deferring certain pension obligations till future years. As the pension burden has ballooned, one casualty has been capital spending on modernization and the procurement of hardware, tanks, aircraft and ships. The share of capital spending on hardware in the defence budget has gone down from 27% to 19% in 10 years, almost a reverse trend of pension payments. Quite possibly, the present defence budget pays more to retirees than personnel in active service. Pension reform is hard even at the best of times. But when it comes to defence personnel, it is harder, since it becomes an emotive issue. India has the worlds largest volunteer army. The military force has 1.4 million active personnel and 2.1 million in reserve. Every year, more than 60,000 personnel retire. Most of them are in the 35-45 years age bracket, with a possibility of 20-30 years of active service ahead of them, if gainfully employed. This is because unlike other professions, the armed forces allow you to retire with full pension benefits after 20 years of service. Less than 3% of the personnel are commissioned officers who make it to the senior-most ranks. Even among officers, there is a steep and narrow pyramid of career progression. Many among them choose to retire well before they hit their late 50s. Thus, most of the retirees are a young cohort. This cohort constitutes a valuable pool of strong, relatively young, disciplined, trained and dedicated personnel. They can be loyal and highly productive employees or successful entrepreneurs. Given an opportunity, they could be successful in wide-ranging careers, such as general administration, management, even sales and marketing. Alas, most recruiters see them as potential personnel for security duties only. This is the bane of most retirees (jawans) from the Indian armed forces. It is worth remembering that the One Rank One Pension (OROP) plan was approved by the Union cabinet back in September 2012. This had been a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen. This meant that personnel retiring at the same rank with the same length of service would get the same pension, irrespective of their date of retirement; and any future rise in the pension rate is automatically passed on to all past pensioners. In many ways, this becomes an open-ended and perpetual obligation, and will form an ever-increasing share of the defence budget. The charter of the 15th Finance Commission had included a requisition to make a provision for a non-lapsable fund that could be rolled on from year to year. But this too would not solve the problem. Many countries, especially the ageing societies of the West, and even those like China, are struggling to find a pension system that is adequately funded. For developed economies, the large size of the governments budget is nothing but social security payments, which are recycled from the working young to the retired elderly. India has had a reasonably good national pension scheme since 2005, which is based on a defined contribution. But for defence personnel, given the peculiarity of retiring at a relatively young age, the problem is acute. A very effective and workable solution is proposed by Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Prakash Menon and Pranay Kotasthane in their paper titled A Human Capital Investment Model for Indias National Security System (September 2019). It involves lateral and circular flows of servicemen from internal security forces to the armed forces and back. Army personnel can be deployed for the ever-increasing needs of internal security too. These could also be agencies such as the National Disaster Response Force, Civil Defence Corps or the Home Guards, all of which are severely understaffed. The authors show that the present value of pension savings could be more than 1.2 trillion, which could go a long way in meeting the challenge. This well thought out solution does not entail reducing benefits in accordance with the age of retirement, as is currently being contemplated. It is high time that our fiscal authorities bite this pension reform bullet. Ajit Ranade is chief economist at Aditya Birla Group. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. US President has said he will not lift economic sanctions against Iran until it complies with the terms agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal. Biden was speaking in a CBS News interview aired on Sunday, the BBC reported. However, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran would only return to compliance if the US first lifted all economic sanctions. The 2015 deal sought to limit Iran's nuclear programme, with sanctions eased in return. Former US President Donald Trump, however, withdrew the US from the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, leading Iran to roll back on a number of its commitments. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is peaceful, has been increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel, but also nuclear bombs. Under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal - an agreement reached between Iran, the US, China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK - Tehran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow inspectors to access sites and facilities. In return, sanctions imposed on Tehran were lifted. But Trump withdrew the US from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in an effort to force Iran to negotiate a new accord, and reinstated economic sanctions. Trump wanted to place indefinite curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles. Ali Khamenei said that for Iran to return to its commitments under the deal, the US must first "abolish all sanctions", Iranian state TV reported on Sunday. "We will assess, and if we see that they have acted faithfully in this regard, we will return to our commitment," he said, adding: "It is the irreversible and final decision and all Iranian officials have consensus over it." The president also talked about the US relationship with China. He said there was no reason for Washington to be drawn into direct conflict with Beijing, but that both sides would engage in what he called "extreme competition" on the global economic stage. Biden said he had not spoken to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, since becoming president last month, and that he had not changed his stance towards Beijing. "He's very bright, he's very tough," Biden said of Xi, adding: "He doesn't have a democratic - small 'd' - bone in his body." --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.) By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece today, Myanmars Garment Factories Suffer One-Two Punch of Covid and Coup, highlighting the impact imposing economic sanctions on Myanmar in response to last weeks military coup would have on workers who make clothes for fast fashion retailers. Per the Journal: A decade ago, as Myanmar was turning toward democracy from military rule, Western governments began dropping crippling sanctionsdrawing fast-fashion labels to the country. Factories sprang up, employing hundreds of thousands of people making shirts and dresses for consumers in Europe and elsewhere. Last weeks military coup threatens to turn back the clock. Factory owners fear political instability will push Western clients away, and that any Western efforts to pressure the generals by restoring broad sanctions or withdrawing trade preferences would be crushing. I am very afraid of going back to that time because I already know what the situation was like with sanctions, says Aung Myo Hein, who opened a garment factory in Myanmar in 2013, when the European Union gave Myanmars garment exports duty-free access. Now, downsizing or eliminating entirely the fast fashion industry would undoubtedly benefit the planet. But going cold turkey would cause immediate misery to the many poor textile workers who would be deprived of their livelihoods. Globally, COVID-19 has caused a huge drop in fashion sales, as those working from home have slashed their spending on garments. Part of this drop comes from a lesser need for new clothes, while part is no doubt driven by economic uncertainty. Faced with such plummeting demand, many fashion companies have responded by stiffing their suppliers, as the Guardian discussed in Worlds garment workers face ruin as fashion brands refuse to pay $16bn: Powerful US and European fashion companies have refused to pay overseas suppliers for more than $16bn (12.3bn) of goods since the outbreak of Covid-19, with devastating implications for garment workers across the world, according to analysis of newly released import data. Two US-based groups, the Center for Global Workers Rights (CGWR) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), used previously unpublished import databases to calculate that garment factories and suppliers from across the world lost at least $16.2bn in revenue between April and June this year as brands cancelled orders or refused to pay for clothing orders they had placed before the coronavirus outbreak. This has left suppliers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar with little choice but to slim down their operations or close altogether, leaving millions of workers facing reduced hours and unemployment, according to the report. This practice of non-payment has not gone unchallenged. In fact, activists have launched a campaign to focus public attention on this problem and so shame fashion companies into paying their bills with some success. At this point, I wont discuss these efforts further, but will revisit them in a future post, so as to focus instead today on the Myanmar situation. Fast Fashion and Myanmar Before the COVID-19 decline in demand for new clothing, Myanmar had seen its textile exports surge, as reported by the WSJ: The coronavirus pandemic has already wiped out orders and caused layoffs. Before it hit last year, apparel exports had been rising sharplyto about $5 billion in 2019, 15 times the 2010 totalcreating an industry that employed 700,000 people. Brands include fast-fashion retailers Hennes & Mauritz HM.B -0.22%AB of Sweden, Mango of Spain, Next PLC of the U.K. and Primark, a retailer with stores across Europe. Myanmars garment industry has a small share of the global business, but it has been seen as a promising, low-cost alternative to China for clothing from simple shirts to more complex jackets and coats. At the moment, although the fashion and textile trade press is rife with contradictory and confused speculation as to what governments and companies might do next, the Journal reports that companies are largely taking a wait and see attitude: Retailers buying clothes in Myanmar havent yet said what they will do about the military takeover. Primark has no current plans to change its sourcing strategy, it said, but is closely monitoring the situation. H&M said it is concerned but wouldnt comment on how it will respond. Next and Mango didnt answer requests for comment. Wherever imposed, from Iran to Venezuela, economic sanctions have proven to be a largely ineffective tool for forcing governments to change policies. Where they are effective is in making ordinary people suffer, with the greatest misery falling on the poor and vulnerable. Over to the WSJ again: As Western governments weigh their options, experts are warning against measures that could hurt Myanmars poor and civilian businesses, such as withdrawing EU trading preferences. EU officials said the bloc will explore all options, including withdrawing tariff preferences. The EU considered doing just that in 2018 over human-rights concerns. In the end it didnt act against Myanmarciting its constructive attitude and engagement on the issues of concern such as internally displaced people and media freedombut did penalize Cambodia by withdrawing tariff preferences on one-fifth of its exports to Europe. If the trade benefits disappear in response to the coup, factories would be forced to close, Mr. Aung said. His factory makes mainly shirts, selling 85% of its production to Europe. I will consider switching to another business if EU orders fall, he said. Mr. Aung is no stranger to such turbulence. In 2003, when Myanmar was under military control, Washington banned all goods from the country, whose exports to the U.S. had totaled $356 million in 2002. Mr. Aungs parents closed two of their three garment factories, cut the workforce to 300 people from 2,000 and shifted their focus entirely to Myanmars small domestic market. Of course there is a need to signal that this coup is completely unacceptable, but it is imperative not to do so in such a way that ultimately hurts the economy, says Richard Horsey, a Yangon-based political analyst. Mr. Horsey, who worked with the U.N.s International Labor Organization in 2003, remembers interviewing garment workers who lost their jobs when the U.S. halted imports. It was absolutely devastating. They were the breadwinners for their families, he said. Yet even if the EU and US reject pursuing sanctions at this time, fashion companies may decide that increased political risk now weighs heavily against continued sourcing from Myanmar. With COVID-19 continuing to depress demand for fashion and apparel worldwide, retailers would find it very easy to switch to more politically stable their sources of supply. Reuters reports that U.S. investors are mulling such issues and would face few impediments to setting up garment factories in other countries, according to Myanmar Coup To Dampen US Trade, Impact Footwear Companies: Lucas Myers, analyst with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said the coup would exacerbate strains in US-Myanmar ties following sanctions imposed by Washington in December 2019 and would further complicate trade relations. On trade, the Rohingya situation and Myanmars troubled human rights record rendered investment less attractive for Western firms as compared with China, Myers said. William Reinsch, trade expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said US companies could opt to pull out of Myanmar, given new developments and the Biden administrations vow to focus more on human rights. While some US companies had moved work from China to Myanmar in recent years to take advantage of lower wages, the countrys infrastructure was still lacking, which had kept investment from booming, he added. Most of the US work was in relatively low capital-intensive industries and could be relocated fairly easily, Reinsch said. Its not semiconductors. These factories are relatively easy to set up, he said. The Bottom Line The situation in Myanmar remains volatile, with massive ongoing public protests. U.S. and EU sanctions are unlikely to be an effective tool for shaping particular political outcomes, despite the widespread economic distress they would cause. The on Monday dismissed a petition filed against the allotment of land in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village for the construction of a mosque, following the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Two Delhi-based sisters had moved the Lucknow bench of the on February 3, claiming ownership of the five-acre land allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the mosque. Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Ramesh Kumar Singh had opposed the plea, saying the plot numbers allotted for the mosque are different from those the petition is filed about. On Monday, justices D K Upadhyay and Manish Kumar dismissed the plea after the petitioners' lawyer, H G S Parihar, sought to withdraw it. The bench also expressed concerns with Parihar for filing the petition in a cursory manner without ascertaining the facts. Rani Kapoor, alias Rani Baluja, and Rama Rani Punjabi had said in the writ petition that their father Gyan Chandra Punjabi had come to India during partition in 1947 from Punjab and settled in Faizabad (now Ayodhya) district. They claimed that their father was allotted 28-acre land in Dhannipur village by the Nazul Department for five years which he continued to possess beyond that period. Later, his name was included in the revenue records, the petitioners had said. However, his name was struck down from the records against which their father filed an appeal before the Additional Commissioner, Ayodhya, which was allowed, they claimed. The petitioners further claimed that the consolidation officer again removed their father's name from the records during consolidation proceedings. Against the order of the consolidation officer, an appeal was preferred before the Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Sadar, Ayodhya, but without considering the said petition, the authorities allotted five-acre of their 28-acre land to the Waqf Board for the constructing of mosque, they said. The petitioners demanded that the authorities be restrained from transferring the land to the Sunni Waqf Board till the pendency of dispute before the settlement officer. The state government has allotted five-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board in Dhannipur village for construction of a mosque in compliance with Supreme Court direction in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque title suit. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Sunday, Uttarakhand's Chamoli region was hit by a massive flood triggered by a glacier burst at Joshimath. A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off earlier in the day, leading to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and causing large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalaya. Over 170 labourers -- 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga -- are said to be missing, a spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge. Ten bodies have been found so far, ITBP Spokesperson Vivek Pandey said. As many as five PWD bridges washed away, while 30 people are feared trapped. As a response to the disaster, Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra on Sunday tweeted that "glacial burst" had been a term that he had been previously unfamiliar with but one that everyone will soon have to get familiar with because of climate change. "'Glacier burst' is a phrase I was unfamiliar with but which, unfortunately, I think we all will get overly familiar with. This is what climate activists have been warning us about. The dangerous future they alerted us to may already be here," he tweeted. Glacier burst is a phrase I was unfamiliar with but which, unfortunately, I think we all will get overly familiar with. This is what climate activists have been warning us about. The dangerous future they alerted us to may already be here. pic.twitter.com/uKYvl9CpnT anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 7, 2021 Mahindra's tweet raises a few poignant questions. Is Uttarakhand's flood due to climate change and could it have been avoided? What are glacial bursts? A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) usually occurs when a natural unsteady dam containing a glacial lake collapses. According to AntarcticGlaciers.org, these outburst floods typically have three features - they are marked by extremely sudden releases of water, they are rapid events and sometimes last hours and days and they result in "large downstream river discharges" -- as was seen in case of the Uttarakhand flood. Another encyclopaedia explains that glaciers are moving bodies of ice. Thus, when they retreat, they leave behind a void which is often filled by water creating a lake. That's called a moraine. Often, this moraine can crack under the pressure of a swelling lake and a flood follows. Such floods may hold millions to hundreds of millions of cubic metre of water. There are multiple reasons why a glacial burst can happen. For instance, they can be due to erosion, earthquake under ice, build-up of water pressure and so on. Are glacial bursts due to climate change? Many experts have said that the glacial burst in Uttarakhand may be linked to climate change. According to a report in New York Times, scientists have warned that rising temperatures due to global warming could melt the Himalayan glaciers at an alarming rate. A study has also predicted that all of these glaciers, a major source of water, could be gone by the end of this century. The Himalayas could lose two-thirds of its glaciers by 2100, says the study. Experts said it is a rare incident of a glacial burst and maybe "a climate change event". "We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case. It's unlikely that this was a cloudburst, since weather reports in Chamoli district show sunny weather till today with no record of precipitation," Mohd. Farooq Azam, who is an Assistant Professor at IIT Indore, told IANS. In general, climate change and global warming are frequently listed as causes of glacial bursts. A report by Columbia University predicted that chances of such glacial bursts and GLOFs would increase in the upcoming decades. A 2002 press release by United Nations warned of an increased threat of glacial lakes floods due to global warming. According to the report, around 50 lakes high up in the Himalayas were at risk of bursting their banks and "sending millions of gallons of deadly floodwaters swirling down valleys, putting at risk tens of thousands of lives." Scientists had warned that the lakes were rapidly filling with icy cold water as the rising temperature continues to melt the glaciers and snowfields that act as a source of water for them. In the report, scientists with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) warned that they had found at least 44 lakes that were filling up so quickly that they could easily burst in around five years (meaning 2007.) What happened in Uttarakhand in 2013? The Uttarakhand floods of 2013 may be similar to the 2021 floods in terms of devastation and destruction, but they were quite different in nature. The massive flood came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013 which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. A devastating natural disaster in the form of torrential rains of unseen magnitude had struck Kedarnath on 16-17 June in 2013. The banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath had collapsed due to a cloudburst that had resulted in a major flash flood causing widespread destruction in Uttarakhand and led to heavy losses to infrastructure, agriculture lands, human and animal lives. However, unlike the Kedarnath tragedy which struck after a downpour, the flash flood on Sunday occurred on a bright and sunny morning. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australia has demanded Myanmar immediately release an Australian adviser to Aung San Suu Kyis government who was detained in a military coup, an official said on Monday. Economic policy adviser Sean Turnell had told friends via social media that he was detained. He has been out of contact in recent days. We have called for the immediate release of Australian citizen Prof. Sean Turnell from detention," Foreign Minister Marise Payne said. The Australian Embassy in Myanmar had been providing Turnell with extensive support during this ordeal, she said. Senator Payne declined to speculate on potential sanctions that could be placed on Myanmar, but said Australias military ties with the country were under review. Australia has a defense training program with Myanmar worth about 1.5 million Australian dollars ($1.2 million) over fives years. U.S. President Joe Biden agreed with Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a telephone conversation last week to work together to hold to account those responsible for the coup, the White House said. Turnells friend and fellow Myanmar expert Monique Skidmore said she believed the Macquarie University economics professor had been detained because of his close relationships with ousted leader Suu Kyi and other senior members of her National League for Democracy party. I think its just his closeness thats got him detained, Skidmore said. Skidmore expected Turnell would be deported and remained terribly worried for his safety while he remained in the country. Australian diplomats had planned to get Turnell out of the country and he had been waiting for a car to take him to the Yangon airport when the military arrived to collect him from the citys Chatrium Hotel, his friend and fellow Australian economist Tim Harcourt said. Turnell had arrived in Myanmar from Australia less than a month ago and had been staying at the hotel. He permanent residence was in the capital Naypyitaw. Story continues Turnell had been held in the hotel and in a police station, Skidmore said. Turnell Tweeted last week after the coup began and before he was detained that he was safe for now but heartbroken for what all this means for the people of Myanmar. They deserve so much better, he added. Last April, the government launched the international repatriation flights under Vande Bharat Mission (VBM). The mission was aimed at giving a chance to people who were stranded overseas due to pandemic restrictions to come back to the country. Nearly all airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Vistara and others have flown under this mission to bring back people. Although the mission has done well, it has come at a hefty cost for the stranded passengers. How? In a reply to the Lok Sabha, civil aviation ministry has said that the higher fares on flights operated during VBM are due to a variety of reasons. The ministry said that VBM flights carry just one-way traffic due to visa restrictions. Then, many of the points where Air India is operating VBM flights are not regular points, and therefore, the national carrier had to sign short-term contracts for handling these flights at those stations. As a general rule, short-term contracts are priced higher than normal contracts. "The Covid situation [has] added to the cost of operation towards PPE [personal protective equipment] kits, new guidelines for ground handling, sanitisers etc. Additional cost due to extra-precautions taken in view of operating under Covid conditions for the crew and passengers. Turnaround time was more at many places due to restrictions on crew and pilots, and additional seat blocks for extra set of crew due to no layover at the destination stations," the ministry reply said. The ministry also said that the VBM fares are all one-way fares, which are generally higher than return fares. Air India, for instance, is charging fares between Rs 320,078 (first class) and Rs 51,341 (economy class) for one-way direct flight between Delhi to New York. However, with the introduction of air bubble arrangements with various countries since July, the VBM fares have started to come down. So far, over 2.21 million passengers have been repatriated by Air India Group alone across eight phases in a total of 16,306 flights. The 9th phase of VBM has just concluded that covered 24 countries such as Australia, Canada, US, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, and others. The details of this phase are awaited. It's pretty clear that the number of passengers flying out of the country is lesser than the people flying back to India. Hence, the return flights between two locations (under VBM) have fewer passengers than the usual flights between those locations, and as a result, the flying passengers are burdened with higher fares. Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: Four airlines to fly 56.5 lakh doses from Pune Also Read: COVID-19 vaccination: SpiceJet ferries first consignment of Serum's Covishield to Delhi Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. gettyimagesbank By Kang Seung-woo During last week's phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and President Joe Biden, the two agreed to "comprehensively" work together on North Korea. However, it might not be too long before the new U.S. president could find himself disagreeing with South Korea's policy of championing inter-Korean engagement ahead of pressuring Pyongyang on human rights a concerning sign that the different stance on this issue may result in cracks in their cooperation and furthermore, bilateral relations. Former U.S. President Donald Trump neglected North Korea's human rights violations over the past four years for fear of derailing his nuclear negotiations with Kim Jong-un whose regime considers United Nations resolutions on the North's human rights a serious provocation. This neglect served as a de facto green light for the Moon administration to also put the issue on the shelf. But, given that the Biden administration is seeking to carry out human rights- and democracy-oriented policies toward the totalitarian state, it is highly likely that Washington may clash with Seoul's pursuit of inter-Korea detente, diplomatic experts say. According to Voice of America, the new U.S. government is reviewing appointing a special envoy on North Korean human rights a rewind to the pre-Trump era and a sign that the issue will be part of its policy toward Pyongyang. The post has been vacant since Robert King left the job in January 2017, largely due to Trump ignoring the matter. The rapid review is in a sharp contrast to the South Korean government's moves regarding the human rights issue. The Moon administration has yet to appoint an ambassador-at-large on North Korean human rights since the term of its inaugural Ambassador Lee Jung-hoon ended in September 2017 despite the international community's criticism of its few efforts to publicize North Korean human rights violations. In addition, the government is also under fire for being slow to establish the North Korean Human Rights Foundation pursuant to the North Korean Human Rights Act, which came into effect in September 2016. The organization is aimed at conducting inquiries and developing policies on promoting human rights in the North. Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst and senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation, said the Biden administration's appointment of a human rights ambassador will signal a more comprehensive policy toward Pyongyang based on strategic objectives. "The Moon administration, like its progressive predecessors, minimizes its criticism of North Korean human rights violations as well as other regime transgressions. This has been coupled with efforts to restrain South Korean freedom of speech in attempts to improve inter-Korean relations. Pyongyang, however, continues to threaten, insult and ignore Seoul," he said. "The Biden administration will likely drop Trump's demand to make a profit off of stationing U.S. forces in Korea, which should remove a major bilateral irritant. However, differences between Washington and Seoul on North Korea policy, as well as the pace of OPCON transition, may cause some strains in the alliance." Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University, said, "The issue of North Korea's human rights is the most concerning part between South Korea and the U.S. as President Biden has strongly stressed the matter. Although the Biden administration is not likely to take issue with the South Korean government's negligence in public, it could be a sticking point in their cooperation on dealing with issues involving North Korea." "The Biden administration is highly anticipated to appoint a special envoy on North Korean human rights and the South Korean government at least needs to keep pace with the U.S. step," he added. Shin Beom-chul, the director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the government is required to coordinate with the U.S. on the human rights issue. "As the Biden administration is seeking a two-track approach of pressure on and dialogue with North Korea, the Moon administration should coordinate on dealing with North Korea with the U.S. side," he said. "Rather than saying it opposes the appointment of a special envoy, the government should say the allies need to coordinate on the human rights ambassador in order not to adversely affect the pursuit of its peace initiative." However, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, an associate professor of international relations at King's College London, said potential differences regarding human rights issues in North Korea will not prevent cooperation. "Rightly or wrongly, denuclearization is a greater priority for both Moon and, especially, Biden. Thus, if there is an opportunity to sign a deal with North Korea on denuclearization, none of them will let the opportunity go due to human rights," he said. "The means, however, appear to be different. The Moon government sees inter-Korean reconciliation as a way to improve the human rights situation in North Korea. It looks like the Biden administration is going to be more upfront and vocal about this issue. I think that it might be possible to strike a balance between both approaches." Pardo also said the consultation process between the Moon and Biden administrations will allow human rights to become part of the discussion and therefore not significantly affect South Korea-U.S. cooperation on the broader North Korea issue. "Plus, the U.S. has many other matters with which it wants cooperation with South Korea, such as dealing with China, expanding the G7, or multilateral government negotiations. So even if there are differences with regards to the human rights situation of ordinary North Koreans, I don't think that this will significantly affect South Korea-U.S. relations," he added. LeRonne Armstrong, who was sworn in as Oaklands police chief Monday, vowed to be a visible leader who will push for a safer city as his hometown struggles with a surge of homicides. Armstrong was emotional Monday as he talked to a crowd outside his alma mater, McClymonds High School, pondering his journey to his perch as Oaklands new police chief. Armstrong said he will work with the community clergy, city leaders and residents to fight crime. His swearing-in comes after the city marked 15 homicides in the first month of the year compared to just one at this time last year. When a life is lost in Oakland, you will see me in the impacted neighborhoods, Armstrong said. I will be getting up no matter what time it is to come out to those scenes, to make sure families know that it matters to me when someones life is taken. Mayor Libby Schaaf said she was happy to appoint an Oakland native to the position of top cop. She recalled when she first met Armstrong as an enthusiastic officer nearly 10 years ago. The two discussed why it was important for the city to have a leader that was of this community, from this community. Armstrong has worked for the department for 22 years, most recently as deputy chief. As we, the city of Oakland, hold Chief Armstrong accountable, we need you to hold him every day, Schaaf said, turning to his family members who joined the ceremony. Hold him in your prayers, hold him in your embrace. This is the hardest job in America. He will need your support, your wisdom and most of all your love. Armstrong said it was one of his top priorities to lead the department with laser focus to implement reforms in the troubled force as it enters its 18th year under a federal monitor. The monitor was appointed after the Riders scandal in 2003, when a group of rogue officers were accused of beating and framing Oakland citizens for crimes. The only way to lead the city out from under federal oversight is through cultural change, Armstrong said. He acknowledged the recent criticism after an Oaklandside article revealed that several OPD officers showed support for pro-Trump conspiracy theories on social media. Armstrong said he plans to introduce a social media policy that governs police staff on and off duty. These incidents are woefully unacceptable, he said. I want to be clear, if anybody in the Oakland Police Department moving forward is found to be involved in this type of behavior, (they) will not be welcome. Armstrong takes over from Interim Police Chief Susan Manheimer, who led the department for 10 months. Oakland has gone through 11 police chiefs in the past 21 years. Four took and left the job within the span of nine days in 2016. Regina Jackson, the chair of the police commission which selected Armstrong as one of four finalists for the job, said no one is better equipped for the job. The job posting for the chief called for a champion who will fully and finally effect long-sought transformational change of policing in Oakland. Armstrong is that person, Jackson said Monday. He is the kind of straight shooter that we need to lead us into a place of more accountable and more responsible policing, Jackson said. We wrote a job description that pretty much asked for someone that walked on water. I dont think anybody is closer to what we were looking for. Armstrong was born in West Oakland. Raised by a single mother, he spent every Saturday when he was young with his two siblings and mother working on handwriting and strengthening his studies. She told me when I was a young boy, There is something special about you, Armstrong said, his voice shaking with emotion. Shes told me three things: Maintain your faith in God, always be respectful, and always believe that you can be anything you want to be. When Armstrong was just 13, his brother was shot and killed. Thats when he knew he wanted a career focused on safety, Armstrong said Monday. I didnt want any other family to experience what my family had experienced, he said. Armstrongs daughter Mikhala Armstrong, 24, said she flew in from Los Angeles to see her fathers swearing-in. And she couldnt be more proud. This is something hes always wanted, She said. Its great that its his time. Armstrongs mother, Charlotte, was also there. This is a proud moment for me because I knew what he was capable of, and he proved himself, Charlotte Armstrong told The Chronicle. I taught him to persevere and no matter what the circumstances are, you never give up, and he did that. He would always tell me, Mama, you watch, youll see. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani NEW DELHI : Treating severe covid-19 patients with anti-cancer drug Bevacizumab may help reduce mortality and speed up recovery, clinical studies in Italy and China showed. Bevacizumab has been used to treat various types of cancer since 2004. Led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the study conducted between mid-February and early April 2020, finds that on an average, blood oxygen levels, body temperature and inflammatory markers improved significantly for patients treated with a single dose of Bevacizumab in addition to standard care. The research was published in Nature Communications. To reduce covid-19 mortality, we aim to develop an effective therapeutic paradigm for treating patients with severe covid-19," said corresponding author Yihai Cao, professor of vascular biology, Karolinska Institutet. Our findings suggest Bevacizumab plus standard care is highly beneficial for patients with severe covid and should be considered as a potential first-line therapeutic regimen for this group." Bevacizumab slows the formation of new blood vessels by inhibiting a growth factor known as VEGF. Many patients with severe covid have elevated levels of VEGF as well as symptoms associated with this marker, including excess fluid and disorganized blood vessels in the lungs. Against this background, the researchers designed a clinical trial to investigate the effect of combining Bevacizumab with standard covid care to treat severe patients. The researchers recruited two groups of 26 covid-19 patients, each having similar symptoms, such as breathing difficulty, low blood oxygen levels and pneumonia, from two hospitals in China and Italy. One group received a single low dose of 7.5 mg/kg of Bevacizumab along with standard treatment for covid, while the other (control group) was only given standard care for covid at the same hospitals. The blood oxygen levels of patients on Bevacizumab improved significantly within 24 hours compared to those in the control group. By the end of the 28-day follow-up period, 92% of the Bevacizumab-treated subjects did not need the same level of oxygen support as they did before the trial began, compared with an improvement rate of 62% for the controls. None of the Bevacizumab-treated patients died, and 17 (65%) improved so much that they were able to leave the hospital within the follow-up period. In the control group, three died, and only 46% were discharged within 28 days. Bevacizumab also shortened the duration of oxygen support to a median of nine days compared with 20 for the standard care group. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed the implementation of status quo ordered by a single-judge bench on the Rs 24,713 crore deal between Future Retail Ltd and Reliance. A division bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh noted that "there was no reason to seek a status quo order from single-judge bench. Statutory authorities cannot be restrained from proceeding in accordance with law". The bench also observed that Future Retail Ltd is not a party to the Arbitration Agreement and hence, the group of companies doctrine cannot be invoked. "Observations are only prima facie. Single judge not to be influenced," the court further stated. Last week, Future Retail Ltd had moved the division bench to appeal against the status quo order passed by Justice J.R. Midha. Amazon had dragged the Future Group to arbitration at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre after the firm signed a pact to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing units to the Mukesh Ambani-headed Reliance in a Rs 24,713 crore deal. As per the Amazon, Future Retail Ltd violated the contract by entering into the deal with Reliance. Giving relief to Amazon, Justice Midha, on February 2, directed Future Retail to maintain status quo in relation to its deal with Reliance. The single judge bench was dealing with Amazon's petition seeking enforcement of the Emergency Award passed under Section 17(2) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Amazon had moved the Delhi High Court last month for enforcement of the Emergency Award. It had alleged that Future Group's Kishore Biyani as well as other promoters and directors were "deliberately and maliciously" disobeying the Emergency Award in spite of their participation in the arbitration proceedings. Gambia's premier civic education institution, the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) on Thursday launched the training of 'Decentralized Community Structures on Civic Education and Inclusive Participation in Decision-Making Processes in Regions'. The twelve-day training is supported by UNICEF Gambia, through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF). It will be implemented in 12 communities in URR, CRR and LRR with four venues in each of the regions. Yusupha Bojang, Programme Manager of NCCE, in his remarks during the opening in Basse said the trainings target about 480 participants from Multi-Disciplinary Facilitation Teams (MDFTs), VDCs, WDCs and Mothers' Clubs. He added that the trainings are "meant to promote civic education to increase inclusiveness and participation in decision-making in grassroots governance". Mr. Bojang added that targeted participants are a representation of the critical mass in the grassroots and therefore have a staggering potential "in influencing the thinking and actions of your people". He reiterated his institution's commitment to intensify civic education campaigns as the country braces itself for a crucial presidential election that will be a pivotal moment to consolidate and cement the democratic trajectory of The Gambia. He called on citizens, particularly young people to respect the laws of the land and desist from the abuse of social media and not be allowed to be used by politicians as pawns in the political chess game. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Gambia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Alhaji Jatta in his remarks on behalf of URR Governor commended the timing of the training and encouraged NCCE to further increase their efforts towards rigorous citizenship education across the country. He suggested for NCCE to broaden partnership with community structures, and other stakeholders working in the field of civic education, to educate as many people as possible on their rights and duties. Foday Danjo, Chairman Basse Area Council heaped praises on NCCE for upholding its constitutional mandate of educating Gambians on their rights and duties. He called on Government and other partners to support NCCE in any way that will increase its full effectiveness and presence throughout the country. Lady Councilor Jonfolo Jarju of Basse said the training is tailor-made to make them aware, so that they can function sufficiently in the development of their communities. She prepared a special focus on women stating that "women have long been left behind in development, including education and others". She cautioned women to be careful in exercising political participation without having conflicts from differences in their political choices. Mayank Amins Skippack Pharmacy customers are used to their colorful chemists showman-like ways. But when he arrived Sunday morning dressed in his trademark superhero costume, the pharmacist got greeted with cheers and high fives like never before. And hed be the first to tell you it wasnt even really about him. It was like New Years when the ball drops, said Amin. He and about 100 volunteers were on hand Sunday morning at the Skippack firehouse to staff the administration of precious doses of protective COVID-19 vaccine to the approximately 1,000 qualified people who signed up first to receive them. Two hundred homebound people will be given the vaccine by Amin and his helpers in later house calls. The Montgomery County chemist applied to have his pharmacy be one of the distributors of the vaccine but only had a couple of days to pull together the actual vaccination event, including getting the word out to that the time had come. A delivery of 1,200 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines arrived Friday, the first doses of a two-injection process. Amin has been promised a second shipment will follow, he said. READ MORE: A sudden delivery of COVID-19 vaccine drives Montco pharmacist into action Its been heartbreaking to see and hear the stories, Amin said. That, he said, includes people with gravely ill loved ones desperately seeking the vaccine. All the people who signed up as potential recipients were the highest priority: those designated as category 1A mostly people 65 and over, but also health-care workers and people with certain health risks. By Sunday morning, Amin said his list had grown to more than 10,000 people. Over 1,000 people had called his cell phone alone. Its just mind-blowing, he said. It is like winning the lottery, said Eileen Kennedy of Harleysville, a retired schoolteacher who was number one in the vaccine line Sunday. Her husband, John, semiretired from his own finance company, was number two. We feel so relieved, Kennedy said. She has a son in Orlando and a daughter and two grandsons in Atlanta whom she has been wanting to see for quite a while now. She knows the vaccine isnt a total guarantee but still its more peace of mind, Kennedy said. Jim Daughenbaugh, a semiretired engineer who lives in Collegeville, said he was thrilled to get the vaccine. Like the other recipients Sunday, he will be getting the second one in about three weeks. I just thought it was a prudent decision to get the shot, he said. An ounce of protection, right? When Bill Biermann, a retired oncologist, and his wife, Sharon, a retired medical technician, heard that Amins pharmacy would have the vaccine, they put out word to their neighbors at Meadow Glen at Skippack, an over-55 community. The couple had been planning on traveling, said Bill Biermann. He retired in early 2020 and had a trip to Italy scheduled that, of course, got canceled. Once theyve received both shots, what theyre most looking forward to is getting in their car, going to visit their children and grandchildren, and giving them all hugs. The vaccine, said Biermann, will make that possible now. Im very relieved. Rajkummar Rao without a doubt is one of the brightest talents in the Hindi film industry. The actor is currently enjoying the success of his last release The White Tiger which also starred Priyanka Chopra and Gaurav Adarsh in leading roles. Rao had to deal with his fair share of struggles to get where he is today. However, his passion for cinema and acting helped him face every obstacle that came his way. In an interview with a leading daily, the actor revealed, I fell in love with my art when I was a kid. I was never chasing fame and money; this is what I wanted to do. I did theatre and went to the Film Institute as I did not want to come here unprepared. Youll have friends wholl say that you do very good mimicry and impressions and look good too. And theyll ask you to go to Mumbai and be an actor. But it is not that simple. Cinema is changing and we need talent out there now. We need to get trained and have some experience before coming here. I came here and I did not want to give up chasing my dream without Plan B. My mother always had faith in me. She asked me to keep working and that it will work out. She never told me, Why dont you try TV serials? It is not that I am looking down upon that medium, but I wanted to be in films. I was staying in Mumbai with two of my batch mates, chasing my dream since 2008, and Mumbai is an expensive city. There were days when there was no money for food, and wed go to a friends house and ask, Can I share your meal? And they were kind enough to do that. Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information. Send your news MONTREAL, Feb. 7, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Two years after the Plante administration's refusal to deploy body-worn video cameras ("body cams") for officers of the Montreal Police department (SPVM), Ensemble Montreal is once again calling for body cams to be put into use at the SPVM as quickly as possible. According to the Official Opposition, putting this high-tech tool into use will help avoid arbitrary arrests such as that of Mamadi III Fara Camara, which damaged his reputation and forced him to spend six days in prison though innocent. Body cams will also help restore Montrealers' confidence in police officers and reduce racial profiling. "It's time to stop playing games! For two years we've been asking the Plante administration to act on this matter; each time, all we've gotten are excuses. The pilot project took place in 2016, and we don't need more than one. Hiding behind false problems of financing and waiting for Quebec will not resolve the issue. Montreal has the means to restore the population's confidence in the SPVM. Body cameras have unanimous support; we just have to pull our heads out of the sand and get the cameras out into the field across Montreal" declared Lionel Perez, Leader of the Official Opposition. Remember that the body cam pilot project took place under the previous administration in 2016. Since Projet Montreal took over, Ensemble Montreal has made SPVM transparency to the population one of its priority issues, particularly in order to rebuild bridges with racialized citizens. City councillor Abdelhaq Sari, Ensemble Montreal spokesperson for public security, said in the same vein: "Everyone must be held accountable, that's what we hear people saying; they want action, and they want to feel safe around police officers. In addition, body cams also protect police themselves from false complaints. It's a useful tool that's been tested by many other polices forces across North America, and it would be a win-win for all Montrealers." What's more, in the past few days, SPVM Chief Sylvain Caron has himself come out in favour of body cams for his rank-and-file. All the players in this sector also seem to be in support of implementing body cameras, including pressure groups who advocate for minority rights in Montreal. Real political will "We're not giving up until the Plante administration gives in. The Mayor needs to stop avoiding the problem. Montrealers of every origin must feel protected from police repression in their city. The tragic events of recent days involving Mr. Camara demonstrate that action is needed now, for the good of us all. We're done accepting lame excuses and empty promises from Valerie Plante", concluded Mr. Perez. The motion will be debated at the February 22 session of the Municipal Council. Motion by the Official Opposition 65.01 Municipal Council Meeting of February 22, 2021 Motion for the immediate permanent implementation of body-worn cameras on SPVM officers Whereas, desiring accountability, responsibility, transparency and the strengthening of public confidence in their police service, cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Oakland, Calgary and Calgary have chosen to implement body-worn cameras or "body cameras"; Whereas many American studies have identified a significant decrease in the use of force in police enquiries and associated complaints when police officers wear body cameras; Whereas the number of stop-and-checks made by the Service de police de la Ville de Montreal (SVPM) rose by 143 % between 2014 and 2017 while there was no noticeable increase in the number of criminal incidents in Montreal; Whereas, since 2010, there have been numerous reports on SPVM practices of profiling and police checks as well as strategic plans to address racial profiling, all with no conclusive results; Whereas between May 2016 and April 2017, the SPVM conducted a pilot project aiming to equip its police officers with body cameras; Whereas during the pilot project, investigators used the video recordings to improve police practices, as reported in the SPVM document; Whereas the results of the pilot project showed that 69% of SPVM patrollers recognize that body cameras can be particularly useful in reinforcing their testimony to the Court; Whereas since the end of the SPVM pilot project, body camera and data storage technologies have improved; Whereas the captured videos act as an additional tool to complement officers' event reports, facilitate evidence sharing with Crown prosecutors, improve public perception of the role of police, and decrease vexatious and unfounded complaints against police officers; Whereas the complete video recordings of a police enquiry or intervention will not only help residents, police officers, and disciplinary, ethics and judicial bodies clarify the circumstances of such enquiries and interventions, but also encourage victims of abuse to file complaints and question discriminatory behaviour by a police officer; Whereas the large-scale deployment of body cameras will constitute a concrete measure to counter racial profiling at the SPVM and increase public confidence in the work of Montreal police officers; Whereas administration amendments to the Official Opposition's motion in February 2020 had the effect of forcing Montrealers to wait for the end of a Gouvernement du Quebec pilot project on body cameras, an issue entirely within the jurisdiction of the City of Montreal; Whereas the time for pilot projects is over and it's time to act to put an end to the status quo of current police practices that seem to encourage racial profiling behaviours at the SPVM; Whereas the administration voted against an amendment presented by the Official Opposition to the 2021-2030 Ten-Year Capital Investment Plan to finance the implementation of body cameras during the December 9, 2020 special session of the Municipal Council; Whereas the wearing of body cameras by SPVM officers would have helped prevent charges against Mr. Mamadi III Fara Camara and deter such grave judicial errors as led to the stay of proceedings by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions; Whereas during a recent press conference held February 4, SPVM Chief Sylvain Caron stated that the department he leads is ready for body cameras to be deployed on police officers; Whereas there is an urgent need to act to make sure that arrests such as those of attorney Kwado D. Yeboah and Mr. Mamadi III Fara Camara never happen again; It is proposed by Abdelhaq Sari, City Councillor for the Marie-Clarac district; Seconded by Josue Corvil, City Councillor for the Saint-Michel district; and Marvin Rotrand, City Councillor for the Snowdon district; That the current administration immediately begin the gradual and permanent implementation of body-worn cameras on police officers with full respect for the privacy and the protection of personal information of individuals; That the administration convene, as quickly as possible, extraordinary sessions of the Agglomeration Council and the Municipal Council in order to amend the 2021-2030 Ten-Year Capital Investment Plan accordingly. SOURCE Ville de Montreal - Opposition officielle a l'Hotel de Ville de Montreal For further information: Marc-Antoine Audette, Press Attache, Office of the Official Opposition, (438) 925-0715 Related Links ville.montreal.qc.ca New justice minister hit for unilateral move Justice Minister Park Beom-kye conducted a reshuffle of four senior prosecutors Sunday after he took office Feb. 1. The reshuffle has drawn attention as it comes amid lingering tension between the ministry and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. What is noteworthy is Park has snubbed Yoon's purported request to replace senior prosecutors who were siding with former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Park's immediate predecessor. Choo, seemingly on behalf of President Moon Jae-in, had been locking horns with Yoon on corruption cases involving Moon's confidants. For one thing, Park retained Lee Seong-yoon, a pro-Moon figure, as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, despite Yoon's demand to replace him. Also unaffected were the senior prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) in charge of corruption cases involving high ranking officials. Only Shim Jae-cheol, the director in charge of the ministry's personnel affairs, who has been leading the anti-Yoon drive, was promoted to head the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which is now investigating an investment fraud case related to Lime Asset Management. Choo created a stir by shuffling prosecutors without consulting with the chief prosecutor. Apparently aware of such a controversy, Park met Yoon twice before carrying out the reshuffle. Park ensured his meeting with Yoon was open, an unprecedented move given the tradition of not publicizing such things to keep confidentiality in personnel affairs. Yet the reshuffle has shown that Park refused to respect Yoon's opinion, proving that the meeting was only perfunctory. SPO officials reportedly complained that they were not informed of the reshuffle until the last moment. More than anything else, the prosecution should keep its independence and political neutrality. Toward this end, the minister should listen to the top prosecutor's opinion when reshuffling senior prosecutors to prevent the ministry from making "political appointments." Choo became the target of criticism by appointing politically-biased prosecutors to key posts apparently to protect corrupt officials and politicians in the ruling camp. She should be held accountable for undermining the prosecution's political neutrality and independence. She also relegated pro-Yoon senior prosecutors to trivial posts; and Park seems to be following in her footsteps right from the start. The latest reshuffle indicates that strained ties between the ministry and the top prosecutor will continue for the time being with the ministry trying to take control of the law enforcement agency. Worse still, doubts are growing as to whether Lee is qualified to lead the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office as he has already lost trust and authority within the prosecution due to his pro-government inclination and disregard for the neutrality and independence of the prosecution. In addition, he has triggered criticism for his bungling in dealing with significant major politically sensitive issues including the investigation into the Moon administration's alleged intervention in the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018. It remains to be seen if Park and Yoon can mend ties to make joint efforts to ensure the enforcement and upholding of the rule of law. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Fears are growing for the safety of a British teacher who has disappeared in Myanmar as protests rage across the country against the military crackdown and imprisonment of the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Ian Richmond who lives and teaches at a school in Tachileik, on the border with Thailand, has not been since February 1. The 48-year-old, originally from Darlington, County Durham, has not made contact with family and friend back home in the UK during that time. Ian Richmond, 48, (pictured) originally from Darlington, County Durham, who lives and teaches at a school in Tachileik, on the border with Thailand, has not been since February 1 The British teacher has disappeared in Myanmar as protests rage across the country against the military crackdown and imprisonment of the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Pictured: Ian Richmond with his Chinese partner Xiaoulu Concerned colleagues at the BH educational logistics group where he works have appealed to family and friends in the UK for news of Ian. School director Aung Win Shoon told MailOnline: 'We are in the Shan state of Myanmar, which is currently experiencing unrest and riots like many parts of the country. 'The roads are blocked and there has been some problems with guerillas and the Burmese army. 'We have had internet blocked here so there is an information black out. Banks are closed and roads are shut with phones blocked. It is very tense politically. 'So we are wondering if anyone has heard from Ian in England. The 48-year-old, originally from Darlington, County Durham, has not made contact with family and friend back home in the UK since he went missing An experienced traveller, Mr Richmond had been living abroad for the past 15 years. He spent 12 years teaching English in China before moving to Myanmar two years ago The military took control of Myanmar at the beginning of the month, claiming that there had been voting irregularities at the November 8 general election. Pictured: A message released by the British ambassador with advice to stay at home and to avoid crowds where possible 'If he has left Tachileik he would not have been able to return to the area because the military has sealed it off from the rest of the country.' Myanmar has experienced the biggest protests for a decade, with tens of thousands of people joining rallies in several of the country's cities since the arrest of San Suu Kyi, 75. The military took control of the country at the beginning of the month, claiming that there had been voting irregularities at the November 8 general election. San Suu Kyi's ruling party the NLD won 396 out of 476 contested seats giving them another five-year majority in parliament, despite the 25 per cent of seats automatically allocated to the armed forces. In a television address on Monday General Min Aung Hlaing, leading the coup, tried to justify the takeover by claiming San Suu Kyi's was fraudulent, despite providing no evidence. Military junta imposes curfew and bans meetings Myanmar's new military rulers on Monday signaled their intention to crack down on opponents of their takeover, issuing decrees that effectively banned peaceful public protests in the country's two biggest cities. The restrictive measures were ordered after police fired water cannons at hundreds of protesters in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, who were demanding the military hand power back to elected officials. Rallies and gatherings of more than five people, along with motorized processions, were banned, and an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew was imposed for areas of Yangon and Mandalay. Protesters in Yangon rallied Monday at a major downtown intersection raising three-finger salutes that are symbols of resistance and carrying placards saying, 'Reject the military coup' and 'Justice for Myanmar.' There were also demonstrations in towns in the north, southeast and east of the country. State media for the first time on Monday made reference to the protests, claiming they were endangering the country's stability. However, the military commander who led the coup and is now Myanmar's leader made no mention of the unrest in a 20-minute televised speech Monday night, his first to the public since the takeover. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent watchdog group, says 165 people, mostly politicians, had been detained since the Feb. 1 coup, with just 13 released. Advertisement Mr Richmond's colleagues are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare because they have not been able to contact him since the rioting began. His last post on Facebook February 3 was a copy of a letter from the British Ambassador to Myanmar Dan Chugg in which he urged Britons in the country to stay at home and not to come to the Embassy. Mr Chugg wrote: 'This has been an unsettling couple of days. I recognise that many people will be worried about what is happening and what they should do. 'Our advice over the past few days has been to stay at home. This continues to be our position. 'Please do not come to the Embassy. The Embassy building is closed and staff are working remotely. 'Both the PM and the Foreign Secretary made comments about the situation yesterday and are fully engaged in developments. 'Please take care.' Mr Richmond's friend back home Paul Stoddart said he was worried, but hoped the adventurous teacher had simply gone 'off-grid' for a few days. 'I have not heard from Ian for a week,' Mr Stoddart told MailOnline. 'That is not unusual because he often goes off-grid. But he has been fairly chatty recently. 'Just before the coup he said the situation had become very tense. 'His phone is switched off and he has not posted anything on Facebook for five days. 'He may have crossed the border into Thailand. He said if the situation got bad in Myanmar that's what he would try to do. An experienced traveller, Mr Richmond had been living abroad for the past 15 years. He spent 12 years teaching English in China before moving to Myanmar two years ago. He has a Chinese partner called Xiaoulu. The second Senate impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump will open on Tuesday, just over a month after the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol the House has charged him with inciting. Senate leaders agreed on Monday to a plan for an exceptionally speedy proceeding that could conclude in less than half the time of his first. Monday was a day for pretrial motions, and Mr. Trumps lawyers laid out his defense in a 78-page brief submitted to the Senate, denying that he was responsible for the attack and arguing that in any case, an ex-president could not be tried by the Senate. In their own filing, the House Democrats who are prosecuting him reiterated their allegation that Mr. Trump willfully incited the riot and insisted that he was subject to a Senate impeachment trial. Here is a broad overview of how the trial will unfold under the rules being discussed. Tuesday: Four hours of debate, then a procedural vote. Sir David Adjaye, the renowned Ghanaian architect, has received the 2021 Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in the UK. The award is one of the highest in the field. It is the first time in the awards 172-year history that it has been presented to a black architect. The judges praised Adjaye as a singular and timely talent and a strong reminder of the insightful and integrative role of the architect. In September 2020, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced that Sir David Adjaye would be the next recipient of the 2021 Royal Gold Medal, the UKs highest honour for architecture. The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the UK, and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence "either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture". Sir David Adjaye has achieved international attention for an exceptional body of work over 25 years. Drawing on his cited influences including "contemporary art, music and science to African art forms and the civic life of cities", his completed projects range from private houses, exhibitions and furniture design, through to major cultural buildings and city master plans. From the start of his career, he has combined practice with teaching in schools of architecture in the UK and the USA, including professorships at the universities of Harvard, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Princeton. His practice, Adjaye Associates, was founded in 2000, and today he has studios in Accra, London and New York, with projects across the world. Adjaye Associates is well-known for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC (2016), where they were lead designers of the Freelon Adjaye/Bond SmithGroup. Other completed projects include Ruby City, an art centre in San Antonio, Texas (2019); the Alara Concept Store in Lagos (2016); the Sugar Hill Mixed-Use Development (housing, museum, community facilities and offices) in Harlem, New York (2015); the Aishti Foundation, a mixed-use retail and arts centre in Beirut, Lebanon (2015); two neighbourhood libraries in Washington, DC (both 2012); the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo in Russia (2010); the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, Colorado (2007); the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway (2005); Rivington Place arts centre in Hackney, London (2007); and the Idea Stores two community libraries in London (2004, 2005). Current projects include a new home for The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, in collaboration with Cooper Robertson; 130 William, a high-rise residential tower in New Yorks financial district; the International Finance Corporation (IFC) building in Dakar, Senegal; the Princeton University Art Museum in Princeton, New Jersey, in collaboration with Cooper Robertson; the George Street Sydney Plaza in Sydney, Australia; The Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Winter Park Library and Events Centre in Winter Park, Florida; the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, London, led by Adjaye Associates, with Ron Arad Architects as Memorial Architect, and Gustafson Porter + Bowman as Landscape Architect; the Royal Benin Museum in Benin City, Nigeria; and the Thabo Mbeki Presidential Library in Johannesburg, South Africa; and the National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra. On hearing the news that he will receive the Royal Gold Medal in 2021, Sir David Adjaye said: Its incredibly humbling and a great honour to have my peers recognise the work I have developed with my team and its contribution to the field over the past 25 years. Architecture, for me, has always been about the creation of beauty to edify all peoples around the world equally and to contribute to the evolution of the craft. The social impact of this discipline has been and will continue to be the guiding force in the experimentation that informs my practice. A heartfelt and sincere moment of gratitude and thanks to all the people who supported the journey to get to this moment. RIBA President, Alan Jones said: It was my absolute pleasure and honour to chair the committee and be involved in selecting Sir David Adjaye as the 2021 Royal Gold Medallist. At every scale, from private homes to major art centres, one senses David Adjayes careful consideration of the creative and enriching power of architecture. His work is local and specific, and at the same time global and inclusive. "Blending history, art and science he creates highly crafted and engaging environments that balance contrasting themes and inspire us all. I believe his both practising and teaching in schools of architecture has significantly enriched his work. His artistic and social vision has created public projects that perfectly demonstrate the civic potential of architecture fostering empathy, identity and pride. Davids contribution to architecture and design globally is already astounding, and I am excited that we have so much more of it to look forward to. Sir David Adjaye was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to architecture, following an OBE in 2007. As a student, he won the 1990 RIBA Bronze Medal for the best design project worldwide; in 2006 his Idea Store Whitechapel was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year. He has won RIBA International Awards for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver (2008) and the Francis Gregory Library and William. O Lockridge/Bellevue Library in Washington, DC (both 2013). Source: ghannaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video People inspect the site near the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in the Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand (AP) Rescuers in India are working to rescue more than three dozen power plant workers trapped in a tunnel after part of a Himalayan glacier broke off and sent a wall of water and debris rushing down the mountain in a disaster that has left 26 people dead and 165 missing. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups and police have been taking part in search-and-rescue operations in the northern state of Uttarakhand after Sundays flood, which destroyed one dam, damaged another and washed away homes downstream. Officials said the focus was on saving 37 workers who are stuck inside a tunnel at one of the affected hydropower plants. Excavators have been brought in to help with the efforts. The tunnel is filled with debris, which has come from the river. We are using machines to clear the way, said H Gurung, a senior official of the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police. Authorities fear many more to be dead and were searching for bodies downstream using boats. They also walked along river banks and used binoculars to scan for bodies that might have been washed downstream. The flood was caused when a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier snapped off on Sunday morning, releasing water trapped behind it, a disaster which experts said could be linked to global warming. The floodwater rushed down the mountain and into other bodies of water, forcing the evacuation of many villages along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. Expand Close Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel undertake rescue work at one of the hydro power projects at Reni village in the Chamoli district (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel undertake rescue work at one of the hydro power projects at Reni village in the Chamoli district (AP) Video from Indias northern state of Uttarakhand showed the muddy, concrete grey floodwaters tumbling through a valley and surging into a dam, breaking it into pieces with little resistance before roaring on downstream. The flood turned the countryside into what looked like an ash-coloured moonscape. A hydroelectric plant on the Alaknanda was destroyed, and a plant under construction on the Dhauliganga was damaged, said Vivek Pandey, an Indo Tibetan Border Police spokesman. Flowing out of the Himalayan mountains, the two rivers meet before merging with the Ganges River. The trapped workers were at the Dhauliganga plant, where on Sunday 12 workers were rescued from a separate tunnel. Expand Close This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows a massive flood of water, mud and debris flowing after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off (KK Productions via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows a massive flood of water, mud and debris flowing after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off (KK Productions via AP) A senior government official told the Associated Press (AP) that they do not know the total number of people who were working in the Dhauliganga project. The number of missing people can go up or come down, S A Murugesan said. Mr Pandey said on Monday that 165 workers at the two plants, not including those trapped in the tunnel, were missing and at least 26 bodies were recovered. Those rescued on Sunday were taken to hospital, where they were recovering. One of the rescued workers, Rakesh Bhatt, told AP they were working in the tunnel when water rushed in. We thought it might be rain and that the water will recede. But when we saw mud and debris enter with great speed, we realised something big had happened, he said. Mr Bhatt said one of the workers was able to contact officials via his mobile phone. Expand Close Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel at one of the hydropower projects (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel at one of the hydropower projects (AP) We waited for almost six hours praying to God and joking with each other to keep our spirits high. I was the first to be rescued and it was a great relief, he said. The Himalayan area where Sundays flood struck has a chain of hydropower projects on several rivers and their tributaries. Authorities said they were able to save other power units downstream because of timely action taken to release water by opening gates. The floodwaters also damaged homes, but details on the number and whether any residents were injured, missing or dead remained unclear. Officials said they were trying to track whether anyone was missing from villages along the two rivers. Government officials airdropped food packets and medicine to at least two flood-hit villages. Expand Close The damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project (AP) Many people in nearby villages work at the Dhauliganga plant, Mr Murugesan said, but as it was a Sunday fewer people were at work than on a weekday. The only solace for us is that the casualty from the nearby villages is much less, he said. Some have already started pointing at climate change as a contributing factor given the known melting and breakup of the worlds glaciers, though other factors such as erosion, earthquakes, a build-up of water pressure and volcanic eruptions have also been known to cause glaciers to collapse. Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct professor at the Indian School of Business who has contributed to UN-sponsored research on global warming, said that while data on the cause of the disaster was not yet available, this looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting due to global warming. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Amid the protests and turbulence of 2020, Americans set a new record for gun purchases, with the FBI tallying a new high of 21 million background checks over the year. That was an increase of 26% over the 2016 record of 15.7 million. Researchers from four major U.S. universities, including Northwestern University, surveyed approximately 25,000 people between Dec. 16, 2020, and Jan. 11, 2021, and found nearly 9,000 Americans said they bought guns in 2020. The researchers then asked about why they bought them. Gun sales were especially high in March when the pandemic and lockdowns became widespread and in June at the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests. "These events generated feelings of uncertainty and threat, and Americans apparently felt some security in buying guns," said IPR political scientist James Druckman, the Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and Institute for Policy Research associate director. Druckman is part of a university research consortium of scholars from Northwestern, Harvard, Northeastern and Rutgers that is tracking Americans' attitudes on COVID-19. Other key findings include: People who attended protests against police violence or rallies in support of President Trump were much more likely to buy guns than everyone else. As in past years, crime remained the biggest reason for gun buying, but nearly a third of respondents cited COVID-19, lockdowns, the election or protection against the government. Republicans were more than twice as likely as Democrats to buy a gun. Existing gun-owners who became ill with COVID-19 were more likely to buy additional guns than non-infected gun-owners. Whites bought more guns overall, but Blacks were more likely to become new gun-owners. Protesters were approximately between two and four times more likely to buy a gun than those who did not protest. For those who attended a protest against police violence or racism, 13% bought a gun. The percentage increased to 23% for those attending a rally to support former President Trump or to protest election fairness or COVID-19 restrictions. However, 5% of all American adults protested which cannot account for all of the increase. Additional drivers of gun buying, according to Druckman, were likely the pandemic itself and fears due to the protests. Respondents could select up to eight reasons to explain why they made gun purchases in 2020. The most common were reasons regularly cited in past years: to protect them from crime (70%), go target shooting (35%) or hunt (25%). But specific 2020 events also drove gun purchases, with 16% citing COVID-19 lockdowns, 15% saying they wanted protection from the government and 14% pointing to the 2020 presidential election. In examining some of these reasons, the researchers found interesting takeaways, such as among the 16% who selected COVID-19 lockdowns, more than half of them (56%) had attended a Trump rally. First-time and existing gun owners While the majority of gun purchases were made by existing gun owners, 24% of purchases were made by first-time gun owners. Examining demographic differences between those who bought a gun for the first time and those who were already gun owners, revealed key differences. "The new gun buyers were those who were particularly worried about national events and thus in many ways did not fit common demographics of gun owners," Druckman said. Respondents who reported extreme stress were nearly three times as likely to become a gun owner than those who reported no stress. Americans who made more than $200,000 per year were twice as likely to become a first-time gun owner than those making less than $15,000. While 66% of gun owners overall are white, new gun owners were 1.7 times more likely to be Black. More than a third (36%) of existing gun owners who got COVID-19 bought more guns, compared with only 2% of those who got COVID-19 and did not own a gun previously. Republicans (14%) were more likely than Democrats (6%) to buy a gun. Younger Americans, 18-44 years old, (21%) bought more guns than older Americans aged 45 and older (13%). Explore further People who purchased firearms during pandemic more likely to be suicidal [February 08, 2021] MetLife to Provide Annuity Benefits to Nearly 12,000 Dow Retirees and Beneficiaries MetLife, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, has entered into an agreement with Dow (NYSE: DOW) to provide annuity benefits to approximately 12,000 retirees and beneficiaries in Dow's defined benefit (DB) pension plans, representing pension obligations of approximately $700 million. "We are pleased to expand our relationship with Dow, which has once again selected MetLife as a trusted partner to provide guaranteed lifetime income to their retirees, as well as benefits to the retirees' spouses and beneficiaries," says Melissa Moore, senior vice president and head of Annuities at MetLife. "MetLife and Dow share common values and are both focused on ensuring secure futures for these individuals." Dow purchased a group annuity contract from Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company in November 2020. The transaction will not change the amount of the monthly pension benefit received by the corporation's retirees and beneficiaries. Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, rather than Dow, will be responsible for making these monthly payments. No action is needed by retirees or beneficiaries. Dow and MetLife will provide details to retired participants and beneficiaries whose ongoing payments will be made by Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company. "Our retirees are an integral part of the Dow community so we wanted to find a partner we trusted to ensure that they received their earned benefits," says ryan Jendretzke, Global Benefits Director at Dow. "In MetLife, we found that trusted partner." About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. About Dow Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow's portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 36,500 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $43 billion in 2019. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter (News - Alert) . Forward-Looking Statement The forward-looking statements in this news release, such as "future," and "will," are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the "Risk Factors" MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. MetLife's future results could differ, and it has no obligation to correct or update any of these statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005572/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Chamoli : , Feb 8 (IANS) A day after a glacier burst triggered a flash flood in the region, Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy R. K. Singh visited the Tapovan tunnel and took stock of the rescue operations by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Singh, along with Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar, visited the Tapovan tunnel and officials engaged in the rescue operations apprised him about the works being carried out by the security personnel. ITBP personnel told Singh that the force has cleared debris approximately 90 metres inside the tunnel near Tapovan Dam, which was damaged after a glacier burst triggered a flash flood in the region, with 100 meters debris remaining inside the tunnel to be cleared. The Minister then asked the security personnel to flush the debris from the tunnel into the river. The operation by the ITBP is underway and since there is a large amount of debris inside the tunnel, Manoj Singh Rawat, ADG Western Command of ITBP, took stock of the rescue operations by border patrol organisation at the Tapovan tunnel earlier on Tuesday. ITBP officials also discussed the map of the tunnel with the project authorities at the spot. ITBP, one of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), has been playing a key role in the rescue operation in the disaster. More than 200 ITBP personnel are on the spot. The glacier breach happened on Sunday morning at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district and triggered a massive flood that hit two hydropower projects -- NTPC Tapovan hydel powerplant and Rishi Ganga hydel power plant -- following which nearly 200 people are missing. However, ITBP and other central and state rescue teams have managed to save lives of more than a dozen people in different tunnels. The NDRF, ITBP and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations along with the army in the region. The central government is monitoring the situation and joint efforts of all the agencies are being made to rescue those trapped. We have not completed week six and already 2021 is turning out to be an interesting year. After much anticipation about the rollout of a vaccine, a major setback occurred on Sunday. The use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa was stopped because of lower effectiveness against the so-called South Africa variant more formally known as B.1.351. Prime Minister Scott Morrison tours the AstraZeneca laboratories in NSW last year after the government signed an agreement with the company to produce the vaccine. Credit:Nick Moir It has been found that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has poor protection against mild and moderate illness from B.1.351 among young adults. The vaccine may, hopefully, still be effective against serious illness, but definitive evidence on this is not in. Any suggestion of weaker than expected performance by the vaccine has raised concern in Australia, where it has formed the backbone of our vaccination response. Australia expects to have 53.8 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses available to it this year, 20 million of which will be produced locally by CSL. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally pleaded not guilty to bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a high-profile corruption trial that comes weeks before Israel is scheduled to hold nationwide elections. I confirm the response filed by my lawyers, Netanyahu told the Jerusalem District Court on Monday, referring to the written not-guilty plea filed by his defense team. Some 20 minutes into the hearing, the prime minister thanked the bench and exited the courtroom. In the most serious of the three cases against him, the state prosecution says Netanyahu Israels first sitting prime minister to be tried in court accepted lavish gifts from wealthy businessmen and offered regulatory bribes in exchange for favorable media coverage. Netanyahu, who secured a historic fifth term as prime minister last year, denies all wrongdoing and has called the trial a political witch hunt orchestrated by his leftist rivals, the media and state prosecutors. His defense team has repeatedly sought to delay the trial or dismiss the charges. For months, anti-Netanyahu protesters have staged weekly demonstrations outside of his official residence in Jerusalem, demanding he step down over the corruption charges and his handling of the pandemic. Netanyahu urged protesters to stay away from Mondays hearing, citing COVID-19 concerns. He wrote on Facebook Sunday night that everyone already sees that the witch hunt against me is crumbling; everyone understands that this is a transparent attempt to overthrow a strong prime minister from the right. His message didnt stop hundreds of people from gathering outside the hearing, including some with signs that read "Crime Minister. Their chanting could reportedly be heard inside the courtroom, where windows were kept open due to coronavirus protocols. The trial comes as Israel gears up for general elections on March 23 the countrys fourth such election in two years. Netanyahu, who has held the position of prime minister since 2009, is seeking an unprecedented sixth term in office. Joe Allen was right for the spirit of what theater people want a glass of wine, a hamburger, Mimi Sheraton, a former restaurant critic for The New York Times, said in an interview. It was that straightforward food. The atmosphere was very relaxing, it was not much on decor, the food wasnt too expensive. Next door is the more elegant but still comfortable Orso, which Mr. Allen named after a Venetian gondoliers dog. And directly above it is Bar Centrale, an unmarked smaller version of Joe Allen that serves drinks, tapas and bar food and is something of a bow to old New York nightclubs like El Morocco. Mr. Allens unofficial swan song, the intimate Bar Centrale opened in 2005 and tends to draw theater insiders, especially actors appearing in shows. Upstairs, too, is Mr. Allens home. He bought the four-story buildings that would eventually house his three restaurants in the 1970s, and lived in an apartment above Joe Allen when in town. Though a successful proprietor, the laconic Mr. Allen a divorced father of two who had been in the restaurant business for just a few years when he opened his first restaurant was not comfortable playing the gracious host, or any kind of host. In contrast to some celebrated restaurateurs who charmed their patrons Elaine Kaufman of Elaines on the East Side, for instance Mr. Allen preferred anonymity. (He once described his personality as minimal.) He could often be found seated at the bar, an unassuming slim man, sometimes in a basic T-shirt, looking like anything but the man who owned the place. Once, when asked to explain his success, he cited his diffidence. Maybe its because I dont inflict myself on the customers, he said. Not that he was a disconnected boss. I paid attention, he once conceded. To what? Everything. The salt, the ketchup, the menu, everything. This is a retail business. I always said I lacked ambition but that does not mean I was lazy. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PESI announced they have been recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education (CE) for licensed psychologists. Delivering training on the latest mental health treatment methods and strategies, PESI allows for New York Psychologists to complete their minimum of 36 Contact Hours, a requirement effective January 1, 2021, in efforts to keep their license in compliance with the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology. Deana Cantley, Manager of Continuing Education, shared her excitement about being an approved provider, "We are so thrilled to be able to offer board approved continuing education programs to New York Psychologists. This approval allows us to further meet our mission of connecting knowledge with need." PESI is a non-profit organization that has remained committed to creating superior continuing education programs for psychologist CE, social worker CE, educator CE, counselor CE, nurse CE and other professions. Additionally, PESI, maintains a comprehensive course library that goes beyond traditional online lectures and arms the professional with tools and strategies they can implement the very next day. Trainings include step-by-step guidance on the latest interventions from industry-leading experts and researchers who share their practical techniques, skills, stories, and tips. PESI's trainings are designed to be adaptable and convenient for professionals of all learning styles. PESI provides a variety of ways to satisfy state CE requirements including online courses, live and home study webinars, and hundreds of free resources and CE hours. Plus, PESI makes it easy to access your CE anywhere, anytime with the PESI Mobile app. About PESI, Inc Since 1979, PESI, Inc has been at the forefront in providing cutting-edge continuing education trainings for professionals. Today, PESI continues to revolutionize continuing education working alongside the world's leading experts to create seminars, conferences, online courses, and videos that empower both the professional and individual across the globe. We help mental health and healthcare clinicians throughout the world expand their knowledge through delivering innovative trainings that help them improve the outcomes of their clients' lives. PESI's hundreds of employees and speakers are dedicated to creating the highest quality of education products and seminars and continuing their mission of "Connecting Knowledge with Need." Deana Cantley, Manager of CE PESI, Inc. 800.844.8260 ext. 8178 [email protected] SOURCE PESI Inc Related Links https://www.pesi.com New jobs: Philippa and Paddy McShane of McShane Packaging are creating 20 new roles A Co Armagh packaging company is investing over 2m in its business and creating 20 new roles as demand for its products ramps up. The investment, which comes as McShane Packaging celebrates 25 years in business, will cover a new 1.2m production facility and its fit-out of 1.1m of new technology. Run by husband and wife team, Paddy and Philippa McShane, the company started trading on February 1, 1996, with a 3,500 loan from the Armagh Credit Union and an ambition to tap into an industry which needed a "fresh alternative". The firm has grown substantially over the years after it expanded to move away from chemicals and sundries, to focus on plastic packaging instead. Its investment this year is its biggest since 2014 when it pumped 4m into its technological infrastructure. The business says the development of a new Aghanore Road production site in Armagh will take nine months. It will allow a 25% increase in productivity which will accommodate a recent 20% boost in demand because of the pandemic. McShane currently employs 35 staff and will add a further 20 permanent roles on site, including an operations manager and a quality manager. New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has said that a Muslim man can marry another woman without taking a divorce from the first wife, but a Muslim woman has to take a divorce for her second marriage. The Muslim woman will have to get a divorce from her first husband under the Muslim Marriage Act 1939. Justice Alka Sarin pronounced the judgment while hearing a petition that sought the protection of a Muslim couple of Mewat district in Haryana. The couple told the High Court that they were both married in the past. The Muslim woman alleged that her first marriage was against her will and that is why she is now married to her lover. The High Court was told that the couple's family members were against their marriage. The family members were also threatening to kill the couple and evict them from the property. During the hearing, the couple's lawyer told the bench that the couple is Muslim and according to the religion, they are allowed the second marriage. On this, the Bench stated that the couple's marriage is illegal as a Muslim man can marry more than once without divorcing his first wife, but if a Muslim woman has to marry someone, she will have to divorce her first husband under the Muslim Marriage Act 1939. The news comes almost two years after the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 was introduced. It prohibits divorce by pronouncing 'talaq' thrice in one occasion by Muslim women's husbands. It makes instant triple talaq a cognizable offence and may attract up to three years of imprisonment and a fine. Under the act, an accused can be arrested without a warrant. Live TV on Sunday expressed condolences to the family members of the victims of Uttarakhand's glacier burst, which has caused massive flash in the state. In a tweet, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the country was saddened over the loss of precious lives due to the flash in "Saddened over loss of precious lives due to flash caused by glacier break-off in Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. We pray for the safety and early rescue and recovery of those missing," he tweeted. A glacial broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of on Sunday that triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. "It is suspected that around 100 workers were at the site out of which, 9-10 dead bodies have been recovered from the river," said SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP. The rescue operations had to be suddenly stopped in Dhauliganga due to the rise in the water level of the river, informed Yashwant Chauhan, Superintendent Police, Chamoli. Nearly 180 sheep and goats were believed to have been swept away in the flash flood, said Rawat adding five locals including three shepherds and two women who were cutting grass had lost their lives in the disaster. Meanwhile, Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam, also known as Rishi Ganga Project was completely washed off following a glacier burst in the Chamoli district, said the Indian Air Force's initial report as Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) deployed at Joshimath has undertaken recce of affected areas. Uttarakhand Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. "We are assuming that around 125 people are missing. The number can be higher," Rawat said. He added that the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. COLLEGE PARK, Md., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MBA degree seeking professionals in the Greater Washington and Baltimore region have a new option. The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has designed and opened a new Flex MBA program, providing versatile -- in-person and online -- access to a curriculum augmented with special topic seminars and completable within 24 months through the school's Baltimore, Rockville and Washington, D.C. locations. "The program's design answers the fast pace of change in the current business environment and is ideal for students with five to eight years of professional experience," says Maryland Smith Dean of Master's Programs Wendy Moe . "The Flex MBA increases flexibility in an MBA curriculum delivered by a deep bench of renowned faculty and strengthens Maryland Smith's position to produce high-level, data-informed thinkers and leaders, who are prepared to catalyze change in their organizations." Versatility keys the new design. "Students can select the pace and location that best suits their career goals," says Paulo Prochno , Maryland Smith's assistant dean for part-time MBA and online programs. "The looming return to full, in-person classes intensifies the significance for MBA programs to accommodate, at a high level of quality, wide-ranging needs and preferences in terms of learning style and job requirements affecting availability," he says. "Some people prefer and thrive in an online environment; some need the in-person experience to achieve their learning objectives." Students can tailor their program to the industry-focus areas of each location. For Baltimore it's General Management, Finance (Investment), and Innovation and Project Management. General Management is the focus for Rockville. And, Washington, D.C.'s primary focus areas are General Management, Finance (Corporate), and Digital Marketing. "Students at each location have direct access to a robust network of alumni, top-ranked faculty and advisers, and they can participate in global learning experiences," Prochno says. In addition to the core and elective courses, Flex MBA students will participate in Business Decoded Saturday Seminars led by Maryand Smith professors. The sessions will explore timely developments in the most relevant topics for business decision makers. "The seminars will showcase the latest research to reveal what's just on the horizon of business," Prochno says. "Plus, these sessions also are open to alumni, providing the students with increased networking opportunities." Maryland Smith's Flex MBA answers a demand for flexibility, "for a seamless integration between online and face-to-face courses," reiterates Prochno. "We have the capability to offer both." Moe says, "No matter which format they choose these MBA students will be building on the experience they have already acquired in the working world." Maryland Smith will livestream Flex MBA information sessions customized for each off-campus location each at 6 p.m. for Baltimore on Tuesday, Feb. 9; Rockville on Tuesday, Feb. 16; and Washington D.C ., on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Another online event targets prospective Flex MBA students: Fearless Speaker Webinar: Entrepreneur Hobie Cohen , at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 10. Cohen, an engineer at Lockheed Martin, will discuss his time as a Maryland Smith part-time MBA student, his subsequent career experiences, and his founding of a volunteer effort, DMV Fighting COVID , which has provided thousands of units of 3D-printed and handmade PPE across the country. For registration and more information, go to Maryland Smith's Flex MBA homepage. About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected]. SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business Invesco Income Growth Trust plc ("IVI") Update re combination with Invesco Perpetual Select Trust plc ("IVP") In the announcement made on 1 December 2020 in respect of the proposed combination of IVI with the UK Equity share class of IVP (the "Transaction"), it was proposed that Ciaran Mallon, the current portfolio manager of IVI would be appointed to manage IVP's UK Equity Portfolio ("IVPU") following completion of the Transaction. However, subsequent to the announcement, the Boards of IVP and IVI invited Invesco to consider the appointment of James Goldstone, the current manager of IVPU, alongside Ciaran Mallon as joint managers of the enlarged UK Equity portfolio. Ciaran and James have jointly managed Invesco's largest UK Equity UCITS funds since May 2020, and have started to build an encouraging performance record. Accordingly Invesco presented a joint manager proposition for the enlarged IVPU portfolio to the combined Boards of IVP and IVI. After due consideration and discussion, it was agreed that Ciaran and James be confirmed as joint managers of IVPU upon completion of the Transaction. Both Boards believe that the two managers' combined and complementary skills, with a disciplined investment process, can deliver attractive returns for shareholders. The substantial UCITS funds, where the managers' stock selection has been limited to larger, more liquid investments, have outperformed their benchmark since Ciaran and James were appointed. The smaller IVPU portfolio, held in an investment trust, will give the managers freedom to invest across the size and liquidity spectrum and to offer the prospect of a genuine 'best ideas' portfolio, clearly distinguished from their open-ended funds. A circular and prospectus relating to the Transaction will be posted to shareholders in due course. 5 February 2021 Enquiries: Invesco Asset Management Limited +44 (0) 20 3753 1000 Angus Pottinger Will Ellis J.P. Morgan Cazenove +44 (0) 20 7742 4000 William Simmonds LEI: 549300DI4285Q8ZFO135 Good morning, North State. Here's what you need to know to start your day on Feb. 8. Woman fatally shot by Redding police pulled replica handgun An investigation is underway in Redding after officers shot a woman Sunday on the Cypress Bridge. Police say, a woman pulled what appeared to be a handgun from her waistband and raised it. The Redding Police Department says the officers then discovered that it was a replica and not a real firearm. A police statement says officers were communicating with the trio when the woman pulled the replica gun, which did not have any markings indicating it wasnt real. The woman died at a hospital. The coronavirus pandemic is still going strong. But there's hope on the horizon California recorded a 35% drop in hospitalizations along with a 30% drop in new cases. Improvements over January, which marked the deadliest month of the pandemic but now many health experts fear improvements may be undone from people gathering for Super Bowl parties. Some California churches hold indoor services after ruling California churches fighting the state's pandemic restrictions have received a partial victory from the U.S. Supreme Court. In a divided ruling, the high court blocked Californias COVID-related ban on indoor worship in hardest-hit counties. However, justices allowed some restrictions to remain in place. Those include capacity limitations by percentage and a ban on singing and chanting during services. Pentagon deploys troops to assist COVID-19 vaccine drive This morning, members of the U.S. military are gearing up to assist in vaccine distribution. About 200 troops will arrive in California on February 15. More than 1,000 troops have split into five teams - deployed to vaccination sites run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. More troops could be on the way as the Biden administration considers expanding to 10,000 troops. Nation's stormy politics could unsettle California recall Efforts to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom are gaining steam and signatures. Organizers say they are nearing the required 1.5 million signatures required for the recall. If it reaches that, the state will be required to place a proposal on the ballot this year. If passed Gov. Newsom says it would cost taxpayers $81 million. Democrats to unveil $3,000 child benefit as part of Biden relief package House Democratic leaders will unveil legislation Monday that would give millions of families at least $3,000 per child, advancing a key provision in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package. The house says, under the legislation, for one year, families would receive $3,600 per child under the age of six and $3,000 per child ages six through 17. Those payments could begin in July if the package passes. In the last few years, the leaders of the Pacific islands came up with the idea of calling their region Blue Pacific. The point? To emphasise that they have joint custody of the worlds biggest oceanic continent. In the last few days, Blue Pacific has collapsed in a Pacific blue. The overarching organisation for the 18 nations, the Pacific Islands Forum, has splintered in acrimony. One member has quit and others are considering following. In the middle of a pandemic, with the Pacific islands economies in distress, oceans rising and China probing for political opportunity, its the worst possible moment for the forum to go into existential crisis as the Australian National Universitys Stephen Howes calls it. The president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, issued an ultimatum on the eve of the summit of 16 Pacific Island leaders, 2000. Credit:Mike Bowers Australia is one of the 18 members. Its also the dominant resident power in the region. Together the forum nations control an expanse of ocean that including members exclusive economic zones covers 10 per cent of the Earths total ocean area. President Joe Biden is doubling down on the amount of the next coronavirus stimulus check even as administration officials try to hammer out exactly who would receive a payment. Speaking at a press conference Friday, Biden said his administration remains committed to $1,400 stimulus checks as part of its $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. That amount, when coupled with the $600 payments approved in December, would bring the total of recent relief to $2,000, am amount backed by many in Congress. Im not cutting the size of the checks, Biden said. Theyre going to be $1,400 period. Thats what the American people were promised. What remains unclear is who will be eligible to receive a stimulus payment. The presidents initial proposal ensured single people earning up to $75,000 and married couples earning up to $150,000 were eligible for a full payments. Biden has indicated hes open to negotiating eligibility requirements, however, something echoed by new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Speaking on CNNs State of the Union, Yellen indicated she believed Americans earning $60,000 a year should be eligible for the full amount of direct payments. That amount is roughly $10,000 more than a figure being discussed by Republicans and conservative Democrats who are pushing for a targeted round of payments with income capped at $50,000. If you think about an elementary school teacher or a policeman making $60,000 a year and faced with children who are out of school and people who may have had to withdraw from the labor force in order to take care of them and many extra burdens, the president thinks, and I would certainly agree, that its appropriate for people there to get support, Yellen said. President Biden is certainly willing to work with members of Congress to define whats fair and he wouldnt want to see a household making over $300,000 receive these payments, she added. While payment details continue to be refined, the Democrat-controlled Congress is moving ahead with passing Bidens overall package. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated last week she aims to have the entire stimulus package, including the direct payments, passed by the end of February. Bloomingdale, United States, Feb. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fueloyal Inc, an automotive IoT and connected vehicle solution provider in Chicago, Illinois, announced the launch of an updated range of services for vehicle manufacturers and corporations. The company uses IoT technology to help vehicle manufacturers increase vehicle profitability and generate new revenue streams. More information can be found at https://www.fueloyal.com The newly launched services at Fueloyal Inc aim to help you reduce costs, bring new revenue from mobility services, and add value to your business. Vehicle OEMs and corporations that fail to manage their fleet effectively can see a decrease in profits in many ways, including through increased R&D expenses, warranty expenses, maintenance costs, and increased potential for mismanagement. The team at Fueloyal Inc has created an IoT and connected vehicle platform that allows you to manufacture your vehicles and improve your organizations everyday operations. The Fueloyal Enterprise Connected Vehicle & Mobility Platform helps you create applications that scale to millions of vehicles, devices, and users. Additional information can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/company/fueloyal This 10-module platform enables vehicle OEMs to deploy custom connected vehicle platforms in less than 90 days and at a fraction of the cost. Some of its integration possibilities include fleet management, camera telematics, IoT gateways, MaaS, and EV Services. With the help of this platform, there is no need for vehicle manufacturers to hire additional team members or dedicate huge financial budgets. Now with Fueloyal 10 Module platform, you can very quickly launch connected vehicle services and generate new revenue. Vendor & Part analysis modules can help you directly reduce production costs, while Market place module will bring new sales & after-sales revenue to boost company growth. With the recent announcement, the team at Fueloyal Inc is dedicated to helping vehicle OEMs and corporations improve the efficiency of their operation and launch their own branded connectivity and telematics platforms in months rather than years. A spokesperson for the company said: Empower your team to make decisions with real-time information. Begin by addressing one field, evaluate our platform, and help leadership teams to decide whether an IoT solution will add value to your business. Interested parties can find more by visiting the above-mentioned website or accessing https://www.fueloyal.com/clients Contact Info: Name: George Jurica Magoci Email: Send Email Organization: Fueloyal Inc. Address: 109 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, Illinois 60108, United States Website: https://www.fueloyal.com/ Deputy Inspector General Tran Ngoc Liem talks on the Government Inspectorates plans and the importance of mechanisms to prevent and deter corruption Deputy Inspector General Tran Ngoc Liem interviewed by VNA. Photo Anh Tuan Could you tell us some major breakthroughs in anti-corruption efforts in the Partys 12th tenure? The 12th-tenure has given due attention to the fight against corruption, and has obtained encouraging achievements corruption has gradually got under control and can be considered to be on the decline. The breakthroughs in anti-corruption are showcased through the aspects of leadership, discovery and handling of corruption, and official management efforts. First, in terms of leadership, the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, headed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, has effectively exercised its role as the commander of anti-corruption work choosing to direct more resources on weaknesses and tough issues. Second, co-ordination between different bodies of authorities involved in the fight against corruption has become much more fluid especially between Party inspection agencies and Government auditing, inspection, and investigation agencies; and between procuracies at both central and local levels and ministries and sectors. Since the beginning of the 12th tenure, Party committees at all levels have doled out disciplinary measures against 3,200 Party members some even at the central level found guilty of corruption. This is quite a major feat. Since 2013, inspection and auditing authorities have handled 14,000 individuals and organisations, seized or attempted to recover VN700 trillion (US$30 million) in assets along with 20,000ha of land in corruption-related cases; and transferred documents related to 700 cases with signs of criminal activities to the police. The anti-corruption results in recent times have showed that we strictly abide with the leaderships order and their view of walking the walk, no forbidden zone, no exceptions to anyone. In addition, corrupt asset recovery rate has also witnessed significant improvements in recent times. In 2013, the recovery rate of corrupt assets in criminal cases reached merely 10 per cent, but moving to 2013-20, the average rate jumped to 32.04 per cent. This contributes to the elimination of the motivation for corruption and helps fix the consequences of corrupt acts. Thirdly, another breakthrough is that personnel matters have been getting much more democratic, transparent, objective, and scrupulous. Many regulations put into practice in recent times have managed to considerably cut back on vested interests, or using bribes to get into high positions. If we want to really control, reduce, minimise or do away with corruption altogether, the human element in all this should be given priority. Personnel matters, if done well, would help curb corruption in the leadership and management level. What about the role of improving the legal system and institutions in anti-corruption? From the practical lessons we have seen, both domestically and internationally, to effectively prevent and control corruption, we need to do our best to set up stringent deterrence mechanisms so that officials cannot commit corruption, discovery and handling mechanisms so that officials dare not to commit corruption, along with a reasonable compensation and benefit mechanisms that can ensure there is no need nor want to commit corruption. To have these mechanisms, we have to perfect our legal system and institutions. The policies and orientations of the Party regarding anti-corruption must be institutionalised into legal regulations, meanwhile, legal regulations should be constantly reviewed, amended and improved to close loopholes that could be exploited for corruption. Thats why legal and institution improvements are always an important focus in anti-corruption efforts, especially in sensitive sectors where corruption could easily occur. From 2013 up to now, the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, along with the Party's advisory agencies have issued more than 200 documents on Party-building and anti-corruption; the National Assembly has issued more than 250 laws, ordinances and resolutions related to anti-corruption; the Government and the Prime Minister issued more than 2,600 decrees, decisions and directives; while ministries, agencies and localities have issued nearly 88,000 documents to detail and guide the implementation of anti-corruption efforts. Most notably, after reviewing the 10 years of implementing the 2005 Law on Anti-corruption, we have developed the 2018 Law on Anti-corruption which contains many new measures, addresses limitations and creates an important legal basis to promote anti-corruption efforts in the future. In addition, good international experience on anti-corruption especially items contained in the UN Convention Against Corruption has been codified in Viet Nams domestic laws related to anti-corruption. So, I can say that that we have had a rather comprehensive legal set of tools to carry out anti-corruption work, whats holding back the effectiveness lies in the implementation. With that being said, the law is not static, it needs to move along with societys developments so we cannot be complacent with the achievements we have obtained. We need to frequently review the work done to improve upon our legal institutions. The supervision of this process is also of critical importance so that negative influences on law-building can be properly avoided. What have been the inspectorates major results in uncovering and handling corruption? In the past five years, the inspectorate has carried out 32,600 administrative inspections and more than 1 million specialised inspections discovering economic violations worth some VN417 trillion (about $18 million), involving 94,500ha of land; seeking accountability against 9,700 individuals and organisations; issuing 617,000 penalty decisions and VN24 trillion in administrative fines; and transferred documents related to 462 criminal cases to police investigation units. Under the close supervision and instructions from the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, the National Assembly, and the Government, the Government Inspectorate has made its mark in several high-profile cases considered breakthroughs in anti-corruption efforts such as State-owned telecom group Mobifones purchase of 95 per cent of shares of the private audio-visual company AVG, the equitisation of Quy Nhon Port, second-phase expansion of Thai Nguyen Steel and Iron Factory, and the expansion and upgrades of Ha Bac nitrogenous fertiliser plant and Thai Binh 2 thermopower plant, among others. What are the Government Inspectorates major plans to realise the Partys commitment to fighting corruption? The fight against corruption is always a difficult one that requires both urgent, immediate, and long-term attention and resources. The Government Inspectorate is committed to carrying out these major tasks and goals to assure the success of anti-corruption efforts. First, the Inspectorate will closely follow the instructions from the Party Central Committee, the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, the National Assembly, the Government to build plans short-term and long-term to realise the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the socio-economic development plan for the 2021-26 period, contributing to the fight against graft and waste. Second, we will continue revising the 2010 Law on Inspection to mainline the spirit of the 2013 Constitution, the Partys and Governments regulations and policies on inspection activities; along with improving institutions particularly in terms of power checks and balances and accountability to ensure transparency and responsibility of leaders in uncovering and handling of corrupt activities and waste, while encouraging and protecting Party members and officials who are capable, innovative and determined. Third, we will strive to consolidate and build a force of professional, responsible, disciplined inspectors with a strong sense of integrity, to take the lead in the fight against corruption, waste, and other harmful acts. Fourth, we will continue to perform the State management function, effectively implement the 2018 Law on Anti-Corruption, the 2018 Law on Denunciation, especially new items regarding regulations on assets and income controls, prevention of conflicts of interests, anti-corruption work in the non-public sector, protecting and rewarding of whistle-blowers; develop anti-corruption evaluation criteria for the central-level ministries and agencies, which will serve as a basis for a comprehensive evaluation of anti-corruption work nationwide. Fifth, the Government Inspectorate will focus on sensitive sectors and areas where complaints of harassment and bribery are rampant especially where there are frequent contacts between officials or civil servants and the citizens or enterprises. Sixth, we will strengthen coordination with internal affairs-related bodies of authorities to help their leaders with organising anti-corruption activities and get timely information and reports on corruption from them. The supervisory and critical role of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and its member organisations, along with news agencies, the public and the society will be promoted to further improve the quality and effectiveness of inspection, resolving complaints and denunciations in anti-corruption. We will continue to well implement the policy of 'Diversification and multilateralisation in foreign relations; proactive and active international integration; become a reliable friend and partner, and a responsible member of the international community'; participate effectively, responsibly and assert its role in international and regional cooperation forums on inspection, complaint settlement, denunciation and anti-corruption. VNS The man who holds aloft the flag at historic moments It was when the battle against corruption needed a leader to raise the flag that Party Secretary General and State President Nguyen Phu Trong appeared, with intelligence and courage. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. A Woodburn man was killed Sunday in Lincoln County in a crash officials said was caused by an intoxicated driver. Johnny Widerman, a 33-year-old Newport resident, was driving southbound on U.S. 101 about 8:15 p.m. when he crossed into the northbound lane near Gleneden Beach, Oregon State Police said in a statement. Widerman collided with a Chrysler Pacifica van driven by Eva Della Alcala, a 41-year-old Woodburn resident. Ruben Esteban Vasquez, a 20-year-old Woodburn man riding in the van, was killed, officials said. Alcala and a juvenile were taken to a nearby hospital. Another juvenile, a female, was flown by helicopter to a Portland hospital. Officials did not release details on any of their conditions Monday morning. Widerman was arrested on charges of manslaughter, reckless driving, assault and driving under the influence of intoxicants. He was being held in the Lincoln County jail. -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale Over the weekend, The New York Times released a documentary about pop star Britney Spears and her career titled "Framing Britney Spears." The artist has been trending on social media for weeks under the hashtag "Free Britney." According to The New York Times staff, "Spears hasnt been able to fully live her own life for 13 years, stuck in a court-sanctioned conservatorship." The documentary "examines what the public might not know about the pop stars court battle with her father for control of her estate." #FREE BRITNEY: Why is Britney Spears back in the news? A guide to the upheaval surrounding the pop star While the film went in-depth about the ups and downs of her career, it also touched on Spears' relationship with fellow artist Justin Timberlake. A large takeaway from the documentary was that Timberlake played a huge role in Spears' plunge. The two had a very public breakup, and Timberlake pushed the narrative that Spears had cheated on him. Spears and Timberlake dated for four years before splitting in 2002. The former NSYNC member would go on to write his hit "Cry Me a River," reportedly about Spears infidelity. Across Twitter, fans seem to agree: it's time for Timberlake to answer for his crimes. Many fans also called out Diane Sawyer, who interviewed Spears after the breakup and asked what she did wrong. The documentary, which is airing on FX on Hulu, focuses on the people close to Spears and the lawyers tied to her conservatorship now as they reassess her phenomenal career and brutal downfall, as she battles her father in court over who should control her life. The film managed to resurface a lot of disdain fans had for the former boy band leader, as he also played a role in the descent of Janet Jackson's career as well. After the film was released, an article by US Weekly's Kathy Campbell was published Saturday claiming Spears holds no grudges against her ex-boyfriend. The documentary is currently available on FX on Hulu for streaming. A pelican that got blown off course in the US and was rescued in chilly Connecticut has been flown to Florida, where he is recovering from pneumonia and frostbite. The brown pelican, nicknamed Arvy, was rescued from the icy Connecticut River on January 27. The bird, whose species is not typically seen in the north east of the US, was taken to a bird rehabilitation facility in Killingworth, Connecticut, suffering from severe hypothermia. So when Arvy first arrived, this poor bird couldnt even stand, couldnt lift his head, Christine Cummings, president of A Place Called Hope, told TV station WTNH. Expand Close In this Feb. 4, 2021, photo provided by the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Arvy, a brown pelican rescued from the icy Connecticut River on Jan. 27, sits in a bathtub at the home of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary hospital director Stephanie Franczak in Florida after the bird was flown to the Jupiter, Fla., wildlife sanctuary. Apparently blown far off course, Arvy is recovering from pneumonia and frostbite at the wildlife center. He will be released when he is strong enough to survive in the wild. Brown pelicans are not normally found in the Northeast. (Stephanie Franczak/Busch Wildlife Sanctuary via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In this Feb. 4, 2021, photo provided by the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Arvy, a brown pelican rescued from the icy Connecticut River on Jan. 27, sits in a bathtub at the home of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary hospital director Stephanie Franczak in Florida after the bird was flown to the Jupiter, Fla., wildlife sanctuary. Apparently blown far off course, Arvy is recovering from pneumonia and frostbite at the wildlife center. He will be released when he is strong enough to survive in the wild. Brown pelicans are not normally found in the Northeast. (Stephanie Franczak/Busch Wildlife Sanctuary via AP) Ms Cummings cared for the wayward bird nearly around the clock for about a week, feeding him fluids and food every three hours. The shorebird consumed some 4lbs of fish daily with its 11in bill, Ms Cummings told the New Haven Register. Then volunteer pilots flew Arvy to his new home at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida, where he will continue recuperating until he is well enough to be released into the wild. Arvy looks good! Stephanie Franczak, the sanctuarys hospital director, told the Register. His frostbite is minimal, but he has some wicked pneumonia from the cold. We will be providing fluid therapy, nebulising treatments and supportive care while he is with us. Expand Close Experts were surprised Arvy was so far north (Stephanie Franczak/Busch Wildlife Sanctuary via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Experts were surprised Arvy was so far north (Stephanie Franczak/Busch Wildlife Sanctuary via AP) His rescuers believe Arvy was blown north from Virginia Beach during a storm at sea. He is a southern bird, he is not supposed to be north of the Carolinas and Virginia, Carolina Young, spokesperson for the Florida sanctuary, told the Register. Im sure he was in shock when he was in that river. Health official: 'I am hopeful for the brighter days ahead' From ancient coins and mosaics to precious sand, a growing number of tourists are returning artefacts stolen from Italy's cultural heritage sites. By Andy Devane Several years ago a bulky package arrived out of the blue at a wine bar near Piazza Navona in Rome's historic centre. When the owners of Il Piccolo opened the weighty parcel they were surprised to find a bubble-wrapped sampietrino a Roman cobblestone that had been sent all the way from the UK. Accompanying the unusual contents was an anonymous letter from a British tourist overcome with remorse for the theft. The note stated that the visitor had taken the cobblestone "as a souvenir" while on holiday in Rome the year before, requesting the owners of Il Piccolo to return it to "the street between Piazza del Popolo and Pincio." The prodigal return of the humble sampietrino was to precipitate a recent trend in restituting far more valuable artefacts, often years after the theft, usually compelled by a guilty conscience. Ill-gotten souvenirs from Italy The phenomenon of pilferred items winging their way back to Italy appears to have picked up over the last year, perhaps due to covid-19 lockdowns and people stuck at home facing their ill-gotten mementoes. It is also a topical question given the current debate around cultural restitution and repatriation, spearheaded by Prof. Dan Hicks in his book The Brutish Museums. A few weeks ago, an anonymous visitor sent a small piece of mosaic to the museum at Paestum, the archaeological park of ancient Greek ruins in Italy's southern Campania region. In the note, written in Italian, the sender apologised for their behaviour and said the tiny tessera had been taken stupidly in 2017. A church confession led to the return of 208 ancient coins to Paestum. But that was nothing compared to what Paestum authorities would receive a few days later. A local priest was tasked with returning a collection of 208 ancient coins taken illicitly from the site, after the penitent admitted to the crime while in the confession box. The thief whose identity remains a secret under the confessional seal begged the priest to hand over the looted coins directly to Paestum's director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel. "It is the latest in a series of restitutions by people who, moved by the remorse of having committed an act harmful to Italy's heritage, have decided to return what was taken illegitimately," read a statement from the museum. Experts discovered that of the 208 coins, seven were fakes. The originals included five silver coins, one in aluminium and the rest in copper alloy, many of which dated to the third century BC. 60 years of guilt Three years ago Paestum also received a stolen artefact directly from the man who took it as a child in 1958. While most tourists prefer to remain anonymous, not so for Bob Martin, an American who returned to Paestum 60 years after he stole a small figurine as an eight-year-old boy on a family vacation. The young boy thought he had found the bone of a Roman legionary but it was only back home in the US, after washing it, that his horrified mother realised it was an ivory figurine. Martin kept the artefact for six decades before deciding to relieve himself of the "burden" and deliver it in person to a grateful Zuchtriegel. Last week a parcel arrived at the Pompei archaeological park containing a terracotta fragment of antesissa, portraying the face of a woman, that was traditionally used as decorative element on the roof of an ancient domus. Inside the package was a short note, written in Italian, containing an apology and the words "50 years ago I removed this fragment from a building. I am ashamed and I return it to the owner. Sorry". One of the latest returned thefts at Pompeii Although most tourists return stolen items out of guilt, others do so for superstitious reasons. Last October a Canadian tourist returned artefacts stolen from the ancient city of Pompeii 15 years earlier, to shake off the curse that has fallen on me and my family." The 36-year-old woman, identified only as Nicole, sent a package to a Pompeii travel agent containing two mosaic tiles, ceramic fragments and parts of an amphora which she stole during a visit to the archaeological park in 2005. In addition to the looted artefacts, which the travel agent handed over to police, the package contained a letter of confession in which Nicole expressed regret for her actions. "I was young and stupid" she wrote "I wanted to have a piece of history that nobody could have." However she feared that the artefacts were possessed of "so much negative energy" linked to "that land of destruction." Pompeii curse Nicole blamed the relics looted from Pompeii buried in volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD for years of serious health problems and financial woes. I have had breast cancer twice, the last time ending in a double mastectomy" she wrote "My family and I also had financial problems. Were good people and I dont want to pass this curse on to my family or children. She concluded by saying that she has learnt her lesson and is seeking "forgiveness from the gods." A Canadian tourist returned stolen fragments to Pompeii to shake off a curse. The unexpected package that landed on the Pompeii travel agent's desk contained another letter of apology from a couple, also from Canada, along with some stones stolen from the site in 2005. "We took them without thinking of the pain and suffering these poor souls experienced during the eruption of Vesuvius and the terrible death they had," said the letter. "We are sorry, please forgive us for making this terrible choice! May their souls rest in peace. However, in the case of Pompeii at least, there is nothing new in this phenomenon which occurs practically on a weekly basis. Tourists have been looting and returning items stolen from the 44-hectare site for decades, leading to the establishment of a special display area of returned artefacts. The pieces are exhibited alongside remorse-laden letters, such as one from a Spanish tourist who had stolen a piece of decorated plaster which became "a harbinger of family misadventures and misfortunes." Bad omen The same goes for an English woman who in 2015 sent back a piece of mosaic stolen in the 1970s by her parents and which she believed was a bad omen. One of the most dramatic letters came from a Canadian woman who stole a figurine from Pompeii during her honeymoon. As the newly-weds travelled home the husband died of a heart attack. The little figurine was in his suitcase. However this opportunistic pilfering, much of it by foreigners, should not be confused with the illegal, highly lucrative activity of so-called tombaroli or tomb-robbers. These professional thieves, who often work under cover of darkness, are the focus of a specialised branch of the carabinieri responsible for combatting art and antiquities crimes. Last November, a heavy package arrived at the capital's Baths of Diocletian, home to the Museo Nazionale Romano. Inside was a chunk of marble which had been taken from Rome, possibly from the Roman Forum, four years earlier by a tourist from Atlanta in the US. The marble fragment was defaced with the inscription "To Sam, Love Jess, Rome written with a marker and was accompanied by a letter. An American tourist sent a chunk of marble back to Rome, possibly taken from the Roman Forum. Please forgive me for being such an American asshole and taking something that was not mine to take. I feel terribly for not only taking this item from its rightful place, but placing writing on it as well. That was extremely wrong of me and I now realize in my later adult life how inconsiderate and disrespectful that was. I have attempted many hours of scrubbing and cleaning to remove, but to no success. The museum's director Stephane Verger surmised that the tourist's conscience might have been stirred after hearing about the Pompeii story and the Canadian woman a few weeks earlier. Verger said the marble fragment was of limited value but welcomed the very important symbolic gesture. Gestures of repentance The Colosseum tends to make the news when tourists are caught carving their names into the amphitheatre's walls. However it too is not immune to acts of theft and eventual return of illegal souvenirs. Alfonsina Russo, director of the Parco archeologico del Colosseo, told Wanted in Rome that in the last few months some stolen archaeological pieces have been returned by post. One package, from Orinda in California, contained a piece of brick. It was accompanied by a letter, signed by "a family," which stated that the parents had found the piece in their children's bedroom and wanted to return it to its place. Russo said a that a second package, which arrived in recent weeks from Vancouver in Canada, contained a small piece of travertine marble but was not accompanied by a letter. Both cases seem like gestures of repentance to me," she said. Precious pink sands In addition to the theft of man-made treasures there is also the looting and eventual return of Italy's environmental heritage. One of the prime examples relates to the so-called paradise island of Budelli, off Sardinia, famous for its unspoilt beaches whose precious pink sands have proved too tempting for some visitors in the past. There are now increasing cases of travellers seeking to return sand and shells, often taken decades ago, however one of the most poignant stories belongs to an Italian woman called Eleonora, from the northern Liguria region of Italy. Precious sand being returned to Budelli. Photo Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena. Last year she returned a little bottle of sand to Sardegna Rubata e Depredata, an association which deals with the theft of shells, sand and stones from the coasts of Sardinia and nearby islands. The sand had been a treasured possession of Eleonora's father, a keen sailor, who kept it as a lucky charm in his cabin since 1978. In recent years her father had spoken of his tremendous guilt at having taken the sand from the beach whose beauty had reduced him to tears the first time he landed on its pink-sanded shores. The old sailor asked his daughter to accompany him on a final voyage to the island, to return the sand to its rightful place, but sadly he died before they could make the journey together. And so, 42 years later, Eleonora's family heirloom finally returned home. A shorter version of this article was originally published in the February 2021 edition of Wanted in Rome magazine. Cover photo credit: Viacheslav Lopatin / Shutterstock.com. A 76-year-old man charged with inciting an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne during Victorias second wave of COVID-19 has argued his case should be heard in the High Court of Australia. Solihin Millin was arrested on August 28 last year and charged with incitement over a freedom rally protest against Victorias lockdown restrictions held at the Shrine of Remembrance and Albert Park on September 5. Solihin Millin is charged with inciting an anti-lockdown protest in September last year. Credit:Nine News Police raided his home and seized multiple items including two laptops, a computer and two mobile phones. Court documents show Mr Millin is accused of promoting a planned protest between August 16 and August 27 last year, with the intention to incite people to contravene orders within the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and encouraging them to not wear masks and also to leave their residence without a specified reason. The Aiken County Republican Party is scheduled this week to consider a resolution reprimanding U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott for supporting the certification of the 2020 presidential election. If the censure is presented at the Aiken County GOP's meeting Thursday, as the agenda suggests, the executive committee will debate the measure and then could pass it up the chain, explained Bob Brookshire, the local party chairman. This is on the agenda. Thats the first step, Brookshire said Monday morning. Doesnt mean its going to be passed. John Massie, the president of the Aiken Republican Club, described the in-the-works sanction as a reflection of the frustrations that many, many people have. There are more questions than answers regarding the November election, he said, and my nature is that when people suppress investigations of things that should be open and transparent, it just raises a big red flag. Graham, Scott and S.C. GOP chairman Drew McKissick all declined to comment. More than 100 Republicans including U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, Jeff Duncan and Rick Allen, together representing the greater Aiken-Augusta area in early January challenged then-President-elect Joe Bidens win, a maneuver motivated by claims of election malpractice and constitutional violations. Graham, R-S.C., in a speech last month described allegations of fraud as inflated and unproven. Scott, R-S.C., preempted the objections in a lengthy statement, saying he could not support attempts to overturn the results. As I read the Constitution, there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their Electors, Scott said Jan. 5. Some of my colleagues believe they have found a path, and while our opinions differ, I do not doubt their good intentions to take steps towards stamping out voter fraud. No evidence of significant fraud in the 2020 presidential election has surfaced. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, has described the Nov. 3 contest as the most secure in American history, and former U.S. Attorney General William Bill Barr has said the Department of Justice found no evidence of fraud that would overturn the results, a ruling that put him on a collision course with then-President Donald Trump. Brookshire, speaking from a personal perspective Monday, suggested GOP discontent stems from a feeling of unfair treatment Trump was always under the microscope, he said and, to some degree, robbery: I think a lot of Republicans felt like we never got our day in court. Aiken County has long been a GOP bastion; Brookshire has described Aiken, specifically, as a red city in a red county in a red state. More than 51,000 voters in the county picked Trump over Biden in November. Nearly the same number sided with Graham. The Associated Press and The New York Times declared Trump the winner of South Carolina less than an hour after polls closed. Jamie Lovegrove contributed to this report from Columbia. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor A delegate casts her vote in the electoral process to choose members of parliament into Somalia's House of the People in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 6 December 2016. Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has accused foreign interference for lack of implementation of 17 September agreement. Briefing the parliament on Saturday afternoon he emphasized that there is a hope for more meetings on the elections. "I can tell you that there is foreign interference on the elections and the situation in Somalia," President Farmaajo. "I will not mention who is more or less interfering in one region or another, but the fact is that there is foreign interference that's why are not able to strike a deal," He said that the government made concessions to reach an agreement election process. He also signaled that the government was ready to implement the agreement reached in September 17 between the regional state leaders and the federal government. President Farmaajo, his Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and regional state leaders alongside Mogadishi mayor Omar Filish failed to end a stalemate over election processes as after a three days consultative meeting in Dhusamareb in Galmudug State. Farmaajo who four years term ends on February this year was to brief both lower house and the senators but senators were ordered to leave the chamber. Riyadh, Feb 8 : The Saudi-led coalition involved in the war in Yemen said it intercepted a second bomb-laden drone launched by the Houthi militia towards the Kingdom's southern region. The first drone was destroyed on Sunday morning and it also targeted the country's southern region, reports Xinhua news agency. The Coalition Spokesperson Turki Al-Malki renewed his accusation against the Houthi militia of "systematically and deliberately targeting civilians and civilian sites." The Houthi militia has intensified attacks on the Yemeni government-held cities in the past year, according to the government of the war-torn country. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support Hadi's government. In March, coalition will complete its sixth year of involvement in the war. Amaravati, Feb 8 : With each passing day in Andhra Pradesh, friction between the state government and the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar is increasing, leading to a flurry of orders from the latter and a verbal backlash from the ministers and legislators. On Sunday, the High Court dismissed Kumar's order to the Director General of Police Gautam Sawang directing him to confine the Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy to his home until the end of the Panchayat elections. However, Kumar went ahead giving orders that officials should not be transferred after the elections. Following these developments, a host of leaders from the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) lashed out at Kumar. "AP High Court gave rulings against two of your orders, please remember. At least now please do not cross the 'Lakshman Rekha' and behave according to the Constitution," said senior YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu. "In case he does not do that", Rambabu said, adding that the Constitution will not protect him. Likewise, Sarvepalli MLA Kakani Govardhan Reddy alleged that Kumar was conducting in such a way that could benefit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). "Because of his excessive interference we have accepted the complaints raised by Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and Botca Satyanarayana in the privilege committee for investigation," said Reddy. Meanwhile, inspector turned Parliamentarian, Gorantla Madhav, lashed out at Kumar, a retired Indian Administrative Service Officer (IAS). Madhav castigated Kumar that he was behaving like actor Brahmanandam, who essayed the role of 'Kill Bill Pandey' in a Telugu movie to fulfil some fantasies. Madhav warned that the government would act sternly against Kumar if he exceeded his brief and claimed that nobody could match Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Protection or pain treatment: Choosing between your gun and medical marijuana By Sam Jacobs If youve ever filled out a Form 4473, youre familiar with the Question 11e: Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or other controlled substance? In case you thought there was any ambiguity with regard to medical marijuana, you were wrong. Indeed, there is a warning in bold right underneath the question that clarifies: Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized or for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside. Regardless of what one thinks about marijuana, its legalization or the right of the federal government to regulate either drugs or the internal laws of the various states, the fact remains: As of now, possession, sale and cultivation of marijuana remains a federal offense. It is a Schedule I drug in the same category as heroin and cocaine. You might not like that and you might think such classifications are ridiculous. The federal government doesnt care. This is a particularly difficult issue for people who use medicinal marijuana for bona fide medical purposes, rather than as a sort of legal loophole to consume marijuana legally. Many people use medicinal marijuana for a variety of purposes including relief from pain, Alzheimers symptoms, glaucoma, epilepsy and a number of complications related to cancer, including nausea and lack of appetite. The science on this is rather conclusive, so much so that Big Pharma makes legal synthetic THC pills known as marinol. For those who use medical marijuana and wish to protect themselves with firearms, there is a choice: you can keep your guns or you can keep your grass or you can break the law. What Is the Law Regarding Guns and Marijuana? In 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms clarified its stance it is not legal for anyone who uses any illegal substance to own firearms. This includes marijuana, which is legal according to some state laws, illegal according to others, and also illegal under federal law. The relevant federal law is 18 U.S.C. 922 (g)(3), which prohibits anyone who uses any controlled substance, as defined by the Controlled Substances Act, from owning firearms. Its not specific to marijuana. It includes every controlled substance. However, marijuana is worth talking about specifically because of its quasi-legal status, including in a number of relatively gun-friendly states such as Arizona, New Hampshire, Colorado, Michigan, and Nevada. Its easy to be cynical about the motivations of the federal government with regard to this topic. However, it is worth briefly noting a couple of facts regarding marijuana with regard to mental health. Marijuana is closely associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, but also anxiety, paranoia and even psychosis, though the last of these is quite rare. One might wish to hand-wave this as reefer madness, but the correlation if not the causation is well documented. One might object that those with SSRIs are allowed to legally possess firearms, despite the fact that these have been proven to be dangerous. We dont disagree that there is a correlation between SSRI use and abuse and gun violence. However, SSRIs being dangerous or even more dangerous than marijuana does not make marijuana any less dangerous than it is. In the interest of balance, well end this section by noting that correlation is not causation. Some have argued that its less that marijuana causes schizophrenia than those who have schizophrenia are more likely to use marijuana as a form of symptom relief. We will not attempt to decide which hypothesis is true, but the facts regarding marijuana and mental health bear mentioning. What Are the Penalties for Ignoring the Law? We are not encouraging anyone to break the law. And, indeed, the penalties for doing so with regard to firearms are always stiff. Using and possessing marijuana are no exceptions. So what are the penalties for those who simply choose to flout the law and continue using marijuana legal or otherwise, because remember that the feds dont recognize the difference while owning firearms? First, we should mention that some states, such as Colorado, have prohibited information sharing that would tie your ownership of firearms to your status as a medical marijuana patient. Other states, such as Illinois, have ruled that you can legally own firearms as a medical (or otherwise legal Illinois is a recreational state) marijuana user. Illinois is not the most gun-friendly state in the Union by a longshot, but it has explicitly said that it will not assist the federal government in stripping otherwise law-abiding citizens of their firearms while also providing them with the same friendly warning that we will throughout this article: that the feds still consider it a crime, so be careful. But again, the federal law is what is most important for our purposes right now. And the federal appeals courts have upheld bans on medical marijuana users from legally possessing firearms. Whats more, even states that are friendly to medical marijuana have not taken a clear stand on what will happen to people who are stopped in possession of legal firearms and a legal amount of marijuana. There are two parts of the law here: First, the question of what will happen to you if the feds show up and you have marijuana and a firearm. The second is the question of what will happen if the feds decide to hit you for lying on your form a lesser, but still serious charge. Neither situation will play out well for you: The federal penalty for being in possession of a firearm, while also in possession of illegal drugs, is ten years in the federal pen. The federal penalty for lying on your Form 4473 is five years in prison. Its worth pointing out that if youre guilty of one, youre probably guilty of both, so lets just call that 15 years. And while Jeff Bezos left-wing vanity blog The Washington Post has stated that Your chances of being prosecuted by the Justice Department for falsifying information to illegally buy a gun are almost zero, no serious person would advise you to lie on your form. This is illegal and a highly risky gambit. Still, facts are facts and numbers usually dont lie: The NICS system denied gun purchases 112,000 times in 2017, because they were in forbidden categories. Of these, the ATF investigated 12,700. Of these, a whopping 12 were prosecuted. However, Attorney General William Barr has stated that the feds plan to investigate and prosecute so-called lie and try cases with increased vigor, so we might see more prosecutions in the future. Note that it is not just marijuana users who might fall afoul of federal authorities because of this: literally anyone involved in the cultivation or distribution of medical marijuana is engaged in a federal crime. Thus, they are subject to being penalized in the same way that any other drug user or drug dealer might be. Further, all of these laws apply not just to guns, but to ammunition as well. Again, we cannot state this clearly and unambiguously enough: Purchasing a firearm while using illegal drugs, of which even medical marijuana is one, is a federal offense carrying serious penalties, and we obviously urge anyone considering ignoring the law to not do so. The feds are not joking around with people that they prosecute for these crimes. If you take umbrage at this legal situation, we urge you to contact your state legislators, particularly those who might be on record as sharing your views on the matter. There is a growing movement in Americas state legislatures to protect medical marijuana users who wish to peacefully exercise their Second Amendment rights. Whats the Deal With Enforcement? The legal pretext for charging otherwise law-abiding gun owners because of their use of medical marijuana is the Gun Control Act of 1968, passed at the height of American conservatisms war on hippies and weed. Note that at this time, there was a low-level insurgency of left-wing militants just starting. The purpose of this provision of the law at the time was to create an easy way for the feds to hand out sentence enhancements for drug dealers or domestic terrorists who were also potheads, due to the strong presence of cannabis use among the counter-culturalists who populated the far left during this time period. If we're going back to original intent, this provision was not crafted with now-legal medical marijuana users in mind. This is an important point to raise because of the mental health issues alluded to above this law was not designed for such problems. As such, there isnt really an enforcement apparatus set up for this specific law, nor can federal authorities realistically enforce it on a mass scale. There are likely tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of medical marijuana users in the United States who also own otherwise legal firearms. There is also the spectre of people who are involved in the legal marijuana trade who have absolutely nothing to do with cultivation or sale, such as security guards, who often carry firearms and are technically in violation of this law. For the feds to begin targeting such otherwise law-abiding citizens would mean either a massive crackdown on a significant part of the population or using a few high-profile cases to set an example for everyone else. If this law were enforced in any systematic manner, medical marijuana dispensaries would have no means of defending themselves from criminals, because their security guards couldnt be armed with anything currently classed as a firearm. This and the generous tax revenues that flow from it is primarily why state governments have chosen to look the other way on enforcing or helping to enforce this aspect of federal law. Not only are there tons of people violating it, but consistent and rigorous enforcement would lead to a significant drop in state tax revenues collected, which would, in turn, lead to significant cuts in social services offered by state governments. Because the IRS doesnt allow any deductions, theyre making a killing off of marijuana taxation about 40 percent. Is it Constitutional to Prohibit Medical Marijuana Users From Possessing Firearms? There is also a solid basis for the law prohibiting medical marijuana users from owning firearms being unconstitutional. First there is the question as to whether or not any restrictions on firearms ownership actually pass constitutional muster. But beyond this, the law has been challenged by those who are not the Second Amendment ideological purists that we are. A Philadelphia-based doctor named Matthew Roman filed suit after a licensed firearms dealership didnt allow him to purchase a firearm after he answered this notorious question honestly. His argument isnt based on the Second Amendment at all (and its a good thing, because the courts generally do not agree with our no exceptions view of the Second Amendment). Rather, he appealed to the Fifth Amendment, which protects Americans from self-incrimination, in addition to the Second Amendment, which doubtless all our readers know by heart. Indeed, the question specifies that the person has used medical marijuana unlawfully, which is a dubious question does the federal government have jurisdiction over the states in this regard? There are certainly arguments in either direction, but this is not entirely settled law. At the very least, the Trump Administration seems to have declared a truce on this matter, looking the other way with regard to the increasing legalization of marijuana, both medical and recreational, throughout the country, ending the Catch-22 harassment of the Obama Administration, which targeted otherwise legal and tax-paying medical marijuana facilities on the grounds that they were paying tax on illegal income. Seriously, that happened. Of course, no one wants to be a Constitutional test case, especially when theyre looking at 15 years in prison if they lose the gambit. But it is worth noting all of these issues with even having such a law on the books and deploying it in a manner that forces people to incriminate themselves. In April 2019, Republican Congressman Alex Mooney of West Virginia introduced legislation to bring into alignment federal gun laws and the increasing legalization of medical marijuana at the state level. This bill only recognized medical marijuana use and would do nothing for the millions of Americans currently living in states where recreational marijuana is not just legal, but a booming business. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky proposed a similar law, but this legislation would have covered recreational cannabis as well as medical. How Will This Impact My Right to Concealed Carry? For those who like to carry concealed, the challenge is twofold: Not only must they potentially give up their guns, they must also give up the practice of carrying concealed when in public. There was an effort in 2019 to extend the right to carry concealed firearms to medical marijuana patients in Colorado, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. And, indeed, in our research we were not able to find a single state that took the additional step of not just allowing medical marijuana users to own firearms under state law, but also allowing them to carry concealed without molestation. This is all, of course, a bit of a moot point anyway for those looking to stay within the good graces of the law. Because what good is the right to carry a concealed firearm if you dont have the right to own a firearm? The Federal Government Must Address This Disparity Federal legislation is needed in this regard, because the state laws protecting the right of otherwise law-abiding medical marijuana users to own firearms mean nothing. The state law isnt what is at issue here. It is the federal law that requires change. Either that, or the federal government needs to begin rigorously enforcing its laws regarding marijuana but there is simply no political appetite for this. Particularly with an opioid epidemic ravaging the country, marijuana cultivation is pumping badly needed money into economies ravaged by deindustrialization. Whats more, there is some evidence though it is far from conclusive that medical marijuana might be an important and useful tool in the fight against opioid abuse. There is also the question of the unintended consequences of this law, which are twofold: First, there is the very real possibility that otherwise law-abiding gun owners will turn to the black or grey market to purchase their firearms out of paranoia that the federal government will target them if they wish to obtain one legally. This might sound far-fetched, but after the hysteria surrounding the Chinese Coronavirus and the civil unrest of the summer of 2020, there is no reason to believe that every otherwise law-abiding citizen will just forfeit their right to self defense because the federal government has forced them to choose between that and pain management or epilepsy. The flip side of this is all the law-abiding citizens who choose their doctor-recommended treatment of medical marijuana over the right to keep and bear arms. This scenario is much more likely than the previous one, and it's not a neutral position. People choosing to exercise their Second Amendment rights is a net social positive in addition to simply being a Constitutionally enumerated right. Stripping otherwise law-abiding citizens of their right to keep and bear arms will, conversely, have a net social negative effect in addition to simply being a violation of their rights. State sovereignty issues likewise enter into the equation. While a certain degree of federal supremacy is a moot point after the American Civil War (to say nothing of the expansive view of the interstate commerce clause), it does seem like a massive amount of federal overreach allowing the feds to effectively strip Second Amendment rights from a group of people who are not breaking any laws in their state. This is particularly egregious because the federal government seems to largely have given up trying to get these states to comply with the federal law that, at least in theory, supersedes it. Otherwise legal gun owners are thus thrust into making a difficult decision between their rights and the law a decision that is made particularly cruel thanks to the federal abdication of enforcement. So which legal decision should you make? Thats not a question we can answer for you. Its one that only you can answer for yourself after careful consultation with your physician, as well as weighing your options with regards to the potential for a self-defense situation were one to arise. Indeed, because it is disproportionately seniors and the ill who are using medical marijuana, this makes the decision an especially cruel and tragic one. However, until federal law catches up with the medical marijuana laws of your state, it is an unfortunate choice that you must make if you dont want to end up on the wrong side of the law, facing 15 years in prison. Sam Jacobs is a writer for Ammo.com where this originally appeared. (TNS) The 2019 ransomware attack on the city's servers is now potentially affecting criminal cases after it was revealed that the city police department lost all digital copies of its 2018 internal affairs files.The Albany County, N.Y., District Attorney's office sent letters to several local defense attorneys last month letting them know about loss of the files. District Attorney David Soares wrote that his office didn't learn the files were lost until Jan. 11, 2021, more than 18 months after the attack.A police department spokesman denied that, saying the department had previous conversations with the district attorney's office regarding the data loss.On Sunday, after this story appeared in print and online, the city disputed the extent of the file loss. Rachel McEneny, the city's commissioner of administrative services, said the internal affairs file loss went from November 2018 until the first two weeks of March 2019. But beyond the information lost in the ransomware attack, the pace of police personnel files being turned over from the city police department for discovery in criminal cases is sluggish, putting cases in jeopardy, according to Soares' office.On Jan. 21, Soares office sent Chief Eric Hawkins a letter urging him to send prosecutors the files they needed, adding that multiple cases were at risk of being dismissed, including some that prosecutors had previously told judges that they were in compliance with the state's discovery laws."I fear that your department has simply not invested the resources required to comply with our obligations and protect all of us from the dismissal of many important cases," Soares wrote to Hawkins.Under the law, any evidence or information the police have is assumed to be in the prosecutors' hands as well. That means despite any delays on the part of the department, the prosecution faces potential consequences, including case dismissal, if they do not meet the state's new discovery guidelines.In a statement to the, Hawkins said the department was in communication with Soares' office when it came to discovery issues."Some digital data entries were lost due to the ransomware attack," he said. "However, all physical files and documents are completely backed up and there was never a permanent loss. We remain committed to working with the district attorney's office to enhance public safety and ensure that offenders are brought to justice."It's unclear how many criminal cases are impacted by the attack or if past cases will need to be revisited.Albany County Public Defender Stephen Herrick said he believed they would be."It's going to be a huge issue and something that's going to impact disposition in cases, past and present," he said.In his Jan. 11 letter, Soares said the police department's internal affairs unit still maintains the paper files that contain the information prosecutors need. However, prosecutors have only reviewed officers' personnel files and have not gone through the investigations into any allegations from that year themselves.In an interview, Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi said that based on court rulings, if the district attorney's office isn't able to review those records, prosecutors won't be able to fulfill their obligations under the state's discovery law."And then eventually cases will be dismissed," he said.The lost files came to light after a prosecutor was preparing a file to turn over to a defense attorney and realized previously known allegations that should be in an officer's file were missing.The state's new discovery rules that went into effect Jan. 1, 2020, require prosecutors to certify they've done their due diligence in examining 21 categories of information that may need to be turned over to defense attorneys. Among those categories are police personnel files for officers who might become prosecution witnesses, such as officers who make an arrest.Prosecutors and police departments have said that the new discovery law is an unfunded state mandate that place a huge technological and time burden on them to turn over massive amounts of information in short periods of time.Defense attorneys argue that the new law levels the playing field, allowing defendants crucial access to information about their case sooner and that police and prosecutors had over a year to prepare for its implementation.In most cases, judges have required prosecutors to provide defense attorneys with information from personnel files that is only directly to the case at hand.However, in a November decision in an Albany homicide case, Albany County Supreme Court Judge William Carter ruled that the district attorney's office had to provide information on police officers who might be possible prosecution witnesses that was unrelated the current case. Carter also said Soares' office's use of asking police to essentially self-report "impeachable" information was not in line with the intent of the state's discovery laws.Soares' office has said they disagreed with the ruling, pointing to the fact that other judges across the state were not putting the same burden on other prosecutors.Previously prosecutors in Soares' office were asking police officers who might be potential witnesses to self-report possible impeachment information and relied on departments to review their own files and turn over any relevant information while the district attorney's office finished building its own database for police personnel files.Judges have criticized Soares' office before for their compliance practices before Carter's recent decision. Last year, State Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch dismissed two convictions because prosecutors failed to disclose that a star State Police witness had been censured three times. Soares office has said they became aware of disciplinary history after using the trooper as a witness.The full impact of ransomware attack on the city has never been fully explained.The city paid out roughly $300,000 to recover from the ransomware attack that hit Albany on March 30, 2019.The costs covered destroyed servers, upgrading user security software, purchasing firewall insurance and other improvements to firm up the city's systems following the attack.The hackers demanded payment in cryptocurrency to recover files they had encrypted.The city said it did not end up having to pay the ransom because critical servers, such as human resources and treasury, were backed up. It has never said how much the hackers demanded. It's unclear who or what entity might have been behind the attack. It took the city several months to restore all its systems that could be recovered.In a ransomware attack, a hacker cuts off the victim's access to a system or personal files and demands payment typically via credit card or cryptocurrency in order to make it available again.On Friday, the FBI said the investigation into the ransomware attack was on-going. The Nalgonda MP said that after the TRS won the Huzurnagar Assembly by-elections in 2019, local TRS leaders, in connivance with police and officials, encroached upon thousands of acres of land, worth several hundred crores. Twitter Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that people in Huzurnagar are suspecting that a principal aide of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and TRS MP Santosh Kumar was helping the land mafia locally. People are wondering why when there is such a huge uproar against grabbing of government and tribal lands across the state, why is the district and state administration maintaining complete silence on the issue. TRS councillors and party leaders themselves are saying that government and tribal lands worth hundreds of crores were forcibly being grabbed by unscrupulous elements in Huzurnagar, he said. As an MLA, who previously represented Huzurnagar constituency for four terms, I got roads laid and brought immense development. Yet, there were no encroachments. However, now, some brokers, connected with a close aide of the CM, purchased documents from the tribals, he said. The Nalgonda MP said that after the TRS won the Huzurnagar Assembly by-elections in 2019, local TRS leaders, in connivance with police and officials, encroached upon thousands of acres of land, worth several hundred crores. He said he had made several representations with authorities against such encroachments. Subsequently, one MRO was also suspended from the post. However, Mr Reddy said the local administration was expressing its helplessness in controlling the land mafia, citing pressure from top as the reason. He said local people suspect that the land mafia was enjoying backing of TRS MP Santosh Kumar. He said the top TRS leadership was allegedly pressuring local authorities to allow encroachment of tribal lands. He also alleged that gundas from Bihar have been hired to carry out attacks on Telanganas native tribals. The State government must act against operatives of the land mafia to protect tribal lands or else the Congress would launch a serious agitation, he warned. The TPCC chief condemned Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay for his remarks against him, saying, I have served India as an Airforce pilot and fought against enemies at the borders in the air. Is this the respect Bandi Sanjay has for those who serve in the armed forces? He dared Bandi Sanjay to convince the Centre to order a probe against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family members, instead of merely making statements against their corruption. He said that both BJP and TRS were two sides of the same coin, who had a secret pact with the sole intention of damaging the Congress in Telangana. SUGAR LAND, Texas, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Holding Corporation plc ("Noble UK") announced today that on February 5, 2021 it successfully completed its financial restructuring and its debtor affiliates have emerged from Chapter 11 with a new parent company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands named Noble Corporation ("Noble" or "the Company"). As a result of the financial restructuring, Noble will have a substantially delevered balance sheet with less than $400 million of debt and liquidity of approximately $600 million. Noble's new capital structure will include a new $675 million revolving credit facility, of which $178 million is currently drawn, and $216 million of second lien notes. At emergence, Noble UK's ordinary shares were cancelled and shares of the Company were issued to Noble UK's former bondholders. Certain former bondholders and former equity holders of Noble UK were also issued warrants to purchase shares of the Company. The Company intends to pursue listing on a national securities exchange following emergence. Noble emerges with a high-spec fleet of 19 rigs, balanced across jackups and floaters. The fleet is one of the youngest in the industry, with an average age of 7 years. Noble's contract backlog is currently over $1.5 billion and we continue to deliver strong safety performance, setting several company safety records during 2020. The Company remains committed to safely and efficiently serving the needs of its customers globally. "We are pleased to have completed our restructuring process and to emerge with renewed balance sheet strength and strategic flexibility," said Robert Eifler, President and Chief Executive Officer. "On behalf of the Company, I would like to personally thank our customers, vendors, lenders, bondholders and board of directors, for their support throughout this process. In particular, I also would like to thank our employees who remained focused and delivered operational excellence throughout our restructuring, despite the challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic. The combination of this strong financial foundation with our industry-leading high-spec focused fleet, world class employees and deep customer relationships will position us to take advantage of growth opportunities ahead." The following individuals have been appointed to the Company's board of directors: Patrick J. Bartels Jr., Robert W. Eifler, Alan J. Hirshberg, Ann D. Pickard, Charles M. (Chuck) Sledge and Melanie M. Trent. Mr. Sledge was also appointed to serve as Chairman of the Board. Commenting on the new board, Mr. Eifler continued: "We are extremely pleased to have such an experienced board of directors that will help Noble navigate the industry challenges ahead and execute on our strategic priorities. We look forward to getting to work with them immediately." Additional details of the Company's restructuring transactions including the new revolving credit facility, the new second lien notes, as well as the new common stock and warrants can be found in the Company's prior filings with the SEC, and in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Noble UK was represented in the restructuring by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Evercore, AlixPartners LLP, Porter Hedges LLP, and EPIQ Restructuring Services LLC. About Noble Corporation Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 19 offshore drilling units, consisting of 7 drillships and semisubmersibles and 12 jackups, focused largely on ultra- deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Noble is an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability with registered office at P.O. BOX 31327, Ugland House, S. Church Street, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104. Additional information on Noble is available at www.noblecorp.com . Forward-looking Disclosure Statement This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this communication or in the documents incorporated by reference, including those regarding the effect, impact, and other implications of the Chapter 11 Cases, the global novel strain of coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, strategic opportunities, agreements regarding production levels among members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil and gas producing nations ("OPEC+") and any expectations we may have with respect thereto, and those regarding rig demand, the offshore drilling market, oil prices, contract backlog, fleet status, our future financial position, business strategy, impairments, repayment of debt, credit ratings, liquidity, borrowings under our credit facility or other instruments, sources of funds, future capital expenditures, contract commitments, dayrates, contract commencements, extension or renewals, contract tenders, the outcome of any dispute, litigation, audit or investigation, plans and objectives of management for future operations, foreign currency requirements, results of joint ventures, indemnity and other contract claims, reactivation, refurbishment, conversion and upgrade of rigs, industry conditions, access to financing, impact of competition, governmental regulations and permitting, availability of labor, worldwide economic conditions, taxes and tax rates, indebtedness covenant compliance, dividends and distributable reserves, timing or results of acquisitions or dispositions, and timing for compliance with any new regulations are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, or in the documents incorporated by reference, the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "project," "should," "shall" and "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that such expectations will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication and we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as required by law. We have identified factors, including, but not limited to, the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company's liquidity or results of operations or business prospects, the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company's business and the interests of various constituents, the effects of public health threats, pandemics and epidemics, such as the recent and ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, and the adverse impact thereof on our business, financial condition and results of operations (including but not limited to our growth, operating costs, supply chain, availability of labor, logistical capabilities, customer demand for our services and industry demand generally, our liquidity, the price of our securities and trading markets with respect thereto, our ability to access capital markets, and the global economy and financial markets generally), the effects of actions by, or disputes among OPEC+ members with respect to production levels or other matters related to the price of oil, market conditions, factors affecting the level of activity in the oil and gas industry, supply and demand of drilling rigs, factors affecting the duration of contracts, the actual amount of downtime, factors that reduce applicable dayrates, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with operations outside the US, actions by regulatory authorities, credit rating agencies, customers, joint venture partners, contractors, lenders and other third parties, legislation and regulations affecting drilling operations, compliance with regulatory requirements, violations of anti-corruption laws, shipyard risk and timing, delays in mobilization of rigs, hurricanes and other weather conditions, and the future price of oil and gas, that could cause actual plans or results to differ materially from those included in any forward-looking statements. These factors include those referenced or described in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Noble UK's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, in Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Noble UK's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, and in our and Noble UK's other filings with the Commission. We cannot control such risk factors and other uncertainties, and in many cases, we cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. You should consider these risks and uncertainties when you are evaluating us. SOURCE Noble Corporation Related Links https://www.noblecorp.com Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Fears are growing for three climbers missing while attempting to summit the world's second-highest mountain, K2, after helicopters failed to spot them on the second day of searching, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said Sunday. Climbers John Snorri from Iceland, Juan Pablo Mohr from Chile and Muhammad Ali Sadpara from Pakistan lost contact with base camp on Friday. 'A second helicopters search has found no sign of missing climbers,' Karrar Haidri, the club secretary, told AFP. The helicopters' crew traced the route up to a height of 23,000 feet, he added. Pakistani mountaineer Ali Sadpara, left, is one of the three climbers missing on the K2 mountain Iceland's mountaineer John Snorri, second left in front row, is also missing on the mountain Chhang Dawa Sherpa, their expedition manager, said he was part of one search team trying to trace the mountaineers. 'The search team went through the Abruzzi and other routes, we had less weather visibility above C 4 (camp 4), unfortunately, no trace at all,' Sherpa said in a statement. Sajid Sadpara, son of Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who had last seen his father at K2's final technical difficulty 'bottleneck,' said the chances of survival were bleak. 'The chances of surviving for two-three days at 8,000 (metres) in winters are very low,' Sadpara told reporters. On Friday a Bulgarian mountaineer was confirmed to have died on K2. He is the third mountaineer to die on K2's slopes this year, after a Spanish climber fell to his death last month. Russian-American Alex Goldfarb also died on a nearby mountain during an acclimatising mission in January. A team of Nepali climbers made history on K2 last month when they became the first to scale it in winter. On Friday a Bulgarian mountaineer was confirmed to have died on K2. He is the third mountaineer to die on K2's slopes this year Conditions on K2 are harsh: winds can blow at more than 200 kilometres per hour (125 miles per hour) and temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 Fahrenheit). With Pakistan's borders open and few other places to go, this winter an unprecedented four teams totalling around 60 climbers have converged on the mountain. Unlike Mount Everest, which has been scaled by thousands of climbers young and old, K2 is much less travelled due to its tough conditions. Ms. Cheng, 45, was born in Hunan Province in southern China and migrated to Australia with her parents while still a child. Her arrest on such a politically charged accusation comes while the two countries have been at loggerheads in a series of disputes that have driven relations to their lowest point in decades. I dont think it is about the bilateral relationship, though that doesnt help her cause, Geoff Raby, a former Australian ambassador to Beijing who has written about the deterioration of relations, said of Ms. Chengs arrest. Chinas definition of state secrets was very broad, he said, adding, Acquittals are infrequent in such cases. Chinas criminal code says that providing state secrets overseas should bring a prison sentence of five to 10 years, or longer in serious cases. Australias ability to secure Ms. Chengs release through diplomacy appears dauntingly limited. In recent years, Canberra has sought to deter Beijing from influence-building activities on Australian soil, including among the countrys large population of recent migrants from China. The Australian government has also angered China by blocking the potential participation of the Chinese tech giant Huawei in building Australias 5G network. Last year, Australia led calls for an international investigation into the origins and course of the coronavirus pandemic, infuriating China, which has been sensitive about questions of its culpability in the origin of the outbreak. A married businessman's mistress has been detained for allegedly ordering the contract killing of his other lover. Psychologist Elena Sosnovskaya appeared in a Moscow court last week along with four men allegedly involved in the murder of dancer Natalia Pronina on December 23. Pronina, 30, was gunned down at close range by a hooded man wearing a mask in Moscow as she returned home from a choreography session. The businessman allegedly romantically involved with the two women has not been named but is reported to be married with children. A married businessman's mistress has been detained for allegedly ordering the contract killing of his other lover, Russian police said. Psychologist Elena Sosnovskaya (right) appeared in a Moscow court last week along with four men allegedly involved in the murder of dancer Natalia Pronina on December 23 Sosnovskaya (right) is accused of asking her boyfriend to find an assassin to murder her love rival Dancer Natalia Pronina, 30, was gunned down at close range by a hooded and masked man in Moscow as she returned home from a choreography session Prize-winning dancer Pronina, 30, was gunned down at close range by a hooded man wearing a mask in Moscow as she returned home from a choreography session Footage from court showed Sosnovskaya as she was ushered into a glass case for a custody hearing at the Cheryomushinsky court in Moscow. The psychologist, aged around 40, is accused of using her own partner, with whom she was living, to find the contract killer. Previously, the businessman's wife had been suspected of ordering the murder while a politician reportedly dating Pronina had also been linked to the case at one point. Pronina, who had won prizes at international dance festivals including in the UK, was shot twice in the chest close to her high-rise apartment block near Akademicheskaya metro station. The moment was caught on harrowing CCTV footage which showed the killer approaching Pronina from the shadows before shooting her with a pistol at close range. Pronina was shot twice in the chest close to her high-rise apartment block near Akademicheskaya metro station in Moscow. She was rushed to hospital but died two hours later The attacker reportedly then released a stun grenade to distract attention from the shooting, dropped the gun and fled, according to reports citing law enforcement. Pronina was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery but died two hours after the attack. Reports say Pronina had known the unnamed businessman for nine years but that she had recently ended the relationship after meeting a new boyfriend. Sosnovskaya was said to have been dating the businessman at the same time as Pronina and allegedly asked her live-in boyfriend to recruit an assassin to kill the dancer, Moskovsky Kosomolets reported. Sosnovskaya's boyfriend is among the four men also detained over the murder, three of whom have been named as: Artak Aivazyan, Khasan Tagirov and Ruslan Tagirov. The businessman, who owns a car parts chain, had reportedly warned Pronina to be careful and to stop posting on Instagram. Investigative Committee official Yulia Ivanova said the suspects are being held under Russian laws covering contract killings and the illegal possession of firearms. Investigative Committee official Yulia Ivanova said the suspects are being held under Russian laws covering contract killings and the illegal possession of firearms. Pictured: One of the men detained on suspicion of being involved in Pronina's murder in court This is the moment a police officer is told to 'get the f*** out' of a Polish cafe packed with '100 lockdown-flouting customers' before he appears to punch a member of staff who allegedly resisted arrest. Police were called to the Kate & Luc Cafe in Burnage, Manchester, on Sunday, after the owners defied Covid orders to shut its doors. Video footage first emerged yesterday of an officer appearing to assault a member of staff outside the premises. Now another video shows the inside of the Polish cafe during the incident, where two officers were seen speaking to a staff member as '100 people' - neither wearing masks nor socially distanced - sat eating at tables inside. In the clip, the worker is seen talking with the officers as crowds of customers film the discussion on their phones. The man then opens the door and tells them 'get the f*** out', to the sound of chants and jeers from onlookers. The man walks towards the door and tells them 'get the f*** out', to the sound of chants and jeers from onlookers Outside the front of the cafe, the man and the officer then start to grapple as another man yells: 'What's going on here? Why are you beating him up? What are you doing?' On the street, the pair of officers were surrounded by scores of the cafe customers who were shouting at them as they were arresting the staff member Outside the front of the cafe, the man and the officer then start to grapple as another man yells: 'What's going on here? Why are you beating him up? What are you doing?' On the street, the pair of officers were surrounded by scores of the cafe customers who were shouting at them as they were arresting the staff member. Footage then appears to show one of the police officers punching the man. The cafe worker has since been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. Greater Manchester Police have since said they are aware of the footage 'involving a man who appears to be struck by a police officer'. 'This incident happened whilst a 38-year-old man was being arrested on suspicion of assault of an emergency worker and resisting arrest,' the force said in a statement. 'He remains in custody for questioning.' The police officers had been responding to reports of a cafe flouting coronarivus lockdown rules 'with approximately 100 people present'. A number of people have since been fined. Video footage has emerged of a police officer appearing to punch a cafe worker after being called to an eatery packed with '100 customers' Officers were called to a cafe in Burnage, Manchester, just around noon on Sunday after the owners defied orders to shut its doors during lockdown The pair of officers were attempting to detain the man in Manchester on Sunday morning Two police officers were seen speaking to a staff member as '100 people' - not wearing masks or socially distanced - sat eating at tables inside The cafe worker was since been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer The police officers appear to be trying to hold the man as they arrested him The owners of the cafe have posted regularly on their Facebook page about remaining open despite the current lockdown rules. When asked by a Facebook user whether they could eat inside yesterday, the cafe replied: 'Of course u can eat inside. We are not a government, it's up to u.' The page also posted a YouTube video on February 5 of police visiting the cafe. The clip appears to show a number of customers sat inside eating meals. The cafe has also been fined 1,000 by Manchester City Council for flouting lockdown rules. In response, the owners posted on Facebook: 'Today we have a massive surprise from free people across manchester to support our business and fight against tyranny. 'Also we have received another letter from council and they are trying to close our business down. 'Tomorrow we are going to be open as normal to fight back.all kind of support is more them welcome.' The cafe has also been fined 1,000 by Manchester City Council for flouting lockdown rules The owners of the cafe have posted regularly on their Facebook page about remaining open despite the current lockdown rules The owners posted on Facebook in August: 'Hi everyone, the Covid 19 propaganda doesn't apply to our shop. We are open as usual. No muzzle needed when you get here.' Speaking on Sunday afternoon, a witness said: 'They've been open for takeaways, but recently we've seen people sitting inside. 'Today there were about 50 or 60 people inside and outside. No one was wearing a mask. It was like they were protesting (against the lockdown). 'About 10 police cars turned up. He's a nice guy (the cafe owner). We go there for coffee. 'I don't know what's going through their minds.' Another witness said: 'I was inside, I heard lots of noise. There were so many people outside. The police caught one man and arrested him. 'Everybody was making movies on their phones.' Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: 'GMP is aware of a video circulating online involving a man who appears to be struck by a police officer. 'This incident happened whilst a 38-year-old man was being arrested on suspicion of assault of an emergency worker and resisting arrest. He remains in custody for questioning. 'Police were responding to reports of non-compliance with Covid-19 restrictions by a cafe on Burnage Lane in Manchester.' 'Officers attended and in line with procedure, attempted to engage with individuals and disperse attendees.' 'This resulted in an officer being assaulted. 'GMP are aware of the footage circulating online and are continuing to assess all the circumstances of the incident, including this footage as well as other footage obtained, at what remains an early stage in the investigation.' 'An officer sustained injuries but did not require hospital treatment. '14 Fixed Penalties Notices have so far been issued to those in attendance.' Lucjan Domanski, 38,has been charged with assault of an emergency worker and will appear at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on February 23. GMP said the footage has been referred to its Professional Standards Branch following concerns from the public. It said that while initial reviews suggested officers' actions were reasonable, when assessed within the wider context of the situation it had been referred in line with policy. Dear Annie: My daughter is marrying a widower, Hank, with three children. The problem is with Gail, the mother of his late wife. My daughter includes Gail in the daily household activities, including holidays and birthdays. The children have pictures of their mom (Hanks late wife) hung up in their home and speak often about her. Gail is not very nice to my daughter. She purposely calls her the wrong name. She says she does this because my daughters name reminds her of her daughter. Gail has done other things -- such as pull the children out of school after being told not to. She has taken them to doctors and dentists for appointments without talking to my daughter or their father. She has been asked to back off some. My daughter understands that Gail jumped in and helped for a year and that it might be difficult for her to turn over these responsibilities, so she has been patient with Gail. But they have been together for 18 months now and live together as a family. The issue is that my daughter decided not to invite Gail to the wedding. This is intended to be a special day about the bride and groom. My daughter was concerned that Gail might speak ill of her to other guests, as has happened on other occasions. The invitations were sent out, and Gail immediately wanted to know where hers was. My daughter explained, as nicely as possible, that she was not invited. My daughter was immediately met with mean, hateful comments. Gail then called the grandkids paternal grandmother -- Hanks mom -- and complained to her for 40 minutes. The wedding had to be rescheduled due to COVID-19, and the delay has put the issue back to square one. Gail has started all over, assuming she will get an invitation. Is my daughter wrong to exclude her? -- Wedding Drama Annie Lane writes the Dear Annie advice column. Dear Wedding Drama: If you have to ask the question, you probably know the answer. Yes, it is wrong for your daughter not to invite the grandmother of her stepchildren to the wedding. Your daughter is not starting fresh with Hank; shes marrying a man who comes with a family that suffered a tragedy. While Gails behavior does sound a bit intrusive, try to remember where she is coming from. She lost her daughter. She is probably devastated, and her daughters children are going to be another womans stepchildren. Try to show compassion for Gail. You and your daughter dont have to love her, but you certainly have to learn to be kind and gracious to her. She should continue to be a part of your stepchildrens lives -- hopefully forever -- and I think it is up to your daughter and Hank to facilitate that. As far as the negative talk about your daughter, no one needs that at their wedding. Your daughter and Hank should have a very direct conversation with Gail, explaining that they will not tolerate drama on their special day and that she is invited only on the condition that she meet their kindness with kindness. Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie is out now! Annie Lanes debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney NexSigns Digital Signage has been the top choice for the hospitality industry to deliver an unforgettable adventure and impeccable guest experience. NexSigns' centralized and scalable management system enables Revelstoke Mountain Resort to quickly and smoothly update content. The award-winning Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) introduces a revolutionary solution to inform, support, and entertain families and guests this winter - NexSigns Digital Signage. Revelstoke's digital transformation includes implementing over 30 digital signage displays powered by NexSigns throughout the resort, restaurants, and mountains. Recently awarded as Canada's Best Ski Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) stands out with its Big mountain terrain, legendary powder, and small-town vibes. Its adventurous and innovative spirit encourages continuous transformation throughout the resort to uphold its unparalleled hospitality. As a total solution provider, NexSigns Digital Signage has been the top choice for the hospitality industry to deliver an unforgettable adventure and impeccable guest experience. 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To learn more about NexSigns Digital Signage, please visit NexSigns.com. ***** About Kuusoft Corp.: Kuusoft Corp. is a digital menu boards and digital signage total solution provider based in Burnaby, BC. Founded in 2002, Kuusoft dedicates to developing cutting-edge digital signage software solutions and digital signage hardware for all business sectors worldwide. ***** For more information, please contact Anita Sun at anita.sun@Kuusoft.com or +1 866-546-8838. PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Friday questioned Minister of TEATT Ludmila de Weever about the financial status of the Bureau of Telecommunication & Post, in particular, governments role over the years with the much talked about BTP building in Philipsburg and who owes who in the process. Emmanuel also questioned if a person with a legal conviction on his record still sits on the board of BTP. The MP used his time to speak in the Central Committee meeting to ask the minister how did BTP enhance its revenue-generating capacity since its inception after 2010, from which industry segments are revenues generated and he asked the Minister to elaborate on revenue increase or decrease per industry segment and support with the probable cause for the increase or decrease. MP Emmanuel was particularly interested in BTPs efforts to collect outstanding concession and frequency fees from the telecommunications market, especially in light of BTPs announcement that it needed US $784,000 to meet its September to December 2020 commitments. What is the status now and how many of these commitments were fulfilled? the MP queried. The situation over who owes to BTP and vice versa is always a confusing set of information that nobody has been able to get a good grip on. Hopefully, the Minister will be open and forthcoming with the information so we can finally understand what is happening with this government-owned company, MP Emmanuel said. In the same context, the MP asked the Minister of Government was responsible for some of BTPs debts since government chose not to occupy the building. In fact, the MP pointed out, the government reportedly requested an additional two floors to be placed on the building in 2011. He went on to request a copy of all decisions taken by the government regarding his matter and all documentation from BTP. The Minister of Finance in a recent publication stated that millions of guilders would have been saved if the building had been utilized from the onset. So the first question that comes to mind is has the governments refusal to occupy the building contributed to this predicament? This indicates that the government had a building available for use, committed to occupy the building, and did not. My research has indicated that the Government had a commitment to rent the entire building in 2011, even asked for two floors to be added to the four-story building, the MP said. Through the years we have heard many times that BTP is not paying the Government and owes the Government of St. Maarten millions. I believe that the Government also registered a debt for BTP to be paid in the millions, based on BTP Netherlands Antilles accounts receivable listing and funds the Federal Government at the time had to transfer to St. Maarten from the federal budget. We need accurate information, MP Emmanuel said. The MP also asked about the status of the BTP board and if a member of the board who was convicted of a crime still holds this position. He said this issue has been lingering since 2019 when the former Chairperson of the Board resigned after the government did not take a decision to dismiss the board member in question since retaining his seat on the board after a conviction is against Article 11 of the BTP ordinance. Among other questions about BTPs role in regulating internet service providers, the MP asked If BTP can impose fines on TelEm in 2017 for allegedly not providing adequate service to St. Maarten Cable TVs paying customers, can BTP do the same for poor internet service? If yes have this ever been done considering the amount of complaints about internet service providers, the MP asked. Vaccination against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease should start in Ukraine on February 15, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance Mykhailo Radutsky said. "Minister Stepanov personally guaranteed both at a meeting with the Servant of the People faction, and at a meeting with the President of Ukraine held at the Health Ministry, that from the second week, somewhere from February 15, vaccination would start with the first doses of vaccine that Ukraine would receive through the COVAX system. It will be Pfizer vaccine," Radutsky said on the air of the Podrobytsi Tyzhnia (Details of the Week) program on Inter TV Channel. He said that 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine were expected to arrive. Radutsky also added that at the end of February, through the COVAX system, Ukraine should receive a vaccine produced by Astra Zeneca, and in March-April Ukraine should receive a vaccine purchased for the state budget. "I have no reason not to believe Minister Stepanov [...] I hope that on February 15, our doctors and nurses who will work in mobile vaccination teams, and the medical staff working in infectious diseases hospitals with COVID-19 patients will receive the first doses of the vaccine," he said. Hyderabad, Feb 8 : Cyberabad Police on Monday claimed to have busted a racket led by two Chinese nationals as kingpins that cheated people across India by enticing them with huge returns on investments. Three accused have been arrested in the case while the search is on for the absconding accused including the Chinese nationals. The economic offences wing of Cyberabad Police busted the racket being run in the name of 'Shared Bike (BK)'/ 'Sharing Economy'. Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar told reporters that the accused cheated around 20,000 people all over the country to the tune of Rs 50 crore. The accused had three attractive investment schemes to lure investors. On investment of Rs 300, Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000, they promised high returns of Rs 1,350, Rs 13,500 and Rs 67,500, respectively, over a period of 90 days. Since people were initially reluctant, the fraudsters deposited money into the bank accounts of some of the investors to gain the trust of others. Police have frozen Rs 3 crore in 10 bank accounts connected with the crime and also seized four laptops and three mobile phones. A case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered at Raidurgam police station. Police booked the case under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 5 of Telangana State Protection of Depositors of Financial Establishments Act, 1999. The arrested include one Uday Pratap, 41, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. He is the authorised signatory for an account of Mobicentric Technologies in a private bank in Hyderabad which is one of the fraudulent companies and he is also director of Corporfountain India Pvt Ltd, Gurugram. The other accused are Nitesh Kumar Kothari, 36, of Delhi and Rajesh Sharma, 36, of Gurugram. According to the police, the three accused were working under the control of the absconding Chinese nationals - Zhang Hongwei alias Peter and Peng Guowei alias Javie. Police said Nitesh Kumar and Rajesh Sharma are involved in the mobile application development of - www.ciciseo.com - and are current directors of Adstuck Consulting Pvt Ltd. Uday Pratap and Peng Guowei are the present directors of Corporfountain India Pvt. Ltd. In January 2020 Peng Guowei left India and did not return due to international travel restrictions while Zhang Hongwei never came to India. The accused launched a shared bike app and started cheating people contacting each other through Skype and Whatsapp. Peng Guowei is associated as additional director with Mobicentric Technologies Pvt Ltd, Lighting AD Pvt Ltd, Adstruck Consulting Pvt Ltd, Prespective Solution Pvt Ltd, IMOBI, Tech India Pvt Ltd, Corporfountain India Pvt Ltd, and Inavit Services LLP. The police commissioner said verification with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) showed that the addresses of the companies are fake and they do not exist. All the firms have been registered with RoCs at Delhi, Kanpur, Pune and Bangalore. 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. Kiara Advani was recently spotted while she was leaving rumoured boyfriend Sidharth Malhotra's house. Although the two have not publically talked about their relationship, they are often seen hanging around together. In the picture by Viral Bhayani, Kiara can be seen wearing a black outfit with a coffee cup in her hand. This is the second time that she was spotted coming out of Sidharth's house. Check out the picture. Also Read: Kiara Advani wishes rumoured boyfriend Sidharth Malhotra on birthday, shares unseen video Kiara Advani spotted at Sidharth's house The two were also seen going to the airport together for their trip to the Maldives. Although they did not post any pictures together, they were spotted together at the airport. Earlier, the two were spotted together while going out for lunch. In the paparazzi video, the two were seen twinning. Kiara was seen wearing a beige top with flared pants. She added a denim jacket and a brown leather clutch. On the other hand, Sidharth was seen coming out of a different car while wearing a white teeshirt and a beige pant. To complete the look, he was also seen wearing a denim jacket. Check it out. Also Read: Sidharth Malhotra & Kiara Advani spotted on lunch date at Mumbai's restaurant On the work front Kiara Advani who made her debut with 2014 comedy Fugly was also part of commercially successful movie M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. She also worked in Telugu movie Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) and also featured in movies like Kabir Singh and GoodNewwz. On the work front, she will be seen with her rumoured beau Sidharth Malhotra in Shershaah which is set to release this year. She is also shooting for Bhool Bulaiya 2 and Jug Jugg Jeeyo with Varun Dhawan. Earlier, on Christmas, Kiara took to her Instagram to share a boomerang with Varun Dhawan. Also Read: Kiara Advani shares stunning photo in red pantsuit; Fans call her 'irresistible' Sidharth Malhotra who made his debut with Student of the Year for which he received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut nomination. Other than this, he was also seen in Hasee toh Phasee (2014), Ek Villain (2014), Baar Baar Dekho (2016), A Gentleman (2017), Ittefaq (2017), Aiyaary (2018), Jabariya Jodi (2019), and Marjaavaan (2019). He is currently shooting Thank God with Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh. Also Read: Siddharth Malhotra shares picture as he basks in the Goa sun, fan asks 'Tattoo? When!?' Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. The situation in migrant shelters in Spains Canary Islands has gone from bad to worse. The surge in undocumented immigration to the region, which is located off the northwestern coast of Africa, has put the archipelago under enormous strain. Lacking proper facilities to house the arrivals, authorities have been forced to improvise temporary solutions, placing migrants in ports, hotels and schools. Now migrants are being moved to large camps a step that has sparked fears of deportation and heightened frustration. All transfers to the Spanish peninsula have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning migrants are stuck on the Canary Islands. The desperation over this situation led to several protests last week, as well as calls for hunger strikes, acts of self-harm and even suicide attempts. In at least two migrant shelters and one hotel in Gran Canaria, migrants waved signs with messages such as Death or Europe and The Canaries are a prison for migrants. A prisoner at least knows how long their sentence will last, but I dont know when I will leave the Canary Islands, and meanwhile my children are waiting for me to send money Aziz Bouabid, migrant in Gran Canaria The progressive opening of large camps, which are set to shelter around 9,000 migrants on the archipelago, has angered the migrant community, who see them as a waiting room for deportation. The poor conditions at the camps have not helped matters. Last Friday, a group of 80 migrants, most from Morocco and some from Mauritania, were sent to a new camp called Las Raices in the island of Tenerife. But when they arrived, it was 8C, pouring down with rain, and water and mud were getting inside the tents. The group refused to get off the bus at first, but gave up when the police arrived. The migrants were then forced to take refuge in bunk beds under blankets, as one of the residents showed EL PAIS in a video call. The videos of the conditions of the camp, which has capacity for 2,400 people, have since been sent to migrants across the archipelago. Nobody wants to go there. The center in Tenerife is a freezer. And its a way of holding us all together in order to deport us to Morocco. We dont want to go back. Ever, said Abd Latif, a 24-year-old from Morocco, at a protest last Saturday outside a hotel in the south of Gran Canaria, where they are currently staying. I studied law in Morocco, then I earned two diplomas, but there is no work there. I invested 4,000 to come here. I cant go back, do you understand? Latif and around 30 of his compatriots called the protest after learning they would be the next group to be transferred to Las Raices in Tenerife. We want to continue our journey. People are going crazy here. People who didnt drink, who didnt do anything, are now going crazy. Las Raices migrant shelter in Tenerife. Ramon de la Rocha / EFE The news has taken a heavy toll on the migrants, driving some to self-harm. One young man from Morocco cut his leg 27 times with a razor after learning his mother needed a liver operation. She cried a lot and so did I. I came here for the good of my family, but who is going to cover the costs of the operation now if I continue to be cooped up here? he asked. I suffered a lot from poverty, I suffered for my family, and to get here. I dont want to go to Tenerife. I dont want to return to Morocco. Next to him, another Moroccan man shows the cuts he has made on his arm, and on his cellphone, he has a photo of another compatriot who slit his stomach. A worker at the hotel says that another man had to be stopped from jumping off a balcony. Spains Interior Ministry has maintained its plan to only transfer a few of the most vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers to the mainland 2,168 people during all of 2020. Its goal is to increase deportations, but the process continues to be slow. There are 80 deportations to Morocco a week, a flight is set to fly this month to Senegal and there are plans to begin deporting migrants to Mauritania again. But with transfers to the mainland suspended and deportations at a trickle, migrant numbers are continuing to rise in the Canary Islands. Last year there were around 41,000 arrivals by land and sea in Spain, of which more than 20,000 were received by the archipelago. The center in Tenerife is a freezer. And its a way of holding us all together in order to deport us to Morocco. We dont want to go back Abd Latif, 24-year-old from Morocco The shelters in the archipelago have an open-door policy, meaning migrants are free to enter and leave at will. But in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, one school sheltering migrants has turned more into a prison, with many fearing attacks from locals if they go outside. This center in Leon school is one of two in the city that has sparked fierce opposition from residents in the area. Police have been patrolling the center for more than a week after migrants complained that locals had threatened them with guns and large knives. Cruz Blanca, the religious non-profit that runs the shelter, says that the migrants have been threatened and attacked by organized groups. Residents, meanwhile, say they are fed up with seeing the migrants wandering about the streets and getting into squabbles at night, which they record on their cellphones. On Saturday, around 450 Moroccans at the Leon school also decided they had had enough and announced a 24-hour hunger strike. Throughout the day, the migrants waved signs with messages such as Death is better than deportation. The group called on the Moroccan consulate to speed up the processing of their documents, to be allowed to go to the mainland and for protection against violence. We suffer a lot of psychological pressure here, said Aziz Bouabid, 46. A prisoner at least knows how long their sentence will last, but I dont know when I will leave the Canary Islands, and meanwhile my children are waiting for me to send money. The protest followed an earlier hunger strike last Tuesday by migrants at a military compound in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In this case, the migrants at the facility, which does not have enough hot water for everyone, asked to be transferred to the mainland. A few days later, the compound was flooded by the rain due to a plumbing problem. English version by Melissa Kitson. Afro-Mexicans finally got the recognition they were striving for years on the Mexican census in 2020. This marks the first time the country is counting its Afro-Mexican population, which provides official recognition for the people who were often overlooked in the Mexican cultural picture. The Afro-Mexican population has long fought for recognition in a mestizo country, where lighter skin color is often shown in social advancement and higher incomes, according to The Guardian report. This year's census is being collected throughout March. Meanwhile, a 2015 survey from Mexico's statistics institute estimated the Afro-Mexican population at 1.3 million. Observers are seeing the census to put together a total of around two million, mostly in Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Veracruz states. Bulmaro Garcia, an engineer in the community of Cuajinicuilapa, said that it is extremely important that they count them as Afro-Mexicans. "We're of African descent but we're Mexicans because we were born here and built this country," Garcia was quoted on a report. Read more: Flesh Service: Mexico's 'Home Delivery' Sex Trafficking Amid COVID-19 Related Problems to AfroMexicans The concept of race and ethnicity is a bit more complicated for Mexicans. Many Mexicans were identified as mestizaje, which is a combination of indigenous, European, and to some extent, African roots. However, organizers of the #AfroCensoMx campaign, the movement was more than just identity politics, according to a We are Mitu report. Bobby Vaughn, an African-American anthropologist who specializes in Black Mexicans, said that Mexicans of African descent have no voice and the government makes no attempt to assess their needs, nor the effort to event count them. Stories of experiences related to being Afro-Mexicans are being heard, such as being discriminated because of the way they look. Garcia said that he is being interrogated by border guards and asked to sing the Mexican national anthem whenever he crosses into Guerrero. He added that the guards' behavior is classic discrimination due to skin color. History of the Afro-Mexicans has been one of marginalization and neglect, particularly in underdeveloped regions such as the Costa Chica. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador visited the region and a local politician complained of inadequate roads, lack of hospital and school facilities, and recurring blackouts. "Our history was erased for centuries, so people think we don't exist," Abad Campos Rodriguez told the president. Afro-Mexicans Race Africans arrived in the country with Spanish, both voluntarily as conquistadores and slaves. With this, local say the struggle for recognition started to gain momentum ahead of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Meanwhile, indigenous groups saw nothing to celebrate. Garcia said many Afro-Mexican communities felt the same as they too were mistreated bu the Spanish because they were brought into the country by force. Spanish authorities were responsible for the forced migration of around 200,000 or more enslaved Africans to Mexico during their three centuries of conquest and rule, according to Minority Rights report. "We knew we were different from the indigenous people, and we were different from mestizos-so we started to struggle for recognition," Garcia was quoted on a report. Jayson M. Porter, a PhD candidate in environmental history of Northwestern University, said that many Afro-Mexican communities have leaned into their identity for social and cultural reasons. Porter has studied Costa Chica region. Related story: Here Are 5 of Mexico's Most Dangerous Roads And Highways Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A protest against Myanmar's one-week-old military government swelled rapidly on Monday morning as opposition to the coup grew increasingly bold. The protesters at a major downtown Yangon intersection chanted slogans, raised a three-finger salute and carried placards saying Reject the military coup and Justice for Starting with a few hundred people, the crowd exceeded a thousand by midmorning and cars passing by honked their horns in solidarity. Some smaller groups broke off from the main protest and headed to the Sule Pagoda, a past rallying point for major protests against previous ruling juntas. Monday's action followed a protest Sunday involving tens of thousands of people demonstrating to demand the release of deposed leader and other top figures from her National League for Democracy party. The growing protests are a sharp reminder of the long and bloody struggle for democracy in a country that the military ruled directly for more than five decades before loosening its grip in 2012. Suu Kyi's government, which won a landslide election in 2015, was the first led by civilians in decades, though its power was limited by a military-drafted constitution. During Myanmar's years of isolation under military rule, the golden-domed Sule Pagoda served as a rallying point for political protests calling for democracy, most notably in during a massive 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks. The military used deadly force to end both of those uprisings, with estimates of hundreds if not thousands killed in 1988. While riot police have watched the protests this past week, soldiers have been absent and there have been no reports of clashes. Several videos posted online Sunday that were said to be from the town of Myawaddy, on Myanmar's eastern border with Thailand, showed police shooting into the air in an evident effort to disperse a crowd. There were no signs of panic and no reports of injuries. Showing little fear, protest crowds have grown bigger and bolder in recent days, while remaining nonviolent in support of a call by Suu Kyi's party and its allies for civil disobedience. An intermittent communication blockade in recent days was a stark reminder of the progress is in danger of losing. During Myanmar's decades of military rule, the country was internationally isolated and communication with the outside world strictly controlled. The elected lawmakers of Suu Kyi's party met in an online meeting Friday to declare themselves as the sole legitimate representatives of the people and asked for recognition as the country's government. The military has accused Suu Kyi's government of failing to act on its complaints that last November's election was marred by fraud, though the election commission said it had found no evidence to support the claims. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the first day of high school my freshman year, my Spanish for Heritage Learners teacher, Mrs. Fitch, made the DREAM Act the focus of her lesson plan. She knew the majority of her students taking this class were undocumented immigrants, and she wanted to make sure we did not let the uncertainty of our immigration status stop us from achieving our full academic potential. I remember sitting in my seat feeling the weight of my anxiety begin to lift off my chest, because there was a path forward to one day becoming a citizen of the country that had been my home since I was 7 years old. For many young immigrants, this was a beacon of hope. Mumbai, Feb 8 : R. Madhavan got a proposal from a female fan on Propose Day, February 8, and the actor replied in the affirmative, thanking her for her love. "Haan .. haaan ... and Aur ek Haan. god bless you... thank you for the love," Madhavan tweeted on Monday evening. The actor's tweet came in response to a fan's proposal which reads: "@ActorMadhavan There are 8 planets, 204 countries, 7 seas, 7707 islands, 7.8 Billion peoples in the world.....and I love u till death....pls plz plz accept my proposal....u are my love of this life ..my universe..my solar system..my galaxy..u are everything for me." The 50-year-old actor enjoys immense female fan following on social media and keeps replying to messages from them expressing their love and appreciation for him from time to time. Madhavan was last seen in the recently released digital film Maara. The Tamil film helmed by Dhilip Kumar also features South actress Shraddha Srinath. The actor will soon be seen in a suspense thriller directed by Kookie Gulati, which also stars Aparshakti Khurana. Two-time O'Brien Award of Horsemanship winner Kelly Hoerdt knows one thing for sure: success is truly a team effort. Despite having driven 163 winners and achieving a 28.3 per cent strike rate as a trainer in 2020 impressive numbers in a normal season let alone one shortened by three months Hoerdt truly believes his second O'Brien Award of Horsemanship is not an achievement he could have attained entirely on his own. "I don't look at it as a personal achievement," Hoerdt said in a recent interview with Standardbred Canada's Rachel Oenema. "There's lots of people involved behind the scenes that contribute to this all the time. I'm very proud of it. I'm very proud of my team, and very proud of my partners on the horses, as well, for sticking with me." Hoerdt enjoyed stakes wins with Go Nine O in the Cloverdale at Fraser and Criminal Record in the Brad Gunn at Century Mile. But the majority of his success in 2020 came as a result of consistent performance from his entire stable including a four-race win streak from now 6-year-old pacing mare Cusdmagicdragon against mixed company in Open events at Fraser Downs. For the Beaumont, Alta.-based Hoerdt who topped the 2020 driver and trainer standings at Fraser in addition to being among the most elite performers in Alberta, balance is the key to success, especially with a fairly large stable. "I'm sitting around 35 or 36 horses right now," he said. I've got three broodmares, I've got some foals, the mares are in foal ... I've got about 10 two-year-olds, another half a dozen three-year-olds, and then some aged horses as well. I try to keep balanced not just the horses themselves, but the ownership groups so that perhaps some of the older racing horses can help contribute to the training costs of the younger horses." From his staff and partners to his knack for stable management, Hoerdt believes that horsemanship goes beyond the rigging and care and management of an equine athlete. A lot of it, he feels, is "having the right people in the right place" to enable an operation to achieve its highest heights week in and week out. "There's a lot of really, really good trainers out there, and I know a lot of really good trainers in Alberta that are fantastic horsemen, but maybe they haven't put the whole package together," Hoerdt explained. "Really, it's about the people you surround yourself with, that's No. 1 for sure. Getting some good partners, the hard work, passion and ethic is something everybody has. Beyond that, you really have to have the people your support group to make you successful. There's no doubt about that, whether it starts at the bottom with the people that work with the horses and work for me or, like I like to say, work with me or instead of me, sometimes that's what the horsemanship is about." Frankly speaking, there isn't much room for improvement for someone like Hoerdt, whose stable is at the top of its game with alarming consistency. Still, he maintains a mantra of striving to be the best he can be. "I haven't really set numbers or anything along those lines like I'm sure a lot of people do," Hoerdt said about his goals for 2021. "I just try to do better. That's the main goal. Whether it be business or life in general or family or whatever it is, try to do better." Speaking of trying to do better, Hoerdt has more than done his part to give back to the community at large notably through the Family Picnic Fundraiser he hosted in partnership with Edmonton restaurateur Peter Giannakopoulos at Bedrock Training Centre. And, if the global climate should be more agreeable this year than the last, he hopes to be able to revive the benefit event, which, over the years, has raised nearly $200,000 to benefit Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton: "It's been a fantastic experience. So many great people and so many great kids have come out and enjoyed the facility over that time.... As far as the future goes, for sure I'd love to host it out at Bedrock Farms again some time. We'll see with the state the world is in right now and getting back to some kind of a normal, but I would definitely be up for hosting that again." The full interview with Hoerdt appears below. This is the third of a series of post-event video interviews with O'Brien Award winners, sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta. The 2020 O'Brien Awards gala was covered live on the SC website, with a photo gallery of winners and a virtual photo album as part of the coverage. The official list of winners is available here, with official vote totals posted here. A few days before the trial of journalists Catarina Andreeva and Darja Chulcova, on 9 February, the Belarussian Association of Journalists (BAJ) calls on journalists organisations across the world to mobilise and demand the immediate release of the 11 journalists imprisoned in Belarus. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) join the call: take action to support BAJ! Belsat journalists Catarina Andreeva and Darja Chulkova have been kept behind bars since 15 November. They were detained for broadcasting live a violent dispersal during a protest in Minsk. The journalists are accused of taking an active part and even leading group actions that grossly violate public order with the help of the live stream, which resulted in the disruption of public transport. They face up to 3 years in prison. BAJ reminds that in 2020, the Belarussian authorities arrested journalists 477 times, 62 journalists were subjected to violence, 50 media outlets were closed and journalists spent 1,200 days in prison. This repression intensified in 2021 with the criminal prosecution of nine journalists and media workers, said BAJ President Andrei Bastunets. They face long prison sentences on politically motivated charges. BAJ, the IFJ and the EFJ call on journalists organisations in Europe and around the world to take action to support Belarussian colleagues. What can be done: Issue a statement in support of independent journalists and media in Belarus. Publish it on your website and in social networks, send it to the Belarusian Embassy in your country, copying BAJ. in support of independent journalists and media in Belarus. Publish it on your website and in social networks, send it to the Belarusian Embassy in your country, copying BAJ. Call on the government of your country to raise the topic of repressions against Belarusian journalists as often as possible at the international level. At any international journalistic meeting and conference, express solidarity with the Belarusian colleagues, who today fall under repression and are in prison, demanding their immediate release. Journalists and independent media in Belarus now really need your solidarity and support, said Andrei Bastunets. The General Secretaries of the IFJ and EFJ, Anthony Bellanger and Ricardo Gutierrez, joined his appeal on Friday. We call on our affiliates to mobilise against the increasing repression of journalists in Belarus. We count on the solidarity of journalists unions and associations. Contact: press@baj.by We can all work together to create a better and safer internet, a Louth Fine Gael Senator has said. John McGahon, Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on Communications is encouraging parents, teachers and children to engage with Internet Safety Day tomorrow, February 9th. Originally an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004, Internet Safety Day is now celebrated in approximately 170 countries worldwide. Senator McGahon said: Parents, teachers and children all over Ireland should engage with Internet Safety Day, and work together to create a better internet for all. "This years event is focusing on the theme of Together for a better internet and it calls upon all stakeholders to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, especially for children and young people. When Internet Safety Day started in 2004, we were dealing with very different issues compared to todays world. "We sometimes forget about the fast-changing pace of the internet and how quickly it has evolved. "With that pace of change comes risks and it is more important than ever to learn how we can make the internet a safer and more enjoyable place for everyone. Internet Safety Day puts a spotlight on this and gives us an opportunity to reassess the approach that both parents and children are taking in terms of ensuring children are safe online. For example, parents are encouraged to understand Webcam blackmail and how it happens, how to deal with cyber bullying, and effective ways of cutting down on screen time. Classrooms all over the country will be engaging with Internet Safety Day, for example running events on the dangers of Snapchat or tutorials on how to provide identifying details online. "Children need to be properly equipped with information in order to be able to handle their lives in the online world. Equally, teachers are encouraged to consider safety issues for live lessons and remote learning. Government must play its part too. "Online safety was a key commitment of Fine Gael before the last election and I am pleased to say that new legislation, The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, is going to tackle the spread and amplification of defined categories of illegal and non-illegal but potentially harmful online content. "It will do this by providing for regulatory oversight by an Online Safety Commissioner of the systems that online services use to deliver and moderate user-generated content." I really encourage all parents, teachers and children to engage with Internet Safety Day to better understand the ever-evolving issues of online safety and how to properly protect yourself. "The whole concept is geared towards empowering young people, their teachers and their families to work together to make the best possible use of online technology, Senator McGahon concluded. A man is pulled from beneath the ground by the Indo Tibetan Border Police after part of a glacier broke off in northern India. Photo: Indo Tibetan Border Police/via AP) At least nine people died and more than 140 are missing, feared dead, after part of a Himalayan glacier broke, sending a massive flood of water and debris slamming into two dams and damaging a number of homes. The flood was caused in northern India when a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in the Tapovan area of the state of Uttarakhand. Video on social media shows a wall of water surging into one of the dams and breaking it into pieces with little resistance before continuing to roar dow nstream. Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct professor at the Indian School of Business who has contributed to UN-sponsored research on global warming, said that while data on the cause of the disaster was not yet available, this looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting due to global warming. The impact of global warming on glacier retreat is well-documented. Expand Close Surge: The flood waters rush down the valley. Photo: Reuters TV. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Surge: The flood waters rush down the valley. Photo: Reuters TV. The Rishiganga hydropower plant on the Alaknanda River was destroyed, while the Dhauliganga hydropower plant on the Dhauliganga River was damaged, said Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police. Flowing from the Himalayan mountains, both rivers meet before merging with the Ganges River. Mr Pandey said at least 42 workers got trapped inside two tunnels at the Dhauliganga plant. While 12 workers trapped inside one tunnel were rescued, at least 30 others were still stuck inside the other tunnel, he said. Another 140 workers at the two plants were missing. Surjeet Singh, a police official, said nine bodies had been recovered so far amid intensified rescue operations that went into the night. Authorities installed lights in the area to continue rescue operations. Paramilitary forces have gone 150 metres down in the tunnel to rescue people. The operation is expected to continue until we bring these people out alive, said Pravin Alok, a spokesman for the State Disaster Relief Force. There were also houses that were damaged in the flooding, said Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups and police were helping in the rescue operation, Mr Bejaria said. Mr Pandey said soldiers who are experts in mountaineering and rescue operations had been called in. Officials said when the glacier broke it sent water trapped behind it as well as mud and other debris surging down the mountain and into other bodies of water. Many villages were evacuated as authorities issued an advisory urging people living on the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers to move to safer places immediately. Authorities emptied two dams farther down the river to stop the flood waters from reaching towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh, where popular tourist spots on the banks of the Ganges River were shut. It all started sometime around 10 in the morning. We heard a bang, which shook our village, said Dinesh Negi, a resident of Raini village. He said they watched from their village high above one of the rivers as the water turned muddy and surged in a torrent. We knew something wrong had happened. We could see the fury of the river. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Writer Beer & Society There is nothing that cannot be discussed and worked out over a beer. Join me as I explore local beer, breweries and how they can civilize us. On the occasion of the 176th anniversary of the first arrival of Indian immigrant labourers to these shores, I intend to comment briefly, through a couple of letters to the press, on the current status of Indo-Trinidadians after their presence here for over a century and a half. They may be regarded as ethnic-focused, divisive and contentious, or may be deemed irrelevant and inconsequential in these times. Armed riot police are seen near protesters in Naypyitaw, Myanmar (AP) The leader of the coup in Myanmar has said a new election will be held as promised in a year and that the military will hand over power to the winners. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made no mention of the ongoing unrest in the country during a 20-minute televised speech on Monday, his first to the public since the takeover. He instead repeated the claim that the military staged the takeover because of alleged voter fraud. The military government later imposed a curfew and bans on gatherings of more than five people in the countrys two biggest cities Yangon and Mandalay as protests against its coup showed no sign of abating. Tension in the confrontations between the authorities and demonstrators over last weeks coup has boiled over, as police fired water cannon at peaceful protesters in the capital Naypyitaw. Expand Close A police truck uses a water cannon to disperse a crowd of protesters in Naypyitaw (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A police truck uses a water cannon to disperse a crowd of protesters in Naypyitaw (AP) In the town of Myawaddy on Myanmars eastern border with Thailand, police shot into the air in an effort to disperse a rowdy crowd. There had been no initial reports of injuries, but the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent watchdog group, said one woman had been shot, without providing further details. There have been no signs that either protesters or the military were backing down in their confrontation over who is the countrys legitimate government: Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party, which won a landslide victory in last Novembers election, or the junta that formed one week ago and which claims the polls were marred by voting fraud. Non-violent protests demanding the release of the detained Ms Suu Kyi and restoration of her government have spread all over the country, with awareness of them growing after the authorities on Sunday lifted a brief ban on internet access. State media for the first time on Monday made reference to the protests, claiming they were endangering the countrys stability. Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information, read on state television station MRTV. We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law. Expand Close Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar (AP) There were reports of new protests on Monday in Kachin State in the north, Mon State in the south east, Tachileik, a border town in eastern Shan State, Naypyitaw and Mandalay, the countrys second largest city, where there were both marchers and a procession of motorbikes. The protests in Naypyitaw, ongoing for several days, have been especially unusual, for a great part of the citys population are civil servants and their families. The city was purpose-built under a previous military government, has a heavy military presence and lacks the tradition of protest of the former capital, Yangon. A morning protest in Yangon, Myanmars biggest city, swelled rapidly with the crowd exceeding a thousand demonstrators at a major city centre intersection. They chanted slogans, raised a three-finger salute and carried placards saying Reject the Military Coup and Justice for Myanmar. Some smaller groups broke off from the main protest and headed to the Sule Pagoda, a past rallying point for major protests against previous ruling juntas. On Sunday, the golden-domed pagoda served as a rallying point for tens of thousands of demonstrators, as it did protesters against military rule during a massive 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks. The military used deadly force to end both of those uprisings, with estimates of hundreds if not thousands killed in 1988. Expand Close Protesters holding an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Mandalay (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters holding an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Mandalay (AP) While riot police have watched the protests this past week, soldiers have been absent and there have been no reports of major clashes. The growing protests are a sharp reminder of the long and bloody struggle for democracy in a country that the military ruled directly for more than five decades before loosening its grip in 2012. Ms Suu Kyis government, which also won a landslide election in 2015, was the first led by civilians in decades, though its power was limited by a military-drafted constitution. A call for a general strike was issued late on Sunday by several activist groups in Yangon, but it was not clear if it had been widely circulated or adopted by the informally organised civil disobedience movement at the forefront of the protests. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar, an independent watchdog group, said 165 people, mostly politicians, had been detained since the February 1 coup, with just 13 released. One foreigner has been confirmed held by the authorities, Sean Turnell, an economist at Australias Macquarie University who was an adviser to Ms Suu Kyis government. He was detained on Saturday under unclear circumstances. A statement issued on Monday by the office of Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said he was being provided with consular support and described him as a highly regarded adviser, member of the academic community. We certainly believe he should be immediately released, it said. The military has accused Ms Suu Kyis government of failing to act on its complaints that last Novembers election was marred by fraud, though the election commission said it had found no evidence to support the claims. The elected lawmakers of Ms Suu Kyis party have asked for international recognition as the countrys government after meeting online on Friday to declare themselves as the sole legitimate representatives of the people. The military barred them from convening parliament last week. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Related story Spain will only use the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for people aged 18 to 55 Spains Covid-19 vaccination campaign is entering the final stages of the process of immunizing residents of senior residences, while the majority of healthcare workers have also received their first jab many have also got the second. Meanwhile, the final part of this first phase, inoculating adults with need for daily assistance even if they are not in residential care, has begun in the Canary Islands, Murcia and Navarre. This process is expected to get going in the rest of the country before the middle of February. EL PAIS has collected statistics in an attempt to take a snapshot of where the vaccination process has got to in Spain and these are the principal conclusions. Despite a year having passed since the first coronavirus infections having been detected in the country, the system for collecting data on the health crisis is still deficient. The Health Ministry has not centralized the collection of information on the vaccination process and just 11 of the countrys 17 autonomous regions have supplied sufficiently detailed figures. The AstraZeneca vaccines, which will start arriving in Spain this week, will only be given to people aged between 18 and 55 The process is both complex and flexible. The first three groups in phase 1 of the campaign overlap in order to optimize the process, and so that it continues without pause. Healthcare workers started receiving the vaccine before the process finished in senior residences, and adults with need for daily assistance will start being immunized before all healthcare staff have had their doses. Along the same lines, some regions are already planning for the over-80s who are the first group in phase 2 to start the process before phase 1 has finished. There are around 380,000 adults with need for daily assistance, and they are a complicated group to vaccinate given that home visits are often needed. It could be more efficient to vaccinate non-dependent seniors at the same time this group is made up of 2.8 million people and accounts for six in every 10 Covid deaths in Spain. In January of this year, more than 1,300 people over the age of 80 died every week with the disease. To complicate the situation further, not all of the approved vaccines are going to be administered to everyone. The AstraZeneca vaccines, which will start arriving in Spain this week, will only be given to people aged between 18 and 55, given that this is the group where clinical trials have proved it to be effective. For now, the Health Ministry has decided that it will be used to immunize healthcare workers who are not on the front line, and next week a decision will be made on which section of the population to prioritize it could be essential workers or young people with underlying health conditions. Health worker administering the Covid vaccine to a resident of the DomusVi Sabadell Ciutat senior home. Quique Garcia / EFE This, in effect, is what some regions are already doing. It is not completely clear which healthcare workers are being immunized in phase 1, and in many cases, the authorities have opted to give all staff in hospitals their doses, independently of their role. In Madrid, for example, a higher percentage of healthcare workers have received the second dose of the vaccine than among seniors who live in residences. This is despite the fact that senior residences where more than half of official Covid deaths took place in Spain, according to the Health Ministrys figures were the absolute priority of the central governments vaccination plan. That said, the available data suggests that immunity is not far off for residents of the countrys senior residences. With the information supplied by the regions, nearly all residents and staff have got their first dose, and the majority of regions have administered the second dose to more than half of the recipients. The process in residences is being delayed due to outbreaks in some of these centers. According to regional health departments consulted by EL PAIS, this is not presenting a problem given that the process is simply being postponed where there is a high number of people infected. The latest data from the Health Ministry shows that all regions have administered more than 70% of the doses that they have received Data supplied last week by the Catalan regional authorities show that the vaccines are starting to have an effect, and that number of new infections is rising less inside such residences compared to outside. Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), also said on Thursday that outbreaks in these centers are falling and that comparisons made by the ministry between the over-65s who live in residences and those who do not show a lower infection rate among the former. The full protection offered by the vaccines, however, does not arrive until a week after the second dose. With the extreme levels of transmission that are currently being seen in Spain the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants is around 750 it is no surprise that the virus is finding its way into senior residences during this process, infecting inhabitants, and even claiming the lives of those who have been inoculated. The risk after the first shot is low, but it still exists. The latest data from the Health Ministry shows that all regions have administered more than 70% of the doses that they have received. The authorities insist that the problem now will not be the capacity to deliver the vaccines, but rather the number that Spain will receive. From this weekend onward, that number will rise, with, for example, AstraZeneca sending 1.8 million doses this month. And it will go up even more in March, which is when a new vaccine from Janssen may be added to the list. The vaccination process for adults with need for daily assistance even if they are not in residential care will be a good means to measure the agility of the system. With reporting by Maria Sosa, Isabel Valdes and Lucia Bohorquez. English version by Simon Hunter. FWD As such, customers from European markets for example, Poland, Central Europe, and the Baltic states, who are said to love deploying 3.5-tonne (7,716-lb) delivery vehicles on international routes will have the option to order a new Transit chassis cab model. The new L5 Transit chassis cab model is said to offer both a generous amount of cargo space as well as a wide array of conversions possibilities.This new variant has been introduced to offer maximum cargo capacity for operators in the expanding 3.5tonne international transport market. Were dealing with a front-wheel drive model featuring an extended length chassis and Heavy Duty powertrains which can engulf up to 10 Euro pallets and come with a promised payload capacity of 950 kg (2,094 lbs) - even when featuring a curtain side box body conversion with sleeping pod.Business is booming in the long-haul delivery sector and our new stretched Transit chassis cab model is specially designed to offer the largest possible load space helping hard-working businesses be more productive than ever, explains Paul Baynes, the Commercial Vehicles conversion manager at Ford of Europe.According to the automaker , the new L5 Transit chassis cab has a generous 4,522-mm (178-inch) wheelbase, and Ford has already enlisted the help of Polish conversion specialists Carpol and Nadwozia Partner to create some demonstrator vehicles which feature sleeper pods either behind or above the cabin.As far as whats under the hood, the Transit L5chassis cabs will receive the companys Heavy Duty versions of the 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel engine. Customers will have a choice of either 130 PS (128 hp) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) or 160 PS (158 hp) and 390 Nm (288 lb-ft). Both can be hooked to a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic box, as well as an optional 95-liter (25-gallon) fuel tank for that extra-long haul waiting around the corner. 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. Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). The first image of Mars taken by China's Tianwen-1 unmanned probe is seen in this image released by China National Space Administration (CNSA), February 5, 2021. Photo: CNSA/Handout via Reuters Chinas Tianwen-1 probe sent back its first image of Mars at the weekend with rival missions set to follow closely on its tail. Mars is about to be at the centre of an extraordinary confluence of interplanetary missions unprecedented in the history of spacefaring. As well as China, probes will arrive within days from the US, and from the surging space programme of the United Arab Emirates as they take advantage of a window in which the Red Planet is close to Earth. The black-and-white photo released late on Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface. The photo was taken about 2.25 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to the China National Space Administration, which said the spacecraft was now around 1.12 million kilometres (700,000 miles) from the planet. The robotic craft ignited one of its engines to make an orbital correction on Friday and was expected to slow down before being captured by Martian gravity around Wednesday, the agency said. It will follow the UAEs Hope mission, which will be the first of the three to arrive in Martian orbit on Tuesday, to be joined by Nasas massive, car-sized Perseverance lander a week after that. The chance to reach Mars happens about every 26 months when its orbit lines up with Earth, and all three missions took advantage by launching in July. The UAE and China will become the fifth and sixth space programmes to reach Earths nearest neighbour. They follow Nasa, the Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and India. China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme. It has made huge strides in the past decades, sending a human into space in 2003. China has also laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit, but Mars has proved a challenging target. The planet has become known as the Bermuda Triangle of space exploration as more than half of the missions sent there have failed. The UAEs Hope mission will spend two years orbiting the planet and studying its weather. Pete Withnell, Hope programme manager, said: Im optimistic. But I can tell you many of the team are waking up at 2am in a cold sweat just thinking and rethinking about aspects. Once Chinas five-ton probe goes into orbit it will start readying to land a solar-powered 225kg rover on the surface, which is expected to happen in May. Tianwen will look for ice and make maps. On February 18, Nasas Perseverance rover will arrive and head straight for the Martian surface. It will be the first Earth-sent machine to land on Mars since 2018. It will touch down in the potentially treacherous Jezero crater, which is filled with boulders. It was chosen because three billion years ago it was home to a river delta, and Perseverance will search for signs of ancient life If it lands successfully, Perseverance will drill out half-ounce rock samples, which Nasa hopes to bring back to Earth a decade from now on a later mission. The Indian School of Business (ISB) has pipped the Indian Institute of Bangalore (IIMB) for the top-ranked in the country in the latest Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Ranking. moved up five places to 23rd in the global ranking, while IIMB fell from 27th spot last year to 35th this year. Insead, based in France and Singapore, the UKs London Business School, and the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business were first, second, and third overall. IESE Business School in Spain and the Yale School of in the US tied for fourth position. Significantly, three of the last year's top five B-schools Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford chose not to compete. The FT Global MBA Ranking lists the worlds best 100 full-time one-year and two-year MBA programmes that require prior work experience for candidates. The IIMs run separate MBA programmes for executives that require prior work experience. Apart from and IIMB, there were three other Indian B-schools in the top 100. IIM Calcutta fell two places to 44th from 42nd last year; IIM Ahmedabad improved its ranking by 13 positions and was 48th, compared with 61st last year; made its debut and was ranked 94th. A total of 143 B-schools took part in the 2021 edition. The ranking methodology accords weighting to 20 different criteria, including salary, weighted salary, salary increase, value for money, career progress, aims achieved, international faculty, international students, international board, and faculty doctorate, among others. The ranking surveys alumni three years after completing their MBA, and requires a minimum 20 per cent replies. Due to Covid-19 disruptions, FT considered schools with a lower response rate as well. ALSO READ: A pro-growth turn in government policy Among the parameters that the ranking focused on, IIM Ahmedabad led the pack on multiple fronts. The premier top ranked globally in the international faculty criterion, apart from being the second best globally in terms of career progress. The other two Indian B-schools that did well in the career progress criterion were and IIM Calcutta, being ranked globally at fourth and seventh positions, respectively. The career progress criterion looks into the level of seniority and size of the company the B-school's alumni are working in now. IIM-A also ranked high globally, at sixth position, in terms of the recommend criterion, wherein alumni were asked to choose three schools from where they would recruit MBA graduates. ISB, on the other hand, is the second-best school globally in terms of international students and ninth-best in terms of women on the board. IIM Calcutta and IIM Bangalore also emerged as top B-schools globally in the international faculty parameter, being ranked at fourth and seventh spots, respectively. The ranking highlighted IIM Calcutta's leadership in delivering global education, said its MBAEx Programme chair, Manju Jaiswall. "The timely responses to the change in the mode of teaching this year to virtual reflect our resilience and preparedness towards our students safety and learning, and this effort has certainly paid off well." Dean Rajendra Srivastava said the ranking highlighted and strengthened the premier B-school's efforts to produce world-class research and encourage more women to join the management workforce. "The increasing number of prominent business schools from India making their mark globally makes the world notice India as a destination for high-quality management education." IIM Calcutta Director Anju Seth said that with the Covid-19 pandemic shocking the global education sector in 2020, physical education delivery model came to a standstill. "However, we emerged strongly in adversity by introducing a blended model for learning continuity. Education in the new normal will be about resilience and non-stop learning," Seth added. Actor Meezaan Jaaferi had an interactive live Instagram session with his fans on Sunday. The 29-year-old actor spoke about his upcoming movie Hungama 2 and how lives have been affected due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, the actor held an 18-minute long live session on Instagram where he accepted fan requests to have a one on one chat with him. Meezaan spoke to fans from India and Bangladesh as they complimented his acting and asked him questions regarding his upcoming movie. Meezaan also spoke to one of his fans who has been his ardent follower since his first movie Malaal. The fan from Ahmedabad asked Meezaan when his next movie will come up, to which the actor replied that he hopes that Hungama 2 comes out by summer of 2021. After a fan's request, Meezaan also shared a sneak peek of his residence. Starting from the view of his balcony, Meezaan showed how he had potted all the plants that were set in there. As he enters inside his room, Meezaan warns that his room is a "mess". He introduces his fans to his younger brother Abbas, who was sitting and preparing to play on his playstation. The actor also showed off his sneakers collection on the Instagram live session. As he comes back to his balcony, Meezaan sees his sister Alaviaa Jaffrei in the room and asks her if she wants to say hi to his fans via Instagram live. Meezaan's sister was apparently getting ready and declined the request, as he said "Madam abhi tayyar ho rahi hain. (madam is getting ready)". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meezaan (@meezaanj) Son of Bollywood veteran Javed Jaaferi, Meezaan will be soon seen in his second movie Hungama 2, which is a sequel to the Priyadarshan movie Hungama that came out in 2003. The film stars Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Rajpal Yadav, and Johnny Lever among others. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. FOREST CITY, Iowa - It's a return to normal. Beginning the week of February 15th, Forest City and Mason City schools will go back to a 5-day in-person schedule, with Wednesdays being designated as half days. Remote learning will still be available for families who choose to do so. The move comes after Governor Kim Reynolds signed an order last month that requires all school districts to offer a 100% in-person learning option. Forest City Superintendent Darwin Lehmann, who is also the Superintendent for Central Springs Schools, says there has been some concern about switching to this model, as he feels that local school districts should be able to decide their learning plans, rather than being state mandated. "I would tell you some schools that have been in this model feel like we're getting caught in the middle of the Governor's and Legislature's disappointment with certain schools. We're back to a one size fits all. Our model has worked for the majority of our parents." He points to some positive findings in their current 4-day in-person/1-day online model that has proven to be effective during this challenging school year. "Our discipline numbers have been down significantly compared to last year. Our absentee rate has gone down significantly. The instruction time for the kids and the results that we're getting achievement is the same or at a higher level." For more information on Forest City's plans to return to a 5-day schedule, click here. For more information regarding Mason City's plans to return to a 5-day schedule, click here. Those interested in supporting Alpha Coffee and the PenFed Foundation are encouraged to visit https://alpha.coffee/PenFed . Those who purchase coffee from Feb. 7-15 at this link will also be entered for a chance to win a $100 Alpha Coffee gift card. "We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Alpha Coffee and their support for the military community," said PenFed President and retired U.S. Army Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson, Jr. "The money raised during this President's Day promotion will directly support our vision of service members being able to serve our nation free of financial worry and veterans living with a strong financial future." On Sept. 11, 2010, Alpha Coffee was co-founded by retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Carl Churchill, a combat veteran with 21 years of service as both an enlisted soldier and officer, and his wife Lori Churchill, a military spouse and coffee lover. As a cause-based coffee company, all service members, veterans and first responders receive 10% off Alpha coffee purchases. And, through their Coffee for Troops initiative, where every bag purchased helps send the equivalent of a cup of coffee to deployed troops, Alpha Coffee has sent more than 19,000 bags of coffee to deployed troops around the world. "I was honored to serve, but that service to country doesn't end when you leave the military," said Alpha Chief Coffee Officer Carl Churchill. "At Alpha it is a core part of our mission to give back to non-profits that serve our community and we're thrilled to support the PenFed Foundation." The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $38.5 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families and caregivers. About PenFed Foundation Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans and their communities with the skills and resources to realize financial stability and opportunity. It provides service members, veterans, their families and support networks with the skills and resources they need to improve their lives through programs on financial education, homeownership, veteran entrepreneurship and short-term assistance. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has the resources to effectively reach military communities across the nation, build strong partnerships, and engage a dedicated corps of volunteers in its mission. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, demonstrating its strong commitment to the programs the Foundation provides. To learn more, visit www.penfedfoundation.org . About Alpha Coffee Alpha Coffee provides high-quality arabica coffee that is ethically sourced from small farms in some of the premier coffee growing regions of the world. Co-founded in 2010 by Carl and Lori Churchill, Alpha is a combat-veteranowned family business that sells fresh-roasted craft coffee, premium cocoa, creamer, and branded gear and apparel online and through select retailers across the US. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Alpha has a growing number of coffee shops along the front range of the Wasatch Mountains that serve unique specialty drinks, pastries, and breakfast food items. Alpha Coffee is a cause-based company with a mission to donate coffee to deployed troops and support veteran charities, local organizations, and fellow small businesses in both their local and military communities. SOURCE PenFed Foundation Related Links http://www.penfedfoundation.org Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 8 : In the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the silver jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) starting Wednesday will be a low key affair. Necessary safety measures are being ensured by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA), which is organising the event. If not for the pandemic, IFFK would have been a grand affair, just like the previous years. With Covid-19 continuing to rage in Kerala, every delegate and official taking part in the festival are being subjected to free antigen tests and only those testing negative are being allowed entry into the festival venues. The delegates can also gain entry by producing a Covid negative certificate, issued not more than 48 hours prior to the entry. The theatres will also strictly adhere to all the Covid-19 protocols. For the first time, the event is spread across four regions - Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thalassery and Palakkad. The first phase opens at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. As many as 80 films from over 30 countries will be screened this year. Of the 14 films in international competition, two are Malayalam movies -- Lijo Jose Pellissery's 'Churuli', which is a world premiere, and Jayaraj's 'Hasyam'. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival on Wednesday, followed by the screening of the Bosnian film, 'Quo Vadis, Aida?', an internationally co-produced war drama written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic. Prominent guests from across the world are expected to join the festival online. The five-day first phase of the festival will conclude on February 14. The four-venue concept had come under fire from certain quarters, but with the pandemic raging, it was decided to go ahead with the plan. The second phase of the festival will be held in Kochi from February 17-21, followed by Thalassery (February 23-27) and Palakkad (March 1-5). At each venue, films will be screened in six movie halls and will have an audience limited to a maximum of 50 per cent of the capacity. Members of Wuli East Animal Protection Association (WEAPA) have filed a petition against three police stations for allegedly failing to take appropriate actions and/or measures against suspected cattle rustlers. The members petitioned three police stations namely, Macca Masireh Police Station, Sareh Ngai Police Station and Basse Police Station all in the Upper River Region (URR). According to them, the issue has become chaotic and worrying in their area because cattle owners live in fear of losing their animals to alleged cattle rustlers. The members strongly advised the authorities to take swift actions with a view to addressing the practice, stating that failing to address the problem could lead to serious conflict in the area- particularly between the animal owners and the culprits. The members filed their petition to the National Assembly through the newly established legislative committee on Public Petitions, who invited the association's members to appear before them and give their version of the matter. Mr. Saiba Nasso, Adviser of the Association, told the committee that the practice has been happening in the area for the past 10 years and they have been making efforts to address it, but their efforts are yet to bear fruits. "The reason for bringing the petition to the National Assembly is that the issue has reached a breaking point and we as farmers felt that the last resort is the National Assembly. We are farmers and whatever we have including our farm produce, is spent on these animals, so that we can use them especially in emergency situations, to take care of pressing issues," he explained. "We reached out to the Police with the belief that they are in better position to help address our problems, but each time we reach out to them, the outcomes are always disappointing and sorrowful." Nasso accused one person (name withheld) as the principal suspect, allegedly responsible for the frequent stealing of their animals. He said they have reported cases to the police but the police have never taken any action regarding the matter. "Many times the people of Wuli East, would capture these suspects, and take them to the police. To our disappointment, the police would release the suspects and detain the victim. This sometimes agitates the people of Wuli East and they would sometimes attempt to set the police station ablaze. But when we receive information about these issues, we would always advise them to be law abiding and desist from mob justice. And thankfully, the people have always heeded to our advice," he said. Musa (Balla) Danso, the secretary of the association, tasked the authorities to urgently take appropriate actions, with a view to curbing the menace. He said that if the authorities fail to do that, the issue may deteriorate and lead to a national problem. "When we capture the 'accused person' for the police to come to the scene is a major problem. When we capture these 'accused persons' the punishment that should be meted out to them (suspects) is normally meted out to the victim. The fact that these accused persons are entering the Gambia through Senegal shows the weakness on the side of the security in the execution of their work," he said. Tunko Singhateh, chairperson of the association, said the practice has reached at a level whereby the natives of Wuli East have tasked themselves to make efforts to eradicate the practice in the area. Singhateh said the reason for taking the petition before the committee, was triggered by the difficulties and nightmare they are facing in relation to cattle rustling in their area. "There should be trust and communication between us and the police so that when we see something that is not clear to us, we report it to the police for them to take necessary actions, so that the practice would be addressed," he said. "If the police complete their investigations, the matter should be taken to court. But we have seen that the Police are lacking in that aspect and that is not helping to address the problems. If you capture someone in the act and take him to the police, they would say that the right of the accused person is violated, leading to the detention of both the accused and the victim," he said. Adama Bah, from the National Livestock Owners' Association, said actions ought to be taken to curb the practice. He said if actions are not taken, it could cause a civil war, saying it is painful for someone to struggle to earn money and buy animals for family use only for it to be snatched from him by people involved in stealing. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr. Saikou Fatty, the Associations' Lawyer, reiterated that the role of the Police is to enforce the law, protect lives and properties, adding that Wuli East also rely on the Police for such protection. He said the Police are working, but they need to more to serve the people. Fatty said the suspected cattle rustler has slaughtered a lot of cattle and the association has lodged complaints against him at the Police (in Basse, Macca Masireh and Sareh Ngai Stations) and GLMA, requesting for his license to be revoked. He said after the revocation of his license, the Police should work towards ensuring that the GLMA Act is obeyed by the citizenry. The petition committee hailed the association members for their appearance before them to voice out their concerns with the aim of seeking solution to the matter. The committee assured the members that they would do their work as expected of them without fear or favor. Apples Project Titan autonomous EV project has grabbed headlines of late over rumors that it might be built on a platform developed by Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia. However, the potential deal went from close to paused pretty quickly, and now the automakers say theyre no longer in talks with Apple, according to Bloomberg. Hyundai would have provided the electric vehicle platform built in North America for Project Titan, while Apple would have developed the vehicles hardware and software. Hyundai confirmed that conversations did take place, though it hedged it a bit by saying that we understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motors. Production was supposedly going to start by 2024, according to one report from Korea IT News, so the latest development is quite a letdown from that. Apples famous privacy is a breeding ground for rumors, though, especially over a product as potentially consequential as an autonomous EV. Its possible that the companies have decided to keep talks on the down-low, and they could still restart. Apple has reportedly also spoken with six Japanese automakers, according to a recent Nikkei report. However, analyst Ming-chi Kuo, who has a good record on Apple rumors, recently told Apple Insider that Apple still plans to use Hyundais E-GMP platform for its first EV, with Kia manufacturing the vehicle in the US no sooner than 2025. The third of Germany's left-of-center parties demand a stop to Nord Stream 2. The new German government headed by a new chancellor who will replace Angela Merkel in September after the federal elections may freeze the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. "Even more encouragingly, the third of Germany's left-of-center parties, the Greens, has found its moral and geostrategic compass. Its leaders, Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, are demanding a stop to Nord Stream 2. Among Merkel's own Christian Democrats and the smaller Free Democrats, there are also stirrings against it," Bloomberg reported. But she [Merkel] also knows that this partnership will last only until the federal election in September. At that point she will retire and a new government takes over. In the most likely scenario, the Christian Democrats will stay in power, but this time in partnership with the Greens. "And at some opportune moment, she knows, a new conservative-Green government could then announce the obvious: that this pipeline should never have been built, and will never contain anything but air," the publication said. Nord Stream 2: Background The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia's Ust-Lug and Germany's Greifswald. This new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Read alsoUkraine not to buy gas directly from Russia PM ShmyhalThe construction of the pipeline was expected to be completed before the end of 2019. The pipeline will be 1,220 km long. The project is being implemented by Russia's Gazprom in alliance with European companies ENGIE, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall. Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2 as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country, while its potential revenue losses are estimated at US$3 billion annually. The project is also highly criticized by the U.S., Poland, and the Baltic States. According to media reports, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden intends to do his best to prevent the construction of Nord Stream 2. On November 4, 2020, the media reported that U.S. Congress wanted to expand sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream. On December 4, 2020, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he doubted that the U.S. position on Nord Stream 2 would change after Joe Biden's inauguration. Read alsoTo support Ukraine: U.S. State Dep. explains new sanctions against Nord Stream 2On December 6, 2020, United States Charge d'Affaires to Germany Robin Quinville called on the EU and Germany to declare a moratorium on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. On December 9, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with expanded restrictions against the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. On December 11, 2020, the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline resumed. Germany's federal maritime regulator BSH says the construction work on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could be stopped for an indefinite period in German waters but opponents still need to give detailed reasons to justify the halt. On February 7, 2021, the Nord Stream 2 operator announced the start of pipe-laying in Danish waters. Reporting by UNIAN Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted: WEDNESDAY Faces of resistance: A discussion of members of the Black community in San Francisco who have resisted discrimination from Sutro Baths to the Presidio. Hosted by the San Francisco Public Library and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Noon. More information is here. The Purpose of Power book club: Akonadi Foundation president and civil rights advocate Lateefah Simon discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. Fighting disinformation: A conversation about the future of journalism and the movement to push back on the spread of disinformation through social media. With Geeta Anand, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and star of the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Hosted by Cal Performances and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. 7 p.m. More information is here. THURSDAY Headwaters forests: How public and private entities can help protect Californias headwaters forests from wildfire and drought. Hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here. Made in China: Investigative journalist Amelia Pang discusses her new book, Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of Americas Cheap Goods, about Chinas system of labor camps that creates a number of products sold in the U.S. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. Rebuilding trust: Ethan Zuckerman, founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, discusses his new book, Mistrust, and how public trust in institutions can be rebuilt with New York Times journalist Kara Swisher. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here. Angela Davis: Longtime activist and professor emerita at UC Santa Cruz gives keynote address in the human rights lecture series hosted by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. 5 p.m. More information is here. Immigration and womens rights: Human rights activist and Hoover Institution fellow Ayaan Hirsi Ali on her new book, Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here. FRIDAY Anita Hill documentary: Screening of Freida Lee Mocks 2013 documentary, Anita Speaking Truth to Power, on Anita Hills testimony against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas confirmation during 1991 Senate hearings. Hosted by the Mechanics Institute. 6 p.m. More information is here. SATURDAY Executive Order 9066: A discussion about the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Panelists include Shirley Ann Higuchi, author of Setsukos Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration; former Assembly Member Warren Furutani, descendant of prison camps survivors; former Rep. Mike Honda, a camp survivor; and Dale Minami, who headed the legal team that overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu. Hosted by the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. 1 p.m. More information is here. SUNDAY Executive Order 9066: 41st annual San Jose Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Hosted by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee of San Jose. 3 p.m. More information is here. MONDAY Alice Walker: Writer and activist reflects on freedom, Black feminism/womanism and writing in community. Hosted by UC Berkeley Department of African American Studies. Noon. More information is here. TUESDAY Kamalas Way: Journalist Dan Morain on his new biography of Vice President Kamala Harris. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 10 a.m. More information is here. FEB. 17 Condoleeza Rice: A conversation with the former secretary of state, hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. The Purpose of Power book club: Oakland Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. Black Solidarity Week procession: Third annual Black Solidarity Week procession, starting from the Lake Merritt pergola in Oakland. 5 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 18 UC President Michael Drake: Discusses challenges for the University of California, including the pandemic and its economic impact and concerns about racial equity, with Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here. Art of liberation: Artist and social justice activist Favianna Rodriguez discusses advancing cultural change through visual activism. Hosted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 6 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 19 Reparations: On the connections between the incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II and systemic racism against Black people, and calls for reparations for the Black community. Hosted by the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium. 6 p.m. More information is here. Executive Order 9066: Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II, featuring speakers from UC Berkeley Muslim Student Association and Nikkei Resisters. Hosted by the UC Berkeley Nikkei Student Union. 6:30 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 22 Rep. Ro Khanna: Fremont Democrat holds a town hall meeting. Noon. Submit question in advance here; join meeting here. FEB. 23 Erin Brockovich: Environmental activist delivers the Wallace Stegner Lecture on environmental issues can have an impact. Hosted by the Peninsula Open Space Trust. 7 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 25 The Purpose of Power book club: Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza discusses her book The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com Creative Solutions Honored with Two Academy Scientific and Engineering Awards for its Teradek and Amimon products February 5, 2021 (Irvine, CA and Raanana, Israel) Creative Solutions, a Division of The Vitec Group plc, is proud to announce that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the fabled Oscars, will officially bestow Terad Irvine, CA( ) February 5, 2021 (Irvine, CA and Raanana, Israel) Creative Solutions, a Division of The Vitec Group plc, is proud to announce that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the fabled Oscars, will officially bestow Teradek and Amimon with two awards at a virtual Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on February 13, 2021. The show will be available on the Oscars website starting at 1 p.m. PT. The Scientific and Engineering Award is given for achievements that impact the advancement of the motion picture industry in a meaningful way. This years esteemed Board of Governors selected two Creative Solutions innovations for their related accomplishments. One honor will recognize Nicolaas Verheem, Greg Smokler and Ilya Issenin for the development of the ruggedized Teradek Bolt wireless video transmission system for on-set monitoring. A second award will be presented to Dr. Zvi Reznic, Prof. Meir Feder, Guy Dorman and Ron Yogev for the development of the Amimon wireless chipset. Teradek designs and manufactures high performance video solutions for wireless video transmission, wireless lens control, live streaming and IP video transmission, camera control and color correction. The result of several generations of refinement, todays Bolt 4K wireless video system transmits 4K HDR to multiple concurrent receivers with high link reliability, superior signal strength, and high security. Today over 40,000 Bolt transmitters and 60,000 Bolt receivers are working in the motion picture and broadcasting industryowned by Steadicam operators, DITs, drone pilots, production companies and rental housesall to keep up with the demands of production crews large and small. We are honored to receive a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for our development of Teradeks Bolt, states Nicolaas Verheem, founder and CEO of Teradek. The Bolt was forged over almost a decade of hard work, with a relentless focus on the customer, leading to our solution slowly pulling ahead of the alternatives and having a meaningful and lasting impact in the industry. But it must be said that we stood on the shoulders of giants, not only those of our colleagues in California and Israel, but also the many groundbreaking scientists over the last two centuries that made the magic of wireless video become a reality. As the market leader in wireless video, Amimons exclusive technology brings untethered mobility to cameras and other video equipment, allowing beautiful 4K HDR content anywhere on any remote display. Their patented zero latency technology enables instantaneous transmission of uncompressed video across a wireless link. The proprietary chipset within Teradek Bolt wireless video systems, often coupled with SmallHD monitors, offers expansive scenes and more dynamic shots than ever before. This technology allows camera operators greater creative flexibility and complete freedom in camera movement. Upon learning of the accolades, Amimon Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Zvi Reznic expressed, We would like to thank the Academy for honouring us with this Award. When we started Amimon in 2004 we knew that the challenge of low latency video transmission was high, but we were ready for it. What caught us by surprise is the type of markets that we ended up serving. We started with consumer products and ended up in endoscopy, in drones, and on movie sets, where our technology has made a substantial impact. The two brands have collaborated since 2012 when Teradek created a worldwide market for zero-delay wireless video production. In November 2018 Creative Solutions, a Division of The Vitec Group plc, announced the acquisition of Amimon Inc. Regarding their combined contributions Verheem says, Our success in the market clearly illustrates Teradeks relentless pursuit of serving visual storytellers, and Amimons underlying technical achievement enabling high quality wireless video, so reliable, so well integrated into the workflow, that the device itself seems to disappear, becoming as commonplace and as easy to use as a cable. We are proud that Bolt, using Amimon technology, has changed the industry for the better. ### About Creative Solutions Headquartered in Southern California, Vitec Groups Creative Solutions Division designs and manufactures premium products for broadcasters, film and video production companies, independent content creators, and enterprise businesses. Their Teradek, SmallHD, and Wooden Camera, branded products are used around the world for filmmaking, sports, news, live event production, and online streaming. Creative Solutions has manufacturing and R&D centers in the US, UK, Israel, and continental Europe. About Teradek Teradek designs and manufactures high-performance video solutions for broadcast, cinema, and general imaging applications. From wireless monitoring, color correction, and lens control, to live streaming, SaaS solutions, and IP video distribution, Teradek technology is used around the world by professionals and enthusiasts alike to capture and share compelling content. www.teradek.com About Amimon Amimon, a market leader in zero latency wireless video, has invented exclusive technology to harness the power of mobile cameras and fixed video sources, to bring 4K content to remote display screens or distribution switches. Amimons systems utilise its core technology to deliver convenience and flexibility to create, transmit and view content on remote devices with the highest image quality. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Cyber threats across commercial and government enterprises appear to be so common that seldom do we see major stories on the topic. The past couple of weeks were an exception, as gas stations along the East Coast ran out of fuel supplies, thanks to the paralyzing cyberattack on null After the devastating flash in following a glacial collapse, Australian Prime Minister on Monday expressed support to India during the aftermath of the disaster. Taking to Twitter, Morrison commented that Austalia stands with 'one of its closest friends at this very difficult time'. "Devastating news for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following flash flooding in stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time," he tweeted. A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of on Sunday that triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. Following the incident, leaders across the including French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed condolences to the victims of the glacial burst. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. "We are assuming that around 125 people are missing. The number can be higher," Rawat said. He added that the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. (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.) ADVERTISEMENT The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said the present system of education should be modified by reforming learning, curriculum and pedagogy. He said this was in order to keep abreast with modern global practices in education. Mr Nwajiuba stated this at the opening of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges (FUC) held in Abuja on Monday. The meeting was themed: Restructuring our education System to suit challenging times. The Theme of the 2020 AGM is apt, in that it is imperative in ensuring qualitative instructional delivery so as to maximize student performance in conformity with the societal needs, he said. He said to further achieve the objectives of quality education for all, collective support, co-operation and sincere commitment of all the key players is needed, especially the Principals of the FUCs. I wish to commend the federal government for the establishment of six (6) more Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTCS) in the Country, he said. Mr Nwajiuba said the newly established colleges would go a long way in promoting the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills for self- reliance. He said the principals of the FUCs owe it a duty to teach and nurture the children to achieve expected behavior despite the challenges facing the educational system. READ ALSO: Education minister berates ASUU for lingering strike Let me assure you, that the Federal Government is committed to addressing the challenges facing most of our Federal Unity Colleges and the educational sector at large, such as poor management/Leadership style, inadequate classrooms, indiscipline by staff and students, inadequate number of qualified teachers, inadequate staff welfare, poor academic performance, inadequate funding resulting to dilapidated furniture and unfinished projects, et cetera, he said. Also speaking, the Chairperson of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, T.F.O Yakubu-Oyinloye, said the colleges required upgrades in their ICT facilities to meet the needs of these challenging times. We thank you for the trust reposed in us as principals and we promise we will not disappoint you as we keep on keying into the Ministry of Educations increased funding for our schools especially in the area of overhead costs and the employment and deployment of more teachers and non- teaching staff to our schools, she said. Five people have been arrested in connection with a human smuggling attempt of more than 70 people, according to an arrest affidavit filed on Thursday. On Feb. 2, U.S. Border Patrol agents received information about a residence in the 2600 block of San Francisco Avenue that was being used to harbor immigrants who were in the country illegally. Agents set up surveillance and observed six vehicles enter the property to load up multiple people, according to court documents. Border Patrol with the assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Webb County Precinct 2 Constables Office and Homeland Security Investigations followed the vehicles to a tractor-trailer parked near the intersection of Ruhlman and Quivira drives in the Pan American Business Park in northwest Laredo. During aerial surveillance, authorities said they observed multiple individuals exit vehicles and enter the rear of the trailer. The vehicles included a red Jaguar driven by Ericka Sarai Reyes, a black Ford Expedition driven by Guadalupe Vitales Jr., a white Ford Expedition driven by Daniel Alfredo Sosa and a maroon Ford Expedition driven by Marcos Osoria. Osoria allegedly led authorities on a brief pursuit that ended with Osoria crashing into a parked trailer. He attempted to run away but was apprehended, according to court documents. Osoria was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation and was later medically cleared. The driver of the tractor trailer was identified as Hubert Jerone White. A search of his trailer resulted in the discovery of 77 immigrants. In a post-arrest interview, Reyes stated she was provided with the Jaguar with four immigrants inside. She had instructions to drive the immigrants to the tractor-trailer. She expected to be paid but did not know how much, according to court documents. White said in a post-arrest statement that he had agreed to transport the immigrants in his tractor-trailer from Laredo to San Antonio for an unknown amount of money, according to court documents. Sosa said in a post-arrest interview that he was to be paid $500 to transport several immigrants to a tractor-trailer. Meanwhile, Vitales refused to provide a post-arrest statement. Osoria, however, stated that the people in the trailer wanted to be smuggled, according to court documents. Osoria, Reyes, Sosa, Vitales and White were all charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport immigrants. KALAMAZOO, MI A man accused of shooting a Kalamazoo County woman multiple times, then running her over with a car and ditching her body in a lake will stand trial. The evidence, in my view, is way more than probable cause, Kalamazoo County District Judge Richard Santoni said after listening to testimony from a trio of witnesses Monday, Feb. 8, at Chad Michael Whites preliminary hearing. The evidence is overwhelming that Chad Michael White murdered Amber Walker. Related: Woman shot and killed was left in lake with gunmans slippers, police say White, 24, will stand trial on charges of open murder and weapons-felony firearm. The first of three witnesses, Kevin Farrow, said he encountered White on Dec. 14 at his daughters mobile home in Huntington Run in Oshtemo Township. Farrow, who said he had known White for over 10 years, said he was sitting in the living room of his daughters home when he overheard White in the next room tell his daughter he had just killed a girl. Farrow said he didnt believe White could have done something like that. Shortly after overhearing the conversation, he said White came into the living room and asked him if he would go for a ride. Farrow testified White seemed kind of nervous and took him to where he said he had dumped Walkers body, near the Three Lakes boat launch area in Richland Township. Farrow said he did not see a body when the two went out there, but White asked him if fingerprints would still be seen on the body if it was removed from the lake. Farrow said he did not ask many questions, and was in disbelief White could have done something like this. I was told that he shot her in the face three times and ran her over a few different times, Farrow said. After that, Farrow said he began feeling uncomfortable and had White drop him off at his home. He testified he later returned to his daughters home and had her call the police. Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Detective Jim Van Zile testified that after detectives interviewed Farrow and his daughter who had been dating White and that Farrow got in the detectives car and directed him to the location White had taken him. The scene was the same place another man had discovered Walkers body about four or five hours earlier that day. Detectives were able to later locate White at a friends residence at 12th Street Apartments in Plainwell. While arresting White, detectives recovered a pistol at the apartment that Michigan State Police lab technicians ran ballistics on which matched a bullet recovered from Walkers body. Walkers younger brother, Nathan Fabijancic, testified that Walker, 28, had also been seeing White at the time of her death. Fabijancic told the court he had gone to school with White and known him for at least 10 years. He said he absolutely did not trust White and that his sister just used him as someone to play with. Fabijancic called the relationship between Walker and White toxic and said White beat her up all the time. As a result of Santoni finding probable cause that White may have killed Walker, Whites case was bound over to Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, where the defendant will now stand trial. Also on MLive: WMU student launches sustainable clothing boutique out of her college apartment Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Monday, Feb. 8, coronavirus data by Michigan county: Macomb and Kalamazoo now below 5% positivity rate Lockdown Measures Are Hurting Churches, Congregants Commentary With restrictions on gatherings and other lockdown measures persisting for nearly a year across much of the country, many faith leaders are struggling to provide the connection and community that typically nourish their congregants through hard times. Church pastors trying to keep services operating even at 30 percent capacity have faced charges with a risk of draconian six-figure penalties. Some have been restricted to impersonal drive-in services or livestream broadcasts, and others for whom those alternatives are not practical have even had to close their churches. With no clear end in sight, some have gone underground. I am sensitive to the term underground church because in my country of birth, Iran, oppression and persecution are the norm. Many Christians have no choice but to worship in underground churches, since openly practising Christianity or any other minority religion leads to persecution by the state. This could take the form of fines, but typically it involves arrests and lengthy prison terms. My family was forced to flee Iran 33 years ago when I was just 7 years old. We were fortunate to make Canada our home, rejoicing in Canadian freedom and guaranteed civil liberties. I became a criminal defence lawyer and recently joined the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms due to my deep respect and awe for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I want to protect individual freedoms and hold the government accountable when needed, and play a role in keeping our democracy robust. Freedom of religion is a Charter-protected fundamental right that allows individuals to practise their religion of choice, without the fear of reprisals, as affirmed repeatedly by the Supreme Court of Canada. Any limitations placed on this freedom by the government must be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. The onus is on the government, not on the church, to prove that the Charter violation is not arbitrary, disproportionate, or overbroad. Since the current Ontario lockdown began on Dec. 26, 2020, all houses of worship have been deemed non-essential, with limits of 10 people for services. This was supposed to last a month, but the goalposts shifted yet again when the lockdown was extended for an additional 30 days on Jan. 16. Pass by a big box store like Walmart or Costco, though, and youll see jam-packed parking lots, while hundreds of people inside the store can shop leisurelyoften with their entire families. Its no wonder that churches, like small businesses, feel unfairly targeted, enduring restrictions that do not apply to large and powerful corporations. And its no wonder that many people no longer buy the slogan we are all in this together, when some face charges that carry fines of up to $100,000 for gathering at their church to meet their spiritual and emotional needs over the Christmas season, while others jetted off to sunny climes to meet theirs. The Ontario government is required to justify its severe restrictions on religious freedom. The overbreadth and arbitrariness of the laws, combined with the lack of transparency, do not meet that test. Further, the government ignores its own data and statistics, which tell us that COVID is primarily dangerous for long-term care home residents with multiple underlying serious medical conditions. However, for roughly 90 percent of the population, COVID is not a particularly deadly threat. Lockdown measures ignore this reality. There is no question that the lockdowns have had a severe negative impact on mental health. The stress caused by the utter destruction of many small businesses, combined with the sense of loneliness and isolation stemming from lack of human contact with family and friends, can lead to depression and other mental health problems. For many, particularly those who live alone, church is the only place where they can enjoy the support, love, and encouragement of their community. Some pastors have taken a principled stand against the lockdowns by challenging the validity of the Reopening Ontario Act and exercising their Charter freedom to practise their religion and serve their communities. These courageous individuals are willing to suffer serious legal consequences, including contempt charges and possible imprisonment. As someone born in a country that does not have a charter and does not recognize civil rights, I am alarmed by the steady erosion of our Charter rights. With no end in sight to lockdown restrictions, it is past time for our increasingly repressive government to rethink the limitations it has imposed and adopt policies based on transparency and evidence. Sayeh Hassan is a staff lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (jccf.ca). Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Patna, Feb 8 : An eight-year-old girl died on Monday morning after a plastic whistle got lodged in her throat in Bihar's Munger district and subsequently led to her choking. The deceased, Khusboo, lost her life after doctors of Munger and adjoining Bhagalpur refused to provide treatment to her, alleged her family members. The mishap happened at a time when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is promising an upgrade of the health care system in Bihar. Kumar even laid the foundation of a new building on Monday in order to provide world-class treatment modalities in Patna. The incident happened in Chorgaon village where Khusboo was playing with a plastic whistle at her home. While she was playing with the whistle in her mouth, it got lodged into her into her throat near the wind pipe. "When the family learnt about the incident, they rushed to a primary health care facility in Asarganj. Dr Vipin Kumar referred her to Mayaganj hospital in Bhagalpur district. The doctors at the hospital were unable to handle the situation and further referred her to PMCH Patna," alleged Ramji Thakur, father of victim. He alleged that the hospitals at both Munger and Bhagalpur even refused to provide an ambulance to the victim. "We travelled from one hospital to another in auto-rickshaws. While we were on the way to Patna, my daughter lost her life due to excessive pain and breathing difficulty," He said. ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Venture Atlanta, the largest and most prestigious venture conference in the Southeast, today announced this year's board of directors, a diverse and multifaceted group of entrepreneurs, business leaders and investment executives dedicated to moving the technology industry forward to solve current challenges. The board will focus on continuing to build off of the momentum of 2020's record-breaking virtual conference, Venture Atlanta Live Online, a successful pivot from its traditional in-person event that was watched by over 1,200 people worldwide. The 2020 conference resulted in not only raising capital for participating companies, but also delivered meaningful engagement and discussions on core topics, including a memorable panel on diversity. "I'm very excited to work with the talented board we've assembled," said Jim Douglass, Venture Atlanta 2021 chairman and partner at Fulcrum Equity Partners. "With our continued mission to match companies to capital, we have created a board with extensive connections across the U.S. that will help us to continue to expand the venture ecosystem." Douglass added, "With the phenomenal success of our digital conference last year allowing us to expand our reach across the nation, we're very well positioned to take another major step toward becoming the leading venture conference in the nation. We are attracting capital providers across the nation that can support early stage through all levels of growth for our participating companies." The new board of directors is comprised of men and women of different backgrounds, races, roles and industries that will serve to help guide Venture Atlanta 2021 to success. Hailing from vibrant tech scenes across the country, including San Francisco, Atlanta, the Carolinas, Florida and beyond, the board brings an array of different perspectives on building startups, raising capital and fueling long-term growth and successful exits. "As managing partner at CTW Venture Partners and a founding member of the Atlanta CEO Council, I've been heavily involved in the Atlanta startup scene for many years," said Palaniswamy "Raj" Rajan, legacy Venture Atlanta board member. "Venture Atlanta has played such a large role in turning our city into a tech hotspot and putting Atlanta on the radar of our nation's top investment firms. And over the past few years, our reach has extended beyond the Southeast into other emerging tech hubs in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions. As I serve another year on the VA board, I'm looking forward to continuing to be a part of this growth and bringing Venture Atlanta's capital connections to our participating companies." Meet the Newly Added Venture Atlanta Board Members & 2021 Chairman Jim Douglass, Partner, Fulcrum Equity Partners, and Venture Atlanta 2021 Chairman Jason Caplain, General Partner and Co-Founder, Bull City Venture Partners Elizabeth Feidler, Vice President, Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP) Mark Flickinger, Chief Operating Officer, BIP Capital Barry Givens, Managing Director for Cox Social Impact Accelerator, powered by Techstars, and Managing Partner, Collab Capital Frederik Groce, Principal, Storm Ventures and Co-Founder, BLCK VC Scott Lopano, Principal, Tech Square Ventures Suneera Madhani, Founder and CEO, Fattmerchant Jon Rosenbaum, Principal, Insight Partners Ryan Whittemore, Chief Investment Officer, Florida Funders Joey Womack, Founder and CEO, Goodie Nation Legacy Board Members Allyson Eman, Venture Atlanta CEO Kelly Gay, Venture Atlanta 2020 Chairwoman, CEO of OnBoard, and Vice Chair of Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Alex Estevez, Venture Partner with Accel Partners and Venture Atlanta 2019 Chairman Mike Becker, Managing Director, Vocap Partners Richard Fraim, General Partner, Knoll Ventures David Hartnett, Chief Economic Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber Vanessa Larco, Partner, NEA Phyllis Newhouse, CEO, Xtreme Solutions, Inc. Rachel Spasser, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Accel-KKR Consulting Group Larry Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Missed Venture Atlanta 2020? Read the full recap here or sign up to watch all speaker sessions, company pitches and more on-demand. About Venture Atlanta Venture Atlanta, the Southeast's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the Southeast's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 500 companies and raise over $4.7 billion in funding to date, the event connects the region's top entrepreneurs with local and national investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of the Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org . For updates, follow us on Twitter and visit our blog . Contacts : Allyson Eman, CEO Venture Atlanta 770.298.4202 [email protected] Sara Wakefield Carabiner Communications 770.778.6194 [email protected] SOURCE Venture Atlanta Related Links http://www.ventureatlanta.org Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Ethiopia: No End to War in Devastated Tigray AfricaFocus Bulletin February 8, 2021 (2021-02-08) (Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note It feels strange to write about a humanitarian crisis in this day and age with barely any pictures, videos or witness testimonies from the ground. But that is what the situation in Ethiopias Tigray region has come to. Since the conflict between the federal government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the regional governments ruling party, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), began in November 2020, access to the region has been extremely limited. Internet and telephone connectivity was cut off as soon as the fighting began, disconnecting about 5 million people. Months later, the internet remains down and telephone communication has only been restored in a few main towns. Journalists and human rights monitors are still denied entry and cannot report to the world the full scale of the violence which has left at least hundreds of people dead and more than 470,000 displaced, according to the UN. - Vanessa Tsehaye, Amnesty International The war in Tigray has receded from world attention since the open conflict in November of this year. Cries for peace talks were not heeded, and after conventional battles ended with the withdrawal of TPLF forces from the capital of Tigray, the Ethiopian government declared the war over. But while the character of the war has changed, it is definitely not over. The physical and human destruction continues unchecked behind a curtain of isolation. The priority demand still going unheeded is for full access of humanitarian agencies to the region. While many details may be in dispute, and analyses of the causes of the war are complex, the reality of continued war and destruction can only be denied by those who willfully want to disregard the evidence. International attention has focused primarily on the decisions by leaders of the Ethiopian government and the TPLF leading up to open war in November. But the facts on the ground also include the decisive role played by Eritrean forces, which are also still in Tigray and have included Eritrean refugee camps among their targets to be destroyed. Ironically, it was the 2018 peace agreement with Eritrea which led to the Nobel Prize for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. But in retrospect, this agreement appears to have set the stage for the onset of the war in Tigray and a new phase of regional conflict. This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains (1) Links to key websites and articles, with very brief excerpts in some cases, (2) the article quoted above by Vanessa Tsehaye, and (3) the transcript of a telephone conversation by Alex de Waal of the World Peace Foundation with his colleague Mulugeta Gebrehiwot, speaking from the mountains in Tigray. For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Ethiopia, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/ethiopia.php +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AfricaFocus Bulletin is one of six initial strategic partners, and I am a part-time consultant for, the newly-launched US-Africa Bridge Building Project (https://www.us-africabridgebuilding.org/). This project, directed by my friend and colleague Imani Countess, is an initiative to catalyze engagement between local struggles and global problems and promote mutual solidarity between Africans and Americans working to end corruption and tax injustice. You will be hearing more about it in coming months here on AfricaFocus and can also sign up for the project's mailing list and see other ways to support the project here. The initiative builds in part on the series of articles Imani and I wrote for AfricaFocus Bulletin and other publications last year entitled Beyond Eurocentrism and U.S. Exceptionalism. Most importantly, it aims at strengthening and extending work on illicit financial flows and tax justice by African, global, and U.S. networks, which has been regularly featured in AfricaFocus for more than ten years. For more background on program directions for the project for the coming two years, see the website pages on transnational solidarity and on tax justice. William Minter, Editor, AfricaFocus Bulletin ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Sites to watch and recent news on Tigray and the Horn of Africa The following sites, updated regularly, are good sources of information and analysis on the war in Tigray: https://sites.tufts.edu/wpf/ https://africanarguments.org/category/african-arguments/country/east/ethiopia/ https://www.eepa.be/?page_id=4237 Conflict in the Horn, Situation Reports (daily) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigray_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Tigray_War Recent articles worth noting include the following: Feb. 5, 2021 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/05/ethiopias-digital-battle-over-tigray-region-facts-are-casualties/ On social media, pro- and anti-government groups continue to vie for control of the conflict narrative. Our analysis of over 500,000 tweets related to Tigray helps explain the intensifying information conflict. We collected and analyzed tweets between Nov. 4 and Jan. 20 to try to understand the kinds of information being circulated, and the effects of different messaging campaigns. We found that both sides are quick to accuse the other of spreading intentionally false information though actual disinformation accounts for a surprisingly small proportion of tweets about the conflict. Feb. 3, 2021 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-conflict-un/u-n-warns-tigray-conflict-could-spark-broader-destablization-in-ethiopia-idUSKBN2A40C6 A conflict in Ethiopias Tigray region could trigger broader destablization in the country, U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday as he warned that a dire humanitarian situation in the north was set to worsen. Refugee Camps in Ethiopia Appear to Have Been Systematically Destroyed Feb. 3, 2021 https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wmbz/refugee-camps-in-ethiopia-appear-to-have-been-systematically-destroyed Ethiopia says Tigray back to normal after conflict but witnesses disagree AP, January 30, 2021 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/ethiopia-tigray-conflict-biden-b1795367.html Witnesses: Eritrean soldiers loot, kill in Ethiopias Tigray AP, January 26, 2021 https://apnews.com/article/tigray-ethiopia-news-2bdd10888f7717690847ad117f09f2d4 Excerpt: The Eritrean soldiers pockets clinked with stolen jewelry. Warily, Zenebu watched them try on dresses and other clothing looted from homes in a town in Ethiopias embattled Tigray region. They were focused on trying to take everything of value, even diapers, said Zenebu, who arrived home in Colorado this month after weeks trapped in Tigray, where she had gone to visit her mother. On the road, she said, trucks were full of boxes addressed to places in Eritrea for the looted goods to be delivered. Heartbreakingly worse, she said, Eritrean soldiers went house-to- house seeking out and killing Tigrayan men and boys, some as young as 7, then didnt allow their burials. They would kill you for trying, or even crying, Zenebu told The Associated Press, using only her first name because relatives remain in Tigray. Ethiopia re-enters the abyss of war (extensive and well-informed analysis by Kjetil Tronvoll) Jan. 29, 2021 https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2021/01/29/ethiopia-re-enters-the-abyss-of-war/ Excerpt: The Ethiopian federal governments law enforcement operation in Tigray aimed to capture the rebellious rulers in the northern regional state. Thus far, however, the core leadership is at large, and the campaign has further exposed the countrys political fragility, pushing it into the abyss of a likely long-term war. Reports of military recruitment and reinforcements sent to the northern front to battle the rebels are again heard in Ethiopia, reminiscent of the recurring news headlines of the 1970s and 80s. With the Tigray war now in its third month, the contours of how a drawn-out conflict may evolve are emerging. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Ethiopia, other armed insurgencies are evolving. As conflict lines deepen, pressure increases on the states security forces and capacity. The surge in violence worsens the dire humanitarian situation across the country, weakens the economy, and diverts government attention, resources, and funding from economic development to warring. Conflict in the Horn, News Highlights Extra Jan. 28, 2021 https://www.eepa.be/?p=4678 Excerpt: Food and water shortages in Tigray According to Reuters, aid agencies that finally entered the remote parts of the Tigray region state that people are dying from lack of healthcare, are suffering food and water shortages, and remain terrified. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) emergency programme head, Mari Carmen Vinoles, told Reuters that beyond Mekelle and a handful of cities, there are hardly any healthcare facilities, meaning people are dying without life-saving treatment for conditions such as pneumonia or complications of childbirth. Action Against Hungers (AAH) Ethiopia director, Panos Navrozidis, states: Central Tigray is a black hole as aid groups only have access to certain towns and many of the people are remaining within rural villages from fear of fighting and are unable to seek food and medical treatment. The Water Resource Management Bureau of Tigray has reported that access to clean water in Tigray is at risk due to damaged infrastructure, looted offices, stolen equipment and an inoperative dam. The Economist reports that signs indicate once again that hunger is being used as a weapon in Ethiopia. Aid agencies give an estimate that between 2 and 4.5 million people are in need of urgent care. Mark Lowcock, the UNs humanitarian chief, states that for more than two months there has been essentially no access to Tigray. There are 450 tonnes of supplies weve been trying to get in that are stuck. ************************************ Ethiopian government must allow full humanitarian access to Tigray By Vanessa Tsehaye February 4, 2021 https://africanarguments.org/2021/02/ethiopian-government-must-allow-full-humanitarian-access-to-tigray/ Despite an agreement with the UN to allow unimpeded humanitarian access, very little aid and very few relief workers have been allowed in. Workers at UNICEF Ethiopia preparing supplies to be transported to Tigray. Credit: UNICEF Ethiopia/NahomTesfaye. It feels strange to write about a humanitarian crisis in this day and age with barely any pictures, videos or witness testimonies from the ground. But that is what the situation in Ethiopias Tigray region has come to. Since the conflict between the federal government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the regional governments ruling party, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), began in November 2020, access to the region has been extremely limited. Internet and telephone connectivity was cut off as soon as the fighting began, disconnecting about 5 million people. Months later, the internet remains down and telephone communication has only been restored in a few main towns. Journalists and human rights monitors are still denied entry and cannot report to the world the full scale of the violence which has left at least hundreds of people dead and more than 470,000 displaced, according to the UN. The conflict in Tigray is being fought in the dark, at the expense of those who are suffering and desperate for the world to hear and see their pain. Despite the information blockade, we know enough to recognise that the situation in Tigray is dire. Many of the people displaced by the fighting into neighbouring regions and countries have shared their accounts of the violence, as well as the hunger, thirst, and lack of medical supplies for the sick and injured they left behind. Relief agencies are ready to help, but the Ethiopian government is refusing to allow full humanitarian access to Tigray. When the region was locked down at the start of the conflict, many expected that humanitarian assistance would be an exception. They were sadly proved wrong. International humanitarian law requires that parties to armed conflict allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need, but humanitarian access to Tigray remained completely blocked for almost a month after the conflict began. In December, the UN announced that an agreement had been reached with the Ethiopian government to allow unimpeded, sustained and secure access into the areas under its control. Despite this agreement, access remains highly constrained to date. Instead of allowing full access, the Ethiopian government introduced two separate approval processes for aid shipments and personnel. These approval processes have been slow, and many requests have been denied. So far, a majority of entry requests for relief workers have been denied too, making it incredibly difficult to distribute the very little aid that has been allowed in. An aid worker with more than 40 years of experience recently said that he had rarely seen an aid response so impeded. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis across Tigray is getting worse by the day. The UN recently estimated that 2.3 million people were in immediate need of life-saving assistance. There has been no trade with the region since November and the harvest season has been impacted by the conflict, with crops and equipment destroyed and farmers fleeing from their land. The situation is particularly acute in rural areas where humanitarian access has been even more difficult due to the continued fighting and where banks and markets are still closed. The healthcare system in the region has also largely collapsed. Tigray borders Eritrea and is home to four refugee camps hosting over 96,000 Eritrean refugees 44% of whom are children. Two of the camps, Hitsats and Shimelba, have not received any humanitarian assistance since the start of the conflict. One refugee who recently fled Hitsats told Amnesty International: We were eating leaves from the field and drinking water from the nearby well. Many refugees have been forced to flee the camps. Some have fled to neighbouring towns, where they are begging for food and sleeping outside. Some fled to the capital Addis Ababa, far from the conflict, but were returned to Tigray against their will by the Ethiopian agency in charge of refugee affairs. The Ethiopian government declared victory at the end of November and has claimed that the situation in Tigray is back to normal. The lack of images, videos and witness testimonies from the ground makes it easier for them to make such claims and for the world to turn its focus away from Tigray. This must not be allowed to continue. People are trapped in an active conflict and suffering immeasurably citizens and refugees, Ethiopians and Eritreans alike. The Ethiopian government must be held to account for violating international human rights law and humanitarian law by continuing to block full humanitarian access to Tigray. You can find out more about the campaign #AllowAccessToTigray to pressure Ethiopian Prime Minister to immediately allow full humanitarian access to Tigray. ******************************************************************* They Have Destroyed Tigray, Literally: Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Speaks from the Mountains of Tigray January 29, 2021 https://sites.tufts.edu/reinventingpeace/2021/01/29/they-have-destroyed-tigray-literally-mulugeta-gebrehiwot-speaks-from-the-mountains-of-tigray/ [Mulugeta Gebrehiwot is a Senior Fellow at World Peace Foundation and former Program Director of the WPF African security sector and peace operations program where he led the project on Peace Missions in Africa. Alex de Waal is the Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, his scholarly work and practice has also probed humanitarian crisis and response, human rights, HIV/AIDS and governance in Africa, and conflict and peace-building.] This is a special podcast from World Peace Foundation on the war in Tigray, Ethiopia. It is a recording of a phone call from somewhere in rural Tigray on January 27, in which Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe spoke with Alex de Waal. Mulugeta was a member of the TPLF during the guerrilla war from 1975 to 1991, and served in several senior positions in the EPRDF government from 1991 to 2000. Subsequently he founded the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University, and among other things initiated the Tana High Level Forum on peace and security in Africa. Mulugeta is the author of Laying the Past to Rest: The EPRDF and the Challenges of Ethiopian State-building and co-author of a recent paper Nationalism and Self-Determination in Contemporary Ethiopia, reviewed recently on this blog. Mulugeta was in Mekelle in November when the war broke out. He evacuated from the city to the mountains. This is the first time we have heard directly from him. We reproduce the call below exactly as it was without additional commentary. The recording begins with Mulugeta explaining that the Tigrayan Defense Forces were unprepared for the onslaught, and yet managed to inflict a lot of damage on much larger forces. Listen to the Interview Interview Transcript Because the quality of the recording is poor, we are also providing a transcript. 27 January 2021 Call between Mulugeta Gebrehiwot and Alex de Waal [The first minute of the call was not recorded. Mulugeta started by describing the onset of the war.] Mulugeta: and the damage it inflicted on the enemies, its difficult to express, it was a sort of miracle. Tigray only had 23 battalions, and 42 divisions of Eritrea and twelve divisions of Ethiopia, were all here. This is without including the special forces of the Amhara region, which is beyond, over 10,000, and also special forces of Oromia, Somalia, and other forces as well. The first months resistance was with this level of asymmetry. And then the Emirates came [drones from United Arab Emirates, operated from Eritrea]. The Emirates effectively disarmed Tigray. They started killing tanks, then howitzers, then fuel, then ammunition. Then they started hunting small vehicles, targeting leaders, [indistinct] all over. This created [unclear: risk?] and sort of dislocation, and this is part of the weakness of the preparation. So many people moved out of the cities of Tigray towards the rural other areas following the army, some including their families. So, we were caught in between, you know. Are we going to defend these people who flocked out of the cities with their families or are we going to fight, I mean the army was caught in between. So, the organization has to make a decision. You know, it prioritized continuing the resistance, and then it advised many of us who were not in active duty in the resistance to remain in some remote areas which finally resulted in the type of sad news you heard. You know, the result becamethey have destroyed Tigray, literally, all of them, EPLF [Eritrean People's Liberation Front], the Eritrean forces and the Ethiopian forces. They literally destroyed all the wealth that it had accumulated for thirty years, and burned schools, clinics, they have ransacked each house. They moved in. They have started looting the produce of the peasants, from all the villages beyond the black road that crosses Tigray towards Eritrea. And they kill whomever they find in whichever village they get in. In the village I was in yesterdayits a small village they killed 21 people, out of which seven of them were priests of that small village. And thats what they do, wherever they go. So they literally destroyed the wealth we accumulated for thirty years in Tigray. And, no peasant is staying at home when these forces move around, and therefore we can consider the whole Tigrayan peasantry as dislocated. Its an effective destruction of Tigray but thats not the only thing. Its also an effective destruction of Ethiopian defense forces. Ethiopia has remained without an army now. Our evaluation initially reduced the Ethiopian army by [to?] about 85 percent. Seventeen percent of the army was immediately reduced by Abiy because 17 percent of them were Tigrayans. They were torn out of their ranks, put in camps like Dedessa [etc.] under custody 17,000 Tigrayans. So, that was literally approximately 20 percent. And this is not only numbers, but its also criticallya critical part of the army, mid-level commanders, most of the technicians, and also, you know, skilled people who used to work in artillery, engineering, and all sorts of departments. And they literally lost something like 60 percent of [indistinct, call breaks] they sent the commanders of the Eritrean forces, which they were just using as cannon fodders, you know, they send them first, and then once theyre finished, they start sending their army. So, Ethiopia is effectively without an army now. If the Eritrean forces left Tigray [BREAK IN CALL] [The call resumed with Mulugeta saying that if the Eritrean forces left Tigray, the Ethiopian army would not be able to stay there, even for a few days. The recording resumes:] Alex: Tell me, what is the condition of the people? Are you able to eat? Do you have any medical facilities? What are the essentials of life? Mulugeta: Not much. You know, there has been this locust infestation, and the harvest also much interrupted because of the war. The crisis started at the beginning of the harvest period, and particularly, the Eritrean forces have deliberately burned crops while they are on the ground or before the harvesting is completed. So there is a reduction of produce as well. The [aid] logistics that was prepared initially by the government was disrupted, so there are drops, these problems of supplies, food, medicine, and so forth. Hunger, among peasantry, is crippling [indistinct] in those remote areas, bordering areas Eritrea. They are massively, massively ransacked by the Eritrean army. Whatever produce they have is taken by them. So, its tight. Soon, we might see a serious humanitarian crisis. A: The government is saying it controls 85 percent of the access, and that it can provide humanitarian access to the great majority of people. Is that correct, do you think? M: The great majority of people. Even the government, even the humanitarian organizations, are estimating the people who need food to around 4.5 million. Thats even conservative. A: And how many of those people can be accessed from the governments side, and how many of them are in areas that are controlled by Tigray forces? M: Literally people on the towns of the main road. Because there is conflict all over. You know, a certain part of people, or the southern part of Tigray, around Maychew or Alamata the rest of it is not accessible for humanitarian aid, unless some arrangement can be made. [Until] some sort of preliminary agreement to allow humanitarian assistance to [indistinct] has been reached, I dont think a majority of Tigray is accessible to any humanitarian aid that comes through the government. A: But we are not hearing anythingwe have heard nothing from the TPLF leadership about what M: I know, thats a major problem we have. Theyre just dislocated, and [sighs], thats a critical impediment, we know that. A: Becauseas you might have heard today, well yesterdaythe [U.S.] State Department demanded, first of all the withdrawal of Eritrean forces, but then also said there needed to be talks towards a political resolution. But how can any talks be conducted under the current circumstances? M: I think theyre in contact through telephone with some people there, but I dont really understand why they shy away from coming public and talking publicly. I know there is a limitation of communication. They have lost their V-SATs, they only have these Thurayas, and theyve really been without any radio transmitter. They brought a television station, which was not possible to run it without having a permanent base. I know that there is this limitation of communication, but the problem they have is more than that. I am telling them, people are telling them, we hope that they will soon come out and start being public. Its even a problem here in Tigray. A: Because also we are not hearing anything about any political demands. I mean, what is the agenda, what is the political program? I mean if there were to be negotiations, where would be the starting point? We dont know any of this at the moment. M: Yeah. I know. A: Anyway, just the news we get every day is so desperately sad. I think many people were shocked, especially by the news of the deaths of Seyoum and Abay and Asmalesh. I think that touched a lot of people around the world. As you may know, I wrote a tribute to Seyoum, which was widely circulated, but we still dont know anything about the circumstances. Did you learn anything about that incident? M: They just found them in a village. They were staying in a village, and they didnt have an army. They were just in a secluded area. They caught and killed them. It was the EPLF that killed them. A: So, this story about a shootout, et cetera, is not M: No, no, no. Its completely rubbish. You know, they, the TPLF could have done so many things had they forecasted that level of violence which was not difficult to forecast. You know, it was very obvious that this war would be a war against Tigray, which Abiy is going to run alongside Isaias. And once you expect Isaias, you shouldnt expect it to come less than any devastating force it could mobilize. Therefore, for those who will not have participated in active resistance in the field on the military side, there were lots of options. You know, moving them to Sudan or someehere else. So many things could have been done, but there were no preparations at all. A: It seems there was just a terrible miscalculation about this, and no political strategy, no communications strategy, no protection strategy. M: Not at all, yeah, not at all. Extremely poor. People were begging them. They didnt have any [indistinct]. People were literally coming up with plans and asking them do this, do that. But they brought Tigray to their size anyway, what can we say. A: The mood of the people now must be desperate, angry. M: Angry, angry, extremely angry, extremely angry. They are left with one option: just fighting. And the war is only beginning. Its the same in the urban centers, and much worse in the rural areas. Wherever you go, you get dozens of youngsters asking you to be mobilized, to be trained and armed. The TPLF doesnt have any shortage of manpower when it wants to mobilize. So its anger, and theyre left without option, with that option only, they dont have an option. They [i.e. Ethiopian and Eritrean forces] are not even [indistinct] theyre not trying to appease them, theyre not trying to get the buy-in of the people. Theyre not attempting anything. Theyre just out here, and its literally genocide by decree. Wherever theyre moving, whomever they find, they kill him or her. [Its] an old man, a child, a nursing woman, or anything. A: The stories weve been hearing most recently are especially that its the Eritreans. Is it everybody, or is particularly the Eritrean forces? M: Its everybody, but the worst ones are the Eritrean forces. A: So tell us, are you able to remain abreast of how this has been covered by the rest of the world? Are you able to pick up anything from the news, from the radio, from internet sites or anything? M: Yeah, I have an old radio transistor which I bought it from a militia [laughs]. Thats what connects me to the rest of the world. A: Its back to those old days. M: Its extremely difficult. Sometimes the battery gets, you run out of battery and therefore run out of communication for two, three days. Its difficult. A: So, we have been doing our best to just draw attention to whats been going on, because as you know, there was an attempt to have this war conducted in conditions of total secrecy, and even to pretend that it was not a war. There was the U.S. administration, the last one, was very much complicit in that. The African Union completely failed. But the news is now coming out. M: Everything is fine. But one thing is you could push more on this humanitarian intervention. There has to be either some sort of monitoring. And the Eritrean forces will remain here. They had a meeting last week, its some information we got from them, among the senior commanders of the army. There was a request from some of the army commanders on how long they are going to stay in Tigray. The response they gave them was, Once we leave Tigray, PP [Prosperity Party] will not stay for one week in Tigray, and therefore we will leave Tigray to Woyane [TPLF] again and it will revive. And therefore, we have to remain there up until PP can pick it up which might take several months to come back. Thats the answer that they gave them. And therefore, this declaration from State Departmentit might even come later from the UN Security Councilmight not force the Eritreans to leave Tigray, unless it is supported, either with some humanitarian intervention, as much as they did in Kosovo, some armed intervention that reinforces things, or at least some sort of monitoring on the ground. A: What about the Emirates? You mentioned the Emirates. Presumably, you meant the drones? M: Yeah. Now we dont have any targets. We dont have tanks. We dont have [indistinct]. We are not big targets. We are just human beings moving around. I think thats the only thing that brought it [i.e. the recent decline in drone attacks]. Otherwise, they have been here in full force, in just full force. They deployed their drones with their operators, and theyre the ones who effectively disarmed us. A: There was one thing that I didnt quite catch earlier on. You said the Eritreans would stay until something had been achieved. What is the Eritrean war aim, as you see it? M: They dont know when PP will stand on its foot to fight against Tigray. Thats what theyre saying. Theyre saying we have to stay there until PP comes up in a position to fight against the Woyanes. Thats what theyre saying. They dont know when it will happen. It will never happen, actually. They way I see it, it will not happen here. It might not even happen in the rest of Eritrea. Were seeing them in the field. Wherever confronted You might have heard of a small operation that happened two weeks ago around Edaga Harbi. There was a full brigade, support brigade of the 33rd division, which was fully mechanized, a support brigade is a mechanized support to the rest of the division. It only took 15 minutes to destroy it. In 15 minutes, six 107mm rocket launchers were taken, six 120mm mortars were taken, four 122 howitzers were taken, several vehicles were taken, and 167 of them were taken prisoners, in just 15 minutes. A: What is happening to these prisoners of war? Where are they being kept? How are they being kept? M: We sent them back. We can not carry them around. What we did was, we gave them a sort of political education for two, three days, and then we sent them back to Mekelle and Adigrat. Its only the commandersone colonel, one lieutenant colonelwho declined to return back. They said, they will kill us, so we will remain with you. We told them, you cannot be our soldiers, and thats not what you are asking us, and we shall not provide you shelter, but you can remain in the liberated areas. So, they are just moving around. So thats where we are Alex. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. For an archive of previous Bulletins, see http://www.africafocus.org, Current links to books on AfricaFocus go to the non-profit bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshores and also provides commissions to affiliates such as AfricaFocus. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. To subscribe to receive future bulletins by email, click here. The Parsortix system was integral to a study carried out by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (LON:AGL; ) said its liquid biopsy was integral to a study assessing the progression of non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer and understanding why the disease may become resistant to a particular line of treatment. Researchers at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens used ANGLE' s Parsortix system to assess the circulating tumour cells of people with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation of NSCL treated with s Tagrisso. The cells were analysed for biomarkers including epithelial, mesenchymal/epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), stem cell and PDL1. The study showed that Parsortix was able to isolate circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from patients with a mesenchymal/EMT type. This is clinically significant as mesenchymal/EMT biomarkers were present in samples in 60% of patients at baseline and 80% following one cycle of Tagrisso. EMT may be a key mechanism in tumour cell survival, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance in a range of cancers, ANGLE said. It is also implicated in resistance to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the type given to patients taking part in the Athens study. At the same time, a statistically significant increase in PD-L1 positive CTCs was observed at disease progression. ANGLE founder and chief executive, Andrew Newland, said the research, which analysed blood samples taken from 30 cancer sufferers during the course of treatment, demonstrated the dynamic and diverse nature of non-small cell lung cancer. It also underlined the need for serial liquid biopsies to provide vital information on disease progression and drug resistance, he added. The ability of the Parsortix system to capture mesenchymal, as well as epithelial cells, offers ANGLE a critical advantage over other liquid biopsy approaches in providing this information in clinical trials, Newland explained. We look forward to harnessing Parsortix's unique capabilities as we continue to make strong progress with the establishment of our new laboratories to support the use of the Parsortix system for pharma services and subsequent deployment for clinical use. [February 08, 2021] Pessl Instruments FieldClimate software is now available to Davis Instruments customers WEIZ, Austria, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pessl Instruments and Davis Instruments, two leading global manufacturers of weather stations, data collection hardware, and software for agriculture have partnered to integrate data from Davis Instruments WeatherLink cloud platform with Pessl Instruments FieldClimate software. "No matter the innovation, cooperation, or other step in the development of the company, we always go for it with the most important goal in mind how will the farmer benefit from it. Partnering up with Davis Instruments, and summing up almost 80+ years of experience in farming solutions, weather data, and analysis, will directly impact farmers, helping them ease the farming processes, save resources, avoid costly errors and earn the most out of their hard work. Pessl Instruments since the beginning has always strived to collaboration where it makes sense for all parties and where there is a clear win, win, win," explains Gottfried Pessl FieldClimate is one of the first and largest web platforms specifically designed for collecting, analyzing, displaying agronomic, meteorological, soil, insect and tracking data. Available in multiple languages for tens of thousands of METOS weather station owners, it can now easily collect data from other weather stations and sensors also. The integration with WeatherLink data gives Davis customers access to the FieldClimate platform and Pessl's enhanced decision support tools. "We are excited to offer Pessl FieldClimate software to the tens of thousands of farmers, on six continents, who trust Davis Instruments' VantagePro2 weather stations and EnviroMonitor farm data platform to collect critical weather and other sensor data from their farms. This collaboration provides our customers the choice to select the best combination of hardware and software wherever they farm," said Chris Sullivan, President of Davis Instruments. About Pessl For over 36 years, Pessl has been offering a complete range of wireless, solar-powered monitoring systems, that support all major communication standards, under the METOS brand. The systems, along with the software - FieldClimate, are applicable in all climate zones, can be used in various industries, and for various purposes from agriculture, to smart cities, research, meteorology, flood warning and more. About Davis Davis Instruments created the personal weather station industry nearly 40 years ago. Today, Davis Instruments is a leading global provider of accurate, durable, and affordable weather instruments and data services for homes, schools, government agencies, and farms. Contact: Pessl Instruments marketing@metos.at +43-31-72-55-21 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pessl-instruments-fieldclimate-software-is-now-available-to-davis-instruments-customers-301223870.html SOURCE Pessl Instruments [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The lung is a complex organ whose main function is to exchange gases. It is the largest organ in the human body and plays a key role in the oxygenation of all the organs. Due to its structure, cellular composition and dynamic microenvironment, is difficult to mimic in vitro. A specialized laboratory of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, headed by Olivier Guenat has developed a new generation of in-vitro models called organs-on-chip for over 10 years, focusing on modeling the lung and its diseases. After a first successful lung-on-chip system exhibiting essential features of the lung, the Organs-on-Chip (OOC) Technologies laboratory has now developed a purely biological next-generation lung-on-chip in collaboration with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany and the Thoracic Surgery and Pneumology Departments at Inselspital. A fully biodegradable life-sized air-blood-barrier Pauline Zamprogno, who developed the new model for her PhD thesis at the OOC, summarizes its characteristics: "The new lung-on-chip reproduces an array of alveoli with in vivo like dimensions. It is based on a thin, stretchable membrane, made with molecules naturally found in the lung: collagen and elastin. The membrane is stable, can be cultured on both sides for weeks, is biodegradable and its elastic properties allow mimicking respiratory motions by mechanically stretching the cells." By contrast to the first generation, which was also built by the team around Olivier Guenat, the developed system reproduces key aspects of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM): Its composition (cells support made of ECM proteins), its structure (array of alveoli with dimension similar to those found in vivo + fiber structure) and its properties (biodegradability, a key aspect to investigating barrier remodeling during lung diseases such as IPF or COPD). Additionally, the fabrication process is simple and less cumbersome than that of a polydimethylsiloxane stretchable porous membrane from the first-generation lung-on-chip. Broad potential clinical applications Cells to be cultured on the new chip for research are currently obtained from cancer patients undergoing lung resections at the Inselspital Department of Thoracic Surgery. Department Head Ralph Schmid sees a double advantage in the system: "The second generation lung-on-chip can be seeded with either healthy or diseased lung alveolar cells. This provides clinicians with both a better understanding of the lung's physiology and a predictive tool for drug screening and potentially also for precision medicine, identifying the specific therapy with the best potential of helping a particular patient." "The applications for such membranes are broad, from basic science investigations into lung functionalities and pathologies, to identifying new pathways, and to a more efficient discovery of potential new therapies", says Thomas Geiser, Head of the Department of Pneumology at the Inselspital and Director of Teaching and Research of the Insel Gruppe. Powerful alternative to animal models in research As an additional plus, the new lung-on-chip can reduce the need for pneumological research based on animal models. "Many promising drug candidates successfully tested in preclinical models on rodents have failed when tested in humans due to differences between the species and in the expression of a lung disease," explains Olivier Guenat. "This is why, in the long term, we aim to reduce animal testing and provide more patient-relevant systems for drug screening with the possibility of tailoring models to specific patients (by seeding organs-on-chip with their own cells)." The new biological lung-on-chip will be further developed by Pauline Zamprogno and her colleagues from the OOC Technologies group to mimic a lung with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic disease of the lung leading to progressive scarring of the lung tissue within the framework of a research project funded by the Swiss 3R Competence Center (3RCC). "My new project consists in the development of an IPF-on- chip model based on the biological membrane. So far, we have develop a healthy air-blood barrier. Now it's time to use it to investigate a real biological question," says Zamprogno. Research group Organs-On-Chip Technologies of the ARTORG Center This specialized group of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research develops organs-on-chip, focusing on the lung and its diseases, in collaboration with the Departments of Pulmonary Medicine and Thoracic Surgery of the Inselspital. The group combines engineering, in particular microfluidics and microfabrication, cell biology and tissue engineering methods, material sciences and medicine. Their first development of a breathing lung-on-chip is further developed in collaboration with the start-up AlevoliX, with the aim to revolutionize preclinical research. Recently the group has developed an entirely biological second-generation lung-on-chip focusing on recreating the air-blood barrier of the lung. A second research direction aims at developing a functional lung microvasculature. Here, lung endothelial cells are seeded in a micro-engineered environment, where they self-assemble to build a network of perfusable and contractile microvessels of only a few tens of micrometers in diameter. Next to pharmaceutical applications, organs-on-chip are seen as having the potential to be used in precision medicine to test the patient's own cells in order to tailor the best therapy. Furthermore, such systems have the significant potential to reduce animal testing in medical and life-science research. The OOC group operates the Organs-on-Chip Facility, providing scientists from the University of Bern, the University Hospital of Bern and beyond an infrastructure and equipment to produce microfluidic devices and test organs-on-chips. ### Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2021) - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) ("Getchell" or the "Company"), a leading Nevada focused Gold and Copper exploration company, is pleased to announce that it will host a drill program Investor Update Friday February 12, 2pm EST/ 11AM PST. President Mike Sieb will provide a further update to the results from January 27, which included the discovery of a new structural zone of high-grade gold at Fondaway Canyon, Nevada that delivered 6.2 g/t Au over 21.9m including 9.6 g/t Au over 12.0m, and 20.4 g/t Au over 3.2m. "We are thrilled that our initial drill holes testing the gold mineralization down-dip from the Colorado Pit both intersected wide mineralized structures and extended the known gold mineralization towards the southwest," said Mike Sieb, President, Getchell Gold Corp. "We also encountered a very prominent and high-grade interval not accounted for in our geologic model, that highlights the extensive mineralizing system at Fondaway, and we expect to release the outstanding 2020 drill program assay results shortly." President Mike Sieb's presentation will include an online tour of the underground modelling for Holes 1 thru 6, plus a live Question and Answer session. All investors and media are welcome. Investors can register for the presentation here: https://app.livestorm.co/getchell-gold/getchell-gold-fondaway-canyon-update-feb-12-2021?type=detailed Scott Frostad, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person (as defined in NI 43-101) who reviewed and approved the content and scientific and technical information in the news release. The 2020 drill core was cut at Bureau Veritas Laboratories' ("BVL") facilities in Sparks, Nevada, with the samples analyzed for gold and multi-element analysis in BVL's Sparks, Nevada and Vancouver, BC laboratories respectively. Gold values were produced by fire assay with an Atomic Adsorption finish on a 30-gram sample (BV code FA430) with over limits re-analyzed using method FA530 (30g Fire Assay with gravimetric finish). The multi-element analysis was performed by ICP-MS following aqua regia digestion on a 30g sample (BV code AQ250). Quality control measures in the field included the systematic insertion of standards and blanks. About Getchell Gold Corp. The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the CSE: GTCH and OTCQB: GGLDF. Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a significant in-the-ground historic resource estimate. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource and two earlier stage exploration projects, Star and Hot Springs Peak. Getchell has the option to acquire 100% of the Fondaway Canyon and Dixie Comstock properties, Churchill County, Nevada. The Company reiterates that its near-term strategy to advance its assets is not impacted by the COVID-19 Corona virus. The Company continues to monitor the situation and is in compliance with all government guidelines. For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company at justin@getchellgold.com. Mr. William Wagener, Chairman & CEO Getchell Gold Corp. +1 303 517 8764 info@getchellgold.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the private placement and the completion thereof and the use of proceeds. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, use of proceeds from the financing, capital expenditures and other costs, and financing and additional capital requirements. Although management of Getchell have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73939 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. U.S. President Joe Biden's first weeks in office foreshadow what his priorities will be, and where he will stand on the pandemic, the economy, immigration, foreign policy, and other pressing issues, experts said. "His goal is to reverse his predecessor's policies and move the country in a very different direction," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. PANDEMIC CONTROL Biden has signed several orders including improving supply chains for the pandemic and expanding treatment for COVID-19. Most importantly, he has tweaked former President Donald Trump's vaccine distribution plan by providing better coordination. The former administration's vaccine distribution plan was blasted as leaving it up to county and city administrators, who have zero experience with vaccine distribution plans, especially not one of this magnitude. The spread of more infectious variants of the coronavirus has increased concern over a new surge across the country and heightened the urgency of vaccination. Experts noted that the first three months of Biden's presidency will be dominated by the effort to jab 100 million people in 100 days. Biden has also signed an executive order that urged Americans to wear masks and made it a requirement on federal property. Billed the "100-day masking challenge," the order requires people to wear masks and practice social distancing in federal buildings and on all federal land, as well as on airplanes and trains. Increasing mask-wearing across the United States by just 10 percent would significantly curb the transmission of the coronavirus, according to a study published on Jan. 19 in The Lancet Digital Health. ECONOMIC RECOVERY Biden will have to deal with an economy that has been ravaged by lockdowns amid the pandemic, and his first major economic challenge is to pass a massive relief bill. Biden has unveiled a 1.9-trillion-U.S.-dollar COVID-19 relief proposal, which has drawn opposition from congressional Republicans. White House economic adviser Brian Deese has urged Congress to approve the bill, warning that the nation could otherwise fall into a "very serious economic hole." But some experts blasted the bill. Desmond Lachman, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the stimulus "threatens to keep the U.S. budget very high and the public debt rising for a long time," noting that it would come on top of a few trillion U.S. dollars worth of previous stimulus funds. Biden is also taking flak for an executive order that blocks the Keystone XL Pipeline. Republicans are blasting the president for making a move they said will kill jobs amid the worst recession in decades. FOREIGN POLICY Biden is re-joining a number of global organizations, out of which his predecessor had withdrawn. Those include the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement on climate change. He has also had phone calls with half a dozen allies. While critics said Trump's America First policy isolated the United States from allies and global organizations, Biden wants to strengthen those ties. Biden was part of the administration that inked the Iran nuclear deal, which the Trump administration later scrapped. Experts said the current president is likely to return to the agreement. However, the administration may not simply snap back to the deal, which fell short of addressing issues including terrorism, missiles, and militias, experts said. "Biden has done the predictable things, almost all of them good in my mind," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua. "But the hardest tasks clearly still remain - starting with building a new strategy towards China," O'Hanlon said. IMMIGRATION CHANGE Biden has issued six executive orders on immigration in his first ten days of office. Those include counting unauthorized immigrants in the Census, which determines the number of representatives each state has in Congress; ending travel bans from certain countries; and ordering a pause on the construction of Trump's southern border wall. Jessica Bolter, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told Xinhua that Biden is "taking a very active approach to immigration. He is not wasting any time ending some of the most well-known policies of President Trump's administration." "Biden has set out an incredibly ambitious framework for an immigration bill," Bolter said. The framework includes a program to legalize the vast majority of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, the scholar noted. "This would be a broader legalization than the United States has ever seen before," Bolter said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video DISCLOSURE OF INSIDE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO ART. 17 OF THE EU MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU 596/2014, MAR) LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2021 / Dialog Semiconductor Plc ("Dialog" or the "Company") announces that today it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition by Renesas Electronics Corporation ("Renesas") of the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of the Company (the "Acquisition"). Under the terms of the Acquisition, Dialog shareholders will be entitled to receive 67.50 in cash per Dialog share (the "Offer Price"). The Offer Price values the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Dialog at approximately 4,886 million and represents a premium of approximately: 20.3 per cent. to the Closing Price of 56.12 for each Dialog Share on 5 February 2021 (being the last Business Day before the date of this announcement); 51.7 per cent. to the daily volume weighted average price of 44.50 for each Dialog Share for the three month period ended 5 February 2021 (being the last Business Day before the date of this announcement); and 61.5 per cent. to the daily volume weighted average price of 41.79 for each Dialog Share for the six month period ended 5 February 2021 (being the last Business Day before the date of this announcement). The Acquisition is governed by the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers and is expected to be implemented by means of a UK Scheme of Arrangement. The Acquisition will be conditional on approval at a shareholder meeting of Dialog and at a UK court meeting, as well as several regulatory approvals, including in, inter alia, Germany, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and the United States. Full details of the terms and conditions of the Acquisition are set out in an announcement released by Renesas simultaneously with this announcement (the "Renesas Announcement"). If all those conditions are satisfied, the Acquisition will be binding on all Dialog shareholders, irrespective of whether they vote in favour of it at the relevant Dialog shareholder meeting. Subject, among other things, to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions, it is expected that the Scheme will become effective in the second half of 2021. Further details, including the Dialog board of directors' recommendation and reasons for that recommendation, are set out in the Renesas Announcement and will, in due course, be set out in a circular to be sent to Dialog shareholders. A copy of the Renesas Announcement will be made available shortly on Dialog's website at www.dialog-semiconductor.com/acquisition. Contact: Jose Cano Director, Investor Relations jose.cano@diasemi.com +44(0)1793756961 Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this News: Contact: Dialog Semiconductor Plc Investor Relations Mark Tyndall phone: +49 (0) 1727 226 409 email: mark.tyndall@diasemi.com Jose Cano phone: +44 (0) 1793 756 961 e-mail: jose.cano@diasemi.com SOURCE: Dialog Semiconductor Plc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/628284/Dialog-Semiconductor-Plc-Recommended-Cash-Acquisition-of-Dialog-Semiconductor-Plc-by-Renesas-Electronics-Corporation Cebu City (CNN Philippines, February 8) The mayor of Lapu-Lapu City wants to declare rapper Ez Mil persona non grata, saying the rapper falsely depicted the hero the city was named after in a song. "This is a big insult to us Oponganons. He mocked the person that we consider a hero," Mayor Junard Chan said in an interview with reporters on Monday Oponganons is the term used by residents of the city to refer to themselves. Chan was irked by the line "Nanalo na ako nung una pa pinugutan si Lapu sa Mactan" from Mil's song "Panalo." The mayor said the people of Lapu-Lapu were angered, especially since it came at a time when they would be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the victory at Mactan on April 27. "He doesn't recognize Lapu-Lapu as a hero, he should have not created a song that will irk the people. He should not be looked up to by the youth," said Chan. Chan is also exploring legal charges against the rapper. In a video interview, Mil apologized for the lyric and said it was done for rhyming purposes. Pakistani Rangers opened fire on forward posts and villages along the International Border in district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The firing from across the border in Karol Krishna border outpost area started around 10:20 pm Sunday, prompting strong retaliation by the Border Security Force (BSF), the officials said. They said the cross-border firing between the two sides continued till 5 am but there was no report of any damage on the Indian side. (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.) Apples autonomous EV project has been courting several car manufacturers, with a barrage of reports pointing to Hyundai and Kia. The potential deal went from close to paused, and now, early today, the automakers are reportedly no longer in talks with Apple. Last month, we heard Hyundai would offer the electric vehicle platform for the car, codenamed Project Titan, while Apple would develop the vehicles hardware and software. Is the deal off? Not definitively. All involved parties might want to keep progress and deal-making out of the spotlight, and Apple has also apparently spoken to no fewer than six Japanese carmakers. Its not for lack of interest, it seems. According to analyst Ming-chi Kuo, who has a good record on Apple rumors, Apple still plans to use Hyundais platform for its first EV, with Kia manufacturing the vehicle in the US around 2025 or later. Then again, maybe its another standalone Apple TV, and itll just never happen. Mat The people who believe were not real. If you've heard of simulation theory the idea that our entire universe is running inside some sort of extra-dimensional computer there's a good chance you encountered it from a high-profile believer, such as Elon Musk. But how would an average person embrace it? As part of this years online-only Sundance, Devindra Hardawar takes a look at A Glitch in the Matrix, Rodney Ascher's latest documentary about uniquely obsessive personalities who deeply believe in the theory. Continue reading. It's understandably nervous about its new CPU rival. Intel has shared a legion of benchmarks claiming to show that 11th-generation Core i7 laptop processors are faster than Apples M1 chip. They do suggest there are areas where Intel can claim victory, but there are also questions about Intels methods. The results have Intel pulling ahead of Apple in a Chrome browsing test, Office 365 tasks, Adobe creative apps and AI. While gaming was something of a wash, Intel pointed out that certain games simply arent available on Macs which is accurate. Continue reading. Dont expect a medium-format sensor. OnePlus has developed a reputation for phone cameras that are middling at best, but it might turn that around with the 9 Pro. YouTuber Dave2D has shared images of what looks to be a OnePlus 9 Pro with conspicuous Hasselblad branding on its rear four-camera array. Dont expect it to be a Hasselblad medium format sensor inside thats just not going to happen. The images show, however, two large camera lenses (likely standard and ultra-wide angle) along with two much smaller cameras for depth perception and macro shooting, going by typical smartphone camera setups. Hasselblad has a reputation for big-ticket cameras that are limited-runs could OnePlus be doing something similar? Continue reading. Expect more internet than radio. President Biden is resurrecting the weekly radio address, but hes hoping to keep it relevant through a simple strategy: ditch the radio. As The New York Times explained, the White House has launched a weekly conversation series that embraces the more informal style of podcasts. The first episode, a chat with a worker laid off during the pandemic, is available on YouTube and social media platforms, but probably wont reach your local radio station. Continue reading. Instagram and Twitter are blocked, too. Myanmars military leaders are extending their internet restrictions in a bid to limit protests against their coup. According to BBC News, NetBlocks discovered that Myanmar instituted a near-total internet shutdown in the country as of the morning of February 6th. Connectivity was just 16 percent of normal levels. Continue reading. But wait, theres more... Minneapolis police used Google location data to find George Floyd protesters Reddit celebrated WallStreetBets success with a five-second Super Bowl ad 'Resident Evil' movie reboot will premiere on Labor Day weekend China probe delivers its first photo of Mars The Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance (NWIRA), through its business development program Diverse Women In Business Initiative (DWIBI), partnered with First Financial Bank to award $40,000 in grants to local, minority-owned small businesses. Funds will be used to supplement any financial shortfalls that business owners have faced due the economic downturn of the pandemic. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain likely. High 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low near 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The grandfather who was with his 18-month-old granddaughter when she fell to her death from an open window on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was sentenced Monday to three years of probation, according to Puerto Rico's Department of Justice. Salvatore Sam Anello, of Valparaiso, Indiana, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide last year after his granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand, fell through an 11-story window from the ship docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July 2019. Image: Chloe Wiegand. (Courtesy Wiegand Family) Anello had initially pleaded not guilty, but last February said that he was going to plead guilty so his family could begin to move on from the tragedy. The plea deal allowed Anello to avoid jail time and serve the probation in his home state, Michael Winkleman, an attorney for the Wiegand family, has said. Chloe was with her mother in a children's water park area on the pool's 11th deck. Her mother had to tend to another matter and asked Anello to watch her, according to an ongoing lawsuit the family filed in December 2019 against Royal Caribbean Cruises. The family alleges that the cruise ship company is at fault for Chloe's death, a claim the company has strongly denied. Royal Caribbean did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. The lawsuit said that Anello was "closely supervising" his granddaughter "when Chloe walked over to a nearby wall of glass." Anello followed and put the girl up to the window so she could bang on the glass but she slipped from his hands and fell through the open window. Anello has repeatedly said that he did not know the window was open, while the cruise company had released images they say prove Anello had leaned out the window and therefore knew it was open. Winkleman has said the pictures were "misleading." In July 2019, Chloe's mother, Kimberly Wiegand, said it was confounding that there would be an open air window on an 11th-floor pool deck. "There are a million things that could've been done to make that safer," she said. WASHINGTON - The District announced Monday that it will host coronavirus vaccine clinics at a Baptist church as governments in the Washington region looked for new ways to equitably distribute shots while facing hesitancy in communities hit hard by the virus. Localities began the week struggling to inoculate residents as they continued to see low supplies of the vaccine. Maryland's Montgomery County received fewer vaccine doses this week than last week as jurisdictions request larger supplies to meet demand and rising eligibility. Baltimore Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott on Monday asked Johnson & Johnson to sell the city 300,000 doses of its single-shot vaccine, seeking to bypass the federal government. The vaccine, which is awaiting authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, is being produced by Baltimore-based Emergent BioSolutions. "This is about doing what's right and what's needed for the city," Scott said in a news conference Monday. "We're hopeful Johnson & Johnson will recognize they are making this vaccine here in Baltimore and it would be a shame if Baltimoreans didn't directly benefit from it." D.C. health officials announced that the city will host coronavirus vaccine clinics at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Ward 7, offering more access to the vaccine in communities where the virus's toll has been the highest and where the lowest percentage of seniors have been vaccinated. Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, hosted a virtual town hall Monday with Anthony Fauci, the nation's highest-ranking infectious disease expert, as part of the county's campaign to assuage mistrust of the vaccine. Fauci answered questions from health officials in the majority-Black county, saying they are receiving questions about whether the vaccine has been linked to fatalities, which vaccine is most effective and whether residents can trust the vaccine because it was developed quickly. Health officials said they wanted to assure communities the vaccine is safe. "The concern on the part of brown and Black people about engaging in a medical program that is run by the federal government is understandable," Fauci said. "The first thing we need to do is to respect the concern of people of color who have hesitancy - but at the same time to explain to them that the ethical safeguards that have put into place since Tuskegee and the Henrietta Lacks incident are such that those types of things would be impossible under today's conditions." Meanwhile, Montgomery County's health department received 1,000 fewer vaccine doses this week than last week. Raymond Crowel, head of the county's Health and Human Services Department, said Monday that state officials have not told local officials why the county health department would be receiving 4,500 first doses Tuesday instead of 5,500 it received last week. "We're very concerned," said Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker, D-District 5. "We weren't getting enough to begin with and this only makes things more difficult." Michael Ricci, spokesman for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, said in a statement that "local health departments are one facet of an expanding distribution network." The state allocates vaccine doses to counties based on population, but those doses might not necessarily go to the local health department. They also go to pharmacies, hospitals and retail providers. Ricci said the state this week is providing an additional 2,500 doses to Suburban Hospital, which is vaccinating selected patients, residents older than 65 and others in priority groups 1A, B and C. The clinics run by Montgomery's county government are still limiting vaccine appointments to those at least 75 years old. The county has a "good track record" in administering shots, Hucker said, adding that he is seeking more clarity on the county's reduced allotment. Montgomery officials also said Monday they have asked the Hogan administration to consider the fairgrounds in Gaithersburg as a location for a mass vaccination site. The state last week opened two such sites - one in Prince George's and another in Baltimore. In the District, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church will vaccinate 200 District residents across two clinics this week as part of the pilot program, and faith leaders will help them register for appointments, said D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt. The new clinics were paired with an announcement that the city will open vaccination appointments at noon and 7 p.m. on Mondays for child care workers, independent school staff and charter school staff. Nesbitt pointed out how places of worship have served a historic role in educating Black communities about health issues. She said her team is hopeful that faith leaders will help reach city residents who haven't tried to register for the vaccine, either because they are intimidated by the process or because they might be more comfortable registering with someone from their church community. "Engaging [faith communities] and including them on our vaccine confidence effort was a natural progression," Nesbitt said. "Serving as a natural extension of their faith work, the communities in which they are embedded could help us reach residents in particular in Wards 5, 7 and 8 who have not gone to the website, not called the call center." Nesbitt had said that storage and handling requirements might create logistical issues with pop-up clinics. But she said Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church had served a testing site, and that leaders there have established the necessary privacy, safety and vaccine handling protocols for a clinic. Nesbitt indicated the program could be expanded if the community is receptive. Asked about the possibility of drive-through clinics or clinics at larger venues in the future, Nesbitt pointed to limitations in vaccine supply. As of Saturday, health officials had administered about 68,000 of the 94,100 or so vaccine doses the city has received. The District will receive about 11,500 more doses this week. She said it's more equitable to distribute the vaccine supply across multiple sites in the city rather than a singular large location. A mass site at Nationals Park would use up the District's supply while presenting transportation issues and other problems for people with strict work schedules, Nesbitt said. "Once the supply opens and we're getting tens of thousands of doses on a weekly basis, it could make sense to do that," she said. - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Chason and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. An international aid group on Monday denounced the destruction of its facilities at refugee camps caught up in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. The damage was confirmed using satellite imagery depicting the two camps for Eritrean refugees, known as Hitsats and Shimelba, the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement. "We condemn the criminal destruction of our buildings and facilities that we set up to serve refugees in great need," Jan Egeland, NRC's secretary-general, said in a statement. "This rampage of burning and looting by armed men deepens an already dire crisis for millions of people." Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced military operations against leaders of Tigray's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), in early November. He said they were prompted by TPLF-orchestrated attacks on federal army camps in the region. Within weeks, Hitsats and Shimelba saw fighting including intense gun battles, according to residents, and the two camps remain inaccessible to the UN refugee agency and its Ethiopian counterpart. Former residents of Hitsats have told AFP that pro-TPLF forces and Eritrean forces fighting for Abiy committed abuses there including killings and abductions. Some refugees, who have since fled to other another camp in southern Tigray, said Eritrean soldiers were in control of Hitsats by early January and forced everyone to leave. Last week DX Open Network, a British investigations firm, released satellite imagery showing widespread damage to both Hitsats and Shimelba. "There are clear and consistent patterns across both camps over a two-month period demonstrating that these refugee camps were systematically targeted despite their protected humanitarian status," it said in a statement. Eritrea and Ethiopia deny that Eritrean soldiers are involved in the Tigray conflict. But their presence has been described by residents, aid workers and even some civilian and military officials in Tigray. Story continues The European Union on Monday called for Eritrean forces to withdraw from the region, saying they were "fuelling the conflict in Tigray, reportedly committing atrocities, and exacerbating ethnic violence." The US has issued a similar call, drawing a rebuke last week from Eritrea, which accused Washington of floating "false and presumptive allegations". rcb/np/ri Ponddy Education Inc., an industry leader in AI smart language learning, has recently announced its official partnership with "CTI", Chinese Testing International Co., Ltd. - the global HSK language examination provider - to launch the http://hsk.ponddy.com. Ponddy HSK is the first online HSK test center in the U.S.A. that offers at-home online testing services for HSK, HSKK, YCT, and BCT official Chinese language tests. Students may prepare for the tests with Ponddy courses, which are designed by an expert-teaching team and are fully accredited by ACS Western Association of Schools and Colleges of the United States. With the addition to the testing service, Ponddy now offers complete Chinese learning solutions that include intelligent platforms, customized resources, tailored curricula, on-line tutors, and at-home online testing services. HSK test results are required by universities in China as proof of language proficiency for enrollment and scholarship applications. In the US, many States accept the result as the basis for awarding the Seal of Biliteracy. Although HSK has had its internet-based test option, takers still need to go to an offline test center to complete the test online. The newly launched Ponddy HSK at-home test edition enables risk-free test-taking from the threat of Covid-19 pandemic: test-takers in the US can complete the exam safely from the comfort of their homes. We are excited to partner with CTI. This is a recognition of Ponddys global influence as the industry leader in online Chinese language education, and a significant milestone of our mission to promote the understanding of the Chinese language as a global competitive strength for eager learners. Ponddy is proud to offer personalized AI smart language education to learners around the world, said Ponddys CEO, Franz Chen. Besides online testing, learners can also explore options and resources for the HSK test preparation on hsk.ponddy.com. The companys new HSK online courses are designed with both Adult and Student versions to suit different learning patterns for test takers of various ages and schedules. The live 1-on-1 online course allows students to engage with certified native-speaking teachers. The online nature of the classes provides students with maximum location flexibility for optimized classroom interaction and learning efficiency. With Ponddys smart learning platforms, learners can get personalized exercises that help them study efficiently for the test. Learners can also discuss and share experience and test prep tips with each other in the Learn Chinese and Pass HSK group. About Ponddy Ponddy is an advanced AI smart learning brand. Powered by innovative AKLS AI technology, Ponddys smart learning solutions include intelligent platforms, customized resources, tailored curricula, on-line tutors, and at-home online testing services. Ponddy Smart Learning is a new way to teach and learn Chinese or English more effectively: teachers could fix learning gaps, and learners could have personalized learning experience, according to their own language levels, learning objectives, and backgrounds. Adopted by over 1000 schools from 84 countries around the world, Ponddy is widely recognized by international official language testing and teaching institutions. Ponddy is a registered trademark of Ponddy Education Inc. To learn more about Ponddy Education visit http://www.ponddy.ai Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. By Juliet Kigongo At least 13 out of 49 supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, who are facing charges of being in possession of ammunition before the army court, have been granted bail. However, court further remanded 36 of their colleagues who include Bobi Wines singing partner Ali Bukeni alias Nubaian Li and Edward Ssebufu alias Eddy Mutwe (head of Bobi Wine personal guards) after state told court that their sureties were not substantial enough. The seven-member panel of the Makindye-based General Court Martial chaired by Lt Gen Andrew Gutti restrained the movement of those released on bail to Kampala and Wakiso districts only. Read more: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nubian-li-eddy-mutwe-further-remanded-as-army-court-grants-bail-to-13-bobi-supporters-3283958 The Indian diaspora which celebrates its 176th Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago is not an abstract entity, but one that flowers the socio-economic and cultural growth and development of our peoples. It remains a proud moment for all of uspoliticians, sociologists, economists, civic, religious and cultural leadersin world history. A media brief of multinational Naval Exercise AMAN-21 was conducted at Pakistan Navy Fleet Headquarters, Karachi Karachi (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021) A media brief of multinational Naval Exercise AMAN-21 was conducted at Pakistan Navy Fleet Headquarters, Karachi. Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf briefed the media regarding details of the exercise. Exercise AMAN, with the slogan 'Together for Peace' is being conducted on regular basis by Pakistan Navy biennially to project soft image of Pakistan. The Exercise contributes towards regional peace and stability, resolve against terrorism in maritime domain, collaboration to maintain safe and sustainable maritime realm and above all enhance interoperability between regional and extra regional navies. Pakistan has remained steadfast in fighting the forces of terror and tyranny with countless sacrifices and losses. The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has added yet another dimension to the already complex security milieu. However, timely and correct decisions of our leadership have kept us stable. Pakistan has remained a responsible state and shall continue to play its role amid diversified challenges. Like any maritime nation, Pakistan has substantial stakes in the maritime domain. Our interest in safer and crime-free seas is rooted into three conspicuous realities: Firstly, our extraordinary dependence on the seas for trade, secondly operationalization of CPEC project; and lastly our strategic location astride the global energy highway. Cumulatively, these realities make the maritime stability as an important agenda of our national security. As we truly believe in the centuries old dictum that 'Sea unites while Land divides', Pakistan considers that maritime security is not just important for itself but for all other countries whose prosperity and progress are strongly bonded with the seas. While operating together, we must be mindful that contemporary global maritime environment remains fraught with traditional and non-traditional challenges which require collaborative response by friendly navies. No country can single handedly tackle the diverse threats that exist or the new ones that emanate on daily basis. Thus Collaborative Maritime Security has become the Scarlet Thread to ensure peace and stability in the region. Commander Pakistan Fleet also highlighted that Pakistan Navy is a firm believer in the concept of having Collaborative Maritime Security and therefore has been actively participating in Maritime and Counter Piracy Operations along with other partner navies since 2004. Since 2018, Pakistan Navy is undertaking Regional Maritime Security Patrols, in which our ships maintain near permanent presence in vital sea areas in the Indian Ocean Region to contribute towards maintaining good order at sea. Exercise AMAN provides enormous opportunities to the participants for contriving the contours of such a collective response. In this regard, Exercise AMAN-21 is an effort to foster regional camaraderie, boost interoperability and exhibit a 'united resolve against multifaceted threats. This year, 7th edition of Exercise AMAN is scheduled this month, where around 45 countries are participating with surface and air assets, Special Operation Forces/ Marine teams and observers/ senior officers. The exercise has two major phases: harbour and sea phase. Harbour activities would include seminars, discussions, demonstrations and international get-togethers. The sea phase would have tactical manoeuvres on anti-piracy, counterterrorism, gunnery firing and search & rescue. Hallmark of the sea phase and Exercise AMAN - 21 would be International Fleet Review, witnessed by national and foreign dignitaries. Admiral Naveed Ashraf also emphasized that Exercise AMAN-21 will provide a common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying the areas of common interests for all participating navies to achieve mutual goal of maintaining stability, peace and prosperity. He added that the exercise is a reflection that nations can play a constructive role in building new ties, establishing innovative relationships and strengthening existing ones. The Admiral also underlined that Exercise AMAN is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of common objectives and effective media coverage will project real essence of exercise at par with its theme 'Together for Peace' and Pakistan Navy's contribution towards promoting peace at sea. A 63-year-old Massachusetts man was thrown from a snowmobile and seriously injured after the vehicle crashed on a New Hampshire lake over the weekend, authorities said. Conservation officers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department were alerted of the snowmobile crash on Lower Suncook Lake in the Granite State town of Barnstead around 2:20 p.m. Sunday, according to officials. The man, a Melrose, Massachusetts resident, was driving the snowmobile across the lake when he hit a pressure ridge, causing him to be thrown from the vehicle. He was driven by ambulance to Concord Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. His wounds are not considered to be life-threatening, the department said in a statement. The Massachusetts man was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, which prevented him from being more seriously injured, according to the statement. It appears dangerous riding conditions were the leading cause of the crash, the department noted in its statement. Fish and Game would like to remind everyone to use caution when navigating frozen water bodies and always wear safety equipment while operating, the statement said. The crash on Lower Suncook Lake came exactly a week after a man and woman, both from Massachusetts, were injured in separate snowmobile crashes in New Hampshire. The 30-year-old Reading, Massachusetts man was injured in a crash on First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. The 43-year-old North Andover, Massachusetts woman was wounded in a collision on a trail in Randolph, New Hampshire. Inexperience is believed to have been a factor in both crashes, the department said. Related Content: A Kiwi fashion designer accused of copying an American artist's work for one of its iconic design has hit back to claim she had never heard of the woman. Karen Walker launched Runaway Girl brand in 2001, which features jewellery and clothing with a logo of a marching girl holding a bindle over her shoulder. The products shipped worldwide, which include rings, necklaces and shirts, range from $22 to more than $1700, contribute to Ms Walker's multi million-dollar net worth. But the notable design has come under fire after New Zealand socialite Pebbles Hooper pointed out the famous logo was 'eerily similar' to Kara Walker's artwork created three years earlier. New Zealand designer Karen Walker (pictured) has come under fire amid accusations she copied one of her iconic motifs from an American artist The Runaway Girl brand (pendant pictured right) features a little girl marching with a bindle over her shoulder. Followers accused her of copying an American artist's 1988 image (left) The artist, who is known for silhouette images depicting issues of race and racism, designed Untitled (girl with Bucket) in 1998, which shows a little girl marching towards a bucket holding a banner in the air. 'I find the similarities undeniably mirrored,' Hooper, the daughter of fashion designers Francis Hooper and Denise L'Estrange-Corbet, wrote on Twitter. Other social media users then flocked to the brand's online account to question the inspiration behind their design after seeing Hooper's post. In response, the company said it had not heard of Kara Walker until recent years and claimed the logo was based on Victorian silhouettes. 'Karen wanted to create a girl in walking mode as she was for our first collection shown in London called "Runaway",' a company spokesperson wrote on Instagram. 'Cutouts have been a key form of portraiture since the 1800s and they were the inspiration when drawing Runaway Girl.' American artist Kara Walker (pictured) is famous for producing silhouettes that depict issues around race and racism The spokesperson then asked customers to Google search 'Victorian girl silhouettes' for further reference. The company hit back at further criticism, saying it was not 'naivety', but rather the allegations were 'false'. Karen Walker said the design was based on her interpretation of herself as a child and the similarity was 'pure coincidence'. 'Runaway Girls hair and face was an interpretation of me as a child and she was done in the well-known silhouette style that has been used for hundreds of years,' she said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'We dont wish to take away from Kara Walkers work at all but its a pure coincidence weve both created works in the cut-out silhouette style made popular in the 18th and 19th centuries a widely-known and used style still popular today.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kara Walker for comment. At least three tenants are facing removal from their East Side apartment complex despite an ongoing moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The tenants all Honduran immigrants gathered Sunday outside the Edge Apartments, a labyrinth of run-down brick units near Salado Creek, to describe their precarious situation at a news conference organized by volunteers. We are living in a dark world, said Jonathan Chavez, one of the tenants who received a notice to vacate the property. What is happening here is confusing. Im not sure if its because of racism. There are a lot of questions about what is happening. Another tenant, Santos Alvarez-Bernardez, shared a notice left on his door that alleged that he and his wife had hosted unauthorized occupants in their apartment, a violation of his lease agreement. The notice said he owed more than $1,000 in back rent and demanded that he and his family vacate the apartment by Feb. 20. An order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to halt evictions is effective through the end of March. But the moratorium applies only to tenants who are behind on their rent payments. Landlords can still evict tenants for other violations, such as criminal conduct and damage to property, said Sandy Rollins of the Texas Tenants Union. The eviction moratorium doesnt prevent evictions for causes besides nonpayment of rent, Rollins said. The term of Alvarez-Bernardezs lease began in November and ends in October. The contract prohibits anyone other than him and six others listed in the agreement from staying in the apartment for more than five days in one week without permission. Alvarez-Bernardez, 42, acknowledged having visitors at his apartment but denied that anyone stayed overnight. Were a community here, he said. We visit each other. Some come and visit while they set up somewhere else. The Edge Apartments recently changed ownership to Diamante Townhomes. The company did not return a call requesting comment Sunday. Rollins called protecting tenants from eviction a public health issue especially now. Were still in a pandemic, she said. Losing housing means doubling up somewhere or on the streets. BChasnoff@ express-news.net New Delhi, Feb 8 : A complaint has been filed seeking a probe into Mukul Deora's alleged benami entity and benamidar Swiss bank account, used for development funding the Netflix film, 'The White Tiger'. The formal request for investigation was sent to Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the dealings of late Congress politician Murli Deora's son, Mukul Deora, his chartered accountant Sharad Seksaria, and also Netflix. The request to probe Mukul Deora's shell companies was made by Sonia Mudbhatkal, Founder and CEO of the New Jersey-based Continuum Media LLC. Reacting to the charges on Monday evening, Mukul Deora pointed out Delhi High Court has already observed that it was not possible to come to any prima facie conclusion that, by producing or releasing the film, the Defendants had indulged in illegal copyright infringement or transgressed the right of the Plaintiff, as was being alleged. Earlier, Mudbhatkal said in her complaint to ED: "I wanted to lodge a formal request for an investigation into the dealings of Congress politician Murli Deora's son Mukul Deora and his CA (and Director of all Mukul Deora and Milind Deora companies), Sharad Seksaria, and also Netflix who is their accomplice as they are in the know of all these various shell companies, and have done a deal with such companies knowingly in violation of John Hart and my (the original copyright holders and producers of the film, The White Tiger) copyright and producing rights of the picture, and in, potentially, gross violation of our country's laws." Mukul is one of the producers of the film while Milind Deora, a former Congress MP, is his brother. "Mukul Deora's lawyer Sandeep Sethi openly admits that the Irish offshore entity Particle Media (Mukul's benami entity), which on paper belongs to Raj Lakhani (Mukul Deora's benamidar, who is a Hong Kong resident and British Passport holder as told to us) is in fact Mukul Deora's company", the complaint said. "I have all the documentary evidence to prove the above beyond doubt including the BSI bank Swiss bank account cheque used for the transaction from Hong Kong. BSI Bank was subsequently shut down for money laundering in 2016," Mudbhatkal said in the complaint. "I would like you to take an urgent look at this matter as the film The White Tiger is playing worldwide in violation of not only John and my rights but also, potentially, India's laws," she added. There has been some legal action on this issue, as Mudbhatkal's advocates had sent a legal notice to Netflix in 2019, to stop production of The White Tiger. The notice mentioned that Particle Media is in the process of shutting down, and the advocates suspected that Mukul Deora has transferred the motion picture rights of the film to a Singapore entity in order to become sole owner of The White Tiger in violation of the rights of Mudbhatkal, in breach of contractual commitments made by Mukul Deora to Mudbhatkal. Later on Monday, Mukul Deora issued a statement reacting to the charges. "I have a deep respect for and full faith in the judiciary of India. As you are aware, on 21 January 2021, upon a holistic consideration of the facts, the Hon'ble Delhi High Court, among other things, rejected the demand by the Plaintiffs and refused to stay the release of The White Tiger. I understand that the Delhi High Court observed that it was not possible, based on the material on record before it, to come to any prima facie conclusion that, by producing or releasing the film, the Defendants indulged in illegal copyright infringement or transgressed the right of the Plaintiff as was alleged in the matter. The matter is currently subjudice and I look forward to the completion of the legal proceedings in this matter. The truth will continue to prevail," read Mukul Deora's complete statement. BILLIE Faiers has said she is "so gutted" after withdrawing from Dancing On Ice following a fall on the rink. The reality TV personality (31) suffered moderate concussion after hitting her head while rehearsing with professional partner Mark Hanretty. The former The Only Way Is Essex star's exit was announced on Saturday after doctors said she must miss this Sunday's show. Contestants are only permitted one week's bye and Faiers had already missed last week due to a family bereavement. Sharing a photo of herself with Hanretty ahead of what became their first and last dance on the ITV series, Faiers wrote on Instagram: "I am so so sad that our @dancingonice journey has come to an end after an accident in rehearsals on Friday causing me a head injury, forcing us out of the competition." She described Hanretty as "a true friend for life" and "the most incredible partner throughout all of this". She added: "Thank you for being so kind, supportive, patient, understanding, and thank you for being such a happy, positive person when I needed it the most. "It's been a tough couple of weeks personally for me and coming back to skating this week has really been a great distraction." She continued: "I am so so gutted we can't perform tonight, we worked so so hard on this week's routine." She thanked the rest of the celebrity contestants and her followers for their support. Faiers is the third contestant to drop out of the series. Denise Van Outen (46) had to withdraw from the show after partially dislocating her shoulder during training. Rufus Hound (41) quit the show after testing positive for coronavirus. Reserves Amy Tinkler, (21) and comedian Matt Richardson (29) have stepped in to replace them. Close (Photo : Aviation Technology Trends for 2021) 2020 was a challenging year for nearly all companies and industries, and aviation and the airline industries were certainly no exception. However, as we're now in the midst of 2021, there are likely to be some exciting developments as far as aviation manufacturing and technology, as well as in the airline industry. The following are some things to know looking forward. Space Trips It's possible that the first space trips for travelers could take place in 2021. Richard Branson is going to be introducing commercial suborbital rides through his company, Virgin Galactic. The company told investors that its spacecraft would take Branson from New Mexico in the first quarter of the year. Then, the plan, based on what the company has reported to investors, is that a group of around 600 customers will be next. Each of the customers has paid as much as $250,000 a ticket. Jeff Bezos has similarly announced the development of the New Shepard reusable rocket for suborbital rides. The company performed a seventh test flight from Texas in October of 2020. They are reportedly going to do several more test flights before any people fly on the spacecraft. Then, not to be outdone in the world of space-related technology, Elon Musk's company Space Exploration Technologies is planning to take a four-person private crew to the International Space Station. The Axiom Mission 1 is being arranged under an agreement with NASA. The crew will include the second Israeli in space, the second-oldest person to launch into space, and the first former NASA astronaut who will return to the International Space Station. The Axiom 1 mission, based on current timelines, may launch as soon as January 2022. The AX-1 mission will be the first in a series of flights to the space station. There are rumors that one of those flights could include Tom Cruise, as well as director Doug Liman. It will be the first completely private crewed mission into Earth orbit. The Decline of the Widebody On a less innovative note, but no less relevant in aviation technology, the widebody jet design is on the decline in a big way. Instead, the interest now is geared toward smaller jetliners. As far as twin-aisle aircraft from the likes of Airbus and Boeing, the demand is dismal. Sales weren't great before the pandemic, and now there is going to be a surplus supply of used models for years to come, meaning demand for new widebody planes is going to take a massive hit. Airbus and Boeing have been retiring their larger planes at high rates, coupled with the lack of demand for new orders for these bigger planes. ZerO Emissions Could the ZerO plane and others like it represent the future of aviation design? It's possible. The HerO ZerO Emissions Plane was developed by Joe Doucet, and it's since been nicknamed the "Tesla of the Skies." The plane has a decidedly futuristic design, and it's electric and zero-emissions. It's only a concept right now, but with the way we're barreling toward an electric future, it might not be such an abstract idea. The idea behind the concept, at least as it stands now, is that the plane and others like it will use electric generators and batteries as the complete power sources, including to power the three propellers that would be rear-mounted. Another interesting design concept that has been floated around is Victor Uribe's A350h Airliner. Its shape is inspired by a dolphin, and it's meant for vertical takeoff and landing. It would then eliminate the need for long runways. The designer says it's also an eco-friendly plane powered by cryogenic hydrogen, stored in high-pressure tanks. Another interesting plane that's just in the concept phase is the SeaSTOL VLJ, which stands for Short Take and Landing Very Light Jet. It's a seaplane, according to the designer. It would be able to travel at the same distance and altitude as a light jet aircraft, yet like a traditional seaplane, would still be able to land on water. Designed by John McGinnis, there's the Synergy Aircraft that uses only 10% of the fuel of a regular plane of the same size. It's a small plane, but it has an eye-catching futuristic design. Sustainability, in general, is a big trend right now. At the start of 2020, Delta said they were committing $1 billion over the next decade to reduce emissions from its global business. New fuel advances, including hydrogen, are starting to enter the market, and Airbus last year introduced three concepts with hydrogen as the main power source. Biometrics Outside of the futuristic design of planes themselves, the entire travel and airline industry will likely see big changes and advances in technology related to the pandemic. For example, a lot of airlines have already started rolling out biometric identity technology to avoid face-to-face interactions. Spirit Airlines introduced biometric check-in at U.S. airports, while Emirates similarly now has a biometric path at Dubai International Airport. At Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, there is now biometric boarding for all international departures. Automation and Robots You may have already seen robots seemingly taking over some terminals. In 2020, new robots were deployed at airports around the world to disinfect. The airports had robots with ultraviolet light technology as well as floor-scrubbing. At Incheon International Airport, robots were doing automatic body temperature scans. The use of robots and machine learning aren't just being used at airports; they're being used in-flight as well. For example, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines introduced a robot to produce meals for economy class passengers, and Etihad is trying out machine learning to reduce food waste on its flights. From the design of planes themselves to the air travel experience, despite the headwinds of the coronavirus pandemic, there's likely to be a lot of exciting innovation coming down the pipe. Plane designs will be smaller, sleeker and more efficient, and the way we experience travel will be more automated and streamlined. 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, has called upon Ugandans to keep peace and avoid violence in this post-elections period which has allegedly been marred by calls for protests after President Museveni was declared the winner of the January 14 polls. "Peace is very important in a country like Uganda. We are lucky that we have never had an incident necessitating external peacekeepers, the UPDF has managed every situation to ensure our country remains peaceful. I ask you to be proud of that and keep it that way," he said. Gen Katumba made the remarks while commissioning a theatre at Bukasa Health Centre 4 in Kalangala District on Friday in celebration of the 40th Tarehe Sita. "Peace concerns not only officers in uniform but every Ugandan. We all know that in the past, people used to fear moving around but now you can move freely with the soldiers. Peace is important because it's the key to everything, when there is peace, you work and do all you want, so let's keep peace in our country," he said. Gen Katumba said there is a need to cater for medical officer's welfare on islands in order to keep them motivated at their jobs. "On the islands, it's like we are isolated unlike those in the city. It therefore requires one to have the equipment and to be motivated to work in the prevailing environment," he said. The health centre in-charge Mr Ronald Mukasa said they face challenges in delivering services, especially to expectant mothers due to transportation means between the islands. "This facility serves almost 18,000 people that it can reach, it would be for the whole of Kyamuswa County but due to the lack of quick water transport means, we cannot reach all the people," he said. Just like the price swings in cryptocurrencies, the news on regulations for the Indian crypto industry has been coming in thick and fast. While the government on 29 January listed a bill in Lok Sabha to ban all private cryptocurrencies, recent reports suggest that it might now bring in an ordinance to put that into effect. With the contents of the legislation unknown, experts say that the fate of investments worth $1 billion in digital currencies by Indians rests on how the Center defines a 'private cryptocurrency'. The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021 seeks to ban all private cryptocurrencies and also provides for the creation of a legislative framework on an official digital currency. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports According to experts, a blanket ban would hit over eight million investors in India who own over $1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrency is a sunrise sector employing thousands of people in India. The regulation is the need of the hour, but a ban will set our economy back by a decade," said Nischal Shetty, chief executive officer of WazirX. As the draft of the bill is not public, experts say it is hard to determine what the government may consider as private cryptocurrency. However, the key argument is that terming major digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum as private would be incorrect. The term private cryptocurrency could be applied to some rare experimental projects but not to Bitcoin, Ether, or most popular cryptocurrencies. There software is open source and they are not owned by any entity, private or otherwise," said Vikram Rangala, CMO, ZebPay. Some of the public blockchains and their corresponding cryptocurrencies such as Ripple are created by privately-owned enterprises but find their application in the public domain and have corporate governance considerations similar to traditional finance corporations. In reality, there are public blockchains and there are private blockchains, and many large Indian corporations are already using private blockchain infrastructure such as hyperledger," said Sumit Gupta, co-founder and CEO, CoinDCX. Notably, this is not the first time, when the government has sought to come up with a regulation for the industry. An earlier bill in 2019 reportedly sought to ban cryptocurrency and criminalize its possession in India. However, it was not introduced. Moreover, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had banned cryptocurrencies in 2018, which was later overturned by the Supreme Court of India in March 2020. The government may likely be considering every cryptocurrency except introduced by RBI or the government to be private. The ban would be a disaster at both the legislation level and the enforcement level to ban cryptocurrencies," said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO and co-founder of Unocoin. Industry experts argue that as the ownership of major crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ether are public, the government may need to come up with some other term than private to define and regulate non-government cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, industry experts are hopeful that there wont be a blanket ban on cryptocurrencies. While the prices of cryptocurrencies in India slumped soon after the bill was listed by the government, the prices recovered a bit after it failed to find a mention in the Budget speech of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2020. The majority of Bitcoin, Ether and other investors are holding on to their crypto assets and will continue to do so. Overall, the crypto community seems to be resilient and confident that in the end, the government will make the right decision," said Rangala. Meanwhile, the crypto industry is actively engaging with the government and to try and find an amicable solution. All stakeholders associated with the crypto and blockchain industry are working together to resolve the issue at hand. We have reached out to the government and are looking at a continuation of dialogue which leaves room for better understanding and cooperation from the competent authorities," said Gupta. Meanwhile, leading cryptocurrency companies such as CoinDCX, WazirX, Unocoin, CoinSwitch Kuber, Zebpay and PocketBits have joined hands to launch a campaign called, #IndiaWantsBitcoin, which aims to educate and build greater awareness amongst policymakers and the public about cryptocurrencies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China-Vietnam relations are standing at a new historical starting point and China is willing to work with Vietnam to push for steady and enduring development of bilateral ties. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with his counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president. China, Xi added, stands ready to join forces with Vietnam to strengthen strategic communication, increase political mutual trust, and maintain the political guidance role of and close communication between the leaderships of the two parties. Indigo Books and Music, Canada's leading book retailer, reported a drop in revenue for its third quarter, which ended December 26. The company had strong sales early in the quarter, but revenue was hit when the government mandated pandemic-related store closures through the later half of November and December. Revenue was C$365.4 million, down 5% from the same period last year. E-commerce sales continued to boom as they had all year and the channel saw revenue growth of 92% for the quarter, bolstered by curbside pick up and same-day local delivery programs, such as Instacart. Online sales hit C$125.5 million in the quarter, and accounted for 34% of Indigo's third quarter sales, up from 17% a year ago. Sales at superstores fell 26%, to $C196.1 million, and sales at Indigo's small format stores fell 30%, to C$34.3 million. The company said due to lockdown-imposed closures it did not believe releasing same store sales figures--usually an important barometer of how a retailer is doing-was relevant. Adjusted EBITDA for the period was C$37.8 million down from C$43.3 million for the same quarter last year. The company did benefit from C$9.7 million in rent and lease abatement and $3.2 million in government support from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program. These results are a testament to the demonstrated resilience of our teams and a deep affinity for our brand, achieved against massive disruption from mandated shut-downs and store limitations during the most important six weeks of our year," said CEO Heather Reisman. "These shutdowns created a particularly uneven playing field in Ontario with essential retailers selling all non-essential items, a practice disallowed by other provinces. Nevertheless, we remain energized by the momentum we saw pre-closures and look forward to having Covid-19 behind us. The company said it had no outstanding debt and cash reserves of $229.4 million, and thus, "continues to be well positioned to manage through these uncertain times." Washington Anthony Brindisi today conceded the 22nd Congressional District election to Claudia Tenney, abruptly ending a three-month legal battle over disputed ballots in the election. Brindisi, a Utica Democrat, had been pursuing a legal appeal of a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed New York state to certify Tenney as the election winner earlier today by 109 votes. But two hours after the state certified the election at noon, Brindisi called Tenney to concede. He told her that he would drop all legal appeals and his demand for a manual hand recount of all 316,000-plus ballots cast in the election. Brindisi said in a statement that it was time to move on from the election and focus on uniting the nation and building a better community. But he said he has deep concerns about a series of errors and other problems that surfaced as election officials in eight counties counted absentee and affidavit ballots following the Nov. 3 election. My one disappointment is that the court did not see fit to grant us a recount, Brindisi said. Sadly, we may never know how many legal voters were turned away at the polls or ballots not counted due to the ineptitude of the boards of election, especially in Oneida County. Among the errors uncovered during court proceedings over the past three months was Oneida Countys failure to process more than 2,400 applications from voters who properly registered via the Department of Motor Vehicles but were prevented from voting on Election Day. My hope is some authority steps in and investigates the massive disenfranchisement of voters that took place during this election, Brindisi said. Brindisis decision to drop all appeals and recount requests opens the door for Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, to be sworn into office as soon as possible. I really appreciate Anthonys call today and thank him for his service, Tenney said in a statement. He graciously offered to help ensure a smooth transition and I look forward to working with him over the coming days to complete that process on behalf of everyone in NY-22. The 22nd District seat has been vacant since Jan. 3, Brindisis final day in office. It was the last undecided House race in the nation. Three other seats in the 435-member House are now vacant because of deaths or resignations. Heres Brindisis full statement: Today I congratulated Claudia Tenney and offered to make the transition process as smooth as possible on behalf of our community. I hope that she will be a Representative for all the people of this district, not just those that agree with her point of view, and work with members of both parties to heal the deep divisions that exist in our country. It has been the honor of a lifetime serving my hometown, the place I grew up and am raising my family. Unfortunately, this election and counting process was riddled with errors, inconsistencies and systematic violations of state and federal election laws. My one disappointment is that the court did not see fit to grant us a recount. Sadly, we may never know how many legal voters were turned away at the polls or ballots not counted due to the ineptitude of the boards of election, especially in Oneida County. My hope is some authority steps in and investigates the massive disenfranchisement of voters that took place during this election. I am proud of the accomplishments we have made together during the past two years. Whether its strengthening laws to support jobs here in Upstate New York, working to help end the epidemic of veteran suicide or fighting to deliver resources to rural and underserved communities, I have always put politics aside and put the people first. I want to thank my family, especially my wife Erica and two children, Anthony and Lily for their patience, love and support. I want to thank my excellent staff. I have been fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated and talented professionals in public service. I also want to thank my campaign team for their hard work and for sticking with me during this lengthy and complicated count. Finally, thank you to all of our volunteers and this community for giving me the opportunity to serve you in Congress. It is time to close the book on this election and focus on building a better community and more united country for our children. MORE ON THE NY-22 ELECTION NY certifies Claudia Tenney as winner of House race over Anthony Brindisi Amid errors and delays, a lesson from New York 22nd race: How not to run an election In NY 22nd, judges suggests there are no great options to fix Oneida County mistake Whats next in Brindisi-Tenney House race? Appeals, recount, could delay decision for months 700 votes were tossed in Oneida County. Officials ignored state law in latest mess up Oneida County botched 2,400 voter signups, preventing their votes in Brindisi-Tenney race Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Attracting and retaining millennial members is a challenge that credit unions have been trying to tackle for the last decade. This challenge only becomes more complex as Gen Z begins to enter adulthood with a unique perspective on financial management. Credit unions who have had the most success in converting these consumers to active members have often prioritized technology and product alignment. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union has a long history of championing education and financial literacy. As they reviewed their product mix, they saw an opportunity to expand their options to meet the needs of their members and potential members. As a management team, we continually assess our product and service offerings to ensure were providing solutions that our members not only want, but need, said Allan Stevens, SVP and Chief Credit Officer at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. It took time to find the right partner and solution, but we found an excellent vendor match to offer the right products to members and prospects. In 2018, the credit union partnered with LendKey to offer Private Student Loans and Student Loan Refinancing. The Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant has released an official notification inviting applicants for the recruitment of Graduate/Technician Apprentices. The interested and eligible candidates can apply online through the website sail.co.in. There are a total of 270 vacancies under SAIL recruitment. The last date to apply for the SAIL Apprentice Recruitment 2021 is 10 February 2021. SAIL Apprentice Recruitment 2021: Eligibility Criteria Educational Qualification: The candidate should hold a Degree or Diploma certificate in Engineering from any recognised institute. Age Limit: The candidates who are interested in applying for the SAIL Apprentice's post should not be below 18 years of age and above 24 years of age. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Graduate And Technician Apprentices Organisation Steel Authority of India (SAIL) Educational Qualification Graduate or Diploma Degree holder Experience Freshers can apply Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location Rourkela Salary Scale Rs.80,000 to Rs.90,000 per month Industry Steel Application Start Date February 6, 2021 Application End Date February 10, 2021 SAIL Apprentice Recruitment 2021: Selection Criteria And Pay Scale The selection of the candidate for SAIL Apprentice posts will be based on Merit. The shortlisted candidates will have to go through the interview process for the final round of selection. The pay scale for candidates applying for SAIL Apprentice Recruitment 2021 is Rs. 90,000 per month for graduate candidates and Rs. 80,000 per month for Diploma Degree holders. Also Read: IRCTC Recruitment 2021 For Consultant Posts, Apply Offline Before February 19 SAIL Apprentice Recruitment 2021: How To Apply The willing candidates can apply for the post through online mode by visiting the official website sail.co.in. The candidates must read all the information given in the notification and fill in all the necessary details to complete the application process. The last date to apply for the Apprentice post is 10 February 2021. New Delhi: As the surging Bitcoin grabs most of the headlines, Ether or Ethereum, the second biggest cryptocurrency, is touching record valuation and could still be bought cheaper -- for nearly Rs 1.16 lakh or $1,600 for one Ether. According to industry players, Bitcoin which is hovering around $40,000 is beyond the reach for most investors while Ether that has touched an all-time high is still within reach. According to Rahul Pagidipati, CEO, ZebPay, Ether tends to follow Bitcoin. "Now that Bitcoin has hit record high and is consolidating, investors are adding Ether. Together the two cryptocurrencies constitute nearly 80 per cent of the total crypto market cap," Pagidipati said. "Nearly 3 million ETH ($3.8 billion) have been locked up for long-term staking, removing them from the buyable supply. With lower supply comes higher prices," Shivam Thakral, CEO of BuyUcoin said that Ether is touching record valuation because Bitcoin is consolidating and investors are looking at Ether to reap greater economic benefits in the long term. "Ethereum is up about 135 per cent since the start of the year and is expected to become as valuable as Bitcoin in the years to come," Thakral added. "We hope Indian counterparts will take note of this and enable the growth of the digital asset industry in India by providing a positive regulatory environment. Ethereum Blockchain has very strong fundamentals and a lot of projects are using it to power their infrastructure." As India plans to introduce the 'Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021', to prohibit all "private cryptocurrencies" in the country, the industry stakeholders have come out in unison hoping that the Indian government would listen to all stakeholders before taking any decision. "As more people see new applications for the Ethereum protocol, like staking, they're realising that Either is real and has lasting value, just as they are realising the truth about Bitcoin," said Pagidipati. Owning one full bitcoin is probably a dream now for most people. "But you can still buy a full Ether for Rs 1.6 lakh, still in reach for many. Those who remember Bitcoin at that price may be thinking that this opportunity won't last for much longer," the ZebPay CEO noted. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is already exploring the possibility as to whether there is a need for a digital version of fiat currency and in case there is, then how to operationalise it. The apparent softening in RBI's stand on cryptocurrency came after the Supreme Court last year set aside a circular issued by the RBI that barred any entity from providing banking services to anyone dealing with virtual or cryptocurrencies. The RBI, in its booklet on payment systems, noted that central banks around the world are examining whether they could leverage on technology and issue fiat money in digital form. With the overall value of all cryptocurrencies surpassing the $1 trillion mark, industry experts have said that crypto may become the most important asset class of the 21st century and India needs to catch up fast with the global trend. Its true, what they say. You dont know what you have until its gone. The absence of physical watch fairs and opportunities to gather in person has diluted the bonds of our passionate little community. The decreased opportunity to have open, unstructured and spontaneous conversations about watches has parched the landscape of enthusiast groups. Recently I was invited to be part of a new social app that facilitates this kind of open discussion based on various topics of interest. Its called Clubhouse and its currently in beta testing mode, so rollout has been very limited so far, but what really got my attention is how it replicates the live, dynamic feel of a physical get-together. Some have described it as collaborative podcasting; others said it reminded them of the excitement that Instagram created in its early days. Im not particularly concerned with identifying what it is , but I am fascinated by what it does , which is bring people together in a way that I havent experienced since the beginning of 2020. Heres the thing. When lots of passionate people get together in one place, you have the problem of identifying who gets to speak and who doesnt. Collectors and enthusiasts are notoriously opinionated about the values and codes that they think should represent their community. They tend to believe that they should decide whose voice gets heard. Me, I think everyone should have a turn. Thats what we stand for over here at WorldTempus anyway. The clues in the name. Were called WorldTempus, not Closed-Elite-VIP-Rich-People-Only-Tempus. Everyone has an equal chance to participate and be represented. Isnt that the whole point of any community? Obviously Im not saying that community discussions should be a free for all. You get the most benefit out of these sorts of exchanges when there are some basic guidelines that are well regulated. But is there really a need to exclude people on principle? I have a friend who owns only a handful of pieces, but is extremely knowledgeable about historical clockmaking techniques. I have another friend whos been very successful professionally and has managed to acquire a large number of extremely high-end watches based on nothing more than personal aesthetic taste, with zero pretensions to deep horological or technical understanding. There are some out there who will say that people who havent invested their own money in watches shouldnt have a say in community discussions; others will say that the wealthy guy without any horological education doesnt have an opinion worth listening to. From where Im standing, I can kind of understand why people would think like that. But I also think they are profoundly mistaken. Would you dismiss the thoughts and opinions of an art scholar just because he doesnt have a house full of Warhols and Rembrandts? Would you ignore the advice of a seasoned collector about buying the right thing at the right time just because he doesnt understand exactly how a tourbillon works? Everyone has something different to bring to the table. Having open and diverse discussions in good faith is the best way to create a thriving community. The rules are simple. Talk about what you know; ask about what you dont. Be prepared to share and learn at the same time. This applies to any social network, any kind of forum discussion, any kind of online or offline exchange. Theres no such thing as a community without communality. Authorities have released the names of two men killed in separate homicides in Birmingham in recent days. One of the homicides happened Thursday, Feb. 4, and the other on Sunday, Feb. 7. The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victims as Edward Dee Stewart III, 33, of Pinson, and Ladarius Bloxom, 30, of Birmingham. They are two of five homicides that have taken place in the city in just seven days. A 75-year-old woman, Eula Mae Moore, was killed in her home on Feb. 1. The manner of death of her adult son, who was found dead at the same time, has not yet been released. Major Turner, just 2 years old, was also killed Thursday, Feb. 4. He and his mother were lying on the couch of their apartment in the citys Kimbrough Homes public housing community when someone opened fired on the first-floor apartment. Major was taken to Childrens of Alabama where he was pronounced dead hours later. His mother was treated and released. Major Turner, 2, was shot Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 and died hours later. He was on the couch with his mother when someone unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the family's Birmingham apartment. Carlos Mines, 26, was shot to death during Saturdays predawn hours in Birminghams Pratt City community. Offices responded to a report of a crash on Avenue W across from Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Station 18. They arrived to find Mines inside a crashed sedan. He had been shot and was pronounced dead on the scene. A suspect was detained but formal charges have not yet been announced. Stewart was killed at a motel in Birminghams East Lake neighborhood, police said. Around 6 p.m., 911 received a call from the management of the Anchor Motel at 8420 First Ave. North about a person down, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Rod Mauldin. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the victim unresponsive man inside one of the motels rooms; he was later pronounced dead, Mauldin said. Police determined that the man sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Bloxom died Sunday afternoon in eastern Birmingham. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said East Precinct officers about 1:15 p.m. responded to the 2900 Block of Gallant Drive on report of a person shot inside of an apartment complex. Officers arrived on the scene and observed the victim lying unresponsive in a grassy area suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and pronounced Bloxom dead. The preliminary investigation suggests the victim was involved in a verbal argument with an individual prior to being shot. No arrests have been announced and a motive has not yet been confirmed. Camari Tyus, 17, died in a shooting at a family gathering in Center Point. (Twitter) In addition to the five deaths in Birmingham since Feb. 1, a 17-year-old was also killed last week in unincorporated Jefferson County. Camari Tyus, a Hoover High School senior, was killed Thursday while at a family gathering in Center Point. And, Sunday night, a 23-year-old man - Luis Valla-Caranza, was killed in a shooting in Brighton. There have been 13 homicides in Birmingham so far in 2021. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 21 homicides including the 13 in Birmingham. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. A Maine fisherman recently made a one-in-30 million discovery a yellow lobster. Marley Babb, a Tenants Harbor lobsterman, caught the unique crustacean and donated it to the University of New England's Marine Science Center in Biddeford. Named Banana, the lobster's yellow body is a result of a genetic mutation in the proteins that bond with shell pigments. The marine creature, which is formally known as a 'crystal lobster,' was born with a condition called leucism that results in results in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin. A Maine fisherman recently made a one-in-30 million discovery a yellow lobster The team at the Marine Center is now sharing an $860,000 grant with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and other organizations to study the impact that a warming Gulf of Maine is having on lobster larvae and their success in growing to adulthood. The move comes as two new studies from 2019 found a warming ocean and local differences in oceanography are impacting the lobster populations in southern New England to Atlantic Canada. And Banana's yellow exterior may be a result of climate change. The lobster is about a pound to a pound and a half, which is the average for Main Lobsters. Due to the lighter color, Banana is more visible to predators, giving it a lower chance of survival. Named Banana, the lobster's yellow body is a result of a genetic mutation in the proteins that bond with shell pigments Due to the lighter color, Banana is more visible to predators, giving it a lower chance of survival. But researchers are caring for it However, the team at the Marine Science Center (MSC) said they are caring for the lobster and do not plan on returning it to the wild. The University of Main released the two 2019 studies that found warming oceans are contributing to the rise and fall of lobster populations. The first, titled 'The Cresting Wave: Larval Settlement and Ocean Temperatures Predict Change in The American Lobster Harvest,' projects lobster 'landings within the next decade to decline to near historical levels in the Gulf of Maine and no recovery in the south.' The second article, 'The Brighter Side of Climate Change: How Local Oceanography Amplified a Lobster Boom in the Gulf of Maine', 'examines the interplay of ocean warming, tidal mixing and larval behavior' to present 'a brighter side of climate change.' Waters in the southern region of the Gulf of Main have warmed, which has only modestly expanded areas for larval to grow. The marine creature, which is formally known as a 'crystal lobster,' was born with a condition called leucism that results in results in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin The warmer water is only staying along the surface, so any larva growing at the body will do so in cold water and most will not survive. Whereas in deeper northeast waters, strong tidal mixing, driven by the Bay of Fundy, has prevented thermal stratification and 'made an expansive area of seabed more favorable for larval settlement.' That, according to researchers, helps explain 'strong lobster population increases in this region over the last decade and offset potential future declines.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on National Disaster Response Force deployment, rescue work and relief operations. Local media reported farmers hearing a loud thundering sound before the wall of water from the Nanda Devi glacier swept relatives, cows and trees away from them. More than 300 Indo-Tibetan Border Police officers were deployed on Monday to search for dozens of survivors stuck in hydro-electric tunnels after villages near the disaster zone were evacuated. The flood, triggered by a glacial burst, where water trapped behind a frozen glacier is suddenly released due to melting, swept through hydroelectric plants in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday. A glacial flood that tore through a Himalayan valley, killing at least 12 people with fears for 170 more, has sharpened concerns about an acceleration in climate change disasters, as rescuers scramble through the hostile terrain to find survivors. Indian scientists on Monday said that satellite and Google Earth imagery indicated there was no glacial lake in the region, raising the possibility that a water pocket inside the glacier burst as it melted, triggering the torrent of water that sent tonnes of debris rushing down the ravine. Weather data shows the Chamoli area in the Hindu Kush Himalaya had recorded less than 10 millimetres of rain since Friday. Water pockets are lakes inside the glaciers, which may have erupted leading to this event, said Mohd Farooq Azam, assistant professor at the glaciology and hydrology division at the Indian Institute of Technology. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case. Loading In the past two decades Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast as they were at the end of the 20th century, according to a 2019 study in the Science Advances journal. The research found the rapid acceleration posed a fundamental risk to the 240 million people who live and work in the Hindu Kush region, with limited rainfall and rising temperatures melting glaciers that lead to floods, followed by drought. The area is home to more glaciers than anywhere else in the world outside the north and south poles. In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees, warming in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will likely be at least 0.3 degrees higher, according to the 2019 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Such large warming could trigger a multitude of biophysical and socio-economic impacts, such as biodiversity loss, increased glacial melting, and less predictable water availabilityall of which will impact livelihoods and well-being in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. 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[February 08, 2021] SOPHiA GENETICS and the Spanish Lung Cancer Group Team Up to Explore the Predictive Potential of Multimodal Health Data in Resectable Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer LAUSANNE, Switzerland and BOSTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SOPHiA GENETICS, a global leader in Data-Driven Medicine, announced today a clinical research partnership initiative with the Spanish Lung Cancer Group to apply its radiomics and multimodal analysis capabilities to predict response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in resectable stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The collaboration with the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (Grupo Espanol de Cancer de Pulmon GECP), a Spanish cooperative group for the research on lung cancer, is to show the potential of SOPHiA Radiomics a groundbreaking application that analyzes medical images for research use put to use in an additional retrospective analysis of the data from the phase 2 NADIM clinical trial (NCT03081689) (the NADIM trial). The NADIM trial, funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, aimed to assess the antitumor activity and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. The important results recently published in The Lancet Oncology supported the addition of neoadjuvant nivolumab to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC. This very aggressive type of cancer is unfortunately terminal in most patients with locally advanced staged disease; these results could therefore support a change of perception of locally advancd lung cancer as a potentially lethal disease to one that is curable. Additional data are expected to be generated through the analysis of the radiology images of NADIM patients through the SOPHiA Radiomics Platform. These data will then be combined with clinical, biological, and genomics data, and multimodal machine learning models will be developed to predict response to neoadjuvant treatment, using baseline and pre-surgery data. The predictive analysis will also aim to stratify patient cohorts with regard to progression-free and overall survival. "We are very happy to collaborate in this innovative and revolutionary project that opens the door to a new precision medicine. Certainly, this partnership will improve the knowledge relating to the treatment for this group of patients and will allow to approach the best prospects for curing early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)," said Dr. Mariano Provencio, Head of the Medical Oncology Department at Puerta de Hierro University Hospital in Madrid and lead investigator of the NADIM trial. "We are very excited to apply our radiomics and multimodal analytics capabilities to such an important clinical question," said Prof. Thierry Colin, Vice-President of Radiomics Research at SOPHiA GENETICS. "In the Spanish Lung Cancer Group, we have found visionary partners that clearly see the promise of next-generation health data such as radiomics being married with tech-enabled solutions in artificial intelligence to generate entirely novel clinical insights for the benefit of oncology patients." "Unlocking the synergistic potential of multimodal health data through artificial intelligence holds revolutionary promise for the future of personalized medicine in oncology and many other health conditions. We are inspired by the potential to positively impact on patients by supporting their care providers in predicting the best course of treatment," said Dr. Philippe Menu, Chief Medical Officer at SOPHiA GENETICS. The NADIM trial involved 18 centers from the Spanish Lung Cancer Network that will contribute their data to the joint project. Results from the additional analysis of NADIM trial data are expected to be available later this year. About SOPHiA GENETICS SOPHiA GENETICS is a health tech company democratizing Data-Driven Medicine to improve health outcomes and economics worldwide. By unlocking the power of new-generation health data for cancer and rare diseases management, the universal SOPHiA Platform allows clinical researchers to act with precision and confidence. The company's innovative approach enables an ever-expanding community of over 1,000 institutions to benefit from knowledge sharing, fostering a new era in healthcare. SOPHiA's achievement is recognized by the MIT Technology Review's "50 Smartest Companies". More info: SOPHiAGENETICS.COM, follow @SOPHiAGENETICS on Twitter. About the Spanish Lung Cancer Group The SLCG is an independent, non-profit, cooperative group founded in 1991 to promote the study and research of lung cancer. The group is composed of 525 medical professionalsoncologists, thoracic surgery specialists, radiotherapists and basic researchersand unites 177 public and private centers across Spain. The group has treated over 37,000 patients in different studies and clinical trials, the results of which have been presented and published at national and international congresses and in leading medical journals. More info: gecp.com, follow @gecp_org on Twitter. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1434015/SOPHiA_GENETICS_En.jpg SOPHIA GENETICS Media Contact Sophie Reymond PR & Communications Manager sreymond@sophiagenetics.com +41 79 863 11 10 SLCG Contact Rita Perales rperales@gecp.org +34 670 24 70 50 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pd-catalytic regiodivergent dimethylallylation of indazole with isoprene. Credit: JIANG Wenshuang and JI Dingwei Dimethylallyl-related units play a significant role in enhancing lipophilicity of molecules and facilitating permeation across the cellular membrane. Isoprene can serve as precursor in the chemical synthesis of dimethylallyl-derived molecules. And indazoles are pharmacologically important scaffolds that found in numerous natural products and drugs. Recently, a team led by Prof. CHEN Qing'an from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in cooperation with Associate Professor JIANG Xuliang from Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, proposed a strategy that could realize orthogonal regulation of nucleophilic and electrophilic sites in Pd-catalyzed regiodivergent couplings between indazoles and isoprene. Their findings were published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. on Jan. 18. The researchers found that the 1,2-or 4,3-insertion pathway with respect to the electrophilic sites on isoprene could be controlled by the choice of ligands under Pd-hydride catalysis. In terms of the nucleophilic sites on indazoles, the reaction occured at either the N1-or N2-position of indazoles was governed by the acid co-catalysts. This study not only contributes a practical tool for selective functionalization of isoprene, but also provides a guide to manipulate the regioselectivity for the N-functionalization of indazoles. "This orthogonal regulation strategy of nucleophilic and electrophilic sites offers new opportunities for the buildup of molecular complexity," said Prof. CHEN. Explore further Researchers propose strategy for catalytic regiodivergent hydrosilylation of isoprene More information: Wen-Shuang Jiang et al. Orthogonal Regulation of Nucleophilic and Electrophilic Sites in PdCatalyzed Regiodivergent Couplings between Indazoles and Isoprene, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2021). Wen-Shuang Jiang et al. Orthogonal Regulation of Nucleophilic and Electrophilic Sites in PdCatalyzed Regiodivergent Couplings between Indazoles and Isoprene,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202100137 Around 1,623 from the EWS category have paid the booking amount and around 948 for the LIG category. With a few days left for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)s 2021 housing scheme under which 1,350 flats are up for sale in the national capital, the authority has received over 16,000 applications and more than 7,000 have paid up the booking amount, a DDA spokesperson said. Out of the 7,270 people who have paid up the booking amount, 4,699 have applied for HIG and MIG units that are available in the range of over Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore, the spokesperson said. Around 1,623 from the EWS category have paid the booking amount and around 948 for the LIG category, the spokesperson said. The total number of registered applications are 63,981, the spokesperson said. The flats on offer are located at Dwarka, Jasola, Manglapuri, Rohini and Vasant Kunj localities of the national capital. Applications will remain active until February 16, 2021, the authority said, adding the draw of lots is scheduled for March 5. Applicants for flats under the scheme have to deposit application money under different categories. For EWS units, the amount is Rs 25,000; for LIG it is Rs 1 lakh and for middle income group (MIG) and higher income group (HIG) units it is Rs 2 lakh. Under the scheme, a total of 215 HIG flats are located near Jasola Vihar-Shaheen Bagh Metro station and 15 in Vasant Kunj. In the 3-BHK category of HIG, 215 flats are on offer in Jasola, Pocket 9B in the price range of Rs 1.97 crore to 2.14 crore. Thirteen flats are on offer in Vasant Kunj in the price range of Rs 1.43 crore to Rs 1.72 crore. As many as 352 MIG flats on offer are located in Dwarka Sector 19-B, 348 in Dwarka Sector 16, and 4 in Vasant Kunj. As many as 276 EWS flats in Dwarkas Manglapuri, among others are on sale. The scheme is linked to the credit-linked subsidy scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Housing for All (Urban). The scheme has been launched online through the newly developed AWAAS software of the DDA. With the new AWAAS software, applicants are able to complete all the formalities for the application, payment, and possession online and visit the DDA only for the process of execution of conveyance deed. The total cost of the flats includes land premium, cost of construction and 20 percent surcharge on land premium and cost of construction in respect of HIG flats at Vasant Kunj and 10 percent surcharge on land premium and cost of construction in respect of HIG flats at Jasola and MIG flats at Dwarka, according to the information shared in the brochure of the scheme. The cost of the unit is to be deposited within 90 days from the date of issue of demand-cum-allotment letter. This will be issued online, the brochure said. The digitally signed possession letter will be issued online and the allottee will have to upload self-attested copies of the requisite documents. After issuance of the possession letter, the allottee can reserve a date for physical possession through online mode only, it said, adding even the date of execution of conveyance deed will be reserved by the allottee through the online mode. Since a number of concessions are being offered under the EWS category, the allottees in this category will not be permitted to sell or transfer, or otherwise part with the possession of the flat in any manner for a period of five years from the delivery of possession, it said. The last DDA Housing Scheme was launched in March 2019, offering nearly 18,000 flats under four categories. These included 488 (HIG), 1,555 (MIG), 8,383 (LIG) and 7,496 (EWS). The Authority had received around 45,000 applications for the units. For detailed terms and conditions, visit www.dda.org.in Cork City Council's operations team have commenced precautionary gritting across priority routes in Cork city centre and its suburbs as the cold snap sets in. Salting and gritting of approximately 240 kilometres of priority public roads and pathways commenced last night and will continue throughout the week. Over 100 tonnes of salt will be distributed by Cork City Council crews over a nine hour period each night. Cork City Council's operations team are braving the cold to grit Trinity Bridge by the College of Commerce Cold weather is forecasted this week Our operations crews are gritting priority routes across Cork City Centre & suburbs: https://t.co/Px6dZRg6GC#StaySafe pic.twitter.com/aMrldYgOs3 Cork City Council #StaySafe (@corkcitycouncil) February 8, 2021 In a statement, Cork City Council urged motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution when travelling this week. "If walking or driving within your 5 kilometres, never assume a route has been treated and exercise caution when travelling in freezing conditions. "Cork City Council continues to keep the situation under review and advises the public to continue to monitor weather forecasts throughout the week," they said. At the weekend, the Council moved to advise owners of vacant premises to shut off their water supplies as a precaution in case of frozen pipes. Property owners were also advised to ensure outside taps are insulated. In a statement released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today, the Department said that a severe weather coordination meeting took place today to review the weather forecast for the coming days, including the potential impact of snow and provide all key stakeholders with this information directly to enable relevant preparations to take place. The Departments National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) Crisis Management Team has been meeting daily and working with Met Eireann, the Office of Public Works (OPW), local authorities and other Government departments and agencies since last Wednesday to monitor the forecasts and their predicted impacts. A weather advisory is in place until Wednesday evening for cold conditions and wintry showers. A map of Cork City Council's salting route is available here. Electric-car maker Tesla said in a securities filing Monday that it has purchased $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and that it expects to begin accepting payment in the cryptocurrency for its products in the future. Tesla shares and bitcoin both traded higher after the announcement. This follows social media posts by the auto makers influential boss, Elon Musk, that already had helped drive bitcoins price to a record. The announcement added roughly $100 billion to the combined market value of bitcoin and Tesla on Monday. The investment is more than symbolic for the company, being equivalent to Teslas research-and-development tab for 2020. And while uniting two of the most popular investment themes under one roof is undoubtedly a winner today, the decision introduces even more risk to owning what is already one of the most speculative stocks of the current bull market. As Tesla itself said in the filing, prices for digital assets such as bitcoin have been volatile in the past. Cryptocurrencies are a fairly recent development and their long-term adoption by consumers, investors and businesses is highly uncertain. That adds to the speculative fervor already gripping Teslas stock price in a feedback loop. Indeed, the manager of the most popular active fund recently, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, has made big bets on both Tesla and a trust that owns bitcoin, fueling a record pace of inflows. At a market value of about $800 billion, Tesla trades at about 6.5 times the combined value of Ford and General Motors, despite controlling a small fraction of the global auto market. And Tesla lately has been losing market share in Western Europe to competitors including Volkswagen, which has begun to compete aggressively in the electric category. The news of Teslas bitcoin investment eclipsed a negative headline for the company Monday about quality issues identified in the important Chinese market. While digital assets are relatively new, a tour of financial history suggests similar speculative use of an industrial companys funds arentand they have ended badly. About a century ago, General Motors required a bailout due to the stock speculation activities of founder William Durant. In the 1980s, widespread corporate speculation on Japanese land prices helped drive a stock bubble that eventually collapsed. Those cautionary tales arent likely to concern investors who are enjoying a giant stock-market party. But Teslas monetary experiment, coupled with the individual-investor-driven stock-market madness of recent weeks, should have investors concerned that the consequences of staying at the party too late will be worse than leaving early. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The compact SUV segment is growing strong in the Indian market. Back in January, the sales figures for the sub-four metre SUVs have nearly doubled as compared to the same period last year. Based on strong demand, this segment is now a big contributor to the overall sales figures every month. The top-five compact SUVs on our list include Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Kia, and Tata Motors. Read below to learn more about them Hyundai Venue The Hyundai Venue has been a strong selling product in the sub-four metre SUV segment right from day one. Back in January 2021, the Venue had outsold the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza by a fair margin. The South Korean carmaker sold 11,779 units of the Venue in India last month as compared to 6,733 units sold in the same period last year, thereby registering a 75 per cent growth in sales. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza takes the second place with 10,623 unit sales last month as compared to 10,134 unit sales in the same period last year, thereby witnessing a growth of five per cent. While the Vitara Brezza is limited to a petrol engine with manual and automatic transmission option, the Venue goes a step ahead and offers two petrol and one diesel engine option. The petrol variants can be had in either manual or automatic transmission option, while the diesel variant gets a six-speed manual transmission as standard. Kia Sonet Kia Motors has emerged strong in Indian market with the Sonet sub-four metre SUV. The Sonet has emerged as the third highest seller last month with 8,859 unit sales. The Sonet is available in two petrol engine option and one diesel engine. Depending on the engine, the vehicle can be had in either manual or automatic transmission option. Tata Nexon On the fourth position, we have the Tata Nexon with 8,225 unit sales in India last month. Sadly, the Nexon has missed the top three positions even after registering its highest ever sales, with 143 per cent sales growth for the Nexon in January 2021 as compared to 3,382 unit sales in the same period last year. The Nexon is available in both petrol and diesel guise and can be had either in a manual transmission or an AMT option. Mahindra XUV300 Mahindra, the popular Indian utility vehicle manufacturer has made it to the list of top-five with the XUV300 compact SUV. The company sold 4,612 units in the country last month as compared to 3,360 unit sales in the same period in 2020, thereby registering a growth of 37 per cent. The XUV300 is available in both petrol and diesel engine option. The company recently introduced an AMT option in the petrol trim, while the diesel engine can be had in both manual and AMT option. Hyundai Venue 6.92 Lakh Onwards Hyundai | Hyundai Venue | Venue New Delhi: Former AIADMK leader VK Sasikala on Monday (February 8) morning left for Tamil Nadu from the Bengaluru hotel she was staying in after being discharged from hospital. Visuals showed the former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader leaving in a car and greeting followers with folded hands. Sasikala is returning to Tamil Nadu today after completing her quarantine in Bengaluru. She will stay at her niece J Krishnapriya`s residence in Chennai`s T Nagar area. Krishnapriya is the daughter of J Ilavarasi, Sasikala`s sister-in-law. Posters welcoming Sasikala have been put up in T Nagar ahead of her return to the state. The leader was discharged on January 31 from Bengaluru`s Victoria hospital where she was undergoing COVID-19 treatment. She has been in quarantine since then. She was officially released from judicial custody on January 27 after completing her four-year prison sentence in a disproportionate assets case. In 2019, the Income Tax Department had attached properties worth Rs 1,600 crores belonging to her under the provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act. Meanwhile, pro-Kannada organisation members have removed Tamil signboards near the resort where AIADMK leader Sasikala is staying, in Bengaluru. "She came out of jail after sentence and is staying here. But putting Tamil boards here when she is about to go back today is wrong," said a protester. The pro-Kannada organisation members were seen removing the Tamil signboards and burning them. Posters welcoming Sasikala have been put up in T Nagar ahead of her return to the state. (With Agency Inputs) 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. EV And as it turns out, the Apple Car, or Project Titan as its internally being referred to, has reached a point where Apple needs to find a manufacturing partner. People close to the matter said back in January that Hyundai was Apples favorite pick, especially because its Georgia plant operated by Kia could be used for the production of its electric vehicle.What happened next was something that didnt typically align with Apples way of doing business. In just a few words, Hyundai itself confirmed it was discussing with Apple about the production of an, the South Koreans then said they werent actually in talks with the iPhone maker, more reports came out of a possible collaboration between the two , and then people close to the matter said an agreement was just a matter of time Fast forward to last week, and heres another report, this time claiming the talks have been suspended because Apple didnt like how Hyundai spilled the beans on the project. So, in theory, the negotiations are on hold, and Apple is even believed to be looking for another partner to build the Apple Car.Now Hyundai and Kia told Bloomberg they arent in talks with Apple for the production of an autonomous car, and the report reiterates the Cupertino-based tech giant is already discussing with other manufacturers.On the other hand, Hyundai admitted in its regulatory filing that its currently holding talks about autonomous EV production, but of course, no specifics were included. Hyundai is still likely to build the Apple Car anyway, eventually.It's worth emphasizing that the talks between Apple and Hyundai are suspended, not abandoned for good, and the iPhone maker doesnt seem to rule out resuming them at some point in the future.For Apple, finding another partner to build the Apple Car would be a challenging process, as such a company would have to meet plenty of requirements, including having local production capacity. Cupertino is also considering building its own plant to manufacture the Apple Car, but then again, its partner would need to handle the operations.So eventually, Hyundai is still the one that ticks all the boxes, and it remains to be seen if Apple and the South Korean brand come to terms on this. In the meantime, Hyundais share fell 8.4 percent in Seoul after denying talks with Apple. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. COLUMBIA Richland County Council soon will likely reaffirm a $1 million settlement for firing a former administrator that was invalidated by a judge but not without hearing from one more person first the fired administrator. Some council members want to bring Gerald Seals back to speak publicly about his experience, while others prefer to move on without re-living the drama that accompanied Seals' tenure that included clashing with some on council about not properly informing them and the public about major decisions. Despite a court decision that could restart settlement talks, the county is not looking to recoup the money given to Seals in 2018, council members say. And Seals said he doesn't intend to reopen negotiations to win a bigger payout. Seals maintains he did nothing to deserve being fired and is willing to speak publicly about it at the request of some on council, including Joe Walker. "I don't think it's realistic to ever get that money back," Walker said. "I think when Joe Q. Taxpayer hears what he has to say, that they'll realize the county's liability far exceeds that million-dollar figure if we were to try to take it back and endure another lawsuit from Mr. Seals himself." The issue is expected to be among the first taken up when County Council convenes Feb. 9 for one of the first full meetings of the year. The meeting will be the first since a Richland County judge on Jan. 29 upheld a ruling that County Council violated the state's open meetings law when it approved giving Seals $984,000 after he was fired in 2018. The order invalidates the council's vote, Judge Jocelyn Newman ruled, but notably doesn't compel Seals to return the money. The 11-person council has eight new members since the settlement deal with Seals was struck three years ago. The money would be a challenge to recoup, said attorney Joe McCulloch, who sued the county over the settlement. "But if there's any lesson to be learned here for our elected representatives, it is to take extreme care in making decisions involving huge disbursements of money." McCulloch said. The council voted in November to give Seals a hearing and acknowledge he had been improperly fired and his career and reputation negatively affected. But five new council members have been seated since then and have yet to weigh in on the possibility. Seals told The Post and Courier he welcomes a hearing with conditions the public and media attend and be able to ask questions. County Council chairman Paul Livingston said that he feels council should validate the previous settlement and move on to issues more worthy of the time, like coronavirus response and property tax relief. Livingston, who voted against the settlement in 2018, said he didn't feel Seals needs to come back before the public before the deal is approved again. Seals was fired in April 2018 and the next month the council approved paying him to settle his claims disputing his departure. McCulloch filed the suit, alleging the closed-door meeting that led to the settlement being approved violated the state's Freedom of Information Act. A judge agreed in October 2020, ruling that the procedure in the 2018 meeting violated open records laws and invalidated the payment to Seals. The same judge upheld the ruling in January after the county had asked the court to reconsider. The county was ordered to pay attorney fees. During the court case, records showed that then-Councilwoman Dalhi Myers had texted Seals during a closed-door council meeting about his settlement. Seals declined to offer what he might say at the hearing and emphasized that council wanted to talk to him and he agreed. "I have never shied away or run away from telling the truth," Seals said. "I'm very much willing to tell the truth." During Seals' tenure leading Richland County, he sparred with his council over his plans for the Richland Renaissance, a $144 million project to upgrade county facilities, build a new courthouse and among other services. Those plans have since been abandoned, though the county owns empty anchor stores at Columbia Place Mall as part of the project. Also with Seals in charge, state auditors accused county officials of misspending as much as $41 million from a special county sales tax passed by Richland voters that was supposed to fund improvements to the countys roads. Seals said the saga hurt his public reputation in the area he grew up and where he has family, friends and a church congregation he pastors. Some may be under the impression he did something "grievously wrong," he said. "None of those things were ever clarified, so I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight," Seals said. Councilwoman Chakisse Newton, who made the motion in November to give Seals the hearing, said she didn't know why a hearing hadn't been held. Newton, who was not on council in 2018, said she wouldn't vote to approve the settlement without taxpayers having the chance to get answers as to why it was paid. "Today might be too soon, but I'm ready tomorrow," Newton said. Walker agreed, saying agreeing to a hearing offers the new council the chance to stand for a new era of transparency in Richland County. Of the five people who voted to approve Seals' settlement in 2018, only one vice chair Yvonne McBride is still on council. McBride declined to comment on Seals' settlement in a text message Feb. 5, citing an ongoing legal case. Ultimately County Council will also decide whether to appeal the judge's ruling further. "Whether we stop today or continue to fight it, we're paying the attorneys," Walker said. "Let's minimize the damage, let's bring the truth forward and let's move on." Zimbabwe's often-arrested anti-corruption journalist Hopewell Chin'ono has turned to protest music, and a song he released on social media has gone viral. The song, "Dem Loot," has also been covered by other artists and linked in numerous posts, but some are warning Chinono may be arrested for it. In his song, Chin'ono is singing to Zimbabwean youths, telling them that corruption is the cause of their countrys poor economy and the average citizens poverty. Several versions of the song - set to a reggae beat - have been released since its launch and fans have posted their amateur videos. Chin'ono, who until now was known as a journalist, says he is happy with the development. He has an emphatic no to critics who say he is now getting into politics. I think we have a role in society, as citizens, to ask the most important and pertinent questions about why things are the way they are. Its not just about the song. The song is just an entry point into the Zimbabwean discourse. Now people are asking: Why is it there is a broken state in Zimbabwe? Why is it the roads are bad? Why is it people do not have clean drinking water? Why is it 95% of Zimbabwes potential work force is not going to work? President Emmerson Mnangagwas government has arrested Chinono three times since July on charges that he abused social media - not for speaking out against corruption. Tendai Chirau, youth spokesman for the ruling ZANU-PF party, says Chinono sang just to get sympathy ahead of his pending trial - not to oppose corruption. Any talk of corruption without taking evidence to institutions fighting corruption like ZACC and courts is mere grandstanding. We call anyone in Zimbabwe who has evidence of corrupt activities to approach responsible institutions, Chirau said. ZACC is the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission which arrested several politicians for graft. But critics say its mainly targeting enemies of Mnangagwa. Alexander Rusero, a former senior journalism and international relations lecturer at Harare Polytechnic college, says he is not surprised by the way the government and its sympathizers have condemned Chinonos song. Hopewells messages have since proved to be effective because of the wider audience, the wider reach in terms of fighting corruption, government-instigated corruption. And the government is frustrated because it does not have strategies and methodologies of countering such effective method where information about corruption is relayed at an alarming and faster pace than any other time before. Dem Loot has attracted hundreds of thousands of views and comments on social media. As fans continue to enjoy the song, some are warning Chinono - through their versions - that he may go back to jail because of it. Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister-designate, has stressed the need for frequent washing of hands with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers to stem the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. He urged homes, market places, shops and offices not to accept persons who call in without a nose mask, adding, No Face Mask, No Entry label must be boldly displayed at the entrance. He maintained that mandatory wearing of nose masks by all at public places should be strictly enforced by the Metropolitan Security Council (METSEC), Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) and District Security Council (DISEC) and offenders prosecuted to deter others. Mr Darko-Mensah, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said: Heads of institutions, especially schools, must provide Veronica buckets, accessories and soap, tissue paper as well as masks and other basic PPEs for use by their staff and clients. He said social and physical distancing in churches, mosques and public places should be strictly adhered to while commercial transport operators must ensure passengers wear masks before boarding vehicles at all times. The Minister-designate said while contact tracing, testing, and treatment were in the hands of the healthcare workers, members of the public must complement by co-operating and respecting the safety protocols. He said, "to avoid a possible second lock-down, with the Western Region included this time around, we all owe it a duty to comply with these directives and ensure that the war against COVID-19 in the Western Region and in Ghana for that matter is won sooner than later." Mr Darko-Mensah called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to lead the process with their various Security Councils providing support. He further charged them to implement with immediate effect the outlined strategies and measures taken by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) under the auspices of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee in order to defeat the virus in the Region. 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 Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 11:56PM by Claudio Alves The Academy will announce its 15 finalists for the Best International Feature Oscar next Tuesday. For the first time in years, the shortlist will not include any saves from the executive committee, meaning that some more challenging pieces might suffer for it. In any case, as that day approaches, our joint adventure through the submissions continues. However, since time is short, I've decided to focus these last few groups of capsule reviews on pictures that enchanted me, the kind of titles I'd be ecstatic to see on the shortlist. Without further ado, let's delve into Slovenia's meditation on memory, Sweden's tale of chaotic motherhood, and Ukraine's sci-fi dystopia STORIES FROM THE CHESTNUT WOODS (Slovenia) Between Italy and Yugoslavia, there's a land full of chestnut trees, forests as far as the eye can see. This natural frontier is Slovenia and, during World War II, its strategic position spelled doom for the nation. The winds of war made it a liminal space, ravaged, and transformed into a limbo-like threshold for the Iron Curtain, where only lost souls remained. Misery spread like a disease, solitude too, and hunger soon followed. Director Gregor Bozic stares in the face of this despondence through a prism of poetic abstraction, unspooling a song of longing from the people who stayed in those forests, who died there, or eventually left. The story is stark in its simplicity, a casual encounter between an old carpenter caring for his dying wife and a young widowed chestnut seller. Their meeting happens at a time of transition in their lives, a period of reflection and reckoning with memory, regrets, and dreams that have long withered away and floated off on a chilly breeze. It's their ruminations that inform the look of the film, its pensive mood, and beautiful phantasmagoria. Memories bleed into present life, oneiric reveries rise from the earth with promises of pain and joy, whispers of doubt, moans of loss. For some, Stories from the Chestnut Woods may be too shapeless and meandering, but I felt hypnotized by its bittersweet visions. Ferran Paredes' autumnal cinematography in 35mm deserves particular praise for how it transfigures the arboreal landscape, painting with natural light and a hazy sense of arcane artifice. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more gorgeous or delicate portrait of bereavement, of national trauma, and the peacefulness of mortality. B+ CHARTER (Sweden) Ambiguity can be both a tool for cinematic brilliance or the cause of an audience's rightful frustration. In her latest film, director Amanda Kernell makes good use of ambivalence on film, telling the story of a reckless single mom who kidnaps her children from her ex-husband's house and takes them on an impromptu holiday to Tenerife. The protagonist's frenzy was ignited by a teary phone call from her young son, but neither she nor we get much in the way of context clues to decipher what's going on. Paranoia takes over, the fear of a trapped animal, the despair of an absent matriarch in need of filial validation. Ana Dahl Torp's mercurial central performance illustrates these paradigms with clarity, though it's in the assemblage and presentation of her troublesome tale that Charter shines brightest. Even though most of the film concerns three people in close proximity, Kernell frames the diminutive cast in isolated compositions. Because of this, each touch shared by mother and children, each gesture that brings people together into the same frame, feels electric, transgressive. As for the expanses of empty space encircling the actors in most shots, it weighs down on the viewer like a wave of molten led, blistering and suffocating. That's not to say that Charter is a monotonous experience, far from it. The scarcity of information, the unreliability of the dominating POV, the fiery nature of the emotions, all contribute to a psychologically complex film that feels genuinely dangerous as it tackles the thin line that often stands between love and destruction. B+ ATLANTIS (Ukraine) Be warned, Atlantis isn't a film for everyone. Glacially slow, Valentyn Vasyanovych's latest feature is a saturnine collection of mostly static longshots. Those distant, almost alienating visions, document the hellish aftermath of a great Russian war that ravaged Ukraine as we follow a PTSD-stricken man who crosses paths with a young volunteer working on identifying the mummified corpses littered through the apocalyptic vistas. To say that it's a challenging, depressing production feels like an understatement. Curiously enough, it's also an inaccurate overstatement. Despite the bleakness of the premise and the rigidity of his formal approach, Vasyanovych isn't interested in creating a mere compendium of horrors. His camera may be merciless, but his directorial hand is not, nor his storytelling choices. While the world of Atlantis may be a nightmare, there are inklings of levity hiding beneath the superficial layers of despair. Dig deep enough, be patient, and you'll find humor unspooling from the gallows-like atmosphere. The simple pleasure of a hot bath emerges from a tableau of industrial wreckage to great surprise, while lust blossoms like blinding sunlight thawing the frozen ennui of the land and its people. Even in a crumbling world where optimism seems impossible, where human warmth appears to be an inaccessible privilege, there's still hope. Bookending his picture in thermal vision, the director slyly subverts the emotions unspooled by those storms of saturated color. First, the overhead shots philtered through that technology invoked the perspective of an unfeeling mechanized deity. By the end, however, the glow of comforting bodies and the lower angle suggest a less fatalistic interpretation. People may be the fountain from which evil springs forth, but they're also all we have. Human connection shall be the light at the end of the tunnel, our salvation. A- I'd love it if these three pictures made it to the Academy shortlist. Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. Atlantis is far too cold and alienating, its style so bracing it feels like an open challenge to AMPAS' perceived taste in conventional prestige. Stories from the Chestnut Woods also feels too abstract, but its World War II adjacent "story" might help. Charter is the likeliest to be recognized, both because it comes from one of the most honored nationalities in the category's history but also for its character-focused drama. If it were an American production with American actors and English dialogue, it'd the kind of film one can imagine earning its lead actress considerable award Gandhinagar, Feb 8 : Congress MLA Imran Khedawala said on Monday that he had submitted his resignation as legislator to Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda to protest over the ticket distribution for the local body elections in Behrampura area of Ahmedabad. "I tendered my resignation to the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief on Monday. My constituency Jamalpur Khadia consists of Jamalpur, Khadia and Behrampura wards of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. After the high command selected four nominees for Behrampura, I conveyed it to them. After these four filed their nominations, I came to know that two other candidates had also filed papers on Congress tickets," Khedawala alleged. "I confirmed this news from the Collector's office and thereafter questioned the Gujarat leadership over the issue. My question is -- once the high command has decided and given its mandate to four candidates, why have two others been given the same?" asked the legislator. Dissatisfied with the reply from state leadership, Khedawala said, he tendered his resignation to the GPCC President. "Initially they refused to accept my resignation. But when I threatened that I will tender my resignation to the Assembly Speaker, it was accepted. Now, the party high command will take a decision on my resignation," he added. The Congress is facing dissent, especially in the selection of candidates for the coming local body elections in Gujarat. Quite a few Congress legislators have dumped the party in the past to join the ruling BJP. If it wasnt already clear that Intel is anxious about Apples M1 chip, it is now. PC World and Toms Hardware report that Intel has shared a legion of benchmarks claiming to show that 11th-generation Core i7 laptop processors are faster than the M1. They do suggest there are areas where Intel can claim victory, although there are also questions about Intels methods. The results have Intel pulling ahead of Apple in a Chrome browsing test, Office 365 tasks, Adobe creative apps and AI. While gaming was something of a wash, Intel pointed out that certain games simply arent available on Macs. The chip giant also argued that Apples battery life claims were just fluff they werent any better than a Core i7 in practice, Intel said. Intel was also keen to point out the better support for external monitors and a greater variety of hardware in its camp, such as touchscreen laptops. However, there are concerns about the methodology. For one, Intel switched hardware between tests, both for its own CPUs and Apples. It used a MacBook Air for the battery life test rather than the longer-lasting Pro, for example. Intel also chose some tests that favored its components particularly well, such as a Topaz Labs AI test one of the few to make use of Intels hardware acceleration. Its safe to say these figures dont entirely line up with some reviews, including ours. Companies routinely cherry-pick benchmarks that put their products in the best light, of course, and its true that compatibility and variety skew in Intels favor. However, the very fact that Intel is offering these benchmarks speaks volumes. Intel sees Apples chips as enough of a threat that it feels compelled to launch a media offensive, and its unlikely to go soft on its new rival in the future. New Delhi, Feb 8 : The letter game between the government and Twitter has intensified, with no respite seen as the micro-blogging platform is yet to take action on several mischievous, dangerous and fake accounts amid the ongoing farmers' protest. The situation is grim, and tough penal action is imminent if Twitter does not put its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems in place and remove controversial hashtags from its platform, and block accounts believed to be linked to Khalistan sympathisers and those backed by Pakistan. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has sent three notices, starting with asking the company to block 257 accounts using the #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag amid the farmers' protest, under Section 69A of the IT Act. Twitter had suspended some high-profile accounts earlier this month, only to unblock them in few hours saying that the "content is free speech and newsworthy". "Protecting public conversation and transparency is fundamental to the work we do at Twitter, and the content has been unblocked," the company said in a statement. The IT ministry then took cognizance of a clear attempt to polarise India when international celebrities with hardly any expertise on Indian affairs extended their support to the protesters agitating against the three new farm laws. The government took a serious note of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey "liking" a Tweet asking for an emoji for the hashtag #FarmersProtests. Dorsey liked the Tweet which said: "Now is as a good time as ever for @Twitter and @Jack to add a Twitter emoji to the massive #FarmersProtests in India - as they did for historic international protests like #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars". The Twitter CEO liked the tweet by Washington Post journalist Karen Attiah. The government, in a strong reaction, described the celebrities' tweets as part of "vested interest groups" and their support as "sensationalist social media hashtags and comments" which are "neither accurate, nor responsible". The government has now sent a fresh notice to Twitter in less than 10 days, directing it to block 1,178 more accounts -- this time related to Khalistan sympathisers. According to Pavan Duggal, one of the country's top cyber law experts, intermediaries like Twitter have to comply with the applicable laws of India "if their services are being made available on computer systems and networks in India and further if the contravention is being carried out on computer systems and networks physically located in India". In case Twitter fails to comply with the government directions, the latter has the powers to resort to penal consequences. "In that direction, appropriate FIRs can be registered against intermediaries and service providers and their top management can also be made liable for the said contravention under Section 85 of the Information Technology Act, 2000," Duggal informed. The government can also initiate action for suspension or blocking of intermediary apps or websites if they fail to comply with the directions. "As per Section 69A (3), there is provision of seven years' imprisonment and fine," said Virag Gupta, the lawyer of former RSS ideologue K.N. Govindacharya, who is arguing the Designated Officers' matter before the Delhi High Court. The states effort to improve access to the COVID-19 vaccine and build trust in the vaccine for one of Alabamas most vulnerable groups Black residents is lacking for a population nearly three times more likely to die from and almost four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than whites, advocates say. We feel that there are two things that the state could be doing a lot better, said Bernard Simelton, president of the NAACP. They need to put more information out about the vaccine and using different media outlets to inform the public about how to sign up, where to sign up, such as Black churches and radio stations. The information has to be disseminated in a manner where people can understand it. No reference point There is no publicly available data on how many Black Alabamians received the COVID-19 vaccine so far or any other racial group. Alabama has not yet made that data public because some vaccine providers are still learning how to input that information into the state system, said Alabama Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers. She said the state is still collecting that data, however. As for when that information will be made public, Landers said: We do not have a timeline, but are continuing to work toward having the most accurate data on race, prior to visualizing on our dashboard. See also: How long will it take to vaccinate Alabama and how can we speed it up? Neighboring Mississippi is one of just 20 states that has made that data public, and the numbers show that Blacks are disproportionately being vaccinated relative to their share of the state population. Just 18 percent of Black Mississippians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine despite comprising 37 percent of the states population, according to the latest statistics provided by the Mississippi Department of Health. Meanwhile, white Mississippians accounted for 69 percent of COVID-19 vaccinations while representing 59 percent of the state population. Alabama releasing that data would give a reference point as to whether Blacks are equitably receiving the vaccine and address areas on improving access. A late start The Alabama Department of Public Health is working on improving vaccine access among vulnerable populations. The agency put out a request for proposals, offering $100,000 to $250,000 to groups for increasing vaccine access to Blacks, Hispanic and native American tribes. But decisions on who will be getting that money wont be made until after March 30 the deadline for RFPs to be submitted; ADPH could not be reached for comment on when the funds are expected to be doled out. Advocates say that timeline is too late, given that its been known for months that Blacks are 2.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus than whites. This is CDC funding -- I wish it had come a lot earlier. The activity outline in the request for proposals are the kinds of things that couldve been planned months ago, so its a shame that this strategic thinking wasnt in place earlier, said Jim Carnes, policy director for Alabama Arise, which advocates for low-income Alabamians. Were in a position that well take what we can get. It looks like theyre planning to fund activities that really could be critical in addressing the potential disparities in the vaccine, but the timing is, like, two months late. People in organizations are going to have to scramble to get any meaningful traction on trying to prevent the disparities. Simelton said the NAACP has taken a proactive approach in disseminating information about the vaccine to the Black community. The organization is hosting weekly information sessions from Wednesday through March 4 with experts from UAB Hospital and ADPH to address questions and concerns about the vaccine, but he said the state needs to do more on Black outreach. Theres still a lot of people we will not reach, and they need to work with the community and community-based groups to help get the word out, he said. It should be them reaching out to us. They have a responsibility to reach out to community-based groups to ask what we can do to help get the word out better. The state is launching mass vaccination clinics for COVID-19 in Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, and Tuscaloosa. A record of betrayal Even as COVID-19 is more likely to be deadlier for Blacks, less than half of African-Americans say they will get the vaccine once its made available to them and 30 percent say they wont get vaccinated at all, according to a survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Of those who either wont get the vaccine or are unsure if they want to be immunized, 66 percent said they are concerned about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and 45 percent were concerned that the vaccine would harm them. In Alabama, the seeds of distrust were sown in the Tuskegee Experiment, the once-secret federal government program where poor Black sharecroppers from Macon County with untreated syphilis were studied under the ruse they were given free medical treatment for their participation. We have a record here of betrayal of African-American communities by the government, and we have to bear that in mind as were coming in with a mass health program, Carnes said. Weve got to break through some of that skepticism that is very well founded. Simelton added, Thats certainly a tremendous concern, and Ive had people tell me, Im not going to be [the governments] guinea pig...but thats why its important to give the correct information out to the communities. Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been formally arrested in China after six months in detention on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, officials from the two countries said. The owners of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor's ancestral houses had refused to sell the buildings at the rate fixed by Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, saying the prime location property has been severely undervalued. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the owners of the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor have been urged to reach a settlement over the rate fixed for the purchase of the two historic buildings for converting them into museums. Faisal Faroqui, a Peshawar-based spokesman for Dilip Kumar, told reporters here on Sunday that Peshawar lives in the heart of the Indian legendary actor and that he always discusses his association and sweet memories with his birth place and the ancestral home in Mohallah Khudadad where he was born in 1922 before being shifted to India in 1935. The family and the fans of the Indian film legends were very enthusiastic over the provincial government's decision to convert the two historic buildings into museums to honour the Bollywood legends and preserve their contribution to the Indian cinema, he said. Faroqui said that preserving the ancestral houses of the legendary actors will not only promote importance of Peshawar but also strengthen Pakistan's tourism industry. The provincial government early this month approved the release of Rs 2.35 crore to purchase the ancestral houses of the two legendary actors located in the heart of this city. The price of Dilip Kumar's four marla (101 square metre) house has been fixed at Rs 80.56 lakh ($ 50,517) while that of Raj Kapoor's six marla house (151.75 square metre) at Rs 1.50 crore ($ 94,061). After the procurement, both the houses will be converted into museums by the archaeology department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the owners of the ancestral houses have refused to sell the buildings at the rate fixed by the provincial government, saying the prime location property has been severely undervalued. The owner of Dilip Kumar's ancestral house has demanded Rs 25 crore for the property. The owner, Haji Lal Muhammad, said he had purchased the property in 2005 for Rs 51 lakh after completing all formalities required for the transfer of the land and possesses all the documents of the house. He said it is unjust on part of the government to fix the rate at Rs 80.56 lakh for the property after 16 years. The owner of the ancestral house of Raj Kapoor demanded Rs 200 crore for the property in Peshawar. The government, however, has fixed the rate at Rs 1.50 crore. Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922 by the legendary actor's grandfather Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor. Raj Kapoor and his uncle Trilok Kapoor were born in the house. The building, which is in shambles, has been declared a national heritage by the provincial government. The owners of the two buildings have made several attempts in the past to demolish them for constructing commercial plazas in view of their prime location but all such moves were stopped as the archaeology department wanted to preserve them, keeping in view their historic importance. The (RBI) said on Monday it plans to buy worth Rs 20,000 crore through (OMOs) to support the government's borrowing programme. "On a review of current liquidity and financial conditions, the RBI has decided to conduct purchase of government securities under OMO for an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore on February 10," the RBI said in a statement. The central bank is expected to buy more at auctions to support the government's huge borrowing programme. Last week, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das assured investors that its stance on liquidity remained accommodative and that the government's Rs 12.06 lakh crore borrowing programme for the fiscal year starting April will be managed in a smooth and orderly manner. The government raises money from the market to fund its fiscal deficit through dated securities and treasury bills. (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 author highlighted the CPVs National Congress, held every five years, is significant to not only Vietnam but also the entirety of Southeast Asia, where Vietnam is one of the motive forces. He also showed his impression with Vietnams long-term strategy on socio-economic development discussed during the 13th National Party Congress with the aim to build a prosperous and happy nation. The article emphasised that the CPVs consistent and creative socio-economic policies have helped increase Vietnams international position. * The Canada-Vietnam Friendship Society (CVFS) held a webinar highlighting the freshly-ended 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on February 6, attracting the participation of scholars from Canada, the UK, the US and Argentina. The webinar provided information about a political event of historical significance for the Vietnamese people, and marks an important milestone during the CPVs development process. Participants at the webinar discussed Vietnams socialist-oriented market economy. Canadian friends expressed their wish to learn from Vietnams experience in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They also expressed respect for the countrys successes in the past struggle for national liberation as well as the current nation building and safeguarding cause under the leadership of the CPV. * More than half of Japanese businesses in Vietnam and India have plans to expand their in-country operations, Kyodo News cited a recent survey. In the online survey conducted by Japanese staffing firm Pasona Group Inc. last December, 57% of Japanese companies in Vietnam and 55% in India said they will expand operations in the host countries, compared with the average of 39% among the 11 countries and territories polled. Jaipur, Feb 8 : Giving a major setback to parents, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that parents will have to pay 100% of the school fees for the academic session 2020-21 during the pandemic period which will be equal to the fees paid in the academic session 2019-20. The Supreme Court gave this interim order on Monday while holding a joint hearing on the SLP filed by the Vidya Bhavan Society, the Managing Committee of Sawai Mansingh Vidyalaya, Gandhi Seva Sadan and the Society of Catholic Education Institutions which challenged the Fee-Regulation Act 2016. Under the orders, parents will have to pay the fee from March 5-2021, which can be collected in 6 instalments. Also, the court clarified that no child's name will be omitted from the school due to non-payment of fees. Also, children of 10th and 12th will also not be denied to sit in the examination if fees are not deposited. Earlier, the Rajasthan government had issued an order on October 28 asking Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) to charge 60% to the state board affiliated schools and 70% to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) accredited schools. Apart from this, the state government has also been asked by the Apex Court to give the outstanding amount under Right to Education (RTE) admission within a month. Stairs lead to the entrance of Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 17, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) San Francisco Unions Reach Tentative Agreement With City to Reopen Schools The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and a group of labor unions have reached a provisional agreement on health and safety standards for resuming in-person learning in the citys public schools. The SFUSD issued a statement on Feb. 7 that outlines the tentative deal, just four days after the city sued its own school district. City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed the lawsuit, with support from Mayor London Breed, a Democrat. The statement says that the districts reopening criteria had been updated due to the tentative agreement and the citys 54,000 students would be able to go back to the classrooms if the following conditions are met: San Francisco City and County are in the Red Tier as determined by the California Department of Public Health, and according to Californias Blueprint for a Safer Economy, and all staff reporting to District school or worksites have had the opportunity (eligibility and access) to be vaccinated at the recommended dosage or San Francisco City and County is in the Orange or any lower Tier, as determined by the California Department of Public Health, regardless of the availability of vaccines. According to Californias COVID-19 tracking website, 99.9 percent of the states population, including San Francisco, is still in the purple tier, the highest level of restriction for businesses and activities, as of Feb. 8. The tentative agreement will go before the Board of Education for ratification on Feb. 16. This is a major step forward toward a goal that we share with so many parents: safe reopening of school buildings for students and staff, the unions stated. In addition to reaching agreement around baseline safety standards, the unions also negotiated groundbreaking language that provides school district support for vaccine prioritization, availability, and education for their members. Unions and district officials face tremendous pressure from parents who have demanded in-person learning for their children. Given the constant shift during this pandemic, its important to do all we can for the health and safety of our students, families, staff, and community. I am excited we have found common ground on these baseline standards with our unions, paving the way for our gradual reopening of schools, said Board of Education President Gabriela Lopez. Schools in San Francisco have been allowed to reopen since September 2020 and the overwhelming majority of private and parochial schools have welcomed students back since then. With almost 16,000 students attending classes again, fewer than five cases of in-school transmission of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus have been reported. The virus causes COVID-19. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Hyderabad, Feb 8 : A phone call by a Class 8 student to forest officials ensured punishment to a man who chopped down a 40-year-old neem tree in Hyderabad. The Forest Department imposed fine of Rs 62,075 on the culprit who cut down the tree for a house construction in Saidabad area, officials said on Monday According to forest department, an old but sturdy tree was chopped down by some locals overnight as it was a hindrance to construction of a house. They also tried to wipe out the evidence by disposing off the wood and burning the stump. The incident would not have come to the notice of the authorities but for a Class 8 student. He called the Forest Department's toll free number and introduced himself as green brigadier. The student complained that some people chopped down an old tree near his house and demanded action against them. The officials took up an inquiry and found that the tree was chopped down without permission. The department imposed the fine on G. Santosh Reddy and appreciated the boy for lodging the complaint. Appeal against Navalny associates house arrest set for late February facebook 17:39 08/02/2021 MOSCOW, February 8 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court will hear an appeal against house arrest imposed on Lyubov Sobol, the ally of Alexey Navalny who stands accused of violating anti-coronavirus sanitary norms during an illegal rally on January 23, on February 25, RAPSI was told in the Tverskoy District Courts press service. The court will also consider appeals against house arrest of another violator Oleg Stepanov, who is an employee of Navalnys foundation, in late February. Appeals against the restrictive measure imposed on the Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina and Navalnys brother Oleg are set for February 18. All four defendants are charged with violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules. According to police, coronavirus-positive persons ordered to isolation were identified among participants of the Moscow rally. A criminal case over violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules was opened over this fact. The Ministry of AYUSH issued an advisory on January 19, 2021, prohibiting misleading ads and claims of classical ASU drugs. What are ASU drugs? Part 23 of the series of articles on Misleading Ads by Advocate Aazmeen Kasad, serves to demystify the term, use of the Ayurveda claimby certain products and provide an in-depth understanding of what the law on the same is, etc. AYUSH is the acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy. "Ayurveda" is made up of two words Ayuh and Veda. Ayuh means life and Veda means knowledge or science. Thus, "Ayurveda in totality means Science of life. It incorporates all aspects of life whether physical, psychological, spiritual or social. Yoga is a discipline to improve or develop ones inherent power in a balanced manner. Yoga is one of the six systems of Vedic philosophy. The concepts and practices of Yoga originated in India about several thousand years ago. Its founders were the great Saints and Sages. The great Yogis presented rational interpretation of their experiences of Yoga and brought about a practical and scientifically sound method within every ones reach. Yoga today is no longer restricted to hermits, saints, and sages; it has entered into our everyday lives and has aroused a worldwide awakening and acceptance in the last few decades. The science of Yoga and its techniques have now been reoriented to suit modern sociological needs and lifestyles. Experts of various branches of medicine including modern medical sciences are realizing the role of these techniques in the prevention and mitigation of diseases and promotion of health. The practice of Yoga prevents psychosomatic disorders and improves an individuals resistance and ability to endure stressful situations. The Unani system originated in Greece, with its foundation being laid by Hippocrates. The system owes its present form to the Arabs, who not only saved much of the Greek literature by rendering it into Arabic, but also enriched the medicine of their day with their own contributions. In this process they made extensive use of the science of Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics and Surgery. Unani Medicines got enriched by imbibing what was best in the contemporary systems of traditional medicines in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India, China and other Middle East countries. In India, the Unani System of Medicine was introduced by the Arabs and Persians around the 11th century. Today, India is one of the leading countries in so for as the practice of Unani medicine is concerned. It has the largest number of Unani educational, research and health care institutions. Siddha system is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. The term Siddha means achievements and Siddhars were saintly persons who achieved results in medicine. Eighteen Siddhars were said to have contributed towards the development of this medical system. Siddha literature is in Tamil and it is practised largely in Tamil speaking part of India and abroad. The Siddha System is largely therapeutic in nature. The word Homoeopathy is derived from two Greek words, Homois meaning similar and pathos meaning suffering. Homoeopathy simply means treating diseases with remedies, prescribed in minute doses, which are capable of producing symptoms similar to the disease when taken by healthy people. It is based on the natural law of healing Similia Similibus Curantur, which means likes are cured by likes. In India, it has become a household name due the safety of its pills and gentleness of its cure. A rough study states that about 10% of the Indian population solely depend on Homoeopathy for their health care needs and is considered as the Second most popular system of medicine in the country. (Source: https://main.ayush.gov.in/about-the-systems ) These ancient forms of alternative medicines to Allopathy have become increasingly popular among people across India and the world, given that many of them do not cause the side-effects that patients suffer from in consuming allopathic drugs. The Ministry of AYUSH was formed on November 9, 2014 to ensure the optimal development of education, research and propagation of AYUSH systems of health care as indigenous alternative medicine systems in India. Earlier, it was known as the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H), which was created in March 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November 2003. AYUSH drugs are governed by a raft of laws in India. Ayurveda, Siddha or Unani (ASU) drugs include all medicines intended for internal or external use for/ in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of disease or disorder in human beings or animals, and manufactured exclusively in accordance with the formulae described in the authoritative books of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine, specified in the First Schedule of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. On February 1, 2016, via a Public Notice issued in the interest of the consumers of ASU drugs, the Ministry of AYUSH informed the public that the ASU drugs containing any potentially hazardous ingredients of plant, animal and mineral origin, as specified in Schedule E(1), Rule 161(2) of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945, are required to be taken under medical supervision. Per the legal provisions, caution is required to be printed on the label of the container of such medicines as follows: Caution: to be taken under medical supervision both in English and Hindi. Public were advised via the Notice to buy and consume the said ASU drugs only on prescription from a qualified registered practitioner of the respective system and to avoid purchasing them online and using them without medical consultation. Over the years, ASU drugs have become household names on account of the marketing and advertising done by leading ASU drug manufacturers. Today, even leading MNCs have included a few ASU brands within their portfolio to ride the wave in competition with available local brands. A number of ASU drug manufacturers resort to misleading advertising. Advertisers should be cautious when resorting to comparative advertising to avoid being sued for unfair and dishonest / misleading advertising. How does one ensure honest comparisons? There are several checks and measures that advertisers should ensure adherence to. The foremost is by comparing apples to apples. Invariably, advertisers risk their campaign by comparing apples to oranges. Most brands which indulge in such kind of advertising believe that they are safe by writing a disclaimer in a small font at the end of the advertisement. However, the courts have held a contrary view as most consumers believe what they see and hear in the advertisements. The small type disclaimers are illegible and seldom read by the consumers. Besides, a disclaimer cannot be used to correct a misleading claim in an advertisement nor contradict the main claim in the advertisement. Per Section 2(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, an advertisement means any audio or visual publicity, representation, endorsement or pronouncement made by means of light, sound, smoke, gas, print, electronic media, internet or website and includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper, invoice or such other documents. Therefore, this includes advertisements not only on the traditional media such as print, radio or television advertisements, but also includes packaging, point of sale material, etc. Advertisements on the Internet, including social media such as ads posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. also fall within the purview of the Act, as do advertisements on websites, which includes the advertisers own website(s). A misleading advertisement in relation to any product or service, is an advertisement, which (i) falsely describes such product or service; or (ii) gives a false guarantee to, or is likely to mislead the consumers as to the nature, substance, quantity or quality of such product or service; or (iii) conveys an express or implied representation which, if made by the manufacturer or seller or service provider thereof, would constitute an unfair trade practice; or (iv) deliberately conceals important information. Thus, any advertisement which expressly or impliedly misleads consumers about the product or service will also be considered as misleading in nature. Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder encompass the provisions for prohibition of misleading advertisements and exaggerated claims of drugs and medicinal substances, including AYUSH medicines and for the penalty to be imposed on the defaulters. The Central Government notified an amendment of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 on December 24, 2018 to insert Rule 170 specifically for controlling inappropriate advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicines.In order to check the veracity of misleading advertisements of AYUSH medicines, State/ UT Governments are empowered to enforce the legal provisions under Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and rules there under. State/ UT authorities have been directed for appointing Gazetted Officers under section 8(1) of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 to enter, search any premises or examine or seize any record which contravenes any provisions of the Act related to the alleged misleading or improper advertisements. States/ UTs are reported to have appointed Gazetted Officers/Nodal Officers for this purpose and actions initiated against the cases of default. Pharmacovigilance Centres for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy Drugs set up in different parts of the country under the Central Scheme of Ministry of AYUSH are mandated to monitor and report misleading advertisements to the respective state authorities. The pharmacovigilance centres have reported 1,127 cases of misleading advertisements of AYUSH from August 2018 to March 2019. (Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1576159 ) Reckitt Benckiser, a pharma major manufacturing a slew of ASU drugs, moved the Delhi High Court for interim relief, against the blanket prohibition for advertising ASU drugs. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan of the Delhi High Court gave the interim protection to the pharma major in January 2019 and directed the Centre not to take any steps against Reckitt Benckiser if it advertises its ASU range of drugs, despite the prohibition on such activity under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules. Taking note of the numerous misleading advertisements that are being published by ASU drug manufacturers, on January 19, 2021, the Ministry of AYUSH published an Advisory advising ASU drug manufacturers not to make and publicise any inappropriate statement or misleading claim against classical ASU drugs. Denigrating classical ASU formulations in terms of its name and use amount to misleading advertisements under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. Under the Consumer Protection Act, the Central Consumer Protection Authority will regulate matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the interests of public and consumers to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers. This Authority is headquartered in the National Capital Region of Delhi and may have regional and other offices across India. A complaint relating to any false or misleading advertisements may be forwarded either in writing or in electronic mode, to any one of the authorities, namely, the District Collector or the Commissioner of regional office or the Central Authority. After a preliminary enquiry is made, if the Central Authority is satisfied that a prima facie case exists, an investigation shall be conducted. Where the Central Authority is satisfied after conducting the investigation that the advertisement for which a complaint is received is false or misleading and is prejudicial to the interest of any consumer or is in contravention of consumer rights, it may, by order, issue directions to the concerned trader or manufacturer or endorser or advertiser or publisher, as the case may be, to discontinue such advertisement or to modify the same in such manner and within such time as may be specified in that order. If the Central Authority is of the opinion that it is necessary to impose a penalty in respect of such false or misleading advertisement, by a manufacturer or an endorser, it may, by order, impose on manufacturer or celebrity endorser a penalty which may extend to Rs 10 lakh: Provided that the Central Authority may, for every subsequent contravention by a manufacturer or endorser, impose a penalty, which may extend to Rs 50 lakh. Additionally, where the Central Authority deems it necessary, it may, by order, prohibit the celebrity endorser of a false or misleading advertisement from making endorsement of any product or service for a period which may extend to one year: For every subsequent contravention, prohibit such endorser from making endorsement in respect of any product or service for a period which may extend to three years. Where the Central Authority is satisfied after conducting an investigation, that any person is found to publish, or is a party to the publication of a misleading advertisement, except in the ordinary course of his business, it may impose on such person a penalty which may extend to Rs 19 lakh. The defence that the false or misleading advertisement was published in the ordinary course of business shall not be available to such person if he had previous knowledge of the order passed by the Central Authority for withdrawal or modification of such advertisement. In light of the newly introduced provisions under the Act, which came into force from July 20, 2020, it is advisable for both the advertisers and the endorsers to exercise caution in the claims that form part of the advertisement of the goods/ services. The ensuing Parts of the series will pertain to various aspects of what constitutes Misleading Advertising and key judicial precedents on the same. Advocate Aazmeen Kasad is a practicing corporate advocate with over 20 years of experience, with a focus on the Media, Technology and Telecom industries. She is also a professor of law since 14 years. She is a member of the Consumer Complaints Council of the Advertising Standards Council of India. How NZs Yumi Zouma reimagined their latest album using Spotifys SoundBetter In this piece, New Zealand dream pop quartet Yumi Zouma walk us through how they were able to craft their 2020 album Truth or Consequences (Alternate Versions) in the middle of a global pandemic, and further develop their sound with help from SoundBetter Guest post by Erica Campbell of Spotify for Artists Learn how New Zealand dream pop quartet Yumi Zouma expanded their sonic horizons with the help of SoundBetter. When I ask Charlie Ryder, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Yumi Zouma, how the New Zealand-formed, critically-acclaimed alternative pop band produced an album during a global lockdown, he laughs and says, The same way weve been doing it for the last seven years. For Yumi Zouma, making music together while being physically apart is nothing new. Weve never lived in the same city, so we have that skill set sort of baked in, adds Josh Burgess, the bands guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. We also have had all different parts of the process done remotely over the years. We have experienced writing apart. Weve experienced tracking vocals apart. Weve experienced producing and mixing apart. It was something we just sunk into. I mean, honestly, we didnt even think about it. Pivoting in a Pandemic As chance would have it, the bandmates, who were rarely in the same country together, decided that 2020 would be the year they finally got in some IRL facetime with plans of touring in support of their new album, Truth or Consequences. We were going to be on tour and hanging out with each other a lot, and thats usually when we get together to work on new music or finish [preexisting] music, Simpson recalls. But fate had other plans: The exact day we played our first show of the tour, the WHO [World Health Organization] declared it a pandemic, Ryder explains. The band had been rehearsing 12 hours a day in preparation for this, their first ever sold-out tour when all of their plans changed. The first show in the U.S. was on March 12th. I was on the plane, literally flying to the U.S. watching CNN, and theres this Irish dude from the WHO thats like, We are declaring a global pandemic, and there was a [collective] gasp in the cabin. Burgess recalls. With their tour canceled, they needed a creative way to promote their new record. So, they leaned into their well-honed remote collaboration skills and decided to re-recorded the album as Truth and Consequences (Alternate Versions), this time, experimenting with new arrangements, tempos, and chords and using SoundBetter to find a string section to bring their vision to life. Keeping Momentum The quartet, which also includes drummer Olivia Campion, were no strangers to the SoundBetter platform. They had used SoundBetter to find a saxophonist for their sophomore album, Willowbank, and originally stumbled upon the music production marketplace while searching for a mix engineer who could add some polish to their music, especially the vocals. We were just DIY amateur musicians who do stuff at home, Ryder explains. So the results we were getting were not great. As we were progressing in our careers, we wanted to sound more professional, and the easy way to do that is to get your vocals sounding awesome. SoundBetter gave them an efficient way to make that happen. Just go back and listen to our first records, Ryder quips. Youll hear the difference before we got other people involved [and now]. We were recording in Joshuas bedroom closet, and you can hear the car horns go past on [our first album] Yoncalla. Since Burgess is in the U.S., Simpson is in England, and Ryder is in Italy, being able to collaborate without losing steam is also key to their process. I think one of the most important things is momentum because we live in different countries and different time zones, Ryder shares. So, I can give Josh a track and go to sleep, and he can work overnight, and I can pick it up again the next morning and keep going like a factory production line. So, if were writing a new song and recording and doing all of these vocal takes, we can give those to someone else to sort through overnight and then get back to us the next day completely finished, then we can get going. Its really helpful. And it kind of stops us from getting stuck in the weeds of inactivity. SoundBetter allowed them to focus on what they do best, leaning into their creativity and pushing the boundaries of their music. There is stuff that you just cant do [yourself], like a string section, for instance. We cant play those instruments, and sometimes you want to have the real thing versus a synthesized version of it. But, theres also stuff that maybe you could do, but there are only so many hours in the day, Burgess stresses. Sifting through and scrubbing vocals for 10 hours takes away from you experimenting for 10 hours with a different chord progression or a new bridge. There are some things that only you as Yumi Zouma can do. https://www.youtube.com/embed/CWm_8p_KF1M?autoplay=0&iv_load_policy=3&playsinline=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fartists.spotify.com Lowering the Barrier to Entry Working with producers, thats fairly accessible in LA, there are producers everywhere. In New Zealand, there are like maybe 10 producers, and theyre probably all busy, or they might not necessarily be the vibe youre going for, or [theyre] expensive. There are a lot more barriers when youre in such a small country, Simpson notes. Being able to access talent from across the world through SoundBetter opens up the pool. She also believes that services like Spotify and SoundBetter give smaller artists opportunities they wouldnt have otherwise. There are a lot of pop acts that come from small roots and New Zealand and do well through Spotify, for example, and [people in] New Zealand dont even necessarily know who they are, but theyre on all these Spotify playlists. That is testimony to the way technology has changed, and streaming services have changed the way peoples success isnt just based on your physical location anymore. Burgess agrees, adding, Weve always been blessed that we [started] at the time where the barrier to entry for professional recording and releasing music was lower than ever, and I see something like SoundBetter as an evolution of that. Your pool of people you can pull from is getting bigger and bigger. I think its all about barriers of entry getting lower and lower. Even a string quartet, 15 years ago, would have been a really expensive exercise that probably wouldnt have happened unless you were fortunate enough to be in the circle that you knew that in your kind of creative community. If youre a band from New Zealand, then its impossible, Ryder laughs in response. For Yumi Zouma, tapping into resources like SoundBetter is second nature, not only when it comes to how they create their music, but how they got started in the first place. They hope other artists will do the same. The night we wrote our first song, we emailed random addresses we thought were from record labels and signed our first record deal that morning. [We did] the same on SoundBetter, we just reached out to random people, probably people we didnt think would respond to us at first, Ryder recalls. There are always going to be people who dont listen to your demo or delete your stuff, but youll always be surprised at the people who do respond and really care and are interested in what you do. Theres a very DIY mentality and a load of musicians who do everything on their own, but I dont think youll ever be disappointed by opening up your horizons a little bit. Share on: 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. TOKYO - Japanese telecommunications and technology conglomerate Softbank Group Corp. reported Monday a whopping 1.17 trillion yen ($11 billion) profit for the October-December quarter as its investments rose in value. People walk by a SoftBank shop in Tokyo, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Japanese telecommunications and technology conglomerate Softbank Group Corp. reported Monday a whopping 1.17 trillion yen ($11 billion) profit for the October-December quarter as its investments rose in value(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) TOKYO - Japanese telecommunications and technology conglomerate Softbank Group Corp. reported Monday a whopping 1.17 trillion yen ($11 billion) profit for the October-December quarter as its investments rose in value. SoftBank's profits were far better than what analysts had expected, zooming up 21-fold from the 55 billion yen profit recorded the previous year. The value of its investments rose, including in DoorDash, a U.S. food delivery service, and Uber, a U.S. technology company that offers ride-hailing and deliveries. Quarterly sales edged up 7% to 1.5 trillion yen ($14 billion). SoftBanks investment portfolio got an overall healthy boost from the booming global stock market. People walk by a SoftBank shop in Tokyo, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Japanese telecommunications and technology conglomerate Softbank Group Corp. reported Monday a whopping 1.17 trillion yen ($11 billion) profit for the October-December quarter as its investments rose in value(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Although companies have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, some companies, including those SoftBank has invested in, are proving beneficiaries of the need for people around the world to stay home. SoftBank has an array of investments, mostly in technology companies, through its Vision Funds. Recently, SoftBanks bottom line benefited from selling its stake in U.S. mobile carrier Sprint and British IOT company Arm because the selling price was higher than the purchasing price. SoftBank founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son told reporters the world is still facing hard times because of the coronavirus pandemic, but expressed hope the situation will improve later this year. SoftBank also has invested in other powerful companies such as Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce, retail and net conglomerate. Son said Alibabas operations have been recovering recently. Its SoftBank mobile carrier, which was the first in Japan to offer the iPhone, remains popular. Son acknowledged some of its investments have set off worries, such as office-sharing space company WeWork. But he compared SoftBank to the goose that lays the golden eggs, not rotten eggs, arguing that Alibaba, Sprint and other companies were the golden eggs. SoftBank is not just an investment company but a manufacturing company, he said. Our goose has been creating eggs inside its stomach that will be born as gold, Son said. In recent years, Son has been pushing AI, or artificial intelligence, which he believes will prove vital to the business sectors hes banking on, such as robots doing deliveries and automated driving. SoftBank is also focused on renewable energy in Japan, a nation where the public has, in part, turned sour on nuclear energy after the Fukushima nuclear disaster 10 years ago. Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Virtual reality isn't just for gaming. Researchers can use virtual reality, or VR, to assess participants' attention, memory and problem-solving abilities in real world settings. By using VR technology to examine how folks complete daily tasks, like making a grocery list, researchers can better help clinical populations that struggle with executive functioning to manage their everyday lives. Lead author Zhengsi Chang is a PhD student that works in the lab of Daniel Krawczyk, PhD, deputy director of the Center for BrainHealth. Along with Brandon Pires, a researcher at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the team investigated whether VR can be used to effectively test a participant's executive functional load, or how much information a person can process to achieve a goal. Their findings were recently published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports. The researchers adapted the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool's (VRFCAT) "kitchen test", where participants plan a trip to the grocery store by comparing ingredients in kitchen cabinets to a list of recipes. Making a grocery list is an everyday task and should therefore accurately capture participants' daily working memory and performance. "Function-led tasks using VR technology allow us to maintain a balance between ecological validity and experimental control," said Chang. In the virtual kitchen, 42 healthy adult college students memorized a slew of ingredients from a recipe list. The participants then navigated the kitchen to check for ingredients and tried to remember which ingredients they found. They returned to their recipe list, crossing off all the ingredients they didn't need at the store. Once they finished checking their grocery list, participants picked up their wallet and left the virtual kitchen. To test their executive functional load, the researchers increased the number of ingredients and recipes to be memorized. Participants took longer to complete their grocery lists when they had to memorize more ingredients. This aligns with the researchers' prediction that participants' task performance would decrease as functional load increases, which suggests that this VR assessment can effectively test executive functional load. Computers in Human Behavior Reports Volume 2, August-December 2020, 100035 Researchers were surprised to find that participants' working memories were not related to how well they performed the task. "People might spend the same amount of time on the task, and make the same number of errors, but they could have totally different working memory capacities," said Chang. Upon further analysis, the researchers realized that participants were actually switching up their strategies as executive functional load increased. Some participants tried to memorize as many ingredients as possible before looking at the recipe while others frequently switched between rummaging through the kitchen cabinets and examining the recipe list. This strategy-switching explains why the researchers did not see a relationship between performance and participants' working memory. This study indicates that our strategies have a dramatic effect on our capacity. If you enter into a task prepared with a plan, you will get the most out of your brain and see much better performance. Participants' performance reflects their executive function and supports the idea that the researchers' VR assessment can effectively test participants' executive function load." Daniel Krawczyk, PhD, Deputy Director, Center for BrainHealth The researchers hope to use their VR assessment to help people that suffer from executive function impairments. "We used VR technology to create an executive function assessment that can be used in neuropsychology to understand how veterans and other clinical populations manage their everyday lives," said Chang. South Africa has halted use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine after evidence emerged that the vaccine did not protect clinical-trial participants from mild or moderate illness caused by the more contagious virus variant that was first seen in the country. The findings were a devastating blow to the countrys efforts to combat the pandemic. Scientists in South Africa said on Sunday that a similar problem held among people who had been infected by earlier versions of the coronavirus: The immunity they acquired naturally did not appear to protect them from mild or moderate cases when reinfected by the variant, known as B.1.351. The developments, coming nearly a week after a million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine arrived in South Africa, were an enormous setback for the country, where more than 46,000 people are known to have died from the virus. And they were another sign of the dangers posed by new mutations. The B.1.351 variant has already spread to at least 32 countries, including the United States. The low number of cases evaluated as part of the studies outlined by South African scientists on Sunday made it difficult to pinpoint the precise effect of the variant. And it was not clear whether the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine protected against severe disease from the B.1.351 variant. The year 2020 witnessed a strong emergence of southern industrial hubs such as Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, and Vinh Long thanks to their a vast land fund and competitive rents compared to those in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Long An. Seeing a lot of opportunities, localities and industrial parks (IPs) must carefully prepare policies, infrastructure, and services to welcome foreign investors who have strict requirements and stringent appraisal procedures. Well-planned clean land, synchronous connection, and regulatory transparency Currently, the land fund in more established industrial hubs such as Bac Ninh and Hung Yen in the north and Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai in the south is shrinking and rentals are rising. This scarcity is creating great difficulties for investors looking for large land plots to match their production scale. In particular, when deciding to relocate their production facilities to Vietnam, big investors will not come alone they will bring their entire supply chain ecosystem in tow. Taking Samsung as an example, the investment shift of this "queen bee" has brought hundreds of foreign suppliers to Vietnam. Therefore, industrial park developers must have a large, well-planned, and seamless land fund to accommodate a variety of industries and embrace the ecosystem that goes with leading investors. Moreover, these investors, when entering the Vietnamese market, have a long-term vision. Thus, expansibility is another requirement for land banks to accommodate future expansion plans. Therefore, new IPs which lie not too far from the centres, have a large seamless land fund, and offer many different options are basking in the attention of investors. Recently, Japfa Comfeed Vietnam a member of Singapore-based Japfa Limited has decided to invest in Minh Hung Sikico Industrial Park in the southern province of Binh Phuoc. The project will construct a series of animal and fish feed production factories and farms, as well as pork and poultry slaughtering and processing facilities, costing more than VND5.3 trillion ($230 million). As a new industrial park (opening for investors in the first quarter of 2021with a large land fund in the first phase (655 hectares), Minh Hung Sikico IP easily meets Japfa's demand for large coherent land for building adjacent factories in the early phase. The perspective of Minh Hung Sikico Industrial Park Along with the abundant land fund, the ability to accommodate different industries like clean industries, supporting industries, and supporting waste- and wastewater-generating industries to meet environmental standards is creating competitive advantages for Minh Hung Sikico IP to become the No.1 priority for investors seeking for a destination for their supply chain. Along with the abundant land fund, the ability to accommodate different industries is creating competitive advantages for Minh Hung Sikico IP to become the No.1 priority for investors seeking for a destination for their supply chain. With the advantages of large land funds, infrastructure, especially the wastewater treatment system with a capacity of 25,000 cubic metres a day for phase 1, many healthcare equipment (gloves) investors are looking for land in Minh Hung Sikico IP to quickly build factories to serve the growing export demands during COVID-19. Besides, a complete legal status and a separate ownership certificate for each land plot are also advantages Minh Hung Sikico IP offers over its peers. Tenants will easily find solutions of financial leverage and ease off pressures on an investment fund. Support from the developer What concern investors most when deciding to invest in a new locality are the legal corridor, the time to complete administrative procedures, worker recruitment, and vendor/supplier availability. Investors not advised by knowledgeable experts will encounter many difficulties and see project timelines extended significantly. Tenants are supported by the one-stop service of Minh Hung Sikico Understanding these concerns, when investing in Minh Hung Sikico IP, tenants will receive ample support to quickly complete all procedures to apply for investment certificates, business registration licenses, and corporate seals under a one-stop shop mechanism. As a bridge between tenants and local authorities, the developer supports investors from the very beginning of business operations to quickly resolve operating difficulties. Supportive local policies Despite their optimistic views on the Vietnamese investment environment, global corporations are still concerned about some risks. At a dialogue between the Vietnamese government with Japanese businesses on December 21, a number of shortcomings, especially prolonged administrative procedures and complicated tax policies, were raised. Some projects had to wait more than one year to receive investment registration and land use-right certificates. The time was even longer if projects were licensed by central authorities. Therefore, besides the efforts of the IP developer, the dynamism of the local government is another pivotal factor to successfully attract investment flows. Among them, Binh Phuoc province is one of the rising stars of FDI inflows thanks to breakthrough administrative reforms and many tax incentives for businesses. With the motto The success of the business is also the success of the province, the government of Binh Phuoc is making efforts to reduce the time for handling administrative procedures and apply the interconnected one-stop service to receive and lodge applications and procedures at the public administrative centres, reducing the time required for approval by a third. Tenants in Binh Phuoc province-based IPs are also offered tax incentives. For example, a corporate income tax of 17 per cent for 15 years is applicable from the time the first revenue is generated, along with a tax exemption for two years from the time the business becomes profitable, followed by a preferential tax rate of 8.5 per cent in the next four years. The provincial government also reduced deposit requirements by 25 per cent to ensure project implementation and apply tax exemption and reduction, according to regulations. Binh Phuoc Investment Promotion Conference on December 23, 2020 As a result of these positive efforts, more investors have chosen Binh Phuoc province as a desirable location for business investment and development. Recently, at the Binh Phuoc Investment Promotion Conference on December 23, in the presence of Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, the Provincial Peoples Committee awarded investment registration certificates to 35 companies with 46 projects with a total registered investment of nearly $2 billion. Of these, Minh Hung Sikico IP attracted 11 projects. With good planning, full legal titles, professional business support, and investment incentives from the province, Minh Hung Sikico IP has become ideal destination for domestic and foreign investors alike. Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o (in white T-shirt) visits people displaced by demolition in Kibos at a camp for the displaced on February 7, 2021. Close to 3,000 people were rendered homeless in Kibos, Kisumu County, following Friday night demolitions by the Kenya Railways Corporation. Bulldozers flattened houses in an exercise aimed at reclaiming the corporation's parcel of land. The chaotic eviction night characterised by tear gas saw the loss of property worth millions of shillings, including a mosque. Residents, mostly members of the Nubian community, were left homeless. Residents accused the authority of defying a court order and not giving them time to leave before embarking on the demolitions. The members of the Nubian community have laid claim to the land they have inhabited for more than 80 years. Robert Maira, one of the affected people, said their houses were demolished deep in the night yet the land ownership row is pending in court. "It is sad that our aged parents and grandparents have been out in the cold since 2am on Friday. What do we do now and why is the government persecuting us?" There were reports that a child died during the demolitions but it was unclear whether the death was connected to the exercise. Possible resettlement Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga said Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has been engaging Kenya Railways on the resettlement of the evicted people. "We have asked the corporation to give us time to resettle them because the evictions are favouring people in Muhoroni," said Mr Wanga. While noting that it is inhumane for KRC to demolish houses at night, he asked the organisation to reach an agreement with the governor on the resettlement matter. Mr Wanga said they will look for a piece of land for the resettlement and issue the people with title deeds. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Urban Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. MCA Kenneth Onyango said KRC should have been more compassionate as the people have lived on the land for eight decades. "The corporation demolished a whole village leading to the death of a child. This is not what you do when the governor has already initiated talks with the corporation," said Mr Onyango. He did not give more information about the death. Ms Farida Salim, a member of the Kisumu City Board, asked KRC to treat those being evicted with dignity. "I have seen women shed tears, children confused and men feeling very helpless. In everything that we do let us ensure humanity," said Ms Salim. Sheikh Musa Ismail Hajjim, chair of the Kisumu Muslims Association, asked well-wishers to help those affected by making donations. He regretted that those charged with the responsibility of protecting the law are going against court orders. Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results Guide for Returning to Campus In the current environment, the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff remain our top priority. To that end, we have taken several important steps that are consistent with the requests of government leaders and health officials. NEW YORK, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) breached their fiduciary duties or violated the federal securities laws in connection with the companys acquisition by Veritas Capital LLC and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation. Click here to learn more and participate in the action. On February 8, 2021, Cubic announced that it had signed an agreement to be acquired by Veritas and Evergreen for approximately $2.8 billion. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Cubic stockholders will receive $70 in cash for each share of Cubic common stock owned. The deal is scheduled to close in the second quarter of 2021. Bragar Eagel & Squire is concerned that Cubics board of directors oversaw an unfair process and ultimately agreed to an inadequate merger agreement. Accordingly, the firm is investigating all relevant aspects of the deal and is committed to securing the best result possible for Cubics stockholders. If you own shares of Cubic and are concerned about the proposed merger, or you are interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Alexandra Raymond by email at investigations@bespc.com or telephone at (646) 860-9157, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Subscriber content preview BELLEVUE The Kamala apartments at 417 99th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue sold for almost $4.5 million, according to King County records. The seller was a local family that developed the property in 1972. . . . Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. By Tong Kim In just three weeks since its inauguration, the Biden administration has revealed its direction of charting American foreign policy to "engage and lead" the world again, with an emphasis on diplomacy, democracy and human rights. It has repealed a number but not all of the policies that were pursued by its predecessor. There is some continuity in the thrust of U.S. policy on China and in its national defense posture. The 2018 national defense strategy will remain in effect, while it will be reviewed and updated. Biden's security team is reviewing a host of foreign policy issues, including North Korean nuclear threats, to come up with new strategies. The Biden team has extended the New START treaty with Russia for another five years. The U.S. has ended its support for a Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen. It has halted Trump's plan to redeploy U.S. troops out of Germany. It has joined international pressure on the military coup in Burma. It will also review the Afghanistan situation to decide whether to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops from there by May. North Korea has been receding in priorities behind China, Russia, Iran and other issues. Yet, Biden is committed to working together with South Korea on the North Korea issue. He has discussed the matter with the leaders of South Korea and Japan over the phone, and agreed to pursue a common goal of denuclearization. The sequencing of the phone calls, or the nuanced differences in the discussions between the calls between "a corner stone" in reference to Japan and "a linchpin" to reference South Korea do not really matter as much as the comprehensive review of North Korea policy now under way in Washington. It is unknown how long a North Korea policy review may take or how the U.S. team may consult their allies in Seoul and Tokyo. They will surely hear out the views and assessments of their allies before they formulate a new U.S. strategy. It is not difficult to set a common goal, but it will not be easy for all parties to share the same perspectives on North Korea. In any case, once a new strategy is completed, the allies will be expected to support it. Last week, the National Assembly, in a hearing for the nomination of Chung Eui-yong for foreign minister, disclosed the divided views of hopes and concerns, with regards to the potential opportunity for cooperation and the potential schism between Seoul and Washington. The ruling party wants to continue with President Moon's "peace process" and to maintain a flexible balancing strategy between Washington and Beijing. The opposition party wants to end the "illusionary policy of appeasement" towards the North, and to join the U.S. against China. The opposition party seems to prefer more sanctions and a stronger military deterrent against the North. Some opposition members support redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the South or the development of the South's own nuclear weapons. They believe that the North Korean regime is more collapsible now than before. Chung believes that Kim is still committed to denuclearization, as he told Trump and Moon. He thinks Kim's announcement at the eighth congress of the Workers' Party, to develop more sophisticated nuclear weapons, was designed to raise the North's leverage in expectation of negotiations with the U.S. This assessment has no basis in evidence. There are a few basic assumptions that the U.S. review team should avoid: 1) Do not be trapped in the box of thinking that the North will never denuclearize. Under this assumption, there is no need to try a diplomatic effort for denuclearization. The North has changed its position before. It can change it again. 2) Do not bet on the fallacy of "collapse from within." The internal security of the regime has been strengthened under Kim Jong-un. It survived the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the "arduous march" of starvation in the 1990s. 3) Do not rely on sanctions. Additional sanctions will contribute to the hardening of the North's resolve to hold on to its nuclear program, rather than to return to the table. Sanctions relief, along with other conditional rewards, will be a more powerful tool for incentivizing the North to be serious about its future without nuclear weapons. 4) Do not rely exclusively on deterrence. Reinforcement of the deterrence, including an adequate level of joint exercises, is an effective measure of preventing war, but it does not contribute directly to denuclearization. An excessive show of nuclear force would likely lead to an arms race and an intensification of tensions, threatening peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. 5) Do not return to the failed policy of "strategic patience." Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a visiting professor with the University of North Korean Studies, a visiting scholar with Korea University, a fellow at the Institute for Corean-American Studies, and a columnist for The Korea Times. Thousands of Philadelphia public school teachers are set to defy their districts order to return to classrooms Monday. They will instead work virtually. This week marks the third attempt by the school district of Philadelphia to reopen school buildings in the midst of the pandemic. The district has been remote-only since last March. District officials demanded that approximately 2,000 kindergarten through second-grade teachers prepare classrooms beginning February 8 so that students could return on February 22. Nine thousand students are scheduled to enter buildings first, with further grades phased in later. Following the policies of Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, Democratic Governor Tom Wolf and the Biden administration, the district is issuing threats, lies and trying to browbeat teachers into acquiescing to its demands. If you are expected to be in your building on Monday and choose not to do so, you will be subject to disciplinary action, announced Chief Talent Officer Larisa Shambaugh. In a letter to principals sent Friday, Superintendent William Hite reiterated the threat. James Russell Lowell School in Philadelphia. (Credit: Wikimedia) Under tremendous pressure from educators, parents and students, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) has sanctioned the one-day action. After pronouncing that in-school learning is best and claiming that a neutral party walk-through over the weekend would ensure safe schools, PFT President Jerry Jordan has now backtracked and urged teachers to defy the district. Behind the districts vindictiveness and the collusion of the union is their mutual fear that the teachers will link up their struggle with teachers in Chicago and those across the country who are mobilizing against the homicidal return to face-to-face instruction. The Democratic Party has made reopening schools, in their effort to force workers back into unsafe jobs, the first priority of the new administration. For their part, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) are working frantically behind the scenes with the Democrats to undermine this growing resistance. To this end, their respective national presidents, Randi Weingarten and Becky Pringle, met with the new administration on Bidens first day in office. Just as in 2018-19, the two national unions are doing everything in their power to prevent teachers struggles from expanding across district, state and national boundaries despite the universality of their fight. Trying to cover up the unions long partnership with the district, PFT officials have reluctantly authorized the one-day action. This measure not only serves to limit and isolate Philly teachers, but sets them up for possible victimization by the district. This can only be stopped if Philadelphia teachers reach out to the broadest sections of workers in the city whose lives are also being sacrificed for profit. The science is clear. Schools and nonessential workplaces must remain closed until the pandemic is contained and all workers must stand together! This is the policy fought for the National Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees . Trying belatedly to feign militancy, Jordan admitted late last week that the districts claims of safetybased on the purchase of window fanswas laughable. Entire schools have maximum occupancy of zero, according to air balancing reports. We have repeatedly asked for real, concrete solutions, and instead have been presented with a dangerous window-fan installation program that further jeopardizes the health and safety of our educators and young people. The union came to this conclusion following a reportedly raucous meeting with 300 building representatives and a school board meeting attended by angry parents, students and teachers. Jeanine Fennal, a 13-year veteran educator who teaches first grade at Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary, told the Philly Tribune, No, Im not going. I feel disrespected that the district would even think about bringing us back, knowing that the schools were in a disarray before the pandemic. The school buildings contribute to your health. Since weve been home, my daughter hasnt been sick since April of last year. Public opposition to reopening has also been intense. Superintendent Hites reopening plan was passed at a January 28 school board in which comments from parents and teachers were deliberately limited. According to WHYY radio, most public speakers including students who were against the reopening plans were cut off midsentence. Sonya Rosen, a parent, however, spoke for many. She said, If you allow schools to reopen for in-person learning before all adults can be vaccinated, we will hold you accountable for when this decision will inevitably result in illnesses, deaths and community spread. Instead of investing in reopening buildings for thousands of unvaccinated people, the SDP should invest in supporting the hard work teachers have done all year to create dynamic online learning environments for our students. The most recent poll of parents in the district showed only one-third intend to send their children to in-person classes. Meanwhile, city health officials admitted that the chaotic rollout of the vaccine means that school employees likely will not be fully vaccinated until at least April or May. Superintendent Hite is attempting to palm off a paltry $4 million renovation to the subpar ventilation system with a gimmick purchase of 1,100 box fans, found at any big-box retailer, to bolster his return-to-work order. He even claimed this sham was a good-faith effort. Jerry Roseman, an environmental scientist and an expert on school ventilation systems, drily noted that the use of the fans selected by the district is not a best practice in the school situation since the airflow is not regulated or controlled by the fans to undercut pathogens. This is the same school district that has ignored catastrophic environmental issues, like asbestos and lead paint and botched a $50 million construction project at Benjamin Franklin High School. Students and educators at the high school became ill, forcing its closure for over a month. Some school buildings in the district are over a century old and are crumbling. Members of the Pennsylvania Rank-and-File Educators Safety Committee in the Philadelphia area spoke to the World Socialist Web Site to express their support for the actions of Philadelphia and Chicago Public School teachers. They called for general strike action across the country to demand the shutdown of schools and nonessential businesses. Im against the reopening of schools in Philadelphia, said a bus driver. Its just like New York. They are trying to get these very large school districts to reopen so that they can get everybody back to work. It is a very bad time with the different variants coming up. It is a very dangerous time. People seem to be having a lot of problems getting the vaccines, getting the shots. There is all kinds of confusion about where to go and when. As bus drivers, we have to deal with the possibility of contracting COVID daily because the safety protocols are not that effective. Im just totally against it. It is a move to get all the schools back so they can get people back to work for profits. The bus driver then warned teachers, The unions shouldnt be trusted to lead this fight. My union is worthless. I pay all these union dues, and they dont do anything. They have outsourced our jobs. I wouldnt trust them. Teachers shouldnt trust them. They will say one thing and do another. A Philly charter school math teacher said, To my dismay, I have watched really no protection for students, educators and households from the Democrats or the teachers unions, but only from the leadership of frontline educators committed to saving lives! This is from the rank-and-file committees that I have observed and the teachers in Chicago and in other cities that have gone on strike. They have done this with no DNC [Democratic National Committee] or union support but with their opposition! It is horrific that amidst continuing very high numbers, somewhat of a decrease the last time I looked, but still huge numbers that they would start in-person learning. Mixed within the high numbers and due to the very lax testing, there is an unknown and nevertheless pervasive inclusion of new strains [of the virus]. In this situation, returning is utterly counterintuitive and diametrically opposed to the needs of public safety, especially for students, families and staff in low-income schools where ventilation is decrepit. This is not only endangering people involved in Philadelphia but setting up tens of thousands of superspreader events nationwide. I almost want to attribute this to a herd immunity perspective. Indeed! Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has stated one of his chief concerns for the year is to reopen schools for all elementary school children, in line with President Bidens demand that all K-8 schools open by the end of April. In fact, Biden picked Wolfs former health secretary to provide a pseudo-scientific cover for herd immunity. Despite an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania counties in the substantial spread category for COVID, the majority of the states 500 separate school districts have remained opened. The state has over 870,000 cases and over 22,000 deaths, and Philadelphia County is the leader in cases and deaths. In the face of a more contagious and deadlier variant of the virus rapidly spreading throughout the United States, the actions of the Philadelphia and Chicago school districts are even more criminal. There is popular support for educators, but PFT President Jordan is working overtime to defuse the situation, knowing full well that rank-and-file educators are just as determined in Philadelphia as they are in Chicago. For teachers, maintaining remote-only learning and protecting lives are nonnegotiable. The PFT has agreed to send teachers to dangerous schools without the mandate of teachers, which are widely opposed to such a murderous policy. This underscores the need for Philadelphia teachers to join the national and international network of rank-and-file safety committees to take the conduct of this fight into their own hands. Philadelphia educators must reach out to the working classChicago teachers, autoworkers, Amazon workers, steelworkersto launch a political general strike to shut down schools and nonessential production and guarantee full compensation to all workers until the pandemic is eradicated! We urge teachers to join and build the Pennsylvania Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. "We are hopeful, for 72 hours there are chances of survival," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday. A day after the catastrophe - which saw Nanda Devi glacier burst through its banks at Joshimath, triggering an avalanche and a deluge - multi-agency relief operations continue in Chamoli and adjoining areas of the state. Two power projects - NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters and sludge came rushing in. According to the latest update, 20 bodies have been recovered, while 197 remain missing. These include workers, villagers, and NTPC personnel. Rawat's statement gives hope amid a bleak situation. As extensive rescue operations continue, News18 explains how long people can survive after being trapped in closed spaces after natural disasters. HOW LONG CAN SURVIVORS LAST UNDER RUBBLE? According to experts, a week at most under the best of circumstances. How injured the trapped victim is, if they have enough air to breathe and the extremity of the weather are among the determining factors for their survival. Major rescues occur 24 hours after a disaster, and after that, the chances of survival lessen by each day. Dr Richard Moon, a Duke University expert on survival told the Associated Press that food is not a big issue, as people can survive for weeks without it. However, most can survive only a few days without water, he added. After a South Korean departmental store collapsed in 1995 - which killed 502 people and injured 937 - survivor Choi Myong Sok was pulled out of the rubble after 10 days, a report by the New York Times states. To survive, he drank rainwater and ate a cardboard box. He even played with a child's toy to keep up his spirits, after two of his companions trapped with him died in the initial days. Julie Ryan, a co-ordinator with UK-based group International Rescue Corps (IRC), told BBC that the ideal situation for anyone who has been trapped, is to have any sort of oxygen supply from the outside world, and any access to water. Temperature also plays a role - if the entrapment area is too hot, the person could lose water more quickly, thinning their hope for survival. Trapped victims can also experience the crush syndrome, which occurs after a "crushing" injury to a skeletal muscle. When a person is trapped after a disaster, their arms, limbs and other parts of the body can be compressed by the rubble, which causes muscle swelling or neurological disturbances. The end result can be fatal - renal failure or shock, and the condition requires immediate medical assistance. CASES OF 'MIRACLE' SURVIVALS More than two months after an earthquake hit Kashmir on October 8, 2005, a 40-year-old woman Naqsha Bibi was rescued from her kitchen. Her cousin, Faiz Din, who had found her, told BBC that the family was not even looking for her, having assumed that she had either fallen down a hill, or gone to another relief camp. Weighing just 35 kg, she was found with muscle stiffness, and was so weak she could barely talk. Traces of rotting food were found in the small space where Naqsha was trapped, and the air inside was fresh. A trickle of water on one side of the kitchen was also found, the report states. In a similar case, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a man was rescued from rubble in Port-au-Prince after 27 days of being trapped, the Guardian reported. He was found malnourished, dehydrated and mentally disturbed, but had suffered no serious injuries. Reshma Begum was the centre of another miraculous survival, after a multi-storeyed garment factory building collapsed in Dhakha, Bangladesh in 2013. The disaster killed more than 1,100 people, but Rashma was rescued - 17 days after the incident. The then teenager said she had forgotten most of what she did under the rubble. However, she recalled that she had survived by drinking rainwater and eating food from the lunch boxes of other workers. (With inputs from agencies) Estonia on Sunday received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Estonia's Ministry of Social Affairs said the country has received 7,200 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on February 7. According to the ministry, Estonia is supposed to get 40,500 vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in February. AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine was recently approved by the European Union's Medicines Agency (EMA). Read: Estonia To Get First Female Prime Minister As Government Deal Clinched Estonia has secured a total of 3.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which would be enough to inoculate its entire 1.3 million people given most vaccines are two-dose regimen. Estonia has agreements with five pharmaceutical companies for COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, CureVac, and Johnson & Johnson owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals. According to reports, American firms Pfizer and Moderna are expected to deliver 50,000 and 13,000 doses of vaccines respectively to Estonia in February. Read: Estonia PM Ratas Resigns Over Corruption Scandal People aged no more than 70 years are allowed to take AstraZeneca/Oxford shots, while the Health Ministry in Estonia is planning to vaccinate patients over 70 years with the Moderna vaccine. Health care professionals have been prioritised for the vaccination drive in the country. Estonia began the inoculation campaign on December 27, along with the rest of Europe. The Baltic nation has vaccinated more than 53,000 people to date. Read: Russian Ships Move To Resume Baltic Pipeline Construction COVID-19 situation in Estonia Estonia has recorded more than 47,500 cases so far. of which 456 people have lost their lives. Estonia has registered a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the past couple of months as the daily new infections average rose from below 100 in late October to over 500 by early January. The new emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus has also created a sense of fear in the country because of mounting cases. Estonia has also introduced certain measures for international travellers to prevent the new variants from spreading, which include mandatory quarantine for non-vaccinated passengers. Read: Nazi Era Enigma Coding Machine Used To Send Messages During World War Found In Baltic Sea (Image Credit: AP, Inputs: ANI) Kabale Two suspects who confessed to the killing of Special Police Constable (SPC) Garalious Baryabakabu, 58, before stealing his SMG riffle and 30 bullets, have been transferred to the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) 2nd Division headquarters in Mbarara to be tried in the court martial. Baryabakabu was on January 27 killed while on night guard duty at the Kabale District Electoral Commission offices located at Makanga Hill in Kabale Municipality. His body was discovered by a colleague, SPC Solomon Twinomujuni at around 7am as he reported for day duty. The body had been tied with ropes and had deep wounds around the nose and head. Paul Dusingizimana, 27, alias Never Give Up, a resident of Murambi Village Rwaramba parish in Kisoro District, and Mugisha Asiimwe Mukwenda, 19, alias Young, a resident of Gatete Village in Mukabaya Parish, Kisoro District, were on January 30 arrested by the police. According to the police, the stolen gun and UPDF uniform were recovered from the suspects. The suspects were paraded before the press at Kabale Police Station on January 31, where Dusingizimana made an extra-judicial confession to killing the police officer, while his colleague Asiimwe said he was only accompanying him. "Police investigations have been completed and the accused persons have been transported to the UPDF 2nd Division headquarters in Mbarara City to be tried in the court martial as per the legal advice from the Kabale resident state attorney," the Kigezi police spokeserson, Mr Elly Maate, told the media on Friday. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The suspects also led the police to a secret place where they had hidden the stolen gun. The suspects also led the police to another secret place where they had hidden some army jackets, trousers and shirts," Mr Maate said. Mr Maate said the head of Criminal Investigations Department in Kigezi Sub-region, Mr Kule Yona, together with other police officers, transported the accused persons to Mbarara. The suspects have since been charged with murder and aggravated robbery at Kabale Police Station. The deceased was remaining with only two years to retire from the police force on clocking the mandatory retirement age of 60 years. He was a resident of Rugarama Village, Rwene Parish, Buhara Sub-county, Kabale District. He is survived by a wife and eight children. He was buried in the same village on January 29. Gold-enriched copper deposits Low geopolitical risk Advantaged by having its own drill rig What Pacific Empire Minerals does: Pacific Empire Minerals Corp ( ) ( ) follows the prospect generator model and is focused on British Columbia. Notably, the company owns its own reverse circulation (RC) drill. The group boasts a large portfolio of projects, which mitigates exploration risk and increases the chance of making a discovery. Having its own drill rig reduces costs and means the explorer can advance prospects rapidly, to see if they are worth partnering on. The aim is that larger companies, preferably copper majors, will come in and advance the group's projects with more expensive diamond drilling, while Pacific Empire retains the largest possible interest in the property for as long as possible. Pacific Empire Minerals believes copper, used in wiring, cars, and cell phones, is in the early stages of a significant long-term upward run, yet grades are declining and there is a lack of new mines coming on-stream. The group's flagship is the Jean Marie project, a large copper property 50 kilometres (km) west of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan copper-gold mine in central British Columbia. In June last year, the company expanded its footprint at Jean Marie having staked over 1,000 hectares of prospective mineral tenure, contiguous to and immediately east of the site. In all, the project now spans 7,355 hectares and boasts multiple mineralized zones open for expansion, along with several additional exploration targets. The new ground includes historical geochemical anomalies with values up to 4,400 parts per million (ppm) copper-in-soil and 655 ppm copper-in-stream sediment. The company also holds Worldstock, a 1,700 hectare asset 95 km north of Kamloops, and 25 km west of 's Yellowhead copper project, which has an 820 million tonne reserve with an average grade of 0.28% copper. Elsewhere, the firm's 2,630 hectare Weedon property is an early exploration stage porphyry copper-gold prospect, with one priority target. Meanwhile, the firm's Pinnacle Porphyry project covers 14,040 hectares and incorporates the firm's NWT and Pinnacle Reef properties into one contiguous land position. All necessary permits here have been submitted and reverse circulation (RC) drilling is intended for the fall and winter. The group also has four so-called pipeline projects waiting in the wings. How is it doing: Pacific Empire had a busy close to last year. On December 21, 2020, the company revealed that it had inked a binding agreement to partner up on the Pinnacle copper-gold project in north-central British Columbia. The deal, first reported in August 2020, will see 111 Acquisition Corp receive an exclusive option to earn up to a 70% interest in the 14,040 hectare asset. Under the terms, 1111 Acquisition can earn 70% interest by spending C$5.7 million on exploration, paying Pacific Empire a total of C$375,000 in cash and issuing 3.5 million shares by the fourth anniversary of the signing of the definitive deal. Pacific Empire will retain a 30% free-carried interest in the project up until 1111 Acquisition publishes a NI 43-101 pre-feasibility study. After that, the pair will form a joint venture, with 1111 Acquisition holding a 70% stake and PEMC holding 30%. Earlier in December, Pacific Empire also announced the signing of a definitive agreement with CAVU Mining Corp, granting the company an exclusive option to earn up to a 100% interest in Pacific Empires 3,070-hectare Kitimat Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia. Under the terms of that agreement, CAVU can earn a 100% interest in the project by completing C$1.0 million in exploration expenditures on the project, as well as paying Pacific Empire Minerals C$390,000 in cash plus 1.325 million CAVU common shares by the third anniversary of the signing of the agreement. The Kitimat Copper-Gold Project is an exploration stage porphyry copper-gold prospect with previous work that consisted of 38 diamond drill holes totaling over 6,000 meters, soil, rock and silt surveys, airborne Mag-EM and IP surveys, trenching, and detailed mapping of over 1,000 rock exposures. Historic drill results at Kitimat included 105 metres grading 0.60% copper and 1.15 grams per tonne (g/t ) gold. In November, the company had updated on the year's exploration programme, which at its flagship Jean Marie project in British Columbia, saw the potential for gold-enriched copper mineralization confirmed. In all, 27 reverse circulation (RC) holes were sunk across all three properties this year, with assays expected from Jean Marie before the end of 2020. Rock sample assays at Jean Marie, however, have included 8.79 grams g/t gold, 86.6 g/t silver and 1.74% copper at the newly identified Leap target. A high-resolution airborne magnetic survey was also carried out at Jean Marie covering the majority of the property. The survey expanded upon the existing historical ground magnetic survey completed in 1973 and gave greater detail on the known areas of copper mineralization. It also highlighted additional target areas in the southern portion of the property where historical soil sampling identified copper-molybdenum in-soil anomalies. Pacific Empire also updated on explorartion at its Worldstock and Weedon projects. At Worldstock, ten RC drill holes totaling 1,027 metres (m) were completed during the year's field season, with one hole (starting from surface) hitting an interval of 121.92m at 0.108% copper and 0.04 g/t gold. At the Weedon property, three RC drill holes, focused on the T1 target area, were attempted, two of which intersected bedrock. A preliminary analysis of chip samples was completed on-site using the firm's portable XRF analyzer. No significant values were observed and therefore none of the chip samples were sent to the lab. In its boardroom, in August, Pacific Empire said it had hired Peter Schloo as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect, adding that Keith Henderson has resigned from the board. Schloo has more than eight years' experience in capital markets, operations, and assurance across various industries, including natural resources and real estate. He has led over C$80 million in capital raising opportunities for public and private companies, mostly in the junior natural resource sector, the group noted. And on the financing front, at the end of July, Pacific Empire closed a C$1.1 million private placement that saw the issue of 16 million units at C$0.05 each and around 4.2 million flow-through shares at C$0.07 each, for total gross proceeds of up to C$1.1 million. The junior miner noted that Stichting Depositary Plethora Precious Metals Fund subscribed for 2.8 million units in the placement. The fund took its holding in the company to 8.3 million shares on an undiluted basis and 13.7 million shares on a diluted basis, representing approximately 12.1% and 18.5% of the company's issued and outstanding shares on an undiluted and diluted basis, respectively. Inflection points: More news on partnership deals Exploration updates on projects What the boss says: "We are excited to have a very strong technical team advancing the Pinnacle property during a period of resurgent copper prices and increasing activity in this area," said Brad Peters, Pacific Empire's CEO, in a statement accompanying the 11 Acquisition partnership deal. "With the recent merger of Serengeti Resources and Sun Metals, in addition to the arrival of Australian miner to this mining camp, it looks as though this will be a busy area over the coming months and years." Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com One day after President Joe Bidens inauguration, Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf advertised lessons on how to stand up against tyranny represented by the new president. The six-week online course is a product sold by the Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officers Association, an activist organization that claims county sheriffs hold power that cant be challenged by any government official, even the president. The CSPOA has close ties to far-right groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol and a network of activists spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and presidential election. Weve already seen the tyranny that has been happening with government orders since the whole COVID-19 thing started, read the post shared on Leafs Facebook page. With Joe Biden as president, it wont get better unless we the people do something about it. Its time for all patriots to become educated on the Constitution and their rights and begin standing up and taking action, now more than ever before. Lane Crothers, a professor at Illinois State University who studies far-right social movements, said the CSPOA argues sheriffs have the right to selectively enforce laws based on their interpretation of the constitution. This usually comes in the form of gun control laws and restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The constitutional sheriffs are not specifically a militia movement, but they are linked to power structures, Crothers said. That has real implications for how law enforcement works and it speaks more broadly to my sense that theyre trying to carve out zones where they can do whatever they want. New members are always welcome. Sheriffs are encouraged to evangelize the groups teachings back home to staff and civilians. Those teachings often include conspiracy theories. CSPOA Vice President Rick Dalton warned members to be on guard against a well-funded, well trained and battle-hardened enemy at the groups annual convention last September. The enemys goal? Destroying Western civilization. Its unclear how many Michigan sheriffs are members of the CSPOA; the organization did not share membership details when asked by MLive. A handful of law enforcement officials across the state described themselves as constitutional sheriffs last year while declaring they would not enforce coronavirus restrictions. Michigan Sheriffs Association Executive Director Matt Saxton said the CSPOA communicates with sheriffs candidates each election season. The group encourages voters to vet candidates using a survey that poses questions about what they would do if the state passed a red flag law or if United Nations instituted a door-to-door gun confiscation policy. Its not a group that the Michigan Sheriffs Association associates with or condones, Saxton said in an interview. Leaf is among the loudest proponents of the CSPOA in Michigan. The longtime Barry County sheriff was a featured speaker at the groups annual conventions, including the 2020 conference on Sept. 30, 2020. Leaf did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him for this story. The 2020 conference, held just before the U.S. experienced a deadly second wave of the coronavirus, emphasized a blend of constitutional theory and religious doctrine. Speakers addressed a maskless indoor crowd while standing in front of a large painting portraying Jesus being removed from the cross after his crucifixion. Leaf made the argument that sheriffs should only enforce laws that they believe are in line with the constitution and oppose activist judges who they disagree with. The courts dont make law, there are three branches of government, Leaf said. Did you know thats biblical too? Yes, God divided up powers. So its not something that we started, God started it. Leaf said the controversy over Whitmers coronavirus orders in Michigan provided a golden opportunity for constitutional sheriffs to spread their message. Im educating them, and people are hungry now because now theyre having to wear a mask. People were hungry back when they were locked down in their homes; arrested in their homes, Leaf said at the conference. People are hungry for this information. Lets go get it to them. We are the chief law enforcement officers in our county. People look to us. Two days after the conference, the Michigan Supreme Court struck down a 1945 law Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used to issue emergency orders, securing a victory for activists who accused her of violating the Constitution. The state health department later restored some of Whitmers coronavirus restrictions by issuing rules under another section of Michigan law. One week later, federal and state police arrested a group of men who allegedly planned to kidnap Whitmer. Members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia were agitated by the governors coronavirus orders and spent months training with firearms and explosives while discussing how best to attack tyrants like Whitmer, the state Capitol in Lansing and police officers. Leaf appeared on stage with militia members involved with the plot during a May 2020 rally protesting Whitmers stay-at-home order in Grand Rapids. The sheriff faced calls to resign after suggesting the men could have been trying to make a lawful citizens arrest. Sheriffs can only be removed via the ballot box, resignation, or an order from the governor. Leaf ran unopposed on the November ballot and was reelected with the support of more than 25,000 Barry County voters. Leaf questioned the accuracy of the 2020 presidential election in a December lawsuit. He and seven other plaintiffs claimed to have evidence of massive election fraud in a complaint against Whitmer, the state Board of Canvassers and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Plaintiffs claimed ballots marked with Sharpie pens may have been invalidated or miscounted, echoing false allegations about markers that appeared in several swing states. The lawsuit also made vague claims about Dominion voting machines. A day after it was filed, the lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush. Jonker wrote that Leafs lawsuit appeared to have been improperly filed and asked the court to make speculative leaps towards a hazy and nebulous inference that there has been numerous instances of election fraud and that defendants are destroying the evidence. Constitutional sheriffs found much in common with patriot militia groups that see themselves following in the footsteps of the founding fathers by defending the country against tyrannical internal threats. Sam Jackson, an assistant professor at the University of Albany in New York, said anti-government groups also often believe county sheriffs are the supreme law enforcement officials within their jurisdiction. CSPOA founder Richard Mack is a founding member of the Oath Keepers, a national militia group that takes its name from the oath sworn by members of the military and police to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Three members of the Oath Keepers allegedly had a role in planning the Capitol riot, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Jackson, an expert on the Oath Keepers, said the group specifically targets sheriffs offices in its recruitment efforts. Sometimes this takes the form of training sessions where extremists attempt to teach sheriffs how to undermine federal law enforcement activities, he said. An investigative report published by the Atlantic found a leaked database kept by the Oath Keepers claimed one in 10 members are current police officers or military members. A significant portion of the groups membership is retired military or law enforcement personnel, according to the report. The conference featured an opening prayer from the Rev. William Cook, a member of the Black Robe Regiment. The Chrisitan advocacy group is named after a group of preachers who fought during the American Revolution and compared the violent Jan. 6 riots to the war for independence. The Black Robe Regiment also names the Oath Keepers as one of its partner organizations. KC Craichy, a pastor and CEO of a nutrition company, closed out the 2020 conference. Craichy held a series of events last year that spread misinformation about the coronavirus and promoted unverified treatment methods. You have to choose fear or choose faith, that is your choice, Craichy said at the CSPOA conference. If youre going to choose faith then take off your mask and come out of your basement and open your church. The fearless church must rise and lead America out of crisis. Mack, the founder of the constitutional sheriffs group, has also claimed nutritional supplements can protect people from COVID-19. The CSPOA advertises products from Global Healing Center, a Houston-based purveyor of supplements that also sells goods in partnership with InfoWars. This is a hundred times better than any mask could be, Mack says in an advertisement video. This is the best thing you could do for your neighbors and friends and everybody around you. Take these products and you will be spewing out no virus germs. Mack also has a recommendation for people struggling with constipation: Oxy-Powder Colon Cleanser. Its main ingredient is magnesium, which can cause diarrhea when taken in large volumes. Ill take two or three of these, and if Im feeling real problems Ill take four, Mack said in the ad. Do not take more than four. Take this before you go to sleep. In the morning youll find out how successful it is. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Extremists have gone mainstream. Lawyers, realtors and every-day folks make up their ranks. Michigan university in turmoil after white professor says hes faced discrimination for 40 years Feds want permission to share grand jury testimony of militia moles in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case Ron Weiser elected to once again lead Michigan Republican Party Maharashtra: Huge no. of Maharashtra, Gujarat trawlers docked as China fish exports hit by Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar February 08,2021 | Source: The Times of India On most early mornings, Bhaucha Dhakka, or New Ferry Wharf, is usually packed as trawlers unload tons of mackerel, shrimp, and ribbon fish for export. But this week, the fishing dock was not that busy - less than half the usual number of boats had arrived. The pandemic has hit Maharashtra's trawl boats in an unexpected way. New Covid-19 safety rules in China, India's largest seafood destination, have delayed shipments and depressed fish prices. With payments stuck and rising diesel prices, multiday trips have become unviable for many. More than half of the state's 4,290-strong trawl fleet has been grounded since January, according to Ramdas Sandhe, chairman of the Maharashtra Rajya Macchimar Sahakari Sangh Limited. This has been the second bad year in a row for fishermen after the cyclone-hit 2019, he said. The state is not alone: most trawl boats in neighbouring Gujarat have been docked for the past few months for similar reasons. China accounts for 25% in volume of India's overall seafood exports but 50% of volume for west coast states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, according to Jagdish Fofandi, the national president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India. "The whole issue has boiled up because of Covid-19," he said. Global lockdowns last year resulted in lower export prices at the beginning of the fishing season in August, he said. Then came China's new rules for testing seafood imports for Covid. The protocol delayed clearance at Chinese ports and other transit points, in turn delaying payments to Indian exporters. Normally, it takes 25 days from shipment to payment but the current turnaround is closer to 50 days, said Fofandi. Some are still waiting for dues from October," Jagdish Fofandi said. Exporters are now sitting on Rs 2,000 crore of stock in cold storage facilities on the west coast, he says, as they wait for pending dues. In turn, their payments to fishing boat owners have been delayed. "Fishermen have taken the brunt of this crisis," he said. The ripple-down effect is evident at Mumbai's New Ferry Wharf. Less than a quarter of the 1,000-odd registered boats have gone to sea - an exceptionally low number even in this traditional lean season, said a local observer of the government export authority. Fish prices have plummeted. Export rates for mackerel or bangda had fallen from Rs 400 a kilo last month to less than Rs 200. The price of ribbon fish, which has little domestic demand, has almost halved to Rs 35 a kilo. Boat owner Piyush Solanki said he was unlikely to make any money after covering the cost of food and salary for ten people, thousands of litres of fuel, and several tons of ice. With diesel prices now over Rs 80 a litre, he added, "There is no point in sending the boats out." Trawl boats are not the only ones affected by the export issue. Dolnet boats that catch pomfret, a high-value fish, saw a 35% drop in prices. The lag in payments from exporters hurt some fishermen in Vasai, said Anand Mastan, a boat owner. Usually, payments from the August-December season are cleared by early January. But this year, "the accounts are not yet settled," he said, adding, "That has never happened before." Some fishermen have gone to moneylenders to cover the cost of weddings this season," he said. Experts say the crisis highlights the importance of diversifying the export market and cultivating domestic ones. With so much stock to clear, exporters are looking to other markets, including in Africa, said Fofandi. The domestic market helped blunt the damage to Vasai's dolnetters. The decline in pomfret prices was partly offset by the high volume and quality of the August-December catch, said Mastan, which he attributes to last year's lockdown allowing fish to breed longer. But dolnet boats also catch a lot of small low-value fish for local consumption. "The local market has been good," said Mastan, "So we were saved." 2021 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on... Former President Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial begins Tuesday, forcing the Senate to decide whether to convict him of incitement of insurrection after a violent mob of his supporters laid siege to the US Capitol on January 6. While Trump's acquittal is expected, all 100 senators will first have to sit at their desks and listen to hours of graphic testimony from House Democrats about the riots, which left five people dead. The House impeached Trump on January 13, one week after the violence. A look at the basics of the upcoming impeachment trial: HOW DOES THE TRIAL WORK? The Constitution says the House has the sole power of impeachment while the Senate has the sole power to try the individual on the charges. The person being impeached - who can be the president, the vice president or any civil officer of the United States - can be convicted by two-thirds of the senators present. The House appoints managers as prosecutors who set up on the Senate floor, along with the defendants lawyers, to present their case. The prosecutors and Trump's defense team will have a set amount of time to make arguments, and then senators can ask questions in writing before a final vote. The chief justice of the United States normally presides over the trial of a president, but because Trump has left office, the presiding officer will be Sen Patrick Leahy (D - Vermont), who is the ceremonial head of the Senate as the longest-serving member of the majority party. Once the senators reach a final vote on the impeachment charge - this time there is just one, incitement of insurrection - each lawmaker will stand up and cast their vote: guilty or not guilty. HOW LONG WILL THE TRIAL LAST? Unclear. The Senate has to agree to the rules of the trial, and party leaders are still working out the details. Trump's first impeachment trial, in which he was acquitted on charges that he abused power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate now-President Joe Biden, lasted almost three weeks. But this one is expected to be shorter, as the case is less complicated and the senators know many of the details already, having been in the Capitol during the insurrection. And while the Democrats want to ensure they have enough time to make their case, they do not want to tie up the Senate for long. The Senate cannot confirm Biden's Cabinet nominees and move forward with their legislative priorities, such as COVID-19 relief, until the trial is complete. WHY TRY TRUMP WHEN HE IS OUT OF OFFICE? Republicans and Trump's lawyers argue that the trial is unnecessary, and even unconstitutional, because Trump is no longer president and cannot be removed from office. Democrats disagree, pointing to opinions of many legal scholars and the impeachment of a former secretary of war, William Belknap, who resigned in 1876 just hours before he was impeached over a kickback scheme. While Belknap was eventually acquitted, the Senate held a full trial. And this time, the House impeached Trump while he was still president, seven days before Biden's inauguration. If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to bar him from holding office again. Democrats feel that would be an appropriate punishment after he told the angry mob of his supporters to 'fight like hell' to overturn his election defeat. Democrats also argue that there should not be a 'January exception' for presidents who commit impeachable offenses just before they leave office. They say the trial is necessary not only to hold Trump properly accountable but also so they can deal with what happened and move forward. 'You cannot go forward until you have justice,' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week. 'If we were not to follow up with this, we might as well remove any penalty from the Constitution of impeachment.' HOW IS THIS TRIAL DIFFERENT FROM TRUMP'S FIRST TRIAL? Trump's first trial was based on evidence uncovered over several months by the House about a private phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine, as well as closed-door meetings that happened before and afterward. Democrats held a lengthy investigation and then compiled a report of their findings. In contrast, the second trial will be based almost entirely on the visceral experience of a riot that targeted the senators themselves, in the Capitol building. The insurrectionists even breached the Senate chamber, where the trial will be held. The fresh memories of January 6 could make it easier for the House impeachment managers to make their case, but it doesn't mean the outcome will be any different. Trump was acquitted in his first trial a year ago Friday with only one Republican, Utah Sen Mitt Romney, voting to convict, and there may not be many more guilty votes this time around. In a test vote January 26, only five Senate Republicans voted against an effort to dismiss the trial - an early indication that Trump is likely to be acquitted again. WHAT WILL TRUMP'S LAWYERS ARGUE? Beyond the constitutionality of the trial, Trump's lawyers say that he did not incite his supporters to violence and that he did nothing wrong. 'It is denied that President Trump ever endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,' they wrote in a brief for the trial. 'It is denied he threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch Government.' Trump's lawyers also say he was protected by the First Amendment to 'express his belief that the election results were suspect.' There was no widespread fraud in the election, as Trump claimed falsely over several months and again to his supporters just before the insurrection. Election officials across the country, and even former Attorney General William Barr, contradicted his claims, and dozens of legal challenges to the election put forth by Trump and his allies were dismissed. WHAT WOULD ACQUITTAL MEAN FOR TRUMP? A second impeachment acquittal by the Senate would be a victory for Trump - and would prove he retains considerable sway over his party, despite his efforts to subvert democracy and widespread condemnation from his GOP colleagues after January 6. Still, acquittal may not be the end of attempts to hold him accountable. Sens Tim Kaine (D - Virginia) and Susan Collins (R - Maine) floated a censure resolution after last month's vote made clear that Trump was unlikely to be convicted. While they haven't said yet if they will push for a censure vote after the impeachment trial, Kaine said this week that 'the idea is out there on the table and it may become a useful idea down the road.' Reporting by the Associated Press Homeowners stuck in fire-trap flats could see their insurance claims paid by the state in a bid to put a brake on spiralling bills. Ministers are facing calls to step in to fix the market after the Daily Mail revealed that insurance premiums had soared by 1.6billion a year for those living in unsafe homes. Insurance giants are also braced for a backlash after MPs demanded an investigation into firms that are increasing bills for cladding victims. During a Commons debate on the cladding crisis last week, Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley said insurers are putting premiums up by amounts which should be investigated by regulators to see if they are fully justifiable. Hundreds of thousands of leaseholders face average bills of up to 40,000 each to fix fire safety defects identified in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire Premiums have risen by up to 1,600 per cent on apartment blocks wrapped in flammable cladding, while some have had their cover pulled completely. Those without buildings insurance risk their homes being repossessed because they may be in breach of their mortgage terms. Hundreds of thousands of leaseholders face average bills of up to 40,000 each to fix fire safety defects identified in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 in west London in 2017. But they are already haemorrhaging 2.2billion a year in total on stop-gap safety measures and insurance. Homeowners say these costs are emptying their bank accounts before they are slapped with hefty repair bills. The Mail is calling on ministers to end the cladding scandal within 18 months and spare leaseholders the crippling financial burden. Insurers are considering emergency measures to help make cover affordable for homeowners, but experts say the only realistic solution is for the state to underwrite claims because insurers appear unwilling to take on the risk. A source close to the housing ministry said: Ministers are acutely aware of the insurance issue and are considering how best to support leaseholders. Insurers have a role to play, but dont be surprised to see the Government step in to support the market and perhaps stand behind major claims. Insurers say premiums will not return to normal levels until repairs are complete. But the Government has said it is not currently planning to step in to underwrite claims. Insurance expert Roger Flaxman said this has led to a Mexican standoff. He added: One proposal is that the Government should take on the risk and enlist a large insurer to manage the process. But the Government is baulking at that because of the costs. Leaseholders in Birmingham and Sheffield have been unable to obtain comprehensive cover. West Midlands mayor Andy Street, who is backing the Mails campaign, said: Many are facing eye-watering insurance premiums. Some now only have partial insurance. This is completely wrong. Laura Hughes, of the Association of British Insurers, said: We are discussing with the Government possible short-term solutions which may help leaseholders, building owners and fire safety professionals. A Government spokesman said: We are considering a range of options and no final decisions have been made. Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said his ministry has set a target of operationalising 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme. He also said that privatisation is required in the field of aviation as it is not the government's specialisation to run airports. Addressing a press conference at the BJP's state office Kushabhau Thakre Parisar here over the Union Budget 2021-22, Puri also said that domestic flight services from Bilaspur town in Chhattisgarh will begin from March 1 under the regional connectivity scheme. "My ministry has set a target to operationalise 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme," he said. "Fifty-six airports have already been upgraded and over 700 routes awarded, of which air-service has commenced on 311 routes under the UDAN scheme since it was launched in 2017 with a budget of Rs 4,500 crore," Puri said. On this line, flight services will start from Bilaspur airport from March 1. At present, the Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, has been given the Bilaspur- Prayagraj-Delhi route, he said. Speaking about the budget 2021-22, he said after it was presented, the stock market witnessed a considerable boost and the budget also earned praise from intellectuals and independent commentators across the country. When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks that the budget reflects the Centre's intention to privatise PSUs, the minister blamed the opposition party for weakening the economic condition of Air India. "If the point was being raised about privatisation of Air India, which is our national asset, its economic condition was worsened during the Congress-led UPA government," he added. At present, Air India has an accumulated debt of Rs 60,000 crore and the process of its privatisation is underway since long, but it will be the NDA government which is going to properly materialise it, said Puri. He assured that the process will be carried out transparently through open bidding. "In 2006, during the Congress-led UPA government, the privatisation of Mumbai and Delhi airports was done and I give credit to them for it as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) got Rs 29,000 crore from the move which was used for the development of other airports," he said. "Privatisation is required as it is not the government's specialisation to run airports. Although there are several airports which are being successfully run, when private capital enters, the activities increase manifold," he added. On the ongoing protest by farmers against the new agriculture laws, Puri accused the opposition of misleading the cultivators over the legislations and said his government is ready to sit with the protesters to resolve the issue. He expressed confidence that the issue will be resolved soon. Also read: Govt may increase MGNREGA spend if need arises: Anurag Thakur Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officers stage a raid to arrest an illegal immigrant in New York City on April 11, 2018. (John Moore/Getty Images) Illegal Immigrants Convicted of DUI, Assault Wont be Deported: White House Illegal immigrants who are convicted of assault or driving while intoxicated are among those who wouldnt be deported under new guidelines from the Biden administration, the White House confirmed Monday. The priority for the enforcement of immigration law will be on those who are posing a national security threat, of course a public safety threat, and on recent arrivals. Nobody is saying that DUIs or assault are acceptable behavior, and those arrested for such activity should be tried and sentenced as appropriate by local law enforcement. But we are talking about the prioritization of who is going to be deported from the country, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. Psaki was responding to a question about reporting that cited internal emails from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal immigration agency inside the Department of Homeland Security, outlining new guidelines that will tell agents to not seek deportations for aliens convicted of crimes like assault, fraud, and drug-based crimes. ICE told The Epoch Times via email: Then-Acting Secretary Pekoskes January 20 memo makes clear that a person who poses a public safety threat is not only someone who has committed an aggravated felony. The commission of an aggravated felony is the most conclusive proof of a public safety threat. ICE retains its unlimited discretion to evaluate any conduct in defining a public safety threat. The January 20 memorandum is clear on this point. Bidens administration sent out a memorandum on Jan. 20 halting most deportations for 100 days. Then-Acting Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske said in the memo to staff members that the pause would enable focusing the Departments resources where they are most needed. The United States faces significant operational challenges at the southwest border as it is confronting the most serious global public health crisis in a century, he wrote. In light of those unique circumstances, the Department must surge resources to the border in order to ensure safe, legal and orderly processing, to rebuild fair and effective asylum procedures that respect human rights and due process, to adopt appropriate public health guidelines and protocols, and to prioritize responding to threats to national security, public safety, and border security. The department would prioritize illegal immigrants engaged in or suspected of terrorism or espionage, apprehended while trying to illegally enter the United States on or after Nov. 1, 2020, and aliens convicted of an aggravated felony. The order effectively suspended 85 percent of all criminal alien deportations, Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies told The Epoch Times. A federal judge in Texas blocked the order and extended the stay on Jan. 29 for two weeks. The next hearing in State of Texas v. the United States of America et. al is set for Feb. 19. Federal immigration law allows the United States to deport illegal aliens convicted of crimes, including the crime of being illegally in the country. Biden has worked to enact an overhaul of the immigration system, signing several executive orders on Jan. 20 and three more on Feb. 2. The new orders seek in part to loosen the criteria for asylum, reverse the Trump administrations public charge rule, create a task force for new Americans, develop a strategy to address irregular migration across the southern border, and create a task force to reunify any remaining families that were separated during the previous administration. In a breathtakingly absurd statement, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich.) asserted during a February 1 webinar that anti-Semitism cannot truly be defeated until "Palestinian human rights are respected." Levin is blaming anti-Semitism on the Jews, the very victims of anti-Semitism. This is cruel. Anti-Semitism predates the Israel-Arab conflict and will be with us, unfortunately, in future decades. The world's anti-Semitism is not a function of the lack of conclusion to the Israeli-Palestinian Arab situation. The Jews of Israel have made countless efforts towards peace and have implemented thousands of acts of humanitarianism toward the Arab and Muslim population, which is seldom requited. Yet anti-Semitism still exists. Jewish families and Israeli schools are constantly bombarded by groups of Arab Palestinians whose hatred of Jews predated by centuries the establishment of a Jewish state. Reading Levin's other comments, it is obvious that his leftist ideology places blame on those parties continually demonized by today's left-wing leaders. Israel is one of those targets. His statements show that he appears to see anti-Semitism as coming from the political right only. This willful blindness allows the widespread, dangerous anti-Semitism fomenting in today's left-wing camp. It is obvious that Levin, as with many wayward Jews who sadly have lost their way, is focused much more on hurting the political right than actually stopping anti-Semitism. Levin boasts of his friendship with Ilhan Omar and of his warm cooperation with "his sister" Rashida Tlaib, both widely known for expressing disparaging and pejorative remarks not only about Israel, but also about Jews who support Israel. This should be proof enough that Mr. Levin is not an honest broker when talking about anti-Semitism. Levin is representative of many secular Jews who see Judaism as exclusively and nothing more than supporting groups in the preferred "social justice" orbit, often doing so at the expense and disregard of the Jewish people itself. He, like so many on the Jewish left, demonstrates Jewish nationhood as something cheap. It is not surprising therefore that in his webinar, he speaks of the need to redefine what it is to be a Jew. For him, Jewishness is left-wing ideology at all costs. That Levin blames anti-Semitism on Jews who do not surrender to Palestinian Arab leadership calling for Israel's destruction is akin to blaming Jews for the dislike of them by the Third Reich. Unfortunately, it seems that many people born Jewish, carrying a distinctive Jewish last name, are the last people in the world upon which the Jewish people and America should place their hope for eliminating anti-Semitism. Rabbi Aryeh Spero is author of Push Back: The Battle to Save our American Judeo-Christian Heritage and president of Conference of Jewish Affairs. Image: SecretName 101. 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. Several schools, colleges, and other educational institutions that had been shut across India since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, are set to reopen in February 2021, in view of the lowering daily COVID-19 tally of the country. Most states have decided to reopen schools for higher classes, i.e., classes 9 to 12, with the exception of a few that will be reopening schools for lower classes (classes 5 to 8) also. While classes will resume in these states soon, authorities will have to ensure strict COVID-19 protocols, such as maintaining social distancing inside classrooms and staff rooms, use of face masks, sanitisers, etc. Heres a list of states that are reopening schools from February 2021: Maharashtra: In Maharashtras Pune, schools will reopen for classes 5 to 8 from February 1. In Thane district too, students of classes 5 to 8 have been allowed to take regular classes in school from January 27. Karnataka: Schools reopened, and full-day classes resumed for students of classes 9, 10, and pre-university from February 1. 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 Uttar Pradesh: Regular classes will resume for students of standards 6 to 8 from February 10. Additionally, residential schools have been allowed to reopen for classes 9 to 12 from February 9. Haryana: Schools have been reopened for students of classes 6 to 8 in Haryana from February 1 and Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal has said that a decision on resuming offline classes for students of classes 1 to 5 is yet to be taken. Himachal Pradesh: Schools reopened for classes 8 to 12 from February 1 for most; some schools located in the hilly region have longer winter vacations, and they will resume classes from February 15. Punjab: The Punjab government, which has already been reopening government schools in a phased manner, has now decided to resume classes in residential meritorious schools located in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, and Talwara. Gujarat: Classes have resumed for students of standards 9 to 11 from February 1, but with staggered attendance to limit the number of students attending school in a single day. Odisha: Normal classes resumed for students of classes 9 and 11 from February 8. Students of classes 10 and 12 were already attending school from January 8. Jammu: Students of classes 9 and 12 of both government and private schools located in the summer zone of the Jammu division have started attending school from February 1. Bihar: In Bihar, schools reopened for classes 6 to 8 from February 8. Students of classes 9 to 12 were already attending school in the state. Rajasthan: Schools reopened for students of classes 6 to 8 from February 8. Uttarakhand: Offline classes for students of classes 6 to 11 resumed in the state after months from February 8. Offline classes for students of standards 9 and 11 resumed in Tamil Nadu from February 8. Such decisions were made in response to Russia's actions to declare employees of the diplomatic missions of Sweden, Poland, and Germany as persona non grata because of their participation in rallies in support of Navalny. Poland, Sweden and Germany have expelled three Russian diplomats in response to unjustified actions by Moscow, which expelled several European diplomats last week for their participation in a rally in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This is announced by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Sweden and Germany on Twitter. Read alsoFM Kuleba on Navalny's sentence: Russian authorities hit new lawlessness record "In response to the groundless expulsion of Poland's diplomat by Russia's Foreign Ministry, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided today in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden to consider a Russian diplomat working at the Russian Consulate General in Poznan as a persona non grata," Poland's Foreign Ministry tweeted. In turn, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ann Linde said she had informed the Russian ambassador that one employee of the Russian embassy should leave Sweden. "We have informed the Russian Ambassador that a person from the Russian embassy is asked to leave Sweden. This is a clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only preforming his duties," Linde tweeted. The German Federal Foreign Office also reported that one employee of the Russian Embassy in Berlin had been declared persona non grata, referring to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Germany recalled that the decision taken by the Russian Federation on February 5 to expel several EU diplomats, including a German diplomat who worked at the German Embassy in Moscow, "was in no way justified." Other related news reports Reporting by UNIAN The United States is deeply troubled by recent attacks carried out Yemen's Houthi rebels, the State Department said Sunday, days after the administration announced it was removing the Iran-aligned group's formal terrorist designation. The Saudi military intercepted and destroyed four armed drones heading in the direction of southern Saudi Arabia, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen told state media outlets on Sunday, accusing the Houthis of using the UAVs to deliberately target civilians. The rebel group has not taken credit for the cross-border attack. But the Houthi movement, which controls the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, has claimed responsibility for previous missile and drone attacks targeting its rival, Saudi Arabia. Last month, the coalition said it intercepted a hostile air target launched toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh. In late December, the Houthis were blamed for a rocket attack on an airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden that killed and injured dozens of people. We call on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks impacting civilian areas inside Saudi Arabia and to halt any new military offensives inside Yemen, which only bring more suffering to the Yemeni people, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Sunday. Last week, President Joe Biden announced an end to US support for Saudi Arabias air war against the Houthis in Yemen. Since 2015 the United States has provided logistical assistance and intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition, which war monitors blame for thousands of civilian casualties. During a speech delivered at the State Department last Thursday, Biden also pledged to continue defending Saudi Arabias sovereignty, referencing continued missile attacks, drone strikes and other threats from Iran and its regional proxies. On Sunday the State Department urged the Houthis to refrain from destabilizing actions and to constructively engage with UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on a political resolution to the conflict. Griffiths is currently in Tehran for a two-day visit aimed at shoring up support for a nationwide cease-fire, urgent humanitarian action and a revived political process, his spokesperson told Arab News. The visit marks his first to Iran since becoming the United Nations Yemen envoy in 2018. After nearly seven years of fighting, the war in Yemen has created what the United Nations calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 80% of the population more than 24 million people rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. Parts of the country are experiencing famine-like conditions, fuel prices have soared and the coronavirus continues to spread unchecked. The Biden administration also formally notified Congress Friday that it plans to rescind a Trump administration decision to designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. Relief agencies operating in Yemen had warned the Houthis blacklisting would complicate their ability to deliver life-saving aid. Amid a "positive" and "determined" atmosphere, the first day of the National Palestinian Dialogue hosted by Cairo kicked off on Monday to discuss ways to end inter-Palestinian differences and guarantee the success of the upcoming elections, said an official source. The two-day dialogue is being held under the auspices of the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi with the participation of 15 Palestinian factions, groups and independent figures. The meeting tackled "all issues related to ending inter-Palestinian fractures, arranging the Palestinian house, and holding the upcoming elections in Palestine," the source added. "The National Palestinian Dialogue in Cairo comes per Egypt's keenness to provide all forms of support to help the Palestinian people achieve their unity, the source explained, adding "the discussions seek to overcome disagreements in order to build a fruitful future for the coming generations.." During the dialigue, the Palestinian delegations expressed their appreciation to the Egyptian president for supporting the Palestinian cause, praising Egypt's "continuous efforts and sacrifices" to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people. They also affirmed their keenness to achieve Palestinian unity and national partnership. Earlier this month, the office of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that legislative elections would be held on 22 May followed by presidential elections on 31 July. Short link: New Delhi, Feb 8 : Former Vice President of India Hamid Ansari wanted to pursue a PhD during his college days and teach in a university, but on his mother's insistence, he prepared and sat for the civil service examination. This was one of the several unheard facets about Ansari, which he shared during an interview with IANS. Born on April 1, 1937 in Calcutta (Kolkata), after studying at St. Edwards High School, Shimla, he went to St. Xavier's College and then to the Aligarh Muslim University. Although Ansari aspired to become a teacher, his mother once said "you should go to the civil service", after which one of his professors persuaded him for it. He revealed that even as he was reluctant to appear in the civil service examination, he eventually sat for it. "When I was in university, I was planning to do PhD. After that I wanted to do teaching in a university but my mother thought that I should go for civil services," he told IANS. "One of my professors further persuaded me and said that I should sit for the Civil Services examination. I had appeared in the examination but did not study or prepare much of that as I was not really willing to appear in the exam... however, I did clear the exam," the former Vice President said. Sharing another aspect of his life, Ansari said: "I was an ambassador in Kabul and I had a close shave... by just 5 minutes. A blast had happened that day and had I been in my house, I would have been dead as my house was targetted." "That day I left my house earlier by 5 minutes... don't know why. Half of my house was blown away by the bombing. I was lucky." According to Ansari, there have been several "mini accidents", which we can also call coincidence, and that's why he named his new book "Buy Many A Happy Accident". He revealed that his children wanted him to write the book. "I had finished my book before Covid-19 times, but due to the pandemic induced lockdown and closure, my book has come now." Ansari spent most of his time reading during the peak Covid-19 phase. On being asked about his experience of studying in Shimla, Kolkata and Aligarh, he said: "The experience was different everywhere... one cannot be mixed with another. All experiences are memorable." "It was a memorable moment with friends... friends of that era, I still talk to them today." Talking about one of his friends, he said: "I have a good friend who was a history professor in Jamia. I got a call from him recently and he said 'I am reading your book, you have included my name too'. Hearing such words from someone makes you feel happy." Ansari began his career as a bureaucrat in the Indian Foreign Service in 1961 when he was appointed as India's permanent representative to the UN. He was also the High Commissioner of India to Australia. "I was a diplomat from 1962 to 1999... Ambassador in different countries from 1976, wherever the government posted me, I went," he said. He had also served as India's Ambassador to Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, and Iran. The former Vice President also described his wife's opinions as "very important" in his life. "Her opinion is very important in my life, when I was writing my book, I started forgetting some parts which she helped me to complete." Ansari won the 2007 Vice Presidential election. In 2012, his tenure was extended by five years. His term ended on August 10, 2017. He also spoke on some of the controversies created by his remarks related to "insecurity". "I did not say anything new in this, if you see my speeches, I spoke 500 times in 10 years. I have spoken about a lot of issues. It was wrong to say (by some sections) why I spoke on the subject on my last day in office... Those people have neither read my book nor bothered to listen to my speeches." On being asked about the newly passed agricultural laws by the Narendra Modi-led Central government, he said: "Every citizen has seen what is happening, everyone's opinion is different." Are the laws creating a distance between the farmer and the government? Responding to this, the former Vice President said: "How do I say this? Both the farmers and those in the government are citizens... But yes, this matter should not have reached to such an extent and a solution should have been found." He further said: "The government in our country has always faced problems at every stage... sometimes they go out of control." Ansari said that before bringing laws of such nature, a thorough discussion should be held in Parliament and everyone's opinion must be taken. He also felt that there has been less debates on the farm laws in Parliament. Expressing his views on India's relations with neighbouring countries, Ansari told IANS: "Both China and India are big countries and neighbours. They understand that there is a need to exist together. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said many times that we are in talks with China." (Mohammad Suaib Khan can be contacted at mohammad.k@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text They and E.U. leaders have nonetheless stood by their decision and the impulse for solidarity, even as the finger-pointing has begun. What would people have said if Germany and France had been in competition with one another for the purchase or production of vaccines? That would have been chaos, Mr. Macron told a news conference on Friday, after a virtual meeting with Ms. Merkel. That would have been counterproductive, economically and from a public health perspective, because we will only come out of this pandemic when we have vaccinated enough people in Europe. But even as the leaders of Europes traditional power duo talked up the 2.3 billion doses ordered as an indication of the wisdom of a joint approach, they conceded that a full campaign could not be expected before March, leaving the bloc mired in controversy and recrimination, and perhaps a little regret. With just over 3 percent of E.U. nationals having received at least one dose of a vaccine by the end of last week, in stark contrast to Britains 17 percent and the United States 9 percent, nowhere does the lag sting more than in Germany, the blocs biggest economy and de facto leader. I must have called the hotline 100 times, said Klaus Kater, 80, a retired lawyer in Germany who said he spent two days hitting redial before he could get through to health officials in his home state of Lower Saxony. His efforts landed him on a waiting list, he said. They asked me how to notify me when my turn is up, so I said to send me a letter, just to be safe. He had no idea when that could be. To be sure, not all those problems like underequipped phone lines are the fault of the European Union. But as frustrations mount the bloc has become an easy whipping boy for all sorts of vaccine-related issues it wasnt meant to solve in the first place. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Life Investments today announced the launch of a new relationship with Wellington Management (Wellington), one of the world's largest independent investment management firms. The relationship is designed to enhance MainStay Funds' equities lineup, with Wellington repositioning and assuming sub-advisory investment management responsibility for a suite of fundamental equity mutual funds and variable product portfolios. "We are looking forward to engaging with Wellington to expand our equity capabilities with a number of fundamental strategies well-suited for the current market environment," said Kirk Lehneis, President of MainStay Funds and Chief Operating Officer of New York Life Investment Management. "Wellington's legacy of sustained investment strength and excellence will position us well to continue offering our clients high-quality investment strategies that meet their portfolio needs." Wellington Management has a rich 90-year history, with over $1 trillion in assets under management. With its depth of investment research and portfolio management expertise, Wellington will augment MainStay's fund lineup with high-caliber fundamental portfolio management capabilities across equity strategies and market capitalizations, including growth, value, small cap, mid cap, and international. "We are honored and excited to work with New York Life Investments, a firm that shares our long-term orientation and commitment to excellence and innovation," said Des Havlicek, Head of U.S. Intermediaries and Wealth for Wellington Management. "Our investment capabilities are well matched with the breadth and scale of New York Life Investments' marketing and sales organization in the U.S., and we're excited to offer their clients differentiated investment solutions that we believe can add value to their equity allocation." The repositioned funds and new portfolio managers will be: Mutual Funds Portfolio Manager(s) MainStay WMC Enduring Capital Fund Mark Whitaker MainStay WMC Growth Fund Andrew Shilling MainStay WMC Value Fund Adam Illfelder MainStay WMC Small Companies Fund Peter Carpi MainStay WMC International Research Equity Fund Mary Pryshlak, Jonathan White VP Portfolios Portfolio Manager(s) MainStay VP Wellington U.S. Equity Portfolio Mammen Chally, Doug McLane, David Siegle MainStay VP Wellington Growth Portfolio Andrew Shilling MainStay VP Wellington Small Cap Portfolio Gregg Thomas, Roberto Isch MainStay VP Wellington Mid Cap Portfolio Philip Ruedi, Mark Whitaker, Gregory Garabedian About New York Life Investments With $662 billion in Assets Under Management* as of December 31, 2020, New York Life Investments is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life), and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships. For more information, please visit newyorklifeinvestments.com. *AUM includes assets of Investment Advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company as of December 31, 2020. AUM for Candriam is converted from Euro at the spot rate as of this date. Candriam's assets under supervision includes approximately $169 billion which fall within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's definition of 'regulatory AUM' in Form ADV Part 1A. The remainder of Candriam's assets under supervision consists of other non-discretionary advisory or related services. "New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company. About Wellington Management Tracing its history to 1928, Wellington Management is one of the world's largest independent investment management firms, serving as a trusted adviser to over 2,200 institutional and private clients in more than 60 countries and managing over USD 1 trillion of assets. As a private partnership whose only business is investment management, the firm is able to align its long-term views and interests with those of its clients. The firm offers comprehensive investment management capabilities that span nearly all segments of the global capital markets, including equity, fixed income, multi-asset, and alternative strategies. With more than 800 investment professionals located in offices around the world, Wellington pairs deep multi-disciplinary research resources with independent investment teams operating in an entrepreneurial "boutique" environment. For more information, please visit wellington.com. All investments are subject to risk and will fluctuate in value. For more information about MainStay Funds, call 800-624-6782 for a prospectus or summary prospectus. Investors are asked to consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the investment carefully before investing. The prospectus or summary prospectus contains this and other information about the investment company. Please read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing. Investing involves risk, including loss on principal. The MainStay Series VP portfolios are investment options only available through certain variable products offered by New York Life Insurance and Annuity Corporation ("NYLIAC") or through other insurance company products. They are different from the mutual funds that may have similar names but are available directly to the general public. Investment results will differ. Media contacts: New York Life Investments & MainStay Funds: Netanel Spero Allison Scott (917) 543-5962 (917) 579-8914 [email protected] [email protected] Prosek Partners (On behalf of Wellington Management) Mike Geller 914-715-8901 [email protected] SOURCE New York Life Investments Related Links https://www.newyorklifeinvestments.com Chinas top diplomat in Washington has accused the US of restricting the free flow of technology and information and creating instability around the world. In a lengthy interview with CNN on Sunday, ambassador Cui Tiankai said China was open to all American companies despite Beijings ban on major companies like Facebook and Google and said it was unfortunate that technology and information had become politicised between the two countries. All these companies, what they want is a major market share in China. I dont think their goal is to share technology with China, they just want to make money in the Chinese market, he said. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Of course they could come and we are open to all American companies. But there are existing and even mounting restrictions imposed by the United States government against all this free flow of technology and information. It is not clear whether Cui was suggesting that profits were not the primary objective of multinational companies and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Cui also pushed back against the idea that a growing number of countries beyond the US including India, Japan, Vietnam and Australia are increasingly concerned over Chinas more assertive foreign policy. He added that China was a firm supporter of multilateral institutions, while Washington was the real source of trouble. The fact is, whenever you have more involvement by the United States, you have greater instability, anywhere in the world, he said. Cui said China had been a responsible power and contributed significantly to global growth, even as the US ratcheted up tension. What has been done by the United States, especially in the last few years, has antagonised the Chinese public very much. But Im still confident if both sides could make the right choice, if we can put the relations back on a stable and constructive track, theres a great potential and opportunity for our two countries. Story continues Cuis appearance on Fareed Zakarias GPS programme comes as Beijing seeks to figure out how best to engage the Biden administration; undercut Washingtons strategy of building alliances to counter Chinese assertiveness; and convince the US to drop sanctions imposed under Donald Trump. A report by New York-based political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said China has continued a high tempo of trade diplomacy in an offensive to thwart efforts to isolate it, adding that Beijing was using the media to signal a desire to work constructively with Biden, while putting the onus on the US to improve the relationship and avoid the mistakes of Trumps China strategy. Cui, one of Beijings most seasoned envoys and ambassador to the US since 2013, said the US and China should work together on climate change, and that this should not be part of a trade-off involving concessions in other areas. But he also chided the US for inconsistency, having pulled out of the Paris Accord under the Trump administration. Of course, we very much welcome the US to come back to rejoin us. But honestly, many people are asking themselves: Will the US change its policy in a few years time again? Turning to Xinjiang, where China has come under mounting criticism for detaining up to 1 million Uygurs in detention camps Beijing characterises these as employment training centres Cui said the policies had worked by stemming terrorism and alleviating poverty. People have more jobs, better income, and a better life, he said. As for the so-called genocide, the fact is, in the last four decades or so, the Uygur population in Xinjiang has more than doubled. It remains to be seen exactly how much of the Trump China playbook will be followed by the Biden administration, but analysts expect technology to remain a key area of contention given the lengthy battle US companies have engaged in for access to the Chinese market. China has long blocked major US technology firms including Google, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook from entering its market, ostensibly on censorship grounds. But some analysts argue that a second objective of Beijings Great Firewall has long been to protect its market against significant competition. In 2017, an article titled Censorship or protectionism? Reassessing Chinas regulation of internet industry published in the International Journal of Social Science and Humanity found both objectives served Beijings interests. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who made learning Mandarin part of his efforts to court Chinese officials, has made many attempts over the past decade to forge a deal that would allow it into the Chinese market. Not only is the company still blocked in China, its three other social media and chat properties Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are as well. In 2018, Facebook announced the establishment of a new innovation hub in Hangzhou, supposedly aimed at assisting local start-ups. The initiative was abruptly cancelled, however, and its online registration removed, within a day. Google was able to launch its Chinese search engine, Google.cn, in 2006 by filtering out material that censors there found objectionable. But, less than four years later, the site was hit by what the company called a sophisticated cyberattack originating in China, prompting Google to leave what had already become the worlds largest internet market in terms of user numbers. At the time, then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton urged Chinese authorities to investigate the cyberattacks alleged by Google, and described the Chinese governments censorship policies as self-defeating. Google reportedly tried to relaunch a made-for-China search engine in 2018, according to investigative news site The Intercept. That effort was abandoned as a result of resistance from employees concerned about the degree of censorship that would have been needed to pull the project off, the publication said. More from South China Morning Post: This article China envoy says US blocks technology exchange, creates global uncertainty first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is being criticised for attending a meal that exceeded the limits on gatherings on the very day health restrictions had been tightened to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus. According to The Guardian, Mitsotakis was visiting the far-flung Aegean island and islets in the adjacent archipelago to meet medical staff and witness the countrys vaccination programme first hand. However, what had been a successful trip was quickly overshadowed by the news that he and his entourage were enjoying lunch on the terrace of the harbour-front home of an MP in Ikaria. Local media reports had described the leaders group as being far in excess of the official limit on the number of people allowed to congregate at any one time. Mitsotakis had flouted a cardinal rule in the governments arsenal of curbs against the pandemic during a meal at the home of New Democracy MP Christodoulos Stefanidis. Following the news, Nasos Iliopoulos, the spokesman for the main opposition party, Syriza, criticised the Greek leader and said that he ought to say a very big sorry to the Greek people. He added that its even worse when it has happened on the day that the government asked citizens to remain indoors from 6pm. READ: Greece Imposes Curfew In Attica Region To Combat Virus Inaccurate and divisive MP Stefanidis, on the other hand, acknowledged that a crowd had spontaneously congregated outside the building to the PM up close but insisted that during the brief time people were inside his home health protocols were upheld. He said that number of people around each table was strictly limited with mask-wearing studiously observed in between. Further, Stefanidis apologised and added that the images and conditions, beyond the space where the PM and where people had converged spontaneously to see him up close, were not correct. READ: Greece Claim First-ever Win In ATP Cup History After Beating Spain 2-1 Responding to the criticism, the governments spokesman Christos Tarantilis even criticised the opposition for suggesting that a fiesta had taken place in Ikaria in which the Greek PM had participated, calling the claims inaccurate and divisive. However, he also added that in the PMs future tours every possible care will be taken so that the wrong image is not created. Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that Greece has over 163,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 6,000 deaths. With daily coronavirus diagnoses back in quadruple digits as far mount about a third wave of the pandemic, lockdown measures were reinforced on February 6 with a nightly curfew brought forward to 6pm from 9pm. READ: Explosion Levels Lakeside Hotel In Greece; No Injuries READ: Germany Welcomes Talks Between Greece & Turkey, Eyes Mediation Role The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped in on an online gathering of Get Lit Words Ignite (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a surprise guest appearance at a virtual poetry class, with Meghan sharing some of her favourite poetry lines. Harry and Meghan dropped in on an online gathering of Get Lit Words Ignite a California-based arts education non-profit organisation aimed at improving teen literacy through classic and spoken word poetry. The organisation said on social media that the Sussexes appearance made it the best weekend EVER!, adding that Harry and Meghan were magic and kind and interested in poetry! It said: The Duchess even shared some of her favourite poetry lines. We are so grateful for their visit in honour of Black History Month. It goes down as most epic experience in Get Lit history!!! The couple were pictured sat side by side as they joined the virtual class, with one of the other participants putting her hand over her mouth in shock and others clasping their hands together in delight. It is understood that Harry and Meghan, in honour of Black History Month in the US, wanted to support an organisation which engages and empowers young people to find and raise their voices. In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Get Lits 2020-2021 anthology of suggested poems features all black authors and poets in its first-ever virtual anthology. Expand Close Meghan quoted Maya Angelou in a speech in Cape Town, South Africa in 2019 (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghan quoted Maya Angelou in a speech in Cape Town, South Africa in 2019 (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Mason Granger, Get Lits manager of public outreach, wrote on Instagram how his favourite moment was Meghan echoing the many sentiments they had talked about in class. Soooo Prince Harry and Meghan dropped into my poetry class on Saturday and kicked it with the Get Lit Players for a multitude of minutes, he said. My favourite part of it all was Meghan echoing so many sentiments weve talked about in class, about this particular moment in time/history to be a young person and the ripple effect of a single voice. The root of them deciding to come is because at some point in their lives, they were moved by a poem. He said the Sussexes spent 45 minutes chatting with the teenagers and had taken the time to learn the biographies of the students in the class beforehand. Mr Granger added: It was pretty surreal. My kids shared poems, they asked questions, the kids answered and asked questions back, they responded authentically. He said the Get Lit Players 10/10 would recommend the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for your next Zoom poetry practice. The organisation has yet to say which poem Meghan quoted, but the duchess has previously described poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou as incredible. In 2019, she quoted Angelou during her tour of South Africa when she gave a rousing speech to teenage township girls, saying: Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, possibly without claiming it, she stands up for all women. Meghan is also a fan of A Note From The Beach, by Matt Haig, which is written from the perspective of the beach telling a sunbather it does not care about their body. The duchess included the poem as a personal favourite verse when she guest edited British Vogue in 2019. Businesses should do their bit by buying laptops and donating old models to Mail Force, a leading head teacher said yesterday. Backing the Daily Mail's Computers for Kids campaign, Jon Barr called on firms to help pupils beat hurdles to online learning. 'We need to end this digital divide and it will take a community spirit to bridge that gap throughout the pandemic and beyond,' he said. 'I cannot praise what Mail Force has done highly enough, it has made an incredible difference to children's lives.' Mr Barr, who is co-head of St Barnabas CE Primary in Bristol, has presided over an award-winning response to the pandemic. Teacher Suzzie Torkornoo (left) and co-head Jon Barr (right) with pupils at St Barnabas CE Primary in Bristol His school saw off others including Eton College to be named Covid-19 Response Champions at the BETT 2021 awards dubbed the 'education Oscars'. He credits the success in part to the generosity of a global firm that donated laptops following an IT upgrade. Epic a healthcare software brand with offices on five continents provided enough laptops for two thirds of his pupils. Mr Barr said: 'For us, it was about getting out into the community and finding a company which was upgrading their laptops. They may have been a number of years old but they were more than good enough for us to use. 'Any company thinking about buying new computers in the future should bring it forward now and help children.' Logan McKinstrie, project manager for Epic in Bristol, said the contribution was a perfect opportunity to give something back to the city. She added: 'We are new to Bristol and are delighted to have found a way to show our gratitude. We are so proud, and incredibly impressed, by everything Jon and his colleagues have managed to do during the pandemic. 'It's great to know we have made a difference somewhere the whole Bristol team were touched when we saw a video of Jon collecting his award.' Some of Britain's leading firms have clamoured to help Mail Force, including Dixons Carphone, Lloyds, Santander, Sainsbury's, Camelot, Boohoo and The Hut Group. Mr Barr, who has presided over an award-winning response to the pandemic, called on firms to help pupils beat hurdles to online learning. (Stock image) St Barnabas was also lauded for providing weekly learning packs for every child during term time and the Easter holidays last year. The school also ran a foodbank that fed 20 to 30 families a week and ensured that families eligible for free meals got supermarket vouchers. Another head teacher yesterday thanked Mail Force for a delivery of laptops for his pupils. Loz Wilson said Cottingham High School had 950 children working from home and 'nowhere near' enough computers to go round. While some have access to a family laptop, many others have no way of following the 25 hours of work a week set by the school near Hull. More than 250 have the added disadvantage of having to prepare for exams. Harvey McClune, 15, was one of the first to be given a Mail Force computer and said: 'It's terrific really amazing. 'It is very fast. It means I can get on with my lessons so much easier. 'I would really like to say a really big thank you to all the Mail readers.' Mr Wilson said: 'Since the first lockdown, more students and more parents are working from home and sharing equipment and internet access. 'There is often just not enough to go around, particularly if there is more than one child and more than one parent sharing.' The Computers for Kids campaign has raised at incredible 7million so far with 25,000 readers donating. 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. Healthcare workers are experiencing severe burnout as they face into the second year of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the Oireachtas Health Committee will be told. In a series of statements nurses, doctors and hospital consultants detail the extreme pressure they are being put under as they battle to save the lives of people infected by the virus. The Irish Midwives and Nurses Organisation (INMO) will tell the committee that a survey of their members found 82pc of respondents said the experience of Covid-19 had a negative impact on their mental health. Read More Meanwhile, nine out of 10 nurses and midwives described feeling mentally exhausted when off-duty since the pandemic commenced. INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha also branded the HSEs vaccination programme haphazard in her opening statement to the committee. The roll-out commenced in a haphazard manner, not focused on the locations or workplaces with the highest infections or geographically bordering areas with high community infection, she said. Put simply, the vaccines' initial distribution seemed to be based on the HSE's administrative areas, rather than by where the virus was most prevalent. Meanwhile, Anthony Owens of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said it is deplorable that is has been almost a year since the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in Ireland and there has been no substantial and systemic action taken to address a recruitment crisis in the health service. As a consequence, our waiting lists have grown and stress and burnout is prevalent among the medical workforce, he said. He said there is no doubt staffing shortages are impacting significantly on the mental health of medics. Long working hours, excessive workload, redeployment, requirements to cover for absent colleagues, inability to get proper rest and take proper breaks, and difficulties in accessing childcare are all contributing to high rates of stress and burnout among doctors, he warned. Mr Owens said morale is at an all-time low among public health specialists and it beggars belief they would have to ballot for industrial action during a pandemic to have their long-running grievances considered in a serious fashion. Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) vice president Prof Rob Landers will tell the committee a shortage of consultants has resulted in excessive workloads being carried by understaffed medical and surgical teams to the detriment of patients. This has not only meant the curtailment of services to patients, but it has necessitated doctors working additional hours on top of their full week and already onerous on-call rosters at night and weekends, Prof Landers said. He said it is vital that primary and secondary schools are reopened for the children of all healthcare workers as is the case in the UK and Northern Ireland. Also, financial support should be provided to pay for the increased child-minding needs that have arisen due to reduced school hours, he added. Prof Landers said a large majority of respondents to a survey of his members said that Covid-19 has a moderate or severe impact on their workload, general wellbeing and mental health. More than one fifth of respondents are experiencing symptoms of burnout and work-related stress. This includes feelings of physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion, feelings of detachment from their work and feelings of reduced professional ability or accomplishment, he added. He also said more than a quarter of his members said Long Covid appears to be prevalent among staff who have contracted the disease and is a major concern for them. Read More MBABANE - Government will know today of a way forward regarding the rollout of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine enrolment in the country. Following new studies which revealed that the said vaccine could be less effective on the new South African COVID-19 variant, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi said there would be a World Health Organisation-led meeting with COVAX and the ministry to discuss the new findings against the countrys rollout plan. Nkosi said this yesterday in a telephonic interview, while explaining that the new information had compelled a meeting to discuss the new findings extensively. The minister explicitly explained that no plans had been made to change the rollout plan as yet. Meeting There will be a WHO-led meeting tomorrow (today), to extensively discuss the findings. Just because it can be labelled as less effective, it does not mean it is not effective at all. The COVAX team will join us in the meeting because they were the entity that was responsible for rolling out the Oxford AstraZeneca to us (Eswatini), said Nkosi. When asked if the new findings would change the timelines, Nkosi said she did not believe so because the country was not only getting ready to administer the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine but others too. The country has also been preparing to secure the Johnson&Johnson and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines. The Johnson&Johnson -20 degrees Celsius refrigerator is now in the country and the -70 degrees Celsius Pfizer BioNTech refrigerator will soon be in the country, said Nkosi. The minister highlighted that an extensive research by the country on the new findings would determine if the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would continue to be utilised by the country as planned. Worth noting is that there are other vaccines that are still way less effective than the AstraZeneca vaccine, but are still being administered in some countries. The AstraZeneca is between 60 and 90 per cent effective and that is a fair rate, said the minister. She, again, said the extensive meetings with the WHO and the COVAX team would determine the use of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in the country. In the meantime, the developing information on the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has kept the Ministry of Health on its toes. The development and administration of COVID-19 vaccines has been met with new information almost daily and last Sunday, new information was gathered that the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine could be less effective to the new South African COVID-19 variant. The new information, which has set doubt on people who were excited about the coming of the said vaccine in the county, has kept the ministry working around the clock. The ministry, according to Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula, was currently trying to assess if the new findings would determine any changes on the countrys plans to have the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the kingdom by end of February. Samples Dr Magagula said the Ministry of Health recently sent some samples to determine the variant of COVID-19 the country had and if the South African COVID-19 variant had spread to the kingdom. We are watching everything closely, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the studies that are ongoing with regard to COVID-19. We have also sent some samples to Pretoria in South Africa to assess the kind of variant that the country has so we can determine our choice of COVID-19 vaccines, said Dr Magagula. However, Dr Magagula also said, currently, nothing had changed with regard to the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine coming to the country, stating that any changes would be determined by the ongoing studies. WHO Health Promotion Officer Dr Kevin Makadzange said the new information about Oxford AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine could change the countrys guidelines with regard to the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines in the country. We cannot turn a blind eye on the fact that Eswatini has a very close proximity (to SA) and such new information should come with vigilance on our side. The South African variant has already been found in Botswana and Mozambique and a lot of information is coming in with regard to this. If there is any evidence that the variant is in the country, guidelines might have to be changed, said Dr Makadzange. Information He said if there would be more compelling information with the new information about the less effectiveness of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the South African COVID-19 variant, the country would have to change the vaccine candidate (brand). Dr Makadzange said there were ongoing studies to determine if the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would be listed under the WHO Emergency Use Listing. Currently, the only vaccine that has been listed is the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The emerging information regarding the Oxford AstraZeneca might slow down the listing process, said Dr Makadzange. Explaining the WHO Emergency Use Listing, He said it was a list of medication that was approved for emergency use, like in pandemics. Findings People should know that these vaccines have not been permanently validated because there are new findings that come up every day. We have put our ears on the ground to learn everything that comes up with COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines, said the WHO health promotion officer. Dr Makadzange said the country (Eswatini) was still waiting for the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be enlisted in mid-February, before bringing it into the country. In the meantime, South Africa has put on hold its plans to enrol the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines which arrived last week. According to South African media, the country has opened up to procuring the Johnson&Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. More than seven weeks after a nurse at University Hospital in Newark received the states first coronavirus vaccination shot, New Jersey has hit the 1 million mark for doses administered. New Jersey reached the milestone over the weekend, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. Of the 1,037,657 shots, 813,216 have been first doses and 224,237 have received both shots and are fully vaccinated. Officials say demand continues to far outpace supply, but an increase in federal deliveries of the vaccine may help. While the state had previously been getting about 130,000 doses a week, New Jersey is expecting nearly 250,000 next week. The quarter-million includes 111,000 doses set aside for second shots, the states top health official said Friday. This trend is an imporant one. When we administered our first vaccine on December 15th, it took us 29 days to cross the quarter-million administered, Murphy said. And it took another 10 days beyond that for us to exceed 500,000. It has only taken us 16 days for us to go from 500,000 to 1 million. Even with the continued scarcity in supply, and the rescheduling caused by last weeks snowstorm, we have put 500,000 vaccine doses in arms in just a little over two weeks. The highest day for vaccine doses was Wednesday when more than 44,000 shots were administered in New Jersey. New Jersey health officials on Monday reported another 2,218 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 25 additional deaths. Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Friday there will be a total of 248,150 doses sent to the state this week. The state will get 55,575 Pfizer and 80,900 Moderna first doses, as well as 55,575 Pfizer second doses and 56,100 Moderna second doses. Front-line health workers are eligible were the first to become eligible for the shots, along with residents of nursing homes, group homes and prisoners. Murphy later expanded eligibility to people 65 and older as well as those 16 to 64 with certain underlying health conditions. The governor said last week that educators would be next in line. In December, Murphy said the state aimed to vaccinate about 70% of the adult population in six months. There are 295 vaccination sites in New Jersey. We have a good ways to go to reach our ultimate goal, Murphy said. We need much greater supply. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Monday visited the area affected by the tragedy caused by the breaking of a glacier in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning and took stock of the rescue measures. He also met the families affected by the tragedy. Nishank, who is an MP from Haridwar in Uttarakhand, assured the villagers that food items and health care facilities will be immediately provided to the people within the village itself. He also met the head of Raini village, which was the epicentre of the tragedy and asked him about the problems faced by the victims. Army officials told Nishank that there could still be many people trapped in the tunnel. The tunnel has been closed beyond 150 metres owing to collection of debris. There is a possibility that people could still be trapped under the debris. According to the Education Minister, the tunnel is about 2.5 km long. "I assure all the residents of complete assistance from the government and pray to God for everybody's well-being," Nishank said. The minister further said: "In the tragedy that has struck Raini Village after the breaking of the glacier in Devbhoomi (Land of Gods) Uttarakhand, our first priority is saving lives. This village is also the native place of Chipko movement pioneer and environmentalist Gaura Devi. Natural disasters such as these bring related problems with them. I met the administration officials and took a comprehensive feedback from them and assured them that immediate solutions will be provide to the problems." Personnel from the Army and the National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) along with engineers and other agencies are engaged in rescue efforts to deal with the tragedy unleashed by the breaking of the glacier on Sunday. Indian Army officials engaged in the rescue efforts briefed the Education Minister about the ground realities. WICHITA, Kan. and BENGALURU, India , Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), the global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a strategic collaboration with Spirit AeroSystems , a leading aero structures manufacturer. Spirit has chosen Infosys as its lead technology integration partner to help drive and set up the end-to-end applications and infrastructure integration of a few of Bombardier's former aerostructures and aftermarket services assets, which have been recently acquired by Spirit. As the exclusive IT partner, Infosys will leverage its system integration expertise, ecosystem partners, and extensive knowledge of the aviation sector to develop a robust IT framework, which will be built on infrastructure solutions powered by Infosys Cobalt. Seamless IT integration is imperative for successful mergers and acquisitions. The partnership will enable Spirit AeroSystems to empower stakeholders by transforming business applications and facilitating agile, resilient operations on the cloud. Talking about the partnership, Sam Marnick, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Spirit AeroSystems, said, "We look forward to partnering with Infosys on our efforts to further diversify our business and strategically position Spirit AeroSystems for the future. We appreciate the long-standing relationship we have with Infosys and the support they have brought to a number of strategic projects for Spirit." Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said "We are excited to kickstart a new chapter in our long-term strategic partnership with Spirit AeroSystems and support their vision for the aerospace industry. We look forward to maximizing the synergies of the acquisition by facilitating seamless integration of IT ecosystems. Through the partnership, we will support Spirit with infrastructure build-out and unlock more opportunities to accelerate innovation and drive success." About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With nearly four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. SOURCE Infosys The glacial burst near Chamoli district''s Raini village, the cradle of the Chipko movement, should serve as a wake-up call to stop the rampage on the Himalayan ecological system in the name of development, said Magsaysay awardee Chandi Prasad Bhatt on Monday. According to the 87-year-old environmentalist, who was a Chipko movement leader, projects like the Rishi Ganga hydel project, which bore the brunt of Sunday''s calamity, should not have been given environmental clearance. Bhatt said that in 2010 he had written to the then environment minister warning against the adverse effects of the project. "Had my advice been heeded, the loss of lives and largescale damage to property at the project site could have been prevented. The mindless rampaging on the Himalayas in the name of development must stop," he said. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand''s Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 10 people dead and 143 missing, who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects -- NTPC''s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project -- were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Pointing out that the Himalayas are too delicate to bear too much human intervention, Bhatt, who has also been honoured with the International Gandhi Peace Prize, said, "Sunday''s avalanche was a wake-up call and so was the 2013 Kedarnath deluge in which thousands perished but authorities refuse to learn from natural calamities." A devastating natural disaster in the form of torrential rains of unseen magnitude had struck Kedarnath on 16-17 June in 2013. The banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath collapsed due to a cloudburst that had resulted in a major flash flood causing widespread destruction in Uttarakhand and led to heavy losses to infrastructure, agriculture lands, human and animal lives. "The Chipko movement had begun from Raini village after largescale devastation in the Rishi Ganga and Alakananda Valleys caused by a devastating flood in 1970. The flood awakened the locals to the need of saving the forests of Raini," said Bhatt who lives in Gopeshwar told PTI. The movement had resulted in a ban on cutting of trees in the catchment area of the Alaknanda river, he said. Women from Raini village of Uttarakhand had started the movement in the 1970s by clinging onto trees to prevent them from being cut. Though the movement was started to prevent the felling of trees, it went on to become an inspiration for environment conservation. Bhatt said environmental clearance to a 13 MW hydel project in a river close to its point of origin in a Himalayan glacier amounts to inviting calamities like this. Environmental clearance to projects like that on the Rishi Ganga without proper consideration could be highly detrimental to the delicate Himalayan ecological system. It also results in inordinate delay in clearance to infrastructural projects of public use, he said. Bhatt also underscored the need for updating the knowledge of the ecological system connected with places where rivers like the Ganga and its tributaries originate in the Himalayas. "On the points where the Ganga or its tributaries originate there are not only glaciers but also lakes of varying sizes, big and small, about which our knowledge is negligible. It needs to be augmented," he said. "We need to identify such lakes and glaciers, show them on our maps and keep a tab on them. An effective mechanism of sharing basic information on their vulnerability with the local administration and the local populace should also be developed," Bhatt stressed. Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: 15 dead so far, search on to find 150 missing people Itanagar: Five persons were killed and nine went missing as a massive landslide triggered by incessant rains hit eight dwellings in Arunachal Pradeshs Papum Pare district on Tuesday, officials said. According to Sagalee Additional Deputy Commissioner Jalash Pertin, the landslide around 3.30 pm buried the houses at Laptap village. Rescue operation is on, he said adding there are dim chances of any survivor. The district has been receiving incessant rains since the past four days. Officials said five bodies have been retrieved so far from the debris. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed deep shock and grief over the incident and ordered urgent rescue operation to evacuate any survivor. He announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kins of those killed. He also asked the administration to provide all necessary assistance like food and medicine to the affected people and shift them to safer locations. A 35-member NDRF team has already reached the spot and carrying out rescue operations along with volunteers and villagers. Khandu appealed to people to remain alert and shift from vulnerable places. He said Arunachal Pradesh has been at the receiving end of natures fury every year and the best people can do is avoid vulnerable places and stop rampant air cutting and deforestation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Here's a quick guide to media literacy: It's never a good sign when newsies/bloggers don't include the photo of a political challenger after a campaign kick-off. Sadly, quite a few hack pundits will dutifully report the "progress" of this candidate right up to the point when he loses. Even worse . . . The "bench" of the Democratic Party doesn't seem very deep in Missouri despite younger voters OVERWHELMINGLY leaning progressive. Read more . . . New Delhi: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is all set to create history on Tuesday as its Juno spacecraft will fly over the famous Great Red Spot of Jupiter. According to NASA, the spot that has been monitored since 1830, is 16,000-kilometre wide storm. It will be the closest look ever of the famous spot. Juno entered Jupiters orbit on 4th July last year. Scott Bolton, who is the principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio said, Jupiters mysterious Great Red Spot is probably the best-known feature of Jupiter. This monumental storm has raged on the solar systems biggest planet for centuries. Now, Juno and her cloud-penetrating science instruments will dive in to see how deep the roots of this storm go, and help us understand how this giant storm works and what makes it so special, Bolton added. "Today, our @NASAJuno craft is flying over Jupiter's Great Red Spot, kicking off a close-up study of the iconic storm," NASA tweeted. The spacecraft is likely to reach the spot in Jupiters orbit at around 11:55 am (AEST) on Tuesday. It will be approximately 3,540 kilometres above Jupiter at the time when it reaches the spot. The images taken by JunoCam of the Great Red Spot are likely to be downlinked and available by the weekend, NASAs spokeswoman told Fox News. Chalking up around 114 million kilometres in orbit around the gas giant, Juno celebrated one-year-anniversary the planets orbit on July 5, 2017. Juno has come as near as 3379 kilometres to cloud tops of Jupiter during its fly-bys of the huge planet. The spacecraft was launched on August 5, 2011 from Cape Canaveral. According to NASA, the missions early results portray the planet as a turbulent world, with an intriguingly complex interior structure, energetic polar aurora, and huge polar cyclones. ALSO READ | Doomsday: This is how NASA can protect Earth from future killing asteroid attack According to Space.com, the planet is mostly composed of hydrogen and helium. The storm in Jupiters atmosphere is shrinking, Hubble Space Telescopes recent years observations revealed. In 2015, New Horizons spacecraft of NASA made a historic fly-by of Pluto after travelling 4.8 kilometres that lasted more than nine years. ALSO READ: Hubble Telescope of NASA spots 'fireworks' image Todays a big day for @NASAJuno, as the spacecraft will fly by Jupiters Great Red Spot to give us a close-up view! https://t.co/T9uABJd5Ui pic.twitter.com/oryMiEIuH1 NASA (@NASA) July 10, 2017 For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Greece's left-wing opposition leader has accused the country's prime minister of showing contempt for lockdown rules after attending a large outdoor lunch gathering. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on a weekend visit to the Greek island of Ikaria attended an outdoor lunch hosted by a local lawmaker. A video of the event posted on social media showed at least 25 people in attendance, while traditional island music, with drums and bagpipes, could be heard in the background. The government toughened lockdown measures at the weekend, expanding curfew hours to start at 6 pm in greater Athens and Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections that started in late January. Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras submitted a complaint to parliament Monday, accusing the prime minister of displaying unbelievable arrogance while restaurants around Greece and many businesses remain closed. A spokeswoman for the government, Aristotelia Peloni, said Mitsotakis would continue to visit remote parts of the country to promote the pandemic vaccination drive, adding that public attention on the outdoor lunch would undermine the purpose of the visit. In December, Mitsotakis was photographed posing with his mountain bike but without a mask alongside five motocross riders on a hillside trail outside Athens. He later apologized. New Delhi, Feb 8 : A study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that the lockdown ensured at least 50 per cent reduction in chemical concentration in the Ganga river. The study was conducted by a team of scientists from IIT-K to ascertain the impact of restricted anthropogenic activities on the water chemistry resilience of large rivers. The site selected by the team of researchers was downstream of Ganga river at Prayagraj where they studied the impact from March 25 till May 13. The team analysed the daily geochemical record of the Ganga river which revealed that reduced industrial discharge during 51 days of mandated nationwide lockdown decreased the dissolved heavy metal concentrations by a minimum of 50 per cent. In contrast, inputs from agricultural runoff and domestic sewage like nitrate and phosphate remained almost the same as these sources were not impacted by the nationwide confinement. The study findings indicated that reduction in industrial wastewater can substantially reduce heavy metal pollution in Ganga water in a short time span of a few months. "The lockdown resulted in a complete shutdown of industrial operations, and in turn, the effluent discharge from various industries was negligible. This industrial discharge usually ends up in nearby water bodies and groundwater despite India's stringent 'zero liquid discharge' laws preventing discharge of untreated effluent in rivers. It is estimated that industrial wastewater contributes nearly 20 per cent of the total volume of wastewater generated in the Ganga basin," the research estimated. The researchers also quantified that Uttar Pradesh alone contributes 54 per cent of the total industrial wastewater generation in the Ganga basin, especially the stretch between Kanpur and Prayagraj, which hosts an enormous variety of industries. "We emphasise that of the 764 industries in the entire Indian part of the Ganga basin, 90 per cent of the industries are located in the state of Uttar Pradesh alone, consisting mostly of tanneries (64 per cent) and textiles (9 per cent), sugar (8.2 per cent), paper (4.8 per cent) and industries (32 per cent). Even in terms of industrial wastewater generation, Uttar Pradesh also leads all other states in the Ganga basin, generating 269 million liters per day (MLD), which is 54 per cent of the total wastewater generated in the entire basin," the scientists noted in the study. The research was supported by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), a bilateral organisation under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and US Department of State. It was recently published on the cover of the journal 'Environmental Science and Technology Letters'. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A new study finds that cases of a more contagious coronavirus variant are rapidly increasing in the United States, and significant community transmission may already be occurring. Although the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK is currently at a relatively low frequency in the United States, the paper says it's doubling every week and a half, similar to what was observed in other countries. The report estimates this variant is 35-45% more transmissible than strains that appeared earlier in the United States, and it's doubling about every 10 days in the country. Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modeling predicted the B.1.1.7 variant could become the predominant strain in the United States by March. It estimates the virus is about 50% more transmissible. 'Our study shows that the U.S. is on a similar trajectory as other countries where B.1.1.7 rapidly became the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant, requiring immediate and decisive action to minimize COVID-19 morbidity and mortality,' researchers wrote in the study's preprint, which has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. In addition to groups of cases in California, Florida and Georgia, many B.1.1.7 cases in the United States did not report recent international travel, the report said, suggesting 'significant community transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant is already ongoing across the U.S.' The new study, posted Sunday on the preprint server MedRxiv, is a collaboration of researchers from several institutions and the company Helix, which is one of the commercial, academic and public health labs that shares information on variants with the CDC. US labs are still sequencing only a small subset of coronavirus samples, the paper said, so it's not clear what variants are circulating in the country. Without 'decisive and immediate public health action,' new, more transmissible variants 'will likely have devastating consequences to COVID-19 mortality and morbidity in the U.S. in a few months,' the researchers warn. Helix President Dr. James Lu told CNN last week the company had been tracking evidence that cases of B.1.1.7 are on the rise, and not just a product of increased genetic sequencing across the country. 'The rate of growth here in Florida and Southern California looks a lot like the type of growth that we have seen previously in the UK and Denmark ... where B.1.1.7 became the predominant variant strain pretty quickly,' Lu said. It's unclear whether the pace of vaccination in the United States will prevent the strain from gaining a foothold in places where it's not already circulating, he added. 'We're in a race between the vaccine and the new strains,' Lu said. Dr. Anthony Fauci last week suggested the US isn't vaccinating people fast enough to stay ahead of new variants. That could blunt the vaccine's efforts to bring cases down, he told CNN. 'If the variants and the mutations come, and start becoming dominant, then that's going to obviate some of the effects of the vaccine,' he said. More than 610 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant have been found in 33 states, according to CDC. Most are in Florida and California. The first US case was announced December 29, but the earliest known cases stretch back earlier. Analysis in the new study suggests the B.1.1.7 variant arrived in the United States as early as late November 2020. The strain has also been found in at least 80 countries and territories around the globe, the World Health Organization said last week. The United States has also tallied five cases in two states of the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa, and two cases in one state of the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A man allegedly killed his 25-year-old girlfriend and her mother before filming himself screaming 'I'm sorry' and turning the gun on himself during a standoff with SWAT in Texas over the weekend. Police have not released the identities of anyone involved but the victims have been identified on social media as Marietta Matthews, 25, and her mother Tamiko Merriwether, 55. The suspect is alleged to be her boyfriend Nathan Rashad James, 24. Dallas police responded to an active shooter call in the 9800 block of Summerwood Circle around 4.30pm on Sunday. According to a statement from the department, as officers approached the apartment building, a suspect fired shots at the officers, striking their marked squad car. The officers backed off and immediately called for SWAT. Scroll down for video A man allegedly killed his 25-year-old girlfriend and her mother in Dallas on Sunday. While police have not released the identities of the victims or suspect, one of the victims has been identified on social media as Mari Matthews (left and right) The second victim was identified as Matthews' mother, Tamiko (right) When SWAT arrived to the scene, they made 'several' attempts to get the suspect to surrender before entering the complex around 7pm. Upon entry, the officers found two women and one man dead from gunshot wounds. Authorities said 'it does not appear that any officers discharged their weapons, nor were there any officers injured'. Police did not confirm whether the suspect is the male who was found dead inside the apartment. In an Instagram post, Matthews was identified as an alumnae of University of Central Missouri. She and her mom were reportedly shot with a semi-automatic shot gun. Their killer then filmed himself on Instagram Live, screaming and pacing up and down, yelling he was sorry and that 'he tried to leave'. A portion of the video appears to show the suspect holding a weapon as he walked around the room. James' body was later found by police, alongside both Matthews, when they breached the apartment. When DailyMail.com reached out to Dallas police, they said no other information was immediately available and that authorities are still investigating the shootings. In an Instagram post, Matthews (right) was identified as an alumnae of University of Central Missouri. She and her mom (left) were reportedly shot with a semi-automatic shot gun Texas authorities found the bodies of three people inside a Dallas apartment (pictured) on Sunday. Dallas police responded to an active shooter call in the 9800 block of Summerwood Circle around 4.30pm Business rates must be cut permanently to prevent lasting fallout for high streets and jobs, retail bosses warn the Chancellor today. The heads of some of the UK's top stores, including Tesco, Asda and Waterstones, are urging Rishi Sunak to use next month's Budget to save shops devastated by the pandemic. They want business rates to fall to where they were 30 years ago and for online firms to pay a fairer share. Waterstones chief executive James Daunt said: 'Business rates on shops are a perverse tax, perversely applied. It is starkly evident that they result in the loss of jobs and the degradation of communities most in need of support. Business rates must be cut permanently to prevent lasting fallout for high streets and jobs, retail bosses warn the Chancellor today (file photo) Waterstones chief executive James Daunt (pictured) said: 'Business rates on shops are a perverse tax, perversely applied. It is starkly evident that they result in the loss of jobs and the degradation of communities most in need of support' 'They are indefensible in their present form, with the immediate consequence of failure to reform the certain loss of tens of thousands of jobs.' The tax is levied on the premises of two million firms in England. But internet businesses generally pay less than high street rivals because their offices or warehouses tend to be in cheaper out-of-town locations where the rateable value of buildings is lower. Online firms face tax hit Amazon and other internet retail giants could be hit with an online sales tax to help repay the debt owed by the UK after heavy borrowing during the pandemic. Treasury sources said Chancellor Rishi Sunak could target companies that had done well out of lockdown as part of a business rates review. Others to see profits spike include takeaway firms such as Deliveroo and fashion retailers including Asos. Leaked emails showed Treasury officials had summoned tech firms and retailers to a meeting this month to discuss an online sales tax, The Sunday Times reported. No 10 is also said to be working on an 'excessive profits tax' for internet firms. Advertisement The crisis has been highlighted by the Mail's Save Our High Street campaign to revamp business rates. Now bosses want the Treasury to cut the business rate multiplier a figure set by the Government that, when multiplied by the rateable value of premises, gives the amount of tax payable. They say it should fall from 51 per cent to around the 35 per cent it was in 1990. The Chancellor announced a 12-month business rates holiday for small firms in his Budget last March to protect them from a drop in trade caused by Covid. But within days, the growing scale of the pandemic forced him to extend the scheme to take in all businesses and venues, costing the public purse 10billion. At the same time, the Treasury began a major review of business rates. In a letter today, the chief executives of 18 retail and property firms call on the Chancellor to permanently reduce the rates when the current holiday ends most likely this summer. They write: 'We urge you to use the upcoming Budget to commit to fundamental reform of business rates focused on reducing the burden on retailers and levelling the playing field between bricks-and-mortar and online businesses. Even before Covid-19, the current system penalised physical shops and whilst rates relief was welcome failure to reform the system will hamper the recovery of the sector post-pandemic.' They point out that many shops have been forced to shut and, together with the shift to online shopping, this has 'led to tens of thousands of job losses and many retail closures in the past 12 months', with 'many more to come'. The letter warns that this hit so-called Red Wall constituencies formerly held by Labour in the North particularly badly, adding: 'These impacts are felt hardest in the Government's priority areas communities in need of 'levelling up'.' Labour is calling for the business rates holiday to be extended, along with a continued cut in VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for the hospitality, tourism and culture sectors. A Treasury spokesman said: 'We've spent tens of billions of pounds supporting shops throughout the pandemic and are supporting town centres through the changes online shopping brings.' Rishi clearly feels enough is enough... and he's right Commentary by Ruth Sunderland, Business Editor for The Daily Mail Rishi Sunak's plan to tax the obscene profits being made in the pandemic by Amazon and fellow online retailers cannot come into force a moment too soon. Ministers have stood by as the heart has been torn out of our high streets and online operators have become more bloated. An online sales levy, coupled with reform of discredited business rates, must be part of any blueprint to save Britain's shopping centres. Not only would it help repair battered public finances, it would give bricks-and-mortar shops a fairer crack of the whip. Rishi Sunak's plan to tax the obscene profits being made in the pandemic by Amazon and fellow online retailers cannot come into force a moment too soon (file photo) Although action is unlikely in next month's Budget, it seems Rishi has finally decided enough is enough. And he is right. The sheer scale of Amazon's sales more than 91billion during the final three months of last year alone is breathtaking. Such success is to be celebrated but it comes with social responsibility and a requirement to pay proportionate tax. Amazon paid just 14.5million in corporation tax in 2019. But its UK sales leapt 51 per cent to more than 19.4billion last year. Our tax system has failed to keep pace with the rampant rise of internet shopping. As a consequence, Amazon and others are romping away while paying the bare minimum. The desperation over business rates can be gauged by the letter sent by top retailers, landlords and unions, pleading with the Chancellor for a cut. Former Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis proposes a 2 per cent online sales tax coupled with a 20 per cent cut in business rates a sensible idea. Crude attacks on Amazon are misplaced. In the past year, it has been a lifeline for many households (file photo) Alongside an online sales tax, Rishi is also understood to be considering a windfall tax on 'excess' profits made by online retailers during the pandemic also a sound proposition. Online retailers owe a large chunk of their outsized profits over the past year to the luck of being able to stay open not to their merits. Crude attacks on Amazon are misplaced. In the past year, it has been a lifeline for many households. In the past decade it has invested more than 23billion in the UK and created more than 30,000 jobs. Yet tax remains a stain on its corporate reputation. A few rich firms, their shareholders and bosses should not be allowed unfettered freedom to cash in on the Covid crisis. It is neither equitable nor morally right that they should grow fat trading off a killer virus that has stymied traditional rivals. The cost to consumers and society of letting Amazon and its peers become ever more rich and powerful is too high. The Chancellor has the tax levers in his hands. He should not hesitate to use them. The head of the Greater Sydney Commission wants to see the city transformed into three leading global precincts with at least three universities in each area and the ability to attract global brands. Speaking at the Sydney Summit, a conference on the post COVID-19 future of the city, Chief Commissioner Geoff Roberts said each of the planned cities should be known for its own innovative strength, with Sydney positioning itself as a magnet for talent in the Asia Pacific. Greater Sydney Commission head Geoff Roberts wants the city to be a magnet for talent in the Asia Pacific. Credit:Louie Douvis We need to step up and take advantage of the skills, the movement of skills, and the organisation of smart jobs in Sydney so that metropolitan planners dont just talk about housing and where retail is going to go, Mr Roberts said on Monday at the conference, hosted by the Committee for Sydney. The most important opportunity for us for the next 10 years, we think, is to rapaciously take advantage of our position in the Asia Pacific region, post COVID-19. Three armed men on Monday broke into the GOIL Filling Station Ashongman Pure Water and took away GH2,006.00 and murdered a security man in the process. The night security man whose name was only given as Effo who is in his mid-forties was found dead in a mini bus at the Filling Station, with multiple cuts on his body. The body of the deceased has been removed and deposited at Police Hospital morgue in Accra. DSP Effia Tenge, Head of Public Affairs Unit of Accra Regional Police Command, made these known to the Ghana News Agency. She said at about 03:00 hours on Monday, information was received through Police Control Room about an ongoing robbery at the Filling Station. She said the Police team immediately proceeded to the scene where they met two attendants locked up in one of the offices and rescued them. DSP Tenge said according to the two attendants, at about 02:30 hours, three young men who were speaking pidgin English with foreign accent, broke into the office, robbed them of GH2,006.00 being the previous day's sales. She said the suspects who were armed with a gun believed to be AK47, an iron bar and a knife attempted to break the safe but were unsuccessful. They then locked up the two attendants and made away with their phones and a laptop. The District Command has since taken steps to secure the scene from tampering, contamination and destruction of potential evidence. Meanwhile, Crime Scene Management Team from the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department has been contacted to assist in investigations. 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 U.S. doll company and storybook brand "American Girl" is under fire for blatantly including lesbian characters in one of their latest books. In late December, the company introduced its "2021 Girl of the Year" named Kira Bailey, a 10-year-old from Michigan, who according to Yahoo! Life is a climate change and environment advocate. The doll's accompanying book titled "Kira Down Under" follows the character as she visits an animal sanctuary in Australia, which is operated by her great aunts named Mamie and Lynette, two lesbians who are married to each other. The "American Girl" book explained that the two aunts were able to marry "after the law was changed to allow it." In 2017, the Australian Parliament legalized same-sex marriage, making it the 25th county to do so. According to The Guardian, the landslide win was overwhelming across parties, with only four members of the parliament voting "no." This happened two years after it was legalized in America under the Obama administration in 2015. The decision of "American Girl" to include a lesbian storyline is part of a bigger LGBT agenda of the company, which has been vocal about fighting discrimination against race and sexuality. However, many parents are angered by the inclusion of lesbian characters in the "2021 Girl Of The Year" storybook because it did not have a warning on its cover with regards to such content. Parents believe that the topic of same-sex relationships is a very mature matter that should not be in any way part of a book that is clearly labeled for 8-year-old children and above. Parents are deeply concerned about having to discuss such topics with very young children, especially when the LGBT agenda is being pushed by a brand that has long been trusted by parents across the country. Those who have closely followed "American Girl" books would know that this is not the first time the company delved into topics concerning the LGBT agenda, LifeSite News reported. "American Girl's" advice book titled "A Smart Girl's Guide to Boys" was renamed to "A Smart Girl's Guide: Crushes" to allow room for discussions on same-sex attraction and relationships. Horrified parents took to the Amazon reviews section to air out their concerns about the "2021 Girl Of The Year" storybook from "American Girl." Customer Krissy K. wrote about the LGBT agenda present in the book, writing that it's "Disgusting they feel the need to indoctrinate our children. This is inappropriate for children." Another customer by the name of Mandy F. called out the doll company for not placing a label with regards to the LGBT agenda of the storybook, "It was very wrong for 'American Girl' doll to put this book out including a homosexual relationship without any information in the description so parents could decide for themselves whether or not this book was appropriate for their child. I'm disappointed and angry that this agenda is being pushed on our children." An angered mom by the name of Aimee Johnson wrote, "Homosexuality is not normal or healthy, nor is there a place for it in a kid's book. Where is the parental warning? It's very clear that many are against sinful lifestyles. Sounds like AG is willing to throw Christians under the bus in order to support perversion." "American Girl" has yet to publicly respond to the backlash they've received following the release of the "2021 Girl Of The Year" storybook. Robert Keen figured his year of dodging the coronavirus was over. At 84, the retired ambulance driver who still works with his local fire department is among the most at-risk from the disease, and thus was given top priority to get the vaccine. So he called up his doctor last month to schedule an appointment. He was told he would have to wait until April. Keen lives in Forksville, a borough in Sullivan County about 60 miles west of Wilkes-Barre in the northeast. The county has a population of about 6,000 and does not have a hospital. Theres one stoplight, hundreds of acres of forests and state game lands, and one public school district. The pharmacy and medical center are too small to take on the work of administering coronavirus vaccines. Most residents get their health care at hospitals or doctors offices at least an hour away in neighboring counties. Scheduling a vaccine appointment in Pennsylvania is already a competitive process exacerbated by a short supply and patchwork online scheduling systems. But older residents who are supposed to be among the first in line in rural areas face more obstacles. They live far away from major chain pharmacies like CVS and RiteAid, and may not have internet or a means of transportation. Three rural counties Forest, Fulton and Sullivan do not have major chain pharmacies that are participating in state and federal vaccine distribution programs, according to an analysis by Keith Mueller, director of the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis at the University of Iowa. Rural counties also tend to have a larger share of older residents. About 17% of Pennsylvanias 12.8 million residents are older than 65, Census data show. In many rural counties, older residents make up about 20% of the population. In Venango County in the northwest, Commissioner Albert Abramovic said he was worried about connecting residents who dont have internet or cellphone service with appointments. About 21% of the countys 50,000 residents are older than 65, according to Census data, and 22% of households dont have internet access. In Juniata County, 19% of the population is older than 65 and a quarter of households do not have internet access. Some older residents live alone, on old family farms, said Alice Gray, one of the countys commissioners. Many of our older folks, they arent computer savvy, Gray said. They dont use computers.So if the only way they have is to schedule an appointment via the internet, I dont know if they know how to do that. A Weis grocery store and a health clinic in Mifflintown are the only sites offering vaccines in Juniata, according to state data. From the farthest reaches of the long, narrow county, getting there could be a 40-minute drive, Gray said. Hodgepodge In a statement in late January, Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny, called for a system to alert residents when its their turn to sign up, along with stronger partnerships with local, independent pharmacies to reach residents, like Keen, who dont have access to corporate chains. After more than 10 months of the uncertainty and hardships that this pandemic has brought us, Pennsylvanians are confused and anxious to receive a vaccine, and they deserve clearer communication and more concrete answers, Williams said. Following a January hearing featuring health care providers distributing vaccines in rural areas and state health officials, Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, described the states distribution system as a hodgepodge and criticized the health department for poor planning and communication. The bottom line is we need more vaccine, said Yaw, who is also chair of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency focused on the states rural communities. The distribution system we have out there ... I think we have to live with it, Yaw said. Its too far along to go back and make a wholesale change at this point. As of Feb. 4, more than 880,000 people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, state data show, but about 4 million people are eligible to be vaccinated as part of the states Phase 1A, necessitating about 8 million doses. Residents who qualify now need more and better communication like ads or explainers in print media that dont require the internet or a computer to access, Yaw said. Some local governments have raised questions about whether they can get help from the National Guard. Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said Wednesday its units are focused on responding to outbreaks in the states long-term care facilities, but that the state is working to launch community clinics. One recent clinic was in Pike County, in the northeast, and another in Sullivan, where Keen lives. Both were chosen by the state because those counties lack health care infrastructure. The clinics also created an opportunity to address other distribution challenges, like how to get vaccines to a large population of older residents and those without transportation. In Sullivan, about 27% of residents are older than 65, and 22% dont have internet access. Officials in other counties are also preparing to launch local mass vaccination clinics. Throughout January, Kevin Boozel, a commissioner in Butler County in southwest Pennsylvania, said his office fielded as many as 70 calls and emails a day from residents frustrated that they dont have information about where to get a vaccine. I think people believe that we as county commissioners are holding back the vaccine, said Boozel, who is also president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. Many counties have worked with their local emergency service departments to put plans together for community vaccination clinics, and theyre brainstorming ways to reach people living in public housing and to use plans developed during previous emergencies, like the H1N1 flu outbreak, Boozel said. We stand ready to help as we continue to work through this pandemic, he said. None of their plans can be enacted until the state tells counties how many doses they will receive, where theyll go, and when those shipments will arrive, he said. Warren General Hospital, an 85-bed community hospital in Warren County, has been vaccinating about 600 to 1,000 people per week, Richard Allen, hospital CEO, said during a state House health committee hearing Wednesday. Theyre not equipped to handle a larger volume of people while still running the hospital. As more become eligible to receive the vaccine, they will need help, Allen said. In the face of these uncharted pandemic waters, Allen said, there is a void in terms of coordinated direction, authority, and resources. Primary Health Network, which serves residents in rural counties throughout the state, recently acquired a mobile health unit that will be used for both coronavirus testing and vaccines, said Dr. George Garrow, chief medical officer for the network. But even as the system gears up to vaccinate people who arent able to reach a vaccination site, it has had to close offices if staff are exposed to the coronavirus, Garrow said during a January hearing with the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. As this situation progresses, I do see it necessary to engage with the National Guard to assist in vaccinating mass quantities of communities, he said. Model for the state? Mobilizing vaccination efforts in rural areas takes more than just someone to give the shot. After it got word from the state that a clinic could be held in Sullivan County, local officials decided it should be held at the Sullivan Elementary School in Laporte a familiar, central location that often doubles as a space for community events. Public transportation is limited: The county got its first public bus route in October, and getting around requires a car, or a relative who has one, Commissioner Darlene Fenton said. The plan was to vaccinate 500 eligible people on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30. Information was posted on the local government website earlier that week, said Hoffman, the commissioner. By the time the local weekly newspaper, The Sullivan Review, ran a summary outlining details of the event in its Jan. 27 edition, all of the appointments had been filled. The demand for vaccines was definitely more than our available supply, he said. The local Area Agency on Aging, which works with the countys older residents to connect them with personal care resources, helped them register. Other eligible people heard through their local emergency medical services and fire department, including Keen. Five older residents who received vaccines Friday relied on a special service provided by the local tri-county transit system to make it to their appointments. Four are already scheduled to use the service when they return for their second dose in late February. It took a team of at least 54 people including local volunteers in color-coded vests to check in residents, medical workers, county employees, and state health department staff to keep the clinic running, according to figures provided by Sullivan officials. Inside, however, it felt more like a gathering than a vaccination site, with laughter and neighbors catching up with each other for the first time in months. Were a small county, Hoffman said. So a lot of people already know each other and already worked together on other things. Maryanne Karpovich, an 85-year-old from Dushore, has a pulmonary disease and a pacemaker two strikes against me, she said. Before scheduling with the clinic, she tried to track an appointment down elsewhere, but was told shed have to wait weeks. You wont be as afraid, Karpovich said after receiving her shot. But you still have to wear the mask. After being told by his doctor hed have to wait until April, Keen received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine Jan. 29. I feel great, he said afterward. A group of European Union states with diplomatic representatives in Belarus, together with the bloc's delegation in Minsk, will recommend several paths for the 27-member bloc to take, including expanding the scope of sanctions against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka for hijacking an election last year and then violently cracking down on protesters demanding that he step down. In a paper seen by RFE/RL, the group assesses the current political situation in the country and provides suggestions on policy options, including sanctions. The paper, titled "EU Heads Of Mission Report: February 2021 Review Of The EU Restrictive Measures Against Belarus," is set to be discussed in Brussels in the coming weeks. It is not guaranteed that all of the recommendations will be taken into account. The paper spells out four different paths that Brussels can take when it comes to its eastern neighbor: "Wait and See," "A Pragmatic Equi-Distant," "Decisive Continued Downgrading of Relations," and "A Near Total Freeze of Relations." The EU has already called the presidential election of 9 August "neither free nor fair" and stated that Lukashenka "lacks any democratic legitimacy." In the wake of the crackdown of protestors that followed the vote, which saw most of the Belarusian opposition move into exile, the EU imposed visa bans and asset freezes on 88 individuals and seven entities, including Lukashenka and his son in three separate sanction rounds at the end of 2020. This wait--and-see path would, according to the document, also continue and reflect the current "gradual approach to sanctions." The second option would entail issues such as "silent diplomacy, a high-level mission to Minsk/invitation to a neutral venue, keeping the mediation offer on the table, agreeing to talk to the regime and entering into a kind of dialogue at the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe], entering into high level negotiations with Russia and the U.S. to increase outside pressure, offer an EU advisory mission/ EU special representative for Belarus. Among other things, the third path would include a downgrading of relations with more individuals and entities sanctioned, scaled-down diplomatic relations but also "supporting the initiation of criminal and other cases under national laws in EU member states, against perpetrators of torture and inhumane treatment." The fourth and harshest option would be a near-total freeze of relations, meaning the severance of diplomatic relations, including the withdrawal of EU member states' ambassadors, a full sanctions regime hitting various industrial sectors, a ban on the sale of Eurobonds, and the possible alignment of the sanctions regime with that imposed on Russia. A moratorium on Belarus's participation in Eastern Partnership structures and a formal recognition of a government in exile would also be on the cards. The document also notes a number of things that Belarusian authorities have to do in order to resume what is called "a meaningful dialogue with the EU," including the cessation of "all repression and abuse of the human rights of persons engaged in the pro-democracy movement, independent media and representatives of the civil society." Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has refused to negotiate with the opposition. Thousands of protesters -- including members of the free press -- have been jailed for taking to the streets to demand fresh elections. The bloc is also demanding that Minsk should release, rehabilitate, and financially compensate political prisoners, ensure free and fair elections under OSCE observation, and "provide safe conditions for the return of those in political and forced exile." The heads of missions suggest that Brussels should consider an expansion of the scope of sanctions if those EU key demands are not met. Among the people who should be targeted with sanctions are top officials of the regime, including all members of the Security Council and their immediate relatives, the heads of regional administrations, and so-called presidential aides in the regions, as well as "rank-and-file executors of violence among the authorities such as police and special police officers like the KGB and OMON special police." Asset freezes on companies should include "state-owned enterprises contributing to the financing of the regime such as oil refining, potassium production, and chemical production," financial institutions such as all state banks and private ones like the Minsk Transit Bank, companies in the machinery sector such as for example BelAz and the Minsk Tractor Works and the National Railways. If the situation deteriorates further, it is suggested that sectoral sanctions could be enacted and include the prohibition of EU-domiciled or affiliated companies such as MasterCard, VISA, and Swift to provide services or supply goods from Belarusian companies dealing with energy and raw materials, as well as all state-owned companies and those belonging to individuals on the EU sanctions list. on Sunday offered condolences to the families of the victims of a glacial burst in Chamoli district in that has led to massive flooding in the state. In a Twitter post, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to the flash floods in "We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash caused by an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for the safety of those missing.@PradeepgyawaliK @PaudyalBR," tweeted MOFA A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of on Sunday led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. Following the incident, leaders across the world including French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed condolences to the victims of the glacial burst. In a tweet, the US State Department said: "Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured." The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has rescued all 16 people who were trapped in the tunnel near the Tapovan area following a glacier burst. The ITBP was carrying out the rescue operation at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli to rescue trapped people. At least nine bodies have been recovered from the Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) site in the Tapovan area, informed SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP. "We are assuming that around 125 people are missing. The number can be higher," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. (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.) (Global Times) Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said there is a need to trace the origins of the COVID-19 virus all over the world and suggested that World Health Organization (WHO) experts visit the US as part of their work. There have been a number of media reports about early cases in other places in the world. So there's certainly a need for more tracing to be done all over the world in order to really track down the origin of the virus, Cui said in an interview with Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN Sunday. In response to whether WHO experts will be allowed full access to China, Cui said they have been in Wuhan for quite a few days, asking Zakaria, My question is, will they be allowed to come here to do the same thing? Cui called on the CNN journalist not to politicize the coronavirus origin issue in the interview. While answering questions on whether the coronavirus came from Wuhan, Cui said when people make accusations, they have to prove them. The WHO expert group is working very hard in Wuhan, and China is very supportive of their work, Cui said. They are looking at the whole pandemic from the point of view of scientists, not politicians. I think people have to be careful not to make groundless accusations, Cui said. Last week, several top Chinese scientists through a Global Times report jointly called on the WHO to launch field studies in other countries as they have in Wuhan, especially in the US. They also called on the US to learn from China by inviting the team to carry out investigations, as Wuhan is just the first stop of such scientific work around the world. On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin for the third time in one week suggested that WHO experts conduct coronavirus origin tracing in other countries, including the US. More media reported that COVID-19 occurred in the second half of 2019 in multiple places worldwide, reflecting the necessity and urgency for similar studies, Wang said. We hope that relevant parties, like what China has done, adopt a positive attitude in tracing the origins and invite WHO experts to conduct origin studies, contributing to their efforts on the global fight against the pandemic, Wang said. In an earlier media briefing last week, Wang said, We hope that following China's example, the US will act in a positive, science-based and cooperative manner on the origin-tracing issue, ensure transparency, and invite WHO experts in for an origin-tracing study. Chuck Spangler, ASMC Board Chairman Another year with extraordinary results! MEP Centers across the country are undoubtedly fulfilling their duties in helping small and medium-sized manufacturers create competitive futures by empowering them to excel, The MEP program is a federal public-private partnership created in 1988 that provides small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) technology-based services these firms need to grow and thrive in todays economy and create well-paying manufacturing jobs. The MEP program is managed by NIST and the U.S. Department of Commerce and is implemented through a network of 51 MEP Centers located in every state and Puerto Rico. These MEP Centers are not-for-profit organizations that employ a network of more than 1,400 trusted advisors and experts who work directly with manufacturers to improve productivity and enhance U.S. competitiveness. Using the national REMI model, along with the results from the fiscal year (FY) 2020 NIST MEP client impact survey conducted by Fors Marsh, LLC., the team finds that economic returns remain robust. The study uses a conservative approach in estimating the broader economic impacts of the program by examining the competitive interactions between firms. NIST MEP contracted with Summit and Upjohn to create a study to estimate the broader national impacts of the MEP program. The results of the study are available here. Navigating the challenges of 2020 The entire country, including the hundreds of thousands of small and medium-sized manufacturers along with MEP Centers across the U.S., faced enormous challenges and economic headwinds as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic dislocation. Despite these obstacles, manufacturers proved to be resilient and MEP Centers continued to deliver a consistent and significant return on investment to the nation. Additionally, MEP Centers engaged manufacturers to pivot and address shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) early in the pandemic. MEP anticipates a similar response associated with efforts surrounding vaccinations. A positive return on investment The study reports that the $146 million invested in MEP during FY 2020 generated nearly a 13.6:1 increase in federal personal income tax ($1.99 billion/$146 million federal investment). The study only looks at personal income tax and not business taxes. In addition, the analysis provides a conservative estimate of broader impacts as they are based only on completed surveys. The MEP program generates additional jobs for the U.S. The study finds that total employment in the U.S. is more than 252,000 higher because of MEP Center projects. This estimate includes both direct jobs generated by MEP projects as well as jobs generated among suppliers and households. This supports both additional manufacturing jobs critical to U.S. supply chains and jobs outside the manufacturing sector. Other positive impacts of the MEP program The study examines additional areas of economic impact generated by the MEP program. It finds personal income is $15.5 billion higher and gross domestic product is $20.9 billion larger. This translates into an increase of $1.99 billion in personal income tax revenue to the federal government. Another year with extraordinary results! MEP Centers across the country are undoubtedly fulfilling their duties in helping small and medium-sized manufacturers create competitive futures by empowering them to excel, said Chuck Spangler, board chair of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition and President of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Coalition. As highlighted on this report, the impacts these organizations are contributing and the benefits to our economy are not just impressive -- they are imperative to the sustainability of manufacturing. About Summit Consulting Summit Consulting is a quantitative and management consulting firm that works with public and commercial clients to turn data into actionable intelligence. Summits core mission is to deliver data-driven solutions to help make governments more effective and society more just. Summits partners, directors, and subject matter experts lead teams in five core areas: federal credit and risk analytics, health and employment, litigation analytics, mortgage finance, and program management and business modernization. Summit develops readily deployable solutions to support quantitative risk management, process automation, and data analytics. Summit couples core expertise with methodology to derive sound, transparent and reproducible results. Click here for more information about Summit Consulting. About the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research was created in 1945 from the W.E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation, established in 1932 to address issues of unemployment during the Great Depression. The Upjohn Institute is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent research organization devoted to investigating the causes and effects of unemployment, identifying feasible methods of insuring against unemployment and devising ways of alleviating the distress and hardship caused by unemployment. Upjohns broad objectives are to: (1) link scholarship and experimentation with issues of public and private employment and unemployment policy; (2) bring new knowledge to the attention of policy makers and decision makers; and (3) make knowledge and scholarship relevant and useful in their applications to the solutions of employment and unemployment problems. More information is available at the Upjohn Institute website. The full report can be found here. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A total of 271 illegal migrants on board two boats have been rescued north of Tripoli by units of the Libyan Coast Guard and the Port Security Authority The National Guard sets up near the Lake Street/Midtown metro station as buildings continue to burn in the aftermath of a night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Minnesota National Guard Activated Before Trial of Officer Charged in George Floyds Death Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz activated the National Guard ahead of a trial for the officer who was charged in the death of George Floyd in 2020. There are some public safety events for which you cannot plan, and there are some for which you can. The upcoming trials of the former officers involved in the death of George Floyd have raised the potential of civil unrest in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and nearby communities, Walz said in a Feb. 5 statement. The trial for former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin is scheduled for March. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyds death. Walzs executive order allows the National Guard to begin preparing and coordinating to assist with the trial. The Guard, according to Walzs office, will be deployed at the request of the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paulwhere rioters and looters caused millions of dollars in damage last year to various businesses and public spaces. According to the Star Tribune, Minnesota state officials have prepared for the trial for months in anticipation of more protests and riots. Three other former officers who were charged in Floyds death are scheduled to go on trial in August. Walz previously activated the National Guard during riots and violence following Floyds death last summeras well as when Chauvin was released from jail on bond. A protester gestures in front of the burning 3rd Precinct building of the Minneapolis Police Department in Minneapolis on May 28, 2020. (Julio Cortez File/AP Photo) Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said Minnesotas plan for the upcoming trials will be different from how officials handled the 2020 riots. He said his message to other agencies was that if we do this the right way, you are going to come in and prevent crime and you are going to prevent disorder, reported the Star Tribune. Separately, Minneapolis Police Department Chief Medaria Arradondo said on Feb. 4 that the police force is down about 200 officers from where it was about two years ago. He said that 105 officers left the law enforcement agency, went on leave, or retired last year, reported CBS Local. Arradondo predicted that some 660 sworn active officers will be on duty. Chauvins trial is scheduled for March 8, while the trial of Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng is slated for Aug. 23. Close on the heels of Mewalal Choudhary, the chickens seem to have come home to roost for Tejashwi Yadav too. A demand has been raised that he shouldn't be allowed to be the leader of the opposition because of his alleged involvement in several corruption and criminal cases. His supporters will cry foul and this matter will be politicized. However, a basic question every citizen (including the people of Tejashwi's age group) has to ponder: Can you at the age 31, with the 9th or 10th grade education, and with all known sources of inheritance, be as rich as stated in Tejashwis affidavit filed before the Election Commission (a requirement to contest elections)? According to a Hindustan Times report published on 15 October 2020, Tejashwi's affidavit filed before the elections showed that his total assets were worth 5.88 crore (movable and immovable properties of Rs 4.73 crore and Rs 1.15 crore, respectively). Tejashwi's income-tax (I-T) returns for the last financial year (2019-20) recorded his income at Rs 2.80 lakh. In 2015, when Lalu-Rabri's second son and the nominated inheritor of his fathers party, the RJD, had made his electoral debut, he had furnished earnings of Rs 39.80 lakh. In the affidavit, Tejashwi also showed that he had 11 cases pending against him that included seven criminal cases with charges related to money laundering, cheating and criminal conspiracy. Others were civil cases against him. In July 2017, along with other enforcing agencies, Tejashwi had come under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)s scrutiny. His other siblings and parents (the then RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi) were also grouped together in a corruption case. It was a revelatory news at the time when the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), partners in the Bihar government, had brought up charges that the two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)-run hotels at Ranchi and Puri were awarded to private contractors in exchange of land during Lalus stint as the Union railway minister. In what came to be known as the IRCTC hotel tender scam, the CBI later on, filed a case against Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi. Apparently, a series of corruption allegations and the CBI case against the then Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav had become the stated reason why Nitish Kumar resigned as the Chief Minister of the Grand Alliance (MGB) government. He had asked Tejashwi to come out clean on the charges. When the MGB government was on the verge of collapse, there was an unsuccessful mediation attempt by Sonia Gandhi between Nitish and Tejashwi with instructions and signals from Lalu in the Ranchi jail. But the inevitable happened. Bihar desperately needs a clean and efficient government that wouldnt be possible with corrupt personnel sitting at the top of the political or legislative structures. Dr. Binoy Shanker Prasad hails from Darbhanga and currently resides with his family in Dundas, Ontario (Canada). A former UGC teacher fellow (at JNU) in India and Fulbright scholar in the USA, he has taught politics and authored conference papers, articles and chapters on Bihar in previously published books in the United States, India, and Canada. Dr. Prasad administers a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OverseasBihari and has sponsored Aware Citizenship Campaign at a micro-level in his home-town. New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Junior Engineer of Military Engineer Services from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in a graft case. Accused Sankar Narayana was arrested while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 32,000 from the complainant, on whose complaint a case was registered by the CBI. A CBI official said that the complainant was awarded a contract for certain works worth Rs 20.92 lakh and he had completed the said works and submitted bills. The complainant received Rs 6 lakh against one of these bills. The complainant met Narayana to enquire about the remaining bills that were submitted in the office of AGE, B/R-II, MES, Visakhapatnam. The JE allegedly demanded Rs 32,000 for certifying the bills and threatened the complainant that if he failed to pay up, his pending dues would be stopped by making adverse observations. "The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 32,000 from the complainant," the official said. Searches at his office and residential premises at Visakhapatnam and Kovilpatty in Tamil Nadu led to the seizure of incriminating documents. Narayana was presented in a Visakhapatnam court that remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. One of the key issues raised by workers throughout the near-three month lockout of Coles supermarket warehouse workers at Smeaton Grange in southwestern Sydney has been why the United Workers Union (UWU) has rejected calls to provide strike pay, let alone organise solidarity action by any of its 150,000 or more members. Last Tuesday, the Smeaton Grange workers voted, 167 to 163, to reject the latest sellout deal struck between Coles and the UWU, taking a significant stand against the sweeping destruction of jobs and conditions being unleashed by the employers in the strategic warehousing, delivery and logistics industries, and throughout the working class as a whole. In response, however, the UWU has suppressed news of their vote and is continuing to try to starve them into submission. Throughout the lockout, the union has done nothing to assist them financially except establish an online appeal for donations for the UWU to dole out some money and food vouchers. This fund has raised less than $75,000, or around $250 per locked-out worker. Over three months, that is a pittance of about $20 a week. Locked-out Coles workers at Smeaton Grange distribution centre (Credit: WSWS Media) Critical questions arise. Why has the union continued to refuse to set aside any of its considerable fee revenue and assets for strike pay for such locked-out or striking workers? Why has the UWU not even called for a strike levy on its members throughout basic and strategic industries? More fundamentally, what does this reveal about the very nature of the UWU and other trade unions? Huge union resources First of all, it is clear that the UWU has substantial resources to provide strike pay. In fact, it operates like a sizeable business, as can be seen by the figures supplied in the UWUs annual report to the federal governments Registered Organisations Commission. In 201920, the UWU took in membership fees of $49.9 million, plus sustension fees of $1.5 million, that is, payments made from state and territory branches to the national office. It also received rental income of $1.15 million, interest payments of $1.3 million, unexplained other revenue of $1.5 million, and shares of net profits from joint ventures and associates totalling $1.2 million. Counted as income, too, was $198.5 million in net gain on assets from amalgamation. That resulted from the November 2019 merger of two unions, United Voice and the National Union of Workers (NUW), to form the UWU. At the end of the financial year on 30 June 2020, the amalgamated union held assets totalling $300.8 million, including cash reserves of $94.2 million. It was a sizeable player on financial and property markets, recording $116 million in financial assets, $67 million in land and buildings and $5 million in investment properties. No information is provided in the UWU financial report about the salaries it pays to the UWU national office-holders and other officials, except that employee expenses and indirect employment expenses totalled $48.5 million. Of this amount, holders of office took $3.6 million, leaving about $40.7 million for other union employees, who number more than 500, and $4.3 million for total indirect employment expenses. United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy How much UWU national secretary Tim Kennedy was paid is unknown, but in 2019, before the merger, he was paid $212,643, including superannuation, as the NUW national secretary, according to the NUWs 201819 report to the Registered Organisations Commission. Disclosures made to a government union agency, published by the Australian Financial Review in November 2019, indicated that the NUWs Victorian state secretary was paid slightly less, $210,850. These union officials sit easily in the top 10 percent of income recipients in Australia. Their salaries are at least four times higher than the average wage of less than $50,000 for warehouse workers and other even lower-paid UWU members. These records do not include the much-larger revenues and assets of the superannuation funds, such as Hesta, Host Plus and LUCRF, on which UWU members serve as board members, drawing lucrative directors fees. These funds, like all the countrys union-employer funds, control huge investments, making the union chiefs key figures in Australian capitalisms financial elite. Hesta boasts of $58 billion under management, Host Plus of $47.8 billion and LUCRF $6.9 billiona total of more than $112 billion. UWU-Labor-business ties While the UWU insists it has no capacity to provide strike pay to workers, it pours funds into the Australian Labor Party, one of the countrys two traditional ruling parties. In 201920, the union paid affiliation fees of $573,000 to Labor Party bodies, plus made donations to the party of $133,000. This is far more than the funds raised for the Smeaton Grange workers. During the previous year, 201819, which coincides with the May 2019 federal election, the two unions that merged to form the UWU, donated $1.4 million to the Labor Party. That election resulted in a debacle for the Labor Party, allowing the hated Liberal-National Coalition government to cling to office. Labors vote fell to a near-century low of 33 percent, with the worst swings in working-class electorates, reflecting the deepening collapse of the base of Labor and the unions. Industrial disputes in Australia, 1980-2020 The UWUs financial support for the Labor Party illustrates the close partnership between the unions and this party, which has spearheaded the assault on workers, especially over the past four decades. In fact, the last two Labor governmentsthose of Hawke and Keating from 1983 to 1996 and Rudd and Gillard from 2007 to 2013worked hand-in-glove with the unions to impose the anti-strike measures that today constitute the Fair Work legislation. These laws not only ban solidarity strikes, and all industrial action outside narrow union-employer enterprise bargaining periods. They permit companies like Coles to lock out workers with legal impunity. The Fair Work laws embody Labors defence of the power and wealth of the corporate elite, just as much as the Coalition, and its particular contribution in working with the union apparatuses to quash working class struggles. The UWU, like every other union, tells its members that it cannot organise support action by other sections of workers because they could face huge fines under these laws. But the unions helped draft these laws precisely to straitjacket workers. Corporate union fundraisers In 2016, the World Socialist Web Site published a five-part series on what had been revealed by the 2015 report of a Royal Commission into trade union corruption in Australia. The purpose of this commission, established by the Coalition government, was reactionary and hypocritical. While denouncing union officials for corruption and selling out their members, the report was intended to lay the basis for an even deeper attack on workers conditions. However, the contents of the report itself showed that the unions have absolutely nothing to do with defending workers conditions. The Commissions case studies revealed the unions real day-to-day activities as labour management businesses, hostile to the interests of the workers they falsely claim to represent. The cases in the report spanned virtually every trade union in the country, including the NUW, which is now incorporated into the UWU. One typical arrangement was that the employers donate to union and Labor Party fundraising events run by union-created companies. An example was IR 21, a company associated with the NUW, which raised money by holding educational seminars, addressed by leading Labor, union and corporate figures, which companies paid tens of thousands of dollars to attend. According to the Royal Commission report, its aim was to assist the election of NUW and other union officials, and the Labor Party. By 2015, the company held cash and shares in excess of $1 million. In 2004, for instance, IR 21 hosted a three-and-a-half hour luncheon at the Hilton on the Park in East Melbourne on the topic Industrial Relations: The Future Revealed. The keynote speakers were Steve Bracks, then premier of Victoria, Heather Ridout, then CEO of the Australian Industry Groupan employers bodyand Greg Combet, then secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Tickets were $425 per person or $3,800 for a table of 10. By 2013, the cost of the tickets for such events had increased to $500 per person or $4,750 per table of 10. Speakers at the luncheons included prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, and other Labor leaders, alongside representatives of companies with which the NUW was striking enterprise agreements, such as Paul Moore of Pacific Brands Holdings, Elmo de Alwis of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Tim Oldham of Pacific Hospira Inc, Kerry Smith of PFD Foods and Michael Byrne of Linfox. Such activities and cosy dealings, based on mutual benefit, are not simply the outcome of individual corruption, but part of the underlying process of the incorporation of the unions into the ruling elite itself, along with the Labor Party. These relations are hidden from the view of union members. But they pay for them through the cuts in wages, conditions and jobs overseen by the unions. Another super union When the UWU was formed, in November 2019, by the amalgamation of United Voice and the NUW, efforts were made by the union and its supporters to depict it as a departure from the long record of union betrayals since the prices and incomes Accords between the unions and the Hawke and Keating governments in the 1980s and 1990s. An NUW official, Godfrey Moase, writing on the Social Review website in May 2019, promoted the amalgamation as more than a traditional merger between two unions. It was a radical and transformative proposal that reimagines union structures to be fit for purpose in the precarious world of late capitalism. In reality, the new super union is no different from the ones formed by the amalgamations implemented during the Accords of the 1980s and 1990s, and ever since, as union memberships have fallen dramatically. They are wealthy and ruthless machines for strangling mounting workers struggles against the intensified offensive of the capitalist class. The unions have always supported capitalism and wage-labour exploitation, and actively stifled any struggle against it. But in earlier times they defended their privileged positions by seeking to obtain limited improved wages and conditions for their members, always within the confines of the national state. The globalisation of production, however, shattered any objective basis for national economic protection and regulation. The unions nationalist and pro-capitalist program turned them into organisations that seek to slash the conditions of workers in order to boost the competitiveness and hence profitability of Australian capitalism. As a result of these bitter experiences, union membership has shrunk from more than half the workforce in the 1970s to 14 percent today. At the same time, as typified by the UWU, the unions have become increasingly bloated and privileged apparatuses, with their leaders among the wealthiest layers in the country. That is why the working class must build new organisations of struggle, totally independent of the unions. Workers need to establish networks of genuine rank-and-file committees at Smeaton Grange, and at all Coles and Woolworths warehouses and throughout the economy, to organise a unified industrial and political struggle against the offensive of the companies and the unions. In direct opposition to the unions and Labor, these organisations have to be based on rejecting the dictates of the financial markets and the capitalist profit system. That means turning toward a socialist program for the complete reorganisation of society, which would include placing logistics and all basic industries under public ownership and democratic working class control. The Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders will remain closed for traffic as farmers at the borders of the national capital continued their agitation against the Central farm laws. "Tikri Border is close for traffic both carriage way, Jharoda Kalan border, Auchandi Border and Harewali close for both carriage way for traffic," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. Other borders including the Singhu, Piau Maniyari, Saboli and Mungeshpur borders will also remain closed while the Lampur, Safiabad, Singhu school and Palla toll tax borders are open. "The Gazipur border is closed for both carriageway traffic going Ghaziabad through Murga mandi and Gazipur R/A, Road no 56, Vikas Marg, Aanand Vihar, IP extension, NH 24," the police added, appealing to people to commute from other borders. Police authorities also advised people to adhere to COVID-19 protocols while travelling on roads such as wearing masks and frequently sanitise hands at proper time intervals. Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national 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. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Dehradun, Feb 8 : Rescue and relief work in the disaster-hit areas of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand gathered pace on Monday as a multi-agency operation continued in an effort to save 25 to 35 people trapped inside a tunnel of Tapovan-Vishnugaud project that was blocked by the Sunday morning deluge following the bursting of a glacier. A big boulder is hampering digging work inside the tunnel, top officials said. However, there is still no contact with the trapped people inside. The state government this evening said a total of 197 people were missing after the disaster and 20 bodies have been recovered. The 197 missing also include those who are trapped inside the tunnel. However, confusion still persists on how many people have been rescued so far. A statement of the state disaster control centre said 27 people have been rescued so far. However, top police officials maintained that only 12 were rescued. Jawans of the Army, ITBP, NDRF and SDRF with rescue equipment entered the tunnel with sniffer dogs in what is seen as the biggest rescue operation in the mountain state since the 2013 Kedarnath disaster in which over 5,000 people were killed. DGP Ashok Kumar said rescue workers were using bulldozers, JCB and other machines in their operation. "The Vishnugaud tunnel is very difficult to enter as there is a curve inside. But we are confident that our brave forces will try their best to rescue the trapped people," said Kumar. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had stated that nearly 176 people were working in the two hydel projects - 13.2 MW Rishiganga and 480 Mw Tapovan-Vishnugaud - when the disaster struck on Sunday morning. He again rushed to the disaster site this evening to oversee the relief and rescue works. All those who were rescued last evening were rushed to ITBP hospital in Joshimath while the two people who had suffered fractures were taken to a government hospital in Gopeshwar, the district headquarters of Chamoli. Meanwhile, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh on Monday visited Topovan, the site where NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugaud project is being built. Singh visited the disaster-hit areas to take stock of the situation. He was accompanied by top state government officials including state Power Secretary Radhika Jha. "We will not scrap Tapovan-Vishnugaud hydel project," Singh told reporters when asked to comment on the future of the NTPC project. Jane Russell was, in her time, a very famous film star - you may have seen her alongside Marilyn Monroe in the classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, released in 1953. She first hit notoriety when she starred in Howard Hughes' The Outlaw as a sulky, sexy, siren lying on a bed of straw: Hughes, an engineer, had designed a special cantilevered bra to the shape of Jane's voluptuous figure (although she says in her autobiography that she never actually wore it). When she was 18 years old, she slept with her boyfriend and became pregnant. "In those days, no 'nice girl' got pregnant," she wrote in her autobiography. "There was no such thing as keeping a child out of wedlock in 1942. The only solution was to find a quack and get an abortion." This was California, and she duly found a "quack", who did the job and was subsequently described as a "butcher" by the doctor who patched her up. Subsequently, she married Robert Waterfield, and her career prospered - she did movies with Bob Hope, Robert Mitchum, Roy Rogers. But, after eight years of marriage, to her disappointment, there were no children. Jane was raised a Biblical Christian and so she prayed. She said that the Lord directed her to seek to adopt a child. When she mentioned this in a media interview, a grandmother contacted her to say that her daughter would soon have a child available for adoption. Jane said, "Praise the Lord" and the baby was delivered. "I had a baby daughter... born on my birthday!" It was as simple as that. Jane grew up with four brothers, and so she wanted a baby boy as a brother for the little girl. This proved more difficult. The waiting time in America was two years. Jane travelled to France and Germany to visit orphanages. In France, she saw "a long room with long benches and tables where children sat and stared at their plates". She was depressed by the glumness of the institution and the apparent lack of love. The nuns in charge told her that none of the children were available for adoption, even though "they had been put there by some member of their family who never saw them". And then, as it happened, she had to travel to England for a royal film performance, ordered by the dying King George VI. This was October 1951. Along with the news of Winston Churchill's re-election came a newspaper splash headline: "Miss Russell in London to adopt a baby boy." Presently, an Irishwoman phoned the Savoy Hotel, and Jane arranged to see her. "She was a sweet little woman," Jane wrote, "and she put the 15-month-old baby on the bed. He had blue eyes that looked straight through you and a mass of golden curls." He reminded Jane of a baby brother of hers who had died. The birth mother explained that she had other children and they couldn't provide an education for this baby. She wanted him to go to America to have a better life. The mother, Jane wrote, "did all the talking". After the meeting, Jane went off and prayed "hard" about the decision and came to believe she was meant to accept the baby, named Thomas. His birth mother, Florrie Kavanagh, cried when she said goodbye to her infant, but she stood by her decision, believing it was for the best. It blew up into a public controversy, because there was an adoption law in Britain (since 1926) and questions were asked in Parliament about Americans "stealing" British babies. But Thomas was Irish and, as yet, Ireland had no adoption legislation. Thus, Jane and her husband Robert were able to bring Thomas back to California, where he grew up, along with the two other children she adopted. She dedicated her autobiography to "my children" - her reason for living. (She also founded a World Adoption International Fund). Thomas said later he had a happy childhood - he was, he said, "blessed" - and he was with Jane when she died in 2011, aged 89. "Mom was very grounded," he said. She had always encouraged him to connect with his Irish roots and he was delighted to meet up with his biological relations in Co Clare as an adult. He made his life in Arizona and seems a contented person. Jane's story illuminates the times that she lived in: pregnant as a teenager when having a baby out of wedlock was completely unacceptable. Unable to have a child after a botched abortion, she sought to adopt and being a movie star made it easier (easier, too, for Angelina Jolie and Madonna in our time). She visited orphanages in continental Europe filled with sad, abandoned children. The Irish baby she adopted was placed with her at the initiative of the birth mother, who believed she was giving her son a better life. But here's the question: did the Jane Russell case prompt, or encourage, other transatlantic adoptions which weren't so voluntary, or weren't so happy in their outcome? In the film Philomena, in which Judi Dench plays Philomena Lee, whose child was whisked off to America without her consent, you can glimpse a background photograph of Jane Russell at the Roscrea convent laundry. An unlikely pin-up for a nun's study, perhaps? It's presented as though she was the model for American adoptions. The National Microbiology Laboratory is shown in Winnipeg on May 19, 2009. (John Woods/The Canadian Press) Two Scientists Fired From Top Canadian Laboratory Amid Police Investigation A prominent Chinese Canadian scientist and her husband have been fired by the Public Health Agency of Canada after they were evicted from the National Microbiology Laboratory under a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation that remains largely a mystery. The two scientists are no longer employed by the Public Health Agency of Canada as of Jan. 20, 2021, Eric Morrissette, chief of media relations for Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), told CBC News in an email on Feb. 5. We cannot disclose additional information, nor comment further, for reasons of confidentiality. On July 5, 2019, Xiangguo Qiu, her husband Keding Cheng, and a number of Qius students were escorted from the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) and were stripped of their security access, according to an earlier report by CBC. PHAC told CBC that Qui and the others were removed for possible policy breach and administrative reasons, which was referred to the RCMP in Manitoba. The NML is Canadas only Containment Level 4 lab, which has the highest level of security and safety facilities for the storage and the research of the most deadly human and animal pathogens, such as Ebola. Virus Shipments to China In June 2020, documents that CBC had obtained through an Access to Information request four months before she and her husband were evicted from the NML, revealed that Qiu was responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2019. The shipment had raised public speculations of the couple involved in espionage activities, which Morrissette had described as misinformation that lacked factual basis. The PHAC had also denied connections of the shipment and Qius eviction from the Winnipeg-based lab. Qiu co-authored an Ebola study, which was first published in December 2018, three months after she began exporting the viruses to China. The study received grants from a number of Chinese government bodies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The lead author, Hualei Wang, is affiliated with the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, a Chinese military medical institute based in Beijing, CBC reported. Qiu was the head of the Vaccine Development and Antiviral Therapies Section in the Special Pathogens Program at the NML lab. She is known for the development of ZMapp, a drug used for the treatment of the Ebola virus that had caused the death of over 11,000 people in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Qiu came to Canada for graduate studies in 1996, but she remains affiliated with the universities in Tianjin, China, where she had worked as a medical doctor and virologist. Qiu had made at least five trips to China between 2017 and 2018, including one time to train Chinese scientists and technicians at a newly certified Level 4 lab, the CBC reported in October 2019. Petronas in contact with stranded oil rig workers in Andaman Sea by Adib Povera, Alzahrin Alias February 08,2021 | Source: NST Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has launched into action to ensure the safety of its workers who have been left stranded on an oil rig in the Andaman Sea following the military coup in Myanmar this week. Petronas, in a statement today, said it is in close contact with the team and is working closely with the contractor in overseeing the well-being of the affected workers. "Petronas is extending the necessary efforts to ensure the safety of about 155 workers of its contractor on barge to the Yetagun oil rig, located off the coast of Myanmar. "Petronas reassures that it is in close contact with the team and working closely with the contractor in overseeing the well-being of their workers and ensuring continuous supplies of essentials, including food, drinking water and fuel. "Another 36 workers under the contractor and two Petronas employees were already transported to nearby hotels safely for onshore rest and recovery while observing Covid-19 quarantine requirements," read the statement. The national oil company said it is also working closely with its contractor, the Malaysian embassy in Myanmar, Wisma Putra and all relevant authorities. "The safety and well-being of our contractors and their families are our utmost priority," it said. A Malay daily had reported that some 200 workers at the oil rig lost contact with the Malaysian embassy since Monday. The report also quoted a worker, who has been on the platform for four months. He told the Malay daily that he was concerned over their declining food and gas supplies, which are only expected to last at least until Wednesday (Feb 10). According to the same report, all workers were hired by a contractor working for Petronas and that they were required to stay longer out at sea than the usual period of 40 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 2021 New Straits Times, New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd. Theme(s): Others. Michael Gove has expressed frustration at the lack of progress in talks with Brussels aimed at resolving difficulties in Northern Irelands Brexit arrangements. The Cabinet Office Minister will meet the European Commissions vice president Maros Sefcovic in London on Thursday to discuss the problems faced in Northern Ireland as a result of the new trading arrangements. Mr Gove acknowledged the protocol was not working at the moment with the result being disruptions and difficulties faced by Northern Ireland citizens in their daily lives. Expand Close EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic will be in London for talks on Thursday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic will be in London for talks on Thursday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) While progress was being made in talks with the European Commission, Mr Gove said it has not been as fast as I would like and we are very far from resolving all those problems. Mr Gove said he believed the issues could be resolved within the Northern Ireland Protocol, without needing to trigger the Article 16 procedure to effectively override it. They can be resolved within the context of the protocol, we dont need to ditch it in order to resolve those issues, but as the Prime Minister has spelt out, if we cant make progress in resolving those issues then the UK Government has to reserve its rights. Relations between Belfast, London and Brussels have been severely strained after the European Commission threatened to use Article 16 in a row over coronavirus vaccine supplies, before performing a humiliating U-turn following a political backlash. Mr Gove told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee that the EUs move to use the measure was a moment when trust was eroded, when damage was done, and where movement is required in order to ensure that we have an appropriate reset. The EUs own procedures were set aside and member states particularly Ireland were ridden roughshod over. It is still of concern that as things stand, the EU reserve the right potentially to return to Article 16 in this area, he said. As things stand that regulation is still in place in its current form and I think there needs to be a realisation on all sides that this isnt just some arcane bit of diplomatic procedure: this has real consequences on the ground. The Northern Ireland Protocol was designed to prevent a hard border with Ireland but has resulted in additional checks for goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Expand Close Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove with Emma Churchill (right), director general of the Border and Protocol Delivery Group, and Jessica Glover, director general of the Transition Task Force, giving evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee (House of Commons/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove with Emma Churchill (right), director general of the Border and Protocol Delivery Group, and Jessica Glover, director general of the Transition Task Force, giving evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee (House of Commons/PA) The Apprentice Boys loyal order has branded it an affront to democracy, warning that jobs will be lost and the cost of living will increase due to disruption caused by the arrangements. It pledged to support any legal and peaceful action necessary to overturn the protocols provisions. The Protestant organisation added: The Northern Ireland Protocol, and the clear barriers it places between our islands, our families, friends and fellow citizens, in travel and trade, is the very opposite of an unfettered United Kingdom promised by successive prime ministers since 2016. Calls from the DUP and other unionist parties to jettison the protocol have intensified in recent weeks amid evidence of some disruption to trade arriving at Irish Sea ports from Great Britain. Unionists and loyalists believe Northern Irelands position within the UK has been undermined by the protocol, which was incorporated into the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure a free-flowing Irish land border post-Brexit. It means Northern Ireland follows the EUs rules on goods while the rest of the UK is not similarly obliged. It requires extra pre-delivery red tape and inspections at Northern Irelands ports which initially reduced consumer choice of some food supplies and threatened parcel deliveries. But senior Cabinet Office official Jessica Glover told MPs that trade flows from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are back to normal. Ms Glover, director general of the Transition Task Force in the Cabinet Office, told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee: GB to NI trade flows are back to normal and indeed slightly higher now than they were in the equivalent week last year. So we are not seeing disruptions in trade flows on that route which is again a testimony to the really good work that many businesses I know have done to get themselves ready for those arrangements. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:40:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Feb.8 (Xinhua) -- Divers on Monday are still trying to retrieve a body of a seven-year-old boy who was among eight people who drowned in a river in Free State, South Africa. Free State police said they were hoping to complete the operation after the weather improved. "The river is flowing but it has stopped raining now so we are not sure if they are going to be able to find body today," Brigadier Motantsi Makhele told Xinhua. The drowned included seven children and a driver. "All seven children drowned and the police divers managed to recover six bodies of the children and the body of the driver, the body of the seventh child is still missing," Makhele said. Makhele said the tragedy occurred on Sunday after the police in Steynsrus received a complaint about a vehicle that had been swept away into the river at a farm. The police said three adults who were travelling with the seven children escaped but the driver was swept away by water while trying to rescue the children. Enditem New Delhi, Feb 8 : The security establishment has found that in the last three years around 100 youth from Kashmir who travelled to Pakistan on a visa are missing. "They have either never returned or have returned but are missing," said an IPS officer adding that they can be part of 'sleeper cells' of terror organisations. The officer further said as more proactive outreach programmes have been taken up and more surveillance mechanisms placed, the incidents of youth going missing are "decreasing proportionately". He says it is a well-known fact that any youth visiting Pakistan would be approached by Inter-Services Intelligence members. "Either these youth are being brainwashed and thereafter being trained or are allured to carry out anti-India propaganda. It is a big challenge before us to bring such youth back in the fold," explains the officer, who is part of the counter-insurgency team in the Valley. The officer further points out that the youth, who were trained, try to enter India through Line of Control and the youth who had been a bit reluctant and visited for short durations turn out to be members of 'sleeper cell'. "Many youth who have returned from Pakistan on valid visa have candidly conveyed that they were approached by ISI men and were asked to join terror organisations," said the officer, adding that they keep such youth under surveillance and after a long time, if they don't indulge in any suspicious activities, the establishment stops it. "We cannot stop youth from Kashmir from visiting Pakistan. We can only regulate and put more surveillance team on the ground. This is a reality...," the officer explained. The intelligence sleuths, along with immigration officials, are keeping a tab on movement of youth at Wagah border as well as at the New Delhi airport. "This helps us a lot in keeping a tab and also checking on their movements by taking a proactive outreach programme to bring such youth back in the mainstream," the officer added. The World Health Organization said that researchers were examining samples from the patient for potential links to the previous outbreak. WHO has traced at least 70 contacts to the new case. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday announced a death in a new Ebola virus case, the health ministry said, three months after ending the previous outbreak. "We have another episode of the Ebola virus" in the eastern city Butembo of North Kivu province, Health Minister Eteni Longondo said, according to AFP news agency. The World Health Ogranization (WHO) said on Twitter that its response team has identified at least 70 contacts to the case. The woman, whose husband had contracted the virus previously, was found with Ebola symptoms on February 1 and died two days later. The health ministry said that a sample of the woman's blood tested positive for Ebola after her death. Researchers are examining samples from the case to determine if it is linked to the last Ebola outbreak in Congo, WHO said. First recorded case since 11th outbreak In November, the DRC announced containing its 11th outbreak, that killed 55 out of 130 cases over about six months, in the northwestern province of Equateur. Congo had just announced containing its most lethal outbreak that began in 2018 in the eastern part of the country, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from Equateur, when a resurgence was recorded in 2020. The African country has experienced 11 outbreaks since the virus was first discovered near the Ebola River in 1976, more than double any other country. The country's equatorial forests have a receptive environment for the highly contagious virus, which spreads through contact with body fluids, causing severe vomiting and diarrhea. The new case also threatens Congo's efforts in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has already infected over 23,000 people and killed at least 600. Congo is set to roll out its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 before the summer. (AFP, AP, Reuters) A New Yorker interview with San Francisco school board president Gabriela Lopez could have been an opportunity to contextualize the recent controversial process over renaming schools. Instead, it became a tense back-and-forth over the seemingly arbitrary standards of the renaming committee on the merits of Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Dianne Feinstein along with some barbs thrown at San Francisco Mayor London Breed in the process. To jog your memory: After years of debate, largely within San Francisco Unified School District's School Renaming Advisory Committee, the school board voted near-unanimously to rename 44 K-12 schools based on a set of qualifications, including namesakes being slave owners or abetting in slavery or genocide, people attached to human rights violations, or individuals who are "known racists and/or white supremacists." When asked by New Yorker journalist Isaac Chotiner, an Oakland resident, about the incorrect historical context of some renamings, including poet James Russell Lowell Lowell High's namesake who was selected for renaming over anti-Black sentiments, per Lowell's student newspaper Lopez reiterated the need for "dialogue." "I know the committee is still meeting, and theyre still open to that," she said. But Lopez defended the lack of historian involvement in the renaming process. Chotimer asked, point blank: "Did the committee want historians to testify? And why or why not?" "Its hard for me to answer that question without just pointing to [committee statements that] 'they did not want to include historians,'" she said. "They included a diverse set of community members, people with a set of experiences that contribute to these discussions, people from different backgrounds who are also educated in their own rights. So I think that was the makeup of the committee." When pressed over Feinstein, Lopez said that it was an effort "to really help broaden how the community sees itself." "I think that we really should be seeing this as an opportunity to uplift other people, other movements, other names that were normally not seen," she said. Lopez then expressed her gripes with much of the debate, from both media and community members, surrounding the renaming process. "[Whenever] issues like this come out or arise, people need to combat it and try to find any problems around what were discussing," she said. "It's something that people have a lot of issues with." But the most charged statement Lopez made during the interview was not about school renaming. Instead, when Chotiner asked about Breed's comments on renaming, she said: "I know that when it comes to schools, any opportunity to cause further division is what the mayor has contributed to." "What shes talking about as far as reopening schools, that is what were working on every single day. The fact that people are pointing to 'We dont have a plan' thats completely false." Read the full New Yorker Q&A here. Statehouse Reporter Danny Jin is the Eagle's Statehouse reporter. A graduate of Williams College, he previously interned at the Eagle and The Christian Science Monitor. Danny can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @djinreports. NORWALK One of the golden rules of COVID prevention is to avoid seeing people outside your household. But what about when a foster child needs a home? Like so many other systems, foster care was made even more complex when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. But despite health officials warnings, Connecticuts Department of Children and Families said families have still been willing to open their homes to foster children. Tina Jefferson, bureau chief of child welfare for DCF, said their department hasnt lost any foster families during COVID and still have seen families interested in fostering. Ive seen that commitment and compassion (from foster families) shine through, Jefferson said. You see families step up for them. I can't say enough about the families we work with that open their homes and hearts for children. Thats not to say fostering during a pandemic is without its complications. DCF Foster Care Program Director Natalia Liriano said when COVID hit in March and schools went remote, many foster parents also became IT and teachers for their virtual learners. We had to do major adjustments, she said. March was March madness. Our parents are troopers. We did not have many disruptions. Our families stepped up. They accepted children into their homes. Our caregivers are probably the best in the nation. They really aligned themselves with us, even considering the pandemic in March. It's been difficult with schools opening and closing, doing hybrid and doing virtual learning, said Emily Churchill, Willimantic area liaison for Connecticut Alliance of Foster & Adoptive Families, a nonprofit which assists foster, kinship and adoptive families. A lot of families might have biological families or have more than one placement and thats multiple schools with different schedules. It's been a lot more of a puzzle to figure out. Even the routine of physically going to school or an after school program has changed. Early on, we were saying it was like the longest summer ever. Groups like the Connecticut Alliance of Foster & Adoptive Families have tried to step up their own support for foster families, sending them free virtual programs, organizing meal help or setting up socially distanced events. When COVID started getting serious, Liriano said DCF first did a role call of all foster parents to see what needs they had that could be impacted by COVID and set up communication plans where they were in regular contact with families to make sure they had what they needed for their child as the world shut down. They also compiled lists of families whod be open to taking in a COVID-exposed child and set up a process to make sure kids could stay in contact with their families of origin. If a child needs to be removed from their home and into DCF custody, the first thing the agency does is go through a CDC checklist and see if the child needs a rapid test. Then they contact families to see who will take them in, opting to try and place the child with another relative first (which is a standard DCF procedure). Liriano said some families have taken sick children in straight from the hospital. Many families, while they have concerns, do help out, she said. Our core caregivers have absolutely stepped up. DCF reports over 300 caregivers and 200 foster children have tested positive for COVID-19. Four foster parents have died of COVID. And there have been fewer adoptions finalized because of courts being closed: 264 adoptions were finalized during the pandemic compared to 533 the year before. Department officials said children waiting on finalization are in their permanent homes, just waiting on the official process, though. Its not like (children) had to wait in a bad situation to move to another situation, Churchill said. Im sure having to wait wasn't their favorite...that feeling of finalization is a big deal and the celebration is something to look forward to. For some, it affected them more than others. For Zina Jones, it also means struggling with the foster care system a little longer. Jones was living in New York City when she began the process of adopting her brother, now 3 years old. Jones moved to Bridgeport last summer, but is still dealing with the system in New York. While shes dealing with a different system, the pain of not being able to finalize her adoption is the same. I don't want to deal with them at all at this point, she said. We always have to check in with them and send paperwork and medical work. They want so much from me but...I wouldn't have to answer to them anymore (if the adoption was finalized). Theres also the complications of virtual schooling, programs and visits with family members. Waterbury resident Laritta Barnes is currently fostering a relatives children and has been since early last year. When COVID struck, programs the children were attending were closed and the kids missed out on the socialization they needed. There are challenges with COVID especially when you have children with special needs, Barnes said. You cannot downplay the supports and programs out there. You need those outside services for kids to be successful for going through these transitions. Also a challenge is visits with her foster childrens parents. DCF aims to reunite foster children with their biological parents, if at all possible, and encourages visits. But those have gone virtual with COVID. With the children being younger, its a challenge, Barnes said. Initially it's fun.but it doesnt give the same effect when you're there with your parents and can hug them and deal with them. Especially when you're dealing with children, the attention span isn't there...do the parents really get their full time? It varies. erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. FAMILIES who have lost children to homicide are being "retraumatised" as a result of a court ruling on the identification of young victims. This is the view of a victims' rights campaigner whose sister and two nieces were murdered several years ago. The man, who cannot be named because it could lead to the identification of the children, said the court decision had "come out of the blue" and had "gagged" families who want to keep the memories of loved ones alive. His comments come ahead of tomorrow's Cabinet meeting where plans to address the issue are expected to be discussed. Justice Minister Helen McEntee is expected to seek Government approval to support a bill tabled by Senator Michael McDowell to rectify the issue. Read More The bill would amend Section 252 of the Children Act 2001, which provides mandatory and automatic reporting restrictions in the case of "any proceedings for an offence against a child". Last October, the Court of Appeal found that these prohibitions extend to children who had died or since turned 18. The impact of the ruling was recently seen when the name of a 16-year-old boy who had died in a stabbing incident could no longer be reported after a man was charged with his murder. A District Court judge also prohibited the identification of the accused in the case, but another judge decided not to renew the order last week when it was demonstrated there was no link between the accused and the deceased. The victims' rights campaigner said "serious questions" needed to be asked as to why the legal issue was not spotted before last October. He said the prohibition on the identification of his nieces had "added insult to injury" and questioned why it was taking so long for the legislation to be amended. "It is just another sad episode in the State being compliant in retraumatising families and not supporting them," he said. He contrasted the situation with the row over the licensing of Garth Brooks concerts in 2014, when some politicians expressed a willingness to work overnight to introduce emergency legislation. "What is taking so long to change this situation where the voices of the voiceless are being gagged?" he said. "We can't speak their names. We can't see their names and we can't campaign for what we want." He said that around the anniversary of the killings family members would take the opportunity to speak publicly on radio and in newspapers to keep their memory alive. Ms McEntee has spoken of her intention to rectify the situation and said in recent days she hopes this can be done "in a matter of weeks". Should proposals be passed by Cabinet it is likely Government time in the Seanad will be given over to allow Mr McDowell's bill to be introduced next week. After it clears the Seanad, the minister intends to make some amendments at committee stage. Russias Defense Ministry has handed over more than 40 items of engineering and special hardware to Tajikistan for free, the Russian Defense Ministrys press office said. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link TMK-2 trenching vehicle (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin) During the handover ceremony that took place in Dushanbe, Russia was represented by Central Military District Commander Colonel General Alexander Lapin. The equipment we have handed over is effective and reliable. It is able to fulfill a wide range of tasks in mountain and hard-to-reach areas. The engineering hardware will increase the combat capabilities and mobility of the Tajik armed forces, Lapin said. The Tajik armed forces received engineering reconnaissance vehicles, MTO-I maintenance vehicles, TMK-2 wheeled trenching machines, an excavator and a powerplant. The batch included radars too. Russia views Tajikistan as a reliable ally in the Central Asia region and is helping to strengthen its defense potential under the program of the modernization of the National Armed Forces, Colonel General Alexander Lapin said. Chief of the General Staff of the Tajik Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Emomali Sobirzoda thanked Russia for the handover. In February 2019, a batch of Russian military goods was handed over to Tajikistan as gratuitous assistance. The batch's value is worth more than $9 million. In October 2019, Russia handed over another batch of military hardware worth about 320 million rubles to Tajikistan for free. The batch included a radar and upgraded BRDM-2M armored reconnaissance vehicles. Copyright 2021 TASS / Army Recognition Group SPRL . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today celebrated its five-year anniversary of being established in the United States in 2016. MTPA has followed an unwavering patient-first philosophy focused on advancing innovative treatments for people facing serious and life-threatening diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MTPA Logo (PRNewsfoto/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Americ) "Having personally been a part of the MTPA journey from the beginning, I am humbled by what we have achieved as one team, with one mission: helping patients," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "We have accomplished many things in the first five years working together to serve the ALS community, and we look forward to seeing the journey ahead over the next five years as we continue to expand our product pipeline and strengthen our support of people who suffer from ALS and other debilitating conditions." In 2017, MTPA launched RADICAVA (edaravone), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with ALS. Since RADICAVA became available in August 2017, more than 5,500 patients have been treated in the U.S. and approximately 1,500 healthcare providers have prescribed the therapy to one or more of their patients.1 In March 2018, MTPA established a subsidiary, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA), which introduced RADICAVA in Canada in November 2019. "We deeply appreciate MTPA's commitment to supporting patients with ALS, their families, and caregivers," said Donald S. Wood, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. "MDA agrees with MTPA that 'One scientific breakthrough can change countless lives.' We look forward to working toward the same goals and hope to achieve many scientific advancements in the years to come." Recent MTPA initiatives to support the ALS community include: A licensing and supply deal for the U.S. rights to commercialize EXSERVAN (riluzole), an oral film formulation of riluzole for the treatment of ALS. As a result of the deal, MTPA will be the only company in the U.S. with two FDA-approved ALS treatments. Revised REFINE-ALS biomarker study protocol to address the safety concerns of people with ALS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes give patients the ability to consent to participate virtually, with the option to utilize telemedicine and home health agencies in lieu of in-clinic visits. The study is designed to identify and measure specific biomarkers and clinical assessments in people with ALS in the U.S. who are treated with RADICAVA. Enhanced the Searchlight Support Out-of-Pocket Assistance Program. The updates enable more efficient communication and exchange of information, including a new "hybrid" card that can be used to help access appropriate pharmacy and medical co-pay assistance for eligible patients with commercial insurance. Established the RADICAVA JourneyMate TM program, which is designed to connect people with ALS and their families to live educational support, which can help answer questions about RADICAVA and ALS. The ALS Care Locator online tool continues to be expanded, and now has more than 1,047 infusion centers listed. Initiated clinical study exploring daily dosing of an investigational oral formulation of edaravone (MT-1186). The study, sponsored by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Inc. (MTDA), is the postmarketing commitment following the U.S. FDA approval of RADICAVA IV. About RADICAVA (edaravone) IV The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) IV on May 5, 2017 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).2 Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone IV was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. Marketing authorization was granted in Canada in October 2018 and Switzerland in January 2019. Story continues INDICATION RADICAVA is indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have asthma. are allergic to other medicines. are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA? RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished. RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma). Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects. The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com. About EXSERVAN (riluzole oral film) EXSERVAN, an oral film formulation of riluzole, was developed by Aquestive Therapeutics using its PharmFilm innovative drug delivery technology. The oral film is placed on the patient's tongue and quickly dissolves without the need for liquids or food. RILUTEK (riluzole) tablets was the reference product during the oral film development. Oral film riluzole was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2019. INDICATION EXSERVAN is indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use if you are allergic to riluzole or to any of its ingredients. Before using EXSERVAN, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take and all your health conditions, including if you: Have hepatic (liver) impairment. Are taking strong or moderate CYP1A2 inhibitors such as ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fluvoxamine, methoxsalen, mexiletine, oral contraceptives, thiabendazole, vemurafenib, zileuton. Are pregnant or intend to become pregnant during EXSERVAN therapy, or if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed during EXSERVAN therapy. EXSERVAN can cause serious side effects, including: Hepatic Injury: Cases of drug-induced liver injury, some fatal, have been reported in patients taking riluzole. Consult your healthcare provider promptly if you experience unexplained nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, or jaundice and/or dark urine. Neutropenia: Tell your healthcare provider if you develop a fever while taking EXSERVAN. Interstitial Lung Disease: Tell your healthcare provider if you have respiratory symptoms such as dry cough and difficult or labored breathing. Discontinue EXSERVAN immediately if interstitial lung disease develops. The most common side effects include oral hypoesthesia, asthenia, nausea, decreased lung function, hypertension, and abdominal pain. These are not all the possible side effects of EXSERVAN. Consult your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects and if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Use EXSERVAN as prescribed. The recommended dosage for EXSERVAN is 50 mg taken orally twice daily at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Place EXSERVAN oral film strip on the top of the tongue where it will adhere and dissolve. Do not cut or split the film or take liquids with EXSERVAN. Do not chew, spit, or talk while EXSERVAN is dissolving. For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please click here. About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company with one of the longest histories of pharmaceutical companies in Japan.3 In accordance with the corporate philosophy of "contributing to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals," the Company formulated the key concept of Open Up the Future under the Medium-Term Management Plan 2016-2020. Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas immune-inflammation diseases, diabetes and kidney, central nervous system, and vaccines Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA and MTDA. For more information, go to https://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e/. Media inquiries: Debbie Etchison 908-340-8578 Media_MTPA@mt-pharma-us.com 1 Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America Inc., Data on File as of January 2021. Based on internal data not independently verified. 2 RADICAVA U.S. Prescribing Information. August 2018. 3 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mitsubishi-tanabe-pharma-america-celebrates-five-years-of-dedication-to-the-als-community-in-the-us-301223937.html SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. The prospects for another round of U.S. stimulus spending, as well as reports on supply and demand from the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and OPEC will drive oil prices this week, analysts said. Tightening supplies have supported the march toward $60 per barrel as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, particularly its leader Saudi Arabia, maintain production curbs. In addition, markets are anticipating higher demand from a vaccine-led economic recovery that could be revved up by the infusion of nearly $2 trillion in relief and stimulus spending into the U.S. economy under a plan by President Joe Biden. Stimulus talks are crucial, Tamas Varga, an analyst at London oil broker PVM, said. Backing calls from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to go big on a stimulus package, both the House and Senate signed off on a budget measure that would allow Democrats, who narrowly control Congress, to approve Bidens $1.9 trillion stimulus without Republican votes. That plan includes another $1,400 for individual taxpayers, but would exclude wealthier families from another stimulus check. That extra money could support economic activity and energy demand. Reports last month from the U.S Energy Department, IEA and OPEC last month all signaled that demand was still below pre-pandemic levels. The three agencies issue updated reports this week. Last week, the joint committee monitoring market conditions for the expanded cartel of oil producers known as OPEC+, expressed optimism about a recovery this year, adding that supplies were draining as Saudi Arabia sticks to its commitment to curb output. Given the concerns around the virus and its impact on oil demand, the Saudi insurance policy against downside risk appears to be a shrewd pre-emptive strategy in supporting oil prices, Paul Hickin, associate director at S&P Global Platts, said from London. OPEC+ will know it cant rest on its laurels in its management of the oil market, but so far Saudi is showing everyone who is boss. RELATED: Oil prices push toward $60 a barrel But if the market rally picks up steam, it could lead to another surge in shale oil production in the United States and upset the delicate market balance. The Energy Department said its economic models show that the United States continues to be a globally significant producer. Production, however, is still about 15 percent below year-ago levels. But for Phil Flynn, a senior energy analyst at The PRICE Futures Group in Chicago, production is just one side of the coin. You can worry all you want about demand but those worries have not stopped the global oil supply drain, he said. Demand in Asia is soaring and gaining momentum. Saudi cuts should offset any short-term demand destruction. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,143 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 19 more confirmed deaths in its noon update Monday. "On 2/8/21 LDH is reporting two-day totals for cases and tests," the Louisiana Department of Health wrote on its dashboard. "The previously reported server issue has been corrected." The number of hospitalizations decreased by 22, and the number of patients in need of ventilators increased by six. There are also 54,994 total "probable" coronavirus cases in Louisiana, according to the agency's dashboard. +3 As coronavirus left Louisiana nursing homes short-staffed, some residents were left without care Andre Monceret remembers the horror he felt as he helplessly watched a camera feed that showed his mother squirming in her chair after soiling These are another few key statewide statistics as of Monday: Total confirmed cases: 357,995 Total "probable" cases: 54,994 Total confirmed deaths: 8,542 Currently hospitalized: 1,144 Currently on ventilators: 149 Vaccine series initiated: 404,007 (updated twice weekly) Vaccine series completed: 130,978 Presumed recovered: 363,457 as of Feb. 1 (updated weekly) Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Note: The Advocate and The Times-Picayune staff calculates daily case count and confirmed death increases based on the difference between today's total and yesterday's total of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health releases a daily case count on its dashboard that includes probable cases as indicated by a positive antigen test. That case count can be different than the one listed here. Here are some of the parishes with the highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, based on the Monday report: St. Tammany: 110 Jefferson: 105 Orleans: 82 Caddo: 78 East Baton Rouge: 76 Bossier: 59 Lafayette: 57 You can view more graphs and charts breaking down the data by clicking here. Louisiana began reopening for Phase 1 on May 15-16 then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana's Phase 2 restrictions twice in August before moving the state to Phase 3 on Sept. 11. The governor then moved the state back to a modified Phase 2 near the end of November. This is a developing story. More details and analysis to come. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A high-ranking administrator with a nonprofit who had been accused of having illegal contracts with Espanola Public Schools had three of four charges dismissed because the state Attorney Generals Office failed to properly instruct the grand jury that indicted him. Barney Trujillo, who now serves as operations manager for the Northern Area Local Workforce Board, was originally charged with three counts of unlawful interest in a public contract and failure to disclose campaign contributions. The three charges related to the public contracts were dismissed Jan. 27, but he still faces a charge of failing to disclose a campaign contributions to school board members that voted to award him the contracts. Trujillo, 40, a former Rio Arriba County commissioner, secured a contract for his company, 2Smooth Media, with Espanola Public Schools to provide printing, advertising, media and public relations services to the district despite having no business license. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Matt Baca, chief counsel for the AGs Office, said that the case will move forward on the remaining count and that there are no plans to re-indict Trujillo on the other charges. In two defense motions, Trujillos attorneys, Dan Cron and Kitren Fischer, said the grand jury that indicted him in 2017 was incorrectly informed that Trujillo had to get permission from the Secretary of States Office before the contracts could be approved. The attorneys argued that there is no such requirement and that, if anything, it was the school boards responsibility to register the contract with the secretary of state. Espanola Schools never filed any paperwork with the Secretary of State, probably because the schools had no knowledge of this obscure law, Fischer said in an email. So Mr. Trujillo was ultimately charged with three felony counts that never applied to him in the first place. Fischer said the goal of the unlawful interest in a public contract law is to ensure transparency when public officials receive things of value. The unlawful interest statute is an obscure and poorly written law it does not make clear who must file what and when to be in compliance, she said. Trujillo was a county commissioner from 2014 to 2017, when his company was awarded the contracts with the Espanola Public Schools, Fischer said. The contracts were discussed and voted on in open school board meetings and were never a secret. The AGs Office apparently recognized the error described in the two defense motions, she said, and dismissed the charges related to the contracts in the interests of justice. It isn't purely negative experiences in childhood that can lead to poor mental health later in life. (Posed by model, Getty Images) It is often assumed that a fraught or difficult childhood, could lead to problems with mental illness further down the line, but new research has suggested that a happy and secure childhood does not always protect a child from suffering mental health problems later in life. Both positive and negative experiences in childhood could manifest as anxiety or other mental health conditions in adulthood, according to the research, by University of South Australia in partnership with the University of Canberra and part of a study published in Current Psychology. The study authors therefore believe it is how well we adapt to various unexpected experiences, that could have an influence on our mental wellbeing at a later date. Watch: Five top tips to boost your mental health Read more: Telling children fibs could make them more anxious in later life, study suggests Lead researcher, Bianca Kahl, believes the study highlights the fact that mental illness is not limited to negative experiences of childhood. As the prevalence of mental health conditions expands, it's imperative that we also extend our knowledge of this very complex and varied condition, Kahl told Medical Xpress. This research shows that mental health conditions are not solely determined by early life events, and that a child who is raised in a happy home, could still grow up to have a mental health disorder. Watch: How to help if children are suffering from anxiety during lockdown. The researchers examined the how various childhood experiences could relate to different developmental pathways and how this may in turn impact mental health. Though the study reaffirmed the belief that children who experience adverse and unpredictable early life experiences could suffer elevated symptoms of poor mental health, including depression, results also suggested that kids who grew up in stable and supportive environments were also at risk of experiencing symptoms of anxiety in adulthood. Story continues Kahl believes the research could help identify other key insights about potential mental health risk factors for all children. There's certainly some missing factors in understanding how our childhood environment and early life experiences might translate into mental health outcomes in adulthood, she explains. We suspect that its our expectations about our environments and our ability to adapt to scenarios when our expectations are not being met, that may be influencing our experiences of distress. If, as children, we learn how to adapt to change, and we learn how to cope when things do not go our way, we may be in a better position to respond to stress and other risk factors for poor mental health. Kahl adds that it is the testing of this hypothesis that will form the focus of her next research study. Read more: One in six children in England has a 'probable mental disorder', NHS survey suggests Both positive and negative experiences in childhood could lead to mental health issues. (Posed by model, Getty Images) The new research follows a previous study which suggested children who are smacked at a young age are more likely to suffer from poor mental health and have behavioural problems through to their teenage years. Those who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as smacking and harsh parenting, had poorer outcomes than those who did not, the study led by UCL researchers revealed. The study, published in the journal Child, Abuse and Neglect, builds on previous evidence by UCL researchers, which led to the smacking ban in Scotland last year. Researchers say this new study adds more weight to calls to provide children in England with legal protection from smacking and physical punishment. Read more: Quarter of teens are showing signs of anxiety and depression, according to survey A further study also suggested that telling children lies, even with the best intentions, could have an impact on their mental health later in life. While fibs parents tell their children intending to encourage good behaviour may seem harmless enough, according to a study, by Chinas Xinyang Normal University, it could lead to them feeling more anxious in adolescence. Researchers suggested telling children narratives such as eating carrots will help you see in the dark could increase their risk of suffering from anxiety in later life and can also impact teenagers relationships with their parents. Watch: The robot designed to help with kids mental health Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Rebecca Andrews was expecting a big party with her family for her 40th birthday. Instead, she had to tell half her relatives they wouldnt be able to attend after Victorias COVID-19 restrictions were suddenly tightened last Wednesday night. Rebecca Andrews was forced to halve the number of guests to her 40th when COVID-19 restrictions were tightened on Wednesday. Credit:Justin McManus What once was a party for more than 30 at her mothers house on Sunday became a celebration for 15 people, in line with the governments reintroduced cap for private households. I come from a big Greek family, so I was excited ... [but] with the news the other night about restrictions going back to 15, I had to essentially pick 15 family members to join me for the day, she said. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Consistent with his commitment and passion to accelerate the spread of electricity across the country, the President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, has issued an Executive Order that exempts the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) from Customs duty, GST on generation, transmission and distribution equipment, material and fuel. Executive Order 104, which was issued on February 3, 2021, seeks to reactivate Executive Order #9 which has since expired at the time the Government of Liberia is creating every avenue to expand its use of hydroelectric power generated at the Mount Coffee facility to deliver affordable electricity to customers. A statement issued on Thursday said, President Weah said the Executive Order is in the interest of national reconstruction and development. The Liberian Chief Executive maintains that the Executive Order is imperative because the LEC, during its transition from the use of fossil fuels to hydropower to generate electricity, faces external market forces and risks that increase the costs of operations of the entity. President Weah asserted there is still a need to minimize the cost of fuel to enable the LEC to provide electricity to the general public at a reasonable cost. He said some of the costs, which are associated with the purchase, delivery, storage, and use of fossil fuels, particularly Heavy Fuel Oils (HFO), represent a significant expense to LEC, which slow investments in the transition to the wider use of hydroelectric power in Liberia. President Weah also intimated that it was necessary for the LEC to achieve what he calls "higher levels of operational and financial efficiencies" to enable it to distribute electricity at affordable rates to customers. Customs Duties and GST on petroleum products are LEC cost categories that have the potential for volatility that adversely impacts the monthly expenses of the Corporation. A teenager who filmed a 12-year-old girl performing oral sex on him while his friends took photographs has lost an appeal against the severity of his four-year sentence. The appellant, who was 16 at the time of the offences, later threatened to send the photos to a sport club his victim was involved with if she refused to perform oral sex on one of his friends. A probation officer's report that was seen by the Court of Appeal stated that the teenager does not accept that he engaged in harmful sexual behaviour and had claimed that his victim consented. He showed no understanding of the harm caused to his victim, the report said, and engaged in a "victim blaming narrative" before refusing to engage further with the probation officer. The teenager pleaded guilty in June 2019 to two counts of defilement of a child under the age of 15 on August 21 and August 25, 2015 and he was sentenced to four years in prison. The sentencing judge, Mr Justice Michael White, described the offence as "cruel" and said he was concerned that the defendant had minimized the offence to probation officers by portraying it as a minor offence or "something that got out of hand". At an earlier appeal hearing, lawyers for the teenager argued that Mr Justice White had failed to sufficiently take into account the appellant's young age at the time of the offence and a number of mitigating factors including that he had no previous convictions, was of good character and saved the victim the distress of a trial by entering an early guilty plea. Mr Justice John Edwards, sitting with Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, today, February 8, dismissed the appeal saying the sentencing judge had correctly identified a headline sentence of eight years and had given an appropriate discount of 50 per cent after taking into account the offender's guilty plea and his young age. The appellant began exchanging messages with the victim via social media and in August 2015 they agreed to meet in a Dublin park. She was accompanied by a friend while he was with a group of young men. She said she was taken away from the group by the defendant and was required to put his penis in her mouth after being made to kneel on the ground. She said she felt "really dirty" and ran off when it was over. She said some of the young men present took photos of what had happened and gardai later discovered that the boy had filmed the incident on his mobile phone. He had also sent the video to another person. The victim was shown some of the photos before she left the park and said she felt that if anyone saw them it would ruin her reputation. Four days later they met again and this time the defendant was again with a group of young men. When he got her alone she again put his penis in her mouth after he pushed her down. The appellant then told her that she had to perform oral sex on his younger friend or he would reveal the photos of the previous incident to her sport club. In a victim impact statement the girl said: They have taken away my teen years as I'm a prisoner in my own home and I know I'll carry this burden for the rest of my life. Although I am working hard to come back from this, I'm still terrified. Christian neurologist details ethical parameters of brain-reading technology Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Amid an increasing Big Tech push to implant devices into the human brain, a Christian neurology doctor has detailed the ethical parameters of mind-reading technology that companies like Facebook seek to utilize. Dr. Travis Losey, the vice-chair of the department of neurology and co-director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Loma Linda University in southern California, said in an interview with The Christian Post that when it comes to the use of brain interface technology, the purpose should be to heal something that was harmed by disease or a disorder. "The core ethical issue with the brain-computer interface is similar to issues with medication, he offered. I think it's only ethical to use medications when they are being used to restore function that has been lost or affected by a disease. The same principles would apply to brain-computer interfaces. In a December company meeting with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other top executives of the social media giant, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer previewed a sensor device he claimed can read "neural signals coming from my brain, down my spinal cord along my arm, to my wrist. The social media executive was heard on leaked audio footage talking about how the new device can read brain activity, the latest in moves to merge digital technology and humans. According to Schroepfer, the sensor could be used for typing, holding virtual objects or controlling characters in a video game. "We all get the privilege of seeing the future because we are making it, he was quoted as saying by BuzzFeed News. Schroepfers comments are the latest development in Facebooks quest to produce a brain-reading device. In 2017, the companys now-defunct research lab announced plans to produce a brain mouse that would allow users to control augmented reality components with a noninvasive brain interface. In 2019, Facebook purchased CTRL-Labs, a neural interface startup company, to join Facebook Reality Labs, its augmented and virtual reality arm. CTRL-Labs developed an experimental wristband that purports to give computer users the ability to operate the machines by thinking. The purpose of Facebooks acquisition of CTRL-Labs is to be able to build this kind of technology, at scale, and get it into consumer products faster. Yet more broadly, a key question remains whether technology researchers will be able to convince regulators and society that humans should be allowed to be wired to machines in this way. Losey told CP that three generations of these devices exist. The first of which, he said, was developed to treat diseases like Parkinson's, where the computer would stimulate the brain all the time to restore the normal balance of function. The second generation was developed for conditions like epilepsy, where the technology detects the seizure pattern and stimulates the brain to interrupt that pattern. "Those devices have been shown to be extremely effective for many of our patients and are allowing them to do things they weren't able to before, like going back to work and driving, the neurologist detailed. They make a big difference in allowing a person to resume their normal activities." The third generation of devices, which are still under development, is intended to help those who have suffered strokes and spinal cord injuries. The devices read the signal the brain is trying to send and then use the computer to replace the lost function, Losey described. "One area where it's hard to say what Elon Musk is doing as his groups hasn't published a lot. But the little bit that they have is aiming at the third thrust, which is restoring normal function, Losey said. So if that turns out to be what they do, I would applaud. Once we start talking about futurists, it sort of goes into science fiction a little bit, so it's hard to say tangibly what's practical and what isn't. Asked about how Christians should think about the lofty topic of neuroethics in light of the rapid speed of technological advances and emerging ethical quandaries, the doctor said that there is no higher calling for a Christian than to help people affected by disease. He said believers should enter the field to ensure that these technologies are used appropriately. Losey added that Christians should engage the National Institutes of Health, which oversees the use of these neurological devices. According to a 2019 CNET report, Musks Neuralink startup used "sewing machine-like technology this year to drill small holes into brains and insert super-slender electrodes called threads, steering clear of blood vessels as they go." Neuralink was reportedly designing its electrodes to not only "read" from neural activity but "write" signals into the brain, amid scientists stating goals of restoring senses like touch or vision. Musk said that the technology was placed inside a monkey's brain and that the animal was able to control a computer through its thoughts. He aspired to have it implanted in a human being by the end of the year, though receiving the approval to do so from the Food & Drug Administration "is quite difficult," he noted. "Even in a benign [artificial intelligence] scenario, we will be left behind. Hopefully, it is a benign scenario" in which superintelligent AIs surpass but don't wipe humans out, Musk said. "With a high-bandwidth brain-machine interface, I think we can go along for the ride and effectively have the option of merging with AI, Musk is quoted as saying. In a 2018 interview with CP, neuroethics scholar Fabrice Jotterand warned against saying all technology or artificial intelligence is inherently bad and that it is a mistake to conflate AI with transhumanism. But concerning transhumanism, whose proponents push the merging of computer technology with the human brain, Jotterand argues that it teaches that "the body is totally irrelevant to our identity as a human being" and "becomes something you can manipulate at will and doesn't have any normative stand in defining who we are." WASHINGTON - The District announced Monday that it will host coronavirus vaccine clinics at a Baptist church as governments in the Washington region looked for new ways to equitably distribute shots while facing hesitancy in communities hit hard by the virus. Localities began the week struggling to inoculate residents as they continued to see low supplies of the vaccine. Maryland's Montgomery County received fewer vaccine doses this week than last week as jurisdictions request larger supplies to meet demand and rising eligibility. Baltimore Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott on Monday asked Johnson & Johnson to sell the city 300,000 doses of its single-shot vaccine, seeking to bypass the federal government. The vaccine, which is awaiting authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, is being produced by Baltimore-based Emergent BioSolutions. "This is about doing what's right and what's needed for the city," Scott said in a news conference Monday. "We're hopeful Johnson & Johnson will recognize they are making this vaccine here in Baltimore and it would be a shame if Baltimoreans didn't directly benefit from it." D.C. health officials announced that the city will host coronavirus vaccine clinics at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Ward 7, offering more access to the vaccine in communities where the virus's toll has been the highest and where the lowest percentage of seniors have been vaccinated. Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, hosted a virtual town hall Monday with Anthony Fauci, the nation's highest-ranking infectious disease expert, as part of the county's campaign to assuage mistrust of the vaccine. Fauci answered questions from health officials in the majority-Black county, saying they are receiving questions about whether the vaccine has been linked to fatalities, which vaccine is most effective and whether residents can trust the vaccine because it was developed quickly. Health officials said they wanted to assure communities the vaccine is safe. "The concern on the part of brown and Black people about engaging in a medical program that is run by the federal government is understandable," Fauci said. "The first thing we need to do is to respect the concern of people of color who have hesitancy - but at the same time to explain to them that the ethical safeguards that have put into place since Tuskegee and the Henrietta Lacks incident are such that those types of things would be impossible under today's conditions." Meanwhile, Montgomery County's health department received 1,000 fewer vaccine doses this week than last week. Raymond Crowel, head of the county's Health and Human Services Department, said Monday that state officials have not told local officials why the county health department would be receiving 4,500 first doses Tuesday instead of 5,500 it received last week. "We're very concerned," said Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker, D-District 5. "We weren't getting enough to begin with and this only makes things more difficult." Michael Ricci, spokesman for Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, said in a statement that "local health departments are one facet of an expanding distribution network." The state allocates vaccine doses to counties based on population, but those doses might not necessarily go to the local health department. They also go to pharmacies, hospitals and retail providers. Ricci said the state this week is providing an additional 2,500 doses to Suburban Hospital, which is vaccinating selected patients, residents older than 65 and others in priority groups 1A, B and C. The clinics run by Montgomery's county government are still limiting vaccine appointments to those at least 75 years old. The county has a "good track record" in administering shots, Hucker said, adding that he is seeking more clarity on the county's reduced allotment. Montgomery officials also said Monday they have asked the Hogan administration to consider the fairgrounds in Gaithersburg as a location for a mass vaccination site. The state last week opened two such sites - one in Prince George's and another in Baltimore. In the District, Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church will vaccinate 200 District residents across two clinics this week as part of the pilot program, and faith leaders will help them register for appointments, said D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt. The new clinics were paired with an announcement that the city will open vaccination appointments at noon and 7 p.m. on Mondays for child care workers, independent school staff and charter school staff. Nesbitt pointed out how places of worship have served a historic role in educating Black communities about health issues. She said her team is hopeful that faith leaders will help reach city residents who haven't tried to register for the vaccine, either because they are intimidated by the process or because they might be more comfortable registering with someone from their church community. "Engaging [faith communities] and including them on our vaccine confidence effort was a natural progression," Nesbitt said. "Serving as a natural extension of their faith work, the communities in which they are embedded could help us reach residents in particular in Wards 5, 7 and 8 who have not gone to the website, not called the call center." Nesbitt had said that storage and handling requirements might create logistical issues with pop-up clinics. But she said Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church had served a testing site, and that leaders there have established the necessary privacy, safety and vaccine handling protocols for a clinic. Nesbitt indicated the program could be expanded if the community is receptive. Asked about the possibility of drive-through clinics or clinics at larger venues in the future, Nesbitt pointed to limitations in vaccine supply. As of Saturday, health officials had administered about 68,000 of the 94,100 or so vaccine doses the city has received. The District will receive about 11,500 more doses this week. She said it's more equitable to distribute the vaccine supply across multiple sites in the city rather than a singular large location. A mass site at Nationals Park would use up the District's supply while presenting transportation issues and other problems for people with strict work schedules, Nesbitt said. "Once the supply opens and we're getting tens of thousands of doses on a weekly basis, it could make sense to do that," she said. - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Chason and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. Every year, some two lakh Indians travel to Macca to perform the Haj, but this year, pilgrims are waiting for a call from the Haj Committee for completing pre-selection formalities. (AP) HYDERABAD: Indians looking forward to performing the Haj this year might be in for a disappointment again as there is no official word yet on whether the annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest place is on. It may be recalled that last year, the pilgrimage was scrapped because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year too, with continuing fears of the pandemic, Saudi authorities have banned arrivals from 20 nations till May 17, including those from India. Every year, some two lakh Indians travel to Macca to perform the Haj, but this year, pilgrims are waiting for a call from the Haj Committee for completing pre-selection formalities. There is also uncertainty over the February 10 meeting between Indian diplomats and Saudi authorities to finalise the Haj pilgrims' quota for this year and arriving at a mutual agreement. A source in the State Haj Committee said chances of allotment of quota looks bleak with the pilgrimage dates drawing near. The Haj is scheduled for July this year. Officials in the Haj Committee believe that even if Saudi government allows Indians, it is likely that the quota will be reduced. The office space market in Bucharest registered in 2020 a total volume of transactions of approximately 240,000 sqm, a level similar to that of 2015, according to the data provided by the real estate consulting company CBRE, according to AGERPRES. According to a company statement, the local developer One United was, alongside the investment funds Immofinanz and Globalworth, among the most active players in the office market, both in the relocation segment and in the one of existing contract extensions. Over 140,000 sqm of the total area traded on the Bucharest office market was represented by relocations and pre-leases from companies that decided to change their currently occupied office space. The most active industries were IT&C and the consumer and leisure goods industry, which generated over 50% of the net demand on the office market, according to CBRE Research. The most active developers, which managed to attract over 50% of net demand, were: One United, with almost 30% of demand, followed by Globalworth, Vastint and Speedwell. "2021 is a year of decisions. By comparison, last year, many companies chose to wait or postpone such an important decision as that of changing office. This trend was less visible in Romania than in Central and Eastern European countries, given that 60% of the volume traded in Bucharest consisted in relocations. However, the decisions being made now are much more complex than in previous years: from the way companies want to integrate work from home and the use of the actual office to the buildings where they choose to be present, which can become real destinations," said Tudor Ionescu, Head of Advisory & Transaction Services, Office at CBRE Romania. The total stock of offices in Bucharest reached 2.95 million sqm at the end of 2020, after ten buildings were completed during the year, with a total area of over 155,000 sqm. By the end of this year, another approximately 250,000 square meters of offices will be delivered, half of which will be pre-leased, according to CBRE Research. Among the most active developers, which will deliver the largest office space in 2021, are One United, Skanska, Forte Partners and Atenor. Having forged ahead with its own climate goals, the farming sector was caught by surprise when Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said agriculture may be exempted from an emissions reduction policy in comments signalling more leadership tensions in the Nationals party room. Nationals Leader Mr McCormack responded to Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying Australia could achieve net zero emissions by 2050 by noting New Zealand had committed to a 2050 deadline to reach net zero emissions, but claiming the country had a caveat with their agriculture to exclude it from a deadline. The Nationals remain divided on climate policy as Michael McCormack seeks to assert leadership through his latest climate policy intervention. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen If [exempting agriculture is] what it takes, well thats what it takes, but were not going to hurt regional Australia, Mr McCormack said on Sunday. In fact New Zealand has not exempted agriculture from the countrys emissions policy, but the sector has been given until 2025 to start participating in an emissions trading scheme that is being developed in order to reach a legislated 2050 deadline for net zero emissions. Agriculture through livestock alone generates about half New Zealands greenhouse emissions and farmers are being offered incentives to sign up to the trading scheme earlier than the 2025 deadline. Twitter's Public Policy Director for India and South Asia, Mahima Kaul, decided in January to resign from her job so as to pay more attention to her personal life. As such, her duties will continue until the end of March. Last week, the central government had sent out a strict message to Twitter India for unilaterally unblocking over 250 accounts that had been blocked for sharing misinformation and misguiding Twitter users on the ongoing demonstrations against centre's farm laws in the country. Citing personal reasons, Mahima Kaul, Twitters Public Policy Director for India and South Asia has resigned. An official source informed that Kaul has resigned from her position to focus on her personal life. The source added that Kaul will continue to work in her position till March-end. Last week, the central government had sent out a strict message to Twitter India for unilaterally unblocking over 250 accounts that had been blocked for sharing misinformation and misguiding Twitter users on the ongoing demonstrations against centres farm laws in the country. As per the centre, those accounts were sharing and re-sharing fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets. However, an official source stated that Kauls resignation is not related to the centres warning over unblocking Twitter handles. Twitters Public Policy Vice President Monique Meche issued a statement which read that at the start of this year, Mahima Kaul decided to step down from her role as Twitter Public Policy Director for India and South Asia to take a well-deserved break. He added that it was a loss for all of them at Twitter, but after more than five years in the role, they respected her desire to focus on the most important people and relationships in her personal life, Mahima would continue in her role till the end of March and will support the transition. Also read: It revealed a lot: S Jaishankar on farmers protests toolkit shared by Greta Thunberg Also read: Myanmar coup: As US considers imposing sanctions, all eyes on India to clarify its position Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the people, political parties, organisations and other elements in India currently supporting forces meant to defame and undermine India will not receive the peoples support. He added that the conspiracy revealed against Indian tea by foreign elements is dishonourable towards Assam and its tea workers. PM Modi asked whether or not the people of Assam will forgive or accept this attack against the tea of India. PM Modi is actually referring to the toolkit shared by climate activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter that contained instructions for demonstrations (that could be escalated into riots) against the Indian government. There was also a Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats assessment of India that concluded making jokes and memes on Indian icons including Yoga and Chai. Also read: US calls for recognition of Kashmir American Day on Feb 6: NY State Assembly passes resolution BRIDGEPORT A delivery driver was shot while delivering food to a Dover Street residence late Saturday night, according to police. Just before 10 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 300 block of Dover Street after a Shotspotter gunfire activation and several 911 calls about a person shot. Arriving officers found a person suffering from a gunshot wound to his back. Police said the man was shot after his vehicle came to a stop in front of a snowbank on Dover Street while delivering food. The victim was taken by medics to Bridgeport Hospital. The seriousness of his injuries was not immediately provided by police. Police said there was no known description of the suspect or suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call 203-576-TIPS. DUBLIN, Feb. 8 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market for Women Driven by Increasing Adoption Rate" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The PPE market for women stood at $799.7 million in 2020. Growth is driven by an increase in women employees across industrial sectors, an increase in awareness, stringent regulatory compliance, and realization of increased hazards at the workplace due to ill-fitting PPE. The growth in demand for women-specific PPE is also because women have a different body structure than men, and therefore, smaller, scaled-down versions of men's PPE are not the right fit for women. This explicit need for women-centric PPE is expected to drive higher adoption in the near future. The lack of availability of PPE products in adequate sizes, designs, and colors for women has created a demand-supply gap. Furthermore, with lucrative growth rates and limited competition, a number of manufacturers are expected to enter the market with their offerings of PPE for women in the coming years. Protective clothing, head protection PPE, foot protection PPE, and hand protection PPE for women are expected to have the highest compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 4.2%, 4.1%, 3.8%, and 3.7%, respectively, from 2020 to 2026. This higher growth rate is a recognition of the need for women-specific PPE. North America and Europe constituted 79.7% of the revenue in 2020. North America is slated to register the highest CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period, with its revenue growing from $395.8 million in 2020 to $479.6 million in 2025. The demand corresponding to the availability of manufacturers offering PPE for women is higher in North America and Europe compared to the rest of the world. The demand for PPE for women is expected to record the highest growth in construction, transport, and manufacturing sectors, growing at CAGRs of 4.1%, 3.9%, and 3.7%, respectively, from 2020 to 2025. The expected increase in women employees in construction, transport, and manufacturing sectors will boost the growth of PPE specific to= women in these industries. Many manufacturers, such as Bunzl, ERB Safety, Gateway Safety, and MCR Safety, have introduced online platforms to choose and buy PPE for women. Manufacturers are actively engaged in developing research and development (R&D) facilities to create PPE for women to provide a better fit for women employees. The focus is to manufacture PPE for women that are comfortable, enhance safety, and improve the performance. A major challenge for manufacturers has been the inconsistent demand for PPE specific to women. With growing awareness and stringent regulatory compliances, the demand for PPE for women is expected to surpass the existing supply, creating a demand-supply gap. Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative The Impact of the Top Three Strategic Imperatives on the PPE Market for Women Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis, PPE Market for Women Key Findings PPE Market for Women, Scope of Analysis PPE Market for Women, Product Segments PPE Market for Women, Segmentation Global Employment Split by Sector and Gender Global Employment Split by Industry and Gender Women Employment by Region Women Employment by Industry Key Competitors in the PPE Market for Women Key Growth Metrics for the PPE Market for Women Distribution Channels in the PPE Market for Women Growth Drivers for the PPE Market for Women Growth Restraints for PPE Market for Women Forecast Assumptions, PPE Market for Women Insights and Trends Women and Job Opportunities Steps to Foster Participation of Women in the Workforce Regulations and Compliance Hazards of Ill-fitting Women's PPE Market Dynamics Revenue Forecast, PPE Market for Women Revenue Forecast by Product, PPE Market for Women Revenue Forecast by End-use Industry, PPE Market for women Percent Revenue Forecast by Product, PPE Market for Women Revenue Forecast by Region, PPE Market for Women Revenue Forecast Analysis, PPE Market for Women Competitive Environment, PPE Market for Women Competitive Analysis, PPE Market for Women 3. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Head Protection Segment Key Growth Metrics for the Head Protection Segment Revenue and Unit Shipment Forecast, Head Protection Segment Revenue Forecast by End-use Industry, Head Protection Segment Revenue Forecast by Region, Head Protection Segment Revenue Forecast Analysis, Head Protection Segment Competitive Environment, Head Protection Segment Competitive Analysis, Head Protection Segment 4. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Eye Protection Segment 5. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Face Protection Segment 6. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Hearing Protection Segment 7. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Respiratory Protection Segment 8. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Protective Clothing Segment 9. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Hand Protection Segment 10. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Foot Protection Segment 11. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Fall Protection Segment 12. Growth Opportunity Universe, PPE Market for Women Growth Opportunity 1: Increase in Women Employees Across Industries to Boost the PPE Market for Women, 2020 Growth Opportunity 2: Hazards of Ill Fitting PPE Along with Stringent Safety Norm to Boost the Growth of PPE Market for Women, 2020 13. Next Steps For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5ikm5a Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has said that his team thrashed Liverpool 4-1 in the Premier League on Sunday evening at Anfield beca... Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has said that his team thrashed Liverpool 4-1 in the Premier League on Sunday evening at Anfield because his players started really well and adjusted their set up in the second half. Guardiola also singled out Phil Foden as a huge talent, adding that the 20-year-old kept the ball really well and was aggressive against Liverpool. A brace from Ikay Gundogan and a strike each from Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden gave Guardiolas side all three points against Liverpool. We played in the way you have to suffer here. Hopefully next time we can win here with people, Guardiola told Sky Sports. Anfield is always impressive but with people it is much more. Huge victory for us. 3 more points at the end but I take into consideration the fact we won after we missed a penalty and conceded a goal but the way we reacted that made the difference. We started really well. We cant play like they play, weve to play in a slow rhythm. Second half we adjusted our set up and the quality of the players did the rest. He added, Phil Foden is a guy who keeps the ball really well, he arrives so aggressive but he is also still so young. When he plays wide it is more easy for him, he will learn. The action for the second goal and the fourth goal, we know what a huge talent he is but he is still young and hopefully he can understand he can still improve. It is an important win but it is February. Of course the gap to fifth is big right now and that means for the Champions League for next season is important but 10 wins in a row in this period is something exceptional. Today is the time to talk about this but tomorrow we look to the next game. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Huawei, the global leading provider of ICT infrastructures and smart devices, is paving the way for its deployment of IoV (Internet of Vehicles) business. By virtue of the powerful technical supporting capability in communications field, the company endeavors to help clients rapidly develop IoV-related applications and make the use of wireless technologies easier. Despite the rumors saying Huawei attempts to manufacture complete vehicles, the company repeatedly stresses its determination to be an incremental component provider for intelligent-connected vehicles (ICVs) instead of being a carmaker. "Huawei will not make cars. Focusing on developing ICT technologies, Huawei will enable car manufacturers to build better smart vehicles, the company reiterated in a document posted on Xingsheng Community, Huawei's official employee community platform, on Nov. 25, 2020. The company announced official entry into the IoV field in 2013 when it set up the IoV business unit and launched the automotive module ME909T, starting offering OEMs Internet connected technologies. From then on, the collaboration between Huawei and automakers was announced every year. The cooperative businesses were extended from network connectivity to car-mounted computing platform, autonomous driving and other ICV-related solutions. For instance, in 2014, Huawei forged partnership with such OEMs as Dongfeng and Changan; in 2015, it teamed up with Volkswagen on the R&D of IoV applications; in 2016, the 5G Automotive Alliance was jointly formed by Huawei, Audi, BMW Group, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Intel; in 2017, the chipsets from Hisilicon, Huawei's subsidiary, was introduced into Mercedes-Benz and Audi's vehicles; in 2018, Huawei launched the Level 4 autonomous driving platform MDC600; in Jan. 2019, the company launched the 5G multi-mode chipset Balong 5000 that supports Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communications. For the year of 2020, there were a slew of automakers joining Huawei's circle of friends. Most of them touted the usage of Huawei's technologies when they promoted new vehicle models. On June 4, 2020 , BYD announced via its official WeChat account that it's heavyweight flagship model, the BYD Han, would be the worlds first mass-produced model equipped with Huawei 5G technology. It is understood that Huawei's 5G-enabled HiCar technology is more like an interface with a car's core operating system than a car infotainment system. It first appeared on the BYD Han EVs that hit the market in last July and then will be introduced by about 30 different car brands. With the support of hardware configuration and Huawei's 5G technology, the conventional standalone automatic driving assistance functions have become connected smart driving on the Han EV. Apart from the HiCar and 5G mobile modules, Huawei has also tapped many underlying technologies, like autonomous driving chips and in-car operating system, and developed such core parts as charging modules and LiDARs. Huawei's automotive-grade factory-installed LiDAR making world's debut; photo credit: Huawei On Dec. 22, 2020, Huawei officially launched its automotive-grade high-performance LiDAR with 96 beams, which is able to detect the pedestrians and vehicles in urban areas, and the vehicles running at high speed. The newly-launched LiDAR solution would be first applied in the ARCFOX HBT, a high-performance EV model under BAIC BJEVs ACRFOX, the premium EV brand announced on the same day. Photo credit: Changan Auto Changan Automobile's chairman Zhu Huarong revealed in last November the Chongqing-based automaker would join hands with Huawei and CATL to launch an upscale smart brand, demonstrating Huawei's significance to the cooperation. In May, 2020, Huawei joined forces with 18 automakers, including FAW Group, Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Group, SAIC Group, to establish the 5G automotive ecosystem, wishing to accelerate the commercialization of 5G technology in the automotive industry. Automakers scramble to partner with Huawei primarily due to Huawei's technical advantages in fields like 5G, IoT (Internet of Things) and communications that deeply impress consumers. The collaboration between Huawei and carmakers is carried out at three levels. On the side of ecosystem, mobile phones and automotive system are connected by Huawei's Harmony operating system (OS) and application framework. Vehicles are equipped with the HMS for Car, Huaweis smart in-car cloud service solution, and the car-mounted smart screen powered by Harmony OS 2.0. As for incremental components, Huaweis cost-competitive hardware parts related to 5G, radio frequency and electrification are well received by OEMs. At the level of platform, Huawei leverages its autonomous driving computing platform MDC (mobile data center) to make its sensors, controllers and algorithm deeply integrated with automotive systems. Huawei is building a digital system based on the CCA+VehicleStack architecture, Cai Jianyong, CTO of Huawei's smart car unit, said in August 2020. He added the digital system can be regarded as a traditional car with a six-layer design, which translates into a mechanical layer, a high-voltage battery electrical layer, a low-voltage component layer, a software layer, an application layer, and a cloud service layer. Sinolink Securities considered that Huawei's CCA+VehicleStack is designed to realize the upgrade and reuse of software in different vehicle models, and achieve scalable and changeable hardware as well as plug-and-play sensors. Under the architecture, Huawei endeavors to develop a trustworthy security system, which involves digital security, cybersecurity, functional safety and privacy security. It also allows consumers to buy more applications and services through automotive platform as same as via smart phones, so as to assist OEMs and developers with making sustainable profits. The other factor accountable for automaker's decision to partner with Huawei is that Huawei's architecture is upending the existing highly customized business model in automotive industry. Huawei intends to develop an innovative 1+8+N product and software ecosystem which helps create a world where everything works together seamlessly, intelligently, and effortlessly, rather than developing the automotive as a standalone business. According to the tech giant's introduction, the 1 represents the smartphone, which is the core to the ecosystem. The 8 refers to external/peripheral connected devices like PC, tablet, TV, audio, glasses, watches, locomotives, and headphones. The N layer embraces all the third-party IoT devices which can be connected to Huawei's HiLink and Huawei Share technologies. Under the strategy, Huawei is ambitious to build a comprehensive 5G service ecosystem that covers all livelihood scenarios. In last September, Huawei launched the newest version of its Harmony OS, a Chinese alternative to Google's Android OS. The OS has been applied in Huawei's HiCar, a smart cockpit platform that enables drivers to control most automation functions in cabin via Huawei's smart phones. Some industry insiders believe that the Harmony OS boasts promising development future in the IoV and autonomous driving fields as it forms interconnection between IoT and smart phone operating system. According to a study published by McKinsey & Company, China will likely emerge as the world's largest market for autonomous vehicles, worth more than $500 billion in revenue from sales of new autonomous vehicles and mobility services by 2030. As automakers are racing to deploy in the nascent technical areas, joining hands with Huawei might help them move faster on finding a toehold. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The floods that slammed into two hydroelectric plants and damaged villages in northern India were set off by a break on a Himalayan glacier upstream. Here's a look at how glaciers and glacial lakes form and why they may sometimes break: HOW GLACIERS AND GLACIAL LAKES FORM Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia and some are hundreds of thousands of years old. A large cluster of glaciers are in the Himalayas, which are part of Indias long northern border. Sundays disaster occurred in the western part of the Himalayas. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports Glaciers are made of layers of compressed snow that move or flow" due to gravity and the softness of ice relative to rock. A glacier's tongue" can extend hundreds of kilometers (miles) from its high-altitude origins, and the end, or snout," can advance or retreat based on snow accumulating or melting. Ice may flow down mountain valleys, fan out across plains, or in some locations, spread out onto the sea," according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Proglacial lakes, formed after glaciers retreat, are often bound by sediment and boulder formations. Additional water or pressure, or structural weakness, can cause both natural and manmade dams to burst, sending a mass of floodwater surging down the rivers and streams fed by the glacier. WHY DID THIS GLACIER BURST? It's not yet known what caused part of the Nanda Devi glacier to snap off Sunday morning, sending floodwater surging downstream toward power plants and villages in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand. Seismic activity and a buildup of water pressure can cause glaciers to burst, but one particular concern is climate change. High temperatures coupled with less snowfall can accelerate melting, which causes water to rise to potentially dangerous levels. Most mountain glaciers around the world were much larger in the past and have been melting and shrinking dramatically due to climate change and global warming," said Sarah Das, an associate scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. CAN SUCH DISASTERS BE PREDICTED? Past deadly or highly destructive glacial floods have occurred in Peru and Nepal. But the remote locations of glaciers and a lack of monitoring mean we don't have a clear understanding of how often they occur and if they are increasing, Das said. Given the overall pattern of warming, glacier retreat, and increase in infrastructure projects, though, it seems natural to hypothesize that these events will occur more frequently and will become overall more destructive if measures are not taken to mitigate these risks," said Das. A number of imminent potentially deadly glacier burst and flood situations have been identified worldwide, including in the Himalayas and South American Andes. But while monitoring is possible, the remoteness of most glaciers presents challenges. There are many glaciers and glacial dammed lakes across the Himalayas, but most are unmonitored," Das said. Many of these lakes are upstream of steep river valleys and have the potential to cause extreme flooding when they break. Where these floods reach inhabited regions and sensitive infrastructure, things will be catastrophic." A 2010 information page published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development called for more glacier monitoring in the Hindu Kush Himalayas to better understand the real degree of glacial lake instability." The region where the glacial burst occurred is prone to landslide and flash flooding, and environmentalists have cautioned against building in the region. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. 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. President Xi Jinping stands in front of a 3-D map at an aircrew's office during an inspection of a division of the People's Liberation Army Air Force in Guizhou province on Thursday. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended New Year's greetings to all military personnel. LI GANG/XINHUA President Xi Jinping on Thursday inspected an aviation division of the People's Liberation Army Air Force stationed in Guizhou province. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended New Year's greetings to all airmen and officers of the PLA, People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel in the military, militia and reserve forces, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC. Lunar New Year, the start of Spring Festival, is on Friday. During the inspection, Xi visited a PLA hospital to learn about the troops' COVID-19 response as well as their support for local epidemic control. Hailing the armed forces' contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi warned of the increased risk of spreading the virus during the upcoming holiday, which is expected to see more trips and gatherings. He asked the military to be ready to support local authorities in fighting the pandemic to consolidate and develop China's sound momentum in COVID-19 response. While inspecting a special aircraft designed for information warfare, Xi stressed the need to speed up the development of advanced equipment and cultivation of professionals, strengthen targeted and force-on-force training and accelerate the upgrading of new combat capabilities. Learning about the education and training of airmen and officers, Xi demanded strengthened military training under combat conditions to continuously improve the capability to win wars. Xi also inspected cultural and recreational preparations for Spring Festival. He called on the military to resolutely implement the decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, follow regular epidemic prevention and control measures and comprehensively advance military training and war preparedness so as to mark the CPC centenary with outstanding achievements. THE founder of a Caversham dance school has died, aged 87. Jeannine Greville provided opportunities for thousands of young people through JG Dance, which has been running for more than 50 years. The school now has nine branches in towns across the Thames Valley, including Henley and Sonning Common. Classes for boys and girls cover ballet, modern jazz, tap and acrobatics as well as drama and singing. Some of the pupils have gone on to have successful careers in the West End, on television, with the Royal Ballet Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. One was nominated for a BAFTA. Mrs Greville lived in Greys Road, Henley, for most of her life. Tributes have been paid by former students and the dance schools teachers following her death on January 24 at the Chiltern Court care centre in Henley, Ann Morelle, who is principal of JG Dance and was one of Mrs Grevilles first pupils, said: Her dance schools have provided the opportunity for many thousands of students to perform, many of whom are now successful professional dancers, actors and theatre performers. The school continues to run as JG Dance, ensuring her legacy of excellence continues for future generations to come. The family would like to acknowledge the amazing kindness and support of all staff at Chilterns Court. All those close to Jeannine would like to thank everyone for their sympathy and kind messages of condolence at this sad time. Jeannine was an amazing lady and will be sadly missed. Dozens of messages were posted on the dance schools Facebook page. Jennamarie Smith wrote: Very sad news. She was a wonderful lady and I have many amazing memories of her. She was such an inspiration and incredibly supportive to all of us. Sending love to her family and friends. Andrea Gould said: I started dance lessons with Jeannine more than 55 years ago. She was a great role model for hard work and determination to succeed. I remember taking my exams on the town hall stage, which was petrifying. Claire Fernandez wrote: So sad. So many fond memories over the years. Jeannine leaves behind a wonderful legacy that sent so many of us off on our way in life. A pilot assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron and 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chiefs prepare an F-35A Lightning II for taxi, Jan. 15, 2019 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. (Airman 1st Class Jacob Wongwai/U.S Air Force) Australian Air Forces Fifth Generation F-35s Ready to Fly Australias fleet of F-35A fighter aircraft is ready to deploy on operations after the $65 billion Joint Strike Fighter Program established a new maintenance hub. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the fleet of aircraft was now 33 strong. This is about protecting and securing Australias interests but its also creating jobs and driving investment right here in the Hunter and across the country too, Morrison said on Monday. The depot was selected to be the maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade depot for the Southeast Asian region and will host aircraft from other nations in the future. It will also provide more than 50 Australian companies with a share in $2.7 billion worth of contracts. Morrison said that the depots development demonstrated Australias world-leading capability for its defence industry. Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft conduct a flypast of HMAS Sydney during an air warfare serial off the coast of New South Wales, Australia on Dec. 11, 2020. (LSIS Leo Baumgartner/ADF) The Williamtown facility in New South Wales is BAE Systems Australias (BAESA) Southern Pacific Regional F-35 Heavy Airframe Depot and will support the Lightning aircraft in the Pacific region over the next three decades. According to BAESA, an initial team of 32 highly skilled F-35 technicians has been hired to provide airframe maintenance and sustainment for the depot, with a further 360 new jobs to be established in Australia over the next ten years. BAESA will also develop a specialist supply chain of around 76 small to medium enterprises that will contribute an estimated $70 million to the economy over the next four years. A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft, taxies out for a sortie during Exercise Lightning Storm, Queensland on Aug. 19, 2020. (CPL Melina Young/ADF) BAESA Chief Executive Officer Gabby Costigan said the company was privileged to contribute to the global program. We look forward to delivering a critical maintenance capability, and continuing to partner with the RAAF, the Department of Defence, Lockheed Martin and Defence industry to support the global F-35 program, Costigan said. Importantly, this new work will deliver a real boost to this region through new jobs and opportunities for local businesses, she said. Lockheed Martin, makers of the aircraft, noted in December last year that with the F-35 program using Australian made parts to build the planes, the defence industry sector was in the process of creating more than 2,400 high-tech manufacturing jobs for the Australian industry. Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, during the announcement of the Joint Strike Fighter Industry Support Program at Parliament House, Canberra. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said that the facility will provide maintenance on up to four Australian F-35A aircraft this year. We are building our sovereign defence capabilities. We now have 41 fully trained RAAF pilots, nine of whom trained on home soil at RAAF Base Williamtown. We also have more than 225 trained technicians as the RAAFs F-35A maintenance capability continues to develop, Reynolds said. This demonstrates the extraordinary opportunities this program is providing for Australians and the economy, especially as it continues to bounce back from COVID-19, she said. The F-35As are a replacement for the Australian airforces ageing fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornet which has been in use since 1985. The changeover was started in December 2018, with the first F-35A squadron, No. 3 Squadron, to be operational this year with the complete fleet of 72 aircrafts fully operational by 2023. EWING, N.J., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new GS1 US Barcode Assessment study shows that the pharmaceutical industry is making continued, steady progress toward interoperability, with a growing majority of products now properly serialized according to 2013 Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements. Conducted in 2020 by AmerisourceBergen Corporation, McKesson Pharmaceutical and Cardinal Health, in collaboration with GS1 US , the study found that over 90 percent of packages and cases scanned at these three companies met all of the labeling requirements, with three years remaining until the final DSCSA deadline in 2023. Details of the Barcode Assessment study are published in a new GS1 US report, "Progress on 2023 DSCSA Interoperability." Specifically, results from the 2020 Barcode Assessment showed that a vast majority of products were correctly marked with all of the necessary data elements, including 90.1 percent of specialty packages tracked by AmerisourceBergen; 86.6 percent of packaged drugs tracked by McKesson; and 93.1 percent of homogeneous cases tracked by Cardinal Health. Taken together in aggregate, 90.1 percent of all the scanned barcodes met the standard. Angela Fernandez, vice president, community engagement, GS1 US, said, "It's encouraging to see continued improvement in recommended barcoding of pharmaceutical products especially in 2020, as the healthcare industry had to focus on urgent supply chain issues related to pandemic response. The interoperability that will be enabled in 2023 by full DSCSA implementation is going to significantly enable better data sharing for improved supply chain efficiencies and patient safety. As the world moves toward post-pandemic operations, the foundational work that has been done with recommended barcoding will greatly improve pharmaceuticals distribution, patient safety and global health." For four consecutive years, the pharmaceutical wholesalers have collaborated with GS1 US to conduct annual barcode assessments that provide a snapshot of industry progress in meeting DSCSA requirements. Each company examined a different slice of its wholesale operations to assess barcode readability: AmerisourceBergen assessed package (lowest saleable unit) barcoding of specialty pharmaceuticals; McKesson measured packages (lowest saleable units) of widely used prescription drugs sent to hospitals and retail pharmacies; and Cardinal evaluated progress with the labeling of homogeneous cases. Both AmerisourceBergen and McKesson gauged the use of a two-dimensional (2D) barcode (e.g., GS1 DataMatrix barcode), while Cardinal examined use of either 2D or linear barcodes (e.g., GS1-128 barcode). Both 2D and linear barcodes containing required Application Identifiers (AIs) Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) with the National Drug Code (NDC) embedded, serial number, batch/lot number and expiration date are suitable for meeting DSCSA labeling requirements. For more information about barcoding and serialization of pharmaceutical products, download the GS1 US Implementation Guideline: Applying GS1 Standards for DSCSA and Traceability . To access the 2020 GS1 US Barcode Assessment report, please visit www.gs1us.org/barcode-readability . For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org . About GS1 Healthcare US GS1 Healthcare US is an industry group that focuses on driving the adoption and implementation of GS1 Standards in the healthcare industry in the United States to improve patient safety and supply chain efficiency. GS1 Healthcare US brings together members from all segments of the healthcare industry to address the supply chain issues that most impact healthcare in the United States. Facilitated by GS1 US, GS1 Healthcare US is one of more than 30 local GS1 Healthcare user groups around the world that support the adoption and implementation of global standards developed by GS1. For more information, visit www.gs1us.org/healthcare . About GS1 US GS1 US, a member of GS1 global, is a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. Nearly 300,000 businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading partner collaboration that optimizes their supply chains, drives cost performance and revenue growth, while also enabling regulatory compliance. They achieve these benefits through solutions based on GS1 global unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic Product Code (EPC)-based RFID, data synchronization, and electronic information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC). For more information, please visit https://www.gs1us.org/. SOURCE GS1 US Related Links http://www.gs1us.org Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. McDonald's plans to reopen its Northern Ireland walk-in service in two weeks. McDonalds plans to reopen the majority of its restaurants in Northern Ireland for walk-in takeaways in two weeks time. The fast-food chain has been operating a drive-thru only service during the latest Covid-19 lockdown. Chief executive of McDonalds UK and Ireland Paul Pomroy, explained that a small number of restaurants will trial reopening walk-in takeaway this week, with enhanced safety measures. He added that McDonalds has worked closely with safety experts NSF International who identified a small number of changes to further enhance procedures. These changes are currently being rolled out to restaurants across the UK and Ireland. This week, a small number of our restaurants will trial reopening walk-in takeaway with these enhancements in place, with the plan to reopen the majority of restaurants for walk-in takeaway across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland from Monday, February 22, stated Mr Pomroy. Due to government restrictions, we are unable to reopen takeaway in Scotland at this time. New safety measures being introduced include visors as well as face coverings for customer facing employees, revised guidance and processes for our couriers to support their safe working and enhanced processes for managing customer and courier flow in restaurants. Once again, we would like to thank our franchisees, managers and employees for their ongoing commitment in supporting and implementing all of our updated procedures. The wellbeing of our people, as well as our suppliers, couriers and our customers remains our top priority, and we are confident the new processes in place will further enhance our already robust safety measures. [February 08, 2021] ERP Security Leader, Appsian, Announces PeopleSoft Innovation Summit featuring Oracle as Keynote Presenter DALLAS, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Appsian, the global leader in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) security and compliance solutions, has announced their second PeopleSoft Innovation Summit. A free, virtual event that will take place on February 17-18, 2021. ERP Security Leader, Appsian, Announces PeopleSoft Innovation Summit - Free 2 Day Virtual Event on Feb 17-18 2021 An event rapidly growing in popularity amongst the Oracle PeopleSoft community, the Summit's keynote presentation will feature a roundtable conversation with members of the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) team, (2) PeopleSoft customers hosting on OCI, along with other security and cloud consulting leaders. The 2-day Summit will also feature insightful presentations from Appsian, Astute Busines Solutions, SpearMC, Gideon Taylor, jsmpros, Bio-Key, and more and will cover various topics such as: PeopleSoft disaster recovery planning PeopleSoft data security and compliance best practices PeopleSoft accessibility and aligning to WCAG standards PeopleSoft push notification best practices PeopleSoft identity and access management best practices and more "Since we've been an active member of the PeopleSoft community for over ten years, Appsian is thrilled to be hosting the PeopleSoft Innovation Summit," said Scott Lavery, Head of Marketing for Appsian. "After our first Summit back in September, we received overwhelming positive feedback, and couldn't be more excited to host another event with Oracle and the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure team participating." Last year's event was attended by 500 PeopleSoft organizations represented by over 1,500 individual attendees. For more information and to register for free, please visit Appsian's PeopleSoft Innovation Summit About Appsian: Appsian provides the fastest path to ERP data security & compliance for some of the largest organizations in the world using PeopleSoft, Oracle EBS, and SAP. Using a software platform designed for intrusion prevention, data loss prevention, threat detection, incident response, Appsian equips customers of legacy ERP applications with enhanced control and visibility over their ERP data. Enabling the secure expansion of user access, strengthening of authorization policies, and providing deep visibility into data access and usage. To learn more, visit www.appsian.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/erp-security-leader-appsian-announces-peoplesoft-innovation-summit-featuring-oracle-as-keynote-presenter-301223436.html SOURCE Appsian [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Op/Ed by Chris Devonshire-Ellis & Bob Savic, Dezan Shira & Associates Agreement to fast-track free trade and market access Full free trade agreement could be in place by June An interim deal could be agreed with immediate effect UK exporters should be assessing the India market The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Piyush Goyal, Indias Minister for Commerce and Industry released a joint statement today laying the groundwork for an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) following meetings held this past weekend in Delhi. The UK and India have been examining the potential for a full Free Trade Agreement, and discussions were carried out on the entire range of bilateral trade and economic relations, while understanding each others priorities and trade sensitivities. Both Trade Ministers reiterated their commitment to long term India-UK partnership and agreed to deepen trade cooperation between the two countries through an ETP. They also reviewed progress in removing market access barriers on both sides. The British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, with Shri Piyush Goyal Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) also met with Indian officials virtually on Friday, February 5, holding a high-level dialogue for the first time. The EU-India high-level dialogue was co-chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and the European Union Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis. The ministers agreed for further deepening of bilateral trade and investment relationship through a series of regular engagements, aiming at quick deliverable for the businesses in these tough times. We discuss the impetus for closer EU-India bilateral engagement in our article The EU and India Launch High Level Talks on Trade and Investment. Interim Agreement likely before a new India-UK FTA The India and UK Trade Ministers reviewed the ongoing engagements between the two sides for an ETP as part of developing a roadmap towards a potential comprehensive FTA, including considerations on an interim agreement on preferential basis. UK Prime Minister Johnson to visit India This revamped partnership would formally be launched during the visit of the UK Prime Minister to India, planned for later this year. That is expected to happen in Q2, probably late May, prior to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis own planned visit to the UK to attend the G7 meetings in June. Both UK and Indian Ministers have committed themselves to making concrete progress on the trade and investment front to deliver quick gains for both countries, including joint timelines for further advances. A sense of urgency was underlined to accelerate the process towards launching the ETP, with commitments to interact and identify fast bilateral deliverables that would cement an agreement and immediately come into service. Background For the UK, a prospective trade deal with India would be an opportunity to foster a post-Brexit and post-COVID economic recovery, by enabling British commerce with broader and greater access to Indias fast expanding consumer market of 1.3 billion and its significantly growing middle class, at a time when the prospects for global growth after the pandemic still remain uncertain. The 14th UK India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting on 28 July, 2020, agreed to prioritize five key areas: life sciences, information communications technology (ICT), food and drink, chemicals, and services to address non-tariff barriers to trade to first, secure an enhanced trading arrangement, followed eventually by a free trade agreement. The UK is the second fastest growing G20 investor in India over the last 10 years. India is currently the UKs sixth largest non-EU trading partner after the US, China, Japan, Switzerland, and Norway. Bilateral trade in goods and services, in 2019, was around US$15.7 billion and US$18.9 billion, respectively, and are gaining economic importance in both countries. Although India enjoys a trade surplus with the UK, the latters exports to India have being growing steadily. The fastest expansion was in services, which experienced annual rises of seven percent over the last seven years. Britain has been the second fastest growing G20 investor in India, since 2010. UK companies have been developing a fast expanding market share across a number of key Indian domestic sectors, such as food and beverages. This has arisen in the face of Indias relatively high import tariffs and various non tariff barriers. However, UK brands, such as Scotch whisky, have sold well in the Indian market and continue to grow in strength, making India that UK brands third largest market internationally. Britains business opportunities in India will improve as India continues to liberalize its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, including raising the maximum shareholdings that foreign investors can have in insurance companies from 49 percent to 74 percent. Additionally, other major sectors that could benefit from UK investment and expertise include healthcare and agricultural development. Other UK giants, such as Johnson Matthey, Ricardo plc, and GKN, are also in India. In the meantime, India is one of the largest foreign direct investors in the UK, holding second place behind the US and accounting for over half a million jobs in the UK. Indian conglomerates, such as Tata Steel, have been major high profile investors in the country and report in the region of up to 40 billion in turnover a year. Beyond heavy industry sectors, such as automotive and steel, India investors have been long-term players in a range of other industries, including IT services, logistics, facilities management, and business contact centers. When the UKs Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, paid a visit to India at the end of 2020, he proposed a 10-year partnership in the form of a comprehensive strategic partnership, and building on the earlier strategic partnership of 2004. However, the new proposed ties cover a broader range of collaborative measures, including closer military cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region amid other areas of co-development, such as tackling climate change and countering international terrorism. For the UK, the strengthening relationship with India promotes the governments Global Britain strategy of building more expansive relations in the Asia Pacific region, including with its recent application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Transpacific Partnership (CPTPP) free-trade bloc and last months FTA deals with Singapore, and Vietnam. Areas of anticipated UK-India trade relaxation India has certain pressing trade issues with the UK, while the UK also has trade and investment issues with India. The Enhanced Trade Partnership is expected to resolve these. For example, Indian apparel exporters struggle in the UK market because of higher duties being levied compared to those for Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. Indian exporters are also at a disadvantage because of the continued Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to 47 least developed countries (LDCs) even after Brexit. That, however, creates opportunities for British investment in Indias apparel sector and for more competitive sourcing and production facilities in the country. India can also act as a springboard for British companies in other markets, provided regional rules of origin are followed, as India has an FTA with ASEAN, meaning India manufactured products can also be exported onto these markets in Southeast Asia. ASEAN covers the Southeast Asian economies of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and has a middle class consumer base of about 135 million people, with this expected to double by 2030. India is also negotiating an FTA with the Russian-backed Eurasian Economic Union, expected to be agreed to this year and giving potential market access to a country with a middle class consumer base of 50 million that is otherwise off limits to the UK. Access India The size of Indias economy, now the worlds fifth largest (IMF, 2019), makes it an attractive market for UK exporters. Trade between the UK and India totaled more than 20 billion in 2018, an increase of 13.6 percent compared with the previous year (ONS, 2018). India has a range of exciting export opportunities, although success in this market can require patience and a longer-term approach. UK exports to India increased in value by nearly a fifth (19.3 percent) between 2017 and 2018, amounting to 8 billion in total. Of these, nearly 70 percent were goods, with total goods exports from the UK to India totaling 5.5 billion in 2018 (ONS, 2018). Strong links with the UK India and the UK have strong ties through people, ideas, institutions, language, and technology. These common links help the establishment of successful partnerships between UK and Indian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. Young and growing consumer base India is a huge and growing market seeing a sustained period of strong growth. There is a large youth demographic and a rising, more affluent middle class. Taxes The UK and India have signed a double taxation agreement, meaning the same income is not taxed twice. Indias national Goods and Services Tax (GST) unifies the countrys economy by establishing a common tax structure and bringing 1.35 billion people into a common market. Standards and regulations Imported products need to meet Indian quality standards and have to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) before being exported to India. BIS does offer pre-certification, subject to production inspections. Use the Food Import Clearance System if you are exporting food products to India. Labeling requirements Product labels can be in English or Hindi. All imported goods, as well as transport documents, must show standard units of measurement and weight. You must comply with these requirements for your consignment to be cleared by customs in India. Intellectual property As a first step, we advise discussing valuable brands or IP (and especially if you think you need patent protection) when exporting. You must register your intellectual property in India to guard against potential infringement. Registration can take time, so you should plan well ahead. Advantage India Dezan Shira & Associates are a British-owned consulting practice, advising foreign investors on market entry into Asia. Established in 1992, the practice employs several hundred professional staff and has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Please contact the firm at india@dezshira.com for assistance. Our Doing Business in India 2021 Guide can be downloaded free of charge here. Related Reading [February 08, 2021] NTT Research and NCVC to Collaborate on Cardiovascular Models and Bio Digital Twin Applications NTT Research, Inc., a division of NTT (TYO:9432), today announced that its Medical & Health Informatics (MEI) Lab has entered a joint research agreement with Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (NCVC) to develop cardiovascular disease-related computational models, implement them on a bio digital twin platform and develop applications for use by physicians and patients. The two-and-a-half-year project titled, "The Development of Human Hemodynamics Mapping and Autonomous Multimodal Therapeutics Systems," involves research at both organizations. Principal investigators for the joint research agreement will be Dr. Keita Saku, Laboratory Chief for NCVC's Department of Cardiovascular Dynamics, and Dr. Joe Alexander, Distinguished Scientist in the NTT (News - Alert) Research MEI Lab. The agreement, signed on December 24, 2020, calls for the NCVC to develop integrated computational models to support multimodal closed-loop interventions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute heart failure (Acute HF). In parallel, the MEI Lab will implement these models into a bio digital twin platform and develop physician- and patient-oriented applications to support physician clinical decision making and patient self-care, respectively. The NCVC is a semi-independent national institution. Its government affiliation is through the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the counterpart to the U.S. Departmen of Health and Human Services. The NCVC focuses on intramural cardiovascular clinical practice and dedicated cardiovascular research, similar to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Unlike the NHLBI, however, the NCVC is not a cardiovascular research funding agency. Near-term goals for the joint project, which began in October 2020 and extends through March 2023, include the development and validation of models representing heart and vascular dynamics, particularly as they relate to AMI and Acute HF. "We are very pleased to launch this collaboration with the NCVC and this year expect to create heart and vascular models that will include neural control of the circulation, as well as heart energetics," said MEI Lab Director, Dr. Hitonobu Tomoike. "These model elements will be fundamental to future computational platforms for determining optimal therapies for heart conditions, such as heart attack and acute heart failure, and will represent a major step forward in the realization of the cardiovascular bio digital twin for important, acute cardiac conditions." The NTT Research MEI Lab aspires to build highly complex digital assets essential to patient care and wellbeing. Its bio digital twin initiative seeks to address the complexity of diseases while helping to determine the best remedies from among a range of therapeutic options. New computational models that Dr. Keita Saku will develop in support of a cardiovascular bio digital twin (CV BioDT) will help determine optimal interventions for AMI and Acute HF across multiple therapeutic modalities, such as medications, medical devices, neuromodulation, etc. The ultimate goal is to realize patient-specific CV BioDTs to enable patient-specific therapeutics. "We have chosen to partner with Dr. Saku and the NCVC because of their internationally recognized expertise in cardiovascular regulation and advanced technologies relating to closed-loop automated therapeutic interventions for conditions such as heart failure and mechanical circulatory support," said Dr. Alexander. "As we begin this exciting project, we would also like to acknowledge the instrumental support of Dr. Kenji Sunagawa, professor emeritus in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Kyushu University and founder of the Department of Cardiovascular Dynamics at the NCVC Research Institute, who trained both Dr. Saku and me at Johns Hopkins, helped orchestrate this agreement and going forward will play a leadership role in this project for the MEI Lab." The MEI Lab has already conducted two proof-of-concept studies to establish requirements and frame the initial bio digital twin platform architecture. The CV BioDT models developed through this joint research agreement will need to be validated in further studies before subsequent validation in preclinical human studies. These tests will be conducted at NCVC hospitals. During later stages of CV BioDT validation and rollout that extend beyond the time horizon of this particular research agreement, additional organ systems (e.g. pulmonary, renal, endocrine and central nervous system) will be added towards the goal of an overall bio digital twin, a digital alter ego capable of replicating an individual's underlying physiological systems and their responses. In related research, the MEI Lab is engaged in a multi-year project involving three-dimensionally transformable, biocompatible and implantable electrodes. In August 2020, NTT Research announced the opening of an office in Munich in support of a joint research agreement with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), which links the MEI Lab with the Neuroelectronics Group within TUM's School of BioEngineering. Leading that office is Dr. Tetsuhiko Teshima, an expert in nanomaterials. The MEI Lab believes that development of the bio digital twin will be informed not only by a vast array of biological, physiological, genomic, phenotypic and health records data, but also by data gleaned from wearable and advanced nanosensor devices. About NTT Research NTT Research opened its offices in July 2019 as a new Silicon Valley startup to conduct basic research and advance technologies that promote positive change for humankind. Currently, three labs are housed at NTT Research facilities in Sunnyvale: the Physics and Informatics (News - Alert) (PHI) Lab, the Cryptography and Information Security (CIS) Lab, and the Medical and Health Informatics (MEI) Lab. The organization aims to upgrade reality in three areas: 1) quantum information, neuro-science and photonics; 2) cryptographic and information security; and 3) medical and health informatics. NTT Research is part of NTT, a global technology and business solutions provider with an annual R&D budget of $3.6 billion. NTT and the NTT logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION and/or its affiliates. All other referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners. 2020 NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005199/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The UNs dream for political transition in Syria has turned into a nightmare, writes Burhan Ghalyoun for Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. From making peace to managing war After nearly 10 years [of war], Syrians feel, and we all feel, that we have been deceived. We also feel that we have failed ourselves when we thought that a political solution was a viable option, an option that has reached a dead end. Instead of the international initiative sparing us more casualties and material losses, as we had all hoped, the political peace process turned out to be a trap. The regime, with its Russian and Iranian allies, succeeded in tipping the power balance in their favor, before turning the tables when it comes to both the United Nations and the international community. While tens of thousands of young Syrians abandoned everything and took up arms to liberate their homeland from tyranny and wore out their nerves as they waited for weapons or ammunition that never came, the unlimited support (soldiers and weapons) flowed to the regime forces from Tehran and Moscow; support that was used to destroy hospitals, bakeries, popular markets, buildings, and empty cities of their residents. The regime gave the auxiliary forces of extremist movements Salafism, nationalism, and sectarianism, including the Islamic State (ISIS), to which the government of Nouri al-Maliki gave access to the coffers of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq money and modern American weapons. Faced with the reluctance of friendly countries to provide arms to the Free Syrian Army factions and the widespread intervention of Iranian militias and the Russian army, it became increasingly difficult to preserve the land that was liberated over the first year. As a result, no political solutions were achieved, the war did not end, its disastrous effects were not eliminated, or the suffering of Syrians diminished. Assad remains determined to keep fighting, while the international community prides itself on his success in reducing the pace at which the fighting is taking place. The true meaning of this success is the deterioration of any possible political solution, the settlement of the military conflict with the spread of militias, the continuation of the intersecting wars of origin and proxy, and the fall into the same schism that led to the destruction of the state in Afghanistan and Somalia, in many other countries before that, and, today, in more than one country in the Middle East. The dream that the UN might achieve a political transition for Syrians has turned into a nightmare, and the opposition lost the last remains of independence and credibility it had left, in addition to its fighters whose morale and deep sense of responsibility were shattered by internal conflicts and lack of political leadership and who had to turn into soldiers ready to claim loyalty to anyone who would guarantee their livelihood and survival. When Annan refused to be a false witness Kofi Annan, six months before the end of his assignment, realized the impossibility of his mission. He did not hesitate to submit his resignation, stating, as the newspapers reported, I did not receive all the support that the mission required []. There are divisions within the international community, which has complicated my duties. Washington stated that Annans resignation was due to Russia and Chinas refusal to support the decisions targeting Bashar al-Assad, and the Assad regimes refusal to stop criminal attacks against its own people. Simply and clearly, Annan, the first-ever Special Envoy to Syria, submitted his resignation because he refused to be a false witness. Annans resignation, as well as the failure of his successor, Lakhdar Brahimi, did not bring about any noteworthy reaction from the Secretary-General, who expressed his concern, which became a subject of discontent among the Syrians back then. There has not been any review of the organizations modus operandi nor its approach to the issue of negotiations, deemed moot. The new Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed Staffan de Mistura as a third envoy. Guterres was envoy for four years (2014-2018) and did not manage to obtain the slightest concession from the regime, despite his close ties to Moscow and his clear show of complicity with the Assad regime. Despite the failure of the three envoys to release as little as one detainee from Assads prisons, eight years after the start of the so-called political solution process, the Secretary-General appointed a fourth envoy, Geir Pedersen, without any review of the existing approach or the adopted path. It took Pedersen two years to form the parody that is the Constitutional Committee, to which the entire Syrian settlement file was referred, after the discussion of thorny issues was halted such as releasing detainees, stopping ongoing violations, forming a transitional governing body, transitional justice, reconstruction, and combating terrorism. A revolution is needed to manage international relations Some of the countries that have turned a blind eye to the Syrian issue may think that Syria, at the end of the day, is not a high-priority issue, for Syria is, after all, a small and poor country that has been marching to the beat of its own drum for decades, and that there is no point in saving it nor is there real danger in letting it drown in its own blood and ruin. This is what the former US Ambassador, Robert Ford, wrote in his latest articles, admitting that Syria has lost, and that it is game over. I am not one of those to ascribe to conspiracy theories, as many Syrians have come to do nowadays. I do, however, believe that keeping silent about mistakes, covering up crimes, and colluding with forces could potentially be more destructive to trust, international relations, and the world order than any local or global conspiracy. All the UN did in recent years in Syria with all due respect to Ban Ki-moon and Guterres was nothing more than helping the Syrian regime, its Iranian and Russian allies, and many other mercenaries to cover up the pursuit and sharing of interests and influence, at the detriment of the Syrian peoples. The challenge, in fact, is greater than we think, as the demand for the intervention of the UN to limit the increasing violation of the law in weak states that have lost their sovereignty, continues to grow. Also, there are those calling, in more than one Arab country, for an international trusteeship whereby the UN would appoint a sovereign to manage the country which is threatened with disintegration, devastation, and famine, due to the corruption of its power-hungry elites. Unfortunately, however, these requests for international humanitarian and political intervention are on the rise at a time when the UN has been, now more than ever, losing its influencing capacity and initiative-taking capabilities. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. (Photo : Youtube/ CBC News: The National) AI in hospitals to help doctors When a patient is rushed to the hospital, doctors would ask them to rate how much pain they are feeling on a scale of 1 to 10. However, pain tolerance is subjective and it can make it difficult for doctors to know why someone's pain is worse than the pain that other patients are feeling. Artificial intelligence in hospitals According to a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers used AI techniques in order to analyze knee X-rays to predict the experienced pain of the patients, especially for those who are suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. The study involved 36,369 observations gathered from 4,172 patients. The computer analysis could pick up things that a radiologist might not record. Also Read: Coronavirus and Artificial Intelligence: Researchers See AI Solutions to Combat COVID-19 Ziad Obermeyer, an assistant professor at Berkeley and the co-author of the study said that they did not train the algorithm to know what the doctor was going to say about the knee X-ray. The algorithm was trained to predict what the patient was going to say about their own experience of pain in the knee. Obermeyer said that the algorithm was able to explain more of the pain that people were feeling. This finding is important because doctors have been accused of judging the patient's pain with discrimination. Racial inequality Studies have highlighted healthcare inequalities between black patients and white patients in the Untied States, according to AJPH. The doctors are less likely to take some groups seriously when they say that they are in pain. Studies indicate that black patients are likely to have their pain level underestimated and it can affect their treatment and their recovery. One of the focuses in the study was to study the mystery of why black patients have higher levels of pain. The study found that radiologists examining very similar arthritis cases would find that black patients reported more pain than white patients. However, the algorithm indicated that the cases were less similar than what they appeared. It took account of additional undiagnosed features that would be overlooked by doctors employing the commonly use radiographic grading systems. Since patients who reported severe pain and scored highly on the algorithm's own measure, but low on the official grading systems were more likely to be black, it also suggests traditional diagnostics may be ill serving. The study is getting attention because AI has been accused of being discriminatory too. This is usually because the datasets the algorithm was trained on suffered from accidental bias, according to PNAS. The resulting algorithm would probably be less accurate when applied to the smaller group than one that will make up the majority of the country's population. The charge is that AI systems often suffer from bias because they have learned to distinguish patters in the features and the habits of white people that may not work as well when it is applied to people of other skin tones. The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare is not meant to replace a doctor, it is to be used to assist doctors, especially with tasks that are usually tedious or don't directly correlate to patient care. Related Article: Elon Musk Thinks Reporting to AI 'Would Be an Improvement' and 'Robot Future' Would Soon Come! This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sieeka Khan 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Northern Ireland travellers deemed to be crossing the border unnecessarily have been turned back at gardai checkpoints. Irish Government measures that came into force on Monday prohibit people from travelling across the border without an essential reason, in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. Anyone caught trying to cross the border without good cause could be liable of a fine of 100 euro. Lockdown measures in place right across the Republic mean there are strict limits on travel, meaning most are confined to a 5km radius around their home, unless they can provide good reason. DUP MP Ian Paisley described Garda checkpoints forcing Northern Ireland travellers to turnaround and go back to where they came from as effectively a closure of the Irish border and proof there is no need for a check on goods crossing the Irish Sea. However, SDLP MP Claire Hanna said to draw comparisons between checks due to the coronavirus pandemic and a regulatory border because of Brexit were "nonsense". She said the checks had been in place all over the Republic of Ireland for months to stop the spread of the virus. "To say they are the same as a hard border is like saying that police checking for drink drivers can somehow prevent all incidents of smuggling, fraud, burglary and assault," she said. "It's misleading. We are dealing with complex political and regulatory issues, but it's important we are honest with people that the Northern Ireland Protocol isn't in place as a politically motivated punishment. "It's in place to address complicated, but real international trade rules." Mr Paisley said the situation was "a clear indication that if the government of the Republic of Ireland and the European Union need to seal their border they can". He said that while he welcomed the gardai checkpoints, it demonstrated the Northern Ireland protocol was unnecessary. "They are entitled to do that to protect their own citizenship and their own country." Read More The Irish Sea border avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland aligned with EU trade rules. Mr Paisley said the situation was further evidence "if proof were needed" that the UK Government must immediately invoke Article 16 of the protocol. Invoking Article 16 would allow the UK Government to suspend the protocol if it is causing major issues. The EU briefly invoked it last month after a vaccine row before backtracking. Read More Under the Republic of Irelands current Covid-19 public health restrictions, travel is restricted to within five kilometres of a persons home except for essential reasons. People travelling to an airport or port to take a holiday abroad are liable for a 500 euro fine for undertaking a non-essential journey. The Irish Government has advised against all non-essential travel. DMCC, the worlds flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, has announced two new price packages for businesses of all sizes looking to set up operations in Dubai, offering savings of up to 24%. This is the first time that multiple discounts have been offered in bundles. Ahmad Hamza, Executive Director Free Zone, DMCC, said: A central focus for DMCC is to allow both entrepreneurs and already established companies to set up their business in Dubai with minimum concerns so that they can focus on growing their operations. As such, the packages we are announcing include a variety of tailored solutions bringing greater choices and value to businesses. By offering fast-track, flexibility and innovative products, we continue to increase the ease of doing business in Dubai. Given the Emirates economic resilience, we are confident that it will remain the chosen place for doing business in the months and years to come. The Jump Start package, tailored to SMEs and start-ups, offers discounts of up to 24% on DMCC business licences and essential business tools, including flexi desk solutions, UAE residency visas, flexible payments and access to new business opportunities through the DMCC Business Matching Hub. The package is available in one-, two- or three-year options. For medium and larger businesses, DMCC has launched the Prime Plus package, which offers swift company set-up, fast-tracking, more flexibility and savings on licences. The Prime Plus package comes with a three-year company licence, flexible payments, dedicated support through the application submission and a 20% discount when taking an additional licence, among other perks. Available to new member companies from February, the new packages follow on from the award-winning free zones Business Support Package, which sought to increase the economic resilience of new and existing member companies throughout the global economic climate. Together with its over 18,000 member companies, 2025 registering in 2020 alone, and a record 232 in November 2020, DMCC contributes roughly 10 per cent to Dubais GDP. TradeArabia News Service As coronavirus vaccines started rolling out late last year, there was a palpable sense of excitement. People began browsing travel websites and airlines grew optimistic about flying again. Ryanair Holdings Plc even launched a Jab & Go campaign alongside images of 20-somethings on holiday, drinks in hand. Its not working out that way. For a start, it isnt clear the vaccines actually stop travelers spreading the disease, even if theyre less likely to catch it themselves. Neither are the shots proven against the more-infectious mutant strains that have startled governments from Australia to the U.K. into closing, rather than opening, borders. An ambitious push by carriers for digital health passports to replace the mandatory quarantines killing travel demand is also fraught with challenges and has yet to win over the World Health Organization. This bleak reality has pushed back expectations of any meaningful recovery in global travel to 2022. That may be too late to save the many airlines with only a few months of cash remaining. And the delay threatens to kill the careers of hundreds of thousands of pilots, flight crew and airport workers whove already been out of work for close to a year. Rather than a return to worldwide connectivity one of the economic miracles of the jet era prolonged international isolation appears unavoidable. Its very important for people to understand that at the moment, all we know about the vaccines is that they will very effectively reduce your risk of severe disease, said Margaret Harris, a WHO spokesperson in Geneva. We havent seen any evidence yet indicating whether or not they stop transmission. To be sure, its possible a travel rebound will happen on its own without the need for vaccine passports. Should jabs start to drive down infection and death rates, governments might gain enough confidence to roll back quarantines and other border curbs and rely more on passengers pre-flight COVID-19 tests. The United Arab Emirates, for example, has largely done away with entry restrictions, other than the need for a negative test. While U.K. regulators banned Ryanairs Jab & Go ad as misleading, the discount airlines chief Michael OLeary still expects almost the entire population of Europe to be inoculated by the end of September. Thats the point where we are released from these restrictions, he said. Short-haul travel will recover strongly and quickly. For now though, governments broadly remain skittish about welcoming international visitors and rules change at the slightest hint of trouble. Witness Australia, which slammed shut its borders with New Zealand last month after New Zealand reported one Covid-19 case in the community. New Zealand and Australia, which have pursued a successful approach aimed at eliminating the virus, have both said their borders wont fully open this year. Travel bubbles, meanwhile, such as one proposed between the Asian financial hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, have yet to take hold. France on Sunday tightened rules on international travel while Canada is preparing to impose tougher quarantine measures. Air traffic and aviation is really way down the priority list for governments, said Phil Seymour, president and head of advisory at U.K-based aviation services firm IBA Group Ltd. Its going to be a long haul out of this. The pace of vaccine rollouts is another sticking point. While the rate of vaccinations has improved in the U.S. the worlds largest air-travel market before the virus struck inoculation programs have been far from aviations panacea. In some places, theyre just one more thing for people to squabble about. Vaccine nationalism in Europe has dissolved into a rows over supply and who should be protected first. The region is also fractured over whether a jab should be a ticket to unrestricted travel. It all means a rebound in passenger air traffic is probably a 2022 thing, according to Joshua Ng, Singapore-based director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. Long-haul travel may not properly resume until 2023 or 2024, he predicts. The International Air Transport Association said this week that in a worst-case scenario, passenger traffic may only improve by 13% this year. Its official forecast for a 50% rebound was issued in December. American Airlines Group Inc. on Wednesday warned 13,000 employees they could be laid off, many of them for the second time in six months. At the end of 2020 we fully believed that we would be looking at a summer schedule where wed fly all of our airplanes and need the full strength of our team, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker and President Robert Isom told workers. Regrettably, that is no longer the case. The lack of progress is clear in the skies. Commercial flights worldwide as of Feb. 1 wallowed at less than half pre-pandemic levels, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. Scheduled services in major markets including the U.K., Brazil, Spain are still falling, the data show. Quarantines that lock up passengers upon arrival for weeks on end remain the great enemy of a real travel rebound. A better alternative, according to IATA, is a digital Travel Pass to store passengers vaccine and testing histories, allowing restrictions to be lifted. Many of the worlds largest airlines have rolled out apps from IATA and others, including Singapore Airlines Ltd., Emirates and British Airways. We need to be working on as many options as possible, said Richard Treeves, British Airways head of business resilience. Were hopeful for integration on those apps and common standards. But even IATA recognizes theres no guarantee every state will adopt its Travel Pass right away, if at all. Theres currently no consensus on vaccine passports within the 27-member European Union, with tourism-dependent countries like Greece and Portugal backing the idea and bigger members including France pushing back. Were going to have a lack of harmony at the beginning, Nick Careen, IATAs senior vice president for passenger matters, said at a briefing last month. None of it is ideal. The airline group has called on the WHO to determine that it is safe for inoculated people to fly without quarantining, in a bid to bolster the case for Travel Pass. But the global health body remains unmoved. At this point, all we can do is say, yes, you were vaccinated on this date with this vaccine and you had your booster if its a two-course vaccine on this date, the WHOs Harris said. Were working very hard to get a secure electronic system so people have that information. But at this point, thats all it is. Its a record. A vaccine passport wouldnt be able to demonstrate the quality or durability of any protective immunity gleaned from being inoculated, or from being infected with virus naturally, either, Harris said. The idea that your natural immunity should be protective and that you could somehow use this as a way of saying Im good to travel is out completely. ___ Angus Whitley, Jason Gale, Tara Patel and Christopher Jasper of Bloomberg News wrote this story. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC The SecureGuard DLP USB port blocker is a perfect partner to our SecureDrive product line, says SECUREDATA COO Sergey Gulyayev. Administrators can now seamlessly control drive access and USB port access on corporate computers using a unified, web-based portal from anywhere in the world. SECUREDATA is pleased to announce its latest data security solution, SecureGuard USB*a data loss prevention (DLP) tool integrated with the SecureData cloud-based Remote Management Console**. This software tool provides organizations with extra security measures on their computers company-wide by allowing IT managers/Admin to limit and enforce which USB devices can be used on any computer with a USB port. In todays world data breaches are becoming more commonand costlier. These breaches come not only from outside but can come from within an organization. SecureGuard USB provides companies with a means to protect their computers and sensitive data against the use of unauthorized devices within the company. The software allows remote, central management, meaning an Admin in Los Angeles can manage USB ports of their company's computers in New York, London, Tokyoanywhere around the globe. 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As an extra security measure, whitelisted devices can be set to Read-Only mode to block the pathway for viruses and malware. While this program works as a stand-alone solution, it also complements SecureDrive mass storage devices trusted by many organizations around the world. SecureGuard USB is sure to be a valuable addition by protecting against threats from within an organization. About SECUREDATA: SECUREDATA, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and with significant operations in Cleveland, Ohio. SecureData offers a range of tailored, high-level data protection capabilities through a set of services and products. These include a completely FIPS-Certified, hardware-encrypted portable data storage device product line, backup solutions, file repair software, data recovery, and digital forensics services to help clients achieve their security objectives. SecureData has a worldwide presence through its partners in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia, and South America, and serves companies and organizations in regulated industries, such as government, financial services, military, law enforcement, legal, healthcare, and education. For more information, please visit: http://www.securedata.com and http://www.securedrive.com About ClevX: ClevXYour Innovation Partneris a Seattle-based information security technology company. It is focused on the security/mobility markets, in which ClevX pioneered its award-winning DATALOCK KP/ BT Secured USB drives (OS-agnostic, hardware-encrypted, PIN- or phone-activated, bootable) and easy-to-use portable software applications for secure drives for personal and business use. ClevX differentiates itself by creating solutions that are simple, clever, and elegant. For more information, please visit: http://www.clevx.com *SecureGuard USB by SecureData uses DataLock DLP technology licensed from ClevX, LLC. U.S. Patent. http://www.clevx.com/patents **SecureData Remote Management uses DataLock RM technology licensed from ClevX, LLC. U.S. Patent. http://www.clevx.com/patents Advertisement England's deputy chief medical officer has warned against organising elaborate holidays this year as it is still too soon to say when restrictions will be relaxed. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam was asked about holidays and said he could not give a proper answer as the data is not yet available. Speaking at the No 10 news briefing, he explained: 'The more elaborate your plans are for summer holidays, in terms of crossing borders, in terms of household mixing, given where we are now, I think we just have to say the more you are stepping into making guesses about the unknown. I can't give people a proper answer at this point because we don't yet have the data. It's just too early.' He said any easing of lockdown restrictions in England would have to take place 'gradually' and that contemplating what will happen in summer is stepping into the realm of a guessing game. Prof Van-Tam also added: 'Public health counter measures, non-pharmaceutical interventions, social distancing restrictions, they will have to be released gradually. 'How quickly they can be released will depend upon three things - the virus, the vaccine and the extent to which the public obey the rules that are in place, which thankfully the vast majority always do.' Prof Van-Tam added: 'The key with this coronavirus is again through vaccination, to take the whole curve and shift it to the left, so the vast majority of the illness is an illness that is manageable in the community - as opposed to causing enormous pressure on our hospitals. 'And we can do that through vaccination, and if we do that we open up a whole way of living normally - much more normally - again in the future.' It comes as Department of Health figures show another 333 Covid victims were recorded today, the lowest 24-hour toll since December 27 and a drop of 18 per cent on the 406 last Monday. Another 14,104 infections were also added to the official tally. The daily figure has dropped by a quarter week-on-week, with today's number lower than at any time since December 8. In more coronavirus related news: Matt Hancock says over-70s no longer need to wait for Covid vaccine invite from the NHS and they can book their own jabs online; Covid deaths hit a six-week low as UK records 333 more victims and 14,104 infections on Monday; Unions push back at plan to extend school summer term by two weeks as Boris Johnson vows to go 'flat out' to help children catch up after Covid; Coronavirus patients treated with a experimental hepatitis drug were four times more likely to have cleared the infection within seven days, study finds; An extra 10,000 people will be tested for Covid in Manchester after four cases of new Kent strain are found in the city; Boris Johnson refuses to rule out making lockdown longer if South African variant continues to spread. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, has warned Britons against making elaborate holiday plans as it is too soon to tell what will be allowed this year Professor Van Tam said restrictions on crossing borders and mixing households could still be in place this summer as he said it is too soon to advise Britain on summer holiday possibilities Meanwhile, Matt Hancock said that all over-70s in England who haven't yet had a Covid vaccine should book their own online. The Health Secretary tonight trumpeted the success of the roll-out so far, confirming the NHS is on track to hit its target of immunising the 15million most vulnerable Brits by next Monday. Almost 12.5million people have already received their first dose of vaccine and the health service is administering 450,000 every day, on average, putting the country well on track to hit the milestone next Monday. Previously, over-70s were told to wait until they were contacted through a letter, email, text or phone call to ensure all over-80s, care home residents and patients with serious underlying health conditions had first access. People in that age group can now schedule an appointment using the NHS booking service or those unable to get online can phone 119. Mr Hancock said take-up of the vaccines has so far been 'significantly better than we hoped for', claiming it has hit a staggering 95 per cent in people in their late 70s, 91 per cent of over-80s and almost three quarters of people in their early 70s. He said the Government had been expecting approximately 75 per cent. Analysis shows infection rates are lower than at any time since before Christmas in all four nations of the UK. While the big picture shows infections are falling in most parts of the country, the decline is slow and positive tests were still rising in 17 areas in the week ending February 3. One of those areas was Rutland in the Midlands, where new infections more than doubled from 180 per 100,000 people to 386. And in another glimmer of hope that Britain could be freed from lockdown restrictions within weeks, another 278,988 people got their first dose of a vaccine yesterday. Despite being one of the slowest days of the rollout so far, it means 12.3million Britons have now been immunised. Meanwhile, Britain's hotel quarantine scheme came under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list. Last week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 'red list' countries would have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel from February 15. But an analysis carried out by the World Health Organisation has found dozens of countries where the highly-infectious South African and Brazilian variants have been found are not on the list. They include Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and the United States. Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reacted with fury at the news, branding the Government's quarantine measures 'dangerously inadequate'. Scientists also said the oversight was 'not good enough', adding that the virus 'spreads like wildfire'. The WHO analysis, which was reported by the Sunday Times, also found that the Brazilian Covid strain has been found in ten nations, six of which have not been added to the UK red list. As well as South Africa and Brazil, nations which are also on the list include Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Rwanda and Botswana. But of the 41 countries which the WHO's report said the South African strain had spread to, 29 of them do not feature on Britain's red list. Overall, it means arrivals from 35 counties were more infectious strains which could beat or limit the effect of the available coronavirus vaccines will be free to avoid the hotel scheme when they land in Britain. Instead, they will be trusted to quarantine at home for ten days. In other news, thousands more people in Manchester will be tested for coronavirus after four new cases of the Kent variant were detected there. 'Surge testing' has been ordered in several areas to tackle the South African and Kent variant of coronavirus A local resident hands over their completed coronavirus test kit as part of surge testing for the South African variant of Covid-19, in West Ealing, west London Some 10,000 extra tests will be rolled out in the region from Tuesday, after four people from two unconnected households were found to be infected with the mutation, Manchester City Council has said. This follows similar surges in testing in Worcestershire WR3, an area in Sefton PR9, and areas in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, after variants were found in these locations. WHERE IS DOOR-TO-DOOR TESTING BEING OFFERED? London W7: Hanwell (South African variant) N17: Tottenham (South African variant) CR4: Mitcham (South African variant) West Midlands WS2: Walsall (South African variant) WR3: Worcestershire (South African variant) WR9: Worcestershire (South African variant) East of England EN10: Broxbourne (South African variant) South East ME15: Maidstone (South African variant) GU21: Woking (South African variant) North West PR9: Southport (South African variant) Liverpool (Original variant with E484K mutation) M14 4, M14 7, M15 5, M15 6, M16 7, M16 8: Manchester (Kent variant) South West Bristol (Kent variant with E484K mutation) Advertisement Extra testing sites will be set up, and volunteers will be offering doorstep swabs to anyone aged over 16 who is living, working or studying in the affected areas - which includes postcodes in Hulme, Moss Side, Whalley Range and Fallowfield. Those who have been vaccinated should also take a test, the council has said. The rollout will use PCR swabs, which take a few days to return results, and anyone who tests positive will be asked to self-isolate and pass on details of their contacts to NHS Test and Trace. Manchester City Council said it is working with Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace to investigate the spread further and take action to limit the number of people exposed. David Regan, public health director at Manchester City Council, said: 'We all know that the virus will change over time and it's important that we investigate new strains to understand how they might spread. 'This is exactly what we're doing with the intensive testing in parts of Manchester, with local testing units and people going door to door to offer people tests.' Those living or working in postcodes M14 4, M14 7, M15 5, M15 6, M16 7, M16 8 should check the council's website for more information. Last Tuesday, extra coronavirus testing was deployed into certain neighbourhoods in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. A few days later, 'surge testing' was also announced in Worcestershire. Over the weekend, a million people in the North West of England were told to take a Covid test if they have a runny nose, as part of a clampdown on a mutated virus detected in the region. Residents in the Liverpool city region, Preston and Lancashire were urged by health bosses to get swabbed if they have even the slightest suspicion they are ill. It comes after more than 40 cases of an altered strain of the original virus, which carries a mutation experts fear makes vaccines less potent, was spotted in the three areas. Despite the frantic bid to try and stop the mutated variants spreading in Britain, scientists have warned the cases identified so far are likely just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Door-to-door and mobile testing began in Britain at the start of the month as part of urgent efforts to swab 80,000 people. This came after 11 cases of the variant were identified in people who had no links to travel - suggesting it may be spreading in communities. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Tawila Three people were killed and seven others wounded yesterday in an attack by gunmen on the village of Rokouna, Tawila locality, North Darfur, an area controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW). People from neighbouring villages told Radio Dabanga that armed groups traveling in three vehicles armed with weapons attacked the village, killing three citizens, wounding seven others, and burning a number of properties. The attack also led to the displacement of dozens of families. SLM-AW forces retaliated, according to the witnesses. 30 gunmen and six SLM-AW members were killed. Walid Mohamed, a spokesmen for the SLM-AW, said that their forces also confronted armed gunmen from the Tanagouli area. The forces killed 24 gunmen, and seized their weapons and ammunition. One gunman was captured. The residents said that since January 24, recurrent attacks on villages in Tawila locality have resulted in 22 dead, 11 wounded, and 22,000 displaced. In a statement on Wednesday, New York-based African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) said that recent "attacks have left tens of civilians dead, injured, and missing and displaced thousands". According to ACJPS the government of Sudan should immediately put in place measures to protect civilians throughout Darfur. The Bagwere community from the four districts of Pallisa, Butebo, Budaka and Kibuku, are in total shock and grief following the sudden death of their cultural Leader (Ikumbania), his highness, Dr John Chrystom Weyabire. "It has been confirmed that the cultural leader succumbed to Covid-19," Budaka District Health Officer (DHO), Dr Mulwani remarked. The Ikumbania (Weyabire) passed on at Entebbe Hospital yesterday evening. The cultural leader who was born in 1957 in Kenkebu sub-county,present -day Kibuku district, had been battling the pandemic for close to a week. Dr Mulwani said the deceased's body was still in Entebbe Hospital Ward B. Bagwere cultural institution officials told Daily Monitor that the cultural leader (Weyabire) started feeling 'uneasy' soon after Presidential and Parliamentary elections on January 14- which he had attributed to various meetings held with his subjects. Cultural official Mr. Fredrick Koire said that prior to leaving for Kampala-for rest in one of his homes, Mr. Weyabire had told him that he was not feeling well and needed rest, but instead started weakening and had to seek medical attention. "The situation continued to worsen day by day until it was discovered that he was suffering from Covid-19. He was put under intensive care but still the situation couldn't improve until he died at Entebbe hospital," Mr Koire said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Uganda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "A detailed report about the cause of his death will be released in the medical report," he added. Mr. Moses Mauki, the Minister of finance, Planning and economic development in the Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere said: "It's quite shocking that we as Bagwere have lost our gallant cultural leader who had stood on the practices and norms of the Bagwere as he has been the pillar and unifier of the Bagwere." The Institution's Minister of information, Mr. Michael Kirya, said that the Ikumbania has been a steadily progressive leader who has spear-headed a number of programmes like giving bursaries to vulnerable children, treatment to the poor. "He has been a humble and polite leader who had a good heart for the people of Bugwere," he said. However, the Public Relation officer (PRO) Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr. Frank Mugabi said preparations are on to hand the cultural leader a state burial. The date for the burial has not been ascertained. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One for his last time as president in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Jan. 20, 2021. (Pete Marovich/Pool/Getty Images) Trumps Lawyers Say Impeachment Is Constitutionally Flawed, Selfish Ploy by Democrats Democrats respond, argue Trump impeachment is constitutional Former President Donald Trumps lawyers on Monday argued that the House impeachment managers article of impeachment against him for allegedly inciting the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 is constitutionally flawed, will not result in a conviction, and infringes on his First Amendment rights. In a 78-page court filing, Trump attorneys David Schoen, Bruce Castor, and Michael T. van der Veen argued that the Senate cannot convict a former president, saying the Houses impeachment last month is problematic because it joined several alleged offenses into a single article of impeachmentrather than several articles. When the Senate undertakes an impeachment trial of a private citizen, it is acting as judge and jury rather than a legislative body, his lawyers said in a filing on Monday. Trumps lawyers also dismissed claims that the former president did nothing as protestors breached the Capitol building during the Joint Session of Congress, saying there was a flurry of activity in the administration to get more security to the Capitol. The impeachment was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on January 6 by a few hundred people, Trumps lawyers wrote. Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain. His lawyers, meanwhile, disputed the assertion that Trumps fight like hell remarks during a rally to supporters incited violence. Of the over 10,000 words spoken, Mr. Trump used the word fight a little more than a handful of times and each time in the figurative sense that has long been accepted in public discourse when urging people to stand and use their voices to be heard on matters important to them; it was not and could not be construed to encourage acts of violence, Trumps lawyers wrote, arguing that the former president was using fight in the metaphorical sense of the word. To characterize this statement alone as incitement to insurrection is to ignore, wholesale, the remainder of Mr. Trumps speech that day, including his call for his supporters to peacefully making their voices heard,' they added. House Clerk Cheryl Johnson, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) walk through the Capitols Statuary Hall to deliver the article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection against former President Donald Trump to the Senate floor in Washington on Jan. 25, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool/via Reuters) On Jan. 6, separately, Trump called on demonstrators to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard. Democratic impeachment managers led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) are expected to make the argument that Trump was singularly responsible for the Capitol breach, saying that the former president should not be able to hold office in the future. The Framers intent, the text of the Constitution, and prior Congressional practice all confirm that President Trump must stand trial for his constitutional crimes committed in office, House Democrats wrote in response on Monday. Presidents swear a sacred oath that binds them from their first day in office through their very last. There is no January Exception to the Constitution that allows Presidents to abuse power in their final days without accountability. The impeachment managers are unlikely to convince at least two-thirds of the Senate, which has a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats. Last month, during a procedural vote, 45 GOP senators voted against holding the trial. On Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the trial has no chance of success. The Senate has not yet officially agreed on a framework for the trial, which is slated to start Tuesday. The trial will be presided over by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the president pro tempore of the Senate, rather than Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. When the newsletter Tablehopper burst on the scene in 2006, there weren't as many gathering places online for food lovers as there are now; Yelp was just two years old, email newsletters weren't quite A Thing yet (Substack, who?) and sites like EaterSF weren't part of the food scene like it is now. Not to mention social media was just moving past its MySpace stage into the Facebook era and there were no "influencers" to speak of, save for the group of Yelp "Elites" who were roaming the city for just a year at that point. The time was ripe for an insidery column to document the food and cocktail scene in San Francisco and Marcia Gagliardi was up for the task. Working for an ad agency had given her the skillset necessary to get things off the ground, and after being laid off when the dot-com bubble burst in the late 1990s "I call that Marcia Liberation Day," she said jokingly Gagliardi began that insidery food newsletter that she had always dreamed of. "By being freelance for the first time, I just knew that I wanted to write about the food world and I didn't see anyone was creating something that exactly spoke to me and the way that I explore the city," Gagliardi told SFGATE. "And that's everything from tiny neighborhood joints to food trucks to bars, and this was pre-Eater, so nobody was really writing about bar openings and that was when our cocktail scene was really taking off." For the food obsessed in San Francisco, Gagliardi's column served as your best friend who magically knew the newest places and told you where it was worth going to for all your meals in the city. For those who subscribed to Tablehopper in the early days, it had a very ear-to-the-ground feel to it, or, as the kids say, "if you know you know." Her writing style earned her a dedicated following of readers who attend her events (when those were a thing) and frequently send her tips about upcoming restaurants. There was also seemingly no price barriers to entry, thankfully, as Gagliardi regularly championed hole-in-the-wall businesses alongside the pricier options proliferating the city and she did it all in her signature, personable voice via email. "Tablehopper is for people who care about the city, who are curious and open-minded and looking for unique food adventures ... what's interesting is food and dining is, I joke that it's like our contact sport here," Gagliardi said. "And so if somebody would like a curated point of view, that's what Tablehopper really serves, is to inform. I like to write about the people and places that interest me ... I really try to cover this city and industry that I love, with care. And I certainly am a fan of the underdog and the small little businesses that don't have publicists. If people want to read about the big splashy [restaurant] openings, yes, I will mention those, but Tablehopper's much more about a range and spectrum of dining." Nopa chef and co-owner Laurence Jossel became a friend of Gagliardi's over the years and his restaurant is set to celebrate its own 15-year anniversary alongside Tablehopper's, as both businesses "grew up in the neighborhood together," Jossel said. In Nopa's first year as a restaurant, Jossel said Gagliardi has the honor of writing "probably the worst review we've had" but that even in writing that stinging review (which included reference to a dry chicken breast, Jossel recalls very clearly), she recognized the potential in Jossel's restaurant while he appreciated her candid honesty. "Every once in awhile, it's not a bad thing to pick up [a review] like that to bring you back to what you really are, which is a cook trying to feed people the best you can, and realizing that it's never going to be perfect and then you can always be better and I really respected her for that," Jossel said. Mariah Tiffany/Special to SFGATE He noted Gagliardi's love for the underdog restaurants, and how she's been "in the corner" of all sorts of restaurants and food entrepreneurs over the years. Despite there being "millions" of food and wine blogs over the years and fierce food writing competition, Jossel called Gagliardi an O.G. "Marcia is very on-the-ground, so I always felt she's sort of a punk about it, compared to coming through the front door," Jossel said. "She's got insiders, she's got this team of people who cruise past places and notice things and say things to her. I think that's the biggest difference is this, there's no corporate headquarters in her apartment, she doesn't have to kowtow to anybody, there's no editor except for herself [and] I think she's actually more free to say what she wants to say." With Tablehopper, Gagliardi has managed to create a one-woman empire Jossel also called Gagliardi the "Queen of Hustle" branching into offshoots of the popular column, including a book about San Francisco, TV and radio gigs, fundraisers, and a new(er) newsletter focusing on cannabis called MyMilligram. In 2020 she added on a new venture, the podcast "On the Fly by Tablehopper," which documented the local restaurant scene as the city went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 2020 managed to serve as a reawakening of Gagliardi's love for restaurants, which she admitted had been waning in more recent years. "I will be totally frank that, before the pandemic, the way the dining scene was going in the city was much less appealing to me it was so expensive, it was so elitist, it was also very precious and the Instagram-ification of our food scene and the kind of the trophy dining was really beginning to bother me," Gagliardi said. "I did not enjoy writing about these restaurants as much as I did in the past, because you [need] so many investors to have a successful business in San Francisco the way it was a couple of years ago. And I missed a lot of the scrappy, creative, freewheeling, unique culinary concepts that people would do, and so honestly I was having less joy about the food scene." Deciding to focus more intensely on MyMilligram, while slowing down the content on Tablehopper to every other week, it took the pandemic to really reinvigorate Gagliardi's passion for dining again. "With the pandemic, I suddenly realized within two days of watching this impending shutdown, the [first] stay-at-home order, I was like, 'Wow, this is going to be catastrophic and devastating for this industry' and I quickly flipped 100% of my effort into Tablehopper because these are people who I've known for 15 years or more. These are chefs who told me their concept for the restaurant before they even had a lease. And I've seen the successes and the growth and so many dreams of so many people who fought so hard to get to where they are, and these are people I really care about. And so honestly my investment back into Tablehopper really just came back 150% last March, and it's been full-throttle since." Gagliardi threw herself into writing as the city's restaurants tried to adjust to shifting their business model to takeout-only a task that was taking place amidst the frightening backdrop of a disease we were at the time still learning about. In conducting interviews with chefs for Tablehopper, Gagliardi wanted to take those stories beyond the lines in her newsletter. "The stories that I was hearing were so intense and heartbreaking, and also simultaneously uplifting because of the level of resilience that I was witnessing," she said. "The care people were taking to take care of their undocumented employees, how they were feeding their teams, all of those things that really are all about the heart of hospitality. And so I realized that me writing an article about that, an interview with someone, was not going to fully capture the immensity of the situation. And I felt like this needs to be documented and people need to hear these stories; they need to hear these chefs' voices, they need to hear these business challenges." Alongside a reader of Tablehopper who reached out to her in the early days of the pandemic, the two figured out the software and equipment to help run a podcast, hitting the ground running with a first episode that debuted on April 13, 2020, just a little under a month after San Francisco's first shelter-in-place began. Farmerbrown and Isla Vida chef and owner Jay Foster was one of the guests on the podcast, resulting in an intimate conversation about his ups and downs as a Black restaurant owner in San Francisco. Foster wanted to share his experience with people in the industry and felt that Gagliardi's podcast was the best way to do it, thanks to the friendship they've cultivated over the years, with Foster calling her a "kindred spirit." "I feel like our city is so much better for people like her, and I know that our industry is so much better for people like her," Foster said. "And I'm glad that she's had the ability to be able to do what she does and I would do everything that I could to find a way to support her, in the sense that I would always try to do whatever I could to empower her to keep on keeping on ... I think that all of us in the industry, I hope that we can find a way to show our love and repay her." Over the years, Gagliardi has managed to make a living off writing Tablehopper, thanks to some carefully selected advertisers and sponsorships, along with paid writing gigs and TV appearances. She was frank, however, that 2020 managed to dry up some of her previous revenue streams, such as events, that she had previously relied on for income. One of the ways she is looking to get around that this year is an upcoming launch of a Tablehopper membership program in the spring, which she plans to come with "special perks" alongside "insider information and access." Another plan in the works is an online gala and what she calls "a different kind of award show" as a fundraiser for a redesign of the Tablehopper website and newsletter, with better mobile functionality and bells and whistles, since by her estimation it's time for an upgrade. Yet another project she's currently working on is a gift bag celebrating 15 years as Tablehopper, featuring a variety of food products and treats from places like La Cocina and Chez Panisse, that will support the local food industry. In the meantime though, Gagliardi will continue to do what she does best, writing about the restaurant scene she has been embedded in for 15 years. When asked about the future of dining in San Francisco following the pandemic, she has hope that there will be positive changes to the industry to come out of the devastation of the past year. Along with the expected increase in restaurant vacancies, Gagliardi predicted the rise of pop-ups once again sharing spaces with restaurants, and continuing innovations in restaurants creating food products, such as condiments, for customers. One hopeful thing she has also noticed is more of a work-life balance among her chef friends, which she hopes will continue once things return to normal. Another thing she wants for the restaurant industry is more protections for employees, as well as an inclusive tipping model. "Just seeing how our undocumented workforce has been completely abandoned by our system in this pandemic, we need to build in more worker protections," Gagliardi said. "It's insane to have indoor dining without our workforce vaccinated. We have to stop treating our workforce like they're expendable. So I really hope that we have learned that through this pandemic, that we need to protect, support and honor, and equally pay our workforce they are the backbone of this industry." Gagliardi is appreciative of her time writing for Tablehopper and in looking back with SFGATE, she noted that she is constantly reminded of how much she loves the food community. The other half of her appreciation she saves for her readers. "The 15-year retrospective moment for me is realizing what an incredible community I have with my Tablehopper crew and I love this audience," Gagliardi said. "I mean, some of them come to all my events, which is amazing; they like my posts, they support my fundraisers, it's a profound feeling. It's a relationship that as a writer I didn't know I was going to have. ... I appreciate that people hold me to a certain standard now and I know I never want to let them down, so I take that relationship very seriously. "So if I'm going to be writing [about a restaurant], it's like, yeah, I want this to be good. And I want people to be excited by it." Follow Marcia Gagliardi on Tablehopper as she continues her coverage of the San Francisco restaurant scene at www.tablehopper.com and sign up for her weekly newsletter there. Follow her on social media as @tablehopper on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Pune, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Growing Environmental Concerns Drive the Market Growth Renewable energy accounts for a major share in the overall energy generation market. Leveraging its advantages, most distributed generation successes have revolved around significant numbers of renewable energy system installations in residential sectors and home setups. Product standardization, enhanced research and innovation, increased lab & field tests have ensured large market shares for these technologies over the years. On the other hand, many commercial spaces are implementing distributed energy systems embedded with IoT devices and Blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) tech, for remote monitoring, managing payments, and security & performance analysis. According to Market Research Future (MRFR), the global renewable energy market is poised to reach a valuation of USD 2,900 BN by 2027, expanding at an 8.53% CAGR during the review period (2019 to 2027). Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, the rise in renewables was reassuringly robust. The renewable energy market kept growing steadily throughout the year 2020 due to the continually rising energy demand, especially from the industrial sectors. The market demand is projected to pick up further following the uplift of the lockdown in many countries. Overview Growing concerns over the environmental implication of burning fossil fuels increase the growth of the market. Moreover, the growing energy consumption worldwide prompts the exploration of new energy resources that will be sustainable in the future. Increasing pressure to control continually rising carbon footprint, government focus on raising renewable energy output, and increasing renewable energy generation capacities offer significant market growth opportunities. Additionally, emerging markets worldwide are expected to present untapped opportunities for renewable energy uses. Due to the growing government mandates & updated policies, and increasing renewable power generation, emerging countries offer significant opportunities to international players. Get Free Sample PDF Brochure https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1515 COVID-19 Impact The COVID-19 outbreak couldn't affect the renewable energy industry. The dependency on fossil-fired electricity could have dramatically been reduced had it not been for such a bounce-back in electricity demand. Renewable energy market players faced various problems ranging from obtaining components required to develop renewable energy and delivering end products to attracting workers from quarantines. The coronavirus-driven lockdown put a brake on the component and device production, which spiked product prices, lowering the market demand. However, the good news is that the renewable energy industry is rapidly returning to normal, witnessing the steadily increasing energy demand, especially from the industrial sectors. The market demand is projected to pick up following the uplift of the lockdown in many countries. Industry Trends Renewable energy present cost-effective solutions for energy generation, Conventional energy sources are costly and damaging to the environment. Growing concerns over the environmental implication of burning fossil fuels drive the adoption of renewable energy sources. Moreover, the growing energy consumption worldwide prompts the exploration of new energy resources. Growing ecological concerns promote the need for renewable/clean energy generation to reduce pollution levels. Moreover, the rising nuclear and renewable energy generation boosts the renewable energy market size. Conventional energy generation sources, such as coal, fossil fuels, and natural gas, contribute substantially to carbon emissions. Therefore, power generation industries worldwide seek to reduce carbon footprint, focusing on raising renewable energy output. These, along with increasing renewable energy generation capacities and government initiatives to create environmental safety awareness, are estimated to offer significant market growth opportunities. On the other hand, the lack of awareness, high initial investment requirements, and prohibitive costs associated with installing and maintaining renewable energy are the major factors that restrict the market growth. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (121 pages) on Renewable Energy https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/renewable-energy-market-1515 Segmentation The renewable energy market analysis is segmented into type, end-user, and region. The type segment is sub-segmented into hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy, geothermal energy, and ocean energy. Out of these, the hydropower segment held a 26.40% market share, with a valuation of USD 381.2 BN in 2018. The hydropower segment is estimated to register a CAGR of 11.02% during the forecast period. The end-user segment is sub-segmented into industrial, residential, and commercial. The industrial segment is further bifurcated into power, iron & steel, chemicals and petrochemicals, oil & gas, food & beverage, automotive, and others. Out of these, the chemicals and petrochemicals segment accounted for a 19.70% market share, with a market valuation of USD 126.1 BN in 2018. The chemicals and petrochemicals segment is projected to grow at an 8.95% CAGR during the projection period. Regional Segmentation By region, the market is bifurcated into Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest-of-the-APAC), and Rest-of-the-World, the Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest-of-North America) and South America, and Europe (the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Rest-of-Europe). It is observed that the Asia Pacific region has been consistently dominating the global renewable energy market and is expected to maintain its market position in the coming years as well. The APAC renewable energy market valuation is projected to grow at an 8.90% CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as increased energy consumption and energy requirement due to the continually growing population and rapid urbanization & industrialization drive the renewable energy market growth in the region. With traditional power resources failing to meet the rising energy requirements are shifting the focus towards alternative energy resources. Europe holds the second-best position in the global renewable energy market in terms of revenue. Factors such as the increasing consumers' purchasing capacity and regulatory change represent the most important drivers scaling the renewable energy market share. Also, growing production capacities and renewable energy manufacturers in the region positively impact the regional market growth. Share Your Queries https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1515 Competitive Analysis The renewable energy market is experiencing implementations of several strategic approaches, such as expansion, collaboration, mergers & acquisitions, and product launches. Mature industry players are making strategic investments in research and development activities and fostering their expansion plans. For instance, recently, on Jan 25, 2021, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), in collaboration with Irena, launched an initiative with a commitment of $350 million investment to support renewable energy projects in developing countries. ADFD supports the UAE's effort towards driving energy transition at home and around the world by financing innovative renewable-energy projects. List of the Key Companies Profiled in the Renewable Energy Market Research Report are Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. rsted A/S General Electric NextEra Energy, Inc. Enel Spa, On Power Yingli Solar Tocardo BV SynTech Bioenergy LLC Vestas Wind Systems A/S Siemens AG Canadian Solar Inc. among others. Discover More Research Reports on Renewable Energy Industry, By Market Research Future Browse Related Reports: Global Small Wind Power Market by Grid Connectivity (On-Grid and Off-Grid), By Axis (Horizontal Axis and Vertical Axis) by Region (Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2023. Global Hydropower Market Information Report By Capacity (Mini Hydropower, Micro And Pico Hydropower, Small Hydropower and Large Hydropower) and By Regions - Global Forecast to 2023 Global Solar Charge Controller Market Information by Type (PWM (Pulse Width Modulation, Simple 1 or 2 stage controls, and MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking)), by Application (Commercial, Industrial and Residential) and by Region - Global Forecast to 2023. Global Solar Rooftop Market Information Report by Capacity (>10 kW, 11 kW- 100kW and <100 kW), By Connectivity, (On-Grid and Off-Grid) By End User (Residential, Commercial and Industrial) and By Regions - Global Forecast to 2023. Global Solar Inverter Market Research Report: Information By Type (Central Inverter, Micro Inverter and String Inverter), By System Type (On-Grid and Off-Grid), By Application (Residential, Commercial and Utilities) - Forecast till 2025 Global Wave & Tidal Energy Market Research Report: Information by Type (Wave Energy and Tidal Energy), by Technology (Tidal Stream Generator, Oscillating Water Columns, Barrage and others) and by Region (Asia-Pacific, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2024 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Advocates warn that life inside prison can be "hopeless" after COVID-19 restrictions prevent ministry volunteers from visiting prisons. Speaking to The Christian Post, former inmate Rodney Massey said that prisoners' lives are lonely without volunteer Christian ministries preaching the love of Jesus. "It's very gloomy. You're already in an environment that is very dark and is hopeless. It's torture not to know the state of your family and loved ones. That begins to mess with your psyche. If not for the grace of God, my mind would have been messed up," he said. I've seen a lot of people literally lose their mind in there." Massey further said that he was able to get through his sentence by the helped of the volunteers of prison ministry who became light in darkness for showing him love. "Without the Lord Jesus at my side, I don't know what I would have done. It's only because of the believers in my life," he said. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) has banned visitors since the pandemic started, including volunteers like Massey who visited prisoners with Koinonia House, a prison ministry. IDOC Chief Chaplain Chase Wilhelm said that prison ministry volunteers are very important in helping the prisoners with their walk with God. "Religious volunteers play a huge role. They've historically been crucial. They have remained crucial through this time period as well. We've been leaning on tech services as well," he said. Every prison chaplain is assisted by 13 to 100 volunteers according to a prison's size. IDOC has 28 prisons. Without ministry volunteers and with movement restrictions, services are merged. They have also utilized used resources such as pre-recorded videos to continue ministering to the inmates. These efforts led Christians of various denominations to have good conversations but the overall situation remains hard. "[Emotion inside prisons now is] overwhelming. Anxiety is high. Fear is very, very real right now. There's a high-risk factor there. I think that amps everything up. We're really in the dark night of the soul for many people," the chaplain said. According to Manny Mill, executive director of Koinonia House prison ministry, IDOC has 12,719 employees. It also has around 1,000 prison ministry volunteers but they don't all come every week. IDOC has recorded more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 22, 2020 for both staff and inmates. COVID Prison Project said that infection rate inside prisons is four times higher than the general population. Mill also said that Department of Corrections leaders have no total control on policies for religious volunteers but the department can be sued if COVID cases are caused by volunteer entry. "Their view is to bring in the least people because those offices are essential. The main thing for any prison is only one thing - security. If you have a grandfather or grandmother who lives in a nursing home, they won't let you in either. But we believe that we are also essential workers," he further said. In accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults infected with COVID-19 are at a greater risk of being hospitalized or dying. IDOC has 29,111 total number of prisoners and 4,494 of those are aged 55 and above. Mark Macy, a prison ministry volunteer, said that virus is transmitted by prison officers and others who regularly enter and leave the prison and he is wondering why ministry volunteers are prohibited while employees are allowed. "I've never heard an answer to that. If it was posed to decision-makers, they would say they can't not have the officers come in, and the fewer people, the lesser the risk. I do think that they have to begin to think about a change. It is inhumane," he said. Macy revealed that official chaplains themselves were not allowed when the lockdowns started. Restrictions were only eased later on and when they were finally permitted to enter, chaplains could not host group services and could only visit prisoners one at a time. Wilhelm said that the department prevented prison visit for ministry volunteers fearing virus infection for older prison volunteers. "The demand signal to protect everyone is so paramount that I personally do not want to take a risk for any of my religious volunteers if I don't have to. It only takes one person to get it and then it can ravage an entire population. The last thing that I would ever want on my heart is to have one of my religious volunteers come down with COVID-19 and pass [away]," he said. Massey longs to return to minister to the inmates saying that they need people who will visit and love them. "I was in prison for 25 years and [ministry visits] were the wind beneath my wings. Nothing takes the place of a corporate anointing. Nothing takes the place of corporate gathering. I can't even imagine the loneliness. We were never created to be alone," he argued. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Last week, the Tamil Nadu government announced a Rs 12,110 crore farm loan waiver for 16.43 lakh farmers who borrowed from co-operative banks. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, while making the announcement in the state assembly, promised to implement the scheme with immediate effect and said the required financial allocation would be made by his government. This becomes the latest farm loan waiver announcement. Over the years, and specifically, since the Rs 70,000-crore mega loan waiver by the UPA Government in 2008, politicians have increasingly used farm loan waivers as an easy poll plank to lure voters. There are several such in the list including waivers announced by Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka. In the last decade, loan waivers worth Rs 4.7 lakh crore have been announced by different governments, according to an SBI research report last year. The actual amount will be even bigger if one includes the recent waiver announcements such as the one announced by Tamil Nadu. A loan waiver simply means the ruling government asking the banks to waive or write off the loans of a large number of borrowers in one go. The government then promises to compensate the banks from its own coffers for the amount that gets waived off. Farm loan waiver is an easy tool; a promise by the politician to the farmer that their loans will be written off in exchange of votes; who wouldnt like the idea of freebies? The winning politician then uses taxpayers money to repay these loans to banks, thus straining fiscal positions of state governments. What is the damage caused by the loan waivers? It immediately takes a toll on the credit discipline of a large section of borrowers. Once the waiver is announced even the honest borrowers stop repayments to banks resulting in a spike in overall bad loans. Do waivers really help the farmer? No. If that was the case, there wouldnt have been repeated loan waiver announcements in every year. Empirical evidence shows that farm loan waivers have largely failed to cause any meaningful improvement in the lives of farmers on the field. Despite several rounds of loan waivers by different parties, there is no respite for the farmer in the agriculture distress stories in the country. This is because the benefit of the farm loan waivers does not often reach the needy farmer. The small, landless farmer hardly relies on the formal banking system and often approaches unorganised moneylenders to secure credit. Several studies also point to the fact that the rich farmers with large landholdings often grab the benefit of farm loan waivers while those with tiny landholdings and no political clout get no real benefit. This is why the number of farmer suicides still continues to be at a high level. But remember these figures are only reported suicides. Banks will hesitate to lend further in areas where loan waivers were announced because credit culture takes a big hit. Banks do not get money on time from governments, this puts them on a back foot, forcing them to go slow on further lending to farmers. Even if banks get the money from the governments, who bears the ultimate burden? Of course, the common taxpayer. The cost of every farm loan waiver is borne by the taxpayer ultimately. The farm loan waivers may have another far-reaching impact. Eventually, other categories of borrowers could also lobby with the governments and seek similar waivers further deepening the mess. This will further vitiate the credit discipline. ALBANY More than 1.3 million New Yorkers have downloaded the state COVID Alert NY app to assist with contact tracing efforts, but the phone application launched in October accounts for less than 1 percent of the reported positive cases in the state. The state Department of Health, which monitors the exposure notification tool, said more than 3,400 individuals reported a positive coronavirus test, prompting more than 2,000 exposure notifications among other app users and assisting contact tracers in their efforts. Like a ripple effect, upon receiving a notification, these hundreds of New Yorkers can quickly notify their own friends, family and neighbors of potential exposure, prompting a wider group of people to contact the health department, seek out a test, and quarantine in order to stop the spread of the virus, said Jonah Bruno, a health department spokesman. The app was launched as COVID-19 cases climbed in New York and across the nation, marking the expected second wave of the virus that continued through and was further exacerbated by the holidays. Over 1,000 New Yorkers per day started testing positive at the beginning of October and that climbed to over 2,000 by the end of the month. Daily positive cases peaked at nearly 20,000 on Jan. 14, but figures are now trending downward, according to state COVID-19 data. When the app was launched, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo touted it as a technological game changer for contact tracing, and by mid-October, New York boasted the app had been downloaded over 640,000 times. But state officials at the time declined to turn over more detailed aggregate data that would measure the apps impact, unlike surrounding states that readily provided that information. Similar versions of the same app have also been rolled out in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. New Jersey began providing data on the apps use via the states COVID-19 dashboard in November; Pennsylvania provides updates on the apps use in weekly news releases. Its unclear whether Delaware also makes their apps data publicly available; Capitol Insider was unable to reach Delaware health officials in time for publication. New Yorks health department did not respond to a follow-up question asking why the agency does not make the data publicly available. New Jersey appears to have had the most success with residents using the app consistently, with state health officials reporting on average about 203,000 check-ins daily. According to the latest figures available on that state's COVID-19 dashboard, just under 200,000 people checked into the app, with about 4,500 experiencing coronavirus symptoms the week of Jan. 30. As of Friday, New Jersey had 567,000 downloads, which health department spokeswoman Nancy Kearney said represents about 10 percent of the population targeted for the app. The app, COVID Alert NJ, has been an additional critical tool to help bolster the states contact tracing efforts, particularly for those who are hard to reach, like younger adults, or not inclined to answer the call from a tracer, Kearney said. You may not always know who is around you so the app also helps to alert users of potential exposure from other app users they may have encountered in order to help stop the spread of transmission. The app does not track your location or personal information, but does compile active users, the number who have uploaded positive test results and the number who have been alerted of close contact with infected individuals. It cost about $700,000 to develop, with financing in part from Bloomberg Philanthropies foundation and federal funds. It also has interoperability with several states beyond the mid-Atlantic region, including California, Hawaii, North Dakota, Nevada and Minnesota; if someone travels from New York through Pennsylvania, they will be alerted if they have been exposed to the virus, or exposed others in that state. Pennsylvanias app has been downloaded over 775,000 times, said Maggi Barton, a spokeswoman for the states health department. She said they have made updates to the app to allow 13- through 17-year-old residents eligible to download the app with parental consent, along with adding languages. Barton said 1,333 positive cases were reported through the app, triggering 645 exposure alerts to people who were in close contact with COVID-positive individuals. Of those who received alerts, 91 people called a contact tracer for further assistance, she said. Barton and other officials stressed that the app supplements, but does not replace, traditional contact tracing methods. In many cases, positive COVID-19 individuals may not even know the people they were in close contact with (for example, if the contact happened on a bus or train, at a check-out line in a grocery store, a restaurant or some other public venue), she said. This technology can help support traditional contact tracing efforts by notifying more people who have been in close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual at a faster rate. The app supplements traditional contact tracing processes and helps stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. File image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi In a telephonic conversation with United States President Joe Biden on February 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's commitment to "rule-based international order". This was the first conversation between the two heads of state since Biden assumed office on January 20. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi congratulated Biden and conveyed best wishes for his tenure. The prime minister told Biden that he looked forward to working closely with him to further elevate the India-US Strategic Partnership. The two leaders discussed regional developments and the wider geo-political context at length, the PMO said in a statement. "They noted that the India-US partnership is firmly anchored in a shared commitment to democratic values and common strategic interests," the statement said. PM Modi and Biden reiterated the importance of working with like-minded countries to ensure a "rules-based international order" and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The two world leaders affirmed the importance of addressing the challenge of global climate change. PM Modi also welcomed Biden's decision to re-commit to the Paris Agreement and highlighted the ambitious targets India has set for itself in the area of renewable energy. According to the PMO, the prime minister also welcomed Bidens initiative of organising the Climate Leaders Summit in April and looked forward to participating in the same. In a Twitter post, PM Modi said that regional issues and shared concerns of Washington and New Delhi were discussed by him and Biden. "President Joe Biden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," PM Modi in a tweet. "...conveyed my best wishes for his success," he tweeted, adding that "we discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our cooperation against climate change." The conversation between PM Modi and Biden came days after the US State Department commented on the ongoing farmers' protest in India. The State Department, in response to a question raised at a regular press briefing on February 3, marked apprehensions over the reported suspensions of internet around the protest sites in Delhi. "We recognize that peaceful protests are a hallmark of any thriving democracy, and note that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same," it had stated. DUBA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 09th Feb, 2021) Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reviewed the final preparations of the Hope Probe Mission team, as the mission readies to enter its most critical phase - the Mars Orbit Insertion - on 9 February at 7.42 pm (UAE time). Sheikh Hamdan was accompanied in the review meeting held at the ground control centre of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs. His Highness was briefed about the various aspects of the Mars Orbit Insertion. The Hope Probe has so far travelled 493 million kilometres in space since it was launched on 20 July 2020. During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan said the Hope Probe represents an exceptional model in the Arab world for empowering young talent in science, technology and space related fields, and enhancing international cooperation in research and development. The mission also promotes knowledge exchange in the international scientific community to help create a brighter future for humanity. "I was briefed by the Hope Probe team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre about the final preparations for the first Arab Mars probes entry into the red planets orbit. The team is ready for all scenarios as the Hope Probe gears up for its Mars Orbit Insertion and the commencement of its scientific mission," Sheikh Hamdan said. "The Emirates Mars Missions success in reaching this crucial phase sends a message of hope and pride to the Arab worlds youth that we can accomplish great things and succeed in implementing such unique projects. The steadfast support of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to this project has enabled the UAE to make history as the fifth country to reach Mars," His Highness added. His Highness also praised the efforts of the Hope Probe Mission team. "I thank all the taskforces of the Hope Probe who have demonstrated the highest level of teamwork, innovation, excellence and determination to turn challenges into opportunities. The Mission promoted collaboration and knowledge exchange with scientific partners around the world," His Highness added. During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan met with taskforces in charge of scientific, engineering and operations and praised their efforts and accomplishments that helped the Hope Probe make steady progress in its journey. This success enhances the UAEs global profile in the space exploration landscape. As the first Arab country to launch a space mission to Mars, the Probe has opened new horizons for international scientific cooperation. Once the Hope Probe enters the Mars orbit, on 9 February 2021, it will orbit Mars and start gathering up to 1,000 gigabytes of scientific data about the Martian atmosphere. The data will be shared for free with 200 scientific and academic institutions around the world. The Hope Probe team has prepared for all scenarios as it faces its most critical and complex manoeuvre, with a 50-50 chance of successfully entering the Mars orbit. Once it gets close to Mars, the spacecraft must slow down significantly to be captured by Martian gravity, reducing its cruising speed from 121,000 kph to about 18,000 kph. The Hope Probe will do an autonomous orbit insertion, using star trackers to determine its position in space. Omran Sharaf, Project Director of Emirates Mars Mission; Zakaria Al Shamsi, Deputy Project Director for the operations of Hope Probe, and Suhail Al Dhafri, Deputy Project Manager of Emirates Mars Mission were present during the review by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan. A Perth cafe owner accused of selling marijuana-laced brownies to a young family is fighting the charges, arguing no other customers reported feeling unwell that day after eating the cakes. Bada Bing Cafe owner Nathan Sharp is accused of selling two chocolate brownies which were unsuitable for sale on March 2 and 3, 2019, from his Woodlands cafe. Nathan Sharp is accused of selling marijuana-laced chocolate brownies. The City of Stirling investigated the case after Sharon Hoysted, her son Thomas, 3, and daughter Emily, 5, became sick shortly after consuming the brownies. During the first day of Mr Sharps two-day trial in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, prosecutor Peter Gillett said the girl was the first to begin hallucinating. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. [February 08, 2021] 2021 Global Creative Modification Masters Contest of Creality DIY Printers NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To modify a DIY 3D printer may be the dream of every 3D printer enthusiast. As a 3D printing industry evangelist, striving to offer ingenious products and customer-centered service to its users, Creality has been committed not only to 3D printer manufacturing but also to fulfilling the DIY dreams of 3D printer fans. At this critical moment of Creality, the company decided to launch the first DIY printer modification contest on Jan. 20 before its upcoming 7th anniversary. "Reshape imagination and break creative boundaries" was chosen to be the subject of this contest. As Creality's brand name implies (Create reality, achieve dreams), it knows more than others that innovation outperforms all in the birth of a new creatio. This contest has been divided into two sections, including classical series modification and conventional series modification. The contestants can choose the corresponding section according to the models of modified printers in the contest. The selection process will run in 4 stages: Submission of Works: Jan. 20 to Mar. 9; Preliminary Selection: Mar. 10 to Mar. 18; Secondary Selection: Mar. 19 to Apr. 8; Final Selection: Apr. 9. The modification ideas will be witnessed by more than 1 million users from six continents around the world, 7 awards will be picked up from each series section, including one chief modification master of each section, totalling 14 awards. Winners will have the opportunity to become the Chief Product Experiencers (CPE) of Creality and will get abundant material rewards such as cash, 3D printers, and honor certificates. Judges in the secondary selection will be composed of 2 KOLs from Chinese 3D professional forums and 3 KOLs from overseas 3D professional forums. As 3D printing is becoming more popular around the world, 3D DIY printer modification has become a welcome boom in the printing industry. Creality is raising the torch to encourage this boom, hoping to help 3D printing fans break the boundary of possibilities, demonstrate their creativity to the world and share with the world the fascinating glamour of 3D printing. Want to learn more details, please visit: https://www.creality.com/activity-news/3d-printer-global-diy-contest You can also directly join the creative modification masters contest by downloading the Creality Cloud APP via Google Store or App Store and enter into the contest group to share your individual modification works through the app. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hShbA-Rk96Q [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sorry! This content is not available in your region Rival Palestinian parties met in Egypt today for talks. The discussion comes ahead of Palestinian presidential elections in July that will be the first in more than a decade. A total of 14 groups participated in the Cairo event, according to WAFA News Agency. The Palestinian Authority-run outlet said they discussed procedures for the May 22 legislative elections and the July 31 presidential elections. The PA is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people. It is led by the Fatah Party and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is the president. The Gaza-based political and military organization Hamas is the other major Palestinian faction. The Palestinian territories last held elections in 2005, which Fatah won amid a boycott by Hamas. The PA split in 2007 after armed fighting between the two groups. The conflict resulted in Hamas taking over Gaza and Fatah controlling the West Bank. Years of reconciliation efforts have finally produced some results recently. Last September, Hamas and Fatah agreed to hold the overdue elections. All the major Palestinian political parties attended the Cairo meeting. Both Fatah and Hamas sent delegations, according to the Hamas-affiliated Safa Press Agency. Other participants including Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas, and the leftist groups the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to the outlet. The acquisition of Family Medical Supply is an exciting step in Aeroflows ongoing strategy to grow through acquisition," says Casey Hite, CEO of Aeroflow Healthcare. Aeroflow Healthcare, a leading nationwide provider of durable medical equipment (DME), today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire West Virginia based Family Medical Supply. Founded in 1991, Family Medical Supply is a family-owned DME provider servicing West Virginia and the greater Ohio Valley. Family Medical offers a comprehensive suite of direct-to-patient equipment and services including incontinence supplies and other durable medical equipment products. Family Medical Supply has built an incredible reputation in the region by focusing on quality care and excellent customer service, both attributes which Aeroflow Healthcare proudly demonstrates as well, says Mica Phillips, Director of Urology at Aeroflow Healthcare. Both of our organizations value a family-owned dynamic and we are excited to enhance Family Medicals resources and offerings by implementing processes that have driven the success of Aeroflow for over twenty years. Aeroflow Healthcare currently services thousands of individuals across the country in obtaining quality continence care supplies through their insurance. The acquisition of Family Medical Supply is an exciting step in Aeroflows ongoing strategy to grow through acquisition. As Aeroflow continues to increase our national footprint, markets such as West Virginia and the Ohio Valley represent key opportunities for Aeroflow to improve patients quality of life by bringing nationwide scale and resources while maintaining the highest levels of customer care, says Casey Hite, CEO of Aeroflow Healthcare. In order to provide more patients with exceptional care, Aeroflow Healthcare will continue to expand via mergers and acquisitions with a strategy mutually beneficial to Aeroflow and the companies and lines of business it acquires. Most importantly, smaller businesses will receive resources to improve care for future and existing patients. About Aeroflow Healthcare Aeroflow Healthcare was founded in Asheville, NC in 2001 as a home oxygen provider, and has since grown to become a nationwide provider of durable medical equipment. Aeroflow has been awarded the HME Excellence Award for Best Home Medical Equipment Provider and also recognized as a business offering top-notch benefits to employees with the Great Place to Work Award. Aeroflow is an accredited Medicare and Medicaid provider and accepts most commercial insurance. To learn more about Aeroflow Healthcare and getting medical equipment through insurance, visit https://aeroflowinc.com. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 6:22 am Washington states efforts to vaccinate its population against COVID-19 appears to be growing, as state leaders say that the capacity is there to meet their goals for administering doses, as long as federal allotments increase. During a Thursday, Feb. 4 press conference, Gov. Jay Inslee said that as of that day more than 770,000 vaccinations had been administered in Washington state, roughly a 10th of the statewide population. He said vaccinations in the state were averaging about 28,000 daily, adding it was about twice the number of daily vaccinations from two weeks ago. Inslee said that the state has the capacity to vaccinate 45,000 individuals a day, a goal previously set by the state. That rate of vaccination was dependent on having enough supply of the vaccine itself to administer, however, which has proven an issue for Washington as the vaccine has rolled out. Both the governor and Washington State Secretary of Health Umair Shah were hopeful that federal allotments would be increasing as time goes on. Shah said mass vaccination sites have been a driver for the states ability to meet its goals, noting he and Inslee had visited the site at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield the week before. Please have patience, Shah said. We know it is difficult right now Its a numbers game in terms of the numbers of vaccines that are coming into the state but your turn is coming. Inslee said the state has made progress in the past few weeks on how many vaccine doses have been administered in Washington based on population compared nationwide, going from 37th place among states and the District of Columbia as of Jan. 19, to 14th as of the day of the press conference. Washington State Department of Health Deputy Secretary for COVID Response Lacy Fehrenbach said the state had a request approved for mass vaccination efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for $550 million, with $274 million upfront. Inslee said that the state was addressing equity in its vaccination process through efforts such as popup vaccination clinics and funding for ample communication to communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Inslee said those communication efforts include having information available in 41 different language groups, and have already been funded by $1 million, with an additional $2.3 million expected through June. The state is also committing to cracking down on preferential vaccinations by healthcare providers who prioritize certain individuals over others to receive their doses, Inslee said. He added the state Department of Health has communicated they will reduce dosages for providers who show such preferences among recipients. Its just wrong to offer special privilege in this regard. Everyone deserves fair access to this vaccine, Inslee remarked. Shah said the state has required providers to administer 95 percent of its vaccine allocations within a week, or also face reductions in subsequent allocations of doses. Acknowledging that some providers have already seen those reductions, he said the vast majority of them have just been fantastic with administering vaccines according to the states schedule. We dont want to be punitive about this. Its just that we have found some providers dont have the capability of doing the rate of vaccination that we need, Inslee later added. Alongside vaccination efforts, the state has also made moves on reopening of shuttered activities and businesses as a result of Washingtons COVID-19 response, which Inslee acknowledged in the press conference. He addressed criticisms of the states Healthy Washington program which has switched to a region-based approach, as opposed to the states old county-based reopening plan, remarking there were 10,000 legitimate criticisms of how the states plan has been crafted. Inslee defended the aspects of Healthy Washington, explaining that the decision to have a regionally-based approach was due to the interdependence of hospital systems across county lines, and that basing the phasing-in of reopening on smaller units such as counties compared to regions had the potential of nonuniform application. He gave an example of businesses operating close to county lines where one was allowed to reopen and the other was not. If you did (reopening) on a countywide basis I can assure you that we would be criticized for that, Inslee said. The governor added that the decision to re-evaluate regions eligible to move to the next phase on a two-week basis was acknowledging that in some cases a county might have a bad week when it came to the metrics used in determining that progression, both for moving forward a phase and for moving backward if enough metrics arent maintained. Inslee also touched on schools returning to in-person learning for K-12 public education, regarding which he said that 220,000 elementary students in the state have been able to return in some form. The governor said there had been very minimal in-school transmission of COVID-19 for districts returning some students to buildings, adding that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Wallensky has backed the type of reopening of schools that Washington state has taken. I think what were seeing is the justified and understandable concern about safety (for school reopening) early in the pandemic being replaced with confidence-builders of schools and educators and bus drivers and clerks who have demonstrated the ability to use these protocols in a way that is safe, Inslee said. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey is calling on Arizonas congressional delegation to help meet the urgent need for additional supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine and secure funding for its distribution. There could be no better use of your time or advocacy efforts than in helping to secure these vaccine doses for the people of Arizona to help end this pandemic for good, Governor Ducey wrote to the seven Democrats and four Republicans who represent Arizona in Washington. As of February 2, Arizona administered 702,664 doses of the vaccine. The State of Arizona recently requested an additional 300,000 doses of the life-saving vaccine, and an additional 300,000 doses a week. The request was denied. Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order on December 30 to rapidly expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine by streamlining distribution throughout Arizona and establishing additional vaccination sites. He issued another Executive Order on January 26 to accelerate the statewide distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and move doses of vaccine to where they can be rapidly administered to Arizonans. Arizonas state-run 24/7 vaccination site at State Farm Stadium, which opened on January 11, administers approximately 6,000 vaccines per day. On February 1, the state opened its second site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium but can only administer 500 doses per day because of limited supplies. State health officials say Arizona has the capacity to open more large-scale vaccination sites once more vaccine doses are available. View the letter below. *** Dear Member of Arizonas Congressional Delegation, We are extremely grateful for the success of Operation Warp Speed in developing at least two safe and effective COVID vaccines in record time. It is a remarkable milestone and is only part of the key to ending this pandemic. As you know, the vaccine is only effective once it is administered to Americans. Arizona has been working diligently to administer the vaccine to key priority groups including healthcare workers, residents of long term care facilities, individuals aged 65 and over, teachers, and law enforcement personnel. Because Arizona is a home rule state, the jurisdiction and responsibility for vaccine administration lies with our 15 counties. Some counties have been doing an exemplary job while others have lagged behind. For this reason, I issued Executive Orders 2020-62 and 2021-01 with the goal of scaling up vaccination by opening state run sites to augment the work being done by the counties and ensuring efficient use of the vaccine that has already been allocated to Arizona. The first state run site at State Farm Arena is now the most productive, high throughput site in Arizona, administering 6,000+ vaccinations per day. On February 1, 2021, we opened a second state run vaccination site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, and we hope to open more sites like these across the state. The demand for vaccination at these sites is extremely high. All appointments for first doses of the vaccine in the month of February at these state sites were taken within 13 hours of the appointments being made available to the public. As you well know, our state is home to many out-of-state residents during our beautiful winter months, leading to an even higher need for more vaccines. We want everyone in Arizona who wants a vaccine, to have the opportunity to get one. Unfortunately, due to the states current allocation of vaccines from our federal partners, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, which has the capacity to match State Farm Stadium in terms of number of daily doses, will only open with 500 appointments a day rather than the 6,000 it could handle. The single biggest limiting factor for opening more appointments at existing sites and creating new mass vaccination sites around the state is the number of vaccine doses allocated to Arizona by our federal partners. We have placed a federal resource request for an additional 300,000 vaccines immediately followed by 300,000 additional doses a week. We are confident that such an allocation increase would allow the state to replicate our successful mass vaccination sites throughout the state. Our resource request, however, has been denied. I am writing today to request the Arizona Congressional delegation engage at every level to help secure additional COVID vaccine doses for the State of Arizona. There could be no better use of your time or advocacy efforts than in helping to secure these additional vaccine doses for the people of Arizona to help end this pandemic for good. Additionally, as Congress contemplates further COVID relief measures, I urge you to place funding for vaccine distribution at the very top of the list. While we are grateful for the funding provided in the December relief package, mass vaccination sites, which have to be staffed with medical professionals, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a week. The state is looking to open several mass vaccination sites across the state, as well as smaller sites to target vulnerable and hard to reach populations so any additional funding that is provided, when done in conjunction with an increase in vaccine allocation, will help to expedite and sustain these efforts. Thank you for your attention and consideration. Sincerely, Douglas A. Ducey Governor State of Arizona I let my buy-to-let flat through an agent on a one-year tenancy agreement and paid them 7 per cent commission for references etc. Now the agreement is about to end in a months time and the tenant wants to renew for another year. My lettings agent tells me I have to pay 7 per cent commission for a new one-year agreement. Is this correct? Letting agents usually insist on landlords signing an agreement before finding a tenant MailOnline Property expert Myra Butterworth replies: It is may be tempting to sign up to a letting agent without reading your contractual agreement with them. After all, your motivation for using their services may be to save you time and money, so why would you want to spend time reading through the small print of their contract. The problem is that the contract is king and it is imperative that you understand what you are signing up to. Many letting agents will provide different types of landlord services. For example, they may start with a basic service that simply finds you a tenant and carries out the checks with no on-going management once the tenant has moved in. More advanced letting contracts will include day-to-day management of the property, including insurance and legal cover should things go wrong. These types of contracts tend to be more expensive and letting agents will charge a higher percentage of the month rent for such contracts with landlords. Hopefully your contract will reveal what services you have signed up for and what commission you are expected to pay, including on renewal. The contract set out what payments are due and when, so there is clarity and transparency Jeremy Leaf, of estate and letting agency Jeremy Leaf & Co, replies: Letting agents usually insist on landlords signing an agreement before finding a tenant. This should set out all the details of the contract, what payments are due and when, so there is clarity and transparency. It should also reduce the risk of disputes of this nature occurring. If you have signed the terms and conditions but there is no reference to renewal commission in there, then it would seem the letting agent doesnt have a leg to stand on in trying to charge a 7 per cent renewal fee. However, check the details carefully - they may not have highlighted the charge but included it in the small print of the document you signed. The payment of renewal commission is certainly an industry standard as administrative and sometimes other work is involved but the amount can vary considerably - or could even be waived in certain circumstances. In this instance, I would advise seeking independent specialist legal advice as soon as possible. BELGRADE - A letter sent for the National Day of Serbia by new US President Joe Biden calling for a solution of Kosovo's issue with the mutual recognition of Belgrade and Pristina is creating growing discontent and open criticism among Serbian leaders. Yesterday President Aleksandar Vucic, who received over the weekend Biden's well wishes for the national holiday on February 15, noted that Serbia, although ready to continue dialogue with Pristina under the auspices of the EU, firmly rules out any hypothesis of reciprocal recognition. His statement was echoed on Monday morning by Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic and the head of the parliamentary commission for Kosovo Milovan Drecun. Government sources in Belgrade said the position of the new American president on Kosovo did not come as a surprise but that it was unusual for such a position to be expressed in a message of well wishes. Selakovic observed that Serbia is an internationally recognized country and that it has no need to recognize 'so-called Kosovo'. Drecun for his part described Biden's words on 'reciprocal recognition' as provocative and inconvenient. He called the message "offensive" given that "if you are wishing well for the national holiday, it is not appropriate to ask a country to renounce to part of its territory, which is in contrast with the well wishes", he said. Reactions in Kosovo went in the opposite direction with all the main leaders congratulating Biden and thanking him for his clear position, which in their opinion is in favor of Kosovo's recognition by Serbia. Premier Avdullah Hoti expressed this stance, along with parliament speaker and interim president, Vjosa Osmani, and opposition leader and former prime minister Albin Kurti. Kurti said among other things that it is time for Belgrade to change its constitution, which he described as obsolete, that describes Kosovo as a Serbian province, an integral part of Serbia's territory. An off-duty Philadelphia police officer is facing drunken-driving charges after his car careened out of control and crashed into a couple's home, critically injuring a woman and killing one of her dogs. Police say 27-year-old Gregory Campbell, an officer with the 14th district, was driving his silver 2014 Dodge Dart north on Caroline Road near the Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 8.20pm on Saturday when it went airborne and smashed into a home in the 2800 block of Comly Road. The sedan smashed through the property, leaving a 53-year-old woman pinned under the vehicle and unconscious. She was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in critical condition. Scroll down for video A 53-year-old woman and her 45-year-old husband were inside their home on Comly Road in Philadelphia on Saturday when an off-duty cop's car crashed into the residence Police say officer Gregory Campbell, 27, lost control of his 2014 Dodge Dart (pictured), which became airborne and smashed into the home The woman's 45-year-old husband was injured on his right arm, hand, hip, leg and back. Two dogs were also struck, one of them fatally. Martin Brown, who lives two doors down from the victims, told WPVI that he was at home when he heard what sounded like an 'explosion.' The neighbor ran over to the scene to offer his help and found the injured husband. 'He was screaming that his wife was stuck underneath of the car and that he needed to move the car in order to get to her,' said Brown. Brown and the male victim dug through the debris to find the 53-year-old woman lodged under the officer's car. 'He dropped to his knees. He was petting her hair, telling her he was there and, "It's going to be alright,"' recounted Brown. Paramedics arrived on the scene a short time later, freed the woman and rushed her to the hospital in critical condition. Her husband was said to be in stable condition. The woman was pinned beneath the cop's car, and her injured husband and a neighbor had to dig through the debris to get to her The couple's two dogs that were inside the home were injured, and one of them died Campbell has been charged with DUI, aggravated assault and related offenses The couple's surviving dog was in veterinary care, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. Campbell was also taken to the hospital for treatment of a laceration to the head. Officials say he is facing charge of aggravated assault, driving under the influence and related offenses. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw called the involvement of a police officer in such a case 'appalling' He was arraigned on Sunday and had his bail set at 10 per cent of $40,000. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw called the involvement of a police officer in such a case 'appalling.' A family should always feel safe in their home, and yet the actions of this individual shattered that reality,' Outlaw said. '... Police officers must be held to a higher standard even while off-duty and I assure the victims and the public that a complete and thorough investigation will take place. My prayers remain with this family.' Sources tell CBS Philadelphia that Campbell was off-duty and had just left the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 on Caroline Road when he crashed his Dodge. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby released a statement Sunday but didnt immediately comment on whether the union would be representing the officer. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims family and hope those injured will make a full recovery,' McNesby said. 'This is an unfortunate incident and we continue to monitor the investigation.' [February 08, 2021] DubstepGutter: 5 million YouTube Subscribers in 10 Years Busteni, Romania, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DubstepGutter celebrates its 10 years on the video streaming platform YouTube with over 5 million subscribers. Today we at Influencivewire are going to cover DubstepGutter. The music brand and music curator named DubstepGutter was created in 2011 by the founder, Daniel Satmareanu. Recently Dubstep released a celebratory video on YouTube which was an audio mix of great music owing to the brand. Some of the popular uploads of DubstepGutter include Teminite & Panda Eyes - Highscore with 57 million views, followed by Beethoven - Fur Elise (Klutch Dubstep Trap Mix), which stands at 52 million views. Colorblind by Panda Eyes is the third most viewed video on the channel with 41 million views. That is again preceded by We Are Number One (MadRats Dubstep Remix) with 39 million views. The music brand boasts having performed and worked with world-famous talented artists such as Marshmello, Borgore, Getter, Modestep, Virtual Riot and so many more. By making their word public and with the help of YouTube with which they expose their music to a large audience, DubstepGutter has also helped smaller artists. It has helped them by making their work publicly available and to a community that loves music. The small artists also get the perk f the 5,400,000 subscribers on YouTube, thus creating their own group of audience from those who liked their music and thus jump-start their career. As of now, over 1,600,000,000 people have played the music curated on DubstepGutter. Daniel Satmareanu has also helped those small artists whom he featured and promoted on his channel by raising a hundred thousand dollars for them. This, especially for smaller artists has been a factor of motivation and support to keep doing what they do by producing music and following their passion. Daniel has a great and loving fan following for his community. The hug fandom has some who have even tattooed the brand logo DSG on them. New and independent artists who do not have an immediate fan following opt to release their music via a platform like DubstepGutter that already has an established online presence. This helps them to come out of the initial invisibility that they have to go through, no matter what platform. Some of the artists have benefitted by DubstepGutter, in a way that they were able to literally jump-start their career in music. Some such popular names in the industry are Spag Heddy, Panda Eyes, MONXX, Teminite, who all have millions of views on their work and massive exposure. Daniel Satmareanu is now in the plans of opening a recording label and has big plans for the future of his brand. Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/DubStepGutter Media Details Company Name: Influencivewire Email: info@influencivewire.com Website: https://influencivewire.com/ Youtube Channel: DubstepGutter Email address: gutterofficial@Yahoo.com Attachment Daniel Satmareanu [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Minor League sons of two former Major League pitchers Friday won $3.24 million in their lawsuit over a 2019 assault at an upscale Washington Avenue bar. Kacy Clemens and Conner Capel, the sons of former Astros Roger Clemens and Mike Capel, were cleared of wrongdoing and the Concrete Cowboy was found liable in a Jan. 1, 2019, altercation involving the bar staff that left both men bloody and injured. Kent Adams, attorney for the bar owner and the bars parent company, said opposing counsel was an outstanding trial lawyer who did a great job on the Harris County case. Our clients are reviewing the next steps and we will move forward per their instructions accordingly, he said. Clemens, 26, played first base in the minors for the Blue Jays. Capel, 23, was an outfielder in the minors for the Cardinals. Both men live in Houston. Their lawyer made the case this week to a jury that the two friends were innocent bystanders amid a commotion at the packed bar. Witnesses said the bar owner and bouncers put them in chokeholds, roughed them up and threw them out. Capel had a skull fracture above his eye, where witnesses said he got slammed with a flashlight, and needed stitches. He also had bruised ribs, scratches and cuts. Clemens had injuries to his neck and a swollen elbow on his throwing arm, according to evidence at trial. This was a hard-fought case over two years to uncover the real facts as to what occurred, said Randy Sorrels, who represented the plaintiffs. The young men are appreciative of the jury exonerating them and holding the bar responsible. The younger ballplayers sued the bar owner, Daniel Wierck, and the bars parent company, 34th S&S, LLC. The jury ruled in their favor on two counts, finding the bar staff liable for assault and negligence. Sorrels argued the owners created a dangerous environment by allowing hundreds more people than the bars maximum capacity. The witnesses included Clemens father, a two-time World Series champion and seven-time Cy Young award winner, who said his jaw dropped when his son and godson arrived at his home in the early morning. The elder Clemens told jurors, It looked to me like they had been in a car accident. He said the altercation hindered his sons reputation at his ball club. Adams, for the company, told jurors Clemens and Capel were part of the group involved in the initial commotion and the bar should not be held responsible for their injuries. gabrielle.banks@chron.com Moderna also provided a statement, which did not address the question of the platelet disorder, but said the company continuously monitors the safety of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine using all sources of data and routinely shares safety information with regulators. Hematologists with expertise in treating immune thrombocytopenia said they suspected that the vaccine did play a role. But they said that cases after vaccination were likely to be exceedingly rare, possibly the result of an unknown predisposition in some people to react to the vaccine by developing an immune response that destroys their platelets. The disorder has occurred, rarely, in people who received other inoculations, particularly the measles-mumps-rubella one. I think it is possible that there is an association, Dr. James Bussel, a hematologist and professor emeritus at Weill Cornell Medicine who has written more than 300 scientific articles on the platelet disorder, said in an interview. Im assuming theres something that made the people who developed thrombocytopenia susceptible, given what a tiny percentage of recipients they are. He added: Having it happen after a vaccine is well-known and has been seen with many other vaccines. Why it happens, we dont know. Dr. Bussel said it was important to share information about the cases, because severe thrombocytopenia can be serious, and physicians need to know how to treat it. Sometimes the condition resists standard therapies, and if very low platelet counts persist, the patient faces an increasing risk of severe bleeding and even brain hemorrhage. He and a colleague, Dr. Eun-Ju Lee, have submitted an article to a medical journal on 15 cases in Covid vaccine recipients they identified by searching the governments database or by consulting with other physicians treating patients. The report provides information about treatments and urges doctors to report cases. It also notes that it is too soon to tell whether the affected patients will have lasting recoveries, or recurrences of the platelet problem. Northern Irelands Justice Minister has said she still has confidence in the PSNI Chief Constable, despite increasing concerns over pandemic policing. Simon Byrne issued an apology over the weekend after officers intervened at the commemoration of a loyalist massacre at a bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road. This resulted in angry scenes when Mark Sykes, who was shot in the 1992 atrocity, was arrested. Just days earlier, the PSNI was also criticised for failing to arrest anyone when they encountered a large gathering of masked loyalists in an apparent show of strength in east Belfast. Read More Speaking on the BBCs Good Morning Ulster programme, Justice Minister Naomi Long was asked if Mr Byrne still had her support. Yes he does and I dont think its a good thing actually to personalise this around one individual, she said. The test I suppose for Simon is how he deals with this, but Im absolutely committed to working with him and rebuilding the community confidence that has been damaged. And I think thats where all politicians should be. The police have a difficult job to do , there is a lot of tension, particularly political tensions around policing at the moment, and I think that we all need to reflect in terms of how we support the police. She acknowledged that recent events had caused serious distress to victims and survivors as well as the wider community. I think the first thing to say that it is not an easy job that the police have in terms of policing these health regulations. Particularly when they come across situations that are sensitive, that are dealing with grieving families and the bereaved. I think that has been an issue that has been widely debated for many months and it is a very difficult space that the police are in. She welcomed the Chief Constables acknowledgement that the latest incident had not been well handled. We spoke and he said the local constables had come across the gatherings and they had sought advice and they had tried to deal with the situation and clearly he does not feel that was dealt with well. In an interview with PA, Mr Byrne denied suggestions that the police adopted different approaches for different communities and said he had no intention of quitting. Its been a tough week, but Im not the first chief constable here thats had to suffer or be accountable...for criticism over the last 50 years, he said. Actually quitting is the easy thing and whatever next week looks like, frankly, the in-tray is the same and Im just determined to carry on with the support of my team to actually deliver what we set out to do. The United States announced plans Monday to reengage with the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Council that former President Donald Trump withdrew from almost three years ago, as the Biden administration reverses another Trump-era move away from multilateral organizations and agreements. Announcing the new approach from Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pullout in June 2018 did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of U.S. leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage. The Biden administration has recommitted the United States to a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality, he said in a statement. Effective use of multilateral tools is an important element of that vision. The decision is likely to draw criticism from conservative lawmakers and many in the pro-Israel community, who have derided the council and echoed Trump administration complaints that it was too quick to overlook abuses by autocratic regimes and governments _ and even accept them as members. Blinken said President Joe Biden had instructed the State Department to reengage immediately and robustly with the council, but he acknowledged it still needs work. We recognize that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel, he said. Blinken said the council, when it works well, shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as an important forum for those fighting injustice and tyranny. To address the council's deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership, he added. Trump pulled out of the council due to its disproportionate focus on Israel, which has received by far the largest number of critical council resolutions against any country, and because it failed to meet an extensive list of reforms demanded by then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. Besides the council's persistent focus on Israel, the Trump administration took issue with the body's membership, which currently includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela, all of which have been accused of human rights abuses. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the U.S. decision, calling the council the world's leading forum for addressing the full range of human rights challenges, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The United Nations looks forward to hearing the crucial voice of the United States across the council's urgent work, the U.N. chief's spokesman said. Hillel Neuer, the executive director of advocacy group UN Watch, which often decries the council's excessive focus on Israel, said the Obama administration had had a tendency to become a cheerleader for the council -- and called on the Biden team to avoid it, and instead call out the council's abuses. The cost of the U.S. decision to rejoin is that it gives legitimacy to a council where tyrannies and other non-democracies now comprise 60% of the membership, Neuer said. In exchange, the U.S. must demand serious reform, removing despots from the council such as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro regime, holding dictators to account, and removing the agenda item that targets Israel in each session, the only one to focus on a single country, he added. The council's next session -- the first of three each year, and the only one to feature a high-level segment that often lures top diplomats -- runs from Feb. 22 to March 23. Although the U.S. will have only nonvoting observer status for now, U.S. officials say the administration intends to seek one of the three full-member seats left vacant when the current council terms of Austria, Denmark and Italy _ from the Western Europe and other states group _ expire at the end of 2021. The U.N. General Assembly makes the final choice in a vote that generally takes place in October every year to fill vacancies in three-year terms at the 47-member-state council. U.S. engagement with the council and its predecessor, the U.N. Human Rights Commission, has been something of a political football between Republican and Democratic administrations for decades. While recognizing its shortcomings, Democratic presidents have tended to want a seat at the table while Republicans have recoiled at its criticism of Israel. Trump's withdrawal from the UNHRC, however, was one of a number of U.S. retrenchments from the international community during his four years in office. He also walked away from the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear deal, the World Health Organization, the U.N. education and cultural organization, UNESCO, and several arms control treaties. Trump also threatened to withdraw from the International Postal Union and frequently hinted at pulling out of the World Trade Organization. Since taking office last month, Biden has rejoined both the Paris accord and the WHO and has signaled interest in returning to the Iran deal as well as UNESCO. Short link: A bitter family feud over a 2million inheritance will go to the high court for a second time after a new will found by a solicitor's cat was condemned as a potential forgery. Dean Brunt, his brother Dale Brunt, 40, and sister Venetia Murray, 36, had between them owned 6million Ettridge Farm, Hertfordshire, until Dean's death, aged 35, in a railway accident in 2007. Dean - who was not married and had no children - was thought to have died without making a will, so his 2million share of the farm went to his 82-year-old mother Marlene Brunt who handed it to her eldest child Dale. But after Venetia discovered the existence of two 1999 wills made by Dean - the original found when a solicitor's cat knocked over a pile of papers - a family feud was sparked. The high court judge ruled that the will should be upheld, with Venetia and Dale getting half of Dean's share each, and their uncle Bob Wrangle - who brought the case to court - getting a third of a property on the farm. But now, a different judge has found that the previous dispute ended in a 'potentially serious injustice' due to 'strong evidence' the will discovered by the cat was the work of a convicted fraudster. Dean Brunt, his brother Dale Brunt, 40, (right) and sister Venetia Murray, 36, (left) had between them owned 6million Ettridge Farm, Hertfordshire, until Dean's death, aged 35, in a railway accident in 2007 Both wills - the original and the copy - had been signed by now-dead criminal Howard Day, who claimed he added his signature on Dean's behalf in 1999. Mr Day - who was convicted for fraud over another case - had been acting as Dean's legal advisor at the time, but experts agreed that the wills were likely signed later than 1999. Mr Justice Andrew Green overturned a decision of previous judge Master Paul Teverson - who upheld the 1999 will last year - and ordered that the case be fought again. Mr Justice Green allowed an appeal against the ruling. He did not find the 1999 will was a fake but said there was a 'high degree of suspicion' as it contained spelling mistakes and other slips. He said: 'I think there has potentially been a serious injustice here and I have no option other than to order a retrial.' Ettridge Farm had belonged to the siblings' prizefighter grandfather Arthur Nicholls. Mr Nicholls was Dean's 'hero' and it was his grandfather who persuaded him to train as a mechanic. Dean's own father - a jockey and racehorse trainer - played no part in his upbringing. Dean - who was the 'gentler' of the two brothers - had been starved of oxygen at birth and was thought to have suffered from learning difficulties and mental health issues in later life. The high court judge ruled that the will should be upheld, with Venetia and Dale getting half of Dean's share each, and their uncle Bob Wrangle - who brought the case to court - getting a third of a property on the farm. Pictured: Ettridge Farm, Hertfordshire Dean died after stepping out in front of a train near Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, in 2007. His death was ruled accidental. After he died, his mother Mrs Brunt obtained 'letters of administration' over his estate on the basis that he had died an 'intestate bachelor' - without a valid will and with no children of his own. She inherited his share of the farm and passed on that share to Dale, meaning he then owned two thirds of the land and business - with his sister Venetia owning the rest. But a family dispute erupted with competing claims over the farming partnership between Dale and Venetia. Their uncle Mr Wrangle also claimed a share of the property on the land. A court battle was sparked in 2018, when solicitor Mr Day - who had long looked after the family's legal affairs - said he had discovered a copy of a 1999 will which split Dean's estate largely between his two siblings. A second will in identical terms - understood to be the original - was then dramatically discovered in February 2019 by a solicitor's cat among a pile of Mr Day's documents waiting to be shredded after his death. At the original trial of the dispute last year, Mr Wrangle's barrister Duncan Macpherson said the second copy of the will was 'crucial.' Mr Wrangle's solicitor, Katy Sillett, had been organising family papers and was ready to shred un-needed duplicate copies when the document was discovered by accident. 'Her cat knocked over the papers for shredding,' he said. 'When Mrs Sillett picked them up, she realised that what she believed was a duplicate will was in fact an original.' At the trial, Dale and Mrs Brunt insisted the wills were both 'forgeries' but - despite experts backing their claim that they were signed after 1999 - Master Teverson threw out their case. He rejected the forgery allegations and ruled in favour of the 1999 will, leaving Venetia with half of Dean's fortune and Mr Wrangle with a third share in a property known as The Old Barn. But appealing against the decision, lawyers for Mrs Brunt and Dale argued that Master Teverson had got it wrong. They claim he failed to properly analyse crucial evidence in his judgment, including the fact that Mr Day's diary of the date in 1999 when the will was purportedly signed had been doctored. In a different ink, the words '...and signed up the will...' had been added afterwards, said their barrister Sophia Rogers. The siblings' uncle Mr Wrangle (pictured) also claimed a share of the property on the land The will itself also contained mistakes, including Dean's middle name and the name of the farm. The will handed his siblings his one-third share of the farm and his share in the building called 'The Old Barn' to his uncle. But Mrs Rogers pointed out that Dean had only acquired a one-third share in the farm in 2004 - having only held a quarter previously - while 'The Old Barn' at the time was a 'derelict shed' and only became known by that name when it was rebuilt years later. Allowing their appeal and ordering a retrial, Mr Justice Green said Master Teverson had failed to give adequate reasons why he accepted some evidence and rejected other parts. There were 'strong indications' that Mr Day's 1999 diary had been 'doctored and fabricated' but Master Teverson had made no findings in relation to that, he said. Witness statements referring to the character and practises of Mr Day had also not been referred to in the judgment when they may have been critical to the case. 'Howard Day was the central character in the case and he could not be cross-examined,' he said. 'Extraneous evidence as to his character and modus operandi were critical.' The fact experts for both sides on the dispute agreed that the two copies had probably not been signed in 1999 was 'strong evidence' against the 1999 will, he continued. 'This was powerful evidence, coming from both side's experts, and it was dismissed by the master on the basis that he preferred the factual evidence provided by the claimant,' he said. 'I believe this is a serious flaw in the master's assessment of the evidence.' He said the only undisputed facts in the case - when and where the will was found and Mr Day's fraud conviction - created a 'high degree of suspicion' about it. Allowing the appeal, he said the case would have to be fought all over again in front of a High Court judge, probably late this year. He said the retrial could involve fresh evidence which has only come to light since newspaper reports of the earlier ruling last summer. Three witnesses had come forward independently to say they knew Dean and that he had said he would never make a will, the court heard. Purchased through a private sector partnership by the corporate group that imports materials to process locally, the vaccine will be the first available to Nigerians. One of Africas largest conglomerates, the BUA Group, has paid for one million doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines for Nigeria through the African Export Import Bank (Afrexim) Vaccine programme. The purchase was made in partnership with the Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID), a private sector task force collaborating with the Nigerian government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat Covid in Nigeria. These doses of the vaccine, which should be delivered by next week, will be the first delivery of vaccines to Nigeria since the Covid-19 shots became available. According to BUA, the vaccines will be distributed free to Nigerians at no cost. Philanthropist and BUA founder, Abdul Samad Rabiu, thanked the President of the AFRIXEM Bank, Dr. Benedict Oramah, for making the purchase possible and the Nigerian Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for coordinating the process through CACOVIDs private sector partnership. BUA Group BUA, one of Africas largest conglomerates, has paid for a million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria. BUA decided to secure one million doses of the vaccine by paying the full amount, because they became available only last week through AFREXIM. We expect the vaccines to be delivered within the next 14 days and hope priority will be given to our frontline workers, who have committed their lives to managing the pandemic, said Mr. Rabiu. In addition to this contribution, BUA is committing to purchase 5 million additional doses for Nigeria as soon as they become available through this same arrangement, he added. This arrangement positions Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, to be among the continents first countries to secure the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. NEW DELHI : Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (JPVL) has said it has closed its Vishnuprayag Hydro Electric Project (VHEP) as a precaution in view of flash foods in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. In a statement, the company has stated that it has closed the power plant in view of flash floods on Sunday. "On February 7 (Sunday), an unusual event took place in the river basin of Dhauli Ganga in District Chamoli (Uttarakhand) between 9.30 am and 11 am. "Unfortunately, a glacier plunged into the Raine village of the district Chamoli, causing river to rise rapidly, leading to swollen river level for some time which caused damage to life, property and projects falling in direct contact of flow of the river," the company said in the statement. JPVL has a 400-megawatt Vishnuprayag Hydro Electric Project with its barrage over the Alaknanda river, and the project's tail race tunnel discharging water in river Dhauli Ganga, it stated. As a responsible corporate operating in Uttarakhand for over 30 years, the company said, "They are saddened by this tragedy caused due to events beyond the control of all and an act of nature." The company explained that "sudden development of the 'Force Majeure' event led to the closure of the power generation." The river water gushed in through the tail race tunnel of the project bringing with it the slush. "We are analysing all aspects and assessing the time to bring back the project to its pre-closure status (operations were stopped at 11 am on February 7 due to this tragic glacier event). "We remain confident that VHEP will resume operations after completing the cleaning and checking all aspects in a few days," it added. The company also said JPVL is providing full assistance and assurance to the district authorities in relief operations and will continue to provide all humanitarian aid. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. A Swedish filmmaker has been cleared of breaching an international grave treaty while filming the wreckage of the doomed ferry MS Estonia. Henrik Evertsson used a drone camera to film the vessel, which sank off the coast of the Finnish island Uto in 1994, killing 852 passengers, for a Discovery+ documentary about the disaster. The 33-year-old director was accused of breaking a treaty signed by the governments of Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Russia and the UK in 1995 which declared the site a marine grave and prohibited exploration of the wreck. Speaking outside Gothenburg district court today, Mr Evertsson said: 'I'm feeling very relieved and pleased that the courts listened to our point of view. Swedish filmmaker Henrik Evertsson (pictured at Gothenburg district court in Sweden), 33, has been cleared of breaching an international grave treaty The director used a drone camera to film the vessel for his Discovery+ documentary Estonia: the Find that Changes Everything The ferry, which sank off the coast of the Finnish island Uto in 1994, set sail from Tallinn to Stockholm with 803 passengers on board and 186 crew. Pictured: The ferry being lifted from the bottom of the sea 'I was confident that we hadn't committed a crime this law is a special law that only covers the site but it hadn't been tested in court before. 'I've not had time to read the full report yet but the summary makes it quite clear that we were on a German boat and did not breach the law in Germany. 'I've been on two weeks recording tour for a new series. So I'm looking forward to going back to Norway and having a few days off.' The men went to extraordinary lengths to avoid prosecution: they chartered a German boat because it was the only Baltic state not to sign the treaty and sent down a camera attached to an underwater drone. 'The investigation of the wreck site is in international waters and we used a German ship flying a German flag and in Germany this is not against the law as they have not signed the treaty,' Evertsson told MailOnline before the trial. 'Anyway, with our investigations, we didn't penetrate the wreck, we did not disturb the dead, we only scanned if from the outside from a certain distance to see if we found any hull damage.' It is now 26 years since the sinking of the MS Estonia the largest ship then flying the flag of the Baltic republic - in Europe's worst peacetime maritime disaster. The ferry set sail from Tallinn to Stockholm at 6.30pm with 803 passengers on board and 186 crew. While filming the documentary, Evertsson discovered a four-metre by 1.2 metre hole in the hull of the vessel The findings, which suggested that the Estonia was involved in a collision, are now being investigated by the Swedish authorities Former president of Estonia Arnold Ruutel and his wife Ingrid attending a ceremony for the victims of the disaster in 2004 The conditions were harsh there was a Force eight gale and waves up to six metres but they were not usual and all other scheduled ferries were at sea. But, at around 1am, a loud bang was heard and, after the ship listed by 60 degrees, torrents of seawater began pouring in through cabin windows, ceilings and doors. A mangled mayday signal was sent but at 1.50am the Estonia sank, stern first, in international waters about 24 miles south-east of the Finnish island of Uto. Only 138 people were rescued, one of whom died in hospital and only 93 bodies were recovered. An initial report, in 1997, concluded that the locks on the bow visor had failed, allowing it to tear free and expose the doors and ramp, which gave way, flooding the car deck. A rose is laid on a granite wall bearing the names of the victims of the 1994 sinking Candles are lit up next to the names of victims during a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary But the surviving witnesses - whose testimony really didn't feature in the report were adamant they heard a bang after which the ship went down incredibly fast. When Evertsson, decided to investigate, he discovered a four-metre by 1.2 metre hole in the hull of the vessel, which suggested that the Estonia was involved in a collision. The findings, which are revealed in the Discovery documentary Estonia: the Find that Changes Everything, are now being investigated by the Swedish authorities. A Discovery+ spokesperson said: 'It has always been our assessment that the ROV dive was justified and within the law, as it is a matter of significant public interest. We are pleased that the courts reached the only sensible conclusion today. 'A draft revision of the Swedish law on the grave peace around Estonia will be presented in March 2021, and new investigative dives will be made in the summer of 2021 as a result of the documentary.' Estonia is now available on discovery+ New Delhi: A massive, trillion-tonne iceberg has broken off an ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to scientists. The giant iceberg is now adrift in the Weddell Sea, they said. Last month, the iceberg was reported to be a hanging by a thread. On Wednesday morning, it was found to be split off from the Larsen C section of the Larsen ice shelf. The scientists discovered this after analysing latest satellite data from the area. The Larsen C ice shelf has now become 10 per cent smaller than before the iceberg broke off. According to scientists, this event has changed the shape of Antarctic Peninsula. The Larsen C ice shelf now stands at its lowest extent ever recorded. The new iceberg, at 5,800 sq km, is now expected to be called as A68. The iceberg is half as big as the B-15, which holds the record after it split off from the Ross ice shelf in 2000. However, the new iceberg is believed to be one of the 10 largest icebergs ever recorded. It is a really major event in terms of the size of the ice tablet that weve got now drifting away, said Anna Hogg, an expert in satellite observations of glaciers from the University of Leeds. The huge crack grew during several years. However, between May 25 and May 31, it grew by 17 km, which was the largest increase since January. The movement of ice took pace between June 24 and June 27 and reached a rate of more than 10 meters per day for the already-severed section. In the end, it was found that it was not a simple break. The break had branched multiple times, data collected just days before the iceberg calved revealed. We see one large [iceberg] for now. It is likely that this will break into smaller pieces as time goes by, said Adrian Luckman, professor of glaciology at Swansea University and leader of the UKs Midas project which is focused on the state of the ice shelf. The ice shelves are actually floating masses of ice that are hundreds of metres thick and are attached to huge, grounded ice sheets. These shelves act like buttresses and hold back and slow down the movement into the sea of the glaciers that feed them. There is enough ice in Antarctica that if it all melted, or even just flowed into the ocean, sea levels [would] rise by 60 metres, said Martin Siegert, professor of geosciences at Imperial College London and co-director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change & Environment. According to experts, the birth of this iceberg will not lead to rise in sea level. Its like your ice cube in your gin and tonic it is already floating and if it melts it doesnt change the volume of water in the glass by very much at all, said Hogg. The Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995 and Larsen B in 2002. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. From the time of its introduction in 1975, the E.I.T.C.s proponents thought of it as a way to reduce welfare expenditures by tying benefits to work, and pushed its adoption specifically to head off other proposals that would have provided benefits to those with no earnings. This began a trend in both parties that encouraged thinking of aid to the poor in terms of tax credits instead of direct cash aid. While there is merit to helping people find work, it is morally wrong to do so by tying important social benefits to work when the jobless are among those struggling the most. Mr. Bidens plan begins to acknowledge these contradictions, but then promptly continues them. His rationale for extending the child tax credit to low-earning families is that tens of millions of children live in families that are currently too poor to receive the full benefit. Yet, the same is true for the E.I.T.C., where families with children are eligible to receive the full benefit only if they have earnings above $10,639 for a one-child family or $14,949 for a family with more than one child. The presidents plan to expand benefits to working childless adults is far from a bad thing, but it does nothing to change how millions of families without income are excluded from the full benefit. Why fix one credit but leave the other broken? And what kind of anti-poverty program helps the poorest less, not more? Consider families that consist of one parent and one child. The poorest families of that type, those with no earnings, receive $3,000 in tax credit benefits under the Biden proposal, while families earning a little more than that, such as one with $19,500 of earnings, would receive $6,618 of benefits. So, despite being less needy, children living in some families with incomes right around the poverty line receive more than double the benefits of children living in extreme poverty. The situation becomes bleaker still when we consider Americas history of labor discrimination against minority groups. Like any program that intentionally leaves out the poorest members of our society, the E.I.T.C.s design disproportionately excludes people of color. Thus, according to calculations based on the Current Population Survey, 15 percent of Black children are too poor to receive anything from the program. For Latino children, the number is 10 percent. For white children, it is just 5 percent. The FTSE 100 soared today amid hopes that the Biden administration will sign off a $1.9trillion relief package to stimulate the US economy. The UK bluechip index closed up 0.5 per cent, or 34 points, to 6,523, while the FTSE 250 rose just 19 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 21,086. Tesla has invested around $1.5billion in Bitcoin and expects to begin accepting payment for its cars and other products with it in the near future, prompting a 14 per cent jump in the electronic currency. Bitcoin hit a new record high today as it soared above $44,000 at one point. It was trading south of $43,000 just after the London market close. Tesla said in a filing the decision was part of its broad investment policy as a company and was aimed at diversifying and maximising its returns on cash. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk pictured December 2020 Boohoo has tied up a 25.2million deal to buy the e-commerce, digital, and inventory assets of Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton, which entered administration in December along with the rest of Sir Philip Green's Arcadia. Tesco has called for a one per cent online sales tax to be slapped on digital retail giants ahead of the Budget. It comes as bosses at many UK firms call on the Chancellor to reform the tax system to create a 'level playing field' with online rivals. Losses at the top 100 UK restaurant groups doubled to 571million in the year prior to the start of March, according to new research, which said the losses are expected to worsen again in the coming months. > If you are using our app click here to read Business Live An Australian university dropout is facing 20 years in prison after cheating investors out of over $117million ($US90million) by stealing money they spent on his cryptocurrency fund. Stefan He Qin, 24, is awaiting sentencing in the US after pleading guilty to securities fraud in Manhattan federal court last week. The Canberra native squandered the money trusting investors spent on his crypto fund after dropping out of his Advanced Mathematics and Computer Science degree at UNSW in 2016. Authorities said the fraud occurred from 2017 to 2020 as Qin operated the fund titled Virgil Sigma. Stefan He Qin, 24, is awaiting sentencing in the US after pleading guilty to securities fraud in Manhattan federal court last week 'Stefan He Qin drained almost all of the assets from the $90 million cryptocurrency fund he owned, stealing investors' money, spending it on indulgences and speculative personal investments, and lying to investors about the performance of the fund and what he had done with their money,' U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. She said Qin then tried to steal money from another fund he controlled to meet the redemption demands of the defrauded investors in the former fund. 'The whole house of cards has been revealed, and Qin now awaits sentencing for his brazen thievery,' Strauss said. Prosecutors said Qin cheated dozens of investors, including many in the United States. They said the fraud was revealed last summer when Qin was having difficulty meeting redemption requests from investors. Sean Hecker and Shawn Crowley, attorneys for Qin, said in a statement that their client 'has accepted full responsibility for his actions and is committed to doing what he can to make amends.' The university dropout is facing up to 20 years in prison after stealing $117million (US$90M) from cryptocurrency investors to pay for his New York City penthouse and lavish lifestyle The 24-year-old spent almost all the funds on 'personal indulgences', including food, services, rent and property investments, to the frustration of investors. 'It's not like he lost money because the market turned on him,' one investor, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Australian Financial Review. 'It seems like he's actually spent $90million on living his life and investing in crazy s**t.' In 2018, Qin appeared on CNBC's FastMoney and was profiled by The Wall Street Journal. The article said Qin returned 500 per cent in the year earlier, and the then-21-year-old was managing $23.5million. Qin will be sentenced on May 20. He is facing up to 20 years in prison. 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. Some of the pornographic books seized by police in 1973. Credit:The Age Archives Vice squad detectives seized more than 26 tons of sex picture books yesterday when they raided printers, publishers and newsagents for the second time in 48 hours. Meagher: My job to clean up mess First published in The Age on February 10, 1973 Police have now seized 57 tons of sex books worth more than $500,000 in two days of non-stop raids. It is the biggest police blitz on smut in Victoria. The Chief Secretary (Mr Meagher) said yesterday that he had called for the police crackdown on sex books. The head of the vice squad (Inspector Fred Silvester) warned that there was more to come. We have just begun and there will be a lot more raids before we have finished, he said. Superstar Salman Khan's relationship with Somy Ali was a hot topic of gossip in the mid-90s. Unfortunately, things went kaput between them and the couple parted ways in 1999. Back then, a lot was written about their breakup in the media. Later, in an interview, Somy left everyone shocked when she mentioned Aishwarya Rai's name as the name for their split. Soon, Somy left the film industry and returned back to the US to complete her studies. A few years later, she found her true calling with her organisation, No More Tears, which helps people who are mentally or physically abused. Recently, in an interview with ETimes, Somy talked about her former flame Salman Khan and revealed if she plans to return back to showbiz. Somy told the tabloid that she is not in touch with Salman Khan. The former actress was quoted as saying, "I haven't spoken to Salman in many years, and I think that's the best way to go about things. When people come into our life, we learn from them - what we should do and what we shouldn't. And there's a time when you should move on. However, I respect him for his foundation, and I have heard that they do phenomenal work. I did meet his mom, Salma aunty, who is among my favourite people in this world, when she was in Miami two years ago. It was wonderful to catch up with her." Talking about what made her return back to US post her breakup with Salman, the Anth actress revealed, "In December of 1999, I decided to return to the US. The reason primarily was that the relationship had become very unhealthy. Keep in mind that I had dropped out of ninth grade, and had no education. I was yearning to go back and finish my education. I think that was the best decision I took, because had I not left thousands of people would not have benefitted from my organisation." She continued, "Once I returned to Miami, I got a bachelor's degree in psychology. I have a certificate as a victim advocate, so I am trained to work with people who have faced abuse. I also have a master's degree in broadcast journalism." At the age of 16, Somy had came to Mumbai from Miami to marry her 'teenage crush' Salman Khan. "It was 1991 and I was 16. I saw Maine Pyar Kiya, and I went, 'I have to marry this guy!' I told my mom that I am going to India tomorrow. She, of course, sent me off to my room, but I kept pleading that I have to go to India and marry this guy - Salman Khan. That night, I had a dream that I have to go marry Salman because he is going to be my saviour. Since she wouldn't relent, I called my dad. Of course, I didn't tell him why I wanted to visit India. I told him that we have relatives in Mumbai and I wanted to meet them. I also told him that my biggest dream is to see the Taj Mahal, which I must admit, I haven't seen to this day. I was born in Pakistan and had lived there for a few years before I move to Miami, so I spent a week there, and then landed in India and checked into a five-star hotel. People used to make fun of me because I was this "struggling actor", who was staying at a plush hotel," Somy recalled in her interview. The former actress further admitted that she made a lot of mistakes. ETimes quoted her as saying, "I was exposed to things that as a teenager, no child should be exposed to. But I learnt a lot from those experiences. I also feel that I ruined some relationships because I was misguided by someone else. Other than that, I formed some amazing relationships." On being asked if she plans to make her comeback on screen, Somy told the leading daily, "Bachpan mein nahi kar saki toh ab kya hoga? I have no interest in acting, but I will be facing the camera for a US-based network that will be filming a docu-series about the rescues that we carry out." ALSO READ: EXPLOSIVE! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Came BETWEEN Salman Khan & Me: Somy Ali's Shocking Revelation ALSO READ: Salman Khan's Ex Somy Ali Had Called Vivek Oberoi Insecure When He Was Dating Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 BOSTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Indigo Agriculture, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, today announced additional multi-year commitments to purchase verified agricultural carbon credits through Indigo Carbon . Maple Leaf Foods and Epiphany Craft Malt will purchase verified agricultural carbon credits to further their sustainability objectives. Cool Effect will offer Indigo Carbon credits to buyers on their existing platform, allowing both individuals and organizations to fulfill their sustainability goals with high quality offsets. The North Face will provide Indigo-partner farmers with a premium for cotton grown with regenerative practices and is incentivizing new (additional) practice adoption. Through these commitments, the companies join a growing cohort of private industry leaders spurring the global effort to leverage agriculture as a meaningful climate solution. "Agriculture holds significant promise as a means for addressing climate change and these partners are supporting the change we need to unlock the industry's potential to benefit people and the planet," said Ben Allen, Head of Global Market Development at Indigo. "With the purchase of Indigo Carbon credits, companies directly support farmers' climate smart efforts to make beneficial farming practices the norm, not the exception. I'm incredibly proud to count this new crop of companies among our partners, whose investment and collaboration demonstrate a new era of public-private partnership for good." With an inaugural credit purchase price of $20/tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents sequestered and abated, Indigo Carbon allows companies to directly finance growers' transitions to cultivation practices that improve their soil health, profitability, and the environment at large. Representing a new income stream for farmers, the credits establish an outcomes-based mechanism to accelerate the adoption of agronomic methods proven to reduce on-farm emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As private companies increasingly seek out rigorous, science-based strategies for addressing the environmental impact of their operations, verified offsets have emerged as a key tool for facilitating impactful and cost-effective abatement and removal. Indigo Carbon presents the first agricultural carbon credit project to deploy scalable, registry-approved methodologies for monitoring and quantifying net on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and removals. Developed by the Climate Action Reserve and Verra - nonprofit organizations that manage leading GHG offset project registries - the methodologies establish rigorous standards to ensure the legitimacy of carbon credits for the benefit of growers, buyers, and the public. As the first project developer to adopt and operationalize these protocols, Indigo Carbon enables companies to turn to agriculture -- currently a largely untapped strategy for achieving environmental targets -- with offsets that adhere to the highest industry standards for measurement, reporting, and verification. "We are proud to partner with Indigo Ag as another key milestone in our purposeful journey to becoming the most sustainable protein company on earth," said Michael McCain, President and CEO, Maple Leaf Foods . "The potential for carbon sequestration through regenerative agriculture is game changing for global climate action. As a carbon neutral company, Maple Leaf Foods is committed to creating a more sustainable food system by investing in high-impact environmental projects and supporting local farmers as they harness the power of agriculture to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gases globally." "As the first apparel brand to partner with Indigo, we are excited about the positive environmental impacts regenerative cotton production can have not only for The North Face products, but for our industry as a whole," said Carol Shu, Senior Manager of Global Sustainability at The North Face . "Regenerative products have the ability to shift the industry from simply 'doing less harm' to actually replenishing or having a positive impact on nature and resources, and as a brand that is committed to protecting the outdoor places we love to play, we believe this is another critical step in addressing climate change impacts in our supply chain." "Indigo's approach to changing and improving farming by adjusting long-standing farming practices while revolutionizing how crops are managed inspired me to think bigger about our solutions to fight climate change," said Sebastian Wolfrum, Founder and Director of Malting and Roasting Operations at Epiphany Craft Malt , a small-batch malthouse committed to establishing a resilient, sustainable, and quality supply of domestically grown malt. "At Epiphany Malt, the small grains we use are the foundation to our excellence in malting. We want to start where it matters most to us, in the field." "We are pleased to offer Indigo carbon offsets on the Cool Effect platform beginning in the fall," said Dee Lawrence, Co-Founder of Cool Effect , a nonprofit that provides individuals and businesses the opportunity to create a tangible impact on climate change by funding the highest quality carbon-reducing projects around the world. "We value Indigo's pioneering work with the Climate Action Reserve and Verra to quantify carbon sequestration in soil as well as its goals to teach and promote beneficial sustainable agricultural practices that help both the farmer and mother earth." The introduction of these new buyers expands on previously announced corporate purchase commitments from companies across diverse sectors including financial services (Barclays, JPMorgan Chase), food and beverage (Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, New Belgium Brewing), technology (Givewith, IBM, Shopify), and professional services (Boston Consulting Group). Backed by strong private market demand and multi-year purchase agreements, a growing network of over a thousand farmers across 21 states, end-to-end and on-the-ground program support, and committed practice changes on over 2 million participating acres, Indigo Carbon is poised to issue its first credits and reward growers for "farming carbon" later this year. Learn more about Indigo Carbon and opportunities to support farmers in adopting beneficial farming practices. ABOUT INDIGO AG Indigo Ag improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. The company's scientific discoveries and digital platforms benefit stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem, including tens of thousands of growers across millions of acres. Working across the supply chain, Indigo Ag is furthering its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. In 2019, the company launched Indigo Carbon - a scientifically backed program that provides growers with a new revenue stream in the form of verified agricultural carbon credits. Indigo Ag is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, NC; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Basel, Switzerland. SOURCE Indigo Ag Nearly a decade into the smart city movement, observers from planning, transportation and privacy arenas are turning a critical eye to technology in search of a problem to solve.Too often, smart city projects end up being just plain old surveillance, said Julia Thayne, a founder of Urban Movement Labs who is helping to lead mobility innovation within the office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.And so, I think we want to take elements of smart cities, said Thayne, on comments on a panel at the Micromobility World conference last week. I dont think the concept is the same as what it was introduced as seven years ago, or whenever it was.Citing the controversies around a $30 million smart streetlights program in San Diego, where residents claimed the police department was often allowed access to video footage gathered from the cameras mounted on the lights, speakers at the mobility conference took a questionable view of how smart city has evolved in the lexicon of urban planning, innovation and the general notion of what makes up a modern city.Smart cities is almost an impossibly vague term, remarked David Zipper, a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy Schools Taubman Center for State and Local Government, during the conference.Whats smart? Its anything you want it to be. Its by definition good smart, he added.Its not that technology and innovation have no place in the aim of making cities work better and more efficiently, Zipper and others argue.If smart city applications are addressing a particular city problem that technology can solve, Zipper said hes all for it, but he draws the line at products that arent addressing an immediate issue.... When you start talking about smart streetlights, thats not a problem, he said. Thats a product in search of a problem.In September, the San Diego City Council hit the pause button on its smart streetlights program by turning off the cameras, following pressure from social justice activists. Too often, experts argue, cities lack policy guardrails to narrowly tailor smart city applications against overreach when it comes to privacy.The methods by which you make real great use of big data are not really ones that are very conducive to the way we govern in a democracy, said Lilian Coral, former chief data officer for the city of Los Angeles, in an interview within June 2020.And I think thats the big tension. I think, in a lot of ways I believe cities really need access to more data, more data that is actually available out there, in order to make better decisions. But the challenge is, I dont think theyve been able to quite develop a vision for how to use that data, said Coral.Not all innovation is tech, and sometimes to be truly smart, cities just need to stick to the basics, according to the experts.If I could think of one really smart thing the Biden administration could do with Secretary of Transportation [Pete] Buttigieg, hopefully about to be installed, it would be to have a Marshall Plan, if you will, of sidewalk construction, which I think starts to get us to where we need to really make it possible to be without a car, said Zipper.Janette Sadik-Khan, who chairs the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), echoed a similar low-tech message.The important thing isnt the technology, as much as what the technology makes possible, Sadik-Khan remarked. The point isnt to have cooler or smarter cars, or bikes, or scooters. Its to have better cities. And I think we need to rethink what transportation infrastructure needs. And update the hardware of our streets. Those physical bus lanes and bike lanes and better sidewalks.Government TechnologyGoverning Syracuse, N.Y. Michael Brown didnt expect such strong side effects from the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine. He also didnt expect to feel such an emotional burden lifted afterward. Its a huge relief, it really is, said Brown, of Syracuse, who interacts with patients as a front desk manager for Planned Parenthood. The removal of that kind of acute fear is huge. Im kind of surprised how affected Ive been by it. As thousands of Central New Yorkers become fully vaccinated against Covid-19, their stories tell a similar arc: Sore arm on the first shot, much stronger flu-like symptoms on the second, and then a sense of calm. It certainly gives you a sense of hope that well be able to quiet this pandemic down some, said Meghan Lewis, a registered nurse who works in the bone marrow transplant unit at Upstate Medical University. The two vaccines already authorized for use, made by Pfizer and Moderna, each require a pair of shots, either 21 or 28 days apart. New York released the first vaccines in late December to the highest risk workers, including hospital medical staff, funeral home directors and first responders. Those people were first on the list to get the shots, and so have been the first to complete the series for full protection. As of Friday, over 3,000 people have received their second shots in Onondaga County. The county population is about 460,000. The vaccines are a hot commodity in New York. More than 7 million people are eligible, but the state is receiving just 300,000 doses a week. Websites and phone lines are overwhelmed, and some people are driving hours to get shots at less-crowded sites in the North Country. When Brown, 30, received Moderna vaccine on Jan. 4, he had a little soreness in his arm. He expected the same at his second shot, on Feb. 1. The second shot was way more intense, he said. I had aches, pains, chills, a mild fever, a headache. It only lasted about 36 hours, but it was pretty intense. The stronger reaction to the second vaccine is typical. The percentage of people reporting chills from the Pfizer vaccine shot from 7% for the first shot to 27% for the second, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reports of muscle aches rose from 17% to 42%; fever, nausea and joint pain tripled from shot one to shot two. Symptoms generally last 24 to 48 hours. Carrie Smalser, an EMT in Seneca County, said it was a good thing she had been warned about the second dose. After the first shot in late December, she had the stereotypical soreness at the injection site. But the day after the second shot, she woke up the next day feeling achy and run down. As the day wore on, I progressively got a fever of almost 102. I had fever, chills and shaking, recalled Smalser, 41. Had we not been forewarned about what to expect, I would have been concerned this was Covid. The first shot essentially introduces a protein of the coronavirus to the bodys immune system, which reacts by producing antibodies. When the second shot comes along, the immune system pounces almost as if the second vaccine was the real virus, ramping up the antibodies and the side effects. While post-vaccine symptoms like fever and chills are called side effects, theyre really manifestations of the main effect, which is to spur your body to create antibodies to viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. A fever, for example, is the bodys way of trying to cook the pathogens. Side effects has a pretty negative connotation, and it can lead some people to be afraid of the vaccine, said Lewis, 40. Its important to know that whether you have this immune response or not, your body is building up the antibodies we need to protect us from Covid. The two vaccines on the market, made by Pfizer and Moderna, prevent 95% of those vaccinated from getting sick, according to study data submitted to the federal Food and Drug Administration. Full immunity kicks in a week or two after the second shot, according to the CDC. Many people have virtually no symptoms with either shot. Greg Snyder, a town of Manlius police officer, said he had only mild arm soreness for a few hours after each shot. I was surprised, Snyder said. I had actually talked to a whole bunch of people from the EMT group who had gone before us, and most of them had at least something the second time. Most of the Central New Yorkers who spoke with Syracuse.com said that despite the peace of mind the shots afford, theyre not altering their habits much. In my mind I feel comforted that I have the vaccine, however, Im going to be taking the same precautions that I was before, said John Camilleri, 60, an occupational therapist who works with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Utica. The vaccines, he noted, are not 100 percent, so I could still get the infection and have symptoms or not have any symptoms and still spread it. Im not willing to take that risk. Camilleri is doing the right thing, experts say. We know that the vaccines currently licensed are very effective at preventing symptomatic disease, but what we dont know for sure is how good they are at preventing asymptomatic infections or your ability to catch the virus, feel fine and give it to somebody else, said Dr. Helen Jacoby, an infectious disease specialist at St. Josephs Health, in Syracuse. We dont think its safe for people who have been vaccinated to go out and act like Covid never happened. It will be months before enough vaccines are given to herd immunity, when the vast majority of the population is immune, giving the virus no one to infect. In the meantime, public health experts said, everybody vaccinated or not should wear masks, wash their hands and stay away from gatherings. Despite the strong side effects, those who have gotten both shots say theyre glad they did. Elizabeth Rogers, a speech pathologist at Upstate Medical University, had the whole range of symptoms, starting about 12 hours after the second shot: nausea, body aches, chills, low grade fever, a very bad headache. She stayed home for a day and hung out with her toddler. She watched Frozen, and I laid around and took naps, said Rogers, 37, of Manlius. I wouldnt have wanted to go anywhere or to work. The symptoms lasted about 48 hours, she said. They were unpleasant, but well worth it, said Rogers, who has visited critically ill Covid-19 patients in the hospital. I will take those (side effects) any day over actually getting Covid, she said. Two days of not feeling great is nothing compared to what Ive seen. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources A Covid-19 variant has reached CNY: How concerned should we be? NY starting Covid vaccines for people with underlying conditions: See which ones Whos getting Covid vaccines in Onondaga County, broken down by race and age Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com A TikTok user has been praised after sharing a video showing himself helping a woman who was being harassed by a 'creepy' man in a grocery store. Brandon Robert, 22, from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, took to TikTok to the social media platform to show how he assisted the woman after realizing she was being made to feel uncomfortable by the stranger. In the video, he approached the woman in the store and pretended that he was friends with her to give her a chance to exit her conversation with the man. In a voiceover, Brandon explained: 'There's this weird man making this girl uncomfortable in the store, I'm going to pretend I know her.' Brandon Robert, 22, from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, took to TikTok to show how he helped a woman in a store after realizing she was being made to feel uncomfortable by a stranger Brandon approached the woman and enthusiastically said hello, and she immediately went along with his plan, asking him how he was doing. He asked who the man was with her before saying that his aunt was in the supermarket, urging her to come and say hello. The woman quickly asks if he means 'aunt Claire' before the duo walk away together, after Brandon has given her an excuse to quickly exit the situation. As they walked across the store, the woman said: 'Oh my God, thank you so much. He was asking if I wanted to go back to his place, he was so creepy.' To which Brandon responded: 'I was watching him from across the freaking room, he was touching you. Are you OK?' She confirmed: 'Yeah, I'm good. Thank you for helping me.' In the video, he approached the woman in the store and pretended that he was friends with her to give her a chance to exit her conversation with the man and say hello to his 'aunt Claire' The TikTok video has since racked up an impressive 11.7million likes and more than 112,000 comments from other users who praised Brandon for his kind actions. One person commented: 'Thank you for helping her out. It's pretty sad how often girls have to deal with situations like this' Another said: 'Thank you man. We need more of this. More awareness.' While a third wrote: 'This is a legend right here you got my respect' And a fourth quipped: 'Aunt Claire we love her' After the video went viral, Brandon said that he was pleased his example was sending a 'good message' to other men, urging others to 'protect our ladies'. PARIS - French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday that he continued to support the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, arguing it provided sufficient protection against "nearly all the variants" of the virus. Veran was shown on French television receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in the city of Melun, in the Paris region. "The AstraZeneca vaccine reinforces and amplifies our vaccination strategy", Veran told reporters. "We do our best to prevent the spread of variants", he also said. A British junior health minister said on Monday there was no evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine did not prevent death or serious illness, and added South Africa had only imposed a temporary halt on using the vaccine. South Africa decided to put on hold use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Dominique Vidalon and Matthieu Protard; Editing by Jon Boyle and Louise Heavens) NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a fervent appeal to protesters to end their agitation against the new farm laws even as he questioned opposition parties for their sudden 'U-turn' on the agriculture reforms. Appealing to the agitating farmers to end their protest, Modi said talks should be held to resolve the issue. The Prime Minister also stated that the MSP will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme to 80 crore people. "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said the number of farmers of less than one hectare has risen by 68 per cent and Rs 90,000 crore claim has been disbursed under the crop insurance scheme and Rs 1.15 lakh crore have been given through the Kisan Samman Nidhi. "It is our intention to remove all those drawbacks which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at becoming one large common market," the PM said. He also said the new FDI (Foreign Destructive Ideology) has emerged in the country and "we need to be more aware to save the country from such ideology". Modi also stressed that India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs and the language used by some for them will not benefit the country. He alleged that some people are also trying to defame Sikhs. PM Modi reiterated again that the government was ready to speak to farmers on the issue. He quoted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector and said Congress should take pride that Modi had to do what the former Prime Minister wanted.,"Manmohan Singh ji is here, I would read out his quote for those taking a U-turn on the farm laws and will perhaps agree with him. There are other rigidities because of the marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return. This is what honourable Manmohan Singhji said," PM Modi said. Modi said since 2014 his government has initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer. Live TV SciFest, Irelands largest and most inclusive second level STEM fair programme is calling on students in Longford to enter the 16th annual SciFest@College competition. The 2020 competition was run online and was widely acclaimed as a great success. The continuing Covid-19 restrictions mean that this years competition will again be online and students across the country are encouraged to enter. All projects will be accepted from the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. The deadline for receipt of entry forms for SciFest@College 2021 is March 23. The right needs to start thinking in terms of chess moves and less defense mode By Rachel Alexander After the stunning presidential election loss, the right is going to have to change its tactics. The left was able to shut down our efforts to investigate election fraud by labeling them dangerous conspiracy theories. Obviously, the first thing that needs to change is how elections are held. Republican controlled state legislatures need to tighten up election rules and regulations. Honest conservatives need to run for state and county offices overseeing elections. But the second, more complex factor is how we deal with the lefts attacks shutting us down and destroying our credibility. Because the left dominates the MSM, Big Tech, education, the legal system and Wall Street, and because we adhere to Judeo-Christian ethics, we have to work much harder and smarter than they do. We can no longer just sit around and complain about how unfair it is that they use Saul Alinskys tactics against us, such as lying, because its not getting us anywhere. The left has made a lot of traction in recent years by labeling our exposure of their criminal and unethical behavior as wild conspiracy theories. They operate in the dark more than we do because their ideas are so unpopular they have to sneak them through using sleazy tactics. So naturally we are always uncovering evidence of them. I dont know hardly anyone on our side who is fascinated by conspiracy theories, most conservatives tend to be very logical and fact oriented often to our detriment because we are less inclined to get involved in the arts and Hollywood. The left lumps in any genuine criticism we have of their underhanded behavior with conspiracy theories that have gotten people into trouble. The Sandy Hook shooting is a common one, that supposedly children didnt really die, they were only child actors. Provocateur Alex Jones was deplatformed across the internet for discussing it, and currently has two lawsuits pending against him. Now it is true that 20 years ago, people could speculate about conspiracy theories and werent banned or sued. Well times have changed. Do we want to go down defending Jones, or do we want to distinguish our genuine questions about the election from his difficult to prove rants? We need to pick and choose our battles wisely, and until the deplatforming of Jones can clearly be shown to be a violation of free speech (so far Big Tech has the upper hand, getting away with their actions as private companies), we are wasting time on the wrong fights. I realize the left keeps moving the goalposts; first they deplatformed people who are way out there like Jones, now theyre targeting regular vocal conservatives, next theyre going to target anyone who admitted they voted for Trump. The MSM is going to continue blocking our messaging, and Big Tech is gradually kicking us off their platforms, so we need to start ramping up our own platforms at all levels of the internet, as I wrote about last week. But right now they have figured out how to rig elections by quashing our objections as conspiracy theories. Theyve been able to get away with crimes by ironically convincing people that the accusations are so serious they cant be credible. Its imperative that we defeat this labeling. When they accuse us of being conspiracy theorists, we need to be prepared with a list of things the left claimed were conspiracies that turned out to be accurate. Peter Strozk and his lover Lisa Pages text messages revealed they were trying to stop Trump from winning the 2016 election. Strozk and Page changed Michael Flynns FD-302 interview answers to make him look guilty of conspiring with Russia. Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing that the NSA was spying on Americans. Hillary Clinton ran a personal server out of her home where she conducted business as secretary of state using a private email address, and destroyed highly classified emails. None of these facts are disputed, the evidence was overwhelming. Ask the left if they want their own concerns dismissed as conspiracy theories. Watergate started out as a conspiracy theory. Should that have been ignored because it was just too incredulous? The left comes up with harebrained schemes all the time. Its overdue to start labeling them as conspiracy theories; put them on the defensive wasting time trying to refute the label. It wont be easy for us, you cant just come up with this kind of thing off the top of your head. The left has well-paid politicos sitting around in think tanks poring hours of time into this type of opposition research. Our side tends to rely on volunteer bloggers. Once we decide one of their criticisms is a conspiracy, we have to be ready to defend our argument with a list of evidence, including analogies to real conspiracies. Otherwise they will defeat us with Saul Alinskys Rule #3, Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy. Trump did better than most Republican leaders putting the Democrats on the defensive. He gave his opponents negative labels, like calling Biden Sleepy Joe. Those tactics work if clever and not overdone. Calling Kamala Harris Kamala Ho, for example, is beneath us and not effective. Flood the news with articles pointing out their negatives well in advance. An article speculating Is Joe Biden avoiding public appearances due to depression over having dishonestly won? featuring psychologists is an example. The MSM bombarded us with articles claiming Trump was depressed, so why is Biden off the hook? It became painfully clear he was skipping a lot of public appearances leading up to the election. Our side needs to stop allowing RINOs a free pass when they cave and assert its because of their principles. They have none, the answer is always follow the money. We need to call them out every time and figure out what happened behind the scenes. A pundit on Newsmax last week complained that we need to get back to discussing policies, not people. Unfortunately, the left isnt going to make it that simple. Two Alinsky methods they have perfected are #12, Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it, and Rule #5, Ridicule is mans most potent weapon. The more top conservatives they take down, the easier it is to associate others with the victim and destroy them too. Preemptively taking down the lefts leaders isnt as hard as it looks, because their side is so prone to lying and lacks ethics. Theres been a barrage already during the first two weeks of the Biden administration. Along with that we need to start themes and repeat them constantly. CNN was recently caught removing its COVID-19 death counter during broadcasts now that Biden is president. Our side is terrible at selecting key themes and hammering them. The coordination that occurs on the left among its factions is incredible, most recently revealed in a Time article that came out last week. Ive been in politics for years; in campaigns, working for elected officials and as a journalist, and Ive never been on a list coordinating talking points on the right. Stop wasting time down rabbit holes hoping drastic things are happening to change our country. Unless a respectable conservative news source like Newsmax has vetted a rumor, it could have easily been placed there by the left in order to make us look nutty and waste our time. Instead, look at what the left is hyping up on the Drudge Report and figure out how to turn it around on them. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.mericano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home Required mask-wearing in public is nothing new in Massachusetts during the pandemic, yet at 59-year-old man was angry enough to damage an MBTA bus after he was asked to wear one, authorities said. A 59-year-old man, who police didnt publicly identify, ripped off the mirror on the side of an MBTA bus serving Brookline and Cambridge on Sunday after he was asked to wear a mask, authorities said. The bus was operating on Route 66, police said. All passengers and employees must wear masks, according to MBTA COVID protocols. Like guidelines in the state, the requirements of masks on MBTA vehicles is nothing new. The man, police said, will be summoned for malicious destruction of property. On 2/7/2021 an #MBTA bus operator, of a Route 66, asked a 59 year old male to put a mask on. The male responded by ripping the mirror off the side of the bus. The male will be summoned for Malicious Destruction of Property. #WearAMask MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) February 8, 2021 Masks are available to MBTA riders who need them between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. as well as 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays at the following stations: Maverick, Orient Heights, Forest Hills, Park Street, Downtown Crossing, Quincy Center, Charles/MGH and Hynes Convention Center. Related Content: Apple, which is known to keep product plans under tight wraps, has never acknowledged talks with the Korean automaker about building vehicles Apple Inc's ( ) plans for an autonomous electric car looked less firm on Monday after South Koreas Hyundai Motor Co said it is no longer in talks with the tech giant about the project. The announcement, just a month after the South Korean group confirmed early-stage talks with the iPhone maker, saw Hyundais stock slide 6% in Seoul, while shares in its affiliate Kia Corp, which had been tipped as the likely operational partner for Apple, dropped 15%. In a statement on Monday, in compliance with Korean stock market rules requiring regular updates to investors regarding market rumours, the automakers said: We are receiving requests for co-operation in joint development of autonomous electric vehicles from various companies, but they are at early stage and nothing has been decided. We are not having talks with Apple on developing autonomous vehicles, they added Kia shares had jumped by over 60% since Hyundai initially confirmed a local media report early in January that Apple and Hyundai were in discussions to develop self-driving electric vehicles by 2027 and develop batteries at US factories operated by either Hyundai or Kia. As recently as last week, media outlets including CNBC reported that a deal was close to being finalised. In a report, Reuters noted that Hyundai is traditionally known for its reluctance to work with outsiders, making engines, transmissions and even its own steel in-house in a vertically integrated supply chain as South Koreas second-largest conglomerate. Although shares in Kia and Hyundai had surged on news of the talks, internal opposition to becoming an Apple contract manufacturer was considerable, according to people familiar with the matter, Reuters added. Apple, which is known to keep product plans under tight wraps, has never acknowledged talks with the Korean automaker about building vehicles. MORE than 4 000 vehicles have been given radiation free certificates after being screened at ports of entry. While there were no available statistics of vehicles that failed the screening process, the Radiation Protection Authority of Zimbabwe (RPAZ) said their inspectors are at most ports of entry, including Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, Kariba, Forbes and Chirundu border posts. RRAZ launched the mandatory exercise in Beitbridge where it was operating from the three transit sheds in the border town in December last year. The majority of vehicle imports from Japan into Zimbabwe come via the border post hence the major presence there following the gazetting of SI 281 of 2020. Importers of small passenger vehicles pay a contamination inspection per vehicle of US$10 and US$50 for de-contamination per vehicle. For buses, heavy vehicles, haulage trucks and trailers, contamination inspection per vehicle costs US$20 and de-contamination is US$100. The decontamination process is not for every vehicle but only those who levels of radiation are found to be above the permissible levels. The actual screening process is quick so that it does not inconvenience the clearing process. It takes at most five minutes In a written response to questions from Chronicle, RPAZ corporate communications officer Mr Chamu Murava said vehicles that are clean will just be issued a certificate. The vehicle screening exercise at the countrys ports of entry is progressing well with over 4 000 vehicles having been screened to date in fulfilment of Statutory Instrument 281 of 2020. Our inspectors are on the ground in Beitbridge, Chirundu, Kariba, Forbes and Victoria Falls to ensure that we cover as much vehicles as we can and enhance the protection of the people from the harmful effects of radiation, which is our mandate, he said. Mr Murava said the decontamination process is done on site by technicians. What is important to note however, is that decontamination is a process that takes place only for vehicles that have been found to be contaminated, he said. Mr Murava said all the vehicles screened so far have been clean of any radiation and the Authority remains diligent in its duty to ensure that this remains the case. Mr Murava said the aim of the Authority is to ensure that the people are protected from the effects of radiation. He said cars that are found to be contaminated will be isolated and decontaminated on site by RPAZ inspectors. This is so that vehicle importers do not experience delays and the inconvenience of travelling from the transit sheds for decontamination, he said. Mr Murava said studies indicate that there is no reason for anyone to panic that they are exposed to radiation from their vehicles. This exercise is not peculiar to Zimbabwe but is standard practice meant to protect the people and the environment against possible exposure to radiation, he said. Mr Murava said those who imported their vehicles before the gazetting of the SI and wish to have them tested can go to RPAZ offices in Harare and Bulawayo. Beyond testing the vehicle imports we also have a laboratory in Harare where we do food monitoring and water testing for bulk water supplies and home users. What is important to note however, is that decontamination is a process that takes place only for vehicles that have been found to be contaminated, he said. Chronicle LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets related to the independent financial planning channel of Voya Financial Advisors (VFA). Through this acquisition*, VFA independent financial professionals providing holistic financial planning to 385,000 retail customers with nearly $40 billion in assets will become part of Cetera. By joining Cetera, the financial professionals will gain comprehensive, leading-edge growth capabilities, with increased flexibility and choice as independent business owners. Adam Antoniades, Chief Executive Officer of Cetera, said, "We have always respected VFA's commitment to their business owners, independent operating model and strong community of financial professionals. We share an unwavering purpose in providing more American investors with sound independent financial guidance. By helping financial professionals grow and by bringing new financial professionals to the network, Cetera continues to empower more financial professionals to deliver an Advice-Centric Experience to more clients. We meet financial professionals where they are to help them grow the businesses of their dreams and leave the legacy they envision." Cetera's exclusive focus on the delivery of financial advice and its ability to accelerate growth for its financial professionals aligns with the goals of VFA's independent network. With today's announcement, the team and independent financial professional network from VFA will form a distinct business within Cetera, as part of Cetera Advisor Networks. It will continue to be led by Tom Halloran, President, as well as key leadership and dedicated service teams who will also join Cetera and continue to serve their financial professional community as they do today. Tom Halloran said, "Our team at VFA and our independent financial professionals are excited to be joining Cetera as we build on the legacy and progress we've made over the last seven years. We are energized by Cetera's industry-respected mission to help independent financial professionals provide financial wellness to clients at each life stage. Cetera's commitment to the independent model is the right fit for our business owners, giving them increased flexibility and scale. There is a long list of award-winning and transformative resources our financial professionals have to look forward to as part of Cetera: the firm's deep domain expertise, growth-generating programs and leading-edge technology for an enhanced client experience, risk management, advisory and more. These will help our network of independent financial professionals grow and build upon the momentum we have already created as we continue to serve clients in a rapidly transforming industry." Tom Taylor, Chief Sales and Growth Officer at Cetera, added, "We are eager to begin working with VFA financial professionals to accelerate their goals for growth and client service. Our differentiated model for supporting multiple affiliation choices through distinct communities enables us to quickly augment capabilities for new members of our network. As part of Cetera's community of large enterprises, VFA financial professionals will be able to retain their long-standing relationships. They also keep their independent culture, leadership and way of doing business while benefiting from Cetera's breadth of resources for growth and productivity." *Cetera was advised on these transactions by Goldman Sachs. About Cetera Financial Group Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading financial advice firm. It empowers the delivery of an Advice-Centric Experience to individuals, families and businesses across the country through independent financial advisors as well as trusted tax professionals and banks and credit unions. It's headquartered at 200 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 1200 El Segundo, CA 90245-5670. Comprehensive services include: wealth management solutions, retirement plan solutions, advisory services, practice management support, innovative technology, marketing guidance, regulatory support, and market research. "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and First Allied Securities, Inc. All firms are members FINRA / SIPC. Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. SOURCE Cetera Financial Group are due to appear at Coleraine Magistrates' Court later today Inspections on animal-based food produce were suspended in ports last Monday Two men have been charged with painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks in a Northern Ireland port town. William Donnell, 21, from Belfast Road in Larne and Mitchell Leeburn, 25, from Deerpark Road, Kilwaughter, Larne, were arrested in Larne on Saturday evening. They have both been charged with eight counts of criminal damage and with possessing an article with intent to damage property. Slogans were painted at various locations in the town on Saturday, one stating 'Larne says no to Irish Sea Border' and another that appeared to include 'target signs'. Appearing before Coleraine Magistrates' Court earlier today via video-link, they were granted bail with conditions including a night-time curfew and a prohibition on entering Larne town centre. William Donnell, 21, and Mitchell Leeburn, 25, have been charged with painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks in a Northern Ireland port town Threats over the last month, believed to have been made by loyalists, led to inspections on animal-based food produce arriving at Larne and Belfast ports to be suspended last week This came after separate graffiti threatening port staff appeared in Larne and capital Belfast over the last month amid rising tensions over checks imposed on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Protocol. Various messages saying 'No Irish sea border', 'Ulster sold out!' and 'RIP GFA', referring to the Good Friday Agreement, were found near to the areas' ports in January. Another also referenced tensions about the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol and describing all port staff as 'targets'. This came after separate graffiti threatening port staff appeared in Larne and capital Belfast over the last month amid rising tensions over checks imposed on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Protocol A police investigation was launched after the words 'all border post staff are targets' (pictured) appeared spray painted on a wall in Larne, County Antrim, in January The threats, believed to have been made by loyalists, led to inspections on animal-based food produce arriving at Larne and Belfast ports to be suspended last week. After carrying out a risk assessment at Larne, the 12 environmental health officers who were withdrawn by Mid and East Antrim Council resumed work on Friday. The Northern Ireland Protocol, part of post-Brexit arrangements, avoided creating a hard border with the Republic of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market but meant goods from the UK mainland must be checked when they arrive in Belfast or Larne. Although police say paramilitaries were not involved, tensions in Northern Ireland were set to get worse as post-Brexit grace periods end and stop some goods from Britain entering Northern Ireland at all. But in response to the escalation in tensions, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he was open to the idea of modest extensions of the grace period before checks are introduced on more goods crossing the Irish Sea. His intervention will be seen as a boost to the Government ahead of crunch discussions in the coming days with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which has led to delays at ports as well as threats to staff carrying out inspections. Britain's calls for a delay before full post-Brexit trade rules are imposed on Northern Ireland's ports have been backed by Dublin Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who will host meetings with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in London, is asking for another two years before supermarket stock, medicines and parcels are checked. He warned that if solutions were not found, the government would consider using 'all instruments at its disposal' - comments that raise the prospect of a unilateral move to suspend aspects of the protocol. The loyalist threats centered on three customs checkpoints at the Northern Irish ports of Larne, Belfast as well as Warrenpoint where EU officials oversee checks that goods entering Northern Ireland have customs declarations and can enter the EU's single market. That has led to disruption with some businessmen claiming that 'forms which a fortnight ago took 15-20 minutes now take 3-4 hours'. The frontier checkpoints are manned by UK Border Force officials and their checks are overseen by EU officials on a rotating list of member states. It comes amid fury at the EU for threatening on Friday to suspend the post-Brexit trade agreements in an attempt to stop coronavirus vaccines travelling from Ireland to the UK. The European Commission's proposal on export controls last Friday would have struck at the heart of the protocol's main function - to facilitate a free-flowing Irish border - by placing restrictions on vaccines moving into Northern Ireland from the bloc. The threat by Brussels united Britain and Ireland in condemnation of the EU for appearing to undermine its commitment to the Good Friday peace agreement. The episode has inflamed the anger of loyalist elements who are unhappy at customs checks on goods coming from Britain to Northern Ireland, which has caused shortages and is viewed as the erection of a hard border in the Irish Sea. Many unionists and loyalists are against the protocol because they believe it has created an economic barrier between the region and the rest of the UK, undermining the constitutional integrity of the Union. Masked Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) men were also caught on video putting on a 'show of strength' in East Belfast yesterday - although police say this was related to an 'internal UVF dispute' and not directly linked to the Brexit issues. 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. Egypts state oil and gas companies are set to launch the countrys new oil and gas exploration bid round by the end of this month, the petroleum minister said a month after the North African nation signed exploration agreements with international oil majors. Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), the state-held oil and gas firms, are set to launch the tender by the end of February, Africa Oil+Gas Report reported, citing Egypts Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla. Since the discovery of the giant gas field Zohr in Egyptian waters in 2015, which operator Eni says is the largest ever gas discovery in the Mediterranean, oil majors have been interested in natural gas and oil exploration in Egypt and its offshore area. Last summer, Eni, BP, and Total said they had successfully tested a new natural gas discovery in Egypts shallow waters. Egypt is now looking to award additional acreage for exploration, a month after signing nine exploration agreements for offshore oil and gas exploration with some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. In one of those deals, ExxonMobil acquired exploration acreage offshore Egypt with co-venturers Tharwa Petroleum Company and EGAS, in the Star Offshore block next to the North East El Amirya Offshore block in the Nile Delta, ExxonMobil Egypt said in January. This new agreement strengthens our exploration portfolio in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean and complements ExxonMobils long-standing downstream presence in Egypt, since 1902, Exxons Egyptian unit said on LinkedIn. The other U.S. supermajor, Chevron, was also among the companies that signed exploration deals last month. So was Frances Total, which leading a consortium that includes Shell signed an exploration and production agreement for the North Ras Kanayis Offshore block in the Herodotus Basin in the Mediterranean. It reinforces our presence in Egypt, following a gas discovery made in July 2020 with the Bashrush well on the North El Hammad license, to be developed through a tie-in to nearby existing infrastructure, said Kevin McLachlan, Senior Vice President Exploration at Total. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. press release Ahead of its proposed conference on security, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the United States and other members of the international community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive steps to protect Nigerians and curb escalated violence, terrorism and banditry ravaging our country under his watch. The party also tasked President Buhari to respond to widespread cry for credible elections in our country by making personal commitment towards accelerated amendment to the Electoral Act, to among other things, give statutory force to simultaneous electronic transmission of results and use of card readers in elections. PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, presented the position of the party at a crucial meeting with the Political Officer with the United States Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Jerry Howard, at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja on Tuesday. Prince Secondus lamented the horrible level of insecurity; increased terrorism, wanton killings and kidnapping in the country with the Buhari administration failing to demonstrate the capacity to protect the citizens. The National Chairman disclosed that this is the reason the PDP, as a party that has the interest of Nigeria at heart, is putting together a non-partisan national conference on security. "Everyday, our nation is confronted with reports of gruesome killings, kidnapping and unrestrained destruction across all parts of our country. As a party and patriotic citizens, we can no longer continue to watch. That is why we are putting together a non-partisan conference on security" he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The PDP chairman also expressed anxiety over an impending food crisis in our country if the security situation, which has crippled agricultural and economic activities, is not addressed. On electoral reforms, the PDP expressed worry that Nigerians have lost interest in our electoral system due to the manipulations being witnessed under the APC administration and urged President Buhari to leave a legacy of credible elections by ensuring accelerated amendment to the Electoral Act. Prince Secondus insisted that such amendment must ensure a "legal backing for use of card readers for elections as well as electronic transmission of results, as witnessed in the 2020 Edo governorship election." Stating that the PDP is the only hope to restore peace, national cohesiveness and save Nigeria from collapse, the National Chairman, stressed that the party will remain steadfast in its ideals adding that the PDP will never change its name or any of its identity. According to Secondus, "we will not change our brand. Our strength is in our name, the PDP, and we are not in any contemplation of changing our name. It does not matter how many times other parties changed their names. Our name remains the PDP. Earlier at the meeting, Howard, had assured of the continued support of the United States towards the deepening of democratic practice in Nigeria. (India) Limited, one of the largest manufacturers of sugar in India and part of Murugappa Group, has reported a standalone Profit of Rs 339 Crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 as against a loss of Rs 20 Crore during the same period last year. Revenue from operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 was Rs 439 crore in comparison to the corresponding quarter of previous year of Rs 437 Crore, a year ago. Consolidated revenue from operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 was up 15 per cent at Rs 4,701 crore, from Rs 4,082 crore a year ago. Earning before depreciation, interest and taxes (EBITDA) and before exceptional item for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 was Rs 559 Crore, up 10 per cent over the corresponding quarter of previous year of Rs 509 Crore. Consolidated profit after tax and non-controlling interest was Rs 107 Crore compared to Rs 157 Crore in corresponding quarter of previous year. S Suresh, Managing Director of the company said that performance of the company during the quarter was impacted due to increase in Fair & Remunerative Price (FRP) without corresponding increase in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of Sugar and also due to the reduced sugar selling prices. The selling prices were under severe pressure due to the carryover surplus and the higher in the country during the quarter. Further, the much-expected export programme also did not come through during the quarter. ALSO READ: Mahindra shares touch a two-year high on strong Q3 show on two key fronts Cane crush is expected to be marginally better than the last sugar year in Karnataka, while it is expected to be almost similar to the last year number for Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh regions. The Company continues to focus on sweating the assets along with cost and cash management. The Board of Directors have approved the closure of Pettavaithalai unit which had not been in operations for the past few years. The Company proposes to transfer the assets of the units to its other units/dispose of other assets as it deemed appropriate. Consequently, the Company has charged Rs. 83.32 Crores to the profit and loss account (representing Rs. 65.53 Crores of impairment charges and Rs. 17.79 Crores towards dismantling / transportation expenses) for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2020. Also, the Company has impaired Goodwill of Rs. 14.52 Crores relating to Ramdurg factory based on evaluation of the recoverability, being a leased plant. During the quarter the company had further sold 2% stake in its subsidiary, Coromandel International Limited as a part of its debt reduction plan. Governor Bill Lee will discuss COVID-19 response and the budget effect in his third State of the State Address. It will be delivered today (Monday) at 6 p.m. CST. The Governors Office also premiered the following video on YouTube "to mark a significant year in Tennessee history and 225 years of statehood that will be celebrated this year." Excerpts include: Budget and Legislative Priorities We have conservative proposals for your consideration that will reduce crime, support strong families and get our economy back up to speed, especially in rural Tennessee. Our proposals honor the individual yet benefit the state as a whole, and they will leave us well-positioned for the recovery that has already begun across our state. Celebrating 225 Years of Statehood We will celebrate that since 1796 the ordinary has made us extraordinary and remember that generations before us have not just weathered but excelled in the cycle of perseverance, character and hope. I will once again travel to all 95 counties to reach the unsung people and places that make our state who she is. Vision for K-12 Education The reason we place so much focus on education is because students should be prepared for productive lives, not just the latest standardized test. I recently had a conversation with Commissioner Schwinn that the mission of the Department of Education should be simple: Students should be prepared for life beyond the classroom. Rural Investment Whether its running a small business, accessing virtual learning or accessing health care via telemedicine, slow internet speeds have many in rural Tennessee left at a disadvantage. A significant, one-time investment, combined with significant private investment, will get broadband to just about every community in Tennessee, and tonight, thats exactly what Im proposing. Pro-Life & Pro-Family But being pro-life isnt just about defending the unborn and we must also think about how to use our passion for this issue to improve the lives of struggling families. My administration is preparing a number of new initiatives that well announce throughout the year that will make Tennessee a national leader in foster care and adoption. A New Haven lawmaker is trying to stop municipalities from imposing exorbitant fees that restrict many out-of-towners from using public beaches. Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, introduced a bill that also would prevent communities from barring beach visitors from other towns on grounds that this would prevent COVID-19 spread. It doesnt surprise me that every approach that any of these communities take is to limit who can access public beaches, Lemar said, calling these measures akin to the racially restrictive land covenants and exclusionary zoning policies that bar many poor Black and Hispanic residents from affluent suburbs. Connecticuts shoreline and beaches are a core asset that have benefitted from millions of dollars of public investments in clean air and water and park development programs, Lemar said, adding every resident should have an opportunity to enjoy them. But some shoreline communities say that simply isnt realistic. Parking is limited at municipal beaches, and residents should have priority over visitors from out-of-town, some leaders said. Westport, an affluent Fairfield County community, made headlines three years ago when local officials set the prices for a seasonal beach parking pass at $50 for residents and $775 for visitors from most other towns. Residents of neighboring Weston pay $375. But some communities invest more in their beaches than others do, and Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe said the fee schedule is designed to spread costs fairly. Compo Beach, the towns main shoreline attraction, includes pavilions, picnic tables and cooking areas, restrooms, pickleball courts and a skate park, and it is adjacent to two marinas. Adding and maintaining these amenities requires more funding than $50 local beach passes can raise. Town residents cover the bulk of the extra costs through their property tax payments, but the higher parking charges on visitors from other towns is an attempt to share some of the burden, Marpe said. A few years ago back, our own residents could not get to the beach because of a lack of parking spaces, he said, adding this was unfair given that those same residents financed the beachs development. But Lemar said it simply isnt realistic to expect poorer families to pay $775, adding that Connecticuts largest cities dont charge neighboring suburban residents for all of the benefits they provide. People in New Haven pay for the sidewalks, but we dont say to the people in Milford, If you work here, you cant walk on our sidewalks. Westport should be ashamed of themselves, said Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut NAACP. In this day and time, Connecticut should not be involved in this level of discrimination. Gov. Ned Lamonts communications director, Max Reiss, declined to comment last week. Lamonts hometown of Greenwich set prices in 2019 that charged non-residents $150 for a seasonal beach pass, while residents paid $35. Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo could not be reached for comment. Lemars bill also would prevent communities from selectively banning non-residents from beach use in response to pandemic. A handful of communities closed their beaches to non-residents last summer to reduce crowd size and ensure social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lemar said the solution could be to limit overall attendance but not by excluding out-of-town visitors. Fairfield, which charges non-residents $250 for a seasonal beach pass versus the $25 residents pay temporarily blocked out-of-towners from its shores last summer. To me, it was a public safety issue, said Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick. My biggest concern was allowing people to socially distance. The Connecticut ACLU, which cautioned communities against these policies last summer, hasnt reviewed Lemars bill to date. But Executive Director David McGuire said fair beach access is an issue that has haunted Connecticut for too long, with most restrictive policies grounded in politics, not health science. We know Connecticut has a long history of shoreline towns using a number of different policies to keep a number of people off their beaches, he said, adding that a lot of times, these policies are nothing more than thinly veiled racist policies. The Handbook of Great Italian Perfumery Art Books Events There are not hundreds of books about perfume, but there is a new one that is so good and so big that it will keep you entertained for many enjoyable hours. Its title is: The Handbook of Great Italian Perfumery: Fifty Years of Exceptional Scents. Published very recently, in the last quarter of 2020, this is, finally, the more-than-deserved tribute to Italian perfumery. Beware, if you are a vintage perfume collector with an easy trigger for the online auctions of perfume bottles. This book will awaken your most repressed impulses of spending your money. But if you are not worried, and you want to explore the rabbit hole of vintage Italian perfume, don't even hesitate to get this superb book written by Marika Vecchiattini. Great Italian Perfumery is, mainly but not only, a compendium of fragrance reviews. It explores Italian brands, starting in the 1970's and going up until nowadays. The story begins with Gucci N1 and Roberto Capucci Yendi from 1974, as well as the birth of Italian niche with Bruno Acampora's Musc in 1975. It ends with Trussardi Riflesso (2017), Perris Monte Carlo Cedro di Diamante (2018), and Gucci Memoire d'une Odeur in 2019. But it's not all about famous brands, and in the end there is even a complete list of all Italian fragrances launched in the past 50 years. It's like a "catalogue raisonne" of Italian olfactory art, in fact, with beautiful images and an introduction that explains the history of Italian perfumery. It's a coffee table book with a lot of content and depth, as the publisher, Silvana Editoriale, explains: "This volume is the first of its kind: a publication dedicated exclusively to the history of Italian perfumery and fragrances. A compendium full of historical news, curiosities and punctual information which, in remembering how modern perfumery was born in Italy reaching the much more renowned France only in the 16th century, when Caterina de Medici married the Duke of Orleans retraces the events that marked the development of this veritable art: from the creation of the Cologne water to the Violetta di Parma, from the diffusion of perfumed talc to aftershave, from the workshops of the early twentieth century to the big brands from the eighties and nineties which, through marvelous perfumes, avant-garde marketing and refined design bottles, also in this sector conveyed the passion for Made in Italy." The selection of 100 fragrances in this book largely depended on the author's collection, and she explains the process of research in the first pages. The historical overview of the birth of perfumery in the Middle East, how the tradition travelled to and developed in Italy, and from there, how it went to France with Caterina de Medici, is very simple and educational, never boring. The book really works as an initiation for all of those who want to know more about why we are so obsessed with perfumery and how Italy has played such an important role in that. The perfume reviews are equally witty and informative. The selection of fragrances analyzed is superb all through every decade, reaching a strange shape when it comes to the 2010's decade, including lesser and very questionable fragrances such as Versace Eros or Prada Candy, scents that are not important nor qualitative enough to be compared with the iconic vintage ones. However, it's nice to see the inclusion of niche names like Lorenzo Villoresi, Antonio Alessandria, Homoelegans, and Maria Candida Gentile in this chapter. The finale of this opus is a collection of interviews with Carlo Ponti, heir of the Borsari family; Emanuela Rupi, president of Mouillettes & Co.; Maurizio Cerizza, perfumer; and other players in the Italian perfume industry. A great book to explore and cherish, but also a dangerous one for the wallet. AUTHOR: Marika Vecchiattini DIMENSION: 17 x 24 cm PAGES: 360 ILLUSTRATIONS: 250 LANGUAGE: English Available on Silvana Editoriale, for the price of 37,05 Euros, and on major online book retailers. Images of the book from Silvana Editoriale Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. On Tuesday, the nation will begin only its fourth impeachment trial of a president, and Nicholas Fandos, a congressional correspondent for The New York Times, will cover his second. Mr. Fandos, who tracked every beat of the proceedings last year, will be reporting on the second trial of Donald J. Trump, who this time faces the charge of incitement of insurrection in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In an edited interview, Mr. Fandos, who was in the building during that assault, discussed his work last year and the job ahead. Where will you be for the impeachment? Well, its probably going to work pretty differently than it did a year ago. I remember dozens of us crowding into the Senate press gallery talking about this virus coming out of China that was going to be a big story and nobody was going to care about the impeachment. And it kind of turned out to be true. This time around, I will probably be watching most of the proceedings from home in Washington because, like other news organizations, weve tried to limit our physical presence in the Capitol. Luckily, most of these proceedings are captured on C-SPAN or are livestreamed. Vaccinations are starting to get pretty common among lawmakers, but most reporters still dont have them. The history of computer science, the internet, and the modern software industry is populated by a cast of characters that is largely White, middle-aged men. Leafing through Walter Isaacsons excellent history of the technology industry, The Innovators, I was struck by the lack of diversity of the inventors, hackers, geniuses, and geeks responsible for the modern computer age. An important text in uncovering the contributions of Black people to the history of technology was Margot Lee Shetterlys book Hidden Figures, and the Hollywood movie based on it, that charts the careers of three African-American NASA mathematicians during the space race. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were programming pioneers, learning to code in Fortran and advocating for women in science, engineering, and mathematics positions at NASA. Although there are efforts to improve diversity and inclusion efforts at large technology companies, paving the way for a new generation of Black developers to come to the fore, there is much work to be done. As both inspiration and impetus, and in celebration of Black History Month this February, we delved into the archives to shine a light on some key Black tech pioneers who may have been overlooked by history. Roy Clay Any history of Black contributions to the field of computer science has to include Roy L. Clay, Sr., the founder and former CEO of ROD-L Electronics, a manufacturer of electrical safety testing equipment. Before founding ROD-L, Clay was a programmer. He started his career in 1956 programming IBM and Burroughs computers for McDonnell Aircraft. In 1958, he moved to what is now known as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, operated by UC Berkeley for the US Department of Energy. Clay went on to develop software languages for Control Data mainframe computers, before joining Hewlett-Packard as the lead developer for the HP 2116A minicomputer and later as part of its research and development department. It was at HP where Clay worked with the late Tom Perkins, a founding member of the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. The relationship led to a consulting role for Clay and an investment from Kleiner Perkins in ROD-L in 1978, marking the first Black founder the firm ever invested in. Marian Croak Marian Croak has been in technology for 35 years and currently works at Google as vice president of site reliability engineering for ads, corporate engineering, and YouTube. Her crowning achievement was contributing to the invention of the Voice over IP (VoIP) protocol in the 1990s. Still in use today, VoIP allows voice communications and multimedia to be transmitted over Internet Protocol (IP) networks instead of over traditional telephone networks. Anyone who has taken part in a Zoom call recently will have come into contact with VoIP technology in some form. Mark Dean Born in Tennessee in 1957, Mark Dean is a computer scientist, professor, and inventor who was central to the creation of the personal computer. During his long career at IBM, between 1979 and 2013, Dean worked on the team responsible for bus control systems, including what became the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) that allowed early computers to communicate with external devices. Dean also holds other key patents related to early models of the IBM PC, released in 1981. He became the first Black IBM Fellow when he was appointed to the position in 1995. Today Dean is an emeritus professor in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee. Clarence Ellis Clarence Skip Ellis was one of few African-Americans to walk the halls of the now-legendary Xerox PARC in the 1970s and 1980s, where he was part of the team that developed early display software, object-oriented programming languages, and OfficeTalk, an early groupware system that paved the way for todays collaboration software. Using the Alto and Dorado machines, and the Cedar database and programming environment, we have devised a system that allows the flexible manipulation of electronic forms on the display screen of users and helps to coordinate and control the flow of forms between user workstations, said the original OfficeTalk notes from 1982, coauthored by Ellis. Lisa Gelobter Lisa Gelobter is a computer scientist and technology executive who has a long history of contributions to video technology on the web, including early contributions toward the now-ubiquitous Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). During her time at Adobe, Gelobter led the Shockwave and Flash Player product teams. Gelobter is currently the cofounder and CEO of Tequitable, a platform for employees to address issues of bias, discrimination, and harassment. She spent two years working at the White House as part of the newly formed United States Digital Service, where she helped design new digital services for people in education. She was also part of the founding team for the streaming service Hulu. John Henry Thompson John Henry Thompson is the inventor of the object-oriented Lingo programming language, created primarily for the now-defunct Adobe Director platform. Lingo had been a key language in the development of Shockwave and other multimedia formats. Gladys Mae West Gladys Mae West is an American mathematician who contributed to the creation of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) during her time at what is now the Naval Surface Warfare Center, part of the US Air Force. Through the 1970s and 1980s, West helped program an IBM 7030 Stretch computer to build a highly accurate geodetic model of Earth, which would later form a key part of an early version of GPS. HYDERABAD: State Congress working president A. Revanth Reddy on Friday converted his ongoing Rythu Bharosa Deeksha into a padayatra from Achampet to Hyderabad. Revanth Reddy said that the region gave him power to fight for the welfare of four crore people in Telangana state. Addressing a public meeting, he said that farmers neither strive to earn crores nor fill their cupboards with the gold. Their pride is in irrigating on at least one acre of their own land. The Congress leader said that prices of produce are fixed by the seller in any market but farmers depend on middlemen to fix the price for their crop. Taking a dig at the new farm laws and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reddy said the existing farm laws did not accommodate purchase centres, market yards and minimum support price. However, he said that Modi has waived loans worth Rs 15 lakh crore to corporate companies. "Modi will sell farmers' lives to Adani and Ambani for which Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is extending support," Reddy said. The Congress leader wondered how Rao was holding on to his post when his government is not purchasing agricultural produce. "The Congress government by constituting the Swaminathan Committee provided MSP for farmers and the current BJP government's Shanta Kumar committee recommendation will result in the destruction of the farming community. In the current situation, instead of going home, I would rather fight till justice is rendered to farmers", he said. Microscopic polymer structures. Credit: Vienna University of Technology Microstructure and macroscopic electro-mechanical properties are closely coupled in so-called ferroelectric polymers. An explanation for the high temperature dependence of this coupling has now been found at TU Wien. In certain materials, electrical and mechanical effects are closely linked: for example, the material may change its shape when an electrical field is applied or, conversely, an electrical field may be created when the material is deformed. Such electromechanically active materials are very important for many technical applications. Usually, such materials are special, inorganic crystals, which are hard and brittle. For this reason, so-called ferroelectric polymers are now being used. They are characterised by the fact that their polymer chains exist simultaneously in two different microstructures: some areas are strongly ordered (crystalline), while disordered (amorphous) areas form in between. These semicrystalline composites are electromechanically active and therefore combine electrical and mechanical effects, but at the same time they are also flexible and soft. At TU Wien, such materials have now been studied in detailwith surprising results: above a certain temperature, the properties change dramatically. A research team from TU Wien in cooperation with research groups from Madrid and London has now been able to explain why this happens. From micro-sensors to smart textiles "If you can control the mechanical behaviour of a material with the help of electric fields, you can use it to build tiny sensors, for example," says Prof. Ulrich Schmid from the Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems at TU Wien. "This is also interesting for atomic force microscopes, where you set a tiny tip in vibration to scan a surface and generate an image." The field of application of such materials can be expanded dramatically if it is possible to induce such electromechanical properties not only in rigid materials, but also in flexible, soft materials. On the one hand, flexible materials have a completely different vibration behaviour, which can be exploited in the construction of tiny sensors. On the other hand, such materials also open up completely new possibilitiessuch as smart textiles, flexible energy storage or for integrated energy harvesting. "Solids can be crystalline, in which case the atoms are arranged in a regular lattice, or they can be amorphous, in which case the individual atoms are randomly distributed," explains Jonas Hafner, who is working on this research project as part of his dissertation. "The special thing about the material we studied is that it can be both at the same time: It forms crystalline regions, and in between the material is amorphous." The crystals are responsible for the electromechanical properties of the material, the amorphous matrix holds the tiny crystals together, overall creating a very soft, flexible material. Too much heat In order to be able to further develop and improve such materials, the research team first investigated their basic physical properties. During their investigations, they came across a surprising phenomenon: the ferroelectric polymers, which consist of a combination of crystalline and amorphous areas, change their microscopic composition at a certain temperaturewhich has surprising effects on the macroscopic electromechanical behaviour. Normally, the electromechanical properties of a material only disappear when a very high temperature causes such large oscillations at the atomic level, that the electrical order in the material disappears completely. This critical temperature is called the "Curie temperature". But in the case of the material now being studied, things are more complicated: "In our case, the electromechanical properties of the tiny crystals remain. Microscopically, the crystals are still electroactive, but on the macroscopic level, this electroactive behaviour disappears," says Jonas Hafner. Lost contact between the crystal grains The team was able to explain how this effect occurs: As the temperature rises, the proportion of amorphous areas of the polymer increases, and at a certain point the tiny crystals lose direct contact among each other. This means that mechanical forces can no longer be transferred from one of the tiny crystals to the next, because they are all completely embedded in a damping amorphous matrix. This dramatically changes the mechanical and electromechanical behaviour of the material. "Only if we understand these fundamental effects we can explain how microscopic and macroscopic properties correlate in such materials," says Ulrich Schmid. "We are working with numerous project partners who then use such materialsin atomic force microscopes, in sensors, in chips. There are numerous potential applications for this exciting material phase." Explore further Researchers discover superconductor with unexpected lattice configuration More information: Jonas Hafner et al. Multi-scale characterisation of a ferroelectric polymer reveals the emergence of a morphological phase transition driven by temperature, Nature Communications (2021). Jonas Hafner et al. Multi-scale characterisation of a ferroelectric polymer reveals the emergence of a morphological phase transition driven by temperature,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20407-6 Jonas Hafner et al. Large bias-induced piezoelectric response in the ferroelectric polymer P(VDF-TrFE) for MEMS resonators, Materials Research Letters (2021). DOI: 10.1080/21663831.2020.1868593 Journal information: Nature Communications A man pulled down his mask and shouted Coronavirus at a security guard he also threatened to kill during a knife-point robbery, a court has heard. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Kevin Brosnan (40) capitalised on the fears and anxieties of the general public during a pandemic by mentioning the virus during the robbery. Brosnan of Ardmore Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to robbery at Centra, Old Bawn Shopping Centre, Tallaght, on April 2, 2020. His 82 previous convictions include convictions for burglary, theft, possession of knives and affray. Garda Dillon O'Malley told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that Brosnan entered the Centra shop armed with a knife, pulled down his mask and shouted coronavirus at a security guard working there. He threatened the security guard and referred to him with a racial slur. He then approached the counter and demanded a shop assistant open the till, telling him that he was HIV positive when the shop assistant initially could not get the till open. Read More As the shop assistant was putting money in a shopping bag for the accused, Brosnan repeatedly told the security guard he would kill him each time the guard attempted to approach. The guard made an attempt to block him as he left the store, but Brosnan pointed the knife at him and again threatened to kill him. Brosnan was spotted by a member of the public shortly after the robbery and contacted gardai, who arrived and arrested the accused. He was found to be in possession of 630 which was returned to the shop. Gda O'Malley agreed with Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan BL, defending, that her client capitalised on the fears and anxieties of the general public during a pandemic by mentioning Coronavirus. He agreed with counsel that her client had employed a shocking racial slur towards the victim. The garda agreed that Brosnan is disgusted with his actions and has expressed genuine remorse. Judge Karen O'Connor ordered a report from the Probation Service and adjourned the matter for finalisation on March 23, next. Amaravati, Feb 9 : Actor-turned politician and JanaSena founder Pawan Kalyan on Monday left for New Delhi to take up the Vizag Steel Plant issue with the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, in a bid to protect it from privatisation. "Kalyan left for a Delhi visit with PAC chairman Nadendla Manohar," the regional party, which is a BJP ally, said in a statement. Kalyan is expected to apprise the BJP leadership about the prevailing situation in the state, including the steel plant issue, which is concerned with the self-respect of Telugus. As many as 32 agitators sacrificed their lives for the steel plant and it has a highly sentimental connection with the Telugu people. Already, thousands of people have started protesting the privatisation plan, including taking massive motorcycle rallies against it in Visakhapatnam. The alliance of the BJP and the JanaSena aims to capture power in AP and is eager to contest the forthcoming Tirupati by-election, even as they are already contesting the current panchayat elections. However, the steel plant issue will emerge as a another major headache for the saffron party, besides the unimpressive track record of not providinbg special category status, railway zone and other concessions to the majorly agrarian state which lost Hyderabad during the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The recent budget had also left the southern state highly disappointed as there was no mention of the Polavaram Project or the allocation of any noteworthy projects. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. opinion Late Prince Tony Momoh got me involved with Buhari's campaign for President in 2010 when he was Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. A tireless writer, we met at Uncle Sam's house - where he came to present his latest book to the Publisher. An avid reader, I immediately begged for a copy. He agreed on condition I came to his house to collect it. I followed him and after collecting a free copy decided to at least return some of the favour. "Sir, your Presidential candidate has not outlined an economic programme for the country. How do you expect us to vote for Buhari without that?" I asked. "Dele, you are an economist and Nigeria belongs to all of us. Why don't you help us with an Economic Blueprint for governance?" That was his reply. With that I was trapped into working for a political party and candidate, without being a card-carrying member, for the first time in my life. Hitherto, I had avoided politics like the plague. It was agreed that a brief summary be produced and brought to Abuja and later on work on a complete economic programme. I needed assistance and, at my own expense hired three people. We finished the draft which was presented to a select group of campaign Managers, including Engineer Buba Galadima, at the Wuse office of Dr Usman Bugaje. The next thing was to brief Buhari. After four trips to Abuja, mostly at my expense, I gave up. Why? Because I finally got one of Buhari's closest associates, name withheld, to disclose to me why appointments were being cancelled. Buhari had seen a copy of the draft but could not make himself available to discuss it. Still, I supported him in 2011 and 2015 because insecurity and corruption topped the list of national concerns. Momoh also said that Buhari's shortcomings in economics will be rectified by appointing world class Nigerians to manage the important Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs. I felt relieved. When Buhari and Tinubu eventually agreed to form the nucleus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Momoh's influence on Buhari was sharply reduced. In 2014, realising that APC's candidate, Buhari, was not mentioning economic programmes, I contacted late Alhaji Ismaila Funtua to arrange an appointment. I finally gave up after three more abortive trips to Abuja. More alarming, the man who was later to become our President had no interest in economic policies, programmes and projects. But, I rejected Jonathan because it never occurred to me that any President could be worse than GOJ - who was a well-educated disaster. Now, I know we have not reached the bottom yet... "If you don't know where you are going; you will end up anywhere." Yogi Bera, late US comedian. Buhari came into office, unlike Biden, without an economic plan. Unlike the American President who started to assemble his top subordinates before date for inauguration, Buhari slept through five months after he reached office. Again, unlike Joe Biden, who appointed tested individuals as Economic Team Managers, Buhari came up with light-weights as Finance Ministers - people not previously known beyond the confines of their communities. They were given no economic road maps, no compass and no chosen destination for the trips on which they have been taking us. We are winding up anywhere else but where the people would want to be. Below is one port where Nigerians don't want to be; but, where they will land nevertheless. "Poor Nigerians'll increase by 15 million soon - W' Bank." News. The World Bank, which recently provided that bit of bad news, elaborated by saying "our estimates are that the number of the poor will increase by about 15 to 20 million people by 2022 from the about 83 million people in 2019. and the 2019 numbers are from the Nigeria Living Standard Survey of 2018/2019." Some explanations are required; but they all point in the same direction. First, the 83 million people acknowledged in the 2018/2019 survey represent mostly 2018 estimates. As usual, more people would have been added to the number by the time the survey results came out. Second, even if the relevant figure remained 83 million, adding 15 to 20 million in two years will mean 98 to 103 million poor with less than one year of Buhari administration to go. Third, it is also implied that Buhari's promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years has now been exposed as, at best, a mission impossible ; or, at worst a deliberate fraud. Fourth, the worst is yet to come. The number of people who tumbled into poverty in 2020 was the worst in history in many countries since the Great Depression of the 1930s. We are still waiting for the actual figures. WHY THE FUTURE AFTER THIS GOVT IS BLEAK. "Invariably, the most dangerous people seek power." Saul Bellow, 1915-2005, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 124. Saul Bellow lived long enough to see the likes of Jomo Kenyatta, Hastings Banda, Mobutu, Idi Amin, Abacha and Robert Mugabe rule different countries in Africa. No continent on earth proves his assertion more than Africa. We seem to be particularly cursed with regard to those who have ruled us since "the wind of change" blew all over Africa. No African leader has performed better than the colonial masters. All have destroyed most of what they inherited in terms of governance. Nigeria was a middle income country up to 1965; ahead of South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia under Sir James Robertson -- Governor General. When Buhari departs in 2023, this country will be light years behind all those countries. We were not among the poorest in 2012. We raced up to the leader, India, and overtook her by 2018 to become the poorest nation on earth. Worse still, under Buhari we have been adding more people living in poverty every year than half the nations in the United Nations. By 2023 about 35-40 million more. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It is an axiom of development that it is easier to destroy than to build. For instance, the World Trade Centre, New York, which took years to build was reduced to rubbles in less than two hours by Al Qeda on September 11. But, economic destruction needs not be that sudden. At a national level, it generally takes several years of macro-economic mismanagement; during which each succeeding year builds on the ravages of previous years. Nigeria is in that unfortunate situation now. By May 29, 2021, Buhari would have been six years at the helm. Yet, the cumulative Gross Domestic Product, GDP, for the period will be a mere 0.4 per cent. Meanwhile, population had grown by 18 per cent. The mere contrast between the two - GDP and population - growth summarises all the previous gains that had been erased. More depressing is the fact that Buhari still has more than two years to go - two more years of demolition; that is. It is difficult to imagine the man changing his mind-set and setting the country on the path of growth once again. The next President will need close to two terms to undo the damage to the Nigerian economy. My last meeting with Momoh was again in Uncle Sam's house about 15 months ago. He was presenting another book. "Egbon, is this how to manage an economy?" I asked. "Dele, let's change the subject." He promptly replied. He remained loyal; but he was fed up. May Prince Tony Momoh's soul rest in perfect peace. In this file photo dated Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, a vial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 at a hospital in Sofia, Bulgarian. South Africa on Sunday Feb. 7, 2021, has suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't effective in preventing mild to moderate illness from the variant dominant in the country. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, FILE) The head of the World Health Organization said Monday the emergence of new COVID-19 variants has raised questions about whether or not existing vaccines will work, calling it "concerning news" that the vaccines developed so far may be less effective against the variant first detected in South Africa. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing that South Africa's decision on Sunday to suspend its vaccination campaign using the AstraZeneca vaccine is "a reminder that we need to do everything we can to reduce circulation of the virus with proven public health measures." He said it was increasingly clear that vaccine manufacturers would need to tweak their existing shots to address the ongoing genetic evolution of the coronavirus, saying booster shots would most likely be necessary, especially since new variants of the virus are now spreading globally and appear likely to become the predominant strains. Tedros added that WHO expected to make a decision "in the next few days" on whether it would recommend an emergency use listing for the AstraZeneca vaccine. That designation would allow millions of doses to be shipped to poor countries as part of a U.N.-backed effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines worldwide known as COVAX. Last week, Tedros said that more than three quarters of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in just 10 countries and that immunization in nearly 130 countries had yet to start. Despite WHO's aim of starting COVID-19 vaccination in poor countries at the same time as wealthy countries, COVAX hasn't delivered any vaccine doses anywhere. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's chief scientist, said people shouldn't conclude from South Africa's decision that the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't work. She said all of the available evidence to date shows the vaccines developed so far reduce deaths, hospitalizations and severe disease. Other COVID-19 vaccines developed by Novavax, Pfizer and BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson also appear to be less effective against the strain first identified in South Africa, although they may prevent severe disease. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:46:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China-Vietnam relations are standing at a new historical starting point and China is willing to work with Vietnam to push for steady and enduring development of bilateral ties. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with his counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president. China, Xi added, stands ready to join forces with Vietnam to strengthen strategic communication, increase political mutual trust, and maintain the political guidance role of and close communication between the leaderships of the two parties. Xi congratulated Trong again on his election as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, noting that the successful convention of the 13th National Congress of the CPV, which has set development goals for the new stage, bears great significance. He expressed the belief that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, the CPV and the Vietnamese people would implement in an all-around way the decisions and deployments of the 13th National Congress of the CPV to strive to achieve the development goals of the CPV and the country. China and Vietnam are a community with a shared future which bears strategic significance, Xi stressed, adding that the continuously sound and stable development of bilateral relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two parties, countries and peoples, and is conducive to the vigorous development of their socialist causes and to safeguarding regional and world peace and stability to promote development and prosperity. In the face of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the challenge of complicated external environment, pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields has been enhanced against the headwinds, which reflected the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the communist parties and socialist systems, and demonstrated the great vitality of the relations between the two parties and countries, Xi said. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said, noting that it is also the first year for Vietnam to implement the spirit of the 13th National Congress of the CPV. China, Xi added, is willing to work with Vietnam to accelerate the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the "Two Corridors, One Economic Belt," promote the construction of cross-border economic cooperation zones between the two countries, and explore exchanges and cooperation in such fields as healthcare, digital economy and humanities. The two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues, firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and support a fast entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, Xi noted. China and Vietnam, he said, should properly manage the maritime differences and stand against the instigation of external forces to promote the development of regional peace and stability. Trong thanked Xi for the good wishes on his re-election as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, noting that the 13th National Congress of the CPV has set the direction and tasks for the country's economic and social development in the next five years and the development visions to 2030 and 2045. Developing and strengthening the traditional friendly relations between Vietnam and China have always been the top priority of the CPV and his country, Trong said, adding that the Vietnamese side speaks highly of China's achievements in pandemic prevention and control as well as the recovery of economic development, and congratulated China on its achieving the first centenary goal. Against the background of complex changes in the current international situation, Trong said, it is of vital importance to consolidate and develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties, countries and peoples. He noted that Vietnam is willing to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen inter-party exchanges, accelerate the implementation of bilateral pragmatic cooperation agreements, steer the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership along the path of sustained, healthy and stable development, and make contributions to promoting regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development. The Vietnamese side congratulated the Communist Party of China on its 100th anniversary and expressed the firm belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China will make new and greater achievements in its new journey to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way, he said. Enditem A dedicated anti-poaching ranger was viciously mauled to death after being ambushed by a starving lion in a South African safari park. Kobus Marais, 46, was on patrol protecting rhinos on Saturday morning when he fell victim to the desperate predator which had been lying in wait for him. Described as a 'wildlife warrior' by his distraught colleagues, the experienced game ranger was found dead with horrific wounds by his fellow patrollers who heard his screams for help. Kobus Marais (pictured above with his dog Heily who was with him during the incident), 46, was killed during patrol protecting rhinos on Saturday morning. The right picture shows members of the anti-rhino poaching patrol at the Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa Ranger Kobus Marais was mauled to death by a lion in the Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa. He was seen here with his K9 anti-poaching patrol dog Heily and a fellow ranger in front of their anti-poached vehicle at the Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa The ranger was ambushed by the rogue lion while patrolling the Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg with his dog Heily and two of his fellow patrollers. Kobus's colleagues, who had driven ahead to lay a training scent for the patrol dog, were unaware that the man was being stalked by the wild beast. When they heard his screams for help, they raced back through the bush and found the man-eater on top of the ranger. They opened fire and killed it with several shots. They rushed to help the stricken ranger - who was armed but is believed not to have seen the lion as his weapon was not fired - who had been horrifically injured. Kobus, who had been mauled and repeatedly bitten by the lion, was bleeding heavily before succumbing to his wounds. His Belgian Malinois patrol dog was found nearby uninjured but clearly fearful. The lion was taken to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute for a post mortem - there appeared to be nothing underlying to cause it to attack apart from old age. Spokesman for the Pilanesberg National Park Piet Nel said: 'Kobus was a true wildlife warrior and was loved by all his fellow patrollers and all our staff. Described as a 'wildlife warrior' by his distraught colleagues, the experienced game ranger was found dead with horrific wounds by his fellow patrollers who heard his screams for help. Pictures above show Kobus with his dog Heily, who was on patrol with him on Saturday The ranger was ambushed by the rogue lion while patrolling the Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg with his dog Heily and two of his fellow patrollers (file photo) 'What Kobus was doing out there was standard procedure and no protocols were broken and all the rules were followed but in the wild these things can happen. 'We are investigating all our protocols to see what we can learn but training the patrol dog to track scents is a vital part of its training and this is what Kobus was doing. 'He was clearly taken by surprise and fatally wounded before he could react and had no chance to use his firearm or he would have used it and death was near instant. 'Kobus was one of our strong guys and extremely dedicated and put so much effort into training the other rangers to be the best and we are all grieving for his loss. 'The rhinos here at Pilanesberg have lost a true friend and conservation has lost a true wildlife warrior. To Lottie Marais, his wife, we express our most heartfelt condolences. 'Kobus, you have left a void in so many lives and you will be greatly missed. Thank you for your contribution. We are so, so sorry.You paid the highest price,' said the spokesman. The ranger was ambushed by the rogue lion while patrolling the Pilanesberg National Park (pictured) near Johannesburg, South Africa, with his dog Heily and two of his fellow patrollers A spokesman for the Rhino 911 conservation group said: 'Kobus was a gentle and kind soul and a true conservation warrior and the rhinos have lost a brave and dedicated guardian'. Ecotourism graduate student Lauren L'Ange, 27, who photographed Kobus with his latest K9 dog Heily said: 'He was dedicated to what he did and was an excellent game ranger. 'He spent so much time out protecting rhinos and also taking Heily out into schools and to meet the public to teach them about the conservation of rhinos and the work he did. 'His wife Charlotte is the representative here of Copenhagen Zoo and they sponsored and trained Heily for Kobus when his last K9 Dexter unexpectedly passed away in 2016. 'Kobus was such a dedicated ranger and lived for his rhinos and his work.It is a totally tragic way for him to lose his life.Lottie will be so devastated to lose him' she said. A South African wildlife expert said: 'When males become too old to be the dominant member of the pride they are forced out of the pride by the younger stronger males. 'Unable to hunt for themselves properly they become emaciated and begin to starve and then they take risks to try and feed themselves with ordinarily they would never take. 'That is what probably happened here in that an elderly lion no longer able to catch its own prey realised that its very survival depended on making a kill on a human being. 'It is extremely unusual but you have to remember lions do not play by any rules,' he added. Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days We have said since the earliest days a year ago, that there would be cases, he said on Monday. We have always said hotel quarantine is the inner ring of containment, followed by testing, tracing, and distancing. Where anybody indicates that there is only one line of defence, that would be inaccurate. While Victorian health authorities are still awaiting genomic sequencing on the Holiday Inn case, the two other recent infections in Melbourne have already been confirmed to be the more infectious British variant of COVID-19. A 26-year-old hotel worker, who had been working at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the Australian Open, tested positive last Wednesday night. A returned traveller who was staying at the Park Royal quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport was infected last week by a family of five after viral particles spread from their room. In the latest case, the woman was tested at the end of her shift on February 4, returning a negative result. She went back to work on Sunday, where she developed symptoms and later tested positive. Genomic testing is under way to determine which variant of the virus the worker contracted, and authorities expect the results by late Tuesday. Were working on a worst-case scenario that says were dealing with a complex strain we do not know that yet, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said on Monday. About 80 hotel quarantine staff working at the Holiday Inn, including nine Victoria Police officers and 12 Australian Defence Force personnel, are considered close contacts of the woman and have been placed in quarantine for 14 days. About 15 household and social contacts have also been identified, while exposure sites have been named in several locations in the citys north-west, including retail outlets in Maidstone, Sunshine and Taylors Lakes. La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vally said exactly how the two workers and the returned traveller who tested positive were infected was yet to be determined but it may be that the more infectious strains were posing greater containment challenges. However, another possibility was that authorities were finding more cases through more rigorous detection. We are getting better at detecting these spillover events better and thats really important, Professor Vally said. Professor Vally said investing in high-quality N95 face masks for staff was a small financial burden that could help prevent further outbreaks. We want to have everything in our favour, so we should be doing all we can to protect people, he said. Cases of coronavirus seeded in hotel quarantine programs in Western Australia and Queensland recently have both been confirmed to be the British variant of the virus, and have triggered widespread short, sharp lockdowns to contain its spread. Another cluster late last year in South Australia was also traced back to hotel quarantine. Cases escaping into the community after hotel quarantine staff were infected sparked Victorias second wave of COVID-19 last year, which sent the city into lockdown for almost three months, and saw 800 people die, many of them elderly residents of aged care homes. Professor Sim said if a link was established between the recent leaks from quarantine and more infectious COVID-19 variants, further measures may need to be introduced, such as portable extraction filters in hotel corridors. He said another option was reusable respirators, which gave even better protection than disposable N95 masks. Theyve got a much tighter seal The full-face ones cover the eyes as well [providing] better protection really than shields, he said. However, Professor Sim said they were also not very comfortable to wear and could make talking difficult. British government experts and researchers have estimated the new strain of the virus is about 55 to 70 per cent more transmissible than earlier versions affecting its citizens. A controversy that has developed in recent weeks surrounding Canadian actor and director Michelle Latimer exposes the destructive, pernicious logic of identity and racial politics. Having achieved notable success for her work in film and television, much of which has centred on Indigenous issues, Latimer has been turned into a virtual pariah over questions about her ethnic background detailed in a CBC article published in December. The suffering and oppression of Indigenous peoples are being leveraged here by a minority within that population to assert the exclusive right to artistic and cultural expressions about that reality so as to secure the accompanying resources and professional opportunities. Michelle Latimer, 2012 (Photo creditAlan Langford) The ongoing controversy arose out of a months-long investigation by the CBC into Latimers lineage resulting in an incendiary December 17 article by reporters Kanhehsi:io Deer and Jorge Barrera (Award-winning filmmaker Michelle Latimer's Indigenous identity under scrutiny). Following the publication of what were described as inconclusive findings, Latimer replied in an email, I sincerely apologize for naming the community of Kitigan Zibi [a First Nations reserve 180 miles northwest of Montreal] publicly before I had done all of the necessary work to understand the [family] connection. Latimer thereupon resigned as director and showrunner (leading producer) of the popular CBC television series Trickster, a coming-of-age supernatural thriller drama, in the hopes, she said, that the show would continue. Latimers action came two days after producers Danis Goulet, who is Indigenous, and Tony Elliott, stepped down. Goulet explained, I feel a responsibility to uphold the values that I am dedicated to, while Elliot asserted on Twitter that as a settler, its not my place to comment on concerns raised by the Indigenous film and television community. The fallout continued last week with the announcement that the second season of Trickster, already in production, had been cancelled altogether. As noted, the headline of the December CBC report struck a deceptively innocuous tone, suggesting that Latimers identity was merely facing scrutiny after she claimed to be of Algonquin, Metis [a person of mixed Indigenous and Euro-American ancestry] and French heritage, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (Maniwaki), Que. in a 2014 National Film Board news release. In fact, the lengthy piece made clear the matter had been the subject of an extensive investigation encompassing historical data, census records, genealogical reports and numerous interviews with native elders, artists and authorities. Inconvenient Indian (2020) The insistence flowing from such a campaign that only those who can prove their blood ancestry should be allowed to speak on or promote a given culture must be challenged and opposed as reactionary at its root. Many of the current attacks have a clearly selfish and self-serving element. They come in a number of instances from those who argue that opportunities and space that should be accorded to them on the basis of their ethnicity are being appropriated by interlopers such as Latimer. Among other punishments, the actor-director has been forced to return a number of awards and funding, including $1,000 in cash and $40,000 in production services from the prestigious DOC Institute. Latimer rose to prominence for her role in the television series Paradise Falls nearly 20 years ago and subsequently transitioned from acting to work behind the camera. Until her fall from grace, Latimer had been widely recognized for her work around injustices perpetrated against Indigenous peoples, including murdered and missing Indigenous women. In 2017, she directed the documentary series Rise that dealt with Indigenous resistance across North America against mining companies and other oppressive institutions. To oppose exclusion, or a quota system, based on race is not to deny the distinct culture of any oppressed minority, or its right to demand the redress of injustice. However, the campaign against Latimer raises important questions of artistic freedom in a society of blended and overlapping cultures that includes artists, young people and workers whose experiences and backgrounds span a spectrum, but who are defined more importantly by social class than by race or nationality. It appears likely that Latimers claims regarding her ancestry were made in good faith and to the best of her knowledge. As she explained in emailed responses to the CBC, her claim rested on the oral history of her maternal grandfather. According to an expert in such matters consulted by the CBC, Kim TallBear, professor of Native studies at the University of Alberta, Indigenous identity claims based on a vague ancestral link and confusion over race and Indigenous identity are very common in Canada and the US. I dont think they [the claimants] are wilfully lying. They dont understand what they dont know. Thomas King in Inconvenient Indian (Photo creditThemightyquill) The investigation into Latimers ancestry appears to have intensified following the premiere of her innovative and award-winning documentary film Inconvenient Indian at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of last year, where it won both the Peoples Choice Documentary Award and the Amplify Voices Award for best Canadian feature film. The response has been swift and harsh. The film was withdrawn from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival where it was set to have its international premiere and was pulled from distribution by the National Film Board of Canada, while Latimers Indigenous identity is being investigated. Inconvenient Indian is based on Thomas Kings 2012 narrative history, which he subtitled A Curious Account of Native People in North America. The author, featured as a narrator in the film, has remained silent throughout the controversy, although he once quipped. I claim to be a male, but in fact only one of my parents was male. Disturbing, though hardly surprising in the current climate, the piling on has occurred without restraint or much opposition. A noted Elder from the community of Kitigan Zibi, Claudette Comma, for example, denounced Latimer: Its an insult and its an exploitation and an appropriation of our culture, identity, community. Filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril claimed, Shes thrown years of work and beautiful, thoughtful craft down the tubes because she didnt have the nerve to be honest about her heritage. Author, actor and former colleague of Latimers, Gitz Derange, commented that We want to see ourselves succeed. When this happens it robs us of that. They just take our stories and theyve always done that. Indigenous playwright Drew Hayden Taylor argued that Latimer has appropriated funding that was specifically allotted to the development of Indigenous talent and enterprise. As Taylor writes, In the big musical-chairs game of funding, there are precious few chairs available already. Jesse Wente, an Anishinaabe writer, broadcaster, producer and an erstwhile supporter of Latimer, indicated he had previously asked her to do the work necessary with her family and her community to seek the truth. Eden Robinson, the author of the trilogy of novels on which the Trickster series is based, has been among Latimers harshest critics. After the CBC article appeared, Robinson wrote on Facebook that she was so embarrassed and felt like such a dupe. All of this ignores and obscures Michelle Latimers actual contributions and achievements. As commentator Garry Lamourie noted regarding Trickster, There were no quality issues about how Latimer directed, co-wrote or co-produced the program, no issues about her level of ability in portraying indigenous themes and apparently no question that Latimer was so good in this job that she seems to have been irreplaceable. This sort of career and character assassination over racial credentials has disgraceful precedents such as the shunning of noted Canadian author Joseph Boyden. In 2016, Boyden ran afoul of Indigenous writers, activists and politicians who raised similar objections over his heritage and condemned him for accepting prizes, speaking fees and taking up space meant for others. As a result and despite his important role in exposing widespread government abuse against Indigenous peoples, Boyden has been forced to spend much of his time defending himself against what amounts to ongoing discrimination. The public shaming of Michelle Latimer takes place within a definite ideological atmosphere fostered by the Canadian ruling elite. A preoccupation with racial and gender identity has been central in the Trudeau governments efforts to divert public attention from social polarization, the danger of war and the devastating pandemic, while portraying itself as a progressive alternative to its rivals. The CBC in particular has provided a left cover for this effort with its Indigenous content and programming. Defending the cancelation of Trickster, CBC officials issued a statement boasting they currently had eight projects on Indigenous stories in development. This even as the Trudeau government that funds it remains locked in protracted legal battles against Indigenous peoples over land claims and compensation for historic crimes. Trudeau was elected on a promise to implement all of the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions final report, released in December 2015, on the reactionary residential school system, aimed at civilizing Indigenous children, but its actions reveal a cynical hypocrisy. The Trudeau government like its predecessors continues to fight reconciliation in the courtsto the tune of $347 million since 2015. At the same time, the media circus around Latimer serves to divert attention from the disastrous and disproportionate impact of the global pandemic on Indigenous communities, with coronavirus case numbers recorded at more than 40 percent above the national average. The spread of this disease compounds the already dire situation for many living on reserves who have limited access to health care, housing or social services or even potable water. First Nations overdose deaths nearly doubled in British Columbia in 2020 and while Indigenous people represent roughly 5 percent of the population, they accounted for 16 percent of opioid deaths nationally last year, reversing a trend downward prior to the pandemic. Indigenous peoples make up more than 30 percent of those in Canadas federal prisons, which are especially prone to the spread of infection. Indigenous women make up 44 percent of the female prison population, with rates in some provincial jails as high as 80 percent. Among First Nations people aged 10 to 44, suicide remains the number one cause of death, responsible for almost 40 percent of mortalities. In the face of these catastrophic numbers, what possible purpose is served by the scapegoating of Latimer? At the end of January, Latimer launched a libel lawsuit against the CBC arguing on Twitter, They reported inaccurately about my ancestry and created a false narrative about my character and my lineage The CBC was aware of the questions and concerns I raised about the integrity of the research they used to inform their reporting, as well as the manner in which they approached the story. This and similar issues have seen First Nation filmmakers and producers pushing for legislation in Canada to penalize those who pretend to be Indigenous in order to access grants, awards and jobs intended for Indigenous people. Haida Nation filmmaker Tamara Bell has in fact proposed the Indigenous Identity Act for just such a purpose. I would like to see Michelle Latimer to take responsibility for her positions, and I would like her to take responsibility for what she has done to our community. The suggestion that Latimer is guilty of some immense crime is reactionary nonsense. Canadian capitalism is entirely and criminally responsible for the deplorable conditions of the Indigenous people. The critical question is unifying every section of the working class against the profit system and its consequences. Jalyce Taylor wanted to be a servant of others. So, she chose medicine. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Taylor recognized how important physicians are in the quest to eliminate health disparities. Growing up in Houston, she saw people put off doctors appointments because they didnt have health insurance or transportation. A persons health was often wrapped up in where they live, the color of their skin or their socioeconomic status, she said. And the coronavirus pandemic put into perspective just how far the gap is between the affluent and the working class. Theres a mandatory stay-at-home clause, but the employee at the grocery store or the bus driver cant stay home. So they have more opportunities to be exposed and be affected, Taylor said. I want to be a servant to the community, so when something like a pandemic, outbreak or emergency happens, they have be responsive to you. Taylor is in her first year at the University of Houston College of Medicine, but the decision to apply, interview and attend medical school has been a decade in the making. On HoustonChronicle.com: Pandemic stress a strain on college campuses I saw the health disparities I already knew about playing out again during the global pandemic, and that reinforced to me that Im on the right path, Taylor said. Im going to be able to positively impact communities when I complete medical school and residency. More than 7,500 more students applied for medical school in the U.S. last year, an increase of 17 percent, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. In fact, nearly two dozen medical schools have seen applications jump by at least 25 percent. Final tallies wont arrive for another month or so all schools application windows must close first but early numbers are striking. Texas medical schools received 700 more applications this year than last an increase of 33 percent, according to the Texas Health Education Service. Some experts have called this the Fauci Effect or the Pandemic Effect, after Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The University of California in Sacramento attributed the resurgence in interest in science and medicine to how much the coronavirus pandemic has affected everyones daily life. While AAMC doesnt know exactly what is behind the increase, there are several likely factors, including students having more time to focus on applications while being stuck at home, as well as the nations current spotlight on frontline health care workers extraordinary heroism amid the pandemic, the association reported. The reasons why Dr. Latanya Love, interim dean of education at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, is looking forward to how medical school application essays will change over the next few years. She wonders how applicants will describe why theyre choosing medicine, and whether the pandemic or COVID-19 will play a huge factor. But she also wonders who will change their life plans to become doctors. They do have to write an essay where we want to hear about their motivations in applying to medical school. It gives us an opportunity to see what their motivation is and what is pushing them toward medicine, Love said. Maybe they werent going to pursue medicine and as a result of pandemic, they are. On RenewHouston.com: Women now outnumber men in med school. And studies show that's good for patients. McGovern Medical School, the largest medical school in the state, enrolls 240 students every year, for a total of about 1,000 students. As a state medical school, it cannot accept more than 10 percent of non-Texas residents as students. Love does not think the pandemic or Fauci has had an effect on McGovern Medical Schools 20 percent increase in applications yet. McGovern received 6,456 applications from the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service, about 1,500 more than previous years. Students are skipping gap years between their bachelors degree and medical school, Love said, because the pandemic discouraged or stalled traveling. Many applicants have had more time to study for the Medical College Admission Test while staying at home for safety reasons. Love believes that young adults Millennials and Gen Z are more passionate about humanity and want to do for others. She said they may have a generational propensity to take care of the weak or vulnerable. We will continue to see the trends increase, and its an effect from role models like Fauci or just people living through the pandemic and wanting to be in the forefront, she said. Health care is a relatively stable job market, and that has been one of the pushes people to apply to medicine. Unfortunately, people are always sick. Brandon Gonzalez, a first-year medical student at UH, has always been science-inclined. He decided to become a doctor in high school after his father died from a heart attack. At that point, he didnt know what happens before cardiac failure, and it spurred him to major in biomedical science. While shadowing medical students, Gonzalez found the personal interaction with patients as the most rewarding part of his courses; never before had he felt both personal and professional gratification. The pandemic reignited his passion to help people from every socioeconomic stratum, he said. I went to a hospital in late November, and I saw one patient in an ICU who was hooked up to four or five machines that really materializes for me, said Gonzalez, 26. Ive heard and read so many things on the news, but seeing that person made me realize theres a lot of need. We need more health care professionals. New challenges Coronavirus may have the effect on medical schools that 9/11 had on military recruitment, said Dr. Jesus Vallejo, associate dean for admissions, diversity, equity and multicultural affairs in the School of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Baylor saw an increase of 23 percent in applications, which he said mirrors the national trend. A drop in gap year traveling gave students more time to apply and virtually interview at schools they didnt imagine they would apply to, Vallejo said. Out-of-state applicants increased last year, as well. The interview process has gone virtual at many schools, which means travel costs are down, enabling applicants to apply to more schools and participate in virtual interviews from the comfort of their homes. On RenewHouston.com: Coronavirus or not, these new doctors are matched and ready to work That doesnt mean medical schools are accepting more students. Baylor admits 186 people per class, and that will likely stay the same, Vallejo said. Its a lot to change class size; you need more resources in clinical sciences and other areas, which basically means there are going to be people who wont get in, Vallejo said. But next year, they might apply again. UH College of Medicine cannot compare applications or admissions year-over-year since its a new school; it received its accreditation in February 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. Dr. Kathryn Horn, associate dean for student affairs for missions and outreach, said students were excited to apply at all. In-person interviews were shut down after only three weeks, and the process went completely virtual a learning curve for the admissions office and a challenge for applicants. They had to choose a medical school without having stepped foot on campus, a complete new medical school, Horn said. But these students were very excited to apply because the social mission resonates with them in the time of COVID and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. They want to serve populations in our community right here in Houston. The first UH class is 100 percent Texan, and two-thirds are from the Houston area, Horn said. In their applications, students wrote they hoped to serve populations in Houston after their residencies. Currently, there are 1 million physicians in the U.S., but the AAMC estimates the nation will face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 doctors by 2033. Texas has a severe primary care physician shortage, Horn said, and Houston is no different. In this together After 18 months of pre-clinical course work, Rosemary Demet paused her clinical education to pursue her masters degree in public health. Then COVID-19 hit. The San Antonio native is part of Baylors five-year MD/Masters of Public Health program. She received her public health degree in December and returned to a clinical rotation at area hospitals. Demet, 24, is shadowing health care workers daily in a hospital environment, and received the Moderna vaccine in January. I feel lucky to be in the clinical environment knowing I can benefit from the achievements of the scientific community, Demet said. I have a lot of family members in medicine and was introduced to the field at a young age, which was a privilege. I was able to see that it is a beautiful opportunity to synthesize passion for science and passion for service. On HoustonChronicle.com: UH College of Medicine launches program to address social obstacles to health Being away from hospitals, Demet had more time to appreciate Houstons response to the pandemic. She volunteered at a food pantry and babysat her colleagues children. She sewed masks, as well. It was a beautiful opportunity as a medical student to see how many people in this community, from different avenues, work to stay healthy and safe as we work through this together, Demet said. julie.garcia@chron.com Twitter.com/reporterjulie To wrap up our annual Sundance coverage, we've picked out our five favourite narrative features that were in the spotlight at the prestigious film festival this year. With the jury winners announced, Sundance 2021 concluded on Wednesday after a week of minimum sleep, maximum cinema. This time around, it was an entirely virtual affair, one of the collateral benefits of a world under lockdown. Despite a low-key line-up with no big-name directors, you don't really need to readjust your expectations at Sundance. As always, the festival delivered on its reputation of breeding indie films most unexpected standouts. Even with a scaled down slate of 72 features (down from last year's 118), its focus on diversity and representation didn't take a hit. Nearly half of them were directed by women, 43% by BIPOC and 15% by LGBTQ+ filmmakers. To wrap up our annual Sundance coverage, we've picked out our five favourite narrative features (a similar curation of our favourite documentaries will follow soon). Pending distribution, some will premiere before the end of the year, and some may not arrive until next year. Hopefully, they will all make a stop in India at some point as they continue to work the film-festival circuit. El Planeta The Spanish comedy from Amalia Ulman offers a unique window into the mind and soul of the New York-based conceptual artist. El Planeta tells the story of a debt-ridden mother-daughter duo who engage in petty crimes to avoid eviction in the coastal city of Gijon. Following the death of her father, Leonor (Ulman) is forced to cut short her fashionista aspirations and move back home. With no unemployment benefits to rely upon, she must look for new sources of income. In the opening scene, she even considers hustling but eventually decides against it ("It's not worth sucking a dick for the price of a book.) Her mother, Maria (played by Amalias own mother Ale Ulman), spends her waking hours casting freezer spells on her enemies and detractors. She writes their names on pieces of paper and pops them in the freezer, as if to ice them out of their lives. In the thoughtful depiction of these daily rituals are more revealing implications about the hardships of working in a gig economy. Though her focus might be narrow, the scrutiny is thorough. Ulman's carefree directorial approach allows for a sense of improvisational fluidity that renders the mother-daughter's demeanour and conversations natural and relatable. El Planeta is also a eulogy, mourning a city in economic decline. Dressing up this eulogy in the threads of an episodic comedy, Ulman gave us one of Sundance 2021's most assured directorial debuts, the kind that promises bigger and better things. Pleasure Ninja Thyberg was another breakthrough talent from this year's Sundance. The Swedish filmmaker's debut is a full-frontal provocation that demystifies pornography. Through the eyes of a young Swedish woman trying to break into the industry in Los Angeles, Thyberg shines an uncomfortable spotlight on its inner workings. Even if the movie is set in the porn industry and not Hollywood, Jessica is like any other aspiring actor who arrives in LA to become a star. Calling herself Bella Cherry, she quickly rises up the ranks by hiring an agent and attending parties with the power brokers. Only, her bubble is burst when she finds she must embrace a lot more pain than pleasure to make it to the top. What starts off as a harrowing peek into the industry turns into a damning portrayal of the cycle of abuse. Sofia Kappel gives us a riveting portrait of Bella's disintegration from the inside out before she builds herself up again. If you ever wonder why people have overlooked porn's #MeToo stories, Bella's ordeals offer a clear answer. The fact that these women work in the adult film industry doesnt mean they lose the right to consent. A key to understanding consent in pornography comes in a study in contrasts illustrated in two shoots. On a BDSM shoot led by a woman director, it is important to note how Bella not only feels comfortable but respected by the crew. This is in stark contrast to a rough sex shoot led by a man, who politely coaxes her into the most brutal, dehumanising situations despite her plea to stop multiple times into the scene. This despite boundaries and safe words being established on set, and Bella clearly declaring her dos and don'ts to her agent. It makes you question just how much, if at all, the women are ever in control in pornography. Pleasure is thus a chastening examination of an industry that needs a reckoning. The World to Come Lesbian period romances are having a moment. We had the genre-defining Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Then, Ammonite. Now, Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby play neighbours-turned-lovers in Mona Fastvold's adaptation of the Jim Shepard short story, The World to Come. In between their wifely duties and their shared loneliness, Abigail (Waterson) and Tallie (Kirby) get to know each other, and fall in love in mid-19th century America. Threatening their happy ending is Tallies abusive husband (Christopher Abbott) and the constraints of the era. Waterson's Abigail sways between desire and doubt, inflamed by the warm and decisive presence of Kirby's Tallie. The two stars try to match each other's luminous intensity, and their chemistry keeps the film's heart and our own racing. Fastvold creates an atmosphere that feeds on the alienation that besets even strong, intelligent women, especially when trapped in "holy matrimony" without any support system or social contact outside of it. Judas and the Black Messiah Shaka King offers a powerful yet intimate look at a man trying to start a revolution and a community under siege in 1960s America. Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), then chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, brought together all the oppressed communities from Black to Puerto Rican to White Southerners in Chicago to cooperate with one another to enforce systemic social change. That put him in the crosshairs of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, who deemed him and his organisation as a terrorist threat. So, they brought in a car thief named Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) and offered him an ultimatum: go to prison or infiltrate the Black Panthers. He chose the latter, rose up the ranks of the organisation, and eventually fed FBI the necessary intel to orchestrate Hampton's political assassination. Wanting to inspire and entertain, King manages to reconcile both those ambitions in the movie. Kaluuya serves an affectionate and affecting portrait of a beloved icon. Stanfield has a far more difficult job at hand, but he breathes humanity into a man not loved by many. Hampton was all but 21 when he was fatally shot in 1969. His untimely death cannot be looked upon as far removed from the number of Black Americans killed by law enforcement in recent years. The collaborative revolution he started continues to this day. CODA Sian Heder's film, which won the audience and jury prizes in the US Dramatic Competition categories, is an infectiously hopeful story that will leave you grinning from ear-to-ear. Ruby Rossi is a high-schooler born into a deaf family, who run a local fishing business off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Being the only hearing member in the family, Ruby acts as an intermediary for them with buyers and other townsfolk. In a comical exchange, she awkwardly relays the doctor's advice to her parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) not to have sex for two weeks to redress their jock itch. Her greatest passion is singing, which is the one thing she can't share with her family. When her music teacher (Eugenio Derbez) discovers her talent, he encourages her to apply at Berklee. This leaves her with a difficult choice: go to college or stay home and save the failing family business. The story beats of responsibilities vs dreams in the transition from teens to adulthood are pretty boilerplate. But Heder never overplays her hand with ill-judged sentimental excess. The whole thing is executed with such warmth you won't be able to resist its charm. Key to it is the chemistry between Durant and Matlin, who work off each other quite beautifully but can also be sweetly funny in their own right. The film should also serve as a nice calling card for Emilia Jones. Expect to see her in more films in the near future. CODA is a reminder of how feel-good movies when done well can lay us bare, save us and cleanse our wayward hearts. Honourable mentions: In the Earth, On the Count of Three, Passing, The Pink Cloud, Were All Going to the Worlds Fair Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Regulatory News: FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE (Paris:ALFOC) (FR0012419307 ALFOC), one of the leading French video game companies, announced today that its development studio Deck13 will open a subsidiary in Canada. Deck13 is the first development studio to be integrated into the Focus Home Interactive Group in July 2020. The German-based studio is experienced in creating original universes and action games with visceral and spectacular combat mechanics (Lords of the Fallen, The Surge 1 2), and has been working for several months on an ambitious new project slated for worldwide release in 2022. The Canadian teams of Deck13 will initially be dedicated to the development of this high-potential title. "Montreal is a great breeding ground for creative talent and a catalyst for technological innovation," said Mathias Reichert, Managing Director of Deck13. "Opening a subsidiary in Canada is a logical continuation in the history and internal development of our studio. Deck13 Studio Montreal will allow us to strengthen our knowledge and integrate new visions, cultures and know-how that will undoubtedly take the studio to the next level." "The creation of a Focus Home Interactive Group studio in Canada is a key step in our desire to develop the Focus brand while supporting our studios and partners in their growth and ambitions. We are delighted that this step has been taken via the Deck13 studio, a historical partner and now an integral part of our ambitious project. This subsidiary is the symbol of our desire to integrate new talents and skills, and demonstrates our exacting standards and our determination to always seek quality and innovation that will allow us to offer unique gaming experiences to players," declared Christophe Nobileau, Chairman of the Management Board of Focus Home Interactive. About Focus Home Interactive FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE is a leading French video games company. Its vocation is to support leading international studios in the development, production monitoring, marketing, sales and financing of their projects. As a publisher of strong brands such as The Surge, Vampyr, Mudrunner, and A Plague Tale: Innocence, the Group generated revenues of 143 million in 2019/20, up 13% compared to the previous comparable period. FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE generates more than 90% of its sales internationally. For additional information, visit www.focus-home.com For more news and details about our company, follow us on Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005610/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations FTI Consulting Cosme Julien-Madoni Arnaud de Cheffontaines Tel: 33 (0) 1 47 03 68 10 Mail: fhi@fticonsulting.com Press Relations FTI Consulting Emily Oliver Remi Salvador Tel: 33 (0) 1 47 03 68 10 Mail: fhi@fticonsulting.com Lonza Signs Agreement to Divest Specialty Ingredients Business to Bain Capital and Cinven Lonza Specialty Ingredients to be sold to Bain Capital and Cinven for an enterprise value of CHF 4.2 billion Divestment will allow Lonza to refocus its business as a pure-play partner to the healthcare industry Successful track record of investment in industrials sector and portfolio companies confirms that Bain Capital and Cinven are the right home for the business Smooth transition for employees and customers is a priority for both seller and buyers. The transaction is anticipated to close in H2 2021 Quote from Albert M. Baehny, Chairman, Lonza: "Today's announcement is the result of a comprehensive and robust selection process. Bain Capital and Cinven have shown they understand the value of the experience and expertise of our Specialty Ingredients employees. They presented the most compelling industrial strategy and vision for the business, they are also keen to prioritize R&D and innovation, as well as to invest in existing facilities to unlock the potential of the business. The sale of the Specialty Ingredients business will allow Lonza to focus on its position as a leading partner to the healthcare industry, and the free cash flows resulting from the sale will allow us to accelerate our strategic priorities. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Bain Capital and Cinven to ensure a seamless transition for customers and employees." Basel, Switzerland, 8 February 2021 - Lonza has entered into a definitive agreement with Bain Capital and Cinven to acquire Lonza's Specialty Ingredients business and operations for an enterprise value of CHF 4.2 billion. Both Bain Capital and Cinven have strong experience in the industrials sector and an established track record of successful investments in portfolio companies. The two private equity bidders showed strong and sustained interest since the beginning of the official sale process, thereby confirming that they are the best home for the business and the right transaction partner for Lonza. Lonza's Specialty Ingredients business operates across 17 manufacturing sites globally and has approximately 2,800 permanent employees. The business is a leading provider of microbial control solutions for Professional Hygiene and Personal Care products. It also offers the custom development and manufacturing of specialty chemicals and composites to support the electronics, aerospace, food and agrochemical industries. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. The ownership transfer process is expected to be smooth. Bain Capital and Cinven have confirmed that high standards of service delivery and quality for customers will remain a priority following closing. BofA Securities and UBS are acting as joint financial advisors to Lonza. About Lonza Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to prevent illness and enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. These enable our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare sector. Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today Lonza operates across three continents. With approximately 14,000 full-time employees, we are built from high-performing teams and of individual talent who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 4.5 billion in 2020 with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.4 billion. Find out more at www.lonza.com Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter Lonza Contact Details Dirk Oehlers Investor Relations Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 851 4927 dirk.oehlers@lonza.com Dr. Sanna Fowler Head of External Communications Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 8929 sanna.fowler@lonza.com Victoria Morgan Head of Corporate Communications Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 2283 victoria.morgan@lonza.com Additional Information and Disclaimer Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual. Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release. In the 1990s, the Czech Republic was emerging from communism and it was producing just two-thirds of the wealth that Spain was. But in three decades, it has managed to beat the Spanish economy in terms of GDP per capita at PPP (or gross domestic product per person at purchasing power parity, which makes it possible to compare countries). Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia are close to surpassing Spain on this metric as well. The figures evidence a regression by Spain, which had been reducing its distance with the more advanced European economies until the financial crisis of 2008. Since the property crash, however, the Spanish economy has been drifting further away from northern European countries, stuck at wealth levels similar to those of Italy and France. It is true that Spains per capita GDP has grown 50% in the last 30 years. But this metric has increased a lot more in some other countries, particularly in Eastern Europe. In the meantime, the gap separating Spain from Germany has increased since the 2008 financial crisis, and is now at 1997 levels. In other words, nearly 20 years after adopting the euro, there has been no convergence with the Germans, who are still around 25% wealthier than Spaniards. In late 2007, the Spanish prime minister at the time, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist Party (PSOE), announced that Spain had overtaken Italy in wealth for the first time, using data from the European Unions statistics agency Eurostat. With the EU average established at 100, the data showed Spain at 105% of per capita GDP, while Italy was at 103%. It was the peak of the real estate bubble, and the Spanish executive was selling the point that the country had finally converged with the EU after a 21-year membership. But the crisis hit soon later, and Eurostats figures for 2006 and 2007 were reviewed to show that Spain was never in fact ahead of Italy. The closest it came was 103% of the EUs per capita GDP in 2007, four points below Italy. It was a similar story in 2017. In 2019, Spain ranked at 91% of the EU average, compared with Italys 96%, evidencing how both countries have lost ground within the union. Meanwhile, several economies in Eastern Europe were getting close to Spain and even surpassing it. The most recent Eurostat figures show that the Czech Republic overtook Spain between 2018 and 2019. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) lists 2019 as the year that the Czech economy outperformed Spains, while according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that moment took place in 2020. The secret to Czech success According to the OECDs estimates, in 2019 Spaniards had a per capita GDP of $38,128 (31,644), slightly below the figure of $38,152 for Czechs. How did a country that produced a third-less wealth per person 30 years ago come to be wealthier today? The answer lies largely in the fact that the Czech economy has converted itself into an industrial subcontractor for Germany. Industry and exports account for a much larger share of GDP. But there are other factors at play. The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic is just 3%, compared with 16% in Spain. And there are far fewer temporary jobs. As a result, there is a lot less inequality despite a tax system that does not distribute wealth as evenly. Between 1980 and 2019 the unemployment rate in Spain has been close to 17%. If we could manage to reduce that by 10 points by adopting reforms to change the way the labor market as well as the goods and services market work, Spanish GDP would grow an additional 13%, which is more than the kind of growth expected to be achieved with the European funds, said Rafael Domenech, an economist at BBVA. Training and R&D Training is also decisive. In Spain, 30% of young adults have no more than high school diplomas. In the Czech Republic, that figure is 7%. And even though the number of university graduates is similar, many more Czechs have vocational training studies. The Czech government also spends an additional half-a-point of GDP on research and development (R&D) compared to Spain, and its public finances are healthier. Before the coronavirus pandemic, it had a slight surplus and debt levels were 30% of GDP as opposed to 95% in Spain. Since 1997, the Czech Republic has been steadily bridging its economic gap with Germany, going from -40% to -23%. Spain remains stuck at -23%. Logic holds that a country that is lagging behind will experience faster growth as it adopts the technology and good practices of leading economies. And Spain did reduce this distance until the property bust of 2008. From this moment on, the distance with the wealthiest economies has widened. In his book Crecimiento y Empleo (or, Growth and Jobs), the economist Juan Francisco Jimeno explains that this gap in per capita GDP is due to two factors almost in equal parts: higher unemployment and lower productivity. We have grown by increasing the number of people in employment and by investing in activities that are not very productive such as construction, without improving efficiency or productivity, adds the economic historian Leandro Prados de la Escosura. Economists generally agree that training levels are inadequate, and that Spanish legislation divides workers sharply between those on long-term contracts and those on temporary ones, which does not encourage investment in human capital or favor career advancement or improvements in business efficiency. Productivity, which is very important in the long term because it defines a countrys wealth, is another pending subject. Yet it does not show up as a priority on politicians agendas. Proof of it is the fact that despite a European recommendation from 2016, Spain has not created a Productivity Council, unlike other countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. English version by Susana Urra. Gordon Citizens Fire Company, Plane and Otto streets, will have a wing sale from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. To order in advance or for more information, including pricing and variety, go online to the Facebook page Gordon Fire Department. Hazleton The 1975 sudden disappearance of union leader Jimmy Hoffa and its enduring legacy will be the focus of a presentation by David Witwer, 2020-21 Penn State Laureate, during a virtual visit to Penn State Hazleton at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Regarding one aspect of the case, a Martin Scorsese mobster epic, The Irishman, is a film based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, which explores the alleged ties Hoffas disappearance has to Luzerne County and reputed mob boss Russell Bufalino of Kingston. The presentation is free and open to the public and can be viewed via Zoom at http://bit.ly/laureate2021 or by visiting https://hazleton.psu.edu. Schuylkill Haven The Feel Better and Live Better program at 23 Meadowbrook Center, 23 Meadowbrook Drive, is designed for people 60 and older with chronic conditions such as hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, COPD and heart disease. The next session is set for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 1. Sessions are held on Mondays; other dates include March 8, 15, 22 and 29 and April 5. Advance registration for the March 1 session is due by Feb. 22. To register, or for more information, call 570-624-3017. All CDC guidelines for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will be followed. Tamaqua A hoagie sale by the culinary team of Zion Lutheran Church has been postponed and pickups will now be from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12. For more information, call 570-668-4451. South Africa is pausing the country's rollout of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after a study showed it offered reduced protection from the COVID-19 variant first identified there, CNN reported citing South African health officials on Sunday (local time). According to South Africa Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize, the hold of vaccine would be temporary while scientists figure out how to most effectively deploy the AstraZeneca vaccine. South Africa will move forward with the deployment of vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson and Johnson, Mkhize said. Early data released showed that two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine provided only "minimal protection" against mild and moderate Covid-19 from the variant first identified in South Africa, CNN reported. In the AstraZeneca-Oxford trial in South Africa, about 2,000 participants were given either two doses of the vaccine or placebo shots, according to the study, which has not been released. Researchers said that viral neutralization against the B.1.351 variant was "substantially reduced" when compared to the earlier coronavirus strain.The vaccine's efficacy against severe Covid-19, hospitalization and death were not assessed. The company is "working closely with the South African Ministry of Health on how best to support the evaluation against the severe disease of the B.1.351 variant, and start to bring this vaccine to the South African people should it prove to be successful," CNN quoted AstraZeneca spokesperson's statement. The statement said the company believes its vaccine will still protect against severe disease from the new B.1.351 variant, particularly when the dosing interval is eight to 12 weeks. However, in a previous statement, the company said it is working with Oxford University to adapt the vaccine against the B.1.351 variant so "it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed." World Health Organization's independent vaccine panel will meet Monday (local time) to discuss the AstraZeneca vaccine and what the new study means for vaccines going forward, said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead for COVID-19. "Some preliminary studies suggesting reduced efficacy. But again, those studies aren't fully published yet," CNN quoted Van Kerkhove as saying. She added that it's critical to have more than one safe and effective vaccine: "We cannot rely on only one product." According to The New York Times, AstraZeneca's vaccine has been authorised by around 50 countries, including Britain, which has found dozens of cases of the variant first seen in South Africa. (ANI) Also Read: Coronavirus Update: Russia reports 16,627 coronavirus cases, 497 deaths A boat erupted into flames at the Bethel Island Marina on Sunday night, and a man who lives on the 30-foot cabin cruiser remains missing. East County Today reports that firefighters responded to a call of a boat on fire at the marina at 10:04 p.m. The owner of the vessel, who reportedly lives and sleeps on the boat, could not be accounted for. AHMEDABAD, India, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A very popular song from the Raj Kapoor's film in 1950's, resonates with the feelings of Ashutosh Rawal. The song conveys the ideology that you may travel across the world and adapt to different cultures & styles but at the core of the heart, you are an Indian. Traveler by heart and explorer by nature, Ashutosh Rawal feels a deep connection with Japan and its people. He has very innocently narrated these heartwarming & rib-tickling experiences in his upcoming book about his travel experiences to Japan. He admiringly quotes Mahatma Gandhi: "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." This, he says, has a deeper spiritual meaning wherein you keep your mind and heart open to other cultures but stay grounded in your moral values & principles. He has traveled to over 70 countries now but remains rooted in Indian culture and its values system. Many of his friends feel that he is Crazy About Japan. However he is proud about his love and flaunts his connection with Japan, its people and its culture. He takes the fondness to another level. He goes into the history and finds out that many Indians have settled in Japan for over a century and many of them were Gujarati, Parsi and Sindhi. A recent news talks about conferring the second highest civilian award of Padma Vibhushan to Ex-Prime Minister of Japan - Mr. Shinzo Abe for "exceptional and distinguished service" -- in the field of public affairs. He also talks about Yogendra Puranik becoming the first person of Indian origin to win elections in Japan. The point being highlighted is the great connection between two countries and its people. He has studied in Japanese language as an exchange student and strongly feels that Gujarati & Japanese language has a lot of similarities. He cites the example of Gujarati's saying "Ha Ji Namaste" whereas in Japanese language they say "Hajime Mashtey", when they meet someone for the first time. Gujarati/Hindi word "Seva" also has a similar meaning in Japanese language. There are many such similarities as the grammatical construction of the speech is also very similar for both the languages. In his upcoming book, he fondly talks about many such similarities and anyone would love reading these interesting narratives conveyed in a simple and witty manner. Small stories with wonderful & heartwarming life lessons are the takeaway from his book. Don't miss to buy and read this fantastic book to be released in March 2021. He talks in a witty manner with a great sense of humour but the underlying message has deeper meaning. Keep looking at this space for more details. Ashutosh Rawal strongly feels past life connection with Japan. He has created life-time friendships and bond with the people of Japan. He becomes highly emotional when he talks about his friends and host families in Japan. Tears roll down his cheeks and he becomes philosophical as he narrates some amazing and highly touching experiences with people of Japan. In the end, he laughs and calls himself Japanese Gujju. You may follow him on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter where he shares his travel adventures and magical experiences in Japan. Ashutosh Rawal is a world traveler, photographer, adventure seeker, writer, teacher, snake charmer as well as a student forever. Professionally working in the field of Tourism, Destination Marketing and Corporate Events, he travels across India and the globe for his work. He leads the Travel Company called Kairamya Journeys LLP., based in Ahmedabad. He is highly excited about his upcoming book release which narrates his travel experiences in Japan. Related Links https://ashutoshrawal.com/ SOURCE The office of Ashutosh Rawal In 1991, during his first full term in the Texas Senate, Democrat Rodney Ellis carried a bill through the upper chamber that would require the word negro be removed from the names of 19 locations around the state, including Negrohead Lake in Baytown. Thirty years after the bill became law, just one of the locations has been renamed. Now, Ellis and other local, state and federal officials again are pushing for the word negro to be stripped from Texas geographic names as the law envisions, along with other locations that were not included in the legislation. As a liberated Democrat this is not about Democrats, its not about Republicans, I say liberated Democrat because I am unbought and unbossed I find the utilization of the word negro to denote a person of African ancestry to be greatly offensive, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said at a news conference Monday. It connotes a caricature of human inferiority reminiscent of a bygone era when blackness was defined by a predominantly white power structure. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, an arm of the Department of the Interior, oversees the process for renaming land units and geographic features. In 1999, the board rejected Texas proposal to rename Negrohead Lake as Lake Henry Doyle, after the first Black law student at a state-owned school in Texas, because it did not observe any evidence that there was any local involvement in the renaming process. The lake sits on federal land in the precinct of Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who said he plans to introduce a resolution at Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting that will call for the name change. Baytown Mayor Brandon Capetillo said the City Council also will take up a resolution in support of the renaming at its Thursday meeting. The resolutions will not immediately implement the name change, though officials are hoping they will satisfy the boards requirement for local involvement in the renaming process. Meanwhile, Green is hoping to speed things up at the federal level. Last September, he and U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland a New Mexico Democrat who would be the first Native American to run the Department of the Interior if confirmed by the U.S. Senate introduced a bill aimed at quickening the process for renaming land units and geographic features that have offensive and racist names. The legislation would form a group called the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names that would be tasked with recommending name changes to the Board on Geographic Names. The current system is time-consuming, lacks transparency and public involvement, and is ill equipped to address the vast nature of the problem, Haalands office said in a statement in September. State officials also plan to resubmit the unchanged names to the Board on Geographic Names, which is expected to take up the proposals at a meeting on Thursday and perhaps finish the process by June, according to Ellis. Its the right thing to do, Ellis said. This is Black History Month. Its an appropriate time to do it, and do it now. In at least two previous cases, the federal government has issued a blanket charge to remove pejorative terms from geographic features and locations across the country. In 1962, at the request of the interior secretary, the board substituted negro for a common racial epithet in the names of more than a hundred locations. Twelve years later, it replaced an anti-Japan racial slur with Japanese on several locations across the country. Google Maps Texas still has 39 locations and geographic features with racially offensive names, Ellis said. That does not include former Gov. Rick Perrys family hunting camp in West Texas, which some locals still referred to by its former name, which contained a racial epithet, by the time Perry ran for president in 2011, the Washington Post reported. Perry told the Post that his parents painted over the large rock that displayed the offensive name at the ranch entrance in the 1980s, but some visitors recalled seeing the name in the 1990s and possibly later. Perry disputed those reports after they emerged. Bishop James Dixon, the recently elected president of the NAACP Houston branch, said the widespread use of racially offensive geographic names should be preserved in history books in Texas and other states to show the kind of discrimination that Blacks and Latinos and others have endured for all these years in America. He, Ellis and other elected officials spoke outside the NAACP Houston branch, displaying a map of the offensively named locations. We dedicate our time and energy to when there will be a day when this map will not exist, with the names that are shameful to our history and our heritage and are an embarrassment to all of Americas children, Dixon said. jasper.scherer@chron.com twitter.com/jaspscherer SCRANTON Snow was never going to slow down ice. Designed to bring cold, hard cash to businesses strapped by the coronavirus pandemic, the Scranton Ice Festival wrapped up its inaugural three-day event Sunday with thousands of dollars raised for a small-business relief fund, organizers said. Meanwhile, a light crowd of passersby wandered downtown Scranton streets amid snow showers to snap photographs of the ice sculptures lining the sidewalks. We spent the last four or five years up in northern Minnesota, said Gary Rozman, who moved to the area with his partner, T.J. Luma, in July. So this is quite balmy for us actually. Im kind of surprised they havent melted sooner. The festival, which began Friday night, was in partnership with First Friday Scranton, Scranton Tomorrow, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which established a Small Business Relief Fund that raised money through donations and sponsorships. Laura Ducceschi, foundation president and CEO, said 22 sponsorships from businesses and individuals have raised more than $20,000 for the relief fund. Other donations were still coming in. Those interested in making a donation can do so online at the foundations website, www.safdn.org. In the first year of this event, and only a month after the fund was established, people have really seemed to respond and step up, Ducceschi said in an email. Dozens of ice sculptures slowly melted in front of stores and restaurants during Sunday afternoon, when the high temperature was 36. Mary Carol and Jack Teeple drove to downtown Scranton from Archbald to see them firsthand. An ice sculpture of Olaf, the magical snowman from Disneys hit movie Frozen, in front of the Marketplace at Steamtown, caught Mary Carol Teeples eye. Olafs body may have been solid ice instead of packed snow, but he still had a carrot for a nose. Ducceschi said the ice festival may continue next year. It gave a morale boost to small businesses that reported higher-than-anticipated sales and gave young families something fun to do that was still socially distanced and safe. I wouldnt be surprised to see this on a yearly basis, Ducceschi said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 22:12:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China launched a campaign targeting copyright infringement of movies to be screened during the upcoming Spring Festival movie-going season. Initiated by copyright and film regulators and police authorities, the operation will focus on fighting against illegal recordings of cinema films, among other violations. The Spring Festival holiday, typically one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year in China, starts from Feb. 11. Seven domestic movies, including "Detective Chinatown 3," are slated for release on the Spring Festival which falls on Feb. 12. During the campaign, regulators will step up efforts to crack down on illegal filming and recording in cinemas, as well as the spread of pirated films. Cinemas, online streaming service providers and film associations are also encouraged to take part in copyright protection. Enditem Young workers could assess job offers against underpayment cases in their area to guard against being ripped off using a dashboard researchers hope to develop with the help of Australias largest philanthropic foundation. The Paul Ramsay Foundation, established by the late healthcare and media magnate, has contributed $500,000 to a University of Melbourne project launching on Tuesday that also aims to create a tool to predict which businesses are likely to be underpaying workers. Industries including hospitality and retail have seen higher rates of pay problems. Credit:AFR One of the projects leaders, Timothy Kariotis, a lecturer at the universitys law school, hopes it will eventually be able to assess the risk of underpayment based on a workers age, visa status, industry and location. But before its decided exactly what will be built, stage one of the project, which has been funded for two years, is to determine what data is available from unions, the sectors regulator, public sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and community legal centres. LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Mint continuesA its ShAngxiA o collection to celebrate Chinese New Year with a commemorative coin celebrating Lunar Year of the Ox a one of the most beloved and respected creatures in Chinese culture. This Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coin blends elements of traditional British design with ancient Chinese culture and is designed by Harry Brockway a the man behind the design of the 2019 Year of the Pig commemorative coin. The design depicts a powerful ox grazing in a meadow with bluebells in the foreground and blossom tress beyond, complete with a picturesque countryside setting andA prominently features the traditional Chinese symbol for the ox, centrally placed above the sacred herbivore. The series is a celebration of the UK's diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. During Chinese New Year it is common to exchange tokens and gifts of money in red envelopes symbolising good wishes for the recipient's health, wealth and prosperity. Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: "We have been marking each Zodiac symbol on a commemorative coin as part of The ShAngxiA o Collection since 2014. Combining centuries of The Royal Mint's craftsmanship and artistic skills with a centuries-old Chinese tradition.A The series has grown in popularity over the years and has become an eagerly anticipatedA annual releaseA amongst coin collectors across the globe. We are thrilled to continue celebrate Chinese New Year with the Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coin the second animal of the Chinese zodiac cycleA a a beautiful fusion of British and Chinese tradition." The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle with each year characterised by a different animal.A Ancient legend tells of a Great Race between the animals. Several variants of the story exist, but in one popular interpretation the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, declared that the first 12 animals to sign up would be eligible to take part, and the order they finished in would determine the order of the lunar calendar. The Ox is considered one of the most beloved and respected creatures in Chinese culture. Hailed for its hard work and diligence in the field, the ox is highly respected in China and these industrious traits are also subsequently associated with those born under the ox sign. The Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coins are available in a range of precious metals finishes. Visit www.royalmint.com/lunar to view the full collection. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1428714/The_Royal_Mint_Year_Ox.jpg A Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1358049/The_Royal_Mint_Logo.jpg A A Alia Bhatt had entered the New Year with a vacation with actor-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and their families. And her second trip of the year was with the other loved ones, her friends. The actor has set off to the Maldives with her sister Shaheen and friends Anushka and Akansha Ranjan, and the moments are vacation goals. Alia Bhatt and co chill in Maldives After enjoying a dinner date with her sister Shaheen Bhatt, Alia seems to be having a gala time in the Maldives. The Student of the Year star then let her hair down by posing in the bikini on the beach. She was not alone as sister duo, actors Akansha and Anushka too joined as they delightedly struck a pose in the sun in their swimsuits. Akansha captioned the post, 'so the whole world knows my love for you is so big' and fans would agree, looking at the bonding of the trio. Shaheen Bhatt might not have been in the pictures, but she too was struck by the beauty of the scenic locales and the beaches in the Maldives. READ: Alia Bhatt Looks Stunning In Swimsuit As She Shares Photos From Maldives Vacation READ: Alia Bhatt Shares Her Monochrome Pictures And Quotes Virginia Woolf In Latest Post Previously, she had shared a stunning snap of Alia in a red dress, and the duo also had enjoyed a fun-filled ride, waving their legs outside their vehicle Alia Bhatt on the professional front Alia Bhatt had only one release last year, Sadak 2, where she was directed by her father Mahesh Bhatt for the first time. It was the sequel to the veteran filmmaker's 1991 Sadak. The movie traced the return of Sanjay Dutt's character Ravi, while Alia's half-sister Pooja Bhatt, who was in the original, too appeared in the movie. She was cast opposite Aditya Roy Kapur. She has two films by renowned directors in her kitty, Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Gangubai Kathiwadi and SS Rajamoulis RRR. The actor had been shooting for both the films over the past two months. The other film of hers is Brahmastra, where she will be pairing up with Ranbir for the first time. The movie is in post-production stage at the moment and likely to release this year. READ: Alia Bhatt Extends Birthday Wishes To 'RRR' Co-star Olivia Morris, Shares Her First Look READ: Its 'date-o-clock' For Alia Bhatt As She Shares A Gorgeous Mirror Selfie; See Pic Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Mint continues its Shengxiao collection to celebrate Chinese New Year with a commemorative coin celebrating Lunar Year of the Ox - one of the most beloved and respected creatures in Chinese culture. This Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coin blends elements of traditional British design with ancient Chinese culture and is designed by Harry Brockway - the man behind the design of the 2019 Year of the Pig commemorative coin. The design depicts a powerful ox grazing in a meadow with bluebells in the foreground and blossom tress beyond, complete with a picturesque countryside setting and prominently features the traditional Chinese symbol for the ox, centrally placed above the sacred herbivore. The series is a celebration of the UK's diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. During Chinese New Year it is common to exchange tokens and gifts of money in red envelopes symbolising good wishes for the recipient's health, wealth and prosperity. Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: "We have been marking each Zodiac symbol on a commemorative coin as part of The Shengxiao Collection since 2014. Combining centuries of The Royal Mint's craftsmanship and artistic skills with a centuries-old Chinese tradition. The series has grown in popularity over the years and has become an eagerly anticipated annual release amongst coin collectors across the globe. We are thrilled to continue celebrate Chinese New Year with the Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coin the second animal of the Chinese zodiac cycle - a beautiful fusion of British and Chinese tradition." The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle with each year characterised by a different animal. Ancient legend tells of a Great Race between the animals. Several variants of the story exist, but in one popular interpretation the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, declared that the first 12 animals to sign up would be eligible to take part, and the order they finished in would determine the order of the lunar calendar. The Ox is considered one of the most beloved and respected creatures in Chinese culture. Hailed for its hard work and diligence in the field, the ox is highly respected in China and these industrious traits are also subsequently associated with those born under the ox sign. The Lunar Year of the Ox commemorative coins are available in a range of precious metals finishes. Visit www.royalmint.com/lunar to view the full collection. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1428714/The_Royal_Mint_Year_Ox.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1358049/The_Royal_Mint_Logo.jpg The central question for the Senate in trying Donald Trump is whether his speech was protected by the First Amendment. The Article of Impeachment voted by the House of Representatives charged Trump with incitement of violence, a type of speech that the Supreme Court long has held is not constitutionally protected. But Trumps lawyers, in their brief to the Senate, claim that Trump was just exercising his First Amendment rights. The focus of the Senate trial thus must be on whether, under well-established law, Trump engaged in incitement. If so, the senators, to be true to their oath, are obligated to convict Trump. Of course, this not a trial in a court of law. There is no need to prove that a crime occurred in order for the Senate to convict. The Constitution allows for impeachment and conviction for treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors. The latter refers to serious abuses of power, whether illegal or not. Also, unlike a criminal trial, there is no need for the prosecutor here the members of the House of Representatives who are presenting the case against Trump to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Most important, the reality is that the vote in the Senate is likely to be much more about the politics than the law. Still, the central issue for the senators should be to evaluate whether Donald Trump engaged in incitement. Initially, in 1919, the Supreme Court held that speech could be punished as incitement if it posed a clear and present danger of harm. The court ruled that a man could be punished for circulating a leaflet criticizing the draft during World War I even though there was not a shred of evidence that it actually interfered with military enlistments. The Supreme Court articulated the modern test for incitement in Brandenburg vs. Ohio in 1969. The court said that speech could be punished if it was likely to cause imminent illegal activity and if the speech was directed at causing imminent illegal activity. Clarence Brandenburg was convicted for a speech he gave at a Klan rally. The Supreme Court overturned Brandenburgs conviction and said that his speech, though racist and inflammatory, was protected by the First Amendment. Ever since the court has followed this test in deciding whether punishment for incitement violates the Constitution. Under this legal test there is a compelling argument that Trumps speech on Jan. 6, especially in the context of all he had said since election day, constituted incitement. First, was there a likelihood of imminent illegal activity? Thousands of people gathered for a Save America rally on Jan. 6. This followed two months of Trump claiming that he lost the election because of fraud. Trump had encouraged people to come to Washington for the rally, tweeting, Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild! At the rally, Rudy Giuliani repeated conspiracy theories that voting machines used in the election were crooked and he urged trial by combat. Congressman Mo Brooks declared, Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass. Trumps words to the crowd must be looked at in this context. Taken altogether, it is clear that there was a likelihood that some in the crowd would engage in illegal acts. And they did, killing a police officer, seeking to kill Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress, and committing acts of vandalism at the Capitol. Second, was Trumps speech directed at causing illegal activity? Again, looking at his words leaves little doubt that he was exhorting the crowd to engage in violence. Over and over in his speech on Jan. 6, Trump told the crowd they must fight. He told the audience that his election victory (was) stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats and that we will never concede. He described in detail his claims of election fraud. He said, We will not take it anymore and thats what this is all about. ... We will stop the steal. He concluded, And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore. Trump repeatedly told an armed, angry crowd that had been inflamed over two months to go to the Capitol and fight. He cannot plausibly now disavow that was his goal. Thus, his speech was not protected by the First Amendment. Many wonder why bother with all of this when there appears no way that there will be the needed two-thirds of the Senate to convict? I think that the answer is found at the end of the article of impeachment voted by the House of Representatives: In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. This is exactly the type of behavior that the framers of the constitution had in mind when they spoke of high crimes and misdemeanors. Erwin Chemerinsky is dean and professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law. NIST testing automated delivery of new security controls Starting this summer, the National Institute of Standards and Technology will begin to automate delivery of revisions to Special Publication 800-53. A "web-based, automated content control development and delivery system" is in beta testing now, according to NIST Fellow Ron Ross, who said he expects the revolutionary and groundbreaking process to building consensus to be ready sometime this summer. "We're basically not going to wait five or six years to update 800-53," he said at FCW's Jan. 27 Cloud Security Workshop. "We're going to have an online development process where you can propose new controls ... and when the controls have gone through enough of that public review and vetting, we will then pull the trigger and put that control into the catalog." The new system will allow users to automatically download controls in different formats so they can be directly integrated with security support tools. It's just a great way to make the delivery quicker, more efficient and really help our customers get that real time information they need to do a better job in protecting their systems and organizations. he said. Traditionally, creating standards has been a fairly slow process, Ross said, but now youve got to be nimble and agile and move at the speed of the adversary without impacting quality. Stakeholders will have to adjust their approach to reviewing as well -- effectively moving from a waterfall process to a DevOps tempo. Real-time interactions with customers whose needs and challenges are rapidly changing, will help NIST build better safeguards. This new approach to standards development will require a new mindset for engaging customers and stakeholders, but the pandemic has taught us to use technology in new ways, Ross said. He was confident it would be a change for the better. "We're never going to sacrifice quality or our customer interaction," Ross said, "no matter what kind of process we use." Neither current government nor a new one can restart negotiation process with US, Iranian lawmakers say. As Anadolu agency reports, Iran's conservative lawmakers, who have an overwhelming majority in the Parliament, rejected holding negotiations with the US on the country's missile program and the 2015 nuclear agreement. US President Joe Biden on Sunday ruled out prospects of lifting sanctions on Iran until the country stops enriching uranium. In his first news interview since taking office last month, Biden said his administration would not ease sanctions to get Tehran back to the negotiating table after his predecessor Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and reintroduced sanctions related to the country's nuclear program. Biden's comments on CBS Evening News indicate that the current standoff would continue with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who demanded Washington lift sanctions before his country returns to its obligations under the deal that saw it curtail uranium enrichment. The Trump administration reinstated the economic sanctions against Iran while pulling the US out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, which the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany struck with Iran. The deal saw Tehran accept unprecedented curbs and inspections on its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. There will be no negotiations on the missile program and other issues. The government will implement the laws passed by parliament, North Khorasan lawmaker Mohammad Pakmehr told Anadolu Agency. Irans uranium enrichment activities will continue under the law passed by parliament, said Tabriz lawmaker Mohammad Reza Mirtaceddin, who served as vice-president under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Neither this government nor a new government can start a new negotiation process with the US. The parliament will oppose this. This is a decision of the Iranian regime, the government cannot negotiate. Khamenei has made the final decision on this issue. If the government goes too far, the parliament will take a stand against it, Mirtaceddin said. There have been significant disagreements between President Hassan Rouhani's reformist government and the conservative-dominated parliament on issues of resisting US sanctions. The two have adopted diverging approaches to the issue, especially on a recent "strategic plan" by parliament, which called for accelerating nuclear activities to "neutralize" the impact of the sanctions. Government officials initially opposed the plan, but approval by the country's top supervisory body, the Guardian Council, eventually turned it into law, obliging the government to implement it. Its a new year, a fresh start and were looking forward to celebrating our 39th year of offering the Credit Union Development Education (DE) Program! We also look back with gratitude for the people who have made the DE Program possible over the years. This includes our supporters, former program directors, mentors, participants and of course President Joseph Biden. Wait, what? Its true! Nearly 40 years ago as a US Senator, President Biden created the funding that helped to jumpstart the Foundations DE Program. The DE Program began in 1982 with a grant to the CUNA Foundation, now known as the National Credit Union Foundation, from the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S. A.I.D.). At the time, Senators Biden and Pell sponsored legislation which allocated $1 million annually to be used by private voluntary organizations in the U.S. to fund programs. These programs were intended to educate the public about major development issues related to hunger and economic development, primarily in developing countries. Eighty-eight programs received funding through the initial Biden-Pell sponsored grants and the Foundations DE Program is the only program that is still in existence. To date, more than 2,100 credit union professionals from more than 35 countries have graduated the DE Program. Former participants have also taken the DE Program internationally and created independently run DE Programs in Africa (Africa DE), Asia (Asia DE and Philippines DE), North America (Canada DE and Caribbean DE/CaribDE), and Europe (DEEU) and we estimate there are more than 4,200 DEs worldwide. The purpose of the DE Program has remained constant over the years as its look and feel have evolved. We prioritize the teaching of development issues and how these issues impact the financial well-being of our members and communities. We also explore how we can solve these issues by leveraging our cooperative business model and practicing empathy in financial services. When I participated in the DE Program in 2009, it showed me that the credit union movement was filled with smart caring people who were able to achieve great things by cooperating in the spirit of serving others. Like credit unions, the DE Program should not be a best kept secret. So our team at the Foundation continues to take elements from DE and share our lessons in new ways to support credit unions and reach new audiences. Id encourage you to check out our workshops and online learning if youre interested in exploring the why of your credit union and let us know how we can help. As we look back proudly on the history of the DE Program, we thank not only President Biden but the many, many people who have breathed life into the program and helped it thrive throughout the years. Your support has ensured that the noble purpose and cooperative spirit of credit unions will live on through those who earn their CUDE Designation. Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, produced over 2.44 million tonnes of fruits last year which generated revenue of nearly 14.18 billion yuan ($2.19 billion). The income from the industry accounted for 30 percent of local per capita net income, making fruit planting one of the pillar industries of the local community. Nurmemet Yasen from Egerchi Township, Aksu is one of the beneficiaries of the industry. His family earned 180,000 yuan last year by selling apples alone. Besides, farmer Abibula Dawut, who grows red dates in Aksu's Topluq Township also received a bumper harvest last year. Thanks to the technical support offered by a local cooperative, the yield per mu (666.7 square meters) of the farmer surged 200 to 300 kilograms. Immediately after Abibula picked the dates, the fruits were purchased by the cooperative. "We literally rushed to purchase them as they were really of high quality, said Guo Yanchao, head of the cooperative. "Mean on investing, the farmers suffered both low production and low quality of the fruits in the past, said Li Zhigang, deputy head of Aksu's forestry and grassland bureau. Since 2019, the bureau has started exploring a new mode, in which the bureau offers farmers fertilizers and purchases services from cooperatives, and the cooperatives provide technical support for the farmers, Li introduced. Kelimurat Tunyaz is an employee of a fruit processing company in Aksu. His competence has made him the chief of a workshop that manages over 70 employees. The company provides him 4,000 yuan per month, as well as food and accommodation. "Many couples work here, and each couple can save 50,000 to 60,000 yuan each year, said Zhao Wenge, general manager of the company. According to him, the company employs more than 350 local residents, and the number will further rise after a new plant completes construction. At present, Aksu Prefecture is home to over 140 processing enterprises that screen and package fruits, and they also make fruit jam, juice, fruit wine and freeze-dried fruits. "We have established an industrial chain that not only increases the value of farm produce, but also creates jobs, said Li Xinbin, Party chief of Aksu's forestry and grassland bureau. Over 3,000 jobs are offered during peak seasons of production by only 10 enterprises above designated size, he added. Today, Aksu has built multiple renowned brands for red dates, walnuts and apples, known as a great source of fruits. What the fruit industry brings is also thriving eco-tourism. Gan Yongjun, who runs an agritainment facility in Kekeya, Aksu knows it well. After a harvest of apples, Gan will soon embrace a large inflow of visitors during the upcoming Spring Festival. "The development of the fruit industry is making local ecology better and better," the man told People's Daily, who was the first one in Aksu to start an agritainment facility where he has a 20-mu apple orchard and four gers. He started making profits in the third year running the facility, and his annual income always stays above 100,000 yuan. Last November, his second agritainment facility started operation. Today, Gan has bought not only a house in downtown Aksu, but also a car. In addition, he has also expanded the figure in his bank account. Inspired by him, many local farmers opened agritainment facilities. Now Kekeya is home to over 130 such facilities that received more than 1.5 million visits last year and generated 758 million yuan of tourism revenue. They create jobs for thousands of local households. HALF a million euros has been granted to Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board from the Mitigating against Educational Disadvantage Fund. Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris announced the distribution of 5.8m nationally for community education under the fund this Monday. Minister Patrick ODonovan said this new funding of 505,750 for Limerick and Clare ETB was secured as part of Budget 2021 to support community education for adult learners, who have the highest level of need. "The funding will help to increase the participation of disadvantaged learners in County Limerick. It encourages and supports them to re-engage with education and training and also helps attract new learners to engage with education and training opportunities. "The fund has a particular focus on assisting learners with digital infrastructure, including providing devices and software, and increasing their capacity to deliver online learning. "Crucially, it aims at helping build the digital infrastructure of providers, and their capability to ensure that online learning can be delivered in a way that meets the complex needs of all learners, said Minister ODonovan. Minister Niall Collins said the 505,750 has been allocated for 56 projects. "Community education supports the needs of marginalised and disadvantaged learners. Funding of further education and training tackles inequalities and helps people learn and develop new skills that they may not have had the opportunity to earlier in life "I am delighted that 56 very worthy projects have been selected for funding through the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. These will help people with literacy, numeracy and digital skills amongst others. This funding will make a real difference for learners in local Limerick communities," said Minister Collins. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell said this funding will help Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board support 56 projects including a wide range of community-based organisations to provide new courses designed for adult learners. 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. Mid-Caps & Transportation Show Upside Targets For Next Stock Market Rally An important technical conclusion stemming from the recent volatility spike is that prices must continue to push higher, above previous highs, in order to confirm the continued upside price expectations. The recent volatility spike and downside rotation in the US major stock market were big enough to reset many trending systems and prompt new upside price targets. In this research article, I will share our targets on the Mid-Caps and the Transportation ETFs to show you want we expect from the potential rally. IWM Breakout Above $218.35 Suggests Rally Is Just Starting The IWM, the Ishares Russell 2000 ETF, Daily chart highlights the recent rotation in price and shows a Fibonacci price extension range from the late December 2020 lows to the recent late January 2021 highs. I use these Fibonacci price extensions as a means of measuring potential upside or downside price targets, which seem to be fairly accurate. Watching what happens near the 61.8% level on the chart will guide us in determining if the 100% target level will be reached quickly or after a bit of consolidation. For example, the upside 61.8% target on this IWM chart is $221.71. Once price breaches this level by rallying higher, and if price rallies through this level strongly, then we would expect the rally to continue towards the 100% target level. If price rallies up to the 61.8% level and stalls or pulls away from that level then we would expect price to continue to stall in an attempt to build a new momentum base before possibly rallying higher towards the 100% level at some point in the future. Therefore, there are really three critical levels on this chart, the late January previous highs, near $218.35 (which have been breached today), $221.71 (the 61.8% Fibonacci target level), and $232.16 (the 100% Fibonacci target level). The current breakout above the $218.35 level suggests this new upside price rally has enough momentum to continue higher and attempt to target the $221.71 level. This is technical confirmation of the bullish trend and puts the upside price targets clearly in play. Transports Show Upside Targets Hinge On The $232.90 Level The IYT, IShares Transportation Average ETF, Daily chart below shows the recent bottom and upside price rally has yet to breach the recent January 2021 highs, near $232.90. As we saw the Russell 2000 (IWM) chart, above, has already broken recent highs, it is important that we see the IYT also break through recent highs to confirm the strength and momentum of this trend. Be sure to sign up for our free market trend analysis and signals now so you dont miss our next special report! At this point we expect the IYT to continue to push higher, targeting the $232.90 level, attempt to break above this level, then begin to move higher targeting the $237.27 (61.8% Fibonacci target level) and then $252.32 (100% Fibonacci target level). The deeper downside rotation in this IYT chart shows how strong the Mid-Cap sector is compared to the Transportation sector. Mid-Caps and Small-Caps are really seeing a very strong momentum move while the Transportation sector has a much bigger range to recover and break above. It is not that we dont believe the Transportation sector wont rally higher, it just highlights the focus of traders is in the Mid-Caps and Small-Caps at this stage of the rally. As traders begin to realize the upward price potential as they watch this rally momentum build, we believe a shift in thinking will take place. Once multiple sector averages break above recent highs and the Transportation Average breaks higher, then a broad sector confirmation of this renewed rally phase will drive traders back into the markets. As some sectors fail, others will begin to trend higher. We watch these sectors to determine what are the best sectors to trade based on relative strength and momentum and then trade their respective ETFs. I call this my Best Asset Now, or BAN, strategy. My subscribers and I are loving the strategy we took out three ETF trades in the three hottest sectors and one Index trade and all are moving up nicely after only 2.5 days. We hit our 7%, 15%, and 20% targets for one of our trades within 48 hours, and continue to ride the remainder of our position in that trade up until we are stopped out! This is how we make money while still getting that awesome, excitable feeling from being in an explosive, possibly parabolic, trade!! Dont miss the opportunities in the broad market sectors over the next 6+ months, which will be an incredible year for traders of the BAN strategy. You can sign up now for my FREE webinar that teaches you how to find, enter, and profit from only those sectors that have the most strength and momentum. As some sectors fail, others will begin to trend higher. Learn how BAN Trader Pro can help you spot the best trade setups; staying ahead of sector trends is going to be key to success in these markets. For those who believe in the power of trading on relative strength, market cycles, and momentum but dont have the time to do the research every day then my BAN Trader Pro newsletter service does all the work for you. In addition to trade alerts that can be entered into at the end of the day or the following morning, subscribers also receive a 7-10 minute video every morning that walks you through the charts of all the major asset classes. For traders that want more trading than our 20-25 alerts per year, we provide our BAN Trader Pro subscribers with our BAN Hotlist of ETFs that is updated each day. We issued a new trade alert for our subscribers today and all four trades are well on their way to great returns! Have a great weekend! Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. By Juliet Nalwooga Police still await postmortem report to explain Journalist Hadad Mubirus demise. Mubirus body was found yesterday at about 8am at Kanyanya after police received a call from a one Sseruyange that there was a body of a male adult, who was later identified as Hadad Mubiru, a journalist with Break Through media TV news, in Kanyanya Quarter Zone. Some eye witnesses say the deceased was seen crawling near the scene hours before he was discovered dead. Kampala metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire says body has been transferred to the city mortuary Mulago and preliminary findings indicate that the body was not found with any serious injuries. The deceased was reportedly a journalist working with BTM news. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday released its annual report of Ombudsman Schemes 2019-20. The RBI closely monitors the banks, NBFCs and the new age digital players. There are some interesting facts around the 3.50 lakh complaints that the RBI received during the year 2019-20. Chandigarh received the highest banking-related complaints at 31,594 in 2019-20, a rise of 141 per cent over the previous year. In fact, Chandigarh office has the highest 10 per cent share in country-wise complaints. Bhopal office saw the second highest growth at 137 per rise of complaints to 14,510. ALSO READ: RBI to conduct OMOs for Rs 20,000 crore on February 10 The share of complaints from the metro regions has gone up big time from 26 per cent three years ago to 50 per cent in 2019-20, whereas it has declined in urban areas from 50 per cent in 2017-18 to 22 per cent in 2019-20. The per complaint cost was highest in Jammu at Rs 8,088 per complaint in 2019-20. Kolkata office followed closely with 5,438 per complaint cost. But the overall average cost of handling complaints declined from Rs 3,145 in 2018-19 to Rs 2,412 in 2019-20. ALSO READ: Govt to work with RBI to execute bank privatisation announced in Budget: FM In three years time, the mode of complaint has drastically shifted from post, fax, courier and hand delivery to online mode. The traditional paper mode had a share of 36 per cent in 2017-18, which had reduced to 14 per cent. In fact, the online mode had taken a lead over e-mail as well as traditional mode. Over 50 per cent of the complaints came via online mode. This online mode witnessed a growth of 247 per cent in 2019-20. The complaints related to ATM, debit card, mobile and electronic banking were the major grounds for complaints during the year. The number of complaints pertaining to direct sales agent and recovery agents increased from 629 complaints in 2018-19 to 1,406 complaints this year. ALSO READ: RBI predicts 26% economic growth in first half of FY22 First Minister Arlene Foster said policing decision matters should be based on the law and not politics after meeting Chief Constable Simon Byrne regarding Fridays controversial operation at a memorial event for Troubles victims. Police intervened at the commemoration for victims of a loyalist massacre at a bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road in Belfast. Mark Sykes, who was shot several times in the 1992 attack, was handcuffed and arrested in the exchanges. Mr Byrne apologised on Saturday for what happened and confirmed that an inexperienced police officer had been suspended. Read More The conduct of the two officers captured in footage of the incident is being examined by the Police Ombudsman. Sinn Fein has claimed there is a nationalist crisis of confidence in policing, while Mr Byrne dismissed allegations that the PSNI adopts different approaches for different communities. Mrs Foster led a DUP delegation in a meeting with the Chief Constable on Monday. Speaking afterwards, the DUP leader said Mr Byrnes response has the hallmarks of trial by social media and of two young officers being scapegoated - something the Chief Constable previously denied. Read More We need fair and impartial policing, free from political influence, stated Mrs Foster. Decisions should be based on the law and not politics. Due process should be the trademark of the police. The swift response by the Chief Constable has all the hallmarks of trial by social media and of two young officers being scapegoated. This will inevitably cause alarm among those starting their career in the police. Mrs Foster added that any decisions regarding what happened at the memorial commemoration on Friday should have been made after the completion of the Police Ombudsman investigation. Given the antics of Sinn Fein at the Storey funeral and their disregard for Covid-19 rules, their criticism of the police rings utterly hollow, she continued. The anniversaries of atrocities at Kingsmills and Teebane were marked respectfully and lawfully. There is a duty on all organisers to act in compliance with the law. While we understand the need for a proportionate and sensitive policing response, operational decisions must be fair and balanced. There should be no apology for enforcing the rule of law. In a case of further tightening of data privacy provisions for its citizens, the Singapore government passed legislation, the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment) Bill, on 2 February restricting the police use of TraceTogether data to only seven types of criminal offences. Earlier, there was no such clear limit on the use of TraceTogether data by law enforcement agencies, which led to a public outcry when it was discovered that Singapore police had used the data to investigate a murder case (the Punggol Fields murder) in May 2020. The public resentment was due to the disappointment that data collected by TraceTogether was meant to be used only for contact-tracing purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the police had breached the publics trust in government by using the data for a crime. TraceTogether and data privacy TraceTogether is the Singapore governments coronavirus contact-tracing programme, first launched on 20 March 2020 by Singapores Government Technology Agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Initially released as an app, later it was also offered as a physical token for people who did not own a smartphone, or preferred not to use the app (mainly for the elderly and children). According to government sources, TraceTogether was built with certain privacy principles in mind: geolocation data was not collected, the Bluetooth data collected was stored locally in the users app or token in an encrypted form; user personal information, including their unique identification number and mobile number, was not revealed to other TraceTogether users (they are substituted by a random permanent ID);and once contact tracing ceased to be operational, the government would prompt users to disable TraceTogethers functionality. On 4 January 2021, when the government announced that the police could obtain any data under Singapores jurisdiction for the purposes of criminal investigations, and this includes TraceTogether data, it led to questions on if this was in violation of the TraceTogether privacy statement. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapores foreign minister and minister in charge of the Smart Nation Initiative, admitted in Parliament on 2 February 2021 that he deeply regretted the anxiety caused by privacy concerns arising out of TraceTogether data. I take full responsibility for this mistake, and I deeply regret the consternation, the anxiety that was caused by my mistake, he said. He was so enamoured by the ingenuity and brilliance of this app that he got blindsided, he stated in front of fellow lawmakers. The government was not trying to create a surveillance tool, he clarified. He also said that he became aware that TraceTogether data could be used by the police only at the end of October 2020, after it was brought to his notice by a member of the public. Restrictions introduced for TraceTogether data The new legislation allows all government agencies to access the data from the TraceTogether app only for contact tracing or for investigating seven types of criminal offences: terrorism, murder, rape, kidnapping, weapons, drugs, and escapes from custody. There is also provision for a fine of up to S$20,000 and/or a jail term of as long as two years for those government and law enforcement officers who breach the guidelines. Balakrishnan stressed that the new legislation gives an added assurance that no other written law can override the protections offered by the bill. In case the lawmakers wished to expand the number of scenarios in which data could be accessed, they would have to return to Parliament to legislate further. Highlighting the safeguards in data protection, Balakrishnan said that TraceTogether data was encrypted and was purged automatically after 25 days, and that Singaporeans had the option to write in to request the erasure of their data. In fact, 350 residents had already made such a request last month. According to Balakrishnan, limiting the use of contact tracing data with the new legislation is a result of a delicate balance between the right to public health, the right to public security, and respecting the sensitivity of personal data during this extraordinary time. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Fewer than a third of Melbournes office workers returned to their desks in January, with most of those reluctant to go back reporting they werent ready to give up the flexibility afforded by working from home. Under current restrictions, up to 50 per cent of private-sector workers and 25 per cent of public servants are allowed back into offices across the state at any one time. The Property Council of Australia surveyed 125 members operating in the commercial office sector, including major commercial landlords. The results showed that in January, 31 per cent of office staff worked from their offices, up from a record low of 7 per cent in October, and 13 per cent in December. Delusion without end: White supremacy in present-day America By Greg Strange Who would like to have a very uncomfortable conversation about white supremacy? Yeah, me neither. Still, those of us who understand how that term is being used by the left to wage their destructive war against America need to start talking about it and refuting it more strongly. Otherwise, whatever the left says about it sticks because virtually every institution in the country is now controlled by the left and they all march in goose-step er, I mean, lockstep. So, heres a typical definition of white supremacy, this particular one coming from the Merriam-Webster dictionary: the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races. In addition, it is the social, economic and political systems that collectively enable white people to maintain power over people of other races. The idea that such a state exists in present-day America is preposterous, but the claims from the left are ubiquitous and ceaseless, which is especially amusing given that, again, the left controls all our institutions. That being the case, if white supremacy is everywhere like the left claims, then it is logically irrefutable that the left is promulgating it. But it is all put off onto conservatives, who are now routinely and propagandistically referred to as white supremacists. Thanks to the left and its gargantuan lies, the country is psychotically obsessed with white supremacy. As just one of a gazillion examples, lets talk about the Reverend Dr. Michael Eric Dyson for a moment. Dyson is a professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and Ethics and Society [emphasis mine] at Vanderbilt University. (If only the tedious length of ones title had anything to do with depth or substance.) The Reverend Dyson delivered a sermon on MLK Day which typified the aforementioned psychotic obsession with white supremacy. Heres an illustrative excerpt: American exceptionalism is really white supremacy on the sly. The men who founded your nation relished talk of God while holding black flesh in chains. Many of those who say that God takes special pride in your nation seek to bless the blasphemy of white supremacy. The American church has sinned by portraying truth as white. Facts as white. Reality as white. Beauty as white. Normal as white. Moral as white. Righteousness as white. Theology as white. Christ as white. God as white. And America as white. White, white, white, white, white! Does this sound even remotely Christian-like to you? Do you think Christ would be okay with this race-obsessed hate screed masquerading as a sermon? But its just one more manifestation of our national psychosis over race. Its white this and white that until it all becomes a bunch of white noise. Look, the men who founded your nation, as Dyson put it, were all born in a society where slavery was legal. But guess what? So was everyone else on earth at that time and the endless demonization of white people, as if they were somehow uniquely guilty, cant change that fact. There was nobody in Africa decrying the institution of slavery at that time. Theyre still trying to stamp it out to this day. Most of the Founding Fathers were very troubled by slavery and wanted it gone, but they knew it couldnt be done overnight. Nonetheless, they concocted the most brilliant and moral political document in history, the Constitution. Even though not immediately attainable, it set some lofty goals, the striving for which would define the country going forward. Did anybody do that in Africa? The Reverend Dyson, like all race-obsessed leftists, is incapable of putting anything into historical perspective. As he put it in his sermon, This is America and has been America since America became America. So, to Dyson, it will always be 1964 and Mississippi Burning. It will always be the Jim Crow era. Hell, it will always be 1619! In other words, it will always be whenever or whatever it takes to demonize white people and their accursed whiteness until the end of time. Let me address Dysons sermon in this way: White supremacy in present-day America? Dont make me laugh! There has never been less white supremacy in America and in the history of the world! There has never been more freedom and opportunity for black people in the history of the world! There has never been more governmental, educational, media and corporate support for black people in the history of the world! There has never been more white guilt, taking a knee and apologies to black people in the history of the world! White supremacy in present-day America? B-a-a-a-h! Yecch! Ptooey! Its all a pack of filthy lies! Does anybody remember George Floyd, the martyred thug whose demise launched a thousand riots? Does anybody remember how so many of those riots were allowed to go on with little or no interference, all in the name of a black thug whose death-by-cop was a statistical aberration and whose life so typified the bad choices of ghetto culture? Now, does anybody believe that such a national convulsion of violence, mayhem and looting would have been allowed to happen under a system of white supremacy? All you have to do is look back at the pre-civil rights era a time of actual white supremacy as opposed to the current make-believe version and ask yourself the following question: Would any authority within the confines of the United States have allowed such a rampage by black people (along with white radicals) to go on for more than five minutes? Even during the civil rights era, local authorities often issued shoot to kill orders when riots broke out. But now, in our time, its basically riot to your hearts content, because we deserve it! Please forgive us, Black Lives Matter! We praise you, we take a knee for you, were thrilled youve been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize! White supremacy in present-day America? Rubbish, balderdash, blatherskite! Heres a list of things, in descending order, that pose a greater danger to black Americans than white supremacy in present-day America: 1.) Other black people (see Department of Justice crime statistics). 2.) An invasion of Earth by space aliens. 3.) A zombie apocalypse. And the list could go on virtually forever. White supremacy in present-day America? Its as dead as Pontius Pilate. Its pushing up daisies, sleeping with the fishes. But no amount of evidence will ever convince the Dysons of the world. They are congenitally incapable of seeing any good or improvement in the country they so irrationally despise, but never, ever deign to leave. Which begs a monumental question: Why, in the name of God, Reverend Dyson, are you willing to continue living here? If white supremacy is so unalterably pervasive after all these centuries, why would you not go to a place where there is no whiteness, like Africa, for instance? In fact, why isnt there a mass exodus to Africa? Why, why, why? I just want to know why, because its the most puzzling, incomprehensible and confounding mystery I have ever come upon. But then, we actually know the answer, dont we? Its because ungrateful malcontents like you absolutely have it made, right here in America, and youre not about to mess that up by moving to some hellhole where there arent any white people. So you stay here and you live off the fat of the land, which wouldnt even exist without American exceptionalism, which has absolutely nothing to do with white supremacy. Lets just be honest, Reverend Dyson. You wouldnt be caught dead living in a country that isnt majority white because you understand very well how good the white life is in comparison to other places. You understand very well theres nobody oppressing you here and youre free to partake in that good life to your hearts content. Theres plenty of traffic between America and Africa, but its all moving in one direction: west. If you were sincere about your complaints, youd be screaming to incoming Africans, Turn back! Theres nothing here but white supremacy! Save yourselves before its too late! But youre a fraud. White supremacy in present-day America, Reverend Dyson? Of all the ungrateful bastards! You dont deserve to live in America, but you get to anyway because you won lifes lottery by being born here. The big question is, where will you be spending eternity? Its hard to imagine how it could be the good place, unless the lord has an affirmative action program for unrepentant haters and race hustlers. Greg Strange can be reached at gpstrange30341@yahoo.com. (c) 2021 Greg Strange. Home The partner of missing Epping mother Ju Zhang has been released without charge as police continue to investigate her disappearance. Ms Zhang, also known as Kelly, was last seen at the home she shares with her eight-year-old son on Winchester Avenue, Epping, about 5.30pm on Monday, February 1. Police say Ju Zhangs disappearance is extremely out of character. The 33-year-old was wearing a pink pyjama top, shorts and no shoes when she was last seen. She had no personal belongings with her other than her mobile phone, which has not been located. She was reported missing the following evening, on February 2. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday he is going to investigate hospitals that aren't working their way through their vaccine allotment after a pitiful weekend at the end of January where healthcare workers failed to show up for their appointments. The state has so far only been offering the vaccines to people aged over 65 and healthcare workers. But thousands of appointments that are reserved for them have gone unclaimed. In some instances, people have reserved their appointment then not shown up for it. Over the last weekend in January, vaccine sites should have been swarmed with eligible people. Instead, many were empty. Doctors said of the weekend: 'We blew our chance to vaccinate thousands.' On Monday, Cuomo said that any vaccines in hospitals that are not used on healthcare workers by February 15 will be redirected to go to the next eligible group - people with comorbidities. Over the weekend of January 30, vaccine sites across the city were completely empty. Doctors said they had a chance to vaccinate thousands but 'blew it' Some hospitals across New York City have only vaccinated 40 percent of their staff, whereas others have vaccinated all of their staff. 'Something is just not right somewhere. I understand there there are racial differences in declination rates - I get that. 'It still doesn't add up in my book because you still have some hospitals in the same region with the same demographics of the same work force and you have a gross disparity. 'The New York State Department of Health is going to review those slow vaccinating hospitals. We want to understand why and how. 'But we're also going to use the excess supply for those with pre-existing conditions on February 15,' he said. The hospitals with the lowest vaccination rate in staff are in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The lowest is the NYC Health and Hospital North Central Bronx Hospital where only 41.2 percent of the staff have been vaccinated. Mount Sinai Beth Israel in downtown Manhattan, by contrast, has vaccinated 95 percent of its staff. People line up in the rain outside the Yankee Stadium on February 5, 2021 in New York as the Stadium is ready for its turn as a mass Covid-19 vaccination site, which is strictly reserved for residents of The Bronx A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside a church in the Bronx on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 Cuomo also said he would investigate cases of 'fraud' - where people are claiming to be eligible when they aren't. He didn't indicate what kind of punishment they would face. Citifield, the home of the New York Mets, will open on Wednesday. Residents of Queens who are eligible will be able to get their vaccines there, as will food workers and taxi drivers. Yankee Stadium is being used as a vaccination site for residents of the Bronx currently. Cuomo also admitted that there were problems in the rollout and said: 'Everybody wants this vaccine. There was skepticism when this started. 'By the way, the skepticism is still high and is a higher in black and Hispanic communities. It's a problem 'But when it became so rare and hard to get, it was like a shift where the demand went way up. 'You now have 10million people every week chasing 300,000 vaccines. 'You have people sitting at the computer all day - people who are desperate because they've been at home, locked up, afraid. 'It is a precious resource. It is so precious that I believe some people will commit fraud to get it,' he said. Just like his boss, Leonid Volkov knew what he was getting into. Alexei Navalnys return to Russia meant his arrest, court, prison, and the start of a protracted struggle. For his right-hand man, it meant a period of voluntary exile in Europe to be out of the reach of the Kremlins long arms. With the Kremlin critic jailed, last week it fell to Mr Volkov to unveil Team Navalnys updated game plan from his new home in Lithuania. The group was calling a pause to rallies until the spring, he announced. The battle to release Mr Nalvny would now switch to foreign policy tools. The Navalny aide said the surprise change in strategy was the inevitable result of a demonstratively cruel crackdown from the Kremlin. But he insists it was neither a capitulation or wholly unplanned. Mr Navalnys team was still operating according to a manual agreed with him before he left for Moscow and they had already scored many moral victories. Mr Navalnys team refused to be pulled into a Belarusian-style confrontation, Mr Volkov said. Vladimir Putin is behaving like a monkey with a grenade. We dont want to risk a cycle of crackdown, and increasing pain and disappointment. Read More The aide said he believed the international community was finally shedding illusions about Russias leader. It had seen that President Putin had authorised a chemical weapons programme, and then lied about it. People are watching a street hooligan in action, and they are just flabbergasted, he said. Mr Volkov is the most senior figure of a core team scattered around Russia and Europe. An energetic IT specialist originally from Yekaterinburg, Russias fourth-largest city, the 40-year-old began working with Mr Navalny in 2012. But it was 2013, when he powered a slick Moscow mayoral campaign for the opposition politician, that Mr Volkov showed his talents. Mr Navalny increased his share of the vote from 3pc to an official result of 27pc. Now, the aide is coordinating lobbying of western governments with an aim to impose new Navalny sanctions on a number of wealthy individuals in Mr Putins inner circle. A list of targets was agreed with Mr Navalny before he returned to Russia, and was published by another wingman, the London-based Vladimir Ashurkov, on the politicians jailing last week. Mr Volkov says the individuals on the Mr Ashurkov list are bag carriers for tens of billions of dollars of illicit presidential wealth. Freezing their accounts will have an oversized impact on Mr Putins confidence, he said: You need to work out what is important to Putin. What our palace investigation showed above all else is that he is simply obsessed with cash. That viral investigation, which has already been viewed over 110 million times on YouTube, has fuelled the most serious challenge to Vladimir Putins rule in a decade. Its details of grotesque luxury, with toilet brushes costing the near equivalent of a years pension in some Russian regions, have tapped into a fertile market for social justice. Pro-Navalny protests that followed were attended by hundreds of thousands across Russia, and brought people out in towns and cities previously considered loyal. ( Independent News Service) Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, holds an online conversation with board members of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) The development of China-U.S. relations has brought great benefits to the people of the two countries and also promoted world peace and prosperity. However, the last four years have seen too much anti-China rhetoric and even hatred from certain U.S. politicians. As the new year has begun and a new U.S. administration has been sworn in, it is imperative to steer China-U.S. ties back to the right course. The United States should work with China to uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation and manage differences, so as to push forward the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- It takes vision, courage and wisdom to restore normalcy to one of the world's most important bilateral relations which now stand at a key moment. Just like any bilateral relationship between countries, it is natural for China and the United States to have some differences. The best solution for both sides is to take a rational, positive and constructive approach, focusing on cooperation and managing differences to promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. By cooperating with each other, China and the United States can accomplish many great things that benefit both countries and the world at large. Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi on Saturday held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which both said bilateral relations are very important to the two countries and the world, and they are willing to develop stable and constructive bilateral relations. Dialogues are necessary. But whether China-U.S. relations could return on track hinges on whether the new U.S. administration would respect the red lines in bilateral relations. The development of China-U.S. relations has brought great benefits to the people of the two countries and also promoted world peace and prosperity. However, the last four years have seen too much anti-China rhetoric and even hatred from certain U.S. politicians. People like Mike Pompeo, who used to be America's top diplomat, have failed to show any zeal in helping solve the world's real problems. On the contrary, he along with other political arsonists in Washington, staged one political farce after another on the world stage and dug as many holes as possible for future China-U.S. relations. As the new year has begun and a new U.S. administration has been sworn in, it is imperative to steer China-U.S. ties back to the right course. The United States should work with China to uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation and manage differences, so as to push forward the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. China's policy toward the United States has always maintained a high degree of stability and continuity. The common interests of China and the United States far outweigh the differences. But it has to be noted that there are certain red lines in bilateral relations. The Taiwan question, the most important and sensitive core issue in China-U.S. relations, bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. As Blinken reiterated, the U.S. side will continue to pursue the one-China policy and abide by the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and this policy stance has not changed. Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet-related affairs are also China's internal affairs and allow no interference by external forces. Any attempts to slander and smear China are doomed to fail. Also, China is committed to the path of peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening-up. It has stated repeatedly that it has no intention to challenge the post-war order or to replace the United States. What China keeps challenging is itself. It follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China's prosperity will only bring more opportunities to the world. As two major countries, China and the United States share broad common interests and shoulder important responsibilities for world peace and development. They enjoyed successful cooperation in the past including anti-terrorism cooperation, tackling the global financial crisis in 2008, combating Ebola in 2014, and collaborating on the Paris Agreement in 2016. Now they should seize fresh opportunities to cooperate in fields such as the battle against climate change, COVID-19 response and economic recovery. Such cooperation can start from interaction as the two sides did on Saturday when the phone call was made. The growth of China-U.S. relations is the result of decades of commitment and dedication by Chinese and Americans from all sectors. Strategic miscalculation and doubts can be drastically reduced when the two sides sit down and engage in a comprehensive, frank and in-depth dialogue to make their respective strategic intentions clear and rebuild mutual trust. As William Shakespeare put it: "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." China and the United States can work together to improve their relations. There is no predestined fate for the world. The future of China-U.S. relations and the future of the world depend on what vision they embrace and what choices they make today. Mail Force has shattered the 10million barrier with a stunning pledge of 6,500 laptops. The mammoth total has been reached only 16 days after the launch of the Computers for Kids crusade to help locked-down pupils study from home. The huge haul of laptops comes from the Crown Prosecution Service. Previously used in court by prosecutors, they are now being wiped clean before being repurposed for the classroom. It means some will have been used for high-profile trials of terrorists, killers and robbers. Now, in their second lives, the computers will be helping pupils follow online lessons. Online learner: Mercy Mensah (left) and daughter Debrah (right) with her new laptop. The ten-year-old attends Moston Fields Primary in Manchester The donation came about after an IT worker at the CPS saw the Mail's campaign. We are accepting used laptops and for around 15 having them professionally refurbished for young learners. All the latest 6,500 devices are lightweight and powerful ThinkPads made by Lenovo. The CPS said it would delete all the data on them, including sensitive notes kept by prosecutors of criminal records and case evidence used in trials and plea hearings. Their value is estimated to be at least 3million, although they will have to go through a formal evaluation before being accepted for schools. Rebecca Lawrence, chief executive of the CPS, said: 'We need to adapt to the changing demands of our job, such as handling increasingly large data files like CCTV and police body-worn footage. To keep pace, we need to upgrade our equipment. 'We're using this opportunity to support home-schooling in these uncertain times by donating up to 6,500 older laptops to Mail Force's excellent laptops for children campaign. Study aid: Moston pupil and proud laptop owner Luca Evans, 10, with mother Joanna DONATE YOUR NECTAR POINTS There is a new way to help the campaign by donating Nectar points. Readers can now choose to give some of the points they have built up with the popular rewards scheme. Nectar points can be collected by spending at Sainsbury's, Argos, eBay, Sky, Currys PC World and a host of other British retailers. Usually they are swapped for money off purchases, but now a unique new way of using them has been arranged by the Daily Mail, to give to the Mail Force charity. People can donate either 500 or 1,000 Nectar points to the charity at a time and there's no limit to the number of times they can donate. Simply go to www.MyMail.co.uk and sign in or join for free. At the top of the home page, click 'Donate your Nectar points', and you can then choose whether you would like to donate 500 or 1,000 Nectar points to the campaign. Advertisement 'We hope these decommissioned laptops will make a real difference to the children and young people who receive them. The CPS's investment in our digital capability means we've been able to continue to deliver justice during the pandemic.' The CPS is giving the devices in batches, starting with 500. Since the campaign's launch on January 23, Mail Force has seen an extraordinary number of donations. More than 24,000 readers have sent money, and philanthropists including Sir Tom Hunter have given up to 500,000. The charity has been boosted by donations of laptops from Lloyds, Sainsbury's, Santander and Dixons Carphone, with a combined estimated value of 1.4million. Together with an amazing 1.5million from readers and cash donations of 3.1million from big companies including Camelot, Boohoo and The Hut Group, the overall value of pledges has shot past 10.1million. It is one of the most successful newspaper campaigns in history, reaching the eight-figure milestone in just 16 days. The campaign is in conjuction with the Department for Education, which is on a drive to supply 1.3million devices. As well as refurbished laptops, Mail Force will supply new computers and is looking at other ways of helping pupils with online access. The project has been hailed by teachers, parents, unions, large companies and all six living prime ministers. Readers have sent poignant messages with their cheques or online donations. Hilary Evans, of Burnham, Buckinghamshire, wrote: 'As a grandmother of five (four at school and one at university) and as a retired teacher, I am only too aware of the needs of many of our boys and girls.' Trevor Collins, treasurer of the Rye and Winchelsea Rotary Club in East Sussex, sent 500 following a whip-round of members. Together with an amazing 1.5million from readers and cash donations of 3.1million from big companies including Camelot, Boohoo and The Hut Group, the overall value of pledges has shot past 10.1million On our Virgin Money Giving page, donor Jacqui wrote: 'Thank you Daily Mail for bringing this important issue to our attention kids need computers! Simple as that. 'Having worked in education and with a passion for technology, especially during this pandemic, this was a no-brainer for me.' Nora Allan gave enough for two children to get laptops, and said: 'To give children a good chance with their education which is so valuable for them and their future.' Mary Manning wrote: 'I don't have any interest in owning a laptop. I'm one of that generation who prefers to do things the old way. However, I do realise the world would be unable to perform without all the up-to-date computers.' In another boost for families, telecoms firms have agreed to grant free mobile access to a major online learning site. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was 'another huge step in making sure young people can continue to have the best possible education while we all stay at home to save lives' Lessons available on the Oak National Academy website will no longer count toward phone data usage. The news came as the government-backed learning hub said it had provided 100million lessons in the pandemic. Now that the website has been 'zero-rated' by the firms, families reliant on internet connections from their mobile phones will no longer need to worry about paying out for extra data. The 11 firms that have agreed to 'zero-rate' Oak National Academy's content are Vodafone, BT, O2, Three, PlusNet, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky, Smarty, EE and Virgin Media. Matt Hood, principal of the academy, said: 'We can now make sure that data costs are not locking our poorest families out of online learning. This will make a huge difference.' Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was 'another huge step in making sure young people can continue to have the best possible education while we all stay at home to save lives'. He added: '100million lessons is a tremendous achievement and illustrates the vital impact Oak is having.' The official Twitter handle of ICAI had tweeted saying the results could be out in the evening of Monday (8 February) or in the morning of the next day (9 February) The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is likely to release the results of the Chartered Accountants (CA) exams today, 8 February. The results are for both the old and new courses of foundation and intermediate level exams and they will be declared online on the official website of ICAI at icai.org. The official Twitter handle of ICAI had tweeted saying the results could be out in the evening of Monday (8 February) or in the morning of the next day (9 February). Results of the Chartered Accountants Intermediate Examination (Old course & New Course) and Foundation Examination held in November 2020 are likely to be declared on Monday, the 8th February 2021(evening)/Tuesday, the 9th February 2021(morning) Detailshttps://t.co/mbVxOWA9zd pic.twitter.com/PfaBnjugHl Institute of Chartered Accountants of India - ICAI (@theicai) February 6, 2021 The tweet had also asked students desiring to be sent their results via email to register themselves online. According to The Indian Express, the result can be also accessed through SMS. Candidates of the intermediate old syllabus course need to type CAIPCOLD roll number and send it to 57575. They will receive the results on their phones. For those candidates who were in the new course of intermediate level, they need to send an SMS saying CAFND roll number to 57575. The ICAI had declared the CA Final results earlier this month too. In case any candidate has an issue with the results, they can write emails for clarification and help. Foundation candidates must drop an email to foundation_examhelpline@icai.in. On the other hand, final candidates can send their grievances to final_examhelpline@icai.in and intermediate candidates are required to write at intermediate_examhelpline@icai.in. A report by Hindustan Times suggested that once the results are declared by the authority, candidates can visit any of the three official sites to check the result. If one of the sites gets down due to increased traffic, then visiting the alternative sites might help to receive the mark sheets faster. The web addresses are: icaiexam.icai.org, caresults.icai.org, and icai.nic.in. The online giant is entering beauty, sport and homeware territory after buying Debenhams while also resolving its governance issues following last summer's scandal boohoo Group PLC ( ) continues to build towards its goal of becoming the UKs largest marketplace after acquiring Arcadias Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands out of administration but it's facing important organisational challenges while its governance issues are not resolved yet. As it happened with Debenhams, today's 25mln deal does not include physical stores, with 2,450 shop workers facing redundancy. The fast-fashion online retailer said this provides a significant opportunity to grow market share across a broader demographic as well as strengthening its menswear proposition with Burton. In fact, Dorothy Perkins can be considered the more grown-up, less edgy version of Topshop, said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, while Wallis targets customers aged over 30, meaning boohoo can look at retaining customers as they get older. The integration period is expected to last for up to three months with one-off transaction and restructuring costs of 10-15mln. Moreover, this deal is a transitional services agreement so the online giant will take over the brands while they are still trading, rather than a hard stop and restart, which is how it normally operates, meaning that the 25mln acquisition cost also includes stock. The trio of high street brands, which generated 428mln of revenues and an underlying loss of 14mln in the year to August 2020, were some of the stronger wholesale partners of Debenhams, also a new addition to the AIM-listed group. Shopping spree In fact, boohoo bought the department store chains brand and intellectual property out of administration for 55mln last month. It marks a big change for the so far fast-fashion focused e-commerce player, which will branch out into the new categories of beauty, sport and homeware. The plan is to expand the range of products sold wholesale via the Debenhams website by maintaining existing third-party brand relationships and adding new brands over time, while also selling its existing clothing brands. With 6mln beauty shoppers and 1.4mln members of its Beauty Club, Debenhams beauty sales operate under a wholesale model, which Boohoo intends to continue, with new third-party beauty brands added via the marketplace model. Debenhams.com, which generated revenues of roughly 400mln in its last full year, will be relaunched on Boohoo's tech platform between March and May and will continue to wind down alongside the department stores for an unstated agreed period. Challenges to ensue We are interested to see how boohoo develops the Debenhams platform, which brings in a new demographic, much greater exposure to menswear, more varied price architecture and exposure to the wider beauty market, analysts at Peel Hunt commented. While it will take time to scale as an online platform, we would expect the Debenhams/Arcadia brands to be delivering over 100mln of sales by the time financial year 2023 begins, a base that may well double over the following year Having delivered a sales compound annual growth rate of over 40% for the past three years, there is no sense that momentum is about to wane. The broker still has questions over how quickly the Debenhams platform scales, how this works with third-party brands and how quickly management gets a grip on the new brands. Experts are concerned about the delivery of this ambitious initiative, which management seemed to pitch as making the fashion group more of a competitor of beauty products and food supplements giant The Hut Group ( ), where its Ingenuity Commerce platform has helped boost its valuation. The main challenges for boohoo will be management bandwidth and focus, on-boarding the beauty brands and the operation of marketplace, according to Peel Hunt, especially as the company wont have full control over third-party stocks and fulfilment. The broker reckons the retailer will be able to overcome these issues with time, and believes this is a great opportunity since it will gain traction in new market segments for little financial risk. The portfolio additions also mean boohoo will be fighting on many more fronts, so the market may question whether it would be better off sticking to fashion where it is already battling massive competitors such as H&M and Zara, and where its also making efforts to improve governance after the Leicester factory scandal. Governance issues not resolved yet The sustainability effort is nowhere near finished, with weekend reports revealing boohoo has told Leicester-based suppliers to stop employing sub-contractors. Suppliers must make all clothes in-house by March 5, which has caused concerns over how theyll be able to pay new workers and rent space. boohoo now has a lot of work on its plate in sorting out the strategic direction for its plethora of newly-acquired brands. At the same it is still trying to improve standards across its existing business which means management will have to be good at multitasking or chaos will ensue, Mould said. The high-profile criticism of working practices caused considerable embarrassment at boohoo and made many investors question if they should be backing a business with questionable ethics. In boohoos defence, it has taken the matter very seriously and has taken a series of steps to improve how it does business. Shares dropped 4% to 351p before close, having recovered by 67% since the July trough when the scandal emerged. From Neo-Nazis and the KKK to racist record labels and publishers, some two dozen hate groups have reportedly been active in and around the Lehigh Valley at various times over the last 20 years. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a legal advocacy firm based in Alabama, has for decades tracked a broad range of supremacists, skinheads and somewhat less-overt hate groups nationwide, annually publishing a hate map showing cities and states where they were reportedly active in the prior year. The law center recently released its 2020 hate map identifying 838 hate groups operating nationwide, a second-straight year of decline from the high of 1,020 in 2018, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lehighvalleylive.com looked at 20 years worth of hate group activity in our area and how it has changed. (The map above shows Lehigh Valley-area hate group activity since 2000, based on information published by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Cant see the map? Click here. Locations are not exact. The map does not include statewide groups that may have also operated locally. The full SPLC hate map and more information on how the SPLC defines and categorizes hate groups is available at splcenter.org/hate-map.) In 2000, the Aryan National Alliance was active in Easton, the National Socialist Movement (Nazis) were in Bethlehem and the International Keystone Knights of the KKK had a presence a short distance outside Allentown. In the ensuing years, the law center has identified multiple skinhead groups, a Black separatist church and two instances of hate music operating locally, most for a few years at a time. At least one group, the Aryan Strikeforce operating out of Phillipsburg, was raided by federal agents in 2017. In 2020, the SPLC identified two new organizations it classified as hate groups just outside the Lehigh Valley: a book publisher in Bucks County and a Poconos-area record label. Antelope Hill Publishing in Quakertown first appeared on social media in June 2020. Its website lists books with Nazi imagery, including a fitness manual for the Nazi German military, and anti-LGBTQ writings, offering to publish refutation of historical revisionists and words that will inspire us to victory. The company did not respond to a question from lehighvalleylive.com. On one of its social media accounts, it fretted about being removed from the platform after its hate-group designation. One person responded: Congratulations on making it to the big league! To the north, DNVF Records in Shawnee-on-Delaware, a riverside community in Monroe County, appears to have no social media presence. Its name stands for Defeat Never Victory Forever and its website is loaded with disturbing racist and anti-LGBTQ images and Nazi-inspired band names. No contact information was listed. The Southern Poverty Law Center, in its annual report that accompanies the 2020 map, cautions that the national decline in groups should not be interpreted as a reduction in bigoted beliefs and actions motivated by hate. That could be in part due to the pandemic minimizing activity, and from groups moving to other, harder-to-track forums as some are booted from social media. In April 2017, dozens of federal agents raided the Main Street Phillipsburg home of an Aryan Strikeforce leader.Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor HATE GROUP ACTIVITY IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY These groups were active in the Lehigh Valley and nearby areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from 2000 to 2020. Other statewide or national groups also may have had a presence over that time. The information comes from the Southern Poverty Law Centers hate map database. Aryan Nations/Aryan National Alliance Location: Easton Classification: Neo-Nazi Active years: 2000-2001 International Keystone Knights of the KKK Location: East Texas (Lower Macungie Township) Classification: Ku Klux Klan Active years: 2000 International Keystone Knights of the KKK Location: Reading Classification: Ku Klux Klan Active years: 2000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Location: Reading Classification: Ku Klux Klan Active years: 2000-2001 National Alliance Location: Reading Classification: Ku Klux Klan Active years: 2000-2003 National Socialist Movement Location: Bethlehem (and later more broadly around the Lehigh Valley) Classification: Neo-Nazi Active years: 2000-2012 World Church of the Creator Location: Reading Classification: Neo-Nazi Active years: 2000-2001 Volksfront Location: Mohnton (a borough just outside Reading) Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2002-2004 Council of Conservative Citizens Location: Revere (Nockamixon Township in northern Bucks County) Classification: White Nationalist Active years: 2003-2014 Keystone State Skinheads Location: Bethlehem Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2004-2008 Keystone State Skinheads Location: Easton Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2004-2007 The Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ Location: Allentown Classification: Black separatist Active years: 2008-2017 Aryan Terror Brigade Location: Flemington Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2009-2013 Blood and Honour U.S.A Location: Flemington Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2010 Crew 38 Location: Allentown Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2010 Poker Face Location: Allentown Classification: Hate music Active years: 2010-2019 Eastern Hammerskins Location: Allentown Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2011-2015 National Socialist Movement Location: Holland Township Classification: Neo-Nazi Active years: 2011-2014 Ku Klos Knights of the KKK Location: Bally (borough in Berks County) Classification: Ku Klux Klan Active years: 2015-2016 Supreme White Alliance Location: Allentown Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2015 Aryan Strikeforce Location: Phillipsburg Classification: Racist skinhead Active years: 2016-2017 Antelope Hill Publishing Location: Quakertown Classification: White nationalist Active years: 2020 DNVF Records Location: Shawnee on Delaware (community in Monroe County) Classification: Hate music Active years: 2020 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. This listing represents an important milestone in the history of Basecare, a leading-edge company that has attracted seven well-known global cornerstone investors including Orbited, Lake Bleu Capital, China Reform Overseas, Affin Hwang AM, WinTwin Capital, Foresight and Ivy Capital. Basecare has long been optimistic about the internationalization and diversification of the capital market of Hong Kong, and bullish on China's assisted reproduction industry. After this listing, Basecare will become the first gene sequencing stock listed on the HKEX, which will open the door to large-scale industrialization of third-generation test tube detection kits. One out of every six couples in China has fertility difficulties. There are more than 70 medical institutions with third-generation test tube qualification in China, and the total number of treatment cycles per year is more than twice that of the United States, demonstrating that China is the largest assisted reproductive health market in the world. According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the scale of China's reproductive genetics medical device market in 2015 was CNY1.3 billion, surging to CNY3.4 billion in 2019, a compound annual growth rate of 28.4%, and is expected to reach CNY11.2 billion by 2024. According to the National Health Commission, the average IVF success rate in China was less than 50% in 2018. The clinical difficulty of IVF lies in the health of an embryo only being determined by morphology, but not accurately determined by genetics. The PGT-A kit developed by Basecare has filled the clinical blank of embryo gene detection in China and has been deemed a "National Innovative Medical Device Special Approval" product. In February 2020, Basecare's PGT-A kit completed its large-scale embryo clinical trial and was approved by the National Medical Products Administration for marketing, marking the entry of China's third-generation IVF gene testing kit into the "licensed" era. Since August 2020, the PGT-A kit was incorporated into the national mandatory industry standard as a Class III medical device. In order for more people to have a healthy child in a safer and less costly way through gene testing technology, Basecare has provided commercial insurance with a maximum claim limit of CNY400,000 for each PGT-A test, addressing the worries of every family using the third-generation test tube technology. Currently, by relying on its core advantages in the PGT field, Basecare has built a full reproduction cycle product line with a three-level prevention system covering the pre-pregnancy, prenatal and neonatal periods. Basecare aims to help 50 million infertile patients in China to have children, ensure patients carrying genetic disease genes have healthier children, and eliminate problems of fertility in China. After being listed, Basecare will now establish headquarters in Suzhou and construct the largest IVD industry chain and an upstream and downstream cluster of high-end device manufacturing in China. In the next five years, Basecare will complete registration and certification of the full reproduction cycle industry line, help more families have healthy children through gene technology innovation, contribute to national eugenics, and continuously promote the development of China's assisted reproduction industry. SOURCE Basecare The data and information on Coronavirus vaccination are now available on Aarogya Setu app after the integration of Co-WIN, the Centre's Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network, with the contact tracing app. The Centre had launched the Co-WIN app to streamline the process of vaccination and monitor those already inoculated in India. "Need information on COVID19 Vaccination. COWIN details are live on Aarogya Setu. Access Vaccination Information, view COWIN Dashboard and download your Vaccination Certificates if you have read at least one dose of COVID19 Vaccination," posted the official Twitter handle of the Aarogya Setu app. Need information on COVID19 Vaccination. COWIN details are live on Aarogya Setu. Access Vaccination Information, view COWIN Dashboard and download your Vaccination Certificates if you have recd at least one dose of COVID19 Vaccination.@GoI_MeitY @NITIAayog @NICMeity Aarogya Setu (@SetuAarogya) February 7, 2021 To receive a shot, a person should register himself/herself on Co-WIN using their mobile number, Aadhar or any other document of identity. S/he will then be expected to visit the vaccination centre as per the schedule. After a person receives the first dose, Co-Win generates a digital vaccination certificate. The certificate also acts as a reminder for the second dose, following which, the final certificate is given. In his address to the chief ministers on January 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised the importance of maintaining the realtime vaccination data. He had also urged chief ministers to ensure all the vaccination-related data were uploaded to the Co-WIN app. In the first week of January, the Centre had approved two COVID-19 vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- for the emergency use as the virus wreaked havoc. While Covishield has been developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India with Oxford University, Bharat Biotech, a local firm, developed Covaxin. India had also decided to carry out the vaccination drive in phases, starting with healthcare and frontline workers. On Sunday, India became the third country, only behind the United States and the United Kingdom, to administer the most number of shots against the deadly coronavirus in the world, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. Over 58 lakh healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated in the first phase of the countrywide vaccination programme, the government has said. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain French Health Minister Olivier Veran sought to boost confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday as he received a dose in front of TV cameras and reporters at a hospital southwest of Paris. South Africa has delayed the start of its inoculation programme using the jab from the British-Swedish pharmaceutical group over concerns it does not work on a new variant of COVID-19 that originated in the country. Veran said that the South African variant had not been widely detected in France. "I continue to recommend vaccination by the AstraZeneca vaccine, which protects against 99 percent of the viruses that are present in our country," Veran said from a hospital in the town of Melun. France received 270,000 doses of the jab on Saturday and would take delivery of another 300,000 in the next few days, he added. The vaccine is to be used as a priority for all care workers, including hospital and nursing home staff, as well as domestic workers. "I encourage all careworkers to get themselves vaccinated in their hospitals, health centres and all available places in order to protect themselves as fast as possible," Veran said. The jab distributed by AstraZeneca and developed by the University of Oxford is set to be discussed by WHO experts on Monday amid doubts about its efficacy against the South African variant and against disease in the over-65s. French President Emmanuel Macron said at the end of January that the shot was "quasi-ineffective for people over 65." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Systems designed to detect deepfakes --videos that manipulate real-life footage via artificial intelligence--can be deceived, computer scientists showed for the first time at the WACV 2021 conference which took place online Jan. 5 to 9, 2021. Researchers showed detectors can be defeated by inserting inputs called adversarial examples into every video frame. The adversarial examples are slightly manipulated inputs which cause artificial intelligence systems such as machine learning models to make a mistake. In addition, the team showed that the attack still works after videos are compressed. "Our work shows that attacks on deepfake detectors could be a real-world threat," said Shehzeen Hussain, a UC San Diego computer engineering Ph.D. student and first co-author on the WACV paper. "More alarmingly, we demonstrate that it's possible to craft robust adversarial deepfakes in even when an adversary may not be aware of the inner workings of the machine learning model used by the detector." In deepfakes, a subject's face is modified in order to create convincingly realistic footage of events that never actually happened. As a result, typical deepfake detectors focus on the face in videos: first tracking it and then passing on the cropped face data to a neural network that determines whether it is real or fake. For example, eye blinking is not reproduced well in deepfakes, so detectors focus on eye movements as one way to make that determination. State-of-the-art Deepfake detectors rely on machine learning models for identifying fake videos. The extensive spread of fake videos through social media platforms has raised significant concerns worldwide, particularly hampering the credibility of digital media, the researchers point out. ""If the attackers have some knowledge of the detection system, they can design inputs to target the blind spots of the detector and bypass it," " said Paarth Neekhara, the paper's other first coauthor and a UC San Diego computer science student. Researchers created an adversarial example for every face in a video frame. But while standard operations such as compressing and resizing video usually remove adversarial examples from an image, these examples are built to withstand these processes. The attack algorithm does this by estimating over a set of input transformations how the model ranks images as real or fake. From there, it uses this estimation to transform images in such a way that the adversarial image remains effective even after compression and decompression.?? The modified version of the face is then inserted in all the video frames. The process is then repeated for all frames in the video to create a deepfake video. The attack can also be applied on detectors that operate on entire video frames as opposed to just face crops. The team declined to release their code so it wouldn't be used by hostile parties. High success rate Researchers tested their attacks in two scenarios: one where the attackers have complete access to the detector model, including the face extraction pipeline and the architecture and parameters of the classification model; and one where attackers can only query the machine a learning model to figure out the probabilities of a frame being classified as real or fake. In the first scenario, the attack's success rate is above 99 percent for uncompressed videos. For compressed videos, it was 84.96 percent. In the second scenario, the success rate was 86.43 percent for uncompressed and 78.33 percent for compressed videos. This is the first work which demonstrates successful attacks on state-of-the-art deepfake detectors. "To use these deepfake detectors in practice, we argue that it is essential to evaluate them against an adaptive adversary who is aware of these defenses and is intentionally trying to foil these defenses," the researchers write. "We show that the current state of the art methods for deepfake detection can be easily bypassed if the adversary has complete or even partial knowledge of the detector." To improve detectors, researchers recommend an approach similar to what is known as adversarial training: during training, an adaptive adversary continues to generate new deepfakes that can bypass the current state of the art detector; and the detector continues improving in order to detect the new deepfakes. ### Adversarial Deepfakes: Evaluating Vulnerability of Deepfake Detectors to Adversarial Examples *Shehzeen Hussain, Malhar Jere, Farinaz Koushanfar, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC San Diego Paarth Neekhara, Julian McAuley, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego Meghan Markle won't come to the UK this summer because she 'doesn't want to be away from Archie', the author of her biography Finding Freedom 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, does not plan to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit, according to royal insiders. Omid Scobie said current travel plans were 'up in the air' due to the Covid-19 crisis, but that it is 'easier for the Duke to do the trip solo'. Speaking to Ok! magazine, the royal expert explained: 'Meghan wouldnt want to be away from Archie and it would be very tricky to factor a small child into their travels with all the restrictions that could potentially be in place.' Meghan Markle, 39, won't come to the UK this summer because she 'doesn't want to be away from Archie', the author of her biography Finding Freedom has claimed He added that the Duchess would likely catch up with the family virtually, explaining: 'Archie loves being on Zoom calls with the family and the Queen has been enjoying those throughout lockdown.' While Meghan could potentially be missing several events in the UK, including the Queen's birthday and the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue, Omid said the royal would still make an effort with those occasions. He explained: 'Im sure Meghan will send the Queen some gorgeous flowers for her birthday and also get Archie to help her with the card.' His comments come after royal expert Nigel Cawthrone, author of the book Prince Andrew, told FEMAIL the decision not to travel to the UK would be a 'snub' from the duchess and would cast a 'dark shadow' over the Firm's summer celebrations. Omid Scobie said the Duke of Sussex will travel solo later this year to visit the UK, while the Duchess will send the Queen 'some gorgeous flowers' for her birthday 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.' Following the news that Meghan is 'unlikely' to return to the UK this summer, sources have been 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. Mr Cawthorne explained: 'It would be a public relations disaster that would hang like a dark shadow over the celebrations.' Insiders said the Duke of Sussex is still 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 The Duke and Duchess 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. 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. Speaking last week, a source said Meghan's choice not to travel was a 'personal and practical decision for the couple.' 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 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) Filipino fisherfolk should continue their activities in traditional catching grounds, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday amid concerns over Chinas new Coast Guard law. I advise them to continue fishing in their traditional fishing grounds. Ituloy lang nila, Lorenzana told CNN Philippines The Source, citing the Scarborough Shoal, Reed Bank, and Mischief Reef. Lorenzana added the government will ensure sufficient patrols of the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy in the disputed waters for their protection. In a previous interview with CNN Philippines, fisherman Larry Hugo recounted how he was blocked by a ship of the China Coast Guard while he was on his way to a regular fishing area near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island. Fearing the worst, Hugo then turned back. Navy officials earlier said they would be looking into this report. New law doesnt concern fishermen One of the highly-criticized provisions of Chinas new Coast Guard law, which formally took effect on Feb. 1, is the authority given to their officials to fire on foreign vessels. But Lorenzana said the measure does not concern the fisherfolk since they are not armed. Foreign vessels, I understand, will be armed vessels by other countries, he explained. Despite this, the defense chief still called on China to exercise caution in the implementation of the measure, saying its possible for accidents and miscalculations to take place in the disputed seas. By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) A mediator will decide if Philadelphia teachers must return to their classrooms despite safety concerns as the district plans to resume some in-person instruction later this month. Teachers and staff protesting outside their buildings Monday said they feared the ventilation systems in the citys aging schools were not sufficient to address the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus. The school district had ordered lower-grade teachers to report to their schools Monday, but then backed off the mandate while a mediator reviewed issues raised by the teachers union. The district has about 120,000 students in 215 district-operated schools, and another 80,000 students in charter, cyber and alternative schools. We do want to work. We do want to come back, but we want to come back safely. Thats all were asking for, said Elanda Tolliver, a paraprofessional at Samuel Gompers Elementary School who has worked for the district for 34 years. Superintendent William Hite wants to offer students who have been learning remotely for nearly a year because of the pandemic a chance to return to school Feb. 22 under an optional hybrid instruction model. He said the district has enhanced its cleaning operations and identified ventilation problems, and will not open classrooms until needed improvements are made. City Council Member Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who attended Gompers and has a child in kindergarten there, joined teachers and union officials protesting outside the school Monday. She is eager for schools to reopen, but said today is not the day. She expressed concerns about the ventilation system and the lack of a comprehensive vaccine plan for school employees. We must have a vaccination plan, Richardson said. Wheres the vaccination plan for all of our teachers? Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The sponsor of a bill that would gradually boost Louisiana's gas tax by $660 million per year said Monday he is confident the effort is feasible in 2021 despite the failure of previous efforts to go anywhere. State Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who is pushing the measure, said he has traveled the state meeting with lawmakers and held multiple Zoom calls with economic development groups, Rotary Clubs and other civic organizations. "The response has been tremendous," McFarland told the Press Club of Baton Rouge. Despite high hurdles, group plans to push for gas tax hike A coalition of contractors and others said Wednesday they plan to push a $300 million per year gas tax hike in 2021 after an earlier effort di However, state transportation chief Shawn Wilson last month stopped just short of dismissing chances for approval of a gas tax hike this year. He said recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will be the top issue of the legislative session, which begins April 12. DOTD chief skeptical for any gas tax hike in 2021 Louisiana's transportation chief Monday stopped just short of dismissing chances for a gas tax hike in 2021 that is being pushed by industry groups. Gov. John Bel Edwards, who backed the gas tax increase pushed by Wilson in 2017, has said he doubts the legislation can attract the two-thirds majority needed in the House and Senate. McFarland said raising the gas tax would help the state recover from the pandemic by creating construction jobs needed to launch major projects funded by the higher rates. That list includes construction of a new bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge and the widening of Interstate 12 in Baton Rouge to six lanes between the I-10/12 split and the Mississippi state line. "This is a perfect opportunity," he said. The new Louisiana gas tax faces massive hurdles; here's why these roadblocks are familiar While a new push to boost Louisiana's gas tax is underway, this one faces the same massive hurdles that have killed earlier efforts. McFarland's plan would boost the gas tax by 10 cents initially $300 million per year and 22 cents by 2033 $660 million per year. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up He said it includes needed accountability measures absent from previous bills, including legislative audits that would be turned over to a panel of lawmakers and others. Louisiana has a $15 billion backlog of road and bridge repairs and a $13 billion list of proposed projects. McFarland said the new revenue would be split, with 60% for road and bridge preservation in both urban and rural areas and 40% for new capacity. Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, has expressed skepticism on whether any gas tax hike is feasible in 2021. McFarland said he has kept both Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, updated on his efforts to round up support for his plan. "They have encouraged me to continue to go out and work on this reform measure," he said. Boosting the gas tax would require the support of 70 of 105 House members and 26 of 39 state senators. The 2017 effort, which would have raised the gas tax by 17 cents per gallon, emerged from a House committee before dying without a vote on the House floor. A 2019 push died with little fanfare. Motorists now pay 38.4 cents per gallon, including 20 cents in state charges. McFarland said Louisiana's gas tax is the seventh lowest in the nation and that Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama have all raised their rates recently. He said a higher gas tax would also generate an additional $780 million per year in federal matching funds initially, and more later. "My bill brings a balance of reform with revenue," McFarland said. As seen in world renowned venues such as the Vienna Cathedral, the Oculus at the World Trade Center, and the World Financial Center in Shanghai, this showcase features awe-inspiring reproductions of Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes displayed in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The Exhibition highlights 34 reproductions mostly created in their original size, allowing visitors to observe all the intricate details of these masterpieces. "We are excited to bring this exhibition to Atlanta," said Martin Biallas, CEO of Los Angeles based SEE Attractions, Inc., producer of the Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Exhibition. "We're certain that Atlantans and guests from the Southeast will be impressed with these masterworks." Early bird ticket pricing is available through February 12th at www.chapelsistine.com. Regular pricing commences on February 13th and will be available on venue website. Timed tickets will be available to limit capacity and ensure social distancing. Audio devices in English and Spanish are available to rent to enhance each guest's experience. For more information on Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Exhibition, please visit www.chapelsistine.com. Westside Cultural Arts Center follows all safety measures put in place by the City of Atlanta, including mask requirements, social distancing and heavily sanitizing all major touch points and surfaces regularly. About Westside Cultural Arts Center Founded in 2014 by Dr. James L. Chappuis, Westside Cultural Arts Center brings to life every element of your special event and offers countless ways to incorporate the custom-designed space not just as a backdrop for your gathering, but also as an interactive and engaging setting. For more information visit www.westsideartscenter.com. About SEE The SEE Family of Companies represents the finest in themed entertainment. Working with major Hollywood studios, record companies, sports franchises and legendary individuals, SEE has become the one source for truly great, immersive entertainment. SEE is led by CEO Martin Biallas, a Hollywood veteran of 30 years. For more info, please visit www.seeglobalentertainment.com and www.martinbiallas.com. SOURCE SEE Attractions, Inc. ADVERTISEMENT At a time the Nigerian government is banning cryptocurrency-related transactions, the electric car maker, Tesla, has revealed it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoins. The company said in a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, on Monday that it bought bitcoin for more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on our cash. The company, owned by the worlds richest man, Elon Musk, said it will start accepting payments in bitcoin for its products. It, however, warned investors of the volatility of the digital currency. Bitcoin prices rose to a new high Monday after the disclosure, reaching $44,200. Tesla shares surged more than 2.5 per cent in premarket trading, according to CNBC. Musk has tweeted about cryptocurrencies in recent weeks, and such posts have been credited in part with the surge in prices of cryptocurrencies. Nigeria Bans The announcement came just three days after the Central Bank of Nigeria ordered financial institutions in the country to reject cryptocurrency transactions and block any related accounts. It said in a statement on Sunday that the digital currency is used for money laundering and terrorism. The decision has sparked outrage from mostly young people in a country that is the worlds second-biggest user of virtual currencies like Bitcoins. The statement by Osita Nwanisobi, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, said the ban on such transactions will not have any negative impact on fintechs.. The use of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria are a direct contravention of existing law, the statement said. It is also important to highlight that there is a critical difference between a Central Bank issued Digital Currency and cryptocurrencies. As the names imply, while Central Banks can issue Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies are issued by unknown and unregulated entities, Mr Nwanisobi said. The question that one may need to ask therefore is, why any entity would disguise its transactions if they were legal, he added. It is on the basis of this opacity that cryptocurrencies have become well-suited for conducting many illegal activities including money laundering, terrorism financing, purchase of small arms and light weapons, and tax evasion. Many banks and investors who place a high value on reputation have been turned off from cryptocurrencies because of the damaging effects of the widespread use of cryptocurrencies for illegal activities. The role of cryptocurrencies in the purchase of hard and illegal drugs on the darknet website called Silk Road is well known. They have also been recent reports that cryptocurrencies have been used to finance terror plots, further damaging its image as a legitimate means of exchange. More also, repeated and recent evidence now suggests that some cryptocurrencies have become more widely used as speculative assets rather than as means of payment, thus explaining the significant volatility and variability in their prices. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the reversal of the policy. A former deputy governor of the CBN, Kinglsey Moghalu, also advised the CBN to rather seek ways of checking risks associated with the use of virtual currencies, and not impose an outright ban. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Kelly Osbourne and boyfriend Erik Bragg picked up some home essentials on Sunday. The couple headed to a Home Depot in Los Angeles where they were spotted holding hands and pushing a cart of purchases back to their car. Kelly, 36, wore her lavender locks in two buns and wore some colorful cat-eye sunglasses. Weekend fun: Kelly Osbourne is pictured at Home Depot on Sunday while running errands with boyfriend Erik Bragg She wore a casual outfit of white T-shirt tucked into black sweatpants while her actor beau wore all black. After running errands the duo went to get some take out from Mexican eatery La Abeja. The daughter of Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne has been looking great after losing 85lbs thanks in part to gastric sleeve surgery. She has been open about her weight struggles throughout the years which prompted her to undergo the sleeve procedure two years ago. First debuting her impressive weight loss in late August, she hit back at rumors of plastic surgery as people took notice of her changing face and figure on the Hollywood Raw podcast. Loved up: The 36-year-old TV personality held hands with her man as they strolled into the home improvement store Stocking up: The couple came away with a cart of purchases and then headed to Mexican restaurant La Abeja for takeout 'I had surgery -- I don't give a f**k what anyone has to say. I did the gastric sleeve. All it does is change the shape of your stomach. I got that almost two years ago. I will never ever ever lie about it ever. It is the best thing I have ever done,' she said Adding that the procedure was not a 'quick fix' she said that she still needed to ensure she worked out and ate right or else the weight would come right back. Speaking on an episode of mom Sharon's daytime talk show, The Talk, Kelly shared that she turned down seven guys in one day who had refused to date her when she was overweight. 'It was all guys who I had shown interest in before, but had all made comments about "she's great, but she's too fat," or "she's great but..." so it was all of those people that came back around,' to which she told them 'No, no.' Osbourne is now in a relationship with skateboarder Erik who she began dating in late August. 'I full-blown love him,' she said. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Facebook wants to recommend your Instagram Reels h/t @VarunBanur pic.twitter.com/A7uT99PdBt Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) February 4, 2021 Social Media is a vast world now and all the applications have been constantly working towards greater updates which will make their app user friendly as well as interesting for it to remain along the best apps in the market.TikTok though still a new app compared to its social media rivals has taken the lead among all the apps right now. With its fun to use features and personalization of the Algorithm, there is ton of other stuff that interests the users and therefore other social media rivals are always trying to compete and finding opportunities to outgrow it.When TikTok got banned in India, Instagram immediately within a span of days introduced its new Reels feature for users to feel free to express themselves through videos on Instagram and considering India had a TikTok popularity of over 200 million users it worked well for the company. However, very recently it looks like Facebook feels threatened with TikToks growing popularity and it is trying to limit TikToks expansion so that people do not jump from their app.Though Facebook cannot match TikTok in the race for more fun content, it tried to find alternative ways to prove that it can provide users more reach than it does now. In December, Instagram began testing a feature which will allow Instagram users to share their Reels on Facebooks News Feed and Facebook Watch. It initially gained popularity and from the looks of it Facebook is trying to provide a more advanced and polished feature now.Social media researcher Matt Navarra and a user @VarunBanur took it to their social profiles to explain the newly updated feature of Facebook which is still under testing. Some Instagram users who make Reels, began receiving notifications asking for consent of whether or not they will like to share their Reels on Facebook. This means that Facebook will allow Reel Creators to upload their Reels on Facebook Feed and Watch directly without linking it to any Facebook account and under their Instagram username only and Facebook will make the Reels accessible to a part of Facebooks 2.8 billion users, which will be great for expansion in usage of both the apps.According to Instagram, Reels have seen a steady growth in India and by adding the option of sharing your Reels to Facebook will be a great step to grow the audience potential on both the said apps. Even though there is a high possibility that Facebook will not be able to beat TikTok in terms on integration but the newly developed feature will definitely help the app in terms of more engagement.Read next: Virtual Reality Company Oculus, a brand of Facebook experiences notable growth as compared to recent years Advertisement An Alabama man convicted of killing his webcam model wife by beating her with a Lucid Absinthe bottle - and was exposed by a health app on his iPhone - has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. William Jeffrey West, 47, - a trained crime scene investigator - was sentenced on Monday over the 2018 death of his 42-year-old wife Kathleen Dawn West. The former Birmingham-Southern College campus officer was facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. West will get credit for the three years he has spent in jail since his arrest after being convicted in November of his wife's reckless manslaughter. Kathleen was found dead on the street outside the couple's home in Calera, about 30 miles south of Birmingham, back on January 12 2018. William Jeffrey West, 47, was sentenced on Monday over the 2018 death of his 42-year-old camgirl wife Kathleen Dawn West in Calera, Alabama She was found wearing only a pink bra by a passing motorist on their way to work outside the house. Her husband killed her with a blow to the back of the head from the liquor bottle, prosecutors said. Jeff West's defense lawyers argued she died in an accidental fall after a night of heavy drinking. West will get credit for the three years he has spent in jail since his arrest. The former Birmingham-Southern College campus police officer was facing a maximum of 20 years in prison She was a stay-at-home mother who lived a double live as a 'camgirl'. Kathleen publicly posted lingerie photos online and charged viewers $15.99 to see more revealing images. Prosecutors claimed that an argument erupted at some point because Jeff West was 'fed up with this Instagram stuff', according to Al.Com However, the defense told jurors during opening statements that her adult pictures - posted under the name 'Kitty Kat West' - did not cause discord between the couple and that her husband assisted her. West claimed he went to bed at 10.30pm and only discovered his wife had been killed the following morning. Prosecutors, however, presented the jury with evidence contradicting West's claims. They revealed data taken from his iPhone Health app showed he had taken 18 steps between 11.03pm and 11.10pm - when he was apparently sleeping. This was a key argument from the prosecution that led to his conviction by the jury She was a stay-at-home mother who lived a double live as a 'camgirl'. Kathleen publicly posted lingerie photos online and charged viewers to see more revealing images His fingerprints were also found on the Absinthe bottle. Her death occurred, prosecutor Daniel McBrayer said when a drunken argument over her sexual social media posts erupted. 'He grabs her phone and chucks it out the front door where it lands in the street.' McBrayer said that Kathleen West then went outside to retrieve the phone only in the pink bra. It is then that that Jeff West hit her on the back of the head - wielding the Absinthe bottle like a club. 'This marriage was not in a good place,' said McBrayer said during last year's trial. 'This was a relationship on the rocks.' During the four-day trial last year, the jury heard how the couple bought Jameson whiskey and the bottle of Absinthe on the way home from dinner on the night she died. They are pictured on surveillance video purchasing the alcohol Her death occurred, prosecutor Daniel McBrayer said when an argument over his sexual social media posts erupted Crime scene investigators testified Jeff West's fingerprints were found on the bottle - and that it was held upside down, indicating he was holding it by the bottle's 'throat' rather than its base. Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences pathologist Dr. Stephen Boudreau said he did not believe the two-inch wound on the back of her head could have been caused by a fall. 'Whatever it was had an edge, but it wasn't sharp,' he told the court of the object that caused her death. The prosecution stated that Jeff West is a trained crime scene investigator and a 21-year veteran with the US Army. The former Birmingham-Southern College campus police officer was facing a maximum of 20 years in prison The couple had been married for 16 years and have a daughter who was 12-year-old at the time of Kathleen's death Prosecutors Daniel McBrayer and Ben Fuller said that he arranged the crime scene to try and make it appear she had wandered out of their home drunk during the night and had been stuck by a car. The court heard how the couple had shared a date night before her death and on the way home stopped at a liquor store to buy a bottle of Jameson whiskey and the bottle of Absinthe. The Wests drank to excess and then Jeff West's phone showed he took two photos of his wife in a pink bra, pink multi-colored panties and punk stiletto shoes. The judge rejected pleas from couple's 15-year-old daughter, Logan West, during the hearing to set her father free. 'He has always been my shield against the world,' she told the judge. 'Please give me my father back as soon as possible.' During the sentencing, Shelby County Circuit Judge Bill Bostick told West, an Army veteran, that he had plenty of opportunities to accept responsibility for his wife's death. 'For your own reasons you don't intend to do that so the jury had to do that for you,' he said. Prosecutors claimed that an argument erupted at some point because West was 'fed up with this Instagram stuff'. The defense told jurors during opening statements that her adult pictures - posted under the name 'Kitty Kat West' - did not cause discord between the couple and that her husband assisted her West's mother, Sue West, and mother-in-law, Nancy Martin, who has publicly supported West since his arrest, testified on behalf of the man. Martin said the verdict against her son-in-law was a total shock. 'We have lost a daughter. Their daughter does not need to lose a father,' Martin said. Serbia: summit with Vucic on Kosovo, and fight against crime Session of the National Security Council (ANSA) - TRIESTE, 08 FEB - BELGRADE, FEBRUARY 8 - The intensification of the fight against organized crime in Serbia after the excellent raids and arrests of recent days, and the situation in Kosovo, deemed by Belgrade to be increasingly complex and intricate, were the key topics of a Council meeting for security national team chaired this morning by president Aleksandar Vucic. At the end of the meeting, Defense Minister Neojsa Stefanovic said that investigators are looking into, among other things, the dangerous interconnections between members of crime and representatives of state institutions and bodies. As for Kosovo, where the general election will take place on Sunday, Serbia's leadership intends to multiply its efforts to protect the Serbian population and, in collaboration with the Kfor, to guarantee peace and stability. The appeal is to vote in favor of Srpska Lista, the largest of the three parties representing the largely concentrated Serbian minority in northern Kosovo. Srpska Lista is the political force closely linked to the Belgrade government. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Head of Secret Service Bratislav Gasic, Chief of Police Vladimir Rebic, Chief of General Staff attended the session of the National Security Council with Vucic and Stefanovic Milan Mojsilovic. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Monday, 08 February 2021 16:03:30 (GMT+3) | Istanbul In 2020, Colombia exported 124,755 mt of ferronickel, down 10.4 percent, with a value of $435.44 million, falling by 20.1 percent, both year on year, as announced by the Colombian National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). In December, Colombian ferronickel exports amounted to 12,834 mt, falling by 28.6 percent, and were worth $51.14 million, decreasing by 37.0 percent, both year on year. In 2020 overall, Colombias iron and steel export volume totaled 171,780 mt, falling by 17.1 percent, with a value of $518.37 million, down by 24.8 percent, both on year-on-year basis. In December, Colombian iron and steel exports amounted to 15,270 mt, down by 44.9 percent, and were worth $56.53 million, decreasing by 40.0 percent, both compared to the same month of 2019. Immunostaining of patients cell cultures on a second-generation lung-on-chip. Credit: Pauline Zamprogno, ARTORG Center for Biological Engineering Research The lung is a complex organ whose main function is to exchange gases. It is the largest organ in the human body and plays a key role in the oxygenation of all the organs. Due to its structure, cellular composition and dynamic microenvironment, is difficult to mimic in vitro. A specialized laboratory of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, headed by Olivier Guenat has developed a new generation of in-vitro models called organs-on-chip for over 10 years, focusing on modeling the lung and its diseases. After a first successful lung-on-chip system exhibiting essential features of the lung, the Organs-on-Chip (OOC) Technologies laboratory has now developed a purely biological next-generation lung-on-chip in collaboration with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany and the Thoracic Surgery and Pneumology Departments at Inselspital. A fully biodegradable life-sized air-blood-barrier Pauline Zamprogno, who developed the new model for her Ph.D. thesis at the OOC, summarizes its characteristics: "The new lung-on-chip reproduces an array of alveoli with in vivo like dimensions. It is based on a thin, stretchable membrane, made with molecules naturally found in the lung: collagen and elastin. The membrane is stable, can be cultured on both sides for weeks, is biodegradable and its elastic properties allow mimicking respiratory motions by mechanically stretching the cells." By contrast to the first generation, which was also built by the team around Olivier Guenat, the developed system reproduces key aspects of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM): Its composition (cells support made of ECM proteins), its structure (array of alveoli with dimension similar to those found in vivo + fiber structure) and its properties (biodegradability, a key aspect to investigating barrier remodeling during lung diseases such as IPF or COPD). Additionally, the fabrication process is simple and less cumbersome than that of a polydimethylsiloxane stretchable porous membrane from the first-generation lung-on-chip. Broad potential clinical applications Cells to be cultured on the new chip for research are currently obtained from cancer patients undergoing lung resections at the Inselspital Department of Thoracic Surgery. Department Head Ralph Schmid sees a double advantage in the system: "The second generation lung-on-chip can be seeded with either healthy or diseased lung alveolar cells. This provides clinicians with both a better understanding of the lung's physiology and a predictive tool for drug screening and potentially also for precision medicine, identifying the specific therapy with the best potential of helping a particular patient." "The applications for such membranes are broad, from basic science investigations into lung functionalities and pathologies, to identifying new pathways, and to a more efficient discovery of potential new therapies," says Thomas Geiser, Head of the Department of Pneumology at the Inselspital and Director of Teaching and Research of the Insel Gruppe. Powerful alternative to animal models in research As an additional plus, the new lung-on-chip can reduce the need for pneumological research based on animal models. "Many promising drug candidates successfully tested in preclinical models on rodents have failed when tested in humans due to differences between the species and in the expression of a lung disease," explains Olivier Guenat. "This is why, in the long term, we aim to reduce animal testing and provide more patient-relevant systems for drug screening with the possibility of tailoring models to specific patients (by seeding organs-on-chip with their own cells)." The new biological lung-on-chip will be further developed by Pauline Zamprogno and her colleagues from the OOC Technologies group to mimic a lung with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic disease of the lung leading to progressive scarring of the lung tissue within the framework of a research project funded by the Swiss 3R Competence Center (3RCC). "My new project consists in the development of an IPF-on- chip model based on the biological membrane. So far, we have develop a healthy air-blood barrier. Now it's time to use it to investigate a real biological question," says Zamprogno. Research group Organs-On-Chip Technologies of the ARTORG Center This specialized group of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research develops organs-on-chip, focusing on the lung and its diseases, in collaboration with the Departments of Pulmonary Medicine and Thoracic Surgery of the Inselspital. The group combines engineering, in particular microfluidics and microfabrication, cell biology and tissue engineering methods, material sciences and medicine. Their first development of a breathing lung-on-chip is further developed in collaboration with the start-up AlevoliX, with the aim to revolutionize preclinical research. Recently the group has developed an entirely biological second-generation lung-on-chip focusing on recreating the air-blood barrier of the lung. A second research direction aims at developing a functional lung microvasculature. Here, lung endothelial cells are seeded in a micro-engineered environment, where they self-assemble to build a network of perfusable and contractile microvessels of only a few tens of micrometers in diameter. Next to pharmaceutical applications, organs-on-chip are seen as having the potential to be used in precision medicine to test the patient's own cells in order to tailor the best therapy. Furthermore, such systems have the significant potential to reduce animal testing in medical and life-science research. The OOC group operates the Organs-on-Chip Facility, providing scientists from the University of Bern, the University Hospital of Bern and beyond an infrastructure and equipment to produce microfluidic devices and test organs-on-chips. Explore further Lung-on-a-chip simulates pulmonary fibrosis More information: Pauline Zamprogno et al, Second-generation lung-on-a-chip with an array of stretchable alveoli made with a biological membrane, Communications Biology (2021). Journal information: Communications Biology Pauline Zamprogno et al, Second-generation lung-on-a-chip with an array of stretchable alveoli made with a biological membrane,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01695-0 Full Admission Completed the high school core curriculum and received the diploma or the equivalent An ACT score of 19 or above or SAT score equivalent (1330 or above OLD TEST) or 980 (NEW TEST) A high school GPA of 2.00 or above Conditional Admission Completed the high school core curriculum and received the diploma or the equivalent An ACT score of 15 - 18 or SAT score equivalent (1060 - 1320) or 810-940 (NEW TEST) A high school GPA of 2.00 or above Conditionally admitted students must complete an Individualized Student Success Plan and agree to: Attend student success workshops and freshman orientation; Work with a faculty/staff mentor/advisor; Attend tutoring sessions in developmental math, English, and/or reading; and Complete all remedial/developmental courses during the first 30 semester hours. Required Information The University requires freshmen to take a College Entrance Exam (ACT or SAT, school code 001086) prior to enrollment and to have the Student Profile Report on file with the Office of Admissions. The test is administered several times during the year at specified places throughout Arkansas and the nation. For students unable to take the ACT during their senior year in high school, the University will administer the test prior to the registration period. Students are advised, however, to take this test during their junior and senior years in high school. The University requires freshmen to take a College Entrance Exam (ACT or SAT, school code 001086) prior to enrollment and to have the Student Profile Report on file with the Office of Admissions. The test is administered several times during the year at specified places throughout Arkansas and the nation. For students unable to take the ACT during their senior year in high school, the University will administer the test prior to the registration period. Students are advised, however, to take this test during their junior and senior years in high school. Communication concerning admission should be addressed to the Office of Admissions, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Mail Slot 4892, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. Prospective students should send applications and transcripts so that the documents reach the Admissions Office at least one month prior to registration for the semester in which the student expects to enroll. Otherwise, the applicant may be unable to register for the term desired. The official of the students last institution attended, i.e., counselor, principal, registrar, etc., should submit official transcripts by mail or electronically through eScript-SAFE or Speede to the Office of Admissions. The student must make the request for the transcript. Additionally, all conditionally admitted students are strongly encouraged to enroll in the summer LIONS Program before the freshman year. Patients in Leitrim and surrounding areas are set to benefit with the news that the go ahead has been given for access to more of the latest treatment options following the release of an estimated 30 million nationally aimed at clearing a backlog of new medicines, according to the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) which represents the international originator biopharmaceutical industry. The 15 backlogged new medicines are to treat patients with a range of diseases, including lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urethral carcinoma, leukaemia, Parkinsons disease and chronic migraine. A number of the medicines have already been approved by the Executive Management Team of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE is planning their rollout. The move comes in addition to the industry agreeing to roll over an extension to the existing four-year supply Agreement with the State. The funding move is the first impact of the Governments decision to allocate 50 million for new medicines in Budget 2021. Since July 2019, approvals for new medicines, deemed by the HSEs Drugs Group to be clinically sound and economically cost-effective, has slowed significantly due to a lack of funding. That caused a build-up, or backlog, of over 20 approved but unfunded medicines. The result was that more than 11,000 patients experienced delays accessing vital treatments. As part of a six-month extension to the supply Agreement agreed in July, the HSE agreed to reimburse some of these new medicines using savings from price cuts agreed by IPHA member companies on other medicines. Then, in October, the Government announced 50 million in funding for new medicines this year. The 30 million released comes at a time aligned to the latest extension, or rollover, to the Agreement accounts for a portion of that 50 million fund. After Budget 2021, IPHA said the new funding would be a game-changer for thousands of patients. The fast approval by the HSE, along with cooperation between industry and the State, mean that patient impact is materialising. The new extension will run until the end of July, with a review by the end of April. In May, formal negotiations on a new supply Agreement will begin. If the State needs more time, the IPHA is open to extending the rollover beyond the end of July to the end of September. Paul Reid, President of IPHA, said: We have agreed to roll over the extension to the existing Agreement for three reasons. We wanted to give thousands of patients access to the latest treatments by attaching a specific funding amount to medicines we know they need. We wanted to help the State to manage the pandemic by giving them time and space, without the burden of negotiating a new Agreement right now with the industry. We wanted to secure the supply of medicines to the health services, especially during Covid, through the governance framework the extension provides. All of this trends towards the start of negotiations on a new supply Agreement during the extensions timeframe. This is an arrangement that works for everyone - for patients, for industry and for the State. Oliver OConnor, Chief Executive of IPHA, said: This extension is a bridge towards a negotiating a new Agreement that places the supply and funding of new medicines on a sustainable, predictable footing. By committing to structured, transparent engagement with our industry on medicines expenditure and the reimbursement process, the State has acknowledged us as a reliable partner in raising standards of patient care. This extension prepares the ground for a new Agreement, with each side making commitments to the other on joint funding, information-sharing and continuous dialogue. The politicians, especially the Taoiseach and Ministers Donnelly and McGrath, and officials working at the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform deserve significant credit in working together to improve the reimbursement environment. We still have some way to go. We want to create a positive context for the Governments decisions for Budget 2022 so that funding for new medicines continues at the right level. Together, we can build towards a resolution that recognises the shared ambition to give patients the best treatment options at speed and scale. As part of the extension, IPHA member companies will continue to pay the HSE a rebate of 5.5% on medicines for community and hospital supply. President Donald Trump (C), First Lady Melania Trump (R) and their son Barron Trump (L) return to the White House after two weeks spent at Trump's golf club in New Jersey on Aug. 18, 2019. (Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty Images) Former Aide Says Trump Is Happier Since Twitter Suspension A Trump 2020 campaign adviser said former President Donald Trump is happier now that he doesnt use Twitter or other social media. The president has said he feels happier now than hes been in some time, said former Trump campaign strategist Jason Miller, who was speaking to the UKs Sunday Times. Last month, Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Critics of the move said Big Tech companies moved in concert to censor him and say that it will have a chilling effect on free speech. Hes said that not being on social media, and not being subject to the hateful echo chamber that social media too frequently becomes, has actually been good, Miller told the Sunday Times. Thats something the First Lady [Melania] has backed up as well. She has said she loves it, that hes much happier and is enjoying himself much more. Since he was banned from social media and since Jan. 20, Trump has made few public statements. The former president and his family have said they plan on becoming involved in politics in some way, and Trump met with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in recent days at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Jason Miller (C) at the Deconstructing: How Trump Won panel during Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, on July 30, 2017. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Politicon) Miller noted that Trump is no longer under pressure from being president of the United States. After he left, its been the first time in years that I saw the president truly relaxed, Miller told the Sunday Times. Only 45 other people in US history have experienced what it is like to have the world on their shoulders . . . and to be able to exhale, knowing that its not all on you, for the first time in four years. The former aide touched on Trumps last day in office on Jan. 20, saying that some White House staff members were very sad this day had come, but there was a sense of pride that this was the single most successful first term in US presidential history. This week, Trump will come into the limelight again as the Senate is scheduled to hold its impeachment trial. House Democrats and 10 Republicans last month impeached Trump for allegedly inciting an insurrection. Trumps attorneys said that his remarks to supporters on Jan. 6 were protected under the First Amendment and will argue that it is unconstitutional to convict a former president. For his part, Trump called on supporters on Jan. 6 to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard. Following the Capitol breach, he released a video saying they should go home in peace, while days later, he condemned the violence. The former commander-in-chief also sent a letter to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) last week saying that he will resign, writing: I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares! KENNEWICK, Wash., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Senske Services announces the acquisition of ExperiGreen Lawn Care of Aurora, CO. With this strategic expansion into Colorado, Senske continues to position itself as a premier provider of lawn, tree, and pest control services across the Western United States. Founded in 2016, ExperiGreen Lawn Care has offered quality lawn and tree care services to Aurora and the surrounding Denver area residents. After deciding to divest some of their operations on the west coast, ExperiGreen's first call to a potential acquirer was Senske. According to John Moehn, ExperiGreen President, "Senske's dedication to customer service, employees, and 100% satisfaction guarantee made them an attractive option to continue the great work ExperiGreen had started." Current employees and managers have joined the Senske team. Services will continue for customers uninterrupted with expanded offerings such as Mosquito Control and Full-Service Pest Control now available. When asked about the acquisition, Senske President Chris Senske noted, "I am impressed with the team members here in Aurora. They have a lot to contribute to our success. I look forward to seeing them grow individually as they help Senske grow." About Senske Services: Senske Services is a market-leading, multi-state home services company focused on growing organically and through mergers and acquisitions in the Western United States. Senske is a family-owned business, operating since 1947 with a strong legacy and heritage tied to its core values of integrity, community, and loyalty. The Senske family of brands includes Senske Pest Control, Senske Lawn and Tree Care, Senske Grounds Maintenance, Washington Tree & Lawn Care, and Christmas Decor by Senske. Senske is actively exploring expansion opportunities; for companies interested in selling their lawn care or pest control business, contact Bjorn Gjerde at 509.374.5007 or visit www.senske.com. SOURCE Senske Services Related Links https://www.senske.com To complement and boost government's efforts in tackling the issue of malnutrition in Nigeria, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has initiated processes to reach and properly feed one million children across the country, commencing immediately. According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children, and Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 37 per cent of children under five. The UN agency in a statement on its website also noted that an estimated 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of every 10 children affected is currently reached with treatment. It added that seven percent of women of childbearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition, and that the first 1,000 days of a child's life offer a unique window of opportunity for preventing under nutrition and its consequences. However, to reverse the negative trend, the Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation and Africa's wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote said: "We recognise nutrition as a cross-cutting issue which affects other critical development goals, that is why nutrition has become our core focus. We want to reach one million malnourished children in Nigeria and we know that for every dollar invested in nutrition, the nation as a whole will reap huge economic dividends... In addition, we shall reach households of children with SAM and their communities that contribute the most to the SAM burden with food security, cash-based interventions and livelihoods support, engendered infant and young child feeding, hygiene and care-seeking behaviours." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Children NGO By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Aliko Dangote Foundation is the private charitable foundation of Aliko Dangote, incorporated in 1994 with the mission to enhance opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education, and broaden economic empowerment opportunities. Twenty-seven years later, the Foundation has become the largest private Foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest endowment by a single African donor. The primary focus of ADF is child nutrition, with wraparound interventions centered on health, education and empowerment, and disaster relief. The Foundation also supports stand-alone projects with the potential for significant social impact. Under its Aliko Dangote Foundation Integrated Nutrition Programme (ADFIN), the Foundation in 2016, announced its intention to launch a community-based nutrition programme, various components of which have been implemented with some stakeholders. The intent has always been to use proven interventions linked to social and behaviour change, promotion of fortification of staple foods with essential micronutrients, community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), using ready to use therapeutic foods (RUFT) and nutritious foods Spring Festival is coming. While ensuring epidemic prevention and control, cast members are organized to record online Spring Festival Evening programmes across China. Various programmes including traditional Peking Opera, Pingju Opera and intangible cultrul heritage performances are staged to people online, so that the people can enjoy a visual feast without leaving home to welcome the Spring Festival. Photo taken on Feb. 1, 2021 shows young actors performing the excerpts of Peking Opera "Taizhen Biography" during the Peking Opera Troupe held at the Inner Mongolia Art Theatre, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Wang Zheng/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Feb. 3, 2021 shows the staff members of the media center in the cultural auditorium of Xiacuizhongzhai Village, Xianju County, Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province recording the villagers' dance of "Bronze Whip", an intangible cultural heritage of the city. (Wang Huabin/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Feb. 1, 2021 shows the 2021 Online Spring Festival Special Evening Programme recorded at an intangible cultural heritage theatre in Qu Yuan's hometown, Zigui County, Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province. (Huang Shanjun/Guangming Picture) Members of the Culture and Art Troupe record the traditional Pingju programme "Ping Yun Xin Hua" in Haigang Town, Qinhuangdao City, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 28, 2021. (Cao Jianxiong/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Feb. 4, 2021 shows the local opera actors recording online special opera performance in Yuanhui District, Luohe City, central China's Henan Province. (You Yahui/Guangming Picture) Intangible cultural heritage programmes are staged to welcome the Lunar New Year in an ancient town of Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing, Jan. 30, 2021. (Qiu Hongbin/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2021 shows the community Spring Festival special evening programme filmed in Daguan District, Anqing City, east China's Anhui Province. (Xiang Shunping/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on Jan. 29, 2021 shows farmers reading poems on live broadcast in Huajiaoyuan Village, Xingwangzhai Township, Zunhua city, north China's Hebei Province. (Liu Mancang/Guangming Picture) [ Editor: WXY ] Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli wants Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to immediately withdraw a circular stopping medics from remitting dues to unions, failure of which they will seek legal redress. Should Mr Kagwe fail to do so, Mr Atwoli said, the Central Organization of Trade Unions will either take him to court or ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack him for violating workers' rights. A circular dated December 22, 2020, addressed to Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia, Mr Kagwe, stated that the decision arose from a consultative meeting between the Health ministry and the Council of Governors, that took place the day before. In the circular, Mr Kagwe states that it was decided that with effect from the date of the letter, the ministry and county governments will not play the agency role of remitting union dues to unions in the health sector. Labour laws But Mr Atwoli told journalists at his offices at Tom Mboya Labor College that this is illegal and in violation of labour laws. "We know some government ministries have a tendency to disobey court orders. Should this case go to court, the CS will experience the full force of the union. We will ask the President to sack him," he said. He noted that Kenya is a signatory to international labour conventions which allow free registration of trade unions, freedom of association and entry into any collective bargaining agreement. Mr Atwoli said there is, therefore, no way the Jubilee government can issue a circular to all State departments, advising them not to deduct dues from unions representing health workers including nurses, doctors and clinical officers, as well as other public service trade unions. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Education Labour By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The government cannot say it will not apply and implement the check-off system waccepted and made into law in 1965 , stating that every employer will deduct dues and remit them to unions within 14 days," said Mr Atwoli. The Cotu official further noted that the money belongs to workers and they willingly make contributions to unions. Knut's case This is not the first such case involving a union and the government. Mr Wilson Sossion, Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), has been in a protracted war with the Teachers Service Commission, which he accuses of withdrawing the check-off system in July, August, and December 2019 and for all the months that followed. He accuses the commission of offloading Knut members massively, contrary to provisions of Section 48 of the Labour Relations Act. This move, Mr Sossion claims, is meant to create wrangles in the union and stop its operations, including meetings and training. The TSC has denied the allegations. CBS 21 news anchor Robb Hanrahan announced his retirement on air Sunday night, ending his 38-year career. Hanrahan cited a need to focus on his health and a desire to spend more time with his family as reasons for his decision. Last summer, Hanrahan suffered a massive heart attack that left him dead briefly, an experience he recently shared with his viewers. I have been through an extraordinary and life-changing experience. It has truly opened my eyes as to what is most important to me, Hanrahan said in a statement. Although TV news has always been, and will always be, a part of who I am, I know this is the right time to step back. I will miss all my friends and co-workers at CBS 21 and I remind them that I am not going anywhere. I still live in the market, my wife, Stacey, is still doing the weather and CBS 21 will always be my station. Hanrahan was the weeknight evening and late news anchor at CBS 21 for more than 10 years, according to a statement from the station. He covered two presidential elections, the flood of 2011 and the closing of Three Mile Island, He also was the anchor for the political news program Face the State where he interviewed top state lawmakers. As a staple of the community, Hanrahan also hosted numerous town halls on subjects such as legalizing marijuana and raising the minimum wage. During his career, Hanrahan won many broadcasting and journalism honors, including a National Edward R. Murrow Award, along with numerous Emmy Awards and Associated Press awards. Its been a real honor to work side by side with a true professional like Robb Hanrahan, CBS 21 News Director Bryan Queen said in a statement. Robb is the ultimate news guy, and we wish him the best as he starts this new chapter in his life. He will always be a part of the CBS 21 family. Hanrahan previously worked in Miami and New York as well as working for WHTM (ABC27) from 1989 until 1992. Robb is a great anchor, reporter, and leader and will be truly missed in the CBS 21 newsroom, said Bill Bradley, CBS 21s vice president and general manager. The positive impact that Robb has had both on our news coverage and our news team has been instrumental in our continued growth. Robb will be missed by the entire CBS 21 family. Read more on PennLive: If you havent heard this story, and even if you have, lets take a moment to rediscover the time The Beach Boys visited the San Diego Zoo for the Pet Sounds cover shoot. A Twitter account and website dedicated to sharing news and facts about The Beach Boys reminded the internet and us that Tuesday was the anniversary of The San Diego Union-Tribune publishing a story about the wild visit on Feb. 13, 1966. How wild? The band was banned. A zoo official said, The Beach Boys are not welcome back and never will be. Heres the rundown on what happened. Union-Tribune columnist Frank Rhoades talked to zoo officials shortly after the Beach Boys trip to San Diego and they told him the animals were about to crack up. The band posed with several different animals reportedly as an attempt to throw some shade at rival band The Animals and ultimately landed on the cover of what would turn into one of the most famous records of all time, surrounded by goats. The details: One band member bounced a carrot off the head of a tiger. Another band member tried to stick the head of an antelope through some iron bars. They carried around puppies and baby chicks and would set them down in the open and walk away. The zoos superintendent at the time, John Muth, said the Beach Boys were banned forever from returning to the zoo. Heres the full column from Rhoades. The San Diego Union-Tribune Yikes. The Union-Tribunes own music critic talked to The Beach Boys in 2016 about the album shoot, which took place in the childrens petting zoo and has existed as a landmark for all to visit for decades. (That will soon change. A new $69 million childrens zoo has been announced to replace the piece of Beach Boys history.) For their part, the band has long contended that the shoot wasnt fun for them either. The goats were horrible, Bruce Johnston said several decades after the photo shoot. They (would) jump all over you and bite. One of them ate my radio. The zoo said we were torturing the animals, but they should have seen what we had to go through. We were doing all the suffering. Brian Wilson says hes never been back to the zoo. Check out a collection of more photos from the Beach Boys time at the zoo on their website here. Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @abbyhamblin ALSO Who got the Beach Boys goat at the San Diego Zoo? Brian Wilson talks Pet Sounds, 50 years later Union Minister VK Singh (Image: PTI) Amidst the ongoing Indo-China stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh has said India has transgressed the de-facto border more times than China. "Let me assure you, if China has transgressed 10 times, we must have done it at least 50 times," The Hindu quoted him as saying. The information related to the transgressions is not made public by the government, Singh told reporters in Madurai on February 7. The border with China is not demarcated, which has led to a difference of perception between the two neighbouring countries, said Singh, who has also served as the chief of the Indian Army between 2010 and 2012. Also read: India must no longer wait for China to change its behaviour China has transgressed along the LAC several times, but "none of you come to know how many times we have transgressed as per our perception. Chinese media does not cover it", he added. According to Singh, China is "under pressure" after its attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in Ladakh region in April-May 2020 was thwarted by the Indian side. From boycott of made-in-China goods to the ban on Chinese apps, Beijing has been "affected" since the border stand-off. In the military-level negotiations, China has been asked to retract to positions it held before April last year, Singh said. Reports last week claimed that India has stressed on simultaneous withdrawals by both the sides to restore the status quo that existed before the Chinese transgression bid last year. Singh, while lauding the government's approach on the LAC row, said the Chinese side is mindful that "if something goes wrong, India is in a position to hit back". India and China have so far held nine rounds of military-level talks to arrive at a solution for disengagement. The stand-off has continued over the past nine months, with a fatal clash being reported in Galwan on June 15 last year. At least 20 Indian soldiers had lost their lives, whereas, the Chinese forces casualties were also reported have suffered casualties. MOSCOW, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The SVO JSC cargo operator Moscow Cargo LLC shared insights into the special challenges of handling and delivering the COVID-19 vaccines at an online seminar sponsored by the Intergovernmental Council for Aviation and Airspace Use (IAC and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The online seminar, Preparation and Implementation of a Plan for the Coronavirus Vaccines Air Distribution, was held on February 1-2 at the headquarters of the IAC and was part of the ongoing ICAO-IAC project titled Improving Flight Safety and Maintaining Airworthiness in the State-Parties to the Agreement. The seminar brought together participants logistics and supply-chain experts from several countries, including specialists from cargo and passenger airlines and top managers of cargo terminals and airports, as well as representatives of IATA, ICAO and government civil aviation regulators. The experts discussed issues of aviation safety and vaccine distribution, ICAO regulation, the readiness of airports and airlines to ensure the required temperature control for handling some vaccines, and cooperation in the digitalization of supply chains in support of the UN response to COVID-19. Elena Konkina, Commercial Director of the Moscow Cargo Terminal, and Anna Filippova, Commercial Director for Air Transportation at DHL Global Forwarding, submitted reports to show preparations that were made and measures implemented for handling vaccines at Russian airports. The companies successfully cooperate with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in arranging shipments of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine abroad and across the Russian Federation. Between November 19, 2020, and January 30, 2021, Moscow Cargo LLC serviced 60 flights delivering more than 260 specialized thermal containers with the Sputnik V vaccine, with a total weight of about 30.5 tons all over Russia and abroad. Until recently, the Russian vaccine was transported using thermal containers with refrigerants capable of maintaining a temperature of -18 to -20 C, as required by the developer, during the entire flight to its final destination. On January 21, 2021, the Russian Ministry of Health approved amendments to the registration certificate of the Sputnik V vaccine, confirming that the manufacturer managed to ensure the stability of the liquid form of the vaccine at a temperature of +2 to + 8 C. This temperature range is standard for the storage and delivery of medical immunobiological drugs by air and greatly simplifies the transportation process, allowing expanded distribution and increased availability of mass vaccination for the population. Thus, Sputnik V vaccines can now be delivered to the market at the temperature of both +2 to + 8 C and -18 to -20 C. Moscow Cargo LLC is a modern high-tech cargo aviation terminal and the main handling operator of Sheremetyevo International Airport, which serves 68 % of the airport's cargo and mail turnover. Today, the Moscow Cargo terminal, with a total area of 42,300 square meters and designed to handle 380,000 tons of cargo per year, is the largest in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe and has no analogues in Russia in terms of technical equipment. High-tech equipment and production facilities for handling special goods allow Moscow Cargo LLC to effectively handle all types of cargo without restrictions. During the construction of the Moscow Cargo terminal, all the latest industry requirements for handling of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products were taken into account. The terminal has a spacious cool-zone with 26 chambers equipped with an autonomously adjustable temperature control in the range from -20 to + 25 . Also, the terminal is equipped with 60 cells maintaining a temperature at +2 + 8 C for storing assembled pallets with temperature-sensitive goods. The terminal storage area can simultaneously accommodate up to 30 active containers, the handling of which is carried out by specially trained personnel. A wide range of additional services of the terminal includes adding dry ice to the shipment packaging at the request of the customer. Sheremetyevo Airport is among the TOP-5 airport hubs in Europe, the largest Russian airport in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. In 2020, the airport served 19 million 784 thousand passengers. Sheremetyevo is the best airport in terms of quality of services in Europe, the absolute world leader in punctuality of flights, the recipient of the highest 5-star Skytrax rating. You can find additional information at http://www.svo.aero. SOURCE Sheremetyevo International Airport Related Links http://www.svo.aero HOUSTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Community Profile Report, a frequently updated national report detailing multiple data streams related to the COVID-19 pandemic, is transforming under the Biden Administration. Learn what this transformation means in relation to transparency of information to the public, and what to expect in data as the rollout of the vaccines continues. Join us for a webinar on February 11, 2021 at 2:00 P.M. ET with Kevin Duvall, Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Chief Data Officer and Amy Gleason, Data Strategy and Execution Workgroup Lead, United States Digital Services, in a panel led by Fred Trotter, CTO of CareSet. Trotter will lead the discussion to examine: Expectations on how the whole picture of data concerning the COVID-19 crisis is expected to shift under the new administration What the new reporting approach will mean in terms of transparency, including its limits How new variants will be tracked The overall new objectives for the Community Profile Report in terms of data capture and in the context of vaccine rollouts "This is our first opportunity to get a boots-on-the-ground look at what has changed in COVID-19 data tracking since the administration changed," says Fred Trotter, CTO of CareSet. "I'm looking forward to digging in and understanding what this additional transparency means and how HHS is tracking the vaccines." The Community Profile Report, originally released December 18, 2020, is sourced from the central Federal database, which tracks COVID hospitalizations, testing, and cases on a region-specific level. Register to attend here. About CareSet Systems CareSet (https://careset.com) is a government healthcare data analytics and data journalism company. We believe in getting the best treatments to the right patients quickly and efficiently. We do that by analyzing government data sources, such as Medicare claims data. With CareSet, biomedical companies become better at serving the patient community. Public Relations Contact: Cameron Lorenz Account Executive anthonyBarnum Public Relations Cell: 832.628.4801 [email protected] SOURCE CareSet Systems Related Links https://careset.com Its amazing to be adding such accomplished and knowledgeable people to Sorceros growing team as we hit the ground running in 2021, said Sorcero CEO Dipanwita Das. Sorcero today announced Stu Gold has joined the company as Vice President of Sales, as well as the addition of Dr. Varsha Jain and Jeff Epstein as new members to the companys advisory board. Sorcero was selected by Business Insider as one of the 81 startups expected to boom in 2021, and the company is bringing in world-class experts in large-scale technology and medical science as it expands into the global insurance and life sciences markets. Its amazing to be adding such accomplished and knowledgeable people to Sorceros growing team as we hit the ground running in 2021, said Sorcero CEO Dipanwita Das. Stu, Varsha, and Jeff each bring an incredible wealth of experience in transformative technology in STEM markets. We are thrilled to have them as part of Sorcero as we scale to deliver innovative solutions for medical, scientific, and financial experts powered by our Language Intelligence platform. Stu Gold, Sorceros new VP of Sales, brings extensive expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, and B2B SaaS sales across North America, Europe, and Asia. He previously served in marketing and sales leadership positions at Cisco and Microsoft, where he executed successful product launches and go-to-market strategies. Gold also has 30 years of experience in enterprise technology, where he has delivered revenue and sales growth at Fortune 500 enterprises and emerging startups. "Its great to be part of the team, said Gold. What's most exciting about joining Sorcero is the opportunity to apply my previous success at Microsoft and Cisco developing long-term relationships with global life sciences, healthcare, and insurance enterprises in combination with my direct experience growing early-stage businesses driven by Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing. Jeff Epstein is a world-renowned investor, lecturer, and tech executive specializing in B2B software and marketplaces. He was the EVP and CFO of Oracle. Prior to joining Oracle, Jeff served as CFO of public and private companies, including DoubleClick (sold to Google). Epstein teaches the Lean Launchpad class at Stanford University with Steve Blank. He is currently a Board Member for Kaiser Permanente, Twilio, and Shutterstock. My fellow chief financial officers always want their companies to work faster, better and cheaper, said Epstein. They love Sorceros Language Intelligence software, an important new tool to help life sciences, healthcare, and financial companies improve their productivity and accuracy. Dr. Varsha Jain is an accomplished medical expert in vaccine research and global health. She served for nearly two decades as the leader of Vaccine Development at GlaxoSmithKline, thereafter held the position of Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and now continues to work as an expert in immunization. Jain is also serving as the editor of Sorceros Vaccine Navigator, a monthly report that provides critical updates covering vaccines for COVID-19 from a curated list of peer-reviewed articles, featuring insights and visualizations from biomedical Language Intelligence technology. The application of Sorceros Language Intelligence technology has great potential to support life sciences and clinical research at scale, said Jain. Its been great to be working on Vaccine Navigator to deliver a resource on the latest literature related to ongoing vaccine development. Jain and Epstein join global experts in the application of AI and data science to insurance and life sciences Helen Johnson and Daniel Shenfeld, Ph.D. on the Sorcero Advisory Board. About Sorcero: Sorcero was founded in Washington, DC in 2018 by Dipanwita Das, Richard Graves, and Walter Bender. Sorceros Language Intelligence Platform uses domain understanding to power mission-critical decision-making across enterprises in life sciences and insurance. The companys mission is to inform critical decisions to improve lives through access and understanding of the worlds knowledge. To date, the company has raised $5.4 million in funding from Leawood Venture Capital, WorldQuant Ventures, Castor Ventures (the MIT Alumni fund), and H/L Ventures. A 26-year-old man was killed when he ran onto Interstate 676 in Camden Saturday while fleeing police, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. Camden County police stopped the drivers car around 7:30 p.m. but he drove away, the Attorney Generals (AG) Office said in a statement. His car then crashed into an underpass underneath I-676 in the area of Pine Street. The man then ran from the wreck, went up an embankment and onto I-676 where he was struck by multiple vehicles, the office said in a statement. The office did not publicize the victims name or any details about the drivers of the vehicles, other than to say that they were not law enforcement officers. The AGs Division of Criminal Justice is investigating the incident, as is required when anyone dies during an encounter with law enforcement. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Indian fishermen want Sri Lanka to lift ban on dry fish imports February 08,2021 | Source: The Hindu Fishermen and traders of Kasimedu in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu want the Sri Lankan government to lift the ban on karuvaadu (dry fish) imports from India. The Kasimedu fishing harbour sends around 500 tonnes of dry fish to Thoothukudi, from where it is sent to Sri Lanka. Nanjil Ravi of Akhila Indhiya Meenavar Sangam said there were at least 10 traders, who depended on the dry fish trade with the island nation. The ban on dry fish imports from India was supposed to be only for 100 days and it began in November. The time limit is over now, which is why we are asking that the ban be lifted, he said. Many types of Dry fish, including maasi karuvaadu, made from Yellowfin and Skipjack tuna, thenna koni and nethili, are processed and sent from Kasimedu. About 150 containers of dry fish at the Thoothukudi harbour are waiting to be sent to Sri Lanka. The government is asking us to take up deep sea fishing but if we do not have the market for our catch, what is the use? Fishermen have stopped going on deep sea trips since we already have a lot of unsold dry fish, a trader said. He also said Sri Lanka had been buying dry fish from other countries. Usually, the dry fish sent from here is repacked and sent to other countries. Even that has stopped now, he added. Officials in the Fisheries Department said it was an internal policy decision of the Sri Lankan government. It was supposed to protect their economy that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Union Commerce Department has taken this up with the Sri Lankan government. We have requested them to lift the ban, he said. 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. What Will the Poker World Look Like in 2021? February 08, 2021 Mo Nuwwarah Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints, and official policies of PokerNews.com. All the way back in 2016, which seems like half a lifetime ago at this point, I took over a PokerNews tradition started by old-timer Rich Ryan, offering predictions for the coming year in the poker industry. There were hits and there were many misses, but fun was had by all me as I tried to divine the craziness in this wacky culture and the readers as they laughed at my whiffs. This year, that tradition must come to a sad end. This piece will start off normally enough as I run through last year's calls, but after that, it'll take on a new look. Specific predictions for what's to come in 2021 seem rather pointless, because pretty much everything hinges on the balance between COVID-19 and the availability of the vaccines for said coronavirus. For all I know, we'll all be vaccinated and firing away as normal in six months, though I sincerely doubt it. Instead, I'll offer a more freeflowing look at where I think the industry will head in the coming 10 months. And I'll close with one crazy prediction that I'll totally ignore for future purposes unless it actually happens. First, let's see how everything from 2020 came out. Just know I'll be grading these on a very generous curve since in January 2020 when this was written, I had barely heard of the coronavirus. Certainly, like most, I had no concept of how radically the world was about to change. Now, where do I see things progressing in 2021? Not Hopeful for Major Live Events The year 2020 brought unprecedented changes to the poker world as it did to pretty much every industry. The most noticeable thing, of course, was the glaring absence of major live poker tournaments. The European Poker Tour was basically absent aside from a Sochi event that isn't easily accessible for most players. The World Poker Tour held just a handful of events before shutting down live operations for the year in early March. And the World Series of Poker shifted basically its entire schedule online barring a surprising hybrid Main Event to end the year. Unfortunately, at this stage, there's not much reason for optimism that things will be back to normal for 2021. COVID-19, despite the emergence of a vaccine, remains a significant problem in most of the world. In some locales, poker operators have chosen to soldier on. Look no further than the WPT event taking place in Florida this week. It made headlines for a strong turnout of 1,573 entries. No doubt, that may embolden some to try put on a big event. Hell, there's another WPT coming up just around the corner at Venetian. The WPT packed the house at Seminole (photo c/o of WPT) However, that seems likely to be more of an oddity than the norm, at least in the foreseeable future. While the potential for the vaccine to help clear things up is exciting, the glacial pace at which it's being distributed makes me less than hopeful it have a discernible impact this year. Less than 2% of the U.S. has received the full vaccination at the time of writing. I know in the state where I live, nobody that I know of under age 70 who doesn't work in health care has even gotten a first dose scheduled. Other than the aforementioned Venetian event, the WPT has nothing on the schedule aside from online stuff. The EPT has only another Sochi event officially on the docket. The much-anticipated second running of the PSPC, which was supposed to take place at Barcelona in 2020, still has only the original postponement announcement as its last major update. It seems unlikely PokerStars will run the event if it can't hold a candle to the first iteration, a never-before-seen spectacle redefined what a $25K tournament could look like. As for the biggest tournament series of all, the WSOP...well, usually by now, PokerNews has the ball rolling in terms of planning coverage for the summer bonanza. I can share that this isn't the case for 2021 as of right now. I do know at least one major Vegas poker destination has a big series planned for the summer, so I'm not ruling out a WSOP in some form. If it happens, though, I think it will be heavily slanted to online events with some mixed and non-hold'em formats that the client can't support potentially playing out live, along with some big final tables. I'm not even sure those smaller fields would be feasible with the current international travel situation. I don't anticipate anything that resembles a normal schedule of live major tournaments until 2022. I could see some things creeping back toward normal in the later months of 2021, but I feel like if anything big was coming before then, we'd have heard about it by now. Mid-Major Tours Scattershot While the live poker situation in Europe seems certain to remain pretty much on ice as lockdowns remain prevalent and international travel remains somewhat limited and difficult, it's a bit easier for smaller tours to get traction again here in the U.S. Still, everything seems certain to be more regionalized as venues and operators cautiously dip their toes back in. And even that will only occur in certain states, as others remain firmly against large gatherings, the likes of which a decent-sized poker tournament would fall into for sure. Bally's has hosted a few series. It seems the M.O. for now will be stuff like the Bally's Main Event Mania from late last year schedules of events that look something like a WSOP Circuit but with smaller guarantees that may cater more towards local players. This kind of thing can give the venues the chance to rake in a few dollars while whetting the appetite of local players without the bad optics of thousands of players flooding in, potentially raising the ire of local regulators and media. As for what events players can hope to circle, it seems the Mid-States Poker Tour has the most ambitious schedule laid out with something like their normal number planned. The Heartland Poker Tour, on the other hand, still has a planned event from last August listed on its website, so it's anyone's guess whether it will even come back. The WSOP Circuit seems content to shift things online, where they can raise revenue with zero risk. All of that is to say, you might be able to find a halfway decent tournament series somewhere nearby, but the chance to win six figures for a modest buy-in won't be too common. More Good News Online While things are looking grim both stateside and around the world in terms of live poker, the online scene paints a much different picture. With the dearth of available live poker in 2020, the online operators stepped up and provided some incredible tournament series. Hundreds of millions in guarantees were produced by international operators GGPoker, PokerStars and partypoker. Even domestic operators like WSOP.com with smaller player pools provided huge guarantees with six-figure prizes available. It looks like much the same will be on the horizon for 2021. GGPoker shows no signs of slowing, having just wrapped up a whopping $100 million WSOP Circuit series. Its competitors will be looking to keep pace and that means more huge prize pools everywhere. Promotional dollars shouldn't be hard to come by either. PokerStars executives have already made rumblings about committing more dollars to the business, promising "investments in poker" ($) that can only mean good things for the players. Run It Once has just rolled out what one industry expert called "the most lucrative welcome package in recent history." Exciting happenings are also afoot in the U.S. with the door wide open for continued growth. Michigan has come online thanks to PokerStars and will hopefully soon be pooling players with the other states. Not only is Michigan bringing in a sizable population of about 10 million, but it also offers a potential drive-and-play destination for Midwesterners who had no such sanctuary before, what with everything previously located closer to the coasts. Prize pools in the U.S. should be bigger than ever, and rest-of-world options should be about on par with 2020 as well. Final Crazy Prediction GGPoker will buy the WSOP. This is definitely not based on any inside info or anything like that. It just feels like this could be the year the WSOP is finally sold after years of rumors but nothing actually coming to fruition. Several employees appear to have been laid off and not replaced, and the future of the flagship series looks as uncertain as ever with 2021 having been the last year anyone said on the record it would remain at the Rio. Many have suggested in the past that PokerStars could be the ones to fire off, but GGPoker would seem to make more sense at this point. GGPoker and WSOP already have a strong relationship with all of the bracelet and ring events that have been running on there. Furthermore, there are a few small clues that GGPoker may be looking to enter the live arena at some point in the near future. What better way to do it than go all the way with their partners? Hey, ya never know in this crazy industry. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The beloved tradition of viewing the ships sailing by Staten Island during Fleet Week New York is officially cancelled for the second year in a row. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Navy sent out a press release announcing all Fleet Week events planned for New York are cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. In place of live events, Navy officials announced Monday that a series of social media based celebrations will take May 26-31. The Navy is committed to doing everything it can to defeat the coronavirus, said Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. Keeping our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen at home is the best way to ensure we protect the health and safety of New York and our force so we can return to normal as soon as possible. USS Shreveport LPD 12 is greeted by a FDNY fireboat as it passes under the Verrazano bridge during the Fleet Week Parade of Ships. (Staten Island Advance/Michael McWeeney) Fleet Week New York has years of history to back it up and has become a tradition Staten Island families showed up for. U.S. Navy vessels began visiting New York City in a celebratory manner following the SpanishAmerican War in 1898, when Commodore George Dewey was celebrated as the hero of the battle of Manila Bay. The first official Fleet Week began in New York City in 1982 and has typically been timed to coincide with Memorial Day Weekend. The virtual schedule for Fleet Week 2021 is not yet made available aside from its dates, but those interested in keeping up with Fleet Week content can follow @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter and Instagram. Last year, when the pandemic first hit, the Navy posted photos, videos and stories of Fleet Week events in the past. Were excited to once again connect with people online in New York and around the world, Rock said. No matter where you are, people will be able to find us on social media and watch whenever it is convenient for them so they can see how the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard safeguard our nation and how incredible the men and women who serve in uniform are. Boston, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) announced its support today for the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, a comprehensive federal legislation package sponsored by Representatives Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams, Senator Cory Booker and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. Building on existing legislation, like policies to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage, the Momnibus Act of 2021 is composed of 12 bills to fill gaps to comprehensively address every dimension of Americas maternal health crisis through effective, evidence-based and culturally congruent solutions. Centering Healthcare Institute is proud to endorse this comprehensive legislative effort to address the Black maternal health crisis in our country, said Angie Truesdale, Chief Executive Officer at CHI. Inherent in the Centering model is the principle that we must break down power differentials and elevate lived experiences to deliver equitable healthcare. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 provides several provisions, including the Moms Matter, Kira Johnson and Perinatal Workforce acts, that would significantly advance the effort to mainstream and resource equitable healthcare, and most importantly, save lives. Black women continue to experience deep disparities in birth outcomes and are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications. The Act makes investments in social determinants of health, community-based organizations, the growth and diversification of the perinatal workforce, improvements in data collection, and support for moms and babies exposed to climate change-related risks. CHI is committed to advocate for policies that prioritize the health of moms and babies. Its evidence-based CenteringPregnancy model of group prenatal care is known to improve birth outcomes and flatten racial disparities particularly for African American women, who continue to experience deep disparities in birth outcomes. CHI welcomes the new titles in the Act to address the risks to pregnant women and supports all provisions in the bill including: Moms Matter Act - invests in community based programs and maternity care models that provide mental and behavioral health support to moms. The act aims to put federal resources towards elevating focus on maternal mental health and group prenatal and postpartum care models. It will also provide funding for programs to grow the workforce to expand access to culturally congruent care. Kira Johnson Act - makes investments in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to support moms. The bill also supports bias and racism training programs, research and the establishment of Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs to address bias and racism and to promote accountability in maternity care settings. Perinatal Workforce Act - establishes grant programs to increase the number of maternity care providers and non-clinical perinatal health workers who offer culturally congruent support to women throughout their pregnancies, labor and delivery and the postpartum period. Tech for Moms - makes investments to promote the integration and development of telehealth and other digital tools to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity and close racial and ethnic gaps in maternal health outcomes. *** About Centering Healthcare Institute: CHI is a national non-profit organization with a mission to improve health, transform care and disrupt inequitable systems through the Centering group model which combines health assessment, interactive learning and community building to help support positive health behaviors and drive better health outcomes. CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting provide the highest quality of care to families from pregnancy through age two of the child. The CenteringHealthcare model of care serves many different health conditions including groups for asthma, diabetes, opioid recovery, cancer survivors, chronic pain and other patient populations. Currently, Centering is offered across 550 healthcare practice sites in the country. Visit www.centeringhealthcare.org for more information. The number of New Jersey school districts implementing full in-person instruction continues to rise, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. There are now 95 districts out of more than 600 school systems across the state open for full in-person instruction, Murphy said. That number increased by six since Feb. 1 and nearly 20 since the end of winter break. Another 21 districts are now utilizing a hybrid model of learning that involves some students in their classroom at some point during the day. In all, 491 districts employ some form of hybrid learning, Murphy said. The trend is going steadily in the direction of in-person instruction, which further supports our work towards making more educators eligible for vaccinations beyond those who currently are because of either age or health background, Murphy said at his coronavirus media briefing in Trenton. The number of districts that are fully remote has dropped to 190, the governor added. There have been 137 school outbreaks since Aug. 1, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard. Those outbreaks are responsible for 655 cases. The state defines an outbreak as two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff who only had contact in the school. Some of the states largest school districts have yet to hold any in-person classes this year, including Newark and Jersey City. Trenton has pushed a return to in-person classes to May. On Monday, New Jersey health officials reported another 2,218 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 25 additional deaths as the state surpassed 1 million vaccine doses administered. The seven-day average for new confirmed cases dropped to 3,000, down 27% from a week ago and 38% from a month ago. New Jersey has now lost 22,011 residents in the nearly 11-month outbreak 19,824 confirmed fatalities and 2,187 considered probable. The state has reported 480 confirmed deaths in the first eight days of February. The death toll for January was 2,377 confirmed fatalities, the most in any month since May. The total number of confirmed cases is now 647,194 out of more than 9.6 million PCR tests. There have also been 77,534 positive antigen tests, which the state recently began reporting publicly. Those cases are considered probable and health officials have warned the positive antigen tests could overlap with the confirmed PCR tests because they are sometimes given in tandem. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com NJ Advance Media reporter Matt Arco contributed to this report. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. State and nonstate actors have figured out another cheap way to target U.S. troops, a four-star general warned this week. Small drones anyone can "go out and buy at Costco right now" pose the most concerning tactical development since the rise of the improvised explosive device in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., the head of U.S. Central Command, said Monday. "These systems are inexpensive, easy to modify and weaponize, and easy to proliferate," McKenzie said during a virtual event hosted by the Middle East Institute. Read Next: The Military Doesn't Bar Troops from Being Members of Hate Groups. That Could Change The U.S. has systems that can defend against large unmanned aircraft, he added, but organized militaries and terror groups in the region are making use of much smaller and cheaper off-the-shelf drones. The small aircraft can not only take off and land vertically, but are really tough to spot. Battery-operated drones that have cameras and can be flown for a couple miles at a time cost just a few hundred dollars. McKenzie said adversaries can use them to surveil and target U.S. and partner facilities. Land-based IEDs targeting U.S. vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan were some of the deadliest weapons insurgents used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The threat led the military to develop new armored vehicles that could better protect the troops inside. Now, the U.S. needs to defend service members against IEDs that can fly. "Right now, we're on the wrong side of the cost imposition curve because this technology favors the attacker -- not the defender," McKenzie said. "But we're working very hard to fix this." U.S. troops have been training to take out drones armed with explosives since Kurdish fighters were killed by a small drone that blew up while they were taking it apart in Iraq in 2015. That was the first time the Islamic State was believed to have killed troops on the battlefield using a drone, The New York Times reported at the time. Just last month, airmen in Qatar for a training exercise were tasked with grounding a small drone, which they treated like an improvised explosive device. "Although [unmanned aircraft systems] is a newer threat, the concepts used to mitigate the associated hazards are ones that we are all too familiar with," Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Leslie, an explosive ordnance device flight superintendent, said in a release about the exercise. It's not just land-based troops that are seeing the threat of drones in the region. In 2019, Marines on a Navy warship used an air-defense system on an all-terrain vehicle to take down an Iranian drone targeting troops at sea. McKenzie on Monday called Iran the most challenging driver of instability in the region. "For more than 40 years, the Iranian regime has funded and aggressively supported terrorism and terrorist organizations and defied international norms by conducting malign activities which destabilize not only the region but global security and commerce as well," he said. "Iran is a major source of instability in Iraq, and uses Iraq as a proxy battleground against the United States." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Here's the New Marine Corps Weapon that Just Destroyed an Iranian Drone Alia Bhatt and Dulquer Salmaan fans are quite happy to see the Bollywood actress bonding with the Malayalam actor. Alia sent a token of love for DQ's daughter Maryam Ameerah Salmaan, which contained a gift hamper from her clothing line. The Karwaan has always expressed his admiration for Alia, saying earlier that he wants his daughter to grow up to be someone like the actress. During one of his interviews in 2019, DQ had said that he would love to his daughter Maryam to grow up like Alia. Dulquer said he has watched a few films of Alia and clarified that he likes her as an actress and not a crush. Alia too has said earlier that she is a fan of DQ's work. And now, with this gift, the actress has also expressed how much she adores his daughter as well. The gift was sent with a personalized letter by Alia that read, "I hope that Maryam loves this hamper as much as I've loved putting it together for her. Alia." DQ shared a shot of the hamper on Instagram Story and thanked Alia, saying, "Thank you Alia for Maryams presents (sic)." The Malayalam star is married to Amal Sufiya and welcomed their first child, daughter Maryam Ameerah Salmaan on May 5, 2017. On the work front, Dulquer is currently filming for his next Malayalam movie directed by Rosshan Andrrews. The movie went on floors a couple of days ago and is produced by DQ. Diana Penty has been roped in to play the leading lady while actor Manoj K Jayan will be seen essaying an important role. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Insight The surge in popularity of frozen meals and ready-to-eat products is anticipated to enhance the food processing market. The food, beverages & nutrition industry reports are designed by Market Research Future, focusing on market prospects for evolution. A 6.4% CAGR is estimated to add to the progress of the market in the years ahead. The requirement for efficient and hygienic food processing equipment has risen incrementally due to a higher consumer volume, and this factor is anticipated to boost the food processing industry. The burgeoning demand from the food and beverage sector is foreseen to enhance the forecast period's food processing market share. Competitive Analysis The augmentation of commercial interests in the upcoming period is estimated to create a more advantageous position for the market contenders in the forecast period. In the forecast period, the market is appraised to derive a great deal from the market signals while scrutinizing their consumer base to meet their needs better. The diverse regional markets will see steadfast development due to government backup's influence in re-energizing the global market. The new growth ventures are foreseen to improve the company's future goal achievement trajectory and are thus estimated to be essential to growth. The players operating in the market are likely to seek revision of supply chains to promote further the development of the market in new segments and demographics. The digital elements of business functioning are estimated to emerge more prominently in the period ahead. The global market's response to new efficiency levels in the forthcoming period is expected to unleash new and transformative changes. The inclusion of social impact goals by the companies in the market is estimated to usher in a new development phase in the market in the upcoming period. The prominent companies in the Food Processing Market are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and other notable regional markets are MAREL (Iceland), Alfa Laval AB (Sweden), GEA Group AG (Germany), The BUHLER Holding AG (Switzerland), JBT Corporation (U.S.), BIGTEM MAKINE A.S. (Turkey), TNA Solution Pty Ltd (Australia), Bucher Industries AG (Switzerland), ANKO Food Machine Co. Ltd. (Taiwan), EQUIPAMIENTOS CARNICOS, S.L. (Spain), CLEXTRAL S.A.S (France), SPX Flow (U.S.), FENCO Food Machinery S.R.L. (Italy), Krones AG (Germany) and Paul Mueller Company (U.S.). Segment Analysis The segments created to understand the Food Processing Market are created on the basis of equipment type, category, application, and region. The food processing market's equipment type segment consists of sorting, extrusion equipment, thermal equipment, cleaning, cutting, peeling & grinding equipment, mixers & blenders, grading equipment, homogenizers, and other equipment. The regions considered in the food processing market are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and other notable regional markets. The category segment of the food processing market consists of fully automated and semi-automated. The food processing market's application segment consists of dairy products, fruit & vegetable, poultry, seafood products, meat, bakery & confectionery, beverages, and others. Detailed Regional Analysis The regions considered in the development of the food processing market are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and other notable regional markets. The Asia Pacific food processing market is anticipated to gain faster growth with respect to all the regional food processing market. With flourishing economies in the Asia pacific regional market such as China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the food processing market is estimated to notice lucrative opportunities in the region. The increasing population in the region is estimated to contribute to propelling the expansion of the food & beverage industry in China and India, which is projected to influence the Asia Pacific food processing market's progress. The North American food processing market is estimated to also add substantially to the global market owing to the surge in consumption of processed food items in the region through the forecast period. Get More Professional and Technical Industry Insights @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/food-processing-market-8588 NOTE: Our Team of Researchers are Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details. As Donald Trumps second impeachment trial begins today, not enough attention has been paid to the fact that Chief Justice Roberts will not be presiding. Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, a lawyer, former federal prosecutor and member of the Judiciary Committee, believes the Chief Justice should preside. Elizabeth Warren adopts the far more aggressive position that the Chief Justice must preside as part of his constitutional duty. For good measure, she adds, I cant imagine why a Supreme Court justice would not do his duty. The man who isn't there Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer presents yet a third constitutional argument. He claims that the Constitution commits the decision as a matter of choice to the Chief Justice: The Constitution says the chief justice presides for a sitting president. So it was up to John Roberts whether he wanted to preside with a president who is no longer sitting, Trump, and he doesnt want to do it. Senator Leahy, who has been designated to preside, agrees that the Chief Justice would be the first choice. All of these assertions are manifestly incorrect and for reasons of considerable bearing on the proceeding. Working in order, Blumenthal does not pretend to a legal argument. He wants the Chief Justice to preside for its beneficial public relations impact. The worlds greatest deliberative body merits better than this, especially given Blumenthals senior status on the Judiciary Committee of all things. Warren presents a claim shared by exactly no one. For a partisan advantage, she recklessly claims the Constitution places an affirmative burden on the Chief Justice to preside over the trial of a former president, also known as a private citizen. It seems almost churlish to ask where in the text or even structure of the Constitution such a hidden duty lies. Does she truly believe this outlandish claim or is just understood nowadays that making wantonly false statements about the Constitution is part of senatorial privilege. Little people be silent. Schumer is a different story. His statement is the reason people despise the oiliness of politicians, saying just enough to sound reasonable, for unwarranted ends. Schumer intimates that he directly contacted Roberts and was told by Roberts that he would not preside. Schumers office conveniently wont confirm or deny. Right on cue, the headlines read Roberts doesnt want to preside over Trumps second impeachment trial: Schumer. In matters of the Constitution, not wanting to preside is a world apart from not presiding. Schumers construction is remarkably self-serving. It sets forth as true that the Chief Justice believes he could preside (so it was up to John Roberts whether he wanted to preside), but for reasons unknown chooses not to (he doesnt want to do it). That places the onus for not presiding on the Chief Justice, and not so incidentally adds the veneer of constitutionality to the proceeding. Choosing not to preside directly implies he could preside. These are serial untruths. The Supreme Courts position is crystal clear. It has no comment on the absence of Justice Roberts from the second impeachment trial. No comment means far more that it seems. It precludes any assertion that Roberts was ever formally requested to preside. Absent the request, no claim can be made, a la Schumers strategically misleading statement, that Justice Roberts chose not to preside. But that is nothing compared to the constitutional violence at work. Justice Roberts is not presiding in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump because he has no constitutional authority to preside. It is not a choice. Likewise, the Chief Justice presides over the impeachment trial of the President, not by choice, but by constitutional mandate. He must preside. These are flip sides of the same coin. With the sole exception of presiding over the trial of the president, the judiciary cannot and does not have any role in Congress. The Constitution is built on the scaffolding of separation of powers. Consider in this context whether the Chief Justice, while presiding over an actual trial of the President, can supply the deciding vote in the event of a 50-50 deadlock. Chief Justice Roberts was directly asked this question during the first impeachment trial of President Trump. His response was succinct. I think it would be inappropriate for me, an unelected official from a different branch of government, to assert the power to change that result [a tie] so that the motion would succeed. Law Professor Ann Althouse has cut to the essence of the constitutional problem created by the Democrats theatrics. If the Chief Justice is permitted, then he is required. If the Chief Justice is required, then what Leahy is about to do [preside over the trial as the second-choice option] is not a duty. Taking on a role that is not yours under the Constitution is an abuse of power. Invoking the constitutional power to remove a President from office is the most solemn act that can be exercised in our democratic republic, which accounts for its rarity in American history. By transforming the role of the Chief Justice into an impeachment choice, rather than the clear-cut duty to preside only for the trial of a sitting President, Senate Democrats have abandoned the pretense to adhering to their constitutional duty. It is obvious why they are straining so hard. Having Senator Leahy preside looks partisan because it is partisan. No one believes he will preside without having pre-determined Trumps guilt. More problematically, Robertss absence strongly supports, but does not conclusively prove, that under the Constitution there is no authority to impeach and try a private citizen, including a former president. What is unarguable is that the means the Democrats have chosen to proceed, arguing for the voluntary participation of the Chief Justice in the Senate trial of a former president, is itself an abuse of the Constitution. By their own argument, second-choice Leahy is usurping the role assigned by the Constitution to the Chief Justice. Alternatively, the Chief Justice has no authority to preside because the President is not being impeached and therefore the Senate lacks the power to proceed. It is one or the other, and neither works. In the eighteenth century, it became common practice to debase currency by clipping the circumference of gold and silver coins. We are witnessing today a comparable debasement of the Constitution where the sole actual intent is, by any means necessary, to impact the 2024 election. Even rabid Trump haters ought to recognize that impeaching and trying a president voted out of office, in the absence of the Chief Justice, is the wrong way to win an election. We as citizens are left poorer. Photo credit: Official portrait William Levin is a graduate of Yale Law School and a former special assistant in the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice. Ebou Mala's Children Charitable Foundation(EMCCF) in partnership with United Kingdom National Police Aid Charity last Friday handed over educational and other materials to The Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS). The materials included 30 boxes of blankets, 153 bales of clothes, 2 boxes of above 13 years underwear and bras, 1 box of children's underwear, 30 bags of shoe and shoe cover, 2 cartons of rain boots, 44 cartons of sport wear, 176 tables, 274 chairs, 2 cupboards, among others. Samba Bah, secretary general Ebou Mala's Children Charitable Foundation said the foundation was founded in The Gambia in July 2017 to protect and advocate for the unique and varying interest of all children in The Gambia as well as well give children a greater voice within schools, the community and beyond. Mr. Bah added that the non-profit humanitarian foundation charity is dedicated to help alleviate the suffering of children and their families in Africa. "EMCCF is motivated to complement the gains of the government and existing organisations to better prepare children for the task of person achievement with enthusiasm, competence, professionalism and above all, efficiency", he went on. He commended the GRCS for their efforts in the coronavirus pandemic fight in The Gambia. He hoped the materials would help the next generation of Gambians. Alasan Senghore, secretary general of The Gambia Red Cross Society said having considered the objectives of the foundation that are in line with the principles of Red Cross, they partnered with them. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said the materials would go a long way in helping not only schools but also children that go to those schools. He thanked government, through the ministries of health, education and finance for facilitating the delivery of the container. He described the donation as very important when the country is challenged due to covid-19 and its secondary effects. He pointed out covid-19 and its secondary effects have taken away resources and energy of development agencies and government which means all Gambians need to come together and use their comparative advantages to help communities especially the vulnerable ones in the country. He reiterated their commitment to continue their work in supporting Gambia government help people and vulnerable communities as well as looking at areas they can support in the development of the country. SG Senghore thanked and assured all those who supported them during the pandemic that they would continue to use their assistance for the benefit of vulnerable communities. The final unresolved race of the US election was brought to a conclusion Monday, three months after polling day and over a month since most lawmakers were sworn into Congress. New York's elections board certified Republican Claudia Tenney as the winner of the state's 22nd congressional district over Democrat Anthony Brindisi. She becomes the final member of the 435-seat lower chamber after months of wrangling over the vote count. A judge on Friday ordered the New York State Board of Elections to certify a count that put Tenney just 109 votes ahead of Brindisi out of 300,000 ballots cast. Brindisi, who had won the seat from Tenney in 2018, tweeted that he was "shocked," insisting that a "full audit and hand recount is the only way to resolve this race." He had claimed there were problems with the way local authorities conducted the election, notably one county's failure to process 2,400 voting applications. But the New York judge disagreed with him, and on Monday Brindisi conceded. "It is time to close the book on this election and focus on building a better community and more united country for our children," Brindisi said in a statement. The dispute was one of many legal battles that dogged the November 3 presidential and legislative elections after many voters cast ballots in advance or by mail due to the pandemic. Former president Donald Trump and many Republicans alleged massive fraud, of which no evidence was found by multiple courts. Most representatives were swore in to the 117th Congress by House speaker Nancy Pelosi on January 3, three days before a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. Democrats control the House by 221 to 210 Republicans before Tenney is sworn in. They also control the US Senate under new President Joe Biden. The upper chamber is deadlocked at 50 members each but Vice President Kamala Harris enjoys a tie-breaking vote. pdh/wat A public charter school in Utah allowed parents to withdraw their children from a Black History Month curriculum, but reversed its decision after a public outcry and meeting with parents to address their concerns. Micah Hirokawa, the director of Maria Montessori Academy in North Ogden, an elementary and junior high school about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, said in a statement on Sunday that the school had, with regret, sent an opt-out form to parents who had requested the option. He did not give details about the parents concerns or say how many had tried to withdraw their children from the events and activities that the school had scheduled as part of the monthlong program. But he said in the statement, which was published on the Utah Montessorians Facebook page, that the episode was alarming and that the school had been trying to change hearts and minds with grace and courtesy. He said that the families that initially had questions and concerns have willingly come to the table to resolve any differences and that at this time no families are opting out of our planned activities and we have removed this option. By Allia Zobel Nolan Dear First Lady Jill Biden: First off, let me congratulate you, and wish you all blessings and good will on your role as First Lady. Then, too, as an animal lover myself, Im ecstatic that there will once again be First Pets in the White House. Which segues me into why Im writing: Ive heard you plan to adopt a rescue cat. Having gone through the process myself several times, and being the author of 11 cat books, I wanted to give you a heads up on what you can expect. As in politics, no matter how qualified you are for the job, the vetting process is extremely extensive. Indeed, no matter who you are, or what your background, all reputable rescue agencies require those seeking to adopt a cat to fill out a lengthy application. Before you can even spend some time looking through the array of available puddies, youll have a background check as vigorous as that of a recruit seeking a top-notch job at the FBI. The next step will be a meeting with the adoption counselor who will take your measure in person, after which an inspection of your residence will be required. So, Dr. Biden, to make things easier for you, I thought Id jot down a sampling of what you may be asked or the credentials you may have to supply on said application: Occupation? Name of your employer? Number of people in the household? Are all of your children aged seven or older? Do you own or rent your residence? How long have you lived at your present address? Will you be moving in the foreseeable future? Will your cat have the run of the House? The Senate? The Oval Office? Where will your cat sleep? In the Lincoln room? In the Queens bedroom? The Treaty Room? Will your kitty be allowed on the furniture? Will kitty have her own Secret Service attendants? Briefly explain what a typical day will be like for your cat. How much time do you estimate youll spend with your rescue cat? If your new kitty sheds on foreign dignitaries, what will you do? If she/he shreds the curtains? If he/she unravels the toilet paper in the 35 White House bathrooms? Are you financially able to provide several different flavors of cat food to accommodate your new cats various tastes? If your new rescue ignores you, how will that affect your day? Do you have a lot of guests? Parties? Overnight visitors? Where will your new rescue be during these occasions? Under what circumstances would you be forced to return your cat to the rescue? If she scratches a constituent? If she rubs up against a GOPs leg? If she throws up a hairball at a state dinner? If she grooms herself on your desk in the middle of a call to Vladimir Putin? How much of the national debt are you willing to increase to pay for your cats health care? Do you have any other pets? If so, are they neutered/spayed? Do they have the run of the House? The Senate? How do you plan on introducing kitty to the pets you currently have? Though an interpreter? What are your plans for your rescue should an emergency arise? Dr. Biden, thats just a sampling of the information you will probably be required. Whats more, youll have to give at least three references, no relatives, or officials in your husbands cabinet, and the names of at least two vets, of both parties, you have had down through the years. Thats it. Good luck. Respectfully, Allia Zobel Nolan Allia Zobel Nolan Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of the newly published children's book, God Made Us Just Right, a reprise of Why a Cat Is Still Better Than a Man as well as the second edition of The Worrywart's Prayer Book. She is an internationally published author of over 150 traditionally published children's and adult trade titles. Her books reflect her two main passions, God and cats, and include such varied titles as Cat Confessions: A Kitty Come Clean Tell All Book, Whatever Is Lovely: a 90-Day Devotional and Journal; and What I Like About You: A Book About Acceptance. She shares her life with her husband, Desmond, and their two feline children, Nolan Nolan and Colleen Fiona Shannon Nolan. In 2018, she collaborated with the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop on the humor anthology, Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now Before We Forget. Anthony Que, a teacher from the U.S. who started to work in Lanzhou City, the capital of northwest Chinas Gansu Province, since the beginning of last year, expressed his confidence in Chinas ability to prevail over COVID-19, along with his hope to always stay in China, Chinanews.com reported on Feb.6. Photo shows Anthony Que (R) and his donation of medical supplies he brought all the way from Miami, Florida, in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Que) The 56-year-old came to work at Lanzhou University at the height of the COVID-19 epidemic last year. He travelled all the way from Miami in the U.S. with a valuable gift in hand for the First Hospital of Lanzhou University a supply of personal protective equipment. He said that since the onset of the epidemic, China quickly addressed the weaknesses of the healthcare sector. The countrys endeavors throughout the year has made him confident that the country would overcome the epidemic. He also voiced his readiness to work as a volunteer at the hospital, if needed. Que was a clinical pharmacist in the U.S. before he retired. With TEFL certificates, including one for teaching TOEFL preparation, he now teaches spoken English and has opened a course on medical English at Lanzhou University, hoping to enable his students to better comprehend foreign medical literature and communicate with foreign colleagues. He is also frequently invited to give lectures in various places throughout the province because of his rich experience and professional skills in the medical field. His reason for choosing Lanzhou, instead of some of the most developed cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, is that as one of the major cities situated along the ancient Silk Road and along todays Belt and Road, Lanzhou has a huge unmet potential and a promising future. Living in a city with a slower and more relaxed pace of life helps him better focus on teaching, too. Anthony Que giving a lecture at Lanzhou University. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Que) He loves exploring his new life in the city, all despite the language barrier. The sports-lover smiled gleefully when recounting his experience of haggling in the local market only with the aid of a translation application on his smartphone, having successfully made a purchase of sports equipment at half the price one might expect in the U.S. He enjoys Lanzhou beef noodles, a well-known local delicacy, and hopes to one day try hot pot, too. After travelling to 102 countries in all, he hopes to now always stay in China, if possible. (@FahadShabbir) A staffer of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) has received the equivalent of five doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine due to a human error, but suffered no side effects, media reported on Saturday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2021) A staffer of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) has received the equivalent of five doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine due to a human error, but suffered no side effects, media reported on Saturday. According to The Straits Times, the incident occurred on January 14 during a vaccination exercise. A worker in charge of diluting the vaccine had been called away during the preparation of the vaccine, while a second staff member had mistaken the undiluted dose in the vial for the one ready for use. The error was discovered within minutes after the vaccination. "Senior doctors were alerted immediately and the staff (member) was assessed and found to be well, with no adverse reaction or side effects," SNEC said as quoted by the media outlet. The vaccinee was monitored at a hospital and discharged two days later. The center continues to monitor the health of the employee, and currently he feels well. Singapore launched the vaccination campaign on December 30 using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Medical workers are the first to receive the vaccine. The authorities expect the entire population of the country to be vaccinated by late 2021, provided the uninterrupted supply. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:03:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China-Vietnam relations are standing at a new historical starting point and China is willing to work with Vietnam to push for steady and enduring development of bilateral ties. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with his counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president. China, Xi added, stands ready to join forces with Vietnam to strengthen strategic communication, increase political mutual trust, and maintain the political guidance role of and close communication between the leaderships of the two parties. Xi congratulated Trong again on his election as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, noting that the successful convention of the 13th National Congress of the CPV, which has set development goals for the new stage, bears great significance. He expressed the belief that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, the CPV and the Vietnamese people would implement in an all-around way the decisions and deployments of the 13th National Congress of the CPV to strive to achieve the development goals of the CPV and the country. China and Vietnam are a community with a shared future which bears strategic significance, Xi stressed, adding that the continuously sound and stable development of bilateral relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two parties, countries and peoples, and is conducive to the vigorous development of their socialist causes and to safeguarding regional and world peace and stability to promote development and prosperity. In the face of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the challenge of complicated external environment, pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields has been enhanced against the headwinds, which reflected the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the communist parties and socialist systems, and demonstrated the great vitality of the relations between the two parties and countries, Xi said. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said, noting that it is also the first year for Vietnam to implement the spirit of the 13th National Congress of the CPV. China, Xi added, is willing to work with Vietnam to accelerate the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the "Two Corridors, One Economic Belt," promote the construction of cross-border economic cooperation zones between the two countries, and explore exchanges and cooperation in such fields as healthcare, digital economy and humanities. The two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues, firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, oppose protectionism and unilateralism, and support a fast entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, Xi noted. China and Vietnam, he said, should properly manage the maritime differences and stand against the instigation of external forces to promote the development of regional peace and stability. Enditem Hundreds of meals were provided Friday morning for people around the Laredo community through a collaboration between the Laredo Regional Food Bank, the Texas National Guard and the offices of Webb County Commissioner Cindy Liendo. According to Commissioners Executive Assistant Priscilla Pantoja, the food distribution by the Laredo Regional Food Bank lasted about four hours and helped 1,000 people from around the community. We had the Texas National Guard and Commissioner Cindy Liendo join the Laredo Regional Food Bank kick off another series of food distributions, Pantoja said. The collaboration allowed them to reach more people throughout the community. The director of the food bank said the assistance has helped many people have the food they need on the table while also helping others like the elderly to avoid going out grocery shopping. The Laredo Regional Food Bank is thankful for the support provided by the National Guard during what continues to be difficult times, Laredo Regional Food Bank Director Carmen Garcia said. With the assistance of the National Guard and since their arrival in late January, the Food Bank has helped distribute over 70,000 pounds of food to over 1,000 families in the Laredo service area in our continued efforts to address hunger and food insecurity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The food distributions occurred in a couple of locations where people could pick up their items, and some goods were even delivered to homes. Liendo praised the support she got from the statewide National Guard as this helped them reach out to more people and also get all the items necessary. My staff, and I were happy to spend the morning at the Laredo Regional Food Bank assisting with the food distribution along with the hard-working team of volunteers from the Texas National Guard, Liendo said. Its always great to see how much can be accomplished when multiple organizations come together. The families receiving the food items were extremely grateful. Pantoja also praised the collaborative effort as they met many families that needed assistance and finally had some food in their homes. Collaborations really go a long way, even more so during a crisis, Pantoja said. Its heartbreaking to see so many of our families struggling to bring food to their homes. Having an opportunity to bring a smile to those driving through the food distribution and providing uplifting words is encouraging to them and motivating for us. Pantoja said although the food may not be all they need nor will it help them stay safe from the virus, it at least helps people feel mentally well even if its just for a while. According to Pantoja, mental health is another major problem. This pandemic has really taken a toll on many peoples mental health, and just being a part of an operation that provides this type of relief lifts morale all around, Pantoja said. Its incredible how much we can accomplish when we come together as a community. Future events have not been scheduled yet, but Pantoja said the county government will continue to partner with nonprofit agencies to assist the community. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com PHOENIX, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced today that its award-winning Best Western Rewards (BWR) program is cutting its Elite Status eligibility qualifications in half for 2021 - enabling travelers worldwide to earn Elite Status with just five nights, three stays or 5,000 points. Additionally, the reduction in thresholds applies to each BWR Elite Status tier making it easier than ever for guests to climb the loyalty ladder. "As the world embraces 2021 with a renewed sense of hope, Best Western is pleased to help guests rediscover the power of travel and reward them along the way," said Best Western Hotels & Resorts Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Dorothy Dowling. "At Best Western, caring is in our DNA and I am immensely proud that we can demonstrate this spirit of caring by taking steps to reward our loyal guests. By reducing our Elite Status eligibility qualifications, our valued guests now have the opportunity to earn greater perks with fewer stays. With valuable offers such as this one, we look forward to reigniting the magic of travel while helping our guests save big this year." Elite Status members receive elite rewards including 500 bonus points, as well as up to 50% bonus points each and every time they stay. These benefits are in addition to the perks that already come with being a member of one of the richest programs in the industry. Best Western Hotels & Resorts is the only major hotel chain to offer a loyalty program whose rewards points do not expire so travelers don't have to worry about losing their points if their plans get disrupted. Members can also earn gift cards redeemable with popular shopping and airline partners; access special rates; and earn points with each stay that can be redeemed for free nights at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide, with no blackout dates. BWR rebranded its tagline to "Because We Care About Rewarding You" to underscore how its perks are driven by Best Western's foundational commitment of caring for guests. BWR's Elite Status eligibility reduction is the latest example of how the brand is showcasing this commitment. Also inspired by the brand's caring spirit, Best Western Hotels & Resorts was the first in the industry to extend loyalty status to its BWR members whose travel plans have been greatly impacted by travel restrictions and cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the company launched an industry-leading cleaning program, We Care CleanSM, which delivers an enhanced commitment to keeping guests safe and healthy when staying at Best Western-branded hotels across North America. Best Western Hotels & Resorts has transformed into a vibrant hospitality company with 18 distinct brand offerings across every market segment from economy to luxury. In recent years, the company has revitalized its properties across North America as owners invested a staggering $2 billion in property improvements and renovations. Best Western's commitment to innovation and improvement has enabled the company to achieve record RevPAR Index, unrivaled industry recognition and unprecedented guest satisfaction. For more information on BWR or to sign up, please visit BestWestern.com/Rewards. About Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand within the BWH Hotel Group global network. With 18 brands and approximately 4,700 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market. Brands include Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier, Executive Residency by Best Western, Vib, GLo, Aiden, Sadie, BW Premier Collection and BW Signature Collection. Through acquisition, WorldHotelsTM Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted collections are also offered. Completing the portfolio is SureStay, SureStay Plus, SureStay Collection and SureStay StudioSM franchises**. For more information visit www.bestwestern.com, www.bestwesterndevelopers.com, www.worldhotels.com and www.surestay.com. * Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline. **All Best Western, WorldHotels and SureStay branded hotels are independently owned and operated. MEDIA CONTACT: Courtney McCurry PR Manager 602.957.5639 [email protected] SOURCE Best Western Hotels & Resorts The Bochum-based catalysis team: Baoxiang Peng (left) and Martin Muhler. Credit: RUB, Rohlf A German-Chinese research team has found a new synthetic route to produce biofuel from biomass. The chemists converted the substance 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) produced from biomass into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which could be suitable as a biofuel. Compared to previous methods, they achieved a higher yield and selectivity under milder reaction conditions. The team led by Dr. Baoxiang Peng and Professor Martin Muhler from the Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) and the group led by Professor Christof Hattig from the RUB Chair for Theoretical Chemistry described the method together with colleagues from Changzhou, China, in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The final version of the article has been online since 22 January 2021. Better fuel than ethanol "DMF would be well-suited as a biofuel, as it has a higher octane number than ethanol, a better energy intensity and an ideal boiling point of 92 to 94 degree Celsius," explains Baoxiang Peng. Although the conversion from HMF into DMF has been researched intensively, there are several hurdles. DMF production requires relatively harsh reaction conditions, such as high hydrogen pressure, and often only creates a small quantity of the desired product, while also forming unwanted by-products. Researchers are thus looking for new ways to efficiently trigger the reaction under milder conditions. This was achieved in the current work. Formic acid as the key to success The team carried out the reaction in the presence of formic acid and hydrogen. Palladium nanoparticles were used as a catalyst. In doing so, the chemists achieved a five-times larger reaction rate than those reported with previous methods. The addition of formic acid, in particular, played a crucial role in creating favourable reaction conditions, as shown by the researchers in their detailed investigations. They performed the reaction with various additives and compared the yield and selectivity, which were best in the presence of formic acid. The substance facilitates a faster reaction pathway and also prevents the occurrence of unwanted side reactions. Explore further Formate dehydrogenase reduces carbon dioxide to formic acid More information: Bin Hu et al. Formic AcidAssisted Selective Hydrogenolysis of 5Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5Dimethylfuran over Bifunctional Pd Nanoparticles Supported on NDoped Mesoporous Carbon, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2020). Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition , Angewandte Chemie Bin Hu et al. Formic AcidAssisted Selective Hydrogenolysis of 5Hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5Dimethylfuran over Bifunctional Pd Nanoparticles Supported on NDoped Mesoporous Carbon,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202012816 A woman pays her respects to victims of a mass shooting at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on April 22, 2020. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press) NS Mass Shooting Families Alter Class Action Lawsuit to Add Killers Spouse HALIFAXThe families of victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting have added the gunmans spouse, her brother, and her brother-in-law as defendants to the original class action lawsuit against the killers estate. Documents filed with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Feb. 5 add the names of Lisa Banfield, James Blair Banfield, and Brian Brewster in the notice seeking damages for deaths, property destruction, and injuries. The families lawyer says in a news release the amendments to the proposed class action were made following the Dec. 4 criminal charges laid against the three, alleging they illegally supplied ammunition to the gunman. Police have said the alleged ammunition offences occurred in the month before the April 18-19 killings but that those charged had no prior knowledge of what the gunman, Gabriel Wortman, intended to do. However, Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer for the families, says in a news release there is support for possible civil liability between these parties and the families and individuals we represent, and she says the step was taken in order to preserve their rights as further details emerge. The statement of claim contains allegations that have not yet been tested in court. The court document alleges Lisa Banfield was aware of and facilitated Wortmans preparations, including his accumulation of firearms, ammunition, police paraphernalia and the outfitting of a replica RCMP vehicle, and she knew or ought to have known of his intentions. The action also alleges that her brother and Brewster acquired some of the ammunition that Wortman used and that they also knew or ought to have known of his intentions. A defence lawyer for James Blair Banfield said her client had no comment, and lawyers for Lisa Banfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tom Singleton, Brewsters criminal defence lawyer, said in a telephone interview that he will consult with his client about the lawsuit. However, he noted that civil cases can drag on for years, and the people filing them want to cover off every possible angle, and it is sometimes years before they realize there is nothing there. He added that in civil litigation, the rule seems to be to add every party you can in the hope something sticks. The families original notice of action was filed in May last year against the estate of the 51-year-old denturist, and it has been amended four times. The most recent valuation of the killers estate estimates its value at about $2.1 million, including $705,000 in cash police seized from a property in Portapique. The gunman was shot dead by a police officer at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., on April 19, after he had killed 22 people during a 13-hour rampage wearing an RCMP uniform and driving a replica police vehicle. In this Saturday, July 13, 2019 file photo, a child is vaccinated against Ebola in Beni, Congo. The World Health Organization and other partners said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, they are creating a global emergency stockpile of about 500,000 vaccines of Ebola vaccines to help stamp out any future outbreaks of the disease.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file) Health officials in Congo confirmed another Ebola outbreak in the country's east on Sunday, the fourth in less than three years. On February 3, a woman died in Butembo town in North Kivu province, Minister of Health Eteni Longondo announced. The woman from the nearby village of Biena felt sick for a few days before being tested in a clinic there. She then went to a hospital in Butembo, but died before receiving the results. The government has begun tracing everyone who came in contact with her to try to "eradicate the epidemic as soon as possible," said Longondo. This is the 12th outbreak in conflict-ridden Congo since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976, and comes less than three months after an outbreak in the western province of Equateur, officially ended in November. The 2018 outbreak in Eastern Congo was the second deadliest in the world, killing 2,299 people before it ended in June. That outbreak lasted for nearly two years and was fought amid unprecedented challenges, including entrenched conflict between armed groups, the world's largest measles epidemic, and the spread of COVID-19. Health officials worry a new Ebola outbreak could badly affect the nation's fragile health system, especially as it faces a resurgence of COVID-19. "While there is hope that this early identification of an infection may help with quickly containing this outbreak, back-to-back Ebola outbreaks and COVID-19 has stretched Congo's health systems to the limit and this could put far greater strain on an already exasperated system," said Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor at the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at Canada's University of Manitoba and who is conducting research on survivors from the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest ever. In this Saturday, July 13, 2019, file photo, a health worker wearing protective suit enters an isolation pod to treat a patient at a treatment center in Beni, Congo DRC. The World Health Organization and other partners said Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021, they are creating a global emergency stockpile of about 500,000 vaccines of Ebola vaccine to help stamp out any future outbreaks of the disease.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. While the source of contamination is still unknown, the woman who died was the wife of an Ebola survivor, according to the government. The virus can live in the semen of male survivors for more than three years, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, and health experts say as outbreaks become more frequent, it's important to understand more about how it's contracted. In a statement on Sunday, the World Health Organization said it wasn't unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak and that previous Ebola responses were already making it easier to deal with this one. "The expertise and capacity of local health teams has been critical in detecting this new Ebola case and paving the way for a timely response," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. The WHO is investigating the case and trying to identify the strain of the virus to determine its link to the previous outbreak. Congo has suffered more than a quarter-century of conflict and distrust of government health workers and other outsiders is high in eastern Congo. Residents in Butembo are already asking why it took four days from the time the woman was tested to announce the results. "It's frustrating because the contacts will have moved and it will be difficult to find them," Vianey Kasondoli, a Butembo resident, told The Associated Press by phone. "The government and the ministry of health have to contain the disease as soon as possible." Explore further WHO warns new Ebola outbreak in Congo faces funding gap 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Book of Songs, also known as Shi Jing, is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. It includes more than 300 works dating back from the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC) to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). Believed to have been compiled by Confucius, the poems cover a wide range of themes, including battles, farming, education, marriage, animals and plants, all of which have had a lasting influence on Chinese civilization. Three years ago, when Chinese musician Fang Jinlong read Shi Jing, he was interested in the stories told through the poems. Because he couldn't fully understand the ancient Chinese language used, he turned to experts whose elaboration further attracted him to explore the poems. Then he decided to portray the poems with musical language by inviting composer Ma Jiuyue to create an album. Titled Music and the Book of Songs, the album was released on Jan 18, featuring 10 original songs composed by Ma. They were performed by Fang. The 10 songs are based on 10 poems from Shi Jing, including Qiong Yao, which conveys gratitude to people who are eager to help others, Swallows, which sends farewell messages to friends and Jia Yu, which portrays the scenes of a joyful banquet. "When I read the poems, I was drawn to them because they invoked lively imagery and emotions. They contain multiple meanings, though the language is very simple. Some of the poems showcase the daily lives of the people in those times while some help to lay down rules for behavior, which deserve to be read, especially by young people," says Fang. In his 50s, Fang has become a viral star after he gave a 12-minute performance at the New Year's Eve concert on Dec 31, 2019, lives-treamed by video-sharing platform Bilibili. The performance, Rhythm World, featuring Fang performing alongside a 100-strong orchestra, saw Fang play an array of traditional musical instruments from China, India, Italy, and Japan, and even performed a solo using his own face. To appeal to young fans, he incorporated elements from Chinese martial arts culture, American folk music and Japanese anime. "Young people gave warm feedback about traditional Chinese music after they watched my performance. It inspired me to create more works for them, which helps popularize traditional Chinese music," says Fang, who hails from Anqing, Anhui province. He was first introduced to music by his father, a pipa player in a local Huangmeixi opera troupe, and started to play liuqin (a four-stringed Chinese mandolin) at 6. Now, Fang plays over 100 musical instruments, especially the five-stringed pipa. In the album, Fang also plays a diversity of musical instruments, including fou (an ancient Chinese percussion instrument), the pipa, flute, and mouth harp. To portray the scenery and emotions told in the poems with more color, Ma has arranged more musicians to join. This has led to greater musical variety such as guitar, violin, guqin and ruan (a plucked string instrument). "The 10 pieces sound delightful and easy. For the listeners, it's a fresh way to comprehend poems from Shi Jing," says Ma, who works with the China National Traditional Orchestra. The composer, who is adept at playing the erhu, violin and piano, studied at Beijing-based Central Conservatory of Music and graduated from China Conservatory of Music. He is known for his original compositions of Chinese folk music. In October 2020, the composer initiated a music project in Huashan Mountain, Shaanxi province, which gathered top Chinese musicians, including Fang, to perform and share ideas about traditional Chinese music. "We spent three years working on the project. There are so many meanings in the poems and we want to display them as deep as possible with music," Ma says. "It's our mutual goal to have traditional Chinese music reach a wider audience." To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! [February 08, 2021] BlueVoyant Global Head of Partnerships and Alliances Recognized as 2021 CRN Channel Chief NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueVoyant , a cybersecurity services company, today announced that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , has named Steve DeSantis, Global Head of Partnerships and Alliances, to its 2021 list of Channel Chiefs. The prestigious CRN Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes leading IT channel vendor executives who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation, and growth. "CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industry's biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success." The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs and partnerships. All honorees are selected by CRN's editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates. Steve DeSantis heads a global channel team with responsibility for white label partnerships in the financial services and service provider sectors. He also leads the Global Reseller Channel Program, Strategic Technology Alliances including Microsoft, new partner development, and pipeline and sales revenue growth spanning all key aspects of BlueVoyant's business including: Managed Security Services, Cyber Risk Management, and Professional Services. "We are proud to be recognized by CRN as channel leaders. Under Steve's leadership, BlueVoyant has quickly established a robust partnership engagement strategy, GTM and business development program that delivers exceptional value to our partners," said Jim Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO at BlueVoyant. "A proven channel leader, Steve works tirelessly to help our partners achieve success scaling their business and driving revenue with BlueVoyant. Steve's passion, dedication and channel expertise are key to maximizing the value of BlueVoyant services and fueling continued global channel growth," added Rosenthal. In 2020, BlueVoyant refined it's channel program to strengthenthe foundation for maturity and scale, including expanded its Microsoft Partnership Alliance to drive co-selling, referrals and increase its global initiative for signing new Microsoft focused partners, established new success criteria with shared goals for top performing partners, formalized profile and recruitment strategies for potential new partners, grew its white label business by launching new strategic partnerships, and increased the number of financial services partners to serve additional business segments and regions. "BlueVoyant's channel growth and market penetration underscore the importance of our strategic channel partners and the IT channel community," said Steve DeSantis, Global Head of Partnerships and Alliances. "I'm honored to be recognized by CRN as a channel leader. Together with our valued partners, we will continue to provide ongoing support and loyalty to the channel with superior services that offer an unbeatable competitive advantage and allow our partners to expand market opportunities and grow their business." BlueVoyant continues its global expansion into Canada, LATAM, Europe & Australia while continuing aggressive growth in the US and the Philippines, with the addition of global strategic partnerships supporting its MSS, Managed Risk & Threat Intelligence offerings. Microsoft and Splunk technology alliances will continue to drive extensive growth both in North America and emerging global markets. CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs . About BlueVoyant BlueVoyant is an expert-driven cybersecurity services company whose mission is to proactively defend organizations of all sizes against today's constant, sophisticated attackers, and advanced threats. Led by CEO, Jim Rosenthal, BlueVoyant's highly skilled team includes former government cyber officials with extensive frontline experience in responding to advanced cyber threats on behalf of the National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Unit 8200 and GCHQ, together with private sector experts. BlueVoyant services utilize large real-time datasets with industry leading analytics and technologies. Founded in 2017 by Fortune 500 executives, including Executive Chairman, Tom Glocer, and former Government cyber officials, BlueVoyant is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Maryland, Tel Aviv, San Francisco, Manila, Toronto, London, and Latin America. BlueVoyant Press Contacts: Danielle Ostrovsky C8 Consulting (Americas) T: 001 410-302-9459 E: danielle@c8consulting.co.uk Jim Pople C8 Consulting (EMEA) T: +44 7955 030191 E: jim@c8consulting.co.uk About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn, and Facebook . 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company jhogan@thechannelcompany.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bluevoyant-global-head-of-partnerships-and-alliances-recognized-as-2021-crn-channel-chief-301223220.html SOURCE BlueVoyant [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Private equity fund Advent International on February 8 announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in ZCL Chemicals, formerly known as Zandu Chemicals. The transaction represents the third deal in the domestic pharma segment by Advent which has earlier acquired Hyderabad based RA Chem and Bharat Serums and Vaccines. With this transaction, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia, a private equity platform that previously managed a minority investment in ZCL, will exit its investment, the announcement said. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. On August 21, 2020, Moneycontrol was the first to report that Morgan Stanley PE was looking to exit the firm and that the promoters, the Parikh family, may also evaluate an exit depending on valuations. ZCL will be our third pharmaceuticals investment in India and the second in the API space. ZCL is a high-growth business, led by a capable management team, which will further fortify our presence in the API market, a key sub-sector focus of ours, said Shweta Jalan, a Managing Director and Head of India at Advent International, India. We are impressed with ZCLs differentiated product portfolio, a strong pipeline and its high focus on quality and compliance. The acquisition of ZCL helps us get closer to our goal of creating a top five merchant API platform in India, said Pankaj Patwari, Director, Advent International India. ZCL was one of MSPEA's first investments in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector in India, and we are happy with the progress the company has made in the last 4 years. Today, it is well-positioned to embark on the next phase of growth, with a strong product portfolio and focus on quality standards, said Nirav Mehta, Managing Director and Co-Head of Morgan Stanley Private Equity India. ZCL operates in the segments of specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates. Its a highly specialised approach focuses on niche therapeutic areas, underpinned by complex chemistry, supported by a state-of-the-art U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved facility, along with strong research & development capabilities. The firm is developing a strong pipeline of high potential products that are expected to drive the next phase of its growth. Advent has been investing in India since 2007. In this time, it has deployed over $1.7 billion in 12 companies with headquarters or operations in the country. The PE fund has significant experience in the healthcare industry globally. In the past 30 years, the firm has invested or committed over $9.6 billion in 48 companies in the sector, including over 20 businesses involved in pharmaceutical R&D, production, and distribution. The transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions. ZCL Chemicals was advised by Jefferies (Sole Financial Advisor), Bombay Law Chambers (Legal Counsel) and Deloitte (Finance and Tax). Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to SureScreen Diagnostics in Derby, England, on Feb. 7, 2021. SureScreen Diagnostics supplies a COVID-19 antibody rapid test that is used in combating the pandemic. (Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Images) UK Remains Very Confident in COVID-19 Vaccines: Boris Johnson The British government remains very confident about the efficacy of all the COVID-19 vaccines in use in the UK, despite new research showing they are less effective against the South African variant of the CCP virus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. Were very confident in all the vaccines that were using, and I think its important for people to bear in mind that all of them we think are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing, Johnson told reporters during a visit to a manufacturing facility in Derby. The UK has rolled out the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. The jab developed by Moderna has also been approved, but is not yet in use. A new study has found that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provides minimal protection against mild and moderate cases of the South African variant of the virus. A general view of AstraZeneca offices and the corporate logo in Cambridge, England, on July 18, 2020. (Alastair Grant/AP Photo) The jabs efficacy against severe disease caused by the variant, hospitalisations, and deaths has not yet been determined, according to the study, which was led by South Africas University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Oxford. Pointing to new research published last week that found the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could reduce transmission by 67 percent after the first dose, Johnson said the jab remains a massive benefit to our country and to the population as we go through the pandemic. Tests previously conducted by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax showed that their vaccines were also significantly less effective against the South African variant. But the prime minister insisted that he had no doubt that vaccines generally are going to offer the way out. And with every day that goes by, you can see that medicine is slowly getting the upper hand over the disease, he added. Johnson said that vaccinologists are getting ever faster and more expert in coming up with the new vaccines and the variants of the vaccines. AstraZeneca said last week that it is working with Oxford University and aiming to develop an updated vaccine to address the different variants by the autumn. Nadhim Zahawi, the UKs vaccine deployment minister, told the BBC on Sunday that a booster in the autumn and then annual vaccinations with updated jabs are very probable. Simon Veazey, Zachary Stieber, Mimi Nguyen Ly, and Reuters contributed to this report. Stats Group, a leading provider of specialist engineering services for the maintenance, integrity and repair of oil, gas a petrochemical installations and infrastructure, has promoted two long-serving employees - Steven Byers and Gary McDowall to senior executive positions. Byers, who joined the Aberdeenshire business in 2010, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Group CEO Leigh Howarth, while McDowall succeeds Byers as Director of Operations for the UK and Europe region. In his new role, Byers will be responsible for supporting Stats' operations and projects teams, across the globe, as well as leading the groups digitalisation programme. Since joining Stats as a project engineer and in subsequent management roles, Byers has worked on and led many high-pressure pipeline isolation projects for clients in the UKCS, Europe and the Caspian region. A key pipeline technology company, Stats Group operates from its headquarters at Kintore, Aberdeenshire in the UK; Edmonton (Canada) and Houston (US) in addition to its Middle East bases Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. McDowall joined Stats in 2008 as a project engineer and during his time with the business has worked on numerous energy infrastructure contracts, including project managing the isolation of the Forties pipeline system in the North Sea. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading the safe delivery of all projects in the UK and Europe, using the group's specialist technologies and solutions. Lauding the promotions, Howarth said: "I am delighted that we have been able to strengthen our management team with two highly experienced engineering professionals." "Both Byers and McDowall have a wealth of outstanding career achievements with Stats, and over the past decade have made significant contributions to our clients operations," noted the top official. "They both have a deep understanding of the ethos and drivers behind the success of Stats and will play key roles as we continue to grow our business in the UK and internationally," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Sorry! This content is not available in your region AURORA, Ill., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is accepting applicants for its Class of 2021 Brand Ambassadors now through February 28. For over 20 years, BERNINA has selected talented sewing, embroidery and quilting enthusiasts who inspire passionate artistry around the world. "We are thrilled to welcome another group of individuals to the BERNINA Brand Ambassador program," said Paul Ashworth, President of BERNINA of America. "The sewing industry's recent rise in popularity has ushered in a new generation of sewists who offer a unique perspective and undeniable talent. BERNINA of America is committed to recognizing this growing community and serving as a creative resource for them." 2020's Brand Ambassadors exemplify the industry's recent surge among newer generations with the inclusion of the three youngest BERNINA Brand Ambassadors to date. Paris Green, age 10, is the brilliant mind behind her business Scarves and More that is dedicated to designing dresses for underprivileged girls in support of the non-profit organization Dress a Girl Around the World. At four years old, Paris received her first sewing machine and since has perfected a variety of skills. Macy, age 13, started her sewing journey in 2016 while undergoing treatment for a noncancerous jaw tumor. Amidst hospital visits, Macy enrolled in Beads of Courage, a national program that awards young patients with beads when they hit milestones in their recovery, and began sewing bags for patients to store their beads. Then, in 2020, Macy used her talents to sew 11 quilts for Make-A-Wish Foundation that raised $38,000. Fabian Renteria, age 24, is a self-taught sewist and is enrolled at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, where he is regarded as an advanced student. Outside of school, Fabian teaches all levels of sewing classes. He enjoys creating his own patterns and experimenting with techniques. The Class of 2020 Brand Ambassadors also include Julian Collins, Nefertiti Griggs, Katie Kortman and Kymona Tracey. To learn more about the sewists and the application process to be considered for the Class of 2021, visit BERINA's WeAllSew blog. Selected Brand Ambassadors will be notified in April. About BERNINA Founded in Switzerland over 100 years ago, BERNINA has a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers, and embroidery software. BERNINA's leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. You can follow BERNINA on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.To learn more about BERNINA and find a Dealer, visit www.bernina.com. Media Contact Shannon Ross Two By Four [email protected] 404-702-3623 SOURCE BERNINA of America Related Links http://www.bernina.com New Delhi: Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll: #9:14 AM Four children die after drowning in a pond in Bihar's Rohtas-ANI #8:15 AM Three members of a family found dead at their house in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari, police officials at the spot.-ANI #8:11 AM Case registered by Nagpur police, four persons detained for interrogation-ANI #7:41 AM #AssamFloods Areas in Assam inundated after incessant rains causing floods; visuals from Golaghat. pic.twitter.com/wTROTdAFDp ANI (@ANI_news) July 13, 2017 #7:37 AM West Bengal: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Tourist Information office at Chowrasta, #Darjeeling set on fire by a mob late last night pic.twitter.com/a23WggNLLH ANI (@ANI_news) July 13, 2017 Also Read: Man allegedly beaten for carrying beef in Nagpur; 4 persons detained For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The US President said the new relationship he wants to forge with Xi Jinping need not be one of conflict. President says China is in for extreme competition from the US under his administration, but that the new relationship he wants to forge need not be one of conflict. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Biden acknowledged that he has yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping since his inauguration January 20, but noted that the two leaders had met many times when both men served their countries as vice president. I know him pretty well, Biden said in an excerpt of the interview aired on Sunday by CBS. When they do speak, they will have a whole lot to talk about, Biden said. Biden appears to be concentrating his initial telephone diplomacy on US allies. He so far has spoken with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the NATO secretary-general. China chose to ignore US Biden's comment that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping lacked a democratic bone in his body but said the two countries should focus on cooperation and manage their differences. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 5:49 am Representatives in Olympia have introduced a bill that would severely limit police officers force options in dangerous situations as well as their ability to successfully deescalate volatile situations. House Bill 1054, among other things, would ban the use of police K9s to arrest or apprehend suspects no matter how heinous the crime. This ban would take away one of law enforcements best de-escalation tools and ban the only weapon that can be recalled after being deployed. Police K9s are highly trained dogs. To be certified for patrol work (detection work requires an extra 200 hours of training), a new K9 and its specific handler must go through 400 hours of training. The certification test includes, in addition to on and off leash obedience, recalls during which the K9 is sent to bite a suspect, but is called off by its handler once the suspect surrenders and before the K9 bites the suspect. After initial certification, K9 teams are required to train at least 16 hours a month, although many train more than that. The Spokane Police K9 Unit trains an average of 32 hours a month. K9 teams are required to recertify every two years, and many also certify through the Washington State Police Canine Association every one to two years. The ability to recall K9s after deployment gives suspects more opportunity to peacefully surrender, making K9s a great de-escalation tool. Most suspects surrender when faced with the possibility of being bitten by a K9. In Spokane last year, only 3 percent of the 395 suspects captured by Spokane Police Department K9 teams were bitten. The severity of the injuries received by suspects who decide not to surrender depends on the amount they struggle against the dog and continue to resist arrest while the dog is biting them. K9s are trained to bite in one spot and hold that spot until they are told to release, thereby typically reducing injuries to bruises, scrape marks or puncture wounds. As recently as Jan. 26, K9 Haywire from Spokane PD was credited with saving the life of his handler and a suspect. The suspect threw down his loaded firearm and peacefully surrendered to the police, later telling officers that he had surrendered so he wouldnt get bit. Longtime Clark County residents may also remember when Vancouver PD K9 Dakota was shot and killed in 2007 by a suspect who had previously told someone that he was going to kill a cop. K9 Dakota possibly prevented the suspect and all the officers that day from getting shot. It is important to remember that these dogs are not the dogs of the 1960s and 70s. The police K9 industry has gone through much reform in the past several decades. Current K9s are selected to be sociable and if found to be too headstrong or aggressive in training, they are sent back to the vendor. Please ask your state representatives to vote no on HB 1054. Adult film actress Mia Khalifa, model Amanda Cerny, poet Rupi Kaur, and Canadian parliamentarian Jagmeet Singh came together on Twitter to mock those who are campaigning against the farmers' protest. All four of them also took a dig at Twitter trolls who said they were paid to defame India on the global platform. The Lebanese-American former adult star Mia Khalifa poke fun at anti-farmers trolls by writing: "Wouldn't we have to hashtag "#ad" if we were paid by the Indian government, @AmandaCerny? Or am I missing a new SEC rule that excludes us?" Khalifa is among those people who has been accused without evidence of taking money from Sikh separatists to support Indian farmers. Wouldnt we have to hashtag #ad if we were paid by the Indian government, @AmandaCerny? Or am I missing a new SEC rule that excludes us? Mia K. (@miakhalifa) February 6, 2021 To which Cerny, who too voiced her support for the farmers' cause on Twitter, wrote: "This is all such a tease. I have so many questions...Who is paying me? How much am I getting paid? Where do I send my invoice? When will I get paid? I've tweeted a lot...do I get paid extra?" This is all such a tease. I have so many questions... Who is paying me? How much am I getting paid? Where do I send my invoice? When will I get paid? Ive tweeted a lot.. do I get paid extra??!??#lwantThisToBeAnAdhttps://t.co/KpMcbymZOr Amanda Cerny (@AmandaCerny) February 6, 2021 After that poet, Rupi Kaur jumped to their conversation and wrote, "They think we diasporic Sikhs are paying y'all @AmandaCerny @miakhalifa on that note what's your venmo?? I got some more tweets for y'all". they think we diasporic sikhs are paying yall @AmandaCerny@miakhalifa on that note whats your venmo?? i got some more tweets for yall https://t.co/F5Eexnyvdf rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) February 6, 2021 Khalifa responded saying, "I promise to pay it forward by putting it towards supporting a local Indian restaurant for dinner tonight". I promise to pay it forward by putting it towards supporting a local Indian restaurant for dinner tonight https://t.co/j3yNFqkUiV Mia K. (@miakhalifa) February 6, 2021 After that Rupi Kaur wrote, "Dinners on me tonight sending the details in dm". Canadian MP and leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh joined the conversation and wrote, "Dessert is on me". dinners on me tonight sending the details in dms @miakhalifa@AmandaCerny https://t.co/Uw0B2nJW2C rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) February 7, 2021 And after a while, Khalifa posted a video of her having dinner with a dessert. Khalifa said, "It's is so nice to work hard and truly earn something like I earned this truly amazing, delicious dinner. First I would like to thank Rupi for providing this dinner in exchange for humanitarian propaganda that I have been posting on my social media, and I would like to thank Jagmeet for the amazing desert. I would like to remind everyone that everything does have a price. My happens to be samosas...This is enough to keep me going..." Thank you @rupikaur_ for this beautifully harvested feast, and thank you @theJagmeetSingh for the Gulab!!! Im always worried Ill get too full for dessert, so I eat it during a meal. You know what they say, one Gulab a day keeps the fascism away! #FarmersProtestspic.twitter.com/22DUz2IPFQ Mia K. (@miakhalifa) February 7, 2021 Khalifa also captioned the video by writing: "I'm always worried I'll get too full for dessert, so I eat it during a meal. You know what they say, one Gulab a day keeps the fascism away!" She posted a picture of her dinner plate and showed her support to the farmers. "Shoutout to the farmers," Khalifa tweeted. A law to combat stalking will help thousands of people suffering daily in Northern Ireland, the Justice Minister has said. It will create a specific new offence recognising the experience of victims and allow courts to impose tougher penalties. It will enable police to intervene before the obsessive behaviour escalates and breaching any order to control it will attract a significant sanction. Naomi Long said: "This is a significant piece of legislation which will help thousands of people suffering daily from the torture of this insidious crime." The proposed Protection from Stalking Bill was discussed in the Assembly on Monday. It will create a specific offence of stalking and include provision for the introduction of Stalking Protection Orders to Northern Ireland. Convictions for the most serious offences would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The Bill will recognise in law, for the first time, that stalking is a course of behaviour that causes "fear, alarm or substantial distress" to the victim on two or more occasions. The DUP's Stormont Justice Committee chair Paul Givan backed the measures, saying: "It can have a profound and lasting impact on victims and it cannot be minimised in any way. That is why this legislation is needed. "It provides the Assembly with the opportunity to scrutinise and pass legislation that will make a difference to people's lives in Northern Ireland. "The need for such robust legislation to provide the necessary tools for the criminal justice agencies to tackle stalking behaviour, taking into account patterns of such behaviour over time and bring the perpetrators to justice, is abundantly clear." The collapse of Stormont power-sharing in January 2017 delayed law-making on stalking. Other parts of the UK already have similar legislation in place. Mr Givan added: "Stalking is fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviour which often escalates quickly. "It is insidious and terrifying for victims and there is no place for it in our society." Last month legislation creating a domestic abuse offence passed its final hurdle in the Assembly. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie told MLAs "many in the Chamber may well find themselves being stalked online on Twitter". "We call the anonymous, faceless individuals Twitter trolls. However, you will all know that at some stages on Twitter, when the same person comes up every time, it makes you question yourself, what you are saying, your movements," he said. "Sometimes, we pay lip service to that, but we do have issues with online trolling, which is, in many ways, a form of stalking. "The Bill identifies behaviour that causes... fear, alarm or substantial distress' to the victim and the offence of threatening or abusive behaviour. The Bill is victim-centred, and it is always important that we remain victim-centred. We should never apologise for being victim-centred." Sinn Fein MLA Linda Dillon said stalking "can cause serious harm to an individual and their family". She said: "Stalking probably became most famous when Jill Dando was the victim of her stalker. The Assembly must commit to doing everything that it can within the law to disrupt stalking behaviour at the earliest opportunity to protect victims and to intervene to deter alleged perpetrators before stalking behaviour becomes entrenched." Green Party MLA Rachel Woods welcomed the first opportunity for MLAs to debate the Bill in the Assembly, almost a decade after stalking was made a criminal offence in England and Wales. She But she said "it's difficult to spin the Stalking Bill in a positive way when we know it should have been in place years ago". President Joe Biden confirmed plans to end US support for "offensive operations" by Saudi Arabia in war-torn Yemen, including the termination of related weapons sales to Riyadh's government. The step has reflected a distinct change in Washington's approach to the conflict and a renewed focus to find a diplomatic solution to the very long war that has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, as identified by the United Nations. But the Biden administration has released few specifics details after the announcement about Thursday was made. These are the details on what help it aims to end for Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces in Yemen or how it can distinguish it from other US aid and weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. "The United States provides spare parts, munitions, technical assistance, all kinds of things to the Saudi military, which enable its offensive operations," Bruce Riedel said, who is a senior fellow in the Brookings Institution on his interview with Aljazeera. READ: Biden Announces US Will No Longer Be Involved in the Saudi-Yemen Conflict, To Pull Out US Support Last March 2015, just after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a military offensive in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was overthrown by the Houthi rebels, the US began to provide logistical and intelligence support' to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen. The support included establishing a joint U.S.-Saudi "planning cell" to coordinate military and intelligence assistance, technical support for US aircraft purchased, and Saudi aircraft in-air refueling. The fierce fighting, the blockade imposed by Riyadh, and the Saudi airstrikes have levied a bloody toll on Yemenis, killing thousands of civilians and driving 13.5 million people to the brink of hunger in a humanitarian catastrophe. Both the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels have been charged with committing war crimes. But since the war started, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia has remained the world's largest importer of US weapons, with significant imports increasing by 130 percent from 2015 to 2019, compared to the previous five-year period. ALSO READ: Biden Does Not Want Trump To Receive Intelligence Briefings, Claims He Might 'Slip and Say Something' Biden and the ending of US support in Saudi Arabia in war with Yemen Biden's move is a hard pivot supporting Yemen's Saudi-led coalition that started under President Barack Obama, his former boss and grew under President Donald Trump, his immediate predecessor. In 2015, as Riyadh vigorously resisted a Dutch-led campaign for a human rights investigation in Yemen, the Obama administration was mostly quiet. The US also did not step up when Riyadh allegedly threatened to withhold UN support if the organization did not exclude it from a list of children's rights violators for Yemen's 2016 actions. At the end of his tenure, after a Saudi air raid on a funeral in Sanaa killed 140 people in October 2016, the Obama administration briefly paused some arms deals with Riyadh. Pending Trump-era weapons sales to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Biden administration has already halted, calling the change a "typical" re-evaluation by a new administration. However, according to the announcement, two pending deals for GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs and precision-guided missiles are likely to be terminated. Other arms deals are likely to be part of' an ongoing negotiation' as the US is working for a broader diplomatic initiative to end the Yemeni conflict, Joshua Landis the director for Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma said. READ MORE: House Democrats Pass Budget Resolution To Clear Path for Approval of Biden's $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Package @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The company has also expanded its engagement with leading VRFB company Big Pawer in regard to the supply of vanadium and assessing downstream vanadium processing. Michael Bourke has more than 30 years experience across development, operational and commercial roles. ( ) (FRA:TN6) has appointed resource industry professional Michael Bourke as project director to advance development of the Yarrabubba Iron-Vanadium Project in Western Australia. Bourke will work with TMTs team of employees and consultants to drive the rapid progression of Yarrabubba towards development with a focus on the definitive feasibility study (DFS). His role also includes supporting the progression of environmental approvals for the Gabanintha Vanadium Project (GVP). The company has also expanded engagement with Big Pawer Electrical Technology Xiangyang Inc Co Ltd by extending an MOU until December 31, 2021, to further facilitate development of this relationship. Fantastic addition to team TMT managing director Ian Prentice said: Michael is a fantastic addition to our small highly focused professional team at TMT, with his strong project development, cost management and financial modelling/planning skills to be invaluable as we progress the Yarrabubba Project towards development. Extensive experience Bourke has more than 30 years experience across development, operational and commercial roles, including seven years with Iluka Resources Limited ( ) and six years with WMC Resources. He deployed a surface mining fleet and maintenance services on projects in Canada for Emeco and was responsible for process plant maintenance services and fabrication for AGC in the mining and oil & gas sector of WA. His most recent role was as a project manager at Bluestone Mines Tasmania progressing a study on the development of a major tin tailings treatment project and enhancing the existing processing plant and underground operation. MOU with Big Pawer In May 2020, Technology Metals signed an MOU with Big Pawer in relation to negotiating a definitive and binding offtake agreement for the supply and purchase of high purity V2O5 from GVP. This was also aimed at the possible establishment of a joint venture to produce vanadium electrolyte and establishing a VRFB manufacturing base in Australia. Engagement with Big Pawer, which included proposed site visits to complete mutual due diligence, has been impacted by the travel restrictions imposed as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Both parties have, however, maintained dialogue concerning exploring the opportunity to bring together Big Pawers world-leading proprietary VRFB technology and TMTs very high purity vanadium product, enabling the companies to increase the understanding of each others businesses and the opportunities presented. Both parties have now agreed to expand the engagement and extend the MOU until December 31, 2021, to further facilitate the development of this relationship. Vote of confidence Prentice said: The expanded engagement with Big Pawer is a very big vote of confidence in the companys project development strategy and ensures TMT participation in the rapidly emerging VRFB industry. The relationship marks a significant step in TMTs vision of becoming a key participant in the stationary storage battery market through the potential development and support of a VRFB manufacturing base to target the rapidly emerging stationary storage battery market opportunities in Australia. Big Pawer is considered to be in the top three of VRFB enterprises in China and to date has deployed more than 20 VRFBs across Asia, including Singapore, South Korea and India with a VRFB R&D team considered to be one of the top six R&D teams in the world. Headquartered in Xiangyang, Hubei Province of China, Big Pawer continues to progress the development and roll-out of its VRFBs, with a focus on very large stationary storage solutions in China. 274,838 in funding has been allocated to the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board to help a range of community-based organisations provide new courses designed for adult learners. The funding is part of a national allocation of 5.8m secured by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, TD, under the Mitigating against Education Disadvantage Fund. Welcoming the funding Minister for State at the Department of Health and local Fine Gael TD, Frank Feighan, said the money "will help tackle educational disadvantage and equip adult learners will new skills during the Covid-19 pandemic. "The fund will help local, community providers, through the tried and tested structures of the Education and Training Boards, to encourage learners to re-engage with education and training and provide the devices and software needed for education during the ongoing public health restrictions. Speaking on the launch of the Mitigating against Education Disadvantage Fund, Minister Simon Harris said: We know that too many people in Ireland have difficulties with reading, with numbers or with digital skills. Some people may not have got the help they needed earlier in their lives, but what I want people to know is that there is friendly and non-judgemental help there for you now. There are services all over Ireland which will gladly assist you with the skills youd like to learn. "One of the things that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted was educational inequality be it a lack of devices like laptops or someone not having the connectivity to study online. The funding I am announcing today is specifically designed to tackle those inequalities and support access to community education, added Minister Harris. East London's Arcola Theatre has unveiled plans to work with Imperial College London to investigate airflow and how viral transmission might occur in auditoria. They will work out the extent to which increased airflow can mitigate risk and improve safety of visitors. The study will co-incide with the development of the theatre's outdoor space, Arcola Outside. Ben Todd, executive director of the Arcola Theatre, explained: "Since the pandemic began, we have been trying to understand how the cultural sector can respond innovatively to the difficulties we have faced in bringing people together to enjoy culture in a safe way. "We are delighted to be working with independent scientists from Imperial College London, through Imperial Consultants, to understand how airflow affects viral transmission in theatres, which will turn the challenges of the past year into learning and ideas for both Arcola and the wider theatre sector." The project aims to provide long-term and sustainable advice for theatres, as the arts adapts to suit whatever world will come to exist when pandemic levels drop. 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. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Cases for Murder Suspects Continued to May By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Three men facing murder charges from an August 8 shooting incident were in court Friday.A McCracken Circuit Court Clerk says Jermaine Harris, Christopher Howard, and Demonta Woodward had a pre-trial conference, but it was continued to May 21.Keyshawn Childress of Mounds, Illinois, died as a result of wounds he received in the shooting. He was among five people struck by gunfire at the annual emancipation celebration. Paducah Police say two groups of people from Mounds and Cairo were involved in an ongoing feud. When they saw each other, they exchanged words before several people pulled guns and began shooting.Woodward turned himself in to Paducah Police on November 11. Harris was arrested September 25 by Illinois State Police and US Marshals near Carbondale, and Howard was arrested in late September in Columbia, Missouri.They each face charges of murder, first-degree assault, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief. Harris and Howard also face a charge of posession of a handgun by a convicted felon. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! [February 07, 2021] TIGA's proposal for a Video Games Investment Fund would create over 1,200 new jobs and add 174 million to GDP by 2025 LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIGA, the trade association representing the video games industry, has published a new report calling for the establishment of a UK Video Games Investment Fund (VGIF) to support the growth of the sector. Powering Up: A Video Games Investment Fund (February 2021) analyses industry survey data, international comparisons, and economic modelling to outline the case for a VGIF. Difficulty accessing capital has consistently been one of the top factors holding back many games developers in the UK. UK games studios often find it difficult raise capital for growth. This finance gap means that many small, start-up and innovative companies struggle to scale up and are vulnerable to closure or collapse. The VGIF would address this funding gap by providing funding of between 75,000 and 500,000 to games developers nationwide. Funding between 75,000 and 100,000 would be delivered as grants while allocations above 100,000 would require companies to match pound for pound to ensure that games companies find new investment from other sources. A survey of 45 independent and publisher development studios conducted in October 2020 found that: The top impediments to games studio growth were seen as access to finance and market saturation. Access to finance in general (whether equity, debt or government funding), was cited by 50 per cent of indie studio respondents as a barrier to their growth. 82% of studios see positive benefits to a VGIF and only 18% would not apply. Creation of original IP, company stability and headcount growth were the top 3 benefits. The report calculates that the VGIF, costing an aggregate 26.5m over 5 ears, would yield a net contribution to HM Treasury of 45 million (i.e. a 170 per cent return on investment) and would benefit the UK's games industry and wider economy yielding the following impacts: 441 new full-time development roles would be created between 2021 and 2025. 806 new development support roles would be created between 2021 and 2025. 78 million in additional investment by studios between 2021 and 2025. 72m million in additional tax receipts to HM Treasury would be generated between 2021 and 2025. 174 million in additional GDP would be generated between 2021 and 2025. The Government has stated that it is 'looking closely' at TIGA's proposals for a VGIF. On 2 February 2021, the Minister for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dinenage MP, answered a written question on TIGA's proposal, noting that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is looking into the idea of creating a new, large-scale video games investment fund. Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO of TIGA said: "The UK video games industry is one of the sectors that the UK Government should aim to promote over the coming months and years. It is a high-skilled, high-tech, and export focused industry. Our sector has the potential to support employment and growth throughout the UK, with clusters of games development from Brighton to Dundee and 80 per cent of the workforce based outside of London." "Difficulty accessing capital has consistently been the top factor holding back many games developers in the UK. This is why TIGA has called for the Government to introduce a Video Games Investment Fund to support the long-term growth of the video games industry. This initiative, alongside the improvement of Video Games Tax Relief, would allow the continued success and growth of the tech industry for years to come." About TIGA TIGA is the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry. For more information visit: www.tiga.org For more information on TIGA's proposal for a Video Games Investment Fund, see: https://tiga.org/policy-and-public-affairs/video-games-investment-fund Get in touch: Tel: 0845 468 2330 Email: info@tiga.org Web: www.tiga.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/tigamovement Facebook: www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gulf Oil Lubricants India (GOLIL) rose 2.58% to Rs 714 after net profit jumped 14.6% to Rs 64 crore on 14.2% increase in net sales at Rs 481.86 crore in Q3 December 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Profit before tax (PBT) soared 16.5% to Rs 85.73 crore in Q3 December 2020 as against Rs 73.59 crore in Q3 December 2019. Tax expense for the quarter rose 16.6% to Rs 21.93 crore as against Rs 18.80 crore in Q3 December 2019. The Q3 result was declared after market hours on Friday, 5 February 2021. On the back of significantly improved demand conditions across segments, both B2C and B2B and aided by improved OEM demands, Gulf Oil Lubricants India has delivered nearly 16% volume growth Y-o-Y (year-on-year) during Q3. Profit after tax (PAT) has grown inspite of rising pressure from input costs side but helped with continuing cost initiatives and margin management strategies initiated, the firm stated. While the vehicle movements especially public transportation, etc. are still not at pre-COVID 19 levels, there is an overall improvement in the economic activities and lubricant consumption increase is a good reflection of the same and the company has continued its trajectory of delivering 2-3x industry growth in these challenging times. Barring PCMO (passenger car motor oil), for which major metro cities are key markets, all other segments in after-market saw a return to normalcy for the industry. For the B2C segment of the company, all key product categories recorded good growth, majorly so in MCO and CVO where the company managed to bring in handsome double-digit growth. Even B2B related and industrial businesses saw strong growth and record sales in this quarter. The company's robust supply chain and distribution strengths combined with its strong demand sensing strategies resulted in record level volumes in key sub segments. Innovative programs engaging trade partners, influencers and consumers alike, which leveraged its association with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during this season's premier league, significantly contributed to the growth of Bazaar Sales. Ravi Chawla, the managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of GOLIL, said: "I am delighted to share the historic quarterly results for the company where we have surpassed all our previous records of volumes, revenues and profits. With the significant pick up in economic activities and restoration of normalcy in most of the businesses, lubricants demand witnessed good comeback. Improvement is new vehicle sales including in commercial vehicles segment, where we have first fill exposures, all business verticals achieved their respective record numbers during the quarter. The strength of our brand equity, innovative product offerings, network and team's passion have once again proved to be key differentiators that reflect in our Company's continued outperformance. I must add that while demand side situation is quite positive, there are rising pressures from supply and input costs sides and we are taking necessary steps well in advance of the market to continue the margin management strategies for the coming quarters." The board will pay an interim dividend of Rs 7 per equity share (i.e. 350% on face value of Rs 2 per equity share) for the year 2020-21. It set 17 February 2021 as the record date for the payment of interim dividend. Meanwhile, the board of GOLIL has approved to enter into an agreement with Gulf Oil International (GOI) to participate and co-invest in GOI's recent investment along with the Clean Growth Fund (CGF - a UK venture capital fund) in Indra, the UK Based Electric vehicle (EV) and smart energy technology company developing innovative charging and energy storage solutions for home and commercial use. GOLIL will acquire 7.85% stake of Indra Renewable Technologies. The deal will be executed for a cash consideration of GBP 15,00,000. The transaction is said to be executed within a period of 2-3 months. Indra Renewable Technologies (Indra), founded in 2013, manufactures a range of smart energy products, including electric vehicle Smart Charger and a bi-directional 'Vehicle to Grid' (V2G) charger designed for both residential and light commercial use. Investment in Indra is a key stepping-stone for Gulf into the e-mobility sector, with the view to accelerate investments and partnerships in this space in future. With this investment, Gulf India will get access to an established technology in EV charging space to adopt the same for Indian conditions and leverage its wide distribution and brand strengths to extend Gulf Branded residential and commercial charging points as per the evolving needs of Indian consumers. Gulf India will become a shareholder with CGF and GOI in Indra, alongside OVO Group, which had provided seed capital and technical support to Indra via Kaluza, its technology business. GOLIL, part of Hinduja Group, is an established player in Indian lubricant market. It markets a wide range of automotive and industrial lubricants, greases, 2-wheeler batteries, etc. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But this pandemic is nothing like anything weve ever faced in nearly a century of being in business. During wartime, we had troops coming through, and we were feeding everyone. This past year, its just the opposite. We couldnt let anyone inside and doing carryout only is a difficult model for a restaurant of our size. Taboo topics like Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang are freely discussed. The invitation-only app is available only through foreign IDs. The authorities will likely target it soon. In China, repression continues. Police arrest the girlfriend of Xu Zhiyong, leader of the New Citizens Movement. Beijing (AsiaNews) Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio-chat social networking app, is gaining grounds in China. Chinese netizens can use it to discuss issues deemed taboo by Chinas communist regime, such as Taiwan's independence, Hong Kongs pro-democracy protests, and repression of Muslims Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Launched last year in the United States by two hi-tech gurus from Silicon Valley, Clubhouse is an audio-chat app that enables users to exchange voice messages with a high level of privacy. Its chat rooms can only be accessed after receiving an invitation code. Initially, these codes were made available only to American celebrities, but eventually participation was extended to a less elitist audience. Thanks to the recent entry of Elon Musk, founder of Tesla electric cars, the app received a boom in requests. It is not available in Chinas Apple Store, but can be accessed via overseas Apple IDs. Invitation codes can cost up to 330 yuan (US$ 50). Analysts who have accessed the app to observe its discussions note that they are very free and less confrontational than on other more popular social networks, ostensibly because its users are better educated that average. Some experts expect Clubhouse's growing success in China will also bring about its demise, as state censorship will soon move against it. It is inconceivable that the Communist Party of China will allow such a forum of debate, while Facebook, Twitter and Google are banned. One of the most debated issues in its chat rooms is when Beijing will ban it. Over the past year, the government has stepped up its crackdown on dissent during the coronavirus pandemic. The latest act of abuse took place yesterday, when the authorities arrested Li Qiaochu, the girlfriend of human rights activist Xu Zhiyong. Imprisoned a year ago for inciting subversion, the leader of the New Citizens' Movement now faces 11 years in prison for subversion against state power. Friends and acquaintances told Apple Daily that they are convinced Li was arrested for making public the torture suffered in prison by some political prisoners. After her arrest, her partner Xu complained, for example, that prison authorities deprived him of sleep for 10 days. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category The American Civil Liberties Union will announce Monday it's embarking on an aggressive racial justice agenda that includes support for a reparations bill, expanding resources into southern states, and pushing for rural post offices to adopt basic banking services. Why it matters: The 101-year-old ACLU is shifting its emphasis from defending free speech to forcefully tackling systemic racism amid a racial awakening in the U.S. and could provide a jolt to traditionally underfunded minority-led organizations. Be smart: sign up FREE for the most influential newsletter in America. The ACLU's national board this month elected civil rights attorney Deborah Archer as its new president, making her the first Black woman to lead the organization. People of color make up around 61% of the ACLU's national board. Anthony D. Romero, a New York-born son of parents from Puerto Rico, is starting his 20th year as ACLU's executive director and has led the gradual change. The details: The group's "Systemic Equality agenda" includes a demand to pass legislation sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, that would fund a commission to study proposals on reparations for African Americans. The group also wants post offices in rural Black, Native American, and Latino areas with no banks to offer check cashing, money transfers, and bill payments services. The agenda seeks more voting rights protections, increase broadband access, student loan forgiveness, and new housing policies to fight racial segregation. The ACLU is vowing to invest up to $40 million to expand staffing in its Southern affiliates to aggressively fight systemic racism in the former Confederacy. What they're saying: "We can begin to unlock the potential that is in some of these states, and begin to create the political environment that is much more conducive for racial justice and civil rights and civil liberties. You can change the national map," Romero said on ACLU's planned Southern Collective. Story continues Romero said the recent spike in Black voter participation in Georgia was a good example of how election maps can change if more resources are dedicated. Flashback: The ACLU represented biracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving in the 1967 landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, that ruled state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional. ACLU founders include Black poet and civil rights advocate James Weldon Johnson. Between the lines: The ACLU's agenda comes as the reparation movement gains mainstream attention thanks to the New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project, the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and Democratic presidential candidates vowing to address systemic racism from slavery to today. National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America co-chair Kamm Howard said it was exciting that ACLU is officially joining the fight for reparation, though in recent years ACLU members have been offering technical support. "We welcome the solitary. We've never lacked the intellectual resources. We've lacked financial resources so is this good for the movement." The ACLU says it doesn't intend to take over the various issues from traditionally minority-led organizations but offer additional resources from its multimillion-dollar nonprofit. Don't forget: The ACLU sued the Trump administration 413 times over policies from the Muslim ban to the border wall. Archer said the ACLU also will sue the Biden administration to pursue its racial equity agenda if needed. "President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made a lot of promises and commitments around racial justice, challenging systemic racial inequality. And now it's time for the ACLU to be a part of the effort to hold them accountable for those promises." Support safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. Berlin: The Berlin International Film Festival on Monday released the list of films to be screened under its Generation and Retrospective sections at the upcoming of the movie gala, with the former segment featuring a majority of its movies directed by women. The 71st edition of the prestigious film gala will take place in two parts, starting with the industry-focused, online-only event from March 1-5. Aimed at the youth, Generation is a programme that celebrates the power of the imagination in feature films, animated and documentary forms and the organisers said this year they had selected 15 titles, which will be vying for the Crystal Bears, given to the best film in the two sub-categories. Section head Maryanne Redpath said these films in the line-up offer a break to life as we know it right now" amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The 15 films in this years Generation selection are an open invitation to go beyond the obvious, the dominant, and the loud and to take a closer look whats beneath the surface. They offer space and time to reflect upon the grandeur radiating from the diverse worlds young people are experiencing, which is often signified by the little things that mark their paths," Redpath said in a statement shared on Berlinales official website. Films in the Generation section compete in two sub-categories: Generation Kplus, which is aimed at those aged four and above, and Generation 14plus, which is aimed at those aged fourteen and above. According to the festival organisers, notably, many of the Generation films are made by women, the proportion of female directors is 60 per cent, in the Kplus competition even 75 per cent. Strong-willed heroines set the tone in six of the eight films" in the Kplus competition category. The films in the Kplus category are Jong chak yeok (Short Vacation)" by Kwon Min-pyo and Seo Hansol from South Korea; Barbara Kronenbergs Mission Ulja Funk", a Germany/Luxemburg/Poland production; Scandinavian film Nelly Rapp - Monster Agent" by Amanda Adolfsson; Una escuela en Cerro Hueso (A School in Cerro Hueso)" from Argentinian director Betania Cappato; documentary Last Days at Sea" by Venice Atienza is a Philippines/Taiwan production; Hamy Ramezans Ensilumi (Any Day Now)" from Finland; Han Nan Xia Ri (Summer Blur)" from Chinese director Han Shuai, and Canadian film Beans" directed by Tracey Deer. Tabija (The White Fortress)", directed by Bosnian-Canadian director Igor Drljaca; Stop-Zemlia" by Kateryna Gornostai from Ukraine; Swiss film La Mif (The Fam)" by Fred Baillif; South Korean movie Fighter" by Jero Yun; Yngvild Sve Flikkes Ninjababy", a Norweigian film which is a blend of live action and animated elements; Danish documentary From the Wild Sea" by Robin Petre, and American comic book writer and filmmaker Dash Shaws new animated film Cryptozoo" are part of the Generation 14plus category. The festival also announced the Retrospective line-up, a section which brings works from international film history back to the big screen. Berlinale will screen 27 comedies under No Angels - Mae West, Rosalind Russell & Carole Lombard" featuring the three American actors. These titles include Wests debut Night After Night" (1932) and her 1933 classic Im No Angel", co-starring Cary Grant; Lombards No Man of Her Own" (1932) and Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1941); and Russells Fours a Crowd" (1938) and Design for Scandal" (1941). The films were chosen with a focus on the strict morality rules of the Motion Picture Production Code, which were increasingly enforced after 1934. Officially adopted in 1930 and dubbed the Hays Code", it was a voluntary system by which the Hollywood Studios agreed to uphold moral standards in filmmaking to avoid the censors knife. A second event at Berlinale, titled Summer Special, is scheduled to run June 9-20 and set to include physical screenings of the selection. An opening event and awards ceremony is also being planned. Berlinale was the last major European festival to be held before the continent went into COVID-19 lockdown in early March. Shares in online retailers Asos, Boohoo and Ocado fell in morning trading following reports that the Government is mulling a tax raid on companies that have done well out of lockdown. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering to tax retailers and tech companies whose profits soared during the Covid pandemic, like Amazon, as part of a business rates review, according to the Sunday Times. Meanwhile, as the Budget on 3 March looms, some high street retailers and supermarkets have called on Sunak to impose an online sales tax and for a cut in business rates to put them on a 'level playing field' with online rivals. Cashing in: High Street retailers are calling for an online sales tax on giants like Amazon, which saw UK sales rise 51% last year Analyst Neil Wilson at Markets.com, commenting on the report, said: 'This may raise a question about opportunistic tax policy (the government is meant to be pro-business), however most people feel online retailers are not paying their fair share and the burden is falling too much on struggling high street stores. 'It's never made sense that bricks-and-mortar businesses pay more in tax than the very rivals who are stripping away their market share. 'A possible tax hike aimed squarely at online sales presents a near-term overhang for these stocks, but they remain structurally well positioned to capture more sales as consumer habits continue to shift online.' Shares in Asos tumbled 4 per cent in morning trading, although they had recouped most of their losses towards market close, trading 0.5 per cent lower at 48.75. Boohoo shares fell almost 5 per cent to 3.47, while Ocado was down 2 per cent to 27.52 towards the end of the day. The drop comes despite Boohoo striking a 25.2million deal to buy Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton from Arcadia today, following Asos snapping up Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and activewear brand HIIT last week. Boohoo struck a 25.2million deal to buy Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton from Arcadia It comes as the bosses of some of the UK's top stores, including Tesco, Asda and Waterstones, have urged Sunak to use next month's Budget to save shops devastated by the pandemic in a joint letter. They want business rates to fall from 51 per cent to around the 35 per cent it was in 1990 and for online firms to pay a fairer share. The letter states: 'Reducing business rates for retailers and rebalancing the tax system to ensure online retailers pay a fair share of tax would be revenue-neutral, provide a vital boost to bricks and mortar retailers and support communities in need of levelling up.' Tesco boss Ken Murphy has joined other supermarkets in urging Rishi Sunak to use next month's Budget to save shops devastated by the pandemic in a joint letter It falls short of specifically calling for an online sales tax, but Tesco, led by boss Ken Murphy, has renewed its calls for the biggest online players with revenues over 1million to be hit with a 1 per cent levy. In 2019, Tesco's previous chief executive Dave Lewis called for a 2 per cent online sales levy as part of reform proposals for the property tax system. But the Government at the time repeatedly refused to be drawn into committing to an online sales tax, despite growing pressure from retailers operating shops on the street. The call comes days after Amazon revealed that UK sales rocketed by 51 per cent to 19.3billion last year as it benefited from lockdown shopping trends. A spokeswoman for Tesco said: 'Our stores and our colleagues do a fantastic job serving customers and communities every day. 'We have seen over the years how the burden of business rates has increased and how this burden is felt more heavily in areas of the UK that are most in need of investment and levelling up. 'We believe strongly that there should be a level playing field for all retailers, online or physical, which is why we propose a one per cent Online Sales Levy for businesses with annual revenues over 1million, in addition to a 20% reduction in business rates. 'Now is the opportunity to reform business rates and create a system that is fair and sustainable for all.' Retailers, leisure and hospitality firms have not had to pay rates for the current financial year after the Government launched a rates holiday at the onset of the pandemic. However, the property tax is currently set to restart in April for the new financial year despite non-essential retailers remaining shut due to lockdown restrictions. A significant number of essential retailers, including the UK's six largest supermarket chains, handed their rates relief back to the state, in a move worth more than 2billion. Rick Voight is taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously, so when he recently stopped at a Carlisle-area diner for a quick takeout lunch, he was surprised by what he encountered. Inside the restaurant, the East Pennsboro Township man said a majority of customers and staff were not wearing masks, including kitchen staff. About five to six mask-less customers huddled around a cash register to pay their bills. These people were totally oblivious, and as we are standing there, not a blessed one of those people had any protective covering, Voight said. I felt uncomfortable, to be honest with you. What Voight said bothers him the most is how establishments violate orders and seemingly get away with it. He understands restaurants want to stay open but questions if its worth ignoring the rules to put the health of customers in jeopardy. There has to be a degree of punishment like fines. You hit people in their pocketbooks, Voight said. Across Pennsylvania, concerns by residents like Voight are bringing to light questions about how much teeth Gov. Wolfs COVID mandates hold, especially as some restaurants adhere to guidelines while a handful blatantly defy orders. Some restaurant owners say they are fed up with the states changing guidance. Since March, Pennsylvanias restaurant industry has faced a roller coaster of orders including reduced occupancy levels, an 11 p.m. booze sales cutoff, ban on bar seating and social distancing. In November, restaurants and bars were ordered to close early on one of the biggest bar nights of the year, the day before Thanksgiving Day. Then in December, Wolf banned indoor dining for three weeks over the usually lucrative holiday season. Officials stress only a handful of owners in the state are ignoring orders, some publicly flouting the fact and others taking a quieter, less passive stance. Reasons vary from political motives to survival as a means to pay employees. There are some places open 100% and they had just had enough, said Dave Christensen, a retired liquor control enforcement officer who now consults restaurants in Pennsylvania. They say I need to make money. I need to open up. If they dont, theyll go belly up, thats why, Christensen added. So far, penalties and fines have done little to deter some business owners. Obviously, restaurants such as diners and pizza shops operating without liquor licenses have less on the line to lose, compared to their counterparts with licenses which can be revoked. Its actually unconstitutional, its illegal. We arent breaking any laws, these are just mandates, said Mike Mangano, assistant manager of his familys Taste of Sicily restaurant in Palmyra. Wolf has been sympathetic to the restaurant industry but has stressed the mitigation efforts are designed to slow the spread of the virus and eliminate strains on the health care system. In late December, he said the temporary dine-in ban, though admittedly painful, was necessary in light of a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. At the time, new daily coronavirus case count were spiking at about 10,000 per day. Over the past week, new cases have ranged from 3,000 to 5,000. Gov. Tom Wolf made an announcement in Pittsburgh to call on the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to waive liquor licensing fees, starting in January, for 2021 for restaurants and bars. Oct. 21, 2020 Commonwealth Media Services While Wolf has faced criticism by some, the states response has been praised by some health officials including former White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx. I never give anyone an A, but I think theyre close to a B-plus, A-minus range, a really terrific job, she said last fall. A web of state agencies oversees enforcement. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture handles retail food inspections, while State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement deals with the liquor code and the Pennsylvania Department of Health with pubic safety. Local authorities also play a role. Yet at the same time, several county district attorneys have said they wont take immediate action on businesses that defy the governors orders. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said in May prosecution would only occur in extreme circumstances. The Department of Agriculture has cracked down on dozens of establishments, publishing weekly reports listing closure notices associated with lack of mask use to breaking occupancy rules. The Department of Health, has filed injunctions in Commonwealth Court against at least 50 restaurants. Meanwhile, since July liquor enforcement officers have conducted 72,000 compliance checks and issued 2,244 warnings and 702 notices of violation to noncompliant businesses. If a business repeatedly ignores orders, it faces fines, court appearances and possible closure or liquor license suspension. What I can tell you is there is much discussion and varying degrees of enforcement taking place and its not consistent, said Theodore J. Zeller III, an Allentown attorney specializing in liquor law. We need to make a living At Tonys Pizzeria in Highspire, co-owner Krista Koons-Barone recently taped a sign to the front door: MASKS. Daddy Wolf says I need this sign on my door! Im just tired of him every week, every other week making some new rule or mandate, Koons-Barone said about Wolf. I just feel its a game, its a joke for him. Its just tiresome. Its overwhelming. Its just frustrating. Tony's Pizzeria and Restaurant at 185 Second St. in Highspire. January 28, 2021. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Koons-Barone said shes willing to take the risk and remain open despite receiving two closure placards from the Department of Agriculture, one for violating the December temporary indoor dining ban and another for breaking dine-in occupancy limits. Owners like Koons-Barone say they are taking a stand because they fear the restrictions and lack of financial help will push them to permanently lock their doors. They believe the industry has been unfairly singled out and question how big box stores and supermarkets are permitted to operate with fewer restrictions. Health experts say exposure in retail stores is often less than 15 minutes and shoppers wear masks, whereas diners sit for extended periods of time to eat meals. In Pennsylvania, about 45% of restaurant owners indicated in a recent survey it is unlikely they will still be in business in 60 days if there is no relief in sight, according to the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association. Struggling restaurant owners in the state have emphasized the need for reforms and financial assistance. Tonys Pizzeria was also flagged for lack of mask use and mandatory signage requesting customers to wear masks. Koons-Barone, who doesnt have an attorney, said they received court orders and she is awaiting a court date. She said tables in the restaurant are spaced six feet apart and she sanitizes more than big box stores do. I literally feel like Im being harassed by them, Koons-Barone said. Im a very small establishment. Its not like Hersheypark where thousands of people run through here every day. Shannon Powers, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture, said establishments found out of compliance have the opportunity to fix the problem on the spot. However, even when given the chance, Powers said not every establishment is willing to comply. The departments health inspectors oversee COVID-19 mitigation at retail food establishments across the state, with the exception of 140 municipalities and six counties that have their own health inspectors. Some visits are part of regular inspections, others are complaint-driven. A Pennsylvania COVID Inspection Dashboard, searchable by city, county and zip code, lists whether restaurants have faced violations. There are certainly businesses that are disregarding the mitigation orders in place, despite being ordered to close, Powers said. Some are paying the price. Recently, the Crackd Egg restaurant in Brentwood outside of Pittsburgh followed a judges ruling to close after it repeatedly defied orders to enforce mask wearing. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John McVay ruled in favor of the county, saying its health department and the governors orders are constitutional. Owner Kimberly Waigand has said she will continue to fight. A Free the Egg GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to help Waigand and husband, Donald, pay for legal expenses. Were going to keep up the good fight, Waigand said on a Facebook post. It is not over. One of the most outspoken restaurants, Taste of Sicily, is operating with two closure notices for defying the states temporary indoor dining ban. It is open at 100% occupancy and ignoring the states mask mandate and social distancing. Its very simple, because we need to make a living, we need to pay our bills, Mangano said. Elected officials and community members gather at a protest in support of Taste of Sicily, a Palmyra-based restaurant that's been allowing customers to have sit-down meals in violation of Gov. Tom Wolf's reopening plan. June 5, 2020. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Last May, the restaurant gained notoriety when it reopened its dining room during the states yellow phase. While they have been criticized by some for their extreme stance, the owners have been outspoken about defying the states orders, sharing updates on the restaurants Facebook page to more than 29,000 followers. Mangano said business at the 2-year-old restaurant has been good and they are weighing future expansion plans. People view them as an inspiration, he said, for taking a stand against a tyrannical governor who has taken his power and what he can do to the extreme. Mangano said they are working with an attorney and dont plan to pay any fines. After receiving citations for violating the governors orders, the owners went to court last fall where Magisterial District Judge Carl Garver said Taste of Sicily was unconstitutionally cited and didnt have to pay fines. The family encourages other Pennsylvania restaurants to copy what they are doing, mainly remain open at 100% and be polite to public servants when they come in to fine or serve paperwork, Mangano said. Some restaurant owners listen, but Mangano admitted the majority are not as bold. Its unfortunate that your average everyday American and moreso your businesses dont know their rights, and that is a sin and a shame, Mangano added. Legal inconsistencies Its too early to know what the legal ramifications could be for restaurants who fight COVID-19 guidance. When clients ask Christensen if they should open at 100%, he explains the consequences and leaves the decision to them. In his opinion, the states mandates dont have much teeth because they are mandates, not law. In fact he said when a licensee is cited, the paperwork reads mask mandate and doesnt provide a code number because its not the law. The more the licensees fight it and the more licenses that win the more the state will say, I cant do this anymore. Good court decisions in favor of licensees is what we need, he said. However, the establishments he consults - ones with liquor licenses - have more to lose than non-licensed food businesses. The licenses come at a price, some on the high end for as much as $500,000 or more. Zeller, the attorney, said its going to take time to play out as cases move through the court system. Last fall, a federal judge ruled that several actions taken by Wolf early in the coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional. Pittsburgh-based U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV found Wolfs stay-at-home and business closure orders, along with restrictions limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings, to be unconstitutional. Now the administration is appealing the ruling, which means it heads to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and inevitably could land in the U.S. Supreme Court. Zeller noted many legal inconsistencies related to COVID mandates stem from the fact restaurants have differing views on their civic duties, while enforcement agents struggle with what they are supposed to enforce and not enforce. If anything, he suggested constitutional challenges against the governors orders have not been adjudicated. Those could focus on the governors powers and rational basis for getting rid of a bar stool and not a restaurant seat, cutting off bar service at 11 p.m. and the idea food is required with purchase of alcoholic beverages, Zeller said. It has created wide-ranging emotions and actions across the commonwealth, he said. Some businesses are following a philosophy they are part of the community and need to do whats best for everyone in order to be safe, Zeller said. On the other hand, he noted are the owners who insist the mandates are unconstitutional and they dont have to follow them. For every person who is loud and proud about those orders, there are three or four who are quietly happy, he said. Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, agrees the majority of the states restaurant and bar owners are following orders. Many of those who arent seem to have a political agenda, he noted. Ive gotten on some of these Facebook posts and to me it looks like it is very politicized. Who knows what will happen in the months moving forward as we move away from the Trump years into the Biden years, Moran said. Moran said the association is educating its members about the consequences related to defying the orders, including potential loss of licenses. State Police spokesman Ryan Tarkowski said the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is informed of violations and, depending on the infraction, could suspend an establishments liquor license. Further enforcement, he added, could put the businesss license at risk. During a recent House Commerce Committee meeting, John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association, said 95 percent of restaurants have tried to follow guidance from the governor and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Longstreet noted they are out of business if they make someone sick. He also noted that daily updates on the associations website provide information on everything from proposed legislation to help restaurants to grants and reopening guidelines. Remember, restaurants have been in the business of serving people safely as long as food as been served. They already have more sanitation requirements on them than any retail business out there, he said. Feeling fatigued There is no excuse for restaurants to ignore safety protocols such as mask-wearing, Longstreet said, adding he views other mandates such as the indoor dining ban differently. In those cases, he said financially strapped owners and employees say they have no choice. The people really hurt by the governors order are front of the house employees - bartenders, waiters and hosts. They all of a sudden have no income and most of their income comes from tips anyway, he said. Recognizing his employees needed paychecks over the holidays, Shelby Reitz, co-owner of 230 Cafe in Highspire, said they defied the indoor dining ban. Doing so resulted in an injunction notice from the state. However, after informing the Department of Agriculture the cafe has switched to takeout only, Reitz said they received another letter informing them the case had been dismissed. Reitz said fatigue is setting in for the industry. Honestly, I think we are all over it and moving forward and doing what we need to do, he said. Unfortunately, Longstreet admitted the mandates do create an uneven playing field, and hes sympathetic to those who are at a disadvantage. I dont blame those people for being upset with the guys who remained open, he said. Angelo Karagiannis, owner of Zembies Tavern in Harrisburg, expressed his frustration over having to shut down the bars dining room in December. Some of his employees complained it was unfair they were unable to make money, while competitors abandoned the governors orders. For Karagiannis, the decision boiled down to protecting his liquor license, even as he watched regular customers go to other establishments. Some of the mandates and enforcement havent always been straightforward, he said. He questions how a four-sided tent passes as outdoor dining or why a bar following safety protocols has to close at midnight. Still, he said he cant be too upset by some of the industry reaction. I admire them because they did what they did. I dont think they should lose their license for what they did or get slapped with fines, Karagiannis said. But there should be some kind of penalty. Advertisement They say dogs are the best people, so there's every chance pooches Frankie and Django knew exactly why they were at Brisbane's Iona College on Monday - along with hundreds of heartbroken friends and family of a pregnant couple who were hit and killed in a horror Australia Day crash. Kate Leadbetter, 31, Matt Field, 37, and their unborn son, Miles, were farewelled in a private ceremony at Mr Field's old school two weeks after they were mowed down by a teenage driver allegedly high on drugs and driving a stolen car while walking their two beloved dogs in Alexandra Hills, Brisbane. Frankie still bears telltale markings of the accident, with her back leg bandaged in pink tape and sections of her front leg shaved. She disappeared immediately after the crash, and wasn't found until midday the following day. Some 1,300 locals came together to help find her after the family revealed she suffered from Addison's disease and required daily medication to say alive. She was immediately taken to a local veterinary clinic, who nursed her back to health. Both of the couple's beloved dogs Django and Frankie (wearing pink bandage) attended the funeral, and looked lost as the family said their goodbyes Heartbroken friends and family of a pregnant couple who were hit and killed by a teenage driver in a horror Australia Day crash have turned out to say their final goodbyes Devastated members of the families hugged one another and dogs Django and Frankie watch on as two police officers on motorbikes led the hearse into the private school Devastated friends and family have farewelled Matt Field, 37, (left), Kate Leadbetter, 31 (right) and their unborn son Miles who were killed in an Australia Day tragedy in Alexandra Hills After the service, the two dogs watched on as the hearses carrying Ms Leadbetter and Ms Field drove away. Devastated members of the families hugged one another as two police officers on motorbikes led the hearse into the private school. Mourners dressed in bright colours and floral patterns, while a group of young men in Iona College uniforms lined the streets as the caskets of the young couple were brought through. The large crowd gathered outdoors on the school grounds before relocating for the service. Queensland Police said the family, who do not want to be named, 'extend their gratitude to the community for the support it has shown during this incredibly difficult time'. 'Both families understand there will be a high degree of interest from the community,' a Queensland Police spokesman said. 'They wish to have their privacy respected so that everyone attending (including school-aged children) can say goodbye and grieve privately'. Floral bouquets (pictured) adorned the coffins of Kate and Matty at a private ceremony held on Monday One of the couple's dogs Frankie (right) watches on as family and friends celebrated the lives of Kate Leadbetter, 31, Matt Field, 37, and their unborn son, Miles, which were abruptly cut short on January 26 Kate Leadbetter, 31, and her boyfriend Matthew Field, 37, died after they were allegedly hit by a teenage driver in Alexandra Hills on the evening of Australia Day. Also pictured are their beloved pets, dogs Frankie and Django and their cat Queensland Police have since released a statement on behalf of the grieving families. 'Today, alongside our friends and family, we farewelled Matt, Kate and baby Miles, during a private ceremony,' the harrowing statement began. 'Our families would like to thank everyone who joined us to say goodbye and extend our sincerest thanks to the wider community for the support and compassion it has shown us. 'To the first responders and police who looked after Matt, Kate and Miles, and who have supported our families throughout this difficult time, words cannot express the depth of our gratitude for the way you have cared for each and every one of us. We are incredibly grateful for everything you have done. 'We also would like to thank the staff at Iona College who went to great lengths to help us in farewelling Matt, Kate and Miles today. It was their wonderful assistance which allowed us to remain COVID complaint today through the use of their school halls and live streaming capacity to ensure we met all guidelines. 'Our families need time together to grieve. Our hearts go out to everyone missing them today, and we thank you for honouring their memories with us.' Mourners dressed in bright colours and floral patterns as they farewelled Kate Leadbetter, 31, Matt Field, 37, and their unborn son, Miles at a private service (pictured) at Brisbane's Iona College Both dogs were also at the ceremony, after Frankie fled the scene and disappeared following the crash. She was later found in need of urgent medical treatment as she suffers from Addison's disease and requires daily medication Their broken families gathered at Iona College, where Mr Field went to school, for an emotionally-charged funeral Mourners dressed in bright colours and floral patterns, while a group of young men in matching black suits lined the streets as the caskets of the young couple were brought through Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field (pictured) had been dating for more than four years and were expecting their first child Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field's families have only spoken publicly once about the tragedy, explaining that the couple were so excited to be parents and had recently decided on their son's name - Miles. 'To have lost three cherished members of our families in such a senseless and sudden way is beyond our comprehension,' one of the family members said. 'We are grief stricken that they never got to experience the birth of their baby boy who we discovered in recent weeks was to be named Miles.' Family and friends are seen as two hearses containing the coffins of Matt Field and Kate Leadbetter are given a guard of honour by students at Iona College Their broken families gathered at Iona College, where Mr Field went to school, for an emotionally-charged funeral Heartbroken friends and family of a pregnant couple who were hit and killed by a teenage driver in a horror Australia Day crash have turned out to say their final goodbyes This map shows the movements of the teen accused of running the couple down Ms Leadbetter was due to give birth in just a few short months and had already prepared a nursery for her son, Miles 'There is a nursery created by Kate and Matt with joy and love and anticipation that our little grandson, Miles, will never occupy.' The family members stood arm-in-arm and held back tears as they expressed how distraught they were that the couple had their dreams of parenthood taken away. Described as 'talented and funny and such good company', the couple had recently shared an ultrasound of their unborn son. Ms Leadbetter was due to give birth in just a few short months. The 17-year-old who was allegedly behind the wheel was remanded in custody on numerous charges including two counts of murder at Brisbane Children's Court after the incident. His case was adjourned until the end of March. Young men in what appears to be the Iona College uniform lined the street as the hearses were brought through Frankie and Django watched on as their beloved owners were taken away in hearses The large crowd gathered outdoors on the school grounds before relocating for the service Cases of symptomatic COVID-19 were extremely low among children and staff at a network of YMCA summer camps held last year in North Carolina that took precautions like masking and physical distancing, with close to zero transmissions occurring at the camps, according to researchers at Duke Health, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. In the camps' 2020 sessions, there were 19 cases of COVID-19 among 5,344 staff and 1,486 youth, only two of which were linked to possible on-site transmission at a group of YMCA of the Triangle camps, at a time when rates in North Carolina had hit their first peak, according to a study published Feb. 3 in Pediatrics. "This is part of the growing body of evidence demonstrating that if precautions like masking, distancing and hand washing are taken, coronavirus transmission can be avoidable in congregate settings for children during times of high community incidence," said Dr. Sallie Permar, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and a co-senior author of the study. Dr. Permar conducted the study at Duke when she was a member of its faculty; she joined Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in December 2020. The YMCA of the Triangle day camps are located at 31 sites across six counties in North Carolina, including the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. The camps committed to opening for the summer of 2020 and were advised on programming and mitigation strategies by a group of pediatricians, including Dr. Permar, who at the time lived in the area."These results suggest that the benefit of in-person programming for supporting youth learning and mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations, outweighs the risk of viral spread," added Dr. Permar, who was recruited as the Nancy C. Paduano Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. "This is true not only in a school setting, but in a camp setting where children are engaging in activities like playing outside and at the gym and doing crafts." The camps implemented daily temperature checks, physical distancing of at least 6 feet, masks at indoor activities and outdoors where participants couldn't remain distanced, frequent hand washing and sanitizing, and site cleaning. They also split campers into cohorts of 10 youth and one staff member and trained staff in COVID-19 protocols. An internal audit in June found over 95 percent compliance with the mask mandate. To identify potential COVID-19 cases, the camps asked about exposures outside of camp before allowing campers on site. If the camps learned of an infection, they did contact tracing to identify campers or staff who were exposed. Ten youth and 9 staff, or 0.6 percent of 3,030 people at camp sites where the exposures occurred, had infections that were linked to transmission outside the camps. The other two cases, or .07 percent, were potentially connected to exposure at the camps. Widespread testing was not available, which meant asymptomatic cases were not detected. The most common symptoms were fever and cough, and no one was hospitalized. There was no difference in rates of transmissions between camps held outdoors, camps held indoors and those that offered a hybrid. Campers were an average of 8.5 years old; 66 percent were white and 54 percent were male. The rate of transmission in the general North Carolina population was significantly higher, at 200 new cases per 10,000 people each a day, or a 2 percent infection rate. In Durham, positive cases among those under age 18 rose from 9 percent to 17 percent of total cases in the population from May to August, indicating increased spread in that demographic. The low transmission rate contrasted with an overnight camp in Georgia, where 44 percent of campers had symptomatic cases. The camp was reported to lack adherence to masking practices and physical distancing, and allowed indoor singing and shouting while people were unmasked. The camp also didn't require testing immediately prior to camp attendance. Dr. Permar said YMCA of the Triangle camps should be credited for forming an "academic-community partnership" early on to involve medical personnel and scientists, and ensure precautions were taken. They worked hard to stay open and keep campers as safe as possible, knowing how important these camps are to kids whose parents are essential workers, work multiple jobs and don't have another option for childcare." Dr. Sallie Permar, Study Co-Senior Author, Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Pediatrician-In-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? 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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 Protesters hold up the three-finger salute in a car during a demonstration against the Feb. 1 military coup, in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, Feb. 7, 2021. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Myanmars major cities, chanting slogans against the military junta and demanding the release of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained politicians on Sunday, as a two-day internet blackout was lifted. In five of Myanmars seven largest cities, car horns honked and protesters waved the red peacock flag of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and flashed the three-finger protest from the Hunger Games films that been adopted as the main symbol of defiance to the now week-old coup. There have been no reports of violence after two days of swelling street protests, in response to the coup by military leaders who justified their takeover with the unsubstantiated claim that the landslide victory by Aung San Suu Kyi's party in a Nov. 8 election was fraudulent. In Yangon, the biggest city in the country of 54 million people, tens of thousands of protestors marched on city hall and thronged around Sule Pagoda, the center of 2007 monk-lead protests and other pro-democracy movements against five decades of direct military rule. There are more protesters on street today than yesterday, Phyu Sin Thu, a Yangon resident who participated in the protest, told RFAs Myanmar Service. So far, there has been no violence. As the protests went on, more and more people joined in to the marching crowd. The security forces were present but they didnt stop us from marching. They didnt try to disperse us either, she added. In Mandalay, the countrys second largest city, demonstrators marched around the moat of Mandalay palace, where by midday the crowd grew to thousands marching on foot and motorbikes. Internet access was restored in most parts of the country by mid-day Sunday. In a move that rights groups warned would leave millions vulnerable to abuses and cut off from coronavirus information, authorities suspended telephone and internet service Saturday, following the suspension of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, They always use measures like cutting internet access or electricity to suppress us, said a resident of Mandalay, who requested anonymity for security reasons. The more they suppress us, the more we will resist them. We are going to protest more in coming days, the citizen told RFA. Motorcycle Rally Sunday's protests in Yangon were the largest in a week of growing outrage at the military's ouster of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the biggest since 2007 Buddhist monk-led protests that were put down by the previous junta with an estimated 1331 deaths and hundreds of arrests. In the capital Naypyitaw, government employees and others staged a motorcycle rally as government offices, parliament, and other key locations were under heavy security. Protesting crowds of thousands also turned out to chant slogans and sing songs in Lashio in northern Shan State, Pathein in Irrawaddy region, and Mawlamyine in Mon state, In Myawaddy on the Thai-Myanmar border city in Kayin state, brawls erupted when the authorities tied to arrest protestors in front of city hall and security forces tried to disperse the crowd by firing some gun shots into the air. The police detained six people who led the protests in the border town, RFA has learned. Min Thu, a NLD member, told RFA that Aung San Suu Kyi and president Win Myint were in good health. They remain in detention in the capital. On Feb. 1, the military dissolved parliament, declared a one-year state of emergency, and took over all branches of government, citing unproven allegations of voter fraud in national elections last November. Aung San Suu Kyi, 75 and set to start a second five-year term, was arrested in the bloodless coup along with other ruling party leaders and cabinet ministers, and army chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was installed as leader of a junta council of mostly military officers with some civilians. Across the country, supporters of the embattled Nobel laureate said they would carry on. We will keep marching to show the world about what the military regime did. We will have more protests, said Yangon protester Phyu Sin Thu. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Saudi state oil giant Aramco remained the second most valuable brand in the oil and gas industry last year, with a value of $35.7 billion, according to Brand Finance. This compares with $46.77 billion a year earlier, Argaam reported. The list of the most valuable oil and gas brands last year was topped by Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell, with a value of $42.16 billion. After Aramco came two Chinese giants, PetroChina and Sinopec, valued at $31.42 billion and $26.40 billion, respectively. The top five was completed by BP, which was last year worth $21.37 billion. Exxon, once the most valuable oil company in the world, came in eighth, with a value of $13.43 billion. Oil and gas companies were among the worst hit by the pandemic, with their stocks getting battered by the combination of excess supply and a demand slump that turned out to be both deeper and longer-lasting than many expected. This spurred the supermajors into renewable action, which was harder for companies such as Aramco, which have for decades been entirely focused on crude oil production and processing. The Saudi major, which went public less than two years ago, was recently said to be considering a secondary stock offering under the right market conditions. This was part of plans for the Saudi sovereign wealth fund to boost its assets under management to over $1 trillion. When market conditions will be right would be hard to say, especially in light of the difficulties Aramco encountered during the initial public offering: despite the massive promotion, the IPO met with tepid demand and the shares ended up listed only on the Saudi stock exchange. Whats more, with the rise in popularity of ESG investing, interest in more Aramco shares could be even weaker than it was for the IPO, despite the companys firm commitment to dividend payments, whatever its actual financial performance. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In a relief to a couple from Mumbai, convicted in Qatar to 10 years' imprisonment in a drug trafficking case, the highest court in Qatar has set aside their conviction and ordered a review of the case. The judgement was pronounced last month by Qatar's Court of Cassation following a hearing. As per the court, Mohammad Shareeq (30) and his wife Oniba Qureshi were arrested in July 2019 from the Hamad International Airport in Doha for carrying 4.1 kg of hashish in their luggage. The couple was subsequently convicted for the offence and has since been in prison. Qureshi was pregnant at the time of leaving for Qatar and gave birth to her daughter while in prison. According to the couple's plea in the highest court, they had gone to Qatar on a trip sponsored by Shareeq's aunt, who allegedly gave them a drug packet, falsely claiming it contained tobacco to be delivered to a friend in Qatar. At the Doha airport, they were stopped and searched by the authorities. They were subsequently arrested for carrying hashish in their luggage. However, the couple challenged their conviction, saying they had been unaware of the contents of the said package and that they had been tricked by Shareeq's aunt into carrying the drug. The Court of Cassation noted that an appellate court's order of the couple's conviction was "defective and worth for challenge" as it did not take into account their defence. "The verdict hasn't replied for the defence supported with the documents as they hadn't criminal intent as they were not knowing that the captured matters as narcotics," said the verdict of the Court of Cassation. "They were cheated by one of their relatives. This makes the verdict defective and worth for challenge," the order said. The court sent the case back to the appeal court where it will be reviewed by a new bench. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Panasonic AI-driven cameras empower an expanding vision of new uses Imagine a world where video cameras are not just watching and reporting for security, but have an even wider positive impact on our lives. Imagine that cameras control street and building lights, as people come and go, that traffic jams are predicted and vehicles are automatically rerouted, and more tills are opened, just before a queue starts to form. Cameras with AI capabilities Cameras in stores can show us how we might look in the latest outfit as we browse. Thats the vision from Panasonic about current and future uses for their cameras that provide artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the edge. Panasonic feels that these types of intelligent camera applications are also the basis for automation and introduction of Industry 4.0, in which processes are automated, monitored and controlled by AI-driven systems. 4K network security cameras The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications Panasonics 4K network security cameras have built-in AI capabilities suitable for this next generation of intelligent applications in business and society. The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications. The AI engine is directly embedded into the camera, thus reducing costs and Panasonics image quality ensures the accuracy of the analytics outcome. FacePRO facial recognition technology Panasonic began advancing AI technology on the server side with FacePRO, the in-house facial recognition application, which uses AI deep learning capabilities. Moving ahead, they transitioned their knowledge of AI from the server side to the edge, introducing i-PRO security cameras with built-in AI capabilities last summer, alongside their own in-house analytics. Moreover, in line with the Panasonic approach to focus more on collaboration with specialist AI software developers, a partnership with Italian software company, A.I. Tech followed in September, with a range of intelligent applications, partially based on deep learning. Additional collaborations are already in place with more than 10 other developers, across the European Union, working on more future applications. i-PRO AI-capable security cameras Open systems are an important part of Panasonics current approach. The companys i-PRO AI-capable cameras are an open platform and designed for third-party application development, therefore, applications can be built or tailored to the needs of an individual customer. Panasonic use to be a company that developed everything in-house, including all the analytics and applications. However, now we have turned around our strategy by making our i-PRO security cameras open to integrate applications and analytics from third-party companies, says Gerard Figols, Head of Security Solutions at Panasonic Business Europe. Flexible and adapting to specific customer needs This new approach allows the company to be more flexible and adaptable to customers needs. At the same time, we can be quicker and much more tailored to the market trend, said Gerard Figols. He adds, For example, in the retail space, enabling retailers to enhance the customer experience, in smart cities for traffic monitoring and smart parking, and by event organisers and transport hubs to monitor and ensure safety. Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems Edge-based analytics Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems. On one hand, there are monetary benefits - a cost reduction results from the decreased amount of more powerful hardware required on the server side to process the data, on top of reduction in the infrastructure costs, as not all the full video stream needs to be sent for analysis, we can work solely with the metadata. On the other hand, there are also advantages of flexibility, as well as reliability. Each camera can have its own individual analytic setup and in case of any issue on the communication or server side, the camera can keep running the analysis at the edge, thereby making sure the CCTV system is still fully operational. Most importantly, systems can keep the same high level of accuracy. Explosion of AI camera applications We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications" We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications, said Gerard Figols, adding However, it doesnt mean the hardware is not important anymore, as I believe its more important than ever. Working with poor picture quality or if the hardware is not reliable, and works 24/7, software cannot run or deliver the outcome it has been designed for. As hardware specialists, Figols believes that Panasonic seeks to focus on what they do best - Building long-lasting, open network cameras, which are capable of capturing the highest quality images that are required for the latest AI applications, while software developers can concentrate on bringing specialist applications to the market. Same as for smartphones, AI applications will proliferate based on market demand and succeed or fail, based on the value that they deliver. Facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line technologies Panasonic has been in the forefront in developing essential AI applications for CCTV, such as facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line. However, with the market developing so rapidly and the potential applications of AI-driven camera systems being so varied and widespread, Panasonic quickly realised that the future of their network cameras was going to be in open systems, which allow specialist developers and their customers to use their sector expertise to develop their own applications for specific vertical market applications, while using i-PRO hardware. Metadata for detection and recognition Regarding privacy, consider that the use of AI in cameras is about generating metadata for the detection and recognition of patterns, rather than identifying individual identities. However, there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I firmly believe that attitudes will change quickly when people see the incredible benefits that this technology can deliver, said Gerard Figols, adding I hope that we will be able to redefine our view of cameras and AI, not just as insurance, but as life advancing and enhancing. i-PRO AI Privacy Guard One of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard Seeking to understand and appreciate privacy concerns, one of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard that generates data without capturing individual identities, following European privacy regulations that are among the strictest in the world. Gerard Fogils said, The combination of artificial intelligence and the latest generation open camera technology will change the worlds perceptions from Big Brother to Big Benefits. New applications will emerge as the existing generation of cameras is updated to the new open and intelligent next generation devices, and the existing role of the security camera will also continue. Future scope of AI and cameras He adds, Not just relying on the security cameras for evidence when things have gone wrong, end users will increasingly be able to use AI and the cameras with much higher accuracy to prevent false alarms and in a proactive way to prevent incidents." Gerard Figols concludes, That could be monitoring and alerting when health and safety guidelines are being breached or spotting and flagging patterns of suspicious behaviour before incidents occur. UW Announces Presidents Day Closures Most University of Wyoming business and administrative offices will be closed, and classes will be dismissed Monday, Feb. 15, for Presidents Day. Normal business hours and classes will resume Tuesday, Feb. 16. Coe Library, the UW Art Museum and the UW Geological Museum are among units that will be closed and will reopen Tuesday during regular hours. The Wyoming Union will be open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., and Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center will be open from noon-5 p.m. UW transit services will be unavailable. For more information and to view a schedule, visit www.uwyo.edu/tps/transit/holiday-schedule.html. ROME - Pope Francis urged governments on Monday to use the coronavirus crisis as a revolutionary opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just and where basic health care is guaranteed for all. ROME - Pope Francis urged governments on Monday to use the coronavirus crisis as a revolutionary opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just and where basic health care is guaranteed for all. Francis made the appeal in his annual foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, an appointment that was postponed for two weeks after he suffered a bout of sciatica nerve pain that made standing and walking difficult. FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2021 file photo, Pope Francis recites the Angelus prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican. Pope Francis urged governments on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, to use the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just _ and where basic health care is guaranteed for all. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, file) Francis urged the governments represented in the Apostolic Palace to contribute to global initiatives to provide vaccines to the poor and to use the pandemic to reset what he said was a sick economic model that exploits the poor and the Earth. There is need for a kind of new Copernican revolution that can put the economy at the service of men and women, not vice versa, he said, referring to the 16th-century paradigm shift that stated the sun was at the centre of the universe, not the Earth. He said such a revolutionary new economy is one that brings life not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it. Francis has frequently called for the world to use the pandemic as a chance to re-imagine a global economy that values people and the planet over profits, and one where fraternity and solidarity guide human relationships rather than conflict and division. The 84-year-old Francis hit those themes in his lengthy address, which was delivered in a larger reception hall than usual to provide greater social distancing for the 88 ambassadors who attended. At the end, Francis invited each one up but said he wouldn't shake their hands and urged them to keep their distance. Francis has been vaccinated against the virus. In his speech, he called for basic health care to be provided to all. He noted that those on the margins of society and who work in the informal economy have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with the fewest social nets to survive it. Driven by desperation, many have sought other forms of income and risk being exploited through illegal or forced labour, prostitution and various criminal activities, including human trafficking, Francis warned. He said children have suffered from an educational catastrophe" with closed schools, women have been victims of domestic abuse, the faithful have been deprived of communal worship and that all of humanity has been restricted from close human contact. Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in todays world," he said. In addition to the pandemic, Francis listed other areas of particular concern, starting with the coup in Myanmar, which Francis visited in 2017. He called for political leaders to be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue aimed at the good of the country. He called for the war in Syria to finally end, noting that 2021 marks its 10th anniversary, and urging the international community to address the causes of the conflict with honesty and courage and to seek solutions." He praised the U.N. treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons and the extension of the START treaty between the U.S. and Russia. He also called for disarmament efforts to extend to conventional and chemical weapons. [February 08, 2021] Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Announces Proposed Settlement in the On2 Technologies, Inc. Securities Settlement The following statement is being issued by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP regarding the On2 Technologies (News - Alert) , Inc. Securities Settlement: SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF queens: COMMERCIAL DIVISION LAURA JIANNARAS, as Executrix of the Estate of MICHAEL JIANNARAS, on Behalf of Herself and All Others Similarly Situated, : Index No. 21262/09 Plaintiff, : vs. : The Honorable Marguerite A. Grays, J.S.C. MIKE ALFANT, et al., : : Defendants. x SUMMARY NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF CLASS ACTION, PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AND RIGHT TO OPT OUT AND TO OBJECT TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES WHO HELD SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK OF ON2 TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ("On2"), EITHER OF RECORD OR BENEFICIALLY, AT ANY TIME BETWEEN AUGUST 4, 2009 AND FEBRUARY 19, 2010, INCLUSIVE (THE "SETTLEMENT CLASS") YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a proposed Settlement, whose terms are embodied in a Stipulation, has been reached by Plaintiff, on behalf of herself and the Settlement Class, with the Settling Defendants in the above-captioned action. A Fairness Hearing will be held with respect to the Settlement on April 6, 2021, at 10:00 A.M. before the Honorable Marguerite A. Grays, J.S.C., in the Queens Supreme Court Building, Courtroom 66, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York 11435. The action arose out of On2's merger with Google (News - Alert) Inc., which On2's stockholders approved on February 17, 2010. Plaintiff's action claims, among other things, that On2's former directors breached their fiduciary duties by conducting a flawed sale process, negotiating an inadequate merger price and making misleading public disclosures concerning the merger. Defendants have denied all allegations in the action. The Settlement provides that, in exchange for On2 having made certain supplemental disclosures concerning the merger prior to the vote approving it, Plaintiff will dismiss the action with prejudice and Plaintiff and the Settlement Class will release Defendants and the Released Persons from the Released Claims. The purpose of the Fairness Hearing is to determine whether the proposed Settlement and Stipulation, should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable and adequate and in the best interests of the Settlement Class. This notice only summarizes the action, the terms of the Settlement and Stipulation and the matters to be addressed at the Fairness Hearing. A detailed notice, entitled "Notice of Pendency of Class Action, Proposed Settlement, Fairness Hearing and Right to Opt Out and to Object" (the "Class Notice"), describes the action, the proposed Settlement and Stipulation, and the rights of members of the Settlement Class to request to be excluded from the Settlement Class and to object to the Settlement and Stipulation and other matters to be considered at the Fairness Hearing and/or appear at the Fairness Hearing. You may obtain a copy of the Class Notice by visiting www.on2shareholdersettlement.com, or by requesting that a copy be sent to you by contacting the Notice Administrator by mail, email or telephone as follows: On2 Technologies Shareholder Settlement Notice Administrator c/o KCC Class Action Services P.O. Box (News - Alert) 43034 Providence, RI 02940-3034 On2shareholdersettlement@kccllc.com (866)-700-0418 If you are a member of the Settlement Class, you have the right to object to the Settlement and Stipulation, the final certification of the Settlement Class, the entry of the Order and Final Judgment (and the releases it contains) and/or the request by Plaintiffs' Counsel for an award of attorneys' fees and expenses, or otherwise request to be heard, by submitting no later than March 6, 2021, a written objection and, if applicable, a notice of intention to appear, in accordance with the procedures described in the Class Notice. You also have the right to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by submitting no later than March 6, 2021, a written request for exclusion from the Settlement Class in accordance with the procedures described in the Class Notice. If the Settlement is approved by the Court, you will be bound by the Settlement, the Stipulation and the Court's Order and Final Judgment (including the releases provided for therein) unless you submit a request to be excluded. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE REGARDING THIS NOTICE. Inquiries, other than requests for the Class Notice, may be made to the Settlement Class Counsel: Robert M. Rothman ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 Melville, New York 11747 (800)-449-4900 Settlement Class Counsel Dated: November 20, 2020 By Order of the Court Supreme Court of the State of New York County of Queens: Commercial Division View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005001/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bengaluru, Feb 8 : Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director-General A. K. Singh on Monday said the new agriculture laws will help farmers to increase their income in a big way. Singh's statement comes amidst several farmers protesting on Delhi's borders since November seeking repeal of three new farm laws. Addressing the annual Five-day National Horticulture Fair 2021 organised by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru virtually, Singh said that by eliminating middlemen, farmers will receive a larger share of profit for their produce. "These laws have great potential for horticulture crop diversification and farmers are going to realise a better price in the future," he contended Singh claimed that the union government's proactive policies and with farmers' efforts the horticultural production is likely to surpass foodgrain production in the next five years. He said that technologies developed by ICAR have significantly contributed to increasing agriculture production. He added that schemes like Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) scheme and the student Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana (READY) scheme have proved to be very effective in attracting rural educated youth to agriculture. Apart from this, the union government's setting up the agri-business incubation centres have also encouraged new agro start-ups to come up across the country, Singh said. In an effort to increase employment opportunities in the agriculture sector, the union government had launched Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) at Krishi Vigyan Kendras to help farmers to become entrepreneurs, he explained. "We (ICAR) are providing all the technical support to such programmes," he said and added that these steps have not only increased employment opportunities to the youth but also enhanced income for farmers too," he said. St Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard issued the following statement on the death of retired St. Landry Parish Sheriff and Chief Deputy Laura Balthazar. Sheriff Laura Balthazar was a respected community leader, advocate, and veteran of the St. Landry Parish Sheriffs Office. She was truly a role model to all in the parish. For her service to her parish and her community, we owe her a debt of gratitude. As a sign of that gratitude, Ive ordered all St. Landry Parish Government buildings to fly the American flag at half-mast to honor her memory. We must remember Sheriff Balthazar in our hearts as she embodied what it means to be a public servant. Former St. Landry Parish interim Sheriff Laura Balthazar died from complications from COVID-19 at Oschner Lafayette General Medical Center on Friday February 5, 2021. Balthazar was the longtime Chief Deputy for the agency before briefly serving as Interim Sheriff in 2006. London, Feb 8 : Covid-19 testing has been expanded to more companies in England for staff who cannot work from home amidst the ongoing lockdown, as the UK government has urged businesses and employees to also help stop the further spread of Covid-19 in the country. Businesses with more than 50 employees are now able to access lateral flow tests, which can produce results in less than 30 minutes, Xinhua news agency reported. Previously only firms with more than 250 staff qualified for testing. Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged businesses and employees to take up the offer to "stop this virus spreading". "When you consider that around one in three people have the virus without symptoms and could potentially infect people without even knowing it, it becomes clear why focusing testing on those without symptoms is so essential," he said in a statement on Sunday, adding that firms should regularly test staff. The government said the wider criteria would "hugely" increase the number of different businesses that are able to sign up, with small and medium-sized companies now able to take part. Meanwhile, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the expanded workplace testing regime would complement the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the drive to "reopen the economy and recover our way of life as soon as it is safe to do so". The Chambers of Commerce said it would be "working hard to ensure that eligible businesses take up this opportunity". Hancock has confirmed that the UK remains "on track" to complete the vaccination of the top priority groups, which cover 15 million people, by mid-February. Britain aims to offer all adults their first dose by autumn. Currently accounting for the fourth largest coronavirus cases and the fifth highest death toll, the UK's total number of infections and fatalities as of Monday morning stood at 3,957,177 and 112,681, respectively. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, may be on his way back to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) six years afte... A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, may be on his way back to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) six years after he left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Fani-Kayode, a strong critic of the ruling party, left APC for PDP on June 2, 2014. The Nation reports that sources close to him hinted he met with the Chairman, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Gov. Mai Mala Buni and Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello at the Guest House in Abuja on Monday. The closed-door meeting, which lasted for about an hour, was brokered by Bello, who is also chairman of the partys Mobilisation and Sensitisation Committee for ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise. Source at the meeting said the three leaders may have concluded plans for the return of the former Minister to APC. Fani-Kayode on Sunday night met with Bello in his Wuse Zone 6 residence in Abuja before he led the former Minister to the party chairmans Guest House. Confirming his meeting with Kogi Governor, Fani-Kayode on his Twitter page simply wrote: It was an honor to have spent quality time with my friend & brother Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state last night. We had a frank, candid, fruitful & productive discussion about the way forward for our country. This is a clear case of politics without bitterness & of building bridges. He was however silent on his subsequent meeting with Buni. Announcing his resignation from APC, the former Minister said, I wish to inform the general public that as at today, 2nd June 2014, I have left the APC and gone back to the PDP. I wish the APC well in all their endeavours, but as at today, we have parted ways forever and my spirit has left them. Bosses who demand their staff get the coronavirus vaccine in order to work would not be breaking the law, ministers believe, potentially paving the way for 'a jab for a job'. Firms who insist on workers having a Covid-19 immunisation and take action against those who refuse on non-medical grounds would be covered by heath and safety laws requiring them to have a duty of care for their staff, it is believed. The idea of employers forcing staff to get a jab is controversial, with the Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi previously branding it 'discriminatory'. Charlie Mullins, the high profile founder of pipe-unblocking giant Pimlico Plumbers is one of those who has said he would insist his staff had the jab to protect his workers and customers. The issue has reportedly divided Whitehall, with some ministers supporting the enforced vaccination scheme in the interests of 'public health' whilst others believe it would foster discrimination, The Telegraph reports. There are fears it could be seen to discriminate against minority communities where take-up of the vaccine has been lower. But a source told the paper: 'If someone is working in an environment where people haven't been vaccinated it becomes a public health risk. 'Health and safety laws say you have to protect other people at work, and when it becomes about protecting other people the argument gets stronger. 'If people have allergies or other reasons for not getting jabbed, then of course they should be exempt, but where it's an unjustified fear we have got to help people get into the right place.' However, Downing Street this afternoon hit back, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman saying: 'Taking a vaccine is not mandatory and it would be discriminatory to force somebody to take one.' Key Worker Mark Reid from North Shields receives the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination hub at the Centre For Life in Newcastle, January 9 2021 Charlie Mullins, the high profile founder of pipe-unblocking giant Pimlico Plumbers said he would insist his staff had the jab to protect his workers and customers The source added that those with a medical reason for not being vaccinated, such as an allergy, should be exempt from the scheme - and that ministers had considered introducing new health and safety legislation. Yesterday vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi spoke out against the prospect of 'vaccine passports', which would provide state-issued proof that an individual had been vaccinated, suggesting the documentation would lead to discrimination. Asked whether the Government is considering issuing vaccine passports, Mr Zahawi told Sophy Ridge on Sky News: 'No, we're not. One, we don't know the impact of the vaccines on transmission. 'Two, it would be discriminatory and I think the right thing to do is to make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport. 'If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you've had the vaccine. But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK.' Although there is little precedent for companies being taken to court over the decision to sack unvaccinated employees, tribunals have previously ruled in favour of bosses who have dismissed staff for failing to isolate with infectious disease, The Telegraph reports. Nick Wilcox, a partner at employment law specialists BDBF, told the Guardian that mandatory vaccinations 'could be an issue', advising employers to consult workers about jabs rather than imposing them. Data from the Department for Health shows that Britain recorded 15,845 cases yesterday, down by 25 per cent from 21,088 cases last Sunday. The number of daily Covid-related deaths fell 36 per cent week-on-week, from 587 last Sunday down to 373 today, the figures show The debate comes as the number of people in the UK who have received a first dose of a vaccine passed the 12 million mark, with jabs administered at a rate of almost 1,000 per minute during a one hour period over the weekend. Figures showed that a further 373 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, bringing the UK total to 112,465. Companies calling for a no jab, no job, approach could indirectly encourage other discrimination. According to an analysis of NHS England vaccination data by the Royal College of General Practitioners mixed ethnicity, Asian and black minorities, are respectively, approximately only 33, 47 and 64 per cent as likely to receive the vaccine as white people. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Rishikesh, India, Feb 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :At least 200 people are missing in northern India after a piece of Himalayan glacier fell into a river, causing a torrent that tore through two power plants and swept away roads and bridges, police said on Sunday. Three bodies have been found and a desperate operation has been launched to rescue about 20 people trapped in a tunnel, the Uttarakhand state police chief said. The massive surge of water swept through the Dhauliganga river valley, destroying everything in its path, videos taken by terrified residents showed. "There was a cloud of dust as the water went by. The ground shook like an earthquake," local inhabitant Om Agarwal told Indian tv. Most of the missing were workers at two power plants that were battered by the deluge, caused by a huge chunk of glacier that slipped off a mountainside further upstream, said the police chief Ashok Kumar. "There were 50 workers at Rishi Ganga plant and we have no information about them. Some 150 workers were at Tapovan," he added. "About 20 are trapped inside a tunnel. We are trying to reach the trapped workers."With the main road washed away, the tunnel was filled with mud and rocks, and paramilitary rescuers had to climb down a hillside on ropes to reach the entrance. Hundreds of troops and paramilitaries along with military helicopters and other aircraft have been sent to the region. The President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, has admonished leaders of the African Union (AU) to remain focused on the impressive and laudable work of reforming and keeping the Continental Body afloat in the interest of the African people. President Weah acknowledged that tremendous progress was made under then Chairman of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. He called on his counterparts to work assiduously for "more targeted and practical actions which will ensure that reform in the African Union structures translate into tangible benefits in the lives and livelihoods of our people." Making remarks at the 34th Extraordinary Session of the AU held on Saturday, February 6, 2021 via video-conference, President Weah emphasized the urgency to finalize outstanding proposed structures as the AU is gravitating towards electing new leadership that will effectively and efficiently lead the organization and deliver key priorities under the Structural Reform plan. President Weah stated: "To achieve this, we as leaders will have to take deliberate steps, collectively and in our respective countries, so that the impact of these reforms is manifested through stronger continental economic integration, ease in trade and commerce, and free intra-continental movement." President Weah reaffirmed Liberia's commitment to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) agreement. He stressed that he has made the ratification of the Agreement a top priority of his Legislative Agenda for 2021. "Once ratified by all member states, ACFTA will become an even stronger tool for economic growth on the African Continent," he said. On the issue of the Quota System, the Liberian Leader accentuated the importance of its full utilization by all AU Member States, noting that the Liberian delegation was in support of the proposal by the R10 Team. According to the Quota System, the august body should give important consideration to the principle of solidarity and payment of contributions. "My delegation would like to state that this key component should not be the sole choice of the Commission, but should also be in conjunction with member states," the President emphasized. In another development, President Weah has bemoaned findings of the Forensic Audit Report conducted by the organization as not encouraging. He expressed optimism that the right thing can be done, beginning with the implementation of the recommendations of the Report and the extension of such audit to other organs of the African Union. He said the Liberian delegation was also in line with the decision to adopt the budget for the year 2022, without any funding gap in accordance with the golden rules. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Governance Liberia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. On the burning issue of insecurity on various parts of the Continent caused by insurgencies and terroristic activities, President Weah called for urgent and tougher action to suppress the situation. He warned that "the persistent attacks by terrorists in some parts of West Africa, including Mali, where troops from the Liberian army are serving under a multi-national peace-keeping force, need urgent attention." The Liberian Leader made particular mention of the rising threat to Maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, stating "we must adopt stringent measures to curtail this unacceptable situation." He extolled the former Chairperson of the AU, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his incredible contribution, while at the same time thanking the new Chairperson, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who he said assumed the leadership of the Union at a challenging time. The 34th Extraordinary Session of the AU ends on Sunday, February 7, 2021. Liberia's delegation also includes Ministers Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah (Foreign Affairs), Ledgerhood Rennie (Information, Culture and Tourism), Trokon Kpui (State Without Portfolio) and Maritime Commissioner, Lenn Eugene Nagbe and Advisor Emmanuel Shaw. 7th Pay Commission: Why the TA for CG employees will not increase despite rise in DA 7th Pay Commission: Delay in restoration of DA likely as key meet gets postponed 7th Pay Commission: Variable DA for CG employees hiked, all you should know 7th Pay Commission: CG employees likely to get DA hike this month India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: An announcement on the dearness allowance hike under the 7th Pay Commission is likely to be made this month. The buzz around the 4 per cent hike in DA has been generated after the announcement of the All India Consumer Price Index. In March 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had approved to release an additional instalment of DA to the CG employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from January 1 2020. The Ministry of Finance said that there will be an increase of the Basic Pay/Pension to compensate for the price rise. The impact on the exchequer as a result of the DA and DR was fixed at Rs 12,510.04 crore per annum and Rs 14,595.04 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (for a period of 14 months from January, 2020 to February, 2021). 7th Pay Commission: Update on LTC and income tax for CG employees This would benefit around 48.34 lakh CG employees and 65.26 lakh pensioners. In another development relating to the 7th Pay Commission, the government decided to extend the Disability Compensation for all serving employees. This decision would go a long way and especially provide relief for those in the central armed police force (CAPF), personnel of the BSF, CISF, BSF etc. "In a significant New Year decision, "Disability Compensation" has been extended for all serving govt employees, if they get disabled while performing their service & are still retained in service. This also includes those who were appointed on or after 1.1.2004 & covered under NPS," Union Minister, Jitendra Singh said. "In a significant New Year decision, "Disability Compensation" has been extended for all serving govt employees, if they get disabled while performing their service & are still retained in service. This also includes those who were appointed on or after 1.1.2004 & covered under NPS," Union Minister, Jitendra Singh said. The decision relating to the NPS would also benefit employees and provide ease of living for government servants even after they have superannuated and become pensioners or family pensioners or elder citizens, he also said. The 2009 order said that those government servants appointed on or after January 1 2004 and covered under the National Pension Scheme (NPS) do not get such compensation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 16:13 [IST] Xiaomi will launch the Mi 11 series globally today and it could mark the debut of the much-rumoured Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Lite. The Mi 11 launched as the first Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone in December 2020 and now it seems like the company is ready to announce a Pro and an affordable variant in the lineup. The global pricing of the Mi 11 series has also leaked online and it could start from EUR 799 for the base variant. Xiaomi will also be launching the Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 globally alongside the Mi 11 series and more ecosystem products. Here is how to watch the launch of Mi 11 and what to expect from the upcoming products. Xiaomi Mi 11 series global launch: How to watch it live Xiaomi has scheduled the global launch of the Mi 11 lineup at 5:30 PM IST on February 8. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. We have embedded the relevant links below, and you can even visit the YouTube live stream to set a reminder for when the launch begins. Make every day special with #MovieMagic. Watch the #Mi11 global launch at 20:00 (GMT+8) on February 8, 2021! https://t.co/QWqPZ4WAaQ Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) February 1, 2021 Xiaomi Mi 11 specifications Xiaomi Mi 11 features a 6.81-inch QHD+ (3200x1400 pixels) resolution display that uses an AMOLED panel with support for 120Hz refresh rate. It has a new design with curved edges and a squircle camera module. The screen is also topped with a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus for added protection. The Mi 11 also has a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 108MP camera with an f/1.85 aperture, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 123-degree field-of-view and a 5MP macro camera. On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera housed within the punch-hole cutout. Xiaomi has equipped the Mi 11 with a 4,600mAh battery that supports 55W fast charging and 50W fast wireless charging. We can expect Xiaomi to launch the Mi 11 series in India in the next few weeks. A Xiaomi India executive has already confirmed that they are looking to bring the entire Mi 11 lineup to India soon. Theres no official date for the India launch yet, but we will keep you posted whenever it is revealed. Chennai: Indicating her willingness to re-unite with the AIADMK and defeat the partys common enemy, VK Sasikala said that she would dedicate the rest of her life for the AIADMKs progress. On Sasikala way to Chennai, addressing supporters who had lined up along the highway, Sasikala said that they to reunite under the AIADMK banner and fight their common enemy. However, but for those of MGR and Jayalalithaa, her speech did not refer to any individuals who are at the helm of either AIADMK or DMK. Sasikala, the close confidante of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, is on her way to Chennai after completing her four-year sentence in a corruption case. Her return to the states political arena gains significance as it occurs barely two months ahead of the crucial Assembly polls. While Sasikala herself cannot contest polls for the next six years, the clout she had held in the AIADMK is too well known. Aside from her clout within the party, she also hails from an influential community, which has its strongholds in Southern Tamil Nadu. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also belongs to the same community. Referring to the legacy of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and four-time Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, Sasikala spoke of working for the partys welfare as children of one mother. I wish to tell you that this movement should not be shattered owing to the whims and fancies of a few, she said. In the same vein, she added that she was a slave before the partys ideology, peoples love and cadres affection, but she would not fear oppression. Such an announcement from Sasikala comes on a day when AIADMK Minister D. Jayakumar brushed aside VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran as being the B-Team of the DMK. The understanding between TTV Dinakaran and DMKs Stalin goes back to the Assembly by-election days and continues even now. TTV-led AMMK contested by-elections to covertly benefit DMK. How many ever B-teams the DMK brings, they cant defeat the AIADMK and we are clear that Sasikalas gang is not required Jayakumar alleged. While Chief Minister K Palaniswami echoed the view that Sasikala would not be allowed to re-unite the with AIADMK, another senior leader KP Munusamy had a different view. Munusamy had said that Sasikala would be allowed to re-join if she tendered an apology. It remains to be seen what Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam would have to say about the same. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) A lawmaker called on the government's economic managers Monday to take a second look at the proposed 420-billion stimulus package pending in the House of Representatives instead of saying outright it can't be funded. Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo said the passage of the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act has become more urgent in light of the rising prices of basic goods and the contraction of the economy by 9.5% in 2020. Quimbo filed House Bill 8628, otherwise known as the Bayanihan 3 bill, with Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco. "Sana they take a second look at this Bayanihan 3 and to objectively assess lahat ng ating datos na pumapasok, particularly na po ang job losses, business closures," she said in an interview. [Translation: I hope they take a second look at Bayanihan 3 and objectively assess all the data coming in, particularly on job losses, business closures.] Quimbo, an economist, said she is hopeful that President Rodrigo Duterte will certify the bill as urgent. Among the key provisions of the Bayanihan 3 bill include: - 108 billion for the implementation of the social amelioration program for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic - 52 billion to subsidize small businesses for wages and other worker-related expenses - 100 billion for the capacity building of businesses in critically impacted sectors - 70 billion to help the agriculture sector - 30 billion for unemployment assistance and cash for work programs of the Department of Labor and Employment Quimbo said there's money to fund the implementation of the Bayanihan 3 bill, noting the various loans taken out by the government for COVID-19 response. Citing data from the national treasury, she said the government's cash balance as of the end of November 2020 stood at 1.6 trillion. "Ang total loans po natin, ayon sa cash report ng Treasury is 2.82 trillion for 2020. So, if you think about those huge amounts, tingin ko naman a 420-billion economic stimulus package should be affordable at this point," Quimbo said. [Translation: According to the cash report of the Treasury, our total loans amounted to 2.82 trillion for 2020. So, if you think about those huge amounts, I believe a 420-million economic stimulus package should be affordable at this point.] Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy was pictured back on the set of series six for the first time on Monday after production was delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cillian, 44, who plays the lead character, who plays Thomas Shelby in the BBC drama was photographed at Portsoy harbour in Aberdeenshire. The show has been running for eight years and has enjoyed huge popularity but the sixth season has been confirmed as the final one. By order of the coronavirus guidelines! Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy was finally pictured back on set for the first time in Aberdeen on Monday after series six production was delayed due to the pandemic Enjoy it while it lasts: The show has been running for eight years and has enjoyed huge popularity but the sixth season has been confirmed as the final one Cillian was no doubt feeling the cold as he commenced filming in Scotland wearing his trademark flat cap, suit and overcoat. Crew were mostly all wearing masks and the BBC has said that the production complies with the latest restrictions.' Peaky Blinders tell the story of a family set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Shelby. The show is expected to return 'in another form' after filming draws to a close on its sixth and final series. Resuming: Crew were mostly all wearing masks and the BBC has said that the production complies with the latest restrictions' Incredible: Peaky Blinders tell the story of a family set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Thomas Shelby Show writer and creator Stephen Knight believes it can be extended, possibly as a feature length spin-off. Speaking to LADbible at the Peaky Blinders Festival in Birmingham in 2019, he said: 'I would [consider doing a film]. 'The end scene is the end of this as a television series the way it is now, but it's certainly not ruling out spin offs or a movie. 'So I think there's something about Peaky where it's a world, lots of people have different interpretations of that world, so I'm all for keeping the spirit going.' Staying safe: Most of the cast and crew were wearing masks and no doubt testing had taken place Brrr: Cillian was no doubt feeling the cold as he commenced filming in Scotland wearing his trademark flat cap, suit and overcoat More Tommy? Show writer and creator Stephen Knight believes it can be extended, possibly as a feature length spin-off In a statement, Knight said: 'Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher' He added: 'We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form' Director Anthony Byrne, who previously worked on series five and will contribute to the sixth, also insisted the show could work as a big-screen theatrical production. He said: 'I think a film 100 percent could work, but I'd rather watch six hours than two. Simple as that. You can go deeper into characters and spend more time in their world I think.' In a statement, Knight said: 'Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher. Meanwhile, Executive Producer for the BBC Tommy Bulfin said of the show: 'We are very excited that filming for Peaky Blinders has begun and so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen' He added: 'Steve's scripts for series six are truly remarkable and provide a fitting send-off which we are sure will delight fans' Production: Steven also wrote the scripts for the sixth series, while Anthony Byrne is set to return as director after doing so in the last season Tense: The actors appeared to be filming a heated argument during the shoot 'We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.' Meanwhile, Executive Producer for the BBC Tommy Bulfin said of the show: 'We are very excited that filming for Peaky Blinders has begun and so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen. 'Steve's scripts for series six are truly remarkable and provide a fitting send-off which we are sure will delight fans.' Steven also wrote the scripts for the sixth series, while Anthony Byrne is set to return as director after doing so in the last season. Dapper: Cillian looked suave as ever in a dark suit and a grey cap for filming Hill County Commissioners Discuss Special Agenda Items The Hill County Commissioners Court met in a special session Tuesday, February 2, to consider several special agenda items. The court approved an agreement with Southern Health Partners to provide inmate medical services in the county jail. The company has been providing inmate medical services in Hill County since 2009. A part-time maintenance position was also approved by the court. Due to the pandemic, the usual assistance from inmate trustees has not been possible, and the new employee is expected to help the county keep up with maintenance jobs. A variance requested by a landowner in the 100 block of Farm Road 2114 in Aquilla was approved by the court. County Judge Justin Lewis said that a small tract of land cut off from the main tract by the roadway is being transferred to another landowner. The court declared information technology items and miscellaneous equipment from Precinct 2 as salvage or surplus equipment to allow them to be sold. In open forum, Doreen Strickland of Abbott Volunteer Fire Department thanked the court for listening to the county's firefighters. "We are willing to put 100% effort into working towards a positive meeting of the minds so we can get our volunteers more active again," she said. The next regular meeting of the court is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9. Aditya Roy Kapur is all set for his next titled OM: The Battle Within, which is touted to be an out-and-out action film. The actor is currently busy filming some high-octane action sequences for the forthcoming flick. Fans are anticipating some never-seen-before stunts and sequences from the film. The highly-anticipated action-thriller directed by Kapil Verma went on floors in December last year. While speaking to Pinkvilla during a recent interview, the filmmaker revealed details of all that went in Adityas training of nearly five months for his big action sequence. Spilling beans about the scene, Kapil explained that it is a massive action sequence for which Aditya has been training hard. For a scene where Adityas character rescues a person from the prison, a huge county jail set has been set up in Filmcity. Shedding some light, he said that the jail is set somewhere overseas and his character is combating mercenaries in the sequence. Elaborating further, Kapil added that Aditya has been through rigorous preparations for the film and in the last five months, he has undergone multiple trainings. Aditya tookMixed Martial Arts (MMA), Krav Maga and Kung Fu andan assault weapon training course. It is anticipated that the ongoing climax sequence will continue for the next 15 days. The set of the film has been erected in the Goregaon Filmcity. The team is filming the climax currently in a bio-bubble amid the ongoing pandemic. After a schedule in Turkey, the unit will call it a wrap. Besides Aditya and Jackie Shroff, the film also features Sanjana Sanghi as the female lead. The Kapil Verma directorial will mark the first-ever big-screen collaboration of Jackie and Aditya. The former will play Aditya's father in the upcoming film. Bankrolled by Ahmed Khan, Shaira Khan and Zee Studios, the film is slated to release in summer 2021. Chinese spies have been looting British universities for years. That is one scandal. The other even more outrageous is that we are only now waking up to it. The fact that almost 200 leading UK academics are being investigated for their unwitting connections to Chinese weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes is scarcely surprising. As the think-tank Civitas details in its new report, 20 British universities have relationships with 29 military-linked Chinese universities and nine military-linked firms. Indeed, Chinas interest in our technology has long been overt. In October 2015, just two years after he became president, Xi Jinping made a point of visiting the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University during his trip to Britain. Graphene is a great British discovery, the worlds first super-material. It is one million times thinner than a single human hair, 200 times stronger than steel and more conductive than copper. In October 2015, just two years after he became president, Xi Jinping made a point of visiting the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University. Pictured: scientist with graphene It has the potential to transform our lives, used in everything from electronics and biomedicine to transport, defence and energy production. Manchester marked the Chinese leaders visit by proudly announcing a research partnership with Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant. Plus ca change! Now we have learned Oxford University is to rename its most prestigious professorship of physics after a Chinese software company which, according to a Pentagon report, has links to the regimes security agencies. But such sponsorships, research partnerships and commercial deals between British universities and China are starting to lose their gloss. Take Huawei, for example. Once seen as a vital partner in Britains 5G future, it is now seen as a menace an out-station of the Chinese Communist Party, and intimately linked with its repression at home and espionage abroad. In July last year, Boris Johnson announced a ban on the purchase of any new Huawei 5G equipment and ordered all of its existing technology to be stripped from the countrys telecommunications networks by 2027. The prestigious Wykeham chair of physics at Oxford University (pictured) will now be known as the Tencent-Wykeham chair in honour of the computing conglomerate, sources have revealed The recent violent crackdown in Hong Kong and the introduction of a draconian new security law, along with claims of genocide against Muslim Uighurs, have accelerated concern. Belatedly, we are facing up to the reality that, under the guise of academic or commercial collaboration, our scientists and engineers allowed the regime access to our best technology including aircraft, missile design and cyber-weapons. We have only ourselves to blame because we have ignored the warnings. Chinas relentless search for foreign secrets was outlined in a series of devastating reports by analyst Alex Joske. In 2018, he published a groundbreaking investigation called Picking flowers, making honey a reference to the Peoples Liberation Armys own description of its activities: Picking flowers in foreign lands to make honey in China. Since 2007, Joske noted, the PLA (the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party) has sponsored more than 2,500 military scientists and engineers to study abroad. Tens of thousands of other Chinese scholars abroad have no overt ties to their countrys armed forces or spy agencies, but they can still be forced to co-operate. Beijing believes anyone with Chinese ethnicity is duty-bound to help the motherland unquestioningly. Failure to do so invites severe punishment. And now it is becoming clear the extent to which homegrown academics have been helping them, albeit inadvertently and often with the blessing of their university authorities and even our own Government. Universities have been told to haul in lucrative overseas students, to find external funding sources for their research and to commercialise their products wherever possible. In each case, China has been the answer more often than not part of the golden age in Sino-British relations initiated by the Cameron government. As the Mail reported in July 2020, British universities depend on 120,000 students from mainland China bringing in about 4billion in fees each year. That hardly encourages university administrators to ask searching questions about other activities. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered all Huawei technology to be stripped from the country's telecommunications networks by 2027 and has banned purchase on 5G equipment This paper has also highlighted a series of alarming links, including Cambridge Universitys ties to a Chinese military institution blacklisted by the US government, and Nottingham Universitys multi-million pound deal with Chinas main supplier of military aircraft. During the Cold War, we had a tightly controlled system governing technology exports to the old Eastern Bloc. The Soviet KGB still stole secrets, but in the USSRs decrepit planned economy these hard-won successes rarely turned into usable products. Modern China, by contrast, is a mighty economy. It uses our secrets ruthlessly. In many respects, such as super-fast quantum computing and applications for artificial intelligence, it is already far ahead. Moreover, whereas the Soviet Unions arsenal relied on a narrow range of technologies chiefly nuclear submarines and missiles Chinas WMD draw on a vast range of scientific research. Anything that makes materials stronger and lighter such as graphene is of potential use. So too are advances in acoustics, fluid dynamics and other fields involving mathematic wizardry. They help keep submarines undetectable. The breadth of British scientific expertise, in short, is both a triumph and a problem. Whatever China wants to steal, it will find on our shores. True, Britains new National Security Investment Bill, introduced into Parliament last November, now gives extraordinarily sweeping powers to scrutinise and block deals. But right now the sound of doors banging on empty stables is deafening. The real problem is that Britain is an open society in a globalised world. We thrive or so we assumed on free exchange of ideas. But the Chinese Communist Party is a ruthless rival bent on world domination by 2050. Our universities can no longer ignore the fact that the knowledge and expertise they are sharing may be put to malign use. So how might we counter the threat? Declining sponsorship for chairs in physics is certainly one way. But there are lessons to be learned from the close co-operation between counter-terrorism authorities and universities which has brought considerable success in beating back the radical extremists infesting our campuses. We have also built close ties between Government experts and universities when it comes to cyber-security. We need the same model, with discreet advice and warnings flowing in both directions, when it comes to Chinese industrial espionage and intellectual property theft. If we dont, the hardmen of Beijing will continue to make hay at our expense. Burj Khalifa, which is the world's largest tower, lighted up in red to honour UAEs first Red Planet mission Hope probe'. Burj Khalifa hosts the light show on a daily basis and it diplays special digital images on special events. To mark the success of UAEs first Red Planet mission, it highlighted the importance of the mission with the red beams on the tower. According to scientists, the spacecraft has completed a 7-month long journey to reach the Red Planet's orbit. It would be critical to control the speed of the spacecraft in order to maintain Martian gravity. Burj Khalifa lights up in red, in preparation for the arrival of the Hope Probe to the Red Planet.. Tune in: February 9, 2021#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe pic.twitter.com/NdCvayA1Jm Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 7, 2021 Also Read: Black Hole Goes Dark: Find Out Why This Giant Black Hole Stopped Emitting X-rays Also Read: Next Stop Mars: 3 Spacecraft Arriving In Quick Succession UAE's first Mars mission In July 2020, the United Arab Emirates, China and the US launched spacecraft to Mars, when the Earth and Mars are nearest. However, the UAE's "Hope" probe, is going to be the first of three spacecraft to arrive at Mars in February. According to reports, UAE's spacecraft will arrive at its destination at 7:42 pm on Tuesday (9 February). The UAE will become the fifth country in the world to reach Mars if the spacecraft will make a safe landing on Tuesday, after the United States, former Soviet Union, China, India, and European Space Agency. However, it will be considered the third country to achieve this on its first attempt. Burj Khalifa light shows Burj Khalifa displays digital images, LED, light beams, storytelling and other attractive creatives from 6:15 pm to 10:45 pm. To embark the UAE's historic Mars mission, the tallest tower will also host a countdown to the time their spacecraft will entre the Red Planet's orbit. Also Read: Scientists Discover Cosmic Dust That Holds Ingredients For Star Birth Also Read: Mysterious Mars Landslides May Be Caused By Melting Snow And Underground Salt: Study CMU-Q Student's Art Offers Hope, Inspiration February 08, 2021 Alanoud Al-Ghamdi has transformed a passion for calligraphy into public art pieces that express messages of hope and inspiration. A senior in business administration at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Al-Ghamdi was selected in November 2020 to participate in JEDARIART, Qatar Museum's initiative to infuse Doha with murals and meaningful street art. For JEDARIART, Al-Ghamdi used kufic script, a geometric style used for Quran translation and architectural design, to create a striking mural at Qatar National Library's metro station in Education City. "I chose the prayer, 'and say, My Lord, increase me in knowledge,' because Education City is a place where people from all over the world gather to seek knowledge," she said. State-owned oil and gas company Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Monday reported a 7.3 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,901 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 (Q3FY21). The company posted a profit of Rs 2,051.43 crore in the corresponding period a year ago (Q3FY20). It was Rs 2,589.52 crore in the September quarter (Q2FY21). However, on a standalone basis, the net profit came in at Rs 2,778 crore in the latest December quarter, up over 120 per cent year-on-year, compared with Rs 1,261 crore in the same period a year earlier. Revenue from operations rose marginally year-on-year at Rs 87,292.62 crore compared to the revenue of Rs 85,927 crore during the same period a year earlier. It was Rs 66,331.22 crore in the September quarter. The total expenses fell 1.4 per cent at Rs 83,256.54 crore in the December quarter, compared with Rs 84,496 crore in the corresponding quarter, a year earlier. The total income in Q3FY21, meanwhile, stood at Rs 88,027.16 crore. Refining throughput came in at 9.11 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the December quarter, down from 9.81 MMT in the year ago period. The average gross refining margin (GRM) of the corporation during nine months ended December 31, 2020 is at $2.90 per barrel. Further, the company announced an interim dividend of Rs 16 per share for the financial year 2020-21. It will be paid on or before March, 8, 2021. "The board of directors have fixed February,19 2021 as record date to determine the eligibility of the shareholders to receive the said Interim Dividend," the company said in a stock exchange filing. On Monday, scrip ended 1.17 per cent higher on BSE at Rs 419.90 a piece. 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. Breakbulk Middle East (BBME), the GCCs leading breakbulk and project cargo event, held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, will host their Digital Special tomorrow in the midst of high-level officials and professionals from the breakbulk and project cargo industry. The live-in person event is scheduled to be held on February 1-2, 2022, a statement said. Over the years, Breakbulk Middle East has established itself as a recognized forum that allows engaging discussion between changemakers in the industry. Through their various endeavours, they have fuelled industry growth. Tackling critical topics The event will feature discussions on topics of importance like the significant role of women in the industry and the need to educate the younger generation about the industry and the opportunities available. Speaking about the strategic topics that BBME highlights, H.R.H. Princess Sarah Al Saud, Director of Maritime Business Development at the International Forum for Maritime Transport, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport explained: Talking about women in the industry was very important as they have been a major part in the success of the industry. The team at BBME, has year after year, focused on this subject and ensured that women dont shy away from exploring career opportunities in the industry. In a way, it is a reason why we see so many women leading key organizations today. I am thrilled to be a part of the Digital Special as it will shed light on some critical issues that we are facing today, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof. Dr Ismail Abdelghafar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport emphasized: There is no doubt that the industry has achieved great heights, but we must not forget that securing the future is also integral. Educating the younger generation about the ample opportunities in the industry is an urgent need. In this regard, BBME has constantly done their bit. Their Education Day initiative has been eye-opening for aspiring professionals. They not only learn about the fundamentals of the industry, but they also get the opportunity to interact with some leading names in the sector. A one-of-its-kind experience With the constantly evolving business landscape, this years event will be different, yet bigger and better. The Digital Special will provide professionals with an accessible platform to discuss industry challenges despite the global crisis. Featuring on-demand content, it will tackle a multitude of topics, ranging from business outlook, lessons from the pandemic, digitalisation and more. Eagerly looking forward to the virtual edition, Ben Blamire, Event Director, Breakbulk Middle East, said: For years, we have provided a platform for the industry to discuss pertinent concerns. We are glad that we are back this year too, though in a different format. The pandemic could not stop us from being back as we understand the importance of the event in the industry. Considering the era we are living in, we were able to identify specific themes that would best elevate the UAE, and the regional breakbulk industrys status. We are certain that all our attendees will be enriched with strategic insights and learn from the best in the industry. Leslie Meredith, Marketing Director, Breakbulk Events & Media said: As the registrations for this years edition are coming to a close, we are thrilled with the response we have received. Both government and private sector entities have come forward to show their support for the event and we cannot be more grateful. The industrys support has helped us achieve a leading status as one of the leading events in the project cargo and breakbulk sector. And we are confident that it will be only up and upwards from here. We have consciously approached this years event with the intent of ensuring agenda topics reflect the needs of all those involved, and seek to inspire relevant discussions that enhance the overall landscape of the UAE, its maritime stability, and the global breakbulk sector. Breakbulk Middle East Digital Special will be free for all. Breakbulk also recently launched the Breakbulk365 program that includes engaging webinars and the BreakbulkONE Show to ensure the project cargo industry stays connected and updated on insights and regional information at all times. TradeArabia News Service New Delhi, Feb 8 : Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected a suspension notice given by CPI MP Binoy Vishwam and Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi under rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure of the House. Vishwam has given notice to discuss the issue of floods in Uttarakhand glacier burst disaster and Chaturvedi into the probe in the TRP scam and investigation. The Chair did not accept both the notices. "Everyone is concerned about the disaster, but we should wait for all the details to come in and then allow the Home Minister to apprise the Uttarakhand situation to the House," Naidu said. Till now relief and rescue operation is being done by the government and agencies in the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who visited Chamoli in wake of the deluge following the glacier burst on Sunday, said that "over 125 people are missing and the number is likely to rise further". The incident occurred after the water level in Dhauliganga river, one of the six sources of the Ganga river, suddenly surged on Sunday morning following an avalanche near the Rishi Ganga Power Project. The 85 km river meets the Alaknanda river at Vishnuprayag at the base of Joshimath mountain in Uttarakhand. The ITBP said that the flash flood occurred in Rishi Ganga at around 10.45 a.m. due to a glacier falling into it and exponentially increasing the volume of water. The TRP scam is about some particular TV channels which has manipulated the ratings of their channels. "Priyankaji should give notice on some other rules then I will consider it under rules," Venkaiah Naidu said. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company") Closed Period - Compliance with Market Abuse Regulation The Company confirms that it entered into a closed period on 7 February 2021 (in accordance with the provisions of the EU Market Abuse Regulation) in relation to the announcement of the Company's results for the year ended 31 December 2020. The Company further confirms that all inside information which the Directors and the Company may have had to the date of this announcement has been notified to a Regulatory Information Service. Accordingly, in the absence of any new undisclosed inside information arising, the Company is not prohibited from dealing in its own securities during this closed period. 8 February 2021 LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58 Enquiries: Kenneth Greig Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited Tel: 0131 270 3800 The Company's registered office address is: 27-31 Melville Street Edinburgh EH3 7JF The US has given its support to the Nigerian candidate for the top position at the World Trade Organization, ending a month-long deadlock. The move represents yet another split with the previous administration. Nigeria's former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is poised to become the next head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after US President Joe Biden's administration gave her its "full support" on Friday. If she is confirmed, Okonjo-Iweala will be both the first African and the first woman to hold the position. The US move is another change of direction from the Trump administration, which had paralyzed the selection procedure by throwing its weight behind the South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee, in opposition to many other member countries. Yoo pulled out on Friday after consulting with the new US administration, which had been her main backer, leaving the way open for Okonjo-Iweala. The US Trade Representative defended its backing of the Nigerian candidate saying that she had a "wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy" as well as "proven experience managing a large international organization." "The Biden Administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO," the US Trade Representative added. Biden administration breaks deadlock The WTO traditionally chooses its leader through consensus among its 164 member states, but this was brought to a deadlock in October by the Trump administration's refusal to back down over its chosen candidate. The former president had threatened to leave the organization following ongoing trade disputes with China as well as constant attacks from Washington which crippled the functionality of the WTO's dispute settlement appeal system. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Nigeria International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. A spokesman for the organization told AFP that the next General Council meeting "could be called at short notice" since the previous one in October had been suspended due to the deadlock. This would allow the WTO to finally replace Roberto Azevedo who stepped down in August. Who is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? The 66-year-old Okonjo-Iweala trained as a development economist, acquired degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, and was previously the managing director at the World Bank. In her home country of Nigeria, she was the first female foreign minister as well as holding the position of finance minister twice. (AFP, Reuters) Bruker Corporation and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) jointly announced the establishment of the Bruker Arabia office at the KAUST Research and Technology Park, furthering the trusted partnership between the two organizations. Opening ceremony of the new customer support center at KAUST research and technology park. (left to right) Jason Serin, Manager of Lab Equipment Maintenance LEM, KAUST Core Labs Nawaf Algain, Manager of Tenant Affairs, KAUST Research and Technology Park Ohoud Alharbi, Executive Business Manager, Bruker Arabia Dr. Kevin Cullen, VP, Innovation and Economic Development, KAUST Dr. Daniel Acevedo-Feliz, Interim Director of KAUST Core Labs and Research Infrastructure Dr. Kun Li, Facility Director of Imaging and Characterization Core Labs. Image Credit: Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging The Universitys partnership with Bruker began more than a decade ago, with Bruker a key partner in equipping the KAUST laboratories. Over the years, the relationship has grown successfully in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance, leading to the establishment of the KAUST-Bruker Center of Excellence (CoE) for Magnetic Resonance in 2018 within the Universitys Core Laboratories. The CoE bridges people, ideas and scientific knowledge from around the world to bring high-value life science and materials science solutions to the community. The collaboration has recently expanded into broader technological fields to include X-ray analytical instrumentations, mass spectrometry and surface science. Bruker and KAUST expect a positive and significant impact from the new Bruker Arabia office on research and development at the University and the scientific research community across the region. The new level of customer support will connect the research community with Bruker, helping to pave the way for new scientific discoveries in functional structural biology, proteomics and metabolomics research as well as molecular and cellular science. KAUST aspires to be the deep tech heart of the Saudi Economy and the KAUST Research Park is central to achieving this goal. University-industry collaborations are critical in accelerating impactful science and innovation and we are delighted to welcome Bruker to our dynamic and innovative community of more than 50 companies. This is another step in our long-standing partnership with Bruker to enable technological advancements that benefit KAUST, the Kingdom and the world. Dr. Kevin Cullen, Vice President of Innovation and Economic Development, KAUST Dr. Falko Busse, President of the Bruker BioSpin Group said: This level of enhanced support from Bruker, in conjunction with the universitys expert staff, comprehensive research ecosystem and scientific research infrastructure, places KAUST in a preeminent position in Saudi Arabia, the region and the international scientific community. Our long and fruitful relationship with KAUST and its world-class researchers is an example of how earnest vendor-customer relationships lead to better scientific outcomes. The KAUST-Bruker CoEs memorandum of understanding gives KAUST the opportunity to view Brukers future technical roadmap, said Christian Canlas, KAUST Imaging and Characterization Core Lab Team Lead and Senior Staff Scientist, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Having a Bruker office on campus marks another key milestone in our mutually beneficial partnership. ROME, FEB 8 - Premier-designate Mario Draghi on Monday starts a new round of consultations with Italy's political parties on the formation of a new broadly-backed government. President Sergio Mattarella gave the former head of the European Central Bank a mandate to try and form a new government last week after outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte's executive collapsed. With Italy battling the COVID-19 pandemic, holding the presidency of the G20 this year and co-chairing the COP-26 UN Climate Summit with the UK, Mattarella called on the parties in parliament to back a government led by non-political figure rather than holding snap elections at such a delicate time. The first round of talks went well last week, with the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party the only group to give a flat-out No to Draghi. Indeed, the consultations almost went too well, with League leader Matteo Salvini dropping his calls for snap elections and saying he was willing to work with an eventual Draghi government. The prospect of being in the same governing alliances as the right-wing League has caused unease within the centre-left Democratic Party and the left-wing Leu group, both of which were part of the coalition that supported Conte's government. Even the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, another part of what was the ruling majority and the biggest group in parliament, has overcome its aversion to a government led by a technocrat. Conte, who last week said he will not hamper the formation of a Draghi government, has reiterated that he does not intend to be a member of the new cabinet. Conte is close to the M5S and said the movement is the force that can tip the scales one way or another. Sources said Draghi is aiming to report back to Mattarella in the next few days to tell him he no longer has any reservations about accepting the mandate to be premier in order for the new government to be sworn in by Friday. (ANSA). (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Monday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Yourgene Health PLC - Manchester-headquartered molecular diagnostics firm - Says that while strong trading patterns being observed in the second half compared to the first six months of the current financial year mean that double-digit revenue growth is expected for the financial year ending March 31, the "ongoing impact of Covid-19 on ordering patterns in UK and international commerce" is expected to result in full-year revenue below consensus market estimates. "A number of factors associated with the pandemic have continued to impact customer activity levels and created considerable variability in the timing of revenues, such that full year revenues are now expected to be in the range of GBP18-20m, lower than previous guidance but representing solid year-on-year growth of the order of 10-20%," says Yourgene. Says revenue for 2022 financial year expected to be in excess of GBP25 million, with "considerable upside potential". UP Global Sourcing Holdings PLC - designer and developer of consumer goods brands - Says revenue for six months to January 31 up 11% to GBP75.4 million from GBP67.7 million a year ago. Given continuing momentum in order book, the company anticipates its performance in the current financial year will be ahead of expectations, with revenue in excess of GBP135 million versus GBP115.7 million in the 2020 financial year and underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation in excess of GBP12.6 million versus GBP10.4 million. LoopUp Group PLC - cloud communications provider - Confirms it expects revenue for 2020 to be around GBP50.2 million, up from GBP42.5 million in 2019, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of GBP15.3 million, more than double the year before's GBP6.4 million. LoopUp ended the year with gross cash of GBP12.1 million and net debt of GBP700,000, versus GBP3.0 million and GBP11.5 million respectively the year before. Lok'nStore Group PLC - self-storage company - Says trading in half-year to January 31 "strong" with self-storage revenue up 11% on a year ago. "At 31 January 2021 unit occupancy was up 24.7%, a gain of 175,897 sq ft over 12 months. This is a forward indicator of accelerating revenue growth," company notes. Occupancy as a percentage of current lettable area was up to 81.6% this year from 67.1% year before. Notes self-storage businesses have been designated as essential services and are permitted to operate during lockdowns. Cake Box Holdings PLC - eggless cake retailer - Opens 150th store located in Romford. The opening is the company's 66th since its AIM IPO in June 2018. "Alongside the store roll-out programme, the group has continued to make further progress on strategic initiatives including the development of its own-brand delivery platform which complements its existing click & collect and third-party delivery offerings," Cake Box says. Block Energy PLC - oil and gas development and production in Georgia - Says production from the WR-38Z and WR-16aZ wells at its West Rustavi field, Georgia, has recommenced. The wells have been brought back online safely, with oil and gas flowing through Block's new in-field flowline to its early production facility, which is located in the West Rustavi field at the WR-16aZ wellsite. "Production from the Wells remains stable and consistent with the production rates achieved before they were shut-in in April 2020. We continue to make regular sales of our crude oil inventory to local buyers and I look forward to providing a further update about the commencement of gas sales to the market shortly," says Chief Executive Paul Haywood. AssetCo PLC - Middle East-focused provider of management and resources to the fire and emergency services - On Friday acquired additional 2.5 million shares in River & Mercantile Group PLC at GBP2.28 per share, a premium of 2.2% to Thursday's closing price of GBP2.23, with the transaction consideration totalling GBP5.7 million. AssetCo now holds 5.0 million River & Mercantile shares, or just under a 5.9% stake. AssetCo intends to change its business strategy to the development of an asset and wealth management business, and, as a result, this will be a fundamental change of business and the company will effect a readmission of its shares under AIM Rule 14. "The board is committed to completing the readmission process within three months and will provide further updates to shareholders in due course," says AssetCo. Trinity Exploration & Production PLC - exploration & development company - Says 2020 average daily production up 7% to 3,226 barrels of oil per day, with company guiding to production of 2,900 barrels to 3,100 barrels of oil per day in 2021 before drilling of new wells. "Trinity was able to meet production guidance for 2020 despite drilling no new wells. Management has a strategy in place to underpin production levels in the current year, with 2021 production guidance of 2,900 - 3,100 bopd being achieved by increasing efficiencies from existing wells," company says. Fulham Shore PLC - owner of restaurant chains Franco Manca and The Real Greek - Says revenue currently running at around 46% of what board considers to be normal trading levels as it operates under current virus restrictions. Notes that well-publicised difficulties in the property and restaurant sectors are providing the group with opportunities to acquire new sites at "much reduced rents" and lower capital costs per site. Says has now drawn down in full its CLBIL loan facility of GBP10.8 million under the UK government's scheme. Says maturity date of existing GBP14.8 million HSBC RCF loan facility is March 2022, and company is in negotiations with HSBC with a view to extending this facility. Elixirr International PLC - London-based consultancy - Says trading has continued to be strong since October update, with company expecting to record revenue of around GBP30 million for 2020, slightly ahead of market expectations of GBP29.4 million. On an IAS 17 basis, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation expected around GBP9 million, versus market expectations of GBP8.9 million. Adds that it has made a strong strong to 2021, registering another record revenue month in January following three record revenue months during 2020. Tern PLC - internet of things-focused investor - Says portfolio company Device Authority Ltd has formed strategic partnership with EPS Global to enable customers to be able to access end-to-end security lifecycle management and secure the provisioning of PUF-enabled devices. Adds that Fundamental VR has secured an "important contract" from a new client to create a simulation in the field of regenerative medicine, valued at approximately GBP500,000 million in its initial phase, and a further GBP200,000 million over the following three years for enhancements. Goldplat PLC - AIM-listed Africa-focused gold producer - Says recovery operations in six months to December 31 achieved a combined operating profit of GBP3.0 million, up from GBP2.8 million a year ago. Within this, the South African operation achieved an operating profit of GBP2.2 million and the Ghana operation increased operating profitability by more than five-fold to GBP842,000. "I am pleased to report continued operational profitability and especially the improved operational performance in Ghana. We are investing time and resource to achieve our goals of sustainable supply and profitability that can form the base for the declaration of dividends in future," says Chief Executive Werner Klingenberg. Anglo Pacific Group PLC - natural resources royalties business based in London - Reports GBP35 million to GBP37 million in portfolio contribution for 2020, down 40% on a record year in 2019. Decrease in portfolio contribution primarily driven by softening in coal prices during 2020 and an associated reduction in the applicable royalty rate at Kestrel, together with a 10% decrease in sales volumes at Kestrel, company says. Recommends final dividend of 3.75p, resulting in total dividends for 2020 of 9p, flat on 2019. "While I am pleased to report that the operations underlying the Group's portfolio were largely unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic, commodity prices and in particular softer coal prices have resulted in a drop in portfolio contribution for 2020, in what has been a challenging period for all," says Chief Executive Julian Treger. By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Labor will go to the next election with a plan to crack down on rolling contracts that leave workers uncertain whether they will keep their jobs, in a policy leader Anthony Albanese will unveil in Queensland this week. The Opposition Leader will deliver a speech on industrial relations on Wednesday with three other major themes: addressing casualisation, giving more rights to gig economy workers at companies like Uber, and ensuring labour hire workers are paid at least as much as direct employees working alongside them. Labors Anthony Albanese and Kristina Keneally will line up to deliver a one-two punch this week. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Senior frontbencher Kristina Keneally, newly appointed as the oppositions watchdog on government accountability, will set the stage for a one-two punch with Mr Albanese in a speech to the National Press Club on Tuesday. In her speech she will claim an increasing amount is being spent via grants programs, often with limited transparency such as the $2.2 billion community development grants program that only goes to projects invited to apply by the government. Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Democratic 'Squad' member Ayanna Pressley says she felt a 'deep and ancestral' terror while she was barricading herself in her office during last month's Capitol riots as she slammed white supremacist mobs. The Massachusetts congresswoman spoke her fear in an interview on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday - exactly one month after the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol. 'As a black woman, to be barricaded in my office using office furniture and water bottles on the ground in the dark, that terror, those moments of terror, is familiar in a deep and ancestral way for me,' Pressley said. The 46-year-old went on to say that she was haunted by images of black Capitol workers cleaning up after MAGA mob rioters stormed the building on January 6. 'One of the images that I'm haunted by is the Black custodial staff cleaning up the mess left by that violent white supremacist mob,' she said. 'That is a metaphor for America. We have been cleaning up after violent, white supremacist mobs for generations and it must end.' Ayanna Pressley spoke her fear in an interview on CNN 's State of the Union on Sunday - exactly one month after the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol Asked if she still felt unsafe going to work at the Capitol, Pressley said that living with threats wasn't new and, again, likened to attacks black Americans have faced in the past. 'I feel safe. Living with threats and living with bigots, who are as vile in their rhetoric as they are in their policies... and the harm they seek to cause in the most marginalized communities - black Americans in particular, is not new,' she said. 'Again, this is familiar in an ancestral sort of way. So, it is not going to deter or obstruct me from doing my job on behalf of the American people.' Pressley suggested that those who rioted at the Capitol were able to do so because the US has not addressed systemic issues such as racism and inequality. 'As a country, we have been turning the page,' she said. 'If we really believe that this is a moment of reckoning in every way, then we must act accordingly. 'And that means that Donald J. Trump must be held accountable because he is culpable for having incited this insurrection by perpetuating this big lie. 'This House has twice done its job. He will forever be the twice-impeached president. 'And now the Senate must honor their oath and impeach.' She called on senators to convict him so he can be prevented from holding office again. The 46-year-old went on to say that she was haunted by images of black Capitol workers (pictured) cleaning up after MAGA mob rioters stormed the building on January 6 Asked if she still felt unsafe going to work at the Capitol, Pressley said that living with threats wasn't new and, again, likened to attacks black Americans have faced in the past Lawyers for Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of 'political theater' and accused House Democrats on the eve of the former president's trial of exploiting the chaos and trauma of last month's Capitol riot for their party's gain. Trump's legal brief is a wide-ranging attack on the House case, foreshadowing the claims his lawyers intend to present on the same Senate floor that was invaded by rioters on January 6. The sharp-tongued tone, with accusations that Democrats are making 'patently absurd' arguments and trying to 'silence a political opponent,' makes clear that Trump's lawyers are preparing to challenge both the constitutionality of the trial and any suggestion that he was to blame for the insurrection. 'While never willing to allow a 'good crisis' to go to waste, the Democratic leadership is incapable of understanding that not everything can always be blamed on their political adversaries, no matter how very badly they may wish to exploit any moment of uncertainty on the part of the American people,' the defense lawyers say. In their brief, they suggest that Trump was simply exercising his First Amendment rights when he disputed the election results and argue that he explicitly encouraged his supporters to have a peaceful protest and therefore cannot be responsible for the actions of the rioters. They also say the Senate is not entitled to try Trump now that he has left office, an argument contested by even some conservative legal scholars, and they deny that the goal of the Democrats' case is justice. 'Instead, this was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people,' the lawyers wrote. House impeachment managers filed their own document Monday, asserting that Trump had 'betrayed the American people' and that there is no valid excuse or defense. Best for: Gay and bisexual men who may not identify with how the community is often portrayed in media 9.0/10 Overall Rating Pros & Cons Pros Cons The Review Scruff is an international social application for men seeking men, primarily used to make sexual connections (though there are plenty looking for dates as well). The app was founded in 2010 as a response to apps that seemingly catered to only one type of gay man. When I first came out, there was a part of the gay community that was very coiffed and tan, and that was in, Scruff co-founder Johnny Skandros told Las Vegas Weekly. I think when you go on Scruff, you see a different kind of guy than on the other [gay social] apps. They are a bit more masculine, and that can mean a bunch of different things. I know drag queens who are masculine. You see more of the guy next door. As such, Scruff became the antithesis to Grindr, favoring huskier and harrier types. As the war waged on, Scruff became Grindrs mightiest competitor, and was generally regarded as safer and more reliable as the app hosted fewer fake profiles, headless torsos (a commonality among closeted men who wanted to keep their identity a secret), and a friendlier interface. Scruff is an app of many firsts: first to include options for members of the military and transgender community, and also the first gay dating app to remove ethnicity as a default from profiles after pushback from the community. Key Features Standard features such geotargeting, photo albums, favoriting profiles Match think Tinder, only gayer Live-streaming trivia game show called Hosting Events page to check out queer-friendly events and support groups happening locally and around the world Venture lets users know when youre visiting or traveling to a particular country or city to make friends and socialize with locals before arriving Scruff Review Dating apps for gay men are scarce, and the few that do exist are primarily populated by individuals seeking sex. While this generalization is also true of Scruff, the app tends to boast a more mature membership that tries its best to secure a toxic-free environment; a difficult task no matter the audience. TLDR: people can be jerks! Generally speaking, Scruff is intuitive and very easy to navigate. Being a location-based app, youll likely spend most of your time browsing the grid of nearby guys, exchanging pleasantries, nudes and, if all goes well, sharing your location and meeting for sex. While many are open to something longer-term, it is often, if not always, secondary to sex. You may also spend an inordinate amount of time refreshing whos woofing and viewing your profile (this feature is included with the free membership), or ogling photo albums that members have unlocked. From chatting and woofing, to reading some very, very long profiles, there are a lot of different ways to occupy your time on Scruff, which makes it exceptionally easy to get lost in the experience and spend way too much time glued to your phone. As we mentioned above, Scruff has a number of additional features that are fun and helpful, including an international events page, a live game show, and a Tinder-like swiping feature. Scruff provides everything you can expect from a dating app while cultivating a community where anything threesomes, friendships, NSA sex, relationships, support groups, etc. is possible. Unofficial stats estimate that Scruff boasts approximately 15 million members worldwide. The app is free, but there is a Scruff PRO option with additional features like stealth mode, no ads, the ability to unsend messages, and so on. Signing Up In relation to other dating apps and websites, Scruff isnt much different with its ask for standard information like email, username and birthday to verify age. After registration, youre invited to create a profile, though youre able to browse whenever the app download is complete. You can spruce your profile up with several images (which requires a quick approval process) and fill in as much or as little information as you like. The options are seemingly limitless and include: weight, height, body hair, pronouns, gender identity, relationship status, what you do (as ambiguous as that sounds), what youre looking for, interests, location, positional preference (top, bottom, etc.), HIV status, when you were last tested for HIV, and your social media accounts. Again, some write novels while others wont bother to form a sentence. Its totally up to you. What it costs: You can sign up for a free account with basic features, otherwise a one month subscription to Scruff Pro is $11.99, three months for $32.99, or one year for $99.99. Sign up for Scruff here Scruff How Does Scruff Work Searching for Matches Given that Scruff is location-based, youre going to see the profiles that are nearest to your current location. However, if you seek someone elsewhere (maybe youre going on vacation or visiting a friend in a nearby city) you can drop a pin and browse the members in that area. With the free membership, your grid will be limited to viewing 100 profiles at a time. Scruff How to Start a Conversation on Scruff Messaging on Scruff couldnt be more straightforward. Simply click on a profile and tap the text box icon in the bottom left corner to open a chat. If activated, Scruff will even save your most commonly used phrases if you dont have the energy or interest in putting in the effort to type. Users can send images, GIFs, unlock and view photo albums, and drop a pin to their location while messaging as well. If youre shy, you can tap the WOOF icon on someones profile to let them know youre interested. Scruffs search features are extensive, though most can only be utilized with a Scruff PRO membership. Users can search by profile name, location, community (Bear, Guy Next Door, Jocks, Geeks, Muscle, Daddies, Chasers, Military, Leather, Twinks, Chubs, Queer, Poz, Discreet, College, Otters, Bisexual, Transgender, Drag, Not Specified), what theyre looking for, relationship status, weight, height, even how much body hair they have. If you wish to delve really deep, you can even click on a profiles Insights tab to see their response rate toward different communities on the app. Scruff Safety & Security Scruff has developed a reputation as a relatively safe app compared to others. If somebodys getting on your nerves or you get the sense that theyre a catfish, you can block or report them by tapping the icon on the upper right corner of their profile. In 2015, Scruff partnered with the ILGA to include a traveler alert feature that notifies users when they reach one of approximately 100 countries where homosexuality is criminalized. And in 2018, founder Eric Silverberg put users at ease when he said that Scruff has no plans to integrate with Facebook, citing concerns over privacy and data mining. After removing ethnicity from profiles, Scruff went as far as to analyze profiles that include racial language that users felt were hurtful or exclusionary and, according to an interview with OUT, worked on tests where they sent in-app notifications asking profiles to take a moment and consider how their language affects other people. While most dating apps eventually come under fire for some sort of controversy (be it a homophobic company president or creating fake profiles to lure users into paying for subscriptions) Scruffs reputation has rarely, if ever, been tarnished. The app has also won a number of mobile app awards over the years including Time Out New Yorks Best App Award in 2014. Its also been named one the best LGBT dating apps by Digital Trends, the Daily Dot, and TechRadar. Rahul Gandhi still looking for flaws in Budget: Smriti Irani India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 8: Union minister Smriti Irani Monday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was still looking for flaws in the Budget instead of supporting something that would save lives. Speaking at a traders' meet here at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Irani said the Budget was an expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of a nation. "If we look at the budget not only as an economic activity but as a nation-building and social activity, then you'll realise it is an expansion of Narendra Modi's idea of a nation. "I am aware that the former MP of amethi is still looking for flaws in this budget. He hasn't found one yet. But an Indian, who is dedicated to the nation, shouldn't have grief that this budget would save lives. it should be supported," said Irani, who had defeated the Congress leader from his bastion of Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She criticised Gandhi for not supporting the government's announcement of making available pneumococcal vaccine in every state of the country, saying that perhaps "he could not understand it". "The representatives of the medical fraternity know that because of non-availability of pneumococcal vaccine 50,000 children die every year in the country. I was surprised that when the finance minister announced in the budget that pneumococcal vaccine will now be available in every state, that 50,000 innocent lives will be saved even then the former Amethi MP didn't say a word. Maybe he could not understand pneumococcal," she said. What is the problem if state Budget looks like party advertisement: Mamata Banerjee questions BJP She added Gandhi did not show support for the government's decision to provide Rs 35,000 crore for the COVID-19 vaccination program in India "so that a common Indian citizen's life can be saved". She said the Congress is today opposing farm laws while its own government in Punjab has made provision for contract farming there. The Textiles Minister also criticised the Congress party for opposing the building of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue in Gujarat, saying the party never wanted to hear any other name but of one family's only. "The opposition leaders said why do we need a statue? The people of India were surprised that why was the Congress party opposing the statue of a man who played an important role in the nation's freedom struggle and in making the Constitution, that why were they so bothered. Perhaps the party hasn't even wanted that there should be any other name on people's tongue than one family's," she said. One study, involving around 2,000 people, found the vaccine offered "minimal protection" against mild and moderate cases of Covid-19. The government says it will use other vaccines in the meantime. South Africa on Sunday said it would suspend its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after initial trials showed "disappointing" results against the B.1.351 variant of COVID-19 . The country has received 1 million doses of the jab. It had planned to start using it to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers from mid-February. The study, involving around 2,000 people, found the vaccine offered "minimal protection" against mild and moderate cases of COVID-19. It has not yet been peer-reviewed. "We have decided to put a temporary hold on the rollout of the (AstraZeneca) vaccine. More work needs to be done," said South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. Scientists will be studying whether or not the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in preventing severe disease and death against the new variant, Mkhize said. South Africa still eyes vaccination drive The government will instead offer vaccines produced by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the coming weeks. This newer strain is more infectious and currently accounts for more than 90% of the COVID-19 cases in the country. South Africa plans to vaccinate at least 67% of its population by the end of the year, or around 40 million people. It has recorded nearly 1.5 million infections and more than 46,000 deaths from the virus. Developers vow modified jab by autumn Developers of theOxford-AstraZeneca vaccinesay they will have a modified jab ready by the end of this summer. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher for the Oxford team, told the BBC on Sunday that "we have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works." "It looks very likely that we can have a new version ready to use in the autumn," she added. The early results for the AstraZeneca vaccine against the South African variant could have far-reaching implications in the fight against coronavirus on the continent. Many African nations had been planning to use the AstraZeneca shot owing to its affordability and the fact that it can be kept in ordinary refrigerators COVAX, an international procurement initiative for poorer countries, has bought the AstraZeneca vaccine in bulk from the Serum Institute of India. (AFP, AP) Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) The Department of Agriculture vowed to cut red tape in the hog industry on the local government level as part of its long-term plan to address pork price crisis in Metro Manila. During a Laging Handa briefing on Monday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar acknowledged there was a redundant and burdensome permitting process in the sector, which slows down transportation of live hogs to the country's capital. This is also one of the reasons why local meat importers refuse to offer lower prices despite the tight supply, he added. "We will further streamline the permitting process...," Dar said. "Isi-simplify natin para mas mapabilis dumating ang mga baboy dito sa Metro Manila." [Translation: We will simplify it to transport live hogs much faster to Metro Manila.] The DA chief also urged local government units, including barangay officials, to eradicate unnecessary permitting requirements, especially now that there is a low supply of pork products in the National Capital Region. To somehow ease the burden from consumers, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken beginning Feb. 8. However, local retailers and meat importers have warned of a pork supply crunch amid the government's crackdown on profiteers. Dar said his department has started supplying Metro Manila with live hogs from provinces free of African swine fever. On Monday morning, there were 27 metric tons of live hogs delivered to a slaughterhouse in Antipolo, targeted for Metro Manila markets. According to him, the DA is providing transport assistance to individuals who will bring in live hogs to the NCR -- 21 per kilo from Mindanao; 15 per kilo from the Visayas areas; and 10 per kilo from Calabarzon and Central Luzon. He committed that the DA will also extend financial assistance to hog raisers for the repopulation program as the ASF continues to infect the industry. The government is allotting 1 billion for the repopulation program to help increase the supply of pork meat in the local market amid the ASF outbreak, he said. RADNOR, Pa., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP alerts investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE: QSR) ("Restaurant Brands") on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Restaurant Brands common stock between April 29, 2019, and October 28, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Shareholder Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Restaurant Brands common stock during the Class Period may, no later than February 19, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Adrienne Bell, Esq. (484) 270-1435; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at [email protected]; or click https://www.ktmc.com/restaurant-brands-international-inc-securities-class-action?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=restaurant_brands Restaurant Brands is a Canadian corporation and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It 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. On April 24, 2018, Restaurant Brands announced a new strategy designed to improve performance within its Tim Hortons brand. Specifically, the "Winning Together Plan" would focus on three key pillars: restaurant experience; product excellence; and brand communications. Then, 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 United States. The Class Period commences on April 29, 2019, when Restaurant Brands filed its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 with the SEC. Among other things, Restaurant Brands reported 0.5% system-wide year-over-year sales growth for Tim Hortons on system-wide sales of $1.547 billion. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants repeatedly touted the implementation and execution of Restaurant Brands' Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program. On the heels of Restaurant Brands 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. However, on October 29, 2019, the truth about Restaurant Brands' execution of its Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program was revealed when the company announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019. Among other things, Restaurant Brands reported a 0.1% system-wide year-over-year sales decline for Tim Hortonsrepresenting a 1.4% same-store sales declineon system-wide sales of $1.774 billion. Following this news, the price of Restaurant Brands common stock declined $2.59 per share, or approximately 4%, from a close of $68.45 per share on October 25, 2019, to close at $64.86 per share on October 28, 2019. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Restaurant Brands' Winning Together Plan was failing to generate substantial, sustainable improvement within the Tim Hortons brand; (2) the Tims Rewards loyalty program was not generating sustainable revenue growth as increased customer traffic was not offsetting promotional discounting; and (3) as a result, the defendants' statements about Restaurant Brands' business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. Restaurant Brands investors may, no later than February 19, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. Adrienne Bell, Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (844) 887-9500 (toll free) (610) 667-7706 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Related Links http://www.ktmc.com By Jiang Tianjiao The head of US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Charles Richard recently warned that a nuclear war between the US and China or Russia has become a "very real possibility." He wrote in the February issue of Proceedings, the US Naval Institute's monthly magazine, that, "There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons, if they perceived a conventional loss would threaten the regime or state." Consequently, the head of STRATCOM, which is responsible for the US nuclear deterrent, incited the US military to shift its principal assumption from "nuclear employment is not possible" to "nuclear employment is a very real possibility." A U.S. Air Force strategic B-52 bomber flies over the Azraq desert, some 100 kilometers east of the Jordanian capital Amman, Jordan, May 24, 2016. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh) Although hyping up the so-called "China threat" and "Russia threat" is just an all-too-common practice of the US political and military circles, it's still shocking to see a US senior military official fabricating the groundless allegation. As is known to all, ever since the first day of possessing nuclear weapons, China has declared the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and unconditionally commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. Therefore, as long as the US does not launch a nuclear strike against China first, it does not need to worry that China will start a nuclear war. However, the US political and military circles often raise various questions. For example, if the US destroys China's nuclear missile bases with conventional weapons, will China use nuclear weapons to counterattack? Such a seemingly artful question actually reflects a kind of provocation and the offensive strategic thinking of America, which pursues pre-emptive attacks and wants to strangle its "rivals." Historically, China has been confronted with nuclear blackmail from the US since the beginning of the Cold War. Even when the two countries agreed not to take each other as a target of strategic nuclear weapons after the Cold War, several American governments still put China on the list for nuclear strikes. It's quite clear that the US is more likely to start a nuclear war. Knowing well enough about these facts, the STRATCOM commander still gave such a warning that startled the world for the following reasons. He intends to keep Biden administration's mouth shut. Many Americans see the new administration as an extension of a third Obama term as it is staffed with Obama veterans, particularly in the field of arms control. They made great contributions to the signing of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia, and the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program. Some of them also praised highly Obama's commitment to building a world without nuclear weapons. A typical Democrat, Biden prefers to pursue arms control, and he participated in arms control negotiations between the US and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. Therefore, his administration desires to make new achievements in arms control. Following the extension of the New START treaty, the Biden administration may push for breakthroughs in a no-first-use policy when it comes to nuclear weapons. To reduce the threat of a nuclear war, Obama tried to sign an executive order to adopt the no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons at the end of his term, which was strongly resisted by conservatives. Today, the Biden administration is likely to complete Obama's unfinished work and reiterate no-first-use of nuclear weapons. Against such a background, Richard hyped up the hypothetical threat of a nuclear war against the US by China or Russia so that the progressives would give up the intention of restricting America from using nuclear weapons. Richard wants to modernize America's nuclear arsenal. Under the Trump administration, the US fanned the confrontation among major countries, redeployment of nuclear weapons and preparation for nuclear wars in its National Security Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review. To this end, the US would modernize its nuclear triad, a three-pronged military force structure that consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. Meanwhile, the country has developed new types of nuclear weapons, including the Long Range Standoff Weapon or LRSO, a new air-launched cruise missile, and low-yield submarine-launched nuclear cruise missiles (SLCM). The subsequently announced US Nuclear Deterrence Policy further proposed that nuclear weapons platforms, such as F35 fighters, B-21 strategic bombers, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile system, and Columbia-class submarines, would be developed or upgraded. Forty years on, the W93 would be the first new nuclear warhead design for America's military. While some of these programs for nuclear weapons have been implemented, others are still in the research stage and their mass production and delivery depends on whether the US Congress is willing to allocate more funds. The budget for maintaining and developing nuclear warheads hits 20 billion dollars in the draft defense budget for the fiscal year 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has been plaguing the US, leading to more than 26 million confirmed cases and several economic indicators hitting a record low. Considering Biden's urgent need to cushion the impact of the pandemic, as well as his wish for arms control, his administration is probably going to cut budget expenditures for upgrading nuclear weapons. To continue the redeployment of nuclear weapons, Richard surely exaggerated the threat of nuclear war facing the US as much as possible. Richard also aims to build an anti-China alliance. He argued that the threats should not be left unchecked by US officials and called on "unity of effort" to improve preparedness. In addition to the threat of nuclear war, Richard also accused China of "aggressively challenging international norms" by cyberattacks and "threats in space," indicating that the so-called "China threat" covers various fields such as nuclear, cyber, space and emerging technologies. However, he went to extremes to magnify rifts or disputes in certain fields to all areas. In fact, China and the US have achieved cooperation results in the above areas under the Obama administration. The two countries not only held nuclear security dialogues and high-level joint dialogues on cybercrime and related issues, but also made outstanding achievements in jointly addressing climate change and fighting Ebola. Together, they improved the global governance structure, instead of challenging international norms. In emerging fields such as space and artificial intelligence, China and the US, as the two most important major countries in today's world, should also work together to serve the common interests of all mankind. It is hoped that the Biden administration can truly inherit the legacy of the Obama administration to actively conduct dialogues in areas such as strategic stability and cyber security, and enhance pragmatic cooperation in global public health, climate and environment, in a bid to bring China-US relations back to the track of sound and steady development as soon as possible. (Dr. Jiang Tianjiao is a lecturer at Fudan Development Institute of Fudan University.) The Ukrainian leader did not elaborate on details of possible easing. Quarantine curbs will be lifted for Ukrainians who undergo COVID-19 inoculation and those who have already recovered after contracting the coronavirus, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, speaking with journalists on Monday during a forum in Kyiv, the head of state stopped short of specifying the details of or timeframe for such easing. "We will, as a state and we have almost developed this, in principle be lifting any bans, especially for those who have undergone vaccination or recovered. And this is right, because we can't always live in a tense format of restrictions," said the president. He also said that, in order to ensure the public that the vaccine is safe, he would be ready to get his jab as early as possible, although he will do this at the second stage of the vaccination campaign after the vulnerable groups and medics, along with the military as their commander-in-chief. Read alsoUkraine set to vaccinate half of population against COVID-19 in 2021, early 2022Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the situation with COVID-19 spread has stabilized in Ukraine. The restrictions introduced in January were "fairly liberal," the president said, addressing an all-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses", an UNIAN correspondent reports. Reporting by UNIAN Press Release 8 February 2021 We are announcing the development of Airbnb's Health Safety Attestation, a program to support our community as part of our continued work to prioritize health and safety during the ongoing pandemic. This voluntary tool will enable hosts to request that guests attest they are clear of common COVID-19 symptoms and have not knowingly been recently exposed to COVID-19, helping to empower hosts with information about health and safety that may be relevant for their preferences and needs. Advertisements The Health Safety Attestation is being developed according to guidelines from the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control) and the WHO (World Health Organization) and is based on a similar tool deployed in parts of Europe and the United States last year, whereby travelers provided confirmation that they were abiding by local regulations. In the initial phase, the attestation will focus on symptoms and exposure. Communities and governments may be able to leverage this program to address local needs like, for example, to help travelers provide an attestation about their health, in accordance with local laws. More components may be added, in accordance with expert advice, as access to testing and vaccination becomes more widespread and may be required by official travel protocols. As people are planning to safely reconnect with family and friends in the coming year, travelers are factoring in safety: in a recent survey, 44 percent cited health and safety protocols as a top consideration when deciding where to stay when planning their next trip. Consumers are also seeking entire homes that prioritize privacy and more control over their environment. The CDC recognized some short-term rentals may offer a safer travel experience relative to hotels, without the risk of common spaces like lobbies or dining halls. This tool is part of our long term commitment to the health of all of our stakeholders. Last spring, we partnered with leading experts in health and hospitality hygiene to create the Enhanced Cleaning initiative, with standardized guidelines for cleaning and sanitization. We later launched our Health and Safety Mandate, requiring our community to use masks, practice social distancing and observe our five-step cleaning process for listings. The Health Safety Attestation builds on this foundation to help empower our community to host and travel responsibly, when and where it is allowed, in order to reconnect with family, loved ones or find respite in these difficult times. We look forward to sharing more information soon. FAQ Will the Health Attestation be a requirement? The tool will be initially available in select countries or regions. At this time, it is a voluntary tool, except for select locations where there may be a government requirement applicable to accommodation providers regarding traveler health. Will next phases of this program require negative tests or proof of vaccination from hosts or guests? Airbnb will continue to monitor official guidance and expert advice as it further develops tools and policies to support hosts, guests and their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some health authorities and governments are currently considering or issuing negative test requirements for travelers, usually in cross-border travel. However, to our knowledge, at this time, these requirements do not usually apply to accommodation providers. While we are encouraged by news of vaccine approvals and distribution, we are focusing on guidance from health authorities to double down on tools that are currently widely accessible to support safe travel protocols. What happens if a host or a guest confirms that they have COVID-19 symptoms or exposure? To protect the health and safety of our community, it is Airbnb's policy that guests should not check into a listing, and hosts should not enter a listing or interact with guests, if they are actively infected, have recently tested positive, are showing symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID-19. When a host needs to cancel a reservation, due to COVID-19, guests are provided a full refund. When a guest is sick with COVID-19 prior to check in, they may cancel an upcoming reservation for a full refund, according to our Extenuating Circumstances Policy. Secretive Porton Down scientists are trialling a smart watch and other wearable tech that will be able to tell you if you have caught Covid. The top-secret government laboratory, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, has been developing ways to use everyday technology to help tackle the virus. Professor Tim Atkins told ITV News that the centres latest research is looking at catching coronavirus early by using the data recorded by wearable technology, including smartwatches. Porton Down is working on a new project which aims to use data collected by technology, such as smart watches, to tell if someone has caught coronavirus The research aims to catch the virus early, using data collected by sensors on the technology to identify patterns in those with Covid. The research, if successful, could detect coronavirus before someone feels ill. Pictured: Professor Tim Atkins speaking at Porton Down Scientists in the labs are working on a new project which aims to use the data collected from technology, such as heart rate, movement and blood oxygen levels, to help identify patterns in those with the virus. While the study is in its early stages, it is hoped that if successful it could identify coronavirus before someone feels ill. Porton Down has been involved in several projects relating to coronavirus, including assessing whether the new mutant strains can be beaten with vaccines. The laboratory, which is often shrouded in secrecy, said in late January that it was increasingly confident vaccines will be able to counter new mutant strains of Covid 19. The top-secret lab has been working on a range of experiments designed to tackle to spread of coronavirus Porton Down has been looking into the mutant strains of Covid-19 and also created an artificial finger to test how the virus transfers from a surface on to the finger Staff at the Governments top-secret scientific research laboratory in Wiltshire have been examining different strains of the coronavirus since they were first identified at the end of 2020. The Defence, Science and Technology lab, has also been working on developing an artificial finger to research how effectively the virus transfers from a surface on to a finger. It forms part of its wider work looking at the effectiveness of disinfectants. Porton Down is the only location in the UK where people are permitted to make chemical weapons, such as nerve agents. The substances never leave the facility. It houses and studies some of the deadliest pathogens in the world, such as anthrax, plague and Ebola. At the facility they create small scale chemicals to ensure methods developed to ensure detection systems are working efficiently. Scientists from Porton Down were brought in to identify the nerve agent, later found to be Novichok, during the Salisbury poisonings in June 2018. The latest research comes as defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain is at growing risk of a chemical and biological attack due to a 'breakdown of world order' as states ignore international rules. Wallace suggested the internet could be to blame for the threat, with fears those set on using chemical weapons against their opponents can find a wealth of information online. He said an example of the devastating effects the dissemination of this information can have was seen in Syria, when chemical weapons were used against their own people. There are now also growing concerns that states may be passing on information to proxies or terrorist groups, The Times reports. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Corins deep technical knowledge, ideas and continuous intensive efforts were critical in helping to lift InoTec scanners to the next quality level." - Gerhard Weinfurtner, InoTec The Crowley Company (Crowley) announces that Image Quality Specialist and Senior Field Engineer Corin Van de Griek has received special recognition from production document scanner manufacturer InoTec GmbH Organisationssysteme (InoTec). The award a surprise delivery from Germany came in the form of an engraved plaque and was in honor of Van de Grieks efforts to help the manufacturer achieve image quality in line with the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). According to Gerhard Weinfurtner, InoTec international sales manager, This is not an award that we give annually, but a special presentation that we hope expresses our appreciation and gratitude to Corin for his extraordinary efforts in helping us to achieve a three-star FADGI standard for our scanners. This rating is not yet very common in our scanner segment and reinforces the use of InoTec document scanners for the capture of cultural heritage archives as well as for its more standard high-volume records capture. He continues, Corins deep technical knowledge, ideas and continuous intensive efforts were critical in helping to lift InoTec scanners to the next quality level. This award is intended for extraordinary achievements from partner companies or their employees to push forward our common goals in an outstanding way. Patrick Crowley, president of The Crowley Company, notes that this award reinforces the partnership that Crowley has with its manufacturers as a distributor. With each of our international partners InoTec, Zeutschel, Qidenus and others we strive to be a part of their research and development process. As the feet on the ground with scanner end-users, our ability to effectively convey what is needed from the field can often lead to next steps in scanner technology. As a scanner manufacturer ourselves [Crowley, Mekel Technology and Wicks and Wilson brands], were fortunate to have expertise on staff that complements our partners and vice versa. The example of Corin working together with InoTec to successfully achieve the meeting of a new imaging guideline is just one of many. The fact that InoTec created an award to specifically honor Corins efforts underscores the deep mutual respect we have for each other. About The Crowley Company The Crowley Company is a world leader in digital scanning technologies manufacture and resale and provides an extensive number of digital document and film conversion services to the library, academic, publishing, commercial, government and archive sectors. About InoTec InoTec GmbH Organisationssysteme, now a part of the DATAWIN Group, optimizes the business processes of its customers worldwide with highly reliable document scanners made in Germany. At the heart of the InoTec product line are the SCAMAX scanner series 43, 61 and 81. InoTec scanners are marketed by system integrators in Germany and by partners on a global scale and are certified according to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. About FADGI FADGI is a collaborative effort started in 2007 by U.S. federal agencies to articulate common sustainable practices and guidelines for digitized and born digital historical, archival and cultural content. FADGI has created imaging guidelines that range from one to four stars (four being the highest), helping to provide a detailed measure of image quality standardization throughout the industry that is being used in the United States and abroad. Tags: #Crowley #InoTec #CorinVandeGriek #scanners #document scanners #FADGI #imaging standards Twitter: @CrowleyScans Facebook: /CrowleyScans and /inotecGmbH Linkedin: /crowleyscans and /inotec-gmbh-organisationssysteme YouTube: /CrowleyScans As part of Zeps long-standing relationship with APS, the company is supplying hand sanitizer to all APS classrooms. Thousands of students will have returned to in-person learning at Atlanta Public Schools (APS) as of February 16th after a long hiatus of virtual learning. To help make this return a little easier, Atlanta-based Zep, Inc. is contributing to APSs comprehensive Return + Learn reopening plan. As part of Zeps long-standing relationship with APS, the company is supplying hand sanitizer to all APS classrooms. Zep will roll out in-classroom awareness and education tips to select schools on February 16th including Maynard Jackson High School, Emma Hutchinson Elementary School, Crawford W. Long Middle School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School and Frank Lebby Stanton Elementary School. Zep experts will help teach proper hand hygiene, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is known to reduce transmission of respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by up to 21%. These schools will also be provided with back-to-school safety kits, including reusable face masks, tote bags and a postcard highlighting best practices for hand hygiene. On February 17th at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School, Zep will also distribute hand sanitizer to parents or guardians through Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a program that offers free healthy meals and other products to students at various curbside pick-up locations and designated school bus routes. Additionally, educational posters with safety tips will be distributed to schools in the district, and digital mobile billboards will run throughout Atlanta, featuring creative, rotating headlines. The billboards will not only speak to the unique education sanitization program, but also spread joy and smiles around the city, especially those returning to in-person learning after the better part of a year. As students head back to school, it is important that we have measures in place to ensure their safety, said Rachel Sprecher, Executive Director of Partnerships and Development, Atlanta Public Schools. This program is designed to decrease health risks to students and their families and we are grateful that Zep identified this need and is generously providing the community with assistance. As a parent with children in the APS, I know intimately how challenging it can be sending kids back to school during this time, said Gary Gastel, Chief Marketing Officer, Zep. Were in a unique position to provide local community support and make the reopening process safer by supporting hand sanitizer availability for educators, students, and parents alike. About Zep Zep, Inc. is a leading innovator, producer, and distributor of maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing solutions for food & beverage, industrial & institutional, retail, and vehicle care customers. Zep possesses a large portfolio of premium brands built over an 80+ year legacy of developing the most effective products trusted by professionals and consumers to get the job done right the first time. About Atlanta Public Schools Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 51,000 students across 87 schools and five programs. The District is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 64 traditional schools, 19 charter schools, six partner schools, two alternative schools and five alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) or visit us online at http://www.atlantapublicschools.us. The consortium of Prism Group and Abu Dhabis Royal Strategic Partners (RSP) has appointed technology solutions firm Matrix International Financial Services to advise on financial compliance and fraud prevention measures at Finablr and its subsidiaries. Matrix is one of the worlds leading specialists in providing business and technology solutions for the complex needs of the global financial industry and capital markets. Its expertise includes devising and implementing fraud prevention strategies, advising on measures to tackle financial crime and introducing comprehensive anti-money laundering policies. Matrix will work with Prism Group AG to introduce efficient and effective financial crime systems and processes across the Group. Prism formed a consortium with Royal Strategic Partners to complete the purchase of Finablr at the end of last year - since when the consortium and Finablr Plc have been working in conjunction with regulators and stakeholders to conclude the formalities of the acquisition. Speaking from Prisms regional office in Dubai, Prism Group AG co-founder Amir Nagammy said: The appointment of Matrix is another significant milestone in our plan to recapitalise, restructure and rebuild the Group and revitalise its portfolio of assets in some of the worlds fastest-growing markets. Together with Royal Strategic Partners, the Consortium is committed to working with all of Finablr Groups stakeholders to build a major international fintech group of companies serving the remittance and payment needs of its 22 million customers across 170 countries. The transformation of the Group will create a world-leading financial services platform in some of the worlds most dynamic and rapidly-expanding economies. Dr Hamad Al-Ali, CEO of Royal Strategic Partners, said: We are delighted to announce the appointment of Matrix, which has advised many leading firms on compliance issues and putting systems in place to fight financial crime. The calibre and experience of the advisors we are working with demonstrates our determination to restore the Group as quickly as possible in the interests of its lenders, customers and employees. Robert Miller, Finablr Group CEO said: The appointment of Matrix shows progress continues to be made as we work with all our stakeholders to restore the financial stability of Finablr. I would like to thank them for their patience and support. I remain optimistic that the deal agreed with the Consortium will enable the companys operations in the UAE and the wider region to continue and to grow. Angad Chadha, Head of Innovation and Digital at Prism Group AG, added: We are delighted to be partnering with Matrix IFS, whose clients include many of the worlds leading financial institutions. Matrix is one of the leading providers of financial crime and compliance solutions, and it will work with us to ensure our policies and practices are comprehensive and robust. Technology has transformed financial markets and it is vital that we have the best systems in place to identify, prevent or report financial crime. The Consortium intends to revitalise the Group in order to secure the status of UAE Exchange and Xpress Money as key pillars of the UAEs financial system in one of the worlds most dynamic, exciting and fastest-growing business destinations. The appointments of Matrix and Moelis & Company represent a significant step forward in the Consortiums plan to recapitalise the company on behalf of its customers, employees and stakeholders. It will lead to the anticipated re-opening of UAE Exchange, the Abu Dhabi-based remittance house, whose branches have been closed since March 2020, along with the Groups other leading products. They include global money transfer Group Xpress Money and businesses in international markets including India. The products the Group offers include currency exchange, payments and remittance solutions services to more than 22 million customers and over 1,500 corporate partners. TradeArabia News Service Legendary singer-songwriter-producer Todd Rundgren is on tour, and hes coming to Albany to play his 1989 album Nearly Human in its entirety. Well, kind of. Rundgren is embarking on the Clearly Human virtual tour that consists of 25 different, geocoded sets. I bet youre wondering: what does that mean? Each virtual show takes place from a space in Chicago and based on where you live, youre able to purchase the stream that particular night. To create the feel of that market, Rundgren and his band will highlight local landmarks on a video wall behind them, and the band and crews catering will feature fare popular in that city. So on Valentines Day, interested parties in the Buffalo-area can purchase a ticket to stream the tours opening night. For Capital Region folks, Feb. 16 is the Rundgrens Albany-specific performance. While the tour became a necessity after COVID forced a years worth of concert delays and cancellations, the idea of a series of personalized virtual shows has been in the back of Rundgrens mind for quite some time. I was originally thinking about it as a result of the effects of climate change, Rundgren said. Ive spent a lot of time sitting in airports for waiting for flights that never arrive, or having these obscene reroutings. This is not going to go away, whether its hurricanes in Miami or floods in the Midwest or having to cancel a bus tour of California because of wildfires. For a touring artist like me, two missed shows means I lose the profits, three means Im in the hole, he continued. I cant afford to lose gigs because the weather doesnt want me to show up. I thought this would be only an issue on my part, and we could set up a theater with a screen and people could come to the auditorium. It never occurred to me that it would be that the audience cant come to the shows. After delaying a spring 2020 tour into the fall, then having to push it back to October 2021, Rundgren got antsy. Not wanting to have that much downtime, he decided to take a stab at virtual performances. Throughout the year, he had surveyed the various online performance options and noticed they were largely one-off sets. But performing only once didnt really appeal to what he enjoys most as a touring musician. He decided instead to make it feel more like an actual concert tour, from having multiple dates to arranging the geocoding to reflect the way a physical tour would move. Last year, my tour moved from May to July, then to October and to February. We realized by the fall that February wouldnt work, and I cant go two years between tours, he noted. I decided I wanted to do the virtual thing. Part of the idea was that I could do one show, but wheres the fun in that? We decided to book it like a bus tour, start in Buffalo, then go to Albany and so on. Part of the appeal of touring is that theres the downside of having to travel but you have the upside of being in a town, Rundgren added. Ive been to almost every place (on the virtual tour). Theres the walks you like to take, the restaurants, coffee shops. Thats the part well really miss and hope to reproduce with catering brought in from the town, keeping clocks at the local time for that city, having our backstage area keep local newspapers and posters. Rundgrens goal is to reinforce the local aspect of the show. The conveniences of modern technology can assist in that, but some things cant be replaced, i.e. the live audience. A concert, at its best, is a symbiotic experience where the performer and the attendees feed off each others energy and mood. Thats hard to do in the coronavirus era, so Rundgren had to find a new way to engage himself and his band. In order to do that, hes playing Nearly Human in its entirety. Its a first for him, as the record is one of the most ambitious in his 50-plus years as an artist. He wrote and recorded it live in-studio with a rock band, choir and several keyboard players and percussionists. Due to the amount of players necessary to make the album, Rundgren has never played large portions of Nearly Human live before. By being located in a central area and with the assistance of COVID specialists and common sense public health protocols, Rundgren is able to utilize additional additional musicians and offer the accoutrements that would have been too costly to transport on a traditional tour. Having the opportunity to run through one of his personal favorite LPs provides the ideal starting point for Rundgren to offer a unique experience for himself and virtual audiences. This is a new experience for all of us and we want to make it as natural as possible, but we have to be able to convince ourselves as much as possible, he said. The show weve chosen to do (with Nearly Human) has a special component that helps keep the energy up. Usually with me and four other guys and the audience, thered be a certain level of energy, Rundgren continued. With this everyone will be heavily occupied musically; well be filling the space with sound as well as having a good time. Well be entertaining each other as well as the (online) audience. For More Info To purchase an on-line ticket for Todd Rundgrens Feb. 16 virtual Albany show, swing over to toddrundgren.nocapshows.com Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Successware, a business management software company for the home service industry, announced today the launch of its enhanced mobile app, Successware Mobile, which now provides additional functionality so clients can manage their business more efficiently. The app contains many features that will help clients grow their revenue. Following the app's initial launch in July of 2020, this new version adds to the features used by technicians in the field. The mobile app's new features were designed to help companies manage and grow their business by driving sales. The features include integrated consumer financing, customizable forms, and a presentation tool that allows technicians to offer multiple sales options while on-site to help customers make more informed decisions. Successware Mobile is designed to work seamlessly with the full Successware platform, creating an all-in-one business management solution. It assists clients in industries such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing, by organizing technician dispatches, taking calls, providing sales and marketing tools, streamlining technician onboarding, enhancing the customers experience, improving profitability, and analyzing technician skillsets by job. "At Successware, our goal has always been to help our clients grow and manage their business. Our all-in-one system has evolved significantly over the years," said Bruce Lisanti, Successware's Chief Operating Officer. "The enhancements to our mobile app are one more incremental step in building the best and most complete set of tools in the industry. We have worked with our clients in the design of these enhanced features and know they will bring them substantial value." Successware rebranded in 2020 and upgraded its online presence with a new website, designed to educate visitors on its offerings and support existing customers via a secure user portal. The site features comprehensive educational and training videos, system documentation, FAQs, product tour videos, an informative blog, and more. As a leading company within the home service industry, Successware is improving the customer experience and working to meet the needs of a rapidly changing industry. For more information on all Successware services visit https://www.successware.com or call 888-272-8009. About Successware Successware is an industry leading, business management software provider for the home services contractor industry dedicated to ensuring customers have all the resources they need to manage and grow their business. Successware is part of Authority Brands, the parent company to leading home service brands across the plumbing, electrical services, residential cleaning, at-home care, swimming pool repair and maintenance, tree removal, restoration, and pest control services sectors. For more information on all Successware services visit https://www.successware.com or call 888-272-8009. About Authority Brands Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands' companies include nine leading home service franchisors, America's Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, and STOP Restoration. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1,900 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Kenya, and Indonesia. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.theauthoritybrands.com for more information. Contact: Shana Rosenthal Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Successware Related Links https://www.successware.com China blocks access to discussion app Clubhouse The American invite-only audio app allows users to listen and participate in loosely moderated live conversations in digital "rooms". Photo: AFP A rare uncensored app that had attracted Chinese internet users to freely discuss taboo topics, including the mass detention of Uighurs, democracy protests in Hong Kong and the concept of Taiwanese independence appeared to have been blocked on Monday night. The Clubhouse app had for a brief while side-stepped the censors and drawn crowds of Chinese internet users but appeared to quickly fall foul of the censors. The American invite-only audio app allows users to listen and participate in loosely moderated live conversations in digital "rooms". And in recent days, Chinese online users have filled those rooms discussing highly censored subjects such as Beijing's sweeping incarceration of mostly Muslim minority Uighur communities in the far western Xinjiang region. By Monday night, however, the app showed an error message to users without a VPN to establish a secure connection, and Chinese-language rooms quickly turned to discussion over the app's ban. Top trending groups turned to topics about the ban, and some Chinese language users began to discuss security implications of being on the app and whether they would face official monitoring. "I saw many rooms chatting cross-Straits issues and sensitive issues... and thought this app wouldn't last too long," one Chinese-language user lamented after the app was blocked, referring to the thorny issue of Taiwan. "What comes after the block is compiling the list of people on the platform," worried another. Clubhouse was launched in May last year and is currently only available on Apple devices, something only wealthier Chinese consumers can afford. It rocketed in popularity after billionaire Elon Musk participated in a conversation on the app earlier this month. Over the weekend the number of Chinese language discussions had drawn wider attention including on social media platform Twitter. "A young woman from mainland China just said on Clubhouse: this is my first time getting on the real internet," Isabelle Niu, a journalist listening to a conversation, tweeted on Sunday. Taobao, a popular online marketplace used by millions daily, and other e-commerce sites was selling membership invitations for sale with prices ranging from 10 to 100 yuan (US$1.5-$15), allowing some to bypass restrictions placed on invitations. Kaiser Kuo, host of the China-focused Sinica Podcast, live-tweeted on Sunday some of the conversations he was hearing in a room discussing the Uighur situation. He noted how Han Chinese the dominant ethnic group in China and people from the persecuted Uighur community were interacting in the space. One speaker identifying as mainland Chinese express opposition to the term "concentration camps" although acknowledging the existence of facilities. Many of those listening in were fascinated by the candour of the online discussions. "I'm in a Taiwanese-run room in Clubhouse where 4,000 Mandarin speakers including Uighurs and Han Chinese IN CHINA, and outside are talking about... everything," Berlin-based journalist Melissa Chan tweeted. "From surveillance, to friends who've left re-educations camps, to normal stuff." But analysts had warned that it was likely Beijing would prevent access to the app before long. "The window for listening in on frank Clubhouse conversations about politics in Chinese is already closing," said Fergus Ryan, at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's International Cyber Policy Centre, ahead of the ban. (AFP) WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected four new additions to its cadre of flight directors to oversee operations of the International Space Station. The newest inductees in the class of 2021 are Diane Dailey, Chloe Mehring, Fiona Turett, and Brandon Lloyd. They will work in the Mission Control Center of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to lead teams of flight controllers, engineers, and countless professionals, both agencywide and internationally. Following a rigorous training program that includes both technical knowledge and leadership skills, they will be ready to oversee human spaceflight missions to, from, and aboard the space station, as well as the lunar missions of NASA's Artemis program. "Our flight directors are at the forefront of everything that humans do in space," said NASA Flight Operations Director Steve Koerner. "We place a huge responsibility upon them individually to take any necessary action to ensure the safety of our astronauts, the safety of the spacecraft, and to accomplish the mission. These four join a storied group of individuals. We're excited to have them and know they are up for the task." With the addition of this new class, the role of flight director has been held by only 101 individuals across NASA's history. The new class will follow in the footsteps of Apollo-era flight directors, such as Gene Kranz and the namesake of the Mission Control Center, Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Becoming a NASA flight director is no easy task. Applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree in a STEM field like engineering or computer science. They also must have a background of professional experience, especially in a high-stress environment requiring fast-paced decision-making. "I am excited to welcome the flight director class of 2021. These outstanding individuals bring with them an array of different skillsets, leadership styles, and meaningful hands-on experience that will lead NASA and human spaceflight far into the future," said NASA Chief Flight Director Holly Ridings. "I have the utmost confidence they will excel in their new roles." Meet NASA's newest flight directors, all of whom began their NASA careers at Johnson: Diane Dailey Dailey started her career at NASA in 2006 in the space station Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) group. As an ECLSS flight controller, she logged more than 1,700 hours of console time, supported 10 space shuttle missions, and led the ECLSS team for Expedition 22. She transitioned to the Integration and System Engineering (ISE) group, where she was the lead flight controller for the 10th and 21st Commercial Resupply Services missions for SpaceX. In addition, she was the ISE lead for NASA's SpaceX Demo-1 and Demo-2 crew spacecraft test flights, working from development through splashdown to contribute to the successful return of American spaceflight capability from the United States to the space station. Dailey also is a capsule communicator (capcom) controller and instructor. Most recently, she served as the group lead for the electrical and mechanical systems team. Dailey was raised in Lubbock, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. Chloe Mehring Mehring started her NASA career in 2008 in the Flight Operations' propulsion systems group and supported 11 space shuttle missions. She served as propulsion support officer for Exploration Flight Test-1, the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft that will be used for Artemis missions to the Moon. Mehring is a lead NASA propulsion officer for SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and serves as backup lead for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. In this role, she supported the Boeing Pad Abort Test and was the ascent/entry propulsion officer for Starliner's first test flight, Orbital Flight Test-1. On the SpaceX side, she was the NASA propulsion officer for the In-Flight Abort Test, as well as the Demo-1 and Demo-2 test flights. She originally is from Mifflinville, Pennsylvania, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from The Pennsylvania State University in State College. Fiona Turett Turett began her NASA career in 2009 in Safety and Mission Assurance, supporting propulsion system safety for the last nine space shuttle missions. She later served as a program director for Manna Project International in Managua, Nicaragua, for a year before returning to NASA and becoming a flight controller and instructor for the space station's Motion Control System. Turett was the Expedition 56 control system lead for both crew training and real-time operations. She then was the lead for operational integration of the Gateway outpost that will orbit the Moon and the lunar Human Landing System programs, and served as Flight Operations lead for Gateway's Power and Propulsion Element before becoming the Flight Operations integration manager for Gateway. She originally is from Rochester Hills, Michigan, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Brandon Lloyd Lloyd began his NASA career in 2008, developing Orion crew training systems. Lloyd later became a space station Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems (ETHOS) flight controller and logged more than 3,000 hours of console time, serving as ETHOS lead for Northrop Grumman's first commercial resupply services mission, Orbital-1, several spacewalks, and Expedition 42. He was the ETHOS lead for integration for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, and led development of joint emergency operations for the NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Lloyd also was capcom lead for emergency operations, and SpaceX's 17th Commercial Resupply Mission. Most recently, he served as the Avionics Trainee Group lead, responsible for training and certification of new flight controllers. Lloyd was raised in Plano, Texas, and graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and a minor in entrepreneurship. Want to get to know the newest class of flight directors? They'll be answering questions during a Reddit AMA on r/Space from 3 to 4 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 9. Follow NASA's Johnson Space Center on social media for more information on the event. Learn more about careers at NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/careers Follow NASA Flight Directors on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/nasafltdirector SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov MBABANE - Where is the money? This is the question that construction workers who were hired by Kukhanya (PTY) LTD are demanding an answer to following allegations that they were promised termination or exit benefits after the construction company, together with Stefanutti Stocks, sold their shareholding in the KISS Joint Venture to Inyatsi Construction. The selling of the shareholding officially meant that Inyatsi is now the lead contractor of the project. In a letter dated December 12, 2020, which is in the possession of this publication, about 15 employees of Kukhanya communicated their discontentment regarding the termination benefits they claim were promised to them. The employees include foremen, quantity surveyors and safety officers among others. Summoned According to the letter, which bears signatures of the employees, they alleged that on Tuesday November 24, 2020, they, together with those from Stefanutti Stocks, were summoned to the ICC Auditorium and addressed by senior management regarding the procedures which were to take place in order for them to transfer to Inyatsi for the remainder of the ICC/KISS Projects. We were informed that if we are interested in joining Inyatsi, then we should sign a form expressing our interest in doing so. This was merely an indication from the staff and was accepted without prejudice, reads part of the letter. The employees said it was expressed by a representative of Kukhanya on site that those who would not express their interests would be left out. This was correctly interpreted by the personnel as being told that we no longer have jobs at Kukhanya Construction, and the choice to join Inyatsi was not a choice in the truest sense of the word. It was a case of either join Inyatsi or you are unemployed, the employees stated. The employees said the next step in the procedure was that all Kukhanya employees were instructed to resign, on or before November 30, 2020, in order for Inyatsi to incorporate them into the payroll so that they could be guaranteed of being paid in December 2020. During the various discussions and meetings, individual staff members enquired as to the benefits which would be paid out upon termination of our employment, and we were repeatedly informed that we would receive all of the applicable amounts in accordance with labour laws. It was also stated that in a meeting held in the site boardroom on Monday, January 4, 2021, Kukhanya human resources manager was working on the severance packages and that it would be sorted out in two to three days, the employees alleged. They claimed that upon reporting for work on Monday December 10, 2020, they were verbally informed that no termination benefits would be paid to them as they had all resigned. We feel that this is unfair, as nobody resigned on their own accord. We were all advised or even instructed to resign, with the understanding that we would be paid our severance benefits. Also, there were no exit interviews done, alleged the employees. They also alleged that it was widely known that included in the settlement amount for the buyout of ICC, Kukhanya Construction was paid an amount which was intended for the payment of termination or severance benefits. According to the employees, such was a fact that could not be denied and that in the event it was disputed then Kukhaya would have been unjustly enriched. There has also been a sentiment expressed, admitted indirectly, that the staff has not lost anything, because they have all commenced new jobs at Inyatsi. This is not true, as all of the affected staff members will be starting with negative leave because of the impending builders break. We have all essentially lost the leave that we accrued during the year at Kukhanya, emphasised the employees. They said they were reiterating their position that they were entitled to some or all payments pertinent to the termination of the employment. Payment These include payment in lieu of annual leave accrued, severance pay, and termination benefits as prescribed and in accordance with the length of service plus notice pay. In the letter, the employees requested urgent response within 48 hours in order for them to explore other courses of action which could be deemed necessary. The letter was addressed to Peter Ngwenya, who when called by this reporter, mentioned that he was not the one to give answers on the concerns raised by the employees. Ngwenya said this was so because he was no longer an executive member of the construction company. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about Kukhanya and KISS because I am not part of the executive now. I am a retired person and I am sure they know that very well. Theres management at Kukhanya who deals with those things, Ngwenya said. He said it was unfair to seek a comment from him when he retired five years ago from the company. In an interview with some of the employees, they mentioned that they were of the view that the company had pulled a fast one on them yet they were aware that there were funds meant to cater for their termination benefits. Yes, we have written to the company because we feel management is being unfair to us. We delivered the letter to the head office at Moneni and further sent it through WhatsApp to the managers, they alleged. According to the employees, management said it was still consulting with its legal representatives on the matter. The employees also said that they had approached the Office of Labour Commissioner, Mthunzi Shabangu, to lodge their complaint. Shabangu, when called last Friday, confirmed that the concerned employees wrote to his office. For now, we are advising the company on the legal process of the matter you are talking about, he stated. In November, this publication reported that Inyatsi Construction was now the lead contractor of the KISS International Convention Centre (ICC) project in Ezulwini. This was after the company and its two initial partners, Kukhanya (PTY) LTD, and Stefanutti Stocks (PTY) LTD who were part of the initial KISS Joint Venture finally agreed to an amicable settlement regarding their status after government terminated the main contract a few weeks ago. It was stated that by agreement, Kukhanya and Stefanutti Stocks had agreed to sell their shareholding in the KISS Joint Venture. KISS Joint Venture newly-appointed representative Wayne Levendale said all he could confirm was that they agreed on a payout with Kukhanya and Stefanutti. We cannot be sure how they used the money that was paid out to them, he said briefly. Nilson Biton, who was identified as the Managing Director of Kukhanya, was also called last Friday and he responded by saying he was in a meeting. An SMS was sent to him to provide answers on the concerns by the employees and there was no response. When called yesterday, he informed this reporter that he was awaiting a response from the companys lawyers. Response Let me get the response from the lawyers and I will get back to you probably tomorrow (today). I would rather give you the response from the lawyers than me saying anything. What we did is, we requested the lawyers to look into the whole issue so that the company can know what is due to the employees and what is not, he said. It should be noted that in December last year, this publication called Biton regarding the matter and he gave assurance that the company was working on it. He said the company was handling the process of paying the employees what was due to them. He said this was being done in accordance with labour laws. It is not like we are refusing with the payments. We are working on what is required. I think this issue should not stress the employees. I say this because there was actually no termination. They were not terminated. Remember, this is a settlement between three companies so these employees were moved into a new company. So it is not a termination per se but look, people when they raise issues like this, they do not know exactly what is happening, he said. Comedian Eric Omondi has come out to defend Daniel Ndambuki aka Churchill against allegations he underpays comedians working at the Churchill Show. Omondi spoke during an interview with Massawe Japanni on Radio Jambo. He stressed that the show is just a platform to help comedians. "When you are in school you learn from the teacher and go out there and put what you have learnt into practice. Churchill gives you a platform, and Churchill has never called anyone, we all went there on our own. So, it's upon an individual to make something out of the platform," he said. Omondi further revealed that for the three-season he was on Churchill Show, Churchill never paid him, but he was grateful for the platform. "He never paid me, but I didn't want the money however by the time I was half-season, I was making millions," he added. According to Omondi, the Churchill show was at that time the number one show, and thus he used the opportunity to sell himself to potential clients. In 2020 a host of comedians blamed Churchill for the troubles of some of the comedians who have graced the stage. Omondi has in the past stated he considers Churchill his mentor in the comedy business. Sorry! This content is not available in your region President Biden on Thursday will announce an end to U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen, where a brutal civil war has resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a press briefing. Why it matters: Pulling support for the war in Yemen was one of Biden's top foreign policy campaign promises. It marks a significant reversal from U.S. policy under former President Trump, who vetoed bipartisan resolutions passed by Congress that called for the U.S. to stop providing weapons to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Between the lines: It's unclear what kinds of support the Biden administration will continue to provide to Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally that led the 2015 intervention in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that toppled the pro-Saudi government in Sana'a. Sullivan said Thursday that the halt in support will include suspending two arms sales of precision-guided munitions that had been signed off on by the Trump administration. He added that the suspension does not apply to U.S. actions against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and that Biden would announce a special envoy for Yemen later on Thursday as part of a strategy to play a "more active, engaged role in diplomacy to bring an end to the conflict." What they're saying: "We have spoken with both senior officials in the UAE and senior officials in Saudi Arabia," Sullivan said. "We have consulted with them. We are pursuing a policy of no surprises when it comes to these types of actions so they understand that this is happening and they understand our reasoning and rationale for it." Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached out to the farmers protesting against the new agriculture laws as he promised in no uncertain terms that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime will remain in place, addressing their fears that the new reforms would lead to the end of MSP. MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future, the Prime Minister declared during his speech in Parliament, removing all doubts about the future of the scheme that guarantees farmers a predetermined price delinked from market rates for specific crops, thereby subsidising them. In his over hour-long address, the PM spoke at length about the need for reforms in the farm sector while making it amply clear that the government will not back down and agree to repeal of the three legislations. He addressed some of the criticisms aimed at the new laws, assured that the government is still open to dialogue and constructive suggestions, and appealed to agitating farmers, especially seniors, camped at Delhis borders to end their stir. ALSO READ | Need to Save Country from New FDI or Foreign Destructive Ideology, Says PM Modi Modi stressed that the need of the hour was to improve the lives of farmers, and pointed out that all previous governments had agreed on the need for reforms, but now that they sit in Opposition, they have reversed course to piggyback on the agitation and target his government. He cited the example of the Manmohan Singh government, and said that the Congress, which has supported the agitation, should at least listen to what the former PM had to say on farm reforms. Manmohan ji is here, I'd read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get highest rate of return... It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market, Modi said. ALSO READ | Opportunity Stands For You: PM Modi Gives an Aatmanirbhar Twist to Maithili Sharan Gupts Poem The PM said various steps taken by other governments have failed to improve the lives of farmers. Farm loan waivers do not benefit small farmers, said the PM, as he listed initiatives his government has taken since 2014. Since 2014 we have initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for small farmers, the PM said, adding that there were also other schemes to improve road connectivity, which enables the produce of the farmers to reach distant places. There are efforts like Kisan Rail too, he said. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on National Disaster Response Force deployment, rescue work and relief operations. Local media reported farmers hearing a loud thundering sound before the wall of water from the Nanda Devi glacier swept relatives, cows and trees away from them. More than 300 Indo-Tibetan Border Police officers were deployed on Monday to search for dozens of survivors stuck in hydro-electric tunnels after villages near the disaster zone were evacuated. The flood, triggered by a glacial burst, where water trapped behind a frozen glacier is suddenly released due to melting, swept through hydroelectric plants in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand on Sunday. A glacial flood that tore through a Himalayan valley, killing at least 12 people with fears for 170 more, has sharpened concerns about an acceleration in climate change disasters, as rescuers scramble through the hostile terrain to find survivors. Indian scientists on Monday said that satellite and Google Earth imagery indicated there was no glacial lake in the region, raising the possibility that a water pocket inside the glacier burst as it melted, triggering the torrent of water that sent tonnes of debris rushing down the ravine. Weather data shows the Chamoli area in the Hindu Kush Himalaya had recorded less than 10 millimetres of rain since Friday. Water pockets are lakes inside the glaciers, which may have erupted leading to this event, said Mohd Farooq Azam, assistant professor at the glaciology and hydrology division at the Indian Institute of Technology. We need further analysis, weather reports and data to confirm if this indeed was the case. Loading In the past two decades Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast as they were at the end of the 20th century, according to a 2019 study in the Science Advances journal. The research found the rapid acceleration posed a fundamental risk to the 240 million people who live and work in the Hindu Kush region, with limited rainfall and rising temperatures melting glaciers that lead to floods, followed by drought. The area is home to more glaciers than anywhere else in the world outside the north and south poles. In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees, warming in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will likely be at least 0.3 degrees higher, according to the 2019 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Such large warming could trigger a multitude of biophysical and socio-economic impacts, such as biodiversity loss, increased glacial melting, and less predictable water availabilityall of which will impact livelihoods and well-being in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The findings are published in the prestigious journal, Nature Climate Change, and calls on businesses, the financial services industry and regulators to work more closely with climate scientists. Regulators and governmentsboth domestic and internationalare increasingly requiring that businesses assess and disclose their vulnerability to the physical effects of climate change, for example, increased drought, bushfires and sea level rise. "People are making strategically material decisions on a daily basis, and raising debt or capital to finance these, but the decisions may not have properly considered climate risk," said lead author Dr. Tanya Fiedler from the University of Sydney Business School. "To assess the physical risks of climate change, businesses are referencing climate models, which are publicly available but complex. The problem arises when this information is used for the purpose of assessing financial risk, because the methodologies of those undertaking the risk assessment can be 'black boxed' and in some instances are commercial in confidence. This means the market is unable to form a view." Co-author on the paper, Professor Andy Pitman from the University of New South Wales, said: "Businesses want to know which of their assets and operations are at risk of flooding, cyclones or wind damage and when, but providing that information using existing global climate models is a struggle. There is, of course, very useful information available from climate models, but using it in assessing business risk requires a bespoke approach and a deep engagement between business and climate modellers." Professor Pitman, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, added: "A whole host of issues can trip up the unwary, ranging from the type of model, how it was set up, how changes in greenhouse gases were represented, what time period is being considered and how "independent" of each other the different models truly are." To address the gap between science and business, a paradigm shift is needed. Professor Christian Jakob from Monash University, another co-author of the study, said: "Climate modelling needs to be elevated from a largely research-focussed activity to a level akin to that of operational weather forecastinga level that is of tangible and practical value to business." Without such an approach, the paper highlights some of the unintended consequences arising from climate information being used inappropriately. "As with any form of decision-making, businesses could be operating under a false sense of security that arises when non-experts draw conclusions believed to be defensible, when they are not," Dr. Fiedler, an expert at the University of Sydney's Discipline of Accounting, said. "Our study proposes a new approach with deep engagement between governments, business and science to create information that is fit for purpose. Until this happens, your best bet is to go to the sourcethe climate modellers themselves." Explore further New framework factors climate risk into financial valuation 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Construction of the bridge is underway while the zipline has already been fixed. SDRF personnel used the same to reach areas that were cut off. Ration is being transported & emergency cases are being attended to with help of helicopter: Chamoli District Magistrate If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Editor's Note This article is brought to you by the University of Holy Cross. During the past year, more people than ever have been inspired to help others by pursuing a career in health care. For those interested in becoming nurses, the University of Holy Cross offers a fully-accredited and rigorous curriculum that is also designed to help them grow as individuals. We are interested in the students mind and the students heart. I dont think a student could find a program anywhere that would be more interested in them as people. We know our students and know them well. We care about them, said Patricia Prechter, dean of the universitys College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Chair of the Department of Nursing. The University of Holy Cross offers a bachelors degree in nursing through a four-year undergraduate program. Prechter said that during the first year, students take only non-nursing courses in order to receive a solid liberal arts foundation. After that first year, students apply to the nursing department. Once accepted, it takes a student six semesters of nursing courses to earn a degree. The university is currently accepting applications for the nursing program. Applications are accepted from new students as well as those attending other colleges or universities. Prechter said students take part in hands-on clinical work during five semesters through partnerships with many New Orleans medical institutions, including Childrens Hospital New Orleans, East Jefferson General Hospital, Northlake Behavioral Health System, Ochsner Health hospitals, Touro Infirmary Hospital, Tulane Medical Center, University Medical Center, Veterans Medical Center and West Jefferson Medical Center. We have the most clinical contact that we can in the program because research shows the knowledge in the classroom is really solidified in the clinical work, Prechter said. The New Orleans area has a lot of wonderful clinical facilities and our students rotate through all of them. By the time they graduate, they have been in many facilities, so they know where they might be a really good fit. In fact, Prechter said 100 percent of University of Holy Cross nursing program students are able to find jobs, often lining up positions before graduation. One major New Orleans health care provider has already conducted virtual meetings with University of Holy Cross nursing faculty to discuss hiring students who will graduate in May. Were fortunate to have great partnerships with all of the local agencies. Our graduates have also earned us such a good reputation, Prechter said. These agencies need people and they have seen what University of Holy Cross graduates can bring to them and their patients. Prechter said that while the University of Holy Cross program is rigorous and demanding, its also a nurturing environment. She, other department leaders and professors regularly give students their cell phone numbers. It isnt uncommon for students to call or email at night or on weekends if they need assistance. The university also hosts weekly prayer services for the students. A nursing program is intense, so to be in a program where you know people care about you makes a huge difference, she said. Youre not a number here. If we notice a student is not going to class, we call them to see whats going on and if we can help. Its all for their benefit because we want to nurture them and help them grow. For more information on the University of Holy Cross nursing program, visit http://go.uhcno.edu/nursing/. Nineteen people were killed at the weekend when armed men raided two villages in northwest Nigeria's Kaduna state, the government said, in the latest violence to hit the region. Gunmen from kidnapping and cattle rustling gangs -- called bandits by locals --- often raid villages in northwest Nigeria, stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom and burning homes after looting supplies. "Kaduna State Government has received reports from security agencies of the killing of 19 citizens in Birnin Gwari and Kajuru local government areas," Samuel Aruwan, internal affairs commissioner said in a statement. "The citizens were killed by armed bandits at Kutemeshi village in Birnin Gwari and Kujeni village in Kajuru, where several others were left with bullet wounds," Aruwan said. Late on Saturday, bandits riding on motorcycles killed 14 people and injured others when they invaded Kutemeshi where they looted shops, the official said. On the same day motorbike-riding gunmen also stormed Kujeni where they killed five people and burnt "several" houses, warehouses and a church, said Aruwan in the statement. But residents said 19 people were killed just in the raid in Kutemeshi. "We lost 19 people in the attack. We buried them yesterday (Sunday)," said Kutemeshi resident Ayuba Abdullahi. Last month bandits killed 12 people and kidnapped 30 others in attacks on three villages in Birnin Gwari district and neighbouring Katsina state. Kidnapping and cattle rustling gangs maintain camps in the Rugu forest straddling Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states. The gangs have no ideological leanings but there are concerns that the gangs may be gradually infiltrated by jihadists from the northeast. Violence across the northwest has killed 8,000 people since 2011 and displaced more than 200,000, some into neighbouring Niger, according to a report last year by the International Crisis Group (ICG). abu/pma/lhd/ri Students are encouraged to identify their veteran status upon their initial enrollment with the Registrar's Office, Eldridge Hall Quad Level. Students can also contact Interim Registrar Deborah Currie in the Registrar's office by phone at (413) 662-5216, or by email. GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill. Tuition Benefits The Registrar's Office certifies eligibility for tuition benefits with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Students should contact the Registrar's Office to apply. Benefits can come from one of the following sources: In compliance with the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, qualifying veterans and dependents will be charged tuition and fees at the rate for in-state students. In compliance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, MCLA does not penalize veterans and dependents using Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 benefits when the VA is late making payments by preventing these students from enrolling, charging additional late fees, requiring alternative sources of funding, or denying access to school resources. Qualifying students should submit their Certificate of Eligibility or Statement of Benefits before the first day of classes. College credit for Military Training Programs In compliance with the Valor Act of 2012, the Registrars Office evaluates potential college credit for military training programs, college courses taken while on active duty, and various examination programs. MCLA awards college transfer credit based on the recommendations provided by the American Council on Education, DANTES, and our own Experiential Credit Program. Students are encouraged to contact the Registrar's Office for more information. Veterans Student Services The Office of Student Affairs serves as a resource for student veterans and their families by coordinating campus-based and community assistance. Students and their families are encouraged to contact Arlene Theodore in the Office of Student Affairs for assistance by phone at (413) 662-5440, or by e-mail. The Office located on the 3rd floor in the Campus Center, room 319, is open to assist with any of your academic, personal, social, career, or other college success concerns. VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at MCLA is a centralized resource hub, easily accessible and widely available to all veterans and their families. We strive to meet the needs of veterans so they may successfully transition to academic life. The VRC is located in Venable Hall room 309. Information for Students called up to Active Duty Students called to active duty while enrolled at MCLA should submit their original military orders to Wendy Guerra, Study Away and Completion Planning Advisor, Registrar's Office, Eldridge Hall, Quad Level. Contact her at 413-662-5389 or w.guerra@mcla.edu. Ms. Guerra will facilitate the student's departure from campus and help determine which College policies regarding withdrawal, leave of absence, refunds, and grading should be applied. She will contact the following departments on behalf of the student called up for active duty: The student's academic advisor and current faculty for the semester will be notified. Depending upon the time of withdrawal, it will be determined whether the student will receive grades of "W", or "I". Students will have a deadline of 6 weeks into the semester to which they return to complete work in any course for which a grade of "I" is assigned. The Registrar's Office will report the student's status to the Department of Veterans Affairs, process withdrawals, and/or Leave of Absence, as needed. The Office of Financial Aid will resolve any issues pertaining to the student's aid package for the semester. The Bursar's Office will process any applicable refunds for tuition, residence hall, or dining services. Residential Programs and Services will process the student's departure from the residence halls and terminate food service, if applicable. These procedures ensure that students called to active duty should be held harmless academically and financially. The College will seek to respond in such a way that minimizes the stress and difficulty for students making the transition to military service. Web Resources for Student Veterans Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance Massachusetts Army National Guard Education Services U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Prime Minister Florin Citu will pay a working visit to Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, during which he will have a series of meetings with senior EU officials, including the presidents of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively. According to a press release of the government, the programme also includes meetings with European Parliament President David Sassoli, as well as with European Commission Executive Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis. The head of Executive also has scheduled official meetings with the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, and with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana.The agenda of the visit also includes meetings with representatives of the political groups in the European Parliament: EPP Group leader Manfred Weber, EPP Secretary-General Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, RENEW Group leader Dacian Ciolos and S&D Group leader Iratxe Garcia Perez. AGERPRES Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Founding CEO Dr C. Glenn Begley transitions to advisory role BioCurate, an independently operated joint venture between the University of Melbourne and Monash University, and with support of the Victorian State Government, today announced the appointment of Dr Damien Bates as Acting CEO, with Founding CEO Dr C. Glenn Begley transitioning to a specialist scientific, commercial and strategic advisory role for the organisation. An internationally experienced biotech executive, Dr Damien Bates joined BioCurate as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Translational Medicine nearly two years ago. He has played a critical role in driving the progression of projects along their respective development pathways through close collaborations with the Universities' researchers and innovation staff, implementation of industry best practice across all aspects of project management, portfolio evaluation, industry engagement and resource allocation, and strong staff support and management. BioCurate Chairman the Hon John Brumby AO said the leadership transition marked a critical next step for the company's development. "We have a well-developed project portfolio, a highly-skilled and committed team, and an excellent relationship with our Shareholder Universities. As Founding CEO, Glenn has made an outstanding contribution to BioCurate and we thank him for his untiring efforts to deliver our vision. "We welcome Damien, who already knows the business well and has been the driving force behind the progress of our projects. We believe he will bring new energy, breadth of knowledge and focused leadership to all areas of the business," Mr Brumby said. As Founding CEO of BioCurate, Dr Begley's expertise and his deep international experience, together with his passionate commitment to helping drive quality research and translation within the university and medical research sector, has been instrumental to BioCurate's foundational success. He has led the growth and success of BioCuratethrough a number of the critical stages including: Establishing the underpinning processes and systems required for an independent, biotech start-up company and gaining national and international recognition of the unique value the BioCurate model brings to the novel drug development process Recruiting a high-calibre team of internationally experienced biotech and industry experts Nurturing key relationships within the Shareholder Universities, Victorian State Government and the broader medical research and innovation sector Building BioCurate's investment portfolio of highly prospective projects through the review of 100 early-stage research projects, and Advancing capability in Australia's research and innovation community through hundreds of hours of mentoring, lectures and training focused on translation and commercialisation. "I am most proud of the staff and team culture that BioCurate has built and remain fully committed to the vision. I am delighted with Damien's appointment he, COO Linda Peterson and the BioCurate team, have my unwavering support. I look forward to supporting them as the company moves through its next exciting phase," Dr Begley said. Dr Bates said, "It is a great privilege to take over the reins from Glenn. I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Board, Shareholders and staff to support research that has commercial potential, and driving projects through to fruition thereby getting one step closer to realising our mission of translating medical research outputs into high quality preclinical candidates for the bio-pharmaceutical industry and eventually new safe effective therapies for the community." About BioCurate BioCurate is a bold, collaborative venture, dedicated to delivering benefits to the community by helping to advance Australia's research and innovation globally. Jointly formed by the University of Melbourne and Monash University, with support from the Victorian State Government, BioCurate identifies promising biomedical research discoveries and manage their translation into high quality pre-clinical candidates with the aim to develop potential novel human therapeutics. We operate in the under-resourced, yet critical, early phases of therapeutic development to overcome common barriers to success and drive early decisions. BioCurate is operationally independent, with a team of experts that brings decades of scientific and commercial expertise, enabling us to recognise and realise real-world potential and providing a critical bridge between academia and industry. For more information about BioCurate, visit www.biocurate.com. Follow us on Social Media: https://twitter.com/biocurate?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/company/biocurate/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005243/en/ Contacts: MEDIA CONTACTS Becky Evans Edelman for BioCurate M: 0452 579 242 E: becky.evans@edelman.com OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - With the world's longest coastline and connected to three oceans, Canada is well positioned to be a global leader in the blue economy an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs, while ensuring healthy oceans and sustainable ocean industries. Building a blue economy that benefits Canadians from coast to coast to coast requires input from people in coastal communities and across the country. That's why today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, officially launched the engagement phase in the development of Canada's Blue Economy Strategy. Whether it is through new products and technologies to enhance sustainability in the commercial fishing industry, exploring offshore renewable energy to transition to net-zero emissions, encouraging sustainable tourism in coastal regions, enhancing international trade, or developing new green technologies and practices in ocean-related fields, all Canadians have a vested interest in determining how to grow our ocean sectors responsibly and sustainably. To kick off the engagement, the Minister will host a series of virtual roundtables with ocean innovators, academia, women and global leaders, and the fishing and aquaculture industries. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is also launching a Blue Economy Strategy website today, where Canadians will be invited to provide their views and input. Engagement will continue until June 15, 2021, and the feedback received will inform the development of this whole-of-government strategy, which will be released in late fall. Canada's Blue Economy Strategy is expected to contribute to sustainable oceans, drive investment in our ocean industries, and create jobs in coastal communities as Canada charts its economic recovery from COVID-19. Over seven million people live on Canada's coasts and our ocean industries contribute approximately $31.7 billion to Canada's GDP every year. With vast ocean spaces, and extensive oceans research capacity, we are in an enviable position to harness even more ocean growth potential in the years to come and the consultations launched today are the first step in this important process. Quotes "Canada's blue economy should be second to none. That's why we're developing a strategy to make our ocean industries more sustainable, more productive and more prosperous. This is about creating more long-term opportunities for our coastal communities, by working with the ocean on its terms. Canadians understand that action on climate change is vital to sustainability and economic growth, and building a thriving, sustainable ocean economy is no different. The Blue Economy Strategy will help steer federal investments and actions, on all three coasts, across all ocean sectors, toward a single goal: to get more Canadians working on and in the water." The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard "A Blue Economy Strategy means long-term prosperity for coastal and Indigenous communities. A comprehensive strategy will reflect the input of all Canadians, further protect our ocean-based resources while increasing our competitiveness." The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources "Our government understands that Canadians have always had a strong connection with our coasts and waterways. The Blue Economy Strategy aligns and complements what is being accomplished through Canada's Oceans Protection Plan. Together, with Indigenous communities and stakeholders, we're investing in protecting the environment while growing the economy by working to create a world-leading marine safety system that improves responsible shipping, protects Canada's waters and strengthens response measures." The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport "The oceans are a vital lifeline for Indigenous peoples in Canada's North and Arctic, for everything from hunting, to fishing, to the delivery of goods through Sealift. It is essential that the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities in the North are reflected in Canada's Blue Economy Strategy. This will help drive future activities that protect these waters while enhancing economic opportunities. That is why we need partners from across Canada to engage in the development of this important strategy." The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs "If Canada is going to remain a leader in the blue economy, we need to continue to develop new technologies and solutions that allow us to increase productivity in our ocean sectors while enhancing their protection to ensure sustainability. Our world leading ocean-innovators will play a vital role in the future of our ocean sectors." The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "Our ocean economy will only continue to grow, and by having a comprehensive Blue Economy Strategy, we can ensure that our actions and investments are coordinated to ensure proper stewardship of Canada's blue resources. This will in turn lead to long-term economic prosperity for those who depend on our ocean sectors, including tourism businesses in coastal communities." The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages Quick Facts The World Bank defines the blue economy as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. Pre-COVID-19, Canada's ocean-based economy contributed significantly to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding approximately $31.7 billion annually (1.6 per cent of total GDP) and nearly 300,000 jobs across a broad range of sectors. DFO will continue working with federal partners, including Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Global Affairs Canada, regional development agencies, and others, to advance this whole-of-government federal initiative. Indigenous peoples will be engaged through ministerial and departmental roundtables, and all Indigenous peoples will be able to share their views about how a Blue Economy Strategy could better serve their economic and environmental priorities through the online engagement website. Indigenous peoples bring vast knowledge and valuable experience given their longstanding and close relationship with Canada's oceans. oceans. The Government of Canada has taken strong action and leadership in the area of ocean protection and conservation. This includes ongoing actions under the Oceans Protection Plan, and a public commitment to protect 25 per cent of Canada's marine and coastal areas by 2025, and 30 per cent by 2030. The future success of our blue economy will be enabled by this comprehensive environmental agenda. Associated Links Stay Connected Follow Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada For further information: Jane Deeks, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-550-9594, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected] Related Links http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ADVERTISEMENT An Australian journalist who worked as an anchor for Chinese state television has been formally arrested for illegally supplying state secrets overseas, six months after she was detained in China without explanation, Canberra said Monday. Australias foreign minister Marise Payne said Chinese authorities informed her that Cheng Lei was formally arrested on February 5, after disappearing from public view last August. Chinese authorities have advised that Ms Cheng was arrested on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, Payne said in a statement. The detention of Cheng, who conducted interviews with international CEOs for CGTNs Global Business and BizTalk shows, came as relations between Beijing and Canberra worsened. China was infuriated at Australias calls for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and bristled at the countrys liberal use of foreign interference laws to block investments and investigate Chinese influence at its universities. Beijing has been accused of retaliating by slapping a series of trade sanctions on Australian products, including wine, beef, barley and coal. Payne said Australian diplomats had visited Cheng six times since she was detained, most recently on January 27. The Australian Government has raised its serious concerns about Ms Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention, she said. We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms. Cheng was the second high-profile Australian citizen to be held in Beijing after writer Yang Hengjun was arrested in January 2019 on suspicion of espionage. Her detention sent shock waves through Chinas foreign journalists community. She has written a number of Facebook posts critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Beijings approach to the coronavirus outbreak. One post poked fun at Xis visit in March to Wuhan, the COVID-19 ground zero: The big story today, Dear Leaders visit, triggered titters in the newsroom waving to a big TV screen showing the coronavirus hospital in Wuhan apparently equals a visit. Two other Australian reporters Bill Birtles and Michael Smith fled China last September shortly after being interrogated about Cheng. (AFP) 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. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Highlights: Cooperation Agreement with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies to promote and sell both companies complementary regenerative products in Asia-Pacific . Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies' products will be used to concentrate a patient's bone marrow and mixed into Osteopore scaffolds during implantation. The agreement will expose Osteopore products to Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies' extensive network of blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic clinics, researchers, and private medical practices. WEST PERTH, Australia, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Osteopore Limited (ASX: OSX) ("Osteopore" or the "Company"), a revenue-generating medical technology company that has commercialised a range of patented 3D printed bioresorbable products, is pleased to announce a Cooperation Agreement with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies whereby both companies will collaborate to promote and sell their respective regenerative products throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Under the agreement, both groups will aim to establish commercial channels for the co-promotion of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies' Autologous Biologics ("TAB") technology and Osteopore's scaffolds. The TAB technology is used to concentrate the patient's bone marrow and the concentrated autologous biologic can be mixed into Osteopore scaffolds during the implantation. The targeted applications include Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics and Reconstructive surgeries. The companies' technologies are complementary; Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies has unique equipment that can extract a patient's bone marrow in a concentrated manner resulting in the potential to enhance bone regeneration. Osteopore's scaffolds provide a biomimetic structure to guide bone tissue formation. The agreement will expose Osteopore products to Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies' extensive network of blood centres, hospitals, therapeutic clinics, researchers, and private medical practices in Asia-Pacific. Both companies will also evaluate opportunities for post-market and investigator-initiated studies, using TAB and Osteopore products in selected countries to generate data to provide further support for future commercial activities. Initially, the respective sales teams will undergo education for both products and develop a commercial strategy to offer regenerative cellular biologic concentration systems and scaffolds to meet surgeon and patient needs. The two companies also plan to co-sponsor several key events and workshops to promote the collaboration and their respective products. Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.A., Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a global leader in blood component, therapeutic apheresis, and cellular technologies. Its parent company, Terumo Corporation, was founded in 1921 and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with annual revenues exceeding 600 billion Yen (A$8.0 billion). This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Osteopore. About Osteopore Limited Osteopore Ltd is an Australian and Singapore based medical technology company commercialising a range of bespoke products specifically engineered to facilitate bone healing across multiple therapeutic areas. Osteopore's patented technology fabricates specific micro-structured scaffolds for bone regeneration through 3D printing and bioresorbable material. Osteopore's patent-protected scaffolds are made from proprietary polymer formulations, that naturally dissolve over time to leave only natural, healthy bone tissue, significantly reducing post-surgery complications commonly associated with permanent bone implants. About Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a medical device company. Our products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Our employees around the world believe in the potential of blood and cells to do even more for patients than they do today. TERUMOBCT.COM SOURCE Osteopore Even as an ex-president, Donald Trump commands unrivaled loyalty among the partys base, and can use it to force Republicans in Congress to degrade themselves to avoid his wrath. We saw it last month when they voted against certifying the election. We saw it last week when they rallied around Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green of Georgia. And were going to see it again Tuesday when the Senate begins debate on the House impeachment charges. Trumps lawyers revealed their strategy Monday, and it rests on two pillars. First, they deny Trump incited the crowd that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, when he said the election had been stolen by Democrats, urged the angry crowd to march on the Capitol to block the final vote, and told them to fight like hell or you wont have a country anymore. This came right after Rudy Giuliani warmed up the crowd by saying this dispute should be settled through trial by combat. If thats not incitement, what is? The second argument is a legal one, so it might seem less ridiculous at first glance. Trumps lawyers argue that Congress cant impeach a president who has already left office, since removing a president is the point of the entire exercise. This is political theater that presents a danger to our Republic, democracy, and the rights we hold dear, they wrote in legal briefs. Its precious to hear Trumps lawyers express such concern for the health of our democracy while Trump himself still rejects the results of the November election. This president, as weve seen over and over, knows no shame. This legal argument ignores the second sanction that the Senate could impose a ban on Trump running for president in 2024. The Founders included that sanction, on top of removal, to protect our democracy from demagogues who they feared might return to power and commit the same impeachable offense a second time. If removal from office were the end of it, as Trumps crew argues, then the disqualification sanction would be rendered impotent, as the Constitutional scholar Lawrence Tribe points out. An accused president could simply resign on the eve of conviction, then run for office in the next election. House impeachment managers noted, too, that Trumps assertion would mean that a president could commit horrible offenses during his final month or two in office, secure in the knowledge that Congress could not try and convict him fast enough to remove him from office. That president would then be free to run again. But you dont have to rely on Tribe, or the House managers, or the bipartisan group of 150 legal scholars from both parties who signed a letter endorsing this view. Listen to Charles Cooper, a leading conservative lawyer who has worked for Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and the National Rifle Association, after serving as a clerk to Justice William Rehnquist. Cooper notes that a vote to convict a president on impeachment charges results in immediate and automatic removal from office. A second vote is then taken on permanent disqualification, requiring only a simple majority. Thus, a vote by the Senate to disqualify can be taken only after the officer has been removed and is by definition a former officer, Cooper wrote in the Wall Street Journal. Given that the Constitution permits the Senate to impose the penalty of permanent disqualification only on former officeholders, it defies logic to suggest that the Senate is prohibited from trying and convicting former officeholders. And there is precedent. The House moved to impeach Secretary of War William Belknap on corruption charges in 1876, and on the eve of the vote, Belknap rushed to the White House, handed Ulysses Grant his resignation letter, and burst into tears. The House impeached him anyway, and the Senate tried him after voting 37-29 that it could convict former officeholders. The legal argument Trump is making collapses under scrutiny, but thats not the end of it. His political muscle is at work in the Senate this week. These GOP senators are afraid of Trumps wrath, knowing that he still has the power to make their lives miserable, and possibly end their careers, by sponsoring primary challenges against any who dare to resist him. This is a profile of cowardice, another injury to the credibility of the U.S. Senate, a spectacle that will probably allow Trump to escape accountability even after the violence. Tell the children to avert their eyes. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Pope Francis on Monday addressed members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See for the annual exchange of New Year greetings. In the state-of-the-world address, he reviewed the multiple crises affecting various parts of world, including those caused by the pandemic, and said that fraternity and hope can help overcome them. By Robin Gomes In his traditional encounter with the ambassadors to the Holy See, Pope Francis reflected on the numerous crises unleashed by the pandemic, and on other problems affecting the world, stressing that the fraternity is the true cure for them. Pope Francis met the ambassadors in the Hall of Benediction in St. Peters Basilica, maintaining health protocols. The traditional meeting, originally scheduled for January 25, had to be postponed because of the Popes sciatica pain. Despite the social distancing demanded by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Holy Father noted, their meeting is meant to be a sign of hope . . . closeness and mutual support to which the family of nations should aspire. And in this spirit, he said, he was making his upcoming visit to Iraq in March. The Holy Father then reviewed some of the crises provoked or laid bare by the pandemic and examined the opportunities they offer to build a more humane, just, supportive and peaceful world. Health crisis The pandemic, the Pope said, has brought humanity face-to-face with two unavoidable dimensions of human existence: sickness and death. They remind us of the value of every individual human life and its dignity, from conception in the womb until its natural end. He lamented that a growing number of legal systems seem to be moving away from their inalienable duty to protect human life at every one of its phases. The pandemic has reminded us of the right of each human being to dignified care, and that each human person is an end in himself or herself, and never simply a means to be valued only for his or her usefulness. If we deprive the weakest among us of the right to life, he asked, how can we effectively guarantee respect for every other right? He urged political and government leaders to work above all to ensure universal access to basic healthcare, medicines and treatment, pointing out that concern for profit should not be guiding a field as sensitive as that of healthcare. He called for an equitable distribution of the vaccines, based not on purely economic criteria but on the needs of all, especially of peoples most in need. In this regard, he urged that access to vaccines must be accompanied by responsible personal behaviour aimed at halting the spread of the virus, employing the necessary measures of prevention. Environmental crisis The pandemic, the Pope continued, has also demonstrated once again that the earth itself is fragile and in need of care. The ecological crisis caused by the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, he pointed out, is much more complex and enduring, and requires shared long-term solutions. The impact of climate change, such as extreme weather events of flooding and drought, and malnutrition or respiratory disease, entail consequences that persist for a considerable time. While stressing the need for international cooperation to overcome these crises of our common home, Pope Francis hopes that the November United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), will effectively address the consequences of climate change. In this regard, he recalled the repercussions of climate change on several regions of the world. Numerous small islands in the Pacific Ocean are in danger of gradually disappearing; while floods in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, have caused many deaths and destroyed livelihoods; and increased temperatures have caused devastating fires in Australia and California. In Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger faced acute food insecurity last year with millions suffering from hunger. In South Sudan, where there is a risk of famine with over one million undrenourished children, the Pope urged the countrys authorities to overcome misunderstandings and pursue political dialogue for the sake of full national reconciliation. Economic and social crises The restrictions on freedom of movement imposed by governments to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Pope said, have especially harmed medium-sized and small businesses, adversely affecting employment and consequently the life of families and entire sectors of society, especially those that are most fragile. This economic crisis, he noted, has highlighted another illness of our time: that of an economy based on the exploitation and waste of both people and natural resources. What is needed is an economy that is at the service of men and women, not vice versa, an economy that brings life, not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it. Victims of isolation and closed borders The pandemic, the Pope continued, has particularly hit those in the informal job sector, with many of them exposed to exploitation through illegal or forced labour, prostitution and various criminal activities, including human trafficking. Economic stability, the Pope said, must be ensured for all, so as to avoid the scourge of exploitation and to combat usury, corruption and other injustices. With longer hours before computers and other media due to the isolation, the poor and unemployed are rendered more vulnerable to cybercrime, including fraud, trafficking in persons, prostitution and child pornography. Pope Francis also noted that the closing of borders due to the pandemic, combined with the economic crisis, have also aggravated a number of humanitarian emergencies, such as those in Sudan, sub-Saharan Africa, Mozambique, Yemen and Syria. With regard to economic sanctions on countries, he said, they affect mainly the more vulnerable segments of the population rather than political leaders. He hoped that they will be relaxed with an improved flow of humanitarian aid. He hoped, too, that the current crisis be an occasion for forgiving, or at least reducing, the debt that burdens poorer countries and prevents their recovery and development. Migrants and refugees Speaking about the increased number of migrants and their worsening conditions last year because of closed borders, Pope Francis calls for addressing the root causes that force people to migrate and supporting the countries that host them. The Holy Father also noted the dramatic increase in the number of refugees and called for renewed commitment to protect them, together with internally displaced persons and the many vulnerable people forced to flee from persecution, violence, conflicts and wars. In the central region of the Sahel, he noted, the number of internally displaced persons has increased twentyfold. Crisis of politics Pope Francis also noted that political crises have worsened in some countries during the pandemic, such as in Myanmar. While expressing his closeness to the people of the nation, he lamented that that the path to democracy undertaken in recent years was brusquely interrupted by the recent coup. He hoped that the detained political leaders will be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue aimed at the good of the country. The democratic process, he said, calls for pursuing the path of inclusive, peaceful, constructive and respectful dialogue among all the components of civil society in every city and nation. This crisis of politics and of democratic values, he pointed out, is also on the international level, with repercussions on the entire multilateral system. But he also noted encouraging signs such as progress in the prohibition of nuclear weapons and in arms reduction. In this context, the Pope wished that 2021 be the year of the end of the Syrian conflict, of the resumption of direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, of stability in Lebanon and of peace in Libya. He expressed concern over the situation in the Central African Republic and in Latin America in general, where, he said, political and social tensions are rooted in profound inequalities, injustices and poverty that offend the dignity of persons. He also expressed concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the South Caucasus. Terrorism Pope Francis also expressed concern over the scourge of terrorism, whose attacks, he said, have intensified in the last 20 years, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as well as Europe experiencing it. He particularly regretted attacks on places of worship and reminded authorities of their duty to protect places of worship and defend freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Crisis of human relationships According to the Pope, the most serious crisis of them all is that of "human relationship". It is "the expression of a general anthropological crisis, dealing with the very conception of the human person and his or her transcendent dignity." He expressed his conviction that "fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us ". "Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in todays world, the Pope said. The isolation and often loneliness due to the pandemic, he said, have brought out the need of every individual for human relationships. With schools and universities shifting to online educational platforms, a marked disparity in educational and technological opportunities has appeared, with many students falling behind in the natural process of schooling. Calling it a sort of educational catastrophe, he called for a renewed commitment to an education that engages society at every level, because education is a natural antidote to the individualistic culture and indifference. Marriage and family life, the Pope noted, have also been affected, with many experiencing domestic violence. The pandemic has also had adverse effects on fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, with restrictions in public worship and in the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. Even as we seek ways to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, the Pope said, we cannot view the spiritual and moral dimension of the human person as less important than physical health. For over 45 years, a red-brick building on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus bore the name of former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. On Friday, the UA Systems Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rename the facility the Physical Education Building. This is simply the right thing to do, Trustee Judge John England Jr. who represents the Board of Trustees workgroup formed in June to review the names of UA System buildings that recommended the change said in a statement. Located on 6th Avenue South between 12th and 13th streets, the board named the physical education facility after Wallace on July 14, 1975, as a way to recognize his substantial support, interest, and contributions to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Wallace, Alabamas 45th governor, was famously shot and paralyzed from the waist down in 1972 in Maryland during a stop on his failed presidential campaign. He spent many days after the attempted assassination undergoing physical therapy at the UAB Health Systems Spain Rehabilitation Center. Researching the contributions and longstanding impact of individuals whose names are on our campus buildings is directly in keeping with our commitment to champion diversity, equity and inclusion and to fulfill the core principles that guide our future, UA System Chancellor Finis St. John said in the statement. Building on the success of its Quasar Light and Quasar Azure models, Girard-Perregauxreleases a new timepiece housed in a clear sapphire crystal case paired with red accents.TheQuasar Infrared pays homage to the Chinese New Year with its red tones, employing a colour that evokes energy, vitality and prosperity. Beyond the models vibrant hues, the watch wonderfully plays with shapes and harnesses the Manufactures watchmaking expertise. Moreover, the Quasar Infrared makes the invisible, visible, transforming bridges from a technical element to an integral part of the timepiece, a characteristic Girard-Perregaux pioneered in 1867 with its legendary Tourbillon withThree Gold Bridges. As China looks forward to celebrating the New Year, a sense of optimism is omnipresent. With the start of the new Chinese Zodiac comes the opportunity for loved ones to come together, celebrate and look forward to better times. Girard-Perregaux shares this positive outlook and, in order to mark the occasion, is releasing a special one-off timepiece, the Quasar Infrared. This model is housed in a sapphire crystal case. Quasar Infrared Girard-Perregaux A quasar is a massive, extremely luminous and remote celestial object which emits large amounts of energy. When viewed through a telescope it resembles a star-like point of light. The Manufacture chose this name for its Quasar creations as it encapsulates the models generous proportions, shapes, energy, its notable scarcity and its play with light. Inevitably, this provokes the question, Why Infrared? Infrared light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and essentially invisible to the naked eye.However, with its distinctive red hues, Girard-Perregaux has made Infrared visible. In the 19th century, Girard-Perregaux viewed movement bridges as not merely functional components, but also as aesthetic elements. Over the years, the Manufacture has released a number of models sharing the same trait, namely, making the invisible, visible. We wanted to create a watch that exudes vitality and evokes thoughts of good fortune and positivity, remarks Patrick Pruniaux, Girard-Perregaux CEO. In Chinese culture, the colour red conveys these sentiments. The Quasar Infrared combines red hues with transparency and iconic shapes as well as our signature Three Bridges. This creation is modern but employs Girard-Perregauxs vast expertise amassed over its 230-year history. The clear case allows Girard-Perregaux to showcase the art of precision engineering with every element of the models composition refined to the nth degree. The sapphire case is fashioned from a single sapphire disc. Thereafter, the disc is formed, milled and polished to create a smooth, homogenous surface, free of inclusions. This latter phase alone takes over 200 hours of work and hundreds of operations, employing techniques perfected over two centuries. Making the case, lugs and crown is protracted, but excellence is seldom achieved in haste. A notable attribute of the Quasar Infrared relates to its breathtaking transparency. Components which are normally hidden from view are freely shown. It is therefore imperative that each part is presented in flawless form. A tourbillon is positioned at the base of the dial, seemingly floating.Its cage is lyre-shaped, a historical design dating back to the 19th century. However, this contemporary creation indulges the wearer with aerial views of the Neo Bridges, a Girard-Perregaux signature inspired architectural structures. Formed of sapphire, these bridges appear futuristic, but continue to uphold the spirit of the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, Girard-Perregauxs legendary pocket watch from1867. Despite the modernity of this model, traditional hand-finishing is much in evidence. Quasar Infrared Girard-Perregaux The tourbillon cage is powered by a unidirectional automatic winding system featuring a micro-rotor made of white gold. Comprised of 79components and weighing a mere 0.25 grams, the low mass of the tourbillon cage consumes only small amounts of energy, augmenting the movements available power-reserve. The micro-rotor is intentionally positioned behind the barrel, contributing to the pure, uncluttered appearance of the Quasar Infrareds fully skeletonised movement. TheDauphine-type hour and minute hands feature red luminescent treatment. The strap is presented in the same ebullient hues, bestowing the composition with a harmonious visual aspect. The Quasar Infrared is housed in a handblown floating glass sphere made in Switzerland, ensuring consistency with Girard-Perregauxs origins. This unique piece is available in Girard-Perregauxs Hong Kong boutique, located in K11 Musea. The announcements might seem straightforward, but the conversation around the Paris Opera and diversity has already caused a stir in France this year. In December, an article in the magazine of Le Monde, the daily newspaper, created a fuss when it seemed to suggest Neef was considering banning problematic works. The article at one point discussed the aesthetic choices of Rudolf Nureyev, the star Russian ballet dancer who led the Paris Opera Ballet for much of the 1980s. Some of his productions, which the company still performs, originally featured dancers in blackface and yellowface, and although they are no longer presented this way, some sequences, like the Chinese Dance in his Nutcracker, may still strike viewers as insensitive. Some works will undoubtedly disappear from the repertoire, Neef was quoted as saying. That comment, which Neef later said was taken out of context, was seized on by Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party, who wrote on Twitter that it was an example of antiracism gone mad. It also led to debate in the media, and online, about whether the focus on diversity was a sign of creeping Americanization. Neef said he wasnt worried about a similar reaction to the new report. Were not here promoting a climate of censorship, or dictatorial actions from the leadership, he said. The whole point of this initiative is we want to put on opera and ballet by 21st-century artists for 21st-century audiences. But it was clear that the furor had an impact on the reports drafting. I expect the far right and the most conservative politicians and intellectuals to protest, and say its, once again, about the Americanization of French culture, Ndiaye said. He had written it carefully to try to head off those reactions, he added. The Paris Opera is not the only ballet company in Europe to find itself caught up in debates about race. Last year, Chloe Lopes Gomes, the only Black dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin, made global headlines when she complained about racism at the company. In 2019, Misty Copeland, an African-American principal at American Ballet Theater, complained about the use of blackface at the Bolshoi in Moscow, although many in Russia defended its use, arguing that it was not racist because it was how classical ballets have always been performed in the country. press release The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the abysmal 2020 corruption index report on Nigeria by Transparency International (TI), has further confirmed that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government is a citadel of corruption and the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation. The PDP asserts that the TI report, which shows our country plunging to a putrid 149th on the corruption perception index in 2020; dropping 13 places since 2015, under the watch of 'Mr Integrity', is an incontrovertible confirmation that our nation is more corrupt under President Buhari and the APC, than it was in 2015 when they took office. This descent into the abyss of corruption only goes to show that President Buhari's anti-corruption stance is a mere swindle used to delude Nigerians while the vaults were laid open for APC leaders and officials of the Buhari administration to plunder. Indeed, the record of unbroken decline from 136th in 2016 to 144th in 2018, 146th in 2019 and now 149th in 2020, under President Buhari, the African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Champion', settles the now notorious fact that the Buhari administration and the APC are titleholders in corruption. Nigerians can now see that what the APC and the Buhari Presidency did, upon assumption of office, was to simulate a holier than thou attitude, deploy the instrument of propaganda to deliberately castigate the PDP with false corruption allegations just to divert public attention and create a safe atmosphere for APC leaders to loot our nation to her knees. The fact remains that no matter how lies and falsehood try to prevail, the truth will always come to light at the end of the day. From the oil and inland revenue sectors to security, health, agriculture, food security, healthcare, transportation, road infrastructure, power, education, environment, among other critical sectors, none was spared from the kleptomaniac fingers of corrupt APC leaders and the cabal in the Presidency. Nigerians can now see that our alert on the allegation of the stealing of over N15 trillion by APC leaders and political cronies in the Presidency, was not just an opposition propaganda but a patriotic stance which the APC and its administration has not been able to counter. The Buhari administration has failed to go after APC leaders and cronies allegedly involved in the stealing of over N9.6 trillion as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo, the over N3trillion in fraudulent oil subsidy regime as well as trillions stolen from agencies including, the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Social Investment Programme as revealed by First Lady, Aisha Buhari, the COVID-19 funds among a litany of frauds. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The financial rot in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the Buhari administration, including stealing of recovered funds, underscores the level of corruption under the APC. It is equally appalling that the decay has reached a frightening situation where, under Mr. President's watch, employment opportunities are sold to young boys and girls at alarming costs ranging between N1.5m and N5m. Moreover the Buhari Presidency has failed to open up on its yearly budget for Nigerians. Now that the Buhari-led APC administration has been further exposed, our party charges Nigerians to join in the demand for the APC, as a party, to commence the processes of refunding the N15 trillion stolen by its leaders before exiting our political firmament in 2023. House Bill 133 aims to extend Medicaid coverage to eligible new mothers. The House version of the bill calls for a one-year extension, whereas the Senate version calls for a six-month extension. Advocates say the bill could reduce the states maternal mortality rate. Currently, the state offers Medicaid for two months after giving birth. Should Texas extend Medicaid for eligible new mothers for six months or one year? You voted: I can graphically picture the hellfire that would have been rained on anyone classified as a proponent of multiparty democracy being exposed celebrating and ventilating their satisfaction on the death of one of the kingdoms political elites in stark contrast to Prince Majahas so-called private celebration, alongside the giggling and recently departed Minister of Labour and Social Security Makhosi Vilakati, the death of fiery political activist and president of the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA), Jan Sithole. I am also certain that the buzzwords in the middle of this condemnation and persecution would have been its unSwazi, disrespectful and inhuman. None of these terms applied to Prince Majaha. And George Elliot became relevant in this context when he wrote: Blessed is the man who having nothing to say abstains from giving us worthy evidence of the fact. As I see it, there was no need to apologise on behalf of Prince Majaha. He had already been given that opportunity when he was interviewed by Times SUNDAY about the video in which he and the late Vilakati were joking about Sitholes death, but he spurned it. No, he was not apologetic, but responded by saying to be honest, I dont like anyone whos giving my dad a hard time. And Sitholes sin for which he deserved to be ridiculed in death, according to the prince, was misleading the beloved Eswatini people to so called democracy. I will never forgive that guy. Strife The subject matter for todays column was the strife in the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, but it became unavoidable not to tackle Prince Majahas behaviour not just in the infamous video, but in the resultant press interview. The latest instalment is that involving paramedics going on strike to force government to positively respond to their demands. The five demands are; Payment of overtime allowance owed to workers (paramedics). Provision of PPE (personal protective equipment). That one of the senior officials stops insulting and victimising workers. The ministry of Health gives employment opportunities to paramedics who have been serving internships for more than a year. Unlawful and illegal transfer of paramedics should be stopped. A cursory glance at the five demands suggests that they could easily have been resolved without the necessity of the paramedics proceeding on strike. And the strike is not the first involving frontline workers in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has already claimed over 600 lives. Nurses have been through this route on numerous occasions including taking their employer, government, to court to force it to do the right thing; provide them with PPE. As I see it, appraising the five demands by the paramedics, one cannot help, but conclude that these should never have arisen in the first instance if there was efficient management at all levels of the line department, the Ministry of Health. These demands should have been addressed long before they became demands and causal to strike action. Consequently, government has to look into its internal administration and processes to resolve such issues. However, the tendency by senior officials is to focus on personalities and thereby allow egos to replace logic and reasoning. The demands by paramedics should never have arisen because they should have been anticipated and dealt with before they became obstacles. And there are administrative and management tools that were created for this purpose of pre-empting problems and the potential areas they could arise from. Strike Consequently, volatile situations culminating in strike action could easily have been avoided. One had hoped that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to paradigm shifts on many fronts, especially since the lives of emaSwati are at stake here, but apparently that is not the case. The life of liSwati to government is still not worth anything typical to pre-COVID-19 pandemic era when the national healthcare system was allowed to decay and collapse because of neglect and under budgeting. As I see it, in the wake of the initial strike by nurses, government should have moved mountains to ensure that frontline workers were more than adequately provided for given the risks involved, something that should have happened on the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. If there ever was a case of no expenses spared, this should have been the moment when government channelled a bulk of its resources to fighting the pandemic because it involved the lives of emaSwati. But then again, what is the worth of the life of liSwati to government? A bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik said it had gone through the order of a special NIA court , which dismissed Navlakha's bail plea, and said that it saw 'no reason to interfere' with it Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed activist Gautam Navlakha's appeal seeking bail in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, saying it sees no reason to interfere with a special court's order which earlier rejected his bail plea. According to police, some activists allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad meet in Pune on 31 December, 2017, which triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima in the district the next day. The police have also alleged that the event was backed by some Maoist groups. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting a probe into the case. A bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik on Monday said it had gone through a special NIA court's order of last year rejecting Navlakha's bail plea, and that it saw "no reason to interfere" with the order. Navlakha approached the HC last year, challenging the special NIA court's order of 12 July, 2020 that rejected his plea for statutory bail. On 16 December last year, the HC bench reserved its verdict on the plea filed by Navlakha, seeking statutory or default bail on the ground that he had been in custody for over 90 days, but the prosecution failed to file a charge sheet in the case within this period. The NIA had argued that his plea was not maintainable, and sought an extension to file the charge sheet. The special court had then accepted NIA's plea seeking extension of 90 to 180 days to file the charge sheet against Navlakha and his co-accused, activist Dr Anand Teltumbde. Navlakha's counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, had told the HC that the NIA was granted the extension to file its charge sheet. Sibal said Navlakha had already spent 93 days in custody, including 34 days of house arrest, and that the HC must count house arrest as a period of custody. While he was under house arrest, Navlakha's personal liberties remained curtailed, Sibal had said. However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared for the NIA, had argued that Navlakha's house arrest could not be included in the time spent in the custody of police or NIA, or under judicial custody. Raju argued that the Pune police arrested Navlakha in August 2018, but had not taken him into custody. He said the accused remained under house arrest, and the Delhi High Court quashed his arrest and remand order in October 2018. The FIR against him was re-registered in January 2020, and Navlakha surrendered before the NIA on 14 April. He spent 11 days in the NIA's custody till 25April, and since then he in judicial custody in the Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. Raju had argued that if the court "looked from the other angle, it would see that if he (Navlakha) was arrested on 28 August, 2018, he should have been enlarged on bail." "He was a free man till April 2020. He was neither on bail nor in custody. There cannot be a gap in the custody and detention period," Raju said. A company based in Sweden plans to acquire a Pennsylvania real estate investment firm with a presence in the midstate. EQT AB, a global investment company plans to acquire the Conshohocken-based Exeter Property Group for nearly $1.9 billion. The transaction is part of EQT ABs strategic growth ambitions within real estate and creates a scaled thematic investment platform across North America and Europe, the company said in a press release. Exeter was founded in 2006 and acquires, develops and manages logistics/industrial, life science/office and residential properties mainly across the United states. Exeter has a number of properties in Pennsylvania including warehouses in the Harrisburg, York, Middletown, Newville and Chambersburg areas. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year. --Business Buzz You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like him on Facebook. 959 Franklin is an apartment building located on Franklin Boulevard in Eugene. With the school year soon approaching, University of Oregon students have growing concerns about how communal living could lead to the spread of COVID-19. (Summer Surgent-Gough/Emerald) Boston, Massachusetts The Free Liberia Movement, Universal Human Rights International, and Lawyers from the Harvard University Law School are calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to immediately end decades of "cruel, inhumane, dehumanizing denial of humanitarian assistance and work permits by immediately re-designating Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and extending protection to all 10,000 Liberians across the United States of America." On his inauguration day, President Biden signed an executive order extending employment permits to Liberians with TPS/DED on his inauguration day. But the groups said, while this action is welcomed and demonstrates his compassion and love for humanity, the Biden-Harris reprieve only renewed protection-benefiting a few Liberians already protected by DED, thus leaving thousands of Liberian Refugees unprotected, who have been excluded from TPS/DED since October 2002, for no justifiable reasons. Excerpt of President Biden's Executive order: "I have also determined that any Liberian national, or person without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia, who is present in the United States and who was under a grant of DED as of January 10, 2021, should have continued employment authorization through June 30, 2022." It continues: "The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly direct the appropriate officials to make a provision, by means of notice published in the Federal Register, for immediate allowance of employment authorization for those Liberians who held appropriate DED-related employment authorization documents as of January 10, 2021." However The Free Liberia Movement, Universal Human Rights International, and Lawyers from the Harvard University Law School in a joint statement said: "While we welcome President Biden's compassion, we want to make it clear that there are thousands of Liberian Refugees who were never granted TPS/DED, dating as far back as 2002, for no justifiable reasons. We are in the middle of the winter of 2021. Covid-19 Pandemic has claimed 400,000 lives of the most vulnerable in America. There are thousands of Liberians living across America since October 2002 without DED/TPS and work permits, the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act." In the statement, they further noted that consistent with the "equal protection" clause of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, Section 245(i) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, they are calling on President Biden to right decades of wrong against Liberians by re-designating TPS/DED to all Liberians physically present in the United States as of the signing of the Memo on January 20, 2021, adding this will allow Liberian refugee mothers airlifted by US Marines during Operation Shining Express ordered by President George Bush on June 12, 2003 to be covered since they have never been covered by TPS/DED. Also consistent with Section 245(i), which exempts refugees from paying filing fees for green cards, the groups called for efforts to make the Liberian Fairness Act fair by issuing a blanket waiver of fees for Liberian Refugees, noting that many have been denied TPS/DED for decades, for no justifiable reasons. They also called for an urgent establishment of a Truth & Reconciliation Commission for the United States to combat the lies that undermine national unity; initiate a special immigration status to compensate for systemic discrimination against Liberians. The groups also made a repeated call on the United States Government to launch an investigation into systemic discrimination against Liberians in visa issuance and immigration, beginning with the declassification of the classified cable of 1990 that ordered U.S. Embassy staff in Monrovia to grant visas to foreigners but deny visas to Liberians. "As a result, the U.S Embassy has earned millions of dollars from non-refundable visa fees illegally collected from Liberians since 1990. We request a refund with interest and admission of Liberia into the US Visa Waiver Program," the groups demanded. Meanwhile, as part of the their advocacy, the groups have launched a sustained daily virtual campaign via Zoom with Harvard University Law School Legal Clinic Lawyers beginning February 7, 2021 from 11:30 GMT to 13:30 GMT with meeting ID: 2430960871. Background In the early 1990s, thousands of Liberians fled the violence of the civil war to the United States. In 1991 Liberians were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and later Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). However, since the escalation of the second civil war in October 2002, all Liberians who fled to the United States have never been granted TPS or DED because TPS and DED were only extended for those already covered but not re-designated to cover newly arriving Liberian Refugees who came on or after October 2002. The group, through its lead advocate, Rev. Torli Krua, founder of the Universal Human Rights International said Librarians that being affected include mothers of young American citizens airlifted by US Marines during Operation Shining Express ordered by President George Bush in June of 2003. Due to hardship, he says refugee mothers denied access to humanitarian assistance and work permits under the Liberian TPS/DED cannot sustain day to day provision of food and shelter due to their inability to work to supply their needs. But Krua said in contrast, the 102nd. (1991-1992) Congress passed a law that allowed 52,968 Chinese nationals to be granted DED after the Tiananmen Square incident to adjust to permanent residency status. He also noted that the 105th, Congress, (1997-1998), passed legislation known as NACARA and under this law, 150,000 Nicaraguans, 5,000 Cubans, 200,000 El Salvadorans, and 50,000 Guatemalans are able to adjust to permanent residency status. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Human Rights U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He is contending that Liberia began as an American Colony. On March 3, 1819, Congress appropriated $100,000.00 to "provide logistics for the establishment of a colony in Africa" and authorized the US Navy intervention in creating Liberia. Through his painstaking research on U.S. - Liberia relationship, he gathered that ten Liberian presidents were born and educated in the United States. "Liberia deserves special consideration because of the history of American Colonization and the settlement of free men of color from the United States in Liberia and the contributions Liberia continues to make to the United States," he wrote. He furthered: "Article 1 of the Liberian Constitution of 1824 granted privileges to Liberians that we have not enjoyed. "All persons born within the limits of the territory held by the American Colonization Society, in Liberia, in Africa, or removing there to reside, shall be free and entitled to all the privileges, as are enjoyed by the citizens of the United States." Colorectal cancer screening rates jumped by more than 1,000 percent when researchers sent take-at-home tests to patients overdue for testing at a community health center that predominantly serves people of color. Instead of the oft-standard text message that simply reminds a patient that they are overdue for screening, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania made it the default to send a take-at-home test to the patient's home unless they opted out via a text message prompt. The research was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. "Colorectal cancer screening rates remain limited in underserved populations, which includes those in the clinic we partnered with," Shivan Mehta, MD, associate chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine and an assistant professor of Medicine. "We saw that there is an opportunity to use text messaging and new insights from behavioral science to increase uptake." Colorectal cancer can be especially deadly if it is not discovered early enough for curative treatment. Across the United States, regular screening rates are relatively low, particularly in community health centers, where less than half of eligible patients are up-to-date. One study, in particular, found that the number of deaths from colorectal cancer among Black people was 40 percent higher than in white people, and 100 percent higher than in Asian/Pacific Islanders. One method consistently used to boost screenings is the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). These kits just require a stool sample from a patient -- which can be provided at home -- that are then returned to a laboratory by mail and analyzed for the trace blood associated with colorectal cancer. While a colonoscopy remains the gold standard because it is the most thorough check and only needs to be completed once every 10 years, FIT kits are much easier for patients to handle and likely to be completed, even though they only clear a patient for a year. Looking to increase low completion rates, the researchers -- led by Mehta and the study's first author, Sarah Huf, MBBS, a former Commonwealth Fund Fellow at Penn and now an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London -- decided to focus on completing FIT kits. As such, they randomly split a group of more than 400 patients overdue for screenings into two equal arms: one that just received a single reminder text and another that received FIT kits unless patients sent a response to an introduction text to say that they didn't want them. Almost 90 percent of these patients were Black, and half were Medicaid beneficiaries. From March to May 2018, these patients were enrolled to either receive the reminder text (the control group) or to receive the FIT kit pending an opt-out (the intervention group). The latter group also received up to three follow-up texts with messages based on proven behavioral science techniques to nudge them into returning the kits. By the end of the period studied (12 weeks from when each patient received their first text message) a little more than 2 percent of the patients in the control group had completed a FIT kit or had a colonoscopy. But for the intervention arm of the study, nearly 20 percent had done the same. When looking purely at FIT kit return rates, the intervention arm increased by more than 17 percentage points. In the control, it was less than two. And while screening rates did remain relatively low, the improvement showed great promise for the population served. "It is important to note that this is a population at a community health center that may not routinely seek out medical care, especially preventive care, so there is a low baseline screening rate," Huf explained. "Future interventions may need to address issues such as reading comprehension and not having a stable place to live." What was especially important for the type of clinic this study was performed in was the cost to apply it. For the 200 patients in the intervention arm, it only cost about $150. "For these types of health clinics, minimizing cost is critical for sustainability since they have many competing health priorities for their patients," Mehta said. Moving forward, Mehta and his fellow researchers plan to explore how best to offer the choice of colonoscopy or FIT kits to patients in the populations that receive care at this type of health center. ### This study was funded partly by a grant from the National Cancer Center (K08CA234326). Other co-authors on the study included David A. Asch, Kevin G. Volpp, and Catherine Reitz. Foreign Minister nominee Chung Eui-yong speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday. Chung said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had the intention to give up its nuclear program. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Differing views between South Korea and the United States on North Korea's nuclear ambitions may cause discord, affecting the allies' cooperation on resolving the problem, according to diplomatic observers, Monday. Should Seoul stick to such an approach toward Pyongyang, it may find itself alienated from Washington in terms of its policies toward the totalitarian state, they say. President Moon Jae-in said in his New Year press conference, Jan. 18, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had the intention to denuclearize his country. This stance was reiterated by his pick for foreign minister, Chung Eui-yong, who also said in Friday's confirmation hearing that Kim was still sincere about giving up his nuclear program. However, the U.S. State Department's de facto refutation of the South Korean government's stance on the Kim regime's denuclearization efforts came less than a day later, saying that North Korea's unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs, together with its willingness to proliferate advanced technology, constitute a serious threat to international peace and security by undermining the global nonproliferation regime, according to Radio Free Asia. The experts expressed concerns that the Moon administration is still stuck amid the memories of the inter-Korean "good old days" of 2018, when three summits between Moon and Kim took place, along with rapid rapprochement between the U.S. and North Korea, adding that its North Korea policy is still coming from these memories without facing reality. "Almost everyone in the Joe Biden administration is skeptical about Kim Jong-un's willingness to abandon his nuclear programs, due to the North's violation of the Feb. 29, 2012 agreement to freeze its nuclear and missile programs, and Kim doubling down on his nuclear arms buildup during last month's party congress. Thus, the Biden team cannot accept the South Korean government's optimistic view on the North's nuclear program," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University. "In its discussions with the U.S., should the South Korean government approach the nuclear issue stressing only Kim's willingness to denuclearize, the gap in the allies' perception of the nuclear problem will make it tougher to resolve. In addition, Moon should not have said that the Biden administration should inherit the 2018 Singapore statement in its policy toward the North, because there are those from the Biden team who are not positive about the deal." Shin Beom-chul, the director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, also said that cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. on the North's denuclearization may get off to a bad start if the Moon administration makes unconvincing arguments. "Despite his promise to boost its nuclear program in the party congress, the South Korean government keeps saying the North Korean leader has the intention to denuclearize. Rather than drawing up a reality-based policy, they are making a rhetoric-based approach to the North Korean nuclear issue a method used during the Donald Trump years that is now unacceptable under the Biden administration," Shin said. "While the Biden administration is attempting to reverse the Trump administration's North Korea policy, the South Korean government is repeatedly urging the Biden team to take over its predecessor's policy, which it considers a failure. This difference in approaches heralds the fact that friction is likely for the present time concerning the allies' cooperation on the nuclear issue." In addition, he said continuing discord with the Moon administration may lead the Biden administration to rethink its cooperation with the current South Korean government, with Moon's term ending in May 2022. "If the two countries fail to reconcile differing views on the issue by the end of the first half of the year, the Biden administration may not be in a hurry and may plan to discuss the issue with the next government instead," Shin said. "In that respect, if President Moon wants to do something to resolve the nuclear matter, he needs to find a middle ground with President Biden." Park also advised the Moon administration to set North Korean denuclearization as the goal in its cooperation with the U.S. rather than promoting the North's willingness to give up its nuclear program. "The South should simultaneously pursue the three principles: denuclearization of North Korean, a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and an improvement in North Korea-U.S. relations," he said. The Upper West Regional Police Command has arrested 83 persons, comprising 66 males and 17 females, for refusing to wear nose masks in public as directed by the President. Chief Inspector Gideon Ohene Boateng, the Upper West Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, told the media that they had cautioned the people to strictly adhere to the protocols, prior to the mass arrest. For the time being weve been going around sensitizing and we are making sure that we all adhere to it. So I will only say the recalcitrant, who are not willing to wear the nose mask, are those we have arrested, he said. Chief Insp. Boateng said they would be interrogated and their responses would inform the Police Command of the next line of action. He expressed worry that some people had the masks but refused to wear them, adding that they were meant to be worn and not to hide in the pocket or handbags. Some of those arrested said they had the masks in their pockets while riding their motorbikes. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has instructed the Ghana Police Service to enforce the COVID-19 safety protocols, especially nose mask-wearing. 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 In at least 28 states, masks are required on the floors of both legislative chambers, according to a New York Times survey of legislatures in every state; 17 of the 28 states are controlled by Democrats. Legislatures in at least 18 states, including 15 that are Republican-controlled, do not require masks on the floor in at least one chamber. In the three state legislatures where party control is divided, one is requiring masks and two are not. In Minnesota, masks are required in the Democratic-held House, but the Senates Republican majority blocked a proposal to require masks in the upper chamber. Senators are allowed to participate in sessions remotely. Part of it is simply respecting those that may have a different point of view, said Senator Paul Gazelka, the Republican leader. Similar partisan divides have appeared across the country. In Ohio, Republican lawmakers have knocked down motions by Democrats to require masks in the Statehouse and allow remote participation. So, as Mr. Thomass colleagues heard public comments on a bill to limit the governors emergency powers, which could allow lawmakers to veto the governors public health orders, Mr. Thomas was listening in his office, unable to ask questions. Other Republican-led legislatures, like Missouris, have also stopped short of requiring mask-wearing. The Arizona House of Representatives held two swearing-in ceremonies earlier this year: one for legislators who would wear masks, and the other for those who would not. Republican leaders in South Dakota, which has the countrys second-highest rate of known coronavirus cases, have required masks in the Senate but have merely encouraged them in the House. Legislators in both chambers are allowed to attend and vote remotely if they have been exposed to the virus. With no shortage of pressing issues facing state lawmakers budget shortfalls, economic relief and redistricting, to name a few many rituals of state government have been disrupted by the pandemic. The on Monday pulled up a petitioner who sought imposition of President's rule in claiming it had the "worst crime record" amid increasing crime rate and breakdown of Constitutional machinery. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said: "How many states' crime record have you studied?" The bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, warned the petitioner-in-person advocate C.R. Jaya Sukin that it may impose heavy cost, citing the nature of the plea. Irked by continuous persistence by Sukin to hear his arguments, the Chief Justice said: "Have you studied the crime record of other states, where is the research?" Sukin replied that in comparison with statistics, almost 30 per cent crimes have been reported in Citing data from the Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Sukin contended that he has done his research and the crime graph has gone up in Not entertaining this line of argument for imposition of President's rule in UP, the bench told Sukin, "Show us on what basis you are saying this?" After a brief hearing in the matter, the Chief Justice said there is no research to support the claims of the petitioner and also he failed to establish that his fundamental right has been violated. While dismissing the plea, the bench said it will impose heavy costs, if the petitioner continues to argue. The PIL, citing NCRB data released in January 2020, said a case of rape is registered with the Uttar Pradesh police every two hours while a crime against a child is reported every 90 minutes in the state. "That report claims that 4,322 cases of rape were reported in 2018, with almost 12 taking place daily and the state also recorded 59,445 crimes against women with 162 being reported every day, which indicates a surge of 7 per cent over 2017 when 56,011 crimes against women - 153 per day - were registered," contended the The petitioner urged the to issue direction, particularly the nature of writ, for imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution of India in Uttar Pradesh immediately. --IANS ss/kr (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TURIN, FEB 8 - Two Italian skiers are missing after an avalanche hit the mountains near Sestriere on Monday, the alpine rescue service said. They said the avalanche had hit between Cesana and Sauze di Cesana. (ANSA). REMUS Michigan State Police are looking for the public's help in locating Richard Lee Wymer, a 70 year-old Remus man who was last seen Sunday morning. Wymer was last seen Sunday shoveling his driveway in the 7000 block of 10th Avenue in Wheatland Township, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police. At about 10 a.m., Wymer left his residence in a 2000 gray Chevy Suburban traveling northbound on M-20. Wymer left his wallet, credit cards, cash, cell phone and his favorite knife at home. His vehicle had about 1/3 of a tank of gas with minimal spare change in it. It is unknown if there was more money inside the vehicle. Wymer is described as a white man weighing about 240 pounds and is just over 6 feet tall. He has gray shoulder length hair, blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a flannel coat, light brown stocking hat, blue jeans and green boots. He has a tattoo on his upper left arm of a lion lifting weights. The vehicle Wymer was last seen leaving in shows some signs of aging and has a large Harley Davidson decal on the rear window. It is likely the vehicle has a Trump MAGA hat on the front dashboard as well, according to the news release. It is unclear where Wymer was headed. He spent most of his life in the Gratiot County area and has property in the Mancelona area. Those with information on Wymer's whereabouts are asked to call the Michigan State Police Mt. Pleasant Post at 989-773-5951. The security presence was escalated at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur border points ahead of the 'chakka jam' called by protesting farmers last week. (Image: AP Photo/Manish Swarup) The additional forces deployed at border points of the national capital were being withdrawn, the Delhi Police said on February 8. The security presence was escalated at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur border points ahead of the 'chakka jam' called by protesting farmers last week. According to an internal communication of the Delhi Police, the additional forces placed at the border were asked to go back to their respective units and districts, news agency ANI reported. The three border points of Delhi have emerged as epicentres of the agrarian unrest since November 2020. The Tikri border at north and Singhu at west seperate Delhi from Haryana, whereas Ghazipur demarcates the capital from western Uttar Pradesh. Also read: After PM Modi's invite, farmer leaders say ready for talks, ask govt to choose date Farmers, predominantly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at Tikri and Singhu, whereas, the agitating front at Ghazipur is being led largely by farmers from west UP - under the aegis of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. Following the January 26 violence, the police deployment had increased at the borders of Delhi. Nails were studded, portions of roads were dug up and barricades with barbed wires were inserted in an apparent bid to prevent the protesters from entering en-masse into the capital. The order to withdraw additional forces from the Delhi borders came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a renewed appeal for talks. While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the government is committed towards resolving the issue through talks. After Modi's invite, the farmer leaders said they were ready to return for a dialogue with the government . They, however, marked their dissent over Modi's remark that a new "breed" of agitators called "andolan jivi has emerged in the country". Talk about cruel and unusual punishment. Right-hander Trevor Bauer went out of his way this winter to flirt with the New York Mets on social media, praising new owner Steve Cohen and the Mets fan base. But in the end, it was nothing more than a long, drawn-out tease, as Bauer signed a three-year, $102 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, reportedly leaving money on the table from the Mets. In the moments leading up to his announcement on Friday, social media accounts connected to the 30-year-old promoted Bauer-Mets memorabilia and collectibles, leading many to believe he was heading to New York. On Sunday night, Bauer returned to Twitter to apologize to Mets fans for leading them on: Mets fans, I owe you an explanation and apology. My intention this entire offseason was to engage with fans in ways that made the off season and free agent process more interesting. I woke up early on Friday not knowing what my decision would be and spent the next 5 hours on the phone with my representation team trying to figure that out. I wasnt on social media or my website, as my marketing and digital team was managing both at the time, so I didnt see what happened until after the fact. Ive taken some time over the last two days to figure it out, and I take full responsibility for the mistakes outlined below. In the spirit of transparency, heres what happened: Throughout the free agency process, my team prepared marketing materials for multiple organizations, as I didnt know where or when I would sign. In order to be prepared for a moment that could materialize very quickly, we had uploaded many of those to my website on the back-end. The plan was not to have those pages live until a decision had been made, which is obviously not what happened. That was the first mistake. The plan was to release a link to my website and the appropriate materials via linktree on my Instagram page once my decision was finalized. Unfortunately, that link was posted in error well before any decision had been made. That was the second mistake. Understandably, the link was quickly discovered and began to spread on social media. The resulting confusion is understandable and regrettable. My intention was never to mislead your fan base, nor was it to troll you in any way. I had a fantastic time engaging with fans from many teams over the last few months and Mets fans priced to be as passionate and energetic a bunch as any, so I offer my sincerest apologies for how the events Friday played out. I have no control over false media reports stating a contract was in place or that terms had been agreed to, but I do accept responsibility for the errors above. It was an embarrassing and emotional moment for me. For those of you who entered the giveaway, you will be entered into a raffle for game tickets next time the Dodgers play the Mets (and fans are able to be in stadium). I will also be donating $10,000 each to the following New York-based nonprofits: Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC @BBBSNYC STEM Kids NYC @stemkidsnyc The Get Schooled Foundation @getschooled Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens @vbgcq I look forward to my next visit to Citi Field and hope to hear you just as loud in person, even if its not in cheers for me. The Dodgers, who are the defending World Series champions, and the Mets were the finalists for Bauer, who won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award after posting a career-best 1.73 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds. He will be the third Cy Young Award winner in the Dodgers starting rotation, joining Clayton Kershaw (NL in 2011, 2013, 2014) and David Price (AL in 2012). Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. has formally arrested a Chinese-born Australian journalist for CGTN, the English-language channel of Central Television, on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, Australia's foreign minister said on Monday. The arrest of Cheng Lei last Friday starts an official criminal investigation and came six months after she was detained. The Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Ms. Cheng's detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement. We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with norms, she added. Worsening bilateral relations since called for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic are suspected to be the cause of Cheng's arrest. Cheng's two young children were with family members in Melbourne, A month before Cheng was detained on August 13, warned its citizens of a risk of arbitrary detention in China dismissed the warning as disinformation. Before the last two journalists working for Australian media in China left the country in September, they were questioned by Chinese authorities about Cheng. Australian Broadcasting Corp. reporter Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith were told they were persons of interest in an investigation into Cheng. I believe the episode was more one of harassment of the remaining Australian journalists rather than a genuine effort to try and get anything useful for that case, Birtles said after returning to Sydney. Australia has criticised China for charging Chinese-Australian spy novelist Yang Hengjun with espionage. He has been detained since January 2019. Australian Karm Gilespie was sentenced to death in China last year, seven years after he was arrested and charged with attempting to board an flight with more than 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of methamphetamine. Some observers suspect that such a severe sentence so long after the crime was related to the bilateral rift. Cheng was an anchor for CGTN's BizAsia programme. She was born in China and worked in finance in Australia before returning to China and starting a career in journalism with CCTV in Beijing in 2003. (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.) Korea Securities Depository (KSD) CEO Rhee Myong-ho speaks during a virtual press conference, Monday. Courtesy of KSD By Kim Yoo-chul The head of the Korea Securities Depository (KSD), a post-trade service operator for the country's securities market, said Monday the agency will use "all available cards" to improve the transparency of the local private equity fund (PEF) market. "When it comes to policies relevant to improving the local PEF market, this is something that can't be reversed. We are seeing these options as irreversible," CEO Rhee Myong-ho said during an online press conference. Rhee said the agency plans to complete the establishment of a standard-code management system for non-market products such as unlisted stocks and stock-related bonds by June this year at the earliest. Retail investors were heavily dissatisfied over alleged financial fraud perpetrated by Lime Asset Management and Optimus Asset Management, Korea's "top" hedge funds, after managers at the two were accused of misappropriation and embezzlement when they froze withdrawals because of massive liquidity problems. The country's top financial regulators are planning to impose heavy penalties on banks involved in the alleged fraud. "The KSD has completed the process of categorizing non-market assets. Plus, we are also very close to reaching a consensus with market players before giving them their unique codes. Also, I am ready to take responsibility over the Optimus Fund-oriented fuss especially when it comes to the KSD's role," the CEO said. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has notified the KSD that some of its employees would receive penalties because of the agencies lax monitoring of such speculative funds. In response to the KSD's possible move to back up the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the financial authorities' plan to allow retail investors access to short-selling after May 2, the executive said: "We will try to set up a system supporting the government's adjusted short-selling practice." The KSD plans to mandate retail investors who want to short-sell to submit original copies of their contracts. Foreign investors are allowed to short-sell via the SWIFT verification process. "Additionally, the KSD plans to upgrade risk management as demand for foreign currency-backed securities will continue to rise. We will expand the scope of investors to include those investing in unlisted stocks to track them," he said. The financial regulators are set to lift the short-selling ban May 2. The practice is a bet that a stock price will drop in the near future whereby an investor borrows a company's stock and sells it with the hope of purchasing it back at the discounted price, thus making a profit before returning it to the actual owner. The extension of a short-selling ban until May 2 made South Korea the country that prohibited the practice for the longest time. But some said this was mostly due to political reasons as the ruling DPK is seeking to win April's mayoral by-elections to keep President Moon Jae-in afloat ahead of next year's presidential election. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Burma Family of Suu Kyis Detained Economic Adviser Calls on Myanmar Military for Release Sean Turnell, an economic adviser to Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the public event in Yangon in 2018. / The Irrawaddy YANGON The family of detained Australian economic adviser Sean Turnell has called for his immediate release by Myanmars military regime. Turnell, an adviser to ousted Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was arrested by the military regime days after the coup. His arrest was believed to be the first of a foreign national in Myanmar since the countrys military seized power on Feb. 1 claiming fraud in the Nov. 8 election. The National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in that election, which outside observers had judged to be free and fair. We are distraught that Dr. Sean Turnell, our beloved family member and an internationally respected academic, has been detained in Myanmar, Turnells family said in a statement released on Monday. The family said that Turnell had fallen in love with Myanmar, working on its behalf for more than two decades. The family added that Turnell has brought jobs, investments and hope to many of the poorest people in Myanmar without thought of reward or concern for his own advantage. He is warm and kind-hearted, generous, and always thinks about others before himself. Even now, wherever he is confined, we know that his thoughts and concerns are with those worrying about him, the family said. Turnell has served as one of the top economic policy advisers of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for several years. He also serves as a director of research at the Myanmar Development Institute (MDI), a leading economic thinktank group focused on building the capacity of the government. The Australian Foreign Ministry also demanded Myanmar authorities release Turnell after summoning Myanmars ambassador over the detention. The foreign ministry did not say whether it has information on Turnells whereabouts. Just after the coup, Turnell seemed to know that he might not be safe in the country. At that time, he wrote on Facebook that he was safe for now but heartbroken for what all this means for the people for Myanmar, calling them, The bravest kindest people I know. They deserve so much better. In a separate post hours after the coup he said: Myanmar will shine again! But for now, Im heartbroken. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Legally-Elected Lawmakers Denounce Coup, Call for Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Myanmars Coup Leaders Name a New Union Election Commission Myanmars Supreme Court Hears Election Misconduct Claims Against President, Suu Kyi A state judge ordered New Yorks Department of Health to release records about nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 in a ruling that said the agencys failure to do so already was a violation of New Yorks open government law. Albany County Acting Supreme Court Justice Kimberly OConnor also ordered Governor Andrew Cuomos administration to pay legal fees for The Empire Center for Public Policy, a conservative-leaning, nonprofit think tank that filed suit demanding the release of the records last fall. New York regularly releases the number of residents who died at individual nursing homes and assisted living homes after testing positive for COVID-19. But, unlike other states, it does not regularly give out that information for those residents who died at hospitals. The Empire Center filed an August 3 request for records about all long-term care residents who died of COVID-19. Even though nursing homes have to file daily reports of all resident deaths, regardless of location, the Department of Health argued it needed months to compile records about long-term care residents who died at hospitals. The judge ordered the Department of Health to release the information within five business days, and said the agency violated the states Freedom of Information law by failing to provide a reasonable date to grant or deny the Empire Centers request. Its continued failure to provide petitioner a response, given the straightforward nature of the request, how the data is collected and maintained, and the fact that some of the requested data has already been made publicly available without personally identifying information, goes against FOILs broad standard of open and transparent government and is a violation of the statute, OConnor said. New York Attorney General Letitia James previously released a report criticizing the Cuomo administration for failing to report the deaths of thousands of nursing home residents who died at hospitals. Later that day, Cuomos administration said at least 12,743 nursing home residents died of the virus at hospitals and nursing homes as of January 19, far greater than the states tally of 8,505 deaths at nursing homes. The Department of Health has argued its flooded with records requests during a time marked by pandemic, and that it is taking months to verify that nursing homes are accurately reporting the number of deaths of residents at hospitals. With the preliminary audit complete, we were already in the process of responding to the their FOIL request, and updating DOHs website with publicly available information, Department of Health spokesperson Gary Holmes said in a statement. The Associated Press is still awaiting the results of multiple records requests from DOH filed last spring, including for data about the number of COVID-19 positive residents admitted or readmitted from hospitals. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation New York Senior Care 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. Expatriates from Myanmar held rallies outside the Myanmar Embassy and in front of the United Nations' regional office in Bangkok on Monday against last week's military coup. About 80 people stood nearby the Myanmar Embassy and sang "Kabar Makyay Bu" (We Won't Be Satisfied Until the End of the World) - an anthem of the country's new non-violent resistance movement. The song was written to inspire Myanmar's ultimately failed 1988 uprising against military rule, and is set to the tune of "Dust in the Wind," a 1977 song by the U.S. rock group Kansas. Another group shouted pro-democracy slogans while holding pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi and symbols of her National League For Democracy party. Some people also gathered in front of the United Nations' office in the afternoon. Many said they will continue to protest in Thailand, while demonstrations in neighboring Myanmar intensified. There have been no signs that either the protesters or the military will back down in their fight over who is Myanmars legitimate government: the politicians from Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party, which won the recent elections in a landslide, or the military junta. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Nepal has offered deep condolences to the victims of flash floods caused by glacier burst in Uttarakhand on Sunday and prayed for the safety of those missing in the disaster as rescue operations continue in India's northern state. "We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash flood caused by an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for the safety of those missing," the Foreign Ministry of Nepal said in a tweet. A glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flash flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday morning. The Rishiganga Power Project was damaged in the flash floods. A deluge in the Alaknanda river system washed away hydroelectric stations, trapping more than 100 labourers, who are feared dead. READ | Uttarakhand Disaster: French President Emmanuel Macron Expresses Solidarity With India The state government sounded a red alert in the region and began evacuating people from the affected areas. The Indian Army has deployed choppers and troops to support the Uttarakhand government in tackling the flood. Four Army columns, two Medical teams, and one Engineering Task Force were deployed at Reni village in the Tapovan area of Chamoli. Army helicopters are on an aerial recce and a 30-bed hospital were also been kept ready at Joshimath for dealing with the emergency. READ | Nepal Inaugurates Road Constructed With Indian Assistance CM Rawat, PM Modi announce ex-gratia Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat informed that 176 labourers had gone for their duty in mainly 2 tunnels in the affected regions. Out of those, 30-35 labourers working in the Rishiganga project are said to be trapped inside while 16 workers trapped in the tunnel near Tapovan in Chamoli have been rescued by the ITBP jawans. In all, over 100 people are said to be missing. The CM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased while the PMO has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin. Reportedly, 8 lives have been claimed in the incident, as of now. READ | 'More Than 100 People Missing, 35 Trapped In Tunnel': Uttarakhand CM On Glacier Burst READ | India & Nepal Jointly Inaugurate 108km Road To Improve Daily Connectivity At Border We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a ray of hope as vaccinations against the virus roll out in many countries. Israel is one of the countries that has started vaccinating its residents. The country has administered more than 55 doses of either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine for every 100 residents. A third of its population has already received at least the first dose of the required two doses to date. In a report published on the pre-print server medRxiv*, researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Trento, and the Racah Institute of Physics suggest that the shape of the outbreak in patients over 60 years old has changed because of the vaccinations. After the vaccination roll out in Israel, there has been a decline in new moderate and severe cases earlier than expected, by about a week. Effective reproduction number Re in Israel, as estimated by the 4-day growth factor of daily confirmed cases, with respect to the onset of the national lockdowns either on Sep 19, 2020 (gray line), or Jan. 8, 2021 (black line). Shaded area denotes 1.5 standard deviations about of the black line. One observes the striking similarity between Res, which represents the dynamics of the outbreak, between the two lockdowns. Israels COVID-19 vaccine campaign About one in three residents in Israel has received vaccination against COVID-19 since December 19, 2021. The countrys prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has campaigned heavily for vaccinations, personally negotiating with Pfizer, one of the forerunners in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, to secure early shipments of the vaccines. The campaign prioritized individuals aged 60 years old and over, immune-deficient patients, and health workers. By January 25, 2021, about 2.6 million Israelis, or 29 percent of the population, had been vaccinated with at least the first dose. The second dose is rolling out, yielding a vaccine coverage of 80 percent. New daily moderate and severe cases among patients older than 60 in the January lockdown (blue), and September lockdown (red). The bars represent the percentage of vaccinated people older than 60 years old, relative to the January lockdown. The time difference of about 8 days between the peaks is an indication for the vaccination effectiveness. With the rapid vaccine roll-out, there is evidence that the program is significantly affecting virus transmission in the country. The cases of COVID-19 in Israel are falling among older adults, who were among the first people who received their vaccines. Hospital admissions among the over 60s have declined by 26 percent since the peak on January 19. However, among those between 40 and 59 years old, the age group in the queue to be vaccinated, the number of severe cases increases by 13 percent. The new daily moderate and severe cases for three different vaccine effectiveness scenarios, and without vaccines. Solid line: Long effective lockdown with an effective vaccine. Dashed (dotted) line: Long effective lockdown with 95% (50%) effectiveness in preventing morbidity, while not preventing infections . Effectiveness of vaccines in mitigating the pandemic Israel is a perfect example to determine the efficacy of vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 on mitigating the number of cases, particularly moderate to severe ones that require hospitalization. To arrive at the study findings, the team used data analysis to model epidemic dynamics in the country, comparing various lockdown duration and efficacy scenarios. The team modeled each scenario with and without the vaccine coverage. Further, the researchers studied the daily trends of new confirmed cases, including new moderate or severe COVID-19 cases in Israel. Moderate cases are those patients with COVID-19 who developed bilateral pneumonia. Meanwhile, severe cases are those with COVID-19 with oxygen saturation below 93 percent while breathing ambient air. These cases are at a higher risk of health deterioration, with a 15 to 20 percent fatality rate within ten days. The team also noted that, on average, moderate and severe COVID-19 admissions occur about five days following a positive test and about 10 days from the actual onset of infection. Hence, the number of new and severe COVID-19 cases may provide an insight into the dynamics of the disease. The study also tackled the trends of moderate and severe cases as potential measures of disease dynamics and the effect of the vaccine on the outbreak. The study findings showed that the shape of the COVID-19 outbreak, based on the daily new moderate and severe cases in patients over 60, has changed due to vaccination efforts. The decline in the new moderate and severe cases occurred earlier than expected, by an estimated one week. The team also noted that the study findings were consistent with the theory that vaccination leads to higher than 50 percent protection in preventing clinical disease. Also, it is effective in stopping the transmission of the virus in older adults. Overall, the researchers believe that vaccinating the most vulnerable members of the population, including the elderly and high-risk individuals, can help reduce severe cases and deaths tied to COVID-19. This is the first indication of the effectivity of COVID-19 vaccine in changing the course of an ongoing pandemic outbreak, the researchers noted in the paper. Vaccination efforts are crucial to combat the pandemic and to stop the ongoing pandemic. To date, the total number of cases has reached over 106 million, with more than 2.3 million deaths globally. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. VerSe Innovation, a leading local language technology platform in India, on Monday announced it has raised another USD 100 million-plus in a Series H funding round led Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, and Glade Brook Capital Partners. Canaan Valley Capital and existing investor Sofina Group also participated in this round, it said in a statement. The investment follows close on the heels of a USD 100 million-plus fund raise from Google, Microsoft and AlphaWave in December last year. VerSe Innovation plans to deploy this capital steadily in the continued scaling up of ''made-in-Bharat-for-Bharat-by- Bharat-in-12-Bhartiya-languages-hosted-in-Bharat'' short video platform ''Josh''. "This will include the augmentation of local language content offerings, the development of its content creator ecosystem, innovation in AI and ML and more importantly, creation of opportunity for Indias vast talent pool", the statement said. Currently, Josh is the fastest growing and most engaged short-video app in India with over 85 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users), 40 million DAUs (Daily Active Users) and 1.5 billion video plays per day, it said. VerSe Innovations proprietary technology platform also powers various technology solutions including 300 million-plus users on ''Dailyhunt'' to consume content in their local language, the statement added. Paducah Parolee Arrested in Restaurant Burglary By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Paducah man was arrested Saturday after police say he was seen on surveillance video breaking into a downtown restaurant.The Paducah Police Department says officers were called Friday night to a break-in at Branch Out. The owner provided surveillance video showing a man breaking a window and entering the restaurant.The man took cash and a small safe, put them in a trash bag and left down an alley toward Broadway.While officers were at the scene, 61-year-old Steven Baker walked past wearing clothing identical to that seen in the surveillance video.Officers arrested Baker after he reportedly admitted to breaking into the business. He told them he threw the safe in the Ohio River, but it was later recovered at his home along with an undisclosed amount of cash.He was charged with third-degree burglary, tampering with physical evidence and possession of burglary toolsBaker received a life sentence in 1985 after his conviction for first-degree burglary, first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy. He was paroled to Keeton Correctional Facility in 2019 and left there under Probation and Parole supervision in March. When artists Elizabeth Rangel and Ray Vickers first saw their work featured on the Levis website, it provided a moment of excitement and uplift after months of sheltering in place. Although the virus has made it impossible for Rangel and Vickers to work in-person at Creative Growth, the world renowned Oakland art center for the developmentally disabled, it hasnt stopped the community from creating together. After transitioning to virtual studio sessions in March 2020, the Levis project is the first Creative Growth collaboration to be done entirely remotely, a testament to the quick adjustments made by both instructors and artists. A look at the Levis website shows that neither artist has lost their enthusiasm for their respective mediums. Rangels vintage Levis trucker jacket is embellished with red fringe, the word freedom stitched over its arms. A combination heart/peace sign is embroidered across the back, a technique frequently employed by the 36-year-old. Vickers T-shirt design shows the classic red Levis logo as being held up by cartoon bunnies: Like other works by Vickers, 33, theres a playfulness and pop sensibility in his take on the brand iconography. I was beyond surprised and excited, Rangel said over a Zoom video call. There were butterflies in my stomach. My heart wanted to make this vision with the theme of the hippie era of the 60s for the jacket. (Seeing) it made me feel proud. Hard work runs in my family. It felt good, Vickers said of the experience, his pet dragon lizard resting on his shoulder. My mom has ordered a bunch of my shirts, but I never let stuff like that go to my head. I try and remain humble. Creative Growth Vickers, who frequently includes rabbits and Marvel superheroes in his drawings, has been an artist with Creative Growth since 2009. Rangel has been with them since 2011 and primarily works in fashion and textiles. While Vickers has previously been involved with an artist collaboration with Levis for a series of pins this was the first time Rangel had worked on a project with the company. One day, she hopes to start her own fashion label. When I saw it, I said, you made me the happiest girl in the world right now, said Rangel. Founded by Florence and Elias Katz, for 47 years Creative Growth has not only given developmentally disabled artists an outlet for expression, its also provided a sense of stability and routine thats often critical for their quality of life. Creative Growths roughly 150 artists who earn money generated from the sales of their work include people on the autism spectrum and with Down syndrome, developmental delays and other disabilities. In its converted garage on 24th Street near Broadway in Oakland, Creative Growth is as much an icon in the Bay Area art world as the 168-year-old Levi Strauss & Co. is in fashion. Over the decades the center has not only been a place where people with developmental disabilities have benefited from studio classes and community, it has also launched artists like abstract painter Dan Miller and the late sculptor Judith Scott, whose work is in the permanent collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the organizations savvy strategy of brand partnerships with companies like Target, Vans sneakers and Nordstrom as well as local retailers Modern Appealing Clothing and Hero Shop, their products have developed a dedicated following beyond gallery clients. A 2009-10 capsule collection with fashion designer Marc Jacobs, for example, featured a line of 15 products that were carried in boutiques worldwide which became sought-after gets for fashion collectors. All those elements appealed to Paul ONeill, the design director for Levis collections, who reached out to the organization for the recent collaboration. Creative Growth has long been on my radar for something like this, said ONeill, who owns several works by Creative Growth artists. Then last year there was a conversation that came up about an opportunity for Levis to do something to highlight the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. I said Creative Growth would be the perfect people to work with; everyone loved the idea. Creative Growth The project features one-of-a-kind vintage trucker jackets painted, embellished and drawn on by Creative Growth artists. Aurie Ramirezs jacket is painted in homage to rock band Kiss; a jacket by Lauren Dare is drawn with leopard spots. Lulu Sotelos design features whimsical figures while Nicole Storm experimented with color washing on her jacket. Stephanie Hills jacket has a stained glass-like motif, while butterfly embroideries dot the jacket by Susan Glikbarg. William Scott included patches with the words Peace on Earth and Science Fiction on his design, and Zina Halls jacket featured a patchwork portrait on the back. All jackets are priced at $498; T-shirts by Vickers, Rickie Algarva and Ron Veasey are $34.50. Within a few weeks of the collections Dec. 3 launch, nine of the jackets had sold. Between proceeds from the sales, which go to the organization, plus the commissions fees that go to the individual artists, Levis contributed a combined $20,000 for the project. The partnership with Creative Growth was about doing something impactful with artists and an organization that we believe in, ONeill said. We were committed to making sure all proceeds from sales went back into Creative Growth. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle The collection was not the first time the company has worked with the organization. In recent years, Levis has been a sponsor of the Beyond Trend fashion show Creative Growth has held since 2010, featuring artwear made and modeled by the artists. The event has become one of the best known fashion shows in the Bay Area, attracting celebrity guests like David Byrne and Paper magazine and The New Now founder Kim Hastreiter. For the safety of artists, this years Beyond Trend has been indefinitely postponed. In a year that required such major adjustments from the Creative Growth community, it was important, said Creative Growth Executive Director Elizabeth Brodersen, to have something to celebrate. We get questions every day about when we are coming back, said Brodersen. We miss everyone terribly. Nothing replaces being in studio, but in 10 months weve become a thriving online community. The artists are managing to stay connected and make work. Its blown my mind. Both Vickers and Rangel said that theyve managed to adjust to working with instructors remotely, but they also miss the in-jokes and kind of interactions they get in-person. Once theyre back in studio, Vickers looks forward to Wednesday coffee time with his instructors. Rangel thinks the return to studio will be awkward when it eventually happens, but with a virus like the coronavirus its good to be awkward. Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TonyBravoSF Patna: Fed up with the constant blocking of roads by rallies and dharnas causing immense road jams leading to all sorts of inconveniences, the Bihar Police, in a circular, issued a warning to political parties and organizations against staging violent protests or blocking of the roads. Those who are found staging protests, sitting on a dharna, or blocking roads will not get government jobs or any kind of government contract, the circular read. Opposition leaders were quick to slam the new diktat accusing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of acting like a dictator. He (Nitish Kumar) is increasingly acting like Hitler or Mussolini, said a Congress activist. Meanwhile, speaking at a function to celebrate the completion of 100 years of Bihar Assembly building, the Chief Minister talked about the need for healthy discussion in the House and urged the legislators to think of themselves as sevaks (servants) and not as malik, or masters. Symbols matter, but there is no substitute for substance, and believe me I get it. But the power and importance of symbols are the reasons I believe designating "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as Americas national hymn would be a substantive step in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. If you saw Alicia Keys sing this stirring anthem at the Super Bowl, you will know what I mean. I take to heart the reticence of those who argue that such an act would do nothing to feed the hungry, house the homeless or provide jobs to the unemployed. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was written in 1900 by an African American, James Weldon Johnson, to celebrate the 91st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, and set to music by his brother, John Rosamund Johnson. It is a hymn that acknowledges the difficulties of our past and challenges of the future. Consider the following words: Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us Facing the rising sun of our new day begun Let us march on till victory is won Inspiration will help bring progress "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has been designated the official song of the NAACP and is often referred to as the Black National Anthem. But I believe its appeal is much more universal and its words applicable to nearly every ethnic background in America. My legislation does not seek to supplant the national anthem but to supplement it with a national hymn. As a youth, I proudly played the Star-Spangled Banner on my clarinet and often sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in the Glee Club. I accept the critique of those who find this effort more symbolic than substantive. But I am often criticized by friends and acquaintances for being too modest about my legislative accomplishments. As a rule, they may be correct. But there are exceptions to most rules. So, to those who question my commitment to substance, I invite a cursory review of a little of my legislative record. Story continues Representative James Clyburn on Nov. 20., 2013. The first bill I co-sponsored after being sworn into Congress was to raise the minimum wage. The first bill I introduced was to name the new federal courthouse that had been proposed for Columbia, South Carolina in honor of the legendary civil rights attorney Matthew J. Perry, Jr. That precipitated a pitched battle because the legendary anti-civil rights U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, wanted it named in his honor. But I prevailed and became one of only two freshmen of the 103rd Congress to have a bill become law. That courthouse is symbolic to substantive commitments and sacrifices. Forget the 'blue slip': Biden can advance racial justice, but only if Democratic senators ditch an old tradition Tourism is a top industry in South Carolina, and heritage tourism is one of the industry's fastest growing sectors nationally. But when I arrived in Congress, we did not have a National Heritage corridor. Today we have two. South Carolina did not have a National Park. Today we have three. Yours truly was a sponsor of all five of these highly substantive economic engines and was the author of four of them. My plethora of restoration and preservation bills for historically black colleges and universities, 10-20-30 funding formula, and the Rural Energy Savings Program are just a few of my substantive legislative achievements. I realize that it would be symbolic to make "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which has been published by more than 40 religious publishing houses, our national hymn. But I believe it could help create a climate for some very substantive accomplishments. Black national anthem: To help heal racial wounds, it would become America's hymn under proposal National anthem verses don't soar With all due respect to Frances Scott Key, I am familiar with the history of "The Star Spangled Banner," which did not become our national anthem until 1931. The first verse is soaring and patriotic and we all learn it at a young age.However, few people are familiar with the other verses, the third of which contains the following lines: No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave Oer the land of the free and home of the brave. While historians may debate whether hireling and slave referenced enslaved Africans or were euphemisms for Americans subservience to the British, it is clear that Mr. Keys land of the free didnt include those held in bondage. Erase structural racism: 5 steps Joe Biden can take to make U.S. laws, policies more just Our nation is at an inflection point as we continue to struggle with issues of race. It is my hope that we can reach an acknowledgement and acceptance of our past as we work together to build a stronger future. Our motto, E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one) is symbolic of our aspirations. Enshrining "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as our national hymn will be a substantive step towards liberty and justice for all. Reflect upon the following: Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D.-S.C., is the House Majority Whip. Follow him on Twitter: @WhipClyburn You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clyburn: Why 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' should be our national hymn A massive fire destroyed an 111-year-old Texas courthouse Thursday night. The Mason County Courthouse, about two hours north of San Antonio, erupted into flames around 10:15 p.m., according to Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden, who spoke to the KXAN News Friday morning. All that was left in the building were the rock outer walls, he said. "It's a terrible tragedy for the people here in the county," Bearden told the television station. "Right now, it's just a shell. It just breaks your heart to look at it." Check out a video of the fire from Rich C Klein. READ ALSO: GoFundMe for San Antonio fourth grader who died after testing positive for COVID-19 raises 40K Bearden told the Associated Press fire investigators believe arson was the cause in both the courthouse fire and another blaze to a house about a mile away. According to KXAN, law enforcement officials have a suspect in custody they believe started the fire. No one was in the building during the time of the fire. Much of the interior furniture and county records were moved out prior to the sudden fire due to the courthouse set to have renovations in May, according to Mason County News. However, the interior, the roof, the bell tower, and a 150-year-old clock were destroyed in the flames, along with antique furniture. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre The biggest COVID-19 vaccine efforts so far in the Gateway City could not have been possible with one valuable resource: volunteers. Saturdays vaccine events were distributed through 14 locations around the city that started at 9 a.m. at Sames Auto Arena and at 1 p.m. at most of the LISD and UISD schools and other places around the city. As 5,000 people were vaccinated, dozens volunteered throughout the various locations as they helped administer vaccinations, registered peopleand helped work direct traffic in congested areas. The city applauded the efforts of all the volunteers involved. We always have volunteers at all of these events, City of Laredo public information officer Noraida Negron said. We have volunteers administering the vaccines which are the nurses, and then we also have volunteers who take care of the registration process. One of these volunteers on the frontlines Saturday was Lakshmana Viswanath who helped with the traffic at Sames Auto Arena where more than 1,000 vaccines were administered. I saw that a couple of weeks ago the City was asking for volunteers to help out with the vaccine drives as there was an article for the city requesting volunteers, Viswanath said. So I signed up and I showed at up at this morning at 7 a.m. and asked them what they wanted me to do as I am not a medical professional. So basically I helped handle traffic. Viswanath said due to the feasibility of his efforts he did not have to get any major training other than going over safety precautions and other guidances when coming in contact with the people in their vehicles. He helped coordinate as people came into the arena to get their vaccine. At first they started with four lines, but then it grew to five lines. It became extremely crowded as large numbers of people began getting to the arena. He did not see any major issues other than some people wanting to get out of the traffic faster as lines got bigger throughout the day. Viswanath urges more people to sign up to volunteer like he and many others did as he believes it is a rewarding experience and makes them part of the history to put an end to this pandemic. I think people should sign up to volunteer because it does help out people, Viswanath said. Some people may be scared, and that is understandable because its not like everybody out there is safe, but if they feel that they are capable of doing it because they are not sick or something, then they should. Its a big effort whether we are trying to vaccinate 5,000 or 10,000 people, but we must do it. Negron expressed great support for the volunteering of people like Viswanath because she said nothing could have been possible without their continued efforts. The City of Laredo would like to thank them as without them none of these vaccination events can be possible, Negron said. Negron also expressed support for all the other individuals that have volunteered from the city as many schools and even the local colleges have helped. We also have the Laredo College Nursing Program help us in our drives, and we also have our TAMIU Nursing Program. We have been able to give them those clinical hours because of COVID-19 not allowing them to go inside a hospital or doctors office, so this is the perfect opportunity for them to get those hours that they need to graduate, Negron said. Laredo College president Dr. Ricardo Solis is thrilled by the efforts of nursing students at his college to help bring an end to the pandemic. We are extremely encouraged and satisfied, Solis said. Todays event is a testament of the value that our nursing program and students bring, especially to the community. Negron said the volunteering prowess can also be attributed to the various organizations using their resources to help others. For instance, the school districts and individual schools allowed their staff such as school nurses and others to help administer the vaccine or register people. According to Viswanath, he will continue volunteering for future vaccination drives as he cares immensely for everybody to get vaccinated even though he still has not been vaccinated yet. He hopes for the city to get more vaccines soon so the efforts to quell the pandemic locally are fruitful. The state should definitely send out more vaccines, and I also think that we should probably have a better registration system where we dont run out of vaccines after just 18 minutes of signing up, Viswanath said. A lot of people out there are not computer savvy, and even if they are computer savvy, many are not being able to get in, which means that the only real solution is more vaccines. He hopes to attend every other week as he also balances out personal and professional responsibilities. However, as more vaccines come, he hopes that more people get involved and go out in large numbers to help the city bring an end to the pandemic that has caused so much pain and death. While nothing is certain, Negron said more vaccines may soon come to the area and possibly in greater numbers. It is a good sign that we are seeing many people sign up for the vaccine, but the best sign that I think we have seen so far is we are going to start getting more vaccines hopefully every week, that way we can continue to vaccinate as many people as possible, Negron Said. So the fact that we might get more allocations every single week is always good news. Despite Saturdays event being the largest in the city in terms of vaccination drives, no issues were reported throughout the day. None whatsoever. Everything ran very smoothly, Negron said. Anybody interested in volunteering for the City of Laredos continuing efforts to vaccinate the local population can do so, whether they are from the medical field or not, by contacting Edgar Campos at (956) 635-9030 or ercampos@ci.laredo.tx.us. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com NEW YORK, Feb 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Optimizely, a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, announced today the expansion of B2B Commerce Cloud globally throughout 2021. The move comes just one year after the company's 2019 acquisition of leading B2B digital commerce platform Insite Software, and gives manufacturers and distributors access to a solution previously available primarily in North America. Optimizely B2B Commerce Cloud enables B2B companies to uncover efficiencies, deliver customer-centric digital experiences and increase revenue with powerful capabilities for cart and checkout, catalog management, personalization, workflows, integration and more. The product is currently available in Continental Europe, the UK and Ireland and will be available across APAC, DACH and the Nordics in 2021. "From day one, B2B Commerce Cloud was purpose-built with manufacturers and distributors in mind. It was designed specifically for the unique and complex challenges that arise for B2B companies going digital, some for the first time," said Justin Anovick, Chief Product Officer at Optimizely. "Going digital for manufacturers and distributors means accommodating challenges around robust product catalogs featuring thousands of SKUs, complex business rules and workflows and complicated cart and checkout scenarios." Built with a powerful integration architecture and robust commerce core, Optimizely B2B Commerce Cloud powers the digital experiences for top manufacturers and distributors like Aggreko, Brady Corporation, Dillon Supply and Macpek. With Optimizely, manufacturers and distributors in Continental Europe, the UK and Ireland can now accelerate the creation and delivery of their B2B commerce experiences to future-proof their businesses and join the next generation of digital leaders. "We've helped hundreds of manufacturers and distributors see success with B2B Commerce and we are eager to add B2B companies across APAC, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordics to that roster in 2021," continued Anovick. "Our goal is to enable brands across the globe to compete digitally with a solution that makes creating and optimizing sophisticated digital experiences simple so they can create outsized outcomes for their businesses." B2B Commerce Cloud has earned Episerver (now Optimizely) recognition in recent B2B analyst evaluations including as a Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide B2B Digital Commerce Platforms and a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q2 2020. To see B2B Commerce Cloud in action, request a personalized B2B commerce assessment and book a demo. About Optimizely At Optimizely (Episerver), we're on a mission to help people unlock their digital potential. With our leading digital experience platform (DXP), we equip teams with the tools and insights they need to create and optimize in new and novel ways. Now, companies can operate with data-driven confidence to create hyper-personalized experiences. Building sophisticated solutions has never been simpler. Optimizely's 900+ partners and 1100+ employees in offices around the globe are proud to help more than 9,000 brands, including Toyota, Santander, eBay, KLM and Mazda, enrich their customer lifetime value, increase revenue and grow their brands. Learn more at optimizely.com . Media Contacts: Matt Erickson Sr. Manager of Global PR & Thought Leadership +1 952-261-6022 [email protected] SOURCE Episerver Related Links http://www.episerver.com Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The third stimulus check is on its way as President Joe Biden said, Friday, legislators could begin drafting the $1.9 trillion with the $1,400 coronavirus stimulus. Third Stimulus Check: 'It will be $1,400. Period!' Americans should expect a total of $2,000 with the authorized $600 payment last December and the promised $1,400 as per NJ.com. The president said this at the White House despite the request of 10 House Republicans to limit it to $1,000. President Biden supported a drive-by Congressional Democrats to circumvent the need for Republican support via reconciliation. This parliamentary budget mechanism needs only a simple Senate majority to approve new spending. As their basis for the new round of coronavirus help, Democratic lawmakers use the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Strategy. Biden has ten days to sign it into law or veto it from the moment Congress gives him the final legislation. "I'm not cutting the size of the checks," Biden said. "They're going to be $1,400. Period. That's what the American people were promised." Biden spoke after the House adopted a budget resolution, 219-209, largely along party lines, enabling any bill Congress produces to be passed. Also read: Baby Bonds Bill to Provide $1,000 Savings for Every Newborn American As soon as the Senate has the House Bill, there would still be obstacles with Joe Manchin being against direct payments to upper-income earners. Manchin and Susan Collins put forward a plan to bar "upper-income taxpayers" from qualifying for the third round of direct payments. The IRS will begin sending out the stimulus payments once Biden signs the bill. This is not the first time the organization will submit direct payments as they have done it before on the previous two rounds. If everything goes smoothly in Congress, Americans may see a third stimulus check entering their bank accounts between mid-March and early April. Also from HNGN: IRS Could Start Sending Out the Third Stimulus Checks as Early as First Week of March @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON The Trump administrations decision to move military responsibility for Israel from U.S. European Command to U.S. Central Command will help work toward a collective approach to security in a region where Americas main allies have traditionally been in conflict. Thats the read from Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of CENTCOM, who said Monday that bureaucratically, its just the thing that makes it a little easier to work those relationships. We do a lot of business with Israel now just as a practical matter of fact, because their threats generally emanate from the east, McKenzie said at an event hosted by the Middle East Institute. In a certain way, this is just a natural recognition of that at the operational level. Just a few days before the end of his administration, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to shift the combatant command authorities for Israel from EUCOM to CENTCOM, a surprise move that broke with years of Pentagon tradition. The move comes on the heels of a series of political agreements between Israel and its neighbors, known collectively as the Abraham Accords. The DoD had kept Israel at EUCOM in order to avoid complicating the military relationships between the U.S., Jerusalem and its neighbors, many of whom Israel saw as an existential threat to their security. (A similar setup is why neighboring Pakistan and India fall under CENTCOM and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, respectively.) The move will take a little time to actually make it happen, McKenzie. Lloyd Austin, the new defense secretary is reviewing the plans. McKenzie also noted that the move aligns DoD more closely with the State Department, whose Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the political equivalent of CENTCOM, already oversaw relations with Israel. The move allows CENTCOM to put an operational perspective on the Abraham Accords, McKenzie said, setting up further corridors and opportunities to open up between Israel and Arab countries in the region on a mil-to-mil level. I dont want to overestimate the speed that this will happen, its going to take some time to occur, but it does make it a little easier for them to work together, and I think that is all a good thing, McKenzie said. In the future, we would like to see and you know for many years it has been an aspiration in U.S. Central Command a collective approach to security here in the region. Such a philosophy for security where our friends in the region do more for themselves, is actually something that is entirely consistent with the [National Defense Strategy] and recognizing that we have limited -- a finite number of military resources available globally, he added. So were going to need to make some shifts, and what we can do to help our neighbors work more closely together -- anything we can do that brings them together is a good thing. And I think this is a step in that direction. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results A Ghanaian-owned company, OMV & Sons, has moved to help curb road crashes in the country with the launch of new puncture prevention and tyre life extender. The product dubbed: Puncture Safe is a United Kingdom (UK). Puncture Safe was first introduced onto the Ghanaian market in 2019 but was officially launched in the country by OMV & Sons on Saturday, February 6, 2021. Speaking at the launch in Accra, the Operations Manager of OMV & Sons, Jemima Siaw Yeboah, told the press that Puncture Safe covers largely the inner tyre at speed and that when a puncture occurs, the centrifugal forces of the rotating tyre, plus internal pressure and escaping air, forces the Puncture Safe gel into the puncture and a permanent seal is created. She noted that Puncture Safe also serves as Tyre coolant, adding that it will help to protect lives on roads in Ghana. According to her, Puncture Safe was 95% organic, water-based and environmentally friendly. She explained that it was one-off use until the tyres are entirely worn out, adding Puncture Safe comes in three grades namely high speed, heavy duties and extra heavy duties. Meanwhile, COP Francis Ebenezer Doku, Commander, Service Workshops in Ghana Police Service, in a speech read on his behalf at the launch, recommended Puncture Safe for use by every motorist in Ghana. He stated that it has proven to be very effective. Source: Melvin Tarlue Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 09:14:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Sunday night that its stance on the threats posed to Pakistan and the region by groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been vindicated by a United Nations report. The 27th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released earlier this month said that the TTP was reported to have overseen a reunification of splinter groups that took place in Afghanistan and was moderated by al-Qaeda, which was expected to increase the threat to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region. Responding to media queries on the release of the report, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said that the report vindicates Pakistan's longstanding position on threats posed to Pakistan and the region by groups like the TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA), and their affiliates, based in Afghanistan. "Pakistan, in the past, has drawn attention of the international community to the support provided to TTP and its affiliates by the hostile intelligence agencies," the spokesman said. He said one of the results of that support was the merger of JuA, HuA, and other splinter groups of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) with the TTP in Afghanistan last year. He said Pakistan has also raised the issue of cross-border attacks carried out by the TTP on security forces deployed on its side of the border. "Pakistan stands firm in its resolve to partner with international community against the menace of terrorism," the spokesman said. Enditem The record run of Indian equities continued unabated for the sixth consecutive session as benchmarks the Sensex and the Nifty hit fresh highs on February 8. The Sensex hit a fresh record of 51,523.38 and the Nifty touched 15,159.90 in intraday trade. At close, the Sensex was 617 points, or 1.22 percent, up at 51,348.77, while the Nifty was 192 points, or 1.28 percent, higher at 15,115.80. The rally was broad-based as broader midcap and smallcap indices, too, rose 1.5 percent each. Most sectoral indices ended with gains, led by auto, metal, telecom and realty indices. Here are five reasons that pushed the market to record highs: 1 Positive global cues: Most Asian markets traded with healthy gains as hopes of US stimulus and faster economic recovery boosted sentiment. As per Reuters, Asian shares hovered near record highs on February 8 on hopes a $1.9-trillion COVID-19 aid package will be passed by US lawmakers this month just as coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out globally. 2 Sustained foreign fund inflow Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) remained net buyers to the tune of Rs 12,266 crore in the Indian market in the first five trading sessions of February, as positive sentiment after the Union Budget 2021 sparked a rally. As per FPI statistics available with depositories, overseas investors pumped in a net Rs 10,793 crore into equities and Rs 1,473 crore in the debt segment between February 1 and 5. During the period, the total net investment stood at Rs 12,266 crore. 3 Strong gains in IT, banking, auto stock: Banking and auto stocks, including Infosys, TCS, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra, were among the top contributors to the rise of the Sensex. Banking and auto stocks have been gaining after the Budget announced measures that are expected to help these sectors. In the banking sector, besides IDBI Bank, the government will cut its stake in two more banks and one general insurance company, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech. For the auto sector, the government announced a voluntary vehicle scrappage policy to phase out cars and commercial vehicles older than 20 and 15 years, respectively. Besides, customs duty on certain automotive parts has been revised upwards, which may promote domestic manufacturing and help India get onto the global value chain. Experts believe an increase in basic customs duty on select auto components will encourage local manufacturing of such items. 4 Optimism over economic recovery On February Last Friday, the Reserve Bank of India said India's economy was coming back on track. With the beginning of the vaccination drive, economic growth was likely to pick pace, the central bank said sharing the outcome of its bi-monthly monetary policy committee meeting. "2021 has begun with strong positive growth on the back of vaccination. Signs of recovery have strengthened further since the last MPC meet," governor Shaktikanta Das said. Consumer confidence was reviving and business expectations of the manufacturing sector were upbeat, the governor said. "FDI and FPI have surged in recent months, reposing faith in recovery in the economy and non-food bank credit, commercial paper sales are picking up," Das said. The RBI expects FY22 GDP growth at 10.5 percent. The government is confident of lowering the fiscal deficit to 4.5 percent of GDP by 2025-26 fiscal, considering a nominal GDP growth of 10 percent every year, expenditure secretary T V Somanathan has said. 5 Technical factor Technical analysts believe the market still has steam left and the Nifty can hit 15,200 in the coming sessions. "We continue to remain bullish, and the Nifty has the wings to achieve 15,200. A buy-on-dips strategy would be advisable. There is ample scope for the markets to correct during intraday sessions. These dips can be utilised to make fresh long positions for higher targets. This way the risk-reward trade-off would be favourable," said Manish Hathiramani, proprietary index trader and technical analyst, Deen Dayal Investments. Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities is of the view that the underlying short-term trend of the Nifty continues to be positive. Present volatility and consolidation movement could eventually result in an upside breakout in the next few sessions. The next upside levels to be watched is 15,475, which is 1.618 percent Fibonacci extension. Immediate support is placed at around 14,800-14,750 levels. The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Lakhimpur: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit districts in Assam, where the death toll due to the deluge has mounted to 45. The minister of state for home was accompanied by officials of the National Disaster Response Force, NITI Ayog and National Disaster Management Authority. Before the survey, Rijiju met district administration officials in Lakhimpur, which has been hit the hardest by floods, and visited deluge-ravaged Pasnoi Baolidan village. More than 3 lakh people have been marooned by flood waters in Lakhimpur district alone. Though rains eluded the district over the last two days, the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries are flowing above the danger mark in several areas. Lakhimpur district officials briefed the minister on the relief operation being conducted in the district. They told him that the water level has started receding. Heavy rainfall in upper catchment area of Arunachal Pradesh as well as Lakhimpur increased the water level of all the 14 rivers and their tributaries in the district. ALSO READ | Assam floods: More than two lakh people affected in eight districts Ranganadi, Dikting and Singra rivers swelled up after a huge quantity of water was released from NEEPCO dam in Yazuli, the district officials told Rijiju. This is the condition of North Lakhimpur & Majuli at this point of time. I'm on aerial as well as spot visit now. pic.twitter.com/FaEpIHAgq1 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 13, 2017 A total of 431 villages in seven revenue circles have been inundated by the deluge and as many as 3,27,729 people are bearing the brunt of floods in Lakhimpur. "Twenty relief camps and 205 health camps have been set up in the district," an official said. Rijiju asked the district administration to expedite the relief operation as there has been no rain in the last two days. He went through an initial report of the flood situation in the district and assured them of all possible assistance from the Centre. During his visit to Pasnoi village, Rijiju met the affected local villagers and promised them succour. Around 15 lakh people in 24 districts in the state have been hit by floods. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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 Subscriber content preview FEDERAL WAY The Fisher Scientific building, at 822 S. 333rd St. in Federal Way, sold for over $4.7 million, according to King County records. The buyer was MCR RI FW LLC, which is associated with MCR Cos., a Phoenix real estate company. Public records indicate a loan from Bankers Trust. . . . MONTREAL, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - NATIONAL Public Relations commits to the Fabienne Colas Foundation to support and promote a dozen events and initiatives featuring Black and visible minority communities across Canada throughout 2021. Activities begin with three festivals held in February, during the Black History Month: the Toronto Black Film Festival, the Fondu au Noir/Fade to Black festival in Montreal and the Halifax Black Film Festival; as well as Fabienne Colas Foundation's Being Black in Canada program, which allows 18- to 30-year-old filmmakers, from Black communities in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax, to create 10-minute documentaries under the tutelage of industry experts with professional equipment and dedicated mentorship. President of the foundation that bears her name and founder of numerous events celebrating Black history and cultures, in Canada and elsewhere, Fabienne Colas points out: "The involvement of the business community and a leading firm like NATIONAL in supporting our overall mission is a testament to the social change that is underway in Canada. Our allies are stepping forward and making a commitment to concretely support the visibility of Black communities, their stories, their talents and their achievements. I deeply believe that these actions are amplifying our voices and impact and will make a difference in the eyes of all Canadians." Martin Daraiche, president of NATIONAL Public Relations, adds: "At NATIONAL, we want to give a voice to what matters. We mobilize people in reflection and action, and this is also what the Fabienne Colas Foundation does by promoting a cultural wealth that is both diverse and strong. Our strategic expertise and support in media relations and social media management will help ensure that the Foundation's initiatives are widely seen, heard and shared. This project speaks to our core values by promoting diversity and inclusion in the communities in which we work daily across the country." Over the course of 2021, in addition to continuing to organize the Festival Haiti en Folie (in Montreal in July) and the Montreal International Black Film Festival (in September), the Fabienne Colas Foundation will expand its activities into three other cities in Canada, namely Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, along with developing other initiatives that will showcase the talent of members of Canada's diverse communities. About The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF) The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF) is a not-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to building bridges and advancing education through the arts as well as to support the creation, production, promotion and dissemination of cinema, the arts and culture in Canada and elsewhere. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation put together 9 festivals and programs, particularly Fabienne Colas Foundation's Being Black in Canada, to break barriers, celebrate diversity, foster togetherness, understanding and inclusion. Since its inception in 2005, its initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 3,000 artists and attracted over 2 million festivalgoers in Canada, the USA, Haiti and Brazil. The Foundation mostly promotes Black culture in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, New York City et Salvador de Bahia (Brazil); and Quebec culture in Port-au-Prince. About NATIONAL NATIONAL Public Relations connects clients to the people who matter most; delivering the right message, at the right time. Grounded in research, insight and deep sector understanding, we bring together teams of discipline experts from across our network to provide creative communications solutions that move people in thought and actions. For 45 years, NATIONAL has been at the centre of issues and industries that matter, leading change for today and tomorrow. NATIONAL is Canada's leading public relations firm, servicing clients across a wide range of sectors, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John's. NATIONAL's service offering also includes NATIONAL Capital Markets, the industry's foremost investor relations and financial services communications practice. NATIONAL Public Relations is an AVENIR GLOBAL company, among the top 15 largest communication firms in the world with offices in 23 locations across Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, and part of RES PUBLICA Consulting Group. NATIONAL is affiliated internationally with public relations firm BCW, a WPP company. For more information about NATIONAL, please visit our website or you can follow us on Twitter. SOURCE NATIONAL Public Relations For further information: Media contact: For NATIONAL Public Relations, Yonatan Belete, 416-848-1719, [email protected]; For the Fabienne Colas Foundation, Talar Adam 514-833-0274, [email protected] Related Links http://www.national.ca Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. KALAMAZOO, MI When you become eligible for the coronavirus vaccination, will you take the shot? Many are answering with an anxious and resounding, yes. Others may be more hesitant. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer established a commission last month with the goal of reaching those people who have not decided yet to take the vaccine, in hopes of educating and answering their questions. A main goal of the group is reaching herd immunity against COVID-19 in Michigan, through ongoing vaccination efforts. Related: 11% of Michigan adults have gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose; see numbers in your county Kalamazoo City Commissioner Erin Knott is among those appointed to the governors Project Michigan Commission, which held its first meeting on Jan. 29. The commission, created in December, is part of the states health and human services and will focus on vaccine awareness, education on COVID-19 and the overall health and safety of Michigan. Currently, counties are reporting more demand for the vaccine than supply as they move through the phases of vaccinations. People 65 and older are currently in line and being vaccinated, along with others in the states phase 1B. But the demand could wane before 70% of the general public, age 16 and older, are vaccinated in Michigan -- as not everyone has decided to get the vaccine. Bridging that gap is crucial for the group to achieve its goal of reaching herd immunity. The lift of the work begins now so that we are changing hearts and minds of those folks that are unsure about taking the step to get the vaccine when theres one available to them, Knott said. The group draws on the experience of leaders from historically marginalized populations, the city commissioner said. Knott, who is openly gay, said she will help reach members of the LGBTQ community, and any others members of marginalized groups to provide information about the vaccine and vaccination efforts. Knott works as executive director at the Equality Michigan Education Fund, which provides education, victim services, and outreach to empowers LGBTQ+ people throughout the state to live in safe communities, take care of their families and create positive impact. The new state commission is forming several workgroups, Knott said, and she may also be a part of multiple groups within the commission. Related: See inside as Army National Guard helps with COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinic in Jackson County garage The purpose of the workgroups is to break down and address barriers that may impede acceptance of the approved COVID-19 vaccines, as well as identifying resources to connect folks within a particular constituency, Knott said. The governors commission will work to disseminate critical information to community members, she said. The commission will work to address issues such as distrust in government and other reasons people may have for hesitating to take the vaccine, and will work to answer questions about things such as the development of the vaccine. The group will work to ensure equitable access to the vaccines, and that planning and distribution are inclusive. Members will work to engage with state and local governments, as well as public and private partners, Knott said. Knott said she has been spending a lot of time at home because of the virus, first confirmed in Michigan almost a year ago. She said she feels the same as many others who want to be able to safely see family members again, and to be able to safely do more things outside the house and with other people. Im absolutely going to get a vaccine when its my turn, Knott said on Friday, Feb. 5. I think, for myself, personally, like so many others, Im craving to get back to some level of normalcy. And for me, that means being able to go downtown Kalamazoo and enjoy a meal at my favorite restaurants, it means seeing my elderly grandparents, and my nieces and nephews. There are just so many things that we take for granted that we get to do, and now if we make the choice to engage in those activities, we have to calculate the risk. And for me and my family, right now, weve calculated the risk as too high. Related: Vaccinations continue as Kalamazoo County fights new COVID-19 variant That means many meetings and social interactions are held virtually, Knott said. Separations of family and friends have come along with the coronavirus restrictions as people tried to stop the virus from spreading. Vaccination efforts promise to ultimately spell an end to those restrictions, once enough people are dosed. Vaccination efforts began in late 2020 and are now well underway. Michigan had administered 1,186,630 vaccine doses as of Thursday, Feb. 4. 17 Kalamazoo County opens vaccine clinic for phase 1B Read more: Meijer announces push to administer 25K COVID-19 vaccine doses this week WMU student launches sustainable clothing boutique out of her college apartment Kalamazoo residents left wondering why city leaders met in private, without the city manager Gov. Phil Murphy will return to the Trenton War Memorial at 1 p.m. Monday for another press conference on the states ongoing recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. It will be streamed live the governors YouTube.com channel. Murphy will be joined by state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan. At 8:35 a.m. Murphy called into WPG Talk Radio (95.5 FM) in Atlantic City to speak with host Harry Hurley. Then at 10 a.m. the governor will visit Mill One in Hamilton, Mercer County to talk about the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020s brownfields redevelopment incentives. Mill One is an abandoned text mill that now has office and storage space for lease. A brownfield is a property whose redevelopment might be complicated by the presence of hazardous materials. As of 10 p.m. Sunday, there were 2,814 patients in the states 71 hospitals with the coronavirus or a suspected case, down from 2,837 in the previous 24-hour period. There were 540 patients receiving intensive care and 373 on ventilators. The number of patients hospitalized is the fewest since Nov. 23 when there were 2,785, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard. Murphy on Sunday announced 3,938 more cases of the coronavirus and 26 additional deaths. The states rate of transmission dropped to .87, the lowest it has been since Aug. 30, when it was also that number. More than 925,000 vaccine doses have been administered as of Friday morning, including approximately 180,000 who have been administered both doses. As of 8:30 a.m. Monday, the state has not updated that number. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Days after India's national capital was rocked by violence and vandalism during a tractor rally held by farmers protesting against the agriculture laws, members of the Indian diaspora in Canada held a demonstration in Vancouver. Indians took out a 'Tiranga Yatra' on the streets of Vancouver and rallied with the tricolour from Strawberry Hill in Surrey to the Consulate General of India, as a display of the bilateral relations between India and Canada. Cars adorned with the national flag were taken out for the rally and the demonstrators shouted slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. READ | Republic Day Violence: Delhi Police Arrest Sukhdev Singh For Leading Mob To Red Fort Canada: Indian diaspora took out a 'Tiranga Yatra rally' in Vancouver from Strawberry Hill in Surrey to Consulate General of India in Vancouver as a display of the bilateral relations between India and Canada. pic.twitter.com/C6UfHfjPKn ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 The rally was organised in response to the Republic Day violence that occurred at the Red Fort in New Delhi. The demonstrators said they were saddened by the disrespect to the tricolour during the violent protests and therefore decided to hold a Tiranga rally in the Canadian city. The demonstrators said they stand with the government as well as the farmers and hoped for an early resolution of the issues at hand. READ | PFJ Founders Video Out; Claims 'Repealing Farm Laws Is Beginning', Gives 'Khalistan' Call Republic Day Violence As India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day, a farmers' tractor rally which was planned on nine pre-decided routes turned violent at various points in the national capital. Some protestors forcibly entered Central Delhi, clashing with the police and planted flags at the Red Fort. The entire area witnessed chaotic scenes for hours as the protesters pelted stones at the cops and damaged public property. Police personnel tried to control the mob by baton-charging them and lobbing tear gas shells. READ | Canada Lists 'Proud Boys' As Terrorist Group, Says 'violent Extremism Has No Place' While 394 police personnel have been injured in the violence, the Delhi Police has registered 25 FIRs against the protesters. A total of 37 farm leaders including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Jagjeet Singh Dalewal, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Kavita Kurnguti, Medha Patkar, and Yogendra Yadav have been named in one of the FIRs. For over two months, thousands of farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh have been camping on Delhi's borders, seeking the repeal of three farm laws passed by the Parliament. READ | Canadian Hindus Stage Protest, Urge PM Trudeau To Condemn Kashmiri Hindu Pandit's Genocide Massive avalanche washes away Rishiganga hydro project in Uttarakhand A massive avalanche caused by glacial burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district led to massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday morning. Reports said a huge glacier burst into the reservoir of the Rishiganga Power Project, causing a breach in the Tapovan area, washing away the Rishiganga small hydro project of 13.2 MW and causing flood in areas around the Dhauliganga River. Emergency evacuation of thousands from the surrounding areas have been ordered after the floods damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project, according to a statement by Chamoli police The flooding due to cloudburst or breaching of a reservoir has destroyed several houses along the river banks. ITBP personnel have rushed for the rescue of people along the river bank amidst feared casualties. "Some water bodies flooded and destroyed many river bank-side houses due to cloudburst or breaching of the reservoir. Casualties are feared and hundreds of ITBP personnel rushed for rescue," ITBP officials said. The Chamoli district magistrate has instructed officials to evacuate people living in villages on the bank of the Dhauliganga River. The district magistrate and the superintendent of police have left for the spot. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba met today to assess the situation arising out of the disaster caused by glacial burst. Besides washing away the Rishiganga small hydro project of 13.2 MW, the flash flood affected some downstream hydro project of NTPC at Tapovan on the river Dhauliganga, which is a tributary of the river Alaknanda. Cabinet secretary directed the concerned agencies to work in close co-ordination and extend all requisite assistance to the state administration. He emphasised the need to account for all missing persons and ensure that those trapped in the tunnel are rescued at the earliest. He directed that surveillance should be maintained till rescue efforts are completed and the situation returns to normal. Chief secretary of Uttarakhand who briefed the committee through video conferencing said action has been taken to evacuate people and to contain the damage caused by the flooding due to the glacial burst. However, there is no danger of downstream flooding and the rise in water level has been contained, as per the information given by the Central Water Commission (CWC). There is also no threat to the neighbouring villages. At the same time, the concerned agencies both central and state - were asked to keep strict vigil on the situation, and a team from DRDO, which monitors avalanches, is being flown in for surveillance and reconnaissance. Two teams of NDRF are en route and 3 additional teams have been flown in from Hindon, which will reach the spot later in the night. More than 200 ITBP personnel are on the spot, and one column and Engineering Task Force (ETF) of Army, with all rescue equipment have been deployed. Navy divers are being flown in and aircrafts/ helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are on standby. IMD informed during the meeting that there is no rainfall warning in the region for the next two days. In 2016, federal officials unveiled a plan for high-speed rail along the Northeast Corridor that included a 50-mile passage from Old Saybrook to the village of Kenyon, R.I. The route went through Old Lyme and other historic small towns while bypassing New London. The plan, called NEC Future, met with heavy almost unanimous opposition. Hundreds turned out at meetings to oppose the plan. Sen. Richard Blumenthal seemed ready to lash himself to the tracks, calling the idea half-baked and hare-brained and unworthy of any sort of taxpayer dollars. Sensing a lack of support, the Federal Railroad Administration pulled the plan back for further study of the entire New Haven-to-Providence segment. That study has not yet begun, according to an FRA spokesman. Does that mean there will be no high-speed rail in New England in the post-COVID world? Not necessarily. For the last three years, another high-speed rail concept has been quietly germinating, one that would go inland through Connecticut instead of along the shoreline. Called North Atlantic Rail, the plan originated at University of Pennsylvania planning studios directed by highly regarded planner Robert Yaro, former president of the Regional Plan Association and advised by, among others, Christopher Kip Bergstrom, former deputy commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, and Emil Frankel, former commissioner of the state Department of Transportation. The centerpiece is a high-speed trunk line from New York City to Boston. But instead of following the existing shoreline right-of-way like the last doomed plan, the proposed new route would track to Long Island, cross Long Island Sound via a 16-mile tunnel to the New Haven area, then go north to Hartford. From there it would travel east on a new and yet to be determined right of way, make a UConn stop in Tolland, and then move on to Providence and Boston. Yaro said in an interview the high speed trains could travel between Manhattan and Boston in 100 minutes, shaving two hours or more off current schedules. In addition, the plan would incorporate each states top rail priorities Connecticuts are the New Haven to New York and Hartford to Springfield lines with the goal of connecting the regional cities in New England and southern New York State with each other and with Boston and New York City. That would mean massive improvement to the Metro North New Haven line, through Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport. The new rail network will provide transformational mobility, economic development and climate resilience benefits for the entire seven-state region, Bergstrom said. He believes that connecting the regions population centers by high-speed rail would create a new economic geography. It would mean more employment and housing options, especially for city residents. It would reduce pollution and carbon production (the trains would be electrified, powered by renewable energy) and highway congestion, he said. Yaro and Bergstrom, friends since they were in graduate school at Harvard in the 1970s, have both worked in Stamford Bergstrom as development director and Yaro as a consulting planner. Both saw the downtown boom, in no small part because of a one-hour rail connection to New York City. The North Atlantic Rail plan would put Hartford an hour from New York and Boston. They estimate the project would cost $105 billion over 20 years. It is highly unusual for a such a complex rail plan to come from the private sector, which raises the question: Can Yaro, Bergstrom and other civic and business leaders whove joined with them Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin just became co-chairman of the initiative convince Congress and the states to make this happen? Mega-regions Though more than two dozen countries have high speed rail systems virtually all of Europe, China, Japan, Korea and even developing countries such as Morocco and Uzbekistan the movement for high-speed rail in this country has not progressed at anything resembling high speed. First proposed in the early 1960s, at about the time Japan was introducing its Shinkansen bullet train, U.S. high-speed rail plans have been proposed, planned and studied but not actually built. At present, the country has one high speed rail line under construction, in California, and it has endured delays. Others are on the drawing board in Las Vegas, Texas and the Pacific Northwest. There are several higher-speed projects in planning or service, including the Northeast Corridors Acela Express. Higher speed usually refers to trains with top speeds of 80 to 120 mph. The Acela can hit 150 mph but averages about half that speed due to various design and right-of-way constraints. Yaro got interested in high-speed rail in 2004, when he led a Penn studio a graduate seminar in which students try to solve real-world planning and design challenges looking at long-term development trends and infrastructure needs. He and his students identified the emergence of 11, now 13, mega-regions, clusters of large and small cities such as in the Northeast, areas 300 to 600 miles across with shared infrastructure, culture, histories and economies; economies that, in turn, power the national economy. These areas must move people and goods to prosper. Yaro concluded they were too small to be efficiently served by air but too large to be traversed by cars without causing major congestion, delays and pollution. The best option, it seemed to him, was high-performance rail. At a workshop that year in London, European officials said they were planning or had already built high-speed rail to serve their mega-regions; Asian countries had done so as well. The Penn students and their advisors proceeded to map out a high-speed rail plan for the U.S. mega-regions, including the Northeast. Great Recession grants Yaro traveled to other countries over the next few years to look at their high-speed rail systems. He and Bergstrom were among those who urged Congress to include money for high-speed rail in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the stimulus bill which followed the 2008 Great Recession. Congress put $8 billion in seed money for high-speed rail in the bill, later adding another $2 billion. It paid for, among other things, the NEC Future study. But several ARRA high-speed projects became mired in partisan politics. Republican governors of Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida returned billions of dollars in grants rather than build the high-speed lines. Also in 2009, the Federal Railroad Administration released its High Speed Rail Strategic Plan. The plan designated a number of potential high-speed corridors, many of which had been identified by Yaros 2004 studio group. Yaro organized another studio to study the Northeast Corridor, and in 2010 the students produced a high-speed rail plan for the 457-mile, Boston-to-Washington run that included the Long Island Sound tunnel and inland route through Hartford. The students were able to present the plan to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who liked it and arranged a White House presentation to a noted train buff, Vice-President Joe Biden. Yaro said Biden urged Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration to adopt the plan. That didnt happen. At least, not yet. Meanwhile, Yaro was watching a program developing in England that became known as the Northern Powerhouse initiative, a $160 billion plan to revitalize the economies of several older industrial cities across the North of England. The core of the plan is two high-speed rail lines: one connecting London to the North and another connecting cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, to each other, augmented by job training, housing and other programs. Yaro took students to Manchester in 2016 to see if the program could be adapted to the Northeast. He concluded that it could. Fast track The planners doing the NEC Future plan considered three routes from Boston to New York: the tunnel, the shoreline and a rough diagonal via Waterbury to Hartford and Providence. Yaro said the diagonal route simply doesnt have the population to support the service. The existing shoreline tracks, laid out in the 19th century, are too bendy and congested for high-speed rail and also are vulnerable to climate change. Running a new shoreline route through historic towns is a nonstarter. The tunnel, on the other hand, would connect the seven million people on Long Island to New England. With modern equipment, a 16-mile rail tunnel is not a big deal, he said, noting that dozens of longer rail tunnels have been built around the world in recent years. Yaro said he understands that some of the consulting engineers on the NEC Future project wanted to use the Long Island-inland route, but the FRA thought the shoreline would be an easier political sell. If so, that may have been a miscalculation. So Yaro and Bergstrom latched their concept, inspired by the Northern Powerhouse. Along with a high-speed rail network comparable to that in the UK, the plan calls for a new federal-state partnership, North Atlantic Rail Inc., to oversee planning and construction of the rail network and a public-private arrangement, the North Atlantic Partnership, to coordinate economic development activities. In Congressional testimony in 2016, rail advocate Thomas Hart Jr., president of the Washington-based nonprofit Rail Forward, criticized the attempted rollout of high-speed rail in the U.S. For openers, he said, it was a mistake to put the FRA in charge, because it was primarily a safety agency that had neither the staff, experience or expertise to build a new rail system. To that point, he said, instead of learning from other countries that introduced high-speed rail, the FRA insisted on reinventing the wheel and designed a burdensome and lengthy regulatory process. To avoid the latter issue, Yaro and Bergstrom will ask for a streamlined and efficient process, akin to what New York used to build the Tappan Zee Bridge a few years ago, Yaro said. But at this point, process is not their biggest challenge. Big ideas like its 1932 For the past three years Bergstrom and Yaro have been quietly meeting with business, civic and academic leaders to introduce and promote the regional high-speed rail concept. Most have welcomed it, they said, many enthusiastically. One is Mayor Bronin. In a recent interview, Bronin said the Northeast has two of the countrys strongest metro economies, in New York and Boston, but also dozens of mid-sized cities that have fallen behind (including his), in part because they werent connected to the big financial engines. Connecting them by rail would unlock economic opportunity for millions of people. Bronins co-chair is Douglas McGarrah, a prominent Boston lawyer who also chairs ABC A Better City, a business organization that promotes transportation, infrastructure and economic development in Greater Boston. A 1977 graduate of Hartfords Trinity College, McGarrah has an extensive background in transportation. He served as transportation and development advisor to Sen. Paul Tsongas, was chief of staff of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and chief counsel to the Central Artery/Tunnel project (that would be the controversial but ultimately successful Big Dig). McGarrah has joined the North Atlantic Rail steering committee because, like Bronin, he thinks the high-speed rail network is the game-changing infrastructure project the region desperately needs to expand its job shed, revive the regions hollowed-out mid-sized cities, dramatically improve housing and meet each states goals of reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Weve gone for a long time starving infrastructure, transportation in particular, he said in a recent telephone interview. We need big ideas. We need to think like its 1932. Its time to invest in fundamental pieces of infrastructure that work for everybody. CEOs take the train Why trains? In the Northeast, there just isnt the room to build more highways, McGarrah said. Our destiny has got to be moving people more efficiently. In Europe, he added, CEOs take the train. McGarrah said the idea has received a strong reception from business and civic leaders, environmentalists and mayors. High-speed rail advocates also like it. We totally support that project. In such a dense region with an already high rail ridership, it makes all the sense in the world, said Andy Kunz, president of the US High Speed Rail Association, a Washington-based nonprofit. Where North Atlantic Rail hasnt generated much enthusiasm, McGarrah acknowledges, is with the states. For example, when asked about the North Atlantic Rail proposal, a Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesman issued a guarded statement recognizing the importance of rail service and saying that the DOT looks forward to working with the administration and our congressional delegation on improving and addressing the backlog of needs for our state-owned rail system. The states noncommittal attitude is perhaps understandable; officials are, in McGarrahs phrase, resource constrained and struggling to keep existing service going. But thats not fatal to the proposal, at least at this stage, because the political strategy doesnt go through Hartford, Providence or Boston, but Washington, where rails old friend Amtrak Joe Biden now has his hand on the throttle. The new president has proposed a second great railroad revolution as part of a $2 trillion infrastructure and climate initiative. Biden, who famously commuted from Delaware to Washington on Amtrak during his 36 years in the Senate, wants the cleanest, safest, fastest system in the world. This can be transformative Bergstrom said North Atlantic Rail is on that very page. He said the goal is to secure $105 billion over 20 years from Bidens national infrastructure initiative to build the new seven-state system. He said this is about 5 percent of the $2 trillion, but it will serve a megaregion with 11 percent of the U.S. population and 14 percent of its economy. He said proposals have already been made by Amtrak and the FRA for billions of dollars of improvements in the Northeast Corridor south of New York City, such as the $30 billion Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River. Unless the northern end of the corridor can make an equally compelling case, he said, our tax dollars will go elsewhere. This means winning support from Congress and the administration. And while that is never assured, the stars may be aligned. The plan has been presented to the Biden transition team and was favorably received, Bergstrom said. Two key House committees, Ways & Means and Appropriations, are headed by Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) respectively, whose districts would be served by North Atlantic Rail. Rep. John Larson is an enthusiastic supporter of the plan: The North Atlantic Rail proposal is great idea that could move New Englands transportation system into a new era, he said, adding that he will help move it forward. There are still questions to be answered. Even if Congress appropriates the construction funds, what about operating subsidies? Congress has frequently been reluctant to fund Amtrak, never mind a new high-speed system. Yaro said many countries cover their high-speed operating costs by promoting joint development projects in their station areas and by running highly profitable first- and business-class cars on most trains. Also, how would this project affect service on the states existing passenger rail corridors, notably the New Haven Line, where the state and Amtrak are slowly working down a backlog of essential projects such as replacing ancient bridges? Yaro said his proposal includes a $5 billion investment in the Metro North New Haven Line, which will enable faster, more reliable and frequent Metro-North commuter service. Similar investments in the Hartford Line between New Haven and Springfield, which are included in North Atlantic Rails budget, will also improve service on this newly revamped rail corridor. Bronin said one of the strengths of the North Atlantic Rail planning is that it includes projects that can be started in a year or two, and a long-term, 20-year plan for world-class high-speed rail. Weve had decade after decade of piecemeal projects that were nowhere near transformative, Bronin said. This can be transformative, if we have the will to do it. McGarrah said he thinks that if Congress appropriates the construction funds, the other details can be worked out. This is a moment of opportunity. Im highly optimistic. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The net-zero emissions goal of many governments has more or less become part of everyday life. Weve all heard about these plans, and we may remember a few details. Still, life goes on. Now, a report from a UK research group is taking things a lot further: it has called for the country to aim for not net, but absolute zero in emissions by 2050. UK FIRES, a research program involving scientists from several reputable universities and businesses from resource-intensive sectors, says that net-zero is not enough. Whats more, waiting for breakthrough technologies to enable this net-zero scenario is not good enough. According to a new report, todays technology is sufficient for achieving absolute zero by 2050. At a cost, of course. The plan that the authors of the report outline starts with moving to a 100-percent reliance on electricity as a source of energy. Thats hardly surprising most net-zero plans involve a version of this heightened reliance. Naturally, critics would be quick to point out that a complete reliance on one form of energy may not be particularly smart, for which there is more than enough evidence from the fossil fuel era. Still, one of the tenets of the absolute-zero plan is an economy 100 percent powered by electricity generated by renewable sources. The authors recognize this shift to 100 percent renewable electricity will require a significant boost in generation capacity and storage. Both of these are potentially challenging endeavors for a number of reasons. Challenges includebut are not limited tocost and land availability. But unlike other plans for emission reduction, the FIRES plan does not factor in growing energy demand. On the contrary, the report prescribes that the UK must reduce its energy consumptionand reduce it substantiallyin order for the absolute zero plan to work. We need to switch to using electricity as our only form of energy and if we continue todays impressive rates of growth in non-emitting generation, well only have to cut our use of energy to 60% of todays levels, the authors wrote. We can achieve this with incremental changes to the way we use energy: we can drive smaller cars and take the train when possible, use efficient electric heat-pumps to keep warm and buy buildings, vehicles and equipment that are better designed and last much longer. Related: U.S. Rig Count Jumps Amid Rising Oil Prices Making people buy certain products and not others would be difficult, but the UK government has already signaled it was ready to remove the option of choice to hit its climate targets: Downing Street said last year it would ban sales of gasoline and diesel cars from 2030. This has already caused disgruntlement among some Britons, but they still have ten years to embrace the change. They will also have time to get used to the idea of beef and lamb disappearing from supermarkets because, according to the authors of the report, eating ruminants contributes unacceptably high levels of emissions to the global total. But thats just the beginning. The FIRES report identifies air and maritime transport as major contributors to our species carbon footprint. Therefore, these must be phased out completely, the authors say, by 2050. What will replace them? Well, electric trains would be one replacement for air travel across Europe. They would not, however, be able to replace container ships carrying goods from and to Asia, for example. The authors admit there is no replacement for international shipping, and there wont be for quite a while yet. At the same time, the UK imports half the food it consumes. International shipping is just one sticking point in the FIRES plan. Another is cement. Cement production is a highly polluting industry, but we cant build safely without cement. The authors of the report suggest alternative construction technologies but note that completely phasing out cement will be a challenge. It will not be the only one in view of the reports recommendations. One of these concerns is making equipment, clothing, and durable goods even more durable to reduce energy consumption associated with the making of new ones. That might not sit well with the companies producing these goods and equipment, which make money from making their products last shorter rather than longer. It may not be the fairest of all business models, but it has been employed for decades. All in all, the reports main message to both businesses and individuals is: consume less energy. It is an admirable message, by all means. However, the road that the authors suggest to this reduced consumption is unstable. It involves the demise of industries that employ tens of millions of people who will not all be able to retrain for solar panel or wind turbine installation. It also involves some major changes to peoples behaviors. While far from impossible, these changes are contingent on the goodwill of enough peopleor on several successive governments willingness to prescribe behaviors through bans. That might be even less smart than a 100-percent reliance on electricity for our energy needs. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: analysis New US President Joe Biden's first major speech on foreign policy shows a very different style and ideas to those of his predecessor. But can the talk make the walk? Building US foreign policy, in contrast to other government policy-making, is pre-eminently the province of a president and his (or her) government. One obvious example has been newly inaugurated President Joe Biden's reassertion of the US's participation in the Paris Agreement on climate and the centrality of climate/ecology/environmental concerns within foreign policy. In the case of the Paris Agreement, because it was an agreement and not a formal international treaty, his decision required no formal, constitutionally mandated Senate approval to make it happen. Similarly, the Biden administration's reaffiliation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) needed no immediate congressional agreement. Of course, once a policy requires funding, Congress necessarily gets into the action. Even purely executive decisions can attract attention, and even tortuous, sand grain by sand grain examinations of presidential decisions and actions, or of the consequences of actions or inaction. The rationale here is that there must be congressional oversight of the executive, an essential part of the constitutional checks and balances order of things. Consider, for example, the... Police have arrested the woman accused of fatally shooting a rapper at his La Cantera-area apartment last month. Sasha Skare, 21, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder for the death of 34-year-old Martell Derouen. On Jan. 28, San Antonio police were called to Derouen's residence at The Towers apartments, located at 16735 La Cantera Parkway, around noon after a 911 caller asked for a welfare check on the rapper. The caller said they hadn't heard from him in several days and were concerned. READ ALSO: Beyonce's cousin identified as man shot to death in La Cantera-area apartment When officers arrived, there was a single bullet hole through the front door. Inside, they found Derouen lying next to the door in a pool of blood, an arrest affidavit said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators spoke with Derouen's wife, who said the two had been separated and he had been living with Skare, his new girlfriend, the affidavit said. According to a witness, Skare and Derouen were heard loudly arguing that ended after Derouen told Skare to get out and slammed the apartment door. The witness then heard Skare banging on the door before hearing a single gunshot, the affidavit said. Investigators believe Skare fired from outside as Derouen stood inside the apartment, behind the door. After the shooting, Skare was seen walking the halls of the apartment complex with a cell phone in one hand and a handgun in the other, according to the affidavit. Investigators later discovered that Skare had placed the 911 call after allegedly shooting Derouen, the affidavit said. On the call, Skare identified herself as Derouen's wife, claiming she was locked out of the apartment and worried that her husband may be hurt, the documents continued. However, when asked for the apartment's address, Skare accidentally said "O'Connor" the street where she used to live. READ ALSO: Brother of rapper killed at La Cantera apartment offering $5,000 reward as police search for suspect Derouen, who went by the stage name Kardone, was a rising musician signed under a label owned by Sony Music. He was also Beyonce's cousin, according to The Source's May 2019 coverage of the rising musician. Derouen had produced a single for Skare in April called "Zoom." It is unclear when the two started a romantic relationship. Skare was charged with an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge a first-degree felony after a 2019 Austin shooting that left her then-boyfriend dead and another injured, court records show. On Jan. 3, Derouen posted a photo on Instagram with a group of friends with Skare tagged in the photo. She left a comment with the praying hands emoji. Skare's bail was set at $500,000. Mark Dunphy contributed to this report. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for ExpressNews.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway The Cork villages of Killeagh and Castlmartyr will officially be bypassed when EirGrid lays the cable for the Celtic Interconnector project, linking the Irish and French electricity grids. EirGrid had identified a route along the public road network for the electricity cable from where it lands at Claycastle Beach in Youghal to a new converter station at Ballyadam in Carrigtwohill, last November. There had been uproar from locals as they did not want the Celtic Interconnector to interfere with their towns. Killeagh had just gone through major road works and many locals were annoyed to think their village would be dug up again. EirGrids chief infrastructure officer Michael Mahon said landowners close to the proposed cable route would be contacted later on Monday regarding the latest developments: We are proposing to lay the cable in agricultural land north of Castlemartyr and south-east of Killeagh. We are in discussions with landowners close to both villages and are confident that we can come up with a very satisfactory solution. Late last year, news that the converter station would not be located in Knockraha was welcomed by locals, who had fought long and hard against it. The Celtic Interconnector is co-funded by EirGrid and RTE, and receives co-financing from the EU. In 2019, the European Commission awarded the project more than 530m to support the design and delivery. (Newser) A Texas congressman has died less than three weeks after testing positive for COVID, reports the Hill. Republican Rep. Ron Wright, 67, also had been battling lung cancer the last few years, reports Politico. In fact, he'd been hospitalized as recently as September because of complications with his cancer treatment, notes the outlet. Wright tweeted on Jan. 21 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus but said he was experiencing only mild symptoms and feeling OK. However, his condition appeared to worsen quickly. He had been hospitalized the last two weeks before his death on Sunday, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. story continues below "His wife Susan was by his side and he is now in the presence of their Lord and Savior," says a statement from his office. It adds that he had kept "a rigorous work schedule" throughout his cancer treatments, per the Washington Post. "For the previous two weeks, Ron and Susan had been admitted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas after contracting COVID-19." It provided no further details on his wife's COVID battle. The Fort Worth newspaper describes Wright as a lifelong Texan and a "staunch constitutional conservative" who was a member of the House Freedom Caucus. (Read more COVID-19 stories.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Imperial Valley News Center Complaint Seeks Forfeiture of Iranian Oil Aboard Tanker Based on Connection to Terror Group Washington, DC - The United States filed a forfeiture complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that all oil aboard a Liberian-flagged vessel, the M/T Achilleas (Achilleas), is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism forfeiture laws. The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly ship Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, falsified documents, and other means, and provided a fraudulent bill of lading to deceive the owners of the Achilleas into loading the oil in question. The complaint alleges in part that the oil constitutes the property of, or a source of influence over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGCs full range of nefarious activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and a variety of human rights abuses, at home and abroad. The forfeiture complaint filed today serves as a reminder that the IRGC and IRGC-QF continue to exert significant control over the sale of Iranian oil, said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the National Security Division. As we have demonstrated in the past, the department will deploy all tools at its disposal to ensure that the IRGC and IRGC-QF cannot use profits from the sale of Iranian oil to fund terrorism and other activities that threaten the safety and security of all Americans. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia will continue working with our law enforcement partners to stem the flow of illicit oil from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Qods Force, said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin. We will use all available tools, including our jurisdiction to seize and forfeit assets located abroad, to combat funding for terrorists and those who would do harm to the United States. This latest civil forfeiture action exemplifies the remarkable work of this multi-agency task force that works tirelessly toward furthering our shared goal of protecting the homeland from regimes that threaten our national security, said Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York. This investigation sends a message that the attempted circumvention of U.S. sanctions by the IRGC-QF will not be tolerated. HSI will continue to work with our partners and utilize the full scope of our authorities to disrupt the attempts of hostile countries and regimes to generate profits from oil sales used to support terrorism and the proliferation and delivery of weapons of mass destruction. Iran uses profits from its petroleum sector to fund the malign activities of the IRGC-QF, a designated terrorist group, said Special Agent in Charge Michael F. Paul of the FBIs Minneapolis Field Office. The FBI will continue to prioritize the enforcement of sanctions, and we applaud the efforts of our agents and partners on this investigation. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The United States bears the burden of proving that the oil in question is subject to forfeiture in a civil forfeiture proceeding. Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (http://www.usvsst.com/) after the conclusion of the case. HSI New York and the FBIs Minneapolis Field Office are leading the investigation of Iranian petroleum shipments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Grady and Brian P. Hudak of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney David Lim of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Sections Program Operations Staff of the Justice Departments Criminal Division has provided extensive assistance throughout the investigation. Joel Rosenberg and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Franck Fife/Getty; MBS by Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/AP; iStock; Skye Gould/Insider Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam, has outlawed churches and punished Christian worship for decades. The kingdom's 1.4 million Christians meet in secret, but authorities are signaling more openness. This is the inside story of the American mission to woo MBS to build the kingdom's first church. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. On a sunny, cloudless October morning in 2019, twenty-five American Christians gathered at the base of Jabal al-Lawz, an umber-colored mountain in northwest Saudi Arabia. Their leader, the evangelical author and preacher Joel Richardson, took out a Bible he'd brought from back home in Kansas, and started to read out loud. Soon after, he and his congregation began singing hymns, while their hired Saudi tour guides pulled out their smartphones, and started to film. Richardson was leading the first-ever Christian tour to Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam where the public practice of any other religion is famously forbidden. Still, the preacher was taken aback when his phone rang that evening. It was the State Department with a message: "Be careful." Richardson is to this day bemused. "I guess some of the videos went viral on Saudi social media or something," he told Insider in a recent interview. Saudi Arabia is liberalizing, but Christians still worship underground The scene at Jabal al-Lawz, which some Christians believe to be the true location of Mount Sinai, illustrates the rapid social change underway in Saudi Arabia, as well as the dangers that still face the 1.4 million Christians living there. In the past decade, those caught in the act of worship have been punished, arrested, jailed, or deported, and the sight of Christians brandishing Bibles and singing hymns in broad daylight would have riled many devout Muslims. In 2014, the kingdom's religious police deported 12 Ethiopian Christians caught worshipping in Dammam in February, and raided a home in September after hearing it was used for church services, the State Department said. In 2011, 35 Christians were arrested at a private gathering in Jeddah, Human Rights Watch reported, adding that 29 women among them were "subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches." Story continues Saudi Arabia's millennial crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman - known also by his initials, MBS - has reformed his country since taking power in 2017. Yet advances in religious freedom have come slowly, clearly posing a more existential issue for the crown prince to tackle than mass tourism, Hollywood blockbusters, or music festivals. Crown Prince Mohammed at the virtual G20 summit in Riyadh on November 22, 2020. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images "There are no churches here," one Christian who has lived in Saudi Arabia all her adult life told Insider. "We choose to lay low in respect to their culture and religion." The person requested anonymity over fears for her safety, but her identity is known to Insider. As more non-Muslim expats arrive for work, the kingdom has increasingly turned a blind eye to their faith - neutering the religious police in 2016 - while maintaining that Bible preaching or proselytizing Muslims is unacceptable. But MBS has also enforced a near-total silencing of opposition to his rule, comprising arbitrary detentions, bot armies, alleged assassinations, alleged murder, and widespread efforts to spy on or hack opponents at home and abroad. The State Department's warning to Richardson was clear: As a Christian in Saudi Arabia, tread carefully. A yearslong courtship The US government has for years asked Saudi Arabia to end the ban on churches, with little success. "I have gone there and talked to top leaders about opening up a church for these people and they have always said, 'Saudi Arabia is different and it is the land of the two holiest shrines of Islam,'" Nina Shea, a former US Commissioner on International Religious Freedom, told Insider. "The whole country is a shrine, in a sense, and therefore they cannot have a church built." David Rundell, a former chief of mission at the US Embassy in Riyadh, added: "It's something that we have spoken to the Saudis about on numerous occasions." Since MBS's ascension, a group of US evangelical heavyweights have taken the baton. In October 2018, Joel Rosenberg, one of America's prominent evangelical authors, accepted an invitation from the prince to meet him in Riyadh. With Rosenberg came the Rev. Johnnie Moore, a religious advisor to President Donald Trump, and a string of other televangelists. (Trump's 2016 victory was in part thanks to evangelical support, and top officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is an evangelical, have close ties to Rosenberg.) In a two-hour meeting conducted off the record, MBS "discussed virtually every controversial issue," Rosenberg later wrote for Fox News, without specifying. Rosenberg said he also asked MBS when he would let a church be built. "Not now," MBS replied, as Rosenberg later told Israel's i24News. "This would be a gift to al-Qaeda," the prince added, referencing the fact that the terrorist group has often targeted Christians and churches. A delegation of US evangelicals meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed (right) in Riyadh on September 10, 2018. Saudi Press Agency As Saudi Arabia's leaders, Crown Prince Mohammed and his father King Salman are tasked with defending Islam, and the feasibility of a church on their land concerns a disputed saying of the Prophet Muhammad: That no two religions should exist on the Arabian peninsula. Some clerics have argued that the rule only applies to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. According to Rosenberg, MBS also told the 2018 meeting he had "asked my scholars" to define the Arabian peninsula. Not deterred, Rosenberg and his group returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, and left once again with evidence that change was afoot. The delegation was briefed about the historic existence of churches on the peninsula, Moore told Insider recently, adding: "It is a very significant thing - open conversations about archaeological evidence of churches that existed at the time of the Prophet." There, MBS also acknowledged that the Prophet had "lived peacefully among Jews and Christian monks," wrote attendee Skip Heitzig, the senior pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque, in a subsequent blog post. The delegation was set to visit MBS once again in 2020, but the pandemic put an end to those plans, a representative for Rosenberg told Insider, adding that a 2021 trip may be derailed for the same reason. Despite the hurdles, the group have kept steady pressure on Saudi officials. On September 28, 2020, Rosenberg and seven other evangelicals from the 2018 and 2019 trips traveled to McLean, Virginia, to dine at the home of Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the US, the representative said. The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, did not respond to Insider's request for comment for this article. A possible location Though efforts to secure a church in Saudi Arabia have seemed fruitless to date, experts say it is a matter of when, not if. "Definitely, I think it's coming," Prince Abdullah bin Khaled al-Saud, a Saudi academic, told Insider. "Especially in the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh or Neom." Neom is a $500 million, carbon-neutral, 10,230-square-mile megacity due to be completed in 2025, and MBS's pet project. Promotional brochures shared with Insider show Neom would have a diverse population "from a mix of homelands, religions and backgrounds," and a "progressive law compatible with international norms." The site of Neom in Tabuk Province, Saudi Arabia. NEOM Ali Shihabi, a member of Neom's advisory board, told Insider: "The issue has been mentioned for Neom," adding that a church was "certainly on the to-do list of the leadership." Rundell, the former diplomat in Riyadh, told Insider that Neom is a feasible location for the first church due to the unique nature of the legal system. "Neom is creeping toward being a non-Saudi entity in many regards," he said. However, others think placing a church in Neom will be meaningless. "It's going to be a PR stunt," Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi analyst, told Insider. "You need to have one where most of the Christians living in the big cities are: Jeddah, Riyadh." Shea, the former US commissioner on religious freedom, said that while most Christians living in those cities would find little use for a church hundreds of miles away, "it would be helpful to have a symbol of tolerance ... that isn't a mosque in Neom." "It's something." While Neom is believed to be the leading contender for the first Saudi church, Shihabi said the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh is another likely setting. "That allows an element of 'diplomatic cover' for public consumption," he said. For religious leaders like the Catholic bishop Paul Hinter, whom Pope Francis appointed last May as Apostolic Administrator for the Northern Vicariate of Arabia, it is important that the flock in Saudi Arabia have a church that they can actually access. "My wish is that such churches or worship places be located where the expat workers and employees are living," he told Insider, "and not only in the future showcase city or cities." Rosenberg has not publicly commented on the feasibility of a church in Neom. However, during the 2019 visit, he was taken to see the site, telling Arab News he was "eager to come back and bring others when the time is right." Crown Prince Mohammed announcing "The Line," a city to be built at Neom, on January 10, 2021. Saudi Royal Court The quest for a church in Saudi Arabia is long and contentious Rumors that Christian leaders of various denominations have negotiated with the Saudis for a church have swirled for decades, long before MBS's rise. Each Christian denomination has its own house of worship, and the ultimate goal is for each to have their own church in Saudi Arabia. In 2008, Catholic Archbishop Paul-Mounged el-Hashem told The Guardian that "discussions are under way" about building a church. And in 1973, Pope Paul VI sanctioned the building of the first Saudi-funded mosque in Rome, believing a reciprocal gesture would come from the kingdom. It did not. In Washington, the necessity for securing a church in Saudi Arabia has gone in and out of fashion as different administrations passed through the White House. "It was quite an important issue during the Bush administration because they had a strong domestic constituency amongst religious conservatives," Rundell said, adding the issue was also important to the Trump administration. President Joe Biden's plans are less clear. Unlike his predecessor, he has promised to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its actions, vowing during his election campaign to make the kingdom "the pariah that they are." The State Department declined to comment. Crown Prince Mohammed meeting with Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros l-Rai in Riyadh on November 14, 2017. Saudi Royal Court MBS has shown greater willingness to embrace different religions, having already met with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, Coptic Bishop Ava Morkos, Catholic Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. But before MBS, religious authorities in the Middle East had little success in engaging their Saudi counterparts on the issue. Bishop Paul Hinder, who as a Catholic envoy in the region visited Saudi Arabia every year from 2004 to 2011, told Insider it was "almost impossible to get in touch with civil or/and religious authorities" at the time. The kingdom is now showing willing, Hinder said, though adding that the reality for Christians remains "far from being 'normal.'" Moore added: "I personally believe religious freedom is possible in Saudi Arabia and I didn't believe that before." MBS will make the call, but some will object If MBS ends the ban on churches, it will not go unopposed. "Is there going to be a pushback? I definitely think there will be," Prince Abdullah, the academic, told Insider. "[But] are they going to be violent? I doubt that because of the efficiency and strength of the security apparatus in the kingdom." One opponent is Sheikh Assim al-Hakeem, a leading Saudi cleric. "Do you see any mosques in the Vatican? No. Likewise, we are not allowed to have any churches," he told his YouTube channel. "These lands are holy lands." A labor of love Christian tours to Saudi Arabia, like Richardson's in October 2019, are growing in popularity as the kingdom becomes more tolerant. Living Passages, a leading Christian tour company, is already offering four trips in 2021, while others are seizing the moment. "This could be one of the top [Christian] tourist sites in the world, especially in the northwest where they're trying to develop the Neom project," said Ryan Mauro, who leads Christian tours to Saudi Arabia. A church is coming for Saudi Arabia, experts are sure, but the timeline is unclear. Even Rosenberg, who spent hours pressing MBS on religious freedom, is hopeful but not holding his breath. "The crown prince's plan, after all, is Vision 2030, not Vision 2020," he wrote after his 2019 visit. For the Christian community, the quest for a church is a labor of love. "I should be happy on the day when the hundreds of thousands of Catholics living in Saudi Arabia will have their churches and the possibility to gather and pray in freedom," Bishop Hinder said. Read the original article on Insider The prime minister will be on a visit to Brussels. The Cabinet of Ministers will not gather for a meeting this week, which was supposed to consider measures to toughen the coronavirus quarantine in Ukraine. The meeting will not take place because Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and some ministers are scheduled to visit Brussels, according to the nv.ua media outlet, which cites a source in the government. Read alsoCOVID-19: Over 2,000 new active cases reported as of Feb 8 "Tomorrow, the prime minister, together with some ministers, will fly to Brussels. Accordingly, this week there will be no scheduled government meeting and a decision to return to the colored [quarantine-related] zones will not be taken," it reported on February 8. Proposals as for additional quarantine measures must be submitted by the Health Ministry, it said. "When they consider tougher curbs depends on when the [health] ministry submits proposals, so that there is time for detailed consideration and discussion," the source added. Quarantine in Ukraine: Known facts On February 3, it was reported that the government would decide on the return to the so-called adaptive quarantine in the near-term outlook. The adaptive quarantine was first introduced in Ukraine on August 1. Then the country's regions were divided into red, orange, yellow, green zones, taking into account bed occupancy in hospitals, the average number of COVID-19 tests, newly confirmed cases per day, and dynamics of their growth. If the adaptive quarantine is re-imposed in Ukraine, Kyiv will always be in the orange zone as a capital city. Reporting by UNIAN Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops. The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported one wounded in action (WIA) amid four violations of the latest ceasefire agreement committed by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Sunday, February 7. "In the past day, February 7, four ceasefire violations were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) zone," the press center of the Ukrainian JFO Command said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on February 8, 2021. In particular, the Russian Federation's armed formations fired anti-tank grenade launchers and sniper rifles near the village of Novomykhailivka. "A serviceman with the Joint Forces was wounded as a result of the shelling. He was rushed to the hospital where he received medical assistance," the report says. Also, the enemy used automatic and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as rifles near the village of Zolote-4. What is more, the Russian occupation troops remotely planted POM-2 anti-personnel mines in front of Ukrainian positions near the village of Luhanske. The violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire in Donbas. Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian Army Command says the situation remains fully controlled. Donbas ceasefire: Background Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27. On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Reporting by UNIAN A talented young Bahraini with a passion for working on car engines was given an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Toyota Plaza and the Ebrahim K. Kanoo Training Centre, to encourage his education and specialisation in the automotive field. Hasan Al Mahari, aged 13, was recently identified by local media and his story of self-taught auto-mechanics caught the attention of Ebrahim K. Kanoo management who were impressed with the boys enthusiasm and talent. Ebrahim K. Kanoo Senior General Manager of Service, Michael Goode, praised Hasans aptitude stating: Hasan is a truly gifted young man. The knowledge that he taught himself and the passion he feels towards cars is remarkable. Ebrahim K. Kanoo is committed to nurturing Bahraini talent and we invest a considerable amount of time and resources in educating and training young Bahraini men and women who show interest and wish to pursue this career. We wish Hasan much success in his education and will keep a keen eye on his progress. Along with his father, Hasan was taken on a guided tour of Toyota Plaza in Tubli, the regions largest service centre dedicated to Toyota and Lexus vehicles, spanning an impressive one million square feet. He met with the management team as well as other aspiring Bahraini youths who are part of the companys many educational outreach programs, who shared their stories and encouraged Hasan. The group also visited the state-of-the-art Ebrahim K. Kanoo Training Centre, where he observed the latest technology used to teach and train technicians. The training centre is also the officially designated regional facility for global brands such as Volvo, McLaren, Subaru as well as Toyota and Lexus. - TradeArabia News Service Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Kentucky Municipal Power AgencyGlobal Credit Research - 08 Feb 2021New York, February 08, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Kentucky Municipal Power Agency and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review discussion held on 2 February 2021 in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology (ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.Key rating considerations are summarized below.Kentucky Municipal Power Agency's Baa1 rating primarily reflects the weighted credit quality of its two participating members, Electric Plant Board of the City of Princeton, KY (Princeton Electric Plant Board: 16.1% share) and Electric Plant Board of the City of Paducah, KY (Paducah Electric Enterprise, KY: 83.9% share), both rated Baa1. Paducah's credit strengths include an improved financial profile after the successful implementation of the rate recovery plan and the potential for better fixed cost recovery going forward owing to the 10-year capacity contract signed with Kentucky Municipal Energy Association (KyMEA), effective 2019. The credit profile for the other participant, Princeton Electric, reflects the system's stable customer base, its small size, a leveraged capital structure, and a sufficient liquidity profile that is balanced against historically thin debt service coverage.The rating further recognizes Prairie State project's consistent operating performance, achieving a capacity factor of 82% for FY19.This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.The principal methodology used for this review was US Municipal Joint Action Agencies Methodology published in August 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.This announcement applies only to EU rated, UK rated, EU endorsed and UK endorsed ratings. Non EU rated, non UK rated, non EU endorsed and non UK endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. David Kamran Lead Analyst Project Finance Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street New York 10007 US JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Kurt Krummenacker MANAGING DIRECTOR Project Finance JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 2021 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. 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British zoologist Peter Daszak said on Friday that the team had submitted a deeply considered list of places and people to be included in their origin-tracing work and no objections were raised from the Chinese side, according to The Associated Press. "We were asked where we wanted to go. We gave our hosts a list... and you can see from where we've been, we've been to all the key places," Daszak said. Daszak said that during the visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, they were met with a level of openness even he had not anticipated, and that suspicion surrounding it had been "politicized on a global scale." The team was also given wide access when visiting hospitals that "treated patients in the initial outbreak at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020," the report said. It is incredible "to meet the first clinicians" who treated COVID-19 patients and ask them questions, Daszak said. The same level of access was also given at the Huanan seafood market that linked to an early cluster of cases, allowing the team to meet vendors and market managers. "So this is an in-depth, deep understanding of the sites and the people who were involved," Daszak said. WASHINGTON Congressional supporters of former President Trump on Sunday denounced his upcoming Senate trial as unfair and unconstitutional, while Democrats argued that holding the ex-president accountable for provoking last months Capitol riot is a grave moral and political necessity. Republicans have declined to defend Trumps actions, which included directing his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6 as then President-elect Bidens electoral victory was being certified. But in a preview of the trial that is to begin this week, they are mounting a variety of procedural arguments to attack it, including the insistence that the House of Representatives acted too hastily in impeaching Trump just a week after the attack. They also argue that the Senate doesnt have the constitutional authority to convict a former president. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), seizing on the speed of the House action, likened the Senate trial to a Stalinist-era proceeding. If this happened in the Soviet Union, you would call it a show trial, he said on NBCs Meet the Press. Even though Senate Republicans are expected to rally behind Trump and deny his accusers the 17 GOP votes likely needed to convict, the rift within the party over the former presidents conduct and his backers feverish fealty was on full display on Sundays news talk shows. Rep. Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican who joined nine other Republicans in voting to impeach Trump, said the ex-presidents actions surrounding the siege of the Capitol merited not only impeachment, but criminal investigation. In the single article of impeachment, Trump is accused of inciting the deadly attack, in which hundreds of his followers breached the stately edifice, ransacked offices and sent lawmakers scurrying for safety. Cheney, appearing on Fox News Sunday, pointed in particular to Trumps Twitter denunciation of then-Vice President Mike Pence even as rioters were in the building, with some in the mob attempting to hunt him down to prevent him from fulfilling his ceremonial duties in certifying Bidens win. Trump falsely claimed that Pence could overturn his defeat. People will want to know exactly what the president was doing, Cheney said. They want to know, for example, whether the tweet he sent out calling Vice President Pence a coward while the attack was underway whether that tweet, for example, was a premeditated effort to provoke violence. Cheney intensified her criticism of Trump on Sunday even though her impeachment vote drew attacks from Trump allies who sought unsuccessfully to eject her from her leadership post. The party, Cheney said in her Fox interview, risked losing its way if it continues to embrace Trump. Somebody who has provoked an attack on the United States Capitol to prevent the counting of electoral votes, which resulted in five people dying, who refused to stand up immediately when he was asked to stop the violence that is a person who does not have a role as a leader of our party going forward, said Cheney, whose state party censured her Saturday over her impeachment vote. Sen. Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, who was one of only five Republicans to reject a GOP attempt to derail the trial on constitutional grounds, reiterated his view that Trump, now a private citizen, should still answer for acts committed while in office. Its clearly constitutional, Toomey, appearing on NBC, said of the trial. Senate Republicans are expected to acquit Trump on the premise that there is no constitutional provision for trying an ex-president. Democrats and many constitutional scholars disagree, saying the Senate trial is not only constitutionally permissible, but a vital preventive measure against such acts by a future leader. I dont think our job ends just because a president has left office, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said on Fox News Sunday. He pointed out that impeachment can carry the penalty of disqualification from future officeholding as well as removal, so there is still a consequence to President Trump if convicted. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who spearheaded the prosecution in Trumps first impeachment trial last year, said he was not surprised that the ex-presidents supporters would put forth that process argument of calling the House impeachment vote unduly rushed. There was a real sense of urgency, Schiff said on NBC, speaking of the riots aftermath. Of Trump, he said, we felt in the House that every day he remained in office, he was a danger to the country. One of Trumps most vocal defenders, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), repeated the contention that even if what the ex-president did was wrong, impeachment was not the correct remedy. If you believe he committed a crime, he can be prosecuted like any other citizen, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation, quickly clarifying that he himself did not think Trumps actions were criminal. Summing up the fine line the ex-presidents backers are trying to walk, Graham insisted he was not playing down the seriousness of the attack, even as he refused to declare Trump culpable. That doesnt mean what happened on Jan. 6 is OK, Graham said. It means this impeachment, in the eyes of most Republicans, is an unconstitutional exercise. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), appearing on CNNs State of the Union, made an impassioned appeal for Trump to be held to account for whipping up racial hatred as part of his false narrative of election victory. As a Black woman, to be barricaded in my office, she said, that terror, those moments of terror, is familiar in a deep and ancestral way for me. And I want us to do everything to ensure that a breach like this never occurs at the Capitol, but I want us to address the evil and scourge that is white supremacy in this nation. -- Laura King of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. 2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KYIV. Feb 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) The expert commissions of professional medical associations should be involved in the classification of medical errors and the examination of controversial cases, representatives of public medical associations said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday. "Every day in Ukraine two criminal proceedings against doctors are opened, almost half of them - against obstetricians and gynecologists. In Ukrainian courts, nine out of ten doctors are found guilty. Ukrainian legislation does not have a clear definition of the term 'medical error' or 'improper performance of professional duties by a medical or pharmaceutical worker'. This ambiguity of legislation does not protect either doctors' or patients' rights," board member of the Association of Private Medical Institutions of Ukraine Valeriy Zukin said. In his opinion, the definition of "medical error" existing in the legislation of the country needs serious clarification. "The problem is that only a medical commission can determine whether there was a medical error or negligence. There is practically no concept of a medical error. If a patient wants a doctor's blood, he goes to court, which makes a decision on the basis of a forensic medical expertise. Professional associations have nothing to do with this, and even if they carry out such an examination, the court may not accept it. Professional associations must prove the guilt of doctors," he said. In turn, President of the Ukrainian Federation of Professional Medical Associations Viacheslav Kaminsky said that doctors often hear unfounded accusations, while they cannot fully defend themselves. "The medical community is interested in an objective assessment of the doctor's actions. The doctor's actions should be interpreted from the point of view of professionalism. At the same time, today we see that any action of doctors is interpreted from the point of view of malicious intent," he said. Kaminsky says that clear criteria of objectivity for making conclusions can be based on approved protocols and standards of medical care. "The task is to update the basic protocols and documents, on the basis of which it is possible to determine whether there is a mistake, intent or a tragic coincidence. The criteria for objectivity can be documents approved by the Ministry of Health, but which are prepared by professional associations. Then we will talk about an independent and correct assessment of doctors' actions," he said. In turn, First Deputy Minister of Health Iryna Sadoviak announced the plans of the Ministry of Health to update about 90 clinical protocols from March 1. She also noted the presence of appeals regarding different interpretations of the term "medical error". "We need to work out the correct interpretation of this norm. Now in Ukraine we do not always have a comprehensive and legally correct interpretation. Therefore, the Ministry of Health cares about legislative framework, industry standards and protocols that we are now updating. The Ministry of Health works a lot in this direction," she said. At the same time, Sadoviak reported the presence of unscrupulous patients who deliberately file complaints against medical institutions and doctors, not in order to solve the problem, but in order to collect money from them. "Unfortunately, there are more such cases every year," she said. For his part, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on public health, medical assistance and medical insurance Mykhailo Radutsky said that legal and physical protection of doctors is becoming a problem and challenge in the healthcare system. To solve the problem, the MPs prepare a number of bills, in particular, those devoted to the compulsory insurance of doctors against medical errors. "We believe that the global practice of protecting doctors precisely through insurance against medical error is one of the foundations of the healthcare system functioning," he said. Radutsky also said that the relevant committee is preparing a bill on criminal liability for attacks on doctors. In turn, medical lawyer, vice-president of the Ukrainian Federation of Professional Medical Associations Iryna Sysoyenko said that with regard to legislation it is necessary to be consistent and introduce a clear definition of medical errors in the laws. "There are medical errors. Doctors are interested in the process, when a medical error is not a reason for any complaints, but a reason for professional development and training opportunities, so that there are fewer such errors. The next step in legislation is insurance of professional activities of a doctor," she said. This is the fifth in a "Letter to President Biden" series aimed at conveying policy recommendations in an open letter from politicians, scholars and experts to the new U.S. president following his Jan. 20 inauguration. ED.By Sandip Kumar Mishra Dear Mr. President, Your election as the 46th president of the United States is not only important for the U.S. but also for a rapidly changing world. More specifically, there are lots of expectations that you will bring coherence and direction in the U.S. policy toward Korea. The U.S. policy toward Korea under the Donald Trump administration was, to put it mildly, problematic. The gap between the U.S. and its ally, South Korea, became more visible because Trump had scant regards for the old friendship and common vision, instead pursuing a transactional approach toward South Korea. Rather than appreciating the value of the U.S. alliance with South Korea and its mutual benefits, Trump appeared to be more concerned about the cost of the alliance. The Trump administration reportedly demanded that South Korea increase its annual payment from $1.3 billion to $5 billion for the stationing of the U.S. troops in South Korea. Even though South Korea agreed to increase its share to a reasonable extent, the U.S. position remained obstinate. Trump also demanded a revision of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea, which was done in 2018. South Korea was also overtly forced to increase its defense purchases from the U.S. during Trump's term. It was just the depth and breadth of the U.S.-South Korea connection which saved the alliance in spite of several jolts given by the myopic and self-centered Trump administration. President Biden, you need to restore the lost trust between the U.S. and South Korea by reviewing and responding on all these issues. More urgently, you must announce as soon as possible that the U.S. will not demand an unrealistic sum from South Korea for stationing the U.S. troops, along with abandoning the "rotational deployment" policy of the U.S. troops. The next important challenge for you will be to articulate a coherent policy to deal with North Korea and actively work on it. The Trump administration had no coherent policy to deal with North Korea, though Donald Trump must be given credit for being apparently the most active American president in dealing with North Korea. It must be understood that Trump's activism, without a clear-cut policy vis-a-vis North Korea, led to him oscillating between "maximum pressure" and having three summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His activism led to false hope that some forward movements in denuclearizing North Korea, along with putting a cap on its missile capabilities, would be achieved, but in the end he ended his term playing around with photo-op events. Actually, I would like to submit that even though you need to change the U.S. approach in its dealings with North Korea, you should not go back to the U.S. policy employed during the Barack Obama administration in which you served as the vice president. The two most important pillars of the Obama administration's North Korea policy were "strategic patience" and allowing American allies in different regions to be the prime movers. Both of these pillars constituted a coherent policy but both of them essentially meant that the U.S. remained inactive, which led North Korea to take great leaps in its nuclear and missile capabilities. I would suggest that your administration, rather than having a "principled inactivism" approach, should pursue a "principled proactivism." Thus, a better choice would be to mix the principled approach of the Obama administration with the proactive approach of the Trump administration. On the more substantive issue of dealing with North Korea, I would say that it would be better to begin from the admission that all the available choices are imperfect and thus, rather than waiting for the articulation of a perfect choice, attempts should be made to utilize the least imperfect choice. For example, demanding complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization (CVID) as a precondition to listen to North Korea might not be a pragmatic choice. Rather, a step-by-step approach could be adopted in which quid pro quo must be operationalized from the very beginning. Most importantly, attempts must also be made to bring China onboard. It might not appear easy, but if you work for it sincerely, it might not be so difficult. Your sobriety and constructive persona would definitely be of help in the process. Last but not the least, I would like to appeal to you to provide more space to South Korea in its dealing with North Korea if you feel that South Korea has a coherent and consistent vision. The current South Korean administration has made several constructive moves in the last three and half years to reach out to North Korea, and it has been partially successful also. The Moon Jae-in administration has a consistent North Korea policy, through which South Korea wants to establish peace and reconciliation with North Korea. You must appreciate South Korea's policy and coordinate the U.S. efforts to denuclearize North Korea with it. I wish you success and good health. Sincerely, Sandip Kumar Mishra Sandip Kumar Mishra (sandipmishra10@gmail.com) is an associate professor at the Centre for East Asian Studies, the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. press release Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate release of Raymond Malonga, a well-known Congolese cartoonist and satirical magazine publisher, who has been held in a completely illegal manner over an article ever since plainclothesmen snatched him from his bed in a Brazzaville hospital on 2 February. It is hard to see Malonga's detention as anything other than a targeted reprisal. According to the information obtained by RSF, he was hospitalized with a malaria attack in a clinic near his home when agents from the Central Intelligence and Documentation Department (CID) arrived and took him to Brazzaville's main prison, where he is now held in a quarantine area for detainees with Covid-19. His arrest reportedly follows summonses to which he did not respond. He was arrested for an article published in the 18 January issue of his satirical newspaper Sel-Piment, which is very critical of the authorities. The cartoon came from the Sacer Infos Congo website, where it accompanied a story about embezzlement accusations against Georgette Okemba, the wife of Jean-Dominique "JDO" Okemba, who is the nephew of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and heads the National Security Council, which oversees all of the Republic of Congo's military and police services. The country's president for 36 for the past 41 years, Nguesso is currently seeking yet another term in the presidential election scheduled for 21 March. "Having the intelligence services arrest a journalist on his hospital bed as if he were a dangerous terrorist for nothing more than an alleged case of defamation speaks to clearly to the political and punitive nature of this measure," said Arnaud Froger, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "The Republic of Congo's laws are very clear. They do not allow a journalist to be detained in a defamation case unless and until he has been definitively convicted. With just weeks to go to the presidential election, this arrest sends a very negative signal and confirms the fragility of the environment for Congolese journalists. We call for this journalist's release in accordance with the laws in effect." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Human Rights Legal Affairs Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Several sources told RSF that the Congolese media regulator, the Higher Council for Freedom of Communication (CSLC), has ordered Sel-Piment's suspension. The CSLC did not respond to RSF's repeated requests for information about this decision and about Malongo's arrest. Although relatively infrequent, arrests of journalists in the Republic of Congo sometimes assume a very political dimension and reflect the government's intense hostility towards the most outspoken journalists. The circumstances of Malonga's arrest recall that of newspaper publisher Ghys Fortune Bemba, whose independent weekly Talassa was suspended on the eve of his arrest by the intelligence services in January 2017. After being held for 18 months, he was released following an energetic campaign on his behalf in which RSF played a leading role. Thereafter, he left the country for security reasons. In his book De l'enfer a la liberte (From hell to freedom), published in 2019, he described the appalling conditions in which he was held, which included solitary confinement without even being able to talk to guards, the lack of a toilet, water and electricity in his cell, and being denied adequate food. The Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is ranked 118th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index. Myanmar saw its biggest protests over a decade on Sunday as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several cities calling for the release of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In Yangon, nearly 100,000 demonstrators gathered in an area of the citys downtown known as the staging grounds for prior pro-democracy protests. The showing at Sule Pagoda, which has remained peaceful so far, marks the biggest protest there since the monk-led, anti-junta demonstrations in 2007 as part of the Saffron Revolution. Footage of the demonstrations flooded social media as internet access was restored in the afternoon after the military-run government previously throttled access. Earlier in the day, around 2,000 demonstrators gathered close to Yangon University chanting Long live Mother Suu" and Down with military dictatorship," according to the Associated Press. Myanmars military-run government has launched a crackdown to stifle dissent and curb communication, ordering telecom providers to block Twitter and Instagram. Suu Kyi, who has been held along with other senior leaders of her civilian government since last week, has called on supporters to resist the generals after being unseated in the Feb. 1 coup. One of two wholly foreign-owned telecommunications firms, Telenor Myanmar announced Sunday afternoon that services had been restored in Myanmar. The military seized power after claiming, without showing evidence, that Suu Kyis landslide victory in a November election was tainted with fraud. It pledged to hold a new election in the Southeast Asian nation after a yearlong state of emergency. As fresh protests broke out, London-based internet monitor NetBlocks reported that Myanmar remains in the midst of a nation-scale internet blackout with national connectivity flatlining at just 14% of ordinary levels." On Sunday, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar called on the agencys Human Rights Council to convene a special session on the unfolding crisis" in the country. In a post on Twitter, Tom Andrews, who is also a senior fellow at Yale Law School, urged the UN to hold the meeting on Myanmar immediately and called on nations to exert maximum pressure on the military dictators who have seized power, including through the imposition of targeted sanctions." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed China on Friday to join the international community in condemning the military coup," while Chinas top diplomat Yang Jiechi reiterated the global community should create a favorable environment to solve the problem. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Dhaakad also stars Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta and will have a theatrical release on 1 October. Kangana Ranaut on Monday shared new stills from her upcoming action film Dhaakad. Donning a combat uniform, Ranaut is seen looking fiercely in a direction as her hands remain clocked on a machine gun. Her long hair is tied in a long pony and she can be seen geared up in a bullet-proof jacket. The background suggests an ongoing battle as a toppled vehicle can be seen burning. Sharing a couple of pictures on social media, Ranaut revealed that the name of her character is Agent Agni, and described the role as her depiction of Bhairavi the goddess of death. Check out the poster here Dhaakad has been touted to be Indias first female-led action thriller by the actress in the past. She had said that the film will not only be a benchmark film in her career but it will be a turning point for Indian cinema as well. Earlier, she had shared a behind the scenes video from the sets of Dhaakad, writing how they had spent more than Rs 25 crores on a single action sequence. She also praised the director Razneesh Ghai for dedicating so much time and importance to rehearsals. The movie will also see Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta in pivotal roles. While Arjun will essay the gray character of Rudraveer, Divya will be seen as evil master Rohini. Dhaakad has been produced by Sohel Maklai Productions and Asylum Films jointly. Also, it has been co-produced by Qyuki Digital Media, while Chintan Gandhi and Rinish Ravindra have written the story. Screenwriter Ritesh Shah is also associated with the project. The film releases in theatres on 1 October Great Wall Motors to invest in chipmaker Horizon From:ChinaDaily | 2021-02-08 16:06 Great Wall Motors is to partner with Chinese AI chipmaker Horizon Robotics, in a move that is expected to improve the carmaker's competitiveness in autonomous driving and smart onboard functions. The carmaker will soon become a strategic investor in the startup, which vows to take on Nvidia and Mobileye, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told China Daily on Monday. The amount of investment is not revealed. Neither Great Wall Motors nor Horizon were available for comment. In a previous interview, Fu Xiaokang, vice-president of the carmaker, said Great Wall Motors is interested in the sector, which is key for smart vehicles. Statistics show that over 45 percent of Great Wall Motors' models have Level 2 autonomous driving functions. It is working on Level 3 functions as well. Established in 2015, Horizon is the first Chinese maker of AI chips for vehicles' autonomous driving and smart onboard functions. In an interview in December, Horizon founder and CEO Yu Kai said the company will launch its latest-generation chip, the Journey 5, in 2021. The new chip will feature a computing capacity 30 percent higher than Tesla's full self-driving computer, he said. The company aspires to become the largest AI chipmaker for China's car market in three years, and expects its automotive-grade processors to come pre-installed in at least 5 million vehicles in 2023. The first production model with pre-installed Horizon chips was the UNI-T SUV from Chinese carmaker Changan, which hit the market in June 2020. Horizon said it has received orders for more than 20 models from different companies. It is indeed an open secret that Liberia's transition from civil war to a post-war nation took a relatively longer period of time from its inception in the late 1980s to 1997. These moments of civil instability created the recipe for violence which spilled throughout Liberia, that massively destroyed both our cultural, social and political systems... thus claiming the lives of over 305,000 Liberians and other nationals. As a fellow Liberian, I am calling on the government to sanctify and save Liberia's nascent democracy by building strong, vibrant, supportive and independent institutions that will not function at the will of so-called "big-men" but through strict adherent to the underlying principles and objectives of those institutions along with the Liberian constitution. Additionally, in order to prevent continuous violence in the country, the government needs to construct more TVET institutions in big cities. This will provide faster opportunity for the large population of unemployed young people in our country to acquire employable skills, reduce the current insecurity level and it will create a long term positive effect on the economy and individual growth. As stated by former US President, Barack Obama in 2009, "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions" ... this is what I think Liberia needs now, stronger and accountable institutions that will create systemic positive transformation in the life of each Liberians regardless of their political orientation or affiliations, as well as improving and restructuring our institutions. Ushering into power of Liberia's and Africa's first elected female President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006, raised the unquestionable expectations and unhinged aspirations of Liberians and those in the diaspora to regained its reputable status within the reign of the international community, as a pivotal partner in global world order, holistically improve the livelihood of the population, while healing the wounds and rallying a call to national unity to cultivate prosperity. In contrast, during her period of stewardship of governance, Liberia's peace was described to be fragile despite the presence of over fifteen thousand strong UN armed peacekeeping force that were in the country along with minimum aid from the State security, and corruption was also rapidly engulfing the nation. In spite of this fragility, the peace under her was uninterrupted, and unity wasn't achieved... leaving the country still divided in diverse ways. QUINCY, Ill., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Blessing Health System has launched a new virtual care program allowing patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to recover safely from home under the watchful eye of the Blessing care team. The Blessing Enhanced COVID Recovery Program uses a combination of remote patient monitoring and telehealth technology from digital health provider Cloud DX. Under the Blessing Enhanced COVID Recovery Program, patients discharged from one of Blessing Health System's hospitals with mild to low-risk COVID-19 symptoms are sent home with the Cloud DX Connected Health Kit including easy-to-use FDA cleared devices to remotely self-monitor their critical vitals, such as pulse oxygen saturation, blood pressure and temperature, with vitals data flowing in real-time to a clinical dashboard overseen by Blessing's care team. Patients and family members also receive an included tablet computer and the Cloud DX mobile app and survey to track daily symptoms. Patients receive care from a Blessing hospitalist, care coordination nurse or home health nurse depending on the individual and their care needs. If vitals or symptoms change indicating a deterioration in a patient's condition, the Cloud DX system sends a notification to the Blessing care team, triggering a telehealth follow up video visit. "Our first objective is always better care for our patients and better patient outcomes," says Dr. Irshad Siddiqui, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief of IT/Innovation for the Blessing Health System. "It's imperative that we ensure capacity within our hospitals for the most critically-ill patients, while maintaining a watchful eye on those patients who are recovering at home. Dr. Irshad Siddiqui continued, "This is a time of great urgency for the entire US healthcare system. In mere weeks, my team, alongside the Cloud DX team, were able to stand up a solution that provides us with an innovative way to effectively and efficiently deliver scalable, 24/7 remote monitoring for COVID-19 patients under our care, allowing them to safely leave the hospital and recover in the comfort and security of their own homes. And when this pandemic resides, we have a remote patient monitoring solution that can easily be applied to other areas of patient care, for instance, chronic disease management." "Virtual care, including remote patient monitoring and telehealth, is rapidly becoming a way for healthcare providers to affordably deliver an enhanced level of quality patient care through the pandemic and beyond," said Robert Kaul, CEO of Cloud DX. "From COVID-19 patient management, to post-surgical follow-up, to ongoing care management for patients with chronic illness, hospital systems can leverage modern, clinical-grade technology to provide quality of care safely and at scale. We are delighted to support Dr. Siddiqui, his team at Blessing and their patients, as they strive to overcome the very pressing care challenges that have arisen because of this global pandemic, with a highly cost-effective solution for COVID-19 remote patient monitoring. At an average cost of just $175 per patient -- a fraction of the cost of hospitalization -- our solution offers dramatic financial savings to hospitals without compromising patient care." For more information about please visit blessinghealth.org. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Blessing Health System Blessing Health System is an integrated health system, based in Quincy, IL, consisting of two award-winning hospitals, two physician group practices, an accredited college of nursing and health sciences, a network of medical specialty businesses and a charitable foundation. Serving a primary market area of west central Illinois, northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa, Blessing Corporate Services, Inc., is the parent company of the System providing support and direction to Blessing Hospital; Illini Community Hospital; Blessing Physician Services; Hannibal Clinic; Denman Services, Inc.; Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences and The Blessing Foundation. The Mission of Blessing Health System is to improve the health of our communities. Blessing Health System employs more than 3,500 people. More at blessinghealth.org. Cloud DX Cloud DX is a leader in virtual healthcare and digital medicine. Our complete remote patient monitoring platform incorporates proprietary medical devices, mobile apps, clinical dashboards, artificial intelligence and EMR integration. Cloud DX now provides products and services to hospitals, healthcare providers and provincial health departments across North America. In 2020, Cloud DX was a co-recipient of the Roche COVID Challenge award and is widely recognized for their ground-breaking med tech innovations, including winning the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Bold Epic Innovator Award, Fast Company magazine "World Changing Idea" and most recently a 2021 Edison Award nomination. For more information please go to www.clouddx.com. SOURCE Cloud DX Related Links https://www.clouddx.com/ Clarice Massmann,age 86 of Osakis passed away on Monday, May 24, 2021 at the Lakeside Lodge care facility in Osakis, MN. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 11:00 am at the Immaculate Conception Church in Osakis with burial at the Calvary Cemetery. Visitation hour 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. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 CAIRO The Egyptian and Greek navies carried out transient maritime training in the Northern Fleet of the Mediterranean Jan. 28, with the participation of the Egyptian frigate Taba and the Greek HS Hydra F-452 warship that had stopped at the port of Alexandria, where various professional training activities were carried out. The exercises aim to strengthen joint cooperation between the Egyptian and Greek armed forces, benefit from the bilateral potential of the two countries to achieve common interests and boost maritime security and stability in the region. On Dec. 24, 2020, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the United Nations had published the agreement to demarcate maritime borders signed in Cairo by Egypt and Greece on Aug. 6, 2020. The agreement was published by the UN Office of Legal Affairs on the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, according to the ministry. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had ratified in October 2020 the agreement signed between the Egyptian and Greek governments regarding the demarcation of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries. The agreement provides for a partial delimitation of the maritime border between Egypt and Greece, and that such delimitation shall be completed, where appropriate, through consultations between the two parties in accordance with international law. Each party shall inform the second party should it be engaged in negotiations aimed at defining their EEZ with a third country. On Aug. 6, 2020, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias signed an agreement to demarcate the maritime borders between the two countries. Shoukry said back then that the agreement is an opportunity for both countries to move forward in maximizing the utilization of the resources available in the EEZ, especially promising oil and gas reserves, in line with the rules of international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Egypt and Greece have been expanding their relations since the arrival of Sisi to the presidency in 2014, as many meetings were held between the two countries for cooperation in the fields of energy, gas exploration, counterterrorism and border demarcation. Gamal Mazloum, former director of the Egyptian Armed Forces Center for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor that the Egyptian-Greek-Cypriot relations are strong, especially at the political, economic and military levels, and periodic meetings have taken place between the leaders of these countries. He said that maritime borders between Egypt and Greece are being demarcated, while some countries are seeking to exploit the economic resources in the Mediterranean waters of the two countries. Mazloum noted that the joint exercises are carried out in light of the developments in the eastern Mediterranean region and are aimed at confronting any threats the two countries might face. Egypt, he continued, is one of the countries whose armed forces ranking is advanced in the world and regularly conducts exercises with major, regional and Arab countries annually. He said that Cairo conducts 40 exercises annually and has trained with Russia, France and six Arab countries, as well as carried out maneuvers with the air and special forces of Sudan. It maintains a good relationship with other countries. He added that the exercises it carries out benefit all the participating parties and teach Egypt the fighting methods and use of the equipment that these countries have. Noha Bakr, a political science professor at the American University of Cairo, told Al-Monitor that the Greek-Egyptian military drills are based on the strong relations between Egypt and Greece, as the two countries share the same concerns and interests in the Mediterranean. Bakr noted that the exercises between the Egyptian and Greek naval forces were aimed at protecting the natural gas resources in the Mediterranean Sea and fighting illegal immigration, terrorism, environmental risks and the dangers between the north and south of the Mediterranean. According to Bakr, the joint exercises are carried out to boost both armies capabilities to confront any potential risks in the region. The training, she said, took place in the Mediterranean due to concerns over Turkeys ambitions to violate the sovereignty of Egypt and Greece in the region. They were also aimed at conveying a message whereby there are forces capable of dealing with any potential aggression, she concluded. An open letter to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Consulate Generals Office on Guam The last twelve months, has in many ways been defined by the rising tide of 'religious' violence across the globe, and in particular the violence perpetrated by those who claim Islam as their religion. While the growth of ISIS's self proclaimed Caliphate in Iraq and Syria has perhaps been the focal point of the world's attention, there has been a seemingly endless string of religiously motivated terrorist attacks taking place all over the globe. Inevitably, these incidents have brought to the forefront of many people's minds the questions as to why people are prepared to kill and be killed in the name of God. From my own personal conversations, observations from the media, and trawling through discussions (in the broad sense of the term!) on social media, I see one argument come up again and again: that it is not one particular religion that is responsible for religious violence, but rather it is a trait common to all those who are fundamentalist or extremist in their beliefs, regardless of what their religion is. From a cursory glance, this indeed appears to be a strong argument. Islam may have more pressing problems with extremists within its ranks at this point in history, but if we turn back the pages of history a few chapters, we'll find that Christianity has dished out more than its fair share of death and destruction in the name of God as well. What about the Spanish Inquisition? What about the Crusades? Is Christianity just as susceptible as Islam to producing religious militants? That question is beyond the scope of this article, but I would like to explore in a little detail the precedent set by Jesus and Muhammad for their followers to live by. For Muslims, Muhammad (b. 570 A.D. in Mecca) is seen as the last and most esteemed prophet sent by God to mankind. However, throughout the course of his ministry, Muhammad did far more than just simply preach. As well as a spiritual leader to his followers, he was also a political and military leader. From humble beginnings as the leader of a confederation of tribes in Medina, Muhammad's community of believers (the umma) expanded to encompass almost the entirety of the Arabian Peninsula by the time of his death in 632. Much like Kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament, the umma was a political entity with a constitution, a legal system, and a military to defend and further its political interests. However, the umma was not confined just to one particular ethnic group, but rather it was God's community for people from all nations to belong to. To some degree then, the umma had a mandate to spread their influence beyond their immediate community, and under the right circumstances warfare was considered a legitimate means of doing so. Kingdom emphasis Like Muhammad (570 years after Jesus), when Jesus began his ministry he set about proclaiming the arrival of a kingdom as well. Like Muhammad, this was no ordinary kingdom. It was the Kingdom of God, an eternal kingdom with dominion over all peoples, of which Jesus himself claimed to be the king. Like Muhammad, Jesus is a political leader. However, unlike Muhammad, Jesus' polis is of an altogether different nature than Muhammad's umma. His kingdom is not of this world. Because it does not belong to this world, it does not operate in a way the other kingdoms of the world operate. In his ministry, Jesus did not run for political office, he did not draw up borders for his kingdom, and he did not recruit an army to defend it. Jesus fought battles, but his enemies were not Roman armies, but rather were Sin and Death itself, which he triumphed over at the cross. Looking back at the history of Christianity over the last two thousand years, we will regrettably find examples of Christians committing acts of violence in the name of God. However, this does not lead us to automatically conclude that Christians who take God's Word seriously are inherently prone to violence. Rather, it reveals an errant understanding of what the Kingdom of God is about. As Christians in the world, we belong to a variety of different communities, nations and states. Ultimately though, these identities pale in comparison to the identity we have in Christ and as citizens in his kingdom. We may be at war, but "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). Zelensky wants to develop aircraft engineering The Cabinet of Ministers should develop incentives to encourage young engineers. Reporting by UNIAN If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Its barely 6am, yet already some 30 photographers are taking up positions on the No 1 Tadami River Bridge Viewpoint, high above the Tadami River. The sun hasnt been up long enough to burn off the morning mist, which garlands the forested mountains surrounding the river. Drifting river mists are a part of life along the Tadami as it flows through the Oku Aizu region of Japans Fukushima prefecture. According to local lore, shape-shifting mountain gods roam inside the mist. All lenses are focused on the elegantly arched bridge below, not to picture gods but something more tangible. With exquisite punctuality emerges a green and white train, just two carriages long, from the forest. The calm erupts with the rapid chatter of dozens of cameras set on continuous shooting mode. The Tadami railway line runs for 135km (84 miles) through the Tohoku region, the northernmost part of Japans main Honshu island, connecting the castle town of Aizu Wakamatsu, in Fukushima, with Koide, in Niigata Prefecture. Prone to some of Japans heaviest snowfalls, the regions mountains, forests and lakes inspired haiku poet Matsuo Basho, who described them in his book The Narrow Road to the Deep North (1689). Tohoku is an ideal destination for those seeking to get back to nature and escape the crowds one normally associates with Japan. A meagre 2 per cent of the countrys foreign visitors in 2019 ventured this far. If at all, most foreigners know Fukushima one of the six prefectures that make up Tohoku only as the site of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of the region in March 2011. Although Oku Aizu was spared the effects of the earthquake, that same year it suffered severe storms, triggering floods that destroyed three of the bridges along the Tadami Line. Given the cost of repairing them, coupled with the areas shrinking population, the authorities concluded that restoring the bridges was not viable. Many local residents too were unwilling to have their taxes spent on the repairs. Even now, six stations remain closed following the flood damage, forcing passengers to get off the train and take an hour-long bus ride along the section between the towns of Aizu Kawaguchi and Tadami. If tourists had been rare before the floods, afterwards they were in danger of becoming extinct altogether, leaving Oku Aizu to languish in the mists of the Tadami River, another forgotten backwater. PSNI out appears on the Black Mountain in west Belfast on February 8th 2021 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Tensions between the PSNI and the nationalist community after the arrest of a victim of the Sean Graham Bookmakers atrocity at last Fridays remembrance service in Belfast were ramped up further after a PSNI Out slogan appeared on the hillside overlooking Belfast on Monday. The Hollywood Sign style slogan has appeared on Black Mountain and is visible across the west of the city. The PSNI said it was aware of slogan, but have not yet issued any further comment. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill is due to lead a Sinn Fein delegation to meet the Chief Constable on Monday to discuss matters arising from last weeks incident, for which Simon Byrne has apologised and two probationary year officers have been disciplined. Ms ONeill contrasted the scenes on the Ormeau Road on Friday with polices failure to make arrests when they encountered a loyalist gang in east Belfast last week. Read More I think that the direct contrast in policing is laid bare for all to see and I think anybody who considers all those things in the round would understand that there certainly is a crisis of confidence in policing among the nationalist community, she said. There appears to be a double standard within the policing service, there appears to be an ethos or culture that turns a blind eye to UDA, UVF thugs on the street, but at the same time a disproportionate attempt to target nationalist communities. The deputy First Minister declined to say if she retained confidence in Mr Byrne but she did say she was not calling on him to resign. There have been appeals for calm from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood Enforcing the Covid-19 regulations is a difficult job, we all acknowledge that," he said. "But the striking inconsistency that allowed gangs of masked men to walk around east Belfast freely whereas those paying their respects on the anniversary of an atrocity were subject to physical confrontation and arrest cannot go unchallenged. Political leaders have a responsibility to challenge that inconsistency. But we also have a responsibility to maintain calm in our communities. It is difficult to watch the footage of the last week and not be angry. But that frustration with how the PSNI has managed events should be channelled through the police accountability structures." UUP MLA and Policing Board member Mike Nesbitt said that while the incident on the Ormeau Road, which saw the arrest and subsequent release of Mark Sykes, was unfortunate, politicians should not use the incident to undermine confidence in he police force. While I do respect the right of families and survivors to mark the anniversary, there is a question over whether the event organisers fully complied with Covid regulations, he said. This was a very unfortunate incident, he said. But there is non excuse for any politician to use it to question or undermine confidence in the PSNI. Police said between 30 and 40 people had gathered and a man was approached regarding Covid regulations. Very Credible Case Chinese Regime Carried out Genocide Against Uyghurs: UK Lawyers A group of London barristers on Monday published a landmark legal opinion concluding that theres a very credible case that the Chinese regime has committed genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. This first formal legal opinion on the Chinese regimes treatment of Uyghurs came a day before a crucial vote in Parliament on an amendment which aims to stop and prevent the UK from doing bilateral trade with genocidal countries. On the basis of the evidence we have seen, this opinion concludes that there is a very credible case that acts carried out by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people in XUAR [Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region] amount to crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide, the document (pdf), authored by barristers from Essex Court Chambers, reads. Based on Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the document said, there is sufficient evidence to amount to an arguable case for crimes against humanity, including enslavement, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, enforced sterilisation, persecution, and enforced disappearance. The barristers argued that there is also sufficient evidence that genocide has been committed against Uyghur people in Xinjiang based on Article 6 of the same law. This is a landmark moment for Uyghurs, Rahima Mahmut, UK director of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), said in a statement. The finding is clear: there is an intent to destroy Uyghurs, she added. The WUC is one of the organisations that worked on obtaining the legal opinion, along with legal NGO the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP). A guard tower and barbed wire fences are seen around a section of the Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Center in Artux in western Chinas Xinjiang region on Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo) Siobhan Allen, legal officer with GLAN, called the document groundbreaking. This groundbreaking legal opinion concludes that the atrocities occurring in XUAR credibly reach the level of severity and systematicity required to constitute crimes against humanity and genocide, she said. This finding makes it impossible for responsible governments to continue treating China as a normal member of the international community, Peter Irwin, senior communications officer at the UHRP said. Whether its the 2022 Beijing Olympics or Volkswagen building vehicles a few miles from an internment camp, governments and global businesses will need to reassess their relationship with Beijing until this kind of treatment ends, he added. History will not treat them kindly if they favour business in a time of genocide. Genocide Amendment The UKs House of Commons is due to vote on Tuesday on a series of amendments to its post-Brexit trade bill, including a so-called genocide amendment. A previous version of the amendment had been defeated in the Commons by only 11 votes. The modified amendment won a two-thirds majority last week in the House of Lords. Imran Ahmad Khan, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Foreign Affairs told NTD on Thursday that he felt there had been significant and growing support in both houses. If the amendment is passed, UK courts will be the first domestic courts that have the power to determine whether a country has committed genocide. If such a determination is made, a minister must arrange a motion for debate in each house of Parliament requiring the government to set out its course of action, which may include stopping negotiations or withdrawing from a trade deal with that country. The government opposes the amendment, saying it is unnecessary and ineffective. It proposed an alternative amendment (pdf) giving the task of reporting evidence of genocide to a responsible committee. However, MPs argued that select committees already have the power to do so and have already done so, and the government has taken no action. A select committee can, if it wish to, produce a report of genocide, as it can now. But it is meaningless when the government has said repeatedly that the only time that they will accept, use, recognize the term genocide, is when it has been discussed, debated, evaluated, and come to a determination in a judicial setting, MP Nusrat Ghani said in a virtual press conference when asked why she couldnt accept the governments compromise amendment. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, one of the proponents of the genocide amendment, posted a video on Twitter showing a montage of government officials saying a determination of genocide is a judicial matter, in an effort to persuade more MPs to support the amendment. Haiti's President Jovenel Moise announced Sunday that authorities apprehended more than 20 people accused of trying to kill him as opposition leaders demanded that he steps down. "There was an attempt on my life," Moise said as he spoke about the threat to his life at Haiti's airport in Port-au-Prince. Al Jazeera further noted that Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent said an "attempted coup d'etat" took place in Haiti on Sunday. The arrests included people whom Moise claimed were part of a coup plot to overthrow his government. A Haiti Supreme Court judge who the country's opposition leaders supported was included in the arrests, The Associated Press reported. Jovenel Moise was flanked by the country's prime minister, justice minister, and the police chief at the airport as he prepared to leave for the yearly carnival in the coastal town of Jacmel. Moise thanked his head of security at the National Palace and said, "the goal of these people was to make an attempt on my life," and "that plan was aborted." Coup Plot Started in November, Says Jovenel Moise Jovenel Moise said the alleged plot started months ago, on November 20. But other than some people were arrested, details about it were scarce. Read also: Mexico's Sinaloa Drug Cartel Focuses on New Product to Feed U.S. Demand: Report During the news conference, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said a senior police official, specifically an inspector general, was also among the 23 people arrested, Reuters reported. "These people had contacted national palace security officials, high-ranking officers of the national palace whose mission was to arrest the president ... and also to facilitate the installation of a new president," Jouthe said. Several weapons and ammunition were found among the arrested, and Supreme Court Judge Yvickel Dabrezil also had a prepared speech should he become the provisional president. The inspector general was accused of being in touch with high-ranking security officials with the alleged plot to arrest Moise. Jovenel Moise brushed off criticism from the opposition and human rights groups who say his presidency should end on Sunday. He insisted his term ends on February 7, 2022, but the opposition rejected this interpretation. Former President Michel Martelly ended his term in 2016. However, a chaotic election led to a one-year term for a provisional president until Moise was sworn in in 2017. Opposition Leader Calls for Civil Disobedience Hours after the arrests were announced, opposition leader Andre Michel held a press conference calling for civil disobedience, reported Associated Press. He also demanded for Moise's arrest. Michel said it was illegal to arrests Dabrezil because he has automatic immunity. Attorney Reynold Georges, who previously worked under Moise's administration but has since joined the opposition, also denounced the arrests. Read also: 253 Illegal Aliens Nabbed Within an Hour at Southern Border as CBP Revived 'Catch and Release' Policy "We ask for his (Dabrezil) release immediately," he said. He also said Haiti's court system should shut, adding that the court system should shut down until Dabrezil is set free. Meanwhile, Jovenel Moise has the support of U.S. President Joe Biden. Ned Price, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, said Friday that they are urging Haiti to organize free and fair elections, adding that a new elected president can take over the role as president once Moise ends his term on February 2022. The US president. in a CBS interview, described the Chinese leader as 'very tough and very bright', but also drew attention to his autocratic style of functioning Beijing: China on Monday chose to ignore US president Joe Biden's comment that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping lacked a democratic bone in his body but said that the two countries should focus on cooperation and manage differences. In an interview to CBS television on Saturday, Biden acknowledged that he is yet to speak with President Xi since his swearing in on 20 January, but said he had met him many times when they were vice-presidents of their respective countries in the past. "I know him pretty well," Biden said, adding that when they do speak, they will have "a whole lot to talk about." Biden described Xi as "very bright" and "very tough" but without "a democratic, small D, bone in his body", highlighting the autocratic style of functioning of the Chinese leader. Asked for his reaction to Biden's remark, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin evaded a direct reply. "President Xi Jinping has had many contacts with President Biden. Maintaining communication between China and the US at all levels is conducive to mutual understanding and to the development of bilateral relations, he said. "China is committed to developing a relationship with the US that is non-conflictual, based on non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," he said. "Meanwhile, China will continue to firmly safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides should meet each other halfway, focus on cooperation, manage differences, and promote the sound and steady development of China-US relations, to the greater benefit of their two peoples and to the people of all other countries around the world," he said. After the Biden administration assumed power last month, speculation was rife about the likely course of policy the US president would pursue in the light of hardline Beijing policy pursued by his predecessor Donald Trump during which the ties between the world''s two largest economies touched a new low. Top diplomats of the two countries had their first contacts on the Saturday last. Newly-appointed Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi held what observers here said was a blunt and outspoken conversation over the phone during which both sides sought to highlight the issues of concerns that will shape the ties between the top two economies of the world in the next four years. Yang, a member of the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party of China and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC, is Beijing''s point man for Washington. While Blinken told Yang that the Biden administration will hold China accountable for its abuses of the international system and raised with him the issue of human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong and Myanmar, the Chinese diplomat said both sides should respect each other's core interests and choices of political system. Yang said the US "should rectify its mistakes made over a period of time," in an apparent reference to hardline policies pursued by the Trump administration towards China, pushing the ties between the two countries to a new low. He said the US should work with China to uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question, the most important and sensitive core issue in China-US relations, bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang told Blinken. China considers Taiwan as part of its mainland and apprehends that the US is stepping its engagement with Taipei with military and political assistance. The US should strictly abide by the one-China principle, Yang said, adding that Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet-related affairs are all China's internal affairs and allow no interference by any external forces. Any attempt to slander and smear China will not succeed, and China will continue to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, Yang said. He urged the US to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region involving the disputed South China Sea, where America looks to step up its engagement with allies to contain Beijing. China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Were hiring an engineering lead, join us! If nows not the right time, then follow us on GitHub, LinkedIn or Twitter to stay connected and to help us share our work in Colorado and beyond. In 2021, we're focused on: Continuing to bring great tech folks into government; Continuing to support the COVID-19 response; Supporting Colorados child welfare program; And more! The Colorado Digital Service was an experiment that began with a simple hypothesis; if we could attract tech talent using a tour of service model and couple it with modern software delivery practices, like product management and human-centered design, we could help to improve the experience for people engaging with government services.We've shown that this model works. The bet that Gov. Polis and the Legislature placed on us has delivered a solid return on investment. Here are some highlights from 2020:With strong technology talent within OIT and vendor teams, it has been argued that experiments like the digital service arent necessary. This year has proven that it takes a village to deliver great services to Coloradans from state agency delivery teams with strong products, UX, and engineering talent to collaborating with other states and working with volunteer tech corps like the U.S. Digital Response Weve also seen firsthand the impact of software is eating government (a remix of the phrase coined by Marc Andreessen , co-founder of Netscape). Software has begun to permeate every aspect of our lives and is fundamentally changing business models. We cannot afford to ignore technology as we deliver government services.It used to be that an expert in public health or Medicaid or criminal justice could run a program that delivered a service to residents. Now, this program needs a website, which requires a login, Google Analytics, and security that prevents ransomware attacks. That service needs a strategy set by a product owner and must meet the needs of the people it serves. The team is being asked about APIs and data-driven decisions. They are reading articles about machine learning and ethics and wondering how to apply it to their program.As software continues to eat government, theres a strong need for technology talent at every level and in every agency.As anyone in civic tech will tell you, delivering on agency projects is just one piece of the puzzle. We want to help rethink how the government buys digital services and bring top tech talent into civic service. And we want to create momentum in unique ways that complement all of the great work Colorado is doing.After a little more than a year, the digital service remains a small but mighty, multidisciplinary team that combines procurement, product, user experience, and engineering. But weve also managed to build a superpower that helps us scale an incredibly strong civic tech network of policy wonks, full-stack developers, bureaucracy hackers, UX designers, DevSecOps engineers, and more from New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Florida, New York, etc. by working closely with the U.S. Digital Service , 18F, and with volunteer teams like the Citizen Software Engineers, Code for America , and the U.S. Digital Response . Were all working on solving the same problems and the national civic tech network continues to open doors for us and accelerate our thinking.CDS wants to say thank you to all of those whove supported us this past year and given guidance. Thank you to all of the state of Colorado employees that partnered with us. And, thank you to those of you that continue to follow us and be interested in our work. We know that you have allowed us to work on projects that impacted Coloradans and saved millions of dollars.So, whats next? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refused Monday to apologize for accusing Ted Cruz of 'trying to get me killed' in a tweet where she partly blamed him for the Capitol riot on January 6. 'That's not the quote,' Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Post while attending a Queens event Monday afternoon where a reporter asked her if she would apologize for tweeting that Cruz tried to have her 'murdered.' She said she is standing by her words, adding: 'I will not apologize for what I said.' In the midst of the drama over Robinhood restricting trading of GameStop stock last month, Cruz appeared to reach out on Twitter and promote bipartisanship with the New York representative who he has feuded with in public Twitter spats in the past. 'We now need to know more about @RobinhoodApp's decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit,' Ocasio-Cortez, 31, said at the time when a private trading application restricting actions related to Game Stop. 'As a member of the Financial Services Cmte, I'd support a hearing if necessary. Cruz, 50, responded with a quick: 'Fully agree.' to which Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at the Texas Republican senator. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refused to apologize to Senator Ted Cruz on Monday for her tweet last month: 'I will not apologize for what I said' Ocasio-Cortez claims Cruz is partly to blame for the Capitol riots on January 6 and sent an outlandish Twitter rant last month claiming he 'tried to get me killed' The tweet from AOC came after Cruz said he agreed with her that a stock app restricting trading of Game Stop stock during it soaring needed an investigation 'I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there's common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out,' she started in a Twitter rant aimed at Cruz. 'Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren't trying to get me killed,' she continued, referencing the riots earlier in January. 'In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.' The GOP is now asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to force Ocasio-Cortez to apologize to Cruz. '[S]he accused Senator Ted Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder,' Texas Representative Chip Roy, who is leading the call for an apology, wrote to Pelosi. 'I ask you to call on her to immediately apologize and retract her comments. If Representative Ocasio-Cortez does not apologize immediately, we will be forced to find alternative means to condemn this regrettable statement.' He continued: '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.' Democrats are moving forward on Tuesday with the Senate impeachment trial against Doanld Trump for 'incitement of insurrection.' They are accusing the former president of his rhetoric directly leading to the Capitol deadly riot on January 6. AOC, along with other Democrats, blame their Republican colleagues for helping rile up Trump's base. They insist that those who push Trump's rhetoric of a stolen election and who voted in favor of overturning the Electoral College results after the Capitol storming are also to blame. 'This isn't a joke. We need accountability, and that includes a new Senator from Texas,' AOC said in her Twitter rant last month against Cruz, who objected to certification of Arizona's electoral results. Texas Representative Chip Roy is leading a Republican effort in the House demanding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi compel Ocasio-Cortez to apologize 'You haven't even apologized for the serious physical + mental harm you contributed to from Capitol Police & custodial workers to your own fellow members of Congress,' she continued. She told the Texas lawmakers to stop trying to speak publicly with her on Twitter, claiming: 'Happy to work with other GOP on this.' Last week in an Instagram Live video, AOC described in detail what she experienced during the Capitol riots last month including sheltering in place in her office and fearing for her life and the lives of her colleagues. After details emerged that rioters had never even entered the congressional office building where Ocasio-Cortez was boarded up, backlash ensued against the progressive lawmaker for exaggerating her 'trauma'. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. (Newser) Jamaica is running low on ganja. Heavy rains followed by an extended drought, an increase in local consumption, and a drop in the number of marijuana farmers have caused a shortage in the island's famed but largely illegal market that experts say is the worst they've seen. "It's a cultural embarrassment," said Triston Thompson, chief opportunity explorer for Tacaya, a consulting and brokerage firm for the country's nascent legal cannabis industry. Jamaica, which foreigners have long associated with pot, reggae, and Rastafarians, authorized a regulated medical marijuana industry and decriminalized small amounts of weed in 2015. People caught with 2 ounces or less are supposed to pay a small fine and face no arrest or criminal record. The island also allows individuals to cultivate up to five plants, reports the AP, and Rastafarians are legally allowed to smoke ganja for sacramental purposes. But enforcement is spotty, as many tourists and locals buy marijuana on the street, where it has grown more scarceand more expensive. story continues below Heavy rains during last year's hurricane season pummeled marijuana fields that were later scorched in the following drought, causing tens of thousands in losses. "It destroyed everything," said Daneyel Bozra, who grows marijuana in southwest Jamaica. Worsening the problem were strict COVID-19 measures, including a 6pm curfew that meant farmers couldn't tend their fields at night as is routine, said Kenrick Wallace, 29, who cultivates 2 acres with 20 other farmers. Wallace estimated he lost more than $18,000 in recent months and cultivated only 300 pounds, compared with an average 700 to 800 pounds. Activists say they believe the pandemic and a loosening of Jamaica's marijuana laws has led to an increase in local consumption that has contributed to the scarcity, even if the pandemic has put a dent in ganja-seeking tourists. "Last year was the worst year. ... We've never had this amount of loss," Thompson said. "It's ... so laughable that cannabis is short in Jamaica." (Read more marijuana stories.) Gov. Charlie Baker will appear at a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss federal funding for COVID-19 relief efforts. I just noted this update to the AP Style Manual "2021 Impeachment Topical Guide." [T]here was no widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by a range of election officials across the country and by former Attorney General William Barr. Nearly all the legal challenges to the election put forth by Trump and his allies were dismissed a fact Democrats mention in their brief for the trial. In terms of the fact-checkers, this lacks context. Yes, many courts dismissed the many motions of the Trump legal team filed. But what the AP fails to disclose is that these dismissals were on jurisdiction and timing issues. There was never a full hearing on the evidence by the courts and subject to cross-examination. There wasn't a real investigation by the FBI for A.G. Barr to review before giving his opinion. Even the Supreme Court ducked the case from Texas, requesting it hear its case on original jurisdiction that other states' actions disenfranchised the voters of the State of Texas. I would argue that these other states' responses that the Court gave deference to were written by those likely complicit in the fraud. These states violated the U.S. Constitution by certifying their electors not by the state legislatures as mandated, but by governors and secretaries of state who may likely be culpable in this fraud. The AP Style Manual is the Gospel of journalists. I'll let you decide how factual this narrative is. As a longtime criminal investigator, I have my own professional opinion: follow the money, honey, and the truth will come out. My intense exasperation lies with the DOJ and especially the FBI, which not only was late out of the gate on 9/11, but never left it in this fraud of the century. Why? As I wrote late last year: Where are the DOJ and the FBJ? Late out of the gate again like 9/11? Why? Time to pay the piper, either do your job or get off the pot. Time for real police work instead of playing to the media with dog and pony shows, e.g., the NASCAR garage door noose. The FBIs NASCAR response is the type of action necessary to root out and prosecute this conspiracy to commit organized and systemic vote fraud across many states in this election. The FBI has the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), Fusion Centers, and the forensic financial and cyber resources to confirm these crimes were committed and identify the perpetrators. Update. Despite the AP's contention, Matthew Vadum of The Epoch Times notes: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Florida Anti-Censorship Proposal Seeks to Sidestep Section 230 Protections Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a stand against social media censorship with a proposal that would allow tech platforms to be fined or sued for certain content-policing decisions. While companies such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter enjoy broad liability protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, the proposal appears to attempt to sidestep those protections by asking for more transparency, tying anti-censorship measures to state election regulations, and giving users more control over content policing. Section 230 shields internet platforms from liability for 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. Some have argued that social media companies have interpreted otherwise objectionable too broadly and that it wasnt meant to encompass political speech that the companies claim to find objectionable. The Florida proposal takes a different approach. It would first require that the companies publish their content policing standards. Major social media such as Facebook and Google-owned YouTube dont fully explain their content policies, claiming it would lead to users dodging them. The law would apparently force them to fully reveal their standards. Users would receive a detailed explanation and written notice after being de-platformed or shadowbanned, Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls said at a Feb. 2 press conference, where DeSantis announced the proposal. The law would also stop frequent changes to terms of use, clearly communicate and obtain prior consent to changes, DeSantiss office said in a Feb. 2 statement. Further, the bill would ban arbitrarily censoring and/or de-platforming users, which could possibly stop the companies from censoring on an ad hoc basis, beyond what their content rules say. When social media companies apply these standards unequally on users, this is discrimination, pure and simple, DeSantis said during the press conference. Can you imagine tolerating this kind of behavior in banking or in health care or in other industries? Online Civil Rights The idea to make social media access a civil right of sorts and enforce it through state-level legislation was previously proposed in 2019 by conservative lawyer Will Chamberlain, the editor-in-chief of news website Human Events. It will be a very serious challenge to get a federal law passed protecting this civil right, given the current composition of Congress. But states with heavily Republican legislatures can pass laws that protect their states citizens from de-platforming, he wrote in an op-ed. And if they do so, Facebook, Twitter, and Google will have to comply if they want to keep doing business in that state. To the critics who say regulating content policing opens the door to government censorship, he pointed out that the Supreme Court already ruled in 2017 that social media are the modern public square to which the government cannot prevent peoples access. The concerns about government regulation being turned around to constrain speech are simply unfounded, he wrote. Moreover, he proposed that instead of a regulatory agency, the enforcement of social media access should be left to courts. The Florida proposal appears to follow that blueprint, promising to allow both Florida residents as well as its attorney general to sue the tech companies for violating the law. Opting In or Out? DeSantis also proposes to give users the power to opt-out of algorithms that tech companies use to sort and filter content. A similar idea was proposed by author and Breitbart journalist Allum Bokhari in 2018. He argued that theres no need for social media companies to ban or delete any lawful content. Instead, they should give users the option to turn on any objectionable-content filters of their own volition. Bokhari went further than DeSantis, proposing the filters should be strictly opt-in and any content a filter would apply to should be labeled as such so users would know what effects the filters would have on their news feeds. While it wouldnt eliminate them as a political threat, opt-in filters would still severely hamper the ability of big tech CEOs to influence elections, Bokhari said in an op-ed. They would forever lose the power to permanently purge wrongthinkers from the digital public square. No matter how many filters they slap on a conservative account, users would still have to consciously choose not to view the content. Campaign Rules DeSantis also wants to regulate and fine tech companies for election meddling. Big tech has been manipulating news content and designing algorithms to give the upper hand to their candidates of choice and they do so scot-free, he said. The proposed law would impose a $100,000-per-day fine on a company that disables the account of a Florida candidate for office. Any Floridian can de-platform any candidate they choose. They simply unsubscribe. And its a right that I believe belongs with the citizen, DeSantis said. Further, if a technology company promotes a candidate for office against another, the value of that free promotion must be recorded as a political campaign contribution. Companies would also face daily fines if they use their algorithms to suppress or prioritize content related to candidates or ballot measures. The message is loud and clear: When it comes to elections in Florida, Big Tech should stay out of them, the governor said. Facebook, Google, and Twitter didnt immediately respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment on DeSantiss proposal. In space, nobody can hear you scream -- but you may not be in a Sandra-Bullock scenario, nor may you be in an Aliens scenario. Space may hurt you, even if you put the science-fiction aside. The danger may in fact, not even be external -- but internal. A new study found that energy-producing structures in cells might be the reason astronauts face health risk while in space. Over the years astronauts have reported loss of bone and muscle, while some have developed immune disorders or heart and liver issues - all which have been may be triggered by the same thing. Frank Borman was probably the first person to barf in space. Borman was part of NASAs Apollo 8 mission, which lifted off a launch pad in Florida on December 21, 1968. Over the next six days, the mission made history as it circled the moon and returned home. But Borman, who led the mission, became queasy near the beginning. I threw up a couple of times, he recalled in an interview in 1999 He wasn't the only one: Gherman Titov, the second human in orbit, threw up. They didnt know what they were dealing with. At first they wondered if it was triggered by some central nervous system reaction to fluid shift in the body. Later, we found that wasnt true. But when you go to orbit, you do change the rules. Humans are fundamentally flatlanders. Even though youre not standing on the surface, the brain wants you to have one," Chuck Oman, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had told Air & Space Magazine in 2009. Space sickness isnt the only side effect to accompany the thrill of leaving Earth. A 2015 NASA report identified 30 factors that could make astronauts sick and unable to do their jobs. And there may be more, it said. Until people visit Mars it will be difficult to fully predict what could go wrong. Some of the known risks aren't simple or minor: Along with space sickness, there is radiation high-energy subatomic particles that will pass through an astronauts skin, damaging cells inside and out. Space travelers bones and muscles also can weaken as those body parts no longer have to constantly work against gravity. Blood and other fluids from the lower parts of the body can accumulate in upper body parts, including around the brain. One side effect: Astronauts may suffer hearing loss. The new study by systems biologist, Afshin Beheshti, which was conducted by Dataf from NASA's GeneLab, looked at proteins and RNAs in each sample. The team also examined blood and urine from 59 astronauts. Spaceflight seemed to have caused many biochemical changes in them. One symptom: Space travelers had more chemicals known to trigger inflammation. The researchers also found signs of oxidative stress, a type of cell damage. That damage can be due to poorly functioning mitochondria. Damage to mitochondria may be a common factor in spaceflight health risks, the team concluded, according to a recent report in Science News for Students. Tesla CEO and SpaceX boss Elon Musk had mentioned his plans of taking humans to Mars for a while - and he finally has a timeline for it. About Mars specifically, for the first time ever, Musk has mentioned a time-line to get humans on the red planet. "Five and a half years," Musk told hosts Sriram Krishnan and Aarthi Ramamurthy at the beginning of the show, reports CNET. While that's not a hard deadline. Musk listed a number of caveats -- there's a raft of technological advances that must be made in the intervening years. Also Read: Elon Musk Shares Plan of Getting Humans to Mars By 2026. That's 7 Years Ahead of NASA Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 23:10:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a symposium convened at the National Health Commission on Feb. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan on Sunday called for strengthened efforts in epidemic prevention and control for the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. Containment measures against COVID-19 should be fully implemented and responsibilities should be assigned to ensure a safe and happy holiday, Sun stressed during a symposium convened at the National Health Commission. Noting that medical and health workers have been fighting on the front line against the epidemic for more than a year, Sun called for persistent efforts in epidemic control, as well as further improved measures and contingency plans. Sun also underscored efforts to improve China's disease prevention and control system, enrich medical resources and balance its regional allocation. Enditem Australians could be banned from restaurants, shops and offices if they refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Using public health orders, states and territories have the power to mandate vaccinations for certain activities and professions such as aged care workers who can be required to get an up-to-date flu jab. Last month NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian suggested she may allow private venues such as bars, shops and workplaces to set their own rules for Covid-19 jab requirements. Australians could possibly be banned from restaurants, shops and offices if they refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Pictured: A bar next to the Sydney Opera House 'We'll consider whether we allow venues... to make up their own rules if they have a business or run a workplace about what they feel is Covid-safe,' she told radio 2GB. In November Qantas boss Alan Joyce said he would update the airline's terms and conditions to require passengers to be vaccinated - and said many other airlines will do the same. 'We will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft... for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country we think that's a necessity,' he told the Nine Network. The federal government will update the MyGov and Express Plus Medicare apps to provide Australians with a proof of vaccination. Vaccinated residents will also be able to print a hard copy of their certificate from a Services Australia site or a vaccine provider. Last month NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian suggested she may allow private venues such as bars, shops and workplaces to set their own rules. Pictured: Sketchers In early January Mr Morrison said he wanted the states and territories to adopt the same rules over vaccinations. Pictured: An office 'Australians need to have that record depending on state public health orders but also when travelling and borders open up again,' Government Services Minister Stuart Robert told reporters on Sunday. 'When it comes to workplace laws they are the purview of the states and territories. We would be expecting them to issue public health orders if they see fit so I will leave that to the states and territories,' he added. In early January Mr Morrison said he wanted the states and territories to adopt the same rules over vaccinations. He said National Cabinet discussions 'will include the necessity for state governments and territory governments to harmonise and ensure and national consistency in public health orders which is the process by which any requirement to have the vaccine is made legal across Australia.' The federal government will update the MyGov and Express Plus Medicare apps to provide users with proof of vaccination. Pictured: Residents shopping at David Jones The first batch of vaccines is due to arrive in Australia mid-February and the first jabs are expected to be administered at the end of the month. The vaccines will be rolled out in five stages. Quarantine and border workers, frontline health workers and aged care staff and residents will be first. Next will be anyone over 70 years old, other healthcare workers, people with medical conditions, emergency service workers, some high-risk workers like meat processing workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are over 55. After that, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 to 54 will get the jab, as well as Aussies over 50 and other high-risk workers. The vaccine will be rolled out in five stages. Quarantine and border workers, frontline health workers and aged care staff and residents will be first The fourth phase will encompass all adults and then a final phase will be for children - but only if experts say kids need the jab at all. Explaining why children are last, Health Secretary Professor Brendan Murphy said: 'We know that children are at very low risk of getting Covid and transmitting Covid and the vaccine has not yet been thoroughly tested against children.' Mr Morrison is targeting 80,000 vaccinations a week in February and wants this number to rapidly increase to issue four million jabs by the end of March. The vaccines will be distributed to each state based on the number of priority people that need the vaccine, regardless of the number of infections. Initially, between 30 and 50 hospitals will be used as hubs to distribute the Pfizer vaccine. Then general practice clinics, existing Commonwealth GP respiratory clinics and other state-run vaccination clinics will be used. Each will issue only one type of vaccine so patients don't get confused about which jab they have had. The Pfizer jab is much more difficult to distribute because it must be stored at -70C so the AstraZeneca jab will be the one sent to remote populations. Initially, imported doses will be used before Australia begins producing its own vials of the AstraZeneca jab at the CSL factory in Melbourne. It took over three months but there's finally a winner in the November 3 congressional race in NY-22. Republican Claudia Tenney has won by 109 votes out of nearly 320,000 cast over incumbent Democrat Anthony Brindisi. After an extended review, a judge ruled Friday that Tenney had won the race. New York certified the election results at noon Monday, and Brindisi conceded shortly thereafter, saying he would drop any further legal appeals. I really appreciate Anthony's call today and thank him for his service. He graciously offered to help ensure a smooth transition and I look forward to working with him over the coming days to complete that process on behalf of everyone in NY22. https://t.co/3XEDKZh3TJ Claudia Tenney (@claudiatenney) February 8, 2021 Tenney will return to the seat she won by 5 points in the 2016 election. She lost her reelection bid to Brindisi by about 2 points in 2018. In the end, Democrats won 222 seats in November's election while Republicans took 213. While Democrats maintained control, their margin was significantly reduced. The GOP had a net gain of 12 seats, including one in MI-3, which was vacated by Libertarian Justin Amash. Currently, the House sits at 221 Democrats and 210 Republicans. There are four vacancies. In addition to NY-22, where Tenney should be seated in the near future: LA-2 Democrat Cedric Richmond resigned last month to join the Biden administration. Democrat Cedric Richmond resigned last month to join the Biden administration. LA-5 Republican Luke Letlow died of Covid-19 on December 29, less than a week before he would have been sworn in Republican Luke Letlow died of Covid-19 on December 29, less than a week before he would have been sworn in TX-6 Republican Ron Wright died Sunday after contracting Covid-19. He is the first sitting member of Congress to die from the virus There will be all-party primaries for the two Louisiana seats on March 20. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote in a particular race, a top-two runoff will be April 24. The incumbent party is heavily favored in both cases. No date has been set for a special election in the TX-6. This largely suburban district includes some of the area between Forth Worth and Dallas and includes Ellis and Navarro counties to the south of Dallas. Wright won a 2nd term in November by about 9 points. Two other Democratic-held seats are likely to be vacated in the near future. Deb Haaland (NM-1) and Marcia Fudge (OH-11) have been nominated for Cabinet positions and are awaiting Senate confirmation. Esther Ngumbi, an entomologist whose prolific engagement efforts have impacted the lives of farmers, students, and others, will receive the 2021 Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Over the first decade of her career, Ngumbi has applied her research on crops' pest resistance and drought tolerance to benefit farmers in her home country of Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, she has published more than 100 opinion pieces in mainstream news outlets, mentored students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields, and taught classes on science communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she serves as an assistant professor of entomology. "I've been involved in public engagement in science for more than 40 years," Ngumbi's colleague May Berenbaum, who won the same award from AAAS in 2010, wrote in a nomination letter. "I can honestly say that I've never encountered a more prolific, effective, and productive science communicator than Dr. Ngumbi." As a child in Kwale County in Kenya's South Coast, Ngumbi grew crops on her family's land. She noticed that each year, insects and drought claimed a portion of the harvest. Motivated to learn why, she set out to study biochemistry and zoology as an undergraduate in Kenya. In 2011, Ngumbi became the first person from her village to earn a Ph.D., receiving her doctorate in entomology from Auburn University. She remained at Auburn as a postdoctoral researcher until moving to her current position at the University of Illinois in 2018. Ngumbi studies the chemically mediated interactions between insects, plants, and beneficial soil microbes, and she uses the insights gleaned from her research to benefit farmers and the communities they support. As a consultant for Feed the Future, the U.S. government's global food security initiative, she helped strengthen regulations to protect crops in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, she founded Oyeska Greens, a start-up that trains Kenyan farmers on new techniques, such as greenhouse agriculture and climate-smart pest management. In both the U.S. and Kenya, Ngumbi speaks to students at elementary schools, high schools, and universities, encouraging particularly those from underrepresented minorities to pursue STEM careers. In 2012, she launched Spring Break Kenya, a project that has provided more than 5,000 university students with opportunities to fight hunger in the country's rural areas. That same year, Ngumbi and her parents founded the Dr. Ndumi Faulu Academy, which supports the education of children in her hometown. She has also mentored students through the Clinton Global Initiative University and President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative. "The selection committee was impressed with Dr. Ngumbi's intersectional approach to sustainable agriculture, which weaves together research, practice, and community empowerment," said Emily Cloyd, director of the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology. "She demonstrates how public engagement can increase dialogue and benefit science and society more broadly, and she encourages her colleagues to do the same." As a guest columnist for Wired, Nature, Project Syndicate, and dozens of other high-profile outlets, Ngumbi has called attention to topics including climate change, hunger on university campuses, and the importance of public engagement by scientists. In 2015, she was selected by the Aspen Institute to participate in its New Voices Fellowship, a program that provides media and advocacy training to professionals in international development. "Across seven fellowship years and 150 fellows, Esther is our most productive writer," Andrew Quinn, director of New Voices Fellowship, wrote in a letter to AAAS. "Through her writing, she is able to reach millions of people with her ideas and thoughts on science and innovation. She's not afraid to envision a better world." ### The AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science, established in 1987 as the AAAS Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology, recognizes scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science. Mani L. Bhaumik, a quantum physicist known for technological advances that led to the development of Lasik eye surgery, endowed the award in 2019. Ngumbi will receive the award in a virtual ceremony on Feb. 10, during the 187th AAAS Annual Meeting. AAAS will begin accepting nominations for the 2022 award on April 15. More information on eligibility requirements can be found here. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Norwalk Police / Contributed Photo NORWALK A city man faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a gun charge in court last week, according to federal prosecutors. Tyrome Crack Sawyer, also known as Tyrone Sawyer, pleaded guilty before Judge Stefan R. Underhill in a video conference court appearance due to the ongoing pandemic Bengaluru, Feb 9 : Amid protests by the Congress and JD(S) legislators, the ruling BJP in the Karnataka legislative council on Monday passed the contentious anti-cow slaughter Bill, just a day before the council chairman elections where senior MLC Basavaraj Horatti is contesting as the BJP-JD(S) coalition candidate. The anti-Cow slaughter Bill is officially termed as the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation and Protection of Cattle Bill 2020, and the passage of the Bill will help the ruling party replace the ordinance that was passed on January 8. The Bill, already passed by the Assembly during the winter session in December last year, was put to vote by Deputy Chairman of the council, M.K. Pranesh. With this, slaughtering of nearly all cattle - bull, ox, bullock, buffalo and cow - is now illegal in Karnataka. For the Bill to become a law, its passage in both Houses followed by assent of the Governor is necessary. As the same Bill was approved in the form of ordinance by the Governor last month, it is likely to get the Governor's nod shortly. Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan tabled the Bill for consideration of the Upper House on Monday. During the discussion, several Congress and JD(S) MLCs termed it as anti-farmer, and some of them even tore the Bill besides claiming that it is aimed at targeting certain sections of people. They also demanded that the Bill should be withdrawn or be referred to the joint select committee for vetting. "With the Act coming into effect, the efforts for conservation would gain strength," Chauhan said. After the members of the Congress and the JD(S) trooped into the well opposing the Bill, it was passed through voice vote as the BJP had the higher numbers in the House. Opposing the Bill, veteran Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad said that this law will not help anyone, neither the farmers nor the common people. "You (BJP) seem to be giving jobs to unemployed VHP and Bajrang Dal workers," he said. Intervening at this juncture, state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress believes in killing cows whereas the BJP believes in saving them. "Unlike you people, we are the saviours of our culture and rituals," he said. Hailing the passage of the Bill, Revenue Minister R. Ashoka said that he was 'truly blessed' to witness such a 'holy event'. "We have realised the unfulfilled dream of Mahatma Gandhi by passing this Bill. Once Congress had cow and calf as its symbol, but after it changed to the hand symbol, it started helping cow slaughter in the country," he said. Rebutting both the ministers, Hariprasad said that he too loved cows as several communities in the state, including his own, start their married life by pouring cow milk to solemnise marriages. "Do not teach us what it takes to love an animal. You should accept that this Bill is aimed at creating communal disturbances," he said. He also dared the BJP to come out with a law to ban fishing or eating pork. "Both fish and boar are directly associated with Lord Vishnu. Why have you not thought of banning the consumption of these meats," he asked. Congress MLC C.M. Ibrahim said that Karnataka is not like Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh. "Do not add communal colour to this Bill. Give us time, I will invite all mosque heads. Let's discuss the issue. Refer this Bill to the joint select committee," he suggested. Ibrahim added that the government should consider discussing the matter with the farmers too. Fastbase Inc. orders HPE DL580 to ensure 24/7 web leads NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2021 / Fastbase Inc. (OTC PINK:FBSE) the web analytics company has just bolstered its technology platform with new investment in the HPE DL580 Gen10 server series. The latest HPE addition is integral to Fastbase analyzing more than 1.2 million companies from 130 countries, providing leads and sales and marketing intelligence to some of Europe's largest multinational companies. With an advanced algorithm and a database of registered websites, Fastbase analyses billions of website visitors each month and requires an architecture optimized for Big Data Analytics. This would not be possible without the HPE ProLiant Apollo servers from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Big Data Analytics requires high performance servers that can handle a large amount of data. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has one of the world's broadest server, storage, and network portfolios and the HPE DL580 Gen10 server offers an architecture optimized for Big Data Analytics. "The DL580 is one of the Proliant servers designed for large computing facilities and data centers that need a lot of computing power to handle vast amounts of data," said Martin Jacobsen, Sales Manager, HPE Denmark. "Online analytics company, Fastbase, offers web visitor and customer insights for business. Fastbase needs a platform optimised for data science and delivering real time leads. Proliant Gen10 servers provide the certainty of processing power required." HPE ProLiant DL580 Gen10 Server is a high-density, four-socket server with high performance, scalability and reliability. The Gen10 Server offers greater processing power, up to 6TB of faster memory and the simplicity of automated management. High traffic and computing power Fastbase has chosen to standardize on HPE's ProLiant servers, which are designed to have a high volume of both computer memory and storage, ideal for use-cases like Fastbase WebLeads, the SaaS lead gen application. Martin Jacobsen explained, "For High Performance Computing (HPC), Big Data, and Cloud performance and density are paramount. Fastbase data is growing in leaps and bounds and as the volume of data increases, so do the challenges. It is crucial to employ servers that are able to deal with the high number of data calls from Fastbase users. So, it is important to choose a system providing performance, reliability and scalability." Martin Jacobsen said. The DL580 server is designed for highly virtualized environments, databases, large-scale transaction processing, and data center applications - a perfect fit for Fastbase workloads. Moreover, the DL580 server supports Persistent Memory that works with DRAM to provide fast, high capacity, cost effective memory and enhances compute capability for the memory intensive workloads required by Fastbase's data management and analytics. Not only is it important that the server handles the high traffic (approx. 107 billion website visitors) that Fastbase analyzes each month but that it can process the AI algorithms that are used in Fastbase's sales and automation product, LeadScoring. "Servers Powering 2021" Utilizing AI, automation and machine learning, Fastbase develops tools that help B2B businesses adapt to the future and manage their leads and sales pipeline to meet customer needs - shaping the predictive intelligence market by building reliable pipelines to help businesses survive. Fastbase is one of the world's five largest web analytics companies. Continuing its mission to help B2B companies better understand their customers, Fastbase, led by Chairman of the Board and Founder, Rasmus Refer, converts website data into actionable information with its lead identification tools. Since 2017, Fastbase has benefited from HPE's Apollo server and now beef's up the array with more Apollo servers and HPE ProLiant DL580 Gen10 Servers with Rasmus Refer explaining, "We have based our platform on these work-horses and we have not had the slightest hitch. On top of that we anticipate much better response times for processing millions of pieces of data daily" Rasmus Refer said. Fastbase Inc. 140 Broadway, 46th Floor 10005 New York United States Phone: +1- 800 490 7454 Find the latest Fastbase Inc. (OTC PINK:FBSE) stock quote, news and press releases. About Fastbase, Inc. Fastbase Inc. is a Nevada-registered web and database analytics company that offers a growing suite of tools to support B2B marketing and sales. The Fastbase platform gathers and displays detailed information on website visitors, including the name of the company, contact information, email addresses and LinkedIn profiles. Fastbase's success has been facilitated by its seamless integration with Google Analytics. Its platform can identify website visitors in real-time providing business customers with powerful insights into their website users' behavior. The Fastbase WebLeads software combines a website's analytics data with real-time visitor information, allowing customers to minimize the guesswork around who is visiting their website. WebLeads can be used free after the trial period (with reduced functionality) or users can continue with a standard Premium subscription. Fastbase data can be utilized with CRM systems and sales and marketing applications, such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive and Mailchimp. Fastbase customers that use Google Analytics can easily access a detailed list of their website visitors for the past 24 months. Fastbase provides a listing of companies searching for specific products, services or businesses and gives B2B marketers a much better chance of creating a prospective sale or helping determine if marketing efforts are effective. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements regarding projected business performance, operating results, financial condition and other aspects of the company, expressed by such language as "expected," "anticipated," "projected" and "forecasted." These statements may also include estimates of the pace of customer adoption, customer usage, and software development. Please be advised that such statements are estimates only and there is no assurance that the results stated or implied by forward-looking statements will be realized by the company. Forward-looking statements may be based on management assumptions that prove to be wrong. The Company's predictions may not be realized for a variety of reasons, including due to competition, customer sales cycles, and engineering or technical issues, among others. The Company and its business are subject to substantial risks and potential events beyond its control that would cause material differences between predicted results and actual results, including the company incurring operating losses and experiencing unexpected material adverse events. Fastbase Inc. 140 Broadway, 46th Floor 10005 New York, United States Phone +1- 800 490 7454 email: sales@fastbase.com www.fastbase.com SOURCE: Fastbase Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/628204/Fastbase-Tracking-10-Billion-Visitors-Monthly-Using-Unique-HPE-Servers Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup is back in campaign mode and has brought up a bugbear of his former boss, past premier Colin Barnett, declaring a new Liberal government would tear up the naming rights deal for Optus Stadium. Mr Barnett went to the 2017 election promising to name the venue Perth Stadium but was beaten at the polls by Mark McGowan and Labor, who wanted to pay down state debt by getting a sponsor instead. The Liberal Party wants to tear up the naming rights deal with telecommunications company Optus for the Burswood stadium. Credit:AusStadiums Mr Kirkup claimed changing the name to Perth Stadium would lead to job creation. What we need to do here is make sure we have every opportunity to draw more events here ... and promote our city here, he said. Credit: CC0 Public Domain In today's increasingly digital world, cybersecurity is paramount. The upsurge in cyberattacks has far-reaching effects, from jeopardizing users' private data to sparking all out cyberwar, not to mention threatening private businesses' intellectual property. In such volatile times, the only approach is to adopt new models and applications that can address these problems efficiently. More awake to this issue than most, Regner Sabillon, a doctoral student at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), dissects these models in his thesis, Digital Forensics Assessment, Cyberlaw Review and Cybercrime Analysis to Enforce Cybersecurity. The Importance of Cybersecurity Audits, Assurance, Awareness and Training, which benefited from co-supervision by professors and researchers Jordi Serra from the Faculty of Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications and Victor Cavaller from the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences. The research breaks down multiple case studies and highlights the importance of taking appropriate measures to shield data against cyberattacks. Sabillon's academic undertaking has now been reworked into a book titled Cyber Security Auditing, Assurance, and Awareness Through CSAM and CATRAM, which has been named the best new cybersecurity book to read in 2021 by United States website BookAuthority. The book underscores the need to upgrade security models to ward off the increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks waged against anyone from top-tier institutions to ordinary citizens, with businesses and government agencies also caught in the crossfire. Cavaller explained that the research involved an "extensive review of cybersecurity systems that are being implemented worldwide in different organizations" and that the book "proposes Audit and Awareness Training models that are extremely useful and that have been successfully applied in several institutions with results that have radically improved the capacity of computer protection." "This research provides an opportunity to get to know the levels of maturity of cybersecurity at companies and institutions. It is a great starting point for improving these levels, as shown by the ongoing work that has been published in research articles," said Serra. Sabillon, a professor at the School of Computing and Information Systems and the Faculty of Business at Canada's Athabasca University, and an ICT and cybersecurity consultant, uses his book as a platform to shed light on prevailing issues in this domain. According to the academic, who is currently working towards his doctoral degree in Network and Information Technologies at the UOC, current issues include "stealing individuals' personal or sensitive data, and even tampering with companies' intellectual property. Cybercriminals are continuously modernizing and sophisticating their attacks." Cyberwarfare, a very real problem As our day-to-day lives spill further into the digital world, the risk of cyberattacks grows. Although this trend comes as no surprise, the world has not necessarily readied itself for battle. Indeed, according to ISACA's State of Cybersecurity 2020 report, 32% of respondents agreed that attacks had risen considerably in 2020. Our expert said: "The most common [attacks] are those based on social engineering, advanced persistent threats and ransomware attacks, where systems are ransomed using software that encrypts data, thus blocking their use, in order to extort the owner." Private companies are not the only ones left scathed. Weak cybersecurity puts government organizations, associations, other types of entity and individuals at risk. Among the most worrying are large-scale attacks waged against countries and major administrative interests. According to the doctoral student, "This is what we're seeing today between world powers such as the United States, China and Russia." He added: "There are many such cases, but there is still no consensus regarding what we might call cyberwarfare, even though the 'cyber' domain has been recognized as the most novel part of otherwise conventional warfare." To illustrate his point, the expert brought up the cyberattacks allegedly launched by Russia as a deterrent against countries such as Georgia and Ukraine, which have sometimes triggered military action. The digital environment is all around us and advancing at a rapid pace. As a result, cybercriminals are able to switch up their attacks daily, exploiting the vulnerabilities they detect between program updates. Faced with this, said Sabillon, we need new models and measures that effectively tackle the problem. Innovative solutions and awareness training In his research, Sabillon explored a number of case studies where the cybersecurity audit model (CSAM) and the cybersecurity awareness training model (CATRAM) were developed and validated. The doctoral student analysed their deployment and ability to bolster and audit national cybersecurity strategies, extensively covering a wide range of issues such as forensic analysis, digital evidence and incident management and thus offering in-depth insight into the latest research on models in cybersecurity management and awareness training. Sabillon said: "The cybersecurity audit, or CSAM, is an innovative and comprehensive model that offers optimal assessment of cybersecurity in any organization, and can verify specific guidelines for countries planning to launch a new cybersecurity strategy or policy, or wishing to test the effectiveness of those already in place." The CSAM, he said, enables the performance of both internal and external cybersecurity audits: "Any entity has the option of performing a full audit of all cybersecurity domains or of simply selecting specific ones in order to audit certain areas that need oversight verification and reinforcement." Meanwhile, the cybersecurity awareness training model, or CATRAM, was designed to offer initial training in any organization. According to Sabillon, "It also serves to roll out better approaches to existing cybersecurity awareness training or specific data security training programmes." Today, there are countries that have thorough, elaborate national cybersecurity strategies in place. However, as Sabillon lamented, many others, especially developing countries, continue to downplay the importance of the matter. He said: "Leading countries generally allocate many resources to their national strategies. These include the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and the European Union, through ENISA." Implementing models such as CSAM and CATRAM, said the UOC doctoral student, is a good starting point for both mending deficient strategies and improving those already in place. Explore further Four best practices outlined to prevent health care cyberattacks More information: Regner Sabillon. Cyber Security Auditing, Assurance, and Awareness Through CSAM and CATRAM, (2020). Regner Sabillon. Cyber Security Auditing, Assurance, and Awareness Through CSAM and CATRAM,(2020). DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4162-3 Provided by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Stormonts Agriculture Minister used his withdrawn ports staff as pawns in the DUPs campaign against the Northern Ireland Protocol, a senior Sinn Fein representative has said. John ODowd suggested Gordon Lyons may be acting contrary to the ministerial code. Inspections of animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended last Monday amid concerns over the safety of staff, and the minister said their wellbeing came first. Former agriculture minister Edwin Poots made the call to withdraw staff. Inspections of animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Lyons took over the role last week as Mr Poots took leave for medical treatment following a cancer diagnosis. Former junior minister Mr Lyons maintained Mr Poots position over the staff. John O'Dowd said: The information given to this assembly and to Mid and East Antrim Council was based on half-truths, misinformation and erroneous information. The Sinn Fein assembly member added: Workers were used as pawns in a very, very cruel game. They were withdrawn after threatening graffiti appeared last month. Mr ODowd suggested the danger was non-existent. The fact (is) that there is no credible threat, which has been stated by the PSNI, and the fact that they allowed it half way around the world before the truth got its pants on, that that agenda of those workers being removed suits your political agenda. And rather than dealing with the facts, minister, you are allowing these non-existent threats to carry forward a political agenda, which would be contrary to your statutory duty and the code that you have as a minister. Mr Lyons said it was a disgraceful assertion. I have very clearly demonstrated staff safety comes first. He said a process had been put in place which he had not interfered with. The minister said his department was in discussions with police and workers unions. I find that an entirely appropriate response to what has gone on. He said the graffiti was very much viewed as a threat and it was only right that precautionary measures were taken and the risk assessed. He said any mitigations needed would be put in place. It is important that we take precautions and we put the safety and wellbeing of our staff first and foremost and that is what we have done. At least seven vaccines against the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 have won approval for public or emergency use in several countries One year into a pandemic that has claimed more than 2 million lives and left most parts of the world shuttered, people around the globe are counting on effective Covid-19 vaccines to bring back normal life. At least seven vaccines against the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 have won approval for public or emergency use in several countries, setting off a global race to protect people against the raging virus. About 200 more candidate inoculations are under development, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The pioneering shots include a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech using messenger RNA, or mRNA a technology that delivers a bit of genetic code to cells. There are also a similar shot from Moderna and an adenovirus vaccine made by a partnership between Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc. Two inactivated-virus vaccines developed by Chinese companies state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm) and private Sinovac Biotech are also among the first inoculations cleared for public use, followed by Russias Sputnik-V vaccines and Johnson & Johnsons single-shot vaccine. Depending on the different technologies used, the effectiveness of the currently available vaccines ranges between 50.4% and 95%, based on trial results. Although disputes over analytical approaches and real-world effectiveness remain, all of the approved inoculations have outperformed the WHOs efficacy requirement, fueling hopes that large-scale vaccinations will soon bring the pandemic to end. Countries have raced to secure vaccine supplies and inoculate the public to slow the spread of the virus so that economies can reopen. However, the massive global vaccination campaign the biggest in human history has been hindered by limits on production and distribution as well as public hesitation. The emergence of new variants of the virus further complicates efforts. Read more The Year Covid-19 Changed Everything The novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 wont disappear soon by itself, and people must learn to coexist with it, some experts said. Effective vaccines and adequate inoculation will be the only way to stop the pandemic and prevent societies from being paralyzed again by the virus, they said. As vaccine rollouts begin around the world, here are some key facts to know: What are the major safety concerns? There have been doubts about the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines, especially after several cases of serious allergic reactions were reported following injections of the two new mRNA vaccines. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 cases of severe allergic reactions were recorded among the nearly 1.9 million people who received a first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine between Dec. 14 and 23. In January, Norwegian news site Norway Today reported that the country recorded 23 deaths linked to vaccinations using the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, all occurring in frail elderly people. Investigations of 13 incidents found that the deaths were most likely caused by severe side effects of the vaccinations such fever and malaise, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency. But the agency also said the vaccines have low risks with a small exception for the frailest. A New England Journal of Medicine article said acute allergic reactions after vaccination have been rare for most known inoculations and wont cause permanent harm with proper treatment. But the article also noted that because the mRNA vaccines for Covid-19 are the first to apply the advanced technology in mass use, there is a lack of prior experience and information to explain allergic reaction mechanisms related to the vaccines. The mRNA vaccines could trigger stronger immune responses than traditional inactivated-virus vaccines and thus may lead to greater allergic reactions, said Ding Sheng, the director of Global Health Drug Discovery Institute and Dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University. But the mRNA vaccines could be safer than traditional inoculations as they do not contain any virus, according to Drew Weissman, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on mRNA vaccines. Traditional vaccines, such as for flu or measles, activate the immune system by injecting people with small amounts of a virus in attenuated forms or a virus that scientists have killed but whose viral proteins can still stimulate immunity. But despite the best efforts to kill the virus, in some rare cases the virus is not dead. It is a common-sense and basic principle that all vaccines are still subject to post-market safety monitoring as clinical trials may not be enough to capture all potential risks, a public health expert said. While it is normal to have concerns over vaccines that use a new technology, current data dont indicate any unusual safety issues of mRNA vaccines, the expert said. How well do the vaccines work? The two mRNA vaccines outperformed others with high efficacy rates in clinical trials. The Pfizer vaccine showed efficacy of 95% at preventing symptomatic Covid infection after two doses, while the Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective. But there are disagreements over the figures. Peter Doshi, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical health services research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, argued that the efficacy of Pfizers vaccines could be as low as 19% when taking into account a large number of suspected cases that were involved in the trials. But many health experts said Doshis methodology is flawed and significantly underestimates the efficacy, although they agreed that Pfizer should provide more raw trial data. Chinas Sinopharm reported Dec. 30 that its inactivated vaccine was 79.34% effective in stopping people from catching Covid-19. No detailed data on the vaccine has been released. The shot won approval for mass injection in China the following day. Sinovac reported efficacy rates between 50.4% and 91.3% for its vaccines in different trials in Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil. The vaccine is under review for public use in China. It is common for inactivated-virus vaccines to be around 50% effective, a health expert said. The efficacy rates for seasonal flu vaccines often fall between 40% and 60%, but people now expect higher for Covid-19 vaccines, the expert said. Despite weaker efficacy, inactivated-virus vaccines are preferred by some countries because of the mature technology and production capacity, stability and less-stringent requirements for transport and storage. Other candidates include AstraZenecas adenoviral vector-based vaccine with an average efficacy rate of 70%, and Russias Sputnik-V vaccine, which is reported to be 91.6% effective. Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine, which is pending U.S. approval for emergency use, reported an average efficacy of 66%. Another potential alternative is a protein-based vaccine developed by Novavax, which reported 89.3% efficacy in the final stage of clinical trials in January. How might new Covid-19 variants affect vaccines? The recent emergence of several new coronavirus variants sparked fears that the current vaccines might be less effective for containing the new strains. Johnson & Johnson and Novavax both reported lower efficacy rates for their vaccines against the highly infectious strain found in South Africa. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech said their vaccines were effective against new variants of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa. But Moderna said that for the South Africa variant there was a six-fold reduction in levels of neutralizing antibodies, which bind to the virus and prevent it from invading human cells. The company said it is studying a booster targeting the new strain. Experts said mRNA and inactivated-virus vaccines are the best options for rapid tweaking to cope with the evolving virus. Ugur Sahin, chief executive of BioNTech, said in December that the company could adjust its mRNA vaccine within six weeks to adapt to new variants. Chinese virologist Shao Yiming, who led the countrys vaccine development efforts, said Chinese companies might need two months to upgrade their inactivated-virus vaccines in response to the new strains. But Jiang Shibo, a virology professor at Fudan University, said it would be a tough race for vaccine development to catch up with virus mutations. Jiang suggested early engagement in long-term studies on vaccines that can deal with a broader spectrum of virus strains. When will vaccinations stop the virus spread? The goal of vaccination is to create so-called herd immunity where enough people become immune to a disease to stop transmission. Experts said herd immunity could be achieved when at least 70% of the population is immune either through vaccinations or previous infection. That means 5 billion people out of the global population of 7.5 billion. Read more Cover Story: The Daunting Challenge of Immunizing the World But the current pace of vaccination is too slow to achieve the goal in most countries, reflecting constraints on vaccine production, delivery and distribution, experts said. China has injected about 24 million doses of vaccines as of late January, according to data from the CDC. At that speed, the country will take years to inoculate enough of its 1.4 billion people, said Jiang Qingwu, a virology expert. Speeding up vaccination is crucial also because antibodies induced by Covid-19 vaccines are expected to last two to four years in human bodies, with the strongest protection in the first six months, said Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist at Wuhan University. The completion of mass inoculation by the end of this year will be crucial to stop the pandemic, Yang said. Will the coronavirus be eliminated by vaccinations? Worldwide vaccination was the key for human elimination of the highly infectious and deadly disease smallpox by the 1980s. Can that success be copied in the battle against Covid-19? Some experts said that would be almost impossible because coronavirus inoculations may not confer long-lasting protection, unlike smallpox vaccinations that can result in lifelong immunity. Meanwhile, the existence of many asymptomatic Covid-19 patients who can spread the virus without showing symptoms allows the disease to transmit quietly. Read more In Depth: Why Vaccines Wont Soon End the Covid-19 Pandemic The novel coronavirus is likely to turn into a flu-like chronic illness and coexist with humans for a long time, experts said. Vaccinations will reduce the viruss damage to humans and allow people to return to normal life, they said. Wang Zhuoqing and Hao Tianqi contributed to this story. Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com). Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested a 60-year-old man from Chandigarh in connection with the violence that took place at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day, officials said. With his arrest, the total number of people nabbed by Delhi Police in connection with the violence that took place across the national capital on January 26 has gone up to 127. Arrested Sukhdev Singh was arrested from Chandigarh by the Crime Branch team, which is probing 13 cases registered in connection with the Republic Day violence, they said. The police had earlier announced a cash reward for Singh and three others for allegedly instigating protesters. Farmers' protestA senior police officer said Singh was allegedly leading the mob at the Red Fort on the day of incident and he was found to have an "active presence" at the spot. So far, a total of 127 people have been arrested in connection with the Republic Day violence across the national capital, police said. Authorities held the Egyptian journalist for four years, accusing him of "spreading false information" and belonging to the banned group Muslim Brotherhood. Egyptian authorities on Saturday released journalist Mahmoud Hussein, who worked for the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera network, after four years in detention. The decision came after Egypt, part of a bloc with gulf countries, reconciled with Qatar following years of diplomatic rift. The Egyptian journalist was held on charges of "spreading false information" and affiliation with the banned group the Muslim Brotherhood, an accusation authorities have used against several journalists since President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi took power in 2014. Hussein's daughter, Azzahraa Hussein, said on Facebook that her father had made it home late Saturday. "For four years, my father slept on the floor in a small cell, where he was locked for 22 hours a day," Azzahraa wrote, accusing Egyptian authorities of ill treatment of journalists in prison. The Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a non-profit organization advocating press freedom in the region, said that Hussein's critical reporting had made him a target to the regime. Egypt has long accused Al-Jazeera of biased coverage of the country's political issues and siding with the Muslim Brotherhood, which the network denied. Reporters Without Borders describe Egypt as "one of the world's biggest jailers of journalists." In 2020, the country ranked 166 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index. (AFP, dpa) She gave birth to a baby boy in September. And Billie Lourd admitted she had a small complication while pregnant with her first child as she opened up about her health in an Instagram story shared on Saturday. The 28-year-old actress revealed she had a 'lil gestational diabetes scare' when pregnant, which can cause high blood sugar levels due to placental hormones. Talk about it: Billie Lourd admitted she had a small complication while pregnant with her first child as she opened up about her health in an Instagram story shared on Saturday During a question and answer session online, Billie discussed a few of her cravings while carrying her first child. 'Ice cream!!! But then i had a lil gestational diabetes scare so then it was beets?!?! Random I know but that's pregnancy vibes for ya!!!' While there is no official cause for gestational diabetes, diabetes.org reported that 10 percent of pregnancies are affected every year. The 28-year-old actress revealed she had a 'lil gestational diabetes scare' when pregnant, which can cause high blood sugar levels due to placental hormones. Honest: When asked about her pregnancy journey, Lourd wrote that the second trimester was the 'best', but the third trimester was extra special 'because you finally get to meet your babe' When asked about her pregnancy journey, Lourd wrote that the second trimester was the 'best', but the third trimester was extra special 'because you finally get to meet your babe.' Her worst trimester was the first 'because hormones!!! But you get through it and it's beyond worth every second of weird moods/acne/all that fun jazz when your little human arrives!!!' Another fan asked if Billie was prepping her son to be a Star Wars 'geek', which she gave a hearty 'duhhh' while showing off a 'light side, dark side' light switch. Cute: Another fan asked if Billie was prepping her son to be a Star Wars 'geek', which she gave a hearty 'duhhh' while showing off a 'light side, dark side' light switch Sweet: Billie welcomed her son Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell in September with fiance Austin Rydell by her side Billie welcomed her son Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell in September with fiance Austin Rydell by her side. She recently paid tribute to her mother, Carrie Fisher, on the four-year anniversary of her death with a heartfelt post on Instagram. Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016 just days after suffering cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles at the age of 60. Though being in stable condition following the incident, she passed away from 'sleep apnea and other undetermined factors,' according to medical examiners who also found multiple drugs in her system including heroin and cocaine. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:51:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Scheduled international flights have resumed at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), located in southern Sri Lanka, from this week with the arrival of the maiden flight of Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, local media reported on Monday. The flight landed at the MRIA, carrying 164 tourists, marking their direct flights to Sri Lanka, while the flights will be operated from Kazakhstan's Almart Airport to MRIA once a week till April. According to health guidelines, the group of tourists will stay at hotels in Ahungalla, Bentota and Kalutara in the south, and will visit several approved tourist destinations under the bio-bubble concept. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the MRIA was started as the second international airport in the country and steps have been taken to make it an active airport once again. The minister also highlighted that nearly 2,000 tourists had arrived in the country after the government reopened borders for international travelers on Jan. 21 and that the travel patterns are closely monitored. Aviation State Minister D.V. Chanaka said in addition to launching international flights, the MRIA would also be developed as a cargo hub. "We already have plans to increase cargo operations and promote Mattala as a cargo hub," he said. The MRIA was opened in March 2013 and since airports were closed in March 2020, the airport was used to land special charter flights, mostly bringing in Sri Lankans repatriated from overseas. Enditem The company said the collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for PlantX to display and sell its houseplants, which range from succulents to an exotic variety of potted flora, in Farm Cup Coffee's new physical location in West Hollywood, California Farm Cup Coffee is a lifestyle coffee brand that focuses on direct trade single-origin coffee from small lot farms around the world ( ) (FRA:WNT1) (OTCQB:PLTXF) announced that it has entered into a new collaboration with Farm Cup Coffee. The company said the collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for PlantX to display and sell its houseplants, which range from succulents to an exotic variety of potted flora, in Farm Cup Coffee's new physical location in West Hollywood, California. A selection of PlantX's indoor plant collection will be retailed and exhibited at this location by Farm Cup Coffee. The collaboration is intended to increase PlantX's brand awareness in a partnership that is in tune with PlantX's values of community empowerment and living healthy lifestyles. "Displaying our indoor plants in the highly attractive Farm Cup Coffee store in West Hollywood will expand PlantX's reach to its customers and boost our brand visibility," said Sean Dollinger, PlantX founder in a statement. "We are thrilled to collaborate with the Farm Cup Coffee team, whose passion for sustainability is echoed by PlantX's aim to inspire people to adopt healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyles." Farm Cup Coffee is a lifestyle coffee brand that focuses on direct trade single-origin coffee from small lot farms around the world. In addition to organic, ethically sourced coffee, the company also offers a marketplace collection that includes tea, scents and candles, branded postcards, handmade notebooks, and other artisan items discovered through their travels. Each brick-and-mortar location will feature unique brands that align with the Farm Cup Coffee ethos. As part of their commitment to doing good, founders Tony Yuan and Emerson Haro symbolically adopt injured and abused animals from Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica so they can be rehabilitated back to health. "Our brand focuses on positivity and ethical direct sourcing whenever possible. We not only want you to drink good coffee, we want you to feel good drinking it, too. This harmonious partnership with PlantX at our West Hollywood location will help promote a happy and sustainable lifestyle for the local community," said Yuan. As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is a one-stop-shop for everything plant-based. With its fast-growing category verticals, the company offers customers across North America more than 10,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering meal and indoor plant deliveries, the company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include cosmetics, clothing and its own water brand but the business is not limited to an e-commerce platform. Plantx uses its digital platform to build a community of likeminded consumers and, most importantly, provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with top nutritionists, chefs and brands. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:17:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VALLETTA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two migrants from a larger boatload of more than 400 have been airlifted to Malta for medical attention while the rest of the asylum seekers were allowed to disembark in Sicily, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of Malta confirmed on Monday. The spokesman said the two were a heavily pregnant woman and her companion. They were transferred to hospital for medical treatment. According to SOS Mediterranee, the humanitarian group which operates the rescue ship Ocean Viking, her condition was critical and she required intensive care. The migrants, including 121 who were crowded into a rubber dinghy, were rescued in separate operations in the central Mediterranean Sea on Thursday and Friday. Some of the passengers fell into the sea during that rescue operation but were brought to safety, the organization said in a statement. In all, a total of 424 were rescued in four separate rescue operations over two days. Many of those rescued are pregnant women, babies and unaccompanied minors. Around eight of the migrants had tested positive for COVID-19 and were isolated on board. It said that Italy had granted the vessel permission to enter Augusta, a town on the eastern coast of Sicily. It arrived on land on Sunday evening. Enditem MORRIS COUNTY, N.J., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Red Maple Group announced its partnership with Attorneys in Motion in California. The Red Maple Group is an economic consulting firm that supports attorneys in litigated and non-litigated cases offering business valuations, economic damage reports, analyses, and expert testimony. This partnership will help The Red Maple Group expand their reach to attorneys on the west coast, while Attorneys in Motion can extend their reach to attorneys on the east coast. The Red Maple Group Attorneys in Motion Chris Young, Managing Member of The Red Maple Group, sees this partnership as the perfect opportunity to help both businesses grow nationally. Chris says that "meeting Michelle, President and CEO of Attorneys in Motion has been a true blessing. Sometimes, meeting the right person, at the right time creates extraordinary partnerships, and this is one of those times." Michelle Etchebarren, President and CEO of Attorneys in Motion has quoted from Ryunosuke Satoro when describing the partnership between The Red Maple Group and Attorneys in Motion, "Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean." The Red Maple Group supports attorneys in both litigated and non-litigated cases. They provide business valuations, economic damage reports, and varied economic and financial analyses for both commercial and personal cases. For more information visit their website at www.RedMapEcon.com Attorneys in Motion is not only the fastest-growing deposition and court coverage service throughout the country but also the "go-to" company for freelance legal work. By providing a legal outsourcing marketplace for law firms, Attorneys in Motion allows lawyers more time to retain clients, helps to cut down on overhead, and helps to create more billable hours. In short, Attorneys in Motion is the number one source for lawyers to grow their law firms. www.AttorneysinMotion.com Attorneys in Motion connects attorneys near and far, while The Red Maple Group can provide those attorneys with many of their economic needs for a wide range of cases. Now with the ease of zoom conferencing, the west coast is only a click away. For more information visit our websites at www.RedMapEcon.com or www.AttorneysinMotion.com. Media Contact: Michele Leppard The Red Maple Group (973) 545-2891 [email protected] SOURCE The Red Maple Group Related Links http://www.redmapecon.com During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public health authorities recommended that those exposed to the causative pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) should isolate themselves for 14 days. In a new study, published on the pre-print medRxiv* server, researchers at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil reported that mild COVID-19 patients can still be infectious at day 10 from the illness onset, even in the absence of symptoms. Quarantine and isolation guidelines The primary recommendation of 14 days isolation or quarantine for COVID-19 patients was based on the description that people with moderate or severe disease could remain reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive until day 12 to 14. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that data indicates that the vast majority with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset. Meanwhile, most with more severe illness remain infectious no more than 20 days after symptom onset. The health agency recommends that for most individuals with COVID-19, isolation and precautions can be discontinued 10 days after the onset of symptoms and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without fever-reducing drugs and with the improvement of symptoms. For asymptomatic patients, they are also recommended to stop isolation, quarantine, and precautions at 10 days after the date of their first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. Detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in RT-PCR test in respiratory samples from COVID-19 patients is not a direct indication of the presence of viable viruses. However, isolation of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture systems can act as a surrogate marker of infectiousness. In hospitalized patients with moderate or severe COVID-19, cell-culture based studies suggested that no replication-competent virus is found after nine days of symptom onset. Hence, health experts recommend that after 10 days of isolation, the patient can be discharged. The study The study, which was part of an umbrella project developed in Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil, aimed to determine if it is safe to discharge COVID-19 patients 10 days after symptom onset, even if their symptoms have already resolved. The study involved 53 patients with confirmed mild COVID-19, who provided nasopharyngeal samples on day 10 of illness. The team used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The team found 40 from the 53 patients (or 79 percent) were SARS-CoV-2 positive at day 10. Further, the researchers cultured the cells of 29 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive samples on the 10th day after the illness in Vero E6 cells. After two cell-passages, eight samples presented cytopathic effect, but only seven filled the criteria. In terms of the symptoms, three of the seven patients presented symptoms on day 10, but they noted that the symptoms were milder than those experienced during the acute phase of the infection. We report here that mild COVID-19 patients can still be contagious at day 10 from the illness onset even in the absence of symptoms. Positivity in cell culture was also strongly associated with cycle thresholds lower than 21 in S gene at the nasopharyngeal samples, the team concluded in the study. Despite the fact that that available data on SARS-CoV-2 culture is limited, the studies have shown that persons with mild or moderate COVID-19 can remain infections no longer than 9 days after the symptom onset. However, the findings from the current study suggests that some patients may still be contagious on the 10th day. Infection control measures to prevent transmission that are focused mainly on the absence or presence of symptoms and PCR results to determine isolation time may not be enough to prevent transmission. The current study highlights the need for further research on the ideal isolation time for COVID-19 patients. This is a crucial dynamic of pandemic management that needs clarification as cases rise in many parts of the world and faster-spreading variants continue to emerge. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. This week, the African Union (AU) held its 34th assembly, a meeting that was held virtually as is the case with many diplomatic equivalents around the world in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The summit, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, included announcements about the AUs foreign policy stances and actions on several issues, including Libyas peace process, selection of new leaders and most importantly COVID-19. New appointments The assembly saw the re-election of Moussa Faki, Chad's former prime minister, as the chairperson of the AU Commission for a new four-year term. "Deeply humbled by the overwhelming and historic vote of confidence by AU member states by voting 51 out of 55 to extend my mandate at the helm of the AU Commission for another 4 years. My congratulations to @mnsanzabaganwa who was elected as deputy chairperson. Together we WILL," Faki tweeted on Saturday. Monique Nsanzabaganwa is a Rwandan economist who had held multiple ministerial positions. The AUs executive council also elected Nigerias Bankole Adeoye as head of political affairs, peace and security; Angolas Josefa Sacko as head of agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable development; Zambias Albert Muchanga as head of economic development, trade, industry, and mining; and Egypts Amany Abu Zeid as head of infrastructure and energy. Elections for the positions of commissioner health, humanitarian affairs and social development and commissioner education, science, technology and innovation were postponed, though no official explanation was provided on this matter. Libyas peace process On the same day of his re-election, Faki welcomed the election of a transitional government in Libya by the UN-backed Libyan Political Dialogue Front (LPDF). Faki stressed that the AU supports the brotherly people of Libya in their quest towards peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction. Mohamed Younis Menfi, a diplomat, was elected as the head of Libyas three-member Presidential Council, while Abdul-Hamid Mohamed Dbeibah won the race for the premiership. The transitional authorities in Libya will be responsible for leading the country and ending divisions ahead of the national elections slated for 24 December. The Libyan peace process commenced after a ceasefire was declared last August by the rival authorities in Tripoli and Tobruk to end a six-year split. Rounds of peace talks in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Switzerland have been held since to discuss peace arrangements. So far, in addition to electing interim officials, the Libyan parties agreed to hold elections in December, develop "criteria, transparent mechanisms, and objectives" for key power positions, work on the release of all prisoners, protect oil and gas facilities and completely resume production and export activities. Supporting African states against COVID-19 A lengthy statement was issued during the summit about the coronavirus, stressing the AU's commitment to strengthen the collective response to the crisis, marshalling resources for the benefit of all, and striving to ensure that no country is left behind. Based on a call by Cyril Ramaphosa, the AUs outgoing chairperson and South African president, member states stood for a minute of silence for the victims of COVID-19. The new AU chairperson, DR Congos President Felix Tshisekedi said the pan-African organisation will consolidate its initiatives in the fight against the virus and the prevention of other diseases. Tshisekedi also called for drawing the lessons of the pandemic, in addition to strengthening health systems, the time has come to invest more in education and scientific research. Tshisekedi stated that the AU seeks to "strengthen peace and security; pursue the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area; promote a renaissance of African culture, arts and heritage; combat climate change; accelerate integrative projects, including the construction of the Inga Dam." According to World Health Organisation figures, 47 African countries have been affected by the coronavirus, with cumulative cases reaching 2,634,075. The death toll is approaching 25,000. Amany El-Taweel, an expert on Africa at the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, believes that the AU although it acted quickly to stop the spread of the infection faces many virus-related challenges, including logistical problems and the lack of vaccines. El-Taweel added that other regional organisations, such as the European Union, have similar challenges amid the inability of pharmaceutical companies to meet the growing international demand for vaccines. This affected the way Europe is handling the crisis, she argued. International support Ahead of the summit, the AU received the support of regional and international actors. The ninth general cooperation meeting between the AU and the Arab League took place on 1 February to tackle "the importance of continuing to strengthen and develop this partnership to serve the strategic common goals of the two organisations. The two sides agreed to intensify support of the Libyan parties on the path to peaceful settlement of the Liban crisis, on all fronts, to Sudan in terms of its transitional phase, and to Somalia in laying the foundations of security and stability. "They also reviewed the overall situation in the Horn of Africa, and the need to encourage cooperation, integration, and good neighbour efforts in the region, and exchanged views in this regard on developments on the borders between Sudan and Ethiopia, the progress of the Renaissance Dam negotiations, supported by the African Union, between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and the settlement of differences between Somalia and Kenya," read an AU statement issued on 4 February. Meanwhile, in a sign of positive relations with Washington, US President Joe Biden addressed the summit by saying that his administration is committed to rebuilding our partnerships around the world and re-engaging with international institutions like the African Union. Biden called for partnering with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to advance health security and investe more in global health defeating COVID-19, and working to prevent, detect, and respond to future public health crises. Harry Broadman, an ex-chief of staff for the US president's Council of Economic Advisors (1990-1991), said he hopes that the members of the Biden administration who have responsibility for US policy towards Africa are focusing on ways the US can help the continent deal as effectively as possible to mitigate the severe impacts of COVID-19. How the AU responds to ensure the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and coordination of economic relief from the crisis are truly continent-wide undertakings that will be an important early test of the extent to which African leaders and the continents population believe in integrated approaches to problem-solving as epitomised by the African Continental Free Trade Area , concluded Broadman, currently chair of the emerging markets practice at Berkeley Research Group. Short link: Close to 60 percent of survey respondents said they canceled up to four trips (leisure and business) last year. More than half the travelers surveyed said they have now rebooked canceled trips or plan to rebook them, with family vacations and visiting loved ones topping travel wish lists for 2021. And while the pandemic isn't over, the roll-out of vaccines is igniting hope and optimism, as respondents across all age groups, 18 to 55+, say spending time with family and friends is a primary motivator for travel this year. When the World Opens One in five respondents said they plan to make up for the lack of travel in 2020 by going on more trips in 2021. One in five people overall said they hope to travel to a place on their bucket list in 2021, with that being true for one in three travelers aged 18 to 24. Speaking of younger travelers, this age group was five times more likely to say volunteering for a community in need was a primary motivator for travel. One in three surveyed said going to restaurants and trying new foods has the most positive impact on their vacations. Over a third of all those surveyed, including 50 percent of those 55 and older, said they plan to hold off traveling until the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available. Claire Bennett, Chief Customer Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts: "It's often said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and our survey results prove that people are hungry for those rich experiences again. But the world has changed, and travel decisions must be made more thoughtfully. As we look ahead, we've all had a lot of time to think about what travel means to us, what trips are most important, and how we want to reconnect with loved ones. So, whether it's that longed-for family beach vacation, a weekend getaway with friends, your first in-person business meeting, or a special anniversary trip our family of 16 brands is ready to help open up the world when the time is right and welcome travelers back with confidence, as we embark on the next chapter of travel." Taking Care of Business One in three workers globally, and 40 percent in the U.S., stated the lack of business travel in 2020 demotivated them. 40 percent of those who travel for business said they miss face-to-face meetings. More than half of respondents said business travel allows them to "create meaningful relationships with colleagues, customers, and/or clients." Nearly 45 percent shared that business travel improves their working mood and makes them more motivated. That Hotel Life While on vacation, the majority of Americans said traveling with loved ones, creating new memories, and having quality time with others had the most positive impact on their mood, while most Australians said it was sightseeing and for U.K. travelers, it was chasing sunshine. When it comes to what respondents traveling for work miss the most, one in three said it was "sleeping in a comfy hotel bed" and one in four said "room service." Cabin fever kills the romance as one in four of respondents age 45+ said they look forward to intimacy while on vacation. IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the world's leading hotel companies. With nearly 6,000 hotels in over 100 countries, the family of 16 brands is a collection of welcoming experiences, for wherever guests go and however they want to stay. As people get excited to travel again, IHG Hotels & Resorts is ready to meet them with a growing brand portfolio of stunning new properties like voco The Franklin New York, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, and Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in South Korea. Methodology: All the figures are from OnePoll, a survey-led marketing research company specializing in online and mobile polling. It has offices in London and Bristol, U.K. Six-thousand people were surveyed: 2000 in the United States, 2000 in the United Kingdom, 2000 in Australia. Survey was conducted online between January 5th and January 8th of 2021. The figures stated have been weighted and are representative of adults (18+) in every region. About IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG,NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites, and Candlewood Suites. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 6,000 hotels and 890,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with approximately 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewards.com for more on IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE IHG Hotels & Resorts Black History Month: 8 historically significant African American churches Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Throughout the centuries of African American history, the Christian faith has been a central component of the culture and heritage of blacks in the United States. In times when African Americans were barred from voting or holding public office, churches served as the area of community influence and impact over the culture at large. Here are eight congregations, established at different times, places, and belonging to different denominations that hold great historical significance for a host of reasons, including influence over the broader culture, ties to prominent people, or tragic events. They include the main pulpit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the first official black congregation in New York, and the home church of the first African American president of the United States. Her husband, the pianist Paik Kun-woo (75), told the world back in 2019 that Yun has Alzheimer's disease. The actress' name was deleted by an administrator for legal reasons, but she has been identified as Yun Jung-hee (77). An anonymous petition was posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website on Feb. 5 seeking help for a revered actress who is battling dementia amid claims that she is being treated "like a prisoner." The two married in 1976 and Yun accompanied her husband on his concert tours for the next 40 years, suggesting a happy marriage. But the person who posted the petition made startling claims. "Yun and Paik are separated, and he has not been taking care of his ailing wife, who lives alone in an apartment on the outskirts of Paris," it said. It added Yun "is being neglected by her spouse and daughter, spending most of her time alone. She cannot even go outside alone and lives like a prisoner." The petition adds that the couple's daughter, the violinist Paik Jin-hee, has restricted access to other members of the family. "As a result, siblings are allowed to call her only once a month for 30 minutes, and visit her once every three months for two hours. This is clearly a violation of freedom of association and human rights." The Chosun Ilbo has learned that the petition was posted by other members of Yun's family. On Sunday, Paik's management agency issued a statement denying the petition as "false and groundless." "Yun is living a comfortable and stable life under the care of her family and a court-appointed caregiver," it said. "She's receiving medical treatment and seeing a doctor regularly. The limited phone calls and appointments mentioned in the petition were decided according to the court's judgment." Paik and Yun's family have been in a legal dispute over guardianship of the actress for two years. Paik Jin-hee applied in July 2019 to become her mother's legal guardian. But three months later, Yun's siblings, who live in France and the U.S., filed a lawsuit in a French court also seeking guardianship. The two sides clashed over visitation rights and the authority to manage her assets. After about a year of legal battles, Paik Jin-hee emerged victorious in November 2020 and was appointed her mother's guardian. Paik senior also lives in Paris but arrives in Seoul on Thursday for a solo concert. A member of Yun's family told the Chosun Ilbo, "We don't have any other plans at the moment." The Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee expresses its full support for the Chicago teachers struggle against the dangerous and indeed criminal drive to resume in-person instruction in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Their determined fight to save lives and resist the herd immunity policies pursued by the entire political establishment is the spearhead of a growing movement of educators and all workers throughout the US and globally. The pandemic has brought to the surface and exacerbated the enormous social chasm between the rich and the working class, which has been growing for decades. The aim of the back-to-school drive is to reopen the economy and get parents back to work producing profits for Wall Street, no matter what the cost in human lives. The back-to-school drive is the central domestic policy of the new Biden administration and the Democratic Party. Just as much as the Republicans, it is a party of the corporate and financial elite. The capitalist press is engaged in a propaganda campaignled by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal falsely claiming that schools are safe. In fact, the overwhelming body of scientific evidenceproves that schools are major vectors for the spread of the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has already killed nearly half a million people in the US alone and is expanding daily. New and more infectious variants are spreading largely undetected throughout the country. A coalition of teachers, students, and families protest during a rally called National Day of Resistance Against Unsafe School Reopening Opening, Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Studies globally that have shown that closing schools is among the most significant measures to reduce infections and deaths from the virus. Since schools in the United States reopened in the fall, the death toll in the US has more than doubled and is rapidly heading to half a million people. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is making every effort, in collaboration with Chicagos Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, to suppress educators resistance to a policy that will inevitably result in a massive increase in deaths among teachers, students, their families and the wider community. Instead of upholding the demands and protecting the lives of rank-and-file members, the CTU bureaucrats agree with Lightfoot and the Biden administration that schools should reopen during the pandemic before community-wide inoculation against COVID-19. We have faced the same sort of miserable compromise here in Detroit, where the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) and Detroits Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan agreed to reopen Learning Centers and schools at 25 percent in the fall. This was a slap in the face to teachers, who at an August membership meeting voted 91 percent for a safety strike and to go completely virtual. It has proven disastrous for educators, students, parents and the entire working class, forcing Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer to shut down schools again in November. In Michigan, as of Tuesday, the state had 566,630 confirmed cases and 14,797 deaths since March. Whitmer plans to have all schools reopened for some in person learning by March 1st. According to the Michigan Department of Education website, 399 Michigan school districts, including Detroit Public Schools Community District, the states largest, are already offering full in-person instruction. Only 291 are fully remote or online, a decrease of 109 districts since December. Meanwhile, there have been repeated outbreaks at schools in Michigan, including 1,400 school-aged children in the Upper Peninsula. There must be a coordinated fight against this murderous back-to-school policy. We call for general strike action to close all schools and nonessential workplaces, which is the only way to contain the pandemic while the population is safely vaccinated. Our committee has fought to unite educators with autoworkers, health care workers and more. To accomplish this requires a united struggle of teachers and workers of all industries against the entire political and economic system. Chicago teachers must build the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee as the center of opposition to the miserable deal the CTU is attempting to sell to reopen schools. You must orient toward other sections of workers throughout the city and metro region, and with educators and other workers across district and state lines. The National Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, to which both we and the Chicago committee belong, supports your struggle. Rank-and-file committees throughout the country, including in Los Angeles, San Diego, Northern California, Texas, Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, as well as internationally in Germany, the UK, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Australia, are doing everything to mobilize support for Chicago teachers. We call for all educators, autoworkers, health care workers, service industry workers, food production workers and all workers to form rank-and-file committees to resist the betrayals of the unions and to pave the way for a united struggle. Laredo and Webb County officials reported the area continues to see a decrease in the spread of COVID-19, reporting 98 cases and five fatalities due to the virus in their daily coronavirus update. This marks the third time this month and second consecutive day that less than a 100 positives were confirmed in the daily report. In all of January, less than 100 cases were reported on only six occasions. "This is by no means to say that we're in the clear yet," Laredo fire chief and emergency management coordinator Guillermo Heard said. "We have to continue being vigilant, even if you've already gotten your first or second dose of the vaccine." In February, 55 deaths have now been confirmed. This number surpasses the total number of deaths recorded in September (53) and November (47) and is inching close to the 59 deaths recorded in October. Three deaths -- of two women in their 70s and a man in his 80s -- were recorded on Sunday. One death each was recorded on Saturday and Monday -- two men in their 60s. Since March, 41,519 people have tested positive and 687 deaths have been recorded. Active cases continued to drop, with 716 people actively infected with the virus as of the update. An estimated 40,116 people have recovered from a previous infection. In hospitals, Laredo leaders continue to see improvement in the COVID-19 census. 169 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, with 77 people under intensive care. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 34.95% based on hospital data from 34.95%. While the rate remains the highest in the state, it's a marked improvement from the high of 48.77% recorded by DSHS on January 16. No other hospital region in Texas reports a rate above 20%, with the Belton/Killeen region showing second-highest rate at 19.63% Despite the decline in numbers, Laredo leaders continue to work with federal and local officials to prepare for an expected surge. An alternate care site for low-risk COVID-19 patients is now operational and is staffed with medical professionals at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Heard said the site would be the first area for patient transfers should the hospitals experience another surge of patients. This weekend is considered as a possible super-spreader event, the effects of which will not bee seen until the next 7-14 days. 107 complaints were received by the Laredo Police Department regarding the expanded curfew on social gatherings in the Laredo area over Super Bowl weekend. While the full numbers have yet to be tallied, LPD chief Claudio Trevino reported 26 citations had been issued for COVID-related matters. Of the citations tallied so far, four had been related to social gatherings and 12 for curfew violations. However, reports are still outstanding, including some related to undercover operations at local restaurants. Once fully gathered, LPD will issue a full briefing on this weekend's activities. The same measures are expected to be continued this weekend, with the expanded curfew to continue with Valentine's Day on the horizon. As 1 p.m. Monday, 286,700 tests for the coronavirus have been administered in Laredo. Kenya Moore is considered reality television gold as a peach holder on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. But before her reality television fame, Moore was a beauty pageant winner and working actor. She had a brief role alongside Whitney Houston in Waiting to Exhale but admits she was initially scared to interact with the singing starlet. Kenya Moore | Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Kenya Moores life before RHOA included several acting roles Moore won the Miss USA title in 1993, becoming just the second African American woman to wear the crown. From there, she began guest-starring in a string of film and television roles throughout the 90s, mainly in urban sitcoms and movies. Some of Moores acting credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Homeboys in Outer Space, Smart Guy, Living Single, In the House, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Parent Hood, The Steve Harvey Show, and Martin. Source: YouTube Related: Kenya Moores RHOA Stories Have Scared Tia Mowry She also began producing behind the camera, starring in and producing Trois alongside Will Packer in 2000. She moved to Atlanta from LA when more productions began taking place in Atlanta with the intention of expanding her producing career. But, her career took a shift when she was cast on The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2012. Since appearing on Housewives, Moore has continued acting, with roles on television dramas like Saints & Sinners. She has a recurring role on the Netflix comedy Family Reunion. Her reality television career also expanded, including appearances on Celebrity Apprentice, and The Millionaire Matchmaker. Kenya Moore says she was initially scared of Whitney Houston One of Moores fondest memories on a set as an actor was her small part in Waiting to Exhale. Moores character Denise interrupts a moment on the dance floor between Houstons character and an on-screen love interest. Lionel, you havent danced with me all night, Moores character says. Houstons character shoots both a snide look before making her exit. For Moore, the chance to work with someone as iconic as Houston was major. Despite such, Moore admitted in a recent interview with Behind the scenes Beauty w/ D.M. that she was initially scared and intimidated of Houston. I was scared, honey I was so scared, Moore says with a laugh. Moore says her impression of Houston was as someone not to be messed with due to Houston being in the press for her diva behavior and allegedly confronting women over her then-husband. Bobby Brown. Source: YouTube That was when she was all over the papers with Bobby and their issues and stuff and I just did not want that smoke, Moore explained. I was like, Im not going anywhere out there, Im staying in my trailer, she is not going to fuss at me, I dont want her man, I dont want any part of it. Luckily, when she finally met Houston, the encounter was pleasant. When I finally got a chance to meet Whitney, she gave me the biggest hug, she was like, We are so proud of you, Moore said of Houston, as a reference to Moore winning the Miss USA title. Interestingly, Moore would reconnect with Loretta Devine who also starred in Waiting to Exhale when Moore began her recurring role on Family Reunion. GoAir has announced the launch of its maiden direct flight connecting Hyderabad with Male. Effective February 11, GoAir will operate a direct service four times a week Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday - between Hyderabad and Male, a release from the airline said here. Currently, with the lifting of travel restrictions, GoAir has resumed its operations, connecting Male to India Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru with daily direct services, it said. This new route will be serviced by the airlines next-generation Airbus A320 neo aircraft, further strengthening GoAirs growing international network in the south Asian region, it said. Kaushik Khona, Chief Executive Officer, GoAir, said "Passengers travelling from Hyderabad will now have convenient additional options to travel to Male, thus making their travel experience enjoyable and comfortable." Flight G8 1533 will depart from Hyderabads Rajiv Gandhi International airport at 1130 hours, and arrive at the Maldives' Velana International Airport at 1330 hours (LT). On the return leg, flight G8 4033 will depart Male at 1430 hours (LT) and arrive in Hyderabad at 1730 hours, the release added.. press release Khartoum Following is a selected summation of press columns tackling the most pressing events of the week. They are: (1) The possibility of a military coup in Sudan, like what happened in Myanmar, in the light of General Burhan's threats of forming an emergency government to counter the delay in the formation of the new cabinet. (2) The revelations by member of the high committee assigned to retrieve money and properties stolen by the operatives of the Bashir regime that influential government officials have intervened to release Ms. Widad Babikir, wife of ousted President Omar Albashir, who is accused in corruption cases (3) Causes of the continued economic crisis. Writing in the electronic publication Altahreer (liberation), Mr. Yousif Alsondi has struck a comparison between General Burhan's warning that he could form an emergency government to overcome the delay in forming the new cabinet and the military coup in Myanmar: The army has seized power in Myanmar, declaring a one-year state of emergency in the country. This has occurred after the general elections in which party of Myanmar's President won the majority votes. It is the second general elections after the 2015 elections that followed a protracted military rule. After the 2015 elections, Myanmar shifted to a hybrid democratic system in which power was shared by the civilians and the military. The system of government in Myanmar before last week's coup looked like what happens in this transitional period of Sudan: Myanmar's constitution gave the military a share in government with the elected civilians. The army is represented with a number of seats in the parliament. The army also names occupants of ministries responsible for the security and defense. So it was a hybrid civilian-military regime. Many in Sudan were for sometime suspicious of the army staging a coup, but given the venturesome nature of the move due to an expected world rejection of military takeovers, they ruled out that possibility. The argument in this is that the world has bypassed the era of military coups. But what has happened in Myanmar has caused everybody to rethink that possibility and watch the fate of the Myanmar coup when the world, represented in the United Nations, the USA, the EU all of them condemned the coup and called for a return to democratic rule. The United States had warned of imminent sanctions if the country would not return to democratic rule. Such US warnings are good indicators that besiege coup propagators, warning them not to play with fire. That is the same scenario with which a would-be coup will be faced in the Sudan. And if the Myanmar coup hasn't yet been faced with popular protests, a military coup in the Sudan will not escape popular protests, even if it escapes global isolation. Just remember that, coup plotters of Sudan! On the release from detention of Bashir's wife Widad Babikir, wrote Mr. Alfatih Jabra in the daily newspaper Algareeda (the newspaper): We had thought that Bashir's wife was under detention in anticipation of her trial after the elementary investigations relating to corruption and unlawful banking dealings are finished. But this may not be the case, according to what has been revealed by Dr. Salah Manna'a, member of the high committee charged to retrieve stolen government money and properties. Manna'a had said in a recent televised statement that Ms. Widad was released (so he said) upon personal intervention from General Burhan and his deputy, General Dagalo (Hemaidti). Certainly, if what Dr. Manna'a had said is true, that would mean a blatant intervention and a gross undermining of the authority of the judiciary. We have never seen such dictatorial measures except in the times of destruction of the deposed regime. That matter (if true) is a sign that the defunct regime still rules us with all its power and arrogance through the judicial systems which (we are told) belong to the revolution. How can she be released, Mr. Attorney General, after all those crimes and that looting which exhausted the country and its people and whose price was paid by hungry children, sick elders and youths whose future was lost and who are barely fighting for daily food. The crimes committed by this (Widad) qualify her for the harshest of punishments stipulated for such heinous crimes, not protection and impunity. We have now started to doubt that she had never been detained in the first place, now that it became clear the entire legal order is in the hands of the operatives of the defunct regime: Bashir's security committee (which is now the Sovereignty Council). By what right can the Attorney General do all that? Doesn't he feel ashamed of being a dummy in the hands of these killers, those human blood suckers? What has been said by Dr. Manna'a is confirmed by the Attorney General's procrastination in many hot legal cases. Up to now (his highness) did not put any of the criminals of the defunct regime on trial, and we do not even know where they are. If the fate of the general prosecution is in the hands of these killers, what should we expect? Why do we keep silent about this plain, provocative conspiracy that compromises the basics of the state of justice and the rule of law? This conspiracy against justice can shatter what had remained from the revolution, if it hasn't actually done so. We everyday read about the release of one of the criminals of the defunct regime (the like of Ibrahim Mahmood) who sold the Sudanese nationality in the open market, played with our identity in the worst of ways and stole the country's riches. In the news was also the release of Abdelrahman Mohammad Musa, Coordinator of the Popular Defense Forces, that suspicious organization which used to take our young men by force to the war zones in a humiliating manner, when they were captured from the streets without any prior notice, as if they were criminals on the run. They were not even allowed to tell their relatives about what had happened to them. The wounds of the massacre of the Alailafoun cadet camp are still bleeding, bitterly tearing our hearts. By the discharging of these from detention we should expect more to be discharged, more procrastination on the part of the judicial systems until when all cases face the same fate of the investigations in the Army General Command massacre as planned. Discussing what she calls the secret causes of the economic crisis, wrote Ms. Madiha Abdallah in the mouthpiece of the Sudanese Communist Party (Almidan) newspaper: "More than eighty percent of the money is circulating outside the authorized financial bodies. Partial talk is made about the security and army commercial companies, without revealing the facts about the interest networks associated with those companies in the world of business and trading transactions. But the figures are always misleading. The situation on the ground is fearful. It can be seen in the neighborhood grocery and in the public transports where indiscipline is the norm in a manner that sets the livelihoods of citizens into jeopardy. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The foes of the civilian government will not back from suffocating the nucleolus of the civilian state in the Sudan. We have to choose between confrontation or surrender. There is no third way. The initial step in this confrontation is for the Prime Minister, with all his political and moral weight, to declare his position towards this enemy, reveal the network of the interests that benefit from this enemy, without hesitation and whatever the consequences. The attitude towards this enemy should translate into practical steps, not just mere talk. The government steps to remedy this situation should go further to expose all the economic institutions associated with the mechanisms of that secret market. The interest networks should be exposed and also the sidelining by some government bodies of government revenue. Tax evasions should be brought to book. Smuggling should be countered and also foreign exchange brokers. For sure, confrontation should include the naming of those interest groups, most of which had been built during the rule of darkness of the defunct regime. Those benefactors are fighting fiercely in the defense of their interests. They will not throw the towel, even if this would mean the disintegration of the country. Countering these evil powers would lead to the rearrangement of the political, social and economic scene and create a degree of cohesion to avoid complete collapse where everybody is the loser. 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. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's new specs and launch date were released! Rumors claimed that it will have a lesser memory feature than expected. According to WCCFTECH's latest report, speculations claimed that it will only have 12 GB GDD GDDR6X. On the other hand, it is also expected to have 10240 CUDA Cores. Twitter user Kopite7kimi is the one that leaked the latest info. The new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, which Kopite7kimi previously claimed to have 10496FP32, 20G GDDR6X, is allegedly arriving in April. However, NVIDIA didn't specify the exact date. GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's specs Kopite7kimi already leaked some possible specs of the new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. "Just repeat it again. As far as I know, the spec of RTX 3080 Ti is 10496FP32, 20G GD6X, the same as I said on November 4th. Nothing new," he said via his official Twitter account, previously on December 9, 2020. However, he updated his leak on Feb. 5. "Things have changed. Maybe the current spec is 10240FP32, 12G GD6X," he added. On the other hand, rumors claim that the upcoming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will still have the same memory speeds unlike the latest GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which currently has 19.5 Gbps speeds, as reported by The Notebook Check. Things have changed. Maybe the current spec is 10240FP32, 12G GD6X. kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) February 6, 2021 Also Read: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU Review: Perfect for Gamers as Mobile Ampere Improves Performance To give you more idea, here are their specific specs; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Process Node: Samsung 8nm Die Size: 628.4mm2 Transistors: 28 Billion CUDA Cores: 10240? TMUs / ROPs: 320 / 112? Tensor / RT Cores: 320 / 76? FP32 Compute: to be announced RT TFLOPs: to be announced Tensor-TOPs: to be announced Memory Capacity: 12 GB GDDR6X? NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Process Node: Samsung 8nm Die Size: 628.4mm2 Transistors: 28 Billion CUDA Cores: 10496 TMUs / ROPs: 328 / 112 Tensor / RT Cores: 328 / 82 FP32 Compute: 36 TFLOPs RT TFLOPs: 69 TFLOPs Tensor-TOPs: 285 TOPs Memory Capacity: 24 GB GDDR6X Which one is better? As of the moment, it is still hard to conclude which processor has the upper hand. Why? Because the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's other core features are not yet announced by its giant manufacturer. However, it clearly shows that the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has the upper hand when it comes to memory feature since it has 24 GB GDDR6X. This latest model also has a greater number of CUDA Cores since it has 10496 of them. Meanwhile, both of these products have the same 28 billion transistors. If you want to know more of their specific specs and other details, just click here. For more news updates about NVIDIA and other giant chip manufacturers, as well as their upcoming chips, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: AMD Radeon RX 6700 and RX 6600 to Have 12 or 6 GB VRAM? Faster Chip Will Have Lesser VRAM This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), left, leads House impeachment managers after delivering to the Senate an article of impeachment alleging incitement of insurrection against former President Donald Trump, in Washington on Jan. 25, 2021. (Melina Mara/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Impeachment Managers: Trump Violated His Oath of Office, Incited Insurrection House Democrats on Monday asserted overwhelming evidence exists showing former President Donald Trump violated his oath of office and incited an insurrection against the U.S. government. Democrats and 10 Republicans impeached Trump last month. House impeachment managers are going to try to convince senators of the charges laid out in a single article of impeachment when the impeachment trial starts Tuesday. The article claims Trump incited the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol by alleging the 2020 election was stolen and he was the rightful winner. In a document filed Monday, impeachment managers said Trumps alleged incitement disrupted the peaceful transfer of power. They said it was the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a President. There must be no doubt that such conduct is categorically unacceptable. The House will establish at trial that President Trump merits conviction and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States, the impeachment managers, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), wrote. Managers tried rebutting a brief filed by Trumps lawyers last week. Trumps attorneys said Trump was exercising his First Amendment right of free speech to question the results of the election. They argued he did not violate his oath of office. To the contrary, at all times Donald J. Trump fully and faithfully executed his duties as the president of the United States and at all times acted to the best of his ability to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States while never engaging in any high crimes or misdemeanors, lawyers Bruce Castor and David Schoen wrote to the Senate. Then-President Donald Trump steps off Marine One to board Air Force One before departing Harlingen, Texas on Jan. 12, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) A conviction of Trump, who left office on Jan. 20, is considered unlikely by both parties. Because the Senate is 50-50, Democrats would need to convince, at minimum, 17 Republicans to convict. According to an Epoch Times tally, 35 Republicans have indicated or pledged to vote to acquit. Fourteen have said they will consider the evidence presented in the trial before deciding; Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) has declined to state her stance. Forty Democrat senators, meanwhile, have promised to convict Trump or suggested they will do so. Nine have said theyll decide after hearing from impeachment managers and Trumps attorneys. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has declined to state her stance. Senate leaders are close to striking a deal on how the trial will proceed. We are finalizing a resolution thats been agreed to by all parties that will ensure a fair, honest, bipartisan Senate impeachment trial, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Sunday. The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin, has called on Members of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic to build more consensus than before. The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin, has called on Members of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic to build more consensus than before. He said though Parliament had always built consensus on many matters, the uniqueness of the current legislature should not be lost on members. We need to build more consensus than before, we need to build bridges and discuss more national issues than before. You are all aware that the tolerance of Ghanaians to unbridled and unashamed partisanship is reaching breaking points, the Speaker said. The earlier we respond appropriately to that tipping edge the better for multi-party parliamentary democracy in Ghana and the African Continent. Speaker Bagbin said this at the orientation and induction seminar for the new Members of Parliament (MPs) at Ada in the Greater Accra Region. The four-day seminar is to introduce members to the processes and practices of Parliament as well as equip them with the rudiments and tenets of the House to enable them to function successfully. The Speaker mentioned that the Eighth Parliament had 123 first time members, which constituted about 45 percent of the membership, and was unique in many aspects in terms of equal representation of 137 members each for both the NPP and NDC, as well as having 20 female MPs each for both parties. He urged the MPs to put the nations interest above their partisan political considerations and charged Parliament to lead Ghanaians to consolidate the democratic cultures of the country. The current Parliament has no option than to lead Ghanaians to build and develop a by-partisan inclusive justice and free society in accordance with Article 31(1), 34(1) of the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, he said. The Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, explained the duties and obligations of an MP to comprise representation, deliberation, power of the purse, as well as oversight functions. He said for MPs to sustain the demands of their office the Constitution, in Article 24, imposed certain obligations on them. The Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, stated that the uniqueness of the Eighth Parliament imposed some responsibilities on members to ensure that the way business was conducted would lead to a new turning point for the Legislature. He, therefore, challenged the new MPs to join the Speaker and the leadership to set a new paradigm, which strengthened Parliament as a responsive, transparent, and accountable institution. It is my view that the people of Ghana voted for more consensus and cooperation because they are tired of our polarisation, divisiveness and petty partisanship, he said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Republicans wanted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pay a hefty fine after allegedly skirting the metal detectors outside the House chambers on Thursday. Pelosi earlier imposed a rule requiring all members of the House to go through the heightened security measure. House GOP was reported to have seen Nancy Pelosi using an alternative entrance to the House, which is an entrance that allows the Speaker to bypass the new security measures placed after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to The Daily Wire report. Rep. Rodney Davis told Fox News that Pelosi entered the House floor from what is known as the Speaker's lobby, which is forbidden. "We are all told, one Republican was fined for doing this just yesterday, that you cannot walk through those entrances unless you are disabled," Davis said. The GOP members of the Committee on House Administration wrote a letter to acting Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett, saying that Pelosi entered the premise without completing security screening. In the letter, GOP members said there was a clear violation of House Resolution 73, and Blodgett is required by House rules to impose this fine. According to a Daily Mail report, the letter further demanded that Nancy Pelosi pay the same fines as every other Congress member. Read also: Fact Check: Was Chuck Norris at Capitol Riot? Actor Speaks Up After Alleged 'Selfie' With Protesters Went Viral Nancy Pelosi's New Instilled Rules The added security process was implemented at the Capitol building after the Capitol insurrection. It has become a topic of disagreements between Democrats and Republicans after some members refused to follow the newly instilled rules. Last Tuesday, the House voted to approve official regulations that would require lawmakers to pay the fines of $5,000 for a first-time offense and $10,000 for a second one, should they refuse to go through metal detectors placed outside the doorways of the chamber. Democrats had called for the measure after several Republicans reported to be armed in the chamber during the Capitol riot. Members of Congress are not allowed to carry firearms on the floor. Nancy Pelosi said these changes are needed to keep those working around the building, including the Capitol police, safe. The Speaker noted that it was tragic that this step is needed, according to a report. Based on the regulations, any lawmaker who violates the screening policy has 30 days to appeal his case to the House Ethics Committee. The fine will be deducted from the paycheck of a lawmaker. Several Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Louie Gohmert and Chip Roy of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado refused to comply with the new orders since the detectors were first installed. Gohmert and Clyde were already fined $5,000 each for bypassing the new House safety measure adopted this week. Roy earlier said that the House floor's metal detector policy is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and endangers members. "I did not comply tonight. I will not comply in the future," Roy tweeted on Jan. 12. Boebert, on the other hand, declined to hand over her purse when it set off the metal detector. Boebert, known to campaign on her commitment to the Second Amendment, advocated for her right to be armed at the Capitol. The Colorado representative was eventually allowed to enter the chamber. Boebert later tweeted that they did not need more metal detectors when they "were locked in the Chambers on the 6th." Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas insisted that Nancy Pelosi must pay the fine since she violated her "own rules." "She won't abide by the rules herself so we're going to make a huge push for her to actually have to pay that fine," Crenshaw said. Republicans called on Capitol Police to report Pelosi's violation to the acting Sergeant-at-Arms so he could issue the fine. But Timothy Blodgett, Blodgett said Friday that Capitol Police had yet to report the incident. Meanwhile, Democrats scrutinized Republicans' defiance over the security policy, with Rep. Don Beyer, saying that average people do not get to bring guns into the Capitol during normal times. Aside from the security measure, House Democrats also imposed a new rule on Tuesday, which fines Congress members $500 for not wearing a mask on the House floor. Read more: McEnany: Trump Condemns Violent Riot at U.S. Capitol remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Photo: (Photo : Making a Plan to Move Away from the City) In the past year, an abundance of homeowners - from young professional couples to new retirees - have contributed to a dramatic exodus from large urban centers to rural areas and suburbs. While there are many causes for this change, the main reasons are a desire for more space inside the home and more green space in a community setting. Whatever reason you might have for leaving the city or the congested suburbs, it is important that you establish a plan early on to help facilitate the process and ensure that you end up in a new location that you're going to enjoy. Economic Factors Buying a property in Toronto today seems to be making less and less financial sense. You may be able to downsize your living area, but you won't get a return in value on your prior home that you can put towards retirement savings and living expenses. Now people are looking for more space, preferably all on one floor. These days, people are moving greater distances in order to avoid the rising costs of living in Canada's large cities. The good news is that moving to a quieter and healthier location does not mean giving up big-city amenities. When you choose to live in master planned adult lifestyle communities in the Niagara Region instead, you get the best of both the city and country. Other Reasons for a Change Along with seeking a low-stress lifestyle that moves at a healthier pace, those who are interested in leaving the city are usually looking to escape one or more of the following high-density problems: High rates of crime and violence Traffic congestion Pollution Lack of access to nature High cost of living Noise A better option for those looking to leave the busy GTA and its problems is to choose an area where all of your needs are met. A New Kind of Lifestyle Leaving the city isn't just about savings and retirement. It is also about lifestyle. Even if financial considerations are the impetus to consider a change, you need to be sure that you'll end up in a location and living environment that will meet your needs and expectations. When you opt to live in a community that is planned specifically for the advantages of adult lifestyles, you don't have to worry about isolation. It is probably a lot easier than you think to purchase a newly built bungalow or townhome that is customized according to your preferences, situated in a community that is full of like-minded adults making similar plans as you are. If you're currently in the process of deciding on a change from a dense urban area, now is the time to start putting that plan into action. Get in touch with a professional building company that can help facilitate your move and ensure that you end up with everything you want in a new home. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Poco M3 is the Xiaomi spin-off brand's latest smartphone offering for India. The Poco M3 was unveiled last week and the smartphone opened to largely positive reviews, especially aroud the design of the smartphone. The Poco M3 will go on sale for the first time since launch tomorrow on Flipkart. Ahead of the sale, the Xiaomi sub-brand, with its retail partner, has announced several deals on the Poco M3. The Poco M3 will go on sale on Flipkart at 12PM (noon). The smartphone is priced at Rs 10,999 onwards for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant and Rs 11,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. As an introductory offer ICICI Bank Credit Card users will get an instant discount of Rs 1,000 on the Poco M3 (both variants). This is valid on EMI transactions as well. Apart from the ICICI offer, buyers using the Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card will also be able to avail 5 percent unlimited cashback on the purchase of a Poco M3 smartphone. There is also a 10 percent off on the first two purchases on Flipkart using a Bank of Baroda MasterCard Debit Card on orders of Rs 750 and above - this will also be eligible to avail during the Poco M3 sale. Also Read - POCO M3 Review: This Rs 10,999 Phone Not Only Looks Really Cool, It Also Has Substance The Poco M3 comes with a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,340 pixels) display with 90.34 percent screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC accompanied by Adreno 610 GPU and paired with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage, which is expandable to 512GB via a microSD card slot. The smartphone comes with Android 10-based MIUI out of the box, and has a 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. In terms of optics, the triple rear camera setup on the Poco M3 houses a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front, there's an 8-megapixel shooter housed inside the waterdrop notch. Notably, the rear cameras support modes such as Document mode, night mode, AI scene detection, Google Lens, AI Beautify, portrait mode, and more. The international molecular diagnostics group, provides an update on current trading for the second half of the financial year to 31 March 2021 . Whilst the stronger trading patterns being observed in H2 compared to the first 6 months of the financial year mean that double-digit revenue growth is expected for the full year... 8 Feb 2021 @HybridanLLP *A corporate client of Hybridan LLP Dish of the day No joiners today Off the menu No leavers today Whats cooking in the IPO kitchen? a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard) this spring. Target valuation 20m raising c. 8m to finalise the development and launch of a range of the Company's premium-quality consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids, which is fully compliant under UK law. Kanabo Group (RTO by Spinnaker Opportunities SOP.L) on the main market (standard). Raising 6m, enlarged mkt cap 23.4m. Kanabo focuses on the distribution of Cannabis-derived products for medical patients, and non-THC products for CBD consumers . Due 16 Feb. NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a 300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March Auction Technology Group is considering an IPO on the Main Market. The Group operates six world-leading online Marketplaces and proprietary global auction platform technology for curated online auctions . In FY20 the Group delivered pro forma revenue of 52.3 million, supported by notable underlying year-on-year growth from both Standalone ATG Group and Standalone Proxibid Group (12.4 per cent. and 40.4 per cent., respectively). For the same period, the Group delivered a strong profitability performance of 22.3 million pro forma Adjusted EBITDA representing a pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin of 42.6 per cent. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue 400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. Cordiant Digital Infrastructure to admit its shares on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange . Targeting a 300m raise. Cordiant invests in global infrastructure and real assets, running infrastructure private equity and infrastructure private credit strategies through limited partnership funds and managed accounts. Due 16 Feb 4basebio UK Societas is a specialist life sciences group focused on therapeutic DNA for gene therapies and DNA vaccines and providing solutions for effective and safe delivery of these DNA based products to patients. The Company has been divested from 4basebio AG , a German company listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange . No capital to be raised on Admission. Anticipated market capitalisation on AIM Admission: 14.53m. Due 17 Feb Baskerville Capital plc (to be renamed Oberon Investments Group Plc) is a boutique financial institution providing a personalised wealth management service for retail and professional clients, as well as a corporate broking arm for small and mid-cap companies. Oberons strategy is to progress through the organic growth of assets under administration in its wealth management division and by the acquisition of complementary businesses in the financial services sector and by creating a trusted brand for the provision of advisory and fundraising services for companies in the small and mid-cap sectors. Expected admission date on the Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) 9 February 2021. Cornish Metals (TSX-V: CUSN) intends to list on AIM. The Company is proposing to raise 5m by way of private placement of new Common Shares to advance the United Downs copper-tin project. The Company expects that Admission will become effective in February 2021. The Company's Common Shares will continue to be listed and trade on the TSX-V in Canada. Banquet Buffet Bigblu Broadband 108.5p 62.77m (LON:BBB) The provider of alternative super-fast and ultra-fast broadband services, announces that it has signed an exclusive Preferred Partner Agreement with leading next-generation Asia Pacific broadband satellite operator Kacific Broadband to provide a high-speed broadband internet service initially across New Zealand. Kacific will provide internet bandwidth via its Kacific-1 satellite, which was launched in December 2019, and will provide financial support including the investment in customer terminals and marketing. In return, BBB will provide all sales, marketing and end user support functions including billing and installation of equipment. It is anticipated that the Company will invest up to 1.0m in the first year of the Agreement as the new business scales up through the provision of in-country field operations and reseller activities as the business attracts new customers and sales. The investment will be partially offset by revenue share earned from new customers, and BBB anticipates that given the scale of the expected roll out, the project will breakeven within c.20 months of launch and will be earnings accretive thereafter. Yourgene Health 12.122p 87.36m ( ) The international molecular diagnostics group, provides an update on current trading for the second half of the financial year to 31 March 2021 . Whilst the stronger trading patterns being observed in H2 compared to the first 6 months of the financial year mean that double-digit revenue growth is expected for the full year, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on ordering patterns in UK and international commerce is expected to result in full year revenue being below consensus market estimates. A number of factors associated with the pandemic have continued to impact customer activity levels and created considerable variability in the timing of revenues, such that full year revenues are now expected to be in the range of 18-20m, lower than previous guidance but representing solid year-on-year growth of the order of 10-20%. This growth has been driven by the Group's European-focused product lines in testing for Cystic Fibrosis, prenatal aneuploidies and DPD deficiency which are performing strongly, along with European sales of NIPT. However, this has not been enough to offset the ongoing impact of significant pandemic-related headwinds on international markets for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) outside Europe, as reported in half-year results on 17 December 2020. Intl 325p 148m (LON:ELIX) The challenger consultancy, updated on trading for the year ended 31 December 2020. Trading since the last update in October 2020 has continued to be strong. The Group has continued to support its clients to address their key challenges, with Elixirr's services in relation to digital transformation and innovation in high demand. Subject to the completion of the audit for the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group expects to record revenue of approximately 30m, ahead of the market expectation of 29.4m. On an IAS 17 basis, Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately 9m, slightly ahead of the market expectation of 8.9m. On an IFRS 16 basis, Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately 9.6m. 30p 33.15m ( ) The specialist in Location Master Data Management (LMDM) software and solutions in collaboration with Esri UK, has signed a multi-year contract with Gas Distributor, Northern Gas Networks (NGN), to deliver the UK's first enterprise migration to Esri's new ArcGIS Utility Network model. The total contract value, which will predominantly fall into the Company's financial year ending 31 January 2022 (FY22), is in excess of 1m, of which the recurring revenue element is expected to be over 0.2m. Greatland Gold 25.75p 1bn ( ) The new Chief Executive Officer, Shaun Day, has today commenced his role at the Company. As announced on 15 December 2020, Shaun Day succeeds Gervaise Heddle, who will remain on the Board and part of the Executive team until 12 March 2021 to ensure a smooth transition. Shaun Day is a seasoned industry executive with over 20 years of experience in leadership positions across established mining and infrastructure, investment banking and international accounting firms. He has extensive experience in capital markets with a track record of leading successful transactions including M&A of publicly listed companies, farm-in agreements and raising capital. Beowulf Mining 4.6p 38.1m ( ) The mineral exploration and development company, has invested 200,000 in Vardar Minerals Ltd. The funds will be used for preparatory works, building access roads and drilling platforms, across the Mitrovica licence in northern Kosovo, lead-zinc targets at Wolf Mountain and gold targets at Majdan Peak. The investment increases the Company's ownership in Vardar from 46.1 per cent to 48.4 per cent approximately. Providence Resources 6.85p 60.1m ( ) The Irish based resource development company notes the speculation in the Irish media over the weekend. While Providence, like any plc, considers all opportunities to maximise shareholder value, we are not currently involved in any merger discussions with any party. We will continue to work closely with SpotOn Energy Limited to deliver the necessary funding to develop the world class Barryroe asset. 0.3p 31m ( ) The developer and operator of shopping malls in Ukraine, confirmed that during 2020 despite the significant restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, its shopping malls continued to perform well, largely retaining their tenant base, attracting millions of visitors and adding international brands as new tenants. As a consequence, total tenant turnover was only 10% below 2019 in local currency. Throughout much of 2020, the government in Ukraine put in place restrictions to reduce human interaction to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures resulted in the partial closure of the Arricano shopping malls for between 52-81 days (depending on region), restricting visitor access to essential stores. Despite the temporary closure of retail stores and reduced access, the occupancy rate across the Arricano portfolio remained at 99%, the same level it has been since 2018. Similarly, the number of visitors to the malls in 2020, including the periods of government restrictions, amounted to 33.1 million visitors, which is only 19% less than in 2019. When the shopping malls were operating normally, visitor numbers only decreased by 5% compared to the same period in 2019. During 2020, Arricano Group signed 89 new lease agreements covering a total area of 8884 sq.m., representing 6 per cent of the operating estate. New tenants include New Yorker, Flo and Decathlon. MelodyVR 3.8p 95m ( ) The music company and operator of the MelodyVR and Napster platforms, announced that, following its announcement of 23 December 2020, on 5 February 2021 the Company's exclusive 5 G music partnership successfully launched in Singapore with The Singtel Group. MelodyVR is now offered as the exclusive 5G music partner to new and upgrading 5G Singtel customers who will now have access to a richer mobile experience with access to MelodyVR's immersive music library. Singtel has 4.3 million mobile customers in Singapore representing more than a 50% market share and is Asia's leading communications technology company boasting more than 700 million mobile customers in 21 countries. Learning Technology Group 177.8p 1.3m ( ) The provider of services and software for digital learning and talent management, has acquired UK-based PDT Global ('The People Development Team'), a leading provider of online Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) training solutions, for an initial cash consideration of 13.2 million. PDT Global's founders and majority shareholders, Heather Butler and Angela Peacock, will join the leadership team of Affirmity, LTG's existing D&I business, headquartered in Irving, Texas. The integration of PDT Global dramatically expands Affirmity's global reach and capabilities within the high-growth D&I training and consulting sector. PDT Global delivered unaudited revenue of c.4.8 million in FY20 and EBIT of c.2.0 million. The combination with LTG's Affirmity business is compelling and LTG expects PDT Global to continue its fast growth within LTG. The acquisition, which completed on 5th February 2021, was funded from LTG's cash resources and is expected to be immediately earnings accretive. Further performance payments capped at 7.0 million are payable in cash, based on ambitious incremental revenue growth targets in each of the years ending 31st December 2021, 2022 and 2023. Head Chef Derren Nathan 0203 764 2344 derren.nathan@hybridan.com If you would like to unsubscribe, please email enquiries@hybridan.com with unsubscribe Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. 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Any reference to a partner in relation to Hybridan LLP is to a member of Hybridan LLP or an employee with equivalent standing and qualifications. A list of the members of Hybridan LLP is available for inspection at the registered office, 2 Jardine House, The Harrovian Business Village, Bessborough Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3EX. HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Seadrill Limited ("Seadrill" or the "Company") (OSE: SDRL) (OTCQX: SDRLF) today announces that Chapter 11 cases have been filed in the Southern District of Texas in respect of Seadrill's wholly-owned subsidiaries Seadrill GCC Operations Ltd, Asia Offshore Drilling Limited, Asia Offshore Rig 1 Limited, Asia Offshore Rig 2 Limited and Asia Offshore Rig 3 Limited (jointly, the "AOD Companies"). The Chapter 11 cases were filed as a protective measure to support Seadrill's broader comprehensive financial restructuring and will in no way affect the safe and efficient operation of the AOD offshore drilling units. The Company will request authority to pay its key trade creditors and employee wages and benefits without change or interruption and expects it will pay all suppliers and vendors in full under normal terms for goods and services provided during the Chapter 11 cases. As a consequence of the Chapter 11 filings, the forbearance agreement announced by the Company on 3 February 2021 in respect of nine out of the group's twelve senior secured credit facility agreements has terminated. This press release is not intended to be, and should not in any way be construed as, a solicitation of votes of stakeholders regarding the Chapter 11 proceedings in respect of the AOD Companies. Further information about the Chapter 11 filing will be available at www.seadrill.com/restructuring. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes forward looking statements. Such statements are generally not historical in nature, and specifically include statements about the Company's plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in its business, the markets in which it operates and its restructuring efforts. These statements are made based upon management's current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks described from time to time in the Company's regulatory filings and periodical reporting. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward looking statement. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. CONTACT: [email protected] 020 3745 4960 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/seadrill-limited/r/seadrill-limited--sdrl--asia-offshore-drilling-chapter-11-filing,c3281818 SOURCE Seadrill Limited Press Release February 8, 2021 Leonen calls SC ruling on De Lima's habeas data case vs Duterte 'double standard in guise of presidential immunity' The Supreme Court (SC) ruling denying with finality Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima's petition for a writ of habeas data against President Duterte blatantly provides a double standard in the guise of "presidential immunity," Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said in his dissenting opinion received by the Senator's Office last Feb. 5. The SC in the original Resolution dated 15 October 2019 was unanimous in dismissing the petition but De Lima's Motion for Reconsideration elicited 2 dissents. The Habeas Data Resolution showing Leonen's dissenting opinion, as joined by Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa, is dated Nov. 30 2020 but was only received by Dean Chel Diokno, De Lima's counsel in the case, last Feb. 4. "With all due respect, this Court's October 15, 2019 Resolution, and the summary denial of this Motion for Reconsideration, blatantly provides a double standard in the guise of 'presidential immunity'", Leonen wrote. "In issuing humiliating, insulting, and misogynistic remarks at public forums in his official capacity as the President, it is President Duterte himself who degrades the dignity of his own Office," Leonen added. In filing the petition, De Lima claimed that Duterte committed acts that have violated her right to "life, liberty, and security, and tarnishes her reputation and character." In a Resolution dated October 15, 2019, it may be recalled that the SC sitting en banc dismissed the petition for the writ of habeas data on the ground that Duterte, as the incumbent President of the Philippines, "is immune from suit during his incumbency." As such, De Lima said in her Motion for Reconsideration that the SC Resolution "has twisted the doctrine of presidential immunity into a grotesque version of itself, inoculated the President from accountability for egregious conduct, and placed an insurmountable barrier to the search for truth and the vindication of basic rights." Leonen stressed that there was no reason for the Court, in its October 15, 2019 Resolution, to dismiss De Lima's petition because "the privilege of presidential immunity from suit is inapplicable in applications for extraordinary wits like habeas data." "Petition for a writ of habeas data is markedly differently from civil, criminal and administrative cases. [It does] not provide relief in the form of civil, criminal, and administrative liability. It merely adjudges accountability. It is an extraordinary remedy that is summary in nature, and must be resolved quickly, to provide for swift judicial relief," he said. "Even if civil, criminal, or administrative cases cannot be filed during incumbency, the liability remains and is merely deferred at the end of tenure," he added. Likewise, Leonen said that the privilege of immunity from suit has never been intended to shield the President from any wrongdoing. "The rationale is in keeping with our fundamental ideals: the public office is public trust. Even the President should be held accountable to the people at all times. Thus, in cases where accountability is adjudged, and not liability, presidential immunity should not apply," said he. Leonen said the Court should never give people the impression that Presidents are "untouchable" because they are not. "The summary dismissal of the petition on the ground of presidential immunity, without any other means of rapid redress, demeans and belittles the values enshrined in our Constitution. This is a dangerous precedent that must be overturned," he said. "Accordingly, I vote to grant the Motion for Reconsideration, issue the Writ of Habeas Data, and require respondent to file a verified return within 10 days from notice," he added. It can be noted that a favorable ruling for a writ of habeas data can include an order destroying or correcting erroneous information or data released about De Lima, who will mark her fourth year in unjust detention on Feb. 24. Arizona Arizona Kathy Hoffman Feb. 2 Arizona Arizona's Senate Karen Fann Scott Little Amphitheater School District Pima County Health Department Tucson Arizona Department of Education Doug Ducey Tucson's Department of Education Tucson's Chuck Essigs Arizona Association of School Business Officials Arizona Department of Education Amphitheater School District Tucson's Hector Encinas Jan. 26 Arizona Department of Education Tucson's Catalina Foothills Tucson Department of Education Mary Kamerzell Arizona (TNS) Tucson school districts could lose more than $30 million in state funding if state lawmakers don't change the law that funds online learning at a lower rate than in-person instruction.Statewide, public schools doing remote learning at the direction of health officials are projected to lose up to $266 million becauselaw funds distance learning at 5% less than in-person school, and they're losing another $200 million because of enrollment declines. At the same time, the state has billions of dollars in surplus and savings."When the state sits on a billion-dollar rainy-day fund and projects a $2 billion surplus, there is no excuse to not fully fund every school," saidschools chiefduring her State of Education address on. "There has never been a more urgent time to tap into a safety net and provide for Arizonans. Anyone who thinks it's not raining inright now needs to check their privilege."When schools closed last March, state lawmakers voted to fully fund remote learning for the rest of that school year.recently released Senate Republican budget framework proposes a temporary, one-year policy change to fund distance learners at 100% for the current school year.Presidentsays the measure seems to have good support.It will be several weeks, at least, until a decision is made. And meanwhile school officials are holding their breaths, hoping they'll get enough funding to sustain themselves without making cuts.While two federal relief packages are delivering schools one-time fiscal support, many public schools will not be able to stretch federal relief dollars to cover long existing gaps in their budgets on top of pandemic-related expenses and enrollment declines, Hoffman said."Without predictable, ongoing state funding, many public schools, particularly small schools, will not be able to sustain their operations and provide a full range of services to students and families in their communities," she said.It's hard for school districts to plan how to spend their money when they don't know how much they'll have, says, chief financial officer for the, which serves nearly 11,000 children, 37% of whom qualify for free and reduced lunch a measure of poverty though that number is likely higher due to parents not applying during the pandemic."If the Legislature drags this issue out until May, all it does is make it harder and harder for us," Little said.Amphitheater, which opened for limited in-person classes before returning to remote learning underguidance as COVID-19 numbers spiked in December, stands to lose more than $3.1 million if remote learning is not fully funded.The number of students inschool districts who are remote learning is changing as some resume in-person learning. But based oncalculations, about 135,000, or 95% of students, were remote at the beginning of January.ENROLLMENT LOSSES COMPOUND SHORTFALLGov.created grants for schools using funding from the first federal coronavirus relief package. The $370 million in Enrollment Stability Grants was meant to compensate schools for both enrollment losses and to fill the gap for remote learners being funded at a lower rate.But those grants fell more than $250 million short of what schools were promised, in part, because of huge enrollment losses in public schools.On top of that, the state put a $500 cap on each student lost. As a result, districts that saw the steepest enrollment declines received the least amount of money proportionally to cover those losses.nine major school districts fell more than $18 million short of what they were told to expect from the grant funds, a number that increases if you include the county's seven smaller school districts and 87 charter schools.Preliminary enrollment data shows the average number of students enrolled in public schools daily throughout the state fell more than 33,000 short of this time last year, according to data from the. This difference can be accounted for by kids switching to home schools, private schools, holding off on kindergarten a year and even stopping school entirely.Preliminary data also shows a shift of families choosing charter schools over traditional school districts, which serve a larger body of students and students in need. Average daily membership in school districts was about 47,900 lower and about 14,700 higher in charter schools, some of which opened for in-person learning sooner than the state advised. Those numbers are not finalized and could change before official enrollment data is released in mid-March.Collectively,nine major school districts saw a loss of about 6,650 students on the 100th day of the school year, an important day in calculating funding for the year.While enrollment declines in many school districts are not new, the problem is now so much greater, says school finance expert, with theIf you're a district and you lose a student, you lose the revenue for that student although the cost doesn't go down, Essigs says. Schools still need to pay for teachers, utilities, transportation and more."You can't go to the teacher and say, 'We're going to pay you 5% less because we're getting 5% less,'" he said. "The teacher is going to get the same salary; the benefits for that teacher are the same, the insurance. What really makes this hurtful for schools is they're having funding reduced for expenses that aren't reduced, and in fact it's costing them more with all the expense of the technology and equipment they've had to buy."And even if a district lost enough kids this year to close a school, many are hoping that the students will return once the current crisis is over."Districts aren't getting what they were told they would get to address these very severe problems," Essigs says.For example, while Amphitheater received $5.6 million in grants to cover enrollment losses, if they were compensated the way the governor had originally laid out, they would have received nearly $10.5 million, according to calculations by the"A lot of people made decisions on what to do for staffing based upon that grant, and the grant money didn't really materialize the way it was supposed to," says Little, with the. "And everyone's kind of holding the bag for it."Schools are expecting a second wave of federal relief dollars, which Little says will cover some of the Amphitheater's steepest losses. But, sharing Hoffman's sentiment, he says that money was meant for relief from steep costs associated with the pandemic and remote learning."That's money that's not available for us to do additional services to get kids caught up," he said. "We really want to use that money to do additional remediation work, additional summer stuff, things to get kids back on track. If we can't use that money for that, it just goes to cover the state.""A NEW LOW"Sunnyside,second largest school district, planned for an enrollment decline of about 600 students, which they say is largely due to an aging population rather than COVID-19. But it didn't plan for the state funding remote learners at a lower rate, and it's put the district in a situation where it could end next school year with close to no savings."So this is what we found ourselves in, is additional resources the federal government provided is being taken away by the state, and we're at net zero," Chief Financial Officersaid at aboard meeting.Sunnyside stands to lose as much as $4.2 million in state aid with the reduction for remote learners, according to calculations by theTo put that into perspective, that could pay for the salaries of 80 first-year teachers, a year's worth of utilities, 3 1/2 years of liability insurance premiums or 120 additional custodians.While Sunnyside was able to cover this shortfall with the one-time federal dollars, despite the governor's grants being about $1.8 million less than expected, it put the district in a position where that budget loss will have to be carried forward to cover next year's expenditures. While the district typically ends the year with a budget balance of between $2.5 million to about $5 million, next year it is projecting a budget balance of only $169,000."For fall next year, the projection basically is that we're gonna wipe out our savings," Encinas said. "At this point in time, hopefully, this is the worst-case scenario."TUSD, the city's largest school district with about 40,000 students, stands to lose more than $11.9 million because of remote learners being funded at a lower rate, and the district received about $6.2 million less than expected in grants.Unlike the rest ofmajor school districts, Tucson Unified has remained entirely remote since the pandemic began with no firm date for students returning to the classroom even part time.Even schools offering in-person learning stand to lose millions because most are still offering remote learning for the many parents who don't feel safe sending their children into classrooms while the virus continues at near-peak levels., the onlyschool district that didn't return to remote learning after the winter break, stands to lose as much as $314,000 if remote learning is not fully funded, according tocalculations."We are very under-resourced to address the challenges of providing an education to our students this year," said Superintendent. "Funding remote learners at less than 100% is disrespectful and perhaps ignorant of the work required of our educators. It's not likewas a beacon of support for K-12 public education before this pandemic, but we have moved to a new low." Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand opens portals after winter break, no pilgrims allowed due to Covid Tapovan dam completely washed off in Uttarakhand glacier burst India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: The Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam, also known as Rishi Ganga Project was completely washed off following the glacier burst in the Chamoli district. Tapovan Dam swept away in Uttarakhand disaster | Glacier burst | Oneindia News The Army troops in an overnight operation cleared the Tapovan tunnel. "The dam is called Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam. It is on the confluence of Dhauli Ganga and Rishi Ganga. As per the recce Tapovan dam also called Rishi Ganga Project has been completely washed off," ANI reported. A glacier broke off in Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district which caused a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and endangered lives of people living along its banks. Jo 'bole so nihaal: How people motivated the ITPB rescue people in Uttarakhand NTPC tweeted, "An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. "While rescue operation is on, situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and police." The Tapovan Vishnugad power plant is a 520MW run-of-river project which is being constructed on Dhauliganga River in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. WASHINGTON - The first precious boxloads of the frozen elixir arrived in December, bearing great promise for curtailing the pandemic that has paralyzed the region and the world. Nurses and firefighters got injections on live TV. Some of them cried. Watching at home, many hopeful people cried, too. But in the weeks that followed, that hope was mixed with frustration, then anger, as it became clear that getting the potentially lifesaving vaccine would not be easy - not nationally, and not in the greater Washington region. Hospitals in the District of Columbia and Virginia scheduled appointments, then canceled or postponed them. Maryland residents registered at vaccination clinics in Prince George's County, only to see rules created overnight that barred them from getting their shots. Govs. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Ralph Northam of Virginia and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that millions of people were eligible. But when those people called and emailed and waited in front of their computers for hours, they could not get through. What went wrong? The story of how the region's governments left millions of residents confused and fearful as they took on the most important public health challenge in decades is a tale of a complicated and faltering chain of command, in which Hogan, a Republican, Bowser, a Democrat, and Northam, a Democrat, acted on bad information and changing directives from the federal government, and local leaders scrambled to respond to late-arriving and shifting guidance from jurisdictions. This account, based on 30 interviews with government officials and hospital and medical workers, shows how public health officials battered by months of fighting the pandemic were caught unprepared for the arrival of the vaccine that could stop it in its tracks. Again and again, officials made an initial choice about how to distribute scarce doses, then reversed course when their hastily made plans led to unforeseen problems. If the United States and the region had prepared well for the vaccines while scientists were developing them, University of Maryland public health professor Donald Milton says, residents would have registered for their shots months before the vials arrived. "There should have been a plan . . . along with funding to hire and train staff starting from last summer," Milton said. In the absence of that preparation, the vaccine is often "going to well-connected and wealthy people at low risk, and not to the people of color who have been hit the hardest." Retiree Janett Gasaway echoed the deep frustration of many when she testified at a recent day-long hearing of the D.C. Council. Her voice cracked as she described waiting in a 400-person phone queue to sign up for a shot, only to be told that all appointments were taken and that she could not even leave her name. She had hoped that her disabled 89-year-old husband could get a shot even if she could not. "They say they have no appointments to schedule," Gasaway said. Then she interrupted herself, looking at the faces of her council members in their minuscule Zoom boxes, and added, "If you are still listening to me." - - - D.C. The task of distributing vaccines was in many ways less complicated for D.C. than for any state - the city has one health department and could make and enforce centralized decisions. Still, there were stumbles, especially an emotional reckoning over racial disparities that has led to ongoing overhauls of the city's distribution plan - and an uproar in wealthy neighborhoods that feel shut out despite receiving by far the most shots. The initial complaints were technical: People signing up had to enter a captcha code multiple times, a task nearly impossible for some with disabilities; some who clicked to "change" their appointment time found that they had actually canceled it, with no other time slots available. "If [city officials] had grandmothers, they would have predicted that," Bonnie Levin, an assistant vice president at MedStar Health who is overseeing vaccinations, quipped about the website issues. "Honestly, what's happened is this all has happened so quickly that to build the technology to do this has been really challenging." The city booked appointment slots at La Clinica del Pueblo, one of the many health clinics enlisted in the vaccination effort, three days before the clinic had told the city that it would be ready to accept patients. "We had people come and show up for appointments that they had scheduled, and we were not ready to be able to vaccinate them, and then we had to turn them away," said Catalina Sol, the clinic's executive director. "That was tremendously stressful." Levin and other hospital leaders said they also were surprised at times when the D.C. health department asked them to vaccinate different priority groups, such as teachers or police officers. "We were 'voluntold,' " Levin said wryly. "No, no, we were given the opportunity - it didn't matter to any of us who we got." But the biggest problem was lack of racial equity. Two days after the city opened vaccine registrations to senior citizens - and saw every appointment rapidly snatched up - members of the D.C. Council met with Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt, worried that residents of wealthy, mostly White areas seemed to have grabbed most of the slots. They wanted to direct some appointments to residents of poorer neighborhoods, where far more residents have died of the disease caused by the coronavirus - covid-19. Nesbitt said that approach would not make sense. Soon, she and council member Kenyan McDuffie, a Democrat, were shouting at each other. After the contentious meeting ended, they spoke privately, and Nesbitt agreed to look into the issue. Then, McDuffie says: "Look, the numbers happened." The health department gathered data and found that on that first day, residents of a wealthy, mostly White area booked nearly twice as many appointments as residents of any other ward, and more than 20 times as many as those in the poorest wards. Soon after, Nesbitt agreed to allow new appointment sign-ups for residents of underserved Zip codes one day a week, then release appointments open to anyone in the city on a second day. Weeks later, vast disparities remain and some residents are fuming at being shut out of the sign-up system once a week. Several council members have called for changes to the system (which is getting a new registration portal that will allow more targeting by Zip code), perhaps to create a lottery or a waiting list. Jurisdictions nationwide are struggling with similar issues. "In a way, the entire country started off with a kind of democratic approach," said George Jones, chief executive at Bread for the City, a nonprofit group that is distributing the vaccine and early on saw an influx of White recipients in its clinic waiting room, much different from its usual clientele. "You have to be intentional about warding off these disparities," Jones said. "Because if you just let sort of equality reign the day, you don't get equal results." - - - Virginia The vaccine plan Virginia submitted to the federal government around Thanksgiving included a list of every location in the state confirmed to have a freezer equipped to store the vaccine doses. State leaders thought they were well prepared. Then the vials arrived. Within weeks, Virginia was at the bottom of national rankings, 49th among states for the percentage of the doses distributed. Hospitals hoarded doses, scared of not receiving more shipments. Health-care workers refused the shots. Rural health districts with shaky broadband were doing well at distribution but using paper records, instead of reporting to the state how much vaccine they had given out. Changes since that sluggish start have sent the state zooming up the national listings, statistically, but also have caused bitter fighting about which counties and regions should get doses first. Northam learned on a Jan. 12 call with governors and top federal officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, that the Trump administration would be releasing its stockpile of reserved doses. With more vaccine on the way, federal officials said, the governors should start vaccinating anyone over 65. In Richmond, Northam's chief of staff, Clark Mercer, recalled a swift reaction: "That's the guidance we've been asking for. That's great. Let's go announce it." Within 48 hours, Northam expanded eligibility. The next day, news reports revealed that there was no federal stockpile to rely on. Suddenly, millions of Virginians were trying to schedule appointments for doses that did not exist. The lack of a stockpile "kind of threw a wrench into what we were trying to accomplish," Northam said. "We learn something new pretty much every day. . . . You have to call an audible. It's an evolving process. It's very dynamic. You literally have to look at what's going on each day and make adjustments." With localities in the state clamoring for doses, Northam's team changed how it apportioned the vaccine supply. Initially, the team had steered doses to the jurisdictions best equipped to administer them. That meant populous Fairfax County, which with the Inova hospital system had set up a network of sites capable of delivering at least 30,000 doses weekly, was positioned to scoop up more than half of Virginia's weekly vaccine allocation. County officials thought the system was fair, noting that the virus has caused the most harm in racially diverse northern Virginia, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino residents. But the state decided in late January to allocate doses to every health district on a per capita basis. Loudoun County's weekly shipment shrank by 40%, to 4,275, and the county's waiting list grew to 70,000 people. Inova canceled plans to vaccinate 12,000 essential workers in Fairfax County, including law enforcement officers and teachers. "Seeing any empty room of vaccinators is really tough," said Michelle Vassallo, an Inova vice president who is helping lead the hospital system's vaccination efforts. She recalled seeing people cry tears of joy and relief as they received their shots in a converted cafeteria, talking about the day they would hug their children and grandchildren again. "It was hustling, bustling. There was music playing. . . . We were at the height of our operations, smoothly moving through. And to have that shut down was just incredibly frustrating." Democrat Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, called the situation "maddening." The school board sent Northam an angry letter: "How can we tell our teachers that we want them back in our classrooms, but do not value them enough to provide the most direct form of protection available against this dangerous and still-evolving disease?" Northam and Mercer expressed dismay that anyone was surprised by the change. "It was the plan all along" to transition to the per-capita allocation system, Mercer said. The revised strategy is meeting the goals that Northam demanded at an emergency meeting in early January. Virginia is now administering close to 30,000 doses per day, and for a while soared ahead of Maryland in its seven-day vaccination rate. Mercer said he got a call from a Maryland official after that happened, asking for advice on how the neighboring state could catch up. - - - Maryland While visiting a nursing home vaccination clinic a few days before Christmas, Hogan discovered something that would color the trajectory of the rest of his state's rollout. "It was much slower than we anticipated," he said in an interview. "We were surprised at the lack of urgency, and the lack of people that were willing to get it." As many as 7 in 10 workers at the state's hundreds of nursing homes refused a shot. Hospitals also had low vaccination rates at first. The lion's share of doses went unused for weeks. Hogan told hospitals to either speed up or lose their doses, and he called the chief executives of CVS and Walgreens to express - bluntly, his aides said - deep displeasure with their efforts to vaccinate nursing home residents and workers. Still, he planned to vaccinate the top-priority groups fully before moving on. As of Jan. 5, he said people ages 65 to 74 would probably have to wait until March. Then federal officials changed their advice. Robert Redfield, the chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time, came to Annapolis to urge Hogan to vaccinate seniors right away. President-elect Joe Biden's incoming coronavirus czar, Jeffrey Zients, made the same request. Hogan soon announced that people 75 and older could get vaccinated, followed by those 65 and older a week later. That swelled the pool of eligible people from 533,000 to nearly 2.1 million, even though 80,000 doses were available each week. The imbalance ensured that doses rarely sat unused. But it also caused new forms of chaos. Hogan did not tell county leaders of his decision in advance. Surprised officials, who heard about it at his news conference, responded with divergent approaches that further increased frustrations for their residents. In Montgomery County, the state's most populous jurisdiction, officials rejected the governor's call in the name of racial equity, focusing on the tens of thousands of health-care workers who remained unvaccinated. Montgomery has consistently distributed close to 99% of its doses, making it one of the most efficient jurisdictions in Maryland, said county Health Officer Travis Gayles. But because doses were scarce, and senior citizens still were not eligible, "There's still this notion that we have a failed system." Elderly county residents found that they could register in next-door Prince George's County, which had complied with Hogan's directive. But as Prince George's officials realized their own residents were being shut out of vaccinations, they began canceling appointments made by people who neither lived nor worked in the county. "We had to change very rapidly," Health Officer Ernest Carter said. The entire episode, he added, showed the need for a national distribution plan. "None of this would have happened if there was an accurate playbook from the federal government." Maryland's system remains diffuse, as state leaders designed it to be, with the state giving vaccines to more and more providers who run their own sign-up systems. Hogan says the massive ramp-up is working - the state was vaccinating an average of 24,500 people per day last week, compared with a few thousand per day in early January. But critics say the decentralized sign-up process is nearly impossible for some residents to use. "We are hearing every day from constituents and local officials expressing immense frustration and confusion with the program's inefficiency and inequity," the state's nine Democratic congressmen wrote to Hogan recently. For residents across the region who are frantic to get vaccinated, who jam websites until they crash, and wait for hours on the phone to no avail, the vaccine still feels out of reach. - - - Schneider reported from Richmond, Va., and Cox reported from Annapolis, Md. Rebecca Tan, Rachel Chason, Lola Fadulu, Antonio Olivo and Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report. The induction ceremony of the first five Rafale jets at the Ambala Air Force base on September 10 last cost the exchequer a little over of Rs 41 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh GST, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Monday. "The first five Rafale aircraft of IAF were formally inducted into IAF on September 10. The arrangements for this event were made mostly through local resources of IAF. The total expenditure on the event was Rs 41.32 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh of GST," he said. Singh said all-new variant of aircraft are traditionally inducted into the Indian Air Force through a "befitting ceremony" The Rafale induction ceremony was attended by French Defence Minister Florence Parly and the top echelon of the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the aircraft. The first batch of the five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The formal induction ceremony of the fleet had taken place nearly six weeks later. The second batch of three Rafale jets arrived in India on November 3 while the third batch of another three jets joined the IAF on January 27. The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff for the last nine months. The first squadron of the Rafale jets is stationed at the Ambala airbase while the second one will be based at the Hasimara base in West Bengal. Also read: Rafale makes Republic Day debut; here's what you need to know Also read: Lockheed Martin inks pact with HAL for collaboration in India's aerospace sector Sorry! This content is not available in your region Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials have lifted vehicle restrictions and restored normal speed limits in the east central region of Pennsylvania. The move came Sunday afternoon as wintry weather conditions began to subside. Transportation officials said the goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow. PennDOT crews continue to treat the roadways until precipitation stops and roads are clear, officials stated in a news release. While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting here for 511PA. The website is free and available 24 hours daily, providing traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. The latest forecast by the National Weather Service includes snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches by Sunday afternoon. A hazardous weather outlook issued by the weather service remains for Northampton County, in effect until Sunday evening. A slight chance of snow showers is forecast by the weather service before 8 p.m. Sunday in the Bethlehem area. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. An impoverished fisherman who found a rare orange Melo pearl worth 250,000 in Thailand has been arrested after celebrating his new fortune by allegedly throwing a meth party for his pals. Hatchai Niyomdecha, 37, invited friends over to his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, on Friday after being offered 10 million Baht (250,000) for the rare pearl. Police reportedly found thousands of oral methamphetamine tablets at the man's house after being contacted by his neighbours who complained about the loud music and claimed they could smell drugs. The Thai fisherman made headlines around the world last week after he found a rare Melo pearl - one of the most expensive in the world - while picking up oysters on the shore near his house. Hatchai Niyomdecha, 37, discovered a rare orange Melo pearl on a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat on January 27 While armed officers raided Niyomdecha's property, three packages containing an unknown substance and thousands of tablets were allegedly discovered. Several meth pipes were also said to have been discovered inside the house. The police seized the items - two boxes of the unknown substance and a box of oral methamphetamine tablets estimated to contain 16,000 pieces - which were hidden near the family's home. Niyomdecha denied that the boxes were his but when the police ran a forensic test on the packages - they allegedly found his fingerprint all over the boxes. Police Colonel Chokdee Srimuang said they are investigating the fisherman over the unusual amount of drugs and also looking into the involvement of his family members who lived with him. Niyomdecha denied the drug allegations. He was taken to the police station and held in custody while being questioned. The 37-year-old Thai fisherman was picking up shells with his family when they stumbled upon the rare find in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on January 27. He found a discarded buoy washed ashore with a number of shell including three snail shells stuck to it, which he brother Worachat Niyomdecha, 35, took home. They gave the snail shells to their father, Bangmad Niyomdecha, 60, who was in the process of cleaning them when he discovered the pearl - which is about the size of a 10 pence piece. Melo pearls are formed by sea snails known as Melo Melo and deposited inside their shells, unlike traditional pearls which are found inside oysters. Niyomdecha (pictured right) gave the shells to his father (left), Bangmad, to clean. When Bangmad opened the third shell, he found an orange pearl slightly bigger than usual What are Melo pearls? Vivid orange Melo pearls fetch the highest prices Melo pearls are naturally occurring gems produced under the shell of a large sea snail species known as Melo Melo. The gems are formed when an irritant gets under the snail's shell, causing the animal to produce secretions to reduce its discomfort. Over several years the layers of secretions form a Melo pearl. The pearls range from brown to yellow or orange, depending on the colour of the snail shell the gem was grown in. Orange Melo pearls appear in only one of every several thousand shells, meaning these gems fetch the highest prices. Melo pearls cannot be farmed, like other pearls, because the gem has not yet been successfully cultured to be grown in foreign mussels or clams. This means the Melo pearl is only found when it naturally occurs. The gems are found in the South China Sea, in shallow waters off the coast of Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. Source: Obsessed by Pearls Advertisement Hatchai called his wife, Worachat Niyomdecha, 35, and his two boys to inspect the beautiful 7.68-gram precious gem with him and decided to check its value the next day. They asked about the pearl among their neighbours who flocked to their home after finding out that what they found is an extremely expensive pearl. Hatchai, who spotted the shells, claimed he had a strange dream a few days before finding the precious gem. He said: 'An old man in white with a long moustache told me to come to the beach so I can receive a gift. I think he led me to finding the pearl. 'I want to sell the pearl for the highest price. The money won't just change my life, it will change my destiny. My whole family will have better lives.' He believes that the old man could be a deity who wanted to help him get out of poverty as the pearl could be worth as much as 10 million Baht (250,000). A few days later, a wealthy businessman from another province heard about the pearl and offered to buy the pearl for one million baht (25,000) but the family refused. Another persistent luxury items collector increased the offer to five million baht (122,000) but the family still declined, instead believing that they could get a much higher price for it. A third potential buyer, this time from China, negotiated with the family to take the pearl for 10 million Baht - its expected price - but he wanted to see for himself if it was a genuine Melo. He has been set to fly to meet the man at his house to buy the pearl this month, but Niyomdecha's arrest may complicate the sale. Melo pearls range from orange to tan to brown in colour - with orange being the most expensive shade. They are usually found in South China Sea and Andaman Sea off the coast of Burma and are produced by predatory sea snails called Volutidae. The place where the Melo pearl was found, Nakhon Si Thammarat, has a coast on the Gulf of Thailand. Ocean currents from the South China Sea often lead there. The family asked their neighbours about the pearl and realised that the pearl was worth 250,000 The shell with the rare Melo pearl was found attached to a discarded buoy that had washed ashore The Zimbabwe Republic Police has arrested six suspected armed robbers, including a woman for committing a spate of crimes in Chiweshe while armed with a machete and a pistol. The six were arrested in Bulawayo in connection with several cases under investigations. CID spokesperson Detective Inspector Portia Chinho confirmed the arrests. The suspects are Life Hahlani of Newton West, Bulawayo; Mqondisi Akim Sibanda of Nketa 9, Bulawayo; Adonia Mashonga of Mpopoma, Bulawayo; Vusumuzi Reynolds Dube of Nketa 9, Bulawayo and Joice Loswita Ndarova of Kuwadzana in Harare. They were arrested in Bulawayo for armed robbery which they committed in Chiweshe area, said Det Insp Chinho. Upon their arrest they were linked to several other cases which occurred around the country. It is alleged that the suspects then ordered the complainant to surrender US$25 000. When he refused, they assaulted and struck him with a machete. The complainant succumbed to pressure and surrendered a safe containing US$89 000. They took three cell phones and car keys of a Honda Fit and drove off. Investigations led to the arrest of the accused and recovery of some of the stolen property. Further investigations led to the arrest of Joice Loswita Ndarova in Kuwadzana as well of the arrest of her splinter gang she operated with in Harare, said Det Insp Chinho. Det Insp Chinho said Ndarova and her other accomplices who are Tinashe Masodza Nyereyemhuka (20), Atipaishe Sibanda (21), Justin Dodzo, Pasirose Chihungwa and another one only identified as Tafadzwa are also facing another two counts of armed robbery cases. Herald SIRACUSA - The Ocean Viking migrant-rescue vessel operated by NGO Sos Mediterranee is in the port of August, near Siracusa, with 422 people on board. The migrants were rescued off Libya. The ship has docked in the port. Operations to check the medical condition of passengers have started. Usmaf personnel is at the moment on board for a first medical checkup. However, it will be necessary to wait for Siracusa's local health officials to test passengers for Covid. According to the NGO, eight people on board have tested positive for Covid-19. A reported 140 of the 422 passengers are minors. Passengers also include a wounded person and several pregnant women. The prefecture of Siracusa is coordinating police operations. The first to disembark will be the pregnant women, the injured passenger and minors who will be transferred if necessary to a hospital or to hosting facilities. The last to disembark will be passengers who have tested positive for Covid-19 and who will be quarantined on a ship in Augusta. Democratic impeachment managers have responded to a brief filed on Monday by former President Donald Trumps attorneys which urged the Senate to drop the charges against him while calling into question the constitutionality of the upcoming trial. In a response filed within hours of the former presidents brief, the House lawmakers described evidence against Mr Trump as overwhelming and added: He has no valid excuse or defence for his actions. And his efforts to escape accountability are entirely unavailing." Democrats denied each and every allegation included in the presidents filing, which asserted his speech at a rally just before the Capitol riots last month did not lead to the deadly riots later that day, as Congress convened to certify his defeat in the 2020 elections. Mr Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in January for fomenting the insurrection, which left at least five people dead, including United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. Presidents swear a sacred oath that binds them from their first day in office through their very last, the Democratic response read. There is no January Exception to the Constitution that allows Presidents to abuse power in their final days without accountability. Read more: Follow live updates and analysis on Donald Trump's second impeachment trial With just one day before the start of the Senate impeachment trial, Mr Trumps lawyers submitted a brief that appeared to lay out their defence strategy for the days ahead: rather than focusing on Mr Trumps conduct, his team instead pointed fingers at Democrats and said they were using the impeachment for political gain. Mr Trumps attorneys who filed the brief had just recently joined his team after five other lawyers fled the former presidents side amid reported disagreements over their trial strategy. While the attorneys were rumoured to have been focusing on the constitutionality argument behind the trial, Mr Trump was imploring them to instead highlight his false claims of rampant voter fraud. This was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people, the former presidents attorneys wrote in their brief. Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain." The vast majority of Republican senators have already voted against conducting the trial, and it appeared unlikely the Democrats would receive the 17 GOP votes required to successfully convict Mr Trump a move that could pave the way to barring the former president from ever holding elected office again. Democratic impeachment managers have not yet indicated whether they plan to call witnesses during the trial, and were expected to rely heavily on videos recorded during the former presidents rally and the following mob attacks on the Capitol throughout the proceedings. As charged in the Article of Impeachment, President Trump violated his Oath of Office and betrayed the American people, they wrote on Monday. His incitement of insurrection against the United States government which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a President. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Yangon, Feb 9 : Myanmar will conduct friendly cooperation with all countries while the country's foreign policy will not change, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said. In his first televised message to the public after the declaration of a one-year state of emergency, he said that during the period, there will be no change in foreign, executive and economic policies, and Myanmar will continue its current political path, the Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. Min Aung Hlaing, in his capacity as chairperson of the State Administration Council, reiterated a five-point roadmap to be implemented during the state of emergency. Under the roadmap, the Union Election Commission, which was recently reformed, has been reviewing the electoral process of last year's general elections, he said. The ongoing preventive measures against Covid-19 will continue to be implemented without losing momentum, while emphasis will be put on distributing vaccines all over the country. Arrangements are being made to help the businesses which were affected by Covid-19, the commander-in-chief said, calling for investment from both home and abroad. The council's chairperson stressed plans to achieve eternal peace across the country in accordance with a nationwide ceasefire agreement and called for cooperation of the ethnic people and ethnic armed organisations to achieve the lasting peace. The council will hold free and fair general elections and the power of the state will be handed over to the political party which wins the elections in line with democracy standards after tasks were accomplished under the state of emergency, he said. The country declared the state of emergency after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on February 1. The military had demanded the postponement of new parliamentary sessions, citing massive voting fraud in the November 2020 elections, which saw the National League for Democracy win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament. Myanmar's Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation. Peaceful protests across Myanmar continued on Monday. Demonstrators demanded the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, among others. The Myanmar military called for stability, public security and rule of law in the country amid ongoing protests earlier on Monday. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Plasmonic metamaterialintegrated wearable SERS sensing device. (A) Schematic drawing showing the working principle and design of the device, (B) which consisted of two major components (sweat extraction component and SERS sensing component) and was styled to look like a yin-yang symbol. The inset figure highlights the key sensing interface near the metafilm. (C) Optical image of the device and (D) enlarged optical image of the sweat extraction component. A thin hydrogel layer loaded with molecules (acetylcholine chloride) that stimulate sweat gland secretions is mounted on the spiral fractal mesh electrode. Note that to highlight the contrast for exhibition, only one of the electrodes was mounted with the hydrogel layer and the plasmonic metafilm. Photo credit: Yingli Wang, Zhejiang University. (E and F) High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the SERS sensing component mounted at the center of the electrode, which is the plasmonic metafilm formed by an ordered silver nanocube (NC) superlattice. Scale bars, 1 cm (C), 5 mm (D), 50 nm (E), and 5 nm (F). Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4553 Wearable sensing technology is an essential link in personalized medicine, where researchers must track multiple analytes inside the body simultaneously, to obtain a complete picture of human health. In a new report on Science Advances, Yingli Wang and a team of scientists in biosystems, engineering and information science at the University of Cambridge and Zhejiang University in the U.K. and China, presented a wearable plasmonic-electronic sensor with "universal" molecular recognition capability. The team introduced flexible plasmonic metasurfaces with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity as the fundamental sensing component. The system contained a flexible sweat extraction process to noninvasively extract and fingerprint analytes inside the body based on their unique Raman scattering spectra. As proof of concept, they successfully monitored varying trace-drug amounts inside the body to obtain an individual drug metabolic profile. The sensor bridged the gap in wearable sensing technology to provide a universal, sensitive molecular tracking process to assess human health. Wearable sensor technology Wang et al. presented a wearable plasmonic electronic integrated sensing platform with an almost "universal" recognition ability. Wearable sensing provides a link to the future of personalized medicine, but such sensors must overcome a fundamental mismatch between a rigid and soft elastic surface to laminate into biointerfaces such as the skin, eye, nerve and tooth to seamlessly assess human health. The devices allow researchers to continuously assess vital signs including the heart rate and body temperature, perspiration and physical activities. Despite the success of physical wearable sensors, non-invasive molecule tracking techniques that provide insight into human body dynamics at the molecular level remain to be realized. These capabilities are vital for personalized precision medicine. In this instance, Wang et al. aimed to develop a new strategy with universal target specificity instead of having one target alone to simultaneously track multiple targets. The team developed a new platform using a flexible surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active plasmonic metasurface to serve as the key sensing component and a flexible electronic system to automatically extract sweat and analytes from the body. Characterization of the SERS sensing component of the device. (A) Schematic illustration showing the SERS sensing principle of the NC metafilm. The analytes in the extracted sweat were drawn to the EM hotspot in NC metafilm from the bottom, which can be in situ detected by SERS technique from the backside metafilm (backward excitation and collection). (B) FDTD simulation of the local electric field enhancement for the EM hotspot in the NC metasurface. (C) SERS spectra of the NC metafilm immersed in the probe molecule (CV) solution with various concentrations (an average of 20 randomly selected locations for each concentration with a 1-s acquisition time and using a 10 objective and laser power of 0.33 mW). (D) Raman intensity map (~1621 cm1) of the NC metafilm after treatment with the Raman probe (CV, 105 M). (E) Comparison of the SERS responses (~1621 cm1) to various CV solutions using backward and forward collection approaches. (F) SERS spectra of the human sweat samples containing different drugs (0.2 M lidocaine, 103 M cocaine, and 105 M methotrexate) and the blank sweat sample (using 10 or 50 objective and laser of power 0.15 to 0.66 mW, with acquisition times of 6 to 30 s). Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4553 The team fingerprinted the unique SERS spectrum using the wearable sensor. As a proof of concept, they detected the variation of drug concentrations in the human body to obtain an individual's drug metabolic profile. The integrated wearable sensor bridged the existing gap in personalized diagnosis for real-time tracking of important biochemical compounds. The scientists used the sensing platform to monitor physiological cues or drug concentrations in the human body to obtain an individual's drug metabolic profile. Then using the integrated wearable sensor, they monitored physiological cues or drug concentrations in a closed-loop feedback drug delivery system. The plasmonic metamaterial-integrated wearable sensing device contained two major components including a thin layer of hydrogel loaded with molecules to stimulate sweat gland secretions. The team attached these constructs to two spiral fractal mesh electrodes to serve as the sweat extraction component. Wang et al. used the iontophoresis process (transdermal drug delivery) for this extraction; widely used as a non-invasive sweat sampling method in devices for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. They formed a plasmonic meta-film using an ordered silver nanocube superlattice to serve as the sensing component mounted in the experimental setup. The strong electromagnetic fields localized in the nanocube gave rise to the SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) effect to detect molecules approaching the metafilm surface. They placed the two components on a thin ultralow-modulus polymer film to form a thin, breathable and physically tough support for nonirritating skin adhesion. Using the electrodes, the team applied a mild electric current to deliver acetylcholine chloride in the hydrogel layer to secretory sweat glands for rapid, localized sweat generation. Mechanical characteristics of the device. (A) Optical images of the sensor under deformation. (B) FEM strain distribution analysis of the guard ring area of the stretchable electrode under various distortions, indicating that the guard ring can isolate large deformations to the soft elastomer, thus avoiding potentially destructive plastic strains to the SERS sensing component. (C) SERS responses of the sensor under various deformations. (D) Characteristics of the SERS sensor after the cyclic stretching test. (E) Resistance changes in the electrode under various deformations. (F) Resistance changes in the electrode after the cyclic stretching test. (G) Photographs of the sensor mounted on human skin and (H) under various conditions. Photo credit: Xiangjiang Liu, Zhejiang University. Scale bars, 1 mm (B) and 1 cm (G and H). Error bars are defined as SD. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4553 The sensor of the wearable device depended on the SERS effect generated by the ordered silver nanocube superlattice metafilm, based on which the team detected the target of interest in extracted sweat. At first, they assembled a single layer of the closed-packed nanocube array at the liquid/air interface and subsequently transformed the construct to a thin flexible polymer supporter. The scientists then verified the average gap size between the nanocubes using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and performed finite-difference time domain (FDTD) numerical simulations. The mechanical compliance and skin contact of the metafilm allowed high-fidelity measurements. The team then developed the SERS film and transferred it onto a hydrogel loaded with an agonist agent attached to fractal mesh electrodes. They used an ultrathin spiral design to increase the tolerance of the sweat-inducing system to mechanical deformations and accomplished this by developing an "interconnected island" design stage to form a brittle SERS film with a soft and elastic electronic system. The team confirmed the durability of the electronics after 100 testing cycles, without any observable signal degradation to perfectly fulfil the duties required of a wearable sensor. In vivo sensing performance of our sensor. (A) Schematic illustration showing the working principle of the sweat extraction system. (B) Variation in skin moisture content after periodic sweat induction (using the hydrogel containing 10% acetylcholine chloride, iontophoresis current of 0.5 mA for 5 min). (C) Induced sweat-secretion characteristics in response to different iontophoresis times (0 to 10 min). The secretion duration represents the total time of skin conductance above baseline (measurements stopped at 60 min). (D) Real-time monitoring of nicotine in human skin using our integrated sensor (with sweat extraction) and (E) control groups (without turning on the iontophoresis current for sweat extracting). The spectra were collected using laser power of 0.33 mW and a 10 objective (acquisition time, 1 s). (F) Evolution of the characteristic Raman peak of nicotine after sweat extraction of the test group and control group (without turning on the current or without attaching nicotine patch). Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4553 Biological sensing application Wang et al. next recruited healthy volunteers for in vivo (physiological) measurements to demonstrate the sweat extraction capability of the device. The scientists used nicotine as the model drug and monitored the actual concentration of the drug in skin relative to drug delivery, uptake and metabolic rate per individual. During the experiments they used a wearable SERS sensor coupled to a compact power supply and wireless control unit on the forearm of the volunteers. The device showed the SERS spectrum of nicotine in the sweat to match the spectrum of the nicotine standard. The results indicated how the sensor trained the metabolic behavior of nicotine to allow the wearable sensor's capability to monitor the dynamic pharmacokinetics of drugs and their metabolic profile. The sensor, however, only effectively detected targets stored in the shallow sub-epidermis; therefore, the researchers will need to understand how this value correlates with drug concentrations in blood or interstitial fluid during further studies. In vivo monitoring of the nicotine metabolization process in human skin. (A) Schematic illustration of the experiment. A nicotine patch containing ~10 mg was attached to the volunteers forearm for 2 hours and then removed. After the skin was thoroughly cleaned, the remaining nicotine in the skin was extracted and analyzed by our sensor. (B and C) Evolutions of the remaining nicotine concentrations were measured from the two locations (sensor A directly on the patched area; sensor B is attached about 2 cm away). Each measurement was taken after 20 min of sweat extraction (0.5-mA iontophoresis current, 10% acetylcholine chlorideloaded hydrogel), and the sensor responses of the next 10 min were continuously collected. The obtained averaged nicotine levels are shown in the figure. The shadow areas indicate SD of the measurements. (D) Distance dependence of the nicotine concentrations in the extracted sweat after patching. Six sensors were positioned along the arm at a distance of 0 to 12.5 cm from the patching area. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4553 Outlook In this way, Yingli Wang and colleagues displayed a wearable plasmonic-electronic integrated sensor as a next-generation wearable device. When compared to existing wearable electrochemical sensors, this sensor showed broader target specificity and higher stability. The integrated device bridged the existing gap in personalized diagnosis and precision medicine to track important molecules inside the body in real time. The team proposed applications to monitor physiological cues and drug concentrations in a closed-loop feedback drug delivery system and expect the wearable sensor to inspire a range of multidisciplinary applications. Explore further New device powers wearable sensors through human motion 2021 Science X Network Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Lydia Patton has embarked on a mission that could spark new discoveries for generations of researchers. Since the mid-2000s, scholars have produced crucial research in the integrated history and philosophy of science discipline. But accessing those studies has proven difficult because no comprehensive database exists. Patton, a professor of philosophy at Virginia Tech, is working with a colleague, Professor Jutta Schickore of Indiana University, to fill that void. "Integrated history and philosophy of science is a transdisciplinary endeavor examining a constellation of issues," said Patton, who is also a historian of the philosophy of science. "My hope is to build an enduring record of all of the research contributed to the discipline so far that researchers can easily access over and over again in the future." Building an enduring repository requires support. The National Science Foundation recognized the importance of the mission, awarding a prestigious grant to Patton and Schickore. The grant will aid the creation of an open-access searchable database, being developed at Indiana University, of all the publications within the integrated history and philosophy of science since 2007. Originally, the grant also supported an international conference at Virginia Tech to be hosted by the Committee for Integrated History and Philosophy of Science. Patton intended to include an archive of the publications in the conference and place it within the new database. But then came the COVID-19 pandemic. "We planned to host scholars from across Europe, India, Brazil, Canada, and the United States," said Patton, who, along with Schickore, is a member of the committee's Executive Board. "In response to COVID-19, we had to seek alternate solutions." The committee decided on a workshop plan in lieu of an in-person conference, offering scholars a chance to receive detailed comments from committee members. In the fall of 2020, the committee gathered videos for a virtual conference, and a team of Virginia Tech graduate students -- Colleen Malley, Jin Tian Acton, Brandon Burkey, and Hannah Glasson -- is producing a series of videos to help researchers present their work. Patton credited the flexibility of the committee for forging ahead with the conference under challenging circumstances. She also lauded the National Science Foundation for its willingness to extend the grant timeline. "The National Science Foundation has been fantastic," she said. "As soon as we knew the writing was on the wall and we would need to alter our plans, the organization notified us to say they'd be willing to move deadlines." The organization extended the grant's final deadline by a year. In the meantime, Patton and Schickore will continue growing the online database. Integrated history and philosophy of science research currently appears in a variety of journals, including Annals of Science, Perspectives on Science, and HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science. Patton serves as the editor of HOPOS. By organizing all of the major research within the discipline to date, the database will provide future and current researchers with a launching pad. "We hope this repository will help orient researchers in the field much faster," said Patton. "This database will also illustrate how the discipline has evolved and provided crucial solutions to complex problems." Patton said the discipline emerged when philosophers of science began recognizing the importance of the history of both philosophy and science. "The founders of our discipline have a strong interest in making sure historians and philosophers are aware of the key issues and problems in each discipline," said Patton. Examples of the discipline's evolution include a broadening from a focus exclusively on physics to include the life sciences. The geographic reach also widened as international scholars began contributing research to the discipline in a global context. The National Science Foundation grant to establish the database will continue through August 2021. ### DALLAS, February 8, 2020 95% of tax professionals believe their clients want business advisory services, underscoring the staying power of a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Insights for Tax Professionals 2021, a new study from the Thomson Reuters Institute. The findings, gathered from a survey of hundreds of tax professionals conducted in October 2020, provide a clearer picture of the outsized impact the pandemic had on the profession and what professionals are expecting this year and in the future. Future of Advisory Many of the professionals surveyed noted that they were forced into a de facto business advisor role during the onset of the pandemic, as clients sought advice about everything from applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans to how to manage their finances to keep their businesses afloat. Tax professionals see this increased demand for business advice lasting beyond the pandemic, especially in large firms, and 59% feel highly confident stepping into this role for their clients. However, 41% of tax professionals do not feel comfortable taking on this role, with the lack of confidence being especially pronounced among female and junior professionals. Of those who feel less confident, a third would turn to training and education to improve their confidence. Many respondents also talked about gaining more experience, particularly with clients and building industry knowledge. Mentoring was also cited as helpful, demonstrating there is great opportunity to help these professionals build their confidence and step into the role of an advisor. The studys findings underscore that taking on more of an advisory role is the future of the profession, with 68% of respondents strongly believing this is something their clients want said Charlotte Rushton, president of the Tax & Accounting Professionals segment of Thomson Reuters. We saw this trend explode onto the scene last year for many of our tax and accounting clients as the pandemic wore on, and we strongly believe this will continue to be a demand from their clients this year and in the future. This relationship is mutually beneficial, as it enables the customer to obtain much needed financial advice, and for the tax professional, they can obtain a recurring revenue stream outside of tax preparation. Investing in the right technology and guidance so that tax professionals can become a trusted business advisor is something firms should do to meet the demand, Rushton continued. Increasing Need for Technology Heading into 2020 and before the pandemic hit, most firms were looking to increase revenue and drive efficiencies through streamlining and automating processes by better leveraging technology. The pandemic upended these goals, forcing most firms into survival mode. As firms begin to emerge from the pandemic and cautiously look ahead, 89% of professionals could identify lasting positive impacts of the changes driven by the pandemic. 41% of respondents identified the biggest positive impact as the greater use of technology and expect this to continue to be a driving force in their work with the shift to remote work, and 10% expecting greater efficiency due to the increased reliance on technology. New Approach to Talent Looking ahead to 2021, six in ten firms are seeking to hire more tax advisors in order to meet two main goals: increasing capacity and broadening service capabilities, including advisory work. Along with taking on more talent, developing talent was listed as a top ten strategic priority for both 2020 and 2021. The survey respondents not surprisingly listed tax expertise as the most important skill for tax professionals to possess, but the next two most important skills were strong communication and social skills. This underscores the demand from clients that their tax advisors do more than just preparing their returns once a year a closer relationship driven by year-round business advising will be key in setting firms apart as the profession continues to evolve. The Insights for Tax Professionals 2021 report can be downloaded here. Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is a leading provider of business information services. Our products include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the worlds most global news service Reuters. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com. CONTACT Jessica Donovan +1.469.691.7666 Jessica.donovan@thomsonreuters.com U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) released the following statement regarding the 2022 election: Today I announce that I will not seek a seventh term in the United State Senate in 2022. For everything, there is a season. I am grateful to the people of Alabama who have put their trust in me for more than forty years. I have been fortunate to serve in the U.S. Senate longer than any other Alabamian. During my time in the Senate, I have been given great opportunity, having chaired four committees: Appropriations, Rules, Banking, and Intelligence. In these positions of leadership, I have strived to influence legislation that will have a lasting impact creating the conditions for growth and opportunity. Serving in the U.S. Senate has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I have done my best to address challenges and find ways to improve the day-to-day lives of all Americans. I have also focused on the economic challenges of Alabamians, increasing access to education and promoting facilities to improve the quality of schools. I have worked to enhance Alabamas role in space exploration and the security of our nation. Further, I have supported the utilization of Alabamas greatest resources, including its unparalleled river system and the Port of Mobile. My service in the U.S. Senate would not have been possible without those who have encouraged me over the years. I am particularly grateful for the support of my wife, Annette, and my entire family. Additionally, my staff, whose determination and loyalty have been unwavering, has been absolutely necessary in achieving my goals. Although I plan to retire, I am not leaving today. I have two good years remaining to continue my work in Washington. I have the vision and the energy to give it my all. Thank you again for the honor you have given me the honor to serve the people of Alabama in Congress for the last 42 years. I look forward to what is to come for our great state and our great nation. Senator Shelby is currently the vice chairman and leading Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he recently served as chairman of the full committee and its subcommittee on defense. He formerly served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, of which he is the longest serving member in history. He remains a senior member on each of those committees. Additionally, he was previously the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Senator Shelby also serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Following four terms in the U.S. House representing Alabamas 7th congressional district and eight years in the Alabama State Legislature, Senator Shelby was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986. During his time in Congress, he has focused on expanding economic opportunities throughout Alabama and the country, in addition to his top priority the security of the nation. Senator Shelby has also worked to improve and advance education, medical research, space exploration, infrastructure, manufacturing, and agriculture. Importantly, he has worked to ensure that our nations warfighters are equipped with the tools they need to protect and defend the country. Additionally, he has been instrumental in deepening and widening the Port of Mobile, a project that he believes will have a monumental and long-term impact on Alabamas economy. Further, Senator Shelby has worked tirelessly to confirm highly qualified, conservative judges to Alabamas federal courts. Senator Shelby has a strong record of standing for free-market principles and opposing bailouts and big government. He voted against the Chrysler bailout as a freshman in the House of Representatives, opposed the bailout for the financial industry in 2008, and has continuously fought on behalf of American taxpayers. In 2003 and 2005, Senator Shelby introduced legislation to reform the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He led the effort to tailor financial regulations following Dodd-Frank, and in 2015, Senator Shelby introduced a Dodd-Frank reform bill to roll back regulations on Main Street banks and businesses, which ultimately became the framework for a reform bill signed into law in 2018. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Senator Shelby is a fifth generation Alabamian and a graduate of the University of Alabamas undergraduate and law programs. He began his career as a city prosecutor in Tuscaloosa and went on to serve as a U.S. Magistrate for the Northern District of Alabama before working as a Special Assistant Attorney General. Senator Shelby resides in Tuscaloosa with his wife, Annette his bride of 60 years. They have two children, Richard and Claude, and two grandchildren. Tata Steel Long Products Ltd. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Steel may be forced to look outside Europe for a buyer of its Dutch facilities after Sweden's SSAB pulled away from a possible deal. It's going to be a tough task, say, industry observers, with the Indian company's best bet being in the Russian steelmakers. SSAB on January 29 announced that it was no longer keen to go forward with the deal to buy Tata Steel's Dutch units. The two sides had initiated the talks in November 2020. "It is a setback for Tata Steel. They have been looking for a solution for their European business. But now with two failed attempts, their scope for a good solution is narrowing," said a senior executive from the European steel industry. Before SSAB, it was in talks with Germany's Thyssenkrupp to form a joint venture. The European Commission had blocked the proposed joint venture, saying it will hurt competition in some of the key segments of the steel sector in Europe. The commission had identified three industry segments - automotive steel, coated steel used for packaging, and electrical steel - where the JV may harm competition. Hopes of a successful talk were higher with SSAB, especially with no possible hurdle at the Commission. But the Swedish company said the acquisition didn't meet SSAB's overall vision for a fossil-free production. Europe has been pushing steelmakers to reduce their carbon footprint. The synergies that we saw in the transaction would not fully justify the costs and investments required for our desired transformation. This means that overall, the transaction would not meet our financial expectations, Martin Lindqvist, President, and CEO at SSAB said. The groups goal is to be the first in the world to supply fossil-free steel by 2026 and to be a fossil-free company by 2045. The dual impact The twin failures pull back Tata Steel on multiple fronts. "Engaging with a company is a time-taking, and resource-burning exercise," said an industry executive who has held senior-level positions at steel companies in India. "A lot of due diligence takes place, people are involved. And through these times, clients, vendors, and customers are also on tenterhooks as they also wait for an outcome," the executive added. Tata Steel's talks with Thyssenkrupp had last for over a year before it ended in May 2019. It took another year and a half's search for the Indian company to formally announce its engagement with SSAB. This has now lasted over two months. Also, the valuation of the Dutch assets will be hit. "The unit continues to be one of Europe's best run and most profitable units. But given the reservations raised by SSAB, this will hamper future talks, " said the first executive quoted above. Carbon emissions have been a much-discussed subject in Europe, with government efforts to reduce pollution getting popular support. Tata Steel would be forced to spend more to reduce the carbon footprint of its units in the UK and the Netherlands. A sale of the Dutch units will not just save it money, but also provide enough funds to clear off the debts, of 1.7 billion Euros, on the books of Tata Steel Europe. Industry observers reckoned the company would have netted up to $3 billion from the sale of Dutch units. Tata Steel has tried to downplay the setback. " Currently, around two-thirds of the business of Tata Steel is based in India with best in class, highly cost-competitive assets, and strong cash flows and Tata Steel remains committed to undertaking significant de-leveraging in FY21 and beyond," the company had said. But the one-third of the business continues to be a thorn in the flesh, and investors will be concerned. The company's stock had dived over three percent after the SSAB announcement. Who now? Will ArcelorMittal be interested to buy the Dutch asset? Even if the world's, and Europe's, largest steelmaker is, it's unlikely to pass muster with the Commission. Just like in the case of Thyssenkrupp. Liberty Steel, owned by Sanjeev Gupta, had been vocal about its interest in Tata Steel's UK units. But Liberty's focus is now on making a deal with Thyssenkrupp. Who else? Brazil's CSN, which had dueled with Tata Steel for Corus - which was later rechristened Tata Steel Europe - doesn't seem to be any more interested in Europe as a manufacturing base. That leaves Russian steel companies. There are a few - Severstal and NLMK, to name a few. Severstal, whoever is not interested in participating in the consolidation of the European steel industry, which has struggled against Chinese imports. Will NLMK, which already has units in France, Italy, and Belgium, play ball with Tata Steel? We have not completed week six and already 2021 is turning out to be an interesting year. After much anticipation about the rollout of a vaccine, a major setback occurred on Sunday. The use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa was stopped because of lower effectiveness against the so-called South Africa variant more formally known as B.1.351. Prime Minister Scott Morrison tours the AstraZeneca laboratories in NSW last year after the government signed an agreement with the company to produce the vaccine. Credit:Nick Moir It has been found that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has poor protection against mild and moderate illness from B.1.351 among young adults. The vaccine may, hopefully, still be effective against serious illness, but definitive evidence on this is not in. Any suggestion of weaker than expected performance by the vaccine has raised concern in Australia, where it has formed the backbone of our vaccination response. Australia expects to have 53.8 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses available to it this year, 20 million of which will be produced locally by CSL. NIST posts enhanced requirements for protecting CUI In the wake of the SolarWinds Orion hack, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published recommendations for enhanced security requirements that can help organizations protect controlled unclassified information (CUI) against nation-state backed threats. The requirements in 800-172 largely fall into one of three categories: structuring systems to be resistant against malicious actors, improving an organization's ability to detect threats and mitigate potential damage and ensuring an organization can recover from an attack. "Implementing the cyber safeguards in SP 800-172 will help system owners protect what state-level hackers have considered to be particularly high-value targets: sensitive information about people, technologies, innovation and intellectual property, the revelation of which could compromise our economy and national security," NIST Fellow Ron Ross said. The document cites a 2018 incident in which Chinese government hackers stole sensitive data from a Navy contractor working on an anti-ship missile design as the reason for its work. But the connection to the SolarWinds hack is clear. "These tools are absolutely relevant to preventing the next SolarWinds, both for the public- and private-sector hacks," said Blake Moore, formerly chief of staff for the Pentagon's CIO and now a vice president at Wickr. "Similar to the Navy hack of 2018, the SolarWinds breach highlighted the vital importance of securing federal networks against these advanced nation-states." Moore said that although the SolarWinds Orion hack received more attention due to its scale, the remedies needed in the aftermath of SolarWinds and the 2018 Navy breach are similar. NIST's new publication provides a "roadmap" for how agencies of any size should counter "increasingly advanced tradecraft from nation-state actors," he said. Sarah Powazek, an analyst at the Institute for Security and Technology, said that while the report's goal is the protection of controlled unclassified information, the recommendations all target "daily security operations of federal partners, suggesting that NIST may be equally concerned about the upstream effects of poor security." "Tightening access controls for non-federal agencies would improve confidentiality of sensitive information but can also prevent the initial access for [advanced persistent threats] targeting government agencies," she said. Kathryn Waldron, a cybersecurity fellow at the R Street Institute, emphasized that most of SolarWinds victims were private companies, not government agencies. NIST's new publication proves "just how desperately both government agencies and private companies need to change the way they think about cybersecurity," she said. "Private organizations -- both companies and academic institutions -- that work with the government need to realize how appealing a target they are to countries that are looking to harm the United States," Waldron said. Waldron also noted NIST's new guidelines come a few months after the intelligence community lobbied Trump White House to rescind an Obama-era executive order that established the Controlled Unclassified Information program. A December memorandum sent to National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien by then Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said the program poses "insurmountable hurdles" and has become "unsustainable," according to a letter published by the Federation of American Scientists. "We have yet to see if the new DNI or the Biden administration feel the same way about the CUI program," Waldron said. "But the fact that federal intelligence agencies have struggled to comply with the CUI program could potentially hinder the rollout of these new guidelines." This article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to GCN. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has concluded arrangements to construct ambulance ports along major highways in Osun State. The FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi, disclosed this in Osogbo, the state capital, saying the corps was committed to a strategic effort aimed at boosting and strengthening its operations for improved service delivery. Oyeyemi added that the corps would site three driving schools in each of the three senatorial districts of the state, expressing the readiness of the corps to partner with the state government to record more achievements on road safety in the state. He urged FRSC officials to ensure strict compliance to COVID-19 guidelines by motorists and passengers. Unions were today pushing back at plans to extend the school year in England as Boris Johnson vowed to go 'flat out' to help children catch up. The PM said getting pupils' learning on track was the government's 'single biggest priority' amid fears the most vulnerable have fallen even further behind during the pandemic. The comments came after it emerged ministers are looking at continuing the summer term for another two weeks, with the holiday time redistributed to existing breaks in the autumn and winter. Study during the warmer months could be easier as windows and doors can be kept open in school buildings to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. A new study has found that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds found remote learning significantly more difficult than other students last year. However, unions have signalled they will oppose the changes, insisting parents are 'craving getting back to normal'. On a visit to a vaccination centre in Derbyshire this afternoon, Mr Johnson said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be announcing a full catch-up blueprint soon. 'We have got to work flat out now as a country as a society to remedy the loss of learning that we have had,' he said. The extension is being considered as No10 insisted that the worrying news about the AstraZeneca being less effective against the South African variant had not changed plans to get children back in classrooms from March 8. Many schools across England are due to break up for the summer holidays on Friday July 23. A two-week extension would therefore see pupils continuing to attend class during the first week of August. The government is looking at continuing the summer term for another two weeks, with the holiday time redistributed to existing breaks in the autumn and winter (file picture) On a visit to a vaccination centre in Derbyshire this afternoon, Mr Johnson said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be announcing a full catch-up blueprint soon Unions accused of 'highjacking' pandemic to push for pay rises Britain's biggest teaching union has been accused of 'hijacking' the coronavirus crisis to push for pay rises and long-term perks while the educations of millions of children are shipwrecked. The National Education Union (NEU) is including pay increases in 'key demands' and bosses have called for any reduction in class sizes to be 'long-term' - not just for social distancing during the pandemic. Union leaders congratulated their members for getting schools closed down, claiming it was their threats to not turn up to class which led to Prime Minister Boris Johnson shutting schools in England in January. The NEU came under fire from furious Tory backbenchers after a 'gloating' email from the union to its 500,000 members was leaked which told them 'You did it!' as the third national lockdown was announced. The union, which has described the pandemic as a 'turning point' in relations between teachers and Downing Street, has thwarted every proposal by the government to get children back into classrooms. Now it has set out 'key demands for all workplaces' in a five-point 'Covid bulletin' to reps which calls for a 'permanent' and 'automatic' pay rise, an end to work assessments during the coronavirus crisis, risk assessments, and extra time to plan, prepare and assess students' work. Advertisement Asked on a round of interviews this morning whether ministers are considering making the summer term longer, health minister Edward Argar told BBC Breakfast: 'It's quite right that Gavin (Williamson, the Education Secretary) is looking at a whole range of things to see how we can make sure the impact on them is minimised to the extent that's possible. 'But it would be premature for me to comment on what may or may not be what he does announce.' Boris Johnson has said schools across England will not reopen until March 8 at the earliest. The Prime Minister has said he will publish a lockdown exit strategy later this month amid mounting pressure from Tory MPs to bring forward a return to classrooms. Changing the school year is one of a number of options reportedly being looked at by Number 10 as the Government develops its plans to help students catch up on lost time. Government sources made clear that no decisions have been taken at this stage. But there are reports the two weeks of lost summer holidays could be added to the autumn half-term and the Christmas holidays. Extending those holidays would also provide a longer so-called 'fire break' in the colder months, providing more time for infections to fall. As the policy work continues, resarch by non-profit body ImpactEd again highlighted the damage to the prospects of children. Its study monitored 62,000 pupils in England through eight months of 2020 to assess the effect of online schooling during the pandemic. Their report, Lockdown Lessons, found that among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds those at schools eligible for the Government's Pupil Premium grant only 45 per cent said they understood their schoolwork in lockdown, compared with 57% among other students. The survey assessed pupils using a range of measures including their home learning environment, their metacognitive strategies and their learning habits, in order to determine a 'Covid-19 Learning Index'. It found pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds gave their home environment a 6% lower score than other students and reported lower scores on metacognition, leading to a sharply lower Covid-19 Learning Index score of 3.21 compared with 3.35 from non-disadvantaged pupils. 'Across all of these learning measures, and those associated with wellbeing, students eligible for Pupil Premium reported worse than average outcomes,' the report said, adding disadvantaged students had also scored 5 per cent lower on questions about their resilience. The report's authors recommended that 'post-lockdown support should be carefully evaluated to ensure that pupils who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are benefiting'. 'If interventions are not having the desired effect, they should be stopped,' the report said. The survey also found pupil wellbeing overall across the first period of lockdown was perhaps not as adversely affected as feared. Using a 35-point scale, the average score for wellbeing was 23.8 in May, 24.1 in June, and 24.0 in July, compared with a pre-lockdown score of 23.6. Pupils in years 10 and 11 reported the greatest challenges with motivation, the survey said, a condition which did not improve after lockdown. The PM visited a vaccination hub in Derbyshire today as the UK rollout continues Education secretary Gavin Williamson is looking at ways of helping children catch up Boris Johnson has said schools across England will not reopen until March 8 at the earliest A quarter of KS4 pupils complained they could not attain help from their families if they had questions about their schoolwork. Furthermore, 40 per cent of these students said they did not have a routine which helped them learn, according to the study, which also found pupils who exercised regularly were more likely 58 per cent to 33 per cent to report they had developed a positive learning routine. Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, told Sunday Times that the change to the school year is under consideration by ministers. He said: 'We have to reform the school year. There has to be change; things cannot carry on the way they did pre-Covid. From my discussions with No10, everything is up for debate.' The Welsh government has already suggested it could move to extend the summer term. The Sunday Telegraph reported that some private schools are preparing similar plans. Some private schools are looking at bringing forward the Easter holidays to make more time for the summer term. Geoff Barton, from the ASCL head teachers' union, said changes to the school year should not happen now. He said: 'It's nice to think about doing things differently, and this is the moment to rethink them. But anyone trying to force that through this summer will find people are just craving getting back to normal.' It emerged last week that ministers are also considering plans to extend the school day. The idea is being pushed by some Tory MPs and the Government is said to be receptive to it. However, teaching unions have urged ministers to reject the proposals, claiming there are 'better methods' to help pupils catch up on lost time in the classroom. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, said: 'Research evidence shows that there are better methods to help pupils than lengthening the school day. 'The Government must filter out loud calls for superficially attractive schemes and listen to the experts instead.' Should teaching unions try to stand in the way of the move if the Government adopts the proposals, volunteers could cover the extended lessons, according to The Times. Downing Street said last Friday that the Government is working with teachers and parents on catch-up plans, adding: 'The PM acknowledges that extended schools closures have had a huge impact on pupils' learning which will clearly take time to make up.' Mr Johnson last week refused to bow to demands to bring forward the reopening of schools. Holt Farndon bridge is structurally sound following floods This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 8th, 2021 Wrexhams MP has met with residents and politicians in a socially distanced outdoor meeting to highlight flooding damage caused by Storm Christoph. Sarah Atherton MP invited local councillor Mike Morris, and Streetscene Supervisor from Wrexham County Borough Council, Greg McArthur to meet with residents in Bowling Bank who have been impacted by the recent flooding. During the meeting residents discussed the clean-up effort and preventative measures with the Wrexham Council representatives. Concerns about the structural integrity of the Holt Farndon Bridge were also raised. Sarah and Edward Timpson, MP for Eddisbury, visited the site, inviting Farndon Liberal Democrat Councillor, Paul Roberts, and Karen Shore, Labour Councillor responsible for Environment, Highways and Transport for Cheshire West and Chester Council to highlight the impact the floods have had on the bridge. Sarah Atherton MP said: Residents here were affected badly by Storm Christoph, with flood water damaging several local properties. Issues with drains as well as the maintenance of local gulleys have all contributed to the problem. I am grateful to Wrexham Council for coming and listening to residents, providing advice on what can be done and promising to look into ways in which the Council can help end this problem. Sarah said: I am pleased that representatives from Cheshire West Council met with Edward Timpson, Member of Parliament for Eddisbury, and myself to hear the concerns of constituents. It is reassuring that the bridge, which is so important to the local community, is structurally sound. Further work is expected to take place in the spring. MONROE COUNTY, MI A Texas man accused of fatally shooting a Monroe woman in a Monroe County RV park has been charged with murder. Austin Taylor Lucas was arraigned on one felony count each of open murder and felony firearms Monday, Feb. 8, in Monroe County District Court, after being arrested for the slaying of Joy Dawn Boswell, according to Michigan State Police. Lucas, 28, of Plano Texas, was arrested Feb. 3 after police found him covered in blood walking along a roadway north of the Shady Creek RV Park and Resort in Frenchtown Township where police were responding to a reported shooting, police said. Man covered in blood arrested shortly after woman found fatally shot, police say Boswell, 35, was found shot in the face after police were called at 10:20 p.m. to a disturbance involving gunshots in the RV park located at 1600 Stumpmier Road, police said. She was taken to Oakwood Southshore Hospital where she died from the injuries, police said. Investigators said they believe the shooting was a domestic incident and not random. Lucas is currently being held without bond in the Monroe County Jail. He is scheduled for a probable cause hearing on Feb. 17. Open murder allows a jury to determine the degree of murder a defendant is guilty of in convicted. More from MLive: Reconstruction of Zeeb Road near Ann Arbor set to begin in May One injured, one arrested for suspected arson in Ann Arbor apartment fire Man knocked out in University of Michigan hospital parking garage wakes to find car on fire, police say Germany allocates funds totaling EUR 13.1 million to strengthen 12 medical institutions in eastern Ukraine, the German Embassy in Ukraine reported. "The goal of the agreed project is to improve the capacity of health care institutions in eastern Ukraine. Funding is directed towards renovation of the building stock and energy efficient renewal, as well as equipping 12 medical institutions with modern medical devices and personal protective equipment in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia regions and government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the message on the German Embassy in Ukraine website said on Monday. The agreement on future cooperation was signed in the presence of Vice Prime Minister - Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund (USIF) Andriy Laktionov and Director of the Regional Office of the German State Development Bank (KfW) in Kyiv Kurt Strasser. Funding is provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. "In addition to the difficult conditions in many communities in eastern Ukraine, the challenges of tackling the pandemic have become an additional burden. Therefore, I am very pleased that with this project we can provide people on the ground with some support and hopefully some confidence in these difficult times," the press service of the embassy quotes the words of the ambassador of Germany to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen. As reported, since 2008, the Federal Government through KfW provided assistance totaling EUR 68.7 million for the development of social infrastructure in Ukraine. "Thus, within the framework of cooperation with the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund (USIF), almost 500 social facilities have already been repaired, including schools, kindergartens, cultural and medical institutions, water pipes and living quarters for internally displaced persons. Thus, in the eastern regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv, it was possible to create housing for more 700 internally displaced persons. In addition, additional places in kindergartens in Kyiv and Lviv have already been provided for more than 2,500 children," the message says. The new project complements two projects currently underway to provide housing for internally displaced persons and renovate social infrastructure, as well as to strengthen selected health care centers in eastern Ukraine through patient-centered and energy efficiency-driven overhauls of premises, as well as medical equipment, the German Embassy said. COLUMBUS, Ohio - We know that what happens in the mouth doesn't stay in the mouth - but the oral cavity's connection to the rest of the body goes way beyond chewing, swallowing and digestion. The healthy human oral microbiome consists of not just clean teeth and firm gums, but also energy-efficient bacteria living in an environment rich in blood vessels that enables the organisms' constant communication with immune-system cells and proteins. A growing body of evidence has shown that this system that seems so separate from the rest of our bodies is actually highly influential on, and influenced by, our overall health, said Purnima Kumar, professor of periodontology at The Ohio State University, speaking at a science conference this week. For example, type 2 diabetes has long been known to increase the risk for gum disease. Recent studies showing how diabetes affects the bacteria in the mouth help explain how periodontitis treatment that changes oral bacteria also reduces the severity of the diabetes itself. Connections have also been found between oral microbes and rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive abilities, pregnancy outcomes and heart disease, supporting the notion that an unhealthy mouth can go hand-in-hand with an unhealthy body. "What happens in your body impacts your mouth, and that in turn impacts your body. It's truly a cycle of life," Kumar said. When the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) themed this year's annual meeting around dynamic ecosystems, Kumar saw an opportunity to put the mouth on the map, so to speak, as a vibrant microbial community that can tell us a lot about ourselves. "What is more dynamic than the gateway to your body - the mouth? It's so ignored when you think about it, and it's the most forward-facing part of your body that interfaces with the environment, and it's connected to this entire tubing system," she said. "And yet we study everything but the mouth." Kumar organized a session at the AAAS meeting today (Feb. 8, 2021) that she titled "Killer Smile: The Link Between the Oral Microbiome and Systemic Diseases." The oral microbiome refers to the collection of bacteria - some helpful to humans and some not - that live inside our mouths. Kumar has led and collaborated on recent research further explaining the link between oral health and type 2 diabetes, which was first described in the 1990s. She was the lead author of a 2020 study that compared the oral microbiomes of people with and without type 2 diabetes and how they responded to nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis. The team found that periodontitis allows bacteria - rather than the human host - to take the reins in determining the mix of microbes and inflammatory molecules in the mouth. Treating the gum disease led to eventual restoration of a normal host-microbiome relationship, but it happened more slowly in people with diabetes. "Our studies have led up to the conclusion that people with diabetes have a different microbiome from people who are not diabetic," Kumar said. "We know that changing the bacteria in your mouth and restoring them back to what your body knows as healthy and friendly bacteria actually improves your glycemic control." Though there remains a lot to learn, the basics of these relationship between the oral microbiome and systemic disease have become clear. Oral bacteria use oxygen to breathe and break down simple molecules of carbohydrates and proteins to stay alive. Something as simple as not brushing your teeth for a few days can set off a cascade of changes, choking off the oxygen supply and causing microbes to shift to a fermentative state. "That creates a septic tank, which produces byproducts and toxins that stimulate the immune system," Kumar said. An acute inflammatory response follows, producing signaling proteins that bacteria see as food. "Then this community - it's an ecosystem - shifts. Organisms that can break down protein start growing more, and organisms that can breathe in an oxygen-starved environment grow. The bacterial profile and, more importantly, the function of the immune system changes," she said. The inflammation opens pores between cells that line the mouth and blood vessels get leaky, allowing what have become unhealthy bacteria to enter circulation throughout the body. "The body is producing inflammation in response to these bacteria, and those inflammatory products are also moving to the bloodstream, so now you're getting hammered twice. Your body is trying to protect you and turning against itself," Kumar said. "And these pathogens are having a field day, crossing boundaries they were never supposed to cross." The exact mechanisms of the links between the oral microbiome and specific diseases are complex and still being investigated, but the secret to a healthy mouth is no secret at all: Prevention of oral disease is as simple as brushing and flossing, and visiting the dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning, Kumar said. The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General announced in 2018 that it had commissioned an update to its 2000 report on oral health, which was the first to be published on the topic. Kumar said the national emphasis on oral health as an integral element of overall well-being bolsters her argument that the mouth should be an "equal opportunity player" in determinants of health. "Putting the mouth back into the body - that's my goal here," she said. ### Contact: Purnima Kumar, Kumar.83@osu.edu; 614-247-4532 Written by Emily Caldwell, Caldwell.151@osu.edu Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks during an interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, Feb. 5. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk 'South Korea has wisdom to balance Washington-Beijing diplomacy' By Yi Whan-woo The Beijing-Washington confrontation is in progress under new American President Joe Biden, and his approach to China is characterized by his moves to restore the U.S.' traditional alliances while evolving them into a broader coalition by expanding the Quad. The U.S. has been pressuring South Korea to strengthen cooperation with Japan for the sake of the U.S.-South Korea-Japan alliance in the Indo-Pacific, and it is widely expected that Washington will encourage Seoul to join the enlarged version of the Quad. The situation is pushing Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming to view the U.S.-South Korea-Japan alliance as a more sensitive issue than in his previous years in Seoul as a councilor and minister-councilor in the 2000s, and as deputy chief in the 2010s and ambassador since 2020 "China deems forming a small group internationally or instigating a new Cold War in an attempt to exclude, intimidate, and isolate a third country as well cutting off its ties with others will inevitably force the world into division and confrontation," Xing said during a joint interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at the embassy, Feb. 5, indicating China's opposition to the Quad or other types of "anti-China" coalitions. "Any multilateral cooperation in the region should be in the right direction and advantageous to regional and global peace and security." His remarks were in response to the three-way alliance highlighted during a phone call between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Jan. 27. In a separate phone call with President Moon Jae-in, Feb. 4, Biden underlined the Washington-Seoul bilateral alliance, which he has called "the linchpin for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia." In addition to these bilateral and trilateral alliances, the Quad a coalition of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India to rein in China has become a key word for South Korean diplomacy and security although the Moon government has been taking an ambiguous stance about joining it. It is up to South Korea, Xing underlined, to judge what is good for its long-term national interest and decide whether to be a part of an expanded Quad. "Still, I would not agree with an idea of forming a group that targets China. It does not look right," he said. Asked about Seoul's dilemma of balancing diplomacy between Washington and Beijing, Xing said South Korea's ties to the two major powers are "both important." "From China's perspective, such ties will not necessarily be in conflict as long as someone does not deliberately stir up problems," the envoy said. "I believe South Korea has the wisdom to manage its bilateral ties with the U.S and China for the long-term interest of its statehood and people." The envoy said he disagrees with speculation on the timing of the phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Moon, Jan. 26, prior to the Moon-Biden phone call. The Jan. 26 call has been interpreted here as China's attempt to stop South Korea from getting closer to the U.S. "Everyone knows about the Seoul-Washington alliance and the Seoul-Beijing strategic cooperative partnership It is the best to discuss what lies ahead in bilateral relations at the beginning of the year, and that was how the (Jan. 26) dialogue came about," Xing explained. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) U.S. missile shield is deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in this July 2017 photo. Korea Times file THAAD, hallyu ban Decisions made by Seoul that are detrimental to Beijing could result in economic retaliation, as happened after the 2016 deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) U.S. missile shield in South Korea. Seoul and Beijing in 2017 officially agreed to end the THAAD standoff and move forward, but there is a persistent belief here that the ban on hallyu, Korean pop culture, still remains effective as one of the retaliatory measures. Xing dismissed the belief, calling it "a groundless rumor that will naturally go away as cultural exchanges deepen, and the basis for mutual friendship is solidified over and over." "The two countries have had their ups and downs in bilateral relations with their exchange and cooperation being affected by THAAD deployment, but this is something that neither party wanted," he said. "We have a shared consensus to resolve THAAD-related problems step by step, and China-South Korea ties are back on a normal track." Nevertheless, Xing reaffirmed Beijing's stance that THAAD directly concerns its national security interests regarding opinions that additional THAAD batteries should be deployed here to cope with Pyongyang's evolving ballistic missile threats. The U.S. currently has a single battery stationed here. "China's stance has been consistent, clear and remains unchanged. I hope any THAAD-related matters will be dealt with appropriately and settled completely," he said. Kimchi row Regarding the latest online spat in South Korea and China over the origins of kimchi and hanbok, Xing noted that the two sides should take into account "thousands of years of history and values shared by the two countries." China's claims over kimchi and hanbok are in reference to its ethnic Koreans one of the 55 non-Han minorities who collectively make up about 8 percent of the country's 1.4 billion population. For many South Koreans, it was viewed as an attempt to "steal culture," and accordingly, a free ride on the hallyu wave that has brought international interest in traditional Korean culture. "Shared history and values evolve over time and many of them are deeply rooted in what I would call the cultural DNA of the both countries," Xing said. "Taking this into account, the people of the two countries should tear down emotional barriers, resolve any misunderstandings, biases and mistrust so that we can be closer." Asked whether the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing could be a stage for inter-Korean reconciliation, Xing noted it is primarily a sporting event. "But even so, facilitating world peace through a sporting event is a good idea," he said, adding China will always be on the same side for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks on coronavirus situation in China during a press briefing at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, Feb. 4, 2020. Korea Times file Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki attended Saturday 06/02/2021 a ceremony marking the end of a military preparation course given to students of military academies. A group of students showed their skills in dismantling and reassembling weapons during the ceremony. A documentary about biographies of military leaders, after whom the batches were named, was also played. At the end of the ceremony, Zaki conveyed President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's best regards to families of the students for their effort to raise a generation of citizens who abide by principles and traditions. He also stressed keenness of the military establishment to hone innovative skills of youth. University System of Maryland (USM) effort includes video message, joint statement, and stepped-up campus advocacy activities. University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, has joined University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD, and presidents of the systems other 11 universities in a special promotional effort to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations across Maryland. This multimedia campaign designed to dovetail with state activities to promote the safety and efficacy of vaccines, especially in communities with vaccine hesitancy also will highlight the many ways USM faculty, staff, and students are contributing to fight the pandemic. The new effort includes a statement in support of vaccines signed by Perman and all 12 of the systems presidents and a video for distribution on social media. (Watch video below.) Our presidents wanted to do this campaign, said Perman, a former UMB president. They wanted a strong joint statement that would demonstrate their confidence in the vaccines, and they wanted to publicly pledge to get vaccinated themselves once theyre eligible. Our intent isnt just to persuade members of our campus communities to get vaccinated; its to persuade all Marylanders especially those most at risk, those who are suffering disproportionately, those who might have concerns about safety or efficacy. The USM campaign is designed to support a Maryland Department of Health (MDH) GoVax awareness campaign that will launch this week and dovetail with initiatives of local public health agencies. In the video, President Jarrell says, Were confident in the vaccines safety and efficacy. We appreciate the integrity of the scientific process. And were grateful to the women and men who participated in the clinical trials. In the statement, the USM presidents emphasize that it is critical to demonstrate their trust in the vaccine and to do so specifically because of distrust that exists in communities of color. Americas chronic inequality in health care access, its race-based disparities in health outcomes, and history of racism and exploitation in medical research and care have made Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities justifiably skeptical, the statement notes. However, members of these communities are at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from it. Of the 12 USM presidents, more than half are Black women and men. Through this pledge, we [hope to] ensure the communities we serve get the full protection of a COVID vaccine, so that, together, we can end this virus for good, the statement says. We trust the people who developed and tested these vaccines. In fact, some of them are the USMs own faculty and alumni, Perman said. So, yes, were confident in the science and in the scientists. The video message from the USM presidents affirms the statement and emphasizes their pledge to be vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. The video will be released throughout the state. It endorses themes such as service, humanity, trust, and protection of our most vulnerable citizens. With the approved vaccines bringing the first sign of hope since the pandemic became widespread in the United States during winter 2020, the USM presidents want to underscore the importance of redoubling efforts as the nation enters the next stretch of defeating the pandemic. USM takes great pride in the leadership its institutions have shown in fighting COVID-19, through vaccine development and other notable endeavors in service and teaching. The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) led clinical trials of the vaccine to determine safety and efficacy, enabling its quick approval with the prospect of saving countless lives. President Jarrell marked his first day as president last fall by taking part in the vaccine trial. In naming her its 2020 co-Marylander of the Year, The Baltimore Sun saluted Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, UMSOM. The Sun editorial said, As one of two principal investigators for the COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network Dr. Neuzil has led a major effort to develop and test safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines under the countrys Operation Warp Speed public-private partnership. Several USM institutions are in discussions with the Maryland Department of Health and local health departments to serve as vaccine distribution sites for their own students, faculty, and staff, and, in some cases, for residents in the surrounding communities as well. Meanwhile, nursing students from UMB are exiting early to join the workforce in battling COVID-19. USM is working on pathways to engage current nursing and pharmacy students in the states mass vaccination program. These paths include direct employment of USM students by health care institutions, volunteer opportunities, and options to offer for-credit clinical rotations to students engaged in mass vaccination efforts so they might serve while making progress toward their degree. CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) Noah Carter had 25 points and 13 rebounds as Northern Iowa narrowly beat Indiana State 70-67 on Sunday. Austin Phyfe had 17 points and eight rebounds for Northern Iowa (6-12, 4-8 Missouri Valley Conference). Trae Berhow added 10 points, including two key free throws with 4.6 seconds left. He also had a 3-pointer with 1:54 to go that up the Panthers up for good 65-63. Jake LaRavia's 3-pointer was off the mark as time expired. Tyreke Key had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Sycamores (11-8, 8-6), whose seven-game win streak was snapped. Key pass Eddie Bird for ninth on the career scoringlist with 1,557 points. Julian Larry added a career-high 14 points. LaRavia had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Indiana State defeated Northern Iowa 61-57 on Saturday. ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25 ___ Elements of this story generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com CO2 GRO (CVE: GROW- OTCQB: BLONF) Vice President of Sales and Strategic Alliances Aaron Archibald joined Steve Darling from Proactive to bring news the company has signed a commercial feasibility agreement with Prism Farms in Leamington and the County of Essex region in Ontario. Archibald telling Proactive this is a key deal on a few fronts including this area can be a key market for the company considering The County of Essex and Leamington area has over 80 million square feet of greenhouses with capacity growing at 10% per year. Also, Canada is the main producer of greenhouse tomatoes in North America with Ontario greenhouses producing 98% of the tomatoes grown in Canada. Alabama lawmakers on Thursday fast-tracked a pair of pandemic bills one to exempt coronavirus relief payments from state income tax and another to shield businesses, health care providers and others from virus-related lawsuits. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and GOP lawmakers had named the bills along with with a third to renew the states pool of industrial recruitment incentives as the top priority for the first two weeks of the legislative session. The Alabama Senate swiftly approved legislation that would provide businesses and others protection from liability in coronavirus-related lawsuits, provided the entities were taking precautions to limit the spread of the virus. The bill passed without debate on a 27-1 vote. It now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives. The bill by Republican Sen. Arthur Orr could provide immunity for businesses, health care providers and others from certain damages claimed by individuals who allege they contracted or were exposed to the virus. The bill would shield businesses, schools, health care providers, churches and others from lawsuits over COVID-19 exposure unless the person could prove the entity was acting with reckless or intentional misconduct. Orr said the bill would give protection to companies, churches and other entities from virus-related claims only if they were following appropriate precautions. A business that chose to ignore that guidance and did not require, say like masks in their workplace or took no steps to try to limit the interaction of their workers being very close together, then they would not have protection in that safe harbor, Orr said. Robyn Hyden of Alabama Arise, an advocacy group for low-income people, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to take more steps to protect and help workers. Front-line workers deserve access to health care, hazard pay and social support programs if they are unable to work in a high-risk field. Too many workers are being driven into risky working conditions with no alternatives, Hyden said. The House voted 94-0 for the bill that would exempt coronavirus stimulus payments, grants, and small loans forgiveness approved by Congress from state income taxes. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate. These monies were meant to tide people over until the economy recovered. it was never meant as an opportunity to grow the states bank account, Ivey said in her State of the State address Tuesday night. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Legislation Alabama AG Nessel Announces VanDeventer as New Chief Legal Counsel AG Nessel Announces VanDeventer as New Chief Legal Counsel Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746 Attorney General February 8, 2021 LANSING Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced John VanDeventer as her new chief legal counsel. Prior to joining the Michigan Department of Attorney General, VanDeventer was employed by Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago where he served in the firms Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice, focusing primarily on commercial bankruptcy. Before that he spent time working in Washington, D.C., for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which serves about 2 million members in health care, the public sector and property services. VanDeventer also worked on Gov. Jennifer Granholms re-election campaign and with the Michigan Corrections Organization, a local SEIU chapter that serves prison workers and others in Michigan. Johns experience as a litigator provides him with a unique perspective that will prove invaluable as he takes on his new role at the Department of Attorney General, Nessel said. I have no doubt that he has the capabilities and the legal background needed to excel in this position and I am confident he will serve his fellow Michiganders well. The Petoskey native is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University and he earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. VanDeventer joined the Department Jan. 25. The opportunity to come home to serve the people of Michigan is a dream come true, and really what Ive been working toward my whole adult life, VanDeventer said. Attorney General Nessel has proven herself a staunch advocate for the things that make Michigan so special to me, such as keeping our environment and the Great Lakes clean and free of pollution, and being a proponent for diverse, vibrant and inclusive communities. I am excited to join her in the fight for a better Michigan. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (center) listens to Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin as they welcome Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace, in Manila, Jan. 16, 2021. The Philippines will not protest before the United Nations about a new law that allows the Chinese coast guard to use force against foreign boats in the South China Sea, Manilas top diplomat said Monday, while announcing plans to meet with American officials later this month to iron out differences over a key military pact. To seek redress from the U.N. would be counterproductive for Manila because an international arbitration court had ruled in the countrys favor in 2016 in a case brought against Beijing over contested waters in the sea, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said. To do so now would only reopen litigation, which could put Manilas legal victory at stake, he said in a television interview. I am not gonna go back there because the Coast Guard Law has some claims as to the extent of their territory, Locsin told ANC television. That will re-open the arbitral award and Im not going to give them a chance to do that. Because Ill tell you one thing about the Chinese Chinese diplomacy has been very effective with most of the members of the United Nations and Im not going to throw our victory into that and let them decide, he said. On Jan. 22, Chinas National Peoples Congress passed the Coast Guard Law, which placed the coast guard under military command. The law contains a provision that allows its ships to use weapons against any vessels found in waters that Beijing claims as its territory. The new law took effect last week. On Jan. 27, Locsin announced that the Philippine government had filed a protest against the new Chinese law. At the time, he said the legislation was a verbal threat of war to any country that defies the law; which, if unchallenged, is submission to it. Last week, Locsin publicly clashed with the spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, a former international lawyer, who said that the government could raise Chinas new law before a U.N. tribunal. At the time, the Philippines top diplomat told Roque to lay off foreign affairs. Even Harry Roque said the same thing. He said no, and I said no. Well, a little bit angrily. I love the man, and he loves me back, Locsin said on Monday. But no. Were not doing it because my brain tells me its wrong. The foreign secretary also turned down a suggestion that the Philippines reach out to Southeast Asian nations whose claims to the South China Sea overlap with Chinas claims to come together against the new law. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea as its own. Six other Asian governments Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have territorial claims or maritime boundaries in the South China Sea that overlap with the sweeping claims of China. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. The Philippines and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that have claims should take the Coast Guard Law to the U.N., Antonio Carpio, a maritime law expert and former Philippine Supreme Court justice, said recently. The ASEAN states that are prejudiced by this new law of China can go to UNCLOS and get this new law of China declared void under UNCLOS and international law, Carpio had said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Carpio, who helped the Philippines secure its 2016 win before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, described the new Chinese law as a threat against the world. Beijing, through its embassy in Manila, claimed last week that its Coast Guard Law had been misinterpreted and was nothing but a normal domestic legislative activity. VFA talks Locsin also said that Washington and Manila were expected to hash their differences over the Visiting Forces Agreement, a bilateral pact that allows U.S. forces to conduct large-scale exercises in Philippine territory, during the last week of February. A year ago, President Duterte ordered that the VFA be dropped after the U.S. revoked the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, the former national police chief who had led his administrations war on drugs. In June, the Philippine government suspended its decision to end the deal amid Chinese threats in the South China Sea. By November, Duterte called for taking another six months to determine the status of the VFA. I am narrowing down the issues and soon we will meet ... and iron out whatever differences we have, Locsin said in Mondays TV interview. The foreign secretary said he had also affirmed Manilas commitment to the bilateral Mutual Defense Treaty, during a recent phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He affirmed that it was important for (him) to preface it on what Pompeo said because that was the most precise formulation Ive ever or anyones ever heard of the American defense commitment and he articulated it, Locsin said, referring to Michael Pompeo, the previous secretary of state. In addition, Locsin said he would continue to press for a code of conduct in disputed waters of the South China Sea that will never exclude the United States. With that, you have the assurance of a balance of power in the region, Locsin said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state will remain the Arab worlds central and fair cause, despite other challenges facing the region, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday following an emergency meeting held by the Arab League (AL) in Cairo. In a joint press conference with ALs secretary-general and the foreign ministers of Jordan and Palestine, Shoukry said that Egypt will continue to be among the top backers of the Palestinian cause. He said that the emergency meeting, which was called upon by Cairo to bolster Arab solidarity amid developments in the region, adopted a resolution that would further support solidarity between Arab counterparts and joint action. The resolution also affirms the legitimate rights of Palestinians and the establishment of an independent state, Shoukry said. The minister said a closed session was also held on challenges facing the region and means to face them, describing the dialogue between the Arab foreign ministers as one which saw transparency and honesty. He added that the ministers have agreed to hold more talks apart from formal proceedings to bolster consultations. AL Secretary-General Ahmed Abu El-Gheit said Mondays meeting restored a full consensus over the Palestinian cause with the blessing of Palestine. The meeting also tackled means to restore Arabs roles amid the challenges in the region, water security, and the crisis in Libya and Yemen, he added. He said the ministers agreed on a non-formal consultative meeting every three months to discuss pressing Arab crises. The joint press conference came after Shoukry delivered Egypts speech in front of the AL, saying that stability in the region will be achieved only if a permanent and comprehensive peace based on a just settlement, fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinian people, is reached. He said the meeting was being held amid exceptional and unprecedented circumstances in the Arab world. He also said that the presence of ministers and heads of delegations of Arab countries reaffirms that the Palestinian issue will remain our central cause [as] states and peoples. The Egyptian Minister added that the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital has never slipped through the cracks. The Palestinian issue was and will remain at the heart of the Arab conscience, no matter how the [peace] negotiation process becomes marred by stagnation and disruption, as well as the unilateral Israeli practices and settlement projects in the West Bank, he added. This issue has experienced exceedingly difficult circumstances over the past years, but issues that are just do not die, and remain legitimate as long as they remain unresolved, and as long as the international community has not yet done its duty towards it, he noted. Shoukry assured that Egypt is also keen to continue the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to provide Palestinian refugees with decent services amid complicated political and humanitarian conditions. Shoukry said that in the past decade, the Arab world has suffered many challenges, including the ideological and political fissures, and the terrorist groups that, he said, took advantage of the political and security vacuum in some countries. He also highlighted the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic that clobbered Arab countries, saying it added more burdens and challenges to the Arab worlds economies and societies. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Egypt, comes two days after the International Criminal Court ruled that it has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The decision lays the groundwork for opening a criminal investigation into violations and war crimes by Israel in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Egypt has spared no effort to support all attempts that aim to resolve the stalemate that has dominated the peace process for years, as well as ending the fractures between Palestinian factions, Shoukry stressed. Cairo has been in talks with several Western parties to push forward the frozen Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In February 2020, Egypt, along with Jordan, France, and Germany, formed the quartet committee, with the aim of reviving the halted negotiations. The committee has so far held four meetings, the latest of which was hosted by Cairo earlier this month, where the foreign ministers of the four countries forged 11 provisions detailed in a joint statement outlining the endeavours to revive the peace process. At the same time, Egypt is currently hosting a two-day talk dubbed the National Palestinian Dialogue, which brings together various Palestinian factions with the aim of ending inter-Palestinian differences and guarantee the success of the upcoming elections scheduled for this year. Short link: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALL LICENSE RENEWALS ONLINE: As New Mexicos counties work to get to yellow and then green status in pandemic terms, the state Motor Vehicle Division is limiting in-person appointments. And that means no more office visits to renew your drivers license, and no more walk-ins for seniors on certain mornings. MVD.newmexico.gov says, Due to the tiered county restrictions, MVD is canceling appointments as required per the public health order. Affected customers will receive cancellation text messages or emails. Customers will need to make a new appointment online at In Line Online (or by calling 888 683-4636). Only limited appointment types will be available until further notice. Those limited appointments include first-time drivers licenses and Real ID license, vehicle title transfers and registration renewals. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Charlie Moore, spokesman for MVDs parent agency, the Taxation and Revenue Department, says, Cancellations are on a rolling a basis, as things can change based on county designations, etc. Not everything is canceled. For the most part, were still doing appointments for first-time driver licenses and Real IDs at larger offices. Some smaller offices can actually honor some other appointments. DROP OFF YOUR VEHICLE TRANSFER/NEW REGISTRATION: Moore says MVD is now taking appointments for people to drop off paperwork for New Mexico title transfers/new registrations. We do still have capacity so we are encouraging people to take advantage of that. The customers time in the office is brief, and the rest of the process is remote. Book your appointment at mvd.newmexio.gov, print and complete a form providing information needed to process the registrations, and bring it, a copy of the N.M. drivers license or ID card for all listed vehicle buyers, proof of current insurance for the vehicle, original N.M. title, and if applicable the bill of sale; notarized affidavit of gift; lienholders name, address and maturity date; purchase order if purchased from a dealer; emissions certificate for vehicles four years or older if registering/commuting in Bernalillo County. More info is at mvd.newmexico.gov/vehicle-registration. TO RENEW YOUR LICENSE: As for New Mexicans who need to renew their drivers licenses, they can go online to mvd.newmexico.gov hover over online services and click eservices to get renew/replace license or ID. (You can also renew a handicapped parking placard here as well.) Moore says MVD ended the senior walkups once we started the online renewals for them, which seem to be going well. For folks without computer access, remember that you can pay a bit extra at a commercial office (yes, many are open, along with emissions stations, but call before you go), or you can sit tight until state offices reopen for your transaction. The governors order from March 30 waive(s) late fees and penalties on licenses that expire during MVD office closures and for a reasonable period of time after our offices reopen. The order also directs State Police not to issue citations for registrations or licenses that expire while MVD field offices are closed. Local law enforcement agencies have been encouraged to do the same. ONLINE RENEWAL WORKS! Jane emails that her license was due to expire Feb. 1. I requested renewal from MVD online about Jan. 8, got my temporary online Jan. 11, received actual new license in mail Jan. 24. Also, just wanted to give a good review and appreciation to the MVD office at 11500 Menaul. Ive had to go there annually for several years now and always received fairly rapid, efficient, courteous service! I found the best time to go is midmonth, midmorning, midweek. Ive made it my job during the pandemic to express appreciation for good service and good people. SUBMIT EYE EXAM ONLINE: And Martin Nielsen emails I thought I read that you can renew online without an eye test if one did so last time? When I try, it tells me I need a current eye exam. The MVD website is hard to navigate I dont know where to send the results. Medicare and insurance allow only one eye appointment a year if that! Is there a solution for us oldies? MVD said in an October news release: Going forward, drivers 79 and older who need an eye exam or medical report to renew their licenses will be able to conduct their annual renewal online in a two-step process. First, the driver will submit their eye exam or medical report online at mvdonline.com. Once the report has been accepted by MVD staff, the driver will go to mvdonline.com to renew their license. Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M., 87109. A Covid-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said it has received Beijings nod for general use in China, becoming the second such domestic applicant to such approval, as it added the shot had an efficacy rate of just over 50% in key Phase III trials. The conditional use approval from Chinas National Medical Products Administration for CoronaVac came on Friday, the company said in a statement (link in Chinese) over the weekend. The nod expands the vaccines previous status for emergency-use only in China, which it received last June. The vaccine requires two shots given over a period of 14 to 28 days. Outside China, it has been given emergency-use authorization in Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay and Laos, the company said. It notched another important milestone when Indonesia, which has also given CoronaVac emergency-use authorization, approved the vaccine for use in the elderly, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing a letter it viewed from the nations food and drug agency. Relevant countries have all recognized the results of existing clinical studies on CoronaVac, believing that this vaccine can significantly reduce severe hospitalization and death caused by Covid-19, and is of great significance for epidemic prevention and control, Sinovac said. Conditional-use approval authorizes general public use for a drug. But it also acknowledges that research is still ongoing and new information should be submitted to the regulator as it becomes available. A day before announcing the conditional approval, Sinovac also issued a press release giving some headline figures for its Phase III trials, considered the most important for gauging a drugs general effectiveness among large groups of people. But it has yet to publish detailed results in a medical journal, which is traditional practice allowing for detailed analysis and broader discussion within the medical community. Read more In Depth: Questions Persist Over Chinas Vaccine Export Deals Sinovac said CoronaVac yielded a 50.65% efficacy rate among the 12,396 health workers enrolled in its trials in Turkey and Brazil. But it added the vaccine had a higher 83.70% efficacy rate for cases requiring medical treatment, and a 100% efficacy rate for hospitalized, severe and fatal cases. In December Brazils Butantan Institute, which partnered with Sinovac on the local trials in that country, revealed that the vaccine had passed an efficacy threshold of 50%, which would allow Brazils health regulator, Anvisa, to approve it. In addition to Brazil and Turkey, Sinovac is also conducting clinical trials for CoronaVac in Indonesia and Chile. Unlike leading vaccine candidates from Western companies like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, Chinas vaccine firms have only published detailed results from early and mid-stage trials to date, which are not designed to examine whether they actually prevent people getting sick from the disease. Early-phase trials generally check if a vaccine is safe and provokes an immune response, and can be done on healthy people anywhere. The true test of a shot is whether it stops people exposed to the virus from actually catching it. The conditional-use authorization for CoronaVac in China marks the second such approval for a locally developed vaccine. In late December, the National Medical Products Administration also gave similar authorization for the vaccine developed by Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., a part of pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm. At the time, the Sinopharm parent said that the vaccine was 79.34% effective in stopping people from catching Covid-19, though no detailed data was released. China has begun offering vaccines to its citizens in the country, with most or all believed to be domestically developed. Like many other countries, it is making shots available first to the most vulnerable groups like medical workers and the elderly, and will gradually widen the types of eligible individuals. The Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are among at least five domestic candidates. In addition to the homegrown shots, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co. Ltd. is joining with BioNTech SE for China-based production of the German companys mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine co-developed with Pfizer. In November Fosun and BioNTech began a mid-stage clinical trial of the vaccine in East Chinas Jiangsu province, which will be used to support its application to Chinese regulators, according to the companies. Earlier in December, Fosun announced that it would also import 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to China this year. Flynn Murphy contributed to this report. Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Somali forces killed eight al-Shabaab insurgents firing mortar rounds at a government delegation led by the country's president and premier, local media reported Friday. The al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents fired at least 13 mortar rounds in the city of Dhusamareb where the leaders were holding a conference on the country's next elections. According to state-run broadcaster Somali National Television (SNTV), the Somali forces captured one insurgent and seized weapons in an operation outside Dhusamareb. Security forces clashed with the terrorists while patrolling the outskirts of the city when the terrorists started the mortar shells barrage. The military released images and footage of the vehicles, mortars, and small arms used by the insurgents during the attack. Following international pressure, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed called on regional leaders earlier this week to attend a three-day consultative summit in Dhusamareb to resolve outstanding issues on holding timely and credible elections in the country. The president's mandate will expire on Feb. 8, and the country has already missed the deadline for parliamentary elections twice. Daniela Fernandez spends the school day walking around her grandmothers home in Medellin, Colombia, looking for a quiet spot that gets wifi. She starts up her school-issued laptop in the kitchen or the back patio. If her relatives wake up and start arguing, she camps out on the terrace or slips into an empty bedroom. For the past month, this is how the 16-year-old honors student has tried to keep up with her classes more than 2,500 miles away from her school in Massachusetts. Fernandez moved in with her aunt in the Greater Boston area five years ago. Her mother abandoned her as a baby; her father couldnt take care of her, according to court records. In the United States, Fernandez developed an appetite for reading and math under the care of her aunt. But after attending a funeral in her native Colombia six weeks ago, Fernandez lost her green card at the airport. She joins a growing number of green card holders who havent been able to return to the United States since the start of the pandemic as embassies and consulates halt services. While Massachusetts family court designated her aunt in Revere as her guardian, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota is doing nothing to help her return. It is an emergency for me. I miss my family. I miss my mom, Fernandez told MassLive of her aunt, Lorena Fernandez, in a phone interview. I miss being with her. The State Department said the embassies have halted routine visa services, but will continue processing issues for U.S. citizens. Were Daniela a U.S. citizen who lost her passport, shed likely be able to get an appointment with the embassy in Bogota, the nations capital. But losing a green card means the teenage girl will need to get a form known as a boarding foil from the embassy to be cleared to travel, said Joseph Molina Flynn, Danielas attorney. Flynn says the embassy hasnt responded to his requests for appointments on Danielas behalf. Right now, nobodys answering at the embassy, Flynn said. The whole situation is just tragic, he said. You have this 16-year-old who was granted protection in the U.S. and [that meant] her not being able to return to her home country because it was not in her best interest. She went from that to being stuck there. Over the past four years, immigrants with lawful permanent status have been turned away inexplicably, often due to policy decisions that are traced back to the Trump administrations efforts to limit who enters the country. Daniela, however, appears to be caught in a morass of red tape that existed before President Donald Trump took the oath of office and persists during the coronavirus pandemic, according to immigration attorneys with clients overseas. How common remains unclear. Neither U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes visa applications for non-citizens, nor the State Department is tracking how many green card holders overseas waiting for appointments with consulates or embassies. From what youve told me, certainly shes in this bureaucratic logjam, said Kerry Doyle, an immigration attorney in Boston. Doyle said the embassy, airport security, or even the airline has the discretion to allow Daniela to travel back to the U.S. If someone can step up and step out of their bureaucratic lane a little bit, they can protect this young woman because shes lawfully entitled to return, she said. USICS allows lawful permanent residents to travel without their green card if they get the boarding foil. In a statement to MassLive, spokeswoman Anita Rios Moore said people who lose their green cards overseas need to get the form from the nearest U.S. Embassy. She referred a reporter to the State Department. A State Department spokesperson, who declined to give their name, said embassies and consulates have scheduled fewer interviews and implemented social distancing protocols to prevent spreading COVID-19, reducing their ability to process their normal caseload. U.S. embassies and consulates are working to resume routine services on a location-by-location basis, in accordance with public health data and local conditions, following a suspension due to COVID-19, the spokesperson said. We will only resume all services worldwide when it is safe and appropriate to do so. The State Department declined to discuss Danielas case but instead referred MassLive to Embassy Bogotas website for information about its operations. Daniela Fernandez holds up her certificate after graduating from Susan B. Anthony Middle School in Revere.Courtesy of Lorena Fernandez Things just keep happening For Daniela, losing her green card is the latest in a series of mishaps piling up against her, just when she had found a place to call home. Daniela was barely a year old when her mother left, according to immigration court records provided by Flynn. In a sworn affidavit by Lorena, she said her brother was too temperamental to care for Daniela, and another relative struggled with alcoholism. Danielas grandmother, then 71, was in poor health and in no condition to care for any children, her aunt, Lorena, testified at the time. While living with her father, Daniela had been bullied and had contracted head lice. Lorena testified her family members either didnt know or didnt care, according to the affidavit. In 2016, Daniela left for Massachusetts to live with her aunt. She was 12 years old. Living with her aunt, Daniela grew interested in reading and math. A junior at Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefield, Daniela takes multiple honors courses, including algebra, among other classes. She said she wants to go to college to study business or economics. Lorena was officially designated her guardian on March 15, 2017, court records show. Daniela was granted Special Immigrant Juvenile status, a classification given to children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. In April, she obtained her green card. Shes a good girl, but I have to watch her closely because shes had a difficult time, Lorena said in a Spanish language interview. I feel so bad. Things just keep happening to her, she added. Lorena and Daniela didnt plan to visit Colombia last year, at least not in the throes of a pandemic. But Lorena learned her aunt died after contracting COVID-19. They flew into Medellin on Dec. 14 and planned to stay for five days. The morning of Dec. 19, they got a ride up the mountains to the Jose Maria Cordova International Airport. Daniela said she presented her green card at the check-in desk. Somewhere between there and the next security checkpoint, she lost the document. They asked for it one last time, and we didnt have it. I literally had it a second before, Daniela said in a phone interview. We tried to look on the ground, but its very small. Lorena boarded the flight and planned to call Flynn, the immigration attorney, when she landed. She feared shed lose her job assisting tax filings if she stayed any longer. Daniela said she got a ride home from her cousins father, who took her to her grandmothers house. Shes stayed there since with her grandmother and a couple of her uncles the same relatives judges in Colombia and the United States decided should not be Danielas guardians. Flynn requested an appointment for Jan. 19, but the embassy did not respond with a confirmation letter. Lorena took a chance on the appointment, purchasing two plane tickets to Bogota. Daniela flew with an uncle to the embassy, but they were turned away. Joseph Molina Flynn, the attorney representing Daniela Fernandez, requested an appointment with the U.S. embassy in Bogota. The embassy did not follow up and turned Fernandez away when she visited on Jan. 19, she and Flynn say.Courtesy of Joseph Molina Flynn They said there wasnt an appointment, so we lost that money, Daniela said, referring to the airfare. I had the illusion that Id be able to go back. I want to get back to my life. In the meantime, Daniela logs onto her laptop and hopes the wifi works enough to get through class. She talks with her aunt almost daily, waiting for news on her green card. Shes the only mom figure I have, Daniela said. Just having her far away from me, it hurts a lot because I miss her a lot. Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has revealed he still has ambitions of leading the Labour party, in a move that places some pressure on Keir Starmer. Mr Burnham, 51, a former health secretary who retired north after losing a leadership election to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015, has been thrust back into the limelight during the coronavirus pandemic. He led attacks on the Government last year over funding for local people and firms during localised lockdowns in Manchester and Liverpool, earning himself the nickname the 'King of the North'. And speaking at a conference organised by a Jewish charity last night he revealed he still has ambitions on a national stage. According to the Jewish Telegraph he said: 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't have aspirations [to lead the party]. 'One day, if it became possible, but I'm not sitting here plotting a way to do so. I wouldn't say never.' Mr Burnham, 51, a former health secretary who retired north after losing a leadership election to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015, has been thrust back into the limelight during the coronavirus pandemic. It is the latest headache for Sir Keir, who is facing increasing questions over his leadership of Labour in the past week. 'King of the North' who quit national politics after losing to Corbyn Andy Burnham is a former senior minister in Gordon Brown's Government whose high-profile role in the Covid crisis earned him the moniker 'King of the North'. The Merseyside-born Manchester mayor, 51, has long revelled in his northern-ness. When running to replace Ed Miliband as leader in 2015 the father-of-three was asked what is favourite biscuit was, replying 'beer and chips and gravy'. Despite his efforts to come across as an everyman figure he came a distant second to Jeremy Corbyn in the leadership election. He took just 19 per cent of the vote, despite being the preferred choice of Labour MPs. He served a year as shadow home secretary under the hard left leader before announcing he was stepping down as a shadow minister and MP for Leigh to run to become the new elected mayor of Manchester. He won the 2017 election and that appeared to be the end of his national political ambitions. But he has again been thrust into the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic. Last October he took on a leadership role for northern areas who felt they were short-changed by ministers over the terms of localised lockdowns, which he argued shortchanged locals and businesses. He became such a thorn in the side of ministers that they eventually sought to sideline him during negotiations. Advertisement It is the latest headache for Sir Keir, who is facing increasing questions over his leadership of Labour in the past week. He had to apologise to Boris Johnson for making false accusations in the Commons on Wednesday. The Labour leader had called it 'complete nonsense' for the Prime Minister to claim that Starmer had wanted Britain's vaccines to remain under the regulation of the European Medicines Agency post-Brexit. He later had to admit the charge was true. Constituency Labour parties have also reportedly been drawing up censure motions against Starmer as they lose faith in his ability to win a General Election. The most recent opinion poll put the Conservatives three points ahead of Labour, while one survey found that just 16 per cent of people thought Starmer would have done a better job in handling the pandemic than Johnson. And at the weekend his shadow attorney general Lord Falconer faced wide-spread criticism for describing the coronavirus pandemic as a 'gift that keeps on giving' for lawyers. The peer used the phrase during a briefing for a top City firm staffed by millionaire lawyers. He insists that he was referring to changes in the law triggered by the crisis, but a source close to the Labour grandee said that he regretted his choice of words. Yesterday the shadow business secretary and ex-party leader Ed Miliband has dismissed claims that something is going wrong with Labour under Sir Keir. Mr Miliband told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'Leaders have good weeks and bad weeks but what's the most important thing that Keir Starmer has said since he became leader is that, after this crisis is over, there can be no return to business as usual.' Mr Miliband said: 'That means we have got to create a fairer, more just and more equal country.' He pointed to the way the party has said it would handle the issue of Universal Credit. He told the programme: 'We have said it would be quite wrong to drive hundreds of thousands of people into poverty in this crisis as the Government is planning to do by cutting Universal Credit in April. 'Keir Starmer has led the fight to say that is the wrong thing to do.' Chamoli : , Feb 8 (IANS) The Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) is providing support to the villages cut off due to sudden flash floods in Chamoli district, officials said on Monday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tweet said, "As Raini bridge was swept away by the flood, the ITBP personnel are now providing ration packets to the stranded people of about nine villages through choppers in Uttarakhand." Meanwhile, the ITBP official said that five sorties carrying relief material (food packets, etc.) have already been sent to these villages. The official said the ITBP has set up a field control station in the Lata village to oversee the supply of relief material to the cut off villages. The official said that beyond the Raini bridge, which was swept away by the floods, there are a total of nine villages of which two -- Jungju and Juaguar are located 3 to 4.5 km from the road head. The official said that choppers are dumping ration from Joshimath to the general area in Raini. He said, the eighth battalion of the ITBP is arranging ration to be moved to the designated places through the teams which have contacted the locals of all villages and set up a control room there for future assistance. The ITBP official also said that 202 people are still missing from several villages of the district. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text I couldnt rule out that there wouldnt be further changes, whether its in the next few hours or a day or a month. The Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport where the female hotel quarantine worker contracted the virus. Credit:Penny Stephens COVID-infected returned traveller in intensive care Victorias zero new cases come after 12,816 tests were carried out across the state on Monday. For the first time in months, a COVID-positive case has been hospitalised in Victoria after a person staying in hotel quarantine was taken to intensive care. Thats a returned traveller, not a community case but, of course, we send our best wishes to that person and their family, Mr Andrews said. The last time someone was in hospital with COVID-19 in Victoria was November 22, and the last time a patient was in intensive care with the virus was October 10. More than 150 close contacts of Holiday Inn worker in isolation Meanwhile, more than 150 close contacts of the Holiday Inn worker, who tested positive on Sunday, have been identified and are isolating. Loading At least 136 hotel quarantine workers at the Holiday Inn have been identified as close contacts of their colleague. A further 17 non-work close contacts were also identified on Monday. Health authorities are still awaiting test results from eight very close contacts of the woman. So family and others that are very, very close to this particular worker. Theyre all isolating, theyve all been tested, Mr Andrews said. We have no results back yet. We are working through those. It is fairly recent. No new potential COVID-19 exposure sites have been listed by the Health Department after venues the woman visited in Maidstone, Taylors Lakes and Sunshine were identified in the early hours of Monday morning. Aerosol transmission the working theory, Andrews says It is hoped the genomic sequencing will also give authorities clues as to how the woman, who wore a surgical mask and face shield and spoke to hotel residents through a perspex screen, contracted the virus in the cold hotel, which is not a dedicated health hotel for confirmed COVID-19 cases. The womans case is the third reported leak within the states hotel quarantine system this month, and epidemiologists have raised concerns they may be the result of airborne transmission of the virus. A 26-year-old hotel residential support officer, who had been working at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the Australian Open, tested positive last Wednesday night. And a returned traveller who was staying at the Park Royal quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport was infected last week by a family of five after viral particles spread from their room. Victorian authorities also have a working theory that the cases are the result of aerosol transmission, Mr Andrews said. He said there was still no definitive advice confirming airborne transmission, but he acknowledged that Victorias public health team was concerned about it. Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media on Tuesday. Credit:Justin McManus [Theres] no definitive advice, but theres a working theory and very significant concerns about aerosol transmission, particularly of these [more] infectious strains. They do present us with a very significant challenge, he said. The Premier defended Victorias stringent and evolving quarantine protocols. As this virus changes, then our public health response has to change, he said. Weve had engineering reviews of all the airconditioning systems in all the hotels that we use. Weve ripped out the airconditioning in a number of these places and put new, new systems in, weve changed the way air flows. We rip up all the carpet in the common areas so [in] hallways for instance and lino [linoleum] is put down, so we can clean shared spaces where there could be a transmission to industrial standards. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has also hosed down suggestions that a major overhaul to the current quarantine hotel model was needed, saying that some case leakages were inevitable and accounted for by other measures. We have said since the earliest days a year ago, that there would be cases, he said on Monday. We have always said hotel quarantine is the inner ring of containment, followed by testing, tracing, and distancing. Where anybody indicates that there is only one line of defence, that would be inaccurate. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Quarantine workers to be paid for getting tested on non-work days Mr Andrews said hotel quarantine workers were not contractually required to get tested on their days off, but he was confident they would still agree to get tested and flagged it could be made mandatory. He said workers would be compensated for the time it took to undergo a test, which could amount to a few hours pay. Changing worker contracts to mandate testing on their days off would take time and must go through a fair process, he said. I dont actually think that anybody is going to be non-compliant with our request. At this stage, its not compulsory. But I think the view of the workforce is that its a smart thing to do. Its a very important thing to do and itll be a hassle for people on their day off to go and spend two, three hours going and getting a test, but its a really important part of it. I dont think anyones going to have to sit down with their manager and say why didnt you get tested yesterday. I think people will respond, and they already are. And as soon as weve got anything to update in terms of performance how many people have been testing well be more than happy to do that. New gathering restrictions to stay for some time Mr Andrews said the 15-person limit on household visitors each day was likely to be in place for some time while health authorities deal with the implications of the highly virulent UK strain. He was more circumspect about how long Victorians would be required to wear masks in indoor public places and workplaces, saying they had played an important role in recent outbreaks. I apologise to the community that there is a degree of discomfort, but its nothing compared to what this getting away from us would look like and feel like, Mr Andrews said. The Premier said he and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton would later this week discuss when to allow more workers to return to their CBD offices. Under current restrictions, up to 50 per cent of private-sector workers and 25 per cent of public servants are allowed back into offices across the state at any one time. The state government abruptly parked plans to allow up to 75 per cent of workers back to offices last week after the Grand Hyatt worker tested positive. But the Premier is sceptical about whether increasing the cap to 75 per cent and eventually 100 per cent will necessarily trigger a flood of workers back to the CBD. Its not every worker, its not five days a week, but I think there is a percentage of people whose productivity has not been harmed by [working from home], he said. [For example] I will not be in the office as often as I used to be. Some meetings that I would always have done in person, I will do from home or Ill do that from a regional office or a suburban office. I could be wrong in that maybe everyone will flood back to the office once we have 100 per cent [but] I doubt that. Professor Sutton also revealed he had tested negative to COVID-19 on Monday after isolating at home with symptoms. The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board on Monday accused a Harrisburg magisterial district judge charged with three crimes of violating standards of judicial conduct. The board also asked that Judge Sonya McKnight be suspended without pay. She currently is suspended with pay. The attorney generals office filed criminal charges against McKnight in December in connection with a Feb. 22, 2020 traffic stop of her son Kevin Baltimore, 33, in the city of Harrisburg. Police say she used her position as a judge to interfere with officers who were trying to arrest her son. The conduct board Monday filed seven conduct charges against McKnight and said she failed to report to the board and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that she was under criminal investigation, as required under the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration. The seven rules of judicial conduct that the board says were violated were listed as: compliance with the law; promote confidence in the judiciary; avoid abuse of the prestige of the judicial office; three commensurate violations of the state constitution and a rule against bringing the judicial office into disrepute. A news release issued Monday to announce the boards action said the board has the burden to prove the charges by clear and convincing evidence. McKnight has the right to respond to the charges, inspect the evidence and have a public trial before the state Court of Judicial Discipline. After the trial, if the court determines any of the charges have been proven, the court would then schedule a hearing to determine what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Sanctions can range from censure and suspension to a fine and/or removal from office. McKnight has served as a judge since January 2016. The conduct charges means McKnight will have to fight two simultaneous battles: one in front of the Court of Judicial Discipline and another in criminal court. McKnights next criminal hearing on charges of tampering with evidence, obstruction with the administration of law and official oppression is scheduled for Feb. 19. No dates had been set Monday for the conduct case and no timeline provided for when a decision would be made on the boards request for suspension without pay. The Judicial Conduct Board moved forward with its case while the criminal case is still pending because public confidence has been and will continue to be undermined if Judge McKnight s permitted to continue presiding over a court after being charged with violations of the Crimes Code of Pennsylvania, according to the charging document. All of the charges stem from a traffic stop last year of her son, Baltimore, at about 2:30 a.m. near North Sixth and Peffer streets. Police said in court records that they pulled Baltimore over for an expired registration, and he called his mother from the scene. McKnight arrived at the scene and questioned officers, according to the records. Police said McKnight took a pill bottle from Baltimores vehicle and left the scene with it. Baltimore and McKnight told police it was his blood pressure medication, according to court records. Police charged Baltimore with possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Officers told state investigators that McKnights position as a judge allowed her to freely move about the scene of the traffic stop. They said had she been a normal citizen, they would not have allowed her to do the things she did, such as entering her sons Volvo, according to court records. McKnights original criminal attorney, Brian Perry, told PennLive in December: She recognizes that she did not make the best decision going out to the scene that night. But we do not believe she committed any crimes. McKnight has a new criminal attorney who could not immediately be reached by PennLive. Her attorney in the judicial conduct case, Heidi Eakin, also could not be reached by email or phone. READ: Some magisterial district judges enjoy light workloads as taxpayers ponied up millions for salaries, pensions and healthcare READ: Harrisburgs biggest eyesore to get cleaned up, 4 years after wall collapse Labour will today try to compel ministers to report annually on the fighting strength of the military. The partys defence spokesman John Healey will attempt to introduce the requirement by amending the Armed Forces Bill, which will be debated in the Commons. It comes after the Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that 32 of 33 infantry battalions are short of battle-ready personnel. A leaked Ministry of Defence document showed how many soldiers battalions are short of (picture of Royal Marine commandos in Afghanistan in 2007) A leaked MoD document titled Infantry Battalion Soldier Strength Summary, January 2021 listed how many soldiers each of the battalions needs. The infantry as a whole needs 14,984 soldiers but has only 11,301 who could be sent to the battlefield, according to the report. A target to avoid reducing the size of the Army to below 82,000 has not been met, with numbers falling to 75,310 last year. Mr Healey said last night: The strength of our forces should rightly be set by a full assessment of the security threats we face... our adversaries will exploit continuing holes in our capability. The UK needs a proper defence strategy without further delay. Labour also wants to ensure the Governments Armed Forces Bill will deliver step-change improvements in work and living conditions for the forces, veterans and their families. Applications to join the Army are, however, at a five-year high. Lord Kim Darroch, a former UK ambassador to the US, warned last week that further cuts to the British Army could put trans-Atlantic defence relations at risk, with Washington already concerned that the Army is too small. Reports have surfaced that the Army could be trimmed of 10,000 soldiers as military bosses weigh up shifting to technology such as drones to replace manpower in an integrated review which is under way. "I would be really worried about reducing further the size of the British Army," he told the Commons Defence Committee. "If we do this then it could potentially be quite risky to our reputation in Washington." He told MPs that secretaries of defence in the Trump and Obama administrations used to tell him the Army was "already too small" and it had been a "big mistake" to take numbers down to 80,000. In November, the Prime Minister set out a 16.5 billion increase in defence spending over four years as he said the UK faced a "perilous" period for global security. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed Public and have disbursed loans worth over Rs 1.42 trillion under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). About Rs 1.98-trillion loans have been sanctioned by the banks to MSMEs, Parliament was informed. The government had allocated Rs 4,000 crore as assistance to National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company for 2020-21, and the expenditure has been Rs 4,000 crore as of January 22, MoS Finance said. Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package, the government has provided 274,000 metric tonne of foodgrains to 54.8 million migrants and 16,751 metric tonne channa to 16.7 million migrants through state and union territories. 17 jets by March: Rajnath India will have 17 jets by March this year and the entire fleet of the fighter aircraft bought by the country will reach by April 2022. In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36- jets for Rs 59,000 crore. Black money The government, as of December 31, 2020, has issued notices in 475 cases under the (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, involving undisclosed foreign assets and income of over Rs 14,300 crores. Undisclosed income of over Rs 8,460 crores has been brought to tax and penalty of more than Rs 1,290 crores has been levied in deposits made in unreported foreign bank accounts in HSBC cases. In the Panama Paper leaks investigations, undisclosed foreign investments amounting to over Rs 1,700 crores have been detected. One of humanity's biggest challenges right now is reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Research groups worldwide are trying to find ways to efficiently separate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the mixture of gases emitted from industrial plants and power stations. Among the many strategies for accomplishing this, membrane separation is an attractive, inexpensive option; it involves using polymer membranes that selectively filter CO 2 from a mix of gases. Recent studies have focused on adding low amounts of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into polymer matrices to enhance their properties. MOFs are compounds made of a metallic center bonded to organic molecules in a very orderly fashion, producing porous crystals. When added to polymer membranes, MOFs can enhance their gas separation performance as well as their stability and tolerance to harsh conditions. However, one of the main issues of integrating MOFs into polymer membranes is finding compatible compounds with favorable interactions, such as covalent bonds. Unfortunately, those which have been tried require very expensive synthesis and materials. To tackle this issue, an international team of scientists recently conducted a study that was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Led by Professor Tae-Hyun Kim from Incheon National University, Korea, the scientists focused on incorporating a zirconium-based MOF called 'UiO-66' into a multi-polymer matrix they had previously developed. They achieved this by modifying the MOFs so that they would readily form covalent bonds with the main strands of the polymer matrix. The scientists synthesized UiO-66-NB, which is UiO-66 with norbornene units, a small organic molecule. Through a simple synthesis process, norbornene units can become links in the main polymer chains of the matrix. In this way, the norbornene in UiO-66-NB incorporates the MOFs into the matrix, as Prof. Kim explains, "Instead of simply blending the MOFs and polymers, we found a new and efficient method for incorporating MOFs into the polymer matrix via covalent bonds; this strengthens the interactions at the interfaces of both compounds and creates defect-free polymer matrices." The characteristics and performance of the MOF-filled polymer membranes were outstanding: their permeability towards CO 2 was enhanced without significantly compromising its selectivity. Their CO 2 /N 2 separation performance approached the theoretical Robeson upper bound set in 2019. Additionally, the membranes were not only remarkably tolerant to harsh conditions such as high pressure or temperature switching, but also very stable over long periods of time of almost a year. These achievements are a step in the right direction toward removing the barriers for commercialization that these polymer membranes face for industrial applications. Excited about the results, Prof. Kim remarks, "We believe our findings will open up new strategies to assess potential interfaces between MOFs and polymer matrices for high-performance gas separation." Let us hope this technology keeps evolving so that we can keep excess CO 2 away from our atmosphere! ### Reference Authors: Iqubal Hossain (1), Asmaul Husna (1), Somboon Chaemchuen (2), Francis Verpoort (3), and Tae-Hyun Kim (1) Title of original paper: Cross-Linked Mixed-Matrix Membranes Using Functionalized UiO-66-NH 2 into PEG/PPG?PDMS-Based Rubbery Polymer for Efficient CO 2 Separation Journal: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c18415 Affiliations: (1) Organic Material Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Incheon National University (2) State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology (3) Department of Chemistry, Ghent University About Incheon National University Incheon National University (INU) is a comprehensive, student-focused university. It was founded in 1979 and given university status in 1988. One of the largest universities in South Korea, it houses nearly 14,000 students and 500 faculty members. In 2010, INU merged with Incheon City College to expand capacity and open more curricula. With its commitment to academic excellence and an unrelenting devotion to innovative research, INU offers its students real-world internship experiences. INU not only focuses on studying and learning but also strives to provide a supportive environment for students to follow their passion, grow, and, as their slogan says, be INspired. Website: http://www. inu. ac. kr/ mbshome/ mbs/ inuengl/ index. html About the author Dr. Tae-Hyun Kim is a Chemistry Professor at Incheon National University (INU), Korea. He is also the director of the Research Institute of Basic Sciences at INU. Prof Kim received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cambridge University, UK and conducted his post-doctoral research at MIT, USA. Before joining INU, he was a senior research associate at Eastman Chemical Co., US. His research interests lie in the development of organic materials for various applications, including fuel cells, lithium batteries, water electrolysis, and gas separation. He has authored over 120 SCI journal articles and holds more than 50 patents. He loves teaching and communicating with his students. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) The Philippine government is ready to start its COVID-19 vaccination drive on February 15, Malacanang bared on Monday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing that the government can start the deployment of the initial doses of vaccines by next week. "Ilang tulog na lang at darating na ang unang batch ng ating bakuna...Handang handa po ang ating gobyerno para magsimula ang ating vaccination drive nitong ika-15 ng Pebrero," Roque said. [Translation: The government is totally ready to start the vaccination drive this February 15.] He then clarified that the target date for inoculation will still depend on the arrival of the vaccines from the COVAX facility, a global platform led by the World Health Organization that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines. COVAX already conveyed that the arrival is slated for the middle of the month, Roque said. "The COVAX communication says it will be mid-February. I think this week, COVAX will communicate to tell us exactly when," he said. "Let's see po baka mamayang gabi maireport na ni Secretary Duque kay President Duterte exactly when (Let's see, Secretary Duque may report to President Duterte on tonight's briefing the exact date), but we're expecting COVAX to contact us anytime now because they will ship the [Pfizer-BioNTech] vaccines via airline." President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to address the public after meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases later in the day. Under the government's immunization plan, health workers will be the first to get the shots. These are expected to arrive in the second or third week of February to cover around 56,000 medical frontliners and hospital staff at the Philippine General Hospital, Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium or Tala Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the East Avenue Medical Center. press release The Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) have elected H.E. Felix- Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the new Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2021. The event took place today, Saturday 6 February 2021 during the ongoing Thirty-Fourth (34th) Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, holding virtually under the theme: "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want". The President of the RDC is taking over the baton of command from H.E. Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, who has concluded today his term as the Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2020. Given the prevailing context of the COVID19 pandemic, the handing over ceremony between the incoming and outgoing Chairs of the African Union was organized in a hybrid mode, both at the Conference Center of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the newly elected Chair of the Union, President Tshisekedi was taking part physically, in the solemn handing over ceremony at the podium of the AU Mandela Hall, in the presence of H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), while the outgoing Chair Ramaphosa, was taking part virtually all the way from South Africa. Other people in attendance during this highly symbolic moment were the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, the AU Commissioners and other high officials of the Union as well as the delegation from RDC. On behalf of the outgoing President of the Union, the symbols of the Union were presented physically to the incoming Chair by the AUC Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, while the flag of the African Union was handed over virtually by the South African President, H.E Cyril Ramaphosa. The composition of the new bureau of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union for 2021 was thereafter presented as follows: 1. Chair of the African Union - Democratic Republic of Congo, (Central African region) 2. First Vice President - Republic of Senegal, (West Region); 3. Second Vice President - Union of Comoros, (Eastern Region); 4. Third Vice President - Arab Republic of Egypt, (Northern Region); and 5. Rapporteur - Republic of South Africa, (Southern Region) In his handing over speech, President Ramaphosa wished the new AU Chairperson, a successful Chairmanship and thanked the Heads of States of AU Member States as well as the AU outgoing bureau, for their support during the tenure of his mandate which he said, was marked by the prevailing sanitary crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic. President Ramaphosa highlighted some of the achievements under his chairmanship of the Union notably, the efforts to reduce conflict in the continent under the theme of silencing the guns; the economic empowerment of the women and youths, the enhancement of democracy and good governance, among other development programs under Agenda 2063. The outgoing Chair of the Union further underlined the initiatives undertaken under his leadership to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include: the establishment of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus (AFTCOR); the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing in Africa (PACT); the Consortium for COVID-19 Clinical Vaccine Trials (CONCVACT); the appointment of Special Envoys to mobilise the international support for the continental fight against COVID-19; the establishment of the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP): a platform developed to assist the AU Member States to tackle issues on the supply side of continent's response to COVID-19 and access to medical supplies and equipment; the development of the vaccine strategy for the continent which was endorsed by the AU Bureau of Assembly; the establishment of the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), in support of Africa vaccine strategy with the objective that no country and no one should be left behind; and the initiative to engage international partners and financial institutions to support countries whose economies have been devastated by the pandemic. Outgoing Chairperson Ramaphosa however noted with satisfaction the fact that when the AU COVID-19 Response Fund was launched, the first contributions came from the AU Member States which was a demonstration of "the African ideals of unity and solidarity to fulfil our common objectives". In his acceptance speech, President Tshisekedi said it is a unique privilege for the Democratic Republic of the Congo be given this opportunity as Chair of the African Union at a symbolic and highly significant moment when "we are celebrating the sixty years of the disappearance of a worthy son of the Congo and Africa, Mr. Patrice Emery Lumumba, who strongly believed in the great destiny of Africa. He did not hesitate to organize, in August 1960 in Kinshasa, then Leopoldville, the last Congress in the history of the great movement of Pan-Africanism. On June 30, 1960, shortly before his tragic death, he declared [I quote]: "Africa will write its own history and it will be in the north and south of the Sahara, a history of glory and dignity". [End of quote]." The incoming Chair of the Union commended President Cyril Ramaphosa, who, in difficult conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was able to mobilize the efforts of all the countries of the continent and partners to face this challenging moment. He also thanked Her Excellency Sahle-Work Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and His Excellency Mr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister, for the warm welcome that the Ethiopian people have never ceased to give AU Member States "during our meetings at the headquarters of the organization", before expressing his sincere thanks to Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission for welcoming him "in this magnificent setting of the headquarters of our continental organization". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Highlighting the theme of the year 2021, the new AU Chairperson Tshisekedi said, Arts, Culture and Heritage constitute the foundation of the African renaissance and offers the opportunity for Africans to return to our roots. "Culture is indeed, as Leopold Sedar Senghor said, at the beginning and at the end of everything, because it embraces all areas of life). Worth noting that, the hashtags for the African Union theme of the year 2021 are: Hashtag: #AfricanHeritage #ArtsCultureHeritage About the African Union: The African Union spearheads Africa's development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. The AU Vision is to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. 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He takes over the reins from Caroline Southey, who will assume the role of Founding Editor, shifting her focus to the site's future sustainability. She will also deputise for the editor in his absence. Jabulani is a highly respected financial journalist and columnist. He has also worked for National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank. As deputy editor and editor of economic and business coverage at The Conversation Africa he has played a leading role in establishing the site as a respected and trustworthy media player on the continent. He has been particularly instrumental in steering its orientation towards East and West Africa while consolidating its position in Southern Africa. The appointment speaks to our confidence in the next stage of The Conversation Africa's development. As chairman of the board it has been a pleasure to oversee a smooth transition that is testament to the quality, maturity and depth of leadership that's brought The Conversation Africa this far. TC Africa is part of the global Conversation family of eight sites based in Australia, Canada, France, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain and US. The Conversation started in Australia with the simple idea of using journalistic skills to make the expertise of academics easily accessible to the public. This has successfully pioneered a new model of journalism in which academics are the authors. To ensure their expertise reaches as wide an audience as possible they are aided by journalists who apply their editing skills to ensure complex issues are conveyed in easily-understood formats. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa South Africa Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The change in leadership comes as TC Africa marks its sixth anniversary on May 7 this year. Since small beginnings - a team of eight based in Johannesburg - it has steadily built a strong team in Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, and Dakar. Julius Maina and Adejuwon Soyinka lead the East and West Africa editorial teams respectively. TC Africa now has a much richer offering of articles covering more countries on the continent. We have also built a relatively more representative network of academics based on the continent. The Conversation Africa has grown remarkably in the past six years. The site has shown that a not-for-profit donor-funded model can seed and nurture novel forms of cutting-edge, fact-based explanatory journalism. To date more than 6,350 articles, written by 4,319 academics across the continent and in the diaspora, have been published. As a group, The Conversation has a monthly audience of 18 million users, and reach of 42 million through its republishing model. Robin Moore, Executive Director: Gauteng City-Region Observatory, University of the Witwatersrand President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the "Stop The Steal" Rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Trump Impeachment Trial Begins This Week Former President Donald Trumps Senate impeachment trial begins Feb. 9, and while an acquittal is near certain as 17 Republicans would have to join all Democrats in voting to convict, testimony will be presented in the upper chamber seeking to prove Trumps role in incitement to insurrection in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Last month, the House voted 232197, including 10 Republicans, to impeach Trump for allegedly inciting an insurrection. Trump has said that he didnt issue any calls for violence during the Capitol incident. In his speech on Jan. 6, Trump called on supporters to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard during the joint session of Congress, when lawmakers convened to consider electoral votes cast for the presidential candidates. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have publicly stated that they want a speedy trial, as the Senate cant move forward with its legislative priorities until the trial is complete. Many Republicans have decried the trial as a partisan exercise that will lead nowhere. Last month, during a procedural vote, 45 Republican senators voted against holding the trial, suggesting that the former president will not be convicted, as the Senate requires 67 votes for a conviction. Trumps lawyers have said they will argue that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional because Trump no longer holds office and will say that his speech was protected under the First Amendment. Trumps impeachment trial will be the first of a U.S. president no longer in office. Attorney David Schoen and Bruce Castor, a former district attorney in Pennsylvania, are heading up Trumps legal defense team. Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Feb. 6 that an effective legal defense is based on challenging the constitutionality of the allegations against Trump. The best arguments he can make, and his lawyers will make, are the constitutional ones, namely the Senate has no jurisdiction over a former president, and the speech was covered by the First Amendment, Dershowitz told Newsmax. Trump will not testify at the trial. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead House impeachment manager, asked Trump in a Feb. 4 letter to testify in person, with Trumps legal team rejecting Raskins request, describing it as a public relations stunt. There is no such thing as negative inference in this unconstitutional proceeding, Schoen wrote to Raskin. Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations against the 45th president of the United States, who is now a private citizen. According to a tally by The Epoch Times, 35 Republican senators have suggested or committed to voting to acquit Trump in trial. Unless Democrats can sway 17 of the 50 Republicans in the upper chamber, Trump will be acquitted. The trial is already over. They dont have the votes to convict, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told reporters on Feb. 4. This is just, I think, continuing to embitter the public. Its divisive, and it does nothing to promote unity. I think its a big mistake on the Democrats part. If Trump were to be convicted, the Senate could hold a subsequent vote to bar him from ever holding office again. Unlike an impeachment conviction, which requires two-thirds of the Senate to be adopted, only a simple majority would be required to ban Trump from future office. Jack Phillips and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. THE CHAIRPERSON of Limerick ICMSA has said that the M20 proposals that have now broadened out to include the prospect of a new railway line are causing huge concern and anxiety amongst Limerick farming communities. John Bateman said they would be numbered as some of the most productive and technically excellent in the whole country and farming the best dairying land in Europe. Mr Bateman said that farmers want to see the land-take and disruption minimised and the inclusion of a new railway is adding to the already considerable uncertainty. I suppose the first point is why we would upgrade the road communication at such enormous expense and in a way thats aimed at increasing the road traffic between Limerick and Cork and speeding up the journeying times, only to then announce that well be constructing a new railway line and facilities also at enormous expense thatll be designed to compete with the new motorway? Is there not a degree of contradiction in this strategy? asked the Meanus farmer. Farmers in general and certainly not ICMSA are not in the business of standing in the way of necessary infrastructure developed and delivered in a sustainable and environmentally considerate fashion. But necessary infrastructure and infrastructure-for-the-sake-of-it are two different things and were really concerned that the latest M20 proposals have tipped into that second category, he added. Mr Bateman said it was difficult to get away from the suspicion that the railways proposal was more of a political symbol than a practical option and as such would likely fall at the first meaningful cost-benefit analysis. But that prospect did little to allay the concerns of the farmers in the affected areas who would now have to continue working away against the threat of their holdings being divided or made completely uneconomic through either roads or rail. Unnecessary infrastructure will simply have to be cut out of the plans given the impact on individual farmers and the communities they backbone, concluded Mr Bateman. EV With the F-Series in continuous production since way back in 1958 and Ford's trucks ramping up the stakes with each passing iteration, no one is going to be surprised by the wide array of personalities displayed by some of the projects based on this model range.We have seen people starting to get bored with the traditional Coyote swap and go for the LS alternative or even try and rewrite history with an F-100 conversion to Teslapower levels. Patina F-100 examples are also nothing new, so owners sometimes jump to the next level, making them perform ghost burnouts Likewise, literally making them wheeled eye candy or going for the casual sports-fan livery isnt out of the ordinary, either. But its one thing to go for the standout in any crowd look, and its something else entirely when the owner misses the mark by a mile.Basically, thats exactly what happened here, in our opinion. Up for grabs from the Gateway Classic Cars dealer residing in the small City of OFallon, Illinois is a restomod 1966 Ford F-100 that looks ready to become a social media-driven Valentines Day joke among a group of friends. Sure, at $33k, its going to be an expensive one, but we all know that having that million subscribers isnt an easy achievement these days.Sure, theres always the chance that were also missing the mark. Naturally, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so this white and pink 1966 Ford F-100 might even find a buyer who genuinely likes this odd exterior choice. So, with the colorful conundrum out of the way, lets discuss some of the other highlights.According to the description, this F-100 started its new lease on life as a full custom build, with the intention to reach show truck levels after the owner allegedly a Texas wrestler poured almost $100k into the project. Well, since the completed truck goes for just $33k , its pretty safe to assume it hasnt reached its full potential just yet.Anyways, the F-100 does have a few nice touches to show for itself, such as the coilover four-link wishbone suspension, 20-inch wheels, lowrider stance, Lokar auto transmission shifter, or the custom exhaust setup. Under the hood resides a 500ci (8.2-liter) V8 engine that was apparently sourced from a Cadillac... so at least its got some premium power to compensate for the odd looks. YEREVAN, 8 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS/ PARTNER NEWS:3rd 2021, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Regular Press Conference: China has officially joined COVAX and is in close communication with the WHO and other sponsors of the plan, working together to make vaccines a global public good and make them more accessible and affordable to developing countries. China attaches great importance to Director-General Tedros' call to vaccinate priority populations in all nations within the first 100 days of this year. We also attach great importance to the difficulties facing the practical implementation of COVAX, in particular the huge vaccine supply gap in February and March. At the request of the WHO, China has decided to provide 10 million doses of vaccines to COVAX, mainly to meet the urgent need in developing countries. This is another important measure taken by China to promote equitable distribution of vaccines, advance international cooperation in fighting the pandemic, and apply the vision of a community of common health for mankind. The containment situation faced by all countries is still very serious, and China is also facing a huge domestic demand for vaccines. But still, China will do whatever can be done to promote the equitable distribution of vaccines. Vaccine should be made a global public good accessible and affordable to people in the developing countries, instead of a luxury for the privileged. We hope that all countries, with the capacity to do so, will engage actively and take real steps to support COVAX, and ensure timely vaccine access for the developing world. For mankind to achieve the final victory over the virus as early as possible, every member of the international community should pitch in.As for the prices of the vaccines, vaccines produced with different technologies will cost differently. But one thing for sure is that China will honor its pledge of making vaccines a global public good and offer its vaccines at fair and reasonable prices. Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Armenia Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is making it official. Early Monday morning, he announced his candidacy for the states open U.S. Senate seat in 2022. The states unconventional Democratic second-in-command is the first top-tier candidate to officially enter the race to succeed two-term Republican U.S. Sen Pat Toomey, who is retiring when his term expires. Fetterman, 51, did the prep work on Thursday by filing his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, signaling his interest in running. Now, he makes it clear he is entering what will be one of the nations most closely watched races. Im running for the U.S. Senate to fight for all of Pennsylvania, Fetterman said on Twitter. Several candidates are expected to enter the race. With the Senates 50-50 partisan divide, Pennsylvanias open seat is critical for both Democrats and Republicans. Respected political analyst Larry Sabatos initial ratings for Senate seats up for election in 2022 consider it a toss-up. That makes it likely to be one of the most expensive campaigns of all the Senate races. RELATED: Who could join Fetterman in the U.S. Senate race? Fetterman, a married father of three young children, is unfazed by that. Since announcing he was exploring a Senate bid last month, he has raised $1.4 million. He said that money came from donors in all 67 counties and all 50 states with the average being around $30. The bald, bearded and tattooed York County native, who towers above most people with his 6 foot, 8 inch frame, has garnered a lot of national attention in recent months for his views on the presidential election. He was regularly seen on cable networks, defending President Joe Bidens victory in Pennsylvania as fair and legitimate, even as former President Donald Trump and his supporters touted baseless claims of voter fraud. Federal, state and local officials - and a host of court rulings - said there was no evidence of fraud. Fetterman said he didnt seek out those interviews but the fact that media outlets sought him out speaks to the idea that people were just hungry for someone calling it what it is. Thats all I did. In an interview with PennLive late last week, Fetterman shared some insights into what led him to decide to run for the Senate and what else he had on his mind. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, wife, Gisele and dog, Levi on the roof of their Braddock, Pa. home. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com Why run for Senate? After an unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2016, Fettermans interest in representing Pennsylvania in that chamber didnt fade. Sure, he took a detour two years later to pursue state office and became the lieutenant governor, making a bit of an odd couple with Gov. Tom Wolf. But Fetterman has proven a strong ally and advocate of the governor and they enjoy a much better relationship than the one Wolf had with former Lt. Gov. Mike Stack. But Fetterman is still driven by the policies, places, ideas and issues that initially drove him to the decimated Allegheny County steel town of Braddock to become mayor 16 years ago, and he says they are fueling his desire to run for the Senate. He said he wants to help forgotten communities like Braddock, whose zip code he has tattooed on his arm. He wants to make a living wage a priority. He wants to make immigration policies more humane and balanced. And he seeks equal protection under the law for the LGBTQIA community. But beyond that, he said the events over the last two and a half months with what was seen and heard coming out of the actions and mouths of Trump and his allies brought his thoughts about his future plans into clearer focus. I never witnessed the level of dysfunction and dishonesty and chaos, Fetterman said. I could scarcely believe we were being undone by a president and others that know that theyre lying. They know they are being disingenuous and are willing to fundamentally damage our democracy to the point where it led to the fact we couldnt even guarantee the peaceful transition of power. I think all that really crystallized and when you have examples of members of the Senate who are willing to get up even after being driven from their own chamber by the mob, ... and say Pennsylvania cheated or there was fraud or whatever. That really crystallized everything whereas this is the time that makes sense and this is the time to really think about this. Unlike his first run at the Senate seat when he faced Democrats Katie McGinty, who went on to win the nomination, and Joe Sestak, Fetterman now enjoys far more name recognition. But he is still considered an unconventional figure in politics. In the past few years, his national profile has been raised. He has received mentions in a Barstools blog for his badass appearance. Hes been jabbed by GQ (although he chooses to believe hes being complimented) for his clothing choices; hes regularly seen in a work shirt and shorts. He also appears frequently on national networks, commenting on the 2020 election or any other news making headlines. Willing to even work across the aisle with the GOP to gerrymander Phil in time for next February John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) February 2, 2021 Further, he has built up a Twitter following of more than 367,000 through his tweets where he shares glimpses of his sense of humor and family life. He revels in talking about his preferred choice of convenience store Sheetz is your best friend - and has routinely poked at Wawa online. I dont like politicians who play it down the middle like Im rooting for the Steelers and the Eagles. Im like noooo. Im a Steelers guy, always have been, Fetterman said. I dont malign Wawa. Ive consistently said if youre 50 miles from a Sheetz, Wawa is fantastic. In announcing his candidacy, Fetterman bluntly touted his support for a higher minimum wage, protections for the LGBTQ community and the need to ensure everyone has access to good healthcare. If you sincerely believe healthcare is a privilege, Im sincerely begging you to vote for the other candidate, Fetterman wrote on Twitter Monday morning. He said all of his tweets on his official @JohnFetterman account are written by him, not a staffer. Its always me, Fetterman said. You ask me what I think about X or Y, Im going to tell you what I think about X or Y and that comes from a place of I dont believe in being anything but who you are and saying what you believe and know to be true. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman isgreeted by a supporter in the parking lot of Giant Eagle in Braddock, Pa. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com Funding a Senate run While he does prefer Sheetz over Wawa, Fettermans trumpeting of Sheetz on Twitter is strictly for fun, not about soliciting funds to finance a costly Senate campaign. If anything, he said he is a benefactor to the Sheetz family, which is made up of mostly Republicans anyway, because of the attention he draws to their stores. On a more serious note, Fetterman said he relishes in being able to say the average contribution he has received comes from more than 43,000 individuals the majority of them Pennsylvanians who sent him whatever money they can spare in their wallets. The thing Im most proud of is its not a bunch of $2,800 checks, he said. Our average is around $30. He enters the race having already achieved the endorsements of the United Steelworkers District 10 and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776. Those unions represent more than 86,000 Pennsylvanians. The unions leaders say they see Fetterman as steadfast in his commitment to protecting workers and proven to be a fighter for working families. We are so proud to be amongst the first of many endorsements John Fetterman will receive during his bid for U.S. Senate, said Wendell Young, president of UFCW Local 1776. John has always had our back and we are proud to have his, said Bobby Mac McAuliffe, director of United Steelworkers District 10. If his past words are an indication, Fetterman will run an aggressive statewide campaign. Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, Fetterman repeatedly espoused the importance of Democrats campaigning in every county and not just spending time in the Democratic strongholds. In the race for lieutenant governor, Fetterman enjoyed a comfortable victory in a five-person contest for the Democratic nomination, proving to be particularly strong in western Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman brushes daughter Graces hair as part of their early morning routine before school. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com Garnering broad appeal Fetterman looks to past election results to gauge his ability to fare better in a 2022 Senate run. Wolf and Fetterman bested the Republican gubernatorial ticket of Scott Wagner and Jeff Bartos, who Fetterman regards as one of his best friends, in 2018 by more than 850,000 votes. Compared to Wolf and his first-term running mate Mike Stack in 2014, the Wolf/Fetterman ticket won nearly 1 million more votes. Given that, he is confident he has demonstrated a broad level of appeal that ranges from liberal-minded young people who are drawn to his Democratic socialist views, and older folks who yearn to see a government work better for them. Pennsylvania is reachable, Fetterman said. Pennsylvania wants that level of I think good governance and they want that kind of accessibility and they want that authenticity and they want to know even if they dont agree 100 percent with a person, they want to know this person at the end of the day has Pennsylvanias best interest at heart. Thats always going to be my lane because thats always been my lane. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and wife, Gisele make breakfast for their kids during their morning routine. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com On building relationships Fetterman said you only need to look back to his 67-county tour in 2019 to gauge Pennsylvanians opinions on legalizing recreational adult-use marijuana as proof of his willingness to collaborate and work with others who may not see the world as he does. I went to the reddest counties in America some of Pennsylvanias counties are as red of any area that exists in the United States because I very much want to find common ground. I very much want to understand and hear from them, he said. Fetterman said he has plenty of Republican friends besides Bartos, the Montgomery County developer who has signaled he too may run for the Senate in 2022. Im able to work together on any number of issues so long as theres an understanding that we have to stop arguing about what is factually true, Fetterman said. He said people cant survive on $7.25 an hour, which is Pennsylvanias minimum wage. People need access to health care. Members of the LGBTQIA community should not be discriminated against. And every community and every county in Pennsylvania is worth fighting for. Those are things where I know were right and Im going to keep pushing, he said. He sees areas that can gain traction with Republicans, such as infrastructure programs, like reinvesting a shale tax and helping establish broadband in rural Pennsylvania, reestablishing infrastructure in a lot of these forgotten communities and counties. Fetterman has long been pushing for Pennsylvania to legalize marijuana and led a statewide tour to gauge public sentiment. He said allowing the sale of marijuana is just a matter of waiting for the Republicans to do the math and say prohibition is a lot harder than admitting hes right. On raising the minimum wage, he said, We got lapped by Florida [with its $15 an hour minimum]. We got lapped by Hobby Lobby [$17 an hour]. Thats humiliating and its also cruel. But he added breaking through the partisan divide isnt easy when Republicans pass laws like the one barring him from displaying his pot legalization and gay rights flags outside his Capitol office. Pa. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman displays flags on the balcony of his office at the state Capitol to show his support for marijuana legalization and his support for extending the state's anti-discrimination protections to cover matters of sexual orientation and gender identity. The LGBTQ Pride flags are displayed on either side of a Marijuana Leaf Weed Rainbow Gay Lesbian Pride flag. January 5, 2021. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com He also cited when Republicans in Washington, D.C. failed to condemn the Capitol Hill riot or Jewish space lasers, referring to controversial GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greenes accusations that a Jewish laser beam from space ignited the November 2018 California wildfires. When they wont even check a member in Congress who says some of the most offensive, outlandish and outrageous things, I dont know how you can find common ground with a group of federal representatives that claim that their race was legit but Joe Bidens was rigged. There is no common ground, he said. Youre lying. You know it. I know it. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman prepares breakfast for his kids during their morning routine. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com Breaking bad Fetterman dismisses the suggestion of him being seen as a so-called badass. I cant even get my kids to clean their room, he said. But he also has shown a willingness to challenge the rules of decorum that surround the public office he now holds. Take his flags, for instance. He hung them on the balcony railing right above the main entrance to the Capitol to demonstrate his support for marijuana legalization and LGBTQ and transgender rights. In November, House Republicans slipped language into the enacted state budget package, making it illegal to display flags at the Capitol other than the U.S., Pennsylvania or POW/MIA flags. He ignored it until last month when the Capitol police took them down. Fetterman plans to put them back up next time hes in Harrisburg. Theres one guaranteed way to get them down forever, he said. Just expand the franchise to this community, just legalize weed so we are able to move forward as a state in this space. Then theres the proper Senate attire. He doesnt like having to wear a jacket when he runs the Senate from the rostrum and doesnt really get that long-standing tradition. I dont know why anyone cares if you wear a jacket or not, Fetterman said. I dont think that makes you smarter or more moral or anything. Ill do it if I have to but Ill also stand up [against] what is not true and what is not right in that moment too. Standing his ground does cause him to pay a price, though. His defiance of Senate rules on two occasions led the Republican majority to remove him for the day as the chambers presiding officer. The first time was in 2019 over continuing a cash assistance program for low-income individuals when Fetterman chose to allow a Democratic senator to speak as Republicans attempted to call for vote. Last month, he failed to recognize a GOP motion to prevent Allegheny County Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster from being seated on Swearing-in Day, along with other senators due to an unresolved election challenge by Brewsters opponent. Brewster was sworn a little more than week later. In both instances, Fetterman said he was doing what he felt was right. He wasnt looking for a fight. And he doesnt regret his actions. Ive always lived by the philosophy of, look, Im not looking for a fight but Im not afraid of one either and thats always been my philosophy, he said. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and wife, Gisele on a Zoom with Levi the family dog at their home in Braddock, Pa. February 05, 2021 Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com Fighting the good fight Running a Senate campaign can be time consuming. But Fetterman said he has no intention of letting it interfere with his lieutenant governor duties, particularly as it relates to chairing the Board of Pardons. That board hears requests for pardons and commutations from incarcerated Pennsylvanians seeking mercy. Im going to double down that much harder, he said. That is a great calling of mine. And if anything, Im going to make sure the next two years we are going to fix and adjust this process in the best possible way for whoever occupies that office. [They] will have a map forward on how to re-imagine really the only way, the only mechanism in Pennsylvania to address a lot of these systemic issues that are deeply rooted in race and economics, Fetterman said. The penal system in Pennsylvania, we spend billions on incarceration. But we spend barely a million on redemption and forgiveness. He takes great satisfaction in the Board of Pardons actions over the past year, particularly in December when it recommended commutations for Dennis and Lee Horton, the Philadelphia brothers convicted of participating in a 1993 robbery and murder and sentenced to life in prison, along with several others. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, that brings the number of cases on the governors desk for clemency to more than a dozen. Wolf has already approved 21 releases of people serving life sentences which is more than any governor in two decades. I think its safe to say Im the first lieutenant governor in Pennsylvanias history that has cared about these kind of things, Fetterman said. It doesnt get any finer from a public service standpoint than righting these wrongs. Thats what I mean when I say I dont care if thats popular or unpopular. Its the right thing to do and Im always going to do that. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. A 13-year-old girl has been killed after being dragged for several miles when she tried to jump out of her family's SUV after a carjacker stole it from outside a restaurant. Police say the girl, who has not publicly been identified, got caught in her seat belt while trying to escape the car after it was stolen in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday. The alleged carjacker, Kevin Palmer, 34, has since been charged with felony murder over the girl's death. The teenager was waiting in the back seat of the running SUV parked outside the restaurant while her family went inside to pick up food at about midday. Police say the girl, who has not publicly been identified, got caught in her seat belt while trying to escape the car after it was stolen by Kevin Palmer, 34, in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday Palmer is accused of getting into the driver's seat and taking off. The girl tried to escape the SUV while it was moving but got caught in her seat belt. Police say she was dragged outside the car for several miles. A witness saw the horrific ordeal unfold and followed the SUV while calling 911. Palmer eventually stopped the SUV and attempted to flee before being captured by officers, police say. A witness saw the horrific ordeal unfold and followed the SUV while calling 911. Palmer eventually stopped the SUV (location where he stopped is pictured) and attempted to flee before being captured by officers The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. 'This is one of the saddest cases I have been associated with in my over 28 years of law enforcement,' Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said. They have not released the girl's name. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the girl's family to help with funeral costs. Palmer has been charged with felony murder. It was unclear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. 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. AES Vietnam reps on Thursday presented gifts to poor households in Song Phan and Son My Communes, Ham Tan District, Binh Thuan Province to celebrate the upcoming Tet festival. Each household received a gift set valued at VND500,000 ($21.86), which included basic commodities for Tet. The gift sets were presented to 52 poor households in Song Phan Commune, mostly inhabited by ethnic Rai, and 48 families in Son My Commune. "After nearly 15 years of operating in Vietnam, we fully understand the importance and meaning of Tet in Vietnamese culture. With these gifts, we hope to offer a warmer and more meaningful festive period to the poor, so Tet can be celebrated in every household and no one is left behind," said David Stone, president of AES Vietnam. The Tet gifts are part of AESs social impact program, which aims to improve the quality of life for local communities, focusing on four main pillars health, education, livelihoods and infrastructure. Hoang Quoc Bao, Stakeholder Officer, AES Vietnam presented Tet gifts to the poor households in Song Phan commune. In October 2020, AES Vietnam presented scholarships to 120 students in Son My Commune. The scholarships were provided in collaboration with the association for promoting education in the commune, aiming to motivate students to advance their studies and help cover a part of their tuition fees. AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global power company, providing affordable, sustainable energy to 14 countries. In 2019, the company's revenues totaled $10 billion, with $34 billion in total assets. AES, through its subsidiary, AES Mong Duong Power Company Limited, has developed and arranged financing for Mong Duong 2 Power Project of 1,242 MW with total investment of approximately $2.1 billion. This is Vietnams first build-operate-transfer coal-fired power project, representing approximately 2.3 percent of the countrys installed capacity. In November 2017, AES signed an MOU with PV Gas to develop the $1.3 billion Son My LNG Terminal Project. AES also signed an MOU with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2019 to develop a 2.2 GW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant under the BOT scheme, which will be located in Binh Thuan Province. In October 2020, AES Vietnam and PV GAS inked a Term Sheet of the Joint Venture Agreement for Son My LNG terminal. Together, the CCGT and terminal are expected to play a major role in shaping Vietnams energy future by diversifying the energy mix with imported LNG and meeting the countrys increasing demand for sustainable and affordable electricity. To learn more, please visit https://aesmongduong.vn/ Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp. Gopalganj, Feb 8 : Bihar Police seized 265 kg charas from a van at Balthari checkpost on National Highway 28 in Gopalganj and arrested three Nepalese citizens in this connection. Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Anand Kumar on Monday said that the police were checking vehicles at Balthari checkpost on Sunday following a tip-off. The team at the checkpost stopped a suspicious pickup van, going from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh, and found that the registration number of the van was fake. When the team checked the vehicle thoroughly, they found 265 kg of charas, in around 1,000 packets, hidden in the cabin of the van. The value of the seized charas is estimated to be Rs 50 crore in the international market. Three persons including the driver of the van have been arrested. All the three accused are residents of Nepal. Prakash Kumar Kurmi and Vicky Srivastava are residents of Birgunj while Vinay Kumar Sahni is a resident of Parsa Mathwal. Kumar said that during interrogation, the accused revealed that the charas was being smuggled from Nepal via Gopalganj to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. Further investigation in the case is on, he added. Longford County Council will offer its support to the Irish Cancer Society on March 26 to highlight awareness for the charitys annual Daffodil Day campaign. The Irish Cancer Society wrote to Longford County Council to request that landmark buildings in the county be lit up yellow to mark the annual Daffodil Day on March 26. Daffodil Day is one of the charitys major fundraising events but, due to Covid-19, it was cancelled last year. At all three Municipal Districts last week, councillors agreed to the request, noting the importance of supporting such a worthy cause. I think we should do this, said Cathaoirleach of Longfod Municipal District Peggy Nolan to agreement from her council colleagues last week. Most families that are afflicted with this terrible disease will availa of the support of the Irish Cancer Society. The social media giant continues its crackdown on the extreme right wing in ways that haven't been reciprocated for activists on the other side of the political spectrum. Their latest deletion concerns a blogger out of STL that was always overestimated, only shared by white dudes over 50 and never made me laugh. Read more . . . Corporate America is entering the Biden era with bold public pledges to fight climate change. But as Democrats seek to hold businesses to those promises, they're facing a big battle. Democrats are vowing to go through the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose sweeping financial disclosure rules on climate risk that would force thousands of businesses including banks, manufacturers and energy producers to divulge information to investors. Lenders are set to get even more scrutiny from their own regulators like the Federal Reserve, including potential stress tests to measure their resiliency to rising sea levels and extreme weather. Now, the backlash is beginning. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who has been hailed by some as a corporate leader in fighting climate change, is putting his weight behind a call for companies to abide by a voluntary global standard instead and is warning against the potential shortfalls of government intervention. And Republican lawmakers are emerging as allies to businesses resistant to the looming transparency rules. This is about solving a societal problem that does not align simply with the SECs mission, said Rep. Patrick McHenry, the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. Id like the Securities and Exchange Commission to stick to what they do and then for us in the elected class to make these large-scale societal decisions. At the heart of the clash is a broader argument about how much control the government should have over business, a debate that will get more heated as President Joe Biden's administration moves to impose stricter regulations on the economy after four years of rollbacks by former President Donald Trump. The reluctance to embrace the government's growing role in climate policy is echoed by business groups in Washington, D.C., that are calling for flexible disclosure requirements. The campaign by Democrats is expected to trigger a lobbying blitz as companies try to shape regulations that could require them to publicly quantify their carbon footprints, potential financial losses from climate-related risks and their plans for making their operations more environmentally sustainable. Story continues An increasing number of corporations are responding to the pressure by releasing more climate data voluntarily, though industry representatives say companies are split on the issue. "There are some who care, but they don't want to be told what to do," said Stephen Brown, a veteran energy industry consultant who ran the federal affairs office of oil refiner Tesoro for 12 years. "There are others who would like to be told how to do it." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute, two of the biggest business associations, are warning against a one-size-fits-all approach to the rules, which could expose companies to legal trouble if they don't accurately report information. The API said it supports greater transparency but that rules "must be workable for different industries, support access to capital for all sectors and allow for companies' reporting to demonstrate the multiple pathways toward managing climate opportunities and risks." The Chamber argues that the regulations should allow for companies and their investors to determine the most relevant information to release, rather than imposing "rigid" standards. The Chamber is among the groups that in recent years have sued the SEC to block other corporate transparency rules. Climate disclosure advocates see litigation as a major risk for the agency. "There are people who are going to be reluctant to have any disclosure obligations imposed on public companies sort of broadly," said former SEC Chair Mary Schapiro, who is now a key player in crafting international climate reporting standards and supports mandatory disclosure. "There are people who will believe it's not really material information that material means big and now and that climate in many ways for some sectors may not manifest itself in the very short term." Republican officials are signaling that they will fight the effort, giving companies a powerful set of friends. Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce told POLITICO she was skeptical that climate-related requirements could meet the standard of "material" information for investors, meaning that it would be important enough to affect a company's stock price. "Imposing a costly and prescriptive reporting regime wouldnt give investors any new meaningful information, but would discourage firms from going public, reduce access to capital and slow economic growth, which means fewer jobs and opportunities for retail investors," said Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who will be the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee. BlackRocks Fink argues that many publicly traded companies those accustomed to sharing information widely with investors are on track to manage their climate risk amid growing market pressure. He says the government should focus on privately held firms that are taking on more carbon-intensive businesses but don't divulge as many details of their operations. Companies that start disclosing information should get temporary legal protections to shield them if they misreport data, Fink says. Were going to see a vast change in the public company arena worldwide, he said at a Brookings Institution event Tuesday. They are going to move forward. Were not going to need really governmental change or regulatory change. But advocates say forcing major companies to follow a standard method for revealing their contributions to climate change is a critical step to reorienting the global economy on a path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A July Government Accountability Office report found inconsistencies in how companies report information on environmental and social issues that are an increasing focus for investors. "There is, without question, significant and systemic risk to the financial system that is created by climate change," said Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), who wrote legislation with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that would require the SEC to develop climate disclosure rules. "Yet if you are an investor and you want to understand how much of that risk you're exposed to, you don't have any unambiguous metric that says this is what your exposure is that's done in a consistent way." The U.S. is entering the debate after other countries, including the U.K., have moved to make climate risk disclosures mandatory for companies. The effort has been aided by groups such as the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, a G20-led organization chaired by Michael Bloomberg that has been developing a framework for companies that want to voluntarily report the information. Its work and that of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board could be the basis for what the SEC makes mandatory for big companies. BlackRock's Fink is among the leaders supporting the two disclosure groups. He is calling for a single international standard to avoid differing requirements across the globe. The official who's expected to lead the way for Democrats is Gary Gensler, Biden's nominee to chair the SEC. Gensler's selection is encouraging to climate disclosure advocates because he took on the banks when he was the lead regulator writing financial trading rules after the 2008 Wall Street meltdown. The SEC is staffing up ahead of the climate push, including bringing back former agency official Satyam Khanna, who was an adviser to Principles for Responsible Investment, one of the groups calling for greater climate risk disclosure. Didem Nisanci, the Treasury Department's new chief of staff, was also part of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. Gensler "will likely be persuaded by the enormous demand of the investing public for this kind of information," said Schapiro, who served with him as a regulator and is now a member of the Bloomberg-led climate disclosure task force. "Equity markets are highly globalized. Capital knows no boundaries and borders. The U.S. needs to be participating with the rest of the world in dealing with these issues. That's something that Gary will be quite sensitive to." While some companies will resist government intervention, others see benefits in having regulators accelerate standard reporting metrics. But industry representatives say the methods used to measure and report climate impacts are still developing and it may be a gamble to codify them into federal rules. You have this voluntary system out there," said Dorothy Donohue, deputy general counsel at the Investment Company Institute, which counts BlackRock among its members. The group has not taken a position on whether climate disclosure should be mandated by the SEC. "Is there a need for the SEC to replicate that in a rule? Once you put it in a rule, its a whole lot harder to change," she said. Banks in particular are concerned about the prospect of being forced to disclose the carbon footprint that they may generate indirectly through their loans to fossil fuel producers. Bank Policy Institute Senior Vice President Lauren Anderson said data reporting on more direct sources of carbon emissions "is not entirely comprehensible and comparable" and that calculating the generation of emissions further down the corporate chain is "exponentially harder," with risks of double counting. This is an incredibly difficult ask," she said. "Thats not to say institutions wont get there, but I think at the moment when those numbers are being disclosed, I think people take them with a large pinch of salt. While there is no comprehensive data on the scale of defections, Naftali Yawitz, who runs the division of the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry that helps fund those organizations, said there had been a very significant wave in recent months of both new leavers and more veteran ones seeking help. One of those organizations, Hillel, which operates an emergency shelter with the ministry as well as rent-free, halfway apartments for leavers, has a waiting list for the shelter in Jerusalem, the first stop for many with nowhere to go. It has also noted a 50 percent increase in former ultra-Orthodox seeking help over the last year. Out for Change, the other main organization, offered leavers the option of registering with the group for the first time last year, in part to help formalize their status in dealings with the authorities. Even though many are traumatized and conflicted by the break and reluctant to identify themselves, more than 1,300 signed up. This was just what the ultra-Orthodox rabbis had feared and why some were so insistent on keeping their religious education institutions open in violation of lockdown regulations. In a letter calling for girls schools to reopen, Leah Kolodetzki, the daughter of one leading rabbi, said that in her fathers opinion boredom leads to sin and puts girls in severe spiritual danger. Israel Cohen, a prominent ultra-Orthodox political commentator, played down concerns about the increasing flight from the ultra-Orthodox, known as Haredi in Hebrew, accusing Hillel, for one, of exploiting the health crisis to recruit more leavers with a publicity campaign. But he acknowledged that the Haredi leadership was afraid of losing control. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. CLEVELAND, Ohio Time to break out the various descriptions for cold weather: brisk, bracing, frosty, biting, harsh, bracing ... Oh, wait, we used that one already. Anyway, you might have heard the rumor its going to be cold this week. It might not be quite as bad as first predicted. Earlier forecasts called for overnight lows around zero and even lower this week. Right now, the lowest predicted temperature is 5 degrees (not including wind chills). So good news! Still, its going to be nippy (theres another one). It starts Monday morning, when temperatures are expected to be around 10 degrees at 8 a.m. in Cleveland and 9 degrees in Akron. Wind chills will make it feel like 5 degrees in Cleveland and 3 in Akron. It eventually will warm to the low to mid-20s with mostly cloudy skies. Overnight lows will stay around 20 degrees in Cleveland and Akron and snow showers are expected, with 1 to 3 inches of accumulation possible by Tuesday morning. Tuesday should be one of the warmest days of the week as highs will be in the upper 20s. Snow showers are possible through much of the day, but only about a half-inch of accumulation is expected. Temps will fall again Tuesday night, dipping to the low teens. Wednesdays highs will be in the low to mid-20s and there again are chances of snow showers. Less than a half-inch is expected in Cleveland and up to 1 inch might fall in Akron. Highs will get reach the upper 20s again on Thursday, with snow showers again possible. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 20s on Friday with mostly cloudy skies. Colder air arrives Friday night as lows dip to about 12 degrees in Cleveland and 11 degrees in Akron. Highs on Saturday will be around 20 degrees but overnight lows will be around 5 degrees in Akron and 6 degrees in Cleveland. Sunday wont warm up too much, with highs staying in the mid-teens. Mondays sunrise: 7:30 a.m. Sunset: 5:52 p.m. Laois adults with difficulty reading or with no computer skills are to get extra help and equipment with the announcement today of a 447,801 grant. The grant announced this Monday, February 8 by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris TD, is part of a 5.8 million fund for community education under the Mitigating against Educational Disadvantage Fund. The Laois Offaly Education and Training Board will administer it here. The recipients include Laois travellers, Laois schools and disability groups. See FULL LIST of recipients below story. The money has been welcomed by Laois Offaly politicians. Fianna Fail's Sean Fleming TD is Minister of State in the Department of Finance. "This fund will help LOETB increase its capacity in providing digital services and additional computers and laptops to help online learning. There are many people with reading difficulties and no computer skills in our community. This funding will help redress this issue and make sure we have an Ireland for all," he said. It is "very welcome news" says Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture is Offaly Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett. "This funding is designed to reduce the level of educational disadvantage experienced by many adults, particularly those who dont have the digital skills or infrastructure to avail of online learning. Being able to take on a study course during this time of restriction is of great benefit. This funding will help to make that happen," she said. Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan has also welcomed the fund announced by his party colleague Minister Harris. This new funding for Laois & Offaly ETB was secured as part of Budget 2021 to support community education for adult learners, who have the highest level of need. It will help to increase the participation of disadvantaged learners across Laois & Offaly. It encourages and supports them to re-engage with education and training and also helps attract new learners to engage with education and training opportunities. The fund has a particular focus on assisting learners with digital infrastructure, including providing devices and software, and increasing their capacity to deliver online learning. Crucially, it aims at helping build the digital infrastructure of providers, and their capability to ensure that online learning can be delivered in a way that meets the complex needs of all learners, Dep Flanagan said. Speaking today, Minister Harris said: "We know that too many people in Ireland have difficulties with reading, with numbers or with digital skills. Some people may not have got the help they needed earlier in their lives, but what I want people to know is that there is friendly and non-judgemental help there for you now. There are services all over Ireland which will gladly assist you with the skills youd like to learn. "One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted was educational inequality be it a lack of devices like laptops or someone not having the connectivity to study online. The funding I am announcing today is specifically designed to tackle those inequalities and support access to community education. "Education is for everyone, for all your life, and I am determined that my department will be part of building an inclusive Ireland where nobody is left behind." MALINOWO, Poland From a forest on the edge of this tiny village in eastern Poland, a distant and mostly forgotten local horror is reverberating widely. It has cast a pall over the 30 villagers who live nearby, reached into a courtroom in Warsaw, and is now radiating distress around the world over the rewriting of Holocaust history. The case has its roots in the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II, when terrified Jews took shelter in the forest and, according to a survivor cited in a recent Polish study of the Holocaust, were murdered there after the wartime mayor of Malinowo, a Pole, told the Nazis of their hiding place. That horror, however, has now resurfaced, revived by a libel suit against two scholars who edited the study and who stand accused of besmirching the honor of the long-dead mayor and the Polish nation. A verdict in the case, which was brought by the elderly niece of the mayor with support from bodies funded in part by Polands government, is expected Tuesday. The targets of the libel action are Jan Grabowski, a Polish-Canadian history professor at the University of Ottawa, and Barbara Engelking, a historian with the Polish Center for Holocaust Research. Together they edited Night Without End, a 1,700-page 2018 study on the role played by individual Poles in aiding Nazi murder. The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control is organizing an emergency online meeting after the citys Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC) on Monday morning reported 24 people being positive with COVID-19 at first test. All were transferred to quarantined zones, and HCDC is tracking down for people who had contact with them. Several locations in the city have also been blockaded, with chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong requesting a strict control over the locked down areas to make sure people will not enter or exit. Local authorities are conducting blockade at Ho Chi Minh Citys Ma Lang neighborhood in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward on the night of February 7, 2021. Photo: Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre The Minsitry of Health is very concerned as the source of the infection cluster in Ho Chi Minh City has not been determined yet, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at the meeting. The 24 positive cases were reported after city the announced four new cases of locally-transmitted COVID-19 with all being staff members at Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport the same morning. Currently, the number of people in contact with infected cases in Binh Thanh District has mounted to 303. However, there have been reported cases in which direct contacts of patient No.1,979, a baggage handler at Tan Son Nhat Airport, were tested negative for the coronavirus but results of some indrect contacts came back postive. HCDC is working with the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City to conduct antibody tests to determine the infectious nature of those cases. HCDC director Nguyen Tri Dung at the meeting mentioned the possibility that the positive cases are those having recovered from the disease previously. Ho Chi Minh City needs to act quickly and urgently as we have done, but more seriously, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long stated, expressing his concern over the spread of the virus from patient No.1,979 and his team members to the community. The minster also requested the city to quickly zone the areas with infection cases as well as test all cases related. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! US President Joe Biden demanded on Thursday that the Myanmarese military relinquish the power it has seized in a coup. In a military coup, the Myanmarese armed forces have seized power and arrested its elected civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi. The whereabouts of her are still not clear. "The Burmese military should relinquish power they have seized, release the advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions on telecommunications and refrain from violence," Biden said in his remarks at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. "As I said earlier this week, we will work with our partners to support restoration of democracy and the rule of law and impose consequences on those responsible," he added. Biden said in the last few days, his administration has been in close cooperation with allies and partners to bring together the international community to address the military coup in Myanmar. "I have also been in touch with (Republican) Leader (Mitch) McConnell to discuss our shared concerns about the situation in Burma and we are united in our resolve. There can be no doubt in a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election," he said. According to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, there is genuine bipartisan agreement on Myanmar. "We believe we can work with Congress on a package of sanctions to impose consequences in -- in response to this coup. We will also be working with allies and partners around the world," he said. A day earlier, a senior State Department official told reporters that they have been talking to India and Japan in the region on the issue of Myanmar. Among others, the US is reviewing the possibility of a new executive order and also looking at specific targeted sanctions both on individuals and on entities that enrich the military. "So we believe we have plenty of space to be able to find the types of sanctions targets necessary to sharpen the choice for the Burmese military," Sullivan said. Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called for sanctions on Myanmar. "I myself have been a supporter of sanctions of Burma at the time, going way back, I still call it Burma as a matter of fact," she said. McConnell has also called for sanctions against Myanmar. "We already have sanctions in place against key military officials. And Congress has already given the executive branch the authorities it needs to swiftly apply even more sanctions to the military and its infiltration into Burma's economy," he said. "But we will also need the help of our friends and allies to effectively pressure the junta. It is time for freedom-loving nations to stand up for democracy and impose their own meaningful costs on the military junta," he said. McConnell slammed the Chinese Communist Party's state news organ dismissively calling the events in Myanmar a "major cabinet reshuffle". "That is a joke and the free world knows it. This is a military coup and an attack on democracy, plain and simple. "There are two paths before Burma. It can continue to grow into a modern, democratic country, connected to the global economy...or remain a corrupt, impoverished, authoritarian backwater in the shadow of the People's Republic of China. The people of Burma have said which one they prefer," he said. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada's universal, publicly funded health care system is a source of pride for Canadians. The Government of Canada is working closely with provincial and territorial governments to strengthen health care and adapt the system to the challenges of delivering health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced the signature of a bilateral agreement with Prince Edward Island (PEI) to expand virtual health care services for its residents. Under the agreement, the province will invest federal funding based on agreed-upon pan-Canadian priorities for accelerating virtual health services during the pandemic. Through this bilateral agreement, PEI will receive nearly $3.5 million to expand their virtual health care services. Over the coming weeks, the province will be developing an action plan that outlines how they will invest their share of federal funding to improve access to virtual health care services. Quotes "Now more than ever, Canadians need access to virtual health care services to support their health. We are working with provinces and territories to support the rapid deployment of such services for Canadians, to ensure they can access the care they need, whenever they need it. Today's investment will support PEI in their expansion of virtual health care services, ensuring Islanders have health services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic." The Honourable Patty Hajdu Canada's Minister of Health "Throughout the pandemic, we have seen a lot of success in telehealth technology and virtual care supporting Island patients and received a lot of positive feedback from those who have used the service. Through the bilateral agreement we will be able to expand on these services, caring for more Islanders through efficient and secure virtual appointments. Virtual care offers the convenience of care from home, and allows Islanders to access care from across the province, country and world." Ernie Hudson Prince Edward Island's Minister of Health and Wellness Quick Facts On May 3, 2020 , the Prime Minister announced an investment of $240.5 million to increase access to virtual services and digital tools to support Canadians' health and wellbeing. , the Prime Minister announced an investment of to increase access to virtual services and digital tools to support Canadians' health and wellbeing. $150 million of that funding will be provided to provinces and territories through targeted bilateral agreements aimed at expanding virtual health care services in five priority areas for immediate action to support further embedding virtual health care services within Canadian health care systems, namely: of that funding will be provided to provinces and territories through targeted bilateral agreements aimed at expanding virtual health care services in five priority areas for immediate action to support further embedding virtual health care services within Canadian health care systems, namely: secure messaging and file transfer, secure videoconferencing, remote patient monitoring technologies, patient access to their COVID-19 and other lab results, and back-end supports for integration and/or alignment of these new platforms or existing tools. This funding is also in addition to the $50 million in incremental federal funding allocated to Canada Health Infoway to further support provincial and territorial efforts to rapidly implement new initiatives in keeping with the five priority areas. in incremental federal funding allocated to Canada Health Infoway to further support provincial and territorial efforts to rapidly implement new initiatives in keeping with the five priority areas. Bilateral agreements on virtual health care are a time-limited initiative aimed at ensuring that Canadians can continue to access the health care services they need during this time of uncertainty. Health Canada is building on this investment by working with provinces and territories on related policy issues. This will enable the longer-term adoption of high-quality and safe virtual health care services as a complement to in person care. Related Products Bilateral Agreement with Prince Edward Island SOURCE Health Canada For further information: Cole Davidson, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Enquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709 At least 34,000 Southeast Texans had signed up on the regions official vaccine waiting list by the end of last week. Before that effort was consolidated in late January, a few thousand other residents had added their names to earlier lists run by individual public agencies. Still, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick hoped there would be more interest by now. Youre looking at an area with 400,000 people, he said. I realize weve already given at least 17,000 doses and weve limited it. I hope theres a lot more pent up demand after weve gotten to these people. I know as soon as we get to people under 65 without health conditions, Im going to get mine. The vaccine is currently available to people in tiers 1A and 1B, which include most first-responders, people 65 and older and individuals with underlying health conditions. Jasper County Judge Mark Allen said his county hasnt seen any shortage of interest in receiving the vaccine in the few weeks its operated as a rural vaccine hub. Hes been proud to see that a large number of the regions most senior individuals have turned out to take the vaccine. Related: SE Texas officials make plans for mass vaccinations At a glance To sign up for a vaccine waiting list in Southeast Texas*: Visit vaccine.beaumonttexas.gov; or Call 409-550-2536. The phones will be manned Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick asked residents to be patient if they experience a busy signal or other capacity-related issue. *The city of Beaumont's 3-1-1 service is no longer taking sign-ups for the vaccine waiting list. See More Collapse In fact, Allen said, patients from other parts of the state and even an individual living in New York state who flew back to spend time with family have received the vaccine in Jasper County. Yet he acknowledged that faith-based, fraternal and other organizations have been and will continue to be crucial in the effort to encourage residents to get the vaccine and address their concerns. One doctor there is encouraging usage by inviting vaccine recipients to participate in a monthly drawing for a $100 Walmart gift card. The inoculated individuals can post their vaccine card, with identifying information such as an individuals patient number and date of birth covered or blurred, to the Facebook page of Jasper Community Wellness, which is described as an outreach, education and health care ministry. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox This way you can show you took the vaccine, youre still alive and doing well and can encourage other people to participate, said Dr. Larry Brown, who is also a physician at Complete Healthcare Services in Jasper. Theres really not a good way to get the word out in rural areas other than by word of mouth. Brown encouraged people to read information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Those interested in digging deeper can find detailed data and statistics from these groups, he said. Related: Jefferson Co. set monthly record for COVID-19 cases in January Brown, who is Black, also cited the importance of seeing people of color discuss the benefits of getting the vaccine. I think as you see diversity in the specialists that are questioned about intervention, it will be more readily accepted by different populations, he said. On Friday morning, the regional Emergency Operations Center received 11,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, Allen said. Branick said he hopes the area will get at least that many more doses in the coming weeks and be able to tackle the waiting list of names in less than a month. At that point, he said, he expects the waiting list to be opened to the next group of eligible recipients. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain LAS VEGAS, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Beta-Thalassemia Market report offers a holistic picture of the market landscape of the Beta Thalassemia key companies, emerging pipeline therapies, Beta-Thalassemia market share occupied by individual therapies, current and forecasted Beta-thal market share in the 6MM (the US, and EU5 (the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) for the study period. The report highlights the drivers and constraints shaping the present Beta-Thalassemia Market along with the unmet medical needs that offer opportunities to the key players to explore the underlying potential of the market. Some of the key highlights from the Beta-Thalassemia Market Report: The Beta-Thalassemia market outlook appears to be ruled by the iron-chelating agents . . Exjade is the first, once-daily oral iron chelator commercially available to treat chronic transfusional iron overload due to a wide range of underlying anemia. is the first, once-daily oral iron chelator commercially available to treat chronic transfusional iron overload due to a wide range of underlying anemia. The Beta-Thalassemia market is witnessing an influx of gene therapies and gene-edited cell therapies to eradicate the lifetime burden of the disease. to eradicate the lifetime burden of the disease. Several of the emerging drugs, including LentiGlobin are receiving or have received Orphan Drug Designation. Key pharma players dynamically driving the growth of the Beta-Thalassemia market size are Bluebird Bio , Protagonist Therapeutics , Acceleron Pharma , Agios Pharmaceuticals , Ionis Pharmaceuticals, and others. , , , , and others. The upcoming therapies envisaged transforming the Beta-Thalassemia market scenario are ZYNTEGLO (LentiGlobin BB305), Sotatercept (ACE-011), Mitapivat (AG-348), PTG-300 , IONIS-TMPRSS6-LRx , VIT-2763 , Emeramide , and several others. (LentiGlobin BB305), (ACE-011), (AG-348), , , , , and several others. Rising global prevalence due to increased rates of human migration, the launch of novel and cutting-edge therapies, improvement in diagnostic techniques, the involvement of patients, major healthcare providers, and governmental programs leading to increased awareness, high-priced gene therapies, and an increase in the R&D activities since the cloning of Betaglobin gene is propelling the growth of the Beta-Thalassemia market size. Request for Sample @ Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook and Forecast Beta-Thalassemia is a rare, genetic disorder, which is inherited in an autosomal, recessive fashion. The primary hallmark of the condition is a lack of haemoglobin in RBCs due to mutations in the HBB gene on chromosome 11. The severity of Beta-Thalassemia varies based on the nature of the mutation and the presence of mutations in one or both alleles. Clinically, there can be two main categories of Beta-Thalassemia patients based on the patient's need for blood transfusiontransfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT). Beta-Thalassemia Epidemiological Analysis According to DelveInsight, the total Beta-Thalassemia prevalent population in the 6MM was 14,954 in 2020. Italy accounted for the highest prevalent Beta-Thalassemia patient pool, followed by the US with Spain reporting the least size of the Beta-Thalassemia prevalent patient pool. DelveInsight's Beta-Thalassemia Market Report puts forward historical as well as forecasted epidemiological analysis for the 6MM for the study period 2017-30 segmented into: Total Prevalent Cases of Beta-Thalassemia Minor Diagnosed Prevalence of Beta-Thalassemia Diagnosed Beta-Thalassemia Patients by Disease Type Complications of Beta-Thalassemia Patients Get a clear picture of Beta-Thalassemia Epidemiology and its Changing trends @ Beta-Thalassemia Prevalence Beta-Thalassemia Treatment Market Outlook Beta Thalassemia is a genetic disorder that is inherited in an autosomal, recessive fashion. The clinical manifestations seen in patients are severe anemia, abnormal hemoglobin, and build-up of iron in the body. The treatment market mainly focuses on delaying the progression of the disease and relieving the symptoms. Blood transfusion and iron chelation remain the gold-standard of care for patients with TDT, with the former suppressing ineffective hematopoiesis and its complications, and the latter treating and preventing complications from iron overload. The treatment aims to maintain the levels of haemoglobin of 9-10.5 g/dL. However, excess accrual of iron due to frequent blood transfusions is a common complication in patients. Therefore, the present Beta-Thalassemia therapeutic market is dominated by iron binders/chelators, which helps in maintaining iron balance in the body by excreting excess iron through urine or faeces. Desferal (deferoxamine mesylate USP) is an iron-chelating agent of Novartis and is available in vials for intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intravenous administration. It is indicated for the treatment of acute iron intoxication and chronic iron overload due to transfusion-dependent anaemia. Novartis also Exjade (Deferasirox), another oral iron chelator, which got FDA nod in 2005. It primarily helps in reducing chronic iron overload in patients who are receiving long-term blood transfusions for conditions such as beta-thalassemia and other chronic anaemias. Recently, Luspatercept (ACE-536), a candidate of Acceleron received an FDA nod for the treatment of anaemia in adult patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions. Moreover, in May 2020, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has also recommended approval of Luspatercept to treat anaemia in both the rare blood disorder beta-thalassemia and haematological cancer myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Got Queries? Contact @ Beta-Thalassemia Marketed Therapies and Treatment Approaches and get a comprehensive understanding of the Beta-Thalassemia therapeutic outlook Beta-Thalassemia Marketed Therapies Desferal: Novartis Exjade: Novartis Ferrirpox (deferiprone): Apotex ACE-536: Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation However, these drugs are mainly curative in nature. Potential curative treatment options present in the Beta-Thalassemia market include bone marrow transplant in selected patients and gene therapies that aim to partially, if not fully, correct the disorder. Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook and Forecast Several emerging therapies including LentiGlobin, PTG-300, ACE-011, Mitapivat, and others are on the horizon anticipated to impact the overall market domain. Among the emerging therapies, PTG-300 is an injectable hepcidin peptide to treat iron overload in patients with Beta-Thalassemia by Protagonist Therapeutics. The drug is expected to be launched within the forecast period [2021-2030] as it has been granted Fast Track designation as well as Orphan Drug designation by FDA and EMA. siRNA targeting Tmprss6, both of which act by increasing the production of endogenous hepcidin, have shown to improve erythropoiesis and anemia in mouse models of Beta-Thalassemia. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a leader in RNA-targeted drug discovery and development has developed IONIS-TMPRSS6-LRx. However, the drug which is being labeled as the potential game-changer is LentiGlobin BB305 (Zynteglo) developed by bluebird bio. It is the first-ever gene therapy to be approved for the management of Beta Thalassemia and was given conditional marketing approval by the EU in June 2019 and was first launched in Germany. This will be followed by a large-scale European rollout. Apart from FDA granting LentiGlobin BB305 an Orphan Drug designation, it has also been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for Beta-Thalassemia. bluebird bio has set a price of 1.6 million euros ($1.8 million) for its gene therapy Zynteglo, which so far has only been approved for a rare blood disorder in the European Union. The cost will be spread over five years based on its continued effectiveness, at 315,000 euros a year following an outcome-based payment model. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll by delaying the first commercial treatment using Zynteglo in Germany. The US launch has also been delayed to 2021 due to disagreement with the FDA about providing additional data for the agency's review. Henceforth, the overall regulatory environment and the global crisis are expected to make large inroads on the overall pipeline environment. Reblozyl (luspatercept-aamt), an activin type II receptor fusion protein developed by Acceleron Pharma/Celgene, on the other hand, became the first drug to receive FDA approval for the treatment of anemia in adults suffering from beta-thalassemia. It has also received a positive CHMP (Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) opinion in April this year and is expected to enter the European arena by 2021. Another novel therapy that is expected to make an impact on the treatment landscape is VIT-2763 being developed by Vifor Pharma. Beta-Thalassemia Pipeline Therapies LentiGlobin BB305: BlueBird Bio PTG-300: Protagonist Therapeutics ACE-011 (Sotatercept): Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation Mitapivat: Agios Pharmaceuticals IONIS TMPRSS6 LRx: Ionis Pharmaceuticals VIT 2763: Vifor Pharma OTL-300: Orchard Therapeutics ST-400: Sangamo Therapeutics/Sanofi CTX001: CRISPR Therapeutics/Vertex Pharmaceuticals DST-0509: DisperSol Technologies ATIR201: Kiadis Ruxolitinib: Incyte Corporation/Novartis EDIT-301: Editas Medicine Global Blood Therapeutics/Syros Pharmaceuticals And others. Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook: Analysts Comments Beta-Thalassemia Therapeutic Market is witnessing an increment in the investment, thereby, R&D, with pharmaceutical companies exploring and exploiting novel cutting-edge technologies for the development of drugs. Further, well-designed, randomized controlled trials have contributed to building a robust pipeline that shall propel the Beta-Thalassemia market size growth. Pharma and biotech companies such as Bluebird Bio, Protagonist Therapeutics, Acceleron Pharma, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Ionis Pharmaceuticals among several others are working to optimize available treatment approaches as well as bringing out novel therapies to address the unmet needs. Moreover, the market space is booming with the major collaborations, tie-ups, and licensing agreements taking place. However, the already availability of gene therapies is expected to give a strong competition to the Beta-Thalassemia emerging therapies. Besides tough competition, the timelines of ongoing clinical trials have faced a major backlash, and owing to the uncertainty that looms, it is still hard to predict the normalcy. Nevertheless, the Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook lacks a curative approach despite the stronghold of gene therapies in the market, which DelveInsight estimates to be a significant driving force behind the market size growth. An increasing trend in the prevalence of the disease also appears to add to the patient pool thus the demand for curative approaches. In a nutshell, it can be summarized that as many potential therapies are being investigated for the management of Beta-Thalassemia, it is safe to predict that the treatment space will experience significant reconstitution during the forecast period of 2021-2030. Know more about the collaborations, tie-ups, and therapies launch @ Beta-Thalassemia Pipeline Therapies and Forecast Table of Contents 1 Key Insights 2 Executive Summary of Beta-thalassemia 3 SWOT Analysis for Beta-Thalassemia 4 Beta-Thalassemia Market Overview at a Glance 5 Disease Background and Overview 6 Beta-Thalassemia Epidemiology and Patient Population 7 Country-Wise Beta-Thalassemia Epidemiology 8 Beta-Thalassemia Treatment and Management 9 Case Study 10 Beta-Thalassemia Market Unmet Needs 11 Beta-Thalassemia Marketed Products 12 Beta-Thalassemia Emerging Therapies 13 Beta-Thalassemia Promising Candidates 14 Beta-Thalassemia Therapies in the News 15 Beta-Thalassemia Discontinued Therapies 16 Beta-Thalassemia: Six Major Market Analysis 17 Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook by Country 18 Beta-Thalassemia Market Access and Reimbursement Landscape 19 Beta-Thalassemia Market Drivers 20 Beta-Thalassemia Market Barriers 21 Appendix 22 DelveInsight Capabilities 23 Disclaimer 24 About DelveInsight Know more of what we are offering @ Beta-Thalassemia Market Outlook Scope of the Report Geography Coverage : 6MM - The United States , and EU5 ( Germany , France , Italy , Spain , and the United Kingdom ). : 6MM - , and EU5 ( , , , , and the ). Study Period : 3-year historical and 11-year forecasted analysis : 3-year historical and 11-year forecasted analysis Beta-Thalassemia Market Segmentation : Total Prevalent Cases of Beta-thalassemia Minor, Diagnosed Prevalence of Beta-thalassemia, Diagnosed Beta-thalassemia Patients by Disease Type, Complications associated with Beta-thalassemia Patients : Total Prevalent Cases of Beta-thalassemia Minor, Diagnosed Prevalence of Beta-thalassemia, Diagnosed Beta-thalassemia Patients by Disease Type, Complications associated with Beta-thalassemia Patients Key Players Involved : Novartis, Apotex, Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation, BlueBird Bio, Protagonist Therapeutics, Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Vifor Pharma, EmeraMed, and others. : Novartis, Apotex, Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation, BlueBird Bio, Protagonist Therapeutics, Acceleron Pharma/Celgene Corporation, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Vifor Pharma, EmeraMed, and others. Analysis : Comparative and conjoint analysis of Beta-Thalassemia Emerging therapies : Comparative and conjoint analysis of Beta-Thalassemia Emerging therapies Tools used : SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, PESTLE analysis, BCG Matrix analysis methods. : SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, PESTLE analysis, BCG Matrix analysis methods. Case Studies KOL's Views Analyst's Views Related Reports Beta Thalassemia Pipeline Insight "Beta-thalassemia (B-thal) Pipeline Insight, 2020" report by DelveInsight outlays comprehensive insights of present clinical development scenario and growth prospects across the Beta-thalassemia (B-thal) market. Beta Thalassemia Epidemiology Forecast DelveInsight's 'Beta-thalassemia Epidemiology Forecast to 2030' report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted Beta-thalassemia epidemiology in the 6MM, i.e., the United States and EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom). 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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Market DelveInsight's "Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia - Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report delivers an in-depth understanding of the Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as the Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia market trends in the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and United Kingdom) and Japan. Von Willebrand Disease Market DelveInsight's "Von Willebrand disease Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2030" report delivers an in-depth understanding of the Von Willebrand disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as the Von Willebrand disease market trends in the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and United Kingdom) and Japan. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing end to end comprehensive solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve . Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +1(919)321-6187 www.delveinsight.com SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP BKM Industries announced the resignation of Ritika Agarwal (DIN: 08771261) from the office of Independent Director of the Company on 04 February 2021 due to preoccupation. The resignation of the Ritika Agarwal (DIN: 08771261), Independent Director is subject to the approval of the CoC members. Therefore, it will be placed in the next CoC meeting for obtaining the approval. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Retirees over the age of 65 will no longer have to sign on for the dole to bridge the gap until they can claim the State pension. A new benefit will be announced today for thousands of retirees who fall into this bracket, although it will be 45 a week less than the pension. Many workers have been forced to leave their job at the traditional retirement age of 65. But they were left with no option but to sign on to the Live Register and claim the dole, as qualification for the State pension was raised to 66. Now a new payment for this cohort, who were caught in the pension gap, is set to be announced by Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys. Her department has put in place the new scheme, to be called Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds. Read More It is specifically for people aged between 65 and 66 years who cease employment, whether voluntarily or otherwise. They will not have to sign on at a social welfare office to qualify for the payment, and will be free to take up an education course and still get the benefit. Some of these people have never been unemployed in their lives and resent having to claim unemployment benefit from social welfare and present as if they were looking for work. They have been also precluded from taking up an education course if they wanted to get the dole. The application process for the new payment is done online through one form. Eligibility for the payment is determined by a persons PRSI contributions, Ms Humphreys told the Irish Independent. The rate of payment is 203 a week, which is the same rate as Jobseekers Benefit. There will be an increase for dependants, if eligible. This is lower than the State transition pension which was paid from the age of 65 but was abolished in 2014 when the pension age rose to 66. The head of social policy and employment affairs at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Dr Laura Bambrick, welcomed the new scheme. But she questioned why it was being paid at the same value as Jobseekers Benefit and not the State pension. She said the difference amounts to 45 less per week, which is 2,355 for the year. It is expected that 2,000 existing unemployment benefit recipients will qualify for this new payment immediately. The department said it has identified people who are currently receiving a Jobseekers Benefit payment who are eligible for this new payment and it is in the process of notifying them of the relaxation of the conditions to their claim. Ms Humphreys said: For many people, due to their contract of employment, retiring at the age of 65 is their only option. These are people who have been working all their lives and, for many, finding new employment can be difficult. As minister I want to be able to provide them with some certainty and peace of mind. It was a commitment in the Programme for Government to come up with the new benefit. The State pension age emerged as a key issue in last years general election. The pension age was due to rise to 67 last month, but the Government has held off on this. A claim for Benefit Payment for 65-year-olds can be made through MyWelfare.ie or by emailing forms@welfare.ie, requesting a paper application which will be posted to the person, the department said. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Dutch government said on Monday it is extending until March 2 its night-time coronavirus curfew, the introduction of which last month sparked the country's worst riots in four decades. The 9pm to 4:30am (2000-0330 GMT) curfew, the first in the Netherlands since World War II, had been due to end on Wednesday, but Prime Minister Mark Rutte had warned that it was likely to be prolonged. "The curfew will be extended... This is necessary because new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus are gaining ground in the Netherlands," the government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting. More than 95 percent of Dutch people were obeying the curfew, which was introduced on January 23 along with a limit on visitors restricted to one person per household per day and ban on flights from some countries, the government said. The Dutch government last week extended other restrictions until March 2 including the closure of bars, restaurants and non-essential shops, although most primary schools reopened on Monday. Three days of unrest erupted after the curfew began, with police using water cannon and tear gas against rioters in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven and other cities. More than 400 people were arrested. One minister called the rioters "scum", while Prime Minister Mark Rutte called them "criminals" and not genuine protesters. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Colombia will temporarily normalize the status of almost one million undocumented Venezuelan migrants, President Ivan Duque said on Monday during a visit by the UN Refugee Agency. Some 56 percent -- around 950,000 -- of the 1.7 million Venezuelans to have arrived in Colombia fleeing economic and political crises in their homeland, are undocumented and will benefit from the measure. "We've published the decision of our country to create a temporary protected status in Colombia that allows us to normalize these migrants in our country," Duque said, alongside UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The migrants will benefit from a 10-year protection, giving them time to apply for a residence visa if they wish to stay in the country. According to the UN, 34 percent of the 5.4 million Venezuelans who have fled the country since 2015 are in Colombia, which has no diplomatic relations with its neighbor. The process will begin with the registration of the undocumented migrants that will include their place of residence and socioeconomic conditions, while they will also be included in a "biometric register," said Duque. He said the move would have "national security benefits" as it would help identify any migrants involved in criminal activities, but said would also have a humanitarian boost because they also would enjoy equal rights. "I really think that we are witnessing a historic gesture ...emblematic for the region, even for the whole world," Grandi said. The president came under fire in December when announcing that undocumented Venezuelans would not be included in Colombia's immunization process against the novel coronavirus, due to begin on February 20. He later revised that position and asked for international help after criticizing what he called a "meager" response from organizations and other countries to Latin America's worst migration crisis. Grandi said the new move to grant Venezuelans temporary protected status will allow "greater vaccination coverage" in Colombia, which has a population of 50 million but has already racked up more than two million coronavirus cases, with 55,900 deaths. bur/bc-jh/mdl Ghazipur : , Feb 8 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday reiterated that there is no place for any mafia in the state and said that he has vowed to eliminate such elements. The Chief Minister, while addressing a programme in Ghazipur, said, "Our government is constantly moving towards wiping out the entire mafia culture which hindered the development of Purvanchal for long. Previous governments patronised mafia and criminals in the state due to which the development of the state received a massive setback." Adityanath was here to review the progress of the 340-km Purvanchal Expressway. He said, "There is no place for those who give patronage to the mafias, criminal and other rogue elements in the new Uttar Pradesh of 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'. While we are working towards the welfare of villages, farmers, youth, and development, on the other hand, it is also very important to destroy the mafia culture that has become a hindrance to the development of Purvanchal." The Yogi government has already seized illegal assets worth about Rs 1,000 crore of more than 40 mafia elements including Mukhtar Ansari, Ateeq Ahmad, Vijay Mishra, Sundar Bhati and others. The state government is also demolishing illegal properties of mafia dons and their close aides. Cases have been registered against 800 gangsters and their close associates. Addis Ababa The Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) have elected President Felix- Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the new Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2021. According to a release from Addis Ababa, the event took place on Saturday during the ongoing 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, holding virtually under the theme: "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want". The President of the DRC is taking over the baton of command from President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa of South Africa following the end of his tenure as the Chairperson of the African Union for the year 2020. The release furthered that given the prevailing context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the handing over ceremony between the incoming and outgoing chairs of the African Union was organized in a hybrid mode, both at the conference center of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the newly elected Chair of the Union, President Tshisekedi took part physically, in the solemn handing over ceremony at the podium of the AU Mandela Hall, in the presence of Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), while the outgoing Chair Ramaphosa, participated virtually all the way from South Africa. On behalf of the outgoing President of the Union, the symbols of the Union were presented physically to the incoming Chair by the AUC Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, while the flag of the African Union was handed over virtually by the South African President, H.E Cyril Ramaphosa While the official theme of the year 2021 is "Arts, Culture, and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want," the release noted that the focus of the AU will also be on addressing the devastating impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the continent, which has disproportionately affected the lives and livelihoods of the African people. In his acceptance speech, President Tshisekedi said it is a unique privilege for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be given this opportunity as Chair of the African Union at a symbolic and highly significant moment when "we are celebrating the sixty years of the disappearance of a worthy son of the Congo and Africa, Mr. Patrice Emery Lumumba, who strongly believed in the great destiny of Africa. "He did not hesitate to organize, in August 1960 in Kinshasa, then Leopoldville, the last Congress in the history of the great movement of Pan-Africanism. On June 30, 1960, shortly before his tragic death, he declared 'Africa will write its own history and it will be in the north and south of the Sahara, a history of glory and dignity'." The incoming Chair of the Union commended President Cyril Ramaphosa, who, in difficult conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was able to mobilize the efforts of all the countries of the continent and partners to face this challenging moment, the release noted. He also thanked Her Excellency Sahle-Work Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and His Excellency Mr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister, for the warm welcome that the Ethiopian people have never ceased to give AU Member States "during our meetings at the headquarters of the organization", before expressing his sincere thanks to Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission for welcoming him "in this magnificent setting of the headquarters of our continental organization". Highlighting the theme of the year 2021, the new AU Chairperson Tshisekedi said, Arts, Culture and Heritage constitute the foundation of the African renaissance and offers the opportunity for Africans to return to our roots. "Culture is indeed, as Leopold Sedar Senghor said, at the beginning and at the end of everything, because it embraces all areas of life. In his handing over speech, President Ramaphosa wished the new AU Chairperson, a successful Chairmanship and thanked the Heads of States of AU Member States as well as the AU outgoing bureau, for their support during the tenure of his mandate which he said, was marked by the prevailing sanitary crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic. President Ramaphosa highlighted some of the achievements under his chairmanship of the Union notably, the efforts to reduce conflict in the continent under the theme of silencing the guns; the economic empowerment of the women and youths, the enhancement of democracy and good governance, among other development programs under Agenda 2063. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Congo-Kinshasa Governance Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The outgoing Chair of the Union further underlined the initiatives undertaken under his leadership to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include: the establishment of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus (AFTCOR); the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing in Africa (PACT); the Consortium for COVID-19 Clinical Vaccine Trials (CONCVACT); the appointment of Special Envoys to mobilize the international support for the continental fight against COVID-19; the establishment of the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP): a platform developed to assist the AU Member States to tackle issues on the supply side of continent's response to COVID-19 and access to medical supplies and equipment; the development of the vaccine strategy for the continent which was endorsed by the AU Bureau of Assembly; the establishment of the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), in support of Africa vaccine strategy with the objective that no country and no one should be left behind; and the initiative to engage international partners and financial institutions to support countries whose economies have been devastated by the pandemic. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, said Wednesday that every long-term care facility in the region, about 40 locations, was expected to receive the first dose by the end of last week and that all K-12 educators have been given a chance to sign up. University instructors working in hospital or health care settings, already eligible under phase 1a or 1b, receive top priority, Vaid said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hope mission to Mars will mark a significant moment in history for the Arab world and space exploration. The UAE's Hope mission is scheduled to reach the Red Planet on Tuesday, Feb. 9, making it the first of three spacecraft that launched to Mars in July, including NASA's Perseverance rover and China's Tianwen-1 mission, according to CNN's Ashley Strickland. NORTHERN LIGHTS, FROM SPACE: Look at these stellar photos of the Earth's aurora from space "Hope", known as "Al-Amal" in Arabic, will orbit the planet for at least one Martian year, or 687 days, while the Tianwen-1 from China and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover from the US will both land on Mars' surface," Dana Moukhallati with PHYS.org said. Steering the spacecraft around Mars won't prove to be an easy feat for the Emirates Mars Mission. The spacecraft will first have to complete "an intense engine burn" independent of any support from the mission's engineers, who will be waiting anxiously for updates that are delayed by 10 minutes, according to Meghan Bartels with Space.com. Sarah Al Amiri, chairperson of the UAE Space Agency, described the maneuver during a virtual event hosted on Feb. 1, according to Bartels. "What that means is 27 minutes of burning fuel, of using our thrusters, of the spacecraft undergoing one of the toughest challenges that its been designed for." If successful, the milestone will mark the UAE as only the fifth country in our history to orbit the Red Planet. According to Bartels, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, described the significance of this mission. "The UAE has led the Arab world to new frontiers in deep space for the first time in history. Our space mission carries a message of hope and confidence in Arab youth." The Hope probe and its three scientific instruments will also serve to provide the first "complete portrait of the Martian atmosphere," according to Strickland. "The instruments will collect different data points on the atmosphere to also gauge seasonal and daily changes." So what if the mission fails? Al Amiri said the Hope will likely continue on a path around the sun and the UAE's space agency will continue forging ahead with other space exploration strategies, such as a mission to the moon and a "century-long Mars strategy." The UAE Space Agency will air live coverage of Hope's arrival on the Red Planet on its website beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. A mother known as the 'Pimlico Pusher' who shoved a pensioner towards a moving bus after a row in a supermarket has avoided jail. Amelia Doris, 40, was caught on CCTV attacking Linda Lancaster on Vauxhall Bridge Road, central London on May 29, 2018. Ms Lancaster had tried to avoid Doris by walking around the block after the argument broke out in a Tesco Express. The court heard that Doris told Ms Lancaster, in her 60s, 'you've met the wrong woman, you white bitch'. The two women's paths crossed again after leaving the supermarket and Doris shoulder barged the pensioner head-first towards the moving bus, Prospero House - one of London's new Nightingale Courts - was told. CCTV footage showed Doris, accompanied by her young son, brutally attacking the older woman before fleeing the scene. Ms Lancaster fell forward into the passenger doors of the bus and suffered a cut to the head, as well as grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees. She also sustained muscle injury to her shoulders. Doris admitted assault occasioning actual body harm and racially aggravated assault by beating. She was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for a year, with six months mental health treatment and a 26-day rehabilitation requirement. Amelia Doris, 40, was caught on CCTV attacking Linda Lancaster on Vauxhall Bridge Road, central London, on May 29, 2019. She shoved the woman into the path of a moving bus Prosecutor John Livingston said the argument broke out at the checkout because Doris believed Ms Lancaster's basket had bumped against her son's head. 'Ms Doris started shouting, she raised her voice. 'She started shouting at Ms Lancaster and at one point said 'you've met the wrong woman, you white b***h', said Mr Livingston. Doris then proceeded to shove Ms Lancaster, causing her to stumble into the ground. After leaving the Tesco, Doris continued to act 'very aggressive' and shout into the shop, saying 'watch what happens when you come out', the court was told. Worried that Doris would see where her car was parked, Ms Lancaster walked around the block hoping to avoid her. 'She walked around the block eventually coming back in front of Tesco's again. 'Ms Doris was still there,' said Mr Livingston. 'She pushed her into the side of an oncoming bus, so that she hit her head against the front doors of that bus.' Ms Lancaster, who was 'fortunately' spared even worse injuries, was left with a cut to the head, cuts to her knee from embedded gravel and bruises to her hands and shoulders. Mr Livingston said that the incident had a 'considerable impact' on Ms Lancaster in terms of her mental health. 'She says 'This has caused me to suffer from post traumatic stress, for which I am receiving ongoing counselling for' because she had just come out of the hospital having had major surgery. 'She says she is not a confrontational person. She too points out is lucky not be worse injured in the physical sense. 'She says she found the incident extremely scary,' said the prosecutor. Ms Lancaster, who is in her 60s, had tried to avoid Doris by walking around the block after the argument in Tesco Express But their paths crossed again and Doris shoulder barged her head-first towards the moving bus Since the attack, Ms Lancaster had changed her behaviour completely and moved out of London out of fear of encountering Doris again, the court heard. Her ability to do her work in the travel industry had been impacted by the incident, as had her social life. 'I am reluctant and avoid going out to do basic things such as go to my local store,' wrote Ms Lancaster. Judge Sally Cahill, QC, told Doris: 'Your victim was somebody completely unknown to you. 'She was shopping, minding her own business in the shop, when as the result of some slight that you appeared to have taken you started by assaulting her and calling her by an abusive name. 'You later stood outside the shop and some time later pushed her into what turned out to be a bus coming along the road. 'Medical evidence has been submitted in respect of your optical and auditory facilities, and there is little doubt that as a result of those it may be possible that you hadn't appreciated the full extent of what was going to happen.' The judge added that the victim, while fortunate to have escaped even worse injuries, has had to make 'substantial' changes to her life as a result of the attack. 'You are somebody of previous good character which makes this incident completely out of character and really quite inexplicable. CCTV footage showed Doris, accompanied by a small child, brutally attacking the older woman before fleeing the scene Ms Lancaster fell forward into the passenger doors of the bus and suffered a cut to the head, as well as grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees. She also sustained muscle injury to her shoulders 'It an incident which I view with great concern because the only way it can be explained is that it is either as a result of your lost temper or as a result of your mental health,' she added. Doris attended the hearing via video link from her apartment. Darryl Cherrett, defending, said: 'My client has had for some time had significant mental disorder and learning disability and a certain difficulty in assessing situations involving her children.' He said Doris had a history involving 'significant domestic violence' including one of her children and she interpreted the incident as Ms Lancaster knocking her child on her head 'Given Ms Doris lack of any previous convictions whatsoever, something must have happened to spark this incident,' said Mr Cherrett. Doris became known as the 'Pimlico pusher' when police appealed for information following the assault. Detective Constable Samantha Edwards, who lead the investigation, said at the time: 'This was an unprovoked assault which could have had much more serious consequences. 'It goes without saying that he victim has been deeply affected emotionally by this whole incident.' Furniture retailer Nick Scali has back-flipped on its decision not to repay millions in JobKeeper funds after the company raked in massive profits during the pandemic. The company last Thursday announced its first-half net profit had risen by almost $40.6million for the six months to December 31 as Australians turned to renovating their homes in droves during the Covid-19 crisis. Nick Scali's bottom line was boosted by $3.6million in federal JobKeeper wage subsidies - a scheme designed to help struggling employers keep staff on their books. Furniture retailer Nick Scali will repay $3.6million in federal JobKeeper wage subsidies after back-flipping on its decision to keep the funds Despite reporting a 99.5 per cent surge in net profit, the retailer did not reveal any plans to give the subsidy back to the Australian government. But on Monday evening the company reversed its decision and said it would refund every cent it had received in JobKeeper funds. 'The company is very appreciative of the federal government's JobKeeper policy which was highly successful and of great assistance at the height of the pandemic - enabling the company to provide security of employment during a particularly uncertain time,' Nick Scali's board said in a statement on Monday evening. Nick Scali said JobKeeper had allowed the company to keep paying its staff during state government-mandated closures in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia in recent months. 'However, as highlighted in last week's announcement, the company fully recognises that it has benefited from the increased consumer confidence this program has created, which resulted in record sales and net profit after tax,' the statement said. Criticism of Nick Scali's original decision to withhold the funds was led by Shadow Assistant Minister Treasury Andrew Leigh. 'They've done extremely well, the Scali family has done extremely well,' he told The Age. The JobKeeper scheme is designed to help struggling employers keep staff on their books but several large Australian companies have returned the money after recording bumper profits during the pandemic 'They simply didn't need taxpayer support and they should give it back to people who need it. 'Nick Scali's corporate social responsibility policy says the firm isn't just there for the shareholders, so if they really believe that they'd hand the money back.' Nick Scali's investors this year are due to receive a fully-franked dividend of 40 cents per share. That figure is better than the interim 2020 payout of 25 cents per share, fully franked. Whether to repay JobKeeper subsidies has been a divisive issue for companies which have profited during the pandemic. Criticism of Nick Scali's original decision to withhold the funds was led by Shadow Assistant Minister Treasury Andrew Leigh - who said the company had a 'corporate responsibility' to return the money Super Retail Group, the owner of BCF and Supercheap Auto, in January said it would repay $1.7 million in JobKeeper wage support. Super Retail Group increased first-half net profit by 201 per cent to $173 million. In its outlook commentary, Nick Scali said sales orders remained strong and were at record levels due to supplier delays. The company said increasing profits were expected for the rest of the financial year. A researcher works on a vaccine against COVID-19 at the Copenhagen's University research lab in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 23, 2020. (Thibault Savary / AFP via Getty Images) New UK Strain of COVID-19 Detected in Orange County SANTA ANAA 21-year-old San Clemente man tested positive for the more contagious UK strain of COVID-19, marking the first known case in Orange County, local health officials announced Feb. 8. The man tested positive on Jan. 26 and his symptoms have now resolved, according to a memo sent Feb. 8 to the Board of Supervisors from Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency and the countys chief health officer. The man, whose name was withheld, has no history of international travel and is not part of a larger outbreak, Chau wrote. We are trying to get his close contacts tested to see if they have evidence of infection. The state Department of Public Health informed the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) over the weekend about the case, according to Chau, who said contact tracing indicates the man had recently been to Big Bear, where the strain was detected recently. The first case of the more contagious strain was first detected in California at the end of December in San Diego. Chau said about 150 cases have been identified in California, the majority in San Diego. Orange County CEO Frank Kim said he was more worried about the South African variant, which seems to be more virulent and its been reported that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not as effective in combating it. The Brazilian strain has also been detected in the U.S., Chau said in his memo. All of these variants seem to spread more easily and quickly, more contagious, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19, Chau wrote. Kim, meanwhile, said he was also concerned about a mini pop of cases due to Super Bowl gatherings. Driving around my neighborhood, I could tell which homes were hosting Super Bowl events, Kim said. But the county is gathering momentum in inoculating residents. About 100,000 residents aged 65 and older are in the Othena app queue to be inoculated, Kim said. That might take us another week or two to get throughthats positive, Kim said. We did 20,000 over the weekend so were hitting our stride. The average time to get through the process at the Disneyland super vaccination site on Feb. 7 was about 15 minutes, Kim said. Orange County on Feb. 8 reported 942 new cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional deaths, bringing the countys totals to 239,206 cases and 3,383 fatalities. With the Feb. 8 update, the number of coronavirus patients in county hospitals continued its downward trend, declining from 1,093 Feb. 7 to 1,046, and the number of patients in intensive care decreased from 335 to 331, according to the HCA. The adjusted daily case rate per 100,000 people dropped from 46.6 to 39 last Tuesday, Feb. 2, and the test positivity rate on a seven-day average, with a seven-day lag, dropped from 12.9 percent to 10.9 percent. The numbers for the states color-coded tier framework are updated on Tuesdays. As of Feb. 8, the countys test positivity rate was down to 9.4 percent and the case rate per 100,000 was 29.7, Kim said. The countys Health Equity Quartile Positivity Rate, which measures the cases in highly affected, needier parts of the county, declined from 16.6 percent to 13.9 percent last week. To move to the less-restrictive red tier from the top purple tier in the states coronavirus regulatory system, the county has to improve to 4 to 7 new daily cases per 100,000 and a 5 percent to 8 percent positivity rate with a health equity quartile at 5.3 percent to 8 percent. The countys state-adjusted intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability remains at zero, and the unadjusted figure declined from 10.4 percent on Feb. 7 to 9.6 percent. The state created the adjusted metric to reflect the difference in beds available for COVID-19 patients and non-coronavirus patients. The HCA also reported 9,270 tests Feb. 8, bringing the total to 2,790,743. Of the 25 deaths reported Feb. 8, three were skilled nursing facility residents, raising the total to 862, and three were assisted living facility residents, raising that total to 374. The death reports are staggered because they come from a variety of sources and are not always logged immediately. Last week, the county logged 294 deaths, down from 393 the week before. Decembers death toll increased by two on Feb. 8 to 851 and Januarys death toll has risen to 829 so far. The deadliest day was Jan. 3, when 60 people succumbed to coronavirus. Outbreaksdefined as two or more confirmed cases over the past two weekshave gone down in the countys nursing homes. As of Feb. 3, there were 19 outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities and 28 elderly assisted living facilities. The outbreak that started in December in the countys jails was down to 13 inmates infected as of Feb. 8 with two inmates hospitalized and officials awaiting 257 test results. San Francisco police officers found two missing children early Sunday morning, after their fathers minivan was stolen with them in it while he made a DoorDash delivery in Pacific Heights. Police said that at around 1:15 a.m. Sunday they found the children safely inside the vehicle in the Bayview. Two people remained at large Sunday afternoon. The children were examined by medical professionals and returned to their father. Were making a personal appeal to the people that were involved in this to turn themselves in, because this crime was extremely serious and (stealing) a vehicle to take two small babies away from their parents and abandoned them thank goodness our police officers were out there until we found those kids, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said. Police said Jeffrey Fang left his silver Honda Odyssey parked on the 2100 block of Jackson Street with the engine running while he made a food delivery at 8:47 p.m. Saturday. His two young children a 1-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were in the vehicle when it was stolen, police said. It was panic and fear, and I needed to do something to get them back, Fang said Sunday. I just had to find them. An Amber Alert was issued for San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Marin and Santa Clara counties shortly before 11 p.m. Police mobilized all available units, including motorcycle, traffic enforcement and dirt bikes, to search for the children. In the wee hours of the morning, the police told me they found the van with the kids inside, Fang said. At that point it was relief is an understatement it was elation. It was like, Oh God! Oh God! Yes, theyre alive. Theyre safe. The incident sparked a widespread debate online about whether the wages paid to gig workers are sustainable, especially during the pandemic. Doordash pays workers below min wage. This leads to workers & their families not able to afford childcare. This is on @doordash, Gig Workers Rising, a community of app and platform workers organizing for better wages, working conditions and jobs, said in a tweet Sunday. Fang, whose only source of income is from the gig economy, said he does not earn enough to hire a babysitter to watch his children and that he is also wary of them potentially contracting the coronavirus from caretakers. Typical day care hours are also inconsistent with peak food delivery times, which net the highest profits for workers. With limited options, Fang decided that the best and safest thing to do was to take his children with him while he worked. As a gig economy worker, the money stops the minute you stop working, and the pay is already low enough as it is, Fang said. Youre not obligated to work more than you want, but in order to make ends meet, there are only certain hours good enough for you to really be out there. Its a dilemma for many parents of younger children, especially those who are in the gig economy or those who work hours outside of the typical 9 to 5, said Mary Ignatius of Parent Voices, a parent-led organization that advocates for accessible and affordable child care. Parents are having to make choices that they otherwise wouldnt make if we saw child care as fundamental to supporting working families, Ignatius said. The gig economy gives parents the type of flexibility to choose their hours and choose their schedule. However, the child care does not match up to the needs of working parents who are part of this 24/7 economy. According to a DoorDash representative, San Francisco Dashers earned, on average, more than $39 per hour in January. DoorDash said in a statement that it had posted an alert on its support page and sent a text message to all Dashers in San Francisco informing them of the incident and asking them to share any information they had with law enforcement. DoorDash said it is working with the San Francisco Police Department in the investigation. We are incredibly relieved that the children are safe and have been reunited with their parents, Tony Xu, the CEO and co-founder of DoorDash, said in a statement. We were appalled by this brazen and heinous act and are actively working with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about the incident should call the Police Department tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, beginning the text message with SFPD. Callers can remain anonymous. Vanessa Arredondo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vanessa.arredondo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @v_anana Using the excuse of the so-called political attributes, Britains media regulator Ofcom revoked China Global Television Networks (CGTN) license to broadcast in the U.K. on Feb. 4. China is firmly opposed to Ofcoms oppression against CGTN for political reasons based on ideological bias and its politicization of technical issues, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of Chinas Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Feb. 5. (Photo/CGTN) China reserves the right to make necessary reactions to uphold the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media, Wang added. The arbitrary move of the U.K. has put up artificial barriers to prevent Chinese media from carrying out normal reporting activities, seriously damaged the reputation of Chinese media, and interfered with normal people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the U.K. The unreasonable oppression against Chinese media has fully revealed the hypocrisy of the U.K. which always brags about freedom of the press in its territory. In fact, signs of Ofcoms political oppression against Chinese media could be spotted early last year, when the communications regulator was manipulated by some far-right groups and anti-China forces into suddenly starting an investigation into English-language satellite news channel CGTNs license to broadcast in the U.K. Later in May 2020, Ofcom claimed that it intended to sanction CGTN for a serious failure of compliance in coverage of violent protests in Chinas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). CGTNs objective reports on the use of violence by protesters in Hong Kong were unjustifiably identified as biased coverage, for which the media was accused of breaching the Ofcom Broadcasting Code for failing to preserve due impartiality in its coverage of the Hong Kong protests. While nit-picking over CGTNs normal reporting activities, Ofcom has indulged the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with frequent Hong Kong-related programs that deliberately concealed the violent acts of protesters and their political intention of separating Hong Kong from its motherland. Such bald-faced double standards have proven that the Ofcoms resorting to political manipulation based on ideological bias was not aimed at justice and equity, but ulterior political ends. Media is supposed to serve as an important bridge that helps enhance communication and understanding among peoples of various countries. Upholding professional ethics of journalism and the principles of objectivity, fairness, truthfulness and accuracy, Chinese media outlets have carried out reporting activities in various countries around the globe, including the U.K. As an international professional media organization with a globally recognized good reputation for its professionalism, CGTN has maintained stable long-term partnership with many British media outlets and relevant organizations, and has played a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the Chinese and British people. It must be understood that supporting and facilitating normal work of the media is a basic international rule and moral duty in todays world. The British side had better quit political manipulation, correct its mistakes, and try to make efforts to promote mutual trust and cooperation between China and the U.K. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) Wilson brings almost two decades of expertise in the technology industry and is an award-winning FinTech leader. She joined Paysafe Group in 2015, later making an internal transition to its marketing technology and services provider Income Access , which specializes in supporting the growth of partners across the iGaming, forex, and lottery sectors, respectively. As COO, she oversees all aspects of Income Access, including product development and innovation, streamlining of all operational processes, and growing the company's extensive client base by breaking into new verticals globally. Wilson's appointment reflects OBIC's ongoing commitment to establishing a board of directors that possesses a wealth of industry expertise and is bound by shared beliefs regarding the value of open banking for Canadian consumers. An influential and positive disruptor committed to diversity, inclusion, equity, and progressive workplace culture, Wilson has garnered numerous accolades, including: Women's Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada 2019 2019 Women Run Workplace of the Year 2020, 2019 (Stevie Awards) Female Executive of the Year 2020, 2018 (Stevie Awards) Christian Clapton, Executive Director of OBIC, regarding the significance of Wilson's addition to the board, said: "Tara's a highly recognized and inspiring leader who will bring her considerable knowledge and influence to the OBIC Board's efforts. She will be an integral member of our team and our commitment to bringing open banking to Canadian consumers. We're all looking forward to working with her." Michelle Beyo, OBIC Board member and Founder and CEO of Finavator Inc., said: "OBIC's commitment to diversity is incredibly important in driving an inclusive open banking ecosystem. I am so proud to be a board member and excited to welcome Tara Wilson. Tara has achieved so much in her fintech career and it is such a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with her to strive towards open banking for Canadian consumers." Commenting on her board appointment, Wilson said: "I'm honoured to have the opportunity to join the OBIC's board of directors and be part of an initiative that's dedicated to spurring financial innovation for the benefit of Canadians. In addition, the OBIC promises to be a leader when it comes to diversity and inclusion, something which has always been one of my own core focuses, with its mission of achieving a 50/50 board by the end of 2021." ABOUT OBIC Open Banking Initiative Canada (OBIC) is a not-for-profit organization committed to gathering great minds to promote and drive the development of open banking in Canada. OBIC believes that Open Banking is a force for good, and its mission is to be a single voice for the financial services industry that represents the viewpoints of key participants. We endeavour to ensure that the open banking framework we will develop captures all parties' interests across Canada, helps develop and sustain a globally competitive market, and places consumers' needs and interests first. Further information is available at: https://obicanada.ca OBIC Mission Ensure that the Canadian Open Banking framework: Captures all parties' interests across Canada Helps to develop a globally competitive market Places the needs and interests of the consumer first Committed to gender diverse board Focuses on Leadership and Education 2021 Key Initiatives OBIC Open Banking Insight Series interviews with Fintechs, Banks, VCs and Government officials in Canada and the UK. Moderated by Independent Senator Colin Deacon interviews with Fintechs, Banks, VCs and Government officials in Canada and the UK. Moderated by Independent Senator Colin Deacon OBIC Open Banking Manifesto - To be released in February 2021 OBIC Industry Open Banking Hackathon - To be held in Spring 2021 ABOUT PAYSAFE Paysafe Group (Paysafe) is a leading integrated payments platform. Its core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. With over 20 years of online payment experience, an annualized transactional volume of over US $98 billion in 2019, and approximately 3,000 employees located in 12+ global locations, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across 70 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Delivered through an integrated platform, Paysafe solutions are geared toward mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between brick-and-mortar and online payments. Further information is available at www.paysafe.com . ABOUT INCOME ACCESS Founded in 2002, Income Access is a digital marketing and technology company with an independent affiliate network. It specializes in providing affiliate marketing and digital marketing solutions to regulated iGaming, lottery, land-based casino, and financial trading companies. Through its award-winning marketing software and a partnership-centric approach, Income Access delivers comprehensive data and strategic insight on marketing campaigns across all digital and offline channels. In September 2016, Income Access was acquired by Paysafe Group, the company behind the digital wallet brands NETELLER and Skrill. Income Access is partnered with over 300 brands worldwide. These include Betfred, Bet Victor, BGO Group, Caesars Interactive, Danske Spil (Danish national lottery), FXCM, GAIN Capital, IGT's Lottomatica, Ladbrokes Coral, Jackpotjoy, Michigan Lottery, Pennsylvania Lottery, Pinnacle, TwinSpires and William Hill. SOURCE Open Banking Initiative Canada (OBIC) For further information: about Paysafe, please contact: Justin Way, Senior Corporate Communications Specialist, Paysafe Group, Tel. +1 514 452-5047, E: [email protected]; For further information about OBIC please contact: Michelle Beyo OBIC Board Member & CEO of FINAVATOR, 416-722-0698, [email protected] Related Links https://obicanada.ca CHICAGO, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Windsor Advantage, LLC ("Windsor" or the "Company"), announced today that Will McClain has been appointed as the new President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Holding various management roles at Windsor for nearly a decade, McClain has officially assumed responsibilities succeeding Michael Breckheimer. Transitioning to Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Integrated Financial Holdings, Inc. (OTCPK: IFHI), the parent company of Windsor, Breckheimer will continue to work closely alongside McClain and his Executive Management Team in a strategic advisory position. "Our Board of Directors is thrilled to introduce Will McClain as Windsor's new leader," said Eric Bergevin, President & CEO of Integrated Financial Holdings, Inc. "The upcoming year is expected to be another record year for traditional SBA lending and program participation given recent updates to legislation under the CARES Act. With nearly triple the allocation of SBA 7(a) funds available compared to last year, as well as a temporary 90% guarantee on all transactions, financial institutions have a significant opportunity to gain traction in the space and we are confident that Will possesses the qualifications and expertise to take Windsor to new heights in 2021 and beyond." A critical part of this legislation involves Section 1112 of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act which requires the SBA to make principal and interest payments on new and certain existing SBA loans for a six-month period. In addition, the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") recently implemented a unified platform for all of its rural development guaranteed loan programs known as the OneRD Initiative which is also expected to stimulate increased lending activity among financial institutions. Windsor has processed more than $4 billion in SBA loans and another $500 million in USDA loans since 2012 when McClain joined the team. Under McClain's leadership as former Managing Director of Windsor's Chicago office, the Company launched its "Accel" technology-enabled loan processing platform following the acquisition of Meridian Loan Partners, LLC in 2019 and successfully completed its merger with Capital Growth Solutions, LLC in 2020. The "Accel" loan process has enabled Windsor to close and fund more than 20,000 SBA PPP and 7(a) loans under $350,000 in less than 18 months. "Will's overall leadership, extensive SBA lending knowledge and intuitive ability to understand our clients' needs have made him an integral part of Windsor's success over the last decade," said Breckheimer. "I'm excited for the opportunity to continue to work with Will and the rest of our Executive Management Team to drive strategic initiatives and further enhance the SBA lending experience for our clients and their borrowers." McClain graduated from Indiana University earning a degree in Finance & Accounting. Prior to joining Windsor, he was an Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Chicago. McClain has presented to University of Chicago MBA students on using the SBA 7(a) Loan Program to acquire a business, as well as other topics at multiple SBA-related conferences and events throughout the country. About Windsor Advantage, LLC Windsor Advantage, LLC provides banks, credit unions and CDFIs with a comprehensive outsourced SBA 7(a) and USDA lending platform. Since 2010, Windsor has processed more than $4.5 billion in government guaranteed loans and currently services a portfolio in excess of $1.8 billion (as of December 31, 2020) for over 90 lenders nationwide. With more than 150 years of cumulative SBA lending experience, cutting edge technology, rigid controls and consistent processes, Windsor is uniquely qualified to assist any size lender with implementing a thoughtful and profitable government guaranteed lending initiative. The Company is headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in Indianapolis, IN and Charleston, SC. For more information, call (317) 602-6648 or visit www.WindsorAdvantage.com. CONTACT: James Tibert, [email protected] SOURCE Windsor Advantage, LLC; Integrated Financial Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.windsoradvantage.com "The health and safety of our team members is our top priority. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to provide the option of vaccines to our facility," said Morgan Tracy , General Manager for the Kankakee facility, which is one of several North American Operations & Sales locations for Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A, Inc. "The cornerstone of our business approach is to be both innovative and proactive in promoting a safe work environment. This is a tremendous step forward in being able to help our team members while steadily and reliably supplying our customers with fresh, quality products." The Kankakee County Health Department (KCHD) has been working alongside businesses like Fresh Del Monte on the vaccination campaign since vaccines first started shipping at the end of last year. "Our aim is to vaccinate as many people as possible," said John Bevis, Administrator for KCHD. "That means focusing on essential workers. These team members fulfill an important role, not only in our own community, but to all communities that businesses like Del Monte Fresh Produce supply. Our hope is that individual decisions to get vaccinated will encourage others to do so when it is made available." Jewel-Osco markets were selected as vaccine distribution sites because of its extensive presence throughout Kankakee and the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Del Monte Fresh Produce is a nationwide supplier for Albertsons grocery stores, which is the parent company of Jewel-Osco. Employees will be receiving the Moderna vaccine, administered in two doses, four weeks apart, while supplies last. KCHD is currently working with other businesses and organizations in the region to expand vaccination availability as supply allows. The most recent updates on vaccine availability and testing can be found at www.kankakeehealth.org. ABOUT DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE N.A., INC. Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. is one of North America's leading marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. markets its products in North America under the Del Monte brand (as well as other brands), a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness and reliability for over 125 years. Del Monte Fresh N.A., Inc. is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Del Monte Foods, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited, Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. Media Contact: Peyton Sadler 305-631-2283 [email protected] SOURCE Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. Burma Anti-Coup Demonstrations Reach Myanmars Protest-Proof Capital Police use water cannons to disperse anti-coup protesters in Naypyitaw on Monday. / The Irrawaddy The anti-coup protests in Myanmar have spread to the nations capital, Naypyitawthe fortress-like Abode of Kings that serves as home to the top Union government officials and the headquarters of the military. Protesters riding motorbikes took to the streets to show their disapproval of the military coup on Saturday and Sunday. They chanted slogans including Down with the dictator! We want full democracy and Be in good health, Amay Suu!, referring to detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Local residents lined the streets to cheer them on. Those demonstrations ended peacefully over the weekend, when the regime blocked the Internet and social media services until Sunday afternoon. On Monday, however, the situation between anti-coup protesters and security forces grew tense at Thabyae Gone Market, where more than 5,000 people started gathering in the morning to stage a protest against military rule. Before noon, police used water cannons to disperse the protest, spraying the crowd in short bursts. Video from the scene showed some protesters who appeared to have been hurt after being knocked to the ground. But it did not keep them quiet. The protesters gathered again in the afternoon and repeated their demands in front of a heavy police presence. At various times police were heavily barricaded and lined up in rows in riot gear. Myanmar citizens elsewhere turned out for nationwide protests on Monday to reject military rule, with many civil servants refusing to work. Meanwhile health-care workers at Naypyitaws 1,000-Bed Hospital continued their civil disobedience movement for a sixth day. Naypyidaw once again proved it is no longer the militarys stronghold, after a majority of its residents voted for the National League for Democracy in the 2015 and 2020 elections. The capital was built in secret and the generals relocated their regime to the city in 2006. The decision to move from Yangon to isolated Naypyitaw surprised many at home and abroad. Some asked whether the move was based on carefully considered military, political and economic factors, or whether it was a product of the whimsical superstitions of the countrys then leader, the astrologically minded Senior General Than Shwe. Western diplomats and journalists have in the past speculated that junta leaders were worried about a possible seaborne invasion by a foreign power, notably the US, or another nationwide popular uprising such as the one that occurred in 1988, during which the War Office in Yangon was surrounded by thousands of demonstrators. The top generals monitored the unfolding demonstrations barricaded in an operations room behind fortified walls and guarded by machine guns. If the rationale for moving Naypyitaw was to put it out of reach of demonstrators, Mondays events demonstrate that the city is no longer a protest-proof capital. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Military Re-Arrests Two Chief Ministers US Ambassador Calls for Myanmar Military to Restore Power to Elected Government West African nation Burkina Faso is witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths as the number of daily infections have risen from below 50 in early December to more than 100 by the start of the new year. Hospitals in the country are struggling to keep up with mounting cases as authorities fear if the spread is not prevented then critical care beds might run out very soon. This, while several reports suggest that Burkina Faso may be massively undercounting cases because of lack of facility to conduct mass testing. Read: Students In Burkina Faso Fear Extremists More Than COVID-19 According to Burkina Faso's Health Ministry, the country has registered more than 11,000 cases and 134 deaths so far. The number of cases may appear relatively low compared to some of the other nations across the globe but is still high for a country where health care facilities have seen a massive cut in the past few years because of the ongoing conflict, that has damaged infrastructures and displaced thousands. Burkina Faso is also struggling to keep hospitals adequately staffed at all time, as workers while speaking to the press, have said that they feel pressured due to lack of human resource. Read: Roch Marc Christian Kabore Wins Burkina Faso Elections, To Be President For Second Term Vaccinations in Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is still far from receiving COVID-19 vaccine doses that would help the government launch a response to control the pandemic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working to obtain and deliver over 100 million doses of vaccines to low-income countries by end of March under the COVAX initiative. If WHO keeps the promise and Burkina Faso fulfils the criteria, the country could receive over 1 million doses for its population of 10 million. Read: Burkina Faso Begins Counting, Extremist Threats Pale Voter Turnout In Presidential Poll For the time being, the government has called on the members of the general public to observe all COVID-19 health & safety-related protocols, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance. Burkina Faso authorities suggest the lack of respect for social distancing norms may also be the reason behind the country's sudden surge in cases and deaths. Read: Polls Open In Burkina Faso For Election Marred By Violence (Image, Input: AP) A German-Chinese research team has found a new synthetic route to produce biofuel from biomass. The chemists converted the substance 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) produced from biomass into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which could be suitable as a biofuel. Compared to previous methods, they achieved a higher yield and selectivity under milder reaction conditions. The team led by Dr. Baoxiang Peng and Professor Martin Muhler from the Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) and the group led by Professor Christof Hattig from the RUB Chair for Theoretical Chemistry described the method together with colleagues from Changzhou, China, in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The final version of the article has been online since 22 January 2021. The work was part of the German-Chinese research cooperation "Novel Functional Materials for Sustainable Chemistry", which is supported by the German Research Foundation. Better fuel than ethanol "DMF would be well-suited as a biofuel, as it has a higher octane number than ethanol, a better energy intensity and an ideal boiling point of 92 to 94 degree Celsius," explains Baoxiang Peng. Although the conversion from HMF into DMF has been researched intensively, there are several hurdles. DMF production requires relatively harsh reaction conditions, such as high hydrogen pressure, and often only creates a small quantity of the desired product, while also forming unwanted by-products. Researchers are thus looking for new ways to efficiently trigger the reaction under milder conditions. This was achieved in the current work. Formic acid as the key to success The team carried out the reaction in the presence of formic acid and hydrogen. Palladium nanoparticles were used as a catalyst. In doing so, the chemists achieved a five-times larger reaction rate than those reported with previous methods. The addition of formic acid, in particular, played a crucial role in creating favourable reaction conditions, as shown by the researchers in their detailed investigations. They performed the reaction with various additives and compared the yield and selectivity, which were best in the presence of formic acid. The substance facilitates a faster reaction pathway and also prevents the occurrence of unwanted side reactions. ### Major exchanges experienced technical issues on Monday as trading volumes soared after billionaire Elon Musk's Inc revealed it had purchased $1.5 billion of and would soon accept it as a form of payment. The electric-vehicle company's move marked the latest step toward mainstream acceptance of bitcoin, sending it 10% higher on expectations that other companies will soon join asset manager BlackRock Inc and payments companies Square and PayPal in backing the San Francisco-based exchange Kraken said it had re-enabled sign-ups after temporarily disabling them earlier in the day because of heavy traffic leading to connectivity issues with its website, while peers Gemini and Binance said their systems were experiencing difficulties. ALSO READ: Tesla makes $1.5 bn Bitcoin bet, says will take digital currency as payment "The recent run-up far exceeded anticipated increases in demand, up over five-fold from previous all-time highs," a Kraken spokesperson said in an email. The spokesperson added that $56 billion of digital assets were traded on Kraken in January this year, more than what was traded throughout all of 2019. Kraken said it was working to increase capacity to handle higher demand in the future. Coinbase, founded in 2012 and among the most well-known cryptocurrency platforms globally, said on its website that no issues had been reported on Monday. "Our platform is fully up and running and has been throughout the recent trading surges," a spokesman for Coinbase told Reuters. LAKE ELSINORE, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IGEN Networks Corporation (OTCQB: IGEN, CSE: IGN), a leading innovator of cloud-based and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the protection and management of mobile assets, today announced the exclusive branding of IGEN's Fleet Solution as part of the three-year partnership agreement previously announced with the County Executives of America. With the recent launch of its Fleet Solution and product line targeted for Light Commercial Fleets, IGEN will enable the Counties to improve productivity, safety, and protect their diverse fleets across the USA under the "County Fleet Management" brand. County Fleet Management is designed for the Light Commercial Fleet owner, with compelling features and services at lower costs and with emphasis on ease-of-use. The County Fleet Management features are organized around both asset and driver with dispatch capabilities, automated reporting, maintenance, diagnostics reporting, driver behavior scoring, and video tutorials on demand built on the world-class AWS Cloud Infrastructure. County Fleet Management incorporates the patented "Driver Signature", which offers greater accuracy in measuring and scoring driver behavior across diverse fleets providing a powerful tool for assessing actuarial risk of assets and their drivers. "This exclusive partnership with the County Executives of America represents an opportunity for IGEN to offer fleet management solutions for an estimated 350,000 assets utilized across 700 Counties in the USA," said Neil G Chan, CEO of IGEN Networks Corp. The diversity of these assets along with the self-insurance of these assets creates an excellent fit with the capabilities of the County Fleet Management Platform. Mr. Michael Griffin, Executive Director of the County Executives of America said: "The County Executives of America that represent over 700 Counties and Consolidated City/Counties across America's Heartland endorses IGEN's Fleet Platform and have decided to brand it specifically to address the needs of the Counties and management of the diverse fleets. The County Fleet Management Platform offers a wide range of innovative features that will offer significant improvement in productivity, management, and safety for the Counties, their drivers and mobile assets." Mr. Griffin continued with the statement "The Counties and Consolidated City/Counties have some of the largest fleets of automobiles, trucks, motorized equipment and school buses in the United States. The care for this equipment is a very large expense to the taxpayer and it's our duty to help secure and maintain these valuable assets." For more information on County Fleet Management please visit: www.countyfleetmanagement.com About IGEN Networks Corporation IGEN Networks Corporation creates software services for the consumer automotive and asset management industries enabling their customers to better manage their assets and protect their families. IGEN is a fully reporting company in both Canada and the United States. It is publicly traded on the OTCQB under the symbol IGEN, and listed on the CSE under the symbol IGN. For more information, please visit: www.igennetworks.net About County Executives of America County Executives of America's mission is two-fold: To help county governments serve the American people in the most responsive, most efficient way by acting as a national voice for its leaders and representing its interests on all levels of government. To develop, promote, and preserve the core philosophy of federalism and devolution. CEA began as a league formed by county executives who believed that the job as the chief elected officer of a county was too important to overlook. Their initial desire to create an alliance that would assist county officers in executing their duties sparked a dramatic evolution that produced today's association. CEA's current membership includes County Executives, County Judges, Parish and Borough Presidents, City-County Mayors, Commission Presidents and Chairs, and all county leaders elected at-large by the public constituency. A long-time affiliate group of the National Association of Counties, CEA has operated as an independent organization since 1994. With its headquarters in Washington D.C., CEA brings together top-level local officials to discuss and determine policy on wide-ranging issues that affect local governments and the people they serve. CEA also provides a voice at the national level among the various policy making representatives including members and staff of the United States Congress, officials in the Executive Branch at both the federal and state government level and various interest groups and associations based on Capitol Hill. CEA is governed by a Board of Directors and selected Executive Officers. The Board President is elected and serves two-year terms. For more information, please visit: www.countyexecutives.org Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities law. The terms and phrases "goal", "commitment", "guidance", "expects", "would", "will", "continuing", "drive", "believes", "indicate", "look forward", "grow", "outlook", "forecasts", "intend", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by IGEN in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that IGEN believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to statements regarding investment liquidity, financing options and long term goals of the Company, general economic conditions, IGEN's expectations regarding its business, customer base, strategy and prospects, and IGEN's confidence in the cash flow generation of its business. Many factors could cause IGEN's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to competition; IGEN's reliance on key personnel; IGEN's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; and difficulties in forecasting IGEN's financial results, particularly over longer periods given the rapid technological changes, competition and short product life cycles that characterize the mobile application industry. These risk factors and others relating to IGEN that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in the under the heading "Risk Factors" in IGEN's periodic filings with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on IGEN's forward-looking statements. IGEN has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Contact: IGEN Networks Corporation Email: [email protected] Call Us: (855)912-5378 SOURCE IGEN Networks Corporation Addresses chronic shortage of trade finance to businesses globally with Fenergo's API-led CLM solutions DUBLIN, LONDON and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first digital trade finance bank, Anglo-Gulf Trade Bank (AGTB) Limited ("AGTB"), based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has chosen Fenergo, the leading provider of digital Client Lifecycle Management solutions (CLM) to deploy its CLM platform. Fenergo will enable AGTB to meet its strategic objective to disrupt the trade finance market with a cloud-based, digital-first and client-centric model leveraging emerging technologies such as data analytics and API connectivity. With the ability to assess and mitigate risk more effectively utililsing Fenergo's CLM solutions, AGTB can deliver a more integrated, real-time offering to its clients. AGTB aims to address the gap in the trade finance market by becoming the first digital bank servicing the sector, providing trade clients with unprecedented client experiences. Fenergo's API-first CLM solutions will provide AGTB with a single client view across all departments, jurisdictions and products, while expediting Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) processes and time to revenue. Amit Garg, CEO, AGTB, said: "We created our bank in the knowledge that the needs of global trade banking businesses weren't being addressed. To do this, we continue to work with vendors with product capabilities and configurability that help us achieve our goals. Fenergo ticks all the boxes." Marc Murphy, CEO, Fenergo said, "We are excited to partner with a forward-thinking, client-focused company like AGTB. We look forward to helping them meet their goals and service the requirements of their global trade banking clients. Our solution will allow AGTB to expediate onboarding while providing digital and frictionless client experiences." About Fenergo ( www.fenergo.com ) Fenergo is the leading provider of digital transformation, customer journey and client lifecycle management (CLM) solutions for financial institutions. Its software digitally transforms and streamlines end-to-end CLM processes - from regulatory onboarding, data integration, client and counterparty data management, client lifecycle reviews and remediation, all the way to client offboarding. Fenergo is recognised for its in-depth financial services and regulatory expertise (from a team of over 30 global regulatory specialists), community-based approach to product development and out-of-the-box rules engine which ensures financial institutions are future-proofed against evolving Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money-Laundering (AML), tax and OTC derivatives-based regulations across 100 jurisdictions. Fenergo recently expanded into new markets including asset and wealth management, private, retail, business and commercial banking and has over 80 global clients. The solution is underpinned by Artificial Intelligence, Robotics Process Automation and Machine Learning technologies, using advanced OCR and NLP capabilities to extract information, expedite compliance and improve operational efficiencies. About AGTB AGTB is the world's first digital trade bank to rethink and rebuild trade finance. The company uses a cloud native platform with agile digital solutions to offer clients simple, streamlined and highly automated processes, while leveraging data to manage risk effectively. www.agtb.com For media enquiries please contact: [email protected] Related Links https://www.fenergo.com/ SOURCE Fenergo Next Week: Grenier Field comes back to life as Grenier Air Force Base. Aurore Eaton is a historian and writer in Manchester, contact her at auroreeaton@aol.com or at www.facebook.com/AuroreEatonWriter For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. The race is on to see which companies and countries can produce the greenest fossil fuels, and Texas is falling behind. In Riyadh, Paris and Washington, business executives and government officials are no longer talking about whether oil, natural gas and coal cause climate change. Instead, they are talking about who produces the cleanest version of those fossil fuels. Marketers call this process product differentiation. The company or region that can claim to produce the cleanest dirty energy could end up the last one standing as the world adopts cleaner alternatives wherever possible. Even in a much smaller market, oil and natural gas survivors will be profitable because there are some things clean technology cannot replace. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Oil and gas needs to accept climate reality, Biden help in winding down I first heard about green oil two years ago when Saudi Arabian officials started talking about how few greenhouse gases they emit while producing their crude. A Stanford-led study found that because Saudi Aramco does not hydraulically fracture its wells and only rarely flares excess gases, Saudi oil has the least impact on the climate. Add in the worlds lowest lifting costs, and Saudi oil becomes the logical choice for the European Union and other nations that will soon levy a tariff on petroleum imports based on their carbon intensity. As long as the right policies are in place, competing on carbon intensity will give you a higher share of the market, Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, predicted. Countries and companies that produce the really high-carbon intensity crudes are going to have a really hard time. The American Petroleum Institute, the industrys top lobbying group in Washington, recently argued that the Biden administration should boost domestic production because U.S. environmental laws are stricter than most. The administration is leading us toward more reliance on foreign energy from countries with lower environmental standards, API President Mike Sommers said in a statement denouncing a ban on new leases on federal lands. API, though, has vehemently opposed stricter environmental standards, including new limits on flaring and methane emissions. Foreign leaders, meanwhile, consider U.S. environmental regulations lacking. In October, the French government forced Paris-based energy company Engie to break off negotiations for a $7 billion liquefied natural gas export deal with NextDecade Corp. The contract was critical for NextDecade to attract financing for a new LNG export facility near Brownsville. President Emmanuel Macron and French environmentalists said Engie should not buy natural gas from fracked wells in the Permian Basin where flaring is out of control. Unless NextDecade can find other customers, itll have to scratch the project. Most governments are looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet their obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. The Biden administration plans to tighten rules for flaring and also order pipeline companies to plug leaks. Responsible oil and natural gas companies, particularly supermajors such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP, support tighter regulations. They know consumers want the industry to clean itself up. Reducing flaring also makes financial sense. In a study financed by the Environmental Defense Fund, energy experts at Rystad consulting calculated that companies could generate $440 million in additional revenue a year by 2025 if they spent $50 million to capture 98 percent of the methane coming out of their wells. Gov. Greg Abbott, though, is determined to make sure Texas producers end up blackballed. His latest political stunt was visiting an oil field service center in Odessa to order state agencies and lawmakers to fight all efforts to reduce emissions. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Entrepreneurs fight climate change with new battery raw materials, recycling Thanks, governor; you pretty much guaranteed European and Asian nations will shop for their liquefied natural gas elsewhere. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, has also decided to tell off the Europeans rather than reduce flaring. Terrible climate accords, bad investment decisions, and contract cancellations - this is what radical environmentalism gets us, Commissioner Wayne Christian wrote in a hilariously over-the-top response to Frances decision. Natural gas is clean, reliable, and affordable - why is that no longer good enough? Well, because energy markets are shifting under public pressure. to become more environmentally responsible. Governments, particularly Texas officials, can help by imposing transparent regulations and an emission-reduction certification process. Otherwise, producers like Saudi Arabia will take an ever-increasing share of a slowly shrinking market. If Texas wants to remain an energy exporter, it must give customers what they want. And when there are no alternatives, they want demonstrably cleaner fossil fuels. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Advisor to President Akufo-Addo on Health Issues, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare has disclosed that the observation of the government and the medical team in charge of the COVID-19 in the country is that the adherence to the safety protocols is generally picking up a bit. According to him, after the address by President Akufo-Addo on the update of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Ghanaians have started raising the bar in terms of adherence to the safety protocols which was downplayed with some months ago. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Dr Nsiah Asare mentioned that Ghanaians now move out with their nose masks unlike some months ago where everyone did not see the need to continue to wear them. He again mentioned that after the address by President Akufo-Addo, workers of various companies have intensified the wearing of their nose masks in order not to fall prey to the COVID-19 pandemic and its new variants which is claiming many lives including young people. "Safety protocol-wise, I think it is a bit good. What the President said, I have seen that the number of people who wear masks have increased and those who are supposed to wear masks at their workplaces have also increased. I am sure that people will continue to comply with all the measures we have put in place because it will be disastrous for anyone not to comply with the safety protocols, he said. He stressed that the treatment of COVID-19 comes with post-COVID-19 complications as some of the people who have been treated report back with some deformities and other health complications. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX Democrats in the Arizona House moved Monday to expel a Republican lawmaker who attended the Jan. 6 rally that turned violent when demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol. Republican Rep. Mark Finchem of Tucson violated his oath of office and undermined democracy through actions that include his attendance at the rally and his promotion of disproven allegations of election fraud, Democrats allege in an expulsion resolution introduced Monday. Every day the member remains in office is a threat to the integrity of the Arizona House of Representatives, a threat to national security, and a threat to the very future of our Democracy, Rep. Athena Salman, a Tempe Democrat leading the expulsion effort, said at a news conference. Mark Finchem violated his oath of office and should be expelled immediately from this chamber. Finchem was one of former President Donald Trumps most outspoken allies in his effort to overturn Democrat Joe Bidens narrow victory in Arizona. Finchem did not respond to an emailed request for comment about the expulsion effort. Removing him from office would require support from two-thirds of the GOP-controlled house. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The Tucson Republican has said he went to Washington in an attempt to show Vice President Mike Pence alleged evidence of fraud. He said he was also scheduled to speak at a permitted event on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, the day the Capitol was breached. A photo he posted to Twitter shows the crowd in front of the Capitol. In a statement released last month, Finchem said he remained about 500 yards from the Capitol and didnt learn it was breached until 5 p.m., hours after the mob broke in. He blamed the mayhem on antifa, a loosely organized group of anti-fascist activists that have engaged in violent clashes with right-wing demonstrators a claim that has been disproven. To connect my presence to speak in the company of other elected officials at a properly permitted public event at the Capitol event with leading an insurrection, or that walking with the crowd to the Capitol can be construed as anything other than an exercise of my First Amendment right to free speech it is utterly absurd, Finchem said. Salman last month requested the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the roles of Finchem and other Arizona Republicans in the rally. Democratic state Rep. Cesar Chavez of Phoenix has also filed an ethics complaint alleging that Finchem violated his oath of office by attending the rally. Russia will resume railway service with Belarus after a months-long halt imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Russian Railways said on February 8 that a Belarusian Railways train will set off toward Moscow later in the day and will reach the Russian capital the next morning. On February 9, the train will leave Moscow late in the evening and return to Minsk the next day, Russian Railways said in a statement. The train will make stops in the Russian cities of Smolensk and Vyazma. The statement added that as of February 9, another train with daily service between Moscow and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, will resume stops in Minsk. According to Russian Railways, additional tarins connecting Russia and Belarus will be announced at a later date. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed decrees last week on the resumption and increase of rail and air connections with Belarus and three other former Soviet republics. According to the decrees, the number of flights between Moscow and Minsk will be increased from three to five per week, and weekly flights from Rostov-on-Don and St. Peterburg to Minsk will resume. The decrees also said that as of February 8, the number of flights from Moscow to Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, will be increased as well from one to three per week. Mishustin also signed a decree resuming two flights from Moscow to Azerbaijan and four flights from the Russian capital to Armenia per week as of February 15. Based on reporting by TASS, RIA Novosti and Interfax One measure of political power is how often your opinion is solicited on certain matters. And these days, nobody is getting asked more questions than the crop of candidates running for New York City mayor in 2021. How will you reduce segregation in the citys school system? Do you think the NYPD budget should be reduced? Whats your favorite movie set in New York City? Once the calendar turned to the new year, the hopefuls started speaking at several online forums per week. By the end of January, that turned to two Zooms per day, and theres no sign of slowing down. Long time no see, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said to his fellow candidates before a recent forum, a sarcastic twinkle in his eye. I missed you guys. Has it been 24 hours? Kathryn Garcia, another contender, joked. There are, at last count, 38 people who have signed up to run for mayor, but just 10 of them are viable enough to be considered on this list. Two of them, Stringer and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, derive their political power from their lofty day jobs. The others have the power of potential. Much like the latest Silicon Valley stock, they may not have much to show right now, but their future growth could be enormous, and a lot of New Yorkers are eager to invest. RELATED: The 2021 New York City Power 100 Most of them have left their jobs to run for mayor full time, but each candidate is used to wielding some level of political power already. Shaun Donovan was the director of then-President Barack Obamas Office of Management and Budget. Garcia was the citys sanitation commissioner and became Mayor Bill de Blasios go-to crisis manager, whether the issue was public housing or food distribution. Ray McGuire was a Master of the Universe on Wall Street, working mergers and acquisitions at Citigroup by day and serving on nonprofit boards by night. New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca blocked the Industry City rezoning. Dianne Morales ran her own nonprofit as the executive director and CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods, an organization that fights poverty by providing educational, career-readiness and financial counseling programs. Loree Sutton was de Blasios first veterans affairs commissioner. Maya Wiley was de Blasios top lawyer and has spoken to massive audiences as an MSNBC legal analyst. And Andrew Yang raised millions of dollars while running for president and influenced the national conversation as a political upstart. Now, theyre all focused on the same goal: winning the June 22 Democratic primary. Of course, theyre already winning in certain ways. Thousands or even millions of dollars are pouring in from around the country to support them. Theyre hiring staffers to help spread their message to primary voters. And yes, theyre being asked for their opinions, endlessly. This power is fleeting. Just ask City Council Speaker Corey Johnson or Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., all but forgotten by the local press after they abandoned their respective mayoral runs despite their powerful positions. Only one candidate will be picked once the votes are counted and the instant runoff has played out. Also-rans from the last open mayoral election in 2013, like Christine Quinn and Bill Thompson, ended up with plum jobs soon after, but they werent mayor of The Greatest City in the World. De Blasio earned that honor more than seven years ago, but lately, the title has seemed more like a burden. When the mayor was asked on a recent episode of WNYCs The Brian Lehrer Show to give a word of advice to his successor, whoever that may be, he recommended that they take questions from their constituents. Youve got to constantly hear the voices of people, he said, whether thats from public radio callers or from town hall attendees. This way, he said, you get to see how much people care. It was funny advice to the crop of candidates. After all, taking questions from the people seems to be the only thing theyre doing right now, in forums and endorsement meetings and neighborhood walkthroughs. For now, they all get to act like the mayor. But after the election, only one of them will still have New Yorkers attention. South Korea's ICT ministry said on Monday that tech giant will take measures to provide stable services, becoming the first company to come under the country's revised law that holds online content providers accountable for service errors. On December 14 last year, multiple services, including YouTube, Gmail and Calendar, went down for around an hour globally, prompting the Ministry of Science and ICT to look into the matter. According to the ministry, Google experienced an authentication system error for approximately 50 minutes that day as it did not allocate storage space for the system during a previous maintenance session. The company told the ministry last month that it has yet to receive any compensation claims globally for the service error. The ministry said Google will pursue measures to preemptively detect such problems and that in future service errors, the company will notify local users through its Korean social media channels, reports Yonhap news agency. The move comes after South Korea last year passed a revision to the Telecommunications Business Act, requiring large online content providers to report service errors and take measures to provide stable services amid growing complaints against streaming giants Netflix and Google after multiple outages. The new rules apply to online companies that account for 1 percent or more of the country's average daily data traffic in the last three months of a year and those that have more than 1 million daily users, which includes global tech giants Google, Facebook and Netflix, as well as local rivals Naver, Kakao and streaming service Wavve. The ministry said it is also planning to review Wavve's service error on January 27 that partially stopped its video-on-demand service. --IANS na/ (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 upcoming election in Catalonia on February 14 is poised to change the political landscape of the northeastern region. At the last regional poll in 2017, the center-right party Ciudadanos received the highest number of votes, but did not win enough seats to form a government. Two pro-Catalan independence parties, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), with the support of the anti-capitalist party CUP, instead joined forces to take office. But four years on, the situation has changed dramatically. The most striking difference is that this year the far-right party Vox is set to enter the Catalan parliament for the first time. Vox is gaining in the polls by using the same strategy that made Ciudadanos the most-voted party in 2017 taking a hardline stance against the pro-independence movement. Last Wednesday, on the news program Els Matins, Voxs candidate for premier, Ignacio Garriga, threatened to close down TV3, Catalonias public television channel, for being a means of manipulation. In 2018, the then-leader of Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, made the same threats. On Saturday, around 50 protesters demonstrated at a Vox event in the city of Vic, throwing rocks, eggs, beer cans and packets of flour at Garriga and Vox general secretary Javier Ortega Smith. The situation had echoes of a similar protest two years ago when Ines Arrimadas, now the national leader of Ciudadanos, was insulted and jeered. The story is the same, but the protagonists are different. Now it is Vox that is leading the campaign for the political right, while Ciudadanos is desperately searching for a way to stop their advance. Vox leader Santiago Abascal (l) with Vox candidate for premier Ignacio Garriga (r). Quique Garcia / EFE It is not an easy task. On the one hand, Ciudadanos wants to stop its voters switching their allegiances to Vox, but on the other, it does not want to lose support to the Catalan Socialists (PSC) the Catalan branch of the Socialist Party (PSOE). Polls indicate that the PSC could make significant gains at the regional election, thanks largely to the popularity of the partys candidate for premier, Salvador Illa, who rose to the limelight as national health minister during the coronavirus pandemic, a role he stepped down from in order to stand for election. While Ciudadanos campaign began with a softer approach under the slogan vote for hugs, it has since taken a much tougher position against the separatist movement. In one video, the party compared pro-independence protests to the recent siege of the Capitol building in the United States. But the strategy does not appear to be working. Ciudadanos candidate for premier Carlos Carrizosa and Arrimadas changed their plans on Sunday and went to Girona, a stronghold of the pro-independence movement, where the ERC had also organized an event, featuring Arnaldo Otegi, the coordinator of the Basque nationalist party EH Bildu. All of Ciudadanos events are held without a public as a coronavirus safety measures, and instead live streamed via social media. Nevertheless, the lonely event in a rainy Girona could not have been more dispiriting. No one even came out to boo them. The conservative Popular Party (PP) is not faring much better. Its campaign has been clouded by a new trial, which began Monday, into the partys alleged illegal funding. Last Thursday, ahead of the trial, former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas, who is serving a 29-year sentence over a sweeping graft case known as Gurtel, sent a letter to prosecutors in which he promised to name senior party officials who allegedly accepted regular payments of undeclared money. Since then, all news about the PP has been related to corruption, despite claims from PP candidate Alejandro Fernandez that the PP is not Barcenas. A Ciudadanos video comparing pro-independence protests to assault on US Capitol (Spanish audio). On Sunday, PP leaders had to come out to deny allegations that the party offered to negotiate with Barcenas in order to bury the hatchet, as the former treasurer claimed in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo. The current national leadership of the Popular Party has never spoken with criminals, said sources from the party. With time running out before the election, there are concerns within the party that the corruption scandal could hurt their results at the poll. The biggest concern is that Vox could win more votes than the PP come February 14. In a bid to prevent this, the PP has focused its campaign on taxes and illegal squatters, known in Spain as okupas. But according to the polls, Vox continues to gain ground. Voter intention surveys show Vox on the rise, the PP plateauing and Ciudadanos in freefall. Those who are against the independence movement in Catalonia are always going to vote for the party that makes the strongest stand. It is a broken society and half of it is humiliated and offended, explains a former leader of Ciudadanos. Vox is trying to attract voters who are strongly opposed to the separatist drive with the same strategy of polarization that worked for Ciudadanos in 2017. The PP and Ciudadanos do not have much time to stop this advance: there is less than a week until they face off against Vox. English version by Melissa Kitson. Advertisement Myanmar police have warned protesters to disperse or face force shortly after state television signalled impending action to stifle mass demonstrations against a military coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In the capital Naypyidaw today, three lines of police in riot gear could be seen across a road with a sign saying that live ammunition could be used if demonstrators breached the third line of officers. The scene comes as martial law has been declared in parts of Myanmar's second-largest city Mandalay, banning people from protesting or gathering in groups of more than five. A curfew will also run from 8pm until 4am, the general administration department said in a statement. Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military coup, appeared on TV for the first time on Monday, claiming his action was justified amid mass protests. The general said the country's November election, won in a landslide by the party of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, had been unfair. Policeman stands behind a banner reading 'if this line is crossed, Myanmar police force will fire with live ammunition' during the protests against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Naypyidaw, Monday Police stand guard by their vehicles as protesters rally against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw on February 8 Min Aung Hlaing (pictured during broadcast on his Monday TV address), the leader of the military coup, appeared on TV for the first time on Monday, claiming his action was justified amid mass protests Protesters were blasted with a suspected chemical-laced water cannon today as massive crowds staged a third straight day of rallies to voice their anger at last week's military coup. Huge crowds gathered in Yangon on Monday as workers went on a nationwide strike to demand the return of democracy and the release of the ousted leader - a call supported today by Pope Francis. And in Naypyidaw, footage showed two people collapsing after being sprayed with the suspected chemical-tinged water which was fired from a truck to disperse protesters. 'Down with military dictatorship' and 'Release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and arrested people,' the protesters chanted as they marched in the streets, with others holding signs saying 'we want democracy' and riding on the back of trucks singing revolutionary songs. The call to release Suu Kyi was backed today by the Vatican, where Francis said a 'path to democracy' had been 'brusquely interrupted' by the coup and said he hoped that arrested leaders would be 'promptly released' Blast of a water cannon: A police truck fires water at protesters during a rally in the capital Naypyitaw today where demonstrators were condemning the military coup and demanding the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi Face to face: A line of riot police wearing helmets and carrying shields stand opposite protesters during a demonstration in Nyapyidaw against the military putsch by Myanmar generals last Monday Icon: Protesters in Myanmar hold up posters of Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner whose reputation had been tarnished abroad by the military's treatment of the Rohingya minority 'This is a work day, but we aren't going to work even if our salary will be cut,' one protester, 28-year-old garment factory worker, Hnin Thazin, told AFP. Construction worker Chit Min, 18, joined the Yangon rally saying his loyalty to Suu Kyi outweighed his immediate concerns about his financial situation. 'I am jobless now for a week because of the military coup, and I am worried for my survival,' he said. In Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, thousands had also gathered by mid morning, many waving red flags and clutching photos of Suu Kyi. Protests were also gaining momentum in Naypyidaw, with many riding around on motorbikes and honking car horns, while major rallies were also reported in other townships. Over the weekend tens of thousands of people massed on the streets across Myanmar in the biggest protests since the coup. Teachers flash the three-finger salute, a symbol of pro-democracy protests in Myanmar and other countries such as Thailand March: Protesters walk down a street in Yangon today, some holding signs calling for Suu Kyi's release, as workers staged a nationwide strike to join in the massive demonstrations Buddhist monks (left) were among those who joined in Monday's protests, while other demonstrators waved flags (right) Traffic jam: Some demonstrators blocked a street at Hledan junction in Yangon while others watched from a bridge as thousands took to the streets for the third straight day of pro-democracy rallies Policemen wearing masks and holding riot shields line up behind barricades as they stand guard at Yangon City Hall today Myanmar's generals staged their putsch by detaining Suu Kyi and dozens of members of her National League for Democracy in pre-dawn raids on Monday last week. The generals justified the coup by claiming fraud in last November's elections, which the NLD won in a landslide. The junta has proclaimed a one-year state of emergency, and promised to then hold fresh elections, without offering any precise timeframe. The coup has triggered widespread international condemnation, although neighbouring China has declined to criticise the generals. US President Joe Biden has led the calls for the generals to relinquish power. Pope Francis on Sunday also expressed 'solidarity with the people of Myanmar', urging the army to work towards 'democratic coexistence'. A police truck sprays water over a crowd of protesters in Myanmar's capital , Naypyitaw, during the latest round of rallies Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda, a major landmark in Yangon where anti-coup demonstrations were continuing today Protesters hold up signs denouncing the military during a demonstration against the putsch which took place last Monday Protesters and police lined up in Naypyitaw where demonstrators voiced their anger at the coup and called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday Online calls to protest have prompted bold displays of defiance, including the nightly deafening clamour of people banging pots and pans - a practice traditionally associated with driving out evil spirits. The surge in popular dissent on the weekend overcame a nationwide internet blockade, similar in magnitude to an earlier shutdown that coincided with the start of the coup. As protests gathered steam, the junta also ordered telecom networks to freeze access to Facebook, an extremely popular service in the country and arguably its main mode of communication. But on Sunday, live Facebook video feeds from multiple cities continued to show protesters marching through the streets. Kyaw Zin Tun, 29, an engineer said he remembers the fear he felt growing up under junta rule during his childhood in the 1990s. 'In the last five years under democracy government, our fears were removed. But now fear is back again with us, therefore, we have to throw out this military junta for the future of all of us,' he said. Protesters are blasted with a water cannon in Naypyitaw during the protests against the coup, which has been denounced by Joe Biden and other international leaders We simply cannot wish away mafia. There are so many of them, active in areas which affect each one of us deeply. The resource mafia, illegally exploiting coal, timber and other forest produce wild life or, sand, depredate our environment. Or the development mafia bagging contracts for roads, bridges, railway lines and other projects takes away from us the fruits of planned growth. Or the land mafia, or the education mafia or the health mafia, the electricity mafia, or the co operative mafia. One could go on and on. And we live with them all the year round, relegating their activities to the basement of our brains. As a token of our appreciation we sometimes elect the Mafiosi to the various legislative bodies, sometimes several times in succession. One wonders whether we could do without them. A legion of decentralized dictatorships, these neighborhood mafias mediate a host of functions of the state. We do not find anything unnatural about it. Because we have come to accept the political culture wherein a politician is expected to provide avenues for his caste men and cronies for looting the resources of the state. At ground zero of politics there is a consensus that this is an absolutely democratic method of rewarding political support. We do not seem to protest. They are not the antiheroic outlaws hounded by police, marked by the enemys bullet, as popularized by movies. The one surefire formula of political patronage earns our Mafia the homage of the law enforcement officials. Their control of the institutional environment allows them to enjoy the fruits of their crime and die in bed of old age. But some day things do slip and go out of hand. Regrettable though it may be, sometimes it becomes necessary to remove a Yashwant Sonawane by the simple expedient of pouring some kerosene oil and igniting him. Or bludgeon the nosey activist Sister Valsa John for agitating against the peacefully profit making enterprise of illegal coal-mining in Jharkhand. Swami Nigmanand was similarly removed from the scene by a combination of intrigue and heartlessness. Shehla Masood the RTI activist, Arup Kalita the Assam environment activist, Satyendra Dubey the engineer in the Golden quadrangle project, Manju Nath the Indian Oil officer, Ajay Kumar Singh SP of Lohardagga, the divisional forest officer Sanjay Singh of Kaimur, journalist Dey to name a few, allegedly lost their lives because they refused to peacefully co-exist. Then the dirt comes to the surface. These deeds "reveal" the perpetrators to us, and us to our own selves, compelling us to stage a mass ceremony of innocence, make a communitarian plea of alibi. That is why we are revolted by the bomb and gun variety because his deeds disturb the even tenor of life. If the outrage were in support of the cause championed by the martyred enforcement official, the community would regularly rally behind those many harassed and victimized officers and activists who are trying to rein in these self same elements. Towards them, while they are alive, their attitude is of the audience watching a daring stunt. Will they not carry it off? Before they fall victim to the assassins bullet they may have knocked at the door of their superiors, may have sought for the amplification of their voices in the media. But all in vain. Their deaths are like the deaths foretold. Why are we reaping such a bountiful harvest of mafias? The answer must lead us to the nature of our politics which has now completely rid itself of its ideological baggage. Even the rhetorical tenors of its emancipatory pronouncements barely hide its annoyance at being forced to pay lip service to all those high ideals. In the absence of passion in the field of politics the pursuit of political power is less about mobilization and more about managerial enterprise. Governance is about providing the middle class the security to visit malls and cinemas and poor some doles endlessly. The rest is easy. A deft coordination of interests, a hard bargaining skill for the spoils and a keen eye for keeping things at sub crisis level is all that it is about. In an environment where the political tenure is short and uncertain, brutish and nasty Mafia is the obvious mode of entrepreneurship. After all, has it not been said that Mafia is illegal capitalism, capitalism legal Mafia? India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. {igallery id=856|cid=35|pid=1|type=category|children=0|showmenu=0|tags=|limit=0} CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest episode of business podcast MBA: Minority Business Access, host Solomon RC Ali opens up about his own journey with entrepreneurship, filled with bumps and bruises, before hitting it big as CEO of NDR Energy Group and Revolutionary Concepts and licensor of multiple technology patents for some of today's most widely used technology. Solomon RC Ali Corporation Mr. Ali was one of four keynote speakers at Magnify Your Wealth summit in Denver, Colorado, hosted by Laughlin Associates in celebration of their 50th anniversary. In this episode of MBA: Minority Business Access, recorded live at Magnify Your Wealth, Solomon takes the stage to share how his company, Solomon RC Ali Corporation, helps businesses looking to raise capital, packages businesses for investors, raises valuations for businesses and takes them public. During his speech, Mr. Ali speaks of his first business running a maintenance company at age 21, when he failed to note the importance of accounts receivables. "I didn't know what accounts receivables were. After spending all my money on materials and equipment. I had all these people working for me and a couple of trucks. Now it was time to pay all these people. I owed out $148,000. I had about $15 in the bank account, but I was owed half a million dollars. I just didn't have the infrastructure in place to collect it." "I had no idea companies will string you along and not pay you," he recalls. Panic set in until help arrived in the form of a payroll company that fronted him the money he needed to meet payroll while accounts receivables were put in place. Solomon segued into running Los Angeles nursing home and assisted living facilities that turned him into a young millionaire until failure to keep good records and not following through on measures to insulate himself led to financial ruin in 2008. "I had procrastinated and not taken the proper steps to protect myself, financially," Solomon admits to the crowd. After losing it all, and with a wife and daughter to support, he says he contemplated taking his own life because he knew he had no one to blame but himself. Having learned hard lessons, Solomon rebounded by helping to arrange capital for companies to monetize their intellectual property while earning commission. He then asks the crowd, "Anybody heard of a [smart home] RING doorbell?" To which nearly everyone in the room replied "Yes." Next, he asked, "Does anybody ever get a text [message] from their bank?" Nods all around. "Well, that's our technology," he announces. "That is what my company does. We invest in a lot of companies like that, and then we take them public," referring to Solomon RC Ali Corporation, which offers business management consulting and arranges capital in exchange for an equity stake. Now a strict adherent to the "Rockefeller Method" of doing business, Solomon shares, "We go out, we expand technology, we develop it out and we monetize it. We invest primarily in companies that are private, and we take them public." Going on to tout his strict adherence to "The Rockefeller Method" as "one of the most effective business strategies on the face of the earth," Solomon explains, "As a foundation of this strategy, I have been able to build $100 million companies and above and create just under a billion dollars in assets, understanding and using this strategy." The 30-year investment veteran concludes, "Life is not hard. Life is about making the right decisions. How do you make the right decisions? You have to get the right knowledge and information from the right people." The next episode of MBA: Minority Business Access with Solomon RC Ali featuring Mr. Ali's keynote speech live from the Magnify Your Wealth Summit in Denver, Colorado, drops Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, wherever podcasts are streamed. MEDIA CONTACT: Jaime Katz Full Scale Media [email protected] 516-408-2171 ext. 101 Related Images solomon-rc-ali.jpg Solomon RC Ali Related Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZyGKywnHE SOURCE Solomon RC Ali Corporation (CNBC) President Joe Biden said his administration was ready for extreme competition with China but that his approach would be different than his predecessor. Im not going to do it the way Trump did. We are going to focus on the international rules of the road, Biden told in a CBS interview clip published Sunday. We need not have a conflict but there is going to be extreme competition, he added. Last week, Biden said he would work more closely with allies in order to mount pushback against China. We will confront Chinas economic abuses, Biden explained, describing Beijing as Americas most serious competitor. But were also ready to work with Beijing when its in Americas interest to do so. Well compete from a position of strength by building back better at home and working with our allies and partners, the president said at the State Department. Lee thought she had left behind the toxic culture that had defined her workplace for years. The former military intelligence officer had spent her late 20s working for a male-dominated U.S. federal contractor in Seoul, where she says she was harassed by colleagues and sexually assaulted by two supervisors. She says she didn't report their behavior at the time because she was worried about losing her job as a young woman at the start of her career. She stayed with the company, Black Box Network Services, and in 2017 was relocated to the firm's office in Herndon, Va. But in January of 2018, she said she received a message from the program director of the office in Seoul, the same supervisor who she said had sexually assaulted her years earlier. He was in town visiting the Herndon office, he said, and wanted to meet with her, alone. It was months after the dawn of the #MeToo movement, when Lee had heard stories of scores of women harassed by predatory men in their workplaces. After receiving the message, she said she decided to report the allegations from her time in Seoul to the company's human resources director, hoping to see an investigation. "They didn't do anything," Lee said. "I told her I was raped by this guy in the company who is a director and she didn't do anything about it." Instead, a few months later, she was given her first poor performance review, she said. Weeks after that, she was fired. Lee is now suing her former employer, accusing the company of retaliation in violation of Title VII and whistleblower protection laws. In late November, she filed a lawsuit against the firm, which has since been acquired by Arlington Capital Partners and renamed Tyto Athene. The lawsuit was served on the company last month. Courtney Abbott, an Alexandria-based attorney representing Tyto Athene, said the company denies any wrongdoing or liability in the case, but could not comment further on the pending litigation. Attempts to reach the two former supervisors listed in Lee's lawsuit were unsuccessful. Lee, now 34 and a consultant at Deloitte, is one of more than 250 people whose legal cases have been funded by the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, an initiative created by Hollywood stars and activists in the aftermath of the charges against Harvey Weinstein to help victims of sexual harassment at work. Thousands of women have sought legal assistance from the fund since its inception more than three years ago, and their requests serve as a sort of laboratory for studying patterns in workplace sexual harassment cases, according to the National Women's Law Center, which runs the initiative. More than seven in 10 people who experienced workplace sexual harassment faced some form of retaliation, including termination, poor evaluations, defamation lawsuits or denial of promotions, according to a recent analysis by the NWLC of the 3,317 requests submitted to the fund between Jan. 1, 2018, and April 30, 2020. According to the NWLC's analysis, more than one-third of people reporting workplace sexual harassment said they experienced physical harassment, sexual assault or rape. More than half of the workers who identified their perpetrator said they were harassed by someone to whom they reported at work, according to the analysis. Nearly two in five said that nothing happened to that perpetrator. "Workers are doing what they should be doing, and then the response that they're getting is making it worse," said Sharyn Tejani, director of the Time's UP Legal Defense Fund. This is a particularly concerning pattern, Tejani said, amid a pandemic that has caused massive job losses, particularly among women. "The thing I'm most worried about is it is causing people to not complain and creating even more power imbalances in the workplace because there are so few jobs," Tejani said. Lee's case also provides a window into an industry of federal contractors that has boomed under the Trump administration but that has long been criticized as lacking oversight and protections for workers, who are often at-will employees. Government contractors are frequently among the top violators of workplace laws but provide little recourse for workers when their rights are undermined, according to a recent report from the liberal policy institute and advocacy organization Center for American Progress Action Fund. About half of all complaints filed with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in fiscal 2019 included allegations of retaliation for reporting discrimination, according to the CAP Action Fund report. "There's just not a lot of recourse for the victims of sexual harassment within those worlds," said Ben Beliles, an attorney for Lee in her case. When she first interviewed for the job in Seoul, in 2013, Lee was visiting a cousin in the city and had just wrapped up a stint as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. She was about 26 years old and eager to launch a career in the corporate world. She was hired on the spot. It was a dream job, Lee said, with a $90,000 starting salary that would help her support her parents back in the states. And it was a chance to live in her parents' country of birth, a place she had always wanted to visit. "It actually became my identity," Lee said about the job as a document management specialist, "because it was the only thing that I had going for me." She had little experience in the field, but she performed well, consistently meeting or exceeding expectations in her evaluations, she said. But she also quickly realized she was one of the only women in the office. Most of her colleagues and supervisors were middle-aged men. Many were former members of the military, and many had remarried younger Asian women, she said. Lee was often the subject of unwanted sexual attention and harassment, according to her lawsuit. "We would go out to lunch and co-workers would grab my ass really hard and laugh about it," she said. "It's one of the most disgusting feelings." There was also a big drinking culture, Lee said, and frequent happy hours in which the program director would ring a bell at the bar and buy shots for the entire company. Her supervisors would egg her on to keep drinking, even when they knew she had a low tolerance for alcohol, she said. After one of these nights, in 2014, her direct supervisor offered to make sure she got home safely. Lee woke up the next morning with her underwear on backwards, she said, with very little memory of the night except for flashes of her supervisor asking for the password to get her into the apartment, and later, turning on the shower head. She initially told no one in her office about that night but eventually reported repeated sexual harassment from her supervisor to the program director - the top manager of the team in Seoul and the person in charge of all personnel decisions. The program director had been her mentor since the start of her time on the team, Lee said. She trusted him. But he dismissed her report, she alleges in her lawsuit, "only to engage in similar behavior shortly thereafter himself." After one off-site meeting, she alleges, he offered to share a taxi with her, dropping her off on his way home. He then asked to go up with her into her apartment because the company was considering leasing office space, and he was interested in seeing the building. But he then pushed her into her bedroom and sexually assaulted her, she said. "When he trapped me in my bedroom, he said, 'I've been waiting over a year for this,'" Lee recounted. "He held me in a grip so I couldn't get out." At the time, she felt she had no option but to stay silent about what happened. "Who would I even complain about him to?" she said. "He was the HR guy...if you had something to complain about, you would go to him." She continued to work with both men until the spring of 2017, when she was told she would have to move to the Virginia office, three months before her contract in Seoul had been scheduled to end, she said. It wasn't until she received the text message from the program director, in January 2018, that she decided to tell her new supervisor, among other things, that the program director in Seoul had sexually harassed her and engaged in "Harvey Weinstein"-like behavior, according to her lawsuit. She later disclosed the sexual assault allegations to the company's human resources professional. The HR manager told Lee that an investigation had already been performed into the allegations, which Lee said was not true, and that Lee should "limit her concerns to things that had occurred since she relocated to America," according to Lee's lawsuit. "It was just demeaning and disrespectful," Lee said. "After that I went to the bathroom and cried. I felt like I did something really, really bad." A few months later, in March, Lee met with the company's legal counsel to discuss the allegations. She learned that the company did not begin investigating her allegations until 50 days after she brought them to attention. By then, the program director had already resigned. Soon after, Lee noticed her supervisor and other senior employees avoiding her, treating her coldly and giving her unrealistic deadlines, according to the lawsuit. Lee decided to file a charge of discrimination to the EEOC, and in June, submitted a whistleblower-retaliation complaint to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. The following month, Lee was placed on a performance improvement plan, the only disciplinary action she had received in more than five years with the employer, according to her lawsuit. She filed an internal HR complaint, and eight days later was terminated. "I just felt like I was placed in a sinkhole," Lee said. The company offered her a six-month severance package and a cause of termination of "workplace reduction" - if she signed a nondisclosure agreement pledging to stay silent about what happened, she said. She refused. As her legal case plays out, Lee hopes to see the case go to a jury trial, where she will be able to speak openly about her experiences, "which is what they didn't want from the very beginning." The two former supervisors who Lee says sexually assaulted her are no longer with the company. But according to their LinkedIn accounts, they are still working in the federal contracting sector. They are both still in South Korea. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2021 / On March 15, 2021. Businesses throughout the country will be required to file an assortment of business tax returns with the IRS. Most commonly are the Forms 1120-S and 1065 for S-Corporations and Partnerships. Given the current economic climate and the changes that businesses have been adjusting to over the last year due to COVID-19, many businesses may need additional time to gather the information needed to complete their business income tax returns. These organizations have the option to apply for a Form 7004 Extension. Upon approval, the IRS grants an additional 6 months for these organizations to complete their tax returns. As this is an automatic extension, the IRS requires no reason why a business chooses to apply for an extension, they also approve the extension easily provided that Form 7004 is submitted in a timely manner and contains accurate information. ExpressExtension provides businesses with a simple and speedy solution for e-filing the Form 7004 with the IRS. ExpressExtension is an authorized e-file provider that provides a user-friendly filing process. When filing Form 7004, users can expect an easy-to-follow, interview-style format. The cloud-based software allows filers to complete their extension form in minutes and receive instant IRS approval for an automatic six-month tax extension. To ensure accurate filing, ExpressExtension allows any users with a rejected Form 7004 to retransmit to the IRS free of cost. ExpressExtension also caters to CPAs and Tax Professionals who require volume-based filing and elevated features. For more information, check out this video. SPAN Enterprises CEO and Co-founder Agie Sundaram states, "ExpressExtension provides the perfect solution for business owners of all sizes and even tax professionals that will be filing extensions on their clients' behalf this March. With over a decade of e-filing IRS Tax Extensions and thousands of filers each year, ExpressExtension is ready for another busy season." SPAN Enterprises, the creator of ExpressExtension, is an industry leader in software solutions for IRS filing and the transportation industry. Located in the heart of downtown Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN proves that big ideas can grow in a small town. The new year marks a decade of prosperity and service for SPAN Enterprises. With existing Business Management Software such as TruckLogics and Unitwise, and e-filing applications such as ExpressTruckTax, TaxBandits, and ACAwise, SPAN Enterprises is on the frontlines of innovative applications. Learn more at http://www.spanenterprises.com. CONTACT: Stephanie Glanville 803.514.5155 SOURCE: SPAN Enterprises View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/628501/File-Form-7004-to-Extend-your-Form-1120-S-1065-Deadline-up-to-6-months-using-ExpressExtension NEW DELHI Long before the floods came, washing away hundreds of people and wiping out newly constructed dams and bridges, the warning signs were clear. The Himalayas have been warming at an alarming rate for years, melting ice long trapped in glaciers, soil and rocks, elevating the risk of devastating floods and landslides, scientists warned. Nearby populations were vulnerable, they said, and the regions ecosystem had become too fragile for large development projects. But the Indian government overrode the objections of experts and the protests of local residents to blast rocks and build hydroelectric power projects in volatile areas like the one in the northern state of Uttarakhand, where disaster struck. Officials said Monday that bodies of 26 victims had been recovered while the search proceeded for nearly 200 missing people. On Sunday a surge of water and debris went roaring down the steep mountain valleys of the Rishiganga river, erasing everything in its path. Most of the victims were workers on the power projects. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Myanmar for a second day Sunday to protest last week's military coup and call for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Demonstrations that began in different parts of Yangon converged on Sule Pagoda, the center of city. Large crowds were reported in other cities as well on Sunday, including Mandalay. "The military coup is a violation of our democracy and human rights. It also insults the will of the people. That's why we are against the military coup," one of the protest leaders, Aung San Hmaine, told VOA's Burmese service. "It's important to honor the election result. That's why we have come here, staging protests." Large crowds were reported in other cities as well on Sunday. As protests grew a day earlier on Saturday, Myanmar authorities had cut internet service but the service appeared to have been restored by Sunday. Many of the protesters chanted "Long live Mother Suu," a reference to deposed Suu Kyi, and, "We don't want military dictatorship." Other protesters raised a three-finger salute, a sign of resistance against tyranny in the "Hunger Games" movies. The military takeover in Myanmar began last Monday with the detention of Suu Kyi, who was the country's de facto leader, and other senior government officials. Suu Kyi remains under house arrest at her official residence in Naypyitaw, according to party spokesman Kyi Toe. Suu Kyi faces charges of illegally importing and using six unregistered walkie-talkie radios found in a search of her home in the capital of Naypyitaw. Smoke Felt Kilometers Away The Mayor of the Kanifing Municipality Talib Ahmed Bensouda, has informed the press that smoke from the recent Bakoteh Dumpsite fire outbreak on Wednesday 27th January 2021, was felt kilometers away from the site; that the smoke reached communities as far away as Old Yundum, Brufut and Bijilo. He however said the fire was extinguished and the smoke was contained within the perimeter fence of the site, the following Thursday morning. According to Mayor Bensouda, this was achieved by the taskforce of Council staff, officers of the Municipal Police and support from the Fire and Rescue Services, as well as private tankers. The Mayor said if the dumpsite has not been divided into six zones, the fire outbreak could have become worse; that over the past three years, the KMC committed tens of millions of Dalasi to the management of the dumpsite; that last year, KMC spent over 6.5 million Dalasi to manage and maintain the dumpsite. Mayor Bensouda stressed that since he came into office in 2018, he was aware that the dumpsite is the greatest challenge facing the Municipality which has now become clear. "Last week's fire and its smoke show that Bakoteh dumpsite is a national issue that is not confined to the Kanifing Municipality alone. We are currently constructing a 3.5 meter high and 1,770 meter long perimeter fence which costs 9 million Dalasi, to fully secure the site and this is financed entirely by Council's own capital development budget. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Environment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. This fence will eliminate tress-passers who pose great risk by starting fires within the site. The construction of the fence is 40 percent complete and is expected to be completed next month," the KMC Mayor said. Mayor Bensouda said he sympathizes with all those who are affected by the smoke from the site and said he is committed to finding a solution that will close Bakoteh dumpsite in the shortest possible time. Lamin Sanyang, KMC's Director of Services said they will continue their efforts to combat the challenges at the Bokoteh dumpsite. "We are very much committed to ensure that the dumpsite is well managed," he said. On his part, Malamin Ceesay, the Commissioner of Police confirmed that the KMC Municipal Police played a vital role in putting off the fire at the Dumpsite. He also confirmed the apprehension of someone who is being investigated, in connection with this recent fire. Coronavirus vaccination drive has met with many hurdles across the globe. From the fear of its adverse reactions to its effectiveness against new mutations and the logistic barriers of transporting it, thir have been many apprehensions with regard to the vaccine. In Pakistan, however, this apprehension comes with an additional layer of mistrust and the memories of terror accused Osama bin Laden's hunting down using polio drive to collect information. Pakistan faces a double whammy of vaccine distrust and theories of it being an anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, fueled by the legacy of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the Bloomberg Quint said in a report. The report quoted several Pakistani citizens who refuse to take the vaccine, showing similar reluctance that they have shown in vaccination of their children against polio. They term the vaccination drive a plot against Muslims. Notably, Pakistan kickstarted its coronavirus inoculation drive earlier this month. On Sunday,Chinese military delivered a batch of Covid-19 vaccines to the Pakistan Army. This came days after Islamabad received 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from its all-weather ally Beijing. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement that the Pakistan Army has become the first foreign military to receive the COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military. The statement, however, did not mention the number of vaccines supplied to the Pakistan Army. The vaccines delivered to the Pakistan Army are reportedly in addition to the five lakh doses provided by China to Pakistan. Pakistan on Monday received the first batch of 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from China, as the country was gearing up to kick start its immunisation drive. The move comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan reached 554,474. With 53 new deaths, the number of fatalities has gone up to 11,967, according to the Ministry of National Health Services. The vaccine reluctance is a grim reminder of Pakistan's failure to eradicate as similar apprehensions clouded the vaccination drive. Experts are terming the challenges similar to that of polio drive. It was a fake vaccination drive that was used a cover to hunt down terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan's Abbottabad where he was finally caught and killed in 2011 by American special forces. This has made people suspicious about strangers, particularly health workers. Snow will hit many areas over the coming days Turn the heating up and prepare for snow, as Ireland is set to be wrapped in a polar blanket tonight and for much of this week. Met Eireann has forecast showers of sleet and snow tonight with temperatures dropping to -3C. The country will be see widespread sharp frost and icy stretches, forecasters said. This wintry blast will be felt all the more thanks to fresh easterly winds, which will be strong in the southwest. Tomorrow is set to be another cold, breezy day, with a scattering of sleet and snow showers throughout the day. Read More The east of the country is expected to see most of the snow with children there no doubt happy to take a break from homeschooling to build some snowmen. The mercury will only creep up to 1C or 3C tomorrow and there will be an added wind chill factor, forecasters warned. Yet more snow is expected to fall as the day progresses. And Met Eireann has also forecast widespread snow later in the week, along with sleet. The Simon Communities is alerting the public to watch out for rough sleepers out in the elements. The charity said a cold weather initiative is well underway to protect rough sleepers but it wants the public to help locate anyone still sleeping outside. If any member of the public is aware of (someone) sleeping out, if they contact their local authority or the Simon Community, Wayne Stanley, from the charity, told RTE Radio 1. Tuesday night will be very cold with frost and icy stretches and scattered showers of sleet and snow confined to the east and northeast. Temperatures will drop to -4C to 0C with a light to moderate breeze. Wednesday will be another cold but bright day and wintry showers will continue to envelope north Leinster and east Ulster. Met Eireann said: A band of rain, sleet and snow will gradually push into the southwest overnight. Very cold again with lowest temperatures of -3C to 1C, with widespread frost in moderate easterly winds. Thursday will be another cold day with rain, sleet and snow travelling north eastwards across Ireland. This will lead to hazardous conditions and it will be breezy with southwesterly winds. Temperatures will sit at just 0C and up to 3C. There will be snow in Leinster and Ulster on Thursday night, with outbreaks of rain in other parts of the country. The lowest temperatures will be around -1C to 3C. The forecast for Friday is currently uncertain but it is expected that north Leinster and Ulster will see more snow and sleet. Temperatures again are expected to be bracing and will be around 1C to 5C in Leinster, Ulster and north Connacht. Other areas may see temperatures reach 6C to 10C. The cold grip is expected to loosen on Ireland at the weekend but rain is likely. Read More Days Gone By: Images of the YMCA from The Eagle's archive About 60% of Michigan students who graduated public high school in 2019 were enrolled in college in 2019-20, according to data from the states Center for Educational Performance and Information. About 38.3% of the Class of 2019 enrolled at a four-year college or university, and 21.5% enrolled at a community college. Below is an online database that allows readers to see the numbers for any Michigan public high school, including charters, with at least 10 graduates in the Class of 2019. (The state does not collect data for private-school students, and does not list precise numbers when the numbers are smaller than 10.) You can search by county or school district or type in the name of the high school. A caveat about the numbers: CEPI collected the data using the National Student Clearinghouse, which involves a matching each students first name, middle name, last name, suffix, and date of birth. If a students name or birth date in the NSC database doesnt exactly match the states graduation record, a match may not be made. Another limitation is that most, but not all, colleges and universities provide data to NSC. Both situations can result in underreporting college enrollment. Below is a map that shows total college enrollment by school district for the Class of 2019. You can put your cursor over a district to see the underlying data. Note that school district data includes alternative education schools, and districts with large alternative ed programs tend to have lower college enrollment rates. (Cant see the map? Click here.) Among the highlights of the statewide data: Three Michigan public high schools with at least 10 graduates in the Class of 2019 had at least 95% of the students enroll in the college: International Academy of Macomb, Southfield University High School, and Saginaw Arts and and Sciences Academy. All three are magnet programs. The district with the highest percentage of students in college was tiny Wakefield-Marenisco School District in the western Upper Peninsula. Of the 17 students the districts Class of 2019, 16 -- or 94%-- went to college, including 12 students who enrolled in community college and four who went to a four-year school. Other districts in the 10 top and the percentage of graduates in college: Northville (88%); East Grand Rapids (88%), Rochester (86%), Bloomfield Hills (85%), Forest Hills (85%). Freeland (85%), East Lansing (85%), Grosse Ile (85%) and Birmingham (84%). By gender, 66% of women in the Class of 2019 enrolled in college in fall 2019 compared to 54% of men. By race/ethnicity, 82% of Asian students were in college in fall 2019 compared to 63% of white students, 48% of Hispanic students and 47% of Black students. By economic status, 45% of Class of 2019 members who qualified for subsidized lunch enrolled in college compared to 69% of middle-class and affluent students. College enrollment by race and gender: Asian women, 84%; Asian men, 81%; white women, 69%; white men, 57%: Hispanic women, 53%; Black women, 53%; Hispanic men, 42% and Black men, 41%. Read more on MLive: Wolf that left Michigans Isle Royale has had amazing 2-year journey, GPS data shows Michigan students, struggling with online classes, saw more Fs on their report cards this year Hundreds of psychologists, physicians urge AAPS to offer in-person classes by March 1 . Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations. Utilization of renewable solar energy is crucial for addressing the global energy and environmental concerns and achieving sustainable development. In this regard, photocatalytic water splitting has attracted significant interest as a cost-effective means to convert sustainable solar energy into valuable chemicals. However, because efficiency is sensitive to reaction conditions and experimental setup, it is difficult to compare the results obtained by different research groups or provide a reliable guide for large-scale implementation. Due to the lack of testing standards, it is difficult to compare the results obtained by different research groups or provide a reliable guide for large-scale implementation. A research team led by Prof. LI Can and Prof. LI Rengui from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. Kazunari Domen from The University of Tokyo, Prof. Lianzhou Wang from The University of Queensland, Prof. Kazuhiro Sayama from the National Institution of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and Prof. Gang Liu from the Institute of Metal Research, CAS, has now initiated the establishment of international efficiency accreditation and testing protocols for particulate photocatalysts toward solar fuel production. Efficiency accreditation and testing protocols for particulate photocatalysts toward solar fuel production. Credit: DICP Photocatalytic water splitting has attracted great interest as a means of cost-effective conversion of sustainable solar energy to valuable chemicals. However, the absence of authorized efficiency measurement methods results in the accumulation of unverifiable and often misleading data, wasting the investment and resources of the research community and impeding the progress in the research field. Herein, testing protocols for reliable efficiency reporting of photocatalytic overall water splitting are discussed based on particulate photocatalysts. The sources of error and standard reporting protocols for hydrogen evolution rate, light source calibration, and solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency have been revisited and recommended. The establishment of accreditation research laboratories is proposed for efficiency certification toward the launch of the figure of merit, a best research photocatalyst efficiencies chart. This initiative will provide an important platform for establishing standard testing protocols in photocatalytic water splitting and accelerating the STH conversion efficiency improvement toward practical application. Wang et al. Their perspective, published in Joule, is expected to serve as a useful guide for developing a well-recognized testing standard and for further promoting research advances in the field of photocatalytic solar energy conversion. The researchers discussed the protocols for the reliable determination of the efficiency of the overall photocatalytic water splitting reaction based on particulate photocatalysts. They also proposed to establish accreditation research laboratories for efficiency certification toward the launch of a figure of merita Best research photocatalyst efficiencies chart. This initiative would provide an important platform for establishing standard testing protocols for photocatalytic water splitting and for improving the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency in practical applications. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Resources Mumbai, Feb 8 : Actor Manoj Bajpayee feels history often gets interpreted in different ways through the passage of time, and that is why it was important to document stories like the discovery of Sinauli. The actor will be seen hosting the documentary, "Secrets Of Sinauli: Discovery Of The Century". The historical documentary, presented by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, uncovers the mysteries behind the excavations in the town of Sinauli in Uttar Pradesh. The documentary is directed by Raghav Jairath. "History often gets interpreted in different ways through time, hence, important discoveries like that of Sinauli help us understand our past and our culture better," Bajpayee said. "The opportunity of hosting 'Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century' has been aunique and a learning experience for me. The documentary makes some historic revelations over the discoveries of the significant ancient chariots and different artefacts at the excavation that belong to a period of India that is very highly regarded," he added. "'Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century' is a blend of history, science, technology and mythology. India is a country known for its rich culture and varied heritage. Exploring and unearthing new facts of our history is precisely what excited me about this project," said Pandey added: "We are glad to tell a significant story, although it's not yet concluded, and we look to its continuation." The documentary will stream on discovery+ from February 9. A team of astronomers made a blockbuster claim in the fall. They said they had discovered compelling evidence pointing to life floating in the clouds of Venus. If true, that would be stunning. People have long gazed into the cosmos and wondered whether something is alive out there. For an affirmative answer to pop up on the planet in the orbit next to Earths would suggest that life is not rare in the universe, but commonplace. The astronomers, led by Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales, could not see any microscopic Venusians with their telescopes on Earth. Rather, in a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, they reported the detection of a molecule called phosphine and said they could come up with no plausible explanation for how it could form there except as the waste product of microbes. Five months later, after unexpected twists and nagging doubts, scientists are not quite sure what to make of the data and what it might mean. It might spur a renaissance in the study of Venus, which has largely been overlooked for decades. It could point to exotic volcanism and new geological puzzles. It could indeed be aliens. Or it could be nothing at all. A law to combat stalking will help thousands of people suffering daily in Northern Ireland, the Justice Minister said. It will create a specific new offence recognising the experience of victims and allow courts to impose tougher penalties. It will enable police to intervene before the obsessive behaviour escalates and breaching any order to control it will attract a significant sanction. Today Minister Long presents the Second Stage of the Protection from Stalking Bill to the NI Assembly. Here the Minister explains that the Bill is a amajor step forward for victims of this insidious crimea pic.twitter.com/5QRJU07Xrt Justice NI (@Justice_NI) February 8, 2021 Naomi Long said: This is a significant piece of legislation which will help thousands of people across Northern Ireland suffering daily from the torture of this insidious crime. The proposed Protection from Stalking Bill was discussed in the Assembly on Monday. It will create a specific offence of stalking and include provision for the introduction of Stalking Protection Orders to Northern Ireland. Convictions for the most serious offences would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The Bill will recognise in law, for the first time, that stalking is a course of behaviour that causes fear, alarm or substantial distress to the victim on two or more occasions. The DUPs Stormont Justice Committee chair Paul Givan backed the measures, saying: It can have a profound and lasting impact on victims and it cannot be minimised in any way. That is why this legislation is needed. He said action was overdue. It provides the Assembly with the opportunity to scrutinise and pass legislation that will make a difference to peoples lives in Northern Ireland. The need for such robust legislation to provide the necessary tools for the criminal justice agencies to tackle stalking behaviour, taking into account patterns of such behaviour over time and bring the perpetrators to justice, is abundantly clear, Mr Givan said. It is insidious and terrifying for victims and there is no place for it in our society Paul Givan The collapse of Stormont power-sharing in January 2017 delayed law-making on stalking. Other parts of the UK already have similar legislation in place. Mr Givan added: Stalking is fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviour which often escalates quickly. It is insidious and terrifying for victims and there is no place for it in our society. Last month legislation creating a domestic abuse offence passed its final hurdle in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. In an effort to help students make up for some of the learning loss during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some leaders in the United States are considering extending the school year into the summer, according to a recent report. The New York Times reported that at least two governors, a national union leader and President Joe Biden are behind the idea to extend the year through the summer as more teachers will be vaccinated against the coronavirus and transmission rates could be lower. It would also be easier for students to learn in outdoor spaces. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that schools should make summer classes an option, according to the media outlet, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, made similar remarks. Biden is also predicted to ask Congress to approve $29 billion to fund summer programs and tutoring as part of his pandemic stimulus package, according to The New York Times. But it would be difficult for school districts to expand summer offerings, as teacher contracts dont require them to work over the summer, according to the media outlet. The Times cited a recent poll of educators that found only 19% would support a shorter summer vacation this year or next year. Teachers would need to be paid to work over the summer, which could be difficult for school districts that dumped money into remote learning, ventilation systems, hiring school nurses and the testing of staff and students. Northam said extending school through the summer could help students overcome learning gaps that occurred during the pandemic, according to The Times. He added that children learn better in classrooms and he expects most of his states teachers would have the opportunity to be vaccinated in the coming months. Weingarten said districts should use federal stimulus money to extend the school year through the summer with a focus on enrichment activities like art, music and sports, in addition to core academics, The Times reported. And the local teachers union in Boston is working with the school district to think of summer program ideas to be funded by federal money. The goal, according to The Times, would be to help the youngest students catch up on reading skills, serve students with disabilities who need access to services, and help children work on social skills and be accustomed to a classroom setting. But attempts to reform school calendars have often run into parent opposition as research shows many upper-middle-class families use the summer months to enroll their kids in enrichment programs. Children from low-income families can fall behind academically if they cant afford those programs, The Times reported. Some education advocates said they hope the pandemic will shift attitudes away from the traditional, long summer vacation. 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: FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Bahrains Interior ministry Saturday said it prevented two bomb attacks targeting two ATMs belonging to a national bank, reports say. The security forces nabbed several suspects, the ministry said adding that some bombs were planted at the locations, at different times on Wednesday morning. The concerned security authorities in cooperation with the National Security Agency foiled two terrorist plots which aimed to blow up two ATMs belonging to one of the national banks in the al-Naim and Jidhafs areas in the Capital Governorate, the ministry said in a statement. They ministry did not blame any group or entity for botched attacks. Press Release 8 February 2021 Rueben Brothers acquire Baglioni Hotel Luna in Venice Advertisements Billionaire London-based property investors, the Rueben Brothers, have acquired the Baglioni Hotel Luna in Venice for approximately 100 million (960,000 per room). The 104-room luxury hotel dates back to the 12th century and sits a stone's throw away from Piazza San Marco. The acquisition comes as part of a strategic partnership with Baglioni to help facilitate the rollout of the brand worldwide and is the Rueben Brothers' second hotel investment in Venice, where they also own the recently opened Palazzo Experimental. Extendam acquires three ibis hotels in regional France French private equity firm Extendam has acquired three ibis-branded hotels in regional France, including the 57-room ibis Styles de Roanne, the 66-room ibis Budget de Marmande and the 54-room ibis Budget de Pouilly-en-Auxois. The acquisitions expand Extendam's existing portfolio to 238 hotels and 18,423 rooms across Europe, with 46 hotels and 3,474 rooms in the 1-4 star segments in France and Germany. Pontegadea acquires the Senator Playaballena hotel in Cadiz, Spain Billionaire Inditex founder Amancio Ortega has acquired the Senator Playaballena hotel for 25 million (77,000 per room), through his family office, Pontegadea. The property is a part of the Hoteles Playa family group and ceased operations in December. The 324-room, four-star hotel is located near Cadiz on the Costa de la Luz in south-west Spain, between Chipiona and Rota, and features a spa and a small water park. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form South Africa has delayed the start of its AstraZeneca inoculation programme over concerns the shot does not work against a new Covid-19 variant. World Health Organization experts are to meet to discuss the vaccine, which is already playing a reduced role in several European nations due to questions over its efficacy in older patients. Experimental results suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine provides only "minimal" protection against mild to moderate Covid-19 caused by a highly contagious new variant first detected in South Africa. This is a major setback for the global fight against the pandemic, as many poorer nations are relying on the transport and storage advantages offered by the AstraZeneca shot. Unlike the rival Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require super-cold conditions, AstraZeneca's can be stored in a domestic fridge. Pretoria halts campaign on concerns South Africa, the continent's hardest-hit nation, was due to start its campaign in the coming days with the AstraZeneca injection. The Pretoria government has now decided to hold off in light of the results from the trial conducted by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. "It's a temporary issue...we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters on Sunday. On Sunday, February 7, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and a panel of leading experts hosted a media briefing to outline new developments in South Africa's #COVID19 vaccine acquisition and rollout programme. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Read more here: https://t.co/56ahcbUvSv - Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) February 8, 2021 The 1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccines obtained by South Africa will be kept until scientists give clear indications on their use, the minister added. The doses expire in April. AstraZeneca, which developed the shot with the University of Oxford, continue to insist that their vaccine protects against severe disease. A company spokesperson said researchers were already working to update the vaccine to deal with the South African variant, which has been spreading rapidly around the world. WHO to decide on suitability of AZ jab A World Health Organization panel is due to meet on Monday in Geneva to examine the AstraZeneca shot, which is a major component of the initial Covax global vaccine rollout that covers some 145 countries -- mostly lower and lower-middle income economies. Of the initial 337.2 million Covax doses, 240 million are from AstraZeneca. There are already concerns about the efficacy of the AstraZeneca shot among over-65s, with a number of European nations not authorising it for that age group. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Case Western Reserve University researchers examine how the 'bureaucratic burden' of taking rapists off the streets can impede justiceoften for society's most vulnerable Samuel Little, the man the FBI called the nation's most prolific serial killer, admitted last year to raping and killing 93 women across the country, according to news reports. The 80-year-old man recently died in prison in Californiabut not before explaining how he was able to go undetected for nearly 40 years: He exploited the many vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system that still exist today. In other words, Little quickly recognized that the chances that separate law enforcement agencies would connect the disappearances and deaths of his victims were minute, at best. In a new study, Case Western Reserve University researchers identified some of the primary gaps in the connective tissue of the criminal justice systemamong them, failures to test rape kit DNA samples due to unjustified doubts of victims' statements. "Our research is powerful evidence showing why serial rapists target vulnerable people who are failed by known flaws and weaknesses in the system," said Rachel Lovell, a research assistant professor with the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve. "This breakdown in the justice system reflects how we, as a society, have treated and failed raped victims." The study Seeking to understand howand to what extent the bureaucracy of the criminal justice system places the onus on sexual assault victims to ensure a successful outcome, Begun Center researchers reviewed 717 cases involving previously untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) from 1993 to 2011 in and near Cleveland. Their findingspublished in the American Journal of Criminal Justice in Septembershowed that not a single one was adjudicated. Investigators are now combing through and revisiting many of these cold cases. The research highlighted that most victims bear the burden of solving their own cases. The two main predictors of progression in the investigation process hinge on whether a victim can identify the suspect and whether the victim remained "cooperative" or engaged in the investigation. "Rape is traumatic, but victims often find that participating in the criminal justice system can also be extremely traumatic," Lovell said. "So many victims would rather not participate in the bureaucratic burden involved with moving their cases to justice." Since the kits were tested, all of them have been reinvestigated, resulting in more than 450 indictments. The Cuyahoga County SAK Task Forcean initiative led by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Officelaunched a massive effort in 2013 to follow up on the DNA testing of thousands of previously untested kits. A number of local, county, state and federal agencies provide funding. "Testing the kits does have value, but they're just one part of the story," Lovell said. "Really, these kits weren't initially tested because the investigations weren't followed up on. Now, these kits are all being tested and the cases reinvestigated." Lovell doesn't entirely fault law enforcement, either. "These officers are overworked, and their caseloads untenable," she said. "But, the system allows this. It's easy to blame the individual police officers, but there's no accountability in the system to track these cases. There's a very real consequencebacked up by the datathat these rapists can evade capture by exploiting the system." Fixing a broken system Researchers suggest solutions that could help improve the workings of the justice systemand, in the process, lower crime rates overall. "It's easy to look at the problems, but there are some real tangible things that can be done to improve lives of people in the community," said Laura Overman, co-author of the study and research associate at the Begun Center. According to the research, the criminal justice system could benefit from investing more funds to support victimsincluding mental health services and victim advocacy. Police officers, Lovell said, should get additional and more extensive training about trauma-informed investigations. For example: A victim who doesn't make eye contact, doesn't necessarily signal dishonesty. Lovell encourages police departments to follow Washington state's lead, which recently passed legislation that mandates case reviews. Ohio recently launched a sexual assault kit tracking system so that victims can track a case from kit through conviction. "That sort of accountability is important," Lovell said. Joining Lovell and Overman in the research were statistician Duoduo Huang and Dan Flannery, the Dr. Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Professor and director of the Begun Center. They are a part of the nationally recognized research team that have studied data from Northeast Ohio's nearly 7,000 untested rape kits, an effort resulting in hundreds of convictions. More information: Rachel Lovell et al. The Bureaucratic Burden of Identifying your Rapist and Remaining "Cooperative": What the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Tells us about Sexual Assault Case Attrition and Outcomes, American Journal of Criminal Justice (2020). Journal information: American Journal of Criminal Justice Rachel Lovell et al. The Bureaucratic Burden of Identifying your Rapist and Remaining "Cooperative": What the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Tells us about Sexual Assault Case Attrition and Outcomes,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s12103-020-09573-x Pictured: Sydney real estate agent Karl Howard A prominent real estate agent has been accused of attacking two women with a samurai sword at his Sydney home. Karl Howard, 44, allegedly injured the pair at his property on Ferris Street in Annandale, the city's inner west, at about 5am on Monday. Police allege the assault began when Howard punched one of the women, 27, in the head. The other woman, 29, then intervened and was allegedly struck with a samurai sword. Howard allegedly fled the scene, while the two women went to a neighbouring residence and called police. One of the alleged victims is in an intimate relationship with Howard after meeting recently online, according to The Daily Telegraph. Emergency crews were called to the home on Ferris Street in Annandale, Sydney's inner west, at about 5am on Monday The other woman is her friend. The two women were treated by paramedics at the scene and were then taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), where they remain in a stable condition. Police from Leichhardt Police Area Command arrived at the home and established a crime scene. They seized a number of items for forensic examination, including a samurai sword. Howard was later arrested on Macquarie Street. Police allege he hid behind a parked car. The 44-year-old suffered a shoulder injury during his arrest and was taken to RPA under police guard. Police allege the assault began when Howard punched one of the women, 27, in the head. The other woman, 29, then intervened and was allegedly struck with a samurai sword. Pictured: Police on the scene Charges are yet to be laid. Construction workers said a wallet and phone were found in a bin at their work site near the house. 'They found the phone and wallet in there. We told the police and they came to take them,' worker Dion Kahn told The Daily Telegraph. 'There was blood in there as well.' 18.06 - "1mm Written by Gina Lucita Monreal Directed by Diana Valentine Reviewed by KathM This episode is brought to you by the word, an adjective two of whose meanings areor. It's about a week into Tims shooting and Bishops near-death experience: Tim is out of the hospital (?!) and talking to Sloane and Vance, but not Gibbs. Torres wants Bishop to talk to him and is trying to wrap her in cotton wool so she isnt hurt again. Sloane seems off to Gibbs (we know its getting closer to the characters exit, but it seems that Gibbs does not). Shes another person upending Gibbss equilibrium. Jimmy is frantically rearranging his office furniture with Kasies help, hoping that a new perspective will help calm him down. Gibbs isn't talking to anyone, saying that hell talk to Tim later and that Tim knows that Gibbs did what he had to do by shooting and nearly killng him. So yeah. Wonky. This episode show us how four of our NCIS team react to what has happened to them and how they find ways back to one another and begin to heal. Even though Bishop was kidnapped and beaten up and Tim was shot, Gibbs and Torres were also impacted. Torres, in particular, seems more openly wounded than any of them. The Case of the Week: Is brought to you by the Duncan brothers, who have developed explosive bricks using all kinds of nasty chemicals that when combined make them dangerous weapons. I have no idea what this has to do with NCIS but Vance has the team working on it, anyway, most likely to give them something to do. So when Gibbs returns early from leave (no surprise there), ready to jump into a case that will provide him with a distraction to stop him from feeling, he finds his agents have disappeared and Kasie and Jimmy have nothing to do until they come back with something to analyze. So Gibbs just has to wait until something happens, and we all know how well he does that. Gibbs: Spends most of the episode trying to figure out how to avoid talking to McGee, find Torres and Bishop, who are apparently lost, and solve The Case of the Week. Being unable to find Torres and Bishop is eating at him, and for the first time I am seeing Gibbs bewildered. He is completely lost; there is nobody in the bullpen and he has no idea where his agents are (dont they check out with anyone?!) and McGee is at home and Gibbs is kinda afraid to talk to him. Vance wants an update but Gibbs has nothing to offer. His people are gone and he has no idea where they went. But he isnt !Angry! Gibbs or !Frustrated! Gibbs, he just cant find his people. Hes lost and worried because they were just there in the bullpen and now theyre off somewhere and he cant find them. Nobody knows for sure where they are, and he is not okay with that. He is also deeply technically challenged and seems to have forgotten how to interview people. Because he has no idea how to operate anything electronic aside from his prehistoric cell phone Gibbs literally rips Bishops computer off of her desk, wiring and all, and hauls it over to the McGee's, only to find that Tim is working the case from his handy little laptop. Hes bored and Delilah is at her moms with the kids, so even they cant provide a distraction. He also has no idea where Bishop and Torres are and spends time typing on computer keys while avoiding too much conversation with Gibbs. Bishop and Torres have followed a lead left on the NCIS tip line hoping to find the Duncans. They do find them holed up in a historic Sheriff's house/jail and, during a firefight, end up trapped in separate cells with no way to get out. The wounded villains (we later find out that Torres killed one) laugh at the agents, then steal their car and make a cleanish getaway. Cell service is nearly impossible, and in between looking for a way to either get out of the cells or get cell service Ellie and Nick argue. Remember after the last episode, how I wanted a big emotional Gibbs/McGee conversation with feelings and stuff? Never mind, the tale of Ellie and Nick is more than enough. The partners, who usually work so well together, have become disconnected. Torres is pushy and overly protective, Bishop uncharacteristically quiet. They have an emotional wall separating them, and the concrete walls of their cells are an excellent physical metaphor. In between trying to get out and trying to get cell service Torres finds out that Bishop had made an appointment with Sloane, presumably to talk about her kidnapping. He doesnt understand: why isnt Ellie talking to him? He feels that they tell each other everything, and Bishop doth protest too much when she tries to disagree. I found myself a little frightened by Torress almost feral desperation to make sure that Bishop is okay, practically coming undone when he cant see or hear her in the next cell. He keeps saying, Ellie I cant see you. Ellie, what are you doing? Whats going on? The last time he couldnt see her, she was nearly put in a plane that subsequently blew up. Now she wont talk to him and he doesnt know what to say to make her understand how much her shutting down and pretending nothing is bothering her is hurting him. Im not okay with you getting blown up, he says at one point, the closest Ive ever heard him come to admitting deeper feelings for his partner. When the living Duncan returns and finds that Bishop has her foot on a trip wire he set up so that people couldn't escape with the explosives they have hidden in Bishop's cell. He sends Torres into Ellies cell to fetch the bricks, and when they come within centimeters of each other as Nick tries to brush past Ellie she tells him that she isnt okay with him getting blown up, either. Its an incredibly subtle but powerful moment: I think for the first time she has intimated to Torres that she may feel the same way he does. I do think there is something brewing between them, but Im not sure whether it will come to fruition. Ive always found them to have better chemistry between them as partners and friends than Tony and Ziva. I dont care if they get together; that being said, I do think something happened between them once they were released from the cells and sent home. I have no idea how it wouldn't. Kasie is the episodes MVP: in this miasma of emotional upheaval she is a sea of calm, making Gibbs focus on what we do know to try and keep positive about the absent Bishop and Torres, particularly when she autopsies the dead Duncan left in their car. No blood from either agent in the car, Gibbs. Torres's bullets in the body, Gibbs, so we know they were with the Duncans at some point. The body can help us find them, Gibbs. See? We can do this. I'm not sure where the episode would be without her down-to-earth attitude and intuitive people skills. She and Tim help locate Bishop and Torres using part of a brief, staticy call from Torres, the dead Duncan's body and Gibbs's interview with a mumbling almost-accomplice. Gibbs finds his agents and captures the remaining Duncan, and everything begins to gel. In the end Gibbs and Tim speak briefly, both of them understanding that only 1mm separated the shot Gibbs took and the artery it could have hit. But Tim ended up okay, and that 1mm didnt happen. Tim tells Gibbs something Torres said once, Close calls make you live harder. And that is how he is going to process his injury and move forward. Gibbs seems surprised, but relieved. The end of the episode finds that all is well in the bullpen. Tim is back at his desk, Bishop has had her computer reinstalled, and as they all gather around the big screen Gibbs sips his coffee and gives a little smirk. Tims voice floats over the moment: 1mm is so small. It makes you appreciate the little things that much more. Gibbs knows where his people are, and they are all okay. Work can begin again. Points to Ponder Torres Teachable Moment FTW Gibbs vs. Office Technology = fail. Im not sure how a tree would look like Dolly Parton, but it is the best description ever. Kasies utterly true life lesson: Lifes going to be fragile no matter where you put the furniture. This will be embroidered on something as soon as I find the right pillow cushion. Looking for your own home/jail combo? They do come up time to time: Guildhall, Vermont is the most recent one I've seen and Fayette, Missouri had one for sale this summer that was tasetefully remodeled. TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, the largest software provider of home building software solutions and services is proud to announce their participation as a Gold sponsor in IBSx, the ground-breaking virtual edition of the NAHB International Builders' Show 2021. This year, the virtual experience and expo are open to builders from around the globe, who will get the first opportunity to explore the industry's latest products and technologies in designated online pavilions. In addition to having access to these pavilions, attendees can take part in Constellation's sessions and events showcasing solutions that cover all aspects of the building experience. Attendees will learn first-hand how digitizing the customer experience can improve both insights and sales, and can study each solution in depth with our experts. Constellation is proud to showcase many of the latest digital solutions at this year's IBSx. You can learn more at their virtual booth. NEWSTAR SalesXpress: This next-generation solution makes it easier for homebuilders to meet customer demands with data-led business decisions. By supporting online home sales directly from a builder's website, SalesXpress helps to capture leads, create contracts, and manage the purchasing process from end-to-end. NHLS Distribution Engine: This platform is dedicated exclusively to NEW homes. NHLS provides the listing hub and distribution portal builders need to connect with buyers across North America. NHLS can help you manage, aggregate, and distribute your listing information to multiple marketing channels, and then manage the leads coming back in. CustomerInsight: Great relationships are about more than surveys and metrics. CustomerInsight seamlessly delivers the data builders need to improve relationships with customers and win referrals while lowering margins and sales costs along the way. Design Studio Manager: It's easy to get an enthusiastic "yes" from customers with Design Studio Manager. This online solution guides buyers through the home building process, simplifying the experience while making it more efficient for builders. BuildTopia Reporting Dashboards: This solution provides a visual representation of your live data, giving your teams actionable insights at the touch of a button. The intuitive layout offers every department unprecedented control, so you can continue to provide amazing results. "The solutions and features created by Constellation HomeBuilder Systems are designed to support the changing landscape of the building community, making it easier for builders to offer convenient solutions at every step of the home buying journey. In 2020, we helped builders embrace these digital solutions as they adapted to the health and safety regulations in their local areas. I was very proud to see the resiliency of our builders and our team at Constellation navigate the downs and ups of the past year," says Chris Graham, Vice President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems. Discover the latest software solutions and services at Constellation's virtual booth from Feb 9-12, 2021 Register today to receive a free expo-only pass as our guest. About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is the largest provider of software and services in the building industry. Their innovative software solutions, available as standalone or integrated systems, empower builders with information to drive business objectives and simplify the process of building homes and condos. Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is the home building software division of Constellation Software Inc., an international provider of market-leading software and services for specialized industries, which is traded publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, please contact: Elmira Abushayeva Director of Marketing, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems 888-723-2222 [email protected] SOURCE Constellation HomeBuilder Systems Related Links http://www.constellationhb.com The Office of the President of Ukraine on Monday, February 8, will start a series of 30 large-scale weekly forums that will be held in the format of a dialogue with society, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Today, the first event is taking place, with which we start a series of 30 large-scale weekly forums in Ukraine. This is the start of a large public dialogue with the participation of the authorities, the public, our international partners, our Ukrainian experts, scientists, journalists and just all ordinary citizens of the country," he said, opening the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" on Monday in Kyiv. Zelensky said that over the next months at the forum, in addition to the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease topic, "we will talk about security and defense, about peace and war, about Crimea and Donbas, utility tariffs, judicial and anti-corruption systems, agriculture, digitalization and infrastructure, education, science, culture and sports, about the medical, social sphere, about the Ukrainian industry, ecology, local government and many other very important topics." Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Former Governor of Goa and litterateur Mridula Sinha has passed away recently. A blend of committed political affiliations and unparalleled literary sensibilities, she was born on 27th November 1942 in the Chhapra Dharampur Yadu village in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. Mridula Sinha was a student of psychology, a lecturer in Dr. S. K Sinha Women's College, and owner of a little school in Muzaffarpur. She was married to Sh. Ram Kripal Sinha who, too, was a college lecturer. Mridula was fond of listening to tales especially folk tales and eventually gave all those tales words of her own and started her career in writing. Along with the support of her husband, she wrote short stories and folk tales about all the events happening in her village and around. These stories were published in Hindi and known as 'Bihar ki Lok Kathayen' (Folk Tales of Bihar). Mridula Sinha also wrote a biography of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia naming it 'Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi' which was later converted into a movie. Her other magnificent works include Dhai Bigha Zameen, Apna Jeevan, Antim iccha, Ya Nari Sarvbhuteshu etc. These wonderful writings of Mridula reached out to the world and portrayed the folk culture and environment of the village-life she lived in. Mridulas husband Ram Kripal Sinha was mainly involved in politics. Politics was his first choice. During his electoral campaigns, Mridula Sinha helped him with her accessibility to women of the village they lived in. During her campaigning, she realized that with her knowledge and potential, she could do a lot for the social welfare of her society. Although she was not interested in politics, a desire of helping needy people drove her to politics and the first distinction she earned was to become the Chairperson of the district Social Welfare Board. Time kept on trickling away and eventually her husband became a member of the Union Cabinet and until August 2014 she, too, occupied the position of the national executive member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2014 during the campaign of BJP's election days, Smt. Sinha was heading the BJP Women Wing of the party. On 25th August 2014, Mridula Sinha was appointed as the Governor of Goa State. Mridula Sinha is no more now. She suffered a massive heart-attack and breathed her last on 18th November 2020 at around 5pm in a Delhi Hospital. On the death of Mrs. Sinha, PM Modi tweeted that Mridula Sinha will be remembered for her efforts to serve the public. She was also a skilled writer who made extensive contributions to the world of literature as well as culture. I am saddened by her demise.Condolences to his family and fans. Home Minister Amit Shah also paid rich tributes to her. Shah remembered her through a tweet. He wrote, 'Former Goa Governor and senior BJP leader Mridula Sinha ji's death is really saddening. She worked for the nation, society and organization throughout her life. She was also an accomplished writer who shall always be remembered for her magnificent writings. My condolences to her family. Though Mridulaji is no more in this world now, I am delighted to say that she always respected and gave due regards to writers fraternity. No doubt, she rose to the highest position of her political career by virtue of her selfless social-work and dedication but she always held a lot of appreciation and recognition for fellow-writers in her mind. I write this on the basis of a personal experience. Many years ago, I received a call from Goa from one of the staff members in the Governor's office that the Governor had recommended my name to the Central Government for nominating me as a member of Hindi Salahkar Samiti of various Ministries to be co-opted soon. I was requested to send my bio-particulars, contact details etc. to one of the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, immediately. After some time, the Government of India nominated me as a member in the Hindi Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Law and Justice and also brought out a Gazette Notification to this effect. Later, I wrote a letter of thanks to Mridula Ji for having taken an initiative to recognize my work and put me into limelight. After posting the letter, I started to ponder over for a while that neither was I a resident/voter of Mridulajis state, nor did I ever see/meet her and also nor did I have any political leanings, as well. Still Mridula Ji without knowing me personally recommended my name. Such unprejudiced and appreciative quality of Mridula Ji speaks volumes of her respect and regard for writers whom she knew by name and their works only. Dr. Shiben Krishen Raina 2/537 Aravali Vihar (Alwar), Rajasthan 301001Member, Hindi Salahkar Samiti, Ministry of Law & Justice (Govt. of India) Senior Fellow, Ministry of Culture (Govt. of India) Dr. Raina's mini bio can be read here: http://www.setumag.com/2016/07/author-shiben-krishen-raina.html Rome nurses in coronavirus ward sing "Happy Birthday" to 81-year-old Ferruccio. Nurses at Rome's Spallanzani hospital for infectious diseases celebrated the birthday of an elderly patient being treated for covid-19, in a video that has won widespread praise on social media. The hospital's director Francesco Vaia posted the footage on Facebook, commenting that he was "proud" of the nurses and underlining that "serving people is our commandment." The man being celebrated was 81-year-old Ferruccio, who received a birthday cake with a candle in addition to being serenaded with "Tanti auguri" by nurses Donatella Gargano and Stefania Costantino, and coordinator Sabrina Fioroni. The elderly patient smiled behind his oxygen mask as the nurses sang and applauded him. "We have special nurses" - Vaia told news agency Adnkronos - "They even made the cake for him. Because humanisation is not an empty word but a daily practice." HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb Tempest Re today announced that Sam Peters has been named Division President of Chubb Tempest Re Bermuda, a global leader in the catastrophe reinsurance market. Currently, Mr. Peters serves as Chief Actuary for both this business and for Chubb Bermuda, which provides excess casualty, professional liability and property products. In his new role, Mr. Peters will have management responsibility for Chubb Tempest Re Bermuda and the property catastrophe reinsurance solutions it provides to primary carrier clients around the world. The appointment, which is expected to be effective on March 1, is subject to approval by the Bermuda Department of Immigration. "Sam is a talented executive who will transition seamlessly into his new role," said Jim Wixtead, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and President, Chubb Tempest Re. "He is intimately familiar with the Chubb Tempest Re portfolio and client base as well as an expert in the property CAT space. I look forward to working with Sam as we continue to differentiate Chubb Tempest Re in the marketplace." Mr. Peters has 18 years of insurance industry experience. He joined Chubb in 2006 and has held a series of roles with increasing responsibility in the actuarial department. Prior to joining Chubb, Mr. Peters was an actuarial analyst with Amica Mutual Insurance. Mr. Peters holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bryant College in Rhode Island. He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS). Mr. Peters will continue to be based in Hamilton, Bermuda. About Chubb Tempest Re Chubb Tempest Re is the reinsurance business of Chubb, offering a broad range of products to a diverse group of primary property and casualty insurers worldwide. Doing business globally with offices in Bermuda, Stamford, London, Montreal and Zurich, the business has deep underwriting, actuarial and claims expertise. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com. SOURCE Chubb Bermuda Related Links www.chubb.com Here's the easy way: Buy a few bottles of young but cellar-worthy wine and tuck them away for 10 years or more. (Mila Larson/Shutterstock) Wine Talk: Better With Age Years ago, on a trip to Bordeaux to taste samples from a new vintage, I had the opportunity to have dinner at Domaine de Chevalier. The host, Domaine de Chevalier owner Olivier Bernard, used the occasion to raid the Chevalier cellar for a couple of seriously old bottles of wine. If memory serves, the vintage was 1927, or thereabouts. There were two wines. Both had been decanted and presented at table. One was red; the other white. Remarkably, both were the same color. Bernard explained that red wines get lighter as they age, and white wines get darker. To my surprise, both wines were quite drinkable although well past their prime. If you drink enough wine over enough time, you will no doubt eventually encounter an old wine that rocks you, hence the quaint bromide that wine improves with age. Some wines do. Many dont. The beauty of an older wine that was made to evolve slowly is found in the complexity of the bouquet and the taste and the texture on the palate. A fine Bordeaux or Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon served at peak maturity can be a transformative experience, consigning you to a lifetime pursuit of that next truly great bottle of wine. Or you can do it the easy way, buying a few bottles of young but cellar-worthy wine and tucking them away for 10 years or more. The trick is knowing what to look for. Classified growths of Bordeaux are a good place to start, even at the lower end of the price spectrum. California cabernet sauvignon from Paso Robles to Napa and Sonoma also have the potential to improve with age. Dont bother with cheap bulk-production wines; even though they may taste just fine now, they wont have the guts (structure) to age gracefully. From Italy, take a look at the three Bs: Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello. Most are better at the age of 10 than the age of 5. Burgundyred and whiteis another candidate to improve with additional time in the cellar. But stick to premier cru and grand cru wines, or you will likely be disappointed. Spain also produces age-worthy wines, notably the reds of Rioja. For my money, Rioja offers the greatest aging potential for the least financial investment. Many Rioja reservas priced in the $20 range will age beautifully for 15 years or more. And finally, there are German and Australian rieslings that dont hit their best stride until approaching 20 years old. There are other wines with excellent aging potential, including many syrah-based wines from Frances Rhone Valley. But the aforementioned are the easiest to find and the most reliable. Tasting Notes Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewers enthusiasm for the recommended wine. Hawk and Horse 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills ($75): Hawk and Horse is an underrated winery that should get more attention. Its fruit sources are impeccable, and its style is bold, ripe, and powerful. This muscular cabernet shows complex black-fruit layers with hints of wood smoke and spice, as well as firm tannins that will soften over the next 3 to 5 years. Its a good candidate to cellar, though its plenty enjoyable to drink now. Rating: 96. Hawk and Horse 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills. (Courtesy of Hawk and Horse) Oakville Ranch 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville ($90): Oakville Ranch has an excellent track record with cabernet sauvignon. This vintage is right in the winerys wheelhouse. It delivers complex layers of red and black fruits with a generous dose of new oak, which the fruit handles with poise. This wine is rich and spicy with impressive depth and length. Rating: 96. Oakville Ranch 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville. (Courtesy of Oakville Ranch) Acorn Winery 2014 Dolcetto, Alegria Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($35): Dolcetto is often called the Beaujolais of Italian wine because it tends to be lighter in color and less likely to hammer the palate with astringent tannins. This Dolcetto from Californias Russian River Valley is in the mold of top-notch Dolcetto from Italys Piedmont district. It shows a floral nose followed by red berry fruit on the palate and a modest bite on the finish. Its a beautiful red for picnics, Mediterranean appetizers, or charcuterie. Rating: 95. Acorn Winery 2014 Dolcetto, Alegria Vineyard, Russian River Valley. (Courtesy of Acorn Winery) Handley Cellars 2015 Gewurztraminer, Estate, Anderson Valley ($22): Milla Handleys 2015 dry gewurztraminer invites you in with an alluring and seductive hint of jasmine on the nose. On the palate, this wine offers honeysuckle and lychee aromas, spice, and impressive length. Its another beautiful gewurz from the underrated Handley winery, and another triumph for the Anderson Valley in the arena of aromatic Alsatian white wines. Rating: 95. J. Lohr 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hilltop, Paso Robles ($35): J. Lohrs 2014 Hilltop Cabernet is of the sort that made Paso Robles cab famous. Its ripe and juicy, and spicy and racy, and priced modestly. With loads of blackberry and blueberry fruit and supple tannins, its a crowd-pleaser that is primed for stardom during the upcoming grilling season. Rating: 95. J. Lohr 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hilltop, Paso Robles. (Courtesy of J. Lohr) Nguilleu 2016 Chardonnay Reserva, Valle Central, Chile ($25): Moderately expensive for a Chilean chardonnay, this wine delivers a lovely pear note with a hint of citrus and wood spice. Rating: 92. Oak Farm Vineyards 2015 Zinfandel, Lodi ($24): Zinfandel lovers, beware: This one is right in your wheelhouse, with aromas of smoked meats and jammy black fruits. Rating: 92. Oak Farm Vineyards 2015 Zinfandel, Lodi. (Courtesy of Oak Farm Vineyards) Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Email Robert at whitleyonwine@yahoo.com. Copyright 2021 Creators.com Photo: The Canadian Press Maureen Kelly, mother of Liana White, speaks to the media in 2006. An Edmonton man convicted of killing his pregnant wife and dumping her body more than 15 years ago was granted day parole for six months on Tuesday, with officials stressing the need to monitor his current romantic relationship. Michael White must abide by a number of restrictions, including that he not be alone with his girlfriend, while living in a halfway house, the Parole Board of Canada said in approving his release. Other conditions include a requirement that he undergo counselling, continue programming to address issues related to domestic abuse, and report any new relationships or friendships with women. The panel said White, who has only left prison under supervision, needs a "slow, gradual reintegration" into the community and his interpersonal relationships. White, meanwhile, vowed to abide by any restrictions imposed if it means he can spend time with his family, the couple's now-adult daughter, and his girlfriend. "These are the people in my life that matter most, who I would love to be back with," he said during the hearing, which was conducted by videoconference. "It's family with me... to be a dad to my daughter, physically be there, for graduation, for the good times and bad times, instead of just on the phone," he said. White has maintained his innocence in the death of Liana White, including in Tuesday's appearance before the board. Liana's mother, Maureen Kelly, told the hearing White has "never taken responsibility" for the death of her daughter or the harm it caused. "He does not have remorse for what he has done," Kelly said in a victim impact statement. "I lost everything in my life... what has happened has been heartbreaking." Liana White was four months pregnant with the couple's second child when she was stabbed to death in July 2005. A few days later, her body was discovered in a ditch by a search party that included her husband. Michael White was convicted in 2006 of second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years. Alberta's highest court later rejected his appeal of the convictions. On Tuesday, White repeated that while he never physically harmed his wife, he lashed out verbally or displayed aggressive behaviours at times because he lacked the skills to cope with stress. The 44-year-old was previously granted four unescorted temporary absences from the Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst, Ont., to be carried out over nine months. But the panel heard Tuesday the absences never took place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the day parole proposed will be more restrictive at the offset, the hearing heard. If you want to convince someone that Bruce Springsteen is God, you take them to a concert. Hes a legit American folk hero under those klieg lights, sweaty and unbreakable, making his hard work pay off with such ecstatic returns, you might get tricked into thinking the American Dream is real. Convincing someone that Springsteen is fraudulent, however, now requires much less work from both him and you: Just point the undecideds toward this new Jeep commercial set to air during Sundays Super Bowl. Titled The Middle, the ad begins with a hovering drone shot always a drone shot! over an empty two-lane highway. A folded newspaper flaps ominously on the front seat of Springsteens 1980 Jeep CJ-5 as he begins a spiel in the introspective cadence honed during his recent Broadway-to-Netflix thing: Theres a chapel in Kansas standing on the exact center of the Lower 48. It never closes. All are more than welcome to come meet here in the middle. Hey, maybe his intentions were good, or maybe he thought this farce would be okay after Bob Dylan did his dumb Super Bowl commercial, or maybe this whole cash grab is going straight to charity. It doesnt matter. Despite the healing sound of his voice, Springsteen is ultimately preaching reconciliation without reckoning which after Januarys Capitol siege is no longer an acceptable path toward progress. Plus, this is Bruce Springsteen. Isnt he the guy whos supposed to know everything about hard work? Suggesting that we should all swiftly and metaphorically travel to the nucleus of White, rural America to make up and move along feels insulting and wrong. This is, in fact, a real chapel in Lebanon, Kan. but Jeep and the Boss are proposing it as a metaphorical reconciliation site for a nation of broken citizens who remain deeply terrified of one another. As the camera hops between images of bridges, trains, flags and horses, solemn streaks of steel guitar float behind Springsteens unity monologue as if quietly mourning his integrity. And this is sad. Springsteen was famous for refusing to cave to advertisers across his 48-year career, but now here he is on our Super Bowl screens, squinting into the middle distance like a parody of himself. Baffling, too. Springsteens songbook has long stood up for the marginalized and the disenfranchised, but here, in lieu of writing a new song, hes sticking up for a car company whose products are hastening the death of our planet a death that the boomer demo being courted with this two-minute clip wont have to witness. Its no secret, Springsteen says in the ad. The middle has been a hard place to get to lately. Yeah, sure, but this isnt a secret, either: Its a lot easier to long for the middle when you wont live long enough to see the bottom. Chris Richards has been The Washington Posts pop music critic since 2009. Before joining The Post, he freelanced for various music publications. @Chris__Richards TV Tonight can confirm Australian Ninja Warrior will film its 5th season in Homebush, NSW. Filming will get underway in coming weeks. Ben Fordham & Rebecca Madden return as hosts. This year if Mt. Midoriyama is conquered she gets nasty and bites back, said Programming Director Hamish Turner. The obstacles will be tougher, longer, more arduous with no State v State edition but a special episode at the end. Sydney residents can register for tickets here. Related Mary and Denis Snr Walsh from Caherdavin, Limerick, hold a photo of their son Denis who at the age of 23 went missing in 1996. Photo: Liam Burke The family of a Limerick man, who was declared missing for the past 25 years, have been informed by gardai that his human remains were actually discovered in 1996, a few weeks after he disappeared. Denis Walsh was 23 years old when he went missing after walking out of his home, in Caherdavin for what was the final time on March 9, 1996. Over the years since, Mr Walshs parents, Denis Snr and Mary, have made appeals for information and even travelled abroad to follow up on a number of reported sightings of their missing son. Mr and Mrs Walsh said they were visited by two members of An Garda Siochana over the weekend, who informed them that gardai had received confirmation that human remains found in 1996 belong to their son. When members of the family went to visit their local Garda station on Saturday, they were told there was no further information at that time. A Garda spokesman said: On March 9, 1996, Mr Denis Walsh, Caherdavin, Limerick, was reported missing to gardai at Mayorstone Park Garda Station in Limerick. The missing person investigation file remained open until now. In April 1996, an unidentified body was recovered off Inis Mor, Aran Islands, Co Galway. This unidentified body was taken to the Mortuary in UCHG. Bodily samples were taken and forwarded to the forensic science laboratory in an effort to identify the deceased. These samples were examined in July 2008, March 2011 and June 2017, with negative results for a match. On February 5, 2021, gardai in Mayorstone were notified of a positive match following advances in DNA. The remains were positively identified from reference samples from both parents as that of Mr Walsh. The family have been notified. Mr Walshs heartbroken parents said they have further questions, as they try to come to terms with the news. They said they are awaiting information on the whereabouts of their sons remains, and whether their sons remains are full or partial remains. Mr Walsh was remembered at his local church over the weekend, and his parents are continuing to pray for his remains to be returned to them as soon as possible to allow them to organise a funeral service and finally lay him to rest. Read More Speaking this morning, Denis Walsh Snr said he and his wife have been left shocked and bewildered by the news, but that they were also happy their son had been found. Were bewildered by the whole thing, we have suffered enormously for the past 25 years, and I havent slept over the past three nights, Mr Walsh said. We still dont know where his remains are, he added. If Denis was found in April 1996, thats only a month after he went missing, so were the dental records checked? he asked. We have been going around for 25 years looking for Denis. We went to Cork, Kerry, Dublin, Fermanagh, England, he added his voice choking up. Im happy Denis has been found. Mike Walsh, a brother of the deceased, said the family were trying to process all of this information. Im a bit numb, he said. We are definitely pleased Deniss body was found; now the constant thinking and wondering is over, and we have something (tangible) to work with, Mike Walsh added. Gardai have been asked for further comment surrounding Mr Walshs remains. The details around why and how Mr Walsh went missing remain unclear. Despite a number of reported sightings of him in the days after he was reported missing, his trail soon ran cold. A security manager working at the Seacat Ferry in Belfast contacted gardai in May 1996 after he watched an appeal for information about Mr Walshs whereabouts on the Crimecall television programme. The man told gardai he believed he had seen Mr Walsh waiting to catch a ferry to the Isle of Man. When the security manager checked, a ticket in the name of Walsh had been cashed in, unused. The Walsh case is similar to that of the unrelated 2000 disappearance of Aengus Shanahan also from Limerick in that Mr Shanahans partial remains were discovered washed up near Bunratty, Co Clare in 2001, but were not identified until 2018, after advances in DNA technology. Mr Shanahans family believe he was murdered, however, gardai continue to keep an open mind about the circumstances around his disappearance. BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday delivered a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to the Pakistani military at the latter's request and with the approval of the Central Military Commission, China's Ministry of National Defense said Sunday. The Pakistani army has become the first foreign military to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The Chinese PLA will continue to make contributions to building a global community of health for all, the statement added. Parking BOXX, the North American-based parking systems manufacturer and software developer, announced the recipient of the 2020 Parking Solutions Scholarship for Technical Innovation in Parking Solutions. The scholarship was awarded to Kimberly Taylor, whose essay described a parking dream from the perspective of a busy student, employee, housewife & mother of daughters ages two and 14-months. Her proposed solution incorporates enhancements to existing search functionality to improve convenience by routing the driver to available parking prior to the drivers final destination. Mrs. Taylor is studying Business Administration at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, which is a polytechnic institute in Canada. Mrs. Taylors essay was selected for the award because she captured the essence of frequently encountered issues that may be exacerbated by circumstances. Her proposed solution builds upon existing technologies to improve usability and convenience. Mrs. Taylor stated, I answered based on what would make these experiences easier for me as a mother with my two girls on a time crunch. The pain points in this essay are frequently encountered by vehicle drivers. The proposed solution elegantly provides a value-add to the driver as well as the parking operator. said Renee Smith, Parking BOXXs CTO, This concept is well-aligned with Parking BOXXs integration strategy. This marks the fourth year that Parking BOXX has offered the international scholarship. To apply, students submit an essay of 500-words that focuses on identifying a problem related to parking and outlining their solution. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who presents the most innovative, yet practical solution for making parking more user-friendly, efficient, or otherwise enhanced. Students must be enrolled, or due to be enrolled, in a program at an accredited graduate school, university or college, vocational school, technical school, or community college. In 2020, over 470 applications were received, which is more than a 50% increase over the prior years submissions. Students proposed a variety of solutions: from parking robots to garage design improvements, to shared vehicles or the elimination of vehicles altogether. This year, there was a notable focus on addressing the expense of educational parking as well as the stress that parking causes students. The scholarship program initially launched in 2017 to foster creativity and problem-solving from the point of view of the student, who is typically a younger demographic with fresh and unique perspective. As the need for innovative solutions in parking continues, Parking BOXX wishes to support an emerging class of solution-oriented professionals. Parking BOXX would like to thank all of this years applicants for their creative and thought provoking essays. We were pleased by the overwhelming global response. The Parking Solutions Scholarship is now open for 2021! About Parking BOXX Headquartered in North America, Parking BOXX is a leading parking systems and barrier gates manufacturer. Parking BOXX accommodates the needs of small lots as well as large, complex parking systems. Parking BOXX has over 80 years of parking industry experience, dealers throughout North America, and parking sites in operation from Los Angeles to the Caribbean to Newfoundland. Parking BOXX systems reliably run sites with thousands of daily vehicles and millions in annual parking revenue. For more information on how Parking BOXX can help meet your parking system and parking lot equipment needs, please visit https://parkingboxx.com, call 800-518-1230, or email info(at)parkingboxx(dot)com. MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A&G Real Estate Partners is offering a distribution center and two big-box stores slated to close as part of the Stock + Field bankruptcy. The 57-year-old retailer is currently liquidating all 25 of its stores across the Midwest. Available for sale or lease, the Stock+Field big-box store on Pinery Road in Portage, Wisc. totals 89,381 square feet and sits on 9.5 acres. The building was renovated in 2019. The 137,454-square-foot Stock + Field building in Lansing, Mich. is located in a Target-anchored center. Renovated in 2019, the buidling sits on a 10.6-acre site that also includes an outlot for additional development. The property is available for sale or lease. Located in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, the three fee-owned properties are available for sale or lease, noted Emilio Amendola, Co-President of A&G, which was retained by the entities that own the sites. "These high visibility commercial and industrial real estate assets represent an excellent opportunity for both users and investors," he said. The 135,000-square-foot, cross-dock distribution center in Watseka, Illinois, sits on 11.1 acres at 317 S. Old US Highway 24. Its high-capacity design allowed the warehouse to serve Stock+Field's entire portfolio of 25 big-box stores in five states, which makes it of potential interest to investors aiming to capitalize on the dramatic growth of the warehouse/fulfillment sector, noted Jamie Cote, an A&G Senior Managing Director of Real Estate Sales. "The building boasts 38 dock doors14 for receiving and 24 for shippingwith one drive-in door and clear heights of 18 to 24 feet," Cote said. "It's also located right between I-74 and I-65, with potential rail access to the Union Pacific." Also available for sale or lease is the former Stock+Field big-box store (with outlot) at 340 East Edgewood Blvd. in Lansing, Michigan. Located in a Target-anchored shopping center along a primary commercial thoroughfare, the 137,454-square-foot building sits on a 10.6-acre site that includes an outlot for additional development. "The building originally opened as a Sam's Club in 1989 but underwent a renovation by Stock + Field just two years ago," noted Mike Matlat, an A&G Senior Managing Director. "With eight dock doors in all, the building is well-suited for occupation by large-format retailers with omnichannel operations." The Lansing property serves an overall market of 399,100 people within a 15-mile radius of the site, including a primary market of 317,000 residents within 10 miles. Lastly, A&G is offering for sale or lease the former Stock+Field big-box store at 2935 New Pinery Road in Portage, Wisconsin. The building totals 89,381 square feet and sits on 9.5 acres. "This store, which dates to 1988, was also renovated in 2019," Matlat noted. "It's on the north end of a primary retail node of Portage, and benefits from its proximity to the intersection of U.S. Highway 51 and Interstate 39." The Portage building serves 46,900 people within a 15-mile radius of the site, including a primary market of 24,600 residents within 10 miles. "However, we believe the Portage trade area extends beyond the 15-mile radius to points east, north and south," Matlat added. Founded in 1964 as BigR stores, Stock + Field filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 10, 2021 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota. For additional information on the properties, visit the home page of www.agrep.com or contact Emilio Amendola, [email protected] or Mike Matlat, [email protected]. For information on the Illinois distribution center, contact Jamie Cote. [email protected], who is based in the firm's Chicago office. About A&G Real Estate Partners A&G is a team of seasoned commercial real estate professionals and subject matter experts that delivers strategies designed to yield the highest possible value for clients' real estate. Key areas of expertise include occupancy cost reductions, lease terminations, dispositions, real estate sales, real estate due diligence, valuations, acquisitions, and facilitation of growth opportunities. Utilizing its marketing knowledge, reputation and advanced technology, A&G has advised the nation's most prominent retailers and corporations in both healthy and distressed situations. The firm's team has achieved rent-reduction and occupancy-cost savings approaching $8 billion on behalf of clients in every real estate sector, while selling more than $12 billion of non-core properties and leases. Founded in 2012, A&G is headquartered in Melville, N.Y. For more information, please visit: http://www.agrep.com/ Press Contacts for A&G: Jaffe Communications (908-789-0700), Bill Parness, [email protected] or Elisa Krantz, [email protected] SOURCE A&G Real Estate Partners Related Links http://www.agrep.com .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX A man who fell about 40 feet while hiking the Hole in the Rock trail at Phoenixs Papago Park has died, authorities said Sunday. Phoenix Fire Department crews responded to the scene around 6 p.m. Saturday. Paramedics loaded the injured hiker into a big wheel stretcher and safely got him down the rest of the trail. The man was rushed to a hospital in extremely critical condition and he later was pronounced dead. Authorities said the man was in his 20s. His name wasnt immediately released Sunday. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Nifty, Sensex still going strong Monday closing report To bookmark you need to sign in We had mentioned in previous weeks closing report that Nifty, Sensex were on a strong uptrend. On Monday, the major indices continued to rise and ended with huge gains. On the NSE, there were 1,174 advances, 791 declines and 89 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Mondays trading are given in the table below: Britannia Industries reported 22.2% YoY growth in consolidated profit at Rs 456 crore compared to Rs 373 crore in the previous year. Sales grew 6% YoY to Rs 3,166 crore compared to Rs 2,983 crore. Mahindra & Mahindra reported 39.6% YoY growth in net profit at Rs 530 crore for Q3FY21. Revenue grew by 16% YoY to Rs 14,056.5 crore. Godrej Consumer Products net profit rose 12.8% YoY at Rs 502.1 crore against Rs 445.2 crore. Revenue shot up 10% to Rs 3,055.4 crore against Rs 2,778 crore YoY. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals reported a consolidated profit of Rs 156.5 crore compared to a loss of Rs 661.16 crore. Revenue rose to Rs 857.20 crore from Rs 778.6 crore YoY. Adani Enterprises arm Adani Airports acquired 23.5 percent stake in Mumbai International Airport from ACSA Global and Bid Services Division (Mauritius), or Bidvest, for Rs 1,685.25 crore. Ashoka Buildcon reported a consolidated profit of Rs 88.4 crore against Rs 32.4 crore. Revenue increased to Rs 1,305.5 crore from Rs 1,280.4 crore YoY. BEML signed a memorandum of understanding with 11 entities to explore & enhance business in defence & aerospace. Aban Offshore reported net loss of Rs 281.5 crore against a loss of Rs 416.2 crore YoY. Revenue was down 29.7% YoY at Rs 214.4 crore against Rs 305 crore. Equitas Holdings reported a consolidated profit of Rs 251.45 crore against Rs 79.3 crore. Revenue rose to Rs 1,133.23 crore from Rs 737.8 crore YoY. Narayana Hrudayalaya revenue declined to Rs 750.3 crore compared to Rs 785.2 crore YoY. Consolidated profit went up to Rs 40.8 crore against Rs 31.4 crore in the year ago period. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain and India have held their first meeting of the Joint Working Group in the field of Renewable Energy. The virtual meeting was attended by President of Sustainable Energy Authority Dr Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, who led the Bahraini delegation and Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale who led the Indian delegation. Bahraini foreign ministry officials and India's Ambassador to Bahrain Piyush Srivastava also took part in the meeting, held in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to explore ways for cooperation in renewable energy. The meeting builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Bahrain in July 2018 for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of renewable energy. The two sides agreed to forge deeper ties in the field of solar, wind and clean hydrogen, share experience and best practices, initial cooperation plans, form a joint work team and activate the relevant agreements between the two countries. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Kingwood wants a dog park to call its own No doubt about it. Kingwood residents love their dogs, and the universal question is, Why doesnt Kingwood have a dog park? That question was posted on the neighborhood social website Nextdoor recently by a new Kingwood resident and dog lover. The response was, well, overwhelming. Post after post, like-minded Kingwood dog lovers were enthusiastic. Kingwood needs a dog park. Kingwood came close to securing a dog park in 2017 when community activist Robert Rehak, and Dee Price, president of Kingwood Service Association (KSA), formed a committee to investigate a dog park in Kingwood. Rehak and Price reviewed numerous locations and were about to recommend River Grove Park. We pursued installing a dog park in River Grove Park but were unable to do so because River Grove Park is in the floodway and flooded numerous times in 2017 through 2019, Price recalled. River Grove Park is a 74-acre park operated by KSA and located at the south end of Woodland Hills Drive. The park flooded just before Hurricane Harvey, during Harvey and six times in a two-month period after Harvey because of the way the river was blocked just downstream, explained Rehak. After the Army Corps of Engineers removed Sand Island, the flooding stopped but we were still concerned about it. Hence, the interest in higher ground, Rehak said. Rehak, Price and the dog park committee were interested in creating a dog park near the Forest Cove Townhomes, but residents there were against it. We put our plans on hold until the flood issues could be addressed, said Rehak. The plans that Rehak and Price refer to are a comprehensive and well-thought out KSA Dog Park Proposal developed by Rehak, Price, John Menna, and several others from the KSA parks committee, presented to KSA on April 5, 2018. The dog park was requested by Kingwood residents in 2017 in response to the closing of a semi-private dog park on Russell Palmer Road, according to the proposal which pointed out that the dog park was the most requested amenity requested by Kingwood residents, according to the City of Houston parks director. The proposal pointed out that 40 percent of American families own dogs and, most dramatically, The Woodlands has five dog parks. Rehak, Price and the committee investigated pros, cons, locations, costs, layouts, rules, fencing options and dog parks in other communities, ultimately deciding to pursue a dog park at River Grove Park. In the proposal, the committee responded to a variety of concerns including aggressive dogs, the cost, flooding, rules, whether the park would be unsightly and, in the committees words, what to do about all the poop. The committee projected a total cost of $86,350 for construction, purchase of six dog waste stations and eight benches and a 20 percent contingency. Annual maintenance cost, the committee estimated, was $19,500 for dog waste removal, ground maintenance and supplies. The proposal detailed sample dog waste stations, bench specifications, two pages worth of rules and even gave specific instructions about how to lay out the park, locate features so that no trees larger than four feet need to be cut. In other words, work around major trees, the report intoned. Rehak and Price are still interested in the Forest Cover location, the area where Edgewater Park is being developed. Thats where the Houston Parks board plans to put parking for their new hike and bike trail, Rehak said, but complicating all of this is what the Harris County Flood Control District plans to do with the Kingwood diversion ditch. That could be a game changer for everything. The director of Precinct 4s parks is supportive of a dog park at Edgewater Park, a 19-acre park about to go under construction just east of Hwy. 59 next to the San Jacinto West Fork. Let me be clear, though, a dog park would be a long way off, admitted Dennis Johnston, parks director for Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle. Were just getting ready to bid phase 1 which includes a parking lot, boat launch, waterlines, restroom and detention pond. Johnston points out that building a dog park at Edgewater Park now would put it in the middle of nowhere. We must have the infrastructure in place, he says. Weve got to finish phase 1 first. Phase 2 would be the dog park. Johnston knows all about dog parks. He has built three in Precinct 4, including the closest to Kingwood, which is the Meyer Dog Park along Cypresswood Drive in Spring. Smaller dog parks also are included in many of the precincts parks. The dog park we build in Edgewater could be like our dog park in Pundt Park along Spring Creek in Spring, Johnston says. The Pundt dog park is very nice. Once phase 1 is completed, Ill pretty much be out of money so a phase 2 would require another bond referendum, Johnston said. Lake Houston has two public dog parks. Most residents are familiar with the dog park at Deussen Park, located east of Lake Houston Parkway on Deussen Parkway. Precinct 1 recently opened Atascocita Park which includes two dog parks, one for large breeds and another for small breeds. Atascocita Park is located just south of Rosewood Funeral Home off West Lake Houston Parkway. There is a sliver of hope for a dog park in Kingwood. KSA has been talking to Humble ISD about the possibility of acquiring the property adjacent to Deer Ridge Park, the location of the current Kingwood Ag Barn, after the new Ag Barn is opened and Humble ISD no longer needs the property, according to Price and Rehak. The Ag Barn area still floods, but it doesnt flood as badly, admitted Rehak. We would love to see the property continue to be a community asset that enhances residents quality of life, Robert Sitton, school board president and chair of the boards Building and Planning Committee. There are legal processes that the district must follow as we move forward. Jamie Mount, chief communications officer for Humble ISD, outlined the steps required by law. The property has deed restrictions. At this time, it can be only used for an agricultural, science, nature, or wildlife teaching facility, or for educational or recreational use. A dog park fits within those restrictions, Mount said. By state law, a number of steps must occur to allow Humble ISD to relinquish use of the property. This includes a vote by the school board to authorize the administration to sell the property, notices published in the newspaper to seek sealed bids and a determination of fair market value. She said, Additionally, the district is working closely with FEMA regarding this site as the Ag Barn was one of the district facilities impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The property cannot be made available for sale yet because students are continuing to use the Kingwood Ag Barn this school year. Edgewater Park Dog parks: the good and the bad Experts give conflicting advice Kingwood residents may want a dog park to call their own, but dog experts dont necessarily think they are a good idea. The Tribune noticed the number of responses to a recent post on Nextdoor, a social networking website, from a new Kingwood resident asking why there is no dog park in Kingwood. The overwhelming response to the post was enthusiastic. Why doesnt Kingwood have a dog park? Dog experts, however, have strong opinions about putting dog parks in neighborhoods. In fact, some are downright negative about dog parks. First, the positives. Dog parks are a great way for dogs to socialize with other dogs and, for that matter, for dog lovers to socialize with other dog lovers, says the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. This group prides itself in educating people about the proper management of pet dogs. They have put together a compilation of the advantages, disadvantages and things to think about for communities to consider when they develop a dog park. Besides allowing both dogs and dog lovers to socialize, the association says dog parks allow dogs to get adequate physical and mental exercise, thereby lessening destructive and annoying behaviors in general which benefit society as a whole. Dog parks are a good opportunity for owners to learn about dogs and to learn from more experienced owners, the group says, and the parks lessen the chance of owners letting their dogs off leash in other areas where they should not, like Kingwoods greenbelts. Even WebMD, the online website that normally focuses on human health and wellbeing, has a section for dog lovers and their dogs, too, quoting a clinical associate professor from Kansas State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. For some dogs, running off leash and romping with their canine pals is a real treat, the professor said. In general, dog parks are safe, but you need to watch your dogs at the park just as you would watch your children on the playground, the author wrote. That leads to the negatives about dog parks. Danger from aggressive dogs, danger of physical injury from dog-related hazards, lawsuits arising from dog fights and potential for parasites are the disadvantages for dog lovers, according to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. And the disadvantages of dog parks for dogs? The Professional Dog Trainers list quite a few. Danger from aggressive dogs. Potential for parasites and disease. Lack of impulse control and over-excitement. Potential for injury. Not appropriate for small and large dogs at the same time. WebMD has lots of advice. Understand that dog parks are meant for pets that are well socialized, the Kansas State professor wrote. The dog park is not the place to teach him to make friends or share his toys. Work with a trainer first to correct their behavior. The Kansas State professor has more dog park advice. Do not take shy or nervous dogs to the park. They may bite. Steer clear of the park if your female pet is in heat. Nothing starts a dog fight faster than a group of male dogs vying for the attention of a ready-to-breed female, he said. Dog parks can be particularly dangerous for puppies, the professor said, because their young immune systems will struggle to fight common infections. One dog advocacy group, Allegiant K9s, a dog training company based in North Carolina, stated bluntly, While the allure of dog parks is strong, they are actually a very bad idea. The website author states that dog parks can be a great outlet but pose so many risks dog fights and disease are just two. The author also says many owners have dogs with dog issues, hoping to rehabilitate or socialize their dog. Parks can be stressful for dogs, too, because there is so much going on. Other negatives include humans not paying attention to their dogs and dogs learning bad behavior from other dogs. Hire a good trainer, the Allegiant K9 website suggests, and investigate a quality dog daycare. Trainers teach dogs solid, safe, and reliable off leash obedience, and doggie day cares have a trained staff supervising the dogs 100 percent of the time. Ending on a positive note, the Association of Professional Dog Trainers has a list of suggestions to make dog parks safe. These include having the dog parks monitored by a core group of supporters, designing the park to separate big dogs from the little ones and providing gathering spots for humans. Finally, the association recommends a posted set of rules and enforcing them. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:37:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VALLETTA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Malta received on Sunday evening its first consignment of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. "I welcome the arrival in Malta of the first consignment of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This is another important milestone in our plan to take us back to normality," Prime Minister Robert Abela wrote on his Twitter account. This is the third COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Malta, which had received doses from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna. No details were provided by the health authorities on the number of doses Malta had received. On Jan. 29, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in adults aged 18 and over, without upper age limit. But health authorities in some European states, including Belgium, Finland and Sweden, did not recommend its use among seniors. Maltese Minister for Health Chris Fearne had announced last week how the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the British-Swedish company, will be given to those aged between 18 and 55 years because of the lack of studies on its effect on older people. According to latest figures published on Monday by the health authorities, Malta has so far recorded 18,813 coronavirus cases, of which 2,352 were active cases. The total number of deaths has risen to 282. So far, 39,257 doses have been administered in Malta, including 9,918 second doses. As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in many European countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines. Meanwhile, 238 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Feb. 2. Enditem. Physicists Masa Ono and Roger Raman with fast-camera photos of application of liquid lithium behind them. Credit: Elle Starkman/Office of Communications Perhaps the greatest technological challenge to harvesting on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars in future tokamak fusion reactors will be controlling the extreme heat that could strike the exhaust system inside the devices. Such heat flow, or flux, could seriously damage the walls of the divertor at the heart of the exhaust system and shut down fusion reactions in the doughnut-shaped facilities. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have created a plan using liquid lithium to keep the full force of the extreme heat from hitting the divertor and would enable the tokamaks to keep running. "There will be a warning coming down and if you can catch that and implement a remedy quickly enough you can prevent the event from damaging the divertor wall," said physicist Masayuki Ono, lead author of a paper in the Journal of Fusion Energy that outlines a proposed solution. Fusion reactions combine light elements in the form of plasmathe hot, charged state of matter composed of free electrons and atomic nuclei that makes up 99 percent of the visible universeto generate massive amounts of energy. Physicists around the world are seeking to reproduce and control such reactions to create a safe, clean and virtually inexhaustible supply of power to generate electricity. Enormous stored energy The problem arises because the energy stored in the core of the plasma that will fuel future tokamaks is expected to be 1,000 times greater than in facilities used today. If just 1% of the stored energy flared out of the core of a future reactor and reached the divertor, the damage could be extensive, Ono said. Such an event could be caused by flare-ups like edge-localized modes (ELMs), in which intense bursts of heat can slam into a tokamak's plasma-facing walls. The proposed remedy, devised with coauthor Roger Raman, a University of Washington physicist on long-term assignment to PPPL, calls for the injection of pellets of lithium, a light silvery metal, into the divertor at the heart of the exhaust region, where the lithium would liquify and radiate strongly. The radiation would spread out much of the extreme heat escaping from the core of the plasma and would minimize the amount striking the divertor wall. "The idea is to inject light impurities such as lithium, boron, or beryllium into the divertor region so as to radiate away much of the energy," Ono explained. "The trick will be to go in quickly enough to protect the divertor with very little radiation affecting the plasma core. You don't want to inject too much impurity materialjust enough to do the job." Researchers currently inject lithium into tokamaks with simple, inexpensive technologies such as gas gun injectors and a system based on paddle wheels that continuously inject a stream of particles. However, Ono and Raman say gas guns tend to inject a load of gas into the vacuum chamber that houses the core plasma, which could cause problems. High-speed injector The authors propose replacing gas guns with an "electromagnetic particle injector" similar to one that Raman has been developing at the University of Washington. "Avoiding the unnecessary gas load with a controlled fast response time is especially important," Raman said. The proposed concept would remain in stand-by mode until needed, and then would inject the radiative payload on a fast time-scale. Warnings of extreme heat flux could come from the sudden flashes of light that heat bursts would create at the edge of the plasma. Such bursts could reach the divertor in about 10 milliseconds. The electromagnetic particle injector would rapidly fire a high-speed projectile into the divertor region to radiate away the onrushing heat flux. Scientists have previously applied liquid lithium through a different technique to the edge of the plasma in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), the forerunner of the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), the current flagship fusion facility at PPPL, and found that the metal reduced the peak divertor heat flux. The authors now propose testing the application of lithium with an electromagnetic injector on the NSTX-U when the facility becomes available after completing ongoing repairs. If this testing is successful, the application could next be tested on future tokamaks such as ITER, the international tokamak under development in France. "This is a tough, challenging problem," Ono said of controlling extreme heat flux. "It's a long-range problem and we would be wise to make sure that we have ways to minimize the impact." More information: M. Ono et al. Active Radiative Liquid Lithium Divertor for Handling Transient High Heat Flux Events, Journal of Fusion Energy (2020). M. Ono et al. Active Radiative Liquid Lithium Divertor for Handling Transient High Heat Flux Events,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s10894-020-00253-6 AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas ended 2020 as the No. 1 exporting state in the United States for the 19th consecutive year, more evidence of the strength and resilience of the state's economy, said Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. "Texas has developed a remarkable track record of economic achievement," Allen said. "Texas is and has been the No. 1 exporting state in the nation, the best state business climate, and the world's ninth largest economy. Even with all the challenges we faced in 2020, we are still outpacing the competition in exports handily, I might add that's a really good sign." With $279 billion in export trade in 2020, Texas continues to lead the United States as it has for the past two decades. Texas' 2020 exports were larger than the sum total of goods exported by the next three largest export states California with $156 billion in exports, New York with $61.9 billion and Louisiana with $59.6 billion, Allen said. Texas is also the No. 1 exporting state of technology products for the eighth consecutive year as well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with $44.8 billion in exports. California was in second place with $37.5 billion in exports. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2020 export data on Feb. 5. This data shows the pandemic had a negative effect on exports across the nation in 2020, but a combination of factors that sustain Texas' economy helped it retain its top spot on the list of exporters by state. "Those factors include Texas' pro-business climate of low taxes and reasonable regulations, its economic diversity, the second largest workforce in the nation, and its award-winning infrastructure among many others," Allen said. Texas' strong record of economic strength even during times of national recession should be reassuring to corporate decision-makers considering Texas as the place to relocate or expand their businesses, Allen said. "Texas will continue to grow," he said. "People say, 'Everything's bigger in Texas' because it is. That's the way Texas thinks." The Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) is an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to economic development, business recruitment and job creation in the state of Texas. The public-private partnership of TxEDC and the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism markets Texas as a premier business destination to let corporate decision- makers and site selection consultants know that they can Go Big in Texas. For more information about TxEDC, visit www.GoBigInTexas.com. SOURCE Texas Economic Development Corporation Turkey on Sunday reported 6,670 additional coronavirus cases, including 623 symptomatic patients, according to the Health Ministry. The country's case tally passed 2.53 million, while the nationwide death toll reached 26,797, with 112 fatalities over the past day. As many as 8,201 more patients in the country won the battle against the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to over 2.44 million. More than 30.61 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Turkey to date, with 129,715 since Saturday. The latest figures show that the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition dropped to 1,317, Anadolu Agency reported. On Jan. 14, Turkey began a mass COVID-vaccination campaign, starting with healthcare workers along with top officials to encourage public confidence in the vaccines. A victim of a pub groper who walked free from court after agreeing to make a 100 donation to the Rape Crisis Centre has blasted the judgement as an insult to her and the other complainant. Former Algerian soldier Nourden Belarbi sexually assaulted the two women in a Dublin bar on October 14, 2018. The 32-year-old was chased away by the first victim when he grabbed her breast and then had a drink thrown over him by the second woman when he groped her bottom. But he was spared a criminal conviction at Dublin District Court this week after Judge Colin Daly dismissed the charges under the Probation Act on condition he pay 100 to the Rape Crisis Centre. Read More In her only public comments since the verdict, one of Belarbi's victims told the Sunday World she felt the judgement was outdated and would "deter victims from coming forward." In a statement to the Sunday World, she said: "The outcome of the case is extremely disappointing. For the judge to issue a 100 fine is an absolute insult to me, to the other victim in this case and to the investigating gardai. "It shows how out of touch with reality he [the judge] is. "You'll be aware that myself and one other victim came forward and reported him that night. "But having spoken to security staff in the bar that same evening, I understand that he approached at least five or six other women and that this was also captured on the pub's CCTV. "It's also my understanding that the CCTV footage was not shown during the hearing. "I am not sure of the reason for this. "I have to commend the gardai for how they handled the incident and the subsequent investigation. "They were very supportive and professional. "But I'm sure it's very frustrating for them to bring a case like this before the courts only to have a judge be so lenient. "These types of assaults are all too common. "Having shared my experience with a number of friends, it's apparent to me that the vast majority have encountered such unwanted attention on nights out and even in the workplace. "The majority went unreported. "Even though the judgement in this case was not the outcome I had hoped for, I am still glad that I pursued the matter. "That man had no right to put his hands on me or anyone else and no one should have to put up with such behaviour while simply trying to enjoy a night out. "It's just a dreadful shame that the judiciary are so outdated in their thinking as, in my opinion, outcomes such as in this case only deter victims from coming forward. "Some sort of specialist training in this area for judges is well overdue otherwise we will continue to see such ridiculous judgements." At this week's hearing, the court heard how the incidents happened at a pub in the north of the city on October 14, 2018. Neither of the victims knew the accused. Having read a probation report, Judge Daly said Belarbi was described as being at the lowest possible risk for this type of offending, and as having "learned a valuable lesson". The accused had lost his job initially but was now working again as a warehouse operative, his solicitor Colleen Gildernew said. Read More At a previous hearing, the court was told the first woman (41) was out socialising with friends when she was approached by the accused. He proceeded to grab her breast and she became upset and chased him away. Belarbi then went to another area in the same pub and approached a second woman. The first victim observed what happened and approached the second woman and told her "she too had been assaulted," a garda sergeant said. The woman approached security staff and told them Belarbi had sexually assaulted her. One of the security staff had witnessed the first assault and contacted the gardai. Belarbi was escorted to the front door and the gardai arrived. The court heard both victims had alcohol taken but were not intoxicated, while Belarbi was "slightly intoxicated" at the time. Judge Daly said victim impact statements were "very hard-hitting and eloquent" and the women were "very severely affected by what happened". Belarbi was "incredibly apologetic" and "felt badly" about what happened, Ms Gildernew said. The accused had come to Ireland from Algeria, where he had spent much of his adult life in the army, Ms Gildernew said. He had been treated for PTSD after leaving the army and was granted asylum here. Following Monday's judgement former Social Protection minister and current leader of the Seanad, Regina Doherty, condemned the outcome of the court proceedings. Following Monday's hearing, she tweeted: "Judge said perpetrator had learned a valuable lesson - what lesson was that? "That you can grope two women and get away with a donation to charity of 100. "Is it any wonder women don't report this type of crime?" Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Watertown, NY (13601) Today A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 43F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. A policeman receives a dose of Covishield, a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad. (Image: Reuters) A total of 58,03,617 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 through 1,16,478 sessions held till the evening of February 7, the 23rd day of the immunisation drive, according to a provisional report of the Union Health Ministry. On February 7, 28,059 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6.30 pm through 1,295 vaccination sessions, the ministry said. No case of adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) has been reported on the 23rd day of the vaccination drive. India is now the third topmost country with the highest doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered after the US and the UK, it said. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs on January 16. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Indias drug regulator has approved two vaccines - Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) - for emergency use in the country. According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities. Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India: > As many as 12 states reported vaccination activity on February 7 -- Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Uttarakhand. > Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that India is set to fulfill 70 percent of the world's coronavirus vaccine needs and two vaccines are currently being exported to 14 countries. He said the Modi government has worked to upgrade the health infrastructure in the country in the last six-and-a-half years. > Bangladesh launched its nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive on the day with lawmakers along with top administration and health officials taking the first shots of the vaccine provided by India. "We are launching the campaign to save lives. This vaccine is completely safe," Health Minister Zahid Maleque said while inaugurating the campaign at a virtual event at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Dhaka. > Afghanistan thanked India on the day for providing 5,00,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to the war-ravaged nation and described the assistance as a clear sign of "generosity and commitment" towards the strong partnership between the two countries. India sent the vaccine doses to the people of Afghanistan as a gift, officials said. > Developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine expect to have a modified jab to cope with the South Africa coronavirus variant by autumn, the vaccine's lead researcher said on the day. Health officials in Britain are trying to contain the spread of the variant first identified in South Africa amid concerns that it is more contagious or resistant to existing vaccines. States Total Beneficiaries Andhra Pradesh 2,99,649 Arunachal Pradesh 12,346 Assam 88,585 Bihar 3,79,042 Chandigarh 5,645 Chhattisgarh 1,68,881 Delhi 1,09,589 Goa 8,257 Gujarat 4,46,367 Haryana 1,39,129 Himachal Pradesh 54,573 Jharkhand 1,04,371 Karnataka 3,88,476 Kerala 2,92,195 Madhya Pradesh 3,42,016 Maharashtra 4,73,480 Odisha 2,76,323 Punjab 76,430 Rajasthan 4,60,994 Tamil Nadu 1,66,408 Telangana 2,09,104 Uttar Pradesh 6,73,542 Uttarakhand 74,330 West Bengal 3,54,000 Here is the state-wise vaccination in the country: (With inputs from PTI) Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here Killer paralympian Oscar Pistorius may be freed from jail two years early due to a legal error, it emerged yesterday. South African appeal court judges admitted his sentence had not been backdated far enough to when he was first convicted of murder meaning he could be eligible for parole 18 months earlier than planned. The former gold-medallist sprinter has already served 506 days of his term so should be considered for release in March 2023. A legal error could mean paralympian Oscar Pistorius is released from prison 18 months early Double-amputee Pistorius known as Blade Runner due to his prostheses was jailed for 15 years for shooting his model lover Reeva Steenkamp dead in 2013. The decision just a week before the anniversary of Reevas death has left her family distraught, with a friend describing the prospect of his early release as extremely distressing. Lawyer Tania Koen, who represents Reevas parents, said the still grieving couple were pained that the error emerged just as they were bracing themselves for the eighth anniversary. In a statement, she said: This time of year always is especially traumatic for June and Barry what with the upcoming 8th anniversary of their daughters death on January 14. Whilst they understand that everyone makes mistakes it is hurtful that the error came to light a week before the anniversary of Reevas death. The family friend added: At this time of year the family like to be alone and they have their own private ceremony for Reeva where they take flowers down to the beach and remember her. Oscar Pistorius was jailed for 15 years in 2013 for shooting his model lover Reeva Steenkamp It is extremely distressing for them that news of Oscars potential early release on parole should be broken to them just a week before they go through such a tough time as this. The potential early release date for the killer athlete comes after an application by Pistoriuss lawyer Julian Knight insisting his clients case should be reviewed. As we begin observing Black History Month, we remember two pioneering Black jurists: Israel Augustine Jr. and Revius Ortique Jr. Augustine was the first Black district judge in Louisiana and Ortique was the states first Black Supreme Court justice. Israel Augustine Jr. was born in New Orleans and graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge. He earned his law degree from Lincoln University in St. Louis. In 1957, he helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization founded in New Orleans and led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The SCLC named Augustine its first general counsel. Gov. John McKeithen appointed Augustine to an Orleans Criminal District Court judgeship in 1969. He became the first Black judge in Louisiana and was re-elected to a 12-year term in 1971. Judge Augustine was elected without opposition to Louisianas 4th Circuit Court of Appeal in 1981 but resigned three years later to run for Congress against Rep. Lindy Boggs. He lost the race but remained a giant on the local civic and political scene. Judge Augustine died in 1994. In 1996, the Criminal Court building at Tulane and Broad was named the Israel M. Augustine Jr. Criminal Justice Center. Nearby, the former Samuel J. Peters School was also renamed for him, though it now sits vacant. A New Orleans native and Dillard and Southern University graduate, Justice Ortique was an influential lawyer during the civil rights era. He led efforts to integrate labor unions and represented Black workers in lawsuits seeking equal pay. In 1978, he was appointed to an Orleans Civil District Court judgeship, where he was re-elected several times and served as chief judge. In 1992, Ortique was elected the first Black justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court. He served for just two years before stepping down in 1994 at age 70, the mandatory state retirement age for judges. Over the years, Justice Ortique was appointed by five U.S. presidents to various commissions and boards, including as an alternate delegate to the United Nations. He died in 2008. "At no other time in history have channel partners been more important in helping vendors close the last mile - Impartner is no exception," said Impartner CEO Joe Wang. "Our partners have been critical to our success, and without question will be the catalyst to our next stage of rapid growth. We are excited to have Mark recognized by CRN and under his leadership, are committed to living up to the expectations associated with this recognition." "I am humbled and honored to be a named among this prestigious group," said Rogers. "Our company and strategy revolve around the success of the channel. I am grateful to our exceptional partners who are the core of that strategy and so critical to our success. We are deeply committed to leveraging our own technology and the best practices from our world-class customers to augment the success of our outstanding partner ecosystem and launch our channel to the next level in 2021." The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs and partnerships. All honorees are selected by CRN's editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates. CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs. "CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industry's biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success." About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn, and Facebook . About Impartner Impartner is the fastest-growing, most award-winning provider of channel management technologies, including its flagship Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Through Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) solutions, which help companies worldwide manage their partner relationships, drive demand through partners and accelerate revenue and profitability through indirect sales channels. For more information on Impartner, which is based in Utah's tech hotbed, the Silicon Slopes, visit www.impartner.com. Follow Impartner on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Contact: Kerry Desberg Impartner [email protected] SOURCE Impartner Related Links http://www.impartner.com The Peoples Committee of Lam Dong Province recently launched a contest to solicit solutions for the Da Lat Citys long-standing traffic issues. Visitors to Da Lat during the Lunar New Year holiday season are likely to find themselves facing one of the citys longest infrastructure issues: traffic. While a slew of planned projects, including the constructions of belt roads, have yet to materialize, local authorities are mulling pleas for a traffic light system to manage the ever-growing congestion issues facing the locality. A human traffic light Motorbike collisions are common at the intersection of Phan Chau Trinh, Tran Quy Cap, and Quang Trung Streets in Da Lat. Typically, drivers who find themselves in an accident will pull themselves up, hurl a few insults at anyone else involved, and be on their way without actually settling the dispute. Locals say that such common occurrences could be totally avoided if the city would seriously consider a traffic light system in lieu of the current system of human stop lights traffic police officers mobilized throughout the city to attempt to regulate congestion. It takes a team of twelve to mediate traffic at Kim Cuc and Hai Thuong junctions during holidays. Were out there all day. From 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Hung, head of traffic police in Da Lat City. Its very taxing for the team and theres little we can do to actually help since all we have are whistles and batons. During peak seasons, we have to bring in ward-level police and provincial traffic forces to help us. According to Hung, the root of Da Lats traffic problems can be traced to a lack of coordination between vehicles, manpower, and technological systems. Nguyen Dang Phuong Nguyen, a Da Lat native, said she once spent 90 minutes in a terrible traffic jam to traverse the 2-kilometer length from Prenn Pass to Xuan Huong Lake waterfront near Da Lat Market. I decided to avoid going outside for days after that. Our family now stays home during the peak tourism days. We only go out in off-peak periods to stock up on food, Nguyen shared. I think city authorities need a solution to this issue so that they can develop tourism without disrupting the daily lives of locals, she added. Are traffic lights necessary? The sound application [of urban planning] is a way to preserve the merits of all cities, including Da Lat. A lack of problem-solving for our issues will eventually bring us down, said Nguyen Huu Tranh, a writer and Da Lat expert, during a recent exchange on preserving the historical values of Da Lat in a contemporary context. In reference to the citys traffic problem, Tranh shared that During the 1950s, we would be told off by police if we violated [road traffic] laws. There was no traffic light, but the towns population was so low that police were only needed at a few junctions. Traffic has since evolved, as if its two different worlds. Truong Huu Hiep, director of Lam Dong Provinces Department of Transport, said that relevant authorities did suggest that installation of traffic lights at three important junctions of Da Lat City in the past, but the plan failed to gain traction. Now, however, as senior officials in the city see that other locales have built traffic lights with success, those who did not support the plan in the past seem to have changed their minds. The installation of traffic lights is crucial, but we still need to figure out where well put them, Hiep said. The citys authorities are currently devising a detailed plan for traffic light installation, which will be presented to city residents for feedback. The plan will be part of the smart city system that the city is currently envisioning. According to Le Minh Chien, president of Da Lat University, the absence of traffic lights is hardly an issue for locals who know their way around the city. Instead, Chien said, tourists who visit the city without understanding of local traffic are the cause of the chaos. A traffic police mediate traffic flows in Da Lat City. Photo: M.Vinh / Tuoi Tre An artists vantage point Da Lat has long been referred to as the city without traffic lights, a small quirk that adds to the eccentricity of the place, said Nguyen Trung Hien, founder and director of the Da Lat-based art residency program Pho Ben Doi, also an activist with involvement in art initiatives and architecture preservation projects in the central highland township. As Hien indicated, development pressure can erase that quirk from the city, but it can also open the window for future unique characteristics. Im talking about discrete traffic light post designs that depart from Vietnams uniform blueprint. It fits Da Lats orientation of becoming a cultural tourism destination, Hien suggested, referring to references of traffic light posts in the likes of Paris and Venice. Attention to the small design details of traffic lights and ornamental lamps will render Da Lat a much more charming place. It will appease the yearning for traffic light peculiarity of city residents and tourists, while also ensuring traffic safety. This initiative, however, will require deep research from relevant agencies so that the city can maintains its reputation as one of Vietnams six Cultural Cities as named by the British Council, and eventually achieve the Asia-level City of art title. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shore Hotel, an eco-friendly luxury boutique hotel recently secured approval from the local government to provide drive-thru and walk-up Coronavirus testing to the general public as a direct response to the rise of COVID-19 cases throughout Los Angeles County. The decision to roll out this testing pilot is spurred by growing calls from community members and local businesses to mobilize additional sites to address the testing shortage. "As demand for testing continues to rise, our decision to convert our hotel parking structure as a testing site available to the community is underpinned by the pressing urgency of removing barriers for anyone in need," said Steve Farzam Chief Operating Officer at Shore Hotel. Farzam adds, "Since rolling our aggressive testing pilot program, it's already proven very effective and the community response has been exceedingly favorable." Shore Hotel is aiming to provide vaccines as soon as they become available. Residents now have access to various types of testing ranging from an antibody test that requires one drop of blood from a finger prick to a Rapid Antigen test made by a U.S. company called CareStart. The third option is a PCR test labeled as the gold standard of all tests by the CDC. Farzam encourages all persons who want to get tested to seek expert guidance from their primary physicians as to which tests suit them. In addition, through the Care Act, no cost PCR testing is extended to valid California residents who do not have insurance. Farzam adds, "We also provide no cost PCR testing to anyone with insurance irrespective of legal status." The positive programmatic response gave Farzam the momentum to scale-up an additional testing site at the LUXE, a luxury boutique Hotel in Brentwood. Located in the hotel's underground parking garage, the testing site can be accessed through Sunset Boulevard making it an ideal access point west of the 405 freeway. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in Los Angeles, these two location sites are proving extremely beneficial in mitigating the burden on strained commercial labs who are working relentlessly to process tests for both flue and COVID-19 in a timely manner. Given these hurdles, increasing testing capacity underscores the importance of ramping-up efforts to make sure testing is available to all. Farzam notes that "COVID-19 is by far the greatest public health crisis our nation has experienced in a century," emphasizing the need to swiftly mobilize resources and increasing testing capacity. Consistent with this objective, securing authorization to administer FDA authorized tests to local residents has positioned Shore Hotel as an instrumental community resource to meet the testing demands and curtail the community spread of the virus. Dr. Jason Rhee, a licensed physician in California who oversees both COVID-19 testing locations says, "our authorized testing sites known as 911 Covid Testing fulfill a vital community need and reflect the importance to always be a patient advocate while simultaneously serving the greater good." To find out more about the types of testing the Shore Hotel offers or to make an appointment to get tested visit: www.911CovidTesting.com or call 310-569-5784 About Shore Hotel Opened in October 2011 in Santa Monica, just steps from the Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, and the city's popular beaches and shopping districts, Shore Hotel is the newest addition to the coastlinea LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified property that offers eco-friendly accommodations with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. www.shorehotel.com Media contact: [email protected] Steve Farzam www.shorehotel.com SOURCE Shore Hotel Related Links http://www.shorehotel.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- No Labels today released a new ad, featuring national co-chair Gov. Larry Hogan, imploring the Biden administration and leaders in Congress to come together on a COVID-19 relief bill. Even as the House and Senate moved forward last week with a budget reconciliation process that could pass with only Democratic votes, passage of a bipartisan proposal is still possible, and, No Labels believes, necessary, to create a better more targeted bill and to deliver on the promise of national unity. The ad opens with a clip from the inaugural speech of President Biden, in which he speaks to the imperative of national unity and from Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, who says we need for leaders to find "common ground for the common good." But in the new No Labels ad, Gov. Hogan says these could be revealed as just "empty words" if Washington can't forge a bipartisan path forward. He says: "Washington needs to pass a COVID-19 relief bill to save lives and livelihoods. But we need both parties at the table offering their best ideas. That's the only way to stop the vicious cycle of divisiveness and dysfunction. This moment demands humility and bipartisan cooperation, not more take it or leave it or partisan obstruction." The ad, which is running nationally via digital platforms asks viewers to visit nolabels.org/deal to sign a petition urging bipartisan action on COVID-19 relief. Hogan joined No Labels as its national co-chair in December 2020. No Labels is a nationwide movement of Democrats, Republicans and independents working to build the bipartisan governing coalition capable of solving America's toughest challenges. SOURCE No Labels Related Links http://www.nolabels.org Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. SEIU Healthcare and Women's College Research Institute release interim findings on research of over 8,700 frontline workers RICHMOND HILL, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - SEIU Healthcare, a union representing over 60,000 frontline healthcare workers in Ontario, and researchers at Women's College Research Institute, conducted a survey of over 8,700 frontline healthcare workers and report that 4 out of 5 are potentially willing to take COVID-19 vaccines if personal financial barriers are eliminated. The research demonstrates the provincial government can accelerate vaccination uptake among frontline workers by providing modest financial assistance to precariously employed workers, especially those without access to paid sick leave. "As the government plans to ramp up vaccine roll-out, it's important that their plan eliminate all barriers to vaccination for frontline healthcare workers. That's why we're calling on Premier Ford's government to provide financial support for those healthcare workers who lack paid sick leave and are anxious about missing work because of potential side effects from the vaccine," said Sharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Healthcare. "It's also critical that workers be compensated for the time and cost to travel to off-site vaccination centres, like those at Orangeville's Headwaters Health Care Centre who must travel over an hour to get the vaccine in Brampton." "We need to build trust and ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine," said Dr. Noah Ivers, a family physician, scientist at the Women's College Research Institute and the University of Toronto, as well as the scientific lead for the project and co-lead of the 19toZero coalition in Ontario. "We have spent months thinking about how to build vaccine confidence. This survey shows us a simple approach: governments can show how convinced they are that the vaccines are safe by saying that any missed work for side effects will covered, by guaranteeing sick pay for those who might have side effects. This would display confidence in the vaccine, and I expect it would cost very little because studies show that missing work after the vaccine is very, very rare. But the symbolism would be meaningful." KEY FIGURES AT A GLANCE: 8,700 frontline healthcare workers surveyed across Ontario 81% report being very likely or somewhat likely to take the vaccine (58% very likely, 23% somewhat likely) 64% report being worried about losing paid work time in order to take the vaccine or because of lost paid time resulting from adverse vaccine side effects 68% would be more likely to get the vaccine if all costs related to the vaccine were guaranteed, including paid time to get the vaccine, guaranteed paid sick leave in the event of adverse side effects, and compensation for parking or transit The research was conducted between January 4, 2021 and January 12, 2021. SEIU Healthcare and Women's College Research Institute teams will conduct a series of focus groups with frontline workers to better inform development of vaccine communications. Dr. Ivers and Women's College Research Institute received no financial compensation from SEIU Healthcare for their research efforts. On December 24, 2020, SEIU Healthcare, together with other unions in the healthcare sector and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), sent a request to the provincial government to fund paid sick leave related to the vaccination for all staff in our hospitals. On December 29, 2020, SEIU Healthcare, together with AdvantAge Ontario and the OLTCA, sent a similar request to the provincial government to fund paid sick leave related to the vaccination for all staff in the nursing home sector. SEIU Healthcare represents more than 60,000 healthcare and community service workers across Ontario. The union's members work in hospitals, homecare, nursing and retirement homes, and community services throughout the province. www.seiuhealthcare.ca Women's College Research Institute (WCRI) is a multidisciplinary research institute based at Women's College Hospital (WCH) Canada's leading academic, ambulatory hospital and a world leader in women's health. WCH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network. Our scientists, all of whom have academic appointments at the University of Toronto, conduct research that improves the health of marginalized communities, helps people prevent and manage complex chronic conditions, and delivers innovative health system solutions. Our vision is to lead innovative, high impact health research that changes practice, changes policy, and changes lives. www.womensresearch.ca SOURCE SEIU Healthcare For further information: For media inquiries, contact: Corey Johnson, SEIU Healthcare, Head of Strategic Communications, 416-529-8909, [email protected]; Jordan Benadiba, Communications Specialist, Women's College Hospital, 647-248-6380, [email protected] Related Links http://www.seiuhealthcare.ca/ Ghana would today join other West African countries to celebrate the eighteenth African Safer Internet Day (ASID). The celebration under the auspices of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the Ministry of Communications and UNICEF Ghana is aimed at raising awareness on emerging online issues and the corresponding strategies for resolution. The event is also expected to help sensitise and reorient children, young people, parents & guardians, and educators on the safe use of the internet while contributing to the capacity building and awareness generation for an improved cybersecurity culture among Ghanaians. The celebration, known in Africa as ASID is organised in the second week of February each year. It is tailor-made to suit the peculiar needs and conditions of the African region. The celebration has been observed in Ghana over the past 3 years by the NCSC of the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with UNICEF Ghana. This years event focuses on the theme Positioning and Partnering for Child Online Protection and is expected to take place on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. This event theme acknowledges deficiencies identified in the continents Child Online Protection (COP) efforts juxtaposed with the requirements from the revised International Telecommunication Unions (ITUs) 2020 COP Guidelines. It is anticipated that at least 75% of countries in Africa will be in the process of developing country-specific COP strategies by the end of 2021 with reference to the ITU COP Guidelines developed for the region. The commemoration of the day has expanded to approximately 170 countries worldwide and has been coordinated by the INSAFE/INHOPE Network since 2005. In Ghana, ASID celebration is consistent with the National Cybersecurity Awareness Programme dubbed A Safer Digital Ghana, a flagship initiative launched by the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and implemented by the NCSC to build capacity and raise awareness on cybercrime as well as improve the countrys cybersecurity readiness among Children, the Public, Businesses and Government. The Child online protection function is prioritised under the ASID celebration and constitutes the basis for the implementation of the major Child Online Protection initiative by the NCSC. The NCSC will collaborate with a number of key partners and stakeholders in organising this years celebration. These include the Ministry of Communications, UNICEF Ghana, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Ghana Education Service, National Communications Authority, Child Online Africa, and the Parents and Teacher Association (PTA) Council. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the mode of celebration this year will be different from previous editions which have always been delivered through physical engagement with students from selected Senior High Schools. As a result a number of radio and television media outlets, social media and online news portals, newspapers and available virtual platforms have been earmarked to observe this years celebration. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video . . . ... Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Charges could be laid against suspected runaway conwoman Melissa Caddick in the coming weeks - as her husband sits down for an 'animated' meeting with her father and brother. Investigators at the corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, will soon hand a brief of evidence to prosecutors about the missing woman's alleged financial misappropriation, so charges can be prepared. The major development was revealed by Nine's 60 Minutes program on Sunday evening. A second source with knowledge of the investigation told Daily Mail Australia they expected charges to be laid in a matter of weeks. An ASIC spokeswoman said the probe remains ongoing - something no doubt at front of mind for Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti as he visited her brother, Adam, and parents Ted and Barbara at the weekend. Melissa Caddick's hairdresser and DJ husband Anthony Koletti came together to meet with her family on Sunday. Mr Koletti is said to treat the clan as his own The Grimley-Koletti clan came together on Sunday morning, an observer describing them as having an 'animated' discussion and keeping each other company for about two hours. On right, the blinds go down Caddick disappeared two days after the Federal Court froze her assets and shortly following a police raid on her and Mr Koletti's $6.2million home Mr Koletti, an unemployed hairdresser who has kept his mum for months, joined the family at Caddick's parents' apartment in Sydney's east for about two hours on Sunday. 'They were having an animated discussion,' an observer said. Adam shut the blinds of the family's sunroom after realising media were nearby. Meanwhile, court documents have shed new light on the last day Caddick was definitively seen. In a sworn statement tendered at the Federal Court, and newly made public, investigator Isabella Allen alleges that Caddick hit her with a barrage of questions when authorities raided her $6.2million Dover Heights mansion on November 11. Caddick during the ASIC-AFP raid on her Dover Heights home on November 11, above Koletti in conversation with the Grimley clan at their home, where he stayed for about two hours. On right, his father-in-law Ted, potters around the balcony Caddick allegedly demanded answers on how she was to abide by a court order freezing her assets. When would she have to appear in court? Where would she drop off her passports? Did one order mean she couldn't use her credit cards, because she used them for all transactions? Did she have to write up a description of her assets and liabilities by the following Monday, and 'how am I supposed to do that when you have taken my computers?' she allegedly spluttered. The investigator replied: 'I am unable to answer that question and it may be best that you speak to a lawyer. Do you have a lawyer?' 'No,' Caddick said. 'I have no one to call.' Koletti with his $300,000 Audi R8 at McMahon's Point on Sydney's lower north shore. He and his wife were known for their extravagant lifestyle, but Mr Koletti is not suggested to have had knowledge of Caddick's alleged financial misappropriation Mr Koletti with Ms Caddick's brother Adam Grimley during their only press conference about their loved one's disappearance Investigators left Caddick's iPhone and Apple computers in her possession, the document said. Her phone was left at home when she allegedly left the house to go for her morning jog the next morning, police said. Despite the major court action against Caddick and her company, Maliver Pty Ltd - from which she allegedly pocketed up to $20million - a top detective said the missing woman wouldn't be arrested if she returned home. 'She is still free. There is no warrant for her arrest. We're only interested in finding her so she is no longer a missing person,' said Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins. 'She's not wanted by any court. She's not a fugitive. She can go back and see her husband and son.' But the day where she is considered a fugitive could be coming soon. Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya West constituency, George Andah has called on the Ghana Police Service to clamp down on the armed robbers who shot an ambulance driver in the Eastern Region. The driver named Abraham Tetteh worked with the National Ambulance Service. He was reportedly shot by armed robbers resulting in his untimely death at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Saturday, February 6, 2021. He was transferring a woman who was in labour and her relative from the Akuse Government Hospital to the Koforidua Regional Hospital when the unfortunate incident occurred. The armed robbers extorted monies from the ambulance staff when they reached Asesseso in the Eastern Region. So the whole of yesterday, the CEO, myself, and other personnel were with him and the family at the ICU at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. My deputy and I were the last to leave the hospital. As of the time, we were leaving, the doctors discussed with us about recovery, and we are expecting much improvement, but that wasnt meant to be. This morning, the first person to get there was an officer who called me and confirmed to me that our colleague had passed on to glory, Eastern Regional Administrative Manager for the National Ambulance Service, Michael Gaani confirmed. The pregnant woman survived the attack and has given birth. Touching on this tragedy, George Andah urged the Police to launch thorough investigations and search for the armed robbers and ensure they face the full rigors of the law. "I pray the law or the Police will be able to apprehend these people involved in this heinous act. The law must deal with them," he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Bengaluru: VK Sasikala, a close aide of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, arrived in Tamil Nadu on Monday amid a big welcome. The Sasikala convoy ran into trouble as expected. Her car was stopped in Krishnagiri on the border between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu police served her a notice for her display of the AIADMK flag on her car, a move that the AIADMK top order took exception to even at the time she exited confinement in Bengaluru. Speaking into a microphone that blared her voice over a slew of cars and sea of supporters all around, Sasikala spoke clearly at a point off Krishnagiri: "I'm a slave to love, the Tamil language, the Tamil culture, and the Tamil people, but I will never submit to oppression. I will partake in active politics..." Reacting to the moves of the AIADMK, she said: "The people will understand why the Jaya memorial was shut down by the government. The government's objection to my use of the flag reveals the fear of the current AIADMK dispensation." Sasikala, along with two others, were sentenced to four years prison in a corruption case. Jayalithaa was also accused in the case in 2017. Sasikala was released from the prison on January 27 but had to be in a hospital after she was infected with Covid-19. Also read: Ahead of Sasikala Return to Tamil Nadu on Feb 7, Dhinakaran Sees 'Chemical' Changes Brewing in Politics Sasikala, wearing a green saree, was seen sitting in the front seat of her car that flaunted the AIADMK flag. In the last few days, AIADMK ministers filed a series of complaints asking the police to ban Sasikala from using the party flag. But without a bother about the complaints, Sasikala started from the resort with the AIADMK flag. Her supporters have said that she was the general secretary of the party when she went to the prison in 2017, therefore there was nothing wrong in using the flag. But AIADMK ministers and senior leaders are on the edge of their seats as Sasikala is all set to enter Tamil Nadu. Till she went to prison, all AIADMK minister fell at her feet and also requested her to take charge of the party. Things changed after she went to the prison. More than 30 cars followed her vehicle as she entered the Tamil Nadu border where hundreds of policemen are waiting for her to enter the border. Also read: As Sasikala Returns, a 'Jittery' AIADMK Warns of Riots; TN Govt Seizes Property of Her Kin Whatever police may say about not using the flag or not we will still use the flag. Cadres are waiting to welcome her once she enters our state, said AMMK spokesperson VMS Mustafa. Meanwhile, security has been increased at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai city, as well as at the Jayalalithaa memorial, on the Marina Beach to prevent Sasikala from entering the headquarters and visiting the memorial. In fact, before leaving Chennai in 2017, Sasikala went to the memorial and took a vow by hitting the memorial. It is learnt that Sasikala, once she reaches Chennai is like to visit former chief minister M G Ramachandrans residence. (With inputs from Poornima Murali in Chennai) Morgan contacted his company at 4 p.m. Saturday and said he had not been feeling well and would be stopping for the night. After he had stopped, he had one additional contact with the company, stating he was feeling a little better but was going to sleep for the night. That was the last contact the company had with Morgan, police said. Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday. Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19. Paedophiles feel more threatened by online vigilante groups than the police, senior officers have claimed. The claims come ahead of a three-part documentary, starting tonight, in which detectives posing as child sex offenders to snare predators are filmed for the first time. Police chiefs have also targeted big technology firms, insisting they 'must bear the responsibility' for failing in efforts to block millions of abuse images being shared online. The claims come ahead of a three-part documentary, starting tonight, in which detectives posing as child sex offenders to snare predators are filmed for the first time Channel 4's 'Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles is a three-part documentary which follows officers going undercover as paedophiles to snare child sex offenders Vigilantes use violence and blackmail, police warn, but their evidence is used in over HALF of prosecutions Police have previously expressed concerns about online paedophile hunters after prosecutions relying on evidence from vigilante groups soared to four a week. Senior police officers have often criticised groups who pretend to be children online in a bid to snare child sex abusers. They have even suggested they can go beyond the law and could be guilty of crimes such as blackmail, extortion and varying forms of violence. Freedom of Information data revealed the numbers of people convicted of child grooming offences increased five-fold between 2013 and 2018 from just 68 to 359. Figures also show that more than half of those prosecutions relied on evidence gathered by online paedophile hunters. According to the BBC, of the 403 people prosecuted for attempting to meet up with a child following sexual grooming in 2018 - 250 cases used hunters' evidence. Children's charities have also expressed concern they are not mindful of children's safeguarding when they carry out their stings - often streamed live on social networking sites such as Facebook. In some cases, the vigilantes have themselves been exposed as predators. Last year Paul Tong, from Bolton, was jailed after being trapped in a sting operation having sent explicit pictures and messages to an investigator posing as a 13-year-old called 'Gracie'. Advertisement Detective Sergeant Andy Nash, of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, claimed paedophiles were more afraid of online groups who lure people to meetings by using fake profiles, then exposing them on camera. He told the Times: 'They are less concerned about meeting police officers. Whether that's because we don't broadcast it live on Facebook for their families to see or because the sentencing until recently has been so poor, I couldn't tell you.' The Channel 4 film, starting this evening, follows 'Simon', an individual appearing to offer his 10-year-old daughter to abusers online, but who is in fact an undercover officer. The covert operative told the Mirror: 'Simon is completely fictitious, he's a character. When I go in to role and deploy he comes out of a box and he's like a skin that I put on. 'It's quite disturbing portraying yourself as an adult, male, paedophile, but it's such a good technique for catching people who are seeking to abuse, hurt and rape children.' Worrying figures suggest some 300,000 Britons have a sexual interest in children, amid growing availability of illegal material online. With increasing availability of such material, and worrying figures suggesting 300,000 Britons have a sexual interest in children, Simon Bailey, lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs' Council, added that grooming was also on the rise and said arresting hundreds of sex offenders every month has little effect. The explosion in online child sexual abuse has only worsened during the pandemic with reports of obscene material more than doubling globally to over four million in the first month of lockdown in 2020. In April of the same year, there were nearly nine million attempts in the UK to access child sexual abuse websites which had been previously blocked by the Internet Watch Foundation. Simon Bailey, lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs' Council, added that the emphasis was on technology companies to act and that police wouldn't be able to deal with the threat in the way they wish until they do. Worrying figures suggest some 300,000 Britons have a sexual interest in children, amid growing availability of illegal material online The Channel 4 film, starting this evening, follows 'Simon', an individual appearing to offer his 10-year-old daughter to abusers online, but who is in fact an undercover officer 'I don't think their role in the facilitation of all this has been truly appreciated,' he said. 'Without them the abuse wouldn't be able to take place in so many cases.' Channel 4 Documentaries Senior Commissioning Editor, Alisa Pomeroy said: 'This powerful series is both timely and vitally important. 'As a direct result of Covid, millions of children are now stuck at home, bored, hidden away in their bedrooms and chatting online. 'Each potentially laying themselves open to the sinister practice of online grooming by an increasing number of would-be sexual abusers.' Joe Mather, Executive Producer, added: 'This is a hard-hitting trio of documentaries filmed with great care and sensitivity over two years. 'It's been extraordinary to have been granted access to such a complex area of policing and to witness the work of undercover detectives as they go about searching for paedophiles operating online. 'What the child sexual abuse officers are witness to on a daily basis is truly horrific yet these detectives, often with children of their own, have to engage with the offenders in order to find and arrest them, knowing that for every one they arrest there are countless more victims still at risk.' Donald Findlater, director of the Stop It Now! UK and Ireland Helpline, said: 'Police officers state on more than one occasion in the series that 'we cannot arrest our way out of this problem'. 'To protect all children, we need effective ways of preventing harm from occurring in the first place and that means working with people who are offending, or are on the cusp of doing so. A screengrab of one of the conversations between an undercover officer and a potential predator as featured on the documentary Messages included one reading: 'You are tiny, looks like u have a great body... I like that' 'Some may act out of ignorance, at least initially, and so need to be told that their behaviour is illegal and has severe consequences, including losing much of what they value in life. 'While the programmes document the crimes of a handful of serious, repeat offenders, there are tens of thousands of people who aren't yet offending but are behaving in dangerous and risky ways online. 'We need to work with these people too from our experience, many offenders begin by viewing legal adult pornography and over time develop an interest in viewing illegal content or having sexual conversations with children online. These people are mostly not the entrenched paedophiles of popular imagination. 'Hunting paedophiles' might initially sound like a good idea to trumpet, but it doesn't encourage those troubled by their sexual thoughts to seek help before they do harm. If our primary concern is the safety of our children, we have to ensure that such people are offered effective support to change.' 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. Flash U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would not lift sanctions against Iran unless Tehran stops enriching uranium, according to an interview broadcasted on Sunday. Asked if the United States will lift sanctions first to get Iran back to the negotiating table, Biden said "no" in a Friday interview with CBS News. Biden also gave an affirmative nod when asked if Iran had to stop enriching uranium first. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Saturday that Iran is losing patience with the new U.S. administration's "recent signals to retain illegal sanctions" on the Islamic Republic, Press TV reported. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had noted that Washington would only return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, once Tehran meets its commitments, warning of a long road ahead. The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) and the European Union. Iran is allowed to enrich uranium within certain limits under the deal. Iran said last month that it was starting to produce 20 percent enriched uranium, as part of Iran's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which was approved by the parliament in December 2020. Relations between Washington and Tehran have deteriorated since May 2018 when former President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed harsh sanctions against Iran. In response, Tehran has gradually dropped some of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019. The Holy See's Press Office announces Pope Francis' schedule for his upcoming Apostolic Visit to Iraq from March 5 - 8. Vatican News Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit to Iraq begins on Friday morning 5 March when he departs from Rome and arrives at Baghdad International Airport in the afternoon. Official Welcome and Visit with Civil Authorities The official welcome ceremony will take place at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad followed by a courtesy visit to the President. Pope Francis will also meet with civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps. Meeting with Priests and Religious As part of the schedule on Friday, the Pope will meet with Bishops, Priests, Religious, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians and Catechists at the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad. Visit to Najaf and Mass in Baghdad On Saturday, 6 March, Pope Francis will depart Baghdad for Najaf. Following a courtesy visit to the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husaymi Al-Sistani in Najaf, Pope Francis will fly to Nassirya for an interreligious meeting at the Plain of Ur. On his return to Baghdad in the afternoon, the Pope will celebrate Holy Mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Baghdad. Erbil and Mosul On Sunday morning, Pope Francis will depart for Erbil. On arrival at the airport, he will be welcomed by religious and civil authorities from the region of Iraqi Kurdistan before continuing his journey by helicopter to Mosul. While there, he will recite a prayer of sufferage for the victims of war at Hosh al-Bieaa (Church Square). Meeting with community in Qaraqosh The Pope will again take a helicopter to Qaraqosh where he will visit the Qaraqosh community at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Holy Mass in Erbil In the afternoon, Pope Francis will return to Erbil where he will celebrate Holy Mass at the Franso Hariri stadium. Following the celebration, the Pope will depart for Baghdad. Departure After a farewell ceremony on Monday morning, Pope Francis will depart for Rome. He is expected to touch down at Romes Ciampino airport later in the day. Past News Releases RSS Sunrise Senior Living in Palo Alto, California has selected Flavio Silva as the Communitys newest Executive Director. Under Silvas leadership, the organization plans to strengthen its existing relationships with clientele and bolster the teams development. Flavio Silva joins Sunrise Senior Living after 2-years of work as an Executive Director at a Sunnyvale community, succeeding in elevating occupancy over 95 percent and increasing revenue. His former position grew out of over 10 years of experience and growth within the organization. Since starting with the community, he has served in a diverse range of roles, from Community Business Director to Interim Administrator. JDI prides itself on delivering world class talent to world class organizations like Sunrise Senior Living, said Michael Talarico, who recruited Silva for the role. The companies that can procure top talent in this incredibly challenging environment are the ones that are gaining the competitive edge. Its our job to make access to that talent possible. Sunrise Senior Living, LLC is a U.S. based operator of retirement housing for seniors. As of 2021, it operates 325 assisted living facilities throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As the Senior Housing industry continues to grow and innovate, finding high impact leadership has become apex to an organizations success. Joseph David Internationals (JDI) Senior Living recruitment practice, twice recognized by Forbes as one of the best in America, brings immediate access to the top talent in the Senior Living industry. You can find more information at http://www.jdisearch.com. [February 07, 2021] Pan-Asia Tech Media TechNode Global Raises US$1M from Kairous Capital, Nutty Capital Venture, and SPH Ventures TechNode Global, Pan - Asia tech media, announces its seed investment of US$1M The funding round was led by Kairous Capital with the participation of Nutty Capital and SPH Ventures Fresh capital will help fuel TechNode Global's growing footprint in the Asia Pacific TechNode Global intends to build its Pan - Asia technology ecosystem with media, events, corporate innovation services, and cross-border businesses SINGAPORE, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TechNode Global, a Pan-Asia technology media startup, has raised a seed round of funding led by Kairous Capital (Hong Kong) with participation from Nutty Capital Venture (Hong Kong), and SPH Ventures (Singapore). The investment will accelerate TechNode Global's efforts in building Pan-Asia's leading tech media platform. The company plans to cover more technology stories, deliver high-quality events, and build comprehensive cross-border business across the region. The funding will also drive the company's further international expansion. Launched in early 2019 by Dr. Gang Lu, also the Founder and CEO of China's leading bilingual tech media TechNode, TechNode Global is more than a media company. It is building a technology community platform, offering insightful news, providing fundraising and deal flow support, organizing regional events, and facilitating corporate-startup partnerships. The tech media startup has experienced significant growth since its launch and counts corporations iFLYTEK, Huawei, Alibaba Cloud, and NTUC Income among its clients. The deepening cross-border commercial ties between China and the rest of Asia, especially with Southeast Asia, present a huge market opportunity as Chinese tech behemoths step up their expansion and investments in the region.By spinning off from TechNode, TechNode Global can focus is industry and regional expertise into better serving the significant Asia Pacific Market. Dr. Gang Lu, Founder & CEO, said, "Despite 2020 being a challenging year, TechNode Global is proud to have experienced a year of remarkable growth and many firsts. Having the privilege to work with regional corporate clients is a testament to our mission to be the source of insights and network for tech and innovation. Asia is the next promising technology innovation center and market. With the enormous experience and resources TechNode has in China, I believe we are at the right place, at the right time to carry out our purpose." "Being a regional VC investing across China and Southeast Asia, we envisage tremendous integration and collaboration opportunities in the technology and business space within the region. TechNode Global being connected with the Asia Pacific technology ecosystem coupled with the recently signed RCEP, we are positive that they will be a key player as a regional innovation enabler in years to come," said Joseph Lee, Managing Partner at Kairous Capital, a regional venture capital specialising in cross-border investments between China and South East Asia. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Despite the serious impact from COVID, we do see a big innovation opportunity trending into a number of new technology frontiers. We believe it's perfect timing for TechNode to expand into new markets under the strong leadership of Dr. Lu, to reshape the new rhythm in the fast-growing Southeast Asia tech playground," said Gilbert Lam, Executive Director at Nutty Capital. TechNode Global has been privileged to partner with regional government agencies, notable community builders, and corporations such as National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), Enterprise Singapore, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Sunway Group, True Digital Park, etc., in hosting its flagship event ORIGIN Conference and other community initiatives. With the recognition and support from key tech communities across the regions, TechNode Global will be working closely with them to localize its services and be engaged with local tech ecosystems. The company currently has an office in Singapore, with plans to set up an office in Malaysia soon. About TechNode Global: TechNode Global is a Pan-Asia tech platform offering premium tech news, industry insights, events, and tailor-made marketing solutions for startups, VCs, corporates and other industry pioneers. With a vast network in global innovation and entrepreneurship, TechNode Global facilitates cross-border partnerships and businesses. Visit TechNode Global's website at https://technode.global About Kairous Capital: Kairous Capital, a regional venture capital specialising in cross-border investments between Greater China and Southeast Asia with a focus on investing in disruptive technologies across both regions. Kairous Capital specializes in bridging the technology gap between Greater China and Southeast Asia, providing a complete cross-border solution to its investments. Visit Kairous Capital's website at https://www.kairous.com/ About SPH Ventures: SPH Ventures is the corporate venture capital fund of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd ("SPH"), Asia's leading media organisation listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. The fund size totals S$100 Million. It has a global mandate to invest in early-stage innovative companies in the areas of Digital Media (including advertising technology and content aggregation/ distribution/ consumption) and Consumer Internet (including e-commerce, marketplaces, social media, education technology, financial technology, etc). Visit SPH Ventures' website at https://www.sphventures.com.sg About Nutty Capital: Nutty Capital, where daring nuts meet to revolutionize and put a dent in the universe. Nutty Capital shares early stage venture resources with entrepreneurs across Greater China and Southeast Asia region in a selected range of areas, including internet, technology, health care, and consumer. Connect with us: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube SOURCE TechNode [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As the world marked World cancer day on Thursday, Kenya continued facing a growing demand for treatments, with its very limited supply capacity for diagnosis and treatment posing serious healthcare policy challenges. New global data suggests that the burden of the disease has risen to 42,116 cases and 27,092 deaths, meaning there are about 115 cases and 74 deaths daily. With the number of patients progressively growing, the demand for specialised care continues to create a challenge in the management of the disease. There is the growing need to source for equipment for screening and treatment, and increase the availability of facilities as well as disease management experts. In addition, late diagnosis and treatment, coupled with shortage of skills and personnel, poor community awareness and late presentation continue to contribute to high cancer cases. Patient, doctor and system delays are among factors that have been found to compound delayed cancer diagnosis. In 2019, attention was drawn to cancer in Kenya following the death of high profile politicians, giving hope to many patients that their outcome would change. In 2020, however, new data showed the country recorded 42,116 new cases with the number of deaths rising to 27,092. A delay in cancer diagnosis can occur at various levels. For example, the patient may fail to recognise suspicious symptoms or act on them, or the primary care physician may fail to pick up on these suspicious symptoms and investigate them appropriately or refer the patients to other specialists in a timely fashion. More specialists To turn the tables, the country's medical training institutions have been increasing the number of specialists. "In the past three years, a total of eight oncologists have been trained and joined the team," said Dr Andrew Odhiambo, a medical oncologist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi. Although the number of oncologists has increased to 50, it is still low, against a population of 47.6 million people. This means there are about 6,000 cancer cases for each oncologist in Kenya, compared to less than 150 in the US and China, according to the Journal of Global Oncology. The government has equally pumped billions of shillings into setting up cancer centres which will not only aid in diagnosis, but also improve treatment. One such facility is Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH), which has received Sh8 billion to build and equip a state-of-the-art cancer facility with 650 beds. In April, Dr George Njoroge, a chief scientific adviser at the facility said the Integrated Molecular Imaging Centre (IMIC) is set to be a comprehensive cancer centre and "will be the first publicly owned facility in the country and the region". "We have procured three machines that will revolutionise diagnosis: a cyclotron, a PET/CT and a SPECT/CT," he said. The hospital's main goal is to provide survivorship and fill the gaps in the region in terms of screening diagnosis and treatment. An explosion of new diagnostic imaging techniques since the 1980s, such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI, and more recently, PET scans, have seen more people get diagnosed. But it is not just construction and equipment that the hospital is focusing on. Prof Olive Mugenda, who chairs its board of directors, said that at least Sh2 billion has been set aside for training. "The new imaging equipment was not in the original plan but we factored it in. We have also employed more than 20 technical people who are well trained to handle the machines," said Prof Mugenda. Making the machines available locally will likely lower the cost of treatment by about 40 per cent. Research centre Kenyatta university is not the only facility upgrading its centre. At the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH,N), a clinical research unit is in its final stages of development. "We have established a cancer research unit where we are now testing new cancer drugs from North America to see if they will work here and also doing genetic testing," Dr Mansoor Saleh noted. Within the last year, he said, cancer management has changed to "a certain extent". "Covid-19 affected us only during the first three months - March to May - when patients were reluctant to come to the hospital for fear of contracting the disease. We had to go to their homes," he said in an interview with the Nation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya NCDs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Because of the virus, the use of telemedicine grew exponentially. The number of patients seen at the hospital also increased by 43 per cent, Dr Saleh said. This was likely because Kenyans who could not fly out for treatment were compelled by circumstances to seek treatment within the country. "Our patient satisfaction survey shows they were surprised they could get quality treatment here," he said. Dr Nidhi Gupta, a New Delhi-based medical facilitator who specialises in recommending hospitals and doctors to African patients, setting up appointments as well as helping with the purchase of drugs from India, agrees with Dr Sahel. Dr Gupta adds that the purchase of drug and pharmaceutical shipments has increased tenfold . "Flights are now so expensive so patients cannot afford them but many keep on placing orders for drugs," she told the Nation. Biden, Iran's Khamenei Issue Dueling Demands Amid Nuclear Talks Stalemate 02/08/21 Source: RFE/RL Iran and the United States have deepened their standoff over Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers as the leaders of both countries demanded the other side act first. U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated he will not lift sanctions to get Iran back to the negotiating table, saying Tehran must first adhere to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Asked in a CBS interview on February 7 whether he would first halt sanctions to convince Iran to return to the bargaining table, Biden offered a succinct reply: "No." The president then nodded affirmatively when asked if Iran would first have to stop enriching uranium beyond the limits permitted under the deal. Earlier, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States must lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to comply with its commitments under the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "If they want Iran to return to its commitments, the United States must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification and see if the sanctions were lifted correctly, then we will return to our commitments," Khamenei said in comments run by state TV on February 7. "It is the irreversible and final decision and all Iranian officials have consensus over it," he added. Analysts say the comments mark the first time Khamenei demanded verification of any future sanctions relief, reflecting a sensitivity over the issue after former President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew from the deal and imposed crushing sanctions on Iran. In response to Trump's withdrawal, Tehran has gradually breached the deal by building up its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, refining uranium to a higher level of purity, and using advanced centrifuges for enrichment. The dueling comments from the two leaders underscore the difficult diplomatic challenge ahead as Biden seeks to revive a key accord rejected by Trump. In addition to demanding Iran first return to compliance with the accord, the United States is seeking alongside its allies and partners to eventually reach a "longer and stronger" agreement including Iran's missile program and regional policies. Iranian officials insist the country's missile program and regional policies are off the table and that the United States should first comply with the nuclear deal, which required Iran to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. In an apparent walk-back of previous demands, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on CNN after Khamenei's remarks that receiving compensation from the United States for the cost of sanctions imposed by Washington was not a "precondition" for restoring the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, both sides are up against several deadlines. Legislation passed by Iran's parliament in December forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by February 21, including by possibly expelling UN nuclear watchdog inspectors from the country. In another interview on February 6 with an Iranian newspaper, Zarif urged Washington to act quickly to return to the nuclear deal. "Time is running out for the Americans, both because of the parliament bill and the election atmosphere that will follow the Iranian New Year," Zarif said in the interview in Hamshahri. Iran's new year usually begins on March 21 and celebrations last nearly two weeks. Iran's presidential election is in June. Moderate President Hassan Rohani isn't running again because of term limits and hard-liners that already control parliament may take control of the presidency, reducing the chances of a compromise with the United States. "The more America procrastinates, the more it will lose," Zarif said in the interview. "We don't need to return to the negotiating table. It's America that has to find the ticket to come to the table." With reporting by AFP, CBS, and Reuters Into Americas Wild 3D, the latest IMAX adventure by MacGillivray Freeman Films, celebrates how time in the outdoors can reveal as much about yourself as the world around you. Audiences can experience this virtual tour at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater beginning on Feb. 12. Officials said, "From surf-battered rainforests and big-sky plains to wind-carved desert stone and majestic mountain ranges, Mother Nature painted the geologic canvas of the United States with truly wild abandon. The history of America was written, in no small part, by people driven by the need to chase the horizons edge. But those who have spent time in nature in the rugged back country or just a nearby city park often find that this quintessentially American pursuit is as much about self-discovery as filling in the blank spaces on the map."Into Americas Wilds filmmakers say they hope it inspires viewers to embark on their own adventures after taking a whirlwind cinematic trip to incredible settings like the endlessly lush Appalachian Trail, the rugged red rock canyons of the Southwest and the wave-notched coves of the Pacific coastlines Kelp Highway.Americas wilderness is special, partly because people think they know it, and theres just so much more to discover, says Director Greg MacGillivray. We filmed all over the United States to get the beauty and the inspirational magic of Americas wild.Every time I sit down and watch one of our films in an IMAX theater, I get that same sensation I got while I was there shooting it. Thats what I want to convey to the audience: that wonder of being there.Whether theyre drifting above the desert in a hot air balloon, zip lining above Colorados Arkansas River Canyon or taking in the planet from the International Space Station, audiences are led along their journey by the unmistakable voice of Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman.What I love about these films is that they take you to places that most of us never visit, places like the wilds of Alaska or rock climbing up a 400-foot cliff in Utah or running with wild horses in Canyon de Chelly, says Mr. Freeman, who also served as narrator to MacGillivray Freemans 2018 film, Americas Musical Journey 3D. IMAX has the power to put you in these places and make you feel like youre actually there. Im excited to get to be a part of it.Although the films sweeping views of wild places are its marquee attraction, its heart and soul are undoubtedly its human leads:John Herrington is the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to serve as an astronaut. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, he was a mission specialist on STS-113 in 2002 and took part in three spacewalks amounting to about 20 hours outside Space Shuttle Endeavour.Ariel Tweto is an Alaskan bush pilot, public speaker and star of Discovery Channels Flying Wild Alaska. Full of boundless energy and optimism, she is an avid advocate for young people, particularly Alaskas indigenous youth.Jennifer Pharr Davis is a celebrated hiker who set the standing record for completing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. In 2011 at age 21, she completed the 2,608-mile journey in 46 days, an average pace of 47 miles per day. She has hiked the entire trail three times."The incredible moments the hosts experience in a parade of larger-than-life locales helps drive home the films message about how falling in love with the great outdoors can be life-altering," Mr. MacGillivray says. We set out to show North Americas infinite beauty, but the film became even more about the magic that nature can work on every one of us. Every American trail can be the spark for someone to fall in love with nature. Every trail can be the place where todays kids learn how to be tomorrows trailblazers and guardians of nature."With hiking, camping and other outdoor activities largely accepted as healthy, socially distant ways to exercise and relieve stress, the time is ripe for audiences to enjoy a heartfelt film that celebrates the restorative side effects of time spent in nature," officials said. Scientific studies have measured the positive psychological impact of time spent in the wilderness. A 2015 study by the National Academy of Science found that, compared with those who spent time exclusively in an urban setting, participants who went for walks in a natural area experienced reduced anxiety, better cognitive function and measurably lower activity in the region of the brain associated with depression. Another study by the University of Kansas and University of Utah in 2012 found that Outward Bound students who spent four days backpacking in the woods were significantly better problem solvers. The students who spent the time unshackled from their electronic devices scored 50 percent better on a creativity test than a control group. The revelations, discoveries and reflection that take place in the wild are the ultimate antidote to the perennial digital distraction of modern life, a condition some experts call nature deficit disorder. By getting kids out in the world, you can really give them a different perspective on their lives and the world around them, says Dr. Brooke Gorman, the Aquariums director of science education. Connecting with nature is important because it helps us feel grounded and more relaxed. It helps us to step away from the screens and really engage with the world around us and with each other. "Presented locally by Tennessee State Parks, Into Americas Wild 3D will fuel a passion for exploring the magnificent waterfalls, rugged hiking trails, and scenic vistas that span the state from T.O. Fuller State Park near Memphis to Roan Mountain State Park near Johnson City. With 56 state parks in Tennessee, theres an adventure for every type of outdoor enthusiast. Each park and season will offer something new to discover; from vibrant spring blooms that give way to verdant greenways and eventually fall colors and snowy scenes. Spend a night under the stars in a campground, cabin or Lodge room and experience the natural beauty of Tennessee State Parks," officials said. Beginning Feb. 12, Into Americas Wild 3D will be screened daily at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater. For more information about the film, the theaters health and safety policies or to order tickets, visit https://www.tnaqua.org/imax. This family-friendly film has a run time of 40 minutes and was produced with support from Brand USA, Expedia and United Airlines. Sanaa, Feb 8 : Yemen's Houthi militia have intensified military operations against the government-controlled oil-rich province of Marib, leaving at least 20 people killed. An official of Marib's local authority told Xinhua news agency that "the Houthis stepped up their military operations against military sites manned by the government forces in different areas of the northeastern province", reports Xinhua news agency. He said that the Houthi fighters on Sunday simultaneously launched on-ground military operations and missile attacks against the strategic Yemeni province. "The rebels advanced militarily following intense armed confrontations with the pro-government forces in Marib's southern parts," the source said. Seven Houthi fighters were captured by the pro-government forces during the battles that are still taking place sporadically in Marib, according to the official. Medical sources at Marib's public hospital confirmed to Xinhua that Sunday's "battles resulted in the killing of nearly 17 government soldiers and injuring many others". Earlier in the day, a Houthi-fired ballistic missile struck the headquarters of the 3rd Regional Military Command in the densely populated province of Marib, leaving three people dead and several others wounded. On the other hand, the Houthi-affiliated Masirah TV reported that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition carried out four airstrikes against Marib's district of Serwah. But it mentioned no further details about the group's ongoing on-ground military operations in Marib. The Houthis' military escalation in Yemen followed Washington's indication to remove the group from the terrorist list, which will reverse the decision by the previous US administration under former President Donald Trump. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. [February 08, 2021] William Danz of Clumio Recognized as 2021 CRN Channel Chief Annual list recognizes IT channel vendor executives who lead, influence and innovate Danz spearheads Clumios cloud-first/authentic SaaS channel strategy Clumio also featured in CRNs 100 Coolest Cloud Companies of 2021 as one of the 20 Coolest Cloud Storage Companies SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clumio Inc. , innovators of authentic SaaS for enterprise backup, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Clumios Director of Channels, William Danz, to its 2021 list of Channel Chiefs. The distinguished CRN Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes leading IT channel vendor executives who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation, and growth. Danz is the director of channels at Clumio, responsible for the companys overall channel strategy. He builds programs that benefit potential partners and then works to maintain these ongoing partner relationships. Prior to Clumio, he was the first channel sales manager at Pure Storage. Before Pure Storage, Danz was an early team member at Data Domain, where he served as senior channel manager and guided the channel strategy for the Western region of the U.S. and Canada. Once Data Domain was acquired by EMC, he served as the Western region channel manager for the BRS Division of EMC. Clumios mission from day one has been to harness the most modern cloud capabilities to deliver cloud native data protection for todays most demanding enterprises. Our industry, product and customer success is directly linked to our channel strategy and establishing and maintaining proactive, positive relationships with partners, said Brian OShea, vice president of sales, Clumio. As the architect of Clumios award-winning channel strategy, Bill has met and exceeded these strategy and relationship objectives. His CRN Channel Chief designation is well-deserved, and our team is pleased Bill is being honored for his influence and vision in the channel. The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs, and partnerships. All honorees are seleced by CRNs editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates. CRNs 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industrys biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success. CRNs 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs . In addition, Clumio was also featured in CRNs 100 Coolest Cloud Companies of 2021 as one of the 20 Coolest Cloud Storage Companies. Additional Resources About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com. About Clumio Clumio Inc. is the innovator of authentic SaaS for enterprise backup. Using this secure service, organizations eliminate hardware and software for on-premise backup and avoid the complexity and cost of running third-party backup software in the cloud. As enterprises move aggressively to cloud, they use Clumio to protect workloads like VMware Cloud on AWS, AWS native services, and SaaS. Born in the public cloud, Clumio can leverage the most modern cloud services to ensure it meets the current and future backup requirements of the most demanding enterprises. For more information, visit: www.clumio.com . 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Clumio is a registered trademarks of Clumio Inc. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-Clumio websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites. Media Contacts: Christian Bateman Head of Global Communications, Clumio press@clumio.com Danielle Salvato-Earl Offleash PR for Clumio clumio@offleashpr.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5fa7b71f-18cf-4b3c-87fa-6ebc7e0abde4 DFI likely to be set up with IIFCL's paid-up capital of Rs 10,000 crore A new government-owned development finance institution (DFI) is likely to be set up with India Infrastructure Finance Companys (IIFCLs) paid-up capital of Rs 10,000 crore and an equivalent amount from budgetary support. It may have a lower minimum capital adequacy ratio of 9 per cent, compared to 12-15 per cent for non-banking financial companies. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act and the Banking Regulation Act may be amended to set up the DFI for enabling it access to a line of credit, according to the draft Cabinet note, said sources. Read More in the final leg of talks to buy out Embassy Industrial Parks US-based private equity (PE) giant is in the final leg of talks to buy out PE major Warburg Pincus and Bengaluru-based property developer Embassy from their warehousing joint venture (JV), known as Embassy Industrial Parks, said sources in the know. Though the JV was looking to monetise the business at an enterprise value of Rs 1,700-1,900 crore in an earlier round of talks with investors last year, the deal could happen close to the price range, said sources. Read More Corporate air travel takes wing on economic revival, low Covid-19 cases The travel sector is seeing demand from companies returning, with bookings expected to reach nearly 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels in the current quarter. Online travel portals and airlines say the demand from companies is being led by essential services sectors like pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and power. Information technology (IT) and consulting are yet to resume travel like before, but travel firms and airlines expect the situation to get better as vaccination picks up in India and globally. Read More Uttarakhand Floods: 4 Hydropower units face damage, other dams on alert Over 150 people are feared dead due to a flash flood, following a glacier coming apart and an avalanche on the Alaknanda river in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. The accident caused damages to four hydropower projects in the area. Local reports suggested workers of the NTPC-owned Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower plant were stuck in it owing to the flash flood, but 16 of them have been rescued. Statements from the state government said a glacier broke in Joshimath. Read More KKR-backed JB Chemicals scouts for acquisitions, plans to revamp business KKR-backed JB Chemicals, the owner of marquee brands such as Rantac and Metrogyl, is scouting for acquisitions of a portfolio of brands, or a company altogether. After the Mody family sold the company to private equity player KKR last year, the new management is trying to revamp the business. With the former Cipla head at the helm, JB Chemicals now plans to diversify into paediatrics and respiratory. Read More Tata Projects aims to close FY21 with a top line of Rs 12,000 crore Tata Projects is aiming to close the current financial year with a top line of Rs 12,000 crore and is bullish on growth in the next year (FY22). Himanshu Chaturvedi, chief strategy officer at Tata Projects, told Business Standard the firm was expected to close the financial year with an order book of Rs 55,000-60,000 crore. This will be spread largely across urban infrastructure projects. This year, we are expecting our order backlog to end around Rs 55,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore." Read More Cement firms set to report volume growth despite price moderation With the Budget laying thrust on infrastructure, affordable housing and roads to fuel economic growth, the domestic cement industry is poised for a volume surge, albeit at a gradual pace, amid a moderate rise in prices. The Budget announcements augur well for the cement industry but it will take time for money to get absorbed in the ground. Read Morw PhonePe retains top position with 42% UPI market share in January Walmart-backed PhonePe has, once again, emerged the top Unified Payment Interface (UPI) app in January, with 968.72 million transactions worth Rs 1.91 trillion, accounting for 42 per cent of the UPI market alone, the data put out by Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) shows. In January, on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, PhonePe saw its transactions go up by a little over 7 per cent and their value nearly 5 per cent. This is the second time in a row that PhonePe has bagged top position. Read More The University of Alabama at Birmingham has removed the name of four-term governor and presidential candidate George C. Wallace from a campus building over his support of racial segregation. A resolution was unanimously approved by the the University of Alabama System on Friday, to rename the former George C. Wallace Building to the Physical Education Building. The resolution noted that Wallace rose to power by defending racial separation and stoking racial animosity. It added that even though Wallace eventually renounced his racist policies, his name remains a symbol of racial injustice for many. George C. Wallace is having his name removed from a building on the UAB campus Going forward, the building pictured will now be known as the Physical Education Building Removing Wallace's name from the structure, which was named after him in 1975, 'is simply the right things to do,' trustee John England Jr. said in a statement. Wallace vowed 'segregation forever' at his 1963 inaugural and was paralyzed in an assassination attempt while running for president in 1972. After the assassination attempt, he underwent physical therapy at the UAB Health Systems Spain Rehabilitation Center. He has a 'complex legacy' that includes his apology to the late Rep. John Lewis, who was beaten by Alabama state troopers while trying to march for voting rights in Selma, England said. 'That said, his stated regret late in life did not erase the effects of the divisiveness that continue to haunt the conscience and reputation of our state,' he said. Wallace was elected to his fourth term as governor in 1982 with support from Black voters and died in 1998. Multiple buildings around the state bear his name. An online petition urged Auburn University to rename a building honoring Wallace last year as protests against police killings and racial injustice swept across the nation, but no action was taken. Judge John England Jr., a trustee at UAB, helped to announce the unanimous decision Wallace also helped block the entrance to the University of Alabama, which was trying to integrate at the time. Wallace's rise to power was linked to his stoking of racial tensions Wallace's son George Wallace Jr. wrote an open letter opposing such a move, which he said would fail to recognize his change late in life. Wallace's daughter Peggy Wallace Kennedy, in a statement released by UAB, expressed support for change on the Birmingham campus. 'It is important to the university to always seek positive and meaningful change for the betterment of students, faculty and the community,' she said. According to AL.com, the building was initially named after Wallace on July 14, 1975 to honor his 'substantial support, interest, and contributions to the University of Alabama in Birmingham.' Amid the racial reckoning brought on by the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many communities and universities have been reevaluating names and statues linked to historical figures with racist views. Amid the racial reckoning brought on by the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many communities and universities have been reevaluating names and statues linked to historical figures with racist views. Pictured: Crews remove statue of Confederate soldier Matthew Fontaine Maury in Virginia Pictured: Workers in Virginia remove General Robert E. Lee statue from a collection Several schools bearing the name of Robert E. Lee have changed their name and statues of Lee have been toppled or removed throughout the country. A statue of Stonewall Jackson was removed in Virginia, while a statue of Jefferson Davis was taken down in Kentucky. In Virginia, Washington and Lee University is exploring the possibility of changing their name and symbols on campus. The Washington Redskins also ditched their name and the Cleveland Indians are set to follow suit. All of these name changes come as governments and institutions aim to stop celebrating racist figures and start promoting a more unified message with communities that have felt left out by the hailing of white men of the past. New Delhi, Feb 8 : A last chance for UPSC aspirants, who exhausted all attempts in the exam last October amid the Covid-19 pandemic, is turning into complex issue. After the Centre agreed to one extra attempt for Civil Service Examination (CSE), specifically limited to CSE-2021, the Supreme Court on Monday sought to know if it is possible to give relaxation in age to these candidates. A bench headed by Justice A. M. Khanwilkar told Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the Centre, that these are extraordinary circumstances, and the government should not be rigid. Agreeing to the final attempt, the Centre had said: "Relaxation, only to the extent of providing one extra attempt for Civil Service Examination (CSE), specifically limited to CSE-2021, may be granted to only those candidates who appeared for CSE-2020 as their last permissible attempt and are otherwise not age-barred from appearing in CSE-2021." The top court, however, pressed that government should consider giving age-relaxation as a one-time measure. The Centre had told the top court that no relaxation can be granted for CSE-2021 to those candidates who have not exhausted their permissible number of attempts or to those candidates who are otherwise age-barred from appearing in CSE-2021 as per the prescribed age limits of different categories, or to any other candidate for any other reason whatsoever. In the context of this stand taken by the Centre, senior advocate P.S. Narsimha, representing one intervenor, argued if anyone which requires consideration, it is the age barred group. Senior advocate C.U. Singh, appearing for a petitioner, argued that if all the 2,236 candidates had lost their last chance last year are age-barred, and if it is not relaxed, all SC/ST candidates, handicapped candidates would be excluded and for this category of candidates, there is no limit in number of attempts. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing some petitioners, also pressed upon the issue of age bar relaxation. During the arguments, the bench observed that if it allows this now, then a pattern may emerge for another examination. But Divan argued why somebody who faced the similar difficulties amid the pandemic be denied the benefit of extra chance due to age. Centre's counsel argued that if age relaxation is given in this matter, then other candidates may also come. After a detailed hearing in the matter, the bench asked Centre to explore a way out through age relaxation. Centre's counsel asked the top court to adjourn the matter till Tuesday, as he would like to seek instructions from the authorities concerned. The bench will continue to hear the matter on Tuesday. Technology Services Private Limited, reported its revenues for financial year 2019-20 as Rs 432 crore, a 12 per cent jump since the last financial year. The company further reported a net loss of Rs 77 crore during the same fiscal. This is 41 per cent increase from the last financial year, showed regulatory documents sourced from business intelligence platform Tofler. The Bengaluru-based mobile ad networks total expenses for the fiscal were reported as Rs 508 crore. The foreign exchange earnings for the firm was Rs 222 crore compared to Rs 240 crore in the previous financial year. The operations of the company comprise export revenue contributing to approximately 54 per cent compared to 63 per cent in the previous financial year. The company has a payable amount of about Rs 102 crore and receivable amount of around Rs 19 crore in foreign currency outstanding in excess of the period specified by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), according to the documents. This is related to the import and export of goods and services. The management is in the process of approaching the relevant regulatory authorities for condonation of the delays and the potential impact pursuant to non-compliance is not ascertainable, according to the documents. The firms financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, not withstanding the fact that it has net loss of Rs 77 crore during the year and a negative networth of Rs 194 crore, according to the documents. As the year ends, excluding the holding companys ( Pte Ltd, Singapore) balances, the firms current assets exceeded its current liabilities. The holding company undertakes to provide unconditional financial and other support to the firm for the foreseeable future and not to call for settlement of any amount that the firm owes to it. became Indias first unicorn when it received an investment of $200 million from SoftBank in 2011. InMobi Goup now runs businesses such as area of advertising, mobile-first content platform Glance and data management platform TruFactor. Last December, Glance, the worlds leading lock-screen platform, raised $145 million from technology giant Google and Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiels Mithril Capital, an existing investor in the company. The new financing round helped the 18-month-old Glance to become the fastest company to reach unicorn status or a start-up valued at more than $1 billion, revealed industry sources. Glance delivers AI-driven personalised content in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bahasa on the lock screen of Android smartphones. With more than 115 million daily active users, who spend 25 minutes per day, Glance is one of the largest digital consumer platforms in the world. ABOVE: Remembering Jimmy Olsen himself, the gay actor Jack Larson, on his b'day. Do call it a comeback! (Image via Australian Men's Health) AUSTRALIAN MEN'S HEALTH: Chris Hemsworth is covering Australian Men's Health's Comeback Issue. First, a kiss (Images via video still) SCREEN RANT: Lucas Koka Penteado and Gilbert Noguieria shared the first-ever gay kiss on Big Brother Brazil and then one of them self-evicted. WAPO: Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Alabama) is now the fourth Republican in the Senate to announce he won't run in 2022. YOUTUBE: John Fetterman, currently the Democratic lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, is officially running for the Senate seat of his state. THE HILL: New COVID-19 cases have dropped below 100K for the first time in 2021. Yay! (Oh, that's daily.) YOUTUBE: President Biden, in his Super Bowl interview, said he hopes the Super Bowl in a year will be back to normal but cautioned that herd immunity via vaccinations by summer is going to be tough. Democrats are choosing teachers unions and special interests over the well-being of our students. The CDC says schools can safely re-open if proper precautions are taken. What are we waiting for? pic.twitter.com/1dqLlxzZMU Ron Wright (@RepRonWright) February 5, 2021 HUFF POST: Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who had battled lung cancer, announced he had a mild case of COVID-19 in January. In February, he has an acute case of death. Meanwhile, his social media staff was pushing anti-lockdown B.S. within 48 hours of his impending death. GUARDIAN: The two gay men Russia returned to Chechnya were already facing certain death. Now, Chechnya is accusing them of terrorism. KENNETH IN THE (212): Recovering rentboy. Ryan, Alexandra Grey & Jake Borelli (Image by Easton Schirra for Out) OUT: More from Ryan O'Connell (of Netflix's Special) on how he intends to share the stories of queer disabled people. She knows it was a bad, bad, bad idea ... (Image via video still) NYT: The life of Gorilla Glue Girl. ATTITUDE: David Beckham is taking millions to become the face of ... anti-gay Qatar. Classifying a death as suicide may be easiest for medical examiners and coroners in the western United States, which reports the highest suicide rates officially. Suicide by firearm is the leading method there, and usually clear in terms of evidence. By contrast, suicides by drug overdose, spurred primarily by the opioid epidemic in the remainder of the country, are less obvious to investigators. But a new West Virginia University-led injury mortality study combines most drug overdose deaths with all suicides into an expanded self-injury category. Exposing a mental health crisis that has unraveled across the United States over the past two decades, study data have direct implications for suicide prevention efforts. Ian Rockett, professor emeritus of epidemiology in the WVU School of Public Health, spearheaded the research that examined fatal self-injury in the United States from 1999 to 2018. Measuring self-injury mortality (SIM)--suicides plus estimated "non-suicide" drug self-intoxication deaths--circumvents suicide misclassification and more accurately accounts for fatal self-injuries. "Broadening the definition of SIM to encompass most drug overdose deaths, even if they don't meet the standards used by medical examiners and coroners to classify them as suicides, shows the whole nation is afflicted by a mental health crisis," Rockett said. "On the other hand, if we only represent SIM by registered suicides, this crisis misleadingly appears concentrated in western states." Rockett, also adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, elaborated on differences in suicide classification between regions. "Suicides likely have been easiest to detect in the west because the leading method is shooting and it is highly lethal," he said. "The remainder of the country has been more severely affected by the opioid epidemic through the opening decades of the 21st century. Our previous research indicating substantial overlap with a more hidden suicide epidemic, led me to develop SIM in collaboration with a very talented group of multidisciplinary researchers and practitioners about six or seven years ago. That the suicide epidemic was most pronounced in the west and the opioid epidemic elsewhere in the nation -- West Virginia stands out -- motivated us to look at SIM versus suicide rates across the country as a whole and across time." The findings appear in Lancet's EClinicalMedicine. Other WVU researchers joining Rockett on the study were Brian Hendricks, research assistant professor of epidemiology, and James Berry, chair of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry. The research team tapped into cause-of-death data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research. After broadening the SIM definition, they found the national annual average percentage change in the SIM rate was 4.3% versus 1.8% for the suicide rate. By 2017-2018, all states except Nebraska posted a SIM rate of at least 21 deaths per 100,000 population. All located in the west, only five states had a rate that high in 1999-2000. "Despite victims sharing many common risk factors, suicide and drug overdose deaths tend to be treated separately in the scientific literature, media, health care system, and by funding agencies and prevention programs," Rockett said. "Among these risk factors are unemployment, family discord, unmanaged and mismanaged physical pain, and various psychiatric disorders that include alcohol and other substance use disorders. "While most people dying by overdose may not have intended to die, they were engaging in repetitive, intentional, self-injurious behaviors that they understood markedly increased their chances of dying prematurely. Calling these deaths 'accidents' (the forensic classification most often used in the U.S.) or 'unintentional' (the term used by the CDC) mischaracterizes what occurred, even if consistent with the classification criteria used by medical examiners and coroners." Early data indicate the COVID-19 pandemic is making the national mental health crisis worse. "Opioid and other drug-overdose deaths continue to rise in spite of medical efforts to make life-saving medications for opioid use disorder available to patients and communities," said co-author Hilary Connery, from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Many persons suffering drug use disorders become hopeless--they relapse frequently, continue to experience relationship losses, health consequences, and economic instability, and they frequently suffer other mental disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders. We know that people with addiction have 10 times the rate of suicide compared to those without addiction." Another of Rockett's co-investigators, Eric Caine, professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, underscored that this work has major implications for future suicide prevention efforts. It is especially important to deploy programs "upstream" when groups and individuals can be helped with fundamentally distressing problems long before they ever become suicidal, he said. Recognizing a patient's full story - risk factors, long-term health history, socioeconomic experiences - is key to providing lifesaving, comprehensive care. "Ultimately it is less about 'classifying suicide' and more about understanding that suicide and overdose fatalities reflect common social and psychological risk factors that were present long before death," Caine said. "There are large groups of persons in our country who have suffered adverse early life experiences, family and social turmoil, economic hardships and life disappoints, as well chronic ailments; many die prematurely. Our goal must be to eliminate or mitigate those circumstances. Separating these groups using misclassified or misleading postmortem labels does little to enhance prevention. We need to focus on the lives of persons in these groups long before they get close to dying if we aspire to overcome these tragic losses of life." ### Citation: doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100741 NHLANGANO Following the unresolved cases of missing children, a community has contributed E25 000 to pay a prophet who wants to assist them find a minors who went missing a year ago. The child went missing at Mpatheni in Hlatikhulu and he was three years old. The minor had been left by his mother together with two other children as she went to pick firewood in a bush. The mother was later reported to have called out the two other children to come and assist her with the firewood. After about 10 minutes, they returned back to find the three-year-old missing. The community has been contributing the money after being informed that the prophet could assist them locate the minor. The money was handed over to the prophet last Wednesday. Justice By Saturday, it was stated that the prophet had pointed out a spot where a black goat had been buried as means to defeat the ends of justice in the case. The goat was dug out and it was in a pink sack. In the same grave was a big black cloth and six long nails. Following the discovery, the prophet is said to be busy with other rituals to locate the minor, who is believed to have passed on. The prophet is said to have told the community members that the suspects would, individually, confess to the crimes once they find the remains of the child. It was stated that the prophet has shown them where the child was buried. However, one of the implicated people, believed to be a law enforcer, is alleged to have stopped the community members while they were on their way to where the minor is alleged to have been buried. This is when we got to learn that they had informants among us. Also, the prophets car was stopped by unknown people on his way back after the directive from the officer to stop, narrated one Nzima who spoke on behalf of the community members. He stated that more than anything, they contributed the money because they wanted the people to be exposed, especially because with four other children of the area who went missing, fingers were being pointed to the same people. Investigations He said the worst part was that police investigations never yielded positive results each time there was a missing person in the area. A close family member who identified himself as Musa Ndlangamandla stated that they wanted closure on the whereabouts of the minor. He stated that though it was hard, they had accepted that the child was murdered as it has been the case with other missing children in the area. We wish to at least get his remains so that he could be buried properly, he said. The prophet requested not to comment on the issue as he claimed it was against his work ethic. Information sourced from the community members was that the child in question was the fourth to go missing in the area. Two have not been found to date while the others were discovered dead. Also, the two minors who went missing at Buseleni in Nyanyali on Christmas Eve are still missing. Police have not arrested any suspects so far. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni said the child was still missing. She requested members of the public to inform them should they have information on the whereabouts of the child or information that would assist in the case. Mnguni said there never gets to be a time when a random officer of the law would order people to stop when doing something. If the police have a communication to pass through to the community, the officer handling the case would be the relevant person to do so, she said. Feb. 8, 1952 Elizabeth proclaimed Queen of Britain On a chilly Friday in February, Princess Elizabeth was formally proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom following the death of her father, King George VI. George VI died on Feb. 6 in his sleep at Sandringham House. He was 56. With the death of her father, Elizabeth, along with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, returned from Africa. Upon her arrival, as Queen, she traveled to Sandringham to be with her family. At 11 a.m. on Feb. 8, Garter King of Arms, Sir George Bellew, emerged onto a balcony at St. James Palace and read the proclamation that the princess was now the sovereign. When he read God Save the Queen, trumpets sounded and the band of the Coldstream Guard played the God Save the Queen. At the completion of the anthem, guns were used to salute the news. At Tower Hill a salute of 62 guns was given. In Hyde Park a salute of 41 guns, and at Woolwich a salute of 21 guns. Following the artillery salutes, Queen Elizabeth II released an address. Her words: My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than that I shall always work, as my father did throughout his reign to uphold constitutional government and to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples, spread as they are all the world over. I pray that God will help me to discharge worthily this heavy task that has been laid upon me so early in my life. City payroll hits all-time high Officials with the city of Scranton announced that the citys payroll had reached an all-time high. The total amount of the citys first payroll for the year for its 800 employees was $105,319.43. This pay included a 10% pay increase for all city employees. The payroll was expected to increase in May when a city paving project started because street department workers were paid hourly. For your Valentine Heart boxes filled with chocolates, 1 pound was $1.75, 2 pounds was $2.50 or 2 pounds in a satin heart-shaped box was $3.75, Mary Parker blousettes were $2.95, Sheila June blouses were $2.95, washable sheer dresses were $8.95, Barbizon body contour lingerie was $2.29, pigskin gloves were $3.88 a pair, Valentine greeting cards were priced between 5 cents and $1 each. With the increasing number of Khap panchayats in Haryana lending their support to the ongoing agitation of farmers, the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) is feeling the heat as the Jat community is calling for the withdrawal of support to the BJP-led M L Khattars government. The farmers union leaders have been organising mahapanchayats across the State to garner support for the agitation. The latest one was on Sunday at Charkhi Dadri, where a call was given to intensify the agitation in Haryana. The JJP draws its support from the Jat vote bank and its success in the last years elections was attributed to Dushyant Chautala's close connection with the community. But several meetings of Khap panchayats being held across the State are giving the leadership some anxious moments. There numbers are big and since JJPs core voters are from the Jats, its understandable that Dushyant Chautala is feeling the pressure, said a leader. What has made it even worse for Chautala is the resignation of his uncle and lone INLD legislator Abhay Chautala about a fortnight back in support of the farmers. Those who put up Chaudhary Devi Lals pictures, if they do not resign at this time, they are a blot on Chaudhary Devi Lals image, Abhay said, while daring his nephew to walk out of the coalition with the BJP. Even a few independent MLAs have earlier withdrawn their support for the BJP over the agitation. Though the coalition government still has the numbers, the increasing groundswell of support for the agitation against the farm laws was giving jitters to the ruling alliance. Khap panchayats have been holding frequent meetings ever since the agitation focus has shifted from Singhu and Tikri borders to Ghazipur. Some members of the JJP seem to be crumbling under pressure and are giving up their positions in the party to extend their support to the agitating farmers. Dushyant Chautala has remained unfazed so far maintaining that he would quit only if the Centre touches the minimum support price (MSP) in the State. The day the Central government goes back on its word of tinkering with the MSP we will withdraw support and walk out of the government, Dushyant Chautala told his party members at a recent meeting. Haryana is the only state in the country that offers the MSP on 23 crops including paddy, wheat, sorghum, millet, maize, moong, groundnut and soybean. Though Chautala has been assured of MSP not going to be affected, some of his party leaders are not too convinced about these assurances and they claim that the bait was just a way to keep the government in the State afloat. With Rakesh Tikait, a prominent Jat leader, who is now one of the central characters spearheading the agitation, the pressure is now on the community and its leaders to show a united front and back the farmers. It remains to be seen on how Chautala and his party would continue to resist the pressure. A woman flew into a rage and called police 'f***ing pigs' after they pepper sprayed a group of teens who were allegedly fighting each other. The woman filmed the aftermath on Stewart Lane in Bankstown, western Sydney, on Wednesday. A young boy is seen clutching his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. His friends huddle around him to help, one carrying a bottle of milk, which is used to reduce the burn from pepper spray. A police officer is seen walking away before the woman calls out to him. 'Oi, imagine pepper spraying a 14-year-old you f***ing pig,' she says. A young boy is seen clutching his face, tears streaming down his cheeks following the incident at Bankstown, in western Sydney, on Wednesday The police officer walks back to the woman and responds: 'Watch your language' The police officer walks back to the woman and responds: 'Watch your language.' 'You're a pig,' the woman persists. 'You don't touch a frail 14-year-old.' 'You don't know the full story,' the police officer says. 'Walk away.' He tries to get in a few more words, though the woman speaks over him. 'You don't pepper spray a 14-year-old. Look at him,' she says. 'You pepper sprayed a 14-year-old. You're an actual pig. You're a pig.' The police officer walks back to his car as the boys and woman follow him. Video of the incident was uploaded to TikTok where social media users jumped in to defend the police officer. 'My respect for the police officer,' one person commented. Another person said: 'Cops don't pepper spray people for no reason.' The police officer walks back to his car as the boys and woman follow after him 'We need the truth to judge,' another person said. 'We need the full story.' NSW Police said officers had been called to Bankstown Railway Station following reports a group of teens were fighting. 'A number of teens initially refused to comply with directions and were verbally abusing the officers,' a spokesperson said. 'OC Spray was deployed, and the group dispersed. No arrests were made; however, one teen was issued a formal warning.' A 6-year-old boy and a man in his 20s were shot at an outdoor church event Sunday, police said. The man, believed to be 24 or 25, was pulling up to the Greater Faith Institutional Church at 3514 Martin Luther King Drive with the boy and his girlfriend in the car when the shooter approached them and fired multiple rounds, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. The man was hospitalized in critical condition. The boy was hit in the shoulder but is going to be OK, McManus said. McManus said the assailant, who left the scene on foot with no shoes on, had been waiting in the church parking lot for the man to arrive. This was not a random shooting, McManus said. This is just uncalled-for insanity, that someone would be brazen enough to do this, on a Sunday afternoon at a church event. Thats pretty much unheard of and we are going to stop at nothing to capture this individual, he said. A few hours earlier, at about 9 a.m., a man drove through the parking lot at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church at 233 East Summit Ave., where parishioners were gathered for Mass. The man was giving the crowd vulgar gestures and forced several people, including children, to jump out of the way, police said. The man drove off and was arrested later near his home, charged with several counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Andy.Picon@hearst.com Telugu film star Allu Arjun's vanity van was hit by a container lorry in Khammam district in Telangana and the driver and an attendant who were travelling in the vehicle escaped unhurt, police said on Sunday. The van suffered minor damage when the lorry coming from behind rammed into it at Satyanarayanapuram on Saturday. Neither the actor nor his makeup team were in the vanity van when the incident happened, a police official said. Besides the driver, an attendant was in the vehicle which was returning here from a film shoot. Based on the van driver's complaint, a case was registered against the container lorry's driver, the official added. Arjun was recently in Andhra Pradesh in connection with shooting of his upcoming film Pushpa. Also Read : Pushpa Shoot Update: Makers Of Allu Arjun Starrer Announce Wrap Up Of Two Hectic Schedules Also Read : Allu Arjun Wishes Cousin Varun Tej On His Birthday; Says 'Ghani Punch Is Superb' Ex-Parler CEO Says He Didnt Want Deal With Trump Former Parler CEO John Matze said in a new interview that he didnt want to work directly with former President Donald Trump while still with the social media company. I didnt like the idea of working with Trump, because he might have bullied people inside the company to do what he wanted, Matze said on Axios on HBO. But I was worried that if we didnt sign the deal, he might have been vengeful and told his followers to leave Parler. Trump never appeared to join Parler before it was removed from Amazon Web Services in January, shortly after Parler showed an explosion of growth due to Twitter banning Trump and other conservatives. Trump also hasnt joined Gab, another primary competitor to Twitter. Trump didnt immediately respond to a request for comment through his political action committee. Matze reportedly met with Trump campaign officials last year to discuss a deal that would give Trumps company a stake in Parler. Trumps campaign didnt immediately return an inquiry. Matze told Axios that he did meet with campaign officials at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps private club, and that the meeting was arranged by Parler investor Jeffrey Wernick. President Donald Trump returns to the White House in Washington on March 25, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Parler in a lawsuit against Amazon alleged the company was aware of public speculation that Trump would likely switch to Parler after being banned by Twitter. Parler told a judge that a delay in granting a temporary restraining order against Amazons decision to kick Parler off its servers could sound Parlers death knell as President Trump and others move on to other platforms. Because there was a widespread public expectation that President Trump would join the Parler platform after being expelled from Twitter, there was a very real possibility that Parlers estimated value might soon rise to several billions of dollars, Matze wrote in a court filing last month. Parler also asserted that Amazon apparently wanted to support the effort in some circles to deny any meaningful social media platform to Trump, while at the same time protecting its major client, Twitter, from the economic fallout of Trumps moving from Twitter to a competitor. Amazon didnt directly address the matter in court. The judge in the case ruled against Parlers request for a temporary restraining order. The overarching case is still ongoing. The last move was on Jan. 28, when the judge said Parler would file an amended complaint no later than Feb. 16, and Amazon would have until March 22 to respond. Matze was terminated from his role at Parler, he announced last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in the Rajya Sabha today and will reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovinds address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to speak in the Rajya Sabha at 10:30 am in reply to the Motion of Thanks to Presidents address. The first six sittings of Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget session have proved productive with the House recording productivity of 82.10 percent. During the sittings, the House witnessed a 15-hour debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in the upper House. India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for world. This increases our self-confidence: PM in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/4drTd0LbLJ ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 As per the set norms, the Prime Minister speaks in both the Houses Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha while making an intervening in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address. However, the opposition parties are protesting in the Lok Sabha over the farm laws due to which the proceedings are washed away. No discussion could take place in the Lok Sabha. Our democracy is not a western institution. It's a human institution. India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 democracies in ancient India. Today it's essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/54ogmFvlt9 ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 In Rajya Sabha, over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. The PM started off by expressing his gratitude to the MPs. Also read: PM Modi slams global conspiracy to defame India, Twitters India Public Policy Director Mahima Kaul resigns The PM said, India is the land of opportunities. We are entering 75th year of Independence. We should celebrate it as the year of inspiration. He added, The whole world is facing many challenges. Hardly anyone would have thought that mankind would have to go through such a difficult period. The country which was counted in Third World is developing Covid vaccine for the world. It is a proud moment for the country that the largest inoculation drive is being conducted in this country. #WATCH LIVE: PM Modi replies in Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents Address.(Source: Rajya Sabha TV) https://t.co/FkIpRmd9kN ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Also read: Uttarakhand Glacier Disaster: ITBP rescues all 16 people trapped in tunnel near Tapovan New travel rules came into force at the beginning of the year (Matt Crossick/PA) Musicians are facing the loss of an entire continent as a venue, an MP has said. Giles Watling, the Conservative MP for Clacton, Essex, said the music industry is facing the double whammy of the impact of coronavirus and new post-Brexit restrictions on touring. His comments came in a debate sparked by more than 280,000 people signing a petition calling for a cultural work permit deal to be reached. Expand Close More than 280,000 people signed a petition calling for a cultural work permit deal to be reached (Martin Rickett/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp More than 280,000 people signed a petition calling for a cultural work permit deal to be reached (Martin Rickett/PA) New travel rules that came into force at the beginning of the year do not guarantee visa-free travel for UK musicians in the EU. The Government has previously said the EU rejected its proposals which would have allowed musicians to travel more freely around its 27-member states, however MPs have called for the issue to be looked at again. Mr Watling told the Petitions Committee music is a great deployment of UK soft power. He added: Our performers are now facing a double whammy of an industry devastated by Covid and the loss of an entire continent as a venue. We must continue to raise this issue with our EU neighbours. Expand Close Musicians said performers have been shamefully failed by new visa rules (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Musicians said performers have been shamefully failed by new visa rules (Niall Carson/PA) Former Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman told the committee the issue is so important in so many ways, culturally as well as financially. It is not a Brexit teething problem, she told the Petitions Committee. It will be enduring unless it is sorted out. Ms Harman added: Those musicians just starting out will be unable to do the tours they have to do to get their careers off the ground. Many at the pinnacle of their careers will feel they have no option but to base themselves abroad, which will be a terrible loss to this country, and many of those who currently make a great contribution to music will find it is no longer viable for them and they will give up and change career. Later today, MPs will discuss a petition on arrangements for UK touring professionals & artists in the EU, led by Chair @CatMcKinnell.@cj_dinenage will respond for the Government. Watch from 4.30pm: https://t.co/1uDXoONnTg Find out more: https://t.co/WvpXTBUTtW pic.twitter.com/2k1AJmwgjf Petitions Committee (@HoCpetitions) February 8, 2021 Labour MP Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) said the issue needs to be resolved in the coming months. Live music has had such a terrible year and if this isnt sorted out by the summer, it will just be rubbing salt into the wounds, she told the committee. Responding for the Government, Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage told the committee the debate was on an important issue. As a Government we will engage with bilateral partners to find ways to make life easier for those working in the creative industries in countries across the EU, she added. Last month Sir Elton John, Roger Waters and Ed Sheeran were among more than 100 musicians who criticised the Government in a letter which said performers have been shamefully failed by new visa rules. Last week Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the EU must budge to end the absurd and self-defeating obstacles facing UK-based musicians wishing to tour Europe post-Brexit. The likely faster-spreading variant of COVID-19 first detected in South Africa has arrived in the Houston area, according to Houston Methodist Hospital. The hospital system said it found the regions first case of the troubling strain on Saturday while sequencing the genomes of positive test results. It also found two cases of the variant first discovered in the United Kingdom. The first U.K. variant case in the Houston area was confirmed in early January. Early evidence has shown that both variants may spread faster than the currently predominant strain. More than 600 cases of the U.K. strain have been reported in 33 states, while Texas becomes only the fourth state to confirm a case involving the South African variant, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Maryland has three cases, South Carolina has two and Virginia has one. The infected person is a Fort Bend County man, who tested positive weeks ago and has recovered from the illness, said Dr. Jacquelyn Johnson Minter, director of Fort Bend Countys Health & Human Services Department. The patient had traveled domestically in December before his diagnosis and grew ill a few days after his return to Fort Bend. His household members have tested negative, and he did not work while infected so there was no exposure at his job, Minter said. Still, Minter said she would not be surprised to learn the South Africa variant was spreading through the community. I think its important to note that this event occurred several weeks ago and, basically, what weve been doing all along will continue to protect us as we wait for our turn with the vaccine, Minter said. We continue to wear our masks, we continue to distance, and we continue to practice good hand hygiene. That will protect us from COVID, whatever variant we come in contact with. The U.K. variant cases involved two Houston men, one of whom is in his 50s and now is hospitalized with the virus. Dr. David Persse, the Houston health authority, said the latter cases are evidence that the U.K. strain is here and spreading through the community, and they serve as a reminder to remain vigilant. He said contact tracers have not been able to tie new cases to them yet, but they are more recent than the Fort Bend County case. Health workers have found very low levels of the U.K. variant in the citys wastewater sampling program, he added. The bottom line is, and this is really no surprise, the U.K. variant was not just that one case a month ago found in Harris County, Persse said. That gentleman likely got infected here. Its here. Its now popping up on the Methodist radars, its now popping up in hospitals, its now popping up in the wastewater. Dr. Wesley Long, who works with the Methodist sequencing effort, said there is no evidence from the clinical trials of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that they are less effective against the variants, especially the U.K. strain. The CDC has said some preliminary evidence shows the Moderna vaccine may be less effective, but more study is needed. Long said there is also limited evidence that certain other vaccines and therapies that target the spike protein of COVID-19 may be less effective against the South African variant, though they still should provide benefits to most people. South Africa recently halted its use of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford after evidence emerged showing it did not protect against mild or moderate illness from the variant. The CDC says rigorous and increased compliance with mitigation strategies such as social distancing and wearing masks is needed to combat the spread of the virus. These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19, the CDC warns on its website. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths. Rebecca Fischer, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Texas A&M University, said news of the variants arrival underscores the need to regain vigilance in practicing mitigation strategies. The new strains have grown to dominate the pandemic in parts of Europe, she said, and the CDC has predicted that likely will be the case in the United States, as well. We should be doing things differently. We should be doing all the things that public health guidance has told us to do all along, Fischer said, noting that people have not followed them effectively enough. These new variants are potentially the tip of the iceberg if we dont get the spread under control. People need to ensure they are wearing their masks, keeping their distance and moving gatherings outdoors if they are held at all, Fischer said. They also must understand that many people who do not know they have the virus are spreading it. This really comes down to every person taking responsibility for their actions, Fischer said. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com twitter.com/dylmcguinness Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. 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[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Party members at a village of Xibaipo, an old revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Hebei Province, to unite and work hard with the local people for a better life. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when writing back on Sunday to the CPC members of Beizhuang Village in Xibaipo Township, Pingshan County. It was in this village where the revolutionary song "Unity is Strength" was first sung 78 years ago, before spreading to the rest of the country, Xi noted. He said he was pleased that the Party members have led villagers there to pass down the revolutionary spirit, unite as one and work hard, and shake off poverty. "Unity is strength, which is as strong as iron and steel," Xi said. The history of the CPC, over the past hundred years, has seen the Party uniting and leading the people to strive for a better life, of which Xibaipo-based cadres and people have a deeper understanding, Xi said. Xi expressed hope that Party members there could better unite local people on the journey to fully building a modern socialist China. In June 1943, the opera "Unity is Strength" and the eponymous song were created and premiered at Beizhuang Village. Party members there recently wrote to Xi, briefing him on the achievements local people, inspired by the song, had made in poverty reduction and expressing their determination to lead their fellow residents toward rural vitalization and a better life. There have been 11 cases of the South African variant of Covid-19 detected in Ireland. The news comes as the Department of Health confirmed today six further deaths and 829 more cases of the virus. Health chiefs have said they are concerned about emerging data about a variant of the virus first detected in South Africa, as mass vaccination centres are to open next Monday. Read More A study from the University of Texas found that the AstraZeneca vaccine offered as little as 10pc protection from the South African variant. We are concerned about the data in relation to the South African variant, said Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory this evening. He said the variant has advantages in the setting of vaccine-induced immunity due to changes in its aminoacids. We need to try and prevent the introduction of that variant into the country, he warned. However, deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: It really is too early to conclude at all in relation to the South African variant in relation to AstraZeneca. He said that variants will likely have an impact on vaccines. It is likely that we will see impact of vaccine effectiveness as a consequence of that variant or other variants, Dr Glynn said. There is also no firm conclusion that shows the South African variant makes people more sicker. Dr Glynn maintained that the South African variant wont have an impact on the vaccine roll-out here as the dominant strain remains the British variant. We do have a challenge in that there are other variants circulating globally and if one of those was to come in and become the dominant variant and have an impact on vaccine effectiveness, then clearly it would have a knock-on impact. The challenge for us to get disease numbers as low as possible and to keep them as low as possible. he said. Dr de Gascun said that as the virus continues to evolve and new variants emerge, it may mean that people may have to be re-vaccinated. Its quite possible that we may need to boost our immunity as the virus continues to evolve, he said Its likely that there will be more [variants] in the coming months and years." The face-off between the two countries began in early May following a clash between soldiers of the two sides near Pangong lake On Sunday, Union minister VK Singh said that India has crossed the Line of Actual Control more times than China, but the government does not announce it, according to several media reports. As per The Hindu, the former Indian Army chief, addressing the media in Madurai, said the border with China has never been demarcated. China had transgressed many times over the years with its own perception of the LAC, Singh said.Similarly, none of you come to know how many times we have transgressed as per our perception. Chinese media does not cover it. Let me assure you, if China has transgressed 10 times, we must have done it at least 50 times, he added, as per the newspaper. Singh's comments assume significance amidst the backdrop of close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops being deployed in eastern Ladakh and both sides showing indications of having dug in for the long haul. China on Monday hit back with the foreign ministry calling Singh's statement an 'unwitting confession' and State-run Global Times taking a strong stance. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a briefing claimed that Indias transgressions were the root cause of the tensions at the border, India Today reported. This is an unwitting confession by the Indian side. For a long time, the Indian side has conducted frequent acts of trespass in the border area in an attempt to encroach on China's territory and constantly created disputes and frictions, which is the root cause of the tensions at the China-India border, Wang Wenbin claimed. We urge the Indian side to follow through on the consensus, agreements and treaties it reached with China, and uphold peace and stability in the border region with concrete actions, he added, as per the report. Singh's remarks come just days after the government said in the Lok Sabha that the Chinese military attempted to transgress the LAC in several areas since May but these efforts were invariably met with an appropriate response from the Indian side. "From April-May last year, there had been an enhanced deployment of troops and armaments by the Chinese side in the border areas and along the LAC in the Western Sector," Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said. The minister was replying to questions on the border row including whether the talks have helped in reaching any logical conclusions. "Since mid-May the Chinese side attempted to transgress the LAC in several areas of the Western Sector of the India-China border area. These attempts were invariably met with an appropriate response frm us," Muraleedharan said. On 28 January, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in an address at an online conference on India-China ties, said the events in eastern Ladakh last year have profoundly disturbed the relationship and asserted that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo along the LAC is "completely unacceptable". The external affairs minister said any expectation that the situation at the border "can be brushed aside and life can carry on undisturbed" is simply not realistic. The face-off between the two countries began in early May following a clash between soldiers of the two sides near Pangong lake. In the ninth round of military talks last month, both sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of troops and resolved to continue "effective efforts" to stabilise and control the situation in eastern Ladakh. With inputs from PTI JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Insurance Group LLC ("Independent Group") announced today the signing of a definitive agreement for an investment by Kilter Finance, an insurance-focused specialty finance company backed by KKR. Launched in 2018, Independent Group is the parent of Independent Life Insurance Company ("Independent Life"), the first insurance carrier to focus exclusively on the primary issuance of structured settlement annuities with the mission of helping personal injury victims and their families meet their financial needs over their lifetimes. "We are thrilled to join forces with Kilter Finance," shared Michael Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Independent Group. "Given their financial and insurance acumen, they quickly understood our business model, appreciated the uniqueness of what we have created and bought into our passion for structured settlements. We couldn't ask for a better partner to join us in our efforts to bring positive change, innovation and growth to our industry for the benefit of our brokers and payees." Kilter Finance will invest up to $89 million into Independent Group. Combined with a simultaneous investment at close by management and LKCM Headwater Investments ("LKCM-Headwater"), Independent Group's founding private equity partner, the transaction will result in a total capital raise of up to $114 million. "We plan to devote the majority of the funding from Kilter Finance to Independent Life, further increasing the financial security we provide to our customers," commented George Luecke, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Independent Group. "We will deploy the remainder toward general corporate purposes and the acceleration of key strategic initiatives that are underway, including product development, technology enhancements and potential acquisitions, in keeping with our ongoing efforts to deliver quality products and services to the markets we serve." Kilter Finance provides flexible and innovative financing solutions to the insurance sector on a global basis. Dan Knipe, Chief Investment Officer of Kilter Finance, said, "We have been impressed by the business that the Independent Group management team has built and are excited to join LKCM-Headwater and management as a key capital provider to fuel the next phase of their growth." Charles Lens, Managing Director of Kilter Finance, added, "We salute the mission of the structured settlement industry and the leadership exhibited by the Independent Group management team. This opportunity has enabled Kilter Finance to invest into a platform company that we expect will positively impact the structured settlement industry for decades to come." Further details of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal counsel to Independent Group in the transaction. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP acted as legal counsel to Kilter Finance in the transaction. ABOUT INDEPENDENT INSURANCE GROUP Independent Life, Independent Insurance Group's life and annuity subsidiary, is the first insurance company to focus exclusively on structured settlements. Independent Insurance Group's goal is to provide competitive and innovative annuity products and services that professional consultants can efficiently integrate into their settlement planning solutions, for the long-term protection of personal injury victims and their families. Among other significant achievements since its formation, Independent Life was recognized as the second fastest growing life and annuity insurance company in 2019 by S&P Global Market Intelligence1. For additional information on Independent Life, please visit www.independent.life. ABOUT KILTER FINANCE Kilter Finance is an insurance-focused specialty finance company established as a joint venture between its management team, led by Dan Knipe, and leading global investment firm KKR. KKR, through its credit business, has made an initial commitment of up to $500 million, to be injected onto Kilter Finance's balance sheet. This capital can be deployed across the capital structure of its investee companies. As a permanent capital vehicle, Kilter Finance is first and foremost a solutions-led business, providing flexible, bespoke capital solutions to its clients with flexibility to invest across the capital structure. It is collateral, structure, territory, currency and tenor agnostic. The Kilter Finance management team are specialists in the insurance and asset management sectors. For additional details, please visit www.kilterfinance.com. ABOUT LKCM HEADWATER INVESTMENTS LKCM Headwater Investments is a Texas-based private equity firm that partners with management teams to build highly successful companies. LKCM Headwater Investments is affiliated with Luther King Capital Management, an SEC-registered investment firm established in 1979 with approximately $21.6 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2020. LKCM's proven investment discipline centers on a long-term focus of investing in well-managed companies that demonstrate an ability to re-invest cash flows into high return investment opportunities. ______________ [1] S&P Global Market Intelligence 6.9.2020 SOURCE Independent Insurance Group Related Links http://www.independent.life/ Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Russia plans to hold joint naval drills with Iran and China in the Indian Ocean later this month, the RIA news agency cited Moscow's ambassador to Tehran as saying on Monday. The three countries held similar naval drills in the Indian Ocean in December 2019. "The next multilateral naval exercises will take place in the northern part of the Indian Ocean in mid-February 2021," Levan Dzhagaryan, the ambassador, told RIA in an interview. The drills would rehearse search and rescue operations and ensuring the safety of shipping, he said. Short link: Mercedes Quintana, with her daughter Mila, 3, in tow, gets a work document while her husband, Eddie, works from their home office, in Temecula, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2021. Three mothers, in three different parts of the country. They are stressed, burned out, unraveling at the seams the coronavirus pandemic has exposed. (Brenda Ann Kenneally/The New York Times) Pooja Lakshmin As a psychiatrist specializing in womens mental health, nearly every mother I have treated during the pandemic fights through decision fatigue, rage and a feeling of powerlessness every day. This isnt breaking news. Burnout among parents, in particular moms, has been a defining principle of this global disaster. Clinical-level burnout is defined by a triad of symptoms: exhaustion, a sense of futility and difficulty maintaining personal connections. And yet, the more I hear my patients use the term burnout, the more I think it doesnt capture the depth of despair they describe. These are mothers who are faced with impossible choices: sending their child to school and risking viral exposure, or not showing up to work; plopping their child down in front of a screen just to get a moment of peace. To get another perspective on burnout, I spoke to Dr. Wendy Dean, a psychiatrist who has dedicated her career to fighting moral injury in physicians, which is the concept that systemic problems in the medical industry prevent doctors from doing what they know is right for their patients. Dean said what working moms are facing is not identical but is similar and a consequence of our societys decision to pursue profit at all cost. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The crushing toll on working mothers mental health reflects a level of societal betrayal, according to Dean. This isnt burnout this is societal choice, she said. Its driving mothers to make decisions that nobody should ever have to make for their kids. Betrayal describes what my patients are feeling exactly. While burnout places the blame (and thus the responsibility) on the individual and tells working moms they arent resilient enough, betrayal points directly to the broken structures around them. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here So what can you do? Recognize that these problems are systemic. A critical first step is to remind yourself that the reason you feel guilty, apathetic and exhausted during this worldwide crisis is due to choices that were made by people other than yourself. You cant remedy a lack of national pandemic policy or the failure of employers to effectively support families. How could you have won in this situation? I like to ask my patients. Nine times out of 10, the solution is a family friendly socio-economic policy that has yet to materialize in the United States. Let go of the right choice trap. When it comes to pandemic decision-making, there is no perfect choice: If I were a better mom, Id know if its worth keeping my toddler in preschool while Im pregnant, my patients think. The relentless need to find the perfect solution offers the illusion of control. When you find yourself mentally spinning in this way, recognize that you have a choice in how you react to and engage with your thoughts. For example, when you fixate on finding the right answer, try saying, There goes my mind again, telling me there is a perfect answer. Drawing overt attention to your mind cultivates psychological flexibility, which gives you the emotional space to question whether this line of thinking is productive or even realistic. Cut out everything extra. Adding more tasks, even self-care, to your to-do list is not a panacea for burnout. In some cases, it may in fact be a recipe for a higher mental load the invisible labor that goes along with managing a household and even more guilt when you feel that you failed. I often tell my patients that the true work of self-care is recognizing you are the only one who can give yourself permission to take back your time and energy. This may mean having hard conversations with your partner (if you have one), family members and employer about what tasks are realistic right now and which will have to wait (or go by the wayside). Watch how you talk to yourself. It is not uncommon for my patients to say things like, I should be doing more. Its one way that women have internalized a culture that demands they bear the brunt of caregiving while simultaneously devaluing that job. When it comes to dealing with such widespread social betrayal, talking to yourself with kindness helps you remember that you are not to blame for this mess. For example, instead of berating yourself for ordering takeout meals three nights in a row, try saying something like, My home feels chaotic because the world is chaotic, not because Im a bad mom. Remind yourself that perfection and order are not the goals compassion and flexibility are. Invest the little time you have in what feeds you. Lucia Ciciolla, a researcher and assistant professor of psychology at Oklahoma State University, has found that there are four important factors that align with well-being for moms: satisfaction with friendships, authenticity, feeling seen and loved, and feeling comforted. The quality of our relationships is correlated with emotional health and satisfaction in life, Ciciolla says. Nurturing authenticity in life partnerships, friendships and family ties can lessen the intensity of burnout. Check here for the latest updates on all COVID-19 vaccines Channel your rage proactively. While it sometimes feels like just another burden to speak up or push for support at work, making your frustration known can help you feel better. Dr. Kali Cyrus, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recommends taking the leap if you can. The fear of hurting someones feelings, bothering them or getting in trouble pales in comparison to the piece of you that is lost when you dont do it, she said. So take one small action at a time. That could mean suggesting that a Zoom meeting be changed to a quick phone call or inquiring about how performance reviews will account for the demands of parenting in the pandemic. In the end, there is no simple solution for the massive societal betrayal that working moms have experienced over the past year; to pretend so would add insult to injury. My hope is that by recognizing the systemic nature of the problem, mothers can break free of guilt and stress that they dont deserve. c.2021 The New York Times Company (This article is part of The Primal Scream, an NYT series that examines the pandemics effect on working mothers in America. Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is the founder of Gemma, a digital education platform dedicated to womens mental health, and is working on a book about the tyranny of self-care) Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days 20 employers cited in latest round of COVID-19 workplace safety violations 20 employers cited in latest round of COVID-19 workplace safety violations February 5, 2021 Media Contact: Erica Quealy, 517-582-2961 As the state continues to prioritize worker safety and health, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) inspected and issued COVID-19 emergency rule or general duty citations to twenty different workplaces with violations for failing to protect workers and take safety precautions. Under MIOSHAs Emergency Rules, businesses that resume in-person work must, among other things, have a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and provide thorough training to their employees that covers, at a minimum, workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE), and steps workers must take to notify the business or operation of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. An emergency rule citation carries a fine of up to $7,000. The MIOSHA general duty clause requires an employer to provide a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to the employee. A general duty clause citation carries a fine of up to $7,000. On-site inspections conducted by MIOSHAs general industry and construction industry enforcement divisions determined ten employers allegedly committed violations by failing to implement necessary precautions to protect employees from contracting COVID-19. Deficiencies included a lack of health screenings, face coverings, employee training, and overall preparedness plans. The cited employers have 15 working days from receipt of the MIOSHA citations to contest the violations and penalties. Employers must provide proof to MIOSHA that abatement has been completed. A cited employer may choose to enter into a Penalty Reduction Agreement with MIOSHA and agree to abate noted hazards by the abatement date provided within the citation and will receive a 50% reduction in penalties. By entering into the Agreement an employer must also agree to not seek an appeal. The latest MIOSHA citations were issued to the below companies for the following issues: COVID-19 Emergency Rules Citations Kortman Masonry, Inc. of Grandville, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, not conducting a daily entry self-screening of employees and not having employees maintain 6 feet of distance where possible. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, is $2,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Grandville, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, not conducting a daily entry self-screening of employees and not having employees maintain 6 feet of distance where possible. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, is $2,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Orchard Hill Mechanical, Inc. of Casnovia, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan and not wearing face coverings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,400. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Casnovia, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan and not wearing face coverings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,400. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Artistic Decorating, Inc. of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a written preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a written preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. F M Carpenters, LLC of Detroit, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties for other workplace violations were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Detroit, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties for other workplace violations were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. D.F. Corporation DBA D.F. Floor Covering of Flint, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not developing a preparedness and response plan, not documenting daily health screenings, not requiring face coverings, and no training for COVID-19. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Flint, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not developing a preparedness and response plan, not documenting daily health screenings, not requiring face coverings, and no training for COVID-19. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Victor Carmona Services, LLC of Allendale, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Allendale, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. National Parts Depot-Michigan in Canton, MI, was fined $4,900 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not detailing all required measures in a written COVID-19 preparedness and response program, not requiring or enforcing face coverings, not posting signs or other communication for employees and customers regarding COVID-19 symptoms and face covering requirements, not implementing an enhanced cleaning schedule, not implementing plexiglass barriers, not providing COVID-19 training, and not developing or implementing a screening protocol for employees. The inspection was initiated by an employee complaint, view full citation document. in Canton, MI, was fined $4,900 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not detailing all required measures in a written COVID-19 preparedness and response program, not requiring or enforcing face coverings, not posting signs or other communication for employees and customers regarding COVID-19 symptoms and face covering requirements, not implementing an enhanced cleaning schedule, not implementing plexiglass barriers, not providing COVID-19 training, and not developing or implementing a screening protocol for employees. The inspection was initiated by an employee complaint, view full citation document. United Construction Services LLC of Harbor Springs, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having on site a preparedness and response plan and not documenting daily health screenings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Harbor Springs, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having on site a preparedness and response plan and not documenting daily health screenings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. JRN Construction Services, LLC of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Christian Etheridge State Farm in Temperance, MI, was cited for other-than-serious violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not documenting their remote-work policy, not performing a health surveillance screening protocol on the day the MIOSHA inspector arrived, and not maintaining documentation for employee training related to COVID-19. The inspection was initiated under the COVID-19 Office SEP, view full citation document. in Temperance, MI, was cited for other-than-serious violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not documenting their remote-work policy, not performing a health surveillance screening protocol on the day the MIOSHA inspector arrived, and not maintaining documentation for employee training related to COVID-19. The inspection was initiated under the COVID-19 Office SEP, view full citation document. House of Pets, Inc. in Westland, MI, was fined $400.00 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not performing a health screening protocol for employees, not conducting an exposure determination, not developing a written COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, not posting signs at the store entrance informing customers not to enter if they are or have been sick, and not documenting employee training related to COVID-19. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document. General Duty Citations Tri State Development Inc. of Saginaw MI was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID- 19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations were $2,800. The inspection was initiated as a planned program inspection, view full citation document. of Saginaw MI was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID- 19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations were $2,800. The inspection was initiated as a planned program inspection, view full citation document. Jose Torres Construction, LLC of Grand Rapids, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $9,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Grand Rapids, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $9,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. D.J. McQuestion & Sons, Inc. of Leroy, MI was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of daily entry screening protocol, lack of social distancing, failure to increase cleaning and disinfection, failure to notify health department of an employee with a confirmed case of COVID-19, lack of recordkeeping, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. The inspection was in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document. of Leroy, MI was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of daily entry screening protocol, lack of social distancing, failure to increase cleaning and disinfection, failure to notify health department of an employee with a confirmed case of COVID-19, lack of recordkeeping, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. The inspection was in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document. Country Boy Builder, LLC of Sheridan, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Sheridan, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. C&M Exterior, LLC of Kalamazoo, MI was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $6,100. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Kalamazoo, MI was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $6,100. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Eastbrook Homes Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI was fined $3,500 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, lack of self-screening protocols for COVID-19, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $5,500. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Grand Rapids, MI was fined $3,500 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, lack of self-screening protocols for COVID-19, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $5,500. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. High Point Roofing, LLC of Holton, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations, were $5,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Holton, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations, were $5,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned programmed inspection, view full citation document. Sids Professional Roofing & More, LLC of Covert, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,200. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. of Covert, MI was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,200. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document. Michigan Web Press DBA Stafford Media Solutions in Greenville, MI will be fined $4,200 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including the lack of training for employees on the workplace controls for an infectious disease, not enforcing the use of masks, and not routinely cleaning or disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as wiping down machine control and tools used between employees. Total penalties, including non-COVID citations, is $7,800. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document. A complete list of MIOSHA COVID-19 workplace safety citations is available online. Visit Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety for employee and customer factsheets, educational videos, a sample COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, best practices that employees need to follow and a reopening checklist to help businesses put safeguards in place. To request free consultation assistance from MIOSHAs Consultation Education and Training Division, go to MIOSHA Request for Consultative Assistance For more information about MIOSHAs safety and health guidelines to protect Michigans workforce during the pandemic, employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health may contact MIOSHA using the new hotline at 855-SAFE-C19 (855-723-3219). To report health and safety concerns in the workplace, go to Michigan.gov/MIOSHAcomplaint. Information around COVID-19 is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Khartoum Last week saw the disclosure of one of the atrocities of the defunct regime which always flayed us with its claims that it represented Islam and behaved according to the noble religion's tenets. That is when it was revealed that the security organ of that regime had contracted a professional killer to liquidate its peaceful opponents. Attorney General Taj Alsir Alhibir, in an opening address to the first hearing in the court case of Martyr Hassan Mohamed Omar, who was killed in cold blood by a hired killer, said the accused has no military rank in the Armed Forces, nor in any of the military or police forces. He was simply a hired killer for a monthly pay of 10,000 pounds, as he personally confessed during the prosecution investigations. The martyr (22) was a medicine student about to graduate in one year's time. He lost his life when he was shot with a bullet from "this hired killer" during the mass demonstrations on 25/12/2018 when the streets were compact with peaceful processions in protest of the policies of the Bashir regime. "You will hear the sound of bullets and the voice of the accused hysterically yelling in thirst for human blood," said the General Attorney, Alhibir. "Sirs, you will also see the accused running, a lethal weapon in his hand, waving it right and left as if he were in a battle zone with a foreign enemy," said Alhibir. He, the defendant, was seeking to instill terror and panic in the hearts of the people. He did not stop there, but continued to open fire in a systematic manner to kill the regime opponents. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The forensic report reveals that the victim was shot in the neck, a shot that tore the larynx, ripped apart the gullet and cut the spine after it broke into pieces the neck vertebras seven and eight. The bullet had entered from the front and exited from the back. The martyr was declared dead on 12/1/2019. Alhibir added that the Attorney General Office is accusing the hired killer of premeditated killing and crimes against humanity. He asked the court not "to take mercy upon such killers, in order for such crimes not to be repeated and for the upcoming generations not to receive a negative message." "Life would be better without them, these killers," said the General Attorney. It is worth noting that there are hundreds of cases of dead or considered missing persons in the breaking of the revolutionary demonstrations and sit-ins of December 2018 - June 2019, which have not yet been tried in courts. This situation is filling the hearts of the families of the victims, their fellow protesters and those who are keen about the elimination of the practices of the ousted regime with a feeling of sadness and with a yearning for the rule of law to prevail. A vote on cutting foreign aid looks like being delayed by ministers to avoid a clash with Tory backbenchers before the G7 summit. Boris Johnson has vowed to slash 4billion from the aid budget as the Government struggles to fill the black hole in the nations finances. He plans to lower the target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on international development to 0.5 per cent. This would reduce the handouts to 10billion for the first time in almost a decade. But Tory rebels have warned the Government it will face a parliamentary showdown with the possibility that the move which would be a breach of the partys 2019 election manifesto could be blocked in both the Commons and the Lords. Boris Johnson plans to lower the target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on international development to 0.5 per cent but a vote on cutting foreign aid looks like being delayed by ministers Ministers, who are keen to avoid an embarrassing row about Britains place in the world, are now expected to postpone changing the legislation until after the Prime Minister has hosted the G7 gathering in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, in June. Senior Tory figures including Theresa May and David Davis are expected to join the foreign aid revolt led by Andrew Mitchell. The former international development secretary has claimed the reduction will be the cause of 100,000 preventable deaths, mainly among children. Sir Peter Bottomley, who as Father of the House is the longest continuously serving MP, has said he will work with anyone across the Commons to fight to maintain his partys 0.7 per cent manifesto pledge on overseas aid. Last month, Mrs May warned that Britain would be abandoning our position of global moral leadership if it cuts the aid target which, she claimed, had raised our credibility in the eyes of the world. However, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the country has a tendency to self-flagellate about its place in the world and perhaps dont see ourselves the way others do. He has insisted it is better to get the legislation to reduce the aid budget right, rather than to pass it quick. When asked last month, Mr Raab refused to set out a timetable for the law change but said it would be provided soon. He insisted the reduction was a temporary measure but was unable to say when it would return to 0.7 per cent. The UK, US, Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan make up the G7 but leaders from Australia, India, South Korea and the EU are also due to attend as guests. Syndicates, including land barons, are resorting to sideshows to sow divisions among anti-corruption agencies in a bid to frustrate the prosecution of their high-profile cases. The syndicates have been sponsoring some sections of the media to distract corruption fighters, including the Allied Law Enforcement Agencies and the Prosecutor -General's Office from the fight against graft. Director and chairman of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the President's Office (Sacu), Mr Tabani Mpofu, said fighting corruption was everyone's responsibility, but there were attempts to turn off the pressure. "Each time there is an arrest, we witness attempts at creating distractions," he said. "We as a multi-departmental team remain resolute in our objective of fighting corruption. President Mnangagwa has been very supportive on the fight against graft in every aspect and nothing will distract us from that noble cause." Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi said syndicates had become adept at causing inter-agency rivalry among law-enforcement agencies. "The establishment of the national taskforce on corruption and the liaison desk now ensures that the corrupt cartels cannot use that strategy," he said. "The liaison desk comprises of all key anti-corruption players including the National Prosecuting Authority, SACU, the police, ZIMRA and the intelligence services." Mr Hodzi said anti-corruption agencies and law enforcement agencies were now acting in unison as the syndicates were failing to set the agenda for their own benefit and purposes. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "In most cases they were being aided by some so-called activist whistleblowers and a captured section of the media," he said. "Through a campaign of disinformation, misinformation and outright fake news they would send us and the nation on a wild goose chase. "We diverted attention and resources pursuing the wrong targets while the real culprits escaped." Despite the intensifying fight against corruption last week, syndicates made baseless accusations in one of the privately-owned daily newspaper that Government had no will to fight graft. The paper, in an attempt to legitimise a scurrilous attack on the NPA and the PG, also misquoted the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa. In statement, the NPA said as a matter of fact, the ACT-SA recognises the pivotal role the prosecutors play in the fight against corruption, while they equally recognise the legitimate role that the organisation plays in highlighting areas of concern. A delegate casts her vote in the electoral process to choose members of parliament into Somalia's House of the People in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 6 December 2016. The consultative meeting between the federal government and federal members states has been concluded without an agreement on Friday in Dhusamareb city the headquarters of Galmudug state. During a press conference, late last night in Dhusamareb Information Minister Osman Dubbe said federal government leaders made concessions on all contentious issues and blamed other stakeholders for rejecting the deal. Dube also said the government had agreed to allow AMISOM police to observe the Gedo elections but declined to withdraw federal troops. "The Government proposed that AMISOM police observe the elections in Gedo region but Madobe declined," Information Minister said. President Farmaajo who has only three days left on his term is headed to Mogadishu and is expected to address both the lower house and upper of parliament. On Friday international community reportedly warned against attempts by the leaders to quit the meeting without a consensus. Jubbaland President Ahmed Islam Madobe on Saturday morning held a press conference and accused President Farmaajo president Farmaajo of blocking to resolving the Gedo issue and election stalemate. A judge has slammed police and prosecutors for failing to question witnesses after a jury took less than 30 minutes to acquit a lawyer accused of groping a woman on a flight from Dubai to Manchester. Arjmand Ghafoor, 35, was arrested by police at Manchester Airport on suspicion of sexually assaulting a female passenger on his Emirates flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in December 2018. The corporate lawyer, who was not entitled to legal aid, had to spend tens of thousands of pounds on legal fees to clear his name following a police investigation and a subsequent prosecution. Mr Ghafoor, from Deritend, Birmingham, denied two counts of sexual assault - and on Friday afternoon a jury at Manchester Crown Court found him not guilty in less than half an hour of deliberations. Standing outside the courthouse with his wife after he was cleared, Mr Ghafoor told reporters the probe and prosecution had been 'devastating for myself and my family and my wife and my children'. In an extraordinary speech in court, Judge Anthony Cross QC slammed police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for failing to corroborate the complainant's allegations by questioning any other passengers seated on adjacent rows on the Emirates flight. Arjmand Ghafoor, 35, had been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault when an Emirates flight landed at Manchester Airport from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in December 2018 The judge thanked the jurors for their deliberations and told them that evidence in such cases is gathered and placed before a custody sergeant who, if they can't reach a decision, will call a lawyer at the CPS to ask them to consider whether there is sufficient evidence for a charge. If there is insufficient evidence, the suspect can be 'released under investigation' while more information is gathered, he said. Being released under investigation was a 'new-ish thing which has caused much injustice', said Judge Cross, who urged the jurors to 'Google it' now the trial was over. 'In that time the CPS generally say to the police 'we are going to put together an action plan' and that will be an instruction to gather more evidence if it's available,' Judge Cross said. 'Here, I would have thought... they might have gone to the passengers sitting in front and the passengers sitting behind.' Judge Cross told jurors: 'Generally the person in front and behind are best placed especially if it's suggested someone has groped someone... What about the person across the aisle? 'What about any stewards? Nothing, nothing was done. Just imagine if it had been a relative of yours.' Judge Cross said the defendant had been awaiting trial for two-and-half years and he was not entitled to legal aid. The judge said that the law only entitled Mr Ghafoor to claim back the cost of his defence if he decided there had been a failure by the CPS. Judge Anthony Cross QC slammed police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for failing to corroborate the complainant's allegations by questioning any other passengers seated on adjacent rows on the Emirates flight Judge Cross said it was 'not right' and announced: 'I'm going to hold an inquiry as to whether or not he should get his costs back.' The judge revealed that midway through the trial, he asked the CPS to re-consider its case after one of its own witnesses, a stewardess, gave evidence which 'did not support their case'. Judge Cross said: 'They decided to go on and here we are.' Following the hearing, Mr Ghafoor said: 'I'm just very grateful they have come to the right decision. I'm grateful to the jury for considering all of the evidence and thankful for their duty.' His defence barrister, Kate Blackwell QC, said: 'This is a case which should never have reached the crown court and despite repeated attempts to persuade the Crown Prosecution Service to consider its prospects of success given the lack of evidence. 'It's staggering no lawyer saw fit to withdraw the case prior to it being put before the jury. 'It's impossible to overstate the effect that being charged with such an offence can have on someone and despite the not guilty verdicts the defendant may well continue to feel the impact of this case for many years to come.' The trial heard Mr Ghafoor was sitting in the window seat when the woman noticed he was 'quite agitated' during a flight in December 2018. As she was trying to read her book, he 'touched' the outside of her leg, before grabbing her inner thigh, it was alleged. Mr Ghafoor was then accused of having said to the woman: 'If you think my behaviour is inappropriate, please tell me.' He previously told her that he was a solicitor who was working in Dubai and was returning to the UK to get married, the trial had heard. Standing outside Manchester Crown Court (pictured) with his wife after he was cleared, an emotional Mr Ghafoor told reporters the probe and prosecution had been 'devastating for myself and my family and my wife and my children' The woman's partner, who was sitting next to her, was unaware of what had allegedly happened as he was watching a film, the court was told. After speaking to the cabin crew, the woman was moved to a different seat, jurors heard. She said she didn't want to tell her partner as she 'didn't know how he would react', the court heard. Mr Ghafoor was arrested after the plane landed at Manchester Airport. He denied touching the woman, that he had drunk, or that he was 'agitated', the court heard. Mr Ghafoor said he had fallen asleep and that the seats next to him were empty when he woke up. Giving evidence, the woman said: 'He was agitated, quite hostile, very jumpy and he had his phone out. He didn't seem right. He went to the toilet for about twenty minutes and people were knocking on the door. 'He returned to his seat and I felt so anxious I couldn't read my book - I felt in such a state of anxiety that I couldn't.' A CPS spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Our function is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a jury to consider. 'We considered there was sufficient evidence to bring this case to court.' A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police added: 'Following the incident, GMP conducted a thorough investigation and evidence was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service who made an independent decision to authorise a charge, leading to the case being brought to court.' Australian mother-of-two Joanna McNeill, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis after working in an administration job near a quarry A young Australian mother-of-two has been left with a deadly lung illness after being exposed to dust while working an administration job at a quarry. Joanna McNeill, 34, was diagnosed with silicosis - a lung disease caused by inhaling killer silica dust - when she went for a routine health assessment last year after coming back to work from maternity leave. Mrs McNeill could feel dust from the quarry covering her face and hair when she left her office building to go home each day. But she had no idea the tiny particles were slowly scarring her lungs and would one day leave her struggling to breathe. 'This is a life sentence for me and I don't know when my time is up,' she told 9News. Mrs McNeill pictured with her husband and her two daughters aged two and four-years-old. 'My greatest fear with my kids is I just want to be around for them,' the mother said 'My greatest fear with my kids is I just want to be around for them. I don't want to die early. I just want to be there for them.' Silicosis typically affects tradesmen who work with concrete, bricks, tiles, sandstone and granite. Lung capacity gradually decreases over several years and the disease can be fatal - with some needing a lung transplant to beat the illness. But the mother's diagnosis came as a shock given she didn't work in the actual quarry and she thought she wouldn't be at risk. 'This whole process has given me so much anxiety not knowing what the future holds,' she said. The mum to two daughters, aged two and four, is backing a push by The Australian Workers Union to better protect workers against the dangers of silica dust. Silicosis involves silica dust slowly scarring the lungs. The disease typically affects tradesmen who work with concrete, bricks, tiles, sandstone and granite More than 350 people were diagnosed with silicosis in Australia last year alone. In 2020, New South Wales established a dust disease register designed to combat the rise of silicosis among construction workers in the state. The register means any instance of silicosis must be reported to Safework NSW. News Houston, Texas - A former natural gas trader pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud for his role in an insider trading scheme. John Ed James, 51, of Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore of the Southern District of Texas. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 26, 2021, before Judge Gilmore. When individuals engage in deceptive trade practices and manipulate the commodities market for their personal gain, they undermine the publics confidence in the U.S. markets and stack the deck against other traders and investors, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. The department and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and prosecute those who engage in such activity. That executives continue to use inside nonpublic information for their own gain illustrates that prosecutors must investigate and pursue these cases, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas. These conspirators cooked the books and shared the loot plain and simple. Commodities fraud and insider trading undermine the integrity of the markets, in this case the energy market which plays a key role in the Houston area economy, said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBIs Houston Field Office. The FBI will continue to combat criminal violations of the commodities laws to eliminate unscrupulous activity and protect market participants so that the public will continue to have trust in the system. As part of his guilty plea, James admitted that he conspired with others to misappropriate material, nonpublic information and to use that information to engage in fraudulent, pre-arranged trades in natural gas futures contracts. These pre-arranged trades generated approximately $966,403 in illicit proceeds. He further admitted that the net profits from these fraudulent trades were split between himself and others involved in the fraudulent trading scheme. James also admitted that he and others agreed to falsely document certain proceeds as income on IRS forms in part to conceal the true nature of the funds and to make the illicit profits appear to be legitimate income paid. In a related case, Marcus Schultz, 41, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Gilmore on July 20, 2020, to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act, including 17 C.F.R. 180.1. Sentencing is scheduled for June 14, 2021. This matter marks the Department of Justices first effort to prosecute insider trading in the commodity markets under Section 180.1. This case is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBIs Houston Field Office and the IRS-CIs Houston Field Office. Trial Attorneys Jennifer Farer, Drew Bradylyons, and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady of the Southern District of Houston are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Divisions Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Department of Justices fight against white collar crime around the country and is the national leader in prosecuting fraud and manipulation in the U.S. commodity markets. Hannah Phelan, from Geashill, Co Offaly, with Elsa the lamb at the launch of the No Dogs Allowed campaign. Photo: Finbarr ORourke Vast swathes of countryside are at risk of being made off-limits to walkers with dogs, as farmers have issued information about a spate of attacks on livestock. A nationwide Irish Farmers Association (IFA) campaign entitled No Dogs Allowed has been launched and posters will be placed on farm gates across the country to ban walkers with dogs. The IFA is spearheading the initiative following a number of reports of farmers finding their sheep torn apart by dogs or frightened into ditches and drains. The IFAs Sean Dennehy said farmers whose livestock are under threat from dog attacks have no choice but to refuse walkers with dogs access to their lands. There has been a significant increase in attacks in recent months. The message simply isnt getting through, Mr Dennehy said. We also have reports of farmers encountering verbal abuse and intimidation when they remind dog owners of their responsibilities and the dangers of letting their pets off the leash. Rather than risk the devastating consequences, farmers will refuse entry to members of the public with dogs to our lands to protect their animals and their livelihoods. A growing number of reckless dog owners have brought this on everybody else, and the inaction of authorities has forced farmers down this route. The IFA said it had repeatedly asked the Government to introduce resources to microchipping, and an adequate dog warden service. However, neither have been acted upon yet. Farmers are sick of the casual approach of some dog owners who will not accept the damage their pets can inflict on sheep, said Mr Dennehy. While we encourage flock owners to report attacks, the list of recent attacks is certainly bigger than we hear about. The injuries inflicted on sheep by dogs are horrific. Often, those not killed have to be put down due to the extent of their injuries. Farmers may be too upset or traumatised to report to the gardai what has happened. Mr Dennehy said dog owners needed to be reminded that sheep farmers are entitled, under law, to defend their livestock. He said if a farmers flock is threatened, the law allows for the shooting of the dog causing the trouble. Mr Dennehy said the hugely concerning issue affects all sheep farmers across the country. The problem, he added, was not just down to people who were walking dogs. Attacks on sheep had frequently taken place as a result of dogs roaming free, he added. He said dogs are legally required to be microchipped, while owners should also have a licence for their dog. Farmers would now register and record every animal on farms on a national database, he added. Seoul, Feb 8 : South Korea's ICT ministry said on Monday that tech giant Google will take measures to provide stable services, becoming the first company to come under the country's revised law that holds online content providers accountable for service errors. On December 14 last year, multiple Google services, including YouTube, Gmail and Google Calendar, went down for around an hour globally, prompting the Ministry of Science and ICT to look into the matter. According to the ministry, Google experienced an authentication system error for approximately 50 minutes that day as it did not allocate storage space for the system during a previous maintenance session. The company told the ministry last month that it has yet to receive any compensation claims globally for the service error. The ministry said Google will pursue measures to preemptively detect such problems and that in future service errors, the company will notify local users through its Korean social media channels, reports Yonhap news agency. The move comes after South Korea last year passed a revision to the Telecommunications Business Act, requiring large online content providers to report service errors and take measures to provide stable services amid growing complaints against streaming giants Netflix and Google after multiple outages. The new rules apply to online companies that account for 1 percent or more of the country's average daily data traffic in the last three months of a year and those that have more than 1 million daily users, which includes global tech giants Google, Facebook and Netflix, as well as local rivals Naver, Kakao and streaming service Wavve. The ministry said it is also planning to review Wavve's service error on January 27 that partially stopped its video-on-demand service. Early last summer, Jacky Lambert was listening to a news bulletin when she was struck by an idea. The story was covering the Government's laudable plans to fund extra tutoring for state school pupils who had fallen behind with their studies and it was clear even then that something was desperately needed. Yet Jacky had identified a flaw. 'It occurred to me that they didn't really need to pay,' she recalls. 'I said to my husband that this was something that could be done for free, because I knew that a lot of undergraduates and even graduates would be willing to volunteer. 'The huge response to the call for NHS responders earlier in the pandemic had shown how willing people were to help.' Mother-of-two Jacky Lambert created Tutor The Nation, a charity enabling university students to offer free online tutoring to state school pupils Eight months later, that idea has morphed into Tutor The Nation, a charity enabling bright university students to offer free online tutoring to state school pupils, some of whom have lost months of education which, the Mail reported last week, could affect them for a lifetime. Not, though, if Jacky has her way. Her brainchild, currently operating as a pilot scheme in Bolton a town with a significant number of pupils on free school meals is already proving transformative for the sixth formers who have enrolled. 'The whole thing was carefully set up from the beginning to be very scalable,' she says. 'We decided to start small as that way we could iron out any glitches more easily, but I never doubted that it would work.' Few would deny that there is a massive need to fill the ever-widening gap between privately educated children whose lessons have gone on almost uninterrupted and the state sector, where many families are struggling to provide the basic facilities and technology required. 'We have heard of families where the children lack a calculator,' says Jacky. 'In some cases, our tutors have been providing these themselves. What's happening is taking social mobility back ten years and we have to act.' A softly spoken former investment banker and mother of two, Jacky is used to getting things done, having worked pro bono on charitable projects for a number of educational establishments. So, the day after she had been struck by her brain wave, she resolved to get a team on board. 'The next day, I picked up the phone to bounce the idea around with people I thought could help, from people who had been involved in the education sector to the founders of the four best tutoring agencies in the UK,' she says. Sana Patel, 18, who is studying for A-levels in maths, biology and chemistry at Bolton's Thornleigh Salesian College, is being helped by Tutor the Nation 'They are normally rivals, but I put them all on a Zoom call and asked them to bash out the best possible way to try to make this happen.' That meant working out all manner of complex logistics from the start, from how to train volunteer tutors to safeguarding the latter being particularly important. 'Of course, tutor training was key, but safeguarding equally so,' says Jacky. 'I was really grateful for the help and input of Charles Bonas and Nathaniel McCullagh who shared the expertise from their own tutoring agencies and together we put together a very comprehensive safeguarding document which included making sure we had enhanced criminal record checks.' None of this comes cheap and early on, the costs were met by the board of five trustees put together by Jacky to help oversee the project, while ongoing costs are currently being covered by a small number of private donors. 'I spoke to everyone I could to get the best rates for everything we were doing, from the software to record every session to help with safeguarding, right down to graphic design on our website. My sell was that I wasn't asking for myself but for the nation's children.' Ms Lambert said the whole thing was 'carefully set up from the beginning' to be 'very scalable'.(Stock image) Jacky's efforts were further boosted when, later that summer, she heard about the Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative, a scheme started on the same day that the Government announced national school closures in March. It was set up by final year Oxford student Jacob Kelly who, like Jacky, had developed the idea of matching students to needy pupils. To date, they have signed up 4,500 voluntary tutors and delivered 35,000 hours of teaching. 'They have done phenomenally well but they had very little in the way of infrastructure and no resources to undertake proper safeguarding,' says Jacky. She adds: 'They realised that it would be very difficult to carry on going forward as it was growing so quickly, so they decided to come under our umbrella.' By November last year, having been officially granted charitable status, Tutor The Nation was ready to go live. At that point Jacky got in touch with Mark Logan, Conservative MP for Bolton North-East, an area of the country which has been particularly hard hit by lockdown restrictions due to very high rates of Covid infection, with unemployment having increased by 80 per cent over the past year. He readily agreed to trial the scheme in his constituency. 'I knew in the short term we were facing huge challenges in the form of irregular schooling and students having a very bumpy road in terms of access to education,' he told the Mail. 'By the end of March this year we will have been in lockdown for nearly every single week apart from a few weeks around July. 'We have such diverse economic backgrounds in this constituency and this seemed to be a wonderful way of helping to ensure we could give some access to equality of opportunity.' It has certainly worked for Sana Patel, an 18-year-old aspiring dentist or optician studying for A-levels in maths, biology and chemistry at Bolton's Thornleigh Salesian College. She's been tutored for an hour a week since the start of December by a Tutor The Nation volunteer, and says it has really helped to boost her confidence. Like many of her peers, she has done nearly all of her learning online over the past year, and while she praises her school for the swift way it pivoted their educational provision, she admits that this cannot be a full replacement for being taught in person. So when she was offered the chance to receive free maths tutoring she jumped at it. 'It has definitely helped with my maths skills I am able to tell [my tutor] what I am particularly struggling with, and then we go through it in a way you can't in an online class. But it is also helping develop other skills too. It's given me much more confidence,' she says. It's a sentiment echoed by other A-level students working with TTN tutors. 'One student let us know that her tutor has helped her go up a full grade in biology and maths and it's allowed her to focus on school more,' says Jacky, who emphasises that her scheme is not meant to be seen as a replacement for the school curriculum. For tutors, meanwhile, volunteering has proved a worthwhile supplement to their own studies. Jacky worked closely with the head of St Hugh's College at Oxford University, Dame Elish Angiolini, to fine tune the pilot scheme. Among those to volunteer was 20-year-old Ben Hyman, a second-year Oriel College politics, philosophy and economics student. 'I felt it was a real shame knowing that there are bright kids who could be much more successful but who are missing out on opportunities and now I could help do something about it,' he says. Ben was matched with another Thornleigh student studying maths and economics, whom he has now been tutoring weekly for an hour since early December. 'Some of this stuff is hard to learn on your own or through textbooks, so it really helps to bounce off someone who can help fill in the gaps,' he says. 'For a lot of these people it's the first time someone has spent a lot of time with them one on one helping and being interested and invested.' Mr Logan is in no doubt about the difference it can and will continue to make. 'For me this is more than just making a nice speech in the chamber it's tangibly, materially giving students the opportunity to fly, and as a current sitting MP at the moment I think that's vital,' he says. 'On a personal note, after a very tough few months for people in my constituency it's nice to see something positive to start the year.' And something which, if Jacky has her way, will continue long into the future. 'This started because of the pandemic,' she says. 'But we want this to go on long after the pandemic is just a memory.' Tutor The Nation is keen to sign up graduates and undergraduates. To volunteer visit tutorthenation.org India on Sunday handed over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghan officials as its gift to the people of the war-torn nation, a goodwill gesture described by Afghanistan as "a strong sign of generosity and sincere cooperation" of New Delhi with Kabul. "1st Batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Afghanistan. A consignment of half a million dose of COVID vaccine gifted by India to the people of Afghanistan arrived in Kabul today," the Indian Embassy in Kabul tweeted. Indias Charge d'Affaires Raghuram S handed over the consignment of vaccines to Wahid Majrooh, Acting Minister of Public Health, it said. "My profound gratitude to my friend @DrSJaishankar, the government & people of India for assisting 500k dozes of Made in India" vaccines to address #Covid spread in Afghanistan. A clear sign of generosity, commitment & strong partnership indeed," Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar tweeted. In a brief statement, the Afghan Foreign Ministry expressed its sincere gratitude for the assistance and delivery of the first shipment of the COVID 19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) by "Afghanistan's generous supporter and strategic partner, India." "The donation of five hundred thousand doses of vaccine to tackle the spread of COVID in Afghanistan in the current difficult circumstances is a strong sign of generosity and sincere cooperation of the Republic of India with the government and people of Afghanistan," it said in the statement. As a part of expanding cooperation between the two countries, the COVID relief assistance had been announced by India earlier on January 8 during a telephone call between Jaishankar and Atmar. President Ashraf Ghani has expressed his gratitude for the timely assistance of India, the presidential palace said in a tweet. In the first phase, the vaccines will be administered to security and defense forces, health workers and other groups at the forefront of the fight against the virus, it added. Majrooh said senior citizens and patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes will receive the vaccine from this batch in the second phase. In the second phase, senior citizens and people with chronic diseases will be immunized against the Coronavirus. Afghanistan has so far registered 55,359 COVID-19 cases and 2,413 fatalities. More than 48,041 people have recovered from the contagion. India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines. India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country. While Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech. The Ministry of External Affairs has said it will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Anyone in Ireland aged over 66 and working prior to being forced out of work because of Covid restrictions, is not allowed to avail of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The Irish Government will not pay the PUP payment to anyone over 66, and a Laois councillor has slammed this as ageist and discriminatory. Fine Gael Cllr Thomasina Connell points out that many people over 66 were working full time and had bills to pay based on that income while paying tax, but now have no income other than the state pension. The rules around this are extremely unfair. The PUP is for anyone employed who lost their job due to Covid, but over 66s cannot apply. "This is discrimination of the basis of age. It is an absolute scandal. Our older people have really suffered. They now face real financial hardship because of this exclusion. These people have paid taxes and make a massive contribution, such as taxi drivers and publicans, dance teachers, art teachers. Just like that they are written off. These people may be over 66 but they make a huge contribution to our community and to the exchequer. I call on the Minister to review this. "Many people might say sure they have a pension, but it is means tested and if you have an income they could be down 100 a week. It is a disgrace that people are treated like this. Its discrimination on the basis of age. "I was told by one person that they were advised to go to the community welfare officer with their hand out. This person said Im not going begging, Ive paid my taxes. "They couldnt see this coming or they might have saved up. We were all caught on the hop," she has said. She is calling for the limit to be removed by the Department of Social Protection, in a motion tabled to the January meeting of Laois County Council. Cllr Aisling Moran seconded. I agree 100%. I know a number of self employed people well into their 70s who had an income up to March. They have bills to pay. There is no dispensation for their age when they are paying their tax or VAT, she said. Cllr Moran also notes an issue for SUSI third level grant applicants. People are assessed on the previous years income for grants, so people who didnt work in 2020 were judged on their 2019 income, she points out. Cllr Noel Tuohy also agreed with the motion. The Minister must carry the responsibility on this, not the Department of Social Welfare, he said. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is continuing until April 2021. It pays a maximum of 250 a week. The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on or after 13 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and -You have been temporarily laid-off from work or asked to stay at home from work, and -Your employer is not in a position to retain you on their payroll, and -You are not in receipt of any employment income and -Are between 18 and 66 years of age and -You worked in the Republic of Ireland and -You are currently living in the Republic of Ireland or -you are living in Direct Provision and have lost employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and -You must be genuinely seeking work With the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey continuing to ease, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday the overall numbers point in the right direction and hinted he could lift more of the restrictions put in place to stop the spread. The number of new cases has declined significantly from several weeks ago along, as have the number of people seeking treatment in the states 71 hospitals Overall, the metrics we are seeing continue to point in the right direction, Murphy said during his regular COVID-19 briefing. If these trends continue and continuing these trends rests entirely in your hands .... we can again look to additional steps to further reopen our economy, he said. New Jersey health officials on Monday reported another 2,218 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 25 additional deaths. As we have discussed many times before, ensuring the stability of our hospitals has far and away been the most pressing reason behind the steps weve taken, he said. All of this means that our health-care system remains in a strong position and capable of treating those currently in its care. He added: We simply could not allow our hospitals to get to a point where they were overloaded and unable to care for everyone. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage But the governor didnt reveal which steps he would take and he also warned that new variants of the virus that more easily spread could reverse the trend. Restaurants, gyms and many other businesses are required to abide by strict indoor capacity limits. It was capped at 25% when Murphy allowed gyms to reopen on restaurants to have indoor dining in September. But Murphy allowed them to expand to 35% capacity beginning late last week. The rate of transmission, which shows how the virus is spreading, has slowly been ticking down in recent weeks. New Jersey has lost 22,011 residents in the nearly 11-month outbreak 19,824 confirmed fatalities and 2,187 considered probable. The state has reported 480 confirmed deaths in the first eight days of February. The death toll for January was 2,377 confirmed fatalities, the most in any month since May. The total number of confirmed cases is now more than 647,000 out of more than 9.6 million PCR tests. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. An MLA has expressed disappointment a request to set up a financial support package for the most vulnerable has been turned down by the Communities Minister. Guidance was issued by Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride last year advising those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) but unable to work from home not to attend their workplace. The guidance also set out that those individuals will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The SDLP's Mark H Durkan wrote to Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey on December 23 voicing concern the rate of SSP is "not an adequate substitute" for the income the CEV are being advised to forego on the advice of Stormont's top medic. "Quite simply, providing CEV individuals with SSP rather than 80% of wages - in line with the furlough scheme - undermines the public health efforts and will force many CEV people to choose between their health and paying their bills," he added. "Moreover, the guidance is silent on the position of the family members of CEV people who live in the same household, who cannot work from home and who consequentially risk exposure to Covid-19." He requested that Ms Hargey works with the Executive Office and Health Minister to set up a scheme for those affected "that will ensure they do not have to risk sacrificing their health to support themselves and their families". Expand Close Advice: Dr Michael McBride / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Advice: Dr Michael McBride In response, Ms Hargey said a letter was issued to those deemed CEV by Mr McBride on December 30 providing advice, not instructions, for them not to attend their workplace, and to stay at home when working from home is not an option. She added that the letter also included input from the Department for Communities on the support available. "I appreciate that the rate of SSP falls below the normal earned income of anyone who finds themselves in this situation," she said. "In March I wrote to Theresa Coffey, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, urging that consideration be given to increasing the rate of SSP to reflect the true cost of living. "Clearly any such increase would go some way towards ensuring that those who are ill or required to self-isolate do not continue working, potentially endangering the health of others and further spreading the virus." She added that she already amended the SSP regulations to ensure eligibility for those required to shield or self-isolate for medical reasons, and a three-day waiting period for payments has been temporarily removed in response to the pandemic. "I will do whatever I can to support people affected by Covid-19. These are rapidly developing circumstances. ")We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep the Assembly updated accordingly," she said. Mr Durkan told the Belfast Telegraph he was "disappointed" that his proposal had been denied. Expand Close Mark H Durkan PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mark H Durkan "Minister Hargey's request to the Secretary of State for Working Pensions to increase SSP does not go far enough. Not only that, but in doing so she passes the buck to Westminster, further delaying support for vulnerable people when her own department can and should be doing everything in their power to deliver a sufficient support package," he said. "I have also sought clarity from Health Minister Robin Swann as to whether GP letters for CEV people will be reissued, given the subsequent extension of Covid restrictions until March." If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit Jonathan Burlingame had seen enough in mid-July. The machines at the factory he worked at in South Boston were not wiped down enough, he said. Gloves and masks were in short supply, except for the workers who, like himself, took it upon themselves to bring their own. And he heard that some workers were testing positive, even though management hadn't said a word. With his parents moving in with him in a matter of weeks - his father, 75, a two-time cancer survivor and mother, 71, both fleeing rising coronavirus cases in Florida - Burlingame quit, deciding that he couldn't continue to go into a workplace he no longer believed was safe. Burlingame's employer did not respond to a request for comment. Burlingame was denied unemployment insurance by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, falling into the gaps between state and federal laws that only give limited protection to people who choose to quit work for safety reasons. He has been living without any income since July. Burlingame is one ofmore than 1.5 million people who quit their jobs voluntarily because of the pandemic last year and filed for unemployment insurance, according to data from the Department of Labor, more than twice the amount over the same period in 2019. Some 80 percent have had their claims denied. A separate group of 75,000 have applied for unemployment insurance after being laid off anddeclining to return to work; 49 percent of that group had their claims denied. The statistics speak to an unfortunate legacy of the pandemic: many workers have been forced to choose between a paycheck and their or their family's health. "My dad beat cancer twice," Burlingame said. "I'm not going to bring something home to him and let him have two big wins beating cancer and then have this kind of thing shut him down because someone wanted their profit margin to be high." Complicating matters, a jobless claim gets treated differently under disparate state unemployment systems, pointingto the challenges facing the Biden administration, which seeks to cut down on the number of workers who have been denied unemployment assistance because they were concerned about the safety risks of going to work. A new executive action issued by President Biden in January directs the Department of Labor to clarify federal rules so that workers who refuse to go to unsafe workplaces will be more likely to be granted unemployment insurance. A White House official said the Department of Labor's guidance will clarify what qualifies as an unsafe workplace. "You could be denied unemployment insurance because you're offered a job and you didn't take it. It's wrong," Biden said, announcing the executive action last month. "No one should have to choose between their livelihoods and their own health or the health of their loved ones in the middle of a deadly pandemic." The Washington Post interviewed more than a dozen people who said they quit their jobs, or declined to return to their jobs after the reopenings last year because of fears about coronavirus infections. Another handful of workers said that they continued attending jobs they believed were unsafe, because they did not think they would be granted unemployment insurance. Nawal Abbas, 52, a Sudanese immigrant with blood cancer told The Post she worked for months at a Walmart in Iowa City during the pandemic, unaware that her health condition could qualify her for unemployment. "If I stop how I'm going to survive?" she said in Arabic, with translation from an advocate at the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, which has helped Abbas with her rent. "And if I work, I might die, too." All spoke of the impossible decision they faced. Many spoke of months of back-and-forth calls with unemployment administrators, watching bank accounts dwindle as they struggled to get by without a paycheck or aid. And many said they had high hopes that the executive order could result in them receiving some support at long last. "I was absolutely elated," said Troy Williamson, 29, who hasn't received any unemployment aid since he quit his job at a day-care center in Toledo over the summer, worried about his high-risk girlfriend and concerned about a lack of proper safety precautions at his workplace. "This is something that really needs to happen. Not just for myself - there are so many people who need this help." But experts caution that the executive order's influence could depend on how the Biden administration defines "unsafe workplaces," as well as the complicated dynamics between federal and state unemployment law and administration. Workers who quit their jobs voluntarily may still have trouble getting unemployment benefits, experts say. The new order appearsto help only those who are already unemployed, turn down return-to-work offers or other employment offers because the workplacesare unsafe. To qualify for unemployment benefits, workers who quit their jobs for safety reasons face a higher threshold than those who turn down work: Typically they have to show that not only was there a significant health risk in the workplace, but also that they first sought to remedy their concerns by bringing them to their employers' attention, according to George Wentworth, an unemployment expert at the National Employment Law Project. That hasn't always worked out for workers like Williamson, who said he raised safety concerns with administrators and managers repeatedly after the day-care center reopened before quitting - and communicated that in his unemployment claim. He also complained to the county health department. The day-care center did not immediately respond to a request for comment. These provisions are complicated by other factors as well: the unprecedented volume of jobless claims that have swamped underfunded state unemployment agencies, and the way that unemployment benefits became politicized, like many other issues raised by the pandemic. Many Republican-led states pressured people to go back to work during the reopening push last spring, warning that those who turned down suitable work would be penalized, amid concerns workers would take advantage of historically generous unemployment benefits available at the time. Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee and Iowa even set up specific channels for businesses to report employees who turned down work. Businesses have been in a difficult position when it comes to unemployment insurance during the pandemic, said Kevin Kuhlman, a vice president at the National Federation of Independent Business. "They had either had employees decline the job offer or had to offer higher salaries for employees to return," he said. "Our overall concern is just, you know, inserting more friction between the small-business owners and small-business employees." The Labor Department under President Donald Trump signaled support for restrictions,writing in guidance last spring that "barring unusual circumstances, a request that a furloughed employee return to his or her job very likely constitutes an offer of suitable employment that the employee must accept." Experts said that a more worker-friendly interpretation of federal unemployment laws could push some state unemployment agencies to side more frequently with workers who turn down employment that poses a significant risk to them. "The fact that the Department of Labor hasn't pushed back when governors or other officials make statements that are running roughshod over a thoughtful reasoned application of the law to the facts has been problematic," Wentworth said. "When governors start basically acting on behalf of businesses that aren't complying with necessary protocols and saying you're going to lose your job if you don't go back to unsafe work, they've overstepped." For their part, workers told The Post of the challenging decision they faced early on in the pandemic, with most having little awareness of the technicalities of their state's unemployment insurance laws. James Burrus, 54, who worked as a poker dealer at a casino in Maryland before the pandemic, said he did not even file for unemployment insurance after declining to return to work during the reopening in late June, fearing for the safety of himself and his asthmatic 13-year-old daughter. He said he was not able to get clear information from the state about whether he was eligible. He did not want to be accused of fraud and potentially be told he owed the government money. Ashley Vacek, 23, who lives outside of Houston, said she was denied unemployment by Texas after quitting her secretary job at a veterinary clinic in December. She said nearly half of the couple dozen workers at the clinic came down with covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. After taking herself to get tested for at least the fourth time, Vacek said, she decided to quit, wanting to protect herself and family members, like her fiance's father and her pregnant sister. On her unemployment benefitsapplication, she detailed what she said were basic safety lapses at the clinic, describing clients not wearing masks and a lack of sanitizing procedures, she said. Her claim was denied within days, she said. Her pregnant sister, who is due next week, was also denied unemployment after quitting a job for similar reasons, she said. "I feel like I shouldn't have had to be put in the position - where you either choose to be healthy or choose to keep making money," Vacek said. Other workers spoke about the real costs of the pressure they felt to continue working. Harry Wilson, an 83-year-old from Denver, Iowa, left his part-time job at supermarket chain Hy-Vee last March over health concerns. Wilson's age, heart disease and COPD made him high-risk for the coronavirus and therefore "unable to work," according to a health provider's note later submitted to a judge. He received unemployment insurance through April. Later,the state told him he never should have gotten the money and ordered him to pay back $4,835. Wilson spent months appealing the decision and finally reapplying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which covers workers told to stay home by a doctor because they are highly vulnerable to covid-19, according to guidance from the Department of Labor. But state employment officials and a judge said he did not qualify. Iowa Workforce Development, the state's employment agency, did not respond to questions about their policies and specific workers. By then it was late October. Wilson was supporting a daughter with cancer, he said, and still under orders to pay back thousands of dollarsin benefits. He decided it was time to go back to work. Within a couple weeks of his return, Wilson said, the telltale symptoms showed up: coughing, achy bones, a headache. Wilson tested positive for the coronavirus. Soon his 82-year-old wife came down with it as well, a bout so severe she needed to be hospitalized and put on oxygen. Wilson feared for her life, but she recovered. Wilson is back at work now. Hy-Vee confirmed he works for the chain but did not comment further. Wilson's jobless benefits from last March through December were finally granted on Dec. 21, after his story was covered by the Des Moines Register. "I was kind of disgusted with them for taking so long," Wilson said. Biden's executive action could help workers like Wilson get jobless benefits more quickly. But states will still have significant authority over the process, said Matthew Bodie, an expert in employment law at Saint Louis University School of Law, noting how broadly worded Biden's executive order is. The order itself says that government agencies should "promptly identify actions they can take within existing authorities" to address the economic crisis caused by the virus. An accompanying fact sheet is more specific, saying Biden wants the Department of Labor to "consider clarifying that workers who refuse unsafe working conditions can still receive unemployment insurance." "I don't know how much that's going to change things on the ground, though, because I think the red states will still be kind of tougher and the blue states will still be more open-ended," Bodie said. Still, many unemployed workers say they have high hopes the Biden administration will make it easier for workers trying to keep themselves or their families safe to receive jobless benefits. "It's been one thing after another that just brings you down and gives you less and less hope every time," Burlingame said. "And this was the first thing where someone finally said, 'Hey, you're not replaceable. You matter to us, and we're going to try to do something to help you out.' " Alyssa Fowers contributed to this report. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The Northern Irish government has been criticised for its 'continued inaction' in tackling the impact of bovine TB on farmers in the region. The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) says many are now questioning the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs' (DAERA) bTB commitment. At the UFU annual general meeting in July 2020, the then-DAERA Minister Edwin Poots stated that he was going to bring forward proposals on tackling bTB. Northern Ireland's bovine TB eradication programme currently costs an estimated 40 million per year. However, the union says there has been no progress to date, leaving many farm families in an 'unsustainable position'. The UFU office bearers said: New bTB issues are being reported every week by our members and its having a severe impact not only on the NI livestock industry, but on the well-being of our farmers. "It is apparent that DAERA officials are stalling and dragging their heels." Holstein NI added that its members were 'frustrated' with the lack of progress, coupled with an 'ever-increasing number of restrictions'. "Some of these controls place exceptional financial pressures on their business yet we find all to no avail - the infection rates show little or no reduction," the industry body said. "A coherent policy of removing infected animals and wildlife has yet to be implemented. Bold policy decisions have been avoided hiding behind research, trials and more trials. Financial support historically provided by the EU which is not to be continued by the UK government post Brexit, will inevitably lead to increased rates of infection. NI meat processors have raised concerns with the UFU and stressed how it could affect export markets, with the potential of having a significant impact on the industry. Our farmers who have animals that test positive will not be accepting a compensation cut when DAERA are not utilising the resources they have available to tackle bTB appropriately, said the UFU office bearers. "A compensation cut will not only fail to cover the worth of the animals, but also the consequential loss of income via the farm business due to the removal of bTB positive animals." Free speech campaigners today blasted Police Scotland over its decision to charge a man over an offensive tweet about Captain Sir Tom Moore. A tweet sent shortly after war hero's death last Tuesday read: 'The only good Brit soldier is a deed one, burn auld fella, buuuuurn.' Joseph Kelly will appear at Lanark Sheriff Court accused of communications offences. Laurence Fox led anger about the decision today, tweeting: 'The police should be free to do their jobs, which is investigate actual crime, not arresting idiots who tweet idiotic things. 'Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of any open society. Protect it, even if you dont like or agree with it.' One libertarian Scottish Twitter user wrote 'my country is a joke' next to an article announcing the charge today. Politics lecturer Adrian Hilton wrote: 'Unless this tweet threatened violence or incited civil unrest or some other kind of harm, I'd very much like to know why this man has been arrested. We have a right to be 'offensive', and that's a high bar. If anyone can send me the tweet, please do.' It comes as the SNP continues efforts to introduce a new hate crime bill that will criminalise 'stirring up hatred' - a 'vague' definition that critics believe could legalise cancel culture. Sir Tom, who helped raise tens of millions for the NHS during the first national lockdown, died in hospital last Tuesday Senior lawyer Thomas Ross, QC, is one of the most high-profile critics of the SNP's hate crime bill. He warned it would be 'impossible' for Scots to know if they had committed a crime, which could lead to debate on controversial subjects being stifled. He believes laws are already in place to deal with those who commit hate crimes, while the vague language used in the Bill could lead to serious offenders being acquitted. Serious concerns have been raised, including over vague language and reference to 'inflammatory material'. Lawyers, politicians, campaigners and religious groups believe the law could have a devastating impact on freedom of speech. In particular, they believe a section referring to the 'stirring up of hatred' signals that someone could be charged over comments perceived to be offensive, even if this is not intended. There are also concerns people could be prosecuted for possessing 'inflammatory material' - which could include books, blogs, leaflets or social media. Those who share, forward or repeat such material could also face charges. Mr Ross said: 'If the Scottish Government is going to create an offence that can be committed unintentionally, drafters of the legislation have to make the essentials of the offence crystal clear. They've failed to do that. 'The language used in the Bill is so difficult to understand that it will be impossible for the man or woman in the street to know when the line is likely to be crossed. 'A person might think, "I don't intend to be offensive and I don't think this comment is abusive, but what might a mythical sheriff think about it if the procurator fiscal is persuaded to prosecute? Why take the chance". Laurence Fox led the free speech backlash today, while one libertarian Scottish Twitter user wrote 'my country is a joke' next to an article announcing the charge today Sir Tom, who helped raise tens of millions for the NHS during the first national lockdown, died in hospital last Tuesday. Police Scotland said a tweet about the 100-year-old was reported to them three days later and a man from Lanarkshire was arrested. A spokesman for Police Scotland said: 'On Friday we received a report of an offensive tweet about Sir Captain Tom Moore who died on Tuesday February 2. 'A 35-year-old man has subsequently been arrested and charged in connection with communication offences and is due to appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on Wednesday, February 17.' The World War Two veteran passed away after contracting coronavirus and pneumonia. His daughters, Hannah and Lucy, issued a statement reading: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore. 'We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. 'We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together. 'The care our father received from the NHS and carers over the last few weeks and years of his life has been extraordinary. 'We politely ask for privacy at this time so we can grieve quietly as a family and remember the wonderful 100 years our father had.' Joe Biden is reviving the weekly presidential address, a tradition going back to Franklin Roosevelt, as he seeks to present himself as an open and approachable president. The format is rather different, however, reflecting the change in technology. In his first address, posted on White House social media accounts at the weekend, Mr Biden is seen seated at his desk in the Oval Office. He rings a woman called Michelle from California, who wrote to him after she lost her job because of the pandemic. The carefully curated informality of the two-and-a-half-minute chat is a break from previous incarnations of the weekly address, in which presidents used pre-written speeches to put over the administrations message. In the first of what has been described as a weekly conversation, Mr Biden pressed the case for his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. How Michelle was chosen was not disclosed by the White House, which said Mr Bidens addresses will take a variety of forms. Read More His approach to communicating with voters will contrast with that of his predecessor, who used Twitter relentlessly as a platform to unload against his political opponents, before he was banned in the wake of the January 6 insurrection. There are parallels with the original FDR fireside chats in which the president addressed the nation during national crises such as the Great Depression and todays pandemic. The broadcasts died away after FDR but were revived by Ronald Reagan. George W Bush was the first to deliver the addresses in both English and Spanish, while Barack Obama was the first to post videos on the internet. The tradition was continued initially by Donald Trump but then abandoned within two years of his taking office. Presidents are always looking for ways to speak to their supporters in an unmediated way, said Chris Galdieri, associate professor at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Biden is decidedly not an online guy and hes at his best when hes interacting with someone. So this seems to split the difference between a purely broadcast radio monologue and reaching voters through social media. This week, Mr Biden will pivot the administration away from the hardline immigration policies of his predecessor. He is expected to issue new guidelines to agents working for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that are likely to slash the number of arrests and deportations. The changes, which have still to be finalised, would stop immigrants being deported for minor offences such as assault or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021) Source: AP South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co said on Monday it is not now in talks with Apple Inc on autonomous electric cars, just a month after it confirmed early-stage talks with the tech giant, sending the automaker's shares skidding. Wiping $2.4 billion off its market value, Hyundai stock slumped 4.3% by 0428 GMT. Shares in its affiliate Kia Corp, which had been tipped in local media reports as the likely operational partner for Apple, tumbled 12.8% - a $4.7 bilion hit. The announcement brings the curtain down on weeks of internal divisions at Hyundai Motor Co Group - parent to both automakers - about the potential tieup, with some executives raising concerns about becoming a contract manufacturer for the U.S. tech giant in a tieup reminiscent of electronics firm Foxconn's role in making device for Apple like the iPhone. "We are receiving requests for cooperation in joint development of autonomous electric vehicles from various companies, but they are at early stage and nothing has been decided," the automakers said on Monday, in compliance with stock market rules requiring regular updates to investors regarding market rumours. "We are not having talks with Apple on developing autonomous vehicles." Kia shares had jumped 61% since Hyundai initially confirmed a local media report early in January that Apple and Hyundai were in discussions to develop self-driving electric vehicles by 2027 and develop batteries at U.S. factories operated by either Hyundai or Kia. "Apple and Hyundai are in discussion, but as it is at early stage, nothing has been decided," Hyundai said, before releasing subsequent statements that removed all mentions of Apple but said Hyundai was receiving electric car cooperation requests from parties it didn't identify. As recently as last week, media outlets including CNBC reported that a deal was close to being finalised. One South Korean report said the two companies were set to sign the deal on Feb. 17. 'AGONISING' Hyundai is traditionally known for its reluctance to work with outsiders, making engines, transmissions and even its own steel in-house in a vertically integrated supply chain as South Korea's second-largest conglomerate. Although shares in Kia and Hyundai had surged on news of the talks, internal opposition to becoming an Apple contract manufacturer was considerable, according to people familiar with the matter. "We are agonising over how to do it, whether it is good to do it or not," a Hyundai executive aware of internal discussions on the tie-up told Reuters in January. "We are not a company which manufactures cars for others," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Apple and Hyundai first started talks over a car partnership in 2018, another person familiar with the matter previously told Reuters. But progress was hampered by the South Korean automaker's reticence on working with outsiders, the person said. Reuters reported in December that Apple was moving forward with autonomous car technology and aimed to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology as early as 2024. Apple, known to keep product plans under tight wraps, has never acknowledged talks with the automaker about building vehicles, and wasn't immediately available for comment outside business hours in the United States. Analysts said talks might have collapsed over leaks of the partnership plan to media, or over possible insistence by Apple that Hyundai's role in any tieup would be that of an equipment manufacturer, rather than a strategic partner. "With numerous news reports over discussions between the two companies, which should have been held to non-disclosure agreements, it would have been uncomfortable" said Kwon Soon-woo, an analyst at SK Securities. Kevin Yoo, an analyst at eBEST Investment & Securities, said, "It seems clear that Hyundai Motor Group has not been too happy with dealing with Apple ... They made it clear that they do not want to be treated just as Apple's supplier or manufacturer." (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Jihoon Lee, Hyunjoo Jin and Stephen Nellis; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) WASHINGTON - The Senate launches Donald Trumps historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, with lawyers for the former president insisting he is not guilty of inciting mob violence at the Capitol to overturn the election while prosecutors say he must be convicted of the most grievous constitutional crime even though hes gone from the White House. FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo the Republican side, right, in the House chamber is seen as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Vice President Mike Pence officiate as a joint session of the House and Senate convenes to count the Electoral College votes cast in November's election, at the Capitol in Washington. Arguments begin Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool, File) WASHINGTON - The Senate launches Donald Trumps historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, with lawyers for the former president insisting he is not guilty of inciting mob violence at the Capitol to overturn the election while prosecutors say he must be convicted of the most grievous constitutional crime even though hes gone from the White House. Trump faces a sole charge of incitement to insurrection over the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, an attack that stunned the nation and the world after he encouraged a rally crowd to fight like hell for his presidency. Rioters stormed the building trying to stop the certification of President-elect Joe Bidens victory. A list of whom the House has impeached and the outcomes of those impeachments. (AP Graphic) No witnesses are expected to be called, in part because the senators sworn as jurors will be presented with graphic videos of the scenes they witnessed that day, forced to flee for safety. Under COVID-19 protocols senators will distance for the trial, some even using the visitors' galleries. Holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump has declined a request to testify. The first president to face charges after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached for high crimes and misdemeanours, Trump continues to challenge the nation's civic norms and traditions even in defeat. Security remains extremely tight at the Capitol. While acquittal is likely, the trial will test the nation's attitude toward his brand of presidential power, the Democrats' resolve in pursuing him and the loyalty of Trump's Republican allies defending him. In trying to make sense of a second Trump trial, the public should keep in mind that Donald Trump was the first president ever to refuse to accept his defeat, said Timothy Naftali, a clinical associate professor at New York University and an expert on Richard Nixon's impeachment saga. This trial is one way of having that difficult national conversation about the difference between dissent and insurrection," he said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden will be busy with the the business of the presidency and won't spend much time watching the televised proceedings. Hell leave it to his former colleagues in the Senate, she said. In filings Monday, lawyers for the former president lobbed a wide-ranging attack against the House case, dismissing the trial as political theatre" on the same Senate floor that was invaded by the mob. Trump's defenders are preparing to challenge both the constitutionality of the trial and any suggestion that he was to blame for the insurrection. They suggest that Trump was simply exercising his First Amendment rights when he encouraged his supporters to protest at the Capitol, and they argue the Senate is not entitled to try Trump now that he has left office. FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo people shelter in the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. Arguments begin Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) While never willing to allow a good crisis to go to waste, the Democratic leadership is incapable of understanding that not everything can always be blamed on their political adversaries," the Trump lawyers say. House impeachment managers filed their own document Monday, asserting that Trump had betrayed the American people and there is no valid excuse or defence. His incitement of insurrection against the United States government which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a president," the Democrats said. The trial will begin Tuesday with a debate and vote on whether it's constitutionally permissible to prosecute the former president, an argument that could resonate with Republicans keen on voting to acquit Trump without being seen as condoning his behaviour. Under an agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell, the opening arguments would begin Wednesday at noon, with up to 16 hours per side for presentations. On the eve of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., center right, the lead Democratic House impeachment manager, walks through the Rotunda to the Senate to prepare for the case, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. The trial will begin Tuesday with a debate and vote on whether it's even constitutional to prosecute the former president, an argument that could resonate with Republicans keen on voting to acquit Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The trial was set to break Friday evening for the Jewish Sabbath at the request of Trump's defence team, and resume Sunday. But Trump attorney David Schoen told senators in a letter late Monday he was concerned about a delay and withdrew the request. The schedule will likely be adjusted, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the planning. A presidential impeachment trial is among the most serious of Senate proceedings, conducted only three times before, leading to acquittals for Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and then Trump last year. Typically senators sit at their desks for such occasions, but the COVID-19 crisis has upended even this tradition. Instead, senators will be allowed to spread out, in the marble room just off the Senate floor, where proceedings will be shown on TV, and in the public galleries above the chamber, to accommodate social distancing, according to the person familiar with the discussions. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago. In that case, Trump was charged with having privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, then a Democratic rival for the presidency. This time, Trump's stop the steal rally rhetoric and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. The trial could be over in half the time. The Democratic-led House impeached the president swiftly, one week after the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died, including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died the next day of his injuries. House prosecutors are expected to rely on videos from the siege, along with Trump's incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defence team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the attack, a number of Republican senators have cooled their criticism as the intervening weeks have provided some distance. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial was delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new president's initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to stall. At the time, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. The 45 Republican votes in favour of Paul's measure suggest the near impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Only five Republicans joined with Democrats to reject Pauls motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Associated Press writer Hope Yen contributed to this report. Matthew Micah Wright/Getty Images Potential travelers to Hawaii who want to avoid the uncertainty and expense of getting a negative COVID test shortly before departure might soon have another option. The states leader on tourism and COVID policies suggested last week that Hawaii should consider opening up to visitors who have completed two COVID vaccinations, adding that such a change could be implemented as soon as later this month. Moving home is often voted one of the most stressful things you can do - but this year there are two added pressures. These are the rush to complete before the stamp duty holiday deadline, which expires on 31 March this year, and the complications caused by lockdown restrictions. Since the stamp duty holiday was announced, people have been keen to take up the opportunity to save money as a result of this tax being temporarily scrapped for the portion of a home purchase under 500,000. But in the rush to secure a home, buyers may overlook some expenses or make mistakes that could cost them even more money. Moving is not always fun and games. If you don't plan correctly, you could pay 700 in extras According to one study by Moneysupermarket last year, Britons could spend an additional 696 each time they move home - and that is on top of common fees like agency fees, legal fees and stamp duty. Here, This is Money highlights eight financial pitfalls to be aware of before and during your new home purchase, and actions you can take now to avoid them. 1. You may not be getting the best mortgage deal The economic issues caused by Covid-19 have resulted in a decrease in the range of mortgage offers available to buyers. As mortgage providers have become less generous with their loan-to-value offers, buyers have had to put down bigger deposits to make it on to the property ladder. Action to take now: Paul Keighley, residential partner at agent Bramleys, says: 'It's important to research different mortgage opportunities to find the best deal for you. 'Although an additional cost, using a mortgage broker takes away the hard work of finding the best offer for you and can often get you a better rate than going directly to the lender.' When it comes to an end of tenancy clean, you could do it yourself. But if the clean is not up to the standard required a landlord could hire someone and make you pay for it 2. Additional costs and fees Personal finance comparison website, Nerdwallet warns of extra costs that could be incurred in the house-buying process. They point out that a solicitor's fees to carry out the required legal work can range between 800 and 1,500, while searches to determine if there are any local issues or plans to be aware of can average between 200 and 300. Land registry fees should also be a consideration. These can vary as the calculations are based on the value of the property. Moneysupermarket says that extra costs could arise from paying for the installation of WiFi, changing bill providers and paying for post to be redirected. Action to take now: Contact all the service providers involved in the purchase of your home and find out what you're in for financially - especially if you need to switch providers. Find out if there are any exit or penalty fees involved from your current provider. Nerdwallet says: 'It is also important to be aware that many of these fees, for example solicitor or search charges, are non-refundable, even if the purchase ends up falling through. Therefore, it is crucial to be fully aware of all the costs involved before starting the process of buying a home.' 3. Furnishing the home Many renters forget to factor in the cost of buying new appliances Many renters have to buy new furniture when they buy a house, often because the home they're renting comes fully furnished or has in-built appliances. Forgetting to budget for furnishings you don't already have is a common mistake. Actions to take now: To save money you can always buy used furniture and appliances. Vicki Wusche, speaker and author of The Wealthy Retirement Plan, recommends scouring Facebook marketplace, Gumtree and Freecycle for deals. She says: 'Charity shops are always a good source of clean second-hand goods - they won't do electrical stuff but it's worth a check. 'Ask family and friends - when I left my married home with two kids everything I had was a gift from someone from their spare pans to furniture from the charity store.' 4. Cleaning You could lose money from your rental deposit if you don't get your rental home cleaned up to the standard required when you move out. While hiring a cleaning professional can be expensive, it could help to save money in the long run. Ben Gent from Assetz Exchange says: 'It is worth bearing in mind that if you miss something (washing machines and ovens are common omissions) or the cleaning is not up to a professional standard, then your landlord will likely hire in a professional cleaner and you will be charged for the full property regardless of the hours you have put in, so it may be worth just paying up. Action to take now: Find the right company for the job of cleaning your home. Gent says: 'It is always worth hiring a cleaner that guarantees their work, that way if the landlord flags something as unsatisfactory, you can contact the cleaner to go back in and resolve.' 5. Paying for damages to rental properties When tenants move out, they typically expect to receive their full deposits back before they leave. However, the cost to repair damages could be taken off the deposit. If the damage made by previous tenants was not documented, you could be held responsible for that, too. If you leave it to your landlord or a letting agent to fix, they may add on a mark-up and/or admin charges to make restorations Raj Dosanjh, founder of Rentround Raj Dosanjh, founder of Rentround Action to take now: Check your tenancy contract to find out what constitutes fair wear and tear and what would be considered wilful damage. Tenants are not liable for fair wear and tear. Minor scuffs and scratches would fall under wear and tear, however, holes in the walls from paintings that were hung up that require plaster, filling and painting would be considered wilful damage. Raj Dosanjh, founder of estate and letting agent comparison site Rentround, advises renters moving out of a property to consider fixing any 'significant damages' themselves. He explains: 'This includes wall, door, ceiling & furniture damage. If you leave it to your landlord or a letting agent to fix, they may add on a mark-up or admin charges to make restorations. It's far cheaper to source your own contractor or handyman if one is required.' Dosanjh adds that in some cases you could save money by hiring one company to do all the work: 'When selecting a cleaning company, look out for those that also offer small repair services. You may be able to get a cheaper deal by choosing one company for both services, if you need to also fix small damages to the property.' Raj Dosanjh, founder of estate and letting agent comparison site Rentround, advises tenants to fix any damage they caused themselves before moving out of a property 6. Outstanding bills If you're behind on your bills, then you're not alone. According to Citizen's Advice, one in seven (14 per cent) of people have fallen behind on essential bills including energy water, mobile phone and broadband bills, council tax, rent or mortgage payments. Action to take now: Gent says: 'On the day you move out, take final meter readings. Photos are helpful to resolve any disputes. 'You should contact utility suppliers and the council with the last date of your tenancy and final meter readings, and give them a forwarding address they can send final bills to. 'Make sure you settle these bills promptly as the last thing you need in your new home is a letter from a debt collection agency.' 7. Professional removal costs Removal costs range between 300 to 600 according to Moneyadviceservice.org. While you can save money by renting a van and doing it yourself, your insurance company may not allow this. According to GoCompare Home Insurance, most home insurance policies (78 per cent) which cover removals only do so if the contents have been packed and transported by a professional removal firm. So, if you want to conduct the move yourself or hire a 'man with a van' that's not considered a professional you could end up paying for any breakages yourself. You could pay for a move yourself, but if you get professionals to help you move you're more likely to be covered by your home insurer if anything breaks Action to take now: Check your home insurance policy before your move and if you're not covered for your DIY move you could shop around for a better deal that would cover it. Lee Griffin, founder and CEO of GoCompare, says: 'Premiums are based on the postcode, the type of property, and the value of your belongings. While your current insurer may have offered the best deal on your old property, they might not be as competitive for your new home. 'However, before committing to switch insurer, you should check your existing insurer's cancellation charges to make sure that these don't wipe out any potential savings.' 8. Extra rent for breaching the contract If you don't get the timing of your notice period for your rent correct, you may end up paying extra. Dosanjh says: 'To avoid additional fees when giving notice, you'd need to abide by your tenancy agreement and the law. Action to take now: Look at your tenancy agreement. Dosanjh says: 'Your tenancy agreement, if a fixed term, would usually include a break clause. For example, it may state after three months post the start of the tenancy, a one month notice period is evoked. 'As long as you abide by those terms, you shouldn't be charged additional fees. If you're in a fixed term agreement with no break clause, you will need agreement from the landlord on what fees, if any, will be charged. 'You may be required to pay rent, even if you move out, for the duration of the fixed term tenancy agreement.' If you don't have a break clause, you could get out of the agreement by helping the landlord find a replacement tenant. Dosanjh adds: 'The landlord will be far more willing to let you exit the property as their rental income isn't likely to be impacted. If there is no fixed term and you're on a periodic tenancy, then usually the minimum notice required is one month, subject to stipulations included in your agreement.' If you have any questions or doubts about your rental agreement, speak to the letting agent or contact the Citizens Advice Bureau. The fifth round of talks aimed at resolving the electoral impasse in Somalia failed to reach an agreement, a government official confirmed on Friday evening. Osman Dubbe, the Somali information minister said the talks which were held in the central town of Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state, deadlocked over the composition and management of the elections in Jubbaland regional state. Dubbe said President Mohamed Farmajo and regional leaders from Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Puntland, Jubaland, and South West states have traveled back without resolving the impasse and will have to meet again later to resolve the issues. He said the government side made a lot of concessions on all contentious issues including removing certain election committee members who the opposition and regional leaders said are close to the president but this could not break the deadlock. Failure to resolve the electoral impasse has plunged Somalia into a political crisis since President Farmajo's term will end on Feb. 8 while the four-year term of parliament ended on Dec. 27, 2020. The president was due to address both Houses later on Saturday amid reports he may seek for extension of his term. Under the pre-election deal reached in September 2020, parliamentary elections are to take place in two locations in each federal state within the five federal member states. Dubbe said the government cannot withdraw its troops from Gedo, the capital of Jubbaland in the southern region following the recent clashes between Somali army forces and those from the federal territory of Jubbaland which is near the Kenyan border. He said the government also rejected attempts to establish a new administration in Gedo without any resolution of what led to the clashes. The consultative meeting was expected to arrive at a way forward for the delayed elections, 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. For all of the Yakima Herald-Republics 2020 election coverage, click here. For more information about how we are covering the 2020 election, click here. For more information on how to vote, click here or call 509-574-1340. Blackstone (Image: Reuters) Private equity giant Blackstone Group is set to acquire Embassy Industrial Parks for Rs 5,250 crore ($700 million) from Warburg Pincus and the Embassy Group. The transaction between Blackstone, Warburg Pincus and Embassy Group has been finalised with all the key contours and is expected to be announced in the next few days, a source told The Economic Times. Embassy Industrial Parks has 22 million sq ft of assets. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The deal will make Blackstone the biggest warehousing landlord and retail asset owner in India. It would also be Indias first large private equity (PE) transaction of 2021 and the largest ever logistics and warehousing deal in the country. Of Embassy Industrial Parks 22 million sq ft assets, 3.5 million sq ft is leased to clients like Rhenus Logistics, Myntra, Mahindra Logistics, FirstCry, Delhivery and Amazon. Its assets include warehouses in Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad, Hosur (Tamil Nadu), Farrukhnagar (Delhi-NCR), Chakan (Pune), Bilaspur and land in Bengaluru. Warburg, Embassy and Blackstone did not respond to queries, the report said. Blackstone counts logistics among its largest asset class, with over $55 billion investment and 575 million sq. ft of warehousing space. It has emerged as an aggressive institutional investor in Indias real-estate space with more than $50 billion worth of assets. It is also Indias largest office-holder with 118 million sq. ft assets in six cities. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Michael Mollica, Executive Vice President, has been appointed to lead Chubb's Private/Not-For-Profit Management Liability business within the North America Financial Lines. Mr. Mollica succeeds Leigh Anne Sherman, who has been appointed Division President of ESIS, Inc., a Chubb company, and a leading third-party claims administrator . In this role, Mr. Mollica will have overall responsibility for leading the company's Private/Not-For-Profit Management Liability business, which focuses on providing Directors & Officers (D&O) Liability, Fiduciary Liability, Employment Practices Liability (EPL), Workplace Violence, Crime, and Kidnap & Ransom insurance products. He will also provide underwriting support for the Underwriting Service Branch (USB), which provides new and renewal underwriting and services for eligible management liability product offerings in the U.S. Succeeding Mr. Mollica is Stephen Troiano, who has been named Executive Vice President and will lead the U.S. Retail Financial Institutions Management Liability business. In this capacity, he will oversee a team of underwriters focused on the addressing the management liability needs of public and private financial institutions, offering D&O Liability insurance, Professional Liability insurance and other related lines of coverage. Both appointments are effective immediately. Messrs. Mollica and Troiano will report to Steven F. Goldman, Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Financial Lines. "Our top priority is to continuously strengthen our ability to deliver superior management liability solutions and services to the marketplace, and both Mike and Steve have the excellent leadership and technical underwriting skills to help us achieve that," said Mr. Goldman. "These appointments underscore the remarkably strong leadership team that we have in place within North America Financial Lines, and I look forward to the impact each will have on our business moving forward." Mr. Mollica has more than 20 years of industry experience. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Communications from the Boston College Wallace E. Carroll Graduate School of Management. Mr. Troiano has more than 20 years of industry experience. He is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The College of New Jersey. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com. SOURCE Chubb Related Links www.chubb.com The government has said it will not hold children any longer at home because they are not vaccinating those below 16 years until the appropriate vaccines are available. However, Education Minister Janet Museveni said nursery schools handling children aged three to six will remain closed throughout the Covid-19 season. The minister explained that this particular age bracket doesn't wear face masks and are at high risk of contracting respiratory infections like coronavirus. "Vaccination against Covid-19 will be gradually rolled out beginning with the most vulnerable population. Children aged 16 years and below may not be eligible for the currently available vaccines. This means that we cannot wait to vaccinate learners before opening education institutions for the rest of the classes," Ms Museveni said during a media briefing at State House Nakasero in Kampala on Friday. She added: "Pre-primary schools shall not be reopened for the time being." Although Ms Museveni noted that institutions which opened for candidate classes failed to maintain the standard operating procedures (SOPs) like social distancing in dormitories and at meal time, and that often learners and their teachers were seen without masks, more students will be allowed to join the finalists as they approach sitting their national examinations. To start with, Primary Six, Senior Three and Senior Five students will report on March 1 to continue from where they stopped for 12 weeks and close on May 21. Mr Alex Kakooza, the ministry of Education permanent secretary, however couldn't explain on Friday which term this will be, insisting their concentration will be on completing the content that wasn't covered since March 20 last year when President Museveni ordered closed all education institutions following the coronavirus outbreak. A total of 257 students are said to have contracted the virus while at school when they first reported in October. The virus that has now become a global threat was first detected in China before spreading to other parts of the world. Subsequently, countries instituted a number of measures, including travel bans and lockdowns to curtail it's further spread as they paced to find it's origin, characteristics and cure. Schools are expected to keep fewer learners at any one point to avoid crowding that could facilitate transmission of the virus. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Coronavirus Children By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Thus, Ms Museveni added Primary Four and Five pupils, Senior One and Two students will report only after Primary Seven candidates complete Primary Leaving Examinations on March 31 and finalists in secondary schools leave in April. Schools have been warned against administering exams to learners as a promotional tool to the next class but were instead asked to consider attendance, assignments and continuous assessment. The government plans to end this academic year which should have stopped in December in July before a new programme is rolled out. The universities were also cleared to reopen from March 1 but in phases by permitting fewer students at intervals although their colleagues in tertiary institutions were cleared to fully reopen. Ms Museveni said their plan is to see all universities conduct studies online except for science students who will be called for a face-to-face practical sessions. Egypts health ministry said in a statement that it detected 534 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total infections toll nationwide since the outbreak of the pandemic last year to 169,640. The health ministry also reported 47 deaths, bringing the total fatalities from the virus to 9,651. Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed said in the statement that 321 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 132,375. Egypt has started its vaccination campaign in January, administering the first dose of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine to the frontline healthcare workers at isolation and triage hospitals. It also plans to start vaccinating people over 60 starting mid-February. In a phone interview with MBC Masr satellite channel on Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the first segment of the country's vaccination priority list involves up to 30 to 35 million citizens. This comprising frontline healthcare workers, people with chronic diseases, and seniors. The figure requires about 70 million doses of the vaccine, El-Sisi said, while assuring that the fund for this amount is available. Earlier on the same day, the president welcomed an invitation for Egypt to join the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) during the 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly. The AUs AVATT serves as a component of the Africa vaccine strategy. Short link: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with Richard Moore, director, Children in Crossfire, and actress Joanna Lumley. Lorcan Doherty / Presseye Pictured Joanna Lumley (left) in Derry, Northern Island visits a mural tribute to Richard Moore (right) who was blinded after being shot by a rubber bullet when he was just ten-years-old Pictured Joanna Lumley (right) to Derry to meet actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson (left) from the hit TV series The Derry Girls. (c) Burning Bright Joanna Lumley left her mark on Derry's famous walls when she visited the city as part of her latest ITV travel series. In Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land, the first part of which airs this Tuesday, she catches up with old friend Richard Moore, from the charity Children in Crossfire, who was blinded by a rubber bullet in 1972, aged 10. Unbeknown to Richard, UV Arts, the group behind the massive Derry Girls mural in the city, had started work on another mural, this time depicting the Children in Crossfire founder and the Dalai Lama touching foreheads. The pair formed a friendship after meeting in Derry, with the Dalai Lama describing Richard as his "hero". Former Bond girl Joanna joins Karl Porter of UV Arts at Free Derry corner and learns about the Bogside landmark's history and the significance of murals. Expand Close Pictured Joanna Lumley (left) in Derry, Northern Island visits a mural tribute to Richard Moore (right) who was blinded after being shot by a rubber bullet when he was just ten-years-old / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pictured Joanna Lumley (left) in Derry, Northern Island visits a mural tribute to Richard Moore (right) who was blinded after being shot by a rubber bullet when he was just ten-years-old She also accompanies him to Great James Street, where she dons protective clothing, picks up a can of spray paint and gets into a cherry-picker to help finish the mural of Richard and the Buddhist leader. The Absolutely Fabulous icon then meets up with Richard, who shows her around the Creggan, where he grew up, visiting the place where he was hit by the soldier's bullet. Richard has since forgiven and befriended the soldier who shot him, which brought him to the attention of the Dalai Lama on a visit to Derry. Joanna brings Richard to Great James Street in the city centre and reveals the news to him that his face is now on a gable wall. As his family gather round for the unveiling, Joanna tells Richard: "It is so lovely to be here with you and to see this. No one is more deserving than you. It's fantastic." Earlier in the episode, Joanna meets up with Derry Girls actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson and the pair discuss the success of the Channel 4 comedy. Expand Close His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with Richard Moore, director, Children in Crossfire, and actress Joanna Lumley. Lorcan Doherty / Presseye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with Richard Moore, director, Children in Crossfire, and actress Joanna Lumley. Lorcan Doherty / Presseye Saoirse-Monica says: "I don't think any of us could have expected it to translate so well across the water, but it's been amazing and, most importantly, the people of the city like it and enjoy it, because Derry people, if they didn't like it, that would be awful." Joanna visits the Dark Hedges and chats to Game of Thrones tour guide Flip Robinson, a former body double for two characters in the show. Speaking ahead of the episode, she said: "It was lovely to go over to Derry and meet Saoirse-Monica Jackson from Derry Girls, that extraordinarily popular and incredibly funny and poignant series that came out of Northern Ireland. I just adored that. "It was a privilege to walk with Richard Moore, the great Derry Lama. He is somebody who I have known and admired for some time. "He was blinded when he was only 10 years old by a rubber bullet during the Troubles, and he's gone on to make a huge success of his life. Expand Close Joanna Lumley at the Dark Hedges / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joanna Lumley at the Dark Hedges "He's set up a thing called Children in Crossfire, which is a charity set up to look after children who have been injured in wartime." Richard, who became friends with Joanna after she attended Children in Crossfire's 20th anniversary event in Derry in 2017, said he couldn't believe it when he heard about the new mural from her. "She told me she had a surprise for me and I didn't know what to expect. When she told me it was a mural of me with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, I was shocked. I never thought it would be something like that. I honestly felt a bit emotional and had a lump in my throat," he added. "It was pretty overwhelming, especially to know she had a hand in it, but that's Joanna all over. She's lovely, compassionate, down to earth and real. I'm honoured and humbled to call her a friend." Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land airs at 8pm this Tuesday on ITV The website trybuna.info of Poland recently posted an article, in which author Piotr Gadzinowski shows belief that Vietnam will achieve the goal of building a prosperous and happy nation as set out during the 13th National Congress. Delegates vote to approve 13th National Party Congress's Resolution - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) The author cited the Happy Planet Index as saying that Vietnam is currently ranked fifth among 140 assessed countries, far from the 121st place 30 years ago. He also highlighted the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam from January 25 to February 1, during which Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected as Party General Secretary with high consensus. The Party Congress, held every five years, is significant to not only Vietnam but also the entire Southeast Asia where Vietnam is one of the motive force. The author said that despite global economic recessions, Vietnams economy grew by 2.9 percent in 2020 and is expected to expand about 7 percent this year likely the highest level in the region. Vietnam is also listed among the countries with the best response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The author quoted a survey of Australias Lowy Institute as saying that Vietnam is ranked second in the world in terms of handling the COVID-19 pandemic. The author also showed his impression with Vietnams long-term strategy on socio-economic development discussed during the 13th National Party Congress with the aim to build a prosperous and happy nation. The article emphasised that the CPVs consistent and creative socio-economic policies have helped increase Vietnams international position./.VNA Sunday, February 7, 2021 Flee premiered at Sundance this year. It is a Danish, animated documentary that follows the story of Amin, a gay refugee from Afghanistan. Check out the trailer: Jezebel has a wonderful write-up of the film: The most moving film Ive seen since I cant even remember when is Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussens animated documentary Flee. It tells the story of Amin, whose family left Afghanistan during the Mujahideens war with the Soviet Army. They fled to Russia, the only country that would grant them a tourist visa, and from there attempted to make it to Sweden, only to be thwarted and effectively imprisoned in Estonia. The animation allows Amins contemporary interview to flow into depictions of his past. The timeline compression is nearly psychedelic, as we leap from Amins life as a refugee to his present as an engaged gay man. For so much of Amins life, self-preservation meant identity-amputationnever having a real home meant that his family was the only thing that grounded him, and so he risked being effectively hollowed out by coming out. Having to obscure his biography became a motif in Amins life (the traffickers that eventually got him out of Afghanistan made it clear that he could never disclose his past or that his family was still alive). The very act of recounting his story is cathartic and revelatory: Only now that Im telling you about it do I realize how hard its been, he admits to Rasmussen. Flee is a terrific case for the power of well-told personal narrativethe challenges of the refugee, the police-profiled, the closeted queer is explained without ambiguity. As a bonus, Flee features some incredible music cuesas hes being trafficked to what he thinks is Sweden (but ends up being Denmark) alongside a guy that he has a clandestine crush on, Roxettes Joyride plays (Hello, you fool I love you/Cmon join the joyride, goes the hook). Even better is a scene depicting his first visit to a gay club scored by one of the most poignant dance songs after crafted, Daft Punks Veridis Quo. Flee never hits a false note or wastes a moment. The theatrical film release has not been set, though the file was picked up by Neon. Actors Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) will dub the film into English for U.S. distribution. -KitJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2021/02/flee-a-truly-unique-documentary.html A Jasper teen died in a single-vehicle crash early Monday morning in Walker County. The incident happened around 2:19 a.m., nine miles south of Arley, on Old Duncan Bridge Road. The 18-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, was killed when the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe he was driving left the roadway in a curve and struck a tree. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate. Health official: 'I am hopeful for the brighter days ahead' ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced that it has completed its acquisition of specialist UK insurance broker The Bollington Wilson Group ("Bollington"). Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP Investor Relations VP Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected] UK media contact: Emma Banks, External Communications, Gallagher +44 (0) 7894 158 605 [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Related Links http://www.ajg.com Sorry! This content is not available in your region 404 Former Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Petronella Kagonye was arrested yesterday on fraud allegations relating to the illegal parcelling out of State land in Harare and Mashonaland East Province. She is the third former minister to be arrested over suspected corruption in land allocations, and the eleventh on corruption-related charges, although four have fled the country, as President Mnangagwa steps up the battle against abuse of office and has declared zero tolerance to corruption. Both the "big and small fish" face investigation and arrest, with those on remand now including, besides ex-ministers, a bunch of ex-mayors, a large group of suspended councillors and a group of local government top officials. The need to restore order and ensure proper planning and development in urban areas was a key element in what the President highlighted after officially returning to work last week. The Government is taking drastic measures to redress the illegal construction of houses on wetlands, on land set aside for social amenities such as schools, and on unplanned suburbs, a problem in most urban areas. He said the Government would offer alternative spaces for desperate home-seekers who have been given a raw deal by urban councils and land barons, sometimes the same people and often working together. Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) head Mr Tabani Mpofu confirmed Kagonye's arrest. "Yes, she has been arrested on alleged land scams, but police will avail more details," he said. On Saturday, Mr Mpofu said February will be a "bloody month of war" in the courts for suspected land barons. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Kagonye's arrest was coordinated by the Police Anti-Corruption Unit and SACU. "Kagonye was arrested on fraud allegations related to illegal land sales in and around Harare and Mashonaland East provinces," he said. Sometime in 2015, Kagonye -- through her company Glorious Properties -- was sucked into Goromonzi South land disputes where she was accused of swindling cooperatives, among them Shingiriro Housing Cooperative. Apart from land deals, Kagonye may also face allegations of diverting at least US$400 000 from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) during her tenure as minister. Land barons have been causing chaos mostly in urban areas, illegally parcelling out residential stands on unsuitable land, including wetlands and land reserved for social amenities including schools. Besides that, even when land is suitable for building, the barons have been selling it before the required basic development of roads, sewers and water mains have been put in place. Private developers usually add in the cost of power connection as well. It is these services that convert free State land to a building stand that has value. Selling the undeveloped land means the sale price is pure profit. Besides the severe health risks of plots without sewer connections and running water, using unsuitable land imposes even more drastic problems. Without sewers and running water it is easy to have raw sewage flooding make-shift wells, for example. A place in question is in Budiriro 5B extension where 43 households were affected by flooding following the recent heavy rains. President Mnangagwa stepped up the efforts last week to identify the scale of the problems, fix them, bring those responsible to account, and make them compensate those they cheated. The President has now put in place a task force under Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to coordinate and drive the efforts. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe Legal Affairs Land and Rural Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Other top officials arrested with cases before the courts include former Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo, ex-Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo and former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa. Former Midlands Provincial Governor Mr Jason Machaya was convicted for abusing and selling State land and although he is serving a custodial sentence, he still has more cases that are pending before the courts. Mr Douglas Tapfuma, the former director of State Residences, was similarly convicted of corruption offences related to the purchase and import of State vehicles. He is presently serving a prison term. The process of extraditing fugitive former Cabinet Ministers Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Walter Mzembi and Godfrey Gandawa is underway. Former Energy Minister Samuel Undenge is also behind bars on corruption charges. Community members in northern Uganda have expressed mixed reactions to the judgment in Dominic Ongwen's case. Ongwen was convicted of 61 out of 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including crimes of sexual and gender-based violence, and conscripting and using child soldiers in hostilities. The judgment was delivered on February 4, 2021, by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, and telecast live to communities in northern Uganda. Following the verdict, some community members were jubilant, while others expressed disappointment. Others called for a lighter sentence given Ongwen's background of having been abducted as a child and forcibly conscripted, while others remained skeptical that the verdict would not compensate for the suffering they underwent. Ongwen, a former commander of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), surrendered himself to U.S. forces in the Central African Republic in January 2015, and his trial before the ICC began in December 2016. The prosecution phase of the trial took place between December 2016 and April 2018. In total, testimony from 116 prosecution witnesses was considered during the trial. The defense phase of the trial took place from September 2018 to November 2019, and a total of 54 defense witnesses testified. 4,065 victims are participating in the trial. The proceedings of the verdict were telecast live to an eager audience in northern Uganda who followed from various locations across the region through screening sessions organized by the ICC field outreach office in Uganda in partnership with civil society organizations and community groups. The screening sessions were organized in Gulu City and the locations that were the subject of the case: Lukodi, Odek, Pajule and Abok. A screening session was also organized in Coorom, Ongwen's home village. Reacting after the ruling, many community members welcomed the verdict, saying Ongwen was indeed guilty of his crimes and deserved to be punished. "Ongwen was convicted of sixty-one counts which is more that seventy percent of what he was charged with so we are happy that justice has been served. I know he will appeal, but the judgment will be upheld," said Vincent from Lukodi. "Justice has been served for the victims of the conflict. The trial has set a good precedent for future perpetrators," noted Nathan, a civil society representative from Soroti in Eastern Uganda. "The judgment went as we expected," added Geoffrey from Odek. "The victims are happy, especially those who lost their loved ones." "I am a victim who lost eight children during an LRA attack in Lalogi," noted Atim from Gulu town. "I feel Ongwen deserves the punishment that is coming his way." "I am a victim. I was abducted aged seven years, and was forced to bear a child for an LRA commander at 13 years of age. My body has never been the same. If Ongwen is not punished, victims like me should commit suicide," said Brenda, a former LRA abductee living in Gulu town. However other community members expressed disappointment, noting that Ongwen was abducted and forced to serve in the LRA. In Ongwen's home village of Coorom, Amuru District, the verdict was not welcomed. "Ongwen is our son," said Mr. Lakony, the district chairperson for Amuru. "A child who was abducted should not have been tried. Ongwen was abducted due to the Government's failure to protect him. The guilty verdict is painful to his relatives. We look at this verdict as a victimization against the Lamogi Clan from which Ongwen hails." "Ongwen did bad things, but he deserves to be forgiven the way many commanders in northern Uganda were forgiven. He should be released and allowed to come home and ask for forgiveness," said Bernard, a community member living in Gulu town." Other community members were overwhelmed by the number of counts Ongwen was found guilty of, and called for him to be given a light sentence. The most common reason cited for this was Ongwen's abduction background, a fact the judges acknowledged at the beginning of the session where the verdict was read out. "The counts are too many," said Hellen, a civil society representative from Eastern Uganda. "We are aware that Ongwen was a victim before he committed his atrocities. Sixty-one counts are a bit many for one who was abducted." "He should have been convicted on about 30 counts only. Sixty-one are too many," noted Auma, a resident of Gulu town. For others, the verdict would make no difference in undoing the harm already suffered by victims. This was reinforced by views that many victims who were outside the scope of the case would miss out on reparations. "From a victim's perspective, Ongwen has been convicted. So what? Do victims understand and appreciate the meaning of that conviction? Will it ease their pain? What is important; is it the verdict or what comes after? Questions around reparations should now begin," noted Stephen, a journalist in Gulu. "The victims in Teso sub-region have welcomed the verdict but they feel left out. They are asking what will happen for them in terms of reparations," said Nathan. Other community members underscored the importance of Ongwen's verdict, and future sentencing, arguing that it would pave the way for healing and acceptance back into the community. "Ongwen's verdict and sentence is important for setting him and his relatives free. After he serves the sentence, he will be free to return to the community and nobody will disturb him because he will have already paid the price," noted an elderly man from Gulu town. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Ongwen cannot return freely to northern Uganda without some sort of punishment," agreed Stella, a former LRA abductee. "It is better for him to spend some time in prison and then return home". In his final remarks, the presiding judge noted that Ongwen's sentence would be determined after considering views from the prosecution, the defence, and the victims' representatives. For some community members in northern Uganda, Ongwen's sentence should be determined in light of the fact that he was a victim. "If Ongwen is to be imprisoned, his sentence should be appropriate. We are talking about a child who was abducted and grew up as a killer. The judges should consider this when determining the time he will spend in prison," said Agnes, a resident of Gulu town. "He should not receive the maximum sentence of 30 years. He should be imprisoned for a short while and then allowed to come back to the community and ask for forgiveness," said Christopher, a resident of Gulu town. Lino Owor Ogora is a peace-building practitioner who has worked with victims of conflict in northern Uganda and South Sudan since 2006. He is also the Co-Founder of the Foundation for Justice and Development Initiatives (FJDI), a local Non-Government Organization based in Gulu District that works with children, youth, women and communities to promote justice, development and economic recovery in northern Uganda. New York, Feb 9 : Former US President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial begins on Tuesday, over a single charge: incitement of insurrection. The allegations revolve around Trump inciting a violent mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6 - which they did. The trial will take place at the same location where, almost exactly a month ago, Trump's die hard supporters unleashed utter bedlam, leaving five people dead and several law enforcement officers with injuries that will haunt them for a lifetime. Here are some questions that will headline the trial, expected to move at a swift pace: Will Trump be convicted? At least 67 Senators in the 100 member chamber have to vote to convict Trump. The Senate is on a 50-50 razor's edge between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris as tie breaker. But the tie-breaker won't do for this. Emotions continue to run high among Republicans too but during a January 26 test vote, we got a preview of the softening towards Trump. Only five Republican senators voted against throwing out the trial. Even if those five vote to convict Trump, it's well short of the 17 breakaways needed to seal the deal. Legal scholars are all over the map on whether the trial itself is constitutional - since Trump is no longer in office. What is Trump's case? Lawyers for Donald Trump have slammed the impeachment trial as an act of "political theater" where Democrats are juicing the January 6 riot for political gain. In initial arguments, Trump's lawyers are expected to skewer the Democrats' case as "patently absurd" and accuse them of silencing a political opponent. They plan to frame Trump's comments as First Amendment rights, including when he urged his supporters to "fight like hell" before they marched to the Capitol. The Trump tent pole will be built around the argument that the Senate should not be holding this impeachment trial at all since Trump is not a sitting president any more. No US president has faced impeachment proceedings after leaving office. What is the case against Trump? Democrats will argue that Trump is "singularly responsible" for the January 6 attack. They will say that Trump, by "creating a powder keg, striking a match, and then seeking personal advantage from the ensuing havoc," is where the insurrection begins and ends. They will make the case that minus Trump, the grisly events of January 6 would have been "impossible". Will Trump show up? Trump has rejected a request from impeachment managers to testify. Since January 20, Trump has parked himself in Florida. Without access to Twitter, Trump has relied mostly on old world networking and press releases to get his message out via surrogates. How long will the trial take? Trump's first impeachment trial lasted three weeks. Round Two is expected to be quicker because most of the evidence on the single point article played out in full public view. More importantly, the Biden administration is intent on moving quickly with its $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, and Cabinet nominees are yet to be confirmed. None of that can move forward while the impeachment trial is on. What do the polls say? The latest AP poll shows a majority of Americans think Trump bears some blame for the Capitol insurrection; they remain split on whether the Senate should vote to convict him. An ABC News / Ipsos poll released Sunday shows 56 per cent of Americans support the Senate convicting Trump and barring him from office in the future but the results are along strictly partisan lines. Over 9 in 10 Democrats support barring Trump and over 8 in 10 Republicans oppose it. (Nikhila Natarajan can be reached at nikhilanatarajan@gmail.com) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The central Chinese city of Wuhan will provide people who stay put for the upcoming Spring Festival with coupons worth 100 million yuan (about 15.46 million U.S. dollars) to stimulate consumption, local authorities said on Sunday night. The first batch of shopping coupons will be issued at 12 a.m. Monday on online platforms such as Alipay, WeChat and Meituan, and will be valid until the end of Feb. 16, said the city's bureau of commerce. The coupons can be used for purchases at malls, supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and cinemas in the city, with denominations ranging from eight yuan to 108 yuan. The Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year, usually sees hundreds of millions of Chinese head to their hometowns for family reunions. But this year, in light of sporadic resurgence of COVID-19 cases, many places across the country have encouraged residents and migrant workers to stay put for the festival amid efforts to reduce passenger flow. Sad news for Apple as Hyundai Motors Corporation and Kia Motors Corp. has denied any news and reports that it is in discussion with the company to manufacture the Apple Car electric vehicle in the coming years. Recently, Apple leaks suggested that the talks with Hyundai and Kia were on pause due to several elements for the plan to push through. There are no reasons as to why Hyundai and Kia have shut down the initial talks and rumors, but the South Koreans said that the discussions were in early talks. This statement by Hyundai means that there are no concrete answers yet, regarding the venture with the Cupertino giant, and would be too early in the negotiations for a celebration. Initially, the most valuable technology company, Apple, were rumored for their take on electric vehicle technology last January for a release in 2021. However, analysts reported that this year is an early conceptualization of the vehicle and it would not come to the public's presence by 2024 as its earliest and 2025 as its latest. Read Also: Snowstorm Mount 'WoW' Arrives with BlizzCon 2021 Celebration Packs Apple Car EV: Hyundai, Kia Still Continuing? According to Bloomberg's report, as Hyundai Motors Corporation filed their regulatory filings this Monday, they gave a statement that explained the status of their discussions with Apple regarding the Apple Car. While Hyundai did not deny that there would be a possibility of a future venture, they clarified that its discussion with Apple is still too early to be solidified. The shares of the South Korean Hyundai fell to 8.4 percent, while Kia's stocks were brought down to 15.3 percent. Hyundai was known for also extinguishing the rumors during the early knowledge of the Apple Car earlier this year, as local Korean reports suggested that the company was in talks with the Cupertino giant. While it was not yet confirmed by Hyundai and Kia that the talks or venture are completely discarded, reports have shown that there is a low possibility for this to continue. Hyundai, Kia Apple Car Talks are Paused According to Apple Insider, last Friday, Feb. 5, reports have suggested that the talk among Apple, Hyundai, and Kia have been paused by the Cupertino giant as it gave time to the South Koreans to evaluate. Also, reports have indicated that Hyundai and Kia were reluctant to take Apple as a customer and client in a massive venture. Hyundai is known to develop its line of electric vehicles, the IONIQ, and could be a possible rival of the Apple Car in the future, as soon as Apple releases the EV. Apple Car: Why Does Apple Need an External Manufacturer? Apple did not reveal the reason as to why it needs an external manufacturer for its electric vehicle venture and continues to search for one despite seeing no solid leads on the project. The reason might be is that Apple has still not tapped vehicle production unlike its expertise in handheld gadgets. Related Article: Apple and Hyundai-Kia Would Design 'Apple Car' with 'Driverless' Technology! TSMC Chip? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Statehouse Reporter Danny Jin is the Eagle's Statehouse reporter. A graduate of Williams College, he previously interned at the Eagle and The Christian Science Monitor. Danny can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @djinreports. NEW DELHI: Actress Kangana Ranaut on Monday (February 8) shared new stills from her upcoming spy-thriller actioner 'Dhaakad'. The actress is seen donning an all-black suit against a fiery background. Her character 'Agent Agni' is armed with a machine gun whereas a burning vehicle is seen lying behind her in the latest stills. The pictures appear to be a sequence of an action scene from the film. She captioned the post as, "They call her Agni... the brave one #Dhaakad I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi, the goddess of death ... #Dhaakad." They call her Agni... the brave one #Dhaakad I say she is my depiction of Bhairavi the goddess of death ... #Dhaakad pic.twitter.com/nZjuDFFpZC Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 8, 2021 In previous posters too, Kangana has been seen flaunting fierce looks. Earlier, the actress had shared a video of the rehearsals for the film, revealing that an action scene for the film will be filmed at a cost of Rs 25 crore. Never saw a director who gives so much time and importance to rehearsals, one of the biggest action sequences will be shot from tomorrow night but amazed with the amount of prep, getting to learn so much, more than 25 crores being spent on a single action sequence #Dhaakad pic.twitter.com/zbU70VOT4b Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 5, 2021 Kangana had earlier said that 'Dhaakad' will be a world-class spy thriller as they have a highly acclaimed international action crew, and legendary french director of photography Tetsuo Nagata on board. 'Dhaakad', which is touted to be a world-class spy thriller, is directed by Razneesh 'Razy' Ghai and is jointly produced by Sohel Maklai Productions and Asylum Films and co-produced by Qyuki Digital Media. Kangana, who is the protagonist in the film, plays the role of an officer in the movie. The film promises to be a high-octane drama and is believed to be based on serious issues like child trafficking and crime against women. The film also features Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta in key roles. The makers recently revealed the looks of Arjun and Divya. While Arjun plays the main antagonist 'Rudraveer', Dutta will be seen as 'evil master' Rohini. The film is slated to have a theatrical release on October 1, 2021. The (MCA) does not have a record of the number of registered companies in the country that provide online app-based loans, the government said. The Reserve Bank of India has issued several warnings that the public should not fall prey to such unscrupulous activities and verify the companies offering loans online and through apps. These applications were found imposing high rates of interest and additional hidden charges, and adopted high-handed recovery methods. Google has removed about 100 money lending apps that were "possibly not in compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory framework" from December 2020 till January 20, 2021, the government had informed the Parliament last week. On Monday, the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur informed the Parliament that the MCA does not capture the data of registered companies providing online lending services. He said that the has received about 1,509 complaints against applications, and the central bank is taking steps to address the risk from operations of such online lending platforms. Where complaints have been of non-banking financial companies ( ) registered with the RBI, such complaints are forwarded to the NBFC ombudsman or the Consumer Education and Protection Cell for grievance resolution. For complaints received for an app managed by a company not falling under the ambit of the RBI, such complaints are taken up with the concerned Registrar of Companies (RoC) in the state-level coordination committee. In cases where no information is available regarding the lending institution, the complainant is asked to forward a copy of the loan agreement with the lending institution. Upon examination, the matter is shared with the Economic Offences Wing of the respective state governments in the state-level coordination committee. Thakur also said that several steps have been taken by the to address concerns and risks emanating from the operations of such online platforms that include taking up the matter with state chief secretaries for proactive intervention by state law enforcement agencies. A working group has also been set up to study all aspects of activities in the regulated financial sector as well as by unregulated players. his is being done so that an appropriate regulatory approach can be put in place, Thakur said. Analysis Where Is Spokesman U Zaw Htay? The ousted NLD governments spokesman, U Zaw Htay, is seen during a press conference in Naypyitaw on Jan. 8, 2021. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy. At his last press briefing in Naypyitaw on Jan. 8, U Zaw Htay, spokesman for Myanmars soon-to-be-toppled government, denied that President U Win Myint or State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had done anything that breached the Constitution or the Union Election Commission (UEC)s rules while campaigning ahead of the Nov. 8 general election. He was responding to a legal challenge mounted against the two state leaders by two of the losing, military-aligned parties in the election. No legal violation was made by the President or State Counselor, U Zaw Htay thundered. The Presidents Office spokesperson dismissed the legal challenge against the state leaders as the act of a group of people who couldnt accept their election loss. Following their humiliating defeat to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) on Nov. 8, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP) cried foul, claiming the election was unfair and marred by mass fraud, despite international and domestic election observers reporting no major irregularities. The USDP won just 71 seats (down from 117 in 2015), or 6.4 percent out of 1,117 contested seats in the Union, state and regional legislatures. The DNP won none. The NLD won a supermajority with 920 seats (82.3 percent). To be frank, these are the acts of those who cant accept defeat. The public, who cast votes, know best about the election, and whom they voted for and supported, U Zaw Htay said. I would say those who are making false accusations are committing political suicide, he added. Political suicide? It was strong language, and it drew praise from members and supporters of the NLD governmentbut not from the military and its proxy party, the USDP. Since the military seized control of the state on Monday, however, the spokesman has been out of view. According to informed sources, his last known contact with members of the media was several days earlier, on Jan. 28, via the Signal messaging platform. He and other senior officials were in a meeting with a group of military generals; they were asking the government to suspend the upcoming Parliament session, conduct a vote recount and dissolve the UEC. From the meeting, he sent a series of worrying texts to a media contact: Dealing now! But negative Cant avoid confrontation He was describing in real time the breakdown of negotiations between the government and the military. No one in the media has been able to reach him since, and his phone is off, though some reports have emerged that he is now working with the military government in some capacity. U Zaw Htay has always been a controversial figure. Earlier in his career, he served as spokesperson for the government of then-President U Thein Sein, and has always been seen as one of the former head of states biggest champions. A graduate of the 37th intake of the Defense Services Academy, U Zaw Htay served in the army and went on to join the military regime then known as the State Peace and Development Council. (Current military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun is a fellow graduate of DSA 37 and the two are known to have been friends.) The generals quickly saw that they had a rare gem in the young officer, who was known to be a bookworm and a computer geek. He subsequently worked in the office of Prime Minister General Soe Win, who was accused of overseeing a bloody attack on opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers in May 2003. When Gen. Soe Win died in 2007 at the age of 59, U Zaw Htay was professionally adrift for a period. He retired from the military with the rank of major and joined the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), wearing the regime-sponsored civic organizations uniforma white shirt and traditional Burmese jacket with green longyi. In July 2010, the association transformed into a political party led by U Thein Sein, who was then the regimes prime minister. The regime held an election in the same year and U Thein Sein became president early in 2011, but the West and neighboring governments denounced the vote as a sham. Then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the election was deeply flawed and a sign of heartbreaking repressive conditions in Myanmar. But before long, as the new government under President U Thein Sein began to open up the country, the US and other Western governments hailed the political reform in Myanmar and foreign leaders were soon jetting in to the country. Clinton was the first to fly in to meet civilian leaders who a year earlier were still in uniform and ruling the country in jackboots. U Zaw Htay became the director of the Presidents Office under U Thein Sein. In November 2011, writing in The Washington Post, he called on the US and other nations to help facilitate Myanmars connection to the outside world at this critical juncture. Taking credit on behalf of the administration for the surprise suspension of the controversial China-funded Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State, he wrote: My presidents cancellation of the Beijing-backed Myitsone Dam signaled to the world what he stands for. If the United States neglects this opportunity, Washington will part ways with the new order in the Indochina region. Also known by his pen name Hmuu Zaw, the spokesman became renowned for his active presence on social media. He used his Facebook account to spar with NLD supporters and occasionally contributed articles to local media outlets bolstering the reputation of his boss and the Myanmar military. When communal strife broke out between ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar in 2012, U Zaw Htay uploaded pictureshe would later delete themthat fueled tension between the two communities. His revulsion for what he saw as Bengali interlopers was tangible in the posts. Myanmar doesnt recognize the Rohingya as one of its official ethnic minorities, and many people view them as illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. The stance confirmed him as a nationalist, in line with the Myanmar militarys default position. On Jan. 30, 2016, when U Thein Sein made his final trip to the Irrawaddy Delta as head of state, U Zaw Htay posted photos with a caption that read, The president, who has a clean record in his life, has left a good record during his term, as well. The comments seemed to go beyond what was required of his position, and some critics continued to accuse him of fomenting civil unrest with his nationalist rhetoric. When the NLD government came to power, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi picked U Zaw Htay to be its spokesman. The decision surprised and upset many, including top NLD leaders who were distrustful of U Zaw Htay because of his service in the former government, as well as his history of making inflammatory remarks. The staunch supporter of U Thein Sein let it be known to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that he wanted to remain in his position and serve the incoming NLD government. That initially aroused suspicionsome NLD members accused him of being planted in the new government by the old administrationbut no one dared question the State Counselors decision. Under the NLD government U Zaw Htay soon became even more prominent and powerful, while remaining cordial with media and friends. He was told, however, to be more disciplined in his social media postings under the NLD. He soon received the blessing of the Lady and became director general of the State Counselors Office. Outspoken, witty and intelligent, he knew how to handle and tame the media, while also maintaining friendly relations with them. His enemies and skeptics in the NLD and beyond accepted him. Given the high-level access he had to the State Counselor and ministers in the ousted government, he is a highly valuable source of information to the former governments adversaries. As early as November last year, after the NLDs decisive landslide victory, he sent a note to a friend in the media saying he was worried about a coup. Ironically, the former army officer spent his most recent press conferences defending the NLD government from criticism leveled by the military and USDP over its policies and the handling of the election. In the last days before he dropped out of sight he won the admiration of NLD members and the public, if not from the military and his former friend, Maj-Gen. Zaw Min Tun. You may also like these stories: US Ambassador Calls for Myanmar Military to Restore Power to Elected Government Myanmar Making Noises for Democracy Public Backlash, Sanctions Threat Put Myanmar Junta Appointees in Tight Spot HARTFORD One person was hospitalized after Monday afternoon shooting, police said. Patrol officers responded to the 80 block of Ashley Street on a ShotSpotter gunshot activation and found a crime scene, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said. Not longer after officers arrived, they were notified that a male victim had been dropped off at a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds. Boisvert said the victim is in stable condition. This is the third non-fatal shooting in 24 hours. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 860-722-TIPS. Prime Minister on Monday said that the ongoing border disputes with India will be resolved through diplomatic talks. Although and India held ministerial level talks in New Delhi last month, the two sides sides could not hammer out the differences after the Himalayan nation unveiled a new map in May 2020. He made the remarks at a seminar titled, 'Nepal's International Border Security and Areas of Coordination among Border Management related Agencies', organised by the Army. Oli, who is also the Defence Minister, argued that relations with neighbouring nations could be made cordial and emboldened only on the basis of facts, equality, respect and justice and not on hegemonic measures. "In order to consolidate the Nepal-India ties in a cordial manner, we had to print the map and talk to India. Our relations could turn cordial by only returning our territory through dialogue. Border disputes are prevailing in Susta and Kanchanpur," he said. Nepal and India has had boundary rows since long in the Susta and Kalapani area and during the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in 2014, both sides had delegated to resolve the dispute at Foreign Secretaries levels but they could not meet. In November 2019, New Delhi came up with a new political map incorporating Kalapani in its territory. Nepal objected to the Indian move and offered talks at diplomatic level but India suggested face-to-face talks only once the Covid crisis was over. But in May 2020 after India opened up a new 80 km link road in Uttarakhand via Lipu Lekh that Nepal claims its own, the Himalayan nation once again objected the move and offered talks. After New Delhi failed to respond to the repeated calls, Nepal on May 20, 2020, unveiled the new political map of the country incorporating the disputed territory. India immediately rejected the decision calling it as a "cartographic assertion". Addressing Monday's seminar, Oli further said that open and friendly dialogue would be held with India regarding the issue of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani based on facts and evidences. "We must retain our territory. Both the nations should consider fact and truth in maintaining relations. Are both the countries in position to claim other's territory?" he queried. "There have been some historically-unsolved border problems. The issue of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani has remained unaddressed for the past 58 years. We were forced to get displaced silently when the then ruler did not dare to speak up against the intrusion." It is also true that our move has increased misunderstanding with India, Oli said, adding: "We need to assert claim on our territory at any cost." The border security agencies should be highly cautious when the border affairs become more sensitive, noted the Prime Minister. "We have been admonished and warned while claiming our territory," he said, adding that "there would be a dialogue in future to resolve the border disputes". He also directed the concerned authorities to pay special attention towards preventing the intrusion of Nepali territories and misusing the no-man's land. Border security is an integral part of security, Oli said. "How can a nation remain secured when there is no border security? We have framed a working policy to implement security policy to that end." --IANS str/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) F1 eyeing Saturday 'sprint races' for 2021 Formula 1 is looking to trial a 'sprint race' format in 2021. The teams earlier baulked at Liberty Media's plans to radically spice up the weekend format, and new CEO Stefano Domenicali ruled out reviving the 'reverse grid' idea. "That is over," international media reports quote the Italian as saying. "That is something I can tell you. "It is important to think of new ideas to be more attractive or interesting, but we must not lose the traditional approach to racing. I think we learned that when we changed the qualifying format all the time. "What we are studying is what could be the approach of the so-called sprint race on Saturdays. We are wondering if this could be tested already this year," said Domenicali. "There are ongoing discussions with the teams." Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Cabinet on Monday approved allotment of land to five investors in Singur for agro-based industries. State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said the cabinet gave its go-ahead for the allotment from about 10.3 acre of the agro-industrial park that belongs to The Small Industries Development Corporation (WBSIDC). He, however, did not elaborate further on the modalities. Banerjee had recently said an agro-industrial park will be set up at Singur in Hooghly district to create employment opportunities in the agrarian area. "The land there is very fertile and this is being done so the farmers can sell their products and display the produce..." she had said. The cabinet also approved the proposal to offer jobs to the next of kin in case of death of civic police officials, and raise the retirement age to 65 for those in administrative posts in educational institutions, Chatterjee said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An all-too familiar traffic hazard blocked several lanes of Interstate 10 on Monday morning. A big rig appears to have struck the Houston Avenue bridge over the Katy Freeway around 10:20 a.m., according to Houston TranStar reports. The truck lost its load in the process, leaving debris in at least one lane. FINAL RIDE: Bush 41's custom locomotive to live at Texas A&M forever The scene was cleared by 2 p.m., according to TranStar. Traffic cameras showed Houston police officers helping move traffic around the truck as of 11 a.m. The bridge is notorious for being the target of loads that are taller than the bridge's clearance. Crews most recently repaired the bridge in October 2020, according to the Houston Chronicle's Dug Begley. I've covered a number of these strikes in my time at Chron and the Houston Chronicle, most recently when a set of spools were knocked off a trailer after hitting the bridge. The bridge is slated to be replaced with the controversial North Houston Highway Improvement Project, which will kick off years-long construction in the next year. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) speaks during a hearing in Washington on Sept. 23, 2020. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) House Committee Asks Parler If Trump Was Offered Ownership Stake A House of Representatives committee is seeking information from the social media platform Parler, including whether former President Donald Trump was offered an ownership stake. House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Monday asked Parler COO Jeffrey Wernick for all documents and communications referring or relating to a reported proposal to provide Trump with a stake in the business. Maloney cited a report by BuzzFeed which alleged the Trump Organization negotiated last year with Parler executives to move Trump to the platform in return for an ownership stake. Parler reportedly offered Trump a 40 percent stake if he made Parler his exclusive social media home. Trump never made it to Parler and the negotiations were apparently derailed by the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Trumps political action committee and campaign havent responded to requests for comment. The negotiations reportedly occurred while Trump was still in office, which experts have warned raise legal concerns regarding anti-bribery laws, Maloney wrote. Parler didnt return an inquiry. Former Parler CEO John Matze confirmed recently that he and other executives met with Trump campaign officials at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last year. He said the meeting was arranged by Wernick, an early Parler investor who is not the chief operating officer. Matze said he viewed the proposed deal as a lose-lose. I didnt like the idea of working with Trump, because he might have bullied people inside the company to do what he wanted, Matze said on Axios on HBO. But I was worried that if we didnt sign the deal, he might have been vengeful and told his followers to leave Parler. Trump was permanently banned by his favored Twitter platform on Jan. 8, sparking an exodus of users to Parler and other Twitter competitors. Parler in court documents cited public speculation that Trump was poised to join the platform before Amazon opted to stop providing server access to Parler. Matze told Axios the documents were referring to speculation by Fox News Sean Hannity. Other media outlets were cited in the filings. Maloney also asked Parler for information on how it was using a Russian hosting service in the wake of being deplatformed from Amazons servers. She wants all documents and communications from any Russian individual or entity and all agreements that Parler has with any Russians, in addition to a list of Parlers creditors and a table showing people and entities with direct or indirect ownership interests in Parler. Parlers platform remains unusable by users. A brief statement on Parler.com says its experiencing technical difficulties. We will resolve any challenge before us and plan to welcome all of you back soon. We will not let civil discourse perish! the company said. 14 Shares Share In the past year, the United States has faced compounding challenges as it struggled to control the COVID-19 pandemic and grappled with significant civil unrest. The American pandemic response has been primarily determined by the guidanceor lack thereofof elected officials and enacted policies at the local, state, and federal levels. Now, with the development of vaccines to combat COVID-19, the interconnectedness of civic health and public health is increasingly clear. Mass vaccination campaigns require elected officials to assist with developing and executing plans to vaccinate their constituents. Moreover, vaccination and civic engagement operate in parallel and rely on Americans active participation to ultimately create a healthier and more representative democracy. Both vaccination and civic engagement offer vital protections at the population level. While civic engagement protects individuals from policies that oppose their interests, vaccination protects individuals from disease andin most caseslimits disease transmission to others. These processes overlap in large-scale efforts, including the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign. Voting in elections at the local, state, and federal levels directly impacts policies that dictate vaccines availability and distribution. The United States relies on widespread civic engagement and coordinated public health measures to equitably and effectively safeguard the population. While the COVID-19 vaccine provides hope in the midst of the pandemic, voting injects hope and strength into our democracy. Furthermore, vaccines and civic engagement achieve maximum efficacy when the majority of society participates. Herd immunity, a term typically applied to vaccination efforts, implies that an entire population is protected when the majority of the population achieves immunity. This concept can be easily transferred and applied to voting. When the majority of citizens vote, there is a higher likelihood that groups from all socioeconomic statuses, age groups, genders, and cultural backgrounds will be represented in government. The only way democracy can reflect the will of the people is when voter turnout demographics match the demographics of the country. In the same way, vaccination efforts are most successful when a large percentage of a population is vaccinated, effectively protecting even the most vulnerable members of the population. High rates of voter turnout and high rates of vaccination boost the efficacy of these respective processes. Health care providers are uniquely positioned to engage with their patients and communities in vaccination and voter engagement efforts. Across the country, thousands of providers have empowered their patients to vote by wearing badges from nonpartisan organizations. These badges provide patients with a QR code that connects them with nonpartisan civic engagement resources. However, it is important to note that engagement is not complete without addressing apprehension surrounding civic and public health campaigns. Health care providers must acknowledge how systemic racism and the mistreatment of vulnerable populations have led to mistrust in both the health care system and the American democratic process. Building and restoring trust in these systems starts with listening to and actively addressing individual concerns. As the United States continues to respond to the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to address and reassess ways that all Americans can play a role in fostering a healthy democracy. We cannot become complacent and limit our participation to only presidential elections or a single vaccination campaign. Health care providers and clinical settings have the opportunity to be at the crux of both issues, ultimately advancing the health of our country and promoting greater democratic participation. Health and democracy do not operate in separate silosand neither should vaccination and civic engagement. Nicole Blum is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com On Monday morning, the president of the Chamber of Agriculture paid a visit to our colleagues at RTL Radio. Luxembourgish farmers have not been spared by the health crisis, yet it took the government a considerable amount of time to introduce financial support for the sector, president Feyder explained. Still, it is more of a symbolic recognition than a real compensation, he further noted. The agricultural sector suffers for as long as the Horesca sector remains closed. He also directed criticism at Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Romain Schneider, who Feyder believes has not fought enough for their interests. He fears that the minister's voice is ignored by the administration, which in general has no vision for the sector. Pig farmers are currently suffering the most. The small number remaining in the Grand Duchy has to endure significant price fluctuations due to competition from Germany. While pork dropped more than 1 per kilo in value, the milk price has remained more or less stable in comparison. Furthermore, pig farmers have lost considerable amounts of income since the beginning of the pandemic, which may lead to further business closures. President Feyder also addressed the new agriculture bill, which was passed by the Chamber two weeks ago. He believes the changes will not be able to help businesses tackle the modern problems of the sector, particularly highlighting the challenges in the domain of sustainability, climate protection, and digitalisation. Government officials keep referring to a pending EU agriculture directive, which will introduce new regulations and goals for the Union. However, Feyder believes that the Grand Duchy could have progressed already and prepared its own sector for the unavoidable adaption process before it actually has to be implemented. The level of frustration in Luxembourg's agriculture sector thus keeps growing, especially considering the lack of interest for increasing their support among government officials. One year ago, the Chamber of Agriculture even presented Minister Schneider with a viable long-term strategy, which unfortunately seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Farmers will therefore now increase their efforts to strengthen their common voice and make themselves heard. Similarly, the Ministry for the Environment appears to lack interest in the agriculture sector. President Feyder elaborated on the situation of the barrier lake, which has in recent years been increasingly plagued by the appearance of blue algae. However, an expert analysis of the water has shown that this has nothing to do with the work of nearby farmers, but is rather related to the local water purification plant, which is in need of restoration. Nevertheless, neither the Ministry for the Environment, nor the Water Management Administration approved of the findings. 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. SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a leading provider of power solutions, has recently received the certification as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), which means there will be more simplified and convenient customs procedures for Huntkey when it's exporting goods. https://en.huntkey.com/news/huntkey-becomes-an-authorized-economic-operator/ Huntkey is one of the first and largest companies to obtain this certificate in its product field in China. Obtaining this certificate means gaining ease and agility in the management of customs, as well as priority in controls and minimum inspections. It will benefit both Huntkey's clients and suppliers. For more Huntkey information, please visit: https://en.huntkey.com/ About AEO According to the World Customs Organization (WCO), an authorized economic operator (AEO) is a party involved in the international movement of goods in whatever function that has been approved by or on behalf of a national customs administration as complying with WCO or equivalent supply chain security standards. Formed to protect global supply chains from terrorism and other threats, AEO programs exist in countries around the world under various names. The U.S. AEO program, for example, is called the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT). Beyond freight forwarders, AEOs can include manufacturers, importers, exporters, brokers, carriers, consolidators, ports, airports, terminal operators, warehouses, distributors and other organizations. About Huntkey Founded in 1995, Huntkey is a leading global provider of PC power supplies, power strips, surge protectors, laptop adapters, phone chargers, monitors and air purifiers. Huntkey is an Asia renowned brand, a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and China Power Supply Society (CPSS). Including three total nearly 1,000,000 square meters industrial parks, Huntkey is one of the most famous brands and largest companies in mainland China. It is headquartered in Shenzhen, with branch companies in the US, Japan and Hong Kong, and with cooperating factories in Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina and India. In 2020, Huntkey introduces its latest photocatalyst air purifier - the desktop air purifier globally. The desktop air purifier is designed portable and can efficiently remove chemical vapors, odors, haze particles, and many more air pollutants. Check them out via: https://en.huntkey.com/products/air-purifiers/ SOURCE Huntkey Related Links https://en.huntkey.com/ Along with the Mi 11, Xiaomi also introduced Mi TV Q1, its top-end QLED 4K TV with 75-inch edge-to-edge display with quantum dot technology, 100% NTSC color range with 1.07 billion color variations and 1,024 different color shades, 192 zones of full array dynamic local dimming and has support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It has 120Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 port, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), 30W stereo speaker system that includes two tweeters and four woofers, supports Dolby Audio and DTS-HD. The TV runs Android TV 10, Mi Voice remote with dedicated buttons for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. It has dedicated microphones for far-field voice control (up to 3 meters), and a physical switch at the bottom of the screen panel to mute the microphone. In addition to Google Assistant, the TV also supports Amazon Alexa. Mi TV Q1 (75) specifications 75-inch (3840 2160 pixels) 4K display with 120Hz refresh rate, MEMC, 178-degree viewing angle, 100% NTSC Color Gamut, 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) Quad core MediaTek MT9611 (A55) processor with Mali G52 MP2 GPU 2GB RAM, 32GB storage Android 10 WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) (22 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.0, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x USB, S/PDIF, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, Ethernet AV1, H.265, H.264, H.263, VP8/VP9/VC1, MPEG1/2/4, etc. Mi Voice remote with support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. 30W ( 2 x 15W) 6 speaker system (4 woofers, 2 tweeters), Dolby Audio, DTS-HD The Mi TV Q1 75 is priced at 1299 Euros (US$ 1,566 / Rs. 1,14,145 approx.) and will roll out in Europe starting from March 2021. During the first sale limited numbers will be available for 999 Euros. Xiaomi also announced Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Edition priced at 799 Euros (US$ 963 / Rs. 70,180 approx.). | 2021-02-07 22:40:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- A special plane carrying the first batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Cambodia on Sunday, which was welcomed by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the capital's airport. Hun Sen has expressed his profound gratitude to China for the provision of the Sinopharm vaccines to Cambodia, saying that the donation truly reflected China's generosity and it would contribute further to the Sino-Cambodian ties. The event was live broadcast on the prime minister's official Facebook page, the state-run National Television of Cambodia (TVK), Fresh News, the kingdom's online news provider, and several other TV channels. "These vaccines have been used broadly in China and other countries so far, so millions of people have already received the Chinese vaccines," he said in a public speech earlier this week. He said a vaccination drive against COVID-19 will be launched on Feb. 10 and the prioritized groups for the vaccines will be doctors and nurses, armed forces, teachers, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, and garbage collectors, among others. Cambodia on Thursday authorized the emergency use of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, saying that "the vaccine is used safely in China and other countries." The Southeast Asian nation has done well to contain the spread of COVID-19. The kingdom has so far registered a total of 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 454 recoveries, according to the Ministry of Health. Produced by Xinhua Global Service 2 1 of 2 James Nielsen/Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less The International Trademark Association will hold its annual meeting in Houston in November after postponing the event due to safety concerns related to COVID-19. The event, originally scheduled to take place the first week of May in San Diego, has been relocated to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center for Nov. 15-19 with a mix of in-person and virtual programming, the organization announced. 'UPSC Lateral Entry Unconstitutional; Centre Will Recruit Own People'; Says Tejashwi Yadav Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday opposed the Centre's decision to hold lateral recruitment for joint secretary and director level posts on a contract basis in various ministries. Yadav said it is an unconstitutional move by the Government to recruit its selected people to the post of joint secretary and director through lateral means. "There is an absolute possibility that the ruling party will select only those willing to promote its ideology, interests, and propaganda. People coming through this process will bring the government's autocracy to an unfair level," he added. Read full story here Indian Diaspora In Canada's Vancouver Hold 'Tiranga Yatra' Against Republic Day Violence Days after India's national capital was rocked by violence and vandalism during a tractor rally held by farmers protesting against the agriculture laws, members of the Indian diaspora in Canada held a demonstration in Vancouver. Indians took out a 'Tiranga Yatra' on the streets of Vancouver and rallied with the tricolour from Strawberry Hill in Surrey to the Consulate General of India, as a display of the bilateral relations between India and Canada. Canada: Indian diaspora took out a 'Tiranga Yatra rally' in Vancouver from Strawberry Hill in Surrey to Consulate General of India in Vancouver as a display of the bilateral relations between India and Canada. pic.twitter.com/C6UfHfjPKn ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Read full story here India Delivers 5,00,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Afghanistan, Says MEA The Centre on Sunday sent 5,00,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Afghanistan as part of New Delhi's vaccine diplomacy. The 'Made in India' vaccine doses arrived in Afghanistan from Mumbai earlier last morning. Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar expressed his "profound gratitude" to the government and people of India for the vaccine doses that will help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "A clear sign of generosity, commitment & strong partnership indeed," Haneef said. Read full story here Estonia Receives First Batch Of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine Approved By EMA Estonia on Sunday received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Estonia's Ministry of Social Affairs said the country has received 7,200 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on February 7. According to the ministry, Estonia is supposed to get 40,500 vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in February. AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine was recently approved by the European Union's Medicines Agency (EMA). Read full story here Senate Republicans Back Trump On Eve Of Impeachment Trial Donald Trump's defenders in the Senate on Sunday rallied around the former president before his impeachment trial, dismissing it as a waste of time and arguing that the former president's fiery speech before the US Capitol insurrection does not make him responsible for the violence of January 6. If being held accountable means being impeached by the House and being convicted by the Senate, the answer to that is no, said Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, making clear his belief that Trump should and will be acquitted. Read full story here As the credits to Ava DuVernay's "13th" rolled in Julian Crosby's sociology class, his creative mind whirled as he marveled at the power of storytelling. Crosby, a Hammond Scholar, Foote Fellow, and honors student studying motion pictures in the School of Communication, often draws inspiration from others to share compelling stories. Producers like DuVernay, activists like Martin Luther King Jr., and even writer and YouTube star Issa Rae fuel his passion for creative storytelling. Fixed on pursuing a career in film and broadcast television, the Jacksonville, Florida, native set his sights on getting involved with productions at the University of Miami that celebrate and uplift Black voices, like UMTV's "The Culture. But in June, when millions of people across the world watched Americans rise in the wake of injustice and racial inequity, Crosby found himself reckoning with his identity. Being a Black man in America, I found myself feeling like I had to wake up and defend my existence every day, said Crosby. It felt like our narrative in this country became defined, almost marred, by trauma. While these are legitimate periods of Black existence, they are not the sum of our Black experience. I wanted to create a platform that celebrates Black joy. When Crosby began to explore how he could creatively tell stories on campus, he recognized an opportunity to elevate Black creative voices in the community. Crosby and his peers in the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) turned their pain into passion. The students began conceptualizing the University's first student magazine dedicated to celebrating Black voices, experiences, and creative essenceGravity Magazine. Tsitsi Wakhisi, an associate professor for the School of Communication, serves as Gravity Magazines adviser. Crosby said she was instrumental in the magazines launch. When he approached me over the summer, his energy and enthusiasm preceded him. He was so excited and dedicated. I was ready to receive him and his ideas, Wakhisi said. He persuaded me that this was the right time and that he was the right person to bring this idea to life. The young creators put everything they had into the first pieces of the magazine, dedicating their summer months to staging photoshoots in backyards, using nothing but tablecloths and iPhone cameras to create their first magazine cover. Overcoming the challenges of organizing editorial content and hosting production meetings virtually, Gravity Magazine published its first edition in August 2020. "I was so desperate to reestablish a sense of peace after a tumultuous summer for Black and POC students," Crosby said. "I wanted a place where Black students could relax, where they could, for maybe their first time, let their hair down and unapologetically create." The digital magazine published stories highlighting Black small business owners, creators, and experiences on campus. The students hope, one day, to produce a print edition of the magazine. Until then, the editorial team capitalizes on digital collaboration opportunities. The web edition of recent publications includes videos co-produced by students from UMTVs The Culture and Gravity Magazine. In January, Crosby was recognized for his work on Gravity Magazine by The Conversationalist as an exceptional Gen-Z'er for his impact on the community by using his voice to make a difference. He said the accolade further drove his ambition to keep creating and organizing spaces on campus to amplify Black voices in the University community. "Any pursuit of racial justice is a pursuit of the diversity of thought. And by creating this magazine, we're creating a more versatile campus community," Crosby shared. In his second year at the University, Crosby noted that his story as a creative leader, innovator, and activist is just getting started. "For me, this magazine is a reason to be motivated to get up every day. I feel like I have a story to tell, and I won't be satisfied until I tell it." Read the latest from Gravity Magazine here. TANZANIA, through its embassy in France, is processing the opening of its Honorary Consulate Mission in Marseille to promote partnerships and boost economic diplomacy policy. Marseille is the second largest city in France after Paris and has one of the largest ports in the country. It has a population of more than two million, mostly from North and West African countries, as well as the Indian Ocean East African islands. Tanzania Ambassador to France Samwel Shelukindo said in an exclusive telephone interview that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation has adopted a new strategy aiming at effectively using its Honorary Consular Missions to efficiently implement its economic diplomacy policy. On this regard, Ambassador Shelukindo recently met and held meetings with the authorities of Marseille, taking into consideration the city can act as a major market for Tanzanian goods. "There are approximately 120,000 residents of Comoro origin who could be potential buyers of Tanzania's products such as food (rice) and spices," he said. He noted that apart from the French tourists visiting the country in large numbers, Marseille could be a good destination for Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) airplanes. "The Comorians residing in France travel frequently to the Comoros Islands to visit their relatives and usually use other airline companies, which first pass via Addis Ababa and Dar es Salaam before going there," he said. According to the envoy, in the past, when the Air France flights flew to Tanzania, the plane departed from Paris via Marseille to pick up passengers and then stopped-over in Dar es Salaam before heading to the Comoros. He called upon the ATCL management to look at the possibility of identifying Marseille as one OF the future potential and lucrative destinations when it starts trips to Europe. Besides economic cooperation, Marseille is also eying to establish sisterly relations with the Zanzibar Municipal Council. First Deputy Mayor of Marseille Dr Michele Rubirola, who is in-charge of international cooperation, assured the Ambassador Shelukindo of the willingness of the City of Marseille to establish a sister relations with Zanzibar Municipal Council. Ambassador Shelukindo pointed out that cooperation between Marseille and Zanzibar Municipal Council will further put Zanzibar on the world spotlight for investment opportunities. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tanzania Business Europe and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Such initiative is in line with the recent directive of the President of Zanzibar Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi who called on the Tanzanian diplomatic missions abroad to promote the country. Marseille is also the host of 70 General and Honorary Consulate Missions being the second city in France, after Paris, to have a large number of diplomatic representations. In another development, Ambassador Shelukindo met with Mr Frederic Ronal, Vice-President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Marseille (CCI Marseille) in-charge of international development and cooperation, who expressed his readiness to assist in promoting investment opportunities in Tanzania. He asserted that CCI is also looking forward to establishing cooperation with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA). The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Marseille is the oldest Chamber in France -- established in 1599. An online charity auction raising money for horses injured in recent bushfires has taken a romantic turn with a single man and woman offering themselves up for dates. Bidding began on the Equine Relief Veterinary Fundraiser on Friday morning with generous donors providing holiday stays, horse accessories and riding lessons. But fundraising efforts to provide treatment for horses suffering respiratory and burn injuries in the Wooroloo, Perth bushfire quickly escalated when the dates were opened-up for bidding. Brandon Ivic, 22, and 24-year-old Skye Fanderlinden, who have both fought on fire fronts, were put forward as suitable dating companions through the auction. The opportunity to date Brandon Ivic (pictured), 22, has been offered up as part of a fundraiser for horse affected by the Wooroloo, Perth bushfire earlier this month Mr Ivic (pictured left and right) was listed as item number 81 in the auction and described as a handsome young man in the prime of his life Mr Ivic was pitched as a combination package of fireman and horseman, with a cheeky video of him changing from a suit to shirtless to the sound of Abba's 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A man after midnight)' part of his promotional spiel. 'Brandon Ivic is a handsome 22-year-old young man, in the prime of his life. This talented young eventer seeks an easygoing lady who enjoys a laugh,' a Facebook post read. 'You can bid on him for a hot date south of the river. Buy him for you, buy him for your daughter, buy him for your hopeless girlfriend or even if Nana could do with some company. 'Brandon has been a volunteer fireman for one year. Brandon loves horses and four- wheel-driving.' Bidding to date Mr Ivic started at $50 and by Monday morning had reached $1000. Ms Fanderlinden then 'kindly offered herself up for a wonderful charity date to continue to raise funds for our wonderful cause'. Skye Fanderlinden (pictured) lent her efforts to the fundraiser, with the chance to take the 24-year-old on a date offered as part of the online auction Ms Fanderlinden (picture left and right) was described as a FIFO worker with a farming background who is not afraid to get her hands dirty 'Skye is 24-years-old, single and has spent this week defending her own property and animals from the Wooroloo bushfire,' a Facebook post read. 'As a FIFO worker with a farming background, Skye isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and this has never been more evident than the efforts she has shown this week. 'She truly deserves a good night out. Based in Wooroloo, Skye is looking for a "hunky farmer" (straight from the horses mouth) - someone who isn't afraid of a bit of hard work, is a good laugh and she can always have fun with. 'No need for "Farmer Wants A Wife" when you have this fundraiser going.' Bidding started at $100 and by Monday morning had reached $500. The online auction was set-up following the devastating bushfire on February 1, which destroyed 86 homes in Wooroloo and burnt through thousands of hectares. The online auction was raising funds to provide assistance for horses injured in the Wooroloo, Perth bushfire. Pictured, firefighters at the scene of the fire on the night of February 1 Dozens of homes were wiped out in the Wooroloo bushfire (pictured), with thousands of hectares burnt The massive blaze with an 80km perimeter raged near Wooroloo before moving west onto the city's coastal plain. It was not fully contained until Saturday. The fire was described as 'difficult and incredibly fast-moving' with residents warned they were in danger and told to act immediately to survive. 'The admin of this group are currently liaising with those on the ground to gather information in regards to the extent of injured horses and the need for veterinary assistance,' a post on the Facebook group said. 'We are expecting that there will be injuries sustained, however, the extent will not be known for a few more days. 'Once we have gathered this information and hopefully proceeded with an online auction, money raised will be provided directly to the veterinary clinics involved to assist in the cost of treatment for horses.' Bidding through the auction ceases at 8pm on Tuesday, February 9. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 5:50 am TEAM High School, Woodland Public Schools alternative high school, graduated Dakota Spencer during a brief commencement ceremony on Friday, Jan. 15. Spencer is the first member of the class of 2021 to graduate from TEAM High School. TEAM staff held the commencement ceremony in the schools new portable building with a few special guests. However, staff kept the ceremony small to maintain social distancing restrictions and required all attendees to wear masks throughout the ceremony. According to a release from the district, Spencer started at TEAM High School in Fall of 2020 after moving to the area from Oklahoma. She never faltered here from the day she started, TEAM High Schools math and science teacher Elizabeth Liz Vallaire said in a news release. With her goal of joining the Marines in 2021, she worked her tail off to finish in time she worked through 11 courses, almost two full semesters, in less than four months! Jillian Domingo, TEAMs English and social studies teacher, agreed with Vallaires statements. Dakota is an absolute rockstar with an independent, mature, hardworking attitude that shows shes figured it all out, Domingo said. When she wasnt working on her studies, Dakota was working out so she could be in the best shape heading into boot camp; she really impressed me with how put-together she is and how prepared she is for her future. Vallaire noted Spencers willingness to work hard and her friendly demeanor as the secrets to her success. It is rare to find a teenager so dedicated to their goals, but Dakota is a force of nature with an unparalleled work ethic, Vallaire said in a speech she gave during the ceremony. Every time she entered TEAM, she impressed the entire staff with her friendliness, openness, and genuine passion for the things that are important to her. VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Chemistree Technology Inc. (CSE: CHM) (CSE: CHM.WT) (OTCQB: CHMJF) (the "Company" or "Chemistree") is pleased to inform shareholders that Chemistree investee ImmunoFlex has today announced that it is receiving advisory services and conditional research and development funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). "ImmunoFlex is now recruiting patients into a Phase 4 clinical trial designed to optimize the impact of FLEX 20TM on the immune system. The funding from NRC IRAP will support a project focused on analyzing immune system data collected from this clinical trial," said ImmunoFlex CEO Chris Wagner. We are grateful for their support." "On behalf of Chemistree shareholders and the Board of Directors, I am happy to congratulate Chris and his team on achieving support from NRC IRAP. This is a significant milestone for Immunoflex and we are looking forward to further developments soon. I also encourage CHM shareholders to sign up for the FLEX 10TM Early Access Program and learn more about Immunoflex and its growing product lines." commented Chemistree President Karl Kottmeier. About FLEX 10TM FLEX 10TM is ImmunoFlex's unique 600mg N-Acetyl-L-cysteine formulation in packs of 30 capsules. FLEX 10TM is a powerful antioxidant, specifically packaged in aluminum foil blisters to reduce the potential for product oxidation. To sign up for the FLEX 10TM Early Access Program, send an e-mail to [email protected]. About FLEX 20TM FLEX 20TM is ImmunoFlex's patent-pending combination of natural health products targeted at measurably enhancing the immune system. ImmunoFlex is currently conducting a Phase 4 clinical trial to optimize FLEX 20TM. About ImmunoFlex ImmunoFlex works with the immune system to strengthen, support, and enhance our body's natural surveillance and response system. By combining natural health products with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and genomics we create patented, premium, immune-boosting products. Learn more at www.immunoflex.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements about ImmunoFlex's objectives, strategies and tactics that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are "forward-looking" as they are based on our current expectations about the markets we operate in and on various assumptions and estimates. Actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements if known or unknown risks affect our business, or if our estimates or assumptions turn out to be inaccurate. Learn more at www.immunoflex.com About Chemistree Technology Inc. Chemistree Technology Inc. is an investment company with holdings in the U.S. cannabis sector, real estate, and a consumer-targeted biotechnology venture. The Company's corporate strategy is to focus on opportunistic investments across a broad range of industries, and is seeking to invest in early stage, promising companies where it may be the lead investor and can additionally provide investees with advisory services, mentoring and access to the Company's management expertise. For more information, visit www.Chemistree.ca. Advisory The Company wishes to inform shareholders that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in both Canada and the United States. Cannabis-related Practices or Activities are Illegal Under U.S. Federal Laws The concepts of "medical cannabis" and "recreational cannabis" do not exist under U.S. federal law. The Federal Controlled Substances Act classifies "marihuana" as a Schedule I drug. Under U.S. federal law, a Schedule I drug or substance has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of safety for the use of the drug under medical supervision. As such, cannabis related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. Strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve the Company of liability under U.S. federal law, nor will it provide a defence to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company. Enforcement of U.S. federal laws will be a significant risk to the business of the Company and any such proceedings brought against the Company may adversely affect the Company's operations and financial performance. Further information regarding the legal status of cannabis related activities and associated risk factors, including, but not limited to, risk of enforcement actions, risks that third-party service providers, such as banking or financial institutions cease providing services to the Company, and the risk that Company may not be able to distribute profits, if any, from U.S. operations up to the Company, are included in the Prospectus, the Company's annual information form and other documents incorporated by reference therein and in the Company's Form 2A listing statement filed with the CSE and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. "Karl Kottmeier" President Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Information set forth in this news release includes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "budget", "scheduled" and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks identified in the Company's reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law. SOURCE Chemistree Technology Inc. Related Links http://chemistree.ca/ ORIENT, Ohio An inmate has died and two corrections officers were injured during an altercation at a prison south of Columbus. The inmate, Michael A. McDaniel, 55, of Columbus, died at a hospital Saturday after initially refusing medical treatment, according to the Columbus Dispatch. The two female officers involved were treated at hospitals and released for unspecified injuries. ABC 6 reports the two officers were trying to remove McDaniel from his cell Saturday afternoon at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient when he became combative. After initially refusing medical attention at the prison, McDaniel later collapsed, the Dayton Daily News reports. He was pronounced dead at Mount Caramel Hospital in Grove City. The Dispatch reports McDaniel arrived at the prison on Jan. 26 after pleading guilty in Franklin County to aggravated assault. He had received a 16-month sentence. Reports say the incident is being investigate by the State Highway Patrol. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Woman fatally shot running away from fight in downtown Cleveland apartment building Arrest made in mans stabbing death in East Cleveland, police say India on Sunday dispatched two consignments of Covishield COVID-19 vaccines to the countries of Barbados and Dominica under the Vaccine Maitri initiative. The consignments of vaccines, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) departed from Mumbai at 11:35 pm yesterday. India had earlier provided Barbados with Covishield vaccines, for which the country's Prime Minister Mia Mottley has expressed her gratitude to the Indian government and the people for the "most generous" donation of COVID-19 vaccine doses. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Mottley said: "I trust that you are well and safe. On behalf of my Government and people, I wish to express gratitude to you, your Government and the people of the Republic of India for its most generous donation of the Covishield vaccines (under the auspices of Oxford Astrazeneca)." Recently, Barbados media had reported that the country will be receiving 1,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from India. Barbados, with a population of over 2.87 lakhs, has recorded 1,641 confirmed cases of and 1,274 persons have recovered. Last month, 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. Srivastava said that India plans to commercially export vaccine to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mongolia and other countries. Ireland has escaped Storm Darcy which dumped a lot of snow in Europe and the UK but Met Eireann says we will not avoid 'accumulations' in the week ahead as the bitterly cold weather pushes east over the country. Covid-19 testing had to be stopped at the weekend in the Netherlands was hit by its first major snowstorm across Europe in a decade as cold weather from Russia pushes further east over Europe. A Code Red alert was declared by forecasters there who named the storm on Friday. Darcy brought snow to other European countries. The storm did not hit Ireland but the cold weather has hit and Met Eireann expects the bitter conditions to deliver snow from the start of the week in parts and spreading elsewhere as the week progresses with 'accumulations' later this week. The cold front from the east, which is similar to the Beast from the East in 2018, is holding off weather from the Atlantic but this will not last. Met Eireann's summary national outlook sums up what is expected when the two meet over Ireland this week. "Very cold with wintry showers out to midweek. More widespread falls of sleet and snow later in the week". The forecaster says the snow will begin on Monday falling in the eastern half of the country but it will spread more extensively through the week though some respite is expected at the weekend. Thusday is looking like it will bring the most snow. "A very cold day on Thursday as rain, sleet and snow spread northeastwards across the country, with accumulations leading to hazardous conditions," said the forecaster. Just like the Beast from the East, the cold front could hang around for weeks. Met Eireann's official forecasting partners in the UK says in its long term forecast to March 7 that wintry conditions could persist. "There remains a greater than the normal threat of disruptive winter hazards for all areas through this period, with snowfall possible for all areas, but most likely in the east," said the Met Office. Storm Emma followed the Beast from the East in 2018. It struck Ireland between late February and early March causing significant snow. Met Eireann said last week it is on high alert for the cold weather and warned of significant and lasting snowfalls depending on where the Atlantic weather meets the cold front. SEE MORE IN WEATHER SECTION. MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS WEEK'S WEATHER BELOW TWEET. Here is the latest cloud and rain forecast from our HARMONIE weather model. It covers the period from now until 06:00 on Wednesday. More weather forecast information for the coming days and outlook period can be found here: https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/flofkssLJp Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 8, 2021 MET EIREANN NATIONAL FORECAST Issued at 8.20 am on Monday, February 8. MONDAY: Very cold and breezy today. Scattered showers of sleet and snow will move in over the eastern half of the country, with largely dry conditions and sunny spells elsewhere. Highest temperatures of just 1 to 4 degrees with an added wind chill factor in mainly fresh easterly winds. Very cold with showers of sleet and snow drifting further inland and becoming more frequent at night. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +1 degrees with widespread sharp frost and icy stretches forming under clear spells. Moderate to fresh easterly winds, strong at times in the southwest. TUESDAY: Another cold and breezy day tomorrow, Tuesday. It will be bright in many areas with sunny spells, but scattered showers of sleet and snow will continue through the day, most frequent over the eastern half of the country. Afternoon temperatures of just 1 to 3 degrees, again with an added wind chill factor in mainly fresh easterly winds. Very cold tomorrow night with frost and icy stretches forming under long clear spells. Scattered showers of sleet and snow will become confined to the east and northeast, with largely dry conditions elsewhere. Lowest temperatures of -4 to 0 degrees in a light to moderate northeast breeze. Wednesday: Wednesday will be another cold but rather bright day. It will remain dry in many areas but scattered wintry showers will continue to affect north Leinster and east Ulster. Frost and ice will linger through much of the day as afternoon temperatures reach just 1 to 3 degrees in a light to moderate easterly breeze. Isolated wintry showers in the east and northeast on Wednesday night but mainly dry elsewhere to start. However, a band of rain, sleet and snow will gradually push into the southwest overnight. Very cold again with lowest temperatures of -3 to +1 degrees, with widespread frost in moderate easterly winds. Thursday: A very cold day on Thursday as rain, sleet and snow spread northeastwards across the country, with accumulations leading to hazardous conditions. Quite breezy also with fresh southeasterly winds. Afternoon temperatures of just 0 to 3 degrees generally. Further falls of snow in Ulster and Leinster on Thursday night, with outbreaks of rain elsewhere. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 in fresh southeasterly winds. Friday: There is some uncertainty in the exact details for Friday. Current indications suggest that sleet and snow will continue for a time in Ulster and north Leinster with outbreaks of rain elsewhere. Highest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees over Ulster, Leinster and north Connacht and 6 to 10 degrees elsewhere. Further outlook: Less cold at the weekend with showers or spells of rain. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:57:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Finance Minister Matti Vanhanen on Monday expressed his concerns over the country rate of economic growth, which is lagging behind the level of gross domestic product (GDP) in the rest of the Nordic countries. "We must ask as a nation whether we want to be a Nordic country or will we accept a declining living standard," Vanhanen said in a ministry report. Vanhanen said the target should be to raise the level of economic growth from the roughly one percent per year in Finland to the two percent level seen in the other Nordic countries. However, Vanhanen said the cost caused by the COVID-19 pandemic last year in Finland was less than expected. The state budget deficit for 2020 amounted to 15 billion euros, lower than the 20 billion euros previously predicted. The report said the 1990s' surf wave of the Finnish technology industries no longer carries the country, citing low productivity as one of the reasons, and it takes more input than earlier to create the same amount of innovations and productivity increase. As one of the remedies, the report suggested increasing the arrival of qualified immigrants. It said immigrants with a refugee background face challenges in employment, although they can be supported with policy measures. Enditem Centrelink move to Woy Woy heralds 'new era' - Wicks Peninsula residents are "set to benefit from a new era of government service delivery" with the closure of the Centrelink office Ettalong, according to the Member for Robertson Ms Lucy Wicks. "Services and staff from the Ettalong Service Centre will be consolidated with the Woy Woy Service Centre so that we maintain the highest levels of government services and supports are not diminished for Peninsula residents," she said The Services Australia service centre in Woy Woy would undergo "a transformation to a new offering, specially tailored to provide state-of-the-art government services". The Woy Woy Service Centre would be the first location on the east coast "to enjoy such a transformation". "Woy Woy will provide upgraded self-service facilities and digital support, appointment-based services, and connections to specialist services including tailored assistance for older Australians." Ms Wicks said "the full suite of new and improved services" would become available from February 15. The current Ettalong Service Centre will open for the last time this Friday, February 12. The closure of the Centrelink office in Ettalong was the result of the owner of the building having received council approval to develop the property for other purposes, according a media release issued by Ms Wicks. "Services Australia has been searching for a suitable alternate property in Ettalong or surrounding suburbs for around two years but no alternative sites were identified. "Services Australia will be advertising an expression of interest to establish an agent service in Ettalong to continue services to the Ettalong community." Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch said that shutting down the Ettalong Service Centre would force Centrelink customers to use the already-packed Woy Woy facility. "Cutting essential services for our community in the middle of a pandemic is disgusting," she said. "We've got a huge fight on our hands. "Let's back our seniors and get back our Service Centre." Foday Momodou Hydara, former Deputy Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Thursday, 4th February 2021 denied Pierre Mendy's allegation that he was the one who instructed Yahya Jammeh's henchmen to torture him in the wake of the 2006 abortive coup plot. He told the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that their agency departed from its core mandate. The Bansang born said the NIA was supposed to focus on national security matters but things were added which had no bearing to national security matters. "In my opinion, you build the NIA and you add additives that would defeat the general purpose of intelligence work," Hydara said. He said the Investigation Unit was created by the past regime but to him it could have been given the name Research Department. "When we have an investigation unit, I think that is policing. It would defeat the discrete nature of intelligence service," he said. Hydara said the NIA operatives were supposed to be discrete, but during the two regimes (APRC & AFPRC- both under investigation) they had frequent contacts with people. Thus, the public came to know the operatives since they were having frequent contacts with people, including arresting them. He said during his time as the deputy director general, he used to struggle to get operatives to do a discrete operation for him because the public know majority of the operatives. Hydara said the second reason was that the NIA was created by Decree 45 which was vested with so much power, saying absolute power corrupts. To him, the NIA was not functioning like an intelligence agency. "The Agency was no longer focused on their core duty. The distractions were huge," Hydara said. "Who was responsible for the distraction of the NIA" Lawyer Faal asked. "Of course, it was the President. The NIA was seen all these while as the President's own," Hydara replied. "Was there a link between the NIA with the Green Boys or Youth?" Faal asked. "Normally, there should be no link but the only link I could remember was some of the Green Boys and Youth were conscripted into the NIA. This was so terrible. They will do the wishes of the President without having a second thought," Hydara said. "They became thugs for the ruling party," Faal said. "Yes, Counsel. That shouldn't be a surprise. They were brought in by the ruling party and they thought their survival was dependent on the ruling party," Hydara said. Hydara added: "The NIA was created to be bad. It is indefensible. The NIA was like the 'Junglers Office'. The system was illegal. It was an illegal environment." Hydara said the 22 years rule was terrible because the rule of law was not observed. He said the illegal operations that the NIA did cannot be called legal in the sight of the law, citing instances where NIA operatives entered people's residences without warrant and conducted search even though the laws provided for a warrant first before embarking on such activities. He said whether legal or not, intelligence operations have to be discrete. "This is supposed to be discrete. Intelligence operations deal with the grey area of the law," he said. Hydara said the NIA do not pay attention to legality or illegality. "90% of their operations had no bearing to national security," he said. On the tapping of phone calls, Hydara said it was not supposed to happen unless a politician was highly suspected of being involved in activities outside the political will of the country. "Of course, we were tapping their calls," he said. He said the NIA officers were interested in knowing what the political parties were doing with a view to put the incumbent at an advantage position. "The NIA from the past was used and it has been used for the personal interest of the President," Hydara said. The witness agreed with Counsel Faal's statement that it was not supposed to happen since they were paid from the tax payers' money The Units at the NIA Hydara said the units created by the first republic were maintained and a few new units were created including the Investigation Department. He added that the Special Operations was later added in the agency and there was a political and dissident unit which has been in existence since the first republic. "The unit (political and dissident) is to monitor the activities of the registered political parties with the simple reason that people do not hide under the pretext that they are political parties while they have other motives. It is a unit that people don't like a lot. It is where people do a lot of transcribing," he said. Hydara said the members of that unit would cover political rallies and meetings, record the statements made and come to the NIA and transcribe everything. He said the transcribed information would be forwarded to the Analyses Unit who would deduce the information and determine whether the messages were subversive. He said along the way, the objective of the unit became misconstrued. "The unit is more focused on politicians and spying on politicians and political parties," he said. The security officer said the whole objective was to serve the government of the day. "It was created to serve the President - to give him unfair advantage in elections," Lead Counsel Essa Faal said. "Yes," Hydara said. "That is unlawful," Faal said. "Very unlawful," Hydara said. 2006 - March Foiled Coup Hydara said in March 2006, there was a coup in the making and the NIA came to know about the plot. He said at this time, the late Daba Marenah was the Director General of the NIA. He said the panel of investigators was constituted upon the request of the former President. He added that there ware masked men and black-black officers otherwise known as the Junglers. "It was very intimidating," Hydara said. He explained that service chiefs came in the evening, including the IGP. Hydara said Lang Tombong was the most superior officer and all the panelists were looking up to him for guidance and direction. "By virtue of his position and status, he [Lang] was the leader of the panel," Hydara said. Hydara said the first day the panel was constituted, the NIA DG Marena was nowhere to be seen and the following day, Marena was relieved from his position. He said on the following day, the panelist including himself, agreed among themselves that the suspects must not be intimidated in any way or manner but they should be left to explain freely. "Our nightmare started when things started to evolve to the worst," he said. Hydara said the manner in which the confessions of the suspects were obtained plus the environment was very intimidating. He said the process was disappointing and regrettable, adding that the first few days of the panel. "They cooperated and told us what they knew about it, he said. "After they cooperated, one would expect that they would be given VIP treatment. After they cooperated, the 'Junglers' were brutalizing these people after obtaining confessions from them," he said. "In my opinion, they (the Junglers) got their orders from their Commander in-Chief and this was why they were putting the suspects in pain. He enjoys seeing people in pain," Hydara said. Hydara denied Pierre Mendy's allegation that he was the one who instructed the 'Junglers' to torture him, saying Mendy was not cooperative to the panel during the interrogation. He said there were many other people who were accused and they later released them in relation to the 2006 coup attempt. He said Mendy was not the only one who failed to cooperate with them. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "I worked in an institution that is so treacherous. I was not doing what I was doing to satisfy Jammeh," he said. Hydara said Daba Marena and the suspects accused of the coup were arrested. He said ex-President Jammeh gave instruction for Daba Marena to be executed. "Daba was executed," the witness said. He said the former President refused the panel's recommendations and made orders for the prosecution of all the suspects. About the witness Hydara was born on the 27th July 1967 in Bansang, Central River Region. He graduated from Muslim High School in 1990 with O'Level and briefly taught as an unqualified teacher. Hydara also spent a year at the school of nursing, but opted out because it was not what he desired. He wanted to become a medical doctor but his dream became shattered after he was not awarded scholarship to study pharmacology in Ghana by the Gambia Government. So Hydara joined the National Security Services in 1992 and was recruited into the services. He did his basic training and was sent to further his studies in Nigeria. In 1998, he did training with the French Intelligence Services where he did intelligence gathering and disseminating. In 2000, he did a senior intelligence management course in Abuja. He holds a Diploma in law in 2008. In 1992, he was a training detective attached at the Economic Sabotage Unit. In August 1994, he served as a liaison officer and was deployed at Fatoto. In 1996, he was a Chief Detective, and in 1998 he was the officer commanding Upper River. Hydara was recalled to the headquarters in 2000. He also served in the Foreign Service at the Gambia Embassy in Rabat, Morocco. He was recalled in 2005 and made the deputy director of NIA. And he was dismissed in 2007, reabsorbed in 2008 and dismissed again in 2009 from the service. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc., an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of conditionally activated therapeutics engineered to stimulate the body's immune system for the treatment of cancer, today announced the appointment of Tim Trost as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Trost is an accomplished life sciences executive with extensive leadership experience in financial and accounting operations and strategy. "I am thrilled to welcome Tim to the Werewolf team," said Daniel J. Hicklin, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Werewolf Therapeutics. "Tim brings extensive experience in leading and guiding life sciences companies through different stages of development. His expertise at building and managing financial and accounting infrastructure will serve us well as we continue to build out our key functions and advance our lead programs to the clinic." Mr. Trost joins Werewolf from Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), where he served as CFO until the company's acquisition by Bayer AG in October 2020. Prior to AskBio, Mr. Trost was Senior Vice President and CFO of Chimerix, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments in oncology and biodefense, where he helped lead the company through a variety of private and public financings. Prior to Chimerix, Mr. Trost was instrumental in venture financing and collaborations as the Vice President and CFO at Argos Therapeutics, Inc., a venture capital-backed immunotherapy company, and Senior Vice President and CFO at InteCardia, Inc., a venture-backed cardiac imaging company that was acquired by Syncor International Corporation. He also previously held leadership roles with Coastal Physician Group, Inc., as Executive Vice President and CFO, and with PwC, where he last served as a Senior Manager in the Research Triangle practice. Mr. Trost holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Certified Public Accountant. "Werewolf is creating a new era of tumor-selective, systemically delivered drugs with the potential to deliver more effective, less toxic treatments for people with cancer. I'm excited to join this team of proven oncology drug developers during an important period in the company's growth," said Mr. Trost. "We are well-positioned to advance our portfolio of INDUKINE product candidates into the clinic as we pursue the goal of improving outcomes for patients with cancer." About Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of conditionally activated therapeutics engineered to stimulate the body's immune system for the treatment of cancer. We are leveraging our proprietary PREDATOR platform to design molecules that stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity with the goal of addressing the limitations of conventional proinflammatory immune therapies. These potentially best-in-class therapies, which we refer to as INDUKINE molecules, are intended to target the tumor microenvironment, or TME, safely and selectively. Our lead product candidates, WTX-124 and WTX-330, are systemically delivered, conditionally activated Interleukin-2, or IL-2, and Interleukin-12, or IL-12, respectively, INDUKINE molecules for the treatment of solid tumors. We plan to file an investigational new drug application, or IND, for WTX-124 later in 2021 and for WTX-330 in early 2022, and thereafter initiate a Phase 1/1b clinical trial for each candidate in multiple tumor types as a single agent and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. To learn more visit www.werewolftx.com. SOURCE Werewolf Therapeutics Related Links http://www.werewolftx.com Apple launched four iPhone models with the iPhone 12 series last year, including a new variant, the iPhone 12 Mini, which came as a small-sized version of the iPhone 12. With less than one year since the 5.4-inch display iPhone was introduced in hopes of driving the sales for the iPhone 12 series, it is now being reported that the Cupertino-based giant may discontinue the iPhone 12 Mini soon. The apparent reason for this is that the iPhone 12 Mini's sales have been rather disappointing, given that a cheaper, more small-sized iPhone will bring-in new users or motivate older iPhone users to upgrade. According to an AppleInsider report, citing a JP Morgan supply chain analyst, the iPhone 12 Mini's production may be discontinued as soon as Q2 2021. This does not mean that the small iPhone will be taken off shelves as soon as the production halts. There could still be enough inventory to keep the iPhone 12 Mini available for some time. The JP Morgan analyst's report cut the production expectation of the iPhone 12 Mini by a whopping 11 million units. Expectations for the iPhone 12, on the other hand, have also been reduced by nine million units. The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 11 production is speculated to grow by two million and eight million units, respectively, the analyst was quoted as saying. Last month, a report by a market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) said that the iPhone 12 Mini contributed to only six percent of total iPhone sales in October and November. The iPhone 12 Mini was launched in India at a price of Rs 69,900 onwards in October 2020. An online platform will appear in Ukraine via which it will be possible to sign up for vaccinations, it is to be developed by the first mass vaccination, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" on Monday in Kyiv. "Back in November, I asked Fedorov [Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov] and Stepanov [Health Minister Maksym Stepanov] to develop a large platform so that people can sign up for vaccinations. So that when we received the schedule of vaccine supplies to Ukraine, people received information about the approximate date they can get a free vaccine. They will develop it by the first mass vaccination," he said. Earlier, Zelensky said that Ukraine had agreed on the supply of vaccines from the Pfizer, Sinovac, AstraZenea and Novavax companies and would not purchase the Russian Sputnik V vaccine due to the lack of confirmation of its effectiveness. By summer, Ukraine will have 10 million vaccines. The first round of vaccinations will begin this month. A man has been charged with more than 20 offences after he allegedly punched an off-duty police officer in the face and threatened him at knife point in a shocking road rage incident. The officer was driving on Fairford Road at Padstow, in Sydney's southwest, on Sunday about 6.45pm when he saw a silver Toyota Hilux driving erratically. The officer followed the Hilux onto Davies Road, before the vehicle swerved and stopped in the middle of the road. A 27-year-old man has been charged with more than 20 offences after allegedly punching an off-duty police officer in Sydney's southwest The Hilux driver exited the vehicle, before approaching and allegedly verbally abusing the officer who was seated in his vehicle. When the officer identified himself, he was allegedly punched in the face through the drivers side window and threatened with a knife. A bystander stopped to help the officer before the Hilux driver fled the scene. The officer reported the incident to officers from Bankstown Police Area Command who launched an investigation into the incident. Following inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a home on Mona Street, South Granville on Monday and seized a vehicle and several other items relevant to the investigation. A 27-year-old man was arrested at the home and taken to Granville Police Station where he was charged with assaulting a police officer in the execution of duty and numerous other drug and weapon related offences. The officer was driving on Fairford Road at Padstow (pictured) on Sunday about 6.45pm when he saw a silver Toyota Hilux driving erratically The other charges include two counts of possess ammunition, malicious damage, two counts of possess unauthorised pistol, two counts of not keeping a firearm safe, four counts of acquiring a firearm part without authority, and supply and possess prohibited drug. He was also charged with being armed with intent to commit indictable offence, possessing a barrel without authority of licence/permit, two counts of possess or use prohibited weapon without permit, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and two counts of possess/attempt to prescribe restricted substance. He was refused bail and will appear in Parramatta Local Court today. Police move detained demonstrators in the bed of a pick-up truck to a police station during a protest to demand the resignation of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Feb. 7, 2021. (Dieu Nalio Chery/AP Photo) Haitis President Alleges Coup Conspiracy, Says 20 Arrested PORT-AU-PRINCE, HaitiHaitian President Jovenel Moise announced Feb. 7 that police have arrested more than 20 people he accused of trying to kill him and overthrow his government, including a Supreme Court judge who has the support of opposition leaders demanding that Moise step down. Moise spoke at Haitis airport in Port-au-Prince, flanked by the countrys prime minister and the police chief as he prepared to leave for the southern coastal town of Jacmel for the opening ceremony of its yearly carnival, which is being held amid the pandemic. There was an attempt on my life, he said. Moise said the alleged plot began Nov. 20 but didnt provide further details or any evidence except to say that among the people arrested is a judge and an inspector general with the police. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Joseph Joute said authorities found several weapons and a speech that Supreme Court Judge Yvickel Dabrezil had allegedly prepared if he were to become provisional president. Dabrezil is one of three judges that the opposition favors as a potential transitional president. Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent accused the inspector general of being in touch with high-ranking security officials at the National Palace over an alleged plot to have the president arrested. Andre Michel, one of Haitis top opposition leaders, held a press conference hours after the arrests and called for civil disobedience and demanded that Moise be arrested. Michel, an attorney, said it was illegal to arrest Dabrezil because he has automatic immunity. Reynold Georges, an attorney who once worked as a consultant for Moises administration but has since joined the opposition, denounced the arrests in an interview with radio station Zenith FM. A protester sets up a burning barricade during a protest to demand the resignation of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Feb. 7, 2021. (Dieu Nalio Chery/AP Photo) We ask for his release immediately, he said of Dabrezil, adding that the court system should shut down until hes free. Georges also called on people to rise up against Moise. The arrests came on the day that opposition leaders claim Moise should have resigned, saying that his term ended on Feb. 7. Moise has repeatedly stated that his five-year term ends in February 2022. Former President Michel Martellys term ended in 2016, but a chaotic election forced the appointment of a provisional president for one year until Moise was sworn in in 2017. The opposition has organized recent protests demanding that Moise step down, and normally congested streets in Haitis capital and elsewhere remained empty on Feb. 7 except for some 100 protesters who gathered in Port-au-Prince and clashed with police. Historians noted that exactly 35 years ago, former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and his wife fled Haiti with help from the U.S. government amid a popular uprising. Duvalier died in 2014. Meanwhile, Moise appears to have the support of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Ned Price, a U.S. State Department spokesman, said Feb. 5 that the United States has urged Haiti to organize free and fair elections so that Parliament can resume operations, adding that a new elected president should succeed Moise when his terms ends in February 2022. However, a group of seven U.S. legislators sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 6 saying that Moise has lost credibility and they called for a Haitian-led democratic transition. Moise is currently ruling by decree after dissolving a majority of Parliament in January 2020 after no legislative elections were held. Hes planning an upcoming constitutional referendum in April that critics say could award him more power, while general elections are scheduled for later this year. After arriving in Jacmel, Moise broadcast an address that lasted more than an hour. He spoke largely about the infrastructure projects that his administration has accomplished, but also called on the opposition to work with him. Its not too late, he said, rejecting accusations that he is on his way to becoming a dictator. Im not a dictator. Dictators are people who take power and dont know when theyre leaving. I know my mandate ends on Feb. 7, 2022. By Evens Sanon British drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Saturday that its vaccine candidate being developed in partnership with the University of Oxford appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID-19. This was according to an early data from a trial, according to a Reuters report. The study from South Africa's University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University showed reduced efficacy of the vaccine against the South African variant. "In this small phase I/II trial, early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant," an AstraZeneca spokesman was quoted on a report. The AstraZeneca spokesman said that, however, they have not been able to properly ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalization as its subject were predominantly young healthy adults. Related story: Brazil's Fiocruz to Seek Regulatory Approval for Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine AstraZeneca Vaccine The company said it believed its vaccine could protect against severe disease as the neutralizing antibody activity was equivalent to that of other COVID-19 vaccines that have shown protection against severe disease. AstraZeneca vaccine's trial included 2,026 people of which half formed the placebo group. However, the said trial has not been peer-reviewed. The British Medical Journal said that only a tiny minority are likely to be important or change the virus in an appreciable way. "Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed," the AstraZeneca spokesman was quoted. South Africa Halts AstraZeneca Vaccine Meanwhile, South Africa has suspended plans to vaccinate its front-line health care workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it is not effective in preventing mild to moderate illness. South Africa got its first one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week. In addition, it was expected to begin giving shots to health care workers in mid-February, according to an NBC News report. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said Sunday night that the variant appears to be more infectious and is causing a deadly resurgence of the disease in the country. Mkhize added that more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases were accounted for it. Mkhize said that the AstraZeneca vaccine appeared effective against the original strain but not against the variant. "We have decided to put a temporary hold on the rollout of the vaccine. ... More work needs to be done," Mkhize was quoted on a report. South African Variant The South African mutation includes a mutation of the COVID-19 characteristic spike protein, which is targeted by existing vaccines. Officials in South Africa say that the variant is more contagious. In addition, evidence is showing that it may be easier to spread. Meanwhile, early results from Moderna suggests that its vaccine is still effective against the South Africa variant. However, the immune response may not be as strong or prolonged, according to a BBC report. At least 20 other countries have also found cases of the South African variant. These countries include Austria, Norway, and Japan. Read also: Fact Check: Can Burnt Oranges Aid in Restoring Lost Senses from COVID-19? The share of the planets population with the immunity against coronavirus will reach 60% this summer, allowing to return to life in August with the visor raised, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. According to Peskov, it will depend heavily on the immunity development against COVID-19 among the planets population and it can be developed by the mid-summer. "I believe that it can happen by the middle of the summer," he said. "In other words, the month of August will be with the raised visor as they say." He reminded that, according to calculations of immunologists, about 60% of the planets population must develop the immunity, both by natural and artificial means. "It seems to me that such immunization must evolve sometime around the middle of the summer," TASS cited Peskov as saying. Rich Klinker was amazed by what he found when he first walked inside the Jacksonville industrial building. I had never heard of the company, but it blew me away when I walked in, Klinker said. Its really something that we as a community should be proud to be able to have here. The 38-year-old Klinker is operations manager for CCK Automations at the northwest edge of the city along Capitol Way. He is responsible for manufacturing, quality, process engineering, continuous improvement, training, health and safety and just about everything else that happens on the manufacturing floor. More Information If you have a suggestion about someone who should be profiled, send their name and any contact information available to communitynews@myjournalcourier.com. See More Collapse Its a no-kidding-around tech manufacturing company that has grown out of founder J.J. and Sherri Richardsons garage, Klinker said. It started 21 years ago with four employees and now we are up to 115, and weve added 40 over the last year and a half as we just continue to see growth and new business pick up. Klinkers journey to Jacksonville and CCK began following a tour as an Army combat engineer. He led a platoon of Army and Marine personnel as they swept areas around Fallujah, Iraq, for improvised explosive devices. After he left the service with the rank of captain, Klinker was hired in 2011 by Reynolds Consumer Products during the companys drive to attract transitioning veterans. He met his wife Katie, an Illinois College graduate, and started a family in Jacksonville. Four years later, the company relocated him to Pennsylvania. About three years after the move to Pennsylvania, I got a phone call about this company called CCK back in Jacksonville that was looking for somebody to come and run operations for them, Klinker said. We jumped at the opportunity to get back to Jacksonville. The East Coast was fun and all, but we missed it here. He said he had no idea the company was here, even though he worked in manufacturing in Jacksonville for almost four years. It was a well-kept little secret, but it was also a very small company that has just kind of exploded the last seven or eight years, he said. We are bordered by cornfields but there are guys that are writing software for iPad applications, who are designing and manufacturing circuit boards and electronics to go into food and beverage applications, agriculture applications and emergency response equipment, Klinker said. So its really pretty cool for a community this size to have a business as unique as this is. Klinker said that CCK sources bare printed circuit boards and then completes the processes required to make them fully functional products. These processes include surface mounting components, robotic and hand soldering, mechanical assembly, coating and potting, along with many other unique assembly steps. The company also has an injection molding shop to add custom plastic components when required to the items they make. Those who want to get a mental picture of its products can peek inside a computer or TV remote and note the green boards peppered with various resistors, diodes, capacitors and integrated circuits. The bright, super-clean and carefully climate-controlled manufacturing environment at CCK is a far cry from the stereotypical heavy manufacturing that Klinker was used to before joining the company. Its just like what is done at high-tech manufacturing plants in Asia, but its right here in the heart of the Midwest. It helps that the guys that are actually doing the engineering and design are at most a few hundred miles away from our customers, Klinker said. They can come and see their product being built, they dont have to wonder where it is floating on the ocean or when it will clear Customs. He said the company goes to great lengths to make sure it is building a quality product for customers. Thats what gets us in the door and keeps us in the door and enables us to win new business, Klinker said. The majority of CCKs work gets used in the agriculture, food and beverage and automotive industries. The company will not share client names, but if youve driven by somebody planting a field or if youve poured yourself a cup of coffee at a convenience store, chances are youve touched our products, Klinker said. Klinker is also proud of the way that CCK hires and treats veterans like himself, who make up about 12% of the company workforce. A U.S. flag hangs over the factory floor, joined by flags from every branch of the armed forces. That makes Klinker feel special every day that he goes to work. When you start to talk about it being easy to connect to a sense of purpose with your work, it doesnt take a lot of convincing to connect with the purpose every day on our factory floor, Klinker said. Klinker grew up all over the place as the son of a Marine Corps officer, but Jacksonville is the place he and Katie have chosen to raise their family. Katie works as digital mapping coordinator for AgriSompo, formerly known as Diversified Crop Insurance, and their son attends kindergarten at Our Saviour School. Rich is a parishioner at Our Saviour Catholic Church, is active with the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club and the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and has gotten to know a lot of area people through those connections and his job at CCK. We absolutely love the Jacksonville community, Klinker said. Kaley Cuoco feared her fans would 'hate' The Flight Attendant. The 35-year-old actress stars in the TV series - which has been nominated for two Golden Globes - but Kaley initially feared it would not be to the taste of her fans. 'All that went through my mind for the past three-and-a-half years since I optioned this book is, "Oh my God, am I making a mistake?"' Kaley - who also serves as an executive producer - told Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Line. She was nervous: Kaley Cuoco feared her fans would 'hate' The Flight Attendant, the star told TVLine this week Her show: The Flight Attendant is a story of how an entire life can change in one night. A flight attendant (Cuoco) wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man - and no idea what happened She wondered: ''Are people going to hate this? Are they going to love it? Oh God, this is so bad, what am I doing? Why am I doing this?'' The Big Bang Theory star revealed how she witnessed the 'struggle' to put the show together as an executive producer and admits it makes the end result 'even sweeter'. Kaley said: 'Being an executive producer now, you just know way too much, you see all the struggle. As an actor, I get to wake up and walk in, you do your job and then you leave, and you see the end project. A new turn: The 35-year-old actress stars in the TV series - which has been nominated for two Golden Globes - but Kaley initially feared it would not be to the taste of her fans After the murder: The star surprised to wake up to her dead lover played by Michiel Huisman 'But learning the road to the end project, it actually makes this even sweeter, because you know how hard to work is, and how much of a huge team effort it takes.' The actress plays Cassandra Bowen, a woman who wakes up hungover in a Dubai hotel room with no recollection of how she got there, and revealed that she hoped to include some comedic elements in the series. Kaley explained: 'I feel that we created a tone that you don't see very often - it wasn't a drama, it wasn't a comedy, it wasn't sad, it wasn't happy. Fear: 'I feel that we created a tone that you don't see very often - it wasn't a drama, it wasn't a comedy, it wasn't sad, it wasn't happy,' she said of the show 'It was such a range of stuff, and to be able to make you laugh through some horrors we shot, I feel that's why it was a comedy. 'There were moments that were lighthearted, really crazy comedic moments that we felt were very, very special and that it lent itself to comedy.' She finally has her GG award nomination last week. She is among the nominees for best performance by an actress in a musical or comedy TV series for her leading role on HBO Max's The Flight Attendant. The star was also asked about season two of FA. 'God, I know nothing. We just literally got our writers room together, so as far as story, theres nothing there quite yet. 'But as far as the emotional arc with Cassie, she is going to be trying to live a sober life. But as we know, shes very impatient, so she thinks that things are going to be super-easy, that this is going to be no big deal, and shes going to realize really fast that this is going to be a lifelong struggle for her.' And asked what she wants for season two Kaley replied: 'We had such a great Season 1, but I want it to even be better, even though thats hard to do. And I want to come out swinging. What I appreciate with the show, with Steve and our writers, is they really let me go ballistic. 'I mean, you saw it on-screen. I would like to go ballistic again and keep spreading my wings, because it just became its own entity and I dont even know what I did half the time. I kind of just left it on the field and walked away, like, Well, f**k, I hope that worked!' BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- An alleged case of domestic violence, considered one of the darkest aspects of society anywhere, has recently become the center of attention on Chinese social media. While many details remain to be confirmed, one thing should be crystal clear: domestic violence against women has no place in China. Over the weekend, a first-person account of years-long domestic violence by a former female journalist has gone viral, prompting huge attention and outcry. In addition to Chinese netizens, social media accounts of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the women's federation of Qinghai Province, where the alleged domestic violence took place, have promptly sent a clear message: domestic violence is not a family matter, but shall be condemned unequivocally and subject to legal consequences where appropriate. The personal account has been put under the microscope, and exact details and circumstances are now heatedly discussed online, some of which are being disputed. What's not in dispute, however, is that domestic violence is strictly prohibited by law in China. In fact, the dedicated Law of the People's Republic of China Against Domestic Violence has been in effect since March 2016. The law states that combating domestic violence is a joint responsibility of the state, society and every family, and the state prohibits any form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a common problem facing many countries. In China, its existence also spans places with different levels of economic development and various local customs. The level of economic development and the customs of specific localities, however, cannot and must not be cited as excuses for domestic violence. On the other hand, it should also be abundantly clear that it's domestic violence that should be denounced, rather than specific regions, customs, or ethnicities. Sometimes, victims have been hesitant to speak up for various complex reasons. Blaming the victims does not help. What's helpful is a holistic approach by society to prevent and stop domestic violence. All relevant organizations, including and particularly government authorities, must be on high alert against domestic violence and extend a helping hand to victims. That would send a life-changing -- if not life-saving -- signal to women at their darkest moments in life. A popular Chinese saying goes that women are playing the important role of "supporting half of the sky." Indeed, the official recognition of women's social status in China has become significantly higher. However, there is always an absolute need to eliminate prejudice, discrimination, and violence against women and make gender equality a social norm and moral imperative observed by all. Protection of women's rights and interests has become a commitment at the national level in China. Although there is still a long way to go and real hard work needs to be done, as the viral account and related discussions have proved, China is committed to making sure women are free from domestic violence as well as promoting a society of inclusive development. DUBLIN, Feb. 8 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metalized Flexible Packaging Market by Material Type (Aluminum Foil Based, Metalized Film), Structure, Packaging Type (Pouches, Bags, Wraps), End-Use Industry (Food, Beverage, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals, Pet Food), Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global metalized flexible packaging market size is estimated at USD 4.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 5.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2020 to 2025. The major drivers for the market include an increase in demand for longer shelf life of products and increasing demand for customer-friendly packaging. However, volatile raw material cost restrains the market growth. Moreover, sustainable and new metalized flexible packaging are expected to propel the market for metalized flexible packaging. Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the metalized flexible packaging market The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the market for metalized flexible packaging manufacturers catering to the personal care other products which were not considered as essential. Moreover, most of the global companies operating in this market are based in the Asia Pacific, US, and European countries, which are adversely affected by the pandemic. These companies having their manufacturing units in China and other Asian countries are also severely affected. Therefore, disruptions in the supply chain have resulted in hampering production units due to a lack of raw materials and workforce. Demand from the FMCG and fresh food segments: People are resorting to panic-buying and bulk stocking over the fear of lockdowns. More people are ordering daily staples and fresh food through online channels, with increasing preference for flexible packaging. The demand for metalized flexible packaging in the healthcare sector is expected to remain robust as hospitals and drugs manufacturers respond to the crisis. The demand for metalized flexible packaging in pharmaceutical and healthcare goods is not expected to decrease dramatically, and retail distribution for these types of products through online delivery can be expected to increase. Aluminum foil based flexible packaging segment to lead the metalized flexible packaging market between 2020 and 2025 Aluminum foil based flexible packaging is the largest application segment of the metalized flexible packaging market of the global metalized flexible packaging market by material type. Aluminum foil based flexible packaging with single or multilayered plastics is widely used for the packaging of fresh and processed meat, poultry, and fish, as they provide better hygiene and increases product shelf-life. They are extensively used in the food & beverage and healthcare sectors for packaging of products, such as cheese cubes and for making blister packs. Aluminum is relatively light and provides a strong barrier against light and chemicals. It is impermeable and easy to work into a variety of formats, depending on its thickness. Pouches segment to be the fastest-growing segment in the metalized flexible packaging market The pouches segment is expected to lead the overall flexible plastic packaging market and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025. The flexible plastic packaging market has witnessed a significant increase in the demand for pouches, mainly for food packaging, as it increases the visibility of the product and extends the product shelf life. There is increasing use of plastic pouches in e-commerce and offline retail sectors owing to its less space requirement on the shelf. Food segment to be the largest segment in the metalized flexible packaging market Based on the end-use industry, the metalized flexible packaging market is segmented into food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care, pet food, and others. The others segment of metalized flexible packaging includes agriculture, oil & lubricants and consumer goods. the food end-industry contributed the largest share to the metalized flexible packaging market in 2019. The demand for metallized film is high due to the rising demand for packaged food products. The demand for longer shelf life of food products such as meat, milk, and cheese, is expected to drive the metallized film market. Rising awareness among consumers about the nutritional value of food and growing demand for convenience food has led to the increased use of metallized film in food & beverage packaging applications. The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period By region, Asia Pacific is estimated to account for the second largest share of the global metalized flexible packaging market in 2019 and is expected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Factors such as rising disposable income, changing lifestyles, and growing middle-class population are expected to drive the demand for packaging, which in turn, will support the growth of the metallized film market in the region. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1. Attractive Opportunities in the Metalized Flexible Packaging Market 4.2. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, Regional Analysis 4.3. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, Developing vs Developed Nations 4.4. Fastest Growing and Emerging Markets, by Material Type 4.5. Fastest Growing and Emerging Markets, by Application 4.6. Life Cycle Analysis, by Region 5 Market Overview 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Market Segmentation 5.2.1. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Material Type 5.2.2. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Structure 5.2.3. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Packaging Type 5.2.4. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by End-Use Industry 5.2.5. Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Region 5.3. Market Dynamics 5.3.1. Drivers 5.3.2. Restraints 5.3.3. Opportunities 5.3.4. Challenges 5.4. Burning Issues in Industry 6 Industry Trends 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Value Chain Analysis 6.2.1. Material Suppliers 6.2.2. Research & Development 6.2.3. Applicators/Formulators 6.2.4. End-Use Industries 6.3. Regulatory Analysis 6.4. Pricing Analysis 6.5. Patent Analysis 6.6. Porter'S Five Forces Analysis 6.6.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 6.6.2. Threat of New Entrants 6.6.3. Threat of Substitutes 6.6.4. Bargaining Power of Buyers 6.6.5. Intensity of Rivalry 7 Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Material Type 7.1. Introduction 7.2. Aluminium Foil Based Flexible Packaging 7.2.1. Aluminium-Paper 7.2.2. Aluminium-Paper-Polymer 7.2.2.1. Beverage Cartons 7.2.2.2. Others 7.2.3. Aluminium-Polymer 7.2.3.1. Duplex/Triplex 7.2.3.1.1. PE 7.2.3.1.2. PP 7.2.3.1.3. PVC 7.2.3.1.4. Other 7.2.3.2. Quadraplex/Multiplex 7.3. Metalized Film Flexible Packaging 7.3.1. Met PP/PE 7.3.2. Met PET/PE 7.3.3. Others 8 Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Structure 8.1. Introduction 8.2. Laminated Structures 8.3. Mono Extruded Structures 8.4. Co-Extruded Structures 8.5. Insulated Structures 8.6. Others 9 Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Packaging Type 9.1. Introduction 9.2. Pouches 9.2.1. Stand-Up Pouches 9.2.2. Flat Pouches 9.3. Cartons 9.4. Bags 9.5. Wraps 9.6. Others 10 Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by End-Use Industry 10.1. Introduction 10.2. Food 10.2.1. By Material Type 10.3. Beverage 10.3.1. by Material Type 10.4. Personal Care 10.4.1. By Material Type 10.5. Pharmaceuticals 10.5.1. By Material Type 10.6. Pet Food 10.6.1. By Material Type 10.7. Others 10.7.1. By Material Type 11 Metalized Flexible Packaging Market, by Region 11.1. Introduction 11.2. North America 11.2.1. US 11.2.2. Canada 11.2.3. Mexico 11.3. Europe 11.3.1. Germany 11.3.2. France 11.3.3. UK 11.3.4. Italy 11.3.5. Spain 11.3.6. Russia 11.3.7. Rest of Europe 11.4. Asia-Pacific 11.4.1. China 11.4.2. Japan 11.4.3. India 11.4.4. South Korea 11.4.5. Rest of APAC 11.5. Middle East & Africa 11.5.1. Saudi Arabia 11.5.2. Uae 11.5.3. South Africa 11.5.4. Rest of Mea 11.6. South America 11.6.1. Brazil 11.6.2. Argentina 11.6.3. Rest of South America 12 Impact of COVID-19 on Metalized Flexible Packaging Market 12.1. Overview 12.2. Covid Impact on Materials 12.3. Covid Impact on Applications 12.4. Top Gainers from COVID-19 12.5. Top Losers from COVID-19 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1. Overview 13.2. Expansions: Most Popular Growth Strategy 13.3. Most Active Players and Developments 13.4. Competitive Situation and Trends 13.4.1. Expansions 13.4.2. Merger & Acquisitions 13.4.3. New Product Developments 13.4.4. Partnerships & Agreements 13.5. Top 5 Companies Market Share Analysis 14 Company Profile (Business Overview, Products Offered, Recent Developments, SWOT Analysis, Winning Imperatives, Current Focus and Strategies, Threat from Competition) 14.1. Amcor 14.2. Mondi Group 14.3. Constantia Flexibles 14.4. Sonoco 14.5. Sealed Air Corp 14.6. Clondalkin Group 14.7. Cosmo Films 14.8. Polyplex Corporation 14.9. Huhtamaki 14.10. Transcontinental Inc. 14.11. Other 10 Players' Short Profiles Note: this is Non-Exhaustive and Tentative List of Companies 15 Appendix 15.1. Insights from Industry Experts 15.2. Discussion Guide 15.3. Available Customizations 15.4. Related Reports For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z6wffd Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com A defence witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday that a former spokesperson on public affairs for former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, does not own a personal house in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Bamidele Salam, the fourth defence witness called by Mr Okupe in his ongoing trial, said this while denying the 59 counts of money laundering charges involving diversion of N702million levelled against the former presidential aide. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Mr Okupe committed the offences while serving as the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs in the lead up to the 2015 general election which Mr Jonathan lost. Before serving as former President Jonathans aide, Mr Okupe, a medical-doctor-turned-politician, had previously served as a Special Assistant to then President Olusegun Obasanjo, among other political positions he held dating back to the military era. Politicians of Mr Okupes calibre holding top political offices in Abuja usually scramble to buy houses in choice places in the capital city while in office. But the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that Mr Salam, who headed Mr Okupes media team under the Jonathan Presidency, told the court on Monday that his former boss never had a house in Abuja. As far as I know, Dr Okupe did not have any personal house in Abuja. I never laundered any money for him and he never laundered money to my best knowledge, said the witness. The witness, who is currently the lawmaker representing Ede North, South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun State, said he was not aware of any petition against his former boss. Okupe, an upright man Mr Salam, who was being led in evidence by Mr Okupes lawyer, Joe Kyari-Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said neither the EFCC nor any other body ever invited him (Salam) on account of his stewardship as the head of the media to Mr Okupe. The witness, who said he was being paid monthly salary of N300,000 as an aide to Mr Okupe, insisted that his former boss is upright and we never found him wanting as our boss. The witness said during the period of his employment, the media office had relationship with scores of local and international media houses, including online platforms. We also have dealings with media influencers to promote the image of the president, he said. He said the office usually organised weekly press conference which, at times, happened twice a week to inform the public about some activities of the government. Okupe got N10million monthly from Dasuki The witness admitted that Mr Okupes office was paid N10 million monthly by the Office of the National Security Adviser to the President being headed by Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel. He said the N10million was being used by Mr Okupes office for logistics and others. How monthly N10million was spent He added that a programme on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) called The Insight was paid for by Mr Okupes office contrary to the insinuation that it was part of the corporate social responsibility of the TV station. He said not fewer than 30 persons, including Deji Adeyanju, a political activist, worked under Mr Okupe as media influencers and were duly paid by the office. He said to the best of his knowledge, none of the workers in the office was owed any salary. ADVERTISEMENT He said Mr Okupe paid for all these services through the money from the NSA office. NAN reports that after the witness was cross-examined, the trial judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, adjourned till March 5. Charges The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Okupe on 59 counts of money laundering and criminal breach of trust involving N702 million. Mr Okupes co-defendants are, Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abraham Telecoms Ltd. (NAN) Bangladesh: Cyclone Amphan Emergency relief project report February 08,2021 | Source: Reliefweb On May 20th 2020, Cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal and caused significant damage in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Peace Winds Japan?PWJ?and its local partner Dhaka Community Hospital Trust (DCHT) started emergency relief operations in August in Galachipa Upazila of Patuakhali District and Sarankhola Upazila of Bagerhat District. Fishery and fish/shrimp farming are the most common occupation in this area and were severely affected as heavy rain and high waves caused by the Cyclone have washed away the fish farms and have contaminated the fresh water sources. Peoples lives had already been affected by COVID-19 before the Cyclone Amphan, and the community is facing a double burden of the negative impact of both COVID-19 and the cyclone damage. Many people have lost their livelihood and opportunity of income earning by this. PWJ distributed food packages and tarpaulin as emergency relief items to the vulnerable people affected by the cyclone. Many beneficiaries especially appreciated the tarpaulin since heavy rain had continued in this area even after the cyclone made landfall, and many houses had damaged roofs with rain water leaking inside the house. Fishing nets were distributed to those working for fishery and fish farms that have lost their livelihoods due to the cyclone. COVID-19 cases are increasing in the cyclone affected areas as well as other parts of Bangladesh. Patients with water borne diseases, especially diarrhea, are increasing in the affected areas due to the contamination of water and deterioration of hygiene conditions caused by the cyclone. Soaps, cloth masks and ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) were distributed and awareness on handwashing and hygiene was provided along with the distribution of relief items. In order to avoid congestion at distribution points as precautions of COVID-19, relief items and awareness were provided through household visits. Relief items and awareness were provided to the hard to reach households by using boats and walking through muddy roads. Many of the tube-wells had been contaminated due to the cyclone and many people were facing difficulties in obtaining safe drinking water. Two deep tube-wells were constructed to enable safe water provision to the cyclone affected community. Safe drinking water is indispensable for the prevention for water borne and infectious diseases and especially for hand washing. The community appreciated the construction of the tube-well as they do not need to walk a long distance to fetch drinking water anymore. The tube-well was handed over to the community, and the community committee will be in charge of the management and maintenance of the tube-well. A maintenance training was conducted to the community committee with the participation of community leaders and religious leaders. All activities have been completed on November 30th. Thank you very much for your kind support. *This project is funded with subsidies from the Japan Platform and donations from individuals and corporations. The rescue operations for the tragic glacier burst which killed 11 and triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers causing grave damage to houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project is still underway. Reportedly, over 203 people went missing after the tragedy. As per the latest reports, the rescue teams have been conducting non-stop operations and have rescued 15 people from the first tunnel using heavy machinery, near Tapovan in Chamoli, whereas rescue operations for the second tunnel is still going on. While talking to Zee News, environmentalist Anil Joshi and Anand Arya explained what could possibly be the five reasons for this tragic disaster. Eco-sensitiveness: The authorities have been executing numerous projects one after the other without properly assessing the impact on the Himalayan range. Any area has an eco-sensitiveness and we are exploiting its limit. This disaster was a triggered one. I believe that the current government hasnt been showing enough sensitivity towards nature. The environmentalists, who have been voicing their concerns to the government against such large projects, have never been taken seriously, Anand Arya, environmentalist. Environmental assessment: Another reason behind such tragedy is not following environmental assessment properly. Environmentalist Anil Joshi raised an important question, Till when is our country going to rely upon such large dams to fulfill the upcoming needs. There are other means to live as well but we are not properly assessing it, he stated. We are relying upon hydropower more than any other form of energy because of its cost efficiency and reliability. But we are missing out to evaluate the risk factor involved in the construction of dams this size, he added. Critical Thinking: Environmentalist Anil Joshi pinpointed the gravest mistake of all. He pointed out that our authorities haven't been considering all the options before making a decision on such big projects. He went on to explain that countries like Switzerland have been making smaller dams along with the natural grid which is much safer in approach. Moreover, creating smaller dams can generate more employment in the country as well. Change in law: The authorities changed the existing law and divided it into numerous subparts, resulting in exploitation. The new law requires an environmental assessment of only projects which are larger than 100 km. Many have been exploiting this loophole by constructing projects which are under 99 km. One needs to understand that the impact will be as grave as the 100 km one, explained Anand Arya. Lesson from previous mistakes: This incident was similar to the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy. Even after the 2013 tragedy took such a huge toll on peoples lives, the authorities failed to look into the steadiness of the other dams. The glacier was a result of late snowfall in February and didnt get enough time to freeze. So one can say another reason behind the tragedy was that the dam was too close to the glacier area, explained Anil Joshi. You disrespected nature and it had repercussions. Ecology and economy go hand in hand. We need to understand that, said Anil Joshi. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. Additionally, the PMO has announced Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured. Live TV Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The Gambia's Environment Minister Lamin Dibba, has disclosed to members of the National Assembly Select Committee on the Environment that his Ministry will take legal action against illegal dealers of timber and logs in the country. Minister Dibba said this on Wednesday, when he appeared before the said Committee, to give an account on the MSC containers packed at the buffer zone with loaded logs. According to Minister Dibba, they assigned the Director of Forestry to conduct preliminary investigations to establish facts on the issue, upon receiving the news of the packed containers. "Upon investigation by Forestry Officers, it was found that 22 containers were packed at the buffer zone. Out of these 22 containers, 5 were empty and 17 were stocked with processed wood. One of the containers was loaded with round logs," Minister Dibba said; that from the recommendations of their report sent to the Permanent Secretary, he further directed that the matter be taken to a competent Court for immediate action; that since then, the matter was taken to Court awaiting the first hearing scheduled for the 7th of February 2021. "This is where we are at the moment. This is not the only experience we had in terms of unscrupulous businesspersons who want to beat the system and do their businesses the way they want to do it. In this particular situation, the person alleged to own the said logs is one Mr. Saikou Conteh. According to our books, Saikou has not obtained any permit or license to carry on with this and as such, all the logs have been taken over by the Forestry Officers as dictated by the Constitution and the matter is before the Court," Minister Dibba further said; that they have discussed with members of the Gambia Police Force (IGP) and the Crime Management Unit Coordinator who are their partners in this issue, on their stance. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The Ministry of the Environment together with partners, including Regional Governors and the GPF, are intensifying efforts to ensure that this kind of illegal movement of logs from one region to the other, or from one country to the other is greatly reduced," Minister Dibba said. He informed the Committee that since the inception of the present Government, the amount of logs seen at the landing sites along the country's borders, has been huge; that over the years, this number has reduced to a little over 100 logs at the said landing sites across the country. This he said is a significant reduction compared to years before and their policy of reducing the business in illegal timber and logs is gradually gaining momentum. Sainey Touray, the Chairperson of the Committee and member of the National Assembly, said the aim of the engagement is for the Ministry and stakeholders to give an update on the said timber / logs, adding that the Committee does not believe in speculation and hearsay. Chairperson Touray said national development is premised on facts and that this is what necessitated his Committee to invite the Ministry and stakeholders, to tell them what they know about the said timber / logs. The alleged killer of the 24-year-old dancehall artiste, Mr Emmanuel Aikins, known in the music industry as "Unruly Grant" or "Soft Metal" who was stabbed to death in Cape Coast on Sunday, has been arrested by the police. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Irene Serwaah Oppong, the Central Regional Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident to the media in Cape Coast on Monday. She said the sudden death of the artiste, followed a short misunderstanding that ensued between him and the suspect, Bright Ellis, 27, at the famous Orange Beach Resort near the Cape Coast Castle. She explained that on Sunday, February 7, at 1450 hours, the Police received a report that, a misunderstanding ensued at Orange Beach Resort between Ellis and the deceased. In the process, Ellis stabbed the deceased with a knife and he was rushed to the Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival. Ellis who also sustained cuts on his left hand, made a report at the station against Mr Aikins and was issued with Police medical report form for treatment. The suspect was later arrested at the same Hospital where he was seeking medical attention and had been detained to assist with investigations. The deceased is a former student of Oguaa Senior High School and was the Region's Best Dancehall Artiste during the 2018 Central Music Awards with over 3,258 followers. He is known by many as a "lyrical beef master" and described as lively, respectful and a determined young man. 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 The Minor League sons of two former Major League pitchers Friday won $3.24 million in their lawsuit over a 2019 assault at an upscale Washington Avenue bar. Kacy Clemens and Conner Capel, the sons of former Astros Roger Clemens and Mike Capel, were cleared of wrongdoing and the Concrete Cowboy was found liable in a Jan. 1, 2019, altercation involving the bar staff that left both men bloody and injured. Kent Adams, attorney for the bar owner and the bars parent company, said opposing counsel was an outstanding trial lawyer who did a great job on the Harris County case. Our clients are reviewing the next steps and we will move forward per their instructions accordingly, he said. Clemens, 26, played first base in the minors for the Blue Jays. Capel, 23, was an outfielder in the minors for the Cardinals. Both men live in Houston. Their lawyer made the case this week to a jury that the two friends were innocent bystanders amid a commotion at the packed bar. Witnesses said the bar owner and bouncers put them in chokeholds, roughed them up and threw them out. Capel had a skull fracture above his eye, where witnesses said he got slammed with a flashlight, and needed stitches. He also had bruised ribs, scratches and cuts. Clemens had injuries to his neck and a swollen elbow on his throwing arm, according to evidence at trial. This was a hard-fought case over two years to uncover the real facts as to what occurred, said Randy Sorrels, who represented the plaintiffs. The young men are appreciative of the jury exonerating them and holding the bar responsible. The younger ballplayers sued the bar owner, Daniel Wierck, and the bars parent company, 34th S&S, LLC. The jury ruled in their favor on two counts, finding the bar staff liable for assault and negligence. Sorrels argued the owners created a dangerous environment by allowing hundreds more people than the bars maximum capacity. The witnesses included Clemens father, a two-time World Series champion and seven-time Cy Young award winner, who said his jaw dropped when his son and godson arrived at his home in the early morning. The elder Clemens told jurors, It looked to me like they had been in a car accident. He said the altercation hindered his sons reputation at his ball club. Adams, for the company, told jurors Clemens and Capel were part of the group involved in the initial commotion and the bar should not be held responsible for their injuries. gabrielle.banks@chron.com RIL sells its Marcellus shale assets in US to NOG Corp for $250 million Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Thursday announced the sale of its US shale gas assets in southwestern Pennsylvania to Northern Oil and Gas Inc (NOG), for $250 million in cash and stock. The asset sale agreement signed with Delaware-based NOG entitles RIL to use the warrants for purchase of 3.25 million common shares of NOG at an exercise price of $14 per common share in the next seven years. Reliance Marcellus LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), announced the signing of agreements to divest all of its interest in certain upstream assets in the Marcellus shale play of southwestern Pennsylvania. These assets are currently operated by various affiliates of EQT Corporation and the transaction is subject to customary terms and conditions of closing, RIL stated in a release. Citigroup Global Markets, Inc acted as financial advisor to Reliance and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as its legal counsel. Reliance had, in 2017, sold a shale oil and gas block in the Marcellus in northeastern and central Pennsylvania for $126 million. What is the problem if state Budget looks like party advertisement: Mamata Banerjee questions BJP India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Kolkata, Feb 08: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is its main opposition in the upcoming state West Bengal assembly elections. Slamming the saffron party for criticising her government for presenting a 'populist' state budget on February 5, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that 'some are saying that the state budget is an advertisement ahead of polls, even if it is an advertisement, what's the problem'. India proud of every Sikh, attempt to mislead them won't benefit nation': PM Modi Mamata also slammed the BJP for claiming that the Trinamool regime will lose the West Bengal elections. While addressing the state Assembly, Banerjee exuded confidence of winning the assembly elections for a consecutive third term. The BJP, Left and the Congress boycotted the Budget session in the state Assembly. Banerjee had presented the Budget speech in on February 5. Absurd says Mo Dhaliwal on conspiracy theories surrounding farmers protest The BJP MLAs created a huge uproar in the Assembly over TMC government's decision not to invite Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on the first day of the session. The TMC government in its Budget sad that 500 para-teachers will be employed for 100 new Nepali, Hindi and Urdu schools. Present the state's budget statement, Banerjee said all kinds of road tax will be lifted from January 21 to June 21 and the free ration system will continue till June 21. The TMC regime will also introduce Netaji battalion in Kolkata Police. The Budget also said that the 'Duare Sarkar' initiative started by Banerjee dispensation will take place twice a year. Tourism industries will receive loans between Rs 50 thousand to Rs 1 lakh. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 15:17 [IST] Brighton has retained its crown as the most profitable place to be a landlord for the second year running, new findings have claimed. Taking into account rental fees charged to tenants and landlord costs, buy-to-let investors in the seaside resort can make a monthly profit of around 570, insurance group CIA Landlord suggests. At the other end of the spectrum, St Albans has the poorest prospects for landlords this year, with some potentially making a loss of more than 700 a month, the research claims. The findings argue that the majority of boroughs in London are 'unprofitable', with profitability nearly halving since January last year, amid a major exodus from the capital. Where to invest? 20 of the best and worst locations in Britain for making a profit as a landlord in 2021 Buy-to-let investors are still required to pay a 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge on second homes worth more than 40,000. This surcharge has remained in place during the Chancellor's stamp duty holiday, but some property investors have, in any event, been able to reduce their overall costs in some instances. Richard Wayman, a director at CIA Landlord, said: 'Covid-19 has undoubtedly shifted the way new landlords will be looking to invest in 2021, and our ranking makes it clear that considering location alongside price has never been more crucial. 'When looking into the true costs of being a landlord this year, it can certainly come as a surprise to some at just how expensive certain requirements are as well as the fluctuation in these costs. 'Before taking your first step into the property ladder, we recommend you consider all of the costs involved in becoming a landlord and ensure you invest in an area that is stable and will be profitable for you in the long term.' Top 10 best places for landlords to make a profit this year 10 locations in Britain where CIA Landlords say landlords could end up making a loss Below Brighton, Bangor, Portsmouth and Leeds were all among the top ranked locations for landlords wanting to make a tidy monthly profit. Lancaster, Bristol, Coventry, Manchester, Nottingham and Salford also made it to the top ten in CIA Landlord's latest findings. At the other end of the rankings, buy-to-let homes in St Albans, Cambridge, Solihull, Chichester and Wells could potentially leave landlords forking out more money than they are raking in. In St Albans, landlords could find themselves losing over 700 a month, while in Cambridge, the monthly loss could end up being nearly 600, given high property prices and hefty mortgage repayment costs in the famous university city. 'Due to the average property price, cost of a mortgage, monthly fees and rent charge changing throughout Covid-19, if you're not careful there are a number of locations where you will find yourself at a loss in profit per month in 2021', CIA Landlord said. Salisbury, St Davids, Chelmsford also made their way into the top 10 poorest spots for landlord profits this year, according to the findings. London losing its way? The latest findings by CIA Landlord also suggest that most of London has become 'unprofitable' for landlords over the past year. It says that profitability for landlords has slumped by 48 per cent since January 2020. 'Rising property prices and decreasing rental rates are squeezing profit margins for landlords, leaving 27 out of 33 London boroughs unprofitable in 2021, marking a massive dip from our ranking last year', CIA Landlord said. Unprofitable? The latest findings by CIA Landlord also suggest that most of London has become 'unprofitable' for landlords over the past year Barking, Brent, Newham, Westminster, Tower Hamlets and Southward were the only six 'profitable' locations. Tellingly, areas closer to central London are becoming increasingly unprofitable as more and more Londoners move away from city rentals, CIA Landlord said. The high-end borough of Kensington and Chelsea could see landlords facing a loss of over 2,000 a month, against profits of 1,735.28 at the same point a year ago. How were the rankings calculated? The rankings by CIA Landlords have been calculated by examining average licence fees, property prices, maintenance costs, income from tenants and relevant mortgage repayment costs. As with any research like this, costs can vary widely according to property type and location, but these findings give a general idea of what prospective landlords can expect to generate and fork out this year. The average monthly landlord costs have been calculated by taking the average monthly sum of tenancy deposits, landlord insurance, appliance costs, furniture costs, gas safety certificates, energy performance certificates, license fee costs and national insurance deductions. Monthly profit figures have been calculated by taking the sum of the average rent and deducting the monthly mortgage costs and other required fees. Tenant eviction ban until end of March Last month, the Government extended the tenant eviction ban until at least the end of March. The tenant evictions ban was introduced at the start of the coronavirus outbreak and was designed to protect tenants who have been hit by a loss of income. At the same time, mortgage payment holidays were also introduced for landlords. The Government briefly lifted the eviction ban in September, before reintroducing it at the end of last year, and it will now run until the spring. On top of that, landlords still need to give tenants a six month notice period until at least 31 March. The only exceptions for the notice period and evictions ban are the most serious cases. This includes anti-social behaviour and extreme rent arrears, equivalent to around six months worth of rent. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 By Heru Asprihanto DEPOK, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian single mother Puryanti bows stiffly like a robot, as she and her five-year-old son, their bodies gleaming in silver paint, appeal to passersby for an occasional coin at a busy intersection outside the capital Jakarta. They are among a group of people dubbed "manusia silver", or "silver people" who use the strategy to draw attention, while struggling to make ends meet after the coronavirus pushed Southeast Asia's largest economy into recession last year. "Some give, some don't," said Puryanti, 29, after three months of such daily performances, accompanied by her nephew Raffi, 15. "Sometimes someone gives enough." On good days, the Javanese, who was a housewife before her divorce, can earn about 70,000 rupiah ($5), enough to scrape by and pay the rent. Puryanti uses a homemade paint, a mixture of screen-printing powder and cooking oil, to coat their bodies and add dramatic effect to the robot act. She says the silver paint causes no ill-effects. "I am not ashamed to work like this," she added. "The important thing is this is all for my children." The pandemic, which brought Indonesia's first recession in more than two decades, with the economy shrinking almost 2.2% in the fourth quarter, has been tough for millions in the informal sector who need to leave their homes to make a living. Indonesia's poor account for 26.42 million of a population of over 270 million, government statistics show, a number that grew by 1.63 million over the period from September 2019 to the March 2020 onset of the pandemic. Puryanti has checked with the police that she can continue to work as a "silver person" for now, as long as she follows coronavirus measures such as wearing a mask, but she has higher ambitions. "I want to have my own business," she added. "I want to open a small shop but I don't have money for that." (Writing by Kate Lamb; Editing by Karishma Singh and Clarence Fernandez) New Delhi, Feb 8 : Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra's critical remarks against a former Chief Justice of India during the debate on the motion of thanks on President's address created uproar in the Lok Sabha on Monday, with treasury benches accusing her of violating parliamentary rules and disrespecting the chair. The treasury benches immediately sought to expunge her remarks, arguing that it is direct attack on the dignity of the President who selects a person for the post of Chief Justice of India. The 45-year-old MP from West Bengal's Krishna Nagar made the reference to the former Chief Justice against whom a case was registered based on am allegation. In her strong-worded speech, Moitra launched a scathing attack on the government for making "hate and bigotry" a part of its narrative and alleged that the judiciary and the media have also "failed" the country. Moitra was the fifth parliamentarian after two BJP members, Congress's floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's T.R. Balu who got the chance to speak on motion of thanks on President's address which was stalled for the last one week due to ruckus created by the opposition to hold separate discussion on the new farm laws. Soon after Moitra took name of the Chief Justice, BJP's Nishikant Thakur and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal raised objections, citing parliamentary rules that "taking names of specific higher posts is violation of rules". Thakur requested RSP's N.K. Premachandran in the chair to expunge these remarks, saying it is against the dignity of the President who choose the Chief Justice. Meghwal termed her comments against the former Chief Justice as "shameful". In her speech, Moitra repeatedly used terms like cowardice to slam the government for "hiding behind" power and authority and alleged that it has made India a "virtual police state" by charging critical voices with sedition. The government's decision to impose a nationwide lockdown following the Covid-19 outbreak inflicted "untold misery" on people with lakhs of people forced to walk to their homes hundreds of kilometres away, Moitra alleged. She also demanded that the three new farm laws that have drawn protests from farmers be repealed. Later, the chair announced that unparliamentary words would be expunged from Moitra's speech. A FATHER-of-one has been accused of acting as a middle man in a 6m worldwide invoice fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Francis Ogbuefi (37), who was allegedly linked to fraudulent transactions through an Irish bank account, was arrested after gardai raided his Dublin home and seized luxury and designer goods bought in a 27,000 spending spree. Judge Alan Mitchell refused to grant him bail and remanded him in custody when he appeared before Dublin District Court today. Mr Ogbuefi of Clonard Road, Crumlin, is charged with two counts of money laundering and one of conspiracy. Objecting to bail, Detective Garda Stephen Kelly said the two money laundering offences were alleged to have happened on dates between December 7 and 31 last. They related to an invoice redirect fraud and involved an Ulster Bank account in Monaghan, he said, with sums of 19,476 and 36,429 allegedly transferred to that account. The conspiracy charge relates to dates between March 5, 2018, and December 31, 2020. The accused was allegedly linked to the offences through information on a phone that was seized in a search of his home. It was alleged that during the search, Mr Ogbuefi attempted to conceal the phone by placing it under dishes in the sink. It was alleged that withdrawals were made from the account and high-end luxury items including designer clothing and electronics were bought in a spending spree. The accused was allegedly seen on CCTV using the bank card and a large amount of goods were found in his home, including a 55-inch TV mounted on the wall facing the accuseds bed, Det Gda Kelly said. It was alleged the accused was involved in a worldwide fraud and money laundering conspiracy operating in a "multitude" of countries throughout Europe, North and Central America, Africa and the Middle and Far East, and totalling 6.17m, the garda said. The accused was allegedly a middle man who received 800,000, which was a 20pc share of the Irish transfers. Det Gda Kelly said Mr Ogbuefi only came to Ireland from Nigeria in 2018 to commit these alleged offences. The garda believed the accused would not attend court if granted bail. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Jenny McGeever said the accused was presumed innocent. He strongly denied ownership or use of the phone in question and at no time was referred to by name in messages on it, she said. When he was asked if it was him on the CCTV, he said no. The accused was on Pandemic Unemployment Payment had only 600 in his bank account and was not a man of means, Ms McGeever said. Judge Mitchell refused bail and remanded Mr Ogbuefi in custody, to appear in Cloverhill District Court on February 12. Advertisement These powerful Alaskan bears have been caught close up and personal by a wildlife photographer as they catch salmon. The group of photographers didn't go unnoticed themselves - one curious bear even came close enough to investigate the photographers and cameras for herself. Photographer Leighton Lum, 32, captured the amazing images as the bears were tempted from their mountain territories in order to bulk up for winter by catching fish. A curious bear investigates Leighton Lum's camera. These powerful Alaskan bears have been caught close up and personal by a wildlife photographer as they catch salmon A bear splashes around fishing for Salmon in Alaska. Leighton Lum, 32, captured the amazing images as the bears were tempted from their mountain territories in order to bulk up for winter by catching fish Leighton and a group of photographers didn't go unnoticed themselves - one curious bear even came close enough to investigate the photographers and cameras for herself Leighton said: 'This particular female is named Crimp, due to the chunk missing out of her ear but she is one of the most tolerant bears in Lake Clark, very use to people and very peaceful. She was the only bear that took interest in the camera and went up to smell it before walking off.' The bears that were caught on camera are coastal brown bears or grizzly bears, second only to the polar bear in size. They generally hunt at this time of year due to the huge influx of salmon, who migrate up into rivers to spawn. It's enough fish to keep the bears nourished until spring when they can emerge from their winter hibernation dens. A grizzly bear and cub stuck into a freshly caught salmon. Leighton Lum, 32, captured the amazing images as the bears were tempted from their mountain territories in order to bulk up for winter by catching fish A bear wanders terrifyingly close to photographer Leighton Lum's lens. Over the course of her trip, Leighton was able to picture 15 different bears, 'each with their own personalities' A bear wanders terrifyingly close to the lense. He added: 'I love close encounters and wide-angle photography because it gives views a different perspective. You get to see different behaviours and curiosity that you just don't get when shoot from afar. Bears are such characters, each one behaves differently and it's fun to watch' A curious bear investigates Lum's camera. The bears that were caught on camera are coastal brown bears or grizzly bears, second only to the polar bear in size An adorable grizzly bear cub poses for Leighton Lum. They generally hunt at this time of year due to the huge influx of salmon, who migrate up into rivers to spawn He added: 'I love close encounters and wide-angle photography because it gives views a different perspective. You get to see different behaviours and curiosity that you just don't get when shoot from afar. Bears are such characters, each one behaves differently and it's fun to watch.' Over the course of her trip, Leighton was able to picture 15 different bears, 'each with their own personalities.' This included a snapshot of one of the behemoths eyeing a cub, as they sniffed towards the unlucky salmon they were tearing into. Highlights Hyundai Motor and Kia have denied they are in talks with Apple. This denial comes after a week's time since the company confirmed it first. Hyundai's statement, however, does not mean the talks cannot reopen. South Korea's Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia have collectively said they have ended talks with Apple for the autonomous electric car project. This comes a week after the horde of speculations emerged. A Reuters report first suggested Hyundai is holding discussions with Apple for Apple Car, only to be denied later by the company itself, probably under the threat from Apple that likes secrecy of plans. Then, a fresh reporting reasserted Apple and Hyundai are back to it. The latest falling out, however, does not mean the companies might not initiate talks again. According to Reuters and Bloomberg, Hyundai Motor and Kia in separate regulatory filings said, "We are not having talks with Apple on developing autonomous vehicles." These remarks about the collaboration between the two companies tell nothing new though. Ever since Hyundai jumped the gun to confirm it might become the manufacturing partner for Apple Car, it has teetered between yes and no. And the entire saga has been utterly confusing, if not indicative of the fact that Apple is definitely looking for a partner that can provide it with manufacturing resources for its ambitious EV. Last week, a Bloomberg report said Hyundai Motor has paused its talks with Apple over the Apple Car. The reason behind Hyundai's walking back was not stated but it is feared the company did something that Apple frowns at severely. It revealed some extremely premature plans about Apple Car that is rumoured to be launched sometime around 2027. Apple is the company that teases nothing about its products. Although rumours and renders do appear occasionally, Apple likely does not have a role in them. For instance, what Hyundai Motor confirmed was never agreed to by Apple. It is very early to figure out what exactly is happening on this front. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in his note that the Apple Car, which will be an even advanced Tesla counterpart, might debut at least five years from today. The analyst also said that Apple plans to use Hyundai's E-GMP platform for the electric vehicle while its affiliate Kia will be responsible for manufacturing the Apple Car in the US. But the Apple Car is not expected before 2025, with Kuo believing the delay might extend to two more years and the launch might take place in 2027. There is also a chance the Apple Car debuts in 2028, which is a 7-year time. This gives a breather to Apple and Hyundai, in case they are indeed working together but not choosing to reveal it yet, to discuss the terms for the production of the Apple Car and come up with a solid announcement, even if it does not happen anytime soon. Private employees working in Telangana State said the main candidates in their village offered them to and fro bus tickets and money for other expenses if they went back home for voting. (Representational Photo: AFP) VIJAYAWADA: The non-party gram panchayat elections have turned out to be a big political war as various parties are putting in a lot of efforts to win the maximum number of seats. The ruling YSR Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam are treating the elections as a major tug of war. Officials said all is set for the first phase of polling on Tuesday, February 9, for which campaign ended by Sunday evening. Election trends would be known on February 9, with the counting of votes immediately after completion of the polling. The gram panchayat elections are scheduled in four phases in AP. The polling would be from 6.30am to 3.30pm and the counting from 4pm the same day. The polling would be held to 13,133 gram panchayats and 130749 wards through 135852 polling stations. In the first phase, polling will be held in 3,258 Gram panchayats and 32,707 wards through 33,069 polling booths. The government and the Election Commission have made elaborate arrangements for free and fair polls. The EC allotted various symbols like scissors, stool, cooker, cot, gown, basket and other household items. The campaigns were massive in the 173 mandals. The candidates started luring voters with personal and group sops to win the elections. Candidates desperate for a win are setting their eyes on fellow villagers working in distant towns and cities. These families had returned to their villages during the Corona crisis and then went back to their workplaces after the Covid-19 spread subsided. These people recently came back to their native villages to celebrate three-day Sankranti and again returned to their places of work. These workers are reportedly showing a reluctance to come back to their native villages again, to cast their votes, saying it would cost them more money. Taking note, several candidates are promising such men attractive cash offers and transport allowance. Private employees working in Telangana State, K Raju and D Trinath, said the main candidates in their village offered them to and fro bus tickets and money for other expenses if they went back home for voting. They said there were also cash offers of Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 per vote in the elections due to tight competitions in the villages. They said that this was for the first time they were seeing gram panchayat elections as such a prestigious fight like an assembly or Parliament poll. Senior political analysts say more of the election trends would be evident on Tuesday. Former minister and senior TD leader Alapati Rajendra Prasad alleged that ruling YSRC leaders are threatening TD-supported candidates to keep off polls to facilitate unanimous elections and also threatening voters that the government would cancel welfare schemes if they do not help the YSRC win the gram panchayat polls. Refuting the allegations of TD, YSRC MLA Ambati Rambabu said their party legislators did not participate in the election campaigns. People are supporting chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his dedication towards implementation of the welfare schemes without bias he said and expressed hope people would support the YSRC. TD failed to recover in Naidus home district Chittoor The Telugu Desam has failed to restrain the YSR Congress from getting sarpanchs elected unanimously in Chittoor district which is the home district of TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. Further, the TD performed poorly in Guntur district which was once a bastion to the party. The YSRC has performed better in most districts as far as unanimous elections go, except in Anantapur, Krishna, Srikakulam, East and West Godavari districts. There are 169 gram panchayats scheduled for elections under the first phase in Anantapur district of which only six were elected unanimously. In Srikakulam, 39 gram panchayats were unanimous out of total 309, in Krishna 21 out of 234, in East Godavari 28 out of 366 and in West Godavari 41 were unanimous out of a total 239. The highest number of unanimous elections were registered in Chittoor district at 112 out of total 454, followed by 67 out of 337 in Guntur district, 50 out of 206 in Kadapa, 52 out of 193 in Kurnool district, 25 unanimous out if 163 in Nellore, 35 out of 227 in Prakasam district and 42 unanimous elections out of total 340 in Visakhapatnam. Senior political analysts opined that this marked the continued weakening of the TD in Chittoor district. The TD won only one Assembly seat, that of Chandrababu Naidu, in Chittoor district in 2019. In Guntur, the TD won two Assembly seats but one of its MLAs, Maddali Giridhar, later left the party. The analysts said the TD had put a lot of effort into regaining public support with its continuous agitations against the YSRC government on various issues but that has failed to attract the people. They said that the YSRC which banking on welfare schemes seems to continue to have the peoples support due to the quick implementation of the schemes after achieving power. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Saturday 06/02/2021 reaffirmed Egypt's full support for achieving the desired goals for advancing the African Union and its institutions, fully implementing the Agenda 2063 and its first 10-year plan and putting the 2021 theme "Arts, Culture and Heritage" into force. Addressing the 34th African Union summit, Sisi greeted Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on assuming the AU chairmanship, wishing him success in addressing the current challenges, including the repercussions of coronavirus pandemic, the implementation of the pan-African Free Trade Agreement, and the activation of recommendations for the institutional, financial and administrative reform of the African Union. Sisi hailed sincere efforts exerted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during his term to promote mechanisms of joint African action and support regional integration efforts. He also thanked Ramaphosa for sponsoring the trilateral talks aimed at reaching a fair, comprehensive and binding agreement on Ethiopia's hydro-power dam on the Nile. Egypt stresses the importance of relying on the AU Constitutive Act as the governing constitution for the member states and African Commission alike, taking into account the member states' full mandate over the reform process, Sisi said. He also affirmed the importance of introducing a new employment structure with an obligation to take into account job quotas under the principles of solidarity and member states' contribution to the AU budget. The continental program for infrastructure development, with its ambitious projects including the North-South Corridor Project (Cairo-Cape Town) and the navigation line project linking Lake Victoria with the Mediterranean Sea through the Nile, represents the most prominent cornerstone in achieving the desired continental integration, and the fundamental pillar for activating the African Free Trade Zone, President Sisi said. The coronavirus pandemic requires boosting solidarity among African peoples and governments to control the spread of the virus and limit its dangerous repercussions, he added. Sisi welcomed an invitation to Egypt to join the African vaccine working group. The developments, which came nearly a week after 1 million doses of the vaccine arrived in South Africa, were a huge setback for the country. South Africa halted use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine Sunday after evidence emerged that the vaccine did not protect clinical trial volunteers from mild or moderate illness caused by the more contagious virus variant that was first seen there. The findings were a devastating blow to the countrys efforts to combat the pandemic. Scientists in South Africa said Sunday that a similar problem held for people who had been infected by earlier versions of the coronavirus : The immunity they acquired naturally did not appear to protect them from mild or moderate cases when they were reinfected by the variant, known as B.1.351. The developments, coming nearly a week after 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine arrived in South Africa, were an enormous setback for the country, where more than 46,000 people are known to have died from the virus. They were also another sign of the dangers posed by new mutations in the coronavirus . The B.1.351 variant has spread to at least 32 countries, including the United States. The number of cases evaluated as part of the studies outlined by South African scientists Sunday were low, making it difficult to pinpoint just how effective or not the vaccine might be against the variant. And because the clinical trial participants who were evaluated were relatively young and unlikely to become severely ill, it was impossible for the scientists to determine if the variant interfered with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines ability to protect against severe COVID-19 , hospitalizations or deaths. The scientists said, however, that they believed the vaccine might protect against more severe cases, based on the immune responses detected in blood samples from people who were given it. If further studies show that to be the case, South African health officials will consider resuming use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, they said. The new research findings have not been published in a scientific journal. But the discovery that the AstraZeneca-Oxford product showed minimal efficacy in preventing mild and moderate cases of the new variant added to the mounting evidence that B.1.351 makes current vaccines less effective. Pfizer and Moderna have both said that preliminary laboratory studies indicate that their vaccines, while still protective, are less effective against B.1.351. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson have also sequenced test samples from their clinical trial participants in South Africa, where B.1.351 caused the vast majority of cases, and both reported lower efficacy there than in the United States. These results are very much a reality check, Shabir Madhi, a virologist at University of the Witwatersrand who ran the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine trial in South Africa, said of the findings released Sunday. The pause in the countrys rollout of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine means that the first shipments will now be put in warehouses. Instead, South African health officials said they would inoculate health workers in the coming weeks with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has shown strong efficacy in preventing severe cases and hospitalizations caused by the new variant. Johnson & Johnson has applied for an emergency use authorization in South Africa. But health officials there indicated that even before it is authorized, some health workers could be given the vaccine as part of an ongoing trial. In the AstraZeneca-Oxford trial in South Africa, roughly 2,000 participants were given either two doses of the vaccine or placebo shots. There was virtually no difference in the numbers of people in the vaccine and placebo groups who were infected with B.1.351, suggesting that the vaccine did little to protect against the new variant. Nineteen of the 748 people in the group that was given the vaccine were infected with the new variant, compared with 20 out of 714 people in the group that was given a placebo. That equates to a vaccine efficacy of 10%, though the scientists did not have enough statistical confidence to know for sure whether that figure would hold among more people. Researchers also conducted laboratory experiments on blood samples from people who had been vaccinated and found a significant reduction in the activity levels of vaccine-generated antibodies against the B.1.351 variant compared with other lineages. Beyond the troubling news about the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, Madhi reported evidence suggesting that past infection by earlier versions of the coronavirus did not protect people in South Africa from the B.1.351 variant. In order to determine who had previously been infected by the coronavirus , researchers tested blood samples from people who had enrolled in a trial of the Novavax vaccine, but who were given placebo shots and not the vaccine itself. The researchers compared the levels of infection by the new variant in people who showed evidence of having previously had COVID-19 with the levels of infection in people who did not, and found no difference. That suggested, Madhi wrote on a slide presented Sunday night, that past infection by original variants of SARS-CoV-2 do NOT protect against mild and moderate COVID-19 from the B.1.351 variant. He said it was possible that the potential of the B.1.351 variant to evade immune responses in people who had previously been infected accounted at least in part for why South Africa has suffered such a devastating second wave of the virus in recent months. Researchers from the University of Oxford acknowledged Sunday that the vaccine provided minimal protection against mild or moderate cases involving the B.1.351 variant. They are working to produce a new version of the vaccine that can protect against the most dangerous mutations of the B.1.351 variant, and have said they hope it will be ready by the fall. This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected, Andrew Pollard, the chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a statement. But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa using a similar viral vector, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on health care systems by preventing severe disease. Moderna has also begun developing a new form of its vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against the variant in South Africa. B.1.351 has become the dominant form of the virus in South Africa and has been found in several dozen countries. A small number of cases have been reported in South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. Scientists believe that B.1.351 may be more adept at dodging protective vaccine-generated antibodies because it has acquired a mutation, known as E484K, that makes it harder for antibodies to grab onto the virus and prevent it from entering cells. Novavax said its vaccine was just under 50% effective in preventing COVID-19 in its South Africa trial. Johnson & Johnson reported that its single-shot vaccine was 57% effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 in South Africa, though it still offered complete protection against hospitalization and death after four weeks. Another fast-spreading variant of the virus, known as B.1.1.7 and first identified in Britain, does not appear to interfere with vaccines. All five of the leading vaccines, and most recently AstraZenecas product, have been found offer similar levels of protection against B.1.1.7 compared to earlier lineages of the virus. AstraZenecas vaccine has been authorized by around 50 countries, including Britain, which has found dozens of cases of the variant first seen in South Africa. While many countries scarcely sequence the virus, making it difficult to know whether the B.1.351 variant has taken hold there, it does not appear to be dominant yet in any of the countries outside South Africa that are looking for it. In the United States, regulators are waiting on data from a large, late-stage clinical trial of the AstraZeneca-Oxford that is expected to report results in March. Benjamin Mueller, Rebecca Robbins and Lynsey Chutel. c.2021 The New York Times Company Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, ordered the suspension of the re-trial of a former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, for N7.1bn fraud charges. The judge, Inyang Ekwo, made the order in a ruling granting permission to Mr Kalu to file a motion to challenge the re-trial. The court ruled that the leave granted the defendant would operate as a stay of proceedings, even when section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, prohibits all Nigerian courts from entertaining an application for stay of proceedings in criminal matters. Besides, the order halting the retrial negates the May 8, 2020 judgment of the Supreme Court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on February 2, 2021, informed the judge that the proper forum for the trial of the case was the Lagos Division of the court, not Abuja. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the EFCCs counsel, Chile Okoroma, informed the judge that the commission was awaiting the Chief Judges decision on its request for the transfer of the case to the Lagos Division. Mr Ekwo had then adjourned the case till June 7 for feedback. Kalu returns to court The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kalu, through his lawyer, Awal Kalu, a professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, returned to court on Monday with an ex parte application, seeking permission to seek a judicial review of the proprietary of his retrial. Being an ex parte hearing, the EFCC did not participate in Mondays proceedings. Ruling Ruling on the ex-governors application on Monday, Mr Ekwo held that the applicant had placed sufficient materials of value to be granted permission for judicial review of his retrial. The judge also granted Mr Kalu permission to apply for an order of perpetual injunction against the Federal Government through the EFCC to prohibit his retrial. The court gave Mr Kalu seven days to file and serve the EFCC all the processes he intends to use to challenge the legality of the retrial. The matter was adjourned till February 23 for mention. Grounds for opposing retrial The EFCC had previously prosecuted and secured the conviction of Mr Kalu and his co-defendants on 39 counts of fraud involving about N7.1billion at the Federal High Court in Lagos. Mr Kalu, a serving senator representing Abia North and Senates Chief Whip, was convicted alongside Ude Udeogu, a former director of finance and accounts with the Abia State Government, and Mr Kalus company, Slok Nigeria Limited. The trial judge, Mohammed Idris, who is now a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sentenced Mr Kalu to 12 years imprisonment and Mr Udeogu to 10 years jail term. But the Supreme Court, on May 8, 2020, in a unanimous judgment of its seven-member panel, nullified the judgment and ordered a retrial. The apex court ruled and held that the trial was a nullity on the grounds that Mr Idris, the trial judge, had been elevated to the Court of Appeal and no longer a judge of the Federal High Court as of the time he concluded the trial and handed down his verdict. ADVERTISEMENT The leave granted Mr Kalu by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday permits him to commence a legal action aimed at prohibiting the EFCC from retrying him on the same alleged N7.1 billion money laundering charges. He contended in his application for the permission that having been tried once by EFCC, convicted and sentenced in the same charge, FHC/ABJ/CR/56/ 2007, it would amount to double jeopardy for him to be subjected to a fresh trial on the same charge. (NAN) The acts of lawlessness by the miscreants in the funeral procession of late Brahmeshwar Mukhiyajee in Patna, last June, raised some issues which any detailed theory of police inaction needed to address: how does the concept of police function in our polity? What is the relation between the government and its police force? In a situation of conflict of interest between the people and the government where should the police position itself? But Mr Abhayanand, DGP Bihar, who is one of the finest officers we have - articulate, innovative and clear headed - has come up with something which obliterates the difference between innovativeness and heresy and, therefore, it must be refuted. His theory is rooted in the curtailment of the role of police merely to its detective functions of collecting evidence in the form of videographing the vandals and arsonists and prosecutes them later. (What if they are masked?) Do not people have a stake in public property? Would the citizens be put to notice that they should mind their own lives and property? Will police now abjure their preventive responsibility in law to interpose, in order to prevent the commission of a cognizable offence? If there are groups within the state whose antics must be forced to suffer for fear of greater trouble - unacceptable political cost would be closer to truth - this is no cause for celebration either because theoretically the state is the sole repository of coercive violence within the territory. The power of deterrence belongs to the state; it is not for the state to feel deterred. Worse still, it is an open invitation for militarization of various groups in our fractious society. The non interventionist role of police may appear as a welcome innovation for people removed from the unique density of its context or ignorant of the massive scale of disturbances; it may perhaps enthuse human right groups or the intellectual outriders of the society for a while, but as a manifesto for future action, it will just not do. Law and order is a tricky business and the best of us are sometimes tested and found wanting largely because of the ambivalence of the mandate of police. Law is codified, made formal in various acts-the IPC, CrPC, evidence, etc. But what is order? Is there a permanent, ordained, immutable order? A preferred order? An ideal state of order? The construction of the meaning of order is exclusively the area of police expertise. The law obligates a police officer of appropriate rank present on the scene of trouble to do everything within his legal means to prevent trouble and disperse the mob. It is a responsibility, not a privilege and powers to discharge this responsibility inhere in him; he does not enjoy it during the pleasure of somebody. Now the DGP says it was on his orders that the police force did not react. That says it all. Law must take a bow before the dictates of order. Ruling orders throughout the country approximate in their invocation of law and order as a pretext for using police for partisan, political ends. Allegedly, the police abdicated their responsibility in law in protecting the Sikhs against pogrom sanctioned by the ruling order in Delhi, in Godhra in Gujarat the Muslims were at the receiving end of police inaction, in the Marxist West Bengal there were credible allegations of police harassing or denying protection to those opposed to the ruling order, etc. Law and order is Janus faced - the police can kill on law and order duty to suit the interest of the ascendant order just as in some other situation their passivity to people being killed, maimed or looted, serves the cause of the order. Their primary responsibility of maintaining law and order at any cost, if need be by bending, violating or abdicating their responsibility in law altogether, comes with an unstated guarantee of ex post facto sanction of their conduct. Whenever the powers given to them under law threaten to engulf the ruling order any excess or abdication of their responsibility is underwritten. Forbesganj and the handling of situation born out of Mukhiyajees murder are the two sides of the same coin. I would have used this occasion to make the honest confession that policing is about keeping the governments and other powerful groups happy; people are incidental to policing. India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. New details have emerged after a baby was allegedly seen wrapped in a plastic bag in shallow water on Sunday afternoon. Police were called to Yarra Bay in La Perouse in Sydney's south-east about 5pm after several witnesses reportedly noticed the floating object. Despite extensive search efforts, the plastic bag - or a baby - were not located. The men who first alerted police about the possible baby noticed the object while exploring nearby rock pools. Police rescue (pictured above) were spotted at the scene on Sunday following reports a baby in a plastic bag at Yarra Bay in Sydney's south-east Three men exploring nearby rock pools alerted police to the possible sighting at La Perouse on Sunday afternoon Divers (pictured above) were quickly on the scene, but as of Monday, the search has been scaled back 'Unfortunately to this point, there has been nothing located to enable us to further our investigations,' Eastern Beaches Detective Superintendent Rohan Cramsie told reporters at the scene on Monday after the search was scaled back. 'These (three) gentlemen last night have acted in good faith, and we certainly compliment them for doing that. 'The information they have provided seems very credible and that is why we are taking this so seriously.' Police are seeking further witnesses and encouraged anyone with information to come forward. 'The smallest piece of information may assist us in conducting further investigations,' Superintendent Cramsie said. 'Our priority is to ensure the safety of anyone who may have been involved in this. If theres a mother out there who knows something about this, we want to make sure she is OK. 'Theres nothing shameful about this, we want to make sure shes safe and we can assist her in anything to make sure her health is our absolute priority.' Police Marine Area Command, Polair, NSW Ambulance and several rescue helicopters initially scoured the area on Sunday, before the search was suspended at 7.45pm due to poor visibility and no further sightings. 'A co-ordinated land search was undertaken until light failed for the day,' Eastern Beaches Chief Inspector Tracy Ford said. The search effort commenced again on Monday morning at 7am, but nothing was formally recovered. Police were called to Yarra Bay in La Perouse about 5pm on Sunday after several witnesses noticed the object She has faced backlash for traveling to Barbados to avoid the UK's third lockdown. And Montana Brown showcased her incredible figure in a cream swimsuit on Sunday as she admitted it's 'not my intention to be insensitive'. The former Love Island star, 25, thanked her Instagram followers for sending her 'lovely messages' and supporting her decision to travel in the midst of a global pandemic. Wow: Montana Brown stunned in a cream swimsuit on Sunday as she admitted it's 'not my intention to be insensitive' as she thanked others for supporting her decision to travel during the pandemic Montana was seen leaning against a wall post as she sported a daisy embroidered one-piece from her swimwear brand, Swim Society. Her chocolate tresses tumbled down in an effortless wave and she rocked natural make-up. She wrote alongside her stunning snaps: 'Just wanted to say a thanks to everyones lovely messages. Its hard to know where the line is with posting content and I really dont want to be upsetting anyone. 'I get the odd message with people being quite angry. I travelled well before lockdown, Ive stayed out here because I can work from abroad and I started my business last year in lockdown and Id like to give it a fighting chance to be honest. Support: The former Love Island star, 25, thanked her Instagram followers for sending her 'lovely messages' after she faced backlash for traveling to Barbados in December Chic display: Montana was seen leaning against a wall post as she sported a daisy embroidered one-piece from her swimwear brand, Swim Society, and penned a lengthy caption 'Sending love to you all, I am going to continue posting and again, its not my intention to be insensitive to anybody as I know this is an awful time for a lot of people. Sending love.' (sic) Montana recently slammed 'insensitive and irresponsible' influencers who have jetted abroad for 'work trips' during the Covid pandemic, despite facing criticism herself. She told The Sun: 'I do think it is insensitive and irresponsible to put on social media that you're partying or with a large group of people, as it's rightly seen as wrong by people who are losing family members and losing their businesses. 'A lot of people's worlds are crashing down around them. We have a social responsibility to stick to the guidelines in some capacity and just be aware that other people are going through hell.' The reality star, who has been in Barbados since December, also insisted her trip was completely different from the ones she fiercely judged. She said: 'I travelled before there was a national lockdown to see my family, so it was legal for me to travel. I spent Christmas out here. 'I've been here ever since and haven't moved. I actually haven't dealt with that much hate online because of that.' Hoards of celebs including Love Islanders Molly-Mae Hague and Maura Higgins and TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou were widely criticised for taking 'work trips' to Dubai in recent weeks. But with the UAE now added to the UK's 'red list' and direct flights banned, it seems Mexico has become the new hotspot for reality stars. TOWIE's Frankie Essex, Too Hot to Handle's Francesca Farago and her girlfriend Demi Sims, model Lottie Moss and pop star Dua Lipa have all been pictured in the country. Source: Reuters South Africa halted Monday's planned rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccinations after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild infection from one variant, stoking fears of a much longer cat-and-mouse battle with the pathogen. The coronavirus has killed 2.3 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions but new variants have raised fears that vaccines will need to be tweaked and people may have to have booster shots. Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Oxford said in a prior-to-peer analysis that the AstraZeneca vaccine provided minimal protection against mild or moderate infection from the South African variant among young people. "This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected," said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial. "But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa using a similar viral vector, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on health care systems by preventing severe disease." 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 Britain and Australia urged calm, citing evidence that the vaccines prevented grave illness and death, while AstraZeneca said it believed its vaccine could protect against severe disease. But if vaccines do not work as effectively as hoped against new and emerging variants, then the world could be facing a much longer - and more expensive - battle against the virus than previously thought. The AstraZeneca vaccine was the big hope for Africa as it is cheap and easier to store and transport than the Pfizer shot, making South Africa's move a major blow, with sweeping implications for other regions. The so called South African variant, known by scientists as 20I/501Y.V2 or B.1.351, is the dominant one in South Africa and is circulating in 41 countries around the world including the United States. Other major variants include the so-called UK variant, or 20I/501Y.V1, and the Brazilian variant known as P.1. VACCINE SHOCK An analysis of infections by the South African variant showed there was only a 22 percent lower risk of developing mild-to-moderate COVID-19 if vaccinated with the AstraZeneca shot versus those given a placebo. Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed in the study of around 2,000 volunteers who had a median age of 31 as the target population were at such low risk, the researchers said. While thousands of individual changes have arisen as the virus mutates on replication and evolves into new variants, only a tiny minority are likely to be important or change the virus in an appreciable way, according to the British Medical Journal. Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic While the lead investigator on the trial said that recent data indicated that protection against severe disease was likely from the vaccine, the study raised the prospect of repeated vaccination against a changing virus. Professor Shabir Madhi, lead investigator on the AstraZeneca trial in South Africa, said the vaccine's similarity to another produced by Johnson & Johnson, which reduced severe disease by 89 percent, suggested it would still prevent serious illness or death. "There's still some hope that the AstraZeneca vaccine might well perform as well as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in a different age group demographic that I address of severe disease," he told BBC radio. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said efforts were under way to develop a new generation of booster shot vaccines that will allow protection against emerging variants. "This is the same issue that is faced by all of the vaccine developers, and we will continue to monitor the emergence of new variants that arise in readiness for a future strain change," she said. STOPS DEATH British junior health minister Edward Argar said the AstraZeneca vaccine prevents death and serious illness and is effective against the main variants of the virus in the United Kingdom, though people may have to have a booster shot as it mutates. He echoed Australia which is expected approve the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine within days. "There is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease and death. That is the fundamental task, to protect the health," Health Minister Greg Hunt said. Argar said just 147 people had been known to have been infected with the South African variant in Britain, though he allowed that booster shots - such as against the common flu - might be needed in future. "It would just be normal, in a sense, as we did with the flu vaccine, to update it to catch anything the virus is trying to do to keep ahead of it." French Health Minister Olivier Veran said he continued to support the AstraZeneca vaccine, arguing it provided sufficient protection against "nearly all the variants". Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here A South Jersey school district is using computer software to help find students who could be searching the internet for content related to self-harm or harming others. The Deptford school district is rolling out the pilot program on a software suite it uses on more than 2,800 laptops it has distributed to students in the 4,000 student pre-K to 12 district since the coronavirus pandemic ushered in internet-based, remote academic instruction. Administrators said the purpose is to identify and help students at risk of suicide, self-harm or school violence. We wanted to identify students at risk and get them assistance if needed, Sal Randazzo, the districts coordinator of communication said. We didnt want to have a student in despair and in need for help. Parents and teachers are concerned about the emotional and social wellbeing of students. The software, part of the Lightspeed Alert system, analyzes search terms and phrases and is able to discern between legitimate academic content searches, such as suicide references to Romeo and Juliet, from more harmful searches about self harm. The Lightspeed internet filtering system is used by 74 other public districts in the state and over 23,000 schools nationwide, the company said. Were in the business of protecting students, Carson McMillian, chief technology officer of Lightspeed told NJ Advance Media. We were poised to work in a distance-learning environment. The same way our classroom management programs help teachers see whats on the screens of students. New Jersey School Boards Association studied the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on school-age children in a report released last month. Before the pandemic, the nations children were already in the midst of a mental health emergency, the NJSBA said. The survey found that 60% of those surveyed board members, superintendents and administrators felt that students were either more anxious and depressed or that their district has seen evidence of more serious crises, such as incidents of self-harm, threats of self-harm, or hospitalizations. Many New Jersey youth were already in serious crisis, leaving them ill-equipped to experience the additional trauma of living during a time when a life-threatening virus was spreading through the population, the New Jersey State School Boards Association said in a report released this month. Alert teachers and dedicated staff have effectively intervened to prevent an onslaught of self-harm incidents or suicides from occurring. A survey by the NJ Schools Boards Association Deptford already used the Lightspeed system to block access to undesirable websites on laptops distributed for students to take home when pandemic shutdowns ended in-school instruction last spring. Students are now in every-other-day, in-person instruction from Tuesday to Friday or all remote classes. Allison Lear, the districts chief technology officer, discovered the artificial intelligence element of the Lightspeed software and activated it on 2,000 computers already in the hands of students and 1,800 the district recently acquired. Deptford sent out a message to parents last week announcing the new software alerts. The filter delivers alerts if a student searches for, views, interacts with, or creates content that could be related to self-harm or harming others. Randanzzo said the alerts would go out to top district officials, as well as teachers and parents. He said there have already been several false positives on alerts and they expect to fine tune the app throughout the remainder of the semester. The district said the software does not interact with the devices camera or microphone. It only has access to keyboard input and what appears on the screen. The software is only installed on school district machines and is not used for students personal devices. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. The United States Embassy in Ghana has announced the postponement of some scheduled visa appointments. This follows the upsurge in the countrys COVID-19 cases. In a public notice on Twitter, Monday, 8 February, 2021, the US embassy said; The ongoing pandemic and current conditions in Ghana have compelled the postponement of some scheduled visa appointments. The embassy acknowledged it regrets the difficulties that the change in appointment date brings and we understand the hardship these actions have for those hoping to travel soon to the United States. In the meantime, we will continue to operate with the greatest consideration for the health of our staff and applicants, and we ask for your patience and understanding, the notice added. More COVID-19-related deaths at the weekend have taken Ghanas COVID-19 fatality toll to 464, the latest figures of the Ghana Health Service indicate. There are 765 new cases. The active caseload is now 6,411. So far, a total of 71,533 cases have been confirmed in Ghana since March last year. Out of that number, 64,658 have recovered. Important Update on Visa Operations. For further visa related inquiries, kindly visit the visa section of our website: https://t.co/c77eBGotLE pic.twitter.com/pm3MZWgleq U.S. Embassy Ghana (@USEmbassyGhana) February 8, 2021 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In six years, the National Democratic Alliance government has increased basic customs duty (BCD) on nearly one-third of all tariff lines to support domestic manufacturing , Union budget documents for FY22 showed. A tariff line is a specific duty rate assigned to one or more items within a product group. The increase in BCD covers 4,000 tariff lines, the budget papers said, conceding that India has measures to protect the interests of local manufacturers from the global market. Indias customs duty structure has been guided by the conscious policy to incentivize domestic value addition", which entails imposition of lower duty on raw materials and providing reasonable tariff support" to goods made in India, the document said. In recent years, BCD has been raised on such items being manufactured in India or which domestic industry aspires to manufacture", it said. A fallout of increasing customs duty is the surge in imports from Indias free trade partner countries, which prompted the government to take several measures last year to ensure that third-party goods do not make their way into the Indian market to take advantage of New Delhis free trade agreements. As such, the rules of origin, based on which exporters from free-trade partner countries claim tax benefits, have been tightened. In the Union budget, the government removed customs duty exemptions on 80 items, saying they were outdated and promised to review 400 other duty exemptions. It also raised duty on a host of items from farm produce to leather, gems and jewellery, auto parts, certain capital goods. While policymakers said the tariff action is temporary, experts are concerned that a less dynamic global trade would hurt recovery prospects. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Bitcoin surged to an all-time high after Tesla Inc. said it's invested $1.5 billion, becoming the biggest company yet to back the controversial cryptocurrency. Bitcoin jumped as much as 15% after Tesla made the disclosure in a regulatory filing, with prices exceeding $44,000 for the first time. Tesla also said it would begin accepting the digital token as a form of payment for its electric cars. SPACEX ISSUES: Internet goes wild after SpaceX's second fiery landing crash in South Texas That Tesla, one of the world's most influential companies, and billionaire Elon Musk have thrown their weight behind Bitcoin is a massive sign of support for the cryptocurrency, which policymakers have criticized for facilitating money laundering and fraud. "The world's richest man allocating $1.5 billion of his company's treasury to Bitcoin speaks volumes about the magnitude at which crypto gains institutional adoption," said Antoni Trenchev, managing partner and co-founder of Nexo in London. "Tesla has now paved the way." Trenchev said he expects that at least 10% of S&P 500 companies will be invested in Bitcoin by the end of 2022. Other companies have made similar investments in Bitcoin. MicroStrategy Inc. has spent some $1.1 billion on the token. In October, Square Inc., headed by longtime crypto advocate Jack Dorsey, announced that it converted about $50 million of its total assets as of the second quarter of 2020 into the token. Proselytizers like Bill Miller of Miller Value Partners have said this was just the start of what was sure to be a trend across Main Street. CIVILIANS IN SPACE: SpaceX offering civilians chance to head to space Bitcoin's journey to a record has been marked with big swings that continue to stoke uncertainty about its outlook. Some see speculators at work and an inevitable bubble bursting. Others cite high-profile backers and interest from long-term investors as evidence of a more durable rally. Predictions for Bitcoin's possible long-term price range from $400,000 and more to zero. The token is designed to have a fixed supply of 21 million coins, underpinned by a digital ledger distributed across computer networks. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan got nostalgic on the set of Mayday as the shoot took place in the same location as his 1975 film Deewar. The actor made a collage with three pictures of which two are from his current shoot location. Big B revealed in his post that shooting for his upcoming film MayDay has taken him to the same spot where he shot iconic scenes of the Bollywood classic Deewar 42 year ago. He captioned his post saying, "Looking back on time .. see that arch in the stone building at the back .. in a shadow loop .. Police Officer Shashi Kapoor shoots his brother Vijay in DEEWAR at that spot in film .. today shooting same place for MAYDAY... 42 years later... Deewar made in 1979 to today 2021...Been a while." MayDay reunites Big B and Ajay Devgn, who have worked together in Major Sahab, Khakee, Satyagraha, and Hindustan Ki Kasam. The film sees the two stars collaborate after over seven years since Satyagraha released in August 2013. The film is directed and produced by Ajay. It is said that Ajay will be seen as a pilot in the film. Rakul Preet Singh will be seen as a co-pilot in the film, billed as an edge-of-the-seat drama. Details about Big B's character are under wraps. One of Washingtons leading conservative constitutional lawyers publicly broke Sunday with the main Republican argument against convicting former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, asserting that an ex-president can indeed be tried for high crimes and misdemeanors. In an opinion piece posted on The Wall Street Journals website, the lawyer, Charles J. Cooper, who is closely allied with top Republicans in Congress, dismissed as illogical the claim that it is unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial for a former president. The piece came two days before the Senate was set to start the proceeding, in which Trump is charged with incitement of insurrection in connection with the deadly assault on the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6. Since the rampage, Republicans have made little effort to excuse Trumps conduct, but have coalesced behind the legal argument about constitutionality as their rationale for why he should not be tried, much less convicted. Their theory is that because the Constitutions penalty for an impeachment conviction is removal from office, it was never intended to apply to a former president, who is no longer in office. Many legal scholars disagree, and the Senate has previously held an impeachment trial of a former official though never a former president. But 45 Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader who is said to believe that Trump committed impeachable offenses, voted last month to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional on those grounds. Cooper said they were misreading the Constitution. The provision cuts against their interpretation, he wrote. He argued that because the Constitution allows the Senate to bar officials convicted of impeachable offenses from holding public office again in the future, it defies logic to suggest that the Senate is prohibited from trying and convicting former officeholders. Coopers decision to take on the argument was particularly significant because of his standing in conservative legal circles. He was a close confidant and adviser to Senate Republicans, like Ted Cruz of Texas when he ran for president, and represented House Republicans including the minority leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California in a lawsuit against Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is also the lawyer for conservative stalwarts like John R. Bolton and Jeff Sessions, and over his career defended Californias same-sex marriage ban and had been a top outside lawyer for the National Rifle Association. But Cooper, who is said to be dismayed by the unwillingness of House and Senate Republicans to hold Trump accountable, took on the main claim made by his own confidants and clients, offering a series of scholarly and technical arguments for why the Constitution allows for a former president to stand trial. It was unclear whether Coopers opinion would have any influence on the outcome of the trial. It could provide cover to Republican senators open to convicting Trump who were caught off guard by last months vote, forced by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, to effectively dismiss the case as unconstitutional. Some Republicans have since said they did not necessarily mean to signal that they were opposed to hearing the case, or had made up their minds about Trumps guilt. Seventeen Republicans would have to join with all 50 Democrats to reach the two-thirds threshold necessary to convict Trump something that appears to be exceedingly unlikely. But Cooper seemed to be working to change minds. He wrote in his opinion piece that in the short time since the vote, legal experts understanding of the issue had evolved and exposed the serious weakness of Mr. Pauls analysis. The senators who supported Mr. Pauls motion, he wrote, should reconsider their view and judge the former presidents misconduct on the merits. The question of constitutionality could come to a head quickly when the trial opens on Tuesday. Though Senate leaders were still debating the precise structure of the trial, prosecutors and Trumps defense team were preparing for the possibility that Paul or another senator could force a second vote on the question on the opening day, before either side gets into their full presentations. Cooper has a deep and long history in the conservative legal movement. He grew up in Alabama, and despite not attending an Ivy League law school, landed a clerkship for Justice William H. Rehnquist in 1978 before he became the chief justice, and at a time when Rehnquist was considered the most conservative member of the court. Cooper went on to become the head of the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel during the Reagan administration, writing several highly conservative and controversial interpretations of the law, including one about whether employers could decline to hire someone who may have AIDS. As a private lawyer, he has defended issues like school prayer and was an active member in the Federalist Society. In 2010, when the Republican National Lawyers Association named him the Republican lawyer of the year, there were three speakers for Cooper: Bolton; the head of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre; and Ed Meese, an attorney general under Ronald Reagan who was considered among the most conservative in the departments history. In the early days of the Trump administration, Cooper who is longtime friends with Sessions was considered to be the solicitor general. But Cooper remained in private practice, becoming the lawyer for Sessions as he was enmeshed in controversy related to the Russia investigation. In the second half of the Trump presidency, Cooper represented Bolton and his deputy, Charles Kupperman, in the first impeachment trial of Trump. Cooper has continued to represent Bolton as the Justice Department has sued him to recoup money he made from a damning book he published about Trump. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Rebekah Vardy headed to rehearsals for Dancing On Ice on Monday after impressing judges with an energetic cancan routine with her professional partner Andy Buchanan. The WAG, 38, braved the cold in a neon padded coat at the Nottingham National Ice Centre to refine her footwork after scoring 30 points out of 40 with the Canadian ice skater on Sunday. Becky has been keeping busy with training amid claims she continues to demand rival Coleen Rooney, 34, apologise for accusing her of leaking stories to the press. On a high: Rebekah Vardy headed to rehearsals for Dancing On Ice on Monday after impressing judges with an energetic cancan routine with her pro partner Andy Buchanan The former I'm A Celebrity star stood out in her vibrant outerwear, which was teamed with navy running tights and a turtleneck black jumper, which was decorated with star printing. The media personality styled her look with diamond stud earrings and her dazzling wedding band. With her tresses styled into braided ponytails, the reality star opted for minimal make-up. Chilly climes: The WAG, 38, braved the cold in a neon padded coat at the Nottingham National Ice Centre to refine her footwork Going for it! The mother-of-five scored 30 points out of 40 with the Canadian ice skater on Sunday Pre-occupied: Becky has been keeping busy with training amid claims she continues to demand rival Coleen Rooney, 34, apologise for accusing her of leaking stories to the press Standing out: The former I'm A Celebrity star stood out in her vibrant outerwear as she chatted to the dance expert Winter chic: The TV star teamed her jacket with navy running tights and a turtleneck black jumper, which was decorated with star printing Dancing On Ice erupted into chaos after Billie Faiers became the latest celebrity to withdraw from the series as she suffered a concussion following a fall on Saturday. On Wednesday, comedian Rufus Hound confirmed he'd been dropped from the show after testing positive for Covid for the second time. The funnyman was replaced by Matt Richardson, who was voted off on his debut on Sunday. All in the details: The media personality styled her look with diamond stud earrings and her dazzling wedding band Laid-back: With her tresses styled into braided ponytails, the reality star opted for minimal make-up In good company: The pair appeared in great spirits as they caught up in the heavy snowfall Tasty! Rebekah held a box of treats up to her pal's nose Last month, presenter Denise Van Outen was also forced to withdraw from the show after fracturing her shoulder. Meanwhile, Coleen's attempts for a peace deal with Rebekah are said to have been denied. The wife of retired sportsman Wayne Rooney tried to reach out to the brunette after another round of failed talks to avoid a costly legal battle. Is it worth it? The Norwich native appeared to be tempted by the food as she sniffed the box In other news: Meanwhile, Coleen's attempts for a peace deal with Rebekah are said to have been denied Keeping warm: Later on, the socialite carried her essentials in a suitcase as she added a pair of leg warmers to her appearance See you soon! The dynamic duo shared a hug as they parted ways after their session However it's thought that the mother-of-four saw the mediation as a 'waste of time' as TV star Becky continues to demand she apologise for accusing her of leaking stories to the press. A source told The Sun: 'Nothing's changed. There's been no progress, no chink of light at the end of the tunnel and no prospect of avoiding court. As far as Coleen's concerned mediation was a waste of time. 'Coleen won't apologise. She's convinced she's right about Becky leaking stories to the press and thinks she's made a reasonable offer. She refuses to do another mediation meeting and is now preparing for court.' Drama: The wife of retired sportsman Wayne Rooney tried to reach out to the brunette after another round of failed talks to avoid a costly legal battle (pictured in 2018) It's thought that lawyers for both stars will report to the court with an update on the mediation talks later in the day. On Friday, it was reported that the pair reached a temporary truce, after peace talks between them broke down earlier in the day. Peace talks between the WAGs broke down during a face-to-face meeting with their legal teams, leaving both women frustrated at the impasse. Deadline: It's thought that lawyers for both stars will report to the court with an update on the mediation talks on Monday (pictured in 2016) Now Coleen is being pressed by her inner circle to say sorry and say she regrets accusing Rebekah of leaking stories about her to the press. She has already offered Rebekah a make or break offer to 'agree to disagree' over the pair's row. Rebekah has told Coleen and her legal team that she did not leak stories and her rival has no proof. Talks breaking down: The mum-of-four has offered Rebekah a make or break offer over the pair's row, however, sources said that the former barmaid is demanding an apology But Coleen is finding saying sorry to Rebekah a difficult move and the pair have been told they must inform a judge after the weekend whether mediation has worked. A source told MailOnline: 'Rebekah is digging her heels in and wants Coleen to say sorry. 'But Coleen has refused and she has been told by her best friends that if she does say sorry, it could lead to a resolution and bring the dispute to an end. 'A judge has to be told after the weekend whether the peace talks they had in mediation meetings has worked. Where it all began: The Norwich native was accused by her former friend of leaking false stories about her personal life to the media in 2019 'If they haven't and Coleen has been told she holds the key then the two women's lawyers will have a case management conference on March 26 which will be a big step towards it all going to the High Court.' On Thursday, Rebekah and Coleen met in an intense face-to-face mediation on Zoom as they attempted to settle their high-profile dispute, but failed to come to a resolution. Proceedings began with both sides reading out a statement and then breaking off into separate virtual rooms as the mediator spoke to them and their legal representatives independently. However the meeting ended with both sides failing to come to a resolution. Drama: Passions remain high between the two Wags, with Rebekah adamant that Coleen should delete her accusatory post (pictured with Jamie in 2017) If they remain in deadlock, then the matter will be settled at a full trial expected to take place later this year. Rebekah launched a 1m High Court libel action after Coleen accused her in an October 2019 Instagram post of being the source of leaks to the media. Going into the crunch talks, it was revealed that Coleen has handed Rebekah an 'olive branch' and made her an offer to 'agree to disagree' as they head into mediation. The row between the high-profile WAGS erupted after Coleen revealed that she had set a trap to see who was responsible for them, which earned her the nickname 'Wagatha Christie' as the row between the two Wags simmered, culminating in legal action. In November, the High Court ruled Coleen's post 'clearly identified' Rebekah as being 'guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust' - but minutes later she hit back with a statement via her representative, saying she was 'keen' to hear what her rival has to say in court. Ongoing: Coleen (pictured with Wayne in 2016) said she discovered the alleged betrayal by carrying out a months-long 'sting operation' The ruling related to the wording in the final sentence of the post, with the former reality star claiming she simply referred to Rebekah's Instagram account. But the judge said an ordinary reader would not take the word 'account' to 'indicate that she remains in doubt about who the wrongdoer was'. He also disagreed with her claim that using multiple ellipses in the final line diluted the meaning. This means the court has no doubt as to who the accusation was made against Rebekah - which will be a consideration if the libel case goes to trial this year. In his ruling, Mr Justice Warby said Coleen's message was 'a considered post, using wording composed with some care', adding: 'It would be clear to the ordinary reader from the outset that it was meant seriously and intended to convey a message of some importance.' He wrote: 'Indeed, the element of suspense introduced by the multiple dots seems to me designed to raise expectations of a dramatic revelation. 'It tends to emphasise the importance of the name that is then provided. It would be a poor denouement if all that was being said was that the named individual was to be suspected of the wrongdoing but it might be someone else. 'The reader is told straight away that the message is about bad behaviour by 'someone who I trusted'. The post then takes the form of a 'whodunnit'.' He added: 'I certainly do not think that the ordinary reader would take that single word (account), albeit repeated, to indicate that Mrs Rooney remains in doubt about who the wrongdoer 'There is nothing in these words, apart from the word 'account', that in any way suggests that the behaviour of which Mrs Rooney is complaining might have been carried out by anyone other than the account holder, Mrs Vardy.' Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. In a short statement, My Step said the participants of the meeting saw no popular demand for the conduct of such elections proposed by Pashinian on December 25. They also noted the proposals rejection by the two opposition parties represented in the Armenian parliament, said the statement. Pashinian offered to hold snap elections following opposition protests sparked by the war in Nagorno-Karabakh stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. Virtually all Armenian opposition groups blame Pashinian for the Armenian sides defeat in the war and want him to hand over power to an interim government that would snap elections within a year. The leaders of the two parliamentary opposition parties, Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and Bright Armenia (LHK), insisted on the prime ministers resignation when they met with him later in December. The BHK is a key member of the Homeland Salvation Movement, an alliance of 17 opposition parties that staged the anti-government demonstrations in November and December. Representatives of the alliance said on February 3 that it will resume soon the protests aimed at forcing Pashinian to step down. Reacting to My Steps statement, the Homeland Salvation Movement coordinator, Ishkhan Saghatelian, announced on Monday that the first rally will be held in Yerevans Liberty Square on February 20. Those citizens who thought about getting rid of the government of evil through elections will now take to the streets, he wrote on Facebook. Saghatelian said Pashinian abandoned the idea of holding fresh elections because he realized that he stands no chance of winning them. Some opposition forces, including the BHK, seemed ready to participate in the possible elections even if they were held by Pashinian. Former Robert Kocharian also spoke out against an election boycott favored by other opposition groups. Kocharian expressed confidence on January 27 that he and his political allies will win the elections. In an interview with the Sputnik news agency published on Saturday, he likewise suggested that he would be Pashinians main election challenger. The defence ministry on Monday signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure a software-defined tactical ship-borne system worth over Rs 1,000 crore, according to an official statement. The procurement of SDR-Tac (software-defined tactical) "will bring strategic depth to the armed forces", the defence ministry's statement said. The SDR-Tac is a four channel multi-mode, multi-band, 19-inch rack mountable, ship-borne software defined system, it said. "It is intended to serve ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and ship-to-air voice and data communication for network centric operations," the statement 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.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a high-level meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, and a group of MPs from Uttarakhand to review the glacier burst that had hit the northern state. Taking to Twitter, Uttarakhand BJP MP Anil Baluni shared a video of the meeting saying, "Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a group of MPs from Uttarakhand discussed the disaster in the state. On this occasion, Union Home Minister Respected Shri Amit Shah and BJP National President Respected Shri JP Nadda Ji were also present." Read: Uttarakhand CM Reviews Relief Ops In Joshimath; Atleast 35 Trapped Inside Tapovan Tunnel Read: Uttarakhand Glacier Breach LIVE Updates: 24 Bodies Recovered; 171 People Still Missing PM assures all possible aid to Uttarakhand A glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday triggered an avalanche and massive flash flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. The state government has announced a red alert in the region and is evacuating the area. Yesterday, shortly after the calamity hit the state, PM Modi, while addressing a rally in Haldia had prayed for the victims stuck in the disaster, stating that he was constantly in touch with Uttarakhand CM, Home Minister and the NDRF troops with respect to the rescue operations. He had also assured all possible help to the state to tide over the crisis. As per the latest information, over 170 people are reported to be missing while the death toll has risen to 24, with more bodies being recovered from the debris. A joint team of ITBP, Army, SDRF, and NDRF is currently inside the Tapovan tunnel for the rescue operation. At least 35 people are said to be trapped inside. Earlier in the day, the DRDO conducted an aerial survey of the glacier. According to Dr LK Sinha, Director, Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment, prima facie, a hanging glacier broke away from the main glacier and came down the valley. "In the valley it formed a lake which burst later and caused the damage. The data is being analysed by our scientists in detail and if required, they would again go to get more details," he said. Read: Uttarakhand Disaster: 'Rishiganga Project Completely Wiped Off; 11 Lives Lost,' Says CM Read: Uttarakhand Disaster: CM Announces Rs 4 Lakh Ex-gratia For Kin Of Deceased;7 Reported Dead The past 30 months have been grueling for Deona Jo DJ Sutterfield. Her son Zachary nearly died in a catastrophic apartment fire that someone deliberately set in San Marcos in July 2018 a still-unsolved crime that killed five people. Zach, then 20, suffered third-degree burns to almost 70 percent of his body and a traumatic brain injury. DJ Sutterfield quit her job and stayed at his side as he received lifesaving medical care for 17 months in San Antonio, more than 200 miles from their San Angelo home. She changed his bandages, cleaned his wounds, fed and bathed him and cheered him on when hope seemed lost. Now Sutterfield, 47, has been named the 2021 Texas Mother of the Year by the national nonprofit American Mothers Inc. She is among a group of mothers across the country being considered for the national title, which will be awarded in May. The news took her by surprise because her husband, Karl Sutterfield, 52, and Zach nominated her for the honor without telling her. San Marcos Fire Chief Les Stephens and others joined the effort, writing letters on her behalf. I was shocked, said DJ Sutterfield, a mother of two and an Army veteran who has also served with the National Guard in Hawaii and Texas. I was like, is this seriously happening? There are so many beautiful women representing other states, and theyre doing amazing things, she said of the other winners. Its an honor to be among them. Ive been reading some of their bios, and Im just amazed that I am among them. The award was established in 1935 by the Golden Rule Foundations American Mothers Committee. The national title has been given each year since to an inspirational mother who demonstrates unconditional love, inner strength and courage, according to the American Mothers website. Last years national winner was LaTarsha Holden of Atlanta, a once-homeless mother of six who earned a doctorate and became a published author, speaker and advocate for single moms, the homeless and affordable housing. On ExpressNews.com: A fire killed his friends. A leap saved his life. Zachary Sutterfield wonders why he was the lucky one. Zach, now 22 and recovering at his parents home, is elated that his mother is being publicly recognized. Nominating her seemed like the least I could do after everything shes done for me, the Angelo State University student said Wednesday. DJ Sutterfield always believed her son would survive his injuries, even when his prognosis was very grim for days and weeks after the fire, Stephens, the fire chief, wrote in his nomination letter. She willed her son to live, and he did, Stephens wrote. She sacrificed her entire identity, all except for being Zachs mother. The love she showed, from day one to now ... is what motherhood is all about. The greatest testimony I have ever had the opportunity to witness is how DJ Sutterfield loves her son more than herself. The fire, which occurred at Iconic Village Apartments near Texas State University on July 20, 2018, changed many families lives forever. Five young adults, all in upstairs apartments in the same building, were killed: Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Haley Michele Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo; David Angel Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena; Belinda Moats, 21, of Big Wells; and James Phillip Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant. Investigators have said the blaze was intentionally set, but they havent disclosed where it started or how it was ignited. All the deaths were ruled homicides. Zachary Sutterfield was sleeping in the same apartment as Frizzell and Ortiz when the fire erupted shortly before 4:30 a.m. The three ran outside, but Zach was the only one who escaped by jumping from a second-story balcony. On ExpressNews.com: Iconic Village fire survivor resuming college studies, planning for future He suffered a severe blow to the head and third-degree burns to his head, face, chest, back, arms, hands and feet. Most of his fingers and both of his thumbs had to be amputated. He spent nearly 200 days hospitalized at the Armys Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center in San Antonio, then went through lengthy outpatient rehabilitation sessions. He and his mother didnt return home until January 2020. He has endured 31 surgeries; another is set for next month. DJ Sutterfield, a Kentucky native, became a mother at 17 when she had her first son, Danny Sutterfield. She joined the Army when she was 20 and served nearly four years on active duty. Her husband also is an Army vet. I never did anything great in the military, she said. But the military did a lot of great things for me. And Im proud of my service. Sutterfield worked as an Army medic in California and Hawaii. She went to nursing school for a time, but realized the medical field wasnt for her. There was just something about it I couldnt detach from the patient, Sutterfield said. At the time, she didnt know the work was preparing her to one day provide medical care to her younger son, who hadnt been born yet. If I look back on my life, Im like OK God was preparing you for this, Sutterfield said. I really do give the military training that I had with the medic school kudos for what I was able to do for Zach. ... I knew what I was getting into by doing wound care. And I knew what to look for. On ExpressNews.com: Families, authorities hope dramatic boost in reward helps solve mystery of deadly San Marcos fire She left the Army in 1998 while pregnant with Zach because she faced medical complications that forced her on bed rest. The family returned to San Angelo in 2011, and Sutterfield joined the Texas National Guard as a heavy equipment operator. Shes experienced many highs and lows since the fire. The worst moment was the first time she and her husband saw Zach in his hospital room at Brooke Army Medical Center hours after the fire. Doctors tried to prepare them for what they would see and told them they should get ready to say goodbye to their son because he likely wouldnt survive. She and her husband didnt recognize Zach when they walked in the room, and she fell to the floor. I just remember begging God to help my baby, she said. Zach defied the odds and kept fighting. Everybody kept telling us, Hey, dont get excited. But I was getting excited, his mom recalled. Because with every moment that passed, I was still getting to hold his hand, I was still getting to see him through the window. I was still getting to spend time with him. I couldnt give up hope at that point. There have also been moments of celebration Zach leaving the hospital and moving into a Fisher House facility at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston while he continued outpatient treatment; his 21st birthday party almost a year after the fire; and Zach officiating at his older brothers wedding in October. On ExpressNews.com: An emotional roller coaster Parents describe brutal aftermath of San Marcos fire that injured son, killed his friends The family is launching a nonprofit, Brighter Than the Fire, that they hope will bring fire safety education to college campuses and military bases. They want to teach people to check for safety features, such as fire suppression systems, before leasing apartments. They also plan for the nonprofit to give away safety backpacks that include fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. This isnt just about fire safety its about honoring the lives lost, DJ Sutterfield said. Because I do think that sometimes the victims are forgotten. Everyone sees what Zach is going through. But a lot of times, we dont see what the victims families are going through and how they were affected by this. DJ and Zach will travel to Florida so he can undergo another surgery March 17 through the nonprofit Sons of the Flag, which provides medical care to military and first responder burn survivors. Zach and his father nominated DJ for the Mother of the Year award in September. Karl Sutterfield noted his wifes days caring for their son are long, usually 18 to 20 hours. My wife has not left my sons side since the ill-fated day of 20 July 2018, Karl wrote in his nomination letter. My son has stated numerous times that he would not be here today if it were not for his mothers care and love. Zach wrote a separate letter reflecting on her many sacrifices. She is the true embodiment of what a mother is, he wrote. When she was not scrubbing bloodstains out of my clothing or preparing meals for the next day, she was by my side letting me know that it was going to be okay. She gave me hope. She is not just my mom. She is my friend and a hero. I do not know if I would be here today if it were not for my moms love and conviction. ... She is the greatest mom a kid could ever ask for. pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: Peggy_OHare The Kwara State House of Assembly says it will on Tuesday swear in Jimoh Agboola, the member-elect for Ilorin South, 14 months after the Court of Appeal declared him duly elected. This was conveyed in a February 5 letter to Mr Agboola from the Clerk of the House, Halimat Kperogi. This is to inform you that your swearing-in as a Member representing Ilorin South Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly has been scheduled for Tuesday, 9th February, 2021 in the hallowed chamber at 10:00 a.m. You are hereby invited to the Floor of the House as stated above. You are expected to present evidence of the declaration of your Assets and Liabilities in accordance with Section 94 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Order II Rule 8 of the Rules of Kwara State House of Assembly before taking and subscribing to the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Membership, the letter stated. Background PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the Yakubu Danladi-led Assembly defied multiple court judgments and refused to swear in Mr Agboola. The court first ordered the member-elect sworn in in November 2019. Mr Agboola will become the only member of the House from an opposition party. He had served in the previous assembly and was the candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections. INEC had declared Azeez Elewu Oluwanilo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 9, 2019 election and he was duly sworn in alongside other members-elect. But Mr Agboola contested his return at the election petition tribunal and the tribunal voided Mr Oluwanilos return and ordered a fresh election. Mr Oluwanilos victory was voided by the tribunal for his party not submitting his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But the Court of Appeal, on cross-appeal by the two parties, declared the PDP candidate as duly elected. However, the House ignored the judgment despite protests by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Civil society organisations. In another ruling in July, 2020, the Appeal Court again ordered the Assembly to swear in Mr Agboola, affirming its judgment of November 2019. But rather than obey the court, the Assembly challenged the ruling at the apex court in Abuja, which struck out the applications in November, 2020. The Supreme Court said the appeal should have terminated at the Court of Appeal, thus affirming the victory of Mr Agboola. Contempt Mr Agboolas invitation for swearing-in comes less than a week after the Court of Appeal in Ilorin ordered the Speaker of the House, Mr Danladi, to appear before it on February 11 to face contempt of court charges. The Court Registrar issued the notice of summon issued on Tuesday, asking Mr Danladi to appear before the court for disobeying the orders of July 29, 2020. TAKE NOTICE that the Judgment Creditors / Applicants will on February 11, 2021 at the hour of 9:00am in the morning apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the Orders of the court in the judgment of 12 day of November, 2019 and Orders of 29 day of July, 2020 as published in the THIS DAY, NEWSPAPER of 17 of September, 2020 at page 28, served on you. ADVERTISEMENT AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that you are hereby required to attend the court on the first mentioned day to show cause why an order for your committal should not be made, the court document, dated February 3, read. Better late than never Reacting to the latest development, the Executive Director, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, Abideen Olasupo, said the swearing-in of Mr Agboola is better late than never. While I am utterly disappointed that Mr Speaker has to wait for court summons intimating him for risking jail unless he complies, I can only implore citizens to start paying attention to the state parliament and engage well. He also expressed happiness that it came 20 days after his open letter, urging the assembly to do the needful. It is a win for democracy and ethical advocacy and engagement. I can only appeal to him again to take a stand on the domestication of the FOI. I charge Hon. Agboola to deliver on his electoral promises and represent his constituent well. He said Mr Agboola should be paid all his entitlements while Mr Oluwanilo is made to refund the funds he received. Mr Speaker should apologise to the people of Ilorin, Kwarans and Nigerians at large if he has conscience, he added. Decatur police say they have arrested two men on kidnapping charges following an investigation that began last month. Michael Leon Baker, 36, of Decatur, and John Pointer III, 38, of Decatur, have been arrested and charged with first degree kidnapping. Both are being held in the Morgan County Correctional Facility, with bond set at $150,000 each. The arrests stem from a Jan. 18 incident where officers were dispatched to a service station on Alabama 20. A man had entered the business with his hands restrained by handcuffs, suffering from multiple bruises and abrasions. The victim told police he had been kidnapped and beaten, then held at a residence in the 700-block of Lafayette Street in Decatur. Princess Eugenie has made a glowing appearance in a new clip remembering the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster ahead of her 'mid-February due date'. The Queen's granddaughter, 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, are set to welcome their first child later this month, according to Hello! Magazine. But ahead of her little one's arrival, Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, appeared on a video as part of her role as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective. She wanted to 'take the opportunity to remember the anniversary of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster' in the clip, shared to the organisation's Instagram account this weekend. The tragedy saw at least 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast. Scroll down for video Princess Eugenie (pictured) has made a glowing appearance in a new clip remembering the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster ahead of her 'mid-February due date' The Queen's granddaughter (pictured in December), 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, are set to welcome their first child later this month, according to Hello! Magazine In the video, Eugenie, who appeared alongside co-founder Julia de Boinville, stunned in a black top featuring ruffle details across the shoulders. She wore her hair straight and opted for a glamorous smattering of makeup to complete the look. Speaking in the clip, Eugenie said: 'Seventeen years ago, 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers were drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast. 'While their story is so tragic, it really isn't very unique and it's something that happens in modern slavery and has only worsened in the last years. There's an estimated 24.9million victims of forced labour globally across the world.' But ahead of her little one's arrival, Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, appeared on a video (pictured) as part of her role as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective Julia added: 'Please join us in remembering them today.' The post's caption read: 'Our co-founders, HRH Princess Eugenie and Julia de Boinville, wanted to take the opportunity to remember the anniversary of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. What was the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster? Twenty-three Chinese migrant workers were drowned picking cockles in Morecambe Bay in 2004 after they were trapped by the rising tide. The deaths of the men and women - aged between 18 and 45 - exposed the illegal practices of gangmasters who exploit vulnerable migrant workers for cheap labour. All of the victims had been illegal immigrants, some of whom had only been in the UK for a few months before the tragedy. The man who sent them out onto the sands in February 2004 - gangmaster Lin Liang Ren - was later given a 14-year prison sentence for manslaughter. The remains of the dead were still being discovered in the area years after the tragedy, with the skull of Liu Qin Ying discovered there in 2010. Her husband, Yu Hua Xu, was also among those that died, leaving their son in China an orphan after the tragedy. Advertisement 'At least 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast. 'This is a tragic but sadly not uncommon story. On any given day in 2016, there were an estimated 24.9million victims of forced labour in the world, according to Walk Free and the ILO. 'Sixteen million of those were exploited in sectors such as domestic work, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing.' Eugenie's appearance comes after it was reported that her first child is due mid-February, according to Hello! Magazine. The royal is pregnant with the Queen's ninth great-grandchild, which will be the first grandchild of Prince Andrew, 60, and Sarah Ferguson, 61. According to Hello!, Eugenie is now again 'nesting' at Frogmore Cottage, following reports she's moved back in with her parents at the nearby Royal Lodge over the Christmas break to prepare for her first child. The royal announced her pregnancy in a Instagram post in September, with a photo of herself and her husband, holding a pair of teddy bear slippers, with the caption 'Jack and I are so excited for early 2021...' The Queen is also expecting a tenth great-grandchild as her granddaughter Zara Tindall, who is married to England Rugby pro Mike Tindall, is pregnant with her third child. Eugenie has been spotted across London sporting her baby bump in recent months. She was pictured leaving her work at art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London's Mayfair, in a Maje dress with a blue Zara coat just before Christmas. Jack and Eugenie, who wed in October 2018, were living at the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace near Prince William and Kate Middleton until last year. When Prince Harry moved to the US with wife Meghan Markle, he is believed to have handed the keys to Frogmore Cottage to his cousin Eugenie. CARBONDALE Six people lost their home Monday after a fire sparked in the upper floor of a Carbondale house. Linda Williams, who lived at 23 Columbia St. with her husband and four children, said everyone made it out of the home safely after the fire started about 1 p.m. Crews are investigating the origin. Williams said she believed it sparked from an electric baseboard heater in the second floor. Smoke billowed from broken windows on the second floor. The Williams family tried to keep warm up the street. Linda Williams said their cats, Butterscotch, Mama and Midnight, could not be found. The children had been on the first floor doing schoolwork when the fire started. They noticed the smell of smoke, and quickly got out of the house. The American Red Cross dispatched a team to help the Williams family navigate their next step, said spokesman A.J. Suero. Suero said the Red Cross would provide the family with lodging and whatever immediate financial help they need. New Delhi: Twenty-six bodies have been recovered so far while 171 people remain missing in Uttarakhand where an avalanche triggered glacier burst, causing massive devastation in the Chamoli and neighbouring regions. The glacier burst on Sunday led to flooding and the heavy flow of water and silt damaged five dams in the downstream areas. Major rescue operations by multiple agencies are underway in the state, particularly in the two tunnels in Tapovan where, according to Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar, 32 persons are trapped in one tunnel and 121 in another are missing. A multi-agency rescue operation that involves Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, state police, fire and disaster response force is in full swing to save those stuck in the tunnels. A joint team of NDRF, SDRF and Army is conducting a rescue operation. The team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel, it may take two-three hours to reach the T-point. Efforts are underway to safely rescue those who are stuck in the tunnel, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Monday evening. Thirty-two workers belonging to Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri are stuck in Tapovan. Military aircraft, including MI 17, have conducted six sorties to transport rescued people from the site. Six scientists visited the site for preliminary observation on the disaster. Mr Rawat quoted scientists to say that the areas where avalanches struck on Sunday was not prone to such activities and the calamity might have been caused by an "abrupt sliding down" of millions of tonnes of snow from a hill, rather than due to a glacier burst. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that his government is taking all measures to support the people of Uttarakhand. He also assured a delegation of state MPs that the Central government is working to further strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural disaster in future. Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda were also present at the meeting. Mr Modi said several institutions of the Central government are part of the rescue mission and state bodies are also working effectively. Noting that the Himalayan state is vulnerable to natural disasters, Mr Modi asserted that the government is working to further boost the state's infrastructure to deal with such a crisis. The Uttarakhand glacier burst has caused an estimated loss of Rs 1,500 crore at the NTPC's 480 mw Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and has put a question mark on its scheduled commissioning in 2023, Union power minister R.K. Singh said after visiting the site. "The project was scheduled to be commissioned in 2023. But there is a question mark now on how long it will take to desilt it as lakhs of tonnes of silt is lying at the project site," Mr Singh said. Police turned water cannon on protesters in Myanmars capital on Monday as tens of thousands of people joined a third day of nationwide demonstrations against the militarys removal of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago. Calls to join protests and to back a campaign of civil disobedience have grown louder and more organised since last Mondays coup, which drew widespread international condemnation. We health workers are leading this campaign to urge all government staff to join, Aye Misan, a nurse at a government hospital said at a protest in the biggest city of Yangon. Our message to the public is that we aim to completely abolish this military regime and we have to fight for our destiny. Reuters has been unable to contact the junta for comment on the protests but state media signalled possible action against them in the first comment from any government channel, saying the public wanted rid of wrongdoers. We, the whole people who value justice, freedom, equality, peace and safety, not only refuse to accept the lawless wrongdoers but also request that they be prevented and removed through cooperation, the MRTV television station said in a comment. Though not attributed to any authority or group, it was later read out on a military-owned network. Gatherings have been good natured and largely peaceful, unlike bloody crackdowns on previous protests, in 1988 and 2007 in particular. A convoy of military trucks was arriving in Yangon late on Sunday, raising fears that could change. Earlier, police in the capital Naypyidaw fired brief bursts from a water cannon at a group of the protesters, video showed. Thousands also marched also in the southeastern city of Dawei and in the Kachin state capital in the far north, the massive crowds reflecting a rejection of military rule by diverse ethnic groups, even those who have been critical of Suu Kyi and accused her government of neglecting minorities. In Yangon, a group of saffron-robed monks, who have a history of rallying community action in the overwhelmingly Buddhist country, marched in the vanguard of protests with workers and students. They flew multicoloured Buddhist flags alongside red banners in the colour of Suu Kyis National league for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide election in November. Release Our Leaders, Respect Our Votes, Reject Military Coup, said one sign. Many signs were light-hearted while firmly opposed to the military intervention in politics. The protests are the biggest since the Saffron Revolution led by monks in 2007, which led over subsequent years to the militarys gradual withdrawal from politics after decades of direct rule, a process brought to a jarring halt by the Feb. 1 coup. CALL FOR STRIKE In a development likely to worry the military, some government workers have been seen joining doctors and some teachers in rallying to the call for a campaign of civil disobedience and strikes. We request government staff from all departments not to attend work from Monday, said activist Min Ko Naing, a veteran of the 1988 demonstrations that brought Suu Kyi to prominence. The government lifted a day-long internet ban at the weekend. The block prompted even more anger in a country fearful of returning to the isolation and poverty before the transition to democracy began in 2011. Everyone uses social media and we copy what we see, said Paing Soe Win, 26, at a protest in Yangon where people have been brandishing the three-finger Hunger Games salute, a symbol of defiance adopted from the Hollywood movie and copied around the region. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for campaigning for democracy and spent nearly 15 years under house as she struggled to end almost half a century of army rule. The 75-year-old has been kept incommunicado since army chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power in the early hours of Feb. 1 to counter what the military said was widespread fraud in the Nov. 8 election. The election commission rejected complaints of fraud. Suu Kyi faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkies and is being held in police detention until Feb. 15. Her lawyer said he has not been allowed to see her. The daughter of the former British colonys independence hero Aung San, Suu Kyi remains hugely popular at home despite damage to her international reputation over the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority. While Western governments have condemned the coup, there has been little in the way of concrete action to press the generals. The U.N. Security Council has called for the release of Suu Kyi and other detainees and the United States is considering targeted sanctions. Australia condemned the coup and demanded the immediate release of a citizen who was working as an economic adviser to the Suu Kyi government, who was arrested over the weekend. [L1N2KE09G] Protesters in Myanmar continue to inspire the world, Thomas Andrews, the U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar, said on Twitter. Myanmar is rising up to free all who have been detained and reject military dictatorship once and for all. We are with you. SOURCE: REUTERS has started lifting Covid-19-related restrictions, almost six weeks after the country entered a third nationwide lockdown to curb the pandemic. The ban on travelling more than 1,000 metres from home was lifted on Sunday, while some businesses also started reopening, reports Xinhua news agency. Schools and kindergartens remain closed and outgoing and incoming flights are still banned, except for exceptional cases. entered its third nationwide lockdown on December 27, 2020 as the country rolled out a large-scale Covid-19 vaccination drive. So far, about 3.4 million have received the first shot of the vaccine. With a population of about 9 million, has reported a total of 687,492 cases and 5,096 deaths so far. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 14 people are dead and more than 150 missing after a glacier burst in India's northern Uttarakhand state Sunday and crashed through two hydroelectric projects, triggering deadly flash floods along the river. Footage of the disaster showed a fast-moving avalanche of dust, rock and water barreling through the narrow gorge in Chamoli district, in the Himalayan state, and sweeping away parts of a dam as well as buildings, trees and people in its path. Those living further down the river were urged to evacuate from the rising waters. Rescue teams worked throughout the night to find survivors and recover bodies. Fifteen people trapped in a tunnel were rescued on Monday, according to Chamoli District Police, though rescuers are now focusing on a second tunnel which is blocked with debris. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said at a press conference Sunday that a tunnel at the state-owned NTPC hydro project was clogged with debris from the avalanche triggered by the glacial burst. "Uttarakhand has witnessed a terrible disaster," Rawat said, adding that the state is expecting "significant loss to human lives and infrastructure." Indian Army and members from India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been assisting rescue efforts, and more NDRF teams are being airlifted from New Delhi and expected to arrive on Monday. Images from the NDRF showed teams trying to clear thick layers of mud and debris around the entrance to what appears to be a tunnel. "This was a one-time incident. The glacier broke, and with it a portion on the mountain- boulders and debris all came down and flooded the power project here ... There are two locations here which have been damaged heavily," said Ashok Kumar, senior official with the Uttarakhand police to local reporters Monday morning. From the two projects, a total of 153 people are missing, he added. The avalanche completely inundated the Rishiganga Power project -- a smaller hydroelectric dam on the river in Chamoli. Those living alongside the Alaknanda River were urged to flee to safety, but stay calm. The minister said of the total 35 people working at the plant, "roughly 29 to 30 people are missing." Flash floods then surged 5 kilometers downstream on the Dhauli Ganga river and impacted a much larger hydro project owned by the NTPC, Rawat said. Some 176 laborers were working on that project, which has two tunnels, the minister said. "Roughly 15 people" managed to get out of one tunnel after getting word of the avalanche on their mobile devices, Rawat said, adding that 35 to 50 workers had been rescued and returned to the NTPC plant. Workers could be trapped in tunnels More than 30 workers could be stuck in the second tunnel, he warned. Rescuers are battling to reach them but the surrounding road is covered in debris. The Chief Minister also announced a compensation of four lakh Indian Rupees ($5,495.39 USD) for the families of those deceased. A witness told Reuters that an avalanche of dust, rock and water cascaded down the Dhauli Ganga river valley located more than 500 km (310 miles) north of New Delhi. "It came very fast, there was no time to alert anyone," Sanjay Singh Rana, who lives on the upper reaches of the river in Raini village in Uttarakhand, told Reuters by phone. "I felt that even we would be swept away." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message of support in the wake of the disaster. "Am constantly monitoring the unfortunate situation in Uttarakhand," he tweeted. "India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety there. Have been continuously speaking to senior authorities and getting updates on NDRF deployment, rescue work and relief operations." Uttarakhand state is home to the source of the Ganges River, the site of Hinduism's famous Char Dham pilgrimage and Rishikesh, the meditation retreat popularized by The Beatles. But the area is also prone to flash floods and landslides -- in 2013, the state was hit by what was dubbed by the area's chief minister as a "Himalayan tsunami." Nearly 6,000 people lost their lives those floods, according to Reuters. As the Garda prepared to mount checkpoints today designed to ensure people don't cross the frontier except for "essential" travel, nationalist politicians rejected claims the move amounted to a hard border. Local holidaymakers heading to Dublin Airport will face fines of 100 if stopped by Garda en route. Cross-border buses and trains will also be subject to checks enforcing tough travel restrictions introduced in response to the Covid-19 emergency. The new rules mean gardai can tell day-trippers from this side of the border to go home. Under the Republic's current Covid-19 restrictions, travel is restricted to within 5km of a person's home except for essential reasons. SDLP Brexit spokesman Matthew O'Toole MLA told the Belfast Telegraph: "Garda enforcing rules on non-essential travel - as they are also doing between counties in the Republic - is clearly not a hard border. "Constantly amping up misinformation like this helps no one." Expand Close SDLP MLA Matthew OToole / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP MLA Matthew OToole A Sinn Fein spokesman said no one should be travelling anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary. "The safest thing to do is to stay at home in order to protect yourself, protect your loved ones and protect the health service," he said. "That is the same message north and south. "The realities of life in border areas must also be recognised, where people need to cross the border on a daily basis for essential reasons." Unionists say the Garda border checkpoint plan shows there is no need for the Irish Sea border imposed by the controversial NI Protocol. DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said: "The SDLP and Sinn Fein seem to have been sent in a bit of a spin by this. "As someone who lives a few miles from the border, I've never been in any doubt of its existence. "Different currency, different fuel duties, different health service, different education system and even a different speed limit. "Nonetheless, the SDLP and the other protocol loyalists seem to be living in some parallel world where they believe no border exists. "The Garda checkpoints and fine system for anyone travelling across the border is entirely the preserve of the Irish Government, but it does point once again to the reality that the border exists. We are two countries." UUP MLA Doug Beattie said: "No matter how politically inconvenient it is for nationalism, the reality is that the Garda are implementing sustained border checks on the island of Ireland - effectively creating a hard border. "If you can't cross the border into the Republic without being fined, then there is no other way to describe it, and the efforts to play down the significance of this are almost comical. "When you take it in conjunction with the EU triggering of Article 16 two Fridays ago to deny us medicines, it is very clear that the protocol was imposed under false pretences. "It's time the protocol was shelved and we start again from scratch." Meanwhile, a further nine people have died after contracting coronavirus, Stormont's Department of Health confirmed yesterday. Another 334 new cases of the virus were also confirmed. It brings the death toll to 1,931 and the total number of cases since the outbreak to 106,867. Some 3,015 people have tested positive in the last seven days. Of the nine fatalities, seven happened within the current 24-hour reporting period, while the two other deaths occurred previously. There are 585 Covid patients in hospitals here, with 66 in intensive care and 57 requiring ventilation. In the Republic, a further 12 Covid-19-related deaths were reported. There were also 1,024 new confirmed cases of the virus. As of 2pm yesterday, 1,204 patients with Covid-19 were being treated in the Republic's hospitals, 178 of whom were in ICU. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based broker, announced it has completed its acquisition of specialist UK insurance broker The Bollington Wilson Group. Financial details of the deal, which was first announced in January 2021, were not disclosed. Founded in 1973 as a local community broker, Bollington has since grown organically and through strategic acquisitions into a successful specialist UK insurance broker with more than 400 employees. Headquartered in Sale, England, Bollington also operates from offices in Liverpool, Bollington, Harrogate, Sutton, Coldfield, Stafford and Bolton. It has well-established divisions in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), micro-SME and personal lines. The business is now part of Gallaghers UK Retail Division. Paul Moors, group CEO, will remain with Gallagher as chairman of Bollington. Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Topics Mergers A.J. Gallagher Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a symposium convened at the National Health Commission on Feb. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) Chinese Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan on Sunday called for strengthened efforts in epidemic prevention and control for the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. Containment measures against COVID-19 should be fully implemented and responsibilities should be assigned to ensure a safe and happy holiday, Sun stressed during a symposium convened at the National Health Commission. Noting that medical and health workers have been fighting on the front line against the epidemic for more than a year, Sun called for persistent efforts in epidemic control, as well as further improved measures and contingency plans. Sun also underscored efforts to improve China's disease prevention and control system, enrich medical resources and balance its regional allocation. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Recently arrived refugees from Tigray in Ethiopia bring supplies to help set up their shelter in Raquba camp, in Kassala, Sudan. A joint United Nations-Government of Ethiopia mission to Mekelle in the country's Tigray region, on Saturday, underscored the need for strong partnership to rapidly scale up a Government-led collective response to meet immediate humanitarian needs in the region. Since the onset of the crisis, almost 1.7 million people of the region have been provided with emergency food rations through joint efforts, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). About 26,000 Eritrean refugees residing in two camps have also received food and nutrition assistance. However, more needs to be done, highlighted WFP Executive Director David Beasley, who visited the region, along with Ethiopian Federal Minister of Peace Muferihat Kamil and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Catherine Sozi. "We must do more, together, to meet the needs of the population", he said. "Latest preliminary estimates indicate that 2.5 to 3 million people in the region require emergency food assistance. Reports indicate that the nutrition situation requires greater attention, with young children and pregnant and lactating mothers the most vulnerable", Mr. Beasley added. WFP to strengthen aid transport capacity Mr. Beasley also announced that WFP accepted a request from the Government to augment the transportation capacity of the Government and partners to deliver humanitarian assistance into and within Tigray. The UN agency also agreed to provide emergency food relief to up to 1 million people in Tigray and would launch a blanket supplementary feeding programme to support up to 875,000 nutritionally vulnerable children, and pregnant and lactating mothers. The agreed WFP interventions will require $107 million to be implemented over the next six months, in areas and communities jointly identified and prioritized with the Government, the UN agency said. Government 'moving with urgency' to improve access Muferihat Kamil, Ethiopia's Federal Minister of Peace, said that the Government is "moving with urgency" to approve requests for movement of international staff into and within Tigray, to ensure that humanitarian assistance programmes can be expanded. "Several such requests have been approved over the past few days and the process of rapid and streamlined approvals will continue. The Government will also review visa requests for international humanitarian staff with urgency and priority", he said, adding "communication capability for UN and humanitarian partners with significant operations in Tigray will be enhanced." Risk of atrocity crimes 'remains high' Meanwhile, the UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide called on the authorities to establish national mechanisms to address the root causes of ethnic violence, build national cohesion and promote reconciliation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In a statement on Friday, Special Adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu, voiced concerns over reports of hate speech and stigmatization, including ethnic profiling, as well as allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses committed by the parties to the conflict in the Tigray region and their allies. A failure to address ethnic violence, stigmatization, hate speech, religious tensions compounded with other risk factors, including lack of accountability for serious violations committed, perpetuates an environment that exposes the civilian population to a high risk of atrocity crimes, said Ms. Nderitu If urgent measures are not immediately taken to address the ongoing challenges facing the country, the risk of atrocity crimes in Ethiopia remains high and likely to get worse, she warned. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:34:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUANSHYA, Zambia, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese entrepreneur has donated 10 sewing machines to vulnerable youths in Zambia to help them support themselves. In addition to the machines, which were valued at 14,000 Zambian kwacha (about 700 U.S. dollars), the youths also received training in tailoring, said the 36-year-old Chinese businessman, Bao Bingwen. "Before making a donation of these machines, we had to train the youths in tailoring course," he said. "Some already have tailoring skills, but it was just the matter of empowering them." The sewing machines were handed over to the youths on Sunday in Twashuka Compound, Luanshya, 319 km north of Lusaka, the Zambian capital. "We need to share skills and knowledge to improve their lives and society at large," Bao said, urging the youths to not depend on handouts but work hard and do their best. Young people should always aim high and achieve the best in life, he said. One of the recipients of the sewing machines, 27-year-old Lewis Daka, thanked Bao for his generosity. "We are very thankful for the donation, especially that most of us here are school leavers, who cannot find employment," he said. "With these machines, we are going to do our best." Enditem Ukraine cannot allow any steps that will destroy the efficient Motor Sich enterprise, which has a huge social burden, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "The Ukrainian government (and this is the principled position of the president) has one key interest - Motor Sich must remain an efficient and profitable enterprise. We cannot allow any steps that will destroy Motor Sich because it's not just a factory. In fact, this is a city within a city. It has a huge social burden," Kuleba said. According to him, the state will consider all decisions that will help keep Motor Sich as an effective Ukrainian enterprise. He said that Chinese investors in Motor Sich are private entities. "These are not Chinese state-owned companies. Therefore, let's distinguish between interstate relations between Ukraine and China and relations with a specific Chinese business that is trying to invest in Motor Sich. When we divide it into two tracks, then the picture becomes clearer," Kuleba said. He stressed that China is a very important partner for Ukraine. "And we will do everything to build effective and mutually beneficial relations," Kuleba added. As was reported earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he would not allow China or any other country to acquire a controlling stake in Motor Sich. In early August 2020, DCH Group announced the beginning of a partnership with Chinese investors representing Skyrizon Aircraft Holdings Limited. On August 6 last year, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine announced that it would assess the sale of Motor Sich for compliance with competition law. On September 4, 2020, Chinese investors in Motor Sich submitted a Notice of Investment Dispute to the Ukrainian Justice Ministry regarding their intention to apply to an international arbitration court to recover $3.5 billion in losses from the state of Ukraine. The working group on pre-arbitration settlement also includes a representative of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine. It emerged in November that Chinese investors in Motor Sich had hired three law firms for the $3.5 billion lawsuit against Ukraine. op An American with a stool sample walks into a Slovak hospital Listen to Jeremy Hill's amusing account of the day he presented a Slovak nurse with a stool sample in a Tesco shopping bag. For American Jeremy Hill, his number one enemy in Slovakia has always been winter. Hes not a fan of the bitter cold and after the holidays, this vegetarian with a sensitive tummy usually requires some medical assistance. While a visit to the doctor is necessary for Hill this time of year, the prospect of communicating with medical professionals in his limited Slovak does not ease his stomach problems by any means. Read more: How artery-clogging Slovak Christmas delicacies brought an American back to life Read more One winter, shortly after the holiday season, his Slovak wife called the doctors office, who determined Hill would need to bring a stool sample into the office for examination. He prepared for the particularly strange visit by memorising some lines in Slovak the night before, ranging from Good morning to I have stool! But things didn't go quite as planned when he showed up the following day with his stool sample. Still practising my lines, I scanned the room, said Hill. There was the usual cast of characters: The remorseful drunk with the yellow-tinged eyes, little old women chatting in the corner, and, of course, the neurotic, frightened foreigner. Listen as he recalls with a mixture of shame and amusement the day he presented a Slovak nurse with a stool sample in a Tesco shopping bag. https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/981302710%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-3DhireRZUsu&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true 8. Feb 2021 at 12:14 | Jeremy Hill The covid-19 crisis has brought new risks to public finance given its extent, the inability of sub-national governments to absorb the fiscal costs, and the asymmetric regional impact of the crisis. These risks well exceed those experienced in the 2008 global financial crisis . The sheer magnitude of fiscal support has highlighted and exposed the weak fiscal in many countries. A key lesson from history is that accountability and efficiency in public financial management become more critical during crises. Without improving the adaptability and responsiveness of fiscal management, the costs to the economy from misdirected resources and inefficient resource use will compound the effects of the covid crisis. The challenges currently being faced highlight the need for greater clarity in the three pillars of the fiscal architecture: public financial management processes; the nature of the fiscal rules; and the establishment of fiscal institutions to widen accountability over the fiscal rules. While many countries dont have the fiscal architecture fully in place, a growing number are quickly putting in place new and innovative coordination mechanisms, involving governance and fiscal tools, to strengthen the pillars. Over the past decade since the global financial crisis, international experience in fiscal rules, public financial management (PFM) processes, and institutional reforms have certainly been building. View Full Image What a strong public financial management system entails PFM systems Public financial management (PFM) refers to the set of laws, rules, systems and processes used to mobilize revenue, and allocate and account for the use of public funds. It is well-recognized that a strong PFM system is an essential part of the institutional framework for effective public service deliveryboth are closely associated with poverty reduction and economic growth. The first step towards better fiscal management is improving the coverage, timeliness, quality and integrity of fiscal reporting. Toward this end, most advanced and large emerging market countries have, in the past decade, established legal frameworks for public financial management that set out the budget, reporting, accounting, and audit processes and define the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders. These laws have aimed at aligning fiscal policy to resource allocations and have paved the way for implementing the standards in the fiscal rules in a credible manner. For instance, New Zealand sets a high standard for transparency and the lucidity of its budget documents. Within middle-income countries, South Africas budget documentation is highly transparent and accessible, with extensive debt reporting, and clear and concise fiscal risks reports. Fiscal rules With respect to strengthening budget institutions and management practices, and their accountability, many advanced countries have set fiscal rules (including at sub-national levels) to retain the confidence and trust of financial markets. While the fiscal rules have evolved over time, into a broader second-generation fiscal-framework," trying to balance credibility with flexibility, they are now being tested during the pandemic, prompting a raft of reforms, including the introduction of new rules, revamping of escape clauses, enhancement of monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and reconsideration of procedures and practices to ensure fiscal sustainability. From international experience, well-designed and well-implemented fiscal rules have helped contain the deficit bias, strengthen market credibility of the commitment to fiscal sustainability, and allow countercyclical fiscal management. By increasing the predictability of fiscal policy, they have helped lower output volatility and raise sustainable growth. However, the challenge to achieve these outcomes is at least three-fold: to ensure that they are well-designed, that the public financial management systems and institutions allow them to be well monitored and implemented, and deviations from the fiscal rules allow the return to the rules in a time-bound manner. Unless these challenges can be met, fiscal rules can quickly lose their relevance and credibility. A crucial element is subjecting the process to external scrutiny and parliamentary approval, which will balance flexibility with credibility. One way to overcome this is to grant this mandate to independent fiscal councils. Fiscal institutions There has also been a sharp rise of established independent fiscal institutions (fiscal councils) to enhance the credibility of the fiscal rules, help impose hard budget constraints on the public sector, and monitor the long-term sustainability of government fiscal stances. Fiscal rules and fiscal councils have developed as complements. Good councils will learn how to better interpret the fiscal rules and to suggest improvements. Well-designed rules will make the task of councils easier to perform and less controversial than poorly designed or weak rules. Thus, effective rules and functioning councils are expected to reinforce each other. Over the past decade, there has been a global trend to set up independent public bodies that provide non-partisan oversight and analysis of fiscal policy and performance to inform public decision-making. Independent fiscal institutions are now a common component of fiscal frameworks in most advanced economies, and the overall number of countries with such fiscal councils has more than tripled over the past decade. While these fiscal institutions take many forms, their tasks typically include preparing or assessing macroeconomic or fiscal forecasts, monitoring compliance with fiscal rules, budgetary analysis, long-term fiscal sustainability analysis and, for some, policy costing. There are several examples of fiscal councils tasked with a role in national and sub-national fiscal coordination as well. Empirical evidence suggests that fiscal councils can improve forecast accuracy and foster compliance with fiscal rules. A variety of institutional models exist for the manner and location in which fiscal councils are set up and reside. Effective fiscal councils should have (a) legal and operational independence, (b) strong media presence, and (c) the chair and board members with non-partisan affiliations. Key safeguards for operational independence include secured funding sources, access to information on a timely basis, and ability to manage its own staff. Effective fiscal councils establish contact with the media in line with the budget cycle and at the time their reports are published. The fiscal legacy of the covid crisis has put a premium on strengthening the institutional anchor for sustainable public finances. As the crisis will continue to cast a long shadow over the public finances of many countries, the need to restore fiscal credibility encourages further reforms of fiscal frameworks. In many countries, efforts are being made to address pre-existing weaknesses and bottlenecks in public financial management systems and set up improved reporting mechanisms to ensure financial transparency and accountabilitythat would help the reallocation of funds to the front lines of the covid crisis. It is crucial to ensure the full transparency, good governance, and costing of all fiscal measures, especially given their size, exceptional nature, and speed of deployment. It is Indias moment now to benchmark its fiscal architecture to its peers, learn from the experiences of other federal countries, and adopt some of the best practices. We will discuss these steps in our forthcoming article. Anoop Singh is a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi and was a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission. Kandarp Patel is a civil servant and was a director in the Fifteenth Finance Commission. Views expressed are personal. This is the first of a two-part special series on Indias fiscal architecture. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. At least 65 employees from various departments in the state secretariat have tested positive for COVID-19, as Kerala logged 3,742 new cases and 16 deaths on Monday, taking the caseload to 9,72,180 and toll to 3,883. With several employees testing positive, authorities have issued directions to reduce the number of staff inside the administrative complex to half in some sections including the Finance department. The Health department suspects the rise in number of infections in the secretariat due to the recent election to canteen posts that was conducted last week. Around 4,200 employees had attended the election that was organised at the Darbar Hall, Secretariat. A total of 5,959 people got cured of the disease today, taking the total recoveries in the state to 9,02,627. State Health minister K K Shailaja said 47,927 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 7.81 per cent. Till now, 1,01,44,253 samples have been tested. The minister said one person who reached the state from the UK tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total UK returnees found infected to 81. Earlier, 10 people from that country was found infected with the new strain of the virus. There were 65,414 patients under treatment in the state. The minister 2,24,759 people were under observation, out of which 10,664 were in isolation wards of various hospitals. "Out of those infected today, 72 reached the state from outside, while 3,379 contracted the disease through their contacts.The source of infection of 264 are yet to be traced, while 27 health workers are also among the infected..," the minister said in a release. Among the districts, Malappuram reported the highest of 503 cases today, followed by Ernakulam with 431. Kozhikode reported 403, Thiruvananthapuram 380 and Kottayam 363. Seven regions were added while one was removed from the list of hotspots, taking its total number to 452 in the state. Scarlett Moffatt has revealed she would like to have children with her boyfriend Scott Dobinson 'one day'. The TV presenter, 30, took to Instagram on Sunday to take part in a fan Q&A and was asked if she had any plans for children in the future. Scarlett replied: 'One day maybe in a few years. However that may be. Ever since I was a kid I've wanted to adopt as I think every child deserves a loving home.' Future: Scarlett Moffatt has revealed she would like to have children with her boyfriend Scott Dobinson 'one day' The former Gogglebox star was also asked when she will be moving into her new home with Scott to which she replied: 'Hopefully the beginning of March'. Scarlett, who has been dating Scott for over two years, also had her say on Valentine's Day. Asked: 'Is it okay for your partner to not care about Valentine's Day?' Scarlett replied: 'Thing is if it's something you care about then they should make an effort. 'Not saying buying something but acknowledging hey it's Valentine's Day I love you.' Family: The TV presenter, 30, took to Instagram on Sunday to take part in a fan Q&A and was asked if she had any plans for children in the future. Scarlett replied: 'One day maybe in a few years. However that may be. Ever since I was a kid I've wanted to adopt as I think every child deserves a loving home' It comes after Scarlett admitted she would like to elope to Las Vegas whenever Scott pops the question. Speaking on her Radio 1 Scarlett Moffatt Wants to Believe podcast, she said: 'I've always, always wanted a massive wedding, now I keep saying "let's go the Vegas".' She also admitted that she got the idea for eloping from her podcast guest, vlogger Ladbaby, whose real name is Mark Hoyle, as he went to Las Vegas to marry wife Roxanne. However it looks like Scarlett's got a little time to wait as she added: 'I'm not actually engaged yet, but I assume he's [Scott] going to do it at some point'. Plan: The former Gogglebox star was also asked when she will be moving into her new home with Scott to which she replied: 'Hopefully the beginning of March' Scott also joined in the wedding chat, revealing: 'She's [Scarlett] full of hints. 'It went from "I've found this stately home, let's have this massive ceremony, get all this catering in, this is how I want my tables" to "we're going to Vegas, it's what I really want to do because it will be fun".' Scarlett previously outlined her wedding ideas and admitted she'd been planning it for a long time in an interview with The Mirror after her I'm A Celeb win in 2016. She said: 'I have been planning my wedding since I was young. I think Jordans marriage to Peter Andre was amazing. I loved it. 'I want mine to be like that. I want a glass carriage. Id also like a Willy Wonka theme with centrepieces as sweets and munchkins as waiters.' President Joe Biden signaled he would seek to deepen the close US relationship with India in his first talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he added climate change and "democratic" values to the agenda. Biden's telephone call marked a continuation of the upbeat tone of his predecessor Donald Trump, who paid a state visit to India a year ago on his last foreign trip as his administration saw a partner in its tough stance on China. But Biden also raised climate change, which the new US leader has elevated to a top priority amid the planet's rapidly warming temperatures. Biden and Modi committed to "work closely together to win the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, renew their partnership on climate change, rebuild the global economy in a way that benefits the people of both countries and stand together against the scourge of global terrorism," the White House said in a statement. In New Delhi, the prime minister's office said Modi welcomed Biden's raising of climate ambitions and rejoining of the Paris accord, from which Trump withdrew. It said that Modi looked forward to participating in a climate summit that Biden plans to call in April. India is the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide responsible for climate change after China and the United States, and historically has argued that it is unfair for it to be held to the same rules as developed nations. The White House said Biden had "underscored his desire to defend democratic institutions and norms around the world and noted that a shared commitment to democratic values is the bedrock for the US-India relationship." India enjoys broad support in the United States but has come under growing criticism from some lawmakers in Biden's Democratic Party as Modi pursues his Hindu nationalist agenda, including revoking the statehood of Muslim-majority Kashmir. India in recent days has drawn additional scrutiny from prominent figures including pop superstar Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg over internet blackouts around New Delhi, where protesting farmers have been camped out for more than two months. Story continues The White House said Biden also spoke to Modi about how the "rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld in Burma," where the military retook power a week ago. India has a close relationship with its neighbor, also known as Myanmar, maintaining contact with its military even as Western nations shun it on human rights grounds. sct/sst Venezuelan mother Annie Gonzales and her daughter Leannie Romero (9) at the Integrated Assistance Centre in Maicao, Colombia. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo BOGOTA/GENEVA UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, today praised Colombias initiative to provide ten-year temporary protection status to Venezuelans in the country. Colombia is host to 1.7 million Venezuelans, which represent more than 37 per cent of the estimated 4.6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than half of the Venezuelan population in Colombia lack regular status, affecting their ability to access essential services, protection and assistance. This bold humanitarian gesture serves as an example for the region and the rest of the world. It is a life-changing gesture for the 1.7 million displaced Venezuelans who will now benefit from added protection, security and stability while they are away from home, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi who is currently in Colombia, assessing humanitarian needs. We applaud Colombia for its extraordinary generosity and its commitment to ensure protection for displaced Venezuelans. This decision serves as a model of pragmatism and humanity. With the COVID-19 pandemic compounding needs throughout the region, many Venezuelan refugees and migrants, as well as local communities, struggle to survive as they face worsening poverty, job losses, evictions, hunger, and a lack of food and access to medical treatment. The Temporary Protection Status will also provide access to basic services including the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination plans. Regularization is also key to long-term solutions, including access to the job market, which in turn serves to lessen the dependency of people on humanitarian assistance while also contributing to the countrys post COVID-19 socio-economic recovery. The regularization of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia through the provision of a generous temporary protection status is a key to facilitating their socio-economic integration and access to the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, said IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino. The Government of Colombia has once again shown both great solidarity and leadership. Its decision serves as an example to the world. The implementation of such a large-scale initiative will require a significant investment in time, logistics and resources. IOM and UNHCR, as co-leaders of the Regional Inter-agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), and in coordination with their 159 partners, stand ready to contribute with their technical expertise, field presence, logistical capacity and resources to support the roll-out of this important initiative. Reiterating the need for solidarity and support to Colombia and other refugee and migrant-hosting countries, IOM and UNHCR call on the international community to keep providing adequate and timely funding to ensure the success of this breakthrough commitment. For more information, please contact: In Panama, In Geneva, Shabia Mantoo, UNHCR ( [email protected] ) +41 79 337 7650 ) +41 79 337 7650 Paul Dillon, IOM ( [email protected] ) +41 79 636 9874 ) +41 79 636 9874 Angela Wells, IOM ( [email protected] ) +41 79 403 5365 In Colombia, Too early to speculate on whether President Xi would attend BRICS summit in India Stay alert during Chinese New Year holidays, President Xi Jinping tells PLA International pti-Madhuri Adnal Beijing, Feb 8: President Xi Jinping has asked the Chinese military to enhance its combat readiness to safeguard national security and peace during the upcoming Spring Festival and Chinese New Year holidays. China would observe the official seven-day national holiday from Thursday to mark the Year of the Ox. Xi made the remarks while inspecting an aviation division of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force stationed in southwest China's Guizhou Province ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. He said that the PLA troops should enhance their combat readiness during the Spring Festival holidays and safeguard national security as well as the happiness and peace of the people, state-run Global Times reported on Sunday. It is a usual practice for the Chinese military to enhance its combat readiness in major holidays, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told the paper. China gives Joe Biden's dig at Xi lacking 'D' bone a pass; Calls for managing differences "History tells us that many wars broke out on holidays or at night when troops let their guard down. That is why we need to stay on high alert particularly when there are holidays, so we can stop any potentially dangerous moves or hostile reconnaissance," Fu said and pointed out frequent forays of US naval ships in the disputed South China Sea. China claims most of the 1.3 million square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. A large number of Indian and Chinese troops are also locked in a protracted standoff in eastern Ladakh. Chinese troops are also on alert over rising tensions with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its mainland. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Government officials have reportedly started using an Indian alternative to WhatsApp, which goes by the name of Sandes. Back in 2020, the Centre had revealed plans to develop a WhatsApp-like messaging platform. Apparently, the application is ready and is being tested by officials in several ministries. Officials have already started using the GIMS, an abbreviation for Government Instant Messaging System, according to a Business Standard report. This system has been christened Sandes, as confirmed by the official GIMS website, gims.gov.in. This is not to be confused with existing applications with similar names, like Sandesh. The GIMS opening page has ways to access the app, including sign-in LDAP, sign-in with Sandes OTP, and Sandes web. On tapping on any of the options, the page shows a message that reads, "This authentication method is applicable for authorised government officials." The application is meant to migrate government employees from social media networks that might lead to potential security risks. As of now, Sandes can exclusively be used by government officials, however, a broader rollout later cannot be ruled out. According to the reports, Sandes app can be run on both iOS and Android platforms. It also supports voice and data messages, similar to other modern-day chatting apps. The Sandes app's backend is handled by National Informatics Centre (NIC), which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. NIC provides the infrastructure to support the delivery of government IT services and the delivery of some of Digital India's initiatives. Sandes has come at a time when WhatsApp users are moving to other instant messaging platforms after the Facebook-owned app introduced is new privacy policy, which will share more of their data to its parent company. Also Read: WhatsApp working on feature that will let users mute videos before sharing with contacts Boris Johnson used to boast that his political hero was Larry Vaughn, the mayor from Jaws, who kept beaches open despite the shark attacks. That was then, pre-Covid. Today, Boris is still taking his cue from the Spielberg classic. But hes singing a different tune. Just when you thought it was safe . . . Britain may be on course to vaccinate 15 million of the most vulnerable people ahead of schedule. But that doesnt mean we can expect a return to something approaching normal life any time soon. Ministers and their advisers have been quick to crush any sense of euphoria which may briefly have been experienced by those of us lucky enough to receive our first jabs. Even after weve all had our second dose there is no immediate prospect of regaining the freedoms we once took for granted. Boris Johnson used to boast that his political hero was Larry Vaughn, the mayor from Jaws, who kept beaches open despite the shark attacks. That was then, pre-Covid. Today, Boris is still taking his cue from the Spielberg classic Unlike Larry Vaughn, the Prime Minister has abandoned the notion of trying to balance civil liberties and the needs of the economy with the risk to public safety. Despite the vaccines affording a significant level of protection against Covid, were told we should carry on behaving as if we have the virus. That means staying at home, wearing masks and, if we must go out, continuing to observe social distancing. The latest scare story coming out of SAGE, the Governments scientific advisory body, is that, far from the straitjacket being loosened, we may have to endure an even harsher lockdown, following the discovery that a new South African variant has arrived in Britain. Ministers remain confident that the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab will prevent this new strain causing serious problems. But SAGE member Professor Mike Tildesley says: Even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people who could potentially get infected and potentially pass it on, and it may mean more restrictions might be needed for longer. Thats a lot of potentiallys, coulds and mights. So who are we supposed to believe ministers or the experts? One minute were told by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that we can look forward to a great British summer. The next were informed that restrictions are likely to last for the next few years. According to another expert, Professor Tim Spector, of Kings College London, we can forget about big weddings and attending major sporting events for the foreseeable future. Those days are gone, he warned. Confused? Youre supposed to be. At the weekend it was reported that pubs and restaurants will be allowed to reopen as early as April, but they wont be able to sell alcohol. Thats since been denied, so who knows? The huge standing army of jobsworths are having a field day drawing up ridiculous new rules. Were back in scotch egg and substantial meal territory here. No doubt the pizza police are already exercising their tape measures, despite assurances that there will be no re-run of the idiocy we saw when the last lockdown was lifted, after a fashion. What a nightmare it must be trying to make any kind of plans for reopening your business, especially in the hospitality sector. Pubs have already had to pour away 87 million pints of beer, which theyve been unable to sell during lockdown. Everywhere you go, shops and offices have been boarded up for good. It remains to be seen how many firms will survive once furlough and other business support schemes end. Millions of people are going to find themselves unemployed, perhaps permanently. Boris has hinted that hell outline a roadmap out of lockdown later this month. But he insists it is still early days to talk about a return to anything remotely resembling a pre-Covid normal. The Covid shark's in retreat but beaches are still shut Early days? This has been going on for almost a year. We were led to believe that vaccination would be our get-out-of-jail card. Yet despite the magnificent efforts of the scientists at Oxford and Pfizer, and the hugely impressive rollout programme, theres no end in sight. Just as I predicted a couple of weeks ago, even when everyone in Britain has been vaccinated twice over, we will still be forced to curtail our freedoms. Well all be required to wear masks and observe social distancing for years to come. The punishment culture will be stubbornly resistant to all attempts to dismantle it. The most alarming development over the past year has been the inexorable rise of authoritarianism. New laws have been nodded through our emaciated Parliament with little or no scrutiny. Police and local authorities have been handed sweeping new powers by ministerial decree. Fines for breaches of Covid restrictions, however harmless, have been handed out like confetti. Discretion has been conspicuous by its absence. For instance, in Wiltshire, three motorists were fined 200 for driving their high-performance cars past the home of a young boy celebrating his ninth birthday. Ministers remain confident that the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab will prevent this new strain causing serious problems The drive-by was organised as a treat for Dalton Tilley, whose father is critically ill in hospital after suffering a stroke while being treated for Covid. How does fining these drivers for trying to cheer up a birthday boy missing his dad contribute to the fight against the coronavirus? Any more than fining two women out walking in Derbyshire carrying cups of peppermint tea? Answer: it doesnt. The police do it because they can. If and when we ever emerge from this nightmare, Britain will be a different country. The relationship between Government and the people has been changed irrevocably for the worse. When this pandemic kicked off, there was a sense that we were all in this together. Most of us went along with lockdown out of a sense of civic duty. We wanted to be seen to be doing our bit. But as the months have dragged on, that communitaire spirit has been transformed into something more sinister. People have been urged by police and ministers to grass up their neighbours for real or perceived breaches of coronavirus rules. Disgustingly, children have even been encouraged to rat on their parents. Rather than treating us as grown-ups and trusting us do the right thing, ministers and their cheerleaders have been turning the screw. Anyone questioning the wisdom of trashing the economy and suspending civil liberties is smeared disgracefully as a Covid denier willing to watch people die. Just look at the latest round of Government advertising, featuring stricken patients in oxygen masks, which seeks to portray us all as potential murderers if we forget to wear a face covering or keep our distance. Were no longer seen as citizens; were seen as the enemy, a reckless rabble who have to be corralled into compliance. Just as the vaccines hold out the hope of an end in sight, ministers have chosen deliberately to crank up the fear factor. What theyre really scared of, as Ive insisted all along, is being accused at the inevitable public inquiry of not doing everything to save lives. Theyd much rather pass the buck and blame the rest of us. We are asked to believe that Boris retains his libertarian instincts and yearns to set us free, but those pesky scientists wont let him. Im not so sure. This nominally Conservative Government has developed a taste for authoritarianism and centralised control. It was reported at the weekend that ministers plan to restore to Whitehall the running of the NHS, reversing years of devolving powers locally. Among their first acts will be launching a micro-managed anti-obesity campaign which will involve putting health warnings on packs of sausages. Its come to this. A Prime Minister who, in a previous life, applauded mothers who pushed fish and chips through school railings, in defiance of a healthy eating initiative, is now reduced to slapping ludicrous Government health warnings on bangers. Boris once aspired to emulate Mayor Vaughn from Jaws. But hes become so risk averse that even though the Covid shark is in retreat, hes prepared to keep the beaches closed in perpetuity, just to be on the safe side, regardless of the continuing damage to the economy and the freedoms he formerly championed. So much for the vaccine heralding a return to the Old Normal. Just when you thought it was safe... Appointment 8 February 2021 Carrying an extensive experience of managing Hyatt Hotels properties for years, Gonzalvez will manage and oversee all the key aspects of the hotel and will be leading the planned renovation of the property. Born and raised in France, Gonzalvez comes from a family of a hotelier. His career has taken him around the world including comprehensive experience in upper-upscale and luxury Hyatt properties in the UK, Australia, Asia and finally the Middle East. Among some of his achievements he was part of the opening team of the iconic Park Hyatt Saigon and has most recently opened the luxury Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi and Residences Emirates Pearl. Being able to work in different capacities globally, Gonzalvez comes with diverse cultural expertise. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Oregon pastor seeks to build worlds largest cedar log church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Joe Wardlow is preparing to build the worlds biggest wooden church because God gave him a mission. About 15 years ago, my wife went to a Bible study, he told The Christian Post. I was at home reading my Bible, and after I got done, I went into prayer. Thats when the Lord spoke to me to do this church. Wardlows website says that God told him to build a log church big enough to fit 800 people somewhere on Beavercreek Road in Oregon City, Oregon. The money would come through online funding and from donations by corporations. The church will be called Trails End Log Church. Construction on the church has not yet started. However, Wardlow has designed extensive plans for the churchs layout and worked to raise funds. He estimates that the projects full cost will be $19.7 million. Wardlow is now fundraising the $2.6 million required to purchase the property where he plans to eventually build the church. Well, its been about 14 years that the Lord gave me that vision, but He didnt open the doors until the last few months, so weve just started it, he explained. When completed, the church will be the biggest log church in the world, he said. It will be made of Canadian cedar. [There are many] verses in the Bible that mention cedar. David built a prayer chapel all out of cedar. Thats where the Ark of the Covenant was in, Wardlow said. [Cedar is] Gods favorite tree. Wardlow is working with a diverse board of leaders to build the church. They include an Ethiopian missionary, a major in the U.S. military and a retired Lutheran pastor. The boards work together has been very successful, he said. The properties, contacts with log construction companies and property availability have all come in their time. Everything seems to just click, click, click, click, click, he said of the process. Im just doing what the Lord wants to do, and He keeps opening up doors. The church will have multiple floors and buildings, according to Wardlows website. It will seat 800 and include a basement, high school and junior high classrooms, a prayer chapel and an administration building, he said. Its a big deal, the lay pastor declared. The property on which Wardlow plans to build the church once belonged to Columbia Christian College, which planned to build a church there, he said. It wasnt me. It was the Lord doing this, said Wardlow. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... The damage caused by wildfires can be devastating, gutting structures and driving out people who live and work nearby. And researchers say the smoke from the annually recurring blazes also delivers economic damage to areas that were never touched by the flames. Beyond the toll wildfire smoke can have on the health of those in affected areas, there are infrastructure and business costs, experts said. Expenses paid by homeowners to improve or increase measures to protect their properties and the impact of smoke on livelihoods and budgets can be significant. Wildfires that burned thousands of square miles throughout the U.S. West last year knocked out power, destroyed homes and buildings and forced evacuations. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Oregon and Colorado fires damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 buildings. Five of the six largest wildfires in Californias history occurred in 2020. Accompanying the fires was smoke that left Western communities immersed in gray and orange haze that blotted the sky and caused normally hot midday temperatures to remain at cool nighttime levels in some areas. Wildfire smoke plumes and their economic impact can travel far beyond the blazes, said Eric Zou, assistant professor of economics at the University of Oregon. When we think about health and labor market effects of wildfire, it is important to think beyond the areas in the immediate vicinity of the fires, Zou said. The European Unions Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported in September that smoke from western U.S. wildfires traveled nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) to Britain and other parts of northern Europe. Zou coauthored a paper with University of Illinois economists Mark Borgschulte and David Molitor on the economic effects of wildfires that was presented to an American Economic Association conference in January 2020. Molitor said there is a quantifiable economic relationship to the amount of smoke reaching communities. We estimate that an additional day of smoke exposure reduces earnings by about 0.04% over two years, Molitor said. The effect is largest in the year of smoke exposure, but the effects may linger for up to two years post-exposure. Benjamin Jones, assistant professor of economics at the University of New Mexico, said researchers are only beginning to understand the extent to which wildfire smoke impacts local economies. It is certainly possible, perhaps even likely, that the economic effects of wildfire smoke exposure may persist for months or even years after a large smoke event, he said. Jones said smoke exposure damaging the health of workers can affect job performance, labor market productivity and perhaps even wage earnings and retirement savings, Jones said. Prolonged and intense fires like those in the Pacific Northwest last year may affect peoples health in such a significant way that there are longer-term impacts to local economies well after the wildfire that caused the smoke has been extinguished, Jones said. Two of the most visible industries impacted by wildfire smoke are tourism and outdoor recreation. Jones cited U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis calculations that found the outdoor recreation economy accounted for $459.8 billion in 2019, or 2.1% of the national gross domestic product, which is the sum of all goods and services produced within a countrys borders. People tend to avoid national and state parks when wildfire smoke is present, which can depress local accommodation, hospitality and outdoor recreation industries, especially in rural areas in the American West, Jones said. A study released last October by the Urban Land Institute, a global organization of real estate and land use experts, found that real estate development is increasing in areas already prone to wildfires, with the results for urban centers including displaced populations and smoke damage. The research found developers, urban planners and public leaders increasingly are coordinating site, district, and regional scale resilience efforts, Elizabeth Foster, manager of the institutes Urban Resilience program, said in an email. Developers face particular economic risks including electricity outages causing business interruptions and construction delays, hazardous air quality and added costs such as advanced air filtration technology. For many major markets, wildfire smoke is projected to be a more frequent concern as climate change increases the number of wildfire burn days, Foster said. Developers have incorporated building engineering and design as methods to fight wildfire smoke, Foster said. Strategies to preserve indoor air quality include high-performance air filters, passive-house design principles to reduce the infiltration of unfiltered air, running certified air cleaners, installing sensors to provide real-time feedback on air quality, and regular maintenance of ventilation and HVAC systems, Foster said. The potential benefits of wildfire resilient development and infrastructure management for the real estate industry include tenant protection, loss prevention, improved property values and reduced insurance premiums, Foster said. Structures built to wildfire-informed building codes survive at higher rates, depending on the characteristics and severity of the wildfire, Foster said. Some developers said homebuyers increasingly expect for wildfire risks to taken into consideration for the houses they are considering buying, so a wildfire resilient development can be a competitive advantage, Foster said. Jones said he could envision a growing market for smoke avoidance investments such as better insulated houses and improved air filtration and purification systems for new homes, or as investments by current owners. Economists know that people take actions to prevent and reduce their exposure to air pollution, such as wildfire smoke, and it therefore seems likely that housing developers and potential and current homeowners are not going to be immune to these trends for the specific case of wildfire smoke, Jones said. Calculations by Western communities and business owners will need to take into consideration not just fires but the ensuing smoke. As Jones said, the wildfire season is growing longer and smoke is here to stay in the West. The potential economic impacts here may be quite large, Jones said. [February 08, 2021] Crown Castle Announces Proposed Offering of Senior Notes HOUSTON, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) ("Crown Castle") announced today that it is commencing a public offering of one or more series of senior notes, subject to market and other conditions. The notes will be issued by Crown Castle International Corp. Crown Castle intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to redeem or repurchase all of its outstanding 5.250% Senior Notes due 2023, repay a portion of the outstanding indebtedness under its commercial paper program and a portion of the outstanding borrowings under its Senior Unsecured Term Loan A Facility, and pay fees and expenses related to the foregoing. Barclays, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup, MUFG, and RBC Capital Markets are the joint book-running managers of the offering. The offering is being made pursuant to the existing effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by contacting any joint book-running manager using the information provided below. An electronic copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying prospectus, is also available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. This press release shall not constitute a notice of redemption under the optional redemption provisions of the indenture governing Crown Castles outstanding 5.250% Senior Notes due 2023. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualificaion under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on Crown Castle management's current expectations. Such statements include plans, projections and estimates regarding the proposed offering, including the use of proceeds therefrom. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including prevailing market conditions and other factors. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. More information about potential risk factors that could affect Crown Castle and its results is included in Crown Castle's filings with the SEC. The term "including," and any variation thereof, means "including, without limitation." ABOUT CROWN CASTLE Crown Castle owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 80,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. This nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them. JOINT BOOK-RUNNING MANAGERS CONTACT INFORMATION Barclays Capital Inc. c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions 1155 Long Island Avenue Edgewood, NY 11717 Telephone: 1-888-603-5847 Email: barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com BofA Securities, Inc. NC1-004-03-43 200 North College Street, 3rd floor Charlotte NC 28255-0001 Attn: Prospectus Department Email: dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com Citigroup Global Markets Inc. c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions 1155 Long Island Avenue Edgewood, NY 11717 Telephone: 1-800-831-9146 E-mail: prospectus@citi.com MUFG Securities Americas Inc. 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, NY 10020 Attn: Capital Markets Group Telephone: 1-877-649-6848 RBC Capital Markets, LLC 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10281 Attn: Transaction Management Telephone: 1-866-375-6829 Facsimile: 212-658-6137 E-Mail: rbcnyfixedincomeprospectus@rbccm.com? CONTACTS Dan Schlanger, CFO Ben Lowe, VP & Treasurer Crown Castle International Corp. 713-570-3050 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] How you are feeling? Where you have been? Who you have been around? (TNS) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, not many people had heard the term "contact tracing," let alone knew how it related to the virus.Contact tracing helps slow the spread of the virus by alerting people to possible exposures, helping people exposed to the virus get tested, and asking people with the virus to self-isolate if they have the virus or self-quarantine if they have been exposed.Public health agencies have used contact tracing as a standard tool in controlling the spread of diseases for decades. Through contact tracing, public health agencies track how a disease is spreading, as well as notify people who may have been exposed.In the case of the smallpox epidemic, doctors used contact tracing with targeted vaccinations to mitigate the disease. "Smallpox no longer occurs naturally since it was totally eradicated by a lengthy and painstaking process, which identified all cases and their contacts and ensured that they were all vaccinated," the World Health Organization's website reported.The Colorado State Joint Information Center reported that is has around 400 contact tracers consisting of AmeriCorps service members and volunteers, full-time temporary staff and some Colorado School of Public Health students.This number does not take in account contact tracers employed by local public health agencies.However, the quick spread of the virus has caused issues with the contact tracing process across Colorado and the U.S."The infection rate quickly outstripped the ability, just in terms of manpower, to do contact tracing," State Representative and medical doctor Yadira Caraveo said. "I'm sure there is still some going on, particularly with super spreader events. But I think the agencies are really focused on vaccine rollout."Justin Beck is founder and CEO of Contakt World, a contact tracing company that assists governments, health agencies, businesses and institutions with connecting to their communities through technology and innovative tools.Beck founded the company in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began to quickly spread across the U.S. and world."I was frustrated with the lack of resources and technology available to public health agencies, so I got together with a team and we started innovating a process," Beck explained. "Our country, as modern as we are and the way that technology has evolved, but somehow our public health infrastructure is still stuck in the 1970s."With many people being asymptomatic with the virus, it makes the contact tracing process difficult, Beck said. Combine that with a disease that moves very fast, and things get even more complicated.In addition, the lack of a federal response and plan has left state and county agencies to figure out their own ways of mitigating the disease."We find that the most effective contact tracing is done by the local experts that know their community," Beck said. "You can imagine that it's a very intimate process. You get a phone call and you're supposed to talk to them about where you've been and who you've been with."People have many different ways to communicate now a days texts, emails, phone calls and Beck's company helps public health agencies utilize all of these options to best reach the largest number of people throughout a community.Discussions with contact tracers are confidential, and any personal or medical information will be shared with only those who may need to know, such as your health care provider.While the contact tracer or health department may notify people you have been around, your name and identity will not be shared.Some of the questions contact tracers may ask a person that has tested positive for the virus or has been exposed to COVID-19 include:Contact tracers will never ask you for money, your Social Security number, any bank account information, salary information or credit card numbers.If you are asked any of these questions or are asked for other personal information from a contact tracer, this is a sure sign of a scam. You should hang up immediately and contact your local police department.The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also has an app that notifies the phone's owner if they have been exposed to the virus. The app doesn't record your name or location, and downloading the app doesn't give the state access to any personal data.According to the AddYourPhone.com website, each phone that downloads the app is given a random sequence of numbers that changes every few minutes.Phones with the apps exchange these numbers, and people who test positive for the virus can record their result in the app.Phones that have exchanged the random numbers will be alerted that they have been exposed to the virus without exchanging any personal or identifying information.The app is available for both iPhone and Android users and is free to use. The app is designed to use Bluetooth and data minimally and typically has no impact on battery life."I have it on my phone and it hasn't gone off, but I do know people whose phone has," said statehouse representative for District 50 Mary Young in a recent town hall meeting. "I know early on we just didn't have the capacity to do it (contact tracing) the way it needed to be done."According to Beck, the state of Colorado and many other states have been beyond its contact tracing capacity for some time."It's not realistic that our underfunded public health agencies, when they are already taxed even before the pandemic, are expected to go and do this gargantuan task," Beck said. "Our company is trying to make sure we can more effectively manage the contact tracing capacity now so that we are never in this position again."The use of contact tracing will be imperative to prevent other viruses and diseases from running rampant like the COVID-19 virus."If you look back, even before a vaccine was available, there are countries that did a better job of managing COVID-19 and all they did was rely on successful public health practices," Beck explained. "Which were wearing masks, social distancing and contact tracing. They would find cases, and then support those cases in isolation. We just got so behind the eight ball when we politicized this and didn't listen to the experts."With the new, more contagious strain of the COVID-19 virus having now entered the U.S., contact tracing will be more important now than ever."I believe that we are going to see a much more coordinated federal response and standards and integration of all these systems where we link testing, tracing and vaccination, which is so important," Beck said. "The other thing the government is doing more aggressively now is strain surveillance, where they look at the test of the strain of an individual and genetically sequence it to learn about that mutation."However, without linking testing, tracing and vaccination, it will be hard to get a full picture of the status of the pandemic."We might understand where a variant might be, like in Colorado or southern California," Beck said. "But until we really link the data around the test results that that variant is here and have the context of contact tracing next to it, we are never going to really understand are these vaccines working for these new mutations, how fast is this mutation transmit?" TIRUPATI: Yoga is immensely gainful while countering personal and professional challenges across all spheres, observed President Ram Nath Kovind at the Satsang Foundation ashram here on Sunday. The Foundation was established by Sri M at Madanapalle in Chittoor district in 1994 and built on the principles of service, community welfare and welfare of all living beings. Earlier, the President was welcomed on his arrival by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his cabinet colleagues. Kovind began his visit by spending personal time with spiritual teacher, social reformer and educationist Sri M, at the Sri Guru Babajis shrine, located inside the ashram. He later inaugurated the Yogashala at Bharat Yoga Vidya Kendra. Appreciating the fact that students had come to Madanapalle from all corners of the country for the yoga course, Kovind said that life is full of challenges and yoga is very effective in overcoming them. When I heard about Sri M, I requested him to teach me Kriya Yoga and found that it was a comprehensive and holistic discipline for the elevation of the mind as well as to keep one physically fit, he remarked. Interacting with students of the first yoga teacher training program, the President asserted the importance of yoga and physical exercise. The most important aspect of yoga is that it creates a healthy mind in a healthy body besides helping to explore the deeper aspects of consciousness. Students should inculcate the habit of meditation and yoga as they will improve their thinking capabilities and ensure all-round development, he added. After aarti and planting a peepal tree, he unveiled the foundation stone for Swaasthya Hospitals, an initiative of Satsang Foundation. The 38-bed hospital will provide affordable and quality health care to the semi-urban and rural population in Madanapalle. The President also interacted with students and teachers of Satsang Vidyalaya, which is a free school that has been concentrating on holistic development, quality education, nutrition, and health care services for children from marginalised communities since 1991. The President also visited The Peepal Grove School, founded by Sri M and inaugurated by the then President, Dr. APJ Kalam in December 2006. Mother Mary Katherine Buford, age 85, of Dalton, Georgia, passed away Monday, February 8, 2021. She was born March 5, 1935. She was a graduate of Emery Street School and was a licensed LPN. She retired as a nurse supervisor at Central State Hospital. She was a Matron and served on the Mothers Board at New Hope Baptist Church. She was a co-founder of Living Word of God Church in Milledgeville, Ga. She was a member of the Womans Community Club and loved traveling. She was proudly presented the Key to the City of Dalton by Mayor David Pennington. She was preceded by her father, Warren Jones, mother, Georgia Mae Bates, brothers, Melvin Jones and Joseph Jones, and sister, Janice Mays. She is survived by her loving children, son, Malcolm (Valeria) Fain of Dalton, GA; daughters, Cynthia Johnson of Milledgeville, GA, Sheila Dennard, and Janice Fain both of Dalton, GA; grandchildren, Scottie Fain, Tamekia (Deron) Lovette, Tristan (Ashley) Fain, Gerrick (Sandy) Johnson, Gericka (Johnny) Moore, Roderick Freeman, John Trey Dennard III, Zachriell Beckham, and Jashia Adams; 16 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren; brother, Vollie (LaChrisia) Macon of Chicago, Illinois; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. A family only funeral service will be held Friday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m. at Willis Funeral Home with Rev. Rodney Weaver, eulogist. A walkthrough visitation will take place Thursday, Feb. 11, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at West Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Willis Funeral Home, Inc., Dalton, Ga. Japan on February 8 said that it has protested against China over two incursions into Japanese territorial waters that come after Beijing enacted legislation toughening its response to violations of its own maritime territory, the Kyodo news agency cited senior Fireign Ministry official as saying. Japan and China dispute over the ownership of the unhabituated islets in the East China Sea. While Tokyo terms it the Senkakus, Beijing has called it the Diaoyu. However, as per reports, the rocky islets are maintained by Japan with regularly protesting the violation of its territory by Chinese vessels. This latest row between Japan and China came amid heightened tensions after Beijing enacted legislation allowing its coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships that it views as illegally entering its waters. The Japanese governments spokesperson Katsubonu Kato said Tokyo had protested after two Chinese coast guard ships entered what it calls its own waters off the Senaku islands on Saturday and Sunday. Kato said that a strong protest was made through their diplomatic routes with Japan demanding China to immediately stop. Read - Profit At Japan's SoftBank Zooms On Lucrative Investments Read - Japan Scientists To Study Source Of High Heat On Asteroid Japanese vessels demanded China to leave He also said that the Japanese vessels had repeatedly demanded the two Chinese coast guard ships to leave while ensuring the safety of the vessels. Kato added, Japan can never tolerate such actions. However, under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping whose aim is to make the nation a maritime power, Chinese coast guard vessels have regularly been sent around the disputed islands. As per reports, in 2020, Chinese ships were confirmed to be present in the contagious zone of the islets for a total of 333 days, which is the highest number to date. Apart from East Chian Sea dispute with Japan, Chinas expansionist agenda has claimed the entire South China Sea over the competing partial claims from a range of nations including Brunei, Malaysia, the Phillippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. China has also sidelined the 2016 international tribunal ruling that declared its assertion as without basis. Earlier, Japan Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told UK counterpart that Japan is staying alert and paying close attention to its effect on us. Read - Japan Regrets Sri Lanka's Scrapping Of Port Terminal Deal Read - Japan Expresses Concern To UK Over New Chinese Maritime Law Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that 11 Rafale aircraft have arrived in India while the entire batch of aircraft will come by April 2022 in the country. "11 Rafale aircraft have arrived in India. By this March, India will have 17 Rafale aircraft. By April 2022, all Rafale aircraft (the entire batch) will come to India," said Singh while responding to a question posed by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Mahesh Poddar in the Rajya Sabha. Poddar had asked the Defence Minister about how many Rafaels have come to India, how many are supposed to come, and till when they will be battle-ready. The minister also responded to a question raised by All India Trinamool Congress MP Dr Santanu Sen on "any probability of privatisation of few aspects of the Defence in coming days?" Responding to his query, Singh said "We are emphasising on indigenisation and have chosen 101 items that won't be imported from other nations but will be manufactured in India by Indians." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A coalition of Alabama activists played a key role in pushing Regions Bank, Alabamas largest financial-services institution, to cease its financial relationship with CoreCivic, a Tennessee-based private prison company, according to a story on Reckon. Regions Bank told AL.com on Jan. 30 that it will no longer extend credit to CoreCivic after its current contract with the company ends in 2023. The financial institution cited the influence of multiple social justice groups for its decision. Prior to the announcement, Black Lives Matter Birmingham, social justice nonprofit Faith and Works and Alabama Students Against Prisons met with bank executives at Regions Center in downtown Birmingham on Jan. 26th. Cara McClure, cofounder of BLM Birmingham and founder of Faith and Works, set up the meeting after teaming up with Alabama Students Against Prisons, an organization comprised of more than 300 college students across the state who are dedicated to fighting against prison expansion. McClure started the meeting explaining how the War on Drugs led to the incarceration of Black men in her neighborhood. She also noted that Regions relationship with CoreCivic went against the banks commitment to racial justice issued by its CEO last summer. State and federal audits and investigations have documented a history of violence, medical concerns and understaffing at CoreCivics institutions. To me, theres nothing more powerful than grassroots the ones who dont get paid to do what they do, McClure said. The success of the meeting highlights grassroots organizations ongoing effort to stop prison expansion, which could be a long fight in Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey recently signed two 30-year lease agreements with CoreCivic to build two of the states three new prisons despite lawmakers concerns about cost and transparency. The group Alabama Students Against Prisons, or ASAP, organized a protest against Regions in late December. Morgan Duckett, one of the groups cofounders, said college students want to have a say about the decisions that are being made in Alabama. We are the future leaders of the state, and through that were building a lot of power, Duckett said. A lot of our power comes from our leaders knowing that were leaving. They know that were not proud of the state. So, its really about building a state that I can be proud of, effecting change in my community and holding my community accountable to these changes is a big driving force for me. Next, student activists who want to halt prison expansion plan to lobby lawmakers this session. ASAP educates students about how to contact their lawmakers and the state of Alabamas prisons during their weekly days of action on Zoom. ASAP even provides students with legislators Twitter handles to tag in posts. BLM Birmingham plans to erect billboards across Alabama to bring attention to the multiple ways state leaders and businesses contribute to mass incarceration. I just have a thing for the underdog, the marginalized folks, people who are in the margins, Black folks in general and for young people, McClure said. Its about being there for who Jesus would be there for. You can read the full story at ReckonSouth.com. I hope you have enjoyed your subscription to Nation.Africa. On behalf of the Nation Media Group, thank you for trusting us. Some stories just deserve to be told. The story of how what appeared to be 'fun' consumer digital technology has brought such tremendous change to the media - how we publish, how you consume and how we are funded, is one of them. But it is a good story and because of it I have some exciting news to share. We will soon -- very soon -- be launching paid content on Nation.Africa. It will contain in-depth investigative reporting as well as the most thoughtful opinion from the continent and beyond. Nation Audio will bring you the best in experimental and creative podcasts. Another fresh segment, Nation Puzzles, will stimulate your mind. This premium content, a small part of our offering, is what you will need to pay a small fee for. You will get five articles to enjoy and share every month absolutely free and only after exhausting five will you be requested to pay. There are stories which deserve to be untold - corrected, contextualised, retold. The world is full of fake news, prejudice and stereotyping. On Nation.Africa we will always tell stories in a way that does justice to the facts and to our continent. Thank you for joining us on this journey and being part of our mission to transform society positively. It is an honour and privilege to serve you. Yours Sincerely, This photograph provided by Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) shows a man reacting after he was pulled out from beneath the ground by ITBP personnel during rescue operations after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (Indo Tibetan Border Police via AP) Indian rescue crews struggled to reach trapped victims Sunday after part of a glacier in the Himalayas broke off and released a torrent of water and debris that slammed into two hydroelectric plants. At least nine people were killed and 140 were missing in a disaster experts said appeared to point to global warming. Video from India's northern state of Uttarakhand showed the muddy, concrete-gray floodwaters tumbling through a valley and surging into a dam, breaking it into pieces with little resistance before roaring on downstream. The flood turned the countryside into what looked like an ash-colored moonscape. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups and police took part in the search-and-rescue operation, including soldiers expert in mountaineering, working into the night under bright halogen lights, authorities said. The flood was caused when a portion of Nanda Devi glacier snapped off in the morning, releasing water trapped behind it, authorities said. It rushed down the mountain and into other bodies of water, forcing the evacuation of many villages along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. A hydroelectric plant on the Alaknanda was destroyed, and a plant under construction on the Dhauliganga was damaged, said Vivek Pandey, a spokesman for the paramilitary Indo Tibetan Border Police. Flowing out of the Himalayan mountains, the two rivers meet before merging with the Ganges River. This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows a massive flood of water, mud and debris flowing at Chamoli District after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (KK Productions via AP) Pandey said at least 42 workers were trapped in two tunnels at the Dhauliganga project. Twelve were rescued from one of the tunnels, while at least 30 others remained stranded inside the other, he said. "The rescuers used ropes and shovels to reach the mouth of the tunnel. They dug through the debris and entered the tunnel. They are yet to come in touch with the stranded people," said Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand's top elected official. An additional 140 workers at the two plants were missing, Pandey said. Surjeet Singh, a police official, said at least nine bodies were recovered. The Himalayan area has a chain of hydropower projects on several rivers and their tributaries. Rawat said authorities were able to save other power units downstream because of timely action taken to release water by opening gates. This photograph provided by Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) shows ITBP personnel arriving for rescue work after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand sending a massive flood of water, mud and debris into areas below, India, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (Indo Tibetan Border Police via AP) The floodwaters also damaged houses, said Ravi Bejaria, a government spokesman, though he had no details on the number and whether any of the residents were injured, missing or dead. "It all started sometime around 10 in the morning. We heard a bang, which shook our village," Dinesh Negi, a resident of Raini village, told The Associated Press by phone. He said they watched from high above one of the rivers as the water turned muddy and surged in a torrent. "We knew something wrong had happened," Negi said. "We could see the fury of the river." Video showed rescuers in camouflage uniforms and bright yellow or red helmets, using ropes to reach victims. A man who was pulled from a muddy hole threw his arms in the air, and rescuers laughed and exulted with him. Rescue workers comforted victims lying in a row of stretchers in the open. People inspect the site near the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) This photograph provided by Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) shows ITBP personnel begin rescue work after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand sending a massive flood of water, mud and debris into areas below, India, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (Indo Tibetan Border Police via AP) A view of the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district after portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) A view of the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) A view of the damaged Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village in Chamoli district after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) Mud and slash are seen in the Dhauliganga River after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Tapovan area of the northern state of Uttarakhand, Sunday, Feb.7, 2021. (AP Photo) Scientists have long known that global warming is contributing to the melting and the breakup of the world's glaciers. Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct professor at the Indian School of Business who has contributed to U.N.-sponsored research on global warming, said that while data on the cause of the disaster was not yet available, "this looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting due to global warming." Uttarakhand Police Chief Ashok Kumar said officials immediately alerted residents in the area and evacuated them to safer places. Downstream, popular tourist spots on the banks of the Ganges were shut, and all boating activities were stopped. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that "the nation prays for everyone's safety" in Uttarakhand. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in Uttarakhand after heavy rains triggered landslides and floods, washing away thousands of houses and roads and cutting communications in many places. Explore further Indian rescuers to airlift bodies back from Himalaya slope 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Ms. Fernandes has held a number of executive roles in business development, commercial strategy operations, and country management over her 22-year career in the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, she served as Takeda's Group Vice-President and Head of Rare Disease Franchise for Europe and Canada, responsible for a portfolio of more than 15 brands across three disease areasnamely Rare Metabolic Disorders, Rare Hematology, and Rare Hereditary Angioedema and Transplantsin a total of 38 countries. "Rute is an inspiring leader who has acquired broad experience in senior management roles and a deep understanding of rare diseases internationally," said Giles Platford, President of the Europe and Canada Business Unit at Takeda. "Canada is a critical market for Takeda's global operations and I am confident that under Rute's leadership, Takeda will strengthen our position as a leading biopharmaceutical company in the country, delivering highly innovative medicines and transformative care to Canadians." Takeda is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company with an unwavering commitment to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world. Established in Canada in 2009, Takeda is one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies in Canada and a leader in the treatment of rare diseases. "I am delighted to have been selected to lead Takeda Canada and work alongside the many talented individuals that make up the Canadian Team," said Rute Fernandes. "This is an important time for our industry in Canada, and I look forward to ensuring sustainable access to innovative medicines for Canadians who need them most." Ms. Fernandes holds a Master's in Economics from the Nova School of Business & Economics and an MBA from HEC Lausanne. About Takeda Canada Inc. Takeda Canada Inc. is the Canadian marketing and sales organization of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, headquartered in Japan. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ( TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK ) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Rare Diseases and Neuroscience. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. Additional information about Takeda Canada is available at www.takeda.com/en-ca SOURCE Takeda Canada, Inc. For further information: Media Contact: Amanda Jacobs, [email protected], +1 647 798 2231 Related Links www.takedacanada.com Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian (L) hands over the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 7, 2021. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) China's generous donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia symbolizes long-lasting friendship and cooperation between the two countries, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong. PHNOM PENH, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said that China's generous donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia symbolizes long-lasting friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Sunday and an inoculation drive will be launched on Wednesday. Namhong expressed his heartfelt gratitude to China for providing the Sinopharm vaccine to Cambodia, saying that it was the first vaccine that Cambodia had received so far. This donation symbolizes our long-lasting friendship and cooperation written down in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the plan of action for building the Cambodia-China Community of Shared Future (2019-2023), he told Xinhua on Sunday. Workers transfer the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 7, 2021. (Photo by Gao Bingnan/Xinhua) "I am confident that this valuable donation will certainly contribute to preventing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia, even though we will receive, in coming months, more vaccines from dialogue partners and WHO's Covax to inoculate millions of our people," he added. Namhong said he observed that Chinese vaccines have been utilized to vaccinate millions of people in China as well as in some countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. "According to information I received, these vaccines have had efficacy and no side effect," he said. "Many leaders of these countries have been inoculated voluntarily with these Chinese vaccines." He said COVID-19 vaccines should not be a contentious issue among countries and producers, but should be utilized to keep safe the peoples around the world, especially in developing countries. Workers transfer the China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 7, 2021. (Photo by Gao Bingnan/Xinhua) Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister praised China for having provided vaccines to developing countries, saying that its emergency aid is crucial because developing countries have limited financial resources to purchase vaccines. The Southeast Asian nation has seen remarkable success in containing the spread of COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Health, the kingdom has so far registered a total of 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 456 recoveries. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain An international team of experts wrapping up a month spent in China investigating the COVID-19 pandemic's origins will brief the media in Wuhan on Tuesday, the WHO announced. "The international team working to understand the origins of the COVID-19 virus is completing its four weeks' stay in Wuhan, China and together with their Chinese colleagues will participate in a press conference," the World Health Organization said Monday. The briefing will be held at 3:30pm (0730 GMT) at a hotel in the city, the Chinese foreign ministry said. It will be live-streamed in English on the UN health agency's digital and social media platforms. The first COVID-19 cases were detected in Wuhan in December 2019. Scientists think the diseasewhich has gone on to kill more than 2.3 million people worldwideoriginated in bats and could have been transmitted to humans via another mammal. But there are no definitive answers so far and top WHO officials have played down the chances of the sensitive mission finding them on the first attempt. They have said the Wuhan visit will likely throw up many more questions that need answering. Since emerging from their initial 14-day hotel quarantine, the WHO experts have visited a number of high-profile sites linked to the pandemic origins, including a seafood market where people were first found falling ill. A trip last Wednesday to the Wuhan Institute of Virology was one of the highest-profile events on the agenda due to the controversial theory it might have been the source of the pandemic. Scientists at the laboratory conduct research on some of the world's most dangerous diseases, including strains of bat coronaviruses similar to COVID-19. Speculation emerged early in the pandemic that the virus could have accidentally leaked from the lab in Wuhan, although there was no evidence provided to back up that theory. Then-US president Donald Trump and his supporters seized on those rumours and amplified them with conspiracy theories that China had deliberately leaked the virus. Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the WHO mission, said the inspectors had "very frank" discussions with Chinese scientists about the source of the pandemicincluding theories that it leaked from the laboratory, he told AFP last Thursday. While he did not identify specific theories, Ben Embarek described some of them as irrational and insisted the investigators would not waste time chasing the wildest claims. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Port Arthur, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2021 -- Biomedical Waste Solutions, LLC is a leading Tulsa medical waste disposal company that is known for their low cost, reliable and compliant services. They take care of the medical waste disposal in Oklahoma City and Tulsa that too in compliance with state and federal laws. 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Media Contact BioMedical Waste Solutions, LLC Phone: +1-844-913-7769 Website: https://www.biomedicalwastesolutions.com/oklahoma-city-medical-waste-disposal/ During Leaders Questions in the Dail, the leader of the opposition Mary Lou McDonald suggested to the Taoiseach that a system of mandatory hotel quarantine is necessary and a no-brainer. The Taoiseach responded that there are compelling legal reasons why it is not possible to introduce such a system, related to the constitutional protection of personal liberties and freedoms. Is it the case that mandatory hotel quarantine might be unconstitutional? Such a system has been successfully introduced in other jurisdictions with similar legal traditions to our own, including Australia and New Zealand. Of course, we have a different Constitution to theirs, but on its face, there is nothing in the text of the document that would preclude the introduction of mandatory hotel quarantine. Article 40.4 states that no citizen shall be deprived of his personal liberty save in accordance with law. While a 14-day mandatory quarantine in a hotel room might amount to a deprivation of liberty, this does not make it unconstitutional once it is in accordance with law. The courts have said that this means without stooping to methods which ignore the fundamental norms of the legal order postulated by the Constitution. Several other constitutional rights are also restricted by mandatory hotel quarantine, including the right to freedom of movement within the State and the freedom to work. However, it is well established that no constitutional rights are absolute, and their exercise may be regulated by the Oireachtas when the common good requires this. All legislation is presumed to be constitutional until the contrary is proven and the courts have stated that the decision of the Oireachtas should prevail unless it lacks reasonable proportion or is shown to be so contrary to reason and fairness as to constitute an unjust attack. Can it really be said that mandatory hotel quarantine fails this test? Mandatory hotel quarantine balances the rights of the traveller arriving in Ireland against the right to life of those who might die as a result of Covid-19 infections introduced into Ireland from abroad. The courts have on many occasions held that the right to life ranks first in the hierarchy of constitutional rights. The risk of the introduction of new variants is a particularly important factor here, due to the experience of the surge of Covid-19 cases in December and January after the introduction of the UK variant and the risk that new variants may undermine future efficacy of vaccination programmes. More broadly, mandatory hotel quarantine aims at maximizing the effectiveness of the other Covid-19 restrictions and allowing for their relaxation in due course, in a manner seen in Australia and New Zealand. As such, it can be linked to the protection of all the other rights of Irish residents which are currently impacted by Covid restrictions. These rights include the right of freedom of movement within the State, the freedom to work, the right to free primary education and the right to freed practice of religion. The impact of mandatory hotel quarantine is significantly less than the scale of the other interferences that it is designed to prevent. No one will die. Several other constitutional rights are also restricted by mandatory hotel quarantine, including the right to freedom of movement within the State and the freedom to work. The number of people who might be subjected to mandatory hotel quarantine is comparatively tiny compared to the entire population of Ireland, who are currently subjected to severe restrictions of their rights. The period of time (14 days) is far shorter than the many months of lockdown imposed in both 2020 and again in 2021. And perhaps most importantly, people can elect whether to travel to Ireland, and can simply avoid quarantine by not travelling. This cannot be said of the nearly five million residents who have no way of avoiding the longstanding Covid restrictions. In addition to having been successfully operated in legally similar jurisdictions, its introduction in Ireland has been recommended by multiple leading experts in public health or infectious diseases, including Prof Anthony Staines, Dr Tomas Ryan, Dr Niall Conroy and Prof Sam McConkey. In light of all of this, is it credible to suggest that it is perfectly constitutional to leave children with special needs out of school for months on end, or to close down someones restaurant or pub, or to prevent religious people from attending churches almost indefinitely but that a 14- day mandatory hotel quarantine lacks reasonable proportion or is so contrary to reason and fairness as to constitute an unjust attack on constitutional rights? In assessing proportionality, the courts ask whether a law impairs rights as little as possible. Any challenge to mandatory hotel quarantine would be met with the defence that 14 days is the minimum period that can ensure the prevention of the spread of the virus, since PCR tests can have a false negative rate up to 29%. It is not workable to only apply mandatory hotel quarantine to countries where new variants have arisen, since those variants have already spread beyond those countries. Finally, in the same way that other Covid restrictions have included limited exceptions for certain cases (such as the death of a family member or essential work), a mandatory hotel quarantine regime could do likewise. If it only applied to people whose travel into Ireland was outside of such exceptions, it is difficult to imagine a court striking it down. Any such challenge must be placed in the wider context of trends in Irish constitutional law. Since the turn of the Millennium, in particular, the Irish courts have had a settled preference for deferring to the judgment of the Oireachtas and upholding laws in cases where complex or controversial judgments need to be made on social or economic policy. This tendency would likely be particularly pronounced in the context of laws enacted in a time of crisis and informed by very specific medical and scientific expertise which is not shared by the judiciary. All in all, my conclusion is that a law enacted by the Oireachtas imposing 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine on travellers arriving into Ireland would be highly likely to survive constitutional challenge, particularly if it included some narrowly drawn exceptions to cater for cases where the impact was most extreme (for example, in the event of the death of an immediate family member). :: Professor Conor OMahony lectures in constitutional law at the School of Law at University College Cork. ADVERTISEMENT Following the cult clashes at Alakuko, Dalemo and Kola areas of Lagos State, the police said they had arrested 19 suspects and restored normalcy to the areas. The crisis, which started on Sunday, has made many residents remain indoors seeking safety. Although police officers were drafted to the neighbourhood to contain the crisis, the number of casualties from the incident is yet to be ascertained. In a statement by Muyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos police spokesperson on Monday, the arrested suspects will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for investigation. Mr Adejobi said the command had deployed additional police personnel, including Police Mobile Force, to curtail the hoodlums and restore normalcy to the affected communities. The statement quoted Hakeem Odumosu, the commissioner of police in the state, as saying that the intelligence at the commands disposal revealed that the hoodlums came from Otta axis of Ogun State to lay siege on the affected border communities on cult-related crises and the command has been repelling them. Items recovered from them included dangerous weapons, assorted charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, the police said. Police meet over insecurity Following unrest and cult clashes being recorded in several parts of Lagos State, Mr Odumosu had an emergency meeting with Area Commanders and Police Mobile Force Commanders in Lagos. According to the police spokesperson, the meeting centred on the general security and public safety of Lagos State as the command has recorded some acts of lawlessness in some areas of the state. Mr Adejobi said during the meeting, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Odumosu, renewed his commitment to suppressing any act of lawlessness and hooliganism across the length and breadth of the state. Mr Odumosu called on community leaders in Alakuko, Dalemo and Kola areas to support the police in combating the crises and getting rid of the bad boys and their antics in their respective areas and in the state at large. He assured that the command is working with the Ogun State Police Command to reduce the activities of the hoodlums and cultists in the border areas and towns across the state to the barest level. The police chief also warned motorcycle operators, commercial drivers and Lagosians to respect the laws of the state and desist from attacking police personnel and other security operatives who are enforcing the Lagos State Traffic Regulations and COVID-19 safety protocols. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The above has been published by Proactive Investors Limited (the "Company") on its website and is made available subject to the terms and conditions of use of its website (see T&C ). ... The Tamil Nadu government on Monday offered all possible assistance to Uttarakhand, where a glacier burst triggered a deluge killing 10 people on Sunday and left over 140 missing. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed grief over the deaths. "On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu and the state government, I extend my deep condolences and sympathies to the families of those killed in the flood," he said in a statement. "The Tamil Nadu government is prepared to extend all assistance to Uttarakhand," he added. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 10 people dead and 143 others missing. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: UN ready to contribute to ongoing rescue efforts, says Antonio Guterres Also read: Uttarakhand avalanche damages part of under-construction hydropower plant in Tapovan: NTPC A video of a Canadian Opposition lawmaker quizzing sitting Procurement Minister Anita Anand over contacting India to procure Covid-19 vaccines for the country is being widely shared on social media. Michelle Rempel Garner, a Conservative MP and Shadow Minister for Health, in a meeting of the standing committee on health asked if the Trudeau government had reached out to Prime Minister Modi for vaccines. 'Have you phoned Prime Minister Modi?' Garner asked, Has the minister or Prime Minister phoned Prime Minister Modi to ask if we could get vaccines from India? Anand, clearly caught off-guard responded, "Well, thank you for that question. I am in regular communication with organisations and countries around the world to secure doses of additional vaccines." Garner again asked, "Have you phoned Prime Minister Modi?" and Anand replied, "I personally have not phoned Prime Minister Modi and I cannot speak for anyone else in our government." To another question asking whether the Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) had reached out to the Indian government, Anand said, "I do not know." On not receiving any answer, Michelle Rempel Garner said, "she doesn't know! That is frightening." The Minister said she was "scouring the globe to find vaccines". I asked if she or Trudeau had called @narendramodi. Nope. pic.twitter.com/ExGCUStn1B Michelle Rempel Garner (@MichelleRempel) February 5, 2021 India has been sending out vaccine doses in large numbers to other countries under the "Vaccine Maitri" initiative. Till now, as many as 15 countries have received COVID-19 vaccine supplies from India, while another 25 countries are queued at different levels to receive supplies, Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar has said. He added that the countries that wish to get vaccines from India include three categories poor countries, countries which are price-sensitive, and other nations which directly deal with the vaccine-making pharmaceutical companies, according to a report by news agency PTI. However, Canada has not contacted India so far. Another reason could be trepidation on the part of the Justin Trudeau administration after meddling in India's internal affairs over the farmer protests. Trudeau had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests, and expressed concern over the situation. The matter was taken up with the Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and India conveyed that such comments pertaining to the "internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable and would damage India-Canada bilateral relations." READ | Host farmers at your house like you did Obama; barricade Chinese not farmers: Owaisi to PM READ | 'My depiction of Bhairavi': Kangana Ranaut introduces her character from movie 'Dhaakad' Trudeau tries to reassure Canadians Justin Trudeau, last week tried to reassure Canadians his plan to vaccinate them is working despite mounting criticism his government is not getting vaccines soon enough. Trudeau said there is a lot of anxiety and a lot of noise, but said Canada is still on track to get 6 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by the end of March and 20 million in the spring. Both Pfizer and Moderna have cut the number of doses Canada expected to get thus far, but Trudeau says he still expects to get 4 million doses from Pfizer and 2 million from Moderna by the end of March. Trudeau reiterated that Canada has signed contracts with seven different vaccine makers and he expects Canada will get more doses per person than any other country in the world. Trudeau also defended Canada's arrangement for getting doses from the COVAX programme coordinated by the World Health Organization, which seeks to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have enough vaccines at a time when wealthy nations have snapped up a large part of the billions of upcoming doses from mostly Western vaccine makers. "When wealthier countries invest in COVAX, half of that funding is to get doses at home, and the other half is to buy doses for low- and middle-income countries," Trudeau said. "Our contribution was always intended to access vaccine doses for Canadians as well as to support lower-income countries," he said. Trudeau said through COVAX, and pending Health Canada approval, Canada will receive at least 1.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine before the end of June. A country that definitely doesn't want to credit India for supplying it with vaccines, Pakistan has also taken the COVAX route to procuring the Covishield vaccine. READ | PM Modi schools Opposition: 'Derek talking of Bengal; Thought Cong would raise emergency' READ | Chennai bracing for Sasikala, Khushbu Sundar alleges misuse of ally AIADMK's party flag (With agency inputs) Minister for Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikian specifically denied any connection between the authorities apparent decision not to hold snap parliamentary elections in the coming months and Kocharians stated confidence in his electoral prospects. Kocharian declared late last month that he and his political allies will contest and win snap parliamentary elections if they are held by the current authorities. The 66-year-old ex-president reaffirmed his political ambitions in an interview with the Sputnik news agency published on Saturday. If the elections are held they will most probably be bipolar, he said, implying that a political force led by him will be Pashinians main challenger. The ruling My Step bloc announced the following day that Pashinian and lawmakers allied to him see no need for snap elections despite the prime ministers readiness to hold them expressed on December 25. It said that most Armenians do not want such a vote. Papikian, who also heads the governing board of Pashinians Civil Contract party, My Steps dominant component, dismissed suggestions that the authorities fear being defeated by Kocharian. We are not afraid of any competition, and it is not clear to me with which or through which political force Robert Kocharian would participate in elections, he said, answering questions from Facebook users at the RFE/RL studio in Yerevan. Papikian stood by the ruling blocs claim that there is no popular demand for dissolving the current parliament and holding elections later this year, let alone replacing Pashinian. We have received no such feedback from the public, said the minister. On the contrary, we have only received [messages of] do not resign. I dont exclude that we have had shortcomings, he went on. It wouldnt be normal if there were no people disappointed with us. Its a natural process. Some will start to believe, others may have some expectations which we do not manage to live up to. Kocharian has been at loggerheads with Pashinians government ever since it took office following the Velvet Revolution of April-May 2018. He was arrested in July 2018 on coup charges rejected by him as politically motivated. The ex-president, who had ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, was released on bail in June 2020 pending the outcome of his ongoing trial. The trial resumed on January 19 nearly four months after being effectively interrupted by the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. A restaurant owner from Bergen County admitted last week that he concealed his assets from a trustee including an overseas bank account when he filed for bankruptcy three years ago, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Victor Osorio, 53, of Cresskill, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy without disclosing his ownership interests in two restaurants one in Secaucus and another in New York City, according to acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig. He also failed to disclose a bank account in the Dominican Republic in his February 2017 bankruptcy filings, Honig said in a statement. In social media accounts, Osorio lists himself as owner and CEO of Mamajuana Cafe, a successful restaurant with locations in Paterson and New York City and elsewhere. Osorio pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey via videoconference to one count of bankruptcy fraud. He faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on June 28, Honig said. In an interview with The Daily News in 2012, Osorio said he considered himself a numbers and legal guy. In addition to Paterson and New York City, Mamajuana Cafe expanded to sites in Miami, Santo Domingo and Secaucus, according to the report. Osorio could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. His attorney, Don Savatta of Essex County, told NorthJersey.com on Friday that his client pleaded guilty to put the charge behind him and move on with his life. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Uttarakhand glacier burst: Missing workers most probably from UP and Bihar India oi-Briti Roy Barman Chamoli, Feb 08: As more than 170 labourers are still missing after a glacier break in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district resulted in an avalanche and huge floods in the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers on Sunday, state DGP Ashok Kumar, said the workers who are missing are most probably from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "I have been contacted in this regard that 30 of these people (missing) are from Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), said DGP. Of 170, 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga, a spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and at least 200 people are reported to be missing after the 'glacier break'. Visiting the affected area on Monday, Union Minister RK Singh was quoted as saying, "We have been able to access up to about 70 metres inside the tunnel, we have to further move for about 180 metres. Communication has not been established yet." PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the family of those killed. Rawat also said teams from the police, the Army and the ITBP, as well as from the national and state disaster response forces, were "doing their best to save the lives of the workers at sites affected by the disaster". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 16:38 [IST] Australian journalist and mother-of-two Cheng Lei has been formally arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. The Chinese-born TV anchor, who moved to Australia at the age of nine, has been detained since August, without charge, allowing Chinese investigators to question her for up to six months without guaranteed access to legal aid. Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist who worked for Chinas state media, has been arrested. Credit: Getty Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions. Australian embassy officials have visited Ms Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on 27 January 2021, in accordance with our bilateral consular agreement with China, she said. SAUSALITO (BCN) Two San Francisco men were arrested early Monday morning after automated license plate reader cameras in Sausalito led police to a stolen vehicle with the pair standing next to it. Officers responded around 1:05 a.m. to the alert from the cameras about a vehicle entering Sausalito from Spencer Avenue that had been reported stolen from San Francisco on Friday. Police searched the area and found the van parked in the 100 block of Spencer Avenue with Nicholas Tiller, 31, and Jeremie Barbe, 32, standing next to it. Inside the van was suspected stolen property, including bicycles, electric scooters and luggage, according to police. Tiller and Barbe were both booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of various offenses, including possession of the stolen vehicle and burglary tools. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that he was confident that both the and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines helped prevent death and grave illness, and that medicine was slowly gaining the upper hand over the "We think that both the vaccines that we're currently using are effective in, as I say, in stopping serious disease and death," Johnson told reporters. "We also think in particular in the case of the Oxford vaccine that there's good evidence that it is stopping transmission, as well, I think 67 per cent reduction in transmission." ALSO READ: AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine shows less effect against S Africa variant Western governments rushed to offer support for the vaccination after halted its roll-out when research showed it offered minimal protection against mild infection from a variant spreading there. French Health Minister Olivier Veran voiced support for the AstraZeneca vaccine, arguing it provided sufficient protection against "nearly all the variants" of the virus. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said current evidence suggests all three vaccines approved in Europe which include AstraZeneca provided effective protection against serious infections. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson will speed up deliveries of its vaccine to South Africa, a senior government official said, after the country suspended plans to roll out AstraZeneca shots due to disappointing trial data. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2021 -- HTF MI Analyst have added a new research study on Title Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread) with detailed information of Product Types [, Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter], Applications [Organic Medicine and Wellbeing & Food Industry] & Key Players Such as Barry Callebaut Group, The Savannah Fruits Company, The Organic Shea Butter Company, Ghana Nuts Limited, The Hershey Company, VINK CHEMICALS GMBH & CO. KG, Jindal Cocoa, Shea Radiance, Cocoa Mae, Cargill Incorporated, Churchwin Trading, Chocolate Alchemy & Star Shea Ltd., etc. The Study provides in-depth comprehensive analysis for regional segments that covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World with Global Outlook and includes Clear Market definitions, classifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, development policies and plans. The facts and data are well presented in the report using diagrams, graphs, pie charts, and other pictorial representations with respect to its Current Trends, Dynamics, and Business Scope & Key Statistics. If you are a Shea & Cocoa Butter manufacturer and deals in exports imports then this article will help you understand the Sales Volume with Impacting Trends. Click To get SAMPLE PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) Covid-19 Impact Update Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Market Research Analysts at HTF MI constantly monitor the industry impacts of current events in real-time here is an update of how this industry is likely to be impacted as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic: Demand from top notch companies and government agencies is expected to rise as they seek more information on COVID-19. Check Demand Determinants section for more information. Key Highlights from Shea & Cocoa Butter Market Study. Revenue and Sales Estimation Historical Revenue and sales volume is presented and further data is triangulated with top-down and bottom-up approaches to forecast complete market size and to estimate forecast numbers for key regions covered in the report along with classified and well recognized Types and end-use industry. Additionally macroeconomic factor and regulatory policies are ascertained in Shea & Cocoa Butter industry evolution and predictive analysis. Manufacturing Analysis the report is currently analyzed concerning various product type and application. The Shea & Cocoa Butter market provides a chapter highlighting manufacturing process analysis validated via primary information collected through Industry experts and Key officials of profiled companies. FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS: In order to better understand Market condition five forces analysis is conducted that includes Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, Threat of rivalry. Competition Leading players have been studied depending on their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, product/service price, sales, and cost/profit. Demand & Supply and Effectiveness Shea & Cocoa Butter report additionally provides distribution, Production, Consumption & EXIM** (Export & Import). ** If applicable Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3017693-global-shea-cocoa-butter-market-report-2020-by-key-players-types-applications-countries-market-size-forecast-to-2026 Geographically, the following regions together with the listed national/local markets are fully investigated: - APAC (Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, India, and Rest of APAC; Rest of APAC is further segmented into Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe; Rest of Europe is further segmented into Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania) - North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico) - South America (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Rest of South America) - MEA (Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa) The Latest Trends, Product Portfolio, Demographics, Geographical segmentation, and Regulatory Framework of the Shea & Cocoa Butter Market have also been included in the study. Market Growth by Applications: Organic Medicine and Wellbeing & Food Industry Heat map Analysis, 3-Year Financial and Detailed Company Profiles of Key & Emerging Players: Barry Callebaut Group, The Savannah Fruits Company, The Organic Shea Butter Company, Ghana Nuts Limited, The Hershey Company, VINK CHEMICALS GMBH & CO. KG, Jindal Cocoa, Shea Radiance, Cocoa Mae, Cargill Incorporated, Churchwin Trading, Chocolate Alchemy & Star Shea Ltd., Market Growth by Types: , Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter Book Latest Edition of Study Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Market With COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3017693 Introduction about Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) [, Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter] in 2018 Shea & Cocoa Butter Market by Application/End Users [Organic Medicine and Wellbeing & Food Industry] Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications Global Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Sales and Growth Rate (2014-2025) Shea & Cocoa Butter Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application Shea & Cocoa Butter (Volume, Value and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined. Global Shea & Cocoa Butter Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data Key Raw Materials Analysis & Price Trends Supply Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain Analysis ........and view more in complete table of Contents Check Complete Report Details @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3017693-global-shea-cocoa-butter-market-report-2020-by-key-players-types-applications-countries-market-size-forecast-to-2026 Thanks for reading this article; HTF also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research according to clientele objectives. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report like North America, Europe or Asia Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 22:30:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 7 (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 steam generator 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. 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. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The internal disputes and differences of opinion, including a leadership battle in the middle of government formation talks, portrayed the party as unstable and unreliable, writes Daniel McConnell. The Greens started in government at war with themselves and 12 months on since the general election they are still at war with themselves. It aint easy being green, as the old saying goes but the Green Partys second stint in government here has proved no less divisive than the first, which ended in the partys total obliteration from the national political stage in 2011. Also in this special report: The joy of winning 12 Dail seats would be tempered by the internal rancour at the prospects of going into government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Since 2016, leader Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin were the only two Greens TDs in the Dail and no one much cared of any potential internal wrangling within the party. However, the new influx TDs, including the likes of Neasa Hourigan, Francis Noel Duffy and Patrick Costello, has spiced things up, as they made it clear they disagreed with much of what Mr Ryan espoused. Along with Ms Martin, the deputy leader, they opposed going into government and voiced alarm at the compromises they were being asked to make. In the middle of all of that was the insistence of Ms Martin to challenge Mr Ryan for the party leadership when a government was yet to be formed and during a global pandemic. In early June, as government formation talks were drawing to a close, she was seeking the leadership after careful consideration and whilst it goes without saying that the timing of this election is less than ideal, the circumstances are beyond our control. All of the internal noise served to portray the party as unstable and unreliable. Ultimately, the decision to approve a programme for government was put to the grassroots and the wider membership and they voted 76% in favour of backing the deal above the two-thirds majority required. Mr Ryan, despite all the internal squabbling, had just received a clear mandate to enter government and on June 27, he, Ms Martin, Roderic OGorman, and Senator Pippa Hackett took their places at the Cabinet table. Mr Ryan, shortly thereafter, saw off the challenge of Ms Martin in the leadership contest. Just ahead of the summer break, the party was in flux after one of their TDs voted against a Government bill while one of their ministers of state abstained. Neasa Hourigan of the Green Party, centre, is elected at the RDS. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire Ms Hourigan voted against four amendments and then voted against the bill in its entirety. Minister of state Joe OBrien supported the Government on the amendments but abstained on the overall bill. Ms Hourigan and Mr OBrien were sanctioned by having their speaking rights withdrawn for two months, but this happened when the Dail was not sitting and rendered the punishment meaningless. However, the summer recess was not a week over when fresh trouble arose. As my colleague Aoife Moore reported at the time, two icebergs, in the form of the Climate Bill and the mother and baby homes legislation, threatened to take the whole ship down. A spate of resignations followed, including that of high-profile Cork councillor Lorna Bogue. She resigned over the Governments handling of the sealing of the mother and baby home records for 30 years. The bill was strongly criticised by survivor groups and opposition parties alike, and the Minister for Children Roderic OGorman came in for particular criticism. The outspoken Ms Bogue had previously been critical of the programme for government, as well as the Green Partys handling of the Shannon LNG project. Lorna Bogue with Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. Bogue resigned over the handling of the sealing of mother and baby home records. Picture: Dan Linehan Tensions were running high within the party, with internal Whatsapp groups becoming hostile places for those who sought to disagree. These groups are often the site of rows and what many members called toxicity within the party. Screenshots seen by the Irish Examiner show a beleaguered party chair, Hazel Chu attempting to force some form of civility onto her fellow members. Can I ask that people be kind in their comments, she wrote. Ive heard some individuals saying we have record numbers, whats a few drop-offs or they werent a team player. Whether someone agrees with someone or not there is zero reason to be disrespectful. We need to question why someone is leaving and its not something to be celebrated, Chu pleaded. Before Christmas, the Government was forced to postpone a vote on passing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) between the EU and Canada because of internal unrest within the Greens. In opposition, the party had been staunchly opposed to the deal, particularly a clause which it claimed would give large corporations the right to challenge governments if policies undermined their ability to make profits. Eamon Ryan was vocal in his opposition. Now in Government, Mr Ryan is now backing the deals passage as are his supporters but some including Ms Hourigan remain opposed. With the deal due to be voted upon this month, the prospect of Hourigan being lost remains a live one and she will join the ever-increasing ranks of ex-Greens. The Greens, shaky as ever, remain the weakest link in the coalition and the most likely to fall first. Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Professor Joseph Osafo has called for a lockdown in Ghana should the nation's Coronavirus cases keep soaring. Ghanas active cases have shot up to 6,352 after 722 new Covid-19 cases, updates by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) revealed. As of 3rd February 2021, 63,959 patients have recovered/discharged but unfortunately a total of 457 people have been pronounced dead. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in both his 22nd and 23rd nation addresses on the pandemic disease, warned Ghanaians to stop flouting the safety protocols. He has charged the security forces to enforce the laws ensuring every Ghanaian complies with the protocols to curb the disease. He also warned of a possible lockdown should the citizenry continue to be recalcitrant. Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Prof. Joseph Osafo was alarmed by the increasing numbers contracting the disease and also warned the populace against disregarding the protocols. He cautioned them of the negative impact of the disease and called for strict adherence to the protocols to save lives. To him, should Ghana keep recording higher cases, the only option is to go on a lockdown. "If the worst continues to linger, lockdown must happen . . . If people will continue to flout the rules . . . should this go on for the next six weeks, we will have a problem but we shouldn't look on for it to happen. So, if the worst lingers, then we have to consider a lockdown," he stressed. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video - Vakrangee sustainability performance is within the top 15% of the industry and is among the world's highest performing sustainable companies MUMBAI, India, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vakrangee Limited is pleased to share that we are honoured to be part of this year's S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2021 for the first time. Vakrangee has earned a spot in the yearbook and has score (S&P Global Scores) within the top 15% of the industry. The Sustainability Yearbook 2021 is one of world's most comprehensive publications providing in-depth analysis on corporate responsibility. S&P Global, which acquired the ESG Ratings business from RobescoSAM, in 2021 assessed over 7,000 companies across 61 industries this year. Only 630 sustainability leaders have been selected for this year's Yearbook based on their S&P Global ESG Scores calculated from the CSA. Commenting on this Mr. Dinesh Nandwana, MD & Group CEO, Vakrangee Ltd., said, "We are extremely proud to be part of the SAM Sustainability Yearbook and be recognized for our dedication to operating ethically and our emphasis on sustainability across all levels of our business model. This recognition reflects our commitment towards sustainability." Commenting on this Mr. Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research, S&P Global, said: "We congratulate Vakrangee Limited for achieving a place in The Sustainability Yearbook 2021. With over 7,000 companies assessed, an inclusion in the yearbook is a true statement of corporate sustainability excellence." This Global recognition reflects our commitment to enhance our corporate governance and transparency standards. Vakrangee has achieved global recognition across various platforms for superior ESG performance : Sustainalytics ESG Risk rating - Globally ranked No.1 in rankings out of the 668 companies assessed in the Software Services industry. RobecoSAM S&P Global ESG Score - Ranked No. 13th company in global industry ranking and ranked No. 9th Company in Corporate Governance global industry ranking. CDP score for Environment - Demonstrated robust Environment transparency, achieved "B" Score from CDP compared to Average Asia score of "D". Bloomberg Gender Equality Index - Included in the Bloomberg's 2021 GEI. The Bloomberg GEI comprises of 380 companies across world. About Vakrangee Limited (BSE Code: 511431) (NSE Code: VAKRANGEE) Vakrangee is a technology driven company focused on building India's largest network of last-mile retail outlets to deliver real-time banking & Financial Services, ATM, insurance, e-governance, e-commerce and logistics services to the unserved rural, semi-urban and urban markets.(www.vakrangee.in) Media Contact: Ammeet Sabarwal Chief Corporate Communications & Strategy Officer [email protected] 91-22-67765100 SOURCE Vakrangee Limited Related Links http://www.vakrangeesoftwares.com/ The companys flagship project is the Muga Potash Project, which covers an area of some 80 square kilometres in the Spanish provinces of Navarra and Aragon. ( ) (FRA:23H) has appointed Katelyn Adams as company secretary effective from today. Adams is a partner with HLB Mann Judd and has more than 10 years of accounting and company secretarial experience, servicing predominantly ASX listed companies. She has extensive experience in company secretarial duties, ASX Listing Rule requirements, IPO and capital raising processes, as well as a strong technical accounting knowledge and has been assisting Highfield with its company secretarial work over the last two years. Replacing previous company secretary Adam replaces Donald Stephens who has been Highfields company secretary since 2014. Stephens played a key role in taking the company from pre-listing to one poised for development and the board thanks him for his very special contribution. Ready to issue engineering documentation In December, the company highlighted it was ready to issue all relevant engineering documentation to its construction partner for the flagship Muga Potash Project in Spain and hopes to start building the mine in 2021. With the appointment of Endeavour Financial as its debt financial advisor, the company has begun to move forward with its financing strategy. Highfield is also in a position to proceed with the project as soon as the mining concession is granted, as there will be no significant new financial commitments until that point. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Discussions could resume at any time By Anna J. Park Hyundai Motor and Kia have officially said that they are not currently holding talks with Apple on co-developing self-driving electric vehicles (EVs). In both companies' public announcements Monday morning, they released almost identical statements with slightly different wording. "Hyundai Motor has had requests for the joint development of autonomous electric vehicles from various companies, but nothing's been decided at this early stage. We are not holding talks with Apple on autonomous EVs," Hyundai Motor's statement read. "Kia is reviewing joint cooperation projects on autonomous EVs with various overseas companies, yet nothing's been decided. The firm is not holding talks with Apple on autonomous EVs," read Kia's. With the denials by the two companies about the media-hyped joint development deal with Apple, the firms' share prices fell sharply. Hyundai Motor's stock fell 6.21 percent to 234,000 won at the close; while Kia's share price nosedived 14.98 percent to end at 86,300 won. Shares of other Hyundai affiliates, such as auto parts companies Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Wia as well as auto logistics and distribution firm Hyundai Glovis, all dropped on the market. Mobis ended at 322,200 won, down 8.65 percent, while Glovis lost 9.5 percent to close at 200,000 won, according to the Korea Exchange. Since mid-January, media reports here have said Hyundai and Apple were close to signing a joint development deal on Apple's EV, with Kia handling the initial production of the tentatively nicknamed "iCars," which could be available by 2024 at the earliest. However, despite the official denials through regulatory filings, some market watchers still think that cooperation might be ongoing behind closed doors, or could resume at any time if discussions have been "paused" for the time being. "The official statements by the firms seem to be announced in order to respect the type of non-disclosure agreement (NDA) Apple is known to make its cooperation partners sign prior to finalizing a deal," a market watcher said on condition of anonymity, explaining that Apple is known for keeping a high level of secrecy regarding its research and development of new products. "At this point, it's true no one can be sure of whether the joint deal between Hyundai Motor and Apple will be reignited or not. Kia's plant in the U.S. state of Georgia could still be considered as a partner in manufacturing Apple EVs, as the Korean car firms' Monday announcements simply said they're currently not in talks with Apple about self-driving vehicle development. Kia might still work with Apple in manufacturing the tech-giant's EVs," the market watcher continued, stressing that Kia's announcement did not preclude that possibility. Another researcher in the automotive industry said the discussions could resume at any time. "I think discussions with Hyundai Motor, the major stakeholder in Kia, could resume at any time, as now is only the very early stages of Apple's EV project. However, it seems Apple has the upper hand in discussions with Hyundai," the researcher said. Whatever the final result of the Hyundai-Apple EV saga, Hyundai affiliates' share prices will be exposed to higher volatility for the time being. "As Hyundai affiliates' stock prices have enjoyed bullish moves amid expectations about the Apple car project since early this year, they will face bigger volatility over the short term," Heungkuk Securities said in a report, also released Monday. Washington, Feb 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :George Shultz, Ronald Reagan's genial secretary of state who identified a diplomatic opening that helped end the Cold War but contributed to a new brand of conflict by advocating preemptive strikes, has died. He was 100. An economics professor who saw himself more as a data-driven expert than an ideologue, Shultz had the rare distinction of serving in four different cabinet positions -- including Treasury secretary as Richard Nixon dismantled the post-World War II Bretton Woods monetary system. President Joe Biden said "few people did as much to shape the trajectory of American diplomacy and American influence in the 20th century" as Shultz. "I regret that, as president, I will not be able to benefit from his wisdom, as have so many of my predecessors," Biden said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Shultz as a "legend" and a "visionary." In the Reagan White House, notorious for infighting, Shultz was one of the least controversial figures, cultivating cordial ties with Congress and the press and -- most crucially -- rock-solid backing from the president himself, who kept Shultz as his top diplomat for six and a half years. In early 1983, half a year into his tenure, Shultz returned from China to a snowed-under Washington and was invited by Nancy Reagan to a casual dinner at the White House, where he was intrigued to hear the famously anti-Communist president sound eager to meet the Soviets. "He had never had a lengthy session with an important leader from a Communist country, and I could sense he would relish such an opportunity," Shultz wrote in his memoir, "Turmoil and Triumph."Days afterward, Shultz brought the Soviet ambassador to the White House in an unmarked car for a secret meeting with Reagan, who pressed for Moscow to allow the emigration of Pentecostal Christians who had sought refuge in the US embassy. The Soviets quietly followed through. Reagan's unlikely role as a negotiator with the superpower he termed an "evil empire" had begun. Tributes to devoted nurse after Covid-19 tragedy Tributes to devoted nurse after Covid-19 tragedy Tributes have been paid to devoted Norwich nurse, mother and Catholic Cathedral steward Estrella Catalan, who died last Friday at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital where she worked, after a month-long battle against Covid-19. Eldred Willey reports. Emergency Department Staff Nurse Estrella, aged 52, who had been receiving treatment in the hospitals Critical Care Complex, lost her battle against Covid-19 on February 5. She had worked in Accident & Emergency and was also an important member of the acute stroke team. Altogether she had worked at the hospital for nearly 20 years, since arriving from the Philippines. Colleagues and friends have flooded social media with touching tributes. An active member of the St Johns Cathedral parish, where she served as a steward, Estrella leaves behind a husband, Melvin, and sons John and Josh. Their middle son, Vince, sadly died two years ago. They are a lovely family, said Matthew Fernandez-Graham, Director of Finance and Resources for the Diocese of East Anglia. We got to know them through Estrellas son Josh. She was part of the Filipino team which organised the Sinulog Festival for the Baby Jesus. Canon David Paul from St Johns Cathedral said: Estrella was a really devoted member of the Cathedral congregation and community. She worked tirelessly to help others. The outpouring of support for her family is testament to how many lives she touched. During her last hours, Fr Leo led the rosary with other members of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital nursing team as Fr Simon anointed her. Her passing leaves a hole in the lives of many, but we especially remember her family: we offer our prayers for her husband Melvin and their children, and all who grieve Estrellas passing. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. Just a month ago Estrella gave an emotional interview to the BBC from her hospital bed. I want to help, she said. But I don't know when. I don't mind working and doing even extra shifts to help the trust, but I'm here as a patient. I'm helpless." Two online fundraising pages for Estrella and her family have already generated over 47,000 from 2,700 donors. Colleague and friend Jenelyn Bales set up one page, which says: To her colleagues, Estrella is most caring, conscientious and hardworking person a department could ask for. She puts the needs of others first before her own. Her selflessness and dedication carried on even when she was on her hospital bed, she still thought and talked about when she could go back to work to help patients and colleagues throughout this pandemic. You can support the family through these links: www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-estrella-catalan www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/estrella-catalan-2021 Norfolk and Norwich chief executive Sam Higginson said: Estrella was a hugely respected, loved and dedicated member of the Emergency Department team and the Acute Stroke Team. She was a wonderful person and a caring and conscientious nurse, who loved to teach and mentor students; she will be terribly missed. We know this will be a huge shock to our staff and over the coming days and weeks we will formulate a fitting memorial to Estrella in collaboration with her family, friends and colleagues. This is a heart-breaking reminder of the situation we are facing every day to help others and we want to thank our staff for their ongoing courage and commitment during the pandemic. Colleagues at the NNUH and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn have paid tribute with a minutes silence and clapping. Estrella's funeral is planned for March 5 and there will be a vigil for the night before to allow family, friends and colleagues to go to St John's Cathedral to pay their respects. Pictured above is Estrella Catalan and, below, with her family. Eldred Willey, 08/02/2021 This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Hyderabad Police bust investment racket led by Chinese kingpins To bookmark you need to sign in Cyberabad Police on Monday claimed to have busted a racket led by two Chinese nationals as kingpins that cheated people across India by enticing them with huge returns on investments. Three accused have been arrested in the case while the search is on for the absconding accused including the Chinese nationals. The economic offences wing of Cyberabad Police busted the racket being run in the name of 'Shared Bike (BK)'/ 'Sharing Economy'. Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar told reporters that the accused cheated around 20,000 people all over the country to the tune of Rs 50 crore. The accused had three attractive investment schemes to lure investors. On investment of Rs 300, Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000, they promised high returns of Rs 1,350, Rs 13,500 and Rs 67,500, respectively, over a period of 90 days. Since people were initially reluctant, the fraudsters deposited money into the bank accounts of some of the investors to gain the trust of others. Police have frozen Rs 3 crore in 10 bank accounts connected with the crime and also seized four laptops and three mobile phones. A case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered at Raidurgam police station. Police booked the case under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 5 of Telangana State Protection of Depositors of Financial Establishments Act, 1999. The arrested include one Uday Pratap, 41, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. He is the authorised signatory for an account of Mobicentric Technologies in a private bank in Hyderabad which is one of the fraudulent companies and he is also director of Corporfountain India Pvt Ltd, Gurugram. The other accused are Nitesh Kumar Kothari, 36, of Delhi and Rajesh Sharma, 36, of Gurugram. According to the police, the three accused were working under the control of the absconding Chinese nationals - Zhang Hongwei alias Peter and Peng Guowei alias Javie. Police said Nitesh Kumar and Rajesh Sharma are involved in the mobile application development of - www.ciciseo.com - and are current directors of Adstuck Consulting Pvt Ltd. Uday Pratap and Peng Guowei are the present directors of Corporfountain India Pvt. Ltd. In January 2020 Peng Guowei left India and did not return due to international travel restrictions while Zhang Hongwei never came to India. The accused launched a shared bike app and started cheating people contacting each other through Skype and Whatsapp. Peng Guowei is associated as additional director with Mobicentric Technologies Pvt Ltd, Lighting AD Pvt Ltd, Adstruck Consulting Pvt Ltd, Prespective Solution Pvt Ltd, IMOBI, Tech India Pvt Ltd, Corporfountain India Pvt Ltd, and Inavit Services LLP. The police commissioner said verification with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) showed that the addresses of the companies are fake and they do not exist. All the firms have been registered with RoCs at Delhi, Kanpur, Pune and Bangalore. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. In the letter addressed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the Chicago Medical Society said the requirements, set by local governments, are unnecessary for health care workers who are already licensed and in good standing in Illinois, and instead act as barriers for the workers who are trying to lend a hand in the vaccination effort. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Nongshim headquarters in Seoul. / Courtesy of Nongshim By Kim Hyun-bin Nongshim founder Shin Choon-ho is set to step down as chairman, which is expected to create a generational shift in one of the country's major food conglomerates. The company is well known for its signature instant noodles Shin Ramyun among other diverse snacks. Nongshim Group Chairman Shin Choon-ho According to industry insiders, Nongshim Group Chairman Shin Choon-ho is set to retire at the end of his term and will also step down as an executive director at Nongshim Holdings. His son Vice Chairman Shin Dong-won is expected to succeed him. Chairman Shin will not be reappointed at a shareholders meeting scheduled for March 25 and is expected to step down as CEO of other affiliates including Nongshim Holdings, Mega Mart and Taekyung Nongsan. This is the first generational change in leadership at Nongshim in 56 years since it was established in 1965. Shin has three sons and two daughters, with four of the five holding vice chair positions within the conglomerate, enabling a swift succession and minimizing any management vacuum after he steps down. The chairman's eldest son Dong-won is expected to be the next Nongshim Group chairman as he is currently a vice chairman at Nongshim Holdings and is deemed most suitable to succeed his father. Nongshim Holdings Vice Chairman Shin Dong-won New Delhi, Feb 8 : Bollywood personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya Bachchan, daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Katrina Kaif have come together to share screen with 10 regional celebrities from across India for a digital campaign. As a part of the sixth edition of its #TrustIsEverything campaign of Kalyan Jewellers, the brand has launched a 90-second multilingual film '#TrustIsEverything' that sees all its global and regional brand ambassadors come together to "celebrate their different identities, languages, cultures and traditions, woven together by the emotion of 'Bharosa'". Reinforcing this tradition through the new campaign, the film showcases the symbolic role that jewellery plays in wedding celebrations across the country, and also highlights the brand's hyper local jewellery designs that are part of the Muhurat Bridal Collection - an integral part of all Indian weddings. From Jaya Bachchan's 'Bharosa Rakho' to Amitabh Bachchan's heavy voiced 'Bharosa Hi Sab Kucch Hai', the film takes us through a plethora of emotions witnessed during the auspicious wedding Muhurat in households from North to South and East to West, while highlighting the nuances and traditions of each culture. Pooja Sawant, Kalyan Jewellers' Brand Ambassador for the state of Maharashtra, said: "I was super excited to work alongside the legendary Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan for the Kalyan Jewellers' #TrustIsEverything campaign. It has been a phenomenal experience to be a part of such a huge project and share screen space with these iconic actors. I am thrilled at how well received the ad film is, and I'm particularly excited about the Marathi version of the ad, in which I've done the main voice over." The film traces the journey of brides - from the day of the engagement to jewellery shopping with family to the wedding at the mandap followed by the reception and finally the grihapravesh in her new home - each, seen through the eyes of a different bride. The film aims to capture the essence of different cultures, languages, traditions and values, while highlighting that trust is the basis of relationships - everywhere! Wamiqa Gabbi, Kalyan Jewellers' Brand Ambassador for the state of Punjab, said: "Kalyan Jewellers' #TrustIsEverything campaign is truly a celebration of the Indian bride considering how beautifully it showcases the journey of a bride from the engagement ceremony to 'Griha Pravesh'. I love the way the ad showcases the diversity in India when it comes to authentic wedding celebrations in different parts of the country. I was delighted to be a part of this beautiful campaign and also share the screen alongside Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif who is one of the most iconic performers of our generation. Being part of this campaign has truly been an experience I would cherish for the rest of my life." (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text GAINES TOWNSHIP, MI -- A police investigation continues into why a cannon exploded over the weekend at a Genesee County baby shower, hurling pieces of shrapnel into the air that killed a 26-year-old man. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6 in Gaines Township, approximately 14 miles southwest of Flint. The blast killed Evan Thomas Silva, 26, of Hartland in Livingston County. The cannon incident was not part of a gender reveal, Michigan State Police Lt. Liz Rich confirmed with MLive-The Flint Journal. It was just shot off in celebration, she said Monday, Feb. 8. Around 15 people attended the baby shower. Silva was one of about five people outside the residence where the cannon was fired and was the only one hit by shrapnel, according to Michigan State Police. Read more: Victim identified from fatal cannon blast at Michigan baby shower We suspect that there was too much gunpowder in (the cannon) and if there isnt regular maintenance when youre using explosives, there could be a hairline fracture that you cant see with the naked eye, Rich said. It could have been anything like that but (officers) suspect that there was too much powder and it just fractured the entire cannon and thats what made it explode. When all information has been gathered and the police report is completed, Rich said the report will be sent to the Genesee County Prosecutors Office to deem if the situation was an accident, a fluke that it exploded or if they find some sort of negligence. Thatll be up to the chief law enforcement officer, which is the prosecutor. It is not clear when the police report will be completed. The prosecutors office issued a search warrant over the weekend to gather evidence at the scene, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said. However, Leyton said he will not speculate on any possible charges until he sees the full investigation is complete. Silva was an attendee at a baby shower where the homeowner fired a small cannon-type device in the backyard to celebrate the babys pending arrival, police said. The cannon blew up upon firing, spreading metal shrapnel that hit Silva, as well as three parked cars and the garage where the baby shower was held. Silva was standing 10 to 15 feet from the explosion, police said. He was taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint where he later died from his injuries. The cannon was designed to fire more like a novelty Signal Cannon, which is intended to emit a big flash, a loud noise and smoke, police said. The homeowner had purchased the cannon from an auction and had fired it several times before the incident took place. The suspected cause of the explosion was gun powder loaded into the device that caused the cannon to fracture, allowing space for shrapnel to spread, police said. The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, Gaines Township Fire Department, and Med Star Ambulance assisted troopers at the scene. More on MLive: Flint grapples with pandemic-fueled surge in homicides, crime Flint Jefferson School was rescued from foreclosure. Now pastor with deep ties wants second chance to save it Judge orders Flint attorney to stop spreading very misleading water settlement information Victim identified in fatal Tuscola County house fire 60% of Genesee County teachers will soon be vaccinated, health department says The world has quickly entered the digital era and Vietnam is now striving to catch up. browser not support iframe. To that end, the Party Central Committee issued Resolution No 52 on proactively joining the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has greatly bolstered Vietnams digital transformation. Vietnam kicked off its digital transformation process in the middle of 2020, with a specialised programme towards 2025 and vision to 2030 approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. It was introduced to specify the guidelines set out in Resolution No 52 by the Politburo on Vietnam joining the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The national programme was then followed by a framework on digital transformation from the Ministry of Information and Communications. Nearly 30 ministries, agencies, and localities have since devised their own plans for digital transformation. Indeed, e-government has been aggressively implemented around the country. The national portal for public services has saved enterprises considerable time and cost. A national reporting platform has also been introduced to enhance the Governments management and governance works. As COVID-19 forced people to stay at home, many gradually acquired the habit of going digital. The trend created a golden opportunity for local enterprises to develop state-of-art tech products. Digital transformation takes time and continual reflection and therefore requires indexes and standards to assess if organisations are on track with the digitalisation process. Such indexes have been introduced recently by the Ministry of Information and Communications, expressing the governments determination in digital transformation. Since its introduction in September 2019, Resolution No 52 has greatly facilitated Vietnams innovation and digital transformation process. Still, experts suggest more aggressive action be taken by the Government so that the legal framework is completed shortly, which would become a driving force for national digital transformation./.VNA Egypt condemned on Sunday evening the latest in a series of attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen against Saudi Arabia, describing them as terrorist and despicable acts. Egypt expresses its full condemnation of such despicable, terrorist acts that represent a threat to the regional security and stability and a violation of the principles of the international and humanitarian law, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis rebels in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed on Sunday four bomb-laden drones that were launched towards the south of the Kingdom early on Sunday. Since the Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 to support the Yemeni government, the Kingdom intercepted and aborted hundreds of drone and missile strikes by the Houthis. The foreign ministry reiterated Egypts support to Saudi measures to deal with these hostile acts in order to preserve its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. On Sunday, Egypt Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry affirmed during a meeting in Cairo with his Yemeni counterpart, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, Cairo's constant stance that a political solution is the best way to settle the Yemeni crisis. Short link: Ever since David Williamsons 1987 play Emerald City reinforced the contrast between dazzling but superficial Sydney and plain but profound Melbourne (bleak city) many of us who call the Harbour City home have had a little chip on our shoulders. The play posited that Sydney is too obsessed with harbour views to do anything meaningful and great things usually come from south of the Murray. It is a thought that was revived on Monday by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. In a speech to the Committee for Sydneys inaugural Sydney Summit, he said Sydneys tolerance for mediocrity was too high because its natural beauty alone made it a world-class city. By contrast, he said cities such as Melbourne, which is on a brown creek, have put enormous effort into making themselves great places to live, work and visit. Some will joke that any NSW elected official who says anything nice about Melbourne should be sacked for high treason. Yet Mr Perrottet, who admits he likes to stir the pot occasionally, is making the serious point that Sydney cannot afford to rest on its laurels and must think hard about how to reimagine and reinvent itself if it is to retain its leading position into the future. The Herald agrees. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. 2021 might be difficult for a number of reasons, but luckily, theres no shortage of mystery novels coming out this year. From cozy mysteries to literary fiction, crime dramas, and psychological thrillers, these books are some of the most-anticipated mystery novels of 2021. Bodleian Library at Oxford | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor Fans of historical fiction and supernatural horror will love C.J. Tudors The Burning Girls, coming out Feb. 9. A reverend with a dark past and a 14-year-old daughter to protect finds centuries-old secrets, ghost stories, and exorcisms hidden in the walls of the villages he heads to for a fresh start. We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida Set in San Francisco in the 1980s, Vendela Vidas We Run the Tides slated for release on Feb. 9 is a chilling testament to female friendship and the challenges of growing up. Two teen girls see something they shouldnt while en route to their elite all-girls school one morning. But after they cant agree on what exactly they witnessed, one of them disappears. This work of literary fiction would suit fans of YA novels who want something darker to sink their teeth into. The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Coming out on Feb. 16, Sarah Gaileys sci-fi-tinged domestic thriller The Echo Wife is equal parts Mary Shelley, Big Little Lies, and Black Mirror. Skilled researcher Evelyn Caldwell is able to use her genetic engineering expertise to create a clone, Martine one who is far sweeter and more submissive than Evelyn could ever imagine being herself. Theres just one problem: Martine and Evelyns husband are having an affairthat is, until he winds up dead. Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh What happens when a socialite disappears for a decade? After all, shes just another trophy wife, gold-digger, and reluctant mother isnt she? Nalini Singhs slow creep of a suspense novel set in New Zealand, Quiet in Her Bones, comes out Feb. 23. An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn Deanna Raybourns An Unexpected Peril, coming out Mar. 2, is the latest in her series about Veronica Speedwell a butterfly hunter, natural historian, female detective, and world traveler during the Victorian era. Veronica has to pose as a princess to investigate the murder of a groundbreaking female mountain climber in this rollicking adventure. A Game of Cones by Abby Collette A Game of Cones, coming out Mar. 2, is the second in Abby Collettes cozy mystery series set in a small-town Ohio ice cream shop. A developer wants to build a major mall in the area, but murder stops his plans in his tracks and creamery owner Bronwyn Crewse has to suss out the killer. RELATED: Clue: What Happened in the Fourth Alternate Ending? The House Uptown by Melissa Ginsburg Melissa Ginsburgs The House Uptown, set for release on Mar. 16, is a dark coming-of-age story set in New Orleans. When 14-year-old Ava has to move in with her bohemian artist grandmother, Lane, they both have to content with memories of Avas mother and not all of them are nostalgic. Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt The first female sheriff in a small town in the Ozarks has to wrestle with white supremacy, the challenges of motherhood, the search for a missing girl, and her own demons in Debbie Babitts Saving Grace, coming out Mar. 16. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain Paula McLains When the Stars Go Dark, coming out April 13, will appeal to fans of lyrical prose, gothic thrillers, and psychological suspense. Anna Hart is used to finding whats been lost after all, shes a veteran missing persons detective. But when she returns to her tiny Northern California hometown after a tragedy in her own life, the search for a recently disappeared teen gets too close to home. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian Chris Bohjalian the celebrated author of the recently adapted The Flight Attendant, for which Kaley Cuoco was nominated for a Golden Globe tackles the issue of domestic violence in a Puritan setting in Hour of the Witch, coming out May 4. Mary Deerfield, a young wife in Boston in 1662, knows she has to escape her abusive husband. But her attempts to achieve liberation for herself arouse suspicion during the time of the witch hunts. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides The ivory tower seems a bit less untouchable in Alex Michaelides novel The Maidens, to be published June 16. Cambridge Greek tragedy professor Edward Tosca is well-loved and highly respected, both by his colleagues and by the elite members of The Maidens, a hush-hush, all-female secret society at the university. But Mariana, a therapist and Cambridge alum, doesnt love Edward in fact, she thinks hes a murderer. Survive the Night by Riley Sager Riley Sagers Survive the Night, coming out June 29, is a nostalgic, suspenseful throwback to 90s slasher flicks. Charlie, a college student, needs to get back to her Ohio hometown; her friend just became the third victim of a serial murderer known as the Campus Killer. Josh Baxter has a car and a night of driving ahead of him, so he seems like the perfect guy to hitch a ride with. But as the night continues, it seems like Charlie might have come face-to-face with the killer himself. The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine Liv Constantines previous work became a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, so its no surprise that The Stranger in the Mirror, publishing July 6, is a highly-anticipated mystery. Addison is getting married soon. The only problem? She doesnt remember the groom or herself. A car accident several years ago left her with little memory to speak of, but a kind stranger thankfully came to her rescue. Meanwhile, in Boston, Julian wonders why his wife Cassandra left him and their seven-year-old daughter two years ago. ADVERTISEMENT The Abuja-based Independent Investigative Panel on cases of rights violations by the police, on Monday, ordered police authorities to produce Morris Ashwe, a victim of alleged enforced disappearance. Mr Ashwe has not been seen since his arrest by the police in May 2018, his family alleged in their petition to the panel. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the panel headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Suleiman Galadima, ordered the police authorities to produce the victim unfailingly on February 24. The panel was set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) aftermath of last years #EndSARS protests against police brutality, particularly by the defunct Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS). Mr Ashwes younger brother, Raphael, filed a petition before the panel against the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a police tactical unit, in Makurdi, Benue State, and the Inspector General of Police. The petitioner told the panel that his brother was arrested by the IRT Makurdi on May 1, 2018. He did not disclose if any reason was given for his brothers arrest. He said, He was paraded on May 8, before they took him away to Abuja after two days. We have made several efforts to reach him but failed. Since then, we have made efforts through appeals, pleading and writing letters to IRT which were not heeded to. So we are left with no option than to bring the case to the panel. He tendered the pictures of the arrest and parade of the victim said to have been printed out from Facebook as exhibits. Petitioner wants his brother back, N20m compensation He urged the panel to order the immediate release of his brother to the family and a compensation of N20 million to be paid to the victim for the inhuman and degrading treatment meted out to him. Counsel for the respondents, James Idachaba, told the panel that he had yet to be served with the documents and exhibits filed by the petitioner. He urged the panel to direct that he be served with the exhibits to enable him prepare for the case. The panel ordered as requested by the police lawyer. The panel chair, Mr Galadima, ordered that the victim be produced by whoever is holding him at the next hearing scheduled for February 24. (NAN) On February 1, more than 300 participated in the online meeting of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) on the theme: For a European-wide general strike against school openings. The meeting sent a strong signal for building independent action committees of students, teachers and workers to enforce effective protective measures against the pandemic. The online meeting took place at a time when more than 100 million people worldwide had contracted SARS-CoV-2 and the number of deaths from the virus exceeded 2.2 million. Since the beginning of the year, there have officially been almost 20,000 COVID deaths in Germany alone, said a statement adopted by the Safe Education Action Committee Network a few days before the meeting. This is anything but a natural disaster, stressed Christoph Vandreier, deputy chair of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) and an SGP parliamentary candidate, in his introductory speech. It is the result of policies that sacrifice health and life for the private profit of a financial oligarchy. IYSSE event: For a Europe-wide general strike against the opening of schools At the meeting, several students spoke about their experiences of reckless school openings amid the pandemic. Meret, an 18-year-old high school student from Bremen, reported from her city that at the beginning of the year, all 10th to 13th grades were forced into attending classes in person. In her part-time job in geriatric care, she had experienced that no less than six residents had died from COVID-19. This made her think about what measures the government failed to take that would have been necessary to prevent exactly that. Meret said students had realised that the politicians did not and would not take care of us. The system was showing in the pandemic what it actually cares about. And the answer is not human lives or our well-beingbut profits. This was confirmed by several other students from Nuremberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony. In Nuremberg, thousands of students went on strike against face-to-face classes that the state government wanted to force on them. Nursery teachers and workers from other sectors also supported the demands of the online event. For example, Thomas Schrodl, a tram driver and SGP candidate for the Bundestag (federal parliament) in Bavaria, reported that more than 30 of his fellow transit workers had already died in London in the first coronavirus wave and that a tram driver in Berlin had also succumbed to COVID-19 at the end of December. Since the reopening of schools in Bavaria, he had seen buses and trams filled with children and young people again. Workers still had their fist in their pocket, but they were following the student strikes with great interest. This was also confirmed by Andi, a car mechanic from Bavaria, who reported on the situation in the metal-working factories. Workers can only continue to work there as long as their children go to school, therefore it was extremely important that workers and students pull together. Meeting moderator Gregor Link, a student and SGP parliamentary candidate, then stressed the need to join the networks of action committees for safe education and for safe work. The meeting was also attended by two international guests, both experienced Trotskyists who play a central role in building education action committees in their countries. Joining from the US was Evan Blake, a former teacher and member of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP). From the UK, Tania Kent, a primary school teacher and also a member of the SEP, took part. Both reports showed how much the pandemic had worsened in January. Blake reported that more than 3,000 coronavirus patients died every day in January alone, over 100,000 in one month. In total, 450,000 people have died from COVID-19 there so far, including 689 active or retired teachers and more than 100 children. In the UK, the number of coronavirus deaths had surpassed 100,000 on January 25. This is not a coincidence, Kent stressed, but the result of the ruthless enforcement of a policy of herd immunity. This dangerous strategy had been adopted by virtually all governments around the world. As she reported, the Johnson government in the UK had kept schools completely open since September. When a new strain of the virus began to spread, she said, children became its main carriers. It was only when 20,000 educators called in sick in a single day on December 16 because of COVID-19 infection or quarantining that the government felt compelled to close schools. The anger of affected teachers was shown on January 3, she said, when some 400,000 members took part in an online meeting of the National Education Union in the UK, calling for action to protect them from the virus. Citing health and safety, tens of thousands of primary school teachers and staff refused to work on January 4. Kent said the unions were increasingly discredited because they refused to defend their members in the pandemic. Currently, they supported the governments efforts to lift the lockdown and open schools again, which would provoke enormous new casualties. Johnsons policies will push the pandemic into a new phase of exponential growth with tens of thousands more deaths, she warned. The report from the US also confirmed that students, teachers and workers everywhere face the same problems under the pandemic. The objective situation makes it urgent to take far-reaching action, Blake said. In every country where the virus is spreading, comprehensive vaccination campaigns must be combined with the closure of all schools, universities and non-essential businesses. Blake pointed to the link that existed between the pandemic and the fascist coup attempt on the US Capitol on January 6. Significantly, the far-right coup plotters, in line with Donald Trump, had called for an end to the lockdown and other measures that are hurting the economy. Opening schools at this point, meanwhile, when mutations of the virus were already spreading, was the most ill-advised measure at this stage of the pandemic ... But thats exactly what the new Biden administration is doing, he said. In the interest of the financial oligarchy, the Democratic Party was also aggressively enforcing school openings against teachers. At the same time, Joe Biden himself had explicitly stated that he considered it inevitable that another 170,000 to 232,000 people would die in the coming months. This would bring the US total to a number comparable to the death toll in the American Civil War, Blake said. The only way to stop this and bring the pandemic under control is for the working class to intervene to stop this madness. Blake reported on events in Chicago, the third-largest school district in the US, where resistance is currently being expressed most sharply. The struggle of teachers there against school openings has become the focal point of class struggle in the US, he said. The teachers were confronted by Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who, along with the school board, had been pushing school openings since the beginning of the year. The media was also agitating against the teachers and spreading completely unscientific theories to smear the teachers struggle. However, teachers were also confronted with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which was closely linked to the Democrats. The CTU had only called for a strike vote when the Chicago teachers were already on the verge of rebellion. The Action Committees for Safe Education and for Safe Work are fighting independently of the unions and establishment politicians. All politicians have essentially pushed the same agenda as Donald Trump in the United States, Vandreier commented. Their policies of death, social inequality and fascism and war can only be stopped if workers intervene independently in what is happening. The action committees would have to unite internationally and prepare a general strike. For this, it was necessary to build the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei in Germany, which was preparing to lead this struggle together with its sister parties in other countries. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:49:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIPEI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong increased by 57 percent year on year to 14.85 billion U.S. dollars in January, hitting a record high for January exports, the island's finance authority said Monday. The figure accounts for 43.3 percent of Taiwan's total exports last month, the authority said in a press release. The island's imports from the mainland and Hong Kong in January increased by 46.9 percent year on year to 6.97 billion U.S. dollars. Taiwan's total exports in January reached 34.27 billion U.S. dollars, up 36.8 percent over the same month of 2020. Its total imports climbed by 29.9 percent year on year to 28.08 billion U.S. dollars. The island saw a trade surplus of 6.19 billion U.S. dollars in January, while its trade surplus with the mainland and Hong Kong totaled 7.89 billion U.S. dollars. The growth of imports and exports in January was bigger than expected, partly because the figures in January 2020 were relatively low, the statement said, adding that the Spring Festival holiday of last year fell in January, causing fewer working days and slow business. The authority also attributed the increase in exports in January to the increasing demand for emerging technologies, the New Year shopping season, and the gradual recovery of the raw materials trade in the international market. The island's exports in the first quarter of 2021 will probably maintain stable growth due to the expanding use of COVID-19 vaccines and the continued demand for new communication and computer technologies, it said. Enditem (@FahadShabbir) BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2021) North Macedonia has reached an agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm to procure 200,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine in February, Health Minister Venko Filipce said on Monday. North Macedonia has not yet launched its mass vaccination campaign, as the country expects to receive the first batch of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in February. Another 8,000 doses of the vaccine will be provided by Serbia. "Under the agreement, the Republic of North Macedonia will secure 200,000 doses of Chinese company Sinopharm's vaccine, which will arrive in February. The exact date of the arrival and all other information on deliveries will be approved in the coming days," Filipce said, as quoted in an official press release. The minister added that according to the national vaccination plan, medical workers and people over 70 years old would be the first to receive the injection. North Macedonia, with an estimated population of two million, is also expected to receive up to 170,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March through the COVAX facility. A 12-year-old schoolboy has undergone life-saving surgery after he deliberately swallowed 54 toy magnets as part of an 'experiment'. Rhiley Morrison, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, ate the magnetic balls across two separate occasions to see if they would make metal objects stick to his stomach - as well as being curious about what they would look like when he passed them. But when the metal balls had still not appeared four days later he told to his mother Paige Ward, 30, that he had swallowed two 'by accident'. She rushed him to hospital where doctors carried out an x-ray and were stunned to discover 54 of the powerful magnet toys in his stomach and bowel. Doctors feared the magnets might burn through tissue or vital organs, which could have caused potentially fatal internal damage, and rushed Rhiley into surgery where the objects were scooped out during a six-hour operation. Rhiley Morrison, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, has undergone life-saving surgery after swallowing 54 magnets as an 'experiment' (pictured after the operation) He ate the magnetic balls (pictured) to see if they would make metal objects stick to his stomach as well as being curious about what they would look like when he passed them Rhiley is now recovering at home and his mother hopes to share his 16-day hospital ordeal to educate parents about the potential dangers of magnetic ball toys and urge them to be binned before it happens again. Paige said: 'I was gobsmacked, just speechless when I heard the number he'd swallowed. 'The doctors guessed around 25- 30 from the x-ray, but when he came out of surgery they said they got 54. 'I think what made it harder is that I just didn't understand how or why he would swallow that many. But when the metal balls had still not appeared four days later Rhiley (pictured before the incident) told to his mother that he swallowed two 'by accident' He was rushed to hospital and doctors carried out an x-ray and were stunned to discover 54 of the powerful magnet toys in his stomach and bowel (pictured) 'Rhiley is massively into science, he loves experiments, he eventually admitted "I tried to stick magnets to me, I wanted to see if this copper would stick to my belly while the magnets were in". 'It's just so silly, but he's a child and that's what kids do. He also thought it would be fun seeing them come out the other end.' Rhiley, who has autism and ADHD, asked for magnet toys for Christmas and bought the additional 4.99 magnetic balls from a corner shop with money he had saved up. It is thought that Rhiley swallowed the first batch on January 1 and the second lot on January 4. Rhiley became worried when none of the magnets passed through his system and woke full-time mother and carer Paige up at 2am on January 5 who took him to Salford Royal Hospital. Rhiley's mother Paige (pictured) now hopes to share his 16-day hospital ordeal to educate parents about the potential dangers of magnetic ball toys Doctors feared the magnets might burn through tissue or vital organs, which could have caused potentially fatal internal damage, and rushed Rhiley into surgery where the objects were scooped out during a six-hour operation (pictured after keyhole surgery) He was then sent by ambulance to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital where Rhiley was placed on the list for emergency surgery and had a keyhole procedure to remove the magnets. Due to complications related to ingesting the powerful magnets, Rhiley spent 10 days unable to move without vomiting green liquid caused by his bowel leaking. He was also unable to eat or go to the toilet and needed to be tube-fed and have a catheter inserted. Mother-of-four Paige said: 'It was heartbreaking watching him go through all that, just horrible. He was also unable to eat or go to the toilet and needed to be tube-fed and have a catheter inserted 'I think it's especially difficult because of Covid because he couldn't have any visitors. 'It was horrible to see him not able to sit up and being so sick every time he moved because this fluid was sloshing around inside him. 'I'd managed to hold it together all the time but it wasn't nice seeing him in that much pain. 'When they tried to put the catheter in he had pins and needles through his body and told me 'I feel like my insides are going to explode'. 'I remember thinking, I can't believe all this is happening because of magnets. 'When I went into hospital I thought 'god they're going to think how has she let him do that?' 'A trauma nurse came in and told me she deals with kids like Rhiley who've eaten magnets all the time. On January 21, Rhiley was discharged (pictured) and given a week-long course of antibiotics to stave off infection 'Another doctor said he'd seen a child who'd swallowed two who ended up with part of their bowel removed so Rhiley was very lucky with 54.' On January 21, Rhiley was discharged and given a week-long course of antibiotics to stave off infection. Paige, who is also mother to Caitlynn Ward, 11, Madison Ward, 10, and four-year-old Phoebe Ward, said: 'I got rid of all the magnet toys after this. 'He is autistic but he's quite high functioning. He knows what he's doing, he knows right from wrong. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF SWALLOWING MAGNET BALLS? If a child swallows the small balls, magnets effectively burn holes in their intestines or bowels. The magnets stick together internally and through organs and tissues, and can cut off blood supply causing tissue to die. They are much more complex than button batteries to extract. The child will need emergency surgery, then, depending on the severity of the injuries, they may need numerous operations, bowel resection and time in paediatric intensive care. Source: Child Accident Prevent Trust Advertisement 'He's just made a mistake and unfortunately it was one that could have cost him a lot.' Paige now hopes to share Rhiley's story to ensure no other family goes through the same experience. She said: 'I don't want other kids or parents going through that. 'When he did it I thought it was just him, he's just been silly and done it, but the surgeon said they see this all the time. 'Magnets aren't toys, they shouldn't be sold as toys. 'My message to other parents is to just put them in the bin, don't buy them in the first place. 'I don't care how nice they look and how many children ask for them because they're 'cool', they're just not worth it. 'The surgeon said that if Rhiley didn't tell me that day he'd swallowed the magnets he could have died. 'They could have clashed and ripped his bowel and he could have ended up with sepsis. 'Rhiley was lucky but some kids aren't and won't be. 'I'm not sure why he told me, he wasn't in any pain, I just thank god he did. 'He's taken all of his magnets out of his room now, he won't entertain them.. It was a really traumatic lesson for both of us.' In footage from his hospital bed Rhiley said: 'My advice is never ever eat magnets, bin them, whisk them away and make sure they do not exist.' Katrina Phillips, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said: 'Rhiley was lucky to be treated so quickly and avoid more serious injury. 'We've heard of increasing numbers of children swallowing magnets and we know doctors are worried. 'If you look online, you'll find lots of magnetic toys. The trouble is, there's no way to tell if they are safe or 10 times stronger than the legal limit. 'Many parents assume that, if they can buy something, it must be safe. Paige is doing a great service for other families by speaking out about these hidden dangers.' Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Dr. David Lubarsky, the chief executive of U.C. Davis Health, told me that because both have existing relationships with most of the states health systems, he thinks that this is a turn in the right direction. [Track how the vaccine rollout is going across the country.] The key, he said, will be figuring out how to allocate more doses to health care providers who can quickly identify patients who should be prioritized for vaccines based on things like their age, chronic conditions and whether they live in a particularly hard-hit community. Then, those trusted doctors or clinicians will be in a better position to convince reluctant or concerned patients that they should get vaccinated. Right now were talking about vaccine supply, but come the middle of February, were going to be talking about vaccine acceptance, Dr. Lubarsky said. We have to get vaccines into the hands of providers, because thats who patients want to hear from. [Read more about how far-right and anti-vaccination activists have been emboldened in California.] Schools reopening On Sunday, San Franciscos public school district and unions representing employees announced a tentative deal to allow students to return to classrooms. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the deal requires a return to in-person instruction only after the city is moved into the second most restrictive (or red) reopening tier, and if vaccines are made available to on-site workers. The move was hailed as desperately needed progress. This is a major step forward toward a goal that we share with so many parents: safe reopening of school buildings for students and staff, the unions said in a statement. Quebec-based food franchising business Foodtastic Inc. announced a deal Monday to buy troubled coffee chain Second Cup Coffee Co. and has big plans for the brand, including opening more than 100 new locations. A cup of flat white coffee is shown at a Second Cup Coffee outlet in Toronto on Thursday, December 4, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Quebec-based food franchising business Foodtastic Inc. announced a deal Monday to buy troubled coffee chain Second Cup Coffee Co. and has big plans for the brand, including opening more than 100 new locations. Foodtastic CEO Peter Mammas said Monday the company is buying the Canadian coffee retailer and roaster from Aegis Brands Inc. in part for its national infrastructure. "Second Cup has operations teams across Canada and we want to take our other brands out of Quebec and Ontario and into other parts of Canada, so we're going to use that platform to do it," Mammas said in an interview. "It gives us more of a national footprint." Mississauga-based Aegis Brands didn't disclose Second Cup's sale price but said it includes $14 million in cash, plus a post-closing earn-out. Mammas said Foodtastic is also taking over a "very, very large lease liability." Still, the franchisor of multiple restaurant concepts, including Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery, Chocolato, La Belle & La Boeuf, Rotisseries Benny and Souvlaki Bar, is planning to grow the Second Cup brand. Foodtastic will begin selling Second Cup coffee in all of the company's 130 restaurant locations within six months of acquiring the chain, Mammas said. The company also plans to expand the coffee chain to about 300 locations within 36 months, up from 190 locations currently, he said. But the store count will likely drop before the expansion begins, Mammas said, as Second Cup first goes through a "stabilization period." Currently, the coffee shop's locations are concentrated in downtown cores, malls and transit locations, he said. Those locations are struggling the most, Mammas said, while the chain's suburban counterparts are fairing better. Some unprofitable locations will likely close, though they could reopen as one of Foodtastic's other brands, he said. Some Second Cup locations just need to be renovated, Mammas said. "Some locations look great but others look like they're still in the '80s," he said. "They haven't been renovated and they look a little worn out." Foodtastic's equity partner is Oaktree Capital, an asset management firm majority owned by Brookfield Asset Management, which puts the Montreal-based company on strong financial footing, he said. "Our balance sheet is very strong and we're really well-financed," Mammas said. "I think it's going to be easier for the franchisees to secure the capital required to renovate." Meanwhile, new Second Cup locations will likely be smaller, located in more suburban, high-traffic areas and feature drive-thrus, he said. "By mid to late next year we'll probably be reopening locations, and we definitely want to be coast to coast," Mammas said. "Our main focus is to keep as many Second Cups open until mid 2022," he said. "After that we're confident the brand itself will do well and at that point we'll start expanding." Aegis Brands said the sale will strengthen its balance sheet and allow it to accelerate its growth strategy through acquisitions. "We are pleased that the Second Cup brand and franchisees have the opportunity to evolve with a new Canadian partner," Steven Pelton, president and CEO of Aegis, said in a statement. "At Aegis we will now focus on further development of Bridgehead Coffee and Hemisphere Cannabis, while seeking out exciting new growth and acquisition opportunities." The Second Cup Ltd. changed its name to Aegis Brands as part of a plan to diversify beyond coffee shops. In addition to Second Cup, Aegis Brands owns the Ottawa-based Bridgehead coffee shop chain and Hemisphere Cannabis Co. "This is a pivotal moment for Aegis Brands," Pelton said. "We are excited about the opportunity to uncover new opportunities for growth." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:AEG) Years ago, when I was in college, I experienced something that will stick with me forever. Opinion Years ago, when I was in college, I experienced something that will stick with me forever. It was near the end of my last semester of the two-year creative communications program at Red River College. Graduation was so close, but at the time it seemed impossibly far away. My student line of credit was dwindling, and life outside of being a student pressed on even though school was all-encompassing. I was in my early 30s. I lived alone in a small apartment and worked part-time weekend shifts as a casino security officer. I cycled between paying for rent, bills, food, all while paying down the line of credit I was using to cushion the shortfalls of my income. It was hard, but my experience was in no way worse than many other students. For a while, I would pick up extra overnight shifts at work as a way to supplement my income. I would wake up at 2:30 a.m., go to work for 3:15 a.m. and be out just in time to head to school for the day. My plan seemed feasible at first, but things quickly started to unravel. It turns out some hours in the day are meant for rest. I overestimated my ability to function with so little sleep. My journalism instructor, Duncan McMonagle, noticed I had been struggling more than normal. Id missed a couple of assignments, my work was sloppy, and the only thing I seemed to do was show up for class. He pulled me aside and asked me if I needed help. I remember it vividly, because in that moment I was seen. I never wanted to ask for help because I wasnt sure what kind of help I even needed. I knew there were people more in need than me. My struggle felt heavy, but it wasnt grave. In hindsight, I realize I needed someone to reach out, to encourage me to recognize it was OK to ask for help, even if I hadnt reached a dire point. It was such a poignant moment in my life, something I reflect on often. So, a few weeks ago, when I was invited to talk to second-year creative communications students about a project theyre doing called Meals in Motion an online campaign in partnership with the colleges student association that collects money and food for students I jumped at the chance. I fit the bill of their target audience. The initiative, which the class of 12 has been planning since the beginning of this term, is a food drive, but it has a few components that make it unique. People can donate money or submit a budget-friendly "meal hack" idea at mealsinmotion.org, as well as supplying the ingredients for a food kit and recipe that will be donated to a student. "Its really just students helping students," student Colin Jackson, the project manager of the campaign, said. "There are so many students who work service and industry jobs who are really struggling because they cant work right now because of the pandemic." On March 13, the class will offer contactless pickup throughout Winnipeg for the food donations from people who registered to make a kit. Theyll give the donations to the student association food bank. While they are being graded on this assignment, Jackson said he and his classmates have learned a lot and have been moved by their mission. "You dont even know who is struggling because thats not something that many people are willing to share, especially now over a Zoom chat." People who want to donate or students who are in need can check out mealsinmotion.org. shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @ShelleyACook OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pine Hearts, the recent Telluride Band Contest finalists, are planning to bring a new album to life and inviting their fans, followers and music lovers to join an 'all or nothing' #kickstarter campaign to expand the influence of their unchained style. As a three-piece string band, they are said to be as innovative as lightening and as refreshing as a mountain stream; as guitar, mandolin, and double bass push music into a freewheeling take on real American music. In fact, the story of The Pine Hearts' music is very similar to the story of music in rural areas, where musicians have eagerly mined whatever they felt suitable to represent the emotions they've drawn from their surroundings. By building on the powerful influences of resonating and raw sounds of the likes of Trampled By Turtles, The Avett Brothers and #IndiePop, their powerful emotive themes and the blazingly-fast picking rhythms and moments of crying souls, represent themselves in the purest way possible. Listen to The Pine Hearts for free here. The Pine Hearts' hungry hearts include acoustic guitarist Joey Capoccia, mandolinist Derek McSwain and upright bassist Dean Shakked. Together they encompass a rock-solid, rhythmic foundation with wide-ranging jazz and progressive rock influences into the mix. All three are accomplished vocalists and instrumentalists. Seasoned from hundreds of tours across North America, the UK, the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition, and featured at the first-ever Kaua'i Folk Festival, they recently retained the talented producer, recording artist and musician Bart Budwig, who helped them to capture some of the finest takes the band has summoned in a new killer album planned to debut soon. "As a band of brothers, we've never been more proud, excited and eager to share this magical creation that derives from the very heart and soul of our beings and our roots," said Joey Capoccia of The Pine Hearts. About #ThePineHearts The Pine Hearts go deep by combining wood, ore and soul to channel the colossal, organic spirit of the untamed lands. Their sound, like the environment around them, is ever-changing, harnessing classic country songwriting, the powerful emotive themes of experimental folk, and the blazing-fast pickin' rhythms of traditional bluegrass, rooted to their rock-n-roll backgrounds. Visit them at https://thepinehearts.com/ SOURCE The Pine Hearts Bukoka KAGERA Regional Commissioner (RC) Brig-Gen Marco Gaguti has thanked the government for setting aside over 11.8bn/- for improvement of the health sector during the past five years (2015-2020). He explained that out of the total amount at least 5.9bn/- was utilised for the construction of three district hospitals in Bukoba Rural, Karagwe and Kyerwa councils. Equally, he said the budget for medicines had increased from 2.3bn/- in 2015 to 8bn/- in 2020 and appealed to the residents to check their health status from time to time and ensure the infrastructure was well-maintained. "By ensuring that health facilities are equipped to deliver comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services, we can effectively address health complications of childbirth, including severe bleeding, infection, prolonged or obstructed labour, eclampsia and asphyxia in newborns," he said. During his recent tour of Kagera Region, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa directed district councils in the country to ensure they supplied materials, including beds, iron sheets and nails where residents were constructing dispensaries at village level. He noted that there were about 15,000 villages in the country, adding that the government could not afford to construct a dispensary for each village due to limited resources. Instead, the government concentrated on the construction of health centres at ward level. Data shows that lack of affordable, quality health care continues trapping many in poverty. Globally, as many as 100 million people a year are pushed into poverty due to high healthcare costs and about 30 per cent of households in Africa and Asia have to borrow money or sell assets to pay for health. Countries across the continent still struggle to drive down maternal and child mortality, malaria and malnutrition while addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cancer. In addition, although Africa accounts for 24 per cent of the global burden of disease, it has only three per cent of the global health workforce and 11 million Africans are pushed into poverty and remain poor every year due to healthcare costs. Apple has added an option to set the default music player with the iOS 14.5 beta 1 release. If you ask Siri to play music on your iPhone, the digital assistant will prompt you asking for to select the default music player first. It was already possible to ask Siri to play music on Spotify or other compatible music streaming service by adding by Spotify at the end of the voice command. With iOS 14.5 though, it looks like Apple wants to remove even this aspect from the equation. Some Reddit users have also noted that Siri will start playing music from the third-party music player if one had asked the voice assistant to play music from it previously. Essentially, in this scenario, Siri itself is automatically setting a default Music app for you depending on your past preference. While not shown in the screenshot above, the feature will also work with Spotify meaning iPhone users will be able to set it as their default music app once iOS 14.5 lands. Read: iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 Beta 1 Features: Whats New Reddit users do report that the feature works intermittently for now, with Siri going back to the Music app. This is understandable for now since Apple has only released the first developer beta of iOS 14.5 so far. The company will release 3-4 beta builds of the OS over the next few weeks which should add more polish to the feature before the public release of the OS. With iOS 14, Apple allowed users to set the default mail and browser app of their choice on their iPhone, and now with the upcoming iOS 14.5 update, the company seems to be adding support for the default music app as well. [Via r/iOSBeta On Feb. 5, the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that its jurisdiction extends to "the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem." Thus, the court opened the door for Palestinians to submit complaints over war crimes allegedly committed by Israel and prosecutors could now investigate alleged war crimes during the 2014 Gaza war and the construction by Israel of West Bank Jewish settlements. The ICC ruling stirred much anger in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the court of prejudice, tweeting, "When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes this is pure anti-Semitism. The court established to prevent atrocities like the Nazi Holocaust against the Jewish people is now targeting the one state of the Jewish people." He went on, "First, the ICC outrageously claims that when Jews live in our homeland, this is a war crime. Second, it claims that when democratic Israel defends itself against terrorists who murder our children and rocket [sic] our cities we are committing another war crime," and added, "Yet the ICC refuses to investigate brutal dictatorships like Iran and Syria, who commit horrific atrocities almost daily." Other Israeli politicians followed suit. Yamina leader Naftali Bennett called the ICC a sham. The former defense minister, who also served as a commander in an elite IDF units, tweeted, As defense minister, I ensured that nobody would tie the hands of our soldiers who risk their lives to protect us. If its true that the ICC is making a list of so-called Israeli suspects, I ask that my name be put on the top." Israels Foreign Ministry tweeted, The judges decision rewards Palestinian terrorism, as well as the refusal of the Palestinian Authority to return to direct negotiations with Israel, and will further polarize both sides." In a follow-up post it wrote, "We call upon all nations that value the international legal system, and object to its political exploitation, to respect the sovereign rights of states not to be subjected to the Courts jurisdiction." The Israeli press joined the fray with several articles focusing on outgoing ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, accusing her of bias and a personal agenda against Israel. The Jerusalem Post noted that the identity of the next ICC prosecutor will be critical for Israel: "Current ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda steps down from her nine-year term on June 15, but her successor has not yet been selected. It is that successor who will be in power when the key decisions are made about Israels future in the six-year-long war-crimes controversy with the ICC." Israel has been preparing for the eventuality since before Bensouda brought up the issue in 2019. Israeli efforts accelerated after Bensouda's Dec. 20 announcement that she had found a reasonable basis to suspect Israeli war crimes were committed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and was seeking a court ruling on opening investigations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces have been particularly preoccupied with the matter. The Israeli military had appointed Maj. Gen. Itai Veruv to coordinate all aspects of the legal battle and to head a team of specialists, including an expert in international law. Still, no major decisions have reportedly been made yet and no Israeli defense attaches abroad have been instructed to return to Israel. With Israel currently under a nationwide lockdown and the airport still closed, the possibility of Israeli officers charged while traveling abroad is less relevant for the moment. Other reports say the Foreign Ministry has instructed several of Israel's embassies to urgently request that their host countries deliver discreet messages to the ICC. Ambassadors stationed in countries considered Israel's allies have reportedly been instructed to reach out to heads of states and foreign ministers asking for statements of opposition to the courts decision. Last year, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic supported Israel against a possible ICC investigation. The three countries submitted a legal opinion positing that court has no jurisdiction to investigate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke this evening with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken over the phone. The ICC was one of the issued discussed between the two men. Ashkenazi tweeted after the phone call that he thanked Blinken for the administrations public support of Israel in the face of the ICC decision. "I emphasized to the Secretary of State that the tribunal's decision is fundamentally wrong, discriminatory, And that it jeopardizes the rare opportunity to promote peace in our region." Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC. One of my dreams is to set my footprints all over the beautiful landscapes in Canada, including the famous Eastern trails. Comparing to Americans, Canadians are nicer, and among Canadians, Saskatchewan people are nicer in mainland continent. However, People in Newfoundland are the nicest in Canada. Victoria island is famous for its beauty both in terms of weather, landscape and producers in Canada. But, lots of visitors and travelers neglect or have no chance to know an even better island in Canada. Amost all Canadians have travelled on Trans-Canada Highway, the principal hightway of Canada and the world's longest national road, also known as the #1 highway. Unfortunately, many Canadians could not tell where it starts and where it ends. Fascinated by the answer? The answer is a big piece if rock in the Atlantic Ocean, and in further detail, Newfoundland and a city called St. John's St. John's is the capital of province Newfoundland, in full name Newfoundland & Labrador, and the oldest city in Canada, existing on maps as early as 1519. St. John's sits on the easternmost coast of Canada, along the Atlantic Ocean, and it is where Trans-Canada highway starts. I traveled to St John's in the end of June of 2019 with my family, hoping to watch whales and icebergs, to taste the cord fish, salmons, lobsters, and snow crabs, as well as to enjoy the costal line of the Atlantic Ocean. I could obviously taste the flavors of salmons and snow crabs are much fresher, tenderer and juicier than that from the Pacific Ocean. Eastern trails Eastern trails are on the cliffs of coastal line. Walking on the trail, you could sometime hikers with tent packed on their shoulders. These hikers walked several days or weeks on the trail. But there are no official camping sites along the trail. The good things are there are many good places suitable for camping and tenting, so hikers could camp along the trail anywhere at night, which was very attractive to our inland hikers. Following are some photos of Eastern trail near St. John's Seeking of whales and icebergs Next day, starting the from the real start point of Tran-Canada highway, we drove west to Trinity, Bonavista, Terra Nova National Park, Cape Freels, Musgrave Harbour, then Twillingate, in order to seek whales and icebergs. We did see whales but did not find decent size of icebergs, only small ones because the best time for watching iceberg is from April to May. In the end of June or early July, most of the icebergs melted and collapsed. However, we found the most delicious lobsters and snow crabs at Twillingate. We bought some and brought home. Amazingly, these things survived for almost one week by just staying in a damp wrapping. We missed Fogo Island because of foggy weather. There is another place called Gros Morne National Park worthy of visit, but we don't have enough time to drive there. It would be my destination for my next visit to St. John's. From Twillingate, we drove to a small town called Gander. Gander is a small town with only about 11 thousand population. It is worthy to mention that on the day of 911, many flights from New York and nearby cites were diverted to Gander. Thousands of passengers were hosted by the residents of Gander for days before they could fly home safely. And then, one piece of steel from the world trade center was gifted and kept in the Aviation Museum of Gander for memorizing of the hospitality of people here. St. John's and Newfoundland is always a vivid magnificent place in my memory. I love you in the deep of my heart, and my love lives there forever. The route we followed: Tinity trail Above is the lobster fishing boat we bought lobster The Following is the vedio of whale watching: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Tens of thousands of New Mexico families are struggling to pay their utility bills during the pandemic, prompting some lawmakers to propose special assistance to help pay their debts. Three Democratic representatives introduced House Bill 206 on Jan. 27 to wipe away up to 50% of debt owed by low-income customers in arrears who pay half of what they owe through payment plans theyve worked out with electric, natural gas and water utilities. Consumer advocacy and environmental organizations are backing the measure, introduced by Kristina Ortez of Taos, Andrea Romero of Santa Fe and Joanne Ferrary of Las Cruces. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The bill would also provide long-term relief by authorizing the state Public Regulation Commission to approve discounted rates for low-income families. And it would create an Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant program to provide local and tribal governments with money to retrofit homes in underserved communities to conserve energy and lower utility bills, Ortez said. The bill would have a direct, positive impact on families suffering under the pandemic, Ortez said. There are families in every district around the state who would benefit. The bill is now assigned to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. But it could face opposition from some utilities and PRC members who say it may interfere with relief programs and policies the commission is already managing. Since the pandemic started, the commission has maintained a moratorium on utility disconnections for all ratepayers who fall into arrears while the governors emergency health orders remain in place. The PRC extended that order Feb. 3 for 100 days for public utilities like Public Service Co. of New Mexico, and 45 more days for smaller utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Once the moratorium ends, the new order also imposes another 90 days for public utilities and 45 days for co-ops, as a transition period to arrange payment plans with indebted customers. As of November, about 57,000 electricity customers and 27,000 natural gas consumers were in arrears, according to weekly reports that utilities have submitted to the PRC. Electric customers collectively owed $42.3 million and natural gas customers $4.8 million. The totals are higher. The PRC has only partial counts from electric co-ops and nothing from water companies, which are generally regulated by city and county governments. PNMs concerns PNM alone reported nearly 46,000 past-due customers in early February, representing $18.9 million in arrears. But it says the bill, while well-intentioned, could interfere with PRC programs and policies. Were concerned about the need for this bill, because it seems duplicative with certain recent PRC actions with the possibility of some negative unintended consequences, PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval said. As vaccination efforts advance and the economy regains traction, programs mandated by the bill could soon be out of date, but since it would be law, nothing could be changed until next years legislative session, Sandoval said. Commissioner Joe Maestas said the PRC struggled to balance ratepayer and utility interests in its latest order, setting a final extension and transition period so as not to prolong a blanket moratorium indefinitely. Customers are struggling, but so are many utilities, Maestas said. Many smaller utilities are on the brink of laying people off, he said. Many are deferring needed maintenance and are barely hanging on. Disconnection cliff Bill supporters, however, say only the Legislature can authorize debt forgiveness. And thats critical for low-income households whose individual arrears now range from $400 to $1,000 and counting as the pandemic stretches on, creating a disconnection cliff that will kick in when the moratorium ends, said Gabe Pacyniak, a University of New Mexico associate law professor who helped draft the bill. Customers will have to pay off all their arrears or be disconnected, Pacyniak said. This gives low-income consumers time to pay their bills, plus assistance through debt forgiveness to dig themselves out of the hole theyre now in. Under the bill, low-income customers could get a three-month repayment period for every month in arrears, plus dollar-for-dollar forgiveness for each payment they make up to 50% of their total debt, said Ona Porter, clean energy leader for nonprofit Prosperity Works. Thousands of low-income New Mexicans face a huge energy burden, Porter said. Many pay up to 20% to 25% of their monthly income on utility bills. Recovering costs Utility write-offs would be recovered first with any federal, state or philanthropic funds available through COVID-19 programs. The remainder would then be eligible for inclusion in base rates paid by all ratepayers, said Tammy Fiebelkorn, New Mexico representative for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. The bill also provides long-term assistance by amending the state Public Utility Act to allow the PRC to approve low-income discount rates for the first time. Non-discrimination clauses currently prohibit such special rates for a single class of ratepayers. Maestas said the bill tries to do much, logrolling many different and potentially contentious measures like low-income discount rates into a single piece of legislation. But not all commissioners agree. We need better policies to help low-income people, said PRC chair Stephen Fischmann. Id love to see the Legislature address the issues in this bill. I dont know if these are the ideal solutions, but we have to start somewhere. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. 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. Nurses and pharmacies in Laois are getting ready to administer Covid-19 vaccines to people in the community but are awaiting final details of how the system will work. Many Laois GPs were vaccinated at a mass vaccination clinic in Portlaoise in January with the Moderna vaccine. They are now preparing to begin administering that vaccine or the Pfizer BioNTech jab to their older patients who are living in the community. The national community vaccination programme begins on February 15. However, due to the rules around over 70s not getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, GPs have had to work with the HSE to reconfigure the programme for older people. Dr Michelle Byrne, issued a statment on behalf of the Laois GP group of doctors attached to MiDoc and the Laois branch of the Irish College of General Practitioners. She said doctors will make contact with their patients once the plan has been finalised at national level. "Laois GPs are looking forward to participating in the COVID-19 vaccine roll out beginning with those over 85 in the first phase then the over 80s and so on. "Details of the programme are still being worked out by the HSE, Irish Medical Organisation, ICGP and each practice will get in touch directly with their patients to arrange vaccination when they have the final details," said Dr Byrne. It is expected that there will be three big clinics in Dublin, Cork and Galway while GPs elsewhere will set up vaccation hubs in their own practice buddy up with other practices nearby. Meanhile, the Leinster Express understands that vaccinating pharmacists will be able to register to deliver vaccines from Tuesday, February 9. However, they have not been given a commencment date. Pharmacists had expected to be giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to adults under the age of 70. I am a slave to the people of Tamil Nadu: V K Sasikala to enter active politics India oi-Briti Roy Barman Chennai, Feb 08: V K Sasikala, close aide of former CM J Jayalalithaa, on Monday addressed her supporters for the first time after her release from prison and said she is going to engage in serious politics, cementing the ruling AIADMK's fears. "I am a slave to love," she said on Monday evening. "I am a slave to the people and volunteers of Tamil Nadu. I will meet you all soon and will enter full-fledged politics." "I am bound by love, to the Tamil ethos and the principles I have embarked upon. But I can never be enslaved by oppression," she told her loyalists. Earlier, she returned to Tamil Nadu to a grand reception, days after completing her jail term in Bengaluru in the Rs 66.6 crore disproportionate assets case, amid indications of a confrontation with the ruling party which she once controlled. Asked by reporters about the AIADMK ministers filing police complaint against her use of the ruling party flag on her car, she said "I think it shows their apprehension." Responding to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's memorial in Chennai being closed for maintenance, she said "the people of Tamil Nadu know very well what all this means." Ghulam Nabi Azad retires as MP, hopes for Pandits' return to Kashmir | Oneindia News Sasikala, a close aide of J Jayalalithaa, returned to Tamil Nadu for the first time since her release on January 27 after a four-year jail term for corruption. Till now, she had been in Bengaluru, where she was treated for Covid. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 19:35 [IST] File photo of a booth in support of Shiva Ayyadurai, an Indian American entrepreneur who was running against Sen. Elizabeth Warren, displaying a 'Photoshopped' image of Warren wearing a Native American headdress inside the Conservative Political Action Conference Hub at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Feb. 23, 2018 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Workplace settlements that effectively silence victims of harassment and discrimination could become a thing of the past in California under a new bill announced Monday. Authored by Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino (San Bernardino County), SB331 would expand protections for workers who speak out about unjust treatment on the job. It would also bar future agreements that prevent them from recounting discrimination they faced because of characteristics like race or religion. It is unacceptable for any employer to try to silence a worker because he or she was a victim of any type of harassment or discrimination whether due to race, sexual orientation, religion, age or any other characteristic, Leyva said in a statement. The bill would empower victims of harassment to speak out and potentially prevent future abuse by taking away a legal shield used by bad actors, she added. The effort expands on legislation signed in 2018 and also sponsored by Leyva. The Legislature passed that law, SB820, during the height of the ongoing #MeToo movement that saw women all over the world speak out against harassment and abuse. SB820 bars companies statewide from requiring employees to sign nondisclosure agreements to stop them from speaking out about their experience as part of a settlement involving sexual assault, sexual harassment and sex discrimination. State law also prohibits companies from forcing people to sign agreements promising not to disparage the company as a condition of employment. SB331 would make that requirement explicitly applicable to severance agreements that try to stop employees from speaking out about unlawful treatment like discrimination. Settlements preventing an employee from speaking about their experiences at a company in exchange for severance pay or other benefits are common in the technology industry. And nondisclosure agreements arent solely used by companies to muzzle workers from speaking about harassment and discrimination. Sometimes a worker might want such an agreement to protect the workers identity in instances of sexual harassment, abuse or other circumstances, said Jessica Stender, senior counsel with Equal Rights Advocates, a group which sponsored the bill along with the California Employment Lawyers Association. Current law and the proposed legislation seek to keep the option open for victims to protect themselves using NDAs, while taking away the agreements power as a corporate tool to prevent them from speaking about their experiences. Ifeoma Ozoma, a former employee at San Francisco social image-sharing company Pinterest, quit the company last year, saying she faced racial and gender discrimination there as a Black woman. She and another former employee, Aerica Shimizu Banks, previously spoke on Twitter about what they described as a culture of discrimination and harassment at the company. Pinterest did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Ozoma said she was able to speak out since the law protected her from legal action for speaking about sex-based discrimination. But current state law does not similarly protect people who face discrimination at work because of their race or other characteristics. I cannot separate my Blackness from being a woman, Ozoma said. The bill would protect whistle-blowers from future discrimination based on race, physical ability, pregnancy and many other categories, Ozoma said. Having worked on public policy issues at Pinterest, she said expanding the current law has been on her mind since she left the company. Ozoma worked with the lawyer who represented her during her separation from Pinterest and Leyvas office to craft the bill. Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available. We need progress for everyone and not just individual groups at specific times, Ozoma said of the need to expand protections beyond sex-based discrimination. Business groups including the California Chamber of Commerce opposed SB820 and some other efforts to curb legal agreements around harassment in the workplace, arguing at the time they would expose employers to liability and lawsuits even if they followed the law. A spokesperson for the chamber declined to comment on the new bill announced Monday, saying the group had not seen the language of the legislation yet. There are exceptions to the protections in the bill, said Stender with Equal Rights Advocates. She said like SB820, the protections in the new bill only apply once a worker has brought a lawsuit or made a formal complaint to state or federal authorities. That would allow workers who wish to protect their identity or keep the settlement amount confidential to do so. The purpose is to not silence workers from talking about what happened to them, Stender said. The bill would only apply only to harassment and discrimination claims brought after Jan. 1 if it is signed into law, Stender said. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice In an unexpected and tragic turn of events, a massive glacier burst in Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday led to a deadly flood in the Dhauli Ganga river, endangering the lives of several people living along its banks. Unfortunately, several homes along the way were swept away as the waters rushed down the mountainsides in a raging torrent. There were fears of damage in human settlements downstream as well. Meanwhile, as per the reports, many villages were evacuated and people took to safer areas. More than 150 labourers working at the Rishi Ganga power project may have been directly affected, news agency PTI quoted State Disaster Response Force DIG Ridhim Aggarwal as saying. Currently, a high alert has been issued in Uttarakhand while authorities in all districts of the state on the banks of the Ganga river have been asked to continuously monitor the water level. ITBP ITBP The NDRF, SDRF and PAC Flood Company are being given instructions to be on the highest alert, an official statement said. Here are some shocking photos and videos from Joshimath as massive floods wreaked havoc in the area: Biggest story at this time: Terrifying images of glacier break leading massive flooding in Uttarakhands Chamoli district. Extensive damage and devastation expected at several villages. Full coverage on @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/rzR6ODfJ9y Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) February 7, 2021 Rescue work in progress. UPDATE #UttarakhandGlacialBurst An #IAF ALH carried out reconnaissance of affected area by 6 scientists of DRDO along with their specialised equipment. Starting from 0645hrs today morning,6 Mi 17 sorties,1 ALH sortie & 01 Chinook sortie hv bn carried out. +@NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/nqWWCcuGBj Mayank (@scribesoldier) February 8, 2021 #Uttarakhand#UttarakhandGlacialBurst Indian Army columns working continuously to rescue people trapped in the longer tunnel. Work will continue through the night. #IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/nZV412F2Qc ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) February 7, 2021 WATCH: Indian Army removes debris and slush at the tunnel in Chamoli through the night to carry out the further rescue operation.#UttarakhandGlacialBurst: Video courtesy @adgpi pic.twitter.com/dnUmW9CApb Asianet Newsable (@AsianetNewsEN) February 8, 2021 #UttarakhandGlacialBurst Indian Army columns working continuously to rescue people trapped in the long tunnel at #Tapovan. Field hospitals are set up to treat the injured. Search & rescue operations will continue through the night. God bless #uttarakhand & our soldiers pic.twitter.com/KbZuhTjaPk Anita Chauhan (@anita_chauhan80) February 8, 2021 Personnel from the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) rescue a man. Watch the incredible video here: Humanity at Its Best Heartening to see that Whole Nation stands with people of #Uttarakhand in the face of this adversity.#UttarakhandGlacialBurst pic.twitter.com/91PyewwVYG M B Patil (@MBPatil) February 8, 2021 As per the reports, India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that no adverse weather is expected in Chamoli, Tapovan and Joshimath of Uttarakhand on February 7 and 8. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he is closely reviewing the crisis unfolding in Uttarakhand. The Uttar Pradesh government has asked all authorities in districts on the banks of the Ganga river to be on high alert and monitor water levels following the flash floods in Uttarakhands Chamoli district. As per the latest reports, as many as 15 people have been killed and close to 150 people are still missing. An operation to rescue people trapped in a tunnel near the Tapovan dam is currently underway and heavy machinery is being used to clear the debris. The two hydel projects bore the brunt of the "one time" mishap in which the Rishi Ganga hydel project at Raini was totally destroyed and the one at Tapovan suffered partial damage. LODI, FEB 8 - A 43-year-old Albanian man was arrested Monday on suspicion of stabbing his 47-year-old Albanian partner to death in the street near Lodi north of Milan on Sunday. The woman, Luljeta Heshta, was murdered in the street at Pedriano di San Giuliano Milanese. The man was said to have been living with her. "Sadly I have to report another, umpteenth femicide," said Lodi chief prosecutor Domenico Chiaro. "This is the sixth femicide since the start of the year, a disconsolate figure. "Much is done to avert these incidents but unfortunately the risk if always high. "The only positive note is that the contribution of passersby was decisive in identifying the suspect". The man was not immediately named. Chiaro said he stabbed the woman five times after punching her repeatedly. The man claimed he was innocent but admitted having arguments with the woman involving jealousy. The man was caught on CCTV staggering and police think he may have been drunk at the time of the murder. (ANSA). PALERMO, FEB 8 - A 37-year-old Italian man killed his 32-year-old Italian wife in a jealous fit in Palermo on Sunday, police said Monday. Police said it had been the umpteenth violent row between the two. The man, Salvatore Baglione, told police he had heard of an extramarital affair lasting several months by his wife, Piera Napoli. The woman reportedly told her husband she no longer loved him and wanted to leave him, police said. Police said the man attacked his wife while she was sitting in the bathroom and inflicted several stab wounds to the face, head and trunk. The incident happened early on Sunday morning, police said. The man then cleaned and hid the murder weapon, a 35-cem long kitchen knife, cleaned himself up and woke the couple's two small children, police said. He then packed a suitcase and went to the nearest Carabinieri barracks to confess. He said he needed the suitcase to take his belongings to prison with him. An autopsy has been ordered. (ANSA). LANSING, MI - Michigans Bureau of Elections started an investigation into allegations that state Republican Party chair Ron Weiser used party funds to pay a Secretary of State candidate to drop out of a race in 2018. Former state party chair Laura Cox accused Weiser in a Jan. 15 email of paying Stanley Grot $200,000 to end his 2018 secretary of state campaign. She added that an investigation by Jonathan E. Lauderbach of the Warner Norcross-Judd law firm in Midland could not find a contract for work Grot did to earn that payment. Read more: Laura Cox reenters Michigan GOP chair race, accuses Ron Weiser of secret payments Cox sent a letter containing the allegations to the bureau last week, indicating her desire for an investigation into a possible violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. The bureau confirmed it is investigating the claims against Weiser, said Secretary of State spokesman Jake Rollow on Monday. The Bureau of Elections is investigating the reported possible violation of the campaign finance act, as it does with any written report that a violation of the campaign finance act may have occurred, Rollow said in a statement. Following the conclusion of the Bureaus enforcement process, depending on the finding the Bureau may refer the matter to the Attorney Generals office. Coxs allegations went public on Thursday, two days before the Michigan Republican Party convention to elect a new chair and co-chair. She said Weiser defrauded state delegates with this 2018 payment from the partys administrative account. There is clear evidence that a secret deal was made between Ron Weiser and Stan Grot, Cox wrote. Between August 20, 2018 and February 12, 2019, Stan Grot was paid the sum of $200,000 within only 7 months -- from the Partys Administrative Account. The payments were made so he would withdraw as a candidate for Secretary of State and ensure the party nominated Mary Treder Lang at the August 2018 convention. Cox also used this announcement to try to block Weiser from a new two-year term as party chair, by seeking a last-minute reelection. The party announced Saturday evening that Weiser beat Cox with 66% of the vote. Weiser is co-chair of the party with Meshawn Maddock. Read more: Ron Weiser elected to once again lead Michigan Republican Party Weiser called the allegations baseless in a statement. Weiser has said the work done by Grot was to organize voter turnout in Macomb County, but has provided no other specifics. Laura Coxs baseless allegations are a desperate attempt to smear my name, based on a longstanding political grudge, and her inability to hold onto the job of party chair that she could not keep on her own merits. The contract in question was drafted by counsel, and I relied on that counsel, Weiser wrote. Weiser told MLive there is not a copy of the contract available. He added that Coxs political grudge against him stems from allegations that he did not do enough to support her husband, former Attorney General Mike Cox, during the 2010 primary race for governor. That race was eventually won by former Gov. Rick Snyder. Cox said she confronted Weiser about the payments in 2019, writing that she regretted not taking action sooner out of respect for Weisers serious health and family issues and longtime service to the party. However, the Partys Bylaws require a CPA-certified audit or review of the Partys expenditures during each Election Cycle (i.e., from Election Day 2018 to Election Day 2020), she wrote. So, I always knew, that come hell or high water, the audit was the proverbial Sword of Damocles that would force me to confront Ron soon after the November 3, 2020 election, if not earlier. While I had hoped that with time Ron would relent and engage with me on this issue and work toward the best possible solution for the Party, that has not happened. Michigan law allows for political parties to maintain secretive administrative accounts if they dont directly fund campaign work. Related: Secretive funds allow Michigan lawmakers to accept corporate cash Laura has known about these issues for the past two years and, had there been any violation, which there wasnt, she would have compounded the problem and she would have been liable, Weiser wrote in his statement. Furthermore, Laura appointed Grot as chair of the budget committee, putting him in charge of the partys finances, undermining her entire assertion. Grot received six payments of $10,000, Cox said while citing the Lauderbach report, and then a $140,000 payment in 2019. Cox said the payments finished two weeks before she assumed the chairwoman role in February 2019. Neither Weiser nor Grot spoke with Lauderbach for his report, according to Coxs email, saying Weisers silence and obstruction speak volumes. The report from Lauderbachs firm stated that the investigation into Weiser proved inconclusive, partly because Weiser and Grot refused to cooperate. The reports finding did find some circumstantial evidence of a quid pro quo payment between Weiser and Grot, which would merit further investigation. Read more from MLive: Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Extremists have gone mainstream. Lawyers, realtors and every-day folks make up their ranks. Michigan university in turmoil after white professor says hes faced discrimination for 40 years Feds want permission to share grand jury testimony of militia moles in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case 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. Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have condoled the loss of life in the state of Uttarakhand due to a glacier burst and subsequent flooding. "Sending prayers for the souls lost to the Uttarkhand flood and wishing courage to those who are fighting the disaster. May those who are still missing be found in good health. We are with you, dear friends in India," the Bhutan PM tweeted. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also expressed solidarity with India after a glacier burst in Uttarakhand, which led to massive flooding in the state. Taking to Twitter, Boris Johnson said that the United Kingdom is ready to offer any support required to India after the devastating floods in Uttarakhand. "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed," he tweeted. The statement comes after a glacier burst in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District in Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. It also washed away the Raini power project causing a massive impact on Tapovan due to which 32 people from first and 121 people are missing from the second project, said Uttarakhand Director-General of Police (DGP) on Monday. Donald Trump?s Lawyer Asks To Pause Impeachment Trial If It Runs Into Sabbath Thousands rally again in Myanmar against military coup India supplies corona vaccines to Afghanistan WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats are expected to release a new coronavirus relief bill Monday that will include the much talked about $1,400 direct payments and possible monthly payments to parents for their children that could total up to $3,600 for the year. According to CNN, the monthly payments for parents would work out to $300 per child under the age of six and $250 per child between the ages of six and 17. The money would be issued monthly by the I.R.S. and begin being distributed in July if the bill is signed into law. The payments would be part of a change to the Child Tax Credit and would involve payments to families instead of tax credits. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts is expected to introduce the plan Monday. In a statement sent to CNN, Neal said the plan will help those who are the most in need. The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and its devastating. We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someones head or food on their table, Neal wrote. The Child Tax Credit would be available to single parents earning up to $75,000 annually and $150,000 for couples with combined incomes. The payments for children would last for one year and be separate from the $1,400 income-based checks that would be sent to most Americans regardless of if they have children. The stimulus bill is also expected to include funding to improve unemployment benefits for millions of Americans and money to improve the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress have expressed support for the bill and have indicated they will pursue it without support from Republicans if necessary. READ MORE: A beloved usher, and the COVID death that rocked Michigan athletics COVID-19 variant confirmed in Kent County resident By Ashley Junkunc '21 Culture Works and the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District awarded University of Dayton Graul Chair in Arts and Languages Sharon Davis Gratto $10,000 to support the second Dayton Funk Symposium. Gratto hosted the first funk symposium in 2018 and hopes to present the second event in 2021, celebrating the rhythmic groove-based musical genre with deep roots in Dayton. She is passionate about global music and spreading its transformative benefits, and was ecstatic to learn that, of the 15 awarded applicants, her grant for the second Graul Chair Dayton Funk Music Symposium scored in the top three. My goal as the Universitys Graul Chair is to make interdisciplinary connections and initiatives with the Dayton community, Gratto said. This project connects higher education to the local African American community. The symposium brings together scholars, teachers, students and performing artists to explore funk music. Dayton helped fuel the 1970s funk music boom, with nearly a dozen local bands on major record labels during the latter half of that decade, including the Ohio Players, Lakeside, Zapp and Heatwave. The event will include a collaboration with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and its Rockin' Orchestra series for a funk concert featuring Dayton artists. The grant will be used to bring performers and presenters to campus, including keynote speaker, Ricky Vincent, the award-winning author of Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of the One. Gratto wants to include more female speakers this time and invite back some presenters from the 2018 symposium, including author and UCLA African American studies and history professor, Scot Brown. Culture Works, a nonprofit arts organization working to inspire, support and sustain arts and culture in the Dayton region, awarded the grant through a special projects program funded by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD). The organizations are aligned in their missions and partner on several programs and initiatives. The special projects grant program, launched in 2020, awards up to $10,000 toward arts and cultural projects such as festivals, performances, programs and exhibitions. Culture Works and the MCACD awarded a total of $133,925 to 15 recipients for the 2020 cycle. I feel very fortunate to have received the maximum amount, Gratto said. These are tough times for the arts, and thank goodness for organizations like Culture Works, who support the arts. The arts are government-supported, not government-funded. We have to work harder to get the money and keep the arts alive, and we have to rely on philanthropic donors. This is everyones heart and soul, and we dont want to lose that. Karen Maner, Culture Works grants manager, said grant recipients were chosen based on how each project will engage and impact the community, the professional experience of the artists and other personnel involved, and the quality of the plan in place. The University of Daytons proposal for the second Dayton Funk Music Symposium shined in all of these areas, Maner said. This event will present such a unique opportunity for our community to engage with locally, nationally and even internationally acclaimed artists and develop a deep appreciation for how Dayton has redefined music and art. Gratto worked with Jennifer Speed, the College of Arts and Sciences former grant advisor, to write the grant. Gratto submitted the proposal in May 2020. Her grant was chosen in July 2020. The second symposium will be presented at Daniel J. Curran Place and is free to the public. Originally scheduled for September 2020 and then rescheduled for April 2021, the event has been postponed to November 2021 because of COVID-19 public health measures. Gratto hopes to host the symposium in person at a time when it is safe for attendees. People need to come and see what we do here at the University, Gratto said. UD is very active with social service projects, and this symposium is social interaction for educational reasons. Gratto, music professor and director of the Universitys World Music Choir, joined the faculty in 2008 as department of music chair, a position she held for nine years. In 2017, she was appointed as the first female and fifth Graul Chair in Arts and Languages, a position named for Dr. Thomas C. and Janet M. Graul to promote interdisciplinary approaches with a focus on international perspectives. For more information, visit the Dayton Funk Symposiums website. For the most part, there have been few successful attempts to help older African Americans bypass the complex online systems required to make an appointment. Many who are desperate to get the vaccine have no idea how to go about it, and if they figure it out, its nearly impossible to get an appointment. The Quinism Foundation has announced it will begin offering independent medical evaluation services to U.S. veterans claiming disability from their exposure to mefloquine (previously marketed as Lariam) and related quinoline antimalarial drugs, including chloroquine (Aralen) and tafenoquine (marketed as Krintafel and Arakoda). Under the direction of Dr. Remington Nevin, MD, MPH, DrPH, a former U.S. Army public health physician and Johns Hopkins-trained psychiatric epidemiologist and drug safety expert, who serves as Medical Director of The Quinism Foundation, U.S. veterans seeking Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits will now have the opportunity to obtain a formal medical opinion (otherwise known as a "nexus letter") directly through the foundation, at reduced fees to be subsided through the foundation's charitable activities. Dr. Nevin has nearly a decade of experience aiding veterans successfully obtain up to 100% disability ratings for conditions conceded by the VA to be at least as likely as not the result of exposure to quinoline antimalarial drugs, including mefloquine. Conditions which have been successfully awarded include anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep disorders including sleep apnea, paresthesias and radiculopathies, migraine and headache disorders, cranial neuropathies, and visual and vestibular disorders, among others. Mefloquine has been widely used by the Department of Defense (DoD), particularly for the prevention (or prophylaxis) of malaria among U.S. military personnel, since it was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1989. In 2013, after nearly a quarter-century of use by DoD, the FDA warned that mefloquine can cause long-lasting and even permanent neuropsychiatric adverse effects [1]. The DoD has since declared mefloquine a drug of last resort, and has all but eliminated the drugs use [2]. Authors at the U.S. militarys Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) [3], where mefloquine was developed, have since noted that mefloquine toxicity can persist for several years after exposure has been discontinued, with little to no abatement in symptoms over time." "In susceptible individuals, mefloquine and related drugs act as idiosyncratic neurotoxicants, potentially causing irreversible brain and brainstem dysfunction, even when used at relatively low doses," said Dr. Nevin. "This drug-induced dysfunction causes a disease of the brain and brainstem called quinoline encephalopathy, or quinism, which can be marked by lasting psychiatric and neurological symptoms including tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo, paresthesias, visual disturbances, nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, agoraphobia, paranoia, psychosis, cognitive dysfunction, depression, personality change, and suicidal thoughts, among others," said Dr. Nevin. [4] "Veterans disabled as a result of their exposure to these neurotoxic drugs should not claim quinism or chronic quinoline encephalopathy directly," said Dr. Nevin. "Neither should they claim synonymous conditions, such as 'mefloquine poisoning,' or 'mefloquine toxicity,' as the VA does not yet recognize these formally as medical conditions." "Instead, veterans should claim that the service-connected use of the quinoline drug, such as mefloquine, was the cause of another medical condition, such as a drug-induced psychiatric disorder, or a drug-induced neurologic disorder, or a physical disorder, such as sleep apnea, linked to one or more such psychiatric or neurologic cause." Dr. Nevin notes that many veterans suffering lasting nightmares, anxiety, and other psychiatric symptoms from mefloquine may have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that even authors at WRAIR have noted, "given the overlapping symptoms of [PTSD] and mefloquine toxicity, it can be challenging to distinguish between the two diagnoses [3]. For this reason, the Quinism Foundation has previously written to VA leadership, expressing concern that VA disability examiners may be misattributing adverse effects from mefloquine to PTSD in VA medical disability examinations. DSM-5 PTSD Criterion H requires that the examiner determine that the disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a medication, wrote Dr. Nevin. We are concerned that this criterion is being widely assumed by examiners without due consideration for the possible effects of mefloquine exposure. The Quinism Foundation has recently reviewed a number of PTSD disability benefits questionnaires (DBQ) completed by examiners in which Criterion H was deemed to have been met without documentation that the examiner considered the possible physiological effects of mefloquine in contributing to the disturbance, wrote Dr. Nevin. In many cases, these examiners concluded Criterion H was met even when the veteran specifically attributed several of their PTSD Criterion B-E symptoms, such as nightmares, insomnia, irritability, and anger, to chronic effects of their mefloquine exposure, rather than to one or more Criterion A traumatic stressors. In several cases, available documentation reliably places the onset of these symptoms well prior to any Criterion A traumatic stressors, and within days following the veterans initial exposure to mefloquine. Although the current PTSD DBQ specifically advises examiners to NOT mark symptoms that are clearly not attributable to the Criterion A stressor/PTSD, and warns that overlapping symptoms clearly attributable to other things should be noted elsewhere, there appears to be no formal mechanism for examiners conducting VA medical disability examinations to screen veterans for symptoms that could be due to mefloquine exposure, wrote Dr. Nevin. As a result, Dr. Nevin notes that several U.S. veterans have successfully sought to have VA recategorize their erroneous ratings for PTSD as ratings for other psychiatric conditions due specifically to mefloquine; for example, as ratings for a drug-induced anxiety disorder secondary to mefloquine. Dr. Nevin stresses that veterans who wish to obtain an independent medical evaluation from the foundation should ensure they have complete documentation related to their case. In most cases, Dr. Nevin notes, this includes a complete copy of the veteran's VA claims file, or "C-File." Dr. Nevin encourages veterans to work with an accredited veterans' representative, such as a veteran service officer, to obtain this documentation. Once this documentation is obtained, veterans should contact the foundation directly to learn more about the availability of these services. About The Quinism Foundation The Quinism Foundation, founded in January 2018, in White River Junction, Vermont, promotes and supports education and research on quinism, the disease caused by exposure to quinoline drugs, including tafenoquine, chloroquine, and mefloquine. Dr. Nevin is a board-certified occupational medicine and preventive medicine physician and former U.S. Army medical officer and epidemiologist. He is author of more than 30 scientific publications on malaria and the quinoline antimalarials, including Screening for Symptomatic Mefloquine Exposure Among Veterans With Chronic Psychiatric Symptoms," published in the journal Federal Practitioner (https://www.mdedge.com/fedprac/article/132560/mental-health/screening-symptomatic-mefloquine-exposure-among-veterans). References 1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves label changes for antimalarial drug mefloquine hydrochloride due to risk of serious psychiatric and nerve side effects. July 29, 2013. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM362232.pdf. 2. Nevin RL. Screening for Symptomatic Mefloquine Exposure Among Veterans With Chronic Psychiatric Symptoms. Federal Practitioner. 2017;34(3):12-14. 3. Livezey J, Oliver T, Cantilena L. Prolonged Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in a Military Service Member Exposed to Mefloquine. Drug Safety Case Reports. 2016;3(1):7. 4. Nevin RL. Neuropsychiatric Quinism: Chronic Encephalopathy Caused by Poisoning by Mefloquine and Related Quinoline Drugs. In: Ritchie EC, Llorente MD, eds. Veteran Psychiatry in the US. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019:315-331. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Neptune Flood, an AI-driven flood insurance company, has partnered with Acadian Managers (Acadian) to offer flood insurance coverage through Acadians network of independent agents to homeowners throughout Louisiana. Acadian is a general agency providing property coverage through State National Fire Insurance Co., Ocean Harbor Insurance Co., and a Lloyds of London market underwritten by Chubb Ltd. Acadians online platform allows agents to quote and bind property coverage within minutes for most customers. The Neptune Flood policy meets all the rules for bank mandatory acceptance and has optional enhancement coverage that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) doesnt have such as coverage for temporary living expenses, unattached structures, pool repair and refill and more. Neptune Flood is an entirely digital flood insurance company based in St Petersburg, Fla., offering flood insurance to homeowners and businesses in 48 states plus DC. Acadian offers property and casualty insurance in Louisiana and will be expanding to South Carolina in 2021. The company currently writes and manages more than $20 million in property insurance premium in Louisiana. Topics Louisiana Flood 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. NORWALK Norwalk resident James Carlson was working hard as a welder in Stratford, trying to earn money to put his 21-year-old daughter through college, when his skin begin to take on a yellow tint last February. His aunt and uncle prompted the 55-year-old to go to the doctor, where he found out his yellow skin was jaundice, a telltale sign of liver failure. Doctors told Carlson in March he had three to six months to live. He has beaten the odds, surviving almost a year past his diagnosis, but his condition is dire, said his aunt, Norwalk resident Carol Kaplan. Now Carlsons family is speaking out to see if they can find a liver donor to step up and provide a life-saving transplant. When you need the transplant, you need it, Kaplan said. Your liver can shut down whenever you have end-stage liver disease, which he is. The family already launched a webpage in search of a donor for Carlson, who they describe as kind and generous. The things that are important to James are God, family and friends, eating, cooking and going fishing in that order, said his uncle, Howard Kaplan. He is a gentle soul and has helped many people in the past and knows the importance and what it means to someone to reach out. While Carlson is on a waiting list for a donation from a deceased donor, livers are the second most in-demand organs in the country, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. About 12,000 people nationwide are waiting for a liver. Liver donations can also be from living donors if someone steps up and volunteers. Livers will regenerate on their own, meaning if a person donates part of their liver to someone in need, their own liver will grow back within several weeks. We are trying to get a living donor because James is so ill that he may not make it to wait for a deceased liver, said Howard. It is very difficult to get a donor living or deceased and that is why we are making this appeal. However, according to the University of Michigan, live liver donors are rare because of the surgery and recovery time. It can take four to six weeks to recover from surgery and have a liver grow back. But a living donor means a faster transplant, one without waiting for somone else to die and to see if theyre a match. Carlson is part of a large, tight-knit family with deep roots in Norwalk. Many of his relatives wanted to donate, but were above the preferred age limit to donate, because it would take too long for their liver to regenerate. They stepped up, Carol said. We all did. I said Id donate, my sister would donate, my brothers would donate, but they dont want that because it takes too long for a little piece of liver to regenerate. An ideal donor would be between 20 and 55 years old, Carol said, and have no serious health problems such as heart conditions, diabetes or cancer. A donor has already fallen through for having a history of strokes, she added. Carol said she isnt sure how much longer Carlson can last without a transplant. Her nephew has already had to give up work and most of his independence as a result of his disease and remains hospitalized at Yale New Haven Hospital. I want there to be a real understanding about what liver disease is, how it hits you mentally, physically and in daily living, she said. Your whole life has changed, really, its just everything has changed. Its not like it was a slow impact thing. It hits you and thats it. When the jaundice sets in, you have a real problem. Unlike kidney disease, where patients can go on dialysis to stay alive, nothing can be done to help a patient whose liver is failing, Carol said. Carlson was working full time up until last February, Carol said, until he became too ill to go to work. The side effects of his liver disease have been severe: Hes had fluid build up in his stomach that hasrequired draining and swelling in his feet. Carlson also developed hepatic encephalopathy, which causes an inability to think clearly and has resulted in hospitalization. Life changed tremendously. He was pretty healthy, Carol said. He probably overextended himself because he wanted to help get (his daughter) through college. ... We really didnt see anything coming. Carol said her nephew has gone from someone who wanted to work as much as possible to needing someone to drive him everywhere. Liver failure affects every part of your life, said Howard. Sometimes you cant think straight, along with having your stomach drained of excess fluid and your legs and feet swell to the point where you cant walk. The strain has extended to the family: Carol and her husband have stepped up to help Carlson along with his other extended relatives, like going to the hospital with Carlson to answer questions because hes sometimes too disoriented to do so himself. The family said anyone who donates would have their medical expenses covered by Carlsons insurance Its your time and your selflessness to donate, Carol Kaplan said. My hope is ... maybe someone will step up for J. erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com A husband who bludgeoned his wife to death during the first lockdown seemed 'very happy' in his relationship, a court heard today. Hussein Egal, 66, allegedly murdered 57-year-old Maryan Ismail at their flat in Edmonton, north London, on April 6 last year. The bus driver attacked his wife with a variety of weapons, including a knife, hammer, meat cleaver, pots, pans, table leg and a ladder, the Old Bailey heard. Egal told police a furious row broke out when his wife asked him to leave the flat after he claimed he had caught coronavirus. In the aftermath of the killing, Egal, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, told police he was suffering delusions after contracting the virus. Hussein Egal, 66, allegedly murdered his wife Maryan Ismail, 57, at their flat in Edmonton, north London, on April 6 last year Jurors heard that the bus driver attacked his Ms Ismail after she asked him to leave the flat Jurors heard Ms Ismail was beaten so brutally that one of her ears ripped off and she lost the tip of a finger. Giving evidence Ayan Nuur, a friend of Ms Ismail, told the court the couple had always given the impression of enjoying a blissful marriage. Appearing via video-link at the Old Bailey, she claimed Egal would pick up Ms Ismail from school after she finished her job as a cleaner and said 'they tended to get along.' Ms Nuur met Ms Ismail in 2003 while they studied together at Lewisham College and described the victim as 'calm' and 'kind' with a 'good heart.' She recalled being introduced to Egal as someone her friend believed she could 'rely on.' The witness said she was left in disbelief when she heard 'he was responsible' for her friend's tragic death, having never heard a complaint in their 17-year friendship. Assisted by a Somali interpreter, Ms Nuur told jurors: 'When I heard the news I could not believe he was responsible because they tended to get along. They were very happy. 'She never had any complaint against her husband. 'He even used to collect her from school after she finished her work and he used to give them lifts.' Ms Nuur reaffirmed an excerpt from her written witness statement saying: 'In all honesty I would describe Maryam as a calm person and of a good heart and kind. She used to say ''Hussein is my companion and someone I can rely.'' Giving evidence via video-link at the Old Bailey, Ayan Nuur, a friend of Ms Ismail, told the court the couple had given the impression of enjoying a blissful marriage Following Ms Ismail's death, Egal told police that he was suffering delusions after contracting coronavirus. He told officers that when he told his wife he had caught the virus, she ordered him to 'get out and die on the street' in fear of becoming contaminated herself. But there was no trace of coronavirus-related or mental illness in his recent medical records, the court heard. And evidence gathered from his bus depot in Barking showed he was attending work as usual, in stark contrast to his claims that he had 'stopped' his job, jurors heard. Egal claims his responsibility for the killing was diminished because he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, but prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with the illness. Opening the case Allison Hunter QC, prosecuting, said: 'Upon his arrival [to the police station] Egal told the officer who opened the van door that he had coronavirus and that the officer should stay away from him. 'He said it was the coronavirus that had made him crazy and kill his wife. He said that when he told his wife she said he could get out and die on the street and that he had said to her ''I will kill you before that'' and so he did. 'He stated that it definitely happened that Maryan had stood over him and physically tried to get him out of the property. 'He said he did not know what it was about, but that he felt frightened and very scared of Maryan and others he just could not remember any specifics. 'He answered no comment when asked about why he had stabbed her ankles and why he had to beaten her so hard and brutally that one of her ears had come off.' Egal, from Edmonton admits manslaughter but denies murder. The trial continues. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 19:20:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker Geely Auto Group said Monday that its sales soared 40 percent year on year in January. Sales hit 156,326 units last month, up 1 percent from December, the automaker said. Among the sold cars, 4,289 were new energy vehicles. The company has met over 10 percent of its annual sales target, which was set at 1.53 million units this year. In January, Geely's exports skyrocketed 343 percent year on year to 10,031 units, the company said. Enditem Kris Smith showed off his incredibly fit physique in a new campaign for Australian department store chain Myer. The 42-year-old stripped down to a tight pair of red underwear and encouraged men to 'ditch their ill-fitting jocks' and 'pamper their package'. 'It's time to Pamper Your Package boys! @myer is encouraging us blokes to ditch the ill-fitting jocks and treat ourselves with some fresh pairs to show we care,' the model wrote on Instagram. Looking fit! Kris Smith (pictured) showed off his fit physique in a tight pair of underwear as he encouraged men to 'ditch their ill-fitting jocks' and 'pamper their package' in a new campaign for Myer He added: 'Life is hard enough without putting your package under extra pressure. #MyerMyStore #PamperYourPackage.' In the photograph, Kris smiled, showing his whitened teeth and crossed his arms. Kris' post comes after he revealed the cheeky reason he follows his fiancee Sarah Boulazeris 'everywhere'. On Sunday, he shared a photo to Instagram depicting his bride-to-be in a skimpy black bikini as the family enjoyed a holiday in Noosa, Queensland. 'It's time to Pamper Your Package boys! @myer is encouraging us blokes to ditch the ill-fitting jocks and treat ourselves with some fresh pairs to show we care,' the model wrote on Instagram In the image, Sarah, 29, had her back turned to the camera, and is wading into the shallows of the water with the couple's children playing nearby. The swimwear beautifully showcased the personal trainer's incredible figure, which Kris very much admired. He wrote in his cheeky caption: 'And now you see why I follow you everywhere!' followed by a number of love hearts. Feeling romantic: Kris' post comes after he revealed the cheeky reason he follows his fiancee Sarah Boulazeris 'everywhere' Kris proposed to Sarah in December while the pair were celebrating their daughter Frankie's first birthday with a party in their backyard. In a surprise proposal, Kris dropped to one knee in the middle of he event and asked for Sarah's hand in marriage. The couple have two children: Mila, two, and Frankie, one. Kris is also father to son Ethan, 10, who he shares with ex-partner Dannii Minogue. The head of Senate's Committee on European Affairs, Angel Tilvar, says Romania is still "at the bottom of the European rankings" in terms of the percentage of GDP allocated to health or patients' access to innovative medicines. "Our country is still at the bottom of the European rankings in terms of the percentage of GDP allocated to health or patients' access to innovative medicines. It is outrageous that in the past 3 months the tragedies are repeated in Romanian hospitals, 8 COVID hospitals caught fire, dozens of people have lost their lives and no one is being held accountable," Tilvar said on Monday, during a video conference on "Building a European Health Union" alongside other heads of committees on European affairs from EU MS and the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides. According to a press release of the Senate sent to AGERPRES on Monday, the meeting presented the European Commission's measures to build a "European Health Union," in the sense of jointly addressing health crises, to ensure resilient systems, better preparedness and a faster and more efficient response during current and future crises.Angel Tilvar believes that "vaccination against COVID-19 is a crucial public health issue to fight the pandemic, so that people's lives return to normal and feel safe again.""People are interested in the vaccine being available in time, they want scheduling to be respect, compliance with the vaccination rate. (...) In order for the European citizens not to lose confidence in the European institutions and their efforts, the European Union must ensure faster access to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, through systematic procurement and increased production capacity, to avoid competition between Member States caused by the lack or insufficiency of vaccines," Tilvar was quoted as saying.The European Commission aims to vaccinate 70pct of EU citizens by the summer of 2021. If the current vaccination rate persists, the Union would reach only 15pct by the end of September. The European Union should step up its vaccination efforts five times in order to achieve this "ambitious" goal, as the European Commissioner called it, the statement signed by Tilvar said."In order to meet the Commission's requirements, our country should triple the number of daily doses of COVID-19 vaccine, vaccinating 89,429 people per day. At the current rate of vaccination, Romania could reach the goal proposed by the European Commission only in 2022. For Romania, like the other member states hoping to stop the pandemic by vaccinating the population depend indestructibly on the EU bloc, the EU's supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses is the true test of European solidarity and equity," reads the press release signed by the head of the European Affairs Committee of the Senate. AGERPRES LISBON: Military doctors and nurses sent from Germany to help Portugal, where hospitals have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic, are there to save as many lives as possible and will stay as long as needed, the teams chief doctor said. When we are out in the streets everyone recognises us as German soldiers everyone gives us a thumbs up," Jens-Peter Evers told a news conference on Monday in Hospital da Luz, the private hospital where his team is stationed. Sometimes we feel like rock stars but we only have one aim: save lives," he said. Portugal, a nation of just over 10 million, is facing its worst outbreak since the pandemic began, with COVID-19 cases and deaths totalling 767,919 and 14,354 respectively. While daily infections began falling a week ago as the effect of a lockdown kicked in, the country ranks fourth worldwide for its seven-day rolling average of new cases per capita and remains first for deaths, according to ourworldindata.org. The team of eight German doctors and 18 nurses got to work on Monday staffing an intensive care unit at the hospital. They will remain there for at least three weeks, and then be substituted by another team until the end of March. I gave my government the information (that) we should run the ICU for longer than three weeks," Evers said. From my personal view, it is absolutely necessary that we stay here as long as possible." Germany is one of four countries offering assistance to Portugal, alongside Spain, Austria and Luxembourg. Health Minister Marta Temido said talks with countries offering aid were continuing. We thank all the help that has been offered but we want it to be a last resort," said ICU response chief Joao Gouveia. I am convinced that with the response we have managed to assemble, it will not be necessary." 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 Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX An armed man has been fatally shot he allegedly broke into a womans home and raised his gun at Phoenix police officers, according to authorities. The man was later identified by police as 29-year-old Anthony Greco. Police said there was no indication of a relationship between the Greco and the woman. The woman was home alone around noon Saturday and called 911 to report an armed man in her backyard. While she was on the phone with police, Greco allegedly broke into her home and the woman escaped through a window, ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Arriving officers surrounded the house as Greco exited the home into the backyard. When police told him to drop his weapon, they say Greco refused and allegedly raised his handgun at police before one officer shot him. Greco was pronounced dead at the scene and police said a firearm was later found under his body. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Panasonic AI-driven cameras empower an expanding vision of new uses Imagine a world where video cameras are not just watching and reporting for security, but have an even wider positive impact on our lives. Imagine that cameras control street and building lights, as people come and go, that traffic jams are predicted and vehicles are automatically rerouted, and more tills are opened, just before a queue starts to form. Cameras with AI capabilities Cameras in stores can show us how we might look in the latest outfit as we browse. Thats the vision from Panasonic about current and future uses for their cameras that provide artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the edge. Panasonic feels that these types of intelligent camera applications are also the basis for automation and introduction of Industry 4.0, in which processes are automated, monitored and controlled by AI-driven systems. 4K network security cameras The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications Panasonics 4K network security cameras have built-in AI capabilities suitable for this next generation of intelligent applications in business and society. The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications. The AI engine is directly embedded into the camera, thus reducing costs and Panasonics image quality ensures the accuracy of the analytics outcome. FacePRO facial recognition technology Panasonic began advancing AI technology on the server side with FacePRO, the in-house facial recognition application, which uses AI deep learning capabilities. Moving ahead, they transitioned their knowledge of AI from the server side to the edge, introducing i-PRO security cameras with built-in AI capabilities last summer, alongside their own in-house analytics. Moreover, in line with the Panasonic approach to focus more on collaboration with specialist AI software developers, a partnership with Italian software company, A.I. Tech followed in September, with a range of intelligent applications, partially based on deep learning. Additional collaborations are already in place with more than 10 other developers, across the European Union, working on more future applications. i-PRO AI-capable security cameras Open systems are an important part of Panasonics current approach. The companys i-PRO AI-capable cameras are an open platform and designed for third-party application development, therefore, applications can be built or tailored to the needs of an individual customer. Panasonic use to be a company that developed everything in-house, including all the analytics and applications. However, now we have turned around our strategy by making our i-PRO security cameras open to integrate applications and analytics from third-party companies, says Gerard Figols, Head of Security Solutions at Panasonic Business Europe. Flexible and adapting to specific customer needs This new approach allows the company to be more flexible and adaptable to customers needs. At the same time, we can be quicker and much more tailored to the market trend, said Gerard Figols. He adds, For example, in the retail space, enabling retailers to enhance the customer experience, in smart cities for traffic monitoring and smart parking, and by event organisers and transport hubs to monitor and ensure safety. Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems Edge-based analytics Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems. On one hand, there are monetary benefits - a cost reduction results from the decreased amount of more powerful hardware required on the server side to process the data, on top of reduction in the infrastructure costs, as not all the full video stream needs to be sent for analysis, we can work solely with the metadata. On the other hand, there are also advantages of flexibility, as well as reliability. Each camera can have its own individual analytic setup and in case of any issue on the communication or server side, the camera can keep running the analysis at the edge, thereby making sure the CCTV system is still fully operational. Most importantly, systems can keep the same high level of accuracy. Explosion of AI camera applications We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications" We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications, said Gerard Figols, adding However, it doesnt mean the hardware is not important anymore, as I believe its more important than ever. Working with poor picture quality or if the hardware is not reliable, and works 24/7, software cannot run or deliver the outcome it has been designed for. As hardware specialists, Figols believes that Panasonic seeks to focus on what they do best - Building long-lasting, open network cameras, which are capable of capturing the highest quality images that are required for the latest AI applications, while software developers can concentrate on bringing specialist applications to the market. Same as for smartphones, AI applications will proliferate based on market demand and succeed or fail, based on the value that they deliver. Facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line technologies Panasonic has been in the forefront in developing essential AI applications for CCTV, such as facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line. However, with the market developing so rapidly and the potential applications of AI-driven camera systems being so varied and widespread, Panasonic quickly realised that the future of their network cameras was going to be in open systems, which allow specialist developers and their customers to use their sector expertise to develop their own applications for specific vertical market applications, while using i-PRO hardware. Metadata for detection and recognition Regarding privacy, consider that the use of AI in cameras is about generating metadata for the detection and recognition of patterns, rather than identifying individual identities. However, there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I firmly believe that attitudes will change quickly when people see the incredible benefits that this technology can deliver, said Gerard Figols, adding I hope that we will be able to redefine our view of cameras and AI, not just as insurance, but as life advancing and enhancing. i-PRO AI Privacy Guard One of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard Seeking to understand and appreciate privacy concerns, one of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard that generates data without capturing individual identities, following European privacy regulations that are among the strictest in the world. Gerard Fogils said, The combination of artificial intelligence and the latest generation open camera technology will change the worlds perceptions from Big Brother to Big Benefits. New applications will emerge as the existing generation of cameras is updated to the new open and intelligent next generation devices, and the existing role of the security camera will also continue. Future scope of AI and cameras He adds, Not just relying on the security cameras for evidence when things have gone wrong, end users will increasingly be able to use AI and the cameras with much higher accuracy to prevent false alarms and in a proactive way to prevent incidents." Gerard Figols concludes, That could be monitoring and alerting when health and safety guidelines are being breached or spotting and flagging patterns of suspicious behaviour before incidents occur. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. The sudden in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Sixteen men were rescued safely from a tunnel in the Tapovan project but about 125 were still missing. As night fell in the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work in the difficult to access areas became more difficult, there were fears they may be dead. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said seven bodies were recovered and at least 125 were missing. Homes along the way were also swept away as the waters rushed down the mountainsides in a raging torrent. There were fears of damage in human settlements downstream, including in heavily populated areas. Many villages were evacuated and people taken to safer areas. By evening it was believed that downstream areas were safe and the Central Water Commission (CWC) said there was no threat to neighbouring villages. However, the water level in the Dhauli Ganga river surged up once again on Sunday night under the impact of the glacial burst during the day, creating panic among people living in the area. The sudden surge in the water level in the Dhauli Ganga at around 8 pm prompted authorities to suspend rescue operations underway to extricate 30-35 people trapped in the debris clogging one of the tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project. The rescue efforts will be resumed on Monday morning, the GM of the project said. Swirling waters of the river gurgling downwards are causing fear among people living in the area, he said late Sunday night. A 13.2 MW small hydro project on the Rishi Ganga was swept away in the glacier burst but there was no danger of floods in downstream areas as the water level had been contained, the Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was informed at an emergency meeting in the capital earlier in the day. The NCMC was also told that people trapped in a project tunnel were rescued by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) while efforts were on to rescue those trapped in another tunnel. The operation was coordinated by the Army and the ITBP, an official spokesperson said. Connectivity with some border posts was "totally restricted" due to a bridge collapsing near Reni village, close to the project site, an ITBP spokesperson said. The border guarding force has units based in Joshimath, a short distance away, and managed to reach the spot within an hour of the first alert at about 10.45 am. Several districts, including Pauri, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Dehradun, were put on high alert and forces of the ITBP and the Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed in to help with the rescue and relief effort. The personnel were seen rappelling down steep mountainsides to aid in the rescue work. The India Meteorological Department informed that there is no rainfall warning in the region for the next two days. As details of the disaster came in, President Ram Nath Kovind said he was deeply worried about the massive glacier burst at Joshimath, about 295 km from Dehradun. "Praying for wellbeing and safety of people. Am confident that rescue and relief operations on ground are progressing well," he tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was constantly monitoring the situation in the state. India stands with Uttarakhand, prays for everyone's safety, he said. Addressing a rally in West Bengal later in the day, he assured all help in fighting the calamity and said he was in constant touch with the chief minister and Home Minister Amit Shah on the rescue and relief efforts being carried out. Shah also spoke to Rawat and assured him of all possible support to deal with the situation arising from the glacier burst and the resulting floods. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said teams of the NDRF were deployed for rescue and relief operations of the affected people while additional troops of the force were being airlifted from Delhi. "I have spoken to Chief Minister @tsrawatbjp ji, DG ITBP and DG NDRF regarding the natural disaster in All the concerned officers are working on a war footing to secure the people. NDRF teams have left for rescue operations. Every possible help will be provided to 'Devbhoomi'," he said. Shah said the central government is constantly monitoring the situation in the state. "Some more teams of NDRF are being airlifted from Delhi and sent to We are constantly monitoring the situation there," he said. A Home Ministry spokesperson said four NDRF teams (about 200 personnel) were airlifted to Dehradun and would head to Joshimath. One column of the Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment, has been deployed. The Transamerica Pyramid alone makes San Franciscos skyline one of the most identifiable on Earth, but theres plenty of other architectural gems in the Financial District. Home to Fortune 500 headquarters, consulates and landmarks, San Franciscos Financial District serves as a thriving hub in one of the worlds most famous cities. The blocks of the Financial District are defined by handsome buildings with stately architecture. Theres malls, art galleries parks and pubic squares, too. The Financial District enjoys proximity to Chinatown, Union Square, Jackson Square and North Beach. The Embarcadero, waterfront and Ferry Building are on its eastern side. Skyscrapers are a common sight in the financial district. In addition to the aforementioned pyramid building, the neighborhood hosts all six headquarters of the Fortune 500 companies located in the city; Salesforce, Gap, PG&E, Wells Fargo, the McKesson Corporation and Charles Schwab. Theres also a host of other office towers in the district, including those for Bank of America, Chevron Corporation, Visa, Levi Strauss & Co. and Blue Shield. And what would a Financial District be without a major banking institution? The headquarters of the 12th district of the United States Federal Reserve takes residence in the Financial District. Getting around is pretty easy, too. There are more than two dozen MUNI bus and rail lines serving the neighborhood, along with a cable car line and a pair of BART stations. The Financial District wasnt always an epicenter of towering structures. The Great Depression and state-mandated height restrictions based on earthquake concerns helped keep towers relatively short until the late 1950s. Upon lifting the restrictions after the war, a boom occurred and buildings grew taller. The trend exploded in the 1980s, causing extremely strict height restrictions to be put in place across the city. Leaders from around the world congregate here. After all, the Financial District features consulates for Mexico, Ireland, Guatemala, Japan, Singapore, Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. The Hong Kong Economic Trade Office also resides in the Financial District. TRI Commercial estimates theres 30 million square feet of office space in the Financial District. This estimate only accounts for the districts original borders, which have been expanded in recent decades. The newer portion of the Financial District is where the latest construction can be found, with buildings like 555 Mission St., the Four Seasons Hotel, the Paramount and the JPMorgan Chase Building. If youre looking to do some sightseeing, the Financial District has some buildings worth checking out. For the sake of quirkiness, check out the Heineman Building at 130 Bush St. At 20 feet wide, the Gothic structure with copper ornamentation is the narrowest building in San Francisco. Theres also the 28-story Shell Building at Bush and Battery streets. This Art Deco tower features a three-story lobby adorned in bronze and marble. Though not a building, its worth taking a trip to 100 Bush St. to check out California Historic Landmark 83, which indicates where the shoreline was back in 1848. Electrify America, the nations largest public ultra-fast charging network, has added 30 solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with two Level 2 chargers each to its network in the state of California. The off-grid, standalone chargers are strategically located throughout the Central Valley and inland areas of Southern California, intended to provide greater access to sustainable EV charging for drivers in rural parts of the state. Electrify Americas EV charging infrastructure plans in California include a commitment to increasing access to EV charging infrastructure in rural areas of the state, to both facilitate regional travel and drive adoption of EVs in rural communities. With complimentary charging, the new solar units help combat two of the biggest barriers to EV adoption in these locations: access to public charging and affordability. The network ensured that more than half of these chargers were located in disadvantaged and low income communities. Twenty of the 30 solar-powered charging stations are located at health care centers. With input from public and private stakeholders, Electrify America identified educational and health care institutions as ideal charging points due to high amounts of traffic and extended hours of access. Locations were selected after further analyzing communities with the greatest need for charging, existing charging options and local travel patterns, among other factors. Ten solar-powered charging stations were deployed in coordination with the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency. All thirty EV ARC charging stations were sourced from Beam Global (formerly Envision Solar), the San-Diego based clean tech company that manufactures the durable EV ARC infrastructure products in California. Onboard ARC Technology energy storage enables the chargers to operate at night, in inclement weather and in the event of a blackout or power outage. Benton Man Charged With Credit Card Fraud By West Kentucky Star Staff MARSHALL COUNTY - An investigation into credit card fraud led to the arrest of a Benton man on Friday.On January 18, a detective with the Marshall County Sheriff's Office began investigating possible credit card fraud after receiving a complaint.Detectives arrested 35-year-old Randall Argo of Benton on a charge of fraudulent use of a credit card under $10,000.Authorities said additional fraud has come to light since the initial charge was filed, which will likely result in the charge being amended to fraudulent use of a credit card over $10,000. App allows farmers to describe positive and negative emotions seen in their animals, in a bid to ensure they are living an enriching life (Waitrose/PA) Farmers are turning to technology to keep track of their livestocks emotional state in a bid to improve animal welfare standards. An app is being trialed which allows people to log emotionally expressive behaviour exhibited by dairy cows, veal calves, pigs, laying hens, broiler chickens and ducks. The aim is to ensure animals enjoy a good and enriching life. Farmers and field staff are presented with a list of about 20 key descriptive terms tailored to each species, which are a mix of positive and negative emotions. A sliding scale will be provided to decide how strongly a statement applies. The data is then sent off and integrated into a larger pattern to be matched against other farms. Expand Close App allows farmers to keep track of their livestocks emotional state (Waitrose/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp App allows farmers to keep track of their livestocks emotional state (Waitrose/PA) Good physical health is vital for good welfare but there is clear consensus among the scientific animal welfare community that factors such as enjoyment, contentment and positive excitement play an equally vital role in ensuring that an animal has a good life, said Professor Francoise Wemelsfelder, from Scotlands Rural College (SRUC), who created the app. QBA (Qualitative Behavioural Assessment) not only provides a way to assess these factors, it also opens up the conversation about what positive emotional wellbeing for an animal truly looks like. Because we believe fundamentally that animals are not simply production systems to be managed. They are sentient creatures that must be cared for. Supermarket Waitrose has licensed the app for trial and development for two years, and will begin rolling it out across 1,800 of the farms it uses from next week. James Bailey, executive director at Waitrose, said: This is a huge development for the industry as it is the first time any retailer has explored welfare measures based on the concept of an animals freedom to express positive emotions. In some countries, farm animals continue to be looked upon as food production systems that need to be managed. This is wrong and for the UK to continue its position as a leader in farming standards, its critical that we recognise farm animals as sentient creatures capable of experiencing a range of emotions and positive experiences. By acknowledging this, working hard to understand what those positive emotional expressions are and how they can be unlocked, we can lead the industry into a new and more confident era of farm animal welfare. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Three women have demonstrated outside the Chinese Consulate in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, to demand the release of their relatives in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang. Farida Qabylbek, Gulnur Qosdauletqyzy, and Nurzat Ermekba displayed their relatives' pictures and posters as they launched their protest on February 8. Qabylbek said her husband, Rakhyzhan Zeinolla, who is a naturalized Kazakh citizen, spent 13 years in prison in Xinjiang on espionage charges before he was sent to a so-called reeducation camp, where he spent one year and is currently under house arrest. Qosdauletqyzy and Ermekbai said their relatives in Xinjiang had been taken away by the police and kept incommunicado for years. They said they feared that their relatives are in the reeducation camps. Consulate security officials met the women and told them that consulate officials, citing pandemic precautions, would not meet with them. A city administration official, Rita Ermanova, came to the site and told the women that their demonstration was illegal, but the women refused to leave. Many similar protests have taken place in Kazakhstan in recent years, with demonstrators demanding the Kazakh authorities officially intervene in the situation faced by ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang. The U.S. State Department has said as many as 2 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and members of Xinjiang's other indigenous, mostly Muslim, ethnic groups have been taken to detention centers. China denies that the facilities are internment camps. People who have fled the province say that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of facilities known officially as reeducation camps. Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans. Han, China's largest ethnicity, is the second-largest community in Xinjiang. The government has served another notice to social media giant Twitter, asking it to block as many as 1,178 accounts over their alleged links with Khalistan sympathisers or Pakistan links. The latest direction comes days after the Centre asked it to block 250 accounts spreading misinformation and spreading hashtags like "farmers genocide" on the popular social media platform. Twitter is yet to completely comply with the Centre's orders. The current notice was served on Thursday last week, reported Times of India citing sources, adding that the demand was made by the IT ministry after a report by the home ministry. The new list comprises accounts belonging to Khalistan sympathisers and those with Pakistan links. Some also are automated chatbots used to amplify misinformation on farmers' protests. The direction to block these accounts has been made on the ground that they may cause threat to public order amid the ongoing farmers' protests in the country. The microblogging site has been under the lens of the IT ministry for "violating Indian law" by not acting against those spreading misinformation on "farmers protests". Recently, the IT ministry had directed Twitter to block around 250 Twitter accounts, which were spreading misformation and were using offensive hashtags. After blocking these accounts for one day, Twitter unblocked them asserting they were not spreading "inflammatory speech". The Centre then said Twitter was obliged to obey "the direction of the government" and any refusal to do so will invite "penal action" under Section 69A of the Act. Meanwhile, Twitter India's public policy head Mahima Kaul has resigned citing personal reasons. Kaul stepped down in January and will continue to lead in her role as the Public Policy Director till March to help with the smooth transitioning. Some say Kaul might have resigned under pressure but India Today confirmed her resignation is not related to the recent controversy. She worked with Twitter for over five years. Also read: Take action or face action: Centre's notice to Twitter on 'farmer genocide' hashtag Turkish authorities are investigating the appearance of a mysterious monolith - the latest to materialise without warning after structures began springing up in several countries late last year. The large metal block was found by a farmer in the southeastern Sanliurfa province on Friday. It bears old Turkic script that reads: 'Look at the sky, see the moon.' The monolith stands about 10ft high and was discovered near the Unesco World Heritage Site of Gobekli Tepe, home to megalithic structures dating back to the 10th millennium BC, thousands of years before Stonehenge. Armed police are guarding the structure while police investigate its possible origins. Turkish media reported that police were looking through CCTV footage and investigating vehicles that could have transported the monolith. Curious locals have paid visits to the site since Friday, as well as Sanliurfa Governor Abdullah Erin, according to Anadolu news agency. Turkish authorities are investigating the appearance of a mysterious monolith - the latest to materialise without warning after structures began springing up in several countries late last year The large metal block was found by a farmer in the southeastern Sanliurfa province on Friday The structure bears old Turkic script that reads: 'Look at the sky, see the moon'. Some of the monoliths found elsewhere have also featured engravings Curious locals have paid visits to the site since Friday, as well as Sanliurfa Governor Abdullah Erin, according to Anadolu news agency Armed police are guarding the structure while Turkish police investigate its possible origins The Turkish monolith is just the latest to appear in a puzzling international mystery that has so far reached more than 10 countries. The first appeared in the Utah desert in November, sparking comparisons to those seen in the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Others have since popped up across the US, as well as in Colombia, Romania and the Netherlands. In December, a monolith appeared on the top of a hill in Glastonbury on Wednesday with the words 'Not Banksy' etched onto it. UTAH: The first shiny pillar was spotted in southern Utah on November 18 by baffled locals and news of the object quickly went viral around the world UK: Another mysterious monolith appeared in England in December, this time top of a hill in Glastonbury with 'Not Banksy' etched on it NEW ZEALAND: A monolith was discovered at a theme park for mountain bikers in Christchurch on December 20 Later that month, New Zealand noticed its first monolith after it appeared at a theme park for mountain bikers in Christchurch. Christchurch Adventure Park in the Port Hills near Canterbury on New Zealand's South Island posted a picture of the monolith that appeared in a grassy patch near its 1.8km chair lift to social media on December 20. 'Does anyone know what this is or where it has come from? As we genuinely don't....' the park wrote. While the people behind some of the mysterious structures have been revealed, for the most part their origins remain a mystery. Theories abound, including suggestions that artists, aliens or savvy marketing executives could be responsible. That some of the monoliths were quickly removed has only added to speculation about their potential origins. ROMANIA: A monolith stands on the hills of Batca Doamnei near Piatra Neamy in Romania THE NETHERLANDS: A group of hikers were left intrigued after they spotted a metallic column in a nature reserve in a village in Oudehorne, Friesland in December When the first shiny pillar was spotted in southern Utah on November 18 by baffled locals, news of the object quickly went viral around the world. Some observers pointed out its resemblance to the avant-garde work of John McCracken, a US artist who lived for a time in nearby New Mexico and died in 2011. But McCracken's representatives have given ambiguous and at times conflicting responses to this theory, prolonging an international guessing game that intensified further with the monolith's sudden removal on Friday. The Most Famous Artist, also known as Matty Mo, is also thought to have been behind some of the monoliths that appeared in the US. Advertisement Survivors of India's glacier disaster hung onto scaffolding for four hours to stay afloat after floodwater came rushing into tunnels in scenes 'like a Hollywood movie', it emerged today as rescuers raced against time to save dozens of workers from an underground shaft. After a chunk of glacier snapped off in the Himalayas on Sunday, floodwaters came barrelling down a valley, obliterated a dam and crashed into two hydroelectric power plants, leaving workers trapped in tunnels in a disaster which has killed at least 18 people and left at least 200 others missing. While 12 people were pulled alive from one underground shaft on Sunday, another 37 workers were feared trapped in a 1.5-mile tunnel where rescuers were trying desperately to hack their way through the debris today. 'The rescuers used ropes and shovels to reach the mouth of the tunnel. They dug through the debris and entered the tunnel. They are yet to come in touch with the stranded people,' said state premier Trivendra Singh Rawat. One survivor, Rajesh Kumar, said workers had 'climbed across the rock debris and forced our way to the mouth of the tunnel' before discovering a shaft of air, getting a phone signal and calling for help. This diagram shows how the floodwaters which were triggered by a glacier collapse came crashing down a valley in northern India, overrunning a dam before crashing into hydroelectric energy projects and leaving some of their workers trapped Underground search: Indian military hardware was deployed to excavate a tunnel where dozens of people are feared to be trapped following the glacier collapse in the Himalayas From above: The Indian air force took these pictures of the wreckage at the Dhauliganga hydro power project on Monday, close to the tunnels where rescue operations were going on today A bulldozer is seen at the entrance to a tunnel blocked with debris during Monday's rescue operations, following the disaster which has killed at least 18 people and left at least 200 others missing Rescued: Delighted Himalayan border police pull a man alive out of a tunnel where he was trapped after a glacier collapse caused a devastating flood in northern India The day after: This picture taken on Monday shows remains of a dam which was overrun by flash floods on Sunday after part of a glacier broke off in the Himalayas Wall of debris: Indian army units and the national disaster relief force work to clear a tunnel Heavy machinery: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police deploy paramilitary hardware to clear dirt and debris from the mouth of a tunnel How glaciers can burst and cause floods - with global warming increasing the risk When glaciers retreat, they often leave behind lakes which are bound by rocks and sediment - but pressure or structural weakness can cause natural or manmade dams to burst, unleashing a mass of floodwater into rivers and streams. Scientists warn that global warming can accelerate melting of glaciers, which causes water to rise to potentially dangerous levels. 'Most mountain glaciers around the world were much larger in the past and have been melting and shrinking dramatically due to climate change and global warming,' said Sarah Das, an associate scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. It is not yet known what caused part of the Nanda Devi glacier to snap off on Sunday morning, sending floodwater surging downstream towards power plants and villages in northern India. Seismic activity and a build-up of water pressure can also cause glaciers to burst, but their remote locations mean knowledge is limited about how often such events occur. Past deadly or highly destructive glacial floods have occurred in Peru and Nepal. 'Given the overall pattern of warming, glacier retreat, and increase in infrastructure projects though, it seems natural to hypothesise that these events will occur more frequently and will become overall more destructive if measures are not taken to mitigate these risks,' Das said. A number of imminent potentially deadly glacier burst and flood situations have been identified worldwide, including in the Himalayas and South American Andes. But while monitoring is possible, the remoteness of most glaciers presents challenges. 'There are many glaciers and glacial dammed lakes across the Himalayas, but most are unmonitored,' Das said. 'Many of these lakes are upstream of steep river valleys and have the potential to cause extreme flooding when they break. Where these floods reach inhabited regions and sensitive infrastructure, things will be catastrophic.' A 2010 information page published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development called for more glacier monitoring in the Hindu Kush Himalayas to better understand 'the real degree of glacial lake instability'. The region where the glacial burst occurred is prone to landslides and flash flooding, and environmentalists have cautioned against building in the region. Advertisement Several hundred rescue workers including army and navy diving teams resumed their search operation at first light on Monday. With the main road washed away, paramilitary rescuers had to scale down a hillside on ropes to reach the entrance of one of the tunnels. Emergency workers were using heavy machinery to remove large piles of rocks from the mouth of one of the tunnels, with more than 300ft of debris still to be cleared. 'The tunnel is filled with debris, which has come from the river. We are using machines to clear the way,' said H Gurung, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police official. Himalayan border police shared footage of one moment of hope on Sunday when a rescued worker celebrated with his saviours after being pulled alive from one of the tunnels. The man threw up his hands in relief while rescuers cheered with joy after yanking him from the tunnel, where 12 people were found alive after a four-hour rescue effort. Rajesh Kumar, one of the survivors, said he and his colleagues were working 300 yards inside the tunnel when they heard shouting telling them to get out. 'We started running out but the water gushed in. It was like scenes from a Hollywood movie. We thought we wouldn't make it,' he said. Another rescued worker, Rakesh Bhatt, said he was working in the tunnel when water rushed in. 'We thought it might be rain and that the water will recede. But when we saw mud and debris enter with great speed, we realised something big had happened,' he said. Bhatt said one of the workers was able to contact officials via his mobile phone. 'We waited for almost six hours - praying to God and joking with each other to keep our spirits high. I was the first to be rescued and it was a great relief,' he said. The Uttarakhand state government said on Monday that 18 bodies have been recovered, and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said at least 200 people were still unaccounted for. Most of those missing were working at two power plants, with some trapped in the tunnels cut off by the floods and by mud and rocks. 'If this incident happened in the evening, after work hours, the situation wouldn't have been this bad as labourers and workers in and around the work sites would have been at home,' Rawat told reporters. More than 2,000 members of the military, paramilitary groups and police have been taking part in search-and-rescue operations in the northern state. Authorities fear many more to be dead and were searching for bodies downstream using boats. They also walked along river banks and used binoculars to scan for bodies that might have been washed downstream. The flood was caused when a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier snapped off on Sunday morning, releasing water trapped behind it. The floodwater rushed down the mountain and into other bodies of water, forcing the evacuation of villages along the banks of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. The muddy, concrete grey floodwaters tumbled through a valley and surged into a dam, breaking it into pieces with little resistance before roaring on downstream. Calamity: A massive burst of water tearing through the Dhauliganga river valley after a chunk of glacier broke off in the Himalayas Brought to the surface: Rescuers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police get the man out alive, making him one of 12 to be pulled safely from this tunnel Celebration: The man threw up his hands in relief after his ordeal in the tunnel ended on Sunday, but others are still trapped in another nearby tunnel Mission accomplished: The rescuers deposit the man on the ground after pulling him alive from the tunnel following the glacier collapse One hydroelectric plant on the Alaknanda was destroyed, and a plant under construction on the Dhauliganga was damaged, police said. The trapped workers were at the Dhauliganga plant, where on Sunday 12 workers were rescued from one of the tunnels, including the man in the footage. Glaciers in the region have been shrinking rapidly in recent years because of global warming, but experts say that the construction of hydroelectric plants could also be a factor. Floods in 2013 killed 6,000 people and led to calls for a review of projects in Uttarakhand, a state of 10million people bordering Tibet and Nepal. Vimlendhu Jha, founder of Swechha, an environmental NGO, said the disaster was a 'grim reminder' of the effects of climate change and the 'haphazard development of roads, railways and power plants in ecologically sensitive areas'. Scientists warn that global warming can accelerate melting of glaciers, which causes water to rise to potentially dangerous levels. 'Most mountain glaciers around the world were much larger in the past and have been melting and shrinking dramatically due to climate change and global warming,' said Sarah Das, an associate scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Seismic activity and a build-up of water pressure can also cause glaciers to burst, but their remote locations mean knowledge is limited about how often such events occur. Past deadly or highly destructive glacial floods have occurred in Peru and Nepal. A major study in 2019 said that two-thirds of Himalayan glaciers, the world's 'Third Pole', could melt by 2100 if global emissions are not sharply reduced. Glaciers in the region are a critical source of water for hundreds of millions of people, feeding many of the world's most important river systems. Rescue operation: Members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police carry out search and rescue work today after a river surge that swept away bridges and roads Search operations are still ongoing to rescue people trapped in one of the tunnels near a destroyed hydroelectric power station Landscape: Rescuers leave on a boat to search for bodies in the downstream portion of the Alaknanda River in the Indian satate of Uttarakhand TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Taiwan will on Monday release January figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Imports are expected to climb 14.7 percent on year after rising 09 percent in December. Exports are called higher by an annual 15.0 percent after gaining 12.0 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $5.25 billion, down from $5.76 billion a month earlier. Japan will see January figures for bank lending and for the eco watchers survey as well as December data for current account. In December, bank lending was up 6.2 percent on year, while the eco watchers survey for current conditions had a score of 35.5 and the outlook was at 37.1. The current account surplus in November was 1,878.4 billion yen. Finally, the markets in New Zealand and Taiwan are closed on Monday for National Day and for the Lunar New Year, respectively. New Zealand re-opens on Tuesday, while Taiwan is shuttered until Feb. 17. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Chinese New Year could lead to spread of bug THAILAND: The Public Health Ministry has expressed concerns about the possible risk of COVID-19 transmission when families reunite to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year this week. ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19healthSafetytourism By Bangkok Post Monday 8 February 2021, 07:58AM No contact: A man has his temperature scanned at the entrance to the Song Klong Wat Taling Chan floating market in Bangkok. The market reopened after COVID-19 restrictions were eased although not many shoppers have returned. Photo: Bangkok Post. Chawetsan Namwat, director of the emergency disease and health hazards control division under the Department of Disease Control, on Saturday (Feb 6) emphasised the importance of strict social distancing during family gatherings. He advised families to celebrate safely by using video calls to reduce physical contact, especially with the elderly who are among at-risk groups. People are advised to wear face masks when talking, or use chat applications with video call features to reduce physical contact, he said. Dr Chawetsan also offered assurances about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines to be rolled out this year, but noted the arrival of vaccines did not not mean the pandemic would end. The public would still have to comply with disease control measures until herd immunity is acquired, he said. He said active case-finding would continue even though the number of COVID-19 cases has begun to drop. The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) yesterday reported 237 new coronavirus cases, for an accumulated total of 23,371 since the pandemic began a year ago. No new deaths were reported, leaving the toll at 79. CCSA assistant spokeswoman Panprapa Yongtrakul said authorities were stepping up surveillance in the deep South after 3,391 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Malaysia on Saturday. Ninety-one cases were found in Kedah, 92 in Perak and 58 in Kelantan. Dr Panprapa said the situation in Taks Mae Sot district was also worrying after 11 people from seven families tested positive. They were linked to a 75-year-old infected man. Tak provincial authorities declared Mae Sot district a maximum control zone following the spike, banning large gatherings of people and requiring those arriving from Mae Sot to quarantine for 14 days. Muted celebrations Meanwhile, Thais in Beijing are expecting muted Chinese New Year celebrations this year with the return of COVID-19 to their homeland weighing heavily on their minds. Siwattra Sinphasutadol, a 43-year-old China Media Group official, told the Bangkok Post that the number of Thais in Beijing and nearby cities had fallen dramatically recently - down to just 100 or even fewer, she estimated. Thai students who returned to Thailand during last years Chinese New Year have not come back due to the border restrictions and have had to take online classes instead. Many of them didnt have the chance move their belongings from where they were staying, she said, adding that even the Royal Thai Embassys celebration on Dec 5, which is usually a prominent event for Thais, was also scaled down last year and far fewer Thais attended. Even for Chinese nationals, the New Year celebrations are expected to be muted this year. No feasts or parties will be held in public. Tourist spots including public parks are selling tickets online and the number of visitors to each venue has been limited. While Feb 11-17 will be a public holiday in China, the government and companies have been encouraging people to stay at home, including free 20GB of free internet data, she said, adding that virtual tours of the countrys attractions were also being promoted. Supanitch Kunying, a 37-year-old cook who has lived in China for seven years, said normally Thais would gather with close friends and groups of up to few dozen would cook and enjoy meals together. Those with Chinese partners would visit their boyfriend or girlfriends family and enjoy wonton soup together. However, everyone she knew was planning to be more cautious this year, despite many of them having been vaccinated already. New York, NY, Feb. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNITED NATIONS, New York, 8 February 2021 A new programme focused on accelerating business performance on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) starts this week engaging more than 600 companies in 65 countries with a combined annual revenue of US$1 trillion. First announced last year by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, SDG Ambition Accelerator is an initiative that challenges and supports participating companies of the UN Global Compact in setting ambitious corporate sustainability targets and accelerating the integration of the SDGs into core business management. The SDG Ambition Accelerator Programme is a six-month learning journey for corporate executives being delivered through UN Global Compact Networks based in 30 countries. More than 1,150 representatives from participating companies, employing 7.9 million people, will join to assess current performance, risk areas, and new opportunities across their business. This will help companies take more ambitious business actions towards achieving the SDGs by 2030. Outcomes from the first round of the Accelerator will be presented at the annual UN Global Compact Leaders Summit on 15-16 June 2021. The SDG Ambition Accelerator challenges and supports companies to: Strategically prioritize sustainability issues where they can have the greatest impact through their operations, products and services, and across the value chain Set ambitious goals and identify critical pathways to achieve them Integrate SDG-related business goals and outcomes into core business management processes Design technology systems to track progress on the goals across business units or functions Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of UN Global Compact said: By engaging hundreds of companies of all sizes and sectors from around the world, the UN Global Compact SDG Ambition Accelerator is working to mobilize a truly global movement of responsible enterprises to accelerate progress towards embedding sustainability into core business strategies and operationsnot only for the benefit of society but for their own benefit as well. Research from Accenture Strategy and the UN Global Compact shows that despite private sector progress on the SDGs, only 21% of CEOs felt that business was playing a critical role in contributing towards the SDGs. Similarly, according to the UN Global Compacts annual Progress Report, only 39% of companies believed they had targets ambitious enough to fully meet the SDGs. Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, said: As we face the urgent challenges of rebuilding the global economy and tackling climate change, this is the moment for every business to take bold action and become a sustainable business with their customers and across their enterprises and supply chains. The SDG Ambition Accelerator will help companies embed sustainability into their core at greater speed and scale to make meaningful, measurable progress toward achieving the SDGs. Christian Klein, CEO of SAP said: In the future, profitability and sustainability will go hand in hand with the latter becoming a dimension of corporate decision making just like cost or growth. By combining our areas of expertise, we help businesses around the world to establish the foundational infrastructure they need to measure and actively steer their progress towards achieving the SDGs. Chairman and CEO of 3M, Michael Roman said: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted all of our lives and underscored the critical role that science and the business community have in solving global challenges. 3M is pleased to partner with the United Nations and other leading organizations to build a collaborative approach to improving lives around the world. We hope the SDG Ambition Accelerator will inspire other companies to join us in working to make this a Decade of Action. More information on the SDG Ambition Accelerator can be found here: https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/sdg-ambition. Notes to Editors: About the United Nations Global Compact As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 12,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org. About Accenture Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services all powered by the worlds largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 514,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. About SAP As a market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies turn businesses into intelligent enterprises and SAP applications and services enable business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably and adapt continuously. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve peoples lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com. About 3M At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews. Contacts: UN Global Compact Alex Gee ex@mackworthassociates.com media@unglobalcompact.org Accenture Julie Bennink +1 312 693 7301 julie.l.bennink@accenture.com SAP Susan Miller +1 610 661 9225 susan.miller@sap.com 3M Lauren Cox +1 612-403-7112 lcox@mmm.com When Millie Clarke was approached by fashion firms on Instagram to be a 'brand ambassador' she was flattered by the chance to make some money modelling their clothes. But instead of earning a fortune by posting glamorous pictures, she found herself out of pocket to the tune of 284 with a pile of cheap clothes she could not return. Now Miss Clarke, who paid upfront for the clothes she was promoting, has warned others to beware the underbelly of the multi-billion pound influencer industry. Millie Clarke, 20, from north London, was approached to model for Instagram 'brand' - but found herself 284 out of pocket with a pile of cheap clothes she could not return 'It is a massive risk to gamble in this way,' said the 20-year-old Bristol University student. 'I was really disappointed by [the clothes'] quality. When I complained, I did not get any refunds. I could have got a lot more for my money on a verified website.' Celebrity influencers such as the Kardashians and Beyonce can earn up to a million US dollars to boost a product online but it can be a very different story elsewhere. Instead of being paid for advertising, brands lure would-be influencers in with discounts for clothes if they promote them online, and promising commission on anything their followers buy. Miss Clarke, who paid upfront for the clothes she was promoting, has warned others to beware the underbelly of the multi-billion pound influencer industry But Miss Clarke, from north London, found that even when she posted pictures of herself in a firm's clothing with discount codes for her followers she was not paid her commission. She added that many such companies were difficult to verify or track down as they did not have high street stores or legitimate company accounts. Katherine Hart, of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said such brands were breaching the 2013 Consumer Contracts Regulations Act. 'They are grooming and targeting young people who are susceptible to flattery,' she added. Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian journalist for CGTN, the English-language channel of China Central Television, attends a public event in Beijing on Aug. 12, 2020. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo) Australian Journalist Cheng Lei Formally Arrested in China Australian journalist Cheng Lei was formally arrested in China on Feb. 5 on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, after being detained for six months without charge. Cheng, 49, was a news anchor for CGTN, the international arm of the Chinese regimes state broadcaster, CCTV, before being detained in Beijing in August 2020 amid testy relations between Canberra and Beijing. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday that the government had raised its serious concerns with the Chinese regime about Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and her detention conditions. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. (Andrew Taylor/AFP via Getty Images) Australian Embassy officials have visited Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on 27 January 2021, in accordance with our bilateral consular agreement with China, Payne said. We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms, she said. Our thoughts are with Ms. Cheng and her family during this difficult period. Louisa Wen, Chengs niece, told Australian public broadcaster ABC that the family was shocked when they were first notified about her detention. We dont understand anything about the case, Wen said. But we do know shes been in detention for five-and-a-half months, and her conditions are worsening. Chengs children, 11 and 9, are being looked after by their grandmother in Melbourne, and according to the ABC, they keep asking when their mother will come home. A security guard gestures outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the second day of the National Peoples Congress on March 6. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images) The Australian government was first formally notified of Chengs detention on Aug. 14, 2020. She was the second Chinese Australian detained by Chinese authorities since 2019, as bilateral tensions escalated over issues such as trade, Beijings tightening control on Hong Kong, and the Chinese regimes handling of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak. After graduating from the University of Queensland, Cheng returned to China to became a business analyst for a Sino-Australian joint venture in 2001, then began her journalism career at Chinas state broadcaster CCTV a year later, according to her CGTN profile page. The profile has since been removed from the website, along with videos featuring Chengs previous reports. After working as a CNBC China correspondent for nine years, she began working at CGTNs office in Beijing in 2012. In July 2020, Australia first warned its citizens in a travel advisory that they would run the risk of arbitrary detention if they travel to mainland China, noting that Chinese authorities have detained foreigners for endangering national security. IT outsourcing platform Supersourcing has raised Rs 1.5 crore from investors including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and co-working space provider Innov8 CEO Ritesh Malik. The company said Nikhil Sharma was also part of the seed-funding round. The eight-month-old Indore-based company provides a platform to help companies find IT agencies to work with. Also read: Nothing stops Indian companies from processing data locally: Vijay Shekhar Sharma "We aim to build back the trust in the IT outsourcing industry, an attribute it did have a while ago. This can only happen when the right work reaches the right companies for the right price," Supersourcing founder and CEO Mayank Pratap Singh said. E-commerce, food, finance, healthcare, education and travel are among the sectors in which the company provides its services. It claims to have over 750 IT agencies on its platform and over 200 active clients. Also read: Paytm hiring staff from smaller towns, allows work from home: Vijay Shekhar Sharma SCHENECTADY Even in the best of times, running a restaurant is brutal. Nearly a year ago, Ambition Coffee House & Eatery owner Marc Renson reflected on the barriers he rammed into during two decades of running the downtown mainstay: Overzealous code enforcement officers. Street repairs. The Great Recession. But at the cusp of turning 20, brighter days were surely ahead. That was on March 10, 2020. Within days, Ambition had pivoted to takeout-only as part of the states coronavirus restrictions. Ultimately, a pastry proved to be his saving grace. A bread pudding muffin saved Ambition, Renson said. Ambitions road to adulthood is studded with fits and starts. After graduating from SUNY Schenectadys culinary program in 1992, Renson bounced between a variety of industry jobs, a string of gigs that led him back to the Capital Region. When he purchased 154 Jay St. on the Jay Street Marketplace with a co-founder, the thoroughfare had little of todays sparkle, and was instead a grim passage studded with empty storefronts shrouded in newspaper-wrapped windows, with apartment buildings providing havens for drug dealers, prostitutes and other such undesirables. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a Hollywood personality, Renson said. I didnt have the confidence, so I found another avenue to be confident in, which is this Ambition. A central characteristic of Ambition is an element of camp, with paintings of gay icons like Dolly Parton, Cher and Lucille Ball dotting the walls and peeking from nooks and crannies. Renson, 50, sees the space as an extension of himself, one combining three elements: Food, music and Hollywood. Ambition is more than a business, Renson said. Its my soul. How do you describe a soul? Theyre creative, unique theyre original. I allowed my soul to enter this building, and this is what it created. A mild sense of risque infuses the menu with items like Jeremys Package and Bluffin with my Muffin. Renson chronicled the early years and his cast of regulars in his 2011 book, Is the Coffee Fresh? Early mainstays included a pair of pink-loving twins named Toni and Tina and a gloves-clad woman who made exchanging currency a regular stand-off owing to her inability to clasp coins. Tim, a simple man with simple taste with an half-untucked shirt who wore his pants four sizes too big, would always ask, Is the coffee fresh? Yes, Tim. The coffee is fresh. Toni, Tina and Tim, along with a high population of homeless and "unwell people became a presence as steady as the Madonna and Stephanie Mills anthems that would rouse Renson out of bed at 6 o clock every morning before he whittled over in his red Jeep Wrangler with Madonna airbrushed onto his spare tire cover. And they were all roaming around downtown, Renson said. Over time, the vacant storefronts were spruced up and replaced with occupants driven by Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority. As he watched, Renson grew increasingly critical of the agency for utilizing sales tax collected from long-running businesses and redistributing it to upstarts. Were giving these restaurants our money to compete with us, Renson said. The building housing Mexican Radio, which saw the agency contribute $175,000 for asbestos remediation efforts before it was purchased by its current owner, still sticks in his craw. Meanwhile, Ambition ground it out without tax breaks or other financial incentives. (Metroplex does not invest in restaurants or bars, citing the riskiness of the endeavors, but does invest in facade improvements.) On what was among the citys final days of normalcy last March, Renson rattled through a list of obstacles that presented existential threats to his business, from road construction to the Great Recession, which nearly broke him. For a time, he retreated to Key Largo, Fla. and wept. How many obstacles can one business endure? he asked. Production for The Place Beyond the Pines and star Bradley Cooper materialized in 2011, and Ambition just came back swinging. There were other challenges, too: Like the code enforcement officer dispatched to inspect elevated carbon monoxide levels caused by a faulty boiler and hot water heater last February. The officer ordered the venue shuttered due to unsanitary conditions, a move for which the city apologized, calling his actions overzealous. But the damage was already done: Between repairs and lost business, Renson was out $30,000. Would anyone else but Ambition have survived that? Renson said. Then the pandemic prompted a virtual overnight shutdown. While his counterparts were scrambling with how to unload hundreds of pounds of corned beef hash and kegs of beer prepared for St. Patricks Day, Renson wasnt bluffing with his muffin: Somehow, word spread about his Baileys-infused bread pudding muffins and he started shipping orders across the U.S. While Ambition secured funding through the Paycheck Protection Program, Renson attributed the muffins to saving his business. I sometimes feel there are angels flying around Ambition that keep us going, Renson said. I dont know how many obstacles Ambition has had and still comes out charging every single time. While Metroplex has been a frequent sparring partner, Ambition is primed to receive $25,000 from the agency for facade improvements. We took them up on their offer, he said. Id be a fool to say no. The pending facelift is part of a $77,000 interior and exterior renovation project, which includes a new roof and structural improvements. Despite the cooling of tensions, Renson remains a fierce advocate for downtown and continues to be outspoken for its interests, including the need for a full-service grocery store to accommodate the growing influx of apartment-dwellers. And even after dodging the volley of bullets, hes not taking a breather and his life is far from the restaurants namesake, the Parton anthem 9 to 5. Renson continues to work 12-hours, six days per week in the closet-sized kitchen, a schedule that remains unchanged from the early years, as does his job description, which he described as co-owner, founder, creator, head chef, waiter, bartender, pot-washer and handyman. I still do everything, Renson said. Survival and grit is baked into the business DNA. Ambition has always been able to roll with the punches, he said. We took a chance on Schenectady and Schenectady took a chance on us. November the 3rd, 2020, was the unique day when many Biharis like me followed the second phase of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha election with one eye on the U.S. presidential election. As the Americans lined up to express their verdict on whether to give four more years to Donald Trump, the Biharis reached the polling booth across 17 districts (94 constituencies) to let it be known if Nitish Kumar deserved five more years as their Chief Minister. By all indications, it appeared slightly more than half of the American voters were fed up with a fluke president and wanted Joe Biden instead, it wasnt clear by the second phase of elections if the Biharis -- restless after nearly 15 years of Nitishs government -- really wished to replace him with Tejashwi, a son and the political heir of Lalu Yadav. The second phase of the Bihar election recorded an average of 55.70% turnout spread over the districts of Patna, Nalanda, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Begusarai, Samastipur, Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Purvi Champaran and Pashchim Champaran. Except for a few districts along the southern side of the river Ganga, most districts were to its north; and the dialects in this region varied from Magahi in the south to Angika, Maithili and Bhojpuri in the north. The second leg of voting revealed once again more enthusiasm among women voters. Their turnout was 58.80 percent compared to 52.92 among male electors. The voters mobilization was, however, not uniform. If the Minapur assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district recorded the highest (65.10%) voting, Kumhrar in the state capital had the lowest (35.69%). In the second phase, Tejashwi, on behalf of the RJD fielded its candidates in 56 seats -- 27 against the BJP and 25 against the JD(U). The JD(U) was his ally in 2015. The BJP, on the other hand, brought 46 candidates in the field and the JD(U) 43. Other parties officially contesting included the CPI (4), the CPM (4), the LJP (52) and the RLSP (36). In a direct contest the BJP-JD(U) combination was expected to trump the RJD and its allies, but there were other players and much talked about Tejashwi momentum as well. Performance of many of the candidates -- largely members of famous casts or political families or bahubalis themselves -- were being watched by political observers. They included Alok Kumar Mehta (RJD-Ujiarpur), Shailesh Kumar (RJD-Bihpur), Chetan Anand (RJD-Sheohar), Ms Beena Singh (RJD-Mahnar), Luv (Cong - Bankipur), Nitish Mishra (BJP-Jhanjharpur) and many more. The RJD still had the most candidates with criminal cases. On the side of the ruling incumbents, the fate of seven ministers of Nitishs coalition cabinet was on the line. They were: Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib), Rana Randhir Singh (Madhubani), Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda), Ram Sevak Singh (Hathua), Maheshwar Hazari (Kalyanpur), Suresh Sharma (Muzaffarpur) and Madan Sahni (Gora Bauram). Its important to keep track of the electoral performance of ministers because the popularity or otherwise of Nitish would be gauged by how many of them were returned by their constituents. It was anticipated many of Nitishs ministers would be grounded because of their non-performance. In Bihar, the intensity of participation in elections revealed how much stake a caste felt in the outcome of the process. In other words, participation in the electoral exercise was a sure matrix of how aggressively politicized castes and their leaders were in this otherwise backward state. To illustrate this point, take two sets of cases: The Bankipur constituency where the Kayasth were greater in number had two candidates from the same caste. One was the actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv Sinha who, on a Congress ticket, had challenged the sitting BJP MLA Nitin Navin. The percentage of polls in this constituency was as depressingly low as 35.89. Perhaps, accentuated by the coronavirus factor, the most educated caste population in the middle of the capital city seemed to be disaffected and least engaged in the democratic process. Contrast the above with Raghopur seat from where the opposition Grand Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav was contesting, or, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav's Hasanpur. The voters participation in these two constituencies stood at 57.97 and 58.59 percent respectively. Both the sons of Lalu Yadav were challenged by a candidate of their own caste: Satish Kumar Yadav (BJP) was against Tejashwi whereas Raj Kumar Rai opposed Tej Pratap on a JD(U) ticket. Satish Kumar had once defeated Tejashwis mother Rabri Devi, a former Chief Minister of Bihar, from the same constituency. It would be worth watching this time around. Against the tall claims of Bihar being the birthplace of students (JP) movements etc. and its people being so politically or socially conscious, the state has relentlessly been hemorrhaged by the condescending upper castes, the so called educated-professional elites, and the aggressiveness of the middle or the lower caste leaders. The latter believed only in the ultimate goal of the usurpation of political power without any obligation to deliver. The latest round of elections to the state legislature didnt promise to produce anything different. Dr. Binoy Shanker Prasad hails from Darbhanga and currently resides with his family in Dundas, Ontario (Canada). A former UGC teacher fellow (at JNU) in India and Fulbright scholar in the USA, he has taught politics and authored conference papers, articles and chapters on Bihar in previously published books in the United States, India, and Canada. Dr. Prasad administers a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OverseasBihari and has sponsored Aware Citizenship Campaign at a micro-level in his home-town. Welcome to another Edition of the Arts and Culture, the Column that seeks to promote Arts, Music and Culture in the Gambia. In today's edition, we feature Gambian Music Producer 'Maaw Gee'. Mawdo Malick Gaye alias 'Maw Gee', is a Gambian based music producer who has worked with Gambian and foreign artists. In his recent work, he produced a song for TM Alleyne, a UK based musician and the song is called "Peace". As a producer, 'Maw Gee' uses his platform to promote peace, love and harmony. "Music is universal and therefore whatever message it puts across, it touches the lives of people," he said. The music producer believes that music should not just be used for preaching alone, but should be practiced as well. He said TM Alleyne came up with the concept of the song 'Peace' with the idea of bringing the world under one umbra. He has a recording studio called MBT Records and describes his work as a 'nice feeling' that comes with several challenges. "My work requires time and resources as well as investment," the Gambian music producer said. He however complained that there is no music School in the Gambia, making the country's artists to depend on online Classes to develop their career. He said if the Gambia had a music School, such a burden could be lessened. He said the School will be an environment where Gambian musicians can learn production; how to play instruments and how to mix and master as well. "Being a music producer is not easy because one must exercise patience," he said. Many of the Artists we have interviewed complained about the lack of music School in the country and they also believe that the Gambia can go far in music, if it has one. The young Gambian Producer said he wants to use the voices of Gambian artists to reach out to people and make them feel at ease and to stop the fight and share love. 'Maw Gee' is also a radio presenter. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. CNBC earlier claimed Apple and Kia were "close to finalizing" a deal to "manufacture an Apple-branded autonomous electric vehicle at the Kia assembly plant in West Point, Georgia." Bloomberg reported last Friday that Apple has "paused" negotiations with Kia's parent company Hyundai because it was upset about leaks from Kia that sparked a stock bonanza here. Reports of a tie-up between Kia and Apple to develop electric cars may have been premature. But Nikkei Business reported that Apple was also in talks with at least six Japanese automakers about contract production, and Apple has commented on none of the reports. Hyundai explains its position on Monday, but industry insiders believe it will only be able to repeat that nothing has been decided. Industry watchers expect the negotiations to drag on. Apple apparently hopes to start making the electric cars in 2024, so there is still plenty of time. But others say there are not many automakers in the U.S. other than Kia that could manufacture EVs. Kim Pil-soo at Daelim University said, "You cannot ignore the brand power of Apple, but the Korean automaker probably wants to avoid becoming a subcontractor of the U.S. tech giant." New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has cautioned against misleading and factless reports on social media about glacial burst that took place in the Rishiganga river, a few kilometres from Joshimath, along with the Reni village on Sunday (February 7). The glacial burst swept away four 'jhoola pulls' and the Rishiganga hydropower project in the said village. In a social media post in Hindi, CM Rawat said, "Misleading and factless news is being spread on social media by some person regarding the rise in the water level in Joshimath. I request everyone to ignore such rumours, and trust only those sources which are reliable." Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat earlier said seven bodies were recovered and at least 125 were missing. Swirling waters of the river gurgling downwards are causing fear among people living in the area, he said late Sunday night. According to the latest reports, at least 10 people are dead and about 125 are missing. Notably, a multi-agency rescue operation is still on in Uttarakhands Chamoli region which was hit by a massive flood following the Nanda Devi glacier burst at Joshimath on Sunday. So far, 8 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the rescue operation in Tapovans Dhauliganga. As many as 170 labourers 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga are still missing, said reports coming in. The incident came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge which led to widespread devastation in 2013. A devastating natural disaster in the form of torrential rains of unseen magnitude had struck Kedarnath on 16-17 June in 2013. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects -NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project -were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. As night fell in the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work in the difficult to access areas became more difficult, there were fears they may be dead. A 13.2 MW small hydro project on the Rishi Ganga has swept away in the glacier burst but there was no danger of floods in downstream areas as the water level had been contained, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was informed at an emergency meeting in the national capital earlier in the day. Meanwhile, several districts, including Pauri, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Dehradun, were put on high alert and forces of the ITBP and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed in to help with the rescue and relief effort. THE Chinese-owned Fools Investment Mine at Hope Fountain near Bulawayo has been slapped with a $40 000 fine for allowing a foreigner, Zhang Zhongyi, to work as a metallurgist at the mine without a valid permit. Zhongyis illegal stay in the country was exposed after he assaulted two mine workers who confronted mine management demanding payment of their outstanding salaries. He was arraigned before the courts last week on the assault charge and has been remanded out of custody to February 24 on condition he pays $3 000 bail. While his assault case was still pending at the courts, immigration officials in the country established that he was an illegal immigrant. The State then charged him for contravening section 29(10b), as read with section 29(2a) of the Immigration Act chapter 4:02 for entering or remaining in Zimbabwe after his permit had expired. On January 27, Zhongyi (61) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndhlovu to answer to the charge of illegally staying in the country. Ndhlovu fined him $5 000 before ordering him to leave the country for China through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Following the deportation of Zhongyi, Fools Investment Mine, represented by Zhiwei Zhao, was charged for employing an immigrant who did not have a valid permit. On Wednesday the company was ordered to pay a $40 000 fine. The court heard that Zhongyis certificate of entry was issued at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on November 12 in 2020. It expired on December 12 and was not renewed. However, Zhongyi illegally remained in the country working at the mine until the time of his arrest for assault.. Newsday NEW HAVEN A Yale graduate student fatally wounded Saturday may have been targeted for death, instead of being killed in a random act, police said Monday. Kevin Jiang, 26, who studied at the Yale School of the Environment and lived in West Haven, was shot to death on Lawrence Street between Nicoll Street and Nash Street Saturday night. At a press conference, Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said Jiang was familiar in the East Rock neighborhood, where he was killed. He declined to discuss the matter in detail, noting the ongoing investigation. We are looking into whether or not Mr. Jiang was targeted. We have developed information that the incident may not have been a random act, that he was in effect targeted, Reyes said. This was not, sort of, a drive-by. It seems like it was much more up-close. The department does not believe the community is at risk of further violence connected to the incident, Reyes said. In response to the suggestion that the killing may have been an incident of road rage, Reyes said the department is exploring all angles. It is too early to speculate about the motive for the slaying, he said. Reyes said the department is doing everything we possibly can to arrest Jiangs killer, as well as the individuals who shot at the home of New Haven Assistant Superintendent of Schools Paul Whyte, and to prevent further shootings. The department has seized 16 guns this year, he said, noting its commitment to curbing violence. There is no one thing that I can tell you that is contributing to the violence in New Haven, but we are doing everything we can to make sure the citys safe, said Reyes. Reyes asked the public to supply any information they have about the incident, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Chief Medical Examiner James Gill announced Jiangs manner and cause of death Monday. He said Jiang suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities. Jiangs death was the citys sixth homicide of the year. Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins said the Yale Police Department had offered the services of our entire investigative unit to help New Haven police with the case. Jiangs death was significant in many ways, he said. Reyes stressed the importance of the departments collaboration with Yale, saying their partnership could not be closer, as well as with federal partners. The department will continue to leverage those relationships, as well as its ties to the community, he said. Right now, were in a rough patch, said Reyes. The city is a safe city. Were experiencing a spate of violence, but I have full confidence were going to turn this around. Mayor Justin Elicker and Yale President Peter Salovey expressed dismay and offered condolences to Jiangs family at Mondays press conference. A man outside Jiangs West Haven home said the family did not want to comment at this time. The Yale community is grieving right now. This is the loss of an extraordinary young man. He was committed to applying his talents to improving the world, said Salovey. He wanted to use his education and experiences to make a positive difference in the world through environmental stewardship. ... Kevin gave so much to this community, and he had more to give. So we remember him; we remember him fondly. We feel for his family, his fiancee. Elicker said it was a very, very challenging time for our community, noting that violence had increased in New Haven, as well as in cities across the country, in the past year. I want to underscore that this is a top priority, addressing the violence in the city, said Elicker. This (period of violence) is a tragedy for our city. We have to do everything possible to make sure were doing everything we can to keep people safe and keep people alive. Salovey said Jiangs death illustrated the ways in which we are all connected in this world, and reiterated Yales commitment to the community. Jiang was a volunteer at Trinity Baptist Church, where he was expecting to be married in the near future, Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson said on Facebook. As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Above all he looked forward to Jesus promise of the resurrection from the dead, said Hendrickson. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same. Jiang originally was from Chicago, was an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Washington, according to Yale University. His fiancee, Zion Perry, described Jiang as a gift from God in an email to the Register. Kevin...was a true and righteous man after Gods own heart. Life is so precious and short, and I am so thankful that God brought us together, Perry said. I know that he is with his Heavenly Father now in perfect peace. I cannot wait to see him again in Heaven and the New Heaven and Earth. I believe God can bring life even out of evil death because God brought salvation to the whole world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jiang said in a Jan. 30 Facebook post that he had proposed to Perry and she said yes, and noted his powerful faith and the impact she had made on his life. The Rev. Boise Kimber, at a separate press event Monday, called for the city to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing violence in New Haven and expand its partnerships in addressing crime. He called on the community to aid police and noted his support for further investing in the department. The recent violence had sparked fear among residents, he said. cause behind each of the homicides in the city is important, he said. This is an urgent call for this administration to pull together a major group to deal with violence in our community, said Kimber. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com President Joe Biden is open to steering COVID-19 stimulus checks away from high-earners, but he isnt bending as far as Republicans have pushed to target full payments of $1,400 to lower-income Americans. Some Republicans and conservative Democrats, whove already unsuccessfully pressed Biden to lower the check amounts, have called for full payments only to be sent to those earning $40,000 or less, making the case that the aid should go to Americans hit hardest by the pandemic. The payments would phase out incrementally and cap entirely at individuals earning $50,000 and married couples earning $100,000. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday that the administration is eyeing a threshold closer to $60,000 or $65,000, with Bidens team wanting to ensure payments make their way most to lower-income and middle-class Americans but not those who whove avoided the economic turmoil wrought by the pandemic, including unprecedented job loss and increased child poverty. She told CNN the president is committed to sending $1,400 checks and ensuring they go to people in households that do need the money. We need to make sure the cutoffs are appropriate so that households that are doing really well, maybe have seen their stock portfolios rise and make a lot of income and havent lost their jobs ... those households shouldnt be getting it. The Senate overwhelmingly passed an amendment this weekend restricting upper-income Americans from receiving stimulus checks, but lawmakers did not define upper-income. Yellen sought to distinguish between very well-off families and elementary school teachers or police officers earning about $60,000 faced with children who are out of school and people who may have to withdraw from the labor force in order to take care of them and many extra burdens. (President Biden) thinks, and I would certainly agree, that its appropriate for people there to get support. Yellen also told CBS News Sunday that Biden is discussing the appropriate cutoffs and phase-ins with members of Congress and is open to negotiating on those. In two previous COVID-19 aid bills, Americans earning less than $75,000 and married couples earning up to $150,000 received full stimulus checks of $1,200 and $600; adults earning up to $99,000 and couples earning up to $198,000 received incrementally smaller checks based on income. Progressive Democrats, including Sens. Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders whove pushed for recurring $2,000 payments, have argued against the lower income thresholds. Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have complained that lowering the caps would mean the Biden administration and Democratic-led Congress would be issuing checks to fewer Americans than in the previous stimulus packages signed by former president Donald Trump. A $50,000 threshold is totally disconnected from the reality of tens of millions of people, Ocasio-Cortez said Saturday, suggesting checks should instead be based on cost of living in varying areas. Some who discount our proposals by saying reps from urban & suburban areas dont get other places dont seem to apply that consideration themselves. A $50k threshold is totally disconnected from the reality of tens of millions of people. So lets talk Queens & West Virginia: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 7, 2021 It is absurd to be telling working-class people, somebody who has a decent union job theyre making $55,000, $60,000 sorry, youre not eligible for the program, Sanders told CNN on Sunday. It makes no sense to me at all, nor do I think it makes sense to the American people. Sanders agrees with calls from Republicans and Democrats alike to avoid seeing checks go to families earning up to $300,000. According to The Wall Street Journal, checks will be based on household income in either 2020 or 2019 tax returns, whichever is on file with the Internal Revenue Service when the payments are made. Americans whose incomes dropped last year due to the pandemic could see bigger stimulus checks if they file their 2020 tax return sooner rather than later; the IRS starts accepting returns on Feb. 12. If you file your return before the checks go out, the checks will be based on the 2020 income filing; if you file after the Treasury Department starts cutting checks, the IRS will base the stimulus payment on the income listed in your 2019 return. Lawmakers are pushing to finalize the next stimulus deal before mid-March, when unemployment insurance boosts and other provisions in previous aid packages expire. Related Content: Researchers at the Kobe University Graduate School of Science have revealed that when captive-bred juvenile red-spotted masu salmon are released into natural streams, very few individuals become migrants. Red-spotted masu salmon was an important fish species for the fishing industry in the rivers of west Japan, however in recent years their numbers are declining rapidly. The results of this research offer important suggestions for stocking practices and the management of river environments. The research group consisted of graduate school students TANAKA Tatsuya and UEDA Rui and Associate Professor SATO Takuya. The results were published in Biology Letters on January 13, 2021. Main Points Red-spotted masu salmon ( Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae ) that exceed the threshold body size by their first fall reach the smoltification (*1) stage of the salmon life cycle, and thus become migratory. ) that exceed the threshold body size by their first fall reach the smoltification (*1) stage of the salmon life cycle, and thus become migratory. When captive-bred individuals are raised in an environment similar to that of a hatchery, they usually grow beyond the threshold size in their first fall, undergoing smoltification. However, according to these research results, very few of the captive-bred fish released into natural streams during their first early summer exceed the threshold size by fall, with hardly any individuals becoming smolts. This research revealed that juvenile captive-bred salmon released into the wild are highly unlikely to become migratory individuals. Research Background Preserving variation within a species is vital for many reasons, including for the species' long-term existence and for the sustainability of resources for humans. Migratory behavior is one example of variation in the life cycle of a particular species which is important for its continuation. For example, within most species of salmonid fish, there are two phenotypes: migratory and non-migratory (resident). Migratory fish travel from the rivers to the ocean and then return to the rivers to spawn, whereas non-migratory individuals live in rivers for their entire lives. However in recent years, various factors such as reduced connectivity between rivers and oceans have caused a sharp decline in the number of migratory individuals. Consequently, large numbers of salmonid fish that were bred in captivity are released into rivers across the globe with the aim of replenishing and conserving fishery resources. It is known that these stocking practices can contribute towards an increase in migratory individuals if the released captive-bred fish have already reached the preparatory stage for migration to the sea (smolt). However, in some stocking practices, juvenile fish that have yet to undergo smoltification are released. It is not known what percentage of these juveniles become migratory in natural rivers. Research Aims and Hypothesis In the Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae salmonid species native to Japan both migratory and resident individuals are found. However, the distribution of these salmon populations is sharply declining nationwide in recent years, due in part to rivers being cut off from the ocean by dams and other artificial barriers. As part of efforts to restore the numbers of migratory individuals in the wild, red-spotted masu salmon are raised in hatcheries and those with a high probability of becoming migratory are released into rivers. Red-spotted masu salmon that exceed the threshold size upon their first fall undergo smoltification and then become migratory individuals. On the other hand, those who do not grow large enough become residents and spend their entire lives in river waters. It has been reported that captive-bred fish experience delayed growth when they are released into rivers, due to factors such as being unable to obtain sufficient food Based on this information, the researchers predicted that, even in the case of captive-bred individuals that were highly likely to reach smoltification, juvenile fish released into natural rivers prior to smoltification would experience growth delays rendering them unable to exceed the threshold size required. Research Methodology and Findings In order to investigate this hypothesis, red-spotted masu salmon from two different hatcheries were released into the natural streams in the upper regions of the Arida River in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan (in 10 sections across 7 streams). The individuals had a high probability of reaching the smolt stage and were released in early summer prior to smoltification. In fall, the researchers investigated the size of the released fish and the percentage that became smolts. In an additional experiment, released fish were raised in outdoor tanks (in which they could access a similar availability of food resources to the hatchery) and the researchers investigated the percentage of smolt and threshold size required for smoltification in these groups. The results of this stocking experiment revealed that, out of 320 fish recaptured from natural streams, only one individual (0.3%) reached the smolt stage (Figure 2). In contrast, the numbers that achieved smoltification were much higher among the group that were raised in outdoor tanks, with 64% of females and 17% of males from K- hatchery, and 75% of females and 33% of males from T-hatchery reaching the smolt stage (Figure 2). The threshold sizes for smolt individuals in the outdoor mesocosm groups were also investigated; these were found to be 124mm for females and 162mm for males from K-hatchery, and 108mm for females and 119cm for males from T-hatchery, respectively (Figure 3a, b). On the other hand, of the juveniles that were released into natural streams, the combined total of females that exceeded the threshold size from both hatcheries was only 8 out of 304 individuals recaptured from the same section (Figure 3c, d). These research results strongly indicate that the vast majority of released salmonids experience reduced growth in natural rivers, meaning that they are unable to exceed the threshold size necessary to become smolts. Further Developments This study has shown that if captive-bred salmonid fish are released into natural rivers prior to smoltification they are highly unlikely to become migratory, even if their phenotypes are expressed in a hatchery. The results thus indicate that releasing large numbers of juvenile individuals doesn't really contribute to the replenishment and conservation of migratory salmon stocks. However, if these fish are raised in a hatchery environment that is similar to a natural river, there is a possibility that fish could be produced that can grow well even after being released. In addition, it may be possible to increase the number of migratory fish by protecting and restoring streams and their surrounding forest environments, which could improve the growth of fish in the wild. Currently, the research group is conducting field experiments in order to improve the growth rate of captive-bred red-spotted masu salmon in rivers and to illuminate the environment required for individuals to become migratory. At the same time, they are also planning to investigate methods of reclaiming river environments that can support the growth of migratory phenotypes, without relying on stocking practices. ### Glossary 1. Smoltification: In salmonid species, individual fish that have made the decision to migrate to the ocean (or a lake) undergo a transformation called smoltification. During this stage, their shape, color and physiology change. They become longer and thinner, the scales on their sides turn silver and the tips of their tail and dorsal fins change to black. Acknowledgements Parts of this research were funded by the following organizations: The Asahi Glass Foundation for Environmental Field Research, and the Patagonia Environmental Program. Journal Information Title: "Captive-bred populations of a partially migratory salmonid fish are unlikely to maintain migratory polymorphism in natural habitats" DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2020.0324 Authors: Tatsuya Tanaka, Rui Ueda and Takuya Sato Journal: Biology Letters Ivanka Trump is hanging out with a whole new crowd in Miami after reportedly striking up a friendship with a famous fashion influencer who lives in her new luxury apartment building and boasts her own network of high-profile friends and family. The former First Daughter, 39, was spotted chatting with Candice Miller one half of the sister blogging duo Mama and Tata on the beach last Wednesday near their exclusive oceanfront building Arte Surfside. Candice is a prominent face on the Hamptons social scene, as is her cousin, controversial fashion blogger Arielle Charnas of Something Navy, who also has her own condo in the same exclusive Miami building that Ivanka lives in. Something to smile about! Ivanka Trump has 'become besties' with influencer Candice Miller after moving into the same exclusive Miami building as the fashion designer New pal: Ivanka was spotted with Candice, the co-founder of the blog Mama and Tata, on the beach last Wednesday near their oceanfront building Arte Surfside It was rumored on social media last week that Ivanka had also struck up a friendship with Arielle, with writer Sophie Ross tweeting a tip that she received from an anonymous source suggesting that the three women had become 'besties.' A spokesperson for Arielle denied the claim to DailyMail.com, insisting that the influencer has never met or spoken to Ivanka. 'It was only a matter of time. To no ones surprise, Arielle Charnas and Ivanka Trump, new Miami neighbors, are now besties!' the source whom Sophie insisted was 'legit' wrote in a text message that the writer posted on Twitter. The unnamed person, whom Sophie did not identify, also claimed that all three women were recently at the beach together, though Candice was the only one who was photographed with Ivanka. 'They've all become besties and [were] spotted on the beach together a few days ago. Their kids are all starting classes together,' the person continued, noting that the unspecified classes cost $900 per session. Getting close: Ivanka's new friend was with her while she was on the beach with her husband Jared Kushner and their three children: Arabella, nine, Joseph, seven, and Theodore, four Hanging out: Candice (left) is cousins with famous influencer Arielle Charnas (right), who also lives in the same building - however her spokesperson said she has never met Ivanka However, in a statement made to DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Arielle denied that she has formed any kind of connection with the former First Daughter and said that they have not ever had a conversation. Sophie's source also claimed that the three women and their respective families are currently the only ones who live in the building, however a spokesperson for Arte Surfside insisted that 'many of the units' inside the 16-residence condominium are currently occupied. The spokesperson denied the insider's suggestion that Arielle was the 'only' person living in the building before Candice moved in. Given that there are only 16 homes inside the property, it may still only be a matter of time before Ivanka and Arielle cross paths, however. Whether or not Arielle and Ivanka end up meeting, the First Daughter appears to have found a firm friend in the Something Navy blogger's cousin Candice who joined the Kushner clan for a beach outing just last week. In photos exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, Ivanka can be seen handing something to Candice on the beach while holding her iPhone and headphones. Spilling the tea: Writer Sophie Ross shared a conversation she had with an anonymous source who claimed that Candice, Arielle and Ivanka are all friends - however Arielle's rep denies this The mother of three was dressed in a short white swim cover-up featuring black and neon green stripes that she wore over a white bikini. Her blonde hair was pulled back and she had a large crownless sun hat on her head. Candice was more covered up in a baggy striped button-down shirt that she cinched at the waist with a fanny pack and khaki pants. Ivanka's new pal was with her while she was on the beach with her husband Jared Kushner and their three children: Arabella, nine, Joseph, seven, and Theodore, four. Ivanka, who shuttered her eponymous clothing and accessories label in 2018, has plenty of common with fashion influencers and designers like Candice. Candice started her fashion and lifestyle blog, Mama and Tata, with her sister Jenna Crespi in 2016 and has since taken over the majority of the business. Intel: The insider claimed that Ivanka has 'become besties' with the women now that she is their new neighbor - however the First Daughter has only been seen with Candice Living the high life: The source also claimed that their children are taking classes together, noting that unspecified classes cost $900 per session Limelight: Candice started her fashion and lifestyle blog, Mama and Tata, with her sister Jenna Crespi in 2016 and has since taken over the majority of the business Wealthy: Candice and her family have been riding out the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami. They also have homes in New York City and the Hamptons She is also the co-founder and chief marketing officer of the vintage-inspired clothing line Black Iris. Candice, who has two daughters with her real estate developer husband Brandon Miller, has been riding out the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami. They also have homes in New York City and the Hamptons. 'Under normal circumstances, I reside in NYC and spend weekends in Miami. However, given our current climate, Im living at our home at the beach in the Hamptons and will be heading south shortly,' she told Varley before heading to Florida. Meanwhile Arielle, 33, also has two daughters Ruby and Esme with her husband Brandon Charnas, and they have a third on the way. Was she with Ivanka? Arielle, who is pregnant with her third child, shared a photo of herself on the beach with her daughters Ruby and Esme over the weekend Look inside: Arielle runs her Something Navy blog and subsequent clothing line. She often shares photos of herself inside her luxury condo Notorious: Arielle faced backlash several times in 2020 after 'skipping the line' to get a COVID-19 test in March and then fleeing to the Hamptons while sick The influencer, who now has more than. 1.3 million Instagram followers, launched her Something Navy blog in 2009 followed by her Something Navy clothing line in 2017. And like Ivanka, who faced a large amount of backlash during her father's presidency, Arielle has weathered a fair number of controversies of her own. Back in March, the Something Navy founder infuriated New Yorkers when she managed to get her hands on one of a limited number of COVID-19 tests thanks to a personal connection, in spite of the massive shortage at the time. Then, when she tested positive, she didn't self-isolate for the required two weeks and fled Manhattan with her family for the Hamptons. Once out east, Arielle was accused by a Southampton florist of skipping out on a bill and then lying about it. Kicking back: Ivanka was seen enjoying a relaxing morning on the balcony outside her new Miami home on Mondaay Cool and casual: In place of the tailored suits and smart dresses she wore in D.C., she opted for a red and blue striped sun dress and a pair of glamorous sunglasses New home: Ivanka and Jared signed a one-year lease on a condominium in one of Miami's most coveted buildings, Arte Surfside (pictured), the Wall Street Journal reported last month Plan: The condo is expected to be a temporary home while they build a more permanent one on a two-acre plot they purchased on Indian Creek Island (pictured) for $31.8 million last year She also reportedly received between $150,000 and $350,000 in coronavirus relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program for her fashion line, Something Navy, which she re-launched in July with $10 million in funding round. Ivanka and her husband Jared signed a one-year lease on their condominium in the property, which is one of Miami's most coveted oceanfront buildings, the Wall Street Journal reported last month. It is unclear how much Ivanka and Jared are paying for the condo, but it's safe to say the luxury property didn't come cheap. Arte is one of the most expensive complexes in the Surfside neighborhood, with an average rental price of nearly $47,000 per month. Its penthouse sold for $33 million to an unnamed private equity executive from New York last month. The Trump-Kushner family is said to be using the large, unfurnished unit as a temporary home while they build a more permanent one on a two-acre plot they purchased on Indian Creek Island also known as the 'Billionaire Bunker' for $31.8 million late last year. Washington: Joe Biden is reviving the weekly presidential address, a tradition going back to Franklin Roosevelt, as he seeks to present himself as an open and approachable president. The format is rather different, however, reflecting the change in technology. In his first address posted on White House social media accounts on Saturday, Biden is seen seated at his desk in the Oval Office. He rings a woman called Michelle from California, who wrote to him after she lost her job because of the pandemic. US President Biden. Credit:AP The carefully curated informality of the two-and-a-half-minute chat is a break from previous incarnations of the weekly address, in which presidents used pre-written speeches to put over the administrations message. A Mars probe is launched on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China's Hainan Province, July 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) A shortlist of 10 potential names for the Tianwen-1 mission rover, China's first Mars rover, has been released following an initial evaluation conducted by the global naming campaign. Selected from a pool of 39, 811 nominations, the ten names Hongyi, Qilin , Nezha, Chitu, Zhurong, Qiusuo, Fenghuolun, Zhuimeng, Tianxing, and Xinghuo all bear a relationship to traditional Chinese culture, with elements taken from Chinese mythological figures, Confucian concepts, and legendary animals. Hongyi, from the Analects of Confucius, has led the pack in voting as many think its meaning of ambition and persistence can vividly demonstrate the challenging journey of Tianwen's Mars mission. Nezha, a household name referring to a Chinese mythological hero who is known as a rather strong-willed youth born with the power to breath fire, is also favored by the public. Even Nezha's primary weapon, the Fenghuolun, or namely the wind-and-fire wheel, is on the shortlist. Selected from Li Sao (or "Encountering Sorrow"), a poem written by Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and a loyal official of the State of Chu during the Warring States period of ancient China, the word Qiusuo can be understood as the spirit of searching the road ahead, and represents the Chinese people's endless endeavor to explore the secrets of the Red Planet. Much like Qiusuo, the word Zhuimeng literally translates into dream chaser, and similarly reveals China's ambitions to explore Mars and the great cosmos. With its traditional Chinese designation as "the fire star," the meaning of other selected names on the shortlist share a resemblance to its most intrinsic feature its fiery red surface. Originating from ancient Chinese mythological stories, Qilin (aka Kylin, which is a mythical Chinese unicorn) and Chitu (aka Red Hare, a fabled horse) were both believed to have the power of breathing fire. Likewise, Zhurong is known as the god of fire in Chinese mythology, while Xinghuo in Chinese refers to a spark that can start a prairie fire and Tianxing describes the motions of celestial bodies. The public will be able to vote for their favorite names using designated APPs up unto the deadline at 12:00 pm midnight on Feb. 28, 2021. Launched on July 23, 2020, Tianwen-1, China's first Mars probe program, is expected to approach the Mars orbit around Feb. 10, a day before Chinese New Year's Eve, and prepare for a planned landing in May. The official name for the Mars rover will be released before initiating its landing. Last year, the Chinese space authorities held an official global naming campaign that lasted for 40 days, and people worldwide showed great zeal, with about 1.4 million people from 38 countries and regions participating. (Photo/CCTV) Two days before Christmas, the owner of a small family nursing home forwarded an email to this newspaper with a document he had been desperately waiting for. It was a Covid-19 vaccination schedule for nursing homes, listing the dates they could expect residents and staff to be immunised. The start date was January 11, but his nursing home was scheduled for the end of the month. "We can't wait four weeks," he said on the phone. "We've managed to keep the virus away from our residents and out of this home all year. We're at the end of our tether here." He phoned again two weeks ago. The vaccinators were due to start that weekend. The virus had breached the infection control barriers that had kept it at bay all year. One resident had died at that point. More have died since. "The families and residents, they trust us you just feel so responsible," he said, breaking down. The Health Service Executive's (HSE) vaccination programme has reached more than 27,000 nursing home residents in all but four nursing homes, where the severity of outbreaks prevented vaccination. In a further 117 nursing homes, 2,600 residents missed out on the first dose, also because of outbreaks. "We will go back and vaccinate these people in time," the HSE said this weekend. But the lack of specifics has alarmed the families of relatives, according to Sarah Lennon, head of the advocacy group Sage. It also concerns affected nursing home owners, who are once again left wondering when the vaccine will come. From the outset, health authorities made vaccinating vulnerable older people their number one priority. At an Oireachtas Committee meeting last week, Tadhg Daly, the chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, suggested the numbers told another story. The first shipment of the BioNTech vaccine arrived in Ireland on December 26. The first vaccines were administered in a private or voluntary nursing home 12 days later on January 7. Only 10pc of the initial 77,000 vaccinations administered by the middle of last month were within nursing homes, he said. Had a critical window of opportunity been missed? The same committee heard that a third of all Covid-19 deaths in January were of nursing home residents, a total of 369 people. Gearoid Brennan, chief executive of the Brookhaven Healthcare group, believes even the first shot of the vaccine could have made a difference. Residents and staff at Droimnin Nursing Home in Laois, owned by Brookhaven, were scheduled for vaccination on January 19. But by early January, Covid-19 had got in. Nine residents died - five in the space of a week - and 52 contracted the infection, although most had no symptoms. Residents and staff at another nursing home in the group, An Teaghlach Uilinn, were vaccinated on January 14. Within days of the vaccinations it was hit by an outbreak. "I'm not a medical person but what I do know is that when residents got the first vaccinations, and contracted the virus subsequent to that, the effects of it appear to have been much less," Mr Brennan said. "That would be our anecdotal experience." As far he was concerned, those first 12 days between the vaccine being shipped into the country and its roll-out to the vast majority of nursing homes from January 7 were "crucial days lost". At Blackrock Abbey Nursing Home, in Louth, manager Alan Hynes cannot understand why facilities in communities with the highest community infection rates were not targeted first for vaccination. Staff and residents were scheduled to be vaccinated on January 19, but the virus had seeded in the nursing home 10 days before vaccinators arrived. Staff and residents were devastated. Fourteen residents have since died of Covid-19. "It stands to reason if the case numbers in the community are extremely high in specific areas, then the risk to the nursing homes in those areas will be greater," he said. "Our electoral area had one of the highest rates of positive cases in the community across the entire country, however our vaccine was not administered until Tuesday 19, a day earlier than the original schedule." The HSE has explained the challenges in rolling out the Covid-19 vaccine, the difficulties in inoculating those in long-term care settings where outbreaks have occurred, the issues around ensuring residents who have difficulty with decision-making properly consent to the vaccine roll-out. The rush to vaccinate frontline health workers was for good reason: a wave of Covid-19 about to hit the health system threatened to overrun the hospitals and shut down vital health services. The supply of the only vaccine on the European market at that time, the Pfizer-BioNTech product, was limited and uncertain. But the first draft vaccination schedule circulated to nursing homes set out a Monday to Friday, 9-to-5 vaccination programme that was to start a full two weeks after the first shipment of the vaccine to Ireland. The vaccine roll-out was accelerated on December 30, as the country entered lockdown and Covid-19 cases soared to record numbers. On January 8, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced a second acceleration of the vaccine plan, emphasising a seven-day roll-out, and said it would finish a week earlier than planned. In between those dates, 42 new outbreaks were reported in nursing homes in five days. Asked why the vaccine was not rolled out to nursing homes in that last week in December, one HSE source said if a nursing home resident had an adverse reaction to the vaccine, public confidence in the entire programme would be shattered. That was why the first jabs were administered in four acute hospitals, with medics on hand in case of adverse reactions. "I get that," said Tadhg Daly. "New virus, new vaccine, double doses that have to mixed, all that sort of stuff. But these are the type of things that should have been considered." Peadar Toibin, the Aontu leader, claimed in the Dail that "the delay in the vaccine has led to hundreds of deaths". Daly stopped short of saying the delays may have cost lives. "Nobody can say that, to be fair," he said. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar dismissed this as "simplistic and not entirely correct". Opposition politicians have demanded more scrutiny of the decisions behind the roll-out. So too have some of the Tanaiste's party colleagues. Colm Burke, a Fine Gael TD and member of the Oireachtas Health Committee, said the introduction of Level 5 restrictions on December 26 should have triggered the "fast-tracking" of the vaccine. "There was a crucial 10 or 12 days there that we missed out on," he said. Fergus O'Dowd, Fine Gael TD in Louth, has questioned the decision-making around those two crucial weeks: "I want to see the reasons why they did not proceed sooner. I am sure there are many good reasons but we need to see what they are." O'Dowd's brother-in-law, Joseph Quinlan, a towering Tipperary man of 87, was diagnosed with Covid-19 on the day he was scheduled to get the vaccine according to Mr O'Dowd, a cruelty visited on many. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unique Logistics International, Inc. (formerly Innocap, Inc.) a global logistics and freight forwarding company, today announced the filing of its Current Report on Form 10-Q (the "Current Report") which included financial results for the three month and six-month period ending November 30, 2020. Key Financial Results: Three Months ended November 30, 2020 Six months ended November 30, 2020 Total revenues $124.6 million $182.1 million Income from operations (note 1) $3.0 million $2.5 million Net income $1.4 million $0.8 million Adjusted EBITDA $4.7 million $4.8 million Note 1: 12 months ended May 31, 2020 Pro-forma Loss from operations $1.4 million. As of November 30, 2020 As of May 31, 2020 Total Assets $69.7 million $34.0 million Total Stockholders' Equity $3.9 million $1.1 million Key Business Highlights: First 10-Q since the Company's Reverse Merger with Unique Logistics Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Acquired Business"). Management has successfully integrated the Acquired Business, achieved synergies and continues to seek further synergies while expanding our business. An increase in pro-forma revenue from $115.1 million for the 12-month period ended May 31, 2020 (pro forma revenue in the 8K /A as filed on January 26, 2021 ) to $182.1 million for the six months period ended November 30, 2020 . As evidenced by the revenue increase above, we have successfully increased our per customer revenues. "We have made significant progress with the integration of the Acquired Business in the last quarter. We continue to explore options to grow our business organically as well as through acquisitions", said Sunandan Ray, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to updating shareholders of our progress, regularly." Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company, for the periods presented, to be earnings before interest, factoring fees, taxes, depreciation and amortization, accretion of debt discounts, loss on debt extinguishments, stock-based compensation, and certain other items. Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G, the Company has provided a reconciliation in the tables attached to this release of income from continuing operations calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") to Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under GAAP and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company calculated and communicated Adjusted EBITDA in the tables because the Company's management believes it is of importance to investors and lenders by providing additional information with respect to the performance of its fundamental business activities. Management presents Adjusted EBITDA because it believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplement to net income as an indicator of operating performance. Management also believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an industry-wide financial measure that is useful both to management and investors when evaluating the Company's performance and comparing our performance with the performance of our competitors. Management also uses adjusted EBITDA for planning purposes, as well as to evaluate the Company's performance because it believes that adjusted EBITDA more accurately reflects the Company's results, as it excludes certain items, such as stock-based compensation charges, that management believes are not indicative of the Company's operating performance. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a performance measure and not a liquidity measure. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating or net income as an indicator of performance or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as an indicator of cash flows, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity. In addition, adjusted EBITDA does not take into account changes in certain assets and liabilities as well as interest and Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company for the periods presented to be earnings before interest, factoring fees, taxes, depreciation and amortization, accretion of debt discounts, loss on debt extinguishments, stock-based compensation, and certain other items. Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G, the Company has provided a reconciliation in the tables attached to this release of loss from continuing operations calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") to Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under GAAP and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The Company calculated and communicated Adjusted EBITDA in the tables because the Company's management believes it is of importance to investors and lenders by providing additional information with respect to the performance of its fundamental business activities. Management presents Adjusted EBITDA because it believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplement to net loss as an indicator of operating performance. Management also believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an industry-wide financial measure that is useful both to management and investors when evaluating the Company's performance and comparing our performance with the performance of our competitors. Management also uses adjusted EBITDA for planning purposes, as well as to evaluate the Company's performance because it believes that adjusted EBITDA more accurately reflects the Company's results, as it excludes certain items, such as stock-based compensation charges, that management believes are not indicative of the Company's operating performance. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a performance measure and not a liquidity measure. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating or net loss as an indicator of performance or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as an indicator of cash flows, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity. In addition, adjusted EBITDA does not take into account changes in certain assets and liabilities as well as interest and income taxes that can affect cash flows. The Company's calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may or may not be consistent with the calculation of this measure by other companies in the same industry. Investors should not view Adjusted EBITDA as an alternative to the GAAP operating measure of net income (loss). In addition, Adjusted EBITDA does not take into account changes in certain assets and liabilities as well as interest and income taxes that can affect cash flows. Management does not intend the presentation of these non-GAAP measures to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures should be read only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP income taxes that can affect cash flows. The Company's calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may or may not be consistent with the calculation of this measure by other companies in the same industry. Investors should not view Adjusted EBITDA as an alternative to the GAAP operating measure of net income (loss). In addition, Adjusted EBITDA does not take into account changes in certain assets and liabilities as well as interest and income taxes that can affect cash flows. Management does not intend the presentation of these non-GAAP measures to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures should be read only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. About Unique Logistics International, Inc. Unique Logistics International, Inc. (OTC: UNQL) through its wholly owned operating subsidiaries, is a global logistics and freight forwarding company providing a range of international logistics services that enable its customers to outsource to the Company sections of their supply chain process. The services provided are seamlessly managed by its network of trained employees and integrated information systems. We enable our customers to share data regarding their international vendors and purchase orders with us, execute the flow of goods and information under their operating instructions, provide visibility to the flow of goods from factory to distribution center or store and when required, update their inventory records. Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 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, as amended, regarding, among other things our plans, strategies and prospects -- both business and financial. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "will," "may," "intend," "estimated," and "potential," among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents that we file from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to Conversion Labs, Inc. or a person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language. PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED) UNIQUE LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS November 30, 2020 May 31, 2020 (unaudited) ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,532,960 $ 1,349,363 Accounts receivable trade, net 27,427,464 7,932,310 Contract assets 12,199,516 4,837,008 Factoring reserve 8,255,173 970,724 Other prepaid expenses and current assets 82,005 91,671 Total current assets 51,497,118 15,181,076 Property and equipment net 185,371 198,988 Other long-term assets: Goodwill 4,773,584 4,773,584 Intangible assets net 8,398,426 8,752,000 Operating lease right-of-use assets net 4,300,118 4,770,280 Deposits and other assets 512,362 292,404 Total other long-term assets 17,984,490 18,588,268 Total assets $ 69,666,979 $ 33,968,332 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current Liabilities: Accounts payable trade $ 37,120,279 $ 9,591,780 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 1,688,745 3,619,216 Accrued Freight 10,358,076 3,477,380 Current portion of notes payable 858,333 858,333 Current portion of long-term debt due to related parties 6,385,311 6,380,975 Current portion of promissory notes 1,169,916 618,309 Convertible notes payable, net 1,273,212 - Current portion of operating lease liability 1,383,251 1,288,216 Total current liabilities 60,237,123 25,834,209 Other long-term liabilities 706,674 848,010 Long-term-debt due to related parties, net of current portion 144,992 193,328 Notes payable, net of current portion 1,037,502 1,466,667 Promissory notes, net of current portion 626,146 1,027,753 Operating lease liability, net of current portion 2,970,933 3,482,064 Total long-term liabilities 5,486,247 7,017,822 Total liabilities 65,723,370 32,852,031 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' Equity: Series A Convertible Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 130,000 shares authorized; 130,000 issued and outstanding as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020 130 130 Series B Convertible Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 870,000 shares authorized; 840,000 and 870,000 issued and outstanding as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020, respectively 840 870 Common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 357,829,365 and 0 shares issued and outstanding as of November 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020, respectively 357,830 - Additional paid-in capital 3,170,273 1,523,811 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 414,536 (408,510) Total Stockholders' Equity 3,943,609 1,116,301 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 69,666,979 $ 33,968,332 UNIQUE LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) For the Three Months Ended November 30, 2020 For the Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 For the Period October 28, 2019 (inception) Through November 30, 2019 Revenues: Airfreight services $ 72,388,144 $ 89,887,028 $ - Ocean freight and ocean services 42,601,314 73,254,180 - Contract logistics 838,853 1,527,563 - Customs brokerage and other services 8,811,109 17,385,916 - Total revenues 124,639,420 182,054,687 - Costs and operating expenses: Airfreight services 68,891,139 85,628,080 - Ocean freight and ocean services 38,726,139 66,592,372 - Contract logistics 297,758 561,826 - Customs brokerage and other services 8,357,835 16,502,717 - Salaries and related costs 2,191,247 4,292,136 - Professional fees 228,739 658,480 - Rent and occupancy 442,605 901,116 - Selling and promotion 846,883 1,898,311 - Depreciation and amortization 191,398 382,217 - Fees on factoring agreements 1,410,203 1,884,263 - Other 16,190 238,889 15 Total costs and operating expenses 121,600,136 179,540,407 15 Income (loss) from operations 3,039,284 2,514,280 (15) Other expenses Interest (203,740) (236,179) - Loss on extinguishment of convertible note (1,147,856) (1,147,856) - Total other expenses (1,351,596) (1,384,035) - Net income (loss) before income taxes 1,687,688 1,130,245 (15) Income tax expense 290,505 307,199 - Net income (loss) $ 1,397,183 $ 823,046 $ (15) Net income (loss) per common share basic $ 0.01 $ 0.01 $ (0.00) diluted $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ (0.00) Weighted average common shares outstanding basic 252,603,584 167,748,635 - diluted 8,646,523,725 9,180,134,802 - Adjusted EBITDA Following is the reconciliation of our consolidated net income to Adjusted EBITDA: For the Three Months Ended November 30, 2020 For the Six Months Ended November 30, 2020 Net income $ 1,400,038 825,901 Add Back: Income tax expense 290,505 307,199 Depreciation and amortization 191,398 382,217 Stock- based compensation 50,000 50,000 Loss on extinguishment of convertible notes 1,147,856 1,147,856 Factoring fees 1,410,203 1,884,263 Interest expense (including accretion of debt discount) 203,740 236,179 3,293,702 4,007,714 Adjusted EBITDA 4,690,885 4,830,760 SOURCE Unique Logistics International, Inc. Related Links https://unique-logistics.com Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode. The company known as Philly Fighting COVID started out in an almost heartwarming way. It was one of those neighbors helping neighbors stories youd hear about at the beginning of the pandemic. Andrei Doroshin, the founder of Philly Fighting COVID, and some friends started 3D-printing face shields for hospitals that were short on PPE. A couple of months in, Philly Fighting COVID pivoted to start testing people in underserved areas. Before long, the organization had pivoted again, to vaccine distribution, making elaborate plans to get Philadelphians vaccinated. But Philly Fighting COVID had no medical experience. It dispensed vaccines for just a couple of weeks before the Department of Public Health cut ties. Advertisement As the vaccine rollout struggles along across the country, the story of what happened in Philly is an example of just how many ways vaccine distribution can go wrong. On Mondays episode of What Next, I asked Nina Feldman, a reporter at the local public radio station, to explain what happened. Our conversation has been edited and condense for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: So, Philly Fighting COVID helped launch Philadelphias community vaccination program, setting up a huge clinic in the Philadelphia Convention Center, where they invited the press to a big announcement. Tell me about that event. Nina Feldman: It was exciting. It was this big moment. Up until then, we knew people were getting vaccinated, but it was just at hospitals. And this was the first time that it was happening in the community. You had the mayor and the deputy health commissioner and a handful of City Council members, standing in front of a podium in the in the convention center alongside Philly Fighting COVID announcing this big, first mass vaccination clinic. And we felt hopeful. Pretty soon, hearing Doroshin talk, little things he was saying started making my ears perk up. He just made a couple of claims that were patently not true. He claimed to be doing half of the citys testing at one point, and the numbers he gave to support that just didnt match up with what half of the citys testing numbers would be. Advertisement And you knew it immediately. We talked to community members who describe being just totally ghosted by them. Nina Feldman I thought, OK, maybe that was a mistake. After the press conference, I asked somebody: How much does it cost per day to run? Because the entire thing had been framed as a public-private partnership. Everybody kind of shrugged it off and said, Oh, you have to ask Andrei. And I thought, Thats weird. So I went and asked Andrei, and he wouldnt tell me. I said, Isnt it the citys money? And he said, No, its my money. Im paying for this whole thing. And he wouldnt tell me how much it cost. Just the secrecy, and the fact that the city wasnt paying for this whole thing, and that it wasnt bound by any sort of contract, which meant there was less oversightall of that just seemed, if nothing else, worth looking into more. I have to say my Spidey senses went up and that was when I started digging. Advertisement Advertisement You found that some of the claims made by Doroshin seemed spurious. Hed said he was a filmmaker, a real estate investor, and entrepreneur. But, for instance, the Rancho Mirage Film Department he said hed founded was at his high school. And the nonprofit hed started to improve air quality had failed. Then, you tracked down Debbie Flamholz, who had just left Philly Fighting COVID out of frustration. Yes, Debbie was somebody who was often, as she described it, on the testing site, the only one or one of very few people who had any sort of clinical health care experience. She was surrounded by a lot of volunteers who were college kidssome of them premed, but many of them not even. Advertisement So the people sticking the swabs up your nose were just volunteers, potentially? Correct. And the people who are taking down your information and registering it, which might not sound like the most clinical of medical procedures. And its not. But there are certain practices within the medical field that are standard, that are understood to be incredibly important, having to do, for instance, with patient privacy. And that was something that Debbie described to me being handled very carelessly and without those priorities at all. Advertisement What happened when she spoke up about this? She would have a site supervisor who she described as disengaged, often distracted, sometimes asleep. These are not people who are necessarily doing a ton of oversight for that type of due diligence. She described speaking up about it, asking questions about it, and being brushed off. Advertisement Subscribe to What Next Get more news from Mary Harris and her team every day. Subscribe Youve written that one of the early warning signs about this organization came when Philly Fighting COVID pivoted from running test sites to talking about vaccine sites. What happened as they started to think through that change that started to raise red flags? The city tapped the group way earlier than expected, and they abandoned their entire testing operation. Like they just stopped running them? They had sites set up, they had dates set up with community members in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods in Philadelphia that were depending on these groups to test their community members, and they canceled or they pulled out. In some cases, they just didnt show up with a half an hour notice. We talked to community members who describe being just totally ghosted by them. Even at the convention center when Andrei Doroshin was talking about the groups credibility as a testing organization, he talked about how they were opening up more testing sites and how they were going to start doing free rapid testing for the entire city. Advertisement Advertisement Was that true? No. Little did anybody know, at that point he was in the process of or had already canceled testing operations for the entire organization. They also sent an email basically letting their entire testing staff go the day before those folks were supposed to show up at testing sites, saying we have to focus on vaccine distribution. It was a 180 pivot. Did Andrei Doroshin explain himself at all? They explain themselves to the community members by saying that the city had tapped them to do vaccination efforts and this was more important. And one of the community groups that we talked to about that said that they did actually offer to do the event that they had planned but do vaccines instead of tests. But this is a predominantly Black neighborhood in Philadelphia, and the community leaders who are organizing the event said, Listen, our folks arent ready for that yet. Theres a lot of hesitancy here about the vaccine. Testing is what our community is saying that they need. Doroshin told them that he didnt believe in testing anymore, that it just caused panic, that it wasnt relevant to heading off the virus. The vaccine was the tool that people needed to rely on. Doroshin has said he never would have said that and that they must have misinterpreted him, but we had a number of people who are in the room who recounted that happening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Listening to you, it feels like there are ample warning signs that Philly Fighting COVID is maybe not the best organization to get additional responsibilities in the city, but it seems like the department of health didnt know about any of this and they moved forward with contracting with this group to distribute vaccines in January. Are there any good indicators about why they made that decision? Thats the biggest question that everybodys asking right now. What we do know is that there wasnt an official contract between the city and Philly Fighting COVID to distribute vaccines. And thats because Philly Fighting COVID was not receiving any money from the city. It seems to me like the city didnt have the support they needed or the money they needed to do a more formal arrangement that someone who had done this before might require. And so in that vacuum, here comes this very young organization that just wants the opportunity to get their hands on some vaccine. Advertisement Right, this group looks like they have a plan. Lets just go with them and get this moving. Thats a little bit of speculation because we dont exactly know what the process was, but it kind of makes sense. Theres this enormous urgency for everybody in the city to get vaccinated. Along comes a group with a plan and you say, All right, lets work with them. They seem as good as anybody else. You had people who were not supervised, who were not licensed or properly accredited to be administering vaccines, basically just injecting each other with it. Nina Feldman One question that a lot of people are asking right now is: Why not choose somebody else? Its not like this group was the only option. Philadelphia is a renowned meds and eds town. We have four major medical institutions within city limits. The health commissioner never explicitly asked one of them to man this type of clinic. He says that they probably would have said no because they were vaccinating their own staff and they were dealing with COVID case spikes. But, its unclear if those conversations happened in any detail. Theres also a group that has been really proactive in testing the African American community in Philly called the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which a lot of people thought was a natural fit to do a clinic like this at the convention center. They have gained an enormous amount of trust, especially among the Black community. And the fact that they were passed over has a lot of people scratching their heads because they seemed like they would have been a very logical fit and a group made up of medical practitioners with years and years of experience versus a bunch of self-described college kids. Advertisement Advertisement Philly Fighting COVID was vaccinating people at the citys convention center for about two weeks before the city cut ties. Officials cited an issue with the companys privacy policy and its quiet pivot from nonprofit to for-profit status. But the announcement that Philly Fighting COVID no longer had the backing of Philly came as a surprise, right? The final day at the convention center they did not know it was going to be their final day. I have multiple sources talking about the final hour or half-hour with those leftover doses. You had people who were not supervised, who were not licensed or properly accredited to be administering vaccines, basically just injecting each other with it. And at the end of the day, a nurse I spoke with who was volunteering on site saw as Andrei Doroshin walked across the room over to the vaccine area and pocketed a few of them. She wasnt sure how many. She guessed maybe 10 to 15, and put them in his bag with the CDC registration cards that go along with them and left. And later that night there was a photo that had circulated on Snapchat of Doroshin in a private residence, syringe in hand, appearing to be about to or having just administered the vaccine to a friend. Advertisement Advertisement And hes not a nurse. Hes not a doctor. Hes not a nurse. Hes not a doctor. Taking those off site is against CDC protocol. Its against city protocol. City policy is any unused doses should be returned to the health department. At first he denied having done this at all. And then he later admitted to it and said he took four doses, and he then further later admitted to it and said that he gave one of them to his girlfriend but that was it. But he also stands by the decision. He says that he would he would have done it again. They were going to go to waste. And there was no reason for him not to have done it. Advertisement Part of the problem to me here seems to be the fact that the city was popping up all of these relationships with different groups to do the job of testing and vaccinating ad hoc. And to me, it raises this question of why they were even doing that. The city has a department of health. Why couldnt they distribute the vaccine themselves? And was that even considered? At a hearing on Friday, the health commissioner was asked that question, and he said he didnt know if that had been considered. And he wants to know just as badly as anybody else why it wasnt if it wasnt. Health Commissioner Tom Farley has said he doesnt know the answer to a lot of questions that everybody wants answered, putting some distance between himself and the decisions that were made that led to this group having any amount of responsibility or power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing that he has made abundantly clear through practice is that the health department could have done that work because its now doing it in order to fill the gaps for people who have received their first dose from Philly Fighting COVID. The health department is basically taking up the mantle where PFC left off and is running a clinic at the convention center to give people second doses. So theyre doing it. Theres no question about whether they could or couldnt because they are. A lot of reporting in Philadelphia has focused on the fact that what has happened here could really break the publics trust with their health systems, especially in Black communities. And Im wondering if, as you talk to regular people, they feel like this incident makes them more or less likely to get vaccinated or trust the process. Advertisement Thats an enormous concern. You have a city here in Philadelphia thats 44 percent Black, and the most recent numbers I saw, its, like, 12 percent of the people who have been vaccinated are Black. Thats an enormous, enormous disparity. And we know that theres a greater rate of hesitancy among African American communities. People who were wary of this entire process because they have historical mistrust of the medical system watch how this all went down, and they say, See, I told you. That is why I didnt want to do this. This is how the process works. They hand the reins to these kids for no reason. And Im sure glad I didnt sign up for this. Advertisement Advertisement I mentioned the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, and thats a group that the city has leaned on really heavily to get the message out to the to the Black community here about the risks of COVID, about where you can get tested. And I think they want to do the same for the vaccine. But the fact that they didnt partner with that group and they partnered with this group and now theyre sort of asking that group to help clean up their mess, in a sense, it puts them in a disadvantaged position. So its a big hole to climb out of. Theres a real startup, Silicon Valley vibe to the way Andrei Doroshin was running his business. Philly Fighting COVID promised to speed up vaccine distribution and get rid of unnecessary paperwork. It was slick, ambitious, proudly disruptive. But there are some things that are worth doing slowly, or at least deliberately. Advertisement Everybody is anxious to get the vaccine. Everybody is eager for life to return to something resembling normalcy as soon as possible. But that doesnt mean you can cut corners. The best practices that Doroshin was so committed to disrupting and throwing out the window in this case, especially in the health care field, are there for a reason. Theres this constant balance between getting things done quickly and getting things done in a right and equitable way. Thats a tricky act to balance. And in Philadelphia, we got it wrong. The scales tipped toward efficiency and now were paying the price. Its important to remember there is a reason to be patient, and in the long run, those things will pay off. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. The states positive test rate for the coronavirus continues to fall, but most of Pennsylvanias counties continue to show a substantial spread of the virus, Gov. Tom Wolfs office said Monday. The positive test rate for COVID-19 fell to 8.6% for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4, down from 9.3% during the previous week. The positive test rate has now dropped for eight consecutive weeks after reaching a high of 16.2% in December. While the rate is declining, health officials have said a positive test rate higher than 5% is a source of concern. Statewide, 59 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties continue to show substantial spread of the virus. The Wolf administration uses three categories to gauge the spread of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial. Last week, there were 63 counties with substantial spread. There had been substantial spread in every county through much of December and January. There are now eight counties in Pennsylvania that do not have substantial spread. The governor welcomed the improving data around the state. This is the first week in many, many weeks that we are seeing counties with lower than five percent positivity rates as well as all 67 counties reporting lower than 20 percent positivity rates this is good news for mitigating the spread of this virus in our communities across the commonwealth, Wolf said in a statement. At the same time, Wolf continued to stress the importance of wearing masks and social distancing. He also emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated when its your turn. A closer look Heres a look at the level of transmission in Pennsylvanias counties. Low: Cameron County Moderate: Armstrong, Bedford, Cambria, Elk, Indiana, Westmoreland and Wyoming Substantial: Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne and York State officials have urged school officials to consider the extent of community spread of COVID-19 in determining whether students should be in school or educated remotely. Last month, the Wolf administration said it is recommending that school districts focus on returning elementary school students to classrooms, even in counties with a substantial spread of the virus. Still, local school leaders continue to make the call on deciding if schools should hold classes in person, remotely or with a mix of face-to-face and virtual instruction. Vaccines Last week, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Alison Beam said the state will continue to aim to improve its distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, an effort that has garnered growing bipartisan criticism. In an interview with PennLives editorial board last week, Beam said some vaccine providers are mistakenly and unnecessarily holding back first doses (the vaccines require two doses). Beam also indicated last week that priority will be given to those providers giving out vaccines at a faster rate. The more efficient providers will get a bigger supply of the available vaccine, Beam said. The state has administered more than 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Philadelphia is running its own vaccine distribution effort. More than 870,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Pennsylvania and more than 22,000 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health. Most of those who are infected develop relatively mild symptoms and many never get sick at all. But the coronavirus poses risks to everyone, especially seniors and those with health complications, doctors and researchers say. President Vladimir Putins announcement in August that Russia had cleared the worlds first Covid-19 vaccine for use before it even completed safety trials sparked skepticism worldwide. Now he may reap diplomatic dividends as Russia basks in arguably its biggest scientific breakthrough since the Soviet era. Countries are lining up for supplies of Sputnik V after peer-reviewed results published in The Lancet medical journal this week showed the Russian vaccine protects against the deadly virus about as well as U.S. and European shots, and far more effectively than Chinese rivals. At least 20 countries have approved the inoculation for use, including European Union member-state Hungary, while key markets such as Brazil and India are close to authorising it. Now Russia is setting its sights on the prized EU market as the bloc struggles with its vaccination program amid supply shortages. In the global battle to defeat a pandemic thats claimed 2.3 million lives in little more than a year, the race to obtain vaccines has assumed geopolitical significance as governments seek to emerge from the huge social and economic damage caused by lockdowns imposed to limit the spread of the virus. Thats giving Russia an edge as one of a handful of countries where scientists have produced an effective defense. Its decision to name Sputnik V after the worlds first satellite whose 1957 launch gave the Soviet Union a stunning triumph against the US to start the space race only underlined the scale of the significance Moscow attached to the achievement. Results from the late-stage trials of 20,000 participants reviewed in The Lancet showed that the vaccine has a 91.6 per cent success rate. A healthcare worker receives a dose of the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in La Plata, Argentina | Photo: Bloomberg This is a watershed moment for us, Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive officer of the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund, which backed Sputnik Vs development and is in charge of its international roll-out, said in an interview. While its too early to gauge the political gains for Putin, Russias already making much of the soft-power impact of the vaccine on its image after years of international condemnation over election meddling and targeting of political opponents at home and abroad. State television reports extensively on deliveries to other nations. Sputniks success wont change hostility toward Putin among Western governments, though it could strengthen Russias geopolitical clout in regions such as Latin America, according to Oksana Antonenko, a director at Control Risks consultancy. With this vaccine, its proven itself capable of producing something new thats in demand around the world, she said. Production constraints are the biggest challenge facing all manufacturers as global demand far outpaces supply. Russia, pledging free shots for its 146 million population, began output last year and the vaccine is currently being manufactured in countries including India, South Korea and Brazil. This week, it emerged a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed an agreement to produce Sputnik V in Turkey, even as the nation has deals to buy 50 million doses of Chinas Sinovac Biotech Ltd.s CoronaVac vaccine and 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE shot. Despite Russias success, domestic demand remains lukewarm so far, driven by public suspicion of the authorities. Putin, 68, fueled the skepticism in December when he said he was waiting to get the inoculation until it had been cleared for people his age. He still hasnt said whether hes been vaccinated, but other nations arent waiting to find out. The day after announcing hed contracted Covid-19, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Jan. 25 hed thanked a genuinely affectionate Putin for pledging 24 million doses of Sputnik V in the coming two months. Three days later, Bolivian President Luis Arce personally took delivery of a batch at La Paz airport. Latin America is proving fertile territory. Argentina, which has struggled to obtain vaccine supplies, started its mass inoculation program after taking delivery of more than half a million Sputnik V doses by January. Its been joined by Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela. In Brazil, the regions biggest market, a decision announced Feb. 3 to scrap the requirement for phase three trials for emergency use may speed up approval. Guinea became the first African nation to start dispensing Sputnik V in December with Moscow-friendly President Alpha Conde and several ministers taking the vaccine. It expects to get 1.6 million doses this year and is also in talks on acquiring Chinese vaccines, along with AstraZeneca Plcs shot. Zimbabwe, the Central African Republic and Ivory Coast are among other potential customers for Russia. Were not in a position where we can say no to any vaccine. Weve opted for the Pfizer vaccine, but were looking at other vaccines as well, said Professor Joseph Benie, head of the National Institute of Public Hygiene in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Theres an urgency now to start inoculating. Sputnik V uses a platform based on the adenovirus, which causes the common cold, and has been studied in vaccine development for decades, though its effectiveness is yet to be proven. AstroZenecas is similar, while drugs developed by Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech rely on a new technology, which uses genetic instructions in a nucleic acid molecule called mRNA to program a persons cells to make the viral protein itself, triggering an immune response. Unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Sputnik V can be stored in a fridge rather than a freezer, making it easier to transport and distribute in poorer and hotter countries. At around $20 for a two-shot vaccination, its also cheaper than most Western alternatives. While more expensive than AstraZeneca, the Russian inoculation has shown higher efficacy than the U.K. vaccine. For some nations such as Iran, which received the first batch of a promised 2 million doses this week, Russia offers a more palatable political alternative than Western suppliers. But Russia is also making inroads into countries such as the United Arab Emirates, which is traditionally close to the U.S. and has approved Sputnik V for use. China, whose inoculations are as low as 50% effective in the case of Sinovac Biotech, retains a lead in Asia. Only a handful of countries have opted for Sputnik V, including the Philippines, which is in talks for 25 million doses. Chinese developers may now team up with Russia. The RDIF struck a preliminary deal to test a combined regimen of shots from Sputnik V and Chinas CanSino Biologics to boost effectiveness against Covid-19, people with knowledge of the matter said Friday. In what could represent the Kremlins biggest potential breakthrough, Russia has asked European regulators to examine a request for authorization of Sputnik V after Germany promised to help expedite the process. With top EU officials still smarting over a sluggish vaccine roll-out, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday the Russian shot could be used to protect people in the 27-member bloc as long as it was approved by the European Medicines Agency. Frances industry minister said shes agnostic when it comes to approving the Russian vaccine. Any vaccine thats ready and that presents the safety and efficacy conditions is welcome in Europe, Agnes Pannier-Runacher said during an interview on France Info TV on Sunday. We have an interest in having the maximum of different vaccines and volumes. Hungary has already granted emergency approval, signing a deal for 2 million doses of Sputnik V with the first 40,000 shots delivered Tuesday. The vaccine cannot be a political question, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio Jan. 29. One can only choose between western and eastern vaccines when you have enough. European approval may take several months because of the need to submit detailed data, The Lancets Editor-in-Chief Richard Horton told Bloombergs QuickTake. I do think this Russian vaccine will come on tap, but not quickly, he said. While Russia says it expects the vaccine to be available to 700 million people this year, its facing production bottlenecks. We have to be realistic. Given our other commitments, we will not be able to supply to Europe before May, other than Hungary, said RDIFs Dmitriev. Still, the vaccine is paying dividends for Putin. Even as he visited Moscow Friday to confront Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took time to congratulate Russia on developing Sputnik V. Its good news for the whole mankind, Borrell said. It means that we are going to have more tools to face the pandemic. (With With assistance from Stepan Kravchenko, Anya Andrianova, Yuliya Fedorinova, Marthe Fourcade, Thomas Mulier, Naomi Kresge, Jake Rudnitsky, Simone Iglesias, Chris Kay, Emma O'Brien, Pauline Bax, Katarina Hoije, Golnar Motevalli, Geraldine Amiel, Marton Eder, Balazs Penz, Gina Turner, Scott Rose and Angelina Rascouet.) The health care system in the Brazilian city of Manaus, capital of Amazonas state, has been in a state of collapse for several weeks as a second wave of coronavirus has devastated the region. The onslaught began in late December and had been overtaxing the limited resources of the sprawling urban industrialized center, situated in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. On January 8, the city declared a state of emergency in the face of the rapidly mounting cases. Refrigerated containers were returned to the hospitals to assist in storing bodies. Local officials informed the health ministry, warning that oxygen supplies would run out in a week, to no avail. In a video published online, describing the asphyxiation of patients from lack of medicinal oxygen, Mario Vianna, the president of the Doctors Trade Unions of Amazonas, said, patients are staying alive due to the efforts of medical professionals, nurses and technicians. this is a terrible situation which we have feared would happen and denounced. At this moment, I appeal to all of the authorities so that they can unite so that we can urgently find a solution. The Port of Manaus (Wikimedia Commons) Only neighboring Venezuela immediately responded to the crisis, offering the governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima, a stooge of the fascist President Jair Bolsonaro, all the necessary oxygen to attend the public health crisis in Manaus. According to the daily newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, as of February 4, 366 of the 379 public ICU beds in Manaus were occupied. The adult ICU bed occupancy rate is at 101 percent, with 285 beds available and 288 patients being treated. Though the recent oxygen crisis has been temporarily stabilized, there is limited capacity to generate more. The citys death rate of 190 per 100,000 is the highest in all of Brazil. The cumulative toll for the state of Amazonas is more than 280,000 cases and more than 8,800 deaths. With Manauss health system inundated with patients, remote towns upriver in the rural Amazon region cannot refer critically ill patients to the metropolis and must fend for themselves. According to Doctors Without Borders, this is creating a devastating knock-on effect in these communities. Last week, the transfer list of patients waiting for a bed had grown to 568 people, of whom 120 of them were waiting for a place in the ICU. Additionally, the Ministry of Health is looking to transfer approximately 1,500 patients to Manaus to alleviate units in neighboring Brazilian states that are even less developed, such as Rondonia. Amazon Rainforest (Wikimedia Commons) In a report published on January 22 in Globo, the government of Amazonas predicted that the burden on the health system would grow even more dire this month. They estimated that the demand for medicinal oxygen would rise at least 70 percent higher than on January 14, when hospitals in Manaus ran out of oxygen, leading to dozens of patient deaths. With the beginning of the rainy season, other respiratory diseases are expected to aggravate matters. Some families that can afford to buy the necessary oxygen tanks and supplies have made makeshift ICU rooms in their homes, hiring caregivers to assist in nursing their loved ones. The chaos surrounding the hospitals has left the population mistrustful. Many protested Bolsonaro and his governments lack of any appreciable response by banging pans and pots from their balconies. Much attention has recently been focused on this region by scientists and epidemiologists. An oft-cited seroprevalence study, carried out in Manaus was first presented in a preprint in September, followed by minor revisions, and then published in the journal Science in mid-December, had calculated the COVID-19 attack rate for the metropolitan city at three-quarters of the population. The study estimated that 76 percent of the population had developed immunity to the COVID-19 coronavirus in the months since the pandemic first hit the region in March, leading to claims that Manaus had passed the theoretical herd immunity threshold of 65 percent, and was therefore safe from future surges. When the second wave slammed into the community after Christmas, it came as a complete and devastating shock, especially to the scientists who carried out the investigation. The confluence of the Negro and Solimoes Rivers (Wikimedia Commons) Manaus, the seventh-largest city in Brazil, is home to more than 2.2 million people. It sits at the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes rivers, where they form the Amazon River proper. It is a manufacturing base for motorcycles, electronics, chemical products and soap, with a free port and international airport. Agricultural products include exports of Brazil nuts, rubber, jute and rosewood oil. The Amazon River and its multitude of tributaries are essential for South Americas life, sustaining some 30 million people, mainly in Brazil but including parts of a half dozen neighboring countries. Ferries and various ships navigate through these channels for hundreds of miles, connecting communities by moving goods and supplies into forested regions impossible to traverse overland. Passengers packed in these ships, asleep in hammocks, side by side for days before they reach their destinations, have been critical factors in spreading the coronavirus. The pandemic reached Manaus in early March, reportedly via a 49-year-old woman who had flown back from London. Within six weeks, the toll on the city reached horrific proportions. The incidence of cases reached its peak in early May and then tapered off throughout most of the year. In an attempt to calculate the impact of the first wave on the region, Dr. Lewis Buss and Dr. Ester Sabino, colleagues from the University of Sao Paulo, in conjunction with international collaborators, conducted a seroprevalence study using serum from blood donors in Manaus from February to October to determine the percentage of the population who had developed antibodies to the virus. The provocative title to their study, which caught the attention of the media, was Three-quarters attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the Brazilian Amazon during a largely unmitigated epidemic. The authors wrote, Although the ideal design to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is a population-based sample, this approach is time-consuming and expensive. Instead of a random sample, they used blood donors who had been encouraged to give blood with the promise of a COVID-19 test. The inevitable result of such a procedure was to find an extremely high attack rate, i.e., to find that many, if not most people in Manaus had developed antibodies to the coronavirus. Earliest detection of P.1 lineage (Credit:The Lancet) The study, based on nearly 1,000 new samples each month, found that the incidence of COVID-19 was only 5 percent in April but had climbed steeply by May to 40 percent. By June, the attack rate had reached 66 percent, and in October, it had reached 76 percent. Critics faulted the study for using a sample of blood donors motivated by the promise of free COVID-19 tests. They argued that infected patients might prefer to donate blood to know their status. In contrast, those who know they are not infected may potentially not expose themselves. Therefore, the study results are skewed toward those with infections, and would overestimate the actual attack rate. University of Sao Paulo epidemiologist Paulo Lotufo said it most succinctly, There is a single research carried out on blood donors with several assumptions, which leads to several limitations in the generalization of the findings reading that article does not allow reaching the conclusion already exposed in the title. He warned that ignorance or bad faith characterized those who were using the study to argue that herd immunity had been reached in Manaus. During the same time, another less-mentioned study conducting a nationwide serologic household survey found that by June, only 14 percent of Manauss population had been infected. Though this study has its methodological concerns, the divergence in results should have led to a scientific debate because the conclusions raised significant public health concerns. Underscoring the critical concerns raised by these scientists, the virus has taken a savage new turn in Manaus. In December, Sao Paulos Institute of Tropical Medicine and Department of Infectious Diseases, in collaboration with Imperial College, London, detected a new variant circulating in the population. They named the new lineage, P.1, which possesses several mutations found in the UK and South African variants. However, they acknowledged that P.1 developed independently of the other two. They found the P.1 variant in 13 out of 31 (42 percent) of PCR-positive samples collected between December 15 and 23. When they updated their results two weeks later, the P.1 mutation frequency between December 15 and 31 had risen to 52.2 percent. They detected the P.1 lineage in 41 out of 48 samples, or 85.4 percent, for January. The same group that had conducted the seroprevalence study issued an urgent comment on their findings on the new lineage in the Lancet on January 27, 2021. As their figure shows, the increase in excess deaths and hospitalizations appeared to follow the P.1 lineage rise. While they offer no less than four possible alternative explanations for the sudden increase in cases of COVID-19 in a city that presumably had achieved herd immunity, the simplest explanation is that the earlier study was highly problematic and its figures were seized on for reasons of political expediency, to justify the lifting of procedures which restricted economic activity in order to contain the pandemic. There nonetheless remains the possibility that the new P.1 lineage is more dangerous and more infectious. The most recent study urges: the genetic, immunological, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of these SARS-CoV-2 variants need to be quickly investigated. That is no doubt an urgent necessity. The issues raised by this focus on Manaus highlights the importance that the science behind the pandemic needs to be evaluated thoroughly and afforded a proper critique within the scientific communities and not cherry-picked based on political expediency. The UKs experience with the B.1.1.7 variant demonstrated that the lockdowns and stringent contact restrictions and social distancing efforts that drove the first wave of infections down have entirely failed this time around as incidence rates had tripled. In the US, the Democratic Party and the Biden administration are eager to force schools to open and stay open. The recent drop in cases is being used as a pretext to begin opening small businesses and venues as well. Dr. Michael Osterholm has warned that with the UK variant becoming dominant in the US, conditions are ripe for a massive spring resurgence of the virus. However, the corporate media is seeking to lull the population into complacency in order to promote the herd immunity policy. The events in Manaus have significance for the rest of the world as the working class is in an existential struggle with the ruling class against the drive to return to economic normalcy at any cost. No nation is even close to herd immunity to risk the safety and well-being of their population. It is high time that the virus is afforded the appropriate concerns as a threat to humanity. Swift and deliberate measures must be taken to contain the pandemic and initiate an international coordinated vaccine initiative unparalleled in human history to end this pandemic. When James M. Gemino plays the drums, he slips away into the flow zone. And when he practices, its outside where downtown residents, tourists and passersby often see him jamming along the Museum Reach of the River Walk at West Josephine Street. Pedestrians who walk down ramps and steps that zigzag to the lower level are amazed to find the musician behind the backbeat. The sound bounces off the concrete bridge walls to the Hotel Emma at the Pearl blocks away. They yell, Rock on! and Lets go dude! They snap his picture with cellphones. When they clap, their applause is lost in the flurry of crashing cymbals, sizzling snares and booming bass thuds. But Gemino, 26, is barely aware of their presence. With head down, arms in perpetual motion, feet pounding pedals and drumsticks ablur, he is lost in the zone. Besides, Gemino cant hear the encouragement. He wears blue, noise-canceling headphones that stream music, including that of his own band, AVNUE, and up-and-coming ensembles such as Sabretooth from Long Island, N.Y. They rule, Gemino said, and are my primary influence these days. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio marketing manager collects pressed pennies from around the world But he knows he has an audience. Im so excited to be outside, Gemino said. It turns out what I thought would annoy people actually thrills them. Since Christmas, the native New Yorker has driven to the downtown area twice a week, lugged out his 5-piece drum kit and rehearsed for two to three hours. Gemino began practicing outside in October as a courtesy to his neighbors and girlfriend he didnt want to disturb them, and its not an option to play in an apartment. The drummer joins a long list of musicians who have played their siren songs downtown and along the River Walk for decades. The roster includes a violinist, bagpipe players and the late street musician George Bongo Joe Coleman, who played 55-gallon oil drums downtown from the late 1960s through the 1990s. Im proud to be among so many public musicians, Gemino said. About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse On ExpressNews.com: Mystery Good Samaritan surprises neighbors with hidden gifts throughout North San Antonio neighborhood He first sought out outdoor sites in October, after he moved with his girlfriend, Grace Kraemer, 26, from Long Island to New York to San Antonio. A graduate of Long Island University with a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling, Gemino, a therapist at the Bariatric Counseling Center of San Antonio, help clients change their relationships with food. His connection to San Antonio began in 2017 after he visited a stepbrother who was living here and didnt want to leave. His search for locations to play away from homes took him to a stretch of lawn at Olmos Dam north of downtown. Motorists and pedestrians regularly stopped to listen. One day, a young mother and her son walked up and gazed as he powered through his routine. Gemino thought he had disturbed them and tried to play quietly. The mother and child walked closer. Gemino offered the drumsticks to the young boy. As the youngster popped the sticks across the drum skins, Gemino considered that it might be the boys first time playing a musical instrument. The fact that I could offer the opportunity to him meant the world, Gemino said. Who doesnt have a good time watching a little kid play the drums? He played at the site once a week until Christmas, when a police officer asked him to move on not because of the music, but because he had parked his car on the grass. Gemino has also played in a parking lot near the Wonderland of the Americas mall. His favorite venue is the Flood Control Tunnel Inlet Park on the northern part of the River Walk. The acoustics of the covered section allow the sound to bounce off concrete walls, across a lily pad-covered stretch of water and to the streets above. Gemino was in the eighth grade when he tricked friends into thinking he was good playing the drums on the Rock Band video game. They urged him to try the real thing. When bands started inviting him to join their jams, he had to learn quickly and started taking private lessons. I loved it, Gemino said. His practice sessions are in compliance with the citys downtown street performers policy. His black mat and drum kit doesnt block walkways, and he always plays at the allotted times. Its like were inside of a speaker right now, girlfriend Kraemer said as she watched Gemino. The River Walk is the perfect spot. He is so amazing. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio man takes part in traditional African American trail rides in East Bexar County Robert Campbell, 53, and his wife Karen, also 53, stopped to enjoy the music on the landing across from Geminos spot. The couple scanned the area for a tip jar, but Gemino doesnt play for money. He drums to perfect his sound. Campbell said hes been an aficionado of local street entertainers for years. Gemino reminded him of Bongo Joe and instrumentalists who played at clubs along St. Marys Strip and old nearby nightspots such as Tacoland. I think street musicians are a great idea, Campbell said. I wish there was more. Gemino and his band can be found on Facebook at @AvnueMusic, Instagram at avnuemusic, AVNUE on Spotify and AVNUE apple music. The mini-concerts are part of Geminos evolution that started Oct. 10. He had done all he wanted to do in New York. He asked Kraemer if she wanted to move with him, and the two drove their cars on a 1,900-mile, four-day road trip. Clothes and drums filled the back seat and trunk of Geminos car to the point that he could barely see out the windows. I dont want to take my eye off of the drums, Gemino said. When they arrived in San Antonio, he felt relieved, excited to see a payoff after working so long on his next chapter. I am always looking for personal growth, Gemino said. I hope that my best drumming is done on the last day of my life. vtdavis@express-news.net Big tech firms must accept responsibility for allowing online child sexual abuse, with law enforcement agencies 'overwhelmed' by the number of cases, a police chief has said. Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said too many parents still have a 'laissez-faire attitude' to what their children do in their bedrooms, warning of the risks of unfiltered access to the web. Mr Bailey, who is the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for child protection, said tech giants such as Facebook are 'not doing enough' to prevent the uploading, sharing and viewing of child abuse images. 'I don't think their role in all this has been truly appreciated because without them the abuse wouldn't be able to take place in so many cases,' he said. Big tech firms must accept responsibility for allowing online child sexual abuse, with law enforcement agencies 'overwhelmed' by the number of cases, a police chief has said 'It's the big market leaders that actually bear responsibility for making sure the internet is a safe place for our children and for our grandchildren to go. And ultimately at this moment in time it's not safe.' Mr Bailey blamed the 'staggering increase' - from 7,000 indecent images of children in 1990 to 17 million on the child abuse image database now - on the development of the internet and the ability of anyone to take and share pictures from smartphones. He said online grooming has gone up during Covid-19 lockdowns with youngsters spending more time on their computers and paedophiles discussing in chatrooms greater opportunities to carry out abuse. And he described as 'frightening' figures showing that 44% of new indecent images found online are taken by children themselves with 11 to 13-year-old girls most likely to upload and share pictures and videos. 'I could describe to you some of the most horrific videos where you can see a child that's been groomed, abusing themselves within their own bedroom and you can hear their mother calling up and recorded on the video, 'darling, dinner's nearly ready,'' said Mr Bailey. 'Now that is pretty horrific, I think, in anybody's estimation.' He was speaking before the broadcast of the three-part documentary Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles, which follows covert police units using undercover officers to catch paedophiles in a strategy rolled out across England and Wales from 2017. The first episode follows '47-year-old Simon', an undercover officer posing as a paedophile who enjoys abusing his 10-year-old daughter and is looking for other men to join him. He is bombarded with messages after creating a profile on an open chatroom for children, while an online child sex offender is caught after writing a message offering pictures of a four-year-old girl in a public toilet. Kent Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, the NPCC lead for undercover policing, said he hopes it will warn child sex offenders that they face jail. Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said too many parents still have a 'laissez-faire attitude' to what their children do in their bedrooms, warning of the risks of unfiltered access to the web 'Any paedophile who is online trying to abuse young children should know that they could be interacting with an undercover police officer. And we will then come and get you,' he said. But Mr Bailey admitted the work was 'the tip of the iceberg', with the 850 offenders arrested per quarter and the safeguarding of more than 1,000 children a month 'having little effect, if anything'. Last year the National Crime Agency warned there are at least 300,000 people in the UK posing a sexual threat to children, while the coronavirus pandemic is thought to have made the problem even worse. 'It is undoubtedly, in my mind, one of the greatest, if not the greatest societal threats that we are having to now deal with as a police service,' said Mr Bailey. 'At the moment, law enforcement agencies across the country are becoming overwhelmed with the sheer volume of cases that we are having to deal with, which is absolutely impacting on our ability to deal with the more sophisticated, the more tech-savvy and potentially the more dangerous offenders, and we are having to deal with an awful lot of lower risk offenders.' Mr Bailey is the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for child protection Mr Bailey said police 'can't arrest our way out of the problem' and said he hopes the Government's Online Harms legislation will hold tech firm bosses to account. 'Ultimately, until such time as the companies that facilitate the uploading, the sharing, the viewing of images, the ability to go online and groom a child, until such time as they put in place the right safeguards, despite our very best efforts and the very best efforts of the undercover community, we are never, ever going to be able to deal with the threat in the way we would wish to,' he said. 'The technology is there to prevent the uploading, the sharing, the viewing of images, I think the technology is there to monitor what is taking place within chatrooms, where grooming is taking place. 'Ultimately, the companies absolutely must bear the responsibility for allowing so much of this abuse to take place and I hold them responsible.' A Facebook company spokesperson said: 'Child exploitation and grooming have no place on our platforms. Using industry-leading technology, over 99% of child exploitation content we remove from Facebook and Instagram is found and taken down before it's reported to us. 'We also use a combination of technology and behavioural signals to detect and prevent grooming, or potentially inappropriate interactions between a minor and an adult. We have 35,000 people working in our safety and security team to keep our platforms safe.' :: Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday. Mumbai: Veteran actor Ratna Pathak Shah on Monday clarified that her husband, actor Naseeruddin Shah does not have a Twitter account, after an unverified profile in his name posted a series of tweets about the ongoing farmers agitation on the microblogging site. This account, which has nearly 49 thousand followers on Twitter, had also tweeted a video interview of Naseeruddin Shah that the 70-year-old actor gave to the human rights movement Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) last month in the support of farmers. Ratna Pathak Shah said the couple has been quite annoyed" with the fake profile, operating on Twitter since July 2019. They have also tried to complain" to both, Twitter and Cyber Crime Cell, she said, but to no avail. Mr Shah doesnt have a Twitter account but has been unable to stop these fake accounts," Ratna Pathak Shah, 63, told PTI. We have tried to complain to the company as well as the Cyber Crime Police here but were told theres nothing that can be done. Please help us to put an end to this nuisance," she added. Earlier, fake profiles in Naseeruddin Shahs name existed on Facebook as well, but since the actor joined the site and got verified in 2016, other accounts were disabled. Dr. Ruey-Kang Chang, Investigator at The Lundquist Institute, has received the highly-respected Tibbets Award from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for founding QT Medical to create a new system that identifies countless cardiac conditions, from newborns to adults - not only enabling early treatment, but empowering at-home care. Dr. Chang, a pediatric cardiologist, was frustrated with the impracticality of conducting Electrocardiograms (ECGs) on his youngest patients. As a result, Dr. Chang began designing and testing QT ECG, a new system for babies that can detect Long QT Syndrome* early and enable access to proper treatment. QT ECG is a hospital-quality 12-lead ECG device cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home-use cardiac self-monitoring under a physician's guidance. QT ECG is a complete ECG platform that includes both the device components as well as apps for smart devices, preliminary computer interpretation, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant cloud data storage and management. The research and development of QT ECG were made possible from funding from the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) grants. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also played a crucial role in the success of QT Medical's technology - not only to bring in the funding, expertise, and validation, but also the connections and partnerships needed to commercialize the QT ECG. Because of this, QT Medical was able to quickly develop the system and conduct a clinical trial that included over 2,500 newborn babies - several of whom were found to have heart disease, including one with Long QT Syndrome. The company received FDA clearance for use in adults in 2018 and anticipates pediatric clearance imminently. "I am very pleased to have received this award from the SBA," said Dr. Chang. "Without their support this would not have happened as quickly as it did. We are now able to provide a device that will help save the lives of babies as well as adults. My team and I are very grateful for this special honor." "We congratulate Dr. Chang for receiving the Tibbetts Award," said Dr. David Meyer, President and CEO of The Lundquist Institute. "This once again demonstrates the caliber of innovative thinking and vision that is nurtured and supported here at the Institute. This new system will make a huge difference in the health and lives of so many people." Founded in 2013 with a staff of 9, QT Medical has grown to two office locations with over 30 employees. QT ECG is currently in use in commercial airlines, telehealth practices, pharmaceutical trials, and employee health. QT Medical further plans to offer QT ECG to pediatrician offices, as well as to school districts for use in screening student athletes potentially affected by unknown cardiac disorders. According to the SBA, "Thanks to QT Medical, many Americans - 6+ million with chronic heart failure, 10+ million with arrhythmias and coronary artery disease, as well as the thousands of babies born with cardiac conditions and Long QT Syndrome - will be empowered with the tools needed to take care of their heart disease at home." *Long QT Syndrome - In the U.S., 2,000 babies are born with this little-known but potentially fatal genetic cardiac condition - 300 of whom die in their first few months of life as a result of this disease that can be detected via what should be a simple electrocardiogram (ECG). ### About The Lundquist Institute: Research with reach The Lundquist Institute is an engine of innovation with a global reach and a 69-year reputation of improving and saving lives. With its new medical research building, its state-of-the-art incubator, "BioLabs at The Lundquist," existing laboratory and support infrastructure, and a new recently approved 15-acre business tech park, the Lundquist Institute serves as a hub for the Los Angeles area's burgeoning biotech scene. The research institute has over 100 principal investigators (PhDs, MDs, and MD/PhDs) working on more than 600 research studies, including therapies for numerous, and often fatal orphan diseases. New Delhi, Feb 8 : After much delay, the Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan-starrer web series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will release on March 19. The new television installment from Marvel Cinematic Universe will see Mackie and Stan reprise their roles of Falcon and Winter Soldier respectively from the Avengers franchise, for a global adventure that will put their abilities and their patience to test. The journey will unfold after Falcon receives the Captain America shield from superhero retiree Steve Rogers. Directed by Kari Skogland with Malcolm Spellman as chief writer, the series also stars Daniel Bruhl as Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker. The making of the show hasn't been smooth. The filming for the show began in January 2019 in Puerto Rico, and postponed due to a string of earthquakes. The production hit another setback due to the pandemic last July. The final shots were wrapped in October last year. The six-episode series will release on Disney+ Hotstar Premium. Teal is a model of innovation and technological excellence. Their commitment to U.S.-made, highly secure drone technology has opened up a huge market with enterprises, defense organizations and public safety initiatives were data security and high-level technical performance is mission critical. Teal Drones has accepted a multi-million-dollar investment package from Decathlon Capital Partners to fund the companys growth and finance continued research and development efforts. The funding agreement comes as the innovative unmanned aerial systems company expands its product line and grows partnerships with the U.S. military and commercial enterprises for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and public safety applications. Teal is focused on pioneering new uses for drone systems beyond the flying camera applications so often seen in use today. The development of complex air control, data processing and mapping technologies housed in rugged, high-performance drones allows Teal to transform how the military, public safety organizations and commercial enterprises operate. Teals signature product is the Golden Eagle, a secure, intelligent, rugged and high-performance drone system domestically produced to exacting U.S. defense industry standards. The U.S. production of the entire system is critical, as defense and other sensitive commercial drone technology applications either prohibit or discourage the use of internationally produced drones because of security and data concerns. As drone technology explodes in popularity, much of the focus has been on the hobbyist market, said George Matus, CEO and founder of Teal. But as security, performance and commercial- and defense-grade computing power have unlocked transformational new uses of unmanned aerial systems, Teal is showing the industry-leading innovation that Teal technology, produced right here in the United States, can deliver to a wide range of markets. Teal is leading U.S. drone technology into the future, where uses like search and rescue, defense and public safety are already supercharged by the Golden Eagles next-generation capabilities. Now, with the drones onboard supercomputing capabilities and powerful sensor technology, artificial intelligence and other emerging applications like multi-drone coordination are increasingly attainable. Teal sought Decathlon Capital Partners funding as a way to secure the growth capital needed to continue scaling its drone technology without surrendering equity, as is typical in a venture capital or private equity agreement. Teal will repay the investment through future revenue, allowing the company to keep its ownership structure intact. Teal is a model of innovation and technological excellence, said Decathlon Capital Partners co-founder and managing partner Wayne Cantwell. Their commitment to U.S.-made, highly secure drone technology has opened up a huge market with enterprises, defense organizations and public safety initiatives were data security and high-level technical performance is mission critical. About Teal Drones Teal was founded in 2014 by George Matus in Salt Lake City, Utah. Teals purpose is to enable unmanned systems to be more than just flying cameras. With a strong team and a backbone of venture support, Teal is helping to rebuild Americas sUAS industrial base to compete on a global scale. Learn more at https://tealdrones.com About Decathlon Capital Partners Decathlon Capital Partners provides growth capital for companies seeking alternatives to traditional equity investment. Through the use of highly customized revenue-based financing solutions, Decathlon provides long-term growth capital without the dilution, loss of control and operational overhead that often comes with equity-based funding. With offices in Palo Alto and Park City, Decathlon is the largest revenue-based funding investor in the U.S. and is active across a wide range of sectors. Learn more at http://www.decathloncapital.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. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Twelve months ago, as we launched the 10th year of the Top Workplaces awards at Hearst Connecticut Media, the biggest worry for most people managing companies was finding good workers. Unemployment hovered well under 4 percent, the range where employers struggle on the market for talent. Now, of course, the world has changed and if youre running a company of any size, a nonprofit agency or even a government office, your biggest headache is about coping with the pandemic and your colleagues safety and returning to a normal work life that wont look like what came before. One constant: People matter the most in any organization. And one of the most effective claims you can make is that youre a Top Workplace. That means the Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces awards for employers in Farifield, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Were now starting our 11th year, a great time for all businesses and nonprofits to showcase all the ways theyve valued employees throughout the coronavirus crisis. Nominations are open for the 2021 competition. Click here to see the 2020 winners. Watch this animated video about how Top Workplaces works. Click on www.topworkplaces.com/nominate/hearstct/ to nominate your company whether youre the CEO or the newest employee. Were looking to honor the best places to work whether theyre privately owned companies, publicly traded corporations, subsidiaries, partnerships, nonprofits or government agencies. A company need not have its headquarters here to compete. The contest is open to any employer with 35 or more people in the three counties. Recognition is given for small, midsize and large organizations, and the contest also rewards the best executives. Dont wait, nominations close Friday, March 12. The cost to compete and win is zero. Last year, Hearst Connecticut Media honored 49 employers from across the region. Awards are based on short, 24-question employee surveys by our partner, Energage, about how well employers value their ideas, communicate, puts their strategies to work, operate ethically and create a culture of teamwork and competence. The currently reigning top winners from 2020 include Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties (1st place among large employers for the third consecutive year), and Indeed at No. 2 for the large size category. Wheeler Clinic Inc. was No. 3 among large employers. For midsize employers, Shelton-based Barnum Financial Group finished at No. 1. No. 2 was HAI Group, a specialty insurer to housing authorities, based in Cheshire, which anticipated the COVID-19 crisis ahead of most of us. And third was Splash Carwash, based in Milford with 14 locations in the region. Criterion, a small but global software developer in Norwalk, won 1st place among small employers in its first year on the list and its CEO, Sunil Reddy, won the top leadership award in that category. Autism Behavioral Health, a Danbury company, was No. 2 among small employers. And Greenwich Emergency Medical Service was No. 3. Only one company, ICON International Inc., the corporate barter firm, has made the winners list all ten years. All of these winners, and all 49 from the 2020 list, have amazing stories to tell about working through coronavirus. And they can tell you why their Top Workplaces designation matters. Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces winners will be featured in the Connecticut Post, The News-Times of Danbury, Greenwich Time, The Stamford Advocate, The Norwalk Hour, New Haven Register and The Register Citizen of Torrington in September and will be highlighted on all of the associated websites. For complete coverage of last years winners, go to any of those media outlets websites and type /topworkplaces such as www.ctpost.com/topworkplaces. Energage, formerly known as WorkplaceDynamics, carries out the Top Workplaces surveys for more than 40 metro newspapers including some of the biggest. The company has surveed more than 20 million employees at tens of thousands of organizations. Employers can be nominated online at topworkplaces. com/hearstct or by calling 203-617-0727. Dan Haar is associate editor and columnist at Hearst Connecticut Media Group. dhaar@hearstmediact.com A 10-year-old girl from New Iberia is believed to be in imminent danger after authorities say she was abducted by a 33-year-old man. Louisiana State Police have issued an Amber Alert in a plea for the public's help. UPDATE: Missing New Iberia girl found safe The alert was issued at 11:25 p.m. Sunday. According to LSP, the suspected abductor is Michael R. Sereal of New Iberia. He's described as 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing 224 pounds. He was last seen driving a 2012 Nissan Altima with Louisiana license plate N472845. He has sideburns and was wearing a hat when he was last seen, authorities said. The child was last seen in the 1400 block of Fulton Street in New Iberia getting into Sereal's vehicle, authorities said. They did not say when she went missing. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Sereal is a registered sex offender, according to a listing on Iberia Parish's registry. He was convicted in 2006 of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Authorities did not give any additional details, including where they think Sereal might be headed. The Amber Alert was issued statewide. (Update: A sanitation worker in St. Martin Parish spotted the vehicle and called authorities, leading to the girl's rescue.) Anyone with information is asked to call the New Iberia Police Department at 337-369-2306 or 911. Staff writer Julia Guilbeau contributed to this story. Editor's note: The missing girl has been found and is safe. This story has been updated to remove her name and photo. We can learn to powerfully pray like Daniel by studying his own prayer. Daniels prayer essentially consists of three elements: invocation, confession, and petition. Daniel began by recognizing and acknowledging who God is (invocation); then he confessed the sins of his community and acknowledged the rightness of Gods judgment upon them (confession), and finally, he pled with God to fulfill his purposes for his people (petition). Daniel recognized and acknowledged at the outset the God to whom his prayer was addressed. What Is Daniel's Prayer? The first thing to notice about our passage is that Daniels prayer was prompted by reading Gods Word (Dan. 9:13). Daniel had been reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah, words that he described as the Scriptures (hasseparim), the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2). Here we see Daniel acknowledging the inspiration and authority of a fellow prophet's writings as part of a wider canon of inspired writings, the Scripture, little more than a generation after they were written. In doing this, Daniel models for us the attitude we are to have to his own visions: they themselves are the inspired scriptures, the written word of the Lord given through his prophets, to be studied, searched, and submitted to as the living oracles of God. This passage is not merely an interesting and informative ancient text, a source of miscellaneous information about the culture and beliefs of antiquity. It is nothing less than the Word of God, the only authoritative and infallible rule for our life and doctrine. As Daniel read the Book of Jeremiah, he found in it a reference to Jerusalem's desolation that would last seventy years. The passages that he was pondering were likely Jeremiah 25:1112 and Jeremiah 29:10. In these oracles, Jeremiah announced that the Lord planned to subject his people to Babylon for seventy years for their sin, but at the end of that time, God would act to judge the Babylonians and to bring his people home. What triggered Daniels interest in this prophecy was likely the overthrow of the Babylonian empire by the Medes and the Persians and King Belshazzar's death at the hands of Darius, the new ruler. God was now judging the king of Babylon and his nation, just as he had promised. Therefore, even though it wasnt quite seventy years yet since the destruction of Judah, Daniel began to pray with greater intensity for the fulfillment of the second half of this prophecy: the gracious restoration of Gods people to his land. To be sure, this was not a new prayer that Daniel began to pray at this time; as Daniel 6 suggests, his practice of praying three times a day towards Jerusalem was a regular and longstanding habit. This habit, too, was formed by his reading of the Scripture: he regularly prayed towards the site of the Jerusalem temple in the manner that Solomon had prescribed for future exiles, on the day when the temple was first dedicated (1 Kings 8:48). Yet as Daniel saw Gods promises starting to be fulfilled, he increased in the urgency of his prayer, pleading for Gods mercy and favor to rest upon his people. Photo credit: Getty Images/Sasiistock Why Is This Prayer Important? Daniel was not merely praying for his comfort and protection in the darkness. His concern was to pray for Gods people and Gods kingdom. It is right and fitting that we take our concerns before the Lord in the darkness, but we should not get so swept up in our suffering that we forget the wider needs of Gods people. It is appropriate for us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread, but we must also remember to pray, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Even though Daniel doubtless had many concerns and worries of his own in the first year of Darius (Dan. 6), the need of Gods kingdom was his central concern in his prayer in Daniel 9, that God would do what he had promised concerning his people. In that task of interceding for his people, Daniel was fulfilling his calling as a prophet. We often think of intercession as a priestly task, and certainly, the priests did intercede. But in the Old Testament, intercession was a central part of the prophets role. They did not merely bring Gods word to man; they also brought mans response to God by way of intercession. So, in Genesis 20:7, it is the fact that Abraham is a prophet that qualifies him to intercede on behalf of Abimelech. For those of us living in the New Testament era, however, the pouring out of the Spirit on all of Gods people means that we can now speak of the prophethood of all believers: we are now the ambassadors of Christ, who share in the task of bringing his message of life and death to the world around us (2 Cor. 2:1516; 5:20). Therefore, we all share the duty and privilege of interceding for Gods people and kingdom, both locally and around the world, lifting up the needs of the church and the wider world before the throne of grace. How Can We Apply This to Our Own Prayer Life? The focus of Daniels acknowledgment was on Gods greatness and his grace. The Lord is the great and awesome God (Dan. 9:4), righteous (9:7, 14), the one who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day (9:15): he is indeed a mighty God. Yet he is also a God who keeps his covenant of love (9:4), faithfully fulfilling his promises to his people. He is a God who is merciful and forgiving (9:9). These words are plural in Hebrew, suggesting Gods repeated acts of mercy and forgiveness to his rebellious people. This abundant mercy formed the basis of Daniels request in the petition section at the end of the prayer. Yet if the God to whom Daniel prayed is righteous and faithful to his promises, Daniels people had been the exact opposite, and so Daniel confessed his peoples sin. Israel had sinned and rebelled against this kind and gracious God, repeatedly turning away from his laws and refusing to listen to his prophets (Dan. 9:56, 1011). The contrast between the Lord and his covenant people is underlined by the pattern of doubling synonyms: the Lord is great and awesome, righteous and forgiving, faithful to all who love him and obey his commands. At the same time, Israel has sinned and done wrong, been wicked and rebelled, and has turned away from your commands and laws. The contrast could not be starker between the faithful and holy God, who is true to all of his promises, and the faithless and unholy people, who had broken all of their commitments and rebelled against their overlord. Under the terms of the covenant that God made with his people at Mount Sinai, such a combination could only ever have one result: the destruction and exile of Gods people from the land of promise (Deut. 28). Because the Lord is righteous and faithful, he had to follow through with this threatened judgment, pouring out his fierce wrath on Jerusalem, his chosen city and dwelling place (Dan. 9:16), making his people the object of deserved scorn among the nations all around them. So, Daniel confessed his people's sin and acknowledged the justice of Gods judgment, severe though it had been. There was no effort on Daniels part to make excuses for Israel or to challenge the fairness of Gods dealings with them. Israel fully deserved the fate they had experienced for their rebellion against such a holy and kind God. Photo credit: Unsplash/Ben White Yet Deuteronomy spoke not merely of the judgment that was to come on Israel when they sinned and rebelled against the Lord. It also spoke of the promise of a new and gracious beginning for Israel beyond sin and judgment. When they experienced the wrath of God and repented of their sins, turning to God among the exiles where the Lord had scattered them, the Lord would restore their fortunes and gather them once again to the land (Deut. 30:23). This is the response from God that Daniel sought in the petition section of his prayer. He asked that God would hear his prayer and show favor to his desolate sanctuary, bringing the exile to an end (Dan. 9:17). He did not ask this because of any righteousness in himself or his people, but only because of Gods commitment to the glory of his name (9:19). When God chose Israel and brought them out of Egypt, making them his people, he irrevocably linked his name with them. As a result, if Israel perished in exile, it might be a fitting and just punishment for them, but it would lead the nations to question Gods power. Was the Lord, after all, unable to deliver his people and give them the things he had promised? To show the greatness of his grace and vindicate the honor of his name, the Lord must once again redeem his people and restore them to his favor. So, Daniel prayed with bold confidence that God would hear his prayer, show favor to his people, and restore his sanctuary. All three of these aspects of Daniels prayerinvocation, confession, and petitioncan help us learn how to pray for Gods kingdom in our world. We, too, should begin by reminding ourselves of Gods greatness and his grace, shown in his faithfulness to his covenant promises. If we forget Gods greatness, then our prayers will be too small. Remember Gods Grace We should pray because of Gods grace. The solution to our sin is not to brush it under the carpet and pretend that it doesnt exist. There are plenty of people who want to do that in our contemporary context, people who dont even want to mention the word sin. That was not Daniels way. The answer to our sin is to remember Gods grace and to confess it before him, throwing ourselves on his sovereign mercy. I am indeed a filthy sinner, quite unfit for Gods use, and so are you. Yet this same holy God has nonetheless set his name upon us, calling us Christian and choosing us to be incorporated into his flock. He has attached his honor to us in this world so that in large measure, what people think about him is shaped by what they see in us. Recognizing Gods greatness and grace will regularly drive us to our knees in thanksgiving and confession and fervent petition for the sake of his name. Related articles Perspectives on Prayer from Daniel 910 Why Is Prayer Important for Christians? How Do I Get Started Praying? Photo credit: Unsplash/Eyup Belen Dave Jenkins is happily married to Sarah Jenkins. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 President Joe Biden is attacking racial discrimination in housing from the nation's highest office. In his first days as commander in chief, Biden issued orders to advance racial equity and directed the federal housing authority to rectify any policies that are injurious to communities of color. The president also acknowledged that federal, state, and local governments were directly involved in creating racist housing policies that let Black Americans fall behind in homeownershipa situation he is trying to rectify with these orders. Biden's actions come after a year in which highly publicized killings of Black Americans by police officers set off a wave of protests and raised awareness of the nation's persistent racial inequities. And it was government entities that masterminded housing discrimination decades ago, preventing Black Americans from moving into white neighborhoods, destroying prosperous communities of color with highways and other public works projects, and consigning minorities to poorer areas with fewer resources. "The moment had arrived as a nation where we face deep racial inequities in America and systemsystemic racism that has plagued our nation for far, far too long," Biden said in a Jan. 26 press conference. He went on to paint an alternative scenario in which millions of Americans hadn't been denied the ability to own a home, traditionally one of the key ways Americans have built wealth to pass on to their children. "Does anyone doubt that the whole nation will be better off?" he asked. Acknowledging how the government perpetuated racial inequality "is important and remarkable," says Claudia Aranda. She is a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, DC. "No president has so explicitly recognized the role the federal government has played." The effects are persistent, resulting in low homeownership rates for Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, preventing many from reaching the middle class. In the last quarter of 2020, the homeownership rate was just 44.1% for Black Americans, 49.1% for Hispanics, and 59.5% for Asians, according a quarterly report from the U.S. Census Bureau. However, it was significantly higher for white Americans, at 74.5%. "Housing is at the root of so many issues around racial inequity in this country becausethink about it," former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan told NPR. He served under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2014 and is now running for mayor of New York City. "When you choose a place to live, you choose where your kids go to school. You choose access to jobs. You choose access to health care, as we've seen in this pandemic," said Donovan. "And so when we're targeting housing and making it more fair, we're actually starting to make the American dream real again by saying everyone should have a chance at opportunity." What Biden's executive orders can accomplish Biden's executive order on racial equity and the memorandum to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are basically fact-finding missions meant to help the government identify discrimination and barriers to communities of color through its policies and programs. These moves "are important because they set the tone and raise awareness. I don't think you're going to get rid of these disparities without them," says realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. "But they won't be enough to erase the racial gaps that we see in homeownership." Much depends on how these orders are implemented, what actions are taken by agencies like HUD once they are fully staffed up, and how the federal government chooses to follow up on them. "We shouldnt forget that these are only statements of intent, and not proof of action taken," says Lizabeth Cohen, an American studies professor at Harvard University. "Other presidential administrations have announced similar commitments, but the inequality of access to housing has persisted." Biden is expected to undo some of Donald Trump's actions Biden tapped Rep. Marcia Fudge, who formerly led the Congressional Black Caucus, to head up HUD. The Ohio Democrat is expected to restore a rule that would prevent the housing industry from taking certain actions that hurt Blacks and Hispanics, even though they may not seem discriminatory. "We need to make the dream of homeownershipand the security and wealth creation that comes with ita reality for more Americans," Fudge said at her HUD confirmation hearing. "That will require us to end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure that our fair housing rules are doing what they are supposed to do: opening the door for families, especially families of color who have been systematically kept out in the cold across generations, to buy homes and punch their ticket to the middle class." It's likely that the Biden administration will reinstate an Obama-era rule intended to diversify the suburbs. The rule was scrapped under President Donald Trump late last year as a bid to win over white suburban voters. The rule had forced cities receiving federal housing money to assess and then address local housing discrimination. The goal was to encourage communities to allow more affordable housing to go up that could be accessed by people of all races and lower incomes. It would have likely resulted in zoning changes to permit apartment and condo buildings as well as smaller houses to go up. The rule would also force local governments to look at whether communities of color have equal access to key features like good schools and transportation. Change is a gradual process "It would call on local governments receiving federal funds to address past harms, including past discrimination, current segregation patterns and inequities resulting from where people want to live," says the Urban Institute's Aranda. Many wealthier communities had fought the developments, saying they could bring down property values. Housing experts cautioned that centuries of injustices can't be undone quickly. "It's difficult even for the leader of the free world to overcome systemic racism," says LaDale Winling, a history professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, aka Virginia Tech. "But the president can staff agencies and promote legislation and partner with local communities and the private sector to begin to dismantle these structures of inequality. "Joe Biden cant do it all, but Joe Biden can start a process," he says. The post President Biden Confronts Discrimination in U.S. Housing PoliciesWill It Make a Difference? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. DUBLIN, Feb. 8 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "China L2 Autonomous Driving Market Report, 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. List of Topics Covered: L2 ADAS Market Overview L2 ADAS Market in China (2019-2025) (2019-2025) L2 Mainstream Functions and Solutions in China L2 Function Research of Major Brands Solution Suppliers Driven by market demand and policies, passenger cars equipped with L2 assisted driving functions have been mass-produced, which triggers enthusiastic market response and robust demand. 1. Installations of L2 autonomous driving functions increased by 118.9% year-on-year In 2020, the automobile market was affected by the economic downturn and COVID-19. From January to November 2020, the number of passenger cars insured in China was 16.136 million, a year-on-year decrease of 7.5%. Among them, there were 2.60 million ones equipped with L2 autonomous driving functions, a year-on-year spike of 118.9%; the installation rate jumped 9.3 percentage points year-on-year to 16.1%. Plus multiple negative factors, installations of L2 autonomous driving functions bucked the trend to grow, with strong market demand. In terms of regions, models equipped with L2 autonomous driving functions are mainly sold to economically developed regions such as Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Among them, installations in Guangdong accounted for 15.9%, much higher than other provinces. 2. Emerging brands such as Tesla, NIO and Lixiang are more aggressive, with the L2 installation rate reaching 100% From January to November 2020, a total of 57 passenger car brands (including 32 independent brands and 25 joint venture brands) in China launched L2 autonomous driving functions. Among them, 28 brands (including 11 independent brands and 17 joint venture brands) installed the functions on more than 10,000 cars. From the perspective of installations, Toyota tops among the industry with 885,000 cars equipped with L2 autonomous driving functions. Its Toyota Safety Sense system has been installed on popular models such as Corolla, Levin, RAV4, AVALON, etc. to feature lane tracking assist (LTA), which can follow the preceding vehicle, provide some necessary steering operations, and keep the vehicle in the center of the lane when the lane line is difficult to identify in traffic jams, or follow the trajectory of the preceding vehicle at low speed. As for installation rate, emerging automakers represented by Tesla, NIO and Lixiang adopt advanced electronic and electrical architectures to enable vehicles to achieve L2 or L2+ assisted driving functions through OTA upgrades, and further develop toward intelligence. The current L2 autonomous driving functions are mainly divided into two categories: autonomous driving in a single lane, such as integrated adaptive cruise (ICA), traffic jam assist (TJA); autonomous driving that supports commanded lane changes, such as highway assist (HWA). 3. 1V1R is the mainstream sensor configuration solution At present, the mainstream solutions of L2 autonomous driving include 1V1R (a camera + a forward radar) and 1V3R (a camera + a forward radar + 2 rear angle radar), which seize the combined market share of 89.3%; however, 1V1R enjoys the lion's share of 60.5%. Given roadmaps or cost control, some automakers realize L2 autonomous driving through a single vision solution (1V). Some other manufacturers use 1V5R, 1V2R, 1V4R, 3V4R and the like to explore solutions and functions. For example, NIO ES6 adopts the 3V4R solution. The 2020 NIO ES6 adopts a trinocular camera, 2 front-angle radars, 2 rear-angle radars, and a Mobileye chip to achieve Navigation on Pilot (NOP), Highway Pilot, and Traffic Jam Pilot (TJP), Auto-Lange Change (ALC) and many other L2 autonomous driving functions, and upgrade functions through OTA. The trinocular camera used by NIO ES6 has wider field of view and higher accuracy than a monocular camera. The 52-degree camera detects general road conditions, the 28-degree camera detects long-distance targets and traffic lights, and the 150-degree camera detects the sides of the car body and cutting-in vehicles in short distance, with better front recognition performance. In addition, ES6's NOP is based on the basic pilot functions, so that it can automatically switch high-speed lanes, enter or exit ramps according to navigation, and can intelligently adjust the cruising speed on the current road. Based on the realization of pilot lane keeping, ALC enables the automatic lane change of the vehicle by turning the turn signal lever. 4. L2 autonomous driving based on HD map is expected to prevail With centimeter-level accuracy and rich road information, HD map has become an indispensable element of L3-L5 autonomous driving. But with the deepening of L2 autonomous driving, HD map is expected to find a new scenario. Some top automakers have tried to apply HD map to L2 autonomous driving: Tesla, NIO, Xpeng and other emerging automakers have launched L2+ highway cruise based on navigation/HD map, and enabled autonomous driving on highways through navigation path planning. In July 2020, SAIC-GM Cadillac CT6 equipped with the Super Cruise driver-assistance feature officially debuted. With HD map, Super Cruise can control vehicles on highways and keep them within lanes. Map suppliers have also introduced corresponding solutions. Baidu released ANP, a high-level intelligent driving solution based on HD map. In December 2020, Baidu released ANP (Apollo Navigation Pilot), a high-level intelligent driving solution based on HD map. ANP is a low-level Apollo Lite which is Baidu's L4 autonomous driving solution. Equipped with the HD map tailored by Baidu for autonomous vehicles, ANP not only supports highways and city loops, but also fits for urban roads. Through CVIS, the driving experience is close to the L4 Robotaxi. NavInfo launched LitePilot, an HD map product for L2+ autonomous driving. NavInfo has launched HD map for L2+, L3, and L4-5 respectively. LitePilot, an HD map product for L2+ autonomous driving scenarios, can help vehicles drive through ramps, roundabouts and intersections, as well as prepare to turn right. Focusing on L2+ autonomous driving, HD Lite is currently the main product of NavInfo. Compared with HD Pro, HD Lite has fewer map elements, but it can provide autonomous driving map services with lower cost, wider area coverage and higher update frequency, enable highway and city map services, and accelerate the implementation of L2+ autonomous driving technology. Under the background that L3 autonomous driving features have not been mass-produced, OEMs, integrators, map vendors and other industry chain companies will strive to maximize the capability of L2 autonomous driving and move closer to L3. HD map is expected to find new market space herein. Key Topics Covered: 1. L2 ADAS Market Overview 1.1 Definition of L2 Autonomous Driving 1.2 Function of L2 Autonomous Driving 1.3 Policy Environment 1.4 Development Trends and Impetus 2. L2 ADAS Market in China (2019-2025) 2.1 Installation of L2 Models 2.2 Brand Structure of L2 Models 2.3 Major L2 Models 2.4 Price of L2 Models 2.5 Installation of L2 Models by Province 2.6 Price Structure of Newly-launched L2 Models 2.7 Brands of Newly-launched L2 Models in 2020 3. L2 Mainstream Functions and Solutions in China 3.1 Sensor Configuration Solution 3.2 Comparison of L2 Solutions of Independent Brands 3.3 Comparison of L2 Solutions of JV Brands 3.4 Comparison of L2 Solutions of Emerging Brands 4. L2 Function Research of Major Brands 4.1 Geely (Geely, Geometry, LYNK&CO) 4.1 Installation, Installation Rate and Supporting Models of L2 Functions 4.1 L2 Functions and Suppliers 4.2 GreatWall (HAVAL, WEY) 4.2 Installation, Installation Rate and Supporting Models of L2 Functions 4.2 L2 Functions and Suppliers 4.3 Chang'an 4.4 New Baojun 4.5 GAC(Aion, Trumpchi) 4.6 BYD (BYD, DENZA) 4.7 FAW (Hongqi, Besturn) 4.8 SAIC (Rowe, MG) 4.9 Toyota (GAC Toyota, FAW Toyota) 4.10 Honda (GAC Honda, Dongfeng Honda) 4.11 Buick 4.12 Benz 4.13 Volvo 4.14 Ford (JMC FORD, Chang'an Ford) 4.15 KIA 4.16 Cadillac 4.17 VW (FAW VW, SAIC VW) 4.18 Tesla 4.19 NIO 4.20 XPeng 5. Solution Suppliers 5.1 Tier 1 L2 Autonomous Driving Development Planning 5.2 Bosch L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.3 Continental L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.4 ZF L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.5 Valeo L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.6 Aptiv L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.7 Veoneer L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.8 HiRain L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.9 Freetech L2 Solution, Functions and Customers 5.10 Baidu L2 Autonomous Driving 5.11 Desay SV L2 Autonomous Driving For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7xkhjt Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com HISD Board To Review TASB Policy Updates The Hillsboro Independent School District (HISD) Board of Trustees will meet in regular session Monday evening, February 8, at 6 p.m. to discuss and possibly approve a number of Texas Association of School Board (TASB) policy updates. The board is expected to accept the resignation of district 3 trustee Earl Bibles and nominate a replacement to the seat. Board members will receive a report from the Hillsboro Education Foundation as well as reports from directors, principals and the superintendent. The meeting will be held at the administration building, located at 121 East Franklin Street in Hillsboro. The meeting may also be accessed by phone by calling 1-224-585-8683, using the access code 139-891-170. For years, guessing how rich the Queen is has been a popular if exasperating parlour game. On the one hand, she is famously frugal, keeping warm with a 30 electric heater and sticking to for decades the same brand of 7.99 nail varnish. On the other, fabulously wealthy, with a portfolio that spans works of art and jewels to wind farms and thoroughbred race horses. But all the calculation added up to one thing: guesswork. The fact is the secrets of the Queen's wealth are stringently opaque. Once it was routine among compilers of those lists of the very wealthy to place the Queen as the richest woman in Britain, if not the world. Once it was routine among compilers of those lists of the very wealthy to place the Queen as the richest woman in Britain, if not the world Not any more: In the most recent Sunday Times Rich List of the 1,000 richest people in the country, she was sandwiched between hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and delivery firm tycoon Steve Parkin at a lowly 372, with a fortune estimated at 350million down, incidentally, by 20million on the year before. However, the details of her wealth such as her investments and shareholdings remain unknown. So what should we make of claims from the Guardian, a newspaper with historically anti-monarchy views, that during the 1970s the Queen successfully lobbied the Government to change a draft law to conceal her 'embarrassing' private wealth from the public? It claimed she had used an arcane parliamentary procedure called 'Queen's Consent' to discreetly influence the drawing-up of laws. First of all, the revelation is not new. It surfaced at the time and, more than 30 years ago, the royal biographer Andrew Morton revealed how shares thought to be owned by the Queen had been transferred into a shell company called Bank of England Nominees, which drew a veil of secrecy over her investments and stock market activity. One justification for such a move to hide her shares portfolio was that public knowledge about where the Queen invested her money might influence the market. While undoubtedly convenient in shielding the Queen's finances, it also seems plausible. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after her coronation at Westminster Abbey Consider too the firms who might benefit from royal investments. Were they to be identified, it could strategically and commercially disadvantage them because of the increase in public scrutiny that would become inevitable. This could be particularly relevant in a new company, say one involved in cutting-edge technology, as such disclosures could benefit rivals. As one City figure says: 'It might drive up a company's share price, but it might also drive it down.' Of course, the question can fairly be asked why the Queen's subjects need to know anyway about her private means, which are quite separate from the government funds intended to pay for her expenses as Head of State. But there has been public fascination in the monarchy's wealth since the days of the profligate King George III who was so much in debt he handed income from Crown land to the government in exchange for a Civil List, an annual payment which Parliament had to approve and which existed for 250 years. The distinction of the Queen's official wealth and her private fortune has not always been clear. For example, although the estates of Balmoral and Sandringham acquired in Victoria's reign are said to be the Queen's private property, there have been claims over the years from historians that Victoria and Prince Albert acquired them at least partly with money diverted from the Civil List. In which case, would the state have a claim on them? What is intriguing about the revelations, unearthed in the National Archives, is how the Queen's then-personal lawyer Matthew Farrer visited civil servants to discuss the implications of proposed legislation before it was signed into law. But there is one important factor here. For when the Companies Bill finally made it on to the statute book, it did not change the status quo of the Queen's private investments: It simply maintained it. All the same, it does lift the veil on the silky workings of the Palace and the curious relationship between Parliament and monarchy. But does this reveal some hidden conspiracy between Government and sovereign to protect her private wealth? On the evidence supplied by the Guardian, it is hardly compelling. Farmers' Protest: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait demands law on guarantee for MSP India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Feb 08: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday demanded a law to be formed guaranteeing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers on their produce. The union leader's statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament that the MSP that was already given is here to stay. Opposition misguiding farmers over farm laws: BJP "When did we say that MSP is ending? We said that a law be formed on MSP. If such a law is formed, all the farmers of the country will be benefitted. Right now, there is no law on MSP and the farmers are looted by traders," Rakesh Tikait said. "We are all ready to meet and talk. I put forth the invitation today in the House," PM Modi said in the Rajya Sabha today while replying to the Presidential address. "MSP (minimum support price) has been around, MSP is still around, MSP will remain," he said addressing one of the biggest issues raised by the protesting farmers who fear the new laws will eventually dismantle the MSP system. PM Modi quotes Manmohan Singh to blunt Opposition offensive on farm laws PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have camped outside Delhi over the past two months and more, demanding the repeal of three farm laws that the government claims will reform the sector. The farmers, however, feel these will lead them into a disadvantageous position. Activities were on Monday paralysed at the Nigerian French Language Village as the workers under the aegis of Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) embarked on strike. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the institution in Badagry, reports that the main gate to the institution was under lock and key. At the entrance gate were placards such as Denial of earned allowances to Inter-University Centre is institutional destruction, French Village is a training ground for all Nigerian French undergraduates, and it includes teaching, research and community development. The Federal Government should release our earned allowances without delay. NAN also reports that some workers of the Language Village were sent home from the point of entry. Speaking with NAN, John Zannu, the Chair, NASU Chapter of the institution, said the strike was ordered by the national headquarters of the National Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and Senior Staff Association of University (SSANU). We are observing the strike directive from the secretariat of JAC on indefinite strike which started on Feb. 5. This is based on the relaxed attitude of Federal Government towards our allowances and what is due to us. Since the enrollment of staff into IPPIS payroll in March 2019, we have been experiencing inconveniency in our salary and allowances. RelatedNews No Content Available One cannot say precisely the amount of money he or she is receiving monthly. If you are given N10, 000 this month, you can go home with N8,000 the following month, Mr Zannu said. He added: Even presently, we are being denied our earned allowances. It is unfortunate that French Village is one of the inter-University Centres that took part in the negotiation with the Federal Government. We got the earned allowances in 2013 but unfortunately when another allocation was released in 2017, we were not paid. In January 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 we were denied the allowances, the government has forgotten the French Language Village. Mr Zannu said the union wanted the government to include the institution in payment of earned allowances. He said the strike was to push home their demands which also include the delay in the renegotiation of FG/ NASU/SSANU 2009 agreements. Others are nonpayment of minimum wage arrears and inconsistency in IPPIS payment, he said. The chairperson said the union allowed only the director, bursar, librarian and registrar to go in, adding that no one else was allowed in. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Welsh Government is in talks to buy the Horizon nuclear power plant site from Hitachi in a last-ditch effort to secure the future of the project. The Labour-led administration has approached Hitachi about buying the site and keeping on staff to safeguard it until a new developer can be found. The Japanese group scrapped plans to build a 20billion power station at Wylfa, on the island of Anglesey, last year. The Horizon project is due to close next month. Talks: Hitachi's commitment to Horizon had been under question for some time after it wrote 2billion off its value in 2018 Hitachi's commitment to Horizon had been under question for some time after it wrote 2billion off its value in 2018. One of the major obstacles for the Welsh Government has been the cost of the land, the Sunday Times reported. The UK has struggled to get nuclear projects off the ground. The only plant in construction is Hinkley Point C though ministers may approve a power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. Last month, Delaware Sen. Tom Carper reintroduced a bill that, if passed, would make Washington, D.C., the nations 51st state. The bill is tightly tied to the ongoing debate over filibuster reform. Should the filibuster be eliminated, the measure would only need a simple majority (which the Democrats have) to pass. Theres currently no public Senate GOP support for D.C. statehood, but Carpers bill is another step toward potential representation for the District, which some residents have been clamoring for for decades. The Inquirer turned to Inquirer metro columnist and former D.C. resident Jenice Armstrong and Heritage Foundation legal scholar Zack Smith to debate: Should D.C. become the 51st state? Yes: Taxation without representation is tyranny. By Jenice Armstrong My parents moved to Washington, D.C., from North Carolina in the late 1960s in search of better schools, job opportunities, and a better racial climate. In the northeast section of the city, four miles from the U.S. Capitol, my father and mother achieved their version of the American dream. But one thing about life in their adopted hometown always rankled them, and it was that they didnt have the same voting representation in Congress as other Americans. Thats something most Americans take for granted. But not Washingtonians, and thats a problem. Imagine spending decades living in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol and knowing that the important decisions being made inside impact you, but there was no one with any real power inside who could look out for your interests. That was my parents fate. They were law-abiding taxpayers who had fled the Jim Crow South and finally gotten the right to cast a ballot but didnt have anyone in Congress who could vote on their behalf. When we had out-of-town visitors like my grandmother, my parents would dutifully take them to the Capitol steps for photos and past the grand offices where senators and representatives were housed, which must have been galling. I remember how excited my dad was about getting his new license plates stamped with the saying Taxation without representation. The rallying cry, taxation without representation is tyranny, dates back to Americas earliest days when colonists balked at paying taxes to Great Britain. Today, its a middle finger to those who want to block D.C. from achieving its rightful place as the nations 51st state. People like to say that nobody really lives in D.C. and that many residents are only temporary transplants. There may be some truth to that old trope, but it ignores the tens of thousands of longtime residents like my parents, not to mention the many D.C. natives who can trace their roots back for decades. The rallying cry, taxation without representation is tyranny ... [is] a middle finger to those who want to block D.C. from achieving its rightful place as the nations 51st state. Jenice Armstrong Some are members of the D.C. police department and risked their lives rushing to the aid of Capitol Police on Jan. 6 to defend against right-wing insurgents intent on upsetting a democracy that affords D.C. residents no voting representation in Congress. Despite having a key part of the city under siege, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lacked the legal authority to summon National Guard troops, which makes no sense. Bowser says now is the time, since Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House. Washingtonians have waited over 200 years for the representation we deserve as American citizens, she said. And it is not just the residents of D.C. who bear the burden of our disenfranchisement. To paraphrase Dr. King: When any American is denied democracy, our entire nation is denied those voices and votes. Im proud of Bowser for continuing to push back against D.C. residents being treated like second-class citizens. They contribute more in federal taxes on a per-person basis than those in many states. They serve in the military. They serve on juries. With upwards of 700,000 residents, the city has a larger population than Vermont and Wyoming, so dont come at me saying that there arent enough people there. There are, and they deserve the same rights as anyone else. Its too late for my parents. Theyre long gone and are buried in a cemetery just outside D.C. But its not too late for the nearly one million residents who still make their home there. After all, taxation without representation is tyranny. Jenice Armstrong is a metro columnist for The Inquirer. No: Recent moves for statehood are nothing more than a power grab. By Zack Smith Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have to ask themselves two simple questions: Are they going to support their pledges not to eliminate the legislative filibuster, or are they going to support the constitutionally dubious, thinly veiled power grab of making Washington, D.C., a state via simple legislation? Its not hyperbole to say that this latter path is nothing more than a naked power grab. A recent article in the Washington Post Magazine quotes a D.C. statehood advocate as saying, Democrats are shifting toward uniform support for statehood because they realize its one of the only ways they can gain power thats equivalent to their numbers in the greater population. That same article goes on to say that one of the main advocacy groups pushing for D.C. statehood legislation is being backed by progressive national organizations ... whose stalled policy agendas could advance with the help of senators from a new state. Of course, Manchin, Sinema, and other senators are on record as being opposed to going nuclear or eliminating the legislative filibuster. Theyre wise to do so. As my Heritage Foundation colleague Tom Jipping has written, Eliminating the legislative filibuster would be a dangerous idea [because] it would destroy more of the limits on government that are necessary to protect our liberty. There are good reasons not to support D.C. statehood, but if these senators want to support it, they can do so without supporting this particular pathway of achieving it. Zack Smith Furthermore, as Jipping explained, its been a part of the Senates legislative process since the turn of the 19th century and would frustrate the framers goal of having the Senate be a more deliberative body Washingtons proverbial saucer that cools the Houses hot tea. In an effort to give an out to these and other hesitant senators, advocacy groups are calling for a carve-out, which would eliminate the 60-vote threshold solely for the issue of statehood. But that would really be a pyrrhic victory for the filibuster. Other groups are already calling for their own special interest carve-outs, too. For example, the Brady Campaign is pushing the Senate to push through gun control legislation with a simple majority vote. Essentially, this path would be the filibusters death by a thousand cuts. But lets assume that the carve-out really would remain limited only to the admission of new states. Would that be abused in an attempt to fundamentally transform our system of government? We dont have to guess. An article in the Harvard Law Review published in January 2020 argues that Congress has the power to admit D.C. as a state via simple legislation, but instead of admitting it as only one state, it should instead admit each of the Districts 127 neighborhoods as states and then ram through a series of radical proposals that would fundamentally transform the country. Its author says that the people should ... fight fire with fire, and use the unfair provisions of the Constitution to create a better system. Its doubtful this proposal would do that since, in large part, the rule of law is the law of rules. Changing the rules only to benefit your side is what dictatorial regimes do. There are good reasons not to support D.C. statehood, but if these senators want to support it, they can do so without supporting this particular pathway of achieving it. After all, the Constitution itself provides an indisputable pathway for D.C. to achieve statehood through the Constitutions Article V amendment process. Zack Smith is a legal fellow in the Heritage Foundations Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Read more Inquirer Pro/Cons: Abolishing the filibuster: With Dems in control of the Senate, is it time? | Pro/Con Should Biden cancel student loan debt? | Pro/Con Should America ditch the Electoral College once and for all? | Pro/Con Yes, along most or all of the coast Yes, but only places where an entry fee can cover their cost No, people can continue swimming at their own risk Vote View Results Barber in Washington Fights Fines of Up to $90,000 and License Suspension SNOHOMISH, Wash.A barbershop owner has said he will continue to fight for his constitutional rights after being asked to cease operations and having his license revoked by the state. Bob Martin, owner of Stag Barber & Styling in Snohomish, a small town in Washington about 35 miles northeast of Seattle, received a second cease-and-desist letter from the Department of Licensing (DOL) recently for operating his business without a permit. Almost since the beginning of the pandemic, he has refused to close his shop or enforce mask mandates on customers. The DOL suspended Martins cosmetology license on May 7, 2020. They revoked it for 10 years. Martin is also facing fines piling up to the limit of $90,000. But the retired Marine has responded firmly by keeping the shop open and continuing to fight for what he believes to be his constitutional rights. Martin opened his shop in 1969 as the first tenant at the Snohomish Square Shopping Plaza when the town still mostly consisted of farmland. He has been giving haircuts to people both inside and out of his small hometown for over 60 years. Then the pandemic hit, forcing the 80-year-old barber to drop his scissors and close his doors. Barbershops are now open at a limited capacity, but they were shut down last spring under Washington Governor Jay Inslees statewide order. However, Martin needed money and didnt want to ask for a government handout, so he decided to resume his business last April after a two-week closure. This brought him both troubles and praise. At first, he did it secretly. He said he felt like a criminal operating his own business. On April 21, 2020, the Snohomish County sheriff announced he would not enforce Inslees stay-at-home order. Martin publicly opened his shop the next day. The inside of Stag Barber & Styling on Feb. 2, 2021. (Echo Liu/The Epoch Times) Then, in May, the Washington State DOL revoked Martins license, which would have been valid through June 2021, and served him a cease-and-desist order. On the same day, the Snohomish Health District sent Martin a certified letter ordering him to stop cutting hair or face fines or possible criminal charges. Martin refused to abide by the order. The mandate is an edict that the governor had. [It] is not a law, it was not voted on, it wasnt passed into law, and its against the law, against the Constitution, for them to try to enforce something like that, Martin told The Epoch Times. They tried to put me out of business here and fine me, and my question is, whos the injured party? I didnt hurt anybody. He said hes keeping his shop open to preserve American society, and hes seeking legal assistance. Im not going to put up with anybody that is trying to put me out of work, Martin said. Having grown up in Snohomish, Martin said he knew he would have an easy time doing business with the community, because people knew who he was. Martin pointed to the framed photocopy of the Constitution hanging on his wall. The Constitution gives me the right to [fight] for liberty, and I took an oath of office, when I went in the Marine Corps, for enemies foreign and domestic, and these are domestic problems right now, he said. We dont want to have a country like Chinas enduring now with the communists. He keeps his door open not just for the Constitution, but also for the sake of his family. I just want to take care of my daughter and my grandson, he said. My daughter has a brain tumor; she needs my help, and I need to help her. So shes not employed, nor is my grandson yet. He was, but he lost his job because of the COVID thing. So Im the only one with a sole income, and I have to help him. In November, groups of masked men threatened to burn the shop down. Coincidentally, two or three weeks later, Martins home caught on fire. He is currently staying in a motel with his daughter. However, after the police investigation, he doubts that it was arson. Two notices posted outside Stag Barber & Styling, on Feb. 2, 2021. (Echo Liu/The Epoch Times) Though Martins outspokenness has garnered him some troubles, he continues to receive an outpouring of support from the community. Some of the customers waiting in line said that Gov. Inslee only made an order, not a law. They said that when its a law, theyll respect it. Most of them expressed their willingness to support Martins business and enjoy the familial atmosphere the shop offers, and they have great respect for Martin. Its like one big family. I feel like all the kids grandpa in town. The little kids who sat on the board down there are now bringing in their grandchildren, so thats how long Ive been here, Martin said with a smile. The barbershop has received support from people from all over Washington, with some even traveling northward from Oregon. On Feb. 6, one couple drove 60 miles from Tacoma, Washington, just to get a haircut. They said they were there to support the Constitution and the barbershop. Martin said that his persistence now has nothing to do with himself. Its all about us, the community and people, and its all about the Constitution and rights. Were sons and daughters of people who founded this country, and were not going to sit back and let them walk all over us. So if they want to fight, were going to give it to them, Martin said. Martin is continuing business as usual and plans to do so for the foreseeable future. Im just this red-blooded American; Im not any different than any other person, he said. Im the only one thats just vocal. I end up being the mouthpiece for the people that dont want to stand up. Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the amount of the fines. Martin faces up to $90,000 in fines. The Epoch Times regrets the error. The filmmaker presents stories of people who are proud of their Sikh identity. Sab Rab De Bande (2020) is a 28-minute documentary film about the life stories of five LGBTQ Sikhs living in India. Made on a production budget of 2,000 USD raised through a crowdfunding campaign, it offers glimpses of the discrimination they face from other LGBTQ people as well as fellow Sikhs. The film has been directed and produced by Sukhdeep Singh, a software engineer based in Kolkata, who is also the editor-in-chief of Gaylaxy magazine. It opens with a voice-over to provide contextual background about Sikhism for audiences who are unfamiliar with the religion. The narrator spells out several details that include the founding of Sikhism, its core teachings and practices, the 10 Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib, and the population of Sikhs in India, Canada and the United Kingdom. Though Sikhs in the United States are acknowledged in passing, Sikhs in Pakistan and Afghanistan are surprisingly not mentioned at all. The narration serves a pedagogic function. It lays out the milieu within which the protagonists negotiate their gender identity and sexual orientation. The running time of the film does not allow for a deep dive into some of the ideas here. However, interested viewers must look up a chapter titled 'Sikhism: All Humans Are Created Equal' written by the filmmaker for Jerry Johnsons edited volume I Am Divine So Are You (2017) published by Harper Collins India. Sab Rab De Bande is able to communicate the unique circumstances of each persons story. Their families do not appear on screen, and identifying information is kept to the bare minimum in order to respect their privacy. Their first names and locations are mentioned to give an understanding of the composition of this group Ritika from Delhi, Amolak from Kanpur, Ekampreet from Haryana, Puneet from Punjab, and Sukhdeep himself from Kolkata. As a college student, Sukhdeep wondered if there were any gay Sikhs other than him. Now he wears a rainbow-coloured turban to pride marches. He has observed that gay men on Grindr and other dating apps discriminate against Sikhs. In the film, he says, Some random people tell me, Oh, youre a Sardar, how can you be on Grindr or other such dating apps? They have gone on to be the moral judge and have told me that I bring disrepute to the community. They have even asked him to cut his hair and stop wearing the turban. Ritika talks about being a misfit in the male box and the violence she experienced because her family was unwilling to accept her as a trans woman. She was sent to a drug de-addiction camp for three months. In the film, she says, Among 74 men, I was all alone. I used to be given sleeping injections. People would have sex with me at night, and I wouldnt even know. But when I would finally regain consciousness after 2-3 days, all my body parts would hurt. Her family believes that someone has performed black magic on her. She is not welcome in their house, and has been disinherited. They have thrown her out, but they expect her to give them a portion of their monthly salary. Their behaviour has affected how others treat Ritika. When she goes to the gurudwara, fellow Sikhs maintain a distance from her. Even when prasad is offered, they are extra cautious to ensure that there is no physical contact. Amolak loves going to the gurudwara, and performing sewa in a number of ways such as cleaning the place, serving food at the langar, and washing the dishes. However, he often gets to hear humiliating remarks from fellow Sikhs because he is a gay man. In the film, he says, My gender expression is androgynousWhenever I go out, I always wear accessories that make me feel confident and beautiful. Others feel threatened when they witness this. Ekampreet has been raised with the expectation that Sikh men ought to be macho, brave and rowdy. As a gay man, he finds this oppressive because it does not honour who he is. Recalling childhood experiences with his family, he talks about how every expression of femininity was policed. If they saw him playing at home with a kitchen set, which is like completely normal for a five-year or six-year-old, they used to scold him and ask him to play outdoors. He, like Sukhdeep, has faced religious prejudice while looking for dates. In the film, he says, If I show someone my pictures below my face, I am very well accepted. But, when I reveal my face and the fact that I wear a turban, they get turned off, or they are like now we are not interested in going out with you. I think gay men are particularly discriminatory towards Sikh people. He feels affirmed when people appreciate him for who he is, and not his appearance. Puneet is a lesbian woman whose parents got her engaged to a man. She did not feel attracted to him, so she started questioning her own sexuality. Though she succeeded in breaking off that engagement, the pressure to get married started mounting four years later when her father was seriously ill, and the family wanted Puneet to get married while he was alive. This compelled her to come out to them. Later, she met another Sikh woman on a dating website. Knowing that there was someone else like her gave Puneet a lot of hope. The filmmaker has carefully selected stories of people who are proud of their Sikh identity. They see no reason to abandon it. Through their interviews, it is clear that their faith is a tremendous source of strength in their lives. They have learnt to separate the teachings of the religion from the conduct of its followers. If the film had also included LGBTQ Sikhs who have given up their faith, the narrative would have been different from what it is at present. In the book chapter titled 'Sikhism: All Humans Are Created Equal', Sukhdeep writes, Unlike Hinduism, which is replete with stories of queer encounters and gender fluidity, the Sikh attitude towards queer individuals can only be surmised through interpretations of teachings and events in the lives of the Gurus. This paucity of references to queer lives is despite the existence of the vibrant hijra community in the medieval period under the state patronage of the Mughals. Since there is room for interpretation, diverse and conflicting viewpoints are inevitable. The five protagonists feel that Sikhism recognises the spark of divinity in all of Gods creations, and this undoubtedly includes LGBTQ Sikhs. However, Bhai Angrez Singh, a granthi (priest) from Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi who is also part of the film believes that Sikhism prohibits homosexuality as it wants to save Sikhs from lust, which is considered the biggest vice and to maintain honour in society. Bhai Angrez Singh respects transgender people but homosexuality, according to him, is out of question since it comes from the giri hui soch (debased thinking) of people trying to find enjoyment through different means and people. He speaks of homosexuality, rape and child abuse in the same breath, creating a false equivalence between consensual sex and sexual assault, and also promoting the idea that gay people are hypersexual and non-monogamous and unsafe to have around children. The narrator of the film says, Akal Takht, the supreme body on religious matters in Sikh faith, has regularly given out edicts opposing homosexuality and calling it against the tenets of Sikhism. The first such edict was issued in 2005 as a response to the Canadian Parliament introducing a bill to legalize same-sex marriages. However, Ekampreet asserts that, in Sikhism, marriage is between souls not a man and a woman and LGBTQ Sikhs are included because souls are genderless. In the book chapter mentioned earlier, Sukhdeep makes a convincing argument for equal treatment of LGBTQ Sikhs by drawing on other precedents related to gender equality in Sikhism. This includes Guru Nanaks condemnation of the idea that menstruating women are impure, and Guru Amar Das critique of purdah and sati along with his advocacy for widow remarriage and rehabilitation. He admits, however, that the Sikh leadership in India has unfortunately been uncomfortable with the queer. When the Supreme Court of India upheld Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalizing homosexuality, leaders from various religions welcomed the judgement and issued a joint statement warning the Government of India against decriminalising homosexuality in India. Sukhdeep reminds us that Gyani Ranjit Singh, the chief priest of Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, was also among the signatories. To provide more evidence of discrimination, he points out that, in 2016, when Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is openly lesbian and a strong advocate of same-sex marriages paid a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar an important place of pilgrimage for Sikhs all over the world the governing body of the temples decided not to honour her with a siropa (robe) because of her position on same-sex marriage. Given that Sikhs are a minority in India, and therefore in LGBTQ collectives, there is very little space for their concerns to be heard. There are several books, films, television shows and podcasts on LGBTQ lives in India, but they rarely feature LGBTQ Sikhs. Even Sab Rab De Bande does not have any bisexual Sikhs though it uses the term LGBTQ. That said, the film is a big step in the right direction, and deserves encouragement. In the UK, a volunteer-led group called Sarbat focuses on addressing LGBT issues from a Sikh perspective. In Canada, Sher Vancouver is a non-profit society for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their friends, families and allies. India does not have any such organisations but, hopefully, Sab Rab De Bande will catalyse such efforts in the future. Whether bigotry and body shaming on dating apps will cease is the real question to ask. Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, educator and researcher who tweets @chintan_connect Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 17:01:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A terrorist was killed and five others were arrested during a raid at their hideout in the southern port city of Karachi of Pakistan's Sindh province, officials said on Monday. Personnel of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police in Karachi conducted the operation in the wee hours of Monday in the Shah Latif Town area during which the terrorists hurled a hand grenade on the armored vehicle of the CTD, Omer Shahid Hamid, deputy inspector general of CTD Sindh, told local media. As a result, an exchange of fire took place between terrorists and police, killing one militant on the spot, the official said, adding that another five were also taken into custody during the raid. The law enforcement agency personnel also recovered explosive material, suicide jackets and a rickshaw laden with explosive material from the arrested terrorists, he said. The bomb disposal squad rushed to the site and defused the explosive material installed in the rickshaw. The arrested militants have been transferred to an unknown location for further investigation. The CTD carried out the operation amid high security in Karachi in view of possible terrorist activities following a threat alert issued by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). Last week, NACTA warned of a major terrorist activity in the city, recommending extreme vigilance and heightened security measures. Enditem Recent drilling has confirmed an extensive new gold trend with multiple target zones defined over a more than 3-kilometre strike length at North Kanowna Star. The prospect is emerging as an important exploration and growth opportunity for Bardoc. ( ) (FRA:4SF) has intersected extensive zones of shallow gold mineralisation in wide-spaced aircore drilling at its North Kanowna Star Project (NKS), 29 kilometres southeast of the proposed mill and infrastructure of the Bardoc Gold Project, in Western Australia. Notable results from a 451 hole aircore program for 19,599 metres of drilling come from the newly-defined Serengeti Prospect. Intersections include: 15 metres at 1.11 g/t gold from 52 metres; and 7 metres at 1.95 g/t from 44 metres. These support previous results of: 21 metres at 1.56 g/t from 36 metres; 15 metres at 1.22 g/t from 68 metres; 4 metres at 3.74 g/t from 40 metres; and 4 metres at 3.59 g/t from 52 metres. Assay results are pending from a further 28 holes. Systematically testing targets Bardoc Gold chief executive officer Robert Ryan said the company had now defined numerous target areas across the North Kanowna Star Project which would be systematically tested over the coming months. He said: The latest aircore assays from North Kanowna Star complete the current reconnaissance drilling program undertaken in late 2020. The results have changed our perception about the scale and significance of the opportunity at NKS, which is clearly emerging as a very large mineralised system. The drilling has defined multiple follow-up targets along a significant +3-kilometre mineralised trend, returning some exceptional results for this relatively early stage of reconnaissance exploration." Anomalism over 3.5 kilometres of strike, multiple targets require testing. Regionally relevant results The results have established anomalous gold over a strike length of around 3.7 kilometres, which the company believes is regionally significant considering the 1.7-million-ounce gold Aphrodite Deposit is contained within some 3.5 kilometres of strike of gold anomalism and the 526,000-ounce gold Zoroastrian Deposit is anomalous over 1.5 kilometres. Given the scale of the anomalism and the success of the recent exploration programs, Bardoc is confident that NKS warrants sustained and systematic long-term exploration to expand the known 32,000 ounces resource at the Perseverance-Wedge Deposit at depth and along strike - and to define potential new resource positions across the broader project area. Drilling to define resource potential Ryan said: The North Kanowna Star program, together with drilling on the Bardoc Tectonic Zone, has been targeting new discoveries outside of our +3 million ounce resource. We are aiming to make significant new discoveries with the potential to either increase mine life or potentially increase the scale of our proposed operations at the Bardoc Gold Project. Four drill rigs are on-site at the Bardoc Tectonic Zone, targeting areas outside of existing resources at Aphrodite and North Kanowna Star to define the scale of the potential resource areas. Organic growth and exploration Ryan said: With exploration in full swing, we now have two clear avenues for growing shareholder value at Bardoc. One is through project development, with the definitive feasibility study now in its final stages and on track for completion in late March paving the way for project funding and a Final Investment Decision. The other is through organic growth and exploration and we are now increasingly confident that we will be able to deliver significant exploration success, growth and excitement through the drill bit in the course of this year. Bardoc Gold Project, tenement location plan. Future work plans A GAIP survey was conducted at NKS Star in 2020 and has proved vital in helping unlock the geology and structural interpretation of the project. Further geophysical testing is being assessed for completion over the coming months. Ongoing work includes: Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, World Bank president David Malpass has been a surprisingly outspoken advocate for policies to reduce global warming, rein in economic inequality and use multilateral institutions to fight the worst of the pandemic's impacts. Why it matters: As a nominee of former President Donald Trump and a longtime skeptic of multilateral institutions, many feared that Malpass would weaken the World Bank's work on climate change or make it more "America First" in its orientation. But that hasn't been the case, as he explained on "Axios on HBO." The big picture: Malpass leads one of the worlds most powerful financial institutions, whose mission is to reduce global poverty and is often the last resort for countries that are struggling to stay afloat. "We've seen this growing, rising inequality ... it seems like the system we currently have in place is not working." "There's been less and less capital available for small businesses. And there's been a centralization of the wealth within the various economies." Where it stands: In December, the World Bank raised its target and now expects 35% of its financing to have "climate co-benefits, on average, over the next five years." That's up from 28% in 2019 and an 18% target under Malpass' predecessor, Jim Yong Kim. The Bank also has been a strong supporter of implementing and backing the Paris Climate Accord, with Malpass telling "Axios on HBO" that the Bank has been "heavily involved in this effort." On inequality, Malpass has been one of the most outspoken critics of the current state of affairs and the way central banks have addressed the issue. "Central banks are buying bonds, which by definition, bonds are issued by people that already have money and they're bought by people that already have money. So the system is set up to to stabilize the upper end." "But it's been hard for the advanced economies to get benefits to people at the at the lower end." Flashback: When Malpass was nominated in 2019, Stewart Patrick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote that Malpass held views "antithetical to the Banks mission." Patrick also said Malpass shared "Trumps misguided view that multilateral institutions inherently run athwart to U.S. sovereignty and national interests, and he can be counted on to undermine the Banks invaluable work around the globe." "He is precisely the wrong person at the wrong time to helm the Bank," Patrick concluded. Kim reportedly left his post three years early because of disagreements over the Trump administration's stance on climate change, including Trump's claims that climate change was a "hoax" and his plans to pull out of the Paris agreement. The last word: "Climate change, poverty and inequality are defining issues of our age," Malpass said in a recent speech. (Global Times) Two COVID-19-related articles recently published by Western and Chinese media outlets have discussed what human rights are from different perspectives. Unsurprisingly, the Western outlet has adhered to its traditional double-standard narratives. But this rhetoric has actually come to a dead end as such tricks can no longer fool people from developing countries. The Economist magazine published on January 16 an article entitled "Many in China are strikingly accepting of harsh virus controls." The writer continued stigmatizing China over human rights issues, even though the West is engaging in a dilemma of being unfair on COVID-19 vaccine allocation. On Thursday, CGTN, a Chinese media, released an article written by Maitreya Bhakal, an Indian commentator, with the title "Many Americans are strikingly tolerant of massive COVID-19 casualties." Bhakal said in the article, "Americans are proud of their freedoms... If only more of them had the freedom to survive a pandemic." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on January 6, "The most basic human right is the right to life, and that means the right and freedom to stay healthy and safe amid the pandemic." But the West has always denied this, and the reason is very simple. The West has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives during its so-called defense of human rights amid the pandemic. A year has passed since the initial outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. But the West is still stuck in a humanitarian catastrophe due to its ineptitude in dealing with the virus. Meanwhile, Western media outlets are still trying to use double-standard tricks to cover the serious violation of human rights in the West. This is pathetic. What are human rights? The West has indulged too much in its double-standard rhetoric to know the essence. In the view of Western media, even though people are dying due to COVID-19, and vaccine allocation is in a mess, as long as the West emphasizes the so-called freedom - the core of West-upheld human rights - it can secure the moral high ground. Hence, they attempt to convince people anything that infringes the West-endorsed human rights is evil and harmful to people. This goes in line with what the Western governments have been injecting into their people's minds. Many Westerners are "proud of the freedom to believe whatever they want," Bhakal wrote. This is precisely what Western politicians and media want. "They talk in ways like they were true believers in human rights, but their actions make a travesty and mockery of human rights," Hua noted. The West adopts double standards almost everywhere, in a bid to enhance their "exceptionalism" and maintain their dominant position in the world. Western governments are benefiting from such moves domestically, which help keep their people "in check and distract them from domestic problems," just as the CGTN article said. Such an approach is like shooting oneself in the foot. Deeply engaged in it, the West has no way to really protect human rights as it flaunts. But for the political purpose of attacking non-Western countries, especially China, the West intensified its efforts to push the double-standard approach to extremes. However, the pandemic is a mirror, revealing the ugliest side of the West. The West's double standards over China-related issues originate from its lack of confidence in the face of China's peaceful rise. And such insecurity comes out of the decline of the West, which will never be reversed as along as the West goes farther with its double-standard actions. The US-led Western world fears that China will take over their leadership globally but are reluctant to figure out a way to compete in a benign way. By contrast, they resort to filthy means to slander and suppress China. However, the louder their double-standard rhetoric, the more clearly the decline of the West will be seen. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. File image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 8 said that the newly-enacted farm laws should be given a chance while requesting protesting farmers to end the agitation. While reiterating that his government was open to talks, the PM said that the opposition to the laws lacked any substance as the farm reforms had been stalled for decades. "The opposition to farm laws lacks in substance. We need to decide if we want to be a part of the problem or the solution. Every government has stressed that there are reforms needed in the farming sector, but now politics seems to be taking over," Modi said in the Rajya Sabha while replying to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address amid the Opposition's call to repeal the three farm laws. Follow LIVE UPDATES on Farmers' Protest Here The Lok Sabha proceedings have been disrupted for many days owing to the ruckus by the Opposition parties over the farm laws. The Rajya Sabha, where protests were registered were witnessed in the beginning, has, however,been able to conduct a 15-hour debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. "Agriculture minister is talking to farmers. There are no tensions yet. Protesting is your right but want to request that old farmers are sitting, ask them to go home. I want to extend the invitation through this house.....," he said. The PM also said that MSP was here to stay. "We should not lose this time and do not take the country backwards. We should give these reforms and opportunity and see if this benefits you. If there is a lacuna, we will fix it. MSP was there, MSP is there, MSP will continue," he said. Quoting former prime ministers Charan Singh and Manmohan Singh to former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, PM Modi slammed the Opposition asserting that no one tried to find reasons behind farmers' protests. The PM said that since 2014, has government had initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering small farmers. "The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for the small farmers," he said. Thousands of protesting farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points for over two months, demanding the repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops. Usually, Prime Minister speaks in both the Houses of the Parliament, but PM's speech, if delivered only in Rajya Sabha, could be a departure from the set norms. The Opposition parties boycotted the president's address on January 29. In his address, President Ram Nath Kovind condemned the violence during the tractors rally on Republic Day while asserting that with the new three agricultural reforms, the government has provided new facilities and rights to farmers. The PM said that there is a need to protect the nation from a new FDI or the Foreign Destructive Ideology. The nation is making progress and we are talking about FDI but I see that a new FDI has come to the fore. We have to protect the nation from this new FDI. We need Foreign Direct Investment but the new FDI is Foreign Destructive Ideology, we have to protect ourselves from it, he said Enacted in September 2020, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector. But the opposition parties allege that the farm laws were brought 'without any consultations with states and farmer unions and lacked national consensus' The Georgetown housing complex in Fairfield features spacious family-sized apartments, playgrounds and basketball courts. There are grassy knolls for children to roll down, California pepper trees and oaks for shade, and quiet cul-de-sacs next to open fields. But for all its promise as an idyllic family oasis, the 52-acre property adjacent to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County sits vacant. After 20 years housing hundreds of Air Force families, for the past decade the communitys 302 units have been unoccupied, a victim of the militarys decision to shut off the water and sewer lines that serve the property. Property owner Hunt Communities says it is committed to spending $36 million, with no public subsidies, to renovate the units for affordable housing. About 15% of the apartments would will be set aside for veterans, Executive Vice President Jim Dobbie said. But for that to happen the property needs water, and the only reasonably close source is the adjacent air force base. Since the bases water and sewer system is already connected to the Georgetown property, it would simply be a matter of replacing an outdated pumping system to let he water flow. The next closest water source is a city hookup 2 miles away and would require getting permission to lay pipe across multiple private properties. We have been talking to the Air Force and the city for 10 years about getting this housing back online, Dobbie said. We have applied twice for building permits, and the city has declined those applications citing, among other things, that there is no water service. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Housing advocates say the urgency of the project has become more pronounced over the past few years, as the housing crisis that started in San Francisco has spread throughout the Bay Area. Prices in Fairfield have nearly doubled since 2010, with single-family homes jumping from $241,000 to $475,000. Solano County has a homeless population of roughly 1,000, including about 150 veterans. Since 2014 Fairfield has permitted 140 affordable units, less than 12% of the 1,183 set as a goal by the state. J.R. Wilson, who served in the Army and helps vets find jobs and housing, said that hundreds of veterans, many of whom were stationed at Travis Air Force Base, are being squeezed out of the region by rising costs. Reviving the Georgetown apartments could make a dent in that need, especially for homeless veterans. I see this housing as a mothballed fleet, he said. Arent we supposed to deploy mothballed fleets in times of emergency? Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle In a statement to The Chronicle the Air Force said it is not in the water business and has no obligation to provide services to a property the military doesnt own. The Air Force never owned the Georgetown apartments, but oversaw its development and entered into a 20-year lease when it was finished. When that lease was up, it walked away, instead building a new complex just across a narrow ravine from Georgetown. Department of Defense does not routinely provide utility services, such as water, sewage or electricity, to private, off-base entities for non-U.S. government affiliated ventures, Air Force Capt. Amanda Farr said. In a series of emails to Hunt executives, Col. Victor Beeler, 60th Mission Support Group commander at Travis, suggested the matter is not open to debate. In May 2019 Beeler wrote to Hunt Communities attorney, stating, Sir, Travis AFB will not provide water to Georgetown housing. Several months later, he sent another email: The decision has been made at the HQ AF level that Travis will not provide water to Georgetown. There will be no further discussions on this topic at Travis. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Farr said the Air Force is following the lead of the city of Fairfield, which has also opposed efforts to resuscitate the housing. In a letter last month to Hunts attorney, Fairfield City Manager Stefan Chatwin called the project highly infeasible and not a priority for the city. He pointed out that the nearest municipal water service is 4,900 feet away and that the closest schools and grocery stores are 5 to 6 miles away. Chatwin did not return calls seeking comment. The city is focused on developing infill projects near essential services, he said in the letter. While its unclear whether the city or the military is driving opposition the project, its certain that Travis Air Force Base is a powerful interest in Fairfield. The base 6,400 acres with 6,641 active duty members and 3,018 civilian workers is the biggest employer in both Fairfield and in Solano County. The base, opened in 1942 to protect against the Imperial Japanese Navy after Pearl Harbor, has an annual economic impact of $1.65 billion, according to an analysis the military completed in 2017. Assemblymember Jim Frazier, who lives in Fairfield, said he doesnt understand why the Air Force and the city are objecting. He said that he has reached out to state housing officials and has a meeting scheduled next week with Fairfield city staff to discuss the matter. Here we have a company willing to spend millions to rebuild affordable housing desperately needed to shelter people, he said. It will cost the state nothing. It will cost the city nothing. My God, how often do we have a chance like this? Whats the objection? What will it take to get this done? Id like to think that the city I live in would extend a helping hand and not put up obstacles, he said. For Hunt Communities, the militarys objection is unusual. The company owns more than 50,000 units of military housing around the country and regularly collaborates with the Department of Defense on housing development. For the 10 years the housing has sat empty, Hunt has kept up the land, cutting the grass, trimming the trees and maintaining the roadways. Renovating the buildings would cost about $100,000 a unit and could be completed within a year. Dobbie objected to the argument that Georgetown is too far from schools and services, pointing out that the citys general plan calls for housing on the land. It is less than 3 miles from the One Lake subdivision, which is adding 2,226 single-family homes on 358 acres. Eventually, as the land around Georgetown is developed, water service will become available and Hunt would no longer need water from the base. He added that hundreds of people employed at the base would qualify for the low- and moderate-income housing his company is proposing. A family of four earning less than $27,000 a year would qualify for some of the homes, while others would target moderate-income families earning up to $114,000. People who work on the base but do not qualify to live on the base that could be an orderly in the veterans clinic or teachers at the elementary school or people who work at the concessions at base exchange, Dobbie said. Hunt has agreed to a project labor agreement requiring that the redevelopment would be built with an all-union workforce a deal that is unusual in Solano County for residential projects, according to Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa Solano Building and Trades Council. To have something of this scale, to have our members being able to stay local and work right here, is pretty unique, he said. The housing shortage isnt unique to Fairfield, but the solution is pretty unique. How often do you have 300 units just sitting there empty? J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen The former editor of Hindi Blitz and Savera, Shri Nand Kishore Nautiyal is no more. It is reported that on 30th August 2019, he took his last breath at his residence in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. His untimely death is not just a loss to journalism community but also to the Hindi speaking audience. My sincere condolences to the bereaved family. He was well known journalist and a prolific Hindi writer. It reported that he had rich experiences in working with several newspapers like Navbharat Saptahik Mumbai, Dainik Lokmanya Mumbai, Lokmat Nagpur, Delhi Press, Sarita, Hindi Blitz etc. He contributed a lot in the promotion of Hindi literature. He was the Chairman of Maharashtra State Hindi Literature Academy and also the Chairman of Badrinath Temple Committee. He received several awards from several organizations in the country. He was born in a modest village of Uttarakhand but most of his life, he spent in Mumbai and dedicated to the promotion of journalism and Hindi literature. He was very deeply associated with a number of social and cultural organizations in last 40 years. He was often invited by social organizations in cultural programmes as a chief guest. When I used to work in Mumbai at NITIE and later on, I often used to meet him and used to attend several Uttarakhand and other North Indian cultural events held in Mumbai. When he was the Editor of Hindi Blitz, he asked me to write an article on Zero Based Budgeting (I was deeply involved on this subject in providing training). I contributed a twelve-page article on ZBB in English and to my surprise, he translated the same article in Hindi in three-hours and got it published in Hindi Blitz. He was a humble guy in his dealing in public domain. I still remembered that whenever I did something achievable, he used to call me "Garhwal ka Heera (Diamond) hai"; a fantastic way to motivate young people. May the Almighty rest his noble soul in peace and give strength to his family. Stricter measures around international travel will remain in place for the foreseeable future, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien has said. Speaking on Monday morning, he said that while air connectivity is crucial for Ireland as an island nation, the first priority is to suppress the virus. For the foreseeable future, as vaccines are being rolled out across the European Union in Ireland and in Britain, that it is likely that we will see stricter measures remaining in place, he said. We're within the European Union itself. And obviously, we look at what our what our European Union and colleagues have done. And indeed with Britain, and they've grappled with this issue, too. It's not just as easy that you click your fingers and borders closed, and quarantine comes in place. But in the short term, and medium-term, of course, we're going to continue to protect our country, protect our borders and take whatever measures are required to do that, he said. He said the measures that we have in place right now, are extremely strict. We want to get to a situation whereby life returns back to normal as soon as we can, later this year or early next year, he said. Mr OBrien said that as an island, we need connectivity into the future as well. He noted that "less than 1% of the third wave of infection is related to foreign travel". This comes as HSE Chief Executive Officer Paul Reid has said he would find it frankly inexcusable for a frontline worker to refuse to take a Covid-19 vaccine. Speaking on Monday morning, Mr Reid was asked about mandatory vaccination of staff and said while take-up of the vaccines has been very high among staff and residents, there is a minor issue of those refusing to take it. Frankly, I would find it inexcusable for someone not to take the vaccine, he said. We've seen almost 100% of residents and high 90s in terms of staff taking up the vaccine. Legislation does facilitate that if a risk assessment determines that there is a need to take a vaccine, in such a frontline role, not just in nursing homes but in any frontline care role, legislation does facilitate that with deployment then to another roll, he said. We've had a huge take-up of the vaccine. It is a very minor issue but you know it is an issue. It's a smaller number, he added. Vaccine supply As for the vaccine rollout, Mr Reid said the country can expect more than one million vaccines to be delivered from May and June. He said the only issue about delivering the vaccine has been supply. Whatever volume of supply we will vaccinate, if those levels of supply come then we will vaccinate, when asked if the entire country could be vaccinated by September. He also said the South African variant of Covid-19 is will have a low presence in Ireland amid reports of its resistance to vaccines. Mr Reid, speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, sought to allay fears that the worrying reports of that resistance to the AstraZeneca vaccine is a worry here. Speaking as 21,000 doses of the AstraZeneca arrived into Ireland, he confirmed that frontline workers including ambulance staff and fire brigade staff will begin to be vaccinated this week. Mr Reid admitted that he and his team had to rewrite their plan for the vaccine roll-out last week when the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended the AstraZeneca not be given to older patients. Yes, we have had to rewrite our plan. But it is the right decision. This first phase was always going to be bumpy, it has been bumpy, he said. Meanwhile, HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry has reiterated the HSE's priority to get over-70s vaccinated as quickly as possible. No person will be left behind, he told RTE radio, responding to concerns that some people in the over-70 age group would not be able to leave their homes to be vaccinated. The sequence of vaccinations will be from the highest age downwards, he said. The great majority will be able to travel directly to either their GPs surgery or the vaccination hub, but the HSE would make sure that vaccinators would go to everybodys home if absolutely necessary. There would have to be agility and flexibility with the plan to roll out the scheme through GPs. (left to right) Lou Marais (NMI), Michael Wouters (NMI) and Erik Streed (Griffith University) stand in proximity to one of the timing stations. Credit: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Griffith University researchers are conducting an experiment at ANSTO that will test a revolutionary physics theory that time reversal symmetry-breaking by neutrinos might cause a time dilation at the quantum scale. With support from the National Measurement Institute (NMI), A/Prof Erik Streed needed a source of anti-neutrinos and some atomic clocks to carry out a preliminary experiment that would test the validity of a new quantum theory of time being developed by his Griffith University colleague Professor Joan Vaccaro. A quantum theory of time Vaccaro is an accomplished theoretical physicist, who has developed a fundamental theory that puts time and space on the same footing. The theory proposes that the dynamics we observe everywhere as changes occurring over time are not fundamental parts of nature but emerge phenomenologically due to time symmetry violations. It is revolutionary because if it is correct, it will overturn the way we think about time and space, as well as fundamental laws, such as the conservation of mass. A source of neutrinos to test the theory Following the publication of the theory in 2016, Vaccaro proposed that an experiment could be undertaken with a nuclear reactor to test the theory. A local source of time violation at the quantum scale could contribute to the net amount of time violation and, thereby, modify dynamics locally. The OPAL reactor produces a vast stream of anti-neutrinos that move unscathed through matter as they interact only extremely weakly with it. The evidence that neutrinos exhibit time symmetry violation has been growing in recent years and currently stands at 99.7% certainty. The experiment will test the theory because anti-neutrinos produced by the reactor represent a time violation field that has an inverse square law fall-off with distance from the core. The theory predicts that the time accumulated by a clock depends on the amount of time violation in its local region. A clock placed near the reactor core is predicted to lose synchronicity with the more distant clock. This means that one of the test clocks near the reactor, may show some time dilation, or difference in elapsed time, when compared with a clock a short distance away. "My colleague's calculations suggest that neutrinos may have a greater impact on time than we realise," said Streed. "It would be very surprising indeed if neutrinos were interacting with matter on the basis of time rather than just the weak nuclear force." The experimental set-up Following a successful proposal submission to the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, the investigators travelled to ANSTO to install two timing stations with atomic clocks in proximity to the reactor, where they will collect data for six months. Atomic clocks are used in tests of fundamental physics to detect tiny effects at the quantum scale because of their outstanding accuracy and precision, which approaches parts in 1017-to 1019 for the best clocks. Credit: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Dr. Michael Wouters, who leads Standards for Time and Frequency at the National Measurement Institute in Sydney, is collaborating on the experiment. NMI provided the atomic clocks and developed the measurement systems that are essential for the experiment. In this initial experiment, commercially available high-precision clocks are being used. Clocks with much better performance would be used in an improved version of the experiment. One timing station is placed about five metres from the reactor, while the reference station is 10 metres from the reactor. Each station comprises a caesium primary clock, three secondary clocks and the measurement systems used to compare the clocks to less than a billionth of a second. It was important for the clocks to be subject to neutrinos in an environment under exactly the same physical conditions because they are not completely immune to changes, such as the ambient temperature. The caesium clocks are contained in rather ordinary looking beige boxes protected by a bar that acts as a barrier against someone knocking into it. Wouters explained that the experiment doesn't involve single measurements but averaging for an optimal time for each particular type of clock to get the best possible measurement. The fact that the reactor is shut down for maintenance periodically provides an advantage, in that, it provides a predictable control for the experiment, when the two sets of clocks should be running at the same rate. This would be a more convincing experimental demonstration of the proposed time dilation effect. Any result or limit from the reactor experiment will be compared against calculations from uncertainties in the observed motion of planets and other objects orbiting the sun, which are predicted to be similarly affected by the solar neutrino flux. "Irrespective of the outcome, part of the experiment is about getting experience in the environment we have to work in, which is not a controlled environment like our labs," said Wouters. "The operating conditions will help us identify and characterise potentially relevant sources of error from a range of environmental conditions, helping us to design an improved version of the experiment," he added. The measure of success Streed said that if the experiment is successful, it will provide a 'number' for how big the quantum effect on time is. "And if the effect is occurring at the reactor level, we would need to validate it at it at other nuclear reactors and then look for the effect in other places, like planetary orbital data," he said. "From a scientific perspective, it is incredibly high risk because of the unknowns," says Streed. But it is clearly a risk that Streed and Vaccaro are willing to take because of its momentous importance if the experimental evidence supports the theory. In any case, time will tell. Explore further Timekeeping theory combines quantum clocks and Einstein's relativity Indian security forces have not only restricted Pakistan's nefarious acts to the borders only but are also giving a befitting reply to them, Defence Minister told the on Monday. During the Question Hour, the minister also informed the House that 11 Rafale fighter jets have arrived in the country and the number will reach 17 by March this year. Singh added the entire fleet of the fighter jets will arrive in the country by April 2022. "There is no question of being lethargic. I want to make it clear the way our army has acted, the actions of have been restricted to borders only," he said, replying to a question related to ceasefire violations by He said the Indian army, BSF and other security forces must be complimented. Stating that 4,649 ceasefire violations took place in 2020, Singh said Indian security forces are fully alert and are giving a befitting reply to nefarious acts of Singh also told the House the government has decided that 101 defence-related items will be manufactured in and not imported. (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, Feb 8 : Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said that US troops will not leave Afghanistan by May as mentioned in the landmark peace deal inked between Washington and the Taliban, saying "we're going to leave when the conditions are right". Graham made the remarks in a CBS News interview on Sunday night when he was asked about the proposed withdrawal of American troops from the war-torn country. Backing decision by President Joe Biden's administration to review the US-Taliban agreement which was signed on February 29, 2020, the South Carolina Senator said the militant group has "been cheating... They haven't been complying". "I like what (Secretary of State Antonny) Tony Blinken and the Biden administration is doing. They're re-evaluating our presence in Afghanistan to keep the footprint low, but not to walk away and lose all the gains we've achieved. "If we leave too soon without a conditions-based withdrawal, IS (Islamic State) and Al Qaeda will come roaring back. Women will suffer greatly," Graham told CBS News. The Senator's remarks come as no meeting has been held between the Afghan Republic and the Taliban negotiators in Doha over the last 19 days after the peace talks resumed between the two sides on January 5 following a break. The peace talks had started on September 12, 2020, following the US-Taliban peace deal to end the war, paving the way for the withdrawal of thousands of US forces in Afghanistan and facilitate the intra-Afghan dialogue. Late last month in his first media address after taking office, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby claimed that the Taliban was jeopardising the landmark agreement. In response, a Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told an Afghan media outlet that the group remained committed to the agreement "and we call on the other side to stay firm on its commitments". The war in Afghanistan, which has caused about 2,400 US military deaths, is the longest one in American history. Former President Donald Trump had sought a full withdrawal of forces from the country, but some of his senior aides from the military and the Pentagon suggested a more cautious approach. Currently there are about 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan. A Yale graduate student and Army veteran has been shot dead in New Haven, Connecticut, following a possible car crash - just one week after he proposed to his girlfriend. Yale University President Peter Salovey said in a statement emailed to the Yale community that Kevin Jiang, 26, a graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment, was killed on Saturday night. New Haven police said 911 callers reported hearing at least seven gunshots at 8.30pm near the intersection of Lawrence and Nicoll streets in the East Rock neighborhood. Yale University graduate student Kevin Jiang, 26 (left), was shot dead in New Haven, Connecticut, on Saturday night. A week ago, Jiang proposed marriage to his girlfriend (right) Jiang was a second-year student at the Yale School of the Environment Police said 911 callers reported hearing at least seven gunshots at 8.30pm on Saturday near the intersection of Lawrence and Nicoll streets in New Haven Police are looking at the possibility that Jiang was shot after a car crash, as his Prius had rear-end damage Responding officers found Jiang lying in the street and he was pronounced dead. The New Haven Independent reported that Jiang, who lived in West Haven, was found near his Prius, which had rear-end damage, raising the possibility that the shooting came after a car accident and was a targeted, rather than a random, act of violence. The fatal shooting is being investigated as a homicide. A neighbor said she was in her living room when she heard two shots, followed by a pause, and then at least five more shots. 'When we finally looked outside, there was someone lying in the middle of Lawrence Street,' she told the New Haven Register. As of Monday morning, no arrests have been made, but police were said to have leads on the gunman's vehicle. Salovey, the Yale president, said his staff had been in touch with Jiangs family. 'I wish to convey to them and to all others who loved Kevin my sincere condolences,' Salovey said. 'Kevin was an extraordinary young man.' Just a week before his slaying, Jiang got engaged to his girlfriend of one year, fellow Yale graduate student Zion Perry. He posted a video on his Facebook page that captured the moment he went down on one knee and popped the question while the pair were on a hike. Jiang and his girlfriend, fellow Yale graduate student Zion Perry (right), had been dating for a year On January 30, Jiang shared a video on his Facebook page, showing him popping the question to Perry while on a hike to celebrate their dating anniversary. He wrote: 'She said YES!' 'She said YES!; Jiang wrote ecstatically in a status update on January 30. 'Zion sweetheart - youve really made a huge impact in my life! Ever since I met you, God has been working in my heart and changing my heart for the better, helping me become more generous and kinder to others . You are the most kind, beautiful, forgiving, patient, faithful woman Ive ever met. I love you more than words can say.' According to his LinkedIn profile, Jiang served as a tank operator in the US Army and was in the Army National Guard. The 26-year-old veteran earned a degree in environmental studies from the University of Washington before starting his graduate studies at Yale in 2019. He was a member of the Class of 2022. 'I know this tragedy comes during a year that has already been filled with so much sorrow,' School of the Environment Dean Indy Burke wrote in a statement on Sunday. 'Please know that we in our school stand ready to support you.' Jiang served as a tank operator in the US Army and was in the Army National Guard After serving his country and earning a Bachelor's degree in environmental science from University of Washington, Jiang in 2019 started his graduate studies at Yale Jiang, like his fiancee, was a devout Christian and an active member of a New Haven church New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker addressed Jiang's killing and other violent crimes that have been committed in the city, vowing to 'be relentless in efforts to provide justice for all of the victims, their families and loved ones,' reported Fox61. Jiang was a devout Christian and an active member of Trinity Baptist Church, where he had been volunteering his time every week for the past two years. 'Earlier this week, I had agreed to officiate Kevin's wedding,' Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson wrote in a Facebook post. 'Now, we will be officiating his funeral instead. As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 'Above all he looked forward to Jesus promise of the resurrection from the dead. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same.' On his Facebook profile Jiang wrote: 'Life is a gift that I am so thankful for.' Jiang would have celebrated his 27th birthday this week. His death marks the sixth homicide in New Haven so far this year. Former Co-operative Bank chairman and powerful politician Hosea Kiplagat, who died Saturday morning, was an influence peddler and a grassroots mobiliser for President Daniel Moi. Those who knew Kiplagat eulogised him as a generous but shrewd man who used his connections - he was a nephew of the former president - to build a business empire spanning Nairobi and his rural Baringo backyard. According to the family, Kiplagat died around 9.30am. He was 76. "Mr Hosea Kiplagat fell ill in his house this morning. He was rushed to Karen hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival," family spokesman CK Mundui said, without disclose the cause of the death. Kiplagat was born to Isaac Salgong and Zipporah Salgong in Tenges, Baringo county, in 1945. President Moi made him a confidant, an aide and Baringo Kanu chairman. Popularly known as HK by his associates, Kiplagat started off as a prison warder and made a fortune while managing some of Moi's property. The reclusive businessman also made a fortune when he served as the Co-op Bank chairman. When President Moi retired in 2002, Kiplagat went into a quiet life. He contested the Baringo Central parliamentary seat in 2007 but lost to former Lands Commissioner Sammy Mwaita. Kiplagat's closeness with Moi saw him build a multimillion-shilling empire with property in Nakuru, Baringo and Uasin Gishu counties. He held wide business interests, including banking and transport. But Kiplagat's fortunes appeared to plummet when his closeness to power waned. And off started trips from one court to another as he fought with auctioneers. Eldoret land Last month, Kiplagat lost a petition seeking to bar a bank from auctioning several parcels of land in Eldoret, after defaulting on loans. In 1996, Kiplagat was allocated 20 hectares when EATEC land in Eldoret was put up for sale. He also bought a large chunk of the vast wattle trees plantation, and established an electricity wood poles treatment plant. To expand the business, Kiplagat took a Sh375 million loan from the Bank of India, a decision that would come to haunt him. A court allowed the bank to sell some of his property to recover the loan. Court documents show Kiplagat, through his company, took a Sh275 million loan from the bank in 2017, charging 12 properties in Eldoret. He took another Sh100 million in June 2018 to buy a tractor and other machines. He charged the same properties. According to Kiplagat, his company defaulted on the loan due to hostile and unpredictable business environment coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic. The case was not the first the businessman was battling with a bank. In 2019, he won temporary reprieve when the High Court stopped the sale of his property to recover a loan advanced to his company by Trade Bank, which is in liquidation. The politician through Makatiat Ltd, a breadmaking company, was in court over a loan advanced to the company in 1992. He secured the loan using his home. The home stood on an 82-acre- parcel and had house, servants quarters, a water tank and trees. Kiplagat said he borrowed Sh5 million but the total amount he had taken from Trade Bank was about Sh170 million. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mau forest land By the time the matter was in court, he said he had a balance of Sh8 million and "wondered" why the bank was claiming Sh400 million and keen on selling his property. In 1994, Kiplagat through Sewenei Ltd was among 125 beneficiaries of the 990-acre ADC Kiswani farm bought at Sh20,000 an acre instead of the earlier agreed Sh250,000 to Sh300,000. Government-sponsored livestock production, seed maize, seed grass, national Boran stud, potato seed production multiplication and horticultural projects collapsed following the division of the farm. Kiplagat also defended the ownership of a 20-hectare parcel, saying despite it being part of the Mau water tower, he acquired it legally "like any other Kenyan". Reported by Anita Chepkoech, Sam Kiplagat and James Kariuki United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister on February 6 discussed a range of issues during a telephonic conversation including security to human rights and ending the war in Yemen, said State Department in a statement. The discussion between US Secretary of State and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud took place on the same day the US said that in response to humanitarian crisis prevailing in Yemen, it wants to revoke the terrorist designation for Yemens Houthi movement, which is against the Saudi-led coalition. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister discussed regional security, counterterrorism, and cooperation to deter and defend against attacks on the Kingdom. The Secretary outlined several key priorities of the new administration including elevating human rights issues and ending the war in Yemen, he added. US President Joe Bidens administration has said that it would suspend support to Saudi-led campaign in Yemen which is fighting against the Houthis. It reportedly also said that the United States would elevate diplomatic ties in order to end the war through the appointment of a Yemen envoy. Washington also called for Riyadh to enhance its human rights accord. Blinken and the kingdoms foreign minister talked for the first time, reported the Saudi state news agency SPA on Saturday. Reportedly, Saudi foreign minister congratulated the US Secretary of State on his appointment last week and said that the kingdom was looking forward to working with the United States to tackle the common challenges and maintain stability in the region. Blinkens first call to a Gulf nation since assuming the new role was to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs on February 4. Spoke yesterday with @FaisalbinFarhan. Saudi Arabia is an important security partner. We will continue our work together to defend the Kingdom from external threats, while revitalizing diplomacy to end the Yemen conflict and elevating human rights issues within our relationship. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 6, 2021 Read - US Warns Yemen's Houthi Rebels After Terrorism Delisting Read - Joe Biden Says US Will Not Lift Sanctions Until Iran Stops Uranium Enrichment Blinkens call to UAE minister On Thursday, Blinken spoke with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Ned Price in a statement said that "Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister discussed the UAEs historic opening with Israel, cooperation to defend the UAE against regional threats, and working together to lower tensions and end conflicts". He added. "The Secretary welcomed the progress made toward easing the rift with Qatar and emphasized the opportunities ahead for the UAE to make additional contributions towards a more peaceful Middle East." Read - Joe Biden Faces Pressure To Abolish Federal Death Penalty In US: Report Read - Uttarakhand Glacier Burst: US Mourns Loss Of Lives In Flash Floods CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alex Gomez is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Executive Professional in the Food & Beverage industry for his professional successes as an entrepreneur and restaurateur and his leadership at Tijuana's Bar and Grill. A graduate of the American University, Mr. Gomez is a distinguished and successful entrepreneur and restaurateur with nearly three decades of leadership in food and beverage management and international franchising. Originally from Puerto Rico, he learned quickly about the restaurant business having watched his brother work in the industry to help support their mother. Soon thereafter, Mr. Gomez worked at a Chart House steakhouse location in Puerto Rico. Upon relocating to California in the late 1990s, Mr. Gomez's mother opened De La Puerto Rico, a family-style Cuban restaurant that quickly became a local favorite. He continued to work at the Chart House steakhouse location in San Diego, where he gained valuable knowledge and experience in restaurant management. After obtaining an Associates of Arts in business administration in 2002, Mr. Gomez returned to Puerto Rico the following year with 20 years of success in fine and business management. His love for Mexican food while living in Southern California, led him to open the first Tijuana's Bar and Grill location in 2003 in Old San Juan. Fueled by his love for authentic Mexican cuisine, Tijuana's Bar and Grill has expanded to seven locations in Puerto Rico, with various franchising opportunities currently in development. As a testament to his success in the industry, Mr. Gomez has been featured on the cover of SBA Magazine and was named 2018 Business Person of the Year for his success in Tijuana's Bar and Grill's expansion. Mr. Gomez is dedicated to advising those curious about the restaurant industry and is looking forward to continuing his legacy. To learn more, please visit http://www.tijuanasbarandgrill.com/. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Mindless rampage on Himalayas must stop: Chipko movement leader India oi-Deepika S Gopeshwar, Feb 08: The glacial burst near Chamoli district''s Raini village, the cradle of the Chipko movement, should serve as a wake-up call to stop the rampage on the Himalayan ecological system in the name of development, said Magsaysay awardee Chandi Prasad Bhatt on Monday. According to the 87-year-old environmentalist, who was a Chipko movement leader, projects like the Rishi Ganga hydel project, which bore the brunt of Sunday''s calamity, should not have been given environmental clearance. Bhatt said that in 2010 he had written to the then environment minister warning against the adverse effects of the project. "Had my advice been heeded, the loss of lives and largescale damage to property at the project site could have been prevented. The mindless rampaging on the Himalayas in the name of development must stop," he said. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand''s Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 10 people dead and 143 missing, who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. UN stands ready to contribute to ongoing rescue, assistance efforts in Uttarakhand Two power projects -- NTPC''s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project -- were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Pointing out that the Himalayas are too delicate to bear too much human intervention, Bhatt, who has also been honoured with the International Gandhi Peace Prize, said, "Sunday''s avalanche was a wake-up call and so was the 2013 Kedarnath deluge in which thousands perished but authorities refuse to learn from natural calamities." A devastating natural disaster in the form of torrential rains of unseen magnitude had struck Kedarnath on 16-17 June in 2013. The banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath collapsed due to a cloudburst that had resulted in a major flash flood causing widespread destruction in Uttarakhand and led to heavy losses to infrastructure, agriculture lands, human and animal lives. "The Chipko movement had begun from Raini village after largescale devastation in the Rishi Ganga and Alakananda Valleys caused by a devastating flood in 1970. The flood awakened the locals to the need of saving the forests of Raini," said Bhatt who lives in Gopeshwar told PTI. The movement had resulted in a ban on cutting of trees in the catchment area of the Alaknanda river, he said. Women from Raini village of Uttarakhand had started the movement in the 1970s by clinging onto trees to prevent them from being cut. Though the movement was started to prevent the felling of trees, it went on to become an inspiration for environment conservation. Bhatt said environmental clearance to a 13 MW hydel project in a river close to its point of origin in a Himalayan glacier amounts to inviting calamities like this. Environmental clearance to projects like that on the Rishi Ganga without proper consideration could be highly detrimental to the delicate Himalayan ecological system. It also results in inordinate delay in clearance to infrastructural projects of public use, he said. Bhatt also underscored the need for updating the knowledge of the ecological system connected with places where rivers like the Ganga and its tributaries originate in the Himalayas. "On the points where the Ganga or its tributaries originate there are not only glaciers but also lakes of varying sizes, big and small, about which our knowledge is negligible. It needs to be augmented," he said. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News "We need to identify such lakes and glaciers, show them on our maps and keep a tab on them. An effective mechanism of sharing basic information on their vulnerability with the local administration and the local populace should also be developed," Bhatt stressed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 16:15 [IST] Proposal allowing commercial vessels in Philippines municipal fishing grounds opposed by Jonathan L. Mayuga February 08,2021 | Source: BusinessMirror Various stakeholders on Friday rejected the proposal to allow commercial fishing vessels to go fishing within the 15-kilometer municipal fishing ground in the Philippines due to its potential adverse impact on the environment and the livelihood of municipal fishermen. In particular, they rejected House Bill (HB) 7583 filed by Cebu Rep. Pablo John F. Garcia which seeks to allow commercial fishing between 10.1 to 15 kilometers inside the 15-kilometer municipal fishing ground. They said municipal fishing grounds are already overfished and allowing commercial fishing in municipal fishing grounds will further deplete the countrys fish stocks. Commercial fishing vessels are often accused of using destructive fishing methods that would threaten coastal and marine ecosystems. More importantly, they said municipal fishers cannot compete with commercial fishing vessels, adding to the fact that municipal fishing grounds are already running out of commercially-viable fish to catch. Oceana Philippines Vice President Gloria Estenzo Ramos said during an online press conference that commercial fishers and municipal fishers cannot co-exist. She said the proposed measure, if enacted, will only give additional ground for additional conflict between commercial fishers and municipal fishers. The current law on fisheries, the Amended Fisheries Code or Republic Act (RA) 10654, she said, has introduced crucial policy reform needed by the fisheries sector. Right now, the law is fine. RA 10654 is not even mentioned in HB 7583. The law states the policy reform. Crucial is the vessel monitoring system that is supposed to be implemented. This is a policy issuance, science-based and participatory fisheries management system. We are closer to the reforms being sought under RA 10654. Oceana, an international ocean conservation advocacy nongovernment organization, is pushing for the implementation of the vessel monitoring system and the fisheries management system. She said a commercial fishing company is pushing for the enactment of the amendatory bill to escape implementation of the vessel monitoring system and fisheries management system that will protect fisheries area and favorably lean toward municipal fishing. Wilfedo Campos, a marine science and fishery expert from the University of the Philippines-Visayas said the countrys fishing grounds are already overfished and fish stocks are already depleted. To sustain fish catch year after year, we must let other fish spawn so that the following year, we will have fish to catch, he said. He said the combined catches of the sector will reach its ceiling, if one sector like commercial fishing sector is allowed to go to areas closer to the shore. Commercial fishers will increase their catch, but this could put municipal fishers at a disadvantage. Within just weeks or months [of commercial fishing in municipal waters], municipal fishers will be displaced, he warned. The spirit of the Fisheries Code is very clearly, gives preference to the smaller fishermen. If we will amend the provision of the law that is not consistent with the spirt of the law, then little by little, we attack the spirit of the law. 020 BusinessMirror Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. These days, theres no need to go spending thousands of dollars on a brand new Mac. Thanks to innovative apps, you can make your older Mac seem as good as new by adding them and upgrading your computer experience. And with the help of the 2021 Mac Utility Bundle youll get access to five great apps that would typically cost you $51 for a whopping 61% off at just $19.99 in the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub. Your Mac will feel as good as new with the elite apps included in this bundle, like The Yummy Video Downloader, which helps you download videos, music, or both from any website and instantly export them to the format you would like. AppKiller: Close All Apps is a handy way to close all of the apps running on your device instantly, while Markdown+ Markup Editor lets you edit, style, preview and export your markdown in macOS. FileUnhider: Hide/Unhide Your Files makes it easy to hide or unhide files with just one click. And SpeakMe: Text to Audio Converter rounds out the bundle and lets you convert text to audio in any language with just one click. Get these awesome apps for one low price and make your Mac experience even more convenient. The 2021 Mac Utility Bundle is available now in the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub for just $19.99. Chamoli glacier disaster update: The ITBP has deployed 300 personnel to carry out rescue operations at a tunnel near Tapovan Dam in Chamoli district. Chamoli glacier broke off near Badrinath in Uttrakhand where a tremendous amount of devastation has been observed. Chamoli glacier broke off near Badrinath in Uttrakhand where a tremendous amount of devastation has been observed. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) & State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) were conducting rescue operations with 153 feared missing from Tapovan project sites after Uttarakhand glacier burst. Uttarakhand Director-General of Police (DGP) informed that the state faced heavy flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers, boulders and debris washed away the Raini power project causing a massive impact on Tapovan due to which 32 people from first and 121 people are missing from the second project. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakhs each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. 5 NDRF teams, DRDO avalanche experts arrived in Chamoli and National Crisis Management Committee had a meeting to ensure the rescue operations in full swing. Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam, also known as Rishi Ganga Project was completely washed off. Neeru Garg, DIG, Garhwal range, Uttarakhand said 15 of 178 people were rescued yesterday. The rescue operation is currently underway in another tunnel. Many fear theres the possibility that 35 people are stranded in it. The ITBP has deployed 300 personnel to carry out rescue operations at a tunnel near Tapovan Dam in Chamoli district. We were informed that 178 people were issued passes here. Of which, 15 were rescued y'day. Rescue operation underway in another tunnel. There's possibility that 35 people are stranded in it. Priority is to rescue them as soon as possible:Neeru Garg, DIG Garhwal range #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/3vLSHcMt1t ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Around 203 people are missing including 11 dead bodies recovered as of now. We weren't aware of a subsidiary company's project Tapovan till yesterday. We're estimating that 35 people are stuck in another tunnel. Rescue operation underway: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat pic.twitter.com/fd1PpH9i3F ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 It's a very difficult situation, but ITBP successfully rescued people from 1st tunnel & now they're working on 2nd tunnel which is approx 3 km long. NDRF&military are also on it. By afternoon we can expect some positive results: Union Min Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/4clLhCiFHP ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Uttarakhand: Rescue operation continues on the second day at Joshimath in Chamoli where a flash flood, triggered due to glacier burst, occurred y'day. 12 people were rescued from one tunnel y'day. The second tunnel is being cleared with the help of JCB machines to rescue people pic.twitter.com/WEe0qA6rXi ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Also Read: PM Modi slams global conspiracy to defame India, Twitters India Public Policy Director Mahima Kaul resigns Also Read: Sharpest Kid On The Block: ITV Network launches The Daily Guardian newspaper On Sunday, a glacial break in the Tapovan-Reni region of the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand led to major flooding in the rivers Dhauliganga and Alaknanda and damaged houses and the nearby power project Rishiganga. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Owner Brian Simmons looks over the preparation room in mortuary as workers get ready to prepare a body Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Springfield, Mo. Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Mortuary owner Brian Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. With COVID-19 devastating communities in Missouri, his two-person crews regularly arrive at homes in the Springfield area and remove bodies of people who decided to die at home rather than spend their final days in a nursing home or hospital where family visitations were prohibited during the pandemic. He understands all too well why people are choosing to die at home: His own 49-year-old daughter succumbed to the coronavirus just before Christmas at a Springfield hospital, where the family only got phone updates as her condition deteriorated. "The separation part is really rough, rough rough," said Simmons. "My daughter went to the hospital and we saw her once through the glass when they put her on the ventilator, and then we never saw her again until after she died." Across the country, terminally ill patientsboth with COVID-19 and other diseasesare making similar decisions and dying at home rather than face the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls. "What we are seeing with COVID is certainly patients want to stay at home," said Judi Lund Person, the vice president for regulatory compliance at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. "They don't want to go to the hospital. They don't want to go to a nursing home." Mortuary owner Brian Simmons and mortician Triston McAuliff talk in a cooler holding deceased people Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Springfield, Mo. Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) National hospice organizations are reporting that facilities are seeing double-digit percentage increases in the number of patients being cared for at home. The phenomenon has played out Carroll Hospice in Westminster, Maryland, which has seen a 30% to 40% spike in demand for home-based care, said executive director Regina Bodnar. She said avoiding nursing homes and coronavirus risks are the biggest factor behind the increase." Lisa Kossoudji, who supervises nurses at Ohio's Hospice of Dayton, pulled her own mother, now 95, out of assisted living and brought her home to live with her after the pandemic hit. She had gone weeks without seeing her mother and was worried that her condition was deteriorating because she was being restricted to her room as the facility sought to limit the potential for the virus to spread. Her mother, who has a condition that causes thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries in her brain, is now receiving hospice services. Kossoudji is seeing the families she serves make similar choices. "Lots of people are bringing folks home that physically, they have a lot physical issues, whether it is they have a feeding tube or a trachea, things that an everyday lay person would look at and say, 'Oh my gosh, I can't do this,'" she said. "But yet they are willing to bring them home because we want to be able to be with them and see them." Before the pandemic, hospice workers cared for patients dying of heart disease, cancer, dementia and other terminal illnesses in long-term care facilities and, to a lesser extent, home settings. Many families hesitated to go the die-at-home route because of the many logistical challenges, including work schedules and complicated medical needs. Mortician Triston McAuliff works in a cooler holding deceased people Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Springfield, Mo. More Americans are making the decision to have their terminally ill loved ones die at home rather than in nursing home and hospice settings. For many families, home is a better setting than the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) But the pandemic changed things. People were suddenly working from home and had more time, and they were more comfortable with home hospice knowing the alternative with lack of visitation at nursing homes. "What happened with COVID is everything was on steroids so to speak. Everything happened so quickly that all of a sudden family members were prepared to care for their loved ones at home," said Carole Fisher, president of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation. "Everything accelerated." "I have heard families say, 'I can care for my aged mother now very differently than I could before because I am working from home,'" she added. "And so there is more of a togetherness in the family unit because of COVID." Dying at home isn't for everyone, however. Caring for the needs of a critically ill relative can mean sleepless nights and added stress as the pandemic rages. Karen Rubel recalled that she didn't want to take her own 81-year-old mother to the hospital when she had a stroke in September and then pushed hard to bring her home as soon as possible. She is president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, which has designated one of its in-patient facilities for COVID-19 patients. "I get where people are coming from," she said. "They are afraid." Explore further Study finds room for improvement when hospital patients transition to hospice care 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Patna, Feb 8 : Despite stringent laws in place and close monitoring by the concerned agencies, majority of the private developers in Patna have taken 80-95 per cent money from the homebuyers without completing the projects. S.C. Mishra, a retired RBI official, told IANS: "We had booked a flat after the builder company promised to construct the apartment on time. It took 95 per cent of the flat's cost from us, but only 40-45 per cent of the construction work has been completed till now. The project was started in January 2018." "I had a dream of watching the construction of the building in which I booked the flat. Hence I rented a flat in the same area called Ashopur, located on the Danapur Khagaul road. But the slow progress of the construction work has disheartened me," hge added. Another homebuyer, Hemant Kumar, an official with the state government, said that he had booked a flat in January 2016, the construction for which started in June 2016 in New AG Colony on the Danapur Khagaul road. "But the project is not complete yet, despite we paying 95 per cent of the flat's cost. As per the norms, the builder companies have to take money according to the percentage of construction work being carried out. But in Patna, majority of the builders take 90-95 per cent of the money within two years without completing the construction work," Kumar said. "As per their modus operendai, the private builders in Patna take maximum money from the homebuyers of one project and invest it in two to three more projects. This is the actual reason for delay," he said. Keeping this in view, some of the homebuyers approched the Bihar Real Estate Regulatory Authority (BRERA) to register complaints against the respective builders. "We have registered 1,905 cases since the formation of BRERA in April 2018 against different private developers. The cases have been registered for various irregularities, including builders taking maximum money but not constructing the building on time. BRERA managed to dispose of 290 cases till December 2020," said a top official of BRERA, requesting anonymity. "Besides, we have also taken suo moto cognisance against various private developers and registered 410 cases. Among them, 42 cases were disposed of till December 2020. The remaining cases are under process in BRERA," he said. Patna has some prime locations, especially on Danapur Khagaul road, AIIMS Digha road, R-Block Digha road, Patna bypass road etc. A large number of residential apartments are coming up in these places due to their good connectivity. Homebuyers are showing interest to buy residential units in these places, especially after the formation of BRERA. "The strict laws of BRERA have put the builders in a situation where they cannot afford to delay their projects. BRERA has also built confidence among the buyers to file complaints for prompt action. Following the direction of the Supreme Court on old and delayed projects, the laws are such that if the builders are found guilty of diversion of funds or delay in the projects, we can force them to pay the buyers with interest," he said. "The boom in real estate sector has broader impact on other sectors as well. The banking sector in particular is bullish on it. They are coming forward to give loans for home and commercial purposes as they knew that the projects for which they are giving loans to the buyers will be completed in time and therefore their money would be repaid on time," said Ramesh Chander, a Patna-based property dealer. "The future of real estate is bright in cities like Patna. It will also help other sectors such as cement, iron, sanitary fitting, tiles, interior designing etc. There are 247 different sectors dependent on real estate, and it will also create jobs in Bihar. We have great expectations from the authorities to keep tab on the builders and ensure completion of projects on time," Chander added. When hotel quarantine was first implemented last year after a meeting of the national cabinet on March 27, each state was given less than two days to establish their own program. There was little in the way of national guidelines or ground rules they had to follow. Prime Minister Scott Morrison offered some logistical and other support, but he made clear that arrangements will be run by the state and territory governments in each state. As Victoria knows well, the ability of each state and territory to stand up such a complex program on such short notice was not always up to scratch. Victoria initially kept the virus contained to hotels, but by the end of June it was becoming clear there were some serious shortcomings. Scott Morrison has avoided taking too much responsibility for hotel quarantine. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen As the public hearings during the states hotel quarantine inquiry, led by Justice Jennifer Coate, made clear, there was enormous buck-passing not only by senior ministers but the heads of the government bureaucracies ostensibly in charge. What also became clear was the total lack of any oversight at a national level. Once the outbreak had spread through the community, and Victoria headed into a long lockdown, the federal government sent in support, but had no intention of taking charge. It left the state government little option but to shut down its botched quarantine program until it had the capacity to reset many months later. Representative Ron Wright, Republican of Texas, died on Sunday after battling Covid-19 in the hospital, his office said on Monday. He was 67. Mr. Wright announced on Jan. 21 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact earlier in the month with someone who had the virus. In the statement about Mr. Wrights death, his office said that he and his wife, Susan, had both been hospitalized in Dallas for the past two weeks. The statement did not confirm whether the virus caused the death of Mr. Wright, who had also been undergoing treatment for cancer. He is the first seated member of Congress to die after battling the virus. Luke Letlow, a Louisiana Republican elected in November, died a few days before he was scheduled to be sworn in. Fundraising underway for rare Brill trolley The Yakima Valley Trolleys organization has obtained a rare Brill trolley of the same type first used in Yakima in 1908. There are only five of this specific type of trolley left in the United States. The nonprofit has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the state of Washington to fund half of the cost of full restoration. Supporters need to match that grant with $150,000 in other funds by this June or lose the grant. "It was actually donated to us. ... This trolley is just like the ones that were the very, very first cars to run in Yakima. Yakima bought three brand-new trolleys in 1908 and this car is just like that," said Ken Johnsen, president of Yakima Valley Trolleys. The trolley is awaiting restoration in the shop of a railroad museum in Snoqualmie, Johnsen said. That work is expected to start this summer and take a year, though there's no set time frame until the restoration begins and workers know more about what needs to be done. Those who want to help fund that should visit www.yakimavalleytrolleys.org for links and more information. The Mount Sinai Health System announced today that it will expand its partnership with Contessa to launch Palliative Care at Home. Palliative Care at Home, which launched this past Spring to help care for seriously ill COVID-19 patients in their homes, will now be available to all of our seriously ill patients and their families, said R. Sean Morrison, MD, the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the one who initially conceptualized the program. The expansion builds on two highly successful programs for care in the homeRehabilitation at Home (RaH) and Hospital at Home (HaH)within the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai, the first department of Geriatrics established at an American medical school. RaH provides subacute rehabilitation to patients recovering from an illness or surgical procedure, while HaH brings hospital-level services into the homes of patients. HaH has cared for more than 1,000 patients since its inception in 2017 and during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a boon to patients convalescing in the comfort and safety of their own homes. Palliative Care at Home will leverage Mount Sinais expertise and leadership in palliative medicine; Mount Sinai was one of the first academic medical centers to develop palliative care and is now the largest such academic program in the nation. Like its forerunners, the palliative care at home program will be run by the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai and Contessa. Nashville-based Contessa works with health systems to bring health care into the home. The organization will work with Mount Sinai to operationalize the program, lend expertise in staffing, negotiate with payers, and implement Mount Sinais model of care at hospitals throughout the country. A team-based approach that provides an added layer of support for patients with serious illness, their families, and their health care providers, palliative care is focused on improving quality of life in the setting of serious illness through treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms, assistance with complicated medical decision-making, and care coordination. Palliative care is offered to patients of any age and is provided in tandem with all other appropriate treatments; in contrast to hospice, palliative care patients can continue receiving curative, life-saving care. Built upon a successful pilot research study funded by the West Health Institute, Palliative Care at Home transitioned from a clinical research trial to a full clinical program to meet the needs of seriously ill COVID-19 patients living at home during the spring surge in New York City. The success of the program during the COVID-19 crisis accelerated the creation of this new Mount Sinai-Contessa partnership. We are thrilled to be working with Contessa to both scale up the program in our own community and also to bring greater attention nationwide to this system of home-based care. The hope is that the model we have honed will inform and streamline efforts by other hospitals and health systems around the country, says Dr. Morrison. Palliative Care at Home will allow us to scale up a model of care that brings coordinated and specialized care into the homes of our patients while avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, says Niyum Gandhi, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. For the estimated 2 million Americans living with serious illness, many of whom are confined to the home by their physical limitations, the final frontier of care is in the community. Comparing the highly successful Hospital at Home program to Palliative Care at Home, Dr. Morrison explains, Hospital at Home provides a discrete episode of care, designed as a mechanism to replace hospitalization. Palliative Care at Home provides ongoing care and support day after day, month after month, for seriously ill patients and their families in their own homes, thus avoiding unnecessary and burdensome emergency department visits and hospital admissions. Contessa is honored to partner with Mount Sinai to expand its renowned home-based palliative care program to deliver high-quality care to more New Yorkers in their homes, said Aaron Stein, Chief Operating Officer of Contessa. Together, our organizations have built a strong Hospitalization at Home program that has proven to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. We are looking forward to building upon that success with this new initiative. About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality carefrom prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. About Contessa Based in Nashville, Contessa is the leader and pioneer of Home Recovery Care, a risk-based model that combines all the essential elements of inpatient hospital care in the comfort of patients homes. Founded in 2015, Contessa utilizes Care Convergence a proprietary technology platform to power the seamless delivery of Home Recovery Care that is safe, affordable and improves patient outcomes. Contessas turnkey solution provides upfront savings to health plans, enables health systems to reinvent their care delivery model and helps physicians deliver a better experience for patients. For more information, visit contessahealth.com or follow us at @contessahealth. analysis For many Africans, Europe has been greedy, hoarding inoculations made in the continent to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The repercussion is that Africa will cozy up further to the generous Asian giant -- China. Nothing in the world right now is in as much demand as the coronavirus vaccine. The available Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines come in short supply and have been purchased by countries with the thickest wallets. The People's Vaccine Alliance, an NGO network, reports that rich nations, representing only 14% of the world's population, have bought up more than half of the most promising vaccines. On the other hand, Africa is at the bottom of the queue. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, vaccines will not be available in most African countries until April 2022 at the earliest. While Europeans in the EU complain about the slow roll out of the vaccines, many Africans see no light at the end of the tunnel. Frustration with the West Africa has pre-ordered about 900 million doses so far. The African Center for Disease Control predicts the continent will need at least 1.5 billion doses to vaccinate 60% of the population. Distribution systems could cost up to $10 billion (8.3 billion) to purchase and set up. This leads to great frustration. "We have to be independent as a continent and country when it comes to vaccines and pharmaceutical products," Kenya's Minister of Health, Mutahi Kagwe, told DW. "It is foolish to rely on Western nations for medical issues. We don't always want to be the last people on the planet." Former Rwandan health minister Agnes Binagwaho has a similar message to the West. "Be honest and say, 'My people first.' Don't lie to us and say we are equal," she told DW. The first doses arrive South Africa has received a million doses from AstraZeneca this week. Rwanda has ordered a million doses from US pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna, with the first shipment expected to arrive in February. And Uganda expects its first doses of Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca in April. The COVAX program -- an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the vaccination alliance GAVI -- committed to the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in poor countries, hopes to deliver at least 1.3 billion doses to 92 low-income countries by the end of the year. But it can only buy vaccines approved by the WHO. So far, this only includes Pfizer's. Looking Far East China plans to fill the major gap. The Asian giant, with deep pockets and generosity, already signal intentions of becoming the first global powerhouse to deliver free vaccines to Africa. It could be purely for humanitarian reasons. And even if it is, one thing is certain - Africa's vaccine debacle will leverage its trade and development interests to the Chinese. At the moment, the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm is not in major use in Africa. And even if Pfizer suddenly had enough vaccines available, it wouldn't solve Africa's problem. "These vaccines were not made for developing countries. They have to be frozen," Eric Olander, founder of the information platform China-Africa-Project, said. "These vaccines are in many ways useless to most developing countries because the infrastructure to store them is not in place," Olander told DW. On the other hand, China and Russia emphasize that their vaccines are already available and can easily be stored in a common refrigerator. As early as May, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to make corona vaccines available primarily to the global south. "Europe and America are concentrating on themselves, and China has stepped in and invested a lot to get into the African vaccination market," said Robert Kappel, Africa researcher at the University of Leipzig. The EU had given the WHO a lot of money to secure vaccines for African countries, "but China is all ready for the vaccine distribution," Kappel told DW. 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' Despite the African continent's multibillion-dollar close ties with China, Western nations including Europe and the United States have always remained closer at heart with Africans. But the hoarding of vaccines by the West could become a deal-breaker - the last straw for that matter. The fast pace at which the Sino-Africa relationship grew in the past decades and the reliability that China has shown as a development partner, delivering vaccines and saving millions of African lives could prove to Africa the old saying; a friend in need is a friend indeed. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Coronavirus Asia, Australia, and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Even though China has been criticized for pursuing a so-called neo-colonialist agenda in Africa, the coronavirus vaccine assistance could change all that. "If China managed to give vaccines and save a large part of the African population, do you think they will see China negatively?" Rwanda's ex-minister Binagwaho asks, rhetorically. "This is an opportunity to literally pull the rug out from under the feet of rivals USA and Europe," Eric Olander said. "Why shouldn't China take advantage of it?" This article was originally written in German and adapted by Abu-Bakarr Jalloh. Rosie Birchard, Mariel Muller, Alexandra von Nahmen contributed to this article Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Molecular neurochemist Darrell Mousseau is a professor in USasks Department of Psychiatry and head of the Cell Signalling Laboratory. Credit: University of Saskatchewan Findings from a new study on Alzheimer's disease (AD), led by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), could eventually help clinicians identify people at highest risk for developing the irreversible, progressive brain disorder and pave the way for treatments that slow or prevent its onset. The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports in early January, has demonstrated that a shorter form of the protein peptide believed responsible for causing AD (beta-amyloid 42, or A42) halts the damage-causing mechanism of its longer counterpart. "While A42 disrupts the mechanism that is used by brain cells to learn and form memories, A38 completely inhibits this effect, essentially rescuing the brain cells," said molecular neurochemist Darrell Mousseau, professor in USask's Department of Psychiatry and head of the Cell Signalling Laboratory. Previous studies have hinted that A38 might not be as bad as the longer form, said Mousseau, but their research is the first to demonstrate it is actually protective. "If we can specifically take out the A42 and only keep the A38, maybe that will help people live longer or cause the disease to start later, which is what we all want." A42 is toxic to cells, disrupts communication between cells, and over time accumulates to form deposits called plaques. This combination of factors is believed responsible for causing AD. Experts have long thought that all forms of A peptides cause AD, despite the fact that clinical trials have shown removing these peptides from the brains of patients does not prevent or treat the disease. Mousseau said the idea behind the study was simple enough: If two more amino acids is bad, what about two less? "We just thought: Let's compare these three peptides, the 40 amino acid one that most people have, the 42 amino acid that we think is involved in Alzheimer's, and this 38 one, the slightly shorter version," said Mousseau, who is Saskatchewan Research Chair in Alzheimer disease and related dementias, a position co-funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan. The project confirmed the protective effects of the shorter protein across a variety of different analyses: in synthetic versions of the protein in test tubes; in human cells; in a worm model widely used for studying aging and neurodegeneration; in tissue preparations used to study membrane properties and memory; and in brain samples from autopsies. In the brain samples, they also found that men with AD who had more A42 and less A38 died at an earlier age. The fact that they didn't see this same pattern in samples from women suggests the protein peptide behaves differently in men and women. The USask team also included Maa Quartey and Jennifer Nyarko from the Cell Signalling Lab (Department of Psychiatry), Jason Maley at the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre, Carlos Carvalho in the Department of Biology, and Scot Leary in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. Joseph Buttigieg at the University of Regina and Matt Parsons at Memorial University of Newfoundland were also part of the research team. While Mousseau wasn't surprised to see that the shorter form prevents the damage caused by the longer version, he said he was a little taken aback at how significant an effect it had. "As soon as you put A38 into it, it brings it back up to control levels, completely inhibiting the toxic effects of A42. That's what was pleasantly surprising." Explore further AAIC: Turnover kinetics vary for different amyloid beta isoforms More information: Maa O. Quartey et al, The A(138) peptide is a negative regulator of the A(142) peptide implicated in Alzheimer disease progression, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Maa O. Quartey et al, The A(138) peptide is a negative regulator of the A(142) peptide implicated in Alzheimer disease progression,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80164-w Michigan officials sent cease-and-desist orders or suspended food licenses at 21 restaurants and food establishments since Dec. 1 for violating COVID-19 health orders and being a hazard to the public health. Six restaurants had their food license suspended and five of the six suspensions are still in place. Another 15 businesses were sent cease-and-desist orders, which is a lesser violation. The violations come via the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. State law gives MDARD authority to cease food operations or suspend/revoke food licenses. MDARD is one of four Michigan agencies to punish businesses for violating COVID-19 orders, including: Some places have been hit by multiple agencies for example, Iron Pig Smokehouse in Gaylord had its liquor license suspended and was hit with a fine by the MLCC, was fined by the MDHHS and had its food license suspended by MDARD. Food license suspensions are indefinite until the business comes into compliance with health orders and gets the green light from the local health department and MDARD, or if a court overrules the suspension. Michigans dine-in ban started Nov. 18, was extended multiple times and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31. While all other restaurants could reopen at 25% capacity with a 10 p.m. curfew among other restrictions a handful of restaurants that violated the ban and were penalized cannot legally reopen yet. Of the 21 MDARD violations, the majority are on the west side of Michigan. Only two of the 21 are in metro Detroit, while most are in rural parts of Michigan. Jimmys Roadhouse in Newaygo was also hit with a cease-and-desist order from MDARD, but the order was dismissed on the appeal. The judge said there wasnt enough proof that Jimmys opened for indoor dining without restrictions. Heres a look at the 21 businesses that have gotten in trouble with MDARD. The list includes the alleged violations and resulting penalties. Details come from the MDARD website and from decisions via the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules. An administrative law judge hears cases to decide if suspensions should continue or be lifted. Cafe Rosetta Location: Calumet Violations: The local health department received 169 written complaints and 149 other complaints about Cafe Rosetta between Oct. 1 and Dec. 9 for violating Michigans health orders. It warned Cafe Rosetta on Nov. 23, saying it needed to close for indoor dining and require masks for employees and customers within 72 hours. It refused. MDARD issued a cease-and-desist order to Cafe Rosetta on Nov. 25, but that was ignored as well. MDARD suspended its food license on Dec. 2. Cafe Rosetta still refused to close or require masks. Penalty: The food license remains indefinitely suspended, a judge decided in a Dec. 21 hearing. Bullseye Marketplace Location: Three Rivers Violations: In early November, MDARD learned Bullseye Marketplace wasnt requiring customers or employees to wear masks. MDARD sent a warning letter to the business. But further inspections showed no change, and MDARD suspended the food license at the store on Dec. 7. Penalty: The food license remains indefinitely suspended, a judge decided in a Dec. 18 hearing. Spanglers Family Restaurant Location: Jonesville Violations: The local health department issued a cease-and-desist order to Spanglers on Nov. 18, as it remained open for indoor dining despite the dine-in ban starting. Spanglers refused, and MDARD issued its own cease-and-desist order to the business on Dec. 2. The restaurant still refused to close for indoor dining and MDARD suspended its food license on Dec. 14. While Spanglers did implement a variety of COVID-19 mitigation protocols, it still stayed open in violation of the orders and in violation of its food license suspension. Penalty: The food license remains indefinitely suspended, a judge decided in a Jan. 22 hearing. Iron Pig Smokehouse Location: Gaylord Violations: The local health department ordered Iron Pig to comply with state health orders in late November, but the restaurant continued to offer indoor dining, not require social distancing and not require customers or employees to wear masks. The MLCC suspended Iron Pigs liquor license on Dec. 2 and MDARD issued a cease-and-desist order to the business on the same day. The MLCC later suspended Iron Pigs liquor license for 90 days. Iron Pig still refused to close for indoor dining and MDARD suspended its food license on Dec. 29. The restaurant continued to stay open. Penalty: The food license remains indefinitely suspended, a judge decided in a Jan. 20 hearing. All Star Coney Island Location: Howell Violations: The county health department issued a cease-and-desist order to All Star on Dec. 11 because it was offering indoor dining during the dine-in ban. But the restaurant continued offering indoor dining, didnt require social distancing and didnt require masks for customers or employees. MDARD issued a cease-and-desist order to All Star on Dec. 17. Violations continued, and MDARD suspended the food license on Dec. 29. A judge upheld the indefinite suspension on Jan. 19. Penalty: The suspension was dissolved Jan. 28, after All Star officials worked with the health department to develop a safety protocol plan and come into compliance with the health orders, said MDARD spokesperson Jennifer Holton. Marlenas Bistro and Pizzeria Location: Holland Violations: The local health department sent a warning to the restaurant on Dec. 2, saying it must comply with health orders, stop offering indoor dining and temporarily close for 72 hours. It refused, and the health department responded with a cease-and-desist order. After watching Marlenas stay open for indoor dining, not require masks and not require social distancing, MDARD issued its own cease-and-desist order on Dec. 30. MDARD suspended its food license Jan. 20 after Marlenas continued to not comply. Penalty: The food license remains indefinitely suspended, although a judges ruling is pending. Silver Tavern Location: Deckerville Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open inside and offered indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 1 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Lindas Lou Location: Brown City Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open inside and offered indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 1 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Big Boy/Sandusky Family Restaurant Location: Sandusky Violations: The restaurant allowed indoor dining with no restrictions, wasnt requiring masks, advertised being open for indoor dining and is operating without a valid food license. MDARD sent an order Dec. 2 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Charlies Family Grill Location: Fremont Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open for indoor dining and did so, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 4 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Cravins Location: Hudson Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open inside and offered indoor dining with no restrictions. MDARD sent an order Dec. 4 to cease and desist all food operations. The restaurant appealed the order and continued to stay open, but an administrative law judge ruled against Cravins in the appeal on Jan. 27. Penalty: The order was dissolved Feb. 2, after Cravins worked with officials to get in compliance with health orders. D&Rs Daily Grind Location: Portage Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open for indoor dining and did so, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 4 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Royal Scot Location: Lansing Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open for indoor dining and did so without restrictions, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 7 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The order was dissolved Jan. 6, after Royal Scot worked with officials to get in compliance with health orders. Chapz Roadhouse Location: Lakeview Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open inside, and did so without restrictions, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 7 to cease and desist all food operations. Chapz appealed, but continued to stay open. Penalty: A judge upheld the cease-and-desist order Jan. 11 and it remains in effect. Cast Iron Kitchen Location: Manton Violations: The restaurant advertised it was open inside and offered indoor dining without restrictions, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 11 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Bowens Family Dining Location: Delton Violations: The restaurant offered indoor dining and advertised being open, despite the dine-in ban. MDARD sent an order Dec. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Sunrise Family Diner Location: Howell Violations: The restaurant allowed indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban, and wasnt requiring customers to wear masks or socially distance. MDARD sent an order Jan. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The order was dissolved Feb. 2, after Sunrise officials worked with officials to get in compliance with health orders. Sues Kountry Kitchen Location: Cedar Springs Violations: The restaurant allowed indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban. It also wasnt requiring people to wear a mask or socially distance. MDARD sent an order Jan. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Bernita Mae Cafe Location: Sand Lake Violations: The restaurant allowed indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban, and wasnt requiring masks. MDARD sent an order Jan. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Wildroast Coffee Co. Location: Grandville Violations: The coffee shop allowed indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban, and wasnt requiring masks or social distancing. MDARD sent an order Jan. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. Lakeside Inn Location: Sand Lake Violations: The restaurant allowed indoor dining, despite the dine-in ban, and wasnt requiring masks. MDARD sent an order Jan. 15 to cease and desist all food operations. Penalty: The cease-and-desist order remains in effect. RELATED STORIES Restaurants defying Michigan dine-in ban hit with fines from multiple state agencies Michigan suspends liquor licenses at comedy club, golf bar for COVID-19 violations Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining here are Michigans new rules Michigan cites 20 employers in latest round of COVID-19 safety violations Thanks to COVID-19, Michigan had more work safety complaints in 2020 than last 4 years combined Electoral Bonds: Kolkata Bought EBs Worth Rs35.75 Crore; Mumbai Stays Away from 15th Phase The relationship between electoral bonds (EBs) and elections and donors (buyers of EB) is becoming quite predictable. Over the past three years and during all 14 phases, Mumbai has remained the top buyer of EBs. However, the recent sale of EBs by the State Bank of India (SBI) shows that it was Kolkata which bought a majority of the bonds sold during the latest or 15th phase of sale. Mumbai did not buy a single rupee EB this time, reveals a response received by Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Quoting the reply from SBI, Cmde Batra says, "Total value of EBs sold in 15th phase is Rs42.10 crore. Out of these, EBs worth Rs35.75 crore were sold only in Kolkata. Next was Jaipur, where EBs worth Rs5 crore were sold. It was followed by SBI's New Delhi main branch (Rs1.25 crore) and Thiruvananthapuram where EBs worth Rs10 lakh were sold between 1 January and 10 January 2021. Actually, the sale was conducted over just seven working days." As expected, Kolkata remained the topper in encashment of EBs with Rs26 crore, followed by New Delhi. However, surprisingly, no bond was encashed either at Jaipur or Thiruvananthapuram. It was Hyderabad where bonds worth Rs6.25 crore were encashed by political parties, information shared by Cmde Batra shows. Until the last window period till 10 January 2021, a total of 151 EBs of various denominations were sold. A major portion of them is the highest value denomination of Rs1 crore (34 bonds) followed by the next highest denomination of Rs10 lakh (78 bonds). A total of 29 bonds of Rs1 lakh denomination were sold in the 15th phase. Meanwhile, the purchases made for the lower denominations of Rs10,000 are only 10 electoral bonds, while nobody bought EBs of Rs1,000 denomination. Except for three bonds of Rs1 lakh each, all others were encashed by political parties. Electoral bonds worth Rs3 lakh, sold by Kolkata, were not encashed, which would be transferred to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). As reported by Moneylife, over the past three years, the State Bank of India (SBI), the official channel for selling these instruments, has sold EBs worth Rs6,492.68 crore in 14 phases. ( Read: Electoral Bonds: SBI Sold Bonds Worth Rs6,492.7 Crore during Past 3 Years During 2018 to 2020, SBI sold 12,773 electoral bonds, of which 12,632 bonds worth Rs6,472.43 crore were encashed. Bonds worth Rs20.25 crore that remain uncashed were transferred to the PMNRF. During the 14 phases, Mumbai with 31.16% share was at the top where EBs were sold. Mumbai is followed by Kolkata at 22.98% and New Delhi at 14.67% share. However, when it comes to encashing the electoral bonds, Delhi leads the pack. Over the past three years, 77.31% of electoral bonds sold, were encashed in the national capital, followed by Hyderabad at 9.31% and Bhubaneshwar at 4.84%. Despite contributing most in the electoral bond sale, when it comes to encashing, Mumbai is at the fifth spot with 2.34% share in total bonds encashed by the donee at the end of the 14th phase. Information obtained by Cmde Batra shows that during the 14 phases of sale of electoral bonds, SBI has earned Rs3.66 crore as commission, excluding taxes. During the 14th phase, SBI sold 321 electoral bonds worth Rs282.29 crore, of which all except one bond of Rs1,000, were encashed. Until the latest window period till October 2020, a total of 12,773 electoral bonds of various denominations were sold. A major portion of them is the highest value denomination of Rs1 crore (5,981 bonds) followed by the next highest denomination of Rs10 lakh (4,943 bonds). A total of 1,731 bonds of Rs1 lakh denomination were sold in these 14 cycles. Meanwhile, the purchases made for the lower denominations of Rs1,000 and Rs10,000 are only 48 and 70 electoral bonds, respectively. On 2 January 2018, the ministry of finance had notified the EB scheme. As per the scheme, an electoral bond is a bond issued in the nature of a promissory note, it may be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India or entities incorporated or established in India. The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs1,000, Rs10,000, Rs1 lakh, Rs10 lakh and Rs1 crore. These are available at specified branches of SBI and any account-holder compliant with know-your-customer (KYC) norms can buy these bonds. Donors can donate the bonds to their party of choice, which can then be encashed by the party's verified account within 15 days. The bond does not carry the name of the buyer or the payee. The political party does not have to disclose who it has received the bond from in its account. Neither does the donor entity have to state to which party it has donated. Also, as per the scheme only eligible political parties with 1% vote share are eligible to buy electoral bonds. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File A group of Black Republicans wants a Smithsonian museum to better reflect the legacy of Clarence Thomas. The push was led by freshman GOP Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida. "Black History transcends political correctness and partisanship," Donalds wrote. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. A group of Black Republicans, led by freshman GOP Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, have asked the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to "honor" Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas by updating an exhibit that they say currently "falls short" in reflecting his legacy. The letter was reported by Fox News and also signed by figures including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the upper chamber, along with Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah and Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James, among others. "This museum is a national treasure for our nation's fabric - this is especially true for me as a Black American and Republican," Donalds wrote. "Black History transcends political correctness and partisanship. Overall, the NMAAHC honors its mission, but it is unfortunate to see pitfalls likely driven by irresponsible bias." The museum, which opened in September 2016 and has a permanent collection of over 36,000 artifacts, is a Smithsonian Institution museum. Thomas, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, was nominated for the position by then-President George H.W. Bush in 1991 to replace the retiring legal trailblazer Thurgood Marshall, who was the first Black American to serve on the Supreme Court. Read more: Trump tested the Constitution and shredded traditions. Biden and the Democrats have big plans of their own about what to do next. When the museum first opened, Thomas was largely mentioned only in connection with the contentious 1991 confirmation battle that involved allegations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, a former Thomas staffer. Story continues Thomas strongly denied the allegations and described his confirmation process as "a high-tech lynching." He was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a narrow 52-48 margin. In 2017, a more substantive exhibit about Thomas was presented at the museum, but several conservatives, including insist it is insufficient. Donalds said the tribute to Thomas paled in comparison to that of Marshall. "As a Black man who has a profound respect for the contributions Justice Thomas has propitiated for generations to come, this museum must encapsulate his life as it does for hundreds of other monumental Black figures," Donalds wrote, adding that the museum currently doesn't reflect his "achievements and life compared to his counterpart, the Honorable Justice Thurgood Marshall." Donalds also said "Black history cannot and should not be political," and urged the museum to offer an "unbiased assessment" of Black historical figures. "The American people deserve an unbiased assessment of the trailblazers in the Black community - it is time to honor Justice Thomas with this long-overdue documentation of his whole life and history and not the disingenuous effort displayed today," Donalds wrote. Owens echoed a similar sentiment about the Thomas exhibit to Fox News. "As one of the only two Black men to serve on our nation's highest and most distinguished court, US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas deserves unbiased recognition from the National Museum of African American History and Culture," he told the outlet, adding the museum should "appropriately honor the continued legacy of Justice Thomas." The museum released a statement to Artnet News regarding the matter. "While all our exhibitions are based on rigorous research, they are still open to interpretation," the statement reads. "Through scholarship, publications, and education, the museum will continue to explore the rich contributions and complexity of African Americans." Read the original article on Business Insider ADVERTISEMENT Suspected herdsmen have killed a farmer identified as Dele Olowoniyi, on his farm on Sunday. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Olowoniyi was killed in a farm settlement located at Oha village, Imeko, in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State. Sources told this newspaper that the deceased was found dead with machete cuts in his neck and other parts of his body following the invasion of the village by some herdsmen. The herdsmen attacked one of our brothers in Imeko village with cutlass around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. They also came with gun shooting indiscriminately into the air to scare people away, a source said. Also, a relative of the victim, who does not want to be named for fear of reprisal attacks, said after her uncle was killed, the herdsmen left Oha village and proceeded to Iwoye Ketu in the same area where they carried out similar attack but we heard nobody was killed. The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the killing but said he was unsure whether it was carried out by herdsmen. The police was informed about an incident that a house in a farm settlement was attacked and the man who lived in the place was attacked, Mr Oyeyemi told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday morning. We cannot point at his killers at the moment whether they are Fulani herdsmen or not. We are still investigating. He said the family did not allow the police to keep the body for an autopsy. ATLANTA The office of Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, on Monday started an investigation into former President Donald J. Trumps attempts to overturn the states election results, including a phone call he made to Mr. Raffensperger in which Mr. Trump pressured him to find enough votes to reverse his loss. Such inquiries are fact-finding and administrative in nature, the secretarys office said, and are a routine step when complaints are received about electoral matters. Findings are typically brought before the Republican-controlled state board of elections, which decides whether to refer them for prosecution to the state attorney general or another agency. The move comes as Fani Willis, the Democratic district attorney of Fulton County, which encompasses much of Atlanta, is weighing whether to begin a criminal inquiry of her own. A spokesman for Ms. Willis declined to comment on Monday. The January call was one of several attempts Mr. Trump made to try to persuade top Republican officials in the state to uncover instances of voting fraud that might change the outcome, despite the insistence of voting officials that there was no widespread fraud to be found. He also called Gov. Brian Kemp in early December and pressured him to call a special legislative session to overturn his election loss. Later that month, Mr. Trump called a state investigator and pressed the official to find the fraud, according to those with knowledge of the call. Cyclone Yaas: Amit Shah to hold review meeting with Chief Ministers of states to be affected MVA govt in Maharashtra like 3-wheeler pulling in different directions: Shah India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Feb 08: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress is like an auto-rickshaw whose three wheels were pulling in different directions. The senior BJP leader also said that ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections, his party did not promise Shiv Sena - then its alliance partner - to share the chief minister's post. "I don't make promises in closed rooms. Whatever I do, I do it openly. I don't do politics in closed rooms," Shah said. MVA govt proposes shifting metro car shed to bullet-train project site; BJP, Shiv Sena lock horns Speaking after inaugurating a private medical college at Kankavli in Sindhudurg district, Shah said, "This (MVA) is an unholy alliance and an outcome of betraying the people's mandate which was for a BJP-Shiv Sena government led by (BJP's) Devendra Fadnavis." The MVA alliance is a result of the lust for power, Shah said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly polls in over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post with the BJP, and later forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress to come to power. Thackeray had claimed that Shah, who was then BJP president, had assured at his 'Matoshree' bungalow in Mumbai that the CM's post would be shared by the two parties, and the BJP reneged on the promise. It is being claimed that the BJP broke the promise, Shah said, adding his party honours the promises it makes. "We don't speak white lies. We are the ones who honour commitments. In Bihar, we had said that even if the BJP gets more seats, Nitish Kumar will continue to be the CM," Shah said. Slamming Thackeray, Shah said the Shiv Sena leader addressed poll rallies with him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the Maharashtra Assembly elections. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News In the poll posters of Shiv Sena candidates, Modi's pictures were bigger than Thackeray's, Shah said. "We sought votes for the BJP-Sena alliance led by Fadnavis. Why didn't you speak out then? You just garnered votes in Modi's name," he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 9:26 [IST] CHICO, Calif. - Two of Chico's Salvation Army Leaders are moving to a new city. Action News spoke to the married couple about all they have done in Chico. The Rodriguera's have been the co-leaders for the Chico Salvation Army for the last six years. They say one of their biggest accomplishments is finishing the Chico Community Center building. "It has been an amazing journey on the day to day my husband and I pastor a congregation and we oversee a family service office that does a weekly food distribution to 300 local families, low income, and seniors in the community," said Arwyn Rodriguera. "Weekly emergencies we face with those struggling to make it by paycheck to paycheck making sure we can keep them in the homes by providing food and helping them with their budget. That is the sort of impact we got to expand on while being here," said Craig Rodriguera. Arwyn and Craig Rodriguera say they also helped out for the Oroville Spillway Incident, the Camp Fire, and the Bear Fire. During COVID-19 they adopted twins, and then recently got a new station in San Francisco. "We have had an incredible time here in Chico from the building project, to emergency disaster, to board members, to congregation. We are heading to the Salvation Army San Francisco Crock Center in the Tenderloin. So in the Salvation Army moves are based on potential to grow, so they are giving Craig and me an opportunity to grow in a leadership role," said Arwyn Rodriguera. "We are going to do a similar role, with a larger facility. We are going to be officers overseeing the Community Center. Some of the Social Services and helping those in need in the community and we are overseeing 110 unit apartment complex," said Craig Rodriguera. The transitional leader for the Salvation Army here is actually going to be Craig's dad. "That is unusual in the Salvation Army world and he comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience, so you are trading up to the better model," said Arwyn Rodriguera. The Rodriguera's say they are going to miss the culture in Chico. "I have really just been blessed by the strong sense of community and collaboration, our community partners that are not just partners they have become friends of mine that I will carry for life. How we are resilient and how we fight," said Arwyn Rodriguera. "I think we have really learned a lot from just meeting with people in person. I know a lot of people have taken us on," said Craig Rodriguera. The Rodriguera's say everything they have learned here in Chico they will take with them to San Francisco. Their full-time replacements have not been announced. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Ever since Americans declared their independence from the British Empire, some people have judged that the best way to solve our political differences is to leave. Secession, as an idea and even as a reality, has been part of American politics from the beginning. Now, a New Mexico state senator has proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow counties to secede from the state. While there may be cases where the only political solution is dissolution, this is not one of them. County secession is not only impractical, it doesnt make sense legally. Anyone who teaches U.S. government can tell you that one of the most difficult topics in the class is the sharing of power among municipalities, states and the national government. We call the system federalism, and at times it seems to defy reason. The states are in some ways subordinate to the national government and yet in other ways independent of it. To understand the powers of the different levels of government, we can look at the origin of the United States as a nation. The 13 original states were virtually independent countries before they became part of a larger country called the United States. When the time came to form a union, the nations founders did not erase the original states and start over with a blank map although they considered it. Instead, they invited the existing states to join a federation in which each state would be bound to the others and yet remain an independent source of governing authority within its borders. As the national government admitted new states, it gave them the same status as the original 13. The legitimate topic of states rights under the Constitution can, however, lead to confusion when it comes to government within the states. We are seeing this confusion right now in New Mexico. While the United States is a federation of states, the states are not federations of counties or cities. Unlike the states themselves and Native governments, municipalities in the U.S. have no independent legal rights, least of all a right to secede. In a unanimous decision in the 1907 U.S. Supreme Court case Hunter v. City of Pittsburgh, Justice William Moody wrote, Municipal corporations are political subdivisions of the State, created by it and at all times wholly under its legislative control. Moody drew on an earlier case from Iowa in which the judge had ruled, Municipal corporations owe their origin to, and derive their powers and rights wholly from, the (state) Legislature. It breathes into them the breath of life, without which they cannot exist. City and county governments are, in this sense, the local branches of the state government. For this reason, a county cannot have the right to secede from a state, because whatever rights it has emanate from the state in the first place. Put another way, counties are not at all independent of their states in the way that states are independent of the national government. New Mexicos long tradition of home rule usually keeps the state government out of the day-to-day business of counties and cities. But it doesnt alter the branch-to-headquarters relationship of local governments to the state government. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ If two adjoining states want to adjust their border, they are free to do so. But today its hard to imagine the government of New Mexico or any other state would give away a county. And the county in question has no right to decide what state it belongs to or whether it belongs to a state at all. At the end of the day, New Mexicos voters can pass any constitutional amendment they want. They can say counties can secede, just as they can say all triangles in New Mexico have four sides. But such proposals are sure to confuse and mislead voters, encourage dishonest grandstanding by political leaders, and incite argument where there is, in fact, nothing to argue about. Given our states significant challenges, and our Legislatures limited schedule, we can hope they will spend their time on proposals that might improve the lives of New Mexicans. Matthew C. Simpson teaches political theory and American politics at the University of New Mexico. Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. Story Highlights 52% favor their senators convicting Donald Trump; 45% do not 51% think the U.S. made progress on the economy with Trump in office 62% say the country lost ground on the federal debt while he was president WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial is about to begin, a new Gallup poll finds a slim majority of Americans (52%) saying they would like their senators to vote to convict him. Americans tilted against conviction in his first impeachment trial a little over a year ago. Americans' Preferences for Their Senators' Votes in the Impeachment Trials of Donald Trump, 2020 vs. 2021 Vote in favor of convicting Vote against convicting % % Jan 21-Feb 2, 2021 52 45 Jan 2-15, 2020 46 51 GALLUP The same poll finds the 45th president getting mixed reviews as to whether the country made progress or lost ground on 18 issues during his term. He is largely seen as presiding over progress on the economy, national defense and energy, but losing ground on numerous issues -- chiefly, the federal debt and race relations. Gallup's Jan. 21-Feb. 2 poll was conducted after the House of Representatives voted on Jan. 13 to impeach Trump for "incitement of insurrection" related to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Slim Majority Favor Convicting Trump in His Second Impeachment Trial Fifty-two percent of Americans would like their senators to vote to convict Trump, while 45% prefer their senators find him not guilty and 3% are unsure. The public is slightly more supportive of convicting Trump now than they were in January 2020 just before his first Senate trial, after he was impeached for withholding congressionally approved foreign aid to Ukraine to secure a political favor and for obstructing Congress in its investigation of the matter. At that point, 46% said they favored conviction and 51% did not. Trump was ultimately acquitted in the first trial that could have resulted in his removal from office had he been convicted. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more supportive of conviction this time than they were in 2020, as 89% favor it and 7% oppose it. In 2020, 81% favored conviction and 17% opposed. For their part, 88% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents currently oppose Trump's conviction, and 10% favor it. These readings are similar to January 2020. Partisans' Preferences for Their Senators' Votes in the Impeachment Trials of Donald Trump, 2020 vs. 2021 Vote in favor of convicting Vote against convicting % % Jan 21-Feb 2, 2021 Democrats/Democratic leaners 89 7 Republicans/Republican leaners 10 88 Jan 2-15, 2020 Democrats/Democratic leaners 81 17 Republicans/Republican leaners 12 86 GALLUP Looking back at the only other postwar president to be impeached, Bill Clinton, far fewer Americans supported his conviction at the beginning of his trial: 32% wanted their senators to vote to convict and remove him from office, while 63% favored acquittal. Americans See Progress and Setbacks During Trump's Term Although a slight majority of Americans favor Trump's conviction in his current impeachment trial, about half also believe the country made progress in two important areas over the four years he served as president. More also see progress than regression in another five areas. In spite of the historic economic disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020, 51% of Americans perceive the country made progress on the economy over the past four years, outweighing the percentage who say it lost ground (38%). over the past four years, outweighing the percentage who say it lost ground (38%). Americans' assessment of national defense and the military is even more positive, with 49% saying the U.S. made progress and only about half as many (24%) saying it lost ground. is even more positive, with 49% saying the U.S. made progress and only about half as many (24%) saying it lost ground. Positive evaluations outweigh negative ones by more than 10 percentage points for energy (46% see progress and 28% see decline) and the situation in Afghanistan (35% vs. 24%). (46% see progress and 28% see decline) and (35% vs. 24%). The balance of opinion is also marginally positive with respect to terrorism, taxes, and the situation for gay and lesbian Americans. Issues on Which Americans Think the U.S. Made More Progress Than Lost Ground With Trump in Office I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last four years, since Donald Trump became president. Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % pct. pts. National defense and the military 49 26 24 +25 Energy 46 25 28 +18 The economy 51 10 38 +13 The situation in Afghanistan 35 35 24 +11 Terrorism 44 20 35 +9 Taxes 42 25 33 +9 The situation for gay and lesbian Americans 37 28 33 +4 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground" Gallup, Jan. 21-Feb. 2, 2021 But Americans think the country lost more ground than it gained in the other 11 areas rated. They are especially critical of the trajectory of the federal debt and race relations , with roughly six in 10 saying the country lost ground on each -- about three times the level saying it gained ground on the federal debt, and nearly four times the percentage saying it gained ground on race relations. and , with roughly six in 10 saying the country lost ground on each -- about three times the level saying it gained ground on the federal debt, and nearly four times the percentage saying it gained ground on race relations. Climate change , the wealth gap , education , the United States' position in the world , immigration and the situation for Black Americans are also perceived as having worsened rather than improved, and by large margins. , , , , and are also perceived as having worsened rather than improved, and by large margins. Americans are more narrowly critical of how crime, healthcare and trade relations with other countries fared under Trump. Issues on Which Americans Think the U.S. Lost More Ground Than Made Progress With Trump in Office I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last four years, since Donald Trump became president. Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % pct. pts. Trade relations with other countries 38 15 45 -7 Healthcare 32 27 41 -9 Crime 30 26 43 -13 The situation for Black Americans 32 17 49 -17 Immigration 33 14 52 -19 The United States' position in the world 34 8 58 -24 Education 23 29 47 -24 The gap between the wealthy and the less well-off 25 21 54 -29 Climate change 17 32 49 -32 Race relations 23 16 61 -38 The federal debt 16 18 62 -46 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground" Gallup, Jan. 21-Feb. 2, 2021 Recent Presidents Remembered for Different Achievements, Failures Gallup also measured Americans' views of conditions at the end of Barack Obama's and George W. Bush's second terms, asking whether the country had made progress or lost ground. The table below summarizes net-positive ratings in the 12 areas in which Trump, Obama and Bush were all rated. Trump's perceived performance exceeds both of his two predecessors' on four issues: national defense, the economy, taxes and terrorism. The net-negative perception of progress on crime under Trump (-13) ties with Bush's rating, with both ahead of the Obama-era rating. Trump's rating on immigration (-19) ties with Obama's, with both surpassing Bush's rating. Trump's performance lags his immediate predecessors' on education, race relations and climate change/the environment, with especially low ratings for the latter two. Additionally, his performance lags Obama's on healthcare, the United States' position in the world and energy. Americans' Views of Progress Made by Recent Presidents While in Office I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last [four/eight] years, since [ ... ] became president. Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % pct. pts. National defense and the military Donald Trump 49 26 24 +25 Barack Obama 30 28 39 -9 George W. Bush 39 21 36 +3 Energy Donald Trump 46 25 28 +18 Barack Obama 46 26 23 +23 George W. Bush 21 27 49 -28 The economy Donald Trump 51 10 38 +13 Barack Obama 42 20 36 +6 George W. Bush 5 7 87 -82 Taxes Donald Trump 42 25 33 +9 Barack Obama 23 40 34 -11 George W. Bush 16 35 45 -29 Terrorism Donald Trump 44 20 35 +9 Barack Obama 28 20 49 -21 George W. Bush 40 20 37 +3 Healthcare Donald Trump 32 27 41 -9 Barack Obama 43 13 43 0 George W. Bush 13 33 52 -39 Crime Donald Trump 30 26 43 -13 Barack Obama 21 21 56 -35 George W. Bush 25 33 39 -14 Immigration Donald Trump 33 14 52 -19 Barack Obama 27 27 45 -18 George W. Bush 14 28 51 -37 Education Donald Trump 23 29 47 -24 Barack Obama 31 28 39 -8 George W. Bush 28 38 42 -14 The United States' position in the world Donald Trump 34 8 58 -24 Barack Obama 30 19 49 -19 George W. Bush 12 17 69 -57 Climate change/The environment Donald Trump 17 32 49 -32 Barack Obama 42 20 36 +6 George W. Bush 28 28 42 -14 Race relations Donald Trump 23 16 61 -38 Barack Obama 25 20 52 -27 George W. Bush 40 31 25 +15 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground" Data on Donald Trump collected Jan. 21-Feb. 2, 2021; data on Barack Obama collected Jan. 2-3, 2017; data on George W. Bush collected Jan. 2-4, 2009 GALLUP Trump is rated similar to Obama on the wealth gap and trade relations; better than Obama on the situation in Afghanistan; and worse than Obama on the federal debt, the situation for Black Americans, and the situation for lesbian and gay Americans. Trump-Bush comparisons cannot be made on these issues as Gallup did not rate them for Bush. Americans' Views of Progress Made by Trump and Obama on Six Issues I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last [four/eight years], since [ ... ] became president. Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % pct. pts. The situation in Afghanistan Donald Trump 35 35 24 +11 Barack Obama 26 26 38 -12 The situation for gay and lesbian Americans Donald Trump 37 28 33 +4 Barack Obama 68 11 16 +52 Trade relations with other countries Donald Trump 38 15 45 -7 Barack Obama 32 28 36 -4 The situation for Black Americans Donald Trump 32 17 49 -17 Barack Obama 30 27 37 -7 The gap between the wealthy and the less well-off Donald Trump 25 21 54 -29 Barack Obama 14 34 48 -34 The federal debt Donald Trump 16 18 62 -46 Barack Obama 21 18 57 -36 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground" Data on Donald Trump collected Jan. 21-Feb. 2, 2021; data on Barack Obama collected Jan. 2-3, 2017 GALLUP Extreme Partisan Differences in Trump-Era Progress Ratings As would be expected, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have a net-positive view of the changes that have occurred in almost all of the 18 issues on which the Trump era was rated in the new poll. But there is a wide range of positive evaluations, from +84 for the economy to +18 for both race relations and climate change. The federal debt is the only issue on which Republicans think that more ground has been lost than gained under Trump. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents perceive the country has lost ground in all 18 areas over the past four years, with their most negative views reserved for race relations, the United States' position in the world and immigration. Partisans' Views of Net Progress Made While Trump Was in Office Figures represent the the percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground," among Republicans/Republican-leaning independents and Democrats/Democratic-leaning independents. Net progress: Republicans Net progress: Democrats pct. pts. pct. pts. The economy +84 -41 National defense and the military +78 -19 Energy +73 -30 Taxes +71 -44 Terrorism +67 -37 Trade relations with other countries +63 -57 The situation in Afghanistan +56 -26 Healthcare +51 -65 The situation for Black Americans +49 -75 Immigration +46 -78 The situation for gay and lesbian Americans +46 -40 The United States' position in the world +43 -79 Crime +35 -53 The gap between the wealthy and the less well-off +28 -76 Education +25 -61 Climate change +18 -77 Race relations +18 -81 The federal debt -14 -74 GALLUP, Jan. 21-Feb. 2, 2021 Notably, Republicans' strongly positive ratings of Trump on his top-rated issues -- as well as their desire that he not be convicted in his impeachment trial -- are not necessarily an endorsement of Trump maintaining a leadership role in the country. Asked specifically about Trump's role in the Republican Party going forward, 60% of Republicans favor him continuing to be the leader, while 38% would rather the party have a new leader. Bottom Line Trump's legacy is likely to be forever colored by his second impeachment trial and the events leading to it. But history will also judge him by the progress or lack thereof made on a variety of issues facing the country during his term. Historians' assessments remain to be seen, but in Trump's first days out of office, half of Americans (fueled mostly by Republicans) give him good reviews on the two issues that normally define a presidency: the economy and national defense. Not only does he receive net-positive ratings on these, but his ratings well exceed his immediate predecessors'. However, along with two impeachment trials, Trump's net-negative ratings on the federal debt, climate change and race relations could match or dominate those on the economy and national defense in how history -- historians and average Americans alike -- ultimately judge this presidency. As he was leaving office, Americans were most likely to think history would judge Trump as a "poor" president. And as he departed, 34% of Americans approved of the job he was doing, an inauspicious sign for his legacy since a president's popularity as they leave office generally influences their reputation for years if not decades to follow. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys has today announced the introduction of Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds. This is a payment for people aged between 65 and 66 years who are no longer engaged in employment or self-employment. Eligibility for the payment is determined by a persons PRSI contributions. The rate of payment is 203 per week (same rate as Jobseekers Benefit) with an increase for dependants, if eligible. A person in receipt of this payment will not be required to be available for full-time work or genuinely seeking work and they will not be required to sign on the Live Register. Recipients are exempt from participating in Activation unless they choose to engage and can also participate in a course of education while retaining their full payment entitlement. Commenting on todays announcement, Minister Humphreys said: For many people, due to their contract of employment, retiring at the age of 65 is their only option. These are people who have been working all their lives and, for many, finding new employment can be difficult. As Minister I want to be able to provide them with some certainty and peace of mind. Thats why Im rolling out the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds which reflects a key commitment in the Programme for Government. There is now no situation whereby somebody has to sign on or go on the Live Register: This is a specific payment targeted at people in the year leading up to when they reach pension age. There are various other issues in relation to the State Pension that are being examined by the independent Commission on Pensions, which is due to make recommendations to me in the summer. In the meantime, Im pleased to give clarity today to those aged 65 or approaching the age of 65 and Im encouraging people to apply for this payment via www.MyWelfare.ie. Aside from the online application method via www.MyWelfare.ie, individuals can email forms@welfare.ie to request a paper application and it will be posted to them however, this will take longer than applying online. Applications can only be made when a person reaches 65 years of age. This payment will continue until the person reaches pension age provided they continue to meet the eligibility conditions. To qualify for this payment a person must have fully ceased employment or self-employment. A person who takes up casual or part-time work while in receipt of the payment should notify the Department and discontinue their claim. The Department has identified customers in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit who are eligible for the new payment and is in the process of advising them of the relaxation of conditions to their claim and of their automatic transfer to the scheme. In a statement, the trade union, SIPTU said: "SIPTU members have expressed their deep disappointment at the introduction of a new benefit payment for people forced to retire at 65. According to SIPTU researcher, Michael Taft, the payment does not provide an adequate income for those forced to leave work at 65 and does not address the issue of mandatory retirement. While the Government has finally recognised the problems faced by people forced to retire at 65 and unable to access their pension for another year, this new benefit is deeply disappointing as it does not provide for an adequate income, he said. This benefit payment will result in people receiving up to 2300 less annually than the state pension entitlement. They are being penalised twice first by employers who require employees to retire at 65 and then by a state payment which does not allow for an adequate income for them and their adult dependants. SIPTU members are calling for the abolition of mandatory retirement and to permit people to remain in employment until they reach the pension age, and beyond. The Government should not need to be reminded that, in last years general election, voters supported parties and candidates who objected to the proposal to raise the pension age to 67 and for a fair and adequate pension system for people in retirement. Further information To qualify for Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds a person must: be aged between 65 and 66 years have ceased employment or self-employment be resident in the Republic of Ireland satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions as set out in www.gov.ie/bp65. (PRSI Classes A, H, P and S are reckonable for this payment.) New Delhi: India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs towards nation-building, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha on Monday while replying to the motion of thanks on the President`s address. The Prime Minister said, "This country is proud of every Sikh. What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less. I have been fortunate to spend crucial years of my life in Punjab. The language used by some against them and the attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." Recalling the 1984 riots, PM Modi said, "We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. The business of weapons was carried out in the northeast. All this affected the nation." He further said that "Many farmers, mainly from Punjab, are protesting for over 70 days on the borders of Delhi against the three newly enacted farm laws. They demand repealing of laws as well as the assurance of Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the government." Assuring the agitating farmers, He said, "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue and mandis will be modernised," while replying to the motion of thanks in Rajya Sabha. Earlier blamed the Opposition parties including Congress for trying to `misguide` the farmers over the new agriculture laws. Be aware of 'Foreign Destructive Ideology' The Prime Minister slammed the narrative against his government on the farmers` issue as he warned the country against the new FDI that now stands for "Foreign Destructive Ideology". He said that the country should not subscribe to this kind of people as these elements have the mentality to jump into each protest whether it be farmers` or lawyers` or students`. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Motion of Thanks on President`s address, PM Modi said, "A new type of people have propped up in the country they are "Andolan jivi", adding "Protest is there life-source and they can be spotted in each protest site be it on anything. They cannot live without protest, we have to identify them and protect our nation from them." He said that they instigate and then watch from the sidelines and added that each state government is feeling the same brunt as these people are parasites for the country. Modi`s speech came in the backdrop of continued farmers' agitation at the Delhi borders that attracted international scrutiny after the Republic Day flare-up with many celebrities across the border stoking fire against the Centre`s attitude on the movement. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV The government is likely to move a breach of privilege motion against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over the lawmaker's speech in the Parliament on Monday, sources told CNN-News18. During her speech, Moitra had cast aspersions on the conduct of a former judge. RSP MP N K Premachandran, who was in the Chair, at first, warned her that her remarks will be expunged if found objectionable. Later, however, as outrage over her incendiary remarks grew among lawmakers from the ruling party, the comments were expunged from record. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal termed her comments as "shameful". As per Article 121 of the Constitution of India, no Supreme Court or High Court judge who has discharged their duty or passed a judgement can be discussed in the Parliament. The Rules and Procedures 352(5) of the Parliament also dictate that the conduct of people in constitutional positions cannot be questioned. Despite the direction of the chair, Moitra continued to repeat her statements, in violation of Rule 356, sources pointed out. In her strong-worded speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, she had lashed out at the government, the judiciary and media. Lok Sabha resumed normal functioning Monday after a week-long disruption over the three Central farm laws following an appeal by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that it was a duty of every member to maintain the tradition of passing the Motion of Thanks to President's address. After the House convened at 5 pm, Singh said the tradition of thanking the President has been continuing for long and it should not be broken in a healthy democracy. He also said that Rajya Sabha has already passed the Motion of Thanks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply and "I appeal to members not to break this tradition in the Lok Sabha". Singh said that members are free to speak on farm laws during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks. Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury too said that this tradition has been continuing since 1921 and should not be broken. "Our demand was to discuss the issue of farmers who have been sitting in the cold on the borders of Delhi in protest against farm laws. It is regrettable that they are being stopped from entering the capital by sharp nails and barbed wires," he said referring to the reinforced barricading at the farmers' protest sites. He said the Opposition wanted an assurance from the government for a standalone discussion on the farmers' issue either after the debate on Motion of Thanks or after the discussion on Budget. Speaker Om Birla also appealed to the members to allow the House to function and not indulge in sloganeering. Participating in the debate later, BJP member Virendra Kumar said the Narendra Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and it will remain so in the future too. The Modi government has been trying to double the income of the farmers through various measures, he said. Referring to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three agricultural laws, Kumar said there was some anxiety among a section of farmers but the government has tried to allay their concerns through discussions and so far 11-12 rounds of talks have taken place. "I want to make it clear that the government is committed to the welfare of the farmers. It was, it is and it will continue to do so," he said amidst thumping of desks by BJP members in attendance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi among others. Kumar said the government has so far given Rs 1,13,000 lakh crore financial assistance to farmers and has been trying to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) of various agriculture products. "Our government's aim is to double the income of the farmers," he said. The BJP member said those who had incited people to create vandalism at the Red Fort or doubted the efficacy of the Indian vaccines, could not be called leaders. Kumar also listed the Modi government's initiatives for the welfare of migrant labourers, reforms in labour laws, empowerment of women and providing houses to all homeless people by 2022. (With inputs from PTI) SYDNEY: An Australian journalist who has been detained for nearly six months in China where she worked for a state-television channel has been formally arrested on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, the two countries said on Monday. The announcement came as the family of Cheng Lei, 49, pleaded with authorities to grant the former high-profile news anchor access to her two school-age children. We are absolutely convinced of her innocence," a family representative said in an emailed statement to Reuters. We respect Chinas judicial process and urge the authorities bring this matter to a swift, compassionate and timely conclusion." Cheng was arrested on Feb. 5, Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said separately on Monday. The journalist was born in China but moved with her parents to Australia as a child, and attended university in Queensland. Her children, aged nine and eleven, were visiting their grandparents in Australia during school closures in Beijing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic when she was detained. Tensions between Australia and China have been high for the past year after Canberra called for an international investigation into the source of the pandemic and Beijing responded with trade reprisals. Cheng, a former business news anchor on Chinese state medias English-language channel CGTN, where she had worked for almost a decade, had regularly attended business functions and embassy events for the Australian community while working in Beijing. Payne said the Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Chengs detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention." Wang, the Chinese spokesman, said that all of Chengs rights were being fully guaranteed". He told a regular news briefing in Beijing that China hoped Australia could respect Chinas judicial sovereignty and not interfere in Chinas handling of the case. FAMILYS FEARS Australias former ambassador to China, Geoff Raby, said Chengs case would seem to go beyond issues in the bilateral relationship" between the two countries. Support for Lei is, however, made much more difficult in the absence of high-level contact between the governments," Raby told Reuters. Chengs family also requested she be given access to reading material to safeguard her mental health. Whilst a long time Australian citizen, Lei also has a great love for the country of her birth and is highly respected across the globe," the family statement said. Payne said officials had visited Cheng six times during her detention, most recently at the end of January. In the days after Chengs August detention was made public, two Australian foreign correspondents were flown out of China, helped by Australian consular officials after the pair were questioned by Chinas state security ministry. Chinas Foreign Ministry subsequently revealed that Australias security agency had questioned Chinese journalists working in Australia in the weeks before Cheng was detained. Another Australian, writer Yang Hengjun, is facing trial in Beijing on espionage charges that he denies, after being arrested in January 2019 at Guangzhou airport. 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 [February 08, 2021] Mechanix Wear Partners with clim8 to Launch First Intelligent Heated Work Gloves Mechanix Wear, the leader in high-performance hand protection, announced today an official partnership with clim8, the global innovation leader in intelligent thermal technologies for wearables. Through the new collaboration, Mechanix Wear becomes the exclusive workwear glove licensee of clim8 technologies in the U.S. for 2021, which will allow the company to launch the first work glove in the U.S. with an intelligent, self-regulating and activating heating system tailored to each unique individual's optimum comfort levels. The partnership between Mechanix Wear and clim8 will enable the companies to develop industry-leading products that thermo-regulate the hands of anyone affected by cold weather. clim8's intelligent technology allows users to control their heating comfort through the clim8 app, creating a unique thermal profile that automates the gloves to their ideal body temperature. The companies will release a limited edition run of their first intelligent thermal gloves for industrial workers and brand loyalists just in time for winter. Following the limited run, Mechanix Wear and clim8 will announce the product's full availability later this year. "Mechanix Wear is dedicated to working with partners who can take our best-in-class hand protection and further its performance and versatility to those on the front lines," said Michael Hale, CEO at Mechanix Wear. "This collaboration with clim8 will allow us to incorporate unique and innovative thermo-technology to Mechanix Wear's existing gloves while expanding our product offerings to best address cold weather conditions and environments." clim8, the French based company, provides the most advanced heating technologies for optimal & personalized thermal comfort for wearables. Its science proofed technologies use smart devices and sensors that are seamlessly woven into garments to create unique intelligent thermo-regulating experiences for users - using advanced algorithms to automatically react and respond based on the user's desired activity and comfort level. "Our thermo-regulation technology is designed to protect those that work or play in cold weather conditions. Through our partnership with Mechanix Wear, we're able to collaborate with a proven leader in hand protection and technology to develop safe and innovative products and ensure peak performance," said Florian Miguet, CEO of clim8. "Our launch with Mechanix Wear of the first ever workwear glove with intelligent, thermo-regulated technology is just the start in a series f advancements we'll be sharing over time." Visit www.mechanix.com for more information. About Mechanix Wear Since the debut of the Original work glove at the 1991 Daytona 500, Mechanix Wear has built a reputation as the leader in automotive, construction, industrial, and tactical hand protection. Our mission is to look beyond conventional ideas and continually innovate the most advanced gloves for working hands. The Tool That Fits Like a Glove More on Mechanix Wear Online | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram About clim8 The French based clim8 pioneers thermal wearable technologies rooted in science and human need, to offer personalized thermo-regulation through digital automation in smart clothing. Dedicated to enhancing lives through thermal applications, clim8 aims to create a world where textiles unleash human potential, undaunted by the weather. Fusing artificial intelligence, innovative processes, and active-response patented technologies, clim8 and its partners engineer products that sense and react, in real-time to the human body. More on clim8 Online | Linkedin | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005700/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Nairobi Detectives have arrested a man in Mbeere, Kirinyaga County for killing his wife and two children on Sunday morning. The man used a sledge hammer to execute his family, according to detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who were among the first at the scene. His wife was aged 28 while his two sons were aged 9 and 5. "David Kariuki Nyaga had locked up his family inside their house in Kiamukuyu, before executing them one after the other," the DCI said. The murder weapon was recovered and detectives said they were trying to establish the motive of the killings. An alert by detectives by area administrator bore no fruits since he had already killed the three, in a worrying incident and the latest in a series of homicides this year. Tens of family-related homicides have been recorded this year, in what psychosocial experts have linked to post COVID-19 pandemic economic effects and stress. In January 27, police arrested a man who had killed his former girlfriend in Kayole, Nairobi. According to police, the man had visited his girlfriend to resolve their wrangles but was later seen running away after setting the house on fire. It would later emerge that he had tied the woman's hands, locked the house and set it on fire before he fled. Residents were not able to save her life when they put out the fire. In January 5, a 21-year-old University student identified by police as Lawrence Warunge admitted to killing his 5-member family in Karura village, Kiambu County. All the five were buried in a mass grave. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The authorities do not see the need for holding early elections because the majority of the parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition have not formed such a demand, Parliament Majority Leader (My Step bloc) Lilit Makunts told reporters. One of the primary mechanisms of forming a public demand is in the form of being presented by political forces. Since the majority of the parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition did not form that demand on agreeing around early elections, then this is how it is, she said. Makunts added that their proposal on holding early elections did not receive positive reaction from the parliamentary opposition. On February 7, Prime Minister Pashinyan met with the lawmakers representing his My Step bloc. After the meeting, the bloc issued a statement saying they dont see a need for snap elections. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks during the committee's business meeting where it will consider new subpoenas in the "Crossfire Hurricane"/Burisma investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 16, 2020. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) Sen. Johnson: Impeachment Appears to Be Distraction From What Democrat Leadership Knew About Jan. 6 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said he thinks the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Trump may be a way to distract the public from why security was compromised on Jan. 6 and what Democrat leadership knew about it beforehand. Again, you know Ive always believed the Russian hoax was a diversionary operation from the corruption that was occurring within the FBI, and potentially some of our intelligence agencies, said Johnson During this weeks broadcast of Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News. You have to kind of ask the question: What is this impeachment all about? We now know that 45 Republican senators believe [impeachment is] unconstitutional. Is this another diversionary operation? Is this meant to deflect away from potentially what the speaker knew and when she knew it? I dont know, but Im suspicious, said Johnson, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Riot fencing and razor wire reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill, in Washington, on Jan. 23, 2021. (Eileen Putman/AP Photo) Johnson shared his frustration about the lack of response he has received from the former House and Senate sergeants at arms, and now the acting Sergeants at Arms, about the lax security on Jan. 6 and why fencing is still up around the Capitol. Although Johnson has not received any direct answers to his inquiries about that day, former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, in a detailed letter addressed to Pelosi, said the department did not fail on Jan. 6, detailing how the Capitol Police did everything it could with the intelligence available before the breach occurred. There has been much conflicting information presented by various officials and the media regarding preparations and actions taken at the Capitol that day, and I would like to set the record straight from my perspective, Sund said. The USCP does not have the manpower, the training of the capabilities to handle an armed insurrection involving thousands of individuals bent on violence and destruction at all costs. Nevertheless, because of their bravery and professionalism in the face of this attack, USCP did not fail. Johnson said that although he did not get replies to the four separate letters he sent to former and now acting sergeants at arms, he was glad to read Sunds letter to Pelosi. I actually appreciate what the former chief of police, of Capitol Police, Stephen Sund, sent in the letter, Johnson said. And he lays out, you know, the diligence that he undertook to provide security around the Capitol, and it seems like he took pretty reasonable precautions. Hes obviously being one of the scapegoats here. Johnson added, But, Senator [Lindsey] Graham and I have called for a completely independent investigation to find out exactly what happened. And its amazinga month has gone by and we still dont know, and yet we have these 8-foot-tall fences, with concertina wire completely surrounding the Capitol. U.S. National Guard troops patrol the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol hours before the Inauguration of President Joe Biden in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) At the end of January, Acting Chief Yogananda D. Pittman made an appeal to congressional leadership to make the U.S. Capitol complex physical security barriers permanent. In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol, Pittman said in a Jan. 28 press Statement. While Democrats have largely approved of the increased security measures at the Capitol, Republicans like Johnson have been critical of the fact the barricades have not come down after the presidential inauguration but instead will be kept up for an indefinite amount of time, sending a message that there is an extreme threat from those who voted for Trump. I think we ought to take that fencing down and return to a normal position as possible. I think the fencing is remaining in place to send a signal, a narrative that 74 million Americans that voted for President Trump are dangerous to our democracy, theyre all insurrectionist, and thats simply not the case, said Johnson. Johnson said he and other Republicans have been consistent about disavowing any violence whether from the left or the right, and that there needs to be more transparency about who knew what and when regarding the Jan. 6 protest, and why there is still a strong military presence on Capitol Hill. In addition to the Republican senators, Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led 41 of his House colleagues to send a letter to Pelosi opposing permanent military-style fencing around the Capitol. Republican Congressman Ted Budd speaks at a Make America Great Again rally in Greensboro International Airport, in Greensboro, N.C., on Oct. 27, 2020. (Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images) Of course, we all understood that some increase in security was necessary after the tragic events of Jan. 6, but now there is no valid reason to continue the same level of security measures. It is appalling that Communist China allows their citizens more freedom to visit historical sites like Tiananmen Square than currently exists for Americans who want to visit the Capitol in Washington, D.C., the GOP House members wrote. Johnson said, This is an attempt by Democrats to paint Republicans and Trump supporters with a broad brush, thinking that were all domestic terrorists, that were all insurrectionist and that we all need to be monitored by it, and Im extremely concerned about it, we all should be. Speaker Pelosis office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for a response about Johnsons comment. The company is undertaking 5,000 metres of diamond drilling as part of a wider optimisation program aimed at increasing the projects overall resource, annual production rate and mine life. The current program of 47 diamond drill holes can be modified on requirement. Elementos Limited ( ) ( ) (FRA:9EM) has confirmed further zones of tin mineralisation in its campaign to convert existing inferred resources into indicated resources at its flagship Oropesa Tin Project in Spain. Assays for four diamond drill holes completed in December 2020 have been received from the ALS laboratory in Galway, Ireland. Best results are: 4.8 metres at 0.30% tin from 22 metres; 14.5 metres at 0.38% from 43 metres; 7.1 metres at 0.33% from 10.3 metres; and 41.9 metres at 0.20% from 132.9 metres. The company started 5,000 metres of diamond drilling across 47 holes at Oropesa in early October 2020 as part of a wider optimisation program designed to increase the projects overall resource, annual production rate and mine life. Enhance overall value Elementos chairman Andy Greig said: The resource conversion drilling program continues to meet the companys objectives. The combination of the successful drilling program and the significantly improving tin price will enhance the overall value of the project. Economic study The drilling program follows the release of an economic study in May 2020, which positioned the project as a low-cost, globally significant new tin development with prospective annual production of 2,440 tonnes of tin-in-concentrate over a 14-year mine life. This study was completed with a tin price of US$19,750 per tonne, and currently, the LME tin price is over US$24,000 per tonne. Drilling program The drilling program currently includes 47 diamond drill holes but may be modified as required based on results as they are received. This programs three principal objectives are: We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 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. John Matze, fired last month as CEO of social media app Parler, tells Axios on HBO that he feels "betrayed" by investor Rebekah Mercer, the heiress daughter of hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer. Why it matters: Never before has a social media startup risen so high and fallen so far in such a short period of time. Get smarter, faster with the news CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. Matze says he first met Rebekah Mercer while doing IT consulting for her father's firm, and remained in touch. "She seemed very nice ... and I don't judge anybody by the press that I see." Mercer helped fund Parler in 2018, and she became its controlling shareholder. Matze says she and her people began getting more operationally involved as the site gained traction around the 2020 presidential election. Early cracks in the partnership began to form last summer, according to Matze, when there was internal disagreement over how Parler should define "violence" in its terms of service. He claims that he wanted a broader definition than what was ultimately adopted, although he publicly supported the TOS in several subsequent interviews. But Matze, whose libertarian leanings seemed to interfere with his ability to be a strong CEO, says the internal conflicts intensified around Jan. 6, as Parler's popularity peaked and its problematic posts proliferated. In short, he says he wanted more automated moderation than did Mercer's reps and allies, adding that Parler had added a remedial AI solution just before being kicked off of Amazon's cloud hosting services. Matze claims he continued advocating for moderation, as a way to get Parler back online, but was met with resistance. It's a retelling that seems supported by recent public statements by Dan Bongino, the Trump acolyte and Parler shareholder who has criticized Matze for speaking publicly about his firing. Matze, who says he voted for Trump in 2016 but didn't vote at all in 2020, was fired via email on Jan. 29. What he's saying: "I thought I knew her. She invited my family on trips with them and everything. I thought that she was, generally speaking, I thought she was being real. And then she just abruptly has her people fire me and doesn't even talk to me about it." Story continues "I feel like it was a stab in the back by somebody that I thought I knew. And so for me, you know, I would never do business with her again." Go deeper: Ex-Parler CEO says he didn't want Trump deal Support safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. In reading the news coverage of President Bidens inauguration and the early days of his administration, I am intrigued by the frequent references to his passion for literature, especially poetry, and to his ability to empathize with others. I am reminded of President Theodore Roosevelt, who also was known for his love of reading literary works and his strong sense of empathy. The fact that these two leaders share these traits is more than a coincidence. For both of these men, there is a correlation between their experiences as regular readers of literature and their empathy for people from diverse backgrounds. President Bidens love of poetry goes back to his boyhood years in Scranton, Penn., when he discovered the poetry of William Butler Yeats. As a descendent of Irish immigrants, Biden initially took an interest in Yeats because of his reputation as a leading Irish poet. However, the more Biden read Yeatss poetry, the more he realized that these poems have a universal appeal that transcends their Irish roots. Biden so liked these poems that he would stand in front of a mirror and recite Yeatss poetry in an effort to overcome his problem with stuttering. Biden still loves Yeatss poetry, but now his favorite Irish poet is the Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. Biden especially likes to quote a stanza from Heaneys poem The Cure at Troy. This poem ends with the lines, The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme. Although Bidens is known for quoting Irish poets, he also reads poets from other backgrounds, including African American poets. He especially likes the African American poets Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden and his most recent discovery, Amanda Gorman, who read her powerful poem The Hill We Climb at Bidens inauguration. Like Biden, Republican President Theodore Roosevelt took an interest in literature during his childhood years. As a boy, he liked to read stories and poems about adventurers. As he states in his autobiography, Even in poetry it was the relation of adventures that most appealed to me as a boy. At a pretty early age I began to read certain books of poetry, notably Longfellows poem, The Saga of King Olaf, which absorbed me. Story continues As an adult, Roosevelt read novels and other works of literature on a nearly daily basis. At one point, he compiled a list of his favorite books. Its very long list, but most of the books on it are works of fiction or poetry. He also liked to read autobiographies, such a Booker T. Washingtons Up from Slavery. He was so interested in Washingtons autobiography that he invited Washington to have dinner with him at the White House, which caused quite a controversy at the time. In the cases of both Biden and Roosevelt, their reading of literature is related to their ability to empathize with others. Bidens love of reading and reciting poetry is in itself an empathetic act. Hearing him read Heaneys The Cure at Troy, one quickly realizes that for Biden reciting this poem is akin to entering Heaneys poetic space. In the process of giving voice to Heaneys words, he is forming a deep connection with Heaney. Roosevelts love of reading novels and autobiographies gave him insights into the lives of people whose experiences differed vastly from his own. For example, as the son of a wealthy New Yorker, he never experienced poverty firsthand, but by reading Mary Antins The Promised Land, he was able to see the world from the point of view of an impoverished but hopeful immigrant. For both Biden and Roosevelt, their love of literature is inextricably connected to their reputations as empathetic leaders. Mark I. West is the Bonnie E. Cone Professor in Civic Engagement at UNC-Charlotte. The Duchess of Sussex has some 'very serious book deals on the table' after being approached by 'numerous publishing houses', sources have revealed. Meghan Markle, 39, is currently living in her $14 million Santa Barbara mansion with Prince Harry, 36, and their eighteen-month-old son Archie, having stepped back from royal duty last year. According to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, the Duchess is considering writing a book and has been approached with 'lucrative offers from respectable publishing houses.' Since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family alongside the Duke, the Duchess has secured lucrative deals including a contract with Spotify worth up to 30million and a partnership with Netflix believed to be worth 100million. The Duchess of Sussex, 39, has some 'very serious book deals on the table' after being approached by 'numerous publishing houses', sources told Vanity Fair A source explained: 'Meghan has some very serious book deals on the table. They are all up for consideration.' It comes after Katie told 9Honey Meghan and Prince Harry are 'emulating the Obamas' successful business model with their plans for the future. Since leaving the White House in 2016, Barack and Michelle Obama revealed a similar business route - with the couple announcing a Netflix deal with their company Higher Ground Productions and soon after, a Spotify podcast. 'The Obamas' Higher Ground [production company] was always going to be the business model for the Sussexes and that's exactly what we're seeing,' said Ms Nicholl. Since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family alongside the Duke, the Duchess has secured lucrative deals including a contract with Spotify worth up to 30million and a partnership with Netflix believed to be worth 100million President Barack launched his memoir A Promised Land in November, while his wife Michelle released her biography Becoming in 2018. Katie explained: They are just emulating in each step of what they're doing and that is because the Obamas' model has worked. It sits very much with the image that the Sussexes are trying to curate for themselves.' She said its likely Meghan will move in to creating self-help books soon, which the mother-of-ones a fan of. However, Katie said Prince Harry and Meghan are unlikely to reveal anything about their time in the Firm after stepping back from their royal duties and moving to the US with their son Archie. Katie previously said Meghan and Prince Harry are 'emulating the Obamas' successful business model with their plans for the future It's important to remember they are still bound by that pledge to the royal family, to uphold the values of the monarchy, to remain respectful of the monarchy whether or not they are working members of the institution,' the royal author said. The Obamas and the Sussexes have known each other for many years and Ms Nicholl suggests its likely theres been some mentoring and possible guidance along the way. The two couples even share the same American agency for their speaking engagements, The Harry Walker Agency. The Duke and Duchess have already signed various lucrative deals after stepping back from life as senior royals, including a partnership with Spotify worth up to 30 million. The couple will produce and host their own shows as part of the newly formed Archewell Audio - starting with a 'holiday special' that the pail hopes will 'uplift audiences around the world'. Samantha Markle, pictured with her half-sister Meghan Markle at her graduation in 2008, has written her tell-all book called: 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister: A Memoir, Part One' Spotify has not revealed what the contract is worth, but the streaming service agreed a 75m ($100m) deal with US comedian Joe Rogan in May. The Sussexes' agreement comes just months after the royals agreed a 100million partnership with Netflix and days after Meghan invested in a $28-per-pack oat-milk 'superlatte' business later promoted for free by her LA neighbour Oprah Winfrey. News of a potential book deal for Meghan comes after her half-sister Samantha finally released her tell-all book about their relationship and the rift that has torn apart the Markle family, promising readers that the 'truth is stranger than fiction'. Samantha's autobiography, titled 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister: A Memoir, Part One', is expected to heavily criticise Meghan for shunning her American relatives and what she sees as cutting off their father Thomas after he was unable to attend the royal wedding following a heart attack. Meghan's half sister Samantha's new book lays bare details of the Markle siblings' upbringing, including the rivalry between Meghan and Samantha when their father was still married to the actress's mother Doria Ragland It lays bare details of the Markle siblings' upbringing, including the rivalry between Meghan and Samantha when their father was still married to the actress's mother Doria Ragland. But Samantha also writes of her adoration for her younger half-sister as a baby and described the infant as 'bi-racial, beautiful, and was both the color of a peach, and a rose'. She branded Prince Harry's comment in an interview that the royals were the 'family that Meghan never had' as the 'ultimate insult'. Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said the country needed 70 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to inoculate millions of people during the first stage of a vaccination campaign. In televised comments late on Saturday El-Sissi said that the first stage of the campaign would target health care workers, elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases. The Egyptian leader, however, said the response among health care workers has been between 45% and 50%. There are people who say we do not want to be vaccinated, he said. Hundreds of health care workers have been vaccinated since the government launched its campaign in late January. Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with more than 100 million people, received a 50,000-dose shipment of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine in December and another 50,000-dose shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine last month. The government has said it reserved 100 million doses of the approved vaccines, according to the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper. Egypt, which has seen a decrease in new coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, has reported more than 169,100 confirmed virus cases, including 9,604 deaths. 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) Ilorin Kwara State elders under the aegis of All Progressives Congress (APC) Integrity Group said to be loyal to Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the weekend said the ongoing crisis in the party in the state will not stop their members from participating in the party's registration and revalidation exercise. This is coming as the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday threatened that those fanning ember of disaffection in the state chapter of the party risk being suspended from the party. The exercise is slated for tomorrow across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja. A stakeholders' meeting convened by the Senator John Danboyi's membership registration committee last Wednesday was disrupted by violence that marred the exercise. However, a fresh stakeholders' meeting was held in Ilorin last Friday to intimate the stakeholders of the party on the registration and revalidation of membership of the APC in the state. Addressing journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, the group's spokesperson, Umar Shabba, said the group was out to prove that it enjoys majority support in the party among other tendencies. He said: "What the governor's team is out to achieve is to frustrate us. We'll not be frustrated. But we'll not allow dictatorship in the party. Someone cannot be dictating to us." He foreclosed any reconciliation with the governor, saying the governor was not in any position to call them for any meeting after failed attempts to reconcile their differences. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Who would have attended a meeting with the governor? With what happened last Wednesday, it's not safe. It would be unreasonable for us to sit down with the governor again for any meeting," he stated. Accusing the membership registration committee of bias and unfairness, the APC stalwart said the committee members "are unfit to do any meaningful party registration and revalidation in the state. "We, therefore, reject the committee in its entirety. But we must put on record that Hon Bashir Bolarinwa did not arrive at the venue of the failed stakeholders' meeting in company of thugs or cultists." Meanwhile, the state governor, AbdulRazaq, has threatened that those fanning the ember of disaffection in the state chapter of the party risk being suspended from the party. He, however, disclosed that the party would today take decisive action on the dissidents, who he alleged have been hatching series of plots from Abuja to halt the APC membership registration through needless litigation. The governor warned that the aggrieved group, which has been waging war against his administration, should either retrace their steps or quit the party, adding that APC would no longer tolerate their 'pull him down' attitude. While thanking the Kwara Central legislator for his quality representation in the National Assembly, the governor assured him that his government would consolidate on the achievements made in line with the change mantra of the APC. [February 08, 2021] Salesforce Announces Extension of the Expiration Date and Revisions to Consent Solicitation SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM), a Delaware corporation (the "Company") announced today the extension of the expiration of its previously announced solicitation of consents (the "Consent Solicitation"), on behalf of Slack Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Slack"), to adopt certain proposed amendments (the "Amendments") to the indenture, dated as of April 9, 2020 (the "Indenture"), among Slack and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the "Trustee"), governing Slack's $862,500,000 in aggregate principal amount of 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the "Slack Notes"). The Company hereby extends such expiration date from 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 5, 2021, to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 10, 2021 (as the same may be further extended, the "Expiration Date"). Additionally, the Company hereby amends the terms of the Consent Solicitation relating to the Consent Fee (as defined in the Consent Solicitation Statement referred to below). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Consent Solicitation Statement, the Company will promptly pay or cause to be paid, after the Expiration Date and subject to the occurrence of, and upon the latest to occur of, (1) the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions to the Consent Solicitation, as described in the Consent Solicitation Statement, and (2) the Payment Date (as defined below), to The Depository Trust Company for the benefit of each Holder of Slack Notes as of the Record Date (as defined in the Consent Solicitation Statement referred to below) who has delivered (and not validly revoked) a valid consent in favor of the Amendments prior to the Expiration Date a cash payment of $9.00 for each $1,000 principal amount of Slack Notes in respect of which such consent has been delivered. The "Payment Date" shall be the earlier to occur of (1) May 1, 2021 and (2) the closing of the First Merger (as defined below), provided that the Consent Fee will not be payable, and the Amendments will not become operative, if on or before the Payment Date the Company notifies the Trustee or announces that the Merger Agreement has been terminated. Holders of Slack Notes who have previously delivered (and not validly revoked) valid consents in favor of the Amendments do not need to redeliver such consents or take any other action in response to this announcement in order to consent to the Amendments on the revised terms described herein. The Consent Solicitation is being made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the consent solicitation statement, dated as of January 26, 2021 (as amended hereby and as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Consent Solicitation Statement"). Except as set forth herein with respect to the Expiration Date and the Consent Fee, the terms and conditions of the Consent Solicitation, as well as the proposed Amendments to the Indenture, remain the same as set forth and described in the Consent Solicitation Statement. The Company reserves the absolute right, subject to applicable laws, to amend, waive or modify the terms of the Consent Solicitation with respect to the Slack Notes in any manner. For a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the Consent Solicitation, Holders of the Slack Notes should refer to the Consent Solicitation Statement. As previously announced, on December 1, 2020, the Company, Skyline Strategies I Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub I"), Skyline Strategies II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub II"), and Slack executed an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") providing for the merger of Merger Sub I with and into Slack, with Slack continuing as the surviving corporation (the "First Merger"), immediately followed by a second merger of Slack, as the surviving corporation in the First Merger, into either Merger Sub II or the Company, with either Merger Sub II or the Company continuing as the surviving company, as applicable (the "Second Merger" and together with the First Merger, the "Mergers"). The obligations of the Company, Slack and the other parties to the Merger Agreement to consummate the Mergers in accordance with the terms thereof are not conditioned on the successful completion of the Consent Solicitation or on obtaining the requisite consents to the Amendments. The Solicitation Agent in connection with the Consent Solicitation is BofA Securities. Questions regarding the consent solicitation may be directed to BofA Securities at (980) 388-3646 or debt_advisory@bofa.com. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is serving as information agent (the "Information Agent") and tabulation agent in connection with the Consent Solicitation. Requests for assistancein delivering consents or for additional copies of the Consent Solicitation Statement should be directed to the Information Agent at (866) 470-4500 (toll free) or (212) 430-3774 (banks and brokers). This announcement is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase, or a solicitation of consents with respect to any securities. The Consent Solicitation is being made solely by the Consent Solicitation Statement and is subject to the terms and conditions stated therein. The Company reserves the right to modify the Consent Solicitation Statement or to terminate the Consent Solicitation. About Salesforce Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to digitally transform and create a 360 view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com. Forward-Looking Statements This communication relates to a proposed business combination transaction between the Company and Slack. This communication 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. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, the anticipated impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company's business and future financial and operating results, the expected amount and timing of synergies from the proposed transaction, the anticipated closing date for the proposed transaction and other aspects of our operations or operating results. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on the results of operations and financial condition of the combined companies or the price of the Company's or Slack's stock. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the parties' control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including coronavirus (COVID-19)) and epidemics and any related company or government policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or government policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets; the effect of the announcement of the merger on the ability of the Company or Slack to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers and others with whom the Company or Slack do business, or on the Company's or Slack's operating results and business generally; risks that the merger disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the merger; the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the merger; the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction, including the ability to secure regulatory approvals on the terms expected, at all or in a timely manner; the ability of the Company to successfully integrate Slack's operations; the ability of the Company to implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to the Company's business after the completion of the transaction and realize expected synergies; and business disruption following the merger. These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, are included in the registration statement on Form S-4 (as amended, the "Registration Statement") that was filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and declared effective by the SEC on January 29, 2021, the prospectus that was filed by the Company with the SEC on January 29, 2021 (the "Prospectus") and the definitive proxy statement that was filed by Slack with the SEC on January 29, 2021 (the "Proxy Statement"). While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or Proxy Statement are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Company's and Slack's respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in the Company's and Slack's most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither the Company nor Slack undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. No Offer or Solicitation This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Additional Information about the Merger and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company filed with the SEC the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and Slack filed with the SEC the Proxy Statement. The Registration Statement was declared effective on January 29, 2021 and the Prospectus and the Proxy Statement were first mailed to shareholders of Slack on or about January 29, 2021. Each of the Company and Slack may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. The information in the Prospectus and Proxy Statement may be changed. This document is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Proxy Statement or any other document that the Company or Slack may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PROSPECTUS AND THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Proxy Statement and all other documents containing important information about the Company, Slack and the proposed transaction, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Company may be obtained free of charge on the Company's website at http://www.salesforce.com/investor or by contacting the Company's Investor Relations department at investor@salesforce.com. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Slack may be obtained free of charge on Slack's website at investor.slackhq.com or by contacting Slack's Investor Relations department at ir@slack.com. Participants in the Solicitation The Company, Slack and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in the Company's proxy statement for its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 1, 2020, and the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on March 5, 2020, as well as in a Form 8-K filed by the Company with the SEC on June 1, 2020. Information about the directors and executive officers of Slack, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Slack's proxy statement for its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 5, 2020, and Slack's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction by reading the Prospectus and the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials become available. Investors should read the Prospectus and the Proxy Statement carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the Company or Slack using the sources indicated above. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salesforce-announces-extension-of-the-expiration-date-and-revisions-to-consent-solicitation-301223624.html SOURCE Salesforce [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq stressed in a tripartite meeting on Monday their countries commitment to continue economic cooperation, discussed challenges to Arab water rights, and coordinated stances on the Palestinian cause. The foreign ministers expressed [their] satisfaction with what has been achieved during the past period since the Amman tripartite summit in August 2020, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. The meeting, which brought together the foreign ministers of the three countries Sameh Shoukry, Ayman Safadi, and Fuad Hussein comes ahead of an Arab League emergency meeting on the Palestinian cause that will be held later today. Tripartite ministerial meetings have been regularly taking place in recent months among the three countries within the framework of implementing developmental projects and enhancing economic cooperation. During the Monday meeting, the foreign ministers reviewed the latest developments at strategic fields in the cooperation between the three countries, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. They also discussed means to boost these relations towards achieving economic integration and mutual benefits for the peoples of the three countries. They have affirmed their countries commitment to continue the approach of mutual cooperation and firm coordination with the aim of accelerating the implementation of strategic projects, which are in the interest of the three countries and the region as a whole, the statement added. The tripartite meeting today reaffirmed the three countries unified stance towards the challenges that undermine Arab water rights, the ministry said. The meeting also confirmed that the Arab water security issue is of high priority, the statement added. This recognition by the three countries comes at a time when Egypt is intensifying its efforts to secure regional and international support for its water rights in a decade-long dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The meeting also addressed political coordination on regional issues, such as the Palestinian cause and the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, as well as the situation in Yemen, Syria, and Libya. The ministers stressed the need to reach political solutions to the conflicts within the Arab world and halt foreign intervention in countries affairs so that their sovereignty, security, and stability are preserved. The ministers also agreed to enhance joint efforts to combat terrorists and preserve the security and stability of the region. Short link: Ho Chi Minh City's authorities on Monday morning imposed a blockade on a neighborhood in District 12 after a local resident had been confirmed as a new infection case the same day. Local authorities have blocked part of an alley near the house of patient No. 2,004, on TL04 Street in District 12s Thanh Loc Ward. Foods and drinks have been distributed to local households at door. Local authorities are conducting blockade at an alley on TL04 Street in District 12s Thanh Loc Ward in Ho Chi Minh City on February 8, 2021 to prevent COVID-19 spread. Photo: Nhat Thinh/ Tuoi Tre Earlier, the city on late Sunday night also imposed an emergency lockdown on the Ma Lang neighborhood with 1,900 residents in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward to take samples for COVID-19 tests and sterilize the area, as a local resident had been suspected and later confirmed as one of the four new infection cases in the city. The patient has been identified to not have contact with many people, however, the large number of residents plus small paths in the area put the neighborhood at a high risk of infection. Local authorities seal off Ho Chi Minh Citys Ma Lang neighborhood in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward on the night of February 7,2021. Photo: Dan Thuan/ Tuoi Tre The two patients were among the four new cases of locally-transmitted COVID-19 announced early Monday morning, with all being staff members at Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport. They are identified to be residents at Tan Binh Districts Ward 15, District 12s Trung My Tay and Thanh Loc wards, and District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward. In an effort to curb the spread of the pandemic, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control asked Tan Binh Districts medical center to take samples for COVID-19 tests on 300 people on Sunday night. Local authorities fence off Ho Chi Minh Citys Ma Lang neighborhood in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward on the night of February 7, 2021. Photo: Dan Thuan/ Tuoi Tre Local authorities seal off Ho Chi Minh Citys Ma Lang neighborhood in District 1s Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward on the night of February 7, 2021. Photo: Dan Thuan/ Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The ice at the north pole of Mars is seen from orbit in this image captured by Mars Express in May 2014. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/J. Cowart, CC CY-SA 3.0 IGO Mars' north pole contains a large ice cap made up of many layers of frozen water. Like ice cores on Earth, those layers offer a tantalizing record of climate on Mars over the past several million years. The first step in decoding that climate record is to figure out how those layers form and how old each one might bea difficult task to perform from orbit. In a new study, Wilcoski and Hayne used high-resolution surface topography data captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to attempt to chart the evolution of the ice over time. The researchers looked at the roughness of the top layer of icewhich shows a variety of regular ripples and ridges of various sizes and shapesand used the satellite imagery to validate a model that simulated interactions with the Martian polar climate and that reproduced the rough topography of the ice cap. The model works by simulating how solar radiation can give rise to the ripples observed by the orbiter. It indicates that small bumps in the ice's surface tend to become exaggerated over time as insolation ablates the Sun-facing side of the bump but not the backside, creating a series of ridges and valleys that become more pronounced over time. Once the model was able to replicate this behavior, the researchers used it to show that the resultant ripples should be about 10 meters across and 1 meter deep. As the features age, the wavelengththe distance between each rippleincreases, and the ripples move toward the pole. This behavior held constant regardless of whether the researchers increased the atmospheric water vapor density or dialed it to zero, suggesting that the pattern forms regardless of whether the total amount of ice is increasing or decreasing. If the new model is accurate, the surface roughness observed on the ice cap at Mars's north pole should form in 1,00010,000 years, the authors say, providing a starting point for understanding the climate history of the planet. Explore further Image: Avalanche season on Mars More information: A. X. Wilcoski et al. Surface Roughness Evolution and Implications for the Age of the North Polar Residual Cap of Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (2020). A. X. Wilcoski et al. Surface Roughness Evolution and Implications for the Age of the North Polar Residual Cap of Mars,(2020). DOI: 10.1029/2020JE006570 This story is republished courtesy of Eos, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here. 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. Don Munro was just getting on a plane to Tasmania when he heard the news. His beloved Lennox Head, the most beautiful unsung surf spot in NSW, was about to be inundated with thousands of visitors. Not that theres anything wrong with that. Pandemic. Bushfires. Business across NSW needs a boost. But this was the World Surf League about to bring a leg of its premier competition to this peaceful spot at the worst possible time. Lenox Head locals worked fast to defend their community. Credit:Fairfax As our communities are at their most vulnerable, thats when greed and ambition come knocking. Overdevelopment. Under-consultation. The good news is that the locals can still sometimes knock voracious commerce on the head. If youve ever been to Lennox, you will know Easter is nuts. The break is usually perfect and the weather not far behind. Sitting on Pat Morton Lookout, you can see all the way to Cape Byron. For years, our family would head there with half a dozen teenagers in tow and the locals were always reasonably friendly, though ever so slightly territorial. City kids trying to take on the locals out the back. Never gonna happen. A large swarm of bees in the early hours of Sunday, February 8, attacked some residents of New-Town, a suburb of the Assin-Fosu Municipality of the Central Region. The swarm of bees had built their hive in the tower of a Mosque in the area and were provoked when some children hurled stones into their colony. In all, six persons including a two-year-old baby, a pastor, and some residents who were injured were rushed to the Assin Fosu St. Francis Xavier hospital for medical attention. An eyewitness told the Ghana News Agency that some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and newsmen who rushed to the scene later were not spared by the bees. According to him, the priest who pastors at the Church of Christ, was on his way to church when he unknowingly drove into the bees and received severe stings from the insects. He fell unconscious and crushed his car into a parked taxi nearby whose driver was also escaping from the bees. 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 A woman who accuses Julian Assange of sexual assault has claimed he 'humiliated and abused her' in a new tell-all book that details the alleged attack for the first time. Anna Ardin, who was previously referred to as Miss A, said the WikiLeaks founder tricked her into having sex without a condom in 2010 while staying at her flat in Sweden. She also said the 49-year-old refused to shower during his stay and left 'turds floating in the toilet'. Ardin, a church deacon, said one of her motivations for writing about her experience now is to dispel online theories that she was a CIA agent tasked with setting up Assange, whom she claims was 'active' in supporting such rumours, The Times reported. In her book, In the Shadow of Assange: My Testimony, Ardin explained that she would help Assange write seminars during his stay in Sweden, where he was promoting WikiLeaks. Anna Ardin (pictured), a woman who accuses Julian Assange of sexual assault has claimed he 'humiliated and abused her' in a new tell-all book that details the alleged attack for the first time She wrote that she had considered sleeping with him in a bid to annoy her ex-partner but that Assange's celebrity had also been part of the appeal. The year of his stay, the Australian native drew the ire of the United States government after WikiLeaks released secret cables about the war in Iraq along with a video of the US military killing civilians. Ardin wrote that she had thought 'scoring with Julian Assange' might 'be a pretty fun thing' but that the his behaviour changed that night. After they agreed to have sex, Ardin claimed Assange pushed her onto the bed roughly and 'deliberately sabotaged' the condom so he could have sex without one. She told Swedish media: 'Julian is definitely not a monster. But he crossed my boundaries'. Ardin wrote that she and Assange attended a party the following night and that she continued to let him stay in her flat. 'The Julian who took part in the [party] is totally different from the one who humiliated and abused me the previous evening,' Ardin wrote, adding that Assange 'is in many ways a fantastic person'. Ardin, who was previously referred to as Miss A, said Julian Assange tricked her into having sex without a condom in 2010 while staying at her flat in Sweden. Pictured: Assange at Ardin's flat in 2010 Ardin also recalled in her book how Assange refused to shower during his stay with her, leaving the flat smelling 'strongly of unwashed body, of dried-in sweat'. She also claimed he left 'turds floating in the toilet'. The Times reported that Ardin has previously explained that she defines her encounter with Assange as sexual abuse but said that others might call it a 'grey zone'. 'It feels like society is ready to talk about these grey areas now,' she told a Swedish newspaper. Ardin wrote in her book that she had no plan to report Assange to the police but did so after another Swedish woman, known only as Miss W, contacted her a few days after the alleged incident with a similar story. Miss W claimed that she had also been sexually assaulted by Assange who had forcibly penetrated her without a condom, The Times reported. Assange has denied all allegations of sexual assault. Assange (pictured) has denied all allegations of sexual assault. In 2012, he hid in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over the investigation. He claimed that Sweden could then extradite him to the US - where he said he would not face a fair trial - over charges linked to WikiLeaks [File photo] In 2012, he hid in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over the investigation into the sexual abuse allegations. He claimed that Sweden could then extradite him to the US - where he said he would not face a fair trial - over charges linked to WikiLeaks. In 2017, Swedish prosecutors dropped their preliminary case, with the director of public prosecutions Marianne Ny saying 'all possibilities to conduct the investigation' had been 'exhausted'. Assange remained in the embassy until April 2019 when Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno revoked his asylum status. He was promptly arrested on an outstanding UK warrant for violating the terms of his bail. On the day of his arrest, Assange was arrested again at a police station on a US extradition request related to his alleged role in the release of classified documents in 2010. In May 2019, Swedish prosecutors reopened their case but dropped it that November, saying evidence had 'weakened' due to the considerable amount of time that had passed since the alleged assaults. Assange is currently in HM Prison Belmarsh while the US appeals a decision by the UK not to extradite him. 'We are never going to get to know whether Julian is a perpetrator in a juridical sense,' Ardin wrote. 'But I can describe the events as I experienced them. Instead of standing witness in the trial which never happened, I now want to give my version.' Ardin (pictured) said her book is a chance to give testimony she was never able to give in court and to dispel online rumours that she was a CIA agent set up to trap Assange Ardin's move to promote her book on a TV chat show has been sharply criticised by Anne Ramberg, the former head of Sweden's bar association, who claims Assange is the real victim of the legal and diplomatic fray. 'To now write a book and make a career of what is described as abuse seems extremely questionable,' Ramberg tweeted, adding that Assange 'should be considered innocent'. Swedish broadcaster Cissi Wallin responded in the Expressen newspaper, telling Ramberg she should thank Ardin for standing up for all Swedish women. 'Anna Ardin set herself on fire for all of us,' Wallin wrote. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. In a fresh development, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has decided to call farmers, with pictures of their kin serving in defence and police forces, at the Ghazipur border. This is being done to strengthen the protest and gain momentum with the 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" slogan. According to a senior BKU functionary, "We will see if the authorities continue to issue legal notices to the family members of those serving in defence forces and police. A large section of farmers has their children serving in the police and armed forces." The BKU gradually wants to broad base its ongoing agitation against farm laws by involving families of those working in armed forces. "The government should listen to us, otherwise in the next protest event, families of people serving in armed forces and police will come here, their fathers will sit with their pictures," Gaurav Tikait told reporters in Muzaffarnagar. 404 Shops are not included in the deal, with hundreds of jobs at risk boohoo Group PLC ( ) announced it has agreed to acquire Arcadias Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands out of administration for 25mln. The deal only includes the e-commerce and digital assets and associated intellectual property rights, including customer data, related business information and inventory, so shops are out of the picture, with hundreds of jobs on the line. The fast-fashion online retailer said this provides a significant opportunity to grow market share across a broader demographic as well as strengthening its menswear proposition with Burton. The integration period is expected to last for up to three months with one-off transaction and restructuring costs of 10-15mln. The former high street brands had over 2mln active customers in 2020 and generated 428mln of revenues and an underlying loss of 14mln in the year to August 29, 2020. The AIM-listed firm is financing the deal with its own cash resources, which stood at 387mln in December before buying Debenhams for 55mln last month. This is the final deal to wrap up the Arcadia administration, which folded with an estimated 350mln pension black hole and was handed to , putting up to 13,000 jobs at risk. Last week, boohoos competitor ( ) acquired Arcadias Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands for 265mln, also leaving all stores behind. Lots of people seem to think the Boohoo/Debenhams & ASOS/Topshop deals are similar. Here is a very basic model of assessing risk/opportunity. The bottom left box is least risky, top right is most risky. ASOS deal = mostly the bottom left box. Boohoo deal = the other 3 boxes. pic.twitter.com/ib4KKzHHGB dan barker (@danbarker) February 1, 2021 Only a few weeks before, Arcadia's Evans was sold to Australian firm City Chic Collective for 23mln, although the deal did not include the plus-sized clothiers store network but just the brand, its customer base and inventory. "The difference in approach this time is that boohoo has entered into a transitional services agreement, which will see it take over the brands while they are still trading, rather than a hard stop and restart, which means that the 25.2mln acquisition costs also includes an element of stock," analysts at Peel Hunt commented. "We... would expect a strong build in revenues in the run-up to peak. There is a logic to todays transaction, which fits well with the recent Debenhams portfolio of brands and continues to bring more focus to menswear." Shares in boohoo shed 3% to 352p on Monday at the opening bell. --Adds analyst comment, shares-- An OnlyFans star who earns $162,000 a month has lashed out after she was repeatedly spammed with comments to 'get a real job'. Gold Coast-based Mikaela Testa took to TikTok on Friday to defend the lifestyle and career she has chosen for herself. 'Just because it's not the type of job you would prefer to do, or it's not hard-work under your standards, doesn't mean it's not a real job,' she said. 'Not everyone is cut out to do hard work.' Ms Testa has made her fortune by sharing racy photos of herself to paying subscribers on the X-rated site OnlyFans. Gold Coast-based Mikaela Testa took to TikTok on Friday to defend the lifestyle and career she has chosen for herself Ms Testa has made her fortune by sharing racy photos of herself to paying subscribers on the X-rated site OnlyFans She has more than one million subscribers on her Instagram account. She was mocked online in 2019 when she broke down in front of the camera after finding out that Instagram had stopped showing the number of likes on all her posts. Now Ms Testa has come out and said she is constantly spammed with messages by people telling her to get a real job. 'My job is a real job, I legally have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tax,' she said. Ms Testa revealed in 2020 she had spent $1.4million in just 12 months with $281,000 spent in November alone. 'Just because I'm not out laying bricks in the hot sun or like building houses, love that, respect that, but it's clearly not for me,' she said in the video. 'It is literal real money, therefore it is a real job.' Ms Testa then told her spammers to 'shut up' and 'stop'. The video has been watched more than 900,000 times with mixed responses. 'Work smarter not harder,' one person said. Another person poked fun of her video: '"Not everyone is cut out to do hard work " love a good work ethic.' Ms Testa was mocked online in 2019 when she broke down in front of the camera after finding out that Instagram had stopped showing the number of likes on all her posts Ms Testa revealed in 2020 she had spent $1.4million in just 12 months with $281,000 spent in November alone Ms Testa moved into a Gold Coast mansion with her boyfriend Atis Paul, 19, in December 2020. The pair were mocked online and accused of flaunting their wealth by their social media fans during a virtual tour of the ten-car garage property. The tour of the luxurious home showed off a private cinema, waterfront pool, and 'so many spare bedrooms'. 'It's always been my dream to have a house like this, it literally has an elevator and three storeys,' Ms Testa explained. 'When I was a kid I was so embarrassed of my house because I lived in government housing... I'm so grateful and happy that I am able to achieve something like this.' The pair share the mansion with Mr Paul's influencer sister Anna, 21, and her boyfriend Glen Thomson. One of the greatest threats to the west is the Chinese Communist party that is different and seeks to dominate. It does not respect democracy and works to knee cap the US and G-7 allies with every trick in the book. Winston Churchill said that having allies is better, even if there is a spat, a much better alternative. From the second world war, both the United States and its allies have built a world order that survived the Soviet Union, but a more organized and ominous malign specter is the CCP. US and Allies under unseen siege by Beijing After the USSR or the Soviet Union's fall, the world developed better trade and international system and smaller wars. But that would change as the rise of China and the Communists of Beijing would move forward. CCP motivations would be similar to the Kremlin before, but would do it differently, reported MSN. For China's CCP, the world is incomparable to what the US and G-7 allies want. One issue is that the freedom-loving people of all nations are under threat over communists who want puppet strings worldwide. Just like China, where there is no liberty and free thought, deeds must follow the party. China's political machine wants military domination, economic strangleholds, and a technologically superior nation that allows US tech to steal to further military goals. These aspects make the regime a dangerous threat to all countries. To get what it needs, that means undermining, kneecapping, and seeking the best ways to lay low its most significant stumbling blocks. Democracies are fair game to the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, using every trick to infiltrate agencies of democracies and do everything to subvert anyone. Also read: Former Trump Adviser Says Don't Be Fooled by Chinese Misleading Negotiation Traps Beijing is too big to take on alone Nothing is more useless than taking the malign CCP alone, and no accountability can be taken. China is used to bullying other nations to get what it wants, like Taiwan and Australia, for instance, whether diplomatic or military means. If world leaders allow China to do what it wants and run over whenever it desires, this trend will get bolder. Every world leader should not let the CCP get away with it. Collaboration with Norbert Roettgen of the German Bundestag. One of the German leaders concerned with the movements of the CCP. One of the leaders in European politics sees the CCP as one factor that cannot be ignored. Last week, several months of trying to convince G-7 legislators for collective action. A letter received and signed by over 70 leaders, from legislators to state heads, agreed a united front would be needed to act against the CCP. Collaboration and coordination with G-7 countries are the best way to counter the influence of the CCP on national affairs effectively. If nothing is done then, democratic governments will pay a dear price. Communist China prefers a disunited front Beijing has been aware of how to undermine democracy, and democratically aligned nations standing alone are fair game. The Communists will sow indifference and disunity to isolate and control nations and threaten them. Key areas to keep united are developing better technology, preventing Chinese operatives' entry into international institutions, and upholding human rights. The CCP does not respect it all. The Chinese Communist Party should follow the rules and co-exist peacefully. Another is to make them accountable and stop a malign attitude. Related article: CCP: Documents Obtained Reveal that China Forced Technology Transfer @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Laura Byrne welcomed her second child with fiance Matty Johnson, a daughter named Lola Ellis, last week. On Monday, the former Bachelor star shared sweet photos shared to Instagram showing the bub bonding with her big sister. In one image, Laura did double duty, cradling her newborn alongside her animated sibling, Marlie Mae, one. Aww! Laura Byrne welcomed her second child with fiance Matty Johnson, a daughter named Lola Ellis, last week. On Monday, she shared sweet photos shared to Instagram showing the bub bonding with her big sister. Laura is pictured with Lola and Marlie Mae The new mother looked relaxed and fresh-faced, going makeup-free as she held her little ones close. An excited Marlie Mae munched on a cookie and had a wide smile on her face as she lapped up the attention. Laura captioned the photo: 'Haven't left the couch in 5 days, my boobs are so big they might start orbiting the sun and Marlie's eaten all my lactation cookies... But HOT DAMN we are a happy bunch'. Sweet: An excited Marlie Mae munched on a cookie and had a wide smile on her face as she lapped up the attention Bond: Marlie May looked delighted as she cuddled up with Lola. Laura captioned that photo, 'Marlie's super pumped to be a big sister in a really handsy, aggressive I want to smother you with my love kind of way. Playing it cool is not her shtick!' In further photos shared to Instagram Stories, Marlie May looked delighted as she cuddled up with Lola. Laura captioned that photo: 'Marlie's super pumped to be a big sister in a really handsy, aggressive I want to smother you with my love kind of way. Playing it cool is not her shtick!' The former reality star shared a new video clip of her baby girl Lola - which wasn't part of her initial birth announcement on Instagram - to the private Facebook group for her Life Uncut podcast on Friday. Sweet: The former reality star shared a new video clip of her baby girl Lola - which wasn't part of her initial birth announcement on Instagram - to the private Facebook group for her Life Uncut podcast on Friday The first clip showed Laura cradling little Lola in her lap, and in another video, the baby is strapped into her car seat as she heads home from the hospital. Matty and Laura announced the arrival of their latest addition Lola on Thursday evening last week. 'Lola Ellis Johnson... you had us all fooled! Everyone from your mum, your nana, the neighbour and even the postman thought you were going to be a boy,' Matty captioned a series of photos of the newborn. 'Playing pranks on us all already.. I love it! I also love that I'm now well and truly outnumbered by three beautiful and rambunctious girls at home. Welcome to the family,' he added. Surprise! Matty (left) and Laura announced the arrival of their latest addition Lola on Thursday evening last week Unexpected: 'Lola Ellis Johnson... you had us all fooled! Everyone from your mum, your nana, the neighbour and even the postman thought you were going to be a boy,' Matty wrote Laura also shared a series of photos of Lola to Instagram, and revealed her surprise at welcoming a baby daughter. 'I said I would eat my own poop if you were a girl, and yet HERE YOU ARE,' she joked. Matty and Laura met on The Bachelor in 2017 and welcomed their first child, daughter Marlie Mae, in June 2019. In April 2019, Matty got down on bended knee and popped the question to his girlfriend while on holiday in Fiji. Vapers infected with Covid are up to 17 per cent more likely to spread it because they blow the viruses around when they breathe out, a study has claimed. Experts say puffing out vapour from e-cigarettes could propel thousands of viruses towards people in the surrounding area. And the Covid-plagued droplets could travel more than two metres, the outer limit of the UK's social distancing rules, which endorse a 'one metre plus' approach. Experts have called on vapers not to use their devices while in queues, at bus stops or other places where people are at risk of encountering a 'vape cloud'. In the study the researchers, from Mexico, Italy and New Zealand, said it would be 'extremely intrusive' to tell people to stop vaping indoors at home but that it might be sensible to ban it in public spaces such as restaurants and train stations. They said the risk posed by 'low intensity' vaping, which was just exhaling gently, was smaller than the risk from speaking or coughing while close to someone. The team did not compare vaping to smoking real cigarettes but said 'most of the results we obtain are applicable to "mainstream" smoke exhalations emitted by smokers'. Vapers infected with coronavirus are up to 17 per cent more likely to spread the virus, a study has claimed (stock picture) In the study scientists modelled how much virus could be carried by low intensity vape clouds, when it is held in the mouth and pushed into the lungs before being exhaled, and high intensity, when it is inhaled directly into the lungs and blown out. They found low intensity puffs from infected individuals led to a 'miniscule extra contagion risk', raising the chance of bystanders catching the virus by one per cent. But high intensity jets of air, caused by someone actively blowing out the vapour, pushed up their risk by between five and 17 per cent. Their model was based on a mechanical jet which produced a puff of air intended to be similar to that breathed out by vapers. And to work out the difference in risk of transmission between different types of breathing, they considered the volume of air and droplets in each breath, the distance the air could travel and the possible viral load number of viruses that might be carried on it if they were infected. The coronavirus is known to spread through the air when people breathe out, talk, cough or sneeze, and the more air that is expelled, the higher the risk is. The researchers found that the breath volume and distance travelled was higher than normal breathing for people who vaped 'intensively'. SMOKING 'DOUBLES RISK OF HOSPITALISATION' WITH COVID-19 Smoking doubles the risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19 and needing hospitalisation, a study claimed in January. The research provides the first conclusive evidence, based on real-world data, that being a smoker puts individuals at higher risk of severe disease than non-smokers. It found smokers are 14 per cent more likely to have the three main symptoms of coronavirus: fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath. But smokers are also at 50 per cent greater risk of developing more than ten symptoms at once including cough, fever, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, fatigue, confusion or muscle pain than people who do not smoke. Development of myriad symptoms is often an indicator of more severe infection, experts believe. The data was gathered from millions of Britons via the King's College London app ZOE. The findings, published in the BMJ journal Thorax, fly in the face of previous studies, many of which have found smokers are less likely to catch the coronavirus or get severely ill. Academics have been left baffled by the data, given that decades of research has found smoking tobacco increases the risk of deadly diseases such as lung cancer, strokes and diabetes. But as the pandemic has progressed fresh research has emerged which shows smokers who catch Covid-19 are more likely to see their disease rapidly progress and lead to death. Advertisement This meant that, if they were infected with the coronavirus, more of these viruses could piggyback on the droplets in their breath and spread to other people. They then applied this to a mathematical model to calculate the 17 per cent increase in risk, rather than measuring raw numbers of viruses or infections. The scientists, led by Dr Roberto Sussman from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, said the chemicals in the vapour were unlikely to kill off the virus. Although there was no proof that vapers were spreading the virus, they said: 'While there is currently no factual evidence that pathogens have been spread through this route, it is entirely plausible that this should occur.' They compared how much different activities changed the risk of someone passing on the coronavirus if they were infected with it. Using a baseline of just normal breathing, they said 'high intensity' vaping raised the chance by between five and 17 per cent. This risk increase was lower than if someone was speaking or coughing, they said. Speaking raised the risk by between 40 and 80 per cent, while coughing more than tripled the chance someone would pass the virus on, raising it by 260 per cent. The study was published as a pre-print on MedRxiv, and has not been peer-reviewed by scientists. This means the data has not been scrutinised. Experts say Covid-19 is mostly spread through tiny infected droplets emitted into the air while someone is talking, coughing or sneezing. They say it is unlikely infections are triggered after touching a surface that had previously been touched by someone suffering from the virus. A study published last week found the risk of catching the virus from frequently touched surfaces including ATMs, petrol pumps and pedestrian crossings was low. The team leading the study on vaping was based at universities in Italy, Mexico and New Zealand. Professor Linda Bauld, a public health expert at the University of Edinburgh, told The Telegraph vapers shouldn't use their devices while waiting in queues, at bus stops or other places where people are at risk of encountering a 'vape cloud'. Traditional leaders in Liberia are resisting international pressure to end female genital mutilation - performed for centuries by the country's ancient secret societies - but campaigners say they're hopeful that newfound dialogue will help rally support from within. The fight against FGM has taken on greater urgency in Liberia since executive orders banning the practice expired a year ago. Both campaigners and members of the government have been engaging with traditional groups in an effort to end the practice, which results in longterm physical and mental damage. But at an event Saturday marking the celebration of the International Day of Zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, the head of Liberia's Traditional Council, chief Zanzan Karwo, reprimanded international groups seeking to end to FGM in Liberia. "The United Nations and its partners have placed traditional leaders in a difficult situation by calling on us to abolish FGM," Karwo said - arguing the livelihoods of the elders are built on preparing the women and girls to become successful wives. Karwo, who was speaking through a translator at a ceremony in the rural settlement of Fortville, outside of Monrovia, wants to see broader and sustained consultations with traditional leaders involved in FGM to help them find other means of work. Ancient practice The women's Sande and men's Poro societies - the two dominant traditional secret associations in Liberia - have been present in the region for centuries. FGM is performed on women and girls enrolled at the Sande secret bush schools, something international campaigners are fighting to eliminate. The practice is internationally recognised as a violation of the rights, health and integrity of girls and women. Liberia does not have a law that clearly criminalises FGM, explains Marie Goreth Nizigama, of UN Women Liberia, adding that about "50 percent of women and girls aged between 15-49 years" have been mutilated. Law in limbo In July 2019, the Liberian parliament back-pedalled on efforts to criminalise FGM by deleting sections from a law on domestic violence that sought make the practice illegal. Then President George Weah extended an executive order by predecessor Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf temporarily banning FGM in Liberia for one year. Now that the order has expired, anti-FGM campaigners warn women and girls remain at serious risk. Liberia's Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Williametta E Saydee Tarr, says plans are underway to permanently protect women and girls from FGM by making the practice illegal for good. "We will continue to speak out about the risk and realities of FGM as it has lasting physical and mental consequences that need to be discuss so that girls and women no longer have to suffer in silence," she said. It is hoped the law will also impose heavy penalties on perpetrators. Educational push Tarr has called on traditional leaders to "build a consensus" that would abolish FGM, adding the UN, European Union and United States were working with the Liberian authorities to end the practice. With support from international partners, Tarr said the government was implementing a pilot project to provide new skills to traditional priests that operate the bush schools. A learning centre in the northwestern region of Grand Cape Mount County is to encourage other business opportunities such as catering, soap making and tailoring. Local resistance Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Women By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Despite the moves to protect women and girls from genital mutilation, not everyone agrees the practice should be banned. Clarissa Reeves 30, a mother of 10 says, she hopes President Weah will allow her daughters to be able to visit the bush school. "This is our culture that our forefathers started; we should not be calling for it to end.," she told RFI. "They should allow us to continue this practice." Ma Zoe, a well-known female traditional priest also frowns on the campaign to end FGM in Liberia, saying she fears African cultural and tradition would be hurt by an enforced ban. UN Women representative Marie Goreth Nizigama, however, is hopeful that traditional leaders will eventually come round. "We have to continue to engage with traditional leaders," she said. "I think we are making progress because before we were not allow to talk about FGM, but now the traditional leaders themselves are talking about it." Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi: Divestment-bound Air India Ltd is set to witness record loss this fiscal amid strict travel curbs and border lockdowns due to the covid-19 pandemic. The airline is likely to incur a net loss of 9,500-10,000 crore in the year through March, up from a 8,000 crore loss recorded in the previous year, a senior official at Air India said, requesting anonymity. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports The carrier has never made a net profit since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. It posted losses of 7,982.83 crore (provisional figure) in 2019-20, 8,556.35 crore in 2018-19, and 5,348.18 crore in 2017-18. The carrier is expected to post a cash loss of around 6,000 crore this fiscal, up from 3,600 crore last year, the official said. Cash loss means an entity is not generating positive cash flows from its operations. The official said Air India, which has already raised about 5,500 crore to make up for the cash loss during FY2020-21, is likely to raise another 500 crore by the end of this fiscal. Air India has raised a 4,500 crore loan from the National Small Saving Fund (NSSF), while raising working capital loans worth 964 crore from banks for which the government has offered guarantee support, the official cited above said, adding the airline could raise another 500 crore from NSSF before fiscal-end. When contacted, an Air India spokesperson declined any comment. Indian airlines are expected to post a net loss of 21,000 crore this fiscal, following travel curbs and diminishing travel appetite. The airlines will require additional funding of 37,000 crore from FY21 to FY23 to recover from the losses and debt, ICRA Ltd had said in a December report. In a written reply to a query in the Lok Sabha last week, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the government has provided guarantee support of 964 crore to Air India to raise working capital loans from Indian banks this financial year, while extending the existing government guarantee of 6,693 crore for working capital needs and $819 million for refinancing of aircraft bridge loans. In order to effectively prepare Air India for divestment, the government (has) prepared a plan to bring operational and financial efficiency in Air India. This plan focuses on the financial and operational efficiencies so that substantial increase in revenue and cost saving could be achieved," Puri said. The government hopes to complete the privatization of Air India in the next fiscal, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on 1 February. The Tata group and an employees consortium are among the parties that have submitted expressions of interest (EoI) for Air India. The consortium comprises 219 employees of Air India and is headed by director (commercial) and board member Meenakshi Mallik. It hopes to tie up with a financial investor. The winning bidder will also get a 100% stake in the carriers low-cost arm Air India Express and 50% stake in Air India SATS (AISATS), which provides ground handling and cargo services at major domestic airports. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Representative Justin Wilmeth are working together on de-regulation legislation that would allow Arizonans to more easily and safely cancel their gym memberships, correcting a major issue that surfaced during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Last Spring, the Governor forced gyms to close in Arizona because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Attorney Generals Office (AGO) received a high number of complaints from consumers who could not cancel their membership despite the mandatory closures but were still charged their full dues. Additionally, countless consumers were not allowed to stop their membership because of unfair, outdated and onerous cancellation policies. When confronted by the AGO, gyms relied on the existing Health Spa statutes (ARS 44-1793) to support their unfair cancellation policies. I am proud to work with Representative Wilmeth to address this loophole in Arizona law, said General Brnovich. I understand that health clubs and gyms are going through difficult times, but outdated cancellation policies that are unfriendly to consumers and may endanger the public are unacceptable. This legislation provides a reasonable protection for Arizona consumers who may need another option to cancel their membership a problem highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Representative Wilmeth. General Brnovich has always been a strong advocate for the protection of consumers and Im proud to partner with him on this issue. Representative Wilmeth is working to implement General Brnovichs proposed legislation to address this issue and protect health club consumers. Under current Arizona law, gyms are only required to allow for cancellation of a membership if it is done in person or via certified mail. HB 2697 would update the law to allow for cancellation by regular U.S. mail, email, or on a gyms website. Representative Wilmeth introduced HB 2697 this legislative session. On Tuesday afternoon, the bill passed out of committee and will soon head to the House floor. Background: In April 2020, the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) sent letters to three gyms with locations in Arizona Life Time Fitness, Mountainside Fitness, and Planet Fitness urging them to allow consumers to cancel their memberships remotely during the pandemic. At the time, each gym required consumers to cancel in-person even though gyms in Arizona were closed under the Governors Executive Order. As of now, even if you have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, the advice from health officials is to keep wearing your mask, keep social distancing and keep away from get-togethers. But Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday there might be new guidance coming soon. Fauci, the White House pandemic adviser, was speaking at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science when 91-year-old Esther Cohen asked him when she and her friends -- who all have received both vaccine shots -- can safely resume their mah-jongg games. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there is no CDC guidance on what to do when groups of people who have received both vaccine doses want to get together. Current CDC advice is to keep wearing a face covering and staying 6 feet from others when possible. 'But I believe that's going to change,' Fauci said. 'We're talking about this at the level of the CDC.' Vaccinations began in the United States on December 14. More than 9.5 million people have been fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data updated Monday. The two US-authorized vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech prevent symptomatic infections in most but not all cases. And it is still unclear whether they stop asymptomatic infection. If you are asymptomatic, you would still test positive for Covid-19, and even if you are vaccinated, you could still spread the virus. That's why the guidance now is that even the vaccinated still need to wear masks. A person could be an asymptomatic carrier and have the virus in their nasal passageways, so when they are breathing or speaking or sneezing they could still pass the novel coronavirus on to others. Fauci said that he and his daughter, who have both been fully vaccinated, still follow the standard social distancing and quarantine guidelines before seeing each other. 'I'm doubly vaccinated. My daughter is doubly vaccinated. The last time she tried to come home, she had to go quarantine for 14 days and get tested,' he said. 'It was a big, big deal to finally see my daughter in the same room. I think that's going to have to change.' 'What's the reason to get vaccinated in the first place, if you don't want to get to normal?' he said. US ramping up Covid-19 genome sequencing to track variants, CDC director says The US has ramped up its genome sequencing efforts in the hunt for coronavirus variants, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. 'Over the last three weeks or so we've increased our sequencing about tenfold,' Walensky said during a White House briefing. 'So as we look more, we certainly anticipate we might find more' variants. The US effort in genetic sequencing lags far behind many other developed nations. One analysis ranked the US 33rd in the world for sequences per 1,000 cases of Covid-19. Scientists search for coronavirus mutations by taking samples of the virus from patients' nasal swabs and analyzing their genetic sequences. Mutations are changes in the genetic code of a virus that occur naturally over time when an animal or person is infected -- and such mutations can lead to the emergence of new variants. 'We anticipate that we're probably going to be sequencing up to three to four more than we are already sequencing,' Walensky said. 'I think once we have more sequencing that's happening, we'll have a better idea as to how many variants there are and what proportion are out there.' Walensky said during the briefing that she was 'reluctant' to provide an estimate of how many coronavirus variant cases there could be based on the current data. She also warned that variants could reverse encouraging declines in Covid-19 statistics. Walensky said an average of 119,900 new cases were reported between January 31 and February 6 -- a drop of nearly 20% from the prior week. New Covid-19 hospitalizations dropped about 17% from the week prior, she said. 'The continued proliferation of variants remains of great concern and is a threat that could reverse the recent positive trends we are seeing,' she said. Right now 699 variant cases have been confirmed across 34 states -- 690 of the variant first discovered in the United Kingdom, she said. Experts say the highly contagious UK variant will likely soon become dominant in the US, and a new study found significant community transmission may already be occurring. On Sunday, the US surpassed 27 million reported infections and more than 464,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University data. More than 32.3 million Americans have so far received at least their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to CDC data, as officials work to increase vaccinations across the country. And a third vaccine could be on its way to the US market soon: Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization of its vaccine last week. Decline in nursing home cases could be related to vaccinations New Covid-19 cases among nursing home residents and staff have dropped more than 50% in about four weeks, according to a CNN analysis of the latest data published by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The data captured cases reported between the week ending December 20 and the week ending January 24. A separate analysis by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living found that cases have dropped twice as fast in those nursing homes that vaccinated residents and staff. The AHCA/NCAL analysis, published last week, assessed 797 facilities that held vaccination clinics in the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program between December 18 and 27 and 1,709 facilities in the same set of counties that did not have a clinic in that time. 'The decline in new cases three weeks after the first dose, compared to facilities having vaccine clinics later, is encouraging and signals that the vaccine may decrease the spread of COVID, a finding not shown in the trials,' said Dr. David Gifford, chief medical officer for AHCA/NCAL. Gifford said additional data is needed to verify the reason behind the decrease. 'If verified with additional data, this could expedite the reopening of long term care facilities to visitors, which is vital to residents' health and well-being,' he said. Race to get people immunized With the potential for more infectious variants to become dominant, officials are trying to get more people vaccinated quickly. The pace of vaccinations across the United States has picked up, according to the CDC. In the past seven days, an average of more than 1.5 million people have received vaccine shots each day. Many communities have increased the number of places people can get shots. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a plan to vaccinate seniors who are veterans of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion in their homes. 'We are inspired by folks that have been willing to stand up and fight for freedom,' DeSantis said. The move expands the state's program to vaccinate homebound seniors, which began recently with Holocaust survivors. 'We're not going to rest until every senior that wants a shot gets a shot,' DeSantis said. What it will take to reopen schools Mitigation measures will play an especially key role in helping schools safely reopen, an expert said Sunday, as the CDC is expected to soon release guidelines on how schools can open during the pandemic. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, told CBS that when it comes to reopening schools, 'the prerequisite is putting in place mitigation steps ... ' He noted that when people wore masks and stayed socially distant, there was 'very little transmission within the classroom.' And while it would be good to prioritize teachers for vaccines, he said, 'I don't think it's necessarily a prerequisite. I think schools have demonstrated that they can open safely if they've taken precautions in the classroom.' About 62,000 New York City middle school students who opted for in-person learning will be returning to the classroom February 25, according Danielle Filson, a spokeswoman for the city's education department. Teachers and staff will return the day before to prepare. Those teachers returning to the classroom are being prioritized for vaccine access at city hubs from February 12 to 21 and over midwinter recess, said Education Chancellor Richard Carranza. First sitting member of Congress dies after contracting Covid-19 US Rep. Ron Wright has died after contracting coronavirus and being hospitalized, his congressional office said Monday. The 67-year-old Texas Republican is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting Covid-19. In December, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow died after being diagnosed with the disease. The statement from Wright's office on Monday noted that the congressman has also battled cancer. Wright had represented Texas's 6th Congressional District since January 2019. Pennsylvanias tax revenues fell $162 million short of projections for January due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Pennsylvanians continue to face uncertainty about how to be vaccinated against the disease, which also is crucial for getting the economy back on track. Thousands of businesses remain on the brink of closure; unemployment continues to plague thousands. And in Harrisburg, the Associated Press has reported that state lawmakers have been sure to take care of ... state lawmakers. The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission reported Thursday that for the 2019-2020 fiscal year including January through June 2020 the Legislature increased its own spending from $362 million to $392 million, more than 8%. An in a yet appalling act of hubris during a public health and economic crisis, the Legislature increased its own reserve funds from $172 million to nearly $200 million. According to Republican legislative leaders, such a massive reserve fund is necessary to keep the Legislature operating in case it gets into a budget impasse with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. But the reserve is a self-fulfilling prophesy. It not only enables, but invites, such an impasse. It is just one aspect of the Legislatures bad governance, beyond its own unjustifiable size and cost. Executive branch agencies are required to return to the Treasury any unspent money from their operations. The same rule should apply to the Legislature. Taxpayers do not give the Legislature money to sit on for the purpose of guaranteeing budget impasses. State money should be used to fund government operations. After it returns the $200 million to taxpayers, the constitutional amendment-happy majority should propose a new one, prohibiting the Legislature from maintaining reserve funds no greater than 8% of its operating budget the same figure that state law applies to school district reserves. MAUMEE, Ohio, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) today announced that Chris Clark has been named senior vice president of global operations, effective today. In this role, Mr. Clark is responsible for leading global manufacturing operations across Dana's more than 150 major facilities with an emphasis on safety, customer satisfaction, and overall operational efficiency. He will continue to build upon Dana's 116-year history of manufacturing excellence, lean manufacturing system deployment and accountability, new product launch execution, and cross-company operational synergies among Dana's drivetrain, sealing, thermal, industrial, and electrodynamic component and system operations. "Chris Clark brings strong international experience in managing complex manufacturing operations for Tier I mobility suppliers," said James Kamsickas, chairman and CEO, Dana Incorporated. "He will play an important role in furthering our commitment to safety and quality, as we continue to leverage our capabilities across the organization to deliver on our commitments to customers and shareholders." Mr. Clark joins Dana from Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, where he most recently served as vice president of operations, including leading manufacturing operations and quality. Previous to that position, he served as vice president of operations for Faurecia and also held key operational leadership roles with Lear Corporation. Mr. Clark earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Columbus State University and an MBA from Michigan State University. About Dana Incorporated Dana is a world leader in providing power-conveyance and energy-management solutions that are engineered to improve the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment. Enabling the propulsion of conventional, hybrid, and electric-powered vehicles, Dana equips its customers with critical drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions. Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $8.6 billion in 2019 with 36,000 associates in 34 countries across six continents. Founded in 1904, Dana has been recognized by Forbes magazine as a World's Best Employer with a high-performance culture that focuses on its people and has earned recognition globally as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com. SOURCE Dana Incorporated Related Links http://www.dana.com (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: South Africa halts AstraZeneca rollout South Africa halted Monday's planned rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccinations after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild infection from one variant, stoking fears of a much longer cat-and-mouse battle with the pathogen. Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Oxford said in a prior-to-peer analysis that the AstraZeneca vaccine provided minimal protection against mild or moderate infection from the so-called South African variant among young people. "This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected," said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial. South Korea seeks to reassure ageing residents With one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, South Korea sought to reassure elderly residents as it said it would push ahead with AstraZenecas vaccine but is still examining its efficacy for people older than 65. A panel of South Korean advisers has urged caution over the use of AstraZenecas vaccine for people older than 65, citing a lack of data, the food and drug safety ministry said last week. On Monday, the government confirmed it would go ahead with plans to distribute the company's vaccine, but that regulators will decide later this week whether to provide it to older citizens. UK says booster and annual vaccinations very probable A COVID-19 booster in the autumn and then annual vaccinations are very probable, Britain's vaccine deployment minister said as countries race to inoculate in the face of new variants. Britain has already injected over 12 million first doses and is on track to meet a target to vaccinate everyone in the top most vulnerable groups by mid-February. The success of the rollout, however, is spurring debate about how soon the government can ease lockdown restrictions amid plans to reopen schools in England in March. Story continues French flock to Madrid cafes French tourists weary of their strict national lockdown are flocking over the border to Madrid, where bars and restaurants are open and people can stay outdoors until 10 p.m. "Here, there's life - everything's happening!" said 22-year-old student Clara Soudet as she left a live music event near Madrid's bustling Gran Via. Game, set and mask Tennis fans wearing masks filtered into Melbourne Park on Monday for the start of the Australian Open, this year's first Grand Slam event, as the host city recorded one new locally acquired case of coronavirus. Players and staff arriving from overseas have all served 14 days of quarantine but foreign fans have been kept out as part of Australia's tough and effective measures to get to grips with the coronavirus. The tournament will welcome about half its usual capacity, with crowds limited to 30,000 fans a day. (Compiled by Linda Noakes; Editing by Nick Macfie) Pune, India, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global CBD (Cannabidiol) Market Overview: The growing research and development and financial support for cannabinoid research, the incidence of chronic diseases and related complications, and the legalization of CBD in different regions by various private and government organizations are expected to affect the global demand cannabidiol (CBD) positively. Global CBD Market is expected to register a huge CAGR of 125.58% during the forecast period and reach astronomical revenue of 2,207.16 million by 2026, as reported by MRFR. However, to curb the global CBD industry's development, adverse effects associated with cannabis and strict government policies are expected. The growing research and development and financial support for cannabinoid research, the incidence of chronic diseases and related complications, and the legalization of CBD in different regions by various private and government organizations are expected to affect the global demand cannabidiol (CBD) positively. Cannabis oil has become the new consumer trend due to the number of social media influencers endorsing the advantages of cannabis, awareness campaigns from industry participants, and application areas. Plant-based medicine has experienced significant growth in recent years. The need for minimally formulated and chemical-free drugs has also opened up a lucrative opportunity to increase the market being examined. Thus, COVID-19 Analysis: As the COVID-19 spread has ramped up, several stores are closing down. Among some of the largest CBD firms, the industry sees an e-commerce revenue spike. This is a motivating move, as many brands have worked tirelessly to get onto the shelves of mass retailers in the past year. However, those who are better positioned for success in the COVID-19 crisis are those with a robust Direct-to-Consumer strategy. Many small brands depend on selling the bulk of their goods through small or local retailers. The mass shuttering of stores is currently likely to deliver a death blow to many of the market's smaller brands. This could work with many of the more prominent brands, who are better placed to deal with the storm and can endorse a robust plan for e-commerce. If CBD brands can survive the next few months, they can compete in a much less crowded market once the crisis stabilizes. Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/8090 Competitive Landscape: The Key players in the global CBD market are: Aphria Inc. Freedom Leaf, Inc. Canopy Growth Corporation Green Roads of Florida, LLC Folium Biosciences CBD Health Solutions, LLC ENDOCA, CV Sciences, Inc Medical Marijuana, Inc. Isodiol International Inc, Elixinol Global Limited In addition to expanding their global footprints by penetrating untapped markets, the global CBD market players are concentrating on product launches. Segmental Analysis Based on form, the global cannabidiol market is segmented into solid and liquid. The liquid segment held the largest market share of 51.86% in 2018, with a market value of USD 1,601.62 million, and is projected to register a CAGR of 127.24% during the review period. Based on product, the global cannabidiol market is segmented into therapeutic grade, food-grade, and others. Based on application, the global cannabidiol market is segmented into fibromyalgia, energy drinks, diabetes, protein bars, neurogenerative disorder, and others. Based on end-users, the global cannabidiol market is segmented into food & beverage, healthcare, and others. Due to factors such as increased CBD usage for medical conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis symptoms, the healthcare sector is expected to gain a large share over the review period. Also, individuals suffering from chronic pain are now opting to treat related CBD-based drug conditions, which are expected to fuel demand growth over the forecast period. The global cannabidiol market is segmented into inorganic and organic based on source. The organic segment is expected to witness the largest market share over the review period. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (104 Pages) on CBD (Cannabidiol): https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cbd-market-8090 Regional Analysis As cannabis-based goods are gradually consumed, the Americas dominate the global CBD market. Some of the key factors driving the region's development are the growing legalization of medical cannabis in independent states of the U.S., the liberalization of government legislation surrounding the same, and an overall rise in the acceptance of cannabidiol for medicinal, health, and personal usage. Also, for medicinal purposes, Canada has authorized the cultivation and sale of both CBD and THC potent marijuana. Therefore, the availability in the major economies of CBD-based products also supports the development of the region's industry. In 2018, the Americas accounted for the largest market share of 78.14% with a market value of USD 2,413.34 million, followed by Europe with a market value of USD 358.19 million in 2018. Owing to the growing recognition of the therapeutic applications of cannabis, Europe holds the second largest market share. CBD is legal and can be sold freely in some European countries, so the approval and consideration of regulatory agencies in Europe drive the development of the region's CBD industry. There are beneficial restrictions associated with using the goods beyond the permissions and considerations. Increasing involvement in the growth of various firms, such as Medical Marijuana Inc., has announced Canipa Holdings' establishment in Romania, EU. The expansion of the CBD market in the European region is encouraged by companies' influence on such initiatives. In the CBD industry, APAC holds the third-largest position. China has recently legalized CBD production (Hemp) and the extraction of the derived product. The goods in China are exported and not sold. The entry into the CBD market of Chinese companies has generated excellent expansion and growth potential. Cannabis-based goods are inappropriate in the Asia-Pacific. Yet, certain doctors recommend cannabis-based drugs because of the increasing cases of epilepsy. Australia focuses specifically on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes. Australia's regulatory authorities are working to provide guidelines on the use of CBD goods. This is expected to assist in the development of the Australian CBD industry. The Middle East and Africa are predicted to see limited growth due to strict government policies, cannabis-related adverse effects, and the illicit use of marijuana. Few Arab countries in the Middle East enforce trick laws on the use and handling of cannabis-related goods. Thus, during the forecast period, the CBD market in these regions has limited scope for growth. Share your Queries @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/8090 Industry Updates January 2021: A US-based maker, Nano Hydrate, has unveiled product marketing services leveraging advanced technologies to provide natural healing through branding services of pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD). Nano Hydrate aimed to create a collaborative program that would allow them to introduce existing brands to the market for niche CBD products while expanding options for cannabis-infused beverages to the cannabis industry. January 2021: Next leaf, the most innovative cannabis extractor globally, today reported that the Company had been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a process that adds to the Company's dynamic and growing U.S. patent portfolio resulting in a solventless cannabis concentrate. Discover more research Reports on Pharmaceutical Industry , by Market Research Future: Veterinary CBD Market Research Report Insights and Industry Analysis by Source (Marijuana-Derived, Hemp-Derived); Product (Food-Grade, Therapeutic-Grade, Personal Care); Distribution Channel (E-Commerce, Retail Pharmacies, Vetcare Clinics) and Regions, Competitive Market Size, Share, Trends, and Forecast, 2019-2025 CBD Oil (Cannabidiol Oil) Market : Information by Type (Hemp-Derived & Marijuana-Derived), By Application (Cosmetics Industry, Food Industry, Pharmaceuticals Industry & Others) - Global Forecast till 2024 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. A group of UK lawmakers will investigate Bain Capitals 530 million pound ($728 million) deal for Liverpool Victoria Financial Services savings & retirement and protection businesses, the Guardian reported. Members of the parliamentary group are concerned about the impact the deal will have on the companys members, the insurance industry and competition in financial services, Gareth Thomas, the Labour MP for Harrow West and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for mutuals, told the Guardian. The group is inviting LV= Chairman Alan Cook and CEO Mark Hartigan to give evidence. The inquiry will consider whether the companys proposals are good for policyholders, competition and the business. Hartigan told the Guardian it welcomes the opportunity to explain why Bain was singular in offering not only a good financial outcome for members but also a long-term commitment to LV=s future prospects. Members and policyholders werent given details on why Bains offer was selected over others, according to the report. The groups board considered a bid from Royal London and received similar offers from other mutuals, the Guardian said, citing people familiar, but chose to go with Bain, which is better known for investing in other industries. A spokesperson for LV= told the Guardian it sought a takeover bid because of restrictions on mutual insurance companies raising investment funds in the wider market. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Legislation Caritas Kasama in Zambias northern Archdiocese of Kasama has donated food items to flood victims at the Mediatrix of All Graces, Malole Parish. Fr. Nicholas Kaliminwa Kasama, Zambia Caritas Kasama has handed over food items to beneficiaries from four villages of Zambias Mungwi District in the Archdiocese of Kasama. Diocesan parishes donate to flood victims Among the items Caritas Kasama donated were bags of maize, cooking oil, packets of sugar, salt and assorted clothing. Speaking at the handover ceremony in Chifulo village, Director of Caritas Kasama, Father Leonard Kalyoti, explained that last year (2020), the Archbishop of Kasama, Ignatius Chama, appealed to the Christian faithful in the Archdiocese to donate, whatever the could, towards those affected by the floods. Grateful to parish priests and parishioners Father Kalyoti has since expressed gratitude to parish priests and the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Kasama for their generosity towards the noble diocesan cause. At the handover ceremony, Parish Priest of Mediatrix of All Graces, Malole Parish, Father Edward Mutale, thanked Archbishop Chama and Caritas Kasama for coming to the aid of the people. Father Mutale reminded beneficiaries that the foods donated were meant to cushion them as they await the next harvest season. A Diocesan Bag of Solidarity Campaign Meanwhile, Caritas Kasama has launched a diocesan campaign known as the Bag of Solidarity Campaign. The idea is to collect donations that would then be channelled towards the Archdiocese of Kasamas vulnerable communities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with US President Joe Biden and conveyed his "best wishes for his success", in the first-ever direct conversation between the two world leaders. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, PM Modi said that they discussed regional issues and shared priorities. They also agreed to further the co-operation against climate change. READ | First official public contact between Modi and Biden govts PM Modi tweeted, "Spoke to Joe Biden and conveyed my best wishes for his success. We discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our co-operation against climate change." READ | Joe Biden administration takes major decision, gives nod on F-15EX multi-role combat aircraft for IAF The PM and the US President also reiterated their committed "to a rules-based international order". The two leaders look forward to consolidating the strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. PM Modi also tweeted, "President Joe Biden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond." Spoke to @POTUS @JoeBiden and conveyed my best wishes for his success. We discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our co-operation against climate change. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 An official statement read, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with Joseph R Biden, President of the United States of America. Prime Minister warmly congratulated President Biden, conveyed best wishes for his tenure, and looked forward to working closely with him to further elevate the India-US Strategic Partnership." It added, "The leaders discussed at length regional developments and the wider geopolitical context. They noted that the India-US partnership is firmly anchored in a shared commitment to democratic values and common strategic interests. They reiterated the importance of working with like-minded countries to ensure a rules-based international order and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region." IAF to get F-15EX multi-role combat aircraft after Joe Biden administration gives nod-In pics "Prime Minister took the opportunity to invite President Biden and Dr Jill Biden to visit India at their earliest convenience," added the statement. "Prime Minister and President Biden affirmed the importance of addressing the challenge of global climate change. Prime Minister welcomed President Biden's decision to re-commit to the Paris Agreement and highlighted the ambitious targets India has set for itself in the area of renewable energy. Prime Minister welcomed President Bidens initiative to organise the Climate Leaders Summit in April this year and looked forward to participating in the same," further added the statement. On January 27, the first official and public contact between the governments of PM Modi and the US President took place on with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and new US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaking. During the call, which was made from the US side, there was a reaffirmation of the Indo-Pacific vision, backed by both Washington and Delhi. The Indian government readout had said, "During the telephonic talk, they reaffirmed their commitment to work together to strengthen the multifaceted India-US defence cooperation and the strategic partnership. Raksha Mantri and Secretary Austin discussed bilateral, regional and global issues." Singh had tweeted, "Spoke with my US counterpart Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and conveyed my warm wishes on his appointment. We reiterated our firm commitment to deepen India-US defence cooperation. We exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest to strengthen our strategic partnership." The fact that the US side reaffirmed its position on Indo-Pacific, show no change of sentiment in Washington on the vision. It is given that China remained another focus area of the talks. US President Joe Biden on Sunday (local time) said that he will not lift sanctions on Iran to re-engage Tehran in negotiations over the 2015 nuclear deal. "No," said Biden, when asked whether the US will lift sanctions to convince Iran to participate in negotiations, Wall Street Journal reported citing his interview with CBS News. The newly sworn-in President also indicated that he would only lift sanctions if Iran stops enriching uranium beyond the limits of the nuclear deal. Earlier in the day, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a speech reiterated that the US itself must lift sanctions and come back in compliance with the nuclear deal, The Wall Street Journal reported. "If they want Iran to return to its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments, the US should lift all sanctions in action... Once this is done, we will resume our JCPOA commitments," he said in remarks published on his website. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Biden's new administration does not have much time for taking positive steps towards re-joining the JCPOA, reported Sputnik quoting the Hamshahri newspaper. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, stipulating the removal of international sanctions from Tehran in exchange for it scaling down its nuclear program. In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by gradually abandoning its own commitments. This past December, the Iranian government passed a law aimed at achieving a full removal of sanctions via a boost of nuclear activities, specifically by increasing the levels of uranium enrichment and limiting the access of the International Atomic Energy Agency to its facilities, reported Sputnik. In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US would reciprocate Iran's resumed compliance with the nuclear deal, but would seek a broader agreement that also covers its missile program. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its Third Schedule Part I Item F 15 sets out the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It states inter alia: "The commission shall have power to - (a) organise, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation; ... ." The Constitution in section 158 guarantees the independence of the Commission along with some other Federal bodies in order to ensure that they exercise their respective functions free from external influence, control or interference. The need for the Commission to carry out its functions free from any external control is very crucial considering the fact that free, fair and credible elections form the basis of citizens' participation in the choice of their elected representatives into public office which is the essence of democracy. In the discharge of its functions and exercise of its powers under the Item F 15 (a), the primary duty of INEC is to ascertain, through election, the will of the electorate or voters and to declare the candidate with the highest number of votes as winner of the election. The Constitution could not have envisaged that the Independent National Electoral Commission will share this power with any other authority or organ of government but sadly that has become the reality as election tribunals and courts have repeatedly declared as winner of an election a candidate different from that declared as winner by INEC - the body that organised, undertook and supervised the election in the first place. It is a serious anomaly, incongruity and an aberration for INEC to conduct an election and declare a winner and for other persons who took no part in the conduct of the election to declare a different person as winner. This renders the word Independent in the name of the Commission worthless and meaningless. It does not make sense and is inherently wrong. This is more so where the person declared by the court to have won the election did not originally have the majority of the votes cast in the election. This usually happens after the votes (sometimes running into hundreds of thousands) of the candidate declared winner are annulled by the courts and tribunals or are declared "wasted votes" for reasons due to no fault of the voters. This has given rise to the emergence of elected officials who were rejected at the polls by the voters but emerged through the courts as winners in total disregard of the will of the majority of the people that heeded the call to perform their civic duty. The essence of democracy is thus defeated. Elections, to that extent, have ceased to reflect the will of the people but the will of the judges sometimes by a split decision of 2:1, 3:2, etc, as the case may be. Elections should be won at the polls, not in a court of law. They should be a reflection of the will of the voters, not the brilliance of election petition lawyers or the will of courts of law or other extraneous consideration. Every vote must count because this goes to the very foundation of democracy. In an attempt to correct this anomaly, the National Assembly introduced section 140 of the Electoral Act 2010. It states: "(2) Where an election tribunal or court nullifies an election on the ground that the person who obtained the highest votes at the election was not qualified to contest the election or that the election was marred by substantial irregularities or non-compliance with the provisions of the Act, the election tribunal or court shall not declare the person with the second highest votes or any other person as elected, but shall order a fresh election". Regrettably, the courts have struck down this well-intentioned provision as unconstitutional and an attempt to muzzle the judiciary. They have continued to carry on as before (See for instance, Labour Party v INECFHC/ABJ/CS/399/2011 delivered by Hon Justice G Kolawole on 21 July 2011). It has now become imperative for the National Assembly to revisit the principle behind section 140 of the Electoral Act 2010 by incorporating it into the Constitution during this current Constitution Review exercise. Many prominent Nigerians have spoken against the current practice of electoral-victory-through-the-court, describing it as undemocratic. Prominent among these are former President Goodluck Jonathan who is reported to have said that the outcome of elections must be decided by ballots and not by the courts. In his words: "If the ballots don't decide who wins, then we are not practising democracy". Also Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, who was himself a beneficiary of court-ordered electoral victory, has condemned the practice and described it as undemocratic. According to him: "The court should not impose. If the courts find out that the preferred candidate did not win, for me, the only democratic option, the legal option will be to repeat the exercise... Nothing should empower the court to impose a man rejected by the people on the people. That goes to the heart of democracy and it destroys the fabric of our democratic process... The very best the court can do is to order that the exercise be repeated because in a democracy, nobody other than the people can choose who governs them. For me this is fundamental." In a similar vein, Professor Itse Sagay SAN, (Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption) who was himself a member of the team of lawyers that secured electoral victory in the court for Adams Oshiomhole in 2008 now sees the wrongfulness in the practice, saying "it's unfortunate we now allow judges, instead of the electorate, to give us governors". (See Sunday Vanguard 7 April 2019 at p.10). The time has come to "work the talk" and take corrective action. If the court finds that there has been a serious infraction or violation of the law which amounts to substantial irregularity or substantial non-compliance in the election, the tribunal or court can and should nullify the election and order a repeat of the election. Anything beyond that puts the judiciary and its impartiality in a dangerous situation where its integrity can be called to question as we have seen in recent times. I believe it is expedient to heed the weighty admonitions in the interest of our democracy and for many other reasons, namely: It will help to preserve the integrity of our judiciary and restore public confidence which has been imperilled on account of this unwholesome practice, albeit permitted by extant law. It will insulate the judiciary from political pressure to compromise in return for financial inducements or blackmail. It will help preserve our democracy lest we suffer the fate which recently befell Mali. That country's government was brought down by a military coup partly on account of the decision of their Constitutional Court which nullified the election of many members of the opposition in Parliament and replaced them with supporters of the government who had lost at the polls. The consequences of our Supreme Court handing over an electoral mandate to a person other than the INEC-declared winner in a Presidential election, for instance, can best be imagined. We should be mindful of Murphy's Law which states that anything that can go wrong will, sooner or later, go wrong. It will reduce voters' apathy which is fuelled by the growing impression that in Nigerian elections votes don't count. It will reduce the spate of litigation, many of them frivolous, by fortune-hunting litigants who explore every available avenue, fair or foul, to get into office using the courts. (There are important lessons to be learnt from the US elections where various courts up to their Supreme Court have been firm to protect votes despite Trump's desperate efforts to have some of them annulled). Accordingly, and with a great sense of responsibility, I urge you to consider this proposal as essential to your mission of electoral reform and the consolidation of our democracy during this round of constitution amendment exercise. It is noteworthy to mention that the National Assembly took a laudable step to secure the independence of INEC from the Executive arm by ensuring its financial autonomy through the First Alteration of the Constitution which puts the Commission on a First Line Charge. In like manner, the Supreme Court invalidated provisions in the Electoral Act of 2002 which sought to dictate to INEC the days and sequence of elections as an encroachment by the Legislature on the independence and powers of the Commission. It remains to safeguard the independence of the Commission from encroachment by the Judiciary by giving INEC the exclusive power to declare the winners of elections. The National Assembly should not lose this opportunity whose timing is very apt. It will restore faith in our electoral system and confidence in our democracy. I have taken liberty to propose a Draft Bill (which is attached herewith) on this reform. It should be borne in mind that this proposal, if it passes, will necessitate consequential amendments to some sections of the Electoral Act 2010. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. To ensure that the reinforced independence of INEC as proposed is not abused I further propose that we introduce a new section in the Constitution to the effect that where elections to any office are repeatedly nullified by the tribunal or courts due to flagrant violations of the law, substantial irregularities or substantial non-compliance, the Chairman, or Commissioner or other officer responsible may be removed for gross misconduct on a motion supported by not less than a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Senate. The courts or tribunal can also recommend such officials for prosecution. These sanctions will serve as a deterrent and compel INEC officials to sit up. Bill for an Act to strengthen the Independence of INEC and to preserve its power over the organisation, supervision and conduct of elections including the exclusive power to declare the winner of an election. Section 6(6)(a) of the Constitution is hereby amended by adding the following words after the semi-colon; "but shall not extend to the power of the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the winner of any election." A new section 228A is hereby inserted in the Constitution. If an election petition tribunal or a court as the case may be, determines that a candidate who was returned elected was not validly elected on any ground whatsoever, the Tribunal or the court shall nullify the result and order a fresh election and shall not declare the person with the second-highest votes or any other person, as validly elected." A new section 228B is hereby inserted in the Constitution. "Where elections to any particular office in an election are repeatedly nullified by the tribunal or courts due to flagrant violations of the law, substantial irregularities or substantial non-compliance, the Chairman, or Commissioner or other officer responsible may be removed from office for gross misconduct on a motion supported by not less than a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Senate." The Third Schedule Part I, F-15 (a) is hereby amended by inserting the following words after the semi-colon - "and to declare the winners of those elections." Prof. Osunbor, a former governor of Edo State wrote from Abuja Vanguard News Nigeria "I am very pleased to have these highly regarded thought leaders and accomplished operating executives join our team in an advisory capacity." - Shan Padda, Founder/CEO of Harvard MedTech Tweet this George Riedl is an innovative senior retail healthcare executive with 35 years of experience leading pharmacy, managed care, merchandising and, marketing teams. Most recently, George was President of Pharmacy, Health & Wellness for Walmart US, the world's largest retailer boasting 2.2 million associates worldwide, 260 million customers served weekly, and $500 billion in annual revenue. Previously, George spent 27 years at Walgreens, the leading retail pharmacy chain with more than 9,000+ stores and 250,000 employees. Throughout his tenure, George has served in a variety of leadership roles including Vice President of Purchasing, Executive Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing and, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Innovation & Purchasing. George holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Illinois and completed the Management Program at Northwestern University. Chris Dimos is currently the Chief Operating Officer for AccentCare, Inc. where he is responsible for leading a team of professionals that are dedicated to improving patients' quality of living. Prior to this role he was President of the Retail Solutions team at McKesson Pharmaceutical Solutions and Services. In that role, Chris was responsible for driving the continued development of McKesson's U.S. Retail efforts, including the current retail pharmacy business, which included large chain pharmacies, independent pharmacies, the Health Mart franchise, the pharmacy services administration organization (Health Mart Atlas), branded pharmaceutical manufacturer relations, generic pharmaceutical sourcing, and the consumer packaged goods category management teams. Prior to that, he was SVP of Strategy and Business Development at McKesson. Chris began his professional career as a pharmacist. He held several leadership positions before becoming president of Supervalu Pharmacies and Non-Foods Merchandising. Chris is a graduate of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He also attended Indiana University School of Business. Garry Zage started his career as a hospital pharmacist and later moved into a hospital administration executive position. He also spent 12 years with Baxter International serving in senior management roles in Baxter's domestic and international businesses. In 2005, Garry purchased the pharmacy automation company Kirby Lester. Garry served as CEO and President until 2014 when the company was purchased by Capsa Healthcare. He remained as president and served on the executive leadership team of Capsa Healthcare. In 2017, Capsa Healthcare was sold to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners where he remained as president until September 2018. Garry Zage is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy and holds a Masters in Management degree from DePaul University. Garry was named the University of Illinois Alumnus of the Year in 2012 and sat on the Illinois College of Pharmacy Advisory Board. Today, Mr. Zage serves as a business development advisor to early-stage healthcare companies. "We launched Harvard MedTech two years ago with the goal of reducing pain and decreasing the usage of opioids. Our Vx Pain Relief Program, a combination of Virtual Reality therapy and behavioral health interventions, has been achieving exceptional clinical and financial outcomes. Most importantly, the patients love it. Our program is a healthy, organic way for injured patients to treat their chronic pain, instead of them using narcotics/opioids. As has been well chronicled, the opioid crisis has already cost over half a million American lives and counting. Through our Vx Pain Relief Program, we have an opportunity to fundamentally alter how pain is treated," said Mr. Padda. "With our new advisory members, we look forward to utilizing their past experiences to further accelerate our initiative." ABOUT HARVARD MEDTECH Harvard MedTech, LLC is a breakthrough Digital Health Company that provides smart devices to help patients manage pain in the comfort of their homes. Each patients' customized treatment plan is physician-driven and patient-centric. Through its' proprietary algorithms, Harvard MedTech is able to drive optimal outcomes, patient engagement, and experience. The Vx Pain Relief Program combines virtual reality (VR) therapy, behavioral health interventions, and other forms of digital engagement for the treatment of pain. The Vx Pain Relief program is a revolutionary digital health modality to treat pain in lieu of narcotics. Contact the company at [email protected] SOURCE Harvard MedTech Budget extends `Ease of Doing Business' to NRIs Union Budget 2021-22 has extended `Ease of Doing Business benefits to its citizens living abroad by allowing them to set up one person companies (OPCs) in their home country and easing tax burden on repatriated money by allowing tax-free status to 182 days of stay in India from the earlier 120 days. Until now, the facility of setting up one person company was available only for those citizens living in India. The concession is expected to benefit a large number of Indians living in the Gulf, which has the highest number of non-resident Indians (NRIs). This will allow Indians currently residing in the Gulf countries to better plan their post-NRI days once their overseas work permits or contracts end and they have to leave for home. Guruprasad Mohapatra, secretary of the Indian governments Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, said in a media briefing to explain provisions of the Indian budget 2021-22 that the new budget "allows NRIs to incorporate OPCs in India." Further, he said, "The budget incentivises the incorporation of OPCs by amending the Companies Incorporation Rules to allow OPCs to grow without any restrictions on paid-up capital and turnover, allowing their conversion into any other type of company at any time, reducing the residency limit in India for NRIs to set up an OPC from 182 days to 120 days." The complete budget was outlined to Indias parliament on Feb. 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, but their provisions such as the concessions to NRIs become effective on April 1. Before they take effect such changes have to be notified as explained by Mohapatra. Also, an earlier restriction that OPCs set up by resident Indians cannot be converted into a public limited company or a private limited company for two years will not apply in the case of NRIs. Similarly, a limitation that the paid-up capital of Rs50 lakh and annual turnover of Rs2 crore applicable at present to OPCs has also been done away with for NRIs. These relaxations for non-resident Indians (NRIs), announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2021, will be effective from 1 April 2021, the beginning of the coming financial year. Presently, when NRIs return to India, they face issues related to their accrued incomes in their foreign retirement accounts, which mainly occurs due to mismatch in taxation periods. She also highlighted their difficulties in getting credit for Indian taxes in foreign jurisdictions, leading to double taxation. The government notified a major economic concession to its citizens living abroad, allowing them to set up one person companies (OPCs) in their home country. Until now, the facility was available only for those living in India. This economic concession is expected to benefit a large number of Indians living in the Gulf, which has the highest number of non-resident Indians (NRIs). As a result the Gulf-resident Indians will now be able to better plan their future for a day when their overseas work or contracts end and they have to leave their countries of limited residence to return home. Earlier there existed the restriction that OPCs set up by resident Indians cannot be converted into a public limited company or a private limited company for two years will not apply to NRIs. Similarly, a limitation that the paid-up capital of Indian rupees five million and annual turnover of rupees 20 million, presently applicable for OPCs has also been done away with. So there are no restrictions on the growth of OPCs. Further, to decriminalise the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008, the budget proposes easing of compliance requirements of small companies by revising their definition under Companies Act, 2013. Besides, promoting start-ups and innovators by incentivising the incorporation of one person companies (OPCs), the budget proposes to allow their growth without any restrictions on paid-up capital and turnover and allowing their conversion into any other type of company at any time, Students from Northern Ireland at university and in further education elsewhere will miss out on the Executive's 500 Covid Hardship Payment. The Department of the Economy said on Monday it had no legal power to make payments through public bodies in other jurisdictions. It was announced last week that up to 40,000 full time students in Northern Ireland would receive the payment before the end of March in a scheme costing 22m. While the department said it recognised the impact of the pandemic on students everywhere, it has no authority to extend the scheme to students from Northern Ireland at university in Great Britain or the Republic. A Department for the Economy spokesperson said: "We recognise that many Northern Ireland domiciled higher education students are enrolled in universities in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland and that these students will have been adversely impacted by the pandemic, just as those in local institutions have been. "It is important to note, however, the funding agreed last Thursday is for Northern Ireland institutions to support their students. "Payments will issue directly from the institutions, not from the Department," the spokesperson said. "It should also be noted the only feasible way in which a payment scheme of this size can be implemented is to work through the students' institutions; that is either their university or further education college. "The Department does not have the legal power to make payments through public bodies outside of Northern Ireland, such as a GB or RoI university or the Student Loans Company. "Universities elsewhere in the UK or RoI will have developed their own support schemes, and the administrations there have also announced support packages for their universities and students. In the first instance Northern Ireland-born students suffering hardship should apply for support from the institution they are studying at." The Department said learners on full time further education courses at local colleges are being supported through a range of mechanisms. "Additional funding of 4.8m was used to help provide IT equipment to help address digital poverty, including providing almost 1,200 SIM cards," the spokesperson said. "A further 1.7m has been secured and the Department is currently working with the further education colleges to provide this funding to further combat digital poverty, through a payment of 60 for mobile data to full time further education students as well as additional devices. The Department is developing a similar scheme for part time learners." On Monday, SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin presented a petition signed by over 7,000 people to Economy Minister Diane Dodds asking for similar payments for students studying outside the region. Many students taking courses outside Northern Ireland have been working remotely, with higher course fees and may be paying rent on accommodation they can't stay in. A hero neighbour broke into a burning house and risked his life to save a deaf dog while the owners were at work with the moment captured in a striking image. The fire broke out in the garage of a Noosaville home last Tuesday morning and quickly spread throughout the Queensland residence. Neighbours raised the alarm with emergency services with one noticing the dog was fast asleep on the downstairs level of the home. The male neighbour rushed in to save Sid the deaf dog, battling through blistering heat and clouds of smoke to safely rescue the family pet. A man has been lauded for his heroic efforts in saving his neighbour's deaf dog from a burning home in Queensland Through a statement on Reddit, the home owners told how their neighbour 'risked his life for a virtual stranger's old, deaf dog' The owners of the home expressed their gratitude through social media and told of their desire to have the man nominated for a bravery award. 'I will never forget this kindness as long as I live,' the home owner said through a post on Reddit. 'Our neighbour, who we really only know well enough to wave to in the driveway, broke into our burning house to save Sid. 'Not his dog, our dog. He risked his life for a virtual stranger's old, deaf dog who was sleeping blissfully in my sewing room next to the burning garage. 'The room was blisteringly hot and full of smoke. But he got him.' The man's act of bravery was lauded by social media commentators who agreed the man deserved an award for his heroic act. 'What a kind-hearted person, he definitely deserves an award or some kind of recognition,' one person commented. Emergency services are pictured inspecting the fire damaged home in Noosaville, Queensland last Tuesday morning Social media commentators praised the man and agreed he should be nominated for a bravery award 'Yes firefighters do this everyday (and they too deserve way more recognition and support) but this guy probably had no training so it was very brave.' An image of the man carrying the dog to safety while flames engulfed the garage was also posted to Reddit with the man's uniquely Australian attire catching the eye of commentators. 'In thongs too, now that's a true 'Strayan hero,' one person wrote. Another said: 'That there is the casual stroll of some legend who just don't give a f**k about that burning garage beside him'. The fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes of firefighters on scene. 'The garage area itself has received severe damage. The remainder of the house has severe damage from heat and smoke,' Brian Riley from Noosa Heads Fire and Emergency Services said. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed A seven-year-old boy who as a baby ended up with a fractured arm when it got caught between a shopping trolley and a lift door has settled his High Court action for 22,500. Tadgh OBrien was only five months old when the incident happened as he sat in a baby seat in a trolley as his mother shopped at the Dunnes Stores branch at the Jetland Shopping Centre, Limerick. It was claimed the trolley suddenly veered to the left and the babys left arm was caught between the trolley and a lift door. The boy, of Sheelin Road, Caherdavin, Co Limerick had through his mother Maeve OBrien, sued Dunnes Stores with registered offices at South Great Georges Street, Dublin, as a result of the accident on November 14, 2013. It was claimed a defective trolley was allowed to be present and in use on the premises and there was an alleged failure to maintain the trolley. It was further claimed a child seat had been on the trolley which allegedly allowed the babys arms or hands to be exposed to the possibility of a crush injury when moving the trolley. It was also claimed there was an a failure to have an adequate inspection system in place and an emergency had been created from which the baby could not escape. There was, it was further claimed, a failure to anticipate the accident which in fact occurred. The claims were denied. Mr O'Brien suffered a fracture injury to his left upper arm and he was brought to hospital where he had to be given painkiller medication. His arm was put in a cast which he had to wear for six weeks. It was claimed the baby never crawled and he was reluctant to try. In an affidavit, the boys mother said immediately after the incident the baby began to cry and was upset and distressed. Shiela Finn BL, instructed by Houlihan Solicitors, told a remote hearing the baby did not require surgery and made a very good recovery. Counsel said the babys mother had complained about the incident on the day of the accident but proceedings were not commenced until five years later. Mr Justice Garrett Simons said the injury was a minor one and it was a very good settlement. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to make its stand clear on the issue of lifetime ban on convicted and chargesheeted MPs and MLAs on the next hearing. The Election Commission told the Apex Court that it did not want a permanent ban on convicted MPs and MLAs. But, the election body added it supported decriminalisation of politics in a certain framework. Earlier, the Election Commission had come out in support of a demand for immediate disqualification of lawmakers once they are convicted in criminal cases but told the Supreme Court that the provisions in the poll law were a roadblock in taking such a measure. Lifetime ban on convicted and chargesheeted MPs and MLAs case: EC tells SC it did not want a permanent ban on convicted MPs and MLAs ANI (@ANI_news) July 12, 2017 Also Read: Supreme Court seeks response from EC on PIL seeking to conduct Gujarat elections through VVPAT For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed The Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is holding a meeting at 7pm CST Tuesday night, Feb. 9, to discuss the TA and mobilize opposition to the deadly reopening of schools. Register now and share this link with your coworkers to build the committee! The tentative agreement that Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leaders reached over the weekend with Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials, and which the House of Delegates approved at a Monday night meeting, is an abject surrender that must be rejected. The Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee demands an immediate extension of the all-membership voting time period for at least 48 hours, so that all CTU members have time to review and discuss the agreement. This reopening plan is a deliberate decision to place the lives of teachers, students and their families at risk. CTU President Jesse Sharkey and the entire leadership are functioning as accomplices in a policy of social murder. They have made this decision as the death toll in the US moves towards half a million, with more infectious and more lethal variants of the virus spreading rapidly throughout the country. The CTU leaders are not asking teachers to ratify a contract, they're asking teachers to sign their own death warrants. They have lost all credibility and forfeited any claim on the loyalty of teachers. This proposal should never have been negotiated, let alone presented to the membership for ratification. Chicago educators have taken a stand to save the lives of our students and families, and for educators and working people across the US and internationally, and we cannot abandon the fight now. It is absurd to think that one can negotiate with a pandemic. The fact is that a return to in-person learning will only lead to more death and tragedy. The deal would return tens of thousands of pre-K through 8th grade students and staff to school buildings by March 8, with pre-K and special education cluster programs starting on February 11. At the all-member meeting Sunday, CTU President Jesse Sharkey said the district would not budge on its demands to return to in-person learning. He insisted a strike would be "difficult, claiming teachers would scab remotely, and that we would face legal action, including punishing fines and the further docking of pay, if we struck. To be perfectly blunt, the CTU leadership is doing the dirty work of Mayor Lightfoot and the Biden administration, who insist that teachers imperil their lives and the lives of their students and families for one reason: to send parents back to work making profits for big business. The truth is we have the support of millions of parents, students, educators and workershere in Chicago, across the US and around the worldwho oppose the sacrifice of human lives for corporate profits. What is our crime? Protecting ourselves, our students, CPS families and the health of the region? If we are threatened with lawsuits, injunctions and attacks on our jobs and pay, we can rally popular opposition from workers throughout the city and beyond. A recent study found that 85 percent of workers at food manufacturing, distribution and logistics facilities in Chicagoland say their employer either did not respond to complaints about COVID-19, retaliated against those who spoke up or refused to take any actions to improve the situation. Across the country, teachers in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit, Los Angeles and many other cities are fighting for the same thing. Educators around the world are taking a stand too. In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazilian teachers are fighting the back-to-school orders of the Bolsonaro government, with tens of thousands of Sao Paulo teachers beginning a strike Monday in the largest school district in the Americas. Educators across Europe, Asia and Africa are also opposing the deadly policy. Continuing remote learning is non-negotiable. The research is clear: closing schools is one of the two most effective mitigations, right behind canceling large gatherings. The mayor correctly told people not to gather for Super Bowl parties and in the same breath told teachers, support staff and students to gather in schools in the coming weeks. A recent editorial in the British Medical Journal correctly describes the response of the worlds governments to the pandemic as social murder. Anyone who would force us back, under conditions of the spread of new and more lethal variants, is truly guilty of a crime. The CTU does not have a mandate to send us back during the pandemic. In fact, it is just the opposite. If it had not been for our determined resistance, defying the phased-in back-to-work order, the CTU would have had us back in the classrooms long ago, getting sick and dying, sickening our families, with our schools spreading disease throughout the region. The Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, formed last month, calls on teachers to defeat the CPS-CTU plan to resume in-person schooling. We must reach out to workers throughout the city, the region, the country and beyond to stand with us in solidarity and oppose any and all efforts by Lightfoot to use legal action to intimidate us. Our fight is for the life and health of all The novel coronavirus does not respect districts, city, state or international borders. The very nature of the pandemic demands a global strategy of mitigation to stop the spread and vaccinate the population. It requires massive investment of resources in health and medical care, household and small business support, improved remote learning, and many, many other basic needs. But none of this is being implemented because big business and the financial markets deem the costs of saving lives unacceptable. Instead, all of human life is being subordinated to the profit interests of a tiny ruling elite. Mayor Lightfoot, and CTU and AFT leaders, portray our fight as simply a local or a Chicago issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a fight being waged by educators internationally. If we stand firm, this will encourage educators and workers across the US and world and build up the momentum for joint struggles across borders. The implications are well understood by educators, parents and students and by many workers around the world. The following statements of support for Chicago teachers have been issued from the global network of rank-and-file committees fighting to close schools and nonessential workplaces in order to contain the pandemic: Sri Lankan educators safety committee salutes Chicago teachers Pennsylvania rank-and-file committee stands with Chicago teachers Committee for Public Education in Australia supports the struggle of Chicago teachers Michigan educators call for unity with Chicago educators in fight to close schools New York City educators call for unity with Chicago educators in fight to close schools European educators support the struggle of Chicago teachers against the unsafe opening of schools Herd immunity, the Democratic Party and the AFT Last week we warned of the coming lethal compromise. We explained that the CTU, and its parent union the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), as well as the National Education Association (NEA) and its locals, are the political and organizational instruments for the imposition of a lethal compromise of our lives and communities in the interests of a rapacious ruling class whose pandemic policy has already killed more than 470,000 Americans and over 2.2 million worldwide. The Biden administration, having been in office just a few short weeks, has already made it clear that the Democrats policy differs only slightly in form from that of Trump and the Republicans, but not at all in content. In Chicago, Lightfoot is leading the charge nationally to reopen schools and get parents back to work. Unlike Trump and the Republicans, the Democrats rely on the unions to be the velvet glove over the iron fist, the profit motive of Wall Street and the major corporations driving the murderous herd immunity policy. A wave of official propaganda was unleashed last week to try to counteract the enormous popular support for our fight to keep learning remote until the pandemic is stamped out. The CTU, the AFT leadership and the Democratic Party at the highest levelsin direct coordination with the Biden administrationare working to quash our struggle to stay remote just as Los Angeles officials press to reopen schools, as Philadelphia teachers refuse to return for in-person learning Monday, and as San Francisco sues its school district to force reopening of classrooms. Last week, Washington DC officials filed for a temporary restraining order to compel DC teachers to stop planning and discussion of strike action. Democratic Party governments in Baltimore and Detroit are similarly pressing for schools to reopen. With each passing week, it grows clearer that the central function of the CTU and its parent AFT is to isolate and suppress teachers' struggles in one area before another one erupts, so that a strike wave does not emerge and teachers and other sections of workers do not link up their fights. This is what was done in 2018 and 2019, after West Virginia and Oklahoma teachers struck in defiance of unions in those states. The isolation and defeat of our fight to keep learning remote will result in preventable illness and deaths. We cannot let that happen and we are determined to stop it! We remain committed to delivering excellent remote instruction, which requires investmentnot threats, lockouts and wage theft! Lead the fight for life and health! Expand the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee In direct contrast to the CTU and AFT, the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is the political and organizational embodiment of the social and health interests of educators and the entire community. We are scientifically informed, politically educated teachers who understand that our fight is for everyone. Therefore, we are unmoved in our determination to keep learning remote until the pandemic is under control. Our committee, as part of a network of rank-and file-safety committees formed across the US and globally, is preparing a general strike to shut schools and nonessential industries and demand full compensation for all workers and the resources needed to vaccinate the population, address the critical social needs of students and parents, and provide high-quality remote learning until the pandemic is under control. We encourage all educators, students, parents and all workers across Chicagoland and northwest Indiana to join us, take up these demands and promote them in your school, neighborhood and workplace. La Paz, Feb 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :Bolivian environmental authorities on Sunday announced an investigation into the apparent poisoning of 35 Andean condors in a rural community, one of the most devastating such cases for the endangered species. "It is an irreparable injury to our nature and the species," the environment and water ministry said. Deputy environment minister Magin Herrera confirmed 35 dead condors had been discovered in the rural community of Laderas Norte, in the southern department of Tarija. "This loss is extremely serious, because we are talking about condors that could represent 0.5 percent of the world's condor population," said Diego Mendez, a biologist linked to a raptor research program, according to the news site Pagina Siete. The massive Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), which calls the South American mountain range home, has a 3.5-meter (11. 5-foot) wingspan, making it one of the largest flying birds. Globally, there are some 6,700 condors but numbers are declining. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the condor as "near threatened" on its watch list. Authorities believe the birds were poisoned, possibly several days ago, though it is not clear if the species had been targeted. "There is a probability of poisoning directed at them or other animals, but since condors are scavengers, they still succumb," Mendez said. This is the largest case of its kind known in Bolivia and against an endangered species. "We condemn the act, we want it to be investigated. It is an act that hurts us. In this department, condors live and coexist with the (rural) communities without any problem," Tarija governor Adrian Oliva told reporters. The case was initially reported via social media. Dehradun, Feb 8 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that as per the team of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) there was no glacier burst in Chamoli but rather it was the result of a sudden slide of snow accumulated on top of the mountain. Rawat was at a meeting attended by senior officials of the state government along with a team of the armed forces and ITBP which has been engaged in rescue operations since Sunday, besides the team from ISRO. Speaking to mediapersons, Rawat said, "I had a meeting with the officials including the team of armed forces, ITBP and scientists of ISRO. What ISRO told us is that two to three days ago there was heavy snowfall and then it slid from a trigger point...as lakhs of metric tonnes of snow slid off due to which this disaster happened." When categorically asked if ISRO had indeed stated that it was not a glacier burst, the Chief Minister said, "The team of ISRO as per their report said that it was not a glacier burst. And it is also not an avalanche-prone area." "We discussed all these points, they showed us the pictures also in which everything is clear, the mountains are completely clear. And then something triggers the event. And from there a part of the mountain slid down that led to the tragedy," Rawat added. Rescue and relief work in the disaster-hit areas of Chamoli district gathered pace on Monday as a multi-agency operation continued in an effort to save 25 to 35 people trapped inside a tunnel of Tapovan-Vishnugaud project that was blocked by the Sunday morning deluge. [February 08, 2021] Genpact Named Leader Across Categories in NelsonHall Banking Managed Services Report NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NelsonHall, a leading global analyst firm, has named Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, a Leader in all categories of the latest NelsonHall Vendor Evaluation & Assessment Tool (NEAT) for Managed Services: Transforming the Financial Services Industry. "Genpact's Leader ranking is a testament to its mature managed services business across all major geographies," said Andy Efstathiou, director of banking operations and transformation research, NelsonHall. "Its strong transformation-as-a-service capabilities allow it to help clients rapidly adopt automation across their entire environment." NelsonHall ranked Genpact as a Leader in all categories, which includes banking managed services, managed business process services, professional services, support for new digital business models, and managed applications services categories. The report highlights Genpact's longstanding client base that stands to benefit from new managed service capabilities, and its strong consulting and technology delivery capabilities. In addition, the report cites as key strengths Genpact's artificial intelligence products and services and its experience in LEAN techniques, which apply to the use of digital technologies in the operations environment. "To become future ready, banks need to accelerate transformation of their end-to-end business processes using advanced technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic process automation," says Balkrishan Kalra, global business leader, Banking and Capital Markets, Genpact. "Genpact's extensive domain knowledge and managed services experience, combined with our suite of digital solutions, help banks build resilient, scalable operations that drive business outcomes." See these links for more information about Genpact's banking and financial services capabilities, and the NelsonHall report. About Genpact Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm that makes business transformation real. We drive digital-led innovation and digitally-enabled intelligent operations for our clients, guided by our experience running thousands of processes primarily for Global Fortune 500 companies. We think with design, dream in digital, and solve problems with data and analytics. Combining our expertise in end-to-end operations and our AI-based platform, Genpact Cora, we focus on the details all 90,000+ of us. From New York to New Delhi and more than 30 countries in between, we connect every dot, reimagine every process, and reinvent companies' ways of working. We know that reimagining each step from start to finish creates better business outcomes. Whatever it is, we'll be there with you accelerating digital transformation to create bold, lasting results because transformation happens here. Get to know us at Genpact.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. MEDIA CONTACTS: Danielle D'Angelo Genpact Media Relations Americas +1 914-336-7951 danielle.dangelo@genpact.com Siya Belliappa Genpact Media Relations India +91 9823133365 siya.belliappa@genpact.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genpact-named-leader-across-categories-in-nelsonhall-banking-managed-services-report-301223762.html SOURCE Genpact [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Former Bishop of Derry, Seamus Hegarty, left a total of 78,838 in his will. The figure was published in the Sunday Independent. The estates list is published weekly in the paper but it is stressed that the value of estates may include property and should not be regarded as cash amounts. Bishop Hegarty was ordained to the priesthood in 1966. He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe in 1982. Following the resignation of Bishop Edward Daly on October 26, 1993, Dr Hegarty was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Derry on October 1, 1994, and installed at St Eugene's Cathedral on November 6 later that same year. On November 7, 2011, he issued a statement saying that, having been diagnosed with 'a condition which is, unfortunately, irreversible and progressive', he had submitted his resignation because he was no longer able to fulfil his role as bishop. He passed away in Letterkenny University Hospital on September 20, 2019. A 21-year-old woman has revealed how she feared she was going to die when her 'jealous' boyfriend stabbed her with a machete before going on a drug-fuelled street rampage. Chelsey Morris, from Runcorn, Cheshire, had been in a relationship with Ryan Abbott, 28, for three-and-a-half years when he launched the vicious attack at his flat. Abbott had confronted Chelsey with the blade after she went out for dinner to celebrate getting a new job. He then stabbed her in the back before also attempting to stab her in the head - but Chelsey raised her arm and the blade instead slashed her finger leaving her needing surgery. Chelsey said she felt like a 'hostage' and pleaded for him to let her go before he ran out the house and continued his rampage down the street. The topless thug terrorised the neighbourhood - smashing doors and car windows - causing more than 2,500 worth of damage. Chelsey Morris, from Runcorn, Cheshire, had been in a relationship with Ryan Abbott, 28, (pictured together) for three-and-a-half years when he launched the vicious attack at his flat Abbott, of Widnes, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2020 following the incident in March 2020. He was ordered to serve four years behind bars after admitting wounding, affray, possessing a knife and five counts criminal damage. He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2020 following the incident in March 2020. Chelsey, who is currently unemployed, said: 'When he stabbed me the pain was unbelievable. 'I honestly thought: "This is it - I'm going to die." 'He ran off into the street and I had no idea what he was going to do. 'I was terrified about going to court and facing him but I'm really proud of myself for doing it.' Abbott had confronted Chelsey with the blade before he stabbed her in the back (pictured) and also attempting to stab her in the head Chelsey raised her arm against the machete and the blade slashed her finger (pictured) and left her needing surgery Chelsey first met Abbott through friends before starting a relationship when Chelsey was 17 and she moved into his flat in January 2017. Things got off to a good start but she claims that she started to see another side to Abbott as their relationship progressed. Chelsey said: 'He was always quite protective - he didn't like going places where other men might look at me. 'In the end it was easier to stay in than argue so I lost touch with a lot of friends. 'He had a rocky relationship with drugs but I tried to stay out of that - I tried to see the best in him. 'I spent most of my time in his flat and it got incredibly lonely.' Three years into their relationship, Chelsey started applying for jobs and landed one at the local chip shop. Abbott (pictured) was sentenced to four years after admitting wounding, affray, possessing a knife and five counts criminal damage She said: 'I was sick of feeling cooped up and I was so excited when I got the job. 'Ryan wasn't pleased about it and that was the final straw for me. 'I packed up and moved back in with my parents. 'I was terrified to leave him - I didn't know what he would do.' Chelsey went out for dinner to celebrate the new job in March when Abbott turned up. She agreed to go back to his flat to talk before he emerged from the kitchen holding a machete. Abbott appeared 'jealous' and launched the vicious attack on his girlfriend. He grabbed Chelsey and stabbed her in the back before smashing up the flat - including his own TV. He tried to stab her in the head but she blocked her face with her arm - and the blade slashed through her finger instead. 'He started quizzing me about who I was with and what I was doing,' Chelsey said. 'Suddenly he ran at me with the knife and it all happened so quickly. 'The pain was unbelievable and I remember screaming at the top of my lungs. The topless thug went on to terrorise the neighbourhood - smashing doors and car windows - causing over 2,500 worth of damage (machete pictured) 'I felt like a hostage and was begging for him to let me go. 'I lost a lot of blood and everything went pretty hazy before he ran off into the street. 'I honestly thought I was going to die.' Chelsey called her friend during the attack who arrived to take her Whiston Hospital, Merseyside. She was given two stitches to the wound in her back and needed surgery to repair the damage to her ring finger on her right hand. Abbott continued his drug-fuelled rampage through the neighbourhood and the police received 11 phone calls from concerned residents. The topless thug jumped on cars, emptied wheelie bins and smashed windows and doors. Chelsey and Abbott's relationship (pictured together previously) got off to a goo start but she claims that she started to see another side to Abbott as their relationship progressed He caused 2,500 of damage to housing association properties and 300 of damage to a car. At Liverpool Crown Court in June 2020, Ryan admitted affray, possessing a knife, a racially aggravated public order offence and five counts of criminal damage. He denied wounding with intent and an alternative count of wounding but later admitted wounding - the lesser of the two offences. He was jailed for four years and on his release is subject to a five-year restraining order against Chelsey. She said: 'I've struggled badly with my mental health since the attack. 'I wasn't able to leave the house for a long time. 'My finger is still damaged - I don't think I'll ever be able to use it properly again. 'Ryan was all I had known for years and I had to build my life back up from nothing. 'I've finally got my own flat now and trying to have a fresh start. 'I hope sharing my story can help other women get out of a bad relationship before it's too late.' Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Simply, Inc. (OTCQX: SIMP), whose Simply Mac subsidiary is an Apple Premier Partner, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Simply, Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB Venture Market. Simply, Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "SIMP." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. The OTCQX Market provides investors with a premium U.S. public market to research and trade the shares of investor-focused companies. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Commenting on its upgrade to the OTCQX, Reinier Voigt, Chief Executive Officer of Simply, Inc., stated: "Over the last year and a half we have succeeded in completely transforming our company through the acquisition of Simply Mac, the disposition of underperforming assets and the restructuring of substantially all of our outstanding debt. It is extremely gratifying to have now achieved this milestone of upgrading to the OTCQX that gives us the opportunity to provide our shareholders with improved visibility and liquidity in our stock. We look forward to accelerating our store openings in 2021 to expand the Simply Mac footprint in North America." Dorsey & Whitney LLP acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor. About Simply, Inc. Simply, Inc. is a Miami-based company that is the parent of Simply Mac, the largest Apple Premiere Partner in the U.S. with 44 retail stores in 17 states, an authorized reseller of the entire line of Apple products and provider of expert warranty repair service by Apple-certified technicians. Additional information can be found on its website at www.simplyinc.com and www.simplymac.com. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc. Related Links http://www.otcmarkets.com Pak violated ceasefire 5,133 times last year: Rajnath Singh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: Pakistan violated the ceasefire 5,133 times last year, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh said in Parliament today. Singh said that 46 security personnel lost their lives in these violations. n replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, the defence minister said "appropriate retaliation" to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by the security forces. "In addition, all violations of ceasefire are taken up with Pakistan authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meeting as well as weekly talks between the director generals of military operations of the two countries," Singh said. "Diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasised at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control and the International Border as its obligations emanating from the understanding in vogue," he said. The defence minister said 299 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported till January 28 this year. According to official data, the number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2019 was 3,233. Rafale induction ceremony cost exchequer over Rs 41 lakh: Rajnath Singh Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir. Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two union territories in August 2019. To a separate question on whether a proposal to develop indigenous conventional submarine was approved, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik in a written answer said the information is sensitive in nature and its disclosure is not in the interest of national security. Replying to another question, he said the recently held Malabar naval exercise enhanced synergy, interoperability and coordination between the participating nations. "The exercise highlights the convergence of views among the participating countries on maritime issues, and their shared commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order," Naik said. In the midst of growing concerns over China''s military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region, India hosted the Malabar naval exercise in November last. Following India''s invitation, Australia also participated in the exercise effectively making it a drill by all the Quad member nations. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, is aimed at ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Malabar exercise was seen as a prelude to future military cooperation among the Quad member nations. Students of Russia's universities returned to class Monday after the government lifted some of the restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Students were happy to be able to follow classes in person after months of online learning.Meanwhile, Moscow authorities said that starting Wednesday employers are no longer required to have 30% of staff working from home, although a recommendation to continue doing that remains. Cafes, restaurants and bars will be able to open between 11 pm and 6 am.Russia has reported over 3.9 million cases of the infection and more than 75-thousand deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The government launched a vaccination campaign in December with the domestic Sputnik V jab. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... WASHINGTON The Supreme Court is telling California that it cant bar indoor church services because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it can keep for now a ban on singing and chanting indoors. The high court issued orders late Friday in two cases where churches had sued over coronavirus-related restrictions in the state. The high court said that for now, California cant ban indoor worship as it had in almost all of the state because virus cases are high. The justices said the state can cap indoor services at 25% of a buildings capacity. The justices also declined to stop California from enforcing a ban put in place last summer on indoor singing and chanting. California had put the restrictions in place because the virus is more easily transmitted indoors and singing releases tiny droplets that can carry the disease. The justices were acting on emergency requests to halt the restrictions from South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista and Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, which has more than 160 churches across the state. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that federal courts owe significant deference to politically accountable officials when it comes to public health restrictions, but he said deference has its limits. Roberts wrote that Californias determination that the maximum number of adherents who can safely worship in the most cavernous cathedral is zeroappears to reflect not expertise or discretion, but instead insufficient appreciation or consideration of the interests at stake. In addition to Roberts, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Amy Coney Barrett also wrote to explain their views. Gorsuch and Justice Clarence Thomas would have kept California from enforcing its singing ban. Barrett, the courts newest justice, disagreed. Writing for herself and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, she said it wasnt clear at this point whether the singing ban was being applied across the board. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ She wrote that if a chorister can sing in a Hollywood studio but not in her church, Californias regulations cannot be viewed as neutral, triggering a stricter review by courts. The justices said the churches who sued can submit new evidence to a lower court that the singing ban is not being applied generally. The courts three liberal justices dissented, saying they would have upheld Californias restrictions. Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent for herself, Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Sonia Sotomayor that the courts action risks worsening the pandemic. She said that the court was making a special exception for worship services rather than treating them like other activities where large groups of people come together in close proximity for extended periods of time. In areas of California where COVID-19 is widespread, which includes most of the state, activities including indoor dining and going to the movies are banned. I fervently hope that the Courts intervention will not worsen the Nations COVID crisis. But if this decision causes suffering, we will not pay. Our marble halls are now closed to the public, and our life tenure forever insulates us from responsibility for our errors. That would seem good reason to avoid disrupting a States pandemic response. But the Court forges ahead regardless, insisting that science-based policy yield to judicial edict, she wrote. Charles LiMandri, an attorney for South Bay United Pentecostal Church, said in a statement that he and his clients were heartened by this order and thank the high court for upholding religious liberty. The courts action follows a decision in a case from New York late last year in which the justices split 5-4 in barring the state from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues. Shortly after, the justices told a federal court to reexamine Californias restrictions in light of the ruling. PLC's ( ) Shishir Poddar caught up with Proactive London to discuss the increase of the production capacity of the first module at its Vatomina graphite project. The upgrade of up to 9,000 tonnes per year in Madagascar is due to increased demand for Tirupatis high quality flake graphite. It will also result in an increase to near-term cash flows from operations. MBC Broadcasts COVID-19 Special with TVU Networks Live Contribution Technology South Korean Broadcaster MBC Brought in 64 Remote Guests Using TVU Networks Live, Video-Over-IP Solutions Mountain View, California( ) South Koreas Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. (MBC), the nations second largest broadcaster, relied on three integrated remote production technologies from TVU Networks, the market and technology leader in cloud and IP-based live video solutions, to bring in 64 guests via remotes for a special COVID-19 broadcast. With new cases spiking last fall, the government funded production of a live broadcast special to address the disease. However, the ambitious plan involved a multitude of guests participating live, which exceeded the technical capabilities of MBC. While its headquarters is a state-of-art, modern broadcast facility, it did not have the ability to bring in 64 guests via live remotes. Were quite familiar with TVU Networks and the capabilities of their technology, said Mr. Kim Sang Dong, Production Engineering Department Manager. They were extremely helpful with MBCs The Paik Father live cooking show and several other projects. That gave us the confidence to call on TVU to help us get so many remote shots on air. Not only was bringing in high-quality, low-latency live video of 64 guests a significant hurdle, but MBC needed to ensure its video contributions would be flawless despite so many different smartphones in use and relying on the public internet. Contribution and Communications MBC relied upon the TVU Anywhere mobile broadcasting app, TVU Partyline cloud-based videoconferencing platform, and TVU Receiverss to support remote contribution; integration of live shots into the program; and real-time, interactive communication among hosts and guests. Guests on the program used the TVU Anywhere app on their smartphones and other digital devices from their remote locations, while MBC producers used the broadcasters TVU Receivers to take in and manage those shots. At the MBC studio, TVU Receivers decoded all incoming TVU Anywhere streams. The receivers gave the studio complete control over the TVU Anywhere transmissions and made it possible to integrate them into the show. Located in an MBC sub-control room, the receivers fed their SDI output into the inputs of the broadcasters routing switcher. Producers in the production control room accessed those sources from their production switcher to take guests to air as required. Real-time Interaction TVU Partyline delivers real-time, broadcast-quality interactive HD video and audio conferencing. MBC used TVU Partyline so hosts and guests could interact with one another more naturally during the show. As a cloud-based solution that leverages patented TVU Networks technology, TVU Partyline ensures the real-time give-and-take interaction between remotely located guests and hosts that viewers expect to see during in-studio interviews. TVU Partyline leverages TVUs Real-Time Interactive Layer (RTIL) to enable this natural discourse regardless of the distance between guests. It integrates seamlessly with other TVU products like TVU Anywhere, making it easy to access and use. Show Prep and Execution Using a TVU Anywhere feature called Return Video Feedback, a picture-inpicture video giving guests a way to see return video of the program and other show guests, it was easier for everyone to participate in a conversational manner. Further enabling the natural back-and-forth among guests and hosts was TVU Partyline, which allowed everyone to talk to each other in real time without confusing delays. Sang Dong, Kim, a Production Engineering Dept Manager working with MBC on the special, selected TVU Partyline for the program. TVU Partyline was an elegant solution to a difficult problem, he said. Enabling so many guests to participate in the special from their homes and offices isnt within the realm of what we could do using conventional remote technology. However, TVU Partyline along with TVU Anywhere and TVU Receivers made it possible to overcome the distance separating everyone and the delays that youd normally expect. All of the guests and hosts could interact as if they were together in the studio, and viewers were spared the distraction of endless pauses due to technical limitations, so they could focus on the important information being conveyed about COVID-19. Without this technology, its hard to imagine how we would have been able to produce such a live show with the so many participants, each offering their unique viewpoints on such an important topic. I am confident TVU Partyline will become a regularly used tool in our production toolbox, especially when remote guests need to participate live in our shows, he added. Were honored to have had MBC select TVU to help them produce this very important public health event. Like many broadcasters around the world, MBC has had to rely on new remote production solutions such as our TVU Partyline to assist with overcoming COVID-19 restrictions, explained Liming Fu, Vice President of Sales for APAC, TVU Networks. We look forward to continuing to serve MBC and other leading broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region on their IP and cloud production needs. Sally Axworthy, Biritish Ambassador to the Holy See speaks after attending her fourth and final address by Pope Francis to the Holy See's Diplomatic Corps, highlighting common causes for concern shared with Great Britain, and describing her four years as Ambassador as her mandate comes to an end. By Vatican News staff writer "Crisis" was one of the key words in Pope Francis' address to the Diplomatic Corps on Monday morning. Ambassador Axworthy, British Ambassador to the Holy See notes that the Pope's speech was slightly different to his usual ones which "often focus more on international relations". Instead, she says, this year Pope Francis spoke about the numerous crises that have been affecting our world, such as health, environment, economy, politics and "the crisis of humanity". Ambassador Axworthy notes that today's speech spoke very much about health, because of the coronavirus pandemic, and about education because Pope Francis is "clearly very worried about the effect the pandemic's having on the young". However, despite the slightly different structure to the speech, Pope Francis spoke about many of the well-known issues, but also mentioned one or two new things, says Ambassador Axworthy. "For example", she explains, "he mentioned the crisis in Myanmar, and also spoke of the crisis of democracy, as he sees it.. the need to respect free speech, to have a political environment that isn't too polemicised and also to respect the rule of law". These, continues Ambassador Axworthy, are all extremely important to the UK and so it was nice to see them mentioned. Britain and the Holy See "We share a lot if not most of the Pope's concerns", says Ambassador Axworthy. However, the one that stands out is climate change. She explains that this year the UK is hosting the COP26 climate change summit, taking place in Glasgow in November. The Pope spoke very strongly about climate change, says Ambassador Axworthy, and he mentioned the effect climate change is already having on the most vulnerable, on small island states, but also on famine in Africa. "I think he spoke very powerfully on that, and we are committed to working with the Holy See on climate change in the run-up to COP26". The British Embassy tries to "walk the walk" even in its little embassy in Rome. Ambassador Axworthy describes some of the green initiatives they have implemented in order to "be as green as possible". We have an electric car, she says, "we try and serve vegetarian or locally sourced food and we use only green cleaning materials." Four years as Ambassador NEW DELHI - A piece of a glacier broke off high in the Himalayas on Sunday, causing a deadly flash flood that smashed through a hydroelectric power plant and destroyed homes in India. More than 125 people were reported missing. India rushed disaster response teams to Uttarakhand, a mountainous northern state. Seven bodies have been recovered. Because of the rapid flow of the water, bodies were being recovered away from the disaster site, officials told local media. Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand's police chief, said the avalanche occurred at 11 a.m. Authorities evacuated several villages downstream. "The picture will be clear tomorrow morning," he said, referring to the rescue operations and those missing. Television channels aired footage of water barreling down a narrow canyon and sweeping away the power plant at its base. A second state-run power plant nearby also suffered extensive damage. Most of the missing were workers at the two power plants. Troops dug a ditch to rescue about a dozen workers trapped in a tunnel. Videos of the operation showed rescue workers pulling out a man, who flung his arms in the air victoriously. Rescue operations continued late into the night at another tunnel, where an estimated 30 people remain trapped. Girish Joshi, a consultant with the state's disaster management authority, said that an eight-mile stretch of the Alaknanda River was affected but that there was no further danger. "The river levels are normal now," he said. Authorities in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh said they were on alert and monitoring water levels. Uttarakhand suffered a devastating flood in 2013 that claimed thousands of lives. Analysts have blamed climate change and unchecked construction for such disasters. "This looks very much like a climate change event," said Anjal Prakash, a professor at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. "The glaciers are melting due to global warming." Prakash, who serves on a United Nations panel on climate change, said that the Himalayan area is one of the least monitored in the region and that the disaster Sunday shows how vulnerable it can be. Farooq Azam, a specialist in glaciology and hydrology at the Indian Institute of Technology in Indore, said glacial bursts are rare. He said more information is needed to understand the event Sunday, but "climate change-driven erratic weather patterns" such as increased snowfall and rainfall and warmer winters have led to the melting of "a lot of snow." Trivendra Singh Rawat, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, said that experts will look into the cause of the disaster but that the priority is to "save lives." Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nation "prays for everyone's safety." Dominic Ongwen at his first appearance hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague The US State Department will uphold its $5 million bounty on Joseph Kony, the leader of Uganda's rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army, which has in over two decades committed atrocities in northern Uganda, South Sudan and parts of central Africa. The US announcement on Friday came just a day after The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted LRA former commander Dominic Ongwen for crimes against humanity, sexual and gender based violence including rape and forced pregnancy. In a statement by Ned Price, a Department spokesperson, the US welcomed the Court's verdict and maintained that the $5 million bounty it put on Kony in 2013 is still valid. "The United States continues to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest, transfer, or conviction of Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army," Mr Price said. On the conviction of Mr Ongwen, the US, which helped facilitate the voluntary surrender and transfer of Ongwen to the ICC in 2015, called the verdict a significant step for justice and accountability for atrocities committed by the LRA. "While we continue to believe the ICC is in need of significant reform, we are pleased to see Mr Ongwen brought to justice," Mr Price said. Trial Chamber IX unanimously found Mr Ongwen guilty beyond reasonable doubt for 61 out of the 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity he had been charged with more than 15 years ago. The chamber ruled that Mr Ongwen was "fully responsible" for attacks on four camps for internally displaced people, for sexual and gender-based crimes against seven women who became his "so-called wives" and for conscripting and using children as soldiers. The chamber also found him guilty of sexual and gender-based crimes committed indirectly against other women or girls. The other members of Trial Chamber IX are Judges Peter Kovacs and Raul Pangalangan. "He planned his attacks carefully and assessed the risks fully with his officers," said Judge Schmitt. He said the chamber also took into consideration the observations of "witnesses who were held as his so-called wives" and others who were close to Mr Ongwen. The judge said none of them observed any behaviour that showed Mr Ongwen had a mental disease during the period he committed the crimes The judges dismissed the defence's arguments that Mr Ongwen had a mental disease during the time he committed the crimes he has been convicted of. The judges also dismissed the defence that Mr Ongwen acted under duress. During this three-year period, the chamber heard 69 prosecution witnesses and received written evidence from another 40 witnesses. One of Mr Ongwen's lawyers, Charles Taku, has indicated that the defence will appeal his conviction. The defence has 30 days from the date of the verdict to file their appeal. The human rights fraternity has also praised the conviction of Mr Ongwen, as victory to victims and a major step to bring those who commit war crimes to account. Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the guilty verdict shows that rights abusers can find themselves held to account even if years have passed since their crimes. "One LRA leader has at last been held to account at the ICC for the victims of the terrible abuse suffered. Would-be rights violators should take note that the law can catch up with them, even years later," said Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. However, Mr Keppler said that Ongwen's trial and conviction should not obscure the need for the arrest of Kony and countries in the region should recommit themselves to seeing LRA leader face the ICC once and for all. Uganda referred the situation in northern Uganda to the ICC in July 29, 2004. After year in the run, Ongwen surrendered himself to the US forces in the Central African Republic in January 2015, and his trial before the ICC began in December 2016. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines U.S., Canada and Africa Legal Affairs Uganda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ongwen is the only LRA leader among five charged by the ICC who is in custody. Three are declared to be or presumed dead, while Kony is still hiding presumably in Central African Republic. Ongwen had been one such victim, as he was abducted into the LRA as a 10-year-old child in 1990. The ICC does not have jurisdiction over crimes committed by anyone under 18, but Ongwen was tried for crimes he committed as an adult. Ongwen is the only LRA leader among five charged by the ICC who is in custody. Three are declared to be or presumed dead, while Kony is still hiding presumably in Central African Republic. ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement soon after the verdict that the truth was established through this important judgment and justice was served. "Through the court's crucial work, an important message was sent globally that perpetrators of atrocities must be and will be held accountable," said Ms Bensouda. Time Magazine Details the Shadow Campaign Against Trump They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it, Time magazine says Commentary In a surprisingly brazen article, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election, Time magazine chronicles a myriad of pre- and post-election actions taken by a loose coalition of Democratic operatives, grassroots activists, mainstream media, tech companies, and corporate CEOs before and after the 2020 presidential election. According to the article, the effort consisted of a well-funded cabal of powerful people, ranging across industries and ideologies, working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information. In the post-election days, the author refers to this disparate grouping of players as a conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes, one that both curtailed the protests and coordinated the resistance from CEOs resulting in an informal alliance between left-wing activists and business titans. Although the words cabal and conspiracy are used to describe the sweeping activities of these groups, collectively referred to as the Shadow Campaign, the articles author takes pains to note that these efforts werent aimed at rigging the election; they were fortifying it. Indeed, throughout the article, there is the repeated claim that these efforts were made not with the intention of subverting the election, but rather as part of a heroic grassroots movement intent on salvaging our democracy and preserving the integrity of this and future elections. The scenario the shadow campaigners were desperate to stop was not a Trump victory. It was an election so calamitous that no result could be discerned at all, a failure of the central act of democratic self-governance that has been a hallmark of America since its founding, the article reads. Although the article treats the actions taken by this Shadow Campaign as necessary steps toward saving our democracy, a more objective reader of events might make the case that our democracy was actually trampled underfoot. According to the players in this saga, the perceived threat to our democracy was so consequential that it would require an effort of unprecedented scale and a measure of cooperation heretofore not seen during an election process. And one that would encompass a surprisingly broad coalition of interests that would include Congress, Silicon Valley and the nations statehouses. As the article notes, the efforts of this cabal touched every aspect of the election, including our election laws. These groups engaged in a unified legal front to change voting systems and laws at the state level, often unconstitutionally bypassing state legislatures and shifting power to the states governors in the process. Conservative efforts to fight against this process were euphemistically termed as voter-suppression lawsuits. The terminology and framing of issues bring us to a peculiar characteristic of the article. Its written as though 75 million Trump voters simply dont existas though a nation was somehow wholly united against a self-imposed second term of a Trump presidency. There is no acknowledgment that President Donald Trump enjoyed support from a large segment of the population. When the term voters is used, its always in reference to those who were voting against Trump and for Biden. Other than a few short paragraphs, the reader could be forgiven for thinking the election was ever even in question. While an intense focus on the Trump campaign is present in the article, theres an almost surprising lack of discussion regarding the Biden campaign. As the article states, the Shadow Campaign was separate from the Biden campaign and crossed ideological lines. Indeed, Biden is mentioned in the article only a handful of times and never in direct relation to anything he or his campaign was doing to prepare for the election. Media Framing, Online Efforts, and Tech Companies In tandem with the focus on Trump, there is another almost unifying theme of gaslighting that traces its way throughout the article. Any activity, position, or response from conservatives or the Trump administration was automatically labeled and then framed as inherently nefarious, even villainous. Meanwhile, a notion of false nobility was attached to every action taken by the left. Pre-election warnings from the Trump campaign and his henchmen on the risks from an unprecedented shift to mail-in ballots were, according to the article, designed to spoil the election. Conservative legal pushback against the unconstitutional changes to state election law was termed as spurious. Despite being the legal instigators, the article stated that Democratic lawyers battled a historic tide of pre-election litigation. Meanwhile, information from the right was repeatedly deemed to be Trumps lies, conspiracy theories or Bad actors spreading false information. According to the article, these efforts, along with the involvement of foreign meddlers made disinformation a broader, deeper threat to the 2020 vote. By contrast, when leftist organizations such as the Voting Rights Lab and IntoAction created state-specific memes and graphics designed to claim that mail-in voting was safe and not subject to fraud, their actions were framed as battling bad information. Nor was this any small effort. As the article notes, these memes and graphics were widely disseminated by email, text, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and were viewed more than 1 billion times. Another focus of this campaign was to convince the public that election results would be delayed, perhaps for a number of days. These efforts were designed to condition the voting public to not expect, or even accept, an outcome on election night. As the article notes, the organizations tracking polls found the message was being heard: the percentage of the public that didnt expect to know the winner on election night gradually rose until by late October, it was over 70 percent. A majority also believed that a prolonged count wasnt a sign of problems. Perceptions and information are crucial in an election, and in recognition of this, Democratic operatives successfully pressured social media companies in advance of the election. These efforts were largely successful as large numbers of conservative accounts were deplatformed and crucial stories that might injure the Biden campaign were suppressed, while the media relentlessly attacked the Trump campaign. While acknowledging the involvement of technology companies in the effort, the article portrays the resulting suppression of information and conservative deplatforming in a positive light. When stories such as the ones regarding Hunter Bidens business activities in China were dismissed or simply not covered by the mainstream media, these tactics were labeled as taking a harder line against disinformation in an ongoing effort to fight viral smears. There is a side question raised by the participation of the tech companies in online suppression. If accounts were deplatformed from places such as YouTube and Twitter purely for political ends, does this not raise the specter of a meaningful breach of fiduciary duty to the companies stockholders? Mail-In Ballots and Shadow-Campaign Funding These groups also engaged in large-scale national public-awareness campaigns designed to convince Americans that the vote count would unfold over days or weeks as an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots were systematically flooding into our electoral system. With 100 million mail-in ballots sent out in an effort to get millions of people to vote by mail for the first time, the coalition recruited armies of poll workers to deal with the influx of absentee ballots. Large amounts of money would be required to deal with the processing, and, in preparation for this, the group helped secure hundreds of millions in public and private funding. This money had two material sources. The first, surprisingly, came from the first round of COVID-relief packages in March 2020. As the article notes, activists lobbied Congress in March 2020, seeking $2 billion in election funding. This effort was led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Although the group didnt get anywhere close to their lofty $2 billion goal, they were still wildly successful. When the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act passed in March, it contained $400 million in grants to state election administrators. From there, the informal group turned to private funding for additional sources; Silicon Valley tech companies were the primary focus. According to the Time article, an assortment of foundations contributed tens of millions in election-administration funding. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative chipped in $300 million. These contributions were framed as an effort to fill funding gaps left by the federal government, while ignoring that it was Democratic operatives who were pushing the mail-in vote efforts. Indeed, focus groups were held by the Voter Participation Center (VPC), designed to find out what would get people to vote by mail. Several months later, the VPC would send out ballot applications to 15 million people in key states. The group followed up with mailing campaigns and digital ads urging these targeted voters to not wait for Election Day. These efforts were historically successful and transformative. As the article notes: In the end, nearly half the electorate cast ballots by mail in 2020, practically a revolution in how people vote. About a quarter voted early in person. Only a quarter of voters cast their ballots the traditional way: in person on Election Day. The Lefts Control of the Mobs There are several material admissions made in the article, not the least being that the left actually did control the activities of groups such as Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and others that rioted throughout the election year. As the article notes, Many of those organizers were part of [Mike] Podhorzers network, the man credited in Times article as being The Architect of the entire election effort. The article notes that more than 150 liberal groups joined the Protect the Results coalition and stated that the groups now-defunct website had a map listing 400 planned post-election demonstrations, to be activated via text message as soon as Nov. 4. To stop the coup they feared, the left was ready to flood the streets. Theres another unspoken admission here as well. The trigger for the pre-planned riots was a Biden loss, not a stolen election. Or said another way, the left would determine what comprised a stolen election only by its outcome. This matter was further highlighted in a recounting of election night events after Fox News called Arizona for Biden. Angela Peoples, director for the Democracy Defense Coalition, told Time, We wanted to be mindful of when was the right time to call for moving masses of people into the street. But after Fox called Arizona for Biden, a decision was made to stand down. As Podhorzer noted: They had spent so much time getting ready to hit the streets on Wednesday. But they did it there was not a single Antifa vs. Proud Boys incident. In other words, Podhorzer and his crew effectively controlled the actions of Antifa and Black Lives Matterif not completely, then at the very least during these critical moments and days. The Importance of Foxs Arizona Call The description surrounding election night, while short, is telling and raises further questions. Despite the overall tone of the article, it seems clear that Democrats thought they had lost the election in the later hours of Nov. 3, 2020: Election night began with many Democrats despairing. Trump was running ahead of pre-election polling, winning Florida, Ohio, and Texas easily and keeping Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania too close to call. According to the article, the liberal alliance gathered for an 11 p.m. Zoom call. Hundreds joined; many were freaking out. While Podhorzer was speaking, Fox News surprised everyone by calling Arizona for Biden. The Fox News call changed everything. As the article put it, The public-awareness campaign had worked: TV anchors were bending over backward to counsel caution and frame the vote count accurately. The question then became what to do next. There is another related item of note as well. Podhorzer was sharing his data regarding a Blue Shiftthe term used to describe a late surge in Democrat votes from mail-in votingwith media organizations who would be calling the election. One analyst, described as a member of a major networks political unit who spoke with Podhorzer before Election Day told Time that having access to Podhorzers data and being able to document how big the absentee wave would be and the variance by state was essential. Arnon Mishkin, an outside contractor and a Democrat, was the individual at Fox who reportedly made the call on Arizona at 11:20 p.m. New York time. According to one report, No announcement was made until anchor Bill Hemmer, reviewing the latest status of an electoral map that was looking positive for Trump, glanced at the southwest, where the decision desk had left its yellow check mark on Arizona awarding the state to Biden. After making his call on Arizona, Mishkin stated that Trump was likely to only get about 44% of the outstanding votes that are there. Mishkin was wrong. Trump got a significantly higher percentage of the remaining votes, and although the Arizona call ultimately stood, it was far closer than Mishkin had forecast. Indeed, theres currently a parallel audit underway in Maricopa County, Arizonas most populous county. Post-Election Impact While voters on the right protested in seemingly unorganized groups, the left appeared to be far more prepared. At roughly 10 p.m. local time on election night, a bus carrying Republican election observers arrived at Detroits TCF Center. The article provides a rather biased description, stating that Republican observers were crowding the vote-counting tables, refusing to wear masks, heckling the mostly Black workers. When the Republican observers arrived, Art Reyes III, leader of We the People Michigan, sent word to his network. Within 45 minutes, dozens of reinforcements had arrived. As they entered the arena to provide a counterweight to the GOP observers inside, Reyes took down their cell-phone numbers and added them to a massive text chain. Election boards were another pressure point. Activists called attention to the racial implications of disenfranchising Black Detroiters. They flooded the Wayne County canvassing boards Nov. 17 certification meeting with on-message testimony. Detroits vote was certified by the Republican board members. Finally, the pressure on state legislatures was intense. On Nov. 20, Trump invited the Republican leaders of the Michigan legislature to the White House. According to the article, a full-court press was launched by the left and Protect Democracys local contacts researched the lawmakers personal and political motives. Reyess activists rallied at departure and arrival terminals for the Republican state lawmakers trip to Washington, D.C. The final step in certifying the Michigan vote was a vote from the state canvassing board, which was composed of two Republicans and two Democrats. Reyess activists flooded the livestream and filled Twitter with their hashtag, #alleyesonmi. A board accustomed to attendance in the single digits suddenly faced an audience of thousands. The vote was certified 30, with one Republican abstaining. Shadow Campaign Wants You to Know The in-your-face detailing of events in the Time article leads to one somewhat alarming conclusion. The leaders of the Shadow Campaign want you to know what they did. Whether this stems from hubris or a position of power isnt entirely clear, but there are some important people who were willing to contribute to this article. And to be openly quoted. In addition to Podhorzer, Norman Eisen is quoted at several points in the article. In addition to recruiting members for the Voter Protection Program, Eisen is one of the architects and authors of two Brookings Reports that were written during the Mueller investigation. Brookings produced a 108-page report, Presidential Obstruction of Justice: The Case of Donald J. Trump, authored by Barry Berke, Noah Bookbinder, and Eisen, on Oct. 10, 2017. They followed up with a 177-page second edition on Aug. 22, 2018, which also came with a lengthy appendix. Eisen, a senior fellow at Brookings, served as White House special counsel for ethics and government reform under President Barack Obama and is the founder of CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington). Eisen, according to his Brookings profile page, advised Obama on lobbying regulation, campaign finance law, and open government issues. He also served as the ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2014. Eisen and Berke were later retained by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) on a consulting basis as special oversight counsels to the Democratic majority staff. As Nadler noted in an announcement, the two men had a particular focus on reviewing Muellers investigation and would advise the committee. It also appears Nadler intended for the two lawyers to question Attorney General William Barr, who ultimately declined to attend the hearingleading to a Democratic vote to hold Barr in contempt. Ill-Fated Jan. 6 Rally On Jan. 6, thousands of Trump supporters came to Washington for what would be an ill-fated rally, culminating in an assault on the Capitol building. The fallout from this event would be severe and the full effect has yet to be determined. The new administration, along with many in Congress, appear to making domestic terrorism threats a top priority. Bidens newly installed U.S. Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas has stated publicly that one of the greatest threats that we face currently on our homeland is the threat of domestic terrorism. Despite the expectations of many, there didnt appear to be a material presence of counter-demonstrators from the left at the Jan. 6 rally. The author of the Time article appears to have been in continued contact with members of the Shadow Campaign, including Podhorzer, the groups architect. On the morning of Jan. 6, she said Podhorzer had texted her, noting that the activist left was strenuously discouraging counter activity. His message concluded with a crossed-fingers emoji. Jeff Carlson is a regular contributor to The Epoch Times. He is a CFA Charterholder and worked for 20 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the high-yield bond market. He also runs the website TheMarketsWork.com and can be followed on Twitter @themarketswork. India and the UK have held discussions on promoting bilateral trade and investments between the two countries, an official statement said on Monday. The talks were held between Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and UK Secretary of State for International Trade Elizabeth Truss MP on February 6. Both the ministers agreed to deepen trade cooperation between the two countries through an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP). "They also reviewed progress in removing market access barriers on both sides and ongoing cooperation in response to COVID-19," the commerce ministry said. It added that the two sides reviewed the ongoing engagements between the two sides for an ETP to develop a roadmap that would lead to a potential comprehensive FTA (free trade agreement), including considerations on an interim pact on a preferential basis. "In a significant step forward, the ministers agreed that this partnership would formally be launched during the visit of the UK Prime Minister to India, later this year," it said. The two countries also expressed commitment to relaunch the UK-India CEO Forum and agreed on the Forum's meeting at the earliest. School drop off for the first day of term one looked very different this morning, with secondary students, teachers and parents masked up. The mandatory mask rule was applied by the WA government under its post lockdown transition measures for the Perth and Peel regions. Students and staff arrive at Churchlands High School with masks for the start of school 2021. Credit:Sharon Smith All school staff, parents and secondary students in the regions are required to wear a mask, only primary students are not. While children under 12 are not required to wear a mask in public, if they are 11 and at secondary school they must on school grounds. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle cruise season was hit with a major blow Thursday after Canada's minister of transport announced a continued ban on pleasure craft and cruise ships from entering Canadian Arctic waters until February 2022. It marks the second year in a row that Seattle's roughly billion-dollar cruise season has been canceled, KIRO-TV reported. Canada made the decision to make sure Canadians and transportation workers would be safe during the pandemic. . . . PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) today announced the appointment of Patrick Delaney as incoming Executive Director for the NCCN Foundation. Delaney has previously held leadership roles with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Red Cross, and American Cancer Society. His new position with NCCN will involve fundraising for the NCCN Guidelines for Patients and other resources to empower people with cancer and their caregivers with unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts. Delaney will also work with NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards Program by funding some of the nation's top next-generation cancer researchers, guiding the course of treatment innovation and advancement. "Pat brings a wealth of experience with many of the country's biggest health nonprofits," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "His years of dedication to various health causes make him the perfect choice to lead our important work to empower patients and caregivers with the educational support they need at each step of their cancer journey, as well as fostering the future of cancer research. We are excited to welcome him to the team." Delaney attended Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, before working in the financial services industry. He entered the nonprofit sector in 2000. He has also held numerous board positions and volunteer roles over the years. "I am thrilled to join the team at NCCN as Executive Director of the NCCN Foundation," said Delaney. "I look forward to supporting initiatives that deliver true insight for people living with the challenges and complexities of a cancer diagnosis so they can take an active and informed role in their care and the care of their loved ones." Delaney's first day with NCCN will be February 8, 2021. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information and follow NCCN on Facebook @NCCNorg, Instagram @NCCNorg, and Twitter @NCCN. About the NCCN Foundation The NCCN Foundation was founded by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to empower people with cancer and advance oncology innovation. The NCCN Foundation empowers people with cancer and their caregivers by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients and other patient education resources. The NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research. For more information about the NCCN Foundation, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 [email protected] SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network Related Links www.nccn.org The partnership with GroGuru expands Senteks market reach, and provides the option of our soil moisture and salinity monitoring technologies combined with the GroGuru machine learning and AI engine in the Cloud. GroGuru, Inc., an innovator in precision agriculture and site-specific soil monitoring, and Sentek Technologies, a market and technology leader in soil moisture and salinity measurement, jointly announced today a strategic partnership which pairs Senteks Drill-&-Drop soil moisture probes and telemetry with the GroGuru InSites Software as a Service (SaaS) for strategic irrigation management. GroGuru InSites uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring farmers and agronomic consultants a simple yet powerful irrigation decision support platform. GroGuru InSites helps farmers more efficiently manage irrigation while saving energy, and optimally using labor to make more money by maximizing crop yield. Key inputs used by GroGuru InSites include, but are not limited to, soil moisture, stage of crop growth, weather forecast, and predicted crop water use to bring together a full irrigation scheduling suite. "GroGuru InSites delivers a simple, intuitive user interface to farmers and agronomic consultants that they can access on their computer, tablet or mobile device, said Patrick Henry, President and CEO at GroGuru. The partnership with Sentek expands the GroGuru market reach and ability to scale our SaaS offering more rapidly, allowing us to help more farmers more quickly. The power of Sentek hardware and telemetry coupled with the GroGuru InSites platform puts tremendous power at a farmers fingertips. The partnership with GroGuru expands Senteks market reach, and provides the option of our soil moisture and salinity monitoring technologies combined with the GroGuru machine learning and AI engine in the Cloud, said Rob Guy, Sales Director at Sentek Technologies. The partnership with GroGuru expands the integrator solutions available to farmers, agronomic consultants, agriculture retailers, farming cooperatives, and precision agriculture dealers. GroGuru and Sentek continue to pursue opportunities for growth in the agriculture technology and precision irrigation sector. About GroGuru GroGuru, Inc. is a privately held company based in San Diego, CA, founded in 2014. GroGuru supplies precision soil and irrigation monitoring and management systems to the commercial agriculture industry. GroGuru is all about strategic irrigation management, helping farmers make more money by increasing crop yield and more efficiently using water in a sustainable way. GroGuru has a patented wireless underground system (WUGS) for soil monitoring, an AI-based recommendation engine in the Cloud, and an intuitive farmer-friendly user interface that farmers can access on their tablet, computer or mobile device. GroGuru sells an innovative hardware-enabled subscription-based solution to farmers that enables optimal irrigation, as well as a software as a service (SaaS) product marketed as GroGuru InSites. GroGurus patented WUGS technology enables a permanent installation of soil sensors, even in annual field crops. GroGuru has been a part of the OCTANE LaunchPad, EvoNexus, AgLaunch, the Yield Lab, SVG-Thrive and Plug & Play AgTech accelerator programs. About Sentek Sentek Technologies was founded in 1991 to meet the demand from farmers for real insights into their irrigation decisions. With a team of specialists across agronomy, soil science, and irrigation technology their products are designed to provide accurate data to support better irrigation decisions. Sentek designs, develops, manufactures, supports and globally distributes best-in-class technology for measuring and managing moisture, salinity and temperature of soil. Sentek sensors, telemetry and software are also used in research and environmental projects and are sold and supported through a global network of highly trained distributors. For Sentek editorial comments, please contact Rob Guy, Sales Director, Sentek Technologies, +61-8-8366-1900 Professor Eric Shih, dean of Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School of Business / Courtesy of Sungkyunkwan University By Jun Ji-hye Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School of Business (SKK GSB) jumped 19 positions to 35th place in the 2021 Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Ranking, the university said Monday, noting that its ranking was seventh in Asia and first in Korea. The FT Global MBA Ranking is an annual indicator of business schools' overall status and quality. Unlike other rankings focusing on U.S. MBA programs, the FT ranking assesses business schools from around the world. The 35th place was the highest for the school since it began participating in the ranking assessment. SKK GSB's MBA has taken the top spot in Korea for a decade, while it has been among the top 50 worldwide since 2017. In the FT ranking, the France-based Insead ranked first, followed by the London Business School and University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Twelve Asian business schools were included in the top 50, including China's CEIBS in seventh and the National University of Singapore Business School in 14th. HKUST Business School and HKU Business School, both based in Hong Kong, ranked 22nd and 29th, respectively. Sungkyunkwan University said its business school received particularly high scores in the categories of career services (fifth), career progress (13th) and international faculty percentage (17th). "We are proud of this accomplishment. It is a strong signal that SKK GSB is being recognized globally for the value we deliver and the impact we have on our students and alumni's careers," said professor Eric Shih, dean of SKK GSB. SKK GSB launched two new programs last year the AI MBA and the MS in Business Analytics bringing together advanced topics in artificial intelligence and big data with business education to help students acquire knowledge and skills essential for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. The university said these courses have attracted interest not only from individual applicants but also from companies. In addition, SKK GSB's MBA has been gaining popularity, the university said, noting that the number of applicants for the program, carried out 100 percent in English, has increased significantly year-on-year. Rep. Randy Bridges Legislative Update By State Rep. Randy Bridges PADUCAH - The Kentucky House and Senate returned for part two of the 2021 Legislative Session. There was no shortage of activity, and my colleagues and I have been busy working for the people of the Commonwealth. One of the first tasks before us this week overriding the Governors vetoes of six pieces of legislation we passed in January. The legislation vetoed included bills that protect the unborn, better defined legislative and executive branch powers, and help Kentuckians deal with the COVID pandemic.As a co-equal branch of government, we are constitutionally tasked with making laws and passing a budget. I am committed to enacting good long-term public policy that benefits all Kentuckians. The bills vetoed are the result of months of careful consideration and input from stakeholders. While the Governor has the authority to veto them, the legislature is ultimately responsible for making law. We decided to exercise that authority.While this process may seem like a political move, it is a common legislative practice and has happened several times in just the past decade. You may remember that the Republican-controlled House and Senate overrode several vetoes from former Republican Governor Matt Bevin during his term. Disagreement over policy decisions is an essential part of governing. Kentuckians do not always see eye-to-eye, so how can we expect our government to do so? Ultimately what matters is that we work together when we can, and respect each other when working together is not possible.The House and Senate delivered the bills to the Secretary of State. Most are now law because they all contained emergency clauses making them effective immediately.However, the Governor filed suit challenging three of the bills within minutes of our vote to override the veto. HB 1, SB 1, and SB 2 are tied up in court. I am not surprised but disappointed.HB 1 provides direction to help businesses, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations remain safely open throughout the rest of this pandemic. It gives employers some relief in making their unemployment insurance payments. The measure also includes a provision that ensures visitation opportunities for those in long-term care and children in state custody.SB 1 balances the need for Kentucky to act quickly in an emergency by ensuring that a governor does not overstep his or her authority and attempt to legislate through executive orders. SB 2 prevents the executive branch - including unelected appointees - from using the regulatory process to make laws.I want to share again how seriously I take the privilege of serving this district. I hope you will not hesitate to reach out to me to share your thoughts on the issues coming before us in Frankfort. I can be reached during the week from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (EST) through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at Randy.Bridges@lrc.ky.gov. You may also follow me on Facebook at Kentucky State Representative Randy Bridges District 3 or Twitter @RepRandyBridges for regular updates.Views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of West Kentucky Star.com, Bristol Broadcasting or any employee thereof. Bristol Broadcasting makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The NSW government will release the findings of its long-running probe into Crown Resorts under parliamentary privilege so it can defend itself against potential defamation claims launched by the casino giants executives. The precaution foreshadows potentially explosive findings in former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergins 800-page report into Crowns suitability to keep the licence for its new $2.2 billion Barangaroo casino, which will be released on Tuesday afternoon following an 18-month investigation. Commissioner Patricia Bergins findings will be released publicly on Tuesday afternoon. The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority said on Monday that Commissioner Bergins report will be tabled in State Parliament on Tuesday afternoon and then made available to the public via the Parliament website. This method of publishing the highly anticipated report was not legislatively necessary, but the government has taken that path to shield itself from future defamation action by anyone named in the report, according to senior government sources. Tatler has unveiled its pick of the most glamorous sets of twins on the elite social scene. The British society bible has compiled a list of the hottest and most elegant socialite siblings from across the world who are used to moving in the same circles as supermodels, aristocrats and royals. Among them is Princess Diana's nieces and the daughters of Earl Spencer, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia, 28, who graced the cover of Tatler last month with a 20-page spread. Meanwhile others include Australian hunks Jordan and Zac Stenmark, who have modelled for the likes of Abercrombie&Fitch, as well as James Bond creator Ian Fleming's great-nieces Hum and Chloe. Society bible Tatler has unveiled its pick of the most glamorous sets of twins on the elite social scene from high flying models to royal relations (pictured, Amalie and Cecile Moosgaard) Lady Amelia and Eliza Spencer, society sisters and cousins of Prince William and Harry, also made the cut (pictured) Meanwhile banking scions Hum and Chloe Fleming (left) and models May and Ruth Bell (right) were among those picked out as the siblings to watch by the society bible Australian hunks Jordan and Zac Stenmark, 28, have modelled for brands including Abercrombie and Fitch Lady Eliza and Amelia Spencer The society beauties, 28, are the daughters of Earl Spencer and first cousins with Princes William and Harry. Lady Amelia, whose first name is actually Katya, and her twin sister Eliza grew up in the Constantia area of Cape Town with siblings Kitty and Louis. The three sisters attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Society beauties Lady Amelia and Eliza, 28, are the daughters of Earl Spencer and first cousins with Princes William and Harry Lady Amelia and Eliza attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011 alongside their elder sister Kitty While Lady Kitty, Louis and Lady Eliza were present at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials in May 2018, Amelia was missing. Amelia met her real estate beau of 11 years Greg Mallett while they were both studying at the University of Cape Town. The couple announced their engagement in June of last year. Greg is well-known by the Spencer clan and is already considered to be part of the family. Ruth and May Bell Ruth and May, both 24, from Ashford Kent, would have taken very different career paths if they had not been spotted by a modelling agent while on holiday in Paris Ruth and May, both 24, from Ashford Kent, would have taken very different career paths if they had not been spotted by a modelling agent while on holiday in Paris. After they were approached, they entered the Elite Model London competition in 2013 and signed with the agency later that year. Their first job was for i-D magazine, which led to a Topshop campaign where they looked so alike they could easily have been Photoshopped clones of each other. Since then the twins have enjoyed plenty of career highs. Ruth appeared in Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2015 campaign - for which she shaved her head to create her career-defining crop - and the pair have worked with Topshop, Vogue Paris and Urban Outfitters. Ruth appeared in Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2015 campaign - for which she shaved her head to create her career-defining crop - and the pair have worked with Topshop, Vogue Paris and Urban Outfitters Meanwhile the sisters also starred in Mario Testino's Burberry campaign in 2016. Hum and Chloe Fleming Four generations of Flemings have run the family bank, netting the clan more than 1 billion. But identical twins Hum and Chloe are more interested in extravagant partying. While in their late teens, a driver would wait for them outside Londons Cuckoo Club to whisk them off home to Oxfordshire, and every year their father would rent a super-yacht for them and their pals. Hum, real name Hermione, a fashion PR, styles herself humdogmillionaire on Instagram. She wore a silver catsuit to the Dorchester for a party the lycra onesies give her a Bond girl look. Four generations of Flemings have run the family bank, netting the clan more than 1 billion. But identical twins Hum and Chloe are more interested in extravagant partying At her boarding school in Oxfordshire, Hum was open about her epilepsy while saying her twin, Chloe, was hugely supportive (left and right together) Thats rather appropriate given that she and Chloe, right, are great nieces of 007 creator Ian Fleming. Hum has been vocal about her struggles with epilepsy after first experiencing a fit when she was 13 and watching television at home in Oxfordshire. Ever since then she has only been able to remember six months back into the past, but all her memories from before the fit at 13 are clear. Though they are not identical, the sisters are extremely close, and as children they would trick gullible adults into believing they were telepathic At her boarding school in Oxfordshire, Hum was open about her condition while her twin, Chloe, was hugely supportive. Though they are not identical, the sisters are extremely close, and as children they would trick gullible adults into believing they were telepathic by always answering 44 when asked to think of a number. Amalie and Cecile Moosgaard Amalie and Cecilie Moosgaard, 24-year-old twin models from far-flung Ikast, Denmark, were catapulted to one of the most coveted jobs in the fashion world when they walked the runway for Prada in Milan in 2016. According to the New York Times after the event, the Moosgaards said: 'Were known as the Prada twins now.' Amalie and Cecilie Moosgaard, 24-year-old twin models from far-flung Ikast, Denmark, were catapulted to one of the most coveted jobs in the fashion world when they walked the runway for Prada in Milan in 2016 The trendy pair often share sultry snaps posing in the streets of Paris and Copenhagen in dark sunglasses and oversized trench coats The fair haired and long-limbed siblings have since strutted their stuff for Valentino, McQueen, Sonia Rykiel and Vera Wang. Meanwhile their social media presence continues to grow, with hundreds of thousands of fans between them. The pair often share sultry snaps posing in the streets of Paris and Copenhagen in dark sunglasses and oversized trench coats. Jordan and Zac Stenmark In 2012, hunky Australian twins Jordan and Zac were discovered by Tom Ford and later took the fashion world by storm at Calvin Kleins spring 2013 show. In 2012, hunky Australian twins Jordan and Zac were discovered by Tom Ford and later took the fashion world by storm at Calvin Kleins spring 2013 show The twins went on to work with the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren. Last year, the now 28-year-olds announced they are diversifying themselves by releasing their own workout program called Stenmark Fit, which they developed over two years. The two part, six-week program is aimed at men and women from ages 16 to 34 of all fitness levels and covers both nutrition and exercise. The handsome heart-throbs often document their adventures around the world on their Instagram page, where they have attracted 174k devoted fans. PHOENIX, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldHotels announced today that its industry-leading loyalty program, WorldHotels Rewards (WHR), is cutting its status eligibility qualifications in half for 2021 - enabling travelers to earn Gold Status with just five nights, three stays or 5,000 points. Additionally, the reduction in thresholds applies to each WHR tier making it easier than ever for guests to climb the loyalty ladder. "The new year is bringing new hope and new opportunities for travel," said WorldHotels Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Dorothy Dowling. "At WorldHotels we are proud to offer rich rewards through WHR, and by reducing qualifications for elite status, our valued guests now have the opportunity to earn greater perks with fewer stays." The third largest hotel loyalty program in the world, WHR offers guests exclusive access and privileges with member-only oers such as room upgrades and more. WHR loyalty points never expire, so travelers don't have to worry about losing their points if their plans get disrupted. Members can also turn the points they earn from every stay into dining, shopping and experiential travel options or redeem points for free nights at participating WorldHotels properties around the world. Travelers can also take advantage of WorldHotels' "Let's Get Away Together" campaign, offering travelers a discount of 15% or more on all two-night stays through February 28, 2021. Click here to learn more about WorldHotels: www.worldhotels.com. About WorldHotels Collection Newly relaunched, the WorldHotels Collection delivers proven soft brand solutions for a curated global offering of over 300 of the finest independent hotels and resorts. Founded by hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, only WorldHotels curates the best independent properties around the globe, each reflective of the locale by offering intuitive service, and a refined sense of character. WorldHotels' proprietary 'Start With Why' philosophy helps each hotel identify their unique set of assets that distinguish and elevate their guest experience and revenue generation performance from the competition. Geared to both business and leisure travellers, the WorldHotels Collection is classified into four tiers allowing guests to select the offering that meets their needs: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted Collection. For reservations or information, visit www.worldhotels.com. Media Contact: Katie Ray Senior PR Manager 602.957.5526 [email protected] SOURCE WorldHotels Related Links http://www.worldhotels.com A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The troublesome Brazilian variant of coronavirus will inevitably end up in Britain, scientists have warned amid fears it could make vaccines less effective. Cases of the mutant strain which shares a mutation with the South African variant have already been spotted in France, Italy, the Netherlands and the Faroe Islands. Health ministries in Germany and Spain claim to have also discovered cases of the dangerous strain. Experts now say it is only a 'matter of time' before the variant dubbed P1 lands on Britain's shores because ministers 'can't rely' on border controls to lock it out. The Brazilian variant carries the E484K mutation which scientists believe allows it to partially dodge vaccine-triggered immunity. Several studies have shown the current crop of vaccines are less effective against this mutation. None of the European countries where the mutant variant has been detected are on the Government's 'red list', which forces arrivals to isolate in hotels for 10 days to ensure they aren't inadvertently carrying the virus into Britain. Experts have accused the system - which will not be put in place for another week - of being too little too late and say the horse has already bolted. It comes after Boris Johnson today refused to rule out extending the lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread, amid fears Oxford University's jab may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. The above map shows which countries have reported cases of the concerning Brazilian variant of coronavirus. It has now been found in six European countries Above are countries by date when a case of the Brazilian variant of coronavirus was first reported. This map does not include countries where infections are yet to be confirmed This shows the number of journeys from Manaus, Brazil, which is suffering a major outbreak of the Brazilian variant, to other destinations in October 2020. The data was taken from the International Air Transport Association. Coloured bars mean a case of the variant has already been reported in the country WHERE IS THE BRAZILIAN VARIANT? Country Cases, when announced Europe (confirmed) Faroe Islands Italy France Netherlands 1, January 12 3, January 18 4, January 22 2, January 28 Europe (reported) Germany Spain 2, January 22 1, February 5 Rest of the world (confirmed) Brazil Japan United States South Korea Peru 74, December 4 4, January 2 3, January 9 1, January 10 1, January 28 Rest of the world (reported) Colombia Turkey Canada 2, January 30 1, February 3 1, February 7 Advertisement The Netherlands declared two cases of the variant in travellers returning from Brazil on January 28. France had announced four by January 22, and Italy said it had identified three cases in travellers returning from Brazil by January 17. The Danish-controlled Faroe Islands were the first European area to reveal they had a case of the variant on January 12, which was also identified in a traveller arriving from Brazil. Spain claimed it had detected a care on February 5, in a 44-year-old man returning from Brazil. And the German state of Hesse, in the west of the country, claimed to have identified two cases by January 22. But these cases are yet to be rubber-stamped by international experts. There is mounting concern over the Brazilian strain because of its E484K mutation. It has also been found to carry the N501Y mutation, which scientists say made the Kent variant far more infectious and allowed it to rapidly spread across Britain. Another key mutation in the variant, named K417T, has the potential to 'possibly escape some antibodies', according to COG-UK. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia told MailOnline it was 'only a matter of time' before the Brazilian variant landed on Britain's shores. He warned that although the Government's border controls 'have a value', ministers 'can't rely on them'. 'If the Brazilian variant came into this country given that we've got the South African variant circulating already I don't think it would increase the threat to us,' he said. 'It's not the thing I would be worried about - it's the new English and South African variants that have increased infectiousness and resistance to the vaccine. 'Although border controls may reduce re-introductions they are not actually going to do anything [to stop these more concerning variants arriving].' Almost 150 cases of the South African variant have already been spotted in the UK, health minister Edward Argar said today. But the Kent virus is the dominant strain. Britain's hotel quarantine scheme came under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list It comes after a study today warned the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine may be only 10 per cent effective against the South African strain of the virus. Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert from Warwick University and member of the SAGE sub-group SPI-M, claimed the finding could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we can't get on top of this.' Professor Mike Tildesley (left) warned the South African strain may be spreading in UK Despite the concerning new finding, UK ministers have urged Brits to keep faith in the vaccine, saying there is 'no evidence' it will not block severe disease and death. Top experts including Oxford researchers and the UK's top vaccine panel the JCVI believe it will still protect millions from getting severely ill. Surge testing is being carried out door-to-door in some parts of the UK after the South African variant was identified in these areas. Results of the tests are expected later this week, which could reveal the full-extent of the outbreak of the variant. Swab testing can only tell whether someone is infected with the virus, with expensive genome sequencing then needed to determine which strain they have. The UK checks roughly 10 per cent of all the positive swabs for their strain, meaning the current estimate of case numbers may be well below the actual toll. It comes as Britain's hotel quarantine scheme came under criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list. Earlier this week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 'red list' countries would have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel from February 15. But an analysis carried out by the World Health Organization has found dozens of countries where the highly-infectious South African and Brazilian variants have been found are not on the list. They include Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and the United States. Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reacted with fury at the news, branding the Government's quarantine measures 'dangerously inadequate'. Scientists also said the oversight was 'not good enough', adding that the virus 'spreads like wildfire'. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan received on February 8 Ambassador of Georgia to Armenia Giorgi Saganelidze. During the meeting the sides referred to issues related to Persian Gulf-Black Sea international transport corridor. Discussing the issue of improving transport communication between Armenia and Georgia, the sides discussed the reconstruction process of the roads from Bavra and Gogavan checkpoints to deep into Georgia. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of Tigran Avinyan, the Deputy PM noted that the strengthening of the Armenian-Georgian relations is one of the key directions of the Armenian foreign policy. Ambassador Giorgi Saganelidze noted that by joint efforts it will be possible to achieve ambitious progress. Tigran Avinyan assessed trade and economic cooperation as a key component in bilateral relations, noting that there are all preconditions for expanding it. During the meeting Tigran Avinyan also referred to the issue of returning the Armenian POWs kept in Azerbaijan, which is a priority for the Government of Armenia. The sides also discussed the program of ''North-South'' energy corridor, the works already done in that direction, as well as the planned actions. A view of the Battle Room of the Central Military Committee, which also served as operational headquarters during wartime from 1948-1949. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Party members at a village of Xibaipo, an old revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Hebei Province, to unite and work hard with the local people for a better life. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when writing back on Sunday to the CPC members of Beizhuang Village in Xibaipo Township, Pingshan County. PEP 11 Drilling Clarification Perth, Feb 8, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - BPH Energy Ltd ( ASX:BPH ) wishes to provide further clarification on its investee company, Advent Energy Ltd (Advent), announcement of 5 February 2021.- Investee Advent Energy Ltd (Advent) has, on behalf of the PEP11 joint venture, submitted to the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) a further application to extend the current PEP11 permit in offshore NSW.- The application comprises a 24-month suspension of the Permit Year 4 work program commitments, with a corresponding 24-month extension of the current permit term. This application was accepted for processing by NOPTA on the 4th of February 2021.- This application was lodged to ensure the company is not in breach of the Year 4 PEP11 work program and expenditure commitments. The Government has recognised that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the offshore petroleum sector and that additional flexibility would be required to assist titleholders to manage the COVID -19 crisis. The Joint Authority also confirmed in a release that it regarded the COVID-19 pandemic as a force majeure event.- BPH Energy Limited does not foresee this recent application interfering with the NOPTA application to extend the permit terms for PEP11.- BPH has advised that the NOPTA application extension to the permit terms for PEP11 is in the final phase of decision process and is now with the Joint Authority for decision.Although the application to NOPTA was to extend the current permit commitment conditions, the Joint Venture is committed to proceed with the drilling of the Baleen well in PEP11 as soon as the necessary preconditions and permitting including environmental approval has been satisfied.About BPH Energy Limited BPH Energy Limited (ASX:BPH) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company developing biomedical research and technologies within Australian Universities and Hospital Institutes. The company provides early stage funding, project management and commercialisation strategies for a direct collaboration, a spin out company or to secure a license. BPH provides funding for commercial strategies for proof of concept, research and product development, whilst the institutional partner provides infrastructure and the core scientific expertise. BPH currently partners with several academic institutions including The Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT). External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday thanked the leaders of several nations for extending solidarity and support to India on the tragic loss of lives caused by a glacier breach in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. In a tweet, EAM said he deeply appreciates the solidarity expressed by his colleagues from Australia, Czech Republic, Maldives, Bhutan and Portugal on the natural calamity that wreaked havoc in the northern state on Sunday. Deeply appreciate the solidarity expressed by my colleagues around the world on the tragic loss of lives caused by a glacier breach in Chamoli,Uttarakhand yday. Value yr support in ths difficult time.@TPetricek @MarisePayne @FMBhutan @abdulla_shahid @MariyaDidi @nestrangeiro_pt Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 8, 2021 READ | Toll Climbs To 10 In Uttarakhand Glacier Burst, 143 Still Missing A glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered an avalanche and massive flash flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers. The Rishiganga Power Project on the banks of was damaged in the flash floods. A deluge in the Alaknanda river system washed away hydroelectric stations, trapping more than 100 labourers, who are feared dead. At least 10 people have been reported dead in the disaster while rescue operations for those trapped in the tunnel are underway. READ | Uttarakhand Floods: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Extends Condolences To India World leaders condole Uttarkhand disaster Following the incident, condolences poured in from around the world with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison assuring that his country stands with India during this difficult time. Nepal also expressed deep condolences to the family members of the deceased and prayed for the safety of those missing. France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 7, 2021 Devastating news for India and @narendramodi following flash flooding in Uttarakhand. Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time. https://t.co/uOnnHMAazY Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 7, 2021 I am truly saddened by distressing news about a glacier burst in #Uttarakhand. My sincerest condolences go to those affected by today's tragedy and the people of India. Tomas Petricek (@TPetricek) February 7, 2021 Sincere condolences and prayers for the loss of lives and properties by flash floods due to glacier outburst in Uttarakhand.#UttarakhandDisaster #UttarakhandGlacierBurst ForeignMinisterBhutan (@FMBhutan) February 8, 2021 We regret the accident today in Uttarakhand, in Northen #India. We express our support and solidarity with the authorities and the Indian people affected by the floods. N Estrangeiros PT (@nestrangeiro_pt) February 7, 2021 READ | Nepal Saddened By Uttarakhand Glacier Burst; Offers Deep Condolences To Bereaved Families CM Rawat, PM Modi announce ex-gratia Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat informed that 176 labourers had gone for their duty in mainly 2 tunnels in the affected regions. Out of those, 30-35 labourers working in the Rishiganga project are said to be trapped inside while 16 workers trapped in the tunnel near Tapovan in Chamoli have been rescued by the ITBP jawans. In all, over 100 people are said to be missing. The CM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased while the PMO has approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin. Reportedly, 8 lives have been claimed in the incident, as of now. READ | Uttarakhand Disaster: Ramesh Pokhriyal Reviews Rescue Op; 'doing Everything To Save Lives' GENEVA (AP) - The head of the World Health Organization said Monday the emergence of new COVID-19 variants has raised questions about whether or not existing vaccines will work, calling it "concerning news" that the vaccines developed so far may be less effective against the variant first detected in South Africa. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing that South Africas decision on Sunday to suspend its vaccination campaign using the AstraZeneca vaccine is "a reminder that we need to do everything we can to reduce circulation of the virus with proven public health measures." He said it was increasingly clear that vaccine manufacturers would need to tweak their existing shots to address the ongoing genetic evolution of the coronavirus, saying booster shots would most likely be necessary, especially since new variants of the virus are now spreading globally and appear likely to become the predominant strains. Tedros added that WHO expected to make a decision "in the next few days" on whether it would recommend an emergency use listing for the AstraZeneca vaccine. That designation would allow millions of doses to be shipped to poor countries as part of a U.N.-backed effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines worldwide known as COVAX. Last week, Tedros said that more than three quarters of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in just 10 countries and that immunization in nearly 130 countries had yet to start. Despite WHO's aim of starting COVID-19 vaccination in poor countries at the same time as wealthy countries, COVAX hasn't delivered any vaccine doses anywhere. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's chief scientist, said people shouldn't conclude from South Africa's decision that the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't work. She said all of the available evidence to date shows the vaccines developed so far reduce deaths, hospitalizations and severe disease. FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, a vial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 at a hospital in Sofia, Bulgarian. South Africa on Sunday Feb. 7, 2021, has suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't effective in preventing mild to moderate illness from the variant dominant in the country. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, FILE) Other COVID-19 vaccines developed by Novavax, Pfizer and BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson also appear to be less effective against the strain first identified in South Africa, although they may prevent severe disease. ___ Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak [February 08, 2021] $100M XPRIZE for Carbon Removal Funded by Elon Musk to Fight Climate Change XPRIZE, the world's leader in designing and launching incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, today announced the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal sponsored by Elon Musk and the Musk Foundation. This four-year global competition invites innovators and teams from anywhere on the planet to create and demonstrate a solution that can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans and lock it away permanently in an environmentally benign way. To win the competition, teams must demonstrate a rigorous, validated scale model of their solution at a level of carbon removal of 1 ton of CO2 per day, and further must demonstrate to a team of judges the ability of their solution to economically scale to gigaton levels. The objective of this XPRIZE is to inspire and help scale efficient solutions to collectively achieve the 10 gigaton per year carbon removal target by 2050, to help fight climate change and restore the Earth's carbon balance. "We want to make a truly meaningful impact. Carbon negativity, not neutrality. The ultimate goal is scalable carbon extraction that is measured based on the 'fully considered cost per ton' which includes the environmental impact. This is not a theoretical competition; we want teams that will build real systems that can make a measurable impact and scale to a gigaton level. Whatever it takes. Time is of the essence," said Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX (News - Alert) . "We are challenging engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to build and demonstrate carbon removal systems that work," said Peter H. Diamandis, Founder and Executive Chairman of XPRIZE. "Systems that in sub-scale can demonstrate real, viable carbon removal at 1 ton per day, and then show us how those systems can scale (cost effectively) to scale massively to gigaton scale. The goal of this competition is to inspire entrepreneurs and engineers to build the carbon dioxide removal solutions, many of which have only been discussed and debated. We want to see them built, tested, and validated. We hope this XPRIZE will activate the public and private sectors to get involved in the same way that the $10M Ansari XPRIZE brought about the commercial spaceflight industry." For humanity to reach the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the Earth's temperature rise to no more than 1.5(C) of pre-industrial levels, or even 2(C), we need bold, radical tech innovation and scale up that goes beyond limiting CO2emissions, but actually removes CO2 already in the air and oceans. If humanity continues on a business-as-usual path, the global average temperature could increase 6(C) by the year 2100. The full competition guidelines will be announced on April 22nd, 2021, which is also Earth Day. On that same day team registration will begin. The competition will last for 4 years through Earth Day 2025. The $100M in prize purses will be distributed in the following manner: After 18 months, at the discretion of the competition judges, the 15 top teams selected will receive $1 million each. Milestone Awards will kickstart team fundraising for their operating budgets to achieve the full-scale demonstrations required to win the prize. In the same timeframe, a total of twenty-five $200,000 student scholarships will be distributed to student teams competing. The remaining $80M in Purses will be distributed as follows: 1) Grand prize Winner (1st Place): $50M 2) 2nd Place: $20M 3) 3rd Place: $10M Teams can submit entries across natural, engineer and hybrid solutions. Judges in the competition will evaluate the teams based upon four basic criteria: 1) A working carbon removal prototype that can be rigorously validated capable of removing at least 1 ton per day. 2) The team's ability to demonstrate to the judges that their solution can economically scale to the gigaton level. 3) The main metric for this competition is fully considered cost per ton, inclusive of whatever considerations are necessary for environmental benefit, permanence, any value-added products; and 4) The final criteria is the length of time that the removed carbon is locked up for. A minimum goal of 100 years is desired. "Our Earth's changing climate is a fundamental threat to humanity. But it's not too late if we take action NOW! Human imagination and creativity can shape a brighter and more sustainable future on this planet we call home," said Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE. "By partnering with Elon and the Musk Foundation, we will crowdsource cost-effective solutions that can scale massively in the real world. Through XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, the teams are invited to make history and become our climate heroes by reshaping our future. "We are expecting a huge array and diversity of teams from around the world to register and compete. What's beautiful about an XPRIZE competition is the diversity of approaches taken by the teams. This is a great fit for carbon removal because there are so many ways to pull CO2 out of the air and our oceans. We expect to see approaches like engineered direct air capture, mineralization and enhanced weathering, natural solutions based on plants, trees, or ocean-focused solutions. We want as many viable scalable demonstrations now so we can all help the best solutions get to deployment as soon as possible." For the latest information about the competition structure and important dates, please visit XPRIZE.org/prizes/elonmusk. Watch and share the 90 second trailer for this milestone $100M gigaton scale XPRIZE. About XPRIZE XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world's grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, $10 Million XPRIZE Rainforest, $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, $6 Million XPRIZE Rapid COVID Testing, the $5 Million IBM (News - Alert) Watson AI XPRIZE, $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling, and $500K Pandemic Response Challenge. For more information, visit xprize.org. About The Musk Foundation The Musk Foundation creates grants that are made in support of: renewable energy research and advocacy; human space exploration research and advocacy; pediatric research; science and engineering education; and development of safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005280/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The GA declared that the right to development is an inalienable human right (res. 36/133 of 14 December 1981). The GA considers and adopts a resolution on the right to development on an annual basis since 1987 to present. The GA set up Human Rights Council in res. 60/251 and decided that the work of the Council shall be guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue and cooperation, with a view to enhancing the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. The HRC considers and adopts a resolution on the right to development on an annual basis. The HRC has replaced the former Commission on Human Rights (see below). Special Procedures are responsible for several thematic issues which are directly and indirectly relevant to the right to development. Annually, Special Procedures issue a joint statement in support of the right to development 2016 , 2017 , 2018 , 2019 To function as a think-tank for the Council and work at its direction. The Advisory Committee has replaced the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (see below). For the first time, the CHR recognised the right to development as a human right (res. 4 (XXXV)) of 2 March 1979. The CHR considered and adopted a resolution on the right to development on an annual basis from 1985 to 2005. The CHR was replaced by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2006. 1974-2005 Since 1974, the Sub-Commission developed and considered several studies and reports on various thematic issues relevant to the right to development (see OHCHRs website, RTD documents archive). The Commission on Human Rights requested the Sub-Commission to prepare a concept document establishing options for the implementation of the right to development and their feasibility, inter alia, an international legal standard of a binding nature, guidelines on the implementation of the right to development and principles for development partnerships (CHR res. 2003/83). In 2006, the Sub-Commission was replaced by the Advisory Committee. Last fall, India reported over 8 million COVID-19 cases nationwidebut a new study suggests that the state of Karnataka alone had approximately 31.5 million cases by the end of August. Credit: Shutterstock.com Anew study, led by professors at the University of Chicago and Duke University, found that COVID-19 cases in the southern state of Karnataka, India, are nearly 95 times greater than reported. The studyled by Prof. Anup Malani from the University of Chicago's Law School and Pritzker School of Medicine, and Prof. Manoj Mohanan from Duke Universitysuggests that 44.1% of the population in rural areas and 53.8% in urban areas in the southern state of Karnataka tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19 by the end of August 2020. The findings, based on data collected from a representative sample of households in 20 districts in the state, suggest that Karnataka alone had approximately 31.5 million cases of COVID-19 by then, relative to 8 million reported nationally in India until now. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study collected data on antibodies for recent and past COVID-19 infection using a test that targets the RBD spike protein and better identifies exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus rather than other coronaviruses. A unique feature of the study is that it also tested the same individuals for current infections using the RT-PCR test. This pairing allows the study to both report current levels of immunity and forecast future immunity because most of today's infected population will, in a few weeks, join tomorrow's immune population. "Our data shows evidence of high levels of active infections and transmission, especially in urban areas of Mysore and coastal districts during our study periodwhere 9.7% to 10.5% of individuals tested positive for current infection," said Malani, the Lee and Brena Freeman Professor of Law. Funded by ACT Grants in India and supported by IDFC Institute, the study found that rural areas had nearly the same level of exposure to COVID-19 as urban areas. Although cities were more densely populated, rural area face additional risk because agriculture is an essential sector and exempt from many lockdown restrictions. The study demonstrated the feasibility, in resource-constrained settings, of conducting pooled sample RT-PCR testing where multiple samples are tested simultaneously and individual samples are further tested if a "pool" tests positive. It also demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneously measuring current and past infection in a population-representative sample even in rural areas of a lower-middle income country. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak China and the US are in a race to Mars - with both nations due to land a rover on the Red Planet this month, and plans for future missions already in development. This new 'space race', unlike the battle to the Moon between the US and Soviet Union, is likely to be a much more crowded field, including private firms and smaller nations - such as the United Arab Emirates who have a probe en-route to Mars now. SpaceX founder Elon Musk reiterated in a recent interview that his aim is to land the first humans on Mars by 2026 - that is seven years earlier than NASA's earliest goal. The US, China, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency have loftier goals for exploring Mars - including missions to bring samples of Martian rock back to the Earth by the end of this decade - with humans landing on the planet by 2040. Before then, the first humans on Mars may fly there on the massive SpaceX Starship - currently in the testing phase - with a recent 'explosive' end to a recent flight. China and the US are in a race to Mars - with both nations due to land a rover on the Red Planet this month, and plans for future missions already in development The Chinese Tianwen-1 spacecraft was carried by a Long March-5 rocket and is expected to reach the red planet in February. This artist impression shows a possible landing NASA MARS 2020: THE MISSION WILL SEE THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER AND INGENUITY HELICOPTER SEARCH FOR LIFE NASA's Mars 2020 mission will search for signs of ancient life on on the Red Planet in a bid to help scientists better understand how life evolved on Earth. Named Perseverance, the main car-sized rover will explore an ancient river delta within the Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600ft deep lake. It is believed that the region hosted microbial life some 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago and the rover will examine soil samples to hunt for evidence of the life. Nasa's Mars 2020 rover (artist's impression) will search for signs of ancient life on Mars in a bid to help scientists better understand how life evolved on our own planet The $2.5 billion (1.95 billion) Mars 2020 spaceship launched on July 30 witht he rover and helicopter inside - and will land on February 18, 2021. Perseverance is designed to land inside the crater and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth for further analysis. A second mission will fly to the planet and return the samples, perhaps by the later 2020s in partnership with the European Space Agency. Advertisement NASA's Perseverance rover is on its way to Mars - it is due to land in the Jezero crater on February 18 and will begin a mission that will see it search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet, and gather samples of rock and soil. Part of the Mars 2020 mission, as well as Perseverance, a Mars Helicopter is also landing on the planet to get views from the air of the Red Planet surface. China's first solo mission to Mars - Tianwen-1 - will also see a rover land on the surface, although not for some time after the spaceship arrives in Martian orbit. The uncrewed spaceship has already sent its first pictures of the Red Planet back to Earth - from 1.4 million miles away. The Tianwen-1 was launched in July from China's southern Hainan island and expected to reach the orbit of Mars this month - no set date has been confirmed. In May, it will try to land in Utopia Planitia, a plain in the northern hemisphere, and deploy a rover to explore for 90 days. If successful, the Tianwen-1 will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars. This will further boost its space credentials after it last year became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon since the 1970s. The probe is now only half that distance away from Mars and around 184 million km from Earth after 197 days of the mission, the CNSA said in a statement, adding that its systems were in good condition. The third probe making its way to Mars was built by the United Arab Emirates and will stay in orbit around the Red Planet documenting its weather systems. The UAE 'Hope' probe will arrive on February 9 and will study daily and seasonal changes on the planet - making its findings available to the wider international scientific community while also boosting the nations space credentials. Closer to home, the battle for lunar conquest is happening in front of our eyes, with NASA hoping to land the next astronauts on the Moon by 2024, and China ramping up its plans for more uncrewed missions to explore our nearest celestial neighbour. Earlier this year China saw its Chang'e-5 probe return samples from the Moon's surface back to the Earth - after a short mission that launched in November 2020. This is something that only the US and Soviet Union had previously achieved. NASA's Perseverance rover is on its way to Mars - it is due to land in the Jezero crater on February 18 and will begin a mission that will see it search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet, and gather samples of rock and soil The stunning black and white image was taken when Tianwen-1 was 1.4million miles (2.2million km) from the martian surface and although it fails to capture the trademark rusty appearance of the world, it captures the world's unique terrain There are currently two spaceships on their way to put a rover on Mars (pictured) from NASA and China - the Chinese rover will be used as a test bed for a future sample-return mission The Red Planet has become the new focus for nations and agencies attempting to demonstrate the superiority of their technology, space archeologist Alice Gorman of Flinders University told Bloomberg Businessweek. Currently only the NASA Curiosity rover is operational on Mars - it was launched in 2011 and landed in the Gale Crater in August 2012. Curiosity will be joined by NASA Perseverance later this month, and if successful, China's Tianwen-1 will become the first non-American rover operating on Mars. The European-Russian ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover - built in the UK - is due to launch in 2022 - it was due to launch in 2020 but was delayed by coronavirus. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to send the Melos rover to Mars in 2022 and is also working on a mission to bring rock samples back from the largest Moon of Mars, Phobos. More nations have objects in orbit around Mars - with the US, Soviet Union, European Space Agency and India all successfully putting a probe in Martian orbit. The future of Martian exploration could be carried out by any number of countries including the US, China, Europe and Russia - or a commercial operator such as SpaceX The Chinese spaceship's orbiter will fly around the planet while the lander will release the robotic rover to carry out patrol exploration and research CHINA STEPS UP PLANS TO BECOME SPACE SUPERPOWER WITH MARS AND MOON MISSIONS Officials from the Chinese space agency are working to become a space superpower alongside the US and Russia. They have already sent the first lander to explore the far side of the Moon - sharing photos from the part of our nearest neighbour we rarely see as part of the Chang'e-4 mission. In November 2020 they sent the Chang'e-5 space probe to the Moon to collect and return the first samples of lunar soil in 45 years. This was done in collaboration with the European Space Agency who provided tracking information for the Chinese spaceship. Chang'e-6 will be the first mission to explore the south pole of the Moon and is expected to launch in 2023 or 2024. Chang'e-7 will study the land surface, composition, space environment in an overall mission, according to the Chinese space authority, while Chang'e-8 will focus on technical surface analysis. China is also reportedly working on building a lunar base using 3D printing technology and sending a future crewed mission to the surface. Mission number eight will likely lay the groundwork for this as it strives to verify the technology earmarked for the project. The CNSA is also building an Earth-orbiting space station where Chinese astronauts will conduct scientific experiments, similar to the crew of the ISS. The agency also launched a mission to Mars in summer 2020 which will see them land a rover on the surface of the red planet in February 2021. China is also said to be working on a project to build a solar power generator in space, that would beam energy back to Earth and becoming the largest man made object in orbit. They also have a number of ambitious space science projects including satellites to hunt for signs of gravitational waves and Earth observation spacecrafts to monitor climate change. Advertisement The United Arab Emirates and China have orbiter spaceships on the way to Mars, with China also planning to send a rover down to the surface. Japan, ESA, India and NASA all have missions currently in development but not yet launched that will further expand what we know about our celestial neighbour. Future proposals include missions by private companies and universities - using commercial launch vehicles and expanding the space race beyond nations. SpaceX plans to send its Starship spaceship on a demo mission without a crew to the Red Planet in 2022 - including a lander with cargo on board. Washington State University plans to send its Biological Oxidant and Life Detection (BOLD) mission to Mars in 2022 with a landing probe and impactor. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, plans to send its Mars-Grunt mission to Mars in 2024 with an orbiter, lander and technology to return rock samples to Earth. Steffi Paladini Reader in Economics & Global Security, Birmingham City University wrote in The Conversation that the second space race is as much about the approach as it is about being first. 'Different countries have different development models when it comes to space, so the new space race is partly a competition for having the best approach,' she said. 'This reflects the specific character of the so-called Space Age 2.0, which, compared to the first one, looks more diverse, and where non-US actors, public and private, feature prominently, especially Asian ones. If China leads the pack, so does its vision.' Away from Mars, there is also a battle to establish permanent settlements on the Moon and in low Earth orbit - including future space stations. This space will be a real battle ground for commercial firms - with satellites and future tourism and mining technologies taking centre stage. China is also operating in this space, planning to build its own space station, in part as a response to NASA and other international partners freezing it out of the international space station, but also to boost its own space credentials. This rapidly accelerating space race has led to some calls for more international cooperation and laws - including the NASA back Artemis accords. This is an international agreement allowing countries or companies to establish exclusive zones on the lunar surface for mining or other purposes. China have yet to sign the accords, branding them part of a US political agenda for moon colonisation and Russia expressed similar concerns. SpaceX could be the first operator to reach Mars - with its massive Starship rocket currently scheduled to make the first uncrewed trip in 2024 and a crewed mission in 2026 This concept art shows the Mars 2020 rover landing on the red planet via NASA's 'sky-crane' system - it is due to arrive on February 18 NASA's 'One Small Step' Act names Apollo landing sites and others as 'no go zones' on the Moon for future missions The 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' prevents companies that do business with NASA from disturbing historic traces of previous missions to the moon. Designed to 'protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of U.S. government lunar artifacts,' the law sets a protective perimeter around the six Apollo landing sites. This includes Tranquility Bay, where the Apollo 11 lander touched down in 1969. The first law to recognise human heritage in outer space, it protects vehicles and hardware, the remains of experiments and even Neil Armstrong's boot prints. Experts say the measure, which enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, will become increasingly important as trips to the moon increase in the next few years. It does not, however, specify penalties for violators. Advertisement The accords require those signed up to cooperate and help other nations if an astronaut gets into difficulty and needs to be rescued - as well as restrictions on mining and commercial activities. China is using space, as well as cyberspace as a major driver in economic growth and global dominance, according to Paladini. Since five year plan by the Chinese space agency - which is government funded and military led - saw 140 launches between 2015 and 2020. The secretive space agency has even more missions planned for the future - including missions to explore Jupiter and future Moon missions. China also plans to join the race with the US, Europe, Japan and Russia, to return samples of soil and rock from Mars to Earth. 'While the resources committed by the country remain largely an unknown (we only know what's included in the five-year plans), US estimates for 2017 put this figure at US$11 billion (8 billion), second only to the US itself NASA's budget for the same year was about US$20 billion (15 billion),' said Paladini. While the global space race was once the preserve of NASA and the Soviet Union - Space 2.0 also includes many commercial operators such as SpaceX, along with nations like India, China and the European Union. India has a different approach to the large, high-budget missions of the US and China - they focus on civilian and commercial missions and are open about spending and funding - spending about $2 billion annually. Paladini says nations like India are stepping up their efforts, and have the ability to create compelling missions - such as a recent Mars orbiter - for a fraction of the cost of a NASA mission. India's Mars mission cost about $74 million - ten times less than the NASA Maven mission and $26 million less than the Hollywood movie Gravity cost to make. 'India's government released its 2019-20 annual report, which shows a growing military involvement in the space sector,' said Paladini, as well as future missions to explore the Moon and Venus in the future. 'In case the Chinese were not already motivated enough in making Tianwen-1 a resounding success. Space Race 2.0 is definitively warming up,' she added. COLUMBIA- The first case of a highly contagious coronavirus variant was reported in Missouri on Saturday in Marion County. The variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom last fall, was found in a man who lives near St. Louis. According to the CDC, variant B.1.1.7 seems to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. As of Monday, the CDC said that antibodies generated from current authorized vaccines will recognize this variant strand. They also said they are closely investigating and studying this claim. The CDC said that masks, social distancing and hygiene are still essential to stop the spread of these new variants. KOMU 8 News spoke to Boone Hospital Centers Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robin Blount on Monday, who said that variants are not uncommon. It's not unusual to see variants of that the viruses and, and other things of that nature, they evolve, they adapt, etc. There are several new variants that have been identified throughout the world and a few of them, I'm starting to end up on our shore," Blount said. "It's quite possible that a variant could develop here in the United States, that it then would, you know, work its way to other areas, Blount said. As of now the vaccine is effective against the variant, but according to Blount, that could change, and researchers are keeping a close eye on it. For now, we're hearing that our vaccine is good against these, but we have to stay vigilant, we have to continue to watch. The CDC is doing random sampling of positive virus samples to see what what the virus is doing and whether or not we have these variants, Blount said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Blount says this variant seems to be transmitted easier. We don't know yet if it makes people sicker. We're still trying to find out if our current approved vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer, and probably soon to be Johnson & Johnson, will do against this variant, Blount said. Every single day, every single hour, you know, the CDC, the virologists, or the scientists are working to see if they're going to need to do anything further." Missouri Department of Health and Human Services Director Dr. Randall Williams said in a press release that the department is aware of the case, and that they are working to contain it. "We were notified today [Saturday] of this first B.1.1.7 variant case in Missouri, and we are working closely with the local public health agency to ensure appropriate measures are being taken regarding contact tracing and isolation and quarantine protocols," Dr. Williams said. A new collaborative study done by multiple researchers suggests that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. Columbia/ Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services Community Relations Specialist Sara Humm told KOMU 8 the department is actively preparing for the variant to enter mid-Missouri. They want to reiterate what the county has been doing for months. "As we hear more and more about cases of the various variants of COVID-19, the best way to try to help stop the spread is to do the things that we've been talking about for months and months now," Humm said. According to Humm, wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings are recommended especially because the variant spreads faster. She emphasized the importance of continuing to follow these recommendations. "We've been in this for almost a year now, and people are getting pretty exhausted. Now's not the time to let up that we it's very important that we continue wearing masks, social distancing, things like that, that we've been doing for a while now, because we can't, can't let our guard down now," Humm said. Representative image Members of the Indo-Canadian community who questioned the farmers' protest in India received "threat calls", reports said on February 8. The callers allegedly threatened them with dire consequences including "sexual violence" against their family members. Most of the alleged threat calls were received following the January 26 violence. Jay, a resident of Brampton suburb in Toronto, told Hindustan Times that an unidentified caller threatened to "rape" his wife and daughters. Mohan, another victim based in Brampton, said he received over "70 calls" in the past week after commenting against the Indian farmers' movement on Facebook. The Peel Police, under whose jurisdiction both the victims reside, said it has registered their complaints. Calgary-based Vinay, who spoke to the Indian daily, claimed to have received around 100 threat calls over the past 10 days. The suspected miscreants also "threw eggs and tomatoes" at his residence, he said, adding that he has approached the local police for aid. None of the victims who spoke to the publication disclosed their full names - in apparent fear of being further targeted. The cases being reported in Canada point towards a growing sectarian hatred among the diaspora population. Also read: 'Ill-informed' and 'unwarranted': India on Justin Trudeau's comments on farmers' protest Indian-origin Shuvaloy Majumdar, who was the former policy director to Canada's Foreign Minister, also marked his concern over the "invective" views being propagated. "Im increasingly alarmed with the bloodcurdling sectarian invective against India. Particularly against Hindus, for whom empirically the VAST majority support pluralism, progress and peace. Christians face the same persecution in the policy sphere. Its wrong," he tweeted. The farmers' protest in India, underway on the outskirts of Delhi since November, has led to tensions among the diaspora population in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia. Canada, which houses one of the largest number of Punjabi immigrants, has seen frequent protests outside the Indian embassy and consulates. India's Ministry of External Affairs had, on February 4, issued another request to the Canadian counterparts to increase security outside the Indian diplomatic missions. The request was preceded by the threat posed to the Vancouver consulate by "pro-Khalistan extremists". Pfizer defers India release of Covid-19 vaccine for want of clinical data US pharma giant Pfizer on Friday said it has decided to withdraw its application seeking emergency use authorisation (EUA) of its Covd-19 vaccine in India as it failed to conduct clinical trials in India. Pfizer was the first pharmaceutical firm to seek an emergency use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for its Covid-19 vaccine in the country, but it had come with insufficient clinical trial data needed for such an authorisation in India. Pfizer wanted India to authorise use of its Covd-19 vaccine in India on the strength of such permission granted in the US and UK. Pfizer in its application submitted to the drug regulator in December 2020, had sought waiver of clinical trials on Indian population in accordance with the special provisions under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 besides permission to import the vaccine for sale and distribution in India, according to official sources. "In pursuance of the emergency use authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer participated in the Subject Expert Committee meeting of the Drug Regulatory Authority of India on February 3. Based on the deliberations at the meeting and our understanding of additional information that the regulator may need, the company has decided to withdraw its application at this time," a company spokesperson said in a statement. Pfizer will continue to engage with the authority and resubmit its approval request with additional information as it becomes available in the near future, the statement said. "Pfizer remains committed to making its vaccine available for use by the Government in India and to pursuing the requisite pathway for emergency use authorisation that enables the availability of this vaccine for any future deployment," the spokesperson said. Ministers have yet to secure a single hotel room for use in a new enforced quarantine plan that is due to come into force in just a week's time, it was revealed today. A new scheme forcing all UK arrivals to self-isolate at Government-designated accommodation for a fortnight is due to come into effect next Monday after weeks of delays. But asked about the progress of the programme, likely to affect tens of thousands of travellers, Downing Street could only say today that an announcement would be made this week. The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'Last week the Department of Health issued a commercial specification to hotels near ports and airports. 'This asked for proposals on how they could deliver managed quarantine facilities. No formal contracts have been awarded yet.' It came as it was revealed that scientists have floated GPS tracking of phones to help secure UK borders amid rising fears over importing Covid variants. SAGE experts cited the option as a way of increasing compliance with isolation, with fears many are simply ignoring the rules once they get to Britain. The new quarantine system will not be up and running until February 15, despite being announced three weeks ago, as concerns run high over the threat from mutant strains and whether they could delay lockdown being eased. Preliminary research has suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine might only reduce severe illness from the South African version, rather than blocking it altogether. South Africa has suspended rollout of the jabs until the situation becomes clearer. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: 'It beggars belief that no agreements have been made with hotels, just a few days before the quarantining system is due to begin. 'It will be over 50 days since the South African strain was identified and nearly a year since other countries have been successfully implementing hotel quarantine. 'Even when these measures eventually do begin, scientists have made clear that the limited way they are being introduced will be insufficient to stop mutant strains of the virus reaching the UK, potentially putting the gains of the vaccine at risk. Conservative incompetence is yet again putting people at risk.' Boris Johnson today suggested that border controls might be toughened even further as case numbers fall in the UK. Britain's hotel quarantine scheme came under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list Boris Johnson today suggested that border controls might be toughened even further as case numbers fall in the UK 'They are most effective, border controls, when you've got the rate of infection down in your country,' he said on a visit to a vaccine hub in Derbyshire. 'And at the moment we've greatly reduced the rate of infection from the peak, where it was a few weeks ago, but it's still extremely high and for border controls really to make that final difference so you can isolate new variants as they come in, you need to have infections really much lower so you can track them as they spread. 'Don't forget, we in the UK are capable of seeing variants arise here, just in the UK, the Kent variant arose here, but that doesn't mean we're not going to be relying very much on border controls as we get the rates of infection down overall.' Downing Street today refused to say when Mr Hancock will unveil the details of the hotel quarantine plans. Government sources have repeatedly played down the prospect of using GPS to track whether arrivals in the UK are isolating. But a paper prepared for SAGE last month warned that that all strategies to block mutant strains are 'highly dependent' on people obeying quarantine. 'Methods of enforcement include fines for violation - with and without electronic monitoring - enying entry to public spaces without electronically validated proof of being virus-free, and mandating self-isolation and quarantining in supervised facilities,' it added. 'The acceptability of these different methods varies across countries.' At a meeting on January 21, SAGE said alongside hotel quarantine 'digital methods may also be possible', although it noted they would be 'challenging'. Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, told the Times digital monitoring 'would work' but questioned if the government would be able to put it in place. He cautioned that ministers were already acting too late. 'The variants are already here. It is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted,' he said. Meanwhile, it has emerged that 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the UK 'red list' of travel bans. Earlier this week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 places will have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel. But an analysis carried out by the World Health Organisation found dozens of countries where the highly-infectious South African and Brazilian variants have been found are not on the list. They include Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and the United States. Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reacted with fury at the news, branding the Government's quarantine measures 'dangerously inadequate'. Scientists also said the oversight was 'not good enough', adding that the virus 'spreads like wildfire'. Earlier this week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 'red list' countries would have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel from February 15 The WHO analysis, which was reported by the Sunday Times, also found that the Brazilian Covid strain has been found in ten nations, six of which have not been added to the UK red list. As well as South Africa and Brazil, nations which are also on the list include Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Rwanda and Botswana. How will the UK's arrivals testing scheme work? How many tests do people need to get? 1 - Passengers get their first mandatory test within 72-hours of their departing flight. (When they arrive - from a country that isn't on the list of 33 'red' countries that will quarantine in a hotel - they must isolate for 10 days) 2 - On day two of self-isolation, a Covid PCR test will be administered. The tests will be posted to the traveller, it is understood. 3 - An optional test can be taken on the fifth day of at-home isolation. If it comes back negative, the traveller will no-longer have to self isolate. 4 - Another mandatory test will be carried out on day eight. How are the mandatory tests enforced? Fines will be issued for those who don't get tested, The Times reports. But it is not clear how the mandatory testing will be enforced - i.e. how officials will know if the tests have been taken or not. It is also not clear how much the fines will be. Will they be lateral flow or PCR tests? The tests on day two and day eight will likely be PCR tests - which are more reliable than the quicker lateral flow ones. The tests passengers flying into the UK must take can be lateral flow tests or PCR tests. It is unclear what tests passengers can take on their optional day five test. Who will pay for the tests? The traveller will have to pay for the tests. Advertisement But of the 41 countries which the WHO's report said the South African strain had spread to, 29 of them do not feature on Britain's red list. Overall, it means arrivals from 35 counties were more infectious strains which could beat or limit the effect of the available coronavirus vaccines will be free to avoid the hotel scheme when they land in Britain. Instead, they will be trusted to quarantine at home for ten days. Dr Julian Tang, a virologist at Leicester University, told The Sunday Times: 'It's not good enough. 'This virus spreads like wildfire. If you let some people in but not others, from a virology point of view, it's fairly futile.' Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'These revelations expose the fact that - as Labour warned - the UK Government's quarantine measures will continue to leave us completely exposed to emerging strains of the virus. 'Not only are the measures far too slow to begin - 50 days after the South African strain emerged - they are also dangerously inadequate. Tory incompetence is dangerous.' Former Labour leader Ed Miliband earlier told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'At the moment the government is proposing a quarantine system that covers just five per cent of arrivals that happen each day in the UK. 'That is not an effective quarantine system.' The news came after it emerged on Friday night that passengers arriving in Britain from countries not on the Covid hotspot list could have to take up to four tests during their at-home isolation period. All the tests must be paid for by the traveller. Those who fail to take the mandatory tests face fines, reports claim. It is unclear how much the tests will cost, but private patients can fork out around 150 on one currently. This means it could cost up to 600 for all four tests. The travellers' first test will be taken up to 72 hours before flying - as is the rule currently. Once home, arrivals must begin their ten-day self isolation. On their second day in quarantine, travellers need to get a second compulsory Covid test. It will likely be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which will be posted to Britons to carry out themselves, sources claim. They could also be given the details of their nearest Covid testing centre after filling in a passenger locator form. Arrivals will then have the option of a third Covid test they can take on the fifth day of at-home isolation. This is optional and will allow the traveller to leave quarantine early should it come back negative. Insecurity in the Tigray region of Ethiopia is driving people into Hamdayet in Sudan (file image). German authorities sent asylum-seekers back to Ethiopia last year despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the Tigray conflict. Opposition politicians and human rights groups have condemned the move. December 28, 2020, was a day Mimi T. is not going to forget. All her hopes were dashed after she was forced on a flight back to Ethiopia with four German police officers in tow. According to advocacy groups, Mimi had come to Germany in 2009 after facing prosecution by the Ethiopian government for being an opposition member. She had also suffered from sexual abuse and arrest. In German, Mimi was treated for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. "She was in a dire psychological state and had tried to commit suicide while in detention pending deportation," Wiebke Judith, of German advocacy group ProAsyl, told DW. "In the end, she was dropped off in Addis Ababa in a wheelchair, still wearing her prison attire. She has no family there and didn't know anyone." Germany defends deportations Mimi T. wasn't the only asylum-seeker deported back to Ethiopia last year. In late November, 10 people were flown to Addis Ababa on a chartered Ethiopian Airlines flight. The German government says that all legal provisions were followed. "The legal requirements for the admissibility of a deportation result from the Residence Act. Prohibitions of deportation are always examined on a case-by-case basis. For example, a foreigner should not be deported to another country if there is a considerable, concrete danger to life, physical well-being or freedom," a spokeswoman for Germany's Interior Ministry told DW in a written statement. But critics disagree. "Ethiopia is a country affected by civil war, flooding, the coronavirus pandemic, and a locust plague. There is no sign that the conditions will improve soon. Deporting people there in such a situation is not only unacceptable but also inhuman", Ulla Jelpke, a German Member of Parliament for the opposition Left party, told DW. Tigray's dire humanitarian situation The Tigray conflict escalated last November after the Ethiopian National Defense Force launched an offensive against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that administered the region. Several thousand people are believed to have died in the conflict. According to UN estimates, over two million are in desperate need of aid. Just recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to find a peaceful solution and to allow humanitarian aid to those in need. Ethnic tensions are also common in other parts of Ethiopia. But that has not changed the German government's stance. "Deportations to Ethiopia through the relevant authorities in the [German] provinces are still possible," the home affairs spokeswoman wrote. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Europe and Africa Refugees By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "They would argue that there are areas in Ethiopia that are safe, such as the capital. But that does not take into account that the situation could change quickly and that the whole region could be destabilized," Pro Asyl's Judith said. A more rigorous approach to deportations Figures released by the Interior Ministry following a written request by Jelpke show that German authorities have taken a more rigorous approach to asylum applications from Ethiopians in recent years. In 2015, more than half of all applicants whose cases were determined were recognized as refugees or given some other form of protection. In 2019, that number was down to about 28%. Simultaneously, the number of applications dropped from a peak of 4,030 in 2016 to 1,054 in 2019. Deportations to Ethiopia seem to continue this year. "I am afraid that it is going to be that way. The federal government is incorrigible," Jelpke said. Advocacy groups claim that preparations are already underway. According to the Bayerischer Fluchtlingsrat, a pro-refugee lobby group in Germany's southern state of Bavaria, authorities are preparing to deport a 22-year-old. The woman, only identified as Sara A., is said to be a heroin-addict and has committed various petty crimes. However, according to the information provided, Sara A. was born in Germany and has never been to Ethiopia. She only has Ethiopian nationality because her parents came from there. Adam Samrov is the sports editor and part-time news reporter for the Bennington Banner. He has been at the Banner since 2008 and sports editor since 2010. He can be reached at asamrov@benningtonbanner.com MEDFORD, Ore. Monday marks the beginning of Oregon opening coronavirus vaccine eligibility to seniors age 80 and older, but vaccine providers on the local level say that they won't immediately be able to serve this new group. Asante representative Lauren Van Sickle said on Monday that the healthcare provider one of the largest recipients of vaccines in Jackson and Josephine counties is not able to vaccinate people in the 65 or older group right now, as efforts to vaccinate Phase 1A, childcare workers and school staff remain underway. Van Sickle also underlined that the upcoming vaccination events at the Expo and the Josephine County Fairgrounds are still limited to second doses for the same groups that received their shots in January. "We know that Governor Brown opened it up to older ages, but we do not have the vaccine supply at this time," Van Sickle said. "Sadly, an 80 year old woman showed up at The Expo this morning for her shot because the governor said vaccinations are available." RELATED: Asante administers second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine In a press conference on Friday, Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen reiterated the schedule for expanded eligibility to seniors also providing a new, optimistic prediction that 75 percent of all eligible groups, including seniors, would be able to receive their first doses by early April. Brown and Allen attributed that outlook to an expected surge in vaccines provided by the Biden administration, but it was unclear when precisely those added doses would begin arriving in Oregon. Allen admitted that there would be "some degree of chaos" beginning this week as seniors become eligible, acknowledging that availability of the vaccine will vary by county or provider, and presaging that many seniors and their families would be "frustrated" initially in trying to secure a vaccination appointment. "Jackson County can vaccinate this age group, it is just that the vaccine supply is very limited," said Tanya Phillips with Jackson County Public Health. "Therefore not everyone will be able to get vaccinated when they would like to." Availability of the vaccine to eligible groups has been markedly different by area, even in southern Oregon. Klamath County began offering vaccine appointments to some seniors 80 and older over the weekend, prior to official eligibility, though public health officials said that these events would not serve everyone. In Klamath County, as in Jackson and Josephine, supply of the vaccine remains an issue. Some retail pharmacies in southern Oregon are also supposed to begin receiving doses of the vaccine this week, which will be available by appointment to groups eligible under Oregon's plan. As of Monday, Safeway and Albertsons did not have any appointments available. "We understand people want to get vaccinated; thats our goal, too!" Van Sickle said. "When supply is allocated, well keep the shots coming." The Oregon Health Authority on Monday launched several new tools intended to help the approximately 168,000 Oregonians 80 and older find information about vaccines. One tool helps people find out if they are eligible and then directs them to info about vaccines at the local level. Another helps people find a vaccination appointment, but only in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia or Marion counties. Oregonians can aso call 211, text ORCOVID to 898211, or email ORCOVID@211info.org for more information about vaccine clinics. The multi-millionaire boss of car-servicing franchise UltraTune has been banned from Melbourne's Crown Casino after claims he attacked his girlfriend in one their suites. Business magnate Sean Buckley was told of the ban in recent days by management of the casino. Mr Buckley's spokesperson said he was seeking clarification. UltraTune tycoon Sean Buckley and Jennifer Cruz Cole (pictured above) are locked in an ugly legal battle 'Mr Buckley was surprised and bemused by Crown's notice,' the spokesperson told the Herald Sun. 'Prior to moving to Queensland Mr Buckley had stayed at Crown for over 12 months without any issue.' The spokesperson said no reason had been given by the casino for the ban. It is the latest blow to befall the tycoon who is locked in an ugly legal battle with his bikini-model ex-girlfriend Jennifer Cruz Cole, after she secretly taped him and handed the recordings to police. Mr Buckley's lawyers applied for an urgent injunction to stop about 100 recordings from ever being made public, with the request granted last week. The blonde bombshell said she made the recordings because she needed proof about certain aspects of their relationship, which ended in December. Mr Buckley's lawyer John Searle told the Supreme Court the recordings were made without his consent and a public release would put Mr Buckley's reputation in 'peril' and cause him financial loss. Melbourne's Crown Casino has told Mr Buckley he is banned, while Mr Buckley's representative is seeking clarification Ms Cole's solicitor Zoe Davis told the Supreme Court that part of the recordings reveal a 'violent, violent attack' and were the subject of a criminal investigation. The injunction case returns to court on February 15, the Herald Sun reported. Mr Buckley has written a letter to his UltraTune franchisees saying that Ms Cole had joined forces with a disgruntled former business partner to 'destroy him' with 'false claims'. Ms Cole (pictured) reportedly spent most of her relationship with Mr Buckley living at a suite in Crown Casino, Melbourne 'Clearly I would prefer not to be talking about these private matters, but because false claims have been aired about me in public which bring up the name of our business it is incumbent upon me to provide you with more information,' the letter says. The couple first met on the set of an UltraTune commercial featuring Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and AFL great Warwick Capper. Ms Cole, an elective surgery nurse, was cast alongside the Hollywood star in the comedic 'Unexpected Situations' TV ad that aired about a decade ago. In 2017, after meeting at Crown Casino in Melbourne they formally started dating. Mr Buckley's legal team said the secret tapes were made without his knowledge Lawyers for Ms Cole (pictured left) told the court the secret tapes revealed a 'violent attack', a claim which Mr Buckley (right) denies From that point they were 'inseparable' and 'got along really well'. The glamorous blonde said she was initially drawn to the automotive entrepreneur because she 'prefers older men'. 'Hot guys who are young and cool are good to look at but I like being courted. It was a lavish lifestyle. I was completely delusional these kinds of people existed - I had never been exposed to that kind of money,' she said. For most of their relationship the two lived at Crown Casino where Ms Cole had a weekly 'allowance' of about $1750. Ms Cole has said she was forced to take a lie-detector test to prove her fidelity after Mr Buckley bought her an engagement ring. Venezuelan mother Annie Gonzales and her daughter Leannie Romero (9) at the Integrated Assistance Centre in Maicao, Colombia. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo BOGOTA/GENEVA UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, today praised Colombias initiative to provide ten-year temporary protection status to Venezuelans in the country. Colombia is host to 1.7 million Venezuelans, which represent more than 37 per cent of the estimated 4.6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than half of the Venezuelan population in Colombia lack regular status, affecting their ability to access essential services, protection and assistance. This bold humanitarian gesture serves as an example for the region and the rest of the world. It is a life-changing gesture for the 1.7 million displaced Venezuelans who will now benefit from added protection, security and stability while they are away from home, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi who is currently in Colombia, assessing humanitarian needs. We applaud Colombia for its extraordinary generosity and its commitment to ensure protection for displaced Venezuelans. This decision serves as a model of pragmatism and humanity. With the COVID-19 pandemic compounding needs throughout the region, many Venezuelan refugees and migrants, as well as local communities, struggle to survive as they face worsening poverty, job losses, evictions, hunger, and a lack of food and access to medical treatment. The Temporary Protection Status will also provide access to basic services including the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination plans. Regularization is also key to long-term solutions, including access to the job market, which in turn serves to lessen the dependency of people on humanitarian assistance while also contributing to the countrys post COVID-19 socio-economic recovery. The regularization of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia through the provision of a generous temporary protection status is a key to facilitating their socio-economic integration and access to the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, said IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino. The Government of Colombia has once again shown both great solidarity and leadership. Its decision serves as an example to the world. The implementation of such a large-scale initiative will require a significant investment in time, logistics and resources. IOM and UNHCR, as co-leaders of the Regional Inter-agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), and in coordination with their 159 partners, stand ready to contribute with their technical expertise, field presence, logistical capacity and resources to support the roll-out of this important initiative. Reiterating the need for solidarity and support to Colombia and other refugee and migrant-hosting countries, IOM and UNHCR call on the international community to keep providing adequate and timely funding to ensure the success of this breakthrough commitment. For more information, please contact: In Panama, In Geneva, Shabia Mantoo, UNHCR ( [email protected] ) +41 79 337 7650 ) +41 79 337 7650 Paul Dillon, IOM ( [email protected] ) +41 79 636 9874 ) +41 79 636 9874 Angela Wells, IOM ( [email protected] ) +41 79 403 5365 In Colombia, (Natural News) Millions of people around the world have been enraptured by the WallStreetBets saga. A few small online traders discovered that a hedge fund had massively overshorted video game retailer GameStop, and initiated a short squeeze that made a few ordinary investors millionaires while sending a Wall Street darling to the brink of bankruptcy. The response from the press, Wall Street, and even the Biden White House has been deranged. A few traders making money at the expense of a hedge fund has been treated as a national scandal. (Article republished from Revolver.news) The WallStreetBets crackdown, coming just one week after Joe Biden took office, shows the tactics the new regime plans to use to keep the masses in line. Although superficially a financial matter, WallStreetBets is actually being treated like a peasant uprising. Those in power, terrified and enraged at having their status threatened, are overreacting and throwing out all the rules in a flailing attempt to keep things under control. The desperation has been so obvious that it was broadcast on TV to tens of millions of people. Leon Cooperman, who ought to be better-adjusted considering he is a billionaire, fumed on television about how beating a hedge fund was an attack on the rich. New York hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman fumes at retail traders and shouts: "Its a way of attacking wealthy people."pic.twitter.com/t3DOgxScx9 Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 28, 2021 Of course, in real life, short sellers have always been vulnerable to so-called bull raids. GameStops rise isnt the first short squeeze in history. In 2008, a short squeeze of Volkswagen temporarily turned it into the worlds most valuable company. No, the offense here is that this time, a hedge fund was the victim of an aggressive financial play, rather than the perpetrator of it, and that the winners gloated as they did so. The supposed champions of the free market are outraged that the free market actually worked. The meltdown produced grotesque outburts. Ordinary retail investors were compared with rioters storming the U.S. Capitol: #BREAKING Former SEC Commissioner Laura Unger compares short squeeze to January 6th at the Capitol pic.twitter.com/H1PCv1ZUk6 PG Howie (@pghowie3) January 28, 2021 Inevitably, there came wild allegations of Russian meddling. 5/ Zerohedge, another outlet known to be aligned with Russia said yesterday, Everything is breaking. Martin Geddes, a QAnon influencer who has sadly become very disconnected from reality, was also very excited about the GME activity. Dave Troy (@davetroy) January 28, 2021 Along with the outbursts came serious efforts to restrict the rights of individual people. RobinHood and other trading apps restricted users from buying stakes, not just in GameStop, but in other companies like AMC that were also being promoted on WallStreetBets. When users responded by barraging RobinHoods app with negative reviews, Google scrubbed them: Google salvaged Robinhoods one-star rating by deleting nearly 100,000 negative reviews https://t.co/mFfLYpqNlr pic.twitter.com/t1SOVSpOPy The Verge (@verge) January 29, 2021 Discord, meanwhile, banned WallStreetBetss discussion page, implausibly claiming the ban was coincidental and due to hate speech and spreading misinformation. just in: Discord has shut down the /r/WallStreetBets server for "hate speech, glorifying violence, and spreading misinformation", a spokesperson for Discord tells me. "To be clear, we did not ban this server due to financial fraud related to GameStop or other stocks" Rod Breslau (@Slasher) January 27, 2021 Nobody is fooled. The WallStreetBets Discord had more than 200,000 members. The idea of collectively punishing a group larger than Baton Rouge, Louisiana because of offensive posts by a few users is ridiculous. The Discord was taken down for political reasons, which is what this is all about. WallStreetBets is an irreverent community where users call themselves fags and share Pepe memes. It doesnt matter if the community is actually right-wing (in reality, its users span the entire political spectrum). It refuses to pay homage to the ridiculous, narrow pieties of the modern left, so the moment it began achieving success, those in power targeted it. The similarities between WallStreetBets and the wider crackdown on conservatives after the Capitol riot are striking. In both cases, authorities flagrantly rewrote the rules on the fly to benefit themselves. In both cases, its clear these newly rewritten rules only selectively apply, and will never be used against those who enjoy favor with the powerful. America didnt get a border wall because walls dont work, but Congress will get a wall to protect itself. Antifa is just an idea, but everybody even three degrees removed from the Capitol riots must be targeted as a would-be insurrectionist. With both WallStreetBets and the Capitol, the reaction is only partly about the event itself. Its also about sending a message: What they can do to them they can do to you as well. If they get away with these stunts, they will use the same exploits again and again. Whats their end goal? There likely isnt one. The corrupt ruling class of the Globalist American Empire has become so flimsy and degraded that long-term planning is practically beyond it. Everything is emotional fragility, brittleness, and overreaction to immediate events. But even with no plan, the end result is easy to foresee: A society where nobody dares to speak or act, publicly or anonymously, without perfect ideological adherence. A country where the peasants are kept in line. And were barely more than a week into the Biden Administration. Buckle up, things are going to get wild. Read more at: Revolver.news Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail's consolidated net profit stood at Rs 58.44 crore in Q3 December 2020 as against net loss of Rs 37.64 crore in Q3 December 2019. Consolidated revenue from operations tumbled 19.61% to Rs 2,076.19 crore in Q3 FY21 from Rs 2,582.74 crore in Q3 FY20. Profit before tax (PBT) dropped 13.68% to Rs 79.84 crore in Q3 December 2020 as against Rs 92.50 crore in Q3 December 2019. The quarter saw a significant acceleration of business recovery along sequential quarters; consumers started coming back to stores and continued to buy more online due to buoyant festive mood and visibility of a declining infection spread. The company launched more than 230 stores across businesses and formats, and entered smaller towns and cities through newer brand pilots. The company generated Rs 588 crore operating cash flows during the quarter. Debt is projected to be down by 90% by the end of the fiscal from the start of the financial year. EBITDA remained almost flat at Rs 422 crore in Q3 FY21 as against Rs 423 crore in Q3 FY20. The pace and extent of recovery that started with the opening of stores in Q2 was amplified on the back of a large pent up demand, strong festive spirit and a concentrated wedding season. A combination of the above factors led to an upsurge in sales to almost double of Q2 levels. In view of the strong recovery, and to leverage its competitive position, the company accelerated the network expansion plan by adding close to 300 stores during this fiscal so far. This clearly points to its intent to increase the penetration and reach of its brands. The quarter also witnessed the progression of its clearly articulated aspiration of building a large and formidable play in the Indian ethnic wear segment. The company signed an agreement to acquire 51% stake in "Sabyasachi", the iconic global luxury brand from India. In its outlook, the company said it is confident that the business recovery will continue as the impact of the pandemic wears down over the next few quarters and expects to resume its consistent growth trajectory next year. The company remains focused on leveraging its strong brand portfolio, evolving its product profile in line with changing consumer preferences, and expanding its reach. On the business front, a sharp focus on cost and a persistent control on leverage will continue to guide its business model, going forward. The company, therefore, is poised to emerge stronger from the pandemic. Shares of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail fell 1.38% to Rs 164.45. ABFRL is part of a leading Indian conglomerate, The Aditya Birla Group. It is India's first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Khartoum As related by an Egyptian writer in Almajara Press website under the title: Sudanese Thief... the Most Surprising Theft in Cairo, wrote the website: Uncle Mustafa (48) is a taxi driver in Cairo. He has a baby daughter suffering from cardiac problems. In the course of his daily breadwinning duty, a Sudanese skinny, brown wearing a white T-shirt and black trousers young man took the taxi for a ride from Ramses Square to down-town Cairo. Uncle Mustafa suffers from diabetes and lives on insulin injections. As he drove on, Uncle Mustafa felt a drop in his blood sugar and heavy dizziness. Unfortunately he had no more of insulin that day and he had no enough money to buy some. So he decided to postpone his drug doze until he collects the price. All of a sudden he fell unconscious until he awoke the next day to find himself on bed in a public hospital. He asked why he was there and was told that a young Sudanese man brought him to hospital and left. Out of the hospital he could not find his taxi not his mobile phone, nor even his wallet. It was also found that the young man did not give the details of his ID, instead giving those of Uncle Mustafa. That was a complete robbery, the hospital officials and Uncle Mustafa concluded. But the young man was a kind hearted person. He paid for the hospital and went away. He did not tolerate to throw the man in the street and leave him to face death. "A very painful incident! People are eating each other's flesh, thought the hospital staff and also Uncle Mustafa. Out of the hospital Uncle Mustafa madly rushed to the police station, and reported the theft of his taxi. He gave the descriptions of the young man and the place he picked him from. Revising the hospital cameras, the young man was identified and a photo was taken for his image on the cameras. Out of Shock, Uncle Mustafa could not go home, but kept wandering in the streets, weeping for misfortune... . In just a moment, everything he had worked for was lost.. His taxi, whose last installment he paid last month was gone. So, Uncle Mustafa continued to blame himself, shouting and tearful." Is it possible that after all this toil to buy medicine for my daughter, I am robbed in this way and find myself totally broke? For me it does not matter.. what can I do for the poor girl? Should I go around begging to help her? Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Egypt Aid and Assistance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. His crying obliged the passersby to hold him, made him sit on a chair and gave him water to drink. A taxi driver then came forward and asked him where he lived, promising to take him home. He gave the address. The man took him to the place. Back home, you could not imagine what had happened: He found his taxi cab parked below the building. Going upstairs he got into his flat to find his daughter asleep in her bed with a ventilator on her face. Another surprise was that his wife was aware that he was sick in hospital. And when he asked what all of this was, his wife told him the girl suffered a lot the day before. "When I dialed your phone number, 'your Sudanese friend' replied and told me you were in sugar coma and he had evacuated you to hospital. God bless him this man. If it were not for him, the girl would have died. May Allah repay him. He did not let me spend a single piaster. He paid all the girl's medication costs". Here uncle Mustafa was very embarrassed. "Had I not found this young man, my daughter and I would have died," he told himself. And by the way Uncle Mustafa went to the police station and withdrew the case against the young man. Then he started another journey: Looking everywhere for the young man, to no avail. "Honor, honesty, and good manners.. In short this is what is meant by the word Sudanese," according to the Almajara website. Oil companies have crisscrossed the world for more than a century, drilling on nearly every continent and in ever deeper oceans to prospect for fossil fuels that power the global economy. While they did, the biggest six or seven companies collectively known as Big Oil reshaped international politics and economies, bending them to their will. Oil executives became statesmen in their own right, negotiating deals with foreign leaders to extract oil from the tar sands of Canada, the deserts of the Middle East, off the coasts of of South America and Africa and in the shale formations of the U.S. But after suffering their worst financial losses in decades, the worlds largest oil companies are emerging diminished and humbled by the pandemic-fueled oil bust. They face an uncertain future, under pressure from governments looking to curb greenhouse gases, investors seeking better returns and others simultaneously wanting both. Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell last week reported losses for the year of $22.4 billion, $20.3 billion and $21.7 billion respectively as they grappled with a historic oil crash wrought by the global pandemic while also reckoning with a societal shift from fossil fuels amid growing concerns about climate change. After slashing spending, losing billions of dollars on the value of their oil assets and laying off tens of thousands of workers in 2020, analysts say Big Oil may never again dominate the global economy as they did just a decade ago. (Last) weeks huge losses by Shell, BP and Exxon reflect the challenges oil and gas companies face, said David Elmes, head of the global energy research network at the Warwick Business School in the U.K. They are skating on ever-thinning ice as the effects of climate change combine with other events like the COVID-19 pandemic. On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil giants Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips post massive losses to cap off challenging 2020 If the global influence of the oil giants is waning, it would have profound implications for Houston, the energy capital of the world, and for Texas, the top oil-producing state of the worlds top oil producing country. The state is home to many of the worlds largest oil companies, which still employ almost 150,000 workers despite layoffs that claimed about 60,000 jobs in 2020. Illustrating the industrys challenges, General Motors the largest U.S. automaker said it would phase out gasoline-powered cars by 2035, the same year Californias ban on sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles takes full effect. The rise of electric vehicles could reduce oil consumption by as much as 2.5 million barrels per day by the end of this decade, the International Energy Agency says. Adding to the pressure on oil majors, President Joe Biden used an executive order last month to rejoin the Paris climate accord that dictates tougher emissions targets for the U.S. Biden also issued a one-year moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal land and water. While the majority of U.S. crude production takes place on private land, U.S. production from the Gulf of Mexico could decline by as much as 200,000 barrels per day by 2030 if the moratorium is extended for four years or longer, Norwegian energy research firm Rystad said. The world will continue to need oil for some fuels and petrochemical products derived from crude, Elmes said. But that cant sustain the industry weve seen in the past as we look to address climate change, he said. Some companies will need to change to survive. Some oil giants have begun preparing for a lower-carbon future. European majors such as BP, Shell and Total have moved aggressively over the past year to expand into wind and solar power to meet net-zero carbon emissions targets in the coming decades. The energy transition is a matter of when, not if, and were at a point in history when things are changing very quickly, said Andrew Grant, head of climate, energy and industry research with Carbon Tracker, a financial think tank that studies climate change risk on companies. Its going to happen sooner or later, so oil and gas companies might as well be thinking about it. The direction of travel is very, very clear. In the U.S., oil majors like Exxon and Chevron have been slower to acknowledge the energy transition, betting that the worlds growing population will continue to need fossil fuels. Yet they too face mounting pressure from investors to change course. Facing a proxy battle with San Francisco-based activist investor Engine No. 1, Exxon last week said it will invest $3 billion over the next five years in a new Low Carbon Solutions business to develop technologies that can capture and store carbon emissions from its oil and gas operations. 2020 was definitely an inflection point in terms of this massive bifurcation of strategy between the U.S. and European supermajors, said Dane Gregoris, director of energy investment research with Enverus. The market is still uncertain about what strategy to pick. On HoustonChronicle.com: U.S., European oil companies make opposing bets on future Even as crude prices have rallied with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, analysts say the recovery remains tenuous as COVID-19 cases continue to climb globally. Oil markets also were buoyed by OPECs commitment to production cuts agreed to in January. But that deal is widely expected to be short-lived as oil prices soar. Crude prices Friday were within striking distance of $60 a barrel, a price at which many U.S. oil drillers can turn a profit. We have not tried to build plans based on speculating where prices will go, Exxon CEO Darren Woods told analysts on Tuesday. Instead, what weve tried to do is build plans based on what a reasonable assumption is. Oil majors are assuming that demand for crude and petroleum products will remain depressed until at least 2023, after which predictions for long-term demand for oil vary widely. Bank of America analysts say it could peak this decade while others see it continuing to rise as developing nations consume more crude. Amid the uncertain future, oil majors are holding the line on spending and targeting low-cost, high-margin drilling projects to deliver returns for investors, many of whom soured on the industry after years of poor performance. It makes no sense to grow into this market environment, ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance told analysts last week after reporting a 2020 loss of $2.7 billion. So we're choosing to stay at a sustaining level for the year. I dont think were going to see a big resurgence to 800-900 rigs that we saw in 2019, Gregoris said. Youre going to see less investment because the outlook is for muted growth in the next decade. Despite the caution the oil majors are showing now, some analysts believe they may return to their swashbuckling ways if crude prices continue to soar. While 2020 was a reminder of how volatile the oil industry is, history shows that most oil companies go mad when the going gets back to good, Grant said. Its difficult to see how this industry is going to change their behavior, he said. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The National Endowment for the Arts announced the first round recipients of the Grants for Arts Project, and the list includes 16 projects based in New Mexico. Across the country, 1,073 projects were awarded nearly $25 million. Arts projects located in Albuquerque, Roswell and Santa Fe were awarded a total of $390,000. The organizations cover a number of disciplines such as artist communities, arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, local arts agencies, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting and multidisciplinary works, theater, and visual arts. The Santa Fe Film Institute (SFFI) is being recognized by the NEA for the second time and this year will receive $20,000. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project from the Santa Fe Film Institute, said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. Santa Fe Film Institute is among the arts organizations across the country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year. SFFIs main project is the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, which is presented each October in Santa Fe. Santa Fe Film Institute and Santa Fe Independent Film Festival are excited to continue to receive this grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, said Liesette Paisner Bailey, SFiFF executive director. This support helps SFFI in its mission to further invest in the artistic connectivity in Santa Fe through the presentation and support of independent and international film. The Grants for Arts Projects awards range from $10,000 to $100,000. In February 2020, the agency received 1,674 eligible applications requesting more than $82.4 million in FY 2021 support. Approved for funding are 1,073 projects totaling nearly $25 million, with grants recommended to 64% of applicants and an average grant of $23,190. The creativity and resilience of artists and arts organizations across the country have inspired Americans during this challenging year, said Eilers. These projects represent the vitality and perseverance of arts organizations small and large to overcome significant challenges, transform to new ways of engagement, and forge new relationships that benefit the diverse populations in neighborhoods and cities throughout the United States. 16 NM groups were awarded NEA grants 516 ARTS $30,000 AMP Concerts $10,000 Basement Films Inc $10,000 Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque $10,000 National Institute of Flamenco $30,000 Outpost Productions, Inc. $25,000 Tricklock Company $15,000 Roswell Artist-in-Residence Foundation $20,000 International Folk Art Foundation (aka Museum of International Folk Art) $40,000 Parallel Studios Inc. (aka Currents New Media) $20,000 Santa Fe Art Institute $20,000 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Ltd. $35,000 Santa Fe Desert Chorale $15,000 Santa Fe Film Institute $20,000 Santa Fe Opera $70,000 YouthWorks, Inc $20,000 Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:23:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUMBAI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- India's central bank has decided to purchase 2.7 billion U.S. dollars worth of government securities on Wednesday under open market operations (OMO), a statement by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said Monday. OMO route is opted by RBI to adjust the liquidity and calm the yield in the market, which had soared after India's government huge borrowing plan announced last week in its federal budget. "The Reserve Bank stands committed to ensuring the availability of ample liquidity in the system in order to foster congenial financial conditions," the central bank of Asia's third-largest economy said. RBI announcement on Monday eased the yields to 6.03 percent from 6.07 percent. For the year 2021-22 (April 2021-March 2022), India has embarked on debt-fund led growth budget with gross borrowing estimated at 165.4 billion U.S. dollars. RBI will continue to monitor evolving liquidity and market conditions and conduct open market operations and take other measures as appropriate to ensure the orderly functioning of financial markets, the statement said. Enditem Leading Republican lawyer Charles Cooper penned an op-ed in the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page arguing that the second impeachment of President Trump is constitutional, despite an overwhelming vote by Senate Republicans. Cooper's credentials include mentoring Sen. Ted Cruz and representing the Texas Republican in his challenge to a campaign law. He also represented House Republicans led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in their challenge to pandemic proxy rules implemented by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But when it comes to the impeachment, Cooper is at odds with Trump's defense lawyers. Attorney Charles Cooper, who has represented a number of top Republicans, argues that senators should judge Donald Trump's case on the merits and that the post-presidency impeachment is in fact constitutional In particular, he takes on the argument put forward by Trump's legal team: that since the Constitution establishes impeachment for 'removal' from office, it can't be applied to a former president. 'If removal were the only punishment that could be imposed, the argument against trying former officers would be compelling. But it isnt,' he writes. 'Article I, Section 3 authorizes the Senate to impose an optional punishment on conviction: disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States. Democratic impeachment managers make a similar case: that the Constitution contains no 'January exception' allowing a president to engage in misconduct in his final days in office without facing sanction. Those provisions can only kick in against a former president, like former President Donald Trump. 'That punishment can be imposed only on former officers. That is because Article II, Section 4 is self-executing: A convicted officeholder is automatically removed at the moment of conviction,' he writes. Former Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, right, and attorney Charles Cooper, L, speak after Cooper presented his case in a hearing before the Virginia Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, in Richmond, Va. Cooper also has represented the House GOP and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) 'Given that the Constitution permits the Senate to impose the penalty of permanent disqualification only on former officeholders, it defies logic to suggest that the Senate is prohibited from trying and convicting former officeholders,' he says in sum. A total of 45 Senate Republicans joined on procedural motion by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) calling Trump impeachment unconstitutional, an indication of how hard it will be for Democratic managers to win a conviction. Cooper also swipes at the argument that the trial isn't constitutional because Chief Justice John Roberts won't be presiding, as he did in Trump's first impeachment. But that is because Roberts reportedly declined, and the Constitution states that the chief justice 'shall' preside when 'the president' is tried and Trump is no longer the president. (Official Trump statements now call him the '45th president.' 'The senators who supported Mr. Pauls motion should reconsider their view and judge the former presidents misconduct on the merits,' he urges, without revealing a position on conviction. Cooper is also friends with former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and represented former National Security Advisor John Bolton in Bolton's fight to secure publication of his tell-all book, 'The Room Where it Happened.' Today, Johnny Depp is one of the most well-known actors in Tinseltown. He often takes on eccentric men those existing beyond the boundaries of reality as seen by his turns as the Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and more. Johnny Depp attends the Lone Ranger Japan Premiere | Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Though Depp has risen to A-list status and has accumulated a net worth of approximately $150 million, his upbringing wasnt without its hurdles. He had quite a difficult childhood, and Depp grew up in a household not exactly suited to childrens well-being. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Depp spoke about his childhood, honing on his moms violent and erratic behavior, as well as their fractured adult relationship. Johnny Depp said his mom hurled things When speaking about his childhood, The Pirates of the Caribbean star who grew up in a household with three older siblings explained that he was mostly raised by his mother, Betty Sue. His father was a civil engineer, so he wasnt home most of the time. Depp noted that they lived in Kentucky, and then Florida, but the family moved around a great deal. When speaking about his mom, Depp explained that she was one to throw things. He shared: Yeah, there were irrational beatingsMaybe its an ashtray coming your way. Maybe youre gonna get clunked with the phone Depp | Rolling Stone RELATED: Tim Burton Compared Edward Scissorhands to Sweeney Todd: The Main Difference Between the Johnny Depp Characters Depp went on to comment on the silence that often filled the home, likely out of fear (based on his prior comment). He said: It was a ghost house no one talked. I dont think there ever was a way I thought about people, especially women, other than I can fix them. Depp | Rolling Stone Though their relationship defintely wasnt all sunshine and rainbows, Depp used his first major payday to help out his mother. The Sweeney Todd star worshipped his mom, yet he knows she was no angel Rolling Stone noted that Depp used one of his first big paychecks to buy his mother a horse farm outside Lexington, Kentucky. Depp used to rub his moms feet when she returned home for a long day of waiting tables. He rubbed as she counted tips. Depp said: Betty Sue, I worshiped herShe could be a real bitch on wheels. Depp | Rolling Stone Though he worshipped his mom, he was not blind to her erratic behavior and mean streak. He told Rolling Stone what he said at her funeral: My mom was maybe the meanest human being I have ever met in my life. A 25-year-old man who was allegedly behind the wheel of a car that chased and rammed a stolen vehicle, before losing control and killing 22-year-old Jennifer Board, has been charged with murder. A group of three allegedly followed the Hyundai aggressively through Townsvilles streets on Friday night before hitting it from behind and crossing the median strip to collide head-on with Ms Board, who was on a motorcycle and died at the scene. It comes as the Palaszczuk government is set to announce changes to the youth justice system in the wake of a series of other high-profile incidents involving juveniles in the past two weeks. The Bushland Beach man has been charged with one count of murder and will appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Nobel Laure- ate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to act fast in putting a check to the activities of herdsmen to avert another civil war. He also said the President's silence on what he described as the illegal activities of herders across the country showed he was complicit. Efforts to get the Presidency's reaction proved abortive, as calls made to the spokesmen were unreplied. Text messages also sent to their phones were not replied. Soyinka, who made the call in an interview on BBC Pidgin, said he wondered why the President had failed to address the nation, especially as the buck stops at his desk. He said the current situation across the country, particularly in the Southwest, might develop into a civil war. "What do they expect of us now that the war is on our doorstep? Of course, there will be mobilisation and if we keep waiting for this to be centrally handled, we are all going to become, if not already slaves in our land. That to me is personally intolerable. It is not an acceptable condition. "Whatever it takes, I stand ready to contribute in any way and I have made my governor understand this, that we are here not just to live in but to live in dignity. Right now, our dignity is being rubbished. My forest is being taken over, it's been shrinking, my normal hunting ground is shrinking. My family tells me that if I go in depth again, they will have me institutionalised." Soyinka said the first solution to the recurring menace was for Buhari to address the nation on the level of insecurity and the way forward. He noted that the President should say openly "that yes, I know I am the patron of the cattle rearers association etc., and I am a cattle rancher myself and it is a business. And I do not run my business by killing people. "I do not run my business by raping, by displacing, by torturing. I do not run my business by occupying land that does not belong to me and I am warning all business people in the food commodity, all cattle reared, whatever comes to you for illegal occupation for trespassing on other people's property is your business and I am ordering the army, I am ordering all the security forces to back citizens' efforts in flushing you out." Soyinka said he expected nothing else at this stage from President Buhari than the statement he suggested. "It is very late already but it is not too late. This is a language that we expect from President Buhari and as much as that language does not come, I must consider him as quite complicit in what is going on because the buck stops at his desk. "We may enter a phase of serious skirmishes which get more and more violent and may develop into civil war and a very untidy mercy one. That's my biggest fear. "Unless action is taken... I am very glad that the governors are coming together and are discussing in all seriousness. I'm happy they are pulling in groups like Miyetti Allah, obviously knocking some sense into the head of their leaders and they are talking about accepting the decision of governors and agreeing to obey." Asked whether he is in support of the action of a Yoruba warlord, Sunday Igboho, he said: "We've never met, I hope people will always report things properly. I saw a byline of one media report that Wole Soyinka calls Igboho a hero, I never made any such thing. Sunday Igboho has responded to the situation in the way he knew how. Now you will see that he's trying to work with others. "Somebody one day reaches an explosion point and he says I cannot take this any longer and he takes unilateral action. It may be excessive, it may be wrong but what matters is that somebody has responded to an unacceptable situation. "Any error which he makes is for the rest of us to correct by calling him and I know that a number of people are doing that." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Many states in Nigeria, and their residents, have lamented the activities of armed herdsmen who not only graze their cattle on people's farms but also engage in criminality like kidnap and murder. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State recently issued an ultimatum to herders in Ondo forests to leave because the forests were being used as bases for criminal activities. Also, a Yoruba warlord, Sunday Adeyemo, led residents of Igangan in Ibarapa area of Oyo State to evict Fulani leaders in the area after giving them an ultimatum. He accused them of harbouring the Fulani herders who perpetrate criminality in the area. Mr Igboho also led a similar action in Ogun State. As the tension escalated, the six governors in South-west states met with leaders of Miyetti Allah cattle rearers where they reached an agreement to ban open grazing, child grazing and ensure criminals among the herders are identified and punished according to the law. After hearing Laredo College Licensed Vocational Nursing program received a favorable review from a nursing website, Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Dianna Miller and Vocational Nursing Instructor Tracy Humphries reflected on the success of their students and the challenges and opportunities faced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Miller clarified early that the ranking focused on the 2019 graduate LVN class as data is taken from one year prior. Both Miller and Humphries shared their pride in the graduating students but said current classes have undergone a major change during the pandemic. Much of the recognition that we are receiving right now is due to our students working so hard and committing to the profession of nursing, Humphries said. Now with the pandemic being on everyones mind, our students are very excited to go and get out there and help. The pandemic transitioned LVN classes to a virtual space including clinical, lectures and theory classes. However, Humphries said a benefit of the pandemic is that current students are now receiving real-world experience in globally historic circumstances. We have been doing some clinical activities out with the community following the protocol with social distancing so our students can have a chance to interact with community and patients, Humphries said. We participated in vaccine drives throughout the community, so we are very lucky we have this opportunity. Nursing students are adapting and learning from a rare opportunity that will ultimately shape them to become better nurses. However, the benefits are not without their obstacles as students have been relegated to remote learning and balancing their home responsibilities. Students at home have adapted quickly but still bear the responsibility of focusing on the heavy instruction and their career and family. Humphries said she has seen them succeed despite the challenges. According to Miller, the circumstances will make for better nurses, and the life-changing tone revolving around the pandemic and its influence on the world will help the community appreciate what is usually taken for granted. She added that in some cases, students families have been affected by the COVID-19 virus and that has bolstered them to continue helping the community, now and in the future. Many of the people are afraid and dont know what to do, and so the students are getting communication skills and assessing and helping people, Miller said. The unique environment that has been a plaguing the world has also brought the medical staff and students together with the community they are helping on a day-to-day basis. With each vaccine drive, Humphries said the students get more involved with the people they help and learn more about the duties of nursing. Our regular nursing objectives are being covered, but they are actually getting extra, Humphries said. They are learning about community involvement; they are learning about helping out and not expecting anything in return. Our community is receiving these vaccines for free, and all of the people who are helping to administer and organize these drives, its free. We are volunteering our time and the students are really getting that connection, and they are learning about the community and how important it is to respond to the community and help out. There are six faculty members each in the LVN and Associate Degree of Nursing programs, and they are instructing 46 and 120 students, respectively. Both groups of faculty and students have participated in vaccine clinics including those in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Nursing is an art and a science. The science part is all the knowledge and application of things that you do. However, if you dont have a heart for nursing, you are not going to last in the field long, because it is about touhing peoples lives, being part of it, Miller said. You learn and you grow with them, and you are there during their good times and their bad times. Under regular circumstances, students would go to class and work hard throughout their semester in clinicals. Miller gave an example of how students would be expected to treat mannequins like real people and greet them like they would anybody. The exercise focused on ensuring that prospective nurses would always treat every patient like a person and not a number. While COVID-19 vaccines are still anticipated, Humphries, Miller and their student volunteers are planning to continue helping the community through vaccine clinics. And as scheduling has been tentative, they expect to help out in the coming week with another vaccine clinic. We are very proud of each one of them and their dedication to be in nursing, particularly in this period of time in our history. cocampo@lmtonline.com MOUNTAIN VIEW (dpa-AFX) - Georgia-based payments technology company Global Payments Inc. (GPN) and tech giant Google Inc., a unit of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL), said Monday they have formed a multi-year partnership to deliver cloud-based products and capabilities. As part of the partnership, Global Payments will migrate its merchant acquiring technology to Google Cloud, and will provide merchant acquiring services to Google to extend its global market reach. Global Payments will become a worldwide merchant acquiring provider to Google. Google will leverage Global Payments' Unified Commerce Platform for acceptance technology to meet its diverse payments needs. In addition, Global Payments and Google Cloud will launch a series of strategic go-to-market and co-sell activities together. Global Payments and Google said they will collaborate on product development and innovation to further enhance the suite of cloud-based solutions available to merchant customers on Google Cloud. Google's public APIs - Google Workspace, Google My Business, Google Ads - and other technologies will be integrated with Global Payments' software and payments ecosystem, delivering the full spectrum of solutions that merchants need to run and grow their businesses. Global Payments' merchant customers will be able to digitally access a stack of software-as-a-service offerings. These include data and analytics, omnichannel ordering, payments, collaboration suite, email marketing, online presence and reputation management, loyalty, gift card, point-of-sale, capital access and payroll solutions. Global Payments will also migrate much of its merchant acquiring technology workload to Google Cloud, significantly streamlining its operating environment to bolster performance and drive cost efficiencies. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The West Bengal Police Recruitment Board has released the result of final written recruitment exam to the post of Sub-Inspector of Police (Armed Branch and Unarmed Branch). Aspirants who appeared for the examination can check their results at official website of West Bengal Police -- wbpolice.gov.in. Candidates who have been shortlisted are eligible to appear in the personality test. The authorities will inform the date, time and exam venue of the test in official notification on its website. Candidates are advised to keep an eye on the latest updates. How To Download WB Police SI 2019 Final Written Exam Result Step 1: Log on to the official website of West Bengal Police at wbpolice.gov.in Step 2: Click on Result of Final Combined Competitive Written Examination to the Post of Sub-Inspector (UB) and Sub-Inspector (AB) in West Bengal Police, 2019 Step 3: A new page will open on the West Bengal Police website Step 4: Fill in application number and date of birth Step 5: Download the result and get a print out of West Bengal Police Sub Inspector Resut. The application forms for the West Bengal Police SI Final were open thorugh online and offline modes from August 10, 2019, to September 9, 2019. President Joe Biden's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour would cost jobs and raise the costs of good and services but would lift nearly one million out of poverty, a nonpartisan budget agency said in report released Monday. The wage hike would would cost 1.4 million jobs by 2025 and increase the deficit by $54 billion over ten years, the Congressional Budget Office said in its findings. In its cost assessment of Biden's 'Raise the Wage Act of 2021,' the non-partisan agency also said a minimum wage increase would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty. The findings will likely inflame the debate around the proposal instead of settle things. Democrats have argued the wage hike will lift people out of poverty. Republicans have countered it would cost jobs. Both sides will find support for their argument in the CBO assessment. President Joe Biden's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour would cost jobs and raise the costs of good and services but would lift nearly one million out of poverty, the Congressional Budget office found A $15 minimum wage would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty - the existing federal minimum wage, at $7.25 an hour, has not been changed since 2009 The proposed change in wage could affect as many as 27 million workers who were earning less than or slightly above $15 in 2025, the budget office predicted. The existing federal minimum wage, at $7.25 an hour, has not been changed since 2009. However, the cost of goods and services would increase because employers would try to pass on the financial burden of higher wages to consumers, the report forecast. 'Those higher prices, in turn, would lead consumers to purchase fewer goods and services. Employers would consequently produce fewer goods and services, and as a result, they would tend to reduce their employment of workers at all wage levels,' the CBO predicted. The study also estimates net pay would jump $333 billion over a decade through 2031, with the $509 billion in higher wages, more than offsetting the $175 billion in lost wages due expected job cuts. White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on the CBO score and what it mean for Biden's proposal, which still needs to pass Congress. 'Well I heard about the CBO score as I was walking out here so I haven't talked with our economic team about that specifically,' she said at her daily press briefing. Senate Democrats found a silver lining in the report. They argued its findings meant a minimum wage hike could be included in Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan. The relief plan will be passed under reconciliation, a fast-track legislative process that takes the vote thresh hold in the Senate down to a simple 51 majority. But, because of that, the bill must have a direct impact on federal spending, revenues or the debt. Senator Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee who has been the driving force behind an increased minimum wage, said it can only be raised through the budget process known as reconcilation White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on the CBO score and what it mean for Biden's proposal at her press briefing Senator Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee who has been the driving force behind an increased minimum wage, said that CBO score meant there was an impact on federal spending. 'What that means is that we can clearly raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour under the rules of reconciliation,' he said. 'The only way to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour now is to pass it with 51 votes through budget reconciliation,' he said. Biden, who spent three decades in the Senate, seemed uncertain his plan for $15 an hour could be approved through reconciliation. 'I don't think it's going to survive,' he told CBS News. The White House later said the Senate parliamentarian would make the final call. 'There is a parliamentarian who will make decisions about what can end up in a final package,' Psaki said at her press briefing. Even if it's included, it may not be passed. Democrats need every single one of their votes and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has said he's against the wage hike. The Waterloo, Iowa, Police Department Joel Fitzgerald City Council Waterloo Waterloo Wisconsin Jacob Blake Waterloo City Council Dave Boesen Iowa Legislature Jerome Amos Jr Jonathan Grieder Waterloo City Council (TNS) hopes to switch to a more reliable body camera vendor, Chieftoldmembers at Monday's work session.Fitzgerald said cameras from the department's current vendor, Safefleet, malfunction and cannot withstand entire police shifts. He described the proposed new vendor, Axon, as "reliable and dependable" and offering added safety features. The new agreement would include body cameras, tasers, in-car cameras, an evidence management system, new training and auto-transcription services.The cameras could preventfrom lagging on releasing body camera footage in controversial incidents, Fitzgerald said. He said"can't be like the Kenoshas," referencing a town inwhere police shot and killed a 29-year-old Black man named. The case relied heavily on cell phone footage because police did not have body cameras."It tells the story from top to bottom of what happened and why, and that's why we need it," Fitzgerald said. "God forbid if something happens in our city, I want to be able to stand up and say, 'Hey, we did it right,' 'Hey, we did it wrong.' This is what happened."The chief plans to fund the new technology with revenue from added traffic cameras, which cite people for speeding or running red lights. He said the revenue from 10-12 more cameras will fund the Axon agreement.The city made more than $556,000 from the existing 12 traffic cameras in calendar year 2020, Fitzgerald said.He proposed putting 40% of traffic camera revenue toward Axon costs, and 60% in the city's general fund. He said the 40% threshold should "more than cover this project."Axon would chargemore than $4 million over 10 years for the technology. The first year would cost about $224,000, the second year about $407,000, and subsequent years about $430,000, according to city records.memberasked what would happen if thebanned red light cameras, a move considered in past legislative sessions. Fitzgerald said the funds could come from bonds, the budget or capital improvement funds."We're going to pay one way or we're going to pay another," Fitzgerald said.Councilman. said he was concerned citizens might view increased traffic cameras as mainly a revenue-generating move."When we first had this ... the reason that we implemented it was for safety purposes," Amos said. "We looked at it from a standpoint of what intersections needed it. And now I'm hearing we're going to basically double the amount of cameras."Fitzgerald said the traffic cameras and Axon technology are about safety. He said the Axon cameras are "about people not being mistreated by police officers and about officers not being mistreated by citizens."He said the traffic camera money currently offsets other budget items."This just further simplifies it," Fitzgerald said. "I think people would rather see us use it for body-worn cameras and solutions like this than see us use it for random things."When officers unholster their guns or tasers, the Axon cameras can alert supervisors or dispatchers to watch the scene. Fitzgerald said the feature will allow officials to view situations in real time, questioning why force was used and giving feedback.Axon cameras on all officers who arrive at active scenes will automatically turn on. The feature allows for multiple perspectives at an incident, Fitzgerald said. He said it prevents officers from forgetting to turn on cameras."Yes, we're human beings, we like to say we remember to turn those cameras on at all times, but I can honestly tell you that sometimes they don't turn on, and sometimes we wish we had that story," Fitzgerald said.The body cameras have embedded GPS systems that track officer locations. Fitzgerald said this could help locate officers who run after suspects, and potentially help reach officers more quickly if they've been injured.The cameras would include automated transcription, Fitzgerald said, which would save officers the time of manually getting information to write police reports. He said writing reports can take officers up to three hours at the station."We're able to keep officers on the street instead of keeping them inside," Fitzgerald said.Councilmanquestioned whether automated transcription could wrongly capture words. An Axon representative said the tool is 90% effective and improves the more officers use it. The upgraded tasers in the Axon agreement are more effective, easier to maintain and have longer battery life than current tasers, Fitzgerald said. He noted that tasers can prevent gunfire, and in turn, lawsuits, complaints and worker compensation claims.Axon would offer police virtual reality training programs, which could be completed anywhere not just the training academy. The training modules teach officers how to cope with trauma, medical conditions and use-of-force scenarios, among other topics. The training options change every couple months.The new in-car camera systems could be substituted between cars. This would prevent the time hurdles of maintenance work on cameras, Fitzgerald said. The cameras feature automatic license plate reading, which would alert officers if nearby cars were involved in crimes.Axon provides a cloud-based evidence management system to store video and information from all the technology. It allows video to be provided quickly to the district attorney, police station and media, Fitzgerald said. It tracks data and statistics for the department.Fitzgerald said he worked with Axon in a previous police chief position.The police department will have to get approval from thebefore signing an agreement with Axon. There is not yet a date for consideration. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. [February 07, 2021] Fiverr Reveals Official Super Bowl Ad Spot "Opportunity Knocks" with Four Seasons Total Landscaping Fiverr International Ltd., (NYSE: FVRR), the company that is changing how the world works together, revealed its official ad "Opportunity Knocks'' during the third quarter of Super Bowl LV. The new ad features Four Seasons Total Landscaping owner and President Marie Siravo as she travels through a world of possibility. Following a widely publicized press conference that became a huge cultural moment and one of the biggest memes of 2020, the Philadelphia-based company rose to international fame, and when opportunity knocked, Marie opened the door and transformed her company to become a household name. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210207005031/en/ Fiverr's Super Bowl ad spot "Opportunity Knocks" features Four Seasons Total Landscaping owner and President Marie Siravo as she travels through a world of possibility. (Photo: Business Wire) The new ad spot is an evolution of Fiverr's recently launched ad campaign, "It Starts Here," which features small businesses as they navigate digital transformation. It aims to show support, empower and lift up all SMBs that have experienced unprecedented challenges and needed to adapt quickly over the past year. Four Season Total Landscaping symbolizes the hundreds of thousands of companies who have tapped into Fiverr when they needed to grow or pivot due to changing circumstances. "Four Seasons Total Landscaping and Marie share a lot of the same values that we have here at Fiverr," said Duncan Bird, VP of Brand Marketing and Digital at Fiverr. "Our purpose is to provide people everywhere the opportunity to build their business, brand, or dreams, no matter their background. Marie is the embodiment of exactly that. We're honored to not only have the opportunity to work with Marie and her team on this groundbreaking spot, but also to continue empowering Marie's business and millions of other businesses like hers." "The moment we walked on set, I was amazed at how many people were working on a Super Bowl commercial featuring my company that I've poured my blood, sweat, and tears into. I was beyond flattered by the opportunity an level of support," said Marie Siravo, owner and President of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. "As an owner of a small business, it's been incredible to work with Fiverr freelancers on a number of projects that have really helped us continue to grow and reach new audiences. We've seen a huge improvement with our website and social media content as a result of their work with us." Beyond Fiverr's Super Bowl ad campaign, Four Seasons Total Landscaping will continue to work with Fiverr freelancers on a variety of projects, including website development, graphic design, and social content, to help further grow their online and social presence. "Opportunity Knocks'' was directed by Nick Ball, with film production provided by MJZ. The creative behind the ad spot and full 360-degree campaign was developed in partnership with ad agency Publicis New York. Media buying partner, Tatari, purchased the spot. Fiverr also commissioned freelancers (cesardoreste, ajcamara, lmvadesign, cbcdesigns) from its global marketplace that can be seen throughout the ad. To learn more about Fiverr's work with Four Seasons Total Landscaping, and to see the full one minute spot, check out our official Super Bowl landing page. About Fiverr Fiverr's mission is to change how the world works together. For over 10 years, the Fiverr platform has been at the forefront of the future of work connecting businesses of all sizes with skilled freelancers offering digital services in more than 500 categories, across 8 verticals including graphic design, digital marketing, programming, video and animation. In the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, over 3 million customers bought a wide range of services from freelancers across more than 160 countries. We invite you to become part of the future of work by visiting us at fiverr.com, read our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210207005031/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor to Run for Senate Seat Being Vacated by GOPs Toomey Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor on Feb. 8 formally launched a run for the U.S. Senate, eying a seat being vacated by a Republican. Democrat John Fetterman, in an announcement video, said he would fight not for one part of Pennsylvania, not for one party of Pennsylvania, but for one Pennsylvania. Im running for the United States Senate for the same reason I ran for lieutenant governor in 2018 and mayor of Braddock 16 years ago, because I believe in a set of core truths, he said in a written statement. Fetterman, 51, has not held national office before. He began serving as Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor in 2019. He indicated he would immediately join fellow Democrats in pushing for the abolition of the filibuster if elected. He also said he would push for stronger health care, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and relaxing laws against marijuana. To get those kinds of important things passed, whether its climate change or things like that, you need to get rid of the filibuster, Fetterman said during an appearance on MSNBC. This idea that some random senator from a state with 600,000 people can hold up the democratic will and the sense of urgency that these policies are coming from, I dont think thats very democratic at its core. Fetterman will be joining the race to fill the seat held by outgoing Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who announced last year he wouldnt be running for another term. My plan is to go back to the private sector, Toomey said at the time. Pennsylvanias other U.S. Senate seat is held by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Toomey has held office since 2011; Casey has been in office since 2007. Each state has two senators. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) leaves the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Toomey is one of four Republicans who wont be seeking reelection. The others are Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). No Democrats are slated to retire. Overall, Republicans are defending 20 seats. Democrats are defending 14. Democrats flipped the Senate in the November 2020 elections. They enjoy a majority despite each party holding 50 seats because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast tiebreaking votes as president of the Senate, as she did on Feb. 5 for a budget measure. Democrat John McGuigan is the only other candidate to launch a 2022 campaign for the seat representing Pennsylvania. Several Republicans are exploring runs, including former lieutenant governor candidate Jeff Bartos. I am very seriously considering a run for the Senate, Bartos told the Philadelphia Inquirer last week. Were taking the next steps toward making it official. Rising NRL star and former Rebels gang member Dan Kilian has been touted by police as the face of bikie reforms despite being convicted of strangling and assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Kilian was still in high school when he began playing for the under-20s Gold Coast Titans in 2011, which he still describes as his favourite footy memory. He signed a contract with the Newcastle Knights the following year before a battle with anxiety and depression saw him throw away his promising league career at the age of 19 - finding himself in jail within two years. The former rugby league prodigy opened up about how he went off the rails and ended up behind bars after joining the Rebels bikie gang. 'I became the perfect concoction of the human monster; super greedy, manipulative, disloyal, abusive, violent,' he recalled. Former rising rugby league star Dan Kilian (pictured leaving the Supreme Court in 2017) has opened up how his life spiralled out of control when he was younger Dan Kilian pictured at the age 19 when he threw away his promising rugby league career ad joined the Rebels bikie gang 'Your only end point is to make money, to get your ego fluffed up by the other members and get that stature of not-to-be-f**ked with or whose got the most money, whose got the most gold, who can get the most women, who is moving the most gear. 'There were some aspects that were enjoyable but that's the whole glorification of the whole thing behind it.' The 24-year-old starred in two 'Gangs Exit' episodes, produced by the Australian Federal Police and the Queensland Government. Despite being touted as the face of the bikie reform program, Kilian was last month convicted of assault and strangulation offences against his ex-girlfriend, news.com.au reports. A Queensland Police said it didn't disclose Kilian's legal matters in the video in a bid to protect the identity of the victim, who it liaised with throughout the production. 'The whole intent of the Exit productions is to expose the risks and dangers of being involved in OMCGs and encourage people to seek help, including opening up the dialogue that needs to be happening about domestic violence in these gangs,' a spokeswoman said. QPS said the production featuring Kilian - which he wasn't paid for - centres around his involvement in outlaw motorcycle gangs and 'exposes subsequent challenges'. 'These prevention videos are not about individuals being portrayed as society's role models. Far from it, they are personal accounts about the impact of domestic violence, the impact of gang membership, the challenges of drugs, mental health and about the benefits of seeking professional help.' Kilian is awaiting sentencing in the ACT Magistrates Court. Kilian became involved with the Rebels at the age of 19 when he returned home to Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid north coast after walking away from the sport. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 2017 after being caught buying 10,000 MDMA tablets for $10 each. Kilian sold the pills on, netting himself thousands of dollars in profit, some of which he spent on drugs. 'I used drugs and alcohol to band-aid my depression, but all it did was spiral me out of control,' Kilian recalled. Dan Kilian (pictured) spent more than two years behind bars in his early 20s, which he described as a real eyeopener Dan Kilian's mum (left) was interviewed alongside her son in the Queensland Police video 'I ran into a bloke at a pub, that I've realised was in the Rebels, we'd actually locked eyes and it was going to be a bit of a scuffle, but before you know it we were all back at the clubhouse that night on the p*ss and whatnot. 'He said I've got a mate that runs a footy club up north, would you be interested and I just thought yes sure why not never being in that realm of gangs before that I didn't see that this guy was actually getting me up here for his own purpose.' Kilian cut ties with the Rebels when he was released from jail and didn't look back Kilian admitted he was forced to do things he didn't want to do while he was a Rebels members 'It wasn't pleasant, some things will stay with me forever,' he said. 'I went home and put my head in a pillow many times and thought, what have I done.' 'When you hate yourself more, you learn to self-destruct more.' Mr Kilian was eventually arrested in a dramatic bikie raid in 2014 and spent more than two years in prisons across New South Wales and Queensland. 'Eighteen months in NSW jails at the age of 20 was a real eyeopener,' he said. 'It was harsh reality, coming from a place of opportunities to a place like that, you sit there and really really regret and think what the f*** have I done.' 'It was massive, massive smack in the mouth.' He used time in a Bathurst jail to better himself, spending time in the library and reading 150 books. 'I then went to Queensland prison and did the same thing,' he said. 'I trained as much as I could, three, four, times a day, sometimes more. 'I just got sick of feeling like sh*t. I got sick of my mental capacity having control over me I'm still not perfect but I try to stay as mentally strong as I can.' Kilian cut ties with the Rebels when he was released from jail and didn't look back. The end of the video shows Kilian one year on from filming, where he revealed getting his life back on track had been 'challenging and tiring.' Dan Kilian (pictured in the police video) admits he's still getting his life back on track after it spiralled out of control eight years ago Dan Kilian (pictured leaving court in 2017) has cut ties with the Rebels bikie club 'Sometimes I feel like there's a mountain in front of me but I'm determined not to give up because I realise there's a purpose to leading a positive life without crime, depression, substance abuse and broken relationships,' he explains. 'In the 12 months since filming I've come face to face with many of my demons.' 'I have withdrawn from my efforts of reform as I believed I could solve my problems on my own but I just kept knocking myself down and down and my mental health suffered because of it.' 'Eventually I realised I was the demon within myself, denying myself the help I needed because I thought I knew best.' Kilian has since accepted his internal battles and sought professional help. 'I'm improving my relationships and once again, I'm feeling positive about the direction of my life,' he said. The video ends with Kilian urging others in a similar situation to never give up. If you or anyone you knows needs confidential support, call Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636. Information Communication Technology Officer, Lome, Togo Organization: Unicef Country: Togo City: Lome, Togo Office: UNICEF Lome, Togo Closing date: Thursday, 18 February 2021 Information Communication Technology Officer, NO-1, (FT) Lome Togo # 18388 (Open only to Togolese) Job no: 537904 Position type: Fixed Term Appointment Location: Togo Division/Equivalent: Dakar (WCAR), Senegal School/Unit: Togo Department/Office: Lome, Togo Categories: Information Communication Technology, NO-1 UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child, a Champion A West African country located between Ghana and Benin, Togo has a coast on the Gulf of Guinea and a deep-water port recognized as a hub. From the coastal south to its northern border with Burkina Faso, Togolese territory takes the form of a corridor with an area of 56,785 km2. Togo is divided into five administrative regions (Savanes, Kara, Centrale, Plateaux and, Maritime), 39 prefectures and, 117 communes. UNICEF supports the Togolese Government through a five-year Action Program aligned with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Country National Development Program (NDP). The current program (2019-2023) includes the following interrelated components: Child Survival, Education and Development, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, Program and, Operational Effectiveness. The Operational effectiveness includes various units: Human Resources, Finance & Accounts; Information and Communication Technologies, Supply & Logistics and, Administrative unit. The ICT Officer will support the provision of ICT solutions and services and assist in the delivery of results under close guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager. He will also supervise the ICT Associate in his/her daily technical work. How can you make a difference? Under the supervision and guidance of the Operations Manager, the selected candidate will undertake the following key assignments: 1. Enable continuous operation of ICT infrastructure and accessibility to ICT services and solutions: Ensure physical and logical security and safety of ICT environment and infrastructure; Operate ICT infrastructure -environment, hardware, network and telecommunications; Assist in the management of contracts for ICT for services and products; Implement corporate solutions, services and keep systems and applications up and running; Manage changes and apply upgrades, security updates and patches; Conduct or supervise the provision of preventive and corrective maintenance; Manage emergency telecommunication operations and equipment; Manage ICT disaster recovery plans; Monitor, assess and verify the use of ICT resources to ensure compliance; Escalate compliance exceptions (proactive) and deviations (reactive). 2. Provide help, support and assist with capacity building and knowledge management: Provide technical and operational support to end-users; Manage escalated ICT incidents or problems to GSSC/ITSS; Distribute ICT-related communication materials from NYHQ, GSSC or regional office; Prepare and circulate internal ICT-related communications -emails, manuals, newsletters, flyers, best practices, FAQs... Offer or coordinate training workshops or clinics to build end-users capacity or to introduce new solutions and services; Share local experience and lessons learned with regional office, GSSC or ITSS for the collective benefit; Support the planning, organization and implementation of capacity building and knowledge management initiatives to enhance staff competencies; Support opportunities to improve productively, efficiency, effectiveness and foster innovation; Participate in-person or remotely in country, regional or global events, discussions setting the future of ICT evolution to achieve UNICEF mission; Stay abreast of ICT trends, developments and best practices through professional development -journals, training, certification, etc.... 3. Support operational and administrative tasks: Manage and supervise ICT Staff; Support the office business continuity plans development and ensure the inclusion of ICT inputs and perspective; Tags asset management burkina faso business continuity c4d child protection child survival communication technology computer science data collection development assistance emergency preparedness human resources information security information technology knowledge management logistics project management risk management social inclusion software engineering trainings west africa Monitor risks and threats to ICT environment or infrastructure. Take appropriate action and inform management; Confirm the compliance with the host government regulatory requirements vis-a-vis the Basic Cooperation Agreement (BCA), i.e., data collection of sensitive information or personally identifiable information (PII), telecommunications licenses, use of specialized equipment, such as HF/VHF radios, high-gain antennae, satellite phones, VSATs, VOIP, etc... Participate in inter-agency events, meetings or discussions to present UNICEF ICT interests, priorities and position; Act as ICT focal point for Emergency preparedness, Delivering as One, One UN or other initiatives; Work closely with Administration and Finance on budget, billing certification, inventory and asset management; Assist in providing information for reports, reviews or audits; Prepare documentations for programme, planning and budgeting exercises - CPD, CPAP, IBR, MTR, AWP, etc... Liaise with regional office, GSSC and ITSS to keep abreast of new initiatives and opportunities to innovate and modernize office operations and to contribute to the collective ICT evolution. 4. Assist in the delivery of results: Spearhead approved innovation initiatives and work closely with programme staff to facilitate proper implementation; Support technical and operational knowledge transfer to programme staff, implementing partners and beneficiaries; Study and understand the business requirements, i.e., PPP, RBM, HACT, etc... to improve the delivery of results; Advise programme staff to build an expert team to build better relationships with counterparts and implementing partners; Support counterparts and implementing partners to build capacity and nurture independence; Assist in the selection of training providers and the development of training materials; Collaborate with C4D and use their advocacy, outreach and dissemination tools for better utilization of technology to advance the delivery of results; Support Supply and programme staff to establish local LTAs for ICT-related programme contracts for services and products; Provide oversight of providers and third-parties of ICT-related services and products to programme; Assist in the facilitation of project management methodologies trainings and support the application by staff, counterparts and implementing partners; To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... A university degree (Bachelor) in computer science, software engineering, information technology management, business administration or related social science field is required. A minimum of one year of professional experience in information technology management and business operations in a large international organization and/or corporation is required. Experience in a UN organization is an asset. Certification and/or proven experience in one of these several ICT technical competencies: ICT Project Management, Business Analytics, Information Security, ICT Audit and Risk Management, Telecommunications, Networks Information Security and Software Engineering and Programming Fluency in French is required with good English knowledge. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset. For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEFs values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. The UNICEF competencies required for this post are... Analyzing (2); Applying Technical Expertise (2); Planning and Organizing (1) To view our competency framework, please visit here. Click here to learn more about UNICEFs values and competencies. UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. Remarks: Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. Advertised: Feb 05 2021 Greenwich Standard Time Application close: Feb 18 2021 Greenwich Standard Time (Alliance News) - Staff at Ryanair Holdings PLC who were tested for Covid-19 have raised concerns over the manner in which an outbreak of the virus at the airline's headquarters was handled. Internal communications obtained by the PA news agency informed staff of an outbreak in the office at Airside Business Park in Swords, North Dublin on December 9. The HSE intervened and initiated mass testing at the office. At least one staff member who was being tested was instructed by a line manager to tell the HSE they had no close contacts in the office in the event of a positive result. They were advised that names of individuals could not be provided to the HSE "due to GDPR purposes". The employee was told to advise the HSE they had no close contacts in the office based on "all procedures being followed". If the HSE persisted with questions, the employee was directed to refer them to a senior member of staff at the airline. The revelations come just a week after Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary accused public health chiefs in Ireland of causing "mass hysteria". Prior to the HSE's involvement, the company was operating its own testing regime for staff. One employee said they believed the HSE became involved after noticing a high number of employees presenting with symptoms. The PA news agency has been told that a number of staff in the operations room at Ryanair HQ were particularly concerned about safety procedures in place in the building. A staff member said: "That room in particular, it's like a meeting room. It's big, but there's no ventilation, the doors are always closed. "Even the winter before Covid, one person in the room got sick and we all got sick. The ventilation in the room is shocking." They said colleagues had been "freaked out" by the number of positive cases. A staff memo sent in mid-December advised staff that "the majority of people in the Ops area" had tested negative. But sources believe the extent of the number of cases was played down to workers in the building, based on the length of time testing continued. Staff were first notified of an outbreak on December 9, internal communications obtained by the PA News Agency show. It said the outbreak had been confined to a single room and that all HSE advice was followed, including a deep clean of the office, and testing of staff was arranged for the following day. Staff were informed of a "small number" of additional cases in a memo sent on December 16. On January 28, a memo informed staff there had been no positive case for over a week. The revelations come just a week after Ryanair boss Micheal O'Leary launched an attack public health chiefs, accusing them of causing "mass hysteria" over the coronavirus. In an interview with RTE last Monday, O'Leary insisted his airline would bounce back by June, encouraging people to resume international travel. He said: "Nphet and the chief medical officer, if he was doing his job properly, should be holding press conferences announcing the number of people who have been vaccinated. "Not issuing scare stories about numbers of people in hospitals." He added: "We need to get away from the mass hysteria created by Nphet." A Ryanair spokesperson said the airline does not comment "on rumour or speculation". They added: "Ryanair operates an essential service, and has at all times complied with HSE Health and Safety guidelines in the workplace." A spokesperson for the HSE said: "The HSE does not comment on individual cases or outbreaks as to do so would breach our duty of confidentiality to the individuals or businesses concerned." However, they said where there are cases identified at a workplace, the local public health team "discuss this with the case, asks them about their contacts and also discuss the issue with the facility." The spokesperson added: "Initially, if there are only one or two cases, only the cases and their contacts are tested and advised to stay off work and to isolate. "However, depending on the local circumstances aenvironment, work practices, travel arrangements, accommodation and social practices a different approaches will be taken on whether to test all staff, some staff considered at slightly higher risk, none immediately, or to wait for the first set of contact results. "Likewise, whether to close or keep open the facility will be dependent on all the above factors. This approach is used in a wide range of settings." By James Ward source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. PARMA, Ohio -- Police arrested three teens accused of carjacking an Uber driver and later leading police on a high-speed chase. The two 16-year-old boys and a 17-year-old boy are in the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting charges, according to police. The incident began about 1 a.m. Sunday when the 50-year-old Uber driver picked up the teens from a hotel in Independence. The driver stopped the car in the Lafayette Village apartment complex on Stumph Road, police said. One of the teens pulled out a gun, pointed it at the drivers head and ordered him out of the car, police said. The driver left and the teens drove away. Parma Heights police officers spotted the car on Pearl Road near Twin Lakes Drive. The teens sped away from officers and popped a tire while trying to drive on the Interstate 480 eastbound ramp, according to police. Two teens ran, while the other stayed in the car with three girls picked up after the robbery, according to police. Police found a loaded handgun inside the car. Police later found the two other teens and arrested them. Parma police Lt. Dan Ciryak said it was unknown if the teens were involved in two similar unsolved carjackings and an attempted carjacking of ride-share service drivers in Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs. The first happened Jan. 12 in Clevelands Collinwood-Nottingham neighborhood. Two masked men grabbed an Uber drivers throat and threatened her. However, the woman fought off the two and fired several gunshots at them as they ran away. Four young men on Jan. 15 punched an Uber Driver in the head and face and tried to choke her in Garfield Heights. The group shoved her from the car and sped away, according to police. Authorities found the car three days later on East 152nd Street and Waterloo in Clevelands North Shore-Collinwood neighborhood. A Lyft driver on Jan. 31 reported that three young men attacked her and dragged her out of the car. The trio drove away in the womans car, police said. Read more from cleveland.com: Mother, two kids shot while driving on Pearl Road in Strongsville, police say Witness of fatal shooting by off-duty Cleveland police officer gives account to city investigators Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora requests U.S. Supreme Court hear his case and overturn convictions GENEVA The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which oversees the worlds largest cotton sustainability programme, has reported that it welcomed 197 new members in the second half of 2020. Paula Lum Young-Bautil, deputy director, membership and supply chain at BCI, said: After a challenging year due to COVID-19, it has been incredibly encouraging to see businesses across the cotton supply chain continue to address sustainability challenges and commit to sourcing and supporting more sustainable cotton. As many as 170 of the organisations new recruits were suppliers and manufacturers whose engagement with the initiative helps maintain the flow of better cotton throughout fashion supply chains whilst 24 were brands and retailers including New Balance, Reiss, JD Sport and Masai Clothing. A further two organisations joined as associate members, and one more became a civil society partner. BCIs demand-driven funding model relies on new members, particularly in the form of brand and retail partners, as the commitment of companies to source greater quantities of better cotton in turn leads to increased investment in training for cotton farmers tasked with supplementing demand. Data published by BCI in November showed that 2.3 million cotton farmers spanning 23 countries were trained in more sustainable farming methods during the 2018/19 cotton season. Whilst training helps mitigate the environmental impacts of cotton harvesting, its also proven financially beneficial to farmers. For example, BCI farmers in India achieved 11 per cent higher yields, while those in Pakistan enjoyed 38 per cent higher profits. A sign of the times, Koton Magazacilik Tekstil Sanayi Ve Ticaret became the first Turkish brand to partner with BCI in the latter half of 2020. Mrs Gulden Ylmaz, a Koton board member, said: Sustainability is vital for our business and essential to address our consumers changing priorities and needs. We are proud to raise awareness of the initiative and better cotton in Turkey. We aim to source 10 per cent of all our cotton-containing products as better cotton by the first anniversary of our BCI membership (November 2021), rising to 60 per cent over the next five years. Through 2020, more than 400 organisations joined BCI, taking the organisations total membership to just shy of 2,200 members at the end of the year. [February 08, 2021] KLAR Partners makes its first acquisition in Sweden: Acquires Sandbackens to build the Nordic region's leading technical installation and property services Group STOCKHOLM, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Funds advised by KLAR Partners Limited ("KLAR Partners" or "KLAR"), have signed an agreement to acquire Sandbackens, one of Sweden's leading providers of technical installation and service of Sprinkler, Heating & Sanitation solutions for buildings. Sandbackens is KLAR Partner's first acquisition in Sweden. The objective is to develop the company into the Nordic region's leading technical installation and property services company. Sandbackens' operations specialize in technical installations and service in the areas of Heating and Sanitation, comfort cooling, sprinklers and district heating. Sandbackens has a strong geographical presence with 800 employees established in close to 30 locations in Sweden. The company has a market-leading position in many of its local markets with a broad and stable customer base, in business segments with significant growth potential driven by an ageing installed base, increased regulations and a high construction and renovation activity. In 2020 Sandbackens delivered SEK 1.45 billion of sales. "Sandbackens is a typical example of a company that fits well into KLAR Partner's acquisition strategy. The company offers mission-critical technical installation and service of sprinklers, heating and sanitation, in a resilient and growing market. The company is one of the leading companies in its segment in Sweden and has a strong culture based on clear values that we want to continue to build on. I am convinced that together with the management and employees at Sandbackens we have the right capabilities to build the Nordic region's leading technical installation and property services company," said Fredrik Brynildsen, Partner at KLAR. "In KLAR, Sandbackens gets an owner with deep sector experience, and an owner that gives us the right conditions to continue our progress to become the leading company in the industry. We look forward to partnering with KLAR and to access their significant expertise and resources to continue our growth journey", said Mats Astrom, CEO, Sandbackens. "Having the opportunity to combine Sandbackens' competent employees and management, with KLAR's commitment and competence as owners, makes me even more excited about the future for the company. I look forward to staying on as Chairman of the Board together with KLAR to continue to build on Sandbackens' strong culture and successful decentralized working methods as we now take the next step in our development," said Hakan Bergqvist, Chairman of the Board, Sandbackens. KLAR Partners has acquired Sandbackens from Segulah, a Swedish private equity fund. For more information: Fredrik Brynildsen, Partner fb@klarpartners.com +44 7388 439 890 Carl Johan Falkenberg, Partner cj@klarpartners.com +44 7918 941 391 About KLAR Partners KLAR Partners is a European private equity company focused on investments in companies operating in the business services and light industrials. The companies in which KLAR invests each have an annual turnover of approximately EUR 50-500m and are headquartered in the Nordics, Benelux or DACH regions. With investment professionals located in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Brussels, and together with a broad international network in the industry, KLAR has a proven business model to support, develop and grow companies. KLAR's senior professionals have worked together for many years and have more than 50 years of combined investment experience in KLAR's industry-specific and geographical focus area. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/klar-partners/r/klar-partners-makes-its-first-acquisition-in-sweden--acquires-sandbackens-to-build-the-nordic-region,c3279858 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/19608/3279858/1369369.pdf Read press release [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Edmon Marukian, the leader of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK), warned of more public calls for a violent overthrow of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his government. Of course, this is not Bright Armenias [preferred] path, he said. But that accumulated [anti-government] energy will burst somewhere and the authorities will be primarily responsible for that. The LHK is not part of an alliance of 17 more radical opposition parties that launched anti-government protests immediately after the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10. But it too demanded Pashinians resignation over his handling of the war. Pashinian rejected the opposition demands but expressed readiness in late December to hold snap elections in the coming months. Opposition forces have since continued to insist that they must be held by a new and interim government. In a weekend statement, Pashinian and his My Step bloc said they see no need for snap polls because of the oppositions stance and what described as a lack of popular demand for the parliaments dissolution. They have decided not to hold elections, said Marukian. He claimed that Pashinian changed his mind after realizing that he cannot win reelection. A senior member of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the other parliamentary opposition force, insisted, for her part, that Pashinian was never serious about holding fresh elections. The conscious, thinking and patriotic part of the society concerned about the countrys future -- and they are a majority -- is demanding that Nikol Pashinian resign as soon as possible, Naira Zohrabian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. Nikol Pashinian cannot be one of the few leaders in world history who stayed in power after surrendering lands, she said. Lawmakers representing the ruling bloc insisted, meanwhile, most Armenians do not want regime change or pre-term elections. A vast part of the population is demanding that we do not opt for elections and keep doing our job instead, one of them Hayk Konjorian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. If the vast majority of our people wanted us to hold pre-term elections then citizens would organize themselves without the 17 [opposition] forces or present their demand to us together with other political forces, said Konjorian. He said they would specifically take to the streets. The opposition alliance comprising the BHK and 16 other groups announced earlier on Monday that it will resume anti-government protests on February 20. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. Willamalane Parks and Recreation District wants your help in shaping the future of the 120-acre Georgia Pacific Natural Area near the Willamette River. Park staff are hosting a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday and have produced a survey to gather input from the community on a variety of topics related to the natural area. The area was once owned by Georgia Pacific and sits along the Willamette River, just west of Clearwater Park and south of the Jasper Road Trailhead. It has been open to public use for decades, but recently the park district has created a draft master plan, which includes proposals for new hiking trails, picnic areas, wildlife viewing stands, more river access points and more. Eric Adams, park services director for Willamalane, said theyre asking for the public to weigh in with their thoughts on the plans. Whatever input or comments the public has in terms of how theyre currently using the natural area. The things they enjoy about it (and) potential as far as expanding recreational opportunities, Adams said. Linda Taxdal is a Springfield resident who visits the area just about everyday. Weve seen deer. Weve watched for the eagles. When the osprey come back, theres two nests out there that we look for the osprey. Weve seen a little white rabbit, Taxdal said. Taxdal said she wants the master plan to preserve the natural beauty of the area as much as possible. We just absolutely are so appreciative and grateful for this beautiful area and to be able to be out here and watch the wildlife, Taxdal said. Once complete, the master plan will be used as a tool to help Willamalane prioritize future efforts and funds within the park boundary. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has instructed all ministries and public institutions to ensure they allocate budgets for implementing priorities directed by President John Magufuli during the 12th Parliament inauguration speech. He said the government is ready and fully committed to ensure all sectors are improved in the next five years, adding that no mercy would be shown to any public official, who would delay implementing them. The Premier made the remark in the Parliament on Friday, while winding up a discussion on the President's speech, where Members of the Parliament had an opportunity to debate as areas to prioritize in the government's next five years' development plan. "The government would feature all the priorities set by President John Magufuli in the coming budgets and development plans, the aim is to improve service delivery and continue improving national development," he told the legislators. Mr Majaliwa also spoke on the government's commitment to address challenges and suggestions raised by Members of the Parliament. During the discussion, the legislators dwelt majorly on improving infrastructure, citing some as water supply in rural and urban areas, raising value of agricultural products, construction of industries and searching reliable markets for Tanzanians goods as well as advancing the education sector. "The government has heard and received well all the views from Members of the Parliament, and indeed... they made valid observations, we shall work on them," assured the Premier. Elaborating, he tasked the MPs to ensure plans put underway are achieved for the greater interest of the economic growth of the country, as well as improvement of the lives of the citizens. Earlier, some ministers suggested how they would work on the concerns raised by the legislators in line with the President's speech on November 13, last year while inaugurating the 12th Parliament in Dodoma. A case study, the Minister for Industry and Trade Geoffrey Mwambe narrated how he closely would work with the private sector for improved business and at the same time reinforce tax payment as a legal requirement. "There has been a trend by Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) officials to rush and close shops of businessmen, who delay paying taxes, yet the Finance and Planning Minister Philip Mpango had instructed that no shop should be closed, unless with an approval from the TRA Commissioner General," he added. On implementing the industrialization strategy, Mr Mwambe said his ministry was planning coming up with a campaign dubbed "Own Your Factory" that will encourage Tanzanians to invest in the industrial sector. "Also the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade) will work hard on finding markets for all local manufactured goods and raw materials," further said the Minister. On his part, the Minister in the President's Office- Investment Prof Kitila Mkumbo said they will focus more on encouraging local and foreign investments, adding: "May I ask all local government councils and Members of the Parliament to continue providing a conducive investment climate that attracts investors in their geographical areas." According to the Minister of State President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Selemani Jafo in this coming financial year, his ministry with funds generated locally will supervise the construction of 185 Health Centres across the country. "This is the new record that local government councils under (PORALG) are going to write in the 2020/21 financial year," he said. On his part, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development Mashimba Ndaki said his ministry will work hard to end illegal fishing and enhance deep sea fishing that is capable of providing 300bn/- to State as revenue. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tanzania Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. For the Ministry of Agriculture, the legislators were told that 179bn/- has been set aside to support research on proper seeds and add value in the agriculture sector. Making the revelation, the ministry's Deputy Minister, Hussein Bashe said Tanzania has a potential demand of 371,000 tonnes of seeds, yet it is only capable of producing 76,000 tonnes. "We import 11,000 tonnes of modern seeds and the government will continue maintaining protection of traditional seeds and develop hybrid seeds," he pointed out. A total of 169 MPs had the opportunity to debate the motion, where majority of them commended President Magufuli for his dedicated efforts in improving the country's economy. (CNN) The second Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is scheduled to kick off Tuesday with some of the key questions about the trial itself including how long it will go and whether any witnesses will be called still unanswered. The ultimate outcome of the trial does not appear to be in doubt: Trump will be acquitted by the Senate for the second time, falling well short of the two-thirds votes needed for conviction. But that doesn't mean the next week -- and possibly two -- will be without drama as the House impeachment managers recount the destruction caused in the deadly January 6 riot and argue that Trump was the one who incited the insurrectionists to ransack the US Capitol. House Democrats on Thursday sought testimony from Trump himself at the trial, a move that was swiftly rejected by Trump's legal team. Democrats are unlikely to subpoena the former President and risk a drawn-out legal battle, feeling they can make their case that he incited the rioters without his testimony, just as they swiftly impeached him for "incitement of insurrection" one week after the January 6 riots. But the Democrats' brief trial balloon that Trump should testify underscores the logistical hurdles that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell still have to navigate for the first step of the trial: its rules. Senate wants a speedy trial Schumer and McConnell and their aides have been engaged in extensive discussions about the trial's organizing resolution, which the Senate will pass before arguments begin. Unlike last year's trial, both sides hope to reach a bipartisan agreement on the trial's parameters, which will include how long the impeachment managers and defense team get to make their arguments, how witnesses could be called and other matters. There's reason for bipartisan optimism in the Senate -- when it comes to logistics at least -- because both sides are seeking a speedy trial. While the House impeachment managers are eyeing a proceeding that could last up to two weeks, some Senate Democrats are pushing for a quicker time frame. The reason is simple. Senate Democrats are diving into their effort to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, a high-wire act that will require every Senate Democrat to stay on board. Plus, Biden still has a slate of nominees that needs to get confirmed by the Senate. And none of that can happen on the floor until the trial is done. While Republicans are in no rush to confirm Biden's Cabinet, they also don't have a desire for the public to remain fixated on the events of January 6 -- and on the former President -- in a lengthy trial. The expectation on all sides is that Trump's second impeachment trial will be shorter than the first, which lasted three weeks. Just how much shorter is still being negotiated. Schumer's office said Saturday night that the Senate will accommodate a request from one of Trump's impeachment attorneys, David Schoen, to halt the trial during the Jewish Sabbath. This would mean the trial would be suspended at sundown Friday and potentially not reconvene until Sunday. "We respect their request and of course will accommodate it. Conversations with the relevant parties about the structure of the trial continue," said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer. There would need to be an agreement among senators to hold the trial on a Sunday. The New York Times first reported on the development. As the Senate president pro tempore -- the longest-serving senator of the majority party -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, is presiding over Trump's impeachment trial in lieu of Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts, who oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial, chose not to oversee the proceedings -- because Trump is no longer in office, Schumer has said. GOP senators preview trial vote When Sen. Rand Paul forced a vote on the constitutionality of Trump's impeachment trial last month -- arguing it was unconstitutional to convict a former President -- only five Republicans joined all the Democrats to kill the Kentucky Republican's motion. It was a telling vote since Democrats will need at least 17 Republican senators to vote to convict Trump and bar him from running for future office. Many Democrats and Republicans alike have pointed to the vote on Paul's point of order as an indicator for how the trial's final vote will likely land. And Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sided with Paul in the vote -- suggesting his initial signals that he might be open to convicting Trump are not likely to result in him voting that way. Trump's defense team will likely use this exact argument next week to defend the former President. In a 14-page response to the House's impeachment effort on Tuesday, Trump's lawyers, Bruce Castor and David Schoen, previewed their argument that the Senate cannot vote to impeach Trump when he no longer holds office, as well as that Trump's speech about the election and before the January 6 riots did not cause the riots and was protected by the First Amendment. "The constitutional provision requires that a person actually hold office to be impeached. Since the 45th President is no longer 'President,' the clause 'shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for ...' is impossible for the Senate to accomplish," Trump's team wrote. The House impeachment managers pushed back on that point, writing there is precedent to hold a trial and convict Trump, who was impeached by the House last month while he was still in office. "There is no 'January Exception' to impeachment or any other provision of the Constitution," the managers wrote. "A president must answer comprehensively for his conduct in office from his first day in office through his last." 'A Senate of courage or cowardice' The House impeachment managers haven't made a final decision on whether they will call witnesses for the trial. They're preparing for the possibility they won't have any witnesses -- but they may decide to use them if they find a witness willing to voluntarily step forward, according to sources. The managers want to avoid any kind of court fight over witnesses like the House had to deal with during the first impeachment of Trump, which would delay the trial further. Even without witnesses, Democrats are preparing to use evidence from video and social media to help illustrate how Trump's words, actions and tweets incited the rioters to attack the Capitol. The trial is sure to be compelling. While Republicans are relying on a procedural argument as reason to dismiss the impeachment charge against Trump -- avoiding a judgment on his conduct -- the House's presentation will catapult senators -- and the public -- back to the harrowing events of January 6 when senators were forced to flee the chamber. For Democrats, the trial is likely to be as much about holding Trump and the Republican lawmakers who pushed his false claims of election fraud accountable in the public eye than it is the all-but-impossible task of flipping 17 Republican votes. "In the court of the Senate, they will make their case. And in the court of public opinion, they will make their case," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at her weekly news conference Thursday. "And for history and posterity, as our founders said, to ourselves and our posterity, they will make the case. But I have great confidence in them, and we'll see. We'll see if it's going to be a Senate of courage or cowardice." This story was first published on CNN.com 'Trump's second impeachment trial set to kick off this week amid questions about what it will look like' Photo: The Canadian Press Douglas Garland is escorted into a Calgary police station in connection with the disappearance of Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents in Calgary on July 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Alberta's top court has upheld a life sentence with no chance of parole for 75 years for a man who killed a Calgary couple and their young grandson. A jury found Douglas Garland guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the 2014 slayings of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and five-year-old Nathan O'Brien. A trial judge had ruled the automatic life sentence with a minimum 25 years before parole eligibility needed to be increased because of aggravating factors, including Nathan's young age and Garland not expressing remorse. Garland's lawyers called the parole period vengeful, since he will be 129 years old before he can apply for release. But in a 2-1 decision, the Appeal Court ruled the sentence isn't unduly harsh or unfit given the seriousness of the crime and Garland's moral culpability. Because of the split decision, Garland has the right appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. A man who was reportedly filming a prank for YouTube was shot to death after he approached a group of people while brandishing a knife. Police told the Nashville Tennessean that the shooting happened Friday night in a parking lot. The dead man was identified as Timothy Wilks, 20. The Tennessean reported the shooting occurred after a robbery prank for a YouTube channel went wrong, according to Metro Nashville police. The homicide unit is investigating a claim of self-defense in the shooting, MNPD stated in a Saturday news release. The shooter was identified as David Starnes Jr., 23, who admitted to police that he shot Wilks. Investigators were told that Wilks and a friend approached a group of people, including Starnes, with butcher knives while participating in a prank robbery for a YouTube video. Starnes, who told officers he was unaware of the prank, said he shot Wilks in defense of himself and others, according to the release. The investigation is ongoing, and as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, no charges have been placed. READ MORE We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The way Prime Minister had urged people to forego subsidy on LPG cylinders, he should now ask MPs and MLAs to give up their pension so that funds can be used to financially support the youth, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said on Monday. He also batted for safeguarding the interests of people engaged in dairy and milk supply in the country, apprehending a new government policy on import of such products could jeopardise the community's livelihood. The way the prime minister had urged people to give up their subsidy on LPG cylinders, he should now appeal to parliament members, state legislative assembly members and ask them to give up their pension, Tikait told reporters. The Bharatiya Kisan Union leader said the youth of the country has no monetary support from the government but legislators do get pension, so Modi should make an appeal to the lawmakers to give up the benefit. And the farmers unions will express gratitude to the MPs and MLAs who give up their pension, he added. Tikait claimed the government is coming up with a policy on milk importation and that milk is being imported in large quantities from foreign countries, dealing a death blow to those engaged in dairy work in the country. The input cost is high and the selling rate of milk is low (in India), he said, adding a uniform price for milk should be fixed. He said, even today, in rural parts of the country, milk is sold for Rs 22 per litre to Rs 28 per litre around the same price a litre of packaged water costs. He claimed the number of livestock in the country has fallen and apprehended that India could meet the fate of Turkey soon. Turkey has no livestock, its land has deteriorated and it imports milk. But our farmers won't let this happen here, he said. Tikait is leading thousands of farmers at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border where they have occupied a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway since November to protest against the Centre's new agri laws amid stringent security deployment around the site. The protesters are demanding that the Union government take back the contentious laws and make a new law to guarantee minimum support price for crops. The government, which has held 11 rounds of formal talks with protesters, has maintained the laws are pro-farmer. (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.) CAMFED Ghana, a pan African movement, committed to the development of girls, children, and women, has supported 60 young women entrepreneurs with start-up kits, specialist equipment, and training. The items distributed include display fridges, ovens, milling machines, juicers, hairdryers, and textile and embroidery machines. The young women were also given training in business management, packaging and branding, business registration, and bookkeeping. The support is to enable the beneficiaries launch or grow their businesses in the year, 2021. A statement issued by CAMFED Ghana, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said as global events continued to impact economies in Africa and around the world, it was important that school graduates were helped to support themselves, their families, and communities by creating jobs and prosperity. Working with our partners, CAMFED is focused on unlocking resources and creating an enabling environment, so that young women are on a steady footing to meet the personal and economic challenges that lie ahead, Madam Sally Ofori-Yeboah, National Director, CAMFED Ghana, said in the statement. It said the initiative was part of Young Africa Works, the Mastercard Foundations strategy to enable 30 million young Africans to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. It noted that since CAMFED Ghana started work to boost its ambitions in October 2019, 2,000 young women had been supported under the business start-up scheme, and a further 1,080 young women supported with business growth. The statement said CAMFEDs programme titled, Women leading for jobs and prosperity in Ghana comprises of six components to be implemented over a three-year period. The statement said the components of CAMFEDs programme were: Learner Guide program and bursaries; Transition program; Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme; Business start-up programme; Business growth programme; and Co-operatives/rural sales networks. It said following the latest call for proposals, CAMFED assessed the business needs of the entrepreneurs and awarded kits and equipment to successful applicants based on their individual requirements. The statement said the event was attended by CAMFED partners, entrepreneurs, training providers, mentors and the media. It said aside the presentation of the start-up kits and equipment, there was an exhibition by entrepreneurs, photoshoot and media interviews as part of the event. It said CAMFED had seen the immense return on investment of supporting young women to transition from school into secure livelihoods, as they provided employment and mentorship for others, and used their resources to send more girls to school. The statement said although many business owners had been facing additional hardships due to the pandemic, those specialising in preserving food, sewing masks, and manufacturing soap, for example, had been able to supply essential items at affordable prices to local community members, as well as donate to those most in need, in a collective effort to weather the storm. 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 Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Broadening the definition of self-inflicted mortality to encompass most drug overdose deaths, WVU emeritus professor Ian Rockett led a study finding that the entire nation is afflicted by a mental health crisis. In recent years, western states have reported more suicides but Rockett's research revealed that many drug overdose deaths in non-western states should have been classified as suicides. Credit: West Virginia University Classifying a death as suicide may be easiest for medical examiners and coroners in the western United States, which reports the highest suicide rates officially. Suicide by firearm is the leading method there, and usually clear in terms of evidence. By contrast, suicides by drug overdose, spurred primarily by the opioid epidemic in the remainder of the country, are less obvious to investigators. But a new West Virginia University-led injury mortality study combines most drug overdose deaths with all suicides into an expanded self-injury category. Exposing a mental health crisis that has unraveled across the United States over the past two decades, study data have direct implications for suicide prevention efforts. Ian Rockett, professor emeritus of epidemiology in the WVU School of Public Health, spearheaded the research that examined fatal self-injury in the United States from 1999 to 2018. Measuring self-injury mortality (SIM)suicides plus estimated "non-suicide" drug self-intoxication deathscircumvents suicide misclassification and more accurately accounts for fatal self-injuries. "Broadening the definition of SIM to encompass most drug overdose deaths, even if they don't meet the standards used by medical examiners and coroners to classify them as suicides, shows the whole nation is afflicted by a mental health crisis," Rockett said. "On the other hand, if we only represent SIM by registered suicides, this crisis misleadingly appears concentrated in western states." Rockett, also adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, elaborated on differences in suicide classification between regions. "Suicides likely have been easiest to detect in the west because the leading method is shooting and it is highly lethal," he said. "The remainder of the country has been more severely affected by the opioid epidemic through the opening decades of the 21st century. Our previous research indicating substantial overlap with a more hidden suicide epidemic, led me to develop SIM in collaboration with a very talented group of multidisciplinary researchers and practitioners about six or seven years ago. That the suicide epidemic was most pronounced in the west and the opioid epidemic elsewhere in the nationWest Virginia stands outmotivated us to look at SIM versus suicide rates across the country as a whole and across time." The findings appear in Lancet's EClinicalMedicine. Other WVU researchers joining Rockett on the study were Brian Hendricks, research assistant professor of epidemiology, and James Berry, chair of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry. The research team tapped into cause-of-death data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research. After broadening the SIM definition, they found the national annual average percentage change in the SIM rate was 4.3% versus 1.8% for the suicide rate. By 2017-2018, all states except Nebraska posted a SIM rate of at least 21 deaths per 100,000 population. All located in the west, only five states had a rate that high in 1999-2000. "Despite victims sharing many common risk factors, suicide and drug overdose deaths tend to be treated separately in the scientific literature, media, health care system, and by funding agencies and prevention programs," Rockett said. "Among these risk factors are unemployment, family discord, unmanaged and mismanaged physical pain, and various psychiatric disorders that include alcohol and other substance use disorders. "While most people dying by overdose may not have intended to die, they were engaging in repetitive, intentional, self-injurious behaviors that they understood markedly increased their chances of dying prematurely. Calling these deaths 'accidents' (the forensic classification most often used in the U.S.) or 'unintentional' (the term used by the CDC) mischaracterizes what occurred, even if consistent with the classification criteria used by medical examiners and coroners." Early data indicate the COVID-19 pandemic is making the national mental health crisis worse. "Opioid and other drug-overdose deaths continue to rise in spite of medical efforts to make life-saving medications for opioid use disorder available to patients and communities," said co-author Hilary Connery, from McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Many persons suffering drug use disorders become hopelessthey relapse frequently, continue to experience relationship losses, health consequences, and economic instability, and they frequently suffer other mental disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders. We know that people with addiction have 10 times the rate of suicide compared to those without addiction." Another of Rockett's co-investigators, Eric Caine, professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, underscored that this work has major implications for future suicide prevention efforts. It is especially important to deploy programs "upstream" when groups and individuals can be helped with fundamentally distressing problems long before they ever become suicidal, he said. Recognizing a patient's full storyrisk factors, long-term health history, socioeconomic experiencesis key to providing lifesaving, comprehensive care. "Ultimately it is less about 'classifying suicide' and more about understanding that suicide and overdose fatalities reflect common social and psychological risk factors that were present long before death," Caine said. "There are large groups of persons in our country who have suffered adverse early life experiences, family and social turmoil, economic hardships and life disappoints, as well chronic ailments; many die prematurely. Our goal must be to eliminate or mitigate those circumstances. Separating these groups using misclassified or misleading postmortem labels does little to enhance prevention. We need to focus on the lives of persons in these groups long before they get close to dying if we aspire to overcome these tragic losses of life." More information: Haomiao Jia et al, Fatal self-injury in the United States, 19992018: Unmasking a national mental health crisis, EClinicalMedicine, 2021, 100741, ISSN 2589-5370, Haomiao Jia et al, Fatal self-injury in the United States, 19992018: Unmasking a national mental health crisis,, 2021, 100741, ISSN 2589-5370, doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100741 CEMBUREAU reacts to Carbon Border Mechanism vote 08 February 2021 CEMBUREAU, the European Cement Association, has reacted to the adoption of the European Parliaments Environment Committee report on Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM). A CBAM is a useful tool to address the imports of products not subject to similar carbon constraints in the European Union and therewith mitigates the carbon leakage risk allowing the European cement industry to deliver low-carbon investments. The Environment Committee's report highlights some key points in this respect, notably that a CBAM should result in EU and non-EU suppliers competing on the same CO 2 costs basis; that the scope of CBAM should be wide to avoid market distortions, and that both direct and indirect emissions should be included commented Koen Coppenholle, CEO of CEMBUREAU. "However, a pragmatic approach is needed regarding the interaction of CBAM with the existing carbon leakage measures. A full co-existence of CBAM and free allocation is essential to minimise risks for the industry, avoid distortions on the internal market, safeguard the competitiveness of exports, and provide certainty for investors. Such full co-existence, which can be done without any risk of 'double protection', should last at least until the end of phase IV of the EU ETS in 2030, following which the CBAM will be hopefully mature and expanded to cover most sectors of the economy." The own-initiative report, which was adopted by the Environment Committee on 5 February, is to be considered in the European Parliament's plenary session in March. On its side, the European Commission is expected to deliver legislative proposals on CBAM as part of its "Fit for 55 per cent package" in June 2021. Published under analysis The Nigerian government recently released N10 billion (about US$26 million) in support of the local production of COVID-19 vaccines. Wale Fatade, from The Conversation Africa, asked Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, a professor of virology, for his views on this and how the country can get full benefits from the money. How do you see the federal government's decision to give N10 billion to support local production of COVID-19 vaccines? I think the allocation of the funds to initiate local vaccine production is a step in the right direction, but I doubt that the amount will be sufficient. The reason is that Nigeria does not have a functional vaccine production facility in place. The only laboratory for human vaccine production is at Yaba, Lagos, but it has not been functional for many years now. It will need a lot of money to revamp it and increase its production capacity. It will also need to be staffed with people who have the requisite expertise and experience in modern technologies for production of safer and more efficacious vaccines such as recombinant DNA technology. So, in addition to the N10 billion, there is a lot more that government would have to do to get local vaccine production going. Pasha 93: Nigeria doesn't have a coherent COVID-19 vaccine plan. What's needed. CC BY13.3 MB (download) Where is Nigeria in vaccines production? Well, it's a mixture of what I will call the good and the bad. I'll start with the good. What Nigeria has up and running is an animal vaccine production laboratory. The National Veterinary Research Institute in Vom, Plateau State produces vaccines for the livestock industry. It makes a number of vaccines for the local market and for export to other countries in the West African sub-region. It produces viral and bacterial vaccines against several diseases of livestock including cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. The bad side to the story is that, to my knowledge, human vaccine production is non-existent in Nigeria at the moment. The last time any human vaccine was produced at the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory was in 1991. There have been recent attempts to resuscitate that facility. The immediate past Minister of Health made some efforts three years ago to revive it. Unfortunately, that effort did not yield the desired results. Nigeria has virologists, molecular biologists and experts in genomics of infectious diseases who are making attempts at local vaccine production, but these are individual efforts using grant funding which cannot sustain such an enterprise. Why has Nigeria's veterinary vaccine production succeeded? What lessons can be learnt to get human vaccine production up and running? Success depends primarily on the leadership of an institution. Although the National Veterinary Research Institute has had its fair share of rough times in the past, in the last two decades it has had visionary leaders who did their best despite the meagre resources at their disposal. Vaccine production requires major investment in power supply to preserve the cells and cell lines, viral and bacterial seed stocks, and reagents needed for production and keeping the equipment running. The management of the institute has done a lot in that direction. The institute's leadership also focused on capacity building by encouraging staff to pursue Masters and PhD degrees. A lot has also gone into infrastructural development, especially the purchase of equipment. For instance, the institute recently commissioned a biosafety level-3 laboratory for working with highly pathogenic organisms which seems to be the only one in the country. But I believe more still needs to be done to upgrade the operations and improve the production capacity of the institute. Why is grant funding not suitable for investment in vaccine production? Most grants are for stipulated periods of time - they have an expiry date. So, any vaccine production facility set up with grant money as the only source of funding will die a natural death. Once the funding window is over and there is no other means of sustenance, the facility will become moribund and all the initial efforts would be wasted. That is why there should be some level of government support to ensure continuity and sustainability of the project. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Other than funding, what public policy interventions are required to revive Nigeria's vaccine production? I think sustainable funding remains the main public policy intervention for revamping Nigeria's vaccine production capacity. There should be annual budgetary allocations to that sector; government must see this as a priority. We cannot afford to pay lip service to it, otherwise we will be caught napping, as we are experiencing with this COVID-19 outbreak. Apart from funding, I think government should also work with universities by harnessing the knowledge and expertise of researchers working in relevant fields. Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, Professor of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Ibadan Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on February 6 took an interview with Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN and discussed China-US relations, COVID-19, the national security law for Hong Kong, Xinjiang-related issues and more. The interview was aired on February 7. Here is the full transcript of the interview: (Photos provided to People's Daily app) Zakaria: With me, now, Beijing's representative in Washington. Ambassador Cui Tiankai has been China's ambassador to the United States since 2013. He received a master's degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1987, and he walked his way up through China's Foreign Ministry all the way to the job ever since. Ambassador Cui, a pleasure to have you back on. Ambassador Cui: Good morning, Fareed. So nice to see you. Zakaria: We have that statement of President Biden in the speech. We also had an exchange of readouts, of descriptions of phone call that took place between America's top diplomat Antony Blinken and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi. It all seems pretty tough, and even the readouts have a lot of more tough language in them. Were you expecting a different start to the Biden foreign policy? It seems as though Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat, said that the four years of the Trump administration had been the lowest point in US-China relations since the opening to China in the Nixon administration. Do you think there is a new atmosphere in Washington, or does it feel too more like the Biden administration is continuing some of Donald Trump's hardline policies? Ambassador Cui: Fareed, I think there are a few basic things here. So let me try to make my points one by one. First of all, China's development, China's growth, has been made possible by the hard work of the Chinese people and our more than 40 years of reform and opening-up. This is a historical fact. To say otherwise is against the facts and certainly not fair to the Chinese people. Internationally, China always stands for the basic norms governing international relations as embodied in the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. We always support multilateral institutions, the international system centered on the United Nations, including, for instance, the WHO, the WTO and a number of others. We already contribute more troops than other permanent members of the Security Council to the UN peacekeeping operations. We are already contributing a great deal to the global economic growth. We're ready to do more. For instance, we're working with a number of other countries to confront the current pandemic, to restore economic growth globally. And hopefully and I believe there is such a need and potential for bilateral relations between China and the United States in all these areas, especially vis-a-vis the emerging or the existing global challenges, like climate change. For the readout for the phone call yesterday, frankly, my impression is that this readout still shows the example of power rather than the power of example. You don't have an effective foreign policy just by talking tough or playing tough. This is not the right way of doing diplomacy. I think there is a clear need for good sense of mutual respect. People have to show good will and good faith. Of course, all countries have values and interests to defend. For China, national sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, these are the core values and core interests we will defend, we will do whatever it takes to defend, no matter who says what. Zakaria: But let me ask you, in some ways, this new tougher foreign policy, which has become a consensus, and there are something like 400 pieces of legislation in the House, in the United States Congress, that are aimed at, in some way, standing up to China. This new toughness comes in some part as a response to a new Chinese foreign policy, which has been itself much more aggressive. And you don't have to listen to the United States on this. If you ask the Australians, they find themselves facing a much more assertive China that is asking that Australian private think tanks do not do research that the Chinese government does not like. You find it when you talk to the Indians who feel that China made incursions on a disputed border along the Himalayas. You find it in Japan where they think that China has pushed further its claims on the Senkaku Islands in various ways. And of course you find it with Taiwan, Vietnam. So this is something that, this sense that China is flexing its muscles, is not one just felt in the United States. Is there a reason for this new Chinese foreign policy? Ambassador Cui: I don't think we have an entirely new foreign policy. We have been very consistent in our foreign policy. It's an independent policy of peace. Of course we safeguard our sovereignty and independence. There's no doubt about that. But Fareed, please look at the map. All the issues you mentioned and some other issues, they are either part of Chinese territory or in places very close to China. So who is on the offensive, who is on the defensive, you just have a look at the map. They are all far away from the United States. The fact is, whenever you have a more involvement by the United States, you have greater instability, anywhere in the world. Look at the Middle East, look at some other places like Latin America. It's so obvious that when you are "rebalancing", or "pivoting", whatever the word might be, then there's more instability in that region. Zakaria: If I may just interrupt you for a second, these places, maybe they are far from the United States, but they are not far from Australia, from India, from Vietnam, from Japan. And I don't take Washington's word for it, what I'm asking is, are you listening to your neighbors? Ambassador Cui: You see, we have more than a dozen neighbors on the land and more across the sea. And over the course of history, inevitably there were disputes among the neighboring countries. This is the same thing anywhere in the world. But basically, China and its neighbors have been able to address these disputes and solve them through dialogue and negotiation. For instance, we concluded treaties and agreements with most of our neighbors on the land about the borders. It was all done by peaceful negotiations. We still have a couple of them left, but we're ready to work with them, negotiate with them, and in the meantime, maintain stability and tranquility in the areas. Without external involvement, it will be easier and more possible for the neighbors to solve the issues between themselves. Zakaria: You mentioned the possibility of cooperation. And I want to ask you about two areas. One is climate change, which you mentioned, of course which is really very important to President Biden. In return for cooperation on climate change, would China expect the United States to be more understanding on other issues? I asked this because traditionally Chinese position has been there should never be linkage between issues, but are you now going to start linking progress on climate change to the United States being cooperative with China on certain other issues? Ambassador Cui: Climate change is a global challenge. So what is at stake is the global community's interest, not only the interest of our two countries. Of course our two countries have to play an important role in international cooperation to confront this challenge. But this is a true global challenge. So we would very much welcome any initiative the United States would like to take to rejoin us, for instance in the Paris Accord, and in other international and multilateral efforts. In this sense, I don't think there should be any trade-off of cooperation on climate change with other things. Even in the last few years, when the United States stayed out of the Paris Accord, China was still doing what it had to do, what we believed was the right thing to do, for our own interest, but also in the interest of the global community. For instance, President Xi announced China's goal to reach peak emission before 2030 and to have carbon neutrality before 2060. We did all these things, even when the United States was against such international initiatives. Of course, we very much welcome the US to come back to rejoin us. But honestly, many people are asking themselves: Will the US change its policy in a few years' time again? Hopefully, this will not be the case. Zakaria: Let me ask you about technology, because one of the areas that people worry that we are entering is a kind of technology "Cold War", or a decoupling, where we end up with the Chinese technology zone and a non-Chinese or Western or American one. Isn't it fair to say that part of this has happened because China has actually been the one that began this process by essentially banning most of America's major technology companies from participating in China,thinking of Google, Facebook. There are virtually none of America's major technology companies in China. And rather than opening up over time, liberalizing over time, as people expected, I think, in fact, the rules have gotten more restrictive in that area. Ambassador Cui: Fareed, I think to be more accurate, all these companies, what they want is a major market share in China. I don't think their goal is to share technology with China, they just want to make money in the Chinese market. Of course they could come and we are open to all American companies. But there are existing and even mounting restrictions imposed by the United States government against all these free flow of technology and information. This has been the case for so many years, but especially for the last few years. I think technological progress should benefit everybody, the entire global community, and everybody in every society. But this issue has been so much politicized. This is very unfortunate. Zakaria: Let me ask you about one of the most contentious issues that is going to confront US-China relations, and that is what is going on in Xinjiang. You know, now President Biden has described it as genocide, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo did so. And the new Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said he agrees with that judgment. I know you've been on the show before and said that this is inaccurate. Is there a way for China to allow an international group of observers free and total access and interviews to any and all the Uyghurs groups that they want, to determine whether or not these claims about a cultural genocide are true? Ambassador Cui: Fareed, the fact is, in the last few years, there have been more than 1,200 people, journalists, diplomats, from more than 100 countries, some of them Muslim countries, all these foreign visitors have visited Xinjiang. You cannot say none of them are independent. You cannot say they don't make any observation. They have seen the facts on the ground very clearly. Why don't people listen to these people? And the real threat, the real threat in Xinjiang, up until very recently, was very clear. First, the threat of terrorism. There were thousands of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, hurting and even killing thousands of innocent people from all ethnic groups, Han people, Uyghur people and others. So people have a strong demand that their safety and security should be guaranteed. That's what we have done in the last few years. Now, for the last 3 to 4 years, there has been no single case of terrorist attack. So people have a much better sense of security and safety now. Another issue we are addressing in Xinjiang is poverty. You have to enable people to lift themselves out of poverty. And we provide training, we provide job opportunities. Now more people have more jobs, have better income, and they could lead a better life. It's ridiculous to say that there is forced labor there, because people want jobs. You just go out and talk to the people who have lost jobs here in this country. Do they need jobs?Of course they do. How can you ask people to stay in unemployment and stay in poverty? This is not fair to them. What has happened is elimination of poverty. People have more jobs, better income, and a better life. As for the so-called genocide, the fact is, in the last four decades or so, the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has more than doubled. From the year 2010 to 2018 alone, the Uyghur population growth in Xinjiang was 25%, much higher than the average growth rate in the entire Xinjiang Region. These are facts. Zakaria: You said that we should listen to independent observers. It's very hard for journalists to get there, but the BBC had a team that went in and came back with some horrifying reports of labor camps that look like prison camps and of guards who engaged in everything from sexual abuse to rape, to murder. Again, I ask you about your response to that, but again, the simplest way to deal with this would be to welcome a group from human rights organizations like Amnesty International or others to come in and make a thorough evaluation, because otherwise, you do have independent reports such as the existing one from the BBC only a week ago. Ambassador Cui: Most of their sources are not trustworthy. I've been to Xinjiang myself, more than once in the last few years. I have seen all these things with my own eyes. I even visited some of the vocational training centers. They are just like a campus. Not a labor camp, but campus. I don't know how the BBC people got all the wrong information or misinformation. But you see if you look at their track record, maybe you should not have total trust of what they say. Zakaria: Let me ask you about Hong Kong. Rather than put it in my words, Ambassador, let me put this in the words and let me quote from Jerome Cohen, one of the oldest friends of China, studying Chinese law since the 1950s, and always regarded as one of the great well-wishers of China. He says, and I'm quoting out, "the succession of Hong Kong-related edicts issued by China's legislative body, as well as the prompt implementation of that legislation under the guidance of newly installed central government secret police and officials, have neutered Hong Kong's Legislative Council, eliminated prospects for free elections, limited the powers of independent courts, intimidated the media, intensified patriotism in public education, restricted academic freedom and authorized totalitarian surveillance. The moves have created an unprecedented local climate of inhibition and fear". Now that, as I say, is Jerome Cohen. Ambassador Cui: First of all, Jerome Cohen is an old friend of ours. I wish him well. I have not seen him for quite a while because of the pandemic. Hopefully I could talk to him in person very soon. It does not mean what he says is always right. I think the fundamental issue with regard to Hong Kong is very clear. Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Hong Kong is part of China, a Special Administration Region in China. Hong Kong is governed in accordance with Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Our policy, our practice is "One Country Two systems". But in order for the "Two Systems" to exist and prosper, you have to make sure this "One Country" has security, has territorial integrity. If the sovereignty of this "One Country" is challenged, both systems, the system in mainland of China and the system in Hong Kong, will be seriously threatened. This is a very basic issue. Zakaria: But you know, you say that China adheres to international law, and I realize it is not technically international law, but there was an agreement made at the time of the handover of Hong Kong. And I think most international experts would say that China is now violating the terms of that agreement. Ambassador Cui: That joint statement, I think you use the right word, that joint statement was for the handover. It's done. It's completed. We made provisions in our Constitution. We have the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Hong Kong's governance is based on the framework of the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law, not the joint statement. Zakaria: Let me ask you about a question that keeps coming up, which is, was the Coronavirus accidentally leaked from a lab in Wuhan? People who make these charges, to be clear, do not have strong evidence, but that's largely because China has not allowed teams of medical researchers to go in and they have not shared data on that. So let me just ask you this on the theory that the truth will eventually come out. Would you categorically say that from all China's investigations, the Coronavirus emerged from a wet market in Wuhan and not from the Wuhan virology institute lab? Ambassador Cui: I think when people make accusations, they have to prove these accusations. And to say these things at the time when we're still faced with the pandemic is against the spirit of humanitarianism. Besides, now an expert group from the WHO is working in Wuhan with their Chinese counterpart. They are working very hard. They are trying to look at all the facts. We are very supportive to their work. I have also participated in some of the conferences between experts of two countries. They are real scientists. They are looking at the whole pandemic from the point of view of scientists, not any politicians. I think people have to be careful not to make groundless accusations. Also, there have been a number of media reports about early cases in other places in the world. So there's a certainly need for more tracing to be done all over the world in order to really trace down the origin of the virus. So the human race could be better prepared when we are faced with another virus again. So please do not politicize the whole issue. Please let the scientists do their professional job. Zakaria: And will scientists be allowed full access to China from the WHO? Ambassador Cui: They are already in Wuhan. They have been in Wuhan for quite a few days. My questions is, will they be allowed to come here to do the same thing? Zakaria: Let me ask you finally, Ambassador, after I've asked you a lot of the kind of questions that are being asked in America, tell us what the atmosphere in China is. You have navigated COVID, your economy is back. How do the Chinese foreign policy elites and the Chinese people view their relationship with America right now? Ambassador Cui: China is still developing country. Although we have made great achievements over the years, but we know the challenges are still there, huge challenges. We have to continue to work hard to solve all of these domestic problems. We have just lifted everybody out of absolute poverty, but we have to make sure they will not fall back into poverty. This is a very huge challenge. We're also doing our best to improve the environment, to respond to issues like climate change and all these natural disasters. We do have a large number of natural disasters in China, like the situation in the United States. So we are still focusing our efforts on domestic economic and social development to give people the possibility of a better life. Internationally, we stand for building together with other countries a global community with a shared future. This is our domestic and foreign policy basically. We certainly are ready to work with everybody else, including the United States. What has happened in our relations, what has been done by the United States, especially in the last few years, has antagonized the Chinese public very much. This is the truth. But I'm still confident if both sides could make the right choice, if we can put the relations back on a stable and constructive track, there's a great potential and opportunity for our two countries, our two great peoples, to work together for mutual benefit and for the common benefit of the entire world. Zakaria: Ambassador, it is so important for us to hear from you. And thank you very much for coming on. Ambassador Cui: Thank you very much. For couples who love dive bars, Miller High Life has the ultimate Valentines Day gift for them. The Champagne of Beers is offering to cover the winning couples dive bar tab for life in the form of a $20,000 High Life Gold Card. To make this Valentines Day gift even sweeter, Miller High Life is also going to give the winning couple a dream date by renting out the couples favorite, local dive bar exclusively (and safely) for them. Its a win-win for the couple and the bar. The local bar benefits from the business and the couple gets to enjoy their favorite spot all alone with endless peanuts, popcorn and bar food (in heart shapes), a charcuterie that will include premium Wisconsin bratwurst, dim candlelight and, of course, The Champagne of Beers. To enter to win, couples are invited to send Miller High Life their dive bar love story at DiveBarLovers@promo.millerhighlife.com. Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. Valentines Day Feb. 14. The winning couple will be selected in a random drawing and announced on Feb. 15. Here are a few details: Couples must be 21 or older and have a valid drivers license. Couples must be available for a date during the month of February. Couples should email a description (150 words or less) of their dive bar love story to DiveBarLovers@promo.millerhighlife.com Entries should include their state of residence, ages, and a photo of themselves. For complete rules, visit Miller High Lifes Valentines Day, Dive Bar Sweepstakes website. Read more: 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. Back in the 70s and 80s, fragmentation of the opposition votes benefitted the ruling Congress party. By the same logic, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its coalition NDA, in the 2020s, must take advantage of the splitting up of the votes against them. In the 90s, against the backdrop of the Mandal fervor and bitter division among the upper castes under the Congress or the Janata Dal dispensation, Lalu Yadav was able to forge a coalition of the Yadav-led backward castes and the Muslims and win a series of elections. This time around, regardless of the enthusiasm seen in the election rallies of Lalu Yadavs son, Tejaswi Yadav, and the flared up Nitish-fatigue, the backward votes didnt appear to be consolidated against the NDA or its government in Bihar. First of all, there were strong components of the backward and extremely backward castes represented in the NDA. They consisted of a few BJP cadre-Yadavs, the Musahars led by Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM) and the Mallahs by Mukesh Sahni (VIP). Nitish Kumar himself was the face of the Kurmis and the benefactor of the Extremely Backward Castes, a sub-group created by him to dilute the influence of such powerful castes as the Paswans. Nitish Kumars JD(U) had a respectable support among the Muslims in certain pockets, but they wouldnt vote for him this time because of his association with the BJP. Although Nitish had already expressed his partys differences with the BJP over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the principal rallying cry for the anti-BJP Muslims, the NDA wouldnt hold any special attraction for the Muslims to vote for them. As a counterweight, however, Nitish was believed to have cultivated another constituency during his three-term administration: the women. The majority of women, who constituted around 47 per cent of the votes in Bihar and whose participation ratio happened to be higher than men were expected to favor Nitish. As against the fortification of the JDU-BJP combine, the UPA was the only formidable alliance spearheaded by the RJD where the subservient roles were played by the Congress and the Left parties. However, a loud complaint coming out from this camp was that all the convenient or assured seats were usurped by the RJD and the tough ones were left for the alliance partners. In more than half of the 37 seats allocated to it, for example, the Congress was contesting against the BJP and not the JD(U). Then, there was a guild of Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Asaduddin Owaisis All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Janatantrik Party, the Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic) and Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP). Combined together, they would splinter the anti-NDA votes in an unpredictable way. A case in point, Sadhu Yadav, a brother-in-law of Lalu and a former strong man of the RJD was sponsored by the BSP. Owaisi would likely take away a chunk of the UPAs Muslim votes. If the Koeris voted for the RLSP candidates or the bloc they were a part of, that wouldnt help the UPA either. In fact, their enmity against Nitish, who belonged to the co-caste, Kurmi, might not draw them towards a greater rival Yadav caste leader. Along with Sadhu Yadav, the dent in the Yadav clan supporting Tejaswi was evident by a rebellion within the family of Lalu Yadav (his daughter-in-law was allegedly driven out of her husbands home and her father, a member of another important Yadav clan, contested on a JD(U) ticket). The ubiquitous, imposing and dissenting Pappu Yadav could also peel away sizable Yadav votes from the RJD in many Yadav-dominated constituencies of Saharsa or Madhepura. A front named Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) under the leadership of Pappu Yadav had Chandrasekhar Azad Ravans Azad Samaj Party, the Bahujan Mukti Party (BMP) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) as partners. Champions of the Backward castes in their own right, they had declared Pappu Yadav as their Chief Ministerial candidate. A small political outfit called Jan Sangharsh Dal sponsored by two veterans of Bihar politics, Yashwant Sinha and Purnamasi Ram was also trying luck in 17 constituencies of West Champaran. Among their candidates, the performance of Gulrez Hoda, an ex-IAS officer, fielded from Narkatiaganj, would be interesting to watch. To conclude, so many political groupings opposed to the BJP, the JD(U) or the NDA in play, they would most likely impair their own common mission of unseating Nitish Kumar. This assumption, however, might turn out to be false in two situations: first, if the NDA base disintegrated and second, the caste satraps extending support to the NDA were unsuccessful in mobilizing their own caste men or women. In a word, if a strong anti-Nitish wave overturned everything. The restlessness and the media buzz against Nitish notwithstanding and admitting, never say never in politics, Tejaswi Yadav and Chirag Paswan were unlikely to create that kind of anti-NDA or anti-Nitish momentum in Bihar. Dr. Binoy Shanker Prasad hails from Darbhanga and currently resides with his family in Dundas, Ontario (Canada). A former UGC teacher fellow (at JNU) in India and Fulbright scholar in the USA, he has taught politics and authored conference papers, articles and chapters on Bihar in previously published books in the United States, India, and Canada. Dr. Prasad administers a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OverseasBihari and has sponsored Aware Citizenship Campaign at a micro-level in his home-town. In what is being described as a major move ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress has be... In what is being described as a major move ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress has begun talks with four Peoples Democratic Party governors with the aim of getting them to defect to the ruling party. It was gathered in Abuja, on Monday, that a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, had met with the Caretaker Chairman of the APC, Mai Mala Buni; and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. A high ranking member of the APC revealed that while it was true that the party leadership has reached out to Fani-Kayode, the former minister had not yet made any commitment. The source, however, described the meeting as fruitful and that things are looking bright. He said, Fani-Kayode met with Yahaya Bello and Buni on Sunday for two hours. It is all about politics of 2023 and the recent registration drive of the APC. Fani-Kayode has not made any commitment yet but discussions are still ongoing. When asked to reveal the identities of the four PDP governors planning to defect, the source said it would be unwise to do so at this point. He explained that the governors were still waiting for certain conditions to be met before making their move. The source further explained that, The four governors want assurances that the APC structure in their respective states would be handed over to them once they defect as has been the tradition. That is what is being discussed. Some people will also leave APC soon from the look of things. You will keep seeing such realignment ahead of 2023, he said. It was gathered that the four PDP governors in question are unhappy with what they described as the alleged personalisation of the party by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, because of their 2023 ambitions. Fani-Kayode could not be reached for comment on Monday. Fani-Kayode had earlier met with Governor Bello in his Wuse Zone 6 residence in Abuja before he led the former Minister to the party chairmans Guest House. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the Al Sakhir Palace as they reviewed a number of local and regional issues. HM King Hamad asserted that Bahrain is on the right track towards achieving more progress and leadership across various fields thanks to the efforts and determination of its loyal citizens. Referring to the 53rd anniversary of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), HM the King, the Supreme Commander, expressed pride in the landmark achievements of the BDF throughout its victorious march, praising the continuous development of its weaponry and military installations. HM the King also praised the inauguration of the Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifas Specialist Cardiac Centre, describing it as one of the milestones that will provide the best health services to the citizens. HM King Hamad also hailed the inauguration of a number of new warships and modern projects, noting that they are aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the BDF, through providing it with the latest military equipment and systems so as to continue defending the nation and safeguarding its security, stability, gains and national unity. HM the King expressed thanks and appreciation to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for the tremendous efforts he is exerting in serving the homeland in all fields, as well as in leading the National Medical Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus (COVID-19). He praised the successes achieved by the Medical Taskforce, and the dedication of frontline medical competencies and allied teams for the sake of providing health care and protecting the safety and health of the citizens and residents. BBC licence fee enforcers have been slammed as incompetent as chaos engulfs the system. Pensioners have been pressured into paying the 157.50 fee twice after processing delays meant their first payment went unnoticed. They have then been left out of pocket for months as refund requests are ignored. One Daily Mail reader was even warned that officers would visit him at home even though he had sent in a cheque for his licence two months earlier. Others said incompetent officials were chasing them for payment when they were entitled to a free licence. About 4.2million pensioners were claiming a free licence when this perk was scrapped in August for all over-75s except those claiming pension credit. Pensioners have been forced to pay their BBC licence fee twice after processing delays meant their first payment was not registered, meaning some have been chased for their payments This has caused processing delays, with cheques not cashed for months. By the end of November, TV Licensing, the group of contractors that collect the fee for the BBC, says it had sent more than half a million reminder letters to over-75s over the fee. Yet Valerie Manning, 75, who receives pension credit, has been trying to register for a free licence for six months. The Londoner said she has been asked repeatedly for documents she has already sent and many of her emails have gone unanswered. She eventually received an email in December confirming she could watch TV for free but another letter demanding payment arrived a month later. She said: The whole situation has been so stressful. Pub landlord John Lainchbury, 68, who lives with his wife Alison, 67, in Norwich, sent in his 157.50 cheque in October but received a letter in December claiming he had not paid. Demonstrators protest outside BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London in protest over the corporation's decision to means-test the TV licence for older people from June 2020 It warned an officer would visit his home for an inspection at the end of the month, causing him to panic and pay again. Mr Lainchbury said: It was a very threatening letter and so I went online to make the payment again by credit card. He then discovered his cheque had been cashed a month earlier and he is yet to receive a refund. A TV Licensing spokesman said: We would like to apologise to customers who have had an experience that has fallen short of the standards we expect. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi assigned Ambassador Irit Lillian to the position of charge daffaires at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara on Feb. 4. The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor that since the position is a temporary one, Ashkenazi could decide this on his own, without dealing with a nomination committee and without receiving government approval, as is the procedure for regular ambassadorial positions. Lillian will be replacing Roey Gilad, who left Ankara Dec. 31. She had served before as ambassador to Bulgaria and is considered one of the ministrys top diplomats; she is highly professional and an expert on Turkey. As such, her appointment to Ankara even if temporary is a positive signal for Turkey in that Israel is interested in rehabilitating bilateral ties. Still, it is a very cautious positive signal. At the beginning of December, Ankara appointed a new ambassador to Israel, after two years of absence. Turkeys new ambassador, Ufuk Ulutas, has studied Hebrew in Jerusalem. He is not a career diplomat, but an expert on the region and apparently appreciated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But even after this decision by Erdogan, Israel did not appoint a new ambassador to Ankara. Rather, the embassy is to continue to operate as it did for the past two years without a permanent head of mission. Interestingly, already before the appointment of Ulutas, Ankara made several moves carrying a message of rapprochement. On Dec. 7, the Moshe Dayan Institute in Tel Aviv published an exceptional article, titled "Israel is Turkeys neighbor across the sea: delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas between Turkey and Israel." Co-written by retired Adm. professor Cihat Yayci, a close associate of Erdogan, the article suggested that the two countries discuss delimiting marine frontiers anew. The article was followed by positive statements of senior Turkish officials on Israel, culminating with a Dec. 25 statement by Erdogan himself. The Turkish president told reporters that Turkey would like to have better ties with Israel. He also said that bilateral intelligence contacts are likely to continue. In the late 1990s, Israel and Turkey had established a strategic, security alliance. But ever since the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, and more so since the 2014 Gaza war, bilateral ties deteriorated. Erdogan chided Israel and criticized sharply its government, with statements bordering on anti-Semitism. Thus, his latest diplomatic turnabout was accepted in Jerusalem with a great dose of skepticism. Prominent Turkey researcher Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak works at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. He told Al-Monitor that thanks to the normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, Israel now enjoys unprecedented diplomatic maneuvering capabilities. "Maintaining correct and functioning relations with Turkey is an important asset for Israels national security. That is certain. But the Abraham Accords changed the geopolitical set-up in the region, and Israel is no longer the Middle East isolated state it used to be. Turkey must come to terms with this new situation," he said. In past years, Israel was the one seeking to rehabilitate ties with Turkey, but this situation has changed. It is now Turkey doing the begging. Still, such a process is not going to be easy. Shortly after he was appointed, Ashkenazi criticized Turkey for hosting Hamas headquarters in Istanbul. Later, he criticized Turkey for offering some of these Hamas members travel documents. Senior diplomats told Al-Monitor that expelling Hamas operatives from Turkey is practically a nonnegotiable condition by Israel for rehabilitating ties. That being said, on Dec. 30, Ashkenazi convened an interministerial meeting that included his own staff, people from the Defense Ministry and representatives from the Mossad and the National Security Council. The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the seriousness of Turkish efforts for rapprochement. The meeting reportedly ended with recommendations to advance prudently vis-a-vis Ankara. It is clear for Jerusalem that Ankara did not suddenly fall in love with the Jewish state, but was desperately trying to improve positions ahead of US President Joe Biden taking office. Cohen Yanarocak noted that Turkey fears for its future relations with the Biden administration. Already during his election campaign, Joe Biden called to support Erdogans opponents. Recent US criticism over the conduct of the Turkish authorities against demonstrators at Bogazici University is further worrying Ankara. Turkey hopes that ameliorating ties with Israel could help it come closer to the United States. Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency tweeted recently a list of Jews in the new Biden administration and marked them with an Israeli flag. "The news agency wrote that Jews are overrepresented in the new Biden administration. This means that in Turkey's eyes, the road to ameliorate ties with Washington passes through Jerusalem," Cohen Yanarocak said. The Israeli prudent reaction to Turkish efforts of rapprochement and its insistence on the expulsion of Hamas operatives was not well received in Ankara. On Jan. 31, a Turkish official was quoted as saying, "They should stop playing games." The unnamed official added, "Above all, they demand an end to things that don't exist. There is no such Hamas secret cell in Turkey that conducts cyberattacks. We have Hamas leaders who have been sent by Israel to Turkey as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange." Cohen Yanarocak added that Israel was not convinced by the Turkish denial on Hamas cells in Istanbul. He argues that with the Abraham Accords, Israel can now allow itself to condition normalization of diplomatic ties with Turkey halting support of Hamas. For him, this is a legitimate demand. Still, it is a complicated situation. Turkey feels that with all its efforts in recent months, the ball is now not in Ankara, but in Jerusalems court. 2021-02-06 Maeci On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Italy wishes to reaffirm its unconditional commitment to the elimination of this heinous form of violence to which girls are subjected, which has serious and irreversible consequences on their physical and psychological development and constitutes an enormous obstacle in the process towards gender equality and women's empowerment in societies where it is still practiced. According to the latest Report of the Secretary General of the United Nations, published last July, at least 200 million women and girls in the world have been subjected to female genital mutilation and over 4 million girls are at risk each year. Combating all forms of violence against women and girls is one of the priorities of our current mandate in the UN Human Rights Council. We are endeavouring to this end, both within the competent international organisations, starting from the negotiations in the General Assembly and in the Human Rights Council, and in the bilateral relations with interested third countries, and directly on the ground, through the Italian Cooperation projects. We are in fact among the main donor countries engaged on this front and the Italian legislation on prevention and prohibition of female genital mutilation is considered a best practice internationally. We believe that combating this phenomenon requires an all-encompassing and multidisciplinary approach, which takes into account the link between these unacceptable practices and gender inequality, and which is not limited to prohibition but also promotes integrated policies including awareness raising and empowerment of the affected countries and local communities to ensure that this abominable practice is no longer tolerated by society at large. Kathmandu, February 7 Nepal has completed vaccinating frontline health workers against Covid-19 in the first phase of its vaccination. The Ministry of Health and Population says the available vaccines will be distributed among journalists and staff of diplomatic agencies in the next phase. The ministrys spokesperson Jageshwar Gautam says 184,857 people received the vaccines in the first phase. He says no untoward incidents took place during the vaccination. The government had established 201 vaccination centres for this phase. In this phase, ambulance drivers, sanitation workers, and female community health volunteers also received the vaccines. Most of the vaccine recipients were from the Bagmati province (63,308) whereas Karnali had the least (9,420). The government of Nepal has not purchased any of the vaccines yet. In the first phase, it had used the doses donated by India as a grant. Meanwhile, Nepal is expecting to receive more vaccines from China and the World Health Organisations Covax also soon. Shillong/Aizawl, Feb 8 : In a bid to contain spread of coronavirus, officials in Meghalaya said that the night curfew would remain in force in Shillong and other adjoining areas under the East Khasi Hills district for the next seven days from Monday. Besides Shillong, the night curfew is being extended in Mizoram capital Aizawl. East Khasi Hills' District Magistrate Isawanda Laloo issued a notification extending the curfew in Shillong, which is also the district headquarters, until February 14. Health officials, security personnel, officials and personnel of essential services including media and the vehicles carrying essential goods are excluded from the purview of the night curfew which would remain in force for five hours from 11 p.m. Meghalaya has so far reported 13,885 Covid-19 cases while 147 people have succumbed. On Monday, the number of active cases stood at 137, while 13,601 people have recovered. Its recovery and mortality ratio are 97.95 per cent and 1.06 per cent, respectively. In Mizoram, an official of the Aizawl Deputy Commissioner's office said that the night curfew will be enforced in the capital city from 8.30 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. Mizoram has the distinction of having the lowest death rate of 0.21 per cent among the 28 states in India. Its recovery rate is 99.25 per cent. Mizoram was the lone state in India where there was no Covid-19 related death until October 28 last year even as the first death was reported in India on January 30, 2020. According to the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday, Mizoram has so far reported 4,383 Covid-19 cases with nine people have died. While 4,353 people have recovered from the infectious virus, there are 21 active cases as on Monday evening. According to state health officials, all the deaths were in two -- Aizawl and Serchhip -- of the state's 11 districts. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Editor: The lady doth protest too much, methinks. These words from Shakespeares Hamlet have come to describe people who, because of their guilty conscience, repeatedly protest their innocence or repeatedly try to justify their behavior. Rep. Dan Meuser of Dallas doth protest too much, methinks. In a Jan, 15 column (Build trust in election process) he repeated the same specious, convoluted arguments he first presented in a letter (Objection explained, Jan. 9) in order to defend his ethically and constitutionally questionable behavior in his obsequious support of former President Trumps big lie, that Trump won the election. First, Meuser signed an amicus brief supporting the Texas attorney generals lawsuit to try to nullify the votes of millions of Americans in four states, including Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Meuser later announced, together with approximately 140 Republican representatives and 12 Republican senators, his intention to challenge the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6. Finally, on that same date, even after a violent insurrectionist mob incited by Trump attacked the Capitol, assaulted police, killed one officer and explicitly threatened the lives of House members, senators and Vice President Mike Pence, Meuser still went to the floor of the Congress and voted to challenge the legally certified electoral votes of Pennsylvania, his own state. If Meuser wishes to legally opine that election officials and the Supreme Court in Pennsylvania acted unconstitutionally, then he should do so in the courts and those decisions would then apply to future elections. For now, Meuser should stop protesting and justifying his behavior, accept responsibility for his own part in perpetuating Trumps lie that the election was stolen and apologize to voters of his district, the voters of Pennsylvania and the American people. JOE HANNON SCRANTON Editor: In 1955, Sen. John F. Kennedy published Profiles in Courage. In it, Kennedy presented eight times in U.S. history when elected officials bravely and with integrity put country above party to take courageous action, even if it meant sacrificing their careers. In 1966 Sen. William Fulbright wrote The Arrogance of Power, calling out the lies about the Vietnam War spewed by fellow Democrat and President Lyndon Johnsons White House. It was a true profile in courage that, if heeded, could have prevented thousands of senseless deaths in a senseless war. In 1974 several Republican members of Congress courageously told Republican President Richard Nixon that his Watergate lies were destroying the presidency and dividing the country. Nixon promptly resigned. In sad contrast, we dont have far to look for arrogant politicians who have no courage and no integrity. Republican U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson, of Centre County; Fred Keller, of Snyder County; and Dan Meuser, of Dallas; displayed zero courage by failing to challenge fellow Republican President Trumps daily tsunami of lies, culminating in Trumps baseless claims of fraud in an honest election. Thompson, Keller, Meuser and others share responsibility for the horrifying insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Republican state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, the Republican state House majority leader, are among those who dishonestly have attacked election results in Pennsylvania. Further, they are not content merely to perpetuate our gerrymandered legislative districts. Now, they proudly display the arrogance of their power by attempting to gerrymander the three highest courts in the state. Thompson, Keller, Meuser, Corman and Benninghoff have failed the test of courage and integrity while demonstrating an in-your-face we dont care what you think arrogance. They should all resign. BOB POTTER BOALSBURG, CENTRE COUNTY Editor: I was happy to see in a recent article that Sen. Bob Casey is determined to fight for domestic COVID-19 relief now that Democrats have control of the Senate. I urge Casey, Sen. Pat Toomey and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright to support including at least $20 billion in emergency global funding for COVID-19 in the next relief package. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is how truly interconnected we all are. Pandemics do not know or respect national borders. The earlier relief package included $4 billion for global vaccine funding, a crucial first step. More must be done. Global hunger rates could reach their highest levels in a decade this year due to the pandemics impact on the international food system. Hunger rates are projected to rise more than 82%, which could cause an additional 137 million people to face food insecurity. Helping to ensure this pandemic does not push more people into poverty has domestic benefits as well. Approximately 95% of the worlds consumers live outside the United States. By bringing people out of poverty, or preventing them from falling into poverty, we open U.S. products to a larger market of potential consumers. Lowering global poverty rates also has national security implications. The most dangerous countries are also among the poorest. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham once explained, The worst nightmare for al Qaeda is to come into a community that is supported and has hope. I thank Casey, Toomey and Cartwright for voting for the coronavirus stimulus and relief bill and it included $4 billion for global vaccine funding. I urge them to continue to support emergency global funding for COVID-19 relief. This funding is critical to combat the pandemic and to protect the health, security, and economic interests of all Americans. CATHERINE CLANCY COVINGTON TWP. Editor: According to news reports, former President Trump is considering forming a new political party: the Patriot Party. How appropriate that would be, because as we all saw on Jan. 6, Trump definitely put the riot in patriot. LINDA WESTRICK STATE COLLEGE 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. DETROIT A man is dead and police officers were hospitalized after a crash in an intersection. A marked police Ford Explorer was en route to a scene -- its lights and sirens were on -- when it collided with a Lexus IS 250 around 1 a.m. on Monday at the intersection of I-96 Service Road and West Chicago in Detroit, FOX 2 Detroit reports. The 58-year-old Detroit man who was driving the Lexus was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the TV station reports. The Detroit Police officers in the patrol car were hospitalized; they are in stable condition. The Detroit Police Department is investigating the fatal crash. READ MORE: Michigan teen killed, 4 injured in T-bone crash Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Road-covering snow swings through southern Michigan, heavier snow along Lake Michigan Man knocked out in University of Michigan hospital parking garage wakes to find car on fire, police say Calves after moved out after the sale at Kilkenny Mart. Photo: Roger Jones. Calf registrations form the dairy herd are running 16pc ahead of last year, according to the latest figures from ICBF. Figures up to last Friday (February 5) show that 168,908 calves from the dairy herd were registered since the start of the year. This compares with 145,331 for the same period in 2020 an increase of 23,577 calves. Weekly registrations are running around 10,000 calves ahead of 2020 levels. Last week there were 90,068 dairy calf registrations, compared to 80,086 for the same week in 2020. The latest fund raise for the company comes at a time when the travel and tourism industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. New Delhi: Online travel major MakeMyTrip on Friday announced fund raising of $200 million (approximately Rs 1,458 crore) through zero per cent interest coupon bond. "While the travel industry is in the midst of very difficult times, we are pleased with the overwhelming response to our convertible bond offering," Mohit Kabra, Group Chief Financial Officer, MakeMyTrip Ltd. said in a statement. "This raise will bolster our cash reserves allowing us to meet the working capital requirements as business recovery gathers momentum and also pursue any investment opportunities in the growing Indian market," he said. MakeMyTrip generated revenue of $56.8 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of 61.3 per cent over revenue of $146.9 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2019. The decrease in revenue was primarily due to the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including lower travel demand due to travel restrictions. However, the company's revenue in the current reported quarter increased from $21.1 million in the quarter ended September 30, 2020, an improvement of $35.7 million quarter on quarter due to the gradual recovery in travel demand. As on December 31, 2020, the balance of cash and cash equivalents and term deposits on the company's balance sheet was $227.6 million, MakeMyTrip said. On February 3, MakeMyTrip proposed to offer up to $175 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2028. The Notes Offering has now been upsized from the previously announced offering of $175 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes as the company on Friday announced the pricing of $200 million in aggregate principal amount of 0.00 per cent convertible senior notes due 2028. "This raise at zero coupon and conversion premium of 37.5 per cent reflects the appetite of global investors to invest behind strong Indian brands and businesses," Kabra said. (Natural News) A top U.S. counterintelligence agency warned that Chinas collection of health care data from Americans poses major risks. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) issued the warning in a fact sheet released on Feb. 1. The document said that Chinas acquisition of sensitive healthcare and genetic data both through legal and illegal means threatens U.S. privacy and security. According to the fact sheet, the Chinese regime utilized investments in American biotechnology firms and partnerships with hospitals and universities to obtain sensitive data. With vast amount of American citizens genetic information, China can overtake the U.S. in the field of biotechnology or weaponize this information for military operations. NSCSs warning came amid scrutiny surrounding Chinese genetics firm BGI Group. The Shenzhen-based genetics giant came under fire over its aggressive promotion of its COVID-19 test kits and support laboratories worldwide. The company has sold 35 million rapid coronavirus testing kits to 180 countries and built 58 laboratories in 18 nations as of August 2020. CBS News reported late last month that BGI approached several states in 2020 to build and run COVID-19 facilities. However, none accepted BGIs offer after officials warned against it. The firm later said that it does not gain access patients genetic data from test results or laboratories. According to the NCSC fact sheet, BGI entered the U.S. market after its purchase of gene-sequencing equipment maker Complete Genomics in 2013. The Chinese firm bought the California-based manufacturer for $118 billion. Aside from BGI, other Chinese companies have also partnered up with U.S. hospitals, universities and research institutes. The fact sheet said these partnerships give Chinese firms access to more genetic data on more diverse sets of people under the guise of low-cost gene sequencing services. According to a February 2019 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, at least 15 Chinese companies were licensed to perform genetic testing or sequencing on American patients. Chinese firms adapt a Trojan horse approach to obtain Americans genetic data for its own purposes Speaking to CBS News, former NCSC Director William Bill Evanina said BGIs laboratories were similar to Trojan horses. By setting up sequencers machines for decoding and analyzing a persons genetic material in the U.S., BGI could obtain Americans genomes for later use. (Related: The only thing Covid-19 test kits are good for is illegally collecting and surveilling human DNA.) The communist regime finds Americans genomic information valuable because of the populations ethnic diversity. Varied data sets are more useful in research on genetic diseases, the NCSC paper explained. Former biochemist and Federal Bureau of Investigation Supervisory Special Agent Edward You said China aims to create a huge domestic database of Americans genetic information. If they are now able to supplement that [database] with data from all around the world, its all about who gets the largest, most diverse data set, You said. Theres a very uncomfortable truth that comes out. [In] the last decade or so, youll see that China has heavily invested, through the purchase or acquisition of actual companies, access to our data. Evanina explained how the Chinese regime managed to obtain sensitive data from supposedly private companies. He said the concept of a private company does not exist in China: BGI and other companies are required to share information with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). You must provide any and all data thats asked for by [the CCP]. If you are in a joint partnership [or] a joint venture [with a Chinese company,] data is now susceptible to go to the [CCP.] The NCSC paper seconded Evaninas explanation. According to Article 7 of Chinas National Intelligence Law of 2017, all companies and citizens shall support, assist and cooperate with national intelligence efforts and guard the secrecy of any national intelligence work that they are aware of. The regime also passed laws in 2020 that severely restricted foreign firms access to the biological data of Chinese citizens. (Related: China collecting DNA from millions of men and boys for large-scale genetic surveillance project.) Ultimately, the NCSC fact sheet laid down a number of long-term economic implications stemming from Chinas theft of healthcare and genetic data. It said that the data the regime obtains is helping fuel Chinas biotechnology industry at the expense of the U.S. In addition, healthcare data China obtains could leave the U.S. more dependent on the communist nation for medical cures. Evanina commented that Chinas collection of genetic data from Americans by means of COVID-19 tests shows the nefarious mindset of the [CCP] to take advantage of a worldwide crisis. Visit CommunistChina.news to read more about the Chinese regimes theft of Americans healthcare data. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com DNI.gov [PDF] CBSNews.com USCC.gov [PDF] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. K Chandrashekar Rao_KCR TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made it clear that there would be no change of guard in the state of Telangana and he would continue as Chief Minister for the next decade, putting to rest any speculation about passing on the reins to his son. "I am very healthy. I will continue as the Chief Minister for the next one decade," Rao said, dismissing reports that suggested a potential transfer of power to his son and working president TRS working president KT Rama Rao. Addressing the TRS State executive committee meeting at Telangana Bhavan, Rao told senior party leaders that serious action would be taken if any statements were made about KTR becoming the CM, the New Indian Express reported. The CM also added that he did not understand why party leaders were indulging in such kind of speculation and wondered why his party leaders wanted him to resign from the post. Maatladite kaallu viraga godathaa (will break your legs), karru kalchi vaatha pedathaa (brand you with burning stick), bandakesi baadutaa (bang you on a rock) party nunchi bayata paarestaa (throw you out of the party), Rao reportedly warned the leaders, the report said. Moneycontrol could not verify this report In 2016, K Chandrashekar Raos (KCR) TRS had swept the elections winning 99 out of 150 seats while Owaisis AIMIM had bagged 44 seats. BJP had won 4, Congress 2 and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) 1 seat. KCR has lost significant ground after his partys victory in the 2018 state assembly elections. TRSs vote share declined from 47.4 percent in 2018 to 41.7 percent in the 2019 general elections. [February 08, 2021] ImmunoMet Therapeutics Receives IND Clearance and Orphan Drug Designation from U.S. FDA for IM156 in Ideopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Completes Financing ImmunoMet Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company targeting metabolism to develop novel anti-fibrotic and anti-cancer therapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for IM156, an investigational Protein Complex 1 inhibitor, being evaluated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as well as granting it Orphan Drug Designation. The Company also announced the closing of $7.0M in new financing by both existing and new investors that will be used, in part, to fund the Phase 1 program. "FDA clearance of an IND for IM156 is a major milestone for ImmunoMet. The unique mechanism of action of IM156 has the potential to address an unmet need in patients with fibrotic disorders and complement the current standard of care," commented Benjamin Cowen, Chief Executive Officer of ImmunoMet Therapeutics. "Based on results of our recently completed Korean Phase 1 trial of IM156 in oncology patients, we believe that it is the first potent PC1 inhibitor to complete a Phase 1 study with good tolerability. Our preclinical results further demonstrate a strong anti-fibrotic effect at doses previously shown to be well-tolerated in humans." ImmunoMet plans to initiate a single-site U.S. Phase 1 study in 32 helthy volunteers designed to characterize the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and effects of IM156 in Q1 2021. The data from this Phase 1 study will inform the design of a Phase 2 trial in patients with IPF. About IM 156 IM156 is a protein complex 1 (PC1) inhibitor that targets the OXPHOS pathway, decreasing the supply of energy and anabolic precursors that are required to drive fibrotic disease and tumor growth. IM156, ImmunoMet's lead drug candidate, is solely owned by ImmunoMet and is currently in development for the treatment of IPF and selected cancers. About ImmunoMet Therapeutics ImmunoMet is a clinical stage biotechnology company targeting metabolism for the treatment of fibrotic diseases and cancer. ImmunoMet's lead molecule, IM156, is a PC1 inhibitor and is the first potent PC1 inhibitor to complete Phase 1 with good tolerability. In addition to IM156, ImmunoMet owns a large library of biguanides with the potential for development, internally or with partners, for multiple indications. The company was founded in 2015, is headquartered in JLABS @ TMC (News - Alert) in Houston and has raised $31M to date. For more information about the company, please visit www.immunomet.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning the development of ImmunoMet products, the potential benefits and attributes of those products, and the company's expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. ImmunoMet undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005608/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Alliance News) - Syncona Ltd said Monday said portfolio company, Freeline Therapeutics, has modified the clinical development plan for its FLT180a program for Hemophilia B. Shares in the midcap life sciences investor were down 4.4% on Monday afternoon in London at 258.25 pence each. Freeline - a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies for patients suffering from inherited systemic debilitating diseases - has modified the trial following feedback from the US Food & Drug Administration. The feedback, Freeline noted, relates to the "characterisation and comparability" of the investigational drug product used in its Phase 1/2 B-AMAZE trial that was "produced at smaller scale, as compared to its current investigational drug product that is produced at commercial scale". "Under the modified clinical development plan, Freeline now plans to conduct dose confirmation in a FLT180a Phase 1/2 trial instead of in the Phase 2b part of the previously planned Phase 2b/3 pivotal trial," it explained. Freeline expects that the Phase 1/2 dose confirmation trial will be a six-month single dose safety and efficacy trial designed to confirm the dose and immune management regimen for the planned Phase 3 pivotal trial. The company continued: "Freeline believes this modified clinical development plan should enable it to meet its objectives of initiating the clinical trial sites for the dose confirmation trial by the end of 2021, while in parallel, working to meet FDA's Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control requirements in advance of commencing the planned Phase 3 pivotal trial." Freeline expects that the design of the Phase 3 pivotal trial will be "nearly identical" to the Phase 3 part of the previously planned Phase 2b/3 pivotal trial. Freeline, Syncona said, is targeting a data readout for the Phase 1/2 dose confirmation trial by the end of 2022, initiation of the Phase 3 trial by the middle of 2023 and continues to target a filing of the Biologic License Application with the FDA by the end of 2024. In the first six months of the 2020, Freeline posted a pretax loss of USD33.3 million, widened from a USD24.6 million loss the year prior. This was as administrative expenses rose 88% to USD11.3 million and research and development costs increased 25% to USD29.4 million. Total other income was USD7.8 million, up from USD5.1 million the year before. As at September 30, Freeline had cash of USD252.6 million, up from USD106.6 million at the end of June. By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The Covid-19 death toll now stands at 440, with the deaths of 15 more people yesterday. The Ministry of Health reported the deaths in its daily update yesterday evening. One of the new deaths occurred in Tobago. The Tobago Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development disclosed that the patient was a 38-year-old male with co-morbidities. Kmart shoppers around Australia are obsessing over the new Himalayan rock salt diffuser that has landed in stores. The mesmerising $55 product creates a soothing aromatic atmosphere in the home and features seven different LED light options for added effect. Francesca was first to share an image and videos to the Kmart Inspired Homes Facebook group to demonstrate how the stylish buy works. 'Omg love my new Kmart aroma diffuser I seriously recommend this beauty,' she captioned the social media post. Scroll down for video The $55 product creates a soothing aromatic atmosphere in the home and features seven different LED light options for added effect The three-in-one product is also a salt lamp, humidifier and aroma diffuser. It has three inbuilt timer options, two misting modes and the pink salt rocks are included with the buy. The tank stores up to 300ml of oil that allows for up to ten hours of continuous running time without the need to refill. The three-in-one buy acts as a salt lamp, humidifier and aroma diffuser. It also has three inbuilt timer options, two misting modes and the salt rocks are included with the product The social media post swiftly received praise from other customers online who thanked Francesca for sharing the product recommendation. 'Changed my mind, I want this for my birthday!' one person wrote and tagged a friend. 'I have had this since Christmas day and it's better than the Dusk diffuser I have,' another wrote. A third joked: 'My alcoholic self thought that was a special cocktail.' The new anko product is available both in stores and online if stock hasn't sold out prior. The Catholic majority in Mexico is slipping, as Protestants surpassed 10 percent of the population in the country for the first time ever. According to recently released data from Mexicos 2020 census, the Protestant/evangelical movement increased from 7.5 percent in 2010 to 11.2 percent last year. The Catholic Church has historically dominated the religious landscape across Latin America, but especially in Mexico, which ranks among the most heavily Catholic countries in the region. Today, though an overwhelming majority of Mexicans still identify as Catholic, declines are accelerating. It took 50 yearsfrom 1950 to 2000for the proportion of Catholics in Mexico to drop from 98 percent to 88 percent. Now, only two decades later, that percentage has slipped another 10 points to 77.7 percent. National church leaders attribute the boom in Protestantism to a range of factors, from the influence of Americans and fellow Latin Americans in the country to effective evangelical outreach in indigenous areas. Pentecostalism dominates the Protestant landscape, and even many of Mexicos historical denominationsthink Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodistshave been pentecostalized in some beliefs and practices, embracing energetic worship, healing, and spiritual gifts. Nearly a million American-born people live in Mexico, as well as tens of thousands of Guatemalans and Venezuelans, and others from Central American countries. Some of them have brought evangelicalism with them, while others encounter it when they arrive in Mexico, according to Rosa A. Duarte de Markham, coordinator of the department of biblical translation at the Missionary Cooperation of Mexico (Comimex). Markham also believes that the recent Protestant growth reflects how Mexican society longs for the sense of morality and family values upheld in evangelical churches. Mexico has been in mourning for several years due to enforced disappearances. Surely this has led to the search for God as a comforter, to value peace and justice, she said. On the other hand, the need to rescue the family nucleus has led mothers and fathers to search in the Word of God for values such as fidelity in marriage, harmony, love of children, honesty, and a healthy lifestyle. The 77.7 percent Catholic figure from the recent Census resembles ongoing polling on religious affiliation by Latinobarometro, which found that the Catholic population in Mexico has hovered around 80 percent for at least 25 years. The most popular Protestant affiliation in Mexico, according to Latinobarometro, is nondenominational, at 3 percent of the population in 2018. Overall, Protestants are more active in their faith, with 63 percent of nondenominational Mexicans considering themselves practicing, compared to 41 percent of Catholics. Fifty years ago, there were very few Protestants in Mexico, but missionary efforts were underway. Over the years, the population grew more committed to evangelismparticularly in areas where the Catholic Church didnt have as prominent a presenceand the expansion over the past decade shows that their efforts have borne fruit. The most important thing is that the Catholic Church had a monopoly on belief for many years, and that monopoly broke most particularly after the Second World War, said Roberto Blancarte, sociologist of religion and professor at El Colegio de Mexico. According to Blancarte, there were simply not enough priests in Mexico to meet the needs of all the people. At the turn of the century, there was only one priest for every 6,000 Mexicans, a staggering deficit that left a pastoral void in regions poorer and farther afield than major urban centers. Protestants stepped up to fill that void, sending pastors to rural, indigenous areas. Today, Mexicos northernmost states have significant Protestant populations thanks to American influence around the border. The far southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco have populations that are upwards of 35 percent evangelical, the most of any Mexican states. These are also the states with the largest indigenous populations, Blancarte points out. The big change was not missionaries themselves, but the translation of the Bible into native languages, said Blancarte, referencing efforts by evangelical groups including SIL International. That allowed many people to read the Bible directly and to have local ministers who develop, in their own language, their own services. Experts also saw popular Pentecostal-style worship appealing to indigenous believers backgrounds in ecstatic spirituality and magic, as well as ritual Catholics who still adhere to syncretistic spiritual beliefs. For decades, the growth of Protestantism has corresponded with the decline of Catholicism in other Latin American countries, with dramatic changes in places like Honduras, Nicaragua, and Brazil. Even up until several years ago, Mexico was seen as an exception to the trend. Now, as Protestantism rises in the majority Catholic country, so do the proportion of Mexicans without ties to organized religions. In the 2020 census, those with no religion rose from 4.7 percent to 8.1 percent. Another 2.5 percent consider themselves a believer but dont have a religious affiliation. The religious shifts have begun to foster a greater sense of pluralism and, for some, tolerance. Theyve also influenced the political sphere, according to Blancarte, with evangelicals becoming more visible and powerful, despite there being no monolithic evangelical voting bloc. We are still a minority, but we are a majority within this minority, and this gives us some force and the government is starting to look at us to see what we think about certain issues, said Cirilo Cruz, president of CONEMEX, the National Evangelical Fellowship of Mexico. Cruz also cautioned against the tendency to be seduced by political power for the sake of having influence and prays that evangelical leaders handle their new position in Mexican society carefully and prophetically. We need to be careful in regard to how we grow, said Cruz. That our DNA will be biblical. That our DNA will hold values, principles, and ethics emanating from the Word of our God. There is little data yet on the trajectory of Mexicos Protestant community during the ongoing coronavirus health crisis, but church leaders have been adamant about continued evangelization in the midst of the pandemic. As for Mexican Protestants, in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have understood that our call is to continue preaching the good news of salvation, said Markham, to bring love and hope to a world that is collapsing. [ This article is also available in espanol. ] The incoming chief of the World Trade Organization has a reputation for shaking up the guardians of wealth and power that will come in handy in her new role. During Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealas effort to root out corruption during her first stint as Nigerias finance minister, opponents of her plans nicknamed her Okonjo Wahala Okonjo the trouble maker. The 66-year-old development economist embraces the moniker and true to form, trouble was what Okonjo-Iweala withstood campaigning for the WTO job. Finding herself on the wrong side of the Trump administration, her lack of trade-negotiating experience made her the target of a unilateral US veto despite the endorsement of the organizations selection committee and almost all other member nations. Now, with President Bidens administrations blessing after the only other candidate withdrew, Okonjo-Iweala is poised to become the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO in its 25-year history. She will also be the first American citizen to hold the organizations top job. She is this wonderful, soft, very gentle woman with an authentic approach to problems but, boy, under that soft glove there is a hard hand and a strong will behind it, ECB President said. She is going to rock the place. Crisis credentials The WTO badly needs to be shaken up. The Geneva-based trade body is largely dysfunctional and all three pillars of its work are under threat. Its usefulness has been called into question as Chinas brand of state capitalism increases its footprint on the global economy, fomenting criticism from Brussels to Brasilia. The organization has struggled to produce meaningful multilateral agreements, its trade-monitoring function consistently underperforms and former U.S. President Donald Trump neutralised the WTO appellate body in late 2019. With a budget last year totalling $220 million and a staff of more than 600, it has become a toothless bureaucracy during the most disruptive period for commerce in generations. Add the pandemic to the turmoil, and the WTOs most substantive work was ground to a near standstill last year and spurred its previous director-general to quit unexpectedly. The WTO plans to hold a meeting in the coming days where its members will consider a final decision on Okonjo-Iwealas candidacy. If none of the WTOs 164 members oppose her, she will be appointed for a four-year term, with a possible four-year extension in 2025. WTOs lengthy agenda Okonjo-Iweala has pledged to find common ground among the trade bodys disparate membership. She hopes to score some early negotiating wins such as a multilateral accord to curb harmful fishing subsidies as a means to restore trust and build momentum for larger deals. An extraordinary life Okonjo-Iweala graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1976 and earned her doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. After moving to Washington, she quickly rose through the ranks at the World Bank and in 2013 was named managing director. She will bring a different kind of global perspective to the WTO than anyone before her, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a phone interview. She has a global view of challenges and problems and is insightful about solutions. A fresh approach As the WTOs next director-general, shes going to need fortitude and persistence. Among the most significant challenges: undoing the deep level of mistrust between rich economies and those of the developing world. That bad blood has given rise to protectionism -- the antithesis of the WTOs mission of open trade for the benefit of all. You have developed-country members who believe they have borne the burden of liberalisation -- too much of it -- and that maybe advanced developing countries have maybe not borne enough, she told Bloomberg in a phone interview. Ill be listening to the developed countries, listening to the advanced-developing countries and the least-developed countries and asking Where is there common ground? 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. ALLENDALE, MI Grand Valley State University has committed to making higher education more accessible for low-income students through a new tuition-free program that will begin in fall 2021. The Grand Valley Pledge program will cover tuition costs for students who come from a family income of less than $50,000. The new program is open to incoming freshmen students from Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Grand Traverse, Calhoun and Wayne counties. Those are the counties where the university has a physical presence. While many low-income students already have portions of their tuition paid off through federal Pell Grant funding or merit scholarships, those funds often do not cover the entire cost of tuition, said B. Donta Truss, vice president for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach. University administrators launched the Grand Valley Pledge program in hopes of covering that financial gap, Truss said. We have noticed that low-income students do have a bit of a gap left over after theyve gotten their Pell Grant or other merit scholarships, Truss said. This will help eliminate the financial gap, which we hope will reduce the amount of loans they have to take out. I think it will help tremendously, and it shows our students that were serious about servicing them here at Grand Valley. This kind of thing is life-altering for low-income students. Undergraduate tuition is $6,622 per semester for the 2020-21 school year. GVSU increased tuition by 3% this year making tuition $192 more per-semester compared to last school year. But Grand Valley increased its financial aid budget by 13% this year in an effort to offset the tuition increase. The increase provided the average financial aid recipient with $6,704 this year, up $250 from last school year, according to the university. Students do not have to file a separate application for the Grand Valley Pledge program, according to the program website. Once a student is accepted to GVSU and completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the financial aid is automatically applied for eligible students. Michelle Rhodes, associate vice president for financial aid, said the university wanted to alleviate the stress of applying to college by keeping students from having to apply for the program separately. We wanted to make it as simple as possible, Rhodes said. The financial aid can be renewed for the following three years, although students do need to file a FAFSA each year to renew it. Recipients must be admitted as a freshman starting with the fall 2021 semester and must be a full-time student, according to the GVSU website. Transfer students are not eligible for the program at this time, Truss said. While the university does not have a cap on the number of students it will accept for free tuition, administrators are limiting the program for now to the six counties where GVSU has a physical campus. Truss said the tuition-free program is an investment to expand the workforce in those communities. These are some of the same students that will come right back and work in our communities, he said. You know, how do we not afford to be able to service these low-income students who are right here in our backyard? They deserve an opportunity to be successful and get a bachelors degree. Around 300 students in GVSUs application pool are currently eligible for the program, Truss said. In a prepared statement, GVSU President Philomena Mantella said the tuition-free program demonstrates the universitys commitment to its campus communities. It is another way of assuring that we create opportunity and advance equity in the communities in which we live and teach, as well as inspire a broader movement of making higher education accessible to all, Mantella said. The University of Michigan launched a similar tuition-free program in 2018 called the Go Blue Guarantee. The program offers all in-state students with a family income of up to $65,000 free tuition for four years. At the time, UM President Mark Schlissel said around half of all Michigan families with prospective college students would qualify for the guarantee. More on MLive: Secchia familys donation helps GVSU expand military student services Anonymous $5M gift will provide scholarship support to University of Michigan business students WMU student launches sustainable clothing boutique out of her college apartment (Natural News) Climate child Greta Thunberg is the subject of a new criminal investigation after she tweeted a list of her scripted marching orders, apparently accidentally, to her 4.8 million Twitter followers. It appears as though the 18-year-old global warming activist was trying to tweet an organic post in support of the farmers protest in India when she mistakenly shared a document from her handlers outlining tactics for rallying left-wing Twitter users to join the movement. These are just some suggested posts, but feel free to tweet your own, read the first bullet point on the document, which Greta quickly deleted once she realized, apparently, what she had done. Its helpful if you add images or videos to your tweets (some images below), the document went on to explain. You can also tag others who can either reshare and/or the potential tags listed above to put pressure on them as well. Below these instructions was a series of sample tweets with a CLICK HERE TO TWEET button for each one. All Greta had to do, it appears, was click on one and pretend it was her own, and voila: instant support from her drone followers. The list gave a series of tips on what to post, asking her to also repost and tag other celebrities tweeting about it, including pop star Rihanna, reported the New York Post. As well as the Twitter storm, the toolkit she shared also suggested highlighting planned demonstrations at Indian embassies. Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg posted a document to Twitter containing tweets that she was told to post and actions she should take regarding the current protests in India. She quickly deleted the tweet. pic.twitter.com/ruEfp4Ypg1 Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 3, 2021 Greta Thunberg is a far-left political puppet and tool of the new world order Indian authorities were quick to take notice of Gretas egregious error, immediately launching a probe into alleged criminal conspiracy. Like many of us warned in the past, Greta appears to be nothing more than a public relations puppet who does as she is told. We now know that Canadas Poetic Justice Foundation was behind the leaked list. This organization claims to be a grassroots group that creates events to provoke, challenge and disrupt systemic inequities and biases. A quick look at the campaigns website reveals that it is most actively involved in the #FarmersProtest, having recruited Greta to be one of its digital parrots. Not long after deleting the original tweet, Greta put up another one with a newer non-incriminating toolkit nice try, Greta along with the message, We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India. Indias foreign ministry issued a rare statement pegging Greta as one of many foreign individuals and celebrities who is using sensationalism and trying to enforce their agenda. Police in Delhi also launched a formal investigation into Greta, accusing her of creating disharmony and for being a part of a larger conspiracy. A preliminary formal investigation known as a First Information Report was recently filed against Greta charging her with trying to create enmity between different groups of people in India as part of a criminal conspiracy. Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut also condemned Greta publicly for getting involved in the Indian farmers revolt, which has nothing to do with her and is absolutely none of her business. Ranaut called the protesting farmers terrorists, and Rihanna a fool for asking her 100 million Twitter followers, Why arent we talking about this?! As it turns out, the Why arent we talking about this?! blurb came straight from the first toolkit document that Greta accidentally tweeted before quickly deleting it. The rabbit hole apparently goes very deep. Greta, meanwhile, has doubled down on her puppet role, telling her followers that no amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change how she purportedly feels about the farmers protest. More of the latest news about celebrity puppets like Greta Thunberg who parrot new world order talking points online can be found at Propaganda.news. Sources for this article include: TheRightScoop.com NYPost.com NaturalNews.com There was an increase in interest in Ho Chi Minh City which ranked sixth among Asia Pacific investors most preferred property markets for investors, according to a survey by market research firm CBRE polling more than 490 Asia Pacific-based investors in November and December 2020. With the diversification of supply chains encouraging more manufacturing investment in the city, industrial and logistics assets are keenly sought after, said the CBREs 2021 Asia Pacific Investor Intentions Survey. HCM City has already been on the radar of investors in recent years, especially those who are looking to invest in Southeast Asia, as the city is viewed as having the potential for greater appreciation in property values and higher yields, said Dang Phuong Hang, CBRE Vietnam Managing Director. The survey outlines top 10 Preferred cities for cross-border investment, with Tokyo (Japan) in the first place, followed by Singapore, Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Shanghai and Beijing (China), HCM City, Shenzhen (China), Sydney (Australia), Osaka (Japan) and Melbourne (Australia). Investors who expressed interest in investing in Southeast Asia indicated that they are willing to pay more for real estate purchase. 39.4 percent of these investors are comfortable to pay more than 10 percent higher this year than what they are willing to pay in 2020, while 19.7 percent are willing to paying up to 10 percent higher. In the search for returns, investors looking at Southeast Asia are turning to value-added and core assets, even though there are some who are starting to look at distressed assets. Industrial/logistics and office remain their preferred sectors, while the hospitality sector is gaining favour. Henry Chin, CBREs Global Head of Investor Thought Leadership and Head of Research, Asia Pacific, said stronger interest in core investment reflects investors greater emphasis on tenant credit and stable cash flows. Assets with a solid rent roll of three years or longer typically attract far more bidders than those lacking this type of security, he added. Logistics was the most popular sector for investment as the pandemic-driven acceleration of e-commerce consumption boosted demand for this asset class. While interest in the office sector weakened, investors retain an optimistic view towards this sector, expecting a contraction in office purchasing activity of no more than 10 percent over the next three years./. VNA Source: IANS For ensuring biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in sustainably managed tropical forests through landscape restoration and expansion of natural protected areas, the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have renewed their longstanding collaboration for another five years. With the aim of supporting CBD parties, including India, and ITTO member countries in the tropics in their efforts to conserve biodiversity, the collaboration will implement sustainable forest management, restore degraded forest landscapes, and encourage the sustainable use of forest resources. The collaboration to 2025 was formalised with the signing last week of a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The ITTO and the CBD have been collaborating closely for a decade. The first MoU between the two bodies, signed in 2010 in the framework of the International Year of Biodiversity, gave birth to the ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity. A second MoU spanning 2015-2020 was signed at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in Pyeongchang in Republic of Korea in October 2014. To date, the collaborative Initiative has encompassed 16 projects in 23 tropical countries, all of which had experienced biodiversity losses and decline in the forest area and have large numbers of forest-dependent people. At $13 million, the total budget of the 16 projects is modest, but a recent technical review found that they have achieved extraordinary success in improving local livelihoods and forest management, restoring degraded forest landscapes and conserving biodiversity. Examples of the collaborative initiative's achievement include increasing the size of a mangrove protected area in Peru by more than 7,00,000 ha; providing more than 400 foresters and technicians in Central Africa with education and training on sustainable forest management; enabling previously difficult transboundary cooperation on the management of the Emerald Triangle between Cambodia and Thailand; and restoring 130 ha of mangroves in Fiji. The renewed collaboration between the CBD and ITTO will include assisting countries to recognize and enhance the values of forest landscapes, including their biodiversity and ecosystem services, assisting countries to collect and use ecological and biological data that contribute to sustainable management and use and the restoration of tropical forests. The new MoU will also help facilitate collaboration with, and access to, bilateral and multilateral funding sources such as the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund on emerging issues related to biodiversity conservation, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development. Innovative aspects of the collaboration between ITTO and the CBD include exploring opportunities for harmonised reporting on the sustainable use, restoration and conservation of tropical forests in the context of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which is being developed under the CBD, and supporting regional and South-South cooperation, thus contributing to and leveraging the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). [February 08, 2021] Pax8's Walsh and Heddy Recognized as 2021 CRN Channel Chiefs DENVER, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the best place for IT professionals to buy cloud products, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Chief Product Officer and Channel Chief, Ryan Walsh, and Chief Revenue Officer, Nick Heddy, to its 2021 list of Channel Chiefs. The prestigious CRN Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes leading IT channel vendor executives who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation, and growth. Ryan and Nick have built reputations as forward-thinking, influential leaders, and we are proud to see them on the Channel Chief list for the fourth consecutive year, said John Street, CEO at Pax8. Their leadership was especially evident during the pandemic with how they were able to pivot their business strategies to meet our partners' evolving needs. 2020 was our most innovative year so far with the release of Pax8 Pro, on-boarding of new emerging vendors, and enhancements made to partner education and enablement. We are excited to continue listening to partners and enhancing our technology to accelerate cloud transformation globally. The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs, and partnerships. All honorees are selected by CRNs editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates. CRNs 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industrys biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market, said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success. CRNs 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs . About Pax8 Pax8 is modernizing how partners buy, sell, and manage cloud. As a born-in-the-cloud company, Pax8 simplifies the buying journey, empowering its partners to achieve more with cloud technology. The companys technology displaces legacy distribution by connecting the channel ecosystem to its award-winning transactional cloud marketplace. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre and post-sales support, and education, Pax8 is a proven disruptor in the market. Pax8 has ranked in the Inc. 5000 for three consecutive years #68 in 2018, #60 in 2019, and #111 in 2020 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook . Media contact: John Trent PR Manager at Pax8 jtrent@pax8.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] FBI Questions Capitol Protesters, Including Newport Beach Woman NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.Diana Davis was on her houseboat in Newport Beach, California, when she received an unexpected phone call from an FBI agent who wanted to question her about the Jan. 6 Capitol protests and breach. The problem? Davis wasnt there. Although she initially planned to be at the Capitol grounds to pray, she said, a delayed plane prevented her from attending the confirmation of the electoral votes. Nevertheless, the agent wanted to talk. They were looking for people that were there inside the Capitol, and if we were a part of it. And I told them that we werent, Davis told The Epoch Times. I had to prove that I wasnt there. Davis is one of the latest in a string of Orange County residents investigated by the FBI in connection with the Capitol riot. She said she believes investigators are focusing on all known supporters of former President Donald Trump and not only those likely to have committed a crime. I feel like theyre targeting Trump supporters; and theyre trying to silence me in some way, and trying to intimidate me to shut up, she said. I wont. I will speak truth. FBI spokesperson Ann Parrillo refuted the claim that the agencys investigations stem from political affiliations. The FBI does not track and monitor groups, Parrillo told The Epoch Times. The FBI investigates activity which may constitute a federal crime or pose a threat to national security, and we cannot initiate an investigation based solely on an individuals exercise of First Amendment rights, race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion. Our focus is not on speech or membership in particular groups, but on individuals who commit violence and other criminal acts. We do not police ideology. During the Jan. 6 vote confirmation, an insurrection unfolded as people began to scale walls, topple barriers, and occupy the Capitol. Four rioters and one police officer were killed. The FBI has stated it has deployed its full investigative resources to pursue those involved. It has reportedly charged at least 205 people nationwide and is investigating more than 400 others. According to the Department of Justice, 11 people charged are from California, with one suspect from Orange County. Orange County Suspects Several Orange County residents have been subject to FBI raids and arrests related to the Capitol riot. On Jan. 28, a Huntington Beach man was arrested by the FBI for allegedly trespassing on Capitol grounds. Mark Simon, 49, faces federal charges of trespassing and participating in unlawful activities on Capitol grounds. His arrest came after an FBI agent discovered a blog post at orangejuiceblog.com that appeared to show a video of Simon in the Capitol shouting, In the Capitol, baby, yeah! and 2021 Donald Trump! according to an FBI affidavit dated Jan. 21. The video showed a group of protestors pushing against the Capitol police who were standing in the hallway of the Capitol building entrance. Simon had spoken with The Epoch Times shortly after the event, saying he saw very minor destruction considering the size of the crowd. He felt media clips focusing on the damage that did occur gave a different impression. He said he saw many frustrated patriots attending the rally who just wanted to be heard. If the patriots wanted to get in there and cause damage or burn the Capitol down or get to Congress or hurt anybody, they would have got hurt, he said. They had full control of the place. Cops had no control throughout the day. We could have gone wherever we wanted at any time, and it was not done. They were restrained. The FBI also raided the Ladera Ranch homes of Russell Taylor and Alan Hostetter, who held a rally near the Capitol on Jan. 5. Neither was charged with a crime. Aside from FBI investigations, other Jan. 6 protesters have faced some consequences back in Orange County. John Eastman, a Chapman University law professor, gave a speech outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and has said he believes the presidential election results were fraudulent. After an outcry from university faculty, he agreed to a settlement with the university to retire in January. The Orange County Sheriffs Department investigated one of its own, an unidentified employee, after receiving a tip that the person was at the protests on Jan. 6. Sgt. Dennis Breckner told The Epoch Times last month, We are looking into the matter because as an employer, we want to know if any wrongdoing took place. An Unexpected Visitor Davis said she was contacted by an FBI agent on Feb. 1; the woman wanted to discuss Daviss recent trip to the nations capital. Although Davis was in Washington from Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, her flight was delayed and she said she landed after the riots were over. It was too late to go out, she said, as a curfew was in place. It was hard to even try to get [to the hotel] because most of the streets were blocked off. We had a taxicab driver that took us around the back way to try to get us in. He took us as close as he could get us and then we walked the rest of the way to the hotel, Davis said. The next day, she found a large prayer tent called Davids Tent just outside the Capitol and joined some 25 other Christians there in worship and prayer for the country. Davis and her husband ran into many other people who were praying, and joined a sizable group marching near the Capitol grounds. We just had big prayer rally and just started praying for our country and President Trump, Davis said. I just thought it was part of our patriotic duties. Diana Davis and her husband, Wayne Acker Jr., pose in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7, 2021. (Courtesy of Diana Davis) She said she doesnt know how an FBI agent obtained her cellphone number, but she agreed to meet with agents at a nearby American Legion on Feb. 2. The FBI told her they were looking for those responsible for placing a pipe bomb in the Republican National Committee and another in the Democratic National Committee. The agents also asked if Davis had pictures of people who were at the Capitol. They wanted to look through her photos, but she declined. They wanted pictures from our cellphones of any pictures that we had of anybody [at the Capitol], Davis said. It just was shocking to me that they would even pull me aside and say, well, we want [to talk to you]. Davis showed the agents her flight itinerary to prove she wasnt present during the riots. They spoke for about 30 minutes before the agents left. Anonymous Tipster The FBI agent said they contacted Davis because an unidentified individual reported her on the FBIs website. Davis had posted many photos on Facebook of herself and her husband outside of the Capitol building during her trip. Im always open about what Im doing. Im very transparent, she said. I posted videos of where I was and what Im doing. Davis condemned the individuals who barged into the Capitol on Jan. 6. They shouldnt have done that, and that was wrong. We have a president of law and order. And I believe in law in order too. They were definitely wrong for breaking in. Im just a citizen that believes in God and our country and our president, and I just came up there to pray. HUDDINGE, Sweden, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The shareholders of Medivir AB, reg. no. 556238-4361, with its registered office in Huddinge, Stockholm, are hereby summoned to the extraordinary general meeting on Thursday 11 March 2021. In order to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, the board of directors has decided that the extraordinary general meeting will be conducted by advance voting only, without physical presence of shareholders, proxies and third parties. Medivir welcomes all shareholders to exercise their voting rights at this extraordinary general meeting through advance voting on the basis of temporary statutory rules, according to the procedure set out below. Information on the resolutions passed at the extraordinary general meeting will be published on 11 March 2021, as soon as the result of the voting has been finally confirmed. In the advance voting form, the shareholders may request that a resolution on one or several of the matters on the proposed agenda below should be deferred to a so-called continued general meeting, which cannot be conducted solely by way of advance voting. Such continued general meeting shall take place if the extraordinary general meeting so resolves or if shareholders with at least one tenth of all shares in the company so request. The shareholders are reminded of their right to request information according to chapter 7, section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act. Preconditions for participation in the extraordinary general meeting Shareholders who wish to participate, through advance voting, in the extraordinary general meeting must (a) be recorded in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Wednesday 3 March 2021, and (b) notify the company of their intention to participate in the extraordinary general meeting by casting their advance vote in accordance with the instructions under the heading "Advance voting" below, so that the advance voting form is received by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than on Wednesday 10 March 2021. Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee through a bank or a securities institution must re-register their shares in their own names to be entitled to participate in the general meeting. Such registration, which may be temporary, must be duly effected in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Friday 5 March 2021, and the shareholders must therefore advise their nominees well in advance of this date. Advance voting The shareholders may only exercise their voting rights at the general meeting by voting in advance, so-called postal voting in accordance with section 22 of the Act (2020:198) on temporary exceptions to facilitate the execution of general meetings in companies and other associations. A special form shall be used for advance voting. The form is available on Medivir's website, www.medivir.se. The advance voting form is considered as the notification of participation. The completed voting form must be received by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than Wednesday 10 March 2021. The form may be submitted via e-mail to [email protected] or by post to Medivir AB, "Extraordinary general meeting", c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm, Sweden. Shareholders who are natural persons may also cast their advance votes electronically through BankID verification via Medivir's website. If the shareholder votes in advance by proxy, a power of attorney shall be enclosed to the form. If the shareholder is a legal entity, a certificate of incorporation or a corresponding document shall be enclosed to the form. The shareholder may not provide special instructions or conditions in the voting form. If so, the vote (i.e. the advance vote in its entirety) is invalid. Further instructions and conditions are included in the form for advance voting. For questions regarding the general meeting or to have the advance voting form sent by post, please contact Euroclear Sweden AB on telephone +46 (0)8 402 92 37 (Monday-Friday, 08.30-16.00 CET). Proposed agenda Election of chairman of the general meeting. Election of a person to approve the minutes. Preparation and approval of the voting list. Approval of the agenda. Determination as to whether the general meeting has been duly convened. Resolution on a directed issue of shares. Election of chairman of the general meeting (item 1) The board of directors has proposed that Helena Levander, or the person appointed by the board of directors if she has an impediment to attend, is elected chairman of the general meeting. Election of a person to approve the minutes (item 2) Anders Hallberg, or the person appointed by the board of directors if he has an impediment to attend, is proposed to be elected to approve the minutes together with the chairman. The task of approving the minutes also includes verifying the voting list and that the advance votes received are correctly stated in the minutes of the general meeting. Preparation and approval of the voting list (item 3) The voting list proposed for approval under item 3 of the agenda is the voting list drawn up by Euroclear Sweden AB on behalf of the company, based on the general meeting's share register and advance votes received, as verified and recommended by the person approving the minutes. Resolution on a directed issue of shares (item 6) As announced on 7 February 2021, the board of directors proposes that the general meeting resolves to raise approximately SEK 27,828,000 by a directed issue of not more than 3,600,000 new class B shares. The right to subscribe for the new class B shares in the directed issue shall, with deviation from the shareholders' pre-emption rights, be granted LINC AB. The purpose of the issue, and the reason for the deviation from the shareholders' preferential right, is to strengthen the company's institutional shareholder base and the proceeds will be used to accelerate the company's existing business plan, mainly focusing on the development of MIV-818. The shares shall have a subscription price per share of SEK 7.73, corresponding to the closing price of the Medivir share on 5 February 2021. Majority requirements Resolution in accordance with item 6 requires approval of at least nine tenths (9/10) of the shares represented and votes cast at the general meeting. Shares and votes As per the day of this notice there are 24,287,818 series B shares in the company, corresponding to an equal number of votes. The company holds 11,413 treasury series B shares. Shareholders' right to request information The board of directors and the CEO shall, if any shareholder so requests and the board of directors believes that it can be done without material harm to the company, provide information regarding circumstances that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda and the company's relation to other companies within the group. A request for such information shall be made in writing to Medivir AB, Box 1086, SE-141 22 Huddinge, Sweden, or via e-mail to [email protected], no later than on 1 March 2021. The information will be made available at Medivir AB, Lunastigen 5, SE-141 22 Huddinge, Sweden and on www.medivir.se, on 6 March 2021 at the latest. The information will also be sent, within the same period of time, to the shareholder who has requested it and stated its address. Documentation Documents pursuant to chapter 13, section 6 of the Swedish Companies Act (2005:551) and the board of directors' complete proposal will be made available three weeks prior to the meeting, at the latest, at the company's address Medivir AB, Lunastigen 5, SE-141 22 Huddinge, Sweden, and on the website www.medivir.se. The documents will also be sent to shareholders who so request and state their address. Proxy forms for shareholders who would like to vote in advance through proxy are available at the company's website www.medivir.se, and will be sent to shareholders who so request. Processing of personal data For information about the processing of your personal data, see the integrity policy that is available at Euroclear's website www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-noticebolagsstammor-engelska.pdf. Medivir AB's (publ) corporate registration number is 556238-4361 and its registered office is in Huddinge, Sweden. Huddinge, February 2021 Medivir AB (publ) The Board of Directors This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/medivir/r/notice-of-extraordinary-general-meeting-of-medivir-ab--publ-,c3282211 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/652/3282211/1369534.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE Medivir Russia is mulling to put nearly 40 satellites in orbit from over a dozen different countries using the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket in March, a space industry source told Sputnik. In November, it was revealed that a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with Fregat booster was going to blast off with South Korean CAS500-1 space vehicle from the Bikanour space station in March this year. However, it has now been revealed that other payloads are also planned to be delivered in the orbit as a part of the larger mission, ANI reported citing a source. Read:Soyuz Rocket Launch Today: Soyuz Set To Launch With FalconEye 2 Satellite Read:Russia Launches Soyuz Rocket Carrying Satellites The list [of satellites to be launched] is not final and is subject to review depending on the satellites' readiness. As of now, around 40 minor space vehicles from 18 countries are expected to be launched together with CAS500-1, Sputnik reported citing space officials. A three stage launch vehicle Soyuz 2.1a is a three-stage launch vehicle for placing payloads into low Earth orbit. Compared to the previous versions of the Soyuz, the first-stage boosters and two core stages have been uprated engines with improved injection system. Meanwhile, speaking about the massive satellite launches, a source told Sputnik that it would include satellites from Russia, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Thailand, Canada, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Argentina, Hungary, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Slovakia. Read: Russia To Launch 3 Soyuz Rockets From Guiana Space Centre In Late 2021 Read:Russia Launches Soyuz Rocket Carrying Satellites Previously, it was revleaed that Russia was planning to launch at least three Soyuz-ST carrier rockets from the Kourou space centre in French Guiana in 2021, revealed a source to Sputnik, according to news agency ANI. The source reportedly said that two European Galileo navigation satellites are planned to be launched in September while in November and December, two other launches of 34 UK OneWeb's communications satellites in each will be blasted off by Russia. As per reports, since October 2011, there have been at least 25 Soyuz-ST launches from the Guiana space centre including one in August 2014 that ended with the launch of European Galileo navigation satellites into an off-design orbit due to issues with the Fregat upper stage. "In September, the launch of two European Galileo navigation satellites is planned, in November and December, two launches with 34 UK OneWeb's communications satellites in each," the source said. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered a strict adherence to the timeframe set for construction in the New Administrative Capital during a tour of the mega citys main neighbourhoods and buildings. According to a statement by the presidency, El-Sisi was briefed on the construction of Egypts Islamic Cultural Centre, which will be home to one of the worlds largest mosques, Misr Mosque. The mosque, which has a 140-metre-high minaret, can accommodate up to 107,000 worshippers and includes several spacious halls for celebrations, events and Quranic schools. El-Sisi also inspected the new capitals House of Representatives headquarters, which is slated to be the largest in the Middle East with its main hall accommodating up to 1,000 members. Attached to the headquarters are several service buildings which include a house of worship, a medical centre, a police centre, a media centre and others. He also inspected the new capitals government district, which will be home to the Cabinets headquarters, ministries and other government bodies. El-Sisi also toured the Peoples Square, which has the highest flagpole in the world. In 2015, Egypt started construction on the New Administrative Capital 45km east of Cairo as part of the government's plan to reduce pressure on an overpopulated 20-million strong capital, expand urban areas and develop the infrastructure of the 104 million nation. The New Administrative Capital, which is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions including the cabinet and parliament buildings and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people. Government offices were due to be relocated to the mega-city in 2020, but the step was delayed to this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Short link: Police had objected to bail on grounds that the two accused could commit further offences (Liam McBurney/PA) Two men charged with painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks in a Northern Ireland port town have been granted bail. Mechanic William Donnell, 21, and farm labourer Mitchell Leeburn, 25, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday. Donnell, from Belfast Road in Larne, and Leeburn, from Deerpark Road, Kilwaughter, both face eight counts of criminal damage and a further count of possessing an article, namely spray paint, with intent to damage property. All the alleged offences occurred in Larne on Saturday. The charges relate to graffiti at a variety of locations in the town, including on several retail outlets, Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties, a Roads Service road sign, a number of walls and a billboard. Police had objected to bail on the grounds the two accused could commit offences if released. District Judge Peter King granted bail with several conditions attached, including a night-time curfew and a prohibition on entering Larne town centre. Expand Close New regulations have been in place since Brexit (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp New regulations have been in place since Brexit (Liam McBurney/PA) The accused, who appeared via video-link from a PSNI station in Antrim, having been in custody since Saturday, spoke only briefly to confirm they understood the charges. Inspections on animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended last Monday amid concerns over the safety of staff. That came after separate graffiti threatening port staff appeared last month. Officials from Mid and East Antrim Council, Stormonts Department of Agriculture and the EU Commission all stopped working at the facilities, which carry out checks required as part of Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. Environmental health staff from Mid and East Antrim Council returned to their duties at Larne Port on Friday. It has not been confirmed when the other officials, who work at both Larne and Belfast, might return to work. On Monday, the council announced that work by staff and contractors to clean up graffiti in the borough had been suspended after alleged incidents over the weekend. Council officials have asked the PSNI to carry out a threat assessment before clean up works resume. In court on Monday, a detective constable told Judge King he could connect the men accused of Saturdays graffiti spree to the charges. The officer said the PSNI was opposing bail amid concerns the pair could commit offences if released. Theres been 22 incidents of criminal damage in relation to the EU exit in Northern Ireland since the 1st of January this year, he said. He referred to the political fallout since Brexit. There has been heightened tensions in the area of Larne that has resulted in checks in Larne being stopped due to the perceived threat, he said. Expand Close New checking facilities have been constructed at ports in Northern Ireland to carry out inspections of goods arriving from Great Britain (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp New checking facilities have been constructed at ports in Northern Ireland to carry out inspections of goods arriving from Great Britain (Brian Lawless/PA) The judge made clear there was no evidence before court that the two accused had anything to do with those threats. The height of the allegations at this stage against Leeburn and Donnell is that they graffitied, he said. The officer said there had been eight separate incidents of graffiti in one night and the only reason the perpetrators stopped was because police chased them. The detective constable said the graffiti included target signs. Barrister Aaron Thompson, representing the two accused, suggested the target sign was painted by altering the vowel O within a word. The judge responded: I think its slightly beyond that its a separate character as opposed to a vowel inside the graffiti. The judge said police had provided him with an album of images of the graffiti, adding that the slogans included All bets are off, Larne says no to Irish Sea border, We do not support the Irish Sea border and other variations on the same theme. Mr Thompson said Donnell had offered an explanation to police as to why spray paint had been found in his car when it was searched by officers. Hes a mechanic and he said it wouldnt be in any way unusual for him to have access to spray paint and hes denied the matters, he said. Bail was set at 500 for each accused. Conditions included a prohibition on contacting witnesses and their co-accused. They will be electronically tagged, cannot encroach into Larnes 40mph speed limit zone, and must stay at home from 8pm to 7am. Both men were granted legal aid. The case will be heard again at Ballymena Magistrates Court on March 25. Over the past few years, India has faced several natural disasters, especially floods in the mountainous north and incessant rains in the south. These natural calamities have killed thousands of people, destroyed livelihood, and taken the lives of thousand of animals. The natural disasters are mostly caused by cloudbursts and unprecedented heavy monsoon rainfall. However, the true cause of a tragedy at such a grand scale always finds its roots in humans and the impact of their activities on nature. Unchecked growth of tourism, proliferation of roads, railways, hotels, shops and multi-storey housing in ecologically fragile areas, and mushrooming of hydel power projects in ecologically-sensitive areas. In many cases, governance failures play a monumental role in causing such disasters. 2013 Uttarakhand floods The 2013 Uttarakhand floods killed thousands of people leaving behind a trail of destruction. An extreme weather event turned into one of the biggest natural disasters in the country. But how was that a man-made tragedy? File Photo The answer lies in the fact that when cloud-burst hit Uttarakhand, the floodwaters, laden with thousands of tonnes of silt, boulders and debris could not find any outlet. These floodwaters otherwise take a natural route, including rivers and streams. These outlets were blocked with sand and rocks for the construction work. When the water did not find a way to escape, it inundated scores of towns and villages, submerging some buildings under several feet of mud, smothering life. The downpour of water and rocks from the higher mountain ranges, in all probability caused by glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), deluged Kedarnath temple. GLOFs, or the explosive bursting of glacier lakes, are thought to be a consequence of human-induced climate change, which is causing rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayas. Forests were destroyed on a large scale, haphazard construction was taking place in sensitive areas and when the disaster struck, it was nothing like ever seen before. Hyderabad floods Floods struck Hyderabad in October, 2020, bringing life to a crippling halt. In 1908, devastation caused by a cloud burst and the flooding of Musi claimed 15,000 lives and rendered 80,000 homeless. Experts pointed that Hyderabad floods could have been avoided if only there was a proper drainage plan in place. File Photo Almost all nalas, storm drains, culverts are either land-filled and built over or simply filled with garbage and forgotten. So, the water which once found a way to flow, has nowhere left to go. 2015 Chennai floods man-made The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has squarely blamed the All India Anna Dravida Kazhagam (AIADMK) government for the 2015 floods that ravaged Chennai. The CAG report stated that the disaster which many have been made to believe as a natural calamity was a man-made one. AFP According to the Tamil Nadu government 470 people had died between October and December due to floods While the unprecedented rains were earlier said to be the cause of deluge, the CAG report that was released in 2016, rebuked the state government in the way the Chennai floods in 2015 was handled and goes to call it a "man-made" disaster. The United States has already allocated about $43 million to Ukraine to help fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Kristina Kvien, Charge d'Affaires, a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, said this during the All-Ukrainian Forum Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses on February 8, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The U.S. supports Ukraine and has already allocated about $43 million..., she said. She stressed that apart of medical aid, the United States provides humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. support is not only in the form of medical help, but also humanitarian assistance. We are helping SMBs to survive these difficult times, she said. In addition, according to Kristina Kvien, the United States supports Ukraine in preparing for the first stage of vaccination. As reported, the three-day All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" kicked off in Kyiv on February 8. iy New Delhi: India is indigenizing production of special high altitude clothing required for Indian soldiers standing guard in mountainous terrain, the defence ministry said in a written statement to parliament on Monday. The percentage of imported items has reduced from 43% to 29% in the last five years, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said in response to a question. Tenders aligned with Make in India initiative for identifying indigenous sources of supply are regularly being published. Wide publicity through Ministry of Textiles, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and various textile associations is also given for participation by prospective Indian manufacturers," the minister said. Further, with a view to encourage Indian industry to manufacture in India, industry outreach programmes are undertaken and long-term contracts have been offered as incentives for assured business," the minister added. Last year, India procured extreme cold high altitude clothing from vendors in the US and Western Europe after the deployment of large numbers of troops along Indias borders with China. The deployment came after India in May detected a large number Chinese troops across the Line of Actual Control border and some intrusions into Indian territory in Ladakh. In response to questions from another MP, Naik said on the basis of the threat perception and technology available, the armed forces are procuring terrain and weather specific equipment to thwart the likely threat from our northern adversary." In the current standoff, emergency procurements for certain arms and equipment have been undertaken by the armed forces to beef up their combat potential," the minister said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. KIRCHHEIM (dpa-AFX) - Dialog Semiconductor Plc (DLGNF.PK, DLGS) announced Monday that it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition by Renesas Electronics Corp., a Japanese supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, for 67.50 euros in cash per Dialog share. The offer price values Dialog at approximately 4.886 billion euros. The per share price represents a premium of approximately 20.3 percent to the Closing Price of 56.12 euros for each Dialog Share on February 5, being the last Business Day before the date of this announcement. The acquisition is expected to be implemented by means of a UK Scheme of Arrangement. The deal will be conditional on approval at a shareholder meeting of Dialog and at a UK court meeting, as well as several regulatory approvals, including in, inter alia, Germany, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and the United States. The Scheme will become effective in the second half of 2021 subject, among other things, to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions. In Japan, Renesas shares were trading at 1,203 yen, down 3.61 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Private equity firm has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in ZCL Chemicals (ZCL), one the fastest-growing in India. The business was formerly known as Zandu Chemicals. According to people in the know, Advent picked up a 51 per cent stake in the entity, which has an enterprise value of Rs 1,700 crore. With this, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), a private equity platform that previously managed a minority investment in ZCL, will exit the company. ZCL was advised by Jefferies (Sole Financial Advisor), Bombay Law Chambers (Legal Counsel), and Deloitte (Finance and Tax). ZCL is one of the fastest-growing manufacturers of specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates. ZCLs highly specialised approach focuses on niche therapeutic areas, underpinned by complex chemistry, supported by a state-of-the-art US Food and Drug Administration-approved facility, along with strong research and development capabilities. ZCL will be our third pharmaceuticals investment in India and the second in the API space. It is a high-growth business, led by a capable management team, which will further fortify our presence in the API market, a key sub-sector focus of ours, said Shweta Jalan, managing director and head of Advent International, India. Over the past 12 months, Advent has committed over $1.2 billion globally in health care. The firm has also committed over $600 million in four Indian businesses over the same period in varied sectors such as health care, consumer, and financial services. We are impressed by ZCLs differentiated product portfolio, strong pipeline, and its high focus on quality and compliance. The acquisition helps us get closer to our goal of creating top five merchant API platforms in India, said Pankaj Patwari, director, India. Nihar Parikh, executive director, ZCL, said: We are very pleased with this transaction and excited to partner Advent. In the past 12 years we have established ZCL as one of the leading pure-play API in the country, and today marks an important milestone in these efforts. We are excited about the future of ZCL, and believe Advents global expertise in the pharmaceutical space, combined with ZCLs strong capabilities in manufacturing and R&D and a culture of customer centricity, will ensure that we keep up our tradition of delivering immense customer value. Advent has been investing in India since 2007. In this time, it has put in over $1.7 billion in 12 with headquarters or operations in the country. In addition to ZCL, investment in the past 12 months includes RA Chem, a vertically integrated pharmaceutical company; Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV), a biopharmaceutical leader in womens health and critical care; and Aditya Birla Capital, the holding company of the financial services businesses of Aditya Birla Group (ABG), an Indian multinational conglomerate. Advent has experience in the health care industry globally. In the past 30 years, the firm has invested or committed over $9.6 billion in 48 in the sector, including over 20 businesses involved in pharmaceutical R&D, production, and distribution. YANGON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people held a peaceful protest in downtown Yangon on Sunday, demanding the release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, among others. Police with riot shields blocked main roads leading to the city center, according to witnesses. All telecom operators have resumed their internet services on Sunday afternoon after a day-long blackout. Myanmar declared a one-year state of emergency after President U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on Feb. 1. The military said there was massive voting fraud in the parliamentary elections in November 2020, and demanded a postponement of the new parliamentary session. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and now a group of developers have created AI software that can tell whether you are likely to die from Covid-19 using health data. University of Copenhagen researchers fed a computer program with health data from 3,944 Danish COVID-19 patients, as well as any underlying conditions. They then trained it to look for patterns in a patients' prior illness to determine the risk factors and potential outcome from Covid-19 and found that BMI, age and being male were the highest risk factors when it came to the likelihood of dying. The results show that AI can, with up to 90 per cent certainty, determine whether an uninfected person will die of the disease if they are unlucky enough to catch it. Results from the new tool could help health officials determine who should be at the front of the line for a limited supply of vaccines, said lead author Mads Nielsen. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and now a group of developers have created AI software that can tell whether you are likely to die from Covid-19 using health data (stock image) UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT POSE THE GREATEST RISK OF DEATH FROM COVID-19 Researchers found that certain conditions posed a greater risk of death from Covid-19 than others They say this should be considered when determining who should get the vaccine first. In order of priority these are: BMI, age, high blood pressure, being male, neurological diseases, COPD, asthma, diabetes and heart disease. 'The likelihood of dying or ending up on a respirator is heightened if you are male, have high blood pressure or a neurological disease,' said study author Mads Nielsen. Advertisement Once admitted to the hospital with Covid-19, the computer software can predict with 80 per cent accuracy whether the person will need a respirator, the team found. Certain diseases and health factors have a greater influence on whether a patient ends up on a respirator than others after being infected, according to the study. In order of priority these are: BMI, age, high blood pressure, being male, neurological diseases, COPD, asthma, diabetes and heart disease. The group at the greatest risk of dying from coronavirus if they contract the disease are old, fat white men with high blood pressure, according to the researchers. For diagnosed patients, age and BMI were among the most relevant features for predicting hospital admission and ventilator treatment, they found. Hypertension - high blood pressure - was the most important feature for predicting ICU admission, and indeed an important feature for all models. For patients that had to be admitted to hospital the most relevant drivers of disease progression were age, BMI, hypertension and the presence of dementia. 'We began working on the models to assist hospitals, as during the first wave, they feared that they did not have enough respirators for intensive care patients,' explained Professor Nielsen. 'Our results demonstrate, unsurprisingly, that age and BMI are the most decisive parameters for how severely a person will be affected by COVID-19' he said. 'But the likelihood of dying or ending up on a respirator is also heightened if you are male, have high blood pressure or a neurological disease,' explains Mads Nielsen. The AI was trained it to look for patterns in a patients' prior illness to determine the risk factors and potential outcome from Covid-19 and found that BMI, age and being male were the highest risk factors when it came to the likelihood of dying. Stock image For hospitalised patients requiring ICU admission compared to hospitalised patients without ICU admission, only male sex, BMI, dementia and hypertension differed between patients. ICU-admitted patients were furthermore more likely to be smokers, older and male, the team discovered. Those who died of the disease were also more likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, COPD or asthma, osteoporosis, dementia, mental disorders, neurological disease, cancer, chronic kidney failure and use of dialysis. 'For those affected by one or more of these parameters, we have found that it may make sense to move them up in the vaccine queue, to avoid any risk of them becoming inflected and eventually ending up on a respirator,' says Nielsen. The team behind the study are now working to update their model with fresh data from the latest wave of coronavirus in Denmark. They hope that artificial intelligence will soon be able to help the country's hospitals by continuously predicting the need for respirators. 'We are working towards a goal that we should be able to predict the need for respirators five days ahead by giving the computer access to health data on all COVID positives in the region,' says Mads Nielsen. 'The computer will never be able to replace a doctor's assessment, but it can help doctors and hospitals see many COVID-19 infected patients at once and set ongoing priorities.' The findings have been published in the journal Scientific Reports. Myanmars New Military Rulers Block Facebook Myanmar's new military governors have blocked Facebook after taking down the democratic government, which has seen civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party placed under arrest. In events reminiscent of widespread unrest in Iran in 2019, government officials claimed Facebook was being blocked for 'stability'. For many of the population In Myanmar, social media is their only access to the Internet and Facebook has become a rallying point against the military coup. In the streets of the Myanmar capital, protesters resorted to banging pots and pans and honking car horns. The Ministry of Communications and Information said access to Facebook would be temporarily suspended, however, it was still reported to be accessible sporadically on some internet platforms. Telecoms company Telenor Myanmar, which is part of the Norwegian Telenor Group, said it would comply with the order to block Facebook, but suggested in a statement that this breached human rights law. The coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has installed an 11-member junta and have said that the election in November had been fraudulent, even though the country's election commission has said there was no evidence of such fraud. Myanmars military government have already arrested at least three protesters after it blocked Facebook and other social media platforms in a bid to quell dissent after detaining the countrys elected leaders and seizing power in a coup that the United Nations chief said must fail.Government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, along with President Win Myint, have been jailed and police filed charges against them for possession of unlawful communication devices such as walkie-talkies. Half of Myanmar's 54 million people use Facebook and activists have already set up an opposition page on Facebook. Facebook has posted about the coup, saying "we urge authorities to restore connectivity so that people in Myanmar can communicate with their families and friends and access important information". The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has called for constitutional order to be re-established in Myanmar and he said he hoped there would be unity in the Un Security Council on the matter. "It's absolutely unacceptable to reverse the result of the elections and the will of the people." he said in a statement. Efforts at the Security Council to reach a common position failed as China dissented. China is one of five permanent members with a right of veto in the council. Beijing has long played a role of protecting the country from international scrutiny, and has warned since the coup that sanctions or international pressure will only make things worse. Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, confirmed the disruption and a spokesman urged authorities to restore connectivity so that people in Myanmar can communicate with their families and friends and be able to get access to important information. Facebook has a mixed history in Myanmar, being widely blamed for allowing disinformation to be propagated about the Rohinga Muslim minority, leading to large scale massacres and a refugee crisis in 2018. Facebook: Computing: BBC: Arab News: Al Jazeera: You Might Also Read: How Did Belarus Shut Down The Internet ?: External Article 8 February 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching economic effects in addition to the tragic loss of life over the past year. The hospitality industry has been hit particularly hard, with airlines cutting flights and flying half-empty planes, restaurants closing or barely staying afloat on take-out business, and hotels adjusting to fewer guests while at the same time investing in making guestrooms and public areas safe for visitors. We've all seen hotel rooms turned into work-from-home spaces and even private dining rooms. Patios, lawns, poolside decks, and parking lots have become al fresco restaurants. The changes may be viewed as temporary, but will the need occur again? We know that hotels and restaurants are responding in the short term, but how is the situation affecting future plans, renovations, furnishings, and new hotel design? We turned to Jackie Wright, principal at Pineapple Procurement, for ideas on the topic. Her company, with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, specializes in managing the acquisition of furniture, fixtures, and equipment for boutique, lifestyle, and luxury hotels, restaurants, bars, and mixed-use developments. 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. President Museveni's letter dated January 2, in which he suspended the operations of the European donor-funded Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) project, appears to be just a continuation of a sustained effort to clamp down on inflow of foreign funding to activities that the ruling establishment suspects could subvert its hold on power. Before the decision to suspend the 100m (about Shs440b) DGF project, the government had come down hard on some civil society and other organisations, and even individuals who had received money into their accounts around the last quarter of last year. Mr Nicolas Opiyo, the executive director of rights activist group Chapter Four, was in December last year arrested and charged with money laundering, with the State claiming Mr Opiyo acquired $340,000 (Shs1.2b) through the organisation's account on October 8, 2020 "knowing at the time of receipt that the said funds were proceeds of crime". Mr Opiyo, who is out on bail pending trial, insists that the money was for running his organisation and came from one of their regular donors. Mr Opiyo told Saturday Monitor: "The government was driven by paranoia, thinking that everyone who had huge sums of money on their accounts would use it for subversive activities. The other issue is that the intelligence services are highly unintelligent, you have crime intelligence staffed with military men who act on unprocessed information. That is why the government is making so many mistakes in this regard." Mr Opiyo suspects whoever received a significant amount of dollars into their bank accounts around September last year became a subject of investigation and many had their accounts frozen. Some of those affected were individuals, while others were organisations. Some of the individuals whose bank accounts were blocked protested on social media and other forums. The government froze accounts of four NGOs towards the end of last year, including the bank account for the Uganda National NGO Forum. The operation also affected some unexpected victims such as the Nabagereka Foundation, an organisation that belongs to the Queen of Buganda Kingdom, Ms Sylvia Nagginda. Sources close to the matter have told Saturday Monitor that the accounts of the Nabagereka Foundation were subsequently unfrozen after the Nabagereka quietly engaged the government over the matter. Sources say the government was concerned that money originating from foreign sources could end up financing the campaigns of the ruling party's opponents, especially the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. Mr Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of the government-owned Media Centre, seemed to confirm this suspicion when he on Thursday accused NUP of receiving money from abroad to finance their campaigns. To this accusation, NUP spokesperson Joel Senyonyi said their party did not receive any money from abroad and even failed to fund the nomination of many individuals who intended to run on its ticket in various parts of the country. Whereas Opposition parties seemed starved of funding, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party spent big in the run-up to the election, buying the premises that house it at Kyadondo Road in Kampala, distributing bicycles to each of their village chairpersons across the country, motorcycles for each party sub-county chairperson, and paying nomination fees and considerable campaign facilitation fees for each of its candidates at every level, among other expenses. As the intelligence organisations raised their antennas to keep foreign funding from falling into the hands of the Opposition, available information further shows that State officials held several meetings with a number of rich businessmen, especially in Kampala, and pressed them not to fund, especially Mr Kyagulanyi's campaign. The war on foreign funding of what the powers that be suspect to be subversive activities has been on for a while. In the run-up to the 2016 elections, a number of NGOs that were suspected of harboring anti-NRM intentions had their accounts frozen. They included the Uhuru Institute, ActionAid, and the Great Lakes Institute, among others. Mr Museveni has spoken on various occasions against what he calls attempts by foreigners to undermine his government. He has made this claim many times over in regard to Mr Kyagulanyi, but he made the same allegation earlier. At his swearing-in ceremony on May 12, 2016, for instance, Mr Museveni said he rejected puppetry, which he ascribed to his then principal opponent, Dr Kizza Besigye. It was a swearing-in ceremony attended by Robert Mugabe, then president of Zimbabwe, and Gen Omar al Bashir, then president of the Sudan. Mugabe, who would subsequently be deposed by the army and later pass on, had spent years criticising the West after many years of cozying up with them in his earlier years in power. At that time, Gen Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Uganda, being a signatory to the Rome Statute that set up the court, was duty-bound to arrest him and hand him over for prosecution. But as if inviting an indictee of the ICC to his swearing-in was not enough, Mr Museveni used the opportunity to praise Russia and China for not meddling in the affairs of Uganda and accused the West of arrogance. The Western diplomats who were in attendance walked out on him as the ceremony progressed. Handouts blocked GiveDirectly, an NGO that gives direct cash donations to households, fundraised about $17m (Shs62b) to assist Ugandans who were significantly affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. The organisation, under a similar arrangement, had distributed $100m (Shs365b) to economically-distressed Americans during the lockdown, and some significant sums to recipients in some other countries where they work, including Kenya and Rwanda. For the case of Uganda, GiveDirectly had identified more than 200,000 households in different urban centres who would benefit from cash donations of Shs100,000 per month for three months. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda NGO By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The decision to target Ugandans who live in urban areas had been reached following advice from the government that urban dwellers in poor neighbourhoods were most vulnerable during the lockdown. But just as the disbursements were kicking off, the government, through the NGO Bureau and with the approval of Cabinet, suspended the project. The government said the suspension would be reviewed on a date in January, after the presidential and parliamentary elections. One curious reason that the NGO Bureau gave while suspending the release of cash to vulnerable households is that the money would make the recipients lazy and averse to work since they would get used to receiving free money. The government had during the Covid-19 lockdown distributed some food rations to some households that were in dire need, but many more complained of missing out on the supplies. The irony Govt on foreign funding Whereas the government has toughened against inflows of donor dollars to, especially civil society in the recent months, its own appetite for foreign money has flown through the roof, with some estimates putting the amount of money it has borrowed from the West since March last year to at least $1.7b (Shs6.1 trillion). To deal with the effects of Covid-19, for instance, the government acquired $600m about Shs2.2 trillion) from the International Monetary Fund, some $300m (about Shs1.1 trillion) from the World Bank and hundreds more million dollars from other organisations. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Jersey City, Secaucus and nine other communities are receiving help from the state Department of Environmental Protection in the battle against illegal dumping. Acting DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced Monday that it will loan deterrence equipment to participating towns and provide training and support to help local officials enforce civil and criminal environmental laws. Our taxpayers should not be held responsible for the costly cleanups caused by these irresponsible lawbreakers, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement. Illegal dumping sites often become magnets for even more dumping, and so were thankful to partner with the DEP to boost our efforts of deterring and enforcing illegal dumping. Camden, Fairfield, Linden, Newark, Paterson, Salem Trenton, Vernon and Vineland are joining Secaucus and Jersey City in participating in the initial launch of the Collaboration and Deterrence Project, part of the DEPs Illegal Dumping program. Those who violate our waste laws are not just harming our environment, they are damaging the spirit of our communities, LaTourette said in a statement. Dumping upon our vibrant towns and cities in effect says that our fellow New Jerseyans are somehow less deserving of natural beauty and environmental protection. DEP Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Dragon spearheaded the development of the program, spurred by community feedback from listening sessions hosted in environmental justice communities. Far too frequently polluters will dump waste and hazardous materials, especially in lower income and minority communities, where they believe they can violate the law with impunity, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. I am proud to again stand with Acting Commissioner LaTourette and DEP to send a clear message to illegal dumpers: if you pollute our communities, not only will we pursue you with civil actions, we will prosecute you criminally. Details of the 10-month project include the DEP procuring and providing the equipment, bringing partners together for broad training on implementing an illegal dumping program at the local level, as well as imparting strategies for deterring illegal dumping. Fulop said the program also includes installing cameras in strategic locations throughout the city. The Attorney Generals office will offer guidance and training on pathways for both civil and criminal enforcement. Joe Biden's order rescinding President Trump's ban on transgender servicemen will quickly impact the military, propelling it into a downward recruiting and retention spiral not seen since the era of the hapless Jimmy Carter. Let's start with a tale of two soldiers. First, let's consider eighteen-year-old Daniel, who is a male but believes he is female. Daniel has decided to join the military because the military is committed to providing the new recruit with full medical care and support so he can transition from Private Daniel to Private Danielle. At the other end of the spectrum, you have Sergeant (or Chief Petty Officer) Rock. Sergeant Rock is at the E-6/E-7 level, a smart and experienced NCO of twelve years' service who has undergone several combat and war deployments. To attain his rank, Sergeant Rock had to complete an NCO academy and pass many tough courses on a wide array of military and technical subjects. NCO promotions do not come easy. Sergeant Rock is not only a highly trained specialist, but also an experienced troop leader. The U.S. military is completely dependent upon the thousands of Sergeant Rocks. No ship can sail, no aircraft can fly, no tank can move without a large corps of Sergeant Rocks to operate and maintain complex weapons systems and train the personnel in those systems. Unlike young Private Daniel/Danielle, Sergeant Rock is a family man. The NCO, warrant officer, and officer ranks of the military are overwhelmingly filled with married people. Approximately 58% of the 2.2 million members serving on active duty and the National Guard and Reserve have families, and 40% have at least two children. Let's say Sergeant Rock has a child with a disability or chronic illness. Approximately 220,000 active-duty and reserve military personnel have a family member with special needs. Sergeant Rock's family is a top priority, at least to him, and military families constitute a special community and culture. If the resources are not there to support military families, Sergeant Rock's family will be unhappy, and Sergeant Rock will likely leave the service when his enlistment expires. Back to Private Daniel/Danielle. The 2018 Defense Department study of transgender soldiers noted that those soldiers admitted after President Obama ended the transgender ban in 2016 not only used far more medical resources than were readily available, but required active units to dip into their Operations, Training, and Maintenance (OTM) funds to pay for the costs for Private Daniel to become Private Danielle. In 2019, the Pentagon looked to cut 18,000 medical personnel from an already understaffed military medical corps. President Trump fought the military leaders on this issue, but with Trump gone, look for these cuts to come back. Private Daniel/Danielle, being on active duty, will have a higher priority in the military medical system than Sergeant Rock's sick child when it comes to allocating scarce medical resources. The medical costs for one Private Daniel/Danielle will soak up the treatment costs of ten children like Sergeant Rock's, forcing those families to pay a lot out of pocket and pushing them to seek treatment in the civilian community, perhaps far from their on base home. Faced with taking care of their soldiers and families versus pleasing the politicians in Washington, it's not hard to guess which way the Pentagon leaders will jump. Military life can be awfully hard, but the military community and culture do much to make it worthwhile. Sergeant Rock joined up with the promise that the military would ensure quality medical care for his family, decent housing, recreation facilities, and all the amenities of a middle-class American life. But when the military is ordered to cut the budget, the top ranks always look to cutting things like housing, medical care, base facilities, and the like to preserve the hugely expensive weapons systems. Defense firms have vast funds an army of highly paid lobbyists, who make sure their interests are well represented to the Beltway politicians. In contrast, military families do not have the big money or lobbyist clout that big business has. In the battle for military community resources, they will lose. Expect the top military leadership to undermine Sergeant Rock's family life in other ways. Last year, the Navy in San Diego canceled the contracts of Catholic priests who serve the Navy's on base Catholic community. The Navy told the Catholic service families they could shop around outside the base for a church to go to. But a civilian parish would be full of strangers and manned by a priest with no military experience or understanding of the life and needs of military parishioners. There are a lot of devout Christians in the military, and this was a cheap blow to military community life to save a minuscule amount of money. It's not just the medical care, or the chapel, or the NCO club; it's all the other things that add up to a supportive and family-friendly military. President Trump stopped this thoughtless action by the Navy and insisted that the contract priests be reinstated. But with Biden now president and Bernie Sanders chair of the Senate Budget Committee, expect a full-scale assault on military communities and benefits. Remember, Sergeant Rock has a lot of training in operating and maintaining complex equipment. He has years of experience in leading enlisted personnel. He is certified in skills in demand in the civilian community. When his military community is underfunded, and his family health care takes a hit because of command policies, Sergeant Rock has plenty of options to get out of the military for a better life. Any large company, or manufacturer, or logistics supplier, would be happy to get Sergeant Rock's skills and experience. The red-state economies are doing nicely, and, even in a tight economy, a smart company will be ready to pay well for Sergeant Rock and make sure that he gets a much better medical plan than what the military will give him. When Sergeant Rock leaves the service, the military is obligated to move him and his family to their chosen final home. He will find a warm welcome in the towns and smaller cities of the red states. Military people put up with a lot of "chickens---" (common military technical term) from the top ranks. But most soldiers put up with it because they are patriotic and committed and believe that defending the country has more personal value than making the big bucks elsewhere. But lay it on too thick and mess with their families, and even the most dedicated soldiers will consider leaving. Any sane defense policy would happily cut ten Private Daniel/Danielles to keep one Sergeant Rock in the service. Instead, our political leaders, with the backing of the Pentagon, is ready to cut ten Sergeant Rocks to enlist one Private Daniel/Danielle (who will likely make a poor soldier in the end). Watch for a crisis in military retention and recruitment to come soon. James S. Corum, Ph.D. is a military historian, author and co-author of 14 books, and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Image: Ted Eytan via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped). We have said since the earliest days a year ago, that there would be cases, he said on Monday. We have always said hotel quarantine is the inner ring of containment, followed by testing, tracing, and distancing. Where anybody indicates that there is only one line of defence, that would be inaccurate. While Victorian health authorities are still awaiting genomic sequencing on the Holiday Inn case, the two other recent infections in Melbourne have already been confirmed to be the more infectious British variant of COVID-19. A 26-year-old hotel worker, who had been working at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the Australian Open, tested positive last Wednesday night. A returned traveller who was staying at the Park Royal quarantine hotel at Melbourne Airport was infected last week by a family of five after viral particles spread from their room. In the latest case, the woman was tested at the end of her shift on February 4, returning a negative result. She went back to work on Sunday, where she developed symptoms and later tested positive. Genomic testing is under way to determine which variant of the virus the worker contracted, and authorities expect the results by late Tuesday. Were working on a worst-case scenario that says were dealing with a complex strain we do not know that yet, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said on Monday. About 80 hotel quarantine staff working at the Holiday Inn, including nine Victoria Police officers and 12 Australian Defence Force personnel, are considered close contacts of the woman and have been placed in quarantine for 14 days. About 15 household and social contacts have also been identified, while exposure sites have been named in several locations in the citys north-west, including retail outlets in Maidstone, Sunshine and Taylors Lakes. La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vally said exactly how the two workers and the returned traveller who tested positive were infected was yet to be determined but it may be that the more infectious strains were posing greater containment challenges. However, another possibility was that authorities were finding more cases through more rigorous detection. We are getting better at detecting these spillover events better and thats really important, Professor Vally said. Professor Vally said investing in high-quality N95 face masks for staff was a small financial burden that could help prevent further outbreaks. We want to have everything in our favour, so we should be doing all we can to protect people, he said. Cases of coronavirus seeded in hotel quarantine programs in Western Australia and Queensland recently have both been confirmed to be the British variant of the virus, and have triggered widespread short, sharp lockdowns to contain its spread. Another cluster late last year in South Australia was also traced back to hotel quarantine. Cases escaping into the community after hotel quarantine staff were infected sparked Victorias second wave of COVID-19 last year, which sent the city into lockdown for almost three months, and saw 800 people die, many of them elderly residents of aged care homes. Professor Sim said if a link was established between the recent leaks from quarantine and more infectious COVID-19 variants, further measures may need to be introduced, such as portable extraction filters in hotel corridors. He said another option was reusable respirators, which gave even better protection than disposable N95 masks. Theyve got a much tighter seal The full-face ones cover the eyes as well [providing] better protection really than shields, he said. However, Professor Sim said they were also not very comfortable to wear and could make talking difficult. British government experts and researchers have estimated the new strain of the virus is about 55 to 70 per cent more transmissible than earlier versions affecting its citizens. A deserted Regent Street, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) Developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine expect to have a modified jab to cope with the South Africa coronavirus variant by autumn, the vaccine's lead researcher said Sunday. Health officials in Britain are trying to contain the spread of the variant first identified in South Africa amid concerns that it is more contagious or resistant to existing vaccines. More than 100 cases of the South African variant have been found in the U.K. Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher for the Oxford team, told the BBC on Sunday that "we have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works." "It looks very likely that we can have a new version ready to use in the autumn," she added. Her comments came as Oxford University said that early data from a small study suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine offers only "minimal protection" against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, involved 2,000 people, most of whom were young and healthy. The volunteers' average age was 31. "Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalization or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at such low risk," Oxford University said. NHS advice is displayed on the screen in Piccadilly Circus, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) Face coverings on the statues of former US President Franklyn D. Roosevelt, left, and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Mayfair, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) A man jogs in a deserted street in Mayfair, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) General view of a deserted street in Mayfair, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) A deserted street in Mayfair, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 file photo, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson watches as nurse Rebecca Cathersides administers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Lyn Wheeler at Guy's Hospital in London. Britain is racing to vaccinate more than 15 million people by mid-February, and in an effort to ensure vaccines get to the right places at the right times, along with the syringes, alcohol swabs and protective equipment needed to administer them, the government has called in the army. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File) A closed pub in Soho, London, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, as the third national lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, continues. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) A woman, name not given, is vaccinated at a Covid-19 pop-up vaccination centre, at the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, London, Saturday Feb. 6, 2021. Britain's vaccination program is pushing to offer a vaccination to aged, vulnerable and care workers by mid-February. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) People attend a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination centre, at the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, London, Saturday Feb. 6, 2021. Britain's vaccination program is pushing to offer a vaccination to aged, vulnerable and care workers by mid-February. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) Robin Shattock, a scientist who is leading the coronavirus vaccine research at Imperial College London, urged caution about the study's early findings. But he said it was "concerning to some extent that we're seeing that it's not effective against mild or moderate disease." Authorities in England last week went house-to-house to administer COVID-19 testing in eight areas where the South Africa variant is believed to be spreading, after a handful of cases were found in people who had no contact with the country or anyone who travelled there. The testing blitz is a bid to snuff out the variant before it spreads widely and undermines the U.K.'s vaccination rollout. Public health officials are concerned about the South Africa variant because it contains a mutation of the virus' characteristic spike protein, which is targeted by existing vaccines. Britain has seen Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, with over 112,000 confirmed deaths, but it has embarked on a speedier vaccination plan than the neighboring European Union. So far the U.K. has given a first coronavirus vaccine jab to about 11.5 million people. Explore further AstraZeneca vaccine effective against UK variant: Oxford University 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The average property tax bill in New Jersey has cracked $9,000 for the first time, rising $159 to $9,112 in 2020, according to new data from the state Department of Community Affairs. The one-year increase of less than 2% is low by historical standards but represents another new high for a state with the unwelcome distinction of the highest property taxes in the nation. Three counties Bergen, Essex and Union topped $12,000 for average homeowner property taxes and four others Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic and Somerset had average bills above $10,000. At the other end, the average 2020 property tax bill in Cumberland County was less than $5,000. The statewide figure, compiled based on property tax data from 565 municipalities, is double the average property tax bill homeowners paid two decades ago. It comes as Democrats in Congress make a push to remove the $10,000 cap on how much you can deduct in state and local taxes as part of a third stimulus bill. Since Gov. Phil Murphy took office in 2018, average tax bills have risen about 4% from $8,767 to $9,112. From 2017 to 2018 the average property tax bill increased by less than 1%, while the increase from 2018 to 2019 was 2.1%. The 2020 increase clocked in at about 1.7%. Murphy said last year the comparatively small year-over-year changes were proof his administration is delivering on our promise to provide property tax stability while restoring New Jerseys fiscal standing and growing our economy. His administration has boasted of stabilizing property taxes by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars more into public schools, which he argued would take the pressure off of school districts to raise money locally. Every new dollar in school funding is a new dollar of property tax relief, Murphy said last year. Every new dollar we provide is a dollar that doesnt have to come out of the pockets of property taxpayers. Murphy, however, scrapped a planned $335 million increase in school funding for the current fiscal year because his administration projected the state would face significant revenue declines amid the pandemic. As a result, the state is spending as much this school year as it did in the previous school year. The new figures come as debate rages in Washington over how much you should be able to deduct in state and local taxes on your federal income taxes. The $10,000 cap set by former President Donald Trump and a Republican Congress hit homeowners in high-tax states like New Jersey especially hard. All 21 counties in New Jersey had reduced home values as a result of the tax change, a Moodys Analytics study found. The U.S. Senate voted 51-49 on Friday to defeat an amendment blocking a repeal of the cap from being added to the third stimulus bill. It was not included in President Joe Bidens original stimulus proposal. Murphy joined with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week in calling for its elimination, saying the cap cost New Jersey and New York taxpayers billions more in taxes. It was done not for any practical purpose but completely based on politics, Murphy said. In New Jersey, sweeping property tax reforms undertaken by former Gov. Chris Christies administration that capped increases in local government and school district spending and police and firefighter arbitration awards at 2% helped stamp out big year-over-year tax hikes. Prior to those caps, property taxes were rising anywhere from 3% to 7% each year. The Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2017 allowed the 2% cap on raises police and firefighters can win in arbitration to expire. County and municipal leaders have urged the cap be installed permanently, saying they would otherwise be forced to cut services or take advantage of loopholes in the 2% spending cap. Murphy, who was not yet in office, did not signal support for renewing the cap. Murphy also vetoed a bill pushed by the Senate President Stephen Sweeney that would have allowed 40 school districts that are losing state education aid as school funding is reconfigured to make up for their losses by raising local property taxes more than 2 percent without asking voters first. In addition, Murphy raised the state gross income tax deduction for property taxes from $10,000 to $15,000 to counteract the federal cap on state and local property tax deductions. NJ Advance Media report Jonathan D. Salant contributed to this report. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. New Delhi: The unfortunate Uttarakhand glacier burst has turned the world to India. As 12 people are feared dead and over 170 missing after the disaster on Sunday (February 7) the world leaders express their grief and stand in solidarity with the country. The leaders took it to their social media handles to offer their support in this difficult time. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday wrote on his official Twitter handle, "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed," he tweeted. A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday triggering massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. Following the incident, leaders across the world including French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki expressed condolences to the victims of the glacial burst. "France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families," said Macron in a tweet. Additionally, Nepal also offered condolences to the families of the victims of a glacial burst in Uttarakhand. In a Twitter post, Nepals Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to the flash floods in Uttarakhand. "We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash flood caused by an avalanche in Uttarakhand, India. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and pray for the safety of those missing.@PradeepgyawaliK @PaudyalBR." The US State Department said: "Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured." The ITBP is carrying out the rescue operation in the affected areas in Chamoli to rescue trapped people. At least nine bodies have been recovered from the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) site in the Tapovan area, informed SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP. Taking to Twitter, Morrison commented that Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time. "Devastating news for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following flash flooding in Uttarakhand. Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time," he tweeted. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. He added that the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. Live TV ArtLink has unveiled its exceptional art program for The St. Regis Amman , the debut property of the iconic luxury hotel brand to open in the Kingdom of Jordan. Inspired by the original St. Regis New York, The St. Regis Amman blends timeless style, impeccable service and true sophistication with Jordans cultural heritage, elevating the concept of luxury in the Jordanian capital. The hotels interiors reflect this amalgamation of concepts, finished with contemporary bespoke features including a grand staircase and delicate chandeliers, and subtle references to the Dead Sea and the sculpted rose stones of Petra scattered throughout. The hotels art collection, proudly curated by London-based consultancy ArtLink, further reinforces this sense of place, and reflects the brands unwavering commitment to hospitality. With authentic Jordanian culture at its heart, the collection features works by artists and artisans from the local Levant region exclusively, creating a strong, deep-rooted connection between the hotel and its local surroundings. The 754-piece art collection at The St. Regis Amman unleashes the creative expression of 162 talented local artists and includes original sculptures, glassworks, paintings, photography, mosaics and hand-embroidered artistry. With a desire to highlight ancient Jordanian traditions and techniques, ArtLink set out to connect with the best local talent in the community. Collaborating with the finest artisans of the region, they curated a collection that includes strong cultural references, and alludes to traditional crafts in a way that is both contemporary and sophisticated. Each piece conveys luxurious hospitality -- a key element of traditional Jordanian culture and a pillar of the St. Regis brand values. For the hotels ground floor, ArtLink commissioned several artworks by Apercu, a local design studio that specialises in creating bespoke pieces, practicing innovational design. Working largely with natural materials, Apercu fuses wood, stone and metal with modern substances like resin to produce inspiring and elegant pieces of art that beautifully merge tradition with modernity, adding to guests experience of culturally-rooted hospitality. In the hotels entrance, beautiful hand-made embroidery artworks inspired by Jordans national flower, the Black Iris, take center stage. These works by local female artisans are the result of a collaboration between ArtLink and the Jordan River Foundation, a non-profit organisation chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah that has spurred a revival of locally-produced crafts by empowering women in rural communities. The mural painting Old King Cole that adorns the St. Regis New York Bar has become an iconic symbol of the institution, inspiring a tradition that for every new St. Regis hotel around the world, a large-scale mural is commissioned. At The St. Regis Amman, a captivating mosaic mural Drinkers of the Wind hangs above the bar, inspired by Princess Alia Al Hussein of Jordans book, The Story of Jordans Arab Horses. The mural pays homage to the beloved Arabian horses from the days of Bedouin tribes in the 18th and 19th centuries, and celebrates a noble and distinguished lineage in Jordan. Embroidery and Islamic geometry are also sources of inspiration for the artist Julia Ibbini, whose delicate artworks combine complex digital designs with traditional ornament and craftsmanship, exploring the possibilities of human and machine collaboration. For the St. Regis collection, Ibbini created compositions made of delicate laser-cut paper patterns and hand-painted ink drawings, paying tribute to Islamic architecture and symbolism. Tal Danai, founder of ArtLink, said: Were proud to have been able to work so closely with the local community, not only to help tell the story behind The St. Regis Amman but to support lesser-known artists with a platform to display their works to a large audience. As The Levant is historically renowned for its craftsmanship, it was a wonderfully enriching experience to work with the top local artisans to produce such a profound art collection that truly celebrates Jordans cultural heritage. The St. Regis Amman is located in the Abdoun district of Amman, on the prestigious 5th Circle amongst the citys leading luxury hotels and tourist attractions. - TradeArabia News Service Barely a week after over a million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine arrived in South Africa, the countrys government said it has suspended the rollout of the jabs for failing to protect clinical trial volunteers from mild or moderate illness. Authorities said preliminary investigations showed the vaccines did not protect volunteers from the more contagious variant of the disease known as B.1.351. South Africas health minister, Zweli Mkhize, said findings of the trial conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand showed the AstraZeneca vaccine reduced mild-to-moderate COVID-19 by just 22 per cent, Sky News reported. The vaccine rollout would be put on hold to study its effects including on severe cases in more detail until the scientists give us clear indications as to what we need to do, the health minister said on Sunday. Nigeria is expecting to receive 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines before the end of February, authorities said. The study No deaths or hospitalisations were recorded in the study, which involved more than 2,000 people with a median age of 31. According to the New York Times, the study was limited by the fact that subjects were predominantly young, healthy adults and that numbers were small, AstraZeneca said Saturday. This makes it difficult to pinpoint just how effective or not the vaccine might be against the variant, scientists say. Because the clinical trial participants were young and unlikely to become severely ill, also made it difficult to determine if the variant interfered with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines ability to protect against severe COVID-19, hospitalizations or deaths. This is a heavy setback to South Africas vaccine rollout target. The country is the most adversely impacted by the coronavirus in Africa with nearly 1.5 infections and over 46,000 people dead. In a bid to curb the spread and bend the fatality curve, South Africa was on the verge of a massive vaccine rollout plan now scuttled by the recent findings about the AstraZeneca vaccine. The South African government had planned to start vaccinating frontline health workers this month using 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that are being supplied by Indias Serum Institute, the Financial Times reported. The government will now switch to other alternative vaccines such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines. The country has so far secured 9 million J&J doses and 20 million doses of Pfizers vaccine. What does (this) mean for our vaccination programme which we said will start in February? The answer is it will proceed, Mr Mkhize said in an online briefing on Sunday, Sky News reported. From next week, (and) for the next four weeks, we expect that there will be J&J vaccines, there will be Pfizer vaccines. So what will be available to the health workers will be those vaccines. The AstraZeneca vaccine will remain with us, up until the scientists give us clear indications as to what we need to do. New Variant The COVID-19 variant, B.1.351 was first found in South Africa and has now spread to at least 32 countries, including Nigeria and the United States. ADVERTISEMENT South Africas health minister said the variant is currently accounting for more than 90 per cent of coronavirus cases in South Africa. While the new research findings have not been published in a scientific journal, its troubling discovery that the AstraZeneca-Oxford product showed minimal efficacy in preventing mild and moderate cases of the new variant building on the growing evidence that B.1.351 makes vaccines less effective. South African scientists had warned that the new variant may render the current slate of vaccines less effective, a situation partly blamed for the rising vaccine hesitancy in the country. Pfizer and Moderna both said preliminary studies found their vaccines to be effective against the new highly-contagious coronavirus variants. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Jammu, Feb 8 : The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Monday launched a livelihood generation training programme in banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector envisaged under the MoU signed between the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Mission Youth, J&K. Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that the UT government is opening up new employment avenues for J&K's youth in the banking and financial services sector. He said the BFSI sector has received a major boost due to consumers becoming more aware about the various investment options. This has unleashed the vast potential of this sector for different sections of the society in J&K and elsewhere, he added. Underscoring the significant opportunities being offered by the banking sector, Sinha said that various reforms have created an investor friendly environment and transformed the banking sector into a critical part of the economy. "Our youth needs to develop skills in banking and financial sector to capitalise on the vast opportunities," the Lt Governor said. Addressing the shortlisted candidates for the Mutual Fund Advisors' Capsule course, Sinha said that the short-term training programme will help them begin their journey as entrepreneurs, thereby creating wealth for themselves and opportunities for many more youth. "This is a lifetime opportunity for your career. Like a qualified professional, you need to understand the fund's purpose and specifics and know which fund matches the interest of the investor. Later on, the certificate required from the National Securities Markets Institute (NISM) will also help you," Sinha said. The Lt Governor also lauded the enthusiasm of some of the candidates who walked miles in freezing temperature to appear for the interview. He asked the training partners that after a week of training, they should also focus on apprenticeship for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, so that the transition of training-to-jobs can be completed easily. "Today is a historic day for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time, a programme of employment oriented training is being started in the banking and financial services sector, which itself is sufficient to reflect the multi-dimensional transformation happening in J&K," he said. No, you werent seeing things. Four Seasons Total Landscaping was featured in a Super Bowl commercial. The small Philadelphia landscaping company made famous by a bizarre Rudy Giuliani press conference played the starring role in an ad for Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance services. In the ad, which aired during the third quarter, Four Seasons Total Landscaping owner and president Marie Siravo enters the now-famous garage entrance to reveal a lush botanical dreamscape filled with busy workers tending to butterflies and waterfalls, and harvesting lightning. Success. Its often right place, right time, Siravo says in the ad, a fitting line for a company that became the final punchline of the 2020 presidential campaign thanks to a hastily arranged news conference that began just minutes after Joe Biden had been declared the winner of the election. The interest in Four Seasons Total Landscaping certainly hasnt waned since the election. An 18-second teaser uploaded to YouTube had amassed more than 2.7 million views by Sunday. The moment we walked on set, I was amazed at how many people were working on a Super Bowl commercial featuring my company that Ive poured my blood, sweat, and tears into, Siravo said in a statement. I was beyond flattered by the opportunity and level of support. READ MORE: Phillys Four Seasons Total Landscaping dishes the dirt on the news conference heard round the world: It was nothing we anticipated In a December interview with the Inquirer, Siravo said she was buying bagels in Brigantine when she got the call that the Trump campaign chose Four Seasons Total Landscaping as the site of the now-infamous news conference. The company quickly issued a statement declaring their neutral stance (punctuated by a Go Birds!) and by the afternoon, they were selling T-shirts and merchandise. Were a Wikipedia now! Siravo said. A koala has been caught on camera clambering around on the front seat of a four-wheel drive, grabbing the wheel as if checking out the steering. It was an exciting morning for the startled marsupial who had just caused a six-car pile-up on one of Adelaide's busiest motorways right at the start of Monday's peak-hour rush. The koala strolled onto Adelaide's busy South Eastern Freeway just before 7am, prompting a kind-hearted driver to stop and coax it off the road. Scroll down for video Adelaide's cutest Uber driver? All in a day's work for this naughty marsupial who caused a six-car pile-up on the busy South Eastern Freeway bang on 7am Monday peak-hour His car was rear-ended by another vehicle near the Crafers exit, while other drivers smashed into each other trying to avoid the startled animal as it scampered around the divided highway, Adelaide Now reported. A six-car pile-up ensued with traffic reduced to two lanes during peak hours causing chaos and huge delays for city-bound commuters. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured although South Australia Police said one person was taken to hospital with a sore neck. Adelaide resident Nadia Tugwell, who was three cars back from the monster smash, pulled over to help. Ms Tugwell spotted the koala close to her between the cars and a concrete barrier. As hundreds of other cars were stuck in traffic, this koala got to play around in the front seat of Nadia Tugwell's four-wheel drive, waiting for a rescue volunteer to take him back to the bush Police blocked off one lane of the busy highway to sort out the six-car smash on Monday morning (pictured: emergency services at the scene) 'Then I saw a lady running after it with a blanket trying to catch it,' she told ABC News. The naughty koala did his best to flee, but the two women soon captured the fugitive, wrapped it in a jacket and bundled it into the back seat of Ms Tugwell's four-wheel drive. Ms Tugwell took off for the service station at the bottom of the freeway to hand the koala over to an Adelaide Koala Rescue volunteer. As she stopped and waited at the service station, she felt someone gently tapping on her shoulder. 'That was the koala trying to get between the headrest and the window onto my seat,' she said. Traffic was banked up at peak hour on Monday (pictured, the queue) thanks to the koala's highway antics Wildlife rescuers released the koala into bushland 1km away from the freeway (pictured, after its adventure) The curious marsupial can be seen in the video footage scampering around the front seat and dashboard before grabbing the steering wheel as if trying to drive away. Fauna Rescue of South Australia monitor Anne Bigham said the koala was uninjured and had been released 1km away from the freeway. She also thanked the rescuers who kept the koala safe despite the traffic chaos. South Australia Police Inspector Damien Eichner, however, said drivers should not stop on the freeway to rescue animals, but instead call for police help on 131 444. 'Whilst the safety of the animal is important to us, the safety of the people is more important,' he told ABC News. Egypt is looking to ensure that 50 million citizens in all underdeveloped villages nationwide will benefit from its Decent Life initiative at an estimated cost of EGP 500 billion in the upcoming three years, Planning and Economic Development Minister Hala El-Said told the House of Representatives on Monday. During her revision of the implementation of the governments Egypt Kicks Off programme in front of parliament, El-Said said allocations for the first phase of the presidential initiative was set at EGP 20 billion for 375 villages. The first phase covered approximately 4.5 million citizens, she said. The initiative, launched by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in early 2019, aims to provide better living conditions for the neediest rural villages in Egypt. The president has said that the second stage of the initiative, launched in December, targets a total of 1,500 villages inhabited by 18 million citizens. El-Said said that a plan of action is being developed, for the first time in Egypts history of economic reform, to transform the Egyptian economy into a productive, knowledge-based economy with competitive capabilities in the global economy. Al-Saeed also shed light on the Structural Reform Programme for The Egyptian Economy, a plan of action being developed to implement structural reforms to encourage inclusive growth and create decent job opportunities. Three productive sectors have been identified as a major priority for the structural reform program, namely: the agriculture sector, the industrial sector and the communications and information technology sector, she explained, which are capable of creating job opportunities and providing sustainable foreign exchange. She added in another statement that the government, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, will begin issuing green bonds to help finance green initiatives and investment projects. This will double the percentage of green public investments from 15 percent in the current fiscal year to 30 percent in FY 21/2022, eventually reaching 50 percent by the end of FY 24/2025. Additionally, she stressed the importance of Egypt's Family Planning Program, and how the imbalance between the rate of population growth and the size of resources can hurt prospects for development, effectively reducing per capita spending on education, health, housing, and transportation. Short link: A reptile park is calling for residents of Sydney and surrounds to catch funnel web spiders found in their homes to be milked for their precious antivenom amid a donation shortage. The Australian Reptile Park at Somersby, on the Central Coast, has experienced a lower number of spider donations for its antivenom program this summer. The Australian Reptile Park is asking people to safely catch spiders for its antivenom program. Credit:Peter Rae A spokesperson for the park said the shortage could be due to a number of factors, including the northern beaches lockdown as this is an area where a number of donations usually come from each year. Last summers bushfires also probably affected numbers. However, recent rain and warm weather has created the perfect conditions for the eight-legged housemates to move in across Greater Sydney. After a brief honeymoon, China appears to have blocked a popular, invitation-only audio app called Clubhouse. The iPhone-only app had seen a surge in users over the weekend as users were able to discuss taboo topics like reunification with Taiwan and the plight of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang province. But on Monday, users began reporting difficulty connecting, fueling speculation the app had been blocked by the so-called Great Firewall. "Clubhouse created the space many Chinese yearn for the means to communicate with each other and the world outside of the Great Firewall unconstrained by censorship," said Angeli Datt, a senior research analyst at Freedom House. "The Chinese government swiftly blocked Clubhouse because it knows the most effective way to control free speech is to swiftly clamp down on the channels and tools used to communicate rather than policing individual conversations." The user surge started last week when Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla appeared on the app unexpectedly and held a discussion with Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood, the app instrumental to the GameStop drama. Chinese media covered the conversation. According to Bloomberg, Clubhouse was a hot topic on Chinese social media, and some were even selling invitations to the app on Alibaba's online retailer. Some of the invites were going for as much as $44.60, according to Bloomberg. As with many banned apps, Chinese users can still access Clubhouse using a virtual private network (VPN), and CNN reported that many were doing so. One such user was Susan Liang, a 31-year-old from Shenzhen. "It is too rare an opportunity. Everyone has lived under the Great Firewall for so long, but on this platform, we can talk about anything," she told CNN. "It's like someone drowning and can finally breathe in a large gulp of air." She said she feared a crackdown as VPNs not approved by the government are illegal. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Ascension St. John today announced their plans to construct a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on East 86th Street North in Owasso, Oklahoma, a northern suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The future hospital is the joint venture's second location. (PRNewsfoto/Encompass Health Corporation) Complementing local acute care services like those provided by Ascension St. John Owasso, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies, and 24-hour nursing care, to restore functional ability and quality of life. It will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. "Through the opening of our second hospital with Ascension St. John, we'll be able to support even more individuals in need of intensive, rehabilitation services provided in a hospital setting," said Barb Jacobsmeyer, executive vice president and president of inpatient hospitals at Encompass Health. "Since opening our Broken Arrow hospital in 2016, we have seen an increased demand for our care, and we will continue to work closely with the team at Ascension St. John to make sure our patients are receiving the high-quality care they deserve." "We are thrilled to be partnering with Encompass Health on this rehabilitation hospital in Owasso. This new facility represents our commitment to providing accessible, personalized care for our patients," said Mike McBride, FACHE, Ascension St. John Regional President and COO. "We are very pleased to expand our rehabilitation services for the communities we serve." The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies and activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard. Story continues About Ascension Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2020, Ascension provided $2.4 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 160,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care including 146 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization. Visit www.ascension.org . About Encompass Health As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 137 hospitals, 241 home health locations, and 82 hospice locations in 39 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, cost-effective integrated healthcare. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com , or follow us on our newsroom , Twitter and Facebook . Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. This hospital's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against this hospital; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays, including in connection with the regulatory review and approval process; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health and this hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the ability to successfully complete and integrate this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues, cost savings, and productivity improvements arising from the related operations and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; this hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's or its partners' information systems; this hospital's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on this hospital's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2020. Encompass Health contacts: Ascension St. John contact: Media: Hillary Carnel | 205 970-5912 Media: Caitlin Faeth | 918-949-0712 hillary.carnel@encompasshealth.com caitlin.faeth@ascension.org Investor Relations: Crissy Carlisle | 205 970-5860 crissy.carlisle@encompasshealth.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/encompass-health-corp-and-ascension-st-john-announce-plans-to-build-a-40-bed-rehabilitation-hospital-in-owasso-oklahoma-301223682.html SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. As an actor, actor Rajkummar Rao is all about performances. Last seen in Ramin Bahranis The White Tiger opposite Priyanka Chopra, Rao let a new guy, Gourav Adarsh, bask in the glory of the films success. Now with his upcoming film, Badhaai Do, a sequel to the 2018-super hit film Badhaai Ho, a normally thin-framed Rajkummar Rao has bulked up for his role as a cop. Playing a cop is always exciting for me. I am shooting in Dehradun for the film and there is another film, the remake of the 2020-Telugu film Hit, in which I am playing a cop. It is an exciting story, says Rao who admits to have loved some cop roles in movies. I am a big fan of films like Ardh Satya, Shool and Ab Tak Chhappan. I really like those kinds of characters. And these characters would be my reference when I play a cop, says Rao. Treating an acting bug According to Rao, acting was the only talent he had. I fell in love with my art when I was a kid. I was never chasing fame and money; this is what I wanted to do. I did theatre and went to the Film Institute as I did not want to come here unprepared, he says talking about how he went about with his preparations for the craft. Youll have friends wholl say that you do very good mimicry and impressions and look good too. And theyll ask you to go to Mumbai and be an actor. But it is not that simple. Cinema is changing and we need talent out there now. We need to get trained and have some experience before coming here. I came here and I did not want to give up chasing my dream without Plan B. But it was not all about films for the actor, who had wanted to do something with theatre after school. There was this wonderful place called Shriram Centre for Performing Arts near Mandi House, and I enrolled for a two-year acting course, for which I travelled from Gurugram to Delhi in the state roadway buses, recounts Rao, getting nostalgic. I come from a humble middle-class family; we were not too financially well-off. My dad Satyapal Yadav was a government employee working in the revenue department. So someone told me that I should arrange a bus pass by enrolling into a Delhi University college as I was spending a lot of money daily in travelling. Changing tracks With a decent academic performance in Class 12, Rao applied to different colleges and got into one where he pursued his bachelor of arts. Then on, a different schedule ensued. The actor who was then called Rajkumar Yadav would leave home by 6:30 am and reach college and then keep acting, preparing for plays and return home by 11 pm for dinner, following the same routine for three years. That is when I learnt FTII was restarting their acting course. As Id always wanted to act in films, I applied and got through in my first attempt. There, you are not just attending classes I spent two and a half years breathing cinema and talking actors with some great teachers, says Rao. For all the film talk happening to him then, Rajkummar recounts how the only Hollywood star he knew before FTII was Tom Cruise. The place I come from, in Prem Nagar, Gurgaon, I had access to only Hindi films, he explains. But FTII opened a new world for me. There, I watched films of Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep, Kurosawa and Francois Truffaut, and was inspired by many including Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro. I realised that acting was not only about looking good and saying your lines. It had become a much deeper spiritual journey for me. Finding his footing The actor points out how much he owes his parents. My mother always had faith in me. She asked me to keep working and that it will work out. She never told me, Why dont you try TV serials? It is not that I am looking down upon that medium, but I wanted to be in films. I was staying in Mumbai with two of my batch mates, chasing my dream since 2008, and Mumbai is an expensive city. There were days when there was no money for food, and wed go to a friends house and ask, Can I share your meal? And they were kind enough to do that, he says. Life did, however, change for him after his debut film in 2010, Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (LSD), with Dibakar Banerjee. I never thought LSD would change anything for me in that I didnt think people would scream out my name on the streets. But I knew that this would be a film that people would watch and directors would notice my work in, and that is what happened. Anurag offered me Gangs of Wasseypur 2 and then Mukesh Chhabra got me Shahid and Shahid got me a National Award, he reminisces. Gary S. May, chancellor of the University of California, Davis, will receive the 2021 Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award honors researchers who, for 25 years or more, have positively impacted the atmosphere of a department or institution by mentoring students who are underrepresented in STEM fields, such as women, African American, Native American and Hispanic men, and people with disabilities. Over a three-decade career as a professor of computer engineering and university administrator, May has founded numerous programs that support underrepresented minority STEM students and mentored more than 100 Ph.D. candidates. Many of May's mentees are now mentors in their own right, with high-ranking positions in academia and industry. "In every role Chancellor May has played in higher education, he has sought to support the entry and success of students from underrepresented minority populations and first-generation college students," said Shirley Malcom, director of SEA Change, a AAAS initiative that helps universities build more inclusive campuses. "Leadership matters a lot in diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM, and we are pleased he has been recognized for a lifetime of such leadership." Hired by the Georgia Institute of Technology as an assistant professor in 1991, May went on to spend 26 years on the school's faculty. In 2011, he became dean of Georgia Tech's college of engineering, a position he held until moving to UC Davis in 2017. In 1998, May founded the Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Science (FACES) program to encourage students from underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in academia. Over the duration of the program, more than 430 minority students earned STEM Ph.D.s at Georgia Tech, a number that led the nation. Samuel Graham arrived at Georgia Tech as a graduate student in 1995. He met May that year and later become one of the first recipients of a FACES grant. Graham is now the first African American chair of Georgia Tech's school of mechanical engineering. "Even as he was busy successfully progressing through the ranks of his career, Chancellor May was always accessible to provide guidance," Graham wrote in a letter recommending May for the AAAS award. "I am a professor and administrator today in large part due to the mentorship that he provided me." In 1992, May founded the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Sciences (SURE) program. Of the more than 500 undergraduates who have participated in SURE, 75% have gone on to attend graduate school. In 2013, May helped launch the University Center of Exemplary Mentoring, an initiative that awards stipend support to minority Ph.D. students in the eight schools of Georgia Tech's college of engineering. In addition to providing direct benefits to students, May's enthusiasm has inspired other academic leaders to step up their own commitment to mentoring. Kenneth Ball, dean of George Mason University's school of engineering, met May at a seminar in 2007, and they have kept in touch ever since. "I have witnessed first-hand the impact that Gary has had on literally hundreds of other deans and senior leaders in engineering education," Ball wrote in a letter to AAAS. "Indeed, I consider myself to be one of Gary's many mentees. His example serves as an inspiration to me, and I am a better dean and academic leader because of Gary's involvement in my life and career." May has won several other awards in honor of his mentoring initiatives and research on the manufacturing of integrated circuits, tiny chips that are the foundation of modern electronics. He received the AAAS Mentor Award in 2006 and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama in 2015. He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2018 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020. ### The AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award was established in 1991. In considering nominations, the award committee looks at quantitative data and letters of support for evidence of how a researcher's work resulted in departmental or institutional change with regard to the granting of doctorate degrees to underrepresented students. Such efforts include providing psychological support, helping students to publish their work, and lending career guidance. May will receive the award in a virtual ceremony on Feb. 10, during the 187th AAAS Annual Meeting. AAAS will begin accepting nominations for the 2022 award on April 15. More information on eligibility requirements can be found here. India may consider Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd ( Bhel ), Mecon Ltd and Andrew Yule and Co. Ltd among candidates for the next round of disinvestment pick, said two people aware of the development, requesting anonymity. SBI Capital Markets Ltd, the adviser to the proposed stake sale in Bhel, recently submitted its report to the department of investment and public asset management (Dipam) on the plan. This will help the governments thinking on whether to proceed with the stake sale in Indias largest power equipment maker and the amount of stake that would be sold. SBI Capital is also advising Dipam on the proposed stake sales in Mecon and Andrew Yule. The department of heavy industry is the nodal ministry for both Bhel and Andrew Yule, while Mecon falls under the steel ministry. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports The stake sales in the three companies will bolster the governments efforts to raise funds via asset sales for the next fiscal and overcome the tepid progress made so far this year. The government hopes to garner 1.75 trillion from disinvestment receipts next fiscal. It has been missing its disinvestment targets, and of the 2.1 trillion disinvestment goal for this fiscal, it has been able to raise just 15,220 crore as on 20 January, with key transactions such as that of Air India Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) pushed to next year. Presenting the Union budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced details of a new central public sector enterprise (CPSE) policy, paving the way for consolidation of strategic state-run firms and privatization of non-strategic ones. The policy provides a clear road map for disinvestment in all non-strategic and strategic sectors. We have kept four areas that are strategic where bare minimum CPSEs (central public sector enterprises) will be maintained and the rest privatized. In the remaining sectors, all CPSEs will be privatized," Sitharaman said in her budget speech. To fast forward the disinvestment policy, I am asking NITI (Aayog) to work out on the next list of CPSEs that would be taken up for strategic disinvestment," she said. A Bhel spokesperson, in an emailed response, said, As you would be aware, the disinvestment exercise of any PSU is the prerogative of the government. Accordingly, Dipam manages the process as mandated." To the best of our knowledge, there is no information on Bhels disinvestment at this juncture," the spokesperson said. Queries emailed to the spokespersons of Dipam, ministries of finance and steel, department of heavy industry, Mecon and Andrew Yule last Sunday remained unanswered. A spokesperson for SBI Capital declined to comment. The Centre holds a 63.17% stake in Bhel, one of the 10 Maharatna CPSEs. The rest is held by financial institutions and banks, insurance firms, foreign holdings and non-institutions. Bhel accounts for 53% of Indias installed power generation capacity in the conventional space, producing the entire range of power plant equipment ranging from thermal, gas, hydro and nuclear power projects. With 16 manufacturing units and around 33,500 staff, Bhel had orders worth 1.1 trillion as of September quarter. In FY20, Bhel reported a loss of 1,473 crore. Andrew Yule is present in diverse businesses such as tea, electrical, engineering, lubricant and printing through three unitsHooghly Printing Co. Ltd, Yule Electricals Ltd and Yule Engineering Ltd. Mecon is present in the metals and mining space and has been working on diversification in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, space and defence. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. ANN ARBOR, MI One person was injured and another was arrested for suspected arson Sunday night after a fire sparked in a 106-unit apartment building in Ann Arbor. Emergency crews were called at 11:36 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, to Miller Manor Apartments, 727 Miller Avenue, for a reported fire after heavy smoke was seen on the second floor of the seven-story building, according to the Ann Arbor Fire Department. Crews arrived to find flames in the windows of one of the apartments and, due to the large number of tenants living in the building, called for additional fire support to assist with fire suppression and the evacuation of residents, officials said. Fire crews were able to contain the blaze then ventilate the building to remove the smoke before allowing residents to return. One resident was taken to Michigan Medicine to be treated for minor injuries. No firefighters were injured in the incident, officials said. Ann Arbor police officers arrested one person at the scene for suspected arson. The individual is currently being questioned and no additional information is available at this time, police said. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and the University of Michigan provided buses at the scene to keep temporarily displaced residents warm while crews were on scene. The Ann Arbor Township Fire Department, Pittsfield Township Fire Department, Saline Fire Department, Scio Township Fire Department, Huron Valley Ambulance and HART Huron Valley assisted at the scene. The Ypsilanti Township Fire Department, Ypsilanti Fire Department and Northfield Township Fire Department handled emergency calls for Ann Arbor while crews were on scene at the apartment fire. More from The Ann Arbor News: Man knocked out in University of Michigan hospital parking garage wakes to find car on fire, police say Hundreds of psychologists, physicians urge AAPS to offer in-person classes by March 1 Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Restrictions on the number of TDs who can sit in the Dail, reduced working hours and limited committee time has hampered the work of our elected representatives but some newbies have still made an impact, writes Deputy Political Editor Elaine Loughlin. 1.Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Calling for a modernisation of the Constitution the Fine Gael TD has highlighted the overly restrictive nature of the requirement to be present for every vote in every circumstance in the Dail. She has put forward a bill to allow for remote voting in the Houses of the Oireachtas which would also pave the way for maternity and paternity leave for elected representatives. The Dun Laoghaire TD has led calls for regular updates on Covid vaccine rollout and has campaigned for the resumption of regular HIV testing and treatment as a matter of urgency. 2.Holly Cairns The Social Democrat TD has made a name for herself since entering the Dail and has campaigned strongly to provide politicians with the right to maternity leave. She offered to pair with Justice Minister Helen McEntee after she gives birth when constitutional issues were raised around her taking leave. The Cork South-West politician has also worked to end a Covid ban on partners attending scans and has highlighted the postcode lottery of maternity hospital restrictions imposed on pregnant women and their partners. She showed a fearless streak when she invited Wayne McCarthy of Greyhound Racing Ireland to take part in a broadcast debate on the industry after he called her an an ignorant little girl online. Also in this special report: 3. Mairead Farrell The first-time TD was quickly elevated to Sinn Feins spokesperson on public expenditure and reform on entering Leinster House and she has proven to be an astute political debater and strong Dail performer. She has also worked with party colleague Pearse Doherty on reforming lobbying law, publishing legislation to provide the Standards in Public Office Commission more powers to clamp down on what she described as the revolving door between politics and big business. In recent times she has repeatedly raised the salary increase given to the secretary general of the Department of Health. 4. Neale Richmond The former senator gained prominence as Fine Gaels Brexit spokesperson in the last Seanad and has continued with a similar role since entering the Dail. Spokesman on European affairs, he recently referred the Leave.eu campaign to ComReg following its relocation to Waterford, claiming it is an odious campaign group thats spread fear and disinformation throughout the Brexit referendum and subsequent negotiation process. The Dublin Rathdown politician has also raised issues in the childcare sector, the rise in knife crime, the maintenance of fertility services in level 5 restrictions as well as the decline in students studying a foreign language at third level. Verona Murphy was dropped by Fine Gael after comments about asylum seekers but was elected as an Independent. Picture; Mary Browne 5. Verona Murphy The Wexford TD entered politics amid controversy for remarks she made about asylum seekers. After being dropped by Fine Gael she stood as an Independent. The former head of the Irish Road Haulage Association has used her Dail time to raise concerns around Brexit and to press for investment in Rosslare Europort which she said is needed to cope with the added burden of the UKs departure from the EU. She has repeatedly highlighted the pressure on transport, customs, and trade as a result of Brexit with the Taoiseach and other government ministers. Not-so-new but still making an impact. 6. Catherine Connolly The Galway West TD managed to steal at least 15 votes from within the Government ranks to secure the position of leas ceann comhairle in a shock victory over Fine Gaels candidate Fergus ODowd. As the first woman to hold the role in the history of the Dail, she has presided over the business in a calm and cool manner even when faced with heckling and interjections. She recently kept her composure when she was pointed at and spoken over by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who later apologised for his behaviour. Her contributions after the publication of the mother and baby homes report were outstanding and hit a nerve with many. 7. Thomas Pringle The Co Donegal deputy has called for a Zero Covid strategy and has been critical of the Government approach to reopening schools. Through parliamentary questions, he highlighted the fact that 100 prisoners have died while in custody in prison over the past decade, with inquests into the deaths yet to take place in 35 cases. The Independent TD recently brought forward a bill to hold a referendum on constitutional protections for economic, social and cultural rights, such as the right to housing, health and mental health, and trade union representation. Mr Pringle said he hoped it will be third time lucky for his amendment of the Constitution which he brought forward in 2015 and 2017. When pressing the bill he said: Why do I keep resubmitting this bill for debate? Because of its importance to our human rights. 8. Gino Kenny After many years of tireless campaigning, the Solidarity-PBP TD saw his Dying With Dignity bill move to committee stage having been passed through the Dail in October. The bill, which seeks to make provision for the assistance in achieving a dignified and peaceful end of life in a qualifying person, will now progress further this year. With other members of his grouping he has also brought the Debenhams workers dispute to Leinster House. 9. Jim OCallaghan There was shock when the Fianna Fail TD did not receive a Cabinet position in Micheal Martins government. The Dublin Bay South TD then went on to refuse a junior ministerial role. Since then, the barrister has worked to close a loophole preventing the naming of murdered children. Following the Court of Appeal ruling in late October, Mr OCallaghan tabled an amendment to restore the previous status quo, which would allow the families to speak publicly, and would permit the media to report fully on trials. He has maintained pressure on Justice Minster Helen McEntee to resolve the issue. 10. David Cullinane The Sinn Fein health spokesperson has gained a reputation as a fair but tough questioner since taking up the position of health spokesperson. He has been critical of the Governments handling of Covid and the vaccination rollout programme. He has been a strong performer on the health committee and has campaigned for student nurses and midwives by tabling a motion to ensure they get paid through the pandemic. David Cullinane of Sinn Fein who topped the poll in Waterford with a landslide victory. Picture: Patrick Browne And making waves in the Seanad: 1. Regina Doherty (FG): Strongly rejected the mother and baby homes report and called on her government colleagues to do the same. 2. Catherine Ardagh (FF): Has campaigned for free IVF treatment after raising her experience in the Seanad. 3. Victor Boyhan (Ind): Having grown up in residential care, the Independent senator spoke eloquently of his experiences and on behalf of the survivors of mother and baby homes. 4. Marie Sherlock (Lab): Has pushed for statutory sick pay for all workers. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A coronavirus variant first identified in Britain is rapidly spreading in the United States, threatening to bring a surge of new cases as its prevalence doubles roughly every 10 days, according to a new study. The paper was posted online on Sunday and has not yet been peer reviewed, but it does offer the most comprehensive look at the rise of B.1.1.7 in the country hit hardest by the pandemic. A team of scientists led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute analyzed half a million test samples collected across the country since last summer. Rather than individually sequence all of them, they were able to identify a particular anomaly that was a "reliable proxy" for B.1.1.7. They also analyzed the full genetic sequence, a more time-consuming process, for 212 samples. They found the variant was introduced at multiple points into the US in November 2020, and while currently low in overall frequency, it is set to become the dominant form of the virus by March. The team added that transmission rate was at least 35-45 percent higher than more common variants, and its prevalence is doubling every week and a half. Britain saw devastating waves of COVID after B.1.1.7 became dominant there, and the variant has been observed in many European countries including Portugal and Ireland. "B.1.1.7 is much more contagiousso it can quickly overwhelm a nation," Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, tweeted in response to the paper. Ireland had got its outbreak under control by late 2020, but in January B.1.1.7 triggered an exponential wave there that it is now recovering from. The United States has had the world's largest outbreak, with more than 27 million confirmed cases and 460,000 deaths, but its last wave peaked around January 8 and infections have been dropping since. Florida hit hardest There are fears that B.1.1.7 could trigger a new spike, and it is spreading particularly rapidly in Florida, according to the study. The study's authors called for the United States to build up its COVID genomic surveillance system. "I'm asking everyone to please keep your guard up," Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said at a briefing on Monday. "The continued proliferation of variants remains of great concern and is a threat that could reverse the recent trend positive trends we are seeing." Current vaccines remain effective against the variant, while the use of masks drastically reduces transmission. "The two things that we can do is a) make sure we adhere to the public health measures....and b)get as many people vaccinated, as quickly as we possibly can," added Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor on the pandemic. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Editor's Note: This story about a San Antonio Sears' final day published one year ago in February 2020. Sears at South Park Mall is nearly empty after more than 60 years of being part of San Antonio's South Side shopping experience. Photos shared by New Republic of San Antonio show the once-bustling department store decimated to only a handful of products and racks Monday night. The South Park Mall store was the only one in Texas affected by the decision to close 96 Sears and Kmart locations. Transformco, the parent company of the two brands, announced the "difficult" decision in November 2019, citing a desire to "streamline" efforts in the face of "a difficult retail environment and other challenges." At that point, Transformco said all of the stores would be closed by February 2020. The company declined to provide an update for a final day for the South Park Mall location when asked by mySA.com on Tuesday and referred back to the November 2019 statement. RELATED: Sears store at South Park Mall to close by February 2020 The embattled department store chain has one remaining San Antonio location inside Rolling Oaks Mall. When asked about the status of that location in November, Transformco also declined to comment. There are also two Sears Outlets stores in San Antonio. The Sears store at Ingram Park Mall closed in October 2018, as the retailer entered bankruptcy. Sears, Roebuck & Co. opened the first San Antonio store at 896 Broadway in 1928. The first South Side location opened in 1954, then the 735 S.W. Military Drive location moved to South Park Mall in 1996 to become one of the anchor stores, according to San Antonio Express-News archives. Ten years ago, the department store chain operated 3,500 locations, according to Business Insider. After the wave of closings, an expected 182 remain. Business Insider called the downfall of Sears "the retail apocalypse." Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye Richard Shelby, the symbol of an era in southern politics. Photo: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images On one level, the announcement by Alabama Republican senator Richard Shelby that he will retire in 2022 was a predictable nothing burger. At 86, hes the third-oldest senator (behind Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Grassley). Hes in his sixth full term in the upper chamber, having spent eight years in the House before that and eight years in the Alabama state senate before that (he was first elected to office just over half a century ago, in 1970, the year of George Wallaces race-baiting comeback campaign for governor of the state). He has chaired four major Senate committees, including Appropriations, the one that probably extended his career by making him Alabamas invaluable pork-procurer. But his very seniority makes him a historic figure in a passive sort of way: Hes the last surviving Senate member of the tribe of party-switching southern Democrats who followed (more than they led) an exodus of white conservatives into the Republican Party, which has had the upper hand in most Deep South states of the former Confederacy. It began with Strom Thurmond, the former Dixiecrat presidential candidate who joined the GOP on the wave of Barry Goldwaters 1964 candidacy, which carried five Deep South states. Other apostates who soon followed included Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Mills Godwin of Virginia, Claude Kirk of Florida, Bo Callaway of Georgia, Thad Cochran and Trent Lott of Mississippi, and John Connally of Texas. But another, delayed wave of pols was slowly drifting into the GOP orbit to which Shelby belonged. Shortly after his election to the House, Shelby joined the band of so-called Boll Weevil Democrats (a southern answer to the moderate-to-liberal Gypsy Moth Republicans), who gave crucial help to Ronald Reagan in passing his epochal 1981 budget and tax-cut bills. The leading Boll Weevil was Texas House member Phil Gramm, who changed parties and was elected to the Senate in 1984; Gramm is eight years younger than Shelby but has been out of elected office since 2002. Shelby rose to the Senate two years after Gramm, but while he voted often with Republicans, he didnt formally cross the aisle until the day after the 1994 elections, which swept the GOP into control of both houses of Congress. Shelby was essentially an Establishment pol who changed parties without much change to his ideology when the time seemed ripe, much like future Georgia governor Nathan Deal and future Louisiana governor Mike Foster, who flipped around the same time. You could even argue that Shelby was a trendsetter in his state, where Democrats held on to the state legislature until 2002. Thats also the year the current Alabama governor, Kay Ivey, became a Republican. While a Democrat, Shelby occasionally did party-friendly things despite his ideology. He voted, for example, against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork (though before switching parties, he backed Clarence Thomass confirmation). And he shared the antipathy to strict austerity policies common to nearly all others on the Appropriations Committee. Most of the likely aspirants to succeed Shelby will be Republicans, of course. Theres some talk of a comeback by former senator Doug Jones, a Democrat, though his 20-point loss to Tommy Tuberville last year doesnt bode well for his or any other Democrats chances. An early list of Republican possibilities from AL.com includes Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Secretary of State John Merrill, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and longtime Shelby staffer Katie Boyd Britt. But the name to watch among aficionados of good old-fashioned Alabama extremism is Representative Mo Brooks, who was the first congressional sponsor of Donald Trumps effort to turn the routine counting of electoral votes into an attempted coup and gave a fiery speech to the January 6 mob before Trumps impeachable appearance. Brooks, who loves to claim that Adolph Hitler was actually a model leftist, would form quite the Senate couple with Tuberville a sort of Trumpy Dumb and Dumber. Neither is likely to exert the kind of Washington influence Richard Shelby amassed over so many years. MANZINI Nurses have accused government of wanting to divide them regarding the 35 per cent proposed risk allowance. Currently, government and nurses are locked in bilateral negotiations on a litany of issues, including a proposal of a 35 per cent risk allowance. This allowance, it was gathered, was not only for the coronavirus pandemic period, but ought to be labelled an infectious allowance and it should feature every month in their salaries. Impeccable sources claimed that this demand was tabled in the ongoing bilateral negotiations between government and the nursing cadres union Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), which is also known as the Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA). These negotiations are a result of a court order issued following that nurses had taken government to court citing lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), medication and also seeking a risk allowance. The negotiations are still ongoing as the last meeting between the pair was held last Wednesday. Advanced The risk allowance, according to sources, was being advanced now as the nurses were working under strenuous conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, which saw a high number of medical personnel contracting the virus. When tabling the demand, nurses wanted every nurse to be awarded the risk allowance of 35 per cent. Worth noting is that the entry level for the nursing cadre is C2 notch one, which offers a nurse E8 593.08 monthly. This means for a junior nurse who has just been employed, the risk allowance, if awarded by government, shall be E3 007.58, which would in turn mean that the monthly remuneration for this particular nurse would be E11 600.66. On the other hand, the senior position in the nursing cadre is that of a chief nurse, who is remunerated on grade F1, which is E35 684.08. This means a chief nurse on this scale, if government agrees to the demand, shall earn E12 489.43 as a risk allowance if eligible. When calculated with the basic salary, it amounts to E48 173.50. Since the pronouncement of the first case in the country, SWADNU has been at the forefront complaining about the shortage of PPE, among other issues. The challenge was so intense such that at some point, Cabinet ministers had to intervene and address healthcare practitioners who had neglected their duties in the various health facilities. In the ongoing negotiations, alternatively, it was gathered, the nurses submitted to government that if there was a challenge with finances, they would rather have government suspend deducting pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax from their salaries for a certain period. According to the impeccable sources, this was said to be an alternative to cushioning their salaries in the face of the pandemic. The impeccable sources claimed that government had hinted that those who could get the risk allowance could be nurses stationed at the Mavuso Quarantine Facility and the Lubombo Referral Hospital. However, this was said to have not augured well with the nurses, as they felt that it would bring about division within the cadre. The impeccable sources claimed that they had learnt that their leaders demanded that all nurses should be awarded the risk allowance as they were all exposed to the virus. The (health) facilities that they are referring to are sometimes full and the other hospitals attend to those who are sick with COVID-19; so, it would be unfair for them not to get the allowance as well, the source said. Exhaustive It was further explained that all nurses were exposed to the virus as the screening methods were not exhaustive in determining patients who had contracted the virus. The sources said even the thermoscanners could have a normal reading of the temperature if that particular individual was not suffering from a fever. Also, government converted some health facilities into COVID-19 centres during the peak of the pandemic in its second wave. To this, the President of SWADNU, Bheki Mamba, confirmed that negotiations were ongoing. He said: I can confirm that negotiations are ongoing and we will issue a statement once the negotiations are complete. Mamba said the ongoing pandemic was impacting the lives of about 2 500 nurses daily and once all is done, his office would address the union and forge a way forward. Meanwhile, last year laboratory personnel downed their tools as they demanded that they wanted the issue of risk allowances to be addressed by their employer, adding that their work was undermined and they were not considered an essential service. The demand for the risk allowance by the nursing cadre is happening at a time when government is targeting to minimise the wage bill by E300 million per year, starting last year, which was said to have been achieved. Italy on Sunday allowed a rescue vessel carrying 422 migrants from Libya to dock at Augusta port in Sicily. Migrants on the rescue boat were allowed to disembark in Italy following distress calls made by the ship in wake of a storm. The Ocean Viking rescue ship, which is operated by SOS Mediterranee and is part of the European Association for Rescue in the Mediterranean Sea missions, called in for help on multiple occasions before they were finally allowed by the Italian government to come ashore. Read: UN Agency: Libyan Navy Intercepts Over 800 EU-bound Migrants "Relief for the survivors on board the Ocean Viking! They have just learned that a safe place has been assigned to disembark, at Augusta in Sicily. While we are glad they are safe soon, we are calling the #UE to strengthen its support to coastal states and to re-establish a dedicated rescue capacity in Mediterranee central," SOS Mediterranee said on Twitter. Read: Mexican Migrants Sent Home A Record $40 Billion In 2020 Evacuees include women & children The rescue team onboard the Ocean Viking ship rescued 424 people in less than 48 hours, including children and women, who were illegally trying to flee Libya on inflatable boats. According to SOS Mediterranee, the rescue team onboard the Ocean Viking spotted an inflatable boat on Thursday, February 4 and it rescued all 121 people, including 19 women and two small children. Hours later the team rescued 116 people from another inflatable boat. On February 5, the team saved 71 people, including 11 minors after it noticed a small boat in distress. Read: Mexico Finds 128 Central American Migrants In Freight Truck Ocean Viking has been carrying 424 people onboard its 69-metre ship ever since. Eight of the 424 rescued people also tested positive for COVID-19 following which they were isolated from the rest. According to the group, a pregnant lady and her partner were urgently evacuated to Malta on February 6, which left the total number of evacuees to 422. Every year, thousands of people die on the sea while attempting to cross into Europe via Africa. Most of these accidents take place because of a lack of safety protocols on poorly managed inflatable boats. Read: Boats Emerge From Sahara Sand To Transport Migrants To Spain (Image Credit: AP) Turbonomic Announces 41% YoY Revenue Growth for FY2021 Turbonomic, the leader in Application Resource Management (ARM), today announced record bookings, revenues, and a full fiscal year profit for 2021. With a rapidly growing customer list that now includes 36% of the Fortune 500, Turbonomic continues to deliver the future of application performance across private, public, and cloud-native environments to the world's largest and most innovative companies. "Our commitment to customers, teamwork, alliance with strategic partnerships, and dedication to our mission propelled the company to new heights in an otherwise challenging year," said Ben Nye, Chief Executive Officer at Turbonomic. "As customers accelerate their application transformation to public cloud, cloud-native, edge, IoT and 5G, Turbonomic ARM provides dynamic resourcing to assure performance at every stage of their journey." Market Momentum (News - Alert) In FY21, leading organizations partnered with Turbonomic to assure application performance through dynamic resourcing in real-time and over-time - a required capability for organizations looking to digitally transform. Many of Turbonomic's customers are actively re-platforming critical applications away from legacy virtualization in pursuit of greater elasticity, agility, and portability. Containers hold the promise of highly scalable and flexible deployment architectures and Turbonomic ARM assures the performance of the applications, infrastructure, and networks on which they depend. Financial Growth 41% Y/Y FY2021 revenue growth 20% Y/Y FY2021 Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) 78% recurring revenues, in only the second year of transitioning from perpetual to term-based licensing Customer Successes Avon is using software to automate decision-making, enabling faster innovation and improved customer experience. Turbonomic ARM provides a far more stable and performant platform, even with the challenges the world has faced over the past year. HauteLook anticipates and avoids performance risks resulting from resource bottlenecks and dependencies as its teams proactively manage applications using a holistic, full-stack view. Litehouse Foods relies on Turbonomic for finding new and innovative ways to assure the performance of their customer-facing applications, while empowering their team with AI-driven automation. "We were constantly challenged with balancing infrastructure cost and performance. That's what led us to look for a solution that we could automate," said Ben Budge, Senior System Administrator at Litehouse Foods. "Turbonomic has been performing very well and has been an integral part of keeping our operations running during this pandemic. It's nice to have the peace of mind, that we have a system that can keep our critical systems running optimally even under increased demand." Alliance Partnership Growth Cisco and Turbonomic extended their OEM partnership with the recent announcement of Cisco Intersight Workload Optimizer (IWO). Cisco IWO, delivered as SaaS, is a strategic management platform that connects application insights to real-time resourcing decisions to continuously assure application performance. IBM (News - Alert) and Turbonomic announced an OEM agreement where IBM will sell ARM to enhance IBM Cloud Pak for Multicloud Management. The number of IBM customers benefitting from IBM ARM is growing rapidly. IBM invited Turbonomic to join its IBM Edge Ecosystem and IBM Cloud for Telecommunications Partner Ecosystem, helping customers accelerate the adoption of 5G and edge technologies. The Red Hat Marketplace now offers Turbonomic ARM, creating broader distribution and making it easier for customers to leverage technologies that will ensure success on their journey to cloud-native. Microsoft announced Turbonomic as an integral component of the Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework, providing customers with best practices and solutions for optimizing applications on Azure. As an advanced AWS Technology Partner, Turbonomic worked closely with Amazon as part of the Amazon EBS gp3 private preview program, which enabled Turbonomic to accelerate the support for the gp3 storage tier. Product Innovation By the end of 2021, IDC states that 80% of enterprises will shift to cloud-centric infrastructure and applications twice as fast as before the pandemic ( Source (News - Alert) : IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions. Oct 2020. DOC #US46942020). With the following platform advancements, Turbonomic's customers are well-positioned to accelerate public cloud adoption, enabling greater elasticity, agility, and return on innovation. Cloud advancements include: Cloud Volumes Optimization: Turbonomic's analytics engine understands the IOPS and Throughput for every cloud storage tier as well as pricing for cloud volumes and uses techniques such as percentile values to assess volume performance based on historical data. Customers are able to find the desired configuration for each individual volume to satisfy performance needs while minimizing costs. Support for Amazon EBS gp3 Storage: Support for Amazon EBS gp3 further extends Turbonomic's unmatched ability to deliver application performance at a significantly lower cost. One Turbonomic customer, who uses the solution to optimize their AWS estate, reported savings from optimizing EBS volumes increased by 84.5% and their required investment needed to resolve EBS performance issues reduced by 93%. Azure SQL PaaS optimization: Turbonomic resourcing decisions match database demand to the available database tiers, while optimizing for performance, cost, and compliance. Turbonomic's AIOps decision engine enhances cloud compute IOPS scaling awareness and support for the latest multicloud VMs/Instance types. Cloud migration experience is redesigned to leverage application consumption-based data for cloud migration planning, simulating migrations of any application to any cloud platform with scaling, BYOL, and RI purchasing recommendations. According to IDC (News - Alert) , 75% of the enterprises will prioritize infrastructure agility and operational efficiency, leading to a 5x increase in the adoption of cloud-native architectures for core business applications by 2024 (Source: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Digital Infrastructure 2021 Predictions. Oct 2020. DOC #US46470820). Turbonomic ARM provides advanced automation for Kubernetes-based application architectures. Cloud-native advancements include: Application-centric view of Kubernetes, hybrid, and multicloud infrastructure: Persistent volume visibility allows customers to understand the resource relationships between Kubernetes pods and persistent volumes, and then correlate them to cloud storage requirements. Container "Prove It" Percentile charts enable customers to visualize the impact of a resize action prior to execution, delivering confidence to automating resourcing decisions. Merged Actions: Customers can easily integrate actions into their pipeline with new merged action support, minimizing the number of pod restarts required to achieve a healthy state. In addition to the progress made to help customers maximize the value of their public cloud and containerization investments, Turbonomic has made multiple advancements to ensure customers can assure the performance of their applications in real-time and over-time, no matter where their applications are running: With the launch of Turbonomic 8, customers can enable external business indicators to be assimilated with application performance metrics. Customers can link application performance to key business indicators by highlighting the levels of dependency and correlation. The platform can capture necessary performance data through Application Performance Management (APM) solutions, and in the absence of APM, can still ingest performance metrics for applications not instrumented with APM. Turbonomic Data Cloud, a time-series performance data warehouse, enables high-definition analytics and reporting for Application and Operations teams. This SaaS offering ingests detailed application metrics, resource utilizations, and the prescribed actions taken to deliver a unified perspective across highly diverse data sources. Customers in diverse roles can rewind and replay time-series performance data to get accurate answers to their complex questions faster and easier. Turbonomic's Network Performance Management (NPM) added highly scalable reporting and pre-defined workflows to address the latest Wi-Fi, SD-WAN, SDN, and 5G networks. Delivering comprehensive coverage enables customers to confidently adopt and maximize the benefit from the most advanced networking technologies. Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Doubling down on its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Turbonomic appointed Meg Langan as Chief People Officer, responsible for creating growth opportunities for employees, developing a new post-COVID work experience, and driving the creation of a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Turbonomic was a founding member of the ParityPledge in Support of People of Color to improve racial representation across companies. This commitment builds on progress in alignment with People of Color in IT (POCIT), a Turbonomic employee resource group that aims to attract top talent from more diverse sources and provide greater opportunities for advancement. Turbonomic committed to the ParityPledge in Support of Women to deliver more equitable gender representation in leadership positions. This pledge supports the momentum behind DevelopHer, a Turbonomic employee resource group focused on attracting, connecting, and advancing female talent while fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. Industry Recognition Inc. Magazine landed Turbonomic on their Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies. This is the fifth time Turbonomic has graced the list, reflecting the company's consistent execution, resilience, and extraordinary customer value. Fast Company branded Turbonomic as a Best Workplaces for Innovators for enabling a culture that empowers employees to improve processes, create new products, and/or invent new ways of doing business. Turbonomic was recognized for fostering innovation by making significant investments in technology, research and development, and employees. Enterprise Management Associates ( EMA (News - Alert) ) awarded Turbonomic as a Vendor to Watch for addressing a critical challenge in a revolutionary way with its unique abstraction and analytics to drive automated resourcing actions. TrustRadius awarded Turbonomic with a Tech Cares Award for going above and beyond to provide their communities, clients, and front-line workers with support during the COVID-19 crisis. G2 deemed Turbonomic a High Performer for Fall 2020 and Winter 2021, a result of strong customer reviews praising the value of the platform. Additional Resources For news, updates, and executive perspectives, visit the Turbonomic Blog here Connect with Turbonomic via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook About Turbonomic Turbonomic created Application Resource Management (ARM) to assure customers' application performance and governance by dynamically resourcing applications across hybrid and multicloud environments. Together with its strategic partners, including Cisco, IBM, Verizon, DXC Technology, Microsoft, and AWS, Turbonomic serves more than 3,000 customers - including over 36% percent of the Fortune 500. We believe the Future of Performance means every application gets the resourcing it needs, and end-users should never have to wait for applications to respond. To learn more, visit turbonomic.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005845/en/ Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2021) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Cache Exploration (OTC Pink: CEXPF) ("the Company"), a gold focused Company that holds and operates the Kiyuk Lake Property which covers 590km2 in SW Nunavut. CEO of the Company, Jack Bal, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. "Our company is Cache Exploration, and we are a Canadian exploration company. Our main project is the Kiyuk Lake gold project, which is one of the largest open pit targets in the world in Northern Canada," shared Bal. "The drill results from this deposit have been very encouraging," he added. "Our big focus is to commence a drill program, which will begin in the next 30 days. We will drill 4,000 to 5,000 meters and really take this deposit to the next level." Jolly then commented on the Company's recent announcement detailing an agreement to acquire a historical gold mine in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. "The Krasnoyarsk gold mine was a previously producing mine," explained Bal. "The historical resource of this reserve is over 1.7 million ounces. So, it's a very good opportunity for a company like ours to get involved to become a producer in a very short way. We're very excited." "Russia is a big producer of gold and they always have been," said Bal. "Russia has a hard time getting hard currency; the ruble has depreciated by over 50% in the last two years, so there is an opportunity for us to bring US dollars, which goes a long way in Russia." "Where are we at with the preparations of the upcoming drill project at Kiyuk Lake?" asked Jolly. "We expect to have people on the property in the next two weeks. We have a company that will get the camp up and running in mid-February," said Bal. "At the end of the month, we will have our drilling company head up," he added. "Probably within the first week of March, we will commence our drill program. It will probably be two months long, we will drill up to 5,000 meters, and we expect some pretty good results." "It's looking like it's an open pit target. We've gotten some of the highest grades of open pit targets in North America; in the last drill program we're averaging over three grams per tonne. Most open pit mines in the world are averaging under one gram per tonne," explained Bal. "If we can drill enough gold up there, it's a very good opportunity for a major mining company to come in and take us out." "Is there a timeframe for when you might do a 43-101 on that property?" asked Jolly. "I think our goal is to commence the drill program in March, and then after we get the results I think we will do a 43-101 resource. We will probably come back again in the summertime and do another 4,000 to 5,000 meter drill program, and then we will update that 43-101 as we go along." "Do you have any comments on what is going on in the silver space?" asked Jolly, noting the increasing value of silver. "The positive here is that it has brought a lot of eyes to the precious metals market," said Bal. "The more attention we can get for these metals, the better it is for junior mining companies like ours." Jolly then asked about the Company's outlook over the next two to three quarters, as well as their current market cap and stock price. "We're going to take a good run at this gold mine in Russia," said Bal. "Our Kiyuk Lake drill program will commence within 30 days, and we will have two drill programs this year," he continued. "As results start to come in, I think the stocks will do very well." "Why should investors take a look at your company?" asked Jolly. "We're a well structured company, we don't have a lot of shares out," said Bal. "We have capital; we raised about $2.4 million in the last 30 days," he added, noting that the Company has also received offers for additional financing. "But also, we have the projects," continued Bal. "We were very lucky to get the Kiyuk Lake project. It is one of the highest grade open pit targets in the world," he added, before elaborating on the potential of Canadian deposits. "This is where you're going to find the big deposits that become big mines." To hear Jack Bal's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7794370-cache-exploration-discusses-acquisition-of-1-7-moz-gold-mine-in-krasnoyarsk-russia-with-the-stoc Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Cache Exploration Cache is a gold focused Company that holds and operates the Kiyuk Lake Property which covers 590km2 in SW Nunavut: the project features a number of gold bearing prospects including 2017 identification of 8m of 26.4 g/t gold at the Rusty Zone and extensive mineralization at East Gold Point with 64 m at 1.5 g/t gold and 10 m at 6.5 g/t gold. Extensive surficial float evidence indicates a series of high-interest gold systems (see http://cacheexploration.com/CAY-NR-10-26-17 to view plan maps of Rusty Zone and East Gold Point, section showing select KI17-004 and -005 drill results and Maps of rock and till sampling results. Qualified Persons Chris Pennimpede, P. Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information provided in this release. For more information about Cache Exploration, please visit: http://www.cacheexploration.com/ On behalf of the Board of Directors Cache Exploration Inc. "Jack Bal" Jack Bal Chief Executive Officer About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media (602) 821-1102 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73926 Somy Ali's journey in Bollywood is stuff every Hindi cinema fan's dreams are made of. In the year 1991, 16-year-old Somy landed in Mumbai with the intention of marrying her teenage crush, Salman Khan. A year later she was dating the Bollywood star. She was born in Karachi, Pakistan. Her mother Tehmina is Iraqi, and her father Madan is Pakistani. After studying at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Karachi till age 12, she, her mother and brother moved to Florida. "I saw Maine Pyar Kiya, and I went, 'I have to marry this guy!' I told my mom that I am going to India tomorrow... I kept pleading that I have to go to India and marry this guy Salman Khan. I called my dad. I didnt tell him why I wanted to visit India. I told him that we have relatives in Mumbai and I wanted to meet them... landed in India and checked into a five-star hotel. People used to make fun of me because I was this 'struggling actor', who was staying at a plush hotel," she told Bombay Times in an interview. In Mumbai, Somy took up modeling projects and also appeared in ten Hindi movies between 1991 and 1998. Some of her films include Anth (1994) Krishan Avtaar (1993) and Aao Pyaar Karen (1994). Her relationship with Salman ended in 1999, after which Somy returned to the US and resumed her education. "I was such a misfit in the film industry. I had no interest in pursuing a film career, and my only goal, which sounds preposterous at this age, was that I have to marry Salman," she said. Somy now runs an organisation, No More Tears, which helps people who are mentally or physically abused. She made it clear that returning to showbiz remains completely off the charts. So, you finally got a Covid-19 vaccine. Relieved, you take a photograph of your vaccination card, showing your name and birth date and which vaccine you had, and publish it on social media. But some experts are warning that the information on the celebratory photo might make you vulnerable to identity theft or scams. Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it as well as information about where you got your vaccine, the Better Business Bureau said last week. If your social media privacy settings arent set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use. On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission followed suit: Youre posting a photo of your vaccination card on social media. Please dont do that! it warned bluntly. You could be inviting identity theft. Scammers can sometimes figure out most digits of your Social Security number by knowing your date and place of birth, and can open new accounts in your name, claim your tax refund for themselves and engage in other identity theft, said Maneesha Mithal, associate director of the Federal Trade Commissions Division of Privacy and Identity Protection. Identity theft is like a puzzle, made up of pieces of personal information, Mithal said. You dont want to hand over to identity thieves the pieces they need to complete the picture. One of those pieces is your date of birth. But even as experts warn to hold off on sharing your card, if youve noted your birthday anywhere else online which most people probably have its likely that the information youre giving up has already been made available through other means. Avivah Litan, a senior analyst at the research firm Gartner, said many Americans were vulnerable because of multiple data breaches. Basically, the criminals already have pretty much everybodys last name, first name and date of birth, Litan said. There have been so many hacks over the past 10 years. If all they are looking for is my name and birthday, they have it. How a Scammer Works Scammers and identity thieves often collect information gradually, scrubbing social media posts to curate a file on a persons life, including education, employment and vacation spots. Publishing a birth date hands over one of your most important personal tidbits. While a name and date of birth is not all an identity thief would need in most cases to steal your identity, putting those details in plain sight makes it easier. Scammers are looking for whatever personal identification information they can get from you any type of information to build a profile, said Curtis W. Dukes, an executive vice president of the Center for Internet Security. A scammer could exploit the anxiety over vaccine shortages or a slow distribution process by masquerading as a government official claiming to need a credit card number to reserve another dose or booster, Dukes said. In such a highly charged atmosphere of shortages, people may fall for that and may give up their credit cards or maybe other bits of information, he said. At a minimum, it will give the bad actors a jump-start in knowing who got vaccinated. So they can use it for scam purposes to socially engineer me to pay them for a booster shot that I will never get or use it for valid commercial purposes that bypass normal U.S. regulatory structures, Litan said. A New Milestone to Celebrate Exuberant teenagers publish images of their driver's licenses or learning permits. Vacationers post photographs of their travels. The vaccination cards are now another way we share these milestones in our lives, said Nita A. Farahany, a professor of law and philosophy at Duke University School of Law. But she said one concern was that the cards could be forged or replicated if vaccinated status starts to function as a commodity that gives people access to jobs, restaurants or events. Someone who is not yet vaccinated or does not want to be could be tempted to forge a copy from these photographs, she said. Or why wouldnt an entrepreneurial scammer use the photographs to create counterfeits to sell to those who want them? The Better Business Bureau, in its warning, cited newspaper reports in Britain that said that fake vaccination cards were purchased on eBay for about $6. Asked about the reports, eBay said in an emailed statement that it had blocked and removed items that make false health claims. Building Blocks for an Identity A vaccination card that has been made public could also be the springboard for elaborate social engineering or phishing ideas. Such schemes have been common during the pandemic. Stacey Wood, a professor of psychology at Scripps College who has counseled older adults who are scam victims, cited the so-called grandparent scam, in which a person posing as a law enforcement official contacted an older adult and offered details about their grandchild, pretending to know them and saying they were in trouble and needed financial help. The typical consumer would not think scammers must have curated information about my life and used it to target me, she said. In my practice, there is so much out there right now, and this is just going to be a new thing. Cassie Christensen, an adviser at SecZetta, which works with organizations to manage identity risk, said people who had posted their vaccination card could open themselves up to a scammer posing as an official demanding to check their identity to inform them of medical concerns about, for example, supposed new side effects. The scam could involve requests for more information that would help them gain access to someones accounts, such as a mothers maiden name or an address. They also can go to LinkedIn and find out where you work, she said. They can call those organizations and do a legitimate password reset. The pandemic and its fears, she said, created the perfect environment for that. This is all highly emotional stuff, she said. This is what hackers and phishers look for. To Brag, Use a Sticker Instead With vaccine distribution uneven, the cards have become a bragging point. Some are using it on their dating profiles. Others are just happy to post some good news after a year of so much bad. Some are posting it to say, Look, I got it, said Farahany of Duke. But what if there were another way to say that? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thinks there is. As part of its campaign to raise confidence in the vaccines, it has designed templates for stickers, and many states, including Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, New York and Maryland, are handing out versions of them. Public health officials are banking on the stickers widespread use to have an impact on people who might be frightened of, indifferent to or simply against vaccines. The stickers could contribute to what are known as social cascades of behavior, similar to the way I Voted stickers encourage voting, experts say. It helps to galvanize similar behavior among other people who might be observing that, said Dr. Tara Kirk Sell, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It is really about trying to say to others, This is totally normal, and it is what people do. New Delhi, Feb 8 : A 50-year-old man was found dead with his throat slit with a sharp weapon early Monday morning even while his wife and children slept unaware at their house in central Delhi's Patel Nagar, police said. Deceased Shiv Kumar's wife claimed that a burglar broke into the house and stabbed her husband. Police is verifying her claim. "A guard and his wife sleeping in an adjoining room did not hear any commotion. Clothes were however lying strewn on the floor at the crime spot," DCP Central Jasmeet Singh said. Shiv Kumar worked as a manager at his relative's office and was a caretaker of the building where the crime took place. A forensic team visited the spot to collect samples. "Certain vital clues have been found. Our teams are developing those clues," the officer added. Five Indian business schools including four Indian Institutes of Management ( IIM s) have found a place in the top 100 schools in Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2021. According to the rankings released on Monday, Indian School of Business (ISB) has been ranked 23 in the world, IIM Bangalore 35, IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad 44 and 48, and IIM Indore 94. While IIM Indore entered the top 100 list for the first time, ISB improved four positions and IIM-A climbed 13 places. But IIM Calcutta dropped two spots and IIM Bangalore dropped eight spots. The FT ranking is considered an authoritative yardstick of the quality of management studies, with businesses rating it highly. Data used for the ranking includes alumni salaries three years after they graduated, the number of research papers published in quality journals, overall satisfaction of students, and the diversity of students and faculty. This year, INSEAD, based in France and Singapore, topped the ranking, followed by London Business School and Chicago: Booth School of Business. Data gathering was disrupted last year by the pandemic, which led a number of US schools including Harvard, Stanford and Wharton to suspend participation, FT said. IIM Calcutta said it performed well in career progress, female student percentage and international makeup of faculty. The global education sector was shocked to the core in the wake of the pandemic in 2020. The physical education delivery model as we knew it came to a standstill and most countries like ours are still struggling to get back on their feet and bring students back to physical classrooms safely. However, we emerged strongly in adversity by introducing a blended model for learning continuity. Education in the new normal will be about resilience and non-stop learning," Anju Seth, director, IIM Calcutta, said by email. ISB, which was ranked number one in India and third in Asia, said it continued to progress in the weighted salary and career service rank year on year. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi, Feb 8 : International child rights activist Greta Thunberg has come under attack for using her "bully pulpit" to wade into political issues, such as the farmers' protest in India. Mohinder Gulati, Former Chief Operating Officer, United Nations Sustainable Energy for All, has written a letter to Thunberg, which is also marked to the United Nations Secretary General. "I had admired your courage, commitment, and capturing the global imagination on climate justice when you stood up at the 2018 UNCCC. As Chief Operating Officer of United Nations Sustainable Energy for All until 2015, I was deeply involved with global advocacy and building consensus for Sustainable Development Goal-7 and Paris Climate Agreement. When I heard you in 2018 and 2019 my heart warmed up since we had been advocating that the youth would drive the change for a better future, and you emerged as a torch bearer of that trust," Gulati said in the letter to Thunberg. "However, I am writing to you with some disappointment that you have started using your well-earned bully pulpit to wade into political issues, such as farmers' protest in India, which may not be as simple and as straightforward as you may have been led to believe," he added. "You are doing a great service to the cause of climate change, an existential threat to humanity that needs to be addressed urgently. We need global consensus for implementation of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals," Gulati said. "Walking into the thicket of local political issues, often mired in a battle with corrupt and vested political interests, would undermine your ability to keep the moral high ground to exhort world leaders into action for a sustainable future. I would urge you not to expend your political and moral capital on controversial local political issues. I am sending a copy of this letter to the United Nations Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Guterres for his information," Gulati said in the letter. Gulati said in the letter that there are other strong vested interests benefiting from the status quo. The government procures large quantities of wheat and rice for the public distribution system and pays a pre-announced minimum support price (MSP). Out of about 210 Mt of wheat and rice produced in the country, the government procures about 85 Mt for sale to the poor at one-tenth of the procurement price. About 52 per cent of this procurement is made from only three states - Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh - the hub of agitating farmers, he added. "More than 90 per cent of the farmers in the rest of India do not benefit from this system. Normally, the market price is lower than the MSP. This is what creates a great opportunity for the broker mafia. Brokers and politicians purchase wheat and rice from farmers in other states at a lower price (about 60 per cent of MSP) and pay them in cash, bring it to government procurement stations in Punjab, Haryana and UP, sell it at a higher price (MSP) and get paid by cheque. This is counted as their agriculture income which is tax-exempt," Gulati said. "So these brokers, often politicians or campaign financiers, not only earn the huge arbitrage but also convert the cash (generally crime money) to legitimate tax-free income. New laws would bring in transparency and make it difficult to legitimise crime money. No wonder the farmer agitation is so well-funded. I feel the innocent farmers may not even know the source of this questionable 'philanthropic' funding. I wonder if you would support a system of legitimising crime and corruption money in the hands of corrupt politicians and their cronies," Gulati said. Gulati added that farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and a part of Uttar Pradesh have a legitimate apprehension which needs to be addressed through dialogue and not intransigence of either party. India has adequate institutions of Parliament, courts, media, and public opinion to allow peaceful protests and open dialogue to solve its myriad problems of poverty and development. "I am sure, eventually a satisfactory solution would be found not only for the agitating farmers of a few states but also for the remaining 90 per cent farmers of India who would stand to gain from the new laws," he added. Gulati said that farmers demanded, and regrettably the government of India agreed, to withdraw penalties for burning crop residue. Indian farmers, mostly around Delhi in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, burn about 100 million tons (Mt) a year of crop residue which generates 140 Mt of CO2, 12 Mt of other noxious gases and 1.2 Mt of particulate matter, choking a population of about 50 million in the area, he added. "Smog in Delhi forces young children to skip school and stay indoors, 2.2 million children suffer irreversible lung damage. Your embassy in Delhi can inform you how they gasp for air during that period. Do you support farmers' demand to let them continue to burn crop residue and add to emissions?" Gulati asked Thunberg. Gulati said that every year in India, about 67 million tonnes of food is wasted, which has been estimated to be around $14 billion and could feed 100 million people. Up to 40 per cent of the food produced in India is wasted, according to the United Nations Development Program, and about 21 million tons of wheat (2.5 Mt GHG) - equivalent to gross annual production of Australia - is wasted annually. FAO estimates show that two-thirds of food is wasted in post-harvest transportation, storage, processing and distribution before it reaches the consumer. If food wastage was a country, it would be the third largest emitter after the US and China, Gulati said. Embedded carbon in the wasted food in India is about 60 Mt of CO2 equivalent. India desperately needs to modernise its agriculture, strengthen market linkages, and invest in the whole supply chain, he added. "This cannot, and should not, be done by the governments and should be left to a competitive, efficient and well-regulated private sector. Do you support India to continue with the current archaic systems and waste food that could feed 100 million hungry every year?" Gulati asked Greta. Gulati said that a severe water crisis is looming large in India. About 85 per cent of irrigated agriculture in India depends on groundwater. India extracts about 230 km3 of groundwater every year of which 90 per cent of groundwater is used for irrigation. Gulati said 50 years ago, farmers in Punjab and Haryana valiantly rose to the challenge of food insecurity and started growing rice in a semi-arid agro-climatic zone to feed the country. It has come at a very heavy environmental cost of severe depletion of groundwater, deteriorating water quality, excessive use of chemical fertilisers and cancer-causing pesticides. "India is now food surplus and needs to create incentives to make agriculture less resource-intensive and demand driven. Agitating farmers want the government to lock into the current system of growing resource-intensive and chemical-ridden agriculture. Do you support that?" Gulati asked Greta. On corruption-controlled agriculture markets, Gulati said, "You may not be aware but the current system forces farmers to sell their produce through government-established market yards where they have to pay a brokerage of about 2 to 3 per cent and market tax of about 5 to 6 per cent. Market committees collect this tax supposedly for 'rural development', but they are controlled by politicians, and their accounts are not audited for years." "The revenue is often swindled by corrupt politicians controlling these committees. The new laws give a choice to the farmers to either continue to sell in the existing market yards or sell to anyone anywhere in the country and that too without paying any tax," Gulati added in the letter to Greta. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text MBABANE Where will the ordinary man on the street get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine? For now, the answer to the above question remains a dilemma. As the nation awaits with bated breath for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, more questions on the countrys readiness for the rollout exercise remain unanswered. This is because, despite the Ministry of Health having presented the countrys phased approach for the vaccination exercise, there has been less information on the readiness of the selected centres or sites to be used for the process. In actual fact, government has not come out to state whether it will use the available hospitals and clinics as vaccine centres or will create special sites for the vaccination exercise. During the presentation of the rollout strategy, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi reiterated that the Kingdom of Eswatini was a participant of the COVAX Facility through which it was expecting to receive 20 per cent of the populations vaccine doses. The minister stated that about 108 000 indicative doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were expected in the kingdom by mid or late February, subject to finalisation of logistics on the ground from various stakeholders involved in the distribution of this vaccine. If the words of the minister are anything to go by, by the end of the month, which is in less than three weeks time, the vaccine would have been delivered. Worth noting is that phase two of the rollout process, according to the minister, is expected to accommodate the elderly population of 60 years and above, and people living with comorbidities which make them more vulnerable to fatalities. Most of the elderly live in the rural areas and in communities where healthcare centres are kilometres away. This, therefore, begs the question whether government will consider bringing the vaccination sites or centres closer to them, a strategy that has already been adopted by other countries. In neghbouring South Africa, the Eastern Cape provincial government announced last week that it was considering using schools when the coronavirus vaccine is being rolled out. According to the TimesLive publication, it was stated that analysis done on more than 5 000 communities in the Eastern Cape test positive for the coronavirus, a predicament which is also faced by a fair share of local citizens. Guidelines Meanwhile, other countries have not only set up COVID-19 vaccine centres, but even prepared guidelines and procedures to be followed when setting up such structures. For example, according to an operation framework prepared by the NHS in the United Kingdom titled COVID-19 Vaccination Centres: Operating Framework, a vaccination centre must appoint a clinical lead and operational lead responsible for the delivery of all aspects of vaccination centre services. The framework outlines that once a site is approved to become a vaccination centre by the regional and national teams, the vaccine centre management will need to set up an account on the national reporting tool Sites will need to complete a site security risk assessment as part of their preparation for readiness. Providers should ensure that their vaccination centres are accessible to all members of their community and take reasonable steps to improve access and reduce potential inequalities for people eligible to receive vaccinations. This includes having access to translation and interpretation services as required to support consent, mental capacity and clinical assessments, reads part of the framework. Providers should be prepared to respond to three possible medical emergencies associated with vaccination: Fainting, Hyperventilation, and Anaphylaxis. In an interview with Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba, he said they believed that to ensure the exercise covered all citizens of the country; it would make sense to use the same format that has always been used for other vaccination exercises. We will follow the old format, it wont be different. This means that for healthcare workers, the hospitals will be used. Then during the second and other phases where the public will be vaccinated, centres will be stationed in all parts of the country. We will use what we refer to as outreach centres, he said. Mamba said the outreach sites will be a must since there are areas where clinics are far from the people, especially the elderly, who would have challenges in reaching them. So obviously we will need to make use of imiphakatsi and even schools because the aim is to ensure that all citizens are vaccinated. Even gogo centres, we expect that they will be used as has been the case when vaccinating children, he said. Mamba said they expected government to have a proper strategy in place for the exercise as there will be a need for the provision of transport. He said it will not be ideal to use hospitals and clinics alone for the vaccination exercise as they would be flooded and end up becoming breeding grounds for the spread of COVID-19. We have to avoid a situation where people cram hospitals because some of them are sick and this will spread the virus. You cant then say the elderly should go to hospitals to get the vaccine. Rather try and reach them where they are. We know that there is no other way that can be used. If you want to reach the people, use all available spaces. We hope by the time the vaccine arrives, our government will have prepared well by providing fuel, cooler boxes for the doses and other resources so that the process can be effective, he said. Conspiracy On another note, Mamba warned the public against believing conspiracy theories around the vaccine and said they should just accept it in order to save their lives. He said the COVID-19 vaccine was no different from others that have always been used. Mamba said when travelling to countries such as Uganda and Zambia, travellers were expected to vaccinate against yellow fever and said it would be the case with the COVID-19 vaccine. He said there would come a time where people will have a problem crossing from one country to another if they have not vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula said government will inform the public in due course on where people would be vaccinated. He said government wished to have the vaccine at all the countrys tinkhundla centres, but that such would be costly. We will explain to the people. That is coming. The reason we have to think hard about using the outreach centres is that there are usually logistical problems like shortage of cars and fuel. We will be updating the public now and again, but for now we are waiting for the vaccine to arrive, Dr Magagula explained. Mick Bates Raleigh County Suddenlink West Virginia State Public Service Commission Suddenlink Suddenlink Beckley West Virginia Charlotte Lane The Legislature FCC Federal Communications Commission Suddenlink Suddenlink Suddenlink Suddenlink FCC Suddenlink Suddenlink Suddenlink Suddenlink Suddenlink Jim Justice Raleigh County Commission Dave Tolliver Raleigh County Raleigh County Suddenlink Beckley Rob Rappold Bill File FCC Rural Digital Opportunity Fund West Virginia Development Authority's Economic Development Authority Department of Commerce Oct. 29 West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council West Virginia Frontier Communications Federal Communications Commission West Virginia Suddenlink Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Bridgeport Citynet Commnet Wireless Bruceton Mills PRODIGI Bluefield, Va. GigaBeam Buckhannon Shenandoah Cable Television U.S. Joe Manchin West Virginia FCC West Virginia (TNS) With West Virginia set to receive $362 million in federal funds for rural broadband expansion, Del.ofis pushing for the state to begin regulating internet service.Bates said Friday that(Altice), which provides internet service in southern, is operating as an unregulated monopoly. He wants the, which regulates utility companies, to oversee internet companies like"It's essential," said Bates. "It's essential for schooling. It's essential for business. It's essential for health care."You can't get a Covid vaccine unless you go on the frigging internet and register."We should be guaranteeing a basic level of quality service, at the same fee, for everybody."The state is going to put millions of dollars down at these companies, without any regulatory framework to make sure they do the right thing, spend the money the right way, and people who don't get what they need have nowhere to go to complain and get their questions answered."Bates' interest started out when local residents began complaining about service provided by. Bates, who owns BodyWorks in, alleged that he has also experienced erratic rates, inadequate internet delivery and poor customer service all complaints that he said he had heard from other local residents.Currently, he said, there is no regulatory agency to require that internet be treated like a utility for consumers.Bates said Friday that with $50 million to be allocated in broadband expansion over the next three years, starting in 2022, legislators must take steps to regulate broadband and internet service infor consumers."We're going to pass some laws, particularly if we're going to spend all this money," Bates said. "I think it's criminal."There's a massive amount of public funds that are going to go into this."He said that lawmakers must take steps to ensure that consumers get quality service, price consistency and reliable customer service and to ensure that internet is regulated as other utilities under state code."Electricity works pretty well. I don't have too many problems with it, unless a tree falls on it," he noted. "If I turn the tap on, water comes out."If there's a problem with the pipe, they come up and fix it."When it comes to internet, it's like, um, call back."But it's as essential as those things. You can't operate in the modern world without access to the internet in a reliable manner, at a decent capacity."Public Service Commission Chairsaid Friday that the PSC does not regulate internet service.specifically says we do not regulate (internet)," said Lane. "The) regulates internet."We do get a lot of complaints about," Lane said. "The complaints we get are a lot of outages and the problem of getting a hold of, getting them to come out and fix the problem, taking too long, sometimes equipment has been returned to, anddoesn't give them credit on their bills."It runs the gamut of all sorts of consumer complaints."Lane said the PSC regulates cable companies, although thedoes not permit the PSC to regulate rates."All we can do is work on service issues and outages," she said. "We don't do rates."The most that we have been able to do is help customers ofbecause they have cable through, mostly by cajolinginto helping them."Lane said she plans to meet with Bates on Monday to address his concerns.----Bates pointed out thatand other companies began providing internet service after registering in the state as cable companies. While cable companies may be overseen by local franchise authorities in cities and counties, Bates said, internet is not currently included.The pandemic forced consumers to rely on internet service for telemedicine, mental health care, groceries, online shopping, pharmaceutical deliveries, vaccine registration and education, and health care networks and school systems have had to rely on broadband to provide services."It's always been bad, but now it's even worse because there's more people on it," he said. "The infrastructure's not there, but they don't have any trouble charging you for it."Although the federal CARES Act recognizes the role internet plays in the modern world by allocating funding for broadband expansion, there is still a gap in regulation that has led to a number of frustrations for many Americans, said Bates."I think we're starting from ground zero on this thing," he said Friday. "I don't think any states are doing a good job."I can remember when you didn't have it. It's not that long ago, really. So what happens is, this whole industry has grown up, and we haven't grown up with it in terms of being able to regulate it effectively, because it's run by cable companies."That's the rub. I'm trying to research what other places do, and I'm not having any luck."He reported that some internet companies are sending more data along the same number of lines. According to Bates, customers have complained thatraises rates without notification, gives different customers different rates for the same services and does not deal promptly with outages."The more people that are on it, the more demands that are placed on it and the less comprehensive the service, for the same amount of money," he said. "There's nobody to complain to. Where do you go? Call customer service? Then you want to complain to somebody about customer service. The only thing worse than the service is the customer service."It's appalling," Bates said. "They're used to having a monopoly. You have no alternative."In his inauguration speech, Gov.listed broadband expansion as a major aim of his second term, stating he wants to "blanket the state" in broadband, after the pandemic exposed the need for reliable access.Local government currently has no control over internet service,Presidentsaid Friday."We have a cable franchise inthat (means) every person inhas a cable in their house," he said. "We get a few dollars from each cable that's in a home or a business."How could you regulate internet? That's a good question. I would have to research that before I could think about regulating internet service, but the idea sounds good."Tolliver saidunexpectedly raised his residential bill from about $184 to $204. When his wife called, customer service refused to lower it, even though a neighbor pays $164 for the same services."I think one thing that needs to be changed is, if one person pays $170 for the service, everybody should pay the same," he said.Mayorsaid the city also has a franchise authority for cable in the city but that he has not been informed of any initiatives to oversee internet.City attorneywas not immediately available Friday.----In October, Justice and Republican lawmakers and Republican legislative candidates collectively pledged $1 billion for broadband funding starting in 2021.That $1 billion figure included the $766 million the state was eligible for through the(RDOF) auction, plus $50 million allocated from the $1.25 billion federal CARES Act funding set aside for coronavirus expenses and a promise to allocate $50 million for broadband expansion in the General Revenue budget every year for three years starting in fiscal year 2022.In order to encourage companies in the state to participate in the RDOF auction, Justice had signed an executive order in September which removed regulatory caps on theBroadband Loan Insurance Program.He also ordered theunder theto limit the application approval from the Broadband Loan Insurance Program to no more than is necessary for the first year of the program.RDOF Phase I auctions startedIn November, state lawmakers formed theto "represent diverse users of broadband, including residential and business users, from various locations throughout the state," according to the legislative website.was eligible to receive $766 million through the auction. Instead, the state pulled down $362.1 million for projects in 119,267 census tracts in late 2020. Of that amount, the largest $247.6 million went toIn December, theannounced that nine companies were selected for the first phase of an auction that will bring high-speed broadband internet to unserved regions ofThe auction allocated $9.2 billion over a 10-year period to subsidize construction of high-speed gigabit internet in unserved rural areas across the country.(Altice) won a bid for projects, along with-based-based Digital/-based-based Micrologic, andThe first phase of the two-phase auction will go toward areas with no service.The reduced pull-down,Sen.told a local television station on Friday, was a result of reverse auctions, a funding strategy in which the winning bidder requires the lowest amount of support funds. Manchin said it encourages companies that are able to bring improvements toto instead go to areas with a larger population. He reported that while Justice had planned earlier in the pandemic to allot hundreds of millions for broadband improvements, the state received only half due to reverse auctions."Twenty percent of the population lives in what we considered rural America; our entire state is considered rural. If they put $10 billion to fight broadband, rural broadband would only get 2 billion," Manchin told WVNS.He added thatmaps which were used to distribute federal funding to areas most in need had also erroneously listed 90 percent ofas having broadband coverage a figure that many West Virginians joined Manchin in challenging.In December, Justice said the $362 million was the ninth highest total support by dollar value of the states receiving RDOF funds, but with the state pulling down only $362.1 million in the RDOF auction, lawmakers are $387 million short of Republican members' $1 billion pledge. Amid deteriorating ties between Canberra and Beijing, Australian national Cheng Lei, who was detained last year by Chinese authorities, has been formally arrested on suspicion of espionage. "The Australian Government has been advised that Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei was formally arrested in on 5 February, after 6 months of detention. Chinese authorities have advised that Ms Cheng was arrested on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas," the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement. Cheng has been detained since 13 August 2020. She reportedly worked as a news anchor at the English-language broadcaster -- Global Television Network (CGTN) from 2012. The statement by the Foreign Affairs Department said the Australian Government has raised its serious concerns about Cheng's detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare. Australian Embassy officials have visited Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on 27 January 2021, in accordance with our bilateral consular agreement with "We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with norms," the statement said. Recently, two prominent Australian outlets withdrew their correspondents from China after they were questioned by Chinese authorities, Sputnik reported. Since the beginning of the pandemic bilateral ties between China and have been going downhill over an array of issues over the past year, prompting Beijing to stop the import of various Australian goods, including coal. Expatriates of either country have also been increasingly caught in the crosshairs of law enforcement as tensions between the two rise. (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 fluorescence microscopy image shows two types of immiscible biomolecular condensates (green and red) sticking to one another. A new study outlines physical rules regulating how such condensates, made from RNA and proteins, form and interact with one another. Credit: Taranpreet Kaur In cells, numerous important biochemical functions take place within spherical chambers made from proteins and RNA. These compartments are akin to specialized rooms inside a house, but their architecture is radically different: They don't have walls. Instead, they take the form of liquid droplets that don't have a membrane, forming spontaneously, similar to oil droplets in water. Sometimes, the droplets are found alone. Other times, one droplet can be found nested inside of another. And these varying assemblies can regulate the functions the droplets perform. A study published on Feb. 8 in Nature Communications explores how these compartments, also known as membraneless organelles (MLOs) or biomolecular condensates, form and organize themselves. The research lays out physical rules controlling the arrangement of various types of synthetic MLOs created using just three kinds of building materials: RNA and two different proteins, a prion-like polypeptide (PLP) and an arginine-rich polypeptide (RRP). The project brought together a team from the University at Buffalo and Iowa State University. "Different condensates can coexist inside the cells," says first author Taranpreet Kaur, a Ph.D. student in physics in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. "They can be detached, attached to another condensate, or completely embedded within one another. So how is the cell controlling this? We found two different mechanisms that allowed us to control the architecture of synthetic membraneless organelles formed inside a test tube. First, the amount of RNA in the mixture helps to regulate the morphology of the organelles. The other factor is the amino acid sequence of the proteins involved." "These two factors impact how sticky the surfaces of the condensates are, changing how they interact with other droplets," says Priya Banerjee, Ph.D., UB assistant professor of physics, and one of two senior authors of the paper. "In all, we have shown using a simple system of three components that we can create different kinds of organelles and control their arrangement in a predictive manner. We suspect that such mechanisms may be employed by cells to arrange different MLOs for optimizing their functional output." Davit Potoyan, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, is the study's other senior author. Addressing questions in cell biology The experiments were done on model systems made from RNA and proteins floating in a buffer solution. But the next step in the researchalready underwayis to conduct similar studies inside a living cell. "Going back to our motivations in researching MLOs, the big questions that started the field were questions in cell biology: How do cells organize their internal space?" Banerjee says. "The principles we uncover here contribute to the knowledge base that will improve understanding in this area." Research on MLOs could lead to advancements in fields such as synthetic cell research or new materials for drug delivery. "We are in the process of learning the biomolecular grammar that may be a universal language used by cells for taming their inner cellular complexity. We hope one day to utilize this knowledge to engineer artificial protocells with custom-designed functionalities inspired by nature," Potoyan says. More information: Sequence-encoded and composition-dependent protein-RNA interactions control multiphasic condensate morphologies. Nat Commun 12, 872 (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21089-4 Journal information: Nature Communications Sequence-encoded and composition-dependent protein-RNA interactions control multiphasic condensate morphologies.12, 872 (2021). doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21089-4 By Claire Bryan | Times Union, Albany Troy, N.Y. For over six years John Penney has owned a large three-unit home which he rents to guests via three Airbnb listings. Penney and his guests have never paid a sales tax to New York State, according to Penney. That could be changing soon, if Gov. Andrew Cuomos budget proposal passes, which will shift the responsibility of collecting local and state taxes to platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. The proposal will simplify the process of collecting taxes which have previously existed, but there was no accountability for how they were getting paid. Once implemented for a full year, the proposal is predicted to bring in $18 million in revenue for the state, according to Freeman Klopott, a spokesman for the state budget division. Airbnb, tourism agencies, hotel industry groups, and state legislators who have supported short-term regulations for years, welcome the proposal as a first step in cashing in on the tourism Airbnb has brought to the state especially during a time when New Yorkers saw the privacy of an Airbnb experience as essential to keeping them safe from Covid-19. Vrbo representatives did not respond to a request for comment. In the summer of 2020 in popular areas in Upstate, New York [Airbnb] hosts made more money than they did in the summer of 2019, said Alex Dagg, the Northeast Policy Director for Airbnb. The company expects people who have been shut in their homes will want to travel even more this year. Representatives from Airbnb say their company has supported taxes on Airbnb contributing to state economies for years. Certain counties in New York have entered into a voluntary agreement with Airbnb where the platform automatically collects an occupancy tax. In 2019, the company reports collecting approximately $3.3 million of total taxes in New York counties. Rensselaer County, where Penneys home is located, collects a 3 percent room occupancy tax. If two guests stay at Penneys home for 8 nights, at about $60 per night, Airbnb would collect $16 from the guests. Cuomos proposal would make sure the four percent state sales tax would be collected in addition to any county occupancy tax. We have never seen taxes impact a visitors booking, said Jill Delaney, President and CEO of Discover Albany. Its never what local taxes or fees that are being collected that determines if a large group comes in or a family for vacation. Convenience is always more important. But the Airbnb host Penney is not so convinced. Penney worries that if the proposal passes he will have to lower his prices to keep attracting customers. I dont know why there should be another tax. That cuts into what I can charge people, Penney said. At some point people are going to go oh that is too expensive because of the taxes and, well, with the nightly fee, the cleaning fee, the occupancy tax already, that tax might make the difference. For other Airbnb hosts like Julyne Derrick, the additional tax is not a worry and the governors proposal would help make her job easier. Right now she pays a 2 percent occupancy tax to Ulster County on her home in the Catskills, which she sometimes rents out via Airbnb. Its just an annoyance, Derrick said about mailing in a check to the county to pay the tax. But Im happy to do it because I believe in taxes. Derrick doesnt believe a 4 percent tax for the state will deter her guests from booking. If I have to drop my price by $20 a night, no big deal, Derrick said. Weve been very lucky that we havent had to pay a tax to the state up until now. The percentage [of the tax] frankly, could be much higher. Delaney at Discover Albany thinks the proposal is a great start, however, she points out it does not address the fact that counties like Albany do not have an occupancy tax on Airbnb rentals and therefore are not taxed like hotels. Over the last couple of years, Albany saw its highest direct visitor spending ever over a billion dollars but its occupancy tax collection declined, according to Delaney. That clearly shows that correlation between an increase in short-term rentals and a decrease in our occupancy tax, Delaney said. Airbnb and Vrbo are able to have people come in, they are not having people pay the state and local taxes and they are not paying occupancy tax so we are actually serving more visitors with less resources to do it. This not only creates a competitive advantage for Airbnbs, but it leaves out funding for Discover Albany, the countys tourism bureau, to create competitive proposals when bidding on bringing new conventions to the city, said Assembly member Patricia Fahy. Fahy, who has a bill which if passed would enforce stricter safety regulations on Airbnb, believes the budget proposal will open the doors to a broader conversation around regulating short-term rentals. Airbnb also supports a Senate bill, introduced by New York State Sen. James Skoufis, which would similarly require Airbnb to collect occupancy and state sales taxes, as well as meeting additional regulations. [The proposal] helps a little bit with leveling the playing field for the hotels in the state that are following all the rules and regulations required by the state, said Mark Dorr, the president of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association. It helps with accountability and knowing who is renting rooms because taxes are associated with them. It will really help with communities that have been overrun by Airbnb and there hasnt been any accountability at all. The housing nonprofit United Tenants of Albany does not see the budget proposal as a step in the right direction they see it as a way of sanctioning a service, Airbnb, that is responsible for creating a lack of affordable housing in the area. It is worrisome and a red flag because by taxing and regulating Airbnb it sanctions it and gives it a level of legality that it hasnt had in New York State, said Laura Felts, the executive director at United Tenants of Albany. We hope that in this budget we see some progressive taxing items that will impact really wealthy New Yorkers who wont leave the state if they are taxed... Felts said. We need to see that action to get at the horrible deficit and the enormous amount of debt that the state is currently facing. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 BRUSSELS Germany, Poland and Sweden announced a coordinated, tit-for-tat expulsion of three Russian diplomats on Monday, in retaliation for Moscows decision last week to expel diplomats from the three countries for monitoring the protests that followed the jailing of the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny. Russia accused the diplomats of participating in the protests, which the three nations, all members of the European Union, denied. But Moscows actions were judged by experts to be more serious, since they represented a calculated insult to the European Union and its foreign-policy chief, who was engaged in a news conference with his Russian counterpart when the expulsions were revealed. The visit of the European official, Josep Borrell Fontelles, was controversial from the start, because it took place two days after Mr. Navalny was sentenced. Mr. Borrell defended the trip as an important effort to establish better relations with Russia, an important trading partner, and as a chance to state in person European demands that Mr. Navalny be freed. But some member states, like Poland and the Baltic nations, thought the timing was inappropriate. Mr. Borrell was also criticized for not visiting Mr. Navalny and for the way he handled himself, especially during the news conference with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. [February 08, 2021] Forkast.News and CoinDesk Partner on a Weekly News Show Hong Kong, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) Forkast.News, a leading digital media platform focusing on blockchain, cryptocurrency and emerging technologies, is pleased to announce its premier news interview program Word on the Block will now air on CoinDesk TV. Starting Feb. 8, the 30-minute weekly video series, hosted by Forkast.News Editor-in-Chief and CEO Angie Lau, will feature in-depth conversations with blockchain experts and thought leaders on the latest developments in the global crypto market. Forkast.News collaboration with CoinDesk, which recently launched CoinDesk TV an online news channel covering the rapidly evolving world of digital finance will set a new standard for video content on blockchain and cryptocurrency. The global financial environment is changing faster than ever. Forkasts partnership with CoinDesk TV combines the strength of our teams that will provide unequalled real-time daily coverage to a growing community who are looking for credible, data-driven, actionable insights from Hong Kong, to New York, to London said Lau, who founded Forkast.News in 2018. This partnership with Forkast shows our dedication in providing our audience the most important news on crypto and blockchain from around the globe said Kevin Worth, CEO at CoinDesk. With a combined team of senior journalists and tech experts gathering, analyzing and curating news from all corners of the world, Forkast.News and CoinDesk provide independent, high-quaity reporting to help their audience navigate the complicated world of blockchain, crypto and digital finance. Since its launch in 2018, Forkast.News has featured exclusive interviews with the biggest players in the sector, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. As the media authority on the blockchain industry in Asia, Forkast.News provides coverage, analyses and insights from one of the leading emerging technology innovation hotspots in the world. Coverage by Forkast.News which includes articles, videos and podcasts help government policy makers, investors, analysts and industry leaders to stay ahead of the information curve. ### ABOUT FORKAST.NEWS Based in Hong Kong, Forkast.News brings stories and analyses on emerging technology at the intersection of business, economy and politics to a global audience. Through its independent creative arm, Forkast.Studio, Forkast also works with companies and projects to better tell their stories through video, print and audio. To subscribe to Forkast.News weekly newsletter on the latest developments in Asia, sign up here. ABOUT ANGIE LAU Angie Lau is an award-winning business journalist who interviews newsmakers, CEOs and icons. Her exclusives include a sit-down with Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing his first televised one-on-one in more than a decade. Angie has given speeches, led conversations and moderated panels of distinguished speakers, including at OECD's Global Blockchain Policy Forum, Global Blockchain Business Council / UN General Assembly, Hong Kong FinTech Week and the Asia Blockchain Summit. Before founding Forkast.News in 2018, Angie anchored Bloomberg TVs flagship morning show, First Up with Angie Lau'' broadcasted globally into 350 million homes, offices and trading floors. Angie is a former director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kongs Executive Committee and a two-term president of the Asian American Journalists Associations Asia Chapter. She has served as Correspondent Board Governor for the Foreign Correspondents Club of Hong Kong, and is also on an advisory board for the Journalism Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Media Contact: pr@forkast.news [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) is pleased to announce that, on February 5, 2021, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Companys principal securities regulator in Canada, and the Ontario Securities Commission have granted a full revocation of the cease trade order issued against the Company on June 19, 2020 (the Cease Trade Order). The Cease Trade Order was originally issued as a result of the Companys failure to file prior to the prescribed filing deadline (i) its annual audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and accompanying Management Discussion & Analysis and CEO and CFO certificates; (ii) its Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019; and (iii) its interim consolidated financial statements for the three month period ended March 31, 2020 and accompanying Management Discussion & Analysis and CEO and CFO certificates (collectively, the Required Filings). As date of hereof, the Company has remedied its filing defaults by filing on SEDAR each of the Required Filings, as well as (i) its interim consolidated financial statements for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2020 and accompanying Management Discussion & Analysis and CEO and CFO certificates; and (ii) its interim consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 and accompanying Management Discussion & Analysis and CEO and CFO certificates. Although the Cease Trade Order has now been revoked, trading in the Companys common shares on the TSX remains halted as of the date hereof. As announced in the Companys press releases dated September 13, 2020 and December 17, 2020, the TSX is reviewing the Companys eligibility for continued listing of its common shares on the TSX pursuant to the TSXs Remedial Review Process (TSX Delisting Review) and the TSX Continued Listing Committee is scheduled to meet on February 11, 2021 to consider whether or not to suspend trading in and delist the common shares of the Company. If the Company fails to demonstrate to the TSX that no delisting criteria remain applicable on or before February 16, 2021, the Companys common shares will be delisted from the TSX 30 days from such date. While the Company is taking such actions as it considers necessary in order to satisfy the TSX that no delisting criteria remain applicable, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to do so prior to the deadline set by the TSX. If the Companys common shares are delisted by the TSX, this would be an event of default under the US$250 million convertible debenture dated November 9, 2009 (the Convertible Debenture) with Land Breeze II S.a.r.l. (Land Breeze), which would result in the automatic termination of the deferral periods under the deferral agreement dated November 19, 2020 (the 2020 November Deferral Agreement) and all principal, interest and other amounts owing under the Convertible Debenture and the 2020 November Deferral Agreement becoming immediately due and payable, in each case without the necessity of any demand upon or notice to the Company by Land Breeze. The Company will make further announcements with respect to the TSX Delisting Review process as and when appropriate. CONTINUED SUSPENSION OF TRADING Trading in the common shares of the Company on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has been suspended since June 19, 2020 and August 17, 2020 respectively and will remain suspended until further notice. If there is any inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese version, the English version shall prevail. About SouthGobi SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China. Contact: Investor Relations Office: +852 2156 1438 (Hong Kong) +1 604 762 6783 (Canada) Email: info@southgobi.com Website: www.southgobi.com Pass Christian Public Schools and TeleTeachers announce partnership for a Vision Pilot Program within special education. Tweet this TeleTeachers Founder and CEO, Emily Smith, is happy to have the opportunity to help Pass Christian Public Schools meet their goals of removing communication barriers for the parents and enabling more student independence. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Pass Christian Public Schools to ensure equitable vision services remain in place, whether instruction is happening in school buildings or in homes. At TeleTeachers, we believe technology can be leveraged in new and exciting ways to enhance the learning of students with low incidence disabilities, such as visual impairment," says Smith. "We are appreciative of Mr. French and his colleagues for allowing us this opportunity to support students and staff." French says he would advise that if other school districts are considering launching a program similar to this, to identify the unique needs of the students. "Every school has different needs, so the first step is to look at the ability of their existing staff to adequately address the needs of the students. Don't be afraid to reach outside and do something unconventional in order to address those needs if there are gaps between what staff can provide and what the students need," says French. "Working with TeleTeachers, who have a similar vision, I feel like we had a partnership even before we had a contract." Press Contact: Erin Raphel 219-301-1132 [email protected] SOURCE TeleTeachers Related Links https://teleteachers.com "Safer Internet Day is an international education and awareness-raising effort to promote safer and more responsible use of digital devices and online technology, especially for children and youth," said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. "With so many aspects of our daily lives now conducted digitally, it's more important than ever that we do so in a way that's safe, kind and inclusive. Safer Internet Day is the perfect time for families to evaluate their online habits and do a refresh of online safety tips and best practices. It is also a time for communities to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all." Following are the virtual events National PTA will be hosting with the association's PTA Connected sponsors and nonprofit partners during its week-long celebration of Safer Internet Day. The interactive series includes something for everyonekids, families, PTA leaders and teachers. Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. EST The Internet Starts with "I" and Ends with "T" Facebook live hosted by National PTA and ConnectSafely, the official North American host of Safer Internet Day Facebook live hosted by National PTA and ConnectSafely, the official North American host of Safer Internet Day Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. EST Real Conversations with Families About Digital Kindness Zoom event hosted by National PTA Zoom event hosted by National PTA Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. EST Helping Families Navigate Technology Google Meet hosted by Google Google Meet hosted by Google Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. EST The Ultimate School Assembly TikTok livestream hosted by TikTok TikTok livestream hosted by TikTok Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. EST Have the Smart Talk Zoom event hosted by National PTA and NortonLifeLock In addition to hosting the virtual events, National PTA will also share digital safety resources and toolkits throughout the week on social media using #SaferInternetDay and at PTA.org/SaferInternet. "At National PTA, we believe in a positive, hands-on approach to parenting in the digital age, and we encourage families to follow the 'Three T's' of online safety: Talk, Try, Teach," said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "Learning about online safety together and having proactive, open and ongoing conversations with our kids will help keep them safe; build good digital habits; and create a kinder, more inclusive online community for everyone." National PTA's PTA Connected initiative is designed to educate and engage families in digital wellness, security, access, equity and literacy. To date, over $750,000 in funding has been awarded to PTAs to host PTA Connected events. PTAs have held over 500 PTA Connected events across the country, reaching over 25,000 families. NortonLifeLock is the presenting and founding sponsor of PTA Connected. Additional founding sponsors include Facebook, Google and AT&T. TikTok is a supporting sponsor of the initiative. "National PTA is grateful to NortonLifeLock, Facebook, Google, AT&T and TikTok for supporting our association's Safer Internet Day celebration and PTA Connected initiative. Together, we are helping give families the tools they need to take charge of their digital lives," added President Boggs. For more information about National PTA's celebration of Safer Internet Day and to register for the events, visit PTA.org/SaferInternet. About National PTA National PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org. SOURCE National PTA Related Links http://www.pta.org (Repeats Friday's story with no changes to text) * The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters. * LME tin stocks, spread and price: https://tmsnrt.rs/3pRAEoX * China's net tin trade 2008-2020: https://tmsnrt.rs/36HkR4b By Andy Home LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Finding financial market shorts to squeeze is this year's investment rage. After the Reddit assault on individual stocks, retail investors tried, unsuccessfully, to pull the same trick in the silver market. Commodity markets are tougher to crack than individual shares, particularly if there's no underlying shortage. Silver notched up consecutive years of oversupply between 2016 and 2019, according to the World Silver Institute. Tin, by contrast, has been in three years of global supply deficit, according to the International Tin Association (ITA). So if you want to see what a real commodity squeeze looks like, come to the London Metal Exchange (LME) tin market. Stocks are nearly depleted, the contract is experiencing unprecedented degrees of technical tightness and the tin price is punching out seven-year highs. The big short in the tin market is not a hedge fund but rather the physical supply chain, which is struggling to meet resurgent demand. TIN TURNS WILD There are currently 810 tonnes of registered LME tin stocks, which is a lot less than the 33,608 tonnes of silver sitting in London vaults at the end of December. With 310 tonnes awaiting load-out, the physical liquidity base of the LME tin contract has shrunk to a record low of just 500 tonnes. That's half a day's worth of global consumption. Time-spreads have whipped out to surreal levels. The premium for cash metal over three-month delivery closed Tuesday valued at a record $1,485 per tonne. The London tin market has seen low stocks and bouts of tightness before. It's even had its own version of the Hunt brothers' infamous silver squeeze with a prolonged attempted corner of the market in 2009-2010. But this week's spread action has been unprecedented. Even after easing to $990 per tonne by Thursday's close, the cash-to-three-months time-spread hasn't been as tight this century. Outright prices, meanwhile, have marched ever higher, with three-month tin hitting a seven-year high of $23,435 per tonne this week and cash metal touching an eight-year high of $25,001. PHYSICAL SQUEEZE Such a high premium for cash metal should suck physical tin into the LME's warehouse system. But it's unclear how much is available given clear signs of tightness in the physical market, where premiums are soaring, particularly in the United States. The premium for tin in warehouse in Baltimore rose from $550-650 per tonne to $775-1,000 per tonne over LME cash during January, according to Fastmarkets, the highest level since it started assessing the U.S. tin market in 2016. Imports have been hit by a lack of containers, part of the broader COVID-19 disruption to shipping, and the LME's U.S. warehouses hold only a residual 20 tonnes. European premiums are assessed at a more modest $400-500 per tonne over LME cash but they too are rising as holders become increasingly reluctant to part with units. LME warehouses in Europe hold just 15 tonnes, all at Rotterdam and all awaiting departure. It's this physical tightness that has driven the tin price higher in recent weeks, according to the ITA which says "we expect prices to hold with no end to logistics issues currently in sight." ("Tin in the News," Jan. 28, 2020). It also means that LME paper shorts are competing with physical shorts for spare units. SHANGHAI EXUBERANCE It's probably just as well the Robinhood army hasn't found a way to surge into the LME tin arena, which remains populated by industrial hedgers and a smattering of professional funds. The London market is doing just fine generating its own tightness without any retail investment help. However, in China, there seems to have been a mass stampede to join the action. The Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) tin contract, launched in 2015, hit life-of-contract highs at the end of January with volumes and open interest exploding. The equivalent of almost 500,000 tonnes traded over just two days at the turn of the month - more than a year's worth of global tin production. Market open interest hit a life-of-contract high of 80,686 contracts. Such activity spikes in China's commodity markets are a sure sign of retail crowd surges and tin seems to have moved onto the Shanghai street's investment radar. Ironically, ShFE stocks of tin at 7,450 tonnes look positively bountiful relative to the depleted LME. But the proportion of metal on warrant is 93%, very high by ShFE standards, suggesting inventory is going to be sticky. And, of course, it's in China, where the broader market seems also to be running short of metal. The world's largest producer was a net exporter of refined tin in 2018 and 2019 after doing away with a previous export tax. But last year saw trade invert as imports ballooned to 17,700 tonnes from 3,000 tonnes in 2019. Net imports of 13,200 tonnes were the highest yearly total since 2012. China's production was severely disrupted by the pandemic last year, even as its manufacturing sector roared back into life. TIME TRIAL The ITA has said it expects global tin output to normalise this year, both in China and in the rest of the world. But it warned that supply would struggle if demand staged the same sort of sharp recovery seen ten years ago after the Global Financial Crisis All the evidence points to just such a demand rebound and a supply chain that is now working hard to find units in the right place at the right time. And time is of the essence for anyone short of LME tin because the worst sort of market squeeze is the one when no-one seems to have anything to spare. (Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Type address separated by commas Your Email: The government of Mexico has determined that nine more Guatemalan migrants were among those 19 people killed in a massacre at the northeastern state of Tamaulipas last month, authorities said on Sunday. Citing the prosecutor's office of the state of Tamaulipas' statement, Reuters reported that 16 victims had already been identified, including two Mexican nationals and 14 Guatemalans. Authorities have been working to identify the bodies through the DNA collected by people who believe their relatives may be among the victims. Many of those people are Guatemalan migrants. The bodies were found along a popular smuggling route in a remote area of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States in northeastern Mexico. Some bodies were badly charred and with gunshot wounds. One of the newly identified people was named by the Mexican prosecutor's office as Paola D. "Z" have been believed to be Paola Damaris Zacarias. Her family earlier told Reuters that she was suspected to be among those who died, U.S. News reported. Mexican authorities announced Tuesday that 12 state police officers have already been arrested for allegedly killing these 19 people. Tamaulipas state Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said these officers were in custody and face charges of homicide, making false statements, and abuse of authority. Related story: Missing Guerrero, Mexico Students Protests and Massacre: Protesters Bomb Mexican Coca-Cola Company Office, Kidnap Employees Guatemalan Migrants Guatemalan security forces cleared a road occupied by hundreds of U.S.-bound migrants, who crossed the country from Honduras last month. Several members of the migrant caravan agreed to take buses back to the Honduran border after some nights staying on a rural highway in Vado Hondo, which is about 35 miles from the Honduras and El Salvador borders, according to a Fox News report. Another group of around 800 migrants was located some 25 miles farther north. Security forces managed to block Hondurans migrant caravan's advancement, according to Guatemala's immigration authorities. Several people were injured as the caravan attempted to push forward through the human barricade of security forces. Andres Gomez, a Guatemalan in the caravan, said this was not a war, adding that it was a caravan with women and children. "The soldiers have no right to beat anyone. There are women who've been beaten, it's an act of violence," Gomez said in a report. Guatemala's foreign affairs secretary, Pedro Brolo Vila, scrutinized the Honduran government's lack of cooperation regarding the caravan. He noted that Honduran security forces accompanied the migrants toward their borders, where they regrettably saw how they entered violently, which violates Guatemala's territorial sovereignty. COVID-19 Infections Among Migrants He further noted that Guatemalan authorities had also detected fake COVID-19 test results among the migrants who stopped to register their entrance to Guatemala. Guatemala's Health Ministry reported that 21 of the migrants seeking medical attention at health centers had tested positive for the COVID-19. The department said these 12 men and nine women would not be returned to Honduras until they go through quarantine at Guatemala centers. Some 8,000 to 9,000 Honduran migrants were known to have entered Guatemala in this year's first caravan after departing from Honduras just days before President Joe Biden's inauguration. According to a The Guardian report, Oscar Garcia, who was part of the migrant caravan, said they are suffering from hunger as his home had been destroyed in November's hurricanes. "It's impossible to live in Honduras. There 's no work, there's nothing," Garcia said in the report. Read also: Missing Mexican Students Protests and Massacre: Mexico Finds Mass Grave, 11 Heads Close to Where 43 Student Teachers Went Missing Both Iran and the United States have expressed interest in returning to their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the previous US administration exited. However neither side seems to agree on exactly how to do it, with both Washington and Tehran exchanging views through the media. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who makes all final decisions of the state, spoke about the JCPOA during a speech to air force commanders Feb. 7. The Americans and Europeans do not have a right to set conditions because they are the ones who violated their JCPOA commitments, Khamenei said. The side which must set conditions is the Islamic Republic, which adhered to its commitments. Khamenei continued, Therefore, Iran will return to its JCPOA commitments when America removes all the sanctions in practice, not just on paper and not just in words. He added that Iran itself must verify the removal of the sanctions. Leaving little wiggle for Iranian diplomats, Khamenei also said, This is the definite and irreversible policy of the Islamic Republic. Former President Donald Trump exited the nuclear deal in 2018 and reapplied US sanctions, which severely hurt Irans economy. Iran in turn took steps away from its nuclear commitments on enrichment and other issues. However, Iran argues that, according to Articles 36 and 37 of the JCPOA text, Tehran is allowed to take these steps and technically remain in the deal since it was the United States which violated the deal first. The impasse now is whether Washington will remove sanctions first and have Tehran lower its enrichment levels back to 3.67%, which the JCPOA calls for, or whether Iran must lower enrichment first and then have the United States remove sanctions. President Joe Biden was asked about a return to the nuclear deal during a CBS interview that aired Feb. 7. When the reporter asked whether Iran must end enrichment for the United States to remove sanctions, Biden nodded his head. The Biden administration quickly issued a clarification, saying that the president meant that Iran should stop enriching beyond the limits under the nuclear deal. However, even that clarification leaves Iran and the United States at a stalemate. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also spoke about reentry into the nuclear deal. He reiterated Irans position that Tehran reduced [its] commitments under the framework of the JCPOA. Zarif also talked about negotiating on other issues, such as missiles, saying, The JCPOA was finalized without an agreement on those other issues and we will not hold talks again on those things. Regarding Europes standing in the JCPOA, Zarif said, The Europeans showed not only that they have no power over their own companies, but that their companies listen to Washington. After the United States left the nuclear deal, many European companies either pulled out of Iran or refrained from investments in the country due to fears of fines from the US Treasury. Zarif added, We would like the Americans to return to the JCPOA. The side which left the deal is the US, the side which violated the deal is Europe. Phat Dat Real Estate could appear in two major ETF portfolios in March Two ETFs Vaneck Vectors Vietnam ETF (VNM ETF) and DB x-trackers FTSE Vietnam UCITS ETF (FTSE ETF) will restructure their portfolios by March 22. Based on the price data at the closing of the trading day on February 3, Phat Dat Real Estate (HSX: PDR) shares may be added to the FTSE ETF's portfolio with a weight of about 1.7 per cent corresponding to about 2.6 million purchased shares, according to Bao Viet Securities Company (BVSC). Data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange revealed that PDR's average capitalisation in the second half of 2020 was over VND14.7 trillion ($639.13 million), ranking 31st in the whole market. In 2020, Phat Dat inked strategic agreements with several big names such as property developer Danh Khoi Holdings Netland Investment, Central Construction JSC, Rita Vo, Kohler, Aka Furniture, and Turner to implement the complex commercial and luxury apartment complex Astral City in Binh Duong province with the total estimated investment of VND8.282 trillion ($360.1 million). In 2019, the company also shook hands with Samty Asia Investments Pte., Ltd., a subsidiary of Samty Corporation a Japanese real estate developer with an investment of $22.5 million to support development assistance projects in Ho Chi Minh City. Phat Dat's shares were also added to the VN30 Index, which accounted for around 80 per cent of the market capitalisation and 60 per cent of the total trading value in the local stock market on February 1. Besides Phat Dat Real Estate, stocks bought to increase their proportion in this restructuring are Vingroup (HSX: VIC), Vinamilk (HSX: VNM), and Hoa Phat Group (HSX: HPG). On the other hand, BVSC predicts that no ticker would be excluded from the FTSE ETF's portfolio in this restructuring period. However, the shares of Vinhomes, Masan (HSX: MSN), and Vincom Retail (HSX: VRE) can be sold down in this restructuring As for the VNM ETF's portfolio, BVSC forecasts that no Vietnamese stocks will be added or excluded in the January restructuring period. Currently, Vietnamese stocks account for about 65 per cent of the fund's portfolio. If there are no new foreign shares added, BSVC predicts that the proportion of Vietnamese shares will range from 65-68 per cent of the fund's portfolio. Of this, the proportion of stocks like Vinamilk, Vingroup, Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa JSC (HSX: SBT), and others, may increase significantly. On the contrary, stocks to be sold down may include Vinhomes, Novaland (HSX: NVL), and Masan. WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While many states are mandating vaccines for children and laws are being introduced to mandate vaccines for adults too, a new Zogby Strategies nationwide online poll of 1,000 U.S. adults reveals that a plurality of Americans, 32%, believe "no government should ever mandate medical procedures/vaccines" and 27% believe the the COVID-19 vaccine is unsafe. Conversely, 61% percent of U.S. adults believe the vaccine is safe, and 31% agree "the federal government should pass legislation making it mandatory." This comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Pfizer and Moderna spent $250 million on a "vaccine confidence" campaign. "If HHS, Pfizer and Moderna want to persuade people to take vaccines, they should spend $250 million on a transparent vaccine injury surveillance system that actually works, where people can assess the risks and benefits of each vaccine," said Children's Health Defense Board Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "The dysfunctional Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a catastrophically insufficient program that, according to HHS, only captures 1% of vaccine injuries." Still, as of January 29, the VAERS program has reported 11,249 adverse events and 501 deaths. Signed by the U.S. in 1947, the Nuremberg Code states that explicit voluntary consent from patients is required for human experimentation and that no one should be forced to undergo an unwanted medical procedure. The possibility of a future mandate of this experimental vaccine, including over 70 million U.S. children under the age of 18, (who have almost zero risk of sickness, hospitalization or death from COVID- 19), exposes millions of vulnerable people to potential vaccine injuries. On a question regarding vaccine mandates, those people who chose that "Each state should be left to decide what is best for its residents," or "no government should ever mandate medical procedures/vaccines" (a total of 55%) were asked which groups should be exempt from a vaccine mandate: 51% said "people who say no" should be granted exemption. 44% said "individuals with a history of allergic reactions" 40% said "pregnant women" 35% said "individuals who seek medical/philosophical/religious exemptions" Another critical question raised among those who have not yet taken the vaccine (83% of the sample) was whether or not they will take it when available. 39% agreed they "will take it as soon as it is available to them." 33% said they'd "prefer to wait and see if it negatively affects others." 18% reported "I don't want to get the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine." Among those who don't want to get the experimental vaccine, 43% said, "I am afraid of vaccine side effects.," and 25% said "they never take a vaccine." The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 3.2 percentage points. Subsets of the data have a larger margin of error than the whole. For a more detailed look at the crosstabs, click here. Contact Rita Shreffler 202-599-1461 SOURCE Children's Health Defense Related Links http://www.childrenshealthdefense.org President Joe Biden has been Commander in Chief for just 19 days and yet he has already made several contentious changes to the nation's policies -- changes causing a lot of concern to many. On Jan. 28, he rescinded the "Mexico City Policy," a policy which prevents foreign, U.S.-funded, nongovernmental organizations from providing information about abortion, a policy that according to The Washington Post used to have bipartisan support. But this is just one of Biden's policies that has raised eyebrows, especially in the Christian community. Last week, changes to Biden's policies included reversing Trump's ban on the service of transgender individuals in the military. This forces the military departments, as well as the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security to "ensure individuals who identify as transgender are eligible to enter and serve in their self-identified gender." This also means that "all medically-necessary transition related care authorized by law is available to all service members." Life Site News reports that this may prove costly for the government and that taxpayers' money may be funneled into medically supporting these individuals. Psychology Today reported that about 50% of people who identify as transgender experience depression and anxiety disorder. This may affect their ability to serve. Another of Biden's policies is the recent "Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons Around the World" that orders American agencies that are operating abroad to "ensure that United States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons," NBC News reported. These major changes happening through Biden's policies have a bigger impact than Obama-era transgenderism. Despite President Biden's promises to unite a very divided country and quash discrimination, it seems that he is further driving a wedge between people of faith and convictions and the rest of the nation. The changes that are being made through Biden's policies go above and beyond Obama-era transgenderism as it ushers in a new era that now discriminates against the religious. According to Life Site News, human rights advocates are concerned about the Biden administration's allotting of $50 million to the "Global Equality Fund," which then allows the government to "blacklist foreign religious leaders who speak out in favor of the natural family and against the LGBT ascendancy." Biden's policies, which are building upon Obama-era transgenderism and expanding it further as a thank you to the LGBTQ+ community that supported and funded the president's campaign, are pushing the envelope in terms of changes that the country may not be ready for. Those who are advocating for human rights are concerned that these changes are affecting people of faith and convictions. President Biden, which The Washington Post calls the country's "most pro-LGBTQ president ever," is being criticized for his actions on policies that surpass Obama-era transgenderism. Alliance Defending Freedom's general counsel Kristen Waggoner says that the Commander in Chief is determined to "weaponize the law to crush dissent, in order to implement a far-left agenda." Waggoner said, "That impacts not just people of faith, but all Americans who want to live life according to their convictions. The government can't engage in religious bigotry." Australian health authorities have backed AstraZenecas vaccine despite a decision by South African authorities to delay rolling out the jab after early clinical data showed it offered minimal protection against the COVID-19 variant spreading through that country. Health Minister Greg Hunt on Monday confirmed AstraZenecas vaccine would start arriving in Australia in early March. Health Minister Greg Hunt and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The advice I received both from the Chief Medical Officer in writing and in discussion with the head of the vaccines taskforce Professor Brendan Murphy this morning is preliminary, but there is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease or death, Mr Hunt said. On Monday morning South African authorities said they would suspend use of the AstraZeneca shot after clinical data showed it gave minimal protection against B.1.351, a variant of SARS-CoV-2 which contains several mutations that cut the ability of antibodies to neutralise the virus. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 People who have an annual income less than Rs 8 lakh, own less than five acres of farm land, have house smaller than 1,000 sq feet in a town or a 100 sq yard house in notified municipal area would be treated as economically weaker sections. Twitter Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Monday issued orders to implement 10 per cent reservations for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in education and employment. The orders were issued following the decision announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on January 21 to implement 10 per cent EWS quota in the state. The GO issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar stated, "The government has decided to implement 10 per cent reservation to the EWS for admissions into all educational institutions in the State and also in respect of initial appointments to the posts in services under the State, following the criteria and guidelines prescribed by the Government of India." In January 2019, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre passed a Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament seeking to provide 10 per cent reservations for EWS in education and employment. People who have an annual income less than Rs 8 lakh, own less than five acres of farm land, have house smaller than 1,000 sq feet in a town or a 100 sq yard house in notified municipal area would be treated as economically weaker sections and they would qualify for the quota. It has been more then two years since the quota was implemented, but the Telangana state government did not do so on one pretext or the other leading to protests from the poor sections among upper castes. Following this, the Chief Minister had recently on January 21 announced to implement EWS quota in TS. With the 10 per cent reservation for EWS and the existing 50 per cent reservation implemented for other weaker sections, the total number of reservations will go up to 60 per cent in the state. LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CS Victims, a group of Credit Suisse Wealth Management clients who are victims of an estimated $1 billion fraud perpetrated by the Bank's personnel, today lauded the findings of a report into how the Bank failed to prevent and uncover crimes by one of its former star bankers, Patrice Lescaudron. The group reiterated its pleas for the Bank to return their investments and more than $150 million in fees paid to the Bank as a result of the criminal activity. The release of the 282-page report prepared by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) had been opposed by Credit Suisse AG, which won a court order in September to keep the three-year-old report secret. FINMA's report paints a devastating picture of dysfunction, inadequate controls, and a jarring lack of oversight and follow through at the Swiss bank, according to CS Victims. Irregularities included not providing information to clients, executing transactions without client confirmation and ignoring internal controls. In addition, the report states that over 180 automated warnings were ignored whilst senior executives worked against each other and refused to share information. A spokesman for CS Victims said "the report contradicts Credit Suisse's oft-stated position that the Bank had no reason to believe Lescaudron was committing a crime and that its internal controls were sufficient. The reality is several of the Bank's employees raised concerns about Lescaudron, concerns that had they been properly investigated would have most certainly led to the discovery of the fraud much sooner, limiting the harm to clients. Instead, the concerns were ignored, time and time again." In one remarkable example, FINMA found Credit Suisse's current Head of Risk, Jorg Rosskopf, was aware of certain of Lescaudron's misconduct "but could not prevail against other employees of the Bank, who advocated a lesser punishment of" Lescaudron. In a statement that should cause concern amongst all current and former Credit Suisse clients, the FINMA report said Rosskopf "refrained from further escalating the allegations, fearing that this would mean a breach of loyalty to his line management and that he could lose his position within the Bank." "Any Credit Suisse client should be gravely concerned with the report's specific and detailed findings of inadequate controls and failure to protect client interests," the CS Victims spokesman said. "Once again, we are asking the Bank to do the right thing and return the clients' funds and fees generated in the course of a crime." The full report can be viewed at https://csvictims.com/download-report/ For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit https://csvictims.com/ Information for editors CS Victims was established by the representatives of certain clients of Credit Suisse. They are victims of an estimated $1 billion fraud perpetrated by the Bank's personnel over seven years. At least one of Credit Suisse's employees has been convicted of fraud and FINMA has highlighted failures in Credit Suisse's systems and controls which led directly to crimes being committed. SOURCE CS Victims A man in Cork called Gardai to break up a house party which was taking place in his own home last weekend. Garda Paul Drommey and Garda Ruth Maher were on patrol in Cork city to ensure that people were following the current Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions, when they received a call from someone about a houseparty. The man, who spoke to an RTE reporter for Today with Claire Byrne, was living in a student area and called the guards on his own housemates over a party they were throwing. I called the guards tonight, on my housemates, he said. They party all the time according to the man, in the middle of level 5 lockdown. Theres no masks, theres no respect. And thats my biggest issue with it, theres some expectation in a houseshare theres going to be some boundaries. Read More He added that calling the guards wasnt the first thing he tried to stop their frequent house parties. Ive very much come down the stairs and been like: Lads, its Level 5 lockdown, cop on, he said. Im working in a shop; Im helping old ladies with their shopping. I came down here one night - oh my God - there were 20 people downstairs, I mean the size of this place, pushing past people, coughing up on you, and theyre all drunk. And what you got was sorry, sorry, sorry - it wont happen again, we understand. The next night, party again, the very next night. Last night they were partying as well, I was working at six in the morning, [I was] woken up at three in the morning, and the abuse you get as well. After breaking up the party, Garda Drommey said that: We spoke to the lady in question, and she admitted she did organise a house party, so shes going to be issued a 500 fine. Additionally, anyone who attended the house party will also have to pay a 150 fine. The 150 fine only applies to people caught in house parties, Garda Maher explained, saying people caught outside will just receive a 100 fine. The 5k only applies if you are exercising, she said. If you are outside of the 5k it has to be an essential journey or there has to be a reasonable excuse as to why youre actually travelling outside of the 5k. 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. Watertown, NY (13601) Today A mix of clouds and sun in the morning followed by cloudy skies during the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 43F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 00:30:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan received a batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese military during a handover ceremony held on Monday at the Noor Khan Air Base near Pakistan's capital Islamabad. Pakistani Lt.-Gen. Nigar Johar, surgeon general of the Pakistan army, and Maj.-Gen. Chen Wenrong, defense attache of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, attended the handover ceremony. (Pakistan-China-COVID-19 Vaccine) - - - - HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Eddie Yue said on Monday that facts and figures show there is neither capital flight nor withdrawal of financial institutions in Hong Kong. Yue made the comments in response to disinformation about the global financial hub, citing a series of positive financial figures, which were published in an online article. (Hong Kong-Financial Situation) - - - - NEW DELHI -- As many as 24 dead bodies, all men, have been recovered in India's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand till Monday evening, an official at the local disaster management office said. Upper reaches in the state had been hit by a glacier burst on Sunday morning, leaving over 200 people missing, mostly laborers at two hydropower projects. (India-Glacier Burst-Death Toll) - - - - SUVA -- The China Cultural Center in Fiji and Post Fiji jointly launched the Year of Ox stamps on Monday to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 12 this year. For six years, the China Cultural Center in Fiji and Post Fiji have worked together on commemorative stamps for the Chinese Lunar New Year, Sun Jie, director of the China Cultural Center in Fiji, said at the launching ceremony held in the Nausori Multicultural Center, about 24 km northeast of capital city Suva. (Fiji-China-Stamps) Enditem Rwanda's national carrier has suspended its flights to South Africa and Zimbabwe in order to contain the spread of a new coronavirus variant. This comes almost two months after authorities in South Africa announced the detection of a new variant of Covid-19 that was rapidly spreading in its provinces. "In view of the global concerns on Covid variants prevalent throughout southern Africa, RwandAir announces the suspension of its flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lusaka and Harare, effective 8 February 2021," a RwandAir statement released on Monday reads. "Scheduled flights will resume as soon as there is more clarity on the situation. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Affected customers can rebook and fly at a later date at no additional cost - or request a refund." The UK on January 29 added Rwanda, Burundi, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to its coronavirus travel ban list fearing that the coronavirus variant had spread to these countries from southern Africa. UK officials said that the decision to expand its travel ban to Rwanda was recommended by UK scientists, due to Rwanda's limited gene sequencing testing capacity. The decision drew ire from Rwanda which summoned the UK Ambassador Jo Lomas for an explanation. Rwanda has not yet started testing for the coronavirus variants, which makes it difficult to know whether cases have spread to the country or not. South Africa last week suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine - one of the vaccines on Rwanda's radar - after studies showed "disappointing" results against the new Covid variant. Rwanda targets to acquire vaccines for at least 20 percent of its population - mainly for the most vulnerable clusters - and then gradually vaccinate at least 60 percent of the population. A Texas school district has reversed their decision to remove parts of a Black History Month display following outrage and backlash they received. Beaumont Enterprise's Issac Windes reported that the Beaumont Independent School District deemed photos of the 1968 Olympic power salute at Vincent Middle School "too political" after the school received a complaint in the form of an email. Upon review, the administration determined that the majority of the art displayed celebrated historical figures and achievements in the African-American community, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Michael Jackson, Olympians, and others, BISD spokesperson Denise McLean said in a statement, as reported by Windes. However, a small portion of the art included emblems that are perceived as politically controversial and not pedagogically related to Black history. Credit: Mikelle Patillo BLACK LIVES MATTER: George Floyd honored with street mural in front of Jack Yates High School McLean said administrators removed the artwork not related to the educational purpose of Black History Month, as reported by KDFM News 6's Angel San Juan. This included images of clenched fists in honor of Black pride, names of Black people killed by police, events related to the Black Lives Matter movement and a rendition of the iconic 1968 Olympic Black Power Salute. The salute was popularized by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, U.S. Olympians who won gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Summer Games. In an effort to bring attention to racial tensions and social issues, the men chose to be photographed with clenched fists raised, a symbol of Black power, according to History.com. The displays were eventually returned after feedback from parents, but a collection of clenched fists remained covered with construction paper that spelled out Insert Black Fist Here!," as reported by Windes. The display has since been restored in its entirety. Over the past several days, we have heard opinions from many regarding the decision to remove student artwork at Vincent Middle School," the district said in a follow-up statement, as reported by Windes. "As we continually strive to make decisions in the best interest of our students, after reevaluation the district has made the decision to repost the artwork to amplify the artistic expressions of our students and their collective contribution to honor and celebrate Black History Month. Black History is more than Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and slavery and it's important that students are aware of that, long-term substitute teacher Mikelle Patillo shared with Windes. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) The Australian prime minister on Monday dismissed as speculative reports that a Chinese company plans to build a new industrial island city near Australias porous sea border with Papua New Guinea. Hong Kong-registered WYW Holding Ltd. plans to build a $30 billion city that includes a seaport and industrial area on Daru Island in the Torres Strait, Australian media have reported. The reports cite company letters to the Papua New Guinea government from April last year. Daru Island is a population of 20,000 people within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of Australias Saibai Island and about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Australian mainland. Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down the prospect of the city being built. I honestly think its just speculative, Morrison told Sydney Radio 2SM. Its just people flying some kites and Im not going to overreact to the noise that is flying around out there. I speak pretty regularly with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (James Marape) and we have a very good relationship and he well understands our relationship and the importance of our other partners and I couldnt see Papua New Guinea being terribly hasty on anything like that, Morrison added. Marapes office said the prime minister wasnt aware of the proposal, but added that his government would not turn away foreign investment that complied with Papua New Guinea laws and benefited locals. Analysts have said the proposal makes no economic sense and some suspect China wants to build a wharf for use by its navy. The Unites States and Australia are partnering to redevelop Papua New Guineas Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island in the countrys north as concerns rise about Chinas growing influence in the region. In November last year, Papua New Guinea signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company to build a $160 million fish processing plant also on Daru. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the government was very keen to discuss with Papua New Guinea what proposals are on the table. Story continues I think there are all sorts of sovereignty issues and there are local issues in terms of land owners and land rights, et cetera that I think would provide a significant hurdle, Dutton told Nine Network television on Friday. So, well look at it closely, but Australia will always act in our best interests and ... to support our neighbors, he added. Papua New Guinea is the largest recipient of Australian foreign aid. Papuan vessels can operate in a shared fishing zone between the two neighbors under a treaty that recognizes the trade and family links between the Torres Strait island communities that have existed for thousands of years. ALBANY New data published by the state Department of Health this weekend revealed that there were nearly 200 more coronavirus deaths connected to Capital Region long-term care facilities than were previously known. The data were released after a state Supreme Court justice ordered the state Health Department to fufill a Freedom of Information Law request submitted by the Empire Center for Public Policy, a fiscally conservative think tank based in Albany which had filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the state to release the true tally of nursing home deaths in the state. The state had previously only released the number of deaths that occurred inside the facilities, and not those deaths that occurred after a resident had become ill and was removed from the facility typically for transfer to a hospital. The practice was criticized as obscuring the true scope of the pandemic's impact on nursing homes. As first reported by the Empire Center this weekend, the state published these out-of-facility death counts for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other adult care facilities in the state on its online COVID-19 dashboard. The deaths were listed both by county and by individual facility, and revealed that 4,067, or 31 percent, of known nursing home deaths in the state occurred outside the facilities. In the eight-county Capital Region, the data revealed a total of 524 long-term care residents had died due to confirmed or presumed COVID-19 as of Sunday. Among those deaths, 331 occurred inside the facility where the resident fell ill and 193 or more than a third occurred outside the facility, such as in a hospital. Nursing home residents account for 450 deaths in the region overall, assisted living facility residents account for 51 deaths, and other adult care facility residents account for 23 deaths. The addition of out-of-facility death data reveals a 58 percent jump in coronavirus fatalities connected to the regions long-term care facilities. Notably, a bombshell report released last month by state Attorney General Letitia James estimated the state Health Department was publicly undercounting statewide nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent. The new data also reveal that more than half of the regions known deaths from COVID-19 have originated from long-term care settings. As of Sunday, 955 residents of the eight-county area were known to have died from the disease. Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs has the regions highest known nursing home death toll with 33 residents passing away from coronavirus, according to the states figures. Home of the Good Shepherd also in Saratoga Springs has the regions highest known assisted living facility toll with a dozen known coronavirus deaths. Bill Hammond, senior fellow for health policy at the Empire Center, said in a blog post Saturday that the new disclosures represent only a small fraction of the data the state Health Department has been ordered to release. The department has now posted facility-level totals for a single dayFeb. 4whereas the center requested facility-level numbers for each day of the pandemic," he wrote. The department published slightly updated counts on Monday, showing data as of Sunday. Hammond said the additional detail is necessary to gauge the impact certain events and policies may have had on long-term care facilities, such as the departments controversial March 25, 2020 guidance which stated nursing homes could not deny admission to residents on the basis of COVID-status alone, nor could they require they be tested for coronavirus prior to admittance. Nursing homes have said they took this to mean they had to accept COVID-positive patients being discharged from hospitals, and worried it may have introduced the virus into the highly vulnerable settings. The state Health Department last summer released a report that relied on its own incomplete death count to absolve itself of blame for the devastation in long-term care settings. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 22:28:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds a video conference with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China and the European Union (EU) should strengthen all-round dialogue and cooperation and uphold true multilateralism to cope with global challenges, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday. Wang made the remarks in a video conference with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Wang said that, at the end of last year, President Xi Jinping and European leaders jointly announced the completion of China-EU investment agreement negotiations, raising China-EU relations and pragmatic cooperation to a new level and bringing major positive news for the global economic recovery. The two sides should grasp the opportunity to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in all areas, uphold true multilateralism, and jointly respond to global challenges to push the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, he added. Borrell said that EU-China cooperation is fully necessary and irreplaceable. The EU is willing to hold candid dialogue with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields such as climate change, environmental protection, bio-diversity protection and sports, promote the signing and ratification process of the EU-China investment agreement, and deepen vaccine cooperation. Enditem TUNIS, Tunisia - They were young men in wheelchairs and mothers gripping portraits of lost sons. The years since the 2011 revolt had whittled down the size of their gatherings but not the urgency of their demand: that Tunisia recognize those killed or wounded in that uprising by publishing an official list. Walid Kassraoui, 31, was among the demonstrators that day in December, sitting on a low wall, his rolled-up slacks revealing a prosthesis of silicon and metal where his right calf used to be. For him, the past decade had been a grim cycle of protest, poverty and pain, with struggles to find work, two dozen surgeries and an amputation. For him, the list means everything. It would bring financial reparations. It would prove the revolution had mattered, especially now, when some politicians were arguing for a return to the old authoritarian system. "Loyalty to the blood of martyrs," the protesters chanted, before police dispersed them. Ten years after the Arab Spring uprisings began in Tunisia with a street vendor's lonely protest, revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world have ended in failure. Only in Tunisia has a fragile democracy endured. At the heart of its success lies a willingness, unique among those countries buffeted by the uprisings, to compromise and accommodate a range of forces, including Islamist political parties. At critical moments when the Tunisian experiment has appeared to be on a cliff edge - after assassinations or terrorist attacks - dialogue and concession have pulled the country back from the brink. Tunisia's robust and resilient democratic experiment stands virtually alone in the Arab world. Many other governments, led by monarchs or autocrats, remain fearful of democratic contagion and have stepped up repression of dissent since 2011. And yet, pluralism and democracy haven't delivered the improvements many Tunisian protesters sought. Corruption and uneven development still plague the country. Unemployment remains high. Thousands of disillusioned Tunisians have migrated illegally to Europe or joined extremist groups. Protests that erupted across Tunisia last month have been some of the most sustained and widespread since the revolution, reflecting anger over the deepening economic crisis and dismay at politicians accused of ignoring impoverished citizens. If Tunisia demonstrates that progress can depend on political accommodation, its experience also reveals that compromise can be a curse, muffling forces for change while leaving corrupt or anti-democratic interests intact. The path of Ennahda, Tunisia's most prominent Islamist party, highlights this quandary. It emerged from the 2011 uprising as a standard-bearer for Tunisia's revolutionary ideals and became a dominant political force, even as other Arab countries banned Islamist movements. But along the way, Ennahda has abandoned some core principles and forged alliances that have angered some supporters - prioritizing stability and its own survival over radical change, its critics and Ennahda defectors say. Yamina Zoghlami, 50, who joined Ennahda as a teenager, embodies the party's success after the revolution. Once excluded from public life as a conservative Muslim, she won election to the parliament and helped draft one of the region's most progressive constitutions. But she concedes that critical demands for change remain unmet. "We enjoy this freedom," she said. "But democracy and freedom weren't converted to economic wealth where the youth can work. "The Tunisian democratic experiment is always in danger as long as we haven't achieved the economic and social revolution," she said. - - - Kassraoui lost his leg after running for his life. The revolt sweeping Tunisia in 2011 had driven Kassraoui and his friends to the streets. The anger animating the protests - over corruption and a lack of freedom and dignity - resonated in his neighborhood, Kram West, a poor suburb of Tunis perched below the glitzy seaside stomping grounds of Tunisia's elite. Kassraoui's home, a block of whitewashed cement with rebar protruding from an unfinished roof, was a 10-minute drive from the gilded presidential palace where then-President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali lived. His father worked as a street cleaner who picked up trash after Ben Ali's in-laws. Kassraoui held odd jobs washing linens from nearby hotels and once cleaned a beach where Ben Ali's daughter sunbathed. "We used to see injustice and marginalization more than people in any other area," Kassraoui said. On the night he joined the protests, the authorities showed little mercy, firing live rounds. A friend of Kassraoui's was the first to fall. The streetlights suddenly cut out, and the protesters dashed through dark streets to escape. In a patch of light, Kassraoui stopped to catch his breath. A black-clad figure emerged from the shadows and Kassraoui heard a crack. He felt the heat of blood spilling from his leg, took a step, listened to his bone break. Looking down at his leg in shock, he fell to the ground. A sympathetic neighborhood policeman probably saved his life, Kassraoui said. The hospital was overflowing with injured protesters, and the officer risked arrest to drive Kassraoui to a top-flight military hospital. He remembered waking up from a coma five days later to a doctor and nurses applauding at his bedside. "Bravo," they said. "Ben Ali fled the country!" When Kassraoui returned home after three months, he expected to find Tunisia transformed. "The hope after the revolution was very big," he said. - - - Zoghlami also had towering expectations after the revolt, seeing new possibilities for conservative Muslims like her and a bright future for Ennahda. She had joined the movement at a time when her wearing of a veil earned her derision from her mother and expulsion from her high school, which, along with other public institutions, banned the headscarf. Zoghlami soon joined one of Ennahda's secret cells. She worked in electoral politics during a brief political opening in 1989. But after Ennahda members performed well, Ben Ali banned the party and arrested thousands of its members. Some leaders fled the country. Others were imprisoned and tortured. When her husband, also a party member, was jailed in 1991, Zoghlami gathered all her books and files related to Ennahda, put them in a steel container and burned them. In 2011, she joined the protests. After Ben Ali fled, Ennahda tapped Zoghlami to run in elections to represent a district encompassing many of the capital's poorer neighborhoods and she was elected to parliament. "I used to belong to a category of women that was excluded from political life," she recalled on a recent day, sitting in an ornate room in Tunisia's parliament covered with ceramic tiles. She started advocating for Kassraoui in 2012, when she led a parliamentary committee on the "martyrs and wounded" of the uprising, at a time when she and Ennahda were leading Tunisia's first, fitful attempts to deliver post-revolutionary justice. She also helped pass landmark legislation establishing a "truth commission" charged with investigating crimes dating back to 1955, the year before Tunisia gained its independence from France. Some media outlets and secular-leaning elites greeted the veiled lawmakers with suspicion or scorn, Zoghlami said. Over time, though, she learned to collaborate with, and even befriend, politicians across the aisle as they embarked on a monumental task: writing a new constitution. Zoghlami and other lawmakers vowed that the document would mark a decisive break with the past. But fights over the place of sharia, or Islamic law, and women's rights divided the country and caused rifts within Ennahda. The party, facing a harsh backlash, decided not to propose including sharia. Zoghlami, who describes herself as part of the movement's "moderate" wing, helped enshrine gender-equality provisions. But the process of drafting the constitution almost came apart. In the aftermath of Tunisia's revolt, the country was lashed by threats from within and without - assassinations, terrorist attacks and a counterrevolutionary wave that was cresting beyond Tunisia's shores. - - - The dangers came into focus in February 2013, when gunmen assassinated Chokri Belaid, a lawyer and prominent leftist activist, as he was leaving his home in north Tunis. His killing - the gravest act of political violence since the revolt - deepened a festering sense of polarization in the country, between Islamist and secular-leaning forces, and threatened to shatter the fragile transition. Zoghlami and her colleagues in Ennahda immediately recognized the danger. "We said, 'The democratic experiment is finished. Tunisia is over. We will go back to prison,' " she recalled. The willingness of the country's dominant political movements - including Tunisia's powerful labor union and Ennahda - to pursue compromise saved the country. Ennahda was known for its pragmatism. But its flexibility was also motivated by fear of the fate that had befallen another Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Like Ennahda, the Brotherhood had been propelled to power in the aftermath of an Arab Spring revolt in 2011, winning the presidency the next year. But by 2013, the Brotherhood and its leader, Mohamed Morsi, were facing growing popular anger fueled by a conviction that the Islamists had gathered too much power, too fast. When Zoghlami visited Egypt, she could tell it was headed for trouble. In July of that year, the military deposed Morsi amid a brutal crackdown on his backers. "I didn't expect a coup d'etat, but I knew there would be a failure," she recalled. To stave off an Egypt scenario, Ennahda leaders agreed to cede power as part of a national dialogue brokered by civil-society actors, including trade unionists, lawyers and human rights activists, who later won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. That decision paved the way for Beji Caid Essebsi to win the presidency in 2014. He was 88 years old at the time and seen by some as a unifying figure and others as a guardian of the old order. He showed little enthusiasm for prosecuting crimes of the past. Ibrahim Fraihat, an international conflict resolution expert at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, attributes Tunisia's relative stability partly to its ability to strike a balance between victor's justice and blanket pardons for past abuses - particularly in a region that has often struggled to do so. In neighboring Libya, retaliation against former government officials helped fuel the country's descent into civil war. Yemen, which also collapsed into civil conflict, faced the opposite problem: A post-revolt deal spared Ali Abdullah Saleh, its former strongman, from prosecution, allowing him to keep meddling in the country's politics. Tunisia was defying the worst predictions about the Arab Spring. But the country's path was dashing the revolutionary hopes of those like Kassraoui, and consensus was sapping Tunisia's political lifeblood. "When you build all your political orientation on the basis of consensus, there is no democratic debate," said Selim Kharrat, a Tunisian political analyst. - - - Kassraoui registered a complaint with Tunisia's truth commission in 2015, as part of his never-ending quest to identify and punish his shooter. His determination bordered on zeal: Kassraoui instructed doctors not to remove bullet fragments lodged in his thigh, hoping they would one day be used as ballistic evidence in a trial, he said. "It's not all about reparations or money; when you judge someone and hold them accountable, it's a message that it will never happen again," he said. But the Interior Ministry refused to cooperate with the commission. Essebsi tried to grant amnesty to people accused of corruption and succeeded in securing immunity for some civil servants. By the time it closed its doors in 2019, the truth commission had investigated tens of thousands of rights violations and produced a report of more than 2,000 pages chronicling Tunisia's authoritarian past and proposing reforms. It referred 200 cases, including Kassraoui's, for prosecution in special courts. But the trials stalled after powerful police unions pressured officers suspected of crimes not to show up in court, and after political leaders, even within Ennahda, made little effort to pursue accountability. In the meantime, nothing much had changed in hard-pressed quarters across Tunisia. In fact, for many people of Kassraoui's age, things had gotten worse. More and more disillusioned young Tunisians were risking the dangerous sea crossing to Italy. Kassraoui said several friends had made the journey, a form of protest against the government's failures. Last year, 13,000 Tunisians reached Italy's shores, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Kram West faced another danger: extremist groups recruiting young people there. In a society where overt religiosity had been repressed for decades, extremists surged into the vacuum after the revolution, taking advantage of the new openness. There was a security vacuum, too. In Kram West, after protesters burned down the local police station, it was never rebuilt. Radical groups moved into the neighborhood, including Ansar al-Sharia, which went from hosting preaching tents in its streets to pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda within a few years. Authorities said the group was complicit in assassinations and a 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. Zoghlami said lawmakers hadn't grasped the urgency of the security threat. "We were extremely busy in the struggle over belief and sharia," she said. The government declared Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organization in 2013 and cracked down on the group. Still, thousands of Tunisians traveled to Iraq, Syria or Libya to join the Islamic State and other militant groups - among the most from any country. And even after the defeat of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate, young Tunisians remain susceptible to radicalization, researchers say. A study published in 2018 by Mobdiun, an organization that works with youth in Kram West, found that nearly 40 percent of young men there said they knew someone who had joined a terrorist organization. Sixteen percent said they had been approached about adopting jihadist ideology. - - - In November, as Kassraoui was preparing to receive Zoghlami at his home, he resolved to bother her with only a modest request: government money to build an extra room onto the family's cramped house. The two seemed an unlikely pair. He was once a star break-dancer in his neighborhood and now spent his days - when he wasn't protesting - playing video games. Zoghlami was in constant motion, often in her long black coat, a cellphone glued to her hand, as she rushed from parliament meetings to visits in her district, where constituents call her "Madame Yamina." When Zoghlami arrived, Kassraoui's mother ushered her into the small house, shared by the family of 10. Kassraoui sat across from Zoghlami with his 7-year-old daughter on his lap. Kassraoui, his wife and their two young children slept in one room. The entire family survived on his father's pension, which came to a few hundred dollars a month; the money his brother made working at a grocery store; and a monthly grant of around $70 that Kassraoui received from the state. Jobs available in the neighborhood pay low wages. Public-sector positions are hard to come by, and Kassraoui's disability limited his prospects. The state had offered Kassraoui a permit to sell tobacco. He hoped instead for permission to open a small corner store where he could sell sweets, juice, maybe even flowers. "I imagined that 10 years after the revolution, I would have a little bit of dignity. I'm not asking for something very big; I'm asking for the minimum," he said. Zoghlami promised to help with the home renovation and with the paperwork Kassraoui would need to get a new prosthetic leg. Last year, Tunisians elected an assortment of populists to office, in a sign of growing disenchantment with the political class. Kais Saied, an independent law professor and champion of the 2011 protesters, won the presidency with 73 percent of the vote. But a hard-line Islamist party siphoned off former Ennahda voters who believed it had betrayed its revolutionary principles. And the populist wave also elected to parliament Abir Moussi, a former official in Ben Ali's party who has called for restoring the police state and cast the 2011 uprising as a coup. Opinion polls show that two-fifths of Tunisians would now vote for her party. "There is a real confidence crisis between people and the authorities," said Kharrat, the political analyst. "That's why the old-regime political groups are seducing more and more Tunisians. Because Tunisians used to think, before the revolution, even if you were not free, you were able to eat." In December, Tunisians across the country went on strike and blockaded companies to press for jobs and better working conditions. Those calls intensified last month when young people took to the streets with signs by day and stones by night to vent their rage and demand the parliament's dissolution. Much of the anger was directed at Ennahda, increasingly seen as part of the stubborn and unresponsive power structure. Zoghlami, who represents many of the Tunis-area neighborhoods that saw clashes, said that some of the demonstrations were "legitimate protests with real demands" and that she and her colleagues needed to listen to young people. But change could not come through violence or dissolving parliament, she added. "We must all preserve democracy in the country," she said. As Tunisia braced for a new season of unrest, Kassraoui kept up his lonely vigil. He had managed to obtain a new prosthetic leg with the president's help. But he continued to press for the publication of the list of dead and wounded from the 2011 uprising, and in December began a hunger strike and sit-in with about a dozen other people. Some sewed their mouths shut with thick black thread. Others threatened to light themselves on fire. After several days without food, Kassraoui developed kidney pain and his blood sugar dropped so significantly that he was briefly hospitalized. Bowing to pressure, the government pledged last month to publish the names by late March. The protesters remain skeptical. "If the list is published, it will be a recognition from the Tunisian state that there was a revolution," Kassraoui said. "The list is the only guarantee." - - - Fahim reported from Istanbul. The Washington Post's Ahmed Ellali contributed to this report. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said that tomorrow the Ukrainian delegation will travel to Brussels for the seventh meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council that will take place on February 11. He wrote about this on his Facebook page. On February 9, our government team will travel to Brussels for the seventh meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council. Over the next few days, we will hold a series of meetings with high representatives of the European Union, during which we will agree on further joint steps to implement our agreements," Shmyhal said. He stressed that the Ukrainian government's strategic goal remains the same - movement to European markets and integration with the European Union. We have held the second meeting of the Commission for Coordination of the Implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. A list of 40 priority bills in the direction of European integration have been developed, seven have been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada and two have been sent to the President of Ukraine for consideration, Shmyhal said. According to the prime minister, the government's schedule for the first quarter of this year also includes issues on the regulations in the field of railway transportation, intellectual property, integrated border management, sewage treatment etc. iy Yellen Suggests $60,000 Income Threshold for Stimulus Checks Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said she believes that individual Americans earning $60,000 per year should be eligible for direct $1,400 stimulus payments amid talks about who should receive the checks. If you think about an elementary school teacher or a policeman making $60,000 a year, and faced with children who are out of school and people who may have had to withdraw from the labor force in order to take care of them and many extra burdens, [President Joe Biden] thinks, and I would certainly agree, that its appropriate for people there to get support, said Yellen on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. Some senatorsincluding Democratshave suggested that stimulus payments should phase out past the $50,000 income level. I think the details can be worked out. And the president is certainly willing to work with Congress to find a good structure for these payments, Yellen said, adding that the White House is negotiating with Congress to define what is fair in terms of stimulus payments. Senate Democrats have suggested they are willing to push Bidens $1.9 trillion stimulus package without Republican support. That drew backlash from Republicans on Sunday. I am absolutely willing to work with anyone if it is good for the American people because thats what we should all be about. We have conservative solutions. The more conservative values infuse public policy, I think, the better public policy is. On the other hand, the administration is showing very clearly they dont care if they have to work with us, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said Sunday on NBCs Meet The Press. Theyre willing to push things through even if someone like Larry Summers, a former Democratic Treasury secretary, says its boneheaded policy. Im paraphrasing, he added, referring to Bidens $1.9 trillion relief package. And even if we come in good faith with at least 10 and more that would have joined us, and they say they dont care. So, you got thatit takes two to tango. Right now, Im not sure we have the two to tango. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. The United Nations on Friday said that the situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region is "extremely grave" as thousands of people are in dire need of life-saving assistance. The UN renewed its calls for immediate humanitarian access to all areas in Tigray to help the people affected by the civil war. The UN said that the fighting between the Ethiopian Army and Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in the region has displaced several thousand people, with conditions so extreme that many have been forced to eat leaves to survive. "Three months into the conflict in #Tigray, the humanitarian response remains severely constrained and inadequate because most people in need simply cannot be reached, & necessary clearances to enter Tigray are missing," warns @UNOCHA at @UNGeneva press briefing today. #Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/G6hfj0Pg4p UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) February 5, 2021 Read: UN: Ethiopia May Not Have Control Of A Large Part Of Tigray "Full access must be granted now, to prevent things getting even worse," said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch. The situation in the region became worse after the fighting spread to the area where two refugee camps housing Eritrean people came under the fire of the warring sides."Some said they had resorted to eating leaves because there was no other food available. They also spoke about the infiltration of armed actors in the camps, of killings, abductions, and also some forced returns to Eritrea at the hands of Eritreans forces present in the area," Baloch said. Read: Ex-Peace Corps Volunteers Plead With US For Help On Tigray Tigray conflict The immediate conflict in the region was sparked after the ruling TPLF party, a minority party at the centre but a strong and powerful group in the region, allegedly attacked a military base of the federal forces on November 4 following which Ahmed's government launched a military offensive. Relations between TPLF and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had started straining after the latter announced reforms to end ethnic federalism in the country. Ahmed dissolved the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which had ruled the country for 30 years, and created a new Prosperity Party by merging all regional parties. The creation of the Prosperity Party meant a reduction of TPLF's influence at the federal level, which prompted the powerful regional organisation to refuse to join the coalition. Read: Tigray Leader Slams Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Over Military Offensive; Urges Ceasefire The relations took a drastic hit after the TPLF party held parliamentary elections in September despite the central government's decision to postpone all polls in the country due to COVID-19 concerns. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister then launched a military offensive in Tigray to take back control from the local TPLF forces. This resulted in a humanitarian crisis in the region, which saw thousands of people getting displaced or being persecuted by the government forces. Read: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Rejects Tigray Conflict Talks In African Union Meeting (Image Credit: AP) The seventh season of the most successful TV talent show in our country promises to be more than impressive. The breathtaking performances will take place in a brand new studio with many video walls and, of course, in full compliance with the anti-epidemic measures. Over 160 talents will be evaluated again by the glamorous jury - the wonderful Slavena Vatova, the charming Katerina Evro, the critical Lyuben Dilov-son and the uncompromising Itso Hazarta. And how impressive the talents are this year, we can only guess, since on the first day of filming, the jury already used the Golden Buzzer. The innovations and opportunities for positioning advertisers in the digital content of "Bulgaria's Got Talent" do not stop there. The popular vlogger and young director - Kris Zahariev - is the new face of the digital content of the show. The smiling young man with tens of thousands of followers on social media, millions of video views on YouTube will lead the viewers of his favorite talent show on bTV behind the scenes, for even more fun and unaired moments. The segment "More from Bulgaria's Got Talent" with Kris Zahariev will have two episodes a week and will be available on www.talant.btv.bg. A key element in "Bulgaria's Got Talent", which offers an exceptional opportunity for branding integration, is the option "Save the Talent". It gives and exclusive chance only to the online users at talant.btv.bg to vote and return one of the dropped-out contestants back to the show. Voting lasts 24 hours on a specially created page, and the emotions are more than positive. Voting will be promoted on the air, and various branded reach media formats will be used, as well as a special teaser promo, which will be published on online platforms immediately after the announcement on bTV. With this kind of voting in 2020 in "The Voice of Bulgaria" we provoked over 350,000 people to vote for their favorites and return them directly to the grand finale. Of course, among the digital opportunities, we cannot miss the special 360-degree finale of "Bulgaria's Got Talent". The three-dimensional adventure, which has already shown exceptional results for a number of brands, is expected to attract over 130,000 unique views. The digital opportunities for advertising positioning in "Bulgaria's Got Talent" are waiting for you in full force! Do not hesitate to take advantage! Ottawa Nick Franano Prairie Village Johns Hopkins University Kansas Kansas Department of Commerce Stephen Owens Hesston Kansas Oklahoma Bethel College North Newton Harvey County Kansas Kansas Kansas Kansas Melissa Roberts Kauffman Foundation Kansas Department of Commerce Kansas Kansas City Kansas Missouri California Massachusetts Kansas Kansas City Missouri Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation Kansas Bioscience Authority Kansas Sam Brownback Kansas Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation Kansas Bioscience Authority Kansas Kansas Steve Radley Kauffman Foundation Kansas City, Mo. Kansas Jason Wiens Kansas California California Kansas Kansas Kansas City Wichita Kansas Kansas Pittsburg Crawford County Pittsburg Shawn Naccarato Springfield, Mo. Kansas Kansas Pittsburg State University's College of Technology Silicon Valley Pittsburg Pittsburg Kansas (TNS) Some might considernativea serial entrepreneur a term used to describe those who repeatedly involve themselves in entrepreneurial endeavors.Franano, a former physician, serves as founder and CEO of Artio Medical, a-based startup that develops innovative medical devices to meet the needs of patients with cardiovascular problems and other clinical issues."We started a new company without a clear idea of what we were going to develop," Franano said of Artio. "But I have lots of ideas, and I have lots of physician and engineer friends who have lots of ideas."Franano co-founded the startup in 2014, after handing off his previous success story biotechnology company Proteon Therapeutics, which was founded in 2006 because of a drug he created while doing research atThough Artio Medical has also found success, Franano recognizes the company wouldn't exist without investment from outsiders who decided to give the business a shot."The first investment was from the founders to show that we're committed," he said. "And then we raised money from angel investors and subsequently venture capital firms. That's usually how it goes."When Franano considers the startup scene in, one program in particular has been his company's saving grace: the Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit program administered by the"There are a few really well-connected entrepreneurs who have an idea and go straight to venture capital or private equity. It happens," he said. "But the vast majority of people start with angel investors. It's a critical part of the funding ecosystem."Someone who is keenly aware of that funding ecosystem is state Rep.Entrepreneurship isn't a second-hand issue for theRepublican, who has been involved in business ventures ranging from mobile app development to real estate. In fact, he still keeps a running list of potential business ideas on his phone.Owens is also the type of personlawmakers are trying to keep around. Originally from, he met his wife while attendingin. Upon graduating, he opted to try his luck at business in the Sunflower State.Owens pointed to his own backyard as an example of the entrepreneurial chops that Kansans possess, noting there are a range of manufacturing and agricultural companies that started out at kitchen tables inand continue to employ scores ofresidents to this day."These are the success stories," Owens said. "(Kansans) need to believe that dream is still alive and that they can see a path to realizing their own hopes and their own dreams in their own entrepreneurial endeavors."But some of these people don't know how to start or where to start."Guardian angels: Advocates push tax credit boostOne policy item that has been touted by lawmakers and startup founders alike as a way to help entrepreneurs get their business ideas off the ground in, and keep them here, is the tax credit program lauded by Franano.The program encourages so-called angel investors to pump much-needed cash into budding businesses.These angels don't blow trumpets or don halos but rather are responsible for providing funding to startup companies, often choosing to back a large number of ventures in the hopes that one or two will make it big.In order to incentivize this somewhat risky investment, the state created the Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit to encourage these investors to back young companies. To qualify for investment, a company must be based in, remain in the state for 10 years and can't be bringing in more than $5 million a year in revenue.This type of credit is especially vital in a place like, where access to capital can be a barrier for entrepreneurs, said, a senior program officer for thewhose work focuses on supporting small businesses in the plains region."It is something that is cited as a barrier by a higher percentage of entrepreneurs here locally," Roberts said. "I think what it all adds up to is a situation where entrepreneurs are struggling to access resources ... but also that is having an ultimate impact on some of the larger numbers that indicate the economic health in the region."Though the program has proven useful, it isn't functioning perfectly, according to a report issued last year by the Legislature's auditing department.The audit indicates businesses receiving a tax credit are slightly less likely to remain operational than their counterparts and also created fewer jobs, on average, than those that didn't participate.The report also noted thedidn't punish several businesses that left the state before their 10-year minimum was up, prompting calls for tougher enforcement to "claw back" the tax credit if program rules are broken.Owens, who has introduced legislation to reauthorize the tax credit, said more specific data collection is needed to see how the program is working and where it could be strengthened.But, he added, the simple fact is that not all startups, including those using the tax credit, succeed. If the program didn't exist, the state would be even worse off in its attempts to encourage entrepreneurship, he argued."Chances are we wouldn't even have these other businesses if it wasn't for the angel tax credit because we're not the only state in the nation that does this," Owens said.In a competitive market,searches for policy edgeFranano, co-founder of Artio Medical, is familiar with the national startup arena.Being based in the greaterarea, he has kept up with how startups are faring on both theandsides."And then now that I've done multiple venture-capital backed companies," he said, "I've had a chance to see that (startup) environment in other states likeand."Franano said that when he first became interested in entrepreneurship in the mid-2000s, "90% of the impactful and important startups" were on theside of, because the state had a greater number of resources for entrepreneurs thandid.He pointed to the, passage of the Kansas Economic Growth Act in 2004, creation of theand the state's funding of the Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship program as key supports for theentrepreneurs.But things have changed since, he said, indicating several policies under the administration of Gov.stripped the state of its entrepreneurial edge."We've been through a period now wherehas had different priorities," Franano said.Under Brownback, thewas dismantled, funding for the Pipeline fellowship program ended and the state sold its investment portfolio created by the"I feel that the Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit is the best of all of those programs," Franano said. "But that's really the last thing infor entrepreneurs and startups. If that were to go away, there really wouldn't be any particular programmatic support fromfor entrepreneurs.", president and CEO of NetWork Kansas, an organization focused on the growth of entrepreneurship and small business throughout the state, said that with the COVID-19 pandemic, startups are also likely to need a longer trail of capital for the foreseeable future in order to get started."First of all, we've got to get to the end of this (pandemic) quickly," Radley said. "The other piece to that is for startups you probably need a longer runway of capital when you're starting than in the past, until this pandemic is over."He argued the latest amendments to the angel investor tax credit are one attempt to increase that runway. And he noted new sources of revenue are also coming from the community level, as organizations such as community foundations look to provide support to entrepreneurs in their areas.According to data from the a-based group that researches and supports entrepreneurship both regionally and nationally startups inare more likely to go out of business within a year than in almost any other state., policy director for entrepreneurship at the foundation, said lawmakers can often become too focused on one program, such as the angel investor tax credit, and neglect to direct resources to other areas.He indicated more needs to be done on items ranging from creating more accommodating regulations to investing more heavily in child and health care, so that those who aren't independently wealthy can get in on the startup action."There can be a temptation," Wiens said, "to say, 'Hey, we did our thing for entrepreneurs, we started this program, we have this new policy in place and we can move onto another issue.' "But creating a thriving, and lasting, entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state is going to take more effort.Another part of that is ensuring Kansans are aware that entrepreneurship is even an option, which Owens believes should start as early as high school. That could mean changing curriculum in career and technical training programs or providing mentorship opportunities for young people interested in building their own enterprise."We've got to let kids know that you can be successful and start your own business," Owens said. "That you don't have to fall into the standard 'go to college, get a job, work hard and hopefully you get retirement' kind of mentality."You can work hard. You can build your own business. You can create your own products. ... We need to help them understand that it really isn't as complex as what they believe it is or it is portrayed to be."Franano argued it is important to get to the point where every generation is involved in seeding the next generation of successful entrepreneurs. And he notedhas a couple of advantages in that area production costs and cost of living."It's becoming so expensive to run businesses innow," he said. "I think it'd be very difficult and expensive to do our commercial manufacturing in, so we're looking to bring it back here towhere it's a lot less expensive to do that."Ensuring ruralcan cash inAnother issue facing policymakers is ensuring rural Kansans can embrace their entrepreneurial spirit, which Roberts says is abundant."Innovation can happen anywhere, and great intellectual property can look like something developed in a lab at Wichita State or K-State," she said. "Or it can look like someone who has been working in a feedlot for 20 years and comes up with a new latch for a gate."Most of the formal infrastructure, however, for getting a startup off the ground is likely to be found in places likeor. Networking events, organizations designed to support startups and venture capital are all more prevalent in the state's urban core."It is easier to start in the urban areas because of the resources around you," Owens said.Radley, with NetWork Kansas, said connectivity is key for startups, which is one reason the nonprofit he leads is attempting to grow its network of "E-Communities" throughout the state.According to the organization's website, an E-Community is a county or municipality that has made a commitment to promoting a local entrepreneurial ecosystem "by identifying and developing resources to help local entrepreneurs start or grow businesses." There are now 66 E-Communities in, up from just six in 2007."Community development and economic development go hand in hand," Radley said. "If you're an entrepreneur, you want to be able to have all the amenities no matter what community you live in."Manycounties, though, haven't yet tapped into that E-Community network.The economic fortunes ofand, for example, have been up and down in recent years. And downtownhas been in a "certain level of decline," said, chief strategy officer for Pittsburg State's University Strategic Initiatives.But Block22 the result of a partnership between Pittsburg State, the city and a, development firm is aiming to change that.Block22 is a mixed-use development that includes everything from a coffee shop to student housing. But most notable from an entrepreneurial angle is the development's business incubator, which provides training and support for startups, as well as co-working space where individuals can meet to collaborate or brainstorm ideas.Typically, a resident of southeastwould have to travel to more urban areas to access those types of resources. But Naccarato said he wants to develop a "hub and spoke" system, where similar centers for business development can spread throughout the southeast part of the state."I think we're hopeful that, by kind of going out on a limb and putting this in a place where it usually doesn't happen, in addition to growing southeast, we can demonstrate to similar communities across the country that it can be done," Naccarato said.And the hope is those future partnerships will continue to grow, allowing students and community members to build prototypes of potential products and partner withto make those inventions a reality.As it has for entrepreneurs across the country, COVID-19 has presented challenges to rolling out some elements of Block22. Naccarato said the co-working space was supposed to launch in spring of 2020 but was delayed because of the pandemic, and other elements of the development have been used in ways that are different from what was initially intended.Still, the pandemic has pushed some Americans to open their own businesses out of necessity, experts say. Others have seen new niches crop up in the technology and health care spaces, spurred on by venture capital that is flowing as freely as ever to support those innovative ideas.And with remote work becoming a new normal, there is chatter that people might be leavingonce and for all perhaps choosing to settle down in such places as"There is a deep commitment to reversing the trend of exporting all of our talent," Naccarato said, "basically leaning into the idea thatand southeastare a valuable component of the American fabric." In this file image a policeman sets up tape at a crime scene in London on April 5, 2018. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Weekend Violence in London Leaves 2 Dead and 14 Injured A spate of separate violent stabbings in London over the weekend has led to the deaths of two people and left a further 14 injured. Over the course of the weekend, police officers were called to deal with incidents in over five areas of London, with extra police officers being deployed across the city in support, the Metropolitan Police said. Murder investigations are also underway after two men were stabbed just over 24 hours apart in Croydon and Kilburn. The wave of violence, which spread across the nations capital, began on Friday evening, with police called to two stabbing incidents at around 7 p.m. An hour later, a 22-year-old male was stabbed to death in a block of flats in Wisbeach Road, Croydon. The young man has not yet been identified. We know that a group of males attended the address and an altercation occurred which resulted in the victim receiving a fatal stab injury, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe said in a statement. The second man, Sven Badzak, was fatally stabbed at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in Kilburn after he and his friend were involved in an altercation with a group of men, police said. Badzak was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries. At this early stage we believe Sven and his friend became involved in an altercation with a group of males, Detective Chief Inspector Darren Jones said in a statement. The new loans extended by Romanian banks to the population and companies, which amounted to 84 billion lei last year, a year marked by the COVID 19 health crisis, are slightly above the level of new loans accessed in 2019 and holds a share of almost one third in the balance of non-government credit, according to the Romanian Association of Banks (ARB), as reported by AGERPRES. The new loans accessed by the non-governmental segment totaled 83.24 billion lei in 2019. In 2020, the population accessed new loans amounting to 35.45 billion lei, the share in the total new loans being 42.3%. The volume of new loans for house purchase was higher compared to 2019. The distribution by currencies shows that the population accessed almost only loans in lei, in proportion of 98.4%, leading to the elimination of the foreign currency risk. Last year, the companies contracted loans worth 48.45 billion lei, the lending activity being supported by the government programs that were carried out. The companies mainly accessed new loans in lei, in proportion of 70% of the total loans, the rest being loans contracted in euros and dollars. The distribution by currency of the loans granted last year shows that, out of the total of 84 billion lei, 81.66% represent the value of RON-denominated loans, 15% is the share of loans in euros and the rest in dollars. As regards euro loans, 95.5% of last year's total value was contracted by legal entities. The new loans in dollars granted in 2020, amounting to 2.8 billion lei equivalent, represent 3.30% of the total loans newly accessed, being contracted by legal entities. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Russia to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is personally involved in the issue of returning the Armenians taken hostage by Azerbaijan during Nagorno Karabakh war, ARMENPRESS reports Kopirkin told the reporters. The Ambassador noted that the return of the Armenian POWs is among the priorities of the November 9 trilateral agreement. ''I do not exaggerate. This is the issue for the solution of which the President, Foreign and Defense Ministers of our country are making efforts. The solution of this issue may last longer than was initially expected, but be sure, everything possible is being done and I am confident it will be solved'', the Russian Ambassador said. The "Hope" space probe, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maiden space mission, is scheduled to reach the Martian orbit on Tuesday, February 9. The Martian Space Race UAE's space probe will be the first of three spacecraft to reach the Red Planet, with all three set to arrive within the month. The Arab nation launched its first space mission, together with China and the United States. All three countries took advantage of the time when Earth and Mars are at their closest point to one another last July 2019. Should the Hope space probe successfully reach Mars' orbit, the Middle Eastern leader will be the fifth nation in the world to ever reach the Red Planet, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the unification of the emirates to form UAE back on December 2, 1971. UAE will be followed by China as the sixth nation to reach Mars as its Tianwen-1 mission orbiter and lander is set to reach orbit the following day, February 10, and projected to land on the Martian surface sometime in May this year. Reports have already noted how UAE has lit up its evening skyline in red and a strong social media presence of government pages and citizens carrying the hashtag #ArabstoMars. Also, a celebratory program for the milestone is laid out at the Dubai Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower. Before the UAE and China, the only nations to have reached Mars are the United States, India, the former Soviet Union (USSR), and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Emirates Mars Mission While three nations have launched their Mars-bound missions last year, the history of human space exploration to the Red Planet has never been easy. Starting with the Soviet Union's 1960 attempt to send a probe to Mars, it failed to leave orbit and began a series of ten failed missions until the 1971 Mars 3 became the first to successfully reach Mars. Since then, almost half of Martian space missions ended in failure due to a variety of reasons. As for the UAE, since it launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan last July 19, this marks the trickiest part of the mission so far. From its flight velocity so far, the Hope space probe must slow down significantly and allow itself to be captured by Mars' gravity and using its six Delta-V thrusters to match its cruising speed from 121,000 kilometers per hour (about 75,000 miles per hour) down to 18,000 kph (a little over 11,000 mph). The maneuver alone is expected to consume half of its fuel load. Officially designated as the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the UAE's uncrewed space mission - through the Hope orbiter - ultimately aims to study daily and seasonal weather systems in the Red Planet. It will be examining dust storms and differences in weather patterns among different parts of the planet. Check out more news and information about Mars in Science Times. How and why does psychosis play a role when defining someone as criminally insane and lacking capacity for responsible action? Professor Linda Groning has been given 12 million NOK from The Research Council of Norway to find out. Psychosis is central to a western idea of criminal insanity. There exists, however, disagreement and controversy on how criminal insanity relates to mental disorders, as was demonstrated in the 22 July case in Norway. Professor Linda Groning at The Faculty of Law, University of Bergen (UiB) will receive 12 million NOK from The Research Council of Norway over a 5-year period to study the legal understanding of psychosis and how it relates to criminal insanity. "The project will focus on how the law understands mental illness and especially the relation between psychosis and criminal insanity. Our aim is to develop a more nuanced legal understanding of mental illness," Groning explains. Legal ambiguity In legal terms, criminal capacity and sanity refers to the ability to take responsibility for one's actions and is fundamental for decisions about punishment. Most countries have rules that exempt children, as well as serious mentally ill and intellectually disabled offenders from criminal responsibility. "Psychosis is central to the law's decisions about who should be held criminally responsible and punished, and who should not, in all countries. At the same time, the law is unclear about why and how psychosis is relevant for criminal responsibility," Groning points out. "This lack of clarity has in practice led to an association between criminal insanity and psychiatric diagnosis, and many of those acquitted due to insanity are diagnosed with schizophrenia. This connection between insanity and diagnostic categories is problematic and may be stigmatizing to persons with mental illnesses," says Groning. Collaboration with philosophers and mental health researchers To expand the legal understanding of criminal insanity and psychosis, Groning is collaborating with world-leading philosophers and researchers in psychiatry and psychology. "Our collaboration will emphasize recent mental health research on psychosis, that approaches this phenomenon as dimensional, and beyond the constraints of diagnostic categories," Groning says. The researchers in the project are planning interdisciplinary publications, seminars and workshops. They will also invite representatives from prosecuting authorities, lawyers, legislators, and other relevant persons to share their experiences in the field. A focus on the Norwegian model To develop a legal framework for understanding criminal insanity and psychosis, the researchers will also relate their work to existing models for insanity currently used around the world today. "An important dimension of the project is to explore the Norwegian legal model. Little research has been done on the Norwegian model internationally. Our exploration of insanity and psychosis within the legal framework of this model may provide a valuable contribution to the global discussion," says Groning. "Hopefully, the project will develop needed legal knowledge and help to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and crime," Linda Groning says. ### Facts DIMENSIONS: DIMENSIONS * Remodelling criminal insanity and psychosis through the philosophical, legal and medical DIMENSIONS of the medical model (DIMENSIONS) is funded by The Research Council of Council of Norway (SAMKUL). * The research group: Professor Linda Groning (leader), Associate Professor Unn K. Haukvik (University of Oslo), Professor Stephen J. Morse (University of Pennsylvania), Associate Professor Susanna Radovic (University of Gothenburg), and there will be three postdoctors in philosophy, law and medicine/psychology. * Scientific Committee: Professor Michael S. Moore (College of Law and the Center for Advanced Studies, Illinois), Professor Ingrid Melle (University of Oslo), professor Ian Freckelton (University of Melbourne). * Partners: Professor Gerben Meynen (Utrecht University), Professor Kenneth Hugdahl(University of Bergen), Professor Jrn Jacobsen (University of Bergen) and Professor Ronnie Mackay (Leicester De Montfort Law School). Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market By Security Type (Network Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security, Cloud Security, Content Security, Others), By Solutions Type (Identity & Access Management, Risk & Compliance Management, Encryption & Decryption, Data Loss Prevention, Unified Threat Management, Firewall, Antivirus & Malware, Intrusion Detection/Prevention System, Infrastructure Security, Others), By Deployment Type (Cloud, On-premises), By End Use Industry (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Defense, Energy & Power, Retail, Healthcare and Others), By Company, By Region, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026 under Security & Services category. The Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports. The Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market is expected to grow at an impressive rate during the forecast period. The Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market is driven by the growing number of cyber-attacks and threats. This has led to an increase in the demand for different security solutions across various end-user industries. This in turn is expected to positively influence the market growth through 2026. Additionally, growing adoption of cloud computing, IoT and BYOD across enterprises is further expected to propel the market growth over the next few years. However, use of pirated and opensource cyber security solutions can hamper the market growth during the forecast period. Besides, lack of skilled personnel to manage the cyber security within an organization can further restrict the market growth. Request a free sample copy of Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market Report @ http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2325337 The Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market is segmented based on security type, solution type, deployment mode, end-user industry, company, and region. Based on security type, the market can be categorized into network security, endpoint security, application security, cloud security, content security and others. The cloud security segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period on account of the widespread adoption of cloud technology across the various end-user industries such as BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, among others. Additionally, increasing investments by the government and major vendors operating in the market further drives the segmental growth. Based on the end-user industry, the market can be fragmented into BFSI, IT & telecom, defense, energy & power, retail, healthcare and others. The BFSI segment is expected to dominate the market owing to the growing need for providing sealed security and digital privacy in the financial institutions. The major players operating in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market are Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies, IBM Corporation, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Intel Security (McAfee), Trend Micro, Inc., Palo Alto Networks Inc., Broadcom Inc. (Symantec Corporation), NEC Corporation and others. Major companies are developing advanced technologies and launching new services in order to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies include mergers & acquisitions and new service developments. Years considered for this report: Historical Years: 2016-2019 Base Year: 2020 Estimated Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-2026 Objective of the Study: To analyze and estimate the market size of the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market from 2016 to 2019. To estimate and forecast the market size of the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market from 2020 to 2026 and growth rate until 2026. To classify and forecast the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market based on security type, solution type, deployment mode, end-user industry, company, and regional distribution. To identify dominant region or segment in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. To identify drivers and challenges for the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by market players in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. Our Research performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study. Initially, Our Research sourced a list of service providers across the globe. Subsequently, Our Research conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies. While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors. Through this technique, Our Research could include the service providers which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research. Our Research analyzed the service providers, distribution channels and presence of all major players across the globe. Our Research calculated the market size of the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market by using a bottom-up approach, wherein the data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. Our Research sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size. Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by Our Research. Key Target Audience: Cyber security service provider companies Market research and consulting firms Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers Organizations, forums and alliances related to cyber security The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders such as service providers, suppliers and partners, end-users, etc., besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on the market opportunities. Report Scope: In this report, the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market, By Security Type: o Network Security o Endpoint Security o Application Security o Cloud Security o Content Security o Others Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market, By Solution Type: o Identity & Access Management o Risk & Compliance Management o Encryption & Decryption o Data Loss Prevention o Unified Threat Management o Firewall o Antivirus & Malware o Intrusion Detection/Prevention System o Infrastructure Security o Others Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market, By Deployment Mode: o On-Premise o Cloud Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market, By End-User Industry: o BFSI o IT & Telecom o Defense o Energy & Power o Retail o Healthcare o Others Saudi Arabia Cyber Security Market, By Region: o Western o Central o Eastern o Rest of Saudi Arabia Competitive Landscape Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Saudi Arabian Cyber Security Market. Available Customizations: With the given market data, Our Research offers customizations according to a companys specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report: Company Information Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five). Browse our full report with Table of Contents: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/saudi-arabia-cyber-security-market-by-security-type-network-security-endpoint-security-application-security-cloud-se/2325337 About Us Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 2000 up-to-date reports all researched, analysed and published by top-notch international research firms. Contact us at: Market Reports On Saudi Arabia Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: info@marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Website: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Protest marches were staged at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) by students on Sunday, demanding the resumption of hostel facilities and offline classes. Agitated students stated that unlike other Central Universities, AMU has still not given any notification about restarting on-campus activities. "In India except for educational institutes, everything else has been reopened. Neither government nor administration is giving us importance. We are the future of the nation and our education should be resumed," said a student speaking to ANI. "Final year students need the library and other on-campus facilities to complete their syllabus. The hostels should also be opened for their accommodation," the student added. However, the university administration said that they have not opened because they were following the Government's COVID-19 guidelines."We have been following the guidelines of the government of India and that is why we have not reported any case on campus yet. Students are demanding reopening of hostels and offline classes for final year students," said an administrative staff member of AMU. He added that the government has asked to allot one room per student in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. READ | AMU Students Protest against France's President Macron; Want Boycott Over Extremism Row READ | AMU Students, Teachers Expel V-C, Registrar Amid Protest Against CAA AMU students hold protest against French President Macron In October, last year, AMU students had protested against French President Emmanuel Macron over his remarks on Islam and extremism amid recurring terror incidents and attacks in the European nation. Students had shouted slogans against Macron while holding banners and called for a boycott of French products. The protesters also burnt posters of the French President, despite an extremism attack taking place at a church in France's Nice where 3 people were killed, one of whom was beheaded. One of the student leaders said that the remarks of the French President regarding Islam cannot be tolerated. He said France-made products are being boycotted all over the world, causing a loss of billions of dollars to France in three days. The protestors said products made by French companies are also prevalent in India and appealed to the AMU fraternity to boycott French products. READ | Anti-CAA Violence: AMU Students Move Allahabad HC Seeking Probe READ | Fadnavis Seeks Action On Ex-AMU Student Neta Usmani For 'anti-Hindu' Speech At Elgar Event (With ANI Inputs) ADVERTISEMENT The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned Opashola Abdullahi, a lecturer of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, on one count charge of romance scam. The defendant was brought before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin. Mr Opashola was among the 32 internet fraud suspects arrested in Offa on September 14, 2020. His offence , romance scam, contravenes Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law, the EFCC said. The charge reads That you, Opashola Abdullahi, (alias Devin Snow), sometime in the month of August 2020 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did attempt to cheat by personation, by portraying yourself as a female named Devine Snow via your email address devinesnow677@gmail.com to one Eugene Myvett in order to induce him to send you $200 USD, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law. The embattled lecturer pleaded guilty when the romance scam charge was read to him. Following his plea, the counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, led Paul Kera, an operative of the EFCC, in evidence to review the facts of the case. Mr Kera narrated how investigation on a petition received by the Commission on the activities of internet fraudsters operating in the Offa area of Kwara State led to the arrest of the defendant. Our findings revealed that the defendant created an email address which he was using to defraud unsuspecting victims. During a search executed in his house, we recovered an Infinix Nokia phone which he used as instrumentality of the crime. The defendant was taken to our Office, where he volunteered his statement, Mr Kera told the court. ALSO READ: Court convicts university graduate of love scam Documents, including copies of his statements, two computer attestation forms, an Infinix phone recovered from the defendant as well as the fraudulent romance scam messages printed out of his email account were tendered and admitted in evidence. Thereafter, Mr Akoja urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea and evidence placed before it. Justice Akinpelu, while discharging the witness from the witness box, fixed February 23 for judgment. The defendant is to remain in EFCC custody pending judgment, the judge added SOURCE: EFCC Media & Publicity UNIT February, 8, 2021 Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch: This morning, we learned we lost the great Karen Lewisa giant among giants. Of course, as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, her leadership in education justice, student advocacy and labor rights will forever be sketched in history. But before that, she was a teacher born to parents who were themselves teachers. With fire and fury, she dedicated her life to the promise that we will leave the world better for our children than we inherited ourselves. For that and a life full of love, we thank you, Karen. [February 08, 2021] Wells Fargo Invests in Six Black-Owned Banks Wells Fargo (News - Alert) today announced equity investments in six African American Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) as part of its March 10, 2020, pledge to invest up to $50 million in Black-owned banks. As part of the capital investment, the banks will have access to a dedicated Wells Fargo relationship team that will provide financial, technological, and product development expertise in order to help each institution grow and benefit their local community. In the ongoing pandemic, communities of color have been disproportionately impacted, and this investment is part of Wells Fargo's effort to generate a more inclusive recovery across the country. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005287/en/ Wells Fargo is investing in six Black-owned banks. (Photo: Wells Fargo) "These investments are designed to help the banks become stronger and more impactful to the minority communities they serve, which leads to economic revitalization and job opportunities," said Bill Daley, vice chairman of Public Affairs at Wells Fargo. "So many communities have suffered over the past year. MDIs need capital, but they can also benefit from access to other resources, and Wells Fargo is committed to building lasting, strategic relationships with these institutions in support of their goals." Today's announcement includes investments in the following institutions: Broadway Federal Bank* , in Los Angeles, California , in Los Angeles, California Carver Federal Savings Bank , in New York, New York , in New York, New York Citizens Savings Bank & Trust , in Nashville, Tennessee , in Nashville, Tennessee Commonwealth National Bank , in Mobile, Alabama , in Mobile, Alabama M&F Bank , in Durham, North Carolina , in Durham, North Carolina Optus (News - Alert) Bank, in Columbia, South Carolina "February is Black History Month, and we are proud to announce these investments at this time because they reflect our dedication to helping African American communities, many of which continue to fight the destructive economic impact of the pandemic. Wells Fargo wants to help drive stabilization and recovery by using our financial resources and our ability to act as a partner in order to generate better outcomes," said Kleber Santos, head of Diverse Segments, Representation & Inclusion at Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo's financial commitments are in the form of critical equity capital, which is foundational to the MDIs' ability to expand lending and deposi-taking capacity in their communities. The investments, primarily non-voting positions, are designed to enable the banks to maintain their MDI (News - Alert) status. Wells Fargo is also supporting each MDI's development through a banking relationship in the form of a single touchpoint coverage model that will help them access Wells Fargo's expertise and pursue strategic priorities like entering new markets, expanding locations, designing new products, and hiring staff to support loan growth. "The investment and support from Wells Fargo will allow us to substantially increase our impact on closing the racial wealth gap. We are grateful and committed to ensuring that this capital helps drive transformational wealth building opportunities for our communities and customers," said Dominik Mjartan, president and CEO of Optus Bank. External partners that assisted Wells Fargo include the National Bankers Association (NBA) and Sullivan & Cromwell. External advisory committee members are Kim D. Saunders, president and CEO of NBA; Aron Betru, managing director of the Center for Financial Markets at Milken Institute; and John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman, co-CEO, and CIO of Ariel Investments. Wells Fargo's financial commitment announced today complements additional initiatives that aim to serve all of our customers and communities: Wells Fargo was one of the first banks to sign the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's Project REACh MDI Pledge, which encourages banks to develop meaningful partnerships with MDIs to help them remain a vibrant part of the economic landscape and better promote fair, equal, and full access to financial products and services in their communities. The company's Open for Business Fund invests all gross processing fees we received from the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020 - approximately $400 million - to nonprofits helping small businesses navigate the pandemic, with an emphasis on Black, African American, and other minority-owned small businesses, as businesses with nonwhite owners are closing at a rate faster than industry peers. The Wells Fargo Diverse Community Capital program is a $175 million program with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to provide capital and technical assistance for diverse small business owners in the U.S. Approximately 75% of awardees are led by leaders from underrepresented communities. The DCC program has enabled CDFIs to lend nearly $350 million to Black and African American small business owners across the country since the program launched in 2015, according to Opportunity Finance Network. In the 10 years spanning 2009 to 2018, Wells Fargo was the No. 1 financier of home loans to African Americans and originated more mortgages to help Black buyers purchase homes than the four other largest bank lenders combined. In 2017, the company pledged to create 250,000 Black homeowners by 2027 through lending $60 billion for home purchases, increasing the diversity of the sales team, and supporting homebuyer education and counseling. In the first three years of the commitment, 60,527 African American homeowners have been created with $15.2 billion in financing. Wells Fargo is donating $5.4 million in grants to 15 legal assistance organizations across the U.S. that work to keep people and families housed through services and advocacy efforts. This first-of-its-kind effort seeks to enable these nonprofit organizations to provide free or low-cost legal representation to people at risk of eviction. These organizations have track records of serving, on average, more than 60% people of color. *Broadway is expected to merge with City First Bank in early 2021 and will become the largest African American MDI. Wells Fargo's investment will close upon completion of the merger. About Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment (CLI) specializes in offering debt and equity capital to organizations that provide economic development, job creation, and affordable housing in communities of need nationwide. It is primarily focused on economic redevelopment and housing development nationwide, and is the No. 1 Affordable Housing Investor in the country and No. 2 Affordable Housing Lender. In 2019, CLI provided more than $4.3 billion in capital commitments, via New Markets Tax Credits, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Community Development Financial Institutions, and construction lending. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets and proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of all middle market companies in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 30 on Fortune's 2020 rankings of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health and a low-carbon economy. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter (News - Alert) : @WellsFargo. WF-CF WF-DI View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005287/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Newser) An Alabama judge rejected pleas for leniency from the victim's mother and 15-year-old daughter and sentenced former campus police officer and Army veteran William Jeffrey West to 16 years in prison Monday. West was convicted in November last year of reckless manslaughter in the death of his wife, Kathleen Dawn West, an online model who advertised herself as an exhibitionist. Shelby County Circuit Judge Bill Bostick told West that he had never accepted responsibility for his wife's death, the AP reports. Prosecutors said West killed his wife with a blow to the head from an absinthe bottle after a night of arguing and heavy drinking. Her partially nude body was found outside their Calera home in Jan. 2018. Defense lawyers argued that she had died in an accidental fall. story continues below Prosecutors said West had argued with his wifewho went by the name "Kitty Kat West" onlineover her drinking and her use of social media to promote her adult website, which charged subscribers $15.99 a month to see racy images, AL.com reports. During Monday's sentencing hearing, prosecutor Daniel McBrayer called West "calculating." He said West, a trained crime scene investigator, had placed the absinthe bottle on top of his wife's cell phone and arranged the scene to make it look like she had been hit by a car. The couple's daughter, Logan West, urged the judge to free her father. "He has always been my shield against the world," she told the judge. "Please give me my father back as soon as possible." West, 47, has been in custody since his arrest three years ago and will get credit for time served. (Read more Alabama stories.) Salman Khans most popular franchise remains the Tiger series. The makers are now gearing up for the third instalment. While earlier it was said that Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will start the project in UAE, but due to the rise in the cases in Dubai, there has been a change of plan. According to reports in a leading daily, we hear that now Salman and Katrina might head to Istanbul for the shoot. The makers have sent a team for recee to Istanbul and have decided that without wasting any more time, the UAE schedule can wait and the shoot to begin with the Istanbul portion. Aditya Chopra whos producing it and Maneesh Sharma whos directing the film, decided that instead of wasting Khans bulk dates, the change of location would be more reasonable for the team. The reports in the daily also state that Salman Khan will begin prep for the film soon, as he will be seen in a lean avatar and a fitness-trainer is hired to get him that desired look. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 [February 08, 2021] Viking Analytics enters frame agreement with ABB STOCKHOLM, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Analytics, a Swedish startup in the field of advanced analytics for predictive operations, has signed a frame agreement with ABB. The scope of the agreement is the development of data-powered monitoring of strategic assets and marks a new stage in the collaboration between the companies following the ABB Electrification Virtual Startup Challenge 2020. In the competition, that took place last December, startups were invited for a ten-day challenge, in which they should use digital technologies to create safer, smarter and more sustainable solutions in the electrical energy sector. Viking Analytics was the winner in the Distribution Solutions category, after applying data analytics and machine learning to help ABB detect changes in conditions of electrical equipment and environment of switchgear. Fourteen companies from Europe, USA, Canada, Israel and India participated in the challenge. "Our work with startups is directly related to ABB's commitment to shaping future trends and delivering innovation in electrification. By suporting and welcoming Viking Analytics into our business network, we can drive progress in reliable power distribution to industries and utilities," says Martin Olausson, VP Global Startup Business Development at ABB. "The competition's results and the frame agreement demonstrate our capacity to provide companies of all sizes with a solution that enables them to transform raw data into tangible revenue," says Stefan Lagerkvist, co-founder and CEO at Viking Analytics. "We are very proud to partner with ABB in developing applications that will contribute to a smarter and more digitalized electrical energy sector." CONTACT: Media Contact: Isabela Cavedem - Communications Coordinator at Viking Analytics Mail: isabela.cavedem@vikinganalytics.se Phone: +46 762 303 670 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/viking-analytics-ab/r/viking-analytics-enters-frame-agreement-with-abb,c3281990 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viking-analytics-enters-frame-agreement-with-abb-301223765.html SOURCE Viking Analytics AB [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As the domestic travel industry in India begins to slowly recover, it turns out that several solo and family holidays are now centred on nature and spiritual destinations. As many cautious travellers opt for relaxed itineraries on extended weekend getaways or long staycations, several prefer staying in offbeat small towns over expensive luxury hotels. Although the COVID-19 vaccine is now available in India, most people still prefer to remain careful and are avoiding crowded and popular tourist spots. Hyderabad-based travel enthusiast Savita Reddy recently went with her family to Kumarakom in Kerala. Sharing her experience, she says, We chose Kumarakom for our much-awaited family vacation as it is a relatively less-crowded destination and has amazing natural flora and fauna around the backwaters. We saw some beautiful birds and relaxed in the lap of nature and enjoyed the wellness cuisines in a peaceful ambience. Savita tells us that she is soon setting off to the foothills of Kangchenjunga in the North-East next, to explore the natural beauty in that region. Holistic holidays Having spent a long time indoors, with at least a few experimenting with home remedies and Ayurveda treatments, many travellers now wish to discover the spiritual and wellness aspects during their travels. In addition to the annual popular holy tours, even the demand for holistic wellness holidays has gone up. Vibhas Prasad, director at Leisure Hotels Group, confirms the trend of vacationers seeking yoga, meditation, and health holidays picking up. Post the pandemic, I believe we all will agree that there has been a big shift in wellness trends from self-care to community care, says Vibhas, adding that 2021 will also see a continued rise in mindful and intuitive eating. The recent awareness of people is a step toward a healthier, more sustainable and more conscious travel in the future. We have been receiving queries on spiritual and pilgrimage travel to the Char Dhams (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath) and places such as Rishikesh and Haridwar, where travellers can experience the spiritual side of life on a holiday. Sustainable tourism The rising environmental awareness is also bringing in another subtle change in 2021, for Indian tourists flocking to beaches, hill stations and holy cities are seeking sustainable options. While popular spots such as Goa, Shimla, Mussoorie, Manali, Coorg, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Varanasi are still packed on extended weekends, many travellers are choosing to book destinations such as Ooty,Gokarna, Hampi, Chail, and Kufri, etc. for quiet homestays and secluded villas/bungalows for a peaceful me-time. Travel professional Shiv Kumar Mehan, COO at Leisure Hotels, points to the interesting change in tourists. Sustainability in hospitality has a lot of relevance in todays age, and hoteliers want to ensure that hospitality doesnt harm the environment. Tourists, as well as hoteliers, are making eco-friendly efforts and opting for eco-friendly practices on holidays, he says. Additionally, experiential holidays are on the rise and people are seeking spiritual, nature, adventure, wildlife, and wellness vacations. Since travel was on a complete lockdown last year, now travel enthusiasts want revenge travel, and they want to explore more spots and unique things during their holiday. Our properties such as The Forrest (wildlife tented camp at Rajaji National Park) and The Bungalows Lighthouse Goa (an English-style villa located in Candolim) and homestays/resorts in Kasauli, Nainital Dharamshala and Ramgarh are already catering to responsible tourism practices since the lockdown. Pocket-friendly itineraries In the post-pandemic world, pro-minimalism and the idea of spending mindfully has also played a major role in deciding consumer behaviour. According to industry experts, many people still want to take it easy and spend wisely on a vacation with pocket-friendly itineraries. Post pandemic, people feel safer going for holidays in their vehicles and they feel safer going to smaller destinations close to major metros. Families are choosing to stay for more than a week in a particular leisure location, with many tourists travelling in their vehicles from major urban cities for 200 to 400 km, Vibhas Prasad adds. For solo and group travellers, hostels with COVID-19 guidelines are quite popular as they can safely have mutual social interactions and experience the local life. 70 evangelical, orthodox Christians released from prison in Eritrea Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Seventy Christians from evangelical and orthodox backgrounds, including women, have been released from three prisons in Eritrea, some after being held without charge for more than a decade, according to the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide. In what could be an attempt to distract the attention of the international community from Eritreas role in the ongoing war in the Tigray region in neighboring Ethiopia, the Eritrean government last Monday released 21 female and 43 male prisoners from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons near the capital city of Asmara, CSW reported. Some of the prisoners had been held without charge or trial for up to 12 years. On Jan. 27, six female prisoners, who had been in detention since last September, in Dekemhare, which is southeast of Asmara, were also released. The women were arrested for worshiping in public, a video of which was shared by some on social media, CSW said. CSW welcomes the release of these Christians in Eritrea, who were detained without charge or trial, and should never have been incarcerated, CSW President Mervyn Thomas said. However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regimes continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray. Known as the Tigray War, the armed conflict has been ongoing since last November between the Tigray Regional Government (led by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front) and forces supportive of the Ethiopian government, which include military forces from Eritrea. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that there have been a series of fatal assaults committed against citizens in Tigray, a predominantly-Christian northernmost region of Ethiopia. Last month, witnesses spoke with The Associated Press, detailing killings, looting and other abuses committed by Eritrean soldiers in Tigray. They would kill you for trying, or even crying, a 48-year-old woman named Zenebu who works as a healthcare worker and lives in Colorado but was trapped in Tigray for weeks while visiting her mother, was quoted as saying. She added that some Eritrean soldiers went from door-to-door, killing Tigrayan men and boys as young as 7 years old. Zenebu detailed how she looked on as she saw Eritrean soldiers loot the belongings from residents homes. She said their pockets were filled with stolen jewelry and recalled some troops trying on looted clothing. They were focused on trying to take everything of value, she added, saying that they even stole diapers. She saw trucks being loaded with boxes of looted items that were to be delivered to places in Eritrea. Estimates suggest that thousands of Eritrean soldiers have fought in the Tigray War on the side of the Ethiopian government. However, the Ethiopian government has denied the involvement of Eritrean soldiers in the conflict. Eritreas president, Isaias Afewerki, is a member of the Eritrean Orthodox Church in Asmara belonging to the largest among the only three Christian denominations allowed to function in the country. However, 75-year-old Afewerki, the leader of the ruling Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice Party, has the reputation of being an alcoholic and a ruthless autocrat. Afewerkis policy of restrictions is more about his fear that religion will mobilize people as a political force than religion per se. Thomas called on the international community to press Eritrea for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained arbitrarily on account of their religion or belief. We also call for urgent action to arrest the unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being committed with impunity by their respective forces. On Dec. 4, the government released 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, including conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years. She is famed for showing off her age-defying beauty on social media. And Elizabeth Hurley showcased her sensational figure in another sizzling snap posted to Instagram on Sunday evening. The actress, 55, highlighted her toned physique in a lime green bikini as she sipped on glass of champagne during her 'pretend holiday'. Green with envy: Elizabeth Hurley highlighted her toned physique in a lime green bikini as she sipped on glass of champagne in another sizzling snap posted to Instagram on Sunday She relaxed on a dock next to palm trees and blue waters wearing a bikini from her swimwear line and a pair of sunglasses. The model's brunette tresses fell in loose waves down her back as she closed her eyes to savour the moment, tipping back the glass of bubbly. The picture was the latest in a series of throwback bikini snaps she has been posting on Instagram in a bid to combat boredom during lockdown. Command attention: The actress, 55, has been displayed her incredible physique in a series of throwback bikini snaps in a bid to combat boredom during lockdown Last month, Elizabeth kicked off her 'pretend holiday' posted a bikini snap, writing: 'Im so fed up with being at home, Im pretending Im away and am living vicariously through my camera roll for the next 10 days.' In the caption of her latest snap, she alluded to her controversial topless bikini picture that she took in the snow in January. She wrote: 'Alas, my #pretendvacation is drawing to a close; time to return to the mud & fog of my beloved Herefordshire. 'Fingers crossed it will snow so itll be bikini time again.' Dreamy: Elizabeth kicked off her 'pretend holiday', writing: 'Im so fed up with being at home, Im pretending Im away and am living vicariously through my camera roll for the next 10 days' Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan recently apologised to the TV star for branding her latest topless shoot 'creepy' amid confusion over who took the pictures. The presenter expressed his regret towards the actress in the wake of her clarification that her 80-year-old mother was the photographer, rather than her son Damian, 18, as Piers first thought. Despite his apology, the outspoken star backtracked and claimed he did not believe her claims that her mother was behind the lens, based on previous comments from the star in 2018 that confirmed Damian often takes her sexy snaps. Drama: In the caption of her latest bikini snap, the model alluded to her controversial topless bikini picture that she took in the snow in January (pictured) The journalist said on Good Morning Britain last week: 'Apparently, it was her mum... how long did you keep your 80-year-old mother out in the snow to take these pictures? 'I'm not buying a word of this, I reckon it was Damian... it is creepy if your teenage son took these photos.' Following up on her comments the next day, Piers responded defiantly, saying: 'I would like to apologise to Elizabeth Hurley. I called her thirsty... the point is, I inadvertently followed the newspaper lead that it was her son.' Elizabeth revealed last year her mother Angela had moved into her Herefordshire mansion so they could spend the lockdown together. ADVERTISEMENT the place of the youth in the development of Africa was energetically emphasised The youth must harness their energies and harmonise their thoughts to collectively challenge the geriatrics in power, who are disconnected from the contemporary realities and lack the ideas needed for its rejuvenation. In global politics, not only are the situations in Africa common topics of debate among experts in political science and historical scholarship, but their near precarious conditions have also recently been a subject of worry and genuine concern to stakeholders and leaders within the continent. More pernicious is the question of the inherited controversy and catastrophic socioeconomic and cultural conditions that their colonial imperialists bequeathed to them. The experiences of colonialism have not only continued to haunt them, they are the gamuts of their political complications as different African countries are entangled in the complex web of post-colonial estrangement. However, it is noteworthy that Nigeria is a cornerstone of the continent in the context of its efforts and contributions to the displacement of the strange Europeans that have forcefully overtaken its economic and political affairs. The enhancement of peace in the heydays of independence in Africa, which became the sensation needed for the indigenisation of the inherited political system, and the construction of the African identity were calculated to bring them to their promise land. But the euphoria of efficient activism and the guiding light, which Nigeria served as for the African countries, became inundated with challenges. It slacked and suffered the pangs of political misadventures that extensively enervated them. In almost seventy years of Nigerias independence, the country has seen various politically combustive and economically convulsive experiences that, either at a point, threatened their unity and commonality of their purpose or hurt their togetherness so much that it sacrificed the once-promising relationship which they have been forced to build by the shared experience of slavery and then colonialism. To be candid, even someone who was conceded to be arguably one of the most successful, impactful, and efficient Nigerian politicians alive, the erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, in the recent series of The Toyin Falola Interviews agrees that Nigeria has suffered from internal contradictions and ravaging conflicts that have racial and ethnic coloration a deep scar that remains difficult to mend. And because of the deep-seated pains, most of which are psychologically internalised and concealed, the underbelly of the countrys political structure is witnessing an accelerating decadence. Of course, with the hindsight of a 30-month civil war and sporadic genocidal insurgencies, we are all aware that the consequences of such relationships could be fatal, deadly, and more insidiously, poisonous. Nothing can vividly explain the countrys political bonds superficiality than their stratification whenever national concerns are up for debate. It became especially more pronounced from about the last five years. Perhaps one thing which could serve as a consolation or that could douse our possible despair is that the incidence of mutual distrust and political betrayal is ubiquitous, most notably with our recent global experience at the political domains. The great United States was embroiled in the undignifying political escapades of their politically dislocated prodigal adult, who became much glued to power and suddenly could not reconcile with the situation of not having it for another four years. The almighty European countries are also not excused from the global miasma of intricacies and controversies, the successful pullout of Britain from the European Union, and the different reactions of various others that challenge their democracies. China became a moral outcast, of course, because of its roles in the generation of a virus that is reshaping not only our politics in the global community but also determining how economically we can continue. African countries sometimes succour to realising that political, economic, and social challenges are not particular to or patented for Africans. And in fact, they came up with a thick skin for public resistance, believing that there is no single country in the world that is not immersed in consuming trials. Africa is an expression of global politics, and its position and travails are considered in the recent interview. More importantly, contemporary Nigerian politics is discussed. When asked by Dare Babarinsa if Africa is growing, Olusegun Obasanjo took the question head on by discussing the circumstances around the continents situation, which can be seen as not independent of the colonial adventures in Africa. He responded that one notorious problem that continues to ridicule the political efforts made even by the nationalist Africans in the wake of independence is the artificiality of the colonial borders. He mentioned that while we cannot prevent the action of colonialism and the attendant imperialist orientations, we appear to be eternally helpless in the fabrication of a geographical identity that would be practical for development. Without struggling, what the democratically elected Nigerian President between 1999-2007 hinted at was the suffocation of economic relations among these various African countries that inevitably accompany the structured borders. The British African colony is at political variance with the French-captured environment. Portuguese colonial Africa would not be in sync with the German colonialist settlements because they were exploited differently and in manners that the contiguous colonial lords could not check. All these happened irrespective of the fact that these divided African peoples perhaps share a common linguistic ancestry. From the politics of difference and segregation, they created an inexistent psychological space that became wider and wider as they got deeper into politics. If anyone wants to understand this, they should reflect on the near impossibility of inter-economic links between these countries. Political development is not rocket science. One can easily see the connection between a peoples progression in the political domain and their conscious decisions to attain the height. Once the said African countries find it principally challenging to create the needed atmosphere where economic prosperity can be germinated, there is no magic about it; their advancement would be affected. The French Togo, which considers the British Gold Coast not as people of common ancestral legacies but as strangers caused by the deliberate partitioning of the continent, knew there would be problems in jointly considering the various ways they could bring about the desired transformation for their people. Nigeria that sees the Benin Republic as a distant cousin would automatically find it challenging to facilitate mutual economic engagement, which would have measurable effects on the two sides and vice versa. In essence, there would be problems with their development as they have been conditioned to see themselves differently. This is more compounded by the fact that even the erstwhile imperialists do not, in their good conscience, want them to come to a profitable conclusion. Obviously, France is not satisfied that its ex-colonies are free and would always do anything to sabotage their political development. This is not a wild conclusion; the economic treaties made with Francophone-African countries are unequivocal in their bias against these countries. These are the highlighted reasons for the stunted growth of the African countries. However, there are some with beaming hope that many of them are circumscribed in challenges that bring this to bear. The courageous president argued that the presence of the Chinese in Africa is an escape formula from the shackles of financial captivity, which economic dependence on a single source, such as America or Europe, has facilitated for ages. Noting that the great Ebora Owu (as fondly called by admirers and critics) was linking African conditions to the experience of colonialism with the European imperialists, Professor Olajumoke Yaqob-Haliso, a panelist in the interview, immediately asked for the political understanding of Obasanjo about the unprecedented influx of Chinese into Africa as a sign of their economic exchange and queried if that does not signal another form of conscientious colonisation, albeit a voluntary one. We had the opportunity to understand how African political leaders, especially those who are at least academically informed, think. Obasanjos response was not different from Nelson Mandelas when asked how he felt about Fidel Castro and the supposed relationship of South Africa, and perhaps the whole of Africa, with the man, despite being a sworn antagonist and unrepentant non-conformist to Western permutations and condescension. Nelson Mandela, knowing and seeing the underlying mischief in the question, quickly responded in a paraphrase that the West must come to understand that if someone is tagged an enemy of the Global North or their European counterparts, it does not automatically make them an African enemy. Friendships, and of course enmity, should never be inherited; it must be deserved. Even when Fidel Castro, the one nailed and condemned by these Western countries, was conceived negatively, he was not anti-Africa in any form, and for this reason, did not deserve African enmity. This would have given us a clue as to what Obasanjo said in response, but it got more interesting. The courageous president argued that the presence of the Chinese in Africa is an escape formula from the shackles of financial captivity, which economic dependence on a single source, such as America or Europe, has facilitated for ages. Even when the Orients, in their politics of patronising Africans, tried to smuggle their blackmail on African conscience so that the latter would be conditioned to take a detour, they decided to consider Chinas presence as a sign of potentially stunted economic growth. The fact, in a real sense, is that they were merely raising a false alarm, not because they were genuinely concerned about the financial and economic safety of Africa, but because they desired to continue their monopolistic undertaking. Obasanjo disclosed that his response to this question was informed by a recent experience he had with some of his American friends in the political sector, who derisively questioned him about their new colonisers the term often used to not only incense African politicians but also to paint them as unthinking lots who would eternally find it difficult to decide for themselves. In what we come to find out from his position, he not only discarded their unrequited messianic concern as pure alarmist rhetoric, he wittingly alleged them for the intrusion. He asked, sarcastically, if the same condemned Chinese figures were not compulsively present in the American economy. We understand that Africas relationship with China is purely centered on economic exchange, and if the Chinese agree to do business with them, just as they do with others in Global North, the decision to accept or reject them is exclusively African. Indeed, there is the need for African leaders to be very circumspect, especially with their demands, commitment, and bilateral agreements with them because when not decisively tamed, the urge for personal riches and the greed in the bloodstream of some African leaders could be the Achilles heels that would bring about their unforeseen ruination. For example, the concession of some very important government properties to China to get loans or other aids from them would be extirpative and dangerous to them and their collective engagement. This means that although the African people would have intended to get out from an age-long economic quagmire, their leaders untamed greed would have dragged the people into the rounds of undeserved servitude after destitution. Therefore, what we deduced from the response was that economic safety, just as security and survival are central to animals in the jungle, is necessary for humans to keep their political relevance and also make themselves essential in the grand scheme of things. The fact that they have experienced a too-high level of economic desertification means that they are rendered helpless and in need of immediate financial rescue. Therefore, they must seek assistance where they believe it lies. From an analytical angle, what Obasanjo gave as responses are intellectual exploration sites where one can come up with numerous theoretical ideas. For instance, when I asked him about when he developed a thick skin for criticism, the response he gave was phenomenal, as it addressed what we have explained in the above paragraphs. Obasanjo concedes publicly that being dead to the emotional outcry of people is one of the ingredients of becoming great. Opinions are naturally as diverse as human numbers; therefore, when there is an accommodation for destructive criticism, an individual is bound to lose focus and become needlessly distracted. People would always come with a baggage of opinions, believing that their perspective is reasonably the best approach to an emerging situation. While the appropriation of several views represented by cross-examination of ideas may not always be beneficial on many occasions, that individually, many arguments could be fatalistic and dangerous when accepted makes the acceptance of criticism difficult. People see situations and positions from their own perspective, not because they are relatively objective in the actual sense, but because they have been programmed by society to see issues from that perspective. Looking at the same problems, a historian would see it differently from a zoologist; just as a linguist would most likely conceive it differently from an epidemiologist. One would marvel at the intelligence of Obasanjo, and perhaps like us, ask if the future of democracy is not under a cloud in a situation where African leaders develop a thick skin to the words of reason. This is because there is a fragile line between dismissing the accusations levied against one and being nepotistic. How, therefore, is this related to African situations? That Africa (represented by their political leaders) should develop a thick skin for the criticism and baseless accusations of the West is long overdue. In fact, the idea of listening to the West in matters concerning African survival has impeded the latters growth and expansion. The erstwhile colonial leaders who extracted a people economically and in human resources would be suspicious if they suddenly become empathetic to the colonised situation; mistreating a people for more than 400 years is not demonstrative of any compassion. The fact that the West is becoming quite concerned about African safety in the current time should be a real source of worry. It is either that the West is becoming increasingly concerned that its erstwhile slaves and subordinates are about to get their freedom in the real sense, or that its putative competitors, in this case, the Chinese, will have the upper hand on them if they lost Africa. These two hypothetical scenarios are not far from becoming a strong possibility. The crux of the matter is that the African people must defy the destructive criticism of anyone who questions their resolve to freedom. While it is good to entertain constructive criticism, as this would help them evaluate their political progression, taking destructive criticism could be distractive. The cost would be that their progress is sacrificed along the line. One would marvel at the intelligence of Obasanjo, and perhaps like us, ask if the future of democracy is not under a cloud in a situation where African leaders develop a thick skin to the words of reason. This is because there is a fragile line between dismissing the accusations levied against one and being nepotistic. The underlying effect is that such a leader could potentially hide under this to wreak havoc on his people. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, the Africa president that gagged the media entirely by shutting down social media platforms to bar external observers or criticism (either constructive or destructive ones) in their recent elections, might think he has developed a thick skin against his putative enemies; meanwhile, he was being nepotistic. Would such an approach not, therefore, mean that democracy is endangered? Here, Obasanjo yet again made an incisive elucidation. He argued that democracy is the proven best alternative that we have in the current time and that leaders nepotistic tendencies does not signify the weakness of the political system; it only showcases the fault of the leaders themselves. In other words, when we have pathologically ill-bred leaders in the corridor of power, they bring their problems to the system to have their ways. Still, they can only be checked by the institutions made available by democracy. A good example is the immediate past American president, Donald Trump. Baba Iyabo, as sarcastically called ocassionaly to bring comic relief, also addressed issues of internal contradictions that happened in the Nigerian past, which brought about the much-debated civil war that lasted for 30 months between 1967 and 1970. Questions were asked by people concerning the incidence whose deep scar was reincarnated by blatant ethnic profiling that emerged with the current Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, since 2015. Obasanjo admitted that such reactions were not unexpected, mainly because the president was somehow insensitive to the people with some comments he made at the beginning of his tenure. A democratically-elected president who declared his desire for sidetracking an ethnic identity is very dangerous to national development. The affected people would always activate their senses to evaluate every action taken, even when the measures were not ill conceived. There is hope for the people, regardless of whether the reign of a president, regardless of how bitter his stay, would always have its elastic period. Therefore, the resolve to rebuild the country should always be stronger than an ethnic jingoists desire in every respect. Finally, the place of the youth in the development of Africa was energetically emphasised. The youth must definitely come to the continents rescue, but that will be at a cost. It begins with their understanding that there would not be any African leader enjoying the perks of leadership who would voluntarily vacate the position for the youths ascent. This is hardly found anywhere in the world. The youth must harness their energies and harmonise their thoughts to collectively challenge the geriatrics in power, who are disconnected from the contemporary realities and lack the ideas needed for its rejuvenation. They have to at the grassroots level. In the demonstration of their readiness, the world would see their genuine interest and support them for what they stand for. Although he did not mention Bobi Wine of Uganda, who challenged the administration of Museveni in their just-concluded elections, Obasanjos body language was not concealed to reveal that what he meant was replicated in Wines dogged character. Even when the young man was denied his mandate, he has left an impression that would be leveraged on in the country, post-Museveni period. Obasanjo encouraged the Nigerian youth to take such bold steps and make it uncomfortable for the leaders to give their mandate. They cannot do this through violence, though; it could only be achieved through their active participation in politics. Toyin Falola is professor of History at The University of Texas at Austin. (This is a report on the interview conducted with President Obasanjo on Jan. 31, 2021) For its entire recording, see https://youtu.be/8_ue5Hvi1vY) Discovering there's intelligent life beyond our planet could be the most transformative event in human history - but what if scientists decided to collectively ignore evidence suggesting it already happened? That's the premise of a new book by a top astronomer, who argues that the simplest and best explanation for the highly unusual characteristics of an interstellar object that sped through our solar system in 2017 is that it was alien technology. Sound kooky? Professor Avi Loeb says the evidence holds otherwise, and is convinced his peers in the scientific community are so consumed by group think they are unwilling to wield Occam's razor. Prof Loeb's stellar credentials - he was the longest-serving chair of astronomy at Harvard, has published hundreds of pioneering papers, and has collaborated with greats like the late Stephen Hawking - make him difficult to dismiss outright. "Thinking that we are unique and special and privileged is arrogant," he told Agence France-Presse in a video call. "The correct approach is to be modest and say: 'We're nothing special, there are lots of other cultures out there, and we just need to find them.'" Prof Loeb, 58, lays out the argument for the alien origins of the object named 'Oumuamua - "scout" in Hawaiian - in Extraterrestrial: The First Sign Of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth. The facts are as follows. In October 2017, astronomers observed an object moving so quickly, it could only have come from another star - the first recorded interstellar interloper. It didn't seem to be an ordinary rock, because after slingshotting around the Sun, it sped up and deviated from the expected trajectory, propelled by a mysterious force. This could be easily explained if it was a comet expelling gas and debris - but there was no visible evidence of this "outgassing". The traveller also tumbled in a strange way - as inferred by how it got brighter and dimmer in scientists' telescopes, and it was unusually luminous, possibly suggesting it was made from a bright metal. In order to explain what happened, astronomers had to come up with novel theories, such as that it was made of hydrogen ice and would therefore not have visible trails, or that it disintegrated into a dust cloud. "These ideas that came to explain specific properties of 'Oumuamua always involve something that we have never seen before," said Prof Loeb. "If that's the direction we are taking, then why not contemplate an artificial origin?" 'Oumuamua was never photographed close-up during its brief sojourn - we only learnt of its existence once it was already on its way out of our solar system. There are two shapes that fit the peculiarities observed - long and thin like a cigar, or flat and round like a pancake, almost razor thin. Prof Loeb says simulations favour the latter, and believes the object was deliberately crafted as a light sail propelled by stellar radiation. Another oddity was the way the object moved - compounding the strangeness of its passage. Before encountering our Sun, 'Oumuamua was "at rest" relative to nearby stars - statistically very rare. Rather than think of it as a vessel hurtling through space, from the object's perspective, our solar system slammed into it. "Perhaps 'Oumuamua was like a buoy resting in the expanse of the universe," writes Loeb. Like a trip wire left by an intelligent lifeform, waiting to be triggered by a star system. Prof Loeb's ideas have placed him at odds with fellow astronomers. Writing in Forbes, astrophysicist Ethan Siegel called him a "once-respected scientist" who, having failed to convince his peers of his arguments, had taken to pandering to the public. Prof Loeb, for his part, protests against a "culture of bullying" in the academy that punishes those who question orthodoxy - just as Galileo was punished when he proposed the Earth was not the centre of the universe. Compared to speculative yet respected branches of theoretical physics - such as looking for dark matter or multiverses - the search for alien life is a far more common-sense avenue to pursue, he said. That's why Prof Loeb's pushing for a new branch of astronomy, "space archaeology", to hunt for the biological and technological signatures of extraterrestrials. "If we find evidence for technologies that took a million years to develop, then we can get a shortcut into these technologies, we can employ them on Earth," said Prof Loeb, who spent his childhood on an Israeli farm reading philosophy and pondering life's big questions. Such a discovery could also "give us a sense that we are part of the same team" as humanity confronts threats ranging from climate change to nuclear conflict. "Rather than fight each other like nations do very often, we would perhaps collaborate." This is not the first time Loeb has mentioned this claim: He first claimed it in November 2018. The paper was then authored by Shmuel Bialy and Abraham Loeb. Loeb just happens to be the chairman of Harvard University's astronomy department. And six months down the line from the paper being published, he is convinced that Oumuamua is an alien probe. In a Scientific American article, he listed six strange facts about the object. In January last year, Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut to go to space, has said that aliens exist and it was possible they were already here on Earth. In August last year, a study found that earlier claims of the interstellar object being made up of hydrogen ice was inaccurate, and had been dismissed. If you Google 'Oumuamua,' the official Wikipedia page will tell you that it's classed under the category 'comet,' but researchers, including from Harvard, will argue that maybe it could have been an alien probe instead. What is 'Oumuamua'? Oumuamua' which means "a messenger that reaches out from the distant past" in Hawaiian, is the first ever 'interstellar object' ever detected passing through the Solar System. It is formally designated 1I/2017 U1, and was discovered by Robert Weryk using the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, on 19 October 2017, 40 days after it passed from its closest point to the Sun. An 'interstellar object' is a broad definition - it is anything other than a star or sub-star, that is located in interstellar space and is not bound by the gravitational pull to a star. It also classes objects that are on interstellar trajectory but are temporarily passing close to a star, such as certain asteroids and comets. Read everything you need to know about Oumuamua here. (With inputs from AFP) International Beverage & Filling Industries (IBFI), a leading beverage manufacturing firm and part of Albatha Holding one of the largest conglomerates in the UAE, has relaunched its Star Juice drink brand with a new look, packaging and improved taste. The re-introduction of the Star Juice lineup under a new and fresh look and fruity flavour is testament to IBFIs zeal for innovation and growth and marks the beginning of the brands continuous evolution to a whole new level, IBFI said in a statement. Star Juice was first launched in 1992 and is one of the pioneers of PET bottled juice drinks in the UAE and nearby markets that offers a wide variety of refreshing fruity tastes and flavours. The young adults of today have a strong nostalgic association with the Star Juice brand as they remember it being their favourite drink at school as part of their daily canteen purchase, Mustafa Saeed, Head of Marketing & Innovations at IBFI said. As we cater to changing market trends, as well as evolving consumer preferences, we are re-introducing the Star Juice lineup with a completely new, vibrant and modern look, he added. At the same time, we are bringing in extra value to the Star Juice proposition through its refreshing fruity taste now made with real pulp from the finest quality fruits, Saeed added. This is our way of letting the loyal followers, as well as that of todays young and modern generation know that the brand they have trusted and loved for a very long time is here to stay and has evolved to continue to meet their thirst-quenching need. Among the key features of the new Star Juice branding include a full sleeve packaging for with attractive high resolution detailed fruit images for maximum visibility and vibrancy, as well as an ergonomic, eye-catching curved-shape bottle for easy grip. Star is also known for its carbonated drinks and bottled water, and together with its juice lineup, Star beverages are available in various retail outlets across the UAE.TradeArabia News Service Researchers have conducted a study showing an extremely high prevalence of severe acute respiratory coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within a strictly Orthodox Jewish community in the UK. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has now caused 105 million infections and more than 2.3 million deaths globally. Evidence of an extremely high infection rate was observed across all age groups, with the highest rates seen among secondary school children and working-age adults, where prevalence reached 74%. The analysis of serum from more than 1,200 participants showed that the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in this Jewish population was five times that estimated nationally and for London. In this tight-knit religious minority population in the UK, we report one of the highest SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence levels in the world to date, says the team from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and University College London. The researchers say the findings provide further evidence that minority communities in the UK and elsewhere are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Actions to reduce the burden of disease in this and other minority populations are urgently required, writes Michael Marks and colleagues. A pre-print version of the research paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review. Minority groups in UK disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected minority ethnic groups in the UK, which see higher numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations. The reasons are likely multifactorial, with examples including larger household sizes, less opportunity to work from home, delayed access to healthcare, and relative socio-economic deprivation. Marks and colleagues say that most studies to date have focused on larger minority ethnic groups and not on smaller groups, such as the Jewish community. In particular, strictly Orthodox Jewish communities had anecdotally reported high rates of infection, morbidity and hospitalization during the first wave of the UK pandemic, writes the team. In Spring 2020, a UK tightly-knit strictly-Orthodox Jewish community became aware that they appeared to be experiencing a high burden of SARS-CoV-2. What did the researchers do? To measure the burden of infection and identify factors associated with transmission in a strictly Orthodox Jewish community, the researchers conducted a household-focused cross-sectional survey between late-October and early December 2020 prior to the third national lockdown. Individuals (n= 1,759) living in 343 randomly-selected households were asked to complete a standardized questionnaire covering demographics, comorbidities, previous SARS-CoV-2 testing, previous COVID-19 illness, access to healthcare, the severity of illness, and attendance at work, educational or other community locations. Age specific seroprevalence in participants in the study. Colours indicate male and female participants. All households were visited within 10 days of completing the survey and 1,242 participants underwent serological testing with a multiplex assay for SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. A multivariable random-effects logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and antibody titers. What did the study find? The overall seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 was 64.3%, ranging from 27.6% among children under 5 years-old to 73.8% among secondary-school children and 74.0% among working-age adults. The researchers say the estimate of 64.3% seroprevalence is significantly higher than the national estimate of 6.9 % and 10.8% for London, resulting from random sampling performed in October by the Office for National Statistics. In this setting, there is a significant burden of disease in all age groups with secondary school-aged children having an equivalent seroprevalence to adults, says the team. Over the course of 2020, the overall seroprevalence in this tightly knit religious community reached levels similar to those seen in Manaus, Brazil, where a seroprevalence of more than 65% has been reported in adults, writes Michael Marks and colleagues. Logistic regression analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was associated with increasing age, male gender, household size and being unable to work from home. Seroprevalence was not associated with attendance at community gatherings or pre-existing comorbidities. What do the authors advise? The team says the findings point to an extremely high rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this strictly-Orthodox Jewish community. This provides further evidence that minority communities in the UK and elsewhere are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Marks and colleagues. The researchers say that contextually appropriate measures to reduce the burden of SARS-CoV-2 among minority populations specifically are urgently needed. Further studies to better understand drivers of transmission in ethnic and religious minority populations, conducted wherever possible in partnership with communities themselves, are urgently needed to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for these populations, concludes the team. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 So now we know for whom the Bells toll this Easter. They toll for the Surf Coast. Damn those Novocastrians. The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, where a surfing competition has been held at Easter for 60 years, is to go to Newcastle, north of Sydney. Kelly Slater surfs at the World Surfing League Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Credit:Justin McManus But as with Easter, it may be a death and a resurrection. There is a possibility a surfing contest will be held at Bells later in the year, just not now. My friend and colleague, the late Michael Gordon, wrote the definitive book on the history of Bells on the occasion of the contests 50th anniversary. What would he be thinking? Michael was the most fair-minded person you could meet, but even he would be just a little disappointed in the decision. A decision even made for all the right reasons (pandemic, for example) can still be hard to assimilate. The Teacher-Student-Parent Rank and File Safety Committee in Sri Lanka extends its support to the courageous struggle being waged by teachers in Chicago against the murderous policy of the Biden administration and its response to the new varieties of the coronavirus throughout the US. As the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee has correctly pointed out, the Republican and Democratic parties in America have employed a policy of death by placing the profits of the big corporates above human lives. In order to facilitate the unsafe back-to-work drive and the reopening schools, the lives of teachers and children are being placed at grave risk. Well-known medical scientists in America and internationally have explained that the reopening of schools is a serious factor in the spread of the virus. We condemn the campaign by the establishment media, such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as education authorities and Democratic and Republican governors who insinuate that teachers are selfish. School classes conducted without social distancing in Kandy school [WSWS Media] The determined struggle of Chicago teachers is an inspiration to everyone involved in organising the fight against similar attacks. The Chicago teachers are in the forefront of the struggle against the universal policy of the ruling classes everywhere, including in India and Sri Lanka, where human life is secondary to the extraction of profits. The Sri Lankan government ordered the opening of schools on November 23, citing low official numbers of infections and deaths. One of the reasons for the lesser numbers is the small number of tests carried out by health authorities, which are then used by the government to paint a rosy picture and declare the situation is not so dangerous. While schools were reopened on January 11, only 55 percent of students attended, and many teachers were also absent. Attendances increased slightly over the next few days, following a school reopening campaign by the media. The same media, however, every day reports on school closures because of infections among students and teachers. The vast majority of students in Sri Lanka and India, as well as teachers in urban and rural areas, have no online facilities. They cannot afford computers or other equipment for online learning. The terrible situation in these countries was revealed by a Sri Lankan survey showing that many students have dropped out of the learning process. Education expenditure has been slashed by governments and vital facilities are not provided for students and teachers. There is growing anger among students, teachers and parents towards the reopening of schools in these unsafe conditions. The two-faced role of the trade unions and pseudo-left parties, which work to tie the struggles of the workers, including teachers, to the policies of bourgeoisie, is being exposed. We read in the World Socialist Web Site about the treacherous role of the Chicago Teachers Union. The situation is no different here. Organisations such as the Ceylon Teachers Union and Ceylon Teacher Service Union in Sri Lanka have become tools of the government and endorse the reopening of education institutions. Our action committee in Sri Lanka is fighting to mobilise teachers on an international socialist perspective, uniting them with the other workers and students and independent of the unions. We will campaign among teachers and students in support of the Chicago teachers struggle, explaining this important experience. The Chicago struggle is our fight. * * * Enthusiastic about the determined stand of the Chicago teachers, several teachers in Sri Lanka spoke with the Socialist Equality Party. Kodituwakku, a technology teacher at a high profile Colombo school, said: The threats against the Chicago teachers strike are a serious example of how the workers are being forced back to work in the midst of the pandemic. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots threats that she would take action against the teachers, claiming their action is an illegal strike, shows the murderous intent of the entire ruling class and its willingness to sacrifice workers. I oppose teachers who refuse to come to work being labelled absent without leave and having their pay cut and online access blocked. Their concern about the dangers posed to their lives and their families through in-person teaching is entirely reasonable. The role played by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a significant eye-opener about the trade unions. Its attempt to impose an agreement that will push teachers back to school exposes the real interest of the ruling class. The experience of Chicago teachers is very important to the international working class, including Sri Lanka. Basnayaka, an education industry professional, said: Chicago teachers have exhibited their strength through an ongoing strike despite threats from the authorities. They clearly indicate that they need a safe school to teach in-person in order to protect themselves as well as their students. Im very much in agreement with the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees insistence that there is nothing to negotiate and that all schooling must remain remote only. The decision to open school has seen bad results in Sri Lanka and seen a considerable number of students and teachers identify positive with the virus. The kind of opposition expressed by Chicago teachers must be developed wherever the ruling class seeks to open schools unsafely and that opposition must be armed with the right political perspective. Niluka, a private school teacher, said: I completely agree with the Chicago Educators Rank-And-File Safety Committee stand against the teacher unions plan to reopen schools. Under a situation where the pandemic is rapidly spreading as a result of the reopening of the economy, including schools, the opposition of Chicago teachers against the unsafe back-to-work campaign is a crucial example for the global working class. The response of the ruling class, led by Chicagos Democratic Mayor Lightfoot who threatened to take actions against the striking teachers, should be condemned and countered by a politically guided movement of the working class independent of all trade unions. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed Rome and Pompeii star together in Colosseum show Until May 9, 'Pompeii 79 AD. A Roman history' (ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 8 - Rome, the great city with a standing similar to Alexandria or Carthage, and the mythical Pompeii will star for the first time in a show focusing on the intense relationship between the two most famous cities for archaeology. "Pompei 79 d.C. Una storia romana" (Pompeii 79 AD. R roman history) will open on Monday until May 9 at the Colosseum. The outcome of a collaboration between the Archaeological park of the Colosseum and the archaeological park of Pompeii and the National archaeological museum of Naples, curated by the late archaeologist Mario Torelli, the exhibit gives an insight into the social and cultural relations between the two cities. It starts with the second Samnite war, when Republican Rome included in its orbit many Campania communities at the end of IV BC until the tragic moments of the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the middle, the director of the archaeological park of the Colosseum Alfonsina Russo told ANSA , is the "golden century, II BC, when Rome opened to the Mediterranean, reaching the Aegean" and, as shown by the over 100 oeuvres selected, "imported objects, as well as knowledge and technologies". The exhibit also shows the impact of the earthquake on Pompeii, "which when the eruption occurred had not yet completed its reconstruction, as shown by the numerous restaurants and hotels for construction workers found". Religion and luxury are also on display with the "reconstruction of the facade of the Domus found in 2000 in the Janiculum with very refined marbles in red and ancient yellow". After the Colosseum's reopening with the concert from the Arena, the exhibit is part of events that have already seen the inauguration of the new Antiquarium of the Archaeological park of Pompeii and will include a show on gladiators next spring at the National archaeological museum of Naples. (ANSAmed). Supplier News 8 February 2021 Infor today announced that Botanique Hotel Prague, a newly independent lifestyle hotel in central Prague, has implemented Infor EzRMS. The application provides a centralised revenue management software solution that delivers an intelligent, dynamic, and consistent view of optimal potential revenue for the hotel's 214 rooms. Following a rebranding and a thorough review of the market as the hotel moved out of a well-known chain to become independent, Infor EzRMS was chosen based on its capacity for artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to recognise patterns and help ensure optimised rate and pricing recommendations. The intelligent software solution will help maximise the hotel's yield and profit. The cloud-based deployment of EzRMS provides a complete view of the various market segments and channels within specialised dashboards to empower the team at the Botanique Hotel Prague to gain essential market insights to enable more effective strategies. "As we completed our rebrand and established the Botanique Hotel Prague as an independent, we realised we needed to choose a revenue management tool that could offer us a one-stop solution across our diverse markets," said Tomas Nesvorny, general manager of Botanique Hotel Prague. "With a centralised view that enables us to track all of our segments, we are now positioned superbly to capitalise on market improvements as we move beyond the current restrictions of COVID." "Hotels across Europe have recognised that a keen grasp on revenue will be vital to ensure they can return to health as quickly as possible," said Wolfgang Emperger, vice president of Infor Hospitality. "Just as many hotels have refurbished and ensured that rooms are ready for guests to return, they also have considered the critical role of demand forecasting and dynamic pricing strategies. We are excited to work with the team at Botanique Hotel Prague as they pursue greater success in 2021." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he spoke to United States President Joe Biden, and conveyed his best wishes for the latter's success. Modi said they discussed regional issues and their shared priorities, while also agreeing to further co-operation against climate change. Spoke to @POTUS @JoeBiden and conveyed my best wishes for his success. We discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our co-operation against climate change. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021 ALSO READ | My Friend, Joe Biden? After Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Narendra Modi Set for a Hat-trick "President Joe Biden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," Modi said in a tweet. Biden won the election against former US President Donald Trump last year. He took over the office formally in January in a fairly rocky transition, amid allegations of voter fraud and the US Capitol riot, egged on by Trump. Modi had earlier congratulated Biden and Vice-president Kamala Harris after the duo took their presidential oaths in January. Congratulating them, Modi had said he looked forward to working with the new US President to strengthen India-US strategic partnership. My best wishes for a successful term in leading USA as we stand united and resilient in addressing common challenges and advancing global peace and security," he had said, adding that the India-US partnership was based on shared values. "We have a substantial and multifaceted bilateral agenda, growing economic engagement and vibrant people to people linkages. Committed to working with President @JoeBiden to take the India-US partnership to even greater heights, he had said on Twitter at the time. The first high-level engagement between the Modi government and the Joe Biden administration took place two weeks ago, when US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and exchanged views on pressing regional and global issues including developments in the Indo-Pacific. The defence ministry said Singh received an "introductory telephone call" from the newly-appointed US Secretary of Defence Austin and that the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together to strengthen the "multifaceted" defence cooperation and the strategic partnership between the two countries. Official sources had said China figured in the talks in the larger context of geo-political developments, and in relations to the strategic interests of India and the US in the Indo-Pacific region. The essence of the conversation was that both sides wanted to maintain the upward trajectory of the strategic and defence ties to advance their common agenda of peace, prosperity and growth, the sources had said. In a tweet, Singh said the firm commitment to deepen India-US defence cooperation was reiterated during the talks. Two men have been arrested in Larne on suspicion of painting graffiti condemning Irish Sea border checks. At around 9.40pm on Saturday, police received a report in relation to two males reportedly spray painting graffiti on property on Main Street. Slogans were painted at various locations in the town on Saturday, one stating "Larne says no to Irish Sea Border". Officers responded to the report and located two males in the area of Main Street. Police searched a vehicle in the area and a number of items were seized and taken away for examination. Officers subsequently arrested two men in the Church Road area of Larne on suspicion of offences, including criminal damage and possessing of an article with intent to damage property. They both remained in custody on Sunday evening. Police are also investigating further reports of graffiti in the town on Point Street, Bank Road and Redlands Road. Inspections at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended last Monday amid concerns over the safety of staff. That came after separate graffiti appeared last month threatening port staff. Officials from Mid and East Antrim Council, Stormont's Department of Agriculture and the EU Commission all stopped working at the facilities, which conduct checks required as part of Brexit's controversial Northern Ireland Protocol. Environmental health staff from Mid and East Antrim Council returned to their duties at Larne Port on Friday. It has not been confirmed when the other officials, who work at both Larne and Belfast, might return to work. Trade unions have denied raising concerns about suspicious activity at Larne port checks ahead of the council's decision to withdraw staff. Announcing the decision on Monday, DUP mayor Peter Johnson cited "serious concerns" raised by trade unions over "increasing suspicious activity" including the recording of number plate details of staff members. Police later insisted there was nothing to substantiate claims of number plate details being gathered. The three unions representing the council workers - Nipsa, GMB and Unite - have denied making the claims referenced by Mr Johnson. TUS secretary Alan Law, on behalf of the three unions, wrote to Mr Johnson asking him to withdraw his comments. It is understood the council did receive correspondence from a union representative prior to the withdrawal of staff that referenced members being threatened via graffiti and "potentially other methods". The correspondence did not make reference to number plate gathering. On Sunday, the council issued a statement in response to the unions' concerns about Mr Johnson's comments. "The health, safety and well-being of our staff remains our top priority and our threshold for risk when it comes to our staff is very low. "On Monday 1 February, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council was made aware of correspondence to Council's HR department from a major trade union setting out their concerns. "Mid and East Antrim Borough Council staff returned to their inspection duties at Larne Port on Friday evening following the completion of a PSNI threat assessment and subsequent risk assessment by the Council. "We continue to update our risk assessment in partnership with the PSNI, and correspond with the trade unions accordingly." Islamabad, Feb 8 : The Pakistan Foreign Ministry has said that its stance on the threats posed to the country and the region by terror groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been vindicated by a UN report. The 27th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released earlier this month said that the TTP was reported to have overseen a reunification of splinter groups that took place in Afghanistan and was moderated by Al Qaeda, which was expected to increase the threat to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region, reports Xinhua news agency. Responding to the development, a Ministry spokesman said on Sunday night that the report vindicates Pakistan's longstanding position on threats posed to Pakistan and the region by terror groups like the TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA), and their affiliates, based in Afghanistan. "Pakistan, in the past, has drawn attention of the international community to the support provided to TTP and its affiliates by the hostile intelligence agencies," the spokesman said. He said one of the results of that support was the merger of JuA, HuA, and other splinter groups of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) with the TTP in Afghanistan last year. He said Pakistan has also raised the issue of cross-border attacks carried out by the TTP on security forces deployed on its side of the border. "Pakistan stands firm in its resolve to partner with international community against the menace of terrorism," the spokesman added. This file image from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist who has been arrested in China. AFP The family of an Australian journalist arrested in China has pleaded with authorities to grant the former high-profile state TV news anchor access to her two school-age children. Australian authorities confirmed on Monday that Cheng Lei, 49, was arrested on Feb. 5 on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas, around six months after she was first detained in mid-August. "We are absolutely convinced of her innocence," a family representative said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Cheng, a business news anchor on Chinese state media's English-language channel CGTN, where she had worked for almost a decade, had regularly attended business functions and embassy events for the Australian community while working in Beijing. Payne said the Australian government "has raised its serious concerns about Ms Cheng's detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention." Tensions between Australia and China have been high for the past year, after Canberra called for an international investigation into the source of the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing responded with trade reprisals. Cheng was born in China but moved with her parents to Australia as a child, and attended university in Queensland. Her children, aged nine and eleven, were visiting their grandparents in Australia amid school closures in Beijing caused by the coronavirus pandemic when the journalist was detained. "Whilst a long time Australian citizen, Lei also has a great love for the country of her birth and is highly respected across the globe," the family statement said. "We respect China's judicial process and urge the authorities bring this matter to a swift, compassionate and timely conclusion whilst at all times respecting her rights with the knowledge that she is the mother of two young and vulnerable children who need her." As well as contact with her children, her family requested Cheng be given access to reading material to safeguard her mental health. Payne said officials had visited Cheng six times during her detention, most recently at the end of January. Australia's former ambassador to China, Geoff Raby, said Cheng's case "would seem to go beyond issues in the bilateral relationship" between the two countries. "Support for Lei is, however, made much more difficult in the absence of high-level contact between the governments," Raby told Reuters. In the days after Cheng's August detention was made public, two Australian foreign correspondents were flown out of China, helped by Australian consular officials after the pair were questioned by China's state security ministry. China's Foreign Ministry subsequently revealed that Australia's security agency had questioned Chinese journalists working in Australia in the weeks before Cheng was detained. Another Australian, writer Yang Hengjun, is facing trial in Beijing on espionage charges that he denies, after being arrested in January 2019 at Guangzhou airport. (Reuters) LONGMEADOW Police are investigating a Zoom bombing incident in which hackers hurled racial slurs and drew hate symbols during a meeting of the Longmeadow Coalition for Racial Justice Task Force last week. Town Manager Lyn Simmons said the incident is under investigation by the Longmeadow Police Department with assistance from the towns IT department. The Massachusetts State Police have also been alerted, she added. Simmons said she was sickened and saddened by the incident. The hijacking of the meeting with racial and anti-Semitic slurs and graphic images will not be tolerated and a full investigation will be done, Simmons said. This is all too common of an occurrence in the virtual world we live in but only strengthens our resolve to continue moving forward to stamp out hate. Coalition members on Thursday evening were discussing ways the town might develop racially equitable hiring and promotion practices when an onslaught of racial slurs, including [N]-----s need to burn and F**k n-----s, put the virtual meeting on pause. Were getting Zoom bombed, said member Ryan McCollum, asking another coalition member if there were instructions on how to handle the situation. But before Zach Verriden, chair of the coalition could respond, a hand-drawn swastika and other hate speech created by a user with the handle Maverick Tjom appeared in red across the entire screen. Another voice identifying as Ryan from Zoom support instructed Vice Chair Rev. Charlotte Laforest, who is rector of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Longmeadow, to hit Alt + F4. By hitting those keys in Zoom, a host of a meeting closes the current window. McCollum suggested that fellow members not take the advice of what appeared to be another hacker. I wouldnt assume these people are from our town, but it does show the climate of America today, he said. Coalition members tried to work their way through the incident while Laforest banned some of the hackers, deciding whether it was prudent not to admit others into the meeting or admit and then report them. The Longmeadow Select Board adopted a resolution in July 2020 declaring racism a public health crisis. The declaration states that racism is deeply embedded in Americas history, culture, society, and legal and political systems, and causes disproportionately high levels of homelessness, poverty, incarceration, and negative health outcomes. It also notes that following the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the Black Lives Matter movement fought to make the entire nation understand the need for sustainable policy and cultural changes to bring about racial justice. The resolution also supported the formation of the nine-member coalition. Charged with addressing racial injustices, the coalition is comprised of nine residents who have demonstrated interest, experience or expertise on the matter as it pertains to Black, Indigenous, people of color or people from other historically marginalized communities. Select Board Chairman Thomas Lachiusa said he was very disappointed after learning about the incident. He said it confirms that the coalition is needed and has an important task in serving the town. Other boards and committees have had meetings hijacked, including a December incident in which several individuals used profanities, some directed at Longmeadow Fire Chief John Dearborn, during a meeting of the Select Board. While police are investigating the matter, the coalition plans to shine a light on it to bring further awareness. Meanwhile, to ensure that the work being conducted by all of the towns boards and committees can continue on without interruption, Simmons said that the town will be enacting stricter measures on virtual meeting platforms. But with it being a public committee that has an open link on a town website, Verriden said he wasnt sure there was a way to prevent it from ever happening again. I think its always surprising to see such acts of hate and rage take place, but am I surprised that there is still blatant, overt and covert racism in our country and in our community? I am not surprised by that, no, he said. Verriden, who works as an independent educational consultant and is wrapping up his doctoraal studies focused on identity and equity in education, said that theres no way to know way to know if those that were involved with this incident were residents of the town or not. But one thing it did demonstrate was that racism and anti-Semitism are as real and as present today as they have been for hundreds of years. Our meeting was disrupted by seemingly angry and hate-filled individuals that came to perpetrate racism in an attacking and threatening way, which obviously we felt compelled to release a statement condemning that action, thus reinforcing the need for a coalition for racial justice task force, he said. Related content: Samsung is not only known for making great displays for smartphones, the South Korean giant also makes some of the best gaming monitors. I recently got the opportunity to use the G7 Odyssey with my setup and it was my first time using a curved monitor for my gaming needs. While many would say curved monitors are just a gimmick, I beg to differ. My experience with the monitor over the past three weeks has been nothing but exceptional, apart from a few hiccups. Ive been using the 32-inch 244Hz 1440p varmint of the odyssey lineup and heres what I think about Samsungs latest gaming monitor: Design MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The design of the Odyssey G7 looks straight out of the future, especially when you look at it from the back. The monitors 1000R curved display also makes it a bit harder to place on a PC table since it takes slightly more space than a traditional flat monitor. However, the stand takes an unusual amount of space. The monitor is secured on the stand by using four screws instead of using a traditional VESA wall mount design. This way the panel is more secure as it does not clip on directly as it does on other monitors. While it is a bit tedious to set it up the first time, its totally worth it. MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The curved display brings the ends of the display forward quite a bit; which means you will need to place the monitor towards the back end of the table. If you plan to purchase the G7 Odyssey, make sure you have enough space for it as the panel does take quite a bit of real estate. Having said that, you can use the stand to tilt and adjust the height of the monitor according to your height and liking. If you want to use it in portrait orientation, the stands let you do that as well. MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Finally, at the back, you will find the iconic Infinity Core lighting, which sort of works as backlighting and the bright display does not strain your eyes when using the monitor. There are some lighting elements at the front as well, however, they are quite subtle and cannot be found easily with most viewing angles. Ports & Features The Samsung G7 Odyssey does not follow the industry standard when it comes to connectivity since it comes with two DP input ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, and a built-in two-port USB 3.0 hub. I would have liked to see two HDMI ports instead of DP ports since you can connect two of other devices such as the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch or a media player. MensXP/Akshay Bhalla In order to operate the monitor, there is a directional knob which you can use to access most of the menus. The knob can also be clicked to select different modes and make changes to the picture according to your liking. The monitor also supports PiP mode which you can access from the menus, a feature most monitors tend to ignore even in 2021. MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The menus have quite a few features you can mess around with such as setting the refresh rate, response time and toggle the adaptive sync. I used the monitor in 240Hz with 1ms latency most of the time since we primarily used it for gaming on my PC and the PlayStation 5. Another feature I loved was the ability to change the black colours on the monitor. Samsung calls it the black equaliser where you can adjust how dark the picture should look. I preferred to use the black equaliser on value '9' as it was the perfect balance between all the colours for multiplayer games. Having the display too dark can be disadvantages in games like Call of Duty Warzone since you would like to spot everything you can. For single-player games, you can turn the black equaliser number to '11' if you want a more immersive experience. Display Quality & Performance The G7 Odyssey has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and uses a VA panel instead of IPS LCD. While Im not a huge fan of VA panels, the G7 Odyssey uses one of the highest quality VA panels weve seen on a monitor yet. Having said that, VA panels also allow the monitor to support the 240Hz refresh rate which is probably the reason why most people will buy this monitor. MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The display also supports HDR600, however, in our experience, the HDR performance was not up to the mark. You will lose quite a bit of brightness if you use the display in HDR mode. WASHINGTON - Senior House Democrats on Monday night proposed sending $1,400 stimulus payments to Americans with up to $75,000 in annual income, rejecting an earlier plan under consideration to sharply curtail the benefits. House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., released legislation that would send the full stimulus payment to individuals earning $75,000 per year and couples earning $150,000 per year. Congressional Democrats had explored curtailing that benefit to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for married couples, a position embraced by Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a conservative Democrat. The broadening of stimulus check eligibility among middle class households is the latest sign that Democrats are moving ahead without Republican support on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion economic relief package, which would also extend unemployment benefits, send hundreds billions to schools and local governments as well as strengthen vaccine delivery and health care. Even as the Senate proceeds this week with former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the House Ways and Means Committee and other panels will be working to finalize and vote on the coronavirus legislation. The final bill would need to be passed by both chambers of Congress to become law, but that could happen within weeks. Compared with previous plans, Democrats are accelerating the rate at which the stimulus payments decline for higher-income earners, a move intended to prevent wealthy Americans from receiving the benefit. Under the new plan, singles earning $100,000 a year and couples earning $200,000 would receive no stimulus payments. The stimulus checks would be based on taxpayers' 2019 or 2020 income returns, according to a summary of the proposal. The plan would aim to give full payments to those who qualify based on their 2020 returns, even if those are not processed for months. The proposal comes amid days of internal disagreements among Democrats over how to structure the next round of stimulus payments, a core component of Biden's stimulus plan. The legislation still must be passed through the House and Senate, and it is unclear whether Manchin or other conservative Senate Democrats will object to the proposal. Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges Along with the stimulus payments, the House Ways and Means Committee released details Monday of other significant parts of the aid package, including a new child income tax credit for millions of American households. That benefit would offer $3,600-per-child over the course of a year for each child younger than six years of age, as well as $3,000-per-child for each child ages six to 17. Those child tax benefits would diminish for singles earning more than $75,000 a year and couples earning over $150,000. The measure would also extend federal unemployment benefits, now set to expire in mid-March, through the end of August and increase the benefit amount from its current level of $300 a week to $400. Biden's initial plan called for funding additional unemployment benefits through September. Additionally, Democrats included a $15-per-hour minimum wage in the package, although Biden has said that provision faces long odds in the Senate. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report on Monday that estimates the minimum wage hike would cost 1.4 million jobs but lift 900,000 people out of poverty, intensifying the debate over that controversial provision. "Our nation is struggling, the virus is still not contained, and the American people are counting on Congress to meet this moment with bold, immediate action," Neal said in a statement. The bill would also "dramatically" increase premium subsidies for Americans receiving their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act for two years, said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit group. The design of the checks have emerged as one of the most hotly debated provisions in the rescue package. Centrist lawmakers such as Manchin have called for narrowing the payments to prevent them from going to higher-income Americans, arguing that those who have not lost their jobs do not need help. That idea was met with increasing resistance from other members of the party, including Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as well as House lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Asked about the new thresholds after Neal's plan was released, Manchin did not immediately attack them and said he was "just trying to make sure that people [receiving them] are truly in need." Wyden said in a statement Monday that he would push for the unemployment benefits to be restored for the duration they were originally. "[I] am going to work to find a resolution that preserves both relief payments and jobless," Wyden said. "We can do both." Manchin has influence over the issue, because the Senate is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, so Democrats need his vote as they aim to push the legislation forward without GOP support. Wyden and Sanders have publicly criticized the proposals to lower the income thresholds to $50,000, saying middle-class families have suffered pay cuts and other economic shocks and need relief, too. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., whose election victory in January helped seal Democrats' Senate majority, also opposes lowering the threshold on the checks, according to a spokeswoman. The White House has repeatedly said it is willing to compromise on the thresholds, with White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki saying the administration is open to negotiations with Congress on the matter. On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen suggested that the administration was not on board with Democrats' plans for lower income thresholds. "The exact details of how it should be targeted are to be determined, but struggling middle-class families need help, too," Yellen said on CNN. Biden gave similar remarks in an interview with CBS Evening News, saying he was "wide open" on the precise levels of the income threshold. The debate about the check thresholds represents one of many disputes Democrats may face as they try to pass Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package through Congress. There is a wide ideological gulf between the party's moderate and liberal wings, which is likely to produce numerous policy fights - over the $15-an-hour minimum wage; the scale of unemployment assistance; and the overall cost of the bill, among other things - on the way to passing their first major piece of legislation under Biden. The split within the party appeared to intensify over the weekend. Manchin told WV News last week that he supported the next round of payments not going to individuals earning more than $50,000 or couples earning more than $100,00. "An individual of $40,000 income or $50,000 income would receive it. And a family who is making $80,000 or $100,000, not to exceed $100,000, would receive it," Manchin said. "Anything over that would not be eligible, because they are the people who really are hurting right now and need the help the most." But on Twitter and on CNN this weekend, Sanders slammed Democrats for embracing a plan that would cut out individuals earning $52,000. He also pointed out the potential political downside for the new Democratic administration of sending fewer payments than Trump had. Wyden has also said in a statement that families that had received the first two payments would expect a third. "Unbelievable working class people who got checks from Trump would not get them from Biden. Brilliant!," Sanders said on Twitter. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Monday she is in "nonstop" conversations with White House officials about "why this makes no sense, politically or policy-wise." While passing a budget resolution through Congress earlier this month that set the stage for approval of the broader relief bill, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Manchin co-sponsored an amendment to exclude affluent families from the stimulus checks. The plan did not define an income amount, leaving that open to interpretation. Sanders and all Democrats voted for the proposal. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 The city is not changing the safety measures it negotiated with the teachers union last year. Those measures include random weekly testing of students and staff in schools and requiring school buildings to close temporarily if at least two unrelated positive cases are detected. The school closing protocol, which is supported by the teachers union, has forced many elementary schools to close temporarily, frustrating parents. As of Sunday evening, 92 of roughly 1,000 open school buildings were closed for at least 10 days, another 85 buildings were closed for at least 24 hours, and 585 classrooms were temporarily shuttered. Mr. de Blasio said last week that the city would re-evaluate that rule, since the closures have become so disruptive for families, but the United Federation of Teachers quickly responded that the city should keep the protocol in place. The unions president, Michael Mulgrew, said in an email to members on Monday that it backed the reopening of middle schools because of the mayors promises on safety. As school buildings that have not been used in months are reopened, our commitment to the safety standards that have kept us safe must not waver, Mr. Mulgrew wrote. The city conducts about 120,000 tests in schools daily, officials said on Monday. Educators in New York are already eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, but teachers returning to classrooms will have direct access to the shots during the upcoming midwinter break, which will run between Feb. 12 and 21. The union has created a vaccination program to help its members get vaccinated, and Mr. Mulgrew said the city would allocate thousands of doses for teachers in the coming weeks. Mr. de Blasio is opening middle schools at a precarious time for New York, a former global epicenter of the virus. The mayor initially shut the school system when the average test positivity reached 3 percent; it is now hovering around 8 percent. The city is also poised to reopen indoor dining at reduced capacity on Friday, which some fear could drive cases up. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) At least 15 people were injured after a 6.1 magnitude quake hit Davao del Sur on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management said. In its Monday report, the NDRRMC said those hurt were from Cotabato Province, which felt up to Intensity 5 of the quake over the weekend. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology rated this intensity as "strong." Eight landslides were reported in two municipalities of Cotabato Province -- seven in Makilala and one in M'lang. No other details were provided on the identities and specific location of the casualties. At least 21 houses were also reported damaged in M'lang and in Kabacan, another municipality of Cotabato. Also damaged were two churches in M'lang, two private establishments in Kabacan, and a hospital in Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province. The NDRRMC added Kidapawan Medical Specialist, Madonna Medical Center, and Kidapawan Doctors Hospital Inc. temporarily moved patients to evacuation sites so damage to the buildings could be assessed. Patients and staff have since returned to the hospitals. In Davao Region, at least three damaged infrastructures were reported in Bansalan and Davao City, including a university gym, a temporary treatment and monitoring facility, and a barangay hall. Meanwhile, at least three houses in Bansalan were damaged. At least 45 residents of Davao City were evacuated to UP Mindanao Faculty and Staff Housing - Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility, NDRRMC added. The quake in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur that hit past noon on Sunday was initially recorded at magnitude 6.3. Its was downgraded by Phivolcs to magnitude 6.1 later in the day. READ: Magnitude 6.3 earthquake rattles Davao del Sur The South African variant of coronavirus is not likely to take over and become dominant in the UK, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said today. England's deputy chief medical officer said in a Downing Street press conference this afternoon that the variant doesn't seem to spread any faster than others. For a new strain of the virus to overtake an older one it generally needs to be able to spread faster to out-compete it, and Professor Van-Tam said there were no signs this would happen. Offering words of reassurance after worrying news that the Oxford Covid vaccine may not work properly against the variant, Professor Van-Tam called for calm. He encouraged everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they could and said the emergence of the new variants and the need to change the vaccines had always been inevitable and was 'not a surprise'. His comments come after Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant can't be brought under control. A study emerged over the weekend that claimed Oxford University and AstraZeneca's jab might not protect against the mutated strain, after people still developed mild and moderate Covid-19 after having been vaccinated. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, spoke from Downing Street about the South African Covid variant and said: 'I dont think that this is something we should be concerned about right at this point in time' The Government has deployed surge testing to areas where the South African variant, or ones with similar mutations, have been found in the community. Professor Van-Tam reassured viewers that only a 'small number' of cases have been discovered Professor Van-Tam said tonight about the South African variant and fears that vaccines might be less effective against it: 'I dont think that this is something we should be concerned about right at this point in time'. He explained: 'It has been detected in the UK but in very small numbers and it is not our dominant virus. 'Our dominant virus at the moment is a variant which was first identified in Kent, which youll be aware of, and we call that B1.117. 'You will know from what we saw before Christmas with the 117 variant that, if it has a distinct transmissibility advantage over the predecessor, then it can establish itself very quickly indeed. 'But early data on modelling of B1.351 does not suggest this is so does not suggest that the South African variant has a distinct transmissibility advantage over our current virus. 'And because of that there is no reason to think the South African variant will catch up, or overtake, our current virus in the next few months. And thats a really important point.' The Kent variant emerged in the autumn last year and quickly became dominant in England because it had a mutation that made it spread faster. It now accounts for around two thirds of all Covid cases across the country, and significantly higher proportions in London, the East and the South East. By comparison, only 147 cases of the South African variant have been confirmed so far by Public Health England. PFIZER'S COVID JAB 'WILL WORK' AGAINST SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT Pfizer's vaccine will work against the South African coronavirus variant although its mutations could still mean thousands of injected people are vulnerable, a study has suggested. Researchers at New York University tested how well the variant of the virus could be destroyed by the blood of 10 people who had received Pfizer's jab. They found the immune antibodies made by the vaccine were still able to neutralise destroy the coronavirus, but the body didn't make as many of them. Antibody levels would be still high enough to fend off Covid-19 in most people who had the vaccine, and they offered more protection than in people who had had the illness already, the study found. But they did not work as well as they would on older versions of the virus because the antibodies were less perfectly matched to the spike proteins on the outside of the bug, meaning they more often failed to stop them. The New York University researchers, led by microbiologist Dr Nathaniel Landau, wrote: 'The findings suggest that the protection provided by vaccination will remain largely intact against the South Africa variant and other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.' The results were backed up by a separate study initially released last week but published in a journal today. Researchers at the University of Texas carried out tests on the blood of 20 volunteers and found antibodies triggered by the Pfizer vaccine can neutralise the variant. Advertisement None were found in the local surge testing that has been happening over the weekend, Matt Hancock said. The risk of the South African variant is lessened slightly by the fact that a mutation that gives it a fast-spreading edge named N501Y is also found in the Kent strain. This means they are on level pegging when it comes to the speed of spread, and the Kent variant is already so widespread that it has an advantage in sheer numbers. It is likely that only a faster-spreading variant, or one that causes fewer symptoms so could spread without people knowing, could overtake it. Another mutation on the South African variant is more worrying, however, and could make it able to get past the immune systems even of vaccinated people. When someone is vaccinated they develop immune proteins called antibodies that are extremely specific to the virus included in the vaccine and, if the immune system is faced with a different version of the virus in the future, it may be less able to stop it. If the virus mutates to look different, those antibodies will latch onto the virus less often, meaning more of the coronavirus can slip through and the risk of illness increases. Studies have shown that the South African variant appears to make vaccines based on earlier versions of the virus less effective because its spike protein has changed so much. However, Professor Van-Tam said this was not an immediate concern because the strain was not widespread enough. He said: 'Our immediate threat is from our current virus and there is now plenty of evidence that the vaccines that we are deploying are effective against our current virus. 'So from that perspective, please dont delay if youre called, take the advantage to protect yourself against the clear and present danger against the immediate threat.' He added: 'Just as variations to the virus were inevitable, it's almost inevitable that we would at some point need variations to the vaccine. 'This is not a big fright, its not a big surprise, its something that we have anticipated for quite some time.' Professor Van-Tam's comments follow an admission from Boris Johnson that restrictions might have to stay longer if the South African variant were to get out of control. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. 'And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' DRINK doesnt suit him said a solicitor about a man who was handcuffed by gardai after they called to a house party. Gary Smith, aged 28, of Oliver Plunkett Place, Doneraile pleaded guilty at Kilmallock Court to threatening, abusive, insulting behaviour. Inspector Pat Brennan said gardai called to a noisy party at Sycamore Drive, Bruff on November 30, 2019. They encountered a very aggressive male. He burst through them out onto Sycamore Drive. He became extra aggressive and dangerous. He was handcuffed after a scuffle. This offence occurred while on a suspended sentence, said Insp Brennan, who added that Smith has 12 previous convictions. The inspector said that Smith received a 90 day prison sentence suspended for two years for assault at Mallow District Court on September 16, 2019. Kevin Power, solicitor for Smith, said this incident occurred two months after he was sentenced but the assault offence took place in May 2016. In effect this is his first offence since then. He had been off alcohol since May 2016 to the offence on November 30, 2019. He broke out in a big way. Drink doesnt suit him. When he came to his senses he apologised to gardai, said Mr Power, who handed in a letter from the company Smith works for. He earns 450 a week, lives in that house in Bruff with his partner and two-year-old child. This was an aberration. He apologises wholeheartedly. He has come to garda attention once since 2016, said Mr Power. He described Smith as a very presentable young man. I met his partner and their child this morning. He is the sole provider. He fell off the wagon. He was out of his mind. He hasnt drank since, said Mr Power. Judge OLeary fined Smith 400 and referred the suspended sentence for assault back to Mallow District Court. New Delhi: Malaysian firm IHH Healthcare on Monday reiterated its intent to continue on its growth plans for Fortis Healthcare , and said growing in India remains a priority for the company. The group had acquired a 31 per cent controlling stake in Fortis in 2018, which triggered a mandatory open offer to acquire another 26 per cent of Fortis shares from the market. The open offer has not proceeded due to ongoing legal proceedings with respect to the transaction pending before the Supreme Court where the next hearing is scheduled for February 10, 2021, IHH Healthcare said in a statement. "Growing in India remains a priority for IHH as it is one of our four home markets, together with Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey," IHH Healthcare MD and CEO Kelvin Loh said. He added that the company respects and has full faith in the judicial process in India and looks forward to a favourable outcome so the firm can proceed with the open offer. "This will allow IHH to further invest into Fortis to provide even more support to the Indian healthcare sector, especially in critical times like now with COVID-19." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Philadelphia School District teacher Marcena Toney hasnt missed a day of work in years. But on Monday, Toney wont step inside J.S. Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences in Chestnut Hill, where she teaches an autistic support class. She is one of thousands of teachers who planned to defy Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.s order to report to buildings for the first time since March. We are ready to show up and to go to work, but we are not ready to go into unsafe buildings, said Toney. Things were fluid until late Sunday night, when city officials said teachers did not have to work from school buildings because an arbitrator will not rule before Monday morning. The district had previously threatened discipline for those who did not report to work. Wary of the pandemic, old buildings, and a long history of environmental problems inside city schools, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan had asked members to stay home or teach from parking lots or cars Monday. The protests will still go on despite the city order, PFT officials said. Jordan on Sunday night called the citys decision a huge victory for the health and safety of Philadelphias 13,000 educators and the students we serve. A spokesperson for the district had no comment. READ MORE: Philly teachers union president tells members not to go to school Monday, setting up a showdown Jordan last week asked a neutral third party to step in to decide whether buildings are safe, an option open to him under a school reopening agreement the PFT signed with the district in October. The mediator, Peter Orris, has worked through the weekend weighing the issues, but has not yet made a decision. Both sides have submitted documents including reports on ventilation and building conditions to Orris, a physician and public health expert based in Chicago, said Jordan, who has not spoken with Orris. Jordan said he spoke to Hite on Saturday and characterized the conversation as professional. The talk did not resolve any issues, Jordan said. Jordan and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, will crisscross the city Monday, visiting school parking lots and speaking with teachers. Protests are still planned at dozens of schools; teachers presumably wont be disciplined for them. People are really anxious, Jordan said. Theyre really frightened about going into buildings because of the history of school district maintenance, along with COVID-19. It is life or death. District officials, in an email sent to staff Sunday and obtained by The Inquirer, said they were aware of the protests planned. Officials have taken extra precautions to ensure safe entry into and exits out of all buildings, the email read. School Safety Officers will be at each location, monitoring the activity inside and outside the buildings, and taking actions as needed to protect everyones safety. For Toney, the decision to stay out of school wasnt tough. Shes concerned about ventilation inside Jenks, a 100-year-old school, and other buildings around the city, and scoffs at a district plan to use window fans to improve conditions. So shes charging her devices and planning to teach from the parking lot and to be available to her students and their parents. District officials had warned that teachers who do not report to work will be subject to disciplinary action, which could range from docked pay to a warning letter, Jordan said. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, Toney said Sunday. This is bigger than me. About 9,000 prekindergarten through second-grade students fewer than a third of those eligible to return are due back to classrooms Feb. 22. Parent Rachel Marcus wants her daughter back in her first-grade classroom at C.W. Henry in Mount Airy, but believes now is not the time to send back staff and children. The teachers have done a really tremendous job of supporting our child, our family, said Marcus, a nurse. If they dont think now is the time to go back, I support them. I trust the teachers. Why would we stop trusting the teachers now? Marcus is helping organize support for Henry teachers Monday: coffee, places to charge batteries and use a restroom, and people to fix connectivity issues and shovel snow. We just want the teacher community to feel held like they have held us, said Marcus. On Sunday a group of lawmakers and union chiefs joined the call to slow reopening plans. The Fund our Facilities Coalition, in a letter to Hite and Mayor Jim Kenney, said they are deeply troubled by outstanding important concerns about air balancing tests and building readiness. READ MORE: Get Phillys kids back in classrooms as soon as possible, Kenney and City Council tell School District Kenney has said he supports teachers and students returning to school as soon as possible. U.S. Army officials in Hawaii have charged a military intelligence soldier with the murder of his wife, a former soldier who was found dead on Schofield Barracks in January. Army Spc. Raul Hernandez Perez was charged Feb. 4 with the murder of 25-year-old Selena Roth, who was found dead in on-post housing Jan. 13 after concerned family members requested a welfare check, according to an Army news release put out by the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade. "Our brigade and the Army community are heartbroken by Selena's death," Col. Theodore Travis, commander of the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, said in the release. "We have extended our condolences to Selena's family, friends and loved ones. ... We will ensure that Spc. [Hernandez Perez] is treated fairly throughout the judicial process." Read Next: Tiny Drones Are the Biggest Threat in the Middle East Since IEDs, Top General Says No trial date has been set for the case, according to the release. The Associated Press reported that Roth's body was found in a trash can. Special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command arrested an unnamed suspect in the case the same day Roth's body was found, spokesman Chris Grey told Military.com. "Our agents took the alleged suspect into custody later that day after conducting investigative activity and questioning the suspect," Grey said. An Army official confirmed to Military.com that it was Hernandez Perez that was taken into custody and placed into pre-trial confinement. Hernandez Perez, 25, who was assigned to the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, had filed for divorce from Roth in October, Stars and Stripes reported. According to her obituary, Roth was a former soldier who had served as signals intelligence analyst, Stripes reported. Her awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Army Offers $25,000 Cash Reward for Tips on Drill Sergeant's Murder RETIREES over the age of 65 will no longer have to sign on for the dole to bridge the gap until they can claim the State pension. A new benefit will be announced today for thousands of retirees who fall into this bracket, although it will be 45 a week less than the pension. Many workers have been forced to leave their job at the traditional retirement age of 65. But they were left with no option but to sign on as qualification for the State pension was raised to 66. Now a new payment for this cohort, who were caught in the pension gap, is set to be announced by Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys. Her department has put in place the new scheme, to be called Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds. Read More It is specifically for people aged between 65 and 66 years who cease employment, voluntarily or otherwise. They will not have to "sign on" at a social welfare office to qualify for the payment, and will be free to take up an education course and still get the benefit. Some of these people have never been unemployed in their lives and resent having to claim unemployment benefit from social welfare and present as if they were looking for work. They have been also precluded from taking up an education course if they wanted to get the dole. The application process for the new payment is done online through a single form. Eligibility for the payment is determined by a person's PRSI contributions, Ms Humphreys said. The rate of payment is 203 a week, which is the same rate as Jobseeker's Benefit. There will be an increase for dependants, if eligible. This is lower than the State transition pension which was paid from the age of 65 but was abolished in 2014 when the pension age rose to 66. The head of social policy and employment affairs at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Dr Laura Bambrick, welcomed the new scheme. But she questioned why it was being paid at the same value as Jobseeker's Benefit and not the State pension. She said the difference amounts to 45 less per week, which is 2,355 for the year. It is expected that 2,000 existing unemployment benefit recipients will qualify for the new payment immediately. Read More The department said it has identified people who are currently receiving a Jobseeker's Benefit payment who are eligible for this new payment and it is in the process of notifying them of the relaxation of the conditions to their claim. Ms Humphreys said: "For many people, due to their contract of employment, retiring at the age of 65 is their only option. "These are people who have been working all their lives and, for many, finding new employment can be difficult. "As minister I want to be able to provide them with some certainty and peace of mind." It was a commitment in the Programme for Government to come up with the new benefit. The State pension age emerged as a key issue in last year's general election. The pension age was due to rise to 67 last month, but the Government has held off on this. A claim for Benefit Payment for 65-year-olds can be made at MyWelfare.ie or by emailing forms@welfare.ie, requesting a paper application, the department said. (NBC News) Democrats say a vote on President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill should come within the next two weeks. In an interview with CBS Evening News, President Biden said stimulus payments will be included, but will be based on income. "It's somewhere between an individual making up to $75,000 and phasing out, and a couple making up to $150,000 and then phasing out. But again, I'm wide open on what that is," Mr. Biden said. The bill won't include a previously discussed increase to the minimum wage. Still, Democrats are planning to add new monthly child payments up to $3,600 paid monthly, starting in July. Republicans argue the plan costs too much. "Sometimes a cure is worse than a disease," Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy told "Meet The Press." Read more: http://nbcnews.to/36LJXPM Hartselle police say a woman has been charged with theft in connection with money missing from a schools parent teacher organization account. Police say Abby Terry Wilson, 32, of Hartselle, faces changes of first degree theft of property. Wilson was booked into the Morgan County Jail on $5,000 bond. According to police, an investigation began back in November into more then $2,500 missing from the Hartselle Crestline Elementary PTO account. Members of the organization noticed there were several charges on the accounts debit card, police said. Wilson was the treasurer and was known to have possession of the card. Police say Wilson was confronted by PTO members about the charges and admitted to using the card on unauthorized purchases. An investigation is ongoing into the various locations the card was used. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 17:18:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Dai Mingyou owns a home furniture manufacturing company in Fuyang, east China's Anhui Province. With the Spring Festival holiday approaching, Dai's staff are working around the clock to deliver a pile of export orders, mainly from the central and east European countries (CEECs). "Germany used to be the major export destination of our products, but now countries in central and eastern Europe such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia account for half of our exports," said Dai. Established in 2013, Dai's company has grown steadily by producing and selling exquisite wood and rattan furniture. Its exports reached 20 million U.S. dollars in 2020, with one-fifth of its exports being sold to Poland. "Our first deal with a Polish client encountered some twists and turns, yet both sides showed sincerity and honesty in solving problems," recalled Dai. After that, Dai and his Polish counterpart became buddies. The number of his Polish clients has grown to 20, and he has developed a Polish branch for his company, which will start operating as soon as COVID-19 is under control there, he said. The cooperation between Anhui and CEECs has been increasing in recent years, with six friendly inter-provincial relations established between the two sides, according to the provincial government. This trend has also been seen in other parts of China. Despite the COVID-19-induced economic depression in most of the world, total trade between China and CEECs was up 8.4 percent in 2020 to hit 103.45 billion U.S. dollars, crossing the 100-billion-dollar mark for the first time, according to data from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Since the establishment of the cooperation mechanism between the two sides in 2012, China's direct investment in 17 CEECs totaled 3.14 billion dollars by the end of 2020, covering energy, infrastructure, logistics, automobile parts and other sectors. Meanwhile, the 17 countries invested 1.72 billion dollars in China during the period. The ministry's data also shows that the China-Europe freight train service saw some 12,400 train trips throughout 2020, with key passages and destinations including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Slovakia. The freight train service has become the lifeline of anti-epidemic response and the supply line of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as built a road of friendship and prosperity between China and CEECs, Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, remarked at the fifth China-CEECs local leaders' meeting held on Feb. 5 in Shenyang, capital of northeastern China's Liaoning Province, via video link. Through the service, Bulgaria's yogurt, Poland's milk, Hungarian wine and Greek olive oil arrived in various parts of China to enrich Chinese people's dining tables, said Lin. According to Lin, China and CEECs have established 212 pairs of friendly provincial and municipal relations, which have promoted cooperation in various fields and enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between people. The encouraging achievements in cooperation speak volumes about the huge potential of complementarity between the two sides, said Huo Yuzhen, China's special representative of China-CEECs Cooperation. Liu Ning, the governor of Liaoning Province, said at the meeting that sea-rail cargo routes linking Liaoning and Europe pass through 12 cities in five countries in central and eastern Europe, and the province's trade volume with 17 CEECs hit 2.89 billion dollars in 2020. Croatia's Zadar County and China's Hainan Province signed an agreement to establish friendly relations in December 2019. Zadar County Prefect Bozidar Longin said via a video link that Zadar County actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative. The China-CEECs cooperation mechanism provides a solid foundation for the local governments of the two countries to realize regional economic development, enabling the two sides to carry out specific cooperation projects by sharing knowledge and experience, he added. Enditem 404 Tiffany Gilbride feels like her children have stopped learning. Nicolette Koss fights with her daughter about schoolwork. Inez Walkers children no longer have the motivation to log in to their classes. When the coronavirus pandemic first shuttered schools in March, no one expected to still be learning virtually in the Scranton School District 11 months later. As more children in the region and country return to in-person instruction, Scranton families want to know when its their turn. Its frustrating, said Gilbride, who has four children in the district. They ask each day, When can we go back? Scranton school directors will hold a special meeting tonight to discuss that very question. The board decided in the fall to not return until Lackawanna County was out of the substantial level of transmission for at least two weeks, and last month, directors said they would continue with virtual learning with the hope that district employees would soon receive vaccines that could allow for a safer return to classrooms. With the vaccine rollout taking longer than expected and the district unable to secure doses for all staff, Director Ro Hume questioned last week whether it could take until April to bring students back. With updated guidelines from the state and federal guidance that suggest a safe reopening can be possible, directors could vote Monday to further consider beginning a hybrid mode of instruction for elementary school children. The Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education changed their recommendations last month, now suggesting that elementary students should receive at least some in-person instruction when possible. Counties that remain within substantial transmission should continue to offer only virtual instruction for secondary students, according to the state. As of last week, 63 of 67 counties, including all in the northeast, remained in the substantial category. In Lackawanna County, only Scranton, Carbondale Area and Valley View have remained fully virtual since March. Last month, staff in both Valley View and Carbondale received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some Valley View students will return to their classrooms Feb. 22, with students in kindergarten to fifth grade learning in-person five days a week. Sixth graders will start a hybrid program, learning both in-person and at home to help with social distancing. Valley View hopes to have secondary students start a hybrid schedule in March. With Carbondale Area staff scheduled to receive the second dose of the vaccine this month, officials have discussed implementing a phased approach with younger students returning first, board President Gary Smedley said. At tonights meeting, Scranton school directors will discuss whether the district should offer any in-person instruction before employees have the chance to be vaccinated. I have reservations about personally making decisions that could impact someones health, but I understand the challenges of the virtual model, board President Katie Gilmartin said. The bottom line is, there are no good answers. Were in a pandemic. Its a very serious and challenging situation. Many parents said the longer virtual learning continues, the harder it is to motivate their children. Parents say their childrens grades and mental health have both suffered. A lack of available technology has also made it difficult for families with multiple children to complete their work. Scranton had to limit Chromebooks to one per family. The district ordered 10,000 Chromebooks in June, and manufacturing delays pushed delivery dates back months. School leaders started distributing the 8,300 delayed Chromebooks last week. Teachers and principals also continue to deal with students who are not participating at all. In December, officials said about 70% of the districts 9,300 students participated regularly. As of last week, the district has sent 4,271 truancy letters to families. Hundreds of additional letters have been sent home and phone calls made regarding lack of participation and attendance, according to the district. Leaders of the 16 schools have held 1,190 truancy meetings, and 182 cases have been referred to court. Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, understands the pros and cons of having staff and students back in the classroom. Teachers want to be in front of their students safely, and Boland said she wants to make sure the district follows state and federal guidelines when making the decision. Wed certainly like to see staff have the chance to get the vaccine, she said. Id rather our district err on the side of caution. Were almost here with the vaccine. Why not just wait? Meanwhile, some parents also say they are satisfied with the districts virtual program, and will opt to keep their children at home if the district starts in-person instruction. A virtual option would still be available for all students. Some students have benefited from the ability to rewatch lessons and thrive being able to complete the work on their own schedule, parents said. Angel Syrylo credits her sons teachers at Isaac Tripp Elementary School and worries about her oldest, who has asthma, attending classes and wearing a mask all day. Theyre sick of being home. They want to go back, she said. They ask every day, and I tell them, right now youre not. Its already February. We might just try again next year. Parents say they seek greater communication from the district, and a solid plan for when students can return. My fear is they will be remote the rest of the year, parent Mollie Cosgrove said. We should be given a choice and deserve an equitable education to other local schools. Koss 12-year-old daughter misses the structure of six or seven hours in school, instead of the approximately two hours it takes her to watch videos and complete assignments. There needs to be more structure, just the opportunity for it, even if its just one day a week, Koss said. Tonights meeting will also include a discussion on walk zones and busing for students. The committee meeting begins at 7 p.m., followed by the special meeting about in-person learning. Those who wish to speak must sign up before 2 p.m. today. For instructions on how to sign up or how to watch the meeting, visit www.scrsd.org. Are we resilient or emotionally fragile? Our society wrestles endlessly with this question. A new government has assumed power and our economic future will be determined by whether the Biden administration and investors view us as psychologically damaged, or able to withstand the suffering of the COVID period. Human fragility underlies the bleak view of the post-COVID world provided by Scarring Body and Mind: The Long-Term Belief-Scarring Effects of COVID-19, a paper delivered in August at the Jackson Hole annual economic policy symposium. Julian Kozlowski and his co-authors argue the pandemic will psychologically scar the populace and the negative economic consequences post-shock will far outweigh the direct losses suffered during the pandemic. The authors are correct that economic performance depends upon whether people are regarded as fragile. Sources of capital that anticipate emotional scarring will defer investment or will pursue recession-proof opportunities. As there are too few recession-proof opportunities, multiples for safe investments will rise and other sectors will lack capital. Alternatively, if an energetic rebound is anticipated, capital will flow more vigorously and the economy will recover quickly. Governments that regard citizens as psychologically fragile and traumatized will hunker down and adopt cautious policies. These policies even when necessary like the 9/11 protections are costly and reduce efficiency. By contrast, if people are viewed as resilient, governments will facilitate robust economic growth. So, are we resilient or emotionally fragile? Will people be permanently scarred by the COVID period or will they bounce back? Among the entrepreneurs and private equity leaders with whom I discussed psychological scarring, there was no consensus as to whether it is correct. Similarly, economists divide as to whether the economy will recover quickly as after the Spanish flu. However, I suggest we can find the answer by examining human nature. When I asked mental health professionals, they unanimously disagreed with the scarring thesis. People are resilient, they responded. Human beings are affected by disaster, such as the Spanish flu, but they adapt. I raised these issues with a friend who embodies resilience, Joseph Szlezinger. Hidden during the Holocaust as a Jewish child in a Belgian convent, Joseph later built a successful real estate business in England. His memoir, Shattered Dreams to New Beginnings, recounts how the Church saved his life and how he overcame this trauma. On our call, Joseph said Survivors bounced back unbelievably. They succeeded financially because they had enough of misery and wanted to make sure it would never happen again. He, like many others, pointed out that while many individual Holocaust survivors were unable to operate, as a group they rebuilt their lives. They married and achieved statistically disproportionate success in business. Based on his experience, this hardy individual is sure that the world will change but will come back. The greatest insight into the essence of human nature may well be provided by the wisest of all men. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon writes He puts eternity in their mind, but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass. The great medieval exegete, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki), explains that, in Gods mercy, the time of our death is concealed from us and, therefore, a person optimistically says Perhaps my death is far off and he builds a house and plants a vineyard. We live in a time of fear of psychological frailty, threatened by triggers and protected in safe spaces. But human beings are actually resilient by nature. As Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish novelist, writes, we do not, properly speaking, love life at all, but living. We take risks all the time in sport, business and in everyday life. If we were truly risk averse, little would be achieved in the world and enjoyments would be few. We live vibrantly because we do not know our time of death and love living more than we love life. Thus, despite the serious concerns about scarring effects, human nature suggests we will bounce back after the pandemic. Investors and entrepreneurs, I believe, will adjust to changed circumstances and seek profit in market dislocation. Human beings will emerge from the fog of suffering, adapt and thrive. We will build houses and plant vineyards. Sheon Karol is a managing director and member of the management committee of The DAK Group, a boutique investment bank. He is the recipient of the Atlas Award for Boutique Investment Banker of the Year in 2018. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. February 08, 2021 U.S., Taiwan Manipulate Chip Supplies To Press For War With China The current government of Taiwan is trying to break the U.S. and Europe's One-China policy to become an independent country under U.S. and NATO protection. The Peoples Republic of China, the mainland, insist, historically correct, that Republic of China, Taiwan, is a part of mainland China. Since 1972, when Nixon went to China, the U.S. has supported that position: In the case of the United States, the One-China Policy was first stated in the Shanghai Communique of 1972: "the United States acknowledges that Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States does not challenge that position." The ruling Taiwanese nationalist Democratic Progressive Party under President Tsai Ing-wen's leadership now has a plan to break that policy. Despite regime change in Washington DC it has support from U.S. anti-China hawks: [Taiwan's Representative to the US] Hsiaos invitation to Bidens inauguration, taken together with Blinkens language at the confirmation hearing, indicates that the Biden administration is willing to adopt a large chunk of the Trump administrations Taiwan policy. While in office, Pompeo pushed back against China and acted as a guarantor to Taiwan Beijing viewed him as an outright enemy. Through well planned economic development policies Taiwan has achieved a near monopoly in the production of computer chips. There were until recently three companies which could mass produce computer chips with the most tiniest structures. Then the U.S. company Intel screwed up its development of a production process for 7 nanometer chips. It is now at least two years behind the competition. Its newest chips are no longer the most powerful in the market. The CEO and the technical leadership have since been fired but it still will take years, if ever, to regain the leadership. A second big production facility is owned by the South Korean Samsung conglomerate. It is mainly used to produce the chips for Samsung's own products. The third and by far biggest producer of chips is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). TSMC does not produce consumer products. It manufactured, until recently, for everyone in the global industry. It is the go-to producer for high-end chips other companies need. It has now become a weapon in the hand of the Taiwanese government. Under pressure from Trump, who put sanctions on Chinese companies including Huawei, TSMC reduced its sales to China. It also had to commit to open a production facility in the U.S. Trump's use of the chip production capacities as economic and political weapon has given the government of Taiwan new ideas: Taiwans role in the world economy largely existed below the radar, until it came to recent prominence as the auto industry suffered shortfalls in chips used for everything from parking sensors to reducing emissions. With carmakers including Germanys Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co. of the U.S. and Japans Toyota Motor Corp. forced to halt production and idle plants, Taiwans importance has suddenly become too big to ignore. U.S., European and Japanese automakers are lobbying their governments for help, with Taiwan and TSMC being asked to step in. The ongoing pandemic first led to a slump in consumption. Car manufactures lowered their sales target numbers and their orders for new chips. But soon chip demand increased for products needed to work from home. When the car demand came back TSMC told the car manufactures that there was not enough capacity to produce chips for them. Whether that explanation for the current shortages is really true is questionable: The auto industrys pleas illustrate how TSMCs chip-making skills have handed Taiwan political and economic leverage in a world where technology is being enlisted in the great power rivalry between the U.S. and China -- a standoff unlikely to ease under the administration of Joe Biden. Taiwans grip on the semiconductor business -- despite being under constant threat of invasion by Beijing -- also represents a choke point in the global supply chain thats giving new urgency to plans from Tokyo to Washington and Beijing to increase self-reliance. It takes some ten years to build a new chip fabrication facility. The investment necessary for an up-to-date 'fab' has steadily increased and is now more than $10 billion. While the U.S., Japan and Europe have recognized the danger of a chip production monopoly it will take quite some time before they can become less dependent on TSMC. This gives the Taiwanese government a window of several years to use TSMC for strategic purposes: Taiwan is the center of gravity of Chinese security policy, said Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia program at the Institut Montaigne in Paris. Yet while Taiwans status in the global chip supply chain is a huge strategic value, its also a powerful reason for Beijing to stay away, said Duchatel, whos just published a policy paper on Chinas push for semiconductors. Assuming Taiwanese forces were to be overwhelmed during an invasion, there is no reason why they would leave these facilities intact, he said. And preserving the worlds most advanced fabs is in the interests of everyone. For all the moves to reel back domestic chip fabrication, its optimistic to think the supply chain for such a complex product as semiconductors could change in short order, Peter Wennink, ASML chief executive officer, told Bloomberg TV. If you want to reallocate semiconductor build capacity, manufacturing capacity, you have to think in years, he said. China has threatened to invade Taiwan should it declare independence. But as long as it depends on Taiwanese chips it can only do that while also damaging its own industries. Still there is little doubt that China would be willing to take that risk: The Chinese government said Wednesday that actions like its warplanes flying near Taiwan last weekend are a warning against both foreign interference in Taiwan and any independence moves by the island. Asked about the flights, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said China's military drills are to show the nation's resolution to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "They are a stern warning against external interference and provocation from separatist forces advocating for Taiwan independence, she said at a regular briefing, giving the Chinese government's first official comment on the recent flights. Taiwan thus still needs protection. But as long as the U.S. and others still adhere to the One-China policy it is unlikely to get sufficient support. The plan then is to use Taiwan's chip industry to press others into guaranteeing it military support: Wang Che-jen (), an assistant research fellow at the government-funded the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said in a recently published paper that the current shortage of automotive chips has highlighted Taiwan's strategic place in the global semiconductor industry. The shortage shows that the supply chain for such products has become a matter of diplomatic, security and strategic concern, Wang said in the paper, titled "Automotive chip shortage: A look at Taiwan's strategic place in the semiconductor supply chain." ... The American and Japanese governments, for example, have invited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, to build facilities in their countries, he noted. Wang, however, warned against such a move, saying that while it may help to shorten the global supply chains, it may also weaken Taiwan's strategic advantage in the semiconductor industry. "For Taiwan to maintain its 'silicon shield,' it needs to persuade the European countries and the U.S. that keeping TSMC in Taiwan is the best option," he wrote. The concept of a "silicon shield" describes Taiwan's strategic position in the technology supply chain as a shield against any attack by China. The blackmailing through chip supplies is not just an academic concept. The Taiwanese government is now openly using chip supplies to press other governments into economic and political concessions: Taiwan's high-tech chip foundries are some of the world's biggest and most advanced, and so European car manufacturers have been reaching out to Taipei for help. "Our government and chip manufacturers are mulling how to assist them," Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua told reporters on Thursday. ... Wang said she spoke to industry representatives on Wednesday, including Germany's de facto ambassador to Taipei. She said she hoped Europe would help Taiwan obtain vaccines for the coronavirus. ... "We need other countries to help Taiwan acquire vaccines, especially for medical workers as a top priority," Wang said. "I told the German representative yesterday that we can help them acquire automotive chips to solve the problems facing the auto industry and we hope they can do what they can to help Taiwan acquire vaccines," she added. Vaccine blackmail is one thing. Nick Siemensma @nicksiem - 6:05 UTC Feb 6, 2021 Taipei openly offering a quid pro quo to Germany. Is vaccine a fair price? Taipei turned up its nose at Fosun-manufactured supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, so perhaps Germany can offer something more. And was no similar exchange of favours available to the USA? The exchange with the U.S. is about much bigger things than vaccines. To press for political support that involves a potential war with China is on a different scale. Still the ball seems to start rolling: The Daily Mao @TheDailyMao - 8:58 UTC Feb 4, 2021 8/ Up until 2020, US tech-economic strategy was mainly to profit off the Chinese market. But after the COVID shock, that's shifted: the US now wants to bleed out the Chinese economy and specifically cripple Chinese tech companies with semiconductors 9/ In terms of bleeding out the Chinese economy, autos are where it starts. My TSMC source tells me they have been asked by the TW/US govts to prioritize chips for auto plants outside China and for US/JP carmakers, to punish the EU for the #CAI 10/ Yesterday, he mentioned that his TW govt counterpart was literally 'trying to stifle a smile' when he told her some of TSMC's Chinese customers in auto would have to shut down because they weren't getting enough chip supplies. 11/ But this isn't just some sort of 'happy accident' that a 'free market' will fix. TSMC does not have carte blanche to expand capacity as much as it wants. The market is not allowed to function in this instance... thanks to the TW regime. 12/ He has disclosed to me that the DPP has been using enviro regulations and other methods of pressure to keep TSMC from expanding its facilities 'too fast' - the TW regime seems to want an artificial shortage of chips to give them greater leverage in international negotiations 13/ And again, this is done in collaboration with the US government - to make sure 'every planned production line that comes online is instantly filled with US orders only.' This is what was agreed upon between Tsai, Krach, and Morris Chang... 14/ ...and maintaining these artificial shortages to hurt companies producing in China are what Tsai means when she talks about restructuring the global supply chain away from China. 15/ As you may already have guessed, the EU is not happy about this arrangement. Besides the surface issue of their automakers being caught in an undeclared trade war, the EU also feels deeply betrayed by Taiwan's regime over this issue. ... Please see the linked thread for more details and supporting sources. This Taiwanese and U.S. brinkmanship make a war with China more likely and put it nearer than I had previously thought. This summer the situation could already become critical: The Daily Mao @TheDailyMao - 18:05 UTC Feb 5, 2021 BREAKING: The DPP of Taiwan has privately indicated to the US it might back an independence referendum in August of this year In an interesting coincidence this summer will also see some European forces deployed to the South China sea: In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on November 2, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer declared that her country will dispatch a frigate to patrol the Indo-Pacific from next year. ... Her remarks comes two months after Germany became the second European Union member to release guidelines for the Indo-Pacific. Frances foreign ministry released a strategy document in 2018 for the Indo-Pacific, following a major policy speech by President Emmanuel Macron in Australia earlier that year. A subsequent French security strategy for the region was released by the countrys defense ministry in 2019. The Brits, now a mere U.S. proxy force, also join in: Japanese and British foreign and defence ministers on Wednesday began a meeting via videoconference to affirm stronger security cooperation amid China's growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas. ... The ministers were also expected to agree to work closely on Britain's plan to dispatch an aircraft carrier strike group, centred on the Queen Elizabeth, to the western Pacific for joint naval exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the officials said. Japan welcomes the dispatch of the Queen Elizabeth, Britain's largest warship commissioned in 2017, as it shows the country's strengthened commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, they said. From the U.S. perspective a conflict with China as soon as possible is preferable to one in later years after China had time to build its capabilities. It may therefore well be that the U.S. is pushing Taiwan into an summer independence referendum while both use the chip supply issue to press 'allies' into supporting them in a potential war. Posted by b on February 8, 2021 at 18:16 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Ahead for the World: 4 Years of Living Dangerously Under Biden Commentary Elections do have consequences. President Joe Biden and his team of handlers are moving all policy, foreign and domestic, decidedly to the left. The problem for the United States, and therefore the world, is that in the nuclear/terrorist/technological age, this could be the most dangerous four years in history. President John Kennedy once warned that domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us. There was also a time that Democratic presidents in the United States were aggressive, if not hawks, in foreign policy. Woodrow Wilson led the United States into World War I and Franklin Roosevelt into World War II. Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb that brought an end to World War II in the Pacific, and Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson escalated the Vietnam War. Since then, Democratic presidents have been decidedly less aggressive and eschewed Thomas Jeffersons advice that weakness provokes insult & injury, while a condition to punish it often prevents it and whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace. Of course, President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, updated Jeffersons sentiments by championing peace through strength. Under the Obama administration, weakness produced terror and worse. The ISIS terrorist group went from being a JV team to international killers as its network of global supporters grew. The Soviet Union took over Crimea, Iran expanded its conventional warfare in the Middle East, and China moved forward with its detailed strategy to overtake the U.S. as the worlds dominant power, according to John Mauldin in Forbes. President Donald Trump, a Republican, pushed back on those developments. His pro-U.S. energy development policies defunded Russia and Iran by taking their international energy customers away and by reducing the amount of money those nations made on oil through lower energy prices. In addition to that, Trumps reversal of the Iran nuclear deal further isolated and defunded that regime. Trumps policies greatly reduced Irans ability to conduct warfare in the Middle East and led to unprecedented peace deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Trump also confronted China like no other U.S. president. From tariffs to sanctions to publicly rebuking the actions of China, Trump exposed the nature of the Chinese regime. Now, it appears that whatever gains were made in world peace through American strength are about to be undone. First, it is more than obvious that Biden is physically the weakest president in American history. Never have so many questions swirled around a first-term president with no proven track record. That matters on the international stage. Second, some Biden appointments spell danger to the world. Biden picked the nuclear deal architect Robert Malley to be an envoy to Iran. Of course, many expect Biden to make a new deal with Iran that would provide money to Iran, some of which, even John Kerry admitted years ago, would be used for terror. That alone threatens to destabilize the Middle East. At the same time, Biden took steps that have weakened Americas public support of Israel, including restoring aid to Palestinians, all of which some have characterized as in the NPR report Sharp Turn in U.S. Policy in the Middle East. As if to punctuate that, as of this writing, Biden hasnt even spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite agreeing to fund some of Israels adversaries. As for ISIS and al-Qaida, according to recent counterterrorism funding reports from the U.S. Department of Treasury, terrorist networks in the Middle East are growing in strength. Both al-Qaida and the Islamic State (ISIS) have found financial backers and partners despite their denial of such, as reported by the website Gingrich 360. All of which brings us to China. We know from his campaign that Biden downplayed the threat from China before retracting that sentiment. We also know that his family has or had extensive ties to Chinese companies, and state officials that could haunt Biden. Meanwhile, his appointments include many Obama Administration retreads and Hillary Clinton loyalists, according to Japan Times. Obviously, that means a far less confrontational policy toward China and its ambitions, including a possible desire to engage China in green-energy initiatives and revoking a Trump executive order that precluded Chinese involvement in U.S. power grid technology. Finally, Bidens economic and energy policies will weaken the American economy, which will reduce U.S. defense capabilities in the future and provide economic opportunities for Iran and Russia. The problem with Bidens weaknesses is that the world grows far more dangerous by the hour. Bad actors such as Iran move ever closer to nuclear capability, and China is a far greater economic power than it was 20 years ago. Technological cyberwars are leaping forward unimaginably from 20 years ago. Worse yet, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates, the potential for biological warfare is more possible than ever. Bidens weaknesses and his policies will weaken America at home and embolden our enemies. All of that may add up to four of the most dangerous years in American, if not world, history. Thomas Del Beccaro is an acclaimed author, speaker, Fox News, Fox Business, and Epoch Times opinion writer, and former chairman of the California Republican Party. He is the author of the historical perspectives The Divided Era and The New Conservative Paradigm. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Twenty bodies have been recovered and nearly 200 people still missing after the apparently caused by a glacier burst, officials said Monday, as multiple agencies worked at rescuing over 30 workers feared trapped in a tunnel at a power project site. Officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre said 197 people are still missing, a day after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst through its banks in Chamoli district. It appeared to have triggered an avalanche and a deluge that ripped through the Alaknanda river system in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. Experts, however, are still trying to determine the exact cause of the in Joshimath. "It was due to lakhs of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on top of a naked hill," Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told reporters after meeting ISRO scientists. After a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to find out the reasons, "we will build an elaborate plan to avert any potential tragedy going forward", he said in an interview to PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a delegation of MPs of his government's support to the people of the state and said it is working to strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural in future. The 197 reported missing include those working at hydel power project sites and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away with the force of the raging waters, officials said. Two power projects NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers caught in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Thirteen villages are cut off. Rescue efforts in the affected areas near Joshimath, about 295 km from here, gained momentum with teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinating to rescue 30-35 people feared trapped in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project. More teams have been sent to the site on Mi-17 helicopters that landed at the helipad in Joshimath, NDRF chief S N Pradhan said in a Twitter post. Some teams from the Army, including from the Medical Corps, also reached the disaster spot, an official supervising the operation said. Sniffer dogs and heavy mechanical equipment, including bulldozers and JCBs, were deployed. Officials said 27 people were rescued alive. Of these, 12 were saved from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishiganga site. Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar added that efforts were focused on rescuing 30-35 labourers trapped in a 250-metre tunnel at Tapovan. The work was complicated as the tunnel is slightly curved, making it difficult to clear the debris and silt blocking it. The entire landscape was coloured a sandy grey, many structures swept away and buried under piles of silt. "Our teams worked overnight to rescue about 30 workers who are trapped in the tunnel. Specialised equipment for such operations has been deployed. We are hopeful we will able to rescue everyone," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI in Delhi. "There is a huge amount of debris inside the tunnel. About 80 metres inside the tunnel is cleared and accessible, and it looks like about 100 more metres of debris will have to be cleared," he added. Pandey said nearly 300 ITBP personnel are deployed at the site. In a video provided by the ITBP, a team of senior officials was seen analysing the tunnel's map to find the best way of approach. The tunnel has only one entry, an official said. Global warming or maybe a Western disturbance bringing fresh snow that melted could have triggered the deluge, experts said. The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation is among those investigating the disaster. It is not clear whether the flood was a typical Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) or some temporary damming due to a landslide and avalanche that might have blocked the mainstream to form a temporary lake which burst, said Ranjit Rath, director general of the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and R K Singh as well as Pauri MP Tirath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand minister Dhan Singh Rawat met the affected families in disaster-hit Tapovan and Raini. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed solidarity. With no clarity on what led to the disaster and some experts pointing to climate change, scientists also headed to Chamoli to understand what had happened. Three of those rescued on Sunday evening were admitted to the ITBP hospital at Joshimath, nearly 25 km from the Tapovan power project site, as they were feeling uneasy, officials said. They are stable now. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands ready to contribute to the rescue and assistance efforts if necessary. The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday, his spokesperson said. Christopher Plummer has died at age 91. The renowned actor and Broadway star had an acting resume that stretched back over six decades. The actor was known for his roles in the iconic 1965 musical The Sound of Music and his more recent work in All The Money in the World and Knives Out. Though he initially wanted to be a professional pianist, Plummer found his calling on the stage when he starred in his first production in the 1950s. From there, his career skyrocketed. He never hinted at any desire to retire and was even preparing for a new role at the time of his death. Christopher Plummer | Stefanie Keenan/WireImage Christopher Plummer didnt actually sing Edelweiss in The Sound of Music Plummer was known for his role as the stern widower, Captain Von Trapp, who eventually falls in love with Maria (Julie Andrews), a young nun who is hired to care for his seven children. The actor absolutely hated the role and the film. That sentimental stuff is the most difficult for me to play, especially because Im trained vocally and physically for Shakespeare, Plummer told People in 1982. To do a lousy part like von Trapp, you have to use every trick you know to fill the empty carcass of the role. That damn movie follows me around like an albatross. Plummer never ever got a chance to show off his vocals in the movie, since his voice is dubbed over in one of The Sound of Musics most beloved numbers Edelweiss. He told NPR, It was very well done. The entrances and exits from the songs were my voice, and then they filled in in those days, they were very fussy about matching voices in musicals. And Julie, of course, had been you know, trained since day one as a I mean, she was .tone perfect since she was in her cradle, which is an exasperating thing to admit. And it was awfully hard to match her and her sustained, long notes. So yeah, I was they did it very well cause it sounded very much like me. RELATED: The Sound of Music Star Christopher Plummer Hated the Film, Calling it So Awful and Sentimental and Gooey Christopher Plummer regretted turning down a role in The Lord of the Rings As much as Plummer hated doing The Sound of Music, he deeply regretted not taking on the role of Gandalf when Peter Jackson offered him the part in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. At the time, he was not keen on spending several years of his life in New Zealand. I thought there are other countries Id like to visit before I croak, he said on Conan. However, he did love Ian McKellens portrayal of the wizard. I might have been a little cold and serious, he said. How did Christopher Plummer die? When news of Plummers death hit the media, most people assumed that the late actor had died due to old age. However, his cause of death was a bit more complicated than that. Plummer died on Feb. 5, 2021, at his home in Weston, Connecticut. His wife, Elaine Taylor, told The New York Times that the actors cause of death was due to a blow to the head due to a fall in his home. Taylor gave no further details. At the time of his death, Plummer was preparing to appear as King Lear on film for the first time, under the direction of renowned Broadway director, Des McAnuff. MSP tha, MSP hai, aur MSP rahega (MSP was there, MSP is there and MSP will continue) Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised, Mr Modi said. PTI NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday reiterated farmers demand for a law on MSP for crops along with the repeal of the three agriculture-marketing laws and said that business over hunger will not be allowed in the country. Desh mein bhook pe vyaapaar nahi hoga. Bhook kitni lagegi anaaj ki keemat utni hogi. Desh mein bhook se vyaapaar karne walon ko baahar nikaala jaaega (There will not be business over hunger in the country. If hunger goes up, price of crops will be decided accordingly. Those wanting business over hunger will be driven out of the country), Mr Tikiat said at Ghazipur border, which has become one of the epicentres of the farmers protests at Delhi borders. Mr Tikaits comments came in reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modis address in Rajya Sabha where he assured farmers that the MSP will last forever. MSP tha, MSP hai, aur MSP rahega (MSP was there, MSP is there and MSP will continue) Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised, Mr Modi said while requesting farmers unions to call off their 75-day agitation. Mr Tikait, who has now become the face of the agitation, said the farmers protests have highlighted that there is no law on MSP because of which traders loot them by buying crops at lower prices. He said the price of crops will not be decided the way the rates of a flight ticket fluctuate several times a day. The way the rates of a flight ticket fluctuate three to four times a day, the price of crops will not be decided the same way. On the PM's remark about the emergence of a new community which is engaged in protests, Mr Tikait said, Yes, this time it is the farmers' community which has emerged and people are also supporting the farmers... This movement was first portrayed as Punjab's issue, then Sikhs', then Jats, so on and so forth. The farmers of the country are united. There is no small farmer or big farmer. The movement belongs to all farmers," he said. Reacting to Mr Modis appeal to protesters to call off their agitation, farmer leader Satnam Singh Sahni said the PM should immediately call a meeting of the union leaders to end the stalemate. "If he (PM) calls a meeting tomorrow, we are ready to attend it Today, the major question before us is how our agriculture mandis can survive, he said. Another farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said that the protesting unions were ready to hold talks with the government only if it comes through formal channels. "Any issue can be resolved through proper dialogue. We are ready in-principle to resume talks." Mr Tikait had recently said that two government representatives had come to meet him, but he had refused to meet them separately. Every discussion will be held collectively in the presence of the Kisan Samyukth Morcha (an umbrella body of the protesting farmers unions). Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Tesla has decided to recall up to 36,126 of its Model S and Model X electric vehicles, which were made in the U.S. and sold to customers in China, over the inevitable eMMC hardware failure. The China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced the recall on February 5. This was the third-time vehicle recall Tesla made in China since last October. Model S; photo credit: Tesla According to SAMR, the recall involves 20,428 imported Model Ss produced between Sept. 18, 2013 and Feb. 20, 2018, and 15,698 Model Xs manufactured between Mar. 12, 2016 and Feb. 16, 2018. The vehicles to be recalled are shipped with eMMC (enhanced multimedia card), the flash memory device used in the MCU (media control unit), which is rated for 3,000 program/erase cycles for regular use. Over time, the eMMC will wear out in a way that exhausts the lifespan of MCUs. When the capacity of the storage unit will be used up, the eMMC controller will fail to keep the document system intact. This issue may cause the center display screen to stop working and even lead to malfunctions in backup camera display, window defroster and defogger, exterior turn signal indicators and other safety-related facilities, said SAMR. Tesla Motors (Beijing) Co.,Ltd., will replace the component that contains the 8GB eMMC with an updated component equipped with a 64GM eMMC free of charge, and make sure every vehicle recalled armed with the 2020.48.12 version or updated software. The automaker expects to eliminate potential safety hazards through those measures. The recall came a few days after the EV manufacturer announced it would recall 134,951 Model Xs and Model Ss in the U.S. for the similar issue. The US reported fewer than 100,000 daily new coronavirus cases for the first time in over three months on Sunday as hospitalizations continue to fall and the vaccine rollout picks up speed. Just over 96,000 new cases and 1,474 deaths were reported nationwide on Sunday, according to a tally by the COVID Tracking Project. It marked the first time since November 2 that new infections did not exceed 100,000. But the COVID Tracking Project noted that some states had not yet posted daily numbers for the weekend, meaning the true values for Sunday are likely higher than what's reflected in the latest report. The latest numbers brought US totals to over 26.99 million cases and 463,339 deaths to date. Hospitalizations have also continued to drop with 81,439 patients admitted as of Sunday - the fourth consecutive day with under 90,000 after two months above that threshold. The US reported fewer than 100,000 daily new coronavirus cases for the first time since November 2 with just over 96,000 on Sunday, according to the COVID Tracking Project Nationwide hospitalizations also fell below 90,000 for a fourth consecutive day on Sunday Hospitalizations have also continued to drop with 81,439 patients admitted as of Sunday. Pictured: A hospital worker cleans an empty ICU room in Los Angeles on Friday The Centers for Disease Control reported on Sunday that 41,210,937 coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered to date, out of 59,307,800 delivered to states. At least one dose of a vaccine has been administered to 31,579,100 million people, which equals to 9.6 percent of the population. Just over 9,147,000 Americans have now received both doses of a vaccine, amounting to 2.78 percent of the population. On Sunday, the country's seven-day average for cases dropped to 117,108, down more than 8,300 from 125,431 two days earlier. The seven-day average for deaths fell slightly to 2,920 per day. The number of people hospitalized has dropped every day since January 14. In the last three months of 2020, the number hospitalized had only fallen on 14 days. In the last eight days, the number hospitalized has fallen daily by 1,797 on average, compared to 981 on average throughout January. In December, the number hospitalized had been increasing daily at an average of 948 patients, and at an average of 1,621 patients throughout November. This week also marked the second in a row that no states have reported a record number of weekly COVID-19 cases. Virginia was the last to report its highest weekly cases on January 17, and New York the week before that on January 10. Thirty-six states recorded their highest weekly cases in November and December 2020. Only Hawaii has not seen an increase in cases since the summer and last reported its highest weekly cases on August 16. This week marked the second in a row that no states have reported a record number of weekly COVID-19 cases, as pictured in the graph above from the COVID Tracking Project According to the CDC, at least 21,622,193 of the vaccine doses administered in the US so far were from Pfizer-BioNTech, while another 19,485,089 were from Moderna vaccine. The federal data shows that the majority of states have now received between 10,000 and 20,000 doses of a vaccine per 100,000 of state population. Nevada, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland have each administered more than 9,000 doses per 100,000 people. A total of 4,839,144 doses of a vaccine have been administered in long-term care facilities, the agency said. CDC data shows most states have administered doses to more than 11,000 people out of every 100,000. Nevada, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland have each administered more than 9,000 doses per 100,000 people At least seven percent of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine in every state. According to the CDC data, North Dakota is miles ahead in administering its supply to residents with 92 percent of delivered shots administered as of Saturday. West Virginia, Utah, and New Mexico have also administered more than 80 percent of the supply. Alaska has rolled out the shots at a much slower pace with only 56 percent of delivered shots administered. Massachusetts, California, Kana, Mississippi, Alabama, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania also have less than 60 percent of their received supply administered to residents. On Friday, it was revealed that the coronavirus pandemic will drag on for another seven years at the current rate of vaccinations worldwide. It will take that long to reach Dr Anthony Fauci's estimate for the herd immunity threshold of 75 percent of people inoculated globally, according to Bloomberg's vaccination calculator. More than 4.5 million vaccines are being administered a day, for a total of 119.8 million shots given worldwide. Despite ranking sixth in the world for the pace of its vaccinations, the US is predicted to reach herd immunity just in time for New Year's 2022. But all of this depends on whether the vaccines are effective against variants like those that emerged in South Africa and Brazil, which appear to dull the potency of shots. Nine vaccines are authorized worldwide, and at least two variants - those that emerged in South Africa and Brazil - might evade them. DAVIS, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolve BioSystems announced today that it completed a substantial first close in a $55 million Series D round of funding, led by Cargill, the global food, agricultural, financial and industrial products company and Manna Tree, an investment firm committed to improving human health. The new capital will be used to help the company continue commercializing a next generation of probiotic capable of addressing a widespread deficiency in the infant gut microbiome. "We are thrilled to announce our newest investors as we continue our quest to address this health crisis in newborns," said Timothy Brown, CEO of Evolve BioSystems. "Our research found that more than 90 percent of infants in the U.S. are missing the critical bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis), which is widely documented as a key component of the infant gut microbiome. The financial support announced today, which includes strong continued support from our earlier investors, will help continue our mission to make a healthier future for our children during infancy and beyond." Evolve BioSystems manufactures Evivo, a proprietary groundbreaking probiotic proven to resolve infant gut dysbiosis, or Newborn Gut Deficiency. Evivo is comprised of activated B. infantis EVC001, which studies have shown guides critical development of infants' digestive and immune systems. Evivo restores this missing bacterium to the infant gut microbiome, reducing potentially pathogenic bacteria by 80 percent as well as significantly reducing intestinal inflammation. These pathogens are linked to higher risk of both short- and long-term health issues including colic, diaper rash, eczema, asthma, allergies and Type 1 Diabetes. "Evivo, Evolve BioSystem's innovative infant probiotic, has been proven to have a dramatic impact on the developing infant gut, and to guide long-term health trajectory. This round of financing will continue to raise consumer and health care practitioner awareness, while supporting continued research and development. We are proud to partner with innovators like Tim and the entire Evolve team who are at the forefront of food and biotechnology" said Gabrielle "Ellie" Rubenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Manna Tree. "This important investment is at the very core of our mission at Manna Tree - investing in human health." The health benefits of Evivo are documented through numerous clinical studies and peer-reviewed publications. The investments of Manna Tree and Cargill come on the heels of the most recent breakthrough in the Evolve research, the U.S. Microbiome Survey, recently published in Scientific Reports. The research shows that nine out of ten U.S. infants are suffering from Newborn Gut Deficiency, increasing risk to early infant health and development. The study is the largest to date to benchmark the widespread levels of potential pathogenic bacteria in U.S. infants and the substantial deficiency of B. infantis. "Evolve BioSystem's Evivo has the potential to be a highly distinctive probiotic for infants and we are delighted to work with them to scale its impact," said Chuck Warta, president of Cargill's health technologies business. "Our goal is to help humans live more healthy days right from the start. Together, we can harness our respective expertise and knowledge in nutrition, digestive and immune health to bring next generation ingredient solutions to our customers." Through its collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Evolve BioSystems is currently involved in a clinical trial at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh to assess the impact of Evivo on infants who have been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. As part of the investment, Cargill and Manna Tree will serve as lead investors and join the company's board of directors. Other Evolve BioSystems investors in this round include Horizons Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc., Spruce Capital Partners, Acre Venture Partners and Bow Capital. Evolve was spun-off from the Foods for Health Institute (FFHI) at the University of California, Davis in 2014. For more information on Evolve BioSystems and Evivo, visit www.evolvebiosystems.com or www.evivo.com. To learn more about the Evolve BioSystems investors, visit Manna Tree at www.mannatreepartners.com and www.Cargill.com. About Evolve BioSystems, Inc Evolve BioSystems, Inc. is a privately held microbiome company dedicated to researching solutions to establish, restore, and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Evolve is a portfolio company of Cargill, Manna Tree, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Horizons Ventures, the venture division of the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Evolve is a spin-off from the Foods for Health Institute (FFHI) at the University of California, Davis and builds on more than a decade of research into understanding the unique partnership of the infant gut microbiome and breast milk components. About Cargill Cargill's 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center. About Manna Tree Manna Tree is a Vail, Colorado-based investment firm committed to improving human health through nutrition. The firm invests in and actively partners with growth-stage companies. We believe the future of health, well-being and longevity is attainable through innovation in food. Manna Tree has $235 million in assets under management, as of September 2020, and has made five investments to date: Vital Farms, Verde Farms, MycoTechnology, Nutriati, and Gotham Greens. www.mannatreepartners.com. SOURCE Evolve BioSystems Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Olusegun Runsewe, has called on parents to instil African cultures and values in their children and wards, to make them become responsible adults. Mr Runsewe gave the advice while speaking with correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. He admonished parents to always provide guidance to their children to make sure they wont live lifestyles that would negate African cultures and values in marriage, procreation, moral decency, and respect for elders. Citing the lifestyle of a Lagos-based crossdresser, Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju popularly known as Bobrisky, Mr Runsewe said Bobrisky had constituted a nuisance to Nigerian and African values and misleading other youth, due to a lack of true African values in him. According to him, the 29-year-old social media personality is nothing but a disgrace and disgust to Nigeria, and should not be allowed to continue with his fake life. Do you know that the so-called Bobrisky was going to set up the African Chapter of Gay and LGBT or whatever they call it in Nigeria during his recently aborted birthday party? People from over 70 countries arrived in Lagos for the event. They were all at Ikoyi, preparing to launch it. We got a hint of it and had to put a stop to the event. I seized all the food and gave them to IDPs. If they had launched that thing, Nigeria would have been destroyed by now. That was how the insurgency started and because it was not nipped in the bud, today we are facing the consequences of our inaction then. People said the man called Bobrisky is powerful and that anytime he comes to Abuja, he lodges in a presidential suite on the tenth floor of Transcorp Hilton Hotel. But I will not stand and see such a character perpetuate a culture that does not conform to our African values and norms. If he wants to continue with that way of life, then he should leave Nigeria. Our culture does not allow such personality in our society. So he should leave Nigeria. Mr Runsewe reiterated that parents should not allow their children to be influenced by characters like Bobrisky, who claim to be female. Bobrisky started by saying he sells body creams and later he added that he got boobs. He went into many areas. He insults Nigerian women, claiming he is prettier than them. This is not African. On his fathers birthday, he dressed like a man. So you can see the deception by a fake personality living a fake life and deceiving Nigerian youth, he said. Mr Runsewe said many organisations had lauded NCAC, including a female group from Kenya, for its stand against values that negate African culture and norms. That man is destroying Nigerian children. If we are not careful, in the next few years women will no longer have boyfriends or husbands again. This is because man to man is becoming the order of the day. In Abuja today, men stand on the streets waiting to be patronised by other men. Mr Runsewe said NCAC and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs would soon meet to continue deliberations to seek the way forward in sensitizing the public on the menace. ADVERTISEMENT (NAN) BEREA, Ohio -- Authorities arrested a music teacher from a Cleveland Catholic school after investigators say he sent sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. Gregory Kinat, 43, of Berea is charged with two counts of importuning and one count of possessing criminal tools. Police arrested him Monday. He is being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on $15,000 bond until his initial appearance Tuesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Court records do not list an attorney for Kinat. Prosecutors said Kinat engaged in sexually-explicit conversations with the undercover officer between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 on a popular social media app. A prosecutors spokesman did not say what app Kinat used for the conversation alleged in court filings. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Kinats phone and arrested him Monday outside his home on Berea Street near Fifth Avenue. Investigators seized his cellphone and computer, prosecutors said. Our Lady of Angels offers classes for pre-school age kids through eighth grade. An emailed statement from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland said the school and diocese officials were shocked and disturbed to learn of the accusations against Kinat. The statement said Kinat was placed on leave until there is a resolution in the case. Our Lady of Angels School and the Diocese of Cleveland are truly grateful for all the work done by law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes against children and are dedicated to protecting the children entrusted to their care, the statement said. Read more from cleveland.com: Three teens arrested in armed carjacking of Uber driver in Parma, police chase Mother, two kids shot while driving on Pearl Road in Strongsville, police say Witness of fatal shooting by off-duty Cleveland police officer gives account to city investigators A masked man accused of breaking into a home and snatching a toddler from his cot has been refused bail after claiming to be an undiagnosed schizophrenic who 'heard voices' before the alleged incident. A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday night and charged with one count of child stealing and another of entering a dwelling with intent. He faced Richlands Magistrates Court in Brisbane on Monday, where he was denied bail and told he posed an 'unacceptable risk' to the community. An Amber Alert was issued on Sunday morning after a one-year-old boy disappeared in the dead of night from a home in Warrender Street in Darra, Brisbane. Seven hours after he was taken, the boy was found at a boarding house in nearby Salisbury, a 14-minute drive from where he was last seen. The court heard the accused was not biologically related to the little boy, but briefly dated his mother 'some time ago'. An Amber Alert was issued on Sunday morning after a one-year-old boy disappeared in the dead of night from a home in Warrender Street in Darra, Brisbane. He was found seven hours later A 31-year-old man (pictured) was arrested on Sunday night and charged with one count of child stealing and another of entering a dwelling with intent The little boy's step-grandfather was not allowed inside the court due to Covid restrictions, and anxiously waited out the front to learn of the accused's fate. He also explained the man once dated the child's mother - albeit 'very briefly' - and did not know the child well. Six other children were sleeping inside the house when the man allegedly crept in about 4am and scooped the little boy out of his cot. He wore gloves, a face mask, cap and long sleeved clothing, presumably to avoid detection, but was later identified on CCTV footage. The court heard the man told police he suffered from 'undiagnosed schizophrenia' and was hearing voices prior to taking the little boy. The accused told the court he has no criminal history in Australia or New Zealand, and is a permanent resident. Queensland Police said the boy, who is 20 months old, was taken from Warrender Street in Darra about 4am on Sunday The child's step-granddad spent hours waiting outside Richlands Magistrates Court anxiously awaiting news on the accused's bail application While the defence assured the court the man would be willing to seek mental health support, Magistrate Aaron Simpson said he could not take the risk and opposed bail in accordance with police advice. The child's step-grandfather said learning of his mental health conditions made the ordeal 'all the more scary'. 'He could've done something even more serious inside the house... We could've all been hurt. Other kids were asleep, he could've picked any of them. 'I am still shaking at the fact that a total stranger can be in the house with all the kids asleep and my partner asleep.' The man said during the brief 'two to three month period' that he knew the accused, he appeared to be a 'nice young person'. The toddler was reunited with his family on Sunday afternoon after he was missing for seven hours The accused told the court he has no criminal history in Australia or New Zealand, and is a permanent resident 'The last night has been hard... We're still grieving. We want to know why he picked us, what happened.' He claimed he was being kept in the dark about the events and is 'just looking for answers' as the family try to move past the incident. 'Last night I kept getting up to the slightest noise in the house... I didn't get much sleep.' The little boy, who is four months away from his second birthday, has not brought up the ordeal and is in 'high spirits'. 'He's great, really, really good and happy. He's running around again, chasing the chickens and he's sleeping fine,' the step-grandfather said. The man will next appear in court on March 29th. President Paul Kagame has called on African Union member states to prioritize domestic health financing especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic to improve health outcomes and resilience. Kagame was speaking at the 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly which was held virtually, where he presented a progress report on the Institutional Reform of the African Union as well as an update on domestic health financing. Kagame said that without strong national health systems, the continent will remain vulnerable to pandemics. "Without strong national health systems in every country, our continent will remain vulnerable to pandemics. We need to strengthen our commitment to increase domestic resource mobilisation and improve health outcomes," he said. Among the steps that Kagame said ought to be actualized to improve health outcomes include strengthening of Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) to allow its autonomy and effectiveness. The President proposed that the assembly considers adjustments that will drive countries' improvement with regard to domestic health financing. The proposals include the presentation of the data in the annual scorecard being updated to rank countries according to the World Health Organization Service Coverage Index, rather than exclusively in terms of per capita spending. This adjustment, he noted, will allow for more accurate benchmarking of the efficiency of health spending across different contexts, while at the same tracking progress toward universal health coverage. President Kagame also proposed that the African Union Development Agency, NEPAD be assigned the responsibility for working with partners to create regional platforms to support Member States in increasing domestic health financing. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Health International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. With regard to the progress on the African Union reforms process, Kagame noted that there has been commendable progress on multiple aspects including in complex aspects. Among the aspects where there has been progress include the institution of a merit-based and transparent selection of the Commission leadership, sustainable financing of the Union and the Peace Fund, despite the budget being dependent on external funding. The President however noted that a number of aspects have stalled with not much progress made. These include the reform of judicial organs, the Pan-African Parliament, and the Commission structures. "The division of labour with Regional Economic Communities is also overdue. In fact, these are the very same items I highlighted at last year's summit. This delay represents a disappointing shortcoming in our working methods," he said. With the forensic audit of the commission complete, the Head of State called for it to be acted upon without further delay as accountability is essential for our Union's credibility. "I ask the incoming Commission to give priority attention to these items, so that they are completed this year, without fail. Indeed, I believe that implementation of the institutional reform mandate can be completed by the next Summit," he noted. At the summit, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over the chairperson mantle to President Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo. Kagame thanked the outgoing Ramaphosa for leadership through what was a hard year and promised the incoming chairperson continued support. Exposing students to contemporary issues with historical significance followed by a discussion is one purpose of the Hoag Lecture Series at the University of North Georgia (UNG). "We want to get students and faculty talking about current issues, especially ones important to them," said Dr. Lauren Oliver, chair of the lecture series committee and assistant professor of biology in the College of Science and Mathematics. Another purpose of the lecture series is to bring well-known experts to UNG who can impart their knowledge to students, faculty and staff in addition to the public. Once again, the Hoag Lecture Series has accomplished both for the 2021 lecture series with the first speaker discussing antisemitism. Dr. Deborah Lipstadt is a world-renowned scholar who serves as the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University. She is best known as the author of the books "Denying the Holocaust" (1993), "The Eichmann Trial"(2011), and "Antisemitism: Here and Now" (2019). The movie "Denial," starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson and nominated for a BAFTA, is based on her book "History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier" (2005). "Her work is recognized internationally," said Dr. James Badger, a member of the Hoag Lecture Series committee and professor of social foundations and leadership education in UNG's College of Education. "She has delivered TED talks, served as historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and helped design the section of the museum dedicated to the American response to the Holocaust. She has even testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives' Foreign Relations Committee about contemporary antisemitism and potential responses by the United States. Her work will appeal to students and faculty." Lipstadt will deliver her lecture from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, via Zoom. The lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is necessary. To register, visit go.ung.edu/hoaglectureseries. A confirmation email containing instructions to join the lecture will follow. Oliver explained the speaker series moved to a digital format because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual venue has its advantages. "While we will miss the intimacy of an in-person lecture, we are excited about sharing it with more people," Oliver said. "We can bring in a wider audience. Also, people will be more comfortable attending virtually due to the pandemic." Badger said audience members will have time to ask questions. "To engage with the audience is important to her," he said, adding Lipstadt's speech may inspire others to act. "It is important for us as educators, students and a society to recognize and stand against anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination." Oliver hopes it will also bring awareness to the topic of antisemitism. "This happened in our history, is presently happening and needs to be addressed," she said. A second speaker for the series will be announced at a later date. WHEN the naked, 22-stone corpse of Robert Maxwell was fished out of the Mediterranean, off the Canary Islands, on November 5, 1991, his manner of death was regarded as a mystery. Did he fall off the back of his boat accidentally, possibly while having a pee, was he murdered by Mossad (a theory advanced in an Israeli book) or did he commit suicide? Suicide became favourite a few months later when it was discovered that the Daily Mirror pension fund had a 460 million hole in it and that his whole empire was on the brink of collapse. The theory was that he must have killed himself out of guilt or to avoid the global humiliation and likely imprisonment that would follow his fall from grace. I came across Maxwell many times over the years and never believed he would take his own life and would certainly never have felt guilty, or afraid, about anything. John Prestons new biography, which has been widely admired, supports the theory of accidental death after falling off his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine. Preston reports that the Israelis, before Maxwell was buried like a revered head of state on the Mount of Olives, did a second post-mortem and found a badly torn muscle in his side, suggesting that he had clung to the boats rail after falling off, possibly for many hours, until exhaustion or a heart attack finally broke his grip. I first heard of Maxwell in the mid-1960s when highly polished promotional material for his Pergamon Press, which published scientific books and journals (which he had picked up cheaply at the end of the war in Germany) would regularly cross my desk when I was editing a paper in Malawi. Each handout would be accompanied by a picture of the extremely handsome Captain Maxwell in his war-time uniform and wearing his Military Cross. It was said later that the MC was about the only thing about Maxwell that wasnt fake, having been pinned on by Monty himself for showing no fear for his life in battle. A decade or so later, when I was editing The Observer, I found that one of his companies printed our colour magazine. So I would meet him from time to time when I visited the printing works in the west country, when he would turn these occasions into a celebration of his companys relationship with the paper. I remember sitting next to his French wife, Betty, and being surprised that she was such a highly civilised person, totally unlike her braggart and bully of a husband. I used to be invited to his family parties at Headington Hill Hall the stately home he rented from Oxford city council. My then wife didnt approve and would rarely go with me, but I took the view that as a journalist it was useful to get to know the famous people we wrote about if the opportunity was offered. I took the same view about meeting Richard Nixon. Some of these evenings were hilarious, though they werent meant to be. I remember the ambassador for Bulgaria standing up on one occasion and praising Maxwell as if he was a saint. On one of their wedding anniversaries each of his children stood up in turn and said what a loving father he was and how proud they were of him. They didnt mention that they were often slapped around and shouted at and were scared to death of him. I remember thinking that I wouldnt risk asking my children to stand up in public and say what they thought of their old Dad. It was remarkable how many otherwise sensible people were happy to work with and for Maxwell, even though they knew he was a wrongun. Peter Jay, a former British ambassador in Washington, worked as Maxwells chief of staff, yet said of him later: He was not so much immoral or amoral as pre-moral wholly unaware of things like good and evil. Bankers and lawyers were only too glad to take the substantial fees he generated. One of them, Jacob Rothschild, is said to have told a friend after helping Maxwell with a complicated takeover deal: It was 3.15 in the morning when I realised that my client was a crook. On a visit to Moscow I had lunch with the then British ambassador, who fulminated at the fact that he couldnt get access to Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, while Maxwell could simply waltz into the Kremlin to see him whenever he liked. Once I fell out badly with Tiny Rowland, whose company owned The Observer, over an article I had written exposing Robert Mugabes atrocities. This was a serious commercial embarrassment to him, since Lonrho had huge interests in Zimbabwe which my article had put at risk. Rowland threatened to sell the paper when he found that the conditions attached to his purchase (mostly drafted by me) prevented him from sacking me, and was seen having lunch with Maxwell at the Savoy Hotel. Up to that point I had the support of the journalists, but when Maxwell became their potential boss they began to back off, as did the printers, who were terrified of him taking over. I knew his meeting with Maxwell was just a bluff, and so it proved when we finally made up with one of the most absurd public statements ever made. Rowland and I said: We have three things in common. We both love The Observer. We both love Africa, and we love each other. While a Maxwell takeover still seemed possible, he was interviewed about his plans for The Observer. He was asked: What will you do about Donald Trelford? After a pause he replied: Id stamp on him. The Daily Mirror gave their old boss a heroic front page send-off: The Man Who Saved the Mirror.. It turned out that he had nearly destroyed it. When Michael White of Guardian appeared to welcome Maxwells demise, the Mirrors political correspondent, Alastair Campbell, threw a punch at him. Campbell was soon to find another hero in Tony Blair. You heard it here Only last week I questioned who would bat at number three for England against India and bemoaned the fact that Jonny Bairstow, who had played valiantly in a role in Sri Lanka, had been sent home to rest. I assumed that the selectors would give the job to Zak Crawley, who had failed in all four Test innings as an opener in Sri Lanka. That was their plan until Crawley fell and hurst his wrist. So they were left with no established number three and sent in poor Dan Lawrence, who had only played in two Tests and never batted at number three. The result: he got a duck, leaving Joe Root to face two overs before lunch in which he nearly ran himself out. Come back, Jonny! Andalucia will again decide this Monday (8 February) which new municipalities must tighten their restrictions to try to stop the spread of the third wave of the coronavirus. According to the regional government's cumulative incidence rate data the Junta will order municipal perimeter lockdowns or the closure of non-essential activities in those cities and towns that exceed the established contagion thresholds. The Junta reviews the Covid-19 incidence rate twice a week - on Mondays and Thursdays. Last weekend, the Junta de Andalucia extended the perimeter closure order of 551 municipalities in the region with an incidence rate higher than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. For 283 of those 551 localities, the regional government also dictated the closure of all non-essential activity for exceeding the threshold of 1,000 cases of Covid per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. The measures remain in force for a period of 14 days from when they have been decreed in each municipality. Decline Also on Saturday (6 January) a total of 18 Andalusian municipalities came out of the perimeter closure measure by reducing their cumulative incidence rate for the coronavirus below 500. There were five from Almeria province - Cantoria, Felix, Lijar, Lucainena de las Torres and Santa Cruz de Marchena; one from Cordoba - Santa Eufemia; three from Granada - Cenes de la Vega, Hueneja and Lanteira; two from Jaen - Pegalajar and Puente de Genave, five from Malaga - Archidona, Comares, Humilladero, Igualeja and Vinuela; and two from Seville - Castilleja de Guzman and La Roda de Andalucia. Andalucia is seeing a gradual decline in both the number of coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths. The regions incidence rate in the last 14 days is 849.7. The Ministry of Health has recorded 3,685 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, which represents the lowest daily number of the week and is significantly lower than the 7,892 infections seven days ago. However, the number of people admitted with Covid-19 to an intensive care unit has risen to 735, the worst figure of the entire pandemic. The Junta de Andalucia will therefore evaluate, this Monday, the list of municipalities that exceed the incidence rates of 500 and 1,000 cases for the application of restrictive measures with a validity of 14 days that come into force in the early hours of Wednesday, 10 January. If a municipality falls below 1,000 or 500 cases, the measures may be relaxed, provided that 14 days have elapsed since they were applied; while if it goes from more than 500 to more than 1,000 cases, the measures are tightened even if two weeks have not passed, starting again another 14-day period. W&M community improving others lives during pandemic Community conversation: William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe hosted a virtual community conversation Feb. 4 with guests Melissa Moore 84, chief scientific officer of platform research at Moderna; Cara Simpson MBA 21, co-founder of the CrimDell Small Business Network at W&Ms Raymond A. Mason School of Business; Ghana Smith M.B.A. 21, financial systems analyst at W&M; Stephen Tang 82, president and chief executive officer at OraSure Technologies, Inc.; and Kelly Zvobgo, director of the International Justice Lab at W&Ms Global Research Institute. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption Community conversation features alumni on the front lines of testing and vaccine research, and students, faculty and staff inspiring others through service Across a variety of disciplines, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked service to others using an acceleration of accumulated knowledge to take bold, swift action, according to William & Mary community members. President Katherine A. Rowe hosted a virtual community conversation Feb. 4 to explore the different ways students, faculty, staff and alumni are taking positive action to improve others lives during the pandemic. The session is the latest in a series of conversations Rowe has hosted since March 2020 to answer questions and discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the community. One of the first things we did at William & Mary under pandemic when we were starting to plan, this was in the spring for the fall, was to recognize that service in an expanded sense was going to be part of what kept us together as a community, Rowe said. That in helping those who are most vulnerable, we gain a sense of control, of agency, for ourselves and for those that we are working with and helping. One of the things we wanted to do tonight to kick off the year is to give you a sense of all the different ways that the William & Mary community broadly seeks to change the world. {{youtube:medium:right| PmNJilRwSFs, Community conversation Feb. 4}} Guests were Melissa Moore 84, chief scientific officer of platform research at Moderna; Cara Simpson MBA 21, co-founder of the CrimDell Small Business Network at W&Ms Raymond A. Mason School of Business; Ghana Smith M.B.A. 21, financial systems analyst at W&M; Stephen Tang 82, president and chief executive officer at OraSure Technologies, Inc.; and Kelly Zvobgo, director of the International Justice Lab at W&Ms Global Research Institute. W&M pathways to leadership Panelists opened the discussion talking about what drew them to W&M as students and their pathways to the kind of change leadership theyre involved in today. Moore described how she transitioned from close relationships with professors and working in labs at W&M to university teaching and research for decades. In 2016, she went to work for Moderna, where the company continued its work using RNA to rapidly create a vaccine for COVID-19. Im so glad I did, Moore said. Its been an amazing ride and particularly this year to be part of the ability to really do something about this pandemic. It has just been remarkable. But my foundations at William & Mary really got me started in that direction. Rowe asked Simpson, Smith and Zvobgo to discuss choosing to move through the pandemic in ways that have made a difference. Smith, a longtime community volunteer, said she wrote on her M.B.A. application: I want to gain knowledge and tools that I can go back into the community and use, and that she has been able to do just that quickly while taking classes in accounting, finance and marketing. Bridging the community is the core of what Ive been doing with the CrimDell Small Business Network, said Simpson, referring to the organization of business school students who have been assisting local small businesses throughout the pandemic. Our whole goal as an organization is to create a bridge. Accelerating the impact of knowledge Panelists agreed the pandemic has changed the work they are doing, and in many ways expedited discovery and brought into focus the impact they are making in the community. The theme that Im hearing run through the work in this group has to do with the way pandemic has caused us to accelerate the impact of knowledge we already have, Rowe said. Many things we are moved to take a risk or to lean into really hard, we knew they were true. But the opportunity and whats called for is to accelerate the impact. Moore described the continuation of work Moderna had already been doing on synthesizing messenger RNA and packaging it for the bodys own cells, which basically enables the body to make its own medicines, she said. Tang said OraSure built on its development of at-home test kits using saliva for HIV, genomic and other uses to develop one for COVID-19 that may be approved for use this spring. That will enable anybody, anywhere to test themselves and determine whether theyre infectious, which we think will be a game changer, Tang said. Even with the rise of the vaccine, its going to be very important particularly with the variants of the [virus] that have been discovered to be able to do that in home. Zvobogo who works with her students at the IJL on comparative reparations and national justice initiatives issues, gave an example of that impact. Since the summer social justice protests, she said, there has been a proliferation of transitional justice initiatives in the U.S. at the local and state level. So in terms of changes from my work, what I study abroad has arrived in the U.S., Zvobogo said. And I think its an extraordinary development; its a welcome change, certainly. But it also means that my students and I have had to pivot a little bit to seek to comprehend what is happening in our own backyard. So that were able to leverage our expertise and help shape the publics and policy makers understanding of whats happening based off of experiences in other countries. For small business owners, Simpson said, those who have been most successful under the current challenging conditions have shown resiliency, flexibility and adaptability. Theyre looking at the current situation as a challenge, said Simpson. Now were seeing this major disrupter and, all of a sudden, business owners have to makes these really crucial decisions on how to operate and thinking strategically should they invest in this, should they not. Working with business owners in this way has been really, really educational for us. Smith, who works locally with the restoration of historic cemeteries, talked about how public history work has accelerated during this time as well. A new generation is looking back and learning the history, she said, and modernization is being linked into it by their use of technology to share information. I really value oral history and I really want to make sure that it doesnt stop, Smith said. That we learn about the people from the past so that we can pass it on to the next generation. By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges at the resumption of his trial, six weeks before voters again head to the polls to pass judgment on his leadership. "I confirm the written answer submitted in my name," Netanyahu said, standing before the three-judge panel in the heavily guarded Jerusalem District Court. He was referring to a document his lawyers gave the court last month in which they argued that Netanyahu, 71, was not guilty of charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud. Wearing a coronavirus mask, Netanyahu, the first serving Israeli leader to be charged with a crime, seemed intent on projecting an air of business as usual, thanking the court and leaving without explanation some 20 minutes into the session. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in long-running cases involving gifts from millionaire friends and for allegedly seeking regulatory favours for media tycoons in return for favourable coverage. On entering the courtroom, Netanyahu sat in a corner with his lawyers, his back to cameras. The session itself was not broadcast but reporters could monitor a closed-circuit feed elsewhere in the building. His quick departure from the court building seemed aimed at showing the public that he would not allow the trial to interfere with government business as Israel begins to emerge from a month-long coronavirus lockdown. At the session, Netanyahu sat, arms crossed, and coughed occasionally into his mask, before taking it off to sip water. Last May, at the opening of his trial, Netanyahu put on a display of defiance that opponents condemned as a challenge to the rule of law. Before that session got under way, Netanyahu delivered a speech from a podium in the corridor, condemning his prosecution as a left-wing witch hunt aimed at ousting a right-wing prime minister as a phalanx of cabinet officials stood at his side. This time, he issued a public appeal to supporters to stay away, citing high contagion numbers in the coronavirus pandemic. Story continues They largely heeded his call, while dozens of opponents, some holding signs reading "crime minister", demanded his resignation at a protest they held near the court building. Israel will hold its fourth parliamentary election in two years on March 23, with Netanyahu's handling of the health crisis and his alleged corruption the main issues stoking weekly protests against him. Opinion polls show the race too close to call, as right-wing rivals and centre-left opponents muster against Israel's longest-serving leader. Netanyahu has been prime minister continuously since 2009 after a first term from 1996 to 1999. (Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Nick Macfie) Bloomberg photo by Nicolo Filippo Rosso Nearly one million Venezuelans residing in Colombia will be offered legal status that will allow them to work formally and access public services. The so-called Temporary Protected Status will allow the majority of the 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants who are in Colombia without permission to legalize their position for ten years. As historians and city officials looked on, contractors took down and hauled off old fencing to make way for the full restoration of a once-lost historic African American cemetery on San Antonios Northeast Side. Historian and landscape architect Everett Fly and his colleagues took part in a two-day project last week to recover 6,000 square feet of property that originally was part of the Hockley-Clay Cemetery. The recovery and restoration is a labor of love that has been going on for five years. As workers carted off weather-worn wooden fencing and installed a new one on the proper boundary, Fly inspected the restored land with city archaeologist Matthew T. Elverson, Jarvis Soileau from District 10 Councilman Clayton Perrys office, and Clinton McKenzie, project archaeologist with the University of Texas at San Antonio. The recovered acreage comes from the edges of two homes adjacent to the cemetery, located in the Northern Hills subdivision near Uhr Lane and Higgins Road. Fly said the homeowners bought the property directly from previous homeowners and not a real estate agent, so there was no land survey done. Gibbons Surveying and Mapping Inc. donated its services, Fly said, to survey all the property corners that touched the site. They cross-referenced their data against city data and a layout of the subdivision that confirmed the true boundaries of the cemetery. Turns out the homes had been encroaching on the burial grounds southern border for untold years. The backyards cover part of the Hockley-Clay Cemetery, which has been here for more than 100 years before they bought the property, Fly said over the sound of workers hammering nails in the new wood fence. The homeowners were under the impression they had bought the land free and clear. Once the correct boundaries were determined, the homeowners agreed to cede that part of the property back to the Hockley family, which still owns the cemetery. Fly said that with the entire cemetery back in custody of the Hockley family, they can apply for a historic designation, which would help protect the site during sales of adjacent property in the future. The designation would also offer archaeologists an opportunity to conduct studies on burials and artifacts at the site. Fly said there arent any plans for physical excavations of the property. He said the group is reviewing data that archaeologists at Texas A&M University gathered from surface and deep-soil scans. The cemetery dates back to 1873, when family ancestor Jane Warren, a former slave, bought 57 acres and dedicated 1.26 acres to be used for burials. Documents show interments took place at least as long ago as 1908 and continued until the 1970s. At one point, the Hockley heirs sold the property, except for the cemetery, and Northern Hills grew up around the burial ground. But as the original Black families around the site dwindled, so did the caretakers who had maintained the cemetery. Family members died and moved away. Untended thorny brush and thick foliage overtook the graveyard, and it became lost to time. It wasnt until retired Air Force Maj. J. Michael Wrights curiosity about the overgrown plot of land near his kids school prompted him to do some research and history began to surface. Working with Bexar County archivist David Carlson, they discovered the cemetery deed in 2014. Wanting to know more, they turned to Fly, a San Antonio native nationally recognized for restoring historic sites across the country. Intrigued by the possibilities, Fly secured funding from the Kronkosky Foundation and sought guidance from then-city archaeologist Kay Hindes. Fly was able to trace family members and confirmed it was indeed the Hockley-Clay Cemetery. Work began in earnest by the professionals and area residents to restore the property. Everett Fly and members of the community have been instrumental in making this dream come true, archaeologist Elverson said at the event last week. There are few African American early sites that have been identified in San Antonio, and what we recognize at these important properties is that significant history. Wright has been present for each revealing development at the cemetery. Its amazing how much history is here, Wright said as he picked up debris scattered among tree stumps. You wish you could see it and go back in time. Two of the others working on the restoration have childhood ties to the site. When Soileau, from Perrys office, grew up on the West Side, members of the Clay family lived near his grandmothers home. Last year, he attended a DreamWeek roundtable discussion and learned about the connection while talking with old friends. Its a small world, he said. Archaeologist McKenzie grew up in the neighborhood in the mid-1970s, when the area was still dotted with active farms and Black and German grave sites. Hes known about the cemetery since he was 10. He mused whether it was serendipity, coincidence or perhaps higher intervention that determined he would become an archaeologist who would research the recovered land. One of the reasons Im involved with historical archaeology is there are so many stories to tell, McKenzie said. San Antonio is a place full of stories that have not been told. vtdavis@express-news.net Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. A 50-year-old woman used a PayPal account to steal $540,000 from her employer over a 6-year-period, authorities said. Melissa Corso instructed customers of the company, which developed software and hardware technologies for video surveillance, to submit payments through PayPayl, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey said in a statement. The PayPal account was linked to her work email address, home address in Closter and phone number. The company, which was not named in a federal complaint was based in Delaware but had an office in Ridgefield Park. Two others Corsos husband and another employee helped her but neither was named in the complaint. The companys customers made about 1,150 payments to the PayPay account between February 2013 and July 2019 totaling about $3.1 million charging documents state. Corso, who lived in Bergen County until 2018, then took a portion of the money in the PayPal accounts and used it to buy an array good and services from eBay, Bloomingdales, Best Buy, Dicks Sporting Goods, GrubHub, Forever 21, Louis Vuitton, MAC Cosmetics and Target, officials said. She covered up the movement of the money by altering the companys internal records, prosecutors allege. Corso, who now lives in Groton, Connecticut, is charged with two counts of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. She was arrested Friday in Connecticut and made her first appearance in federal court in New Haven. Corso is next scheduled for a hearing in federal court in Newark at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, according to court documents. Corsos attorney, Allison Murray Near of the federal defenders, office couldnt immediately be reached by NJ Advance Media. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The State Emergency Operation Centre said 27 people were rescued alive 12 from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishi Ganga site The toll in the Uttarkhand disaster apparently caused by glacier burst has risen to 26 with more bodies being recovered while 171 persons are still missing, officials told news agency PTI on Monday. Officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre reported the recovery of more bodies and feared the toll would rise, a day after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier possibly burst through its banks in Chamoli district. It appeared to have triggered an avalanche and a deluge that ripped through the Alaknanda river system in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. Two power projects NTPC's 480 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project and the 13.2 MW Rishi Ganga Hydel Project were extensively damaged with scores of labourers caught in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. The missing people include those working at the hydel power project sites and villagers whose homes nearby were washed away, officials said. Experts, however, are still trying to determine the exact cause of the disaster in Joshimath. "It was due to lakhs of metric tonnes of snow sliding down abruptly from a trigger point on top of a naked hill," Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told reporters after meeting ISRO scientists. "According to the scientists, the area where the calamity struck is not prone to avalanches and apparently it was not caused by a glacier burst as initial reports suggested," he said. He also appealed to people to not make the tragedy an occasion for building an "anti-development narrative. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a delegation of Uttarakhand MPs of his government's support to the people of the state and said it is working to strengthen infrastructure there to deal with any natural disaster in future. Efforts on to rescue those trapped, says CM On Monday evening, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was briefed by ITBP Western Command ADG MS Rawat who reached the spot on Monday morning on the operations being carried out at the Tapovan tunnel at Joshimath. Speaking to reporters, Rawat said," A joint team of the NDRF, SDRF and the Army is conducting a rescue operation. The team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel, it may take 2-3 hrs to reach the t-point. Efforts underway to safely rescue those who are stuck in the tunnel." A joint team of NDRF, SDRF & Army is conducting a rescue operation. The team has reached the 130-metre mark in Tapovan tunnel, it may take 2-3 hrs to reach the t-point. Efforts underway to safely rescue those who are stuck in the tunnel: @tsrawatbjp pic.twitter.com/E88ap7Lhnr PIB in Uttarakhand (@PIBDehradun) February 8, 2021 Rawat also chaired a multi agency meeting on the rescue efforts in Tapovan. A multi agency meeting was held this evening at NTPC video conferencing hall in Joshimath presided over by Sh Trivendra Singh Rawat, Hon'ble CM Uttarakhand on rescue efforts in Tapovan. ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Uttarakhand Police beside other agencies were present at the meeting. pic.twitter.com/Yav7mU8rW2 PIB in Uttarakhand (@PIBDehradun) February 8, 2021 In a tweet earlier, the Uttarakhand chief minister had said, "I am leaving for Joshimath and will be spending night there. Tomorrow I plan to visit the affected areas and will also meet people. Our relief and rescue operations are continuing in full swing and we are doing best to save lives." According to PTI, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said that efforts were focussed on rescuing 30-35 labourers trapped in a 250-metre tunnel at Tapovan. The rescue efforts in the affected areas near Joshimath, about 295 km from Dehradun, gained momentum with teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) coordinating to rescue those feared feared trapped in a tunnel at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project. #WATCH | Uttarakhand: A joint team of ITBP, Army, SDRF, and NDRF inside the Tapovan tunnel in Chamoli for rescue operation. pic.twitter.com/VZ3SfCchK3 ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 Sniffer dogs and heavy mechanical equipment, including bulldozers and JCBs, were deployed in the areas to aid the rescue workers. While Indian Air Force teams left for the affected areas to ramp up relief efforts, personnel from multiple forces worked through the night. "Our teams worked overnight to rescue about 30 workers who are trapped in the tunnel. Specialised equipment for such operations has been deployed. We are hopeful we will able to rescue everyone," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI in Delhi. The work was complicated by the fact that the tunnel is slightly curved, making difficult to clear the slush, debris and silt blocking it. "There is a huge amount of debris inside the tunnel. About 80 metres inside the tunnel is cleared and accessible, and it looks like about 100 more metres of debris will have to be cleared," he added. Pandey said nearly 300 ITBP personnel are currently deployed at the site. Another official said 34 people are estimated to be trapped in the ''head race tunnel'' or HRT. The entire landscape was coloured a sandy grey, many structures swept away and buried under piles of silt. Thirteen villages are cut off due to the damage to roads and bridges, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said. Essential food supplies are being sent there by helicopters. The State Emergency Operation Centre said 27 people were rescued alive. Of these, 12 were saved from the smaller of the two tunnels at the Tapovan-Vishnugad project site and 15 from the Rishi Ganga site. DRDO, ISRO to study cause of tragedy, says Rawat In an interview with PTI, the Uttarakhand chief minister had said a comprehensive analysis of the entire incident is being carried out to avert future tragedies, and asserted the immediate priority was to provide food and other assistance to the affected people. Rawat said the incident appeared to have happened due to the breaking of the glacier and the Chief Secretary has been instructed to find out the real reasons. "A DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) team is already studying the cause of this tragedy and we have also sought the help of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists and experts for the same," he said. "We will build an elaborate plan to avert any potential tragedy going forward" after a comprehensive analysis is carried out into the cause of the incident, Rawat said. "We have made all arrangements needed for the rescue and relief operations along with providing healthcare facilities to the affected people. Most importantly, we are working on re-establishing the connectivity to the affected villages," he told the news agency, adding that the extent of economic loss will be ascertained in due course. "The Rishiganga Power Corporation and the NTPC are assessing the damage to their projects. But, right now our topmost priority is to save lives and rehabilitate the affected people," he said. Rawat said multiple teams have been drawn, both from the Centre and the state's disaster relief agencies, along with the defence forces who have been convened to lead the huge rescue operations. The state's Director General of Police has been camping in the affected areas since Sunday while the Garhwal Commissioner and the DIG Garhwal have also been instructed to remain there, he said. "The entire team of the district administration has been engaged in the relief and rescue operations in the area since Sunday. Officers from other districts have also been sent on the spot so that the post-mortem of the dead bodies found can be done on priority," Rawat said. "Prime Minister Modi has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the dependents of the deceased," Rawat added. On the support from other quarters, he said President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, CDS General Vipin Rawat, among others have assured of all possible cooperation. Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and RK Singh as well as Pauri MP Tirath Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand minister Dhan Singh Rawat also met the affected families in disaster-hit Tapovan and Raini and assured them of all support. RK Singh said the glacier burst has caused an estimated loss of Rs 1,500 crore at the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and has put a question mark on its scheduled commissioning in 2023. "The project was scheduled to be commissioned in 2023. But there is a question mark now on how long it will take to desilt it as lakhs of tonnes of silt is lying at the project site," Singh told reporters in Tapovan. "As of now it is difficult to say when we will be able to resume work at the site and when the project will be commissioned," he said. However, the Union minister ruled out any possibility of the project being scrapped. In a video provided by the force, a team of senior officials was seen analysing the tunnel's map to find the best way of approach. The tunnel has only one entry, an official said. Teams of the NDRF had reached late Sunday night and were seen using shovels to clear the tunnel's approach. The force also used canine squads to help rescuers detect traces of life under the debris. More teams have been sent to the site on Mi-17 helicopters that landed at the helipad in Joshimath, NDRF chief SN Pradhan said in a Twitter post. With no clarity on what led to the disaster and experts pointing to climate change, scientists also headed to Chamoli to understand what had happened. Some teams from the Army, including from the Medical Corps, have also reached the disaster spot, a senior official supervising the operation said. Three of those rescued on Sunday evening were admitted to the ITBP hospital at Joshimath, nearly 25 km from the Tapovan power project site, as they were feeling uneasy, the officials said. They are stable now. As rescue efforts continued on a war footing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands ready to contribute to the ongoing rescue and assistance efforts in Uttarakhand if necessary. The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres. Expressing solidarity with those affected by the glacier burst, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the whole country is with the people of the state and it is important that relief operations are not hindered in the next few days. With inputs from PTI Here what to do in Ocean City on rainy days The advent of the Biden Administration provides an opportunity to give the South Caucasus the importance it deserves in U.S. foreign policy. The recent war over Nagorno-Karabakh has underlined the regions geostrategic importance, whereas the institutionalization of a Russo-Turkish rivalry/condominium raises the real possibility that another clash could trigger a confrontation between these two powers, one of whom is a NATO ally, as well as their proxies. Simultaneously, Georgia suffers from a drawn-out political conflict among the leading political parties. In this context, the new Administration and its allies in Europe should act to improve the Wests position in the South Caucasus. BACKGROUND: Beyond the war, the year 2020 marked an explosion of pervasive dissatisfaction throughout the CIS, marked by upheavals in Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. These events also showed that Russia ultimately can only realize its grand design of subordinating the post-Soviet space by the abiding threat or use of force. The potential for more strife, albeit in many different forms, remains ubiquitous and unquenched. Georgia features clear Parliamentary and political conflict among the leading political parties and multiple obstacles on the way to democratization and NATO membership. The recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan will more likely result in another armed truce than in a formal peace. Armenia remains unreconciled to its defeat and there are few signs that its government or influential diaspora community have assimilated the lessons of the unrealism that characterized its policies. Since that mood parallels the open exultation in Azerbaijan and what one recent account describes as a vengeful sense of triumph, neither side is ready to move beyond the excessive ethno-nationalist passions that underlay the war. Neither will Russia do much to foster a genuine peace. This is not only due to Russias limited economic capabilities but because it is not in Moscows interest to do so. Perpetual tensions between Yerevan and Baku function to justify Moscows armed occupation in the guise of peacekeeping of Nagorno-Karabakh and its leverage over both capitals for at least the next 5-10 years as stipulated in the agreement that ended the hostilities in November. Having won this position, Russia has no reason to work with the West to pacify the Caucasus in any meaningful way. These facts paradoxically create an opportunity and real motives for the Biden Administration, preferably in tandem with the EU, to engage all three states of the South Caucasus to a greater degree than before. Congressional support will likely be present as well. The Administration will enter with a fundamentally unified and well-founded suspicion of Russian policy and will be much more committed to strengthening Washingtons trans-Atlantic alliances and working together with the EU. One way it can accomplish these goals is to join the EU in making the Eastern Partnership and other programs tailored to the South Caucasus stronger and more relevant to actual conditions on the ground. The three states also have good reason to welcome a genuine show of interest in their agenda from Washington. All three have ample reasons to look for alternatives to Russian pressure and domination. For Georgia and Armenia, strong Western support for democratizing reforms and economic assistance serves both the democracy agenda and the reduction of Russian leverage. Sustained U.S. support for democratization and economic development in Armenia would help reduce not only Russian but also Iranian influence there and provide a demonstration of what Armenia stands to gain by coming to a final legal settlement with Azerbaijan. That kind of settlement might take years to negotiate and the process of getting there might outlast the Biden Administrations term. Nonetheless, it would be the best and probably the only way to bring genuine peace to the region. Azerbaijan, for its part, could eschew its exclusive dependence on Russian support to bring about a peace with Armenia that would codify in law its recent victories. Furthermore, it should welcome heightened U.S. interest in countering Russian energy shipments to Turkey and Southeastern Europe given its major investments in those markets. IMPLICATIONS: Support for democratization in Armenia and for reconciliation with Azerbaijan should be one prong of U.S. policy. Washington should also seek to persuade Baku of its interest in reaching a conclusive and negotiated settlement over Karabakh and all the disputed issues: boundaries, refugees, minority rights, cultural preservation, etc. in order to initiate a negotiating process. Only a legal settlement to the issues in question can resolve the Karabakh issue and begin to reduce the prospects for a renewed cycle of violence. A genuine negotiation should provide, through American and EU investments in the area, added side payments that graphically demonstrate the advantages of a peaceful settlement. A third prong should be support for including Armenia in large-scale infrastructural projects to establish normal economic relations between Armenia and all its neighbors, reducing its need to look to Russia and/or Iran for help. These investments would also provide alternatives to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has established a substantial presence in the South Caucasus. By competing economically with China, the EU and U.S. will display their commitment to the region as a whole. They will also help ensure a reliable and inclusive channel of energy supplies not only to Armenia and Georgia but also to Turkey and Southeastern Europe, reducing these markets need for Russian energy. Enhancing reliable energy flows from Azerbaijan, and if possible from Central Asia through the Caspian Sea, would also strengthen the pro-Western forces in Georgia and should be part of a policy of overall reinforcement of those forces who are under constant pressure from Moscow and its clients in Georgia. Indeed, one of their long-standing goals has been to supplant Azerbaijani deliveries to Georgia at below-market prices with Russian energy that would then serve to launch Moscows traditional tactics for state capture in its customers. Moreover, support for regional infrastructures builds regional cooperation and creates institutions and interest groups who would have strong interests in a pro-Western orientation. The stalled Anaklia port project is a case in point since the failure to build it will render Georgia dependent on Chinese or other capital. Thus, the creation of regional economic links should parallel and connect with the process of fostering negotiations among warring parties and creating the bases for lasting political cooperation that provides tangible material benefits to all parties. A coherent long-term strategy needs to consider the different needs of all three states. Western neglect of the South Caucasus only invites more Russian or Turkish troublemaking or imperial designs while Iran has also repeatedly interfered in the troubled Azerbaijani-Armenian relationship. This strategy and its attendant policies also must be conducted with the understanding that this is an inherently long-term project. However, there appears to be no other viable way to reestablish an enduring basis for Western security influence in the region. The alternatives include unresolved and corrosive political infighting in Georgia that undermines democratization, Westernization, and a solution to its problems, including those of its ethnic minorities. Pro-Moscow elements will gain through the destabilization of Georgian political life and possibly establish access for Russian energy. Antagonism between Armenia and Azerbaijan will fester and provide a strong pretext for continuing Russian military posturing while creating more tensions with Turkey, seeking to raise its permanent profile in the region. The ethnopolitical conflicts that range over the entire Karabakh agenda could easily lead to increasingly dangerous violence in the future, directly threatening Eurasian and European security. Moreover, Moscows military domination of the South Caucasus offers Russia a jumping-off point for its equally destabilizing power projection into the Middle East, a process that shows no sign of abatement. Disengagement only strengthens the apparent belief in Moscow that Europe does not count for anything as an independent political player and therefore Russia may safely disregard its interests. CONCLUSIONS: For all these compelling reasons, the new Administration and its allies in Europe should realize that there are still opportunities to improve the Wests position in the Caucasus. They must also grasp that failure to take advantage of these opportunities will exact even greater costs upon Western interests, values and allies. In the Caucasus, as elsewhere, time and politics do not wait for Europe and the U.S. to make the bus. If the Western allies fail to seize this opportunity, they might not get another one for a long time and then it might be too late to undo the damage generated by prior neglect. AUTHOR'S BIO: Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Image Source: United States Department of State via Flickr. Accessed 2.8.2021 A new drug could help improve age-related hearing loss. Preliminary studies have shown that it may also ease tinnitus and Menieres disease, a neurological condition that causes hearing loss and dizziness. And the drug is now being tested in the U.S. as a potential treatment for patients with Covid-19. The new drug, known as SPI-1005, boosts levels of a natural compound that protects delicate hair cells in the inner ear. The role of these hair cells is to convert sound vibrations into electrical signals, which are then relayed along the auditory nerve to the brain. The number of auditory hair cells there are normally around 15,000 in each ear declines over time due to age, disease and exposure to loud noise. A new drug could help improve age-related hearing loss. Preliminary studies have shown that it may also ease tinnitus and Menieres disease, a neurological condition Once the cells in a particular area are lost, hearing at that frequency is also lost. Age-related hearing loss usually first affects the ability to hear high-frequency sounds, such as speech, which then sounds muffled or far away this makes it increasingly difficult to understand what others are saying, particularly when there is loud background noise, such as at a meeting or party. Around 15 per cent of adults are thought to have high-frequency hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises. The new drug acts on an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, which protects the inner ear from damage. It is found at high levels in and around the auditory hair cells, but levels are lower in people with hearing problems and decline with age. TINY TWEAKS A sleep mask Avoid drinking alcohol too close to bedtime research shows that having alcohol in the hour before you go to bed can reduce production of the hormone melatonin, which controls your internal sleep pattern, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Advertisement The theory is that taking the drug as a preventative treatment will increase levels of the enzyme to protect the ear a study from the University of Florida, involving 83, people showed it was effective in preventing ear damage from loud music. As well as a preventative treatment, the drug has also been tested as a treatment for hearing loss. In a study led by the Medical University of South Carolina in 2019, the drug was tested on 140 patients with Menieres disease when taken twice daily for 28 days, more than six out of ten patients experienced an improvement in hearing, while 68 per cent had an improvement in a spoken word recognition test (suggesting better hearing). It also reduced the loudness of tinnitus. The drug is currently being used in a trial with 180 patients at the University of Miami to assess its effectiveness in reducing noise-induced hearing loss Now the U.S. medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, has given the go-ahead for the drug to be used to treat Covid in a trial at Yale University, involving around 100 patients with moderate or severe disease. Its thought that in this case it works by blocking the enzyme thats responsible for the Covid virus replicating. Commenting on the findings, Professor Jaydip Ray, an ear, nose and throat consultant at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: Novel therapeutics like this which are aimed at modifying inner-ear biology to delay or reverse such neurodegenerative changes are the next big growth area in research that is showing huge promise. This is very interesting and I look forward to the results of these trials. "It's like the Hunger Games," Eileen Robbins said from her car in a parking lot filled with National Guard members. Robbins, like many Marylanders, hunted online day and by-the-blue-glow-of-a-computer night for a vaccine appointment for her husband, Richard,who is almost 65 and eligible to get the vaccine. Suddenly one morning at 7 - bam! - she found one and, tappity-tap fast, signed him up. But only him. At 62, she's too young to qualify for the injection herself. "It's his Valentine's Day present," she said, resting her hand on his arm as the couple sat in the parking lot of Six Flags America, one of the first mass vaccination sites to open in the state. He was one of just 250 lucky people to get a vaccine injection there - the soft open means the site, which the Maryland National Guard has been deployed to help run, is well below its eventual capacity of thousands. Every person I talked to in the well-run but sparsely attended operation in the shadow of roller coaster loop-de-loops was triumphant that they got the injection, but also frustrated by the difficult, confusing and chaotic process of getting an appointment. And this felt familiar, almost nostalgic. A confusing system of dead-ends, icy bureaucrats and beleaguered workers? Check. Long lines in the cold for hours, with no promise of success? Check. A hierarchy where officials and their comrades are the ones who get the vaccine first? Check. Or should I say, Czech. This past year in coronavirus America - from a president who told lies daily without flinching to long lines, confusion, chaos and inequity in the vaccine rollout - reminds me of life with my family in communist Czechoslovakia. It's Prague on the Potomac. But without the good beer and dumplings, which were some of the only constants in my parents' homeland during the years of dictatorial communism. Journalist Anne Applebaum, formerly of The Washington Post, drew this similarity with her piece in the Atlantic last week that compared the vaccine rollout and scramble for appointments in Maryland with a Soviet line for cabbage. It was spot-on, and it underscored why my mom, who came to America in 1968, has been truly despondent about our nation for the first time in more than half a century. "It's like those communists who just lied and lied," she said last fall of President Donald Trump, nearly spitting the word "communists" in a tone I've only ever heard her reserve for"Trump"(and maybe "that American cotton white bread"). "You didn't even listen to them because everyvon knew everthink they said vas a lie," she said, in an accent that gets more pronounced when she's angry. Mom has admired all the American presidents, from Carter to Reagan to Obama, and believed our leaders because she trusted in the basic integrity of our democracy. My dad painted red and white stripes on our trash cans, and festooned their blue lids with white stars. Same with the oars on our inflatable raft - everything was a canvas to display his patriotism in this new land of freedom. But now I hear disgust and hopelessness in their voices as they call from their home in California and tell us they're on a list to get the vaccine, but they don't know when and where or how they'll ever get it. Both are survivors of cancer who have long been impressed with America's health care system, until now. They feel let down. It's the same tone my Aunt Zdena used during her daily search for toilet paper when I stayed with her in Prague the 1980s. (A toilet paper shortage - sound familiar?) "Papir neni," the clerks would say once we'd get to them, after waiting in a long line that we queued up for without knowing what it was for. ("If it's a line, you get in it. You never know what they'll have," she told me.) "Good afternoon, we don't have any appointments for the vaccine. Thank you for calling Walmart pharmacy, can I help you with anything else today?" said the pharmacist at the big-box store on the Eastern Shore of Maryland - one of many I called recently, testing a theory that vaccine appointments might be available in coronavirus-doubting rural areas. But they were gone there, too. Although they had months - at least 10 but probably around 13 - to prepare for a vaccine rollout that was swift, organized, equitable and efficient - the governments in our region, as well as across America are flailing. There's plenty of blame to go around. The federal rollout was practically nonexistent and they're not allocating enough vaccine to cover eligible Americans. But states should've been ready to create an accessible, nimble and singular system of appointments. "A month," said Ben Daniels, 36, who teaches geography at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and finally got his vaccine Monday morning at Six Flags. "It took a month of searching to find this appointment." The soft open meant he didn't wait in line once he got there, but at other mass vaccination sites across the nation, people waited in line for one, two and even four hours to get their injections. The dysfunction is one of the signs of a "dying superpower," Applebaum wrote. True. Our relatives in Prague have been asking us recently: "What's happening in this America of yours?" What's happening? We're trying to recover from an administration that recklessly played down the pandemic and a Congress that's perpetually in fight mode, too busy bickering to pass a relief bill that will fund a nationwide vaccine effort. It's a massive undertaking, vaccinating an entire nation. But America has done great things before and a united nation can do it again. It'll take the leadership that America has shown in the past. And the perseverance of my Aunt Zdena. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) President Rodrigo Duterte wants police stations and military camps used as COVID-19 vaccination sites in far-flung areas. Duterte said these sites should be utilized if there are no other suitable venues for vaccination activities in rural areas. The President also instructed the police and military to be deployed to vaccination sites in provinces to ensure peace and order during the vaccination drive. "Fundamentally, it is really giving people shots that would make them healthy," Duterte said during the weekly Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases meeting. Galvez Jr. said military hospitals will also be used as COVID-19 vaccination centers for the immunization of health workers, soldiers, and their families. "Aside from school buildings, military camps are best set to have an orderly vaccination," Galvez said. Duterte reiterated a previous government directive that public schools must be used as vaccination facilities in urban areas. RELATED: CHED and DepEd: No final list yet of schools eyed as Covid-19 vaccination sites The President added if the public schools are not conducive inoculation sites, LGU officials can use gymnasiums in their localities instead. Galvez assured the President that many of local government units in the country are now prepared for vaccination efforts. "The DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), through a memo, directed them (LGUs) to have a simulation or rehearsal for inoculation nationwide," Galvez said. The government has been in talks with several pharmaceutical firms as it targets to vaccinate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year. Indian rescuers searched on Monday for about 200 people missing after part of a Himalayan glacier broke away Sunday and caused major flooding. The flooding happened when part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off, releasing water trapped behind it. The burst sent floodwater toward power plants and villages in northern Uttarakhand state. The floods destroyed bridges and broke dams. Huge amounts of water, rock and building materials flowed down a mountain valley. At least 26 people are confirmed dead. More than 2,000 military members, police officers and others have been taking part in search-and-rescue operations. Most of the missing were people working on two hydroelectric power plants. The projects are part of government efforts to develop the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand state. The floodwaters rushed down the mountain and into other bodies of water. Many villages along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers were evacuated. The two rivers flow out of the Himalayan mountains and later join with the Ganges River. Videos on social media show the muddy, gray floodwaters quickly flowing through a valley and into a dam, and breaking it into pieces before continuing downstream. Experts said the disaster could be linked to climate change. A team of scientists was flown to the area Monday to investigate what happened. How glaciers and glacial lakes are formed A glacier is a very large area of ice that moves slowly down a mountainside or valley or over a wide area of land. Glaciers are made of closely formed layers of snow. They move or flow because of gravity and the softness of ice compared to rock. A long and narrow piece of ice called a glaciers tongue can extend hundreds of kilometers from its beginnings in high mountains. The end of the tongue can advance or move backward based on snowfall and melting. Bodies of water called proglacial lakes are formed after glaciers retreat, or move back. Extra water or pressure -- or structural weakness -- can cause both natural and manmade dams to burst. This sends a mass of floodwater flowing down the rivers fed by the glacier. Why did this glacier burst? It is not yet known what caused part of the Nanda Devi glacier to break off. Seismic activity and a buildup of water pressure can cause glaciers to burst. But climate change may be another cause. High temperatures, combined with less snowfall, can increase the speed of melting. This causes water to rise to possibly dangerous levels. Sarah Das is a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. She told The Associated Press, Most mountain glaciers around the world were much larger in the past and have been melting and shrinking dramatically due to climate change Sundays disaster happened in the western part of the Himalayas. The mountains form part of Indias long northern border. A 2010 information page published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development called for more glacier observation in the Himalayas to better understand the real degree of glacial lake instability. The area where the glacial burst took place experiences landslides and flooding. Environmental experts have warned against building in the region. Im Ashley Thompson. Ashley Thompson adapted this story based on reports by The Associated Press and Reuters news agency. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story glacier - n. a very large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley or over a wide area of land hydroelectric - adj. of or relating to production of electricity by waterpower rush - v. to move very quickly evacuate - v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place muddy - adj. filled or covered with mud (soft, wet dirt) layer - n. a covering piece of material or a part that lies over or under another advance - v. to move forward seismic - adj. of, relating to, or caused by an earthquake dramatically - adv. sudden and extreme due to - adj. because of instability - n. the state of being likely to change region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. AstraZenecas dapagliflozin is the first medicine in SGLT-2i class to move into a new disease area by demonstrating efficacy and safety data for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) AstraZeneca India (AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited), a leading science-led biopharmaceutical company, announced that they have received marketing authorisation for their anti-diabetic drug dapagliflozin, in India for the treatment of patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to Stage III. The receipt of this permission paves way for the launch of Dapagliflozin Tablets 10mg into a new disease area to nephrologists in India. AstraZenecas dapagliflozin is the first medicine in SGLT-2i class to move into a new disease area by demonstrating efficacy and safety data for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study results of dapagliflozin, showed significant benefits in reducing CKD progression in patients with and without type-2 diabetes. The DAPA-CKD study concluded globally on March 30, 2020 based on its effectiveness and safety. Dr Anil Kukreja, Vice President Medical Affairs & Regulatory, AstraZeneca India said With the approval of dapagliflozin for CKD in India, an already effective type 2 diabetes and select heart failure treatment, can now be used by nephrologists in the management of chronic kidney disease. Dr Dinesh Khullar, National Lead Investigator, Dapa-CKD, India, said, This will go a long way in the effective clinical management of diabetes and its complications in India. Its Approval by the regulatory bodies in India is a welcome move and will benefit CKD patients, both diabetics and non diabetics, including those where the disease has already progressed significantly. In May 2020, dapagliflozin was approved by US FDA to reduce the risk of CV death and hospitalisation for heart failure (hHF) in adults with heart failure (NYHA class II-IV) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with and without T2D. American Express Chief Financial Officer to Participate in KBW Fintech Payments Conference American Express (News - Alert) (NYSE: AXP) Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey C. Campbell will participate in the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) Fintech Payments Conference on Tuesday, February 23 at 8:50 a.m. (ET). Mr. Campbell will participate in a virtual question-and-answer session relating to the Company's business strategy and financial performance. A live audio webcast will be accessible to the general public through the American Express Investor Relations website at http://ir.americanexpress.com. An audio replay of the presentation will be available after the event at the same website address. ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress. Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, InAuth, corporate card, business travel, and corporate responsibility. Source (News - Alert) : American Express Company Location: Global View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005597/en/ Unitek Learning is the parent company of several distinguished learning institutions: Unitek College, Unitek EMT, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, and Brookline College. Were honored to join forces with the KP Scholars Academy and help transform the healthcare workforce. Unitek Learning is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Scholars Academy in Northern California. Kaiser is an innovative organization thats committed to the health of the communities they serve. The KP Scholars Academy bridges academic and community partnerships that are central to their transformational approach. As a nonprofit healthcare system, Kaiser advances their core mission through investments in integrated care and coverage to make healthcare more accessible. Our goal is to work with the KP Scholars Academy and develop their workforce. We understand that students dont just want to land that dream jobthey want that dream job to continue to evolve and grow with them, said Karilyn Van Oosten, VP of Strategic Business Development at Unitek Learning. With that in mind, we have educational pathways from entry-level professions to advanced fields to help Kaiser employees get every opportunity they want today and down the road. Jim DAlfonso, DNP, RN, FAAN added: The KP Scholars Academy is pleased to partner with Unitek in our efforts to remove barriers and create new opportunities for our employees so that they may pursue their educational goals and career aspirations. By joining this partnership, Unitek Learning has committed to providing employees of Kaiser with a specialized tuition rate and additional benefits when they enroll at Unitek College. They also plan to educate Kaiser employees on this opportunity with information sessions, workshops, webinars, and lunch and learns. Through this partnership, Unitek Learning has identified themselves as one of Californias most dedicated academic institutions. At Unitek, we are committed to education and workforce alignment so that the next generation can thrive, said Dr. Abdel Yosef, Chief Academic Officer at Unitek Learning. Were honored to join forces with the KP Scholars Academy and help transform the healthcare workforce. As a learning institution, we share the same values as Kaiser: respect, diversity, scientific discipline, integrity, pioneering spirit, and stewardship. We measure Uniteks success by our capacity to increase the quality of teaching overall. Unitek Learning is the parent company of several distinguished learning institutions: Unitek College, Unitek EMT, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, and Brookline College. Unitek programs teach the clinical practices and theory used in the field today. Equipped with a multitude of sought-after skills, Unitek graduates are prepared to excel in many of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare and nursing. NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Cubic Corporation ("Cubic" or the "Company") (NYSE: CUB) in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by an affiliate of Veritas Capital ("Veritas") and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation ("Evergreen"), an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P. ("Elliott"). Under the terms of the agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $70.00 in cash for each share of Cubic common stock that they hold. The all-cash transaction will be valued at approximately $2.8 billion. If you own CUB shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website: https://www.weisslawllp.com/CUB/ Or please contact: Joshua Rubin, Esq. WeissLaw LLP 1500 Broadway, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 682-3025 (888) 593-4771 [email protected] WeissLaw LLP is investigating whether (i) Cubic's board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $70.00 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates Cubic's shareholders; and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected] SOURCE WeissLaw LLP Related Links http://weisslawllp.com Besides politics, the challenging financial conditions of the state at this juncture due to corona pandemic have also forced Mr Rao to withhold his sons elevation as CM. DC file photo Hyderabad: The outburst of TRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at the partys state executive meeting on Sunday has left ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, and other senior leaders in utter confusion. Chandrashekar Rao had issued a strong warning to ministers and MLAs, who had openly sought the elevation of K.T. Rama Rao as CM. It is now being hotly debated in TRS circles. Mr Rao admonished leaders making such demands so sternly that he was unequivocal about throwing them out of the party if they continued to talk about changing the CM. Ministers and MLAs wonder why they were not directed earlier not to air their views on the CM change issue all along, even though they were at it for the past two months. They wonder why Mr Rama Rao too, kept silent when they talked about KTR as CM, including in his presence at public meetings. Ministers, MLAs and other leaders, in their internal discussions, are reported to be confessing that they had almost competed with each other in batting for change, when they felt they were lagging behind others in emerging as the strongest and most vocal supporters of KTR as CM. They felt safe in making such demands after they were assured there was no objection from the party high command (KCR and KCR), despite talking about it repeatedly. Everyone in the party felt there was tacit high command approval to sing the KTR as CM chorus since there was complete silence from party bosses. By talking so, ministers hoped their berths in the new cabinet will be safe, once he assumed the CM chair, while MLAs aspiring for berths hoped to catch KTRs attention. Party bosses should have warned us against speaking about the CM change issue at the start if they had objections or reservations, said a legislator. After allowing us for two or three months, we fail to understand the sudden outburst by the CM on this issue, a senior party leader confessed. An argument doing rounds in TRS circles is that CM Rao had in fact made up his mind to make his son the CM but has backtracked now due to unfavourable political conditions for TRS in Telangana, because of a resurgent BJP, after the Dubbak and GHMC polls, seemingly steamrolling across the state. Moreover, there was no scope left for senior Rao to play any active role in national politics at this point of time, if he quits the CM post now. They feel Chandrashekar Rao may make his next moves on national politics and elevate his son as CM based on the outcome of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Assembly polls scheduled in April-May. Besides politics, the challenging financial conditions of the state at this juncture due to corona pandemic have also forced Mr Rao to withhold his sons elevation as CM because Rama Rao would not be able to deliver anything major or fulfil most aspirations of the people, due to severe fund crunch. Jaipur, Feb 8 : "The India-US joint training Exercise Yudh Abhyas commenced at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on Monday with an opening ceremony that saw the unfurling of the national flags of both countries amidst the playing of the national anthems," said Liutenant Colonel Amitabh Sharma, PRO Defence, Rajasthan. On Saturday, the US Army contingent comprising a brigade headquarters and a battalion group of the 2nd Battalion, the 3rd Infantry Regiment of 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, comprising of 270 personnel, had landed at Suratgarh. The 14-day schedule is focused upon joint training in Counter-Insurgency environment under the mandate of United Nations, he added. The opening ceremony was held on Monday at Mahajan Field Firing Range. Brigadier Mukesh Bhanwala, Commander 170 Infantry Brigade welcomed the US contingent. He impressed upon both the contingents to achieve optimum cohesion and inter-operability to achieve the military objectives of the exercise. He stressed upon importance of free exchange of ideas, concepts, best practices between the troops and the necessity to learn from each other's operational experiences as well enhance situational awareness A number of aerial platforms including newly inducted indigenous Advance Light Helicopter WSI 'RUDRA', MI - 17, Chinooks, Stryker Vehicles of US Army and BMP-II Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicles of Indian Army, will be utilised in the exercise. The exercise will enrich both the contingents from each other's rich experience in counter-insurgency operations. Besides counter-insurgency operations, exchange of experiences in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will also be a part of the exercise. Police have named a 22-year-old man chased and stabbed to death in a "barbaric" attack. Sven Badzak was confronted by a group as he walked with a teenage friend in Kilburn, northwest London, on Saturday evening, Scotland Yard said. The pair tried to run away but Badzak was attacked after falling to the ground in Willesden Lane at around 5.40pm. He died after being taken to hospital. His friend, a boy age 16, was also stabbed before fleeing into a shop and remains critically ill in hospital. Mr Badzak's mother Jasna Badzak, 49, told the MyLondon local news site that her son had only gone out to the shops to buy orange juice. "He was the most polite boy you could possibly imagine," she said. "The perfect manners, he spoke the perfect Queen's English. "He was beloved by everybody. He always asked people how their day was, how their family is, if he could do something for them." Mr Badzak had been a student at Roehampton University and was hoping to become a lawyer, she added. The Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation and appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage. Chief Inspector Guy Ellwood from the North West Basic Command Unit said: "This was a barbaric attack in a public place and the community will be rightly shocked. "I would also appeal directly to the community violence of this nature has no place on our streets. If you know of any piece of information that could help identify those responsible, please do the right thing and contact police or Crimestoppers." Detective Chief Inspector Darren Jones, who leads the investigation, said: "At this early stage we believe Sven and his friend became involved in an altercation with a group of males. "As this group chased the pair, Sven and his friend became separated. Sven fell to the ground and was attacked by a number of the group. His friend was also attacked but managed to seek sanctuary in a shop however, he remains critically ill in hospital. "Our thoughts are with both families of these victims who must be enduring unimaginable pain at this time; I want to assure them that we will support them throughout this investigation and that my team of highly experienced officers will be working tirelessly to locate and apprehend those responsible for this horrific attack. "I would also appeal to anyone who was in or around the Willesden Lane and Kilburn High Road area at the time and may have witnessed this incident involving the victims and suspects to get in contact. If you were a road user and have dash cam fitted in your vehicle then please check this as you may have captured a part of this which could help our investigation." National End agitation, hold talks: Modi to farmers NEW DELHI, FEB 8 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 2/8/2021 1:03:15 PM IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the farmers to end their agitation and initiate talks to resolve the issue while assuring that the MSP will continue. He also appealed to the farmers to give the new farm laws a chance and see if these laws bring a positive change to their lives. The farmers should end their agitation and sit and talk to resolve the issue, he said. Modi while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, said that the MSP will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme to 80 crore people. Appealing to the agitating farmers to end their protest, he said talks should be held to resolve the issue. If there is any drawback in the laws, these would be corrected. If there is a loose end somewhere, it will be tightened. Our doors are open for suggestions, Modi said. MSP was there, it is there and it is going to be there in future, Modi said. He also assured that there was no question of the abolition of distribution of ration through the PDS. He said 82 crore people availed ration from the PDS. Mandis would be modernized, Modi said and added that a provision had been made in the current budget for this purpose. He implored the farmers camping at the outskirts of Delhi demanding the repeal of the three farm laws to return home. It does not feel nice. There are also old people in the gathering, he said. Modi also appealed to the MPs to request the agitating farmers to leave. If the laws produce an adverse impact, pass the blame to meif the laws work, take all the credit, he told the opposition MPs and sought their cooperation. We should not spread misinformation. We have been entrusted with serious responsibility by people, Modi said. Farmers ask govt to choose date for talks Farmer unions agitating against the three agri laws on Monday asked the government to fix a date for the next round of talks, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to end their stir and invited them to resume the dialogue. They, however, objected to Prime Minister Modis remarks in Rajya Sabha that a new breed of agitators called andolan jivi has emerged in the country, and said that agitation has an important role in a democracy. We have never refused to hold talks with the government. Whenever it has called us for dialogue, we held discussions with Union ministers. We are ready for talks with them (government), farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka told PTI. Wont allow business over hunger: Tikait White House Ban on New Oil and Gas Leases a Direct Attack on Wyoming, Says Governor Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said the executive order that pauses new federal leases on oil and gas drilling is a direct attack on his state. Losing that revenue is devastating to our schools, devastating to our communities, devastating to those small businesses that really depend on the energy sector, the Republican governor told Fox News on Monday. Last month, President Joe Biden signed an order asking the Department of the Interior to place a pause on new oil and gas leasing and offshore waters. The administration will also review existing leasing and permitting practices related to fossil fuel development. This Biden ban really has a devastating effect, not just for Wyoming, Gordon told Fox News on Monday. Its bipartisan in its devastation. Gordon issued his own executive order days later saying that Bidens action will cause immediate and considerable harm to the state of Wyoming, including to the critical services upon which Wyoming residents depend. These orders issued by the new administration are a direct attack on Wyoming and our way of life. I am directing members of my cabinet to examine the economic, financial, and workforce impacts of the Presidents actions, Gordon said in a news release at the time. I will continue to fight these misguided and destructive policies by all means necessary. The way to move America forward is not through crushing her Western states. The order instructs Wyoming state agencies to examine the impacts of the ban, while also asking them to look into the impact that the order has on oil and gas employment in the state, according to the news release. Gordon said his office, if need be, will file a lawsuit against the executive order. Well need to wait to file our suit until the (Secretary of the Interior) acts, Gordon told lawmakers, according to the Gillette News-Record. Once the secretary acts to implement the executive order, the state of Wyoming will file the challenge to that action, and well ask the court to lift the moratorium immediately. We expect that other states adversely affected by this moratorium might join in this litigation. Gordon, meanwhile, said the suit could lead to a protracted legal fight with the administration. Petroleum Association of Wyoming President Pete Obermueller told a state legislative committee that the pause on new leasing on federal property is not necessarily an immediate crisis. About 80 percent of the operators in Wyoming are small and mid-size, (and) they just dont have the capacity to have a multi-year process gathering leases and building core areas like some of our larger producers, Obermueller said. If (the ban) is indefinite and theres not movement on that, you will see that the smaller and mid-size operators have a much more difficult challenge. Larger ones might be able to last for a little bit longer than that. The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment. (AFP via Getty Images) Donald Trumps ex-campaign manager urged him to run again in 2024 as a proudly twice-impeached former president and living martyr with the goal of being impeached once again in a series of tweets on Saturday. Brad Parscale, who was removed from his position on the Trump campaign amid controversy over low polling numbers and poor turnout at an Oklahoma rally, offered the former president some free advice in a statement he posted to Twitter which read in part: If they only impeached you twice, you need to run again. Because to change the system you have to kick it in the ass. In a follow up tweet, Mr Parscale wrote: If Trump asked me how to win again. I would run on being impeached twice. They are about to give him super powers. They just arent smart enough to see it. Its why we laughed at Mike Tyson in the Hangover. They just dont get it yet. They are about to make him a martyr. Mr Parscale fell out of the former presidents favour along the 2020 campaign trail and was fired by Mr Trump in July, before facing what he described as personal and political stress that eventually led to his arrest in Florida later that summer. His wife, who called the police on Mr Parscale on the night of his arrest, later retracted an allegation of abuse. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Speaking with Fox News after his arrest in December, Mr Parscale said he loved Mr Trump and was hurt to have been removed from the campaign. On Saturday, it seemed he was eager to get back on the campaign trail with the former president, who has reportedly mulled the idea of launching another bid for the White House following his defeat in the 2020 elections. In his statement to Mr Trump, the ex-campaign manager wrote: Im in. Are you? Mr Trump was impeached again in January, making him the first president in American history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. Should he face a conviction during his impeachment trial in the Senate this week, there would be a path for Congress to bar him from ever holding public office again. Story continues However, its extremely unlikely Mr Trump will face a conviction after 45 Republican senators voted against holding the trial after he left office. Democrats would require 17 Republican votes in order to convict the former president for fomenting the deadly riots at the US Capitol last month as Congress convened to certify the election results. It remains unclear whether Mr Trump, who has been removed from Twitter and other social media platforms for continuing to promote false claims of voter fraud as rioters besieged the Capitol, will run again in 2024. Several recent reports have indicated former Vice President Mike Pence and former Ambassador Nikki Haley were also considering presidential bids. Read More Trump would sell US secrets to the highest bidder if given intel briefings, says senior Democrat Pence to form political action committee as 2024 presidential rumours swirl Rumoured 2024 GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley says Trump needs a break and shouldnt be impeached Gold Coast beaches will reopen on Monday after three people drowned in the past week and dangerous surf led to several near-drownings. Council lifeguards closed the beaches from Burleigh to the Gold Coast Seaway on Friday because of the dangerous conditions, urging people to stay away from the waves after dark. Passers-by found the body of a woman in her late 20s washed up on Kurrawa Beach at Broadbeach about 10.15pm on Thursday, and a British gym instructor was pulled lifeless from the water on Friday night. A Victorian man was pulled from the surf at Mermaid Beach on Saturday and could not be revived. Bill Maher calls Capitol riot a 'faith-based initiative,' QAnon a fundamentalist Christian movement Focus on the Family's Jim Daly decries emerging media definition of 'Christian nationalism' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Well-known late-night comedian Bill Maher described the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol as a "faith-based initiative," using his closing monologue to make the case that the riot and the QAnon conspiracy theory are products of fundamentalist Christian delusion. On Friday's edition of "Real Time," HBO host Bill Maher addressed the Capitol riot in his satirical segment "New Rules. He proclaimed that as long as we're going to go to the trouble of another impeachment trial, we might as well be honest about what it's really about." The events of January 6 were a faith-based initiative and Trumpism is a Christian nationalist movement that believes (former President Donald) Trump was literally sent from Heaven to save them, said the 65-year-old Maher, an outspoken atheist who frequently criticizes organized religion. "There's a lot of talk now in liberal quarters about how Republicans should tell their base who still believe the election was rigged that they need to grow up and move on and stop asking the rest of us to respect their mass delusion," the host continued. The inconvenient truth here is that if you accord religious faith the kind of exalted respect we do here in America, you've already lost the argument that mass delusion is bad." Maher equated the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has been criticized by notable conservative Christian leaders, with the Bible. Have you ever read the book of Revelations?" Maher asked. After mocking the final book of the New Testament, Maher proclaimed that "magical religious thinking is a virus and QAnon is just its current mutation." "That's why megachurches play QAnon videos. It's the same basic plot: Q is a prophet, Trump is the Messiah, there's an apocalyptic event looming, the storm, there's a titanic struggle of good vs. evil," he said. "We need to stop pretending there's no way we'll ever understand why the Trump mob believes in him. It's because they're religious," Maher continued. "They've already made space in their heads for sh** that doesn't make sense." According toAP VoteCasts election polling conducted after the 2020 presidential election, voters who attend church once a week or more were more likely to vote for Trump, while those who say they attend church a few times a year or less were more likely to support Biden. "When you're a QAnon fanatic, you're also a fundamentalist Christian. They just go together like macaroni and cheese," Maher added. "It's not a coincidence that every senator who objected to certifying the electoral vote in Arizona is an evangelical Christian." Many conservative evangelicals have stepped forward to denounce the QAnon movement as a "political cult" and a "satanic movement." Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, compared the QAnon conspiracy theory to Gnosticism, which he described as "the belief that only a few, an elite, a privileged few are able to see, have inside information." Maher explained that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, one of the senators who voted to object to the certification of Arizona's electoral votes, asserted that the idea that the 2020 presidential election was rigged was "reality for nearly half the country. He acknowledged that "you may not agree with that assessment." The HBO host attempted to paraphrase Cruz's argument. "In other words, we have no proof the election was stolen, and you may have verifiable evidence that it wasn't, but that doesn't matter. It only matters that we believe it, Maher said jokingly. "And that's when you're at religion," Maher remarked as the crowd erupted into applause. He expressed disgust that "you have to respect something just because people believe it." Maher is the latest cultural figure to attempt to equate conservative Christians and the millions of Americans who voted for former President Donald Trump with the group of protesters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, even though he argued against doing so on his program just three weeks earlier. Also, Maher is one of many on the political left to issue dire warnings about "Christian nationalism" in recent weeks. A Jan. 31 USA Today editorial written by Rachel Mikva warned that "Christian nationalism is a threat, and not just from Capitol attackers invoking Jesus." Mikva, a Jewish studies professor and a senior faculty fellow at the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary, cited Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the senators who voted to object to the certification of electoral votes in Arizona, as one of many elected officials who pose a "threat to religious pluralism in the United States" due to their purported support for white Christian nationalism. According to Jim Daly, president of the socially conservative organization Focus on the Family, the increased use of the term "Christian nationalist" to describe Hawley and others is a "calculated move done with the hope of silencing those who follow Christ." Daly criticized Wikipedia for characterizing Christian nationalists as those who "actively promote religious discourses in various fields of social life, including politics, history, culture, and science. Wikipedia also describes Christian nationalists as those who "support the presence of Christian symbols ... school prayer and the exhibition of nativity scenes during Christmastide or the Christian Cross on Good Friday." Daly pushed back on the emerging definition of Christian nationalism, offering a more narrow definition of the ideology as "putting love of country (and our self-interests) over love of God." He argued that just because Hawley is a "devout believer in Jesus Christ and a strong defender of his country" that doesn't make him a "religious nationalist." Daly argued that a Christian nationalist is someone who "fuses his love of God with his country in idolatrous fashion." Properly understood, Christian nationalism is dangerous. If you think government and God are co-equals, youll be motivated by the wrong things and might even be susceptible to being swept up into violent mobs like we saw in Washington last month, Daly said. Conversely, good Christians are good citizens who have an obligation to serve the Republic. We engage our civic duty and privilege out of our love of neighbor. With another COVID-19 vaccine option close to authorization, some concern has been raised about the safety of vaccines as well as how they affect pregnancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations have offered reassurance, even as new variants appear. The new variants and reinforced efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus have also resulted in strengthened mask regulations for public transportation. Over 26 million COVID-19 cases have now been reported nationwide, including around 450,000 deaths. In Michigan, total confirmed cases number over 560,000 with over 14,700 deaths due to the coronavirus. Johnson and Johnson vaccine The new Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine is expected to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The differences between this new vaccine and the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines already in use include not only the reduced number of doses, but efficacy levels as well. In its clinical trials, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine ranged from 66.6% to 72% effective in preventing moderate to severe cases. In protection against severe cases, it ranged in effectiveness from 72% in the United States to lower rates among people in other countries where the clinical trials took place. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shows 95% effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 in people without previous infection. The Moderna vaccine is 94.1% effective. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna effectiveness rates are based on the completion of two injections days apart. COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy There has also been concern about any vaccine being given to pregnant women. But the CDC and other organizations have stated that it is safe for pregnant women to take the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) issued a statement Jan. 27 recommending the vaccine. ACOG and SMFM not only recommended the vaccine during pregnancy, but also stated that pregnant women are at high risk for more severe cases of COVID-19 if they become infected. Those who are pregnant are advised to consult their clinical care team regarding vaccination. CDC has also recommended the vaccine to pregnant women if they qualify. Those who qualify are included in the list of first responders, health care workers, and others. In its updated information on the available vaccines at the end of January, CDCs list of reasons not to take the vaccine focused primarily on allergic reaction potential. Pregnancy was not included in that list. Mask mandate for public transportation While daily infection and hospital rates fluctuate, the need to take all precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 is especially important. The new federal mask mandate for all public transportation is now in effect. Airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares are included. The regulation states that masks must be worn in transportation hubs, such as bus, train and subway stations, as well as airports and seaports. The new mandate includes operators as well as passengers. Operators must wear masks as passengers board and exit vehicles and during the entire duration of travel. Variant update The new COVID-19 variant from Brazil has been confirmed in the United States. The variant, called P-1, was first detected when Brazilian travelers arrived in Japan. It was detected in the U.S. at the end of January. Like the variants first detected in the United Kingdom and South Africa, P-1 is highly contagious and appears to spread more quickly than the original coronavirus strain. And, as with the other variants, it looks as if vaccines are effective in preventing it. Vaccine safety As COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, precaution is being taken to maintain ultimate safety in their transportation and storage. During storage, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at cold temperatures between -112F and -76F. The safe storage temperature for the Moderna vaccine ranges from between -13F to -5F. The monitoring of storage temperatures showed that a shipment of the Moderna vaccine to Michigan recently had been stored at temperatures below the recommended level. The discrepancy was detected by monitoring devices during the shipment of 8,900 doses to the state. After consultation with Moderna and the distributor, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was notified by CDC that the vaccines were viable and deemed safe to administer. The states goal is a 70% vaccination rate for those over age 16. To learn more about a variety of health conditions, management and treatment, log on to vascularhealthclinics.org. Do you have questions about your heart health? Ask Dr. Haqqani. If you have questions about your cardiovascular health, including heart, blood pressure, stroke lifestyle and other issues, we want to answer them. Please submit your questions to Dr. Haqqani by email at questions@vascularhealthclinics.org . Omar P. Haqqani is the Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Vascular Health Clinics in Midland. Pakistani businessman Ali Mohammed, jointly charged with Henrietta Rushwaya and three others for attempting to smuggle gold out of the country, has his passport back for a fortnight's visit to South Africa after a magistrate accepted his offer to increase his bail by $2 million and the title deeds for a Hatfield property. Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna ordered the release of Mohammed's passport for two weeks and suspended his bail reporting conditions until February 19, while accepting his offer of substantially higher bail and surety. Through his lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya, Mohammed had applied for the release of his passport to attend a meeting aimed at increasing his investment in Zimbabwe. Granting the application, Mr Nduna said: "It is not in dispute that accused is a multi-million-dollar investor in Zimbabwe. "It is also not disputed that Zimbabwe is getting difficulties for one reason or the other and whether such reasons are justified or not, to attract meaningful investment. "The court can take judicial notice of that. Therefore, it will be judicial suicide for the court to remove this component in determination of this application." Mr Rubaya, in his application, told the court that Mohammed wanted to attend an investor's meeting. "He has engaged with Gregton Consultancy where he is required to visit the Johannesburg-based company for meetings relating to investments and exploration in Mali," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr Rubaya told the court that Mohammed was a businessman of repute and would not to soil his name by evading the jurisdiction of the court. "Accused is one of the real investors that the New Dispensation managed to convince, through various international meetings, to come and invest in a bid to improve our economy and living conditions of the general populace," he said. "The accused intends to meet with other investors with the view of convincing them to partner him in mining and exploration in this country." Mr Rubaya said Mohammed's visit to South Africa was aimed at complementing Government efforts to lure investors into the country. "It is our considered submission, with respect to those with prosecutorial and arresting powers, that his arrest as an investor is unwarranted, undeserved and counter productive," he said. "The arrest of investors like accused destroy the good will that our Government built over the past few years. "His visit is designed to complement Government efforts as the economy was not spared by Covid-19 effects." The State led by Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa opposed the application, saying the court had originally seen it fit for Mohammed to surrender his passport to ensure he attended his trial. She said the court was aware that he was a foreign investor when it ordered him to surrender the passport, so the circumstances had not changed to warrant its release. Hudson, NY (12534) Today Rain likely. High 48F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Occasional rain. Low around 45F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. A San Francisco man who allegedly took part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as a self-proclaimed member of the far-right Proud Boys group was arrested by the FBI late last month at his familys home in Texas. Officials identified Daniel Goodwyn, 32, through a series of videos, Instagram messages and Twitter posts as one of the Capitol rioters who charged through police barricades as Congress was certifying the results of the presidential election, according to an FBI complaint. Goodwyn was arrested in Corinth, Texas, on Jan. 29 and charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Goodwyn remained in custody Monday and is scheduled to appear in court Friday, an FBI spokeswoman said. It was not clear whether he had retained an attorney. According to his personal website, Goodwyn is a web and app developer who has worked on and off in San Francisco and the Bay Area for the past eight years. He posted extensively on his social media accounts in favor of former President Donald Trump and his false claims that President Biden stole the election. Nearly 200 federal cases have been opened against individuals in connection with the riot, according to a database maintained by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. Many left trails on social media that connected them to the insurrection. I didnt break or take anything but I went inside for a couple of minutes, Goodwyn posted on Instagram the day of the attack, according to the federal criminal complaint against him. According to the complaint, Goodwyn was identified in a live-streamed video filmed by Anthime Gionet, a far-right provocateur. In Gionets video, Goodwyn was wearing dark sunglasses and a MAGA hat. He approached Gionet and stated that his name was Daniel Goodwyn. As a Capitol police officer directed Goodwyn out of the building, he called the officer an oath breaker and yelled for people to get the officers badge number as he left, according to the complaint. Goodwyns Twitter account was filled with pro-Trump content and baseless claims about the pandemic. He has also used the platform to rail against the results of the election, masks and San Franciscos lockdowns. Vanessa Arredondo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vanessa.arredondo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @v_anana In his address to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the minimum support price (MSP) was there, is there and will continue. Speaking about the farm laws, PM Modi said that mandis will be modernised. He added that affordable ration for the poor will also continue. PM Modi said that a lot of leaders have spoken up about the farmers' agitation but hardly anyone spoke about the core issues. He said that the NDA introduced a lot of changes in the agricultural sector since 2014 to empower farmers. "The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for the small farmers," he said. The Prime Minister stated that 33 per cent of farmers own less than 2 bigha of land. He added, "Under our PM Fasal Bima Yojna, Rs 90,000 crore have been disbursed till now. We launched farmers' credit cards and its ambit has been expanded. Under PM Samman Nidhi Yojna for poor farmers, 10 crore have benefitted and till now Rs 1.15 lakh crore has been disbursed." PM Modi spoke about the vaccination programme in the country and said that India is known as the pharmacy hub of the world. "We supplied vaccines to the world. Indian doctors have earned praise globally. India's federal structure worked jointly during the pandemic. We appreciate the efforts made by the states," he added. The PM said that there was a time when India was plagued with the threat of polio, and smallpox and that there was no way of knowing if India would get a vaccine and how many people would receive it. "From those days, we are now here, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence," said the PM in Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister attacked the Opposition and said that there are several issues that can be discussed but should not engage in those issues that put the country down and demotivates it. "We are celebrating the 75th year of Independence. We should make a commitment to do something about the nation. Today, the entire world is looking towards India with hope," PM Modi said. He said that all eyes are on India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of the planet. He said that India is a country of opportunities. "Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation that is young, full of enthusiasm, is making efforts to realise the dreams with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by," he said. "India is not merely the world's largest democracy. India is the mother of democracy' and this is our ethos. Our nation's temperament is democratic," he said. Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased Also read: Aatmanirbhar Bharat spirit seen everyday from cricket to COVID-19 management: PM Modi (Newser) Sen. Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the Senate's fourth most senior member, announced Monday that he will not seek a seventh term in office in 2022. A titan of Alabama politics, the 86-year-old politician has spent 42 years in Washington, serving first in the House and then the Senate. His stepping down will leave a power void for the region and will set off a free-for-all primary, the AP reports. "For everything, there is a season, Shelby said. "I am grateful to the people of Alabama who have put their trust in me for more than 40 years. I have been fortunate to serve in the US Senate longer than any other Alabamian." story continues below Shelby was elected to the Senate in 1986 as a conservative Democrat during the partys waning days of power in the Deep South, but he switched to the GOP in 1994. Hes spent the past two years as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, before Democrats gained control of the chamber. All along, he has used his influence to benefit the states interests, particularly ports and military manufacturers. He played a key role in bringing an FBI campus and the newly announced Space Command to Huntsville. The New York Times notes that Shelby is the fourth Republican senator, after Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, to announce that they will not seek re-election in 2022. (The Toomey race just got a high-profile entrant.) FTSE 100 made a bright start on hopes for vaccines and higher oil prices, though the more UK-focused FTSE250 went the other way on Brexit worries. Londons blue-chip index rose 16 to 6,505. Tesco has called for a tax on online rivals such as Amazon. Ken Murphy, the supermarkets boss, said retailers with large shop estates are at a huge relative disadvantage. Online fashion group boohoo Group meanwhile announced it has agreed to acquire Arcadias Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis brands out of administration for 25mln. The deal only includes the e-commerce and digital assets with an uncertain future for the shops. Crude oil prices are back to pre-pandemic levels on concerns of supply issues when the global economy recovers from coronavirus. The price has jumped 50% recently and is now over US$60 per barrel. Among the small caps, ( ) has signed a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with giants Merck and . The life sciences firm will trial their bladder cancer drug BAVENCIO. ( ) has brought back online two wells at the West Rustavi field in Georgia. The oiler expects a revenue boost from production sales, also helped by the current higher oil price. ( ) suffered as the Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but not in commercial volumes. The company said the well successfully validated the structural model and the petroleum system. As a newly-graduated journalist in 2015 I was, like most other journalists of my age and with my experience, earning pennies working in my first job as a news reporter for a local paper in Donegal. I was completely financially independent for the first time and was starting to realise just how expensive it was to be an adult in the Republic. I couldnt afford a car and when I went home to Dublin, I didnt have the spending power of my friends who had chosen careers in financial services or legal professions, who spent recklessly on nights out without a second thought. When my job moved to Derry, I certainly wasnt flush with cash but I was surprised by how I could now afford a car and insurance, the groceries were so much cheaper in the supermarket, and I drank cocktails to my hearts content on nights out despite paying roughly the same rent and utilities in my house. Read More I was still earning the same salary, but in sterling instead of in euro. I remember visiting the doctor for the first time in Northern Ireland and trying to pay for a prescription in the chemist, not knowing I could get the medication I needed for free. At home in Dublin, I could easily have been down 100 for the same visit and if I needed the emergency room, that would have been 100 too. For the dentist, I handed over in the region of 15 for a check-up, whereas in my family dentist, the same visit cost 95. So when I read that households in the Republic may have more money and longer life expectancy, I say that so far, Northern Ireland has offered me more from a financial perspective than the south ever did as a young adult trying to climb the career and property ladder. Having had no connections with this part of the world before I moved here in 2016, Ive discovered its possible to achieve some financial milestones as a journalist in my 20s that I would never have been able to in the south mainly that I have been able to buy a home in a town I love, without having compromised on location or size with a boost given by the Help-To-Buy ISA, for which the Government added to some of my savings by 25%. Home ownership is something I would still be dreaming of if I was trying to find 1,000 a month to live in a house share with three other people in Dublin, a situation that has escalated in recent years to make many feel they are getting no benefit at all from their sometimes significant salaries. I certainly wouldnt have been able to buy where I grew up and near my parents. There are definitely some benefits to having grown up in the south. One that springs to mind is the free Bachelors degree for students funded by the Irish Exchequer, albeit with a registration fee attached that has reached 3,000 per annum in recent years. There are many things I miss about living in Dublin and in the Republic in general but the cost of living isnt one of them. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Islamabad: Amid clamour growing for his resignation, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss future course of action to counter the Panama case probe panels damning report that recommended filing of a graft case against him and his family. Sharif, 67, is expected to seek an endorsement from the Cabinet in the form of a resolution or a declaration, apart from briefing members about the partys strategy to challenge the Joint Investigation Team report in the Supreme Court, official sources said. The six-member JIT that probed the Sharif familys business dealings in its 10-volume report submitted to the apex court on July 10 recommended that a corruption case should be filed against Sharif and his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, as well as daughter Maryam Nawaz, under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance 1999. The decision to convene the Cabinet was taken during an informal meeting at the prime ministers house, attended by members of Sharifs Cabinet and his legal team, including Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali. Also Read | Panamagate: Imran Khan demands Sharif's resignation All major opposition political parties have asked him to step down and stay away from power until his name was cleared. However, Sharif is not ready to quit and his daughter Maryam confirmed it in a tweet. InshAllah he wont resign because not a single allegation of misuse of public money during five tenures in power has been proven against him, she tweeted. Sharif is serving prime minister for a record third time before serving twice as chief minister of Punjab in 1980s. Also Read | Panamagate: Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif won't flee country, assures PML-N leader For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. China has lashed out at Australia following the arrest of Australian-Chinese journalist Cheng Lei, warning Canberra to stop interfering in the handling of its own matters. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed to reporters on Monday Ms Cheng, a single mother of two, was arrested on Friday over suspicions she was providing state secrets to foreign forces. She was detained in August, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since persistently raising concerns with Beijing, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday. We continue to seek assurances of her being treated appropriately, humanely and in accordance with international standards, and that will continue to be the case." Wang Wenbin issued a warning to Australia on Monday evening. Source: FMPRC Yet Beijing, which has taken umbrage to Australias forthright approach on a series of matters in the past 12 months, hit out over suggestion of mistreatment, insisting Ms Cheng will be treated according to law. China is a country governed by law. China's judicial authorities have been dealing with cases independently and the rights of the person involved are fully protected, Mr Wang said. We hope the Australian side will respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in China's handling of cases in accordance with law in any form. On Tuesday, Ms Payne denied interfering in the case in response to Mr Wangs comments, hitting back by suggesting Canberra is well within its rights to speak out. "It is entirely appropriate for Australia to observe that she deserves the basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and human treatment to be met in accordance with international norms," she told ABC radio on Tuesday. "That doesn't constitute interference with the Chinese legal system." Aussie journalist was critical of the Communist Party of China Ms Cheng was working for state-run English language news service CGTN before her arrest. While there is no further details surrounding her detainment, Ms Cheng was publicly critical of the Communist Party of China during the early stages of the pandemic a move which has seen others detained over their comments. Story continues Ms Payne was tightlipped over her departments understanding of Ms Chengs charges, saying she understood they were broad and investigations would likely go on for months. When pressed on whether the government refuted the allegations against Ms Cheng, Ms Payne said Australia was "seeking further advice in relation to the charges". Cheng Lei was detained in August. Source: Getty Young children long for mothers return Cheng's two young children are being cared for by their grandmother in Melbourne. Her niece Louisa Wen, speaking on behalf of the family, said the children were devastated by their mother's absence. "I feel like the children don't fully understand the situation, so it's probably quite tough on the kids wondering what's going on," she told the ABCs 7.30 Report on Monday night. "Every time we do something fun, we're thinking of her and how she can't enjoy these things with us." Cheng was born in China but moved with her parents to Australia as a child. She studied commerce at the University of Queensland before working for Cadbury Schweppes and ExxonMobil in Australia. After moving to China, she worked as a high-profile business anchor on a state-owned television network. Videos of Cheng were removed from Chinese websites after she was detained. The Chinese foreign ministry initially said Cheng was suspected of endangering national security. Former foreign minister Alexander Downer said it appeared to be retaliation by China, rather than a case of credible charges. "As a journalist, what access to state secrets would she have?" he told the ABC. "Journalists get leaks from time to time, but ... she has been accused of spying and I think that is just improbable and not credible myself." Ms Chengs initial detainment came after the homes of four Chinese journalists were raided in Sydney amid concerns of foreign interference. With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Loanpal plans to hire local positions in customer operations, partner management, software engineering and data science. In addition, Loanpal will relocate several current employees to Bentonville to help build the company's presence. Loanpal is scheduled to open its new office in the 8 th Street Market in early March 2021. "I am inspired to accelerate the growth of our company in Arkansas and look forward to making meaningful contributions in the Heartland," said Hayes Barnard, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Loanpal. "At the heart of our business is a drive to create more mission-driven American jobs that people are proud of, while building technology to connect a world in which we all live more sustainably." Loanpal offers a proprietary point-of-sale platform that equips businesses with the fast and frictionless digital tools they need to deploy sustainable home solutions at scale. The technology provides homeowners with flexible payment options that enable them to achieve everyday savings while updating their homes with modern, efficient technologies such as solar power, battery storage and energy smart heating and cooling. In addition, Loanpal's platform creates an efficient channel for financial institutions to deploy their capital in high-performing environmental, social and governance (ESG) assets. Since 2018, Loanpal has empowered more than 175,000 families to upgrade their homes sustainably with a convenient 'buy now, pay later' solution. Loanpal's platform is accessed by more than 12,000 sales professionals at the point of sale, supporting upwards of 20,000 jobs at partnering home improvement businesses across the United States. "One of my first priorities when I came into office as governor was to strengthen our state's workforce in technology and computer science," said Governor Asa Hutchinson. "Today, I am proud of the progress that we have made. Loanpal is a remarkable company, and their decision to locate a facility here in Arkansas is another example of the growth our state continues to see in the fintech industry." "We love to see tech jobs coming to Arkansas, and Loanpal's decision to locate in Northwest Arkansas speaks volumes about the faith they have in our workforce," said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. "These jobs will go a long way in improving economic conditions and quality of life for the region." "The positioning of this new location in the heart of Bentonville strengthens our economy by attracting tech talent and it also increases opportunity for local small businesses," said Graham Cobb, president and CEO of the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce. "We're proud to encourage and support moves like this, which demonstrate that efforts to showcase this 21st Century Community through events like the NWA Technology Summit are paying dividends. Congratulations to Loanpal and to the team working collaboratively to build the next generation of Bentonville." "Our community is constantly growing, and the recruitment of companies, like Loanpal, to our city is a big factor in Bentonville's growth," said Stephanie Orman, Bentonville mayor. "Our city is a wonderful place to live, work and play, and the companies that join us here help to improve that quality of life in our area." About Loanpal Loanpal is the nation's number one point-of-sale payment platform for sustainable home solutions. The company is committed to delivering a technology-enabled 'buy now, pay later' experience that is simple, fast and frictionless. Loanpal's proprietary technology platform is accessed by more than 12,000 sales professionals and has deployed approximately $5.8 billion of capital for solar and other sustainable home improvement products since 2018, empowering more than 175,000 families to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Loanpal is a proud partner of GivePower, a 501c3 corporation, whose mission is to build and deploy solar-powered clean water and energy systems to communities in need around the world. To learn more about Loanpal, visit, follow and connect with us at loanpal.com, @loanpal, and LinkedIn. Contact: Loanpal [email protected] SOURCE Loanpal Related Links http://loanpal.com BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Festival of the Arts Boca will go forward in 2021, with virtual performances by Florida-based artists from iconic locations throughout Boca Raton from March 6 14, 2021. Each program will stream once only on the Festival of the Arts Boca website, www.festivalboca.org. Access is free with advance registration. Grammy-Award winning violinist, James Ehnes, will perform at the Festival of the Arts Boca on Sunday, March 7. The Festival of the Arts Boca will open on Saturday, March 6 with Boca native and Metropolitan Opera star soprano Nadine Sierra and friends. "Our 15th installment will celebrate the tremendous talent in South Florida, showcase the beauty of Boca from various venues and honor the legacy of our co-founder, Charlie Siemon," said Joanna Marie Kaye, Executive Director of Festival of the Arts Boca. "Charlie would have been thrilled to see that paradoxically, we have the opportunity to reach our biggest audience ever in 2021 with all of our events filmed and broadcast worldwide." The Festival will open on Saturday, March 6 with Boca native and Metropolitan Opera star soprano Nadine Sierra and friends, in concert at Signature Flight Services at the Boca Raton Airport. On Sunday, March 7, the Festival will welcome Grammy Award-winning Florida-based violinist James Ehnes, from the Boca Raton Innovation Campus. On Saturday, March 13, tune in for an evening with the Festival All-Stars featuring Constantine Kitsopoulos, Festival Music Director, and musicians from the Festival Orchestra. The Festival will close on Sunday, March 14 with Grammy-Award winning South Florida favorite, jazz flautist Nestor Torres, and his band at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. This season's Authors & Ideas program will include interactive discussions with three authors, Admiral James Stavridis, Sonia Shah and Bruce Feiler, via Zoom. On Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m., Admiral James Stavridis author and retired four-star U.S. Naval officer, will talk about leadership. On Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m., Bruce Feiler will discuss his latest book, a top 10 New York Times bestseller, Life Is In the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, a collection of hundreds of life stories, exploring how we can navigate life's growing number of transitions to live with more meaning, purpose, and joy. On Thursday, March 11 at 7 p.m., the Festival will welcome Sonia Shah, science journalist and prize-winning author of the heavily lauded, The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move , that explores our centuries-long assumptions about migration through science, history, and reporting, predicting its lifesaving power in the face of climate change. For more information visit festivalboca.org or call (561) 571-5270. CONTACT: Hillary Reynolds (954) 815-1186 SOURCE Festival of the Arts Boca Mrs Brown's Boys chat show All Round to Mrs Brown's is reportedly faxing the axe due to coronavirus restrictions around filming. Bosses are said to be having a difficult time trying to book celebrity guests for the spin-off series amid the ongoing pandemic. According to the Daily Star, the show is now 'hanging in the balance' and a decision has yet to be made, despite the programme being set to air next month. Hanging in the balance: Mrs Brown's Boys chat show All Round to Mrs Brown's is reportedly faxing the axe due to coronavirus restrictions (Brendan O'Carroll pictured as Agnes Brown) A source said: 'The cast were able to film two festive specials of Mrs Browns Boys last autumn because there were fewer restrictions at the time and the cast were able to form a bubble. 'But making the chat show with different guests every episode is much more difficult to pull off in the current climate. 'If there is a way of getting the show on air, then theyll make it happen.' If the show ends up being axed, BBC bosses would be left with up to six hours of screen time to fill. Show: Bosses are said to be having a difficult time trying to book celebrity guests for the spin-off series amid the ongoing pandemic (Pamela Anderson pictured in 2017) MailOnline has contacted a representative for the BBC for comment. All Round to Mrs Brown's has aired since 2017 and sees Brown family matriarch Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll) interview celebrity guests. It comes after Brendan O'Carroll revealed that he's used his own savings to pay the cast of the Mrs Brown's Boys tour after the event was cancelled because of Covid-19. The actor, 65, explained how he's given stars 'half the money they'd make off the tour', at a cost of hundreds of thousands of euro, in an interview with the Irish Sun. Axe: The show is now 'hanging in the balance' and a decision has yet to be made, despite the programme being set to air next month (Harry Redknapp pictured in 2020) Although taking a financial hit, Brendan said he thinks it will be worth it as he wants the talented stars to return to the show after the pandemic and believes in 'karma'. Brendan told the publication: 'You have to realise this would be the cast's earnings for the year. 'So what I did was advance them half the money they'd make off the tour, they'll get the rest when we actually get to play the arenas.' Explaining he believes in 'karma', Brendan added: 'I want all my actors back when we come out of this. I'm a big believer in treating people well so they don't feel the need to go anywhere else.' Airtime: If the show ends up being axed, BBC bosses would be left with up to six hours of screen time to fill (Brendan pictured in 2018) The cast were set to play a massive Mrs Brown UK arena tour consisting of 16 dates in cities such as Glasgow, Birmingham and Cardiff. Seven of the dates are currently rearranged for June and July. The series has been surrounded by controversy of late after actor Gary Hollywood revealed he's suing the show's creator Brendan over a bitter pay row. Gary, who played hairdresser Dino Doyle, told The Mail on Sunday: 'So much of the show, off screen, is about Brendan's own family. It's like jobs for the Browns. 'At times, as the years went on, it felt like it was a case of the Mrs Brown's mafia, which was difficult if you weren't in it. There is a fear of falling out with them, and of course that creates a tense atmosphere and I found myself walking on eggshells.' Claims: The hit BBC series has been surrounded by controversy of late after actor Gary Hollywood revealed he's suing the show's creator Brendan over a bitter pay row The show was reportedly thrown into chaos last month when a bitter row broke out over his pay. Gary was furious after learning he earns less than the rest of the cast. Now he is taking legal action against Brendan, the BBC and the TV production company which makes the show, citing discrimination and unfair dismissal. In papers lodged with an employment tribunal, the Glaswegian actor said he was paid 25 per cent less than his colleagues for his role in last year's All Round to Mrs Brown's. And he said he was dropped from one of the two Christmas specials just days before filming started. Hollywood said when he raised both issues with Dublin-born Brendan, he was told that he should be 'more grateful'. The BBC, O'Carroll and his company, BOC Productions, all declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Taipei: It was never going to last. For most of the past week, thousands of internet users in China spent their days and nights engrossed in intimate and taboo conversations with strangers across the country, as well as in Hong Kong, Taiwan and throughout the Chinese diaspora. They asked questions about the protests in Hong Kong, reports of mass detentions of Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and female orgasm - all topics that would normally be quickly censored on any Chinese social media platform. Clubhouse users asked questions about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Credit:Jeff Widener For a brief time, those bounded by the Great Firewall, Chinas system of internet controls blocking access to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, had found an island of unregulated speech in the US-based app Clubhouse, an invitation-only platform where users talk in audio-chat rooms. The app, which debuted in March but gained popularity after Elon Musk joined last week, had escaped the notice of Chinese regulators. SULLIGENT, Ala. (WTVA) - Alabamas governor awarded a $500,000 grant to promote new industry in Sulligent. The grant will help provide more than 100 jobs there and create more economic opportunities in west Alabama. Sulligent will use the Community Development Block Grant to renovate a commercial building thatll be used by Resource Fiber. Resource Fiber, which manufactures sustainable bamboo building products, is moving its operation to Lamar County to be closer to its bamboo source in nearby Greene County. This company will bring much needed jobs to Lamar County and west Alabama, Ivey said. I am pleased to support this relocation, and it is my hope that Resource Fiber will grow as rapidly as the bamboo it is producing. Sulligent is supplying a local match of $50,000. BAISE, China, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- China Central Television (CCTV)'s special program "Our Chinese Dream: 2021 Nationwide Celebration of Spring Festival" has recently been filmed in Baise, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to Baise Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. The show will be premiered on CCTV-3 at 19:30 on February 10 and on CCTV-1 at 12:30 on February 11 (Chinese New Year's Eve), followed by continuous broadcasting on the both channels during the prime time throughout the Spring Festival. The program features Haokun Lake of Lingyun County, Baise as the main venue, Baini Village of Leye County as the sub-venue for the recording under the theme "The Road to Prosperity", and Xiajia Town of Lingyun County as the sub-venue for "Longevity Town" themed part of the show. Covering folklore, intangible cultural heritages, songs and dances, acrobatics, magic and other art forms, the performance adds to the festivity and peace amidst joy and laughter during the Spring Festival. Handicrafts such as colorful silk balls with local cultural features are seen everywhere on the stage. The traditional New Year delicacies, the traditional costumes of various ethnic groups in Baise, the giant Fu (Fortune) and Chun (Spring) calligraphy, and the mascots for the Year of the Ox, among others, set off a joyful and festive vibe. The program also incorporates a wide array of intangible cultural heritages such as Trombone of Lingyun County, Dragon Dance of Leye County, Malv Dance of Jingxi City, Taige Show of Debao County and Damoqiu Acrobatics of Longlin County, cultural performances with local characteristics, and local customs of celebrating the Spring Festival, bringing together excellent shows from around the city. Ding Lihua, director of Baise Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, said that the program is an epitome of Baise's unique folk culture, local cuisine and cultural and tourist highlights. Through the demonstration of poverty alleviation achievement in Baise, the stories and spirit of the city in poverty alleviation are promoted and Baise's cultural and tourist brands will garner great popularity across the country and beyond. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=383936 Caption: Recording scene by Haokun Lake in Lingyun County, Baise Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=383950 Caption: Recording scene in Baini Village of Leye County, Baise Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1434599/1_Haokun_Lake.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1434598/2_Baini_Village.jpg This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. (HealthDay)Bans on evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic may not only be keeping people safe and warm in their homes: They might also limit the spread of COVID-19, new research suggests. Over the first nine months of the pandemic, the study found, U.S. counties with those policies reduced COVID-19 infection rates by about 4%. The impact on deaths appeared greater: Moratoria on evictions, specifically, were linked to an 11% decrease in COVID-related deaths, while bans on utility disconnections were tied to a 7% decline. The findings cannot prove that housing protections directly prevented COVID-19 infections, the researchers said. But the team, from Duke University, accounted for many other factors that might explain the connection, including state and federal actions taken at the time, from stay-at-home orders to mask mandates. They also weighed information on counties' demographics, like median incomes and health insurance coverage, the percentage of older adults, and the percentage of people with obesity or diabetes. Still, policies to keep people housed seemed to matter. And it makes sense, according to researcher Kay Jowers, a senior policy associate at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, in Durham, N.C. When people are forced out of their homes, they likely have to move in with family or friends, or go to shelters. During a pandemic, where social distancing is critical, that makes people more vulnerable, Jowers pointed out. If some people in those crowded households are also essential workers, the situation is even more risky, she noted. Earlier in the pandemic, the federal government issued a temporary halt on evictions that was set to expire Jan. 31, 2021. It has since been extended to March 31, 2021. But that national ban had shortcomings, and local policies helped strengthen protections for tenants, according to Diane Yentel, president of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, in Washington, D.C. Yentel agreed that those measures likely helped contain the spread of COVID-19 by keeping Americans out of communal housing. "Even pre-pandemic, it was clear that housing is health care," said Yentel, who was not involved in the new study. Stable, safe housing is key to physical and mental well-being, she noted, whether that means protecting children from lead poisoning or avoiding exposure to asthma triggers, like cockroaches. A recent California study also found a connection between unaffordable housing and health care use: Of people who'd moved in the past five years because they couldn't afford the mortgage or rent, about 27% had skipped or delayed necessary medical care. "And certainly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the link between housing and public health has become even clearer," Yentel added. The ability to stay home, in uncrowded conditions, is critical to any one person's risk of contracting the infection and to controlling its spread in the community. The study, which was published as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, also made some "what if" calculations. If eviction moratoria had been implemented across all U.S. counties starting March 1 of last year, that might have cut COVID-19 infections by 14%, the researchers estimated. Deaths, they said, might have been decreased by up to 40%. Study co-author Christopher Timmins cautioned that those are estimates. But the overarching point, he said, is that "these policies are good for public health generally." While keeping people in their homes, with heat and hot water, is obviously good, it's also a stopgap. "At the end of the pandemic, we don't want people to fall off an eviction cliff," said Timmins, a professor of economics at Duke. Eviction moratoria, Yentel said, were only ever a "half-measure." The rent and utility bills still have to be paid, and at this point, Yentel said, it's estimated that Americans are collectively $57 billion behind. "That's far beyond what they can ever pay off," she said. The federal government has stepped in: The COVID-19 relief measure passed late last year provided $25 billion in emergency assistance to renters behind on their bills. While that was welcome, Yentel said, it's clearly not enough, and the pandemic is not over. President Joe Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic-relief package would provide another $30 billion in assistance to struggling tenants. Yentel made another point: The U.S. had an affordable-housing crisis before the pandemic, and it will not disappear when the pandemic ends. This is an opportunity to make long-range reforms that will help low-income Americans attain stable housing, Yentel said. Among them are investment in new public housing, changes to zoning laws that limit residential dwellings, and making housing vouchers available to all income-eligible Americans in need. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: The National Low-Income Housing Coalition has more on The National Low-Income Housing Coalition has more on COVID-19 and housing. Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The country continues to host offices of regional and international organisations, proof of a veritable diplomacy championed by President Paul Biya. Cameroon continues to play host to a record number of organisations of regional, continental and global character. The nation's capital Yaounde has been everwelcoming to accommodate the country offices or headquarters of multi-disciplinary outfits of international repute. Many observers of the polity hold that the trend can be largely attributed to the peace and security that reigns in the country, of which President Paul Biya has been the guarantor. The hospitality of Cameroonians and the diplomatic prowess of the Biya government cannot also be overlooked. Across the board; from education, sports, business and finance, to security, agriculture, research, and ICT, Cameroon plays host to at least one institution of international character. Just recently, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached in Beijing, China, for Cameroon to host the headquarters of the Central African Office of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR). The inter-governmental institution set up in 1997 carries out activities in Latin America, Asia and Africa, with 19 African countries, including Cameroon, as members. Cameroon has also been very friendly to United Nations agencies. No fewer than 20 UN agencies, funds and programs have different projects running in the country. Counting as part of the UN System in Cameroon, the presence and work of UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, OCHA, UNESCO, WFP, FAO, WHO, amongst others, have been very conspicuous. The country is also host to a number of international organisations and development agencies. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Cameroon Governance Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Amongst them are the United States Agency for International Development, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, International Committee of the Red Cross, African Regional Training Centre for Labour Administration, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Transparency International, and African Intellectual Property Organization. In the domain of education, Cameroon is the proud host of the Pan-African University's Institute for Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS), at the University of Yaounde II, and the University of Buea, The country equally accommodates the Pan- African Institute for Development -West Africa; a model African institute in the area of development. There is no gainsaying that the newly formed Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) Stock Exchange Market will be in Douala, while the Bank of Central African States had long taken seat in Yaounde. Mr Robert Jospeh Mettle-Nunoo, one of the witnesses for former President John Mahama in the 2020 presidential election petition Monday engaged in feisty exchanges with lawyer for the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Supreme Court. In cross examining the witness, lawyer for the EC, Mr Justin Amenuvor, put to Mr Mettle-Nunoo that his testimony was to cover up for the bad work he did for former President Mahama at the ECs "strong room." Also, counsel sought to make a case that the witness statement by Mr Mettle-Nunoo were based on untruths and half truths. Mr Mettle-Nunoo refuted the assertions and insisted that he was being truthful and rather it was the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, who was not being truthful to Ghanaians regarding the 2020 elections. The fiery exchanges went to the extent of Mr Amenuvor questioning the temperament and character of Mr Mettle-Nunoo and described it as ungovernable. The witness said he had a strong temperament because of his quest to defend and uphold fairness and the truth. Certification The witness earlier informed the court that he did not certify three of the 16 regional summary sheets and that he had issues with those that he even certified. The cross -examination continues with the counsel for Nana Akufo Addo( second respondent), Mr Akoto Ampaw, continuing with his questioning. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Tom Reel /Staff photographer Last month when it was reported the Fiesta San Antonio Commission and city and Bexar County officials were monitoring COVID-19 projections with the hope the 10-day celebration could be held in April, we suggested that, given the uncertainties of the virus, it be postponed until the fall. Last week, the commission announced it would postpone Fiesta but only until June. While thats a more prudent month than April, we still ask, given the unpredictability of the virus, emergence of new variants and the near certainty that not everyone will have been vaccinated in June, why not be more prudent? Why not wait until even more people are vaccinated and, we hope, the worst of COVID-19 is behind us? Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the farmers to end their agitation and initiate talks to resolve the issue while assuring that the MSP will continue. He also appealed to the farmers to give a chance to the agri reforms and said he was always open to change. Modi while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that the MSP will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme to 80 crore people. Appealing to the agitating farmers to end their protest, he said talks should be held to resolve the issue. Modi said, "The agri-reforms should be given a chance and MSP was very much there and will continue in the future, and I in the House also say that the ration scheme to 80 crore will continue." "The farmers should end their agitation and sit and talk to resolve the issue," he said. "There are problems in our agri sector even after record production. We must all work together to solve these problems. "During the Covid pandemic, we've also done record purchasing from the farmers. Thus, we've continuously made changes to keep solving problems." He said the objections in the House on the farm laws were procedural and even the opposition accepts that the country needs agri reforms. He quoted former Prime Minister Charan Singh and Manmohan Singh on this: "Manmohan Singh ji is here, I would read out his quote for those taking a u-turn on the farm laws and will perhaps agree with him. 'There are other rigidities because of the marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return'. This is what honourable Manmohan Singhji said." The Prime Minister said the number of farmers of less than one hectare has risen by 68 per cent and Rs 90,000 crore claim has been disbursed under the crop insurance scheme and Rs 1.15 lakh crore have been given through the Kisan Samman Nidhi. The Prime Minister said, "It is our intention to remove all those drawbacks which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at becoming one large common market. "We've started a major mission for Foot and Mouth Disease and give special focus to the fisheries sector. We made a ministry and provided Rs 20,000 crore for Matsya Sampada Yojana to gave added impetus to the sector. "We've also started the Sweet Revolution." Modi also said that during the Covid pandemic, India has emerged as a 'pharmacy hub'. "Covid was an unknown enemy and it was impending to save people and the country, and the country has done that. The credit for this goes to the country and not to any government or individual. The people should not joke about the public who lit the lamp in the hope of defeating Covid. The corona warriors have given us a sense of pride. The biggest vaccine drive in the world is now underway in the country. "The Covid-19 pandemic period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism...India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio and smallpox. From those days, we are now here when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This has increased our self-confidence." He, however, attacked the Congress and Trinamool Congress. "I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words -- Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country." While attacking Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa, Modi said, "Why he did not mention the Emergency and 1984 in his address." The PM said, "The more opportunities we provide to India's youth, the better it will be for our future. The new National Education Policy tries to provide our youth with new opportunities. "70 per cent loans from the MUDRA Yojana have been provided to our women. Over 60 lakh SHGs including seven crore women are adding to the idea of a self-reliant India. "Aatmanirbhar Bharat is only possible when everyone participates in it. The government, during Covid, tried to ensure that the women across the country did not face any major challenge. We must not forget what happened in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast. All of these have hurt the nation in one way or another. "Thus, we have worked swiftly to solve all these problems. India's strength has always been of finding solutions to problems and opening new roads. There are some people who want to create instability and trouble, and we must not forget what happened to Punjab during Independence and during 1984," said Modi. Mam | Marketing Guest column: How packaged sweets is revolutionising packaged food industry With the packaged food industry as a whole evolving and maturing in the country in recent years, packaged sweets have come to register as an integral part of that process. In fact, the traditional popularity of sweets coupled with an increased consumer consciousness of hygiene and cleanliness has made sure that packaged sweets have acquired an extraordinary traction. Read More... Mam | Marketing Tata Motors' iconic Safari makes a comeback with Adloid's AR tech B2B SaaS company Adloid has partnered with Tata Motors for the launch of its new Safari 2021 with the help of augmented reality (AR). Tata Motors is one of the first brands that created a virtual experience using AR globally by giving a realistic and interactive 3D experience to its consumers. Read More... Mam | Marketing Inox signs pan-India advertising pact with Manyavar Due to the Covid2019 pandemic, every sector in the country has been facing losses. While a lot of businesses started operational work, cinema halls across the nation were functioning at 50 per cent occupancy or remained closed. Read More... Television | TV Channels BARC week 4: Lizol continues to lead brands list The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India has released its data for top advertisers and brands for the period between 23 January and 29 January 2021. The data reflects the top 10 advertisers and brands across genres on India's television, 2+ Individuals, NCCS. Read More... Mam | Media And Advertising Yes Bank bats for MSMEs with Nayi Udaan Ki Nayi Zimmedari Yes Bank has launched its Nayi Udaan Ki Nayi Zimmedari campaign, that targets the MSME segment by offering products and solutions for their needs and aspirations - while trying to protect their personal and business journeys. Read More... Couples with daughters are more likely to get divorced than those with sons, a study has found. Between the ages of 13 and 18, 10.7 per cent of parents with first-born boys split up - compared to 11.3 per cent of parents with girls. This means that parents who had daughters first are 5 per cent more likely to split, researchers from the US and Australia claim. A fist-born child's gender does not change the likelihood of divorce until the child hits 12 years old. The difference increases when the child is 15, as almost 10 per cent more couples with girls as their oldest split up than those with boys. Parents with daughters as their second-born or subsequent children had a similar pattern, scientists found. Couples with daughters are more likely to get divorced than those with sons, a study found (file image) At the age of 18, the gap narrows with 20.4 per cent of parents with first-born daughters divorcing compared to 20.12 per cent of parents with sons. There is no different between the genders at the age of 19, the study published in the Economic Journal reported. However, the increased risk of divorced was non-existent if the father was brought up with a sister - and it applied to both married and cohabiting couples. Between the ages of 13 and 18, 10.7 per cent of parents with first-born boys split up - compared to 11.3 per cent of parents with girls (file image) Their ten-year study examined two million marriages in The Netherlands. It did not highlight a causal link between having girls and getting a divorce - but a survey found 'parents of teenage daughters report more disagreements over child rearing, fathers of teenage daughters report worse family relationships and mothers of teenage daughters report more favourable attitudes towards divorce and lower life satisfaction'. The University of Melbourne's Jan Kabatek - one of the study's authors - suggested that parents may argue more over how to bring up teen girls than teen boys, The Economist reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied the possibility of vaccinating Ukrainians with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine until the official confirmation of its effectiveness at the global level. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the head of state told this to journalists as part of the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Answers" in Kyiv on Monday, February 8. "There is no official information from the WHO or from leading European and world experts that the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine has an efficacy of 90-91%. [...] I believe that Ukrainian citizens are people and they, sorry for this comparison, are not rabbits. We have no right to do experiments with them. Therefore, we negotiated only with leading manufacturers of vaccines that have been approved by the world and give the world a very serious positive result," Zelensky said. In this context, he recalled that Ukraine would receive the first part of Pfizer vaccines in February under the COVAX scheme, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also confirmed this in her speech to the participants in the forum. Zelensky noted that due to the high demand for vaccines in the world, the situation is quite tense and, according to his forecast, it will remain tense in March. "I think we have purchased the amount of the vaccine so as to give all Ukrainians the opportunity to get vaccinated, and then we'll see, because sociology says that about 50 percent generally do not believe in COVID-19," Zelensky said. op Subscribe now! Enter your email address and grab your free daily dose of Phantoms and Monsters You will only receive one email per day PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL AND CLICK THE LINK PROVIDED FOR SUBSCRIPTION AUTHORIZATION Delivered by FeedBurner (TNS) Eighty-six-year-old JoAnne Hoodmaker considers herself lucky she was able to get a COVID-19 vaccine. While she has an appointment scheduled for the second shot in mid-February, she said some of her friends her age are still trying to get their first appointment.You cant reach these places, except if you do it on the computer online, and most of my friends do not have computers or iPads or any of that, said Hoodmaker, of Hanover Township, Northampton County, Pa. So you know, it kind of restricts us and I think its discrimination.Though people 65 and older are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, some in this group have found the process of getting an appointment or traveling to an appointment to be challenging and disorienting. Chrysan Cronin, director and assistant professor of public health at Muhlenberg College, said this is not just an inconvenience, its a public health concern. It seems like our most vulnerable populations are the ones that have the least access to being able to schedule an appointment, Cronin said.She said that for some the trouble is a lack of technological know-how or lack of access to computers or smartphones. Both Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Lukes University Health Network have advertised their respective apps as the best way to sign up for a vaccine appointment, and the Allentown Health Bureau only allows vaccine appointments through an online survey. I cant even imagine trying to do this if I was not tech-savvy, Cronin said.Some seniors are lucky enough to get assistance though. Bill Clark, of Bethlehem Township, said his 97-year-old mother would not have been able to get a vaccine appointment without his help. She doesnt have a computer, email or cellphone. But St. Lukes MyChart app required all these.The apps are not the only way to get vaccines though. Both LVHN and St. Lukes have phone lines dedicated to vaccine appointments. St. Lukes spokesperson Sam Kennedy said seniors can call, leave a number, and someone will return the call within a day.While some have had success with these lines, like Hoodmaker, others havent had the same luck. Hoodmaker said some of her friends are still trying.I gave them the phone number, but they call and call and call all the time and they cant get through, Hoodmaker said. Its either the line is busy, or it just doesnt ring at all. I mean, its really hard for people who dont know how to go about getting this vaccine.LVHN spokesperson Brian Downs said there is not enough vaccine for everyone who wants it and is eligible to receive it right now.We do understand the challenges many are facing trying to get a vaccine appointment, Downs said. At the same time, despite technology or telephone or travel issues, without additional vaccine, its simply not possible to vaccinate everyone who wants it right now.Cronin said for some seniors the issue isnt getting an appointment but getting to the locations where vaccines are distributed. She said drive-thru clinics may be effective ways of vaccinating large numbers of people, but for the many seniors who no longer drive or who no longer have vehicles, these clinics are not sensible.Vicky Kistler, the Allentown Health Bureaus director, said she is aware of seniors in the community facing difficulty with technology and difficulty traveling, and is planning to address them as soon as she can. She said seniors will be able to sign up for these clinics via a telephone line manned by human operators who speak English and Spanish. However, she said right now vaccine doses are still very limited and until the health bureau has a large enough stockpile it wont be able to hold these senior-only clinics. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The officers wore riot gear and carried shields and canisters of pepper spray, according to inmates and prosecutors. They moved from cell to cell in formations of five down the long hallway of a special housing unit at New Jerseys only womens prison. They were there for a series of cell extractions, what normally are routine removals of unruly inmates as officers search for contraband. Prisoners called it a planned attack. They were armored up because they knew what they were coming to do, said inmate Ajila Nelson, who said she was groped and assaulted. We were beat severely, said Desiree Dasilva, who was punched in the head and said an officer left a boot print on her arm. State prosecutors also now are calling it a coverup, saying officers lied on official reports after authorities charged three of them with official misconduct and other crimes. The Jan. 11 incident is at the center of a spiraling criminal probe at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, a small prison in Hunterdon County with an outsized reputation for violence and sexual abuse. More than 30 employees were suspended after inmates reported busted lips, bruised bodies, a broken arm, a fractured eye socket, a concussion and at least one allegation of sexual assault. Over the past two weeks, NJ Advance Media has spoken directly with two of the women who alleged they were attacked, as well as family members of three others. The news organization interviewed current and former inmates, union officials and experts with knowledge of the prisons operations. It also obtained internal records and five letters from prisoners to family members and advocates. What emerged was a portrait of a prison that, despite intense scrutiny brought by numerous state and federal probes in recent years, allowed officers to assault the very people they are sworn to protect, even when they knew cameras were rolling. Worse, multiple inmates said, top Edna Mahan officials not only approved the violent extraction, they encouraged it. They want to act up, a now-suspended administrator, Sean St. Paul, allegedly said of the inmates, this will happen every night. St. Paul did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on Thursday announced three correctional police officers including two sergeants faced accusations of official misconduct and other charges for participating in or lying about excessive force against prisoners. One officer allegedly punched a woman on the head at least 28 times as she was pressed face-first against a wall, desperately trying to shield her face from the blows. At a news conference, Grewal said his offices inquiry was hampered by false or misleading reports filed by officers, adding that investigators were moving quickly to figure out who else, at any level of the prisons hierarchy, was responsible for these criminal acts. The attorney general said six women had come forward so far and more charges were expected. Desiree Dasilva was needlessly struck in the face by corrections officers, breaking her orbital bone, state prosecutors said. A VIOLENT EXTRACTION Its unclear what officially prompted the extractions, but tensions were building for months at Edna Mahan, inmates, officers and advocates said. The coronavirus already made the difficult work of corrections officers and the lonely, dangerous lives of prisoners exponentially worse. A single case of the deadly disease could sideline several employees and force inmates into quarantine units, blocked from contact with the outside world. Officers also complained for weeks that a handful of inmates were throwing urine or feces at them, according to William Sullivan, president of NJ PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union. One inmate recounted three prisoners throwing food and garbage through the small food ports in the heavy metal doors of their cells in an act of protest in the hours before the extraction. Housing 21 inmates inside the prisons South Hall at the time of the incident, the Restorative Housing Units name belies its true nature. Inmates are sent to the RHU for any number of reasons, current and former prisoners said, but they typically end up there as a form of punishment. The environment can be chaos, where noises echo off the thick concrete walls and heavy metal doors, and troubled inmates lay on the floor and kick their doors. Prisoners were complaining about their treatment long before Jan. 11. Two inmates wrote in messages to family and friends that Sgt. Anthony Valvano, 38, one of the charged officers, had been denying women privileges like recreational time. Nelson, the inmate who said she was sexually assaulted, claimed Valvano pepper-sprayed a number of inmates in the unit Jan. 7, a few days after her 30th birthday. He threatens to make our (lives) hell if we write him up or report him. He calls us bitches and is very disrespectful. I am tired of this man!!!! Nelson wrote to her sister Jan. 8, according to a message obtained by NJ Advance Media. Two messages left at numbers listed for Valvano were not returned. Another letter obtained by NJ Advance Media from inmate Faith Haines, who was housed in the RHU and was removed from her cell, said the ordeal started when another prisoner returned from outdoor recreation to find that her cell had been searched. NJ Advance Media is not identifying that inmate because she is an alleged victim and her family fears retaliation. In protest, the woman began throwing food and garbage out of the food port in her cell door. She was joined by two others, who began throwing food, milk and debris through a crack in the door of the cell they shared, according to Haines account. Prosecutors later confirmed that at least one woman threw an unknown white liquid out of her cell, citing surveillance footage. Things escalated from there. Sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, Haines wrote, she saw a lot of black helmets pass by my cell. Cell extractions are not uncommon in prisons, but when officers suit up to forcibly remove prisoners, its seen as a last resort, said Adrian Ellison, the president of the prison systems internal investigators union, FOP 174. Its very seldom that you find an inmate that is defiant and rebellious, said Ellison, whose union represents investigators with the Special Investigations Division, known as SID. When it gets to that point, somewhere down the line, something failed. There are cameras in the hallways, but not the cells, of the RHU, according to inmates and staff, and state regulations require that cell extractions are videotaped. Internal investigators used to man the cameras during cell extractions, Ellison said. That would put people in the frame of mind that you had some independent oversight, he said. And the video was not just to protect inmates, but to protect the officer, too. If the inmate did something wrong, it would be documented. But concerns about overtime costs during Gov. Chris Christies administration led the department to put that responsibility in the hands of supervisors at the prisons, Ellison said. Prosecutors allege at least two supervisors, Valvano and Sgt. Amir Bethea, 35, led violent teams into the RHU that night. The officers started at the door of the woman who allegedly threw food and garbage out of her cell. Records show the woman was convicted last year of throwing bodily fluids at a law enforcement officer. You cuffing up, or are we spraying? Valvano asked the inmate, according to Haines account. Officers then pumped pepper spray through the womans food port, the inmate said. The prisoners mother later told NJ Advance Media officers drug her out the cell with just her panties and bra on. She was just crying as she was pulled from the cell, her mother said. State prosecutors said they were unsure if Bethea had retained a lawyer, and two numbers listed for him did not work. Two officers entered the cell after the extraction, tossing items into plastic bags. It is common for officers checking for contraband to search cells and bag up property, though inmates claimed after the incident that officers wrecked belongings in the process. The routine was repeated over and over, according to inmate accounts and court documents. Desiree Dasilva, identified as Victim 1 in court documents, immediately complied when officers tried to enter her cell. They even handcuffed her as they entered, prosecutors said. That didnt stop at least one officer from repeatedly hitting her, according to state records. They were punching me, punching me, punching me, Dasilva told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview. I was begging them, Please. I was seeing stars. I saw black boxes. I was begging and crying for them to stop. Prosecutors also concluded Dasilva was begging officers not to harm her as they beat her, court documents show. Dasilva said she was dragged out of the cell as she was dripping blood out of her eye and nose. Prosecutors said Dasilva was then wrongly placed in a unit for suicidal inmates instead of returning her to her cell, until a nurse checked her for injuries. She was sent to Hunterdon Medical Center, where she was treated for a broken right orbital bone. In pictures provided by her family, Dasilvas right eyeball is completely obscured by two swollen, purple eyelids protruding from a broken socket. Her mother said Dasilva is now afraid for her life, that they are going to kill her. The extractions continued in another part of the hall. Emmalee Dent, identified in court documents as Victim 2, did not initially comply when officers ordered her to cuff up, documents allege. But, according to a criminal complaint, once officers opened the cell door, she surrendered. It didnt matter. Officer Luis Garcia, 23, immediately entered and punched Dent in the head, according to a criminal complaint. Through his attorney, Garcia has denied any wrongdoing. The woman threw her arms up to protect herself, prosecutors said. He hit her again, according to the complaint. She pressed herself against a cell wall and turned her back to the officers. He hit her again, prosecutors allege. Then, they claim, he hit her 25 more times. Haines, the inmate who wrote a letter detailing the extractions, said officers then came for her and her cellmate, both of whom surrendered willingly. They were placed in holding cages in the prisons east wing, near Dent, whose khaki uniform was bloodied and lip was swollen. Soon after, she said, Dent passed out. But two officers who checked on her claimed Dent was faking it, refusing to call for medical care, according to Haines. Medical staff later determined she suffered a concussion, according prosecutors, inmates and her attorney. We do not treat prisoners of war with the depravity that these officers acted with, the attorney, Joel Silberman, later said. While Thursdays criminal charges stemmed from alleged assaults on just two inmates, authorities say theyve identified at least six potential victims. They include Ajila Nelson, the first prisoner to go public with her accusations. Nelson told NJ Advance Media a group of officers beat and punched her, stripped off her clothes, and one male officer grabbed her breast and put his fingers into my vagina. A transgender woman housed in the unit told her mother in messages after the attack that she was handcuffed in her cell, thrown to the floor and beaten by a group of officers. Three officers stomped on her daughters head, said the womans mother, Trimeka Rollins. She spent the days following the attack in a wheelchair, according to multiple inmates. One of several letters obtained by NJ Advance Media detailing allegations of abuse by staff at Edna Mahan. FALSIFIED REPORTS? After the beatings ended, prosecutors said, the coverup began. Charging documents allege at least two sergeants, Bethea and Valvano, watched as officers they supervised, including Garcia, brutalized inmates. Then, prosecutors claim, they lied about what they saw. In his official report about the incident, Bethea failed to report the unauthorized use of force against a restrained inmate, (Dasilva), who was not resisting, despite the attack being caught on camera, according to charging documents. Bethea intended to deceive others within the DOC into believing that the use of force was justified, the documents allege, using the acronym for department of corrections. Prosecutors said Bethea watched as Garcia attacked Dent. Garcia has been charged with aggravated assault, official misconduct and tampering with public records because state prosecutors accuse him of writing in a report that Dent was throwing punches during the extraction, a claim that a video recording allegedly contradicts. Garcias attorney, Robert Cannan, said his client adamantly denies doing anything improper. He will plead not guilty and ultimately looks forward to complete vindication and restoration to his pay status and his career, Cannan said. Dent has filed notice with the state that she plans to sue for $5 million in damages for her alleged abuse. Ms. Dent and the other women had no way to escape their abusers, her attorney said. Their cries for help fell on deaf ears. Valvano, the other supervisor, also lied about what he saw, according to charging records. Not only did he fail to stop at least one officer from fracturing Dasilvas eye socket, Valvano instead reported that Dasilva had been banging her head into the cell door, prosecutors said. He allegedly went so far as to suggest that officers had to barge into her cell to stop her from hurting herself, according to charging documents. The two sergeants were in turn supervised by Associate Administrator Sean St. Paul. More than one prisoner said St. Paul was present throughout the operation. Others also have accused him of misconduct. At least three male inmates have sued him in recent years, saying he either hurt them or failed to stop out-of-control officers. St. Paul has not returned multiple requests for comment, and a spokeswoman for the prison system declined to answer a detailed list of questions about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. Grewal, the attorney general, said he expected his office to bring more charges, telling reporters, Were going to hold everyone accountable that contributed to the events of January 11 and January 12, regardless of where they fall on the chain of command. He offered a warning to Edna Mahan staff who witnessed the incident. The time to speak to our investigators is now, he said. A LONG HISTORY OF ABUSE Nobody in power can claim they werent warned. A series of NJ Advance Media reports in 2017 and 2018 detailed violence, sexual abuse and exploitation of inmates at Edna Mahan going back decades, as well as a spiraling criminal probe by the Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office that kept bringing new charges against officers. Across two administrations Christies, followed by Murphys there were more than a half-dozen inquiries, from special counsel hired by the attorney generals office to legislative hearings that corrections officials skipped to a federal civil rights probe that produced a damning, detailed report. The accusations kept coming. Public officials kept pointing fingers. The federal inquiry, made public last April, laid bare a pervasive culture at the prison where officers coerce inmates into sexual acts, grope them during strip searches and routinely demean them as bitches, dykes and other slurs. Some officers were candid in disparaging the recent focus on sexual abuse, based on the view that prisoners abuse the system, the report found, and supervisory staff reinforced, rather than correct, this perception that sexual assault received undue focus. Yet Murphy and corrections officials continued to claim the worst behavior happened under the previous administration, saying they were cleaning up a mess left by Christie. Over the past three years, new laws have been enacted. A new oversight board appointed. New policies put in place. Yet prisoners say the violence and abuse continues. No, I wasnt surprised, former Edna Mahan prisoner Tawanna Murphy, 46, said about the newest allegations. She is part of a class-action lawsuit against the prison, and during a phone interview she detailed a litany of physical and sexual abuse she said she suffered during her decades behind bars, including an officer forcing a kiss on her while she slept. This been goin on since I was 19, she said. Accusations of abuse at Edna Mahan have persisted so long that they led to the ouster of the former state corrections commissioner, Gary Lanigan, in 2018. Now dozens of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for Hicks, the current commissioner, to meet the same fate. One lawmaker moved Friday to impeach Hicks. The prison system is implementing a range of reforms, a spokeswoman said, including expanding the use of cameras and creating a committee to oversee how officers use force. The corrections department initiated the criminal investigation, Liz Velez wrote in an email, and with the new charges we were able to quickly respond to the incident to hold these individuals accountable for their actions. They will also conduct an internal investigation, she said. Hicks has not spoken publicly about the incident. But in a memo to staff obtained by NJ Advance Media, Hicks said he had ushered in a new dawn at the department, one that has a zero tolerance for anyone who defies our mission of operating safe and humane facilities. The union that represents prison supervisors cautioned against a rush to judgment. While the allegations are somewhat troubling, everyone deserve a full and fair investigation, said William Toolen, president of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Supervisors Association. Many advocates said the state needs to do far more than make a few arrests. The ombudsmans office, an independent state watchdog, needed to be reformed, many said. Others brought up the possibility of a federal takeover of Edna Mahan and more civilian oversight. Any changes will come too late for many women. Nelson, the inmate who claims she was sexually assaulted by officers, said her time at Edna Mahan has taken a psychological toll. I went from never taking a medication to this place stressing me out so bad and doing so much stuff to me that now I have to take a medication to deal with the pain, she said. This place is tearing me down, little by little. NJ Advance Media Research Editor Vinessa Erminio contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. On the invite-only, audio-based social app where users host informal conversations, Chinese-speaking communities from around the world gathered to discuss China-Taiwan relations and the prospects of unification, and to share their knowledge and experience of Beijings crackdown on Muslim Uighurs in the far west region of Xinjiang. Open discussion of such topics is off limits in China, where heavy government censorship is the norm. Unfavorable comments or articles are rapidly removed on platforms such as Tencent Holdings Ltd.s WeChat and Sina Corp.s microblogging platform Weibo. As of Sunday, Clubhouse was accessible in mainland China without needing a VPN, which is commonly used to bypass the so-called Great Firewall and access foreign internet services from Gmail to Twitter. Clubhouse, backed by California-based venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, has skyrocketed in popularity following its debut in March 2020 after attracting high-profile users such as Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey. Since Clubhouse so far is only accessible on Apple Inc.s iPhone and users must have a non-Chinese Apple account, the app has only gained traction among a small cohort of educated citizens, according to Fang Kecheng, a communications professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I dont think it can really reach the general public in China, he said. If so, it will surely get blocked. Clubhouse did not respond immediately outside of business hours to an emailed request for comment on Chinese user requirements, content related to the country and if the government had reached out to it. I Can Tell My Story On Friday night, a room attracted more than 4,000 people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to share their stories and views on a range of topics including uniting the two sides. In another room on Saturday, several members of the Uighur ethnic community now living overseas shared their experience of events in Xinjiang, where China has rolled out a widely criticized re-education program that saw an estimated 1 million people or more put into camps. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed with the Trump administrations move to call Chinas actions genocide. China has defended the policies, saying they are necessary to fight terrorism. Some Clubhouse participants in the Xinjiang chat said they had lost contact with their family members and hadnt returned home for at least four years. Thanks to Clubhouse I have the freedom and the audience to express my opinion, a Finland-based doctor and activist who goes by Halmurat Harri Uyghur told Bloomberg News. The app is beneficial to me, providing a platform for dialog between Uighurs and Chinese where I can tell my story. While most discussions were polite -- in line with Clubhouses aim to provide an alternative to the toxicity of other social media platforms some couldnt hide their distrust and dismissed the views shared by some of the Xinjiang participants. There were also silent rooms including one to mourn the one-year anniversary of the death of Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor who was reprimanded by police when he tried to warn peers that a new pathogen was circulating, and who later died from Covid-19. ALSO READ: Elon Musk's banter with Robinhood CEO triggers stampede for Clubhouse app Another room popular with Chinese speakers discussed sexuality, while others kept the discussion to relatively safe topics such as books and music. The voice of official China wasnt completely absent from Clubhouse: One room was dedicated to rebroadcasting Xinwen Lianbo, the countrys prime-time news program aired by the state-backed channel CCTV. Michael Norris, research and strategy manager at Shanghai-based consultancy AgencyChina, said most Chinese Clubhouse users hed spoken to are part of tech, investment and marketing circles -- people keen to hear from overseas peers and industry titans such as Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Those who do engage in political discussion on Clubhouse take on a degree of personal risk, he said. While most are aware Clubhouse records real names, phone numbers and voice, they are broadly unaware about recent cases in China involving interrogation and jail for errant posts on Twitter. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Courtesy of Total Renewable energy such as wind and solar power is expected to surpass natural gas as the predominant source of U.S. electricity generation by 2030, according to a new report from the Energy Information Administration. Already the nation's fastest-growing electricity sector, renewables share of U.S. power generation is expected to double to 42 percent by 2050 from 21 percent last year. Although consumption of natural gas will grow with increasing population and electricity demand, the share of natural gas in the nations electricity mix is expected to remain flat at about one-third over the same time period, the EIA said in its 2021 energy outlook published Monday. London Going into the vacuum left by Jumia's pull-out in 2019, inalipa has over a short period built up both a B2C and B2B customer base in Dar es Salaam and has ambitions to roll-out into other Tanzanian cities. Russell Southwood looks at whether a local contender can crack the difficult nut of African e-commerce. Inalipa's launch had two roots. Firstly, the founders run a digital agency called AIMS and deal with large consumer brands who were always looking for more effective ways to get to market. Secondly, Tanzania has many Instapreneurs who use the Instagram and WhatsApp platforms to hook up with customers to sell mainly imported brands:"Initially the idea was to cater to these micro vendors. That was going to be the original market." When the first wave of the Covid-19 crisis came along, things pivoted and the launch date was accelerated to 21 April 2020:"Suddenly a number of consumers were worried about where they were going to get their goods from and suppliers didn't know how to get to consumers. So we shifted to focus on large-scale suppliers, manufacturers and importers." It had two types of business model in mind: the megastore with everything supplied end-to-end with its own warehouses and fleet and a Partners Store, where it would only handle payment and delivery, similar to Amazon's marketplace:"The Partner Store was for those who had inventory that was so diverse it would be impossible to warehouse. We picked up quite a number of these suppliers." It has 90 suppliers, 5000 product SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), 3000 of which it warehouses. The B2C volume products are groceries (meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables, household essentials and cleaning products. The high-value B2C products are sometimes very niche, hardware products like power tools, toys and baby-related items like diapers, infant formula and pacifiers. Its own fleet consists of a number of 2 and 3 wheeler bikes and a 2-ton truck for really large pick-ups and dekliveries:"The reason that we have our own fleet is that a number of e-commerce players in the market have a big reliance on third party logistics. This poses three challenges. Firstly, it's very difficult to control QoS and SLAs; secondly, we want get our model right first and it involves multi-stop route-planning and pickups; thirdly, it takes larger up-front capital but we can keep delivery costs down. We don't charge for delivery." Payment is cash on the doorstep, Visa/Mastercard or mobile money: it has direct integrations for credit cards and mobile money:"Initially we didn't take cash on delivery but we launched it in July and it's 50% of our orders with the balance split between credit cards and mobile money. The majority of the latter is M-Pesa. There's been no fraud. Once in a while when you deliver a cash on delivery order, there's no-one there. In October, after talking to suppliers about their major challenges, it decided to add B2B to its offer, delivering to places like Dukas, bars and restaurants:"The businesses can make their own orders online and we have sales reps. Early this year we rolled out Version 2, with an enhanced user experience with improved product discovery. It's also now on IoS and Android and has been continuously growing month-on-month. B2B is now the largest segment, 3:1 against B2C but the latter has the greatest margins." On the B2C side it has been taking 1,200 orders a month and each customer makes about 1.5 orders a month and monthly growth is 15-20%. On the B2B side it was initially alcohol only and it created a GPS mapping of all the outlets: 800 in Dar es Salaam. It is able to make daily deliveries, something appreciated by small outlets that often lack the capital to hold large amounts of stock:"Dar is a tier one city and within our growth plan we want to add three additional cities by the end of 2022." Jumia pulled out of Tanzania in December 2019 and a number of players emerged in the vacuum it left behind:"A lot of them are focused on takeaway food delivery and we do not operate in that space but most of these players have added other products." These competitors include Duka Direct (operated by local payments aggregator Selcom) and Pika (launched by a former Jumia manager). Its B2C deliveries have thrown up some interesting anomalies. A beer like Budweiser is seen as a premium product and usually only distributed. in premium neighborhoods:"Products typically seen as premium are not just being purchased in premium neighborhoods." It has its own back-office call centre that follows up on orders that are not completed:"When you call, you increase their trust in the system. Before they were worried about whether it was a real business. 7 out of ten convert to becoming customers. In Brief Angola: Africell will launch as the fourth mobile operator later this year. It has said that it would invest 'several hundred million dollars' in infrastructure and services during the first phase of the project, estimating that it will create 6,500 jobs in the next five years. Meanwhile the privatization of TV Cabo, Multitel and Net One are scheduled for privatization by June of this year. Ukheshe, a digital fintech platform provider, has announced the appointment of Prins Mhlanga, CEO of Ocean on 76 Group, as a non-executive director. Since launching two years ago, Ukheshe has established itself as a leading payment technology specialist successfully collaborating with several blue-chip payment brands. One of those agreements with KCB Bank Kenya will sponsor Ukheshe's Bank Identification Number (BIN) number, which will allow Ukheshe to immediately issue both physical and virtual cards across East Africa where KCB has an extensive footprint. South Africa: MTN is challenging ICASA's decision to implement an auction structure that creates two categories of mobile operators, namely Tier 1 and Tier 2, and the use of an opt-in auction round in which Tier 1 operators will not be allowed to participate. The pressures on the collapsing mobile market in Ghana continues. Telegeography reports that Vodafone is looking at all options for the business, including selling its 70% stake to Vodacom. Meanwhile in a desk-cleaning moment, MTN Ghana has received the go-ahead from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to buy back over one million shares from applicants who failed to provide sufficient personal information to complete their Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements under the company's IPO in 2018, reports Ghana Business News. In a statement, MTN said such applicants would receive a refund at the original IPO price of GHS0.75 (USD0.13) per share, as well as any dividends accrued since the listing. Applicants who did not provide sufficient KYC information have been requested to check the status of their account to update their records and upload a copy of their valid ID card before 23 February 2021. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines ICT Tanzania Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Pula, a Pan-African insurtech startup specializing in derisking millions of smallholder farmers across the continent, has today announced a $6mn Series A fundraise led by TLcom Capital with participation from Women's World Banking. After impacting more than 4.3mn farmers across its existing 13 African markets (which include Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda & Uganda), Pula is set to break into new territory with an expansion into Asia, which would make them one of the few African tech startups operating on the continent. South Africa: As part of its ongoing commitment to prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Vodacom has zero-rated its Bright Sky SA app, which was launched in November last year. This ensures that Vodacom users will not incur any data costs when downloading the app or accessing many of the referral links to GBV support services found in the app. Vanderbilt's hometown of Nashville was a center of the civil rights movement. Photo via Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy Vanderbilt University, in the red state of Tennessee, today launches the Project on Unity & American Democracy, seeking to counter America's drift from evidence and reason, toward ideological certitude and reflexive partisanship. Details: The project co-chaired by historian Jon Meacham, former GOP governor Bill Haslam and former Obama White House fellow Samar Ali will conduct case studies, host conversations, and engage with business leaders, faith leaders, and urban and rural voices to elevate reason in an age of passion. Support safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. Meacham tells me this matters because Vanderbilt is devoting a lot of resources to making a case showing, not telling that evidence and reason have been essential to create just enough unity in America to give us our finest hours: "From Social Security in 1935 to the Marshall Plan, from the interstate highways to federally-led science education after Sputnik, from civil rights to the Cold War, enough Americans were open to political, moral, and economic arguments to agree on courses of action that made America, if not perfect, at least stronger and fairer." Go deeper: The co-chairs make their case in TIME. ... Watch a video. Get smarter, faster with the news CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Department of Health today announced that 1,065 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 640,744 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous days dashboard. A total of 11,459 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 58 from the previous day. Another 416 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard & Map To date, 3,011,185 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,006,430 on Sunday. A total of 7,303,220 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26, 2020. To find testing sites around the state, click here. Hoosiers age 65 and older, along with healthcare workers, long-term care residents, and first responders who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to render medical assistance, are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To schedule, visit https://ourshot.in.gov or call 211. As of today, 699,769 Hoosiers have received the first dose of vaccine, and 223,576 are fully vaccinated. The state and its partners are adding more locations for you to get vaccinated including select Meijer, Kroger, & Walmart pharmacies across the state. Vigo Countys three Kroger locations are included. All locations will show up on the state's vaccination website. It's important to note Meijer and Kroger will have their own appointment sign-up areas on their websites. Iran has denied any knowledge of an oil tanker that the United States has targeted for seizure because it was used to export crude from Iran despite U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reports, citing Iran's deputy oil minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia. "I don't know anything about it," Zamaninia told media this Sunday. The U.S. last week filed a forfeiture complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that all oil aboard a Liberian-flagged vessel, the Achilleas, is subject to forfeiture under U.S. terrorism forfeiture laws. The Department of Justice has ordered the vessel to sail to the U.S. The supertanker is carrying 2 million barrels of what the United States believes is Iranian crude oil traveling to the U.S., Bloomberg reported last week, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The very large crude carrier is traveling between Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Offshore Oil Port of Louisiana, according to MarineTraffic, with an estimated time of arrival at the end of this week. Iran recently said it was ramping up production in anticipation of the Biden administration lifting Trump-era sanctions, and it was also boosting exports. "We set the highest record of exports of refined products in the history of the oil industry during the embargo period," Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said in January. Zanganeh added, in response to media questions, "I am not worried about regaining Iran's lost oil market share, and oil buyers do not limit themselves to one or two sellers." If the U.S. sanctions were lifted, he said, "We will return to the market stronger than before, sooner than you might think." The seizure of the tankerinitiated by the former administrationmight complicate efforts to lift sanctions, according to Bloomberg, especially since both sides have essentially said they would only act after the other side acts first. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Love Island's Theo Campbell has become a father for the first time after making the surprise announcement that he has welcomed a baby boy. The reality star, 29, dropped the bombshell on Monday, posting a sweet picture of him leaving hospital with his newborn covered up in a 350 Fendi blanket. Sharing the happy news on Instagram, the TV personality said he 'can't believe the joy' of becoming a parent while gazing lovingly at his little bundle of joy. Theo did not tag who the mother of his child is in the sweet announcement post, however she has been revealed as influencer Sapphire Yhnell. Shock announcement! Love Island's Theo Campbell dropped the bombshell on Monday that he has become a father for the first time after welcoming a baby boy The former Love Island heartthrob cut a casual figure in a grey tracksuit and trainers as he made his way down the hospital . The father-of-one also praised Sapphire, who also has another son called Tai, as he reflected on becoming a father. He said: 'Damn, my replacement is here - 21 hours later and hes here I cant believe the joy I had looking into the eyes of my baby boy. 'I only told a few friends and family so for most people will be massive surprise seeing this. Baby mama: Influencer Sapphire Yhnell also shared a snap of her newborn son Aries as she announced his arrival on Monday 'Over the past 4 years having a private life isnt really a thing so being able to keep this private has been so nice.' He concluded the post: 'Massive well done to his mum as-well, the process of having a baby is crazy I literally didnt have a clue how strong a woman has to be to go through this! Aries Campbell 07/02/2021 #minime #daddy.' Sapphire also took to Instagram on Monday to announce the news of their baby boy, penning: 'My beautiful boy - Aries.' The beauty shared an adorable snap of the newborn all wrapped up in a brown teddy bear sleepsuit and a Fendi hat. Cosy: The newborn looked adorable in a bear suit and Fendi hat as his proud parents took him home from the hospital Doting: Theo commented on Sapphire's snap with a line of love heart emojis New dad Theo replied to the snap by commenting a line of love heart emojis. The new parents do not appear to post snaps with each other on social media however the former Love Islander did share clips from Sapphire's labour without showing her face. In a series of videos shared to Instagram Stories he was seen taking some gas and air as Sapphire laid in a hospital bed and revealing they'd been up for 24 hours. It comes after Theo responded furiously to claims that he attempted to hit a female holidaymaker during a night out in Dubai. In November last year, the star was subject to a series of Instagram videos taken by a woman who claimed that the he tried to hit her and that he 'attacked her' while seizing her phone on a night out, with footage of a scuffle. Feeling blessed: Theo announced the surprising news on Instagram as he walked out of a hospital with his child and admitted he 'can't believe the joy' after becoming a parent Long day: Theo shared some clips from Sapphire's labour on Instagram Stories after revealing he'd become a dad Exciting: Another video showed Theo having a listen to Sapphire's stomach as they awaited Aries arrival Taking to Instagram shortly after the claims were made, Theo spoke to the camera while in a bar and stated that he planned to make a retaliatory video, adding: 'As if I'm wanna be f**king around with some stupid little, stupid girls, are you mad?' In a series of Instagram Stories from make-up artist Tayce Rickett, taken at Dubai's Five Palm Hotel, she wrote: 'Theo Campbell tried to hit me tonight in Dubai because I caught him out. 29-year-old trying to hit young girls. F**king disgusting'. She then filmed him standing at a car door, and said: 'This is Theo, just want to see if he gets out of here with the girl or not.' She wrote over the top of the video: 'After this he came over and took my phone off me and throw it on the floor and tried to fight both me and my younger sister. It's f**king disgusting, how can a 29-year-old act like that.' From reality TV to nappies! Theo shot to fame on the 2017 series of Love Island in Mallorca The girl filmed her friend and said: 'I don't care, I don't f**king care'. The video then appears to show the phone being grabbed, thrown on the floor and stamped on, before the owner shouted: 'Who the f**k you pushing?' In the next slide she wrote: 'They both attacked me for no reason...' After the video emerged, Theo shared a clip with his 337k followers, in which he said: 'F**king madness, I'm gonna make a little video in a bit. As if I'm wanna be f**king around with some stupid little, stupid girls, are you mad?... 'I'm gonna make a video in a bit because I rarely do the tings they say but this time, I don't talk, I don't normally react to these things but EUGH. These b***hes man'. Conflict: In November last year, he was subject to a series of Instagram videos taken by a woman who claimed that Theo tried to hit her and that he 'attacked her' That same month, Theo revealed he was launching legal action against an Ibiza beach resort after nearly going blind from a flying champagne cork. The reality star was partying at a champagne spray party at O Beach Ibiza, owned by Match of the Day host Gary Lineker's brother Wayne, when one of the club's official bottles popped in his direction in August 2019. He suffered a penetrating cornea injury in his right eye, requiring 11 stitches after surgery in Ibiza and the UK, but continues to suffer severe sight issues. The 29-year-old reality star says the incident has significantly reduced his ability to work, and he is seeking answers as to why his sight has never fully recovered. Theo, regarded as one of Love Island's most polarising characters, said: 'The last 15 months or so trying to come to terms with what has happened have been hard. 'I'm a positive person and try and remain upbeat but as time goes on the chances of my sight getting back to normal become reduced. 'I'm speaking with doctors about what may or may not be possible but I also have a number of questions about what happened to me. 'I don't know what the future may hold with regards to my sight but I feel that the least I deserve is answers to what happened and why. 'Bringing this case was something that hasn't been done lightly but I feel that at present it's the best opportunity for me to get the answers I deserve.' He is being represented by Irwin Mitchell who have launched High Court proceedings against Ice Mountain Ibiza SL, the company trading as O Beach Ibiza. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines could be rolled out early next year. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the joint UN-led COVAX initiative aims to start shipping about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa in February, in what will be the continent's largest ever mass vaccination campaign. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, highlighted that the deployment is a "critical first step" to ensure countries access to vaccines. "Africa has watched other regions start COVID-19 vaccination campaigns from the side-lines for too long. This planned roll-out is a critical first step to ensuring the continent gets equitable access to vaccines", Dr. Moeti said. The roll-out of the AstraZeneca/Oxford AZD1222 vaccine is subject to the vaccine being listed for emergency use by WHO, which is currently reviewing the vaccine and the outcome is expected soon, according to the agency. Amid surging demand for COVID-19 vaccines, the final shipments will be based on production capacities of vaccine manufacturers and the readiness of countries, WHO added, noting that recipient countries are required to submit finalized national deployment and vaccination plans to receive vaccines from the COVAX facility. The initial 90 million doses will support countries inoculate 3 per cent of the African population most in need of protection, including health workers and other vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021. As production capacity increases and more vaccines become available the aim is to vaccinate at least 20 per cent of Africans by providing up to 600 million doses by the end of 2021. 'Ramp up readiness' Dr. Moeti also said that the announcement allows African nations to fine-tune their planning for COVID-19 immunization campaigns and called on the countries to finalize their immunization plans. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines International Organisations Coronavirus Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "We urge African nations to ramp up readiness and finalize their national vaccine deployment plans. Regulatory processes, cold chain systems and distribution plans need to be in place to ensure vaccines are safely expedited from ports of entry to delivery", she added. "We can't afford to waste a single dose." Additional doses To complement COVAX efforts, the African Union has secured 670 million vaccine doses for the continent which will be distributed in 2021 and 2022 as countries secure adequate financing, according to WHO. In addition, about 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already received WHO Emergency Use, have been allocated to four African countries - Cabo Verde, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia - which have the capacity store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius, the agency said. The COVAX Facility The COVAX Global Vaccines Facility is the vaccine pillar of the ACT-Accelerator, an initiative launched in April 2020 to speed up development of medicines to treat COVID-19 and make them available to people everywhere. The global initiative is led by WHO; Gavi the Vaccine Alliance; and The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It works to ensure as many countries as possible cooperate to pool development, procurement and allocation of any COVID-19 vaccines. He grew up in Belfast in the 1970s and 1980s, and in normal times loves to come home a few times a year. Now Tony Danker, director-general of business group the CBI, says living in a conflict-torn society in his early years has made him good at managing disagreement. "I'm usually very comfortable sitting in the middle of a dispute between business and government because the disputes I grew up in the middle of when I was a young man were far greater and more serious," he said. Not that he is scarred by his upbringing here during the Troubles. He grew up as part of a small Jewish community in north Belfast where his mum and dad still live. "It was only when I went to university in England that I realised that police don't carry guns and cities don't have army blockades all across them," he said. "Until 18, all I ever had was a very happy childhood growing up in Belfast." A knack for conflict resolution will be useful as the CBI has had a troubled relationship with the UK Government in the past. Expand Close Tony Danker has a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tony Danker has a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak Most of its 190,000 business members supported Remain in the Brexit referendum. And as far as the Government was concerned, that stance seemed to continue to permeate the CBI and other organisations so much, that before he became Prime Minister, Boris Johnson reportedly blurted out "f*** business" at a 2018 event. Now the CBI's work with the Government is about the future. And here in Northern Ireland it is conveying its support of the NI Protocol. Mr Danker says: "Businesses in NI want the protocol to work for the long run, and everything must be done to make that happen." In our interview three days ago, he is wary of commenting on the political controversy of the protocol. "I'm not a politician. It's high politics and I'm not going to wade in," he said. "The protocol was the best of a set of difficult options and it's far too soon to be giving up on it." He said Northern Ireland is fortunate to have the joint UK-EU committee on the protocol for discussions as there is no equivalent for ironing out issues in the main EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Mr Danker welcomes discussion over the extension of grace periods which have delayed some of the checks on goods coming from GB under the protocol. One relating to supermarket products is due to expire at the end of March and another on chilled meats runs out at the end of June. The Government last week asked for the grace periods to be extended until 2023 but Mr Danker isn't convinced. He adds: "I think grace periods are called grace periods for a reason. I don't think they should go on forever, I think we need stability now, and then I think we should move to some certainty going forward... "I don't want to put dates on it but ideally it would be longer than we have and not as long as that (two years). I don't think businesses want uncertainty for a long period, nor do I think they want to rush and end a grace period if they're not ready." He said that the length agreed for the grace periods was "arbitrary at the time". "We were picking periods that we thought were realistic," he continued. "If they're not realistic and they need extending a little bit, then we should do that. But not for a very long period of time because businesses need certainty." Asked if he agrees with Invest NI chief executive Kevin Holland that the protocol's dual access to the EU and GB markets is a business opportunity, he said: "I think that business opportunity is there but I recognise that the protocol is a political arrangement and a political facilitation on both sides on an incredibly complicated issue. "I'm not going to pretend that trade is the only thing that matters and I want to be highly sensitive to the range of views that exist with regard to it." Mr Danker worked for consultancy McKinsey for 10 years, before he became a Labour Party special adviser for two years. The 49-year-old also spent seven years at the Guardian Media Group as a strategy specialist. Most recently he was chief executive of Be the Business, a not-for-profit business focused on increasing productivity - his springboard to the CBI role. Mr Danker was special adviser to the Labour Party's Liam Byrne, following him from the Cabinet Office to the Treasury. Now he says he has got a good relationship with both offices of state, and the Cabinet Office in particular. But he said UK business as a whole needs more guidance on the trade and co-operation agreement, particularly around rules of origin. Haste in concluding the agreement by the end of December is one reason the problems are emerging now, he said: "All the lawyers were off for Christmas - pretty much everyone was off for Christmas." But Mr Danker has confidence in Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who is tasked with overseeing full implementation of the agreement. This week Mr Gove will negotiate extension of the grace periods with Maros Sefcovic, the vice president of the European Commission. Mr Danker, who is married with two children, said Northern Ireland CBI members were better prepared than those in Great Britain for the demands of the new era. But he thinks bigger companies will figure out how to manage the requirements. Many firms in Great Britain have had difficulties supplying the market here - with John Lewis suspending deliveries. He said he understands the frustration of consumers here, adding: "When I grew up in Belfast it was almost an indicator of NI prospects as to whether or not mainland GB businesses would locate in NI. I remember that very well, that was the story of the 1970s and 1980s. I don't think we're going back to those days. "The UK-based businesses that serve the NI market are very keen to continue to serve the NI market. But we've been in the EU for 50 years, we've only been out of it for five weeks. I think it's a bit early to be making concrete conclusions about our prospects." Mr Danker says the pandemic and lockdowns have taken their toll on members but that government "has done a really good job" with business support has helped. However, he is urging the extension of that support. "We have asked for the furlough, business rate and VAT deferral measures to be put back until the end of June at the earliest. And we need to taper business support in the same way we taper the reopening of the economy. "The economy is not going to reopen overnight. And therefore you can't close business support down overnight." He and Angela McGowan, the Northern Ireland director of the CBI, have now written to the First and Deputy First Ministers about the need to plan for reopening. "Don't get me wrong, if you're the FM or DFM, if you're the leadership of the government and health department, you need to be focused on managing the health crisis. "But in our economic ministries in London and in Belfast, we can be doing the work now to anticipate the questions we already know businesses have. "Right now, it's actually a time of peak confusion and peak paralysis for business leaders because they have no visibility on what to plan for but they've already got a set of significant questions." Business has questions about workplace testing and vaccination of staff - but Mr Danker says the CBI isn't encouraging mandatory vaccination. Doing the planning and answering the questions of business now will avoid up to a year of a lack of business confidence and investment later, he said. A scan of previous newspaper profiles of Mr Danker reveals a reported fondness for Irish indie music. He reveals: "Growing up, my favourite band were Ghost of an American Airman. Going to see them in the Errigle on a Friday night time and time again - that was my misspent youth." He went to BRA and went to Manchester University afterwards, before moving to London. But he said there was no conscious decision to leave Northern Ireland permanently. "Obviously I wanted to leave home and have the full university experience. I don't know if any of us consciously wanted to participate in a brain drain, it's just the net effect there was." Under normal circumstances, Mr Danker makes frequent visits home with his wife and two teenage kids. He particularly loves to holiday in Portstewart. "Portstewart Strand is my very favourite place," he adds. "Every time I drive the car onto Portstewart Strand I get the same kick as I did as a kid as do my kids. There aren't many places in Britain where you can drive a car onto a beach." Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Construction work on Zeeb Road between Pleasant Lake Road and Ellsworth Road in Lodi Township will close the road to traffic from May to August, the Washtenaw County Road Commission has announced. In 2019, Washtenaw County completed the first phase of Zeeb Road reconstruction between Ellsworth Road and Waters Road. After acquiring additional funding, thanks in part to the Roads and Non-Motorized Millage renewed by voters in 2020, the county will complete the second phase this year, which calls for the one-mile segment of county primary road to be paved, the road commission said. Additional funding for the project is also coming from the Michigan Transportation Fund, according to the county. The road commission plans to begin Phase 2 road work in May as road design is underway and permit applications are being prepared, officials said. When reconstruction is completed, the stretch of Zeeb Road will provide a paved connection to Pleasant Lake Road. Discussions with adjacent property owners will begin soon and some trees near the roadway will need to be removed to accommodate proper drainage and modern road design, officials said. Considering environmental restrictions, some of the trees near the roadway will need to be removed before March 31, the county said. During construction, Zeeb Road between Pleasant Lake Road and Ellsworth Road will be closed to through traffic and a detour will be posted, the county said. While the county is planning to reopen Zeeb Road in August, the contractor will maintain access within the closure only for residents and property owners who live or own property within the project limits, officials said. The Washtenaw County Road Commission will hold a virtual public information meeting where officials will discuss the project on Tuesday, March 2, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Despite criticism, Michigan Medicine is giving COVID-19 vaccine to non-frontline workers Vaccine demand still outweighs supply in Washtenaw County, health officials say 4,000 donated face masks being distributed to Washtenaw County residents in need (Image: AP) The suspension of internet services forced protesting farmers to find other ways to access news and ensure information flowed unrestricted to their families across Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. In the absence of the Internet, the farmers turned towards local newspapers to spread information. Around 5,000 copies of regional newspapers, which were paid for by the organisers were used to disseminate information, reported Hindustan Times. Also, the press conferences by farmer groups, which were broadcast live on social media platforms, had to be recorded in advance and then uploaded using WiFi hot spots set up by some farmer groups nearly a month ago, said the report. To access news of the day on social media during Internet shutdown, several volunteers travelled away from the protest site to get connectivity on their mobile phones, it said. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the farmers' protest The Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered the suspension of internet services at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders of Delhi, where farmers have been protesting against the new farm reform laws, for 24 hours till night on February 6 in the wake of their 'chakka jam' call. Besides the three sites, internet services were remain suspended in their adjoining areas too till 23:59 hours on the day. According to a home ministry official, the decision was taken to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency' under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017. Earlier, the suspension of internet services was ordered at Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders and their adjoining areas from 11 PM on January 29 and was effective till 11 PM on January 31, which was further extended till February 2. On January 26, when large-scale violence was reported during the farmers' tractor rally, internet services were temporarily suspended in some parts of Delhi. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for over 70 days, demanding a complete repeal of three central farm reform laws. Egypts Juhayna Food Industries, a publicly-listed dairy and juice business, has said its CEO Seifeldin Thabet was detained for questioning by authorities at the weekend in connection with personal accusations against his father and former chairman of the business. In a stock-exchange filing on Sunday (7 February), Juhayna said: With regards to the recent pending investigation against Mr. Safwan Thabet, ex-chairman of the board of directors, regarding personal accusations unrelated to the company, [the] board confirms that Mr. Seifeldin Thabet, CEO and deputy chairman of the board of directors, was called for questioning and is now detained. The chairman of the board of directors emphasised that the company is committed to all disclosures and transparency rules specified by the Financial Regulatory Authority. The ex-chairman, who founded the business in 1983, was detained in December, when Juhayna said in a statement dated 2 December that the company has no further information regarding the investigation at this point. However, Reuters has reported, quoting two security sources and a judicial source, that Seifeldin Thabet was detained late on Saturday as part of investigations into alleged financing of terrorist groups. And the news agency added that in 2015, a judicial committee established by the government issued a decision ordering the seizure of Safwan Thabets assets due to alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned and listed as a terrorist organisation in Egypt. But back in December, security sources told Reuters that Juhaynas chairman was detained for alleged financial irregularities. Juhaynas most recent annual report for the year to 31 December 2019, says the company has four factories employing more than 4,000 people. It generated revenues that year of EGP7.6bn (US$485.7m), with dairy accounting for 49%. EBIT fell 5% in 2019 to EGP813m, while net profit was down 19% at EGP329m. In the South West, Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho has recently been in the news. The self-styled Yoruba activist gained popularity (or notoriety) recently in the country after he led an attack against a Fulani community leader in Oyo whom he accused of harbouring Fulani herders engaging in criminal activities. Following persistent attacks in Ibarapa area of Oyo State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, Mr Adeyemo issued an ultimatum to the herdsmen to vacate the area. When the ultimatum expired, he led some youth to the house of the head of the Fulani community in Igangan town , Abdulkadri Saliu, chased him out of the community . The Fulani leader, called the Seriki Fulani has since relocated to Kwara State with his family. Mr Adeyemo subsequently visited Ogun State and ordered herdsmen out in his self-appointed mandate of chasing Fulani herders out of Yorubaland. In the South East on December 12, 2020, leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, announced the formation of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Eastern Security Network (ESN). He claimed the purpose of the ESN is to protect Igbos against Fulani raiders. Unwilling to countenance the formation of a non-state-sanctioned paramilitary organisation on its territory, the Nigerian government was said to have deployed the army to locate ESN camps. On January 22, Nigerian soldiers invaded Orlu in Imo State to search for ESN operatives. The resulting fracas caused the burning of buildings and death and injury of both soldiers and ESN members. On January 28, more than 400 Nigerian soldiers including Nigerian Air Force planes, were deployed to oust the ESN. The state government declared a curfew which caused civilians to flee the city in large numbers. In the North Central, in a video clip that has gone viral on social media, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, accused the Federal Government of protecting the interest of armed herders despite the atrocities they commit in different parts of the country worsening the security situation in Nigeria. The governor stated that there is insecurity propelled by armed herdsmen from North West, North East, North Central, South East, South West, and South-South. He argued that the Miyetti Allah leaders must be arrested and prosecuted for the crisis and the government must openly criticise, arrest, and prosecute Fulani herdsmen carrying AK47. He accused the federal government of playing Ostrich with the herdsmen crisis. The above incidents are snapshots of some Nigerians security concerns and sentiments in the past few weeks across the country. They are baffling as they are harmful. Since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the country has been grappling with various security challenges insurgency, kidnapping, and the herder-farmer conflicts. The herdsmen/farmer crises have demonstrated high potential to exacerbate the insecurity in rural and urban communities in Nigeria. Violence between Fulani herdsmen and farmers is one of Nigerias most persistent security problems and has left thousands of people dead in the past few years. This is part of the general security challenges in the country and the focus of todays discourse. The prevalence of the countrys security crises has become a significant concern for the well-meaning Nigerians considering the impact on the nations peace, security, and economy. Destruction of lives and properties arising from farmer-herder clashes has almost become an everyday affair in different parts of the country. These crises have led to acute instability, creating a fearful atmosphere that harms the economy as it discourages investors, both domestic and foreign. In recent times, the herder-farmer clashes have taken a new dimension as host communities accuse the herdsmen of kidnappings, rape, murder, and all manner of criminal activities. They are perceived as a severe security threat in many communities in the North Central and Southern parts of the country. Today, the herdsmens actions might be viewed by many as the greatest threat to Nigerias corporate existence. The origins of the farmer-herder imbroglio are well known. Farmer-herder crises in Nigeria occur due to resource scarcity; there is a growing scarcity of arable land, impending desertification of the Sahel-Savannah, and scarcity of water essential to sustain crop cultivation and cattle herds. The increasing desertification and the effects of climate change have further increased the herdsmens drive to move further south in search of grazing land and pasture for their livestock. These southward movements always pitch them against farmers and the host community whose crops are regularly invaded and destroyed by the cattle during this seasonal movement. The result of this is increased conflict, death, displacement, and the destruction of properties. Cattle rustling, the advent of heavily armed criminal herdsmen and the increasing cultural differences among ethnic groups that predominantly farm, or graze cattle further exacerbate the crisis. The current situation would not have gotten worse if the government did not abandon the grazing reserve system created by the Northern Regional Government in 1965. Then, the government created over 417 grazing reserves in the north. Under the grazing reserve system, the government provided space, water, and vaccinations for the livestock while the herdsmen paid taxes to the government in return. As it is often in Nigeria, this working system was upended by oil discovery in the country. Oil exploration and export made Nigeria an oil economy, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. Nigeria abandoned the grazing reserve system due to the agricultural sectors neglect as the mainstay of its economy. Consequently, grazing reserves which were under a neglected agricultural sector was not sustained. It received little or no attention from succeeding administrations. As a fallback, herdsmen began to resort back to their traditional and seasonal grazing routes, currently interrupted or interfered with by industrialisation, urbanisation, demographic, and other natural factors. This leads to clashes and conflict with farmers and host communities. The herdsmen crisis persists because the government has not demonstrated the much-needed political will to end the crises. For a conflict that has the capacity of tearing the country apart, it is instructive that political leaders have failed to invoke appropriate legislation and executive actions capable of tackling the issue. Unfortunately, some politicians have sought to capitalise on the crisis. It is indisputable that some local leaders who have been unable to provide good governance to their people resort to ethnic chauvinism by literally pouring fuel on the farmer-herder conflict to ramp up support amongst the local populace enhancing their popularity. On its part, the federal government might not have shown the right political will to enforce laws that can end the crisis. The government is perceived rightly or wrongly from some quarters as sympathetic to the herdsmens activities. This perception is likely because the President is Fulani, the same ethnic group that dominates the cattle business. The government must correct this impression and firmly show that it does not link itself to criminality and conflict, regardless of ethnicity. Many Nigerians are shocked that the federal government does not seem to deal with the herdsmen-farmer conflicts in different parts of the country with the same strength and determination it shows in similar internal security issues in other parts of the country. Impunity reigns supreme as some criminal herdsmen, especially those engaged in kidnapping, apprehended by security agencies are allegedly released shortly afterwards. The government must show Nigerians its scorecard on dealing with the herdsmen-farmers conflict. Nigerians should know where the government stand on the issue and must see the government as enforcing law and order , whether on the side of herdsmen or farmers. The herdsmen crisis is a human security issue. There are four main issues of policy and politics invoked in this problem. The first is the adjusting of the mode of the business of cattle rearing from primordial herding system to the present system of ranching as seen in other climes globally. Roving cattle grazing in the age of industrial ranching and mechanized meat production should be discouraged and the culture modified. Secondly, herdsmen are carrying sophisticated weapons freely and are posing threat to life and property, especially when there are laws forbidden this. This impunity should be immediately discouraged, and appropriate laws enforced. ADVERTISEMENT Thirdly, if any herdsman would veer away from the escort of their cattle into kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, they should be viewed as outright criminals. Law enforcement should deal with herdsmen criminals according to law. Fourthly, the clashes between herdsmen and the various communities where they operate poses a challenge of diversity management for the state and federal governments. The government should not allow sentiments and politics to becloud matters of enterprise regulation and crime control. There is a need to encourage community policing, taking advantage of the already existing vigilante system in most states of the country. Community policing will help intelligence gathering about criminal herdsmen, and other undesirable elements and mischief-makers in our communities while civil police would respond to such threats. This will help address the challenges of waiting for the federal government to deploy security to states when there is farmer-herder conflict. The federal and state governments should strengthen conflict resolution and peacebuilding mechanisms at state and local government levels and within rural communities, particularly in areas most affected by farmer-herder conflict. The idea that some ethnic nationalities in Nigeria are incompatible is a fallacy. What is lacking is the sense of fairness and equity which brings about suspicions, apprehension, frustration and consequently conflicts. The government should establish grazing reserves in consenting states and improve livestock production and management to minimise contacts and friction between herders and farmers. The government will be able to do this by revisiting the 1965 Northern Region Governments Grazing Reserve System and remodelling it to deal with contemporary threats. The grazing reserves will be situated in the northern states where governments have already earmarked lands for this purpose. In addition to this, the government should also seek the cooperation and support of all parties involved in the herdsmen crisis herdsmen, farmers, state, and local governments, to accept the idea of modern ranching as an alternative to traditional migration of herders which causes friction and other associated threats. In conclusion, security is crucial to a nations sustainable development. The governments seeming failure to solve the peoples security needs is what has led to non-state actors such as Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu/ESN to seize the initiative, which ends up creating more problems than solutions and driving the country to the threshold of disintegration. It is what has led a state governor to engage in ethnic profiling openly. It is what will lead to more mayhem unless something is done to solve the security problem now. The federal government must rise to the challenge of bringing an end to the farmer-herder crisis. By Ruth Anderah The winner of the 14th January general election Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss with cost the election petition filed by his political rival Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi challenging his victory. Through his lawyers of Kiryowa and Karugire advocates, Museveni maintains that he was validly elected in a free and fair election that was conducted in accordance with all electoral laws and the constitution. Museveni further states Kyagulanyis petition is bad in law in that it was filed out of the prescribed 15 days after the declaration of the election results on 16th January 2021. According to Museveni, the allegations of confrontation, blockage from campaigning, and assault of Ugandans during the electoral period were occasioned by wrongful and lawful conduct of Kyagulanyi in defying laws and election guidelines. Museveni denies allegation by Kyagulanyi that election guidelines were enforced selectively and using abusive language against him. Museveni also agreed with AIGP Edward Ochom that Police and army was deployed in the towns and villages to secure peace during the conduct of election. According to the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo nine Supreme Court Justices are set to hear Kyagulanyis petition and pre hearing kicks off on Thursday, February 11th. Egypt has offered its condolences to India and the families the Uttarakhand flood victims, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. In a statement released on Sunday, the Egyptian foreign ministry expressed Egypt's full solidarity with the Indian people and the government. At least 12 people were killed and more than 100 people are missing after a part of a glacier broke away, sending a torrent of water, rock and dust down a mountain valley in India's northern Uttarakhand state on Sunday. Short link: CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Attorneys for former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora on Monday requested the U.S. Supreme Court hear his case and overturn his bribery-related convictions. Lawyers David Mills and Philip Kushner filed a brief that focused on jury instructions that they say led a panel to convict Dimora of conduct they believe is lawful. It also addressed a judges decision to exclude evidence in the form of ethics reports from Dimoras trial. The brief sharply contrasted Dimoras role in the corruption scandal with his longtime ally, Frank Russo, the former county auditor. The filing said Dimora, while accepting a trip, countless steak dinners and home improvements from business leaders and contractors, did not trade a vote or other official act for a gift. Russo, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to corruption charges. He accepted cash in exchange for jobs, rigged an election and took part in a $1 million kickback scheme, according to the filing. The document said Dimora listed the people who gave him gifts on a state ethics form, while Russo hid the benefits. A jury convicted Dimora of 32 charges in 2012 in a pay-to-play scandal that changed the way Cuyahoga County government operates. Dimora, 65, is serving 28 years at a federal prison in Elkton, near Youngstown. The attorneys filing Monday is a petition for the court to hear the case. The court denies petitions in most matters, and it is unclear when the justices would rule on the request. But Mills and Kushner want the high court to hear the case, as it has broad implications for public officials. In recent years, they focused their defense on errors in the instructions that Judge Sara Lioi read to jurors and the judges decision to prevent Dimoras attorneys from presenting his ethics reports at trial. They argued that the Supreme Courts ruling in 2016 involving former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell narrowed the definition of an official act that prosecutors must prove to gain a conviction of federal bribery. That ruling, they said, invalidated the instructions that Lioi gave to the jury. Mills and Kushner said contractors gave Dimora gifts, such as free or discounted improvements to his home. If the contractors who gave Dimora gifts asked him for help, whether to set up a meeting with a staffer or provide information about the bidding process of a county project, Dimora would do what he could to help them. The attorneys argued that what Dimora did was perfectly legal. What would be criminal is acting with the intent to provide formal official governmental actions -- such as votes -- in exchange for things of value, the brief said. A spokesman for federal prosecutors declined to comment Monday. In the past, prosecutors said that Dimoras convictions should stand, arguing that the judge did not make any errors with either the jury instructions or the exclusion of the ethics reports. But even if there were errors, prosecutors stressed that the convictions were based on the overwhelming evidence against Dimora and because there were charges that involved bribes for official acts that Dimora committed. Dimoras attorneys filing with the Supreme Court follows a ruling in August by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a split decision, a three-judge panel ordered Lioi to re-assess the effect of any errors in the jury instructions and the excluded ethics reports. Judge Gilbert Merritt, in a dissenting opinion, said he would vacate all of Dimoras convictions in this appeal and remand for a new trial. He said the only proper fact-finding body for these issues is a properly instructed jury that considers Dimoras ethics reports -- not appellate judges and not a district court reviewing a 30,000-page record of a 37-day trial it heard eight years ago. Russo, 71, was released from prison in May as federal authorities across the country fought the coronavirus in lockups. He was serving a 14-year sentence in a medical facility in North Carolina. His attorney, Roger Synenberg, said Monday that he had no comment on the filing, as Frank just wants to put everything behind him. Beware of FDI-Foreign Destructive Ideology: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: India is a land of opportunities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. The PM was replying in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. We should not let go of the opportunities, the PM also said. The world is watching India as it has become a land of opportunities, the PM also said. The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet, the PM said. The pandemic has taught us a lot. If India was not able to handle itself, then it would have a disaster for humanity, the PM said. We fought an unknown enemy, the PM said. Every Indian fought the pandemic and helped each other. People are indulging in criticism. I appreciate criticism, but do not indulge in it necessarily, the PM said, while praising the efforts of the front line workers. India has undertaken the biggest vaccine drive. The entire world looked up to India when there was no vaccination. India provided medicines to the entire world at that time, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi also said. The world has got faith in India's doctors. This is the reputation our country has earned, the PM also said. I salute the States for the manner in which they handled the pandemic, the PM said. The Prime Minister said that Indian democracy is not a western institution, the PM said. Those who question India's democracy, I ask them to understand that our democracy is not a western institution, but a human institution, the PM also said. India's nationalism is not narrow nor selfish. India is inspired by the values of Satyam Shivam Sundaram. This was said by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the PM also said. I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too, the PM also said. The PM also said that everyone in Parliament spoke about the farmer protests. However none spoke about the reason behind the protest. The PM also quoted former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, whole speaking about the farmer protests. NDA's other schemes also help farmers. For example- the PMGSY. When the road connectivity improves, it enables the produce of the farmers to reach distant places. There are efforts like Kisan Rail too, the PM said. Since 2014 we have initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for the small farmers, PM Modi also said. The PM said that every government in the past has spoken about agricultural reforms. Everyone agrees on the need for reform in agriculture. I am shocked by the U-turn of many. Politics is so prevalent that people forget their own views. Modi had to do what Manmohan Singh had spoken about, the PM also said. I appreciate the efforts of our agriculture minister. We are always open to talks with the farmers. I want to assure the farmers that the Mandis will remain. There was MSP and the MSP will remain, the PM also said. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News While speaking on the farmer issue, the Prime Minister said we must be beware of a new FDI-Foreign Destructrive Ideology. The PM had on Sunday made references to a foreign hand which was instigating the farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address in Rajya Sabha on Monday. The President makes a special address on a statement of government policy that has to be approved by the Cabinet. Discussion on the matters referred to in the President's Address takes place on a motion of thanks moved by a member and seconded by another member. The Prime Minister is replying to this motion in the Rajya Sabha today. PM Modi LIVE in Rajya Sabha A new entity has come up in the country- 'Andolan Jivi'. They can be spotted wherever there is a protest, be it agitation by lawyers, students, or labourers, explicitly or implicitly. They cannot live without 'andolan', we have to identify them & protect nation from them: PM Modi. This country is proud of every Sikh; language some people use for them will not benefit nation, says PM Modi. PM Modi says need to identify 'andolan jivi' who are parasites, feasting on every agitation. Indian forces have given appropriate reply to misadventures on the border: PM Modi. The nation is making progress and we are talking about FDI but I see that a new FDI has come to the fore. We have to protect the nation from this new FDI. We need Foreign Direct Investment but the new FDI is 'Foreign Destructive Ideology', we have to protect ourselves from it: PM. India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs. This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious: PM Modi. MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised: PM. We mustn't forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during partition. It cried the most during 1984 riots. They became victims of most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in J&K. Business of weapons was carried out in northeast. All this affected the nation: PM. Manmohan ji is here, I'd read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. "There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get highest rate of return...": PM. "...It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market.": PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha. NDA's other schemes also help farmers. For example- the PMGSY. When the road connectivity improves, it enables the produce of the farmers to reach distant places. There are efforts like Kisan Rail too. The need of the hour is to improve the lives of the small farmers: PM Modi. Since 2014 we have initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in. We are working for small farmers: PM. Small farmers at the centre of all our policies, schemes, says PM. Farm loan waivers do not benefit small farmers, says PM. We've forgotten the ideals of Netaji. We've started cursing ourselves. I sometimes get surprised, world gives us a term & we start following it: PM Modi. India's nationalism is neither narrow now selfish and not even aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. This quotation was given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: PM Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha. Our democracy is not a western institution. It's a human institution. India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 democracies in ancient India. Today it's essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism: PM Modi. India is not merely the world's largest democracy. India is the 'Mother of Democracy' and this is our ethos. Our nation's temperament is democratic: PM. India's nationalism not narrow, greedy or aggressive: PM Modi. I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha. The COVID-19 period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism: PM. India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, small pox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we are now here- when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence: PM India is truly a land of opportunities. Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm & a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha. The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet: PM Narendra Modi replies to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, in the Rajya Sabha. Whole world is looking at India with hope and expectations: PM Modi. It would have been good if all stayed in House to listen to President's address: PM Modi. In Rajya Sabha, over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. So, I express my gratitude to all the MPs: PM Narendra Modi replies to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, in Rajya Sabha. I express my gratitude to President, says PM. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. With the death of Des Warren on April 24, the working class lost one of its most principled representatives. The immediate cause was pneumonia, but the ultimate responsibility for the death of the 66-year-old former steel fixer lies with the British ruling elite, their police and judiciary and the treacherous leaderships of the workers movement. Warren was the victim of a conspiracy that began when then Conservative Home Secretary Robert Carr told parliament in October 1972 that he was demanding police action against flying pickets who had succeeded in closing down hundreds of construction sites throughout the country during the 12 week dispute in the summer of that year. Within a month a team of detectives from the west of England and North Wales police forces had begun full-time investigations into the building workers strike. Over a ten week period, police grilled more than 800 witnesses in an attempt to find evidence against pickets who had travelled to Shrewsbury on September 6. The strike took place against the background of escalating confrontations between the working class and the Conservative government of Edward Heath. This culminated in the 1974 miners strike that forced Heath to call a snap election which he said must answer the question, Who runs the country, the government or the unions? The election brought down the Tories and returned a minority Labour government. On February 14, 1973, squads of police raided several houses in different parts of North Wales. They arrested six building workers who were to face the most serious charges in what became known as the Shrewsbury trials. Along with Warren, those arrested included Ken OShea, Mackinsie Jones, John Carpenter, John Llywarch and Ricky Tomlinson. In total 24 pickets were brought before the courts in a series of five trials held at the Crown Court in Mold, North Wales, beginning on June 26, 1973, four of which were concluded before the Shrewsbury trials. The Mold trials were seen as a test case for Shrewsbury in which the prosecution could sharpen up its arguments against the pickets. The most significant of these was the first in which eight pickets faced charges of causing an affray, intimidation, and the lesser charge of criminal damage. Five of these pickets were to appear again at one or another Shrewsbury trial. The defence argued that for intimidation there must be evidence of violence, or threat of violence, to persons, not just damage to property. This was rejected by the judge, but the jury disagreed and all eight were acquitted on the charges of intimidation, though several of them pleaded guilty to the specific charge of criminal damage and were fined. Following this experience, the state decided that subsequent trials would be held in Shrewsbury, a middle class area with no history of trade union activity. They also hoped to capitalise on the fact that the local press had waged a campaign against the pickets, regularly quoting employers affected by the strike. The Shrewsbury 24 appeared in court together only once, for the committal proceedings on March 15, 1973. The charges against Warren were read last as he had been singled out as the ringleader. The six pickets arrested in February appeared at the first of three trials of the Shrewsbury 24 on October 3, 1973. Warren and Tomlinson were charged with conspiracy to intimidate, causing an affray and unlawful assembly. The charges of affray and unlawful assembly were subsequently dismissed, but the two were jailed on conspiracy charges that dated back to 1875 and had never before been used in an industrial dispute. John Carpenter was given a suspended sentence of nine months. McKinsie Jones was regarded by the judge as not being in the same category as Warren and Tomlinson and sentenced to nine months on each of the three charges, sentences to run concurrently. John Llywarch and Kenneth OShea were given nine months suspended sentences. Tomlinson received a two-year sentence and Warren got three years. The remaining 18 pickets received sentences ranging from fines to suspended jail sentences. In the course of his prison sentence Warren was administered drugs known as the liquid cosh, which left him with the symptoms of Parkinsons Disease, confining him to a wheel chair prior to his death. The Labour government which took office in 1974 on the back of the miners strike refused to overturn the sentences. Several obituaries have paid tribute to Des Warrens uncompromising and principled stand for workers rights in the most difficult of circumstances. Using a term that he himself rejected on many occasions, Warren has been described as a martyr of the workers movement. But Warren is portrayed as simply a militant trade unionist who found himself in difficult circumstances and handled the situation with great courage. The real Des Warren can not be understood aside from his politics. Warren was singled out by the capitalist state because he was an outspoken socialist. Though Tomlinson to his credit stood by Des, the two were a mile apart politically. At the time of the strike Tomlinson was a member of the National Front and he continued to express racist views throughout their imprisonment. Only later did his experiences force him to revise his previous beliefs, but this has never gone much beyond a basic empathy with working people. While Tomlinson has sympathy for the working class as an oppressed class, he has no understanding of the working class as a revolutionary force for change. He thus says in an obituary to Warren published in the Guardian newspaper of May 1, Once we were in jail, I knew we werent going to get out. I had seen the money, the effort, which had gone into our arrest and prosecution. But Dezzie had absolute faith in the trade unionsand in their leadership. Here Tomlinson confuses Warrens faith in the capacity of the working class to defeat the ruling class with illusions in the trade union leaders. Warren could not be more explicit on his opinions regarding the union leadership. Citing notes for a letter from March 1976, he writes in his book The Key To My Cell: I feel bitterness, anger and loathing when I think of some of our trade union leaders bemoaning the nations ills and how the workers must endure a cut in their living standards in order to save the country from disastereven my kids would recognise that as a load of crap. Their phoney dealing with the government (which is holding me prisoner) is to batten down the working class and force them to accept capitalist answers to capitalisms problems. Leaders? As far as I can see the only time some of them take a lead is when they go to the front of the queue when honours are dished out. (The Key To My Cell, New Park (1982) p190) Regarding the leadership of his own union UCATT (Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians), Warren is even more hostile. In a letter responding to a request by UCATT leaders requesting to visit him in 1975 Warren wrote: I realise that many of my comrades will say that Im wrong not to meet them, that we must involve them in the campaign, but lets not forget the desperate, cowardly, self-interested role that these spineless maggots have played in the Shrewsbury issue. If Ive said it once Ive said it a thousand times that I dont take my imprisonment personally. The Tory Government wasnt interested in me or my 23 co-victims. They were attacking the trade union movement and, by failing to stand by us, the ECs of UCATT and the T&G [Transport and General Workers Union] failed to protect the movementa job they were well paid to do, and one that many rank and filers would do for the craft rate. So lets involve the UCATT EC in the campaign by all means, but not as fellow fighters in the struggle, but as the paid mercenaries they are. After all this time in prison I dont feel up to the level of diplomacy required to play footsie with traitors. I feel we should play straight. [ibid, p102] Warren was an active socialist at the time of the strike. He was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and following his abandonment by the Stalinists, he later declared himself a Trotskyist and joined the then British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP). It is for this reason that special mention should be made here of obituaries written by former leading members of the WRP. Neither a report by Dot Gibson published on April 26, or an obituary by Chris Corrigan published in the Independent newspaper, make any mention of Warrens political affiliations. While mentioning his memoirs published as The Key To My Cell, neither see fit to acknowledge him as a member of the political party of which they were both once prominent members. Neither do they feel the need to expose the role played by the Stalinists in conspiring to ensure that Warren served out his full sentence after a Labour government had come to power so as not to risk arousing the working class and threatening the Communist Partys relations with the Labour and trade union bureaucracy. While referring to the drug induced Parkinsons Disease, none of the obituaries published so far mention the fact that these drugs were taken by Warren on the advice of a Communist Party member who was a qualified doctor. Warren and the Communist Party To pay Warren the tribute which he deserves, it is necessary to examine his political evolution and the role played by those tendencies to which he gave allegiance. Warrens early political activity was in the union struggles within the construction industry. He was first elected a shop steward at the age of 23 on a McAlpines contract, building the Vauxhall factory at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool. Later Warren got a start on the Barbican site in London. The site was notorious for its militancy and was almost constantly in dispute. Within a short time, Warren became a shop steward. He was subsequently sacked after pulling the men out on strike and placed on the employers blacklist. Warren joined the Communist Party of Great Britain at a meeting in Liverpool in 1964 after thinking about it for 12 months. He says in his book: It seemed to me that the Communist Party stewards were doing most of the fighting... I wanted capitalism smashed. I saw trade union activity and industrial struggle as the mailed fist that would do the smashing. Just before the Shrewsbury trial I was on a sort of industrial treadmill, fighting again and again on sites, thinking: Some you win, some you dont. I felt that somehow we would break through politically. (ibid p12) Like many workers at the time, Warren was ignorant as to the real role of the Communist Party and saw it as the party that had led the workers to power in the Soviet revolution. In reality the British CP was the heir not of the Russian Revolution but its bureaucratic degeneration under the leadership of Joseph Stalin and the reactionary perspective of building socialism in one country. In Britain this translated into the British Road to Socialism, a perspective which argued that the circumstances in Britain meant that socialism would not require the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system but its democratic transformation by a Labour government. The British CP was still dominant in a number of industries through the national shop stewards movement and this was particularly true in construction. They did not seek to debate political questions with workers such as Warren, but simply kept them at a level of trade union militancy. Warren recalls: Although I had a great deal of discussion on the sites, I rarely went to political meetings. My relationship with the party was something like this: I was a fighter on the job, that was my role; the Partys leaders had the role of handling political questions. I thought that, inside the Party, there was an organised leadership which had its finger on the pulse of events and which knew how to deal with any situation that arose. However, I was to find that the Party leadership couldnt deliver. In the course of the 1972 builders strike Warren had tremendous faith in the CP and saw the Building Workers Charter group which they controlled as a vehicle by which to oppose the treachery of the official union leadership. During his imprisonment, however, bitter experiences forced Warren to re-evaluate his position. Far from being a rank and file alternative to the official bureaucracy, the Building Workers Charter acted as a buffer between the working class and the union bureaucracy, preventing workers from drawing any of the urgent political conclusions that flowed from the union leaderships hostility to the strike. The initial position of the CP was to argue for the line of the right wing of the union against national strike action, in favour of selective strikes. When this failed, they used the Charter Movement to come to the head of the strike, ensuring that it never went beyond the bounds of trade union militancy. The strike was ended with none of the workers demands being met, by a television announcement by then UCATT General Secretary George Smith, instructing the strikers to return to work. In the face of tremendous hostility, in region after region, the Stalinists pushed through votes at mass meetings and led the strikers back to work. While in jail Warren continued to consider the CP to be his party. But he cites a number of experiences with the CP leadership that disturbed him and contributed to his rejection of Stalinism upon his release. One of the chapters in Warrens book is titled A Blow From Ramelson and details the role played by the then industrial organiser of the Communist Party in attempting to get him to drop his demand for political prisoner status and go for parole, thus accepting the verdict of the courts. Contrary to prison rules which forbid the receipt of letters from one prisoner to another, Warren received a letter from Ricky Tomlinson. Regarding themselves as political prisoners, Warren and Tomlinson had undertaken a number of protests, including hunger strikes, refusing to wear prison clothes and other forms of non-cooperation in order to demand recognition as such. At this time they were both refusing to wear prison clothes and dressed only in a blanket. The purpose of the letter was to inform Warren that Tomlinson was giving up the protest and to persuade him to do the same. Tomlinson argued: The position has to be looked at as a whole: i.e., you, me, the families and the Labour movement. The solution is simple, its getting out as soon as possible, remember all those proverbs about bending with the wind and changing course in mid-stream, they could apply now. Well, thats about it Des, remember Ive made my decisions and I know if you dont agree, at least you will understand. In his own recently published biography Ricky, Tomlinson sheds more light on this incident. Tomlinson describes a visit from leading Stalinist Peter Carter along with two union activists, Billy Jones and Alan Abrahams, who had become a full time UCATT official in the aftermath of the strike. Abrahams informed Tomlinson, Dezzie isnt well. Hes not sleeping and the liquid cosh is messing up his head. His feet are bad, but they wont let him wear surgical shoes. He can barely walk.... Tomlinson was told that Warren would never come out while youre still in here. Abrahams continued, If you do the rest of your time, Dezzie wont last the distance. Hes got an extra year on you. [Ricky, Time Warner Books (2003) p182] Tomlinsons account is give additional weight when taken in the context of a letter received by Warren from Ramelson. Warren quotes: Your non-cooperation was the only form in which you could identify with the outside movement. There comes a time, however, in every form of action when consideration has to be given as to whether a particular form of action can any longer further the ultimate objective. Ramelson argued that Warrens non-cooperation was playing into the hands of the right wing. In my view therefore your continued non-cooperation, though it was certainly justified in the past, is playing into their hands for they are using this as the only remaining argument they have, hypocritically using the argument that your non-cooperation makes it difficult for Jenkins [then Labour home secretary] to move from his intransigent position, and it is having considerable effect on some members of the General Council who might otherwise take a more determined attitude for action. In a sense it is letting them off the hook.... Ramelson urged Warren to give up his protest, adding that if we cannot force your unconditional pardon through industrial action, Warrens supporters would understand him going for parole. Warren correctly interpreted this as the CP giving up on the Shrewsbury pickets and betraying the movement for their release. He says: Give up the protest! Get out anyway you can! Go for parole! We cannot force your release by action outside! The letter threw me. It was very confusing. I was convinced the action I was taking was correct, yet the letter was saying I was the only one out of step. If what the party was telling me was right, the Shrewsbury pickets might as well have pleaded guilty to the charges, done a deal and got suspended sentences. Yet Ramelson would not have written his letter without discussion with the Party Executive Committee... (ibid, pp130-131). Warren details the role of the CP and Ramelson in particular in winding up the campaign and refusing to expose the frame-up following his release from prison. It is not possible to go through this in any detail, but given its omission from all of the obituaries one must at least note the role of the CP in persuading Warren to take the liquid cosh which led to his Parkinsons disease. In March 1976, Warren was on one of the several hunger strikes he undertook while in prison, this time to demand his right to a single cell. Feeling more and more tense and unable to sleep, Warren was prescribed drugs by the prison doctor, Smith, but refused to take them. He believed it was not drugs he required but a single cell. He maintained this position until he was visited by a Dr. Alistaire Wilson, a long time member of the Communist Party. Warren told Wilson of the hunger strike and his sleeping problems. Wilsons advice was for Warren to place himself in the care of Dr. Smith. The drugs prescribed by Smith were known to prisoners as the liquid cosh because of the state of docility they imposed. The so-called treatment consisted of continuous doses of drugs, becoming stronger with each dose. They served to ensure that Warren remained in a zombie-like state and were designed to destroy his resistance. It is inconceivable that Wilson would have given his advice to cooperate with the drug regimen without discussion with the leadership of the CP. In truth, it was as much in their interests as those of the prison authorities to break Warren and render him docile. The Stalinists therefore bear full responsibility for the subsequent deterioration of Warrens health that ultimately led to his tragic death. Although he had begun to question the attitude of the CP to the Shrewsbury case, Warren still regarded it as his party upon leaving prison on August 5, 1976, after serving two years and eight months. He anticipated what he called a debriefing by the party leadership to draw the lessons of this entire period for the working class. But the Stalinists could not tolerate any discussion of the lessons of Shrewsbury and began to sideline Warren. The most obvious expression of this was when the party refused to assist in the publication of a pamphlet written by Warren in 1977, Shrewsbury: Whos Conspiracy? Not only would the CP not assist with printing or publishing of the pamphlet, but leading members such as Ramelson refused to even comment on the issues raised by Warren. With the assistance of some local Communist Party members, Warren was eventually able to produce a limited print run of 5,000. The CP then refused to even review it in the pages of its newspaper, the Morning Star, and only did so four months later as a result of Warrens persistence. A second edition of the pamphlet was published in 1980 by New Park Publications, the publishing house of the WRP. In an updated introduction Warren writes: It is largely unknown that as a result of ill-treatment and maladministration of drugs by the prison authorities during my three year sentence, I am a diagnosed sufferer from Parkinsons Disease. After consultations with specialists, my own doctor has recorded in writing that I am suffering from Parkinsonism caused by therapy given in prison. This has prevented me from campaigning in the movement with the vigour I would like. It is a condemnation of the movements leadershipboth left and rightthat the lessons of Shrewsbury are being ignored. Unfortunately, I also have to condemn the leadership of my own party, the Communist Party which I have belonged to for 16 years and am still a member of. Saying that the Party at the moment is in a stranglehold of reformism, Warren continues: Advocates of the British Road to Socialism stick their heads in the sand. They do their best to ignore anything which is a contradiction of the British Road, and this includes Shrewsbury. This is a very dangerous game when the movement is under fierce Tory attack, and a game Im not willing to play. I believe the interests of the working class can best be served by discussion of these issues. Warren proceeds to list some of the issues relating to the Shrewsbury case. Not surprisingly, such a discussion was never forthcoming within the CP. Rather, the Stalinists began a whispering campaign claiming that the drugs had affected his brain! Warren and Trotskyism On August 6 1980, Warren issued a statement explaining why he had resigned his membership of the Communist Party of Great Britain and joined the Workers Revolutionary Party. He explains how he came to understand that the Trotskyists, far from being splitters and provocateurs as the CP leaders had told him throughout his 16 years of membership, were in fact the only ones capable of leading the working class to socialism. After pointing out that the decision to join the WRP had been the product of four years of political discussion and study, not only with the WRP but with the hardline Stalinist New Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party, Warren wrote: I have now joined the Workers Revolutionary Party. I did so because it is a party of discipline and organisation. It knows what it is doing, where it is going and how it is going to get there. It is a party which generates confidence and belief in it. If you go into a battle you want to know who is either side of you and who is behind you. It is a tribute to Warrens commitment as a socialist that he consciously sought out an alternative to Stalinism. It is the greatest tragedy of Warrens life that he came to Trotskyism at a point where the British section had all but abandoned its historical struggle for Marxism. The forerunner of the WRP, the Socialist Labour League, had been founded in 1959 on the basis of the struggle within the Fourth International against the liquidationist tendency lead by Michel Pablo. This tendency argued that rather than construct independent revolutionary parties of the working class, it was necessary to adapt to the dominance of the Stalinist and Labour bureaucracies. A detailed explanation of these issues can be found in the World Socialist Web Sites commentary on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Committee of the Fourth International, which can be found here. Having led the fight against the American sections unprincipled reunification with the Pabloites in 1963, the British section itself began to increasingly adapt to the pressures of the post war period and the dominance of the Stalinist and reformist bureaucracies and various bourgeois nationalist movements. By the time Warren joined in 1980, the WRP was no longer interested in the development of Marxist consciousness in the working class or the training of its cadre in the history of Trotskyism. Therefore his political education was cut short at precisely the point where it should have taken an important new turn. Warren explains in his statement that although he joined the CP in 1964 and from that time considered himself a communist, his political education only really began when confronted with the necessity of understanding the historical reasons for the role played by Stalinism and the reasons for the CPs abandonment of Shrewsbury. He writes: My break with the CPGB began when I opened my mind to the questions that had been bothering me and started to look into its history. The book that made a strong impression on me was Stalinism in Britain (New Park 1970), which showed how the British CP had degenerated and abandoned the aims for which it had been founded. It made sense to me because of the bitter experiences which I had been through. It was not until recently that I obtained a copy of Khrushchevs speech to the 20th Congress of the CPSU [Communist Party of the Soviet Union] which blew the lid off Stalins crimes. This is never referred to in the CP. It was through this reading that I learnt about Trotsky and Trotskyism and began to see the way that history had been distorted. Having won Des Warren away from Stalinism as a result of their past history of principled struggle, the WRP leadership showed little interest in training him in the political principles and history of Trotskyism. By the time the conditions were created for this to be rectified, with the defeat of the opportunist leadership of the WRP and the resurgence of Marxism within the International Committee, Des was already in the advanced stages of Parkinsons Disease and too ill to assimilate the complex political questions involved in the split. Des Warren should be remembered as among the best representatives of a generation of workers profoundly convinced of the necessity for socialism, who do not shrink from the greatest of personal sacrifice in the fight for it. DP World, UAE Region, a major trade enabler, has rolled out a Covid-19 vaccination drive for its employees and their families and ensure secure operations during the pandemic to keep trade flowing. Arrangements to host two vaccination centres on ground in Jebel Ali Port are made in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and operated by Pure Health and Medi Q Healthcare. The concerted efforts of DP World, UAE Region and their enhanced competencies have accelerated the building and launching of these centres in a record time of five days. The company aims to cover over 10,000 employees and their families, and currently, the estimated number of people vaccinated per day stands at over 800. Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region said: In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to speed up the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines around the world, and as part of the Vaccine Logistics Alliance, in which DP World plays a vital role, we aim to make the vaccines available wherever needed to defeat the pandemic. As a trade enabler, we have kept trade flowing throughout the pandemic, ensuring people receive the vital supplies, which now include the vaccines. I would like to thank and commend the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), Pure Health and Medi Q Healthcare for their unmatched support and dedication to make this drive a success. Over4.2 million doses have been administered in the UAE, which takes the rate of doses per 100 people to 42.48.While we are faring exceptionally well, we must remember that our combined efforts are the need of the hour and will help us mitigate the impact of the virus, Al Muallem added. Nabil Qayed, Director of People & General Administration - People Department, DP World, UAE Region said: Our employees are our biggest asset. They work continuously to ensure that our operations are carried out uninterrupted, and their safety and well-being is always our top priority. With the vaccination drive, we hope to create a secure environment for the staff as it is crucial to improve employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity. DP World and UNICEF also recently announced a wide-ranging partnership to support the global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and related immunisation supplies in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Its ports and terminals, including the flagship Jebel Ali Port, will be used to ship, store and distribute auxiliary materials needed for the Covid-19 vaccine campaigns, such as syringes and safety boxes. TradeArabia News Service Recently President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited locations o Jewellery House Estet within the scope of his three-days state visit, Rough&Polished were reported at the jewellery manufacturing company. Serzh Sargsyan was warmly and sonorously received by the Chairman of Estet Gagik Gevorkyan. Accompanied with the First Lady and a delegation of ministers of foreign affairs, economy, culture and science, Mr. Sargsyan took a tour over jewellery manufacturing units of the Jewellery House Estet, where Gagik Gevorkyan got him familiarized with various stages of jewellery manufacturing process and technological novelties implemented by the company and showed him some tricks of the trade. President of Armenia learned jewellery manufacturing process with interest and got acquainted with the major staff of jewelers, most of which (over 400 employees) were representatives of Armenian expat community. Serzh Sargsyan also attended the exhibition Jewellery Art of Russia: Traditions and Modernity, which was organized by Jewellery House Estet jointly with the Guild of Russian Jewellers and featured traditions of the Russian jewellery crafts. Tatiana Alexandrova, Rough&Polished, Moscow "The suite experience with Hurtigruten provides well-appointed accommodations with expansive windows and balconies, and in some cases a private hot tub, offering the best views of the destinations we visit that are perfect to share with fellow travelers," said John Downey, president of Hurtigruten Americas. "Suite guests can look forward to a warm welcome, including a small gift from us upon arrival, two comfortable bathrobes and detailed touches like a traditional Norwegian blanket to cozy up with." The Suites for your Sweet offer is available on a select number of itineraries including voyages on the world's two first hybrid electric powered ships, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen. Love will be on the sea and in the air as guests explore destinations including: Alaska and British Columbia Travelers can explore Alaska's wild landscapes in the Misty Fjords Icy Bay and Aleutian Islands as they keep an eye out for brown and black bears and bald eagles. Hurtigruten takes guests to the frontier towns of Wrangell, Sitka and Nome, providing a look at the history of early settlers. Highlights of Antarctica Guests can snuggle up as they take in Antarctica's ice wilderness, stunning landscapes and heart-warming wildlife including world-famous penguins and whales. Active excursions take explorers to the places others cannot access, allowing guests to get up, close and personal with nature without disturbing the natural habitat. The Scottish Isles Explores can warm up with authentic Scottish whiskies, straight from the barrel, as they discover the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. Native wild life, including a variety of bird species, will present themselves in St. Kilda and Treshnish Isles. Travelers can always feel confident booking thanks to Hurtigruten's Book With Confidence cancellation policy. To learn more about the Suites for Your Sweet offer, future guests can contact a local travel agent, visit www.hurtigruten.com/offers/suites-for-your-sweet/ or call Hurtigruten at 1-866-679-8305. About Hurtigruten Hurtigruten is the world leader in exploration travel. As the largest cruise operator in polar waters, and with 126 years of know-how, they offer immersive experiences to some of the world's most pristine and remote destinations, including Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Canada and the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Svalbard, and more. Hurtigruten's fleet consists of 14 expedition ships, custom built for adventure travel, including two of the world's first hybrid electric-powered ships, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen. These ships are two of the most advanced and environmentally friendly expedition vessels at sea. Hurtigruten is an industry leader in sustainability, with a deep commitment to improving the marine environments they call home. SOURCE Hurtigruten Related Links www.hurtigruten.com Britain and Spain are at odds over the so-called vaccine passport which should have made it easier to travel to the Balearics and the rest of Spain. Despite press speculation including an article in The Times last week which suggested that Britain was preparing to introduce the passport, a British minister has poured cold water over the suggestion. Spain is pushing the European Union for the introduction of the passport. Spain has said it would make travel to Spain easier. But British vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawissaid over the weekend there were several reasons why vaccine passports would not be introduced, not least because the vaccine was not mandatory in the UK. "That's not how we do things. We do them by consent," he said. Zahawi said vaccine passports would be "discriminatory" and it wasn't clear what impact they would have on transmission of the virus. He said people could talk to their doctor if they needed written evidence to travel. China has formally arrested Australian journalist and television anchor Cheng Lei on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. Cheng was detained in August last year, but China's decision to arrest her signals the start of an official investigation. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government had regularly raised concerns about Cheng's welfare since she was detained. China has formally arrested Australian journalist and television anchor Cheng Lei (pictured) on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas Cheng (pictured) was detained in August last year, but China's decision to arrest her signals the start of an official investigation 'We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms,' Senator Payne said on Monday. Australian embassy officials have visited Ms Cheng six times since her detention, most recently on January 27. 'Our thoughts are with Ms Cheng and her family during this difficult period,' Senator Payne said. Born in China, Cheng studied commerce at the University of Queensland before working for Cadbury Schweppes and ExxonMobil in Australia. After moving to China, Cheng worked for the Chinese government's English-language network CGTN. Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been formally arrested in China after some six months in detention "on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas," Australia's government said. The big picture: Already strained relations between China and Australia have deteriorated since Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Support safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. In September, two other Australian journalists were flown home from China after seeking diplomatic refuge following visits by police. The police said they were "persons of interest in an investigation" into Cheng, who had been a TV presenter for Chinese state media outlet CGTN before her detention, according to the journalists. What they're saying: "We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms," said Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne in a statement. Be smart: sign up FREE for the most influential newsletter in America. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. The OPEC+ alliance of oil producers will face a big test of its cohesion in a few weeks, when ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia meet to discuss the next step in their production deal aimed at rebalancing the worlds oil supply with recovering demand. Things have almost moved too quickly in their favour. Recent increases in crude prices and the rapid drawing down of visible stockpiles will undoubtedly lead to calls for a more rapid raising of production targets than was envisaged in December. That may well reignite tensions between the co-leaders of the group, Saudi Arabia and Russia, with the potential for more brinkmanship that could undermine the price recovery. The report card was very good when the producer groups monitoring committee met last week to evaluate progress so far: Aggregate compliance with the deal since it came into effect in May is at an unprecedented 99%. Brent crude prices are testing $60 a barrel, a level not seen in more than a year. Commercial oil stockpiles in developed nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are coming down. The group now expects them to fall below their five-year (2015-2019) average by Augusta key target for Riyadh. How could anything possibly go wrong? Well, despite these successes, Saudi Arabia still seems obsessed with making every member but one honour output commitments. After all, more than half of countries that signed up to the output-cutting deal have failed to fully meet their obligations. And, as has so often happened in the past, the lions share of responsibility to meet OPEC+ goals has rested on Saudi Arabia, which, by December, had cut 37 million barrels more than its original pledge. This obsession with individual compliance has led to Nigerias oil minister being tasked with bringing other African producersCongo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and South Sudaninto full conformity with their supply adjustments". It all feels over the top, given the quantities at stake and the potential impact on the ground. For example, Equatorial Guinea would have to stop pumping altogether for about 15 days to compensate for its overproduction. For South Sudan, one of the worlds poorest countries, it would require two-and-a-half months with no production at all. But Russia, the single biggest over-producer of OPEC+, is under no pressure at all. Despite OPEC+s stellar record so far, the continued pressure on these small producers, while not only turning a blind eye to Russias output but even letting it raise production, indicates just how fragile the producer group really is. It could afford to see the four African members walk away from the deal. At 740,000 barrels a day, their combined production in December was just 8% of Russias 9.11 million barrels a day. Much more importantly, they are all producing oil at close to capacity, meaning they could add almost nothing more to supply going forward. Russia, on the other hand, could boost its production by 1.2 million barrels a day if its not kept in the agreement. And thats where its power lies. Early next month, OPEC+ oil ministers will meet to discuss production plans for April. Saudi Arabia will be adding back the 1 million barrels a day of its voluntary cuts for February and March, and, if oil prices remain at or rise above current levels, Russia will again push to raise targets. The amendment agreed to in December allows for monthly changes in the collective target of up to 500,000 barrels a day until a total of 2 million barrels has been added back. The first such increase came into effect last month. Given that Russia and Kazakhstan received their shares of the next increase spread over February and March, any output increases for April should, by rights, exclude them. I cant see that going down well in Moscow. Russia is already dealing with record fuel prices and oil companies have been instructed to divert more of their crude to domestic refineries and away from more lucrative exports. Russia is not an OPEC member and it took a lot of wooing to get it to join the wider alliance. It clearly wants to avoid handing the fruits of OPEC+s hard labour to others and is particularly concerned about stimulating the US shale industry by allowing prices to rise too far. Moscow may well want to claw back market share relinquished through the supply cuts more quickly than is comfortable for Saudi Arabia and others. The rest of OPEC+ may have little alternative but to accede to its demands. They remember only too well what happened last time they failed to keep Russia on boarda production free-for-all that saw prices tumble below $20 a barrel. Nobody wants a repeat of that. Julian Lee is an oil strategist for Bloomberg First Word Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. For the second straight year, the coronavirus pandemic has turned Fleet Week New York into a virtual event. The Navy announced Monday the cancellation of in-person events associated with annual Navy-sponsored event that is scheduled May 26-31. Instead the Navy will host events on social media, officials said. Videos posted on social media as part of Virtual Fleet Week New York 2020 were viewed by more than 170,000 people, allowing the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to show off their capabilities. Thats 66,000 more than the 103,000 who took tours of ships moored throughout the city or saw aircraft displays at various parks and schools in 2019. The Navy is committed to doing everything it can to defeat the coronavirus, Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement. Keeping our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen at home is the best way to ensure we protect the health and safety of New York and our force so we can return to normal as soon as possible. Virtual Fleet Week New York content posted across all platforms, including photos, graphics, videos, Instagram stories and text, reached more than 2 million people in 2020, officials said. Were excited to once again connect with people online in New York and around the world, Rock said. No matter where you are, people will be able to find us on social media and watch whenever it is convenient for them. This years schedule of events is still under development, but will be posted on Fleet Week New Yorks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. For up-to-date information on all FWNY events, Like FleetWeekNewYork on Facebook, and Follow @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter and Instagram. NEW DELHI: Domestic cryptocurrency platforms are coming together to launch a new campaign meant to deter the Indian government from banning private cryptocurrencies in the country. The companies have launched a platform called Indiawantsbitcoin.org, which allows anyone to send an email to their respective Members of Parliament (MP), showing support for cryptocurrencies. The platform contains a ready to send draft email, requiring users to simply select their state and district. The email expresses delight" at the prospect of creating Indias own digital currency, but also claims that the country has 10-20 million crypto users and over 340 startups in the space. The platforms also said that trading volumes in Indias top crypto exchanges have grown by over 500% in 2020. According to data from market research firm Venture Intelligence, investments worth $24 million went into cryptocurrency firms in India in 2020. Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports The industry has been nervous since the central government announced plans to ban the use of private cryptocurrencies in India late last month. The same was announced via the agenda for the Budget session of the Parliament. The government is expected to introduce a bill aimed to create a framework for Indias own digital currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This bill will also prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India". The definition of private cryptocurrency" hasnt been clarified yet, but many expect this to amount to a ban on digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and more. Industry executives believe that the governments concern lies around the use of cryptocurrencies as an alternative to the Indian Rupee. However, many argued that currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and others are used more as assets than legal tender. "As an industry, were in sync with the fact that INR is the only legal tender in India and about crypto being an asset/utility that people buy and sell," said Nishcal Shetty, founder of Indias largest crypto exchange, WazirX, in a statement last week. The cryptocurrency industry in India has enjoyed a successful 2020, with more people investing in crypto as the pandemic led to big turmoil in the stock markets. The Supreme Court had also struck down an order by the RBI in March last year, which banned banks and other regulated entities from doing business with crypto firms. This new bill brings back memories of the draft Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill" floated by the government in 2019. That bill proposed the banning of such currencies and a fine or imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, for mining, holding, selling, trade, issuance, disposal or use of crypto in India. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. On the last day of her life, 79-year-old Patsy Gilreath Moore said goodbye to her three daughters while lying in the ICU ward of a Broward County hospital. She couldnt embrace them, as she had done so many times before. Instead, Moore listened to the voices of the three jewels of her life through a 13-inch iPad. Like so many other COVID-19 patients who have spent their last days in a hospital bed, Moore was not allowed to have visitorsa measure taken by many health care facilities across the nation to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. But even in her death, Moore, who was a Miami-Dade educator for nearly 40 years, has a valuable lesson to teachthat the COVID-19 vaccines will help bring an end to a devastating pandemic that has now taken nearly 450,000 lives in the United States. That would have been her message, said Moores daughter, Angela, a surgical nurse at Jackson Memorial Hospital. If she were alive today, she would have been first in line to get the shot. She would have said that the pain of a loved one taking their last breath and not being able to say goodbye to family members in person is just too heartbreaking, and that if the vaccine can prevent that, we all need to roll up our sleeves and get it. That may prove a difficult message to get across to some groups. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, about 35 percent of Black Americans, a group disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, said they definitely or probably would not get the COVID-19 vaccine. At Simonhoff Park in Liberty City, where a memorial honoring the many Miami-Dade County residents who have died of COVID-19 has been erected, Joanna Moore writes the name of her mother, Patsy Gilreath Moore, on one of the temporary tombstones while her sisters, Angela, left, and Rachel look on. Photo: Robert C. Jones Jr./University of Miami Mistreatment yields mistrust Indeed, skepticism over the vaccine runs deep in many communities of colora mistrust fueled in part by a long history of medical mistreatment. One example was the injustice of the Tuskegee syphilis study, where a group of 600 mostly poor Black men from Macon County, Alabama, were told they were being treated for bad blood. They were promised free health care and free meals. But what they were not told was that they were human guinea pigs, subjects of a government-backed study to track the progression of untreated syphilis. A total of 399 of those men had syphilis, yet even when penicillin became the standard treatment for the deadly venereal disease in 1947, they were denied the antibiotic. Dozens died. And the study, which began in 1932, didnt end until 40 years later, when the press exposed it. The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male by the U.S. Public Health Service is the example most often cited to explain the mistrust some Black Americans harbor toward the vaccine. But in reality there are a multitude of reasons built into that lack of trustworthiness, said Sannisha Dale, a health psychologist in the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences. Its not just Tuskegee, Dale explained. If you ask some Black Americans about their views around the vaccine or their views around medicine and their trust towards doctors and institutions, theres going to be a level of cautiousness, and a big part of that stems from what historical trauma looks like and what discrimination looks like on a day-to-day basis. It hasnt been that long ago that Black Americans would show up at hospitals and be turned away because it was segregated. Debunking the myths Olveen Carrasquillo, a Miller School of Medicine physician and researcher, calls them conspiracy-fueled mythswild theories about the coronavirus vaccines that are coming from who knows where. There are rumors like the one about the vaccines containing small robots or computers. And others that say the vaccinations are embedded with tracking chips that would be activated by 5G wireless technology. Whatever the case, such misinformation is helping to fuel hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccines among some groups. But Carrasquillo, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine who led one of the trials for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, is doing something about it. Using education and outreach, he is spearheading a National Institutes of Health-funded statewide study that is devising strategies to dispel erroneous information about the vaccines and, more importantly, answer the legitimate questions many people have. There are certain community enclaves in Miami that are more isolated, and theyre getting information from sources that are harder for us to tap into and to counteract, said Carrasquillo, who is also co-director for community and stakeholder engagement at the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute. In addition to conspiracies, there are also the legitimate questions that we can address: How were the vaccines developed so quickly? What are the side effects? Will I be a guinea pig? His research group has successfully brought community leaders and partners onboard, organizing online focus groups and surveys to find out what people are saying and then rolling out content that successfully addresses community concerns. One positive sign that should help quash the miscommunication and persuade more groups to trust the vaccines are the scores of health care workers, from doctors to nurses, who are setting an example by being among the first to get inoculated. Its having a positive impact, said Carrasquillo, a national expert on minority health and health disparities. Im a lot more optimistic today than I was a few weeks ago. The 3 Cs Model Vaccine hesitancy isnt specific to any one segment of the population. Other groups have expressed a disbelief in the vaccines as well. It is a mistrust influenced by three factors the World Health Organization has identified as confidence, complacency, and convenience, said Eric C. Brown, an associate professor of public health sciences at the Miller School of Medicine. Confidence refers to a lack of trust in the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine and a lack of trust in the system that would deliver it, explained Brown. Complacency is where the risks of disease are determined to be low. To some people, the vaccination is not really necessary or a high priority. Theyre complacent about COVID-19 in general and think the numbers are exaggerated, he added. Then theres convenience. If its not convenient to get the vaccine, people arent going to get it. The vaccine has to come to us, to our neighborhood, or local Walgreens. And it has to be done in a way thats amenable. Brown, who directs the Ph.D. program in Prevention Science and Community Heath, has extended that so-called 3 Cs model, adding a fourth factorculture. Here in Miami, one big issue of culture is language, he explained. Are people getting information [about the vaccine] in Spanish, in Haitian Creole, or in whatever language they speak? And What about family history? Perhaps someone in a Latinx family had a very bad experience with a government-led health campaign, and that history carried over from generation to generation and worked its way into the culture as being part of distrust. Culture, Brown said, is also intertwined with socioeconomic status. People who are poor will likely put other high-priority responsibilitiessuch as buying food and caring for childrenabove getting vaccinated. New techniques for the flow and dissemination of data on vaccines need to be implemented, allowing people to access critical information much faster and for interventions like inoculations to take place, Brown said. And thats where the Vaccine Considerations Project, in which he is involved, comes into play. Created by Jared Krupnick, an aerospace engineer, website programmer and the founder of Uniting for Action, the initiative uses crowdsourcing techniques to collect and organize relevant vaccine-related health and safety concerns being expressed by medical professionals, epidemiologists, public health experts, and scientists. It then shares that information with anyone. The flow of information is no longer linear; its simultaneous. Everyone can put information in and take information out, Brown said. Students in his Disease Prevention and Health Promotion class are playing a key role in the project, examining and prioritizing information thats being submitted. Jasmine Nicole Jackson, a first-year masters student in the public health science program and a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked for six years in Malawi, said gathering and curating data for the Vaccine Considerations Project has been as much a benefit for her as it has been for those who are accessing the website. Im on the fence about the vaccine and so are my parents, Jackson revealed. This project is getting information out and in a way people can relate to and understand and not feel cut off from the science. Understanding the Science Trusting the science that went into creating the vaccines is critical to building trust. Its understandable that people will have questions about new interventions and new treatments before enthusiastically jumping in, said Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, associate professor of clinical medicine, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases, and principal investigator of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial at the University of Miami. Of course, groups that have experienced real trauma in the medical establishment before are going to have more questions. We have to acknowledge that history. For everyone, its about having an open conversation and being transparent about what we know and what we dont know. Doblecki-Lewis said it is important to remember that the vaccine has already gone through rigorous clinical trials and is now in a different phase. Its true that we dont have long-term data. That will eventually come. But we do have quite a bit of information about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, she said. She praised the many volunteers who participated in the trials, calling them the unsung heroes of the project. No one would be getting vaccines today if it werent for them. They made it happen and are continuing to play an important role as we continue to find out other things that are very important. Its great that the vaccines work, but we all want to know for how long. While the vaccines will help all groups, the conversation has to move beyond the science and address those issues that have plagued Black Americans and other marginalized groups for decades, health psychologist Dale said. We need to have a conversation about housing, about employment, about emergency funds that people need to make it through this pandemic, she stated. To say to a community that we care, and we see how youre being devastated, is to say that we see you holistically and we see all of the issues that this pandemic has exacerbated and brought to the forefront. One of those issues: the roadblocks Black Americans who want to get the vaccine are encountering. The zip codes that are heavily hit by COVID-19 and are home to many Black individuals face structural barriers such as the absence of health care facilities and inadequate public transportation infrastructure, Dale said. Equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine will entail bringing the vaccine to Black communities, financially supporting Black-led efforts, listening to and genuinely partnering with community members, and constantly aiming to address the structural inequities that unleashed the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black communities. And the work to address such inequities has to be informed by community leaders, whether it be trusted medical professionals or ministers preaching from the pulpit, she said. Richard Dunn, pastor at Faith Community Baptist Church in Miami, knows that better than anyone. He is part of an alliance, Keeping the Faith, that has organized COVID-19 testing at Black churches and other sites in the county, and which is partnering with local physicians to help educate minority communities about the vaccines. Weve had parishioners who have contracted the virus. Weve had a longtime deacon who died from the virus. Yet many of the seniors I know, either through the church or in the community, are reluctant to get the vaccine, Dunn said. So, when my time comes to get vaccinated, Ill be excited to get the shot. It will hopefully serve as an example that its something we all need to do to help achieve herd immunity, Dunn said, adding that he plans to post a short video of his vaccination on his churchs Facebook page. Angela Moore and her two sisters, Rachel and Joanna, said they will forever try to live up to the example set by their mother. She watched the news every day, keeping track of the progress of vaccine development, Rachel said. She knew lives were on the line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has launched a large-scale public dialogue to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, which will consist of 30 large-scale weekly forums on vital issues for the country. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the head of state stated this in his speech at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" in Kyiv on Monday, February 8. "Today is the first event in which we are launching a series of 30 large-scale weekly forums in Ukraine. This is the launch of a large-scale public dialogue with the authorities, the public, our international partners, Ukrainian experts, scientists, journalists, and all ordinary citizens of Ukraine. Over the next few months, in addition to COVID-19, we will be talking about security and defense, peace and war, Crimea and Donbass. we will talk about security and defense, peace and war, Crimea and Donbas, utility tariffs, judicial and anti-corruption systems, agriculture, digitalization and infrastructure, education, science, culture and sports, the medical and social spheres, the Ukrainian industry, ecology, local self-government, and many other very important things that are the pillars of our independence," Zelensky said. He noted that the whole year, when Ukraine will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its independence, will be full of a number of events and important dates, and the format of the celebration on August 24 will be unprecedented for Ukraine. "But 30 years of independence are not just a date and a holiday. It is a time when we should sum up the preliminary results, admit mistakes, draw the right conclusions, set ambitious goals and move forward together. To do so, we all need a long, well-grounded, maybe hard but honest conversation. Therefore, every week this place will be a platform for the main topics of Ukraine, a place for dialogue, questions and answers, and most importantly, for finding and generating solutions," Zelensky said. In this context, he called on Ukrainian citizens to follow the discussions, especially in the context of the adoption of the law on people's power and future referendums in Ukraine. "These forums can give you an understanding of many processes, useful information and answers to very important questions," Zelensky said. op 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. Alia and Ranbir, who have been dating for almost three years now, are very vocal about their relationship in front of the media. In a recent interview, Ranbir even said that had it not been for Covid-19, the two might have gotten married last year. (Credit: Instagram) Lawyers for the Queen lobbied ministers to alter a draft law so that her private wealth could be kept secret, newly-uncovered records have suggested. Legislation was changed so that any 'potentially embarrassing' investments she held could be concealed from the public, it was alleged. The incident, which happened almost 50 years ago during the premiership of Edward Heath but was unearthed by The Guardian last night, is one of the rare examples of behind-the-scenes political involvement from the monarchy. Her Majesty's lawyers are said to have pressed ministers into altering measures in a planned Companies Bill. This would have allowed directors to demand that front companies holding their shares reveal the identities of the real owners of the shares. The Queen's lawyers lobbied ministers to alter a draft law so that her private wealth could be kept secret, records have suggested. The incident happened almost 50 years ago during the premiership of Edward Heath (pictured with Queen) Among those involved in altering the Bill, said to be in a bid to protect the Queen, was Geoffrey Howe, then trade and industry secretary and later chancellor and foreign secretary under Margaret Thatcher. Howe, who died in 2015, approved a fix developed by the Bank of England and civil servants, which was sold to the public as a means of protecting the identities of foreign heads of states and governments investing in Britain. He later wrote that he 'discussed this solution with the legal advisers to the Queen', who in turn said 'they could not ask us to do more'. The documents unearthed at the National Archives suggest there was alarm over the possibility that Her Majesty's shareholdings might be exposed in November 1973 when the Companies Bill was in preparation. According to a memo written by a civil servant, the approach to Heath's government came through lawyer Matthew Farrer of the law firm Farrer Co. The official noted: 'He regards any disclosure of beneficial ownership of shares by the Crown, even if restricted to the directors of the company, as potentially embarrassing, because of the risk of leaks.' This resulted in deep thinking at the Bank of England, followed by an alteration to the Bill which, it was said, would protect heads of state and foreign government interests from having to reveal their shareholdings. The attempt to bring transparency to the City collapsed because Heath's government ran into trouble and lost all its planned legislation when it called an election in February 1974. But it did go on to the statute book under Labour in 1976. Lawyers for Her Majesty (pictured attending a premiere in 1973) are said to have pressed ministers into altering measures in a planned Companies Bill Geoffrey Howe, then trade and industry secretary and later chancellor and foreign secretary under Margaret Thatcher, was among those involved in altering the Bill The documents suggest the Queen's legal team was given advance sight of the Bill under the constitutional procedure known as Queen's Consent, which requires the monarch to give approval when any new law affecting her powers or personal finances is brought forward. A royal spokesman said: 'Queen's Consent is a parliamentary process, with the role of sovereign purely formal. 'Consent is always granted by the monarch where requested by government. Any assertion that the sovereign has blocked legislation is simply incorrect. 'Whether Queen's Consent is required is decided by Parliament, independently from the Royal Household, in matters that would affect Crown interests.' A conspiracy? On this evidence, it's hardly compelling By Richard Kay for The Daily Mail For years, guessing how rich the Queen is has been a popular if exasperating parlour game. On the one hand, she is famously frugal, keeping warm with a 30 electric heater and sticking to for decades the same brand of 7.99 nail varnish. On the other, fabulously wealthy, with a portfolio that spans works of art and jewels to wind farms and thoroughbred race horses. But all the calculation added up to one thing: guesswork. The fact is the secrets of the Queen's wealth are stringently opaque. Once it was routine among compilers of those lists of the very wealthy to place the Queen as the richest woman in Britain, if not the world. Once it was routine among compilers of those lists of the very wealthy to place the Queen as the richest woman in Britain, if not the world Not any more: In the most recent Sunday Times Rich List of the 1,000 richest people in the country, she was sandwiched between hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and delivery firm tycoon Steve Parkin at a lowly 372, with a fortune estimated at 350million down, incidentally, by 20million on the year before. However, the details of her wealth such as her investments and shareholdings remain unknown. So what should we make of claims from the Guardian, a newspaper with historically anti-monarchy views, that during the 1970s the Queen successfully lobbied the Government to change a draft law to conceal her 'embarrassing' private wealth from the public? It claimed she had used an arcane parliamentary procedure called 'Queen's Consent' to discreetly influence the drawing-up of laws. First of all, the revelation is not new. It surfaced at the time and, more than 30 years ago, the royal biographer Andrew Morton revealed how shares thought to be owned by the Queen had been transferred into a shell company called Bank of England Nominees, which drew a veil of secrecy over her investments and stock market activity. One justification for such a move to hide her shares portfolio was that public knowledge about where the Queen invested her money might influence the market. While undoubtedly convenient in shielding the Queen's finances, it also seems plausible. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after her coronation at Westminster Abbey Consider too the firms who might benefit from royal investments. Were they to be identified, it could strategically and commercially disadvantage them because of the increase in public scrutiny that would become inevitable. This could be particularly relevant in a new company, say one involved in cutting-edge technology, as such disclosures could benefit rivals. As one City figure says: 'It might drive up a company's share price, but it might also drive it down.' Of course, the question can fairly be asked why the Queen's subjects need to know anyway about her private means, which are quite separate from the government funds intended to pay for her expenses as Head of State. But there has been public fascination in the monarchy's wealth since the days of the profligate King George III who was so much in debt he handed income from Crown land to the government in exchange for a Civil List, an annual payment which Parliament had to approve and which existed for 250 years. The distinction of the Queen's official wealth and her private fortune has not always been clear. For example, although the estates of Balmoral and Sandringham acquired in Victoria's reign are said to be the Queen's private property, there have been claims over the years from historians that Victoria and Prince Albert acquired them at least partly with money diverted from the Civil List. In which case, would the state have a claim on them? What is intriguing about the revelations, unearthed in the National Archives, is how the Queen's then-personal lawyer Matthew Farrer visited civil servants to discuss the implications of proposed legislation before it was signed into law. But there is one important factor here. For when the Companies Bill finally made it on to the statute book, it did not change the status quo of the Queen's private investments: It simply maintained it. All the same, it does lift the veil on the silky workings of the Palace and the curious relationship between Parliament and monarchy. But does this reveal some hidden conspiracy between Government and sovereign to protect her private wealth? On the evidence supplied by the Guardian, it is hardly compelling. COVID-19 disease is caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. As of today, there have been over 106 million reported infections of SARS-CoV-2 and more than 2.31 million deaths attributed to COVID-19 disease globally. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of molecular surveillance to understand the evolution of the virus and to monitor and plan the epidemiological responses An epidemiological approach to surveillance aims at finding the source of an outbreak and the nature of transmission chains. Some tools ideal for this purpose are phylogenetic trees, maps, and timelines. However, a pathogen-related approach that focuses on vaccinations, treatments, and resistances needs method-specific visualizations and offers several specific applications. Public health research groups or researchers from universities often study the same pathogens but may still need slightly different visualizations, for example, to analyze different genes, which can necessitate time-consuming adaptions. Hence, easy visualization, rapid analysis, and handy filtering of the latest sequences are vital for this approach. Making sequence information more easily accessible for epidemiologists and virologists In a recent bioRxiv* preprint research paper, scientists from Germany discuss how they made sequence information more easily accessible for epidemiologists and virologists. The researchers working together with German public health authorities developed a molecular surveillance tool called CovRadar for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The tool has an analysis pipeline and a web application. According to the researchers, CovRadar is very flexible and can handle large amounts of data, and users can customize it based on their needs. Both the pipeline and the app can be installed and run on local systems so that access-restricted sequences can be included, and all functionalities are offered at covradar.net. The coronavirus spike protein has a receptor-binding domain (RBD), which is a target for several vaccine candidates. CovRadar makes it possible to analyze and visualize more than 250,000 sequences. It first extracts the regions of interest using local alignment and then develops a multiple sequence alignment, infers variants, consensus sequences, and phylogenetic trees and then shows the results in an interactive app, making reporting handy and flexible. Allele frequency plot of the Danish mink sequences with framed receptor-binding domain (RBD). Each block represents a nucleotide in the MSA of spike gene sequences. Coordinates on the left are related to the MSA position. The plot shows frequencies > 0:8 for nucleotide positions corresponding to codons 6870, 453 and 614. CovRadar has a PDF-like reporting layout with interactive functionalities The interactive report on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is an application written in Flask and Dash and is linked to a MySQL database. The web app layout is similar to a PDF report with interactive functionalities, including filtering, printing, and navigation in the side menu bars. Users can save the tables and plots in the form of excel sheets and PNG, respectively, to use them in other ways. All elements, including plots and tables, are directly editable. CovRadar can help with situations where zoonotic transmissions with host-specific mutations are possible. Several mutations are currently under discussion to determine if they are related to mink and their significance for the vaccines in development. With the help of CovRadar, the researchers analyzed the positions in the current Danish mink data with high allele frequencies and compared the data with human data both before and after the mink outbreak. They found an increase of alternative alleles mainly at codon positions 453 and 6870, which could be related to Y435F and del69-70. CovRadar is accessible free of cost at https://covradar.net. It is open-source code is available at https://gitlab.com/dacs-hpi/covradar. CovRadar was designed to assist the molecular surveillance of the Corona spike protein used as target for most vaccine candidates. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. YEREVAN, 8 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 8 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.67 drams to 521.80 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.46 drams to 627.67 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 7.01 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.86 drams to 715.34 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 324.50 drams to 30246.75 drams. Silver price up by 2.75 drams to 445.07 drams. Platinum price up by 644.08 drams to 18806.19 drams. [February 08, 2021] Edgemont Partners Advises Bridges Inc. on Sale to Proud Moments ABA Edgemont Partners ("Edgemont"), a premier healthcare investment bank and a leading M&A and capital raising advisor exclusively serving healthcare companies, announced that it acted as exclusive financial advisor to Bridges: Educational Services for Children with Autism, Inc. ("Bridges") in its sale to Proud Moments ABA ("Proud Moments"). The terms of the transaction, which closed on February 5, 2021, were not disclosed. The Edgemont deal team was led by Rajat Bangar, Managing Director, with execution support from Vice President Brandon Breslow, Associates Omar Champsi and Michael Veverka, and Analyst, Kabir Thakral. This marks the eighth autism services transaction closed by Edgemont's senior bankers. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bridges is a leading provider of ABA and other behavioral health services in central New Mexico. Founded and led by Stacy Ertle, Bridges has demonstrated a strong commitment to individuals and families impacted by autism in New Mexico. Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bridges posted a record year of performance while continuing to provide uninterrupted service to the New Mexico autism community. Acquiring Bridges further propels Proud Moments' growth in the Southwest and accelerates Bridges' mission to expand access to quality care in a historically undeserved community. "In Proud Moments, Bridges has found the ideal partner to expand Autism services across New Mexico and the Southwest. Our shared commitment to exceptional outcomes for our children and families living with Autism is the cornerstone of everything we do," said Bridges Founder, Stacy Ertle. "We are excited to join the Proud Moments team!" she added. "The Bridges team has built an incredibly important service for families in the New Mexico community. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with them and their talented therapists and staff and look forward to continuing to provide the gold standard of care for children with autism in this community," added Eli Rubin, CEO of Proud Moments. About Bridges Bridges is central New Mexico's premier behavioral healthcare provider serving individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum (News - Alert) Disorder. New Mexico-owned and operated for over 20 years, Bridges is one of the state's first providers devoted to meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Bridges aims to give children and adults with Autism the tools necessary to reach their fullest potential. About Proud Moments Proud Moments is a national organization founded in 2014 with a mission to provide the gold standard of care to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, while allowing their families the ability to affect positive change in their family dynamics. Its highly qualified clinicians possess years of experience and training, and utilize their extensive skills to improve social, behavioral and adaptive skills with individually tailored programs. Proud Moments provides services across New York State, New Jersey, Nevada, Tennessee, Virginia, the Washington DC/Maryland area, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. The organization offers expert treatment, innovative techniques, and compassionate, child-centered care, scheduled at families' convenience. About Edgemont Partners Now in its 20th year, Edgemont ranks among the most active and best-performing independent healthcare M&A and financial advisors in the U.S. We focus solely on providing expert strategic advice and transaction execution to healthcare and life sciences companies, bringing a steadfast commitment to our clients, driven always to prioritize their best interests. Edgemont's principals have executed 170+ transactions with an aggregate value of $65 billion+. For more information on Edgemont and how we can best serve you, contact Ben Hughes at +1 (646) 632-3967, or visit our website at www.edgemont.com. Investment banking services are provided by Edgemont Capital Partners, LP, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005514/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 18:35:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A fire breaks out at a power station near Athens, Greece, on Feb. 7, 2021. A large part of Athens, Piraeus, parts of the Peloponnese peninsula and nearby islands experienced power cuts around midnight Sunday after the fire broke out. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua) ATHENS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A large part of Athens, Piraeus, parts of the Peloponnese peninsula and nearby islands experienced power cuts around midnight Sunday after a fire broke out at a power station near the Greek capital, authorities announced. The fire was caused by a technical failure and power cuts were restored within an hour, the Fire Brigade and the Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A. said in press statements. A Fox News guest accused Michelle Obama of doing nothing to assist with schools reopening amid the pandemic (Getty Images) A Fox News pundit has accused Michelle Obama of doing nothing to assist with schools reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. The accusations came from contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy when discussing the current situation Chicago schools, and other areas across the country, were seeing with teacher unions fighting against reopening the institutions over safety concerns. "Who is looking out for you when it comes to getting children back in the classroom?" host Harris Faulkner asked at the start of the segment. Ms Campos-Duffy responded: "Joe Biden and the Democrat Party are beholden to the teachers unions. They have way too much power. They are holding families and children hostage." "Frankly, they're holding the entire country hostage," she added. She claimed that the Obama family held the power to reopen schools, specifically in Chicago, with "with one little tweet." "They have not been shy about stepping into politics," Ms Campos-Duffy said. "Not just presidential politics but Michelle Obama used her powerful platform in defence of children who came here illegally at the border with the so-called cages that, in fact, her husband built. So she's not afraid to weigh in on behalf of children who are not American citizens. But she has done nothing and same with her husband and same with Joe Biden in defence of the children of Chicago and of this country who are beholden and held hostage to the unions." Democratic strategist Jose Aristimuno pushed back on the claims that the Biden administration has done nothing in recent days in order to get children back into classrooms. "President Biden has been in office for 19 days," Mr Aristimuno said. "He declared this a national emergency. We're going to get children in school. He recognises it's important but we've got to do it in a safe manner. The CDC is going to come out with guidance this week that will allow public schools to do so." Story continues "We should root for the president to get this done," he added. Reopening schools was a key aspect of Mr Biden's coronavirus response plan to get the nation back to normal. But his administration has faced pushback for how these schools could reopen without all teachers vaccinated. States like Texas and Florida have ordered publicly-funded schools to reopen amid the pandemic, forcing teachers into the classroom. But California and Illinois are in bitter negotiation battles between local governments and teacher unions over the issue. When discussing the vaccine rollout last week, Dr Rochelle Walenesky, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director, said "there is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen" and noted that "vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools". She added on Friday that the CDC would release guidance this week to assist schools on reopening as more of the country gets vaccinated. "Our goal is to get children back to school. School should be the last places closed and the first places open. Our goal is to make sure in getting children back to school that we do so both with the safety of the children and the safety of the teachers," Dr Walensky said. But the Biden administration has grappled with the difficult question of forcing teachers back before they're vaccinated, which goes against what some teacher unions want, or bending to these unions despite what recent scientific data has suggested about school safety and the spread of Covid-19. According to one study from CDC researchers, only 3.7 per cent of documented Covid-19 cases among staff and students "were linked to in-school transmission, and all seven were among children" when examining 17 schools in Wisconsin over the course of three months. Mr Biden addressed the issue when speaking to CBS News' Norah O'Donnell on Sunday, saying he believed schools could reopen with specific safety measures. "You have to have fewer people in classrooms. You have to have ventilation systems that have been re-worked," he said. "Our CDC commissioner is going to be coming out with science-based judgement within I think as early as Wednesday to lay out what the minimum requirements are." Read More US administers more than 4 million Covid vaccines to most vulnerable: We are on the path to protection UK Covid variant rapidly spreading in US and doubling every 10 days, study says Biden says crisis facing schoolchildren due to Covid is a national emergency (Newser) TikTok dance challenges: fun, but apparently not OK to do from jail. Casanova found that out the hard way, according to TMZ. The rapper, jailed in New York on a gang-related racketeering charge, now faces discipline after a woman recorded him doing the "junebug challenge" during a video visit and then posted the video on social media. (The challenge involves dancing in odd locations; others have filmed themselves on the hood of a car or in a bathroom.) Recording videos and taking pictures during visits are prohibited at Westchester County Jail, and now his visit privileges have been yanked. He also faces disciplinary action for not wearing a mask during the visit. story continues below "I am unaware of the specific allegations; however, this does appear to be a harmless infraction under the circumstances," his lawyer says. "These fellas are in prison, with no visits or meaningful contact with their loved ones. It is unimaginably difficult to keep your spirits and faith under such circumstances." But Westchester Correction Commissioner Joseph Spano tells the Journal News, "I'm happy to say we don't have a lot of issues with video visits because inmates know it's a privilege, not a right." (Read more TikTok stories.) Burma Public Backlash, Sanctions Threat Put Myanmar Junta Appointees in Tight Spot U Thaung Tin speaks to the media in May 2014. The cabinet of Myanmars military junta comprises generals, ex-military officials and some members of its political proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). Some of the new ministers were simply informed at the last minute of their appointments. At least one civilian reportedly declined to join: U Thaung Tin, the founder of KMD Computer Group, was offered the Transport and Communications portfolio but turned it down. U Thaung Tin was one of the civilian ministers in then-President U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government, serving as deputy minister of communications and information technology. Though he reportedly declined the invitation to join the current juntas cabinet, U Thaung Tins name still appears among the members of the newly handpicked Union Election Commission (UEC). The military-appointed electoral body includes six members led by chairman U Thein Soe. The new chairman is believed to be the former military judge advocate-general who oversaw the 2010 general election, which was widely condemned as a sham. U Thaung Tins appointment to the new UEC has already met with blowback, with netizens urging a boycott of KMD. A name-and-shame campaign targeting supporters of the coup and members of the militarys governing body, the State Administrative Council, is rapidly picking up steam in Myanmar. Some ethnic politicians close to the military, and who were opposed to de facto national leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyis ousted government, are among those currently facing ridicule and boycotts on social media from an outraged public. Western governments led by the US are soon expected to impose targeted sanctions on the coup makers and the juntas ministers, key supporters and business associates. On Tuesday, the Biden administration said the militarys overthrow of Myanmars civilian leadership met the legal definition of a coup. The official designation is significant because it restricts US aid to governments that have taken power by military means. The US is said to be preparing to impose sanctions in the near future. Meanwhile, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and several ministers from the former NLD-led government remain under house arrest. Legal cases have been filed against her and the former president, and both face trials. U Min Thu, a former union minister for the Office of the Union Government who is close to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was also approached to serve in the new administration but declined. You may also like these stories: Amid Coup, Myanmars NLD Lawmakers Form Committee to Serve as Legitimate Parliament Following the Coup, Protesters and Police Face Off in Myanmar Tens of Thousands Take to Streets in Myanmar to Protest Military Regime WOODMERE, Ohio Political discord arising over an unlikely assortment of issues, including wayward chickens, a neglected website and an all-expense-paid sidewalk, threatens to upend the government in this tiny community on the eastern side of Cuyahoga County. Those of voting age in the village of fewer than 900 citizens are being asked this month to recall no fewer than four of the seven members of the Village Council, a radical though not unprecedented move in Ohios annals of modern municipal disputes. It was just like one thing after another with the chickens, said Rachel Kabb-Effron, an attorney and Woodmere resident of nine years, who is leading the recall effort. Whos doing what to whom? Kabb-Effron and her fellow recall supporters have dubbed themselves the Woodmere Project, intentionally alluding to the Lincoln Project, a campaign launched by maverick Republicans to keep Donald Trump from being re-elected as president in 2020. The Woodmere group obtained the 45 or more signatures of village voters as required by the village charter to force a vote to remove Council President Jennifer Mitchell Earley and council members Lisa Brockwell, Glenda Todd Miller, and Craig Wade. The special election is scheduled for Feb. 23, but early in-person voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections began Jan. 26. Votes also can be cast by mail. According to the Board of Elections, the villages voters get to cast ballots to retain or recall each of the four council members. So, some of the four council members could survive while others dont, rather than an all-in or all-out scenario. The village charter calls for any vacancies created by the recall to be filled by a majority vote of the remaining council members. So, if voters recall all four council members, at least two of the remaining three would need to agree on replacements. If a majority of the remaining council members cannot agree within 40 days, then the mayor would appoint a replacement. Any new council members would serve the unexpired terms of the council members they replaced. What are the perceived sins of the Woodmere Four? Those who work or reside outside the 208 acres that define Woodmere may best know the village, or perhaps only know the village, as a shopping and dining destination. Its host to Eaton Chagrin Boulevard, a posh setting for the likes of Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co. and Texas De Brazil. The seeds of the villages discontent, however, lie in much more pedestrian soil. As already mentioned, chickens figure into the allegations, or more precisely, a perception by the Woodmere Project that some Village Council members did not show the proper amount of sympathy to the owners of said chickens. The Woodmere Project also holds the four council members facing recall responsible for the villages dormant website, and for an unresolved dispute that has held up construction of a long stretch of sidewalk. Add a dash of good old-fashioned squabbling between council members and Mayor Ben Holbert and, voila, Kabb-Effron and her followers believe they have a volatile mix that needs to be neutralized by the voters. They run this village sort of like small children, said Kabb-Effron, whose husband, David had served on the villages Planning and Zoning Committee, but was not reappointed by council after the recall campaign began. I think they fight just to fight. Three of the four targeted council members - Brockwell, Earley and Wade agreed to interviews with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer and all said they acted responsibly and feel they do not deserve to be removed from office. Earley noted that she was the leading vote-getter in the last council election, though she has since detected an inexplicable change of attitude among some members of the public. Starting last August, she said, residents have been rude and boisterous during televised council meetings. They yell out. They speak out of turn. Theyre argumentative, she said. Whats the beef over chickens? Last year, Woodmere residents Daniel and Mehtap Akben acquired six chicks to amuse their three young children during their home confinement related to the coronavirus pandemic. To accommodate the chickens, he converted a playhouse into a fenced-in coop. The trouble began when the chickens began escaping through holes dug beneath the fence, possibly by raccoons or groundhogs, and free ranging in neighbors yards. Some neighbors complained and the Akbens ended up before Village Council to obtain a special use permit needed to keep chickens. Council delayed action to see if the Akbens and their neighbors could work something out. In the end, Daniel Akben gave the chickens to friends in Chesterland. He told his 3-year-old daughter, who was on the verge of tears, that the chicks went on a vacation. My neighbor is more important than the chickens, he told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Kabb-Effron was among those who felt the Village Council should have been more sympathetic to the Akbens. Mayor Holbert agrees, arguing that claims of chickens roaming the neighborhood were embellished and that greater accommodations could have been made to allow the birds to stay in the Akbens yard. An attorney for the four targeted council members, who unsuccessfully protested their recall petitions before the Board of Elections, states in a letter to the board that his clients acted properly in requiring the special use permit, which they eventually denied after the chickens had already been removed. Whats the objection to a free sidewalk? At issue is a proposed sidewalk that would run along the west side of Brainard Road from Chagrin Boulevard to the neighboring village of Orange. The pathway would provide greater safety for pedestrians, and according to Holbert, come with no cost to the village because state and county grants totaling $265,000 had been promised to pay for it. Brockwell, Earley, Miller and Wade are on record saying they support the sidewalk, but they voted against hiring a contractor to proceed with the project out of concern about unforeseen costs. Wade said he and his colleagues want more proof that accepting the state grant of $215,000 would not obligate the village to kick in $750,000 to construct what was is being called the Chagrin Gateway Pedestrian Trail. He also said the village has plenty of time to access the grant money. If he had been assured unequivocally that the sidewalk would not involve additional costs to the village, Wade said that voting to construct the sidewalk would have been a no-brainer for him. Brockwell shared similar concerns. She said the villages general fund had declined sharply over the past year and the village engineer could not guarantee that the cost of the sidewalk project would be covered by the grants. But Holbert, who has been on council in the past, said thats hogwash. The village engineer has repeatedly stated that the village would not be on the hook for one penny, the mayor said. Why cant the website be updated? By all accounts, the villages website has been largely dormant since April because an impasse between the mayor and Village Council has prevented changes from being made. Holbert said he has asked council to rehire the sites designer, but that council has refused. Earley said the web designer did not do a good job of keeping the site up to date. She added that Holbert has been asked to provide a password needed for council to have someone else do the work, but Holbert has refused to provide it. As a result, critics point to the website as a high-profile reminder of their dysfunctional village government. How dysfunctional can that be? The village has cancelled public meetings this year because of the inability to post required meeting notifications on the website. Holbert announced Friday that he remedied that problem by using his executive spending authority to hire a vendor to post all council and committee meetings for 2021, but that arrangements still have not been made to provide a full-service website. Earley said she regularly communicates with residents through a newsletter that she writes, but Holbert said the newsletter is not reliable because its more propaganda than it is quality information. How does the mayor figure into this? Holbert previously served with Earley on the Village Council. As mayor, he said he hoped to have a better relationship with Earley than she had with his predecessor, Chuck Smith. But that hasnt been the case. According to Holbert, Earley once accused him of harassment and the two have not talked one-on-one since 2018. Holbert said he is not part of the effort to recall the four council members and declined to say how he will vote. He also said he wont be telling other residents what they should do. But he did offer them one bit of advice. The only thing I ask is that they educate themselves on whats going on in their community, he said. How unusual is this recall election? Other recall elections in Ohio have targeted four elected officials, but they all have been unsuccessful. Records show that four of seven City Council members survived 2016 recall elections in Upper Arlington, a city of 33,000 northwest of Columbus. In Piqua, a city of 20,000 north of Dayton, the mayor and three council members withstood recall elections in 2011. In Ashtabula, an organization called Concerned Citizens for Progress mounted a campaign to oust four council members in 2009 only to discover the city charter did not allow recalls. But removing four elected officials from office might be unprecedented. It also would bring attention to a place that last made headlines more than a decade ago, when the police chief at the time accused the mayor at the time of harassment and settled with the village for nearly $1.4 million in damages. Garda forensic officers at a house in the Cloverhill area of Belturbet (Liam McBurney/PA) Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out following the discovery of two bodies at a house in Co Cavan. The victims have been named locally as Rolandas Jarmalvicius and Rita Martinkiene, both in their 40s, who were originally from Lithuania. They were found dead in a property in the Cloverhill area of Belturbet at around 8pm on Sunday. Gardai have described their deaths as unexplained. Post-mortem examinations and toxicology tests are set to determine the course of the investigation. Expand Close Garda forensic officers at the house in the Cloverhill area of Belturbet (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garda forensic officers at the house in the Cloverhill area of Belturbet (Liam McBurney/PA) The scene remained sealed off on Monday morning pending a technical examination. Gardai were alerted to the incident after the couple had not been seen in the area for a number of days. Local independent councillor Brendan Fay told the PA news agency he believes the pair are a foreign couple who have been living in the area for a number of years. He said: Its an awful tragedy. The whole community is in shock, especially the neighbours. Anyone Ive spoken to this morning is just stunned by it. Its a small rural community here in Belturbet and out hearts just go out to everyone involved. Forensic Gardai dressed in hazmat suits were pictured carrying out work at the house early on Monday morning. 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. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The families of Azerbaijani servicemen who are missing in action in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War are now appealing to the Armenian Prime Minister for help in order to reveal the fates of their loved ones after being ignored by the Defense Ministry of their own country. Azerbaijani news media reported that mothers of the missing soldiers are holding demonstrations outside the Defense Ministry building in Baku. I need Pashinyans help. Please, an Azerbaijani woman trying to find out the fate of her son said at the protest. Ive looked for my son. No one from the Defense Ministry helped me, she said ,adding that now the only solution for her is to address the Armenian Prime Minister. The mothers of missing troops are saying that the authorities in the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry are refusing to receive them and are ignoring their calls. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan UW Professor Jean Garrison Receives Seibold Professorship Jean Garrison Jean Garrison, a University of Wyoming professor of political science and international studies, is the recipient of the Seibold Professorship for 2021-22. The Seibold award -- given annually to UW College of Arts and Sciences faculty members who are focused on teaching -- will enable Garrison to spend the year curating elements of the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program, which she directs. The program creates greater depth and access in virtual civic engagement programming for K-12 social studies teachers. This project is a valuable UW partnership with Wyoming educators to address an immediate need due to the pandemic, but also develops a sustainable model that addresses UWs statewide land-grant mission virtually, Garrison says. By working with talented partners here at UW and around the state, we plan to expand the content of this curriculum catalog by taking feedback from teachers about what content their students need most and to expand the reach into other areas covered by Wyoming content and performance standards. During her Seibold year, she also will design a service-learning component for her classes and explore a partnership with F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne in national security studies. Garrison will build on a grant partnership with the Freie Universitat Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on Contestations of the Liberal Script to apply the civic engagement lens to questions of polarization and hyperpartisan politics from a local to global scale. Through the partnership with Freie Universitat Berlin, UW hosted a virtual global workshop last September on Global Leadership Crisis, Rising Inequalities and Culture Wars: Contestations of the Liberal Script in North America with participants from four continents. As part of the Seibold Professorship, Garrison will work with the leadership team on a book project, which is an outgrowth from the workshop, and plan for an in-person workshop hosted by UW. It is an honor to receive the Seibold Professorship, which provides me the time to work on projects that reflect my commitment to bring real-world experiences to our students and to share our work with communities around the state, Garrison says. The Seibold Professorship allows faculty members a years leave to pursue in-depth projects and research opportunities that will enrich their teaching as well as advance their professional lives. Bloomsbury has restructured the consumer division of Bloomsbury USA. Under the realignment, v-p and publishing director Cindy Loh, along with two other employees, will leave the publisher. Adrienne Vaughan, Bloomsbury USA executive director and chief operating officer, will assume the publishing director duties.With the restructuring, Lohs direct editorial reportsNancy Miller, associate publisher and editorial director; Liese Mayer, adult fiction editorial director; and Mary Kate Castellani, children's editorial directorwill report to Vaughan. In a statement, Vaughan thanked Loh for her efforts in moving Bloomsburys adult fiction in a new direction and for leading the childrens division through the development of major bestselling and award-winning authors including Sarah J. Maas, Brigid Kemmerer and Renee Watson. Vaughan added that she plans to build on Bloomsburys foundation to further establish Bloomsbury as a leading publisher in the U.S. market, pointing to recent bestsellers as Carol Andersons White Rage, Anna Norths Outlawed, and Brigid Kemmerers A Vow So Bold and Deadly. Britain and the European Union on February 8 requested that the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold a special session in response to the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. Burma is under the control of the military and a state of emergency for a year. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other members of the Parliament were detained and Army's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing has taken charge of the country. The coup has garnered condemnation from all over the world, including from the United Nations, which called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi. The military junta has arrested hundreds of people considered close to Suu Kyi since last week, including her economic adviser, an Australia professor named Sean Turnell. In the wake of the crisis, the UK and the EU submitted a request for a speech session on the human rights implications of the turmoil. Today, the UK & EU have called for a Special Session of the #UN Human Rights Council on Myanmar on Thursday. We condemn the coup in Myanmar & the arbitrary detention of elected politicians & civil society by the military. Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) February 8, 2021 READ: 21 Patients From Myanmar Arrive At Delhi Hospital For Organ Transplant READ: Thousands On Myanmar Streets In Anti-coup Protests Myanmar protests Meanwhile, Myanmar is witnessing one of its largest protests since the 2007 pro-democracy revolution as tens of thousands of people stormed the streets of Yangon to oppose the recent military coup. According to reports, protesters demanded the immediate release of political leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The protest comes on a day the military junta ended the internet ban in the country, which only served as fuel to the fire. On February 1, the Burmese military began detaining the democratically elected members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The military levelled allegations of election fraud and irregularities as their justification for the detainment of leaders. Suu Kyi's party had won the November 2020 election by a landslide, capturing 396 out of 476 seats in the parliament, a mandate much larger than in the 2015 polls. The election was monitored by international observers who certified it as "fair". Experts suggest the military feared that if Suu Kyi returns to power with a bigger majority, she would decrease the number of parliamentary seats reserved for the Army's proxy party. READ: Week After Military Coup, Protests Swell Rapidly In Myanmar READ: Australia Demands Myanmar Release Detained Australian Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Phuket Red Cross calls for blood donations PHUKET: All people are invited to come to donate their blood at the Phuket Red Cross Regional Blood Center (PRBC) in Phuket Town and at mobile stations for blood donations in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi between Feb 8-12 to make merit for Chinese New Year, which is this Friday (Feb 12). By The Phuket News Monday 8 February 2021, 12:47PM At this stage, stocks of blood types A+ and AB+ are lower than normally required in our blood bank, plus A- and AB- are always required at all times as there are not many of these blood donors, said a PRBC staffer. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a big problem, causing units of blood held in reserve to be much lower than required, the staffer said. We have not yet had a measure to test blood for COVID-19, so all blood donors are asked to truthfully answer questions about their health and travel to hazardous areas, and to wear a mask every time when they come to donate blood, the staffer added. As part of marking Chinese New Year, those who come to donate their blood at the Phuket Red Cross Regional Blood Center will receive a Supernova Chinese Calendar 2021 as a Chinese calendar gift. Those who want to donate blood can do so at mobile stations scheduled from today (Feb 8) through to Feb 27, as follows: February 8 Midday-4pm at Siam Makro in Rawai Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (bypass road) February 9 9:30am-1pm at Laem Thap District Office in Krabi February 10 Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (Thalang) Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (Thalang) February 11 9.30am-1pm at Wattanapat Hospital, Ao Nang, in Krabi February 15 1pm-4pm at Thap Put District Office in Phang Nga February 16 Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (Thalang) Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (bypass road) February 17 9:30am-1pm at Nuea Khlong District office in Krabi February 18 10am-3pm at Phuket Provincial Hospital 1pm-5pm at Bangkok Hospital Phuket (King Carl Gustafs Conference Room, 3rd floor) February 19 Midday-6pm at Central Phuket Floresta Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (bypass road) February 22 9:30am-1pm at Kanchanapisekwittayalai Krabi School, in Krabi February 23 Midday-6pm at Tesco Lotus Phuket (bypass road) Midday-6pm at Blue Tree Phuket February 24-27 9am-3pm at Phuket Rajabhat University People can also donate blood at the Phuket Regional Blood Centre, located at 38/193 Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd in Talad Neua, Phuket Town. The centre is open: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday, Thursday 8:30am to 8pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 9am to 3pm For more information call the PRBC at 076-251178. See also: Passing all the rules for donating blood in Phuket Several residents and advocacy organizations in Worcester are suing the city over allegations its system for electing members to its School Committee discriminates against communities of color. Eight Black, Hispanic, Latino and Latina residents - alongside Worcester Interfaith and the Worcester branch of the NAACP - filed a federal voting rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Monday, alleging the at-large, plurality electoral system for electing School Committee members unlawfully dilutes the vote of residents of color and deprives them of an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. Among the officials named as defendants in the 39-page lawsuit are Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli and Mayor Joseph M. Petty, who also serves as chair of the School Committee. The mayors office said it was made aware of a federal voting rights lawsuit naming the city and several officials as defendants. However, a spokesperson said Pettys office would not be commenting, as it is the citys policy not to comment on pending or ongoing litigation. The plaintiffs in the suit, who are being represented by the nonprofit Lawyers for Civil Rights and the law firm Brown Rudnick, say they are seeking enforcement of federal laws that protect their fundamental right to vote, claiming the School Committees election system violates both the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the U.S. Constitution. They also allege the voting system has led to a lack of diversity on the committee, which is currently all white. The lack of diversity on Worcesters School Committee has had, and continues to have, a detrimental impact on the communities of color whose votes are diluted, the suit states. Worcesters communities of color struggle in their efforts to convince the Worcester School Committee to take action on matters that are important to those communities. Per city rules, anyone running for a seat on the School Committee must live in Worcester for at least a year prior to the election and get 300 signatures from residents within their district for their nomination papers. Under the citys at-large, winner-take-all voting system, a winning candidate needs to earn a plurality of the vote citywide. Unlike elections for the Worcester City Council, which has a mixture of at-large and district-based seats, the School Committees six elected members are voted in by residents throughout the city, not by those of a single district. The city is divided into five separate districts for the purposes of electing City Councilors, but its voters cast ballots as a whole in School Committee elections, the suit points out. Accordingly, only top vote-getting candidates across all of Worcester win seats on the committee. This type of municipal voting system, the plaintiffs claim in their suit, has led to polarized voting, where a predominantly white voting electorate consistently defeats candidates preferred by minority communities. A report released by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau in March 2020 analyzed the demographics of the electorate in the city and made the case that the communitys electorate is not representative of the community as a whole. Instead, the report found that the electorate represents a smaller portion of white, middle-class voters, confirming preconceived notions of a lack of diversity in turnout for municipal elections. The courts have ruled that at-large systems such as Worcesters are unfair and illegal. Worcesters winner-take-all system deprives communities of color of the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, said Oren M. Sellstrom of Lawyers for Civil Rights, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs cite the example of the 2019 School Committee election, where at least three of the 12 candidates were people of color. A number of them received strong support from communities of color within their districts, but none were successful in receiving enough votes citywide to win a seat, according to the suit. White voters have successfully elected their candidates of choice for School Committee, while the preferred candidates of minority voters fail to win unless they are likewise supported by white voters, a fact exemplified by analyzing how candidates fared in the least and most diverse precincts in the city, the suit says. In their suit, the plaintiffs point out that communities of color in Worcester, the second largest city in both Massachusetts and New England, make up more than a third of the citys total population, while the School Committee remains entirely white. The student population of Worcester Public Schools is even more diverse. In the 2019 to 2020 academic year, 60% of students enrolled in the district were either Black, Hispanic, Latino or Latina, the suit states. We have serious disparities in the Worcester Public Schools impacting our students of color, Isabel Gonzalez-Webster, executive director of Worcester Interfaith, said in a statement. These disparities are directly linked to policies that fall under the purview of our all-white School Committee, which is not accountable to communities of color. The current all at-large School Committee structure makes it impossible to have fair representation and policies and infrastructure needed for our students to thrive, she added. The residents and advocacy organizations that filed the suit argue the Worcester Public School system needs fair representation, including the implementation of a new method of election and districting plan for the School Committee. Changing the current election system regarding the School Committee would be a good start, Fred Taylor, president of the NAACPs Worcester branch, said. Related Content: Securities forces have restricted Pakistan's acts to borders only: Rajnath Singh India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 8: Indian security forces have not only restricted Pakistan's nefarious acts to the borders only but are also giving a befitting reply to them, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. During the Question Hour, the minister also informed the House that 11 Rafale fighter jets have arrived in the country and the number will reach 17 by March this year. Singh added the entire fleet of the fighter jets will arrive in the country by April 2022. Republic Day violence: Wanted for Red Fort protest, Delhi Police arrests Sukhdev Singh in Chandigarh "There is no question of being lethargic. I want to make it clear the way our army has acted, the actions of Pakistan have been restricted to borders only," he said, replying to a question related to ceasefire violations by Pakistan. He said the Indian army, BSF and other security forces must be complimented. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Stating that 4,649 ceasefire violations took place in 2020, Singh said Indian security forces are fully alert and are giving a befitting reply to nefarious acts of Pakistan. Singh also told the House the government has decided that 101 defence-related items will be manufactured in India and not imported. Germany is supporting steps to increase energy efficiency in buildings, with subsidies and incentives worth 6 billion euros ($7.2 billion) this year, the economy minister said on Monday. The measures supported by the federal government include programmes to modernise existing buildings with better insulation and more efficient heating systems, Peter Altmaier said. "The building sector is an important factor if we want to make the energy transition a success," he told an online conference organised by the economy ministry. The push should help the housing sector in Europe's most populous country move towards its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050, and with it enable Germany to reach its wider climate protection targets over the next three decades. The modernisation drive could, however, increase the cost of living for Germans as, by law, landlords can pass on the cost of investments by raising rents. Parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government are currently quarrelling about whether to protect tenants from massive rent hikes by forcing landlords to shoulder a certain portion of modernisation investments. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Australians will have access to their COVID-19 immunisation certificates within days of receiving the vaccine, with the scheduled rollout confirmed to begin at the end of the month. Hotel quarantine workers are among the first in line to be vaccinated, but as the program is rolled out more widely, ready access to vaccination certificates will be important for access to at-risk facilities including hospitals and aged care homes or for crossing state borders. Later, vaccine certificates will be an important part of international travel. People will be able to access their immunisation records within a matter of days after receiving a vaccination. Credit:AP Online training for nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers was launched on Monday ahead of the coming vaccine rollout and Health Minister Greg Hunt reconfirmed vaccine delivery schedules with both Pfizer and AstraZeneca over the weekend and on Monday. The first Pfizer delivery is due in the last week of February and the international AstraZeneca shipments are due from early March. Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said the department had made critical enhancements to the Australian Immunisation Register in preparation for the COVID 19 vaccine rollout and most people would be able to access their proof of vaccination within days via MyGov or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app. House Democrats will propose a bill on Monday that will give families as much as $3,600 per child for a single year as some lawmakers look to make the Child Tax Credit change permanent. Richard Neal, chairman of the House's Ways and Means Committee, is spearheading the proposed legislation -- which seeks to bring millions of children out of poverty, outlets reported. If the 22-page legislation passes, the IRS would automatically start sending monthly checks of at least $250 to millions of families in July, the Washington Post first reported. Neal, in a statement to CNN, said that the pandemic 'is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it's devastating.' Richard Neal, chairman of the House's Ways and Means Committee, is spearheading the proposed legislation The proposal comes as Biden, pictured, has called for increasing the child tax credit as part of his stimulus proposal 'We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone's head or food on their table,' he said. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan government watchdog, said the tax credit could raise the federal deficit by as much as $120billion for one year. 'This clearly is something they want to make permanent policy, rather than just for COVID relief,' said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president at group. The proposal would give families $3,000 per child age six through 17 and $3,600 per child under the age of six, according to the outlets. Single parents making up to $75,000 and joint couples who earn up to $150,000 will be eligible to receive the tax credit, which would not be deducted from taxpayers' current tax obligations. The enhanced child tax credit would allow families to receive the payments monthly instead of as one lump sum around tax time, and would become fully refundable for the year -- marking big changes from the IRS' current credit, CNN reported. The current tax credit provides a single payment of up to $2,000 per child for all children under the age of 17, the outlet reported. It phases out for single parents who make more than $200,000 and joint couples who make more than $400,000. Other standalone legislation expected to be proposed on Monday by representatives Rosa DeLauro, Suzan DelBene and Ritchie Torres seek to make the benefit permanent. DeLauro told the outlet that one year of relief is not enough and Congress should pass the enhancement permanently. 'We cannot stop here. We must use this moment to pass the American Family Act and permanently expand and improve the child tax credit. One year is not enough for the children and families battling not just the coronavirus, but poverty, too,' she said in a statement. The legislation comes after Biden suggested, as part of his stimulus proposal, a $3,000 per child credit for low-income families and a smaller benefit of $2,000 per child for middle class families. 'All told, the American Rescue Plan would lift 12 million Americans out of poverty and cut child poverty in half. That's 5 million children lifted out of poverty,' Biden said last month. About 42 percent of American children live in homes struggling to meet basic expenses, with between 7 million and 11 million children live in households in which they can't afford to eat, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Researchers at Columbia University have said the tax credit could curb child poverty in the United States by more than 50 percent. Washington Post reported. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Democrats hope to push through Biden's stimulus package in the House within two weeks. Some Republicans have indicated support for increasing the tax credit, including Senators Mitt Romney, Mike Lee and Marco Rubio. Romney unveiled his own plan on Thursday that would raise the child tax benefit to at least $3,000 per child for every American family, with up to $4,200 per year for every child ages 6 and under. However, Romney's plan would get rid of several existing government assistance programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, CNN reported. It would also strip away provisions for state and local tax deductions. Audit which examined Welsh statues, buildings and street names and slavery links cost taxpayers 17,401 according to freedom of information request. Pictured: a statue of slave trader Sir Thomas Picton in Cardiff The Welsh government spent more than 17,000 on an audit of almost 600 statues, buildings and street names to examine their links to slavery. The report by the Labour-led administration identified 209 monuments, buildings or street names commemorating people 'who were directly involved with slavery and the slave trade, or opposed its abolition'. A Freedom of Information request found the 'audit of commemoration', which took four months to compile and was published in November, cost 17,401. Critics have slammed the audit as 'virtue-signalling' and have condemned the expense during the middle of a pandemic. Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: 'Like all countries, our history is not perfect - but we should seek to learn from our mistakes rather than rewrite the past. 'Tearing down statues is not the answer, and neither is judging historical figures by today's standards. 'We are in the middle of a global pandemic and the Welsh Government should focus its attention on beating COVID rather than fighting culture wars.' Meanwhile, UKIP leader Neil Hamilton told MailOnline: 'Wales' Labour Government starves the NHS while wasting taxpayers' money on a virtue-signalling audit of statues as today's politically-correct non-entities try to erase the memory of Welsh heroes like General Sir Thomas Picton, the highest-ranking officer killed at Waterloo.' Critics have also said the audit contained a number of errors which incorrectly linked some sites to the slave trade. For example, the audit highlighted Drake Close, a row of bungalows in Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno, but there is little evidence the homes were named after Sir Francis Drake. Some of the 209 statues, roads and buildings in Wales identified as bearing the names of famous Britons 'linked to the slave trade' during an audit which was published last year The Elizabethan voyager who led England to victory against the Spanish Armada is also estimated to have enslaved more than 1,000 Africans between 1562 and 1567. However, a local historian claimed the cul-de-sac may in fact have been named in recognition of the ducks which populated a pond that previously stood on the land. A Conwy County Borough councillor, who asked not to be named, said: 'There is no evidence at all to suggest that the name commemorates the explorer. It's nonsense.' The report also found The Duke of Wellington was commemorated or had links to 48 monuments across Wales - including The Wellington pub in Maesteg, South Wales. The report said: 'Name alone implies Duke is commemorated.' But locals claim the pub was in fact named after the Wellington bomber, in recognition of the pub's former life as a Royal Air Force Association club. First Minister Mark Drakeford said the document, titled The Slave Trade and the British Empire, 'provides important evidence which helps us to establish an honest picture of our history'. A statue of Indian independence leader Mahatma Ghandi in Cardiff Bay - which was unveiled by Mr Drakeford and Ghandi's great-grandson four years ago - came under examination because of a campaign in Leicester to remove a similar monument, alleging Ghandi was a 'fascist, racist and sexual predator'. Lord Nelson Hotel in Pontlottyn, Wales. The audit, which was published in November and cost 17,401, listed seven monuments, six buildings and 18 streets with links to Lord Nelson The count altogether listed 56 monuments, 99 public buildings and 440 street names. When the audit was published in November last year, Mr Drakeford described it as 'the first stage of a much bigger piece pf work which will consider how we move forward.' The review condemned the monuments for depicting Britons with links to the slave trade as 'heroes'. The people identified include Sir Francis Drake, Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and William Gladstone. It also described former Prime Minister Winston Churchill as a 'person of interest' who requires further examination after being 'identified' by campaigners. The audit found several monuments to Britain's WWII Prime Minister, including two buildings and 13 streets named after him. Francis Drake, who has three streets bearing his name, was listed as a participant in the slave trade. The Picton Arms in Newport, named after Sir Thomas Picton, a Waterloo hero who was also known as the Tyrant of Trinidad due to time he spent as Governor of the then-British territory Thomas Picton, with four monuments, five buildings and 30 streets was labelled as someone 'who owned or directly benefitted from plantations or mines worked by the enslaved'. Lord Nelson was found to have seven monuments, six buildings and 18 streets named after him and was described as someone who 'opposed abolition of the slave trade or slavery'. Cecil Rhodes, with a street named after him, was listed as someone 'accused of crimes against Black people, notably in colonial Africa'. The audit, led by Gaynor Legall, claimed that commemorations of people connected with the slave trade are often shown without any accompanying interpretation to address matters of contention. Without this, the report read, the figures are presented solely as role models. The research also found there were few Welsh people of black or Asian heritage commemorated across Wales. The audit did, however, unearth commemorations to anti-slavery activists across Wales, such as Henry Richard in Tregaron, street names for Samuel Romilly and the Pantycelyn halls of residence at Aberystwyth University. Statue in Denbigh of Sir Henry Morton Stanley, an explorer accused in his own time of cruelty to populations in Africa. The site was a focus for Black Lives Matter protest in June last year 'While the tragic killing of George Floyd happened almost 4,000 miles away, it sparked global action that shone a light on racial inequality in society today,' Mr Drakeford said. 'That inequality exists in Welsh society too and we must work towards a Wales which is more equal. Some of the historic Britons identified in the Wales probe of monuments linked to slavery Francis Drake: Three streets named after him. Thomas Picton: Four monuments, five buildings and 30 streets. Lord Nelson: Seven monuments, six buildings and 18 streets. King William IV: Five buildings and seven streets. Winston Churchill: Two buildings and 13 streets. Duke of Wellington: Two monuments, 14 buildings and 32 streets. William Gladstone: Three monuments, five places, 26 streets. Robert Peel: One street. George Canning: One street. Cecil Rhodes: One street. Advertisement 'To help us do this, we need a clear understanding of the legacies of the slave trade and the British Empire. 'This audit provides important evidence which helps us establish an honest picture of our history. 'This is not about rewriting our past or naming and shaming. 'It is about learning from the events of the past. 'It is an opportunity for us to establish a mature relationship with our history and find a heritage which can be shared by us all. 'This is the first stage of a much bigger piece of work which will consider how we move forward with this information as we seek to honour and celebrate our diverse communities.' It is the latest update in a controversial row which broke out following the death of George Floyd last year. His killing at the hands of police officers in Minnesota sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter-inspired protests across the world, including in cities like London and Bristol. Previously, officials in Cardiff removed a statue of Sir Thomas Picton from Cardiff City Hall after campaigners pointed out his controversial time as governor of Trinidad. Construction workers took down the marble statue after councillors agreed it should be removed at a Cardiff Council vote. During a meeting, councillors said Picton's 'abhorrent' behaviour as Governor of Trinidad meant he was 'not deserving of a place in the Heroes of Wales collection', with 57 ruling in favour of the statue's removal, five voting against the move and nine abstaining. The Welsh Government has been contacted by MailOnline and Welsh Labour declined to comment. President says is in for extreme competition from the US under his administration, but that the new relationship he wants to forge need not be one of conflict. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Biden acknowledged that he has yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping since his inauguration January 20, but noted that the two leaders had met many times when both men served their countries as vice president. I know him pretty well, Biden said in an excerpt of the interview aired Sunday by CBS' Face the Nation. When they do speak, they will have a whole lot to talk about, Biden said. Biden appears to be concentrating his initial telephone diplomacy on US allies. He so far has spoken with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the NATO secretary-general. He also worked in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the interview, Biden described Xi as very bright and very tough but without a democratic, small D, bone in his body. Shortly after Biden succeeded President Donald Trump in the White House, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said that after this very difficult and extraordinary time, both the Chinese and American people deserve a better future. Beijing welcomed the Biden administration's decision to remain in the World Health Organisation and return to the Paris climate agreement. The new administration, however, is unlikely to significantly alter US policies on trade, Taiwan, human rights and the South Sea that have angered Xi's increasingly assertive government. Biden, in the interview taped Friday, said he has said to Xi all along, that we need not have a conflict. But, Biden added, there will be extreme competition. And I'm not going to do it the way that he knows. And that's because he's sending signals as well. Biden said he will not pursue US- relations in the way that Trump did but will focus on rules of the road. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. It has been a tough year for the global economy. Thanks to the all-out efforts made by its Government, Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world whose GDP grew in 2020. This has also benefited foreign investors and entrepreneurs in the country. VNS asks foreign business executives for their opinion on the Governments fight against Covid-19 and how it helped their business cope with the fallout of the pandemic, and their expectations from the Government in 2021. Satoru Takeda, CEO/General Director of Canon Marketing Vietnam The Vietnamese Government has made great efforts to fight Covid-19. Since the start of the pandemic, it has closely monitored the situation and taken a series of rapid, proactive and comprehensive measures to combat the spread of the virus in the country and prepare its public health facilities. Vietnam is considered a success story in its fight against Covid-19 and I feel very lucky to live and work here. The Government has implemented many measures to support the economy and remove difficulties faced by businesses, such as restructuring bank loans, freezing debts and reducing or waiving loan interest payments. Together with the success in containing Covid-19, these measures helped reopen the Vietnamese economy and allow businesses to resume. Talking about Canon, from the last quarter of 2020, when the Vietnamese Government managed to contain Covid-19, many companies resumed promotional activities and conferences and events like weddings and public activities were held normally. Therefore, our business also gradually recovered. Canon cameras saw the years highest sales in quarter four due to an increased demand for professional cameras. Starting in August 2020 Canon also launched two new professional cameras. We were surprised by the response from the market to these two models and sales were extremely encouraging. Covid-19 created many difficulties and challenges to the printer segment, but also gave us the opportunity to develop technological products for businesses in the era of new normal. In 2021, Canon will continue to carry out a number of activities to promote our business. We hope to make the photography industry more active and healthily competitive to better serve our customers. Canon is prepared to meet the needs of home printing and small businesses in the Vietnamese market in 2021. We will continue to hold many promotional events to better acquaint B2B customers and end users with Canon printers. Talking about what we expect from the Vietnamese Government, in 2021 we hope it will maintain its fantastic leadership in the fight against Covid-19 and continue to control the pandemic successfully until everything gets back to normal with safety and stability. Brook Taylor COO, VinaCapital Group Vietnams effective measures to contain and control the COVID-19 outbreak are very well known at this point, and the fact that we can live relatively normal lives is testament to that. Countries around the world have taken notice, and Vietnams standing in the world has risen. The fact that large parts of the economy were able to remain open and operate have certainly mitigated the economic impact of the outbreak in Vietnam, and VinaCapital had a very good year, all things considered. Our funds have performed well. Weve been meeting (virtually, of course) with a variety of potential new investors who have taken notice of Vietnams management of the pandemic. We launched a new ETF fund, the VinaCapital VN100; our cleaner energy platform gained significant momentum; and our venture capital arm, VinaCapital Ventures, was very active in working with its existing portfolio of companies to get through the pandemic as well as evaluating dozens of potential new investments. VinaCapital enters 2021 in a strong position, and we are focused on implementing a strategy that includes new products to meet the changing needs of Vietnamese and international investors, investing in more of Vietnams promising start-ups, and continuing to serve as a vehicle for more foreign investors to participate in Vietnams even-more-compelling growth story. To help Vietnamese companies, the Government should continue to invest in infrastructure, such as roads, seaports, airports, and power generation, all of which are critical to the countrys continued development. It should also continue to pursue reforms to further reduce the bureaucracy businesses face. It may also be worthwhile to look at the possibility of assisting the tourism sector. This is one part of the economy where recovery will not be able to occur in a meaningful way until borders are reopened. There are thousands of small and medium-sized hospitality businesses that have been affected by COVID-19, and without some level of support, they may not be able to survive, ultimately threatening the sectors ability to recover once international tourism re-starts. Daan van Rossum, CEO of Dreamplex We have felt very fortunate to be in Vietnam during COVID-19. The early and effective measures the country took to prevent the spread of the coronavirus had a hugely positive impact. We also really appreciated the frequency and clarity of communications that were distributed by the Ministry of Health. As a company that shared responsibility for the health and safety of hundreds of employees, this was key to fighting this crisis together. Actually preventing the virus to spread allowed many companies to keep operating. While revenues were down and some companies suffered bankruptcy and closure, we need to acknowledge that it could have been so much worse. Furthermore, the relative sense of safety people felt because the virus was well controlled through very early communication about new cases and tracking down all F1 and F2 really helped industry keep going as much as possible. It will be exhilarating to see Vietnams growth prospects for this year and next. Covid-19 has truly changed what companies want from their offices. They now understand that their employees can and want to work more flexibly. This means that concepts like Dreamplex, that offer flexible shared offices with hospitality-level care and a rich programme of opportunities for the team to connect, collaborate and develop will be much more prominent in how companies choose their workplaces. The sharing economy has accelerated because of the pandemic. In the past months, Ive had the pleasure of speaking at many international conferences and talk shows, and Vietnam is now an example of what the future of work looks like. This is something that would not have been possible if it was not for the active and effective control of COVID-19 by the Vietnamese Government. Raphael Lachkar, COO of Vero On top of the great work by frontline workers and the quick decision-making by authorities in controlling the spread of the virus, as communications professionals we were particularly impressed by the communication efforts of the Government. It managed to effectively use modern communication tools to keep people informed making Zalo a go-to resource for nationwide awareness which certainly had an impact on the responsiveness of society. Beyond keeping people informed, the Government managed to launch highly entertaining educational content. How could we forget The Vietnam National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Healths video, which reached millions of people in Vietnam and abroad and sparked a global challenge on TikTok? The Governments fast and efficient response favoured a short lockdown and therefore minor disruptions in our clients businesses and ours. We braced for a long lockdown and prepared our clients to digitise their brand presence, but the lockdown was short and we ended up operating almost normally. There was a slowdown, but a lot of our clients quickly resumed normal operations and reinvested in their marketing. This is a unique situation in SEA as all our other markets have faced either longer lockdowns or tougher restrictions on in-person interactions with brands, which somewhat affected our clients. The impact also varied across industries, of course - some of our clients in the technology sector invested a lot across the whole region, regardless of lockdowns. A lot of our consulting work is for digital services, which consumer brands invested in quite a bit as well. We mostly work with international brands, and the second half of the year was close to three times as big as the first half, which speaks of brands confidence in the Vietnamese economy and their resulting quick comeback. All of our markets registered some growth in 2020, but Vietnam was the one with the fastest and most robust growth. We learned a lot in 2020, especially about agility and how to care for our teams. While Vietnam showed outstanding resilience, we also realise that our peoples health and well-being are more crucial than ever. In 2020 we kick-started a new agency-wide wellness programme, where we provide financial support to Vero team members for counselling and therapy, guarantee Wellness Days off and offer free healthy meals in each office. Looking at 2021, we are excited for the new year and we are investing in the future by recruiting continuously (our team more than doubled in 2020) and moving to a larger office in central HCM City. Vietnam has attracted a lot of interest from foreign brands looking for a safe consumer landscape. We receive new requests from large corporate actors on a weekly basis, and were not surprised to see that Vietnam has had the fastest growing brand value in 2020. This is a great signal of how the Government and Vietnamese societys efforts and resilience are being perceived abroad, as well as of the bright economic prospects that await. On a regional level, we are committed to strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia, thanks to our own consultants in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar and our partners in other countries in the region. To us, Southeast Asia is the most exciting place to do business today, and 2020 only reinforced this statement to global audiences. A sustainable regionalisation of our business comes with investments in internal training and regional culture. Both these verticals are strategic priorities for the group in 2021, and we are planning investments in both. Sanjeev Nanavati, Advisor to Board of Directors cum Head of Strategy, OCB In my opinion, Vietnam deserves a score of 100/100 for what it has done to contain the pandemic. An amazing job. If you watch global news and make a comparison between Vietnam and other countries, you will realise the Vietnamese Government deserves great credit for controlling the pandemic so well. Vietnam has done a good job of controlling Covid-19. It provides companies with the confidence they need to relocate to the country. However, that is not the only reason why we came to Vietnam. Investment takes time and so does relocation. I saw from the beginning that the Government requested banks to support enterprises, and issued documents and policies for the purpose. In my view, the way it has dealt with Covid-19 has shown clearly that the country is pretty safe for businesses and given international companies the confidence to move to Vietnam. Vietnam has become a template for how a government should act in such a crisis. The template indicates the Government performed this task very well, transparently and professionally. Vietnam is in an ideal position to catch investment flows in the near future. I think many banks achieved good results last year despite the challenges. OCB has a conservative risk appetite and we always comply with the Governments request to support enterprises. Overall, I believe there are many signs that the economy will recover despite the ongoing concerns about the variants of the virus and whether the vaccines are effective. I think the economy will get better in the next six months and banks will take advantage of this. The Government has been rolling out a number of policies and measures to support the economy, especially businesses. I think the only thing the Government will consider is when and how we should open more. However, considering what has gone before, I believe the Government will make the right decision as it always has. Thu Ngan (VNS) Japanese maintaining operations thanks to quick-thinking action Japanese businesses have deployed a number of new business models in Vietnam in 2020 in an effort to shelter from the storm of COVID-19. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor [February 08, 2021] David Soares of Zyxel Networks Recognized as 2021 CRN Channel Chief Zyxel Networks, a leader in delivering secure, AI- and cloud-powered business and home networking solutions, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named David Soares, Executive Vice President Channel Sales and Marketing North America, to its 2021 list of Channel Chiefs. The prestigious CRN Channel Chiefs list, released annually, recognizes leading IT channel vendor executives who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation, and growth. With 30 years of experience as a senior business executive in the information technology industry, Soares is responsible for driving the awareness and growth of Zyxel's channel business among small- and medium-sized businesses and service providers in North America. Despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic created for Zyxel and its partners in 2020, Soares implemented changes to the Zyxel Authorized Partner ( ZAP (News - Alert) ) program that resulted in a 17 percent increase in average sales per authorized partner and 29 percent overall growth in the company's value added reseller business. "David's extraordinary success as one of the top channel executives in the IT sector is the largely the result of his focus on ensuring that his sales organization prioritizes long-term relationships over short term sales goals," explained Howie Chu, President at Zyxel Networks. "By getting to know our partners and understand their requirements, David's team is able to efficiently and effectively provide partners with the products and programs they need to grow their revenues and expand their businesses. Through David's sales organization, our partners understand and appreciate the fact that Zyxel is truly invested intheir success." The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs and partnerships. All honorees are selected by CRN's editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates. "CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industry's biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success." CRN's 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs. For more information about Zyxel and its connectivity solutions, visit www.zyxel.com/us and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. About Zyxel: Since their first day in business over 30 years ago, Zyxel has kept business and home users online with a focus on innovation and customer-centric service. In 1989, this was accomplished with analog modems. Today, the company combines the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud to deliver rapid, reliable, and secure networking solutions for business and home users. Zyxel is a global force in the communications market with an unrivaled international presence that includes: - 150 markets served - 1,000,000 businesses working smarter with Zyxel solutions - 100 million devices creating global connections We're building the networks of tomorrow, unlocking potential, and meeting the needs of the modern workplace-powering people at work, play, and life. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005291/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] External Article 8 February 2021 Marriott hit the reset button on its media strategy last year as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the travel industry to a halt and forced the world's largest hotel company to find dynamic ways to reach a new type of traveler. Advertisements Marriott International saw its occupancy demand - and revenue per available room - plummet 90% at the height of the pandemic last April. Andy Kauffman, Marriott's senior vice president of marketing channels and optimization, described the impact of the pandemic on the company's business as greater than the effects of 9/11 and the Great Recession combined. The company reported a net income of $100 million in Q3 2020, compared to $387 million in Q3 2019. "As we started to re-engage our recovery plan, we actually activated a number of new marketing strategies and looked at who we worked with and how we could deepen some of our existing partnerships," he said. "We looked for partners that could engage the new traveler as travel behavior changed and target across mobile, social, digital, and that could enable us to measure the effects that our efforts had in really driving business in an agile way." Like other advertisers, Marriott had to rethink how it spent its marketing dollars during a prolonged shutdown and business travel plunge. Later, as some markets saw gradual re-openings, travelers - mainly drivers - looked to stay closer to home. The Rajya Sabha on Monday cleared The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. The bill was introduced in the Upper House of the Parliament last week. Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said the Constitution of India is now fully applicable on Jammu and Kashmir, and that the bill will enable availability of officers in Jammu and Kashmir who have experience of running union territory administration. He said around 170 central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the bill will increase the strength of officers in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh. Also read: India proved wrong all those who raised apprehensions on COVID-19 handling, says PM Modi Also read: Need to protect India from 'andolan jeevis' who join every agitation, says PM Modi * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! KYODO NEWS - Feb 9, 2021 - 02:32 | All, Japan A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine collided Monday with a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean off the western main island of Shikoku, with three crew members on the submarine slightly injured but no major damage reported, government officials said. The 84-meter-long Souryu scraped the hull of the vessel as it was surfacing, the Defense Ministry said, adding that the submarine's antenna mast and other upper parts were slightly damaged but it was able to continue sailing. Top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference that a ship believed to be the one involved in the collision, when contacted by the Japan Coast Guard, reported that no impact was felt and it does not appear to have sustained any damage. The ship may have been the Ocean Artemis, a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier, according to people with knowledge of the incident. The collision occurred at around 10:55 a.m. off Cape Ashizuri in Kochi Prefecture. Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the submarine, which was engaged in routine training, saw the commercial vessel through its periscope as it rose but was unable to avoid it in time. As the submarine's communications equipment was damaged in the accident, reporting of the incident was delayed. The crew was eventually able to do so by mobile phone at around 2:20 p.m. Kishi was notified of the incident at around 2:50 p.m. when he was attending a committee session in the House of Representatives, he told reporters. Kishi said he had been instructed by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to confirm the safety of the commercial vessel and provide rescue assistance if necessary. However, the MSDF was unable to confirm details regarding the ship because it left the scene soon afterward. The collision, which came on the heels of an MSDF destroyer hitting a Chinese fishing boat in March last year, was "truly regrettable," he said. The submarine arrived at Kochi port late Monday. The Japan Coast Guard said it will open an investigation as the incident could constitute endangering traffic due to negligence, while the Japan Transport Safety Board said it has launched its own probe. The Souryu is a diesel-electric submarine with a standard displacement of 2,950 tons and a crew of about 65. It entered service in 2009 as the first of its class. Security experts have long worried that advances in quantum computing could eventually make it easier to break that protects the privacy of peoples data. Thats because these sophisticated machines can perform calculations at speeds impossible for conventional computers, potentially enabling them to crack codes previously thought indecipherable. Now, a Swiss technology company says it has made a breakthrough by using quantum computers to uncover vulnerabilities in commonly used The company believes its found a security weakness that could jeopardize the confidentiality of the worlds internet data, banking transactions and emails. Terra Quantum AG said its discovery upends the current understanding of what constitutes unbreakable and could have major implications for the worlds leading technology companies, such as Alphabet Inc.s Google, Microsoft Corp., and International Business Machines Corp. But some other security experts said they arent nearly ready to declare a major breakthrough, at least not until the company publishes the full details of its research. If true, this would be a huge result, said Brent Waters, a computer science professor who specializes in cryptography at the University of Texas at Austin. It seems somewhat unlikely on the face of it. However, it is pretty hard for experts to weigh in on something without it being published. spokesman Christopher Sciacca said his company has known the risks for 20 years and is working on its own solutions to address the issue of post-quantum security. This is why the National Institute of Science & Technology (NIST) has been hosting a challenge to develop a new quantum safe crypto standard, he said in an email. has several proposals for this new standard in the final round, which is expected in a few years. Brian LaMacchia, distinguished engineer at Microsoft, said company cryptographers are collaborating with the global cryptographic community to prepare customers and data centers for a quantum future. Preparing for security in a post-quantum world is important not only to protect and secure data in the future but also to ensure that future quantum computers are not a threat to the long-term security of todays information. didnt reply to a message seeking comment. Terra Quantum AG has a team of about 80 quantum physicists, cryptographers and mathematicians, who are based in Switzerland, Russia, Finland and the U.S. What currently is viewed as being post-quantum secure is not post-quantum secure, said Markus Pflitsch, chief executive officer and founder of Terra Quantum, in an interview. We can show and have proven that it isnt secure and is hackable. Pflitsch founded the company in 2019. Hes a former finance executive who began his career as a research scientist at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Terra Quantums research is led by two chief technology officers Gordey Lesovik, head of the Laboratory of Quantum Information Technology at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and Valerii Vinokur, a Chicago-based physicist who in 2020 won the Fritz London Memorial Prize for his work in condensed matter and theoretical physics. The company said that its research found vulnerabilities that affect symmetric encryption ciphers, including the Advanced Encryption Standard, or AES, which is widely used to secure data transmitted over the internet and to encrypt files. Using a method known as quantum annealing, the company said its research found that even the strongest versions of AES encryption may be decipherable by quantum computers that could be available in a few years from now. Vinokur said in an interview that Terra Quantums team made the discovery after figuring out how to invert whats called a hash function, a mathematical algorithm that converts a message or portion of data into a numerical value. The research will show that what was once believed unbreakable doesnt exist anymore, Vinokur said, adding that the finding means a thousand other ways can be found soon. The company, which is backed by the Zurich-based venture capital firm Lakestar LP, has developed a new encryption protocol that it says cant be broken by quantum computers. Vinokur said the new protocol utilizes a method known as quantum key distribution. Terra Quantum is currently pursuing a patent for the new protocol. But the company will make it available for free, according to Pflitsch. We will open up access to our protocol to make sure we have a safe and secure environment, said Pflitsch. We feel obliged to share it with the world and the quantum community. The U.S. government, like China, has made research in quantum computing research an economic and national security priority, saying that the world is on the cusp of what it calls a new quantum revolution. In addition, technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and have made large investments in quantum computing in recent years. Having dissolved the House of Representatives and announcing general elections, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has recently addressed several rallies across the country. In his speeches, Oli defended his governments move and highlighted its various achievements of the last three years of his tenure and his previous stint as prime minister. On February 5, 2021, addressing a rally at Durbar Marg in Kathmandu, he said, Some people have spread various misleading information about me. But a fact-check of his recent speeches by South Asia Check found that the prime minister himself has been repeating some claims that have already been debunked by fact-checkers. First claim During the inauguration of the substation (in Dhalkebar) today, I said 111 years ago, in 1911, hydropower was generated in Nepal from the Chandra Jyoti [named after then Rana prime minister Chandra Shumsher] Hydropower Station. Until six years ago, Nepal would not generate even 300 megawatts (MW) in total. Although Nepal was the first South Asian country to generate hydropower, it generated around 3 MW of electricity per year in the 105 years after the first hydropower project. When I became the prime minister, the country was seeing 18 hours of power outage daily. But within a week of my prime ministership while addressing a Dashain festival function I announced that the next years Tihar festival [festival of lights] will not be celebrated in darkness. So, in order to meet the goal, my government bought electricity from India and [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi Ji and I inaugurated the construction of Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line. [Go to 5 mins 15 seconds into the video] Oli made the remarks at a meeting of the Progressive Engineering Association Nepal in Kathmandu on February 1, 2021. Before addressing the February 1 gathering, Oli had inaugurated the Dhalkebar substation, the countrys largest. Although some of Olis claims in this statement were true, two claims are false. The 500-kilowatt hydropower station in Pharping on the outskirts of Kathmandu, inaugurated by King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah when Chandra Shumsher Janga Bahadur Rana was prime minister, is Nepals first hydropower project but it was not the first in South Asia. According to the Indian newspaper Times of India, India started operation of a 130-kilowatt hydroelectric project in Darjeeling in 1897. Similarly, Indias first major power station a 4.5 MW hydropower project on the Cauvery River in Karnataka was commissioned in 1902. Therefore, it is wrong to say Nepals Chandra Jyoti Hydropower Plant was the first hydroelectricity project in South Asia. Another claim of the prime minister is also wrong. He claimed that Nepal generated less than 300 MW of hydroelectricity before his first stint as the prime minister in 2015. According to Nepal Electricity Authoritys annual report for 2015/16, Nepals installed hydropower capacity at the time was 469.29 MW. Therefore, Olis claim that Nepals generated less than 300 MW when he first became the prime minister is wrong. Nepal Electricity Authoritys annual report of 2015/16 shows the total installed capacity of hydropower projects in Nepal was 469.29 megawatts. Second claim A so-called Nepal banda (nationwide shutdown) was called yesterday [February 4] in an attempt to prevent you from attending this rally. What did they do to enforce their shutdown? They claim that they work for the poor, but instead of helping the working class, they spilt the vegetables of an elderly roadside woman vendor on the street in their attempt to start a revolution. [Go to 2 mins 25 seconds into the video] Prime Minister Oli made the remarks while addressing a rally at Durbar Marg in Kathmandu on February 5. Oli was referring to some photos, which had gone viral on the social media and purportedly showed the enforcers of the February 4 shutdown, which was called by the Dahal-Nepal faction of the Nepal Communist Party, spilling vegetables on the street. An investigation by Nepal Factcheck, a Nepali fact-checking website, into the viral photos found that the photos were from a farmers protest in the Indian state of Maharashtra and a protest by vegetable farmers in Nepal some years ago. Prime Minister Oli has spread misinformation such as this by repeatedly making claims that have already been debunked by fact-checkers. Third claim The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. In other words, nowhere it is written that a British prime minister can dissolve parliament. Such a thing is not written in any form. But, the [British] prime minister recently dissolved parliament and held elections. Prime Minister Oli made the claim at the February 5 rally at Durbar Marg to defend his dissolution of parliament. It is true that the UK does not have a written constitution. But, it is incorrect to claim that there is no law [in the UK] that allows the prime minister to dissolve parliament. The UKs Fixed Term Parliament Act gives the prime minister the power to dissolve parliament under certain conditions. In the UK, there is a separate and written law on the dissolution of parliament. Laws such as the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, and the Parliament Act address major constitutional issues, according to the BBC. According to an explainer published in The Conversation, the tradition in which the prime minister requested the monarch to dissolve the parliament ended in the UK after the country enacted the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in 2011. The idea behind the Act was to curtail the power of the prime minister to dissolve parliament before completing the five-year term. Nevertheless, the Act has made two exceptions: If a motion for an early election is agreed by at least 434 MPs out of 650 (a two-thirds majority), or If a motion of no confidence is passed and no alternative government is formed within 14 days. The latest dissolution of the UKs Parliament occurred in 2019 and elections were held in December that year. Prime Minister Boris Johnson dissolved the House of Commons in 2019. He had cited the first of the above exceptions to dissolve the House. Fourth claim In Nepal, the Covid-19 mortality rate is low. The treatment is good. What was the situation like [in the early days of the pandemic]? There was no treatment. Today, 82 laboratories simultaneously conduct swab tests for Covid-19 infections every day. Today, people are being vaccinated at more than 300 booths. [Go to 26 mins 19 seconds into the video] This remark by the prime minister came as part of his claim that the death toll from Covid-19 has decreased as a result of the measures taken by his government. Although his claim that Covid-19 tests are conducted daily in 82 laboratories is true, the prime minister exaggerated the actual number of vaccination booths. According to the Ministry of Health, on February 1, people were vaccinated from 191 booths in 77 districts. The number of vaccine booths recently reached 201. So, the prime ministers claim about the booth numbers is a gross overstatement. The article first appeared on South Asia Check. Despite several recent protests railing against brutality and racism in policing, public satisfaction with the New Orleans Police Department ticked up a bit over the past year, the New Orleans Crime Coalition said Wednesday. The collection of nonprofits, advocacy groups and civic organizations said 57% of respondents in the annual survey reported being satisfied with the Police Department, up from 54% in 2019 and 55% in 2018. Meanwhile, 81% said they felt safe in their neighborhoods a 9-point increase from a year earlier. That comes as New Orleans is on pace to finish 2020 with almost a 12% drop in overall crime, but a 66% percent increase in homicides and 47% jump in non-fatal shootings. NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson acknowledged the department wasn't perfect in its handling of local protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. On June 3, officers fired tear gas and rubber projectiles at a crowd on the Crescent City Connection, sparking outrage and prompting the City Council to approve a proposal aimed at restricting police use of the chemical irritant. But the survey results reflect the goodwill the NOPD has earned over the past several years, as it has moved to adopt many of the reforms demanded by protesters, such as bans on chokeholds and mandates that officers de-escalate encounters when possible, he said. Some of those policies are embedded in the federal reform agreement that the agency has been implementing since 2012; others were undertaken voluntarily. The feedback clearly illustrates our hard work in the community, Ferguson said. We have strived, and have now become, a national leader in constitutional policing and police reform. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The latest survey is the Crime Coalitions 16th since 2009. Faucheux Strategies conducted the survey of 800 adult residents by telephone from Sept. 8 to Sept. 17. The company does not work for the city or NOPD, the Crime Coalition said. As was the case last year, satisfaction was slightly higher when residents were asked to rate the police performance in their own neighborhoods. Some 66% of those surveyed said they were satisfied with the officers' work in their neighborhood. The percentage of respondents who said police officers they interacted with were pleasant and courteous increased slightly, from 73% last year to 74%. Still, the Crime Coalition suggests areas where it the department could improve. The group said 18% to 23% of those surveyed found the agency poor in responding quickly to emergency calls, working with community groups, displaying honesty and integrity and using appropriate force. Additionally, Black and White residents showed substantial differences of opinion on several key issues. Black residents were 12% to 15% less satisfied than their White counterparts when asked about whether the police appropriately used force, behaved with honesty and integrity and demonstrated ethics and professionalism. Crime Coalition Chairman Michael Cowan, a psychologist, theologian and Loyola University professor, said at least some of the concerns highlighted by the survey stemmed from a continued staffing shortage at the department. A man has revealed how to restore old white trainers at home using just shoe cleaner and an iron. Posting on TikTok, Miguel Solorio who lives in California, explained that he recently found a pair of white Nike Air Force 1 trainers worth an estimated 100, however they needed a deep clean. A video revealing the process he used to transform the footwear to look good as new has racked up more than 3 million likes, with many gushing that they will never need to buy new sneakers again. Miguel Solorio who lives in California, has gone viral on TikTok after posting a video demonstrating how he restores secondhand white trainers (pictured) Miguel removed the laces of his Nike White Air Force 1 trainers and used EB Kicks shoe cleaner & conditioner to wipe away stains (pictured) Miguel demonstrated the overhaul on the left trainer to be able to show a before and after comparison. In the clip he started by removing the laces and inserts a shoe tree to keep the shape. The footwear fanatic revealed in a separate video that a cloth can be used to stuff the shoe, if you don't have a shoe tree. He then set up a dedicated cleaning area with EB Kicks shoe cleaner & conditioner kit ready to use. Pouring the liquid on to a sponge, Miguel showed the hard work needed to restore the colour of his white trainers saying: 'Nobody said it was going to be easy. 'Scrub it down, take all that yellow out. Now let's get ready for the soles.' He then filmed the process of scrubbing the insoles and liners of the trainers. Miguel revealed the last step of the transformation is to place a damp cloth over the shoe and iron away creases (pictured) Miguel admitted the process isn't easy and added that it's important to remove any yellow stains The footwear fanatic explained his method provides a deep clean, therefore it's important to also scrub the liner and insole (pictured) Miguel proceeded by washing the laces in a separate container filled with water and soapy liquid. He then placed a damp cloth over the trainers and ironed the creases and placed the laces back in to reveal the shocking transformation. 'I just saved myself 150 bucks,' he said. A stream of responses to the clip were impressed and admitted they weren't aware that it's possible to restore worn trainers. One person wrote: 'I love that you restore everything. Including the shoe laces. This was also very calming to watch.' 'I didn't know you could improve a worn pair of shoes like this,' another said. A third added: 'Damn I ain't throwing my sneakers away lol' Kiev, Feb 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :The European Commission chief said on Monday she had called on EU member states to donate some of their coronavirus jabs to Ukraine, which is trying to launch a vaccination campaign. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced criticism at home for failing to source Western-made jabs and has called on the EU to help Ukraine source vaccines. Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine, one of the poorest countries in Europe, would begin the first phase of the vaccination campaign later this month. The country of some 40 million is awaiting delivery of eight million doses promised under the United Nations Covax programme and up to five million doses of the Chinese CoronaVac jab. "On top of Covax, I have also asked our member states to donate part of their doses to Ukraine," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a video address at a conference held in Ukraine's capital Kiev. "Thanks to Covax, Ukraine's doctors and nurses will receive the first vaccines already this month," she said, adding that "millions of other doses will reach Ukraine by the summer". Ukraine has not registered any vaccine so far and Zelensky has rejected calls from pro-Moscow politicians to approve Russia's Sputnik V jab. Last week, the post-Soviet country said it had also secured 12 million doses of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax. The total amount of the already secured doses is not enough to meet the needs of the country, however. Speaking at the same conference on Monday, Zelensky also pointed to Ukrainians' "mistrust" of vaccines, saying a "large part of the population" did not want to get vaccinated. According to a recent poll conducted by the non-government Rating Group, more than half of Ukrainians said they were not ready to get inoculated, even for free. Ukraine's 43-year-old leader, who experienced mild symptoms of the coronavirus last year, said he was ready to get inoculated to encourage others to do the same. "As a majority of world leaders, I am ready to show people by personal example that vaccination is important, it is safe, it is needed," said Zelensky. With its run-down health system, Ukraine has recorded over 1.2 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths. Love is in the air as we creep closer and closer to Valentines Day 2021, a day where couples look to treat their other half and spoil them rotten to show just how much they mean to them. Unfortunately the last year has seen dinner dates go from gourmet restaurants to little more than a burger from the local chipper, but one Louth businessman will look to add a little more elegance to the dinner table by supplying people with his signature fresh oysters. David Keane, originally from Collon in county Louth is the CEO of DK Connemara Oysters, a family run business based in Ballinakill Bay on the Galway coast and he believes their product is the perfect addition to any romantic meal. We have put together an attractive package which makes it easy for oyster lovers or those who want to experiment with oysters for the first time to order them online and we can then deliver the fresh oysters to anywhere in Ireland twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays stated Keane. We are literally delivering fresh oysters from Letterfrack to your letterbox anywhere in Ireland. You just add a touch of romance and the rest is up to yourself. Oysters have for centuries been renowned for their nourishment and nutrition and are also celebrated as the food of love, that special scrumptious, sensuous ingredient to add that extra classy touch, that je ne sais quoi, to your romantic soiree. The oysters are always in demand and available all year round with free delivery across Ireland from www.dkconnemaraoysters.com. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... On Jan. 26, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham created a tempest in public schooling in New Mexico with the announcement students in all grades would be allowed to return to in-person learning in a hybrid model as early as Feb. 8. Like other leaders around the state, my inbox flooded with emails from teachers and parents, many with conflicting aspirations. Every one of us desperately wants to return to school in person, but we have all been conditioned to be calculated and overprotective, even mistrustful of others. With the surprise of the announcement last week and the seemingly contradictory posture of openness, we are seeing that general mistrust extend and broaden within the school community. A comprehensive return to in-person schooling, certainly one that would be congruent with our governors approach all along, would include predictable, reliable and speedy access to vaccines for school personnel. Instead, the rollout of the vaccine has been uneven, and we have been presented with conflicting information regarding a timeline for accessibility to the vaccine for school staff. The day after the announcement, we convened our faculty and staff virtually to poll them and host deeper conversations on the topic of in-person learning at this point. Every one of our adults is deeply concerned about the academic and emotional state of our students, and we have spent much of the past year delivering food boxes, books and packets to families and working tirelessly to make sure that every single student has access to classes. Despite that, our polling revealed that 87% are generally opposed to a return to in-person school at this time. The two presenting issues: access to vaccines and time to prepare. Two days after the announcement, we convened our broader school community virtually and offered the same question we presented to our faculty and staff regarding their feelings about returning to in-person schooling. Given the volume of text messages and emails I had received from parents and guardians over the previous two days, I anticipated a result opposite to the faculty and staff. As it turned out, 56% shared the same position. Our town hall-style Zoom meeting revealed the general sentiment that we should do everything that we can to serve our most vulnerable students in person, but also ensure that school personnel have access to vaccination to ensure the safest school environment possible for our students and adults. For nearly a year now, New Mexicans have been told to be careful, to stay at home, to suspect that the virus is all around us and may even be living among our friends and neighbors. Gov. Lujan Grisham has been poised, tough and confident on the issue, leading the charge to protect one another and in our school community, we have honored that charge. Never before had our motto: Protect the Pack been so relevant and clear. But here we are now, able to make out a return to life as we once knew it together, with the option to stay the course or attempt a shortcut over uncertain, cliff-lined terrain being offered by the person we have followed all along. That shortcut would be much less dangerous if we were offered additional protection that we could count on. Yet only some of us have it and many are afraid to admit that they do. Questions mount and suspicions grow. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Many have criticized teachers and schools for their hesitancy in returning to in-person schooling when organizations such as the CDC and The New York Times have reported evidence suggests schools do not actively promote the spread of COVID-19. However, unlike many states around the country, we have largely not returned to school and are therefore conditioned to be at home and get used to shifting information that we will ride out. This is not something that new findings can simply compel people out of. A large-scale return will have to be as careful as the lockdowns were and gradual enough to build trust back. Christopher Eide previously served as director of Educator Quality at the New Mexico Public Education Department. He is also the host and producer of The Hypothesis, a podcast about school reopening during the pandemic. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. I have been in touch with Government of Ecuador officials (Ministry of Tourism / Galapagos Offfice) who have asked that this information be shared as widely as possible. I'm posting it here to help them out. The information below was approved my the officials. It is subject to change at any time. It's a bit long, but I thought it would be helpful. I'm not in a position to respond to questions. ? In July 2020, the Government of Ecuador established a clear protocol on how to handle suspected cases of COVID-19 on ships (crew or guests). In the case of a suspected case of Covid-19 on a cruise ship, as soon as one passenger or crew member reports a symptom of Covid-19, the captain or first officer must report the suspected case to the Ministry of Health; the passenger or crew member in question must be isolated and centralized ventilation on the ship must be turned off. The patient must then be interviewed by a doctor. The doctor may come from the ship of a suspected occurrence of Covid-19, a nearby ship, or a town (Floreana, Southern Isabela, Santa Cruz, or San Cristobal Island all have a doctor). The doctor must determine whether the symptoms presented are related to Covid-19, or another source, based on where the passenger has been, with whom they have gathered, as well as the size of any gathering the passenger has participated in over the previous 48 hours. NB. In the event that no doctor is available to evaluate the suspected case, the patient must be isolated in his/her cabin and returned to port for a doctors evaluation. This may mean organizing a speedboat transfer of the person suspected of Covid-19 to the nearest health center for isolation and proper medical treatment, or detouring an entire cruise ship to port. If the doctor determines that the symptoms in the suspected case did not originate from Covid-19, he/she will complete their report, leave the boat and it can continue with its itinerary. If the doctor determines that the symptoms likely originated from Covid-19, the ship must return to port and the passenger must undergo an RT-PCR test. If the original suspected case is confirmed negative with a RT-PCR Test, the doctor will complete his/her report and the cruise ship can continue with its itinerary. Should the suspected case yield a positive result to the RT-PCR test, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health will interview all passengers and crew members in closest contact with the contagious passenger during the previous 48 hours to determine each persons risk level, how many have symptoms, and whether an antigen or RT-PCR test needs to be carried out. The vessel land office staff must assist the authorities in coordinating isolation of the patient onboard, in a Ministry of Health designated isolation accommodation on land (these are currently available on Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isbaela Islands), or even air transfer of the patient to a medical center in Quito or Guayaquil, or to their place of origin. All costs associated with handling COVID-19 related issues are the responsibility of the person(s) involved. Any passenger suspected of being a carrier of the disease must comply with the provisions that are issued through the representatives of the boat, and the Ministry of Health. With this in mind, all travelers entering the Galapagos Islands must possess health insurance that covers such a scenario. Should additional passengers test positive for Covid-19, they too must isolate onboard or in a Ministry of Health designated isolation accommodation on land. Once the full ship evaluation is completed, the Ministry of Health will advise all passengers and crew onboard whether they must quarantine onboard, or if the suspected / confirmed patient(s) may disembark and quarantine on land. The ship is then sanitized and permitted by the Ministry of Health to continue operations. 41 of 73 ships are currently operating in Galapagos, and all are following this Covid-19 protocol. While these protocols are designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19, it is clear that they could severely disrupt a cruise. The requirement for a negative RT-PCR test prior to arriving in Galapagos goes a long way in reducing the chances of such an occurrence. Get vaccinated as soon as vaccines become available to you. For the full details on the protocol, please consult the governments own documents here (in Spanish): These protocols are subject to change at any time. Edited: 09 February 2021, 03:23 Fake: No new clash took place in Galwan Valley in early May India proud of every Sikh, attempt to mislead them won't benefit nation: PM Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed those calling agitating Sikh farmers names, saying it won''t do the country any good as he went on to appeal to the protesting farmers to withdraw their over two-month-long stir and give the new agriculture reform laws a chance. He also slammed the politics over the farm laws, saying opposition parties were mum over the reasons for the agitation. Punning on the term FDI, which stands for Foreign Direct Investment, Modi said a new thing of FDI has emerged in India, which he said was Foreign Destructive Ideology. "We need to be more aware to save the country from such an ideology," he said while replying to a discussion in Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session. He also slammed the mushrooming of a new breed of ''andolan-jivi'' -- professional protestors -- who can be seen at every agitation. These "parasites feast on every agitation." PM Modi quotes Manmohan Singh to blunt Opposition offensive on farm laws In an oblique reference to agitating Sikhs being called ''Khalistani'' terrorists and other names, the Prime Minister said the nation was proud of every Sikh. "India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs. This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious," he said. "Language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." Farmers from Punjab and other northern states have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for over two months against the three new farm reform bills that they fear will end the current practice of government buying their produce like wheat and paddy at a minimum support price or MSP. "We mustn''t forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. And the business of weapons was carried out in northeast. All this affected the nation," he said. Modi vehemently denied that the laws will end MSP or the mandi system of crop procurement. "MSP was there (in past). MSP is there (now). MSP will remain in the future," he said. "Also, affordable ration for the poor (through the public distribution system) will continue," he said, adding that mandis will be modernised. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Reeling out statistics, the prime minister said over two-third of farmers have small landholdings and the new laws give them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere, helping to realise the best prices. Image: Canva The events of this past summer were a wake-up call for Christians, including Evangelicals. From acknowledging centuries-old, endemic racial inequality from the pulpit, calls to prayer, protest, and action, many are trying to find ways to step from the sidelines to the playing field in the pursuit of justice. Indeed, our faith calls us to action and accountability as Gods people. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible express a preoccupation with justice. For example, biblical teaching found in Isaiah, Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression and Hebrews, remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering are just two examples of the ancient Judeo-Christian witness to a God with unwavering commitment to justice. Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, prioritized the Hebrews mandate to come alongside those affected by crime and incarcerated. We believe God created humanity in Gods own image, and no life is beyond Gods redemptive touch. Our faith drives us to work to bring the restorative justice envisioned and empowered by God and His Word into the broken lives, relationships, and communities we serve. Redeeming systems as well as souls Along the way, we have witnessed firsthand racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Stark racial imbalances at every stage of the nations criminal justice system confront people of color, particularly Black Americans. For example, at the arrest stage, while only 13% of Americans are Black, 27% of those arrested are Black.[1] Similarly, the 2018 adult probation population was composed of 55% white individuals but 30% Black individuals. The remaining probation population included 13% Hispanic, 1% American Indian/Alaska Native, 1% Asian, less than 1% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and less than 1% individuals who identify as two or more races.[2] Communities of color are subject to higher-than-average rates of traffic stops and police searches, and African Americans are more likely than white Americans to be subject to the threat or actual use of force by police.[3] African Americans are significantly more likely to be arrested for a drug crime, even though rates of drug use and trafficking are roughly equal across all races.[4] Further, federal sentencing data indicate that when convicted, Black males are often subjected to harsher-than-average sentences and less likely to receive any form of reduced sentence, charge, or plea agreement, when compared to similarly situated individuals of non-African American descent.[5] Historically, evangelical Christianity has greatly emphasized an individual faith commitment that transforms the whole person. Not surprisingly, Barna found 93% of evangelicals agreed their values make caring for prisoners important (compared to 75% of Americans generally). In our focus on the individual, evangelical Christiansincluding mesometimes lose sight of the Gospels community implications. Not only do souls require redemption but so do societal systems and structures. Yes, we should visit the prisoner, but we must also ask ourselves whether or not it is just that theyre there in the first place, or for so long. Further, in the U.S., some 44,000 legal barriers to housing, employment, and other opportunities prevent people with a criminal record from flourishing. While we share with incarcerated men and women that all things are possible through Christ, we cannot be complacent about a system that, upon their release, holds them back. Living faithinside and out Matthew Charles spent decades caught in the disparities of the system. Arrested in 1995 for selling crack cocaine, Matthew received a 35-year sentence in federal prison. Not long after his arrest, another incarcerated man gave him a Gideon Bible. After reading it cover to cover, Matthew gave his life to Christ. From that point on, things just started dramatically changing for the better in my life. It was just amazing, he said. But while Matthew experienced personal transformation, the system that imprisoned him was slow to change. The disproportionate sentencing that mandated higher prison terms for crack than powdered cocaine kept Matthew in prison 16 years for his nonviolent crime. And though his term eventually was reduced, and Matthew left prison in June 2016 under the Fair Sentencing Act of in 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice won an appeal claiming that he was ineligible for early release. Matthew then was sent back to prison in May 2018, on the grounds the law could not be applied retroactively. Matthews story caught the nations attention. Thousands demanded his release. Then, on January 3, 2019, Matthew Charles became one of the very first people set free under the bipartisan FIRST STEP Act (FSA), which Prison Fellowship helped craft and supported alongside an extraordinary range of partners. And we continue the work of creating constructive culture for the restoration of incarcerated men and women, but we cant stop there. Charles Colson often repeated Abraham Kuypers words: There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine! This includes the criminal justice system. Concerned Christian advocates must help transform our system with biblical values like fairness and restoration. According to the Barna poll, communities of colorthose most adversely impacted by the systems failingsalready know this and are, unsurprisingly, more likely to agree the Church should support second chance reforms and to consider elected officials positions on justice when voting. Toward a more just society According to Barna polling, most Christians already believe the primary purpose of the criminal justice system should be restoration. They believe in redemption and second chances. At this time when the tide is turning toward racial equality, Christians must not let anything, including a lack of knowledgeboth about Americas current state of criminal justice and about how to apply what the Bible says about justicehinder taking action on our beliefs. The changes we need to make are not abstract but readily within our grasp. Church leaders can educate themselves on the state of the criminal justice system and how to use biblical values to address its current ills, including racial injustice. They can lead their congregations to embrace second chances as a public expression of grace. After all, its not a new calling but a fuller realization of our oldest oneto love God and our neighbors as ourselves. [1] U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau, (April 2020), https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the U.S., 2018: Arrests by Race and Ethnicity, 2018, Table 43A, Uniform Criminal Reporting,: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/tables/table-43;. [2] U.S. Department of Justice, Probation and Parole in the United States, 2017-2018, Appendix Table 4, By Danielle Kaeble, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, August. 2020,https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ppus1718.pdf . [3] U.S. Department of Justice, Contacts Between the Policy and the Public, Table 1, By Elizabeth Davis, Anthony Whyde, Lynn Langton Ph.D, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Nov. 2018, https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpp15.pdf. [4] Results obtained by calculated data obtained from, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the U.S., 2018: Arrests by Race and Ethnicity, 2018, Table 43A, Uniform Criminal Reporting: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/tables/table-43;. [5] United States Sentencing Commission, Demographic Differences in Sentencing, at p. 2, Nov. 2017, https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2017/20171114_Demographics.pdf. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media MIDDLETOWN The city is in the process of reviewing nearly two-dozen requests for qualifications from firms interested in partnering with the city on its master plan for riverfront redevelopment, the most ever submitted for a city project, according to the mayor. These proposals detail how companies would create a planning process, including gathering input from the public and city stakeholders, on a vision for what the Connecticut River at Harbor Park could look like in the future, Middletown Economic Development Specialist Thomas Marano said Friday. The area has been deemed prime real estate by officials. Ho Chi Minh Citys authorities have announced a dozen locations being locked down after the recent detection of four community transmissions, all being baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and 25 of their close contacts who have tested positive for the virus. The locations include the Nguyen Cu Trinh quadrangle area in District 1, bordered by the four streets of Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Cu Trinh and Cong Quynh, with around 2,000 residents. The next locked down areas are neighboorhoods No. 22 and 47 in Thanh Loc and Trung My Tay Wards in District 12, having around 100 and 30 residents, respectively. In Tan Binh District, the sealed off locations are Nam Bac Restaurant at 12A1 Bach Dang Street, Cay Bang Restaurant at B68 Bach Dang Street, Phuong Nam Restaurant at A3 Bach Dang Street, both in Ward 2. Besides, the house of a patient on Tan Binhs Pham Van Hai Street has been cordoned off. A block of houses for rent at 90 Nguyen Phuc Chu Street in Ward 15, which is linked to patient No. 2,002, has also been fenced off for COVID-19 prevention purpose. In Binh Tan District, local government has blocked another house block for lease on Nguyen Van Cu Street in Tan Tao Ward. For Go Vap District, Felix Homes apartment building in Ward 6 with 300 households and 900 people and an alley at 251 Quang Trung Street in Ward 10, having 100 families and 720 residents, have been put under blockade. Meanwhile, all households in neighborhoods No. 12, 15, 16 and 17 in Ward 28 and those living in Alley 246 on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street in Ward 21 have been locked down. During at an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long proposed Ho Chi Minh City apply social distancing in some areas following surging infections linked to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The source of this outbreak has not yet been determined. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Armed riot police are seen near protesters in Naypyitaw, Myanmar (AP) The leader of the coup in Myanmar has said a new election will be held as promised in a year and that the military will hand over power to the winners. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing made no mention of the ongoing unrest in the country during a 20-minute televised speech on Monday, his first to the public since the takeover. He instead repeated the claim that the military staged the takeover because of alleged voter fraud. The military government later imposed a curfew and bans on gatherings of more than five people in the countrys two biggest cities Yangon and Mandalay as protests against its coup showed no sign of abating. Tension in the confrontations between the authorities and demonstrators over last weeks coup has boiled over, as police fired water cannon at peaceful protesters in the capital Naypyitaw. Expand Close A police truck uses a water cannon to disperse a crowd of protesters in Naypyitaw (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A police truck uses a water cannon to disperse a crowd of protesters in Naypyitaw (AP) In the town of Myawaddy on Myanmars eastern border with Thailand, police shot into the air in an effort to disperse a rowdy crowd. There had been no initial reports of injuries, but the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent watchdog group, said one woman had been shot, without providing further details. There have been no signs that either protesters or the military were backing down in their confrontation over who is the countrys legitimate government: Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party, which won a landslide victory in last Novembers election, or the junta that formed one week ago and which claims the polls were marred by voting fraud. Non-violent protests demanding the release of the detained Ms Suu Kyi and restoration of her government have spread all over the country, with awareness of them growing after the authorities on Sunday lifted a brief ban on internet access. State media for the first time on Monday made reference to the protests, claiming they were endangering the countrys stability. Democracy can be destroyed if there is no discipline, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information, read on state television station MRTV. We will have to take legal actions to prevent acts that are violating state stability, public safety and the rule of law. Expand Close Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters march near the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar (AP) There were reports of new protests on Monday in Kachin State in the north, Mon State in the south east, Tachileik, a border town in eastern Shan State, Naypyitaw and Mandalay, the countrys second largest city, where there were both marchers and a procession of motorbikes. The protests in Naypyitaw, ongoing for several days, have been especially unusual, for a great part of the citys population are civil servants and their families. The city was purpose-built under a previous military government, has a heavy military presence and lacks the tradition of protest of the former capital, Yangon. A morning protest in Yangon, Myanmars biggest city, swelled rapidly with the crowd exceeding a thousand demonstrators at a major city centre intersection. They chanted slogans, raised a three-finger salute and carried placards saying Reject the Military Coup and Justice for Myanmar. Some smaller groups broke off from the main protest and headed to the Sule Pagoda, a past rallying point for major protests against previous ruling juntas. On Sunday, the golden-domed pagoda served as a rallying point for tens of thousands of demonstrators, as it did protesters against military rule during a massive 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 revolt led by Buddhist monks. The military used deadly force to end both of those uprisings, with estimates of hundreds if not thousands killed in 1988. Expand Close Protesters holding an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Mandalay (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters holding an image of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in Mandalay (AP) While riot police have watched the protests this past week, soldiers have been absent and there have been no reports of major clashes. The growing protests are a sharp reminder of the long and bloody struggle for democracy in a country that the military ruled directly for more than five decades before loosening its grip in 2012. Ms Suu Kyis government, which also won a landslide election in 2015, was the first led by civilians in decades, though its power was limited by a military-drafted constitution. A call for a general strike was issued late on Sunday by several activist groups in Yangon, but it was not clear if it had been widely circulated or adopted by the informally organised civil disobedience movement at the forefront of the protests. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Myanmar, an independent watchdog group, said 165 people, mostly politicians, had been detained since the February 1 coup, with just 13 released. One foreigner has been confirmed held by the authorities, Sean Turnell, an economist at Australias Macquarie University who was an adviser to Ms Suu Kyis government. He was detained on Saturday under unclear circumstances. A statement issued on Monday by the office of Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said he was being provided with consular support and described him as a highly regarded adviser, member of the academic community. We certainly believe he should be immediately released, it said. The military has accused Ms Suu Kyis government of failing to act on its complaints that last Novembers election was marred by fraud, though the election commission said it had found no evidence to support the claims. The elected lawmakers of Ms Suu Kyis party have asked for international recognition as the countrys government after meeting online on Friday to declare themselves as the sole legitimate representatives of the people. The military barred them from convening parliament last week. A 100-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard has been charged with complicity in the murders of 3,518 people during the Holocaust, German prosecutors said today. The man stands accused of 'knowingly and willingly' assisting in the systematic killing of prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg, north of Berlin, between 1942 and 1945. The suspect, who today lives in the northeastern state of Brandenburg, allegedly made a 'material and intentional' contribution to the murders at the camp where 100,000 people died, according to the NDR broadcaster. He is considered fit to stand trial despite his age, the public prosecutor's office in the town of Neuruppin confirmed, as authorities race to bring the last surviving suspects to justice 76 years after the end of World War II. A 100-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, pictured in 2020, has been charged with complicity in the murders of 3,518 people during the Holocaust, German prosecutors said today The Sachsenhausen concentration camp, set up in 1936, was notorious for early experiments in the killing of inmates by gas in what became a trial run for the murders of millions in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. The case comes just days after German prosecutors charged a secretary at a Nazi concentration camp with complicity in the murders of 10,000 people during the Holocaust. The 95-year-old woman was a stenographer and a secretary to the commandant of Stutthof concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Identified by German media as Irmgard F, she is accused of having 'assisted' her superiors in the systematic killings of Jewish prisoners, Polish partisans and Soviet prisoners of war between 1943 and 1945. It is the first such case in years against a female staff member. A secretary at the former Stutthof concentration camp, pictured in 2016, has been charged with complicity in the murders of 10,000 people during the Holocaust The woman, who lives in a retirement home and is thought to be healthy enough to stand trial, will face a juvenile court because she was a minor at the time of the Holocaust. She is charged with 'aiding and abetting murder in more than 10,000 cases' as well as complicity in attempted murder, said prosecutors in the city of Itzehoe. In a previous interview with NDR, she claimed she had never actually set foot in the camp itself and insisted she had only learned about the atrocities after the war. Her boss, SS officer Paul Werner Hoppe, was convicted for his role at the camp and sentenced to nine years in prison by a West German court in 1957. He died in 1974. The secretary worked for Nazi commandant Paul Werner Hoppe (pictured), who was convicted by a West German court in 1957 and died in 1974 In evidence during that investigation, given nearly 70 years ago, the woman acknowledged working for Hoppe but said she knew nothing of the gas chambers. She also claimed at the time that she was aware of executions taking place but thought they were a punishment for specific crimes, rather than the systematic genocide they really were. But on Friday prosecutors said they will lay out evidence of her 'concrete responsibility for the functioning of the camp'. The Stutthof camp was established in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, and enlarged in 1943 with a new camp surrounded by electrified barbed-wire fences. As many as 100,000 people would eventually be deported there, some of them moved from other camps abandoned by the Nazis in the later stages of the war. In addition to gas chambers and lethal injections, many prisoners died of disease in the camp's horrific conditions under the supervision of the SS. Around 60,000 people are thought to have died in the camp, while another 25,000 perished while evacuating in the chaotic final weeks of the Third Reich. Finally liberated by Soviet forces in May 1945, the camp is now once again within Poland's borders, with the town going by the Polish name of Sztutowo. Last year, another Stutthof operative was tried and convicted at the age of 93 for helping to murder 5,322 prisoners in the final months of the war. Bruno Dey admitted being an SS guard but had claimed that his presence at the camp did not amount to guilt. Last year 93-year-old Bruno Dey, pictured, was convicted for his part in the Holocaust after serving as an SS guard at Stutthof Having been a teenager when those events took place, he was tried in a youth court and was eventually given a suspended two-year prison sentence. Another former Stutthof guard was put on trial in 2018, but his trial was later stopped because his heart problems meant he was not fit to stand trial. The 95-year-old man claimed that he was never a Nazi and felt ashamed to be at the camp, but admitted he had never voiced any criticism of his superiors. Prosecutors have launched a number of other cases in recent years as time runs out to convict any Nazi perpetrators who have evaded justice until now. A landmark case in 2011 established that those who worked in the Nazi concentration camps could be found guilty as accessories to murder even if it could not be proved that they directly took part in killings. Among those who were brought to late justice were Oskar Groening, an accountant at Auschwitz, and Reinhold Hanning, a former SS guard at the same camp. Both were convicted of complicity in mass murder at the age of 94 but died before they could be imprisoned. A poll in January 2020 found 76 per cent of Germans agreeing with the statement that surviving Nazi war criminals should be put on trial even now. In the same survey, 77 per cent agreed that Germany has a responsibility to make sure that the history of the Holocaust and Nazi dictatorship are never forgotten. But 53 per cent also agreed with the statement that it was time for Germany to 'draw a line' under its Nazi past. Shimla, Feb 8 : Despite the 307-square km Pong wetlands in Himachal Pradesh being hit by avian influenza this winter that led to the death of nearly 4,500 bar-headed geese, the largest hit species, they continue to have a sizeable congregation in their preferred wintering ground, wildlife officials said on Monday. An influx of 40,570 bar-headed geese, one of the world's highest-altitude fliers, was recorded in the Pong wetlands in the just concluded annual waterfowl estimation. Their numbers comprised 108,578 birds of 96 species, a slight fall from 2020. Out of those recorded this year, the water-dependent migratory birds were 1,01,431 of 51 species and the water-dependent resident birds were 6,433 of 29 species, said an official statement quoting state Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania. It said 714 birds of 16 other species were also recorded. Besides, the bar-headed geese, the other notable species recorded at the Pong wetlands were the Eurasian coot (24,163), Northern Pintail (12,702), Common Teal (8,444), Little Cormorant (3,649), Great Cormorant (3,410), Greylag geese (2,297), Northern shoveller (2,275) and Common pochard (2,138). The other species were the Red Necked grebe, Great Bittern, Lesser white-fronted geese, Red crested pochard, Ferruginous pochard, Pied avocet, Northern lapwing, Peregrine falcon. During the estimation exercise, one Bar-headed geese and one Greylag geese with collars were also spotted at the Pong wetlands, nearly 250 km from state capital Shimla. Forest Minister Pathania said the bird count was conducted this time under restrained conditions due to the prevailing avian influenza outbreak in the Pong Dam Lake Wildlife sanctuary as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. The exercise was conducted by the wildlife wing by deploying 57 staff members in 26 sections of the sanctuary. The Minister told IANS that the total population of birds and the number of species counted this year were marginally less compared to 2020, probably due to the impact of avian influenza that was first reported on December 28, 2020. "Although the total population of water birds declined during the peak of the influenza outbreak, there is gradual increase in the total population of birds as a result of continuing containment measures being taken in the Pong Dam lake," he said. Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife-North), Upasana Patial, who participated in the bird census conducted last week, told IANS that in February 2020, 49,496 bar-headed geese were recorded in Pong. According to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the Pong wetlands is the one wintering ground in the globe to hold such a large congregation of bar-headed geese. Most of the wetlands in India have been regularly getting bar-headed geese every winter. But Pong is the only habitat that sees the largest influx of bar-headed geese every winter, a BNHS ornithologist told IANS. Even their breeding grounds spread over the Tibetan plateau do not support such a large number of the geese at one point in time. In 2015, a staggering 71,800 bar-headed geese, nearly half their numbers globally, were recorded in the Pong wetlands, an all-time high till date. The gregarious geese feeds at night in the grasslands on riverbanks and breeds in high-altitude lakes in Central Asia, including Tibet and Ladakh. Crossing national and international boundaries, millions of migratory birds of several species descend on various water bodies and wetlands in the region. They start returning by the end of February or the beginning of March. The Pong wetlands are also home to many native birds such as the Red Jungle Fowl, Large Indian Parakeet, Indian cuckoo, Bank mynah, Wood shrike, Yellow-eyed babbler, Black ibis, Paradise Flycatcher, Crested lark and the Crested bunting. A total of 425 species of birds, both migratory and local, 18 of snake, 90 of butterfly, 24 of mammals and 27 of fish have been recorded so far in Pong. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) The birth of her twin boys, Oliver and Ethan, should have been a time of great joy for Stacey Green. Instead, a heart problem triggered by pregnancy meant their birth was overshadowed by a terrifying decline in Stacey's own health, which left her fighting for her life. Even now, five years on, 38-year-old Stacey, a council tax officer, has high blood pressure which, even at her age, puts her at risk of stroke and means she must take daily medication to control it for life. The pregnancy itself had been relatively straightforward, with no obvious warning signs. Then, just a few weeks before giving birth in May 2015, Stacey developed breathlessness and even day-to-day tasks such as making a cup of tea left her gasping for air. Even now, five years on, 38-year-old Stacey, a council tax officer, has high blood pressure which, even at her age, puts her at risk of stroke. Pictured with her twin boys Oliver and Ethan 'It felt like a fully grown adult was permanently sitting on my chest,' says Stacey, who lives in Cumbria with partner Ben, 35, director of a manufacturing company. 'Everyone, including my GP and midwife, told me it was normal to feel that way because of the physical strain on my body of carrying twins.' In fact, Stacey had developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a weakness of the heart muscle that can occur in mums-to-be during the late stages of pregnancy. It is caused when the heart, charged with supplying oxygen to a foetus in Stacey's case, two as well as the mother's organs, weakens under the strain. The left ventricle, its main pumping chamber, rapidly becomes weak and floppy. If caught early, peripartum cardiomyopathy can be treated with drugs such as beta blockers, diuretics and ACE inhibitors to make the heart beat more slowly and pump more efficiently, thereby conserving its remaining strength and giving it a chance to recover. Stacey developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a weakness of the heart muscle that can occur in mums-to-be during the late stages of pregnancy But left untreated, within weeks even in young, otherwise healthy women the condition can lead to heart failure (with symptoms such as severe breathlessness and fatigue) and even death. In Stacey's case, the peripartum cardiomyopathy wasn't picked up until a week after she'd given birth, and around a month after the symptoms started, by which time she was in a critical situation. 'I knew something was wrong even that first day home,' she recalls. 'My legs were extremely swollen and I was gasping for air. I just couldn't get enough oxygen into my lungs.' Panic-stricken, Stacey called NHS 111, but by the time a doctor returned her call she felt slightly better. In Stacey's case, the peripartum cardiomyopathy wasn't picked up until a week after she'd given birth Yet six days after she'd given birth, Stacey was gravely ill. 'I had a cough that sounded like a rattle in my throat and a raging fever,' she recalls. 'It was a warm day but I was shivering.' Ben phoned the GP out-of-hours service and, fearing it was sepsis, they told him to rush Stacey to A&E. She was then admitted to a high dependency unit. 'It was terrifying and I genuinely thought that I was going to die,' Stacey says. Tests showed that her heart's ejection fraction how much blood it pumps out of the main chamber with each heartbeat was only 40 per cent. It should be 50 to 70 per cent, and anything less than 40 per cent is heart failure. Doctors confirmed she had peripartum cardiomyopathy. 'I feel that while the babies were monitored and looked after very well during pregnancy, I wasn't,' Stacey says. 'I worry that a lot of pregnant women feel they are often not listened to and that their health isn't taken seriously.' THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG? Stacey's is an extreme example, yet evidence suggests it may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact and damage that pregnancy and pregnancy-related disorders can have on women's hearts. These have now been linked with high blood presssure, type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. And some campaigners fear these risks are not being taken seriously by doctors who are largely unaware of the impact pregnancy can have. Compounding the problem is the fact that, in some cases, the damage may not be fully apparent until years, even decades, later. Yet six days after she'd given birth, Stacey was gravely ill. Seen with the baby twins For example, the pregnancy-related condition pre-eclampsia, which causes dangerously high blood pressure in the mother, was previously considered 'cured' once the baby was delivered. Recently, though, it's been found to cause permanent damage in some women that can dramatically increase their risk of a heart attack, heart failure or a stroke in later life. Pre-eclampsia affects one in 50 pregnancies a year and occurs when blood vessels in the placenta fail to develop properly. As a result, the extra blood and plasma produced to supply both mother and baby's needs are squeezed into the mother's blood vessels, raising her blood pressure. Common signs include swelling of the feet, ankles and face (caused by the body retaining fluid), as well as severe headache and blurred vision. The exact causes are unclear but the risks increase if women have a family history of the condition, or are over 40 and already have high blood pressure or diabetes. Babies can be born premature or may die in the womb, due to the lack of nutrients reaching them. The condition can also prove fatal for the mother. Scientists have recently found an alarming link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease later in life. In 2017, in a review of 22 studies, researchers at Keele University found that women who had suffered pre-eclampsia were four times more likely to experience heart failure when they got older and twice as likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than women who did not develop it. Doctors confirmed Stacey had peripartum cardiomyopathy after she was rushed to A&E The results, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, showed the risks begin to increase within one year after birth, peaking at around ten years after. It now seems the damage to the cardiovascular system that occurs with pre-eclampsia is never fully repaired, putting women on the path to early-onset heart disease, regardless of other factors such as their lifestyle. 'Around 40 per cent of women who suffer pre-eclampsia will have high blood pressure by the time they are 40,' says Dr Angela Maas, a cardiologist and world-renowned expert on women's heart health from Radboud University in the Netherlands. 'High blood pressure is the number one deadly risk factor for heart disease in women,' she says. 'While in a man aged 40, high blood pressure would be considered a major risk factor that needs treating, in a woman, doctors are often more inclined to blame it on the stress of maybe running a household, bringing up children or caring for elderly parents.' DOCTORS FAILING TO TRACK THOSE AT RISK The Keele University team urged the medical profession to use their findings as a basis for increased monitoring of at-risk women, particularly in terms of high blood pressure. However, experts told Good Health they fear that many women are slipping through the net. Dr Brian Halliday, a lecturer in cardiology at Imperial College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, fears there is a general consensus that one episode of pre-eclampsia in a woman in her 20s or 30s cannot possibly damage the heart permanently, but the evidence suggests it can. 'These women are often not followed up as closely as needed, even though we know they are more likely to face heart problems in the future,' he says. Stacey's bump whilst pregnant with Ethan and Oliver. I feel that while the babies were monitored and looked after very well during pregnancy, I wasn't,' Stacey says 'We need to be more aggressive when it comes to monitoring these women after they give birth. We need to look at these women regularly, years after, and check for high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and diabetes. 'They need to be checked and given lifestyle advice such as losing weight, quitting smoking and getting more exercise all factors which can further raise their risk of heart disease if they are already vulnerable. They need to be particularly careful about reducing risk factors for heart disease.' Possible risks for children, too Pre-eclampsia high blood pressure during pregnancy may affect the childs future cardiovascular health as well as that of the mother (see main story). A 2012 study by the University of Oxford, involving more than 45,000 people born to mothers with the condition, found that even in childhood and adolescence they had higher blood pressure readings than peers who had not been exposed to pre-eclampsia. The researchers said raised blood pressure at such a young age was a red flag for problems later in life. Dr Clare OliverWilliams, a cardiovascular researcher, says babies who are exposed to high blood pressure in the womb adapt to that environment in other words, their developing cardiovascular system is being taught that higher blood pressure is normal. If the foetus is growing in the womb and blood pressure is high, then thats what it becomes used to and its body adapts to that, she says. This then becomes the default setting for the childs blood pressure once it is free from its mothers own blood supply. Advertisement Dr Patrick O'Brien, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says that in the first year after they had pre-eclampsia, women should have monthly checks, followed by annual GP visits after that. 'And they need to be told at the outset that their risk of heart disease has roughly doubled due to pre-eclampsia,' he says which at the moment they are not routinely told. 'Even if you just had high blood pressure during pregnancy, without pre-eclampsia, it would still be sensible to have an annual check.' Dr Maas believes all women who have had pre-eclampsia should routinely have a CT scan (a type of X-ray) of their coronary arteries when they reach 45, to see if they have excess calcium deposits that narrow blood vessels and raise the risk of heart attacks. If detected, these could be treated by implanting a stent a tiny metal tube to prop open the affected artery and keep blood flowing to the heart. 'At the moment, there are no clear guidelines on what to do with these women,' she says. 'But we are learning that prevention has to start early.' HIGH BLOOD SUGAR ANOTHER RED FLAG Gestational diabetes, which in the UK affects up to one in six pregnant women, can also affect a woman's long-term heart health. The condition causes a spike in the woman's blood sugar levels that only recedes once she's given birth. It occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin (the hormone that helps the body's cells to use up blood sugar) to meet the extra needs of pregnancy. Most women experience few symptoms and the condition usually gets picked up during routine antenatal checks. Those who are obese, or have had the condition in a previous pregnancy, or are from certain ethnic groups, such as those of South Asian, African Caribbean, or Middle Eastern background, are generally more at risk. peripartum cardiomyopathy, the condition that Stacey Green developed, is relatively rare, affecting around 700 women a year in the UK and accounting for around 40 deaths Without treatment, either with tablets or insulin jabs to lower blood sugar, gestational diabetes can lead to the baby growing larger than usual, increasing the risk of difficulties during delivery. Studies have now shown that a woman who suffers gestational diabetes is 50 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease, in the next five to ten years. The added burden of larger families Pregnancy disorders are not the only threat to a mothers heart. Having more than two children increases the chances of a future heart attack by 40 per cent, according to a 2018 study by the University of Cambridge. But it is still not certain whether this is due to the strain of birth itself, or simply that busy mothers with more children have less time to look after their own health. Thats the big question, Dr Clare Oliver-Williams, one of the researchers involved in the Cambridge study, told Good Health. We know that the more pregnancies a woman has, the more likely she is to suffer complications such as pre-eclampsia that may be linked to heart problems later in life. But we also know from studies involving fathers that those with more children are also at increased risk of heart disease, so it may be due to the burden of a larger family. Advertisement There are other potential dangers, too. In January, data from 1,100 women gathered by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, found that women who'd had gestational diabetes were twice as likely as those who didn't to have calcium deposits accumulating in the arteries around their hearts by the time they reached their 40s and 50s. Researchers said they were surprised to discover that even those whose blood sugar levels reverted to healthy levels straight after birth and remained at those levels were still more likely to have a dangerous build-up of calcium linked with heart attacks, reported the journal Circulation. 'We now know that even if your blood sugar levels return to normal straight after pregnancy, and stay there, your heart disease risk is elevated,' says Dr Maas. WHEN TO SEEK HELP FOR BREATHLESSNESS peripartum cardiomyopathy, the condition that Stacey Green developed, is relatively rare, affecting around 700 women a year in the UK and accounting for around 40 deaths many of them perfectly healthy young women. It's not clear what triggers it, although risk factors include obesity, smoking and chronic illness such as type 2 diabetes. None of these applied to Stacey, however, and recent research suggests up to 15 per cent of cases may be due to a genetic predisposition. The charity Cardiomyopathy UK has now launched a campaign, Beating For Two, to raise awareness of condition among the public and the medical profession. The charity warns: 'Opportunities to detect and treat peripartum cardiomyopathy early are being missed and, as a result, women's lives are being put at risk.' Dr Brian Halliday adds: 'It is important to raise awareness of this condition. Feeling like you need to put a bit more physical effort in during pregnancy is quite normal. 'But if you have to stop halfway up the stairs because you simply cannot catch your breath, or if you wake in the night gasping for air, that's not normal. 'Pregnant women must get help if they have to stop for breath halfway up the stairs, are suffering heart palpitations or have been blacking out.' A Woman's Heart: Why Female Heart Health Really Matters, by Dr Angela Maas (Octopus, 9.99). Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. [February 08, 2021] realme Cements Its Position in the Big Leagues as 7th Largest Smartphone Brand Globally, Achieving 65% Growth Through 2020 SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- realme, an international smartphone brand that has leapfrogged over established industry giants to take 7th place in terms of global market share was announced as the fastest growing major brand in the worldfor 2020. Research company Counterpoint announced this milestone in its latest smartphone report on Q4, as realme grew 65% YoY and shipped 42M smartphones last year. realme has been a highlight in the stale smartphone industry, employing innovative method on both the consumer and product aspects to aggressively grow its market share. In an economic environment where nearly all major industry leaders were taking a loss, realme was one of the only two major smartphone brands to register growth all throughout 2020. The young company started the year selling in only 35 markets and ended it with approximately 100% growth, totaling 61 active markets by end 2020. During this time, realme expanded its user base by 250%, from 25M to now over 50M strong. realme's meteoric rise has been no secret to industry observers, who are now used to the impressive numbers that is being expected from this dynamic company. Part of the ethos of the company set by CEO Sky Li is the ability to flexibly respond to changing market conditions on the ground. realme's employees and team, as young consumers themselves, deeply understand the changes on the ground and has cohesively adapted accordingly, and that has shown results through the sales numbers and satisfaction reviews of their products. This has resulted in a strong performance underpinned by strong consumer trust and understanding. "At realme, we live out our philosophy, which is to dare to leap into the forefront of innovation, design and product value, which is something young people can identify with,' says Sky Li, realme's CEO. Global sectors of youths and young professionals have kept realme going strong, helping the company to truly be a global minstream brand. realme has surpassed the 50M sales milestone in merely nine quarters since its inception, making it the fastest growing smartphone brand in the world. In addition, realme has innovated from the ground up, taking the marketing and conversations to where its consumers are at. realme users and employees frequently trade tips about the latest technological trends, sell online through heavy emphasis on e-commerce, where because of social distancing guidelines, staff are encouraged to lead their own communities of realme users. "This has created authenticity all the way from the top to the bottom, and this brand value is seen by the consumer first-hand," says Li. "Our changing environments has allowed realme to live out its values in plain view of its consumers. Once countries start to limit movement, we upgraded our after-sales services such as warranty extensions, live online support and shorter waiting and delivery times in order to maintain the high quality of service to our users that we have become known for". realme has generated such impressive growth because they arechampioned as the global leading popularizer of 5G technology amongst users. realme has consistently led the market in decentralizing and exposing 5G-enable equipment to many groups through quality products of great value, such as the global launch of the realme 7 5G, which costs less than US$300. Well-known mobile authority GSM Arena has rated realme the first midrange all-rounder mobile phone for 2020. Also, realme's phones were the first batch of phones to be equipped with the best-in-class Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/765G/888, 125W flash charging and superior night photography modes.The young but courageous company has set its sights high in 2021, looking to leapfrog its outstanding 2020 performance through 5G and AIoT products. About realme realme is a technology brand that brings trendsetting smartphones and AIoT products to the global market. realme users are young andglobally-minded.They 'Dare to Leap',empowered by the latest in technology and design. realme is recognized as one of the mainstream smartphone brands according to Counterpoint's statistics of global smartphone shipments in Q3 2020, which ranks it at 7th in the world. In 2019, realme's global smartphone shipments reached 25 million with a YoY growth rate of 808%, making realme the fastest-growing smartphone brand in the world for four consecutive quarters fromQ3 2019 to Q2 2020. realme has entered 61 markets worldwide, including China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, Russia, Australia, Middle East, Africa with a global user base of over50 million. For more information, please contact Wen, WU Head of Corporate Public Relations wuwen@realme.com (+86 158 1058 0696) or go to www.realme.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realme-cements-its-position-in-the-big-leagues-as-7th-largest-smartphone-brand-globally-achieving-65-growth-through-2020-301223778.html SOURCE realme [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] OTTAWA - Those who support expanding access to medical assistance in dying are doing so because they have not grappled with the consequences of medical racism, a disability activist said Monday before senators began debating the proposed legislation. The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on February 18, 2019. CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Those who support expanding access to medical assistance in dying are doing so because they have not grappled with the consequences of medical racism, a disability activist said Monday before senators began debating the proposed legislation. "Bill C-7 is anti-working class, racist and ableist," Sarah Jama of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario told a virtual news conference. "(The bill) makes it more accessible for people with mental health disabilities to kill themselves as a form of treatment without making mental health supports free." The 26-year-old community organizer from Hamilton, Ont., who is Black and uses a wheelchair, says racialized and Indigenous people in Canada who have been killed by the police should have been given mental health and disability-related support. She said they also suffer deal with racism at hospitals when they seek medical assistance. Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman, died in a Joliette, Que. hospital last September after she filmed staff making derogatory comments about her. "I don't want this in my future," she said. Bill C-7 would eliminate the requirement that death be "reasonably foreseeable" to qualify for an assisted death, but it also sets up two eligibility tracks relaxing some rules for those who are near death and imposing stricter conditions for those who are not. Jama, who appeared before the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee that was studying the bill last week, questioned how widely Justice Minister David Lametti and others have consulted when it came to how the bill would affect people with disabilities. Jama said legislators are listening to assisted-death advocacy groups she describes as predominantly representing wealthier white people, who she argues are pushing for expanded access to the procedure because they are afraid to live with disability. She said meanwhile, they have been neglecting the voices of people with disabilities who are living in poverty, such as those living in homeless encampments in Hamilton. "A lot of the people he consulted were upper middle-class white people, doctors and lawyers, and that's not representative of the disability community," she said. The bill before the Senate would also explicitly prohibit the procedure for people suffering solely from mental illnesses, which some senators and constitutional experts believe is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Jama raised concerns about a possible Senate amendment that would put a "sunset clause" on the exclusion related to mental illness, arguing that this could lead to assisted death being seen as a form of treatment, without making other kinds of treatment free. Krista Carr, the vice-president of Inclusion Canada, told the news conference Monday that the focus should be on suicide prevention. "This bill has got to be stopped, or it will end the life of people," she said. "It will end the life of way too many people with disabilities who feel they have no other options." A letter from three United Nations watchdogs, including Gerard Quinn, the special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, sent to the Liberal government last week said C-7 would have a potentially discriminatory impact on persons with disabilities and older people who are not at the end of their lives. If adopted, the bill will violate the right of persons with disabilities to live that's protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the letter said. It would also "risk reinforcing (even unintentionally), ableist and ageist assumptions about the value or quality of life of persons with disabilities and older people with or without disabilities," the letter said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship A California-based astrophotographer has snapped 'one-in-a-million' footage of a United Airlines plane photobombing the Sun. The stunning images and video, captured by accident, shows the aircraft perfectly silhouetted in black against the fiery orange surface. The commercial aircraft took just a second to fly across the Sun as it made its way from San Francisco to New Jersey. The moment was snapped by California-based astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy using a telescope fitted with a hydrogen-alpha solar filter, which highlights the chromosphere a layer in the Sun's atmosphere. 'During one of my batches, a plane happened to perfectly intersect the middle of the Sun,' McCarthy said. 'For me this is very rare. There are many photographers that set up near airports and plan for these shots, and get them easily. 'However I am far from an airport, and in my two years of shooting the Sun, this is the first time I've captured a plane like this.' The plane ended up being dramatically silhouetted right in front of the Sun in this rare, 'one-in-a-million' photo - taken as the flight crossed perfectly across the Sun's fiery surface McCarthy had been attempting to get shots of the Sun's prominences the large, loopy tufts that extend outward from the Sun's surface, using the hydrogen-alpha filter. Hydrogen-alpha filters block all light from the Sun except for the red light emitted by excited hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen emission is responsible for the fiery colours of prominences and the chromosphere. 'This shot was a complete accident, but instantly one of my favourites,' said McCarthy. 'I was shooting the Sun in hydrogen-alpha light, so as the plane passed you could see the contrails scatter the light from the Sun, while the plane was invisible unless covering the disc [of the sun]. 'Each image I capture of the Sun is a stack of thousands of shots, and I've perhaps done this hundreds of times, which would make this shot close to one-in-a-million to catch by accident like this.' The jumbo jet took just a second to fly across the Sun - but perfectly intersected the surface of the burning star. Explaining the difference in colour between the red photo and the orange video, McCarthy said: 'The orange is more 'simple' processing, since it was a video I couldnt push it as far. The photo I could give it a better aesthetic and more closely match the wavelength emitted by the chromosphere while maintaining proper sky colour' The composite video footage appears to show the aircraft distorting the very edges of the Sun as it passes which is just a trick of the light. 'In the video, what you're seeing is the hot exhaust from the jet turbines distorting the air, and reflecting the light from the Sun,' said McCarthy. 'The plane itself is only visible when silhouetting the Sun but since the contrails are scattering the same light from the Sun they are briefly visible. 'This gives the illusion that the surface of the Sun was pulled out briefly.' McCarthy, who posts a variety of shots to his Instagram account, @cosmic_background, tracked down which flight it was using publicly available flight information. He found it was a United Airlines 425 flight, travelling from San Francisco, California, to Newark, New Jersey. California-based McCarthy pictured with some of his other telescopic equipment, the ASI1600MM and an edgeHD 800. For the shot of the plane passing the Sun he used the Coronado Solarmax III 70mm After sharing to his social media, the pilot of the plane got in touch with him and requested prints of the image for himself. McCarthy used the $3,000 Coronado Solarmax III 70mm telescope, which is optimised for capturing shots of the Sun in vivid detail thanks to its specialised filter protection. 'I capture solar images using a specially designed telescope do not point a regular telescope at the Sun!' said McCarthy. 'Not only will it not produce images like this, but it'll melt your camera or make you go blind.' McCarthy previously revealed what was described as the world's clearest pictures of the moon's craters by stacking thousands of pictures together over lunar phases to show the moon's surface in all its glory. Normally only a few can be seen but astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy stacked thousands of pictures together over moon phases to show it off in all its glory In a painstaking process, McCarthy took shots of the lunar surface where the effect was most pronounced and combined them into one detailed composite. Due to a quirk of the light caused by the 'lunar terminator' the line between light and dark sides of the moon features such as craters appeared elongated in the amazing shots. Posting to his Instagram account, Mr McCarthy described the snap, titled 'All Terminator', as a 'beast of a project'. 'This moon might look a little funny to you, and that's because it is an impossible scene,' he posted. The government on Monday offered all possible assistance to Uttarakhand, where a glacier burst triggered a deluge killing 10 people on Sunday and left over 140 missing. Chief Minister K Palaniswami expressed grief over the deaths. "On behalf of the people of and the state government, I extend my deep condolences and sympathies to the families of those killed in the flood," he said in a statement. "The government is prepared to extend all assistance to Uttarakhand," he added. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 10 people dead and 143 others missing. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 21:06:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China is providing vaccine aid to 53 developing countries including Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Monday. China has exported or is in the process of exporting vaccines to 22 countries, the spokesperson told a routine press briefing. China has taken concrete steps to honor its pledge to make vaccines global public goods, once available, with greater affordability and accessibility in developing countries, Wang said. China has joined COVAX and decided to offer 10 million vaccines to COVAX, mainly to help meet the needs of developing countries, he added. Reiterating China's support for domestic companies in promoting vaccine research, development and manufacturing with their foreign counterparts, Wang said China supports relevant companies to export vaccines to countries that are in urgent need, accept and have authorized the emergency use of Chinese vaccines. "Pakistan was the first country to receive Chinese vaccine aid. Cambodia received China's vaccine aid yesterday and Laos did today. Vaccine aid to Equatorial Guinea will be shipped tomorrow. Meanwhile, the first batch of vaccines exported by China to Peru arrived today," the spokesperson said. "China will continue its vaccine cooperation with relevant countries, offer support within its capability and make concrete contributions to securing a victory against the pandemic as soon as possible and to building a global community of health for all," he added. Enditem Nothing is impossible when a community comes together. On social media, a video of a group of locals from Nagaland moving a thatched hut from one location to another on foot is going viral. In the viral video that Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sudha Ramen posted on Twitter, locals are seen moving in unison along a mountainous path to move the house to its new location, in groups and holding the four corners of the house. Twitter Yet another video where the Nagas show us that Unity is strength! House shifting in progress at a village in Nagaland, Ramen captioned the undated video. The reason behind the move was not stated, but it demonstrates, as Sudha Ramen said in her caption, unity is strength. Yet another video where the Nagas show us that Unity is strength! House shifting in progress at village in Nagalandpic.twitter.com/XUGhiEGNe7 Sudha Ramen IFS (@SudhaRamenIFS) February 5, 2021 Sometime ago, another video showing the strength of unity in Nagaland went viral. Scores of men in a village in Nagaland stood together and showed determination and teamwork as they pulled a truck out of a deep gorge. According to media reports, the truck was carrying ginger and met with an accident somewhere in Nagaland. Luckily, the crew escaped with minor injuries but the truck got stuck in the gorge. Since there was no machinery available to take the vehicle out, the villagers decided to take matters into their own hands and pulled the truck out. Also read: Truck Carrying Animal Fodder Turns Out To Be Massive Drug Haul Worth Rs 11 Crore In a village in Nagaland (not yet identified) the entire community pulls up a truck which fell off the road with ropes & the spirit of unity! More information awaited! As received on WhatsApp! pic.twitter.com/B0joxEPEKU Mmhonlumo Kikon (@MmhonlumoKikon) January 10, 2021 The video showed that locals used bamboo trees to facilitate the process of pulling out of the truck. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that the MSP will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme for 80 crore people, the Congress said there was no substance in his speech and he only tried to mislead the people. Earlier in the day, Modi said, "The agri-reforms should be given a chance and MSP was very much there and will continue in the future and I in the House also say that the ration scheme to 80 crore will continue." He said the objections in the House to the farm laws were procedural and even the opposition accepts that the country needs agri reforms. He quoted former Prime Ministers Charan Singh and Manmohan Singh on this: "Manmohan Singh ji is here, I would read out his quote for those taking a u-turn on the farm laws and will perhaps agree with him. 'There are other rigidities because of the marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return'. This is what Manmohan Singhji said." Speaking to media persons outside Parliament, Congress Rajya Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We expected that he would discuss something on three farm laws over which the farmers are protesting for the last 75 days." He said that the Congress expected that the Prime Minister after looking at the agitation of the farmers will repeal the farm laws and will then speak to the stakeholders to bring new fresh laws in Parliament. "But he did not discuss anything like that," Kharge said. Slamming the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, "He (Modi) said that they are protesting without knowing what is there in the three farm laws. Can it happen like this? Farmers who till their lands and all the opposition parties know everything about the three farm laws." Kharge said that the Congress has given a pamphlet to the government on the farmers issue. "But the Prime Minister ignored all the facts. He rejected concerns of farmers, graduates and scientists saying nobody knows anything. He is misleading the people by saying that nobody knows what is there in the three farm laws," he said. Firing salvos at the government, Kharge said, "Are we all fools? And are all the farmers sitting on protest fools?" The Congress leader added that the Prime Minister refuted the opposition claims saying that they don't know anything about the three farm laws. He described the Prime Minister's reply in the Rajya Sabha as a political speech. Speaking on the Covid-19 pandemic, Kharge said that Modi also spoke about the pandemic. "On February 2 this year, I have asked clearly in Parliament whether it is a fact that Covid related deaths per million in India are much higher than other south Asian countries. And the government's reply to that was that for the questions 'A to C' Yes." "We don't talk without substance, it is their written reply," he said. Kharge informed that according to a survey, out of 94 countries India is placed at 84. "He misleads the people in his own style. He did not speak about how the issues of farmers will be resolved. We think that Prime Minister would speak on the farmers issue but he did not speak on that and we condemn that," Kharge added. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also slammed the Prime Minister over his new FDI (Foreign Destructive Ideology) remarks and said, "In Parliament today, Prime Minister Modi said that FDI is also 'Foreign Destructive Ideology'. This from someone whose governance has been based solely on FDI - Fear, Deception, Intimidation." Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill in a tweet said, "Prime Minister says "MSP tha, hai or rahega" - then why don't give the same in written in the form of a law Mr Prime Minister? Also write that the private companies cannot buy the farmers produce below the MSP. Farmers cannot trust Prime Minister's speech because they know difference between law and lofty speeches." Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel digging to find the way to a tunnel near Chamoli's Tapovan in Uttarakhand to rescue the persons trapped after the flash floods. (Image: Twitter/@ITBP_official) Two years before the Uttarakhand flood on February 7, residents of Raini village had raised an alarm of a mishap. In the summer of 2019, the villagers filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Uttarakhand High Court that the construction of the Rishi Ganga hydel project could cause huge damage to them, reported Hindustan Times. The PIL, filed by Kundan Singh on behalf of the scheduled tribe villagers from the village, alleged that stone crushing and blasting activities in the terrain there had caused wild animals to flee and enter Raini village. Concerning the allegations levelled in the PIL, the court had directed the state government to check what was going on in Raini village of Chamoli concerning the construction of the hydel project, said the report. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the Uttarakhand deluge The court directed the district magistrate of Chamoli and member secretary state pollution control board to constitute a joint team to inspect the project site and assess the impact on the environment and the locals due to the blasting and the stone crushing activity, the report said. In 2019, the matter of muck removal near Raini village also came up in the hearing, said Abhijay Negi, counsel of Raini village. The villagers had raised an alarm much in advance, warning that things were not fine in their area, he said. Even the court issued two orders, but nothing much was done by the government, added Negi. In Pics | Flash flood brings back memories of 2013 deluge, scores missing; here's a look at rescue ops The villagers of Raini were jolted at around 10 am on February 7 by a loud sound and the sight of huge torrents of water and sludge in the Rishi Ganga river hurtling towards them. Many were feared swept away in the sudden floods including those who were working near the river. A major motorable bridge on the main border road was also washed away. Around 125 people are still missing while the glacier burst has killed at least 14. Some ancient temples built about 20 metres above the confluence of Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga rivers have also been swept away by the violent avalanche. 11. Mitchell Katz & Dave Chokshi President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals; Commissioner, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Mitchell Katz - New York City Health + Hospitals.jpeg Image Credit: New York City Health + Hospitals New York Citys public hospitals have been the front-line defenses against a COVID-19 pandemic that has sickened hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Dr. Mitchell Katz scrambled to build up a medical supply stockpile and was entrusted by the mayor to lead the citys contact tracing program, despite a history of the health department handling such efforts. With COVID-19 rates rising again this fall and winter, public hospitals have canceled elective surgeries while vaccinating health care workers. Dave A Chokshi - NYU School of Medicine.jpg Alt Text: Dave Chokshi, the new commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Title Text: Dave Chokshi, the new commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Caption: Dave Chokshi, the new commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Description: Dave Chokshi, the new commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Image Credit: NYU School of Medicine Dr. Dave Chokshi stepped into a volatile situation in August after the previous health commissioner quit following a monthslong feud with the mayor and clashes over who should manage the citys contact tracing program. But Chokshi, who previously served as the public hospital systems chief population health officer, has handled public health crises and logistics before. Hes helping roll out the citys vaccine distribution plan. 12. Michael Gianaris State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris - state Senate.jpg Image Credit: New York State Senate State Sen. Michael Gianaris has deftly adapted to the rising progressivism in his Astoria district while maintaining his position within the Democratic Party establishment. The state Senates No. 2, who has pushed for a suspension of rent and mortgages due to COVID-19 and the recession, entered 2021 with a veto-proof majority. Gianaris is celebrating the passage of his automatic voter registration law, and his push to increase taxes on the wealthy is reportedly on the table. 13. Corey Johnson New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson - New York City Council.jpg Image Credit: New York City Council New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson seriously contemplated a bid for mayor last year. But a bruising budget fight in which police reform activists blamed him for not doing enough to slash NYPD funds (and vandalized his boyfriends pad) and the punishing toll of the pandemic left him exhausted. Johnson announced in September he was suffering from depression and wouldnt seek the mayoralty, reconfiguring the calculus of the race. Now hes focused on overhauling the citys onerous land use process. 14. Michael Mulgrew President, UFT The powerful union leader isnt afraid to torch City Hall to keep his members safe at work. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to shutter schools in March until Michael Mulgrew began pressing the city about the risk of exposure. Then Mulgrew said teachers were prepared to strike if schools lacked ventilation, soap, personal protective equipment and a nurse on site. Hes pushed for more COVID-19 testing at schools too, and the city is finally listening. 15. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Phil Pasquini_Shutterstock.jpg Alt Text: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Title Text: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Caption: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Description: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Image Credit: Phil Pasquini/Shutterstock Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes news whenever she speaks publicly. She received global praise for her remarks denouncing workplace sexism after Rep. Ted Yoho insulted her, and she helped Democratic insurgents Mondaire Jones and Jamaal Bowman win competitive primaries. But while the Queens-Bronx Congress member has challenged her city to cut the police budget, centrists have attacked her for popularizing pithy yet controversial catch phrases like defund the police. 16. George Gresham President, 1199SEIU George Gresham.jpg Alt Text: George Gresham Title Text: George Gresham Caption: George Gresham Description: George Gresham Image Credit: Kevin Coughlin/Office of the Governor The head of the citys largest union has been a relentless advocate for health care workers before and after the pandemic began. George Gresham demanded more protective equipment for hospital workers and paid sick time for nursing home workers. When the state health commissioner said there was plenty of PPE distributed, Gresham countered that his members still didnt have enough. Hes now making sure the city vaccinates health care workers on the front lines. 17. Dermot Shea Commissioner, New York City Police Department Dermot Shea - NYPD .jpg Alt Text: Dermot Shea Title Text: Dermot Shea Caption: Dermot Shea Description: Dermot Shea Image Credit: NYPD When thousands of New Yorkers marched following George Floyds death at the hands of police, the NYPD met protesters with brutal tactics including kettling. Dermot Shea, appointed commissioner in late 2019, denied using the practice and claimed protesters intended to burn property. But officers misconduct led activists to call for cuts to the NYPD budget (the Council shifted $1 billion) and a Department of Investigation report found cops heightened tensions and used excessive force. 18. Cyrus Vance Jr. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. - Ed ReedMayoral Photography Office.jpg Alt Text: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Title Text: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Caption: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Description: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is likely a lame duck and declined to prosecute Donald Trumps children in 2012, but he may be the one person who can now hold the former president accountable for his actions. While an impeachment conviction seems unlikely in Washington, Vances office has been slowly gathering evidence in a criminal probe of Trumps personal and corporate tax returns. Vances prosecutors let slip in court papers they were examining possible tax, bank, and insurance fraud charges which are not subject to a presidential pardon. 19. Kirsten Gillibrand U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - U.S. Senate.jpg Alt Text: Kirsten Gillibrand Title Text: Kirsten Gillibrand Caption: Kirsten Gillibrand Image Credit: U.S. Senate U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrands fortunes changed when Georgias runoff election resulted in Democratic control of the Senate. Now the former presidential candidate could be in position as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee to demand accountability from officials responsible for failing to protect Congress from an insurrection on Jan. 6. She also pushed a bill for more vaccination distribution resources for New York. 20. Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Ray McGuire, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley & Andrew Yang Mayoral Candidates mayoral-candidates.png Alt Text: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Ray McGuire, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang Title Text: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Ray McGuire, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang Caption: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Ray McGuire, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang Description: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Ray McGuire, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang Image Credit: New Yorkers for Donovan; Garcia Campaign; Jeff Reed/New York City Council; lev radin/Shutterstock; Hallie Easley; Loree Sutton for Mayor; Celeste Sloman; Yang for Mayor Read story here. 21. Gregory Meeks Chair, House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Meeks Headshot.jpg Alt Text: Gregory Meeks Caption: Gregory Meeks Image Credit: Office of Congressman Gregory Meeks The Queens Democratic Party boss saw his clout increase in Washington following Eliot Engels primary loss. Rep. Gregory Meeks succeeded Engel and became the first African American to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee, fending off Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro. His first task will be to reinvigorate a depleted and demoralized State Department, and his willingness to work with Republicans might not hurt. And hes already weighing in on New York Citys 2021 races. 22. Jumaane Williams Public Advocate Jumaane Williams - Celeste Sloman.jpg Alt Text: New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Title Text: New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Caption: New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Description: New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Image Credit: Celeste Sloman New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has long led the way on social justice, so it was no surprise to see him demanding better data on COVID-19 rates among Black and Latino people and calling for reusable personal protective equipment for health care workers. He used his bully pulpit to explain why George Floyd demonstrators were so fed up with police misconduct. Williams chided the mayor for not closing businesses fast enough, and he still made time to single out the citys worst landlords. 23. Jerry Nadler Chair, House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler - U.S. House.jpg Alt Text: Congressman Jerrold Nadler Title Text: Congressman Jerrold Nadler Caption: Congressman Jerrold Nadler Description: Congressman Jerrold Nadler Image Credit: U.S. House of Representatives Rep. Jerry Nadler has been grappling with one crisis after another. In 2019, he took up articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and served as impeachment manager in the Senate, which voted to acquit. Then, after COVID-19 hit, Nadler sought to stem the spread in federal jails, obtain federal aid, and make it easier for households to apply for bankruptcy. With Democrats controlling Washington, the veteran Congress member is looking to turn the page on the Trump era. 24. Carolyn Maloney Chair, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Carolyn Maloney - Phi Nguyen.jpg Alt Text: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Title Text: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Caption: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Description: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Image Credit: Phi Nguyen Rep. Carolyn Maloney took over the Oversight Committee when Elijah Cummings died unexpectedly, and then she later won the seat outright. But her reelection was far more challenging. Maloney led Suraj Patel by only 648 votes in an unofficial machine count and wasnt declared the winner until six weeks later due to mail-in ballot delays. Maloney later probed those election delays, hauling Postmaster General Louis DeJoy into an oversight hearing in September. 25. Nydia Velazquez Chair, House Small Business Committee Nydia Velazquez - Celeste Sloman.jpg Alt Text: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez Title Text: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez Caption: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez Description: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez Image Credit: Celeste Sloman Rep. Nydia Velazquez worked feverishly on Capitol Hill to ensure that unemployed workers and small business owners whose livelihoods were devastated by the coronavirus pandemic received relief. The Brooklyn Congress member, who announced early on that she had likely contracted COVID-19, went back to work introducing a Puerto Rico self-determination bill, drawing attention to COVID-19 outbreaks in federal prisons, and tracking Paycheck Protection Program fraud to make sure large corporations arent scooping up aid meant for smaller ones. 26. Emma Wolfe Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Administration Emma Wolfe - Celeste Sloman.jpg Alt Text: Chief of Staff to Bill de Blasio Emma Wolfe Title Text: Chief of Staff to Bill de Blasio Emma Wolfe Caption: Chief of Staff to Bill de Blasio Emma Wolfe Description: Chief of Staff to Bill de Blasio Emma Wolfe Image Credit: Celeste Sloman New York City Mayor Bill de Blasios longest-serving top aide was promoted at the start of the pandemic to a new role as deputy mayor, which includes the proviso that shes second in line of succession if the mayor cant do his job. Emma Wolfe certainly knows the rigors of the office. She liaised with other governmental agencies, managed a diverse and sometimes divided staff, and plotted the mayors political strategies with less sleep than the mayor gets. 27. Dean Fuleihan First Deputy Mayor dean-fuleihan-william-alatriste-new-york-city-council.jpg Alt Text: Dean Fuleihan Title Text: Dean Fuleihan Description: Dean Fuleihan Image Credit: Photo by William Alatriste for the New York City Council New York City First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan helped guide the mayor while making several tough decisions during the coronavirus crisis. Fuleihan made a plan to close schools in March and shift the citys 1.1 million students to a remote learning program. Then he made the case to borrow billions to close a $9 billion budget hole. By October the former budget chief canceled a $900 million retroactive payment to teachers to stave off municipal layoffs. 28. Vicki Been Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been - .jpg Alt Text: Vicki Been Title Text: Vicki Been Caption: Vicki Been Description: Vicki Been Image Credit: Submitted The mayors development agenda took a back seat to the urgent demands of the pandemic while a stark budget could limit revenue for his housing plan. Yet Deputy Mayor Vicki Been managed to finance 30,000 affordable homes, struck a deal to repair 1,700 public housing units, and put the Gowanus rezoning on track. But a wave of renter evictions, an unemployment rate around 11%, and hollowed out business districts pose ongoing challenges. 29. Melanie Hartzog Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog - Michael Appleton_Mayoral Photography Office.jpg Alt Text: New York City Budget Director Melanie Hartzog Title Text: New York City Budget Director Melanie Hartzog Caption: New York City Budget Director Melanie Hartzog Description: New York City Budget Director Melanie Hartzog Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Melanie Hartzog changed posts from budget director to the deputy mayor overseeing public health matters in City Halls latest game of administrative musical chairs in October. As new hospitalizations topped 200 per day in December, Hartzog took the helm of a new COVID-19 Vaccine Command Center to ensure shots are distributed to health care and nursing home workers, and is leading a vaccination campaign to get the public on board. 30. Kyle Bragg President, 32BJ SEIU Kyle Bragg - 32BJ SEIU.jpg Kyle Bragg 32BJ SEIU Kyle Bragg spent much of the pandemic ensuring his building service workers, who can be essential lifelines to older residents, stay safe on the job, and that contracted airport workers continue working at JFK and LaGuardia despite travel slowdowns. Bragg is also looking to expand future opportunities for his members by negotiating with the developers of a $2 billion Flushing waterfront project and opposing a surcharge on second homes in the city. 31. Neal Kwatra Founder and CEO, Metropolitan Public Strategies neal-kwatra-laura-brett-metropolitan-strategies_0.jpg Alt Text: Neal Kwatra Title Text: Neal Kwatra Description: Neal Kwatra Image Credit: Photo by Laura Brett Metropolitan Strategies Neal Kwatra's Metropolitan Public Strategies has led the charge on some of the most high-profile policy fights in the city and the state in recent years, helping boost census outreach in New York City, advocating for police reform and accountability with the New York Immigration Coalition, and positioning the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council as one of the most influential unions in the state. Kwatra has also worked on expanding offshore wind. 32. Suri Kasirer President, Kasirer Suri Kasirer - Kasirer.jpg Alt Text: Kasirer Founder and President Suri Kasirer Title Text: Kasirer Founder and President Suri Kasirer Caption: Kasirer Founder and President Suri Kasirer Description: Kasirer Founder and President Suri Kasirer Image Credit: Kasirer The No. 1-ranked lobbyist has close ties throughout the de Blasio administration and the City Council (two alums work for Speaker Corey Johnson) and the deep knowledge of the citys inner workings that only comes with years of government relations experience. Shell have to work her magic again heading into 2022, developing relationships with scores of candidates running for local office and working with a new administration on behalf of her many clients. 33. Valerie Berlin & Jonathan Rosen Principals and Co-Founders, BerlinRosen ValerieBerlin-JonathanRosen-ThomasHoeffgen.jpg Alt Text: Valerie Berlin and Jonathan Rosen. Title Text: Valerie Berlin and Jonathan Rosen. Caption: Valerie Berlin and Jonathan Rosen. Description: Valerie Berlin and Jonathan Rosen. Image Credit: Thomas Hoeffgen Known for engineering Bill de Blasios 2013 mayoral primary upset, BerlinRosen co-founder Jonathan Rosen publicly chided the mayors early coronavirus response as pathetic and self-involved. He has since hunkered down with co-founder Valerie Berlin and their families to form their own quarantine bubble. The firm celebrated its 15th anniversary with a rebrand and a new website that helps clients navigate the coronavirus crisis. Theyve advised a long list of campaigns, including Brad Landers city comptroller bid. 34. James Capalino CEO, Capalino James Capalino - Capalino+Company.png Alt Text: CEO of Capalino James Capalino Title Text: CEO of Capalino James Capalino Caption: CEO of Capalino James Capalino Description: CEO of Capalino James Capalino Image Credit: Capalino The prolific lobbyist and fundraiser his firm hauled in the second highest compensation in 2019 worth $11.9 million understands how the city is changing. These days James Capalino is advising developer clients to listen to and satisfy neighborhood groups, which have more leverage than ever to torpedo major projects. And hes been working to help NRG Energy sell Astoria on its plan to upgrade its oil-burning infrastructure with natural gas. 35. Emily Giske, Mike Keogh & Juanita Scarlett Partners, Bolton-St. Johns Emily Giske - .jpg Alt Text: Emily Giske Title Text: Emily Giske Caption: Emily Giske Description: Emily Giske Image Credit: Submitted Mike Keogh - (1).jpg Alt Text: Mike Keogh Title Text: Mike Keogh Caption: Mike Keogh Description: Mike Keogh Image Credit: Submitted JuanitaScarlett_delphinediallo.jpg Juanita Scarlett Delphine Diallo Bolton-St. Johns is perennially among the top-performing lobbyists in New York City and statewide, a testament to the talented team of professionals the company has assembled. Emily Giske, a multitalented lobbyist and public affairs strategist, is also a New York superdelegate and state Democratic Party vice chair. Mike Keogh is a savvy behind-the-scenes operator, while top-notch communications pro Juanita Scarlett has bolstered the work since coming on two years ago. 36. Errol Louis Host, Inside City Hall," NY1 Errol Louis - Guillaume Federighi_City & State.jpg Alt Text: Host of "Inside City Hall" Errol Louis Title Text: Host of "Inside City Hall" Errol Louis Caption: Host of "Inside City Hall" Errol Louis Description: Host of "Inside City Hall" Errol Louis Image Credit: Guillaume Federighi/City & State NY1 icon Errol Louis is one of the few broadcast journalists who can adeptly switch between national political analysis, like his take as a CNN analyst on Donald Trumps motives in vetoing a defense bill, and municipal ones, like getting Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to acknowledge his gentrification remark was a gaffe. Undecided voters should tune into Inside City Hall, where Louis will be interviewing a parade of mayoral, comptroller, borough president and City Council hopefuls. 37. Rafael Salamanca Jr. Chair, New York City Council Land Use Committee Raphael Salamanca - Celeste Sloman.jpg Alt Text: New York City Councilman Raphael Salamanca Title Text: New York City Councilman Raphael Salamanca Caption: New York City Councilman Raphael Salamanca Description: New York City Councilman Raphael Salamanca Image Credit: Celeste Sloman When New York Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. announced his candidacy for Bronx borough president in November, he was considered a front-runner. Last month, however, he opted to seek another term in the City Council, where he has flexed his muscle as the influential land use chair. The former community board district manager cited a desire to continue serving his South Bronx constituents, but he might also have a shot at being the next council speaker. 38. Kathryn Wylde President and CEO, Partnership for New York City Kathryn Wylde - Partnership for New York City.jpg Alt Text: Kathryn Wylde Title Text: Kathryn Wylde Caption: Kathryn Wylde Description: Kathryn Wylde Image Credit: Partnership for New York City In response to the citys abrupt pandemic downturn that led to the loss of a million jobs, Kathryn Wylde mobilized business leaders to meet the mayor in July and discuss solutions. But when she wasnt satisfied with his response to those recommendations, Wylde solicited CEOs to write an open letter demanding he immediately address quality of life issues. With little sign of change, Wyldes deep-pocketed members are seeking a bigger say in who becomes the next mayor. 39. Patrick Foye & Sarah Feinberg Chair and CEO; New York City Transit Interim President, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Pat Foye - Marc A. Hermann_MTA.jpg Alt Text: Pat Foye Title Text: Pat Foye Caption: Pat Foye Description: Pat Foye Image Credit: Marc A. Hermann sarahfeinberg.jpg Alt Text: Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg Title Text: Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg Caption: Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg Description: Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg Image Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Patrick Cashin After a wretched year in which the Metropolitan Transportation Authority lost more than half of its riders, Pat Foye had a New Years gift when the president signed a COVID-19 relief bill unlocking $4 billion for the transit network. The stimulus allowed Foye and Sarah Feinberg, who oversees New York Citys subways, to halt thousands of layoffs temporarily, postpone a fare hike, and avert drastic service cuts. The MTA also celebrated on New Year's Eve with the unveiling of Moynihan Train Hall. 40. Rick Cotton Executive Director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey cotton headshot high res.jpg Alt Text: Rick Cotton Title Text: Rick Cotton Caption: Rick Cotton Description: Rick Cotton Image Credit: Port Authority Rick Cotton fully recovered after becoming one of the first prominent New Yorkers to test positive for COVID-19. But the Port Authority still isnt at full health, with many New Yorkers avoiding its airports, bridges and tunnels, resulting in a $1.2 billion construction budget cut. Yet the authoritys overhaul of LaGuardias Terminal B is impressive, and the federal government is now looking to invest in infrastructure, like the Gateway Program and a new Manhattan bus terminal the Port Authority wants. 41. Stephen Ross Chair and Founder, Related Cos. Stephen Ross - Related Companies.jpg Alt Text: Chair of Related Companies Stephen Ross Title Text: Chair of Related Companies Stephen Ross Caption: Chair of Related Companies Stephen Ross Description: Chair of Related Companies Stephen Ross Image Credit: Related Companies Still smarting from the attention his Donald Trump fundraiser received in 2019, Stephen Ross wouldnt reveal who he supported in 2020. Locally the billionaire developer is prepared to raise $100 million to influence the mayoral race, donating $1 million to a new independent expenditure committee in December, but he hasnt endorsed anyone yet. Meanwhile, Hudson Yards complex has struggled to keep luxury tenants like Neiman Marcus, and its success will be a bellwether for the citys recovery. 42. Douglas Durst Chair, The Durst Organization Douglas-Durst---The-Durst-Organization-.jpg Alt Text: Douglas Durst. Title Text: Douglas Durst. Caption: Douglas Durst. Description: Douglas Durst. Image Credit: The Durst Organization Leading developer Douglas Durst took over as chair of the influential Real Estate Board of New York during the most volatile period the industry has faced in 11 years. Residential rent in Manhattan fell this year,and many midtown offices remain vacant. But Durst, whose notable properties include One World Trade Center and One Bryant Park, knows how to rebuild in times of crisis, and leasing for his Long Island City project should begin this spring. 43. James Whelan President, Real Estate Board of New York James Whelan - Real Estate Board of New York.png Alt Text: REBNY President James Whelan Title Text: REBNY President James Whelan Caption: REBNY President James Whelan Description: REBNY President James Whelan Image Credit: Real Estate Board of New York James Whelan has devised creative strategies to stimulate New York Citys real estate market after construction filings dropped 22% and property sales fell $1.2 billion last year. The REBNY president called for an extension of the states eviction moratoriums, hired consultant Patrick Jenkins to help spur job creation, and is encouraging the city to make it easier for developers to convert empty office buildings and hotels into housing. 44. Grace Meng Member of Congress Grace_Meng_Official_Congressional_Photo.jpg Alt Text: Grace Meng Title Text: Grace Meng Caption: Grace Meng Image Credit: United States House of Representatives 45. Yvette Clarke Member of Congress Rep. Grace Meng was so fed up with former President Donald Trump blaming China for the coronavirus that the House passed her resolution denouncing anti-Asian scapegoating and requiring authorities to track and investigate COVID-19-related hate crimes. After its passage, Meng received a barrage of racist voicemails. The Democratic National Committee vice chair plowed ahead securing $180 million in federal funds for houses of worship and $166 million for Elmhurst Hospital, the epicenter of the pandemics first wave. Yvette Clarke - U.S. House.png Alt Text: Yvette Clarke Title Text: Yvette Clarke Caption: Yvette Clarke Description: Yvette Clarke Image Credit: U.S. House Rep. Yvette Clarke took to heart the lessons of her 2018 reelection contest, which she narrowly won, as she beefed up her presence in the district, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. It may have helped that she had three rivals instead of one, but she still secured a solid 62% of the vote. Clarke has also sought greater oversight of technology companies with a bill banning facial recognition software in public housing. 46. Eric Gonzalez Brooklyn District Attorney eric-gonzalez-brooklyn-district-attorney's-Office.jpg Alt Text: Eric Gonzalez Title Text: Eric Gonzalez Description: Eric Gonzalez Image Credit: Courtesy Brooklyn District Attorney's Office The coronavirus pandemic has forced Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to adjust to how his office handles sensitive cases and prosecutes certain crimes. The reform-minded prosecutor announced early on that he would not prosecute some low-level offenses. As instances of abuse have increased during the pandemic, his domestic violence bureau has worked to ensure spouses reporting abuse can continue to do so safely. And his office opened a new gun violence unit to focus on the small number of individuals responsible for the spike in shootings. 47. Melinda Katz Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz - Lynn Savarese.jpg Alt Text: Melinda Katz Title Text: Melinda Katz Caption: Melinda Katz Description: Melinda Katz Image Credit: Lynn Savarese In her first full year as Queens district attorney after a topsy-turvy recount, Melinda Katz was busy prosecuting hate crime assaults and investigating fatal car crashes and underaged sex stings. She made a slew of promises for criminal justice reform, but upset progressives for not ending cash bail immediately upon her inauguration and declining to release lists of abusive police. However, she has taken concrete steps to ensure a more fair process for defendants. 48. Darcel Clark Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark - submitted.jpeg Alt Text: Darcel Clark Title Text: Darcel Clark Caption: Darcel Clark Description: Darcel Clark Image Credit: Submitted Since Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was sworn in for a second term a year ago, she has steered her office through a tumultuous time. One flashpoint came in Mott Haven in June when police kettled peaceful demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd. Clark eventually dismissed 300 disorderly conduct summonses that arose from the event, but 56 prosecutors from her office called on her to do more to combat police brutality. 49. Michael McMahon Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon - RCDA.jpg Alt Text: Michael McMahon Title Text: Michael McMahon Caption: Michael McMahon Description: Michael McMahon Image Credit: RCDA Michael McMahons position as a liberal-minded prosecutor in a conservative borough means he sometimes upsets everyone. His release of the autonomous zone bar owner who hit a sheriff with his Jeep despite facing multiple felonies earned condemnation from the mayor, the governor and the Legal Aid Society. McMahon did disclose thousands of records of police misconduct, but essentially cleared an officer accused of planting marijuana in the cupholder of a driver despite footage of the incident. 50. Chirlane McCray First Lady McCray,_Chirlane (1).jpg Alt Text: Chirlane McCray Title Text: Chirlane McCray Caption: Chirlane McCray Description: Chirlane McCray Image Credit: Submitted New York Citys first lady, Chirlane McCray, has never approached her position as a ceremonial role, instead taking on high-profile projects and serving as a trusted confidante for her husband, Mayor Bill de Blasio. However, her ThriveNYC program mental health initiative has been a target for criticism, the Task Force on Racial Equity and Inclusion she co-chairs has yet to produce any results, and following her husbands stumbles over the past year she opted against running for Brooklyn borough president. Future-Reliance Deal: Delhi HC Stays Single Judge's Status Quo Order The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed implementation of the single-judge bench status quo order on Future Retail Ltd in relation to the company's Rs24,713 crore deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. Last week, the HC had turned down a request from Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings to suspend the order for a week. A division bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice Jyoti Singh observed that Future Retail was not a party to an arbitration agreement with Amazon. The bench prima facie opined that 'group of companies' doctrine could not be invoked in this matter. "...there was no reason to seek a status quo order from the single judge... Statutory authorities like Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Competition Commission of India (CCI) could not be restrained from 'proceeding in accordance with law'," the bench stated in its order. Last week, Future Retail approached the division bench after the single-judge bench ordered status quo in the matter. According to Bar & Bench ( https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/delhi-high-court-stays-status-quo-order-on-future-reliance-deal ), in its appeal, the Kishore Biyani group company broadly argued that in the presence of contradictory findings of justice Mukta Gupta with respect to the absence of an arbitration agreement between Future Retail and Amazon, the emergency award cannot be enforced. "It was claimed that by virtue of the interim order passed by justice Gupta in Future Retail's suit, the emergency award stood superseded and justice Midha ought to have followed the findings of the coordinate bench. Amazon, on the other hand, maintained that no case had been made out for not awaiting the order which stood reserved," the report from Bar & Bench says. Last week, the single-judge bench of Justice JR Midha formed a prima facie view that the emergency award is enforceable under section 17(2) of the Arbitration Act. It stated, "Emergency Arbitrator rightly proceeded against Future Retail, emergency award is not a nullity." Emergency award is enforceable under Section 17(2) and appeal-able under Section 37 Arbitration Act. ( Read: Future-Reliance Deal: Delhi HC Asks To Maintain Status Quo The HC had also directed Future Retail to state all steps and actions taken by it after the date of the Emergency Award on 25 October 2020, in connection with the deal with the Reliance group company. Last month, despite exhortations by Amazon, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had approved the deal between Future Group and Reliance Industries. SEBI, in a letter issued, had approved the deal subject to several conditions in the Composite Scheme of Arrangement. The BSE on its part said that it has no adverse observations on the transaction. After securing approval from SEBI, Competition Commission of India (CCI) and exchanges, Future Retail had moved National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for the nod to its deal with Reliance Retail. On 11th January this year, Amazon had written to SEBI chairman Ajay Tyagi informing that the regulator should not give no-objection to the Future Retail transaction with Reliance as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has constituted an arbitral tribunal. In a letter to Mr Tyagi, Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings said, "We write to inform you that the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has constituted the arbitral tribunal in the Arbitration Proceedings initiated by Amazon against inter alia FRL, Kishore Biyani and Rakesh Biyani." "We wish to highlight that in view of the constitution of the Arbitral Tribunal, the Interim Award passed by the EA stands automatically extended for the duration of the Arbitration Proceedings unless it is reconsidered/modified/vacated by the Arbitral Tribunal," Amazon had communicated to Mr Tyagi. In August 2020, Kishore Biyani and Future Group had entered a Rs25,000 crore agreement with Reliance Retail. As part of the pact, Future Group was to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehouse businesses to Reliance Retail Ventures. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. El Geneina A group of Darfur elites has called on West Darfur wali (governor), Mohamed El Doma, to resign. Residents of El Geneina continue to report thefts and lootings despite the presence of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Geneina, where the humanitarian situation is "deteriorating" according to the state government. The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) said that a group of elites from Darfur affiliated with the former regime and other armed movements has told El Doma to resign. The group agreed to call for the governor to step down, during a meeting in Khartoum yesterday. El Doma received a call "from a party not empowered to appoint or dismiss governors," telling him to resign, according the DBA statement. The DBA condemned what it described as exploitation and condemned those who demanded the removal of the governor. El Doma called on the citizens of West Darfur to live in peace and preserve the social fabric, in a video statement yesterday. He said that the problems that occur in the state can be addressed without any dictation from any party outside the state. He affirmed that the citizens of the state are supposed to live together and there is no room for excluding any ethnic group or tribe. The state government of West Darfur described the humanitarian situation in El Geneina as "deteriorating". Doctor Ahmed Ishag Yaqoub, a consultant for humanitarian affairs in West Darfur, said that the population of El Geneina, which is about 900,000, is suffering from lack of supplies and materials. Roads and air travel into the state have been blocked for almost two weeks, due to Arab tribes in El Geneina staging a sit-in, demanding the dismissal of El Doma, the removal of the camps for displaced people from the city, and the restructuring of the state police force. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Delegation issues The Displaced People Gathering in El Geneina confirmed that since the beginning of the siege of El Geneina, thefts and burglaries have continued despite the presence of the RSF. In a statement, the gathering stated that the joint delegation of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) which arrived on Wednesday has the intention of supporting the sit-in protestors and to implementing their demands, rather than standing up for issues of the displaced. The statement indicated that the delegation only wants to hear voices in support of the sit-in protesters and the former regime, with the aim of dismissing the governor and dismantling the camps. The delegation's recognition of the legality of the sit-in "gave them the green light to continue their siege on the city," according to the statement. Investigation of attacks The Darfur lawyers also called on the senior public prosecutor to investigate the events that took place in El Geneina and to include all relevant authorities, starting with the military component of the Sovereignty Council and the governor of West Darfur. The killing of 14 and wounding of 167 others in El Geneina locality in West Darfur in January "is attributable to the inability of the authorities to protect the people in the state and the impunity government-backed militiamen enjoy," said the DBA on January 25. The DBA clarified that it has formed its own investigation committee, following a preliminary invesitgation. It will publish its report to the public as soon as the work of its committee is completed. PM defends vaccine rollout in podcast THAILAND: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday (Feb 7) Thailand has contingency plans to secure COVID-19 vaccines from other producers if the British/Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca cannot deliver the doses it promised in time. CoronavirusCOVID-19drugshealthSafety By Bangkok Post Monday 8 February 2021, 09:57AM Taxis and private vehicles are seen along Prannok-Kanchanaphisek Road as people converge near the Fai Chai intersection to receive food handouts from disciples of Wat Tha Chang and Wat Rakhang Khositaram. The charity was held to assist people affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Apichart Jinakul. In a podcast, Gen Prayut addressed a number of questions surrounding the governments vaccination programme, which ranged from procurement transparency, delivery schedules, efficacy, to safety and inoculation targets. He also defended the governments COVID-19 vaccine deal and roll-out plan, as critics continue to question the countrys immunisation policy. The intense scrutiny began after Progressive Movement founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit criticised the governments COVID-19 vaccination plan in a Facebook Live session. He questioned the governments strategy for being too reliant on one company - Siam Bioscience, which is contracted by AstraZeneca to produce its COVID-19 vaccines under a technology-transfer agreement - to meet its vaccination needs. Public criticism of the vaccination programme is mounting as countries which are part of the Covax agreement are now preparing to roll out their inoculation drive. At the start of the pandemic, Thailand decided against joining the programme to pursue its own deals with vaccine manufacturers, as by law, the government is not allowed to spend money on vaccines which have not been proven to be effective. In August last year, the Public Health Ministry and the National Vaccine institute began seeking deals with vaccine manufacturers. To date, the government has purchased 26 million doses from AstraZeneca and 2 million doses from Chinas Sinovac. Recently, the government reserved an additional 35 million doses from AstraZeneca. In his podcast, Gen Prayut defended the decision, saying Thailands vaccine rollout is not late, considering the current problems surrounding production and deliveries. He also said the government isnt relying on a sole candidate to meet its COVID-19 vaccine needs, adding it is still looking to seal deals with other vaccine manufacturers. The decision to procure the vaccine from AstraZeneca was made after weighing the benefits and risks of each candidate, he said. The management of vaccines also came into play. Some vaccines must be stored in extremely low temperatures and may prove to be an extra burden for our officials. The premier went on to deflect criticism from Siam Bioscience, saying AstraZeneca - not the government - chose the company over the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation to be its partner in manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines. He stressed that Siam Bioscience had the capacity to benefit from the technology-transfer agreement and that it met AstraZenecas stringent production standards. The premier also struck down claims the government is obstructing companies from importing COVID-19 vaccines, saying firms can import any vaccine, as long as they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. So far, only AstraZenecas vaccine has been approved for domestic use - the rest are still waiting for FDAs approval. Gen Prayut also addressed concerns about the number of procured doses which, according to some critics, wont be enough to reach herd immunity, thus rendering the vaccination programme ineffective. He said the procurement will continue and the government has not set a target as to how many doses should be secured. On effectiveness and the safety of the vaccines, Gen Prayut said under the WHO guidelines, both AstraZeneca and Sinovac are considered effective. Almost 25% of Thais dont want vaccine This came as an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll showed a majority of people are satisfied with the governments handling of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but almost a quarter of the population will not seek to be vaccinated. The poll was conducted by telephone interviews on 1,315 people aged 15 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country from Feb 1-3. Asked what they would do regarding vaccination against COVID-19, 63.12% said they would accept a free jab provided by the government, but almost a quarter - 23.57% - said they dont want to be vaccinated at all. A further 7.98% would rather seek a jab from a private hospital with permission from the government at their own expense, while 5.33% had no comment or were not interested. Asked whether they were afraid of being infected with the virus, a majority said yes, with 25.86% saying very much because the virus was spreading very quickly, elderly people were at risk of being infected and some people were not protecting themselves while vaccines were not yet available. Another 37.79% saying they were moderately afraid as more people had been infected than in the first wave, but many were asymptomatic and had not isolated. Of the rest, 18.86% were not particularly fearful of the virus, reasoning that most people knew how to protect themselves, and 17.49% were not afraid at all because they lived in low-risk areas. On their satisfaction with the governments handling of the second round of the pandemic, 27.60% were very satisfied and 42.13% moderately satisfied, saying that measures had been swiftly taken to contain the virus and zones clearly designated to indicate the severity of the outbreak. Of the rest, 20.99% were not particularly satisfied, reasoning that some activities - such as parties, travel between provinces and arrivals of migrant workers - had not been properly controlled, and 9.28% were not satisfied at all, saying the whole country should be placed in lockdown. Asked about the relaxation of restrictions against COVID-19 which began from Feb 1, 43.57% of the respondents fully agreed with it, saying it would allow people to resume their occupations while students and teachers could resume classes and other activities, while 34.68% were in moderate agreement, saying the medical system could now cope with it. A further 14.75% were fairly opposed to the relaxation, saying the pandemic was still continuing unabated; 6.39% totally disagreed, reasoning some people were still not doing enough to protect themselves; and 0.61% had no comment or were not interested. Drug Arrests Made After Suspicious Mail Package By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A joint investigation between the United States Postal Service, the McCracken County Sheriff, and Homeland Security led to the arrest of two Paducah residents on Friday.Postal service inspectors suspected that a package sent to a home on North 10th Street in Paducah contained illegal drugs.Detectives say a search of the package revealed stuffed animals that were filled with marijuana.Twenty-six-year-old Aribeaya Proctor and 22-year-old Danesha Proctor were arrested and charged with trafficking in marijuana over 5 pounds.They were lodged in the McCracken County Jail. Longstanding AMP shareholder Argo Investments has sold out of the wealth manager after years of underperformance, decrying its culture and approach to regulation just days before it delivers annual results. Argo, a Sydney-based listed investment company, sold the remainder of its stock in AMP last year in a move managing director Jason Beddow said should have happened a long time ago. Really, its been a pretty woeful performing company for a pretty long time, Mr Beddow said. Its strongest day in the market was the day it listed. Argo Investments managing director Jason Beddow says he should have sold AMP years ago. AMP listed on the ASX in 1999 for $13.30 per share and now trades for around $1.56. Chief executive Francesco de Ferrari has acknowledged the companys value is too low and is committed to his strategy of growing the asset management arm, reorganising the advice network and driving cultural change. Suzhou has one well-known temple called Hanshan Temple around China, which was established in 502 AD in the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Song Dynasties. During the Tang Dynasty, since two famous monks named Hanshan/ and Shide/ came, Buddhist believers had the faith in the fact they were the personifications of the Bodihisattva of Wisdom and the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence respectively. Afterwards, the temple's name was changed into the Hanshan Temple in memory of the monk Hanshan. The temple is also famous for one poem, which was made by Mr. Zhangji in the Tang Dynasty. It was said he arrived at Suzhou with his boat mooring near the Maple Bridge closed to the temple. He was slightly touched by the spur of the moment, he composed a poet to describe both the scenery and the bell echoing around the temple. The temple is also famous for one poem, which was made by Mr. Zhangji in the Tang Dynasty. It was said he arrived at Suzhou with his boat mooring near the Maple Bridge closed to the temple. He was slightly touched by the spur of the moment, he composed a poet to describe both the scenery and the bell echoing around the temple. The peom entitled 'Night Anchoring at the Maple Bridge' has made the temple renowned both at home and abroad. By the end of each year, the temple holds the Bell Ringing Festival to welcome the new year, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all parts of the world. By the end of each year, the temple holds the Bell Ringing Festival to welcome the new year, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all parts of the world. The temple is a must-see attraction for Japanese because a legend said the monk Shide landed in Japan and spread both Buddhism and culture there. The temple has been transforming into a meaningful community besides the traditional culture and history for sightseeing. The temple has been transforming into a meaningful community besides the traditional culture and history for sightseeing. Tourists can come to enjoy reading at Hehe/ book house along the stunning river views. Tourists can come to enjoy reading at Hehe/ book house along the stunning river views. The book house often holds some cultural activities to help people explore the world and meaningful life. The book house often holds some cultural activities to help people explore the world and meaningful life. If you like meditation, it is a good place for your soul and heart to have a rest. The temple lies on the bank of the Grand Canal, which was designated the world cultural heritage in 2014. The temple lies on the bank of the Grand Canal, which was designated the world cultural heritage in 2014. Maple Bridge Scenic Area is a relaxing park for free with rich culture and long history. It was said here was the western gate of ancient Suzhou and the local army fought Japanese pirates in the Ming Dynasty. Travel Tips Travel Tips 1. Half a day is only enough for a quick sightseeing including ancient temple and new scenic spot 2. Day tour may include half-a-day sightseeing, vegetarian lunch and a short meditation experience. 3. 2 days tours can provide much more experience of meaningful relaxation. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Late last year, amid rampant conspiracy theories of a stolen presidential election, officials in a Trump-loving county in Ohio took a stand: They voted 4-0 to buy Dominion voting machines. It was a good deal for the county, years in the making, says Board of Elections Director Jeff Matthews, who heads the Stark County GOP as well. It was also a step into a firestorm - Donald Trump's supporters were falsely accusing Dominion Voting Systems of helping to rig the 2020 vote. "We knew exactly what we were getting into," said Matthews, who has worked on the elections board for 30 years. Two months later, Stark County has yet to replace its aging voting equipment while May primaries loom. The all-GOP board of commissioners has fielded an unprecedented deluge of upset callers and spent a recent meeting peppering election staff with doubts and questions.Matthews says officials could go to court to push commissioners to make the purchase. A former Trump campaign strategist's video urging people to "warn" Stark County authorities against moving ahead just fueled a new round of complaints, Matthews said, many of them from out of state. Trump has left office, but the election conspiracy theories he fomented still hold sway nationwide, weeks after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol over his false claims to victory. The situation in Stark County is a testament to how viral claims repeatedly debunked by courts and authorities have persisted, hanging over local decision-making and saddling officials with the daunting task of somehow rebuilding public trust. The fallout could have implications for Dominion's multibillion-dollar lawsuits against Trump allies, as the company seeks to hold them accountable and show that their accusations have damaged its business. "You're going with the one with the cloud right now, okay, over its head," one Stark County commissioner said at a meeting last week about the planned purchase. " . . . How can you as a board of elections, choosing Dominion with the cloud - how can you convince [voters] that this is going to be as valid as you can get an election, they'll all be counted?" Matthews lamented commissioners' focus on "clearlydebunked" claims. "We do believe in the need of the citizens to trust the process," Matthews, a 63-year-old resident of North Canton, said in an interview. "Because the alternatives are a breakdown, a societal breakdown and disregard for the rule of law. And I think that this past year gave us a few glimpses into that future. " But for Matthews, the solution is for elected officials nationwide to firmly move on. He said he does not know how the commissioners "could hang on to these stories - unless it's just a lack of political will to stand up to the disinformation." The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol "should have been a wake-up call to any elected official that continues to acknowledge any of these conspiracy theories," he said. Stark County's three commissioners did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment but have emphasized that they want to give an important purchase the attention it deserves. The county of about 370,000 is far from the only one still struggling with misinformation promoted by Trump, his legal team and many supportive lawmakers. Election officials in battleground states are trying undo the damage to trust in their voting systems. Supervisors in Arizona's largest county, which uses Dominion equipment, voted last month to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new audit of its election systems despite repeated validations of their 2020 results. At a February meeting of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, things grew heated as Republican member Robert Spindell raised Dominion's "alleged problems throughout the country." "Bob, that is - that is not true," Spindell's Democratic colleague Ann Jacobs cut in. For a while, they talked over each other, Jacobs raising her voice in frustration. "The fact that people think it is because you keep saying it!" Jacobs told him. "But it's a lie!" In Michigan, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy took responsibility last fall for a human error that briefly had Biden winning the normally deep-red county, a mistake that thrust Antrim County to the center of Trump supporters' fury about Dominion. But conspiracies about her small county's Dominion equipment have not gone away. Hundreds of people have called and emailed, often angry and sometimes vulgar. "I responded to everybody," says Guy, a Republican. "Everybody!" Guy, 59, defends Dominion as "an honest company." When the firm filed its first defamation suit over the election smears, she said, "My first thought was . . . 'Good for them.' " Dominion says in its lawsuit against Sidney Powell - the pro-Trump lawyer who railed against Dominion on TV, on social media and at a news conference alongside Rudolph W. Giuliani - that lawmakers in many states have recently said they want to reassess contracts with the company. Dominion's lawsuits against Powell and Giuliani and its warning letters to many others have pushed some purveyors of misinformation to issue retractions or remove content. Fox News Channel just canceled the show of Trump ally Lou Dobbs after Dobbs was sued by Smartmatic, another company targeted by baseless claims of wrongdoing in the November election. But dispelling the bad information is far harder than putting it out into the world, said Sinan Aral, an MIT professor whose research shows that "false news travels far faster than the truth," as he puts it. "Debunking information rarely catches up to the truth . . . and so the myth persists," Aral said. Kay Stimson, a vice president for government affairs at Dominion, said in a statement that it is "too early to predict the extent of the devastating impacts resulting from the disinformation and lies that continue to be spread about Dominion and its technology." "Dominion is proud to be serving as Stark County's election partner, and we will continue vigorously defending the reputation of our company, our technology, and our loyal customers," Stimson said, adding that a slew of audits and recounts have affirmed Dominion machines' accuracy. Stark County Commissioner Bill Smith opened last Tuesday's meeting on the voting machines purchase by stating what the gathering was not about. "We'd like to make clear to everyone that today's work session is not taking place because . . . a specific vendor of voting equipment has been recommended, Smith said, with Matthews and his fellow commissioners assembled in a drab room of the Stark County Office Building. But Smith went on to acknowledge the public pressure that followed election officials' December vote: Since then, he said, his board had received "hundreds of communications from concerned citizens." "This response from the public has far exceeded the response any of us have ever received on any topic to come before our board," Smith said. Commissioners raised question after question about Dominion's machines at Tuesday's meeting: Why didn't more counties in Ohio use them? If some were made in Texas, why didn't Texas want them? "We had mentioned there is a negative cloud in the air," Smith said, "and whether it's founded or not, it's there. . . . Perception becomes reality." Matthews was not convinced by Smith's suggestion that the vendor is not an issue. He said that officials were supposed to discuss the purchase in December and that commissioners said they wanted "time to study it and properly vet it and not make a hasty decision." That's the board of elections' job, Matthews argued, but commissioners oversee the county's spending and have to move forward with the actual purchase.It's too late now to replace the machines ahead of the 2021 primaries, he said, so the new target is November. The county's current machines, acquired from Dominion in a pinch after a roof collapse, are well past their life span. Matthews says the matter is now in commissioners' hands. "They don't appear to be in any hurry," he said. U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM, Regiment InterArmes dOutre-Mer) participated in a live-fire joint artillery training event at the Djiboutian Range Complex on February 2, 2021. Tech. Sgt. Dana Cable, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, reports. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM) (in action on the photo hereabove) participate in a live-fire joint artillery training event at the Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, Feb. 2, 2021. (Picture source: U.S. Army/Senior Airman Kristin Savage, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa) The purpose of the joint training was to share French and U.S. artillery techniques and further the relationship between EARF Soldiers and the 5th RIAOM. This is the first time in over 4 years the U.S. and French have conducted a joint artillery training exercise like this, said U.S. Army Capt. Charles Hartwig, battalion fire-support officer. Starting in December of 2020 the U.S. soldiers invited the French artillery unit to Camp Lemonnier to conduct call-for-fire training. We did some joint observer training where the French came here and they used our call-for-fire trainer with us which is a computer system to practice call-for-fire, Hartwig said. A week later, the French returned the invite and hosted U.S. Soldiers at the French base. We went over to the French base and they had kind of an artillery show and tell, Hartwig said. They showed us their howitzer, computer systems, vehicles and we went to observe and during that time we started to really plan the joint fire exercise for the beginning of February and we had a few safety meetings after that. According to Hartwig, the meetings and knowledge exchanges leading up to the culminating live-fire exercise were extremely valuable. The biggest take away for the Soldiers is the understanding of a conventional warfare setting, especially working alongside our NATO Allies, Hartwig said. U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM) participate in a live-fire joint artillery training event at the Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, Feb. 2, 2021. (Picture source: U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Dana J. Cable) Both the French and U.S. agreed there are more similarities than differences in their artillery procedures. There are some differences, but the chain of command is roughly the same, said French Lt. Cedric Duqenois. Its very important for our Nations to teach each other procedures so its easier to fight together when we go on international missions. According to Hartwig and Duqenois the live-fire event was a huge success and they have already started planning their next one. The value in this training is unbelievable, not just for the technical side but being able to meet Soldiers from different countries, Hartwig said. Having that commonality is something that every Soldier from both the French and U.S. forces has said needs to continue to happen and that it was some of the best things that they have ever done in their careers -- so we want to make sure we continue this moving forward with the incoming units. U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM) participate in a live-fire joint artillery training event at the Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, Feb. 2, 2021. (Picture source: U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Kristin Savage) An elderly man collapsed and died in New York City on Sunday morning shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, officials revealed Monday. The man, who was in his 70s, fell as he left Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center just 25 minutes after receiving his shot, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement. On-site security and first responders raced to his side within seconds, but the man, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly afterward. It's currently unclear if the man's death is linked to the vaccine, with an investigation now underway. Adverse reactions to the vaccine are considered extremely rare, with those few cases most commonly linked to an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. 'Initial indications are that the man did not have any allergic reaction to the vaccine,' Zucker, however, said in his statement. The man, who was in his 70s, fell as he left Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center (above) just 25 minutes after receiving his shot Adverse reactions to the vaccine are considered extremely rare, with those few cases most commonly linked to an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis (file photo) The man's sudden collapsing followed a mandatory 15-minute observation period, in which he 'exhibited no adverse reactions or any distress,' Zucker said. The FDNY said the patient was taken to the hospital by Senior Care just before 11am Sunday, where he died shortly after arriving. The identity of the man has not yet been revealed by officials. It's also unclear which type of COVID-19 vaccine he received. The Javits Center and Zucker's office have not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on the matter. In his statement, Zucker stressed that he and other public health experts believe the vaccine 'is safe, and together with continued vigilance including wearing a mask and social distancing, it will bring an end to this pandemic.' 'I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to get vaccinated,' Zucker continued. The Javits Center opened as a mass-vaccination site in January, and is one of several in the New York City area. It was originally used as a field hospital after the coronavirus pandemic first struck last spring. Nearly one million people in New York City have so far been vaccinated, with 1.5 million residents having received their first doses statewide. Across the US, the daily number of people getting vaccinated now well surpasses the numbers infected, with the country averaging 1.3 million shots per-day. Nearly 42 million doses have so far been administered in total. At least one dose of a vaccine has been administered to 31,579,100 million people, which equals to 9.6 percent of the population. Just over 9,147,000 Americans have now received both doses of a vaccine, amounting to 2.78 percent of the population. The Javits Center opened as a mass-vaccination site in January, and is one of several in the New York City area Adverse reactions to the vaccine are considered extremely rare, with those few cases most commonly linked to allergic reactions. Since the vaccine rollout began in December, however, there have been a handful of so-far unexplained deaths involving those who recently received a COVID shot. Over the weekend, Virginia minister Drene Keyes, 58, died less than a day after receiving a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic in Warsaw on Friday and falling ill. Officials said they did not know her cause of death, of any underlying conditions Keyes might have had that could have contributed to it, and said there's no evidence to suggest her passing was tied to the vaccination. 'Initial indications are that the man did not have any allergic reaction to the vaccine,' Zucker, however, said in his statement Similarly to Sunday's incident in New York City, Keyes remained at the clinic for 15 minutes after the shot, as recommended, before returning to the clinic later that day. She was rushed to VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital, where she died Saturday. 'Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of death was not anaphylaxis, but it will take several weeks for additional information to become available,' Warsaw police Chief Joan Kent said. 'We can confirm that the death occurred within hours of having received the vaccine, but that is not evidence of it being related. We are currently investigating and do not yet know the cause of death.' Kent continued: 'Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time,' the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. 'CDC continues to closely monitor the safety of all vaccines, and we are actively working with Virginia officials to fully investigate the situation.' Over the weekend, Virginia minister Drene Keyes (right), 58, died less than a day after receiving a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic in Warsaw on Friday and falling ill Similarly, in California last month, Tim Zook, a 60-year-old X-ray technologist at South Coast Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, died on January 7 two days after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer shot. He had written on Facebook the day of his vaccination that he had 'never been so excited to get a shot before' and celebrating being 'fully vaccinated.' However, within hours the father-of-three reportedly suffered an apparent adverse reaction, telling co-workers he had sharp pains in his stomach and was having difficulties breathing. After his symptoms worsened, his coworkers walked him over to the emergency room where he was placed on a ventilator four hours after arriving. The Orange County coroner said Zook's cause of death is currently inconclusive and further toxicology testing will take months to complete. If there is a correlation to the vaccine, the office said it will notify the OC Health Care Agency. In a statement to DailyMail.com at the time, a Pfizer spokesperson said the company is aware of Zooks death and is also investigating the matter. Pfizer said: Our immediate thoughts are with the bereaved family. We closely monitor all such events and collect relevant information to share with global regulatory authorities. Based on ongoing safety reviews performed by Pfizer, BioNTech and health authorities, BNT162b2 retains a positive benefit-risk profile for the prevention of COVID-19 infections. Serious adverse events, including deaths that are unrelated to the vaccine, are unfortunately likely to occur at a similar rate as they would in the general population. Tim Zook (above with wife Rochelle), a 60-year-old X-ray technologist at South Coast Global Medical Center in Santa Ana died just two days after receiving his second dose of Pfizer jab Moments after he was given the vaccine, Zook wrote on Facebook: Never been excited to get a shot before. I am now fully vaccinated after receiving my second Pfizer dose' Zook's wife, Rochelle Zook, told the Register her family was not blaming any pharmaceutical company.' My husband loved what he did,' she said. 'He worked in hospitals for 36 1/2 years. He believed in vaccines. Im sure he would take that vaccine again, and hed want the public to take it. But when someone gets symptoms 2 1/2 hours after a vaccine, thats a reaction. What else could have happened? We would like the public to know what happened to Tim, so he didnt die in vain. Severe reactions are rare. In reality, COVID is a much more deadly force than reactions from the potential vaccine itself. The message is, be safe, take the vaccine but the officials need to do more research. We need to know the cause. The vaccines need to be as safe as possible. Every life matters. For the first time in three months on Sunday, the US reported fewer than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases, with hospitalizations also falling as the vaccine roll out gathers momentum. Just over 96,000 new cases and 1,474 deaths were reported nationwide on Sunday, according to a tally by the COVID Tracking Project. Those latest numbers brought US totals to over 26.99 million cases and 463,339 deaths to date. Hospitalizations also dropped with 81,439 patients admitted as of Sunday - the fourth consecutive day with under 90,000 after two months above that threshold. A nurse prepares a blinded study experimental vaccine for the CCP virus, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna, in Binghamton, N.Y., on July 27, 2020. (Hans Pennink/AP Photo) Updates on CCP Virus: COVID-19 Variants Making Their Way to California New strains of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus are mutating worldwide and slowly making their way to California, as health officials work to determine whether current vaccines will remain effective against the latest variants. Dr. Thomas Cesario, an infectious disease specialist based in the city of Orange told The Epoch Times that hes concerned about newly discovered strains of COVID-19 from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. The South African variant, called B.1.351, has been discovered in several states but has not yet been reported in Southern California. Early evidence suggests that this variant might not be treatable with the currently available vaccines. New Variants Raise Worry About Reinfections Evidence is mounting that COVID-19 survivors may not be protected from reinfection by a variant strain of the virus, new research suggests. In South Africa, a vaccine study found new infections with a variant in 2 percent of people who previously had an earlier version of the CCP virus. In Brazil, several similar cases were documented with a new variant there. Cuomo Unveils Plan to Revive New York City Arts, Moves up Indoor Dining Reopening New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday unveiled a plan to revive New York Citys renowned arts scene from its pandemic-induced dormancy and also allowed city restaurants to reopen their indoor dining areas sooner than previously announced. The move to promote theater and music across the state, known as New York Pops Up, comes amid a steady improvement in the measures of the spread of the CCP virus and after many Broadway and other performers have been idle since last year. Rep. Ron Wright Dies After Testing Positive, Battle With Lung Cancer Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas) died Sunday after he tested positive for COVID-19, according to his office. He was 67. Wright, who was in the midst of a battle with cancer, was reelected in November. He was keeping up a vigorous work schedule after he contracted the virus, according to his office. Wright and his wife were taken to Baylor hospital with COVID-19 side effects. Spring Traveling Canceled for Millions Around the Globe The annual journeys of late winter and early spring have been canceled, in doubt, or under pressure because of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Typically during this time of year, factory workers in China head home for the Lunar New Year; American college students go on road trips and hit the beach over spring break; and Germans and Britons flee drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter. Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel. Biden: Very Difficult to Reach Herd Immunity Before End of Summer It will be hard to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 before the end of the summer, President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday. Herd immunity is a form of protection against a disease. It can be achieved through vaccination or sufficient spread of a disease among the population. The United States has steadily increased the pace of vaccinations against the CCP virus which causes COVID-19, but reaching a level where herd immunity is believed to be possible will take nearly a year at the current rate. Daily Cases in US Drop to Lowest Level in Months The number of new daily COVID-19 infections fell below 100,000 for the first time this year, according to Sunday figures published by Johns Hopkins University. Newly reported infections dropped from Saturdays 104,015 down to 88,044 on Sunday, according to the tally. Argentina Detects First Cases of Brazilian Variants Argentina has detected the first cases of two Brazilian variants of the CCP virus in travelers from the neighboring nation, the government said on Monday. The Amazonas P1 variant was recently detected in two samples, and the Rio de Janeiro P2 variant in two other travelers. All of them from Brazil, Argentinas Minister of Health Gines Gonzalez Garcia said on Twitter. The country has recorded nearly 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a total of 49,171 deaths. UK Boy Wakes From Nearly Year-Long Coma Unaware of Pandemic A British teenager is slowly emerging from a coma nearly a year after being hit by a car, and he has no knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic even though he has caught the virus twice. Joseph Flavill, 19, suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was hit by the car in the central English town of Burton-on-Trent on March 1 last year, about three weeks before a first national lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of the virus. Mandatory Hotel Quarantines Could Harm Lower Income Canadians: Lawyer The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is questioning Ottawas move to require hotel quarantines for international travelers, saying it may harm lower-income Canadians and infringe on citizens mobility rights. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced more than two weeks ago that travelers flying back from abroad will have to quarantine at a federally mandated hotel for up to three days at their own expense, though he acknowledged that only a fraction of COVID-19 cases appear to stem from overseas trips. Jack, Bradley, Jack Phillips, Tom Ozimek, Zachary Stieber, Reuters, The Canadian Press, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. How times have changed since the Apollo era. Within the space of a few days, two space missions from China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), respectively, are set to reach Mars. The UAE's Hope mission will go into orbit around Mars on February 9. The next day, the Chinese Tianwen-1 mission an orbiter and landerwill swing into orbit, with a predicted landing date sometime in May. It is a very big moment for both countries. Hope is the first interplanetary mission by an Arab nation ever. And if China succeeds, it will be the first country ever to visit and land on Mars on its first try. The odds are stacked against them with nearly 50% of all Mars missions failing. China already lost a Mars orbiter mission (Yinghuo-1) back in 2011. But before the missions can start doing science, tense moments await. As they arrive at the planet, they need to trigger a burn of their engines just at the right time to slow the probes down so they can be captured by Mars' gravitational field. Given the large distance from Earth, this needs to be carried out automatically by the probe. Tianwen-1 If all goes well, the orbiter Tianwen, which means "Questions to Heaven" and the yet unnamed rover will attempt to measure Mars's climate and "ionosphere", a layer of electrically charged particles surrounding the planet. This work might help to understand how Mars is losing its atmosphere. But it will also support future crewed missions to Mars by exploring its surface and mapping its shape, geology and internal structure. The orbiter is packed with cameras, a magnetometer (used to measure magnetic fields) and various particle analysers. It will also act as a relay station to stay in communication with the rover. The rover, the size of a small car, is just a little bit smaller than the NASA Perseverance rover, which is also approaching Mars. It flouts a similar look, with a six-wheel drive, large solar panels and a pole with cameras attached. The latter will be able to identify surface compositions at a distance of between two metres and five metres. What makes this mission even more fascinating is that the rover contains a ground-penetrating radar. During the rover's estimated lifespan of 90 Martian daysa Martian day being nearly 38 minutes longer than oursit can explore the sub-surface structure and search for water deposits below the ground. Evidence of underground saltwater lakes was found using radar in 2018 by the European Mars Express Orbiter, but never followed up with measurements from the surface. The rover will not visit these specific sites but could find similar conditions at the proposed landing site, which we know used to be covered by mudflats. There's huge interest in such deposits as they represent a resource for future astronauts on the planet. We also can't rule out the possibility that the lakes could host some form of life. China has already used the radar technology with great success on its recent Yutu-2 rover to identify separate unique layers of water ice up to 40m below the surface on the Moon. The Chinese National Space Administration stated that the rover will land in the region known as Utopia Planitia, the largest known impact basin in the solar system. In the first three months, the orbiter will survey and identify the precise location. Curiously, a press release from after the successful launch of the mission initially indicated the intended coordinates within Utopia Planitia (110.318 degrees east longitude and 24.748 degrees north latitude), but these were swiftly removed, possibly to ensure this does not contradict a later slight alterationor with political motivatation. Speaking to Space.com, Alfred McEwen, director of the Planetary Image Research Laboratory at the University of Arizona, said the intended landing area is safe and scientifically very interesting. China's first Mars rover will need to go through the so-called seven minutes of terror: the automated decent of any lander through the Martian atmosphere to successfully decelerate and land in one piece, all without any active communication with an orbiter or ground control. To achieve this, it will do an initial deceleration using a "conical aeroshell", which is a protective shield that causes aerodynamic drag (resistance) but will heat up immensely, followed by a parachute and then the firing of retrorockets to the allow a soft touch down. Hopeful UAE The Hope mission is the UAE's first ever interplanetary mission arriving at Mars at the same time as the UAE is celebrating its 50th anniversary of formation. This mission blasted off from Japan in July 2020 using the same "launch window" (the time when there's a smaller distance between the Earth and Mars) to reach Mars as the Chinese and Nasa missions. Hope is set to orbit Mars for one Martian yearnearly two Earth years. From distances between 22,000km up to 44,000km, it will explore in more detail the martian atmosphere. The mission will investigate the global weather, its links to the upper atmosphere and how this can explain the changing abundance of hydrogen and oxygen there. This will help us understand how Mars is gradually losing its atmosphere and the role that dust plays in the Martian weatheralso important information for those who want to settle on Mars one day. These busy times for all interested in Mars exploration have been kicked off by two relative newcomers in the treacherous business of Martian exploration, bringing a welcome, fresh perspective. It's brilliant to see the group of nations exploring Mars expanding. And if you haven't had enough seeing these missions arriving, then sit back for a few days until February 18, when NASA's Perseverance rover will join them. Explore further China's space probe sends back its first image of Mars This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of NTPC's under-construction hydropower project Tapovan Vishnugad [520 mega-watt (MW)] in the region. While rescue operations are on, situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and likely loss or damage caused is being assessed. Appropriate insurance cover is available for the loss/damage caused, NTPC said. However, considering the total size of operations of NTPC (present standalone commercial capacity 51,310 MW and group commercial capacity 63,925 MW), the impact of the event on the company as a whole may not be considered material, the firm said. NTPC's consolidated net profit jumped 15.7% to Rs 3,876.36 crore on 4% increase in net sales at Rs 27,526.03 crore in Q3 December 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Shares of NTPC gained 0.35% to Rs 100. NTPC is a Maharatna company operating in the power generation business. The principal business activity of the firm is electric power generation through coal based thermal power plants. It also engages in the business of generation of electricity from hydro and renewable energy sources. As of 31 December 2020, the Government of India held 51.10% stake held in NTPC. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. KYODO NEWS - Feb 8, 2021 - 19:24 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi plans to put off a visit to the United States in February after Washington showed hesitance about the idea due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to bilateral ties said Monday. Motegi proposed to visit the United States from Feb. 11 for the first in-person meeting with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken but Washington was cautious about receiving foreign visitors in light of its priority on containing the virus, the sources said. Talking by phone hours after Blinken won Senate confirmation as the U.S. secretary of state on Jan. 26, they agreed to prepare for a face-to-face meeting in the United States at an early date for more thorough discussions. Likewise, arrangements for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's trip to the United States for a meeting with President Joe Biden are proving to be challenging, according to the sources. Suga had repeatedly shown enthusiasm to travel to the United States for talks with Biden at an early date. "If the infection situation in the United States changes, face-to-face meetings will be possible," a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said. Related coverage: Motegi eyes U.S. visit in Feb. to boost alliance amid China's rise Japan PM Suga congratulates Biden on becoming U.S. president It is the responsibility of each prospective immigrant to provide truthful and correct information when applying for immigration. Reciprocal rights and responsibilities of prospective immigrants to Canada It is the responsibility of each prospective immigrant to provide truthful and correct information when applying for immigration. Reciprocal rights and responsibilities of prospective immigrants to Canada It is the responsibility of each prospective immigrant to provide truthful and correct information when applying for immigration. Reciprocal rights and responsibilities of prospective immigrants to Canada It is the responsibility of each prospective immigrant to provide truthful and correct information when applying for immigration. Michael Schwartz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Much as Canadian immigration officers are required to determine cases in an objective and consistent manner, prospective immigrants are required to answer candidly and accurately. Just as an officers failure to respect these rules can thwart the officers determination, so, too, can a would-be immigrants refusal to provide forthright and correct information doom an immigration application. James N. Tiben is a Cameroonian national. He came to Canada in 2014 and obtained refugee status here in 2015. In July of the following year Mr. Tiben applied for Canadian permanent residency and included his two ostensibly adopted children, Fabrice M. Tiben and Romie A. Tiben on the application as Mr. Tibens dependent children. Fabrice and Romie are the biological children of James Tibens brother (not named in the judgment), who died in 2000. James Tiben would later claim to have adopted Fabrice and Romie in 2002, but to not have obtained the necessary paperwork at the time. In September of 2016, Mr. Tiben formally adopted Fabrice and Romie Tiben. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration In February of 2019 an immigration officer sent Mr. Tiben a procedural fairness letter. This document expressed concerns with Mr. Tibens application. Specifically, the officer pointed to doubts that Fabrice and Romie Tiben met the definition of adopted child[ren] as spelled out in s. 4(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. This definition excludes cases where it is determined that the adoption occurred for the primary purpose of acquiring status or benefits under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. This section is designed to exclude adoptions of convenience and/or which do not create a true parent/child bond. Among the factors the officer identified as casting such doubts were that: Mr. Tiben only adopted Fabrice and Romie after Mr. Tibens arrival in Canada; Mr. Tiben provided no proof that Fabrice and Romie had lived with Mr. Tiben between 2002 and when Mr. Tiben came to Canada; and, the country name Cameroon was misspelled Cameroom in the ostensible adoption judgment. (Other concerns included) records of money transfers from Mr. Tibens to Fabrice and Romie were either very recent or altogether unintelligible; Fabrice and Romies mother is still living The letter gave Mr. Tiben the opportunity to respond to these concerns. Mr. Tiben availed himself of this opportunity. For example, he replied that it is not customary in Cameroon to obtain formal adoption papers. The officer then issued a decision rejecting Mr. Tibens attempt to include Fabrice and Romie as Mr. Tibens adopted children. This, second, letter concluded that Fabrice and Romie did not qualify as adopted children. In doing so, the officer re-stated many of the problematic aspects identified in the first letter. The Tibens family challenged this decision as unreasonable. Canadian jurisprudence has previously established that courts should review cases of mixed law and fact, such as the one at hand, on a standard of reasonableness. The Tibens family also contended that the officers decision-making process was procedurally unfair, such that the Court should quash it. The Court rejected the Tibens familys claims. Justice Gascon, in his decision, noted that the immigration officer was not required to consider Mr. Tibenss claims to have customarily adopted Fabrice and Romie in 2002, as Mr. Tibenss had not tendered any evidence to ground such a claim. The Tibens had also claimed that the officer made material errors of fact in the officers decision, rendering it unreasonable. Justice Gascon identified the errors as arising from the Tibens own submission, and at any rate, not rising to the standard of having been central to influence the officers decision. Similarly, Justice Gascon also rejected the Tibens claims that the officers mislabelling of the addressee in some correspondence was unclear or inconsistent; Gascon held that any such mistakes or unclarities did not cloud the officers judgment and were thus not unreasonable. Similarly, the Court rejected the Tibens claims that the officer was unreasonably vague in the officers communication of concern to the Tibens. Justice Gascon then turned to a review of the Tiben familys claims of procedural unfairness. These concerns were essentially three: the officer had failed to give the family adequate opportunity to respond to credibility concerns; cases, such that of the Tibens family, where family unification is at stake, merited a higher standard of procedural fairness than cases where such unification was not a concern; and, that the procedural fairness letter was written in French. He swiftly addressed and dismissed each concern. Canadian jurisprudence has established that officers are not required to give applicants an opportunity to respond to concerns about information when the applicants have themselves submitted the information; the onus is on the applicants themselves to prepare applications with accurate information and convincing arguments. The Court also held that the facts of each individual case, not the mere fact that family reunification is involved, dictate what is considered to be fair. Finally, the Court observed, Mr. Tiben had already responded twice, and without even raising any concern about the language of correspondence, to a letter that was written in French,; this fact vitiated the claim that the language of the letter somehow prejudiced the Tibens family. In short, the unfortunate case of the Tiben family makes clear that just as immigration officers have standards: to be reasonable and fair, so, too, do prospective immigrants: to submit correct and persuasive applications. Just as each side has rights, each side has responsibilities. Refusal by a party to respect either aspect can cause grave harm to its cause. If you are interested in learning more about this case, Tiben v. Canada (M.C.I.), 2020 FC 965, you can access it at https://canlii.ca/t/jb657 Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) A mobile application seeks to go beyond contact tracing as it uses Bluetooth to detect people with COVID-19. Dr. Po-Shen Loh, founder of NOVID, told CNN Philippines the app works like a radar where it will notify its user if there are people infected with the coronavirus in his/her network or vicinity. "This is the first tool in the world which would let you know automatically that COVID-19 has suddenly struck somebody who spends time, somebody who spends time with you," Loh said. Unlike other contact tracing apps, NOVID is not concerned with the user's personal information as it is more focused in tracking COVID-19 infected persons within the user's area. "It's just like if you have an airplane or a ship or a radar, the radar doesn't need your mobile number in order for the radar to start working," Loh explained. Loh added NOVID will be useful in the Philippine setting, given its slow Internet connection. Some groups are now experimenting with the application's wider use in the country. "In particular, the reason we use Bluetooth as our primary way of phones talking to each other is because Bluetooth doesn't require internet or data. The phones automatically talk to each other like radios on Bluetooth and they keep track of which random people," Loh said. Loh encouraged the use of NOVID, especially in areas where new COVID-19 variants have emerged, since it prioritizes the protection of people from the disease. "If you just want to not get sick, this is the app for you. Now once you have something that everyone actually wants to install and which build this understanding of anonymous person here next to anonymous person there," he said. As of Monday, the Philippines has a total of 538,995 confirmed COVID-19 cases, where 27,992 of which are active. Some 11,231 persons died and 499,772 patients recovered from COVID-19. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Hackers broke into a water treatment facility that serves the town of Oldsmar in Florida on Friday and attempted to poison the water supply, the Pinellas County Sheriff said on Monday. The amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, was momentarily increased from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million. 'In these mega quantities, it's a caustic substance,' said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. The hackers remotely gained access to a software program, named TeamViewer, on the computer of an employee at the facility to gain control of other systems. Supervisors routinely 'remote in' to the computers, so the employee was not initially worried. 'The guy was sitting there monitoring the computer as he's supposed to and all of a sudden he sees a window pop up that the computer has been accessed,' Gualtieri said. 'The next thing you know someone is dragging the mouse and clicking around and opening programs and manipulating the system.' The Oldsmar water treatment facility, pictured, was targeted in Friday's hack Hackers massively increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, in the water Sheriff Bob Gualtieri (center) is pictured with Mayor Eric Seidel (right) and City Manager Al Braithwaite (left) at a press conference on Monday announcing the foiled hack The hackers then increased the amount of the chemical being distributed into the water supply. The chemical is typically used in small amounts to control the acidity of water, but at higher levels is dangerous to consume. 'I'm not a chemist, but it is the primary ingredient in liquid drain cleaners,' said Gualtieri, speaking at a press conference on Monday. 'It's lye. 'I want to stress, it would have been caught. 'But if you want to put that amount of substance in the drinking water, it's not a good thing.' The plant employee whose computer was hacked at 8am and 1:30pm on Friday noticed the change and alerted his employer, who called the sheriff. The the water treatment facility was able to quickly revert the command, leading to minimal impact. Investigators do not yet know why Oldsmar, with a population of 15,000, was targeted Officials in Oldsmar stressed that the water treated at the facility (pictured) was not harmed 'The amount of sodium hydroxide that got in was minimal and was reversed quickly,' Gualtieri said. The affected water treatment facility is a public utility owned by the local town, he explained, which has its own internal IT team. Oldsmar is near the city of Tampa. The FBI and Secret Service have been called in to assist in an investigation. Gualtieri said he does not know who is responsible for the cyberattack. 'The important thing is to put everyone on notice,' he said. 'Obviously these investigations are very complicated. We don't know right now if the breach originated within the United States, or outside the country.' In May investigators in Israel concluded that Iran was linked to an attempted cyberattack aimed at disrupting water supplies in at least two locations in Israel. The incident, which occurred on April 24 and 25, was quickly detected and thwarted before it could cause damage. The hackers sought to cripple computers that control water flow and wastewater treatment for a pair of rural districts in Israel, The Washington Post reported at the time. Gualtieri said that they do not know why Oldsmar was specifically targeted. Investigators are unsure why Oldsmar was singled out but are warning others to be vigilant Investigators will likely be asking whether its location, close to Tampa, days before the Super Bowl was held in the city, was a factor. Al Braithwaite, the City Manager, said they are asking all water treatment facilities to update their systems immediately, to ensure the most up-to-date software and firewalls are installed. Eric Seidel, mayor of Oldmar, said that the incident was a reminder of the threats faced on a daily basis by infrastructure providers. 'The protocols we have in place - that's the good news. Even if they hadn't caught them, there are redundancies in the system, alarms and so on, that would have caught them,' he said. But, he added: 'there are bad actors out there.' Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Crossing two pedigree French beef breeds has become a winning formula for a Sligo farmer who is producing quality weanlings for the commercial market. Bernard Hunt, who runs one of the largest Salers herds in this country, has turned to crossing a high percentage of his cows with a Charolais bull to achieve optimum results. "The Salers are a great cow to breed a Charolais" he says of his experience with his 80-cow Sligo Salers pedigree herd at Moygara, Gurteen, Co Sligo which was established more than 25 years ago. The Salers females distinctive feature of having a large pelvic area aids eases the calving of heavy-muscled Charolais calves which is a huge benefit to those using a Charolais bull. A dominant breed for profitable beef production, the challenge of potentially difficult calvings has discouraged the dairy sector from using Charolais for cross breeding in their herds. Instead, Angus and Hereford have become the dominant breeds. Bernard Hunt, however, is taking a different approach with the multi award-winning herd established by his father, Brian, in 1995 with imported bloodlines from France, the home of the Salers. Over the years, the quality of the herd has been consistently enhanced and it is also the largest pedigree Saler herd in the west. Progeny For several years, Bernard has been using a large-framed, well-muscled Charolais bull on almost 40pc of his pedigree herd to produce progeny for sale at seven to nine months to his strong customer base. The calves are generally golden coloured and are sold on to finishers for 3/kg at 300-350kg in the spring or autumn. There is a low level of meal feeding for the autumn-born calves, and the spring-born calves are sold off grass in the autumn. It is a rarity for a Salers cow to need assistance at calving says Bernard "because they are bred for rough mountain terrains in France and they have to be very hardy for the conditions they are being kept under". In France, which is also the home of the Charolais breed, crossing of the two breeds is also practiced to a considerable level without difficulty. "The beauty of the Charolais is that they can be sold any day of the year. They are a very good quality calf and bring the extra hair from the Salers. They are always saleable and in big demand," he says. Charolais heifer calves "Even the Charolais heifer calves are in great demand and people are buying them for breeding because they bring the milk of the Salers with them on the first cross. They might use a Salers bull on them the first year and then go back to using a Charolais again," he adds. He points out that one of the problems which the Salers have had to overcome in this country is the perception that they are a very wild breed. He maintains they are very manageable and says the Irish climate has brought out many of the breeds favourable traits. "There is great longevity to the Saler cow. They keep going for a long time and go back in calf very easily each year and are a very healthy breed." French breeders have a preference for crossing pedigree Salers with a pedigree Charolais bull, but Bernard finds no difference in calf quality from the purebred or first cross Salers cow and the Charolais bull. His heifers are also sold through the marts as weanlings, with many being purchased for breeding by several repeat customers. Calving ability Bernard says the first cross Saler heifers retain the excellent calving ability of their Salers dams and, when crossed back to a Charolais bull, many produce an excellent golden-coloured calf again. In 1995, Bernard and his father Brian travelled to France where they purchased their first Salers. The Salers bull was the first in the north-west and created a lot of interest among the local farmers in the new breed. Expand Close Bernard Hunt (right) with Sligo Freda and her calf, Sligo Lucy, National Livestock Show Champion in 2011 and 2012. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bernard Hunt (right) with Sligo Freda and her calf, Sligo Lucy, National Livestock Show Champion in 2011 and 2012. Later that year two Salers heifers were purchased and the foundation of the herd was underway. "We ran the Salers bull with the herd of commercial cows which we had at that time which were a mixture of everything, says Bernard. "My father had seen the Salers in the Scottish Hills a few years earlier. They were on a tour with Teagasc and he started to research them after that and saw a few bulls in Northern Ireland at the time. "That is the way that it all started. Our eyes were opened with what we saw in France that year, and we were back there every year for up to fifteen years. We bought a few more over the years and built up the herd that way. "My father had an awful interest in pedigree over the years and (now in his elderly years) still has a keen interest in the progress of the herd," says Bernard. As the commercials on the farm were phased out, the Sligo Salers Pedigree Herd took over and continued to be built up to the present 80 breeding cows. "Their hardiness is very suited to our conditions and the big thing is their health and ability to go back in calf very easily" says Bernard. Bloodlines And selling a bull back to a French breeder from whom they had purchased some of their foundation stock was a proud milestone for the Hunts. "It came about after the (French) herd had lost most of their bloodline and they wanted to rebuild their herd. It was a particular achievement to be returning some of the original bloodline to France" said Bernard. In 2007, the Sligo Salers was nominated the National Overall Salers Large Herd of the Year and in 2017, Bernard was presented with the prestigious National Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his contribution to the breed. Expand Close GAA President, Aogan O Fearghail, presenting the National Hall of Fame Award to Bernard Hunt at Athlone in 2017. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp GAA President, Aogan O Fearghail, presenting the National Hall of Fame Award to Bernard Hunt at Athlone in 2017. The herd has won multiple show awards including several All Ireland. Bernard was also a member of the Salers Cattle Society National Council for several years. Harsh native habitat has given the Salers breed distinct genetic advantages The Salers are native cattle of the Auvergne, a mountainous plateau of south-central France where altitudes rise as high as 6,000 ft. The weather is harsh with high rainfall and heavy winter snow. The Salers are believed to be one of the oldest distinct breeds in the world and may date back directly to the early settlement of the area by Neolithic farmers 4,500 years ago. The isolated nature of the Salers original habitat lent itself to a high degree of genetic fixation and it is believed that, in contrast to most British breeds which often trace back to one cow or bull, Salers arose from a large indigenous population. Consequently there is a wide genetic base and good diversity within the breed to select for characteristics such as size, milk yield and conformation. In France the breed has expanded well outside its Auvergne heartland. There are currently about 210,000 Salers cows and 98,000 pure-bred heifers in France with around 49,000 Salers cattle performances recorded. Expand Close Bernard's Sligo Jeri, the All Ireland Heifer Calf Champion in 2010. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bernard's Sligo Jeri, the All Ireland Heifer Calf Champion in 2010. The commercial success of Salers cows is due in part to their coarse forage efficiency. It is claimed that they spend less time grazing but take bigger and more frequent bites. Their coarse forage efficiency reduces the costs of additional of additional concentrate feeding. Comparative studies of calving ease invariably rank Salers number one. The flat square, box-like pelvis of well-bred Salers cows is very noticeable and the internal dimensions are several sq cm bigger than other breeds. This aids easy calving and suitability for being crossed with heavier muscled breeds. Since the breed was first imported into Ireland there has been a steady growth in the number of pedigree Salers herds nationwide. In Munster there is a strong Salers presence in Tipperary, Clare, Limerick and Cork. The most dominant counties in the west are Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway, and there are also a number of herds in Cavan. Sligo herd has blazed an award-winning trail for the breed Bernard Hunts Sligo Salers herd has won many show and national titles. These include sending out All Ireland Calf Champions, All Ireland Cow Champions, and winning the Overall Salers award for four consecutive years at the National Livestock Show at Tullamore. Among the most successful animals bred in the herd has been Sligo Freda, a sister to the bull which the Hunts exported back to the source of some of the herds original bloodlines in France. Sligo Freda was breed champion at the National Livestock Show in 2011 and 2012 as a senior cow, Supreme Champion at Elphin Show in 2006, 2007 and 2011, and Overall Champion at Virginia Show in 2011, as well as winning many awards as a junior heifer. Divine was judged All Ireland Champion Cow in 2013 and 2014, and also won titles at Bailieborough, Virginia and Rathdowney in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The Sligo Salers herd has exported 10 bulls and two heifers to breeders in Scotland and Wales, and was one of the first non-French herds to export a Salers bull back to France. In 2007, the Sligo Salers herd was nominated the National Overall Salers Large Herd of the Year. And in 2017, Bernard was presented with the prestigious National Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his contribution to the breed. Virus testing in Western Australia has plunged, with less than one-quarter of those once tested now getting swabbed, as the state records its eighth day of zero new local coronavirus infections. Fears have abated over the spread from the states one positive case in the community despite it being the highly infectious UK variant of the virus and a list of 18 potential exposure sites. A COVID testing clinic at Perth Royal Hospital on Sunday. Credit:Getty Contact tracing around the Four Points hotel security guard, known as case 903, identified 527 close and casual contacts, who have all have now returned at least one negative test result, according to WA Health. Case 903 also worked for a ride share company. Advertisement All over-70s in England who haven't yet had a Covid vaccine should book their own online, Matt Hancock has revealed. The Health Secretary last night trumpeted the success of the roll-out so far, confirming the NHS is on track to hit its target of immunising the 15million most vulnerable Brits by next Monday. Almost 12.5million people have already received their first dose of vaccine and the health service is administering 450,000 every day, on average, putting the country well on track to hit the milestone next Monday. Previously, over-70s were told to wait until they were contacted through a letter, email, text or phone call to ensure all over-80s, care home residents and patients with serious underlying health conditions had first access. People in that age group can now schedule an appointment using the NHS booking service or those unable to get online can phone 119. Mr Hancock said take-up of the vaccines has so far been 'significantly better than we hoped for', claiming it has hit a staggering 95 per cent in people in their late 70s, 91 per cent of over-80s and almost three quarters of people in their early 70s. He said the Government had been expecting approximately 75 per cent. Frontline health and social care workers, who are also at the top of the priority list, are also being urged to come forward and arrange an appointment if they've not had a dose. And GP practices have been told to contact any extremely vulnerable patients who have still yet to receive their first injection. Figures show another 270,000 Covid vaccines were administered yesterday, which marked another Sunday dip for the otherwise successful programme. A combination of GP surgeries being closed and supply issues is thought to be the cause for the Sunday stumbles. Meanwhile, Downing Street said today it expects to have vaccinated all over-50s by the end of April, raising hopes that Britain could drop the vast majority of curbs in May. Boris Johnson is under pressure to step up the reopening of the country as soon as the top nine groups - around 32million people - are covered. Britain is jabbing at record pace, dishing out more vaccines per person than any country in the world other than Israel. But there are fears that the world-beating rollout could be undermined if the South African Covid variant becomes more widespread. A study published yesterday suggested Oxford University's vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. Mr Johnson today refused to rule out extending lockdown if the strain continues to spread. But Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, called for calm in today's press conference and said this was 'not a surprise' and that scientists were tackling it behind the scenes. He said he remains confident that vaccines will still have a 'substantial effect' against the variant. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a Downing Street press conference tonight that the NHS is on track to hit its target of offering Covid vaccines to 15million most vulnerable Brits by this time next week The NHS is now vaccinating an average of 450,000 people per day across the UK with hundreds of centres open for patients over the age of 70. Pictured: 73-year-old Richard Moss gets vaccinated at Elland Road football stadium in Leeds The UK has one of the most advanced Covid vaccination programmes in the world, with the first and second doses spaced by 12 weeks instead of three which has allowed the NHS to rattle through one in five adults already (Pictured: 72-year-old Mewa Singh Khela gets his vaccine at Elland Road) Almost 12.5million have already received their first dose of vaccine and the health service is administering 450,000 on average every day, putting it well on track to hit the milestone next Monday Brits over 70 who are registered with a GP but haven't received their first Covid jab are being encouraged to come forward to book their own appointments Mr Hancock said: 'From today, I have a message for everyone aged 70 and above. Until now, weve said please wait for the NHS to contact you. But now that message is changing. 'If you live in England and are 70 and over and have not yet got an appointment to be vaccinated, then please contact the NHS. 'The easiest way to do this is through the national booking service online at NHS.uk or if you cant get online then you can call 119 or you can speak to your local GP practice.' The NHS has also urged people who have been given two jab slots to cancel one so the slot can be used by someone else. This might occur if a patient's GP surgery books an appointment as well as the national booking service. Boris Johnson refuses to rule out making lockdown LONGER if South African variant continues to spread Boris Johnson today refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread amid fears Oxford University's vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. An alarming study found the British-made jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. One prominent SAGE adviser claimed the finding meant 'more restrictions might be needed for longer'. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' Top experts including Oxford academics and the UK's leading vaccine panel also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the roll-out. Government sources insisted the worrying study which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community. It comes as at least ten vaccination centres due to inoculate thousands were shut today as Storm Darcy struck the UK with 50mph winds and a foot of snow turning roads into 'lethal' ice rinks. More than 12million Brits have already had their first dose, with the Government on course to hit its ambitious target of vaccinating 15million by February 15. Advertisement Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and a practising GP, said: 'The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with every eligible care home receiving a visit and millions more people being vaccinated at one of over 1,500 centres across the country thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleagues. 'But if you are aged 70 and over, and haven't yet received your vaccine, please come forward and make an appointment as soon as you can. 'The vaccine is safe, simple, and will offer you and those around you crucial protection against this virus.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock added: 'Thanks to the huge efforts of the NHS, volunteers and local authorities we have vaccinated an incredible 12 million vulnerable people so far including around nine in 10 of all over-70s. 'We are on track to meet our goal of offering everyone in the top four priority groups a jab. 'So far we have said please wait until the NHS contacts you. I now urge everyone aged 70 and over who hasn't yet had a vaccination to come forward and contact the NHS to book in their jab. 'And if you have grandparents, relatives and friends over 70, please encourage them to book an appointment as soon as possible, so they can be protected against this awful virus. 'Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic and, by ensuring you and your loved ones get booked in for a jab, the NHS can give those most at-risk the protection they need as we continue to fight this disease together. It comes after an alarming study found the Oxford University jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the South African strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' Top experts including Oxford academics and the UK's leading vaccine panel also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the roll-out. Government sources insisted the worrying study which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community. Health workers administer a Covid-19 vaccine at a drive through vaccination centre at Batchwood Hall in St Albans, north of London, today During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, Boris Johnson refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread It comes as a World Health Organization director hailed the UK's decision to delay the second dose of Covid jabs, describing it as a 'brave' move. Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's chief Covid-19 expert, said Britain's decision has been 'a great lesson to the rest of the world'. The gamble was controversial when announced by UK regulators, who over-ruled scientists who said the Oxford and Pfizer Covid vaccine doses should be given no more than three weeks apart because this is what had been done in clinical trials. Covid vaccine centre in Hackney has to close early because of 'really low uptake' A Covid vaccination centre in London has had to reduce its opening hours because not enough people are coming forward for the jab. The John Scott inoculation hub in Hackney, East London, claimed 'really slow patient uptake' forced it to close at 2pm on three days last week. The centre, which is open to patients from 40 GP surgeries, had been administering vaccines from 10am until 8pm every day until the sudden drop-off in appointments. Health chiefs fear vaccine hesitancy among black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) groups is behind the poor uptake in the diverse inner London borough. Around 45 per cent of Hackney's population is made up of people from BAME backgrounds, predominantly of black African or Caribbean ethnicity. Numerous surveys have shown minorities - who studies have shown are up to three times as likely to die from Covid - are more reluctant to get the jabs due to a mistrust in the Government. And a report over the weekend suggested twice as many white over-80s had been for a jab compared to elderly black Britons. Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said today officials had been too slow to shut down anti-vaxx myths online. Other vaccine hubs and GP practices have already began jabbing the over-60s after successful roll-outs in their areas. Health officials could move to lower risk groups if uptake remains low in Hackney but the priority remains the over-70s, NHS staff, care home residents and workers. NHS City and Hackney clinical commissioning group said staff ha Advertisement But government experts said a single dose of either jab appeared to offer enough protection against Covid that people could wait another nine weeks for their second. This policy has led to a staggering 12million people getting their first dose of a Covid vaccine in the UK already more than in any other country in Europe. Dr Nabarro told Sky News: 'I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated.' The World Health Organization, however, has still refused to endorse the approach and its advice is still to use the three-week gap. Pfizer also did not give its blessing. Although 511,000 people have already had a second dose of their vaccine in the UK, the vast majority are being postponed and will start in March, by which time at least the 15million over-70s and most vulnerable will have had a first dose. Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Dr Nabarro said: 'The advice of the WHO on intervals between vaccine doses was based on what the manufacturers did in what we call the phase three trials of the vaccine. 'WHO and its committees really has to work on the basis of what manufacturers have told them, but isn't it wonderful that it has turned out, as a result of the UK's bravery, frankly, that these extended intervals seem to be associated with greater protection.' He added: 'Yes, I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated and, yes, it has taught a great lesson for the rest of the world. Thank you, British scientists.' Government scientists and ministers had been repeatedly forced to justify their decision to tear up the manufacturer instructions on the Covid vaccines. When the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs got emergency approval, both came with the recommendation that everyone get the second dose three weeks after the first. But, in the face of an out-of-control outbreak with the new fast-spreading variant, and a 'lumpy' vaccine supply chain, officials extended the window to three months. Doctors and independent researchers were furious, saying there was no evidence the vaccines worked in this way and it would deprive people of second doses they had been promised. But the UK regulator held its line. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said at a Downing Street press conference in January: 'By extending the gap we are going to, over the next three months, be able to essentially double the number of people who will be vaccinated. 'So if, by a process of not very difficult mathematics, if over that period there is more than 50 per cent protection then youve actually won. 'More people will, overall, have been protected than would have been otherwise. 'And our quite strong view is that we think the protection will be quite a lot more than 50 per cent so therefore in net public health terms there will be substantially more protection by going faster.' He said it was still SAGE and the Government's view that everybody needs a second dose and said there had been 'vigorous scientific debate' about the policy. Professor Whitty added: 'Clearly, if we had infinite vaccines we might have taken a different approach but, clearly, we dont. 'At this point in time, for the next three to four months, the number of vaccines we have available is going to constrain our ability to get through the 25 to 30million people we must do to get through all of the JCVI areas.' Russia has documented 15,916 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest daily figure since October 21. The total number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Russia reaches 3,983,197, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Monday. The daily increase rate reaches 0.4%. The lowest increase rate has been documented in the Tuva Republic (0.1%), the Nenets Autonomous Region (0.1%) the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Magadan Region, Khakassia and Ingushetia (0.2%). In the past 24 hours, 1,728 COVID-19 cases have been documented in Moscow, 1,551 in St. Petersburg, 912 in the Moscow Region, 465 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 368 in the Voronezh Region, 359 in the Rostov Region. Currently, there are 434,038 active COVID-19 cases in Russia, TASS reported. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) Even if Congress grants the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN a fresh franchise, President Rodrigo Duterte said he will not allow the National Telecommunications Commission to grant the network a permit to operate. "Congress is planning to restore the franchise of the Lopezes. Wala akong problema doon kung i-restore ninyo [I don't have a problem if Congress restores it]," the President said in a televised address to the nation on Monday. "But if you say that if they can operate, kung may ano na sila [if they already have a franchise], no. I will not allow them. I will not allow the NTC to grant them the permit to operate," he added. Duterte said he will forbid the media giant from resuming operations unless the Lopezes settle their allegedly unpaid taxes. "Kalokohan 'yan. Parang binigyan mo sila ng [That's nonsense. It's like giving them a] prize for committing criminal acts," he said. Last year, lawmakers denied ABS-CBN's bid for a new franchise, citing various issues including alleged tax-avoidance schemes, the dual citizenship of its chairman emeritus Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, failure to regularize its employees, and biased reporting. ABS-CBN has repeatedly denied the accusations and maintained it has no outstanding tax liability. The Bureau of Internal Revenue, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission, also said last year the network has been compliant with regulations, contrary to allegations lodged against it. The network went off the air in May 2020 after its legislative franchise expired. In September of the same year, the NTC issued an order recalling all frequencies or channels assigned to the media company. Last month, Senate President Vicente Sotto III filed a bill seeking to renew ABS-CBN's franchise. Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto filed a similar measure in the lower chamber. It's best to avoid them, unless you routinely take them for a medical condition. Although the evidence is limited, some painkillers might interfere with the very thing the vaccine is trying to do: generate a strong immune system response. Vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking it has a virus and mounting a defense against it. That may cause arm soreness, fever, headache, muscle aches or other temporary symptoms of inflammation that can be part of that reaction. These symptoms mean your immune system is revving up and the vaccine is working," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent news briefing. Certain painkillers that target inflammation, including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and other brands) might curb the immune response. A study on mice in the Journal of Virology found these drugs might lower production of antibodies helpful substances that block the virus from infecting cells. If you're already taking one of those medications for a health condition, you should not stop before you get the vaccine at least not without asking your doctor, said Jonathan Watanabe, a pharmacist at the University of California, Irvine. People should not take a painkiller as a preventive measure before getting a vaccine unless a doctor has told them to, he said. The same goes for after a shot: If you dont need to take it, you shouldnt," Watanabe said. If you do need one, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is safer because it doesnt alter your immune response," he added. The CDC offers other tips, such as holding a cool, wet washcloth over the area of the shot and exercising that arm. For fever, drink lots of fluids and dress lightly. Call your doctor if redness or tenderness in the arm increases after a day or if side effects dont go away after a few days, the CDC says. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Lets be honest New York City comptroller isnt everybodys first choice. After Michelle Caruso-Cabreras high-profile yet unsuccessful challenge to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the 2020 Democratic congressional primary, her recent decision to run for comptroller looks like somebody seeking a consolation prize. Of course, shes not alone. Zach Iscol was running for mayor for months before he decided to drop out and run for comptroller instead. But hes just following the example of the current comptroller, Scott Stringer, who was well into a 2013 mayoral run before deciding he would run for comptroller instead. Now eight years later, Stringer is following the well-worn path of city comptrollers running for mayor. Of the past nine city comptrollers, only one of them (Elizabeth Holtzman, the lone woman to hold the office) did not subsequently run for mayor. Of the past nine city comptrollers, only one of them did not subsequently run for mayor. But if you want to set yourself up to run for mayor, youve got to win this race first. And with less than five months to go until the June Democratic primary, 10 candidates have filed paperwork to run. Six of them seem to be serious contenders at this point: state Sens. Brian Benjamin and Kevin Parker, City Council Member Brad Lander, Assembly Member David Weprin, Caruso-Cabrera, who was previously a financial journalist, and Iscol, a former Marine who founded a media company. RELATED: The 2021 New York City Power 100 Comptroller is, of course, a financial job. The office conducts audits of city agencies and is responsible for the citys five public pension funds, with their nearly $240 billion in assets. But with a staff of about 800 people, its also a management job. The comptroller isnt sitting at a desk with a calculator all day they have people to do that for them. And of course, its a political job, up for election every four years and given the mandate as a fiscal watchdog to officially criticize the sitting mayor and all aspects of their sprawling government a responsibility that Stringer in particular has cherished. Its a truly powerful office. And even running for it lends the contenders an air of serious credibility. The online forums for the candidates have so far lacked the occasional fun questions that the mayoral candidates get. Mayor is a serious job, but the winner will also have to hold groundhogs and eat hot dogs. The comptroller? They need to make sure the pension funds dont crater. And stakeholders are vetting the candidates hard. Mayor is a serious job, but they also hold groundhogs and eat hot dogs. The comptroller? They need to make sure the pension funds dont crater. But who is the best fit for this fiscal/management/political job? The top six candidates all pitched themselves to the citys chambers of commerce at a Feb. 2 forum hosted by the Five Borough Chamber Alliance. Benjamin, Lander, Parker and Weprin all hold office, but Weprin insisted he was the only one thats directly been involved in dealing with budget deficits, since he chaired the New York City Council Finance Committee after the 2008 financial crisis. Lander said he understood city contracting, since he ran a nonprofit before being elected to the council. Iscol said hed work well with the next mayor, since he had been running alongside all the other candidates until recently. Parker said hes got the right experience, having worked for the state comptroller before entering politics. Benjamin talked about his experience serving on the board of Brown University, which recently divested from fossil fuels. And Caruso-Cabrera argued her experience as a financial journalist imparted her with the right historical context for the job. I have spent my life covering financial crises, she said. Will any of it matter? The candidates are running campaigns, not filling out an auditing exam. Stringers top qualification in 2013 may have been that he was not Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced former governor who thought the office would be a good spot to launch a political comeback. That race had only two candidates, but this years contest promises to be far more crowded. And why not? Its a pretty good second choice. Alex Salmond will not give evidence about the Scottish Governments botched handling of harassment allegations against him on Tuesday after raising legal concerns. Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon and her husband the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell have both faced questions about their role in the saga. The former first minister was awarded more than 500,000 when the Scottish Government conceded in a judicial review at the Court of Session its investigation into complaints made against him were unlawful. He had been asked to appear before the committee inquiry into the Scottish Governments handling of the allegations against him on Tuesday, but his lawyers revealed he will not attend over concerns about the committee not publishing his evidence. Mr Salmonds submission has been published elsewhere online and accuses Ms Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code with false and manifestly untrue statements to parliament, which she denies. David McKie, of Levy & McRae, said that Mr Salmond cannot take his oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth until a number of concerns were addressed, including the publication of the evidence by the committee and concerns about him being in legal jeopardy. He added: Our client remains willing to give evidence to the committee at any point up to the final date for evidence (currently fixed for February 16). But in a previous letter, committee convener Linda Fabiani stated no further dates can be offered. A Scottish Parliament spokeswoman confirmed Tuesdays planned evidence session of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was cancelled. She added: Mr Salmond had been contacted to make it clear that he can speak freely in committee about all of his contact with Nicola Sturgeon and his views on her actions. He was given the opportunity to make a lengthy opening statement on Tuesday and would have had four hours to answer questions in public. He was also invited to send more written evidence for publication after the meeting. The committee has already published two lengthy submissions from Mr Salmond and many, many pages of records and documents from him that he has been invited to speak freely about in Parliament on Tuesday. All of this written and oral evidence could then be reflected in the committees report. The committee continues to communicate with Mr Salmonds representatives. During a virtual evidence session of the committee on Monday morning, Mr Murrell denied lying under oath at an earlier appearance at the same inquiry about a meeting between Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon. Mr Murrell was recalled to give further evidence to the committee after making contradictory statements during his first appearance. He initially said he was not at home when the former first minister told Ms Sturgeon about claims he sexually harassed women, later he revealed he came home while the meeting was taking place on April 2 2018. During Monday mornings session, Mr Murrell was asked repeatedly if he had made false statements to the committee under oath, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. Challenged to give a yes or no answer about whether he gave a false account, Mr Murrell instead stressed he was not at the meeting and told MSPs he did not see Mr Salmond when he arrived at his Glasgow home. Peter Murrell during his first evidence session (Andy Buchanan/PA) Scottish Conservative committee member Murdo Fraser said Mr Murrells appearance can only strengthen a prosecution case for possible perjury, while an SNP spokesman said the partys chief executive answered questions honestly while maintaining anonymity of the women. Coinciding with Mr Murrells evidence, the SNPs chief operating officer Sue Ruddick called for messages from women who made complaints about Mr Salmond to remain private. In an unprecedented move, the committee had asked for documents detailing text or WhatsApp communications between Ms Ruddick and Scottish Government ministers, civil servants or special advisers from between August 2018 and January 2019 which might be relevant to its inquiry. The committee unanimously agreed not to publish them. But in her statement, Ms Ruddick said: It is becoming increasingly clear that the committee is determined to ignore complainers privacy rights and refer to, act upon and make public whether in writing or through oral reference in a public session private, confidential communications, despite having no lawful power to do so. Private communications between myself and Mr Murrell are in no way relevant to this committees remit. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. At the coronavirus briefing on Monday afternoon, the First Minister was also asked about the investigation into her predecessor and the suggestion the Scottish Government may have misled the Court of Session. The First Ministers account that she was first told about the sexual harassment claims by Mr Salmond at her home on April 2 2018 formed part of the Scottish Governments defence during the judicial review of the investigation. But it has since emerged that Ms Sturgeon met with Mr Salmonds former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein, four days earlier and allegedly discussed the sexual harassment investigation. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Asked whether the Court of Session had therefore been misled, Ms Sturgeon said: No, thats not the case, I refute that absolutely. In her written evidence to the Holyrood inquiry examining the Governments botched investigation of Mr Salmond, Ms Sturgeon stated she had forgotten about the earlier meeting with Mr Aberdein until late January/early February 2019. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. An 18-year-old makeup artist has shocked social media with gory looks that appear so real, people often mistake them for horrific injuries. Kayla Kelley, 18, from Atlanta, Georgia, has amassed 2.1 million followers on TikTok thanks to her incredibly gruesome creations that can sometimes take hours to complete. The self-taught special effects artist, who gets her inspiration from movies and TV, has conjured up all kinds of gruesome injuries on her own body, from scabs coated in blood to knife wounds - and even pretended to stab her own fingers with toothpicks in a particularly eerie scene. Queen of horror: Self-taught makeup artist Kayla Kelley, 18, has earned viral fame on TikTok with her incredibly gruesome special effects looks Made you look! The Atlanta-based teen's gory creations are so lifelike that many of her viewers believe they are real Something for everyone! Kayla experiments with all kinds of looks, from more out-there zombie creations to realistic wounds and injuries Speedy: The makeup pro only started learning her skills a few years ago, when she joined an art class in high school, and she's been teaching herself ever since Kayla's skills have earned her admiration and awe from her followers - however many admit that they initially thought the creepy creations were completely real. Changing: Kayla always wanted to pursue acting, before she fell in love with makeup 'God I thought it was real,' someone commented on a recent clip, where Kayla slices off skin from her finger with a makeup 'scalpel'. 'The finger looked so real I thought you hurt your finger,' another horrified fan wrote. In a different video, Kayla carves the word 'impostor' as well as a small cartoon character into her arm, before promptly slicing the bloody 'skin' off. She also creates 'holes' in her hand, which are filled with blood, and many viewers who have trypophobia - a fear of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps - say that it is too 'uncomfortable' for them to watch. 'I've always had a love for the film industry but I wasn't interested in makeup until high school, when I started experimenting with it,' Kayla told Jam Press. Creepy: She says that her creations can take anywhere from 20 minutes to five hours to complete, depending on how detailed they are Shocked: Her viewers flood all of her videos with comments about how realistic the bloody looks are, with many admitting that they thought the injuries were real Look away! Some TikTok users who suffer with trypophobia - a fear of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps - say Kayla's videos are too uncomfortable to watch High praise: Others have expressed awe over Kayla's skills - although a few have accused her of having a 'dark mind' because of the bloody nature of her work Painful! Kayla hones her skills by practicing on herself, and regularly makes it look as though she has suffered horrific injuries to her hands, arms, and legs 'I had just quit my dream of becoming an actress because I lost interest. I joined an art class at school, and that's when I started painting on myself at home. It all began there. 'If it's just a small wound on my hand, I can complete it in 20 minutes. If it's a full-body zombie look, it can take up to five hours.' Kayla particularly admires the work of Greg Nicotero, the special effects makeup artist and executive producer of Fear The Walking Dead, whom she credits for providing her with the grisly ideas. The makeup artist uses Ben Nye and Mehron products to create her gory designs, along with bruising wheels, scab blood, thick blood, liquid latex, scar wax, face paints and cotton balls. She is often inundated with messages from followers complimenting her incredible creations, while others say she has a 'dark mind'. She said: 'My favorite messages and comments are from the people who say they look up to me and that I'm the reason they started special effects makeup. The queen of Halloween! On other occasions, she opts to create less realistic looks that would be perfect for All Hallow's Eve Advice: When offering words of wisdom to other aspiring makeup artists, Kayla said, 'Be patient, take things slow and find your own style that stands out from everyone else' Spreading the word: Kayla says she is thrilled to have inspired so many people to try out special effects makeup for themselves Talent: The teenager says she doesn't think being interested in special effects gore means she has a 'dark mind' as some commenters tell her 'It makes me so happy to be the person that could introduce others to this amazing industry. 'I especially love seeing pictures of their work recreating my ideas and looks. 'I highly encourage my followers to tag me in their posts or send me their work.' However, not everyone is a fan of the gory style and Kayla is often on the receiving end of hateful comments. She said: 'Even though I get all of these heart-filling comments, there is still hate. 'There are people who have stated that my looks aren't realistic at all and how my work is rubbish. 'There is constructive criticism, which I love to receive, and then there's just plain harassment and hatred. Trolls: 'There is constructive criticism, which I love to receive, and then there's just plain harassment and hatred,' Kayla admitted Stunned: All of her videos are flooded with comments from stunned viewers expressing their shock at how realistic her creations are Warning: Others admit that the videos are too gory for them to watch 'The worst comments I receive are the people saying how dark my mind is considering the gruesome looks I think of. 'I've never been bothered by gore, I'm just creative and I love the art. I don't see what's wrong with that.' For anyone hoping to recreate some of the artist's looks, she said: 'Be patient, take things slow and find your own style that stands out from everyone else. Be creative! 'Also, don't worry about whether or not you have the money to start doing special effects makeup. 'Yes, products are expensive but you can find things to work with for very little price. 'I started out with literally nothing. I found different things around my house to use that would be safe on my skin.' "The question that one may need to ask therefore is, why any entity would disguise its transactions if they were legal." The Central Bank of Nigeria has explained why it banned cryptocurrency-related transactions in the country, claiming the digital currency is used for money laundering and terrorism. The regulator said this in a statement Sunday, days after affirming a 2017 directive to financial institutions to block cryptocurrency accounts. The decision has sparked outrage from mostly young people in a country that is the world's second-biggest user of virtual currencies like Bitcoins. The statement by Osita Nwanisobi, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, said the ban on such transactions will not have any negative impact on fintechs, Daily Trust reported Sunday. "The use of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria are a direct contravention of existing law," the statement said, according to Daily Trust. "It is also important to highlight that there is a critical difference between a Central Bank issued Digital Currency and cryptocurrencies. As the names imply, while Central Banks can issue Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies are issued by unknown and unregulated entities," Mr Nwanisobi said. "The question that one may need to ask therefore is, why any entity would disguise its transactions if they were legal," he added. "It is on the basis of this opacity that cryptocurrencies have become well-suited for conducting many illegal activities including money laundering, terrorism financing, purchase of small arms and light weapons, and tax evasion. "Many banks and investors who place a high value on reputation have been turned off from cryptocurrencies because of the damaging effects of the widespread use of cryptocurrencies for illegal activities. "The role of cryptocurrencies in the purchase of hard and illegal drugs on the darknet website called "Silk Road" is well known. They have also been recent reports that cryptocurrencies have been used to finance terror plots, further damaging its image as a legitimate means of exchange. "More also, repeated and recent evidence now suggests that some cryptocurrencies have become more widely used as speculative assets rather than as means of payment, thus explaining the significant volatility and variability in their prices." Badaun : , Feb 8 (IANS) A 75-year-old priest, Jai Singh Yadav, has been found murdered on the premises of a temple in Dhaknagla village in Badaun district. Popularly known as 'Sakhi Baba', the priest had been serving the temple for the past 45 years and used to live in the guise of 'Goddess Kali', wearing sari and bangles. Police said the accused, Ramveer Yadav, a local, was absconding and three police teams had been deployed to arrest him. "The motive is still unclear," said the police. Sakhi Baba used to live alone in a thatched house on the temple premises. According to reports, Baba performed daily prayers and took out a religious procession on Sunday morning, and then he went to his hut to take rest when Ramveer allegedly stabbed him to death. Police said a few people saw the accused fleeing the spot, and then they found Baba lying dead inside his hut. Senior Superintendent of Police Sankalp Sharma said, "Sakhi Baba was stabbed to death by a local, Ramveer Yadav, over some personal enmity. We have booked him under section 302 (murder)of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and he will be arrested soon. The exact reason behind the murder is still unclear. We have sent the body for autopsy and informed his relatives." Your book and podcast, The Lie That Binds, tracked the history of the anti-abortion movement and your view of its ties to white supremacy. Do you see connections between the siege on the Capitol and the anti-abortion movement? Part of, as I say, steeling the spine and building the courage for elected officials is making sure that we own the accurate history of this movement. Clinic violence during the 80s and into the 90s was the precursor for the violent extremism were seeing now. Why thats been allowed to continue is because society writ large and certainly politics has allowed them to wrap themselves in this faux religiosity and get away with stuff we would never allow in other parts of our culture. If you talked to any abortion provider, they know what that feels like to be under siege. So really understanding that and that goes back to the underlying ideology of the modern-day anti-choice movement, and this is not to say every person who identifies as pro-life but the movement is one that believes in minority control to right Christian men. So theres just immense symmetry between these ideologies. Now that Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress again, is there a danger that Democratic voters and abortion rights advocates will slip into a sense of complacency around abortion, similar to what happened during the Obama administration? I mean, thats the question, right? When I came to NARAL, the Democratic consensus toward abortion rights was mostly check the box and move on, with some amazing exceptions. And if we have to let an anti-choice member sneak through, so be it. Thats just part of the play. Thats not happening anymore. We had every single Democratic presidential candidate release a plan on how theyre going to address the crisis in reproductive freedom. We had them outcompeting each other in debates. We saw the largest day of action ever on abortion rights against the abortion ban in 2019. I think that politically it is not a salable point anymore that you cant be an active champion. So is there room in the party for Democrats who do not support abortion rights? There always has been and there always will be room in the party for individuals who have all sorts of different feelings about everything, and abortion is no exception. What there is zero room in the party for is people who would oppose the seven in 10 Americans who dont think politicians should be governing their decisions about pregnancy and family. The opposition to abortion never, never actually mapped onto faith as much as it mapped onto hostility to social progress, gender equity, racial equity. The UK should be proud of its decision to delay the second doses of Covid jabs, says a World Health Organization director who has hailed the 'brave' move. Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's chief Covid-19 expert, said Britain's decision has been 'a great lesson to the rest of the world'. The gamble was controversial when announced by UK regulators, who over-ruled scientists who said the Oxford and Pfizer Covid vaccine doses should be given no more than three weeks apart because this is what had been done in clinical trials. But government experts said a single dose of either jab appeared to offer enough protection against Covid that people could wait another nine weeks for their second. This policy has led to a staggering 12million people getting their first dose of a Covid vaccine in the UK already more than in any other country in Europe. Dr Nabarro told Sky News: 'I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated.' The World Health Organization, however, has still refused to endorse the approach and its advice is still to use the three-week gap. Pfizer also did not give its blessing. Although 511,000 people have already had a second dose of their vaccine in the UK, the vast majority are being postponed and will start in March, by which time at least the 15million over-70s and most vulnerable will have had a first dose. Dr David Nabarro, chief Covid-19 expert at the World Health Organization (pictured), said Britain had taught 'a great lesson to the rest of the world' with its pioneering but controversial dosing plan As a result of tripling the length of time between first and second vaccinations, the UK has now got jabs to a staggering 12million people (Pictured: A woman is vaccinated in Ilford, London) Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Dr Nabarro said: 'The advice of the WHO on intervals between vaccine doses was based on what the manufacturers did in what we call the phase three trials of the vaccine. 'WHO and its committees really has to work on the basis of what manufacturers have told them, but isn't it wonderful that it has turned out, as a result of the UK's bravery, frankly, that these extended intervals seem to be associated with greater protection.' He added: 'Yes, I think the UK's approach so far as been vindicated and, yes, it has taught a great lesson for the rest of the world. Thank you, British scientists.' Government scientists and ministers had been repeatedly forced to justify their decision to tear up the manufacturer instructions on the Covid vaccines. When the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs got emergency approval, both came with the recommendation that everyone get the second dose three weeks after the first. But, in the face of an out-of-control outbreak with the new fast-spreading variant, and a 'lumpy' vaccine supply chain, officials extended the window to three months. Doctors and independent researchers were furious, saying there was no evidence the vaccines worked in this way and it would deprive people of second doses they had been promised. But the UK regulator held its line. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said at a Downing Street press conference in January: 'By extending the gap we are going to, over the next three months, be able to essentially double the number of people who will be vaccinated. 'So if, by a process of not very difficult mathematics, if over that period there is more than 50 per cent protection then youve actually won. A single shot of Pfizer's Covid vaccine 'might not protect against South Africa variant' Delaying the second dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine could leave some elderly patients vulnerable to the South African Covid variant, research suggests. Laboratory tests by Cambridge University found that a single shot of the jab might not stimulate a strong enough immune response to kill the new strain in over-80s. Antibody levels only appeared to be protective after a second dose but the researchers admitted the jab is still likely to be 'less effective' when dealing with the E484K mutation on the South African variant's spike protein. Experts believe the mutation which is also present in the Brazilian Covid variants helps the strain 'hide' from the body's natural defences. The news is particularly worrying as the UK Government has this week warned that cases of the South Africa variant are cropping up in people who haven't travelled there, and the same E484K mutation is also appearing on unrelated cases caused by the Kent variant and even older versions of the virus. Top Government advisers and vaccine manufacturers insist the current crop of jabs should still work against the variant when given in the full two doses because the antibodies they make can still stop the disease from taking hold in the body. Antibodies disease-fighting proteins created by vaccines and in response to previous infection are also not the immune system's only layer of defence. Scientists reacting to the findings said now was 'a good time to switch' away from Britain's one-dose strategy, which aims to get wider vaccine coverage quicker. Regulators pivoted from their original plan to give people their second dose after 21 days when the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved at the end of December. They pushed back the second dose for 12 weeks in a bid to give partial protection to as many vulnerable people as possible and drive down hospital admissions. And the strategy has been extremely successful, with 9.6million people now vaccinated with at least a single dose of either Pfizer's or AstraZeneca's jab. No10 has already launched an effort to swab tens of thousands people in areas of England where cases of the South African variant have been discovered in people who haven't travelled out of the country. Advertisement 'More people will, overall, have been protected than would have been otherwise. 'And our quite strong view is that we think the protection will be quite a lot more than 50 per cent so therefore in net public health terms there will be substantially more protection by going faster.' He said it was still SAGE and the Government's view that everybody needs a second dose and said there had been 'vigorous scientific debate' about the policy. Professor Whitty added: 'Clearly, if we had infinite vaccines we might have taken a different approach but, clearly, we dont. 'At this point in time, for the next three to four months, the number of vaccines we have available is going to constrain our ability to get through the 25 to 30million people we must do to get through all of the JCVI areas.' The reason scientists were angry about the policy was that the three-week dose spacing was the only one trialled by Pfizer and BioNTech in their original studies. In the trial Covid cases started to fall around 12 days after people got their first dose but, because everyone got a second shot just 10 days later, scientists didn't know how long immunity from the initial jab would last. The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab was more flexible, however, having been tried out in a variety of regimens. When the second dose delay was first announced, the World Health Organization refused to give its blessing a position it has not yet changed. The WHO said in January that governments should be giving people their second dose within 21 to 28 days of having the first, to make sure the vaccine works long-term. But it did not attack Britain's decision not to do this, admitting the Government had been forced to make a difficult decision because of spiralling infections and deaths in recent weeks. One of the experts said they 'totally acknowledge that countries may see needs to be even more flexible in terms of the administration of the second dose'. In a meeting to discuss how doses are spaced out, WHO experts concluded that, with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, people should get their second dose 21 to 28 days after the first, with an 'outer limit' of six weeks. This maximum limit is still only half as long as the UK plans to leave it, with hundreds of thousands of people being told they could have to wait three months. Stockpiles are not big enough for the NHS to proceed with its plan of two doses within a month for every patient, so they're being stretched to go further until more vaccines are delivered in the spring. The decision was made by the government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and endorsed by all of the UK's chief medical officers. Dr Alejandro Cravioto, chairman of WHO's vaccination advisory group, said yesterday: 'We deliberated and came out with the following recommendation: two doses of this vaccine within 21-28 days.' His colleague Dr Kate O'Brien said the data being used to justify the 12-week regime being used in the UK was 'imperfect'. This meant the WHO was not comfortable officially giving it the seal of approval. Dr O'Brien said: 'I think we have to emphasise the need for additional evidence.' Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine is one of the two being used by the NHS the other is made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Just a week earlier Pfizer had hit out at the plan itself, saying there was no evidence it would work. The company said there was 'no data' in its studies to show its vaccine protects against Covid when taken 12 weeks apart. In a thinly-veiled swipe at the UK, the US firm warned that any 'alternative' dosing regimens should be closely monitored by health authorities. 'Data from the phase three study demonstrated that, although partial protection from the vaccine appears to begin as early as 12 days after the first dose, two doses of the vaccine are required to provide the maximum protection against the disease, a vaccine efficacy of 95 per cent,' Pfizer said in a statement. 'There are no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.' The total number of people who have received the Covid-19 vaccine shots has crossed the 60 lakh mark in the country, the Union Health Ministry announced on Monday, highlighting that India reached the mark in 24 days, the fastest in the world. It also said that America took 26 days to reach this mark, whereas Britain achieved it in 46 days. As many as 60,35,660 beneficiaries were vaccinated through 1,24,744 sessions till today evening. Of these, 54,12,270 are healthcare workers and 6,23,390 frontline workers whose vaccination started on 2 February, Additional Secretary in the Health Ministry Manohar Agnani informed. Eleven states and Union Territories -- Bihar, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala -- have inoculated over 65% of the registered healthcare workers, he added. The national capital, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, and Puducherry have recorded less than 40% coverage of vaccinating healthcare workers. Ten states accounted for 75.12% of the total beneficiaries vaccinated on Monday. "Total 2,23,298 beneficiaries were vaccinated on the 24th day of nationwide Covid-19 vaccination till 6 pm," the health ministry said, adding the final report would be completed by late in the night. Till 6 pm on Monday, 8,257 vaccination sessions were held. In total, 29 people have been hospitalised so far, which comprise 0.0005% of the total vaccinations. Of these, 19 were discharged after treatment, one is under treatment, while nine people have died, the ministry said. In the last 24 hours, one person suffered from bilateral facial palsy and has been hospitalized at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences in Thiruvananathpuram. His condition is stable. Twenty-three deaths have been recorded to date, which comprises 0.0004% of the total vaccinations, the ministry added. Of these, nine people died in the hospital while 14 deaths were recorded outside the hospital. In 24 hours, a 29-year-old woman, a resident of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, has died. "None of these deaths have been causally linked with COVID-19 vaccination. No case of serious/severe AEFI/Death is attributable to vaccination, till date," the ministry stated. The total beneficiaries who have been vaccinated so far include 3,92,426 from Bihar, 2,95,965 from Kerala, 4,11,861 from Karnataka, 3,62,649 from Madhya Pradesh, 4,97,095 from Maharashtra, 1,13,138 from Delhi, 4,70,384 from Gujarat, 6,73,542 from Uttar Pradesh and 3,68,562 from West Bengal, according to the provisional report. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that India is set to fulfill 70% of the world's coronavirus vaccine needs and two vaccines are currently being exported to 14 countries. Shah said the Modi government has worked to upgrade the health infrastructure in the country in the last six-and-a-half years. "India is set to fulfill 70% of the world's coronavirus vaccine needs. Two vaccines are being exported to 14 countries," he said. According to him, four more vaccines are being developed. With agency inputs Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Intel sued a former Oregon employee Friday, alleging he took trade secrets with him when he bolted for Microsoft and used the information to gain an advantage in subsequent business negotiations with Intel. The engineer, Varun Gupta, worked for Intel for a decade before leaving for Microsoft in January 2020, according to the suit. He allegedly loaded Intel trade secrets onto two USB drives before quitting and later accessed them on his Microsoft-issued laptop. Gupta could not immediately be reached for comment. Intel and Microsoft are longtime partners and, increasingly, rivals as Microsoft develops its own chip engineering capabilities. Microsoft is preparing to open a big new engineering hub in Hillsboro, near Intels Oregon research factories, and has hired a former Intel vice president to help lead it. In this case, though, the litigation indicates Intel and Microsoft worked together to investigate the incident. Intels complaint claims that Gupta had denied knowing where the one of the USB drives was, but later turned it over to Microsoft for analysis. He claimed to have discarded a second USB drive that allegedly contained Intel secrets, according to the litigation. The suit asserts that Microsoft determined Gupta had plugged the USB drives into his Microsoft-issued laptop. In his new role at Microsoft, Gupta used the confidential information and trade secrets he misappropriated from Intel, deploying that information in head-to-head negotiations with Intel concerning customized product design and pricing for significant volumes of Xeon processors, Intel alleged in Fridays filing. Intels complaint suggests its marketing and engineering team became concerned Gupta might have taken trade secrets while conducting business negotiations with him after he had let for Microsoft. An internal investigation concluded that he had transferred 3,900 Intel documents to a USB drive on his last day at Intel, according to the complaint. Intel seeks unspecified damages in the suit, attorney fees and an injunction preventing Gupta from using or disclosing the material on the USB drive. It filed the suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Portland. Intel has invested billions of dollars in the development of the intellectual property critical to its success in some of the most competitive industries in the world, Intel said in a written statement Monday. We place great faith and trust in our current and former employees, but we have an obligation to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary information, and we will not hesitate to act to prevent their misappropriation. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Patricia Mason, 51, displays her medical bills at her home in Vacaville, Calif. Mason works more than full time across two jobs office administrative work, which she can do from home, and retail, which she can't. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) It was bad enough that Patricia Mason's husband rushed her to the emergency room on his birthday and didn't see her again for nearly a month. That she was transferred in the middle of the night to a different hospital, one that could better care for her deteriorating condition, and that her husband had no idea where she was or even how to find her. That her doctor called him two days later to break the news. His wife, the physician said, had less than a 30% chance of surviving COVID-19. Then the medical bills began to arrive. The grand total to save the 51-year-old woman's life: $1,339,181.94. Patricia Mason was hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 28 to April 20 at NorthBay Medical Center. Her medical bill totaled $1,339,079, which her insurance mostly covered. But she still owes $42,184, and it's gone to collections. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) What the Vacaville couple with five jobs and nine mostly grown children between them are actually on the hook for: $42,184.20. The odds that they will pay it off? Zero. The most serious cases of COVID-19 don't just attack a patient's body, leading to pneumonia, respiratory failure, septic shock, blood clots, brain fog and more than 460,000 deaths in the U.S. to date. They can also damage a virus victim's bank account. Because, while it is difficult to know who will die from the virus and who will escape with just a runny nose, it is just as hard for patients and the hospitals that care for them to figure out their COVID-19 hit, what is covered and who will actually pay for it. "The deck is absolutely stacked against the consumer and the patient," said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. "The first issue is you've got COVID and you're not feeling so great. Going to battle with the doctors and hospitals or health plan, there's a huge power imbalance to begin with, let alone when you're struggling with health issues. Getting answers about why certain things are on the bill is almost impossible." Many insurance companies have waived all out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus treatment, for some patients slashing a million-dollar-plus bill to nothing. But those waivers are entirely voluntary, and many have already expired. Medical bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients are covered by the federal government, but the rules are complex, and hospitals must apply for the money. Story continues During the Obama administration, the federal government capped the amount most insurance plans can require patients to pay. But not all plans have so-called out-of-pocket maximums. And even if they do, the annual limit for a family was $16,300 in 2020, the pandemic's first painful year. This year, it rose to $17,100, although insurance companies can adopt a lower limit. Still, not everyone has even that kind of money lying around during the worst recession in nearly a century. Nineteen percent of all adults either lost a job or had their work hours cut in March, and 18% had medical debt even before the pandemic hit, according to a May report from the Federal Reserve. Patricia Mason and her dog, Cocoa, at her home in Vacaville. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) "I don't have $42,000 to spare," Mason said. "We're at the point where we're trying to make it through the next 15 years, so hopefully we can one day retire. I am lucky enough to be alive, so we take that into consideration. But the reality is I don't have [the money]. It's not going to happen. When the hospital bill arrived, Mason's husband asked her what they were going to do about it. Maybe pay a dollar a month for the rest of her life, she told him. :: The first sign that something was amiss came March 22, a Sunday. Mason was dyeing 16-year-old daughter Cheyenne's hair blue, she thinks. Her husband was cooking dinner. Dont make me much, she told him. I dont feel good. That night, she had a fever. The next day, a cold, complete with cough and a hoarse, raspy voice. Five days, two telemedicine visits and two wrong diagnoses later first the flu, then bronchitis and Mason announced to her husband and daughter that she had to go to the emergency room. They raced to NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, a mile from their home in this Central Valley suburb between San Francisco and Sacramento. Mason walked in alone; it was March 27, the pandemics early days, but family members had already been banned from the hospital. She texted around midnight that she was being transferred to a hospital in Fairfield, only she didnt know which one. She told her husband to go home and sanitize the house. She said shed text again when she arrived at the new hospital. Then radio silence until the next day. Around 6 a.m. on Monday, March 30, her doctor called her husband with bad news. If the oxygen level in her blood didnt improve, he said, Mason would have to go on a ventilator. Hed keep her family posted. Fifteen minutes later, he called back. Mason was fighting to survive. It was time to intubate. So, Im like, What youre trying to tell me, Doc, is she may pass? her husband recounted. Hes like, We dont know. Were going to do all we can to help her get better, but we dont know what the outcome is going to be, what type of treatment well have to give her. The explanation of benefits from her insurer holds some but not all of the answers about her hospital stay, which began March 28 and ended April 20. Her stay in the coronary care unit at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield: $479,162.40. Pharmacy charges: $470,950.94. Respiratory services: $166,669.80. The explanation of benefits is dated July 14. The letter from Medical Financial Solutions, a debt collection company, arrived a little more than two months later. It says, in bright red letters, Past Due. It says she owes $42,184.20. It says she is not currently in default but it is very important that we hear from you. Mason tucked it into the bulky manila envelope that holds other paperwork from her battle with COVID-19. :: More than 10 months have passed since Mason walked into the emergency room. That manila envelope is on her dining room table, obscured by a pile of bills and insurance statements. She has survived COVID-19, but its not entirely done with her yet. She has brain fog. Her joints are swollen and painful. She takes a baby aspirin every day, along with a handful of supplements, anything that Ive heard will help. She calls it her anti-COVID stuff. New aches or pains cause a twinge of fear. Every time I turn around, is this something thats related to COVID and is it something thats going to last forever? she asks. And nobody knows." Mason is insured through her husbands union. He is an instrumentation technician at a pharmaceutical company. He also unloads trucks at a nearby Lowe's home improvement store. He does not want his first name used because of the stigma associated with the coronavirus. The insurance covered Mason's acupuncture and hernia operations and her daughter's emergency room visit with low deductibles and very few co-pays. But a serious case of COVID-19 doesn't play by the same economic rules. The Masons insurance plan is administered by Blue Shield of California, but its what is known as a self-funded plan, which means the Southern California Pipe Trades Health & Welfare Fund collects premiums and pays for its members care, most generously at hospitals and physicians who are part of its network. But whereas most health plans are required to follow the federal governments out-of-pocket maximums, the pipe trades plan is grandfathered in and does not have to offer all of the same protections. Mason's insurance does not have an out-of-pocket limit. Many insurance companies announced early in the pandemic that they would waive all out-of-pocket costs for their members COVID-19 treatment. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Assn., a network of 36 carriers, plans to waive treatment costs for its members through May. Blue Shield of California will waive such co-pays through February. Cigna's waivers are scheduled to end Feb. 15, according to Americas Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group also known as AHIP. Most waivers do not include self-funded plans, such as Masons, which are also known as employer-funded plans. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 61% of Americans who get their insurance through their jobs are covered by these kinds of self-funded plans. And of the nearly 150 medical insurers listed on the AHIP website, 46% either never waived treatment costs or the waivers have already ended as of Wednesday even though the pandemic shows no sign of abating any time soon. AHIP did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Weve been very frustrated by the haphazard nature of the cost-sharing waivers, said Molly Smith, group vice president for policy at the American Hospital Assn. The confusing nature of health insurance coverage predates COVID-19, but it has been rapidly and disturbingly highlighted by the pandemic. Though Mason's insurance pays for a generous 95% of a patients stay at an in-network hospital, for really sick people like her, the 5% that she is required to pay is a killer. Take the $166,669.80 the hospital charged Mason for respiratory services. Health plans negotiate with network providers to pay a lower amount than what is charged. In this case, the eligible expense was $105,001.97. The insurance plan paid the hospital 95% of that, or $99,751.87. Mason is responsible for 5%, or $5,250.10. All of those 5% charges added up to a whopping bill. :: Natalhie Herrera, who is insured by Cigna, had a vastly different experience when it came time to pay for her COVID-19 medical care. The 35-year-old was admitted to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital on Nov. 9, unable to breathe. She was 37 weeks pregnant and failing fast. Felipe was born Nov. 11 by emergency caesarean section and whisked off to the neonatal intensive care unit. Not because he had COVID-19, but because Herrera did. She kissed him on the top of his head and did not see him again for more than a month. Natalhie Herrera, 35, arrives home to hold her newborn son, Felipe, for the first time on Nov. 17 in Baldwin Hills. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Nearly a week later, she was transferred to Providence St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, a hospital with an ECMO machine and a bed available when Herrera needed it. ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It is an expensive, last-ditch therapy to save a patient who is on a ventilator receiving the maximum level of oxygen and still dying. In the living room of the Baldwin Park home where she lives with her husband, her in-laws and her two little boys, Herrera moved her dark hair aside, revealing an angry red scar on her neck where a thin tube called a cannula was placed. She has a corresponding scar near her groin for the other end of the tube. After Natalhie Herrera gave birth to Felipe by emergency caesarean section, he was whisked to the neonatal ICU not because he had COVID-19, but because she did. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The ECMO machine pumped her blood out of her body through one end of the cannula, oxygenated it, removed the carbon dioxide and pumped it back via the tube's other end, bypassing her damaged lungs and allowing them to heal. If she would have stayed at Henry Mayo, she would have died, said Dr. Terese Hammond, director of the St. Johns ECMO program and the physician who treated Herrera. Weve done 37 COVID ECMO cases in 2020, and 14 people are alive. [38%] survival. Thats better than zero. Here she is, post-miraculous recovery, Hammond said, and she has to sort out these bills and will probably be stuck with thousands of dollars in charges. Herrera figures her family will hit their $12,000 out-of-pocket maximum, but those charges are for her delivery and Felipe's time in the NICU. Fortunately, Cigna waived her COVID charges. She fired up her laptop, went to the Cigna portal and entered the dates of her COVID-related care. Claims filed: 139. Amount billed: $1,344,383.99. Patient responsibility: $810.39. Natalhie Herrera hands her infant son, Felipe, to her 4-year-old son, Joaquin. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Since that late January afternoon, those numbers have crept up a bit. And on Saturday, a mystery medical bill arrived in the mail. There is no date of service, but it appears to be from an emergency room visit at the beginning of her illness. "Final notice," it says in big red letters. If she does not pay $1,355.87, her "account will become delinquent in 30 days." Because Mason's self-funded plan did not waive out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 treatment, her brush with death came with a large dose of sticker shock, unlike Herrera's. When she was diagnosed with the virus, hospital bills were the last things on her mind. Especially, she said, because shed heard that insurance companies were going to waive fees to make sure people werent slammed with bills. Mason is the first to acknowledge that 2 weeks in intensive care is an expensive proposition. But she figured shed have to pay $5,000 or so. Then she opened the hospital bill. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. [February 08, 2021] Amouage Ramps Up its Global Expansion Plans and Opens an Office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates DUBAI, U.A.E, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amouage, the Oman-born global luxury fragrance House, has announced that it is expanding its business operations by opening a new office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The announcement comes on the heels of a year during which Amouage showed remarkable momentum despite the severely disrupted economic environment. The strategic turnaround, initiated at the end of 2019 with the arrival of Marco Parsiegla as CEO and the appointment of Renaud Salmon at the creative helm, drove exceptional dynamism and modern elan. Amouage's total fragrance sales were up by over 15% during the last two quarters of 2020, while e-Commerce revenues grew by over 600%, increasing the House's market share across all regions. The Amouage Dubai office will become one of the House's global hubs for business development and technological services, supporting the momenum of innovation driven by the Amouage Perfume Manufacture and Creative Studio in Muscat, Oman. Established in the vibrant Dubai Design District, the new office will support Amouage's existing business and expansion into new markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Marco Parsiegla, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "In a context that remains uncertain, we are starting 2021 with confidence, following the successes of 2020, and with a renewed ambition are opening our Dubai office. Having a dynamic sales office in a vibrant and connected location will put us in the best position to support our partners and build our business in the long-term. At the same time, it also ensures we remain undeterred from our commitment to creative integrity, craftsmanship and quality at the Perfume Manufacture and Creative Studio in Muscat, thereby further strengthening our desirability with perfume connoisseurs." "The decision to expand Amouage's presence into Dubai was a logical step in our international growth strategy. Following the consolidation of creation and manufacturing functions at our flagship facility in Muscat in 2020, the Dubai office will add an important sales dimension to our operations, owing to its location, which is at the heart of an important region and critical to create balanced global growth, between East and West," added Karim Nagaty, Chief Sales Officer. While navigating the events of the year, Amouage launched new products that garnered international critical acclaim, including Interlude Black Iris and the Renaissance Collection, while adapting to cater to the increasing demand for a refined and authentic online experience. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amouage-ramps-up-its-global-expansion-plans-and--opens-an-office-in-dubai-united-arab-emirates-301223764.html SOURCE Amouage [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Yevdokimov owns multiple real estate objects and businesses in Russia, according to the report. Head of the "special operations center" of the so-called "DPR Ministry of State Security," Vasily Yevdokimov aka "Lenin," has apparently made a fortune amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel has obtained a copy of intercepted communications between Donbas warlords. It is noted that Yevdokimov stands behind the founding of what's known as an Izoliatsia concentration camp in the occupied city of Donetsk, also being one of the masterminds behind the assassinations of SBU Counterintelligence Colonel Oleksandr Kharaberyush and military intelligence Colonel Maksym Shapoval. Yedokimov owns multiple real estate objects and businesses in Russia, preferring to spend his vacations in the most expensive hotels in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Read alsoEach enemy shelling must see "mirror response" Ukraine's chief negotiator on DonbasAccording to Ukrainian intelligence, from 2014 to 2020, Yevdokimov had been engaged in looting, appropriation of citizens' property, including valuables and vehicles, abductions for the sake of getting ransom, arrests and extrajudicial killings. He also enriched himself in the process of the so-called "nationalization" of Ukrainian government assets. Yevdokimov's assets, as per the report: Three-room apartment in a new apartment block in Moscow, acquired in 2015 for RUB 15 million; Three one-room apartments in Moscow acquired in 2016 that have been rented out, bringing monthly income of RUB 100,000; Three one-room apartments in Moscow acquired in 2018 in blocks under construction, set to be further used in Yevdokimov's real estate rental business; A land plot in Moscow acuired and registered in 2019 for RUB 15 million; A 20-acre land plot acquired in 2017 in the village of Verkh-Biysk in Turochaksky District, the Altai Republic, with a complex later built on it (a two-story house, a two-story sauna, a garage with an attic, and a gazebo) worth about RUB 10 million; A polypropylene granules plant in the town of Skopin, Ryazan region ("Lenin" owns 50%, having invsted US$1 million); Gold (in bars and jewelry) with a total weight of about 30 kilos transferred to Russia; About 50 items of elite collectible hunting rifles, a collection of paintings all transferred to Russia; and A variety of posh vehicles worth about RUB 32 million. Reporting by UNIAN The oil giants appear to believe that it is worth spending substantial sums to gain access to favorable sites. Dev Sanyal, BPs executive vice president for gas and low carbon energy, said in an interview that offshore wind would be the energy sectors fastest-growing business over the next 20 years. Mr. Sanyal also said building and maintaining turbines at sea fit well with BPs legacy skills in drilling for oil in the North Sea off Britain and other areas. Although the company is shedding 10,000 jobs as it gradually reduces oil production, it is installing some former oil and gas operators into critical roles in its renewable-energy businesses. BP estimates that it will pay 1.8 billion over four years for the rights to two tracts in the Irish Sea that it won with a partner, Energie Baden-Wurttemberg, a German utility. During that time, it will work through permissions and other planning. The turbines are expected to begin generating power after seven years. Mr. Sanyal called the large upfront payments relatively small in the context of the overall capital costs for the projects of many billions. Oil companies often shell out princely sums for access to resources before drilling operations begin. BP paid the highest price per unit of potential power generation for the two tracts that it won. The company argues that these areas, which add up to about 300 square miles of seabed, are likely to have the lowest development costs and, therefore, higher profits because they are in shallow water about 20 miles from the coast of North West England. Total was the top bidder for a large tract in the southern North Sea in partnership with an arm of Macquarie, a financial firm. BP and Total are rapidly expanding their offshore portfolios as part of commitments to help mitigate emissions. Last year, BP paid $1.1 billion for a half-share of the offshore business that Equinor, the Norwegian oil company, has established off the east coast of the United States. The companies were recently tapped by New York State to supply power from two large wind farms in the Atlantic. A Michigan couple tied balloons to the mailbox and set out a chalkboard with a hand-drawn sign announcing their baby shower on Saturday. To mark the occasion, the expectant parents in Gaines Township, Michigan, fired a celebratory cannon as the small party stood outside in the snow in the backyard. But the gesture went horribly wrong when the gunpowder inside the cannon exploded, fracturing its metal frame and launching shrapnel into the air. The couple fired a canon to celebrate their baby shower, but the gesture went horribly wrong. Credit:iStock One piece of the cannon flew up to five metres and struck 26-year-old Evan Thomas Silva in the chest, seriously injuring him, Michigan State Police said in a statement to WJRT on Sunday. The man, who was a friend of the hosts, later died at Hurley Medical Centre in nearby Flint, Michigan. Metal shards flew as far as 7 metres, police said. Pieces of the cannon also hit three parked cars and a garage, but no one else was harmed, the Detroit Free Press reported. Sunny Leone has shared some pop philosophy for fans on social media, which she described as her Monday lessons.(Instagram) Image Source: IANS News Sunny Leone has shared some pop philosophy for fans on social media, which she described as her Monday lessons.(Instagram) Image Source: IANS News Sunny Leone has shared some pop philosophy for fans on social media, which she described as her Monday lessons.(Instagram) Image Source: IANS News Sunny Leone has shared some pop philosophy for fans on social media, which she described as her Monday lessons.(Instagram) Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Feb 8 : Sunny Leone has shared some pop philosophy for fans on social media, which she described as her Monday lessons. "Monday lessons! Even if you try to alter the facts, the truth is still the truth! You will be able to convince only yourself and no one else!" she wrote as the caption. Sunny posted her Monday lesson with a string of pictures on Instagram from Kerala, which capture her in an olive jumpsuit with chunky earrings, along with ombre shade hair. She completes the look with white sneakers. The actress is currently shooting for the youth-based reality show in Splitsvilla in Kerala along with Rannvijay Singha. Last month, she kickstarted the first schedule of her first fictional web show Anamika in the city. The series is billed as a 'gun-fu' action thriller directed by Vikram Bhatt. [February 08, 2021] INVESTOR ALERT: Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP Investigates Alliance Data Systems Corporation's Directors and Officers for Breach of Fiduciary Duties - ADS Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP ("Scott+Scott"), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, is investigating certain directors and officers of Alliance Data (News - Alert) Systems Corporation ("ADS") (NYSE: ADS) for breaching their fiduciary duties to ADS and its shareholders. If you are an ADS shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com. Scott+Scott is investigating whether ADS's board of directos or senior management failed to manage ADS in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to ADS, and whether ADS has suffered damages as a result. On January 27, 2021, it was announced that Epsilon Data Management LLC ("Epsilon"), a unit of Publicis Groupe SA ("Publicis"), agreed to pay $150 million to resolve a criminal matter involving the sale of information from over 30 million consumers that was used in fraud schemes in a nine-year period ending in July 2017. ADS owned Epsilon at the time of the alleged wrongdoing, and indemnified Publicis against related losses when it sold Epsilon to Publicis in 2019. What You Can Do If you are an ADS shareholder, you may have legal claims against ADS's directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982 or jpettigrew@scott-scott.com. About Scott+Scott Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, Virginia, and Ohio. Attorney Advertising View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005740/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 8 : Speculation is rife that Ghulam Nabi Azad -- the current Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha -- whose tenure in the Upper House ends soon, might contest from Kerala when three members from the state retire in April this year. Azad was elected to the Upper House from his home state Jammu and Kashmir in 2015. As the political situation in his home state continues to be fluid and hence, if he seeks to return to the Rajya Sabha, Kerala is the state where the Congress-led UDF can send him as one of their candidates to the Upper House. Of the three outgoing members, one is veteran Congress leader Vayalar Ravi and the other is Abdul Wahab, who represents the Indian Union Muslim League -- the second biggest ally in the opposition UDF. The third member to retire is young CPI(M) leader K.K. Ragesh. The ruling Left Front government in Kerala will be able to send two nominees to the Upper House and the Congress will get the other seat. But the last word in the Congress party is its High Command and last year, Congress leader from Kerala K.C. Venugopal was brought into the Upper House from Rajasthan and hence it wouldn't be a surprise, if Azad gets in from Kerala. However, the Congress leaders in Kerala are tight-lipped and appear not too pleased with the news. None of them wants to displease the High Command at this juncture, which can possibly play spoilsport to their chances of securing an Assembly seat. Kerala is all set to go for Assembly elections in April/May. The Congress expects that with Azad being a Muslim, it could well prove to be a plus point with the community, which in Kerala has a share of 22 per cent in the population and is presently the second biggest community after the Hindus. Christians account for around 19 per cent. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Madison County Service center will open on March 1 to residents. The $11.5 million project will be home to the following county departments: Board of Registrars License Probate Sales tax Tax assessor Tax collector Dale Strong, Madison County commision chairman said, "This should have been done several years ago, but what we are doing now is working on the next process." Residents of the area said this will help with traffic in Downtown Huntsville. "You dont have to deal with all of the parking, the rigamarole of downtown traffic," said Joseph Hardaway, a Madison County resident. "I think that will be very convenient." Others worry that the traffic from the courthouse will shift to the service center. Grace Leaman-Smith said, "The problem isnt necessarily the building, its the efficiency and the time management inside of the building." The new construction will be 60,100-square-feet, have 351 parking spaces, a bus stop and a bike rack. Inside the service center there will be a kiosk to sign-in, a metal detector, COVID protocalls and cleanable surfaces. The goal is for the service center to serve as a one-stop shop that is efficient and quick for Madison County residents. PEOPLE living with disabilities (PWD) in the country have called upon the government to intervene and address challenges blocking them from accessing digital platforms, saying it denies them equal chance of participation in economic and social activities. This was said in Dar es Salaam, on Saturday during the launch of a report on digital readiness among Tanzanian NGOs working with People Living with Disabilities (PWDs). "Disabled people face difficulties in using the Internet which is the main source of information and news and as a way of advertising business. We call for concerted efforts to rescue the situation," said Ms Aneth Isaya, the executive director of FUVIWATA, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focusing on helping deaf women. Ms Isaya, who is also a deaf person, said the government should support PWDs to have access to Internet, computer and smartphones. She said access to strong Internet will build their capacity to communicate with each other at distance, and enable them fully participate in economic activities. "Electronic gadgets like computers and mobile phones will support PWDs to access Internet and acquire opportunities to improve in their participation in daily activities. They need these services if their lives are to be transformed," she insisted. The director equally noted that efforts must also focus on supporting students with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment, vision loss and related types of disability so that they follow educational courses through digital and audio libraries and other education resources through the internet services. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Tanzania ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. On her part, Happiness Mbise, a researcher from Meltores Professional said that their survey shows that NGOs focusing on disabled people have noted that such people are not competent in accessing and applying digital technology. "Businesses are going online like network marketing, online advertisement which is the main source of markets, but sad enough PWDs are still in the blackout. We need efforts of promoting inclusion of disabled people if they are to take advantage of the emerging advantages," she added. Ms Mbise further said a survey conducted in 17 NGOs focusing on the rights of disabled persons in Dar es Salaam and Iringa regions showed the people have no knowledge on online services like email addresses or computer sets. Hence, she appealed to donors and well-wishers to support funding programmes, which focus on assisting disabled people to enable them reap benefits from the modern technologies. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Transporting water from groundwater pump stations is one of the most common ways for households in the Horn of Africa to get water for daily use. Credit: University of Colorado, Boulder/Evan Thomas When drought hits the Horn of Africa, it's a threat to lives and livelihoods. Communities need access to water for sanitation, hydration, livestock and agriculture and in many cases, tapping groundwater supplies is the difference between a "drought" and a "drought emergency." But maintaining the thousands of groundwater pumps that supply fresh water to drought-prone areas in east Africa is a significant challenge. NASA satellite data helps the people who maintain this crucial infrastructure by highlighting the places most at-risk for drought and informing early warning actions to prevent the worst drought impacts on local communities. "By forecasting water demand, we can support water system operations to ensure that water access is secure during drought periods and costly emergencies are prevented," said Evan Thomas, former NASA engineer and associate professor and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Thomas leads the Drought Resilience Impact Platform (DRIP), which monitors the water supplies of 3 million people via sensors installed on groundwater pumps across hundreds of sites in Kenya and Ethiopia. The sensors alert the DRIP network if a pump is failing or needs routine maintenance. DRIP was funded by several USAID programs, and partners include the Millennium Water Alliance (MWA), an international water security nonprofit organization. As a member of the Applied Sciences team that supports SERVIR, a joint initiative of NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Thomas and his team are incorporating NASA satellite data to identify potential drought conditions. DRIP partners then use that data to advise decision makers on where to take actionsuch as fixing a groundwater pumpbefore the situation becomes dire. Kenya, Ethiopia and other East Africa countries have experienced increasing drought over the past decade, attributable in part to climate change. During these dry spells, when there's less rain, communities rely more on underground water stored naturally in the soil, sand and rock. The DRIP team has developed models for groundwater demand using NASA Earth observations like rainfall and surface waterincluding data from satellite missions that use gravity to measure changes in water amounts at Earth's surface. FEWS NET issues food security forecasts like the one above for February-May 2021, to help governments and humanitarian organizations estimate food assistance needs. Credit: FEWS NET One planned user of the DRIP system is the USAID and NASA-supported Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). FEWS NET works with scientists, government ministries and international agencies to track and identify potential food insecurityand are hoping to use the DRIP platform to inform public reports on conditions in the world's most food-insecure countries. In Ethiopia, for example, FEWS NET may be able to incorporate DRIP's real-time data on the functionality of water pumps vital to local communities' ability to access groundwater. That means, in times of drought, FEWS NET could determine which areas are able to compensate for that scarcity of rainfall by tapping into groundwater supplies. Over the next several years, in collaboration with Thomas and his team, FEWS NET plans to integrate the data collected through this project into food security forecasts for East Africa. Getting DRIP's analysis into the hands of local water resource managers and others in Africa is one of the tasks of the Nairobi, Kenya-based Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) which serves as the SERVIR hub for Eastern and Southern Africaand the MWA. MWA brings together governments, private sector companies and aid organizations to increase safe drinking water access and sanitation capacity in communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Thomas's team is collaborating with both MWA and RCMRD to use DRIP information to predict groundwater demand and work with national and local government agencies, such as the Kenya National Drought Management Authority, to use the data to help prevent drought emergencies. "As a regional service provider, RCMRD leverages partnerships that help us serve our communities with the best information for decisions that affect their daily activities," said Denis Macharia, weather and climate lead for RCMRD. "DRIP is a very useful tool for us." Line at groundwater pump station in Turkana, Kenya. Credit: University of Colorado, Boulder/Evan Thomas Macharia is the co-principal investigator of this project with Thomas, as well as a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Boulder, working together to incorporate NASA satellite data in DRIP. In the arid regions of Kenya and Ethiopia, an area notorious for cyclic and devastating droughts, Macharia says DRIP will be a "super tool" because it combines satellite data and ground measurements to monitor water and grazing land to provide unprecedented insight into where water access might be needed mostbefore a drought strikes. "These critical livelihood drivers are central to the resilience of pastoralist communities in these regions," Macharia said. "As DRIP develops, we are already having engagements with drought management and humanitarian agencies like the Kenya Red Cross Society, providing information from DRIP that can help inform early warning actions to mitigate drought impacts on these vulnerable communities." Dan Irwin, SERVIR global program manager at NASA, said that "this work is highly innovative and a great example of how satellite data can have real world impact to help with people's lives and livelihoods in places like East Africa. Our vision is to connect the vantage point of space to life at ground level, and DRIP is doing just that." In 2021 the DRIP team hopes to further broaden this advanced water access monitoring across the arid regions of Ethiopia and Kenya, Thomas said, adding that they'll be expanding even to sites that don't have on-the-ground sensors. "As climate change increases water stress on people, agriculture and livestock, we hope to help end drought emergencies by ensuring that local, national and international stakeholders can help make sure that water is available year-round." DURHAM, N.C. -- The world's most technologically advanced robots would lose in a competition with a tiny crustacean. Just the size of a sunflower seed, the amphipod Dulichiella cf. appendiculata has been found by Duke researchers to snap its giant claw shut 10,000 times faster than the blink of a human eye. The claw, which only occurs on one side in males, is impressive, reaching 30% of an adult's body mass. Its ultrafast closing makes an audible snap, creating water jets and sometimes producing small bubbles due to rapid changes in water pressure, a phenomenon known as cavitation. Three things make this ultra-fast movement unique said Sarah Longo, who studied the amphipods as part of her postdoctoral studies at Duke: the amphipods' really small size, the fact that they live in water, and the repeatability of their movements. Other animals have comparable accelerations, but none has the same set of constraints: the jaws of trap-jaw ants are faster, but move through air. Mantis shrimp are comparably fast and aquatic, but much larger. Jellyfish stinging cells are ejected with higher acceleration, but only once. "We take repeatability for granted in biology," said Longo, a visiting assistant professor at Towson University and first author on the paper. "Lots of ultrafast movements are not repeatable, such as ballistic seed ejection by plants. Some of these seeds are going even faster than this amphipod and traveling an impressive distance, but they are one-off events." Repeatability is a big challenge for engineering, said Longo. Parts that move very fast often become disconnected, break, or have to be manually reloaded. "The fact that this movement is repeatable is marking an interesting boundary," Longo said. "There appears to be a cutoff where you are going so fast that you inherently have to give up repeatability. These animals are showing how fast you can actually go without breaking." "These organisms are doing things with capabilities that we currently cannot build. Engineered systems that can be used repeatedly are several orders of magnitude slower and bigger than these animals," said Sheila Patek, a professor at Duke Biology and senior author on the paper. The potential behind ultrafast movements is so great that the Army is paying attention to these small animals. "Small organisms achieve incredible actuation authority with no adherence to the rules we use for engineering using motors, springs, and structures," said Samuel Stanton, program manager, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory. "There is a myriad of organisms from which we can learn a great deal for future Army small robotics and this research team is discovering a whole new set of rules we should be following." "There is a lot that biology can tell us," Longo said. "Evolution has had millions of years to come up with solutions to all sorts of problems that we can't even articulate yet." This discovery is surprising given that these amphipods are very common, being found all over the Eastern coast of North America. "The majority of biologists tend not to pay much attention to amphipods, because they are so small," said Rich Palmer, a professor at the University of Alberta and co-author on the paper. "We would never have guessed that they make these ultra fast movements." Palmer had his attention drawn to these animals when colleagues mentioned in a casual conservation that certain amphipods made snapping noises. Intrigued, he suggested to Patek a trip to the Duke Marine Laboratory, in Beaufort, NC, in order to investigate these snaps further. To everyone's surprise and delight, they found thousands of these ultra fast animals right off the docks. "Hanging in debris, off a dock, in some junky algae, are creatures whose capabilities we didn't even know existed," says Patek. "This is what happens if you take a second look at a weird animal and just take the time to figure out what they are doing." "You have to be curious, you have to be brave, and you can't be afraid of wasting time," said Palmer. "That is how amazing discoveries are made." ### This work was supported by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Office under contract/grant number W911NF-15-1-0358 and NSERC Canada Discovery Grants RGPIN 04863 and RGPAS 462299. CITATION: "Snaps of a Tiny Amphipod Push The Boundary of Ultrafast, Repeatable Movement" Longo, S. J., Ray, W. Farley, G. M. Harrison, J., Jorge, J., Kaji, T. Palmer, A. R., Patek, S. N. Current Biology, Feb. 8, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.025 Japanese researchers believe that a jawbone fossil discovered in Fukui Prefecture in 2019 might be from the earliest mammal to ever live within its shores. Researchers at Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum have analyzed a lower jaw fossil that was unearthed in June, 2019. It was found in the early Cretaceous stratum, which dates back about 127 million years. The jaw has three teeth, each measuring 13.1 millimeters long and 5.8 millimeters high. Researchers suspect that the jawbone belonged to a primitive mammal that was about 16 to 17 centimeters long. Researchers say Japan's earliest currently known mammal fossil was found in the stratum dating back about 130 to 121 million years. The latest discovery was excavated from the stratum of almost the same age. They say that suggests this mammal lived in the same age, or even earlier. Chief researcher Miyata Kazunori says the specimen is valuable as it suggests a diversity of mammals in the time of dinosaurs. India has become the fastest country to vaccinate 6 million beneficiaries against covid-19, the union health ministry said on Monday. While USA took 26 days to reach this mark, the UK took 46 days, India achieved the feat in fastest 24 days. Over 60,35,660 beneficiaries were vaccinated through 1,24,744 sessions, as per the provisional report available with the union health ministry. These include 54,12,270 healthcare workers and 6,23,390 frontline workers. Total 2,23,298 beneficiaries were vaccinated on Monday alone, the 24th day of nationwide covid-19 vaccination in 8,257 sessions. According to the data available with the union health ministry, 11 States/UT have vaccinated more than 65% of the registered healthcare workers. 11 States/UTs have reported less than 40% coverage of vaccinating healthcare workers. These are- Delhi, J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, D&NH, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, and Puducherry. Ten States account for 75.12% of the total beneficiaries vaccinated today. Total 29 persons have been hospitalized so far. This comprises 0.0005% of the total vaccinations. Of the 29 cases of hospitalization, 19 were discharged after treatment, while nine persons died. In the last 24 hours, one person who is suffering from B/L Facial Palsy has been hospitalized at Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvananathpuram, Kerala and is stable," the union health ministry said in a statement. Total 23 deaths have been recorded till date. These comprise 0.0004% of the total vaccinations. Of the 23, nine persons died in the hospital while 14 deaths are recorded outside the hospital. In last 24 hours, one death has been reported of a 29-year-old female, a resident of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh," the health ministry said adding that none of these deaths have been causally linked with covid-19 vaccination. The government further said that no case of serious/severe adverse event following immunisation or death is attributable to vaccination, till date. India has one of the highest Recovery Rate in the whole world. The positive cases are also declining and stand at 1.48 lakh as of today. From 1 lab in January 2020, we now have 2373 labs. We have a capacity to conduct more than a million tests a day. We have completed 20 Crore cumulative tests," Harsh Vardhan, union health minister said. We have also started vaccinating the frontline workers from the month of February," he said. The nationwide covid-19 vaccination program was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16th January. Vaccination of the frontline workers commended from 2nd February. Meanwhile, India continues to record covid-19 cases and deaths. 11,831 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country with 84 deaths. 11,904 new recoveries were registered in the same period. The countrys active cases remained at 1,48,609 comprising of 1.37% of the total positive cases. Following the national trend, States/UTs have also shown a significant decline in their active caseload. Maharashtra has shown the maximum decline of active cases in the last month, followed by Uttar Pradesh, the government data shows. 5 States account for 81% of the total active caseload of the country. Two States, Kerala and Maharashtra cumulatively account for 70% of the total active cases of India," said the health ministry in a statement. According to union health ministry, 17 States/UTs have not reported any deaths in the last 24 hours. These are A&N Islands, D&D & D&N, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep, Ladakh (UT), Sikkim, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, J&K, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Assam. The total tally of covid-19 cases climbed to 1,08, 46,092 and toll mounted to 1,55,159. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. (Newser) When he was Donald Trumps attorney, Michael Cohen was hellbent on silencing Stormy Daniels, even arranging a hush-money payment to the adult film star that landed him in federal prison. Now, Cohen is literally broadcasting Daniels' storyhe interviews her in the latest episode of his podcast, Mea Culpa, and the AP has details: My battle is just now starting, Daniels tells Cohen, referring to litigation she said had been in a holding pattern before Trump left office. People are really upset, and theyre just going to get more p----- off at me. Cohen apologizes for the needless pain" he put Daniels through when he arranged a $130,000 payment during the 2016 presidential campaign to keep her quiet about an alleged dalliance with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair. Both of our stories will be forever linked with Donald Trump, but also with one another, Cohen tells her. Thanks for giving me a second chance. story continues below The hourlong interview also includes graphic descriptions of Daniels' alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trumpdetails she said supports the veracity of her claims. She calls the encounter the worst 90 seconds of my life, for sure, because it just made me hate myself. While she did not feel physically threatened, she said she had not expected to have sex with Trump and, at one point, thought about how to escape the room, thinking I could definitely outrun him. She repressed details of the rendezvous for years, she said, adding the dynamics only came into focus after she saw the movie Bombshell about the sexual harassment women underwent in meetings with former Fox News executive Roger Ailes. I didn't say anything for years because I didn't remember," she says. Daniels says she's braced for a second wave of controversy, including a defamation lawsuit she brought against Trump that she has taken all the way to the US Supreme Court. "If I could just wave a magic wand and make everything go back to the way it was before, I would absolutely do that. (Read more Stormy Daniels stories.) New Delhi: Replying to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday (February 8) that over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. The Prime Minister said that "India is truly a land of opportunities. Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm and a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by." PM Modi said, "over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. So, I express my gratitude to all the MPs," adding "The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is the confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet." #WATCH LIVE: PM Modi replies in Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents Address.(Source: Rajya Sabha TV) https://t.co/FkIpRmd9kN ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 "Our democracy is not a western institution. It's a human institution. India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 democracies in ancient India. Today it's essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism," said PM Modi. The eyes of the world are on India and there are expectations that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President`s Address, in Rajya Sabha. PM Modi also said that India is a young and enthusiastic land of opportunities and won`t let opportunities pass it by. "The whole world is struggling with several challenges. Who would have thought that humankind would have to witness such circumstances... The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is a confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet," he said. "India is truly a land of opportunities. Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm and a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by," he added. According to the Prime Minister, India's nationalism is neither narrow now selfish nor even aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. This quotation was given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose." He also referred to late PM Chaudhary Charan Singh's speech regarding the plight of farmers and added that his government has introduced several pro-farmer reforms to improve their constitution. PM Modi also thanked former PM Deve Gowda for his insight over the issue related to improving the condition of farmers in the country besides mentioning former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's effort in this direction. He said that the COVID19 period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism, adding "India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're nowhere, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence." "Bajwa sahab from Congress was also speaking. He was speaking in such detail that I thought he will reach Emergency (period) shortly and speak on it, he is just one step away from it. But he didn't go there. Congress disappoints this country a lot, you did that too," he said, taking jibe at the Congress party. He also referred to TMC leader Derek O'Brien, adding "I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too." As the Prime Minister delivered his speech, the Trinamool Congress MPs staged a walkout. An unidentified attorney revealed last January 21 that the Chinese Communist Party tortured human rights lawyers Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong who have been detained for more than a year now. ChinaAid reported that the Chinese Communist Party officials finally allowed the two human rights lawyers to speak to their unidentified attorney online since they have been caught and detained in an undisclosed location. Jiaxi has been in prison since December 2019 while Zhiyong came two months after being caught from a friend's home in Guangzhou last February 15, 2020. According to Human Rights Watch, this practice is normally done by the CCP as part of the "residential surveillance at a designated location" measure where authorities hold captive for up to six months in a secret location outside of prison facilities its detainees so that they are denied access to family and legal counsels and are prone to increased risk of ill-treatment and torture. Jiaxi and Zhiyong, during the online meeting, affirmed this practice since they said they have been tortured by officials of the CCP through sleep deprivation, thirst, and hunger. "Five people took turns interrogating him for seven days and nights. Officers also deprived him of sleep for prolonged periods of time. For two weeks during his most intensive interrogation period, they gave Lawyer Ding only half a bun for each meal and limited him to only 600ml (approximately 20 ounces) water per day," the unidentified lawyer shared on Jiaxi's experience. Zhiyong, a 46-year old co-founder of the banned Open Constitution Initiative and the non governmental civil rights group advocating New Citizens' Movement, has actually been in and out of prison, as per Human Rights Watch. He was first detained in 2009 together with a co-worker from the Open Constitution Initiative for a trumped-up tax evasion case. This was followed by imprisonment in 2014 to 2018 for "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order" led by the New Citizens Movement. When the CCP started detaining human rights lawyers on Dec. 26, 2019, Zhiyong, as per Human Rights Watch, had been on the move from one city to the next until he moved to his friends' house in Guangzhou where he took to Twitter the government's "authoritarian rule" and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jiaxi, on the other hand, was one of the prominent human rights lawyers that were detained with Zhang Zhongshun and activists Dai Zhenya and Li Yingjun on Dec. 26, 2019, which was referred to as the "12.26 crackdown." The crackdown, HRW added, took place two weeks after the said activists and lawyers attended a Xiamen, Fujian province gathering on China's human rights and political future on Dec. 7-8, 2019. They were accused of "inciting subversion," which is a crime subject to 15 years of imprisonment as per Chinese law. As per ChinaAid, Jiaxi was deprived of sleep by the Chinese authorities who gave him only 2-4 hours of rest a day as part of his torture. His wife, Luo Shengchun, and child are based in New York. Shengchun's community church has already requested the Chinese authorities to release Jiaxi. Jiaxi, upon hearing news of peoples support for him, said "for my convictions, I am willing to keep going, and am prepared for anything. I thank all those in the community, church friends, and all friends..., and-I love you all." Human Rights Watch also reported that Li Qiaochu, Zhiyong's girlfriend, was also under fire by the Chinese authorities since she is a women's and labor rights activist. Qiaochu's Beijing home was searched by the police on January 2020 before she was detained for 24 hours and "denied" medical attention while in detention. She has gone missing since Zhiyong was imprisoned last February. Australia is reviewing its foreign aid commitments with Myanmar as it calls for the immediate release of an Australian academic detained in the country as part of the recent military coup. Sean Turnell, a special economic adviser to the Myanmar government under detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was taken into custody at the weekend after military officers arrived at his Yangon hotel and escorted him to a police station. Sean Turnell has long provided advice to Myanmars elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Australian diplomats were moments away from arranging for Dr Turnell to be taken to a safe place before soldiers swooped in on him at Yangons Chatrium Hotel, where he had been staying since returning from Australia. Australias ambassador to Myanmar, Andrea Faulkner, and other diplomats in the embassy had been in contact with Dr Turnell in recent days before his detention. The rescue operation in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district is still on after yesterday's massive flooding due to a Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Reni village, which has left 15 dead so far. More than 150 people are still missing in the area. The operation jointly being carried out by State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Relief Find (NDRF) is currently underway at a tunnel in Tapovan, where teams are using JCB machines, heavy earth moving equipment and excavators to remove silt and find the missing people. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar has said around 28 to 30 people are likely to be trapped in the Tapovan tunnel. The ITBP personnel are also conducting search operations near the second Tapovan dam tunnel. Besides, the Indian Air Force has also resume relief and rescue operation in the Chamoli district area. Check out all the latest updates on Uttarakhand glacier burst on BusinessToday.In Live blog 12.00 AM: RK Singh, the Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, terms the natural disaster in Uttarakhand, where an avalanche has led to flash floods yesterday, a "very sad and tragic" incident. 11.31 AM: Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar explains about the rescue operation situation in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, where a glacier burst led massive devastation. No need to spread panic. The glacier burst yesterday, boulders and debris followed which washed away the Raini power project causing a massive impact on Tapovan. All of this happened yesterday. 32 people from first and 121 people are missing from the 2nd project: Uttarakhand DGP pic.twitter.com/Q2b7uYZdlD ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 11.24 AM: IAF says aerial rescue and relief missions have resumed with Mi-17 and ALH helicopters flying from Dehradun to Joshimath with disaster relief teams on board. 11.22 AM: ITBP has intensified search operation at the 2nd tunnel. Around 30 people could trapped inside it. 10.45 AM: Canine squad also deployed to carry out the search operation near Tapovan dam in Chamoli. We've intensified search operation at the 2nd tunnel. We've information that around 30 people are trapped there. Around 300 ITBP jawans are deployed to clear the tunnel. Local administration says that around 170 people are missing: Vivek Pandey, ITBP Spokesperson #Uttarakhandpic.twitter.com/Ab28klDcoB ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 10.44 AM: SDRF removes the debris and slush at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamol. -- ANI Uttarakhand: Canine squad also deployed to carry out the search operation near Tapovan dam in Chamoli. A flash flood hit the area yesterday. (Pic Source: NDRF Director-General SN Pradhan) pic.twitter.com/gwIS8w8dVN ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 10.40 AM: Eight bodies have been recovered from the rescue operation in Tapovan's Dhauliganga, in Chamoli district. 10.35 AM: All rescue teams have reached. As many as 153 people may be missing, says Ashok Kumar, DGP Uttrakhand. 12.30 AM: Visuals tunnel near Tapovan, Chamoli. #WATCH Uttarakhand: SDRF removes the debris and slush at the tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli to carry out the further rescue operation. Latest visuals from the site. 8 bodies have been recovered in the rescue operation so far. (Source: SDRF) pic.twitter.com/TSkzSgnI2N ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 12.15 AM: Ashok Kumar, DGP Uttarakhand, says around 28 to 30 people may be trapped in Tapovan tunnel. 10.12 AM: Visuals from the ground zero at Tapovan. 10.07 AM: Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time, says Australia PM Scott Morrison. #Uttarakhand: Visuals from yesterday when the Indo Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) personnel started digging to find the way to tunnel near Tapovan, Chamoli to rescue the persons trapped inside (Pictures Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/QkGK6m2Gbj ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 10.00 AM: UK Prime Minister Borris Johnson has expressed condolences. "My thoughts with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed," said Boris. Devastating news for India and @narendramodi following flash flooding in Uttarakhand. Australia stands with one of its closest friends at this very difficult time. https://t.co/uOnnHMAazY Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 7, 2021 9.50 AM: The Uttarakhand glacier disaster came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013, which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. However, unlike the Kedarnath tragedy that struck after a downpour, the flash flood on Sunday occurred on a bright and sunny morning. Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: Rescue operation on; 7 dead, 125 missing -- key highlights 9.40 AM: Scientists have said that satellite and Google Earth images did not show a glacial lake near the region but there was a likelihood of 'water pockets', which might have burst, leading to massive flooding in parts of Uttarakhand after the Nanda Devi glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. Also read: Uttarakhand tragedy: What's the reason behind glacier burst? Here's what experts say 9.48 AM: Main rescue challenge at Tapovan is 30-35 feet of mud. Right now, water is flowing above this and many more are believed to be trapped in the mud. Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Jan. 26, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) White House Suggests Trump Hasnt Asked for Intel Briefing Former President Donald Trump has not asked for an intelligence briefing, according to the White House, which said that intelligence officials will make a determination on whether he will receive them. President Joe Biden has deep trust in his own intelligence team to make a determination about how to provide intelligence information if at any point the former president requests a briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki said of Biden during her daily briefing. That is not currently applicable, but if he should request a briefing, he leaves it to them to make a determination, Psaki continued, referring to Trump. Former presidents and other former senior White House officials customarily retain access to intelligence briefings and classified information. David Priess, who briefed former President George H.W. Bush, told the Washington Post that ex-presidents receive intelligence briefings even though they are not in office, as they are considered representatives of the United Statesnamely by other world leaders. He noted that presidents may turn to their predecessors for advice. Later in the briefing, Psaki said she wasnt aware of Trump having requested an intelligence briefing and again referred to the Office of Director of National Intelligence for further questions. Biden told CBS News on Feb. 5 that he didnt believe Trump should receive intelligence briefings. I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings. What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, Biden told the network. Earlier in the month, Psaki stated that Trumps access to intelligence briefings was under review. The Epoch Times has reached out to Trumps team for comment. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp said on Monday they are not in talks with Apple Inc on developing autonomous vehicles, sending their shares tumbling. Shares of Hyundai and Kia were trading down 6.8% and 13.6% respectively as of 1216 GMT versus the broader market KOSPI's 0.6% drop. In early January, Korea Economic Daily TV reported Apple and Hyundai were in discussions to develop self-driving electric vehicles by 2027 and develop batteries at U.S. factories operated by either Hyundai or its affiliate Kia Corp. So far this year, Hyundai has advanced 30%, while Kia has rallied 63% on reports they may build Apple car. Apple has never acknowledged talks with the automaker about building vehicles. Reuters reported in December that Apple was moving forward with autonomous car technology and aimed to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology as early as 2024. Northern Correctional Institution, the states controversial supermax prison located in Somers, will close by July 1, the Department of Correction announced to its staff on Monday. The closure is the first since Enfield Correctional Institution was shuttered on Jan. 23, 2018. There are 5,000 fewer people in state correctional facilities since then. The most precipitous decline has been since the onset of the pandemic; there are 3,377 fewer people in prison or jail today than on March 1. I have been transparent about my intentions to close facilities, ever since [Gov. Ned] Lamont announced that I was his choice to be the next commissioner, Commissioner Designate Angel Quiros told DOC employees in a memo Monday. The decision to close Northern can be largely attributed to the significant drop in the incarcerated population, as well as my obligation to the tax payers of Connecticut to identify cost savings measures. The operational costs associated with Northern Correctional exceed most other locations, and the overall census has not surpassed one hundred inmates in the last six months. Closing the Somers prison will save the state approximately $12.6 million in annual operating costs. New prison admissions in Connecticut have declined significantly over the last decade, and the incarcerated population is currently at a 32-year low. This is even as violent, high-risk inmates are serving more of their original sentences than ever before, Lamont said in a statement. Spending millions of dollars annually to operate facilities for a population that continues to get smaller and smaller is not a good use of resources, especially as we work to reduce the cost structure of state government. Northern was opened in 1995, when the states prison population was much greater and officials were having a hard time managing behavioral infractions occurring throughout the prison system. Advocates have called for its closure for years, citing its declining population and status as a relic of a bygone tough-on-crime era. There were only 55 people incarcerated at Northern as of Feb. 1, 40 of whom were Black and 11 of whom were Hispanic. The facility was built to hold at least 500 prisoners. Northern is a monument to cruelty and systemic racism. In sum, it is a symbol of everything that is wrong with incarceration, said David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. It is critical that the state close Northern in a way that ensures it will never be opened again, and that the money saved from its closure goes toward programs and services to help people most harmed by mass incarceration. Northern was the subject of a lawsuit filed last week aimed at preventing prisoners with mental illnesses from being sent there. The lawsuit alleges inmates with mental illnesses were shackled and isolated in cold concrete cells, forced to eat food off the floor, for exhibiting behavior consistent with psychiatric symptoms symptoms exacerbated by the loneliness and isolation that is a function of life at Northern. One man was given a disciplinary ticket for attempting to commit suicide. Another violated DOC policy by putting his hand through the trap of his cell door, desperate for human interaction. In a previous interview, Quiros, who served as warden at Northern from 2009 to 2011, said the prison had served its purpose. With the criminal justice reform thats going on, the agency will have to take a look at what additional changes we need to make, as far as the programs that are housed at Northern, and then were still keeping staff safety, and offender safety, in mind. Quiros said during his confirmation hearing that he anticipated closing two correctional facilities due to declining prison and jail populations during the pandemic. Northern is the first; he said that the only facilities not on the table for closure were the city jails located in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven and York Correctional Institution, the states sole prison for women. Approximately 175 corrections staff work at Northern. They will not be laid off as a result of the closure. The DOC will work with the employees and their unions to send them to other correctional facilities, helping reduce overtime expenses and mitigate the need to hire new staff to take the place of retirees. At least one corrections union was displeased with the news. AFSCME Local 391 President Collin Provost said in a statement that, Front-line corrections staff are concerned that closing state prisons will prove to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Shoe-horning inmates into other facilities will undermine safety and security in the prisons and create more difficult conditions for offenders and staff. Were concerned that closing Northern will cause overcrowding, lead to more positives test results and limit the Agencys ability to quarantine. The State and the DOC should think about repurposing Northern instead of shuttering it. In his internal memo, Quiros pledged that the challenging populations at Northern will be safely transferred to other correctional facilities. These populations have been managed at other locations in years past, and I am confident we can do so now, Quiros told DOC employees. As always, safety and security will remain a top priority as we navigate through this process. CT Mirror reporter Dave Altimari contributed to this story. An 11-month-old puppy had a miraculous escape after falling 40ft off a bridge into a frozen river. Monty the lagotto romagnolo crashed through the ice covering the River Ayr in Prestwick, Scotland, while his owners looked on in January of this year. Phil Hobbins jumped into the water to rescue his dog then rushed him to a pet emergency clinic. Mr Hobbins said his family were out for a walk when the puppy had run towards the 19th century Oswalds bridge, skidded and fallen into the water below. Monty had a lucky escape after falling 40ft (Vets Now/PA) There are no cars and its a rural walk, so we didnt think anything of it, he said. But it was frosty and when he jumped up to have a look at the water, he skidded and fell over the edge. He dropped at least 40 feet onto the ice and went through into the water. That should be a fatal fall and if hed gone over the middle section, where it was quite rocky below, it would have been. But he went over at an end where there was ice and water, which must have given him a chance. Mr Hobbins took Monty to the Vets Now clinic in Kilmarnock, where the puppy was given blood transfusions to keep him alive. Panic had really set in because his breathing was so shallow and slow, he said. Monty was treated at the Vets Now clinic in Kilmarnock (Vets Now/PA) We were all upset and scared and the nurse took one look, picked him up and sprinted inside with him. Senior vet Simon Patchett said: (Montys) gums were white, and his chest sounds were very abnormal. We did an X-ray and ultrasound scan and found he had significant internal bleeding. His chest was filling up with large amounts of blood and air, restricting his ability to breathe and we had to urgently deal with that. We placed drains into his chest, removed the blood that was building up and transfused this blood back into his veins. Following the treatment, Monty made a full recovery and was able to return home four days later. When we picked him up he was wagging his tail and full of beans, said Mr Hobbins. It was so emotional. Hes a big part of our family and hes kept us busy throughout lockdown. Its an absolute miracle that he survived the fall that should have killed him. And we know he wouldnt be with us now if it wasnt for Simon. Well never be able to thank him enough for what he did. Joyce Wanjiru, 31, is a mental health advocate and the CEO of Impart A Generation. She became an advocate for childrens mental wellbeing after struggling with anxiety occasioned by domestic violence. Wanjiru shared her experience with nation.africa and heres her story: ***************************** As a child, I suffered mentally as I witnessed my parents fight. Thats why today, I am a mental health advocate. My struggle with anxiety began when I joined a boarding high school. I kept worrying that my mum would poison herself and my brothers too. So severe were anxiety attacks that I would struggle to breathe. I did not know who to talk to about my struggle. I just did the one thing I knew; pray. Children who get exposed to domestic violence experience emotional, mental, and social damage. Some lose the ability to feel empathy while others feel socially isolated and are unable to make friends easily due to social discomfort or confusion over what is acceptable. It all began in Kibera Laini Saba, from where I was raised. I am the firstborn in a family of five. My mum introduced us to the church at a young age and faith remains an important part of my life. My parents ran a business that was then called Marimari dealing with household items. They were doing well until my dad decided to buy a car. That car marked the beginning of our troubles. The business went down and we were forced to move to a smaller house. We ended up in a one-room house. My father, depressed by his failed business, ended up in drinking dens. My mother became a hawker in town. She would leave early in the morning, head to CBD to hawk fruits, then come home very late. This meant that at times she would find us asleep. I would, at times, join her and we would hawk together. We prayed that the city council people would not arrest her. Her arrest meant that she would not come home and we would therefore have no food. She always told me that education was what would help us. I gave it my best shot despite being a slow learner. After primary school, I was lucky to get a scholarship for my high school education from an Australian well-wisher. I joined Gitwe Girls, performed well, and later joined the University of Nairobi. After my parents business went down, I noticed that they would fight a lot. My Dad was a good father, but when his business went down, he became violent, went on drinking sprees, and stopped providing. On new years eve of 2005, my brother and I had gone for a night vigil. When we arrived home we found blood in the house. The door was not locked and everything was on the floor. I figured there must have been a big fight while we were away. I had no one to ask as my mum and small brother were not around. I panicked and could only pray that they were safe. We would later learn that my parents had had a big row. This wasnt new; I had witnessed such depressing events countless times. Before this fight, my mum was looking depressed, was crying most of the time and she had stopped going to hawk. All she would tell me was to pray for her. She was tired of lifethe financial burden, my dads alcoholism, and the resultant violence. One day, she sent me for rat poison, but sensing danger I refused to go buy. She had wanted to commit suicide. My parents fights affected me a lot. Parents should understand that fighting in the presence of a child is detrimental. This is among the reasons why I became a mental health advocate. I started to Impart A Generation to help people understand that childhood trauma can affect a childs mental health. I am also a peace ambassador elected by the Universal Peace Federation and a nominated social entrepreneur of the year by the Christian Women Entrepreneurs Network from South Africa. According to Kenya Mental Health Policy 2015 -2030, as many as one out of every four Kenyans are likely to suffer from one form of mental illness. Additionally, five out of six Kenyans suffering from mental illnesses do not get to access mental health services. Existing mental health support systems are either underfunded, understaffed, or are inaccessible by a larger majority of the Kenyans. Most facilities and services are based in Nairobi. Stigma is rife. In 2019, during the World mental health day, we joined other mental health advocates in organising the first-ever mental Health Walk in Kenya that attracted about 2000 participants. Last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, together with other organisations, we held a virtual campaign for two months dubbed #Walk a mind. The campaign attracted about 4000 internet users. Suicide is preventable and we need to join hands and educate our communities. To support children as they resume school we invited other organizations to come up with a solution. In January, we started a teacher training which is offering free training on Psychological First Aid and Social-Emotional learning. This training will give teachers key skills in helping children transition to the new reality of studying with all the restrictions as well as adjust better to school after the break. We have more than 300 teachers signed up for season one. We hope to roll out season two after the six weeks. A bus on Saturday caught the eyes of passers-by at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House thanks to its outstanding yellow color as well as the free face masks it automatically released. The bus, which was 7m in length and 3.1m in width, carried the message of Mang khau trang Don Tet an toan, which means Wear a mask - Have a safe Tet holiday (Vietnamese Lunar New Year which begins on February 12 this year)." The bus carries the message of 'Mang khau trang Don Tet an toan', which means 'Wear a mask - Have a safe Tet holiday' on its body. Photo: Cong Trieu/ Tuoi Tre The vehicle is equipped with two machines which automatically generate face masks thanks to a censor system. Recipients only need to put their hands under the machines to receive a pack of two antibacterial and fluid resistant fabric face masks. Their hands will also be sanitized before taking face masks. A man gets his hands sanitized before getting face masks for free from the bus at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House in District 1 on February 6, 2021. Photo: Cong Trieu / Tuoi Tre The face mask bus is the idea of Pham Quang Anh, director of Ho Chi Minh City-based Dony International Joint Stock Company, who said he cherished it since the pandemic hit Vietnam last year. It took Pham months and money to bring his idea to life. I wanted to contribute a little bit to the community in the hope that we can win over the epidemic soon, he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper. Ho Thi An, 37, a garment worker at Tan Tao Industrial Zone who was about to return to her hometown in the central province of Nghe An for Tet, was among hundreds of recipients on Saturday morning. She said she had bought a box of 50 medical masks advertised to be super-antibacterial with four layers at the price of only VND25,000 (US$1.1) from a sidewalk stall in front of her company. Im worried about its quality, even wondering if its toxic with such a cheap price, but I cant afford those too expensive, she expressed. I was told that the free fabric masks I have just received can be re-used after being washed. They look durable, so I think theyre of good quality, she added. Receiving good face masks makes me feel safer for my long trip. Aside from the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House, the bus is expected to make its arrivals at Mien Dong Bus Station in Binh Thanh District, Mien Tay Bus Station in Binh Tan District as well as industrial parks and export processing zones in the city. Anh said he has plans to release more than 100,000 antibacterial face masks as well as is willing to bring his bus to pandemic-hit and remote areas if he has enough funding. If there are more helping hands from the society, we can build a mask bank with no limit in quantity and free quality masks to people in need, he expressed his hope. A woman shows free masks she received from the bus at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House in District 1 on February 6, 2021. Photo: Cong Trieu/ Tuoi Tre A man wears a mask he received from the bus at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Culture House in District 1 on February 6, 2021. Photo: Cong Trieu/ Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Applied Underwriters has completed its acquisition of Centauri Specialty Insurance Co. and Centauri National Insurance Co., based in Sarasota, Florida. Florida, Louisiana and Texas regulators have approved the transaction. The deal took nine months to close. Terms were not disclosed. The purchase of Centauri is the latest in a string of acquisitions completed by Applied Underwriters in the U.S., UK and EU. The Centauri companies sell home and commercial property/casualty insurance through independent agents and brokers in 10 states: Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. They also offer private flood insurance in Florida, Hawaii and South Carolina. Steve Menzies, chairman, Applied Underwriters, said his company plans to grow Centauri and to enhance ROE [return in equity] through complementary acquisitions that scale operations efficiently and enhance exposure diversification. We are delighted that more than nine months of diligent work by all involved has now resulted in bringing this transaction to fruition, added Rick Espino, president and CEO of Centauri Insurance. Applied Underwriters acquired Centauri Specialty Managers on March 31, 2020 from its primary shareholder AXA/XL, and third party administrator Siebels-Bruce. As part its purchase of CSM, Applied Underwriters also had an exclusive option to buy the Centauri holding companys two insurance carriers Centauri Specialty Insurance Co. and Centauri National Insurance Co., a deal it has now completed. Founder Menzies reacquired Applied Underwriters and its subsidiary North American Casualty Co. from Berkshire Hathaway in 2019. He was joined in the acquisition by the Quasha Group led by Quadrant Management. That transaction upset California insurance officials who say they never gave their approval for the sale or for the move of the Applied subsidiary, California Insurance Co. (CIC), to New Mexico. Applied Underwriters is suing California regulators to halt their plan its says would force its workers compensation partner CIC to stop doing business in the state. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Applied operates throughout the U.S., UK, and EU. It has been actively acquiring entities and launching new divisions since Menzies regained ownership. Earlier this month Applied Underwriters announced it will acquire Concept Special Risks, a UK-based international managing general agent providing coverage for a nautical vessels and operators. In December, it formed Applied Financial Lines, a new European subsidiary operating from Paris and Cologne. Last June, Applied announced it had acquired Blue Ridge Specialty Group of Greenfield, South Carolina, a managing general underwriter specializing in trucking -related risks. Last November, Menzies created Applied Specialty Underwriters to focus on select casualty excess and surplus risks across the country, with an initial focus on large construction in New York. He also launched Applied Financial Lines and Applied Fine Art and Collectibles in New York. The Centauri deal was not without a bump. In May, Centauri Specialty Insurance Holdings (CSIH) and Centauri Specialty Managers (CSM) alleged in a lawsuit that Wellington Insurance of Texas breached non-solicitation provisions and a confidentiality agreement put in place after negotiations for the sale CMS were underway. In addition to $30 million in damages, the suit, filed in Sarasota County, Fla., seeks an injunction to stop Wellington from employing its former employees and from using Centauris confidential information and trade secrets. Topics Carriers Mergers Underwriting Ahead of Tamil Nadu polls, Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran says she will stake claim to AIADMK India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Bengaluru, Feb 08: Despite being warned by the Tamil Nadu police against it, expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala on Monday used the party flag on her car when left for Tamil Nadu from Bengaluru where she was quarantining. Meanwhile, speaking to media, Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran said that she is the general secretary of the AIADMK. "She can use the flag. The matter is pending in the court. They have power. They can issue any order. She is general secretary. She will stake claim of the AIADMK party," he said. Sasikala heads to poll-bound Tamil Nadu, flaunts AIADMK flag on her car All the cars in her convoy when Sasikala left for Tamil Nadu had AIADMK flags, even the party - Tamil Nadu Muslim Thowheed Jamath - supporting her believes that she is the true successor of Jayalalithaa and she is the general secretary of the party. Sasikala returns: TN Police restrains from using ADMK Flag | Oneindia News The visuals showed Sasikala leaving in a car and greeting followers with folded hands. Meanwhile, heavy security has been deployed at Karnataka - Tamil Nadu border ahead of the arrival of expelled AIADMK leader in Tamil Nadu. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 11:28 [IST] San Francisco, Feb 8 : More than one-in-ten workers will try to trick artificial intelligence (AI) systems used to measure employee behaviour and productivity by 2023, according to a prediction by Gartner on Monday. Such systems have seen a major rise in use in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Just as we've seen with every technology aimed at restricting its users, workers will quickly discover the gaps in AI-based surveillance strategies," Whit Andrews, Distinguished Research Vice President at Gartner, said in a statement. "They may do so for a variety of reasons, such as in the interest of lower workloads, better pay or simply spite. Some may even see tricking AI-based monitoring tools as more of a game to be won than disrespecting a metric that management has a right to know." Organisations are using AI-enabled systems to analyse worker behaviour in the same way that AI is used to understand shoppers, customers, and members of the public. These tools provide basic activity logging with alerts, or in more sophisticated versions, can attempt to detect positive actions or misbehaviour through multivariable analysis. Many employers use productivity monitoring systems despite a high percentage of workers finding such tools unappealing. Even prior to the pandemic, Gartner research showed that workers feared new technologies used to track and monitor work habits. As these tools become more prevalent, organisations will increasingly face workers who seek to evade and overwhelm them, Gartner said. Workers may seek out gaps where metrics do not capture activity, accountability is unclear, or the AI can be fooled by generating false or confusing data. "IT leaders who are considering deploying AI-enabled productivity monitoring tools should take a close look at the data sources, user experience design and the initial use case intended for these tools before investing," said Andrews. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Schumer Announces Bipartisan Agreement on Rules, Time Frame for Impeachment Trial Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he reached a deal with Senate Republicans on Monday on the framework for the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate impeachment trial of the former president, Schumer said on Monday. Schumer said he consulted with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Democratic impeachment managers, and lawyers for Trump. McConnell, on the floor, confirmed a deal is in place that preserves due process. Im pleased that Leader Schumer and I were able to reach an agreement on a fair process and estimated timeline for the upcoming Senate trial, McConnell said on Monday afternoon. It will give senators as jurors ample time to receive the case and the arguments. According to the lawmakers, there will be four hours of debate on Tuesday about whether the trial should be dismissed. Several weeks ago, 45 GOP senators voted to reject holding the impeachment trial, suggesting that the former president will not be convictedas the Senate requires 67 votes to convict a president. After that, there will be up to 16 hours for each side to present their cases starting on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. Then, there will be a total of four hours for senators to question both sides. Should witnesses or documents be subpoenaed, more time may be allotted. Then, up to four hours will be allotted between the impeachment managers and Trumps defense, according to Schumer. Lawyers for Trump on Monday filed a written argument saying the trial is merely political theater, adding that it is unconstitutional to impeach a former president. Democrats have rejected the idea and said they want the trial to serve as a referendum against Trump while ensuring he cannot hold office again. Taken together, they demonstrate conclusively that indulging House Democrats hunger for this political theater is a danger to our Republic democracy and the rights that we hold dear, Trumps attorneys wrote. The impeachment was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on January 6 by a few hundred people, Trumps lawyers added on Monday. Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain. Its not clear if there will be witnesses called during the event. If managers decide they want witnesses, there will be a vote on that, which is the option they requested, Schumer said. As in previous trials, there will be equal time for senator questions and for closing arguments and an opportunity for the Senate to hold deliberations if it so chooses and then we will vote on the article of impeachment, he added. The House impeached Trump last month for allegedly inciting an insurrection during the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Trump, for his part, called on supporters to make their voices heard peacefully. Democratic impeachment managers have argued that Trump was singularly responsible for the Capitol incident, adding that the Framers intent, the text of the Constitution, and prior Congressional practice all confirm that President Trump must stand trial for his constitutional crimes committed in office. HAINESPORT, N.J., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) America in collaboration with other Indian / Allied American organizations and Gurudwaras have led an initiative for the United States to send a strong message to the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's Government, over the unprecedented increase in human rights abuses at India's farmers protests across the New Delhi borders of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. In a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, the organizations have detailed how the Modi Government has disregarded farmers who are directly affected by three farm laws that were recently passed in India. Many organizations working in the civic space, interfaith and human rights aspects have joined in this call. The letter expresses concern on various twitter handles that are proposing a repeat of the 1984 pogroms against the Sikh community, which many see as a genocide. The Modi government is allowing such twitter handles to gain support among their nationalist vocals, and is thus implicit in this call for genocidal pogroms against the Sikh farmers and their supporters. Citing India's farmers issue as a national security concern and directly impacting US-India relations, the letter called for the Biden-Harris Administration to condemn the use of mercenaries and suppressive tactics used by the Modi government and immediately take action in relation with farmers lives being lost in the protest due to excessive weather and health conditions. The letter calls for the President to release an official statement recognizing the farmers for their stand against laws that are designed to harm their livelihood. The letter further urged the US President to initiate monitoring the situation at the borders, and send a direct message to India saying that the US is doing so. It also calls upon President Biden to urge the Indian government to immediately stop violence on protesters and consider their demands. The organizations collectively believe that a strong statement is immediately needed in order that India's Government may rein in its thugs and other extra-governmental paramilitary operatives that support Modi's majoritarian and fascist regime. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) America Representative Boota Singh Kharoudh said, Democracies like India should refrain from introducing such laws that serve to divide the nation, such as farm laws, and other that has been passed without consideration from people. The letter to President Biden also expresses the disregard of affected people, as a systemic pattern by the Modi government. This was also evident during the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the abrogation of articles 370 and 35A in the case of Jammu and Kashmir. During the protests that followed, the Modi Government brutally suppressed all dissent by using draconian measures against peaceful protesters. The Modi government routinely uses terms such as terrorists, tukde-tukde gang, Pakistanis and Khalistani in defaming anyone opposed to their policies. It is something which the Modi government builds majoritarian and fascist support around. Prestigious US organizations; USCIRF, US Congressional hearing on CAA and Jammu and Kashmir and State Department in its annual reports have noted the serious human rights violation under Modi government. Contact info: Bhupindar Singh, Representative to US Government and UN, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) America, Email: [email protected], Cell: +1 646 286 1704 SOURCE Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) America Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 03:55:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A member of staff holds vaccination record cards given to members of the public receiving their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Hyde Leisure Center in Greater Manchester, Britain, on Jan. 7, 2021. (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua) Downing Street has confirmed that all British adults aged 50 and older are expected to be offered a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by early May. More than 12 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. LONDON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The British government on Sunday ruled out plans to introduce the so-called "vaccine passports" to allow people who have had the jab against coronavirus to travel abroad. Still, people could get evidence from their doctors if they need it for traveling, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC. Zahawi made the remarks as the issue is under discussion in Britain and beyond. "Of course you have the evidence that you have been vaccinated held by your GP and if other countries require you to show proof of that evidence, then that is up to those countries," he said. One of the reasons for not issuing "vaccine passports" is that the vaccine was not mandatory in Britain, Zahawi said. "That's not how we do things. We do them by consent," he said. People wearing face masks walk past the Vaccination Center at ExCel exhibition center in London, Britain, Jan. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Meanwhile, it is not clear what impact the vaccines would have on transmission of the virus, he said. Downing Street has confirmed that all British adults aged 50 and older are expected to be offered a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by early May. More than 12 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that Britain remains "on track" to complete the vaccination of the top priority groups, which cover 15 million people, by mid-February. Britain aims to offer all adults their first dose by autumn. England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Doris Wildgoose, 99, receives her second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Hyde Leisure Center in Greater Manchester, Britain, on Jan. 7, 2021. (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua) Researchers from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun study various aspects of the Himalayas, particularly its glaciers and seismic activities. Two teams of glaciologists will head to Joshimath-Tapovan on Monday to study the causes of massive flood caused after a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the director of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology said. Kalachand Sain said two teams of glaciologists - one with two members and another with three members - will leave Dehradun on Monday morning. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), studies various aspects of the Himalayas, including the glaciers and seismic activities in the region. It had also conducted studies on the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand that killed nearly 5,000 people. "The teams will study the reasons behind the incident. Our teams will be looking into different aspects of glaciology," Sain said, adding that it is too early to comment on the development. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. Sain added that the Sunday's incident was quite "peculiar" as there was no rain or melting of snow. The glacier burst led to a massive flood in the Dhauli Ganga river and caused large-scale devastation in the upper reaches of the ecologically fragile Himalayas. 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. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said President Joe Biden was wrong to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline on day No. 1 of his presidency. 'Well, I wish he hadn't done that on the first day because the Laborers' International was right it did and will cost us jobs in the process,' Trumka said on an interview of Axios on HBO that aired Sunday. As part of his plan to combat climate change, Biden revoked the presidential permit needed to complete the pipeline on January 20 after President Donald Trump had revived the project during his first days in office four years before. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said it was wrong for President Joe Biden to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline project the first day and said in the future he should announce new jobs that will replace the canceled union jobs President Joe Biden promised voters he would cancel the Keystone XL pipeline on day one and made good on that promise. He also pitched massive investments in green energy, which could put some current union jobs in danger Heavy quipment is used to put in place a piece of the planned Keystone XL pipeline in Oyen, Alberta, Canada earlier this month. BIden canceled the pipeline project on inauguration day after President Donald Trump had restarted it The pipeline would have brought oil sands crude from Alberta, Canada to the U.S. Gulf coast. Construction had started but the project was already held up by legal red tape, with the Supreme Court unwilling to intervene. Axios' Jonathan Swan had asked Trumka about a statement released by the Laborers' International Union of North America following Biden's decision to kill the Keystone XL project on inauguration day. 'We support the president's campaign to build back better. Killing good union jobs on day one with nothing to replace them is not building back better,' LIUNA General President Terry OSullivan said at the time. Trumka said he agreed. 'I wish he had paired that more carefully with the thing that he did second by saying here's where we're creating jobs,' the union leader said. 'We can do mine reclamation, we can fix leaks and we can fix seeps and we can create hundreds of thousands of jobs in doing all of that stuff,' Trumka added. LIUNA speculated that 1,000 existing union jobs were killed with the demise of Keystone, along with 10,000 prospective construction jobs. Trumka also said that he believed Biden had already learned his lesson, though told Swan he hadn't spoken to the new president about it personally. 'Because the next time the subject came up it was done the right way,' Trumka said. The AFL-CIO head said he wanted to see Biden make specific job announcements when speaking about union cuts, due to a move toward green energy. Swan asked Trumka if he knew of any additional pipeline projects Biden might shut down. 'I don't know. I know if he does he'll pair it with job creation that will be greater than the number of jobs lost,' Trumka said. The union leader, who heralds from Pennsylvania - a state Biden won over former President Donald Trump - talked about the importance of people being able to get jobs where they live now. 'If you destroy 100 jobs in Greene County, Pennsylvania, where I grew up, and you create 100 jobs in California, it doesn't do those 100 families much good,' Trumka argued. A former coal miner, Trumka recalled being told he would be retrained as a computer programmer as mining was being phased out. 'And I said, "Where are the computer programmer jobs at?" "Uh, they're in, uh, Oklahoma and they're in Vegas and they're here." And I said, "So, in other words, what we're going to be is unemployed miners and unemployed computer programmers as well,"' Trumka said. The AFL-CIO head explained that was because 'people aren't going to pick up roots and leave their families.' 'I think what doesn't get understood quite enough in the country, particularly in D.C. politics, is that that culture is very, very important to the people who live there,' Trumka said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on Trumka's comments during Monday's press briefing by Fox News Channel's Peter Doocy, who asked where laid off Keystone XL workers can go to get their green jobs. Psaki pushed back on Doocy's line of questioning telling him he 'didn't include all of [Trumka's] interview.' 'Well what Mr. Trumka also indicated in the same interview was that President Biden has proposed a climate plan with transformative investments in infrastructure and laid out a plan that will not only create millions of good union jobs but also help tackle the climate crisis,' Psaki said. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here Medical equipment worth Vt55million have arrived in four containers from China for VCH and NPH in Santo. They were handed over to the government yesterday We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form In a new study published in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, Chen-Yu Zhang's group and Antonio Vidal-Puig's group at University of Cambridge report that pancreatic cells secrete miR-29 family members (miR-29a, miR-29b and miR-29c) in response to high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs). These cell-derived miR-29s are delivered to the liver, promoting insulin resistance and enhancing hepatic glucose output. Over 100 years after insulin was discovered, it was believed that pancreatic cells only secreted a single hormone--insulin. Pancreatic cell-derived insulin regulates glucose homeostasis by binding with the insulin receptors located in the liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissues and other peripheral organs. The discovery of insulin and its receptor was essential to understand the mechanisms controlling glucose homeostasis and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes defined by defective insulin secretion, signal transduction and insulin resistance. However, glucose homeostasis also depends on the integrated coordination of multiple organs, talking to each other to effectively control glucose metabolism. Understanding the crosstalk between organs is still incomplete, which has greatly limited the rational approach to type 2 diabetes treatment. Previous work from Chen-Yu Zhang's group has identified extracellular miRNA as a new form of cell-to-cell communication. This group was the first reporting the different secretion of miRNAs in response to physiological or pathological states and the uptake and function of secreted miRNAs in recipient cells. In the current study, this group used three independent animal models (ob/ob, HFD and fasted mice) to show that pathological- and physiological- high levels of FFAs induce the secretion of miR-29s from pancreatic cells. Of relevance, miR-29s is increased in the plasma of obese humans in comparison to lean humans. To address the target organ and functional role of secreted miR-29s, they generated three kinds of transgenic mice. First, mice overexpressed miR-29s or a traceable mutant miR-29a in pancreatic cells showed that cell-derived miR-29s is taken by the liver attenuating the normal suppression of insulin on glucose output mediated by targeting p85 (a regulatory subunit of PI3K) promoting systemic insulin resistance. More importantly, miR-29s deficiency in cells significantly improved the insulin sensitivity in mice fed on HFD, indicating that cell-derived miR-29s play an essential role in the development of liver insulin resistance. This work is essential for the following reasons: This study finds a novel, unexpected function of the islet controlling glucose homeostasis. Beyond the secretion of insulin, cells also secrete functional exosomal miRNAs that contribute to an integrated glucose homeostasis loop, which largely extends our understanding of islet function. This study also reveals a new mechanism linking obesity/FFAs-induced insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes's pathogenesis. Obesity or high levels of FFAs may not only directly affect liver, skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue and cause insulin resistance, but also regulate exogenous secreted miRNAs to indirectly result in pathophysiology as well. This study first time demonstrates that pancreatic cell contributes to insulin resistance development at a very early stage. More importantly, the secreted miR-29s are increased before the onset of insulin resistance in ob/ob or DIO mice, indicating secreted miR-29s may be the factors that initiate the development of insulin resistance; This study reveals the new functions of secreted miRNAs; This study provides an alternative strategy for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Given the obvious significance of insulin, current treatments predominantly concentrate on mechanisms of insulin action. This study suggests that it might be insufficient to treat insulin resistance by only targeting insulin and its direct signal transduction and offers an alternative strategy involving secreted miRNAs from the cell. Chen-Yu Zhang believes that pancreatic islet-derived miRNAs might contribute to a diversified functional spectrum. Thus, more studies are needed to discover the functional roles of pancreatic islet-derived miRNAs and subsequently establish mechanisms that underlie integrated multi-organ regulation on glucose homeostasis. ### The researchers of this project include Jing Li, Yujing Zhang, Yangyang Ye, Dameng Li, Yuchen Liu, Eunyoung Lee, Mingliang Zhang, Xin Dai, Xiang Zhang, Shibei Wang, Junfeng Zhang, Weiping Jia, Ke Zen, Antonio Vidal-Puig, Xiaohong Jiang, Chen-Yu Zhang. This work was supported by grants the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31741066, 31200874, 31771666, 31200969, 81101330, 31271378, 81250044, and 31972912), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2011CB504803), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0909700), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20130890, BK2011013 and BK2012014), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (020814380148, 020514380226), the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (81025019) and the programme for New Century Excellent Talents in University from the Ministry of Education, China (NCET-12-0261). Vidal-Puig is funded by MRC-MDU programme grant. Li et al.: "Pancreatic cells control glucose homeostasis via the secretion of exosomal miR-29 family" published on Journal of Extracellular Vesicle, 21 January 2021. Author contact: Prof. Chen-Yu Zhang (Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China) Tel: +86-25-89680245; E-mail:cyzhang@nju.edu.cn The public debates related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) will be completed by the beginning of March and we want to develop as many financial instruments as possible to only give grants where no other financial instrument works, Minister of European Investments and Projects, Cristian Ghinea, stated on Monday. The Ministry of European Investments and Projects on Monday organized the first public debates related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, informs a press release of the institution. The topics discussed were: "How do we support the New Generation? Policies for children and young people, formal and non-formal education, opportunities," respectively "How we stimulate grassroots development. Debate on rural development, with an approach specific to PNRR." The Minister also announced that the proposals received during the consultations would be discussed with the European Commission and underscored the importance of a good drafting of the PNRR."With this money we have to be very careful because I do not want to borrow from our children to only give grants," explained Minister Cristian Ghinea.During the debate on supporting the new generation, proposals were received to support children and young people, such as: developing non-formal learning methods in the environment in which children drop out of compulsory education, supporting young people and NGOs in the field, digitization of educational processes and increasing the quality of education.At the same time, during the public debates, the adoption of the reforms proposed by the SmartEdu Strategy and by the national project "Educated Romania," initiated by the President of Romania, was discussed. The youth representatives pointed out the need to support all categories of young people, including those who complete their studies to find a job and make their way in life."Regarding rural development, the proposals aimed at supporting Local Action Groups (LAGs), social economy structures, setting up agricultural production aggregation centres, supporting social activities for young NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training/who are not enrolled in an education, employment or training program)," mentions a press release.Romania will have at its disposal 30.4 billion euros through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism for the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. AGERPRES South Africa halted the rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccinations after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild infection from one variant, stoking fears of a much longer cat-and-mouse battle with the pathogen. The novel coronavirus has killed 2.3 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions but new variants of the virus have raised fears that vaccines will need to be tweaked and people may have to have booster shots. Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Oxford said in a prior-to-peer analysis that the AstraZeneca vaccine provided minimal protection against mild or moderate infection from the so-called South African variant among young people. "This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected," said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial. "But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa using a similar viral vector, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on health care systems by preventing severe disease." The AstraZeneca vaccine was the big hope for Africa as the continent hoped the shot - which is easier to store and transport than the Pfizer vaccine - so halting its rollout in South Africa is a major blow. An analysis of infections by the South African variant showed there was only a 22% lower risk of developing mild-to-moderate COVID-19 versus those given a placebo. If vaccines do not work as effectively as hoped against new and emerging variants, then the world could be facing a much longer and more expensive battle against the virus than previously thought. While thousands of individual changes have arisen as the virus mutates on replication and evolves into new variants, only a tiny minority are likely to be important or change the virus in an appreciable way, according to the British Medical Journal. VACCINE SHOCK While the lead investigator on the trial said that recent data indicated that protection against severe disease was likely from the vaccine, the study raised the prospect of repeated vaccination against a changing virus. Professor Shabir Madhi, lead investigator on the AstraZeneca trial in South Africa, said the vaccine's similarity to another produced by Johnson & Johnson, which reduced severe disease by 89%, suggested it would still prevent serious illness or death. "There's still some hope that the AstraZeneca vaccine might well perform as well as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in a different age group demographic that I address of severe disease," he told BBC radio. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said efforts were underway to develop a new generation of booster shot vaccines that will allow protection against emerging variants. "This is the same issue that is faced by all of the vaccine developers, and we will continue to monitor the emergence of new variants that arise in readiness for a future strain change," she said. UK IS 'CONFIDENT' The Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine prevents death and serious illness and is effective against the main variants of the virus in the United Kingdom, though people may have to have a booster shot as it mutates, a junior health minister said on Monday. "There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation and severe illness and death, which ultimately is what we're seeking with these vaccines today," British junior health minister Edward Argar told Sky. "The dominant strains in this country are not the South African strain, there are a small number of cases of that, the dominant strains here are the historic one we've had, and then the Kent variant, against which this vaccine is highly effective." Argar said just 147 people had been known to have been infected with the South African variant in Britain, though he allowed that booster shots - such as against the common flu - might be needed in the future as the virus mutates. "It would be just be normal in a sense as we did with the flu vaccine to update it to catch anything the virus is trying to do to keep ahead of it," he said. Short link: Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will only be used in people aged between 18 and 55 in Spain. That was the decision taken on Friday by the National Health Systems Public Health Commission, which is made up of experts from the Health Ministry and the countrys regions. According to a statement released by the ministry, three meetings of the commission were required before this decision was taken. As a result, changes will need to be made to the countrys vaccination campaign, which is currently still in phase 1 residents of senior homes, healthcare workers and all adults with need for daily assistance even if they are not in residential care are being inoculated. The decision to lower the limit to 55 leaves out 15 million Spaniards who are above that age The next phase was due to focus on the over-80s, but given the restrictions on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, new, younger priority groups will have to be added. This will be debated this week. The first AstraZeneca vaccines that arrive, however, will go to healthcare workers who are not on the front line some regions are already vaccinating this group in phase 1. The decision to only use the AstraZeneca vaccine among the under-55s comes in the wake of other European countries doing the same. Germany, for example, will use it in under-65s, while Italy and Belgium will set the maximum age at 55. This means Spain will be taking the more conservative option. The reason for doing so is the lack of over-65s in the clinical trials for the vaccine, meaning that its effectiveness in this age group is yet to be proven. Despite this, the United Kingdom is using the vaccine for seniors, given that a positive immune response has been detected in the over-65s. Five regions voted against the decision in the commission: Catalonia, Andalusia, Madrid, Aragon and Castilla y Leon. They did so mostly for logistical reasons: the more restrictive the age limit, the smaller the margin for combining the available vaccines with the groups in the current phases, and the more difficult it will be to progress with the immunization campaign. The committee had already announced earlier last week that it would not be using the AstraZeneca vaccine on the over-80s, but the decision to lower the limit to 55 leaves out 15 million Spaniards who are above that age. They will all be given the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines, 1.9 million doses of which have already been administered according to the Health Ministry. English version by Simon Hunter. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected many areas of IT, including the data center, where changes to the infrastructure--particularly adoption of cloud services--are bringing about the need for new skill sets among workers who staff them. Perhaps no technology industry benefitted more from the pandemic than cloud computing; the location independence of cloud services makes them ideal for a world where the majority of line-of-business as well as IT workers are no longer in the office. But does that mean businesses will rely on infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and no longer need their own on-premises data centers and data-center IT teams? Analysts and futurists have been asking this question for about a decade, but now cloud, already strong before the pandemic, has gone through an inflection point and brought new immediacy to the issue. The answer is that data centers are not going anywhere anytime soon, but they will look fundamentally different. That's good news for people currently working in data centers and those considering careers there, because adoption of cloud and other changes will create a wave of new opportunities. Uptime Institute predicts that data-center staff requirements will grow globally from about 2 million full-time employees in 2019 to nearly 2.3 million by 2025. Growth in expected demand will mainly come from cloud and colocation data centers. Enterprise data centers will continue to employ a large number of staff, but cloud data-center staff will outnumber enterprise data-center staff after 2025, Uptime says. On the hiring side, finding the right talent remains difficult for many organizations. In 2020, 50% of data center owners or operators globally reported having difficulty finding qualified candidates for open jobs, compared to 38% in 2018, according to Uptime Institute (see chart). Uptime Institute For IT pros looking to be part of the new data center, here are some of the top roles and in-demand skills to develop. Technical architect The role of the technical architect has grown in importance because applications are no longer deployed in technology silos. In the past, each application had its own servers, storage, and security. Modern data centers are built on disaggregated infrastructure where resources are shared across multiple applications. This requires new infrastructure design skills to ensure application performance remains high as the underlying technology is being shared across a broad set of applications. And it requires high-level domain knowledge of network, storage, servers, virtualization, and other infrastructure. Data-center architect The challenging job of data-center architect requires specific knowledge of the physical data center--an understanding of power, cooling, real estate, cost structure, and other factors essential to designing data centers. Architects help determine the layout of the facility as well as its physical security. The internal design involving racks, flooring and wiring is also part of this role. If done poorly, the job can have an enormous negative impact on the workflows of the technical staff. Cloud management There is no single cloud provider, and an emerging and continually evolving enterprise role is selecting and managing cloud services--private, public and hybrid. The attributes of cloud providers vary, with some being strong in specific regions while others may be better suited than competitors to provide specific services, for example. In some cases, third-party cloud services are inappropriate, making private cloud the best answer, as is oftern the case when strict data privacy is called for. Cloud services need to be constantly monitored and optimized to ensure businesses are not overspending in some areas and underspending in others. At the same time, cost optimization cannot be allowed to result in performance issues. This role requires the skills to properly evaluate cloud offerings and provide ongoing management. AI and ML Data volumes are now massive and getting larger by the day, and with the rise of edge computing, more data will reside in more places. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are required to facilitate effective data management. There's a wide range of jobs in this area across the spectrum of the AI lifecycle, including training AI systems, modeling, programming and providing human-in-the-loop participation to ensure AI goals are being met. Data analytics The future data center will be driven by analyzing massive amounts of data. Expect this trend to continue as more data is being generated by IoT endpoints, video systems, robots--almost everything we do. Data-center operations teams will make critical decisions based on the analysis of this data. Businesses today have a shortage of people with analytic skills, particularly those who understand how to use AI/ML to accelerate the analysis. Software skills Many IT engineers, particularly those who work with network infrastructure, are hardware centric. Sure, they may know how to hunt and peck on a command-line interface, but that's not really a software skill. Most network engineers have never executed even basic software functions like making an API call. Using APIs can make many tasks much easier than trying to write a script to parse a CLI. Not all network engineers need to become programmers--although those who want to should focus on languages such as Python and Ruby--but all should become software power-users and understand how to use APIs and SDKs to perform administrative tasks. All modern network infrastructure has been designed to be managed through APIs, many of them cloud based. The days of being a CLI jockey are over, and an unwillingness to admit it is the biggest threat to today's data-center engineers. Data-center security There are multiple avenues for jobs in data-center security, given that this discipline refers to both physical and cyber security. Data centers house sensitive and proprietary data, and breaches can have disastrous consequences for an organization. Physical security was once done with badge readers and keypads, but there has been a wealth of innovation, including AI-enabled cameras, fingerprint scanners, iris readers and facial-recognition systems. This promises to be an exciting area to work in over the next decade. Cyber security has also evolved as security-information and event-management tools transition to ML-based systems that enable security professionals to see things they never could before. Also, many advanced organizations are adopting zero-trust models to isolate application traffic from other systems. Through the use of microsegmentation, secure zones can be created, minimizing the "blast radius" of a breach. Data-center networking The role of the network in the data center has changed significantly over the past decade. The traditional multi-tier architectures that were optimized for North-South traffic flows have shifted to leaf-spine networks that are designed for higher volumes of East-West traffic. Also, software-defined networking (SDN) systems are being used to provision virtual-fabric overlays of the physical underlay. This brings greater automation, traffic visibility, and cost effectiveness to the data-center network. Network engineers who work in data centers need to become familiar with new concepts associated with network fabrics such as Linux-based operating systems, open-source network platforms, VxLAN tunnels and Ethernet VPNs. These all increase the scalability, elasticity and resiliency of the network while simplifying network operations. Also, most data-center platforms are now open by design, making vendor interoperability much easier and breaking the lock-in customers experienced in the past. Another aspect of data center networking that's changed is cloud connectivity. Historically, network engineers were concerned with the network inside the data center, which is a highly controlled environment. The rise of cloud and edge computing dictates that the network extend outside the physical confines of customer premises, across the wide area to the cloud provider. It's imperative that the network function as if it is a single, continuous fabric across all cloud locations. There are a number of ways to do this, including SD-WAN, SASE and direct cloud connects. Jobsoutside the data center What, if any, are the jobs for data center professionals if they want to transition out of that environment but make use of their current skills? Unfortunately, those skills don't translate well. You don't see many mainframe engineers or PBX administrators around anymore. However, while the future lies with the jobs outlined here, it will take a long time for legacy data centers to transition. After all, businesses do often adopt an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality when it comes to mission-critical systems. So for those unable or unwilling to reskill, it may be necessary to seek employers in verticals that tend to be on the slower end of technology adoption--state and local government, regional banks, and specialty retail are some examples. The future of data centers lies in distributed clouds, and that changes the skiill sets needed to run them. Data centers are certainly not going away, but they will look much different in the future, and that should be exciting for all. Source: AP Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial will launch this week with a debate and a vote on whether it's even constitutional to prosecute the former president over the deadly Capitol siege now that he's no longer in office. The details are coming together in a draft agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing talks. There will likely be no witnesses called during the trial, and the former president has declined a request to testify. The proceedings will break Saturday for the Jewish Sabbath, at the request of Trump's defense team. The trial will push into a Sunday session. Trump's second impeachment trial is opening this week with a sense of urgency by Democrats who want to hold the former president accountable for the violent US Capitol siege and Republicans who want it over as fast as possible. Scheduled to begin Tuesday, just over a month since the deadly riot, the proceedings are expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated trial that resulted in Trump's acquittal a year ago on charges that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trump's January 6 rally cry to fight like hell and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. While Trump very well could be acquitted again, the trial could be over in half the time. Under the terms of the trial being negotiated, it would launch first with a debate over its constitutionality, a key argument of the former president's defense. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., forced a vote on the issue last month, and senators will again be confronted with a debate and vote. Opening arguments would begin Wednesday at noon, with up to 16 hours per side for presentations. Details of the proceedings are still being negotiated by the Senate leaders, and whether or not witnesses are called is up to the House managers Trump is the first president to be twice impeached, and the only one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House approved a sole charge, incitement of insurrection, acting swiftly one week after the riot, the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died of injuries the next day. There will be no trial proceedings on Friday evening or into Saturday, at the request of the defense team because of the Jewish Sabbath. The trial would reconvene Sunday afternoon, which is Valentine's Day. So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who have been sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Most are also witnesses to the siege, having fled for safety that day as the rioters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the electoral count certifying Biden's victory. Defense attorneys for Trump declined a request for him to testify. Holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, the former president has been silenced on social media by Twitter without public comments since leaving the White House. Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are expected to rely on the trove of videos from the siege, along with Trump's incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defense team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trump's first impeachment. "Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call." Democrats argue it's not only about winning conviction, but holding the former president accountable for his actions, even though he's out of office. For Republicans, the trial will test their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP. Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the siege, Republican senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. But in recent weeks GOP senators have rallied around Trump arguing his comments do not make him responsible for the violence. They question the legitimacy of even conducting a trial of someone no longer in office. On Sunday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi described Trump's impeachment trial as a meaningless messaging partisan exercise." Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky called the proceedings a farce with zero chance of conviction" and described Trump's language and rally words as figurative speech. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial proceedings were delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new president's initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to put as much distance as possible from the bloody riot. At the time, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, drawing 44 other Republicans to his argument. Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday. Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19. Many prominent landmarks in London, such as St Paul's Cathedral, the Monument to the Great Fire of London, the Tower of London, The Palace of Westminster, and others are visible from key locations around the city. St Paul's Cathedral, for instance, is visible from across the South Bank of the Thames as far away as Richmond Park. Although topography certainly plays a part here (St Paul's Cathedral being located at the highest point of the city), the unobstructed views that some of Londons greatest buildings enjoy is certainly no accident. St Pauls Cathedral. Photo: Chait Goli/Pexels The London View Management Framework identifies more than two dozen important views across the capital, from parks and other public spaces that take in important buildings and urban landscapes that define London. These views are protected so that Londoners can enjoy this architectural history as they go about their everyday lives, such as crossing one of Londons bridges, or walking along the South Bank, or visiting one of the viewpoints above the city, such as Parliament hill, Primrose hill or Greenwich. These series of visual corridors that crisscross the English capital have been safeguarded since the 1930s. The development of strategic view management in London began with the capability of erecting tall buildingsstructures significantly taller than their neighbourswhich were able to obstruct previously open views. In 1861, following a fire in Tooley Street in which the Chief of the Fire Brigade was killed, there was a call to limit the height of buildings to a level which could be reached by ladders and the limitations of water hoses. Queen Annes Mansions. Photo: alchetron.com In 1873, work began on a tall load-bearing brick residential building, Queen Annes Mansions, close to Buckingham Palace. At twelve stories, later increased to fourteen, it was the loftiest residential building in Britain, and the first to threaten Londons skyline of chimneys and spires. Even Queen Victoria objected to the obstruction of her view of the Houses of Parliament from Buckingham Palace. A direct result of Queen Annes Mansions, which the Court Circular for January 1897 described as a stupendous pile which, for solidity, comfort and general convenience, sets all rivals at defiance, was the passing of the London Building Act in 1894 which limited all new constructions to a maximum height of 80 feet. However, the law included an exception for ornamental tower turrets, attics, and other architectural features, which architects began to exploit to breach 100 feet. The Senate House, for instance, reached an unprecedented 210 feet when it was completed in 1937. A slash through the trees allow St Pauls Cathedral to be seen from Richmond Park. Photo: Jean-Francois Paris/Flickr In 1932, W. Godfrey Allen, the Surveyor to St Pauls Cathedral, drew attention to the fact that quite recently the view from Blackfriars Bridge has been spoilt by the hideous new Telephone Exchange building in Queen Victoria Street. Following this observation, Allen prepared a series of montages showing the effect that building to the limits allowed by the London Building Act of 1930 would have on views of the Cathedral. Allen showed, that even when erected according to law, developments along certain streets would gravely interfere with the distant views of the cathedral, such as from the Surrey side of the river, which according to him are amongst the finest in London. W. Godfrey Allens photomontage showing the effect that building to the maximum building height limit allowed by the London Building Act 1930 would have on views of St Pauls Cathedral. Photo: The Chapter of St Pauls Cathedral Allens proposal found support from the City of London Corporation, and in 1938 a gentlemen's agreement was made to protect important vistas of the Cathedral. Allen outlined eight viewing corridors centering on the 17th century church that was to be protected. Later, similar rules protecting views of the Monument to the Great Fire of London, The Tower of London and Thames river vistas were implemented. These agreements were not enshrined into a formal policy until 1989, but has been effective in deterring tall buildings very close to historic landmarks, with one exceptionthe Shard. The 1,000-feet skyscraper that conservationists described as a "spike through the heart of London stands on the Kenwood House viewing corridor. The building doesn't obstruct the view of St Pauls Cathedral, but greatly maligns it by standing behind the historic landmark. St Pauls Cathedral and The Shard. Photo: stephengg/Flickr In 1956, London's building height restriction was removed. Instead, every application to build a high-rise was reviewed on its own merits. The Leadenhall Building, completed in 2013, is one example of how a building can be tall and at the same time respect Londons protected views. Nicknamed the Cheesegrater because of its distinctive wedge shape similar to the kitchen tool, the Leadenhall Building leans back from the road as it increases in height to minimize its impact on the protected view of St Pauls Cathedral from Fleet Street. The Shard, on the other hand, is vulgar and unwanted. It is like putting a wind-turbine in front of the Taj Mahal, or hanging florescent tubes from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, writes Will Gompertz on BBC. Developers claim that these protected views act as a constraint on development, and are preventing more than half a million homes from being built in the city. According to a 2018 news report, the Office for National Statistics said that London needs 844,000 more homes to meet the demands of its rising population. Peter Wynne Rees, the former City of London City Planning Officer believes that protected views are helpful in providing a constraint that aids development, but you can't protect every view of everywhere, he said. Map of Londons Protected Views. Photo: The Times Today, there are the 13 views that are protected under the system: From Alexandra Palace to St Pauls Cathedral From the summit of Parliament Hill to St Pauls Cathedral From the summit of Parliament Hill to the Palace of Westminster From Parliament Hill, at the prominent oak tree east of the summit, to Palace of Westminster From the viewing gazebo at Kenwood House to St Pauls Cathedral From the summit of Primrose Hill to St Pauls Cathedral From the summit of Primrose Hill to the Palace of Westminster From Greenwich Park, north east of the General Wolfe statue, to St Pauls Cathedral From Blackheath Point, near the orientation board, to St Pauls Cathedral From Westminster Pier to St Pauls Cathedral From King Henry VIIIs Mound in Richmond Park to St Pauls Cathedral From the centre of the bridge over the Serpentine to the Palace of Westminster From The Queens Walk at City Hall to the White Tower References: # Francesca Street, Are London's protected view corridors still relevant today?, CNN # London's Image and Identity, Historic England # London view management framework, London.gov.uk # Will Gompertz, Imagine the meeting that led to The Shard, BBC # Wikipedia She's adding a glamorous touch to the real estate industry as the star of Netflix's Selling Sunset. And Christine Quinn looked positively flawless as she picked up a self-portrait in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The 31-year-old reality star rocked a leather Louis Vuitton skirt with a black blouse as she carried 'Stealing Sunset' artwork created by New York street artist 1penemy. Lady in leather: Christine Quinn looked positively flawless as she picked up a self-portrait in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon Christine proved to be a style savant as she stepped out in the camel colored leather mini which featured the brand's signature logo. She added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of black heels to match her skintight top. Quinn's long blonde hair was slightly curled, with half of her tendrils tied tight into a ponytail while curls draped down her shoulders. Eye for design: The 31-year-old reality star rocked a leather Louis Vuitton skirt with a black blouse as she carried 'Stealing Sunset' artwork created by New York street artist 1penemy Bold: In the painted mugshot, Christine held up a board from 'New York Rikers Island' and stated her crime as 'Stealing Sunset' She wore a sparkling diamond necklace and thick gold hoop earrings in addition to a pair of black glasses. The luxury real estate agent picked up a massive painting of her likeness in a characterized version. In the painted mugshot, Christine held up a board from 'New York Rikers Island' and stated her crime as 'Stealing Sunset.' Wow! Christine proved to be a style savant as she stepped out in the camel colored leather mini which featured the brand's signature logo Bombshell: She added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of black heels to match her skintight top Christine was spotted later in the evening with her husband, Christian Richard, as they left BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood. The couple recently returned from a dreamy tropical getaway at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. She found fame as one of the top agents at The Oppenheim Group, working alongside Chrishell Stause and Heather Rae Young. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The recent approval of two novel messenger RNA (mRNA) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines by various regulatory agencies have provided hope that we may finally be able to end the pandemic that has caused over 100 million infections and claimed more than 2.3 million lives worldwide. The first vaccine approved to prevent COVID-19 (Pfizer-BioNTech) began in the United Kingdom in December 2020. Within days, there were reports of two or possibly three anaphylactic reactions following vaccination. The same vaccine was subsequently given emergency use authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and again, within days, there were reports of at least two anaphylactic reactions. A second mRNA vaccine (Moderna) has also now been approved. A commentary by John M. Kelso, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Scripps Clinic, published in the latest issue of the journal Vaccines, discusses anaphylactic reactions to these novel mRNA SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccines. Anaphylaxis is a multi-organ event that occurs because of the release of histamines and other mediators from mast cell granules and can be fatal. Prior exposure to an allergen can lead to the formation of IgE antibodies, which coat mast cells. When a person reencounters the allergen, these antibodies are released into the tissues and blood. Mast cells are mostly found in the skin and the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Symptoms of anaphylactic reactions include flushing of the skin, coughing, wheezing, abdominal pain, and nausea. The reaction can be fatal because of asphyxiation in the upper airway, severe bronchospasm, or extremely low blood pressure. In general, anaphylactic reactions to vaccinations are very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 per million. But, the reports on COVID-19 vaccines indicate these reactions have a higher than normal rate. Ongoing investigations by manufacturers and regulatory agencies are trying to determine if these are indeed allergic reactions and determining what component of the vaccine is the allergen. Determining anaphylactic reactions to vaccines This will first require checking if the timing and symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis for an anaphylactic reaction. IgE-mediated reactions typically occur within minutes of exposure to the allergen, and hence, any allergic reaction to the vaccine should be evident soon after vaccination. If the symptoms after vaccination are consistent with an anaphylactic reaction, the next step will be checking for IgE antibodies. Since the approved vaccines are new, it is unlikely the patients were exposed before to form IgE antibodies, but they may have been sensitized to some component of the vaccine. The vaccines are modified mRNA encoding the spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A component of the vaccines, polyethylene glycol (PEG), has been reported to cause IgE-mediated reactions and is considered a possible allergen. PEG is widely used in several medicines, cosmetics, and foods, and such exposure could have sensitized some patients. Thus, these vaccines could be unsuitable for those rare individuals with PEG allergy. Vaccines should be administered in a setting that allows observation after the injection to allow for appropriate treatment of any allergic reaction, such as administering epinephrine. After that, testing blood samples for mast cell tryptase can allow further diagnosis, a high level indicating an allergic reaction, although normal levels do not exclude it. Investigating possible allergens After the reports of anaphylactic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued guidance that any persons with known allergic reactions to any vaccine, medicines, or food should not be given the vaccine. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said that any person with a history of a severe allergic reaction should be observed for 30 minutes after vaccination and others for 15 minutes. Although PEG is a possible suspect, there could be other allergens. But, because PEG allergy is very rare and people who could be allergic to it may have been sensitized to it without having any reaction, it may be challenging to identify who may be allergic to the vaccine beforehand, if PEG is indeed the allergen. Patients who have had an anaphylactic reaction to the first dose of a vaccine should not receive the second dose. Other vaccines being developed are different from the mRNA vaccines, and that such patients may be able to receive a different vaccine. While anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening event, it is almost always successfully treated, and its risk must be weighed against leaving patients unvaccinated and therefore susceptible to a potentially life-threatening disease, COVID-19, writes the author. Investigations into the seeming anaphylactic reactions should proceed quickly and thoroughly to narrow down the patients who may suffer a severe reaction and not eliminate those who will not have any reaction and could be protected from COVID-19. GENEVA: South Africa will roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine in a stepped manner" to assess its efficacy in preventing severe illness, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, co-chair of South Africas Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, said on Monday. South Africa said on Sunday it would put on hold its use of the AstraZeneca shot after research showing it was only minimally effective in preventing mild illness against a variant of the coronavirus now dominant in the country. Karim said it was too early to say whether the AstraZeneca vaccine would still be effective in preventing serious disease, as there was not yet enough data on its effectiveness in older people against the variant. South Africa would pause the rollout for now while determining the next steps, and could vaccinate 100,000 people with the shot to see how well it worked on preventing hospitalisations and deaths. We dont want to vaccinate people with a product which may not prevent hospitalisation or reduce disease," Karim said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor James Hutcherson, 93, was a patient who received hydroxychloroquine while living at the New York State Veterans' Home at St Albans. He died in April from complications with COVID-19 and pneumonia A nursing home ran by New York state reportedly gave 'experimental' COVID-19 treatments to veterans without their families' knowledge. According to a report from The City, at least 62 residents at the New York State Veterans' Home at St Albans in Jamaica, New York, were treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin even though some did not have the coronavirus. New York state allowed its 613 nursing homes to administer hydroxychloroquine, an experimental drug touted by former president Donald Trump, to treat their COVID-19 patients. The drug was used at the aforementioned facilities despite health officials warning against its potential side effects such as anemia, neuromuscular damage, vision impairment, and fatal heart arrhythmia. Those side effects bring on a higher risk for the elderly. The authorization to use the drugs was pulled in June. Medical documents obtained by The City showed that New York State Veterans' Home at St Albans gave the experimental drugs to at least 62 patients. A total of 42 patients died between March and April 2020 but it's unclear which patients actually received the drugs. However, The City was able to identify James Hutcherson, 93, as one of the patients who received the experimental cocktail while living at the nursing home. New York state allowed its 613 nursing homes to administer hydroxychloroquine despite concerns from health officials. New York State Veteran's Home at St Albans (pictured) Hutcherson was moved to the facility after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia. According to his death certificate, he died on April 8, 2020, from cardiac arrest. Also listed on the certificate was that contributing factors included pneumonia and COVID-19. His daughter, Yvonne Parson, told The City that she had no idea her father had been given the drugs. 'If they'd told me anything I would have told him, you cannot give that to my father. He's 93 years old,' Parson told the publication. 'There's no way in hell I would have let them give my father that medication.' Former staff of the nursing home told The City that family members were supposed to be informed when it came to administering the drug. Parson had also been told that her father did not have COVID-19. St Albans referred all questions to the state Department of Health. When asked by email about The City's report, spokesperson Erin Silk wrote that the department was 'unable to comment due to pending legal and enforcement actions'. On Friday, it was reported that coronavirus cases have dropped at US nursing homes and other long-term care facilities over the past few weeks. When asked by email about The City's report, spokesperson Erin Silk wrote that the department was 'unable to comment due to pending legal and enforcement actions'. A sign for the St Albans facility is pictured More than 153,000 residents of the country's nursing homes and assisted living centers have died of COVID-19, accounting for 36 per cent of the US pandemic death toll, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Many of the roughly 2 million people who live at such facilities remain cut off from loved ones because of the risk of infection. The virus still kills thousands of them weekly. WHY STUDIES DON'T BACK HYDROXY Scores of large, credible controlled studies including the 1,542-patient RECOVERY study in the UK and an NIH study, have found the drug offered no benefit, compared to patients who were only given supportive care, like oxygen. On the heels of the RECOVERY study, the WHO cancelled the hydroxychloroquine arm of its international SOLIDARITY trial of multiple potential coronavirus treatments on June 17. It came just days after the FDA revoked its emergency use authorization for the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. The agency had also previously posted a warning that the drug may cause dangerous heart arrhythmias. On July 2, researchers from Henry Ford Health System published a study on hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus that caught the White House's eye. The study's main finding was that death rates were 50 percent lower among patients who were treated with the controversial malaria drug. But the Detroit study was done in a manner far flung from the FDA's 'gold standard' for conclusive research. Research to determine whether a drug works is typically done as what's called a randomized controlled trial. In this type of study, patients are assigned to either get the drug being tested, or a placebo. Neither doctors nor patients know who got which until the study ends. The Detroit study was neither randomized, nor controlled. It was observational, meaning researchers simply compared data on 2,541 COVID-19 patients who got all manner of treatments. These types of studies are usually used to decide which drugs should undergo 'gold standard' testing, not which ones should be the gold standard of treatment. In the simplest sense, those who got hydroxychloroquine were less likely to die - but they were also more likely to receive steroids, drugs which many studies suggest do work to combat the inflammation that kills many coronavirus sufferers. Advertisement The overall trend for long-term care residents is improving, though, with fewer new cases recorded and fewer facilities reporting outbreaks. Coupled with better figures for the country overall, it's cause for optimism even if it's too early to declare victory. 'We definitely think there's hope and there's light at the end of the tunnel,' said Marty Wright, who heads a nursing home trade group in West Virginia. Nursing homes have been a priority since vaccinations began in mid-December, and the federal government says 1.5 million long-term care residents have already received at least an initial dose. Researchers and industry leaders say they are seeing marked improvements after months in which some nursing homes lost dozens of residents to the disease and had to keep others in semi-isolation for protection. Some 2,000 nursing homes are now virus-free, or about 13 per cent nationally, according to an industry group, and many are dealing with far fewer cases than before. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, an industry trade organization, said Thursday that data from about 800 nursing homes where initial vaccine doses were administered in late December offered promising results. Cases among residents fell by 48 per cent at homes where immunizations had occurred, compared to a 21 per cent decline at non-vaccinated facilities nearby. Meanwhile, cases among employees dropped by 33 per cent at vaccinated homes, compared to 18 per cent at non-vaccinated facilities. After reaching a high of almost 73,600 new weekly cases in long-term care facilities nationwide in mid-December, the number was down 31 per cent by late January, to about 50,000 new cases per week, an Associated Press analysis found. Still, the most recent weekly count is 18 per cent higher than the seven-day period that ended on Thanksgiving, when numbers started climbing. The weekly count of new deaths remains stubbornly high, with a record 7,042 recorded during the seven-day span that ended January 14 and only a slight decline since. By comparison, for the seven days that ended on Thanksgiving, 3,181 deaths were recorded. More encouragingly, the COVID Tracking Project found that only 251 facilities reported new outbreaks recently, compared to 1,410 in early January. Dr David Gifford, chief medical officer for the national association, said the numbers show signs for hope since they indicate vaccines might decrease the spread of COVID-19, a finding not shown in trials. 'If verified with additional data, this could expedite the reopening of long-term care facilities to visitors, which is vital to residents' health and wellbeing,' he said in a statement. After witnessing a decline in new business premiums (NBP) for two consecutive months, January saw recording a 3.7 per cent rise in NBP to Rs 21,389.7 crore compared to Rs 20,623 crore in the year ago period. This is despite state-owned insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) reporting a 2 per cent decline in NBP in the same period to Rs 13,143.64 crore compared to Rs 13,470.91 crore in the year ago period. However, private insurers, 23 in total, saw 15.3 per cent rise in NBP to Rs 8,246 crore compared to Rs 7,152 crore in the same period of last financial year. NBP is the premium acquired from new policies for a particular year. In December, NBP of declined 2.7 per cent over previous year. After witnessing growth in NBP for four straight months starting from July, the collection had fallen in November. Experts had suggested the decline was on account of a high base and gradually collections will see normalisation. ALSO READ: January air traffic growth slows down to 3.5% sequentially: Icra Top private such as ICICI Prudential, SBI Life, HDFC Life, and Max Life saw double digit growth in NBP in January. As far as is concerned, it saw significant contraction in both individual single and non-single premium and while group single premium was in the green, non-single premium contracted substantially. In the first ten month of the financial year (10MFY21), NBP of has seen a contraction of 1.17 per cent to Rs 2.12 trillion with LICs NBP declining close to 5 per cent to 1.43 trillion. But, private insurers NBP was up almost 8 per cent in the same period to Rs 69,288 crore. The suffered body blow at the onset of the pandemic and it was evident in the NBP numbers it posted at the end of Q1FY21. Due to the strict lockdown in place, their NBP contracted 18.5 per cent. But it recovered quickly with the opening up of the economy and surge in demand for insurance products. Hence in Q2FY21, the industry reported a rise of 16 per cent in NBP. However, in Q3FY21, the industry was in the red, again. The stands ready to contribute to the ongoing rescue and assistance efforts in Uttarakhand if necessary, Secretary General has said as the top leadership of the global organisation expressed sadness over the loss of life and damage from the glacier burst and flooding in the Indian state. A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least seven people dead and 125 missing who are feared dead. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Commenting on the glacier burst, Stphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Guterres, said: The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and dozens missing following the glacier burst and subsequent flooding in Uttarakhand state, India, on Sunday. The Secretary-General expresses his deep condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of India. The stands ready to contribute to ongoing rescue and assistance efforts if necessary, he said in a statement. Responding to the statement by Guterres, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said: Deeply appreciate the sentiments expressed by UN Secretary General on the glacier burst in Uttarakhand. Earlier in the day, President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir said that he is closely following the situation in Uttarakhand where the glacier burst resulted in massive flooding, with authorities saying seven bodies have been recovered while at least 125 people are missing. I'm closely following the news out of #Uttarakhand, #India, where the breaking of a glacier has led to at least 9 dead & 140 missing. As rescue efforts continue, my thoughts are with @IndiaUNNewYork and the Indian people, Bozkir said in a tweet that tagged India's Permanent Mission to the UN. In response to Bozkir's tweet, Tirumurti expressed gratitude, saying we deeply appreciate your sentiments. Thank you. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said that seven bodies have been recovered while at least 125 people are missing. The glacier burst led to a rise in water levels in the river Rishiganga, which washed away the Rishiganga small hydro project of 13.2 MW. The flash flood also affected the downstream hydro project of NTPC at Tapovan on the river Dhauli Ganga, which is a tributary of the river Alaknanda. (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.) Life Upended. The coronavirus outbreak has had a devastating impact on our nation, and it has touched Staten Islanders in countless ways. In this series, reporter Tracey Porpora will share the stories of those who have been thrust into situations that were unimaginable just a few months ago -- those who have seen their life completely upended. This is the thirty-fourth story of Life Upended. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Vinny Bonomi, operator of Special Tees -- a division of the not-for-profit organization Community Resources, which is dedicated to the employment of persons with disabilities -- said 2019 was his biggest sales year yet. Before the pandemic we were having a banner year; we were doing great. Our biggest sales year ever was 2019. ...We print shirts for a lot of schools, Little Leagues, cheer teams, softball teams, etc... We do a lot of corporate accounts. We have contracts with FedEx, Saturday Night Live, the Lou Dobbs show and more, said Bonomi, who is director of affirmative business for Community Resources and has run Special Tees for the last 25 years. But on March 15, all operations were forced to shutter due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown. We were considered non-essential, and we had to lay off all our workers, said Bonomi, noting the majority of employees of Special Tees have a disability. Prior to March 15 we had upward of 30 people working in our print shop. This is remarkable, because these were 30 people who were thought to be unemployable. But we proved that to be wrong. Each employee makes New York state minimum wage, and they work in our productions shop. They do deliveries and help with customer sales. He noted that, while Special Tees operates a regular retail store, all profits and monies go back into the business to help support Community Resources programs and to hire more people, said Bonomi. We get no funding from the city and state, everything we do is based on our sales. We need to get orders so our folks can come back to work, said Bonomi. REINVENTING THE BUSINESS Once the shop could reopen, Bonomi said he knew he had to reinvent his offerings, as there would be less need for team shirts and some of the stores other big-selling items due to the ongoing pandemic. Thats when he found a way to stay relevant. He knew personal protective equipment was the way to go. I pivoted. I changed. I went on social media and started doing Facebook lives and other social media interviews. Anything I could do, we did. And we pivoted to selling PPE, hand sanitizers and masks. And we custom print any masks people want, he said. While this wasnt enough to get all the employees back working, Bonomi said he was able to rehire some of his workers. This production allowed me to slowly bring back some workers. First, it was five workers, then it was 11, and thats what we have now, he said, noting this was made possible, in part, by Community Resources getting some money from the government Paycheck Protection Program. A lot of his business these days is providing shirts and masks for different organizations frontline workers, he said. Not-for-profits love to help support their essential workers. Places, like Catholic Charities, wanted to give shirts and masks to their frontline workers, said Bonomi. Then we started doing small graduations, and a lot of Sweet 16s. Starting in April, Special Tees also provided T-shirts for drive-by birthday parties. Before the pandemic we were doing 5,000 shirts at a time, and now we are doing five at a time. We had to do what we had to do to survive, said Bonomi. #BESEENSTAYRELEVANT He also started a social media campaign, #BeSeenStayRelevant. Be seen, stay relevant is our catch phrase. ...I want people to order shirts so my guys can come back to work and print shirts. We dont want people to use the internet to order. By shopping locally youre putting people to work. Youre helping everyone, said Bonomi. He said his biggest concern is getting his employees back to work. I dont want to see an empty production floor. I want to see it full, and I want to see my guys laughing. When you have workers who suffer from a disability its all about routine and socialization, he said. We really are a family here. I remember these people coming in years ago, timid and afraid. Now theyre laughing, joking, being independent and going on vacations. It gives you such pride to see the change in these peoples lives. People say, Theyre a print shop, but we are changing lives. We are making people have better self-esteem and more socialization, added Bonomi. SPECIAL TEES HISTORY After receiving a grant from the city Department of Mental Health, Special Tees opened in 1995. In 2004, Special Tees merged with Community Resources, he said. We got a small grant back then to train and employ people with mental health disabilities, said Bonomi, noting at first the business was located in a small storefront on Father Capodanno Boulevard, before moving to the current office space and a production facility at 250 Buel Ave. in Dongan Hills. The company was one of the first businesses on the East Coast with the ability to print photographs on T-shirts. And after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, many personalized T-shirts were in demand. Unfortunately from bad things sometimes comes a positive, he said. With the negative of 9/11 came the demand for personalized photograph T-shirts. In addition to T-shirts, the company personalizes jackets, hoodies and sweatshirts, as well as promotional items, such as books, pens, mugs and backpacks, said Bonomi. But right now, during the pandemic, companies arent ordering these items, because they just dont have the funds to do it, he said. During these difficult times, businesses and not-for-profits want to keep their name out there. So when we get out of this, we hope people will say, They were there for us then, and they are here for us now, added Bonomi. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** OTHER LIFE UPENDED STORIES: Life Upended: Spray tan shop owner sees 90% drop in business Life Upended: 5050 Skatepark is on the brink of closing Life Upended: Im going through hell, says restaurant owner Life Upended: DJ with no income refers to a life in limbo during pandemic Life Upended: Devastating impact of coronavirus on Bin 5 owner and his wife Life Upended: As workers stay remote, Leos Deli owner faces loss of revenue Life Upended: Im broke...I just want to hold onto my restaurant, says Portobello Cafe owner Life Upended: Physical therapist trying to tough it out to stay open Life Upended: With Broadway shuttered, Staten Island performer turns to teaching Life Upended: $125K in debt, rock climbing gym owner fears closure Life Upended: New pizzeria owner, 22, struggling to hold on Life Upended: With no cases, lawyer starts cooking business amid pandemic Life Upended: Owner of tour guide business left with no income Life Upended: Dancing school owner forced to close after 35 years Life Upended: Personal stylist adapts as clothing no longer a priority Life Upended: Trainer trying to win $20K in fitness contest to stay afloat Life Upended: No opening date in sight for devastated owner of adult day care center Life Upended: In fight to survive, gym owner launches auto business Life Upended: With live concerts banned, musician struggles for survival Life Upended: With gyms still unable to open, dojo owner on brink of ruin Life Upended: Jewelry store owner trying not to give up Life Upended: 58-year-old forced to shutter new business, then mom gets coronavirus Life Upended: Comic shop owner is driven by memory of her late partner Life Upended: Left destitute, single mom focuses on helping others Life Upended: Despite ovarian cancer diagnosis amid coronavirus crisis, nail salon owner to open Monday Life Upended: A fight to keep beloved gift shop afloat Life Upended: With clients gone, single mom takes job shopping for senior citizens Life Upended: Laid off for the first time at age 62 Life Upended: I have 3,000 dresses and no buyers Life Upended: With her business closed, single mom fears losing everything Life Upended: I might have to retire with no money, says business owner, 77 FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER A CORK GP said he is prescribing anti-depressants to many patients unable to access counselling during lockdown. Dr Declan Mathews, of Emmet Place Family Practice in Youghal, said the number of people coming to him with mental health issues has risen due to extreme fear and worry around Covid. He added that while it was difficult to access counselling for patients pre-Covid, it has now become more challenging than ever. According to Dr Mathews, the alternative options to treat depression are more scarce during lockdown. A big worry for GPs is that we will miss someone who wants to harm themselves. The fear is that if patients dont get treatment they could act that out. The people coming to us arent seeking anti-depressants. They are presenting with mental health issues, depression being the most common, and Covid being the most glaringly obvious trigger. Many have suffered from depression and anxiety in the past. That isolation and fear has brought this on once again. Others have never experienced this and are coming to us for the first time. Dr Mathews also said that patients coming to him seeking help for mental health issues are getting younger; many are in their late teens and early twenties. He said that when it comes to serious mental health issues, virtual counselling sessions are not enough. Normally if we see someone who is depressed we will wait a while before prescribing an anti-depressant. We will prescribe counselling or behavioural therapy. However, I have no doubt in my mind that, of all the conditions you can treat over the phone, a serious mental health issue is not one of them. You need to see the person and how they are behaving. You need to enquire if they have thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Thats much easier to do when they are in front of you. If someone comes to me I have to assess how depressed they are. The diagnosis forms half of the consultation. The other half is spent easing the patients fear around taking anti-depressants. A lot of people dont like the idea of tablets because it reminds them that there is something wrong with them. They are afraid of getting hooked or that it will make them like a zombie. If I didnt devote this kind of time to a consultation you can bet that these tablets wont be taken and the patient will find themselves back to square one. He said that Covid restrictions have resulted in an increased need for anti-depressants during lockdown. Before, we would have been slower to give out anti-depressants. It would be unfair to say that counsellors have disappeared completely. Its just become more difficult and zoom is not quite the same as seeing someone in a person. Much of the time, the GP ends up becoming the counsellor, a role that we are not trained for, or are always good at. According to Dr Mathews, a patient will remain on anti-depressants for six months. Usually, well see a patient after 10 days to make sure there is no talk of self-harm and that they are taking the tablets. There can be bad days at the start, but within three to five weeks they are on their way to a better feeling and a better life Dr Mathews urged anyone struggling with depression or other mental health issues to speak to their GP. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 15:35:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian government will soon deploy a national COVID-19 vaccine registration for the administration of vaccines, a Fijian official said on Monday. Fiji's Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said in the parliament that the registration can be done in two ways when it starts. The first is by self-registration online and the second is by face to face. Khaiyum said Fiji was not willing to wait for handouts, but can buy vaccines directly, as this will help speed up the recovery of the country. Fiji is expected to get COVID-19 vaccine by the second half of this year, a World Health Organization (WHO)'s Representative for the South Pacific, Corine Capuano, said last month. Capuano said that they are working to find COVID-19 vaccines that will be more adaptive to Fiji's climate. Fiji is working to prepare for a vaccine deployment and inoculation plan, she said, adding that the country's preparedness for the COVID-19 vaccine arrival and rollout will be scaled up with WHO's assistance. Currently, the island nation is working to register all receivers planned for the first phase of vaccination. The priority group in phase 1 will include frontline workers and people aged 60 years and above. Fiji has had 56 cases in total, with one active case, 53 recoveries and two deaths, since its first case was reported on March 19 last year. The last 38 cases have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine. It has been 291 days since the last case was detected outside border quarantine on April 18 last year. Fiji still maintains a strict travel restriction for foreign visitors alongside a nationwide curfew effective from March 30 last year. Enditem Egypt is concentrating on strengthening its economic and security influence in Nigeria and consolidating relations with the ruling regime there. On Jan. 27, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a letter from his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari, which included a formal request from Nigeria to cooperate with Egypt in security fields, especially combating terrorism by organizing training courses and exchanging technical expertise. Buharis letter, delivered to Sisi by Nigerian Ambassador Joseph Kishi, dealt with ways to enhance Nigerian-Egyptian cooperation in the fields of the economy and trade, and how to benefit from Egypt's role in supporting Nigeria in infrastructure projects, particularly roads and power generation. The Egyptian interest in Nigeria has recently increased, stressed Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria Ihab Awad, during his meeting with Buhari Jan. 28. He said, Ties with Nigeria have grown stronger in recent years, in light of Egypt's keenness to do so. Samir Ghattas, head of the Middle East Forum for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor that the Egyptian-Nigerian relations include several areas, most notably the security field. Egypt supports Nigeria against the extremist organization Boko Haram. Cairo has decided to establish the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) regional anti-terrorism center, through which Nigeria receives security support by training its forces on how to combat terrorism and track down extremist groups. In December 2018, the Egyptian army invited several CEN-SAD countries for a joint military training, during which the Nigerian forces were trained on how to deal with various terrorist threats such as armed groups and the release of hostages. The Egyptian-Nigerian relations were not only limited to the security field but extended to the economic field, as many official Egyptian economic delegations visited Nigeria. Most prominently, Sherif Ismail, presidential aide for national and strategic projects, visited Nigeria in 2018 to discuss how the Egyptian companies could contribute to infrastructure projects in Nigeria. In 2016, Ibrahim Mahlab, then-presidential aide for national and strategic projects, visited Nigeria and met with many Nigerian businessmen to discuss investment in the real estate and energy sectors. On Jan. 15, Egypt and Nigeria agreed on cooperation and investment in the field of communications and technology. In February 2020, Egypt and Nigeria concluded a contract between the Egyptian National Authority for Military Production and the Nigerian Rungas Group, to establish a joint stock company for the production and manufacture of gasoline and natural gas cylinders in Nigeria. Egypt's insistence on strengthening its presence and influence in Nigeria coincides with Turkey's moves to establish a security and economic presence in Nigeria, in light of accusations that the Turkish regime is supporting the armed group Boko Haram in Nigeria. In 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Nigeria and Turkey signed several memoranda of understanding for cooperation in the industrial, commercial, energy and security fields. In January 2020, Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan visited Nigeria, as the country is Ankaras sixth-largest commercial market on the African continent, according to Turkeys Anadolu News Agency. Despite Turkeys interest in benefitting economically from the Nigerian market, the Nigerian authorities suspect that Ankara could be involved in arming and supporting Boko Haram, and have opened an investigation into the matter after intercepting an illegal arms shipment coming from Turkey in 2019. The Nigerian government is concerned about the continuous import of weapons from Turkey. In 2017 alone, four arms shipments arrived from there, Nigerian customs spokesman Joseph Atta, had told France24. Egyptian Ambassador Mona Omar told Al-Monitor, Egypt realizes that Nigeria has a strong presence and influence in all African forums and entities. Nigeria needs Egypt's support in confronting terrorism and extremist groups, which calls for security and political cooperation between the two countries. Omar added, Egypt hosts the CEN-SAD regional anti-terrorism center, which includes intelligence delegations most notably from Nigeria and the role of that center is to train Nigerian forces and others to combat terrorism and exchange intelligence information. In 2018, the Egyptian army announced the establishment of the CEN-SAD regional anti-terrorism center in Cairo, after the Egyptian Ministry of Defense delegation attended the meeting of the defense ministers of the CEN-SAD, held in the Nigerian capital Abuja in June 2018. Speaking about the economic cooperation between Egypt and Nigeria, Omar said, A large number of Egyptian companies invest in Nigeria most notably the Arab Contractors company which contributes to infrastructure projects. She noted, Egypt is religiously present in Nigeria through the Al-Azhar Foundation as well sending delegations from Al-Azhar and receiving Nigerian students at Al-Azhar University. In 2016, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, visited Nigeria and met with Buhari to discuss ways to confront extremist ideology. Speaking about the Turkish presence in Nigeria, Omar said, Turkey is working to flood the Nigerian market with Turkish products and projects to control the country, but there is a state of mistrust and popular anger toward Ankara since it is suspected of supporting Boko Haram. She added, Egypt's security support for Nigeria disturbs Turkey because supporting Nigeria's stability and training its forces weakens the extremist groups that Turkey relies on to implement its plans. Member of parliament Tarek Radwan told Al-Monitor, The Egyptian parliament plays an important role in consolidating relations with Nigeria through the visits of Egyptian parliamentary delegations. In October 2019, former Egyptian parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal visited Nigeria and discussed with his Nigerian counterpart, Femi Gbajabiamila, the laws required to combat terrorism. Turkey is using economic activities in Nigeria as a cover to fund extremist groups in the country, so the Egyptian role serves to strengthen and train Nigerian forces to undermine any suspicious Turkish support for extremist groups, Radwan noted. Taking a dig at TMC MP Derek O'Brien, PM Narendra Modi referred to TMC MPs speech on freedom of Speech and intimidation and asked him if he was referring to Bengal or the entire country. "I was listening to TMC MP Derek OBrien. He has chosen some good words like "Freedom of Speech" and "Intimidation" in his narration. While listening to his good words, I was wondering if he is referring about West Bengal or the country," PM Modi said. He was saying this while replying to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday where he spoke on multiple issues including the farmers protest, China standoff and Covid vaccination programme. Taking a jibe further on Derek's 'Freedom of Speech' and 'Intimidation' words, PM Modi added, "He sees all this for 24 hours, so he may have said the same here too. Soon, the MPs from Trinamool Congress staged a walkout as the PM replying to the Motion of Thanks to Presidents address. Responding to the Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, PM said, Bajwa sahab from Congress was also speaking. He was speaking in details and at one time, I thought he will touch the Emergency (period) during his speech. But he stopped just one step away from reaching Emergency period in his speech. India was disappointed with the Congress party and now you are doing it again too. On various adversities that India is passing through including the Covid pandemic, the Prime Minister said, "We all are fighting a lot of adversities. No one would have thought we will pass through such difficult times. We faced this difficult time and accepted the challenges. Now we are emerging from it. He said, "From the beginning of pandemic, the entire world is looking at India. Initially, when there were uncertainty over its medicine than world looked at Indian pharmaceuticals for the medicines. Even today, they are looking at us because India has undertaken the biggest vaccination programme." Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in April-May this year and the BJP has already launched a massive aggressive campaign highlighting farmers issues to oust Trinamool Congress government in the state. Yesterday, in a public rally in Haldia in West Bengal, PM Modi accused Mamata Banerjee of blocking central schemes and termed her rule as "Nirmamta Sarkar". Memories of beloved ones can inspire and shape your life. The times and moments Shirley Kandabu spent with her grandmother made her fall in love with weaving mats and baskets. Weaving involves coiling, plaiting and twining to produce a final craft. When her grandmother passed on, Kandabu thought of a way she could keep her alive in her daily life. "Some of the fondest memories I have of my grandmother Philomena Mbambu Kandabu are of her weaving mats and baskets. She would sit on the veranda for hours on end, her fingers skillfully and swiftly joining pieces of reed, weaving some of the most intricate patterns I have ever seen," recalls the social entrepreneur. Source of livelihood Her grandmother's craft was her source of livelihood. It was through sales of mats and baskets that her family got through days, months and years. From the sales of her mats at nearby markets, she was able to provide for her family and help send my father and his siblings to school, a conscious and intentional act which invariably broke the cycle of poverty in her family. This inspired Kanbadu to found the Icreate project, a platform that works to skill and connect low-income makers to market opportunities while providing inclusive financial products such as payments, savings and credit. The project was to shoot two birds with one stone; honour her grandmother's legacy and enable the impoverished break free from the shackles of poverty. As a social entrepreneur, Kandabu had to start a business that would yield fruits for a social cause. It is a kind of entrepreneurship where dividends are measured beyond profits, but have a lasting impact on people's lives. "Every day for us is about working to integrate Ugandan makers into the global economy and finding affordable ways of bringing their products to international market places," she says. It explains her dedication to setting up inclusive schemes that cater for needs of vulnerable communities. Knitting group With experience of handling a number of projects such as fora, workshops, research publications and moderating discussions at continental level, getting the business started was the next step. But where was the capital going to come from? They say the hardest part of any venture is getting started with finances not readily available. Kandabu was lucky to have a close knit group of friends and family willing to chip in. "My co-founders; Catherine Promise Okello Angol, Lauren Shipley, my mother, friends and family played a significant role in raising capital for our enterprise," she says. This was her turning point. Kanbadu gets it rough at times. The stumbling blocks include pricing, funding among others. While the business is deeply meaningful, struggles with both typical structural challenges and barriers occasionally arise. The biggest challenge is her products getting priced out. "While there is a growing appreciation for social oriented handcrafted products, I find that people are often hesitant to pay the full price. So in many instances, our products are often sold at a lower cost," she says. Financing business activities is another hiccup Kandabu has to deal with. "Unfortunately, when it comes to growing a socially conscious brand that places impact at the core of its work, we struggle with convincing investors and funders that are not seeing a return for five years as a worthy investment," she says. It is partly caused by the deficit from selling products at a lower cost. Struggling to sell products at market prices leads to a high cost of production. "In order to compete favourably in the market, our process takes longer and costs more, and that is a burden we need to accept Instead of lowering the quality of production," she adds. Products The artists Kandabu works with produce more than 15 handmade crafts a day, ranging from jewellery, fashion and apparel, skincare and beauty, home and Kitchen accessories. The product prices range from Shs10,000 to 100,000. Basket weaving has the Acholi style inspired baskets that are made from raffia and vera grass, which grows in the wild. This weaving technique has been passed down from generation to generation and supports the livelihoods of artisans across Uganda. These include laundry baskets, interior decorative wall baskets, storage decorative baskets, planting baskets. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women Uganda By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Jewellery making The jewellery pieces exemplify the richness made from multi-coloured recycled paper material. The jewellery supports Ugandan craftswomen and is sold in partnership with retailers around the world. The products include statement necklace pieces, bracelets, tassel earrings. She also makes textile and fabrication and the pieces are made from authentic versatile African kitenge materials, where culture and tradition blend perfectly with everyday style. These include Kimono, wrap skirts and a perfectly curated home collection. "While family and friends are our greatest support, they are also our biggest detractors. As humans, we are constantly engaging in social comparison, which is detrimental to entrepreneurs. This makes us fall short of their expectations," says Kandabu. Oxford Covid-19 vaccine shows sustained protection of 76% during 3-month interval until second dose Researchers at the University of Oxford have today published in Preprints with The Lancet an analysis of further data from the ongoing trials of the vaccine. The Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (VIDA) at Wits University runs the South African Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial. Professor Shabir Madhi, Executive Director of Wits VIDA and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University, leads these trials and he is a co-author in the Preprints. In releasing the data regarding sustained protection of 76% during the 3-month interval until the second dose, scientists at Oxford reveal that the vaccine efficacy is higher at longer prime-boost intervals, and that a single dose of the vaccine is 76% effective from 22- to up to 90-days post vaccination. The analyses reveal: Single standard dose efficacy from day 22 to day 90 post vaccination of 76% with protection not falling in this three-month period After the second dose vaccine efficacy from two standard doses is 82.4% with the 3-month interval being used in the UK. (82.4% effective, with a 95% confidence interval of 62.7% - 91.7% at 12+ weeks) Data supports the 4-12 week prime-boost dosing interval recommended by many global regulators Analyses of PCR positive swabs in UK population suggests vaccine may have substantial effect on transmission of the virus with 67% reduction in positive swabs among those vaccinated In this preprint, which is currently under review at The Lancet, they report on an analysis of additional data to include information from the trial up to the 7th December 2020, which includes a further 201 cases of primary symptomatic COVID-19 (332 cases from 131 reported in previously), they report that the effect of dosing interval on efficacy is pronounced, with vaccine efficacy rising from 54.9% with an interval of less than six weeks to 82.4% when spaced 12 or more weeks apart. They also detail that a single standard dose of the vaccine is 76% effective at protecting from primary symptomatic COVID-19 for the first 90 days post vaccination, once the immune system has built this protection 22 days after the vaccination, with the protection showing little evidence of waning in this period. Professor Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, and co-author of the paper, says, "These new data provide an important verification of the interim data that was used by more than 25 regulators including the MHRA and EMA to grant the vaccine emergency use authorisation. It also supports the policy recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for a 12-week prime-boost interval, as they look for the optimal approach to roll out, and reassures us that people are protected from 22 days after a single dose of the vaccine." The exploratory analyses presented in this preprint paper suggest that it is the dosing interval and not the dosing level which has a great impact on the efficacy of the vaccine. This is in line with previous research supporting greater efficacy with longer prime-boost intervals done with other vaccines such as influenza, Ebola and malaria. The authors also report further on the potential for the vaccine to reduce transmission of the virus, based on swabs obtained from volunteers in the UK arms of the trial with a 67% reduction after the first dose of the vaccine. They also hope to report data regarding the new variants in the coming days, and expect the findings to be broadly similar to those already reported by fellow vaccine developers. About the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, now known as AZD1222 co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech, is being trialled by the Universitys Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group. The team started working to develop a vaccine against coronavirus in January 2020. Developed at the Jenner Institute, the recombinant adenovirus vector ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 uses a viral vector based on a weakened version of the common cold virus (adenovirus) containing the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, which primes the immune system to attack COVID-19 if it later infects the body. Over 50,000 people to date have taken part in clinical trials of The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine sponsored by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and many more have received the vaccine through public vaccination programmes following emergency use licensure. It has been shown to be safe and well tolerated, although it can cause temporary side effects, such as a temperature, flu-like symptoms, headache or sore arm. The potential vaccine entered Phase III clinical trials in May to study safety and efficacy in healthy volunteers. In total, nearly 24,000 volunteers have joined the University of Oxford sponsored trial, in sites around the UK (approximately 12,000 volunteers), Brazil (approximately 10,000 volunteers) and South Africa (approximately 2,000 volunteers). Interim efficacy and safety data were published in The Lancet in December, including an extensive safety database of over 74,000 person months of safety data follow-up. Our partners, AstraZeneca, have committed to delivering billions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine across the globe in a broad, equitable, and timely way at no profit during the pandemic. This includes an agreement with the European Commission to supply up to 400 million doses, starting in early 2021 following the regulatory approval from the European Medicines Agency, with tens of millions of doses due to be supplied in February and March. Not for profit information As part of the agreement between University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, the vaccine will be supplied on a not-for-profit basis for the duration of the pandemic and in perpetuity for low- and middle-income countries, with any future royalties received by the University of Oxford being re-invested in the medical sciences. Funding This trial is funded by the National Institute for Health Research, UK Research and Innovation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lemann Foundation, and the South African Medical Research Council. We are grateful to the NIHR infrastructure provided through the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and the NIHR Clinical Research Network at the UK study sites. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. [February 08, 2021] CybelAngel Joins Next40 Index of Hyper-Growth Technology Innovators CybelAngel, a global leader in digital risk protection, today announced it has been added to the prestigious Next40 index of innovative, hyper-growth French technology companies. As noted by French technology authority La French Tech, Next40 membership means a start-up is "outperforming economically and paving the way for a new generation of entrepreneurs." Companies in the Next40 index benefit from initiatives specifically designed to support them, including unlimited access to services from more than 45 French government ministries, increased visibility in official delegations abroad and business opportunities with civil, defense, space and other state agencies. CybelAngel's selection for the exclusive, invite-only Next40 cohort caps a series of growth milestones less than a year from the company's $36 million Series B funding. Most recently, CybelAngel added Asset Discovery and Monitoring capabilities to the company's unmatched AI-powered, Digital Risk Protection Platform, allowing customers to discover and protect previously invisible and exposed devices and data, like manufacturing equipment, shadow IT services and IoT gear. "Our team owes CybelAngel's rapid growth and Next40 recognition first and foremost to our customers like Sanofi, L'Oreal and others around the world who placed their trust in us early on to protect their employees, operations and brands," said Erwan Keraudy, CEO, CybelAngel. "In the last year, despite tremendous global disruption, CybelAngel achieved remarkable growth thanks to the strength of our employees, investors and go to market partners." Guillaume Poupard, Director General of France's ANSSI (National Agency for the Security of Information Systems), added "ANSSI has closely followed the development of CybelAngel since the company's creation. CybelAngel's innovative solutions provide building blocks of great interest for building effective and pragmatic strategies for securing digital systems, in France as elsewhere in the world. I am delighted with the inclusion of CybelAngel in the Next40 index, a sign of recognition and confidence in its future development." With a larger global footprint, CybelAngel is ideally positioned to help more diverse organizations across industries meet the challenges of confronting and ovecoming evolving digital risks across their extended business, technology and customer relationships. Key milestones include: Executing on Strategic Investment Capital: Over the past year, CybelAngel secured an impressive $36 million Series B funding round, led by Prime Ventures, alongside TempoCap with participation from Bpifrance and Open CNP - giving the company a total of $52M raised to date. These funds drove investment to accelerate global expansion, build strategic partnerships and advance the capabilities of CybelAngel's Digital Risk Protection Platform. Over the past year, CybelAngel secured an impressive $36 million Series B funding round, led by Prime Ventures, alongside TempoCap with participation from Bpifrance and Open CNP - giving the company a total of $52M raised to date. These funds drove investment to accelerate global expansion, build strategic partnerships and advance the capabilities of CybelAngel's Digital Risk Protection Platform. Research Leadership: The rare depth and reach of CybelAngel's data exposure detection and analysis are illustrated in the company's high-profile " Full Body Exposure " report documenting how more than 45 million unique X-Ray and other medical images with personally-identifiable information are publicly exposed for cybercrime exploitation, despite years of global health data privacy awareness and mandates. The rare depth and reach of CybelAngel's data exposure detection and analysis are illustrated in the company's high-profile report documenting how more than 45 million unique X-Ray and other medical images with personally-identifiable information are publicly exposed for cybercrime exploitation, despite years of global health data privacy awareness and mandates. Expanding Geographic Footprint: CybelAngel is joining the Next40 at the same time that it is tripling the size of its international sales teams. The company now boasts new and expanded office locations in London and Boston, in addition to its Paris and New York offices. Expanding its team of sales, channel and research specialists in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, CybelAngel is rapidly scaling opportunities to sell and partner with more types of enterprises and solution providers. CybelAngel is joining the Next40 at the same time that it is tripling the size of its international sales teams. The company now boasts new and expanded office locations in London and Boston, in addition to its Paris and New York offices. Expanding its team of sales, channel and research specialists in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, CybelAngel is rapidly scaling opportunities to sell and partner with more types of enterprises and solution providers. Growth in Key Industry Sectors: CybelAngel's Digital Risk Protection Platform gives more customers across industries actionable awareness of imminent risk to confidential data and other assets. From measurable Data Breach Prevention through early detection of data exposure, to continuous Third-Party Risk Assessments, CybelAngel's platform is ideally suited to help companies manage evolving digital risks during business transformations, remote work shifts and other change forces. CybelAngel counts pharmaceutical, financial, telecommunications, consumer and luxury goods, and manufacturing among its strategic customer sectors experiencing the greatest growth entering the new year. Industry case studies and other resources are available here. "The last year reminds everyone that risk is unyielding and omnipresent. No one can answer every conceivable scenario, however boards, C-Suites, insurance, regulatory and other stakeholders place a greater premium on gaining visibility over changing digital risk factors, to prevent otherwise unmanaged risks from creating worst-case consequences," added Todd Carroll, CybelAngel's CISO. "We are excited about serving a wider set of organizations and analyzing more about the global state of risk and industries, for the greater good." Follow CybelAngel for the latest details on research, events and other news. Twitter (News - Alert) : @CybelAngel LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybelangel/ About CybelAngel CybelAngel is the world-leading digital risk protection platform that detects and resolves external threats before these wreak havoc. Because more data is being shared, processed or stored outside the firewall on cloud services, open databases and connected devices, the digital risk to enterprises has never been greater. Organizations worldwide rely on CybelAngel to discover, monitor and resolve external threats across all layers of the Internet, keeping their critical assets, brand and reputation secure. To learn more, visit CybelAngel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005605/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Former Vice President of The Gambia nominated by President Adama Barrow for the position of deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission had withdrawn her candidature in concession by ECOWAS to favour Nigeria's bid for Commissioner for Peace and Security in the African Union instead. This is not the first time The Gambia loses its bid for such a high profile position in the AU or ECOWAS, analysts say. Meanwhile, at the AU Summit which was recently held, it was decided that Senegalese President Macky Sall will be the next chairman of the AU - from 2022 to 2023. Nigeria's minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama told reporters after the virtual extraordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari's Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo that ECOWAS Heads of State and Government agreed to step down their candidates in favour of a Nigerian candidate as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari. "ECOWAS Heads of States had an extraordinary summit via videoconference and decided to have Ghana and The Gambia step down their candidates for deputy chairperson of the AU. This means that I am no longer in the running for deputy chairperson of the AUC. Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Gambia all also withdrew their commissioner candidates as well, in order to allow Nigeria to run as a sole regional candidate as commissioner of peace," Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang announced on her Facebook wall on Saturday afternoon. The official opening of the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union was addressed by South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa as chairperson of the African Union (AU); the AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and the incoming AU Chairperson Felix Antoine Tshisekedi. The session witnessed DRC's Tshisekedi take over as chairperson followed by elections of the AU Commission (AUC). According to reports monitored by The Point over the weekend, this is the first AU Commission election since the body's reform process begun in 2017 under the guidance of President Paul Kagame's executive. The new structure of the AUC is to be composed of eight members. They are the chairperson, deputy chairperson and six commissioners. "Since my nomination by The Gambia government in September 2020, I have been busy campaigning but like the saying goes, man proposes but God disposes. Today as the voting process of the new AU commission kicks off, I would like to thank all those who have supported my campaign," Madam Jallow-Tambajang said on Saturday. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. She pledges her commitment to continue supporting the reform and growth of the African Union and wish the incoming commission the best of luck: "Above all, I will continue to champion the cause of African women as I've always done throughout my career... " Meanwhile, Nigeria's Vice President Mr. Onyeama wants Nigerians to recognise the concession gesture as "a sign of the great respect African leaders have for President Muhammadu Buhari." The former eight commissioners of the AU have now been reduced to six, with the merger of the roles of Commissioner for Peace and Security with Political Affairs, and of Commissioner for Economic Development with Trade and Industry. The new rules stipulate that the six commissioner posts will be equally distributed by gender across the three regions that are not represented at chairperson and deputy chairperson levels. Ms. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, 50, was the deputy governor of the National Bank of Rwanda who got elected vice chairperson of the African Union Commission. She pulled 42 votes in the final round of voting from the 55 member states, edging out seven other contestants for the job. Pap Saine contributes to the reporting of this story. Over 5,000 new flora and fauna have been recorded and added to the Seychelles' biodiversity database through a photo competition organised by the Plant Conservation Action group. The iNaturalist photo competition, which took place between mid-October and mid-December last year, was organised in an effort to promote citizen science and data collection in Seychelles. It also served as a way to upgrade the biodiversity database as well as the nation's plant gallery. iNaturalist is a website hosting an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature. It is also a crowdsourced species identification system and an organism occurrence recording tool. Members of the Plant Conservation Action group described the competition as having "provided astonishing results, going far beyond any of our expectations" in a press release. "Out of the total current number of iNaturalist species observations for plants and animals of Seychelles, amounting to 9,190, this photo competition contributed 5,073 new records - 55 percent - within just one month. This iNaturalist photo competition has contributed about 100 records of newly introduced plants, representing at least 57 different species. This is a very significant increase in our knowledge of the introduced ornamental flora," it read. All participants had to take pictures of animals and plants they came across, and upload them to the Seychelles Bio Gallery. The competition had a scoring point system and at the end of the contest, and winners were participants who have accumulated the highest overall points. A ranger at the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF), Lee-Roy Estrale, contributed the most observations --1,721 -- during the competition, earning him the first place with a score of 1,853. The second and third place went to Gilberte Gendron and Maria Brioche who made 1,453 and 1,209 observations respectively. Estrale told SNA that this was his first participation in such a competition and "it was a bit challenging as I didn't really know how to start but I started anyway, taking pictures of whatever I came across." He said that along the way, he learned how to do it properly and since he was on leave during that time he could move around a lot. "So the photos are from different locations, but most were taken on Praslin. I went on the main road, on trails to find some rare plants, and into national parks. The species I discovered through the competition are mushrooms - I do not think that we have a large database about mushrooms in the country. We see them a lot but do not really know what they are. After posting a photo of a mushroom on the platform, a day or two later a person identifies the mushroom or the closest related family. It might be a mushroom that we do not know about yet," added Estrale. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Seychelles Entertainment Wildlife By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. A rapid screening of the species allowed the Plant Conservation Action group to flag five of the observations as being potentially invasive and hence require more monitoring. "Four of them are likely invaders of degraded or secondary habitats, but the last one has a high potential to affect pristine montane forest areas, where most of the Seychelles endemic flora concentrates. This potentially invasive species - the Cyathea cooperi - of high concern, is a very beautiful and easy growing tree fern. It is known to threaten native biodiversity in La Reunion, Mauritius and Hawaii," the group said in a press release. During the same competition, a fern - Pteris barklyae - on Mahe was rediscovered after the loss of the only known population a few years ago. These observations form part of the iNaturalist project Seychelles Bio Gallery. Through the collection of data, professionals and the conservation ecologist community of Seychelles can learn the exact geographic coordinates of threatened species, providing an important contribution to our knowledge on biodiversity distribution in Seychelles. "We hope that this initiative does not stop after the excitement of the competition and that Seychellois iNaturalists will keep observing nature and help us build awareness on citizen science and the best tools to do it. Everybody can make discoveries and contribute to more sustainable management of our precious biodiversity," said the conservation group. Siemens Energy and Air Liquide have signed an agreement to combine their expertise in PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technology for sustainable hydrogen production. They intend to focus their activities on these key areas: co-creation of large industrial-scale hydrogen projects in collaboration with customers, laying the ground for mass manufacturing of electrolyzers in Europe, especially in Germany and France, and R&D activities to co-develop next generation electrolyzer technologies. Hydrogen will play an essential role to achieve the European Unions objectives for CO2 and greenhouse gas emission reduction. In order to meet rapidly growing demand, and to lower costs, it is key to accelerate the production of sustainably generated hydrogen through large-scale PEM electrolyzers. In the framework of their cooperation Siemens Energy and Air Liquide will jointly apply for large projects funding under the EUs Green Deal and Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)-scheme for hydrogen, funded by the French and German Governments. The IPCEI-funding is required to fast start those activities and meet the challenging timeline set out by the European Green New Deal, the EU Hydrogen Strategy as well as the French and German National Hydrogen Strategies. With this cooperation, Siemens Energy and Air Liquide will strengthen their core competencies enabling the emergence of a sustainable hydrogen economy in Europe and to initiate a European ecosystem for electrolysis and hydrogen technology together with other partners. The partners have already identified cooperation opportunities for large scale sustainable hydrogen projects both in France, Germany and other European countries. One of these opportunities is the Air Liquide-H2V Normandy project in France with a capacity of 200 MW, one of the most ambitious European projects for hydrogen production from renewable energies. Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy said: Building up a sustainable hydrogen economy will still require to amend the framework conditions in the energy market. However, it will be through partnerships and collaboration that we can shape this market. We highly appreciate to co-create innovative solutions with Air Liquide. Collectively we will overcome the challenges that lie ahead to industrialize the technology and make sustainably generated hydrogen a success story. Benoit Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, said: Hydrogen is a key enabler of the energy transition. In the context of an unprecedented acceleration in Europe of hydrogen technologies and markets, the time to scale-up is now, notably in France and Germany. The partnership between Air Liquide and Siemens Energy paves the way for the creation of a leading European ecosystem capable of supplying decarbonised hydrogen at competitive prices and promoting the emergence of a low-carbon society. We look forward to this Franco-German cooperation. - TradeArabia News Service The US Senate voted on Thursday night to include a measure in the COVID-19 relief bill to prevent the administration of President Joe Biden from relocating the US Embassy in Israel from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv. Three senators, Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tom Carper (D-DE), voted against the amendment, which was introduced by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK). The amendment was an easy pass. Despite objections from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle when former President Donald Trump ordered the US Embassy transferred to Jerusalem in 2017, Democrats shied away from the issue in the 2020 presidential race. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his confirmation hearing last month that the Biden administration would not move to reverse the decision. The Trump administration sold the US ambassadors residence in Herzliya, outside Tel Aviv, for $87 million last year to the late Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino magnate, Republican party donor and friend of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move was seen by some observers as a way to help prevent the subsequent US administration from reversing the move. Though Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both offered rhetorical support for moving the embassy to Jerusalem during their presidencies, both administrations declined to do so. Trump's order to move the embassy to Jerusalem broke with longstanding US government precedent of respecting the city as the future seat of a Palestinian state as well as the Israeli capital. The day of the embassy's opening ceremony was also the 70th anniversary of Israels founding. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. 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. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder prices in the country have been hiked. Almost every house in the country has an LPG connection which is mainly used for cooking purposes. Hence, the increase in the price of LPG cylinders will affect almost every household in India. A non-subsidised 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi and Mumbai is now available for Rs 719, according to Indian Oil Corporation. In Kolkata, an LPG cylinder will cost Rs 745 while in Chennai it will cost Rs 735. Before the hike, an LPG cylinder cost Rs 694 in Delhi and Mumbai, Rs 720.50 in Kolkata and Rs 710 in Chennai. The new rates were put in effect on February 4, 2021. Here are the current prices per cylinder of Indane non-subsidised LPG in the four metros effective February 4, 2021: Delhi: Rs 719 Mumbai: Rs 719 Kolkata: Rs 745 Chennai: Rs 735 LPG cylinder prices were hiked by oil companies twice in December 2020. Prices for LPG cylinders had remained unchanged in January 2021. Hence, it was expected that oil companies would hike LPG prices in February 2021. State-run oil companies determine the price of LPG cylinders. The prices are revised on a monthly basis depending on US dollar-rupee exchange rate and international fuel rates. The government is currently giving subsidy to consumers on sale of LPG cylinders. After purchase, the subsidy amount is sent to the consumer's registered bank account. Also Read: LPG price today: Rates of cooking gas, commercial gas cylinders hiked; check out latest prices Fresh from controversy and GOP censure for her sparsely followed vote on impeachment, House Republican Conference leader Rep. Liz Cheney is putting some new plans on the table for Getting Trump. Speaking on Chris Wallace's Fox News show, she suggested that the impeachment vote wasn't enough. Now she's joining the Democrats to look for criminal prosecution of President Trump. According to left-wing Rolling Stone: The Senate [impeachment] trial is a snapshot. There is a massive criminal investigation underway. There will be a massive criminal investigation of everything that happened on January 6th and in the days before," Cheney continued, "People will want to know exactly what the president was doing. They will want to know, for example, whether the tweet that he sent out calling Vice President Pence a coward while the attack was underway whether that tweet, for example, was a premeditated effort to provoke violence[.] ... There will be many, many criminal investigations looking at every aspect of this that everyone who was involved, as there should be. She built her call to criminal investigation on a bed of leftist lies. She claimed that conservatives were "misled" to believe that Antifa was behind the attack, which, based on arrests, actually has some substance but is hardly the big claim out there. Most conservatives are as in the dark as anyone, given that most attendees at the rally engaged in absolutely zero violence and expressed only love for Trump, which she fails to acknowledge. She stuck to her guns in claiming that President Trump planned and incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, citing an unrelated Trump tweet about Mike Pence being "a coward." That contradicts what the FBI found as it made arrests, showing lots of pre-planning, including diversionary bombs, and for that matter what the New York Times found about the type of people arrested (mostly marginals and apoliticals who never voted). All of that contradicts her miserable narrative about Trump being involved in some supposed pre-planning to overturn the election through a riot. While Trump's tweet was not lovely, it was no proof of pre-planning. It was Trump in a fury, not Trump planning and calculating mayhem, as if an unarmed and often confused mob spontaneously getting out of control in the halls of Congress, was actually an effective means for overturning the election, just to start. She also claimed that Trump tried to steal the election, which is utterly, utterly false. Democrats did that and succeeded, and all you have to do is ask the parade of witnesses about all the election frauds the failed signature matches, the mixed ballots out of their envelopes, the uncreased ballots printed out all for Biden alone, the truck-drivers bringing ballots to be counted in one state after they'd already been counted in another, the junk-mail mass mail ballots, the vote-harvesting, the people who got multiple ballots (I know some), the suitcases with after-hours ballot counts, the strange midnight stoppages solely in four swing states, the phony water main breaks, the counties with more votes than voters, the blocking of GOP observers even with court orders from observing the actual count, and the strange lack of coattails of Joe Biden in his victory while Trump brought many more Republicans in. Oh, and don't forget the pre-planned plotting of corporate America, Big Tech, Black Lives Matter, Big Labor, and the NeverTrumps to rig the election and call it "fortified." They even admitted it, in Time, but somehow Liz didn't mention it. All was free and fair, see, so any protests or discomfort with the result are simply baseless. She says Trump's the one who tried to steal the election, and what's more, the 2020 election, which her party lost, was all free and fair, same as Democrats claim. She took some shots at Marjorie Taylor Greene and claimed that the GOP is full of anti-Semites, of all things, claiming she didn't like Democrats determining their committee assignments while claiming that Greene should have been removed by them, which is the exact same thing. All this while saying nothing of openly anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar. She's actually lying by ignoring facts with her gibberish and embracing the leftist narrative. Her every last statement was dripping with hate for President Trump and, clearly, the tens of millions of voters who elected him. She wants Trump out, and apparently herself there to take his place, bringing back all that voters hated about the Bush administration, of which she was completely a part. More bailing out Paul Wolfowitz by employing his foreign girlfriend to do what she liked around the State Department (which was something Liz did) at a gargantuan salary, as well as more getting Americans into more endless foreign wars with lots of them getting maimed and killed, all for those Afghan girl literacy programs, nation-building, and other useless junk. She's what conservatives can't stand about Republicans, yet she seems to be feeling her oats. She spent more than nine minutes of her 11-minute interview with Wallace speaking of the need to rid the party of President Trump, and too bad about what the voters want. They were never mentioned, see, and we know why that is. She spent one minute dryly saying Joe Biden should reverse his position on the Keystone XL pipeline, which grossly affects her state. Rest assured that as she sucks up to Democrats, good luck with that, Liz. Unlike her, Democrats know a suck-up when they see one, and they respect party loyalty. Democrats vote together and can't respect someone who goes against the voters of her own party. Liz, on the other hand, obscenely cites Lincoln as her justification for hating Trump, as the pervert-scarred Lincoln Project did, implying that Lincoln, who had all kinds of dictatorial actions in his wartime presidency (look up habeas corpus), was a gentle democracy-lover and hugely different from Trump, which he was not. It's a power-grab. It's Cheney's pleasure at keeping her GOP leadership seat, by secret ballot, where the congressional members who secretly voted for her faced no consequences from voters. That's very different from what they say and vote for in public, to cite what's going to happen in the Senate trial, where every vote is public. Impeachment so cherished by Liz withers on the vine when the vote is public because Trump has the support of the Republican voters, who by and large stand by him. Unlike her, they refuse to buy into the leftist fever narrative and instead prefer the facts of the case (something Liz paid lip service to regarding the Senate vote in her Wallace interview but certainly not in her rush-to-judgment House impeachment vote), which is why the Senate vote will fail. She's a viper in the nest, somehow ensconced with the GOP establishment. She never understood why Trump was elected, and now she imagines that with Trump out of office, she can hunt him down and ruin him for phony crimes never committed with absolutely no consequences, just the room to rise in his place. She thinks the voters are stupid with this and will rapidly forget President Trump if she can eliminate him. That ought to be duly noted. Nobody quite deserves to be thrown out as much as this voter-hating, lie-promoting, phony conservative bounder. Image: Screen shot from shareable Fox News video via YouTube. Her show was one of the first to jump back into production following a months-long hiatus when virtually all filming was stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And Hilary Duff looked ready for business as she filmed scenes of Younger with co-star Sutton Foster in New York City on Monday morning. The 33-year-old actress hid her baby bump underneath a plush black coat as she got into character for her role as a book editor on the popular program. Ready to work: Hilary Duff looked ready for business as she filmed scenes of Younger with co-star Sutton Foster in New York City on Monday morning Hilary's warm coat draped down below her ankles and she added inches to her frame with a pair of black pumps. She added a pop of color with a vibrant red scarf to match bold red lips, and she carried a white leather tote in one hand. The Lizzie McGuire star parted her bright blonde hair down the middle and worn back in a low bun, with dangling gold earrings framing her face. Focused: The 33-year-old actress hid her baby bump underneath a plush black coat as she got into character for her role as a book editor on the popular program After filming, Hilary swapped her heels for a more comfortable pair of UGGS and carried a reusable water bottle in addition to her new favorite - the colorful Mid Lei Lei Pouch from the ALOHA Collection. Sutton looked equally as chic in a double-breasted coat with gold buttons as she pounded the pavement in brown suede boots. Both stars stayed safe amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing white disposable face masks between takes. Just a touch up: The Lizzie McGuire star parted her bright blonde hair down the middle and worn back in a low bun, with dangling gold earrings framing her face Whatever it takes: Both stars stayed safe amid the coronavirus pandemic by wearing white disposable face masks between takes Hilary has played Kelsey Peters for six seasons of the Darren Starr-created program, which is now in its seventh run, making the show TVLand's longest running original series in the network's history. The seventh season was originally supposed to begin filming in March 2020, but was pushed back to October due to the coronavirus. Duff announced she's expecting her second child with husband Matthew Koma late last year. She also has an eight-year-old son, Luca, with ex Mike Comrie. Watch Younger on Stan in Australia. Carl A. Gerstacker is well-known as one of the members of the extraordinary troika consisting of Carl Gerstacker, Herbert D. Doan, and Ben Branch that ran The Dow Chemical Company from 1962-1971. He was also the chairman of The Dow Chemical Company (1960-1976), co-founder of the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, co-founder of the Midland Area Community Foundation, with his wife, Esther Schuette, and a lifelong philanthropist contributing to community-building in Midland and beyond. But few know of his work during World War II. Local historian, Ellis N. Brandts homage to Carl Gerstacker, Chairman of the Board (published in 2003), provides a good outline of his involvement, but a recently discovered group of historical papers donated to the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, including all his correspondence and military orders from 1938-1946, allows fuller documentation of Gerstackers wartime story. These papers, among a group of other correspondence, genealogical charts, photos, and newspaper clippings, had been in New York at the home of Sandra Schuette Joys, a Gerstacker family member, and they were sent to Lisa Gerstacker at the Gerstacker Foundation in 2019. The papers were in no particular order, but after several weeks of sorting, archivist/historian Tawny Ryan Nelb, was able to analyze the contents and put the papers into a commonsense arrangement. Unexpectedly, thousands of pages were Carl Gerstackers military records. These military orders and correspondence were a rich resource for telling the history of this period, each document a piece of the puzzle. Born among the Greatest Generation Gerstacker, a member of the so-called Greatest Generation, was born on Aug. 6, 1916, in Cleveland, Ohio. Beginning at age 5, Carl Gerstacker and his sister, Elsa, summered in Midland, where his Aunt Elsa and Uncle James Pardee, then chairman of the Dow Chemical Board of Directors, had a summer home in an old farmhouse on Main Street. Later, the Pardees built a home designed by Alden B. Dow on the corner of Main and Revere Streets. Carl Gerstacker attended the University of Michigan, graduating on June 11, 1938, and during this time he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in the Ordnance course. He commented he took the ROTC classes, because you got paid 20 cents a day ($3.68 in todays money) in those days.Twenty cents a day was good stuff. When I graduated, I was a second lieutenant in the reserves. I made up my mind to resign as soon as I could, but you couldnt resign immediately. After graduation, he started working at Dow Chemical for $115 per month while he continued active-duty training as a reserve officer as directed. Although trained as a chemical engineer, he became an auditor for Dowell, Dows oil well servicing subsidiary. Despite his lack of experience in accounting, he couldnt be picky since there was a mini recession at the time. At Dow, he was under the supervision of Charlie Penhaligen, who pounded into him the importance of carefully and accurately analyzing everything. As mentioned earlier, Carls uncle was James Pardee, the then chairman of the Board at Dow Chemical, and he wasnt sure if people were being nice to him because of his status as nephew to the chairman or because he was good at his job. He saw his stint in the Army as an opportunity to go somewhere where no one knew him, and he said, I felt that maybe I could go through a period of understanding and feeling more self-confident. 'You're going to be an artillery expert' In the fall of 1940, hed saved enough to buy a car. But ever the planner, with war already raging in Europe and the U.S. Army already increasing its troops to 375,000 enlisted men, he knew that as a reserve officer he was subject to immediate call to duty. He didnt want a new car on his hands, just in case. When he contacted the Army to ask if he was likely to be called up, they ordered him to report as soon as he was available for one year of active duty. Years later, he said, I was so naive. I cant believe it. The Japanese have a saying, Its the nail that sticks up that gets hit on the head. Thats true of the Army. They might have forgotten me. He reported to the Detroit Ordnance District in December 1940, and with his ROTC training in ordnance, the colonel in charge said, Youre going to be an artillery expert. He was inducted as a Second Lieutenant on Dec. 11, 1940. He was sent to the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois on Feb. 15, 1941, for six weeks training as an Army inspector for ordnance with special attention to the 37 mm gun carriage that would be produced in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois first opened in 1862, and it was a pivotal resource for helping mobilize American industry for the war effort. As early as 1939, the arsenal developed a plan to have responsible private companies with qualified engineering staff and facilities produce Army ordnance. The arsenal provided technical supervision for the manufacture of tanks, artillery, and machines guns, and private manufacturers visited the arsenal to study its operations. With the United States not yet officially in the war, the signing of the Lend-Lease Act by President Roosevelt on March 11, 1941, provided weapons to strategically important nations struggling against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Retooling American private industry for war production was critical, and a major factor in the eventual Allied victory over the Axis Powers. While at the Rock Island Arsenal, Gerstacker studied artillery production by working with the men building weapons, and then he specialized in manufacturing techniques and inspection procedures for 37 mm anti-tank gun carriages. Prior to his training at Rock Island Arsenal, he had been assigned to the Duplex Printing Press Co. in Battle Creek, Michigan, a troubled, almost bankrupt company that had been contracted to make 37 mm gun carriages for the British, and they had missed several scheduled deadlines. Here, his organizational and financial skills came to bare as he reorganized the top management, who mostly came from the automobile industry, to supervise about 500 workers. He said, I was put in charge of teaching them how to do it and seeing that they did it right. He commented, It gave me a lot of self-confidence that I could do things where nobody knew me. He looked a lot older than his 24 years since he lost his hair early, and he said in the Army, since no one knew him, I had a chance to have more responsibility because I looked older. His attention to detail, drummed into him by Dows Charlie Penhaligen, showed them he wasnt a pushover despite his young age, and he was going to look at every expense to make sure it matched the budget. He also discovered that one of the managers had alcohol abuse problems that disrupted his oversight skills, and Gerstacker talked him into resigning. In April 1941, he came down with the measles and was quarantined at Ft. Custer, Michigan in Ward 11 (called the Pest House) of the Station Hospital for a few weeks. A reputation as a top troubleshooter After his release from the hospital, he was made a First Lieutenant on June 20, 1941. The important work continued at the Duplex Printing Press Co. in Battle Creek. The company produced its first 37 mm gun carriage in July 1941 and began full-scale production. After a year on the job, the company received the Army-Navy E Award for excellence as a military supplier. Meanwhile, the Ordnance Department in Detroit added more MrFixit responsibilities to Gerstackers portfolio, so he commuted back and forth between Detroit and Battle Creek. Despite wanting to go abroad and join his friends who were fighting in the South Pacific, his organizational skills kept him firmly stateside as he was already building a reputation as a top troubleshooter for the Army Ordnance department, and according to Gerstacker, they wouldnt let me go. On Oct. 29, 1941, Gerstacker was promoted temporarily to Chief of Artillery Division in the Detroit Ordnance District. He was responsible for about 100 ordnance inspectors around Michigan who were imbedded in businesses making war equipment like he had been. This required him to not only travel throughout the state but also go to arsenals such as Watertown Arsenal in Watertown, Massachusetts, ordnances offices in Washington, D.C. and the Erie Proving Ground in La Carne, Ohio. The disastrous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a vivid example of why anti-aircraft guns were so important for the war effort, and Gerstacker knew his work was making a difference. In a letter to his parents, Eda and Rollin Gerstacker, Carl commented, It seems as if Im in a dream from which I shall soon awake to find that life is normal again.Tomorrow Im going to Flint to tell the superintendent of Chevrolet there how to make guns, then to Buick to tell them how, then to Fisher Body in Grand Rapids, and finally to Duplex in Battle Creek. Am I really dreaming? On May 16, 1942, he was promoted to captain to oversee manufacturers of 37 mm and 57 mm (both anti-tank), 75 mm (anti-aircraft and field), and 3-inch mobile artillery carriages and was assigned to one of the first Industry Integrating Committees for Light Mobile Carriages. Gerstacker commented that the head of Army Ordnance decided he wanted all the companies making similar equipment to help each other. Gerstacker commented this type of company trust agreement would be illegal in normal times, but during the war, the companies could form groups so that if one company was short of something, another company could help them out. If one company could make a part better, that company would make that part in order to push out more stuff and do it better. One officer and one civilian would be in charge of these combines. Such collaboration made all the difference to the war effort. "Every gun I get out may mean the difference between victory and defeat' In January 1943, Gerstacker moved to Reading, Pennsylvania as part of the Philadelphia Ordnance District to be embedded with Parrish Pressed Steel Co., and he worked with multiple companies. Later he said, I have to take my work seriously. For one thing, thats my nature, and secondly, I feel that every gun I get out may mean the difference between victory and defeat. Everything pales into insignificance besides the job of winning the war. If I felt that I was not doing my best, I would be ashamed to live in freedom. During this period, he had a great administrative education working collaboratively with so many geographically separated companies from Regina, Saskatchewan, to Lafayette, Louisiana, to Biddeford, Maine. Sometimes, he worked alongside the tank men from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. helping them repair artillery. Gerstacker wrote his parents, You should see your son sitting astride a gun barrel on a halftrack sawing away with a hack saw. Im not very smart but you taught me one thing so well that Ill never forget it and that is to work hard at whatever you do. If you do that, you dont have to be so smart. 'Seems like everything I work on is an extreme emergency' On June 13, 1943, he was assigned to take on a carriage section of the artillery branch that was in trouble and spend significant time in Washington D.C., and then he continued his intense work with various midwestern companies. For example, during one three-week trip in September regarding production of paratroop equipment and ammunition trailers, Gerstacker went by train or car from Reading, Pennsylvania to Milwaukee, Brillion, Appleton, and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Lansing, Michigan and then travelled back and forth repeatedly between all of these cities during those weeks. He commented, seems like everything I work on is an extreme emergency. Although the heads of companies usually received credit for what was achieved, one of them, The Heil Company in Milwaukee which made artillery air delivery accessories, wrote to Gerstackers superiors saying, We very much appreciated the assistance given us by Captain Gerstacker who truly worked hard on this project and deserves much credit for its being accomplished on time. Despite such accolades, he began to feel guilty about not being in the thick of battle as even his married friends or those with physical problems were being sent to the South Pacific while he was young, healthy, and single. So finally, on Nov. 20, 1943, eager for duty overseas, he went to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to train for field duty. The Aberdeen Proving Ground was established in Harford County, Maryland in 1917, for the acceptance testing of field artillery weapons, trench mortars, and ammunition. Over the decades, it grew to include bomb testing, research and development facilities, safety, and anti-aircraft gun testing. When World War II began in Europe in 1939, Aberdeen expanded its programs to include testing vehicles and even testing for ordnance captured from the enemy not only to preserve and exhibit it, but also to analyze its characteristics for use against those weapons still at the war front. A rocket division was added in 1943. Weapons were sometimes shipped directly from the Aberdeen weapons depot to respond to emergency needs such as for the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, when every 155 mm and 240 mm howitzer on hand was shipped out of Aberdeen, along with many 57 mm and 8-inch guns. 'Am afraid my chances of going overseas were not very good' Gerstacker was required to bring overalls for the work, and class work and drills were the order of the day for him. Writing to his parents, he said, Ive learned a lot. Am afraid my chances of going overseas were not very good. They have a lot of officers doing nothing but waiting for an assignment and many more who could be more easily replaced than I and who are better trained for field duty. Ultimately, his superiors refused to allow his transfer overseas, and he returned to Reading, Pennsylvania and continued his supervision of multiple companies, especially in the Midwest. On Jan. 12, 1944, he was transferred to duty with the Chicago Ordnance District to work as a field representative of the Mobile Carriage Branch. He followed up on production and inspection problems and made sure mandatory engineering revisions were incorporated. On May 30, 1944, he is transferred to the New York City office of the Ordnance Department, where he stayed for the remainder of the war. He was embedded with the R. Hoe Company in the Bronx, New York. R. Hoe had been pivotal early on developing special assembly methods, and Gerstacker was soon working as the Ordnance Representative to the Major Caliber Anti-Aircraft Carriage Industry Integration Committee where he assembled an historical report on their work. A major promotion In early 1945, Gerstacker was frustrated by the delays in gaining his next promotion and said the general he talked to about it said, he would make me major tomorrow if he had vacancies said my efficiency report was highest he had ever seen. Unfortunately, his father, Rollin, died of a heart attack on March 2, 1945, before seeing his sons final promotion, and then Carl was hospitalized for a week with pneumonia on May 1, 1945. The Army finally acknowledged and recognized his skills, and Gerstacker was promoted to major on June 1, 1945. On Aug. 1, 1945, he was transferred back to Washington, D.C. as special assistant to the chief of the Anti-Aircraft and Fire Control Branch of the Artillery Division. This work was primarily production follow-up and making decisions on post-war disposition of materials and equipment. On Sept. 18, 1945, about two weeks after the war ended officially, Gerstacker was assigned to the Arthur D. Little Co. in Boston for six months to school them on artillery since they had been contracted to develop a plan to store World War II artillery in case of another war. Gerstacker commented, Of all the stupid things, anybody who would think that the artillery would fit the manner of war 50 years later, but we did it. A letter from Dow Chemical He thought about staying with the Army. He could have retired after twelve more years and said, I didnt figure wed have another war in the next 12 years, so it would be kind of a nice life. I would go to college, take courses and fool around. Imagine how different his life, and the life of Midland, Michigan would have been if he had chosen that path. But his destiny was to be different. He got a letter from Stephen Starks saying Dow Chemical wanted to rehire him. There was, in fact, a World War II era law, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, that required companies to rehire veterans to the same or a substantial equivalent postwar job, but besides that, he liked Dow. His files also showed that if he hadnt gone back to Dow Chemical, that the R. Hoe and Company probably would have hired him. He started his terminal leave from the Army on Feb. 6, 1946, and he was discharged from the U.S. Army on May 5, 1946, as a major. He reentered Dow Chemical in the Production Engineering Department, and in August, he transferred to purchasing as an expeditor, using all those skills he had gained while in the Army. He stayed in the Army reserves until April 1, 1953. Although he never fought in combat, his work, along with that of thousands of others of the unsung soldiers working behind the scenes in businesses, helped drive an unstoppable equipment supply line that ultimately overwhelmed the Axis Powers and helped the United States and Allies win the war. His six years in the Army had boosted his confidence in his abilities and taught him leadership skills. The experience also inculcated his thoughts on what he saw was his duty to work with the government during times of war. That later impacted the Dow Chemical Companys decision to supply products during the Vietnam War. His military career set the stage for decades of service to the Dow Chemical Company, culminating in his position as Chairman of the Board. Tawny Ryan Nelb, of Nelb Archival Consulting, Inc., resides in Midland. She created this piece with the support of the Gerstacker Foundation. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The European Commission has extended until December 31, 2021 and expanded the Temporary State Aid Framework to support European economies in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, informs the National Credit Guarantee Fund for SMEs (FNGCIMM), an institution that contributes to the relaunch of the Romanian economy through the National Investment and Economic Recovery Plan with four programmes. "The European Commission has announced the extension until December 31, 2021 of the Temporary State Aid Framework, adopted on March 19, 2020, to support the European economy and companies, in the context of the persistence of the crisis generated by the pandemic. The new amendment of the Temporary Framework provides both for the extension and expansion of the state aid ceilings. Thus, the new values provide for state aid of up to: 225,000 euros per company active in the primary production of agricultural products (previously 100,000 euros), 270,000 euros per company active in the fisheries sector and aquaculture (previously 120,000 euros); 1.8 million euros per company active in all other sectors (previously 800,000 euros)," the FNGCIMM informs in a release. According to the same source, through the same amendment, the European Commission allowed the introduction of the possibility to convert repayable instruments, such as guarantees, loans, bridge loans, into direct grants, which can be granted until the end of 2021.The European Commission announces that state aid will continue to be aimed at supporting the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, as the European economy emerges from the crisis phase and takes steps towards economic recovery.The institution mentions that, in this sense, the Romanian Government has launched the National Investment and Economic Recovery Plan, an unprecedented investment plan, which aims to replace the subsidy measures with those of investment stimulation.The FNGCIMM contributes to the relaunch of the Romanian economy through the National Investment and Economic Recovery Plan with four programs, which received approval based on the Temporary State Aid Framework: SME Invest Romania, AGRO SME Invest - Subprogramme for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and small enterprises with average market capitalization in the field of agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food sector, SME Leasing of equipment and machinery and SME Factor. AGERPRES New Delhi, Feb 8 : The farm unions' legal cell which is representing farmers facing legal challenges emerging out of the Republic Day violence, has written to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) on "illegal detention" and suspension of internet at protest sites on the borders of the national capital. Internet has been snapped at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri protest sites to "maintain public safety and for averting public emergency". Besides this, 127 people have been arrested since the clash between protesting farmers and police during the tractor rally against the three farm laws on January 26. The lawyer collective has now written to India head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Clear identification of the interrogation officers, memo of arrests, information to family members of those arrested, diary entries, and medical check-up are some of their demands. The advocates said that the government is violating human rights by acting as an arbitrary power. "Since the initiation of the protest, farmers are getting arrested by police from the protest site unreasonably and inappropriately," it claimed. The lawyers alluded the prominent D.K. Basu vs State of West Bengal judgement, in which the Supreme Court laid down a score of guidelines for the police and other agencies to follow during the arrest, detention and interrogation of any person. "The guidelines were prescribed by the Highest Court of the Nation and the Legislative but executive branch of the Government through the police officials are committing a grave error by violating all the said guidelines," the five-page letter by Advocates Vasu Kukreja, Jaswanthi Anbuselvam and Ravneet Kaur reads. The lawyers further said that the internet suspension at the border sites have blocked access of information and have denied issuing many other basic rights, disrupting even the survival of the farmers at the protest sites. It also brought to the notice of the UNHRC a decision in Bhasin vs Union of India by the Supreme Court and Faheema Shirin vs State of Kerala by High Court which had declared the use of internet as a basic human right. "That your lordship, as the matter of Human Rights violations, we want your concern towards the situation of farmers in India and in the on-going agitation, kindly interfere in the matter and issue guidelines to the state for violating the human rights," it requested the UNHRC India head. On February 5, the UN human rights office had called on Indian authorities and farmers protesting against the new agriculture laws to exercise maximum restraint, emphasising that it is crucial to find "equitable solutions" with due respect to human rights for all. A total of 160 lawyers, under the banner of 'Advocates for Farmers', have split into 11 teams to carry out tasks ranging from data entry of the arrested and missing protesters, figuring out where they are jailed to filing their bail applications. Few of them have set up their tents at three borders -- Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri -- and are contacting the families of those arrested or missing by wading from trolly to trolly. Besides this, they have also set up toll-free numbers to address the farmers' grievances. Advocates Ajit Pal Singh Mander and Hakam Singh head the teams and carry out coordination among them. "Data is collected by three teams at the border and execution is carried out by eight teams at different courts in the city," Mander, who belongs to Punjab's Bathinda district, said. The company that owns The Bay in Cherry Lane Shopping Centre is paying just 50% of its rent while seeking to renegotiate its lease. Manisha Koirala recently gave netizens a peek into her me-time by Begnas Lake, Pokhara. Yesterday, the Prassthanam actor took to her Instagram handle to pen her soulful experience of watching the sunset with a picturesque view, surrounded by lush greenery. In addition to that, Manisha also shared glimpses from her '#Pokhra' travel diaries on her Instagram Stories. Also Read | Manisha Koirala Shares Throwback 'before And After Makeup' Picture Manisha watches the sunset at Begnas Lake with a plate full of french fries Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala is a hodophile and her Instagram handle is proof. A couple of weeks after sharing pictures of her trip to Kathmandu, the 50-year-old has now shared a streak of pictures from her recent trip to Pokhra. On February 7, 2020, Manisha revealed spending her Sunday experiencing the scenic sunset by the popular Begnas Lake, located in Nepal's Kaski district. Along with sharing a couple of delightful pictures of the sunset on her Instagram handle, the Maska star also shared a picture of herself posing for the camera with a plate full of french fries and Begnas Lake in the background, and penned a heartfelt note to describe her experience. In addition to flashing her beaming smile at the camera, Manisha also flaunted her no-makeup look in the photograph, which left netizens gushing. She captioned the post writing, "The prettiest and the most soulful quite lake.. life is still, peaceful and perfect when sitting n watching the sunset here #begnaslake #pokhara (sic)". Check out Manisha Koirala's Instagram post below: Also Read | Manisha Koirala Showers Wishes On 'bhai' Siddharth's Anniversary: 'Stay In Love Forever' Soon after Manisha Koirala's photos surfaced on social media, hundreds of fans of the actor flocked to the comment section of her IG post to shower her with heaps of praise. While one fan commented writing, "Wow you are looking great", another wrote, "Always charming". Take a look at some more fan reactions below: Also Read | Manisha Koirala And Sunny Deol's Unseen Photo Sufaces; Guess The Movie That It Is From Meanwhile, after starring alongside Javed Jaffrey, Nikita Dutta, and Shirley Setia in the Netflix film Maska as Diana Irani, Manisha Koirala will next be seen sharing the screen space with debutant Ehan Bhat, Aditya Seal, Lisa Ray and others in AR Rahman's film, 99 Songs. The upcoming film had premiered at the Busan International Film Festival back in October 2019. However, 99 Songs' release date hasn't been announced by the makers yet. Also Read | Manisha Koirala Shares Selfie With 'lots Of Filters And Make-up'; See Picture Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Both companies to initiate a European ecosystem for electrolysis and hydrogen technology Franco-German cooperation supported by French and German Governments Large hydrogen projects identified to lay the ground for industrial scale electrolyzer systems, one of these opportunities is the Air Liquide-H2V Normandy project in France with a capacity of 200MW Joint application for funding of a large project under the European Union's Green Deal and joint participation of the German IPCEI-scheme for hydrogen Regulatory News: Air Liquide (Paris:AI) and Siemens Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the objective to combine their expertise in PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technology. They intend to focus their activities on these key areas: co-creation of large industrial-scale hydrogen projects in collaboration with customers, laying the ground for mass manufacturing of electrolyzers in Europe, especially in Germany and France, and R&D activities to co-develop next generation electrolyzer technologies Hydrogen will play an essential role to achieve the European Union's objectives for CO2 and greenhouse gas emission reduction. In order to meet rapidly growing demand, and to lower costs, it is key to accelerate the production of sustainably generated hydrogen through large-scale PEM electrolysers. In the framework of their cooperation Air Liquide and Siemens Energy will jointly apply for large projects funding under the EU's Green Deal and Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)-scheme for hydrogen, funded by the French and German Governments. The IPCEI-funding is required to fast start those activities and meet the challenging timeline set out by the European Green New Deal, the EU Hydrogen Strategy as well as the French and German National Hydrogen Strategies. With this cooperation, Air Liquide and Siemens Energy will strengthen their core competencies enabling the emergence of a sustainable hydrogen economy in Europe and to initiate a European ecosystem for electrolysis and hydrogen technology together with other partners. The partners have already identified cooperation opportunities for large scale sustainable hydrogen projects both in France, Germany and other European countries. One of these opportunities is the Air Liquide-H2V Normandy project in France with a capacity of 200 MW, one of the most ambitious European projects for hydrogen production from renewable energies. Benoit Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, said: "Hydrogen is a key enabler of the energy transition. In the context of an unprecedented acceleration in Europe of hydrogen technologies and markets, the time to scale-up is now, notably in France and Germany. The partnership between Air Liquide and Siemens Energy paves the way for the creation of a leading European ecosystem capable of supplying decarbonised hydrogen at competitive prices and promoting the emergence of a low-carbon society. We look forward to this Franco-German cooperation." Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy, said: "Building up a sustainable Hydrogen economy will still require to amend the framework conditions in the energy market. However it will be through partnerships and collaboration that we can shape this market. We highly appreciate to co-create innovative solutions with Air Liquide. Collectively we will overcome the challenges that lie ahead to industrialize the technology and make sustainably generated hydrogen a success story." Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy, Finance and the Recovery, said: "Now, is the time to invest massively in order to develop new value chains and new technologies. Now, is the time to act. With "France Relance", 7 billion euros will be invested in hydrogen between now and 2030 to make our economy more competitive and more decarbonised. The ambitious project of Air Liquide and Siemens Energy is only the beginning of an industrial cooperation that must develop beyond a Franco-German alliance. The recovery must be above all a European recovery. I also salute Air Liquide's mobilization in the framework of the French hydrogen plan, notably through its participation and commitment within the National Hydrogen Council." Peter Altmaier, German Federal Economy Minister, said: "Hydrogen is a key element for the success of Germany's energy transition and crucial for European and global efforts to combat climate change. Germany is strongly committed to support the market ramp up of hydrogen technologies and is working hard towards European Hydrogen IPCEIs. Against this background, I very much welcome that Siemens Energy and Air Liquide join forces in this domain and I am looking forward to seeing strong Franco-German hydrogen projects coming online soon." About Air Liquide A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 67,000 employees and serves more than 3.7 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide's revenue amounted to 22 billion euros in 2019 and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than 40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes. www.airliquide.com About Siemens Energy Siemens Energy is one of the world's leading energy technology companies. The company works with its customers and partners on energy systems for the future, thus supporting the transition to a more sustainable world. With its portfolio of products, solutions and services, Siemens Energy covers almost the entire energy value chain from power generation and transmission to storage. The portfolio includes conventional and renewable energy technology, such as gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants operated with hydrogen, and power generators and transformers. More than 50 percent of the portfolio has already been decarbonized. A majority stake in the listed company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies. An estimated one-sixth of the electricity generated worldwide is based on technologies from Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy employs more than 90,000 people worldwide in more than 90 countries and generated revenue of around 27.5 billion in fiscal year 2020. www.siemens-energy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210207005012/en/ Contacts: Air Liquide CONTACTS Corporate Communications media@airliquide.com Investor Relations IRTeam@airliquide.com Siemens Energy CONTACTS Siemens Energy Alfons Benzinger Phone: +49 174 155 9447 E-mail: alfons.benzinger@siemens-energy.com Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! London, Feb 8 : The UK is planning a mass campaign of booster vaccines against new variants of Covid-19 as early as the autumn, in what Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested would become an annual effort to prevent Covid-19 as the virus keeps mutating. The government aims to copy the flu prevention programme as a model for control of new Covid-19 variants. The government was expecting annual inoculations to take place every autumn in much the same way as flu's prevention, Zahawi told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. In a statement the NHS said it had "mobilised efficiently and speedily to ensure that new vaccines and treatments are rolled out as they become available." NHS leaders believe that the timing of the extra shots means they could be delivered alongside the annual seasonal flu vaccinations long offered to over-65s, and for which eligibility was last year extended to all over-50s, the Financial Times reported on Monday. Zahawi said that more public sector workers -- including teachers -- would get their jab once the initial priority groups had their injections. The government hopes to have given first jabs to all over-70s, healthcare workers and the most vulnerable by mid-February. By Saturday just over 12 million had been inoculated as the NHS continued one of the world's most successful rollouts of Covid vaccines. Almost 1,000 jabs were given per minute on Saturday, Zahawi said. He also said the government had no plans for a vaccine passport despite reports last week, telling Times Radio that a domestic vaccine passport would be "discriminatory" because the government did not mandate inoculation. If other countries demanded proof of vaccination British travellers could ask their GPs for their record as proof they have had the jab, Zahawi said. UK legal drama The Split has been renewed for a third and final season. The series from writer Abi Morgan (River, Suffragette, The Hour) sees Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Deborah Findlay and Chukwudi Iwuji all reprising their roles, with more casting to be confirmed. Abi Morgan says: Its great to be back writing for the Defoe Family, and to dive once more into to the complications of their lives and those of their clients. In the final series of this bittersweet trilogy, Hannah faces the heartbreak of her own divorce, and the fight to save her family and her marriage. Siblings clash, past mistakes are exposed and hearts are broken as Noble Hale Defoe notches up more billable hours in the divorce capital of the world. Nicola Walker says, I cant wait to be back in the Defoe Family, we are all looking forward to the journey Abi has planned for us. I dont know if Hannah will cling to the wreckage or walk away, but I do know its going to be a fantastic ride. It screens in Australia on ABC. Related Project operator New Age has added confidence and resource barrels following the reprocessing of seismic data. s ( ) partner in the Algoa-Gamtoos license, offshore South Africa, has provided a new prospective resource estimate which details the potential for some 5.27bn barrels of oil to be present. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the new estimates are triggered by the reprocessing of 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic data which improved the image quality, improved confidence, and identified new targets. Altogether, the new estimates have increased prospective resources by 54%. New Age Energy Algoa, Towers partner and project operator, highlighted that the impact of new seismic data is especially pronounced in the deep-water areas in the project area. A deeper slope, previously unseen by the operator, has been estimated to host a potential 231mln barrels of resources and a basin floor fan, also not seen previously, ascribes some 710mln barrels of potential resources. It identifies a submarine fan complex, in the shallow water section, with 135mln barrels. At the same time, another shallow portion of the project area is also estimated to host a slightly larger resources, now marked at 470mln barrels. Algoa-Gamtoos is located adjacent to Total's Blocks 11B/12B, where the French oil major has discovered over 1bn barrels of oil. Angelina Jolie remains one of the most desirable actors in Tinseltown. She recently starred in Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil and she is well-known for leading roles in Wanted, Changeling, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, By the Sea, and more. Jolie also happens to boasts showbiz-inclined parents. Marcheline Bertrand (Angelina Jolies mother) at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California | Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Many know that Jon Voight Midnight Cowboy, Ray Donovan, Anaconda is Jolies father, yet some forget that Jolies mother was also an actor. Angelina Jolies mom, Marcheline Bertrand was born in 1950 and died in 2007. And, for a great deal of time, raised the Salt star virtually singlehandedly. Inside Marcheline Bertrands early life Bertrand was born in Blue Island, Illinois on May 9 in 1950. She was brought up in Riverdale alongside two younger siblings. In 1965, Bertrands family left Chicago and headed to Beverly Hills, California. Bertrand finished out her high school education in Beverly Hills (sophomore to senior year). Bertrand studied Lee Strasbergs method of acting early on in her career. And, in 1971, she played Connie in an episode of Love, Peace, Brotherhood, and Murder on the then-well-known series Ironside, which ran for eight seasons from 1967 to 1975. This was Bertrands first decent role, which led to two cinematic appearances. Bertrand also starred in 1982s Lookin to Get Out (which was co-written by and co-starred her former husband Jon Voight). She also starred in the 1983 comedy The Man Who Loved Women. From Connie to The Man Who Loved Women, Bertrand is only credited with three on-screen appearances, according to IMDb. Bertrand eventually turned her attention away from acting and toward producing. Yet, her production career was quite short-lived as well. RELATED: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Were the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of the 1960s and 70s Bertrand founded a production company in 1983 and invested heavily into humanitarian work In 1983, Bertrand founded Woods Road Productions with her partner at the time, Billy Day. She would go on to serve as the executive producer of the 2005 documentary Trudell a chronicle of the legendary Native American activist and poet, John Trudell. The film followed the man as he traveled confronting politics via spoken word. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival, and it was also nominated at the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals. Bertrand continued on with humanitarian work after virtually leaving acting and producing behind; she founded the All Tribes Foundation and produced a benefit concert for Afghan women on International Womens Day in 2003. In 2007, Bertrand died after a nearly-eight-year battle with ovarian and breast cancer. Not a great deal is known about Bertrand, especially since she stopped granting interviews later in life. Forty-Nine Beninois and two Togolese who allegedly entered Ghana through unapproved routes earlier this month have been deported. This was after personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Asikuma Inland Check Point intercepted the Hyundai Universe Express, AW 9955-19 on which they were travelling from the Volta Region towards Accra, last Wednesday. A GIS spokesman disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Ho at the weekend. He said the arrests were made after the occupants of the vehicle were subjected to a thorough scrutiny during which it was found that they entered Ghana from Togo by flouting the official border closure. The spokesman said that the travellers who included 36 males and 15 females admitted that they were assisted by some okada operators to gain access into Ghana from the other side of the frontier. The travellers also said that they were heading for Ivory Coast to seek greener pastures. After they were taken through COVID-19 screening, the travellers were sent back to Lome, the spokesman added. Meanwhile, the GIS Command in Volta Region has entreated travellers going through the Asikuma Sogakope Inland Check Points to cooperate with the current strategic security arrangements aimed at tracking down illegal immigrants in those areas. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Gov. Tom Wolf justly has been trying for years to force municipal governments that do not provide for local police coverage to pay for state police coverage. He has recommended to the Legislature a variety of means to force the free riders to pay for coverage, including flat rates-per-resident and sliding scales based on variables that include demographics. No recommendation has passed the Legislature due to resistance from the Republican majorities in both houses, many members of which represent rural areas that exclusively use state police an agency that is not supposed to be a local police force. For years, the state has covered state police costs by bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars from the Motor Vehicle Fund $770 million of the agencys $1.3 billion budget last year which by law is supposed to be used for transportation projects. The result is that millions of Pennsylvanians, mostly in urban areas, pay not only for their own local police and state police, but the bulk of the Motor Vehicle Fund that is not being used to fix their roads and bridges. Wolf last week tried a new approach. Rather than focusing on the free riders, he proposed a fee on every municipality to raise $168 million for state police, reasoning that every municipality uses some of the agencys services. Under a formula that includes population, income demographics and each municipalitys typical use of state police services, each of the states 2,500 municipal governments would pay something. A database developed by PennLive of Harrisburg broke municipalities use of state police coverage into three categories: full-time PSP coverage; part-time PSP coverage; and coverage only during serious situations/emergencies. It also broke down the cost per municipality and the cost per person in each municipality. In Schuylkill County, 22 municipalities rely full time on state police for coverage, 34 use coverage part time and 11 have state police step in during serious situations or emergencies. The costs vary locally under the governors plan. Full time, for example, ranges from as low as $1,424 for the small borough of Mount Carbon ($23.35 per person) to as high as $213,356.59 for West Brunswick Township ($66.30 per person). Part time finds Foster Township with the lowest cost at $3,595.19, or $11.67 per person, while Butler Townships cost would be $95,767.65, or $19.67 per person. When it comes to coverage only during serious situations/emergencies, it costs the borough of Gilberton $3,817.48, or $5.86 per person, while the City of Pottsville costs $79,654.57, or $5.84 per person. The problem is not local governments that pay for their own primary police coverage. Its those that rely on state police for all coverage. The governor should return to focusing the proposed fee on those free riders. MATSAMO For Nhlambeni residents, bread is worth risking their lives for as they have been cut off from getting basic items due to a flooded river. Nhlambeni is a community near Matsamo, where over 200 homesteads have been cut off from the rest of the country due to the overflowing Mlumati River. The river has been overflowing since the downpour of rains. The heavy downpour experienced around the country caused many rivers to overflow. This resulted in motorists being unable to drive their vehicles along the riverbed as a bridge which was constructed collapsed several years ago. Campaigning Year after year, parliamentarians, when campaigning for elections, have always assured the residents of Nhlambeni that they would get a bridge constructed but this has remained a farfetched dream. According to some of the residents of Nhlambeni, there was no way of leaving the community without crossing the river. No vehicle has been able to leave the area since the river flooded. This is the same river which also enters South Africa and forms a large lake. It is this same river that residents sometimes cross using makeshift canoes or boats. Sizwe Shongwe, one of the residents of Nhlambeni, said the area was completely isolated. We cannot buy anything except salt, he said. He said all the daily needs such as milk and bread were not accessible due to the flooded river, which has made it impossible for vehicles to make deliveries in the area. He said since the river flooded, he had been the one helping residents to cross. He said the only way residents could cross was to get inside the river and walk through it though this was dangerous for others, especially the elderly and children. Shongwe was also seen helping an elderly woman cross the flooded river. The elderly woman said she had to cross the river to check on her sickly mother. I dont know how I will cross back, I guess I will have to call someone, she said. Shongwe said the biggest challenge for residents was access to basic food. He said people were struggling to get bread as delivery trucks could not get to the community. He said the only way bread was being transported was if there were young strong men who would enter the river and then ferry the bread from one end to another. He said one has to be at least 1.6 metres tall for the water to be above the shoulders. Otherwise one could easily drown, he said. He said since the floods began, he had been helping shop owners to receive the bread and then transport it to the other side of the river. Meanwhile, several other areas including Ndzingeni and Ntfonjeni have also been cut off. On Friday, residents of Nkamanzi attempted to fix a badly damaged road but their efforts were in vain when immediately after they completed it, there was a heavy downpour. Transport operators have not been able to transport commuters efficiently along the roads in these areas. Photo: (Photo : Pexels) A Philadelphia couple discovers they went to the same preschool. Not only that, but they also found that they were right next to each other in the preschool photo. They now think they were meant to be. The couple recently tied the knot, and they used the preschool photo for their save the date. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Philadelphia couple, Zachary Frankel and Alex Olsman shared their love story. ALSO READ: Nebraska Couple Celebrating 60th Anniversary Reveals Secret to Long-Lasting Marriage From preschoolers to going on a blind date In October 2016, the Philadelphia couple's mutual friend set them up on a blind date. Olsman said that her friend asked her, "Well, how do you feel about redheads?" When she told her friend, "Sure," that's when they were immediately set up. During the first week of knowing each other, Zachary and Alex realized that their lives have been more intertwined than they thought. They said, "So we quickly put that together and... we knew all of the same people in common." ALSO READ: Couple Shares Funny but Honest Take on Being an Empty-Nester Their interconnected lives After realizing that they have familiar friends and acquaintances, they started to check more. The Philadelphia couple even realized that Alex's high school best friend dated one of Zachary's best friends. That is when they also discovered they went to the same Montessori preschool in Philadelphia. However, even after realizing that they went to the same preschool, the couple does not have any memory of meeting each other. Right next to each other in the preschool photo While the couple was already forming a healthy relationship, Alex's mom discovered a preschool photo. Then the couple learned that they were right next to each other in the preschool photo. Olsman was right next to a red-headed boy, who turns out to be Frankel. At first, Alex thought, "Honestly, looking at the photo, Zach looks so different now than he did when he was five that I couldn't 100%." Then she showed the photo to Zachary and asked, "Wait, was this you? And he was like, 'Yeah, that's me.'" Alex became emotional upon realizing the kind of connection she had with the person she planned to spend the rest of her life with, Zachary. ALSO READ: Relationship Goals: Wife Takes a Bite of Husband's Sandwich for 41 Years [Here's Why] The couple will tie the knot Last November 2019, Frankel proposed to Olsman at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This place was also memorable to the couple because it turns out that they took the same art classes there when they were younger. Even with the coronavirus pandemic, the couple decided to tie the knot this coming February in Mexico since that is where Alex's parents are residing now. However, they also plan to have another ceremony in December. To remember the connection that the Philadelphia couple has, they used their preschool photo for the Saver The Date. ALSO READ: World's Oldest Couple Secretly Got Married in 1941 The U.S. nuclear arsenal has profound weaknesses, Former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Jack Keane said. "We have to modernize our nuclear arsenal, is in-and-of-itself a deterrence, and not give our adversaries to take advantage of us, because they see weaknesses in our nuclear arsenals, And we have serious weaknesses in ours," Fox News cited him as saying. Keane stressed that America is lagging behind Russia in modernizing this type of weapons, despite the fact that, according to the New START, the volumes of the countries' arsenals coincide. The general drew attention to the fact that Moscow is already completing a ten-year program to modernize their nuclear weapons, while Washington is behind in that. The former deputy chief of staff believes that the United States has to bring its arsenal up to a standard that Russia and China see as "credible." The general stated that the U.S. is lagging behind Russia and China also in the means intended for a non-nuclear conflict. In particular, he noted, Washington needs to increase the number of land-based and anti-ship offensive missiles, it should not be forgotten about the modernization of conventional weapons, and if this is not done, then the losing side, that is, the United States, can escalate the usual conflict to the nuclear level, which would be "horrific". Keane emphasized that the modernization of these weapons of war is urgent, and manageable if you focus on this issue. The Pentagon needs to reboot its combat capabilities to adjust to the changed situation, he concluded. Battle for Orange Countys CoreLogic Leads to Private Equity Takeover Commentary Irvine-based CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) is being purchased by two private equity funds for about $7.7 billion, a figure that includes about $6 billionor $80 per sharebuyout for current stakeholders. The purchase price also includes $1.7 billion in debt owed by CoreLogic. The acquisition will be funded with $2.5 billion already invested in the private equity funds and up to $5.5 billion in debt. The deal was clearly designed to complete current acquisition activity by the board of directors. CoreLogic has been in play since an investor group led by businessman Bill Foley made an unsolicited offer to buy CoreLogic last June for $7 billion (including a cash offer to buy out the then-shareholders for $5.2 billion plus the debt then-outstanding). Foleys investment company owns a major stake in local title insurance company Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF), among other holdings. Last July, soon after it received the groups unsolicited offer, CoreLogic adopted a poison pill, giving each shareholder the right to buy additional shares. Thus, even though Foleys investment coalition owned 15 percent of CoreLogic at the time of its attempt to buy the company, the poison pill meant the offer was unlikely to be accepted. Seven months later, CoreLogic has found a new buyerfor an additional $1 billion for its current shareholders. CoreLogic chief executive Frank Martell said he was looking forward to working with the companys new investors. Stone Point and Insight Partners are highly respected investors who recognize the value and potential of CoreLogics digital content, solutions and market-leading platforms that power the housing economy, Martell said in a press release. We look forward to working closely with Stone Point and Insight to build on our record financial and operating performance and accelerate our digital transformation and growth. The private equity funds buying CoreLogic are managed by Stone Point Capital Partners of Greenwich, Conn., and Insight Partners of New York City. Stone Point Capital chief executive Chuck Davis said in a press release that he hoped the acquisition would help his private equity firm grow. CoreLogic is a mission critical vendor and data provider across industry sectors in which Stone Point has specialized over the past 20 years, including mortgage, residential real estate and [property and casualty] insurance, Davis said in a press release. CoreLogics proprietary data assets are increasingly important to its customers, and we look forward to leveraging our network within the broader financial services industry to support the companys next phase of growth. Insight Partners managing director Deven Parekh sounded equally optimistic. What we found in CoreLogic is a market leader with a long history of serving customers with powerful data technology and a future vision to innovate across the real estate ecosystem, Parekh said in a press release. We are excited to support CoreLogic in its next chapter of transformational growth. At Insight Partners we focus on partnering with clear technology leaders that define and transform their markets through world-class software and data. The transaction is subject to review by regulators and also approval by current CoreLogic shareholders, but the principals expect approval by all such parties. CoreLogic Inc. passed other resolutions such that the poison pill adopted last July will expire immediately before the transaction consummates. The deal is expected to close by August. Tim Shaler is a professional investor and economist based in Southern California. He is a regular columnist for The Epoch Times, where he exclusively provides some of his original economic analysis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. 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. Prefects and teachers on duty will now be held accountable for fires reported in schools, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said. The CS also said on Saturday that the ministry has created a database where details of the crimes committed in schools and the culprits behind them are recorded for future reference, which will likely affect the employment chances of those named. Prof Magoha said it is time teachers heightened vigilance in schools to avert cases of arson, many of which have taken place in schools in several parts of the country over the last few weeks. He noted that once children turn eight, they can be held accountable for their crimes so their young age cannot be used as a defence. "We shall hold the teacher and perfect on duty accountable when there are school fires. The children should know that this crime will haunt them for the rest of their lives," he said in Kisumu County. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has warned all learners against criminal acts, saying they will result in permanent criminal records, which will feature on the Certificate of Good Conduct issued by police. The crimes include violent demonstrations, arson, drug dealing, cyber bullying, assault of any degree and drunkenness. Prof Magoha also reiterated that students cannot have sanitisers, used to ensure hand hygiene in the fight against Covid-19, in school as this was banned. He asked teachers to frequently carry out inspections to ensure the directive is adhered to as the sanitisers are being used as alcohol and to start fires. School desks The CS spoke at Lions High School, where he met administrative officers from the sub-county to the regional levels. He expressed his satisfaction with the process of delivering desks to primary and secondary schools under the Sh1.9 billion Economic Stimulus Programme Schools are expected to receive a total of 625,000 desks. Prof Magoha said the Nyanza region has achieved 100 percent distribution, having received 91,650 desks, lockers and chairs whose total cost ws Sh284.1 million. Nyanza has 705 primary schools and 846 secondary schools. "So far, more than Sh200 million has been paid to the artisans involved in fabrication and delivery, with the outstanding amount expected to be paid within the next one week." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Central region has achieved 97.84 percent, Western 95 percent and Nairobi 100 percent. Other counties that have achieved 100 percent distribution are Uasin Gishu, Siaya, Murang'a, Vihiga, Kiambu, Migori, Homa Bay, Nyamira, Kisii. Kisumu Nyeri, West Pokot, Nandi and Mombasa. Those that have achieved 90 percent distribution, with completion expected in a few days, are Kakamega, Bomet, Nyandarua, Machakos, Kwale, Bungoma, Kilifi and Busia. Out of the Sh1.9 billion allocated to the programme, approximately Sh1.1 billion has been paid. The outstanding payment is being processed following verification of the quality and quantities of desks delivered to schools. "I urge all the remaining counties, whose delivery percentage is approaching 90 percent, to step up the distribution as we seek to complete the exercise and focus on effective learning and preparations for national examinations," said Prof Magoha [February 08, 2021] McNeil & Company Acquires Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. McNeil & Company (McNeil), a leader in specialized risk assessment and insurance, has acquired Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. (WGA), a firm providing accident and surety insurance products in the Newspaper industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005707/en/ "We have long admired WGA for being a leader in the Independent Contractor Accident Insurance business. Their wealth of experience in the Newspaper sector is industry defining," said Daniel F. McNeil, Chairman & CEO of McNeil & Company. "Our companies share similar values. We have both been family-owned for many years and we both take pride in putting the customer first. This acquisition will have mutual benefits. It allows McNeil to expand its program offerings while providing more resources to WGA." "Wilson Gregory is proud to join the McNeil family. Dan and the entire McNeil team are consummate professionals who understand niche insurance," said Mark Gregory, VP of Operations at Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. "Together, we look forward to expanding our platform and becoming the preeminent leaders of innovative insurance products and solutions to independent contractors throughout the gig economy. About McNeil & Company McNeil & Co. is a nationwide leader in specialized insurance programs. They help customers grow their businesses by offering coverage alongside risk management services. McNeil & Co. was established in 1989 to answer a need for more comprehensive, tailored policies in the emergency services market. They developed a model for specialty insurance programs based on deep industry knowledge. McNeil & Co. differentiates itself by taking an instructive approach to loss control and risk management. Acclaimed products include AdvenSure, AnimalKeepers, ASIP, Car Wash, ESIP (and Benefits), FireWatch, HOMed (O&P Plus), WildPRO, Bar, Tavern, Club program, and BISA. McNeil & Company is owned by Arch Capital Group Ltd., a Bermuda-based company with approximately $12.80 billion in capital at December 31, 2020, that provides insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries. For more information, visit: www.mcneilandcompany.com About Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. For 98 years Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. (WGA) has provided the Newspaper Industry with innovative accident insurance and surety bond solutions for independent contractors. WGA has partnered with over 1,200 daily Newspapers in the United States to protect the needs of Independent Contractors and Newspapers alike. They provide the Newspaper Industry with affordable insurance programs and unparalleled service. They are the industry leader in the Independent Contractor Accident Insurance business. Wilson Gregory Agency, Inc. currently insures over 125,000 Newspaper Carriers nationwide. For more information, visit: www.wilsongregory.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005707/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A volunteer sprays disinfectant during a deep cleaning operation inside the Villa Liza Clinic, in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, on January 14, 2021 South African health experts have suggested vaccinating several thousand people with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to assess whether it protects against severe cases of a virus variant that emerged in the country. Authorities delayed the start of a much-anticipated vaccination campaignexpected to begin this week with a first batch of one million AstraZeneca/Oxford dosesafter a study showed the jabs failed to prevent mild and moderate infection from the South African variant. The temporary suspension, announced late on Sunday, put a damper on the imminent rollout and stoked criticism of the coronavirus response in Africa's hardest-hit nation. Top government advisor and leading epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said his team had suggested still using the AstraZeneca shots in a more staggered mannerstarting with a smaller population group and closely studying their response. "We would (first) vaccinate about 100,000 people or so to monitor hospitalisation (rates)," Karim told AFP on Monday, adding that the process would take "a few weeks". "While we are rolling out the vaccine and collecting that information... we will be able to assess whether to continue." Karim explained it was "prudent" to push back the wider distribution of AstraZeneca shots until scientists ascertain whether they could still prevent severe disease, hospitalisation and death. He assured delay would be "partially compensated" by another batch of vaccines developed by US drugmaker Johnson & Johnson expected to land next week. A man waits for a COVID-19 test before entering South Africa at a testing station at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe on January 8, 2021 Vaccine 'portfolio' The proposal will be fine-tuned with government over the coming days. South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told local media on Monday that an "implementation study" of AstraZeneca would take place alongside the rollout of Johnson & Johnson jabs. Tests will be done "on the people that are getting the (AstraZeneca) vaccination," Mkhize said on SAFM radio. South Africa has lagged behind the global vaccination race and only received its first vaccines on February 1. The one million AstraZeneca shots were produced by the Serum Institute of India, from which an additional 500,000 doses are expected this month. The country aims to inoculate at least 67 percent of its population by the end of the year, or around 40 million people. Some 1.2 million health workers will be first in line. In addition to AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, vaccines have been secured from US drugmaker Pfizer, the WHO-backed Covax facility and the African Union. Factfile on the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against Covid-19 Discussions with other producers are also ongoing, particularly Moderna, Chinese manufacturers and the makers of the Russian Sputnik V jab. South Africa's "vaccine strategy ensures that we are going to use a diverse portfolio of vaccines," said Karim. "It so happens that we received the AstraZeneca vaccine first." But the Democratic Alliance main opposition party accused government of lacking foresight. "We should have taken into account the possibility of the changing efficacy or delays in rollout strategy," it said in a statement. Rethinking priorities The suspension of South Africa's vaccine rollout followed results of an AstraZeneca trial with 2,000 participants and which has not yet undergone peer review. Johannesburg's University of Witwatersrand (Wits), which conducted the study, found the vaccine only "provides minimal protection against mild-moderate COVID-19 infection" from the South African variant. Scientists believe that variant is more transmissible than its original form, fuelling an unprecedented spike in cases earlier this year. Factfile on approved vaccines against Covid-19 Wits vaccinologist Clare Cutland noted the study's sample, with a median age of 31 and no co-morbidities, was too limited to assess AstraZeneca's efficacy against severe disease. But she said a larger trial of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which uses similar technologies, showed relatively good protection against severe disease caused by the South African variantsuggesting there was a "good chance" the same would be observed with AstraZeneca. "The results... mean that we need to pause to reassess," Cutland told AFP. "Do we want it to prevent mild and moderate disease only, or... reduce and prevent severe disease?" "We may not have herd immunity to protect against mild disease," she added. "And maybe that's not a huge issue." South Africa has recorded almost 1.5 million coronavirus cases and over 46,200 deaths. The mortality rate has remained relatively low, however, with at least 92 percent of cases recovered. "The fact that this virus has mutated faster than we have changed the vaccine to catch up is unfortunate," said Cutland. "The great thing is that the technologies are good... so the rollout of vaccines against different variants could be a lot quicker." Researchers at AstraZeneca are working to update the vaccine and expect to have a version tailored to the South African variant by autumn. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP What started out as a peaceful protest took a violent turn, as the tractor rally went rogue. (PTI file photo/Manvender Vashist) Up until recently, the farmers protests were predominantly perceived as a Sikh-led phenomenon, owing to the agitators being largely from Punjab. Their leadership was a standout feature in the media reports of the protest, as was a certain projection of it as being a rising of a particular regional cluster. In a sense, it was also true. For, langars are the trademark public kitchens of the Sikh community, which fed not just protesters, but also locals and labourers. Though, with a series of talks that had yielded no results, a larger collective frustration was building, it wasnt generally palpable. All that changed on Republic Day. What started out as a peaceful protest took a violent turn, as the tractor rally went rogue. A shocked nation saw images beamed on TV and viralled on social media of a youth going up a flagpole with the Nishan Sahib. Even people initially supporting the protests suddenly became wary. As someone who has visited the protest site before and after the episode, the mood change around me was striking. While it is commendable that Delhi police did not using brute force and showed uncharacteristic calm on a day of great national significance, protesters freely entered the Red Fort and indulged in condemnable vandalism. Within a few hours, public sympathy shifted from the protesters to the police. In the next few days, farmer union leaders were booked for various cases and FIRs were registered. The mood at protest sites turned sombre and despondence marked the air. The high spirits of protesters and supporters were dampened. Theories and counters floated in the air. Conspiracies were cooked up. The protesters had let themselves down, and the ball was back in the governments court. The action shifted towards the Yogi Adityanath-ruled Uttar Pradesh. Police cleared smaller protest sites with alacrity. The next target was Ghazipur. Electricity and water supply to the demonstration site were cut. The district magistrate issued a notice to protesters to clear out. Many people began returning home. It looked like the movement was over. But no one could have predicted what happened next. With a handful of protesters left in Ghazipur, Rakesh Tikait, a 51-year-old police-constable-turned-farmer-leader, broke down in full view of TV cameras. I could be wrong, but it felt like a large section of media covered his tearful speech just to show how farmers had to eat humble pie. It would mark the TV closure to all protests. I will drink water only when someone from my village brings it to me, claimed Tikait. His willingness to court arrest and resolution of not to vacate the site went viral. Mr Tikaits tears struck a chord with farmers. The issue for them changed from being one pertaining to livelihoods to that of honour. Mr Tikaits humiliation stirred reactions from across north India. Thousands of farmers started moving towards Ghazipur, not just from western UP, but also Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. The scenario was transformed quickly. Officials at Ghazipur met Mr Tikait, electricity was restored and additional police forces that had gathered there retreated. Interestingly, Mr Tikait admits to have voted for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections, as did most people from his Jat community-dominated village of Sisauli in Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar district. The BJP candidate and Union minister, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, belongs to the same Baliyan khap (clan) headed by Rakeshs elder brother, Naresh Tikait. For a Jat, it is no small matter. As farmers started pouring in at Ghazipur, there was a call for a Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar. Led by Jats, lakhs of peasants of all castes and communities, including Muslims, took a Namak-Gangajal oath, also called the Nun-Lota Kasam, marked by the blowing of a traditional war trumpet. It is a pledge to fulfil a task, and it includes the social boycott (hukka-paani band) of those who do not participate in this common war. Jayant Chaudhary, son of Ajit Singh, poured gangajal from a bottle into a lota (pitcher) of namak (salt). A khap is a traditional social council representing a community in parts of north India with a chaudhary as its titular head. Khaps, not limited to Jats, constitute a front of 36 biradaris, including Muslim, Jats, Gujjars and other OBCs. In 1857, Indias first revolt or mutiny began with the Namak-Gangajal pledge, taken by the Sarvakhap panchayat of Haryana and the Upper Doab (present-day west UP), against the rule of the British East India Company. The peasant protest has turned into a movement and its control has shifted from the traditional secular-Left to conservative caste heads invested deeply in bhaichara. People are no longer rallying around economic issues, but for honour against a cultural insult, handed out in their thinking by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah regime to all peasant castes. It seems the kisan movement has trumped the BJPs cultural-emotional hypernationalism with its own card of peasant cultural-emotional nationalism. The khap unity between Jats and Muslims, divided during the Muzaffarnagar riots, is significant because such cultural bonding could never be achieved by the secular ideologies of the Congress, Left or the AAP. It is an invocation of the indigenous cultural ethos of north Indian peasantry. In an amazing spectacle, thousands continue to assemble for Mahapanchayats, despite Internet bans. Post-Muzaffarnagar, there have been Mahapanchayats at Mathura, Bhagpat, Palwal and Bijnore, even as the movement continues to gather momentum. The BJP has thus far successfully managed to other-ise the anti-farm law protesters. But it will be very difficult for them to deal with dissent from a traditional vote bank. The Khalistani angle will no longer work either, with protesters here not being predominantly from the religious minority groups, like Muslims and Sikhs, but Hindus from the Hindi heartland. Prime Minister Modi has reiterated that the governments offer to suspend the contentions farm laws for 18 months and conduct negotiations. Yet, it seems that the Centre has landed itself in a veritable Catch-22. The sons are not leaving the soil. With inputs from Amaresh Misra, author, War of Civilizations Emirates Airlines has cancelled its Lagos-Dubai and Abuja-Dubai flights despite reaching agreement with the federal government that it would waive the introduction of Rapid Antigen Test (RDT), which the airline earlier insisted that Nigerian passengers must undergo four hours before their flight. The Nigerian government had on Thursday suspended the airline's outbound flights from Lagos and Abuja until it was able to provide the needed infrastructure for the conduct of RDT test. But on Friday, Emirates indicated that it would waive the test, prompting the federal government to lift the ban. However, Emirates had cancelled its Saturday and Sunday outbound flights from Nigeria and did not indicate when it would resume the flights. The airline's media contact in Nigeria said the airline would issue a statement today to explain what actually happened. However, there were strong indications that the United Arab Emirates government may not have approved the waiver for Nigerian passengers to come to Dubai with the RDT test. UAE has maintained that in addition to the 72 hours PCR test approved by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 for Nigerians travelling out of the country, Emirates passengers must undergo rapid test before they would be allowed in Dubai. This was due to the allegation that Nigerians travelling out of the country procure fake test results. On Saturday, the airline announced the cancellation of the two flights (Lagos-Dubai, EK784 and Abuja-Dubai, Ek786) through a memo to its trade partners, citing operational reasons. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Transport By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Similarly yesterday, the flights were similarly cancelled, according to the message sent to the trade partners. The mail stated: "We wish to inform you that due to operational reasons, our flights LOS-DXB (EK784) and ABV-DXB (EK786) from Sunday 07th February, 2021 have been cancelled till further notice. "DXB-LOS (EK783) and DXB-ABV (EK785) will however operate to bring incoming passengers on February 7, 2021. "For passengers affected kindly apply re-booking options provided in our COVID-19 waiver policy previously communicated. "We hope to revert to you as soon as possible, regarding the status of our future flights. "As always, we thank you for your continued support. If you require any further assistance please contact us." The airline has decided to follow the directive earlier given them by the federal government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to only bring passengers back to Nigeria, until government is able to provide the facilities for RDT test. Vaccinations for Covid-19 will be rolled out in Australia within weeks, but there a strict protocol of who receives the jabs first. The process is already underway in the US, the UK, Israel and many other European nations. * When will vaccines be available? It depends on your age, health and job. First in line are the elderly, vulnerable, frontline health workers, hotel quarantine staff, as well as aged and disability workers and residents. That is expected to being in late February with the Pfizer vaccination. Other Australians over the age of 16 will be then be ranked by health risk to determine when they get the jab, with those more vulnerable prioritised. The government expects the AstraZeneca vaccine to get approval soon so it will be available in early March. Health Department boss Brendan Murphy has said it's unlikely people will get to pick if they get the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine, as it depends on their profile and category of risk. The government wants the vaccine rollout to be complete by the end of October. Australia has ordered 150 million vaccines - meaning it can give enough jabs to every citizen twice (pictured, a scientist with the AstraZeneca vaccine) * What about Australians under the age of 16? The Pfizer vaccination approval does not cover people under the age of 16, but it has no upper age limit. The medical regulator says the benefits of the vaccination for people over the age of 85, or those who are frail, should be weighed against potential risk of even a mild response. Age limits for the AstraZeneca vaccination will be outlined in the Therapeutic Goods Administration's approval. * How many do we get? Both vaccines are two doses - so Australians will get two at least 21 days apart. They will need to be from the same company. * Where will they be administered? General practitioners and pharmacies have put their hand up to be involved, and there's expected to be pop-up clinics at current COVID-19 testing centres and hospitals. A woman receives the AstraZeneca vaccine in Cornwall in the UK (pictured on February 1). Australia will begin its roll-out soon * How can Australians prove they've been vaccinated? Jabs will be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. Certificates proving vaccinations will then be available either digitally or in hard copy. The government says this might be needed for interstate and overseas travel. * How many vaccines has Australia ordered? Australia has secured more than 150 million doses of various vaccines, including almost 54 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the vast majority to be manufactured in Melbourne. As well as more than 51 million from Novavax. * Are the coronavirus vaccines different from others? Yes - they come in multi-dose vials so healthcare workers will soon receive mandatory training to administer them. The Pfizer vaccine has six doses per vial and the AstraZeneca option has 10. Nobody will be allowed to administer vaccines unless they have completed the online course. The training also aims to minimise wastage. Taking advantage of the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, when demand for online transactions, payments, gifts and to send lucky money... Cyber attacks aiming at banking and e-wallet services increase in Lunar New Year. Photo quantrimang.com Taking advantage of the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, when demand for online transactions, payments, gifts and to send lucky money increases, many hacker groups are stepping up their fraudulent activities aimed at users of banking services and e-wallets. CyRadar JSC recently warned about two online attacks targeting the users of 27 banks and e-wallets. Duong Thanh Hai, a CyRadar expert, said the companys monitoring system recently detected two IP addresses of a server used for hosting fraudulent websites. At least 180 fake domain names pointed to these two server clusters from the beginning of this year. The fraudulent domain names mainly focus on impersonating 27 banks in Viet Nam, along with popular e-wallets. In addition, there are a number of fraudulent domains aimed at social networking users and gamers. "Many websites which are still in the building process or cybercriminals who just point domain names to the server and prepare for future fraud campaigns have also been discovered," said the expert. Previously, experts of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) under the Authority of Information Security, Ministry of Information and Communications, predicted online fraud would increase. One of the reasons the experts made the prediction is because of the unpredictable development of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking advantage of this, bad actors have used the vast amount of information related to vaccines, the responses of governments and organisations, and other long-term effects of the pandemic to carry out online attacks. In addition, the trend of working online also increases the risk users could be exposed to cyber threats. In fact, taking advantage of the limited awareness of many users, phishing attacks account for the largest proportion of information systems in Viet Nam in recent years besides deface and malware attacks. The NCSC system recorded 5,168 attacks causing problems on information systems in the country last year including 1,778 phishing attacks. To prevent damage caused by phishing attacks, experts advise users not to click on unusual links and check website addresses carefully before entering a password. Along with that, users also need to set up additional OTP codes for email accounts, social networks and bank accounts and security software to protect their computers and phones. VNS More than 4,000 cyberattacks in 10 months Vietnam recorded more than 4,100 cyberattacks in the first 10 months of this year, a decrease of 7.8 per cent over the same period of last year. Already under investigation by the FBI and facing calls to resign from both the left and the right, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton now has the Texas Legislature to worry about. State lawmakers have rolled out an initial state budget that would slash his request for funding and eliminate more than 150 positions from his office far deeper cuts than most state agencies face, reducing his staffing to its lowest level since he was elected. In October, Paxton requested $1.26 billion over two years for his agency with 4,217 positions. Instead, the Texas Senate will begin debate on a budget plan this week that would give him $1.17 billion over the two years and 4,063 positions. That represents $89 million less than requested and 154 fewer positions. Neither the Republican attorney general nor his colleagues in the state Senate are saying much publicly about the cuts, but that will change on Wednesday when Paxton and his staff are set to testify before the Senate Finance Committee. We have a lot of questions that need to be asked, said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who is a member of that committee. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Attorney General Budget 2016-2017: $1.15 billion and 4,195.4 full-time equivalent positions 2018-2019: $1.15 billion and 4,191.4 full-time equivalent positions 2020-2021: $1.38 billion and 4,229.9 full time equivalent positions 2022-2023 Senate budget proposal: $1.17 billion and 4,063.5 full time equivalent positions See More Collapse The cuts stand out when compared to the proposed budgets of other statewide elected officials. Gov. Greg Abbott and State Comptroller Glenn Hegar both are getting exactly the amount of money and staff they requested. Many state agencies saw a reduction in our introduced budget, including the attorney general, said Senate Finance Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. We made clear we did not want to see a reduction in services for crime victims, including rape crisis center services and sexual assault nurse examiners. This is a starting point. For Paxton, it comes at a tumultuous time. On Oct. 1, seven top aides filed a complaint with law enforcement accusing him of abuse of office and accepting bribes. The FBI is investigating those accusations, which focus on his advocacy for Nate Paul, a friend and campaign donor. WHISTLEBLOWER SUIT: Former aides allege Paxton became less rational over time about advocacy for Paul At least two of the whistleblowers have been fired, exposing the state to potential liability for illegal retaliation. In early October, Paxton rebuffed calls for his resignation from some lawmakers, including Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, a former first assistant to Paxton. Despite the effort by rogue employees and their false allegations I will continue to seek justice in Texas and will not be resigning, Paxton said in a statement to the media in early October, right around the time his office submitted its funding request to lawmakers. His peers have been slow to defend Paxton publicly. Nearly all of the more than 100 Republicans in the Legislature did not respond when asked by the Associated Press whether they have confidence in Paxton. Abbott has told KXAN, an NBC affiliate in Austin, that the latest allegations against Paxton raise serious concerns but has refrained from further comment. One of the biggest proposed cuts is to Paxtons fund for hiring outside law firms, consultants, expert witnesses and information technology services. He asked for $205 million for the two-year budget, but the Senate is proposing $118 million. Paxtons office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In budget documents, Paxton says he needs tens of millions of additional funding for managing crime victims services programs and for technology upgrades. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and the slowdown in oil and gas revenues, most agencies have been warned to lower their budget expectations. The proposed cuts come as Paxton faces other administrative woes. In 2019, the Legislature halted work on upgrading the child support enforcement system that had been on the books since before Paxton took office. Originally budged at $223.6 million, the project had jumped to $419.6 million before lawmakers finally pulled the plug. State budget writers cited the terminated project as a key reason for Paxtons drop in funding. Although it is not detailed in his budget request, the Associated Press reported Paxton was seeking about $43 million in state funding to hire outside attorneys for a high-profile antitrust lawsuit against Google. The whistleblowers told the Associated Press that before they reported him to the FBI in September and began resigning, the lawsuit against the search engine giant was set to be handled internally. Paxton runs one of the largest state attorney generals offices in the United States. Paxton is highlighting several successes over the last two years as he lobbies for the funding, including once again leading the nation in child support collections and recovering $1.2 billion for Texas through legal action. In addition, he highlights increased activity by his election fraud investigators and nearly 100 indictments obtained by his Medicaid Fraud Unit. Paxton has built a reputation since he took office in 2014 of signing on to high-profile national cases. Most recently, he won a temporary restraining order to block President Joe Bidens executive action to pause deportations. In early December, Paxton filed a suit against four other states in support of former President Donald Trump that called on the Supreme Court to delay certification of Bidens victory. In the suit, Paxton said Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin had engaged in election irregularities that require investigation, and it asked the court to enjoin the use of unlawful election results without review and ratification by the defendant states legislatures. The Supreme Court quickly rejected the case. Paxton is still under indictment for separate, previous charges of felony securities fraud dating back to 2015. No trial date has been set. More recently, Paxtons role in the rally that precipitated the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol has provoked new calls for his resignation. Paxton was among the speakers who encouraged the crowd to keep fighting, just before some in the crowd attacked the Capitol complex, killing five, including a Capitol Police officer. What we have in President Trump is a fighter. And I think thats why were all here, Paxton said that morning in a short speech. We will not quit fighting. That appearance and Paxtons false claims that the rioters were not Trump supporters have spurred calls for the Legislature to investigate him. State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, said after the riots at the Capitol that lawmakers need to limit the attorney generals jurisdiction and possibly cut his funding. My bottom line is the Legislature should be holding him accountable, Turner said. jeremy.wallace@chron.com twitter.com/jeremyswallace Mary Trump, la sobrina separada de Donald Trump, califico la reaccion del presidente a las elecciones como un 'intento de golpe' (MSNBC) Donald Trumps niece Mary Trump made her opinion clear when it comes to whether the former president should be convicted in his second impeachment trial. Retweeting a tweet that simply said convict him, she added: This shouldn't even be in question, but we need to keep saying it until it happens. Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, came to the fore when she released her book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Most Dangerous Man In The World, a tell-all book about what it was like inside the Trump family. The book also revealed financial dealings that led to stories of suspected tax fraud being published in The New York Times. The Trumps filed a lawsuit attempting to stop its publication. Ms Trump has frequently appeared in media bashing her uncle. Two weeks before the election, she told The Guardian: He knows hes in desperate shape, so hes going to burn it all down, sow more chaos and division if hes going down, hes going to take us all down with him. When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared the winners of the election, Mary Trump was still worried about what Mr Trump might do to lash out during the transition. Despite her dire view of her uncles presidency, she was still surprised by the Capitol riot on 6 January. What struck me first was how degrading it was. That amount of desecration. The tawdriness of it. Tawdriness is who Donald is, but playing out in the halls of Congress," she said. Read more: Follow live updates on the Trump post-presidency It was the last four years in real-time, distilled to its very essence, proving how much the very worst people among us have been so enabled and emboldened. It hit me later that the next people in line for the presidency were in the same room, and how unfathomably dangerous that was. She told CBS News that the riot was a direct result of Mr Trumps false insistence that the election was stolen from him. She said: "It was also the direct result of the abject cowardice shown by his own party, and its failure to stand up to his egregious lies around this election." Story continues Ms Trump suggested that MrTrump was unable to accept defeat because of how looked down upon losing was in the family. "Losing was literally the worst thing you can do," she said. So, for the first time in his life, Donald finds himself in a situation in which, not just that he's lost, but he cannot for the life of him figure out a way to turn the loss into a win, something he's always been able to do in the past because he's perfectly happy to lie, cheat and steal his way to a win, she said to CBS News on 11 January. Read More Joe Biden says Donald Trump should no longer receive intelligence briefings because of erratic behaviour Trump doesnt use Gab and is being kept off by dopey Jared Kushner, says social media platforms CEO Donald Trump impeachment timeline 2021 what to expect when trial starts Former Trump chief of staff says theres no chance of stopping him from running Jamie Raskin: Lead Trump impeachment trial manager was made for this moment Islamabad, Feb 8 (UNI) Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistan Army's media wing, on Monday rejected rumours that the armed forces and the opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had been in contact through 'backdoor channels' and asserted that nobody should try and drag the Army into politics. The DG ISPR said the armed forces already have their 'hands full' with the 'huge responsibility of managing Pakistan's security, from both internal and external threats'. It does not help that speculations are being made in this regard without providing any evidence, said Maj Gen Iftikhar, adding that if someone has evidence to support such claims of backdoor contacts, then they should bring it forward. UNI XC ACL RJ 1912 [February 08, 2021] JALA.ai As a Solution For Property Business Sales in 2021 JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, projected that economic growth in 2021 would grow by 4 to 5% in this explanation in the 2021 Indonesian Economic Outlook. One of the sectors pushed to achieve this target is the property sector. This is as stated by the Director-General of Treasury, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia Andin Hadiyanto, who explained that not all sectors were affected by the pandemic, one of which was the real estate sector, which grew 2% in the third quarter. Besides, this sector is also a concern in the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN). For this reason, the property sector is required to be more adaptive and innovative to keep up with the rapid development of digital technology. JALA.ai is a company engaged in sales software development that was founded in 2019. JALA.ai offers solutions for developers to make it easier to manage sales of their property projects. JALA.ai sales application for property and dashboard for monitoring performance. Where management can in real-time monitor the development of existing prospects, team performance, and the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. "There are two main services offered by JALA.ai, JALA Assistant and JALA Dashboard. These two services synergize and are needed to help increase the effectiveness of sales levels, especially for the property business." Said Mirfagah Iqbal, CEO of JALA.ai. JALA.ai services In further explanation, Mirfagah explained that the JALA Assistant application is integrated with the back end develper system and contains data on product units sold to the customer database. "The main problem for salespeople is that the data they get is not transparent and not in real-time. The system is still too manual for businesses that are entering the all-digital era." He explained. With JALA Assistant, prospects that enter through online advertisements will be distributed directly to the HP of each sales representative in real-time. The follow-up process can be done in less than 5 minutes and the data has been recorded in the JALA.ai system. Mirfagah also shared data that 76% of JALA.ai clients are companies engaged in the property sector, where the follow-up process plays a very important role in the level of closing sales in the end. "The advancement of digital technology is like two blades for developers. The reason is, if they do not immediately adapt and follow market trends, developers will be abandoned by their consumers. Market trends are now more active in browsing via the Internet, more practical and efficient. The lack here is the response time. which sometimes takes a long time, the hot lead could turn into cold lead caused by the follow-up process that takes ages. That's why response time is so important in the digital world. " Said Mirfagah. More so, JALA Dashboard is also present as a solution to problem-solving property developer management in monitoring activities. Which in return very helpful especially for businesses that are still implementing WFH or restrictions on work entry. Performance monitoring problems can now be resolved through JALA Dashboard. "JALA Dashboard is very useful for management, especially for businesses implementing WFH or online working systems. Monitoring activities can be done through the JALA Dashboard, sales team activities, prospects and the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns can be easily monitored in real-time. In addition, management decisions can also be made more quickly by looking at the performance of each indicator available on the Dashboard. " explain Mirfagah. In further explanation, JALA.ai also offers full custom services that can adapt to the needs of the business ecosystem and connect with company ERP. The service is named JALA Enterprise. "JALA Enterprise is suitable for companies that need complete customization to suit the needs of their business ecosystem and ERP. JALA Assistant and JALA Dashboard will later be adjusted according to business needs, so both management and sales teams will not find it difficult because the system is still the same. Only made easier and faster using the application. " Mirfagah explained further. Client Affirmations President Director of PT. Mustika Land , David Sudjana shared his experience using JALA.ai in his property business. According to his presentation, JALA.ai helps his business continue to grow and keep up with the flow of digital developments in the market. "In its development, for business to survive we must follow market trends and developments. Where everything must be accessible via the Internet and required to be fast-paced in responding to incoming inquiries. Here JALA.ai's role is crucial for the business, both in terms of management and sales team, the obstacles that are usually faced such as reports that take a long time, lost the data, turn-over rate and etc. All this problem can be solved using JALA.ai." Said david. David emphasized that JALA.ai can be a solution, especially for business people in the property sector. Where the nurturing process takes a long time, but with the right tools, it won't be a problem. Besides, all client data and records can be stored neatly in the database and sales will also make it easier to follow-up with each prospect. David stated that his business runs more smoothly & effortlessly because almost any sales process can be covered in JALA.ai. SOURCE JALA.ai [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Lucknow, Feb 8 : The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench on Monday dismissed a petition filed against the allotment of land in Dhannipur village in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque, following the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. The petition had been filed by two Delhi-based sisters on February 3, claiming ownership of the five-acre land allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the mosque. Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Ramesh Kumar Singh had opposed the plea, saying the plot numbers allotted for the mosque are different from those mentioned in the petition. Justice D.K. Upadhyay and Justice Manish Kumar dismissed the plea after the petitioners' lawyer, H.G.S. Parihar, sought to withdraw it. The bench also expressed concern over filing the petition in a cursory manner without ascertaining the facts. Rani Kapoor a.k.a Rani Baluja, and Rama Rani Punjabi had said in the writ petition that their father Gyan Chandra Punjabi had come to India during partition in 1947 from Punjab and settled in Faizabad (now Ayodhya) district. They claimed that their father was allotted 28-acre land in Dhannipur village by the Nazul Department for five years which he continued to possess beyond that period. Later, his name was included in the revenue records, the petitioners had said. However, his name was struck down from the records against which their father filed an appeal before the Additional Commissioner, Ayodhya, which was allowed, they claimed. The petitioners further claimed that the consolidation officer again removed their father's name from the records during consolidation proceedings. Against the order of the consolidation officer, an appeal was preferred before the Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Sadar, Ayodhya, but without considering the said petition, the authorities allotted five-acre of their 28-acre land to the Waqf Board for the constructing of mosque, they claimed. The petitioners demanded that the authorities be restrained from transferring the land to the Sunni Waqf Board till the pendency of dispute before the settlement officer. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. Photo: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters The governor of the Bank of England has said he takes full responsibility of failings on his watch that allowed one of the biggest investment scandals in recent British history. Andrew Bailey told MPs on Monday that he ultimately bore responsibility for the Financial Conduct Authoritys (FCA) failure to prevent the growth and then collapse of London Capital Finance (LCF), an investment company that raised 236m ($324m) from over 11,000 small-time investors before folding at the start of 2019. LCFs collapse is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office and Bailey called it a suspected fraud. Bailey said LCF repeatedly broke the FCAs rules around marketing despite warnings. READ MORE: Bank of England governor damned over 237m London Capital & Finance collapse Bailey ran the FCA, Britains top financial watchdog, from 2016 until March last year when he became governor of the Bank of England. I take responsibility for all of the FCA, he said. Theres no question about that. I dont want to in any sense suggest Im not responsible for everything that happened at the FCA. Bailey made the comment during an appearance in front of the Treasury Select Committee to answer questions about the independent inquiry into regulation of LCF. A damning report by Dame Elizabeth Gloster, published in December, said the FCA had failed investors through lax supervision and personally singled out Bailey for blame. READ MORE: Bank of England governor should face 'consequences' for LCF failings Theres a lot of lessons for all of us, Im sure of that, Bailey said. While Bailey accepted he was ultimately responsible, he pushed back on some of Dame Glosters specific criticisms, rejecting claims that the FCAs board were too relaxed and the charge that problems were ignored. Bailey said he was also very angry at the suggestion he had tried to have his name scrubbed from the report. Dame Gloster told MPs last week there was quite a lot of pushback to her decision to name individuals. She was quite irritated and quite surprised by letters from Bailey, she said. Dame Gloster concluded the pushback was inappropriate. Story continues READ MORE: London Capital & Finance victims begin legal fight for compensation Its not correct that I did not want my name mentioned, Bailey told MPs. Im probably sounding quite angry now and I am... I am angry about this... Its just not right. Bailey said he had asked Dame Gloster not to mention his name in relation to being culpable for LCF, but was happy to bear responsibility. It was not a generalised point about my name, he said. The point I was making was not about responsibility. Bailey said he had consulted with his lawyer about a draft of the report detailing Dame Glosters accusation. His lawyer advised him there was nothing he could do. I cant tell you that its anything other that disturbing to me, Bailey said. Im sorry about this but its been a difficult point in this process. READ MORE: Mini-bond ad ban too little, too late: 'I just want my money back' While accepting ultimate responsibility, Bailey did not appear to suggest things could have been done differently. He argued that LCF was allowed to happen due to the dysfunctional nature of the FCA he inherited. He blamed the time it takes to change the place for the failure to spot red flags. A key issue was the FCAs call centre. The regulator received 611 calls about LCF, including 15 from one individual who raised detailed allegations. However, Bailey said there was no way of extracting that information. The red flags... were buried in the 200,000 calls, he said. There wasnt a system for extracting them. I wish there was. We set to work one of the big deliverables in this programme was to do just that. Obviously there should have been a mechanism to alert supervision and enforcement to those. The problem was made worse by the high staff turnover and sickness rates. Bailey said the was partly down to increasing levels of very disturbing abuse received by call handlers. READ MORE: Watchdog bans ads for high-risk mini-bonds after millions lost They put together a tape for us that tape is highly disturbing, MPs were told. It was happening with some frequency. The tape had in it racial abuse, antisemitic abuse, homophobic abuse and so we had to step in. I wish Id known about it sooner. I would have jumped in and got on it sooner... Our staff should never be put in that place. Bailey repeated his apology to LCF bondholder who lost money investing with the company. They should not suffer as a consequence of this, he said. WATCH: Bank of England: Vaccine rollout will help economic recovery Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Monday over the farmers' protest, Narendra Modi hit out at those behind the protests, saying a new 'breed' of agitators called 'andolanjeevi', who cannot live without agitation, has emerged in the country Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appealed to protesting farmers to end their agitation against the new farm laws even as he questioned Opposition parties for their sudden "U-turn" on the agriculture sector reforms. The prime minister also hit out at those behind the protests, saying a new "breed" of agitators called "andolan jeevi" has emerged in the country who cannot live without agitation and the nation should guard against them. Follow LIVE Updates on Parliament here He also said a new FDI (Foreign Destructive Ideology) has come up in the nation and "we need to be more aware to save the country from such ideology". Questioning opposition for their "U-turn" on agriculture reforms, Modi quoted his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector. "Manmohan ji is here, I will read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (on farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get highest rate of return. It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market,'" Modi said in Rajya Sabha. Modi also stressed that India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs and the language used by some for them will not benefit the country. He alleged that some people are also trying to defame Sikhs. "This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The country takes pride in the contribution of Sikhs, but some people are trying to defame them. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious. The language used by some for them will not benefit the country," he said, replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha. On the farm sector and the ongoing protest, Modi said, "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised". "I invite you to come forward and solve the problems of the agriculture sector by making those protesting against the laws to understand the reforms...Let's move forward together," he said. He said the agriculture minister has been holding constant dialogue with farmers and has held several meetings with them and there is no tension yet, as both sides are trying to understand each other. "We urge those sitting on the agitation that even though it is their right to agitate, the manner in which the old people are sitting there, is not right. They (agitators) should be taken back. They should end the agitation and we will together find a solution as all doors are open for dialogue. From this House, I again invite them for dialogue," he said while appealing to farmers to end their agitation. "We should move forward and not take the country behind. All the opposition and the government, protesters should give these reforms a chance and see if this change helps them. We are ready to remove shortcomings. "I assure you that Mandis will be modernised. Not just this, MSP was there, it is there and will remain. Cheap ration given to over 80 crore people will continue. Please do not try to spread misinformation. We also need to strengthen means to increase the incomes of farmers," he also said. The prime minister admitted that there were problems in the agriculture sector and said everyone together has to find a solution to them. "I feel time cannot wait. Every law requires reforms as we are not ones living in a static state. We should all move together with good reforms," he said. He noted that if "we delay the reforms further while sticking to our political preferences, we will usher the farmers towards darkness and we have to worry about it". Modi said since 2014 his government has initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering farmers. The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in, he added. George Shultz, a long-serving secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, died on Saturday at age 100. A man of many achievements he also held three cabinet posts under President Richard Nixon theres one for which he never received full credit: winding down the Cold War. Without Mr. Shultzs steady guidance, Reagan could not have capitalized on the opportunity presented when Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. Without Reagan the Cold War would not have ended, Mr. Gorbachev himself said a few years ago. But without Shultz, Reagan would not have ended the Cold War. It was the way in which he found success that made Mr. Shultz exceptional. He could be coldblooded, obdurate and inscrutable, but whenever the opportunity arose to connect with someone on a personal level, he embraced it. The human touch was at the heart of all Mr. Shultz did. His gestures of kindness and respect seem almost quaint now, a throwback to a gentler age when venom was not the elixir of public discourse. Take the time he brought James Goodby, a senior Reagan administration arms control negotiator, to the Oval Office for a meeting with Reagan. Mr. Shultz guided Mr. Goodby to the wingback chair next to the president, the seat reserved for the highest ranking guest. Mr. Shultz sat on the sofa. Mr. Goodby never forgot the gesture. Repairs and cleaning of the Alamos Long Barrack will soon begin as conservation experts determine the best way to preserve one of the oldest buildings in Texas. Roof repairs at the mission-era structure began recently and are expected to be completed by Friday. Cleaning of the exterior walls will begin later this month, as early as Feb. 15. But the state-owned Alamo complex will remain open to the public. Just like when caring for artifacts like historic documents and artwork, the Long Barrack needs cleaning every so often, Alamo conservator Pamela Jary Rosser said. We will use the gentlest methods possible to clean the stones in the Long Barrack walls, using skilled masonry cleaners, and will not perform any repairs that pose a risk of damaging the structure. On ExpressNews.com: Work to determine if Alamo church exterior was painted in mission era During recent archaeological investigations in the Long Barrack, the Alamo preservation team discovered blisters in its replacement roof, installed in 1975, resulting from cracks in a roof membrane added in 2014. Parts of the roof have bulges up to 12 inches high from moisture infiltrating the membrane, which is under warranty. Areas where blistering has occurred are being repaired this week. The long, rectangular building is less celebrated than the iconic Alamo church. But it was among the first structures built after the site became the third and final location of San Antonios first permanent mission in 1724. Much of its west and south walls are of original mission-era construction. The Long Barrack was built by Spanish craftsmen and indigenous people living near the Mission San Antonio de Valero. It was completed by the 1740s as a two-story convento, where Spanish friars lived and worked. Later, as part of a fort, it housed a jail and, on the second floor, the first hospital in Texas, dating to 1805. The Long Barrack also is the location where a high concentration of Texian and Tejano Alamo defenders are believed to have died in hand-to-hand fighting in the early morning battle of March 6, 1836. Decades after the battle, the building was part of a grocery and liquor store. It was threatened with demolition by a hotel developer when Clara Driscoll and Adina de Zavala worked to save it in 1903, starting a new era of Alamo custodianship by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The DRT renovated the building to house museum exhibits in 2005. The building has been closed to the public in recent years for archaeological digs conducted to preserve the church and Long Barrack. Excavations in the Long Barrack have unearthed 1800s musket balls and other artillery, and a piece of earthenware believed to date from 1650 to 1725. Archaeologists also found, about 5 feet below the surface, what they believe is the base of the Long Barracks original mission-era west wall, the oldest intact structure at the Alamo, with a foundation dating to the 1720s. On ExpressNews.com: Early mission era artifact unearthed at Alamo in downtown San Antonio In the weeks ahead, masons will clean the exterior limestone walls with water, specialized soap and soft-bristle brushes to remove dirt and black and dark green biological growth so the preservation team can assess the condition of the stones and mortar for a long-term repair and treatment plan. In a YouTube video posted by the Alamo, Rosser explained that a very gentle cleaning process will remove the growth materials and contaminants that visually obscure details and conditions of the stone and grout. And then the building will be preserved in the best manner possible, she said. shuddleston@express-news.net Tonight on Foreign Correspondent is City of Fear with reporter Bill Birtles in Hong Kong for an update on citizen protests. Once a city of protest, Hong Kong has become a city of fear. The ABCs China correspondent Bill Birtles reported on the tumultuous Hong Kong pro-democracy protests throughout 2019-2020, before his abrupt return home when China-Australia relations blew up. Now Birtles brings us the final chapter of the Hong Kong rebellion, as Beijing exerts an iron grip on the once liberal outpost, snuffing out the last breaths of democracy. He tells the story of Max, a young Hong Kong activist, who must decide if he should stay and fight for democracy, risking jail, or flee and continue to campaign from outside. The atmosphere is different. Its a lot grimmer. And its become a lot harder to hold on to hope, says Max. We follow Max as he moves carefully around the city, building networks with those committed to staying and pondering a future in exile where he has freedom but no family. We speak with protest leader Joshua Wong, on trial for organising protests. Now is not the time for us to kow-tow to Beijing and surrender! declares a defiant Wong. Days after our interview, Wong is jailed. We join pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo as she packs up her office in the Legislative Council, having resigned in protest at Chinas squeeze on who can run for office. I was quite happy to call it a day but that doesnt mean were giving up the democracy fight in Hong Kong, says Mo, but she concedes its a losing battle. On the surface, Hong Kong is still quite so glamorous, quite so prosperous looking, but then deep down its rotting. Some locals like Australian educated, pro-government politician Nixie Lam welcome an end to the chaos of protest and the return of law and order. Just dont say you want Hong Kong independentor accept foreign monies to try to promote things like that. Then youll be totally fine, says Lam, denouncing the protest leaders as traitors. As Max prepares to depart, Beijing orders a wave of arrests, sending a thousand police across the city to detain the remaining pro-democracy leadership. Claudia Mo is on the list. I never imagined Hong Kong would have come to this, she says. Producer: Mark Corcoran Tuesday 9 February at 8pm on ABC Related No one can fully predict the future, but there are techniques to read the signals that foresee where it might lead. Recent Nokia research has revealed three areas of opportunity for communications service providers (CSPs): new forms of broadband access, mixed reality applications and the (physically distanced) community economy. Heres why these matter, and how CSPs can position themselves to reap the benefits as they evolve. New forms of broadband access As governments continue to push for universal broadband as an enabler of health, educational and economic advantage, many are seeking fast, flexible alternatives to fiber rollouts. Thats driving interest in High Altitude Platforms (HAPs), which deliver connectivity from balloons and airships hovering above the earth but within the atmosphere. One of the HAPs making a mark today is SpaceX-built Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite,[1] which received $856 million in rural digital opportunities funding from the Federal Communications Commission in December 2020 a hint of the HAP markets potential for CSPs. While not every CSP is in the position to launch a HAP solution, those that are may want to focus on this growing opportunity and those that arent could consider sourcing coverage from an existing provider. New applications for mixed reality Worldwide spending on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) could reach $72.8 billion by 2024, driven by 5G consumer use (thanks to companies like Apple building Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology into their devices) and by a growing array of enterprise applications as well.[2] This is an opportunity for CSPs, whose networks will provide the bandwidth and low latency to support the necessary processing of these applications in the cloud. By partnering today with application developers to address the new resource requirements and start capitalizing on the emerging ecosystem of mixed reality content, CSPs can be well positioned to reap the benefits as the market builds. Digital twins are a particularly promising class of mixed reality application, making it possible to simulate, explore and test upgrades or changes to physical environments without disrupting them. City officials in Helsinki, for example, recently invited companies to use digital twins to design new services based on public data about buildings energy consumption. CSPs may want to think about these both as customer-facing applications to support and also as tools to use themselves creating models of their own networks to simulate events, changes and upgrades without physically interfering with the live network. Farther down the road, many observers expect AR/VR to lead to the creation of the spatial web, which will map the physical world onto virtual spaces and layer virtual elements onto physical ones essentially breaking down the divide between physical and virtual in an experiential way. In every case, mixed reality will depend on a robust ecosystem of device providers, platforms and content. CSPs can be the critical channel that connects all of these players. New ways to connect If ecosystems are the future of enterprise service creation and delivery, communities are much the same on the user end of things. The community-based economy will continue to change how businesses engage with customers and how people engage with each other. CSPs can support the community-building efforts of their enterprise customers and, at the same time, develop their own communities to provide answers and advice and showcase new products or services through virtual events, interactive content and videos. In the Netherlands, T-Mobiles online community the largest telco forum in the country helps cut costs and boost customer loyalty by handling 40 percent of support requests.[3] Beyond brand-specific communities, there will be the larger phenomenon of living and working online to support in the wake of COVID-19 as businesses and individuals continue with remote, physically distanced ways of getting things done. CSPs have already played a critical role in the global pivot to this new reality. Going forward, there will be more opportunities to enrich that experience. Spanish CSP Telefonica, for example, has collaborated with startup iUrban to help Silken Hotel Group create an entirely digital and mobile experience to ensure all of its 25 hotels comply with local COVID-19 safety protocols.[4] Moving early on opportunity Getting an early read on these signals of future opportunity gives CSPs time to develop strategies and prepare to make the most of them in ways that make sense for their markets and businesses. Nokia will continue to look beyond the horizon to decode the next set of signals from the future. Download our new report Know, now to learn more about them and the potential they hold for CSPs worldwide. Leslie Shannon is Nokias head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting.She scouts for new developments in technologies outside the telecommunications industry to understand what the networks of five years from now will need to support, how these technologies will interact with each other, and where new business opportunities will be. About Nokia We create the critical networks and technologies to bring together the worlds intelligence, across businesses, cities, supply chains and societies.With our commitment to innovation and technology leadership, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we deliver networks at the limits of science across mobile, infrastructure, cloud, and enabling technologies.Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities we need for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world. press release "Enhancing Military and Legislative Interaction in a Democracy: Liberia in perspective" I am greatly honored and elated to be here this morning to speak to the gallant men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia as a keynote speaker at the beginning of this very important week in the life of the Armed Forces of Liberia which, under normal circumstances, should end on February 11, 2021 with an elaborate national program. Such an elaborate celebration is not possible this year for the insecurity situation created by the COVID 19 pandemic. As a person who, over the years, has expressed critical views about governance issues, bordering on the respect for human rights and the rule of law, I remain forever grateful to the Chief of Staff and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, for providing me this unique platform to express my opinion about the way forward for empowering the Armed Forces of Liberia, the mother of the security sector, in order to adequately perform its role as the protector of our collective security in a more meaningful way. I want to begin by saying a little bit about my link with the Armed Forces of Liberia. In 1994, I was contracted by the Liberian National Transitional Government headed by Cllr. David D. Kpomakpor to prosecute a group of military men led by the late General Charles Julu who attempted to overthrow the transitional government on September 15, 1994. I was appointed as the trial counsel and commissioned with the rank of colonel of the Armed Forces of Liberia, by a special order issued by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Let me quickly say that at the end of the trial, which lasted for six months, I was very happy to be decommissioned. Before speaking on the topic of the day, permit me to briefly reflect on the past of the Liberian military. Military activities started in Liberia as a small militia force to defend the colonies of black settlers from the United States of America established along the coasts of Liberia, especially the one that was established on the Providence Island and later moved to Cape Mesurado. The settler who is historically given credit for the beginning of the Liberian state, Elijah Johnson and Joseph Jenkins Roberts were all militia generals. After the colonies collectively declared themselves an independent state called Liberia, with the exception of Maryland, which later joined the republic, the boundaries of Liberia were constantly encroached upon by the bordering French and British colonies of what is known today as Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone, respectively. Also, the authority of the Government of the newly declared independent Republic was not accepted by some kings and chiefs of many rural parts of the country. In order to deal with these issues, the Legislature created the first military force of Liberia in 1908 and named it the Liberian Frontier Force (LFF). The Frontier Force was also used to collect taxes and to recruit, mostly young men from the interior parts for forced labor on the farms of officials of government, carry out public works, such as road-building and to work on commercial farms at home and abroad. In the performance of these duties, the Frontier Force, most often, used excessive force, sometimes leading to the deaths of those who rebelled against the central government. Opponents of the government who were not killed were captured and detained in military prisons, the notorious of which were post stockade at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia and Camp Belleh Yallah, deep in the Belleh Forest, in the part of the country known today as Gbarpolo County. Certainly, this made the military an enemy of a majority of the people of Liberia. Following the 1980 coup, there were summary trials of civilians by a military tribunal set up by the military junta. Many of those who were tried by the tribunal were executed. Those who were not executed were imprisoned either at the post stockade in Monrovia or at Camp Belleh Yallah. Also brought before the military tribunal, for trial, were six student leaders of the Liberian National Student Union (LINSU), who challenged the Peoples' Redemption Council (PRC) Decree 2A, which banned among other things, students' political activities. They included Ezekial Pajibo, Alaric Tokpa, Kpede Woiwor, Siapha Blackie, Nyomo K. Brownell and Mayonga Wilson. The trial ended with the conviction of the student leaders and a sentence of death by firing squad. The entire Liberia became tense as a result of the sentence and the junta backed down and released the student leaders. In 1984, the military junta had two notable engagements with the students. The first was when Ezekial Pajibo, Alaric Tokpa, Christian Herbert, James Fromayan, Dempster Yallah and his wife Lucia Massallay (now Yallah) were arrested and detained at the post stockade and later transferred to Camp Belleh Yallah on the suspicion that there were the authors of an underground leaflet titled "REACT" on the ground the under publication violate PRC Decree 88A which prohibited any criticism of officials of the three branches of the Liberian Government. The second encounter of the students with the military was following an order by the Commander-in- Chief, then Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe, to the Minister of Defense, then Gray D. Allison to " move or be removed". Upon the issuance of this order by the Commander-in-chief, the military invaded the campus of the University of Liberia on August 22, 1984, when students were protesting on the campus against the illegal detention of Prof. Amos C. Sawyer at the post stockade, without any charge. The military indiscriminately assaulted students and teachers, including your humble servant and raped many females in broad day light. The misuse of the army in the ways that I have briefly catalogued made the army a bitter enemy of a majority of the people of Liberia. Today, the situation has changed considerably with the 1986 Constitution of Liberia coming into full force, which makes it unconstitutional to detain civilians in military prisons or to try civilians before court-martial boards or any form of military tribunal. Also, the reformed Armed Forces of Liberia has demonstrated a high degree of professionalism, national consciousness and has, largely, not engaged in the reckless use of force as was done by the military in the past. Today, we are all proud of the performance of the men and women of the Armed Forces as part of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Mali. Having given a brief narrative of my temporary, but, quite interesting time with the Armed Forces of Liberia and made some observations about its past and present history, let me now focus on the topic that the chief of Staff humbly requested me to speak on today. General Johnson, you in your letter to me you asked me to speak on the topic: "Enhancing Military and Legislative Interaction in a Democracy: Liberia in perspective" This topic requires that I first deal with the interactions between the military and the legislature in a democracy, before I can speak about whether or not it should be enhanced in Liberia. In order to understand the interactions between the military and the legislature, one has to find out the nature of the relationship between the two. The military in any democratic country is a critical agent of the Executive Branch of Government. However, its creation is not possible without an act of the legislature. Also, while the military is controlled by the executive branch and obeys only lawful order of the executive branch, whose head is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, its survival and personnel as well as logistical strength depends on budgetary appropriations made by the Legislature. Further, the military cannot participate in any war or peace-Keeping duty unless the legislature approves such a mission. The general nature of the relationship between the military and the legislature in a democracy is universal. Hence, it is not different from what obtains in Liberia. The existence of the Liberian military is traced to the legislative Act of 1908 which created the Frontier Force, as the first organized military arm of the Liberian Government. This act was amended in 1956 and further amended more recently in 2008. The command structure of the military cannot be constituted without the approval of the legislature. Article 54(e) of the Constitution of Liberia provides for the consent of the Legislature for the appointment of "members of the military from the rank of lieutenant or its equivalent and above" meaning up to the ranks of generals and the chief of staff. Further, it cannot be over-emphasized or over-stated that the existence, maintenance and functioning of the military depend on the National Legislature, as mandated by the Constitution of Liberia. Article 34 b) and c) of the Constitution of Liberia provide , "The Legislature shall have the power: b) to provide for the security of the Republic; and c) to provide for the common defense, to declare war and authorize the Executive to conclude peace; to raise and support the Armed Forces of the Republic, and to make appropriations therefor provided that no appropriation of money for that use shall be for a longer term than one year; and to make rules for the governance of the Armed Forces of the Republic". This, men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, is the nature of the relationship that exists between the military and the Legislature in Liberia. Given the relationship between the military and the legislature as defined by the Constitution of Liberia, it is obvious that there has to be frequent interactions between the military and the legislature in order to give life to the mandate of the Constitution of Liberia on the functions of the legislature regarding the existence and effectiveness of the military. The Constitution has mandated this interaction as it has guaranteed that funding for the military has to be provided for by the legislature. In light of what I have said, thus far, about the relationship between the legislature and the military, it appears to me that the answer to the question whether or not the interaction between the military and the legislature should be enhanced is in the affirmative. What remains for me to do at this juncture is to explore how the interactions between the military and the legislature can be enhanced for our collective security, for a better Liberia, the Liberia in which the security, peaceful existence and the welfare of all Liberians on an equitable basis will become the paramount concerns of both, the military and the legislature, in their interactions. In order for the military to play a key role in the building of a better Liberia, there are two cardinal points that I urge the military to take into consideration in the performance of its national duties: The first is that the military must be a force for our collective security by remaining unrelenting and unreservedly committed to protecting our evolving democracy. Towards this end, I plead with the military to stay out of politics and let the politicians make whatever mistake they can make. In other words, political mistakes, no matter how terrible they may be, must be corrected by political actions and not military interventions. We have been down that road and we must all say forward ever to political solutions and backward never to military interventions. The Liberian people will never, again, accept any justification for the military take-over of their government. I can say without any fear of contradiction that the national difficulties that we are experiencing today are traceable to the military's, widely publicized intervention to redeem the people of Liberia from "rampant corruption and one party rule." It is true that Liberia was governed by one group of people for a very long time under the banner of the Ground Old True Whig Party. Yes, there was rampant corruption. Yes a few people were enjoying a disproportionate share of the incomes generated from the resources of Liberia. These problems were political problems, in nature, that required only political solutions. There is no record to show that any Liberian or group of Liberians requested the intervention of the military to solve these problems on April 12, 1980. The progressive politicians were aware that a majority of the men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia in 1980 did not have sufficient education or experience, or any political or ideological training and therefore, they were even more dangerous than those that were in power. As Thomas Sankara, the Late Revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso once said, "A soldier without any political or ideological training is a potential criminal". The seizure of homes, farms and properties of former government officials, the looting of properties, the frequent raping of wives and daughters of former government officials and other forms of abuse of human rights that occurred, immediately after the military takeover are examples of what Sankara was warning the world about. The worst of all the negative effects of the coup was the total breakdown of the chain of command in the army and the paramilitary forces. Enlisted men became captains, majors, colonels and even generals on the morning of the coup'd'etat, without any ability to command a squad. This was the beginning of the indiscipline in the military and para-military forces of Liberia, which until this day our country is still struggling to curtail. Having made this observation, let me quickly say that my general observation and the observations of many critical Liberian thinkers that I have spoken to is that the armed forces, for more than a decade, has been incrementally disciplined and more professional that it is now trusted by the public more than the para-military forces. I call upon the paramilitary forces to follow the good example of the Armed Forces of Liberia and to become more professional and disciplined in the performance of their functions. We need not emphasize that the so called rescue mission orchestrated by some non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces of Liberia in 1980, was unjustifiably chaotic and bloody and took us far away from finding solutions to Liberia's problems because these problems were political in nature and required only political solutions. In fact the intervention of the military on April 12, 1980 prevented the attempts by the politicians to solve these problems. It began with the mayoral election of 1979, which was postponed to 1980, in which Prof. Amos C. Sawyer of the Movement for Justice in Africa was an independent candidate supported by the progressive politicians and Mr. Chuchu Horton was the candidate of the ruling political party, the True Whig Party. In 1980, it was clear to the True Whig Party that its hold on to power could not last anymore without the democratic approval of the Liberian people through a free and fair election. Hence, in that year, the TWP began preparation for competition with the progressive politicians in an election that President Tolbert had said would be held in 1983. The Progressive Alliance of Liberia (PAL) formed a political party at the beginning of 1980 called the Progressive People's Party ( PPP) and MOJA held its first National Congress at the Monrovia City Hall in March 1980, which ended with a resolution for MOJA to form a political party to compete with the TWP in 1983. The True Whig Party at the beginning of 1980 held its first quadrennial congress in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, in preparation for the expected election in 1983. While all the political teams were preparing and rehearsing for a competition, in the political arena, scheduled to take place in 1983, the military, wrongly reading the hot political atmosphere that was developing in Liberia, intervened and violently overthrew the TWP Government and arrogated unto itself the title of a redeemer by naming its collective membership as the People's Redemption Council. And so, the Armed Forces of Liberia, stole the show on the early morning of April 12, 1980. The 1980 military coup has delayed, up to this day, the change that the Liberian people struggled for and expected. This is a clear indication that violence does not necessarily solve any political problem, but only gives a temporary emotional relief. What violence clearly does is to delay solution to any political problem. Liberia is a clear example. Therefore, let me appeal to the military to never again intervene in the politics of Liberia. Keep to your military duties and leave governance with the politicians, no matter how bad governance may be. Again I say let political mistakes be corrected by politicians not soldiers. The second suggestion is about how the military can play a leading role to reverse the increasing level of food insecurity in our country. The military with the support of the legislature should expand the scope of the military's role of providing for our collective security, beyond protecting us from invasions from across our borders to our collective security from hunger. Death by hunger and death from the use of force amounts to the same thing, death. Liberians are dying slowly from the lack of food because we are not producing enough food as a nation to feed ourselves. Most of our hard-to-earn foreign exchange is spent to import food, especially our staple food, rice. Countries less endowed with good climate and soil compared to Liberia grow rice, not only for local consumption, but also for export. It will interest you to know, for an example, that Egypt, a desert country, until recently, was the largest producer and exporter of rice in the Middle East region.[1] It is shameful for Liberia, to say the least. What explanation do we have, as Liberians, for importing rice from China and India, countries with more than a billion people each, to feed? I suggest that the military forms a robust agricultural battalion, in order, to find ways to solve our collective food insecurity problem. The level of discipline that exists in the military makes ideal for leading our national effort to overcome our food insecurity problem. I call on the legislature to make adequate budgetary appropriation for strengthening the Armed Forces of Liberia, as a redeemer of the Liberian people, in the unending cycle of hunger. The Liberian government must also provide more incentives for entrepreneurs that want to venture into food production. As a nation, we cannot make progress, if we cannot produce most of the food that we eat. Through the process of eminent domain, the Government of Liberia should identify huge parcels of farmland in each county and make them available to the military to produce food for Liberia. This is the best way for the army to protect our collective security, for now. These activities will also provide opportunities for civilian jobs for agricultural school students, graduates and graduates from T-Vet programs in the operation and repairs of farming machines, and other logistical and administrative services. It can be done, once there is a political will. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. My suggestion, which some may classify as extraordinary is based on the fact that the government and people of Liberia cannot reverse the high level of poverty in Liberia without taking extraordinary steps for the increase in rice production. Without an increase in rice production in Liberia, the price of rice will continue to rise and a rise in the price of rice will lead to an increase in poverty. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between rice production and poverty in Liberia. These studies have shown that if more rice is produced in Liberia, the price of rice will drop and this will lead to a reduction in poverty level in Liberia. For example, based on earlier studies by researchers on the link between rice and other cereal production and poverty, Clarence Tsimpo and Quentin Wodo, two World Bank , in their paper entitled, Rice Prices and Poverty in Liberia(2008) reached the following conclusion: "In Liberia however, at least under the current conditions, the impact of a change in the price of rice is not ambiguous. This is because a large share of the rice that is consumed is imported, while the rice that is locally produced is used mostly for auto-consumption rather than for sale on the market. In such circumstances, an increase in the price of rice, whether imported or locally produced, will tend to result in higher poverty in the country as a whole (even if some local producers will gain from this increase), while a reduction in price will lead to a reduction in poverty. Furthermore, because rice represents such a large share of the food consumption of households, any change in the price of rice is likely to have a rather large effect on poverty measures."[2] According to an FAO report dated May 20, 2019, rice for human consumption accounted for over 80 percent of imports[3]. This means that 80 percent of the money that we spent in Liberia to import from other countries was spent on rice in 2019. The situation remains the same today. It also means that if we produce more rice in Liberia, we will save that money and invest it in ways that could develop our country. Based on the foregoing, my advice to President George M. Weah is that his policy titled the "Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD)" which is meant to reduce poverty and promote prosperity and national development in Liberia cannot and will not succeed until and unless more rice is produced in Liberia, than is imported. If he does not promulgate programs for the radicle increase in food production, then at the end of his six years in power Liberians will become poorer than they were on the day that he was inaugurated as President of Liberia. Therefore, I urge the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, to amend his legislative agenda for this year and going forward, to include an increase in the budget of the Armed Forces of Liberia for the use of the men and women of the Armed Forces to lead the country in the production of more rice in Liberia. The security threat to the survival of our nation is not external threat from the borders of Liberia; rather, it is internal threat based on our high dependency on the importation of rice. The military must be used to deal with this threat to our survival as a sovereign nation. I urge the Legislature to fully cooperate with the President, if and when he decides to focus on the use of the military for increase rice production in Liberia. Distinguished Officers, men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, other distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my little input on the use of the military with the support of the legislature to make Liberia a better place for all Liberians. I wish the men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia a blissful celebration of Armed Forces Day, 2021. I thank you. [2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23723583_Rice_prices_and_poverty_in_Liberia [3] https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/LBR_10.pdf Virus Outbreak Variants Reinfection This 2020 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause COVID-19. According to research released in 2021, evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time. (Hannah A. Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/CDC via AP) Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests. How long immunity lasts from natural infection is one of the big questions in the pandemic. Scientists still think reinfections are fairly rare and usually less serious than initial ones, but recent developments around the world have raised concerns. In South Africa, a vaccine study found new infections with a variant in 2% of people who previously had an earlier version of the virus. In Brazil, several similar cases were documented with a new variant there. Researchers are exploring whether reinfections help explain a recent surge in the city of Manaus, where three-fourths of residents were thought to have been previously infected. In the United States, a study found that 10% of Marine recruits who had evidence of prior infection and repeatedly tested negative before starting basic training were later infected again. That work was done before the new variants began to spread, said one study leader, Dr. Stuart Sealfon of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Previous infection does not give you a free pass, he said. A substantial risk of reinfection remains. Reinfections pose a public health concern, not just a personal one. Even in cases where reinfection causes no symptoms or just mild ones, people might still spread the virus. That's why health officials are urging vaccination as a longer-term solution and encouraging people to wear masks, keep physical distance and wash their hands frequently. Its an incentive to do what we have been saying all along: to vaccinate as many people as we can and to do so as quickly as we can, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. governments top infectious disease expert. My looking at the data suggests ... and I want to underline suggests ... the protection induced by a vaccine may even be a little better than natural infection, Fauci said. Doctors in South Africa began to worry when they saw a surge of cases late last year in areas where blood tests suggested many people had already had the virus. Until recently, all indications were "that previous infection confers protection for at least nine months, so a second wave should have been relatively subdued, said Dr. Shabir Madhi of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Scientists discovered a new version of the virus thats more contagious and less susceptible to certain treatments. It now causes more than 90% of new cases in South Africa and has spread to 40 countries including the United States. Madhi led a study testing Novavaxs vaccine and found it less effective against the new variant. The study also revealed that infections with the new variant were just as common among people who had COVID-19 as those who had not. What this basically tells us, unfortunately, is that past infection with early variants of the virus in South Africa does not protect against the new one, he said. In Brazil, a spike in hospitalizations in Manaus in January caused similar worry and revealed a new variant thats also more contagious and less vulnerable to some treatments. Reinfection could be one of the drivers of these cases, said Dr. Ester Sabino of the University of Sao Paulo. She wrote an article in the journal Lancet on possible explanations. We have not yet been able to define how frequently this is happening, she said. California scientists also are investigating whether a recently identified variant may be causing reinfections or a surge of cases there. Were looking at that now, seeking blood samples from past cases, said Jasmine Plummer, a researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association, said it soon would report on what he called the Los Angeles variant. New variants were not responsible for the reinfections seen in the study of Marines it was done before the mutated viruses emerged, said Sealfon, who led that work with the Naval Medical Research Center. Other findings from the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine; the new ones on reinfection are posted on a research website. The study involved several thousand Marine recruits who tested negative for the virus three times during a two-week supervised military quarantine before starting basic training. Among the 189 whose blood tests indicated they had been infected in the past, 19 tested positive again during the six weeks of training. Thats far less than those without previous infection almost half of them became infected at the basic training site, Sealfon said. The amount and quality of antibodies that previously infected Marines had upon arrival was tied to their risk of getting the virus again. No reinfections caused serious illness, but that does not mean the recruits were not at risk of spreading infection to others, Sealfon said. It does look like reinfection is possible. I dont think we fully understand why that is and why immunity has not developed in those cases, said an immunology expert with no role in the study, E. John Wherry of the University of Pennsylvania. Natural infections can leave you with a range of immunity while vaccines consistently induce high levels of antibodies, Wherry said. I am optimistic that our vaccines are doing a little bit better. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 6:08 am The benches along Battle Grounds Main Street have been getting makeovers thanks to the Battle Ground Rotary Club. Over the last couple of months, club member Terry Reddish has worked to refurbish the outdoor benches as a part of the clubs Adopt Main Street Program. Reddish said he has been working with multiple community members to complete the project, including his son-in-law Chance Bergerson and City of Battle Ground Public Works Supervisor Todd Klein. Reddish said the club decided to fix up the benches because they were in really bad shape and had not been maintained well. Older benches along the road have faded over the years since their installment, and Reddish and the club decided to give them a remodel as part of their efforts to beautify the downtown street. Rotary is all about service. Thats what we do, Reddish said. We do it on a local basis and an international basis. On a local basis, one thing we have been doing for years is picking up litter along 503, and we also picked up adopting Main Street from Grace to Parkway. Club President Dan Hanenkrat said the Battle Ground Rotary Club decided to adopt Main Street as a service to the community because it is a community resource. Prior to restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic, club members would meet at Galeotti's Wine Cellar on the east side of Main Street, and many of the club members operated (and continue to operate) businesses in Battle Ground. Hanenkrat said adopting Main Street just made sense from a service standpoint, so the club decided to spiff up the street as the community was getting ready for Harvest Days. As a part of their service efforts, many club members spend time picking up litter off the road as well as pulling out some of the larger weeds growing in between cracks in the sidewalk and around planted shrubbery. Part of this adoption effort included fixing up the benches that the public sits on during busy events in the city and day-to-day shopping. It was one of those things, somebody had to do it, Reddish said about fixing up the benches. Ive got some experience with woodworking, live in a log house and I also happen to be retired and have more time to do it. Reddish said the bench refurbishing process takes about one month to complete with about 12 total man hours per bench between him and Bergerson. To give the benches their makeover, Reddish disassembles the bench, takes the wooden slats off and replaces the wood with brand new Alaskan yellow cedar, a hardwood that Bergerson mills down to the size needed from 2-by-6 planks. Once the new slats are in, Reddish treats the wood and reassembles them as well as giving the body of the bench a fresh paint job. When we get done with them, they look like a whole new bench, Reddish said. Along with the help of his son-in-law, Reddish also said the project would not be possible without the help from the City of Battle Ground, club member and owner of Detroit Pizza Tony Domine and Miller Paint. He said it is extremely satisfying to see people sitting on the new benches when he drives by. Following the bench refurbishing, Hanenkrat and Reddish said the Rotary hopes to continue its efforts on Main Street with the installation of crossing flags on each of the crosswalks between Grace and Parkway Avenues. According to Hanenkrat and Reddish, the crossing flag project would place bins with flags inside them on each side of the street at crosswalks so pedestrians can flag down oncoming traffic to let cars know they would like to cross the street, making crossing Main Street a safer experience for locals looking to shop the streets. As the press to vaccinate teachers in Michigan continues, school districts across the state are continuing to adjust plans for navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. From the impact the pandemic is having on students mental health, to the continued debate over the states larger districts offering face-to-face instruction, heres a recap of some of the top education stories appearing on MLive in the past week. Working Bay County families can get hundreds in relief for quarantined students Bay County families that are ineligible for federal assistance might be eligible for up to two $250 relief payments if they have a child thats being kept at home by a school quarantine. To qualify, parents must meet ALICE guidelines and have a prekindergarten through sixth grade child required to quarantine by a local school district or health department after a potential COVID-19 exposure. Qualified families can receive a $250 per week payment for up to two weeks during this school year, consecutively or separately. State gives thousands to Saginaw County schools to buy local produce The Michigan Department of Education is providing thousands in grants to Saginaw County schools and childcare organizations to help them buy locally-grown produce. Through the 10 Cents A Meal for Michigans Kids & Farms program, MDE will grant $16,000 to Saginaw Public Schools, $10,000 to Carrollton Public Schools, $5,000 to Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District, $2000 to the YMCA of Saginaw and $1,000 to the Saint Paul Christian Day Care & Preschool Center. 60% of Genesee County teachers will soon be vaccinated, health department says Two large teacher vaccination clinics in Genesee County will bring teacher vaccinations in the county up to around 60% within the next week, according to the county health department. One clinic to vaccinate 1,000 teachers was hosted Friday, Feb. 5, at the Genesee Intermediate School District, with another scheduled to vaccinate 1,000 more Wednesday, Feb. 10. COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on students mental health, district survey shows A districtwide survey of students mental health conducted by Rockford Public Schools found that more than 10% of all students reported feelings of anxiety this fall. Thats slightly higher than the national average of 7% of children ages 3-17 experiencing anxiety, according to data by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rockford high schoolers reported the highest levels of anxiety and depression compared to other grade levels. Muskegon Public Schools details plan for return to in-person learning Muskegon Public Schools will soon welcome students back to the classroom after being online-only since schools closed last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Grades K-5 will return to the classroom on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and will attend classes in-person four days a week. Middle school students will begin in-person instruction Monday, March 1, while high school students must wait until Monday, March 29, for in-person classes. They will also attend school four days a week. Hundreds of psychologists, physicians urge AAPS to offer in-person classes by March 1 More than 350 physicians and psychologists are urging Ann Arbor Public Schools to provide the option to any student who wants to attend in-person classes by March 1. The group signed off on an open letter and petition asking the district to follow Gov. Gretchen Whitmers guidance of give students the choice to attend face-to-face classes, citing their concerns about the impacts the prolonged school closure has had on Ann Arbor children. Saline talks teacher vaccinations, progress toward more in-person classes Saline Area Schools Interim Superintendent Steve Laatsch gave an update on how teacher and staff vaccinations are going in the district, in addition to addressing how a new COVID-19 variant should influence discussions regarding offering more in-person classes and how quarantine measures have complicated efforts to offer more face-to-face instruction. To be able to bump in-person instruction up to four days per week, Laatsch said COVID-19 infection rates need to improve. Approximately 22.6% of staff who currently work directly with students have received their first dose of the vaccine, Laatsch said. More than 19K Michigan residents apply for tuition-free community college in first 24 hours A program launched by Michigan officials aimed at helping people without college degrees pay for community college or skilled trades training attracted more than 19,000 people to apply in the first day. The Michigan Reconnect program was made open to people who are at least 25 years old, a Michigan resident for at least a year and have a high school diploma or equivalent, but not a college degree. Michigan high schools ranked by Class of 2019 college enrollment: See percent in your high school About 60% of Michigan students who graduated public high school in 2019 were enrolled in college in 2019-20, according to data from the states Center for Educational Performance and Information. About 38.3% of the Class of 2019 enrolled at a four-year college or university, and 21.5% enrolled at a community college. The district with the highest percentage of students in college was tiny Wakefield-Marenisco School District in the western Upper Peninsula. Of the 17 students the districts Class of 2019, 16 - or 94% - went to college, including 12 students who enrolled in community college and four who went to a four-year school. New council to focus on helping Michigan students recover from COVID-19 education disruptions With some Michigan students separated from school support systems for so long, a new council is tasked with examining how the state can help students recover. The new Student Recovery Advisory Council, comprised of 29 members with a variety of educational, medical and labor backgrounds, will make recommendations on how to help students recover. Recommendations will include addressing students academic, physical and mental well-being. 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: Michigan students, struggling with online classes, saw more Fs on their report cards this year COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on students mental health, district survey shows Hundreds of psychologists, physicians urge AAPS to offer in-person classes by March 1 Geoffrey Chambers, 66, was spotted leaning against a market stall pole by an off-duty police officer in Hereford's High Town at around 12.30pm on December 12 A pervert who shoved a courgette down the front of his leggings before simulating a sex act in front of disgusted shoppers and children for more than an hour has been jailed. A court heard Geoffrey Chambers, 66, was spotted leaning against a market stall pole by an off-duty police officer in Hereford's High Town at around 12.30pm on December 12. Prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard said the pervert, who was wearing a coat, tight leggings and a face mask, kept trying to make eye contact with the officer's wife, as well as other women in the town. Chambers, who had only been released from prison two months earlier after serving time for two attempted child sex offences, then started touching a large, long item in his leggings, Hereford Crown Court heard. He simulated the sex act and 'paraded himself' for more than an hour, causing one witness with her 14-year-old daughter to 'feel sick' and go home, before he was arrested by police, Ms Orchard said. Chambers then removed the courgette which was tied around his waist with string. When officers searched the pervert's car, they found more courgettes, the court was told on Friday. Ms Orchard said Chambers had 31 cases of indecent exposure to his name which had resulted in prison time and sexual harm prevention orders. The court also heard that Chambers had recently committed two similar acts in Swansea and Cardiff, but only received a warning from police in South Wales. Chambers, of Cwmbran, pleaded guilty to one count of public order offence and one of outraging public decency and was sentenced to eight months in prison. Chambers simulated the sex act in Hereford at around 12.30pm on December 12, 2020 Sentencing Chambers, Judge Martin Jackson said most shoppers in High Town reacted with 'disgust and repulsion' at what they saw. He rejected the defence view that Chambers was a decent prospect for rehabilitation and called his actions 'offensive, disturbing and alarming'. Defence barrister Emily Heggadon said since the release from prison last October he had rekindled the relationship with his daughter. Ms Heggadon said Chambers admitted in a police interview that the act was something which would 'help him out of the low mood'. She argued any prison sentence should be suspended, as Chambers had recently secured permanent accommodation in Cwmbran and was working to improve his mental health. The lawyer added Chambers wished to apologise and his 'intentions were not to convey sexual connotations but that's how it was perceived by some individuals' and he wanted it to be a 'more light-hearted' act. Chambers' current sexual harm prevention order was modified. He must also pay a statutory surcharge, but does not have to pay costs. Richmond Elementary School Principal Sharon Martin donned a pickle costume as part of the schools first Fruit and Veggie Challenge, which took place throughout the month of January. Students, divided into five teams, were encouraged to eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables every day and record their totals. The winning teams were announced at a virtual assembly on Jan. 28. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth annual edition of the highly-acclaimed LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award announced its winners February 6th, 2021, via an exclusive global live stream broadcast on NPR's WBGO. Itamar Borochov of Jaffa, Israel was awarded the European Award while Immanuel Wilkins of Philadelphia was awarded the North American Award. 725 up-and-coming artists completed submissions for this year's awards. The show was hosted by Jamie Cullum and featured appearances by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington and Christian McBride, with the prestigious award offering the winners the unprecedented opportunity to appear at popular Jazz festivals throughout Europe and North America, with all expenses covered and an accompanying dedicated promotion/marketing team. The LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award tour, agent and marketing support equates to a monetary value in excess of 75,000 or $85,000, making the prize one of the most valuable Jazz awards in the world. For those who missed the global live stream, it can be viewed at https://www.wbgo.org/wbgo-presents-letter-one-rising-stars-jazz-award. Itamar Borochov (European Award) was raised in the port city of Jaffa,Israel, and started playing trumpet at age eleven. Immersed in jazz and the work of pioneering trumpet players such as Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, he was influenced by Middle Eastern and North African music which he heard at his local synagogue. Itamar eventually moved to New York to study jazz where he quickly established himself on the local scene. Once back in Europe, he developed into an enthralling band leader and released several albums under his own name, presenting a careful balance between technical playing and storytelling, all the while staying true to his roots and musical upbringing. Immanuel Wilkins (North American Award) grew up in the greater Philadelphia-area where he first honed his saxophone skills in church and various educational programs dedicated to teaching jazz music. In 2015 he moved to New York to study at Juilliard School of Music, where he led his first jazz quartet and developed his skills as a composer and arranger. Immanuel impressed the jury with a high level of sophistication and maturity in his playing. He respectfully reflects various musical influences in his performance while charting into new territory with a sense of lyricism in his playing that is reminiscent of the Jazz greats. This year's Jury consisted of Jazz superstar and three-time Grammy Award Winner Terri Lyne Carrington (Jury head); producer Brian Bacchus (Gregory Porter), journalist and festival director Alex Dutilh; international businessman, philanthropist and founder of the Leopolis Jazz Festival in Lvov (UA), Mikhail Fridman; journalist, author and NPR contributor Michelle Mercer and UK Guardian Senior Arts Editor Imogen Tilden. Producing the Award is the award-winning Air Artist Agency, whose director Burkhard Hopper has a long-standing experience in introducing new artists. For 9 years Burkhard Hopper ran the Rising Stars concert series in Europe which among others introduced artists such as Diana Krall, Brad Mehldau, Jane Monheit, David Sanchez and Esbjorn Svensson to European audiences. The "LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award" is a significant event in the international jazz calendar that benefits from the sponsorship and backing of Mikhail Fridman, an international businessman, philanthropist and most importantly a huge jazz fan. Besides being a frequent visitor of Jazz festivals around the world, Fridman is also the founder of the Leopolis Jazz Festival in Lvov (UA). www.l1risingstarsjazzaward.com SOURCE LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award Related Links http://www.l1risingstarsjazzaward.com Schneider Electric Calls for Stronger Collaboration in Industries of the Future Schneider Electric (News - Alert) , the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, introduced its Industries of the Future vision at ARC Industry Forum 2021 today. The industry-wide call to action urges industrial enterprises to embrace universal automation, sustainable efficiency, and digitalization to boost global economic recovery and advance manufacturing and process industries. As the most sustainable corporation in the world and a global manufacturer with an end-to-end network of smart factories and smart distribution centers , including three designated by The World Economic Forum as Advanced Lighthouses, Schneider is on a mission to make the industry of the future possible for all. Its next-generation framework and winning formula for industrial settings is founded around three core pillars: universal automation, sustainable efficiency, and software-centric automation. These create a firm foundation for protecting biodiversity and improving health and safety, while also enabling real-time data sharing and remote operations - resulting in step-change improvements in productivity and cost savings [ Source (News - Alert) : BloombergNEF]. "As we strive to recover from the impact of the pandemic, improve productivity and drive sustainable agendas, industry has a golden opportunity to become a central pillar of global economic recovery," said Peter Herweck, executive vice president, industrial automation, Schneider Electric. "Industrial automation helps build stronger eco-efficiency and a more innovative and resilient ecosystem. Today's industrial innovation is driven by powerful software and data analytics that increases both productivity and sustainability. With net zero factories now possible due to increased computational power and connectivity, as well as advanced digital supply chains, ecology and progress are no longer at the opposing ends of the environmental spectrum." Schneider Electric's newest industrial solutions based on its EcoStruxure platform, and released at its Innovation Summit World Tour 2020, bring the benefits of universal automation, sustainability and software to the market. These include: EcoStruxure Automation Expert, EcoStruxure Power and Process, and EcoStruxure Plant Advisor. Universal automation Schneider Electric has challenged industry to advance the underlying technology model to meet modern agility and resiliency demands. "Open automation," as it exists today, is not open enough as companies are bound by automation solutions that prioritize vendor lock-in rather than innovation. By contrast, "universal automation" is the world of interoperable, "plug and produce" automation software components, enabled by the IEC61499 standard. Portable application software is an essential enabler for next-generation industries, capable of unlocking step-change improvements in efficiency and sustainability impossible a decade ago. EcoStruxure Automation Expert is Schneider Electric's first offer based on the universal automation vision. The benefits of universal automation are demonstrated by Schneider Electric's strategic relationship with Wood, a global leader in delivering automation solutions. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding agreement to provide Wood's automation and control group access to Schneider Electric's IEC61499-based technology. This is helping Wood to deliver innovative automation solutions to their global energy and industrial customers. Sustainable efficiency As the pathway to net zero factories protecting biodiversity, empowering workers and improving productivity, Schneider Electric has also called on manufacturing and process industries to approach production with a sustainable mindset. According to BloombergNEF, industrial digitization supports corporate sustainability, promotes decarbonization and circularity, reduces material waste, prolongs equipment lifetime and enables better emissions monitoring. EcoStruxure Power and Process empowers manufacturers to drive sustainability across the world's most energy intensive sites. Using industry leading software from AVEVA and Schneider Electric, users can connect assets across the full lifecycle, resulting in one real-time view of projects and/or operations. By embracing innovative technologies alongside achievable sustainability goals, companies can easily accommodate new business opportunities while also conserving energy and safeguarding the natural environment. For example, Schneider Electric helped Argentina's largest refinery develop and easily integrate the smallest footprint solution in the market for continuous energy improvement. Software-centric automation Faced with the continuing disruption of the pandemic and ever-changing customer requirements, Schneider Electric has underlined the importance of software. EcoStruxure Plant Advisor is the next evolution of the company's IIoT digital plant management. Based on results from pilot projects, EcoStruxure Plant Advisor could generate up to 2.8 million / year of improvements for a typical 100 million manufacturing site. Tomorrow's challenges will not be addressed with new hardware but will require the intelligent application of software-based technologies. This digital paradigm has the potential to provide unprecedented operational capabilities and support new business opportunities for all industrial stakeholders. For more information on Schneider Electric's Industries of the Future framework, visit Industries of the Future. About Schneider Electric Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, endpoint to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries. We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com Discover Life Is On Follow us on: https://twitter.com/SchneiderElec https://www.facebook.com/SchneiderElectric?brandloc=DISABLE https://www.linkedin.com/company/schneider-electric https://www.youtube.com/user/SchneiderCorporate https://www.instagram.com/schneiderelectric/ http://blog.se.com/ Hashtags: #IndustriesOfTheFuture #EcoStruxure #SmartFactory #UniversalAutomation Related resources: View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005119/en/ analysis The European Union (EU) will this year change the way it funds African peace and security. The changes are likely to have big implications, especially for the African Union (AU) Commission, but it's not clear whether everyone affected is taking sufficient note. For 14 years the EU has channelled its peace and security support finances through the African Peace Facility (APF) - the fund it runs in partnership with the AU Commission. This helps pay for African-led peace support operations, capacity building for AU institutions and AU-led conflict prevention initiatives. The APF will now give way to a European Peace Facility enabling the EU to provide military support anywhere in the world. For Africa, the shift will allow the EU to bypass the AU and directly pay for regional and national military initiatives. It will also, for the first time, allow Brussels to finance lethal equipment for African armies. The EU believes this greater flexibility will generate better results for the continent. 'Brussels will be able both to provide direct funding to African-led peace support operations and military coalitions, even when they are not operating under an AU Peace and Security Council mandate, and to provide bilateral financial support for military training and equipment to African armies,' the International Crisis Group said in a recent report. 'It had neither of these options under the previous funding arrangement.' And so the EU will be able to fund the operations of its own member states in Africa and increase support for multi-state military initiatives such as G5 Sahel - the joint military and civilian operation of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to battle jihadists in their region. The new strategy is the result of both push and pull factors, it seems. On the push side, the EU has steadily become more disenchanted with the way the AU has used the money it's been ploughing into peacekeeping over the years (about 2.9 billion through the APF between 2004 and 2019). For example in 2018, a European Court of Auditors investigation concluded that the EU's support for the development of the AU's African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) 'has had a poor effect' and needed refocusing. The APSA had become too reliant on donor funding and the EU's financial contributions had largely been used to cover the AU's basic operational costs - mainly salaries - rather than for capacity building, as intended. Paul-Simon Handy, Senior Regional Adviser at the Institute for Security Studies, largely agrees. 'In some instances the AU has become extremely dependent on EU funding, especially for [the AU Mission to Somalia],' he says. Brussels has lost patience with pouring money into a mission that has not shown enough improvements on the ground. But there is also a pull factor for the new more flexible funding approach, Handy says. Withdrawing the money from the AU's control and allowing it to be spent on regional or national military missions enables the EU to better pursue its own strategic advantages in Africa. 'The [United States] and China have geostrategic interests in Africa and now the EU would like to compete with them. This strategy gives Brussels more strategic leeway.' Handy is surprised at how little discussion there seems to be in the AU and on the continent about the new EU funding plan. This is especially the case considering its profound implications for AU operations such as AMISOM, and more prosaically, for AU Commission jobs in Addis Ababa, several of which could be lost by the withdrawal of the EU millions. Brussels' ability to now finance lethal equipment is also causing some concern. This change is part of the EU visualising its role in Africa more geostrategically, Handy believes. He worries that the EU-funded weapons could fall into the wrong hands, including those of undemocratic governments. Conditions and controls will have to be strict to guarantee the money will be used in the right political context - and the AU should supervise it. AU Commission sources say some discussions are in fact taking place about the EU's new approach. The commission has raised concerns that if EU money goes directly to the regional economic communities (RECs), the coordination now provided by the AU Commission will be lost. Conversely, a REC security official welcomed the changes, saying if a significant portion of the support came directly to regional bodies, it would avoid 'transaction costs, bureaucracy and unnecessary delays.' Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Europe and Africa Aid and Assistance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The EU shift comes at a time when the AU has vowed to self-fund 25% of its peacekeeping. The Peace Fund established to that end has so far collected just shy of US$200 million, AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said this week. But the AU is a long way short of being able to finance its peace efforts entirely through member state contributions. Efforts to persuade the UN Security Council to fund the rest have so far failed. In this context, the EU bypassing the AU in its new funding policy seems to be adding insult to injury. However it can also be argued that EU money could be better spent. There are signs that the first test of the more flexible new policy could be the EU's proposed military training support to Mozambique to fight the jihadist insurgency in the north. Neither the AU - nor for that matter the Southern African Development Community - seem able to assist. So perhaps in this case, diverting funding into this direct support is the best option. Peter Fabricius, ISS Consultant A pizza delivery driver in North Adams has been fired from his job after he was arrested and charged in connection with the violent uprising at the U.S. Capitol Building in January. Brian McCreary, 33, was charged with three counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds and two counts of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, according to a statement released by the Boston FBI office. He faces those charges in federal court. In an email to MassLive, McCreary said he had been fired from Dominos Pizza without a guilty conviction. Dominos Pizza confirmed that owner of the independent franchise has informed the corporation that the 33-year-old is no longer employed by them. Dominos unequivocally rejects any act of or inciting of violence, political or otherwise. We strongly reject the alleged actions by the individual in question, Dominos Pizza said in a statement to MassLive. This individual was never employed by us. All stores in Massachusetts are owned and operated by independent franchisees. We have been informed by the store owner that the individual in question is no longer employed by the franchisee. Federal court documents state that the FBI interviewed four of McCrearys coworkers and that each of these co-workers identified McCreary as the individual standing behind and to the far right of [Jacob Anthony] Chansley, wearing a blue surgical mask, black eyeglasses, a black parka, and black pants, and holding what appears to be a cell phone. Also, McCreary, who had recently transferred to a new store location, told coworkers hed been at the U.S. Capitol building, according to the court documents. After returning home from the U.S. Capitol McCreary told a co-worker that he raided the Capitol and sent this co-worker multiple videos depicting rioters inside the Capitol attempting to breach a door, confronting police officers, and towards the end of one video, a gunshot can be heard, documents state. One of his coworkers, Aine McDonald, told MassLive they and other coworkers reported McCreary to the FBI after seeing him in photos. My mind was blown, McDonald said. Like I knew that Brian would do something like that. But it blew my mind that he actually did. McCreary believes his coworkers did the right thing. Any American should do exactly as they did, he told MassLive in an email. I hold no resentments or grudges on that front, its more commendable than condemnable. His problem, however, is that McDonald tweeted the photo identifying him. Its a shame that in todays world - thanks to social media vigilantes - we no longer live as innocent until proven guilty, McCreary said. The tweet has since received more than 22,000 retweets, more than 82,000 likes and more than 3,000 replies. This man, with the glasses and mask, is Brian McCreary, my coworker from Dominos Pizza. #CapitolRiot pic.twitter.com/5n7bRTdh92 Brians Coworker (@ppkidiot) January 10, 2021 Social media and online tips have been a large part of the FBIs investigation into those who were part of the U.S. Capitol insurrection. The FBI told MassLive it has received more than 200,000 digital media tips from the public - and they continue to ask for more. Those with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. We cannot do our job without the help of the American people, said assistant director in charge Steven M. DAntuono last month. Since our call for tips, videos, and pictures, we have received more than 100,000 pieces of digital media - which is absolutely fantastic - and are scouring every one for investigative and intelligence leads. Two days after their Twitter post, McDonald was in the back of a Black Ford Taurus with tented windows talking with FBI agents. During the FBIs investigation, McCreary told the agency that he was focused on recording people who were committing crimes or inciting violence, documents state, and that the FBI believes McCreary also sent them video footage from the insurrection on Jan. 7 through one of the FBIs Internet portals. Still, the FBI said, he followed people into the U.S. Capitol Building. McCreary stated he directed people inside the building not to harm police officers or commit any acts of violence, the court documents state. McCreary further stated that he understood going into the building might not have been legal but he made a personal choice at that point. The narrative provided by the FBI states that McCreary was asked to leave, which he did. But then he returned through a different door that was kicked in just moments before he re-entered. The documents also state that after being shown one of the photos, McCreary identified himself as the individual wearing the blue surgical mask inside the U.S. Capitol. Brian McCreary, 33, of North Adams, is shown in the left of this photo wearing a blue surgical mask and taking video of the Capitol insurgency. McDonald first met McCreary when they started working together over the summer. McCreary often made uncomfortable comments to McDonald or other coworkers, including talking about his political beliefs, McDonald said. Multiple co-workers of McCreary stated that he has expressed political beliefs on multiple occasions while at work, to include the belief that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election, federal court documents state. McCreary confirmed he did speak often on politics - asking for others opinions. What I find most odd is how resistant people are to conversation. How anyone expects others to agree with them on any topic while refusing to speak on it is beyond me, he said. I live life seeking to expand my perceptions, not hide in a bubble. However, sometimes his comments, McDonald said, were racist and transphobic. I was just doing the dishes one day at work and Brian comes up to me and he goes, How do you feel about gender fluidity? And I was like, Well, Im OK with gender fluidity. I mean I use she/they pronouns myself, McDonald said. And Brian goes, Well, I dont. Coworkers and managements request to McCreary to be respectful went ignored, they said. McDonald said they eventually felt like it was pointless to attempt to respond or reason with him. You could debate him all you want it, but he was convinced that he was right and there was no way you were going to convince him any other way, they said. Until his case is decided, McCreary is worried about being able to find another job, although he is looking. I would much rather pay into taxes; than diminish the tax base, he said in an email, adding that he is struggling to stay optimistic. Related Content: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked out of his own corruption trial after telling judges in a Jerusalem court today that he was innocent of fraud and bribery charges. Netanyahu, 71, pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges at the resumption of his trial some six weeks before Israeli voters again pass judgment on his leadership. After around 20 minutes, Netanyahu left the courtroom and departed in his motorcade after abruptly standing, saying 'thank you very much' without explanation. His only remarks to the court were that he had nothing to add to his attorney's response to the charges. The hearing continued in his absence, with his lawyers arguing for more than an hour that constitutional procedures had not been followed. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in long-running cases involving gifts from millionaire friends and for allegedly seeking regulatory favours for media tycoons in return for favourable coverage. He last came to court in May at the start of a trial subsequently delayed by coronavirus lockdowns. Netanyahu has repeatedly called his prosecution a political 'witch hunt' and has taken direct aim at his hand-picked attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges at the resumption of his trial. Pictured: Netanyahu arrives at the hearing at Jerusalem's District Court on Monday A crowd of protesters, at least two holding a banner emblazoned with the words 'Crime Minister', was outside the courtroom on Monday as Netanyahu's motorcade arrived At the Monday hearing, which was pushed back multiple times due to coronavirus restrictions, Netanyahu was compelled to deliver the defendant's formal response to the allegations. 'I confirm the written answer submitted in my name,' Netanyahu said, standing before a three-judge panel in a heavily-guarded Jerusalem District Court. He was referring to a document his lawyers gave the court last month in which they argued he was not guilty of charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud. This marked the last pre-trial hearing with upcoming sessions focused on testimony and evidence. The trial schedule may force Netanyahu to appear in court multiple times a week, as he campaigns ahead of Israel's fourth election in less than two years to be held on March 23. When Netanyahu last appeared in court nine months ago, he was fresh off a political victory, forming a coalition government with his election rival Benny Gantz, following three inconclusive votes. But that fraught coalition proved short-lived and collapsed in December, with Gantz branding Netanyahu as serially dishonest. It is unclear whether the cloud of the trial will hurt the premier's re-election chances in March. Weekly protests against Netanyahu have rumbled on for months, with demonstrators focusing on the graft allegations. Pictured: A protester wearing a Netanyahu mask holds up his cuffed hands at a demonstration outside the court on Monday A protester holds up a sign reading: 'You failed' outside a Jerusalem court on Monday as Netanyahu answered charges against him in multiple corruption trials Netanyahu's trial has been repeatedly delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. He last appeared in court in May. Pictured: Netanyahu's motorcade makes it way to court on Monday Israel's parliament speaker and Netanyahu loyalist Yariv Levin insisted the court must 'postpone' the trial's upcoming phase. Proceeding now 'will be lending a hand to blatant meddling in the elections', he told the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper on Sunday. Levin charged that it was unfair for the prosecution to present its case during the election campaign, while the defence rebuttals are scheduled for after election day. Several recent polls show that Netanyahu's right-wing Likud remains the strongest party by a comfortable margin, but it is far from certain that it will be able to form a 61-seat majority with its conservative and religious allies. For the first time in his political career, Netanyahu is also facing a challenge from a prominent Likud defector: Gideon Saar, who broke with the prime minister to form his own New Hope party. The charges against Netanyahu are divided into three separate cases. The most serious - known as Case 4,000, in which the premier is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - centres on the allegation that he negotiated with Shaul Elovitch of the telecommunications giant Bezeq to secure positive coverage on his Walla! news site in exchange for policies benefiting Bezeq. Elovitch and his wife were also indicted. There have been frequent protests in Israel over Netanyahu's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, despite Israel leading the world in vaccinations. Pictured: Israelis receive doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at a centre set up in a shopping mall car park in Givatim on Thursday Case 2,000 concerns allegations that Netanyahu sought a deal with the owner of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper that would have seen it give him more favourable coverage. Case 1,000 involves allegations that Netanyahu and his family received gifts, including luxury cigars, champagne and jewellery estimated to be worth more than 700,000 shekels ($15,5048.02), from wealthy individuals, in exchange for financial or personal favours. The prime minister denies wrongdoing. Weekly protests against him have rumbled on for months, with demonstrators focusing on the graft allegations. Others have protested against the government's handling of the pandemic. A crowd of protesters, at least one holding a banner emblazoned with the words 'Crime Minister', was outside the courtroom on Monday as Netanyahu's motorcade arrived. Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc. "Precision is a key feature for positive patient outcomes and implant longevity. The NobelProcera Zirconia Implant Bridge is cement-free, manufactured with high-strength material and is an excellent choice," said Prof. Dr. Markus B. Blatz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Made for esthetics Available in 10 precisely matched VITA shades, the NobelProcera Zirconia Implant Bridge is designed with esthetics in mind. It was designed for a smaller, angulated screw channel, with the new Omnigrip Mini Screwdriver to improve occlusal esthetics. With the recent partnership with DOCERAM Medical Ceramics, the zirconia implant bridges are produced with the high-end Nacera Pearl zirconia material, which meets Nobel Biocare's highest quality standards. Complete design flexibility The new offering is available in full-contour, cut-back, thimble, and framework styles (with or without soft tissue), making it possible to achieve natural looking restorations. The combination of the angulated multi-unit abutment and angulated screw channel provides up to 55 degrees of restorative freedom. Cement-free Removing cement from the equation saves time and simplifies the process of implant bridge procedures. High precision and material strength NobelProcera works to achieve the goals of improved stability, durability, and esthetics through a manufacturing process that prioritizes high material strength and superior precision. NobelProcera Zirconia Implant Bridge is now available in DTX Studio Lab and 3Shape systems. _________________________ Nobel Biocare is a world leader in the field of innovative implant-based dental restorations. The company's portfolio offers solutions from single tooth to fully edentulous indications with dental implant systems (including key brands NobelActive and NobelParallel), a comprehensive range of high-precision individualized prosthetics and CAD/CAM systems (NobelProcera), digital solutions for treatment planning (DTX Studio suite) and guided surgery, as well as biomaterials (creos regenerative solutions). Nobel Biocare supports its customers through all phases of professional development, offering world-class training and education along with practice support and patient information materials. SOURCE Nobel Biocare Usa, Inc. Related Links www.nobelbiocare.com The hunt Is on to find a new group of adventurous that will take to the stars as part of the next generation of European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts. This is the first time in 11 years that the pan-European agency has put the call out for new astronaut candidates, and they are 'strongly encouraging' women to apply. These recruits will work alongside the ESA's existing astronauts as Europe enters a new era of space exploration - including possible future missions to the Moon. Very few specific details about the recruitment drive, including how many are being recruited, have been announced - more details are expected next week. The agency is strongly encouraging women to apply for a place on the new team, as it seeks to expand gender diversity in its ranks. The European Space Agency is on the hunt for new astronauts (ESA/PA) The vacancy runs from March 31 to May 28 and ESA will only consider applications submitted to its career website within those eight weeks. After that, the six-stage selection process will start, which is expected to be completed in October 2022. ESA director general Jan Worner, said: 'Thanks to a strong mandate from ESA member states at Space19+, our Ministerial Council in 2019, Europe is taking its place at the heart of space exploration.' 'To go farther than we ever have before, we need to look wider than we ever have before,' he added. 'This recruitment process is the first step and I look forward to watching the agency develop across all areas of space exploration and innovation, with our international partners, in the years to come.' The UK is a major contributor to the European Space Agency and remains a member of the non-EU agency. British funded astronaut Tim Peake, who is involved in the recruitment drive, is expected to go back to the International Space Station on a future mission - and may even travel to the Moon later in the decade. As the UK is still a member of ESA British applicants are able to apply for the chance to be part of the new group of astronauts. British astronaut Tim Peake is involved in the recruitment drive for new astronauts to join the European Space Agency cohort - he could be returning to the ISS in the coming years As well as seeking to improve diversity within its ranks by encouraging more female astronaut candidates, Worner says it is also examining how to get more people with disabilities into space - or at least involved in space travel. LUNAR GATEWAY: A STEPPING STONE TO THE MOON NASA is leading the development of the Lunar Gateway space-station - with support from ESA, JAXA and others. NASA is leading the development of the Lunar Gateway space-station - with support from ESA, JAXA and others While it is in orbit around the Moon, it is part of a long-term project to send humans to Mars. The crew-tended spaceport will orbit the Moon and serve as a 'gateway to deep space and the lunar surface,' NASA has said. The first modules of the station could be completed as soon as 2024. European astronauts are expected to be involved in missions to the gateway - and eventually to the lunar surface. Advertisement David Parker, ESA director of human and robotic exploration, said: 'Representing all parts of our society is a concern that we take very seriously. 'Diversity at ESA should not only address the origin, age, background or gender of our astronauts, but also perhaps physical disabilities. 'To make this dream a reality, alongside the astronaut recruitment I am launching the Parastronaut Feasibility Project an innovation whose time has come.' Specific details of the requirements - and the full vacancy notice - have not been finalised by ESA yet, but they will work with the existing group. There will be no upper age limit but according to the Telegraph, sources have suggested there could be an upper limit of about 50 - depending on health. According to the ESA page 'how to become an astronaut' the process is 'neither simple nor straightforward' as there are no schools or university courses. While there isn't an undergraduate degree in 'astronaut studies', ESA says a 'high level of education in scientific or technical disciplines' is usually required. 'Astronauts need to be able to apply their considerable knowledge and skills to the tasks for which they have been trained,' ESA wrote. 'Previous experience with aircraft operations is a bonus, particularly if it involved responsible tasks such as being a test pilot or flight engineer. 'The more skills and experience an applicant has the better, as this will increase their ability to undertake a variety of tasks.' Applications for the role of ESA astronaut open on March 31 and close eight weeks later on May 28. Abuja Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has explained that many Nigerians are afraid to accept the COVID-19 vaccine because they believe that the health crisis is being manipulated by some people. Kaigama, who stated this yesterday in Abuja during his homily at St. Jude's Parish Zuba, however, urged Nigerians to disregard insinuations that the vaccine is not medically safe and affordable. He argued that even though many people will seriously question facts about COVID-19 and fear that there is manipulation by some people, he insisted that the pandemic is real. He said: "People very dear to us have died of COVID-19. There is no doubt that our world is currently sick, ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. "The fear today is that the menace of COVID-19 will continue to be with us for a long time, and so we need to be watchful and vigilant. "Many in Nigeria, however, ask if the vaccines are medically safe and whether the poor can also benefit from them, considering that even the palliatives meant for the needy ended up in the homes of a few favoured ones or were needlessly hoarded in warehouses." Kaigama insisted that before vaccinating Nigerians, stakeholders must ensure that the vaccines have been subjected to appropriate tests for genuineness and were properly stored, to allay the fear of contamination. He also stressed that the economic difficulties on account of the pandemic were palpable. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The other fear is that if it takes so much time and money now to do a test for COVID-19, will it be that easy for the poor to have access to the vaccine? "As basic as the face mask, which is seriously recommended to be worn by everyone is, I have seen individuals wearing dirty face masks for days because they cannot afford new ones, another reason for more infections! "I understand that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) is considering increasing the polling units in Nigeria to beyond the present 119,973. Could the same polling units be used as free vaccination or face masks distribution centres?" While referencing the Biblical book of Mark 1:29-31, the Abuja Catholic prelate noted that being a Christian was not an insurance policy against sickness, suffering, and hardship. "Life is not a bed of roses. Pain and suffering and joy and fulfillment coexist, but our faith teaches us that the suffering of Jesus gave meaning to our sufferings. Even though God permits suffering to take place, He intervenes in human situations to alleviate suffering. "In the midst of the coronavirus health crisis, we pray that things will return to normalcy soon and our God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever will grant us both spiritual and physical healing. "I urge that in all the circumstances of your life, remain solidly rooted in the Lord Jesus, and do not yield to superstition and wander from one juju healer to the other," he explained. Haiti - FLASH : Coup foiled, all official details Early Sunday, February 7, on information from the intelligence services, the police accompanied by judicial officers, including a justice of the peace, and two government commissioners, proceeded to the arrested the house in Petit Bois (Tabarre, West Dept.) of 23 people, caught in the act and arrested for conspiracy against State security, attempted coup, and other charges. Among those arrested were among others the judge at the Court of Cassation Ivickel Dabresil who was to be installed as provisional President and the Inspector General of theNational Police of Haiti, Marie Louise Gauthier... Let's recall that the Head of State announced the failure of this coup on Sunday morning on the tarmac of Toussaint Louverture International Airport https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32965-haiti-news-zapping.html In the early afternoon, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe speaking at a joint press conference at his official residence, attended by Leon Charles the Director General ai of the Haitian National Police Ministers Rockefeller Vincent (Justice), Audain Fils Bernadel (Interior), Jean Walnard Dorneval (Defense) the Departmental Delegate for the West and senior officers of the Police, clearly explained that "this group of people was preparing to carry out a coup with the help from members of specialized police units assigned to the security of the National Palace, (USGPN)." Stating "They had contacted high-ranking police officers at the National Palace whose mission was to arrest the President [...] and facilitate the installation of a new provisional President who would have made the transition [...]" Thanks to the services of intelligence and security, this coup was foiled. According to available audio tapes, the installation ceremony of the Transitional President was scheduled for February 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. In his intervention Leon Charles explained "the police and the judiciary have found documents attesting to the preparations for this coup, including the text of the inaugural speech of the new provisional President as well as a memorandum of understanding which contains several others people including once again that of the judge involved in this coup. In addition to the documents found on the spot in the house searched in agreement with the judicial authorities, the authorities seized weapons 2 M4 assault rifles, a mini Uzi, 3 9mm pistols and several machetes as well as a certain quantity of ammunition and money in American currency and Gourdes. In his intervention, the Minister of Justice Rockefeller Vincent, made it clear that Judge Ivickel Dabresil was not arrested at his home [contrary to certain rumors] but in the company of armed individuals "Given the location where the judge was, he cannot avail himself of immunity, he is therefore liable to the ordinary court." In addition, the Minister swept aside the protest of the National Association of Haitian Magistrates (ANAMAH) which taxed the arrest of the judge as a kidnapping and which appealed to the Magistrates of the 18 jurisdictions of the Republic for a work stoppage until the release of Judge Dabresil. To be continued... HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre A banner held by protesters reads "you messed with the wrong generation." PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images Tens of thousands of people protested against Myanmar's military coup this weekend. Police used rubber bullets and water cannons, and have restricted TV and internet access. State-controlled television stations are running pop concerts rather than news coverage. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Myanmar's military coup - but images of the protests are scarce as the new military government restricted TV and internet access in the country. Telenor Myanmar, one of the country's telecommunications companies, said it was ordered on Saturday to shut down service by the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications. "In the directive, the MoTC cites legal basis in Myanmar's Telecommunication Law, and references circulation of fake news, stability of the nation and interest of the public as basis for the order," Telenor said in a statement seen by ZD Net. Internet access was partially restored on Sunday, but according to internet connectivity monitor Netblocks, service was at 14% of typical levels. The state also appears to have restricted what can be aired on television. State-run MRTV is currently running a pop concert in lieu of covering the protests or reporting on the coup. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Smaller protests and acts of civil disobedience led to much larger protests across the country, especially in the country's largest city, Yangon. Protesters called for the release of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and wore the party's signature red to signify allegiance. Many also used a three-finger salute, popularized by the "Hunger Games" series, to silently signal their support. Protesters are using the "Hunger Games" three finger salute as a silent symbol of resistance. YE AUNG THU/AFP via Getty Images Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders are currently under house arrest. On Wednesday, she was charged with illegally importing 10 walkie-talkies, which were discovered during a search of her residence. Ousted President Win Myint was charged with violations of the National Disaster Management Law over alleged breaches of COVID-19 guidelines. According to the military, Wyint illegally held a campaign rally in front of the presidential palace, according to the Myanmar Times. Both face up to three years in prison. Story continues This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Myint's vice president, Myint Swe, is currently the acting head of government and signed the military declaration announcing a one-year state of emergency as part of the coup. As protests have ramped up, so has the police response. In Naypyidaw, Myanmar's capital, police sprayed protesters with a water cannon and one man could be seen bleeding from the force of the water. In the southeastern town of Myawaddy, Reuters reported, protesters hurled plastic water bottles at police, who fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Last week, workers at 70 hospitals took part in a work stoppage as part of a countrywide civil disobedience campaign. Three hundred volunteers working at a COVID-19 quarantine center in Bago, a city around 60 miles northeast of Yangon, reportedly also quit in protest. The country's parliament, known as the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, released a statement on Monday decrying the coup and praising the protest movement. "The massive nonviolence movement of the people is in testament to the protest against the unlawful seizure of power by the military and the baseless claims of voter fraud driven by personal interests of the military leaders," the statement said. It also referred to the coup as an "act of offense against the state in violation of Penal Code 6," which says that the vice president cannot represent the president if the president is alive and well. Read the original article on Insider What if Australia could display the largest grid-scale battery in the world in two years from now? The company CEP Energy decided to take that gamble, and unveiled, on February 5th, its plans for constructing a battery of up to 1.2 GW capacity. With this announcement, Australia is hitting a milestone in its metamorphosis towards a clean energy economy. With a cost of $2,4 billion, this 1.2 GW mega-battery will challenge the dominance of the Moss Landing storage facility, located in California, which is currently the biggest in the world. Not only will it have a 4 times higher storage capacity than the Moss Landing one, the CEP battery is meant to be the main component of a 2 GW set of batteries installed throughout the country. PV solar will likely be the lion share of power supplied to it. The renewable energy fund CEP Energy rapidly became a key player in the Australian energy sector. Advertising low-carbon electricity, CEP Energy plans to deploy an extensive grid infrastructure, in which storage facilities will be the main axis. In parallel, the company intends to further develop the Virtual Power Plants (VPP) it specializes in: these are cloud-based systems aggregating diverse power generators across the country and connecting them to batteries. Many of them already exist in Australia, but CEP seeks to give them an industrial dimension. The fund recently signed a deal with the construction company Pelligra giving it access to 10 million square meters on roofs to install solar panels. This combination of solar farms with the use of new batteries will enable CEP to sell its renewable energy directly to industrial consumers. CEPs grid-scale battery network is part of our dual-track strategy to generate and store clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity for Australian businesses, and make excess power available to the national grid to firm up the increase in renewable generation, CEO of the company Peter Wright commented in a statement, cited by PV-Magazine. From a coal-hub to a renewables epicenter This gigantic project will be realized in New South Wales - a region historically known for its coal-mining activities. However, a large number of wind and solar projects is quickly transforming the province into becoming a renewables hub. New South Wales (NSW) is also a strategic area for renewables deployment, as several coal-fired plants are awaiting closure in the upcoming decade, casting doubt on the stability of electricity supply to the manufacturing industries located in the area. Related Video: The Silver Squeeze Conspiracy The CEPs announcement goes in line with the broader commitment of New South Wales to enhance its renewable power generation capacity, at a time when the share of renewables in the electricity mix is already close to 16%. It also provides an alternative solution for storage to pumped-hydro, which currently is the leading energy storage technology, with an investment amounting to 50 million dollars according to the NSW Electricity Infrastructure roadmap. New South Wales vs. Federal government Although this new battery project brings an array of benefits for the country - such as combining its decarbonization strategy with developing local jobs - it seems to diverge with the federal governments stance. In fact, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been more inclined to prioritize gas to replace the coal-fired Liddell power plant by 2023. This contrast finds an explanation in the political field: the CEO of CEP Energy Morris Iemma is a former Labor party politician, and was the 40th Premier of New-South Wales. Iemma is known for pursuing a more progressive clean energy agenda, whereas Morrisons Liberal Party has been advocating for a more conservative gas-fired recovery. A boom of batteries on global markets? Decreasing battery costs are a key incentive that drives the attractiveness of investment in energy storage. A Bloomberg NEF report predicted that prices for lithium-ion batteries will reach record-low levels of $100/ MWh at the horizon 2024, boosted by electric vehicle developments. While China has for long dominated the whole value chain of storage technologies, the current Australian trends suggests that it might be time for a change. Indeed, CEP's new project is only one of a series of new storage projects started in Australia over the past years, such as the Tesla battery that made the headlines back in 2017. And it might not be a coincidence that one of the board members of CEP - Jan Muller - is a former Tesla executive. CEP is far from being the only major energy storage developer. French battery giant Neoen has also embarked on a battery adventure in South Wales: in August 2020, it announced its intention to build a new battery of up to 1,8 GW capacity. This surge in battery investment is a crucial element in managing the intermittency of solar power, which is making up for an increasingly large part of the Australian energy mix. Despite the popularity of renewable energy and the recent energy storage developments, natural gas fired plants will be much-needed in the foreseeable future to guarantee grid stability in Australia. By Tatiana Serova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Plainview-Hale County Health Department will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday at the Ollie Liner Center. The clinic is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 2000 S. Columbia. Vaccinations will be administered by appointment only. The department will start accepting appointments on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Those interested can make appointments by visiting www.plainviewtx.org or by calling the (806)291-1201. The vaccine supply is limited. The web portal and phone number will become unavailable when appointments are booked. The Health Department received an allocation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the Texas Department of State Health Services this week. DSHS continues to prioritize vaccinations for people that meet Phase 1A or Phase 1B qualifications. Those eligible for the vaccine under Phase 1A include front-line healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Those eligible under Phase 1B include people 65 and older and people who are 18 and older with a health condition that could increase severity of COVID-19. Those health conditions include: cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), down syndrome, heart conditions, organ transplantation, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes. Those with a medical condition not listed may still qualify. Call your doctor to confirm. New Delhi, Feb 8 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan presided over the distribution of masks and soaps by the Indian Red Cross Society to various transport unions on Monday. Harsh Vardhan said, "Having the vaccine does not mean that we should be complacent. In fact, all the preventive measures should be followed by all of us now and in near future too." At the event, Harsh Vardhan said he was very happy to be a part of the initiative of distributing masks as part of the COVID 19 response activities. He stated that in Delhi masks have been distributed at the railway stations, sabzi mandi and other places as the rate of infection is high in these areas. Acknowledging the efforts of the IRCS and emphasizing the need for COVID appropriate behaviour even after the development of vaccine, Harsh Vardhan said, "I am happy to highlight that the vaccine made in our own country for the prevention of COVID has been approved and the Government of India have already started the largest vaccination drive in the world. But having the vaccine does not mean that we should be complacent. In fact, all the preventive measures must be followed by all of us now and in the near future, as well. Considering this, it is praiseworthy that IRCS is continuing the distribution of masks from the prevention perspective." Stressing on the importance of such activities, Vardhan said, "The mask distribution is a token of the significance of mask and hand hygiene. The road transport drivers and helpers keep travelling throughout the country and are vulnerable to infection. The masks being distributed by IRCS will be of great help in preventing the COVID infection." Talking about the COVID situation in India, the minister highlighted the progress in COVID parameters and said, "India has one of the highest Recovery Rate in the whole world. The positive cases are also declining and stand at 1.48 lakh as of today. From one lab in January 2020, we now have 2373 labs. We have a capacity to conduct more than a million tests a day. We have completed 20 crore cumulative tests. This is a result of 'whole of Government' and 'whole of Society' approach." He stated, "India has not only become self reliant in production of masks, PPE kits, ventilators etc but is also in a position to export these. More than 58 lakh beneficiaries have been vaccinated till now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive and appealed to all the healthcare workers to get the vaccine. We have also started vaccinating the frontline workers from the month of February." Dismissing the misinformation and rumours around the vaccine, he said, "Many people are trying to spread misinformation and rumours related to the vaccine. I appeal to the people to not believe in any such rumours." Secretary General, IRCS, R. K. Jain and representatives of transport unions were present at the event. Ukraine is interested in humanitarian cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the National Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society in the return of Ukrainian citizens from captivity and camps and their further rehabilitation, the presidential press service has reported. According to the report, this issue was discussed at a meeting between Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Roman Mashovets, Deputy Head of the ICRC Delegation in Ukraine Daniel Bunnskog and Director General of the National Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society Maksym Dotsenko. The participants in the meeting discussed the prospects for and the ways of the further development and deepening of relations between Ukraine and the international humanitarian movement of the Red Cross, the report said. "During the conversation, special attention was paid to humanitarian cooperation in the return of Ukrainian citizens held in captivity and in camps, and their further rehabilitation in Ukraine," the report reads. Mashovets outlined further areas of cooperation and those responsible for working on practical aspects of humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine, the ICRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. Bunnskog stressed that the ICRC office in Ukraine has a positive experience of cooperation and is interested in further deepening relations in accordance with the basic principles of the Red Cross. Dotsenko added that the Ukrainian Red Cross Society cooperates fruitfully with the executive authorities, especially noting the role of humanitarian projects that are being launched together with the Ministry for Veterans. op Health official: 'I am hopeful for the brighter days ahead' Sorry! This content is not available in your region With many of the outdoor-show opportunities of interaction with the public gone during the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission today will launch a weeklong virtual outdoor expo. The virtual event will be hosted on the commissions Facebook page and will feature agency experts conducting informational sessions about fishing and boating topics. The first will air at 10 a.m. today. It will be a virtual tour of Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery in Centre County. That will be followed at 1 p.m. by a discussion of the commissions state fish hatcheries, featuring Brian Wisner, director of the commissions Bureau of Hatcheries. In the absence of many of the popular outdoor shows and expos that that have been cancelled across the state this winter, Fish and Boat Commission staff will be missing out on some great opportunities to interact with the public and let them know about our programs, said Mike Parker, director of communications for the commission. By offering these virtual sessions with some of our most knowledgeable staff and educators, we hope to fill a void for people who have an interest in certain areas of fishing and boating and provide them with the chance to ask a question or two. To provide interactivity between commission experts and the public during many of the sessions, questions that are relevant to the various topics may be submitted in advance to michparker@pa.gov. Emails should include Virtual Outdoor Expo in the subject line with the question or comment contained in the body of the message. Some sessions will be streamed live and provide an opportunity for viewers to offer relevant questions and comments through the commission Facebook page that may be incorporated into the discussion in real time. All comments submitted must follow the commissions social media policy. The virtual expo will continue through the week: Tuesday, February 9 10 a.m., conversation with a waterways conservation officer, featuring Col. Corey Britcher, director of the commissions Bureau of Law Enforcement; 1 p.m., a look at Pennsylvanias steelhead program, featuring commission fisheries and hatcheries staff discussing one of the most unique trophy angling opportunities in Lake Erie and its tributaries. Wednesday, February 10 10 a.m., Kayaking 101: Whats Behind Pennsylvanias Fastest Growing Boating Trend, featuring commission Watercraft Safety and Education staff; 1 p.m., Meet the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, featuring Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. Thursday, February 11 10 a.m., Employment with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, featuring tips for job seekers from a commission human resources expert; 1 p.m., Kayak Fishing Pennsylvanias Rivers, featuring Northwest Region Education Specialist Chad Foster and tournament kayak angler Russell Johnson. Friday, February 12 10 a.m., Lets Talk Muskies, featuring commission Fisheries and Hatcheries experts to discuss the program behind this emerging fishery for those seeking the catch of a lifetime in Pennsylvania waters; 1 p.m., Virtual Outdoor Expo Wrap-Up, featuring a recap of the weeks most interesting topics and a look ahead to upcoming fishing seasons and commission programs in 2021. Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com. Le Hoang Diep Thao - the CEO of King Coffee, received the Most Admired CEO award in 2020 from Global Brands Magazine (GBM) and conceived a project called 'Women Can Do' to help 100,000 women to launch a start-up. Ms. Le Hoang Diep Thao - CEO of King Coffee in a supplied photo Continuing her success in 2020, Thao was officially appointed by the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA) to the position of vice president for the ninth term (2017-20). In a discussion with Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper, Thao talked about her passion for coffee and her ambition of building a Vietnamese characteristic in the global coffee market. A coffee girl Talking about coffee, your face exudes an extraordinarily strong passion. What sparked this passion for you and how has it been nurtured? I was born and grew up along with coffee nuts. My love for coffee is so strong that it can be felt by everyone surrounding me, including friends, farmers, to merchants, so they called me a coffee girl as a nickname during my childhood. To me, coffee is a treasure of humanity. Vietnam is fortunate to be blessed with this magical treasure by nature, so I am determined to make coffee processing a national strategic industry of our country. From the opportunities of meeting with coffee experts and reading books on this topic, I understand more about the dark side of the production chain, so I have to do something for the farmers and the country's coffee industry. My next opportunity was brought by Vu [Dang Le Nguyen Vu, chairman and CEO of Trung Nguyen Group], who is a very excellent person that shared this passion with me. Together, along with Trung Nguyen, we elevated the third wave of coffee, thus changing the way the Vietnamese enjoy coffee. Vietnamese now find that choosing coffee is choosing a lifestyle, and their own unique tastes. During my time in Italy, I regularly paid visits to second-hand markets to hunt for coffee antiques. Seeing that I was so enthusiastic, a person told me that they would sell the coffee museum that I loved so much to you. According to many experts, Vietnam has a marvelous opportunity to break through and become the number one powerhouse in the coffee industry. As vice president of VICOFA, do you believe that? I believe in it and I have repeatedly affirmed that Vietnam is the second largest coffee exporter in the world and the number one for exporting Robusta coffee. We are fully able to rise to become the world's number one coffee exporter. The entire worlds coffee industry is worth more than US$200 billion, ranking second after that of oil. We need to further elevate the coffee industry with other segments in the global value chain. We need to create motivation from which Vietnamese coffee can break through. We also need an innovative mindset, thoroughly aimed towards responsible creativity and sustainable development. We now have good brands, good coffee quality, and good conditions. Therefore, please support Vietnamese brands, so Vietnamese coffee is able to make a fast and strong global expansion instead of adoring foreign brands, which do not contribute to our countrys coffee industry, or to Vietnamese farmers. Currently, coffee beans are sold at VND5,000 ($0.22) per kilogram, but a cup of coffee is sold at $5. What a terrible disparity! The farmers must work so hard to care for coffee trees, but they have not received worthy results because coffee prices are too low and precarious. Le Hoang Diep Thao smiles when she poses for a photo in a supplied photo "Women Can Do"... with coffee In 2020, she received the Global Inspiring Entrepreneur Award and launched a project "Women Can Do" with the aim of helping 100,000 women to start a new business. What is the message you want to convey with your Women Can Do project? I have thought long and hard about what I can contribute to the community, especially the women. I think of a livelihood for them to actively earn money, an opportunity to gain financial knowledge. The women will be able to receive financial support and specific guidance and be involved in a community to help each other. Coffee is an answer to the problem. Given these thoughts, from mid-June 2020, King Coffee has collaborated with Vietnam Women's Union to implement the project Women Can Do, aimed at women who need to do business themselves. I promote women to be strong and brave enough to step out their own safety zones to learn how to do business and to actively manage their finances. The project not only helps the womens family have a stable income, but also create more untapped resources for society. Over the past 20 years, I have travelled to many countries around the world, attended many international seminars, met with friends and partners domestically and internationally. I have found that everyone praises Vietnamese women as beautiful and excellent. I hope the roles they have played will be recognized and affirmed in a worthy way in the society. To inspire women to start a business and young people who want to start up with coffee, what do you want to share? You must have a passion for it! Start-ups want to succeed, they must first have passion. Without intense passion, I would advise you not to get involved. Only with such a passion would you have the motivation that helps you surmount all obstacles in your way because the first step is the hardest. From being a co-founder of Trung Nguyen trademark, bringing it to a number one Vietnamese brand from zero, building G7, and now King Coffee, my only principle is to focus on making differences and avoid going the ways as others have done. The second is the startup spirit. An entrepreneur with a startup spirit will do everything to achieve their goals based on law and prestige, from which, to gain success and go long term. The coffee industry is an extremely challenging industry because you will encounter many major competitors. With our support, you will start up on the right track and can build up yourself thanks to being trained by a community of over 100,000 people. Le Hoang Diep Thao touches on a branch of coffee in a supplied photo During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to fly high to avoid storms After a year of volatility due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, did your coffee business and the coffee industry in general suffer losses? How do you predict the entire picture of the coffee industry next year? The COVID-19 pandemic caused a huge shock to the market, causing disruption to the global supply chain. This is not only a substantial loss for people, but also for the world market. It is great that we can even sit together here. This is something that I am extremely grateful for the Government and the State of Vietnam. To my business activities, right from the beginning of the pandemic, I immediately thought about how to make the company fly higher, faster, and stronger to be able to avoid that storm. We used every measure for the business to accelerate. After a year, despite many difficulties, the achieved business results are very well. At the international market alone, we have doubled our exports thanks to using a global network of agents, which take advantage of peoples spare time at home during social distancing periods to expand the international business network. In the next five to 10 years, the world coffee market will have a shortage of supply, so Vietnam needs to take practical actions to quickly welcome new opportunities, such as replanting coffee trees, setting standards of the coffee industry, and building a better reputation in the world market. We will have an advantage in terms of output and achieve a greater value. In addition, we also have the responsibility to facilitate the best development of specialty coffee, reaching the international level. As a person with a wealth of experience as both co-founder of Trung Nguyen Group and head of TNI Corporation with King Coffee brand, how will you take steps to help improve the value of the coffee industry and Vietnamese brand? Many other industries in the world have decreased both supply and demand, but the coffee industry has still increased around 2-4 percent per year. Particularly, the Vietnamese coffee industry in particular could enjoy a growth rate of around 9-10 percent per year. Our country is an agricultural country and coffee is one of the strategic agricultural exports. But the value of the revenue is not high, only about $3 billion per year. Therefore, we need to promote the coffee industry to increase the value of revenue. When it comes to Italy, people think of pizza, when it comes to Germany, we think of machines, techniques, when it comes to America, people think of fast-food brands. I hope that in the future, when it comes to Vietnam, people around the world will remember coffee. Vietnamese coffee is delicious, so Vietnam must have a world-class coffee brand. Le Hoang Diep Thao (right) talks with a reporter in an interview in a supplied photo The expectations of businesswomen in the year of the buffalo: Vietnamese prosperity It is said that people often encounter many difficulties in the year of the zodiac animal they were born under. But I always choose to think and plan to help me and my business overcome anticipated obstacles. When we have carefully planned, the emerging difficulties, if any, would also be in the plan. In the year of the buffalo 2021, I have many programs and intentions to promote Vietnamese coffee industry to thrive not only domestically, but also globally. Vietnamese people are proud of Vietnamese coffee and advocate for Vietnamese coffee to shine all over the world. I believe that when we come forward together with a common goal, we will have an undefeatable strength and will bring about a prosperous, thriving and happy Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A former Married At First Sight contestant has been caught trying to skip the queue at a popular nightclub in Hobart, Tasmania. But Jonethen Musulin's request was shut down by the venue's management because of how he treated his ex-'wife' Connie Crayden on last year's season. On Sunday, staff from The Grand Poobah Hotel posted a private message exchange between the venue and Jonethen which had taken place via Instagram the night before. That backfired! Former Married At First Sight star Jonethen Musulin has been caught trying to skip the queue at a popular nightclub in Hobart, Tasmania 'Hey, I'm in Hobart for one night and would love to come in,' Jonethen had messaged the nightclub. 'Currently in the line. Am I able to post and cut the queue?' His request wasn't that unusual: many influencers get special treatment at clubs and restaurants in exchange for glowing posts on Instagram. But this establishment wasn't taking the bait, and promptly told the reality star he had to wait in line like everybody else. 'Nah, you can stay in the line... this one's for Connie,' management wrote, making it clear they sided with his mild-mannered ex. 'Nah, you can stay in the line... this one's for Connie': His request was shut down by the venue's management because of how he treated his ex-'wife' Connie Crayden on last year's season Jonethen is now dating glamorous brunette Lili Newman, who is accompanying him on his trip to scenic Tasmania. Fans will remember the Gold Coast miner had a rather tumultuous relationship with shy student Connie on Married At First Sight last year. Jonethen had tried to end the relationship for weeks by voting to leave at the commitment ceremonies. Mismatch: Fans will remember Jonethen had a rather tumultuous relationship with shy student Connie (left) on Married At First Sight last year. Jonethen had tried to end the relationship for weeks by voting to leave at the commitment ceremonies, but she wanted to stay While Connie acknowledged their romance didn't have potential, she insisted on staying in the experiment for the purposes of personal growth - a decision that made Jonethen increasingly frustrated as the weeks went by. They eventually decided to leave the show as friends at their final vows. Connie thanked her 'husband' for helping her to become a strong, confident woman, but they didn't keep in touch after production wrapped. Hard time: Connie struggled with her self-esteem on Married At First Sight and insisted she wanted to stay in the experiment for the purposes of personal growth 'I had a huge transformation, I really did,' Connie told 9Now afterwards. 'I started off the experiment with such low self-esteem, I was very awkward - it was quite sad,' she added. Connie told Today Extra in March that she and Jonethen had 'called it quits on the friendship' not long after shooting the finale. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-09 02:06:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that one in four of all adults in Britain has been vaccinated two months after the rollout officially started in the country. "We have now vaccinated more than 12.2 million people, which is one in four of all adults in (the) UK," Hancock said during a virtual press briefing at Downing Street. Hancock confirmed that a total of 91 percent of over 80s and 95 percent of 70-79-year-olds have now been given a first dose. The vaccine take-up was "better than they hoped for", said Hancock. The health secretary stressed the existing vaccines "have some effect" against new variants, particularly preventing serious disease, after a trial found the Oxford vaccine had limited efficacy against mild disease from the variant related to South Africa. "The evidence is that the existing vaccines have some effect against new variants, particularly preventing serious illness and mortality. So the existing vaccine rollout is mission critical for tackling new variants," Hancock said. Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine offers "minimal protection" against mild disease from the variant related to South Africa, scientists say early trials suggest, according to the BBC. A new study, not yet peer reviewed, involved about 2,000 people who were on average 31 years old, the BBC reported. Hancock said work is being done with the existing vaccine suppliers on potential booster jabs targeted specifically at the new variants to strengthen this protection further. "We are building onshore UK capacity, including cutting edge technologies, to give us the ability rapidly to develop and deploy vaccines against any new variants or similar new diseases in the future." Jointing Hancock for the press briefing, Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, assured the public that variant related to South Africa is not Britain's most dominant variant. There was "no reason to suggest it will catch up or overtake our current virus in the next few months...Our immediate threat is from our current virus," he said. There was "plenty of evidence" that the vaccines Britain is deploying are effective, he added. Another 14,104 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,959,784, according to official figures released Monday. The country also reported another 333 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 112,798. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. 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. Enditem British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his solidarity with India after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Joshimath of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, triggering a deluge in the Alaknanda river system leaving 15 people dead and more than 150 people missing. Boris Johnson tweeted, "My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed." My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse. The UK stands in solidarity with India and is ready to offer any support needed. Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 7, 2021 The Uttarakhand tragedy has not only caused massive loss of life but also wiped off the Tapovan dam and impacted the Rishi Ganga project. Following this incident, the US State Department, Japanese ambassador to India Satoshi Suzuki, French Prime Minister Emmanel Macron, Nepalese Foreign Ministry and Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering have offered condolences following the damage to life and property in Uttarakhand following a glacier burst and subsequent flooding. Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst Live Updates: 15 dead so far, search on to find 150 missing people French President Emmanuel Macron responded to a tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families." France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families. Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 7, 2021 The US State Department said in a tweet, "Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and fully recovery for the injured." Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured. State_SCA (@State_SCA) February 7, 2021 Nepalese foreign ministry, Japanese ambassador to India and Bhutan PM have also expressed their condolences at the loss of lives due to the glacier burst in Chamoli . Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering tweeted, "Sending prayers for the souls lost to the Uttarakhand flood and wishing courage to those who are fighting the disaster. May those who are still missing be found in good health. We are with you, dear friends in India." My heart bleeds for tragic loss and missing of many innocent lives by the massive #glacier burst in #Uttarakhand today. Id like to extend my heartfelt condolences, and pray for those missing to be rescued as soon as possible. Our sympathy is with the people of #Uttarakhand. Satoshi Suzuki (@EOJinIndia) February 7, 2021 We are saddened by the news of death and missing of many individuals due to flash flood caused by an avalanche in #Uttarakhand. We express deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased & pray for the safety of those missing: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal pic.twitter.com/ZrQforBzhH ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2021 Also read: Uttarakhand glacier burst: UN ready to contribute to ongoing rescue efforts, says Antonio Guterres Manhattan hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo had no inkling her life was about to unravel when she used her pass key to clean the suite she believed to be unoccupied. But on that the day in May 2011, 'the lights went off' for Diallo as she unwittingly triggered an international scandal of epic proportions after she fled the upscale Sofitel Suite 2806 alleging that she had been sexually assault by its occupant, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 71. The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Strauss-Kahn, one of the most powerful men in the world, was set to announce his Presidential candidacy in his home country of France. Diallo's allegations and the media storm that followed left his reputation and political ambitions in tatters. And it left Diallo, now 42, shattered by not only the alleged assault but the incomprehensible aftermath. Speaking out for the first time in a decade with DailyMail.com, Diallo tells of her terror at learning the identity of her powerful alleged assailant. She shares the agony of being hounded from her home and having her life picked apart by press and prosecutors. Ten years ago Nafissatou Diallo then a maid at Manhattan's Sofitel hotel, claimed that she had been sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 71. Today Diallo is speaking out for the first time in a decade in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Strauss-Kahn was the Minister for the Economy and Head of the International Monetary Fund and was set to announce his run for French president. He's seen being detained on May 15, 2011 and was charged with attempted rape She has revealed that she felt so devastated and betrayed by prosecutors when they dropped all charges that she almost took her own life. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Diallo said, 'It's ten years perhaps to everybody else, but every single day I remember itIt never goes away. 'May 14, 2011 is the day and date I'm never going to forget in my life. Because that day the light turned to dark, the lights went off. Every time I think about it, I turn on the TV or talk to somebody to try to forget because I don't want to feel sad anymore, I want to feel like myself, like I used to feel. 'What happened that day changed my life forever. I never thought in my life I was going to become public. What happened that day was a big deal but what happened after that day, that was even bigger.' And, according to Diallo, what happened after that day hurt her more than any assault ever could and came close to destroying her completely. The details of what happened in Suite 2806 are well documented and today the single mother from Guinea cannot bear to repeat them because, she said, 'If I remember I cannot hold back my tears.' She had traveled to work from the Bronx apartment she shared with her 15-year-old daughter as usual that morning. Diallo arrived in the States in 2003 and landing her job at the Sofitel was, she said, the culmination of her dreams. She had been told by a room-service waiter that room 2806 was free for cleaning and after getting no response when she knocked and announced herself three times, she used her key to enter it. According to Diallo's account Strauss-Kahn suddenly appeared naked, startling her into apologies. He told her not to be sorry and grabbed at her. In the scuffle that followed he pushed her down onto the bed, clutched at her breast and pushed up her uniform, tearing at her underwear. He tried to put his penis in her mouth, but she resisted and shoved him away, he shoved back, and the struggle moved from the bedroom to the suite's hallway and down towards the bathroom. Diallo alleges that Strauss-Kahn pushed her to her knees, with her back against the wall, and forced himself into her mouth. The report from the hospital where Diallo was later taken for examination noted that, 'she felt something wet and sour come into her mouth and she spit it out on the carpet.' 'What happened that day changed my life forever. I never thought in my life I was going to become public. What happened that day was a big deal but what happened after that day, that was even bigger,' she told DailyMail.com. Diallo is seen with her attorney entering court in 2012 Strauss-Kahn is pictured with wife Anne Sinclair as they return to Manhattan State Supreme Court to request a reduction of his $6 million bail and expensive house arrest provisions in 2011 Distraught, Diallo fled the room. Moments later she saw the man whose identity she still did not know calmly leave 2806 and head for the elevator. In fact, Strauss-Kahn had made a telephone call to his daughter, who was studying in New York, before checking out and meeting her for lunch later that day. An hour after Diallo told her supervisor about what had happened, and on the encouragement of hotel security staff, 911 was called and Diallo filed her report with the police. May 14, 2011 is the day and date I'm never going to forget in my life. Because that day the light turned to dark Nafissatou Diallo A physical examination showed bruises where Diallo said Strauss-Kahn had grabbed her and revealed a torn ligament in her shoulder. Stains on Diallo's uniform and samples taken from the hotel room carpet showed Strauss-Kahn's semen mingled with Diallo's saliva. Cops apprehended the then IMF chief later that day, when they boarded the flight to Paris on which he was sitting at JFK airport, and escorted him from the aircraft in handcuffs. Diallo's primary concern was her daughter who expected her home that evening. She said, 'I told police I have to let my daughter know I'm not coming home now. So, I called her and said, ''There's been an accident at work. I'm not coming home now but don't worry I'm going to be home soon and I'm going to be fine.'' 'She was scared, she didn't know what kind of accident. I just told her, ''I'm going to stay here for now, but I will be back, I promise you that.'' Diallo was still oblivious to the importance of the man whom she had accused. She told DailyMail.com that she only realized his significance when she returned home and switched on the television in her room thinking to take a few moments to gather herself before speaking to her daughter. She said, 'I got home, and I was watching Channel 7 and I saw it on TV, that was how I learned how big and scary it was. I was crying all day, but I was crying more and so scared after that. 'I thought that was the end for me and my daughter. I thought they were going to kill me.' According to Diallo if she had made such allegations against a man of Strauss-Kahn's power in Guinea that's what would have happened. In truth, she would be hunted down another way. Diallo recalled, 'My phone started ringing, phone numbers from Europe I never had people call me from there. 'I see a lot of strange numbers from here in America and Europe and then [the press] started ringing my [door]bell. I was so scared. I had to call the detectives and they had to come and pick me up. 'That was the last day I was in that apartment. I left that day and I never went back.' Diallo arrived in the States in 2003 and landing her job at the Sofitel was, she said, the culmination of her dreams. She had been told by a room-service waiter that room 2806 was free for cleaning and after getting no response when she knocked and announced herself three times, she used her key to enter it Two members of the NYPD crime scene unit enter an elevator at the Sofitel hotel in New York, Saturday, May 14, 2011 to investigate Diallo's claims It is hard to overstate the international frenzy that blew up around the Strauss-Kahn case. Diallo had to be smuggled out of the back door at the only press conference she gave while a decoy, dressed like her drew the press scrum off her scent at the front. There was no way for Diallo to prepare herself for the scrutiny or the cruelty of some of the coverage that followed. The New York Post ran a front-page article branding her a 'hooker,' as Strauss-Kahn's camp did everything in their power to discredit his accuser. Strauss-Kahn claimed that the encounter was 'consensual.' The married father-of-four admitted that he was a womanizer but said that there was no force or threat involved. Diallo was cast as a shake-down artist, just waiting for her pay-day. Interviewed for the Netflix documentary, 'Room 2806: The Accusation,' Michael Osgood, then Deputy Chief of Police described Strauss-Kahn's assertions as having, 'no merit.' But it didn't stop the rumors from spreading and there was more to come. It's ten years perhaps to everybody else, but every single day I remember itIt never goes away Nafissatou Diallo It emerged that Diallo had lied to authorities and a Grand Jury about her background in Guinea. It was also revealed that she had fiddled her taxes and had a relationship with Amara Tarawally, a convicted drug dealer who used her bank account to deposit large sums of money. Diallo watched as her credibility was put on trial and found wanting. Her character, and not Strauss-Kahn's, was picked apart by District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr's office and the world's press. Today it is clearly painful for Diallo to recall the damage done. She told DailyMail.com, 'I was so hurt from this guy. I was so hurt from people calling me names without knowing me because it's powerful. 'I was so hurt, seeing even my mother on TV from my village in Africa. I was so hurt about everything. 'But the DAs hurt me the most because they accused me of something I didn't do. They checked me instead of the guy who did this to me. They treated me as a criminal. They called me a liar.' Strauss-Kahn recruited the services of some of the city's biggest lawyers, including Benjamin Brafman, who went onto defend disgraced Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein in 2019 with notably less success. Diallo continued, 'This guy had powerful lawyers, but I thought the DA was meant to be powerful too. They were not supposed to be scared of this guy and his lawyers and abandon me.' But that, according to Diallo, is what happened. On Monday, August 22, 2011 the district attorney's office formally moved to dismiss the case against Strauss-Kahn. Describing Diallo as someone who was, 'persistently, and at times inexplicably, untruthful in describing matters of both great and small significance,' the prosecutors stated that they could not ask a jury to believe her beyond all reasonable doubt, when they no longer did so themselves. For Diallo it was the most devastating and public blow of all, as she has now reveals for the first time. She told DailyMail.com, 'The day the DA dropped the case was the day I almost took my life. I was going to take my life. I was going to record myself and take my life. I was watching TV and crying'. She's seen leaving the DA's office in July 2011 The criminal charges brought against Strauss-Kahn were dropped three months after his high-profile arrest Diallo's allegations and the media storm that followed left his reputation and political ambitions in tatters. Dominique Strauss-Kahn and wife Anne Sinclair pictured in their apartment in Paris, France She told DailyMail.com, 'The day the DA dropped the case was the day I almost took my life. I was going to take my life. I was going to record myself and take my life. I was watching TV and crying.' But then Diallo saw Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzi-Orbon and the team's sex crimes expert, Ann Prunty, 'running out of the courthouse,' without saying a word. And in that moment, witnessing what she saw as their weakness, she found her strength. Diallo said, 'I prayed to God and I said God you just sent me a sign not to kill myself. You are going to fight for me one day. 'I never did counselling. I said to God you make me come here to America; you changed my life [once] before. You made this guy come here and I don't know why you choose me God, but you're going to use me as a key to stop bad things. That's why I am strong. I feel like God used me as a key to save other people.' Diallo's high-profile case, and the furore that surrounded its dismissal, has been credited by some as the vital precursor to the #MeToo movement. Other women came forward to allege similar encounters with Strauss-Kahn and the ground-swell of support for Diallo saw hundreds take to the streets in her name. Diallo brought a civil suit against Strauss-Kahn and won an undisclosed settlement rumored to be more than $1million. She also successfully sued the New York Post for their front-page story branding her a 'hooker.' There was, she said, some comfort in both victories, 'That made me feel so much better after the civil case. The judge made me feel better. It's not about the money it's about making me feel better and [the civil court] didn't abandon me the way the DA did.' Diallo does not know if her daughter, now 25, has watched the recent Netflix documentary. She believes she has, but they have not spoken about it. She said, 'She went through a lot like I went through. We don't want to remember that case. She knows, I tell her everything. But we don't want to remember. That's why also I'm still hurt. I feel like my daughter [was] hurt because of me and that's not what I wished for. That wasn't my dream.' In the years since the scandal broke Diallo has tried to re-establish her life. It has not been easy. She tried opening a restaurant in the Bronx, but the hours were too long, and people came there looking for her and so she closed it down. Today she is cagey about her day-to-day existence and the woman who received death-threats at the time of the case, claims to still fear for her safety. She said that she is writing a book and hopes to tell her story fully in its pages. 'It's been ten years and I know the real truth is going to come out and somebody is going to feel my pain,' Diallo told DailyMail.com Diallo said that she is 'trying to be happy' but that she will be happier when she sees more justice for victims like herself Strauss-Kahn and New York DA Vance Jr are two names that, she said, strike fear into her heart to this day. But she has always had faith that the truth would come out in the end however long that might take. She said, 'I know that in America the truth is going to come outthings that happen many years ago, the truth comes out today.' She continued, 'It's been ten years and I know the real truth is going to come out and somebody is going to feel my pain. 'I don't even want to hear about him [Strauss-Kahn]. I don't want to remember about him I don't want to think about him. I don't want anything about him. For him, God's judgement is good, and I feel like God showed people who he is already.' She continued, 'I never regret that I reported everything that happened to me. 'I'm not doing anything for me anymore. What happened to me has happened, there's nothing anyone can do to change that and there's nothing I can do to change the past. Now I'm thinking about the future.' She said that she is 'trying to be happy' but that she will be happier when she sees more justice for victims like herself and she has a message for New York's DA. She said, 'For me it's passed already but I would say to the DA, no matter how powerful lawyers are do not let victims down when they are in pain because you know the truth. 'They know what happened that day, nothing's going to change that, but please don't hurt somebody else the way you hurt me.' At age 6 Charlene was enrolled locally by her mother in the Marion Lorraine Dance School, which taught different genres. By the time she was 8, a booking agent had arranged for Charlene to perform in evening shows at Miamis tourist hotels. Her mother made costumes for her acrobatic routines, and her father created the props. In one act, she was a sea urchin arising from a shell; in another, she was a jockey on a horse jumping over small hurdles. The music came from her mothers record player. Protesters fill a street in Mandalay, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. Tens of thousands of people rallied against the military takeover in Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, Sunday and demanded the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose elected government was toppled by the army. AP Tens of thousands of people rallied across Myanmar on Sunday to denounce last week's coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in the biggest protests since the 2007 Saffron Revolution that helped lead to democratic reforms. In a second day of widespread protests, crowds in the biggest city, Yangon, sported red shirts, red flags and red balloons, the colour of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party (NLD). "We don't want military dictatorship! We want democracy!" they chanted. On Sunday afternoon, the junta ended a day-long blockade of the internet that had further inflamed anger since the coup last Monday that has halted the Southeast Asian nation's troubled transition to democracy and drawn international outrage. Pope Francis expressed "solidarity with the people" on Sunday and asked Myanmar's leaders to seek "democratic" harmony. Huge crowds from all corners of Yangon gathered in townships, filling streets as they headed towards the Sule Pagoda at the heart of the city, also a rallying point during the Buddhist monk-led 2007 protests and others in 1988. A line of armed police with riot shields set up barricades, but did not try to stop the demonstration. Some marchers presented police with flowers. One officer was photographed giving a surreptitious three-finger salute. Protesters gestured with the three-finger salute that has become a symbol of protest against the coup. Drivers honked their horns and passengers held up photos of Suu Kyi. "We don't want a dictatorship for the next generation," said 21-year-old Thaw Zin. "We will not finish this revolution until we make history. We will fight to the end." There was no comment from the junta in the capital Naypyidaw, more than 350 km (220 miles) north of Yangon. State-run MRTV news reported on army officers visiting hospitals and plans to reopen pagodas, but not on the protests. An internal note for U.N. staff estimated that 1,000 people joined a protest in Naypyidaw while there were 60,000 in Yangon alone. Protests were reported in the second city of Mandalay and many towns and villages across the country of 53 million people that stretches from Indian Ocean islands to the fringes of the Himalayas. The Yangon protesters dispersed after dark, saying they would return if their demands are not met. The demonstrations have largely been peaceful, unlike the bloody crackdowns in 1998 and 2007. But shots were heard in the southeastern town of Myawaddy as uniformed police with guns charged a group of about 200 protesters, live video showed. Pictures of protesters afterwards showed what appeared to be rubber bullet injuries. 'ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE' "Anti-coup protests show every sign of gaining steam. On the one hand, given history, we can well expect the reaction to come," author and historian Thant Myint-U wrote on Twitter. "On the other, Myanmar society today is entirely different from 1988 and even 2007. Anything's possible." With no internet and official information scarce, rumours swirled about the fate of Suu Kyi and her cabinet. A story that she had been released drew crowds out to celebrate on Saturday, but it was quickly quashed by her lawyer. Suu Kyi, 75, faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkies and is being held in police detention for investigation until Feb. 15. Her lawyer said he has not been allowed to see her. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for campaigning for democracy, and spent nearly 15 years under house arrest during decades of struggling to end almost half a century of army rule before the start of a troubled transition to democracy in 2011. Army commander Min Aung Hlaing carried out the coup on the grounds of fraud in a Nov. 8 election in which Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide. The electoral commission dismissed the allegations of malpractice. "It is simple, the NLD won the 2020 election," Bo Kyi of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners rights group said in a statement. "There is reasonable concern that the military junta will transform these peaceful demonstrations into a riot and take advantage of the instability." More than 160 people have been arrested since the military seized power, said Thomas Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar. "The generals are now attempting to paralyse the citizen movement of resistance - and keep the outside world in the dark - by cutting virtually all internet access," Andrews said in a statement on Sunday. "We must all stand with the people of Myanmar in their hour of danger and need. They deserve nothing less." Pope Francis, who met Min Aung Hlaing when visiting Myanmar in 2017, appeared to come down against the military leaders at his Sunday address, saying he prayed the leadership would promote a "harmonious and democratic co-existence." There are fewer than 800,000 Roman Catholics in the predominantly Buddhist country. (Reuters) Former State Sen. Ben Downing, who opted not to seek reelection in 2016 and has worked in the solar energy industry in the years since, announced Monday he is running to become the Bay States next governor, seeking to address the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, racial inequality and climate change. Downing, a Pittsfield native who now lives in East Boston, was elected to the state Senate in 2006 at age 24. The Democrat represented Western Massachusetts in the Legislature for 10 years before stepping down to take an executive leadership role at Nexamp, a renewable energy company. He announced his gubernatorial bid in a video posted to social media Monday morning. We can build a sustainable, thriving Massachusetts, but our leadership has lacked the will and urgency to act, Downing says in his video. For 10 years as a state senator I worked to change that by investing in clean energy, revitalizing our gateway cities and expanding civil rights. Im proud of that work, but there is so much more we need to do. In an interview, Downing said he first considered running a year ago after traveling to other states scouting out places where Nexamp could invest. He said he saw other states tackle improvements to early childhood education, anti-poverty measures and transportation finance in ways that Massachusetts hadnt. You might see a bill or two you might see a little bit of debate, but not the urgency you saw in other states and other states that quite frankly dont have the resources that Massachusetts has, he said. The Bay State, he said, is stuck in the status quo and he says Gov. Charlie Baker lacks the sense of urgency to push for bold solutions to poverty, climate change and other policy issues when they could offend business leaders. Downing said hed bring a sense of urgency to the table, as governor. I think Charlie Baker is a good man. We just disagree on the issues, and I think hes much more comfortable operating within the normal, within the status quo on Beacon Hill, Downing said. Baker, a Republican, has not said whether he plans to run for a third term. Downings campaign website says hes running because he believes there is no limit to what can be accomplished in Massachusetts, claiming the leadership needed to do so, though, is sorely lacking. As we recover and reimagine our future in the months and years to come, we need a governor who sees, feels and understands the gravity of this moment and how we got here; who is not content with accumulating power but who is ready to use that power to respond boldly to the dire impacts of the pandemic, rising racial inequality, and the urgency of climate change, the website says. The candidate noted the state can respond forcefully to address racial disparities in access to health care, housing, education, transportation and food security. The commonwealth can also lead the nation in responding to the threat of climate change and set the gold standard for civil rights, he added. We have a chance to make Massachusetts work for everyone everywhere, to clearly and loudly proclaim that we value people over special interests and that we will emerge from this crisis more resilient, Downing says in the video. Its time for us to build a fairer, stronger Massachusetts. Fifteen years ago, Downing won his state Senate seat that includes 52 communities in Western Massachusetts. He had previously worked for U.S. Reps. William Delahunt, Richard Neal and John Olver. After serving as the state Senate chair of Beacon Hills Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Downing went on to work as Nexamps vice president of new market development, helping lead the companys entry into the burgeoning energy storage market, Nexamp said. At Nexamp, Downing said, he and his team worked to expand access to clean energy in Massachusetts and elsewhere, leading the companys efforts to expand to new markets outside of the Northeast and helped deploy cutting-edge energy storage solutions right here at home. The former state senator is launching his campaign as Republican Gov. Charlie Baker enters the third year of his second term in office. The incumbent governor has earned high marks among residents over the course of the COVID-19 public health crisis for his handling of the pandemic and has in years past been rated the most popular governor in the U.S., though he lost that title in early 2020. A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll conducted in December showed that although Baker enjoys an overwhelming majority of support from Massachusetts residents, residents approval of his handling of the coronavirus public health crisis is beginning to slip. Downing is not the only person to consider a run for Massachusetts governor in 2022. Danielle Allen, a political theorist at Harvard University, announced in December she is exploring a campaign. Allen joined Harvards faculty in 2016, was named a university professor the following year and earned the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for achievement in the study of humanity this summer. The U.S. Library of Congress announced Allen will collaborate on an initiative she designed to encourage civic engagement as part of education. Its titled Our Common PurposeA Campaign for Civic Strength at the Library of Congress. Its time to lay a foundation for a new social contract on the principle that we do not abandon anyone, Allen said in a campaign statement. We need leadership that moves proactively to establish a stable foundation of flourishing for all. That means addressing long-standing problems in the domains of the economy, education, climate, justice, health, and democracy. Related Content: In this Locked on 76ers episode, host Keith Pompey explains why Tuesdays road game at the Sacramento Kings is a good test for the Sixers. Pompey also discusses why this season has been frustrating for players and fans. HOUSTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Initiative on Global Law and Policy for the Americas, founded by University of Houston Law Center Professor Elizabeth Trujillo, will launch by hosting a webinar series in Spring 2021 in partnership with the University of Bologna Center for Latin American Studies. The Latin America Interest Group from the American Society of International Law (ASIL-LAIG) will also co-sponsor the event. The theme of the series is, "Constitutionalism, Trade, Social Justice, and Sustainability in the Americas: Lessons from the 2020 Global Pandemic." Over six webinar events, international experts in comparative constitutional law, human rights, sociology, international trade, international health law, and international law will discuss specific areas of society that have been particularly impacted by COVID-19, with an eye towards gathering lessons for developing improved legal frameworks that can better address the most pressing needs of our times. Lessons for climate change, social justice, and international trade and other topics will be examined. This series also marks the first for the newly-launched GLPA initiative, which provides a fresh approach to international law. Though GLPA's focus is the Americas, it is not exclusive to the region. "The intent of the GLPA initiative is to provide a platform in which to examine global issues in relation to the local," Trujillo, the Mary Ann & Lawrence E. Faust Professor of Law, said. "This global pandemic has had long-term effects on so many aspects of our lives as well as on society and the law in every country of the world. It has highlighted weaknesses in social and legal frameworks but also the incredible capacity of individuals to engage with their communities at home and abroad. "Curing the pandemic will ultimately require both global and local solutions. We need legal frameworks that better capture this relationship if we have a chance at tackling difficult challenges like climate change, access to health capacity and technology, and other areas." Trujillo said working with the University of Bologna Center for Latin American Studies will provide an exciting opportunity to collaborate with an institution that has an extended history in interdisciplinary studies in law and the social sciences and specific expertise on Latin America. "The COVID-19 Pandemic has proven how fragile our welfare systems are and how important it is to provide public and accessible health care," said University of Bologna Associate Professor Sabrina Ragone. "Moreover, democracies all over the world have been under unprecedented stress and have tested their limits. Assessing these issues from a comparative perspective will help to understand which solutions have been successful and how to learn from one another." The series will begin on Feb. 11 with a discussion titled, "The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Social Justice." The keynote speaker will be Alberto Abad Suarez Avila of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Anuscheh Farahat of the University of ErlangenNurnberg will serve as a discussant. Ecuadorian attorney and ASIL-LAIG Co-Chair Cesar Coronel Ortega, will moderate. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on International and Global Law" will be on Feb. 25 Rene Uruena, a professor at the University of The Andes in Bogota, Colombia, will lead the discussion and Lorenzo Casini of the IMT School for Advanced Studies will provide additional insights. The third event, "Lessons from COVID-19 for Sustainability: Health and Climate Change," will take place on March 11. Speakers include Professor Daniel Farber of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law as the keynote speaker and Pedro Villareal of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. The March 25 webinar will focus on international trade in the time of COVID-19. Gabrielle Marceau of the University of Geneva and Senior Counsellor to the WTO will serve as speaker. Trujillo will serve as a discussant, along with Boston College School of Law's, Frank Garcia, an expert in international trade justice, who will lead the discussion as moderator and discussant. The fifth webinar, "COVID-19 and Latin America: The Impact on the Inter-American System of Human Rights," is scheduled for April 15. Speakers include Pablo Saavedra of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Amaya Ubeda de Torres of the Council of Europe, along with Jorge Contesse from Rutgers University and Co-Chair to ASIL-LAIG, as moderator. The final webinar on April 22th is entitled, "COVID-19 and Trends on Constitutionalism: A Comparative Approach." University of Chicago Law School Professor Tom Ginsburg will deliver the keynote presentation, with University of Bologna Professor Sabrina Ragone providing commentary, and Professor James Gathii from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, an expert in international trade and African constitutional law and human rights, will moderate. Click here to learn more about the Initiative on Global Law and Policy for the Americas. UHLC media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Elena Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-1125, [email protected]; and John Brannen, Media Relations Rep, 713-743-3055, [email protected]. About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 11 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students. SOURCE University of Houston Law Center Related Links http://www.law.uh.edu TMC Birbhum president Anubrata Mondal to be under strict EC surveillance from 5 pm till Fri 7 am: Official Uproar in LS over TMC MP Mahua Moitra's remarks India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Feb 08: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra's critical reference to a former chief justice of India created uproar in Lok Sabha on Monday, with treasury members accusing her of violating parliamentary rules and demanding that her remarks be expunged. RSP MP N K Premachandran, who was in the Chair, said her remarks will be expunged if found objectionable. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal termed her comments against the former CJI, who was not named, as "shameful". In her strong-worded speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, she lashed out at the government for making "hate and bigotry" a part of its narrative and alleged that the judiciary and the media have also "failed" the country. She repeatedly used terms like cowards and cowardice to slam the government for "hiding behind" power and authority and alleged that it has made India a "virtual police state" by charging critical voices with sedition. The government's decision to impose a nationwide lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19 inflicted "untold misery" on people with lakhs of people forced to walk to their homes hundreds of kilometres away, Moitra alleged. She demanded that the three new farm laws that have drawn protests from farmers be repealed. Participating in the debate, BJP member Virendra Kumar said the Narendra Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and it will remain so in the future too. The Modi government has been trying to double the income of the farmers through various measures, he said. Referring to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three agricultural laws, Kumar said there was some anxiety among a section of farmers but the government has tried to allay their concerns through discussions and so far 11-12 rounds of talks have taken place. "I want to make it clear that the government is committed to the welfare of the farmers. It was, it is and it will continue to do so," he said amidst thumping of desks by BJP members in attendance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi among others. Kumar said the government has so far given Rs 1,13,000 lakh crore financial assistance to farmers and has been trying to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) of various agriculture products. "Our government''s aim is to double the income of the farmers," he said. The BJP member said those who had incited people to create vandalism at the Red Fort or doubted the efficacy of the Indian vaccines, could not be called leaders. Kumar also listed the Modi government's initiatives for the welfare of migrant labourers, reforms in labour laws, empowerment of women and providing houses to all homeless people by 2022. In his speech, DMK''s T R Baalu accused the government of transgressing on state''s powers and also demanded that Tamil be made an official language. Tamil enjoys this status in countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore, he said, accusing the government of undermining the language as he noted that none of the Kendriya Vidyalayas in Tamil Nadu teaches it. "Don't play with flames," he said. He asked the government to address the concerns of the farmer unions protesting against the three farm laws, and said it should not stand on "false prestige and ego". New Delhi: The US on Wednesday strongly condemned the Amarnath terrorist attack in the state of Jammu and Kashmir on July 10. The White House extended condolences to victims families and people of India. "US strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack on religious pilgrims in the state of Jammu and Kashmir on July 10. We extend condolences to victims families and people of India," said the White House. The White House said that attack on religious freedom is attack on most fundamental right of liberty and the United States and India will continue to fight together against terrorist threats in every part of the world. Terrorists killed seven pilgrims from Gujarat, including six women, and injured 32 others as they struck at a bus in the district, in the worst attack on the annual pilgrimage since the year 2000. Earlier, condemning the attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was pained beyond words on dastardly attack on peaceful Amarnath Yatris in J&K. The attack deserves strongest condemnation from everyone. India will never get bogged down by such cowardly attacks & the evil designs of hate, tweeted PM Modi. Also read: Terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims 'reprehensible', says US Also read: Amarnath terror attack: Centre announces Rs 7 lakh compensation for next of kin of deceased For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Tiger 3: Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif Starrer To Go On Floors In Istanbul, Not UAE Bollywoods bhaijaan Salman Khan recently announced that his much awaited film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai will release in theatres on Eid 2021, as promised. Fans were over the moon with joy to hear that they will finally get to see the superstar shine on the silver screen again after so long. Well, the actor recently wrapped up the shoot of another upcoming project. Salman finished the filming of Mahesh Manjrekars Antim: The Final Truth, also starring Aayush Sharma, in just a period of 60 days. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) Well, Salman will now be neck deep in back-to-back shoots of Shah Rukh Khans Pathan and Tiger 3 with Katrina Kaif. However, theres one slight change in the plan. The third installment of the Tiger series was supposed to go on floors in UAE, but latest reports suggest that producer Aditya Chopra had to rethink the location due to a hike in COVID-19 cases in the emirates. In a report shared by Mid Day, a source revealed, Having ensured that the pre-production began last December, Adi wants to begin the film on schedule. Since the UAE is witnessing a spike in cases, Maneesh and he are now discussing the possibility of heading to Istanbul first and wrapping up the required portions with Salman, who has given his bulk dates from March. While Katrina will return to the big screen as Zoya, Salman will reprise his popular character Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger. The actor is said to begin his prep today and will be seen in a lean avatar. Well, we are super excited! Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand opens portals after winter break, no pilgrims allowed due to Covid Uttarakhand glacier burst: CM releases Rs 20 crores fund for relief and rescue operation India oi-Briti Roy Barman Chamoli, Feb 08: Uttarkhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has released Rs 20 crores from State Disaster Response Fund for relief and rescue operation following glacier burst in Chamoli after conducting a review meeting on Monday. A total of 14 bodies were recovered while over 170 people are still missing after the glacier break in Chamoli. Over 170 labourers -- 148 employed at the NTPC plant and 22 at Rishiganga -- are said to be missing, a spokesperson said while quoting the project-in charge. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director, on the other hand, informed rescue operations in Uttarakhand may continue for 24 to 48 hours. "There's accessibility issue because it is a tough terrain. By road, only two teams could manage to reach...the remaining teams were airlifted. It's difficult to predict how long," added the NDRF Director. Earlier, Chief Minister Rawat announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the family of those killed. Rawat also said teams from the police, the Army and the ITBP, as well as from the national and state disaster response forces, were "doing their best to save the lives of the workers at sites affected by the disaster". Ghulam Nabi Azad retires as MP, hopes for Pandits' return to Kashmir | Oneindia News Jharkhand government has issued helpline numbers for people of Jharkhand who are stranded at Uttarakhand's Chamoli district due to glacier burst. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 17:49 [IST] Hyde follows family tradition, takes home PIAA gold in shot put "It's awesome," Hyde said. "It really feels like a tradition, now. It will be cool to see our names next to each other in the record books." Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The United States is gravely concerned and alarmed by the Burmese militarys coup detat. The military has detained the leaders of the governing National League for Democracy party and Burmas civilian leadership, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, along with cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, opposition politicians, writers, civil society representatives and activists. The Burmese parliament was scheduled to hold its first session since the countrys November 8 elections in which the National League for Democracy, or NLD, the countrys leading civilian party, won 83 percent of the open seats. Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the NLD, has been the countrys civilian leader since taking office in 2015. Burmese military leaders refused to accept the results of the election, calling them fraudulent. When its allegations failed to gain any traction, troops surrounded the parliament building and launched a coup detat. The Burmese military announced a one-year state of emergency on television, claiming that the 2008 constitution gives the military the right to declare a national emergency. The military has seized control of the countrys infrastructure, taken over most government ministries, and suspended most television broadcasts, and launched a campaign to crack down on civil society. The military has turned power over to army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. During its years of power-sharing with civilian elected officials, the military maintained substantial influence in Burmese political affairs. The constitution grants the military control of the defense and interior ministries. Moreover, soldiers are guaranteed a quarter of the seats in the parliament. President Joe Biden has urged the international community to come together to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish power they have seized, release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Burmese military leaders to. . .respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8. The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately. WASHINGTON (AP) Soon the Senate will have to decide whether to convict former President Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection. Trump's impeachment trial begins in earnest Tuesday, the first for a president no longer in office. The trial will open with four hours of debate on whether the trial is constitutional now that Trump is no longer in office. After that, prosecutors and Trump's defense team will have up to 16 hours each to make their arguments. While Trump's acquittal is expected, Democrats hope to gain at least some Republican votes to convict the former president. They say the trial is necessary to hold Trump accountable. Rep. David Valadao, one of 10 Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach President Trump, in January at Lemoore Naval Air Station. (Gary Kazanjian / Associated Press) Nearly a month after objecting to electoral votes cast for President Biden, Rep. Mike Garcia wanted to clear the air. In a lengthy Jan. 30 op-ed in a local newspaper, the Santa Clarita Republican and former Navy fighter jet pilot denounced the blowback on social media that branded him "a seditionist, a traitor, or even worse." Roughly 150 miles to the north, Rep. David Valadao also had some explaining to do after voting to impeach President Trump for his part in inciting the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. He, like Garcia, was disparaged by some constituents as a traitor. Two votes in Congress in successive weeks one to certify Biden's election and another to impeach the president snared the two California Republicans into the pitched battle over the future of their party: whether the GOP will demand allegiance to Trump or break from his influence. On one side sits Garcia and the majority of House Republicans, who on Jan. 6 aligned with Trump in rejecting the will of the voters in multiple states. On the other is Valadao, nine other GOP representatives and a handful of GOP senators who consider Trump's conduct leading up to the Capitol riot to be an impeachable offense. The intraparty feud has played out messily across the country. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.), who voted for impeachment, fended off a challenge to her leadership post mounted by Trump loyalists in Congress. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), another impeachment supporter, launched a campaign to lead his party away from Trump, while GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 insurrection but then backpedaled and pledged cooperation with the former president for the 2022 election. The GOP divide in California has largely stayed out of the national spotlight but is no less consequential. Valadao and Garcia won in their Democratic-tilting districts by the barest of margins 1,522 and 333 votes, respectively leaving little room for error for reelection in 2022. Story continues Two years can be a lifetime in politics, and with congressional district lines being redrawn this year, there's more uncertainty than usual. But at the moment, both members find themselves playing defense: Garcia primarily from Democrats eager to win back his seat; Valadao from his own party's right flank. Rep. Mike Garcia, pictured last year during his congressional campaign, addresses supporters in Simi Valley, Calif. (Associated Press) "In the temperament of this world right now, with social media and everyone having an opinion, you can't do anything right," said Doug Verboon, a Kings County supervisor and supporter of Valadao. "It's just a shame that it's come down to this." :: Valadao experienced the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol as most of America did glued to the television screen. Stuck at home in Hanford after testing positive for the coronavirus, Valadao flipped between channels trying to make sense of Trump supporters ransacking Congress in an answer to the president's false call to "stop the steal." "I don't think there's a word to describe how horrific that day was," Valadao said. The more he learned of the events, the more he became certain that Trump was "a driving force" in inciting the riot. One week later, he voted in favor of impeachment. On paper, the move made political sense. Democrats hold a 16-point registration advantage in this rural district in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Valadao had defied political gravity in the past by being moderate on immigration crucial for local farm labor in this largely Latino region and focusing on water policy. The formula was not fail-safe. After winning three terms, he was ousted in 2018, as Democrats tied him to Trump, before reclaiming the seat last November. Valadao said he kept strategic calculations out of his decision on impeachment, mainly because there was little upside either way. "Either I make the majority of my district mad or I make my base mad. ... No matter which one I picked, politically it was going to be challenging for me," he said. Some longtime supporters, such as Stuart Woolf, who runs a family-owned farming and food processing company, have been effusive in standing by the congressman. "Honestly, I thought it was one of his proudest moments," Woolf said. The onetime Republican, who recently left the party, was chagrined to get emails almost immediately after the vote accusing Valadao of turning his back on constituents. Fred Vanderhoof, chairman of the Fresno County Republican Party, said he liked Valadao and his work for the district. But he saw the repudiation of Trump as unforgivable, given the grass-roots enthusiasm the former president had inspired. Vanderhoof fears the volunteers who were energized last year by Trump to campaign for Valadao will now stay home. "The leadership of the Republican Party would make a major mistake if they would dissociate themselves from President Trump," Vanderhoof said. He said it'd be appropriate for the California Republican Party to censure or condemn the congressman. Jessica Millan Patterson, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, declined to comment. There is already one Republican lining up to challenge Valadao next year: former Fresno City Councilman Chris Mathys, who cited the impeachment vote as his motivation. "As far as I'm concerned, when you vote to remove the president of your own party, it is a treasonous action," Mathys said. Valadao will get help to fend off any challenge from the right. Support will probably come from the Congressional Leadership Fund, an outside group aligned with McCarthy. The newly founded Republican Accountability Project, which aims to spend $50 million defending pro-impeachment Republicans and challenging Trump loyalists, also plans to come to his aid. "He demonstrated with that vote his commitment to the Constitution, his commitment to democracy, and so we will fight tooth and nail to help him hang on," said political strategist Sarah Longwell, who is leading the campaign. Valadao has two Democratic rivals: TJ Cox, who won the seat in 2018, and Nicole Parra, a former assemblywoman. Drew Godinich, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, noted that Valadao "endorsed and campaigned with Donald Trump," signaling that the party will continue to link the congressman with the man he voted to impeach. The DCCC rolled out a television and digital ad Monday in English and Spanish tying Valadao to lightning-rod GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has espoused violent conspiracy theories. Valadao, like Garcia and most Republicans, voted against stripping Greene of her congressional committee posts. If Valadao makes it to a head-to-head matchup against a Democrat, it might be enough to bring disapproving Republicans back in the fold. "If the election were today, Mr. Valadao would be moving back to Hanford, because the Republicans would not be there to support him," said Diane Pearce, president of the Fresno County and City Republican Women Federated. But, she predicted, if the GOP needed Valadao in order to win back the House, "you could see people's feelings shift quickly." :: Garcia voted with most of his House GOP colleagues to challenge the election, but he is an outlier of a different sort: Though most Republicans who objected Jan. 6 come from staunchly red districts, Garcia's seat is highly competitive. A onetime conservative stronghold, the district which includes the Antelope Valley and parts of eastern Ventura County has grown more liberal as young families moved in from elsewhere in L.A. County. Democrats briefly captured the seat in 2018 but lost it when Rep. Katie Hill resigned. Garcia declined requests for an interview or to answer written questions from The Times. But in the op-ed in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, he explained his actions in terms tailored for his purple district. He insisted he wanted an open debate about election integrity, not to overturn the election. (If the objection had been successful, it would have blocked the votes legitimately cast in Arizona and Pennsylvania.) He said he opposed Trump's impeachment because of its hastiness, but the op-ed did not address the charge that Trump incited violence. And Garcia emphasized all the ways he has broken with the GOP, such as supporting the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate soldiers. The wordy explanation underscored why some California Republicans were puzzled that Garcia objected in the first place, given that his district sided with Biden by 10 points. Until now, Garcia has not been hampered by his alliance with the Trump wing of the party. Republicans sided with him, instead of with former GOP Rep. Steve Knight, in a special election primary last year, in part because Knight had angered the base by criticizing Trump. Garcia won the special election handily, before eking out a much narrower win for a full term in November. Knight lamented that political discourse, especially online, is being taken up by the "'hundred percenters' you're either 100% with President Trump, or you're not." Contemplating the bind facing Republicans in Congress, Knight declared, "I'm sad that I'm not there, and I'm happy I'm not there." Frank Visco, a former California GOP chairman who lives in the district, predicted that Garcia's military background and work on constituent services will matter more to voters than Trump's continued influence in the party. "He's not going to fade away tomorrow," Visco said of Trump. "But will he have the same impact as 2016? In my opinion, the answer is low degree of impact." While the former president's influence may wane out of the White House and off Twitter, Garcia's association with Trump will be central to his reelection if Democrats have their way. The DCCC has so far targeted Garcia in two ads, accusing him of siding with Trump and adherents of the baseless QAnon conspiracy that heralded Trump as battling a pedophilic cabal of Democrats and celebrities. Mike Garcia has continued to embrace Donald Trump after he incited the QAnon mob at the Capitol that left five dead, including a police officer," Godinich said. "Mike Garcia shares responsibility and will be held responsible. Garcia's vote also catapulted him to "the top of the list" in Longwell's campaign to target Republicans who objected to the vote certification. And left-leaning activists launched an online petition calling on Garcia to resign. In the immediate aftermath of the failed objection to the electoral college certification, Garcia faced backlash online from die-hard Trump supporters who were disappointed that he eventually acknowledged Biden's win. Some accused him of giving up too easily. "He's walking a very difficult line. But in general, I feel he is a man of honor and conscience," said Trish Lester, communications director for Santa Clarita Republican Women Federated. "If I were walking in his boots, I don't know I would do anything differently." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Hartford Police / Contributed Photo HARTFORD Surveillance footage and witnesses helped investigators identify the man police say is responsible for a deadly stabbing back in October. Patrol officers found Bryan Monroe, 48, of Lamplighter Drive in Manchester, with multiple stab wounds on Oct. 31, 2020, in the 100 block of Maple Avenue, according to Lt. Aaron Boisvert. The United States is nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the disease has changed both social and societal norms across the country. Within agriculture it has caused economic and mental hardship, but it has also left its mark on labor practices . . . particularly on dairy farms. I think that COVID-19 has opened peoples eyes to the risk that is related to some of these things. Experiences like this tend to stick with people for a long time, said Cornells Chris Wolf during the February 3 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream. I think theres a real possibility that people will change the way they approach employee health and managing the risks around employees. Those changes have manifested themselves on-farm, both in employee protocols and human resource management. On-farm practices On Philip Verway Farms in Tulare County, dairy farm manager Frank Cardoza made specific changes to his employees break periods and equipment to address concerns surrounding COVID-19. An example is my time clock, which our employees use their hands to punch in and out, he shared. Im looking at facial recognition or something like that to get away from the possibility of contaminating the hand clock. That cautious perspective extended to the break room at his dairy where employees are limited to four persons inside at a time. Cardoza intends to keep these limits in place beyond the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to limit the spread of all diseases, including the common cold and flus. Sick time may be forever changed Beyond on-farm protocol changes are a number of shifts that have occurred in the way we look at working through sickness. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension specialist Richard Stup, many farms have changed their protocols related to sick time. The reality is that in the past if people had a cold or snuffle, it didnt keep them from coming to work. People came to work unless they were truly, really sick and flat on their backs. I think that was one of the first things employers had to rethink because of COVID-19, he explained. New York passed mandatory sick leave for all employers, and I think that will probably extend to other states, he continued. Sick leave will remain, and the culture of the farms is going to change such that if youre sick, stay home; we dont really need you to bring that infection and get everyone else sick. An ongoing series of events The next broadcast, How were evaluating farm loans these days, will air on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Each episode is designed for panelists to answer over 30 minutes of audience questions. If you havent joined a DairyLivestream broadcast yet, register here. Registering once registers you for all future events. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 February 4, 2021 French health minister Olivier Veran has received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today as he praised the jab for providing sufficient protection against 'nearly all the variants' of the coronavirus. Veran was seen on French television with his shirt off while being inoculated at a vaccination centre in the city of Melun near Paris. It comes after South Africa halted use of AstraZeneca's Covid shot in its vaccination programme amid fears that it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. French health minister Olivier Veran (pictured) has received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine today as he praised the jab for protecting against 'nearly all the variants' of the coronavirus Pictured, Veran was seen on French television with his shirt off while being inoculated with a dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Melun near Paris But Veran reassured the French public and showed his support for the AstraZeneca jab on Monday. He told reporters: 'The AstraZeneca vaccine reinforces and amplifies our vaccination strategy. 'We do our best to prevent the spread of variants,' he added. A British junior health minister said there was no evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine did not prevent death or serious illness, and added South Africa had only imposed a temporary halt on using the vaccine. South Africa is suspending the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the drug failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. Africa's hardest-hit nation was due to start its campaign in the coming days with a million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. The suspension marks an important setback for the country, but officials said vaccine deliveries from other producers would soon be available and allow the campaign to move forward. 'It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters during a virtual press conference. The special infection unit in the city of Tshwane, South Africa pushes a man showing symptoms of Covid-19 inside an ambulance Coronavirus cases have fallen in South Africa after reaching an alarming new peak in January, but the country's mutant strain continues to cause concern at home and abroad Daily deaths from Covid-19 have also fallen, but are still slightly higher than they were at the peak of the first wave - with 46,290 having died in all The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, which conducted the trial, said in a statement on Sunday that the AstraZeneca vaccine 'provides minimal protection against mild-moderate Covid-19 infection' from the South African variant. But in a full paper due to be published on Monday, AstraZeneca said that none of the 2,000 participants developed serious symptoms. That could mean it will still have an effect on severe illness, although not enough data is available yet to make a definitive judgment. Lagging behind in the global vaccination race, South Africa received its first delivery of a million doses on Monday. An additional 500,000 doses are expected this month. All are AstraZeneca vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India, and some 1.2 million health workers were to be first in line for the shots. 'In the next four weeks, we will have the J&J and Pfizer,' said Mkhize, referring to vaccines made by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech. Discussions with other vaccine producers are also ongoing, particularly Moderna and the makers of the Russian Sputnik V jab. Mkhize recently announced having reserved 20 million Pfizer/BioNTech doses. The 1.5 million AstraZeneca vaccines obtained by South Africa, which will expire in April, will be kept until scientists give clear indications on their use, he said. 'The second generation of the vaccine to fight all variants will take longer to produce,' said Salim Abdool Karim, epidemiologist and co-chair of the scientific committee at the South African health ministry. Pictured: A health worker prepares the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine at the Mignot Hospital in Le Chesnay near Paris South Africa plans to vaccinate at least 67 per cent of its population by the end of the year, or around 40 million people. The country has recorded nearly 1.5 million infections and more than 46,000 deaths from the virus. The AstraZeneca study data, which has not yet undergone peer review, 'appear to confirm the theoretical observation that mutations in the virus seen in South Africa will allow ongoing transmission of the virus in vaccinated populations', it said. 'Protection against moderate-severe disease, hospitalisation or death could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at low risk.' But the vaccine developers in Britain said informally that the results offered some hope that the shots could prevent deaths from the variant. 'We may not be reducing the total number of cases but there is still protection against deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease,' said Sarah Gilbert, who led the development of the vaccine with the Oxford Vaccine Group. It could also be 'some time' before they determine its effectiveness for older people in fighting the strain, she told BBC television. AstraZeneca told AFP that 'we do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease. 'Neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks,' added the spokesperson. Researchers are currently working to update the vaccine, and 'have a version with the South African spike sequence in the works' that they would 'very much like' to be ready for the autumn, she added. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Three major entrepreneurs are using their influence and having a huge impact in the southwestern U.S. The first two are household names, while the third is relatively unknown to most Americans. All three provide a clear example of why the U.S. immigration system, and the way that visas are issued, need to be overhauled. The U.S., 5% of the worlds population, needs to again become a magnet for talent around that world that can help grow this countrys economy. The first entrepreneur is Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon. Until very recently, Bezos was the wealthiest man on Earth, having since been passed by Elon Musk. Jeffery Jorgenson was born in Albuquerque to a 17-year-old mother who split with Jeffreys biological father. She then married Cuban immigrant Miguel Bezos when Jeffrey was 4 years old. Upon marriage, Bezos adopted little Jeffrey, whose common name is Jeff Bezos today. Through Amazon, he has revolutionized online retailing and changed the way Americans shop. Recently, Amazon announced huge distribution center projects in Albuquerque and El Paso. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Bezos also extended his business empire in several other areas. One of his interests is space vehicle development. In 2000, he founded Blue Origin, whose objective is to make space travel more accessible and economical by developing reusable launch vehicles. Blue Origin has established a suborbital launch site just north of Van Horn, Texas. His space vehicles are currently being tested and are expected to revolutionize space travel much as Amazon has done in retail. Last year, Blue Origin, in conjunction with Draper, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, was awarded by NASA almost $600 million to develop a moon landing unit. Through these efforts, humans may again walk on the moon within the decade. While Bezos is American born, his adopted father immigrated to the U.S. to go to school at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, earning a degree in engineering. He eventually became a naturalized citizen and an engineer for Exxon. Apart from his contribution to the petroleum industry, Miguel Bezos influence on his adopted son is immeasurable. British-born Sir Richard Branson comes from a family of entrepreneurs. When he was a child, his mother would craft products that she would sell to make money for the family. As a young man, Branson founded a mail-order business that would sell vinyl records throughout the U.K. He later founded Virgin Records, which eventually signed artists such as the Rolling Stones, Genesis, Lenny Kravitz, and the Spice Girls. Branson became a billionaire, and with his interest in flight, founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984, and Virgin Galactic, a British-American company, in 2004. The latter companys objective is to develop spacecraft, thus allowing commercial space flight to become a reality. It already has a long list of eager, commercial space tourists who are waiting for the company to begin suborbital flights. Virgin Galactic has its space fleet at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. Branson has invested heavily in his companys operations at this spaceport and expects to launch his initial commercial flights very soon. While he is not an American citizen, Branson travels extensively to the U.S. to work in his companies and to grow his investments. He does this by having a business visa that allows him to do so. Without having the ease to travel within the U.S., it is unlikely that Branson would have invested so much of his $4.1 billion dollar wealth in this country. Bezos and Branson are household names. Noubar Afeyan is not, but it is probable that he is having a larger impact than the former at this particular time in history. Afeyan is an Armenian, who was born in Lebanon, but whose family had to flee to Canada from that countrys civil war in 1975. He eventually came to the U.S. to receive his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Immediately after having received his doctorate, Afeyan founded his first biotechnology company. Later he formed Flagship Pioneering, a major venture capital firm that invests in biotechnology. To date, Afeyan has participated in the founding of more than 41 new start-ups, and more than 500 patents. Personally, he is responsible for more than 100 patents. In 2009, Afeyan founded Moderna, a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. He currently serves as this companys chairman, as it produces the precious vaccine that is helping vaccinate people around the world against the deadly COVID-19 virus. Imagine a boy from the war-torn Middle East, whose family had to flee for their lives, becoming a superhero who is literally saving the world. He is an example of talented foreigners who come to the U.S. to obtain their higher education, and eventually become productive elements of the U.S. economy. In order for the U.S. to remain competitive and to develop cutting-edge technologies and industries, we must use local and foreign talent, which must be recruited and welcomed. This effort is hampered if we dont fix the outdated way we grant visas, especially to talent who want to work and invest in this country. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. Editors Note: An earlier version of the article misstated Noubar Afeyans title at Moderna. He is the companys co-founder and chairman. The story has been corrected. [February 08, 2021] Paragon Data Labs Secures Angel Investment and Forms Strategic Advisory Council Paragon Data Labs (PDL), the creators of Compliance Administration & Tracking (CAT), a cloud-based enterprise compliance platform, is pleased to announce its first round of angel investors and the formation of its strategic advisory council, comprised of fintech pioneers and distinguished industry leaders. "With the immense support of the members of our strategic advisory council and their angel investments, we have the capital, knowledge and technology to make our vision the industry standard in employee compliance - a modernization that is long overdue," said Jefferson Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO of Paragon Data Labs. Mitchell, along with former colleagues Joshua Litwack and SK Gupta, sought to accelerate the rate of change and innovation in the compliance technology space, which has been notoriously slow to evolve. They developed a scalable cloud-based platform capable of monitoring and tracking conflicts of interest that enables compliance teams to streamline critical business functions and adapt their compliance programs with the regulatory environment. "I've historically experienced employee compliance as a Rube Goldberg collection of outdated spot solutions, crummy Outlook forms and manual, time-consuming processes. When I saw how the PDL team had elegantly brought all compliance activity together into an easy-to-use, cloud-based platform, I immediately realized how much the industry truly needs this solution. I am excited to be an investor and board member helping PDL in its mission to change the face of employee compliance," said renowned fintech executive Jody Kochansky. Kochansky wasn't the only person impressed. The innovative venture has attracted support from an accomplished and ingenious group of angel investors who will also serve as a strategic advisory council to accelerate PDL's growth. Through their collective decades as financial services leaders and fintech innovators, these investors possess the broad range of industry and technical knowledge required to catalyze PDL's growth from novel start-up to market leader. Their industry experience and relationships, combined with a mutual interest in PDL's mission and product, will enable PDL to capitalize on this expansive opportunity. Experience Matters: Meet the Strategic Advisory Council Jody Kochansky | Currently serving as an advisor to PE firms, Jody is a renowned fintech executive. He formerly served as ead of the Aladdin Product Group (APG) at BlackRock, where he was responsible for defining and implementing the vision for Aladdin. From inception, Jody helped evolve Aladdin into the most prominent and comprehensive investment management platform available, used by hundreds of organizations to manage over $20 trillion in assets across the globe. Hilary Agin | Accomplished executive with decades of industry experience having served in multiple leadership positions at BlackRock. She was Chief of Staff to the COO as well as COO for the Real Estate Investment Business, COO for Internal Audit and Chief Procurement Officer, where she established world class vendor management and vendor risk functions. Sarah Hallac | Former investment banker turned author and philanthropist has been a leader in financial services for over 30 years. She was an early leader in mortgage securitization, including the first Agency Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC), and she has been published in several books, including The Handbook of Mortgage-Backed Securities. Jeff Keil | A seasoned bank executive with more than four decades in financial services leadership across an evolving regulatory landscape. He notably served as the President and Vice Chairman of Edmond Safra's Republic New York Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Republic National Bank of New York. Scott Condron | Fintech advisor and investor spent nearly two decades with BlackRock as the Chief Architect, Chief Software Engineer and Chief Technology Officer. He holds several patents for Aladdin innovations and led BlackRock's participation in both the New York and London-based fintech Innovation Lab, where he actively serves as Adjunct Industry Mentor. James Kong | Angel investor and start-up enthusiast who knows what it takes to grow a successful business. He was an early employee at BlackRock and a key strategist leading the growth of the Business Operations Organization. While at BlackRock, James held a number of leadership positions, including Global Head of Aladdin Portfolio Services and Head of Portfolio Compliance. Andy Stewart | Currently serving as an Industry Partner for Motive Partners, Andy has extensive experience building and leading alternative investment businesses. Prior to Motive Partners, Andy co-led BlackRock's Alternative Investment Platform ( BAI (News - Alert) ) and chaired BAI's Executive Committee. He was a member of BAI's investment committees as well as BlackRock's global operating and human capital committees. In addition to their roles on the council, Kochansky and Agin will also serve on PDL's Board of Directors, bringing broad industry knowledge and expertise to the governance of Paragon Data Labs. About Paragon Data Labs Paragon Data Labs is a next generation technology company that develops cloud-based enterprise software solutions to streamline critical operations for financial services firms. Frustrated by the underdeveloped state of compliance software combined with an evolving regulatory environment, three industry veterans, Jefferson Mitchell, Joshua Litwack and SK Gupta, founded Paragon Data Labs to Make Compliance Simple. About CAT: Compliance Administration and Tracking CAT is a cloud-based enterprise software platform developed and serviced by Paragon Data Labs to streamline employee compliance for financial services firms. CAT integrates Personal Trading Oversight, Employee Disclosures and Material Non-Public Information Management for automated monitoring and robust firm-wide analysis and visualizations. CAT makes employee compliance easier for the employer and employee. To learn more about Paragon Data Labs and how their software and solutions are applicable to your compliance team, click here to book a demo or email sales@paragondatalabs.com. #ParagonDataLabs #PDL #RegTech #Fintech #EmployeeCompliance #AngelInvestment #CloudfinTech #FintechNews #FntechSoftware #NYCFinTech #CloudSoftware View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005239/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Western N.Y. teen who died in a sledding accident Saturday morning sacrificed her life to save her 3-year-old cousin, her parents said. Renee Hill, 16, died Saturday morning at Clyde L Burmaster Park in the town of Lewiston in Niagara County. She was riding down a hill at the park in a tube sled with her three-year-old, male cousin when she hit a tree at the bottom of the hill. She had went down the hill. She had my 3-year-old nephew on with her. She saw the tree coming. Her first instinct was to put her foot down and flip the sled so my nephew wouldnt get hurt. She hit the tree. Her heart stopped on the way to the hospital, her mother, Alexis Kraft told WKBW TV in Buffalo. Everyones calling her a hero. But that was my baby, Kraft said. The teen and the toddler were taken by ambulance to the John R. Oishei Childrens Hospital in Buffalo, according to the Niagara County Sheriffs Office. Subsequent to arrival at the hospital, Hill was pronounced deceased due to her injuries. The young boy who was riding with her on the tube was treated at the hospital and released. The incident is under investigation by the Town of Lewiston Police Department and the Niagara County Sheriffs Office. The sledding hill is closed at this time. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses. Renees parents thank the community for their support following the loss of their oldest of four children. She was a sophomore at Niagara Wheatfield High School and member of the schools girl lacrosse team. Dont take one minute for granted with your babies. Tell them you love them. Every minute. Every chance you get, Kraft told the Buffalo TV station. A flood killed at least 24 people in an illegal textile factory in a villa basement in the Moroccan city of Tangier, authorities said on Monday, adding that 10 people had been rescued. It was not immediately clear how many people had been in the building at the time, but authorities said rescue operations were continuing and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident had been launched. Morocco's informal labour sector represents about a fifth of non-agricultural economic activity and labourers are often prey to unsafe working conditions. Short link: National security police in Hong Kong have rearrested an outspoken online radio show host under a colonial-era sedition law, citing comments made during his shows. Wan Yiu-sing, known by his nickname Giggs, was arrested on suspicion of "seditious intent," over comments he made during online radio shows he hosted from August to October 2020. Seditious intent under the Crimes Ordinance is defined as "intent to arouse hatred or contempt of the Hong Kong [government] or to incite rebellion, and cause dissatisfaction with it." Wan's arrest comes amid a city-wide crackdown on public criticism of the Hong Kong authorities and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the wake of a draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong from July 1, 2020. Wan had been out on bail following an earlier arrest in November 2020 on suspicion of offering financial support to alleged pro-independence activities. Wan was also a former RFA contractor's guest host for the weekly show "China Forum," which ended its run on Nov. 18. However, Wan didn't attend his scheduled hearing at West Kowloon Magistrate's Court on Monday, and requested to be sent to hospital, which declined to discharge him. The sedition charges under the 68-year-old Crimes Ordinance carry a maximum prison term of two years. They were revived by the administration of chief executive Carrie Lam during the 2019 protest movement and have been used to arrest Cheng Lai-king, the chairwoman of Central and Western District Council, and democracy activist Tam Tak-chi. 'You can't worry too much' Fellow internet radio show host Tsang Kin-fung told RFA that Giggs was being arrested based on things he had said alone. But he said it wouldn't stop him running his own show. "You can't worry too much about these things, and keep second-guessing yourself about whether what you are saying is too much," Tsang said. "They will charge you anyway [if they want to do that], because they can [take] anything and call it evidence," he said. Former Hong Kong Polytechnic University social sciences lecturer Chung Kim-wah said he would carry on with his online radio show too. "The Hong Kong government has been trying to stifle free speech for about six months now by depriving certain people of their liberty," Chung told RFA. "But I don't want such fear to dominate my life." "Freedom of speech has always been, and should be, the mark of a civilized society," he said. "If the government wants to do such things, then that's its problem. We can't all stop talking just because they try to intimidate us," he said. Meanwhile, police shut down a stall at a Lunar New Year flower market run by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, a group best known for organizing an annual candlelight vigil for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. Group chairman Lee Cheuk-yan told local media it had been trying to spread its message, as opposed to selling flowers. Hong Kong's New Year flower markets were once known for their unique blend of festive decorations and political satire, but the government has recently clamped down on any activity not involving the sale of plants. Reported by Lau Siu Fung and Lu Xi for RFA's Cantonese and Mandarin Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season. CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15. GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season. BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career. Vote View Results realme smartphone with the model number RMX2202 has been certified by TENAA in China that shows the design of the smartphone. The phone will come with a single punch-hole high refresh rate AMOLED display, in-display fingerprint scanner and the back panel has a realme branding and a GT branding, so the company might have some tie ups like iQOO which has partnership with BMW. The company already confirmed Snapdragon 888 SoC for its flagship smartphone codenamed Race. Earlier rumours revealed that the phone will pack 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, and run realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. Even though the TENAA image doesnt reveal the camera details clearly, an earlier render reveals triple rear cameras and a new design, possibly for a limited edition model. Some rumours say that the phone will come with 120W fast charging like iQOO. realme China CMO Xu Qi Chase recently confirmed that the company will release another flagship smartphone powered by Dimensity 1200 later this year. The realme race is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks. We should know more details in the coming days. Source 1, 2 Medical workers walk on Temple Street in the lockdown area of Jordan in Hong Kong, on Jan. 24, 2021. The Hong Kong government recently enacted mainland-style lockdowns in its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. (Adrian Yu/Epoch Times) Xi Jinpings Ambition to Communize Hong Kong Commentary After the Chinese regime implemented the national security law in Hong Kong, the situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated drastically. With mass arrests of pro-democracy activists and the frequent deployment of his trusted officials to Hong Kong, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has shown his determination to transform Hong Kong into a place akin to communist China. Recently, the sudden unannounced lockdowns and mass compulsory testing for COVID-19 have all happened in Hong Kong just like in mainland China. The Hong Kong government also announced that it would require citizens to register phone SIM cards with their real names. The company that approves internet domain names recently said it would now reject any sites that incite illegal acts. Xi has also placed his cadres in key positions within the Party departments in charge of Hong Kong affairs. The banner of patriots ruling Hong Kong is actually part of Xis red dream for Hong Kong. And it is Xis first step into attacking the free world. Virus Lockdowns, Freedoms Restricted On Feb. 1, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Hong Kong government designated four restricted areas for lockdown and compulsory testing: the neighborhoods of Yuen Long, Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, and Hung Hom. Prior to that, the government has imposed sudden neighborhood lockdowns three times within a week. On Jan. 23, the government closed off the area of Jordan for 44 hours, dispatching 3,000 staff to test 7,000 people, and found 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19. On Jan. 28 to 29, in North Point, 475 residents were tested and there was no positive case. Approximately 15 people did not do the test and the Hong Kong government issued a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $645) for each person. These measures have shaken Hong Kong society. Many criticized them as inefficient and a waste of taxpayer dollars. As a model of Xis great fight against the epidemic, these tough measures may get even more intense in Hong Kong. The government announced on Feb. 1 that areas will be closed off more frequently in the next 10 days until Chinese New Years Eve. At the same time, it was announced that as long as there is one confirmed case of no known source within a residential building, or if sewage from the building tests positive, testing for the whole building will be mandatory. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that in order to prevent residents from escaping the compulsory testing, it will be done ambush style. One can imagine the extent of the governments distrust of its people. Since January this year, HKs freedom of information has also been increasingly restricted. The website Hong Kong Chronicles, dedicated to information about pro-democracy protests, was blocked. The Hong Kong Broadband Network said it did so in compliance with the national security law. On Jan. 29, the government announced its plan for mandatory registrations for mobile phone SIM cards with full name and ID and/or company registration information. The governments public consultation period for the proposal is one monthless than the conventional three-month period. In the beginning of 2021, Beijing is quickly tightening its noose on Hong Kong. Personnel Changes The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) Central Committee thinks the Partys grip in Hong Kong is never enough. The CCP recently changed the staff at the Liaison Office, Beijings representative office in Hong Kong. On Jan. 26, Shi Kehui, a former subordinate of Xi while they worked in Zhejiang Province, was appointed to lead the anti-corruption watchdog unit within Beijings top office in charge of Hong Kong affairs, known as the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in Hong Kong and Macau Affair Office (HKMAO). Shi was previously director of the anti-corruption watchdog in Guangdong Province, which borders Hong Kong. Shi worked closely with Xi; he was deputy Party secretary of Zhejiang while Xi was the Party secretary. The anti-corruption unit within the HKMAO, as is the case with other Party agencies, has become Xis way of supervising officials and implementing his economic and pandemic prevention policies. Then, sometime in late January, Chen Feng, director of the police bureau in Putian city, Fujian Province, took over the police liaison department within Hong Kongs Liaison Office. Chen was an old subordinate of Wang Xiaohong, member of the CCPs Central Committee and executive vice minister of the Ministry of Public Security. Wang was close to Xi. When Xi was the Party secretary of Fuzhou city, Wang was director of the police (public security) bureau and was Xis chief security officer. The South China Morning Post reported on Jan. 29, citing insider sources, that the Liaison Office will carry out major personnel replacements. Beijing reportedly arranged 200 cadres to join the Liaison Office, 100 of whom were new additions. Sources told the newspaper that many of them were familiar with social media and that the Liaison Office would carry more responsibilities, including making sure that the city is ruled by patriots. Communizing Hong Kong On Jan. 27, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam reported her work to Xi via a video link, according to Chinese state-run media Xinhua. Xi stressed that patriots should govern Hong Kong. The so-called patriot is someone who believes in CCP rule. Under the Chinese regime, the country is the Party, and the Party is the country. Xi said that Hong Kong can only maintain its long-term stability and security by ensuring patriots govern Hong Kong, Xinhua reported. In short, Xi believes that to solve the Hong Kong problem, the city must be governed by patriots, that is, people trusted by the Party to govern Hong Kong. This is why Hong Kong has undergone frequent personnel changes recently. Xi has a Hong Kong dream, which is to make Hong Kong more red and increasingly like the mainland. Xi has also said he hopes to build a global community with a shared future for mankindbringing communist influence to the world. Governing Hong Kong under the CCP model is Xis first step toward infiltrating the free world. But this dream is a double-edged sword. Hong Kong was once part of a free society and was known as the Pearl of the Orient. The more Xi controls Hong Kong the way he does China, the easier it will be for people to realize the true menace of the CCP. Dr. Tang Qing, based in the United States, is a senior journalist. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. New Orleans police arrested a man wanted in connection with a series of robberies and a shooting in the neighborhood around Tulane University after he barricaded himself inside of a nearby home Monday morning. Philip Barbarin, 24, surrendered to police after a five-hour standoff with heavily armed officers in the 2100 block of Audubon Street, officials said. No one was wounded during the standoff, and no gunshots were fired, a police spokesperson said. Police alleged Monday that Barbarin was involved in as many as seven robberies, including at least four that happened near Tulanes campus since Saturday. One of those robbery victims described as an affiliate of Tulane was shot. Another was shot at but wasn't hit, police said. Man shot on Broadway Street in Audubon neighborhood, NOPD says An unidentified man was shot late Sunday in the Audubon area, according to New Orleans police. The first of those robberies was reported Saturday morning a little before 9 a.m., when two men held up a victim near the corner of Lowerline and Willow streets, police said. The two men then allegedly stole the wallet and cellphone of another man they held up at the corner of Lowerline and Oak streets and allegedly stole his wallet and cellphone. The man had started running away when one of the robbers shot at him, police and school officials said. On Sunday night, about 9:40 p.m., a man with a gun robbed two people affiliated with Tulane University two blocks apart on Broadway Street, police and school officials said. One of the victims a 21-year-old man who was held up at the corner of Broadway and Green gave the robbers what they asked for and wasn't hurt, police said. The other victim, a 20-year-old man, tried to flee and was shot. Police said paramedics took the wounded man to a local hospital for treatment. Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said that on Monday morning, officers were in the neighborhood for a follow-up investigation into the weekend robbery spree when someone was carjacked on Broadway. Officers spotted the stolen vehicle, as well as Barbarin, in the 2100 block of Audubon. Barbarin was a suspect in the robberies and the shooting over the weekend, and he ran inside a home on that block when police approached, Ferguson said. Ferguson said he wasn't sure if Barbarin lived there, but if not, he may have known someone who did, according to the superintendent. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up About 9:30 a.m., members of the Police Departments Special Operations Division or SWAT team surrounded the home. A neighbor said officers equipped with long guns, helmets and body armor cordoned off the street for several hours. There was also an armored vehicle on the scene, and someone was using a loudspeaker to address people inside the surrounded home. Early in the standoff, at least two people came out of the home with their hands up, were handcuffed by officers and led away for questioning, a police spokesperson said. Neither was Barbarin, and the standoff continued. About 2:30 p.m., the neighbor heard "lots of men moving ... and yelling." Officers were soon seen taking a handcuffed Barbarin in a long-sleeved, gray T-shirt and black jogging pants away from the scene. The resident, who was told to stay in his home, said he and his neighbors applauded when Barbarin was in custody. Barbarin faces counts of armed robbery with a gun, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated second-degree battery and debit or credit card fraud. "This individual is a very violent individual," Ferguson said. "TOMONI was created in collaboration with Mitsubishi Power's customers and industry partners to address thermal power plant operators' growing demand to enable power system flexibility and reliability. Rather than relying solely on statistics and mathematical models, TOMONI employs a multi-model approach that combines Big Data, statistics, and physics, along with top-notch O&M services," noted Vasanth Krishnan, Senior Energy Consultant at Frost & Sullivan. "Overall, the offering represents Mitsubishi Power's pioneering and path-breaking approach to pivoting customers from traditional O&M strategies towards more automation and autonomy." Mitsubishi Power delivers a full-stack portfolio consisting of O&M solutions, including predictive asset diagnosis using real-time analytics; reliability, availability, and maintenance analysis; real-time asset performance analytics and diagnosis; and maintenance interval optimization. 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The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies and the resulting leadership in terms of customer value and market penetration. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Lindsey Whitaker P: +1 (210) 477-8457 E: [email protected] About Mitsubishi Power Mitsubishi Power, Ltd. is a leading provider and innovator of technology and solutions for the global energy sector. Headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., whose engineering and manufacturing businesses span energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace and defense. With more than 18,000 employees across 31 countries worldwide, Mitsubishi Power designs, manufactures and maintains equipment and systems that drive decarbonization and ensure delivery of reliable power around the world. Among its solutions are a wide range of gas turbines including hydrogen-fueled gas turbines, solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and air quality control systems (AQCS). Committed to providing exemplary service and working with customers to imagine the future of energy, Mitsubishi Power is also spearheading the development of the digital power plant through its suite of AI-enabled TOMONI solutions. For more information, please visit https://power.mhi.com. Related Links www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan A Department of Homeland Security intelligence briefing has revealed how officials failed to identify and thwart threats of unrest ahead of the Capitol riots last month, with thousands of troops now still stationed in Washington in the wake of the unrest. 'Nothing significant to report,' read a national summary from DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis that was sent to law enforcement agencies across the country on January 5, a day ahead of the riots that would bring five deaths and extensive damage to the Capitol. The DHS office was set up in the wake of 9/11 to share intelligence among federal, state and local law enforcement and prevent potential violence or similar attacks. It's the office that should have warned of a Capitol attack. But DHS failed to notify the nationwide network of any specific threats to the Capitol for the day of the riots, January 6, when Congress was due to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported. It's not that the law enforcement community had no idea what could be in store: Snippets of information regarding the rally was already being widely shared among the national intelligence network, with discussion of online forums and chat rooms that were rallying MAGA troops with calls for war and to gather weapons. Maps of the Capitol were being shared among would-be rioters, too. But the multi-pronged warning system reportedly failed, with threats not sufficiently followed up and others dismissed entirely, citing insufficient evidence. The failures culminated in the local and federal law enforcement network that protects DC being 'disturbingly' under-prepared and leaving the city vulnerable to attack, officials said, according to the Journal report. After failing to notify law enforcement around the country of the threats tied to the 'Stop the Steal' rally, Trump supports streamed into the US Capitol on January 6, breezing past police lines in unruly scenes that left five dead, including one Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick. Two other officers who were on duty have also since committed suicide. After the riots, 25,000 troops from the National Guard were deployed in DC to shore up security. Weeks on, still some 5,000 remain and are set to stay through mid-March as Trump's second impeachment trial is due to commence on Tuesday, leading to some Republicans saying it's time for the troops to stand down and leave town. Still, while law enforcement officials have been reluctant to discuss any specific threats ahead of the trial, the will reportedly be operating at a 'high level of readiness' and remain at the Capitol. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence briefing has revealed how officials failed to identify and thwart threats of impending unrest ahead of the Capitol riots last month After the riots, 25,000 troops from the National Guard were deployed in DC. Weeks on, still some 5,000 remain While some of the violence that erupted last month was spontaneous, court documents in the prosecution of some of the alleged insurrectionists reference some evidence of coordination and planning to disrupt Congress. Some of those cited correspondence, featuring members of far-right extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, also discussed plans to physically harm members of Congress. Frank Taylor, a retired Air Force brigadier general who led DHSs intelligence branch from 2014 to 2017, told WSJ that he has 'no explanation' that he can give for the department's failure to identify the impending riot, and stop it from happening. 'The fact that we didnt means that we failed, along with several other agencies. This was a systemic failure,' he said. Congressional committees and other government officials have since come out to decry the DHS' response as one of the biggest lapses in federal security in the last two decades. A number of factors combined to permit the MAGA mob to breach the Capitol and cause chaos within its walls. One such factor came on January 5, when DC Mayor Muriel Bowser urged federal agencies to not send additional forces to the nation's capital without first consulting local police. Bowser made the plea after racial injustice protests in the city last summer saw heavily armed security forces descend on DC, stoking tensions that erupted into violent clashes in Lafayette Square, near the White House. Ahead of January 6, Capitol police reportedly declined offers of National Guard reinforcements in the days prior, though a small group of DC Guard troops were deployed in other parts of the city. However, the Journal reports that law enforcement's failure to properly mobilize highlights how the DHS' intelligence system - which is primarily designed to protect against terror attacks - struggles to confront and prevent violent domestic extremism - one of the most serious threats the US faces, according to some experts. While some of the violence that erupted last month was spontaneous, court documents in the prosecution of some of the alleged insurrectionists reference some evidence of coordination and planning to disrupt Congress With Donald Trump's Senate trial due to begin tomorrow, DC has become a fortress as officials attempt to prevent last month's scenes from repeating An eight-foot tall unscalable fence encircles the US government's traditionally open heart topped with barbed wire Combating domestic terrorism has proved difficult for law enforcement long before last month's riots, with authorities allegedly unable to preemptively intervene without sufficient evidence of an impending crime or violent act. One of the main challenges, officials say, comes from the torrent of online and social media communications. It's often difficult to determine whether such messages pose a genuine threat, or are simply just online hyperbole. A number of current and former officials also disclosed to the WSJ that there was a reluctance among law enforcement to take any pre-emptive action against Trump supporters ahead of the rally. Both the FBI and DHS confirmed to the outlet that they didn't issue a joint intelligence briefing to alert law enforcement nationwide about the rally because they had no credible threats about January 6. Saying it was aware of the potential for trouble, the FBI said it discouraged some they believed to be 'violent agitators' from heading to DC for the rally. They also said they set up 24-hour command posts in their Washington headquarters and put tactical teams on standby. A spokesperson for DHS declined to comment on the department's January 5 report that cited 'nothing significant' for the following day. They said DHS was unaware of what Trump would say in his speech ahead of the riot and that 'national figures would be encouraging action against the Capitol and government officials.' Trump has since been impeached and charged by the House with 'inciting insurrection' for his comments to 'fight like hell' during his speech, but has denied any wrongdoing. He faces trial in the Senate on February 9. Capitol Police officials and the Justice Department have also since said they underestimated the potential for Trump supporters to storm the Capitol. They believed the Stop the Steal Rally would be similar to two other pro-Trump rallies held in the city in the months prior. The White House had reportedly previously discouraged the department from using the term 'domestic terrorism' in policy planning, a former official told the Journal. They also requested the DHS to focus instead on broader issues, such as immigration, the outlet reported. Mayor Bowser has also acknowledge the failures of security officials and has since called for Congress to conduct an investigation into the matter. The insurrection cost taxpayers at least $519 million in repairing damaged property, finding and prosecuting insurrectionists, recounting votes and, of course, increasing security protocols Around $480 million of that sum can directly be attributed to paying for the National Guard to stay in DC through at least mid-March Workers repair glass on the East Front rotunda doors that was damaged during the January 6 After 9/11, one of the improvements made to intelligence sharing between law enforcement and security agencies was the introduction of 'fusion centers' in every state. According to WSJ, two days before the Capitol riots, the heads of the fusion centers held a rare national call to discuss alarming information they'd received regarding January 6. Among the information were reportedly thousands of online posts about people planning to arm themselves for the event and discussing violence. On January 5, in an online message board calls were also being made for people to 'go there ready for war' and maps of the Capitol complex also shared. Following protocol, the information was sent through the DC fusion center to the federal and local agencies handling security for that day. Then-acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf (above) also declined to declare the Stop the Steal rally a 'national security event', which would have allowed the US Secret Service to oversee security and coordinate responses The DHS declined to specify whether it took part in the call and whether the department took any action based on the information received within it. The FBI, meanwhile, said it discussed protesters potentially coming to the protest armed during a separate call with law enforcement the same day of the fusion centers' call. Christopher Rodriguez, an official who oversees the DC's fusion center, said in Congressional testimony Thursday that the 'issue here is not the lack of intelligence or information'. 'The issue here was the inability, or the unwillingness, to act on the intelligence,' he said. Steven A. Sund, the former chief of Capitol Police who resigned after the riot, also said the department lacked intelligence - including from the FBI and DHS - that an attack on the Capitol was being planned. Javed Ali, a former senior counterterrorism official for the FBI called the breakdowns in communications between law enforcement and security agencies 'so disturbing'. 'These are mistakes that shouldnt be happening in 2021,' he told the WSJ. Furthermore, then-acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf also declined to declare the Stop the Steal rally a 'national security event' ahead of time, which would have allowed the US Secret Service to oversee security and coordinate responses. Wolf never even considered the motion, the Journal reported. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A, reportedly didn't warn law enforcement about January 6 because previous election certifications hadn't seen trouble, senior officials lacked credible intelligence and because it hadn't been designated a 'national security event', officials said in the riot's wake. On January 27, DHS published the department's first national terrorism bulletin about domestic terrorists, which stated extremists are more prone to violence in the months ahead, warning January 6 may be used as inspiration for future attacks. Both the FBI and DHS confirmed to the outlet that they didn't issue a joint intelligence briefing to alert law enforcement nationwide about the rally because they had no credible threats about January 6 (FBI's DC HQ shown above) A Capitol Police member died of injuries from the attack and a total of 125 officers of its 2,300-strong force were assaulted during the rampage More than 150 of the rioters have also since been arrested, as more suspects are still being sought With Donald Trump's Senate trial due to begin tomorrow, DC has become a fortress as officials attempt to prevent last months scenes from repeating themselves. An eight-foot tall unscalable fence encircles the US government's traditionally open heart topped with barbed wire. Thousands of National Guard troops also remain at the Capitol, patrolling the halls and a gilded portion of one staircase is bandaged over. Eva Malecki, spokeswoman for US Capitol Police, said the heightened security would remain in place at least through Trump's trial, expected to last at least a week. 'The Department's current security posture continues to demand that we operate at a high-level of readiness for the upcoming Senate impeachment trial and the continued threats directed at the Congress and the Capitol,' she said. Officials have been reluctant to discuss specific threats ahead of the trial, but said security and police forces will be operating at 'a high-level' of readiness for any unrest. 'We must demonstrate an overt security presence in DC, at least for now,' Christopher Rodriguez, director of the citys Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, told lawmakers during a hearing Thursday. 'We believe that this posture is essential to ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Department can deploy resources to all parts of the city during an emergency,' he said, adding, 'We will not tolerate violence in our city.' An eight-foot tall unscalable fence encircles the US government's traditionally open heart topped with barbed wire Officials have been reluctant to discuss specific threats ahead of Trump's second impeachment trial, but said security and police forces will be operating at 'a high-level' of readiness A total of 42 Republican House members authored a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday, urging her to all the security fencing around the Capitol to be taken down. The letter, led by Ted Budd, sounded the alarm over proposals to implement the fencing permanently after it was erected after it was erected last month. 'We write with concerns about the security measures and enhanced fencing around the U.S. Capitol even though high profile events like the inauguration are over. In particular, we are concerned with recent reports that the fencing surrounding the Capitol may become permanent', the lawmakers wrote. 'We are willing to have an honest debate about providing Capitol Hill Police with the resources they need to be better prepared without turning the Capitol into a permanent fortress. To that end, we urge you to remove the barbed wire fencing surrounding the Capitol and send the National Guard troops home to their families. Its time. Its time for healing and it's time for the removal of the fencing so the nation may move forward.' Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman last month called for fencing to be made permanent around the Capitol to prevent further violence following the riot. 'Let us be clear. The events that happened on January 6 were horrific. Understandably, certain increased security measures following that date were implemented. But it is time for Congress and its representatives to stop hiding,' wrote the 42 lawmakers. 'The U.S. Capitol is a symbol of freedom both at home and abroad. It is a place where Americans from all walks of life can visit, learn about, and witness U.S. history. Sadly, because of the fortress-like security in place, this is no longer the case," they continue.' Workers repair panes of glass on the Rotunda Doors that were damaged during the January 6 insurrection on Monday morning During the riots, Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick died of injuries sustained in the attack after he was bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher. A total of 125 officers of its 2,300-strong force were assaulted during the rampage Four protesters also died. More than 150 of the rioters have also since been arrested. The insurrection cost taxpayers at least $519 million in repairing damaged property, finding and prosecuting insurrectionists, recounting votes and, of course, increasing security protocols. Around $480 million of that sum can directly be attributed to paying for the National Guard to stay in DC through at least mid-March, according to Bloomberg. The deployment was the largest in Washington since the Civil War, according to the outlet, with 25,000 troops deployed after the violence at the Capitol. Currently, around 5,000 troops remain the city, as request by Capitol Police. Additionally, Mayor Bowser has requested that 500 National Guardsmen be on standby to serve as a rapid reaction force should anything go awry during Trump's impeachment hearing. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's prison authority has this month issued tenders for the purchase of hundreds of tasers, smoke grenades and protective gear, according to state procurement documents. The orders follow mass rallies in support of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny at which thousands of people were detained by police, but the documents did not specify a reason for the tenders. One tender issued by a unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), published on the publicly available state procurement online portal on Feb. 1, requested the provision of 1,400 tasers for 14.3 million roubles ($192,000). The portal showed the same unit had issued several other tenders since Feb. 1 to purchase 1,000 stun grenades, 720 smoke grenades and thousands of shields, helmets and gun belts. The Interior Ministry and the FSIN did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the tenders and what they were intended for. Navalny was arrested last month when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had treatment after being poisoned with a nerve agent in Siberia last August. He was jailed on Feb. 2 for alleged parole violations. Supporters have staged large rallies in Moscow and other cities since his arrest, calling for his release. The OVD-info protest monitoring group said last month that space in Moscow jails had become hard to find because so many people had been detained during the protests. Allies of Navalny, and some human rights groups, have accused police of using disproportionate force to break up the unauthorised rallies. The Kremlin has rejected allegations of state repression against Navalny's supporters. One of Navalny's close allies has said his team will not be holding street protests for now, preferring instead to wait until the spring and summer. ($1 = 74.4450 roubles) (Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Timothy Heritage) TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) Indiana State Police is investigating after a person was shot in Terre Haute Sunday night. According to Sgt. Matt Ames, a call of shots fired came in at 9:12 p.m. Police responded to 2815 East Harlan Drive. Police cleared the home and found one person had been shot. Investigators are not releasing any other details at this time. This story will be updated. HILLSDALE, MI Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey was censured by members of his own districts party for an array of actions and inactions by the top Republican in state government. The executive board of the Hillsdale County Republican Party voted 14 to 5 on the censure vote on Thursday, Feb. 4. They said Shirkey, whose district includes Jackson, Hillsdale and Branch counties, wasnt doing enough to push back against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers coronavirus-related measures that shut down businesses and was not doing enough to support conservative values like Second Amendment rights. A censure vote is an expression of formal disapproval in a lawmaker. Its a largely symbolic gesture coming from a county known for its conservatism and nearby Hillsdale College. Shrikeys been a fair-weather RINO and were holding him accountable, Hillsdale County Republican Party Chair Daren Wiseley said. Shirkey was not concerned by the censure from his side of the aisle in his district. In an email, Shirkeys spokeswoman Amber McCann said the censure vote reminds Shirkey of a famous quote : You have enemies? Good. That means youve stood up for something, sometime in your life. Shirkeys office attributed it to Winston Churchill, but theres no evidence the British statesman actually said it. In some charges, Hillsdale Republicans censured Shirkey for his response to aggressive protesters at the Michigan State Capitol last spring. In April 2020, Michiganders protesting Whitmers request to extend the states emergency declaration entered the Capitol, attempting to view the House session that would vote to approve it. Many protesters were open-carrying firearms and yelled at Michigan State Police guarding the chambers, to the distress of some lawmakers. Shirkey denounced their tactics, calling it intimidation and said they did not represent Senate Republicans. At best, those so-called protestors are a bunch of jackasses, he said in a statement at the time. My statement on so-called protestors who used intimidation and the threat of physical harm to stir up fear and feed rancor. I condemn their behavior and tactics. They do not represent the Senate Republicans. At best, those so-called protestors are a bunch of jackasses. pic.twitter.com/641jOzXRDi Sen. Mike Shirkey (@SenMikeShirkey) May 1, 2020 The Capitol Commission eventually banned the open carry of firearms in the building in January a move Shirkey supported. He did not support a ban of concealed carry. Related: Open carry of firearms banned inside Michigan Capitol Hillsdale Republicans took issue with this. Shirkey is not paying attention to the Republican values he was elected on, Hillsdale County Republican Party Secretary Jon Smith said. A lot of cronyism takes place and its really hard on the Republican name, Smith said. Hillsdale County is one of the most conservative counties in the state, and if we dont honor that, then what are we? We have to be the freedom beacon for the rest of the state. " Smith said his local party could set up a recall vote if Shirkey continues to act in a way the local Republicans think is out of party values. Shirkey cannot run for Senate reelection in 2022 because of term limits. Hillsdale Republicans also censured Shirkey for what they believed was Shirkeys open support of the termination of the electoral college, one of the most important checks and balances that projects our Republic from democratic mob rule, politicking for other districts and complete and utter surrender to Whitmer for not putting enough pressure on her executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE JACKSON NEWS: Violators of dine-in ban, mask mandate get food licenses suspended Fire destroys garage, damages Jackson-area house See inside as Army National Guard helps with COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinic in Jackson County garage [February 08, 2021] Canada Invests in Energy Efficiency at Kruger Product's Gatineau Plant OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada remains committed to building a clean energy future to strengthen the post-COVID-19 economy, create jobs and support the natural resource sectors. The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a $15,000 investment in an energy management information system (EMIS) for Kruger Products L.P.'s Gatineau facility that will reduce energy costs and improve energy efficiency as part of the government's efforts to advance a low-carbon energy future. Kruger Products matched the contribution to the project to bring the total investment to $30,000. Kruger Products manufactures some of Canada's most recognized tissue brands. Its ongoing commitment to sustainability has helped the company reduce its energy consumption intensity by 15 percent and its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 28 percent since 2009. Federal funding is provided by the Energy Efficiency forIndustry Program, which offers financial assistance to help fund Canadian industrial facilities' energy management projects. The government continues to support green infrastructure projects that will create good jobs and advance Canada's green future. Increasing the energy efficiency of Canada's industrial sector is a key part of Canada's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Quote "Improvements in energy efficiency will get us a third of the way to our Paris targets. With today's announcement, we're working to lower our emissions and creating good, middle-class jobs." The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr. Canada's Minister of Natural Resources "The Government of Canada is investing in energy management systems to help the pulp and paper industry achieve a low-carbon energy future. This project brings us one step closer to our net-zero emissions goal." The Honourable Greg Fergus Member of Parliament for HullAylmer and Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister of Digital Government "This project supports Kruger Products' ongoing efforts to reduce our energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions by providing greater visibility to our usage through the energy management system. We're pleased to partner with the Government of Canada to implement this important tool to help us continue to improve our environmental impact." Michel Manseau Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Canadian Consumer Business Kruger Products L.P. Associated Links Energy Efficiency for Industry Kruger Products Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New York City is beset by grave threats. Deaths from COVID-19 have been rising for weeks. The pandemic has hobbled the local economy. And following months of political turmoil, its unclear whether the federal government will do enough to help the city recover. Yet there are signs that the city will bounce back as it always does. Vaccination efforts are slowly picking up the pace. Although much more remains to be done, public officials and nonprofit and private-sector leaders have taken concrete steps to confront systemic racism in the wake of last years Black Lives Matter protests. And voters will soon have a chance to elect a new mayor as well as a new comptroller, several new borough presidents and dozens of new City Council members and a robust debate is underway about who is best positioned to lead the city into 2022. Of course, no one person singlehandedly determines the citys trajectory. The New York City Power 100 highlights many of the standout politicians and political players who are stepping up to save their city. 1. Charles Schumer U.S. Senate Majority Leader U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer suddenly has a lot on his plate this year after the Georgia runoffs flipped control of the Senate to Democrats. He already scored $54 billion for the state in Decembers COVID-19 relief package, including $4 billion for the MTA and $15 billion for theaters and music venues. State and local aid could arrive even sooner, and Schumer is already reminding Biden of his commitment to the Gateway Program. 2. Andrew Cuomo Governor Andrew Cuomo - Office of the Governor.jpeg Alt Text: Governor Andrew Cuomo Title Text: Governor Andrew Cuomo Caption: Governor Andrew Cuomo Description: Governor Andrew Cuomo Image Credit: Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Gov. Andrew Cuomo became a star thanks to his nationally televised coronavirus briefings. He took control of the states and New York Citys pandemic response, providing daily updates on positivity rates and hospital capacity that were hailed as a model for transparency. But while Cuomo received an Emmy and a book deal, his lack of transparency regarding nursing home deaths, and a growing number of state health officials heading for the exits, have undercut his reputation as an effective manager during the public health crisis. 3. Bill de Blasio Mayor de blasio-ed reed.jpg Alt Text: Mayor Bill de Blasio Title Text: New York City has a variety of contenders for worst mayor we've ever had. Caption: New York City has a variety of contenders for worst mayor we've ever had. Description: New York City has a variety of contenders for worst mayor we've ever had. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office Mayor Bill de Blasio has struggled through New York Citys most challenging year since 1975, when it staved off bankruptcy. He has been overshadowed by the governor during the coronavirus pandemic, lambasted for siding with police who assaulted protesters at George Floyd demonstrations, and assailed for closing schools before bars and restaurants. And yet while hes arguably a lame duck, his actions impact millions of New Yorkers struggling through the worst public health crisis in generations. 4. Carl Heastie Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie - State Assembly.jpeg Alt Text: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Title Text: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Caption: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Description: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Image Credit: New York State Assembly Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie leads a downstate-dominated conference that has grown even more progressive after several longtime incumbents lost primaries to democratic socialists this summer. Now he appears to be listening to members who have been pushing for tax increases to close the states multibillion-dollar budget gap, calling for raising taxes on the wealthy, an eviction ban and financial relief for New Yorkers suffering through the coronavirus pandemic. 5. Andrea Stewart-Cousins State Senate Majority Leader Republicans thought theyd have some success in legislative races in November, but by the time all the votes were counted, Andrea Stewart-Cousins seized a state Senate supermajority just two years after gaining control of the chamber. She has managed to keep the boisterous caucus in line and now has leverage to push for progressive measures, including a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, recreational marijuana legalization and tax increases on the wealthiest New Yorkers. 6. Letitia James State Attorney General Letitia James - Celeste Sloman.jpg Letitia James Celeste Sloman Some people are eager to forget about the Trump era, but Attorney General Letitia James is engrossed in the presidents affairs as well as those of his family members. New Yorks states top law enforcement officer launched probes into whether the Trump Organization inflated assets to get loans and tax benefits, interviewed Eric Trump in October, and expanded that inquiry to include tax write-offs on consulting fees that Ivanka Trump received. James also lent support to help the Biden administration begin undoing several Trump initiatives. 7. Hakeem Jeffries Chair, House Democratic Caucus HAkeem Jeffries - US House.jpg Alt Text: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries Title Text: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries Caption: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries Description: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries Image Credit: U.S. House of Representatives Rep. Hakeem Jeffries may end up being the next House speaker, but after his Democratic caucus lost several seats, the Brooklyn Congress member is seeking to tamp down intraparty feuds while reining in pro-socialism rhetoric. He has also responded aggressively to COVID-19, which hammered his district, working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to expand testing and with then-Rep. Peter King, a Republican, to secure transit funding through the CARES Act. Hes already advising mayoral candidates and could play kingmaker in a chaotic primary. 8. Scott Stringer New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer - Office of the New York City Comptroller.jpg Alt Text: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Title Text: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Caption: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Description: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Image Credit: Office of the New York City Comptroller New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer has seemingly been running for mayor since 2013, but he risks being overshadowed by new rivals seeking the progressive mantle. Yet Stringer can tout endorsements from a multiracial coalition of young elected officials, Upper West Side stalwarts, and influential unions including the CWA. Hes hired Micah Lasher to run his campaign and Jefrey Pollock to run his polling and wont be shy about criticizing Mayor Bill de Blasio. 9. Eric Adams Brooklyn Borough President Eric-Adams---Sean-Pressley.jpg Alt Text: Eric Adams Title Text: Eric Adams Description: Eric Adams Image Credit: Sean Pressley Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams started running for mayor early, and it seems to have paid off. His campaign has more money than any other rival and an early poll shows him near the front of the pack, reflecting strong name recognition after many years in public office. A former police officer running to the right of term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio, hes courting blue-collar voters and will be formidable if he can keep the gaffes to a minimum. 10. Richard Carranza New York City Schools Chancellor Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza-Ed Reed.jpg Alt Text: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza at De Blasio's media availability on November 18th. Title Text: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza at De Blasio's media availability on November 18th. Caption: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza at De Blasio's media availability on November 18th. Description: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza at De Blasio's media availability on November 18th. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office The second-hardest job in the city may well be schools chancellor. Richard Carranza had to make agonizing decisions on school closures and reopenings while implementing plans on the fly to teach students remotely. Principals and teachers revolted over slapdash school reopenings this fall, while parents assailed the abrupt closure of schools in November before the mayor eventually reopened elementary schools. Carranza is also in a contentious fight over the future of the citys gifted and talented programs. Rhonda Vincent, often referred to as the Queen of Bluegrass, was formally inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night -- finally. Why finally? Because the invitation was delivered to her in February of 2020 by Opry member Jeannie Seely, with an original induction date scheduled for March 24, 2020. You dont have to be a bluegrass or country music fan to realized what happened to her anticipated celebration. The coronavirus pandemic arrived, and anything and everything seemed to be canceled. Now that the Grand Ole Opry has welcomed back audiences to Friday and Saturday night shows, her official induction was finally able to take place. Its been 343 days, seven hours, three minutes, and five seconds, Vincent said on Saturday, laughing as she shared how long it had been since the Opry invitation came last year. As she was formally inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Opry member Dierks Bentley, she said, This is a night I will never forget and will cherish the rest of my life. I am proof that dreams really do come true, according to a 2911 Media press release. Bentley said, Ill never forget the night that our mutual friend Marty Stuart made me an official member of the Opry and Im so pleased to get to do the same for you tonight. Rhonda, you are now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry! I know you will carry the Opry banner proudly wherever you go. Its great to have the supremely talented and very patient Rhonda Vincent as an official Opry member, said Dan Rogers, vice president and executive producer, Grand Ole Opry. She brings with her countless fans, industry respect, and heartfelt passion for keeping the Opry vibrant and entertaining for generations to come. We look forward to Rhonda spending the rest of her career with us as part of the Opry family. Vincent then performed a few numbers, including Merle Haggards Momma Tried with Bentley. Additional performers that night included Opry members Riders In The Sky, Jeannie Seely and Mark Wills, as well as special guests Don Schlitz and Parker McCollum, who made his Grand Ole Opry debut. Vincent is well known in the central Pennsylvania area. Vincent and her band The Rage have performed at the iconic Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival approximately 40 times according to Rich Winkelmann, festival co-host and co-owner of Granite Hill Camping Resort, the site of the festival. The festival is an internationally-acclaimed music festival held over a span of four days every May and August at Granite Hill since 1979. (Although both 2020 festivals were canceled.) Opry presents the country music live every week from Nashville, and can be heard on the Oprys website and the WSM 650 radio station website. Read more: On January 28th Patently Apple posted a report wherein we noted that Facebook's CEO lashed out at Apple during their Quarterly Earnings call by accusing Apple of squashing competition under the guise of privacy protection. Today, the EU's antitrust chief applauded Apple's move to protect privacy which marks Facebook's position on the matter as being the wrong side of the issue. Today the European antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager told Reuters that Apple's new privacy feature is similar to one that her office unveiled last year to curb the powers of U.S. tech giants and allow consumers to have more control of their personal data. Furthermore, "It is a very good thing to have a clear opt-out option. If you look at the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, these are some of the solutions we are looking at there." However, Vestager also warned Apple that it must give equal treatment to all apps on its platform amid the iPhone makers privacy changes that have drawn charges of anti-competitive practices from rival Facebook Inc. Vestager said while the issue is privacy-related, it can morph into an antitrust issue if Apple tilts the level playing field. It can be competition if it is shown that Apple is not treating its own apps in the same way, she told Reuters in an interview on Monday. Vestager said so far she has not received any complaint about Apples changes. For more, read the full Reuters report. In a second Patently Apple report posted on January 28th we presented a video speech given by Apple's CEO at the CPDP21 Conference on the issue of privacy. If you happened to have missed it, you could review the full video below. New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Rajya Sabha will start discussion on the General Budget on Tuesday as the motion of thanks on the President's Address was passed on Monday as well as the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Act. Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will lay on the table, a statement explaining the circumstances which had necessitated immediate legislation through the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 and will move for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011. As per the official business list, the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 be moved for passing by Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. It has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. ADVERTISEMENT About 10 persons were feared dead on Monday in a road accident along Okigwe-Afikpo Highway, Ebonyi State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted a witness, Jeremiah Aja, as saying that a bus belonging to Abia Line Network travelling from Umuahia to Afikpo was involved in the accident. Mr Aja, who said he witnessed the accident while working on his farm, said the bus was trying to pull through a bend when it veered off the road and somersaulted multiple times before it caught fire. The witness said he counted 10 bodies that were burnt beyond recognition. Chief Onyebuchi Ogbadu, the Ivo Local Government Area chairman, brought water tankers and put out the fire. Also, the police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) teams quickly moved the two persons alive to a nearby hospital where they are now receiving medical treatment, he said. The police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the accident but said she was yet to be briefed on the cause of the accident and the number of casualties. We have received information about the fatal accident which happened today along the Ishiagu axis of Okigwe-Afikpo highway, the divisional police officer is at the scene of the crash. He will give us a clear picture of the incident, the spokesperson said. (NAN) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations. There is no evidence that the virus originated there but hypothetically, there are all conditions for the spread of the virus there, Vladimir Dedkov, a member of the World Health Organisations (WHO) expert team, was quoted as saying by Sputnik. The seafood market was linked to an early cluster of COVID-19 cases, but scientists are yet to come to an unequivocal conclusion regarding the role it played in the contagion. Dedkov also refuted the theory of a virus leakage while visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology along with nine other WHO experts on Wednesday. Of course, it was important for our mission to visit this facility, talk to our colleagues and see how everything is organised there, the expert said. The laboratory is perfectly equipped. It is hard for me to imagine that something could have leaked from there, he added. Source: Vanguard 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 KANAZAWA, Japan, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a study published in Nature Communications, cancer researchers at Kanazawa University identify mechanisms by which malignant tumor cells extend their toxicity to distinct cell types and in turn help them spread. Most tumors consist of a heterogenous mix of cells. Genetic mutations found only in some of these cells are known to aid with the spread and progression of cancer. However, oncologists often find that when tumors metastasize to distant organs, they retain this heterogenous naturea phenomenon termed "polyclonal metastasis". The mechanism by which non-metastatic cells accompany the metastatic cells is ambiguous. Now, Masanobu Oshima and his research team have used mouse models to explain how non-metastatic cells begin their long commute. The team has previously developed various cancerous mutants of mice and analyzed them closely to reveal which cancer cells inherently spread and which do not. It was found that cells with four mutations, colloquially termed AKTP, were the most fatal. When these cells were transplanted into the spleens of mice, they migrated to and formed colonies in the livers within 3 days. In contrast, cells with two mutations, AK and AP, could not traverse this distance. To replicate polyclonal metastasis, AP cells were then co-transplanted with AKTP cells, and voila, both cell types indeed moved into the livers. Instead, when AP cells were injected into the blood (without prior exposure to the AKTP cells) they could not metastasize. Certain processes seemed to be at play when the cells were incubated together. Next, AKTP cells within the liver tumors were killed to see how closely that affected the AP cells. The AP cells continued thriving and grew into larger tumors suggesting they did not need the AKTP cells anymore. Thus, at some point in the journey from the spleen to the liver the AP cells turned dangerous. To identify this point, the researchers traced back the chain of events. Within a day after transplantation, AKTP clusters were found in the sinusoid vessel, a major blood vessel supplying the liver. By 14 days, this cluster transformed into a mass termed as a "fibrotic niche". The same mass was observed with a mix of AP and AKTP cells, but not with AP cells alone. What's more, within this mass AKTP cells were activating hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs are responsible for scarring of liver tissue. Activated HSCs then set up the perfect environment for AP cells to proliferate infinitely. Harboring the AP cells within the fibrotic environment was, therefore, a key step. "These results indicate that non-metastatic cells can metastasize via the polyclonal metastasis mechanism using the fibrotic niche induced by malignant cells," conclude the researchers. Targeting this fibrotic niche might be a promising strategy to keep the spread of solid tumors in check. Related images https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/fig1_en.jpg Fig. 1. Mouse intestinal tumor-derived organoid cells. A~AP are non-metastatic cells, while AKTP cells develop liver metastasis when transplanted to spleen. https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/fig2_en.jpg Fig. 2. Organoid transplantation experiments. (a) Fluorescence-labeled organoids (top), and liver tissues (macro images) of organoid-transplanted mice under fluorescent microscope (bottom). (b) Liver tissues (macro images) of chimeric organoid-transplanted mice under fluorescent microscope (top), and fluorescent immunohistochemistry of metastatic lesions. Note that AT and AP cells metastasized with AKTP cells as clusters. https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/fig3_en.png Fig. 3. Transplantation schedule to mice (left), and fibrotic niche generation at metastatic site consisting of AKTP cells in the liver (collagen staining, right). https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/fig4_en.jpg Fig. 4 Schematic drawing of polyclonal metastasis. Metastatic cells generate metastatic niche by activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Non-metastatic cells can survive and proliferate with the presence of such metastatic niche, resulting in polyclonal metastasis development. Background Polyclonal metastasis: Solid tumors such as breast and colorectal cancer are famous for spreading notoriously. These tumor cells break off from the point of origin and migrate via the bloodstream into distant organs to set up shop. It is often found that such metastatic tumors are genetically diverse in nature. However, the role of cancer mutations in conferring tumors metastatic is still unclear. Older theories have suggested that genetic alterations are the sole key to turning cells metastatic. However, the study depicted here shows that other mechanisms are also at play. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the fibrotic niche: HSCs are specialized cells of the liver responsible for scarring and wound healing mechanisms when activated. Upon activation, (after events such as liver damage) HSCs start proliferating and induce fibrotic tissue within the liver. Thus, their activation by AKTP cells resulted in development of the fibrotic niche, an environment particularly favorable for tumor proliferation. Reference Sau Yee Kok, Hiroko Oshima, Kei Takahashi, Mizuho Nakayama, Kazuhiro Murakami, Hiroki, R. Ueda, Kohei Miyazono, Masanobu Oshima. Malignant subclone drives metastasis of genetically and phenotypically heterogenous cell clusters through fibrotic niche generation. Nature Communications, 12, 863 (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21160-0 URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21160-0 Further information About WPI nanoLSI Kanazawa University Hiroe Yoneda Vice Director of Public Affairs WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Tel: +81 (76) 234-4550 About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/ Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases. About Kanazawa University http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/ As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities. The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas. SOURCE Kanazawa University New Delhi, Feb 8 : Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, "They (Centre) are complicating the matter, when did we say that the MSP system is ending, we only want a law on it." It has been over two months since the farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre. Modi has appealed to the farmers to end the agitation. The Prime Minister told the Rajya Sabha that the MSP is not going to end and there is an emphasis to modernise the mandi system. Speaking on the farmers' agitation, Modi said many things were discussed about the farmers' movement, but everyone is silent on the main issue of it. The PM said, "I assure the Upper House that the mandis would be modernised. The MSP was, is and will always be in place. More than 80 crore people will continue to get ration at cheap rates. Our Union Agriculture Minister (Narendra Singh Tomar) has discussed it very well." Responding to PM Modi's statement, Tikait said, "We never said that the MSP is going to end rather we want a law on it. The law on MSP will only benefit the farmers. Due to the lack of law on MSP, the traders purchase the produce at half the rate." The BKU spokesperson said, "Initially, the protest was tagged as a protest of Punjab then it was tagged as Jat and Sikh protest. This is a farmers' protest and all the farmers of the country are united and same. None of them are big or small." "The price of produce can't be fixed as per the demand. We won't let people trade on the interests of the farmers," he added. On Modi's appeal to end the agitation, Tikait said, "If the government wants to hold a discussion, we are ready for it. The government will have to talk to our committee." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 00:05:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAY PYI TAW, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people held peaceful protests in Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon on Sunday, demanding the release of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, among others. Police with riot shields blocked main roads leading to the city center in Yangon, according to witnesses. All telecom operators have resumed their internet services on Sunday afternoon after a day-long blackout. Myanmar declared a one-year state of emergency after President U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on Feb. 1. The military said there was massive voting fraud in the parliamentary elections in November 2020, and demanded a postponement of the new parliamentary session. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Advertisement New Yorkers are bracing for two more snow storms this week as a polar vortex hits the entire US with freezing temperatures on Monday. Forecasters are warning that the first storm this week is expected to bring snow from parts of Nebraska to Maine. It will hit the Big Apple Tuesday morning, but may be more of a dusting. 'Accumulating snow is expected on Tuesday. The snow should be lighter than what we have seen recently, but still impact the morning commute,' New York's National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted Monday morning. 'Hazardous travel is possible especially across the Lower Hudson Valley and S Connecticut. Light snow may mix with rain near the coast,' the NWS added. New Yorkers are bracing for two more snow storms this week as a polar vortex hits the entire US with freezing temperatures on Monday. Pictured, people enjoy a snowy day by making snow sculptures and going sledding in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., February 7 The extreme weather comes just a week after Winter Storm Orlena battered the region, dropping more than 17 inches of snow in New York and 30 inches in parts of New Jersey While the area was still trying to dig out from under that snow, Winter Storm Quade hit New York and other parts of the Northeast on Sunday, dropping an extra 8 inches of snow on the snowpacked area. A family leaves a storm on Sunday amid Winter Storm Quade New Yorkers are bracing for two more snow storms this week as a polar vortex hits the entire US with freezing temperatures on Monday Forecasters are warning that the first storm this week is expected to bring snow from parts of Nebraska to Maine. It will hit the Big Apple Tuesday morning, but it's only expected to bring a dusting. New York is expected to get two to three inches on Tuesday The first snow storm this week will come from the Midwest before heading to the Northeast on Tuesday morning The second snowstorm is expected to hit parts of the Northeast early Thursday morning New York City could see up to an inch fall while areas north of the city could up to three inches. The snowfall will begin during the morning commute through the afternoon, according to Accuweather. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyson Hoegg said that the storm 'appears to be a quick-mover, which overall is likely to limit how much fresh snow can accumulate'. Hoegg warned that just a few inches could cause slippery conditions on roads and sidewalks and that residents in these areas should take precautions while traveling. Meanwhile, residents of cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Des Moines, woke up to temperatures around 0 degrees Monday morning The NWS said in an advisory that 'residents across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest will start off the work week with continued below average temperatures and brutal wind chills' The Polar Vortex Explained The stratospheric polar vortex is located in the layer that is 5-30 miles above Earth's surface and only appears in winter. Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) are occasions in the winter (~6 times per decade), when the polar stratosphere warms and the winds that normally flow from west to east around the North Pole weaken dramatically and even reverse direction, corresponding to a breakdown of the polar vortex. These SSWs can eventually cause the tropospheric jet stream to weaken, which allows cold air bottled up near the polar cap to escape and expand into the middle latitudes, such as the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. This cold air has now escaped and is set to hit the US on Monday. Source: Climate.gov Advertisement She also cautioned that the storm could strengthen as it moves to the Northeast, which would allow for higher snowfall totals in places like upstate New York and Massachusetts. The second storm could be slightly bigger, bringing an additional 2 to 4 inches of snow to New York City on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 'higher amounts up to 6 inches' are possible in other parts of the Northeast. Meanwhile, residents of cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Des Moines, woke up to temperatures around 0 degrees Monday morning. The NWS said in an advisory that 'residents across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest will start off the work week with continued below average temperatures and brutal wind chills'. 'Wind chill values well below zero and as low as -50 degrees could be experienced at times across this region.' The severe cold snap was caused by a polar vortex pushing arctic winds down into the US, where all 50 states - even Hawaii - are expected to experience below freezing temperatures. More than 212 million Americans will affected by the bitterly cold conditions. The NWS has warned that the flash freeze will 'quickly turn any wet or slushy roads to ice,' and create dangerous driving conditions. The extreme weather comes just a week after Winter Storm Orlena battered the region, dropping more than 17 inches of snow in New York and 30 inches in parts of New Jersey. The storm dumped a whopping 35 inches of snow in Mt Arlington, New Jersey - the most seen there since 1899. Orlena forced the temporary closure of schools, businesses and COVID-19 vaccination centers in the early part of last week. While the area was still trying to dig out from under that snow, Winter Storm Quade hit New York on Sunday, dropping an extra 8 inches of snow on the snowpacked area. Khartoum Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman and army commander, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, issued a constitutional decree yesterday to add three new members to the council, and Sudanese feminist groups handed a list of nominations for the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) to the government. The three new members of the council appointed by El Burhan are: SRF chairman and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) El Hadi Idris Yahya; leader of Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Malik Agar; and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice-Karbino (SLMJ-K) El Tahir Abubakr Hajar. The decision follows the provisions of the 2019 constitutional decrees (38) and (39) and is based on article 2/11 of the constitutional document for the transitional period of 2019, amended in 2020. The list handed over by feminist groups is considered the first step to pressure the transitional government's partners to commit to the 40% participation of women at all levels of governmental structure. The campaigners handed in nominations for the Legislative Council and the Council of Ministers on January 30. The Women's Union of South Darfur, in cooperation with the Sudanese campaign group Our Right, announced an open charter called The Charter of the Common Platform to Raise Awareness of Participation and Women's Issues. The Open Charter, signed by a number of entities and individuals, provides for the representation of women in public forums, education of women as political leaders, and the dissemination and awareness-raising of international conventions and conventions calling for human rights, protection, and the promotion of equality. PHILADELPHIA Due to many financial challenges and how communication among parishioners, clergy and others is provided, the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is making changes, including the publishing of The Way. The archeparchy, led by Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak, made the announcement Jan. 30. Gudziak is spiritual shepherd of all Ukrainian Catholics in the United States and the seventh metropolitan-archbishop for the archeparchy, which includes Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington, D.C. He was installed as archbishop on June 4, 2019, at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia. The Way has been a part of the life of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia since 1939, the announcement reads. Originally published as a weekly newspaper, The Way has evolved over the years, moving from typeset layouts, physical printing and direct mailing to an online newsletter distributed via email and posted on the archeparchial website. The announcement explains that in recent years, many Roman Catholic dioceses and several Eastern Catholic eparchies have transformed their communications and media strategy to adapt to the digital age in which society now lives. The goal remains to provide access to church news and information in ways that best reach the faithful. This requires us to continuously reassess our use of printed, audio, video, and social media formats, adapting and changing accordingly. Significant financial challenges that the archeparchy faces have forced us to reevaluate all existing communications expenditures, processes, and operations, the announcement reads. Surveys conducted as part of that reevaluation have indicated that a vast majority of Ukrainian Catholics within the archeparchy do not access or utilize The Way in its present format and dissemination approach. Thus, a difficult and painful decision has been thrust upon us, and one that has not been taken lightly. And that decision is that as of the beginning of February, The Way will suspend publication as a biweekly edition. The release acknowledges those who contributed to publication of The Way, particularly Teresa Siwak, who has served as editor; volunteers, such as Father George Worschak; and many clergy, religious and laity. The Way has also continued the cultural aspects of the Ukrainian-Americans by publishing two editions one in English and one in Ukrainian using the Cyrillic language. The Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy, auxiliary bishop, said other decisions will need to be made. At this point we do not have a person appointed as director of communications and it will be a while before one is appointed, Rabiy said. News will be shared by email who subscribed to The Way and posts on Facebook. This is how it is at this point. The communications director position is vacant due to the unexpected death of the Very Rev. Archpriest John M. Fields on Nov. 27, 2020. Before serving as communications director, he also served as pastor of his home parish, St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville, and neighboring St. John the Baptist parish in Maizeville, plus as protopresbyter (dean) of the South Anthracite Deanery. As our communication strategy evolves, we will be assessing and evaluating the best approach to effectively communicate with our faithful, using the methods and technologies available to us, learning from the best practices of others who may be one step ahead of us, the release continued. In the interim, news will continue to be shared through the archeparchys social media channels and other electronic means, and we ask that our pastors keep our faithful informed of current church news and events to the best of their ability. We acknowledge and recognize that some of our faithful are without computers and connection to the Internet. We must not forget them with our communications. As part of A Summary Report on the State of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia dated Jan. 30, 2021, the following was included: In this rapidly changing world, the Church must be prepared to meet the challenges of our age, not adapting or surrendering to the world but, as the People of God, bearing faithful witness to the message of the Gospel and the authentic teaching of the Church. This is our common calling bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful, men and women, young and old. The task at hand requires true cleansing and conversion of all Gods children. Our guiding principles should be: the spirit of the Kingdom of God that is in our midst, a unity of heart and mind, special attention for our children, youth and their parents, deep spiritual reflection and discernment, Christian charity, especially for the marginalized among us, an authentic search for truth, and an appreciation of beauty as a reflection of the awesome, good and loving God. The deanery includes 12 churches located in the counties of Schuylkill (Frackville, Maizeville, McAdoo, Middleport, Minersville, Saint Clair and Shenandoah); Luzerne (Hazleton); Northumberland (Marion Heights, Mount Carmel and Shamokin); and Columbia (Centralia). A round-up of some of the big share price moves in London on Monday Yourgene Health PLC ( ), the diagnotics group, has sent its shares 8% to 12.05p lower in afternoon trading, with the warning that while trading in the second half was better than the first, full-year sales will be below market estimates. The company said it made around 4mln from coronavirus testing, including through the UK's Fit to Fly and Test to Release schemes, but this was crimped by restrictions on domestic and international travel. Along with its network of partners, the company said it was "primed" for the reopening of the UK economy and international travel markets, with an expanded testing capacity in Manchester facility that is currently only operating at around 25%, around half the volume seen in December, with testing partners experiencing similar volume reductions. ( ) was another faller, down 10% to 57.4p, after revealing that annual sales and profits fell more sharply than expected as coronavirus affected costs and its contract income business. Five significant land sales, which were at an advanced stage of documentation with solicitors, were also aborted due to the disruption from the virus, the southern England housebuilder said. Inland also said that chairman Terry Roydon will step down after fourteen years on the board. Falling even further was BSD Crown Ltd (LON:BSD), the Israeli food importer, after its controlling shareholders offered to buy up the remaining shares in the company at 30p apiece. The trouble is, the shares were trading at 44.6p at the close on Friday. Having obtained professional economic advice the companys audit committee has approved the proposed purchase price, subject to reaching a definitive agreement between the parties. Investors did not approve, with the shares dragging their heels down 18% to 34p. Noon: French Connection keeps rising as Mike Ashley's Frasers sells stake PLC ( ) shares have risen again after Mike Ashleys ( ) sold its 24.93% stake. French Connection on Friday revealed it had been approached with possible offers by two separate parties. Ashley, who has a history of taking strategic stakes in fellow retail companies, first built up a stake in 2017 with the shares trading above 30p, and with the price having recovered from last years lows below 4p on the bid news, he has clearly taken the opportunity to cut his losses. 10.29am: Abingdon Health tumbles after newspaper splashes government contract failings ( ) shares have tumbled 16% to 88p after a Daily Mail article highlighted how the government ignored legal advice to give failing company a huge Covid test contract leaving taxpayers with 87mln bill when tests didn't work. The maker of rapid antibody tests, which floated on AIM in December, put out a statement referring to its previous statements, having said last month that it had received an order for 1mln tests out of an initial framework agreement for 10mln coronavirus tests, which had been delivered on January 8. It said that, as noted previously, this contract will expire on February 14 and confirmed that no further orders beyond the initial 1mln tests were expected to be placed under that government contract after it had failed to gain approval from the medicines regulator for home use of those tests. Judicial review proceedings have been independently brought against the government over the contract award. READ: flies higher after being targeted by private equity group Group PLC ( ) shares shot 28% higher to 295p in early trading on Monday after the debt purchasing group was targeted by an all-cash bid from private equity firm TDR Capital. TDR, which is also part of the consortium that has just taken over Asda, said that after three approaches had been rejected it has made a fourth approach to Arrow regarding a possible offer priced at 305p per share. Intriguingly, while Arrow has not yet commented on the bid, founder Zachary Lewy, who is also the groups chief Investment officer, has confirmed in a binding letter his support for the proposal, though he holds only 0.3% of the shares. Meanwhile, ( ) was also on the rise again after it confirmed that it is working on significantly scaling up production of its lateral flow tests at its facility in Alva, Scotland. The AIM-listed company said it will notify investors when it wins any contracts or supply agreements to utilise this extra capacity. Shares in Omega, which hit an all-time high last autumn before halving later in the year when encouraging vaccine news emerged, added 22% to their recent gains at 85p this morning. Proactive news headlines: ( ) told investors that the WR-38Z and WR-16aZ wells at the West Rustavi field have been brought back online safely, with oil and gas now flowing into the fields Early Production Facility (EPF). ( ) clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck KGaA, and Inc. As part of the tie-up, 4D pharma will start a clinical trial this year BAVENCIO, a drug for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma developed by Merck and , in combination with 4Ds MRx0518. PLC ( ) is to increase the production capacity of the first module at its Vatomina graphite project in Madagascar to 9,000 tonnes per year. The upgrade comes in the wake of increased demand for Tirupatis high-quality flake graphite. It will also result in an increase to near-term cash flows from operations. ( ) ( ) said its liquid biopsy was integral to a study assessing the progression non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer and understanding why the disease may become resistant to a particular line of treatment. ( ) has confirmed expectations from a November update that its earnings will more than double in 2020. In a brief trading update for the year to December 31, the conference call and remote meeting technology specialist said earnings (EBITDA) are expected to be around 15.3mln, up from 6.4mln in 2019, while revenues are forecast to rise to around 50.2mln from 42.5mln. Learning Technologies Group PLC ( ) said it has acquired PDT Global, a UK-based provider online of diversity & inclusion (D&I) training solutions, for an initial cash sum of 13.2mln. Pan African Resources ( ) has advised shareholders of that it expects headline earnings per share to be between US$0.0205 and US$0.0217 when it reports its interim results for the period to end December on 16 February 2021. The increases earnings and headline earnings that the company is expecting to report come as a result of a boost to gold revenues to US$183.8mln, up from US$132mln in 2019. The average gold price received increased by 27.4% to US$1,865 per ounce, as the company sold more gold overall. Seeing Machines Limited ( ) said its driver monitoring system (DMS) software, a key enabler to the General Motors Super Cruise driver assistance feature, is now available in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. ( ) has released drill results from definition and step-out drilling at the Minto mine conducted during 2019 and 2020. Drilling was conducted on the Minto North II, Copper Keel South, Copper Keel West, and Copper Keel North areas. Highlights included 38.9 metres grading 1.66% copper and 0.51grams per tonne gold, 15.75 metres grading 1.44% copper and 0.35 grams per tonne, and 21.6 metres grading 1.16% copper and 0.64 grams. ( ) has appointed Dr Michael Rendall as its new chief engineer and product officer starting next month. Rendall was previously head of engineering and industrialisation for the consumer electronics product group Dyson, where he led its battery and energy storage programmes. Prior to that Rendall had worked on prototypes for the conversion of ammonia into electricity, a technology being developed by AFC, when he worked at Diverse Energy which was a pioneer in the use of fuel cells as a self-contained power source. ( ) ( ) said a softer market for coal has resulted in a lower portfolio contribution, although the drop is also set against the context of a record year in 2019. The 2020 portfolio contribution rebounded strongly in the final quarter as commodity markets started to recover, particularly iron ore and copper which rallied during the second half of 2020 and coking coal prices which continue to recover in 2021, currently trading at around US$156 per tonne. s ( ) partner in the Algoa-Gamtoos license, offshore South Africa, has provided a new prospective resource estimate which details the potential for some 5.27bn barrels of oil to be present. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the new estimates are triggered by the reprocessing of 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic data which improved the image quality, improved confidence, and identified new targets. Altogether, the new estimates have increased prospective resources by 54%. ( ), the commercial passenger aircraft leasing company said it has entered into a new lease for an ATR72-600 for delivery from the factory in Toulouse. Delivery to an existing Asian client airline is expected to occur on or around the 10 March 2021. he lease is for eight years and is at current market rates. The aircraft was previously purchased into inventory in December 2019. In a statement, Jeff Chatfield, executive chairman of Avation, said: "We anticipate that on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that regional travel will improve extremely rapidly, and that ATR aircraft represents the ideal solution for short duration sub 100 seat routes". (LON:AUZ) the AIM-listed exploration and development company operating in Europe, has announced the publication of its circular to shareholders concerning the proposed reduction of share capital via cancellation of the company's share premium account, the cancellation of the deferred shares and the authority for the company to buy back shares. Dr Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented: "This timely circular is being distributed in advance of the completion of our new Joint Venture with Ozaltin and Proccea. The proposed General Meeting concerns a capital reorganisation which will enable the Company to pay a special dividend. Since receiving shareholder ratification of the joint venture agreements signed at the end of last year and the approval received from the Competition Authority in Turkey last month, we are expecting to conclude all remaining formal corporate procedures in the near future. We are continuing to advance rapidly on all fronts and we look forward to keeping the market updated on our progress." ( ), the precious and base metals exploration and development company, announced that its new chief executive officer, Shaun Day, has commenced his role at the company. As announced on December 15, 2020, Day succeeds Gervaise Heddle, who will remain on the board and part of the Greatland executive team until March 12, 2021, to ensure a smooth transition. In a statement, Day commented: "I join Greatland at a very exciting time for the business and with a strong platform in place to drive further growth. Greatland will continue to progress its core strategy - advancing Havieron while pursuing value from our other exploration targets with tier-one potential. Beyond this, I intend to apply my experience from growing major mining companies to oversee the development of Havieron and to scale-up the wider business. ( ) has highlighted a strong performance for 2020 despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a trading update for the year to December 31, the regenerative medical devices specialist said revenues for the year will be 12.8mln, in line with the prior-year figure of 13mln despite the impact of the pandemic, adding that it also ended the period with a strong cash position of 9.5mln following a fundraising in June. ( ) told investors that the Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but commercial volumes were not discovered. ( ) (CSE:XOP), an international oil and gas exploration and development company announced that it has repaid in cash the balance of the loan from Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC and YA II PN, Ltd announced on June 15, 2020. The remaining balance of 400,000 was repaid in cash on February 5, 2020 without penalty. As such, the company has met all of the terms and conditions of the lenders under the loan agreement. In a statement, Arthur Millholland, COPLs president and CEO, commented: "We would like to thank Riverfort and Yorkville for providing the loan in June of last year which was strategic to the restructuring of the Company. It has allowed us to proceed to where we are today nearing the completion of the Atomic acquisition." . ( ) ( ) has announced that, further to its announcement on December 21, 2020, it has issued 325,000 shares in the company to Bacchus Capital Advisors Limited in connection with the financial advisory services provided for the period from December 18, 2020 to January 31, 2021. The shares were issued at a deemed price of C$0.27 per share. Mkango said it will issue a further 625,000 shares on December 18, 2021, should its engagement continue with Bacchus continue until such date. The company added that it continues to work closely with Bacchus, whose mandate encompasses mergers and acquisitions, takeover defence, strategic and other financial advice. CentralNic Group PLC ( ), the global internet platform that derives revenue from the subscription sales of domain names and web services, has announced that its bondholder meeting held on January 29, 2021, approved the amendment to the bond terms disclosed in its announcement of January 15, 2021. As a result, Pareto Securities has been mandated to arrange a series of fixed income institutional investor meetings starting the week commencing Monday February 8, 2021, to issue a tranche of bonds with a volume of approximately 15mln euros (US$8mln). The group said any debt raised will be used for consideration for the acquisition of near-term identified targets. PLC ( ), the AIM-listed metals exploration and development company said on Friday that it has received notices to exercise warrants over 8,860,758 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each. It said 3,597,600 warrants are being exercised at a price of 1.0p per ordinary share and 5,263,158 warrants at an exercise price of 0.75p per ordinary share. Subscription monies of 75,450 have been received by Power Metal in respect of these exercises. ( ) , the AIM-quoted exploration company focussed on West Africa said that following an exercise of warrants and options over ordinary shares in the company it is issuing 19,188,315 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the company, The group noted that 19,138,315 warrants were exercised at 0.68p each and 50,000 options at 0.37p each. ( ), a minerals exploration and development company, has announced that it will be attending the Mexico Mining Forum from February 10-11, 2021. The digital forum will include a program of networking and informational events that will allow Alien to engage with a vital audience in one if its main countries of operation. Alien currently holds the Donovan 2 copper and gold project and the San Celso and Los Campos silver projects in Zacatecas state, Mexico. The forum typically takes place in Mexico City but will be entirely online for this year's edition, with thousands of e-business meetings that will bring together industry experts in an effective and targeted networking platform. Bill Brodie Good, CEO & Technical Director of Alien Metals, commented: "Alien's attendance at the Mexico Mining Forum will be an excellent opportunity for us to directly engage with key stakeholders and investors in the country. We are very excited to be involved and look forward to meeting other attendees from the mining community to both showcase our exciting projects and also to discuss potential further opportunities for Alien in line with our strategy." Details of the conference can be found at: https://mexicobusinessevents.com/mining/2021 Redx Pharma PLC (LON:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on oncology and fibrosis, announced on Friday that its annual general meeting will be held at 11.00am on March 2, 2021, at Block 33, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TG. In light of the Stay-at-Home Measures which prohibit all non-essential travel and larger public gatherings and to ensure the safety of the limited number of people whose attendance at the meeting is essential, shareholders will not be allowed into the AGM. Accordingly, shareholders may submit questions related to the business of the AGM to the directors in advance of the meeting. by 5.30pm on February 25, 2021, to Andrew Booth, Redxs company secretary, by email at a.booth@redxpharma.com. Following the AGM, the group said its board will respond to any questions submitted by shareholders in advance of the meeting and the answers will be posted on the investor FAQs section of the company website. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote by proxy, appointing the chairman of the meeting, using the card distributed with the notice of meeting, to ensure their vote counts. The proxy is also available in the investor resources section of the company's website: www.redxpharma.com [February 08, 2021] Universal Broadband Fund-supported projects will bring high-speed Internet to southwestern Ontario Rural Ontarians to benefit from increased connectivity OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we rely on our connections. Now more than ever, Canadians across the country need access to reliable high-speed Internet as many of us are working, learning, and staying in touch with friends and family from home. Right now, too many Canadians living in rural and remote communities lack access to high-speed Internet. Through the Universal Broadband Fund's (UBF) Rapid Response Stream, the Government of Canada is taking immediate action to get Canadians connected to the high-speed Internet they need. Today, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced nearly $2.2 million in funding for Niagara Regional Broadband Network and Mornington Communications Co-operative Limited to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of southwestern Ontario. Three projects will connect 310 underserved households to high-speed Internet in the regions of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Rothsay, Drayton and St. Catharines. The $1.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund was launched on November 9, 2020. The projects being announced today were approved within two months of the formal launch of the program. Projects funded under the UBF, as well as through other public and private investments, will help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030. To facilitate applications for projects like these ones, the UBF provides a pathfinder service for applicants, particularly for those who need more support to build partnerships, find potential sources of funding and navigate the application process. Today's announcement builds on the progress the Government of Canada has already made to support Canadians living in rural, remote and northern communities in Ontario. Since 2015, the fedral government has invested more than $1.4 billion in infrastructure projects in small and rural Ontario communities. These investments mean 480 km of new or upgraded roads that are making our communities safer; more than 847 projects that are providing residents with cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water; and more than 3,303 additional housing units in rural communities, helping ensure all Ontarians have a safe place to call home. Quotes "High-speed Internet service is essential to the success of everyone living and working in rural Ontario. Today's investment will bring reliable, high-speed Internet access to 310 households in the Niagara Region, helping create jobs, improving access to health care and online learning services, and keeping people connected to their loved ones. Our government has committed over $205 million to 17 connectivity projects in Ontario, which will connect 19,657 more households to better, faster Internet. We will continue to make investments like these to help connect every Canadian to the high-speed Internet they need." The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development "NRBN is thrilled to be working with the Government of Canada to continue expanding our fibre-optic network throughout Niagara. These investments will help provide access to reliable high-speed Internet at a time when connectivity is essential to good quality of life. NRBN, being municipally owned and community focused, is proud to continue achieving our goal of helping more Canadians in Niagara get connected." Geoff Heinen, President, Niagara Regional Broadband Network "Mornington is thrilled to work in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to bring true high-speed Internet services to this community. One of Mornington's core principles is to connect the underserved, which aligns perfectly with the UBF Rapid Response Stream. Once this project is complete, working from home will become practical and smart agriculture will become more efficient. We're eager to break ground and start construction!" Kenneth Naylor, General Manager, Mornington Communications Co-operative Limited Quick facts Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload. Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload. Applications to the Universal Broadband Fund are being accepted until 3:00 p.m. (ET) on February 15, 2021 . on . The UBF is part of a suite of federal investments to improve high-speed Internet. The suite includes the Connect to Innovate program, which is expected to connect nearly 400,000 households by 2023, and the recently announced $2-billion broadband initiative from the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Associated links Stay connected Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Batavia, NY (14020) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Lady Mary Peters has spoken of her relief at getting the Covid vaccination, and encouraged others to do so. The 81-year-old received the vaccine from GP Dr Andrew Dick from The Hill Medical Group Practice in Dunmurry. It was the easiest thing getting the vaccine this morning, it was such a relief to me, she said in a new video from the Public Health Agency. I heard all my friends had already had their vaccine and I was waiting for my letter to come and resisting phoning to find out. She added that she now felt more secure for herself and those she comes into contact with. Just do it. Dont hesitate. Secure yourself and others and lets end this pandemic It has gone on for nearly a year now, it is too long. We need to get back to a normal life. She said she had missed everyday things like hugging people and the chance to raise money for her charity. Just go, do it. It takes two seconds and its over and done with. It does protect yourself and the National Health Service everybody else around you and why wouldnt you? In Northern Ireland GPs have begun to vaccinate those in the over 70s age group, and will contact patients in this group meaning they do not need to call. Those aged 65-69 can book their appointment online and can get the vaccine at one of the regional vaccination centres. Dr Gerry Waldron, Head of Health Protection at the PHA, said: Work is progressing at pace to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine programme, with over a quarter of a million doses already administered. However, for it to be as effective as possible, we need everyone to follow Lady Marys example and get their vaccine when they become eligible. He added: As we move through the eligible groups, I would urge people to avail of the opportunity to get the Covid-19 vaccine when its their turn. In addition to getting the vaccine, we still need the public to adhere to public health guidance if we are to see a better year than last. Remember the key steps, such as wearing a face covering, maintaining social distancing and washing your hands regularly. Those aged 65-69 can book their appointments at www.covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated/. The unionist petition to ditch the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol has been signed by people from 89 countries - including one person in North Korea and some in the Vatican. With over 130,000 signatures, the issue looks set to be debated in Parliament at some stage. Signatures have come in from around the globe, from North Korea, where internet access is not generally available, to tiny Tuvalu, and faraway Kazakhstan, Mozambique and Belize. Six people from Vatican City have signed, and 102 from the Republic of Ireland, according to a breakdown of the location of the signatories. In the UK the Upper Bann constituency held by the DUP's Carla Lockhart has recorded the largest number of signatures at 6,073. The West Belfast seat of Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey has the lowest figure locally, with just 1,442 putting their name to the petition calling on the Government "to use all the powers it has to move urgently to protect UK trade and to ensure all UK goods and produce can freely flow to and from every part of the United Kingdom". The top six constituencies backing the petition are all DUP seats. Expand Close Support: The largest number of signatures were in constituency of Carla Lockhart MP Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press E / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Support: The largest number of signatures were in constituency of Carla Lockhart MP The seventh is North Down, where the MP is Alliance's Stephen Farry, who backs the protocol. Two Sinn Fein-held constituencies - North Belfast and Fermanagh South Tyrone - also have more signatures than DUP MP Gregory Campbell's in East Londonderry. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip has a mere 77 petitioners, while the Great Yarmouth seat of Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis records just 116. Ms Lockhart told the Belfast Telegraph: "Upper Bann has the most signatories and I'm delighted with that, but we haven't reached the finish line. "We have made a good start, but there is more to do. "We need to see more people sign the petition so that when it is debated in Parliament, MPs are in doubt about the level of anger and frustration. "In 24 hours 100,000 people signed this parliamentary petition. "They were drawn from every constituency in the UK. "The DUP has led the way in making the argument against the protocol in Parliament and now the people have sent a clear message to London that they want it scrapped. "It's time for the Prime Minister to act and ensure people in Northern Ireland have the same access to the UK single market as people in England, Scotland and Wales." Once a petition receives more the 100,000 signatures it must be considered for a debate in Parliament by the Petitions Committee. However, debates on public petitions in Westminster are currently suspended due to Covid. Srinagar: Union minister Hansraj Ahir said on Wednesday that the Centre is satisfied with the security arrangements for Amarnath yatra as more measures have been put in place following the terror attack that killed seven pilgrims. He said several measure have been taken to beef up security for the pilgrimage in wake of the strike. The time of patrolling of Road Opening Parties (RoP) has been extended and there would be checking of every (yatra) vehicle. No vehicle without registration would be allowed to ply. The drivers will also be given a note saying if something happens or if the vehicle breaks down, they should call the nearest point, the minister of state (home) said. We feel satisfied to learn that attempts have been made to take more security measures. To stop such attacks in the future...we assured the security agencies full support and we are satisfied after seeing the arrangements, he told reporters at a press conference. Union minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh also accompanied Ahir. Ahir said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh yesterday asked the two ministers to visit Kashmir. We met the governor and the chief minister, discussed the situation with them and held an in-depth security review meeting with the officers of army, police, CRPF, BSF and other security agencies, he said. ALSO READ | Amarnath terror strike: Massive manhunt launched for Abu Ismail, LeT commander and mastermind of attack Discussions took place over a number of issues, including on whether to increase security for the yatra or not. The central and state governments are very serious about the security of Amarnath yatra. The shadow of terror has been there since the last 30 years...security has always been in place and every year more measures are taken. The state police and all other forces have made proper arrangements, he said. The Union minister said the security agencies have been directed to plug loopholes, if any. We went to the camp from where yatra buses leave. We saw confidence and excitement on the pilgrims faces. They have no fear as they have seen the security measures taken for the yatra. We think security is adequate and if the need arises, more measures can be taken, he said. The Union minister said the way Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti handled the situation has inspired the whole country. She met the injured and spoke to them. The whole country has been inspired by it. The nation saw how a chief minister fulfilled her responsibility, he said. ALSO READ | PM Modis policies created space for terrorists in Kashmir, says Rahul Gandhi The prime minister made quick arrangements for lifting the injured to their states, he said and termed the killing of seven pilgrims as very sad. Two patients are here. The doctors at SKIMS are doing a good job. The operation of an old woman, who was hit by a bullet in the abdomen, has been successful. All the injured are stable, he said. He expressed happiness over the condemnation of the attack by the people of Kashmir. Everyone has condemned this attack on innocent pilgrims. I feel happy that people in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Srinagar, have condemned it and no one supported it, he said. He said it showed that even people were not with the terrorists now. The Union minister said they also met and congratulated the security forces involved in an encounter with militants in central Kashmirs Budgam district in which three terrorists were killed this morning. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access The Greater Accra Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Moses Abor has donated over 100 cellular phones to Greater Accra serial callers on Friday, 5th February 2021. After all, hard work done in the 2020 general elections, it seems the Greater Accra Youth Organiser is not reluctant but continues to engage the youth in the party. The rationale behind his kind gesture was to empower the serial callers and support their hard work for the party and the country. He also discussed the post-electoral fortunes of the party with them and urged them to focus and continue to work for the party to break the Eight-year chain. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] 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 Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has decried the level of corruption in the state's healthcare system, describing it as a deliberate act to run down the system. Obaseki, who stated this in Benin. on Sunday, at a town hall meeting with health practitioners in the state, added that the meeting with the doctors, was convened to discuss the way forward for the state's healthcare system. "I have seen corruption like never before in the healthcare system. The level of corruption in the healthcare system in the state is alarming and unacceptable. We have drawn the line; it will no longer be business as usual. It's left to you to either join us or take a bow honourably," he said. Obaseki queried the modality of having just one doctor in Igarra, the headquarters of Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state, and two in Auchi, while there were more doctors in Benin, doing nothing. "Patients in these areas visit private hospitals, because they have lost faith in our system; on no account should any doctor refuse posting. For the past 10 months now, I have had opportunity of discussing the healthcare system in the state; it is so clear that the system has collapsed. "I have information to this effect. We have no choice, but to move forward and collectively, we must improve the system and make the people trust the system again. "We have come to the end of the road of the old order, and now we must chart a new course for a better and improved healthcare system in Edo state," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Corruption By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Obaseki explained that the need to move the state forward led to the introduction of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS). "Every doctor must now account for what they do to justify their salaries; we must be up and doing as some of you earn twice more than me, who is the governor of the state. "You have to provide good healthcare system for Edo people; we must improve our healthcare system. I will put my life on the line for Edo people, their health is important to me and worth dying for; they voted me into power," he stressed. The governor also decried the situation where records and data of monthly patients attended to was not readily available. "We, as the authority that is supposed to certify death and issue certificate, do not have records that can easily be accessed," he said. The governor, thereafter, visited the Stella Obasanjo Hospital to ascertain the level of facilities on ground, after which he warned that the health personnel had one week to organise themselves and come up with lasting solutions to the problems of the state healthcare system. "I give them one week to organise themselves, to understand the things we need to do; policies, procedures, system and structure we need to put in place to achieve the level of efficiency that we need. "We are making investments in our hospital system; in our people and restarting our school of midwifery and that of nursing," the governor said. The pool of those eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Alabama will expand today to include people ages 65 and older and those who work in a variety of job fields. Restaurant and bar workers will have to wait, however. Eligibility begins today frontline essential workers, such as corrections officers; postal employees; manufacturing, grocery store and public transit workers; people who work in the education sector, including teachers; childcare workers; and members of the judiciary. The list also includes food and agriculture workers, that, according to Alabama Department of Public Healths Dr. Karen Landers, are those engaged in the production and supply of good products, including workers in grocery stores. At this time, due to supply of vaccine, it is important that entities prioritize within their own groups as some employees have greater risks of exposure than others. Workers in restaurants and bars are not part of this group, Landers said. Alabama started its vaccination program with people ages healthcare workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. People ages 75 and older and first responders were later added with the latest addition bringing the total number of people in the state eligible for the vaccine to about 1.5 million. Food service workers fall under the group 1C which includes transportation and logistics, waste and wastewater, construction, finance, information technology and communication, energy, legal, media, and public safety employees. Alabama does not have a timeline for when it will move to the next group and have said it will likely be summer before the vaccine is widely available. Alabama is currently receiving about 55,000-60,000 vaccine doses per week and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris continues to urge patience as people wait for their turn. If you are eligible for a vaccine, were going to get you one, Harris said during a press conference last week. Its still going to be a while, though, to get enough (vaccine) in the state. Its not going to happen immediately for everyone. Joe Bidens administration has reversed another Trump-era move away from multilateral organisations and agreements (AP) The United States has announced plans to re-engage with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that former president Donald Trump withdrew from almost three years ago. The decision by Joe Bidens administration reverses another Trump-era move away from multilateral organisations and agreements. Announcing the new approach from Washington, secretary of state Antony Blinken said the withdrawal in June 2018 did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of US leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage. The Biden administration has recommitted the United States to a foreign policy centred on democracy, human rights, and equality, he said in a statement. Effective use of multilateral tools is an important element of that vision. When it works well, the @UN Human Rights Council shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as a beacon for those fighting against injustice and tyranny. Thatas why the U.S. is back at the table. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 8, 2021 The decision is likely to draw criticism from conservative politicians and many in the pro-Israel community, who have derided the council and echoed Trump administration complaints that it was too quick to overlook abuses by autocratic regimes and governments and even accept them as members. Mr Blinken said President Joe Biden had instructed the State Department to re-engage immediately and robustly with the council, but he acknowledged it still needs work. We recognise that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel, he said. Mr Blinken said the council, when it works well, shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as an important forum for those fighting injustice and tyranny. To address the councils deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership, he added. Mr Trump pulled out of the council due to its disproportionate focus on Israel, which has received by far the largest number of critical council resolutions against any country, and because it failed to meet an extensive list of reforms demanded by then-US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. When we work closely with our allies and friends, we are able to call countries with the worst human rights records to account in the @UN Human Rights Council. U.S. leadership matters. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 8, 2021 Besides the councils persistent focus on Israel, the Trump administration took issue with the bodys membership, which currently includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela, all of which have been accused of human rights abuses. Hillel Neuer, the executive director of advocacy group UN Watch, which often decries the councils excessive focus on Israel, said the Obama administration had had a tendency to become a cheerleader for the council and called on the Biden team to avoid it, and instead call out the councils abuses. In exchange, the US must demand serious reform, removing despots from the council such as Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro regime, holding dictators to account, and removing the agenda item that targets Israel in each session, the only one to focus on a single country. Although the US will have only non-voting observer status for now, US officials say the administration intends to seek one of the three full-member seats left vacant when the current council terms of Austria, Denmark and Italy from the Western Europe and other states group expire at the end of 2021. Mr Trumps withdrawal from the UNHRC was one of a number of US retrenchments from the international community during his four years in office. He also walked away from the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear deal, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN education and cultural organisation Unesco, and several arms control treaties. Since taking office last month, Mr Biden has rejoined the Paris accord and the WHO and has signalled interest in returning to the Iran deal as well as Unesco. HOLYOKE A 17-member Joint Special Legislative Oversight tasked with probing the COVID-19 outbreak at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke will host its sixth public hearing Tuesday. The hearings began in late October, four months after 76 veterans died of the virus and scores of residents and staff at the state-run home for veterans were sickened. Previous hearings have featured families of veterans, employees, administrators, members of a grassroots coalition supporting the home, state officials and board members. The list of those scheduled to testify on Feb. 9 will not be made public until the start of the virtual hearing, set to begin at 10 a.m. At earlier hearings, legislators have heard dramatic testimony from staffers who struggled to care for the sick and dying as half the staff called out on a weekend, family members who felt shut out as they watched media reports of an alarming number of deaths, clinicians who felt abandoned by the facilitys leadership, board members and others. At a January hearing, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard said a request for help as the outbreak mounted discussed among former Superintendent Bennett Walsh, former Secretary of Veterans Services Fancisco Urena and other state officials never made it to his office. The committee which includes six local legislators and is chaired by state Sen. Walter Timilty and state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell was charged with conducting the analysis through public testimony and submitting a report with findings and reforms by April. Based on its report, the Special Committee will offer legislative recommendations per House Order 4835 to ensure this horrible tragedy never occurs again, a statement from Campbells office reads, referring to the order by now-retired House Speaker Robert DeLeo forming the committee. Some previous hearings were scheduled in-person at Holyoke Community College. Freshman Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, a former combat veteran and member of the committee, said tomorrows hearing will not be the last. Related content: Foreign man, believed Russian, in ICU after slashing own neck with knife PHUKET: A foriegn man believed to be a Russian national is in intensive care after slashing his own neck with a fruit knife on the Karon beach road last night (Feb 7), report the Karon Police. RussianSafetypolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 8 February 2021, 12:24PM Photo: Karon Police Officers on patrol saw the man in front of a 7-Eleven on the Karon beach road at about 10pm, Karon Police Chief Col Peerapong Chai-aroon told The Phuket News. The patrol officers witnessed as the man raised the knife to his neck, and cut from one side of his neck to the other, Col Peerapong said. The police officers rendered immediate assistance and an ambulance soon arrived to take the man to Patong Hospital. The man was later taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he has undergone surgery and remains in the intensive-care unit (ICU), he added. Police have yet to confirm the mans identity, Col Peerapong said. Meanwhile, officers from the Tourist Assistance Centre (TAC) told The Phuket News they believe the man is a Russian national. PARIS Eating habits are as good a guide to France as any, and they are about to undergo a radical change. The Labor Ministry says it will soon allow French employees to eat lunch at their desks, in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a practice previously forbidden under Article R.4428-19 of the 3,324-page French labor code, or Code du Travail. French eating habits have already been sorely tested by the pandemic. A 6 p.m. curfew prevents the pre-dinner stop at the boulangerie or the butcher, and the closure of all cafes and restaurants has propelled takeout in the form of le click & collect an English expression the French have adopted. It has been a case of one indignity after another. Until now, any company allowing employees to eat lunch at their desks was subject to a fine if discovered by inspectors. The ban was consistent with the hyper-regulation of workers rights enshrined in a labor code, and reflected the fierce French attachment to the countrys art de vivre. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global luxury hair care market size is anticipated to reach USD 31.50 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing e-commerce sales and growth of the male wellness sector are some of the major factors contributing to the rising demand for the product worldwide. Luxury haircare brands are expected to focus more on the packaging design of products to appeal to an expanding influencer generation in the country who keep on sharing their haircare moments with their friends or/and followers on social media. OUAI, a Los Angeles-based disruptive luxury haircare brand, studied consumer trends extensively on social media to power a product strategy. Asian consumers, most notably Chinese, Japanese, and Indians, see luxury cosmetics (including hair care products) as a form of social capital that marks them apart in society. High-end consumers in the Asian markets increasingly prefer luxury haircare brands that resonate on a cultural level. In the coming years, multinational luxury hair care firms are expected to introduce boutique brands to incorporate local aesthetics to increase product appeal among consumers Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cocoa-nibs-market The market is characterized by intense competition, with international brands dominating the market. The market is likely to mirror the trends prevalent within the luxury skincare space over the forecast period. In this respect, CBD-based luxury hair care products are expected to gain traction, notably among millennials in the U.S. Luxury Hair Care Market Report Highlights In terms of product, the shampoos segment led the market and accounted for 31.4% share of the overall revenue in 2019 Asia Pacific held the largest share of 39.3% in 2019 Acquisitions emerged as the key strategy deployed by market players to stay abreast of the competition. Luxury Hair Care Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global luxury hair care market based on the product, distribution channel, and region: Luxury Hair Care Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Shampoos Conditioners Hair Coloring Products Hair Styling Products Hair Oils Others EU Expels Three Russian Diplomats, Defends Envoys Moscow Trip BRUSSELSGermany, Poland and Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats in a coordinated retaliation on Monday for the expulsion of three European Union diplomats by Russia while the EUs foreign policy chief was visiting Moscow last week. The EU executive defended Josep Borrell over his trip to Russia where he said he had learned of the expulsions via social media while speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the removal of diplomats from Germany, Poland, and Sweden, accused by Moscow of taking part in protests last month against jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, took place a day before Borrells trip. A protester wearing a face mask holds a poster during a demonstration in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to jail, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Feb. 6, 2021. (Ringo Chiu/Reuters) In a blog released late on Sunday, Borell said his pleas to Russia to halt the expulsions were ignored. Estonias former defence chief Riho Terras, now an EU lawmaker, has started a campaign to call for Borrells resignation. But the executive European Commission said it had no regrets about Borrell making his first trip to Moscow as the coordinator of EU foreign policy because Russia was on a course towards confrontation which Borell sought to avert. The trip was necessary. One doesnt give up on a trip because it looks difficult, Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said in Brussels. A trip is not a success or a failure on the basis of what happens during a particular moment. Belgium also issued a statement in support of Borrell. Peskov told reporters that Russian officials were not the initiators of the collapse in relations. By Robin Emmott and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber As of now, even if you have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, the advice from health officials is to keep wearing your mask, keep social distancing and keep away from get-togethers. But Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday there might be new guidance coming soon. Fauci, the White House pandemic adviser, was speaking at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science when 91-year-old Esther Cohen asked him when she and her friends -- who all have received both vaccine shots -- can safely resume their mah-jongg games. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there is no CDC guidance on what to do when groups of people who have received both vaccine doses want to get together. Current CDC advice is to keep wearing a face covering and staying 6 feet from others when possible. 'But I believe that's going to change,' Fauci said. 'We're talking about this at the level of the CDC.' Vaccinations began in the United States on December 14. More than 9.5 million people have been fully vaccinated with two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data updated Monday. The two US-authorized vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech prevent symptomatic infections in most but not all cases. And it is still unclear whether they stop asymptomatic infection. If you are asymptomatic, you would still test positive for Covid-19, and even if you are vaccinated, you could still spread the virus. That's why the guidance now is that even the vaccinated still need to wear masks. A person could be an asymptomatic carrier and have the virus in their nasal passageways, so when they are breathing or speaking or sneezing they could still pass the novel coronavirus on to others. Fauci said that he and his daughter, who have both been fully vaccinated, still follow the standard social distancing and quarantine guidelines before seeing each other. 'I'm doubly vaccinated. My daughter is doubly vaccinated. The last time she tried to come home, she had to go quarantine for 14 days and get tested,' he said. 'It was a big, big deal to finally see my daughter in the same room. I think that's going to have to change.' 'What's the reason to get vaccinated in the first place, if you don't want to get to normal?' he said. US ramping up Covid-19 genome sequencing to track variants, CDC director says The US has ramped up its genome sequencing efforts in the hunt for coronavirus variants, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. 'Over the last three weeks or so we've increased our sequencing about tenfold,' Walensky said during a White House briefing. 'So as we look more, we certainly anticipate we might find more' variants. The US effort in genetic sequencing lags far behind many other developed nations. One analysis ranked the US 33rd in the world for sequences per 1,000 cases of Covid-19. Scientists search for coronavirus mutations by taking samples of the virus from patients' nasal swabs and analyzing their genetic sequences. Mutations are changes in the genetic code of a virus that occur naturally over time when an animal or person is infected -- and such mutations can lead to the emergence of new variants. 'We anticipate that we're probably going to be sequencing up to three to four more than we are already sequencing,' Walensky said. 'I think once we have more sequencing that's happening, we'll have a better idea as to how many variants there are and what proportion are out there.' Walensky said during the briefing that she was 'reluctant' to provide an estimate of how many coronavirus variant cases there could be based on the current data. She also warned that variants could reverse encouraging declines in Covid-19 statistics. Walensky said an average of 119,900 new cases were reported between January 31 and February 6 -- a drop of nearly 20% from the prior week. New Covid-19 hospitalizations dropped about 17% from the week prior, she said. 'The continued proliferation of variants remains of great concern and is a threat that could reverse the recent positive trends we are seeing,' she said. Right now 699 variant cases have been confirmed across 34 states -- 690 of the variant first discovered in the United Kingdom, she said. Experts say the highly contagious UK variant will likely soon become dominant in the US, and a new study found significant community transmission may already be occurring. On Sunday, the US surpassed 27 million reported infections and more than 464,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University data. More than 32.3 million Americans have so far received at least their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to CDC data, as officials work to increase vaccinations across the country. And a third vaccine could be on its way to the US market soon: Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization of its vaccine last week. Decline in nursing home cases could be related to vaccinations New Covid-19 cases among nursing home residents and staff have dropped more than 50% in about four weeks, according to a CNN analysis of the latest data published by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The data captured cases reported between the week ending December 20 and the week ending January 24. A separate analysis by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living found that cases have dropped twice as fast in those nursing homes that vaccinated residents and staff. The AHCA/NCAL analysis, published last week, assessed 797 facilities that held vaccination clinics in the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program between December 18 and 27 and 1,709 facilities in the same set of counties that did not have a clinic in that time. 'The decline in new cases three weeks after the first dose, compared to facilities having vaccine clinics later, is encouraging and signals that the vaccine may decrease the spread of COVID, a finding not shown in the trials,' said Dr. David Gifford, chief medical officer for AHCA/NCAL. Gifford said additional data is needed to verify the reason behind the decrease. 'If verified with additional data, this could expedite the reopening of long term care facilities to visitors, which is vital to residents' health and well-being,' he said. Race to get people immunized With the potential for more infectious variants to become dominant, officials are trying to get more people vaccinated quickly. The pace of vaccinations across the United States has picked up, according to the CDC. In the past seven days, an average of more than 1.5 million people have received vaccine shots each day. Many communities have increased the number of places people can get shots. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a plan to vaccinate seniors who are veterans of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion in their homes. 'We are inspired by folks that have been willing to stand up and fight for freedom,' DeSantis said. The move expands the state's program to vaccinate homebound seniors, which began recently with Holocaust survivors. 'We're not going to rest until every senior that wants a shot gets a shot,' DeSantis said. What it will take to reopen schools Mitigation measures will play an especially key role in helping schools safely reopen, an expert said Sunday, as the CDC is expected to soon release guidelines on how schools can open during the pandemic. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, told CBS that when it comes to reopening schools, 'the prerequisite is putting in place mitigation steps ... ' He noted that when people wore masks and stayed socially distant, there was 'very little transmission within the classroom.' And while it would be good to prioritize teachers for vaccines, he said, 'I don't think it's necessarily a prerequisite. I think schools have demonstrated that they can open safely if they've taken precautions in the classroom.' About 62,000 New York City middle school students who opted for in-person learning will be returning to the classroom February 25, according Danielle Filson, a spokeswoman for the city's education department. Teachers and staff will return the day before to prepare. Those teachers returning to the classroom are being prioritized for vaccine access at city hubs from February 12 to 21 and over midwinter recess, said Education Chancellor Richard Carranza. First sitting member of Congress dies after contracting Covid-19 US Rep. Ron Wright has died after contracting coronavirus and being hospitalized, his congressional office said Monday. The 67-year-old Texas Republican is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting Covid-19. In December, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow died after being diagnosed with the disease. The statement from Wright's office on Monday noted that the congressman has also battled cancer. Wright had represented Texas's 6th Congressional District since January 2019. Homeowners associations in Texas would be barred from restricting property owners from putting up religious displays in their yards under a new bill filed in the Texas Legislature. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, called the legislation a slam dunk and said some homeowners associations have gone too far in hassling property owners about their religious expression. The bottom line is simply that if a homeowner wants to display a Nativity scene, put a cross or Menorah on their door, or exercise their religious freedom, whatever their religion might be, a homeowners association should not have the right to prevent that, Bettencourt said. Bettencourt pointed to a 2018 case in which a Houston homeowner was told by his association that a small cross with the words He has risen stuck in the ground next to shrubs in his yard violated the communitys deed restrictions and needed to be removed. Bettencourt is getting plenty of support for the bill. Sens Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, have also signed onto the proposal in the Senate, while State Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, has filed an identical bill in the Texas House. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Preventing someone from having a religious symbol on their own lawn is an infringement on freedom that is positively un-Texan, and it must stop, Schofield said. Other states have passed similar legislation. In 2020, California enacted a law that bars HOAs from forcing homeowners to take down religious displays on their doors or entryways. Texas law already bars homeowners associations from making people remove religious items on their door. But SB 581 would expand that to include peoples yards as well. But critics say the legislation has a problem. When a similar bill was proposed in 2019, it stalled in the Legislature when some warned it could lead to unintended consequences. The Texas Community Association Advocates, which represents homeowners associations, warned the broad language could allow homeowners to put up satanic symbols, Wiccan displays or even swastikas, which were an ancient religious symbol before being co-opted by the Nazis. There is a lot of potential for abuse, warned Trisha Farine, of the Texas Community Association Advocates. The bill has not yet had its first hearing and would need to pass both chambers of the Texas Legislature by the end of the session on May 31 to have a chance of being signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. jeremy.wallace@chron.com Imperial Valley News Center University of Florida Researcher Indicted for Scheme to Defraud National Institutes of Health and University of Florida Jacksonville, Florida - A former University of Florida (UF) professor and researcher and resident of China has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining $1.75 million in federal grant money from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by concealing support he received from the Chinese government and a company that he founded in China to profit from that research. Lin Yang, 43, who resided in Tampa, Florida, at the time of the offenses, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to an agency of the United States. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on December 15, 2020, was unsealed today. Transparency about foreign funding sources allows federal agencies to allocate finite resources fairly. Transparency about foreign government affiliations, like business affiliations, allows the research community and the American people to assess any impact on the integrity of the research, said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Departments National Security Division. According to the indictment, the defendant intentionally deceived both his employer and the federal government in order to obtain more than a million dollars in research funding. Rather than being open about his ties to the Peoples Republic of China, the defendant chose to conceal them, in the process advancing both the Chinese governments strategic goals and his own financial interests. The department will continue to protect the foundations of Americas research enterpriseintegrity and transparency. The taxpayer dollars that funded Yangs research were intended to benefit the health and well-being of U.S. citizens. But our indictment alleges that Yang engaged in acts of deliberate deception so that he could also further the research goals of the Chinese Communist government and advance his own business interests, said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida. We are committed to working closely with the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and our research institutions to identify, investigate and prosecute anyone who undermines the integrity of our nations research efforts by concealing potential conflicts of interest and commitment. American taxpayers ought to know whether their money is being used to fund research and development for the benefit of foreign governments and foreign companies, said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. The FBI will always investigate those who break the law by taking federal money while hiding their foreign business and government ties. In doing so, were ensuring transparency and protecting the hard-earned dollars of the American public. The United States can benefit greatly from hosting foreign researchers in our academic institutions, but this case illustrates how that collaborative environment can also be exploited, said Special Agent in Charge Rachel L. Rojas of the FBI Jacksonville Division. The Chinese Communist government simply does not play by the same rules of academic integrity that we do. The FBI is committed to holding its proxies accountable, and to helping educational institutions protect cutting-edge research and technologies from foreign adversaries who are determined to defeat the U.S. at any cost. Taxpayers fund medical research in the hope that promising scientific breakthroughs will result in much-needed treatments and cures for patients. Such funding should be based on a transparent understanding of potential conflicts of interest and commitment, said Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Working with our law enforcement partners, we will assiduously investigate rogue researchers who conceal their foreign support. According to the indictment, Yang obtained a $1.75 million grant from NIH to develop and disseminate an imaging informatics tool for muscles known as MuscleMiner. Between September 2014 and July 2019, Yang served as the principal investigator for the NIH grant at UF. As the principal investigator, Yang was responsible for conducting and administering the grant in compliance with applicable federal law and institutional policies. Among other things, Yang was required to disclose his foreign research support and financial conflicts of interest, including his ownership of, or interest in, a foreign company. During that same period, in 2016, Yang established a business in China known as Deep Informatics. The indictment further alleges that Yang promoted his business in China by relating that its products were the result of years of research supported by millions of dollars of U.S. government funding. Simultaneously, Yang applied for and was accepted into the Peoples Republic of Chinas Thousand Talents Program (TTP) in connection with Northwestern Polytechnical University, located in Xian, China. The TTP was a talent plan established by the Chinese government to encourage the transfer of original ideas, technology, and intellectual property from foreign institutions, such as American universities. In order to maintain his employment with UF and continue receiving NIH grant money, the indictment alleges that Yang intentionally concealed his conflicts of interest and other support in connection with his Chinese business and his participation in a Chinese government talent plan and affiliation with a Chinese research university. On multiple occasions, Yang submitted disclosures to NIH containing false statements and material omissions concerning his affiliations and research endeavors with a foreign government and company. Additionally, in January 2019, UFs College of Engineering required all faculty to provide, in writing, updated disclosures concerning activities with foreign entities in China and two other countries. The indictment alleges that Yang provided UF with a written response that falsely stated he had no affiliation with any business, entity, or university in China. Yang traveled to China in August of 2019 and has yet to return to the United States. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Each count of making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The FBI Jacksonville Division and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz for the Northern District of Florida is prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence & Export Section. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A study has described genetic changes in patients with the most common form of hereditary kidney disease that affects an estimated 12.5 million people worldwide. The research, which focussed on Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in Ireland, provides insights into PKD that will assist doctors and patients in the management of this of inherited condition. The study, led by researchers from the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in the European Journal of Human Genetics. In the research, a cohort of 169 patients with PKD in Ireland were analysed. The genetic changes were identified in up to 83% of cases. It is the first time that the diversity of genetic causes of PKD in Ireland have been described. The results will better assist doctors in identifying patients who may require transplantation or dialysis. The findings also have important implications for people who have a family history of PKD and are planning a family or considering kidney donation. "This study is hugely important in providing us with an insight into the genetic landscape of Polycystic Kidney Disease, the most common form of inherited kidney disease in the world," said first author on the study Dr. Katherine Benson, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI. "Our findings have implications for the prognosis of patients by helping us to further identify why the disease may progress more rapidly in some cases and how we can reduce the burden of inherited kidney disease in future." Explore further New findings on tolvaptan as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease treatment More information: Katherine A. Benson et al. The genetic landscape of polycystic kidney disease in Ireland, European Journal of Human Genetics (2021). Katherine A. Benson et al. The genetic landscape of polycystic kidney disease in Ireland,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00806-5 Provided by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The UK terror threat level has been lowered from 'severe' to 'substantial' after a 'significant reduction' in the momentum of attacks in Europe. Home Secretary Priti Patel warned an attack was still 'likely' and said members of the public should remain vigilant, despite the downgrade. The threat level was raised to severe - meaning an attack was 'highly likely' by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) in November following Islamist attacks in Austria and France. Seven people were killed in a spate of attacks across Vienna, Paris and Nice towards the end of last year. But on Thursday last week the expert analysts reduced the level, Ms Patel told MPs on Monday. Priti Patel told MPs the public should remain vigilant against an attack, saying it was still 'likely' 'The decision to lower the threat level from severe to substantial is due to the significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe since those seen between September and November 2020,' the Home Secretary said. 'However, the UK national threat level is kept under constant review and is subject to change at any time. 'Terrorism remains one of the most direct and immediate risks to our national security. The threat has been lowered after a 'significant reduction in the momentum of attacks in Europe,' Ms Patel said. Pictured: Police responding to a terror attack in Vienna, Austria last November Ms Patel explained: ''Substantial continues to indicate a high level of threat; and an attack on the UK is still likely.' Pictured: Police responding after five people were stabbed in November 2019 'Substantial continues to indicate a high level of threat; and an attack on the UK is still likely. 'The public should continue to remain vigilant and report any concerns to the police.' Twenty-year-old Kujtim Fejzulai killed four people during a terror attack in Vienna, Austria on November 2. Fejzulai began his attack at 8pm near the central synagogue armed with an automatic rifle, pistol and machete. The Islamist marauded through the streets wearing a fake explosives belt and injured 22 as he fired at random before he was 'neutralised' - shot dead by police at 8.09pm. Islamic extremist Kujtim Fejzulai killed four people during a terror attack in Vienna, Austria on November 2 before he was shot dead by officers Three people were killed by a terrorist in the Notre Dame basilica in Nice at 9am last October Fejzulai killed an elderly man and woman, a young male passer-by and a waitress. In a spate of attacks in France, two people were stabbed outside the Charlie Hebdo building in Paris in September. On October 16 French middle-school teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded in the street after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a class. Three people were killed outside the Notre Dame basilica in Nice on October 29 MOUNT STERLING A date has been set for the jury trial of three former Western Illinois Correctional Center corrections officers facing federal charges stemming from a 2018 assault that resulted in a prisoners death. Former corrections officers Todd Sheffler of Mendon, Willie Hedden of Mount Sterling and Alex Banta of Quincy will go on trial April 6. They will appear at a status hearing online March 9, according to Sharon Paul, public information officer for the U.S Attorneys Office Central Illinois District. The three were indicted after the the death of prisoner Larry Earvin, 65. Court records said he was assaulted May 17, 2018, and suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured colon and other serious internal injuries. He had been set to be released just months later after serving a six-year sentence for a Cook County robbery, but died June 26, 2018. Earvin was assaulted while being transferred to another prison unit. The corrections officers were indicted in December 2019. The federal charges accused the three of assaulting Earvin while he was restrained and handcuffed, falsifying incident reports to omit any reference to the assault and misleading Illinois State Police agents by denying any knowledge of the assault. They face charges of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, obstruction/falsification of documents, and obstruction of misleading conduct. They were scheduled to go on trial this month, but because of the pandemic, all federal court jury trials are suspended through March 23. Bantas attorney, Howard Feldman, is asking the court to redact a text message or reference to a text message prosecutors said was sent about the assault but later deleted. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 US, Britain seek new WHO look into possible origins of COVID-19 in China China gives Joe Biden's dig at Xi lacking 'D' bone a pass; Calls for managing differences International pti-Madhuri Adnal Beijing, Feb 8: China on Monday chose to ignore US President Joe Biden's comment that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping lacked a democratic bone in his body but said the two countries should focus on cooperation and manage their differences. In an interview to CBS television on Saturday, Biden acknowledged that he is yet to speak with President Xi since his swearing in on January 20, but said he had met him many times when they were Vice Presidents of their respective countries in the past. "I know him pretty well," Biden said, adding that when they do speak, they will have "a whole lot to talk about." Biden, 78, the oldest American president, described Xi, 67, as "very bright" and "very tough" but without "a democratic, small D, bone in his body", highlighting the autocratic style of functioning of the Chinese leader. Asked for his reaction to Biden's "D bone" remark, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin evaded a direct reply. "President Xi Jinping has had many contacts with President Biden. Maintaining communication between China and the US at all levels is conducive to mutual understanding and to the development of bilateral relations, he said. "China is committed to developing a relationship with the US that is non-conflictual, based on non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," he said. "Meanwhile, China will continue to firmly safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides should meet each other halfway, focus on cooperation, manage differences, and promote the sound and steady development of China-US relations, to the greater benefit of their two peoples and to the people of all other countries around the world," he said. After the Biden administration assumed power last month, speculation was rife about the likely course of policy the US president would pursue in the light of hardline Beijing policy pursued by his predecessor Donald Trump during which the ties between the world's two largest economies touched a new low. Top diplomats of the two countries had their first contacts on Saturday last. Newly-appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi held what observers here said was a blunt and outspoken conversation over the phone during which both sides sought to highlight the issues of concerns that will shape the ties between the top two economies of the world in the next four years. Be combat ready President Xi tells PLA ahead of Chinese New Year Yang, a member of the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party of China and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC, is Beijing's point man for Washington. While Blinken told Yang that the Biden administration will hold China accountable for its abuses of the international system and raised with him the issue of human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong and Myanmar, the Chinese diplomat said both sides should respect each other's core interests and choices of political system. Yang said the US "should rectify its mistakes made over a period of time," in an apparent reference to hardline policies pursued by the Trump administration towards China, pushing the ties between the two countries to a new low. He said the US should work with China to uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question, the most important and sensitive core issue in China-US relations, bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang told Blinken. China considers Taiwan as part of its mainland and apprehends that the US is stepping its engagement with Taipei with military and political assistance. The US should strictly abide by the one-China principle, Yang said, adding that Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet-related affairs are all China's internal affairs and allow no interference by any external forces. Any attempt to slander and smear China will not succeed, and China will continue to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, Yang said. He urged the US to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region involving the disputed South China Sea, where America looks to step up its engagement with allies to contain Beijing. China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: Twitter/BJP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 8 reached out to farmers urging them to end protest while renewing the government's offer to talks. He was replying to a debate on the President's speech at the start of the Budget session. The PM also slammed Opposition parties for making a U-turn on farm laws as all the past governments had supported reforms in the agriculture sector Here are the key highlight from PMs address On Oppositions U-turn on agri-reforms PM said that the opposition to farm laws lacked in substance. We need to decide if we want to be a part of the problem or the solution. Every government has stressed that there are reforms needed in the farming sector, but now politics seems to be taking over." Sharad Pawarji and those from Congress, everyone... all governments have stood for agricultural reforms. Whether they were able to do it or not, but everyone has advocated that it should be done. The PM also quoted former PM Manmohan Singh to highlight Congress U-turn on farm laws. Follow LIVE UPDATES on Farmers' Protest Here There are other rigidities because of the marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return. It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market,' PM Modi quoted Manmohan Singh You should be proud that Modi is implementing Manmohan Singhs dream, he added. On Indias COVID-19 fight PM Modi said that India fought Coronavirus, an unknown enemy, bravely. Asserting that Indias crucial role in battling the pandemic has been acknowledged worldwide, the PM said the glory of winning that fight does not go to any government or individual, but to citizens of India. He criticised the Opposition for mocking the governments light a lamp initiative. He said such acts undermine the contribution of corona warriors and others "You might've seen on the social media of an old woman sitting outside her hut on the footpath, with a lit earthen lamp, praying for the welfare of India. We're mocking her. If somebody who never went to school thinks they can serve India by lighting lamps, they can do it. It's being mocked," he said PM Modi said India had emerged as a pharmacy of the world during the pandemic by delivering medicines to 150 countries. He also said that today, the world appreciates India's efforts in saving humanity and we should be proud of it "India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence," he said. On Democracy and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Quoting Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the PM said India was not just the largest democracy but the mother of democracies. "We've forgotten the ideals of Netaji. We've started cursing ourselves. I sometimes get surprised, the world gives us a term and we start following it - 'Largest democracy of the world' - it feels good to hear this but we didn't teach our youth that India is the mother of democracy. India's nationalism is neither narrow nor selfish and not even aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. This quotation was given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose," PM Modi said. On Farmers' Protest, MSP and small farmers The PM reiterated in his address that the new farm laws will not change the minimum support laws (MSP) regime. MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future, he said. The PM said that the need was to improve the lives of small farmers. "When the road connectivity improves, it enables the produce of the farmers to reach distant places. There are efforts like Kisan Rail too. The need of the hour is to improve the lives of the small farmers," he said. "Agriculture minister is talking to farmers. There are no tensions yet. Protesting is your right but want to request that old farmers are sitting, ask them to go home. I want to extend the invitation through this house.....," he said. "We should not lose this time and do not take the country backward. We should give these reforms and opportunities and see if this benefits you," the PM said. On Punjab and Sikhs The PM said we mustn't forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in J&K. Business of weapons was carried out in the northeast. All this affected the nation, He also said that the country is proud of every Sikh. What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less. I've been fortunate to spend crucial years of my life in Punjab. The language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit nation On 'Foreign Destructive Ideology and 'andolanjeevi' The PM said how the nation needs to be protected from FDI, an acronym which he expanded to 'Foreign Destructive Ideology and 'andolanjeevis' used for people who strive on protests. "The nation is making progress and we are talking about FDI but I see that a new FDI has come to the fore. We have to protect the nation from this new FDI. We need Foreign Direct Investment but the new FDI is 'Foreign Destructive Ideology', we have to protect ourselves from it," he said. There is a new crop of 'andolanjeevi'. They live andolan (protests). They look for ways to start a new andolan. The country needs to be aware of these 'andolanjeevis', the PM said On Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and G-23 PM Modi's address also found a mention of G-23, a group of 23 Congress leaders who sought sweeping changes in Congress leadership. "Ghulam Nabiji always speaks decently. Never uses foul language. I respect him for this. He praised elections held in J&K. I believe your party (Congress) will take it in the right spirit and not do the opposite considering it a suggestion from G-23 ," Modi said READ:Congress looks for Leader of Opposition as Azad's Rajya Sabha term ends On Emergency, Freedom of speech and TMCs Derek O'Brien PM Modi referred to words used by TMC MP Derek O' Brien in his speech "I was listening to Derekji, he had chosen good words - Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too," he said in an indirect attack to Mamata Banerjee's government in poll-bound West Bengal. The PM also hit out at Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa by invoking Emergency."Bajwa Sahab from Congress was also speaking. He was speaking in such detail that I thought he will reach Emergency (period) shortly and speak on it, he is just one step away from it. But he didn't go there. Congress disappoints this country a lot, you did that too," he said. Tunis/Tunisia Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said he sent a correspondence to the Presidency of the Republic to set the date for the swearing in of the new ministers, hoping for a favourable outcome. In a statement to the media on the sidelines of a ceremony to pay tribute to international freediving champion Walid Boudhiaf, the PM said he was not "officially" informed of the nature of the reservations made against the officials concerned by the latest reshuffle. He added that the reasons for the failure to invite the ministers concerned to swear in President Kais Saied are not yet clear. "Things have been delayed," Mechichi regretted in a statement to journalists, denouncing a "stalling" in the political process. Besides, Mechichi said that no meeting was scheduled for with President Kais Saied for Friday. The new ministers proposed by PM Hichem Mechichi, during the recent reshuffle won a confidence vote of Parliament last January 26. The Buckeye Bullet James Cleveland Owens, otherwise known as Jesse Owens, was born in Oakville, AL., in 1913. Owens went from a child who was often sick with pneumonia and chronic bronchial congestion to a high school track star setting records in the 100 and 200 dash. Owens would go on to set more world records at The Ohio State University before joining the 1936 Olympic team in Berlin. Nazi leader Adolph Hitler blasted the American team for including Black athletes, but those words didnt stop Owens. He would go on to become the most dominant athlete of those Olympic games, winning four gold medals and breaking two Olympic records. Many of the records Owens set took more than two decades to be broken. Now, in his hometown of Oakville, a museum erected in his honor memorializes the iconic track star. Right outside, a statue of Owens running between Olympic rings stands to represent the legendary man who captivated the world during the 1936 Olympic games. [February 08, 2021] Sigilon Therapeutics Announces Preclinical Data in Multiple Lysosomal Diseases at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company that seeks to develop functional cures for chronic diseases through its Shielded Living Therapeutics platform, today reported results from several ongoing preclinical studies in a broad range of lysosomal diseases (LD) during the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium, which is being held virtually from February 8-11. Four scientific abstracts were selected for presentationincluding an oral presentation on MPS-2. These data, which span four distinct lysosomal diseasesincluding MPS-1, Fabry, MPS-2 and MPS-6demonstrate the potential of our novel Shielded Living Therapeutics platform to treat a broad range of chronic diseases, said Rogerio Vivaldi MD, MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer at Sigilon. The current standard of care for many lysosomal diseases includes enzyme replacement therapy or bone marrow transplant, both of which can result in suboptimal outcomes for patients due to inadequate distribution to some tissues and life-threatening complications, respectively. Continued Dr. Vivaldi: While these are early data, our novel therapeutic candidateswhich are comprised of engineered human cells shielded within spheres designed to avoid immune rejection and fibrosisdemonstrated sustained release of the desired protein and an ability to reach multiple organ systems, regardless of disease. We believe the modularity of our platform may enable us to be effective in many disease areas and could support the rapid expansion of our candidates into the clinic. We remain highly encouraged by data generated to date as we continue to make significant progress with our platform in lysosomal diseases, with our lead program focused on MPS-1. PRESENTATION DETAILS Oral Presentation Title: SIG-018: Novel Encapsulated Non-Viral Cell-Based Therapy for MPS II (also presented as e-poster 254) Date/Time: Thursday, February 11th at 9:54 AM EST LIVE QA Session: 10:18 AM EST E-Poster Presentations Title: SIG-005: Novel Encapsulated Non-Viral Cell-Based Therapy for MPS I (e-poster 060) Date: Thursday, February 11th LIVE QA Session: 2:30 PM EST Title: SIG-007: Novel Encapsulated Non-Viral Cell-Based Therapy for Fabry disease (e-poster 073) Date: Thursday, February 11th LIVE QA Session: 2:30 PM EST Title: Development of a Novel Encapsulated Non-Viral Cell-Based Therapy for MPS VI (e-poster 192) Date: Thursday, February 11th LIVE QA Session: 2:30 PM EST For more information and to access the presentations and Q&A sessions, please visit the WorldSymposium virtual platform. The abstracts will also be made available on the Presentations page of the Science section of the Sigilon corporate website at www.sigilon.com following the presentations. Additionally, please visit Sigilons booth in the virtual exhibit hall to learn more about the Companys technology, commitment to patients and caregivers, and for more information on when and where to see Sigilon data at the conference. About Sigilon Therapeutics Sigilon Therapeutics seeks to develop functional cures for chronic diseases through its Shielded Living Therapeutics platform. Sigilons product candidates consist of novel human cells engineered to produce the crucial proteins, enzymes or factors needed by patients living with chronic diseases such as hemophilia, diabetes and lysosomal disorders. The engineered cells are protected by Sigilons Afibromer biomaterials matrix, which shields them from immune rejection and fibrosis. Sigilon was founded by Flagship Pioneering in conjunction with Daniel Anderson, Ph.D., and Robert Langer, Sc.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to the modularity or potential of our platform technology and the preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The words may, will, could, would, should, expect, plan, anticipate, intend, believe, estimate, predict, project, potential, continue, target and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties related to our preclinical research, product candidates, the initiation and enrollment for our clinical trials and the regulatory filings related thereto and other risks identified in our SEC filings, including our Prospectus filed with the SEC on December 7, 2020 and subsequent filings with the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Investor Contacts Glenn Reicin Sigilon Therapeutics, Chief Financial Officer glenn.reicin@sigilon.com 646-696-4344 Jennifer Porcelli Solebury Trout jporcelli@soleburytrout.com 646-378-2962 Media Contact Amy Bonanno Solebury Trout abonanno@troutgroup.com 914-450-0349 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The beloved family dogs of a Brisbane couple watched on as the family was laid to rest at a private funeral on Monday. Kate Leadbetter, 31, and Matt Field, 37, and their unborn son Miles were killed while crossing an intersection in Alexandra Hills, north of Brisbane, with their dogs on Australia Day. Family, friends and pets Frankie and Django watch on during the service on Monday. A teenage boy is accused of running a red light in a stolen 4WD, crashing into a tow truck then rolling the car and ploughing into the couple. The 17-year-old has been charged with two counts of murder, with a third charge being considered over Miles death. Former presidential aspirant Nazlin Umar is regretting her acts of kindness after a homeless couple she hosted at her house allegedly stole valuables worth Sh413,000 at her Nairobi home and assaulted her. Umar who intends to run the presidency in the next year's national elections had housed Naheed Mohamed and his wife Devi Shah between December 26 and January 17. She lost valuables during the same period. The couple is facing theft charges where they are accused of stealing assorted items including a surgical dress on diverse dates between December 26 and January 17. The two were brought to her by her son who is friends with Mohammed and she gave them a room to live in because they had nowhere to live. She later discovered the items missing from the room she had given them and other rooms. The two left without notice and the controversial politician only found open draws before she was informed that the two were seen leaving the house with a carrier bag. Besides the theft case, the two are also accused of assaulting Umar and causing her actual bodily harm on January 29. They denied both charges before senior principal magistrate Derrick Kutto of Kibera law courts. Through a lawyer, they sought leniency expressing hopes of settling the matter out of court because they are family friends with the complainant. Kutto freed them on a Sh100,000 bond with a surety of similar amount, and an alternative cash bail of Sh40,000 each. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 18:40:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks finished sharply higher Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index hitting a 30-year closing high, as expectations for a hefty U.S. stimulus package to be implemented to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic raised hopes for the broader pace of the global economic recovery. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average climbed 609.31 points, or 2.12 percent, from Friday to close the day at 29,388.50, marking its highest closing level since Aug. 3, 1990. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 33 points, or 1.75 percent, at 1,923.95, to book its highest close since June 5, 1991. Local brokers said that progress made by Democrats towards turning U.S. President Joe Biden's 1.9-trillion-U.S.-dollar COVID-19 relief package into legislation without the need for Republican support, lifted the market mood here, amid hopes for a broader global economic recovery from the pandemic. "Market players are growing optimistic that the U.S. stimulus plan would be enacted in the next two to three weeks," Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., was quoted as saying. Market strategists here added that on the domestic front, a drop in COVID-19 cases and the government's vaccination rollout plans, coupled with upbeat earnings reports and outlooks from major firms underpinned a positive market mood. "With the vaccine rollouts and the fall in the number of daily COVID-19 infections, expectations for the normalization of the economy is rising," Soichiro Matsumoto, chief investment officer Japan at Credit Suisse Private Banking, was quoted as saying. "Better-than-expected corporate performance in this environment is also lifting sentiment. Many U.S. firms have reported upbeat results and Japanese companies, particularly those sensitive to overseas demand, are following suit," Matsumoto added. By the close of play, iron and steel, mining and marine transportation-linked issues comprised those that gained the most. Among steelmakers advancing on hopes for the global economic recovery, JFE Holdings leapt 7.4 percent, while Kobe Steel surged 17.5 percent. Shipping firms advanced on hopes that demand will improve, with Kawasaki Kisen adding 4.4 percent, while Nippon Yusen rose 5.9 percent by the close. Transportation issues also found favor, with East Japan Railway adding 4.9 percent, Keio gaining 3.9 percent, while Odakyu Electric Railway jumped 3.8 percent. Issues that rose outpaced those that fell by 1,710 to 429 on the First Section, while 52 ended the day unchanged. On the main section on Monday, 1,585.95 million shares changed hands, rising from Friday's volume of 1,537.27 million shares. The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 3,392.49 billion yen (32.12 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem Burma Crackdown Looms As Myanmar Military Warns Anti-Coup Protesters Tens of thousands of people protest in Yangon against the military coup. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy Yangon Myanmars military regime has warned anti-coup protesters on Monday afternoon that legal measures will be taken to prevent any offenses harming the stability of the state, public safety or the rule of law. State-owned television and the militarys True News Information carried the warning on Monday at noon after thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to protest peacefully against the coup. The statement said violations disturb other peoples rights and that democracy will break without discipline. Since Feb. 3, thousands of government staff have gone on strike in a civil disobedience movement against military rule. Citizens have honked car horns and banged pots and pans at 8pm every night across the country with the movement gaining momentum. You may also like these stories: US Ambassador Calls for Myanmar Military to Restore Power to Elected Government Myanmar Making Noises for Democracy Public Backlash, Sanctions Threat Put Myanmar Junta Appointees in Tight Spot Elon Musk finally reveals his secret to success. He claims that companies don't need PowerPoints and meetings to improve their services or product. Also Read: Elon Musk Says Miami Underground Tunnel Can be Completed for just $30 Million in Six Months The popular tech CEO of SpaceX and Tesla explained that companies and businesses should start quitting spending so much time in meetings. He said that he noticed there are too many business leaders that spend too much time in conference rooms or over presentations. This habit prevents other leaders from focusing enough attention to find ways that will help their businesses and companies have better day-to-day innovations. "Are CEOs in corporate America focused enough on product improvement? I think the answer is no," said Elon Musk via The Wall Street Journal. "Spend less time on finance, spend less time in conference rooms, less time on PowerPoint, and more time just trying to make your product as amazing as possible," he added. Elon Musk's secret Elon Musk said that his ultimate goal is to make his technologies and services as perfect as possible. The popular CEO said that his secret is to look for negative comments and criticism, as well as opinions, which he can use to make improvements in his companies, specifically SpaceX and Tesla. If you are following his Twitter account, you will notice that he is always active and replying to his fans' and critics' tweets. He will answer them even if they are negative comments. Musk explained that if the companies are only focusing on their bottom lines, it just shows that they are on the wrong path. What should companies do? Right now, the biggest issue for the companies in the United States is there are too many MBAs (Masters in Business Administration) in the industry. These people leading the U.S. companies are usually focusing on finances and conferences, which Elon Musks doesn't agree to. He said that they should focus on their sources and study how they work. This way, they can fully understand how their companies or businesses operate, as reported by Entrepreneur. For more news updates about Elon Musk's achievements and innovations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Elon Musk Admits Tesla Cars Paint Job a Mess, Warns Buyers to Buy at Two Specific Moments This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The race to distribute vaccines and the emergence of more contagious variants of COVID-19 have put a renewed spotlight on the plight of grocery workers in the United States. The industry has boomed in the past year as Americans have stayed home and avoided restaurants. But in most cases, that has not translated into extra pay for its workers. After Long Beach, California, mandated hazard pay for grocery workers, the grocery giant Kroger responded last week by saying it would close two locations. Opinion Article 8 February 2021 Having recently celebrated its 55th year of independence, Singapore is a relatively young nation. Yet, the country has quickly risen to prominence on the international stage, becoming well-regarded as a regional and global business hub. Several key factors have contributed to this success, including great foresight, a conscious push for entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as a vision to help other countries strive towards similar success. Advertisements Chong Siak Ching, CEO of the National Gallery Singapore, is a woman of many hats - apart from holding multiple board directorships, she is also the former-CEO of Ascendas and the former-deputy chairman of SPRING Singapore, among her other current and previous roles which have played a part in contributing to the country's development. In a webinar with EHL, she shared with us the story of how her career has grown alongside the development of Singapore and Asia. Career Path You have had a very illustrious career. What is one red thread that runs through all the different roles that you've held in the past up till today? It's always been about being in service of a larger good - a bigger purpose than the business or the product or service offering. For example, in Ascendas, we built environments that are conducive for workers to excel, to be productive, to be innovative, and to be motivated to do their best. In the case of the National Gallery, it's also about being in service of the various public and private stakeholders that we try to draw to the Gallery. The ultimate purpose is to create an inclusive, creative, and thoughtful society through art. So whether it's real estate or art, I think that they are all means to an end; and the end is the impact that one creates, whether it's a motivated workforce or a more thoughtful society - in other words, having a core purpose in what we do. At the time of your graduation from NUS (National University of Singapore) in 1981, as you said, the market was awash with opportunity and Singapore was undergoing a large-scale development and redevelopment, so why did you choose to work for DBS Land? DBS Land (merged with Pidemco Land in 2000 to form CapitaLand) was a subsidiary of the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), so it was very much involved in the development of Singapore and what appealed to me was that greater purpose of what they do - creating real estate that supports the economic development of Singapore. The project that I'm most proud of is the Raffles City. At that time, Raffles City was the most ambitious and single largest development right in the heart of the city. It's a very historic landmark, where Raffles Institution used to sit. It was the first mixed-use development project with two hotels and at that time, one of the world's tallest hotels - The Westin [Stamford] (now known as Swissotel The Stamford) - as well as an office and shopping centre. To be part of that kind of ground-breaking project taught me a lot of things, so it was quite an obvious choice to select as an employer. You moved from real estate to arts and culture. Why and how did that happen? I think it's another opportunity to contribute to nation-building, but this time through arts and culture. The National Gallery is also two big monumental pieces of real estate - the former Supreme Court and the former City Hall. Also, after helming Ascendas for over 12 years, I felt that it was time for a new leader to take the company to new heights. I do not believe in overstaying a role, because we run the risk of becoming myopic and taking things for granted. It's always good to allow fresh leadership and fresh talent to emerge, whether from within or from outside. Raffles City Shopping Centre. CapitaLand Past Development Journey With the projects you were involved in, how were those visions built, captured, and materialized? What was the process and the team like? Singapore was also very lucky to have visionaries like Mr Goh Keng Swee, Mr Philip Yeo who was the chairman of EDB (Economic Development Board), and our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. They were the architects of Singapore's economic development and our progress and success as a nation. Singapore has always seen the need to think long-term and to be very forward-looking. We are probably one of the very few countries that plan so far ahead into the future. Back in the '80s, our population was probably well under three million - but Singapore was already planning for a possible population of many millions more. And it was not just about dreaming about that population, but looking at how that translates into the way we plan our roads, neighbourhoods, housing etc. This very forward-thinking view is important to making sure that we will always have room for new investments, for local industries and the population to grow. In that sense, it's really important to have such visionaries to continue to plan for the future of Singapore. Can you tell us about how it was when you first started with JTC and Ascendas, and your journey with them? When I first joined the JTC Group, it (the JTC subsidiary)was a very small company - I was probably employee #18. At that time, the company was called Technology Parks and it was tasked to develop a science park, as well as convert some of the old industrial estates into a more upmarket, technology-related park. I found that when you start something from scratch with a small group of people, you can influence and mould the culture of the organization. The previous General Manager had already started the company on the right foot with a focus on the customer; and I continued to develop that. I brought it through a rebranding, and we named it Arcasia. As we grew out of Singapore and into other Asian countries, Arcasia became Ascendas as it merged with another JTC entity called JTC International. Ascendas started out in 2001 and I was the founding CEO, where I remained until 2013 when I left to join the National Gallery. What was really rewarding was that we were able to share and export Singapore's expertise in developing integrated communities, that could create employment and bring investment into these countries. Ascendas built the first IT park (International Tech Park Bangalore) in Bangalore, India, which was known as the Silicon Valley of India. That first IT park has now been kind of replicated not just by Ascendas, but by many of the other Indian developers across India, creating millions of jobs for the Indian IT workers and that has just been amazing. Culture and Diversity You mentioned being able to influence and mould the culture of an organization as a GM. As the company grew, how did you ensure that same focus on culture? I think an organization's culture needs to be co-created, co-owned, and lived by everyone in the organization. What a leader would then have to do is to create that process of co-creation and build that co-ownership around what the entire staff feels is the right culture for the organization to succeed in fulfilling their mission. It's important to have a core culture, but also the flexibility to adjust to the organization's needs. When you have a core culture, you will be able to bring it across locations. We believe in putting the customer first, listening to their needs and designing solutions that suit their needs, and to always be in service to the customer. That's the core Ascendas culture. Then in India, our Indian colleagues will have their own culture in how they will go about doing that - and in the Philippines and China, it will be slightly different. When you have a diverse workforce, one should embrace that diversity and try to bring out the best of each and see whether you can imbue that into other aspects, other countries. At the headquarters in Singapore, which also has its own unique way of doing things, we always try to have our international colleagues join us for major work planning sessions and strategy sessions. They also travel between countries to learn from the unique ways of operationalizing the Ascendas culture. Helping to Develop Economies As Singapore and Ascendas were in the growth phase and you were looking at opportunities and scanning the markets, how was the process of market development? The Bangalore project was G2G (government-to-government) at the highest level. The then-Prime Minister of India, Mr Narasimha Rao, approached our Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, and asked if Singapore could help to contribute to India's economic development. India, in the early-90s, had just opened its economy, so they were looking at the models of other countries who had been successfully attracting investments and developing infrastructure for economic development. I remember flying to Bangalore with Mr Philip Yeo in the middle of the night to look at the site, which had some coconut trees with nothing around it for miles, and we were asked to create an IT park there because India had IT talents. Today, the Bangalore IT park is a thriving metropolis and many companies have made it their home. These examples, at the G2G level, are where Singapore can be helpful to our neighbours and other countries; we can share the road map and model that we've adopted, whilst adapting it to their needs and situations. I always fear us going and saying, "You do this. You do that," without knowing the context and local environment - that cannot work. We need to go there [personally] and find local partners. For example, Mr Ratan Tata became our partner in Bangalore, and they've been extremely helpful in helping us navigate the very complex environment in India, in both the business as well as regulatory government environments. And you could say the same for the Suzhou Industrial Park, which today is again, another very thriving community. International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB) Bangalores first IT park. CapitaLand Over the last few decades, some economies in Asia have risen as expected, some have not. Which countries are the ones that people were looking out for in the past and today; how have they done? In the '90s, there were a lot of economies opening up, not just China and India, but Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand etc. These were all developing economies with little infrastructure and skilled labour to support all the industries that these countries wanted to promote. But I think one of the key success factor is how business-friendly the governments were, because investors that go into these countries were taking a lot of risk. And if they were to bring their technology, investment dollars, and plants into these countries - and face a lot of red tape, they're not going to open another plant. So, it was important that the governments, rather than red tape, try to roll out the red carpet. And once one succeeds, another will want to come in and it snowballs from there. In other words, those countries that were less bureaucratic and more business/investment-friendly took off faster than the rest. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Today, we speak a lot about entrepreneurship and innovation, and all countries are investing into that, hoping that the next unicorns will come from their countries. Could you tell us more about your role with SPRING Singapore in this context? SPRING Singapore (merged with International Enterprise Singapore in 2018 to form Enterprise Singapore) at that time, was in charge of promoting SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). We knew that it was foresight that would drive growth, and our next stage of development would be innovation and entrepreneurship. We knew that we needed more start-ups; companies with new products and innovations that would bring us up the next 'S-curve'. But it was an uphill task - there weren't enough start-ups and because the environment wasn't conducive, there weren't a lot of venture capitalists. So SPRING tried to build that environment and bring in VCs from overseas and tried to learn from Silicon Valley. We also provided grants to companies to take risks and start new projects, as well as connect them with successful start-ups around the world. We also encouraged banks to give loans to these companies, even though they didn't have a track record. It was a long struggle, but I think that when you've laid the foundations and put everything in place, you just need that spark for it to thrive. Now, I would say that Singapore is thriving in start-ups. We even have start-ups from Indonesia coming here to set up their companies. They see that Singapore has the necessary infrastructure for them to grow and reach out to established companies to partner, and then leapfrog into the region and the rest of the world. LONDON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The British government on Sunday ruled out plans to introduce the so-called "vaccine passports" to allow people who have had the jab against coronavirus to travel abroad. Still, people could get evidence from their doctors if they need it for travelling, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC. Zahawi made the remarks as the issue is under discussion in Britain and beyond. "Of course you have the evidence that you have been vaccinated held by your GP and if other countries require you to show proof of that evidence then that is up to those countries," he said. One of the reasons for not issuing "vaccine passports" is that the vaccine was not mandatory in the Britain, Zahawi said. "That's not how we do things. We do them by consent," he said. Meanwhile, it is not clear what impact the vaccines would have on transmission of the virus, he said. Downing Street has confirmed that all British adults aged 50 and older are expected to be offered a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine by early May. More than 12 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that Britain remains "on track" to complete the vaccination of the top priority groups, which cover 15 million people, by mid-February. Britain aims to offer all adults their first dose by autumn. England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Black History Month being declared a national observance in the United States. Though the theaters are still closed, we wanted to put in our votes for several shows that we've wanted to see on Broadway for a long time some have run there before and others are still awaiting their premieres. From James Baldwin's The Amen Corner to Alice Childress's Trouble in Mind, these are just a handful of works by Black artists that we want to see Broadway explore and celebrate when theaters open again. Adrienne Warren, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, and Audra McDonald in a scene from Shuffle Along in 2016. ( Julieta Cervantes) 1. Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed Book by George C. Wolfe, music by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, original book by F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed was almost too good to be true. Inspired by the history of Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F.E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles's Shuffle Along, one of the first musicals to be produced, written, and performed entirely by African-Americans, this 2016 musical featured a book and visionary direction by George C. Wolfe, astonishing choreography by Savion Glover, and an incredible cast led by Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Joshua Henry, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Adrienne Warren. Looking at success and its aftermath, Wolfe's Shuffle Along played an all-too-brief run at the Music Box Theatre in 2016. It deserves a revival. It was just too good. 2. The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window By Lorraine Hansberry If you know Lorraine Hansberry, chances are it's because of A Raisin in the Sun Hansberry's first play, and the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway. It was revived in 2004 (starring Sean Combs), and then again in 2014 (starring Denzel Washington), joining its 1961 film adaptation, its 1973 Broadway musical (titled Raisin), and its 1989 TV film in the jam-packed Raisin in the Sun catalogue. And yet, Broadway hasn't seen Hansberry's second and final play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, since 1972 (a revival that followed its original 1964 production). The play touches on racial issues, but was ahead of its time in additionally tackling suicide, homosexuality, and women's equality. Perhaps now is the perfect time to give Walter Lee a break, and pay a long overdue visit to Hansberry's lesser-known work. 3. The Amen Corner By James Baldwin James Baldwin is best known for novels and essay collections such as Go Tell It on the Mountain and Notes of a Native Son. But about the same time that those early works came out, he published his first play, The Amen Corner, in 1954. The story revolves around a Harlem storefront church, its pastor, Sister Margaret, and the fraught relationship that she has with the church leaders, her Black congregation, and her family. The play had a brief run on Broadway in 1965, and it now seems long overdue for a revival. As Baldwin's prescient novels are being rediscovered by a new generation, it is time to revisit his theatrical works as well. Douglas Turner Ward ( David Gordon) 4. Day of Absence By Douglas Turner Ward In Douglas Turner Ward's 1965 play, all the Black people in an imaginary Southern town have disappeared, leaving the white residents to figure out how to fend for themselves. A startling and uncomfortable social satire, Ward's Day of Absence was ahead of its time, and the time to revive it is now. Dule Hill and Jennifer Mudge in the 2007 Cherry Lane Theatre revival of Dutchman. ( Gabe Evans) 5. Dutchman By Amiri Baraka Dutchman the first play by Amiri Baraka, born LeRoi Jones may have been written in 1964, but it has lost none of its power to shock. If anything, the Obie Award-winning play's depiction of a confrontation between a femme fatale white woman and an emasculated Black man on a New York City subway plays even more provocatively today as race and gender relations have become more fraught in our current sociopolitical moment. Dule Hill and Jennifer Mudge, stars of the 2007 off-Broadway revival of the piece, proved this last summer, when they did an incredible virtual reading via Play-PerView. Alice Childress (handout image) 6. Trouble in Mind By Alice Childress OK, this is a ringer, because Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the long-awaited Broadway debut of this drama, which premiered off-Broadway in 1955. Childress's work is set backstage at a theater, where a group of Black actors deal with a condescending white director as they rehearse a fictional anti-lynching drama. Charles Randolph-Wright will direct the upcoming production, which is planned for the American Airlines Theatre whenever venues reopen. Livingston Co. to Receive COVID Vaccines This Week By West Kentucky Star Staff LIVINGSTON COUNTY - Two locations in Livingston County could receive additional COVID-19 vaccines this week.According to Livingston County Judge Executive Garrett Gruber, state officials say Smithland Drugs and Glenn's Prescription Center will receive around 100 vaccines for Livingston County residents.Gruber says Both locations are taking calls to schedule appointments and to add people to their waiting lists.Appointments are currently only being scheduled for those in phases 1a and 1b, which includes residents that are 70 and over, first responders, and healthcare personnel. About 60,000 appeals considered in 2020 First Cassation Court RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 14:23 08/02/2021 MOSCOW, February 8 (RAPSI) The First Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction considered around 60,000 appeals last year, RAPSI was told in the courts press service on Monday. According to the courts Chairman Nikolay Podkopayev, judicial panels in general do the job of timely and proper consideration of criminal, civil and administrative cases despite the coronavirus restrictions. The most part of complaints concerned civil cases (33,000). There were also about 14,000 criminal cases. During an average month civil judicial panels heard 135 complaints while criminal panels considered about 60 appeals. Guwahati, Feb 8 : A farmer was killed when a rhino from the Kaziranga National Park attacked him in Assam's Golaghat district on Monday, officials said. Forest officials said that Boloram Urang was attacked by the wild animal when he was going to his paddy field near Goshanibar village. Immediately after the incident, an angry mob blockaded a road demanding action against the forest officials, and compensation for the victim's family. Last month, a wild buffalo was shot dead by security personnel after it killed two people and injured two others in the state's Biswanath district. Forest officials and environment experts blamed encroachment of forest land, scarcity of animal fodder in the forest and open territory between the forest and villages for such attacks. [February 08, 2021] Meta-e Discovery Partners with Everlaw to Provide Next-Generation Ediscovery Meta-e Discovery LLC, a premiere ediscovery and litigation technology firm, announced today a partnership with Everlaw to streamline litigation workflows remotely and securely. By leveraging Everlaw's data processing power, users can seamlessly analyze data and collaborate on cases at lightning speed from anywhere in the world. As the digital universe expands at exponential rates, litigators and internal investigators are tasked with mining through mountains of data and documents. Modern eDiscovery has a growing imperative to quickly uncover the needle-in-a-haystack content that can make or break a case. The combination of Meta-e's renowned eDiscovery consulting and advisory services and Everlaw's comprehensive review platform arms legal teams with the tools to quickly and efficiently collect, analyze, and act on evidence. "Everlaw's platform is a real game-changer," said Meta-e CEO Paul McVoy. "At Meta-e, we are committed to leveling the playing field as it relates to discovery. By partnering with Everlaw, we are able to meaningfully advance that cause." Meta-e offers full case advisory services, from early case assessment and strategy, to document review, deposition and trial prep, with an approach that is customized to each case. Eerlaw folds perfectly into the Meta-e suite of tools, with their collaborative and accessible platform allowing real-time access, so legal teams have the flexibility to securely import and process data without facing infrastructure hurdles. Everlaw and Meta-e's priority on security, furthers the synergy between the two firms, with each company holding industry leading security credentials. "In today's digital world, organizations need turnkey solutions for their legal workflows," said Everlaw CEO and Founder AJ Shankar. "Meta-e shares our mission in delivering on this promise and brings their stellar reputation for litigation support and consulting layered on top of Everlaw's technology. We are excited to partner with Meta-e to combine our strengths and enhance our offering to clients." About Meta-e Meta-e Discovery, recognized by the prestigious Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide as a "Trusted Advisor" for the past three years, specializes in managing e-discovery matters, from the largest class action lawsuits and complex litigation to individual single event cases. Meta-e was founded on the principle that all litigants deserve equal access to the knowledge and tools that will help them prosecute their cases. In March 2020, Meta-e achieved ISO27001 certification, the highest level of certification related to data handling and security available in the litigation technology sector. For more information, please contact Adam Adkins at aadkins@metaediscovery.com or via telephone at 1-239-333-6577. About Everlaw Everlaw blends cutting-edge technology with modern design to help law firms, government entities, and corporations solve the toughest problems in the legal industry. Everlaw is used by 76 out of the AM Law 100, Fortune 100 corporate counsels, and all 50 U.S. state attorneys general. Everlaw holds the industry's highest security clearances, including SOC 2 Type 2 certification, HIPAA compliance, GDPR compliance, and FedRAMP authorization through the U.S. Department of Justice. Everlaw's North American headquarters is in Oakland, CA and European headquarters is in London, UK. The company is funded by top-tier investors, including CapitalG, Menlo Ventures (News - Alert) , Andreessen Horowitz, and K9 Ventures. Learn more at https://www.everlaw.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005544/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Arab foreign ministers will hold on Monday an emergency meeting at the Arab League (AL) in Cairo to discuss recent developments in the region, means of strengthening Arab solidarity, as well as ways of dealing with the anticipated foreign policies of the new Biden administration in Washington. According to Al-Arabiya, the meeting, which will be led by Egypt as the current chair of the AL, could see the passing of a resolution reaffirming the league's commitment to a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Arab countries's support to the Palestinians. The meeting comes two days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a preliminary ruling which stipulates the court has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, paving the way for a possible opening of an investigation into violations and war crimes by Israel in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. The AL has welcomed the ICC's decision. Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary general to the Arab League, said in remarks to the media on Sunday evening that the emergency meeting was called as per an Egyptian-Jordanian initiative, noting that it is the first face-to-face meeting for the AL's foreign ministers since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Zaki added that the Arab states, including those who have normalized relations with Israel, hold the same stance toward the Palestinian cause, including a commitment to establishing an indpendent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. He said he expects that consensus among Arab states on a proposed draft resolution that reaffirms the Arab nations constant stances on Palestine will be reached in the meeting. Zaki added that the last meeting of the foreign ministers of the AL in September was not an example of a succesful AL meeting because member states failed to reach a consensual position on normalization agreements recently signed by four Arab states with Israel. UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in 2020. However, all four countries maintained their commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and backing a two-state solution. Short link: Australia is trying to convince four Pacific island nations not to pull out of the regions key international body as it teeters on the brink of collapse over the election of a new leader. Palau announced last week it was leaving the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and called on its fellow Micronesian countries to follow suit after former Cook Islands prime minister Henry Puna won a ballot by one vote to become its new secretary-general. Former Cook Islands prime minister Henry Puna won the ballot 9-8. Credit:Marty Melville Mr Puna edged out Marshall Islands candidate Gerald Zackios, who was backed by the five nations from Micronesia. The bickering threatens to derail regional unity at a time when Australia has been trying to counter Chinas growing influence in the area through its Pacific step-up. Police have confirmed the arrest of a taxi driver accused of stealing goats and sheep from residents of Tujereng's Social Security Housing Real Estate. Residents of the area recently reported a theft case involving goats plus other unidentified properties belonging to people staying at the housing estate. The Office of Inspector General of Police in a statement released on Thursday 4 February 2021, states: "The police are pleased to announce that it has arrested the taxi driver whose number was in circulation for allegedly stealing sheep and goats around Tujereng. "The suspect is currently helping the police in their investigations," it ends. The Police PRO, Superintendent Lamin Njie, told The Point in an interview that the suspect was arrested thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Gambia Police Force, noting police are duty bound to protect the people and their properties. He stated that since the matter was reported around the community's housing estate, the police have taken strong commitment in making sure activities of such unlawful act are controlled. "We were able to make arrest of the taxi driver accused of stealing goats and sheep at the Tujereng Housing Estate. So as at now, he is currently under police custody helping the investigations." "We want to assure the public that the police will never relent to protect their lives and properties. Because this is what we have sworn on before taking up the duty as security personnel," he assured. Pa Malick Jone, a resident told The Point in an interview that the reported theft case involving goats and other properties happened over the weekend (weekend before last) around 2 p.m. in the afternoon after a taxi with a number plate: BJL 9635 R was spotted carrying goats and drove to escape. "We had no car at the moment to chase the taxi. I personally saw a car standing from a distance and before I could even realise that it was carrying goats, he quickly drove away. "We were with no car at that moment to follow the taxi but what is fortunate is; we were able to trace the number plate. What I want to remind people, especially residents of the real estate, is to be careful of the growing cases of theft by certain unscrupulous individuals who come to steal people's properties," he advised. The Akyem Ofoase District Police have begun investigations to unravel the reason why a 19 year-old mother slashed the throat of her new born baby. The suspect, identified as Patience Tetteh, alias Mommie, who resides at Atanurom, a village near Akyem Otwereso in the Akyemansa District in the Eastern Region, reportedly slit the throat of her day-old baby and dumped the body in a cocoa farm near the village. The police said she was arrested after leaders in the community reported the matter to them and the body of the baby wrapped in a sack was retrieved from the farm. Patience already has a five-year-old child and is believed to be suffering from depression. The body of the baby has meanwhile been deposited at the Oda Government Hospital morgue. Ofoase Police Commander The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ransford Nsiah, who confirmed the murder to the Daily Graphic, could, however, not give details of the case, explaining that the information he had was scanty. He said an investigator had been sent to invite the chief of Atanurom to come along with the suspect, Patience Tetteh, to the Akyem Ofoase Police Station today to brief the police on the incident. Frustration A source told the Daily Graphic at Atanurom yesterday that Patience was frustrated because she already had a child without a man claiming responsibility for that child. She was said to have travelled to Accra to seek greener pastures where she got impregnated again. The source said Patience returned to Atanurom to stay with her uncle, even though her mother resides at Akyem Oda. It said unusual of her, Patience did not come out of her room early last Friday morning and so her uncle went to her bedroom to check on her only to find that she had given birth the previous night unassisted. Resemblance of a beast According to the source, when the uncle asked Patience about the babys whereabouts, she replied that a part of the baby resembled an animal and so she had buried it in the bush. It said upon pressure from her uncle, Patience led him to a bush near their house where the uncle saw that she had killed the baby by slitting its throat with a kitchen knife. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Private investor Leda Holdings has kicked off 2021 with five land transactions in western Sydney, amounting to more than $20 million. It comes as a land parcel in the Mamre Road Precinct of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis is also being sold and is expected to generate strong interest, with price expectations of up to $80 million. Thanks to the rise in demand for online shopping, boosted by the closure of bricks-and-mortar stores during the pandemic, industrial property and zoned land for warehouse developments are in high demand. The englobo site at 1079 Great Western Highway, Minchinbury. CBREs Elijah Shakir and John Micallef and Savills Mick Ferreri negotiated the five individual Leda sales that formed part of a subdivided englobo block of land in Minchinbury, about 40 kilometres west of Sydney CBD. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) The Department of Health will monitor vaccinees for one year for possible health problems following COVID-19 immunization, an official said Monday. DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said persons inoculated against the virus will be closely monitored by the government for any adverse events after vaccination. The World Health Organization defines Adverse Event Following Immunization or AEFI as "any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine." Cabotaje said that right after receiving the shot, the vaccinee will have to wait in a designated room for 30 minutes to an hour to check if there will be adverse effects. Assigned health workers will provide reminders about some common side effects after getting a vaccine. The vaccinee's information will also be linked to the Health department's electronic immunization registry for further monitoring. "The observation will take one year para makita natin kung ito ba ay sa bakuna, or hindi dahil sa bakuna. Titingnan natin," she said during a Laging Handa briefing on Monday. [Translation: The observation will take one year for us to see if it is related to the vaccine, or not. We will see.] In a separate briefing, Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology President Rommel Lobo said allergic reactions may happen within four hours after receiving the vaccine. The delayed type hypersensitivity may take three to four days to develop and appear, Lobo said, also stressing it is "rare" to have a reaction after a year. "I haven't read of a paper documenting adverse event after immunization after a year," he added. The government is targeting to begin its vaccination rollout this month. For 2021, it hopes to inoculate at least 50 million Filipinos. (Alliance News) - Britons face needing a third jab this year amid concerns about the Oxford University and AstraZeneca PLC vaccine's effectiveness against the South African coronavirus variant. UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi was forced to defend the vaccine after a new study in South Africa found it was not effective at preventing mild illness caused by the more infectious mutation. South Africa has suspended the rollout of the British-designed vaccine to healthcare staff following the results, which have yet to be peer reviewed. Zahawi urged the public to keep faith with the Oxford jab as scientists working on the vaccine raised the prospect of having a booster dose available by the autumn. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the minister said: "While it is right and necessary to prepare for the deployment of an updated vaccine, we can take confidence from the current roll out and the protection it will provide all of us against this terrible disease. "We need to be aware that even where a vaccine has reduced efficacy in preventing infection there may still be good efficacy against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death. This is vitally important for protecting the healthcare system." It comes as: a The number of people in the UK who have received a first dose of a vaccine passed the 12 million mark, with jabs administered at a rate of almost 1,000 per minute during a one hour period over the weekend. a A new Scottish record for vaccines was set, with the number of initial jabs given in one day passing 50,000 for the first time. a Migrants living in the UK unlawfully will be given an amnesty in order to get vaccinated, the Daily Mail reported. a People living in Northern Ireland who cross the Irish border without a reasonable excuse face a 100 euro fine from Monday. a People who have been given both doses will be able to request their vaccine record from their GP to allow them to go on holiday to countries where immunity passports are required, Zahawi confirmed. Scientists agreed more research is required into the level of protection the Oxford vaccine affords against the South African variant but some expressed concern over the preliminary findings from the southern hemisphere. AstraZeneca said on Sunday the fact the study into the E484K mutation involved 2,000 people who were mostly young and healthy meant it had "not been able to properly ascertain" whether it prevented against severe illness and hospital admission. But the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company said it believed "our vaccine will still protect against severe disease" as the neutralising antibody activity is "equivalent to other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease". Sarah Gilbert, the Oxford vaccine's lead researcher, said her team was working on having an adapted version of their jab that could tackle the South Africa mutation a of which cases have been found in England a "available for the autumn". She said: "This year we expect to show that the new version of the vaccine will generate antibodies that recognise the new variant. Then it will be very much like working on flu vaccines. It looks very much like it will be available for the autumn." Zahawi said he and Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, agreed there was likely to be a follow-up jab programme later in the year. "We see very much probably an annual or booster in the autumn and then an annual (jab), in the way we do with flu vaccinations where you look at what variant of virus is spreading around the world, rapidly produce a variant of vaccine and then begin to vaccinate and protect the nation," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. The government's announcement that it had secured 20 million more rapid-result coronavirus tests signalled that the prime minister a due to set out his road map for easing restrictions later this month a could be preparing to relax lockdown rules in some settings as daily Covid deaths fell to their lowest level in weeks. Figures showed that a further 373 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, bringing the UK total to 112,465. The lateral flow antigen tests, which can return results in under 30 minutes, are the first British-made tests to be validated by Public Health England in the laboratory and will be deployed to test NHS and care home staff, as well as in schools, universities, and for key workers. But Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said the impact of Covid was likely to be felt at large gatherings long after lockdown was over. He told Times Radio: "I can't see us suddenly having another Cheltenham Festival with no regulations again, I can't see us having massive weddings with people coming from all over the world. "I think for the next few years those days are gone." By Patrick Daly, PA Political Correspondent source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Sorry! This content is not available in your region The Peruvian Corporation of Commercial Airports and Aviation (CORPAC) has awarded satellite networking technology, solutions and services company Gilat a multi-million-dollar contract to provide mission-critical telecom systems for 29 of Peru's airports. CORPAC is a government entity in charge of the administration of most of the airports in Peru. Gilat will design, supply, implement and commission equipment for communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) services in Peru's airports. Communication refers to communication between two or more aircraft, the exchange of data or verbal information between aircraft and air traffic control, and the ground-based communication infrastructure of the ATM network. Navigation, in this case, refers to the process of planning, recording, and controlling the movement of an aircraft from one place to another. Surveillance systems are used by air traffic control to determine the position of aircraft. "Gilat was selected by CORPAC due to its proven execution capabilities of large-scale government projects," said Arieh Rohrstock, general manager Gilat Peru and corporate VP. "This project will open the door to additional large deals as we intend to deliver upon our strategy of significantly increasing business in Peru." Its certainly true that Gilat has been busy in Peru over recent years. As we reported at the time, in November 2019 it won a $10 million five-year project for 3G/4G backhaul services. In 2018 Gilat was awarded $153.6 million by Fitel Peru (a telecommunications investment fund) for regional telecommunications projects. This was one of a number of Fitel-awarded deals in recent years. In 2016 Peruvian market leader Telefonica del Peru placed orders for Gilats SkyEdge II-c platform to extend cellular and broadband coverage to rural areas nationwide. Be Still & Know That I Am God: a captivating account with a purpose to show to the readers how God is faithful to His word and to give hope to those people who are going through lifes challenges. Be Still & Know That I Am God is the creation of published author Dr. Michael Alton II, a doctor who has dedicated his life to helping others. He began his medical career in the United States Army as a combat medic. Dr. Alton is a servant of God who believes that his purpose in life is to heal others and give them the best quality of life possible. Dr. Alton writes, Be Still & Know That I Am God was the name spoken to Dr. Alton by our father God when he was praying and asking what title to give his book. Certain situations in life render one helpless and unable to fight for themselves. These are the times when one has to completely let go and let God work things out. It takes total trust in our Father God in heaven that it is his will and not ours, whatever the outcome. Gods word tells us not to worry about anything as it will not add a single day to our life. God tells us to pray without ceasing and give thanks for all circumstances in life, even the tough ones. God also tells us to consider it a blessing to have trials as it produces endurance. We are to remain steadfast under trial and when we have stood the test, we shall receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. No matter what youre facing in life, give it to God, relax, and know he is truly in control. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dr. Michael Alton IIs new book encourages the readers to never lose their faith in God and to always believe in His word no matter how tough their tests in life are. View a synopsis of Be Still & Know That I Am God on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Be Still & Know That I Am God at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Be Still & Know That I Am God, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. analysis South Africans have witnessed a strong exchange between the State Capture Commission investigating corruption, the Constitutional Court and former president Jacob Zuma. Zuma, on whose watch the plunder allegedly took place, refused to comply with a summons from the commission. The commission then applied to the court for a declaratory order that he was obliged by law to cooperate. The court granted the order, condemning Zuma's uncooperative behaviour. Zuma then issued a public statement that he would defy the court's ruling. Finally, the commission responded to Zuma's defiance, announcing it was pressing criminal charges against him. While many have welcomed the commission's sharp reaction, we need to ask whether it has gone far enough. The Constitutional Court judgment was, in many respects, easily foreseeable. There could be no doubt that Zuma was subject to the constitution of the country, to the case law which upholds the validity of the commission, and to the Commissions Act. There's also no doubt that he is subject to the regulations which run the commission itself. The Act gives commissions of enquiry the powers of courts of law, including the power to issue summons. This means the State Capture Commission had the power to summon Zuma to appear before it. It did so in this case as a last resort, as he had repeatedly avoided appearing and answering its questions. Zuma was required, by law, to comply with such a summons and was not allowed to refuse to answer questions from the commission. If he wants to refuse to answer a question to protect himself from self-incrimination, he has to make a detailed case for refusing to answer each specific question. The Constitutional Court described Zuma's lack of cooperation with the commission as "reprehensible" and ordered him to pay the commission's legal costs - a highly unusual measure in constitutional litigation against the state. State Capture Commission Zuma established the commission on 9 January 2018, as part of the remedial action required by the then Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela. This followed her investigations into alleged improper conduct by the then president and his friends, the Gupta family, in his appointment of government ministers, and the operations of state companies for private benefit. Zuma established the commission after failing to have Madonsela's "State of Capture" report overturned on review. When announcing the commission, Zuma noted that The allegations that the state has been wrestled out of the hands of its real owners, the people of South Africa, is (sic) of paramount importance and are therefore deserving of finality and certainty. Zuma, who had been president since May 2009, resigned in January 2018 and was replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa. Kid gloves and delaying tactics The Constitutional Court judgment was not surprising to people who have followed the commission's two-year effort to get Zuma to testify. The court sets out these efforts in its judgment. But what was surprising was that the court had almost as much criticism for the commission as it had for Zuma. Importantly, it overturns Zuma's claim of victimhood and unfair targeting. The court found that, far from treating Zuma worse than the other witnesses, the commission had handled him with kid gloves. In doing so, it wasted valuable time and state resources, and imperilled a vital public investigation. For example, it "invited" Zuma to give evidence instead of issuing a summons to him. It negotiated with his lawyers when he first walked out of the proceedings in July 2019 . And it went through an unnecessary process of a hearing on whether to issue summons when it could simply have issued the summons. By giving Zuma the chance to respond to this hearing, the commission opened the door to further delaying tactics on his part. Zuma's perverse argument The judgment gives the public a comprehensive finding on how Zuma has frustrated the work of the commission, why that is unacceptable, and why his claims of a witch hunt hold no water. As for Zuma himself, it is clear that he has learnt nothing. His response to the judgment ignores all the carefully substantiated arguments that the court provides. He merely reiterates that the system is stacked against him. The only change is that he now includes the Constitutional Court among his alleged persecutors. The fact that his evidence is central to the commission's work because he ran the engine room of all the alleged corruption before the commission (paragraphs 69-70 of the judgment) is taken as proof of the unfair campaign against him. Perversely, the fact that the judgment details his legal obligations is taken as proof that the law is aimed exclusively at him, rather than applying equally to all witnesses. This, once again, ignores the court's point that Zuma cannot be granted better treatment than any other witness before the commission. Time for decisive action But the most important message from the judgment is for the commission itself, and its chair, Judge Raymond Zondo. And that is that it doesn't matter what Zuma thinks. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption South Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The enquiry cannot be run as an effort to persuade either Zuma or his followers that he is being fairly treated. The apex court has made it clear that the commission has an essential constitutional duty to fulfil and that, if it does not use the powers given to it by law to carry out this duty, it is failing South Africa. Whatever shortcomings its final report may have, it would be important to know that the commission did its best. The commission's response to Zuma's defiance emphasises that he is not above the law. It shows a growing willingness to use its coercive powers. But laying criminal charges is merely one of its options. As the commission enjoys the powers of a High Court, it can also imprison a person who refuses to testify, for up to eight days at a time, without a criminal conviction. That might still not bring Zuma to answer the questions put to him. But politeness will clearly not do so either. Even an appeal to the highest court in the land has failed to win Zuma's cooperation. It has, however, handed the commission the clearest statement yet of its duties and the tools it has to fulfil them. The ball is now in Judge Zondo's court. Cathleen Powell, Associate Professor in Public Law, University of Cape Town ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) An Illinois man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman he took hostage at gunpoint last year during a bank robbery that led to a police standoff. Nicholas August, of Rockford, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a weapon. Under his plea agreement, 22 other counts he had faced, including armed robbery, were dismissed. August, 39, must serve at least 85% of his sentence. Police said August entered Heritage Credit Union in Rockford on Jan. 3, 2020, and threatened employees during the robbery with a pellet gun that resembled a real firearm. He then took a female employee hostage and ordered other employees out of the building, authorities said. August sexually assaulted his hostage during the seven-hour standoff with police before he released her and surrendered. August had a history of accusations of violence against women before the standoff, the Rockford Register Star reported. Seven women had sought at least 12 court orders of protection against August since 2002. Those orders described increasingly violent episodes, but most of the women never filed criminal complaints. Rockford is about 90 miles (144 kilometers) northwest of Chicago and has about 150,000 residents. ___ This story was initially published on Feb. 8. It was updated on Feb. 9 to delete an erroneous reference to Rockford being the second-biggest city in Illinois. Aurora is the state's second biggest city. Though Oregons jail population fell last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of deaths in jails across the state appear to have gone up, largely due to substandard medical or mental health care, improper restraint of an inmate and inadequate suicide precautions, according to a new study made public Monday. At least 10 inmates died in the first 10 months of the year in eight different jails around the state due to non-COVID-19 reasons. Most of those people suffered from either mental illness or a substance use disorder, according to the study by the advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon. The group identified the 10 deaths in Oregons jails largely through news articles as there is no state source for the information. The state Criminal Justice Commission, which surveyed jails for deaths in recent years and also relied on figures obtained from Oregon Public Broadcasting reporting in 2019, reported nine deaths in Oregon jails in 2018 and seven in 2019. But the state commission cautioned that the numbers arent complete because not all jails responded to the survey. Jails should send all information on deaths in custody to both the state Criminal Justice Commission and the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, the commission recommended last fall. Of the 10 people who died in Oregon jails last year, five had documented mental health conditions, six died by suicide and eight had known substance use disorders. Six were in custody on charges related to drug or alcohol use. Six had been in and out of jail many times for predominantly low-level offenses and at least four were homeless, according to the report. Those who died by suicide hung themselves and were not on any suicide watch, though in one case the person had previously been hospitalized for a suicide attempt, the report said. The report faulted inadequate checks on inmates for some of the deaths. In one case, an inmate had left a cell bunk sometime in the night and wasnt found until the next morning in a bathroom. In another case, an inmate wasnt found dead for hours and rigor mortis had set in, suggesting no regular welfare check had been done in the jail, the report said. In two of the cases, hospitals cleared people to be booked into jail without sufficient examination, the report says. For example, Alex Jimenez, 34, died in April after he was brought to the Clatsop County Jail after a cursory examination at a local hospital, according to the report. He had been arrested on April 17 by Warrenton police, accused of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after police said he was walking into the street. Police shot him with a Taser and then took him to a hospital for evaluation. A doctor examined Jimenez as he remained in the police car parked in the ambulance bay, largely as a coronavirus precaution. The hospital then cleared him to go to jail, the report said. At the sally port at the jail, Jimenez, who was handcuffed, yelled and spit at sheriffs deputies from a back-seat window of the police SUV. Body camera footage showed several deputies tried to remove him from the car, kicked Jimenezs legs out from under him, forced him to the ground and used their hands, arms, upper bodies and knees to hold him face down on the concrete floor. At times, there were as many as six people holding him down until eventually he stopped moving, the report said. A deputy realized he wasnt breathing, turned him over and began chest compressions until fire paramedics arrived. They briefly revived him but Jimenez never regained consciousness and died later that day at a hospital. The medical examiner called the death accidental due to toxic effects of methamphetamine, with fatty liver and recent application of conductive electrical devices as other contributing factors. The reports author, Liz Reetz, a public interest law fellow with Disability Rights Oregons Mental Health Rights Project, said Jimenez was too sick to be in jail and when he arrived, police used a dangerous restraint practice. Clatsop County Sheriff Matt Phillips said communities need to provide more mental health care before people interact with the criminal justice system. Timely access to care benefits the individual in crisis and helps the whole community use its resources more effectively, he said in a statement. In another case, Jennifer McLaren, 26, died of undiagnosed pneumonia at Northern Oregon Corrections Facility, or Norcor, in The Dalles after she was taken into custody in January 2020 on a probation violation for a drug possession conviction. Though she complained of rib pain shortly after she was booked into custody and had asked to be taken to a hospital eight days later, she was moved instead to a cell in the booking area for closer watch. She was found unconscious and died in the jail. Detainees reporting symptoms were often seen as drug-seeking or otherwise faking their symptoms, the report said. In most cases pneumonia is treatable, especially in a young person. Disability Rights Oregon urged the state to adopt uniform health care standards and suicide protocols for all jails in Oregon, conduct regular inspections of jails and work to avoid sending people with disabilities to jail. The Oregon State Sheriffs Association sends jail staff from outside counties to inspect jails, but those examinations typically are done with advanced notice and the results arent made public, the report said. Theres no teeth to it, Reetz said. Its not truly independent and its voluntary. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain likely. High 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low near 45F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. MASON CITY, Iowa A woman already serving time is pleading guilty to another crime. Jennifer Mae Filbrandt, 36 of Mason City, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. Authorities say around 5.5 grams of meth were found at Filbrandts home after a search on September 25, 2019. Her sentencing is now set for February 22. Filbrandt is currently in prison for violating her parole on 2016 convictions for drug and burglary charges in Cerro Gordo County. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Two paddle boarders found themselves in difficulties this Sunday (7 February) on the San Andres beach in Malaga city, according to the Spanish maritime rescue service Salvamento Maritimo. Emergency services were alerted at around 3.15pm that there were two people paddle boarding who were apparently being carried out to sea and had problems returning to the shore. The rescue boat Alnitak was sent to the area and a Local Police team from Malaga also arrived on the scene, reporting that the two people had found themselves in difficulties, but one of them had managed safely reached the shore. Meanwhile, the Salvamar craft located the other person who was rescued at around 6pm and transferred to port. He said that he did not need medical attention. Ms. Sherman will be based in New York City and report to Matt Merna, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, Chubb North America Major Accounts. "Leigh Anne excels at growing and leading teams that drive organizational success. Most recently under her leadership our Private/Not-For-Profit Management Liability practice grew exponentially," said Mr. Merna. "Her background and experience make her a natural fit for her new role. I am confident that Leigh Anne will help ESIS continue their deep commitment to delivering outstanding service and results as well as accelerating growth through innovative solutions that help our clients reduce their total cost of risk." Prior to this appointment, Ms. Sherman served as Executive Vice President of Chubb's Private/Not-For-Profit Management Liability business within the North America Financial Lines. Effective immediately, Michael Mollica has been named to that role and will report to Steven F. Goldman, Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Financial Lines. Ms. Sherman began her career with Chubb in 1997 leading transformational technology solutions, and throughout her tenure has held progressive leadership roles in several offices within the Chubb organization. About ESIS, A Chubb Company ESIS, Inc. provides claim and risk management services to a wide variety of commercial clients. Our innovative best-in-class approach to program design, integration, and achievement of results aligns with the needs and expectations of our clients' unique risk management needs. With more than 66 years of experience and offerings in both the U.S. and globally, ESIS provides one of the industry's broadest selections of risk management solutions covering both pre- and post-loss services. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com. Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca. SOURCE Chubb British Expats who want to stay Spain are facing an arduous and complicated task. When the UK left the European Union on December 31, British Expats lost most of their privileges as EU citizens, such as public health care and moving to Spain without a job or substantial financial resources to stay. Overseas Experts and British Associations like "Brexpats in Spain" which has more than 20,000 members on Spanish soil, fought to prevent Brexit and many are extremely upset about the red tape theyre now forced to navigate. Theyve begun to feel foreign in our country, says Marbella Lawyer & Foreign Specialist Ricardo Bocanegra, who believes that its the people who want to move to Spain in the future, not the people who are already here that face real problems. Alien Rules From January 1, British citizens who are thinking of settling in Spain will have to comply with the provisions set out in the General Regime of Foreigners. The conditions are very strict and British people will be treated the same as any other foreigner, says Bocanegra. It means that British citizens moving to Spain will have to prove they have somewhere to stay, sufficient financial resources to stay in the country if they dont work and private medical insurance that provides health coverage equivalent to what's provided by Social Security. Brexit also affects everyday issues such as driving, because the mutual recognition agreement between the two countries is now void, so Britons will now have to sit a driving test and a written exam to obtain a valid driver's licence for Spain. This issue generates great unrest, especially amongst those who already live here, because from the announcement of Brexit until the end of 2020 a British driver's licence could simply be exchanged for a Spanish one, but now those who move to Spain will have no choice but to sit the tests," adds Ricardo Bocanegra. Sharon Hitchcock has lived in Malaga on the Costa del Sol for more than 30 years and when she moved to Spain she didnt need to prove that she had a job or money in the bank. Brexit is a change for the worse and a setback to the 1980s, says Hitchcock, who finds it "very sad" that as things stand today, people can only move to Spain if they have significant financial support. "A large number of British retirees also used to settle in Malaga, Alicante, Mallorca or the Canary Islands, but this new situation doesnt do them any favours either, says "Brexpats in Spain Pesident Anne Hernandez. "The elderly have their pensions and many also have some savings which used to be enough to live on here, before the UK left the EU." Now they have to adapt to these new conditions and meet the strict requirements of Spanish law," says Hernandez. They'll have to take out health insurance which is very expensive because of their age and pathology and prove that they have an enormous amount of money in the bank, which most do not have. New Delhi: The government has asked social media messaging app, Twitter, to remove 1178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation in the backdrop of the farmers' protests. The list was shared on the 4th of February, and Twitter is yet to comply with the order. Sources told Zee Media that, "Many of these accounts were also automated bots that were used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers protests." This is the 2nd time in the last two weeks that the Indian govt has pointed out the issues related to certain accounts. On 31st of January also India's Electronics and IT ministry had sent a list of 257 accounts which the home ministry had listed for trying to trend genocide vis a vis the protests. Live TV While Twitter had acted on them by withholding them, but hours later it unblocked them. An irked IT ministry had sent another notice to the social media giant which is yet to be implemented. Indian govt is also concerned over Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey liking "several tweets made by foreign-based celebrities in support of farmer protests" which Indian govt sources said, "raises questions about Twitters neutrality" A Romanian woman living in Ireland for the last 20 years has brought a High Court challenge over the withdrawal of her Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) after she returned home to deal with a family emergency. The action against the Minister for Social Protection and the State has been taken by Maria Lupu, an EU national working in Dublin as a property inspector and who has lived here for more than 20 years. Last March she applied for and was deemed eligible for the PUP. The following May she travelled to Romania to help care for her elderly father, whose care centre had closed. Prior to boarding her flight at Dublin Airport, she claims she was stopped by a social welfare inspector, who asked to see her identification and her PPS number. She claims that her payment was stopped on May 26 last, a day after she flew to Romania. She returned to Ireland in late August. She then contacted a social welfare inspector about her PUP, seeking to have that payment restored. She said that when she applied for the PUP the form stated that she must be residing in Ireland and there was no mention about taking trips outside of the country. She claims that in September she was informed by the inspector that following a review her PUP had been withdrawn. She appealed that decision but the appeal was not granted because no formal written decision had been made on which an appeal could be based. She claims the decision not to reinstate her PUP was unlawful, unfair, illogical and in breach of her rights as an EU citizen. She further claims that the decision was unlawful because under the 2005 Social Welfare Consolidation Act her claim to have the payment reinstated was decided upon by a social welfare inspector. While a social welfare inspector has the power to investigate such claims, an inspector does not have the power to make a decision on such a claim, which can only be ruled on by a designated deciding officer, it is claimed. The court also heard that Ms Lupu of Redwood, Hollystown, Dublin 15, returned to work in late September 2020. In her judicial review action against the Minister for Social Protection, Ireland and the Attorney General, Ms Lupu seeks an order quashing the minister's decision to cease her PUP payments. She also seeks declarations from the court including that the minister's social welfare officer erred in law and acted outside their jurisdiction when they determined her claim. She further seeks a declaration that the minister erred in law and breached her rights to fair procedures in ceasing her PUP. Derek Shortall SC for Ms Lupu said that similar legal challenges have been brought by other Irish resident EU citizens after their PUP payments were cut off after they left the jurisdiction. Counsel said those other actions had been settled, with the respondents agreeing to orders quashing the decision to stop the payments. Permission to bring the action was granted, on an ex-parte (one side only represented) basis, by Mr Justice Charles Meenan. The judge made the action returnable to March. New Delhi, Feb 9 : More than 2 lakh beneficiaries, including healthcare and frontline workers, received Covid vaccine shots on Monday, pushing the tally of vaccinated population above the 6 million-mark, the Union Health Ministry said. The data shared by the ministry showed that 2,23,298 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6 pm on Monday through 8,257 sessions held across the country. With the latest addition, the cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19 has now reached 60,35,660 through 1,24,744 sessions held so far. Of these 54,12,270 are healthcare workers and the remaining 6,23,390 are frontline workers. Meanwhile, the figure of deaths of vaccine beneficiaries has reached 23 after one person was reported dead in the last 24 hours. "Total 23 deaths have been recorded till date. In the last 24 hours, one death has been reported -- a 29-year-old female, a resident of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh," the ministry informed. "These comprise 0.0004 per cent of the total vaccinations. Of the 23, nine persons died in hospitals while 14 deaths were recorded outside the hospitals," it added. However, the ministry officials clarified that "none of these deaths have been causally linked to Covid-19 vaccination". The ministry also informed that 29 persons have been hospitalised after receiving vaccine doses so far, comprising 0.0005 per cent of the total vaccinations. "Of the 29 cases of hospitalisation, 19 were discharged after treatment, while nine persons died. In the last 24 hours, one person suffering from B/L facial palsy has been hospitalised in Thiruvananthapuram, and his condition is stable, officials said. However, they maintained that no case of serious/severe adverse event following immunisation/death is attributable to vaccination till date. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Trend Micro Incorporated, a leader in cloud security, has announced that it was named one of the 100 Coolest Cloud Companies for 2021 by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company. This annual list recognises the leading cloud technology providers in five critical categories: infrastructure, monitoring and management, security, storage, and software. The list not only honours exceptional technology suppliers, but it has become a trusted resource for solutions providers looking for cloud technology providers to partner with presenting a list of the companies best-positioned to support their cloud service needs. This years 100 Coolest Cloud Companies were selected by the CRN editorial team based on two key deliverables: companies demonstrated commitment to working with channel partners; and their innovation in product and service development. It is great to once again be on CRNs list of Coolest Cloud Companies, said Dr Moataz bin Ali, VP and Managing Director, Trend Micro Middle East and North Africa. This accolade is further testament to the strides that Trend Micro has made in cloud security and our position as an industry leader in cybersecurity. Our success stems from our ongoing relationships with our channel partners across the Mena region. Their successes are our successes, and our Cloud One platform has been key in enabling them to simplify our customers multi-cloud environments with security solutions that protect and empower. With the launch of Trend Micro Cloud One, the company has launched a security services platform for organisations building in the cloud, delivering the broadest and deepest cloud security offering in one solution. It enables customers to secure their cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. CRNs 100 Coolest Cloud Companies list is featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN and online. TradeArabia News Service Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. AS schools in Limerick and around the country remain closed due to the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mary Immaculate College has once again teamed up with RTE to support families and children in continuing their learning during this time. A Macalla Teo production, filming of RTEs Home School Hub recommenced last month, following its initial run from the first lockdown in March 2020. The Home School Hub was created to provide much-needed reassurance for children and families during unimaginable uncertainty and allowed thousands of children and their families from all over the country to tune in for an hour every day to engage with innovative curriculum-based content and enjoy active fun-based activities. While schools are continuing to support children through online platforms during this wave of the pandemic, the Home School Hub provides a different medium of engagement and allows children to spend time learning that involves less focus on devices. The teachers, Ray Cuddihy, Cliona Ni Chiosain, John Sharpson and Emer ONeill are acutely aware of childrens unique learning environments at this time and a focus is maintained on adopting a universal pedagogy designed to support all childrens participation. Professor Emer Ring, Dean of Education at MIC has welcomed the college's continued involvement in supporting the initiative which has proved a hit with children and parents. RTEs Home School Hub is an outstanding response to these times, which endeavours to replicate the classroom and provide an opportunity for children to spend some time in a familiar environment and experience creative and engaging curriculum-linked experiences. MIC is delighted through the RTE Home School Hub to be able to support childrens learning and in a very small way alleviate the impact of this unimaginable crisis on childrens lives," she said. Professor Ring added that it is a privilege to work with such a committed and enthusiastic production team and teachers. "As the Irish proverb goes, Ni neart go cur le cheile captures the generous support from my colleagues in the Faculty of Education who have volunteered their own time to support this teacher-led initiative. In particular, Sean De Brun, Dr Anne Dolan, Martina Ni Fhatharta, Sara Fitzgerald, Dr Mairead Hourigan, Dr Aisling Leavy, Dr Maeve Liston, Dr TJ O Ceallaigh and Dr Gavan Ring have been of great support and I thank them sincerely for sharing their extensive expertise in curriculum and pedagogy," she said. Mairead Fitzmaurice, who graduated from MIC as a primary teacher in 2019 and is currently studying on the MA in STEM Education at MIC, is also continuing as a researcher for the new series. "I am privileged to be part of series two of RTE Home School Hub as educational researcher. I really enjoyed my time working on the first series. The programme is a credit to all who worked on it, in particular to the four teachers Muinteoir Ray, Muinteoir John, Muinteoir Emer and Muinteoir Cliona. I am also very grateful for the help and support of Professor Emer Ring and the Faculty of Education in Mary Immaculate College. I look forward to meeting the production crew in person once restrictions allow and I can travel. It will be nice to put faces to the people I have been working with since last March. It is an experience that I will never forget and I am proud to be part of such a wonderful educational community," she said. Mary Immaculate College is particularly proud of teacher and presenter, Ray Cuddihy, who is a recent graduate having completed the Professional Master of Education (PME) at MIC in 2019. Commenting on returning to filming Muinteoir Ray remarked: I'm more than happy to be back in front of the cameras with Home School Hub. The reaction to the first run in 2020 from our audience, both young and old, was truly overwhelming. It's a real honour for me to showcase teaching techniques and strategies that are tailored for this unique learning setting. As always, it's a huge team effort. The link with Mary Immaculate College Faculty of Education and in particular with Professor Emer Ring is instrumental. This support provides the Hub with a solid platform to be creative, engaging and energetic in creating content. Tune in to Home School Hub on RTE 2 television on weekdays from 10am to 12.10pm and to After School Hub from 3.15pm to 4.20pm. Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, on Monday ahead of an emergency Arab League (AL) foreign ministers's meeting set for later today in Cairo. Shoukry and Safadi coordinated approach for the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss an Arab stance on recent developments in the Palestinian cause, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. The emergency AL foreign ministers's meeting on the Palestinian cause was called as per an Egyptian-Jordanian initiative, and will be led by Egypt as the current chair of the AL. The Egyptian and Jordanian FMs also reviewed regional issues of mutual concern and discussed means to boost bilateral relations, the statement added. The two countries agreed that the AL foreign ministers' emergency meeting comes to emphasize the fundamentals of the Arab stance towards the Palestinian cause and the endeavour to provide the political climate required for the re-engagement of the Palestinian and Israeli sides in a serious negotiation path, the statement said. Egypt and Jordan have cooperated to revive the frozen Israel-Palestinian peace process at the quartet level with Germany and France, and at the tripartite level with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki in Cairo. The two FMs also affirmed the need to halt all foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Arab countries and advance political solutions to all crises of the region in a way that consolidates security and stability of Arab people, the statement added. Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary general to the Arab League, said in remarks to the media on Sunday he expects that consensus among Arab states on a proposed draft resolution that reaffirms the Arab nations constant stances on Palestine will be reached in the emergency meeting. Short link: The induction ceremony of the first five jets at the Ambala Air Force base on September 10 last cost the exchequer a little over of Rs 41 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh GST, Defence Minister said in Rajya Sabha on Monday. "The first five aircraft of IAF were formally inducted into IAF on September 10. The arrangements for this event were made mostly through local resources of IAF. The total expenditure on the event was Rs 41.32 lakh including Rs 9.18 lakh of GST," he said. Singh said all new variant of aircraft are traditionally inducted into the through a "befitting ceremony" The induction ceremony was attended by French Defence Minister Florence Parly and the top echelon of the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the aircraft. The first batch of the five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The formal induction ceremony of the fleet had taken place nearly six weeks later. A second batch of three Rafale jets arrived in India on November 3 while a third batch of another three jets joined the IAF on January 27. The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff for the last nine months. The first squadron of the Rafale jets is stationed at the Ambala air base while the second one will be based at the Hasimara base in West Bengal. (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 U.S. Army on Monday announced the upcoming deployment of a combat aviation brigade, or CAB, out of Fort Riley, Kansas, to provide helicopter support for U.S. forces operating in Europe and Africa. The 1st Infantry Division's CAB will replace the 101st Airborne Division's CAB in April to support U.S. Army Europe and Africa in Operation Atlantic Resolve, according to an Army news release. Col. Bryan Chivers, commander of the 1st ID's CAB, said his Demon brigade is excited and ready for the upcoming deployment. Read Next: Fort Hood Restricts Base Access After Shooting Incident "We look forward to strengthening our long-standing partnership with our allies and partners, reaffirming the United States' commitment to NATO," he said in the release. "Our soldiers are well-trained and ready to support this mission, and our European partners." The majority of the 1st ID CAB's equipment and personnel will be stationed in Germany, with a forward presence in Latvia, Romania and Poland, according to the release. The Army merged its Europe and Africa headquarters last fall under the command of Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who was previously in charge of U.S. Army Europe as a three-star general. Cavoli, now a four-star, said last week that the consolidation gives him the freedom to coordinate with European counterparts when they want to discuss their operations and interests in Africa. He also said he wants to create a theater fires command in the region to more effectively monitor and track potential long-range targets on both continents. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Head of Army Europe and Africa Wants a New Command for Long-Range Fires Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. I have always loved to be surrounded by beautiful things. As a child, I was very particular about colour. I loved unusual hues and shapes, and I was happy not to follow current trends and peer pressure. Growing up, age and many trips to Europe refined my aesthetic, also uncovering my unwavering love for France. The discovery of small intricacies and elegance of vintage tableware gradually led to my joy of table setting. Whether its a dining room, a patch of lawn shaded by an overhanging tree, or along a sandy stretch of beach, to me, table setting is my creative play (maybe not your typical hobby, but something I enjoy doing, on any occasion) - and its even more fun to dress up to coordinate with the general colour scheme! It doesnt just have to be decorating everything with dainty flowers, I also love to utilise foliage to embellish a table and set the mood as well. Below are the photos of some of my table settings. Take a peek at my upcoming Chinese New Year table at home. Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial is opening this week with a sense of urgency by Democrats who want to hold the former president accountable for the violent siege and Republicans who want it over as fast as possible. Scheduled to begin Tuesday, just over a month since the deadly riot, the proceedings are expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated trial that resulted in Trump's acquittal a year ago on charges that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trump's Jan. 6 rally cry to fight like hell and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. While Trump very well could be acquitted again, the trial could be over in half the time. Details of the proceedings are still being negotiated by the Senate leaders, with the duration of opening arguments, senators' questions and deliberations all up for debate. So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who have been sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Most are also witnesses to the siege, having fled for safety that day as the rioters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the electoral count certifying Biden's victory. Defense attorneys for Trump declined a request for him to testify. Holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club, the former president has been silenced on social media by Twitter without public comments since leaving the White House, Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are expected to rely on the trove of videos from the siege, along with Trump's incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defense team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trump's first impeachment. "Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call. Trump is the first president to be twice impeached, and the only one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House approved a sole charge, incitement of insurrection, acting swiftly one week after the riot, the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died of injuries the next day. Democrats argue it's not only about winning conviction, but holding the former president accountable for his actions, even though he's out of office. For Republicans, the trial will test their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP. Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the siege, Republican senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. But in recent weeks GOP senators have rallied around Trump arguing his comments do not make him responsible for the violence. They question the legitimacy of even conducting a trial of someone no longer in office. On Sunday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi described Trump's impeachment trial as a meaningless messaging partisan exercise." Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky called the proceedings a farce with zero chance of conviction" and described Trump's language and rally words as figurative speech. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial proceedings were delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new president's initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to put as much distance as possible from the bloody riot. At the time, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, drawing 44 other Republicans to his argument. A prominent conservative lawyer, Charles Cooper, rejects that view, writing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Sunday that the Constitution permits the Senate to try an ex-official, a significant counterpoint to that of Republican senators who have looked toward acquittal by advancing constitutional claims. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump's ardent defenders, said he believes Trump's actions were wrong and he's going to have a place in history for all of this, but insisted it's not the Senate's job to judge. It's not a question of how the trial ends, it's a question of when it ends, Graham said. Republicans are going to view this as an unconstitutional exercise, and the only question is, will they call witnesses, how long does the trial take? But the outcome is really not in doubt. But 45 votes in favor of Paul's measure suggested the near impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Only five Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Paul's motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Schiff was on NBC's Meet the Press, Wicker spoke on ABC's This Week, Paul was on Fox News Sunday and Graham was on CBS' Face the Nation. (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.) Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said on Feb. 8 her office will not pursue charges against a Hanahan police officer involved in a fatal encounter with a man in December. Wilson, whose office prosecutes cases in Charleston and Berkeley counties, said a review of evidence presented by the State Law Enforcement Division makes it clear the man, Javin Ancrum, died by suicide. Ancrum was 21 and lived in Summerville, according to the Berkeley County Coroner's Office. The encounter began after an officer tried to pull a car over at 10:12 p.m. on Henry Brown Boulevard on Dec. 5, according to the Hanahan Police Department. Police said the driver refused to stop and a pursuit began. When the car finally stopped in unincorporated Goose Creek, "the officer discharged their weapon," police said. Ancrum wasn't driving alone and his passenger told investigators he took his own life, according to Wilson's statement. Further investigation revealed that after the car stopped, Ancrum unzipped a bag on the floorboard behind him and pulled out a 9 mm handgun, the solicitor said. Ancrum looked at his passenger and said, "I have to shoot myself," Wilson said. "(The passenger) heard two loud gunshots followed by several shots from the police officer," the solicitor said. Officers found the handgun by Ancrum's body and a SLED forensic analysis found a bullet recovered from his head during an autopsy was fired from that gun, Wilson said. The solicitor said the officer fired his gun in response to Ancrum's shots and that the officer's shots did not hit anyone. Based on South Carolina's legal standards, the officer "reasonably believed he was in imminent danger of great bodily injury or death from the deceased," Wilson said. The incident was the 47th of 49 officer-involved shootings in South Carolina in 2020, according to SLED, and the first involving the Hanahan Police Department. In 2020, South Carolina tied its record for officer-involved shootings in a single year 49, set in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 10:16:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia registered 885 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 142,338, the country's Ministry of Health said Sunday. The death toll from COVID-19 in the country reached 2,148 on Sunday evening after three new deaths were reported. The ministry said 88 more recoveries were logged during the same period, taking the national count to 125,619. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has so far reported the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region. The Ethiopian government has been urging the public to implement COVID-19 precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus. Enditem Picture the scene. You are the only doctor on one of Australias remote stations in Antarctica. One of the expeditioners comes to you in agony. You need to perform an appendectomy. Now. Winter ice floes mean theres no possibility of evacuating a patient for nine months of the year. No helicopter coming to the rescue over the horizon. You are on your own. From left to right: chef Jordan Smith, electronics engineer Ladge Kviz, Dr John Cherry and boilermaker Richard Charles-Norris. Credit:Australian Antarctic Division Its a good job, then, that the chef, boilermaker, plumber and carpenter are good at multitasking and have all been trained in operating theatre procedures to be lay surgical assistants (LSA). Four doctors head off this week to provide medical cover on Mawson, Davis and Casey stations in the Antarctic and Macquarie Island station in the subantarctic. Each is responsible for providing all surgical, medical, anaesthetic and dental care for expeditioners on their stations. It was surely a sad day in our country when we learnt about the glacier burst in Joshimath of Uttarakhands Chamoli district which resulted in floods in the Dhauli Ganga river in the region. This disaster surely shocked everyone in our country and even made our stars express their grief on social media. Our stars took to their social media and sent out their prayers and wishes for peoples well being who got affected by this calamity. This has yet again made us wonder about the environment and the global warming issues, which is indeed affecting our people. Stars like Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Ishaan Khatter spoke about their feelings regarding this matter on their social media handles. Shahid Kapoor sang praises about the city and its people and wished them a speedy recovery, Prayers for all those affected in Uttarakhand. A beautiful state with wonderful people. Have shot there many times. Prayers for all those effected in Uttarakhand. A beautiful state with wonderful people. Have shot there many a times. AAAAAA Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) February 8, 2021 Kartik Aaryan expressed his sad state-of-mind and offered prayers to them, Very disheartened to hear about the glacier burst in Chamoli. Praying for everyone's safety. Very disheartened to hear about the glacier burst in Chamoli. Praying for everyone's safety.#Uttarakhand AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Kartik Aaryan (@TheAaryanKartik) February 8, 2021 Ananya Panday and Janhvi Kapoor expressed their deepest condolences to the people and spoke about the unexpected event in Uttarakhand.Alia Bhatt took to her Instagram story and shared the unfortunate news and even shared the helpline number which is provided for immediate help to the people affected. Ishaan Khatter too asked people to forward the helpline number devoted to this cause and shared an Insta-story about it. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of #Uttarakhand at this time. Praying for everyone's safety and well-being. A big salute to the @ITBP_official jawans deployed for search and rescue operations. AAAAAAAAAAAA Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) February 7, 2021 Man induced disasters. Hurtful to watch this. Nature is getting back at us for toying with it. #UttarakhandDisaster https://t.co/THwBIQbFXC taapsee pannu (@taapsee) February 7, 2021 aAAaaAAaaaaAAaAAa aa aAAaaAAaAA aaa aaAAaAAa sonu sood (@SonuSood) February 7, 2021 Building too many dams in the Himalayas has lead to this. Prayers for the people of Chamoli. Please contact Disaster Operations Center number 1070 or 9557444486 for help. #Uttarakhand https://t.co/x6D9X4laSj Dia Mirza (@deespeak) February 7, 2021 Other stars like Janhvi Kapoor, Mahesh Babu, Sonu Sood, Dia Mirza too shared their grief and shock about this disaster that shook our nation. On Sunday morning at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Reni village, triggering an avalanche and a flood in the Alaknanda river system. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga, and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation. 1. Number of casualties so far According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, at least seven people have died due to the calamity until now. However, it is projected that the casualties may go up as many villagers and shepherds have swept away in the rivers. The CM, in his yesterday's press conference, also notified that five common men, including shepherds and 180 sheep and goats also swept away due to the flood. Additionally, official figures say that 125 people are still missing and the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), other agencies have rescued 16 labourers from a tunnel in the Tapovan project. Rescue efforts at present are focused on extricating 30-35 workers trapped in the same tunnel. Two power projects, NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project, were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as water came rushing in. 2. Is glacier burst bigger than 2013 Kedarnath disaster? The Uttarakhand glacier disaster came as a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013, which led to widespread devastation in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. However, unlike the Kedarnath tragedy that struck after a downpour, the flash flood on Sunday occurred on a bright and sunny morning, which helped in relief and rescue operations by police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and ITBP personnel in the affected areas. Contrary to the bad weather that delayed the launch of relief and rescue operations after the Kedarnath deluge whose magnitude could not be immediately realised, the clear weather on Sunday allowed helicopters to reach the affected areas quickly. In Kedarnath's tragedy, 169 people died and 4,021 went missing, who were later presumed to be dead, according to the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). However, in Sunday's glacier burst and consequent flash flood, seven people have lost their lives and 125 are still missing. The numbers of casualties can go up as DRDO, SDRF, and NDRF officials are still monitoring the disaster-hit areas. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has claimed there was no danger of floods in downstream areas as the water level had been contained. The India Meteorological Department informed that there is no rainfall warning in the region for the next two days. 3. Armed forces deployed The following columns have been deployed at Reni Village near Joshimath: 2 x columns from Joshimath and 2x columns from Auli have been deployed. Two columns is on standby. One column has 30-35 army personnel. Besides, an engineering task force with two JCBs deployed. Control Room has also been established at Joshimath. Total 60 persons of NDRF have been moved with a 5-tonne load from Hindon to Jolly grant Airport in IAF C130. One more C130 and one AN 32 are ready at Hindon for additional NDRF teams. Three IAF Mi-17 have been positioned at JollyGrant to airlift NDRF teams to Joshimath. 4. What PM Modi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was constantly monitoring the situation in the state. India stands with Uttarakhand, prays for everyone's safety, he said. 5. What Amit Shah said In a series of tweets, Amit Shah said teams of the NDRF were deployed for rescue and relief operations of the affected people, while additional troops of the force were being airlifted from Delhi. Shah also spoke to CM Rawat and assured him of all possible support to deal with the situation arising from the glacier burst. 6. French President expresses solidarity with India French President Emmanuel Macron wrote, "France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families". 7. PM okays Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for kin of those dead Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the avalanche. The PMO also said Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured. 8. CM Rawat okays Rs 4 lakh ex gratia for kin of deceased CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said families of those dead in Sunday's disaster will be given Rs 4 lakh as compensation. 9. CMs pray for Uttarakhand West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she was deeply shocked over the disaster that struck Uttarakhand. "Deeply shocked and very saddened at the loss of lives in the disaster that took place in Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Wishing a speedy and full recovery for those injured in the calamity," she tweeted. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed concerns over developments in Uttarakhand and prayed for the well-being of the people in Chamoli district. 10. Bollywood celebs wish for people's safety Film personalities, including Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Taapsee Pannu, Renuka Shahane, Dia Mirza, Shraddha Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Sonu Sood and MP and actor Sunny Deol expressed concerns for the safety of people after a glacier broke off at Joshimath.Also read: Uttarakhand flood: PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased Also read: Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Live Updates: 7 dead, 170 missing, confirms State Disaster Management Subscriber content preview By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska A state-sponsored corporation has proposed seeking federal infrastructure funds to advance an initial phase of a mega-gas project to bring gas from the northern Point Thomson gas field to Fairbanks. A resolution passed by the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. board Thursday states that the corporation has identified a strategic party fit, willing and able to initiate and lead that initial phase, including pipeline development, ownership and operation. The party wasn't identified. . . . Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 A payslip made from a sheet of papyrus shows a Roman soldier was left penniless 1,900 years ago after the military took out fees for certain items. The document was made out to a Gaius Messius, who participated in the Siege of Masada that was one of the last battles during the First Jewish-Roman War. The receipt shows Messius received 50 denarri as his stipend, but fees for barley money, food and military equipment were taken out that totaled to the amount of his full pay. Because part of the deductions taken were for fodder, food for livestock, experts believe he was a legionary cavalryman and had to feed his horse and mule. A payslip made from a sheet of papyrus shows a Roman soldier was left penniless 1,900 years ago after the military took out fees for certain items. It shows Gaius Messius received 50 denarri, but fees for barley money, food and military equipment were taken out that totaled to the amount of his full pay The pay slip was found were the Romans may have set up camp during the Siege of Masada and is dated for after the war suggesting it was payment for participation. The documents translation is available in the Database of Military Inscriptions and Papyri of Early Roman Palestine, as first reported on by Task & Purpose. It reads: The fourth consulate of Imperator Vespasianus Augustus. Accounts, salary. Gaius Messius, son of Gaius, of the tribe Fabia, from Beirut. The document was made out to a Gaius Messius, who participated in the Siege of Masada that was one of the last battles during the First Jewish-Roman War I received my stipendium of 50 denarii, out of which I have paid barley money 16 denarii. []rnius: food expenses 20(?) denarii; boots 5 denarii; leather strappings 2 denarii; linen tunic 7 denarii. Masada Masada is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau (akin to a mesa) on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. The Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First JewishRoman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Jewish rebels and their families hiding there. Masada is located 12 miles east of Arad and is Israel's most popular paid tourist attraction. The site of Masada was identified in 1842 and extensively excavated between 1963 and 1965 by an expedition led by Israeli archeologist Yigael Yadin. Due to the remoteness from human habitation and its arid environment, the site remained largely untouched by humans or nature for two millennia. Advertisement And the total of deductions is 50 denarri Messius entire pay check. It is interesting to observe how much of his pay went to mandatory expenses: clothing, food, etc. He seems effectively penniless after payday, reads the notes left by the team involved with the database. Masada is located 12 miles east of Arad and is Israels most popular paid tourist attraction. It was once an ancient fortification atop an isolated rock plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built the massive structure between 37 and 31 BCE. During the First Jewish-Roman War, which started in 66 AD through 73 AD, rebellions sparked by the Jews against the Roman Empire that had taken over Israel, according to the History Channel. Also known as The Great Revolt, the battle resulted in the destruction of Jewish towns, displacement of people and the appropriation of land for Roman Military use. When Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, the remaining rebels relocated to Herods fortress in Masada. The Romans followed shortly after and surrounded Masada with about 8,000 soldiers at the base of the mountain. When it became clear the Romans were going to take the fortress, the 960 Jews, excluding two women and five children, took their lives rather than become slaves of their enemy. Flavius Josephus was a Roman-Jewish historian in the first century and born in Jerusalem. Masada is located 12 miles east of Arad and is Israels most popular paid tourist attraction. It was once an ancient fortification atop an isolated rock plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built the massive structure between 37 and 31 BCE Josephus wrote down accounts of what he called The Jewish War, including what he saw at the Siege of Masada: They had died in the belief that they had left not a soul of them alive to fall into Roman hands; The Romans advanced to the assault seeing none of the enemy but on all sides the awful solitude, and flames within and silence, they were at al loss to conjecture what had happened here encountering the mass of slain, instead of exulting as over enemies, they admired the nobility of their resolve. Masada had laid hidden from the world until it was rediscovered in 1828. Ukraine to be given priority in supply of vaccines under COVAX initiative WHO Director-General Ukraine will be given priority in the supply of vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease as part of the COVAX initiative, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Last week, the COVAX published its forecast for the distribution of vaccines among the countries participating in this initiative, and together with UNICEF and other organizations we will work to distribute these vaccines as soon as possible. And Ukraine is one of those countries that will be included in the first wave of deployment of the COVAX initiative to vaccinate health workers, seniors, and those who directly communicate with patients with COVID-19, he said during the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" on Monday in Kyiv. Ghebreyesus said that the WHO would continue to provide Ukraine with its support in order to stop the transmission of the virus and save lives in order to rebuild the normal life of the country. The WHO Director-General also welcomed Ukraine's earlier steps to counter COVID-19. A perforated silicon nitride membrane serves as force sensor. Two coupled 'islands' undergo out-of-plane vibrations. On one of them the samples are loaded and the other is used to measure the vibrations with a laser interferometer. A metallic scanning tip interacts with the samples and modifies the vibrations. Credit: Alexander Eichler, ETH Zurich The development of scanning probe microscopes in the early 1980s brought a breakthrough in imaging, throwing open a window into the world at the nanoscale. The key idea is to scan an extremely sharp tip over a substrate and to record at each location the strength of the interaction between tip and surface. In scanning force microscopy, this interaction isas the name impliesthe force between tip and structures on the surface. This force is typically determined by measuring how the dynamics of a vibrating tip changes as it scans over objects deposited on a substrate. A common analogy is tapping a finger across a table and sensing objects placed on the surface. A team led by Alexander Eichler, senior scientist in the group of Prof. Christian Degen at the Departement of Physics of ETH Zurich, has turned this paradigm upside down. Writing in Physical Review Applied, they report the first scanning force microscope in which the tip is at rest while the substrate with the samples on it vibrates. Tail wagging the dog Doing force microscopy by "vibrating the table under the finger" may seem to make the procedure more complicated. In a sense, it does. But mastering the complexity of this inverted approach comes with great payoff. The new method promises to push the sensitivity of force microscopy to its fundamental limit, beyond what can be expected from further improvements of the conventional "finger tapping" approach. The key to the sensitivity increase is the choice of substrate. The 'table' in the experiments of Eichler, Degen and their co- workers is a perforated membrane made of silicon nitride, a mere 41 nm in thickness. Collaborators of the ETH physicists, the group of Albert Schliesser at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, established these low- mass membranes as outstanding nanomechanical resonators with extreme quality factors. Once the membrane is tapped on, it vibrates millions of times, or more, before coming to rest. Given these exquisite mechanical properties, it becomes advantageous to vibrate the table rather than the finger, at least in principle. The separation of the islands is around half a millimetre. Credit: David Halg and Shobhna Misra, ETH Zurich New concept put to practice Translating this theoretical promise into experimental capability is the objective of an ongoing project between the groups of Degen and Schliesser, with theory support from Dr. Ramasubramanian Chitra and Prof. Oded Zilberberg of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at ETH Zurich. As a milestone on that journey, the experimental teams have now demonstrated that the concept of membrane- based scanning force microscopy works in a real device. In particular, they showed that neither loading the membrane with samples nor bringing the tip to within a distance of a few nanometres compromises the exceptional mechanical properties of the membrane. However, once the tip approaches the sample even closer, the frequency or amplitude of the membrane changes. To be able to measure these changes, the membrane features an island where tip and sample interact, as well as a second one mechanically coupled to the first, from which a laser beam can be partially reflected, to provide a sensitive optical interferometer. Quantum is the limit Putting this setup to work, the team successfully resolved gold nanoparticles and tobacco mosaic viruses. These images serve as a proof of principle for the novel microscopy concept, though they do not yet push the capabilities into new territory. But the goal is in reach. The researchers plan to combine their novel approach with a technique known as magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) to enable magnetic resonance imaging with a resolution of single atoms, thus providing unique insight, for example, into viruses. Atomic-scale MRI would be another breakthrough in imaging, combining ultimate spatial resolution with highly specific physical and chemical information about the atoms imaged. For the realization of that vision, a sensitivity close to the fundamental limit given by quantum mechanics is needed. The team is confident that they can realize such a quantum-limited force sensor through further advances in membrane engineering and measurement methodology. With the demonstration that membrane-based scanning force microscopy is possible, the ambitious goal has now come one big step closer. Explore further Imaging a molecular switch More information: Halg D et al. Membrane-based scanning force microscopy. Phys. Rev. Appl. 15, L021001 (2021). Halg D et al. Membrane-based scanning force microscopy.15, L021001 (2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.L021001 Preprint: arXiv:2006.06238 Hundreds of people queued up in front of Apple stores to become the earliest owners of iPhone 12 late last year. Almost 10 smartphone brands have been vying for third place in recent years, with Apple, Xiaomi and Vivo the most notable names. None has remained in that position for more than six months. Around 75 million people, or almost 80 percent of the population, use smartphones, according to We Are Social, a social media marketing and advertising agency. Agrigento, Sicily -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2021 -- SAESE, European Autonomous School and Ecology Union has achieved a brilliant result in its mission as the European Commission has entered its members in database to obtain a permanent contract under the European Directive 1999/70. SAESE, online European trade union based has been championing the cause of teachers, who run the risk of being pushed into poverty post retirement due to the dwindling VIP pensions. In fact, it would put millions of teachers at risk, which is why SAESE continued with its consistent fight. In November 2019, it filed a complaint with regards to Article 30 (the right to protection against poverty and social exclusion) of the Revised European Social Charter. In the complaint, it alleged that the amendments had reduced VIP pensions drastically thus creating a precarious situation for teachers. In fact, the registered European Trade Union also pointed out that there was a lack of comprehensive and a coordinated approach in Article 30. In a bid to protect school staff's social security rights, SAESE had first filed the complaint with the government. However the Italian government deemed the complaint inadmissible claiming that SAESE wasn't an official representative. Not one to give up on the fight for its members including teaching, educational and ATA staff, SAESE appealed the case with the European Commission. It has now received a favorable result as its members have been included in the database to obtain a permanent contract under the European Directive 1999/70, thus stabilizing their interests. About SAESE Sindacato Autonomo Europeo Scuola ed Ecologia, an online European trade union based out of Italy came into being to offer trade union advice and assistance. It is the only trade union that called for three 24-hour strikes to secure the anti-bullying law to protect all school staff. Media Contact URL: https://www.saese.eu/ IN NUMBERS: 11,831 new infections recorded Some 11,831 new infections were recorded in the past 24 hours nationwide, taking the cumulative caseload to 10,838,194, according to a report in the Scroll. Eighty -four deaths were reported, taking the overall toll to 154,996, according to central health ministry data updated on Monday. The active caseload has reduced to 148,609. The total recoveries have surged to 10,534,505. About 5.8 million healthcare workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here Experts say it is time to start mapping vulnerable groups for vaccination programme Experts think it is time to start planning the process of vaccinating the vulnerable groups like the elderly and those with comorbidities even as the response to the inoculation programme from healthcare workers is poor, according to a report in The Hindu. The Centre had said the vulnerable groups would receive the shots after the healthcare workers in the first round and the frontline workers such as police personnel in the second round. But, in the absence of a registry or directory of this population, it is high time the government started a survey to map out and enrol them, experts said. Read more here Sero surveys show how the detection of cases is uneven Sero surveys have suggested that the detection of Covid-19 cases is much higher in some settings than others, according to a report in the Scroll. The proportion of cases that are detected vary widely between a state like Delhi which has good detection and a state like Bihar with poor detection. The variation is stark even within cities. For instance, the detection of cases in non-slum areas of Mumbai was about 8 times higher than in the slums. The detection is also influenced by the urban-rural divide. In the states of Bihar and Chhattisgarh, the serosurveys pointed to better detection in more urban districts. Read more here Why Covid-19 mutants should worry us Dr Amit Dutt, a scientist at the Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, explains why the emergence of new Covid-19 variants should worry us in a report in The Indian Express. Dutt says we should be concerned with two key characteristics in a mutantwhether the new variant is more transmissible, and whether it can evade the immune response gained through natural infection or vaccination. More transmissibility means more cells are infected, but this may or may not result in a more severe form of the disease. But, the ability to evade the immune response is likely to lead to more severity of the disease, Dutt says. Read more here Sales of Vitamin C supplements more than doubled in 2020 Indians bought over 1.85 billion pills of Vitamin C supplements in 2020 with the intent to build immunity against Covid-19 pandemic, more than double of the sales in 2019, according to a report in ThePrint. The growth in sales of Vitamin supplements in 2020, in terms of units, was 110 per cent. The growth in 2019 was just 4.7 per cent. The top-selling brands were Abbott healthcares Limcee and Koye Pharmas Celin. Read more here Stormonts Agriculture Minister used his withdrawn ports staff as pawns in the DUPs campaign against the Northern Ireland Protocol, a senior republican said. John ODowd suggested Gordon Lyons may be acting contrary to the ministerial code. Inspections of animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended last Monday amid concerns over the safety of staff, and the minister said their wellbeing came first. Former agriculture minister Edwin Poots made the call to withdraw staff. Expand Close Inspections of animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Inspections of animal-based food produce arriving at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Lyons took over the role last week as Mr Poots took leave for medical treatment following a cancer diagnosis. Former junior minister Mr ODowd maintained Mr Poots position over the staff. He said: The information given to this assembly and to Mid and East Antrim Council was based on half-truths, misinformation and erroneous information. The Sinn Fein assembly member added: Workers were used as pawns in a very, very cruel game. They were withdrawn after threatening graffiti appeared last month. Mr ODowd suggested the danger was non-existent. The fact (is) that there is no credible threat, which has been stated by the PSNI, and the fact that they allowed it half way around the world before the truth got its pants on, that that agenda of those workers being removed suits your political agenda. And rather than dealing with the facts, minister, you are allowing these non-existent threats to carry forward a political agenda, which would be contrary to your statutory duty and the code that you have as a minister. I have very clearly demonstrated staff safety comes first Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons Mr Lyons said it was a disgraceful assertion. I have very clearly demonstrated staff safety comes first. He said a process had been put in place which he had not interfered with. The minister said his department was in discussions with police and workers unions. I find that an entirely appropriate response to what has gone on. He said the graffiti was very much viewed as a threat and it was only right that precautionary measures were taken and the risk assessed. He said any mitigations needed would be put in place. It is important that we take precautions and we put the safety and wellbeing of our staff first and foremost and that is what we have done. Syracuse police responded to St. Josephs Hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday to investigate a stabbing incident. Upon arriving, the officers were put in contact with a 36-year-old man who was seriously stabbed in the hand. The victim is expected to survive, police said. The stabbing occurred on the 400 block of James Street in Syracuse. The time of the stabbing was not reported. The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Syracuse Police Department at (315) 442-5222. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan received a batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese military during a handover ceremony held on Monday at the Noor Khan Air Base near Pakistan's capital Islamabad. Pakistani Lt.-Gen. Nigar Johar, surgeon general of the Pakistan army, and Maj.-Gen. Chen Wenrong, defense attache of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, attended the handover ceremony. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday delivered a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to the Pakistani military at the latter's request, China's Ministry of National Defense said Sunday. According to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on Monday, Chen said a batch of China-gifted Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines were handed over to the Pakistani side a week ago, making Pakistan the first country in the world to receive the Chinese government-donated COVID-19 vaccines, and the Pakistani army has also become the first foreign military to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military, which is a manifestation of the unbreakable friendship between the two "iron brothers." This batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese military is another important step taken by China to fulfill its commitment to making Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, once developed and put into use, a global public good and will promote the military-to-military anti-epidemic cooperation between the two countries, Chen said. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, and the military-to-military relations of the two countries are an important pillar of bilateral relations, he said, adding that the Chinese military will continue to cooperate with the Pakistani military in various fields to forge a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era. Thanking the Chinese military for providing the vaccines, Johar said the fact that the Pakistani army has become the first foreign military to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military highlights the friendship between Pakistan and China, which is "higher than the mountain, deeper than the sea, and sweeter than the honey," according to the statement. Pakistan's armed forces extended their deepest gratitude to China and the Chinese military for "this magnanimous donation during testing times," according to a statement released by Pakistani army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday. It has been decided that the vaccine donation of the Chinese military will be used in Pakistan's national vaccination drive to get frontline healthcare workers across Pakistan vaccinated, who are "real heroes fighting against pandemic and saving precious lives," the ISPR said. After receiving the Chinese vaccines, Pakistan on Wednesday formally started its National COVID Immunization Program simultaneously across the country and the frontline healthcare workers are the first to be vaccinated followed by senior citizens. Pakistan has confirmed 555,511 COVID-19 cases, while 12,026 people have lost their lives to the disease since the outbreak in the country, according to the data released by Pakistan's Health Ministry on Monday. Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester will hold a vote Wednesday to authorize a strike as they negotiate for more staffing amid the COVID pandemic, the nurses union said on Monday. The union, consisting of 800 nurses, said the vote was scheduled after Tenet Healthcare, parent company of Saint Vincent Hospital, issued its last, best and final offer at negotiations on Jan 28. Nurses will cast their votes at Leos Ristorante on Wednesday. A positive vote doesnt mean the nurses will strike but gives the negotiating committee the authorization to call a strike if and when they feel it is necessary, the union said. If the committee issues its official notice to strike, the hospital will then have a minimum of 10 days before the nurses go out on strike, the union said. The voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The vote will be conducted the day before the next negotiation session on Thursday. This vote and potential strike are really about nurses standing up for our patients and community in the wake of Tenet administrations continued refusal to put their concern for patients ahead of their desire for profits, Marlena Pellegrino, a registered nurse at the hospital and chair of the nurses local bargaining unit said in a statement. According to the union, nurses have filed more than 500 reports to management citing staffing and patient care conditions that they believe threaten the safety of their patients. Last month, nurses picketed outside the hospital. In December, more than 400 nurses participated in an information picket to protest the same conditions. The nurses complaints at Saint Vincent Hospital date back to last February when more than 70% of 740 nurses signed a petition calling for safer staffing levels. A month later, more than 200 nurses attended a negotiation session with management to provide information about the staffing levels. Last May, after management implemented furloughs, nurses cast a vote of no confidence in hospital CEO Carolyn Jackson and her management team. Related Content: Gov. Ned Lamonts latest executive order will end some COVID liability protections for hospitals and nursing homes. The move, effective March 1, was hailed by groups including the AARP, but an operator of two nursing homes opposes the order, warning that it could lead to a flood of frivolous lawsuits as a time when insurance premiums are already skyrocketing. And the Connecticut Hospital Association said it was exdtremely disappointed with the impending withdrawal of protections against civil liabilities. The different liability standard was enacted early last year in the pandemic, when the state had scarce personal protective equipment, as well as little knowledge of the virus. Neither hospitals nor nursing homes were protected from lawsuits for negligence or malfeasance, but mistakes made by medical professionals, some of whom were coming out of retirement to help in the pandemic, were covered by the immunity. If you remember back in March, April, May, COVID was hitting us hard, we were bringing a lot of retired folks, retired nurses and others who were there to help out in the hospitals, help out in the nursing homes, trying to keep up with something we were learning about every day, Gov. Lamont said during his Monday news briefing. At that point it was unfair, we thought, to hold people legally accountable for a situation that was so-fast-evolving. He said that now, facilities are at acceptable capacities, and more and more people are getting vaccinated. Lamont posted the executive order on his website during the mid-afternoon on Monday. We held nursing homes accountable, Lamont said, detailing the shutdown of one nursing home and penalties leveled against others, while inspectors increased inspections. We thought there was too much changing, too much uncertainty in terms of what was going on in COVID back during the spring. Thats not the case in February. Its a different situation, so people should be held accountable. Lamont said he was not aware of any COVID-related lawsuits that might have been filed. I am very pleased Gov. Lamont has decided it is time to put nursing home residents and their families first, said Nora Duncan, State Director of AARP Connecticut. AARP Connecticut applauds the States successful efforts to prioritize nursing home residents in its vaccine roll-out and thanks Governor Lamont for his decision to repeal civil immunity for nursing homes. She noted that the states focus on vaccinating nursing home residents has resulted in nearly all residents receiving their inoculations, as fatalities have decreased in those facilities by 70 percent. But Paul Liistro, CEO of Vernon Manor and Manchester Manor nursing homes, said its too early in the pandemic to pull away the protections. I was very impressed when the governor showed insight and foresight in the effort to stop frivolous lawsuits, Liistro said in a phone interview Monday night. I thought he did a great job. But to lift it at all for COVID-related reasons would never be appropriate. Liistro said that many nursing home residents of color continue to balk at vaccinations. Liistro noted that with new strains of the coronavirus being found, no one is sure whether they can be more fatal to residents of nursing homes, where 70 percent of the states fatalities have occurred. Its obvious it was a situation of the compromised immune system and not one thing that any nursing home did, he said, stressing that the price of his liability insurance has gone up 80 percent over the last year. Unfortunately the governor has lost his foresight and insight, and now is putting us in the jeopardy of being sued, Liistro said. He has done the wrong thing. It was originally a wise, brave decision, and then he caved. The Connecticut Hospital Association, in a statement, said officials there are reviewing the order to understand the effects. Hospitals and health systems have responded fearlessly and with unquestioning dedication under uncertain and changing circumstances over the twelve months since this pandemic began, said the statement issued Monday night. We continue the fight against the pandemic for the good of our communities and our patients. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT New Delhi: Expressing grave concern over the use of government machinery and bullying by the ruling Congress party to win the upcoming Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab in-charge and MLA from Delhi Jarnail Singh said that the misuse of power by the ruling party was reprehensible and oppressive. Addressing a press conference convened at the party headquarters here on Monday, Jarnail Singh said that the whole of Punjab saw the sorts of violence and the ordeal that the AAP local bodies' candidates had to face during the time of nominations. He said that the AAP candidates from Zira, Jalalabad, Sunam, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Jagraon had to face harassment, assault and nabbing attempts being made by Congress 'goons'. He said that at all the places where the incidents of bullying were reported, the police under the influence of the local MLAs threatened the AAP candidates to prevent them from filing the nominations and contest the MC elections. Jarnail Singh said that the election commission categorises local body seats based on the law and order situation in those areas and mobilises security forces based on the situation. "This time, the State Election Commission has neither categorised the seats on the law and order situation nor have they given any information as to how they plan to mobilise the security forces," he added. He said that several incidents at various districts across the state were reported in which the ruling party committed blatant hooliganism, intimidated and prevented AAP candidates from filing the nomination papers, thus violating the democratic values and breach of peace. He further said that the law and order situation in the state was completely destroyed and safety of the people of Punjab and the candidates ahead of the forthcoming municipal bodies' elections were at risk. Lashing out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on the law and order situation in the state, Jarnail Singh asked Captain as to what he was planning to do about the worsening law and order situation in the upcoming local bodies' polls. "Why is Captain Amarinder turning a blind eye to the violence being done by his own Congress goons? What are his real intentions behind this?," he added. He said the Congress was making attempts to tamper the elections process by intimidating and attacking the AAP candidates. Further slamming Captain Amarinder Singh-led government, Jarnail Singh said that the Congress had made huge false promises to the people of Punjab before the 2017 elections and now when they failed to fulfil them; the fear of defeat was haunting the Congress due to which they resorted to undemocratic manoeuvres to win this election. The AAP leader demanded Captain Amarinder and the Election Commission to immediately deploy paramilitary forces to seats with the worst law and order situation and ensure that the elections are conducted fairly. "If despite our demands, Captain does not ensure that law and order are stable during the time of elections then we would be forced to believe that Captain Amarinder Singh is purposely trying to sabotage the democratic process and trying to conduct an unfair election," he added. He said that the voters of Punjab would not be intimidated with such poor politics and will give a befitting reply to the Congress 'goondas' in the forthcoming municipal bodies' elections for assassinating democracy and hooliganism. Radio ham wins Congressional App Challenge High-school student Sean Donelan KM6NGN won the 2020 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for California's 11th District for his NetHam App Patch reports: The CAC is a public initiative to encourage young people to learn how to code in an effort to inspire creativity and encourage interest in STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education. The winner of the challenge was Sean Donelan, who lives in Concord and attends Northgate High School. Donelan designed and created, "NetHam: The Public Service Event Coordinator's Third Hand." Donelan's winning software application replaces amateur radio operators' large, unwieldy equipment and automates their more basic tasks. The app is meant to allow operators to more easily serve as long-range communicators for public events. "I congratulate Sean on the design of a creative and useful app that would benefit the amateur radio community and look forward to seeing 'NetHam' represent the many talents of Contra Costa County's students when on display in the United States Capitol," said Congressman DeSaulnier, who hosted the competition for the sixth time. Read the full story at https://patch.com/california/concord-ca/concord-student-wins-congressional-app-challenge Beiersdorf's Nivea brand published a report on the state of human touch before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed a concerning level of physical touch deprivation and lonelinessmade worse by the ongoing pandemic. In response, it launched Care for Human Touch. Nearly half of people surveyed said that the isolation made them feel lonelier than ever before in their lives. The study also found a connection between feelings of loneliness and lack of being in touch with others, both physically and emotionally. With the Care for Human Touch campaign to inspire togetherness, the brand pledges to invest 20 million in local skin touch projects around the world. See related: How Touch Unlocks Skin Care's Power Research Methodology Volume I of the study was conducted by mindline, an independent research institute, as an online survey of 12,207 people in the following 12 countries (approximately 1,000 respondents per country): Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK and the U.S. Survey respondents were between 16-69 years of age and were a representative sample based on gender, age, region and occupational status. The study was conducted pre-pandemic between October 2018 and March 2019. Focus group discussions were conducted in 11 countries by Happy Thinking People, an independent research institute, which preceded the quantitative research. Volume II was also conducted by mindline as an online survey of 11,706 people in the following nine countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, UK and the U.S. Survey respondents were between 16-69 years of age and were a representative sample based on gender, age, region and occupational status. The study was conducted during the pandemic between April 2020 and October 2020. See related: Epidermal Evolution; Rhythm, Stress and Touch Response Study Results In the comprehensive study, 9/10 respondents before and during the COVID-19 crisis stated that human touch is key to happy and fulfilled lives. Yet this universal desire stays unsatisfied. In the study, 4/5 five people living alone reported that they do not experience human touch on a daily basis and 2/3 respondents wish that they would receive more hugs. People living in single households and single parents, as well as teenagers and millennials, are most affected by loneliness. Twenty three percent of single parents voiced strongly that they feel alone, while 24% of teenagers stated the same versus a global average of 16%. The physical and psychological health benefits of human touch are scientifically proven but as touch takes a backseat in modern life, the respondents classified its health benefits as new to them and at the same time, just as important. For 7/10 people surveyed, the human touch is not top of mind. Busy lifestyles, the rise of technologies and confusion get in the way of fulfilling peoples needs for skin-to-skin contact. According to Nivea, better knowledge of touch benefits would inspire 86% to include more human touch in their daily lives. Most people across the globe have accepted the need to be socially distant and have adapted their behavior accordingly, for now. The survey showed that people around the world have sacrificed physical touch during the pandemic and often endured loneliness as a result. Of those surveyed, 75% said that isolation has made them realize how important physical touch is for health. More than one-third of people globally expect inner circle (i.e., family and close friends) touch to increase after the crisis, while outer circle touch (i.e., colleagues and acquaintances) is expected to decline in the long run as a result of the pandemic. Care for Human Touch With its initiative #CareForHumanTouch, Nivea supports skin touch projects to promote the quality of life for people at risk of loneliness such as babies born preterm, visually impaired individuals and the elderly with dementia. The brand also aims to make 100 million people aware of the proven health benefits of skin touch by 2025. Nivea has always cared for skin and we have always cared for people. This is what defined Nivea from the start, said Stefan De Loecker, chief executive officer of Beiersdorf AG. With our contribution, we want to make a difference, and we will use Niveas influence and reach to spread awareness of the positive health effects of human touch. Driving awareness of the need for and the health benefits of skin touch is crucial, said Ralph Zimmerer, vice president of global Nivea brand identity and brand capability. We will take on this role and continue to be the custodian of human touch and togetherness. While we are forced to stay socially distanced from each other during the pandemic, we have to maintain and deepen our close relationships as a shield against loneliness. Within our close family, skin touch is therefore more important than ever. A number of Alabama born musicians are honored at the recently opened National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. A yellow argyle sweater worn by Montgomery-born Nat King Cole is on display at the museum, as well as sheet music from compositions by Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy. Additional Alabama musicians include Odetta, SunRa, Lionel Richie, Brittany Howard, Big Mama Thornton, and Dinah Washington. An argyle sweater worn by singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole on display at the National Museum of African American Music. (Credit: National Museum of African American Music) A project in the making for more than twenty years, the National Museum of African American Music officially opened its doors to the public on Jan. 23. Dedicated to preserving and celebrating the genres of music influenced and inspired by African Americans, the 56,000-square-foot space includes a collection of more than 1,500 pieces of memorabilia reports the AJC, including instruments, stage costumes, sheet music, recording equipment, and photographs. The NMAAM also has six galleries. Guests begin their visit to the museum at the Roots Theater with an immersive film experience exploring the evolution of music from spirituals to blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, and hip-hop while examining the impact historical periods including Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, World Wars I and II, and the Harlem Renaissance had on those music styles. The Crossroads gallery chronicles the history and influence of blues from the Mississippi Delta and the Deep South. The A Love Supreme gallery traces the influence of indigenous African musical traditions in New Orleans Congo Square to the emergence of jazz. Central to the museum experience, the Rivers of Rhythm corridor features an interactive timeline of American music history. The Wade in The Water gallery documents the history and influence of religious music from indigenous African music to the formation of African American spirituals and hymns, and later, the Golden Age of Gospel in the 1940s1960s to its more contemporary commercial growth. The One Nation Under A Groove gallery documents how rhythm and blues laid the foundation for soul, funk, disco, house, techno and hip-hop. The Message gallery explores the origins of hip-hop and rap in the Bronx. Visitors at the NMAAM will also have the chance to participate in a number of interactive features. Theres a disco dance room that puts your neon silhouette on the wall and a vocal booth where you can record your own freestyle raps. All of this activity is recorded on a personal RFID wristband and uploaded automatically, so visitors can share their footage with friends online, reports the Tennessean. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum only is allowing visitors on weekends for the foreseeable future. The number of guests inside the facility will also be limited. . IF YOU MAKE THE TRIP: Tickets are $24.95 for adult general admission| $18.75 for students and teachers with ID and senior citizens, $13.50 for guests ages 717| Admission is free for visitors 6 years old and under. Individual three-day passes are $37.50 for all ages. Tickets are available at nmaam.org. OR YEHUDA, Israel, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EndoWays, developer of a disposable robotic system for the cathlab, today announced the completion of an acquisition of a majority of its shares by Ascendum at an undisclosed cash amount. EndoWays, which was founded in 2018 by Noam Shamay, Tovy Sivan and Tamir Ben David, is a portfolio company of MEDX Xelerator. During its incubation time, EndoWays developed a first-of-its-kind, fully disposable robotic system to support navigation and operation within blood vessels in neurovascular, peripheral and cardiac procedures. The deal will provide EndoWays with access to the vast experience and network of the Ascendum team, helping accelerate its clinical and commercial development, especially in China. "Our vision is to provide an easy to use and cost-effective tool for the cathlab that will facilitate difficult procedures and allow physicians to work accurately through tortuous blood vessels away from radiation," said Noam Shamay, EndoWays' founder and CEO. "With the support of Ascendum's experience and resources we can continue to make this vision a reality." Shamay will serve as the company's chief technology officer post acquisition. "EndoWays was our very first incubator portfolio company, making its acquisition after less than three years since its founding, a significant milestone," said Shai Policker, CEO of MEDX Xelerator. "We are proud of the achievements of the team and look forward to the company's continued success." "EndoWays provides attractive competitive advantages that can accelerate entry of robotics into the cathlab, which we believe will be highly valuable to future clinical practice," explained Ms. Serena Shao, Founder and Managing Partner from Ascendum. "After the closing, Endoways is going to move into the incubator of our strategic partner, DiNovA Medtech, based in Israel, to continue development until commercial launch." Prof. Chaim Lotan, who will step in as EndoWays' Chief Medical Officer added, "The unique features of this robot can help navigate through torturous pathways and enable complex procedures. This, together with the reduced radiation exposure for the user through use of this system, makes this technology very attractive to interventional radiologists and cardiologists." About Endoways Founded in 2018 by Noam Shamay, Tovy Sivan, and Tamir Ben David is a portfolio company of MEDX Xelerator. Endoways created the first disposable robot for the cathlab. The technology, currently in pre-clinical stage is designed to help radiologists and interventional cardiologists navigate through blood vessels and perform complex procedures while being away from radiation in another room or even in another continent. The disposable design of the robot makes it affordable and easy to use for the physician with minimal setup time required. For more information, visit https://www.endoways.com/ About Ascendum Ascendum Capital is a new healthcare-focused investment platform, founded in 2020, which specializes in innovative MedTech, Biotech and other healthcare-related technology. Ascendum aims to accelerate the R&D and commercialization of global leading healthcare technologies, and support healthcare companies for expansion or acquisitions with a particular focus on the Chinese market. About MEDX Xelerator MEDX Xelerator is a leading medical devices incubator formed as an initiative of Boston Scientific, MEDX Ventures Group, and Sheba Medical Center. Operating under the auspices of the Israel Innovation Authority, MEDX Xelerator leverages the healthcare expertise and industry experience of its team with the industry leading insights of its partners to nurture its portfolio companies into successful medical ventures for the benefit of patients and health care professionals. MEDX's other portfolio companies includes: Append Medical, ExeroMedical, PatenSee, Swift Duct, Dimoveo and Synchrony. For more information, visit https://www.medxelerator.com/. Media Contact: For Ascendum: [email protected] For MEDX Xelerator: Finn Partners for MEDX Xelerator Nicole Grubner [email protected] +1-929-588-2011 SOURCE MEDX Xelerator Related Links http://www.medxelerator.com/ Flipkart-backed PhonePe has again topped the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) chart in terms of transactions worth Rs 1.91 lakh crore, which is about 41 per cent of total UPI transactions done in January. PhonePe, with transaction volume of 968.72 million, has continued its leading streak for the second month in a row. The latest data put out by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) says PhonePe's transactions rose 7 per cent and their value by 5 per cent in January. Following PhonePe was Google Pay with 853.53 million transactions worth Rs 1.71 lakh crore. Paytm stood at third with 281.18 million transactions worth Rs 33,910 crore. Amazon Pay, Bhim and WhatsApp payments accounted for UPI transaction value worth Rs 4,004 crore, Rs 7,463 crore and Rs 36 crore, respectively. In total, as many as 2.3 billion transactions amounting to Rs 4.2 lakh crore were registered via Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in January. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant termed the feat as "phenomenal". He said it took UPI 3 years to cross 1 billion transactions a month, while the next billion came in less than a year. Also read: PhonePe gives $200 million worth shares to 2,200 employees "Phenomenal! UPI recorded 2.3 billion transactions worth Rs 4.3 trillion in Jan 2021. On a YOY basis, UPI's transaction value jumped 76.5% while transaction value jumped nearly 100%," he tweeted. Phenomenal ! UPI recorded 2.3 billion transactions worth 4.3 trillion in Jan 2021. On a YOY basis, UPIs transaction value jumped 76.5 % while transaction value jumped nearly 100%. Took UPI 3 years to cross 1 billion transactions a month. Next billion came in less than a year. Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) February 3, 2021 In December, PhonePe saw 902 million transactions worth Rs 1.82 lakh crore, while Google Pay witnessed 854 million transactions for Rs 1.76 lakh crore, the NPCI data suggests. NPCI in November 2020 had capped the volume of transactions via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on third-party apps at 30 per cent, which it said was meant to protect the payments channel from risks as it grows in scale. However, this has prompted many to criticise the NPCI for stifling private competition. The NPCI clarified that this will help to address the risks and protect the UPI ecosystem as it further scales up. All third-party players like including PhonePe, Paytm and GooglePay, will have two years from January 2021 to comply with the transaction volume cap in a phased manner. Also read: PhonePe beats Google Pay, Paytm; emerges top UPI app in December In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Lucenia Dunn was careful. She urged people in her area to wear face masks and keep a safe distance from one another. Dunn lives in Tuskegee and was once mayor of this town in the southern state of Alabama. But now that COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available, Dunn says she has no plans to get her injection right away. Im not doing this vaccine right now, Dunn told The Associated Press. That doesnt mean Im never going to do it. But I know enough to withhold getting it," she added, "until we see all that is involved. The coronavirus vaccine campaign is off to a slow start in Tuskegee and surrounding areas. Community leaders point to a resistance among residents caused by a distrust of government promises and years of failed health programs. The town is known for being the place where a major government study on the sexually transmitted disease syphilis was carried out on a group of Black men. Most of Tuskegees 8,500 residents have family members who were part of the experiment. Government investigators later declared the experiment unethical. What was the Tuskegee study? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the study on its website. The research began in 1932 with 600 Black men - 399 had syphilis and 201 did not. The men were not informed about the true purpose of the study. Researchers instead told them they were being treated for bad blood. In truth, the CDC says, the men did not receive the necessary treatment to cure their sickness. Even when penicillin became the drug of choice for syphilis in 1947, researchers did not offer it to the men. The study -- which was supposed to last only six months -- ended up lasting 40 years. As a result, many people in Tuskegee remain suspicious. It does have an impact on decisions, said Frank Lee, who grew up in the community. Lee, who is Black, is director of emergency services for the area that includes Tuskegee. He said the history of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment still affects the way people think today. However, Lucenia Dunn -- who is also Black -- says her distrust is rooted in other reasons. She says the government is using a vaccine that was rushed. The government has also not seemed able to carry out good virus testing or provide continuous quality health care for rural areas, Dunn added. Health experts have repeatedly said that the vaccines are safe and very effective. They have noted that even though they were developed with record-breaking speed, the vaccines are based on many years of earlier research. The vaccines being used in the U.S. have so far shown no signs of serious side effects in studies involving tens of thousands of people. Across the U.S., more than 26 million injections have been given with no major health concerns reported. Distrust among the Black community is not just a problem in Tuskegee. A December 2020 public opinion study showed that 40 percent of Black people nationwide did not plan to get the coronavirus vaccine. The Chicago-based Black nationalist group Nation of Islam is warning its members not to receive the vaccines. The group has an online presentation called Beyond Tuskegee: Why Black People Must Not Take The Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine. Fred Gray is now 90 and still works as a lawyer in Tuskegee. He rejects such comparisons. He said the syphilis study and the COVID-19 vaccine are completely different. He has gotten the vaccine and is publicly urging others to do the same. Georgette Moon has a similar plan: she wants to protect herself and tries to persuade friends who are resistant to the vaccines. She said she hopes more Black residents will be able to overcome their fears and get vaccinated. The study is a huge factor, Moon said. Ive had very ... well-educated people tell me they are not going to take it right now. A leader of one of the oldest churches in Tuskegee is advising people in his church to get vaccinated. Reverend John Curry Jr. said he and his wife got vaccinated without having to wait a long time. Yet Curry said he understands the power of remaining distrust in Tuskegee. It is a town that will forever be linked to the syphilis study -- one of the most shameful incidents in U.S. public health history. Its a blemish on Tuskegee, he said. It hangs on the minds of people. Im Anna Matteo. And Im Bryan Lynn. Reporters at the Associated Press wrote this story. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story resident n. living in a place for some length of time transmit v. to cause a virus, disease, etc. to be given to others unethical adj. morally bad : not ethical suspicious adj. having or showing a feeling that something is wrong or that someone is behaving wrongly : feeling or showing suspicion impact n. a powerful or major influence or effect rush v. to move forward or progress without preparation persuade v. to cause (someone) to do something by asking, arguing, or giving reasons factor n. something that helps produce or influence a result : one of the things that cause something to happen shameful adj. very bad : bad enough to make someone ashamed blemish n. a fact or event that causes people to respect someone or something less At least 24 people died after heavy rain flooded an illegal underground textile workshop in a private house in Morocco's port of Tangiers, the state news agency reported Monday. Rescue workers recovered 24 bodies from the property and rescued 10 survivors, who were taken to hospital, the MAP agency said, citing local authorities. A search of the premises was ongoing. One government official at the scene said 25 people had died, 17 women and eight men, all aged between 20 and 40, according to a local journalist contacted by AFP. News footage broadcast from the site on Moroccan television showed emergency services carrying corpses out on stretchers under the eyes of traumatised residents, with a stream of ambulances rushing to the residential district in the northern city. Workers were saved thanks to a local resident who helped them out of the flooded basement with a rope, according to the journalist contacted by AFP, who spoke to witnesses. Local media outlets indicated at least some of the victims may have been electrocuted as the incoming water interfered with power facilities, but this had not been confirmed by officials. A inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the accident and those responsible, the MAP agency added. Morocco's informal sector plays a key role in the economy, representing around a fifth of GDP outside the primary sector, with textile production making up a tenth of that work. In terms of textile and leather production, over half of the work comes from informal operations, including in unregulated factories that fail to meet official safety standards, according to Morocco's employers' association. Morocco has experienced heavy rains in recent weeks, after a long period of drought. In early January, rain storms caused several dilapidated buildings to collapse in Casablanca, the country's economic capital, causing at least four deaths, according to local media. Poorly maintained drainage systems often exacerbate flooding in Morocco's cities. Story continues Fifty people died in floods in 2014 caused by heavy rains in the south of the kingdom. In September 2019, 24 passengers on a bus were killed when they were caught in a flash flood on a dry river bed in the southeastern Errachidia region. str-isb-sof/pjm/sw Advertisement Boris Johnson today refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread amid fears Oxford University's vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain. An alarming study found the British-made jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. One prominent SAGE adviser claimed the finding meant 'more restrictions might be needed for longer'. Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are 'going to offer a way out' and 'remain of massive benefit to our country' but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using. And I think it's important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.' Top experts including Oxford academics and the UK's leading vaccine panel also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the roll-out. Government sources insisted the worrying study which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs. Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community. It comes as at least ten vaccination centres due to inoculate thousands were shut today as Storm Darcy struck the UK with 50mph winds and a foot of snow turning roads into 'lethal' ice rinks. Hundreds of elderly and frail people were also left 'freezing' as they queued up outside in the cold to receive their Covid jab outside a football stadium today. Almost 12.3million Brits have already had their first dose, with the Government on course to hit its ambitious target of vaccinating around 15million by February 15. Another 280,000 people received their first jab yesterday. It comes as Britain today recorded 333 more Covid deaths, in the lowest daily toll for six weeks. Health chiefs also posted 14,014 new infections, marking the lowest figure since the start of December. During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, Boris Johnson also insisted the vaccine should still stop prevent the majority of severe cases caused by the South African variant, which would ease pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and save tens of thousands of lives The coronavirus vaccination centre at Gainsborough sports centre in Ipswich, Suffolk, which was closed today due to the snow Hundreds of elderly and frail people were left 'freezing' as they queued up outside in the cold to receive their Covid jab outside Home Park in Plymouth today The three Covid variants causing international alarm emerged in Britain, South Africa and Brazil No10 has deployed extra testing into 11 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community Ursula von der Leyen lashes out at Boris Johnson's 'space race' approach to vaccines Ursula von der Leyen has taken a barbed swipe at Boris Johnson over his 'space race' approach to vaccines as she faces a huge backlash over the EU shambles. The European Commission president complained that some countries saw the drive to inoculate populations as a Cold War style 'confrontation'. The comments, as she addressed students attending the online Warwick Economics Summit, follow bitter clashes between the bloc and Britain over supplies. Meanwhile, German minister Peter Altmeier has dismissed comparisons with the UK's faster rollout, saying Mr Johnson's handling of the crisis had resulted in a higher death rate and 'endless suffering to tens of thousands of families'. The UK hit another vaccination milestone yesterday, with 12million people having been given jabs. However, there are rising concerns today that mutant coronavirus strains could derail the huge push - with research suggesting the AstraZeneca jab is less effective against the South African variant. Asked on a visit to Derbyshire if the lockdown timetable could be delayed by the worrying news, the PM said: 'We are very confident in all the vaccines that we are using. 'I think it is important for people to bear in mind that all of them we think are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death which is the important thing.' Advertisement In other coronavirus developments today: Britain is on course to hit its target of vaccinating the 14.5million most vulnerable three days early, with 450,000 being jabbed every day; A top immunologist at Imperial College London said the UK 'can still win' the fight against Covid because there will only be a 'finite' number of worrying variants; Bosses who demand their staff get the coronavirus vaccine in order to work would not be breaking the law, ministers believe amid fears employees could be forced into mandatory vaccination; Britain's hotel quarantine scheme has come under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list; South Africa will suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with Oxford's jab amid fears it does not work as well against the variant that emerged there; UK ministers today made clear they are looking at extending the school year in England amid fears the most vulnerable children have fallen further behind. Officials will analyse every positive result produced in postcodes in London, Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Lancashire, Worcester and Walsall in the West Midlands, to prevent the strain from becoming widespread. Mr Johnson did not rule out that the South African variant could lead to a delay in easing restrictions if it reduces the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine's effect on transmissibility. His comments came after Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert from Warwick University and member of the SAGE sub-group SPI-M, claimed the finding that the Oxford jab doesn't protect against mild illness could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we can't get on top of this.' Pressed on whether there could be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the PM said: 'We think that all the vaccines that we're using, both the vaccines that we're currently using, are effective in stopping serious disease and death. 'We also think, particularly in the case of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, that there is good evidence that it is stopping transmission as well, I think 67 per cent reduction in transmission with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. 'They remain of massive benefit to our country and to the population as we go through the pandemic and I've no doubt that vaccines generally are going to offer a way out. With every day that goes by you can see that medicine is slowly getting the upper hand over the disease.' He added: 'We will be continuing to study the results, the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout, and that's going very, very fast indeed, and we will be looking at ways in which the population is starting to respond to the vaccines as we prepare to say what we're going to do in the week of the 22nd and what kind of roadmap we want to lay out.' One of South Africa's top infectious disease experts said today the Oxford jab should still protect against severe disease. Professor Salim Abdool Karim, head of the country's Covid response unit, pointed to the trial of Johnson and Johnson's jab, which uses the same technology as Oxford's and was shown to be 100 per cent effective at stopping Covid hospitalisations and deaths. Mr Argar said this morning there was 'no evidence' that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is not effective at preventing severe illness from coronavirus. He told Sky News: 'There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation, severe illness and death, which is ultimately what we're seeking with these vaccines.' The minister noted that the 'dominant strains in this country are not the South African strain', with 'only a small number of cases of that'. Government sources said last night there was 'no indication' the easing of lockdown would be affected by the findings that the Oxford vaccine is less effective against the South African variant. Professor Mike Tildesley (left), an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said Britain could face more lockdown restrictions if the South African Covid variant continues to spread. UK health minister Edward Argar (right) urged the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of vaccines which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels 'Hotel quarantine' plan will finally be unveiled in the 'coming days' amid rising fears over South African variant Scientists have floated GPS tracking of phones to help secure UK borders amid rising fears over importing Covid variants - as ministers said details of the 'quarantine hotels' plan will finally be revealed in the 'coming days'. SAGE experts cited the option as a way of increasing compliance with isolation, with fears many are simply ignoring the rules once they get to Britain. The new quarantine system is not expected to be up and running until February 15, despite being announced three weeks ago, as concerns run high over the threat from mutant strains and whether they could delay lockdown being eased. Preliminary research has suggested that the AstraZeneca vaccine might only reduce severe illness from the South African version, rather than blocking it altogether. South Africa has suspended rollout of the jabs until the situation becomes clearer. In a round of interviews this morning, health minister Edward Argar offered reassurance about the effectiveness of the vaccine. He stressed that the 'dominant strains in the UK currently are not the South African strain', with 'only a small number of cases of that'. He told Sky News: 'There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation, severe illness and death, which is ultimately what we're seeking with these vaccines.' But Mr Argar refused to give a firm timetable for when Matt Hancock will announce the details of the 'hotel quarantines' plan, which had been promised last week, merely saying it will be 'in the coming days'. Advertisement Mr Zahawi highlighted the low levels of the South African variant means it is unlikely to overtake the Kent one and become the dominant strain in the UK any time soon. A tweaked version of the Oxford vaccine that targets the new strain is already in development and should be ready by August. The current vaccine rollout should buy jab-makers time until the new booster shots are available, he suggested. He added that South Africa's suspension of the rollout of the vaccine is only 'temporary' at this stage. The study - by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, that found the Oxford jab had a 'minimal effect' in protecting against mild disease caused by the variant - involved 2,000 volunteers, most of whom were young and healthy with an average age of 31. The study also appeared to show that the South African mutations will allow for ongoing transmission of the virus in vaccinated populations. Out of 865 people vaccinated with two doses of the Oxford vaccine, 19 contracted the new variant, and out of 884 in the group given a placebo, 23 contracted the disease. Two thirds of the cases were of mild illness, and one third moderate. There were no severe cases. The researchers also found that previous infection with 'original' coronavirus did not protect against contracting the South African variant. Oxford University said the study did not assess levels of protection against moderate to severe disease, hospital admission or death because the target population was at such low risk. A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: 'We do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to eight to 12 weeks.' The spokesman added that other immune responses, such as T-cell responses, may have a role in protecting against disease, and initial data suggests these may stay the same with the variant. Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said: 'Evidence suggests the Oxford AZ vaccine protects against disease caused by the predominant Covid variants circulating in the UK. 'It remains highly likely that the vaccine will also protect against severe disease caused by the South African variant.' South Africa announced last night it is suspending the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the Oxford jab on the back of the findings. Africa's hardest-hit nation was due to start its campaign in the coming days with a million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. The suspension marks an important setback for the country, but officials said vaccine deliveries from other producers would soon be available and allow the campaign to move forward. South Africa suspends rollout of Oxford jab South Africa will suspend the start of its Covid-19 vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab after a study showed the drug failed to prevent mild and moderate cases of the virus variant that has appeared in the country. Africa's hardest-hit nation was due to start its campaign in the coming days with a million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. The suspension marks an important setback for the country, but officials said vaccine deliveries from other producers would soon be available and allow the campaign to move forward. 'It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters during a virtual press conference. Advertisement 'It's a temporary issue that we have to hold on AstraZeneca until we figure out these issues,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters during a virtual press conference. Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London, urged caution about the study's findings. 'It's a very small study with just over 2,000 people,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'But it is concerning to some extent that we're seeing that it's not effective against mild or moderate disease.' Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford trial, said: 'This study confirms that the coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected. 'But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on healthcare systems by preventing severe disease.' Professor Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, told Times Radio: 'I think we can still win; it's just got so much tougher again.' But he added: 'I think the number of variants that can come out of this spike antigen is finite, and we're not going to be playing this catch-up game forever. 'There is an end in sight and there is tweaking to be done, but I think we'll get there.' Dr Peter English, a consultant in public health and former chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said: 'While it has been widely reported that the AstraZeneca vaccine is 'less effective' against the South African variant, we must remember that, in full, this should read 'less effective than it is against previous variants'. 'It is by no means clear if it is more or less effective against the variant than other vaccines.' On Saturday, AstraZeneca said its vaccine provided good protection against the variant first discovered in Kent, which is now dominant in the UK. Early results suggest the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine protects against the new variants. Early results from Moderna suggest its vaccine is still effective against the South Africa variant. Meanwhile, a booster jab that will help tackle the South African variant of coronavirus should be ready by the autumn, scientists said yesterday. Professor Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher in the Oxford team, said current vaccines 'have a reduction in efficacy against some of the variant viruses'. But she added: 'What that is looking like is that we may not be reducing the total number of cases but there's still protection in that case against deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease. Fury as 35 countries with recorded cases of South African and Brazilian Covid variants are left OFF the Government's quarantine red list Britain's hotel quarantine scheme came under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list. Earlier this week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 'red list' countries would have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel from February 15. But an analysis carried out by the World Health Organisation has found dozens of countries where the highly-infectious South African and Brazilian variants have been found are not on the list. They include Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and the United States. Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reacted with fury at the news, branding the Government's quarantine measures 'dangerously inadequate'. Scientists also said the oversight was 'not good enough', adding that the virus 'spreads like wildfire'. The WHO analysis, which was reported by the Sunday Times, also found that the Brazilian Covid strain has been found in ten nations, six of which have not been added to the UK red list. As well as South Africa and Brazil, nations which are also on the list include Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Rwanda and Botswana. But of the 41 countries which the WHO's report said the South African strain had spread to, 29 of them do not feature on Britain's red list. Overall, it means arrivals from 35 counties were more infectious strains which could beat or limit the effect of the available coronavirus vaccines will be free to avoid the hotel scheme when they land in Britain. Instead, they will be trusted to quarantine at home for ten days. Advertisement 'That's really important for healthcare systems, even if we are having mild and asymptomatic infections, to prevent people going into hospital with Covid would have a major effect.' Britain remains firmly on course to reach the target of vaccinating 15 million people by February 15, with latest figures revealing 12 million have got the jab so far. Another 549,078 people received their first dose of the coronavirus jab on Saturday and, at the current rate, Britain will reach its target three days early, on February 12. In total, 12,014,288 people have now had at least one dose of the vaccine, with Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi revealing that the UK's vaccine roll-out almost hit 1,000 jabs a minute yesterday. The minister also believes that the Government will have vaccinated all over-50s by May. In an unprecedented move, iIllegal immigrants are being granted an 'amnesty' to come forward for the jabs in a bid to get as much vaccine coverage as possible. 'The moral in this is that everyone needs to get the jab, for everyone's safety,' a Whitehall source said last night. Officials insist that illegal migrants will not be able to jump the queue for vaccines or use the scheme as a way to acquire other rights. It will mean only that the Home Office takes no action if they register with a GP to be inoculated. No official count exists for the number of foreigners with 'irregular status' but some estimates put the figure as high as 1.3million. 'Coronavirus vaccines will be offered to everyone living in the UK free of charge, regardless of immigration status,' a Government spokesman said last night. 'Those registered with a GP are being contacted at the earliest opportunity and we are working closely with partners and external organisations to contact those who are not registered with a GP to ensure they are also offered the vaccine.' All categories of illegal migrants will be guaranteed they will suffer no repercussions if they come forward, including those who entered Britain clandestinely, such as on boats crossing the Channel or in the back of lorries. Other categories of irregular migrants will also be covered for example overstayers who arrived legitimately as visitors or on short-term visas but failed to leave. Publicity campaigns will be mounted to encourage so-called 'hard to reach groups', including non-English speakers, to have the jab. NHS trusts have been told there are to be 'no immigration status checks' on patients who come forward for vaccination. The same applies to anyone having a Covid test or treatment for the disease, the Mail has learnt. In more positive news, coronavirus cases plummeted by 25 per cent on last week while daily Covid-related deaths fell by more than a third as the latest official figures suggest the third lockdown is curbing transmission of the virus. Data published by the Department for Health today shows that another 15,845 cases were recorded in the UK, down by 25 per cent from 21,088 daily cases last Sunday. The number of coronavirus-related deaths fell 36 per cent week-on-week, from 587 last Sunday down to 373 today, bringing demands for fewer than 1,000 cases per day ever closer. WILL THE CURRENT VACCINES WORK AGAINST SOUTH AFRICAN COVID VARIANT? The South African variant of coronavirus, known as B.1.351, has mutations on its outer spike proteins that change the shape of the virus in a way that makes it look different to the body than older versions of the virus. Because the immune system's antibodies are so specific, any change in the part of the virus that they attach to in this case the spikes can affect how well they can do so. Current vaccines have been developed using versions of the virus from a year ago, which didn't have the mutations the South African variant does, so scientists are worried the immunity they create won't be good enough to stop it. Here's what we know about the vaccines and the variant so far: Oxford/AstraZeneca (Approved; Being used in the UK) Research published in February claimed that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine appears to have a 'minimal effect' against the South African variant. A study of 2,000 people by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg found that two doses of the jab may only offer 10-20 per cent protection against mild or moderate Covid-19. Nobody in the test group developed severe Covid-19 but the researchers said this 'could not be assessed in this study as the target population were at such low risk'. Participants' average age was 31 and they were otherwise healthy. Scientists working on the vaccine said they still believe it will be protective. Oxford and AstraZeneca said they are already working on a booster jab targeted at the South African variant and that it will be ready by autumn. Pfizer/BioNTech (Approved; Being used in the UK) Two studies suggest that Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine will protect against the South African variant, although its ability to neutralise the virus is lower. One by Pfizer itself and the University of Texas found that the mutations had 'small effects' on its efficacy. In a lab study on the blood of 20 vaccine recipients they found a reduction in the numbers of working antibodies to tackle the variant, but it was still enough to destroy the virus, they said. Another study by New York University has made the same finding on 10 blood samples from people who had the jab. That team said there was a 'partial resistance' from the variant and that a booster should be made, but that it would still be more effective than past infection with another variant. Pfizer is developing an updated version of its jab to tackle the variant. Moderna (Approved; Delivery expected in March) Moderna said its vaccine 'retains neutralizing activity' in the face of the South African variant. In a release in January the company said it had tested the jab on the blood of eight people who had received it and found that antibody levels were significantly lower when it was exposed to the South Africa variant, but it still worked. It said: 'A six-fold reduction in neutralizing [antibodies] was observed with the B.1.351 variant relative to prior variants. Despite this reduction, neutralizing levels with B.1.351 remain above levels that are expected to be protective.' Moderna is working on a booster jab to tackle the South African variant. Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Awaiting approval; 30m doses) Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has trialled its vaccine in South Africa and found it prevented 57 per cent of Covid cases. This was the lowest efficacy the company saw in its global trials in Latin America it was 66 per cent and in the US 72 per cent. These differences are likely in part due to the variants in circulation. The vaccine was 85 per cent effective at stopping severe disease and 100 per cent effective at stopping death from Covid-19, even in South Africa where the variant is dominant, Janssen said. Advertisement WHY ARE SCIENTISTS SO SCARED OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT? Real name: B.1.351 When and where was it discovered? Scientists first noticed in December 2020 that the variant, named B.1.351, was genetically different in a way that could change how it acts. It was picked up through random genetic sampling of swabs submitted by people testing positive for the virus, and was first found in Nelson Mandela Bay, around Port Elizabeth. Using a computer to analyse the genetic code of the virus which is viewed as a sequence of letters that correspond to thousands of molecules called nucleotides can help experts to see where the code has changed and how this affects the virus. What mutations did scientists find? There are two key mutations on the South African variant that appear to give it an advantage over older versions of the virus these are called N501Y and E484K. Both are on the spike protein of the virus, which is a part of its outer shell that it uses to stick to cells inside the body, and which the immune system uses as a target. They appear to make the virus spread faster and may give it the ability to slip past immune cells that have been made in response to a previous infection or a vaccine. What does N501Y do? N501Y changes the spike in a way which makes it better at binding to cells inside the body. This means the viruses have a higher success rate when trying to enter cells when they get inside the body, meaning that it is more infectious and faster to spread. This corresponds to a rise in the R rate of the virus, meaning each infected person passes it on to more others. N501Y is also found in the Kent variant found in England, and the two Brazilian variants of concern P.1. and P.2. What does E484K do? The E484K mutation found on the South African variant is more concerning because it tampers with the way immune cells latch onto the virus and destroy it. Antibodies substances made by the immune system appear to be less able to recognise and attack viruses with the E484K mutation if they were made in response to a version of the virus that didn't have the mutation. Antibodies are extremely specific and can be outwitted by a virus that changes radically, even if it is essentially the same virus. South African academics found that 48 per cent of blood samples from people who had been infected in the past did not show an immune response to the new variant. One researcher said it was 'clear that we have a problem'. Vaccine makers, however, have tried to reassure the public that their vaccines will still work well and will only be made slightly less effective by the variant. How many people in the UK have been infected with the variant? At least 105 Brits have been infected with this variant, according to Public Health England's random sampling. The number is likely to be far higher, however, because PHE has only picked up these cases by randomly scanning the genetics of around one in 10 of all positive Covid tests in the UK. This suggests that there have been at least 1,050 cases between December and January 27. Where else has it been found? According to the PANGO Lineages website, the variant has been officially recorded in 31 other countries worldwide. The UK has had the second highest number of cases after South Africa itself. But other nations where it has been found include South Korea, Sweden, France, Australia, Germany, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, USA, Netherlands, Mozambique, Ireland, Botswana, New Zealand, Finland, Spain and the French island territory Mayotte. Will vaccines still work against the variant? So far, Pfizer and Moderna's jabs appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant. Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying E484K mutation found on the South African variant. They found there was a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection. But it still made enough to hit the threshold required to kill the virus and to prevent serious illness, they believe. There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant. Studies into how well Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab will work against the South African strain are still ongoing. Johnson & Johnson actually trialled its jab in South Africa while the variant was circulating and confirmed that it blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold. Advertisement Don't panic Covid-19 injection will still keep you out of hospital even if you fall ill with South African variant, writes PROFESSOR HUGH PENNINGTON A vaccine is not an impenetrable barrier in the body through which no virus can pass. It's more like a superpower, which enables our immune systems to fight better, faster and stronger against an invader. So the discovery that the Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine for Covid-19 is less effective against some new variants of coronavirus than others is no cause for alarm. It's to be expected. Just like the heroes in a blockbuster movie, we're simply going to have to adapt our new superpowers. News that the AZ jab has 'limited efficacy' against mild and moderate disease caused by the South African strain of the virus was treated yesterday in some quarters as a looming disaster. Broadcaster and author Loyd Grossman receives the AstraZeneca vaccine at North Cotswold Hospital in Gloucestershire It is not and I say this not only as an academic with a lifetime's experience in viruses and vaccines, but as an 82-year-old man who has had his first AZ injection. This means I have a keen personal as well as professional interest in getting the facts straight. Covid-19 attacks the body in two ways. It multiplies in the mouth, nose and throat, where it can exist without causing noticeable symptoms, yet spreads virulently. The microscopic viral particles are then breathed in and out on droplets of saliva and mucus. It can also invade the rest of the body. In the most serious cases, it attacks the lungs, causing breathing difficulties that can be fatal. The discovery that the Oxford-AstraZeneca is less effective against some new variants of coronavirus than others is no cause for alarm, writes Professor Hugh Pennington (pictured) It can also affect the heart and other vital organs including the kidneys. There is also mounting evidence to suggest it sometimes attacks the brain. It is in cases such as these that patients often require hospital treatment, in turn driving the terrible fatality figures and threatening to overwhelm the NHS. And, crucially, it is these cases that the AZ vaccine prevents even in its South African variant. In order to wipe out Covid altogether, we need the vaccine to protect against mild and asymptomatic cases too because they are most likely to spread the illness. Once these milder cases are prevented, the 'R' number will drop that is, infection rates will plummet. Tweaking the vaccine code in the laboratory, to ensure it works against the South African variant, ought not to be a major problem. I would expect the revised formula to be engineered within a week or so. Of course, a whole series of logistical challenges exists beyond that we have to acquire official approval and ratification, manufacture millions of new doses, then get them bottled and distributed. A team of medical staff treat a patient with coronavirus at King's College Hospital in London Pictured: A health worker prepares the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine at the Mignot Hospital in Le Chesnay near Paris When news of the vaccine first broke, I set a simple benchmark. To be deemed a success, the jabs had to be more effective against Covid than the annual flu vaccines have been. That sets a high standard. In most years, flu jabs prevent infection at least 50 per cent of the time, even though the disease is constantly mutating. Covid jabs have far outstripped that target. It may take the world years to eradicate Covid fully. But we must not allow a small and entirely predictable setback to rattle our faith that life will soon be returning far closer to normal. Hugh Pennington is emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University Prime Minister while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that the will continue and so will the monthly ration scheme to 80 crore people. Appealing to the agitating to end their protest, Modi said talks should be held to resolve the issue. Modi said, "The agri-reforms should be given a chance and was very much there and will continue in the future and I in the House also say that the ration scheme to 80 crore will continue." He said that the objections in the House on the farm laws were procedural and even the opposition accepts that the country needs agri reforms. He quoted former Prime Minister Charan Singh and Manmohan Singh on this: "Manmohan Singh ji is here, I would read out his quote for those taking a u-turn on the farm laws and will perhaps agree with him. 'There are other rigidities because of the marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return'. This is what honourable Manmohan Singhji said." The Prime Minister said the number of of less than one hectare has risen by 68 per cent and Rs 90,000 crore claim has been disbursed under the crop insurance scheme and Rs 1.15 lakh crore have been given through the Kisan Samman Nidhi. The Prime MInister said,"It is our intention to remove all those drawbacks which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at becoming one large common market." He also said that during the Covid pandemic, India has emerged as a 'pharmacy hub'. Covid was an unknown enemy and it was impending to save people and the country, and the country has done that. The credit for this goes to the country and not to any government or individual. The people should not joke about the public who lit the lamp in the hope of defeating Covid. The corona warriors have given us a sense of pride. The biggest vaccine drive in the world is now underway in the country." The Covid-19 pandemic period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism. He said, "India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio and smallpox. From those days, we are now here when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This has increased our self-confidence." He, however, attacked the Congress and Trinamool Congress. "I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words -- Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country." While attacking Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa, Modi said, "Why he did not mention the Emergency and 1984 in his address." The Prime Minister said that India is the mother of democracy ,"Our democracy is not a western institution. It is a human institution as India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 republics in ancient India. Today, it is essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism, and the country's nationalism is neither narrow nor aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'." He also quoted Subash Chandra Bose on it.--IANS miz/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On a consolidated basis, Narayana Hrudayalaya's net profit jumped 30% to Rs 40.84 crore on a 4.4% decline in net sales at Rs 750.36 crore in Q3 December 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Profit before tax (PBT) rose 3.4% to Rs 41.62 crore in Q3 December 2020 as against Rs 40.26 crore in Q3 December 2019. The Q3 result was declared after market hours on Friday, 5 February 2021. As on 31 December 2020, the consolidated net debt was Rs 532.60 crore representing a net debt to equity ratio of 0.51 (out of which, debt worth $42.7 million is foreign currency denominated). Commenting on the Q3 performance, Dr Emmanuel Rupert, the managing director (MD) and group chief executive officer (CEO) of Narayana Hrudayalaya, has said that: "With new Covid-19 cases waning across the country, we are encouraged by the business revival across the network. For the month of December, despite the flagship centres achieving 89% of pre-Covid (Feb,20) levels, India business has almost fully recovered. This has been possible due to the sustained momentum generated across units led by the Delhi NCR and hinterland regions. "However, the profitability of the India business remains impacted given the significant erosion in international patient mix as well as high-end cardiac sciences based elective work as compared to the pre-Covid times. On a consolidated basis, on the back of consistent robust performance by our Cayman Islands facility, we are pleased to return to reporting YoY EBITDA growth for the quarter gone by. Overall, we believe that the healthcare sector is at an inflexion point with the effective implementation of the vaccine rollout program holding the key for expediting the business revival. At the same time, we remain vigilant over the developments taking place in other nations with respect to new strains of the virus to prepare ourselves accordingly," he added. Shares of Narayana Hrudayalaya fell 1.84% to Rs 499.35. Narayana Hrudayalaya operates a chain of multispecialty, tertiary and primary healthcare facilities. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The partner of missing Epping mother Ju Zhang has been released without charge as police continue to investigate her disappearance. Ms Zhang, also known as Kelly, was last seen at the home she shares with her eight-year-old son on Winchester Avenue, Epping, about 5.30pm on Monday, February 1. Police say Ju Zhangs disappearance is extremely out of character. The 33-year-old was wearing a pink pyjama top, shorts and no shoes when she was last seen. She had no personal belongings with her other than her mobile phone, which has not been located. She was reported missing the following evening, on February 2. With his concert schedule cancelled indefinitely by the COVID pandemic, violinist Yevgeny Kutik was practicing alone in his home studio, when his eye fell upon a stack of old music scores on a shelf. The scores had been packed by his mother in one of only two pieces of luggage the family was allowed to bring out of Belarus in the former Soviet Union when they emigrated to the United States in 1990, a year before the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. Kutiks mother devoted precious luggage space to the music because she believed that it represented a significant part of the family history. Fast-forward a quarter of a century. Building a brilliant career as a violin soloist, Kutik had made his orchestra debut with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops and recorded his first CD, Songs of Defiance. He returned to the scores his mother had packed and recorded Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures, his second CD. The disc debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Classical Chart in 2014. That same year Kutik collaborated for the first time with the Springfield Symphony and Maestro Kevin Rhodes, playing a splendid rendition of Prokofievs Violin Concerto No. 2 and returned five years later to delight an SSO audience with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Now, faced with the uncertainty created by the pandemic, Kutik has returned to the suitcase and created a five-episode docu-recital series called Finding Home: Music from the Suitcase in Concert. The series is recorded at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport. It begins on Thursday, Feb.11, at 7 p.m., and continues airing free of charge (but registered) on successive Thursdays until March 11 on Yevgeny Kutiks Facebook and YouTube pages. This music represents much more to me than the pieces themselves, Kutik said in a recent telephone interview. It represents journey family tradition. I could find shiny new editions of many of these works, but somehow theres a certain magic just in holding these scores. This year has been challenging, Kutik continued, and it was inspiring to see those scores sitting there. It occurred to me since I wasnt playing live, to create a video series a much longer form (these five episodes contain three recitals of music) based on the suitcase music, but also works that have taken on meaning for me so far in my career, and adding to that spoken narration, photographs, background material. Kutik wrote a script, outlining a theme for each of the five episodes (they are 1. The Fifth Line, 2. In Between, 3. Begin Again, 4. Listen, and 5. Coda) and choosing works that fit, either from his mothers suitcase, or from his own repertoire, developed during his study and performing. The early episodes deal with immigration. The Fifth Line title of the first episode refers to the 5th line of the Soviet passport, introduced by Stalin in 1932, which listed an individuals nationality or ethnicity. It was only dropped from the Russian passport as recently as 1997! I heard from my family, yes, we all had the fifth line, Kutik said. I had no idea what it was and when I started asking questions it just seemed to me so crazyto think that theres a line on your passport that says Jewish. You carry your passport everywhere and in a society like the former Soviet Union, where anti-Semitism was very common, open, egregious, you would always feel a little bit like there was a target on your back an awful thing. Kutik chose Achrons Hebrew Melody, Shostakovichs Sonata No. 2 and the Divertimento from Stravinskys The Fairys Kiss as the musical excerpts for the first episode. In Between refers to the period of some 6 months during which Kutik and his family lived in refugee housing in Rome, applying for asylum, waiting for sponsorship and an invitation to emigrate to the United States. It wasnt just hop on a flight and arrive in the U.S. Kutik recalled. This was the case for millions of people they became stateless they left behind everything they knew. Music for In Between features Blochs Baal Shem, music from Tchaikovskys Swan Lake, and Khachaturians Nocturne. My family and I were very fortunate, Kutik said. Things worked out we prospered. But this story Im finding it doesnt go away it takes on a new life and transforms you it takes on new meaning as one grows older. Begin Again finds Kutik and his family in Pittsfield MA, rebuilding, starting a new life. Rubinsteins Romance, Achrons Hebrew Lullaby, music from Shostakovichs Ovod, the Waltz from Prokofievs Cinderella, and Sviridovs Childrens Album are featured. Listen examines the building blocks of Kutiks career and pays tribute to his teachers Zinaida Gilels and Roman Totenberg. Prokofievs Sonata No. 2, Op. 94a and Darius Milhauds Le Boeuf sur le Toit (The Ox on the Roof) are featured. According to Kutik, Milhaud created the condensed violin and piano arrangement of his famous surrealistic ballet with Totenberg for the duo to perform in recital, which they did many times. Featuring Francks Sonata, and Rachmaninovs Vocalise, the final episode, Coda reflects on Kutiks journey thus far and gives thanks for the community of support he has found in his new life. This is music from my suitcase! he said. Finding Home its just a title, but I really dont know the answer, Kutik said. Have I found home? Yes I think that what I, personally, have learned from creating this series and playing this music spending years with it I have found home in the U.S., in the community of family and friends that have helped me and also I have found a home in music. That is my connection between the two different worlds that I inhabit the two different homes. Kutiks collaborative pianist in this series is Anna Polonsky, with whom he has concertized frequently in recent years. The programs are free to watch, and registrants will be emailed the links to watch by 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Kutik will answer questions in the chat during the Thursday premieres, and each episode will be available for on-demand viewing until noon on the following Sunday. Watch the trailer and learn more about the series at www.musicfromthesuitcase.com and register to watch all episodes at http://bit.ly/YevgenyKutikEvents Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to the International Coffee Organization, coffee exports in the initial half of coffee year 2018 to 2019 (October 2018 to March 2019) witnessed an increment of 4.1% over the same period in 2017 to 2018, taking the total shipment to 63.15 million bags compared to the 60.63 million bags shipped during the same tenure in 2017 to 2018.[1] Modern hectic lifestyles have altered traditional F&B consumption patterns with the advent of convenience foods targeting the on-the-go food trend. The traditional approach to coffee consumption is witnessing a disruptive revolution with instant coffee capturing a major share in the market. Instant coffee enables people to make a cup of coffee by just stirring coffee powder into hot water. This market has abundant potential with lucrative demand from the millennial population which is driving the instant coffee market size to a staggering $2,968m as of 2018. Instant Coffee Market Outlook: Instant coffee, owing to its powdered texture, has a higher shelf life as compared to coffee beans and ground coffee. Convenience in terms of storage and consumption is the major factor propelling growth of the instant coffee market which is estimated to be progressing at a CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period 2019-2025. Increasing disposable income is a major factor diverting traffic towards beverages. After bifurcating the global instant coffee market into regions, Europe was found to hold the maximum demand share of 32.40% in 2018. This can be attributed to the growing personal disposable income of residents as well as the presence of key coffee trading economies such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. Some points supporting the argument- Request Sample According to the Center for the Promotion of Imports (CBI) within the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 74% consumers prefer instant coffee over fresh coffee in Europe.[2] As per the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), among the leading exporters of coffee, European countries like Germany ($2.25 billion) and Switzerland ($1.74 billion) hold the fourth and fifth spot, respectively. Imports are dominated by Europe with nearly 50% of the global import demand arising from the continent. The trend is led by Germany ($3.5 billion) which alone accounts for 11% of global coffee imports. With trade flourishing in this region, the European market has the ability to dictate market proceedings. The instant coffee market is bifurcated majorly into spray-drying and freeze-drying, when segregated according to manufacturing processes. Spray drying involves the coffee extract being sprayed into a stream of hot air and being turned into a fine powder. Spray drying is the fastest growing market segment progressing at a CAGR of 5.69% going through 2025. Instant Coffee Market Growth Drivers and Trends: Growth Drivers- Instant coffee has gained popularity with consumers owing to the ease it offers in terms of preparation, as compared to more traditional forms of coffee. Additionally, the high antioxidant content, peoples hectic lifestyles and the products low cost, have emerged as major growth drivers for the instant coffee market. Instant coffee manufacturers are introducing new coffee flavors in the market, such as green bean, mocha Italian roast, French vanilla, ginger-bread cookie, cardamom bun and chocolate caramel, in an effort to multiply their customer base. Furthermore, these value-added items are likelier to procure higher profit margins than basic products, thereby increasing profitability for manufacturers and contributing to the instant coffee market growth. Inquiry Before Buying Trends- Single serve packets, introduced by instant coffee market players such as Nestle, are changing consumption patterns for this sector. Single serve packets are more reasonable in terms of cost and are convenient for consumers, hence they fuel a strong demand in homes, cafes, restaurants and hotels. A major factor propelling their popularity is that they allow consumers to try out new flavors without spending on bulk packs. Tata Coffee Limited, a subsidiary of Tata Global Beverages Limited, in 2017, announced plans to establish an instant coffee manufacturing plant in Vietnam with an annual capacity of 5,000 metric tons. The investment is targeted towards leveraging the demand for instant coffee from the APAC region, which comprises a new generation of coffee drinkers influenced by western civilization. Instant coffee is high in acrylamide, a chemical compound that has been shown to cause cancer in animals, which has hindered the market growth. However, instant green coffee is witnessing incredible popularity among consumers, due to its lower caffeine content which offers countless health benefits, and helps in weight control or loss.. With such organic fronts, acceptance from brand-conscious consumers is increasing and augmenting the demand for instant coffee. Instant Coffee Market Players Perspective: Some key players operating and innovating in the instant coffee market are Jacob Douwe Egbert, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc, Kraft Food Inc, Matthew Algie Company Limited, Nestle S.A, Starbucks Corporation, Strauss Group Ltd, Tata Global Beverages Limited, Tchibo Coffee International Limited, Unilever Plc, and Trung Nguyen. Nestle Vietnams NESCAFE brand launched a new coffee product named NESCAFE Cafe Viet which incorporates instant and roasted blend coffee. The latest product extension was facilitated by Nestles Micronized Roasted Coffee technology. Schedule a Call Instant Coffee Market Research Scope: The base year of the study is 2018, with forecast done up to 2025. The study presents a thorough analysis of the competitive landscape, taking into account the market shares of the leading companies. It also provides information on unit shipments. These provide the key market participants with the necessary business intelligence and help them understand the future of the instant coffee market. The assessment includes the forecast, an overview of the competitive structure, the market shares of the competitors, as well as the market trends, market demands, market drivers, market challenges, and product analysis. The market drivers and restraints have been assessed to fathom their impact over the forecast period. This report further identifies the key opportunities for growth while also detailing the key challenges and possible threats. The key areas of focus include the various types of merchandise in the global instant coffee market, and their specific revenue. Buy Now The Instant Coffee Market report also analyzes the major geographic regions for the market as well as the major countries for the market in these regions. The regions and countries covered in the study include: North America: The U.S., Canada, Mexico South America: Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica Europe: The U.K., Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark APAC: China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong Middle East and Africa: Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia For nearly 17 months, the Trump administration tried to deport the mother and daughter from El Salvador. The Biden administration may finish the job. They are being held at a family detention center in remote Dilley, Texas, but have repeatedly been on the verge of deportation. The Friday before Christmas, both were driven to the San Antonio airport and put on a plane, only to be pulled off when attorneys working for immigrant advocacy groups filed new appeals. I have faith first in God and in the new president who has taken office, that he'll give us a chance, said the mother, who goes by the nickname Barbi. She left behind two other children in El Salvador and asked not to reveal her real name so as not to draw the attention of criminal gangs there. Barbi's daughter was 8 when they crossed the U.S. border in August 2019 and will turn 10 in a few weeks. It's not been easy, she said. It's unlikely to get easier anytime soon. President rushed to send the most ambitious overhaul of the nation's immigration system in a generation to Congress and signed nine executive actions to wipe out some of his predecessor's toughest measures to fortify the U.S.-Mexico border. But a federal court in Texas suspended his 100-day moratorium on deportations, and the immigration bill is likely to be watered down as lawmakers grapple with major coronavirus pandemic relief bill as well a second impeachment trial for former President Even if Biden gets most of what he wants on immigration, fully implementing the kind of sweeping changes he's promised will take weeks, months perhaps even years. That means, at least for now, there is likely to be more overlap between the Biden and Trump immigration policies than many of the activists who backed the Democrat's successful campaign had hoped. It's important that we pass policies that are not only transformative, inclusive and permanent but also that they are policies that do not increase the growth of deportation, said Genesis Renteria, programs director for membership services and engagement at Living United for Change in Arizona, which helped mobilised Democratic voters in a battleground state critical to Biden's victory. Federal law allows immigrants facing credible threats of persecution or violence in their home country to seek U.S. asylum. Biden has ordered a review of Trump policies that sent people from Central America, Cuba and other countries to Mexico while their cases were processed often forcing them into makeshift tent camps mere steps from American soil. He also has formed a task force to reunite immigrant children separated from their parents and halted federal funding to expand walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. On Saturday, the Biden administration began withdrawing from agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras that restricted the ability of people to seek U.S. asylum. But those orders likely won't help Barbi and her daughter. They sought asylum, but were denied because of a Trump administration rule barring such protections for people who crossed other countries to reach the U.S. border. That measure has since been struck down in court. Still, Barbi and her daughter, like who have been held for months at Dilley, could be removed from the country at any time. Advocates who originally commended Biden for championing immigration reform now worry that not enough will be done. Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, called it troubling that Biden's efforts did not include immediate action to rescind and unwind more of the unlawful and inhumane policies that this administration inherited and now owns. Biden administration officials have pleaded for more time, saying Trump's policies are too wide-reaching to be rescinded overnight. But simply returning to pre-Trump practices if Biden is able to actually achieve that won't be enough for many activists. President Barack Obama was called the deporter-in-chief for removing a record number of immigrants during his eight years in office. His administration also built the detention center where Barbi is being held, as well as a similar facility in equally rural Karnes City, Texas, 95 miles to the east. Biden has banned private prisons, but his order doesn't apply to lockups like those in Dilley or Karnes City. Far from advocating their closure previously, Biden as vice president Biden flew to Guatemala during a 2014 surge of unaccompanied minors heading to the U.S. border and personally warned that his country would increase detention of families. Another policy left untouched by Biden dates to March, when Vice President Mike Pence ordered the implementation of emergency health measures that sought to effectively bar immigrants entry into, or impose their speedy removal from, the U.S. to prevent the spread of the virus. Those restrictions have remained despite pending asylum claims and little evidence that sealing borders would curb the pandemic and 183,000 immigrants have been removed from the U.S. under them since October 1. A White House spokesperson said the goal was to return the full U.S. asylum process back to a pre-Trump normal as much as possible, but noted that we are living in the confines of the pandemic. Kennji Kizuka, a senior researcher and policy analyst for refugee protection at Human Rights First, said with people who are in danger, the U.S. has a legal obligation to not return them to a place where they would face persecution, or torture or other harm. That's not something you can defer because it's inconvenient in your policy plan, Kizuka said. Biden's pledges to make quick improvements had raised hopes that are now fading along the border. The day before his Jan. 20 inauguration, immigrants staged a protest in the Mexican city of Nogales that ended with them heading to a border crossing into Arizona and asking to be processed for U.S. asylum. A Customs and Border Protection officer said no but added, Try again tomorrow. They came back the next day but nothing had changed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The export of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables is worth hundreds of millions of US dollars each year but is so far impeded by the lack of appropriate preservation technology. As regional countries are also upping their game, Vietnam may see incentives for upgrading the lifetime of its produce when exporting to foreign markets like the United States. Vietnam earns hundreds of millions of US dollars from the export of fresh produce, but preservation techniques still lag behind other nations. The pandemic has raised the need to increase the preservation of fresh fruit, but weaknesses in technology and methods have made it difficult for Vietnamese products to add value for exports to the US market. The huge supply of fresh fruit throughout the year is a significant advantage for Vietnamese exporters and Pham Quoc Bao, director Sancopack JSC, hopes to sell more products with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), a technology that equips products with selective air permeability, limiting the respiration of the fruit, and preventing rapid ripening. Prices for MAP products are only a third of imported equivalents while their storage efficiency amounts to 90 per cent compared to imported products. Sancopack also buys packaging films from Germany and Australia and resells them to domestic exporters. The Vietnam Institute of Chemistry researched and applied the MAP technology first in 2016, presenting some advantages in preservation methods for exports as MAP was one of the first post-harvest preservation techniques. Nevertheless, Vietnam has not achieved significant milestones in preservation methods for exports, as MAP only partially solves related issues. Weaknesses in preservation are the biggest barrier to the export of fresh fruits, including fresh dragon fruit one of Vietnams main export products. In the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, dragon fruit prices fell sharply in November due to large oversupply. According to Nguyen Van Huong from Cho Gao district, the price of red dragon fruit fell to VND5,000-6,000 (21-26 US cents) per kilogramme, while the fruit during the high season usually sells for VND10,000 (43 US cents) per kg. Huong is worried that the price of dragon fruit is on a general downward trend. Last year, Cho Gao expanded its plantation area for the popular fruit to about 6,500 hectares, following Tien Giangs development project started in 2008. Meanwhile, Vietnams dragon fruit exports in the first 11 months of 2020 decreased by 11.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, only reaching $3.01 billion, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). Competitive market On the contrary, the agency also stated that the global demand for dragon fruit is growing at about 4 per cent per year, with the trend expected to continue in the coming years. However, this market is shared among regional markets such as Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. China boasts just over 35,500ha of plantations, equivalent to the area in Vietnam, thus representing a direct competitor in dragon fruit export, the agency warned. Overseas consumers meanwhile seem to prefer using fresh fruit as a solution to increase natural resistances amid the pandemic. However, processes like fruit irradiation before the import into the US are not always running smoothly. As the pandemic broke out last year, the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ordered its supervisors in Ho Chi Minh City to return home, thus stalling operations in Vietnam until their return. Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, said that according to US regulations, fruits exported to its market are required to be supervised at irradiation facilities. The fact that Vietnam has only one irradiation plant, Nguyen said, has presented many shortcomings and impedes the development of a local competitive edge. While the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable sector is struggling with internal problems, neighbours from Thailand continue to profit off preservation technology supported by the government and invested in by several local businesses. A system of four irradiation plants located in key agricultural areas is helping Thai fruit compete in export markets. Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of produce exporter Vina T&T, said, We are losing to Thailand in terms of seed and preservation technology. Vietnams technology seems even more inferior compared to Chinas, as the latter owns a synchronous system of very good methods enabling a long storage period. Even though Vietnamese dragon fruit can currently be kept fresh for up to 35 days, this period is still far behind that of Chinese competitors. Developing standards The prerequisite for increasing exports to the US remains to meet food safety standards, testing plants and animals, and monitoring processing. Vietnamese fruit can still regain share in the North American market when following the Thai example. That countrys preservation technology for agricultural exports comes mostly from the governments efforts in promoting its products all around the world, as well as from strictly overseeing and meeting international standards. While exports of fresh fruit to the US offer great opportunities for local exporters, the most obvious change in the overseas market is the shift from canned fruit and vegetables to fresh produce. The cost for trade promotion of fresh products may be higher in the US than in some other markets but could be compensated if the manufacturer can sell directly to the supermarkets without a middleman, with payment cycles also being shorter. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed that in 2019, the output of fruit exported to the US amounted to roughly 13,000 tonnes, while it reached nearly 6,500 tonnes in the first six months of 2020. Currently, 80 per cent of Vietnams preservation technology is similar to that of Thailand. And despite the latters more developed system, Vietnam may have one advantage as its farmers can grow crops all year round, while their Thai counterparts only have seasonal crops. Nevertheless, Vietnamese fruit exporters cannot conquer the world alone but need to be supported by the government through dedicated research in preservation technology. In 2008, when Vina T&T exported the first dragon fruit to the US, almost the entire contents of the first two containers were completely ruined due to the irradiation and the lack of proper preservation methods. After more than 10 years, the company only reached a preservation period of 35 days. We have learned our lesson for over a decade, and have paid the price, Tung said. Preservation can be seen as equally important as manufacturing, processing, and packaging. But so far, neither the MARD nor the MoIT has focused on preservation technology and not seen it as a key factor for the export of agricultural products. While investment in research on preservation technology may be required, successful implementation could enable a common standard for enterprises to share and follow instead of letting them self-research everything. Located in a tropical monsoon climate, Vietnam is one of the countries with the richest and most diverse vegetables and fruit in the world. Every year, the country earns hundreds of millions of US dollars from the export of fresh produce. However, export hopes remain limited, mainly due to the quick deterioration rates of these products after harvest with waste accounting for more than 20 per cent of total output. Nguyen Duy Lam, director of the Centre for Food Quality and Safety Research said, It is necessary to standardise processes in production, harvest, pre-processing, storage, packaging, and distribution, adding that in Vietnam, fruit after harvest is often piled up and rarely classified by size and quality. Meanwhile, at orange farms in the US, only half of the fresh oranges are selected for sale and are the same size, colour, and quality. The rest is then delivered to juice factories. If the Vietnamese fruit and vegetables industry can comply with the standards of import markets, the value of its agricultural products will certainly rise to a higher level, Lam argued. Hai Van (VIR) Vietnam takes steps to improve fruit yield, reduce post-harvest losses Advanced farming techniques and value chains are needed to tap the potential of fruit cultivation in the southern region, which contains 60 per cent of the country's fruit-growing areas, experts have said. Anyone wondering how, oh how, Japan could trail the United Arab Emirates, Benin and Timor-Leste in gender equality has never met Yoshiro Mori. The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee that the former prime minister is chairing was already under fire for trying to stage a giant in-person event during a pandemic. Now it faces a fresh backlash after Mori, 83, complained that meetings with women "take so much time" because they talk too much. It is classic Mori-being-Mori. Though his 2000-2001 premiership was as unpopular as they come, misogyny kept him in the national news stream. In a 2009 contest to keep his parliament seat, for example, Mori said his female opponent "was picked only because she is young and has a nice body." He warned voters not to be entranced by her "sexiness." The fact Mori won that race -- and myriad others -- still boggles the minds of feminists. That he is now keeping his Olympics gig -- or ever got it at all -- speaks to the durability of the patriarchy. In Tokyo, sadly, sexist barbs by top officials are old hat. This latest dust-up, though, dramatizes why Japan often seems to move backward. In 2020 alone, Tokyo plummeted 20 rungs to 121st place in World Economic Forum's gender-empowerment index. That puts a Group of Seven power 15 places behind China, 74 behind Zimbabwe and 105 places behind the Philippines. In top-down, change-averse Japan, the government deserves considerable blame. Mori, after all, is not even Tokyo's most senior or prolific gender-gaffer. If there were a gold medal for offending the female half of Japan's 126 million people it would easily go to Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso. Over the years, Aso, also a former prime minister, downplayed sexual harassment, chided women for not having kids, suggested lawmakers could learn from the Nazis, gushed about Japan being a single-race nation and so on. And yet, far from being sacked, Aso has been Japan's finance minister since 2012. If you believe that personnel is policy, then Aso deserves considerable flak for Japan's female-empowerment backsliding. But it takes a village to create a divide holding back what is supposed to be an advanced, outward-facing economy. Yes, I am talking to you, members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The farmers' protest against the government's newly-enacted farm laws has gone international. Tweets by renowned pop-star Rihanna and Swedish climate-activist Greta Thunberg favouring the agitating farmers have stirred up a hornet's nest with the opposition parties calling it a hit at India's reputation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, played on the term "Foreign Direct Investment or FDI". Also Read | Scarcity on high seas hurting Indias exports "There is also a new FDI which is seen today, that is foreign destructive ideology we need to be aware of this," PM Modi said. The PM said that India needs to be cautioned against deleterious influences from abroad that he referred to as "foreign destructive ideology". PM Modi used the term in the context of the ongoing farmers' protest in the country that has, of late, received support from several global celebrities. #WATCH LIVE: PM Modi replies in Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents Address.(Source: Rajya Sabha TV) https://t.co/FkIpRmd9kN ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021 PM Modi also said, "In the last few years, we have witnessed a new category of protesters, 'Andolan jeevi', who one can witness in every agitation. We need to protect this country from these Andolan Jeevi, who are actually 'parjeevi'. They don't have their own strength, but they join all agitations." The Prime Minister said the entire country was proud of the Sikh community, which is now mostly leading the farmers' protest. "This country is proud of Sikhs," Modi said, referring to the community that mostly been at the vanguard of the protest. "What have the Sikhs not done for the nation?" Rihanna, Greta Thunberg extend support to farmers' protest The ongoing confrontation between the Centre and the farmers over the farm laws has in recent days garnered attention abroad, with even the United Nations stating the need for peaceful negotiations and emphasising the farmers' right to protest. While tweets posted by Rihanna and Greta Thunberg gave a boost of confidence to the farmers protesting at the borders of the national capital for more than two months, they also provided fuel to the already sizzling fire between the Central Government and the Opposition over the agricultural laws. Taking to Twitter, Rihanna posted her tweet with "#FarmersProtest" to say, "Why aren't we talking about this?!". Hours after her tweet went viral, Greta Thunberg also posted tweets supporting the farmers' protest in Delhi's borders. Tens of thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, have camped at Delhi's borders for over two months, demanding the repeal of the farm laws that the government claims will reform the sector. However, the farmers feel that the agri laws will lead to a disadvantageous position. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. By Zhao Guojun American media recently reported that the US military is considering using the Red Sea port city of Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia and another two airfields in the kingdom, and it already has tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from the seaport. Though the US military described the move as a prudent and contingency planning measure without any intention of expanding its activities in the region, the international community is worried that the deployment may aggravate tensions in the Middle East. The US plans to build new military bases in Saudi Arabia mainly for the following considerations. The deployment is targeted at Iran. Washington is getting ready for the negotiations with Iran on returning to the Iranian nuclear deal and regional security issues. It not only asks Tehran to return to the deal unconditionally but also wants to invite Saudi Arabia and UAE to join the negotiations and add content about limiting Irans missile capability. The US has taken a series of moves in the Middle East recently, from pushing Qatar, resume the diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and other countries to sending bombers to fly over the Persian Gulf and to building new military bases, all for the purpose of containing and deterring Iran. Saudi Arabia remains Americas most important strategic pivot in the Middle East. Historically, the US only deployed a small number of troops in Saudi Arabia during the Cold War, but largely increased the troops during the first Gulf War targeting the Saddam regime in Iraq. The Obama administration downsized troops in Afghanistan and Iraq but viewed Saudi Arabia as the bridgehead to counter Iran. As Iran is gaining growing power over Iraq, Saudi Arabia, as one of Americas geopolitical allies, is becoming more important. Although the US side claimed the plan to build new military bases is not a provocation, and it has no intention to expand its military presence in the region, particularly Saudi Arabia, its strategic intent is evident at one sight. Adding new military bases in Saudi Arabia is an adjustment of Americas local strategy in the Middle East that doesnt harm its global strategy. The adjustment reflects a difference between the Biden and Trump administrations in their recognition of how strategically important the Middle East is. While Trump wanted to pull American troops back from the Middle East and concentrate resources on the Indo-Pacific, Biden planned to have more military bases in Saudi Arabia for the obvious purpose of demonstrating Americas influence and control in the Middle East region, not to mention that the move can also tighten its relation with regional allies by given them more confidence. However, Washington and Riyadh are not without divergences after Biden came in office. The US recently halted weapon sales to Saudi Arabia, which is explained as a routine review by the new administration but may also be interpreted as a way to impose pressure on the Middle Eastern country. Had the Biden administration forced Riyadh to stop supporting the civil war in Yemen by suspending the arms sale, Iran might have reduced the support to the Houthi militants. Its worth noting that Americas building of new military bases in Saudi Arabia may easily lead to the rebound of regional extremist organizations, given that the massive American troops stationed in the country were an important reason why the Al-Qaeda launched the terrorist attacks against the US. If the US builds new military bases now, that may trigger another surge of extremist thoughts and exacerbate the threats to itself. As the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is undergoing profound changes, military confrontation will only further complicate and strain the Iranian nuclear issue and the regional situation, while dialogue among the parties is the only feasible way to restore peace and stability in the region. The top priority for the Biden administration now is to create conditions to get Iran back to the negotiating table. The US is unlikely to have what it desires by building more military bases in Saudi Arabia to put heavy pressure on Iran. (The author is from the International Relations Department of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. This article is originally published on PLA Daily and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online.) Betty Crocker, the global leader in baking, will be turning 100 this year. Since its inception, Betty Crocker has been a source for modern cooking instructions and trusted recipe development. Today, Betty Crocker is worth 88.2 per cent of the cake mixes segment and is about to be a billion-dollar brand globally. With 2020 having been a year of accelerated learning for all, Betty Crocker plans to enter its 100th year with the launch of its Kitchen Is For Everyone Campaign to promote gender equality and remind consumers that the kitchen is an open and gender-neutral space for everyone. Sultan Abdullah Mohammed Soumr, a 10-year-old Emirati boy, is the inspiration behind the new campaign. Sultan sparked a viral debate about gender equality when he noticed that the Betty Crocker packaging spoke only to women. After hearing Sultans story, Betty Crocker decided to make a meaningful change across the Middle East region. Speaking about the campaign, Ali Shaikh, General Manager - Middle East & Africa, General Mills, said: We are all very proud that our iconic brand Betty Crocker will mark its 100th birthday with a game changing Kitchen Is For Everyone campaign that speaks to consumers, regardless of their age, gender or expertise and aims at gender equality. The brand aims at leading the way for social equality by opening the kitchen to men. As part of the campaign, over 20 million Betty Crocker SKUs have been redesigned with gender neutral language. We love seeing you bake with your loved ones and on our 100th birthday, we invite you to continue your baking adventures and sweet moments with us because Kitchen Is For Everyone!, Shaikh added. Despite the continuous hurdles of last year, Betty Crocker has been able to bring about positivity and help create memorable moments through baking The brand aims at making a difference by spreading the Kitchen is For Everyone message through a special television commercial, which will be aired across the pan Arab region and on digitally led platforms to make the kitchen a territory for everyone. - TradeArabia News Service Uttarakhand: Scientists leave for Joshimath for surveillance, reconnaissance after glacier burst India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 8: A team of scientists, flown to Dehradun after the glacier burst in Uttarakhand, left for Joshimath area on Monday for surveillance and reconnaissance. Chamoli disaster: 2nd Tapovan tunnel gets cleared, hopes to rescue more | Oneindia News The scientists, belonging to the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), were flown to the Uttarakhand capital on Sunday night. "A team of scientists of DRDO-SASE, flown in last night to Dehradun, is leaving for Joshimath area for surveillance and reconnaissance," a Home Ministry spokesperson said on Monday. Tapovan dam completely washed off in Uttarakhand glacier burst A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations, leaving at least 10 people dead and 143 others missing. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers -- all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga -- triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects - NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project - were extensively damaged with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said 153 people were missing from the two hydel projects at Raini and Tapovan out of which 10 bodies have been recovered while 143 are still missing. "The efforts are focussed at the moment on rescuing 30-35 people trapped in a 250-metre-long tunnel at Tapovan," he said. A Scottish private school teacher is facing being struck off after slamming Ruth Davidson for having a 'fatherless child'. Richard Lucas, a physics teacher at 35,000-per-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, made the comments on a video he posted to his YouTube channel. Mr Lucas is now being investigated by the General Teaching Council for Scotland for his April 2018 video titled 'Ruth Davidson and the fatherless children'. Mr Lucas captioned the 15-minute-clip: 'Ruth Davidson wishes to normalise the production of fatherless children, does not value marriage, and follows the ABM childcare philosophy.' In the video, the physics teacher blasts the Conservative MSP for having a child saying: 'They haven't produced this baby together, this baby is the product of Ruth Davidson and a gentleman whose identity is a mystery to us. 'The important issue here is that this is the deliberate production of a fatherless child.' Richard Lucas (pictured), a physics teacher at 35,000-per-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, made the comments on a video he posted to his YouTube channel Mr Lucas is now being investigated by the General Teaching Council for Scotland over his comments about Ruth Davidson (pictured) He also says: 'There is cause to be concerned about same sex marriage.' Mr Lucas made reference to statistics published by American sociologist Mark Regenerus, he said: 'The statistics always show worse outcomes for children from lesbian and gay parented households. 'But then the statistical jiggery pokery kicks in and by controlling for one thing or another eventually you can make those effects disappear and claim that the children turn out just as well. 'There's good reason to think that there are problems associated with/correlated with same sex parenthood.' Mr Lucas now faces being removed from the teaching register altogether following a complaint by a parent. The GTCS charges read: 'The meaning and effect of these statements in the 2018 video, is that homosexuality is undesirable as it causes physical and mental health problems. 'That same sex parenting is inferior to, and is of less value, than heterosexual parenting and should be discouraged as it is harmful to children. The charges continue: 'Such statements are offensive and/or communicate intolerance, prejudice, discriminatory and/or, are potentially discriminatory. Mr Lucas is now being investigated by the General Teaching Council for Scotland for his April 2018 video titled 'Ruth Davidson and the fatherless children'. Pictured: Merchiston Castle School '...as a reasonable and properly informed member of the public, having regard to the content of your statements, would conclude that you were intolerant of and prejudiced against same sex parents and would discriminate against them and their children in the course of your duties as a teacher.' Speaking today to the panel, Mr Lucas said: 'I admit to making the comments - I do not think that I am unfit to teach.' Mr Lucas also took to his Facebook page on Saturday to defend his actions. He said: 'I still hold the views expressed in the 'offending' video and I will continue to articulate these views regularly and publicly as I see fit. 'Whatever the outcome, I will immediately restate my views publicly and explicitly reject the right of GTCS to restrict my freedom of speech in this way.' Mr Lucas, who is representing himself at the hearing, today cross examined former Headmaster of Merchiston Castle Andrew Hunter. Mr Hunter told the panel how he had tried to talk to Mr Lucas about his views, saying: 'I tried my hardest to nurture you to see that your views had always put you on a collision course. 'It is in my personal view that in such a vocation we cannot adopt such a view that was expressed in the video. 'I don't think it's our right to irrespective of what any religious texts may say. Whether it's the bible or the quran.' Mr Lucas then quoted the Catechism of the Catholic Church to which legal advisor Gareth Jones interrupted, saying: 'The purpose of the witness is not to descend into personal attacks during cross examination.' Mr Lucas closed his questioning by asking: 'Is your honest belief that because I believe in mainstream christian beliefs it makes me unfit to teach?' The former headmaster replied: 'I tried to say to you, do not you think you have to moderate these views to context and meet people halfway. I tried to get you to acknowledge that if we have faith we can not say such things when there are people around us who have some faith or no faith at all. 'I wanted the best for you and the students.' Deputy head Alan Johnston was also cross examined by the former school teacher. In his statement, Mr Johnston said: 'He was getting close to crossing the line, aline he hadn't previously crossed. 'Richard is clever, he never explicitly says the words I think. He thought the school thought he had extreme or radical views.' Mr Lucas was adamant during the hearing that the school was monitoring his political party the Scotland Family Party. When he questioned Mr Johnston about this, the deputy head said: 'I think initially we thought that people have the right to an opinion - we were not monitoring your online behaviour. Mr Lucas questioned Mr Johnston further, asking: 'My video supposedly infringed aspects of Merchiston Castle - did it?' Mr Johnston replied: 'Voicing an opinion which makes anyone feel less accepted is intolerable. Our values are to be accepting.' The hearing continues. A man and woman found dead at a remote house in Co Cavan may have died from accidental poisoning, gardai believe. Officers will use toxicology tests to establish if that is the case. The couple were today named locally as Rolandas Jarmalavicius and Rita Martinkiene, both in their 40s and originally from Lithuania. There were no signs of forced entry at the house near Belturbet, and while gardai are keeping an open mind in the early stages of the investigation it is understood that one line of investigation is accidentally poisoning may have caused or contributed to their deaths. There were no initial obvious signs of injuries to the bodies according to sources, but the results of the post mortems will direct which way the garda investigation proceeds. Rolandas and Rita were partners, and while they did not have children together Rita was a mother of two grown-up children from a previous relationship. Today Rolandass brother Darius spoke of how he was a hard working man trying to make a better life for himself. Rolandas came to Ireland with Rita around six or seven years ago. They would have known each other for a few years before that in Lithuania, Darius told SundayWorld.com. They had no English when they came, so they were trying to learn the language, save a bit of money and make a better life for themselves here. They thought Ireland was a better place than Lithuania. We went up there to the house yesterday because we had not seen them for a few days, and we couldnt find them. Then later my cousin went up and looked in the window and said they could just see someone on the floor inside. They could see their legs, he added. Read More The emergency services were called and the two bodies were found inside. They remained there today while a forensic examination took place, and were removed from the scene just before noon. The house is a small old style farmhouse with some outhouses set in off the road at Drumbrawn, near the townland of Cloverhill not far from the border with Northern Ireland. It is an area used mainly for farming and forestry, with just a few homes on the hilly landscape. Id say they were living here around seven years, and they kept to themselves. They wave as they went by in the car. I dont think they had any children, said Margaret Boylan who lives closeby. They both worked in an egg packing place across the border. They were hard workers. I thought I saw one of them up at the house on Friday. We were very shocked to hear what happened. Its a bed feeling, because this is a very quiet area. We dont know what happened yet, she added. Another neighbour said he saw gardai at the house yesterday while he was checking cattle. I didnt know what was happening so I went up to the fence around the house and the gardai said I couldnt go any further. I knew there was something wrong when I saw the ambulance there, but we dont know what happened, he said. They were living up there around eight years. They were a hard working couple. I got them to do some work on the farm over the years. This is a quiet rural area and you dont expect this kind of thing to happen, he added. Garda in Belturbet are investigating. FOREST CITY, Iowa A Winnebago County man has been arrested for a September burglary. Andrew Jon Sterrenberg, 35 of Forest City, is charged with 2nd degree theft and 3rd degree burglary. Law enforcement says they were contacted on September 30, 2020, by someone living at a home in the 200 block of N 9th Street in Forest City. The person said they had left the home on September 29 and returned the next day to find the door unlocked and the house in total disarray, with garbage and other items everywhere. The person said about $2,000 in personal property was missing. Two items were found at the home that did not belong to the victim, a 10 inch chefs knife and a flashlight. Those items and a metal box that had been opened were sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation lab and authorities say Andrew Sterrenbergs fingerprints were found on the flashlight. According to court records, Sterrenberg told investigators he had never been in the home and had no idea why his fingerprints would be there. Amaravati, Feb 8 : Village and ward volunteers, who have become a vital cog in implementing decentralised governance in Andhra Pradesh, have protested at various places in the state on Monday, demanding a pay hike. A few hundred volunteers protested in Vijayawada demanding a pay rise. "We are only asking for our rights. We are not able to run our families...please increase our salaries. We are protesting here peacefully. Even during Coronavirus time, we did a lot of work," said a woman volunteer at Vijayawada. She alleged that even as they are protesting peacefully, the police are resorting to violence. Another woman volunteer said that the government took them under the village secretariat system on August 15, 2019 and Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said volunteers are like his two eyes but now things are different now. "Now see the injustice happening to volunteers. Who is taking care of us? See how the police are beating us and pulling our hair. When we are doing so much work for the government, is this how they beat us?" she questioned. They appealed to the government to think about them at least now. Likewise, another volunteer questioned Reddy as to how the volunteers could live on a salary of Rs 5,000 and highlighted the various expenses such as rents and others. The sudden protest seems to be a fallout of the pay hike the government gave recently to workers operating the newly launched rice door delivery vehicles. "We go door to door and do a lot of work but are paid only Rs 5,000 while the just appointed rice door delivery workers are being paid Rs 21,000. The government should also think about us," a ward volunteer told IANS from West Godavari district. He said that the people who are entering data which the volunteers bring are being paid Rs 15,000 salary per month and observed that they do not go out in the sun but comfortably sit under the fan and enter data. He said that officials expect volunteers to finish work in just 10 minutes but are being paid a pittance. Currently the volunteers are on leave as they have been taken off Panchayat election duty by a diktat from the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar. They are expected to return to work on Wednesday. Widely praised by several people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appreciated Reddy and told him that the Central government was also thinking of replicating volunteer system across the country during a video conference with chief ministers once. In fact, senior officials from Karnataka had also visited neighbouring Anantapur district in AP to study the volunteer system and praised its model. Each volunteer is entrusted with the responsibility of catering to the governance needs of 50 families. By setting up two village secretariats in villages, AP government has succeeded in penetrating its services deeper into the masses. The village secretariats are also manned by nurses who played a stellar role in thermal scanning people during the time when Coronavirus was rampant. Besides checking the temperature and recommending a Coronavirus test, the nurses are also visiting the homes of people to give them a tablet or two when needed, thereby reducing the need of villagers going all the way to a primary health centre (PHC). "When Coronavirus was rampant, ANM nurses, Asha workers and volunteers played a crucial role in identifying and quarantining positive cases," he added. Carnarvon authorities will assess the damage of a once-in-a-decade flood as travellers to Exmouth and Coral Bay face a 800 kilometre detour with roads severely damaged by the rain. As the Gascoyne River peaked at 7.1 metres at Nine Mile Bridge on Saturday morning, roads were washed away and fruit plantations inundated. The floods in 2010, the peak at the river at Nine Mile Bridge was a little over 7.5 metres, whereas this one peaked at 7.1, so its not quite as high, Bureau of Meteorology media spokesman Neil Bennett said. Banana grower Bruce Munro said he was prepared after suffering massive losses in the flood catastrophe in 2010 when 2000 head of cattle were killed and crops were severely damaged. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2021 -- Stay up-to-date and exploit latest trends of Digital Experience Management Software Market with latest edition released by AMA. Digital Experience Management Software Market Comprehensive Study is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the momentum condition of the worldwide Digital Experience Management Software industry with an attention on the Global market. The report gives key insights available status of the Digital Experience Management Software producers and is an important wellspring of direction and course for organizations and people keen on the business. By and large, the report gives an inside and out understanding of 2020-2025 worldwide Digital Experience Management Software Market covering extremely significant parameters. Major Players in This Report Include, Microsoft Corporation (United States), Adobe (United States), Genesys (United States), IBM Corporation (United States), Infosys (India), Zendesk (United States), Salesforce (United States), Oracle Corporation (United States), OpenText (Canada) and SAP (Germany) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Players which are also part of the research are Evergage (United States), Verint Systems (United States) and SDL Plc (United Kingdom). Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/51079-global-digital-experience-management-software-market Brief Overview of Digital Experience Management Software: The increasing need for improving customer experience and to enhanced productivity through self-service and information discovery has boosted the demand for Digital experience management software. It is the technology that helps to manage organizations interact with customers, current and potential. This software allows to integrate data from other platforms such as financials, BI, ERP, analytics and others, moreover, it works with all customer-facing touchpoints such as organizing, automating and synchronizing them to offer service to all existing customers and respond quickly to issues and new business. The radically changing retail industry due to the increasing number of customers interacting with their favourite brands on mobile devices and computers through various social channels has increased the needs of the digital consumer experience software. According to the survey of Adobe Analytics, the United States consumers spent a record USD 142.5 billion online during the 2019 holiday season with the growth of 13.1% year-over-year. Of which, 84% of the eCommerce growth during this period had come from mobile devices. This has increased the interest of retailers to have software that will enable them to stay competitive and drive brand loyalty. Market Trend - The Increasing Trend of BYOD in Emerging Economies Such As Germany, China, and India Is Also Driving the Demand for Digital Experience Management Software Market Drivers - Tremendous Growth in Adoption of Smartphones across the Globe - Increasing Cloud and Business Technology - Growing Demand for Digital Experience Management Software from IT And E-Commerce Organizations Opportunities - The Technology Advancement in IT and Communication Is Giving Growth Opportunities for Using Digital Experience Management Software to Enhance Productivity with Ease Restraints - The High Implementation and Maintenance Cost of Digital Experience Management Software Challenges - Lack of Skilled Workforce Digital Experience Management Software Market Segmentation and Market Data Breakdown: by Application (BFSI, Retail, Healthcare, IT & Telecom, Manufacturing, Government, Energy & utilities, Others), Components (Software, Services), Organization Size (Small & Medium, Large Organizations), Service (Professional, Support and Maintenance), Deployment (On-Premise, Cloud), Analytics Tools (EFM software, Speech analytics, Text analytics, Others) This research report represents a 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of the Global Digital Experience Management Software Market. 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Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/51079-global-digital-experience-management-software-market The research study has taken the help of graphical presentation techniques such as infographics, charts, tables, and pictures. It provides guidelines for both established players and new entrants in the Global Digital Experience Management Software Market. The detailed elaboration of the Global Digital Experience Management Software Market has been provided by applying industry analysis techniques such as SWOT and Porter's five-technique. Collectively, this research report offers a reliable evaluation of the global market to present the overall framework of businesses. Attractions of the Digital Experience Management Software Market Report: - The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2016-2020) and forecast (2021-2026) - The report covers in-detail insights about the competitor's overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies - The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market - The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and start-up's details that are actively working in the market - The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario Get 10% 25% Discount on The Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/51079-global-digital-experience-management-software-market Key Points Covered in the Table of Content: Chapter 1 to explain Introduction, market review, market risk and opportunities, market driving force, product scope of Digital Experience Management Software Market; Chapter 2 to inspect the leading manufacturers (Cost Structure, Raw Material) with sales Analysis, revenue Analysis, and price Analysis of Digital Experience Management Software Market; Chapter 3 to show the focused circumstance among the best producers, with deals, income, and Digital Experience Management Software market share 2020; Chapter 4 to display the regional analysis of Global Digital Experience Management Software Market with revenue and sales of an industry, from 2020 to 2022; Chapter 5, 6, 7 to analyze the key countries (United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea & Taiwan), with sales, revenue and market share in key regions; Chapter 8 and 9 to exhibit International and Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis, Trade Type Analysis; Chapter 10 and 11 to analyze the market by product type and application/end users (industry sales, share, and growth rate) from 2020 to 2026 Chapter 12 to show Digital Experience Management Software Market forecast by regions, forecast by type and forecast by application with revenue and sales, from 2020 to 2025; Chapter 13, 14 & 15 to specify Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source of Digital Experience Management Software market buyers, merchants, dealers, sales channel. Browse for Full Report at @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/51079-global-digital-experience-management-software-market Digital Experience Management Software Market research provides answers to the following key questions: - What is the expected growth rate of the Digital Experience Management Software Market? - What will be the Digital Experience Management Software Market size for the forecast period, 2020 2026? - What are the main driving forces responsible for changing the Digital Experience Management Software Market trajectory? - Who are the big suppliers that dominate the Digital Experience Management Software Market across different regions? Which are their wins to stay ahead in the competition? - What are the Digital Experience Management Software Market trends business owners can rely upon in the coming years? - What are the threats and challenges expected to restrict the progress of the Digital Experience Management Software Market across different countries? About Advance Market Analytics Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. African countries have been urged to intensify domestic health financing agenda so as to control future public health shocks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the health and socioeconomic state of the continent. The call was made by Rwandan President Paul Kagame while presenting a progress report on the Institutional Reform of the African Union (AU) and on Domestic Health Financing during the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU, which kicked off virtually on Saturday. "Without strong national health systems in every country, our continent will remain vulnerable to pandemics," Kagame told African leaders attending the summit virtually. The Rwandan president also emphasized the importance of Africa's domestic health financing agenda, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We need to strengthen our commitment to increase domestic resource mobilization and improve health outcomes. I also urge the strengthening of Africa CDC to allow its autonomy and effectiveness," Kagame stressed. Presenting the continent's Domestic Health Financing Agenda, Kagame also proposed two major recommendations for the Assembly's consideration, which he said would "accelerate the implementation of this mandate." According to Kagame, the presentation of data in the annual scorecard should be updated to rank countries according to the WHO Service Coverage Index, rather than exclusively in terms of per capita spending."This adjustment will more accurately benchmark the efficiency of health spending across different contexts, while also tracking progress toward Universal Health Coverage," he said. He also recommended that AUDA-NEPAD (AU's development agency) be assigned the responsibility of working with partners to create regional platforms to support member states in increasing domestic health financing. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa who is also the outgoing Chairperson of the AU, also told the virtual opening session that "we know that COVID-19 is not yet defeated and that there will be difficult times ahead." Ramaphosa, who noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused great suffering and hardship across the continent, also noted that the pandemic is not only a severe health emergency but also a grave economic and social crisis. The AU summit is being held under the theme of "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want." The assembly, among other things, is expected to deliberate and consider the report on the institutional reform of the AU, report on the progress of the AU response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, as well as elections and appointments of the leadership of the AU Commission. Source: Xinhua/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 Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long proposed Ho Chi Minh City apply social distancing in some areas following surging infections linked to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. These high-risk areas should be governed by the government's Directive 16 that bans public gatherings of more than two people and asks people to stay home, stepping out only for emergencies, Long said. The proposal was made at a meeting Monday after HCMC recorded five recent community transmissions, all being baggage handlers at Tan Son Nhat Airport and 25 of their close contacts who have tested positive for the virus and are awaiting Health Ministry confirmation as Covid-19 patients. The source of the new cluster at the airport has not been determined. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed with the proposal at the meeting, saying that there have been seven areas in HCMC recording community transmissions, and social distancing should be applied in those areas. The areas are in Districts 1, 9, 12, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Binh Tan and Tan Binh. HCMC applied social distancing under Directive 16 from April 1 to 22 last year. Long said the outbreak in the baggage handling area at Tan Son Nhat could have existed long before and that some people involved may have been infected and then recovered. "The outbreak in HCMC was quite complicated and has gone through many cycles of infection; therefore, the source of this outbreak has not yet been determined. This is what makes us very worried," he said. The heath minister said even though they did not have contact with air passengers, the infected airport staff could still have interacted with many people in the community. He asked the city government to urgently prevent the outbreak from spreading further. Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam said the "lucky things" are HCMC has been administering the face mask rule strictly, and that the patients are not infected with the new, fast-spreading mutant strains of the virus. HCMC vice chairman Duong Anh Duc said the city will make efforts to restrict gatherings given the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. "Events and festivals that have been planned will be downsized as much as possible. Religious events and unneccesary activities will be suspended," Duc said. As of Monday morning, several residential areas in HCMC have been locked down. Health staff are racing against time to track down all those in close contact with the confirmed patients and suspected cases for centralized quarantine and coronavirus testing. HCMC has now recorded six locally transmitted cases, counting from Jan. 28 when community transmissions returned to Vietnam after 55 clean days, with the first case related to the cluster in northern Hai Duong Province. In the past 11 days, Vietnam has registered 422 domestic cases in 12 cities and provinces. Vietnamese will celebrate Tet, the country's biggest festival, this Friday but authorities in HCMC decided to cancel firework shows on Lunar New Years Eve amid the complicated development of the pandemic. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. California State University students will not see their tuition rise for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year, promising rare good news for the systems nearly 500,000 students battered by a year like no other. I want to make sure all of our students hear that, and all the students that are thinking about the CSU hear that: No increase in tuition for 2021-22, said new Chancellor Joseph Castro during the bimonthly CSU Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday afternoon. Its the first time the CSU has committed itself to such a goal for 2021-22, continuing a decade-long trend in which the system raised tuition only once, most recently a $270 hike in 2017-18. Gov. Gavin Newsoms January budget proposal includes a 3% increase in ongoing funding to the CSU, but with conditions, including keeping tuition flat. The proposed increase about $145 million is still about half of the amount that state lawmakers and the governor lopped off from the CSU in the current state budget they approved last year. Though CSUs finances took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal aid partially made up for CSU losses. The system reported losses and increased costs of more than $758 million in spring and fall 2020. Federal relief, known as the CARES Act, sent the system $262 million and an equal amount to its students for emergency aid. The most recent federal relief package is expected to give out even more aid to the system about $854 million, according to a CalMatters review of federal data. At least $262 million of that is supposed to go to students as emergency aid grants. Castro also vowed to protect CSU employees and faculty, saying that if our assumptions for state and federal support hold, he would not support a systemwide furlough program and would do everything we can to avoid additional layoffs of permanent CSU staff or faculty due to a lack of state funds. About 130 workers belonging to the systems largest staff employee union were laid off this month, a spokesperson for CSU Employees Union confirmed. The pause on spiking tuition is a far cry from the last time California endured a recession, when tuition doubled in a few short years after state funding plunged as a result of the 2007 recession. But student tuition is only one portion of the total cost of attending the CSU. While current tuition stands at $5,742, each campus is free to raise mandatory campus fees, which range from $901 at Fresno State to $4,329 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Unlike systemwide tuition, mandatory campus fees have been rising annually, sometimes by hundreds of dollars at a time, since 2011-12. While the CSU Board of Trustees has the authority to raise systemwide tuition, campus presidents set campus fee rates. At two Cal States, mandatory campus fees more than doubled in the past decade. Some campuses were faulted for not following protocol in setting campus fees, a state auditor found last year. In several cases, campuses failed to consult with key groups or explain why they needed the fee increases. Castros promise to hold systemwide tuition steady matches his reputation for minding costs as former campus president of Fresno State, where mandatory fees are the lowest in the system and have risen only $110 in the past decade. At least one campus, Humboldt State, plans to keep its mandatory campus fees flat, spokesperson Grant Scott-Goforth said over email. The campus releases its fee updates in March or April. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Castro also doubled down on the CSU reopening most of its classes in the fall for in-person learning, which may sweeten the pot for students to continue to enroll at CSU. While nationally enrollment at four-year universities cratered, Cal State and the University of California have maintained their enrollments during the pandemic. The president of the CSU faculty union sounded less thrilled about in-person instruction. During public comment at the trustees meeting, California Faculty Association President Charles Toombs said the system must address matters such as vaccines, sanitation protocols, the ability to continue teaching remotely, and more. Public health will guide the CSUs decisions about in-person learning in the fall, Castro said. If the course of the virus, the data, vaccine availability and the medical and public health experts indicate that our planning approach is no longer feasible, we will adjust. Mikhail Zinshteyn writes for CalMatters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics. Moorish idol - a coral reef species extending its ranges into temperate Australia under climate change. Credit: Ericka Coni Under increasing global warming, tropical fish are escaping warmer seas by extending their habitat ranges towards more temperate waters. But a new study from the University of Adelaide, published in Nature Climate Change, shows that the ocean acidification predicted under continuing high CO 2 emissions may make cooler, temperate waters less welcoming. "Every summer hundreds of tropical fish species extend their range to cooler and temperate regions as the waters of their natural habitat become a little too warm for comfort," says lead author Ericka Coni, Ph.D. student in the University's School of Biological Sciences. "For at least two decades, Australian temperate reefs have been receiving new guests from the tropics. "As a result of warming, we also see warm-temperate long-spined sea urchins increasing in numbers in southeast Australia, where they overgraze kelp forests and turn them into deserts known as 'urchin barrens'. Coral reef fishes that are expanding their ranges to temperate Australia prefer these barrens over the natural kelp habitats. "But what we don't know is how expected ocean acidification, in combination with this warming, will change the temperate habitat composition and consequently the rate of tropical species range-extension into cooler water ecosystems." The researchers hypothesised that these two divergent global change forceswarming and acidificationplay opposing effects on the rate of tropicalisation of temperate waters. "We know that as oceans warm they also acidify, because they absorb about a third of the CO 2 emissions from fossil-fuel burning," says Ericka's Ph.D. supervisor and project leader Professor Ivan Nagelkerken from the University's Environment Institute and Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories. "We also know that calcifying species like sea urchins are typically challenged by seawater with reduced pH levels resulting from elevated CO 2 ." The research team, which also included Camilo Ferreira and Professor Sean Connell from the University of Adelaide, and Professor David Booth from the University of Technology Sydney, used two 'natural laboratories' to study ocean warming (tropicalisation hotspots on the south-eastern Australian coast) and ocean acidification predicted for the end of this century (natural CO 2 vents off the coast of New Zealand) as an "early warning" system to assess the combined consequences of ocean acidification and ocean warming. They found that sea urchin numbers were reduced by 87% under elevated CO 2 , leading to a reduction in number and size of urchin barrens. In their place turf algal cover increased which is less preferred by tropical species. "Our study highlights that it is critical to study climate stressors togetherwe show that ocean acidification can mitigate some of the ecological effects of ocean warming," says Professor Nagelkerken. "For south-eastern Australia, and likely other temperate waters, this means that ocean acidification could slow down the tropicalisation of temperate ecosystems by coral reef fishes. "But in the meantime, if left unabated, these tropical species could increase competition with local temperate species under climate change and reduce their populations. "In the short-term we need to take steps to preserve kelp forests to help maintain the biodiversity and populations of temperate species and reduce the invasion of tropical species." Explore further Fish sex organs boosted under high CO2 More information: Ocean acidification may slow the pace of tropicalization of temperate fish communities, Nature Climate Change (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00980-w Journal information: Nature Climate Change Ocean acidification may slow the pace of tropicalization of temperate fish communities,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-00980-w A father-of-two pointed a realistic looking imitation gun into the face of a cash-in-transit van driver during an armed hold up has been jailed for five years. James Tracey (32) and a co-accused were arrested as Tracey got into a getaway car parked at the bottom of an embankment on the M3 motorway, not far from the hold up at the Aldi in Clonee, Co Meath. Tracey of Dunsink Park, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a firearm with intention to commit robbery and robbery of a cash box on January 6, 2020. The court heard that Tracey pointed a realistic imitation pistol into the face of a cash-in-transit van driver who had just done a cash pick up at Aldi. Tracey shouted drop the box and the driver froze, took a step back and put his hands in the air. Tracey ran off and went over a wall and made his way down through the shrubbery of the motorway embankment. Another man was waiting in a car there and had opened the passenger door for him. As Tracey got to the car members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit moved in and arrested both men. Tracey still had the cash box and the 27,000 cash in it was recovered in full. The court heard that victim's hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't press the panic button and he broke down crying when he got home later that day. In a victim impact statement he said he thought the pistol was a real gun and that he got the shock of his life. He said he still feels more anxious and nervous as a result of the robbery. Seamus Clarke SC, defending, told the court that his client lost his job as a painter the month before the robbery and had a new born baby and a two year old son. He said his instructions are that his client had developed a secret drug addiction at the time and had built up a large drug debt and needed money to pay this. Detective Superintendent Derek Maguire told Judge Codd that he had no evidence to suggest there was a drug problem there. Tracey's former employer told the court that he had employed him as a painter and he was a trustworthy, great worker. He said he let him go in December because of a slowdown in business but said he would have no problem hiring him again. Dt Supt Maguire told the court that the majority of Tracey's 60 previous convictions are for road traffic offences. Judge Pauline Codd said that Tracey was caught red-handed. She said she accepted his remorse as genuine and noted he is assessed at being at a moderate level of reoffending. She suspended the final two years of a seven year sentence on condition that post release supervision for two years Deputy President William Ruto's allies say they will meet at his home in Karen, Nairobi County, on Monday for a consultative meeting touching on matters including his State House bid and their welfare at Jubilee Party. According to South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro, they are set to have a Parliamentary Group (PG) Meeting to put their house in order as Parliament resumes on Tuesday. "Yes we will have a normal PG tomorrow at the 'hustler's' mansion. It is a normal meetup to start the year as we resume sessions in Parliament," he told the Nation. The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is also likely to feature prominently at the gathering. Dr Ruto has been cagey about the direction he will take if his call for consensus is not accepted. But while he has harshly criticised the proposed constitutional changes and those pushing for them, he has said he is not pushing for a 'No' vote. "I have not said I am opposed to the BBI. I am saying that the people are asking questions. Come and give them answers. Bring them the copies [of the document] and they will decide. They are not stupid; they will decide," he said at the Coast on Sunday. Party contributions Mr Caleb Kositany, Jubilee Party's Jubilee Deputy Secretary-General and the DP's de-facto spokesperson, also hinted at a meeting but was non-committal about the forces pushing for it, even as county assemblies continue to decide their positions on the BBI. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr Kositany said, however, that the majority of DP's allies want to stop making contributions to the party and will soon meet to decide when to make the move. Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono, another staunch ally of the DP's, said they will meet for talks on how strengthen their position on a number of issues at Parliament. Vocal Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi said that since they are frustrated in the ruling party, they will raise concerns about making contributions. "Over 100 MPs want to stop their contributions to the ruling party. In fact, some of us want to leave roughly Sh1,000 to that party," said Mr Sudi. Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa said: "We will discuss a myriad of issues pertinent to our State House bid and welfare. We also want to re-channel our party contributions and leave a paltry Sh1,000." The politicians denied claims of a scheme to frustrate the government's agenda in Parliament, saying they will support President Uhuru Kenyatta so he can finish his term in peace. "Monday's meeting will be all about consultation on a number of things. It is not true that we will be planning how to frustrate Uhuru's agenda," Mr Kosaitany said. The new Biden Administration has largely been focused on fulfilling its election promises in its first month in power. After reversing an extensive list of Trump policies via executive orders, Biden is now focusing on the Middle East. In stark contrast to his predecessor, Joe Bidens administration is taking a reserved and diplomatic approach towards the ongoing crisis in the Middle East region. While the new administration is yet to fully address Iranian Sanctions or the JCPOA-agreement, it has stepped up the pressure on some Arab countries by temporarily blocking U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In yesterdays historic speech, Biden addressed U.S. military support for the Saudi-led anti-Houthi alliance currently fighting in Yemen. International media has been largely focused on the perceived hard-line position taken by Biden. By removing full-scale offensive military support for Saudi forces, Washington seems to be pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, in which Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others are fighting a proxy war against the Iranian supported Houthi forces. Diplomatic sources indicate that the move is a "routine administrative action", noting that it was standard for incoming administrations to review large arms deals initiated by outgoing administrations. Still, Bidens moves are not going to go down very well in the respective Arab Gulf capitals. Other major players, such as Egypt, Israel, and Jordan will be watching Bidens moves carefully in the coming months. Among the sales that have been put on hold is a massive $23 billion (19 billion) deal to supply the UAE with 50 Lockheed-Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets. The deal was made in the final days of the Trump presidency, after the November 6 election. It remains unclear whether or not other Trump arms deals are also going to be targeted, such as the December 29 2020 approved potential sale of 3,000 precision-guided missiles, worth as much as $290 million, to Saudi Arabia. The reaction from Arab governments to yesterdays Biden speech have been very positive, as was expected. None of the countries involved are willing to put their relationship with Washington at risk. Saudi Arabias Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al Jubeir, stated that Bidens historic speech confirms Americas commitment to work with friends and allies on resolving conflicts. Hi words carried a tacit but clear undertone that Washington not forget the larger picture, which includes both Iran and Iraq, and focuses on both geopolitics and energy. Related Video: The Silver Squeeze Conspiracy In the coming weeks and months, the Biden Administration will be focusing on the JCPOA agreement and its constraints. While Democrats and European nations may be hoping for a fast revamp of the Iran deal, there are significant hurdles in the way of achieving such a feat. First of all, the former JCPOA agreement has already been attacked by several European nations due to a lack of control mechanisms. Secondly, Irans growing missile capabilities, which have already been used in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, are a major concern for any potential JCPOA signatories. Thirdly, Irans current posture with regards to nuclear enrichment will discourage Washington, France, and Germany from coming to the table. While none of these issues are particularly new, Bidens position on all of them remains unclear, and will likely depend on his broader foreign policy in the Middle East. The Biden Administrations role and relationship with the Arab Gulf states is yet to be established. The postponement of arms deliveries and the blockage of so-called offensive arms to Saudi Arabia, and potentially others, could be setting the scene for a potential political crisis in the region. If this relative aggression towards Arab Gulf nations is combined with a more positive attitude towards Iran, without adressing the concerns of Saudi Arabia-UAE-Israel and Egypt, then Washington will risk losing its key allies in the region. Since the Obama era, the traditionally friendly security and economic relationships between Washington and the GCC region have been severely weakened. A new perceived pro-Iranian and anti-Arab strategy could lead to Washington coming under fire in the Middle East. It is not only U.S. interests in the region that could be threatened by a new course of action in the Middle East, but also the U.S. and European economies. A new pro-Iranian vision of the Middle East could give birth in the GCC arena to a willingness to increase already growing cooperation with Russia, China, and India. Strategic posturing could also result in a less lenient approach from Arab oil nations towards Bidens energy strategies and the U.S. shale recovery. OPEC+ is evidence of the growing economic strength of non-U.S. economies. Broad support from the U.S. for a new JCPOA agreement and increasing pressure on Arab regimes would only increase this new economic force and could also lead to a very volatile oil and gas market. President Biden will have to play his hand carefully in the Middle East to avoid global economic and geopolitical ramifications. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Perseverance 1 was the first exploration well in The Bahamas for decades and it has confirmed a petroleum system ( ) told investors that the Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but commercial volumes were not discovered. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the well has successfully validated the structural model and the petroleum system. It fulfilled the core technical objectives of the well, the company added. The validation of a competent seal, good reservoir quality, charge and the presence of oil points to significant hydrocarbon potential remaining in various independent, untested play systems and structures within BPC's extensive acreage, BPC noted. In the coming weeks, the company will carry out a detailed evaluation of all technical information gathered during drilling. This work will also see a review of the appropriate way forward for future monetisation of its business in The Bahamas, in particular with a view to a renewal of a farm-in process. Operationally, the focus now turns to the companys activities in Trinidad and Suriname where multi-well programmes are planned to target exit production rates of 2,500 barrels of oil per day. Perseverance 1 is the first exploration well in The Bahamas for decades, and the data gathered from this well will prove invaluable in providing a modern analysis as to the regional potential of the petroleum system, which, in our view, reduces technical risk for any future/further exploration in this new frontier province, said chief executive Simon Potter. He added: in Trinidad we have producing oil fields and, in combination with assets in Suriname, we have upcoming drilling programmes scheduled in 2021, such that the near-term operational activity focus will now shift toward those activities. All of us at BPC are resolute in support of the diversification strategy embarked on during 2020, and we remain intent on delivering the potential that is latent across the entire portfolio." Growing up in the frigid confines of Endwell, N.Y., I tried to escape the endless winters and year-round rain by visiting my local library, where I sought out photography books with images of warmer places. I remember being thrilled by a picture book that traced the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Toward the end of the book was a photograph of a flaming gas well rising from turbulent Gulf waters at twilight. To a Northern boy, seeing that photo felt like looking at some faraway, exotic land; in the upstate New York winter chill, I felt warmed by the twilight colors, the haze. The eleven-story, 190-apartment building will welcome its first residents in mid-February. The community offers vibrant independent living, personal care and memory care. The Anthology Senior Living of King of Prussia Grand Opening celebrates the formal beginning of a vibrant, new community, Randy Hampton, Executive Director said. We are excited and cant wait to share the unique facets of the Anthology lifestyle and connect in a safe and meaningful way. King of Prussia residents will welcome a new, vibrant and upscale senior living community, Anthology Senior Living, in early February. The public is invited to attend Anthology Senior Livings grand opening celebrations on February 10 and 11. Indulge in a Taste of Philly on February 10 from 2-6 PM, with personalized tours and flavors from Philly. The formal ribbon cutting will take place on February 11 from 4:30-6:30 PM. Both events will adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, observe social distancing, require masks, and request RSVPs. To RSVP, call 484-392-5011. Our Grand Opening celebrates the formal beginning of a vibrant, new community, Randy Hampton, Executive Director said. We are excited and cant wait to share the unique facets of the Anthology lifestyle and connect in a safe and meaningful way. Shortly after the grand opening celebrations, the eleven-story, 190-apartment building will welcome its first residents in mid-February. The community offers vibrant independent living, personal care and memory care. Located at 350 Guthrie Road, the communitys design stimulates the mind, body and spirit of residents on a daily basis. Anthology Senior Livings exquisite accommodations feature studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom senior friendly floorplans. Apartments are well-appointed with spacious layouts, granite countertops, and balconies affording expansive views of Valley Forge. We are excited to begin this new chapter in Philadelphia, Ben Burke, President of Anthology Senior Living stated. The spaces, from the outdoor courtyards to penthouse dining, are designed to bring the gorgeous Valley Forge landscape into every day. This community is a remarkable venue for our residents to continue their life stories with us. Amenities at Anthology Senior Living of King of Prussia include a pool, rooftop terrace and top-of-the-line fitness center. All meals are prepared by an onsite executive chef, whose seasonal menus are inspired by fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Programming at Anthology Senior Living focuses on six dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, environmental, physical, spiritual and emotional. Activities are designed to trigger synapsis in the brain that engage both short-term and long-memory, which are crucial in keeping the mind sharp. Anthology Senior Living team members are certified in CARES, a nationally renowned training program through the Alzheimers Association. The new building will also implement cognitive stimulation therapy through a Canada-based company called Fit Minds. Anthology Senior Living of King of Prussia prioritizes resident and team member safety and wellness. Customized care plans are paired with cutting edge technology all residents are provided with necklaces or wristbands which will not only provide access to their specific apartment and amenities throughout the building, but also offer the peace of mind of a fall detection monitor. Anthology Senior Living has robust COVID-19 safety protocols designed to promote the overall wellness of residents and team members. Included among the many benefits of living at an Anthology community are free on-site testing, COVID-19 vaccine administration, robust safety protocols, 24/7 access to a healthcare professional, and opportunities to connect with peers, family and friends. Anthology Senior Livings partnership with the PharmacyFirst program began vaccinating residents on December 29th, 2020. Anthology is working closely with their national pharmacy provider to vaccinate the residents and team members at Anthology of King of Prussia To schedule your personalized tour or to RSVP for the grand opening events, call 484-392-5011 or visit AnthologySeniorLiving.com/King-of-Prussia. About Anthology Senior Living Anthology Senior Living, a vertically integrated owner and operator of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities, has 28 locations in 11 different states in the US. Anthology Senior Living boasts over 1,300 residents and 1,100 team members across the portfolio and is headquartered in Denver, CO. The individual communities foster a culture of inclusion, where seniors are encouraged to continue their life story in a beautiful, meaningful way. Anthology operates one other community in Pennsylvania, located outside of Pittsburgh. For more information about Anthology Senior Living, visit http://www.AnthologySeniorLiving.com or follow the company on Facebook. The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) and Atnafas Creative Production have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aiming to equip AUBH students with valuable social media marketing skills, knowledge and practical experience. The mutual understanding aims to promote social media marketing and the role of social media influencers, in creating a positive impact in the region. The partnership will also aid in developing social media production projects for AUBH students, while sharing knowledge, experiences, ideas, and mentor exchange. Atnafas Creative Production is one of the leading social media marketing and production houses in Bahrain, founded and led by Omar Farooq, a Bahraini social media influencer in the region. The company creates influential videos which result in positive impacts on brands, supporting marketing campaigns, and the wider community, via corporate social responsibility. Through the partnership, Atnafas intends to support AUBH students by providing tools, resources, and knowledge on creative direction, campaigns, films, and social media, while offering information sessions to the student body, as well one-on-one sessions. Together, AUBH and Atnafas Creative Production will be hosting multimedia projects and events, workshops, and a speaker series on campus. AUBHs Chief Operating Officer, William D Hurt said: I am thrilled to announce our newly formed relationship with Atnafas Creative Production. We are very proud of the progress we are making in providing our students with the opportunities and the resources they need in order to gain a greater understanding of how their field of interest works, beyond academia and into the real world. Atnafas' Managing Director, Haitham A Aziz stated: "We at Atnafas are all excited to be working with AUBH, and to share our experience in the field with the new generation. Social Media is essential in everyone's life and due to it being relatively new, you can only find its essentials with experience, and it is our role as one of the leaders in the field to share this experience." The partnership will further present AUBH Students with a holistic educational experience, which is in line with AUBHs educational philosophy and approach to education. In doing so, AUBH graduates will be career-oriented individuals equipped with skills needed for to-days job market. TradeArabia News Service DALLAS, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Birthday Party Project is kicking off the year in style, ready to celebrate more children than ever before with help from local partner Tegan Digital. The non-profit organization launched a fresh look and new website this past Friday. The improved branding will energize and support The Birthday Party Project's mission of spreading joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of birthday parties. "With an updated website and a fresh rebrand, we hope to encourage even more people to join the party! There are so many kids we want to celebrate," said Paige Chenault, Chief Executive Officer of The Birthday Party Project. "We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Tegan. Their team was thoughtful and mission focused throughout the process. We had so much fun building this together." Tegan Digital, a Dallas-based agency, led strategy, design and development for the redesign of The Birthday Party Project's website, along with all rebranding initiatives including a new logo and color palette. Tegan will continue to provide general consulting on other digital initiatives. "The Birthday Party Project's heartbeat for others resonates with our team. Service is a part of our ethos," said John Herrington, Vice President Client Services at Tegan. "Paige and her team have given so many kids the chance to blow out their birthday candles. To have a role in celebrating in a season of so much suffering is pretty special." Since its launch in 2012, The Birthday Party Project has celebrated more than 12,000 birthdays with over 63,000 children in attendance. The newly established digital platform for the brand will pave the way for more opportunities to serve kids across the nation. About The Birthday Party Project The Birthday Party Project brings joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of birthdays. With the support of Birthday Enthusiasts, also known as volunteers, the non-profit organization partners with homeless shelters and transitional living facilities to host monthly birthday parties for the children living there. The organization accepts monetary donations, in-kind donations of party supplies and gifts, and engages the community through their "Share Your Birthday" campaign. All donations go directly to hosting magical birthday parties for children in 60 agencies across 20 cities. For more information, visit https://www.thebirthdaypartyproject.org/ . About Tegan Digital Tegan Digital is an award-winning digital strategy, design and development agency based in Dallas, Texas. Tegan builds digital experiences that matter with partners ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. For more information, visit www.tegan.io . Media Contact: John Herrington VP Client Services 214-938-1611 [email protected] SOURCE Tegan Digital Related Links http://www.tegan.io Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 23:43:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Maria Spiliopoulou, Valentini Anagnostopoulou ATHENS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Three months into Greece's second nationwide lockdown in a year, Dimitra Kitsou has become an expert in performing a balancing act every day in order to stay safe and not contract and transmit the novel coronavirus, and at the same time stay sane. Living alone in an apartment in the center of Athens, the finance expert felt like slipping into melancholy sometimes. She took action and learned to cope under the new circumstances. She observes social distancing, but still nurtures her relationships with family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Many Greeks have adapted to the "new normal" following a similar pattern, according to a survey conducted by the Focus Bari polling firm in January. About one in two Greeks said that relationships with acquaintances were negatively affected by the lack of communication, while relationships with family members and relatives have improved during the pandemic, the survey found. All of a sudden, with teleworking and not having to commute to work, people can spend more quality time with relatives and friends, even if it is through telephone calls or going for a walk in the park with masks on, they told pollsters. The lack of in-person communication took a toll on some relationships, while other relationships improved. Kitsou has been working from home for several weeks now. Initially, she was worried that teleworking may negatively impact communication with her colleagues, she told Xinhua in a recent interview. All in all, she is happy she doesn't have to ride the bus or metro for two hours each day to get to the office and she has more time to talk to her father or niece on the phone, chat with friends on social media or read a book. "I wake up around 7:00-7:30 a.m., by 8:00 I have made my coffee and I am in front of the computer. Until 3:00, 4:00 or 5:00 p.m., depending on the workload, time passes with job-related tasks. After this, I try every day, if the weather is good, to go out for a walk for 1-2 hours. It helps the body and and the mind to see something different," she said, describing her new routine. "I chat with friends via the internet, watch movies, read books, make calls, say 'good morning' and 'good afternoon' to neighbors from the balcony. The days go by. It is just that there is a bit of fatigue, because it has been like this for too long," she explained. One in two Greeks feel that their mental health has deteriorated during the lockdown, according to another survey carried out by the Interview polling firm for Vergina TV in January. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they were determined to stay indoors as long as it takes to exit the crisis. Meanwhile, 26 percent said they could not stand one more day isolated at home. Eighty-five percent or respondents said they spent hours surfing the internet, 71 percent took up cooking, 64 percent watched television, 39 percent listened to more music, 35 percent read books and 34 percent were exercising. It is not always easy, but Kitsou tries to pull herself together and make the most of this taxing period for all. "The truth is there are no news and stimuli, new images, new people. Everything is quite flat... Sometimes I feel melancholic. I have really missed going out, not only to walk alone in the park or in my neighborhood, but going out to a nice restaurant with my friends, going to a nice bar for a while, going to the theater or the cinema," she said. "I want to see our lives return to the usual routine, which was nice. I want to see our lives go back to our friends, our normal activities, our hobbies," she added. Although she lives alone, she doesn't feel lonely now. During the pandemic, she found herself talking more to neighbors and learning more about the people living next door to her. Solidarity and empathy flourish in such hard times. "All of a sudden you realize that you may be physically alone, but not really. Your entire little world has become one group of friends, one big hug, and you can knock on a door (to seek help)," she said. "What worries me most is my loved ones. In addition to my father, who is elderly and has health problems, my sister is a nurse at a COVID-19 referral hospital," she said. Panos Giannakakis also lives on his own a few blocks further in a flat his grandmother had left him. A disc jockey for 25 years, he turned to 3D animation in recent years and in March 2020 he had just started in a new job when the first lockdown began. He has been unemployed for months now. "It is easy to lose track of time. Days turn into nights, at least in my case. In recent years, I have been studying 3D animation, therefore I spend many hours in front of the computer working on something. My 24-hour routine is working on the computer after waking up, going out for a walk, cooking, resting and back to the computer," he told Xinhua. He finds solace in music and his dog. "We have always been close with my beloved Iris, but with the quarantine undoubtedly we came even closer," he explained while walking his dog. After his country has survived an acute decade-long financial crisis that drove unemployment rates to record highs and decreased the average income of households by a quarter, Giannakakis now feels like he has to climb a mountain again. "In my case the financial problem was already here. With the pandemic it became more acute. The pandemic is a period when you feel that there is nothing you can do," he said. Nevertheless, he doesn't give up. "I feel that I was not affected by the pandemic very much psychologically. I see it mostly as if time has frozen. I get a chance to do a few things every day that I would not be able to do in normal circumstances," he said. "It is certainly unpleasant that you cannot be close to people, like in the past. Quite often you just want to go out. I don't feel like I have reached my limits. I have friends who tell me it is very hard for them too," he explained. On Sunday, the Greek National Public Health Organization (EODY) reported 733 new cases and 21 deaths within 24 hours. The country has registered 163,946 confirmed infections and 5,972 deaths since the first case was diagnosed in Greece on Feb. 26, 2020. Enditem Feature Article Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing seeks applications for 2021 DOE/Argonne National Laboratory Attendees at ATPESC, an annual training program that provides specialized, in-depth training to doctoral students, postdocs and computational scientists on today's most powerful supercomputers. (Image taken in 2019 by Argonne National Laboratory.) Apply by March 1 for an opportunity to learn the tools and techniques needed to carry out research on the world's most powerful supercomputers. The architecture and software environments of today's most powerful supercomputers are complex, posing significant challenges to researchers interested in using them to advance scientific discoveries. To meet these challenges and facilitate breakthrough science and engineering on these amazing resources, the annual Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing (ATPESC) -- hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory -- provides specialized, in-depth training to doctoral students, postdocs and computational scientists. Applications are now being accepted for ATPESC 2021 -- an intensive two-week training program that teaches participants the key skills, approaches and tools they will need to design, implement and execute computational science and engineering (CSE) applications on current leadership-class supercomputers and next-generation exascale machines. Launched in 2013, ATPESC has hosted more than 500 participants since its inception. "ATPESC provides an intense, broad and deep introduction to many aspects of high-performance computing, not just one or two. Having direct access to some of the leaders in the field is great for asking questions, getting opinions and talking about careers. The participants also benefit from being part of the ATPESC community with their fellow students." -- William Gropp, ATPESC lecturer The program, which will be held this year from Aug. 1-13, is designed to address gaps in the training that computational scientists typically receive through formal education or other shorter courses. "Many researchers start out with fairly ad hoc exposure to solving problems computationally. The ATPESC curriculum covers a broad set of topics, filling in gaps and providing a solid basis to support their future work," said Ray Loy, ATPESC program director and lead for training, debugging and math libraries at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Added ATPESC lecturer William Gropp, director and chief scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign's National Center for Supercomputing Applications, ?"ATPESC provides an intense, broad and deep introduction to many aspects of high-performance computing (HPC), not just one or two. Having direct access to some of the leaders in the field is great for asking questions, getting opinions and talking about careers. The participants also benefit from being part of the ATPESC community with their fellow students." More than 70 participants will benefit from lectures and hands-on training sessions provided by renowned computer scientists and HPC experts from U.S. national laboratories, universities and industry. The core curriculum will address: Computer architectures and predicted evolution. Numerical algorithms and mathematical software. Approaches to building community codes for HPC systems. systems. Data analysis, visualization, I/O, and methodologies and tools for big data applications. Performance measurement and debugging tools. Machine learning and data science. Previous attendees have benefited immensely from the program. Aleksandra Pachalieva, a graduate research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory who attended ATPESC in 2020, remarked ?"Aside from technical aspects of exascale computing, I learned a lot about software productivity, quality and sustainability. The systems and tools that we are using are changing constantly but having good software practices is a key concept that will ensure the success of the software we develop as scientists." Another 2020 participant, Kevin Green, a research scientist for the department of computer science at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, said ?"I'll be using a lot of the ideas I've seen here to update material in our high-performance computing courses. I've also gotten a good feel for how we can migrate our current code designs to designs that will perform well across different supercomputing architectures." How to Apply The call for applications is now open, and interested doctoral students, postdocs and computational scientists are encouraged to apply here by March 1. Qualified applicants will have Substantial experience in MPI and/or OpenMP programming. and/or OpenMP programming. Experience in applying at least one HPC system to address a complex problem. system to address a complex problem. Plans to conduct CSE research on large-scale computers. There are no fees to participate, and domestic airfare, meals and lodging are provided to selected applicants. The event is currently planned to be in-person, as usual; if in-person meeting restrictions prevent that, ATPESC will be virtual. ### ATPESC is organized by the ALCF and funded by the Exascale Computing Project (ECP), a collaborative effort of the DOE Office of Science's Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The training program is structured to align with the ECP's mission to develop a capable computing ecosystem for future exascale supercomputers, including Aurora at Argonne and Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. Elon Musks cryptocurrency hype was more than just idle talk. CNBC reports that Tesla not only bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin to help diversify and maximize its returns, but will start taking payments using the digital asset sometime in the near future. Its the first major car maker to take Bitcoin for purchases. although the company didnt say if this would apply to every product. Tesla was quick to warn investors that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin tended to be highly violatile, with rapid price changes and theoretical vulnerability to regulatory changes, malicious attacks and technological obsolescence that doesnt exist with physical formats. Musk was conscious of his own effect on Bitcoin, warning in a Clubhouse chat that he could move the market if he wasnt careful. Not surprisingly, Teslas move just did that, sparking a Bitcoin price surge to over $44,000 as of this writing. Theres a clear advantage to embracing Bitcoin Tesla can court newly minted cryptocurrency millionaires itching to spend their fortunes on a new Model S. The investment is something of a gamble, though. The $1.5 billion represents a significant portion of Teslas roughly $19.4 billion in cash, and its entirely possible that money could evaporate if Bitcoin prices plunge. The automaker clearly hopes Bitcoin has a bright future, and that committing to the format helps legitimize it. Decode Your Future with an Online Computer Science Degree from Drexel Drexel University's online computer science programs are designed to prepare you for work on the cutting edge of technology. The curriculum is designed for students with any level of experience or previous knowledge. Choose the program thats right for you. Learn More. Jeff Bezos last week announced he will be stepping down from his role of CEO Amazon. Bezos is following Microsoft's lead and putting his cloud executive Andy Jassy in charge of the company. Given that Microsoft was exceedingly successful with putting Satya Nadella in the same role, it would seem that this would be a slam-dunk success. But the issue is that Amazon is not Microsoft; it is an online retail company with an unusual interest in cloud services. Amazon's success is that, up until now, its cloud business was run by a subject matter expert, and Bezos, while building Amazon, became an expert in online retail. Blue Origin, which Elon Musk's SpaceX has significantly eclipsed, is also run by experts. Still, Bezos isn't a rocket scientist, and this game of musical chairs will end with their cloud expert running the retail business and Bezos attempting to run full time a rocket company. This effort will almost certainly not end well because each executive's skills -- with the possible exception of who takes over Andy Jassy's cloud job -- are unqualified for the part of Bezo's empire they are running. Let's explore this potential train wreck this week, and we'll close with my product of the week, the new robotic Echo Show 10. Succession One of the most significant omissions with companies that are just a few decades old, like Amazon, is the lack of a formal succession training program for the CEO job. Often the CEO founder, who has grown up with their company, doesn't realize the unique skills they have and assumes almost any senior executive can do the job. More mature companies like IBM have formal programs where employees are identified early and extensively trained as executive assistants by former CEOs, and in various company roles. Hence, they gain the breadth they need for the job that they can demonstrate to the board when it comes time to replace the CEO. Like I did when I was in the IBM program, they also learn whether they even want the job (I didn't). Why Bezos Is Likely Leaving This lack of formal succession often results in the selected CEO underperforming because they either lack the necessary breadth or the interest to do the job as it needs to be done. The typical reason that a CEO like Bezos voluntarily steps down is that they no longer enjoy the job, which becomes very political, bureaucratic, and increasingly regulated as the company grows. Amazon is facing a vast number of things that I'm sure most of us wouldn't enjoy facing any more than Jeff Bezos does. The company is being unionized, is under antitrust review, its taxes are about to go up a lot, and it faces increasing competition from Walmart and China's online retail firms. Because of Amazon's size, it's restricted from many aggressive ways to compete. Both the unionization effort and antitrust investigation could result in massive headaches for the CEO. Wrong Choice Now, the guy that likes running a cloud business that isn't facing antitrust and isn't being unionized mostly requires technical competence rather than political savvy. Both union fighting and litigation experience don't look like a fit to me. When Microsoft pivoted to become a cloud business it was no longer under an antitrust cloud. As a result, competent technical leaders like Nadella and, a decade earlier, Steve Ballmer made more sense because Microsoft dealt with operational problems resulting from their antitrust effort. Even so, Balmer was still viewed as a failure because he lacked the technical competence needed to run a technology company. Given the threats to, and the nature of, Amazon's business, the company needs someone who understands how to address the threats and grasps the online retail market. Where Amazon needs its top cloud expert isn't running the company; it's running AWS, a mostly separate entity that also has Amazon as a client. To offer an analogy, Amazon is doing this as if Microsoft and Walmart merged, and Satya Nadella ran the combined company. There is a pretty good chance that both Microsoft and Walmart would suffer, since Satya does not have the retail comprehensiveness to run Walmart. I expect this move at Amazon to demonstrate that a successful CEO must be an expert in the business of the company, and also be able to formulate a strategy to address the imminent threats the firm faces. A better move would have been to anticipate an unfavorable antitrust action and spin off AWS as a separate company to help ensure that result wouldn't damage the company. As part of Amazon, selling cloud services to other retailers or into markets like China is problematic due to Amazon's retail power. Separately, Amazon would be free to compete against Microsoft and Google more evenly because it wouldn't be seen as a competitor or threat to many companies. Businesses, as a general practice, avoid buying from competitors like the plague. Repeating Bill Gates' Mistake When he went through the antitrust trials, Bill Gates realized he no longer enjoyed the job of running Microsoft. Things had changed a lot and became similar to what Bezos is facing at Amazon: assorted government challenges, bureaucracy, and people stopping you from doing things you enjoy. Bill wanted out, and he saw running his charity as something he'd enjoy more. But rather than looking for the best candidate to replace him, he picked the easiest in Steve Ballmer. That cost the company one of their best operational executives and caused Gates the loss of his closest friend. Even though there was supposed to be an overlap where Bill trained Steve, Bill pretty much moved on and left Steve to screw up -- which Steve did with a vengeance. Most notable were the failed Yahoo acquisition, the Nokia acquisition, Windows Vista, Windows 8, and the Zune debacle. It wasn't that Ballmer was a lousy manager; he did impressively well until he became CEO, whereupon he was out of his depth, which in turn made him overly defensive, which led to him not getting timely help. About that help: Bill did provide Steve with a technical resource out of Lotus' Iris software group, but Ray Ozzie (who replaced Gates as chief architect) didn't get along with Balmer, likely because Steve saw him as more of a threat than a partner. Also, Ray wasn't known to work well in large companies and hadn't grown up at Microsoft, making him a poor choice. They should have selected someone that Steve liked from inside Microsoft to offset his lack of programming skills and knowledge. Bezos appears to be making this same mistake, choosing someone not because they have the right skills but because they are comfortable and foolish enough to take the job without realizing they are likely to hate it. Back to the Microsoft-Walmart analogy...Think about it: If Satya Nadella were offered the job to run Walmart, even though he is a successful CEO, I think he'd be smart enough to say "hell no." That situation would bring about all the stuff he hates about being CEO without any of the technical aspects he loves; and he'd have to learn large scale retail and how to manage unionized employees (Walmart has been fighting unions for years, mostly with surprising success). Like Gates and Ballmer, Bezos and Jassy appear to be close friends, and just like with Gates and Ballmer, friendship is unlikely to survive this move if, as I expect, Jassy is now a square peg in a round hole. Wrapping Up Companies need succession planning. CEOs aren't immortal; they aren't infallible, they aren't always honest, and they often have issues with abusing power, given that every CEO will need to be replaced at some point. It is the board's job to find the best person for the job. With good succession planning, the firm will have internally several viable candidates at any time that are trained and ready to step in. Without it, you get something like we saw at Microsoft with Steve Ballmer; and now see with what I view as a bad skills match that will likely damage Amazon and force out their top cloud executive, hence damaging AWS. Unlike Bill Gates' charity, running a rocket company will be problematic for someone that isn't the right kind of engineer, much like running a software company was with Ballmer. There is always a chance this will work out, but the odds don't look good and, I expect, Amazon, AWS, and Blue Origin will all be badly harmed by this move. The Amazon Echo Show 10 I'm a colossal Echo fan. I've had nearly every Amazon Echo made since the firm came out with the platform. This digital assistant is our home's music source, it helps manage our shopping and it even turns out our lights at night. There's an Echo in every room of my house, except for closets and pet rooms (I'm a bit worried about what would happen if my pets figured out how to use it). We have the old Echo Show in the kitchen and my office. It works fine in my office mostly because I never really use the display and only ask it questions or to update shopping lists. But, in the kitchen, the display isn't angled correctly to use it for cooking, or to watch videos while cooking. Touching the device when you are preparing food can mess it up and, during a pandemic, touching anything others may touch is problematic. It will show if someone is at the door because it connects to the door camera, but that does you little good if you can't see the display. The new Echo Show 10 adds a motorized screen that will rotate to face you when you need to see something without touching it. Not only is that a ton more fun to show off when you have folks over, but it is also much more convenient when you have to see what is on the screen and your hands are dirty, or you are across the room at the wrong angle. Echo Show 10 Ironically, it also looks like my favorite iMac -- which for me is an added plus. The new Echo Show 10 will release on Feb. 25 for $249 -- and it is my product of the week. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. Rob Enderle has been an ECT News Network columnist since 2003. His areas of interest include AI, autonomous driving, drones, personal technology, emerging technology, regulation, litigation, M&E, and technology in politics. He has an MBA in human resources, marketing and computer science. He is also a certified management accountant. Enderle currently is president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group, a consultancy that serves the technology industry. He formerly served as a senior research fellow at Giga Information Group and Forrester. Email Rob. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Hungary's trade surplus increased in December, amid a rise in both exports and imports, data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office showed on Monday. The trade surplus increased to EUR 310 million in December from EUR 836 million in the same month last year. Economists had expected a surplus of EUR 520 million. In November, the trade surplus was EUR 836 million. Exports grew 11.8 percent year-on-year in December, following a 7.9 percent increase in November. Imports increased 9.2 percent annually in December, following a 2.6 percent rise in the preceding month. On a month-on-month basis, exports decreased 18.0 percent and imports declined 14.0 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. 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. Last summer, Rhode Island was in the news for what appeared to be a successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the states governor, Gina Raimondo, was lauded for her enterprising approach to the outbreak. Now, just seven months later, the state is struggling with surging deaths from the disease and allegations that leading health care companies unnecessarily vaccinated staff and volunteers not in direct contact with patients, while others at risk including the elderly were left waiting for their shots. Rhode Island took a targeted approach to the vaccine rollout when it began in December, prioritizing hospital staff, long-term care facilities, and an especially hard hit low-income city called Central Falls, which is the most densely populated in the state. It was a plan that incorporated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and also attempted to address inequities in health care. Yet Rhode Islands vaccine controversy typifies one of the pitfalls that states have faced in recent weeks when trying to get shots in arms: Creating highly specific, targeted policies can also inadvertently slow down vaccinations or arbitrarily exclude groups of people who would normally be prioritized under CDC guidance. Controversy first erupted in mid-January, when the Providence Journal reported that Rhode Islands two largest hospital groups, Lifespan and Care New England, had vaccinated not only their doctors and high-risk staff, but also board members and even remote workers. That meant low-risk, non-medical staff were getting vaccinated at least a month before unaffiliated dentists, eye doctors, and other private practice physicians throughout the state, as well as at-risk elderly individuals not living in nursing homes. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo delivers remarks after being announced as Joe Biden's Commerce secretary nominee. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The news sparked public outrage and criticism from health experts, and now the attorney general is seeking answers. In letters sent last month to Lifespan and Care New England, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha wrote that the companies appeared to have administered the COVID-19 vaccine to workers who didnt meet the states criteria for phase one category individuals. The attorney general requested all correspondence received from state health authorities, information about those individuals vaccinated and how they were selected. Lifespan spokesperson Kristy dosReis said that the attorney generals office is gathering information to determine exactly what vaccine distribution guidelines were given to the hospitals by the Rhode Island Department of Health and whether those guidelines were followed. Lifespan did not disclose how many remote workers they employ, saying in an email that the number of remote workers is fluid since these employees may work only partially remotely. Care New England did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but the CEO has defended its vaccination policy, saying no one jumped the line, a position the states health department has also maintained. Hospitals were told by health authorities to start with people with highest exposure first, said Joseph Wendelken, a spokesperson for the states department of health, adding that they were given enough doses to vaccinate their whole organization. He pointed to IT and custodial staff as examples of important non-medical staff. When asked about remote workers and board members, he said, just because someone is not on site doesnt mean theyre not an important part of the hospital. Jeannine Flamand receives her COVID-19 vaccine in the kitchen of her home in Warwick, R.I. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) But for those health professionals who had to wait on vaccines, that explanation falls short. To be honest, its upsetting knowing that we were so far behind, said Hashem Shehadeh, a dentist at Benefit Dental in Providence, got his first vaccine on Jan. 29. Pharmacists, technicians, staff in the hospital all got it, but none of them have as much face-to-face contact as us. People come in here and need to take their masks off. In my opinion, its more high-risk. Though much of the publics anger has been directed toward the two companies, the Rhode Island Department of Health said that it gave Lifespan a green light to vaccinate low-risk staff and volunteers, which includes board members. Lifespan said in an email that it reached out to health authorities during its rollout and received permission to move through additional tiers of our own employees and volunteers down to our lower risk tier (such as non-patient facing employees and volunteers, including board members, who fall into the volunteer category). Wendelken, the health departments spokesperson, confirmed that Lifespan was told to move forward with this plan. When the hospital got to that portion when they were vaccinating non-clinical staff, we did ask them to start vaccinating more outpatient healthcare providers while they were vaccinating administrators, IT folks, other non-clinical people. We asked them to also use some of their vaccines to get some of their affiliated outpatient health care providers the patient-facing staff a little bit more quickly. However, this only includes Lifespan doctors who treat patients that are not admitted to the hospital, as well as doctors in Lifespan clinics that are located throughout the state, and not doctors in private practice. So while anyone with a Lifespan badge was eligible from day one, private practice physicians, dentists, eye doctors, and other patient-facing practitioners were excluded. Nicholas Braga, who works in the emergency room at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, was one of the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine there on Dec. 14, 2020. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Rhode Island also ended up being one of the last states to start prioritizing people by age, opening vaccines to individuals 75 and older only in the last weekend of January. While a small number of seniors have been vaccinated, most cities dont expect another shipment of vaccines until mid-February. Weve been very targeted and very specific here in Rhode Island, Wendelken said. Who we vaccinate matters, so its a lot more complex. The goal of Rhode Islands approach was to get the most at-risk individuals vaccinated first, which meant focusing on the large health care systems. Tom Bledsoe, a member of the COVID-19 vaccine subcommittee, vice president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, and an internist, said that the word equity was highlighted at every meeting of the COVID-19 vaccine subcommittee. I think there was a little back and forth on that. Should Lifespan just go ahead and vaccinate everybody because they have this infrastructure in place? And throwing it open to the outside world would be complicated, said Bledsoe. I dont think the goal was to jump the line. A Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is prepared at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) The controversy over the states vaccine rollout comes as the states leadership has been in limbo while Gov. Raimondo awaits Senate confirmation as President Bidens Commerce secretary. Though Lieutenant Gov. Daniel McKee has been in close contact with the health department in recent weeks, local news reported that, as of December, McKee and Raimondo had not spoken since the start of the pandemic. In the meantime, Rhode Islands COVID-related deaths passed a new record, and the state has one of the highest hospital capacity usage rates in the country. Some state officials are saying that the problem lies in the limited supply, while others say that they should, as a result, be more intentional and careful with where those doses are going. Truth be told, we have major issues with vaccine supply, said Michael Fine, the chief health strategist for Central Falls and the city of Pawtucket and former director of Rhode Island Department of Health. We are only getting 14,000 per month. Thats definitely not enough. The state has recently received a small boost to 16,000 per month. Yet Fine believes the states targeted approach is paying dividends. Central Falls, a city of around 19,000, which had the highest number of cases, is already 20 percent vaccinated. Much of the stress in Rhode Island, as well as other states, is the limited allotment it is getting from the federal government, which means that even a few wrong turns in distribution can lead to anger and distrust, according to Fine. This is Rhode Island, where everybody knows a guy, he said. Thats where we have to be particularly careful because if we lose peoples confidence in the integrity and transparency of health care itself, then nobody is ever going to trust anybody, and nobody is going to get anything done. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the comments from international celebrities on the ongoing farmers' protests. He said that India has been seeing increased FDI but there is a new FDI that has emerged -- Foreign Destructive Ideology. He said India needs to be protected against it. "The nation is making progress and we are talking about FDI but I see that a new FDI has come to the fore. We have to protect the nation from this new FDI. We need Foreign Direct Investment but the new FDI is 'Foreign Destructive Ideology', we have to protect ourselves from it," he said in the Rajya Sabha. PM Modi's comments come amid furore from international celebrities who have spoken up in support of the farmers. It all began when pop star Rihanna shared an article about suspension of internet around Delhi, near farmers' protest sites. Adult star Mia Khalifa, lawyer-author Meena Harris, niece of Kamala Harris, poet Rupi Kaur, Canadian parliamentarian Jagmeet Singh and environment activist Greta Thunberg have spoken up in favour of the farmers' protest. Thunberg shared a toolkit and asked people to help. The toolkit created quite a storm on social media, with a section claiming that plans to defame India was afoot. PM Modi in his address at the Rajya Sabha also said that India must be protected from 'andolan jeevis' who are present in every agitation. "In the last few years, we have witnessed a new category of protesters, 'andolan jeevi', who can be witnessed in every agitation. We need to protect this country from these andolan jeevis, who are actually 'parjeevi' (parasite). They don't have their own strength, but they join all agitations," he said. The Prime Minister also urged the farmers to take a step forward and help in resolving the issue. He said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is in talks with union farmer leaders. PM Modi also said the government is working to strengthen APMCs and mandis. He added that MSP was here, is there and will continue to remain there. Also read: 'MSP was there, is there, will be there,' says PM Modi at Rajya Sabha Also read: Need to protect India from 'andolan jeevis' who join every agitation, says PM Modi The speech was a master play in separating the wheat from the chaff. Modi chose his targets carefully, aiming at the bullseye, not the sport; at the problem-makers, not the people. When Prime Minister Narendra addressed the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Monday, his message was not just for all Indians, but also at those sitting far and wide in world cities and carrying out what seems to be one of the most concerted and vicious campaigns against his government and this nation. The speech was a master play in separating the wheat from the chaff. Modi chose his targets carefully, aiming at the bullseye, not the sport; at the problem-makers, not the people. He was reconciliatory towards farmers but acerbic towards those he called andolanjivi, or professional, rent-a-cause agitators. He cautioned leaders from the states of these parasites operating sometimes in the frontline, sometimes from behind the curtains. Much of his speech dwelt on external forces trying to destabilise India, unsettle a popularly elected government. He turned the word FDI on its head from foreign direct investment, warning against Foreign Destructive Ideology. More importantly, he delinked Sikhs from his attack on separatist movements like Khalistan, which he did not mention in his speech. He lauded the Sikhs contribution to the nation, reiterating India will always be the home of the community. He then navigated into a finer and crucial differentiation: that between rich farmers and small and marginal ones. He said the new farm laws would help the latter, who did not get loans or politically-motivated loan waivers. While the rich farmers got free water and subsidised electricity from governments, the small and marginal ones are sometimes forced to buy water for irrigation from the rich farmers at arbitrary prices. The torpedo in the subtext of Modis speech was aimed at the mostly affluent Punjab farmers and middlemen who are at the forefront of the recent protests. And who did he reach out to? The 12 crore small and marginal farmers who own less than 2 hectares each and comprise 86% of the agricultural force. For the entire farming community, he spelt out loud the conciliatory promise on the contentious minimum support price: MSP tha, MSP hai, MSP rahega. While assuaging the domestic constituency of the poor, farmers, Sikhs and even the Opposition (he praised JDSs Deve Gowda, NCPs Sharad Pawar and Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad), Modis fiercest attack was reserved for his enemies abroad. Indian democracy is not a western institution. It is a human institution. There are mentions of 81 democracies in our ancient texts, he said. We need to make Indians aware of the attacks on our nationalism from all sides. He quoted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: Indian nationalism is not narrow, selfish or aggressive. It is inspired by the credo of Satyam, Shivam Sundaram. The robust defence of democracy was the highlight of his speech, given that a number of foreign celebrities have tried to build a narrative of the Modi government being undemocratic. They say India is the worlds biggest democracy. We feel good to hear it. But we have not taught our youth that Bharat is the mother of democracy, he said. More than a prime minister tearing into his Opposition, on Monday Modi was the man trying to heal, soothe, separate the troublemakers from the patriots, and appealing for solutions than seeing the nation sink to the seabed with the rock of negativity tied to its ankles. ADVERTISEMENT The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged security agencies to investigate the killing of its Gboko South ward chairman, Tersoo Ahu, by hoodlums on Sunday in Gboko Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. The spokesperson of the party in the state, James Ornguga, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Sunday that APC is a peaceful party. Mr Ornguga said the party strongly condemned the killing which took place at the APC membership registration/revalidation training centre for ward and polling units officers. He said the deceased and other party supporters were attacked while they were engaged in the training ahead of the membership registration/ revalidation exercise. We strongly condemned the killing of our ward chairman. APC is a very peaceful party and we dont believe in violence. So wherever this is coming from, the party frowns at it. We call on the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book, he said. The police had earlier confirmed the killing of Mr Ahu by hoodlums at the training centre. (NAN) Three men, including the CEO of an e-commerce site, were booked on Sunday for allegedly putting up for sale online of rocks taken from the Govardhan Hill here, police said. Govardhan Hill in Mathura is considered a sacred site for Hindus as it is the setting for many legends relating to the life of Lord Krishna who is believed to be embodied in the earth of the hill. Stern action would be taken against the company, its CEO, and the supplier for inciting religious feelings by misusing the facility of information technology," SP (Rural) Shirish Chandra said. He said an FIR has been filed under Section 265 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act against IndiaMART founder-CEO Dinesh Agarwal, co-founder Brajesh Agrawal and Mathura-based supplier Ankur Agrawal. The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Mathura-based social worker Keshav Mukhia at Govardhan police station, the SP said. Ten more complaints on the issue filed at the same station have been clubbed for a single probe, officials said. According to the police, the website claimed that the rocks were "natural" and quoted its price as 5,175 per piece. Hundreds of people demonstrated in front of Govardhan police station against attempts by the company to "trade the deity". Siya Ram Baba, a saint from Mathura, condemned the act by the company saying, "Govardhan is Krishna himself. Anybody entering into a trade involving Govardhan would be inviting the wrath of the deity." Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Brahmin Mahasabha has decided to meet the Mathura DM on Monday for strict action against the company and the supplier. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. (Natural News) American drug manufacturer Merck dropped its bid to develop a vaccine against the Wuhan coronavirus. The firm announced the cessation of its COVID-19 vaccine program after its two candidates did not trigger strong immune responses. It said that phase one trials showed responses that did not reach the level elicited by earlier approved vaccines although there were no significant safety issues reported. Merck Research Laboratories President Dr. Dean Li said the firm remained resolute in its commitment to contribute to the global effort to relieve the burden of this pandemic. As such, it will now shift its efforts to developing drugs to treat COVID-19 with two medications in the works. The first drug aims to treat inflammation experienced by patients with severe cases. Merck has a $365 million deal with the U.S. government to sell the drug if it receives emergency use authorization. The second drug is an antiviral medication developed in partnership with Florida-based Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. If approved, the antiviral drug could be the first oral therapeutic that patients can take outside the hospital. The antiviral is currently undergoing phase two and three clinical trials, which Ridgeback started in June 2020. Prior to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, Merck had a number of successes in the field of vaccines. It had developed a mumps vaccine in a record time of four years, created the first ebola vaccine which obtained regulatory approval in the U.S. and launched an anti-cervical cancer vaccine. But it was unable to replicate its earlier achievements at the onset of the pandemic. Mercks absence in the vaccine race led to the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA jabs for COVID-19 receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both candidates reported an efficacy rate of more than 90 percent in clinical trials. Mercks abandonment of its coronavirus vaccine project also impacted France The American pharmaceutical firms abandonment of its Wuhan coronavirus vaccine also impacted France. One of Mercks COVID-19 vaccines was developed alongside Institut Pasteur, Frances top biomedical research body. It delivered a weakened form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus using a measles vaccine. Scientists had hoped the mechanism would make vaccine production easier and cheaper, as many facilities manufacturing measles vaccines already exist. Meanwhile, leading French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi hit a roadblock in its COVID-19 vaccine development. Sanofi developed the vaccine in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Phase two trials for its jab held in December 2020 failed because of a dosing error, which meant it had to repeat the study. The delay meant that Sanofi would be unlikely to bring its Wuhan coronavirus vaccine candidate to the market until the end of the year. As a result, it is now studying whether it can manufacture vaccines for rival producers under contract. French politicians and public health experts lamented the weakness of the countrys pharmaceutical sector following the failure of the Merck-Pasteur vaccine. France remains without a domestic vaccine producer. SVB Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges commented that GSK and Merck two of the four largest vaccine firms dropping out of the COVID-19 vaccine race was not encouraging news. This makes the results from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax even more important, he added. The two firms are also developing their own COVID-19 vaccines. Drug manufacturers are now eyeing the development of COVID-19 medications Given its cessation of vaccine development, Merck is now directing its efforts to manufacture drugs to treat COVID-19. Other pharmaceutical firms have followed suit, eyeing the creation of drugs for COVID-19 and its effects. Following the approval and widespread use of its Wuhan coronavirus jab, British company AstraZeneca has kicked off the development of an antibody medication. Bloomberg reported that it began advanced trials in October 2020. Antibody medications such as AstraZenecas drug mimic natural antibodies in humans and could potentially address the negative effects of COVID-19 in infected patients. Another American drug manufacturer has developed an antibody medication for COVID-19 which the FDA approved. Eli Lilly suspended trials for its antibody drug bamlanivimab in October following safety concerns. The following month, the FDA gave bamlanivimab the green light for emergency use. The experimental drug is a one-time treatment administered intravenously. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is another company aiming to make a COVID-19 antibody medication. Its polyclonal antibody cocktail was among the treatments former President Donald Trump received during his bout with COVID-19. The company touted the effects of the treatment in a press release, saying that the antibody cocktail reduced viral load and the time to alleviate symptoms of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. (Related: Trump physician says president has developed COVID-19 antibodies.) Visit VaccineWars.com to find out more about the race to develop Wuhan coronavirus jabs. Sources include: FT.com FierceBiotech.com Bloomberg.com TheEpochTimes.com Investor.Regeneron.com The voluntary vaccines were administered free-of-charge to associates at the plant's onsite Wellness Center. Perdue operates onsite Wellness Centers at its processing facilities, which are staffed by local healthcare providers and available free-of-charge to associates and their families. As more vaccines become available in the other states in which Perdue operates, the company is ready to provide the vaccines as quickly and widely as supply allows. "Essential frontline meat and poultry associates have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the continuity of America's food supply. The health of our people has been and remains our top priority throughout this uncharted situation. Today, we're pleased to take another step in protecting our associates, their families, and our communities through this first round of vaccine distribution," said Randy Day, Chief Executive Officer, Perdue Farms. "We're grateful for our partnership with local leaders at the Virginia Department of Public Health and to Governor Northam as we maintain the safety of our associates as our primary focus." Since it became clear last fall that COVID-19 vaccines would soon be available, Perdue immediately began to develop plans to distribute vaccines as quickly and efficiently as possible to its frontline associates. Among other steps, this included preparing educational materials in multiple languages about the importance of the vaccines, advocating for poultry processing workers to receive priority in state and national distribution efforts, and training facility Wellness Center staff according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. In early December, Perdue called on the CDC and governors of 15 states where it operates to prioritize essential meat and poultry industry workers, and their families and co-habitants, for vaccine distribution. Perdue also offered resources to assist the CDC and states in this effort, recognizing that the success of our country's vaccination requires education and community outreach efforts. Later in December, the CDC recommended that states include meat and poultry processing workers in phase 1B. Perdue echoes the guidance of federal, state, and local health officials that vaccination does not eliminate the need to continue strict COVID-19 mitigation techniques such as wearing a mask, frequent hand washing, and practicing social distancing, and continues to enforce these guidelines in all of its locations. More information about Perdue's response to COVID-19, including measures taken to protect the safety of our employees, can be found here. About Perdue Farms We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services. The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE brand, Niman Ranch, Panorama Grass Fed Beef, and Coleman Natural, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms and Full Moon, is available through retail, foodservice, and our new direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com. Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. Now in our company's second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at corporate.perduefarms.com. SOURCE Perdue Farms Related Links https://www.perduefarms.com Gehana Vasisth's Publicist Issues Statement As per IANS report, the statement produced by Gehana's publicist Flynn Remedios read, "Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari is totally innocent. She is not involved in any porn film racket etc. As the producer and director of her company GV Studios, she has only produced and directed films that are permissible in law and at most can be classified or categorized as Erotica. She is being falsely implicated and trapped or made a victim by vested interests and business competitors who are out to defame her." We Are Really Saddened By The Fact That The Cops Have Clubbed Both Together It further said, "We have full faith in the judiciary and the Indian legal system. Unfortunately, Mumbai Police, which is otherwise the best police force in the world has mixed up and clubbed together Gehena's Erotica film making work with hard porn and hard porn makers in India. There is a legal difference between Erotica or sensual or bold films and hard core porn, but unfortunately, we are really saddened by the fact that the cops have clubbed both together. We hope the courts will identify the difference and give Gehana justice in the coming days." Actress Had Shot 87 Obscene/Porn Videos A senior police official had told a leading daily that the actress has shot 87 obscene/porn videos and uploaded them on her website, which require a subscription to watch. The official further said that those who have subscribed to the channel have to pay Rs 2,000. Gehana Was Seen In Gandii Baat Gehana, whose real name is Vandana Tiwari, has been a part of several movies and web series including ALT Balaji's Gandii Baat. She had won the Miss Bikini crown and has also featured in advertisements. The actress was in the news in 2019, after she suffered from a near-fatal cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital after she fell unconscious on the sets of her web series in Mumbai's Madh island. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday warned allied health professionals, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions, not to usurp the powers and responsibilities of doctors. The President of the NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, gave the warning in Abuja during a press conference attended by the body's National Secretary, Dr. Philips Ekpe, in response to the protest by JOHESU on the public hearing on five related bills, organised by the Senate Committee on Health. "We appeal to the general public and the National Assembly to ignore the dying voice of the paranoiac JOHESU who have sustained their attacks on Nigerian doctors purely out of jealousy and envy, to get through the backdoor what they could not achieve while in school. "NMA wishes to invite JOHESU members to join forces with the medical and dental practitioners to improve the health circumstances of our people rather than threatening to go on strike for the wrong reasons at any slightest flimsy excuses. "Finally, I wish to appeal to governments and good spirited individuals to advise members of JOHESU and their cohort to go to medical school to read medicine or forever leave doctors and the medical profession alone. They should stop expressing their frustration towards a very intelligent group and members of the noble profession of human medicine", Ujah said in the text of the conference, titled, 'JOHESU's outbursts: Time for caution.' He described the group as "misguided individuals, acting under an amorphous unregistered body unknown to law (and) are hell bent on blackmailing the Senate and particularly the Chairman of its Committee on Health (Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe) over matters they could not logically advance during the public hearing." Dominique Crenn Dominique Crenn is the co-owner and chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, where artistry is at the forefront, cuisine is a craft, and the community is an inspiration. Haute Living is proud to welcome Chef Dominique Crenn, the only three-Michelin starred female chef in America, as a Culinary Ambassador. "It is with great delight that we welcome Chef Crenn as our Culinary Ambassador," says Kamal Hotchandani, CEO of Haute Media Group. "Her storied career in the culinary arts is a great interpretation of the American Dream. We look forward to growing this partnership with her." "I'm so thrilled to be working with such a prestigious lifestyle publication and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with readers in 2021," says Chef Crenn. Dominique Crenn is the co-owner and chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, where artistry is at the forefront, cuisine is a craft, and the community is an inspiration. She can be credited with not only being the first female chef in the U.S. to receive two and three Michelin stars, in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Additional accolades among her many include the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Chef: West, and in 2019, Atelier Crenn came in at No. 35 on the list of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. She is also the owner of Petit Crenn, also in San Francisco, Bar Crenn, a wine bar situated next door to Atelier Crenn, has written two best-selling cookbooks, Metamorphosis of Taste and Rebel Chef, and founded VitaBowl, a plant-based superfood meal delivery service from veggies grown on her own farm. Her next venture is Boutique Crenn, set to open at the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. For more, visit https://hauteliving.com/. This article is part of our guide to tenants rights in Philadelphia. Got a question? Ask us using the form at the bottom of this article. Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016, allowing registered patients to use cannabis to help treat 23 serious medical conditions, such as cancer, epilepsy, and glaucoma. And as of December 2020, more than a half million patients and caregivers are registered, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. But while marijuana is legal for medical use in the commonwealth, it is still illegal federally, where its listed as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, alongside drugs like heroin and LSD. That inconsistency has created a number of challenges and housing rights for medical marijuana patients is among them. If you are a medical marijuana patient, Pennsylvania law prevents you from being discriminated against at work but doesnt say anything about housing, says Pittsburgh-based attorney Patrick Nightingale. This is one of the many unaddressed subjects in our medical marijuana law that directly impacts patients. So, if youre a patient, what does that mean for you? Can landlords refuse to rent to you, or even evict you? And what should you tell your landlord when looking for housing? Here are some basics: Can my landlord prevent me from using medical marijuana? Yes. Because marijuana is illegal federally, and there are no housing protections for medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania, private landlords can ban you from using it. But it comes down to your lease, says DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative council for the Marijuana Policy Project. There is certain language that landlords can use to be able to discriminate against tenants who have medical marijuana cards, he says. That means your lease could include language that prohibits you from possessing or using medical cannabis in the rental property, or says that you have to abide by state and federal law. If your lease includes language like that, and you violate the terms, you could be evicted. If your lease just says you cant use illegal drugs, you may be able to fight it, says Nightingale, because if youre a registered patient, using medical cannabis wouldnt be considered illegal drug use in Pennsylvania. But Nightingales partner and fellow Pittsburgh-based attorney Andrew Gross says it might not be easy, depending on what the lease says. So, check your lease and find out and many leases might not say anything at all. If its not in the lease, then the tenant could argue that theyre not in breach of the lease because there is no provision that prevents them from using medical marijuana, says Gross. Can I use medical marijuana in public housing? Being a medical marijuana patient who lives in public or federally subsidized housing can be particularly complicated. Often, it comes down to choosing between having legal access to medical marijuana, or a place to live, says Dustin McDonald, interim policy director for Americans for Safe Access. You cant really legitimately participate in a medical cannabis program and be in federally subsidized housing without the risk of losing one or the other, he says. From a federal standpoint, pushing people out of public housing for utilizing medical cannabis even if theyre registered under state programs is completely acceptable. According to 2014 guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, public housing agencies and owners of federally assisted housing are required ... to deny admission to any household with a member who is using a controlled substance like marijuana, or if they believe that the illegal use may interfere with the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents. And housing authorities and owners of subsidized housing can choose to evict you. If you declare that you are a state medical cannabis patient, you can be denied the ability to have a HUD voucher and stay in a HUD unit, and you can also be evicted, McDonald says. You really dont have a lot of options. Pennsylvania saw this situation play out recently when a medical marijuana patient named Mary Cease was denied federal housing in Indiana County. Court documents filed by Cease cited HUDs 2014 memo, saying that the Housing Authority of Indiana County concluded that it had no choice but to deny her housing. Generally speaking, managers of federally subsidized property are given the discretion as to how they want to treat this, Nightingale says. But if they want to prohibit it, it is 100% lawful and within their discretion to prohibit it. If I use medical marijuana and have a disability, am I protected from discrimination? In general, no. Federal laws like the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act protect people with disabilities from housing discrimination and if you are a medical marijuana patient, you may well have a disability that ordinarily would be protected. But using medical marijuana can remove those protections, says Gross. Heres how it works: Even if you have a disability, you arent protected if youre using drugs that are illegal federally, Gross says. If you have a disability, those laws allow you to ask for reasonable accommodations to make living at a property easier, like changing when you pay your rent to coincide with when you get your disability check. But in public and federally subsidized housing, you cant ask to use medical marijuana as a reasonable accommodation, according to a 2011 memo from HUD. (Private landlords, meanwhile, can choose to accommodate your medical marijuana request, but they are not required to do so.) Do I need to tell my landlord that Im a medical marijuana patient? If youre looking for housing, one big question may be whether to even tell your landlord that you participate in the states program. And there may be no way for them to find out. After all, Nightingale says, the commonwealths medical marijuana laws do provide patient confidentiality, so theres no legal way for someone to force a patient to disclose that information. And medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania are supposed to vaporize (or vape) marijuana to ingest it, or take pills or use an ointment: Smoking, the most obvious sign of marijuana use, is not allowed. (Vaping produces far less odor.) So, how would your landlord actually find out that youre a medical marijuana patient in the first place? So, should you disclose? I dont think that theres any realistic way that a landlord would even find out, Gross says. If I were advising a tenant, I would advise them that theres no reason to disclose that information. If I was pulled over by a police officer, I wouldnt volunteer that I had a medical marijuana card. So, I wouldnt volunteer that information to a landlord, either. Both McDonald and Ward, however, advise the opposite. As McDonald puts it, if youre enrolled in the states medical marijuana program, you should have a responsible conversation with your landlord about how you legally treat your ailment with cannabis, and ask that they accommodate that in your lease. That comes with a risk: The landlord doesnt have to grant your request. If youre trying to get in public housing, Nightingale notes, you should be aware that the outcome might not be in your favor. Whether they reveal it or not, it is 100% within the purview of the property manager to prohibit it, he says. Read the lease carefully, and know that if its federally subsidized housing, you basically have no rights. READ MORE: Your rights as a tenant: Check out our tenants' rights guide. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Russia recorded a dramatic increase in mortality in 2020 fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new official figures released Monday that showed more than 162,000 virus-related deaths. The preliminary estimates published by the Rosstat statistics agency showed that mortality had increased by 17.9 percent compared to 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Monday. "This excess mortality includes mortality due to COVID," she said during a coronavirus briefing broadcast on state television. Rosstat's figures showed that between April, when the pandemic hit Russia, and December, the country saw 162,429 coronavirus-related fatalities. December was the deadliest month of the pandemic last year, with 44,435 virus-related deaths. According to Rosstat's breakdown, 31,550 of those fatalities were mainly due to COVID-19, while in another 12,885 the patient tested positive but the virus was not considered the main cause of death. On Monday, health officials in Moscow, long the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, published statistics showing a large number of deaths due to the coronavirus. In a statement, Moscow's health department said 16,546 people had died in December, an increase of 5,988 fatalities on the previous yearalmost all of them were due to COVID-19. In total, 2.12 million people died in Russia in 2020 compared to 1.8 million in 2019, according to Rosstat, with the pandemic exacerbating a demographic crisis the country has faced since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Last year, Russia's population shrank by more than 510,000 people, the largest drop since the mid-2000s, according to official statistics published in late January. Conflicting figures Russia has prided itself on its response to COVID-19, pointing to a low fatality rate as evidence of its success. But for much of the pandemic Russia only published partial figures, counting only fatalities where COVID-19 was found to be the primary cause of death after autopsy. Alexei Raksha, a demographer who left Rosstat last year, told AFP in December that the Russian health ministry and the consumer health ministry falsify coronavirus numbers. By Monday, Russia's health officials had reported just 77,068 virus fatalities. Unlike when the pandemic struck in the spring, the government did not impose a lockdown when the country was hit with a second wave of infections in the fall. In the hopes of buttressing a struggling economy officials instead pinned their hopes on the country's homemade vaccine, Sputnik V, which has been available to the public since December. On Monday, Golikova said social distancing and other epidemiological measures would remain in place until nearly 69 million people in the country of some 150 million were vaccinated. But recent polls have shown that Russians are in no hurry to get the vaccine, with just 38 percent saying they will get innoculated against COVID-19. And Russian officials have not said how many people have been inoculated so far nationwide. Last month Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the city had vaccinated 300,000 people, while the official Twitter account for Sputnik V said that 1.5 million had been administered the jab across Russia. Golikova on Monday said that the country has produced 8.6 million doses of vaccinesincluding EpiVacCorona, Russia's second homemade jabwith 5.5 million doses available to the public. Despite a sluggish mass vaccination campaign, life in Moscow has nonetheless all but returned to normal, with authorities last month lifting restrictions on in-office workers and allowing bars and restaurants to work through the night. And Golikova Monday emphasised that the pandemic was on the wane, noting that virus-related deaths dropped by 11 percent in January. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP TRIBUTES have been paid to a former president of the Royal British Legions Henley and Peppard branch, who died last month. Brigadier Malcolm Page MBE, who was 94, was praised for his commitment to the community and charity work during his funeral service at Reading Crematorium. Only a small group of family, friends and well-wishers could attend the humanist ceremony because of social distancing regulations but it was broadcast online. Mourners included his sister Yvonne Meachen and her children, Kate Osbourne and Stephen Meachen, as well as branch president John Green, Brig Pages immediate successor Lt Col Peter Blaker and Henley Mayor Ken Arlett. Brig Page, who moved to Henley in the early Eighties and was a member of the Legion for more than 25 years, served in the Somaliland Scouts as a young man and dedicated the rest of his life to supporting the former British protectorate and its people. He was closely involved in several veterans associations and met the Queen on two occasions, once as commander of Bicester Garrison in 1978 and two decades later at the opening of the River & Rowing Museum in Henley. Brig Page, who lived in Ancastle Green, Henley, was made an MBE for voluntary service to ex-forces personnel in 2017. He also held three service medals and was awarded the Henley town medal in 2011. He stepped down as Legion president for health reasons in January 2019 and last year moved to the Chilterns Court care centre, off York Road, where he died peacefully on January 11. His coffin, which was draped in a Union flag and decorated with a wooden cross with poppies attached, was ushered into the crematoriums south chapel to a recording of Bachs Air on a G String. In an opening address, celebrant Becca Jenkins said: Malcolm was described by those who knew him as dedicated, generous, knowledgeable, dignified, hard-working, loyal, traditional, patriotic and someone who lived a busy, active and meaningful existence. He was a true gentleman. Today is about acknowledging what a remarkable person Malcolm was and paying tribute to him, remembering his impressive military career, his devotion to Queen and country and his tireless work for charity. There has been a huge outpouring of support from Malcolms family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and those in his network. Thank you to everyone who expressed their sadness and shared their thoughts and stories, which has been a real comfort to the family. Mr Meachen read a tribute on his mothers behalf in which she talked of his early life and military career. She fondly recalled her brother giving a detention to her future husband Ronald Meachen when they were pupils at the Sir Thomas Richs School in Gloucester. She said Brig Page was an active man who taught her to ride horses and row boats. The congregation laughed when she recalled an occasion where he paid for her to visit Bristol Zoo so that he could go on a date. She said: I and my family are very proud of him and all his achievements. He was a real character, a gentleman a caring uncle and a military man through and through. I wish I could have had one more hour with him. Mrs Osbourne added: His determination to improve the lives of the Somali people stayed with him all his life [and] he led a distinguished miltary career. We are all extremely proud of Malcolm and we will all miss him. Mr Green read the poem Miss Me But Let Me Go by Christina Rosetti. Then he said: Weve heard some very moving tributes to Malcolms character and his many achievements during a long life lived to the full. He certainly made his mark and now its up to us to secure his legacy by continuing to support the charitable work which he devoted so much of his life to. Ms Jenkins concluded: Malcolm was a truly decent person who lived with integrity, honour and pride. You left us with much to admire your many accolades and dedication to making a difference. Now, with sadness in our hearts and gratitude for having known you, we let you go. Finally, Lt Col Blaker recited For The Fallen by Laurence Binyon and mourners saluted the coffin as the curtain closed for committal. Brig Page, whose father Robert fought in the First World War, joined the Gordon Highlanders in 1944 and was commissioned as an officer the following year. He served in India, Greece and Ethiopia then served with the Scouts from 1947 until 1951. He attained his rank in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps before leaving to work in IT in 1978. He founded the Henley-Boroma Friendship Association, which maintains a link with the Somalian city and organises cultural exchange visits, in the early Eighties. He led campaigns to improve schools, hospitals and roads in Somalia, raising at least 75,000. Also among those present at the funeral were David Williams, president of the Kings African Rifles and East African Forces Association, Col Chris Warren, secretary of the General Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, former Henley Poppy Appeal organiser Shirley Lees and her husband David, the Henley and Peppard Legions deputy chairman Lt Col Nick Launders, and Rhoda Ibrahim and Dr Ali Yusuf Djama, of the Anglo-Somali Society. Two new testing clinics have been scheduled in Cayuga County this week, one for people experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and one for those who don't have symptoms. The Cayuga County Health Department and Auburn Community Hospital are hosting a no-cost drive-thru clinic for symptomatic residents from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the hospital's main campus on Lansing Street. Visitors should use the helipad entrance. Instructions for receiving test results will be provided at the time of the test. An asymptomatic clinic is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, at Emerson Park Pavilion, 6843 E. Lake Road, Owasco. This is a rapid-result test clinic, and people should be prepared to wait on-site for 30 minutes to get their results. Masks must be worn and social distancing will be enforced. Attendees are asked to park in the lot, not in the circle in front of the pavilion, and follow the signs. An appointment is required to be tested at any of the county's clinics, and registration will be closed if/when a clinic becomes fully booked. Russell Reed, managing director, UPS Thailand and Vietnam One-third of global GDP: thats the current collective income of all signatory countries to the RCEP. Encompassing all states in ASEAN, as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, it is the biggest trade deal ever signed, with the bloc covering nearly 30 per cent of the worlds population. The RCEP countries represent a huge opportunity for Vietnam, in which Vietnams trade with signatory countries reached $240 billion, accounting for nearly 55 per cent of Vietnams total import-export turnover as of the end of October 2020. Against the backdrop of tremendous upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the RCEP takes on a new significance as a regional, even global, growth stimulator for a world eager for recovery. It represents a marked reduction in barriers to trade across the region. Researchers project that in the year 2030 alone, the RCEP will be generating an additional $186 billion of income for the global economy. Through substantially lowering barriers to trade among members, the agreement will pave the way for greater regional integration and cooperation, allowing countries to build on their strengths while filling gaps in their capabilities by working with other signatory markets. A more unified set of trading regulations means businesses will not have to work through a complex, sometimes overlapping patchwork of rules when trading with different countries across the bloc something which is particularly important given the regions focus on intra-Asian trade. Beyond improving the ease of doing business, the RCEP is also likely to spark the creation of new regional supply chains while further strengthening existing ones. This is by no means a new trend, but recent events such as trade tensions and supply chain resilience as a result of the pandemic, have served to accelerate trends. Vietnam has already experienced benefits from this shift, with per capita income increasing more than five times since 2010 as a result of global supply chain and production shifts to the country, particularly in the high-tech segment. The RCEP is expected to be an added boon to Vietnams continuous push to improve product quality, enhance supply chain management, and appeal of Vietnamese products in the region. Especially for Vietnam, the RCEP is a great opportunity to invest in developing and boosting the value chain of high technologies. Indeed, it is possible that some companies will be able to conduct all trade through the RCEP framework and adhere to just one set of trading regulations. RCEP-ready supply chains that bring all operations within the borders of the bloc can even help to simplify and reduce the cost of the movement of goods. Prior to the signing of the RCEP, there was already a patchwork of trade agreements in place among ASEAN and several countries in the Asia-Pacific, and although the RCEP does not replace all of them, it does unify a number of them into a single agreement, creating a much more uniform approach to conducting trade in the region. One important aspect is the reduction of tariffs across at least 92 per cent of all product lines, some as soon as the agreement comes into force, and some over the course of a number of years. In Vietnam, some products such as telecommunications, IT, textiles, footwear, and agriculture will benefit most from the reduction of import taxes. But arguably the most significant benefit will be the cumulative rules of origin. Ordinarily, for a product to qualify for particular tariff exemptions under a trade deal, a sufficient proportion of it must be certified as made in the exporting country. Whether or not a product is considered as originating from a particular country depends on varying factors along the supply chain. This can be challenging with a bilateral agreement involving only two economies, but under the RCEP, qualifying as an originating good becomes easier; as long as a sufficient proportion of the good being exported is made of inputs sourced from any of the 15 members of the bloc, it will qualify for the relevant tariff exemptions. Better still, businesses need only apply for a single unified RCEP certificate of origin to ship anywhere within the bloc, reducing the time and cost needed to apply. The agreement also has provisions regarding competition, laying out rules to prevent anti-competitive behaviour across the bloc, while at the same time allowing individual markets to maintain certain exemptions on the basis of public policy or public interest. The signing of the RCEP provides a tremendous opportunity for businesses across Asia to capitalise on cross-border trading opportunities. Having a range of geographically close markets open up will be important to smaller businesses that want to make their first forays into selling internationally. Success is not a given though, and ensuring that businesses are able to get the most out of the deal will require careful logistical planning. There may also be instances where an existing trade deal between two countries offers better terms than those laid out in the RCEP, so some businesses may end up using different trading frameworks for different shipments, depending on what is being exported and where it goes. Navigating the global trade landscape can certainly involve complexities like these, but that should not be a reason for businesses to be daunted, even the smaller and medium-sized ones. An experienced logistics partner taking care of the finer details in ensuring trade agreement compliance is all that is needed for businesses to reap the benefits of trade agreements and focus on what they do best. Tampere, Finland Prosecutors in the war crimes trial of Gibril Massaquoi alleged Friday that the defendant tried to influence witnesses in the case. State Prosecutor Tom Laitinen told presiding judge Juhani Paiho that a cleaner at the prison where Massaquoi was being held in pretrial detention found handwritten notes in the restroom of the family meeting area, following a meeting Massaquoi had with family on September 30th. "It turned out that these notes were written by Massaquoi and contained detailed instructions for the witnesses on the case," Laitinen said. The notes were submitted into evidence with the police pre-trial investigation materials which totalled 3800 pages. Massaquoi's lawyer Kaarle Gummerus dismissed the importance of these notes, arguing that his client had been in a state of panic at the time, and that the intention of the notes was to remind people of the events in the early 2000s, not to ask them to lie. The final day of the first week of the trial in Pirkanmaa District Court in the Finnish city of Tampere was dominated by Massaquoi's defense. Lead by lawyer Gummerus said the case relied heavily on written evidence - news articles, United Nations reports, the 2009 report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) Report, and other documents that Gummerus paint a picture of a man who had no reason - or time - to be involved in atrocities in Liberia. "We want to bring the entire context to for everyone to see, to show there are many moving parts," Gummerus said. Sierra Leonean Gibril Massaquoi, 51, is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder and aggravated rape, allegedly committed during the second Liberian Civil War between 1999 and 2003. A former colonel and spokesman in the Sierra Leonian rebel group the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Massaquoi was an informant in the case brought against Liberia's former president Charles Taylor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone which eventually convicted Taylor and several other top leaders. Massaquoi moved to Finland in 2008 after the Northern European country signed a law allowing the settlement of informants such as him. The prosecution against Massaquoi relies on testimonies gathered during the pre-trial investigation carried out by Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in between 2018 and 2020. The NBI was initially alerted of Massaquoi's alleged past by Swiss NGO Civitas Maxima and its Liberia-based sister organization, the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP). On Thursday, Massaquoi's defense lawyers argued that these organizations may have played a role in influencing witnesses' narratives. "We ask the court to consider how the witnesses have become involved in the investigation," the defense lawyers said. "It appears that the majority of them are either directly or indirectly involved with either Civitas Maxima or the GJRP." On Friday, the prosecution rejected these claims, saying that witnesses were also found by NBI investigators. "There are 55 individuals who were found entirely independently of these organizations," prosecutor Laitinen said. "We plan on hearing 20 of those witnesses in this trial." The narratives of Massaquoi's alleged involvement in committing and overseeing atrocities are consistent, Laitinen said. "Regardless of what way the witnesses were found, the common factor is that their stories of Massaquoi's guilt are very similar," he said. Friday was the first day in the trial to feature direct questioning between prosecution and defense, with both interjecting to question the other's evidence. Defense lawyers argued that newspaper stories submitted into evidence show that Massaquoi was not in Liberia at the time of the alleged crimes. They also said the absence of Massaquoi's name in the extensive testimonies that made up the 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report showed that he could not have committed the crimes. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The prosecution challenged the trustworthiness of the media stories that the defense was relying on to establish that Massaquoi was not in Liberia when the alleged crimes took place. Prosecutor Laitinen repeatedly questioned the validity of the media reports, saying that a number of them could have involved journalists not seeing Massaquoi in person, meaning that he could have been anywhere when those interviews were done. The trial will continue on Monday with the second part of the defense's written evidence. Massaquoi will testify later in the week. After two weeks, the court will move to Liberia and Sierra Leone to hear witnesses there. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project Louis Vuitton has sparked outrage across social media after using the wrong colours for a jumper supposedly inspired by the Jamaican national flag. The luxury fashion brand founded in France, debuted a Jamaican Stripe Pullover for $1,730 on its website, just in time for Black History Month celebrations in the US. Photographs show a model styling the green, yellow and red stripped menswear jumper with black trousers and a classic monogram bag. However, Louis Vuitton was soon forced to remove the garment when angry social media users spotted the brand had in fact used the red, yellow and green of the Ethiopian flag instead. Louis Vuitton has been blasted by social media users for using the wrong colours on their 'Jamaican Stripe Pullover' (pictured) The $1,730 knitwear featured the colours from the Rastafarian and Ethiopian flag, instead of Jamaica's black, green and gold (pictured) Images of the controversial jumper have continued to circulate and it still appears to be on sale on Japanese website BuyMa. A screenshot from the Louis Vuitton website reveals the jumper was part of a collection of Jamaica-inspired items, however searches for the island on the luxury website now shows no results. The caption for the jumper had read: 'This smart pullover channels the collection's Jamaican Parade theme, with a striped design inspired by the Caribbean island's national flag. 'Styled in a regular fit, it is knitted from super lightweight Japanese cotton yarn. An LV logo in intarsia adds an elegant signature on the chest.' Social media users have blasted the brand for not fact checking to see that the colours of the Jamaican flag are black, gold and green, with some accusing the brand of trying to profit from the island's culture. A Twitter user with the handle @pam_boy brought the mistake to the attention of his followers, saying: 'Louis Vuitton's Jamaican stripe pullover & Jamaica's actual flag. I cannot stress enough how important it is to implement diversity as a value and not a symbol with fashion companies' Japanese online retailer Buy Ma still has the controversial Louis Vuitton jumper (pictured) for sale, despite the luxury brand removing it from their website Louis Vuitton claimed the striped jumped had been inspired by the national flag of Jamaica A viral tweet argued the mistake had happened because fashion companies aren't implementing diversity The tweet went viral racking up over 3,000 likes and thousands of comments. One person wrote: 'This is what we value as Jamaicans: our flag's colours are black, gold and green. They stand for the majority black population & difficulties faced by the nation (black), it's natural wealth and the beauty of its sunlight (gold) and agriculture and hope (green).' 'Big expensive company like Louis Vuitton couldn't do the proper research,' another added. Others explained Louis Vuitton had likely used the colours from the Rastafarian or Ethiopian flag as they are also commonly used throughout the island. Unimpressed, one blasted the brand's menswear artistic director Virgil Abloh saying: 'There was an article quite recently on his recent collection which also used Ghanaian Kente with LV logo stamped on it. 'Calls into question the whole inspired vs appropriate esp one is like Virgil claiming this also as part of his 'heritage'. Audacious.' After having been out of commission for nearly three months, PatnaDaily is poised to return with a major change in the direction it wishes to go in the coming days and months and we wanted to update you of these changes and the future approach of this website. As you will recall, we were operating at a very limited scale since Coronavirus, or COVID-19, reared its ugly head worldwide in the early part of 2020 forcing nearly all of us to work from home or from office with strictly limited ability affecting our day-to-day life while changing our behavior permanently in a fashion not seen in many decades. We had hoped to resume normal service at some point but the virus also affected our revenue drastically forcing us to take some strict measures to stay afloat. In the meantime, as we all coped with the pandemic, something else happened in Bihar the 2020 state Assembly elections. Chief Minister and Janata Dal U president Nitish Kumar, while barely retaining his seat, emerged as a bird with his wings clipped by the senior partner of the NDA the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The man who once canceled a state dinner with the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi on the Gujarat riot issue, was full of praise of the Prime Minister for basically allowing him to keep his chair of the Chief Minister of Bihar. The new cabinet, with an unprecedented two Deputy Chief Ministers to appease two separate factions of the alliance, was anything but exciting or something to look forward to. With much sadness and disappointment, I have to say that Bihar is only slightly, very slightly, better today than it was during the so-called Jungle Raj of the Lalu-Rabri days. Only the players have changed who bring in different political strategies of their own to make sure Bihar continues to remain at the bottom of all economic and social indices while enabling themselves to continue to enjoy the perks that comes with being in politics in India. Caste factor, one of the banes of Bihar, once again was in full public display during the distribution of tickets and during the formation of the new cabinet. Fifteen years in power ten with full public support and yet Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi, his former Deputy, continues to blame the former RJD government to hide their own failures. Fifteen years is quite a long time no matter how you look at it and if Nitish Kumar is still blaming his predecessors for the lack of development in Bihar then either he takes Biharis for idiots or Biharis are, in fact, idiots. Lets take a walk back down the memory lanes year 2000 to be exact. Internet was a new thing and India was languishing behind in terms of connectivity in comparison to other countries of the world. Cyber cafes began to pop-up all-over India and could be seen at every nook and corner. Bihar was still reeling under the Gunda Raj and besides some sporadic bad news from the state, not much was known about Bihar outside of the state. At that point, we (the founder members of PatnaDaily.Com) decided to launch a website of Patna that would attempt to portray our state in a positive manner. Besides local news, we added many features to make the site interesting and informative. We added serious discussion to it while also adding elements of humor in it. We invited articles from people who loved Patna as much as we did and added the most popular and prolific photo gallery of the city of the time. NRI Biharis all over the world were excited to go through PD multiple times a day. Our in-box was overflowing with complements and congratulations for a job well done! Then came 2005! Much to the relief of the people of Bihar, Lalu-Rabri era, also known as the dark age of Bihar in the modern history of the state, came to an end and a new leader full of promises and potential emerged from the ashes. It was none other than the progressive-minded Nitish Kumar. Suddenly, Bihar was being touted as the best state in the country because of its GDP growth and the prevailing sense of optimism that came with the election of Nitish Kumar. In the first five years, Nitish spent crores upon crores of rupees to build roads and highways while inviting industrialists to open up shops in Bihar. There was a sense of hope, light at the end of the tunnel, and a sense of security where ordinary people were not afraid of being kidnapped or murdered in broad daylight. The euphoria was infectious and for some very good reasons. Nitish Kumar had tamed the criminals with his tough law and order policies! Not surprisingly, Kumar was re-elected with a massive mandate in 2010. Unfortunately, despite Nitish Kumar zeroing in on tourism sector, he failed to attract any big industry to Bihar. With all sorts of incentives, or gimmicks (tax relief, single window approval, among other buzzwords) as some people like to say, to draw the attention of the Tatas, Ambanis, Mahindras, etc., it failed to show anything worth bragging about. He kept on installing foundation stone after foundation stone like there was no tomorrow but by a rough estimate, out of over 200,000 projects launched in the first ten years of his tenure, only a handful - less than .05% was actually completed. Most were abandoned even before the cement had dried up on the foundation stones. Ditto between 2015-2020. All for nothing. Once again, a sense of gloom could be seen hovering over Bihar. But Kumar, who prides himself as the modern-day Chanakya of Bihar, remained confident of his political genius forging ahead new alliances with previous enemies while breaking others as it suited his need in the political game of thrones. Same cast of characters who were in some other parties were now with Nitish and those who were with Nitish from the beginning had either already left or were waving the flag of rebellion for their own lust for power. In other words, Bihar was doomed to remain doomed! By the time 2020 Assembly elections came, PatnaDaily, frustrated by the way Bihar under Nitish Kumar was operating, was having some serious thoughts about it being the frontrunner in promoting the state in a positive manner. No matter how hard we tried, we could not pretend any longer that Bihar was still a shining light on the hill that had a bright future under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. This was only exacerbated by the arrival of COVID-19 that pretty much killed our desire to continue with this website. As much as we love PatnaDaily.Com, our labor of love, we seriously considered shutting down the site permanently after being in existence for 20 years during which we dedicated our time and money for the benefit of our home town where we grew up, got education, made friends, and grew to love it. At the end, however, after talking with many of our well-wishers, including some of our regular guest writers, we changed our mind and decided to continue with the site with one major change there wont be any daily news reporting. PatnaDaily will have opinions on current events on much of the things that take place in Bihar or India and will also continue to maintain its original sections like the Guest Column, Readers Write, Features, Lifestyle, and Blog. Only no daily news reporting. To be brutally honest, one of the main reasons behind the decision to do away with the news section is the quality of news coming out of our state. We became tired of reporting the same news over and over again. The only thing different was the change in date, time, and the characters. Otherwise, they were all the same Nitish said this, Tejaswi said that, Sushil Modi threatened RJD, Kushwaha holds press conference, Pappu Yadav leads rally, Paswan blames Manjhi, Manjhi blames Center, Congress celebrates Indira Gandhis birthday, BJP holds Shaheed Diwas, Nitish launches 500 new projects, waterlogging cripples Patna, truck kills pedestrian, armed robbery, murders committed, Chhath celebrated, putla dahan at Kargil Chowk, lathi charge at Hartali Mor, Nitish conducting aerial survey of flood-hit areas etc. etc. In other words, same news day after day, week after week, year after year! Considering not much is going on in Patna and Bihar besides the aforementioned events, we took this decision to eliminate daily news from the site permanently. If you need such news, many other sites will cater to your needs. When we had started PD back in 2000, there was only one such website where you could get some news from Bihar but now, they are a dime a dozen to curb your appetite for news from Bihar. We are keenly aware that this explanation may not satisfy all the regular visitors of PatnaDaily but for now we are going to keep it this way. Maybe things will change again in future; who knows. But in the meantime, we ask for your continued support to PD. We have never asked you for money or some other favors but we do hope you will continue to come to PD for honest discussions on current topics not just of Bihar but of entire India and the world. With that, lets move ahead. Stay safe and dont succumb to fake news, rumors and propaganda. Thanks for your support. ---Team PatnaDaily P.S. The site is far from finished and we will continue to adjust it in the next several days and perhaps weeks until we are happy with the way it looks. There are many loose ends that we have to tie. Please feel free to send us your feedbacks if you see an error or some other glitches so we can take care of them immediately. [February 08, 2021] PDI Named to UGA Alumni Association's 2021 Bulldog 100 List PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a global provider of enterprise software solutions to convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers, announced it has been named to the University of Georgia Alumni Association's 2021 Bulldog 100. The list recognizes the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. UGA received 429 nominations for the 2021 list. "We're very proud to have made the Bulldog 100 list again this year and to share in this honor with so many other deserving companies," said PDI CEO and UGA graduate, Jimmy Frangis. "Of course, none of this would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our employees and the lasting relationships we've built with our customers and partners." Over the last several years, PDI has significantly expanded its solutions portfolio and global reach through organic product development and acquisitions. Today, the company's loyalty marketing, pricing, and payment solutions increase profitability by changing consumer behavior, while its ERP, logistics, security, and insights solutions provide the end-to-end visibility to improve efficiency, decision-making and data protection. The 2021 Bulldog 100 includes companies from over two dozen industries, including agriculture, construction, health care, nonprofits and software. Applicants were measured by their business' compounded annual growth rate during a three-year period. "These alumni demonstrate the incredible value of a degree from UGA, and we are committed to continuing the tradition of recognizing their achievements and connecting them with current students, who will become the next generation of entrepreneurs," said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. "These leaders inspire us by bringing better solutions and building stronger communities, so we will ensure they are celebrated even as necessity requires this to be done virtually." The UGA Alumni Association will host the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration virtually Feb. 11 to celebrate these alumni business leaders and count down the ranked list to ultimately reveal the No. 1 fastest-growing business. To view the list of businesses and learn more about the Bulldog 100, visit www.alumni.uga.edu/b100. About PDI Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences. For more information about PDI, visit www.pdisoftware.com. About UGA Alumni Association The UGA Alumni Association supports the academic excellence, best interests and traditions of Georgia's flagship university by inspiring engagement through relevant programming, enhanced connections and effective communications. For more information, see www.alumni.uga.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005109/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Syria's government says it has found the remains of an 82-year-old archaeologist who was beheaded by ISIS in 2015 while trying to protect some of Syria's ancient treasures from the jihadists. Khaled Asaad's body was one of three corpses found near the ancient city of Palmyra, according to official media, four years after it was recaptured from ISIS by Syrian government forces. The terrorists destroyed and desecrated some of the city's historic remains, but other artefacts were spirited away before ISIS arrived - and Asaad refused to tell the militants where they were hidden. After weeks of being detained and interrogated by his ISIS captors, Asaad was murdered and his body hung on a column in a main square of the historic site. Murdered by ISIS: Archaeologist Khaled Asaad, left, was beheaded and his remains paraded on a public square in Palmyra, right, after refusing to tell the militants where historic artefacts from the ancient city were hidden Syria's state news agency SANA said the remains of the three people were found in the countryside around six miles east of Palmyra. DNA tests will be carried out to confirm the identities of the newly-discovered corpses. Control over Palmyra has changed hands multiple times during Syria's long-running civil war, with ISIS first capturing the city in 2015 before retaking it in 2016. Government forces retook the city again in 2017, and ISIS lost their last patch of territory in Syria two years later. But the damage to Palmyra was already done after ISIS razed historic monuments in what the United Nations described as a war crime. Syrian government forces have also been accused of war crimes during the long conflict, including chemical attacks on their own population. Before they retook Palmyra, the landmarks destroyed by ISIS included a 1,800-year-old monumental arch and the facade of an ancient Roman theatre in the city. Still, some statues and other artefacts were rescued - partly thanks to Asaad's refusal to give away their location to the militants. Asaad, a supporter of his near-namesake Bashar al-Assad, had devoted his life to studying Palmyra and was described by official media as an 'archaeologist martyr'. The city had flourished in antiquity as an important trading hub along the Silk Road between Europe and the Far East. Historic city: The ancient city of Palmyra, pictured, has changed hands several times during Syria's long war, and was under ISIS control for two separate periods Explosion: ISIS blew up two ancient shrines in Palmyra (one pictured above) that were not part of its Roman-era structures but which the militants regarded as pagan and sacrilegious A friend of Asaad, antiquities official Maamoun Abdulkarim, said the 82-year-old had refused to leave Palmyra even once the militants closed in. 'I was born in Palmyra and will stay in Palmyra and will not leave even if costs me my blood,' Asaad is said to have replied. Before his 'execution', an ISIS militant read out a list of supposed 'charges' against him which branded him as a 'director of idols' and participant in 'infidel conferences'. Asaad's body was later hung from a pole on a main street, with a paper outlining the 'charges' against hung around his waist. 'He was the head of antiquities in Palmyra for 50 years and had been retired for 13 years,' Abdulkarim said at the time. 'He spoke and read Palmyrene, and we would turn to him when we received stolen statues from the police and he would determine if they were real or fake.' Abdulkarim said at the jihadists were looking for 'stores of gold' in the city. 'I deny wholeheartedly that these stores exist,' he added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, also reported the execution, saying Mr Asaad had been killed in a 'public square in Palmyra in front of dozens of people'. ISIS has destroyed other historic sites in Syria and Iraq in the name of an extremist version of Islam which regards the ancient relics as pagan or idolatrous. There are many reasons why enterprises are using cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to facilitate web applications. Outsourcing to the cloud adds scalability, efficiency, and reliability, while also reducing workloads for IT teams. These are positives, for sure but while enterprise IT leaders celebrate the benefits that the cloud brings to their businesses, they may be missing a big negative. Organizations that move critical infrastructure to cloud platforms often mistakenly assume that their cloud providers also lock down security. In fact, this is often not the case; and when enterprises let critical cloud security slip, their security teams may also fail to configure critical controls or adopt the necessary secure architecture practices, leaving gaps that attackers can compromise. For example, many of the risks that security teams have to deal with when they're working to keep attackers from breaching on-premises architecture like improper segmentation, overly permissive firewall rules, or weak passwords also exist in the cloud. And there are always new risks that can affect cloud platform security, such as exposure of API keys in source repositories or open web directories. None of these risks should be left unmonitored yet the default configurations for AWS, Azure, and GCP often don't include turning on event logging, encryption, data retention, multifactor authentication, and other preventative controls. The steps below detail how to configure and monitor your cloud platforms for improved visibility, which cloud-native tools are needed to secure cloud platforms, and why integration can help secure a multi-cloud environment. Step 1: Determine where sensitive data lives, and prioritize integrations that increase visibility Because cloud deployments are relatively easy, its also easy to move data around from cloud to cloud. For this reason, security teams need to understand where data is stored and how it's used. Without this knowledge, and without controls that manage visibility into sensitive data, it could be painfully easy to transfer customer data from a private server to a public storage repository. Typically, the flow of data in the cloud should be traced from the point where the application is accessed, and back to where a companys developers eventually access the systems on which data is stored. Security teams need knowledge of how data moves through the environment if not, they'll waste time and money securing potentially lower-priority infrastructure devices. Fortunately, the major cloud platforms have out-of-the-box security tools and open APIs that make log ingestion easy. Once security teams know what they're looking for, they can use proper tuning and integrations to make alerting and visibility into attacks as simple to managing on-premises tools. Step 2: Configure cloud platforms to maximize the security of their architecture It's worth spending time to figure out which features a specific cloud platform already provides for visibility and automation. Once these basic tools are enabled, security experts can start the process of fine-tuning and tightening controls. For example, teams can set up alerts for unusual calls from accounts, repeated denies, policy changes, and other actions and content that help pinpoint attacker activity. For more information on platform-specific features on AWS, Azure, and GCP, check out the Tactical Guide to Securing Data on Cloud Platforms. At this stage, review the areas of vulnerability that can allow bad actors to pivot their attacks, including Identity Access Management (IAM), cloud infrastructure, server infrastructure, and application security. Application security and IAM should be the primary areas of concern. IAM can be secured through the combination of access logs and regular auditing and tightening of permissions; application security requires security by design, via developers who care about the security of their applications. ReliaQuest Step 3: Monitor the cloud through integration Most cloud environments generate a large number of logs that can quickly take up all of a security team's time. To constantly parse, tune, and respond to alerts, teams need automation and integration. To efficiently and effectively respond to alerts, teams need a centralized view of their data across cloud and on-premises environments, such as through an Open XDR solution. And, to see whats happening in the cloud environment and export logs into an alerting engine such as a SIEM, enterprise organizations need to plan a cloud-logging strategy by answering these questions: Where will log aggregation and filtering tools reside? Its efficient to have collection tools doing the filtering and aggregating as close to the source as possible. Its efficient to have collection tools doing the filtering and aggregating as close to the source as possible. How big are the Internet connections between your cloud environment and local data centers? It may be more cost-effective to keep raw data at both places, and send actionable events used in alerting rules to the central SIEM or monitoring tool. It may be more cost-effective to keep raw data at both places, and send actionable events used in alerting rules to the central SIEM or monitoring tool. How will you collect and parse cloud infrastructure logs? In addition to standard operating system or application logs from servers, many essential cloud infrastructure logs should be gathered and monitored for unauthorized or malicious activities. For detailed instructions on securing data on Google Cloud, Azure, and AWS following the steps above, check out The Tactical Guide to Securing Data on Cloud Platforms in 2021. Joe Partlow, ReliaQuest CTO, currently oversees all new research and development efforts and new product initiatives. He has been involved with Infosec in some capacity or role for over 20 years, mostly on the defensive side but always impressed by offensive tactics. Current projects and interests include data analytics at scale, forensics, threat, security metrics and automation, red/purple teaming, and artificial intelligence. Outside of Information Security, he has been involved in many other areas of the business including Web Development, Business Intelligence, Database Administration, Project Management, IT, and Operations. He has experience in many different business verticals including retail, healthcare, financial, state/local government, and the Department of Defense. He is also a regular speaker and contributor at security conferences, groups, and associations. The Indian Army has laid the foundation stone of the tallest 'Iconic National Flag' at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. The flag will be on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the Valley. "The Indian Army in collaboration with the Solar Industry India will install the 'Iconic National Flag' at Gulmarg which would be 100-foot high," an official told news agency PTI. He also said the foundation stone for the iconic national flag was laid by Dagger Division General Officer Commanding (GoC) Major General Virendra Vats along with Bollywood actor-producer Arbaaz Khan and actress Vidya Balan. This iconic Indian national flag will be a first in many ways. The site is expected to become another tourist attraction, among the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir. General Officer Commanding (GoC) 19 Infantry Division of Kashmir, Major General Virendra Vats told reporters, "An iconic 100 ft tall national flag will be installed in this place. This development is in sync with the large number of endeavours that have contributed to peace and stability in Kashmir." "I believe that this national flag is more than just a flag. It represents the dreams, hopes and aspirations of more than 100 billion people across the globe. It will add to the glory and splendour of Gulmarg and we hope to witness a large number of tourists," Vats said. Major General Virendra Vats hoped it would continue to inspire the nation. "We hope to continue to inspire to serve this nation. I would like to thank our partner Solar Group for this patriotic endeavour. Thank Vidya Balan and Siddharth Roy Kapoor and Arbaz Khan who have chosen to grace this occasion," Vats said. This project is sponsored by Solar Industries India Ltd. The Indian Army along with this solar company aims to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat and has placed an order for 1 million multi-mode hand grenades at Gulmarg. Speaking to ANI, Senior Executive of Solar Industries India Limited, Ramit Arora said, "Big accomplishments start from small things. This symbolic and iconic flag will be put up in Kashmir valley. The Indian Army approached us to sponsor this. It is indeed a noble endeavour. This flag is dedicated to the people of Kashmir and entire India." Sub-Executive of Solar Industries India Ltd Pankaj Dhar told ANI, "Today, we just laid the foundation stone of this project. Once completed, I believe the place will attract many tourists in the region." The snow-covered mountains of Gulmarg have always been a major tourist attraction, and the Indian Army along with the Solar Industries India Limited have come together to boost the same. With agency inputs Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RCLCO Fund Advisors ("RFA") (www.rclco.com/rfa), announced today that it has been retained by the Government Pension Investment Fund of Japan ("GPIF") in a research capacity to assist GPIF's North American real estate market coverage. The multi-year engagement will have RFA provide market intelligence and analytics for GPIF, the largest retirement system in the world with US$1.5 trillion in funds under management. "RFA is honored to have been selected to work with GPIF," said Taylor Mammen, Chief Executive Officer of RFA. "Our clients include some of the largest institutional investment funds globally, with large and dynamic real estate investment portfolios, and we are delighted to add GPIF to that list. We believe the North American real estate sector offers an unmatched opportunity for investment, and we are committed to provide actionable market intelligence and analytics to GPIF." RFA leverages RCLCO's 55-year legacy of expertise, analytics and thought-leadership in the real estate industry to advise institutional investors' real estate strategies and portfolios. RFA serves institutional investors through a rigorous analytical approach to portfolio management and investment selection, deep knowledge of real estate, and team experience in research, consulting, investment management, property operations, and lending. Currently, RFA has close to $75 billion in assets under advisement. About Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) As a Japanese public pension fund, Government Pension Investment Fund manages the reserve fund for beneficiaries with the mission of securing long-term returns with minimal risk. With approximately US$1.5 trillion currently under management and a globally diversified portfolio, GPIF is committed to making the capital market sustainable by integrating ESG factors into investment and expecting sustainable returns with a long-term horizon as a universal owner. About RCLCO Fund Advisors (RFA) Established in 2011 and an SEC Registered Investment Advisor since 2014, RFA advises institutional investors on real estate investments through its analytical rigor, highly customized client-centric service, and impassioned search for alignment. RFA's diverse and experienced team offers a differentiated approach to real estate investing to address the unique challenges faced by institutional investors through its focus on demand-driven investing, real estate operations, and partnership alignment. About RCLCO Since 1967, RCLCO has been the "first call" for real estate developers, investors, public institutions and non-real estate companies seeking strategic and tactical advice regarding property investment, planning, and development. RCLCO leverages quantitative analytics platforms and a strategic planning framework to provide end-to-end business planning and implementation solutions at an entity, portfolio, or project level. RCLCO is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, and has offices in Los Angeles, CA, Orlando, FL, and Austin, TX. Learn more at www.rclco.com SOURCE RCLCO Fund Advisors On Tuesday the U.S. Senate will commence a trial of former President Trump, who stands impeached by the House of Representatives for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Congress, which left five people dead. The verdict is all but certain -- the former president will be acquitted, since the required 17 GOP senators will not join with Democrats to reach the 67-vote supermajority needed to convict him. But the trial, no matter what it says about Trump, will say much about our nation, and the continuing threat to democracy. For these reasons, all of us should feel bound to watch it, and to integrate every painful detail. Many just want us to move on. But just like 9/11, we arent supposed to move on, or forget or fudge the gravity of what happened, and what it informs us about the present and future of our civic fabric. Republicans in particular are busy downplaying those events, or at least making sure not to speak of that day. Few members of Congress who work closely with U.S. Capitol Police officers -- and some in leadership, with 24-hour details, consider them family -- have spoken up about the two officers who took their own lives in the aftermath of the insurrection, let alone the injuries and deep trauma the survivors endure. Conservative media, and their allies in Congress, immediately attempted to whitewash the insurrection. Trump supporters, from The Washington Times to Newsmax, along with Reps. Mo Brooks and Matt Gaetz, tried to blame antifa. Trump administration intelligence officials and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made clear this was false -- that while one antifa member infiltrated the crowd, it was not made up of left-wing anarchists but right-wing ones. Much of this is an attempt to protect Trump, who plans a revenge tour to punish those Republicans who voted to impeach him. Senators eyeing conviction have been duly warned. Yet the jurors, in the very chamber occupied by an armed rampaging horde, know just how quickly the siege could have turned into a massacre of hundreds of people, including the vice president and the House speaker, if the mob had found them. They know the president lied for months before Election Day about mail-in ballots, said the outcome would be rigged and after Nov. 3 deemed it stolen -- urging his supporters to fight like hell and fight to the death. He promoted Jan. 6 it will be wild -- to the rioters, telling them Congress could overturn the Electoral College count, and that Mike Pence would, as vice president, reject it. Both are lies. But due to a crisis in civics education in our country, woeful ignorance fueled his supporters wailing about defense of the Constitution, which showed the attackers knew nothing about the powers that belong to the states versus the federal government, or the executive branch versus the Congress. No, vice presidents cannot change the outcomes of elections when their ticket loses. Yet when the day arrived, Trump essentially told the crowd that power was in Pences hands. Then he urged them to fight like hell [or] youre not going to have a country anymore. The most blatant appeal to violence was this declaration: Youll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. It was a tweet well into the siege, at 2:24 p.m., that sent a mob chanting, Hang Pence and searching for him. Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth! Trump wrote. The mob came within 60 seconds and 90 feet of Pence, who was hiding with his family, likely having been told by his Secret Service detail trying to save their lives that Trump had thrown Pence to the wolves. After that, the president had been persuaded to send out tweets asking for peace and support for law enforcement, but called the rioters very special. At 6 p.m., Trump praised the attackers again, as martyrs, in a tweet so incendiary Twitter removed it. It read: These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever! The prosecution will not only have video and social media posts -- from rioters planning the event to the president promoting it in advance -- but helpful acknowledgment from a top Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has described a commander-in-chief indifferent and unresponsive to the danger and, actually, enjoying the sight of supporters fighting on his behalf. Law and order was the furthest thing from the president's mind. It took him a while to appreciate the gravity of the situation, Graham told the Washington Post. The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen. Graham described how Trumps daughter Ivanka and the staff around the president couldnt get through to him initially. They were all trying to get him to speak out, to tell everyone to leave. This is what the senators know. And that mob defendants are planning to tell the courts they were following the wishes of their president. And that the U.S. Capitol Police is investigating whether members of Congress gave tours to some attackers in the days leading up to the insurrection. Senators also know they are likely to learn a lot more. What we already know does constitute the gravest violation of his oath of office by any president in the history of the country, House GOP Conference chair Liz Cheney said Sunday when asked whether she would vote to convict if she were in the Senate. A lack of accountability -- to date, we have seen none -- will serve as encouragement not only for future riots and attacks on governance, but on those who knew the lies werent true but shamelessly preyed upon mass delusion to further their political power. To be sure, despite Trumps incitement, the Capitol complex could have been better protected; rioters should never have made it past the first perimeter. That is an astonishing security failure, but it cant be considered an intelligence failure. Anyone reading the news and Trumps Twitter feed knew violence was not just possible but likely on Jan. 6. We just didnt know the mob could ever get inside the building. So during the impeachment trial, the forces and resources mustered to protect the Capitol after the insurrection will remain, in case any anarchists attempt to disrupt the proceedings. If they do try, they wont succeed. But how -- with a pandemic draining budgets in every state in this nation -- can those governing at the state and local level be safe from political violence? How can we ensure that no members of Congress who voted to impeach Trump arent assassinated once they leave the Capitol complex? What Jan. 6 showed is that we have a disinformation crisis that, three months after the election Trump lied about and one month after a bloody coup attempted to overthrow the government, only two dozen GOP members of Congress have acknowledged. Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene did not denounce QAnon, a dangerous conspiracy cult, because her leaders did not demand it. No one is calling out the pernicious effect of apocalyptic rhetoric to inspire political violence. Trumps second impeachment, like the first one, may seem all about him -- a man so desperate to hold power he extorted the president of Ukraine in 2019 in order to interfere with the 2020 presidential election, and then lied to steal the outcome of that election, inciting voters to violence in 2021, weeks after the states had certified that he lost. But this trial is also about us. Yes, everybody is sick of politics, violence, impeachment and Donald Trump. But we cannot look away. Americans should learn all they can about what happened on Jan. 6. While it's too much to hope it will provide an epiphany in the United States, knowing everything that happened that day is critical to seeing clearly the picture it painted of a flawed democracy. The chaos and carnage unleashed on our government was no accident, but it never should have happened -- it was fueled. Our friends and foes all over the world saw it that way. And we must too. The danger hasnt passed. The "Voice of the Customer" honor bestowed by Airports Council International (ACI) World, the leading trade association for airports worldwide, recognizes airports which continued to "prioritize their customers and remained committed to ensuring that their voice was heard during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020." According to ACI, ONT made significant efforts in gathering passenger feedback which enabled the Inland Empire airport to gain a deeper understanding of its customers' needs and expectations while delivering a superior customer experience under trying circumstances. "For much of the past year, we have operated in unchartered territory, but our team of professionals adjusted course, connected with passengers and remained focused on delivering the first-rate airport experience our customers have come to expect," said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "At the onset of the pandemic, we quickly enhanced protocols to keep our passenger facilities clean, adopted protocols in consultation with public health authorities and worked tirelessly to reassure our customers that they are safe in our airport. "We are grateful for the loyalty of our customers and recognition from leaders in our industry," Thorpe added. The latest honor completes a triple crown for ONT for its work to engage customers, enhance airport procedures and continue to deliver excellence in customer service in the midst of ongoing challenges never before experienced by the aviation industry. In January, the Montreal-based ACI recognized ONT with The Airport Health Accreditation, for providing a safe airport experience for all travelers in line with recommended health measures and helping to reassure the travelling public that precautions are being taken to reduce any risk to their health. Last September, ONT earned ACI's prestigious Customer Service Experience Accreditation for its ability to identify and understand the needs and expectations of airline passengers and airport visitors, all the while enhancing the customer service experience. The Southern California aviation gateway was one of just nine airports in North America and the only Los Angeles-area airport to earn the distinction. About Ontario International Airport Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic, offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner). OIAA Media Contact: Steve Lambert, (909) 841-7527 [email protected] SOURCE Ontario International Airport Related Links www.flyontario.com Children in Amber Alert found safe near Mitchell The missing children were recovered and are safe, according to the Davison County Sheriff's Office. Evidence Mounts that Capitol Breach Was Pre-Planned, Eroding Incitement Allegation in Trump Impeachment Trial As former President Donald Trumps Tuesday impeachment trial approaches, there is a growing body of evidence in criminal complaints and affidavits that the Jan. 6 Capitol breach had been pre-planned, undercutting the allegation leveled against Trump that he is guilty of incitement to insurrection. A number of FBI affidavits filed in support of various chargesincluding conspiracyagainst accused participants in the Capitol breach show evidence of pre-planning, reinforcing an argument made by critics of the impeachment trial against Trump, namely that participants couldnt have been incited by the president to break into the building if they had earlier planned to do so. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said recently that parts of the Capitol incident had been coordinated well before Trumps Jan. 6 speech. Trumps accusers have described the speech as a call to storm the building. While Trump said in his speech that we fight like hell and if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, the former president appeared to be making a general reference to political activism, as he called on supporters to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard during the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress. Graham, in a Feb. 1 interview on Fox News, said, Theres mounting evidence that the people who came to Washington preplanned the attack before the president ever spoke. If you open up that can of worms, well want the FBI to come in and tell us about how people preplanned this attack and what happened with the security footprint of the Capitol. You open up Pandoras box if you call one witness, Graham added, in reference to calls for witnesses to testify at Trumps impeachment trial. The former presidents son Donald Trump Jr. argued in a tweet last month, If these federal law enforcement agencies had prior knowledge that this was a planned attack then POTUS didnt incite anything. A review of some of the affidavits in Capitol incursion cases shows evidence of pre-planning. An affidavit (pdf) filed in the case against Thomas Caldwell, who is believed to have a leadership in the Oath Keepers group and who faces charges of conspiracy and conspiracy to impede or injure an officer, alleges that Caldwell and others planned parts of the incursion in advance. As described more fully herein, CALDWELL planned with DONOVAN CROWL, JESSICA WATKINS, and others known and unknown, to forcibly storm the U.S. Capitol, the affidavit states. Evidence uncovered in the course of the investigation demonstrates that not only did CALDWELL, CROWL, WATKINS, and others conspire to forcibly storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021they communicated with one another in advance of the incursion and planned their attack. The document cites communication between Watkins and other suspected Oath Keepers during the Capitol incursion, noting that an individual whom the FBI believes to be Watkins said: We have a good group. We have about 30-40 of us. We are sticking together and sticking to the plan. Charging documents (pdf) against Eric Munchel and his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, both of whom face conspiracy charges, cite a Jan. 10 article in The Times of London, in which Eisenhart expressed that the two had gone into the Capitol as observers but quotes Munchels characterization of the incursion as a flexing of muscles. We wanted to show that were willing to rise up, band together and fight if necessary. Same as our forefathers, who established this country in 1776, Munchel told the outlet. It was a kind of flexing of muscles. The intentions of going in were not to fight the police. The point of getting inside the building is to show them that we can, and we will. Alex Harkrider, who faces charges of conspiracy and unlawful entry with a dangerous weapon, was alleged in an affidavit (pdf) to have made statements about planning a civil war. The affidavit indicates that a witness contacted the FBI alleging they had photos from Harkriders social media pages showing that he stated that he and others were planning a civil war. An affidavit (pdf) in the case against Andrew Bennett, who faces charges of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, indicates that on January 4, 2021 at approximately 5:02 a.m. EST, Bennett posted the following, along with a photograph of a caravan of vehicles on a road carrying American flags: You better be ready chaos is coming and I will be in DC on 1/6/2021 fighting for my freedom!' Meanwhile, the FBI has said it notified other law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Capitol Police, the day before the Capitol incursion about an online message about a war and storming the building. The FBI stated on Jan. 12 that the warning was issued through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the U.S. Capitol Police have members on the task force, The Associated Press reported. The Washington Post reported that an FBI bulletin described that people had been sharing maps of the Capitols tunnels and discussed rallying points to meet up to travel to Washington. The newspaper also reported that the document detailed posts calling for violence, including that Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Representative Image (REUTERS) Ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised to enact a law against love jihad in the state if it is voted to power. Kerala BJP president K Surendran has said love jihad (interfaith marriage) has become a worrisome trend in the state and claimed that even Christian leaders have raised concerns about forced conversions. 'Love Jihad': Madhya Pradesh government proposes 10-year jail term in draft bill The Kerala BJP leader also accused the ruling Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front led by the Congress party of inaction, reported India Today. Surendran added: Despite the BJP and churches expressing their views against love jihad, the Left and Right fronts are not even acknowledging it. Even in minority rights, there is discrimination in Kerala. Why the ruling and opposition parties in Kerala have not made their stand clear despite the fact that the Christian churches have complained to the Prime Minister that the Christians are not getting the population benefits when the Muslim community is getting undeserved rights. Uttar Pradesh Police made 51 arrests in one month under love jihad law: Report The Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was the first to introduce the love jihad law in 2020. The law forbids religious conversions done on the false pretext of love using misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. ADVERTISEMENT Twenty-six Nigerian states recorded zero foreign investment in the whole of 2020, figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show. The report on capital importation into the country, compiled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was released on Friday by the NBS. It captures the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio investment and other types of investments into the country in a year the global economy suffered a terrible battering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The total value of capital inflow for the year fell to $9.7 billion, from $24 billion in 2019, representing a decline of 59.7 per cent. It was the lowest in at least four years. More foreign capital inflows came through other investments, followed by FDI, and Portfolio Investment, the report said. Equities supplied the largest chunk of capital inflows, while the United Kingdom emerged as the top source of capital investment in Nigeria in the year. Destination By destination, Lagos emerged as the top destination of capital investment in Nigeria with $8.3 billion, followed by Abuja, which received $1.3 billion. The others on the list are Abia State with relatively lower $56 million, Niger with $16.4 million, and Ogun with $13.4 million. Anambra State recorded $10.2 million, Kaduna State recorded $4.03 million, Sokoto got $2.5 million and Kano got $2.4 million. Akwa Ibom received $1.05 million ahead of Adamawa, which received just $20,000. All the remaining 26 states received no foreign capital inflows the entire year, the report shows. They are Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara States. COVID-19 Effect Many Nigerian states are known to be characteristically non-competitive in attracting foreign investments, despite their huge populations. Amongst many factors responsible for this is insecurity. This was made worse last year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic broke out, public health measures have caused severe economic disruptions that impact foreign investment in countries of the world. In June 2020, amid the crash in commodity prices occasioned by the pandemic, foreign direct investment flows to Africa was projected to decline between 25 percent and 40 percent, according to the World Investment Report 2020. FDI flows to the continent were forecast to contract based on gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections, as well as other investment factors. The contraction was necessitated by the disruption in several services industries including aviation, hospitality, tourism and leisure, among others. Four Charged after Lyon County Traffic Stops By West Kentucky Star Staff EDDYVILLE/KUTTAWA - Four people were charged following traffic stops in Lyon County on Thursday and Friday.The Lyon County Sheriff's Office reports that a traffic stop was made in Eddyville Thursday, shortly after 3:00 pm.Deputies found the driver, 40-year-old Kenny L. Hayes, of Fulton, was wanted on a warrant from the Fulton District Court for failure to appear. Hayes was arrested on the warrant.On Friday, deputies conducted a traffic stop on New Circle Road in Kuttawa at 4:37 pm.It was discovered that the driver, 31-year-old Taylor R. Glass, of Kuttawa, was wanted on a warrant from the Lyon County Circuit Court for failure to appear.Glass was arrested on the warrant and taken to the Crittenden County Jail.His original charges involve multiple counts of identity theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.Later Friday, just before 9:00 pm, a Lyon County Deputy assisted Eddyville Police with a traffic stop on Commerce Street in Eddyville.Twenty-three-year-old Gary T. McConnell, of Princeton, was charged after being found to have two criminal summonses out of the Caldwell District Court for two counts of theft by deception under $500.00.An occupant of the vehicle was arrested on drug charges. The name of the occupant was not released. Ahmedabad: Most of the business establishments in southern Gujarats Valsad town on Wednesday remained shut in response to a bandh called by various groups to protest the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims. Three persons from Valsad were among the seven pilgrims killed in the terror attack in Kashmirs Anantnag district on Monday evening. While schools, colleges and offices remained open in Valsad town, most of the markets and other commercial areas wore a deserted look as the businessmen voluntarily decided to shut their shops in response to the bandh call. Valsads major business areas on M G Road, Azad Chowk, Tower road and vegetable markets remained totally shut. The shopkeepers decided to shut their establishments today over the Amarnath terror attack. Though schools, colleges and offices are open, all the major markets are closed, Valsad Collector C R Kharsan said. Seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 19 injured when terrorists attacked a bus in Kashmirs Anantnag district on Monday evening. The private luxury bus headed to Amarnath from Valsad with 54 passengers early this month. Out of the seven victims, Laxmiben Patel, Surekha Patel and Ratilal Patel were from Valsad. The two other victims from the state were Champaben Prajapati from Gandevi in Navsari district and Sumitra Patel from Surat city. Besides, two women, Usha Sonkar and Nirmala Thakor, both residents of Maharashtra, were also killed in the terror attack. This attack on Amarnath pilgrims is unacceptable. That is why all the shopkeepers in the city have come forward to join the bandh call to register the protest and express our respect to the deceased, a shopkeeper on M G Road said. The Valsad bandh remained successful, he said. People from all communities have planned to gather at Azad Chowk to take out a silent rally in the evening to express solidarity with the victims. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The judge, Justice Maxwell Wiley, said at the time that the law of double jeopardy in New York State provides a very narrow window for prosecution. Mr. Vances office has taken action against other associates of Mr. Trump whom the former president has pardoned in federal cases. Last week, The New York Times reported that Manhattan prosecutors had opened an investigation against Stephen K. Bannon, a former White House strategist who was pardoned by Mr. Trump during the presidents final hours in office. But the double jeopardy defense is unlikely to help Mr. Bannon in the same way it helped Mr. Manafort, because Mr. Bannon had not yet been tried, let alone convicted. The basis for the prosecution being improper doesnt in any way apply to Mr. Bannon as far as I can tell, Mr. Blanche said. While the U.S. Constitution bars being tried twice for the same crime, the Supreme Court has long held that there is one exception: Federal and state prosecutions for the same conduct are allowed because the federal government and states are understood to be independent sovereigns. In 2019, the court affirmed that exception. That year, the state legislature in New York passed a measure that lawmakers argued was necessary in order to check Mr. Trumps pardon power and to ensure that his associates were not permitted to escape justice. The law, signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in October 2019, allows state prosecutors to pursue charges against individuals who have been granted presidential pardons for similar crimes. State Senator Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor who sponsored the bill, said that the Manafort case drove home the need for the legislation. Chinese rights activist Yang Maodong, also known by his pen name Guo Feixiong. (Supplied) US, EU Urge China to Release Missing Rights Activist Disappeared While Boarding Flight to Visit Sick Wife Renowned Chinese rights activist Yang Maodong, also known by his pen name Guo Feixiong, has raised attention at home and abroad after Chinese authorities disappeared him as he was boarding a flight to visit his wife, who has been receiving cancer treatment in the United States. Yang remains missing after he was stopped from boarding for a scheduled flight by border inspection officers at the Shanghai Pudong international airport on Jan. 28. His flight was bound for San Francisco, where his wife, Zhang Qing, an American permanent resident, lives and was expecting his arrival after colon cancer surgery on Jan. 9. Authorities said Yang had been stopped for endangering state security, a vague charge often leveled at dissidents by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Yang declared that he would launch an indefinite hunger strike to protest the CCPs unreasonable restrictions on him. The last message he posted via his phone was: I request the American government offer me emergency assistance, which would be highly appreciated. It has been nine days since he was taken at the airport, and his family, friends, and supporters know nothing about his whereabouts. Family Concerned For His Life On Feb. 1, Yangs wife wrote to Michelle Bachelet Jeria, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, asking her to urge the CCP to respect Yangs civil rights and allow him to leave China for a family reunion. In the letter, she said: As a patient basically confined to bed, I need my husbands accompaniment; as a mother, Im worried about my son, a minor, who couldnt complete his university studies without his fathers support; and as a wife, Im also worried about my husbands deteriorating health due to his days of prolonged hunger strike (back in China) and danger of life. As of Feb. 5, her post-op recovery was worse than expectedcancer had spread to other parts of her body, rendering doctors to cancel her second surgery. Currently, she can only receive chemotherapy. On Jan. 29, Yangs elder sister, Yang Maoping, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that her sister-in-law was in great emotional distress after learning that her husband had been intercepted after attempting to visit her. Then, she said of Yang, Hes already 55 years old. Hes been much disturbed about his wifes illness for weeks. So its extremely dangerous if he continues his hunger strike like that. Im terribly concerned about his life. She told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that the inhumanity of the CCPs actions have been unbearable for her. The CCP claims it exercises the state power in the interest of the people, in the pursuit of revolutionary humanitarianism, Ms. Yang added. However, theyre all insincere slogans. It really feels like merciless in action. Yangs daughter, Yang Tianjiao, also called on the international community to help pressure the CCP to free her father. US Department of State: Disturbed By Yangs Disappearance The State Department in Washington on Sept. 19, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) According to Voice of America (VOA), the United States Department of State said on Jan. 29 that it was disturbed about Yangs disappearance. On Jan. 30, Jim McGovern, the U.S. representative and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, stated explicitly on his Twitter account that the Chinese activist should be allowed to travel to the U.S. to care for his wife following her cancer surgery. Let him go! the representative urged Beijing. EU Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman: Very Concerned In Europe, the EU has also been observing the situation since Yangs disappearance. Nabila Massrali, EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, called on China to allow Yang to leave the country to visit his very ill wife on Jan. 30. She expressed that she was very concerned about the lack of information on Yangs current whereabouts and condition, and stressed that his personal liberty and freedom of movement should not be restricted. Taiwan: Over a Hundred of Dissidents Sign Petition in Support of Yang More than 100 dissidents, most of whom were former Tiananmen Square pro-democracy activists, signed a petition on Jan. 29 urging Western governments to help free Yang, VOA reported. China has no rights to keep him from visiting his family overseas whether it is from the legal, human rights, or humanitarian perspectives, they said in a statement, adding that Chinas inhuman move has proved again that its regime is increasingly fascist. Of them, Wuer Kaixi, a prominent student leader in Chinas 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, directly called on the Biden administration to help Yang join his family. The petition was reportedly sent to the American government and Congress on Jan. 29. Inside China: Open Letter Urging Chinese Leaders to Lift Travel Ban on Yang More than 20 Chinese public intellectuals, as well as ordinary supporters, have bravely signed their real names in an open letter to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and the head of Chinas National Peoples Congress Li Zhanshu, urging them to immediately grant Yang a permit to leave China. The signatories included lawyers, authors, artists, and scholars who advocate vehemently for Chinese peoples human rights and freedoms under the CCPs totalitarian rule. In their letter, they honor Yang as an author and a scholar dedicated to promoting social progress, whose ideas for years have been constructive to Chinas reform and peaceful transition. They also wrote that Yang himself is grateful for the help that the Guangdong and Hubei public security departments have made to facilitate his application for travel to the United States to nurse his wife, and that his journey was only forcibly aborted at the last moment before boarding. Without powerful intervention, they said, a sad outcome faces this couple. We deem it a basic ethical requirement to help them before it is too late. No one should be so cold-hearted to this tragic incident. As an active participant and successful organizer, Yang Maodong has been committed to pushing Chinas pro-democracy campaigns since 2001. He is always at the forefront of rights activities for vulnerable groups including Falun Gong adherents, who have been ruthlessly persecuted for their belief in the values of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance since July 20, 1999. He is also one of the most unwavering proponents of creating a financial disclosure system for Chinese officials to combat corruption in China. The Chinese government entered the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) on Dec. 10, 2003. However, no disclosure mechanism has been established to this day by the CCP. From 2005 to 2019, Yang was detained four times and imprisoned twice. Altogether, he was subjected to 11 years in jail for his human rights campaigning. During his detention, he experienced threats, beating, and forced confession through torture. At one point, the abuse and insults overwhelmed him so much that he even attempted to commit suicide, he later said. His two-decades of devotion to Chinas democratic process have earned him wide recognition and honor, including the Front Line Defenders Award of 2015, which was founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 2001. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 The NYPD have disciplined an officer who wore a 'politically oriented patch' after a video on social media showed an on-duty sergeant wearing a 'Trump - Make Enforcement Great Again 2020' patch at a protest. The patch, which features a stylized skull emblem originating with the Marvel Comics character The Punisher, was spotted Friday night on a sergeant at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Brooklyn. The cop, identified by the Sergeants Benevolent Association on Twitter as Dana Martillo, also wore a second patch featuring the skull symbol popular with some police officers. Both skulls were tweaked to sport the former president's distinctive hair style. The NYPD has disciplined officer Dana Martillo who wore a 'politically-oriented patch' while on duty at a Black Lives Matter protest in Brooklyn on Friday The patch she wore featured the skull emblem of Marvel Comics character The Punisher and was tweaked to sport a Trump-style hairdo 'We are aware of a video showing one of our members wearing a politically oriented patch,' the New York Police Department said in a statement. 'The officer has already received an initial discipline. A further investigation is ongoing.' Police did not detail what 'initial discipline' the officer received. NYPD policy prohibits officers on duty or in uniform from 'publicly expressing personal views and opinions concerning the merits of any political party or candidate for public office.' Video surfaced of a female sergeant sporting a 'Trump Make Enforcement Great Again 2020' patch at a Brooklyn protest Martillo was filmed at a Black Lives Matter demonstration Friday night outside a precinct in Ft. Greene. The patch plays off former President Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan The officer was doxxed on social media as the video quickly went viral Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted separately: 'Members of the NYPD must remain apolitical it's essential to public trust & officers' ability to perform their jobs.' The Punisher logo is popular among the far-right so-called 'Three Percenters' movement. SBA President Ed Mullins said the cop should have simply been told to remove the patches. 'With all the stuff that's occurring in the city right now, we're worried about a patch?' he said. The NYPD were quick to respond as word of the offending video spread. The officer has received 'initial discipline' Dermot Shea, Police Commissioner of the City of New York, stated that the NYPD needed to remain apolitical 'You know how to fix that problem. You say, 'It's not authorized. Take it off.' Besides, Mullins continued, morale in the department is 'terrible.' 'Shea should be out defending his cops,' he said. 'When the Chief of the Department sends an overtly political message by taking a knee with protesters while in full uniform and on duty, it sends a clear message to our membership that political speech is permitted. I do not believe that discipline of Sergeant Martillo is warranted or necessary,' Mullins said. 'When the department imposes content-based discipline, it slides down a very slippery path toward monitoring all police officer speech, including police union speech and officers' off-duty social media.' The distinctive skull logo was also spotted on multiple rioters during the Capitol siege in Washington D.C. last month, including a man carrying zip ties. The logo is from Marvel's hit Netflix series The Punisher. The signature skull has long been embraced by cops and members of the military, who relate to the fictional vigilante anti-hero and his military backstory. Worrying news from South Africa, where health experts say the just-arrived shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines may not work as well against the highly contagious coronavirus variant that is prevalent in the country. That realization means that officials intend to put the mass vaccination program -- the largest in Africa, so far -- on hold before it was to begin. Clinical studies in South Africa appear to have found no evidence that this vaccine has full efficacy against the variant, known as 501Y.V2 or B1.351. Dr. Shabir Madhi, the top virologist who headed South Africas original vaccine trials and subsequent studies, explained Sunday night in a webcast: Currently in South Africa, more than 90 percent of all new infections that are occurring are a consequence of the B1.351 variant, which we know now to be more transmissible and probably also more virulent than the original virus that was circulating, he said. So after having done the final analysis, we realized that unfortunately we were experiencing a problem when it came to the effectiveness of this vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine still appears to work against severe forms of COVID-19, he said. However, against mild or moderate illness, it falls flat. But, as the charming South African idiom goes, this is not a train smash. The nations top scientists agree its just another hurdle to overcome in the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, officials took delivery of 1 million doses of the vaccine. The plan was to inoculate the nations health workers first, before eventually vaccinating 40 million South Africans. So now what? Much like the science behind all of this, its complicated. Health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize described the setback as a temporary one, and said the government still plans to inoculate health workers, as originally planned, starting this month. But Barry Schoub, chair of South Africas Ministerial Advisory Committee on Vaccines, has recommended a temporary pause. He noted that scientists are hopeful that a one-dose vaccine, still in development by Johnson and Johnson, might yield better results. But, said the nations coronavirus task force chief, Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, there is a middle road. And its one that every schoolchild knows about: the booster shot. So you would take the existing vaccine to give you immunity against the pre-existing variant, and you take this booster, which would boost it in order to give you protection against the 501Y.V2 variant, he said. And we're also going to see a next generation of vaccines, vaccines that are intended to actually be much broader. So they will cover you not only against all the current variants, but also what are likely to be future events and that you're going to see emerging over time. And so, Madhi explained, there is room at the table for those one million vaccines in protecting against severe illness. Meanwhile, the government is looking at other options, as pharmaceutical companies conduct breakneck research to try to find one shot to heal them all. Mkhize said South Africa is leaving no stone unturned and in talks with other manufacturers, including those behind the Russian-developed Sputnik vaccine. Harsh U.S. sanctions, a crumbling economy, and near collapsed petroleum industry have done little, if anything, to loosen President Maduros grip on power in Venezuela. It appears that one of Latin Americas most reviled heads of state has not only outmaneuvered his domestic opponents but beaten U.S. sanctions designed to remove him from power. By December 2020, Maduro had taken control of Venezuelas National Assembly, the only major state institution not controlled by the government and United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). In last years election, which was boycotted by most opposition candidates including Juan Guaido, Maduros party won 256 out of the 277 seats available in the legislative body. This not only consolidated Maduros power over the crisis-ravaged Latin American nation but demonstrated that harsh U.S. sanctions are failing to remove him from power. Taking control of the National Assembly was particularly important for Maduro because the legislative body is required by Venezuelas constitution to ratify international treaties and approve oil contracts with foreign energy companies. The law-making body has long been a thorn in Maduros side and the latest development essentially cements his control of Venezuela. This is an especially important development because it coincides with Maduros plans to revive Venezuelas economically crucial oil industry by opening it up to foreign investment. In his annual accountability speech earlier this year Maduro stated that he planned to rebuild Venezuelas shattered oil industry with the assistance of foreign partners and boost crude oil production to 1.5 million barrels daily. To achieve this, Maduro needed control of the National Assembly to gain approval for foreign investment in oil projects, which is currently capped at 49% with the remainder awarded to national oil company PDVSA. When coupled with Maduros anti-blockade law, which is intended to promote the free trade of strategic goods such as gasoline, it indicates that Venezuela is open for business and willing to accept foreign investment in its economically crucial hydrocarbon sector. By gaining control of the legislative body Maduro can remove the cap on foreign investment in oil projects and approve full ownership to international energy companies, making Venezuelan oil projects more attractive to foreign investors. Those outcomes have further sidelined opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is internationally recognized as Venezuelas legitimate interim president. By taking control of the National Assembly Maduro has effectively nullified Guaidos power base further fracturing his support and putting his claim to Venezuelas presidency in question because he will no longer be the assembly speaker. Related: Energy Commodities Rally: Oil Nears $60, Natural Gas Jumps Above $3 These are important developments for Maduro because Venezuelas economically vital oil production fell to an average of 431,000 barrels daily during December 2020. The oil rich Latin American country is pumping crude at volumes not seen since the 1940s. The near collapse of Venezuelas petroleum industry is responsible for the implosion of its economy, which has triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises since World War Two with 96% of Venezuelans now living in Poverty. This is an extraordinary development when it is considered that Venezuela was once the wealthiest country in Latin America and in 1950 the worlds fourth richest by capita. Even Maduros allies of convenience Russia, Cuba, China, and Iran have been unable to arrest the disintegration of Venezuelas oil industry and prevent the countrys near economic collapse. Joint ventures between Russian state-controlled energy major Rosneft and PDVSA failed to prevent the oil industrys catastrophic disintegration. This highlights that Venezuela needs to attract massive transfers of capital, technology and expertise if Caracas is to rebuild the economically vital oil industry to spur on economic recovery. Western oil majors such as Chevron, which has a century long history of operating in Venezuela, are best positioned to provide the necessary investment and resources. For that to transpire, Washington must ease sanctions against Venezuela, notably those which prevent Caracas from accessing global energy and financial markets as well as those blocking foreign companies from operating in the country. That could very well occur under a Biden administration. Biden has flagged that he will take a more diplomatic and humanitarian approach toward Venezuela which could include an easing of sanctions. Maduros ability to not only cling to power but strengthen his position despite a decaying economy, substantial internal opposition, international criticism and a severe humanitarian crisis indicates that U.S. sanctions have failed. Related: Fossil Fuels Arent Going Anywhere The primary objective of Washingtons current policy toward Venezuela is to precipitate regime change. While it has effectively crippled Venezuelas economy and petroleum industry, causing considerable suffering for every-day Venezuelans, it has only made Maduros regime more resilient. As modern history demonstrates, economic sanctions on their own usually fail to trigger regime change. Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz once described sanctions and punitive trade policy as a wasting asset that over time has less impact as the targeted people and organizations find alternatives to go around them. This is exactly what has happened in Venezuela. Maduro and his supporters found other sources of support, notably forming alliances with Russia, China, Cuba and Iran. Those countries have also provided financing in exchange for oil, military assistance and even facilitated the avoidance of U.S. sanctions. The latest events demonstrate that Washington needs to take a different approach to deal with Venezuela, particularly when it is considered that growing Russian and Iranian influence has the potential to destabilize Latin America. A decision needs to be made soon because time is running out for Venezuelas vast petroleum reserves. PDVSAs rapidly corroding energy infrastructure, declining global demand for sour heavy crude oil, and the emergence of peak oil demand are causing the value of those crude oil reserves to deteriorate and could eventually see them become a stranded asset. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Raleigh, North Carolina, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Joshua Triplett, CEO of VIP Capital Funding and his team of consultants have been prompt in helping small business owners to kick off 2021. The remembrance of the 2020 COVID-19 hit is still fresh on many small business owners' minds that left them stranded and scrambling for working capital to stay afloat for the livelihood of their business and employees. Aid came faster as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), along with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) came with haste. Many business owners were insulated but heading into 2021 much of those funds have been exhausted and now business owners have been awaiting additional funding, namely the Paycheck Protection Program 2.0. Through first hand experience the controversial transition between the Trump and Biden Administration put a halt on the PPP round 2 in January when business owners were expecting and needing it most. VIP Capital Funding has adapted and has helped many business owners get their applications process under their control, but the SBA has remained flushed with millions of applications to process. With that being said Joshua Triplett advises with complete transparency that small to medium size businesses remain patient as the SBA and its under-writers get to applicants accordingly. There is great optimism in this month of February that PPP round 2.0 applicants will be streamlined and business owners will once again be insulated. Although COVID-19 has picked up steam through its rampant spread through the United States and world wide, Joshua Triplett remains optimistic that vaccines will roll out and herd immunity will take effect over the next 12 months. This should allow business owners to begin to thrive as the stimulus aid will help bring back unemployed workers and the economy will prosper. The backbone of the economy in the United States, in which 99% of businesses are small-medium sized should hold strong, and continue pushing and shoving their products and services. With complete transparency many small to medium sized business owners have been pending and left confused about the application process of the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP 2.0). Joshua Triplett, wants small-medium sized business owners to understand that this time around is a bit different as it is requiring more verification, not saying it is more difficult but the process is more time consuming. Reason being is because businesses must show a 25% reduction in annual revenue and depending on the lender this can be shown through an annual P&L between 2019-2020 or a given quarter between 2019-2020. This requires more time for business owners to gather, and for under-writers to under-write. VIP Capital Funding has been actively helping small business owners through the PPP with a hands on dedicated approach that has been successful in getting many small-medium sized business owners funded throughout the delay. Joshua Triplett advises many to seek PPP 2.0 aid within his company as his group of highly trained consultants have been working around the clock up to 7 days a week since the start of 2021 to help get the funds that small-medium sized business owners need to stay insulated throughout Q1-Q2 this year. Joshua Triplett is also optimistic about a new loan product from the Biden Administration over the coming month or two to add additional working capital to businesses to help the livelihoods of millions of hard working U.S. citizens who are eager to get back to work and help our country thrive. VIP Capital Funding a top fin-tech has become a beacon for many small business owners through its modernized and dedicated system where business owners feel a sense of security knowing they are being helped by a dedicated consultant who is working hard to procure capital for the business. VIP Capital Fundings mission is to help solve the financial problems of as many business owners as they can help through their simplified and effective approach that has left many business owners grateful. While traditional banks have been overwhelmed, VIP Capital Funding has been able to tend to many business owners needs and ultimately get the job done in solving financial problems to keep business owners thriving. Cash flow is king and Joshua Triplett and his group of very experienced officers have a deep level of understanding across hundreds of industries which leaves both VIP Capital Funding and their clients more than satisfied when funding is done at a lot faster rate than traditional banks. Pivoting from the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP 2.0), VIP Capital Funding is versatile in procuring working capital for business owners through its private lenders and investors. The capital that VIP Capital Funding provides works well for business owners who are not only in a pinch, but for business owners who strategically place bulk orders at 20%-40% discounts to negate the cost of the capital which is tax deductible. VIP Capital Funding would be more than happy to help your business through these troubling times. If you are in need of PPP 2.0 capital or private lending business capital, we are eager to help. Contact Details You may get in touch with Joshua Triplett via his LinkedIn or Twitter handle VIP Capital Funding contact information: Website: https://vipcapitalfunding.com Office Phone- 800-735-7754 Email- consultation@vipcapitalfunding.com Will Winston, Vice President Direct- 919-521-8954 Email- will.winston@vipcapitalfunding.com Cheynne Chong, Director of Risk Management Direct- 919-521-8451 Email- cheynne@vipcapitalfunding.com Carlos Hernandez, Senior Vice President Direct- 919-300-0203 Email- carlos@vipcapitalfunding.com Kenneth Lewis, Chief Financial Officer Direct- 702-517-3144 Email- kenneth@vipcapitalfunding.com This news has been published for the above source. VIP Capital Funding [ID=16851] Disclaimer: The information does not constitute advice or an offer to buy. Any purchase made from this story is made at your own risk. Consult an expert advisor/health professional before any such purchase. Any purchase made from this link is subject to the final terms and conditions of the website's selling. The content publisher and its distribution partners do not take any responsibility directly or indirectly. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the company this news is about. Attachment WERDOHL (dpa-AFX) - Vossloh AG (VOSSF.PK) announced the company has been awarded a framework agreement by ProRail BV, the state-owned operator of the roughly 7,000 km rail network, for the supply of switches in the Netherlands. Major deliveries of switches under the framework agreement are anticipated from 2022. The agreement extends until 2028. 'We have been working closely with ProRail for many years and I am honored that this important customer has not only renewed its confidence in us by awarding this framework contract, but has also significantly expanded our business relationship,' said Oliver Schuster, CEO of Vossloh AG. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Nairobi Kenya and the United Kingdom will co-host a two-day conference on global partnership for education financing on July 25 and 26, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced. The President said the aim of the education financing conference is to raise 5 billion US dollars to ensure that all children, particularly those in developing countries, have equitable access to quality education. He invited African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government to join the effort and commit to protect education budgets in their respective countries. "You will all agree with me that our children received the harshest brunt of the (COVID-19) pandemic; the lockdowns resulted in significant loss of income of the caregivers. "We need to show up and hold our governments accountable in setting aside the adequate resources to ensure that all children, both girls and boys and those in vulnerable situations, can go back to school and complete their studies," President Kenyatta said. The President spoke Saturday at State House, Nairobi, at the start of the two-day virtual 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU whose theme is "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want". The Kenyan Head of State expressed the need for African Governments to invest more aggressively in improving education access and quality, including the area of teaching and learning technologies, to bridge the education divide. "Our children, are the future of this continent and we, as leaders, must guarantee a better tomorrow for them. We, as leaders today, must preserve and protect their wellbeing," the President told the summit during which President Cyril Ramaphosa of South handed over the AU chairmanship to President Felix Tshisekedi of DRC. President Kenyatta also emphasized the need to not slacken in the fight against malaria even as the continent tackles the COVID-19 pandemic. "Even as we continue the fight against COVID - 19, restore our economies and secure the future of our children through education, let us know that malaria remains amongst one of the greatest threats to the health of our children and all our citizens across the continent," he said. As Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), President Kenyatta appreciated the unwavering commitment by AU member states towards elimination of malaria by 2030. He noted that 19 African countries are implementing the flagship campaign of "Zero Malaria Starts with Me" and urged those who have not yet launched the campaign to do so. The President also took the opportunity to thank President Ramaphosa, the outgoing AU Chairman, for steering the continental organization during the unprecedented period of the COVID-19 pandemic. "You have ably shepherd our continent to respond to the pandemic in a timely and effective manner," President Kenyatta commended his South African counterpart. The Kenyan leader also congratulated President Tshisekedi for taking over the chairmanship of AU, assuring him of Kenya's full support. "My delegation expresses full confidence in your solid leadership and ability to take our Union to greater heights," President Kenyatta assured the Congolese leader. President Kenyatta also thanked AU member states for their support that enabled Kenya to secure the Non-Permanent Member position of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term from 2021 to 2022. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Education Kenya Europe and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Speaking as he handed over the AU chairmanship, President Ramaphosa said he was glad that the continent's response to COVID-19 has been driven, coordinated and capacitated by its own scientists and medical experts, domiciled within the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). "In establishing this platform, we have given practical meaning to the mantra we often repeat, that we are committed to developing African solutions to African problems," President Ramaphosa said. On his part, President Tshisekedi assured of his commitment to working closely with all AU member states to achieve the objectives of the continental organization. Apple is known for handling supply chain and other critical parts of the business innovatively. A new report from TheInformation highlights how Apple is spending more money to overcome shipping delays caused due to pandemic. The company reportedly used more shipping containers, private jet charters, and shipping via specially designed iPad mailing boxes. It is a well-known secret that pandemic has caused havoc when it comes to logistics. Apple has taken specific measures like shipping AirPods via sea for the first time. Furthermore, the company has increased ocean freight for older iPhone models since the delivery timing is not as important as newer models. This also helped them grow air cargo space for the more recent iPhone 12. The report also mentions how Apple faced issues while shipping products by the sea in November last year. A large vessel heading from China to California tipped, and thus 1,800 containers sunk to the bottom of the ocean. In all likelihood, it contained Beats headphones and other items. Last February, Apples Singapore distribution center ran out of the brown mailing boxes needed to fulfill a spike in iPad orders from China, stemming from increased demand for remote-learning devices, said a person with direct knowledge of Apples logistics operations. While the specially designed iPad mailing boxes were originally made in China, the only solution that avoided delays for customers was to fly in a shipment of the boxes that was sitting unused at a warehouse in the U.S. Charter planes are typically a more expensive way of travel. However, Apple reportedly hired 200 private jets to ship devices in 2020. The company was forced to do so after delivery partners had run out of capacity. Apple is said to have chartered 200 planes for the shipments. The company usually hires charter planes in single digits. However, last year was very different for the Cupertino company. As per the report, Apple also resorted to using retail stores in the United States and Canada as distribution centers. The arrangement allowed courier partners like FedEx and UPS to collect shipments directly from Apple retail stores and deliver them to nearby customers. This helped them cut down on shipping time and reduce the burden on delivery partners. [via TheInformation The Bachelor Matt Jamess best friend and Bachelor Nation favorite Tyler Cameron stops by in the next episode. The Bachelor will air 8-10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, on ABC. ABC says, Halfway through Matts journey to find love, time is running out for the remaining women to strengthen their connection with the Bachelor. Emotions run high as rivals come face-to-face, cocktail parties are called off, and a group date gets unexpectedly competitive. Pieper and Matt take a break from the drama with a romantic carnival date complete with a performance by Temecula Road; and later, tensions are briefly lifted when Matts best friend and Bachelor Nation favorite Tyler Cameron stops by. But everything could change when former cast member Heather Martin (season 23) makes a surprise visit to the house, proving that the twists and turns just dont stop coming. James, 28, is a real estate broker and the first Black bachelor. Heres a sneak peek: The 15 women still in the running are: Abigail, 25, a client financial manager from Beaverton, Ore. Bri, 24, a communications manager from San Francisco, Calif. Brittany, 23, a model from Chicago, Ill. Chelsea, 28, a runway model from Brooklyn, N.Y. Jessenia, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas Katie, 29, a bank marketing manager from Renton, Wash. Kit, 21, a fashion entrepreneur from New York City, N.Y. Magi, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia Michelle, 27, a teacher from Edina, Minn. MJ, 23, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio Pieper, 23, a graduate student from Happy Valley, Ore. Rachael, 24, a graphic designer from Cumming, Ga. Ryan, 26, a dancer and choreographer from Brooklyn, N.Y. Serena C., 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco, Calif. Serena P., 23, a publicist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Pope Francis has appointed two women to Vatican posts previously held only by men, in back-to-back moves giving women more empowerment in the male-dominated Holy See. He appointed Nathalie Becquart, a French member of the Xaviere Missionary Sisters, on Saturday as co-undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, a department that prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years on a different topic. The previous day, Francis named Italian magistrate Catia Summaria as the first woman Promoter of Justice in the Vatican's Court of Appeals. Pope Francis (pictured on Sunday) appointed two women to posts previously held only by men, in moves giving women more empowerment in the male-dominated Holy See Becquart's position, effectively a joint number two spot, will give her the right to vote in the all-male assemblies, something many women and some bishops have called for. She is 52, relatively young by Vatican standards. Women have participated as observers and consultants in past synods but only 'synod fathers', including bishops and specially appointed or elected male representatives, could vote on final documents sent to the pope. During a synod in 2018, more than 10,000 people signed a petition demanding that women get the vote. 'A door has been opened. We will see what other steps could be taken in the future,' Cardinal Mario Grech, the synod's secretary-general, told the official Vatican News website. While upholding the Church's tradition barring female priests, Francis has set up commissions to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the Catholic Church, responding to calls by women that they be allowed to take up the role today. Last year, in one fell swoop, Francis appointed six women to senior roles in the council that oversees Vatican finances. Nuns attend the Pope's weekly prayer on February 7 Last year, in one fell swoop, Francis appointed six women to senior roles in the council that oversees Vatican finances. He has also appointed women to the posts of deputy foreign minister, director of the Vatican Museums and deputy head of the Vatican Press Office. The news comes as Pope Francis has resumed greeting the public in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, seven weeks after he halted the Sunday noon ritual to discourage crowds from gathering during the Covid-19 pandemic. Smiling broadly, Francis appeared at an Apostolic Palace window overlooking the square and greeted a couple of hundred people standing a safe distance apart. Most held umbrellas on a drizzly, windy day. 'In the square again!' Francis said. He appeared on the first Sunday since the Rome area regained Italy's 'yellow zone' designation, which carries the least restrictions on movement. Normally thousands of pilgrims, tourists and locals would turn out in the vast square on Sundays to hear the pope. But Italy is not allowing travel between regions in the country, and with stringent measures discouraging arrivals from overseas, tourism and pilgrimages have practically evaporated. Nitin Gadkari takes on Congress for its guarantee to nullify CAA in Assam if voted to power Instead of just 1, more firms should be allowed to make vaccines: Gadkari After saying more firms should be allowed to make vaccination, Gadkari clarifies Those who buy new vehicles after scrapping old ones to get benefits: Gadkari India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: Buyers of new vehicles after opting for scrapping of their old and polluting vehicles will be offered benefits under the new policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said. Terming the policy a boon, the road transport minister said it would lead to a 30 per cent boost to the Indian automobile industry turnover to Rs 10 lakh crore in the years to come. The voluntary vehicle scrapping policy announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22 is touted as a major step to boost the Indian automobile sector, reeling under the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Govt to impose green tax on old polluting vehicles, Nitin Gadkari approves proposal Under the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, personal vehicles would undergo fitness test after 20 years while commercial vehicles would require it after completion of 15 years. "Those going for scrapping of their vehicles will get some benefits from the manufacturers. In fact, scrapping policy will prove to be a boon... not only it will boost economy, benefit automobile sector but also check vehicular pollution," Gadkari, who also holds MSME portfolio, told PTI. The minister said very soon the finer details of the policy will be unveiled by him and exuded confidence that the automobile industry will turn into one such sector that will offer maximum number of employments in the days to come. Asked about disincentives for old and polluting vehicles not opting for scrapping since it will be a voluntary, the minister said there are provisions of green taxes, other levies and such vehicles will have to undergo strict fitness tests in automated facilities. Secretary, Road Transport and Highways, Giridhar Aramane said incentives are worked out under the policy with discussions with stakeholders. Asserting that scrapping has huge advantages, he said research has pointed out that an old four-seater Sedan will result in losses of Rs 1.8 lakh in five years while for a heavy vehicle it comes to Rs 8 lakh for a period of three years. "We want to give some incentives," he said and added that the policy is mandatory, all vehicles will be required for automated fitness tests done without any human intervention, corruption or fudging of data. He said automated fitness tests will be set up under PPP mode while for scrapping centres also private partners and state governments will be assisted. "Structure and framework of scrapping policy is under work and green tax has already been notified. Many states have notified in ineffective way ....We want to advise the state governments through notification under Motor Vehicles Act to consider imposing green tax on older vehicles which cause more pollution," Aramane said. Driving such vehicles that fail to pass automated tests will attract huge penalties and also be impounded. Talking about the policy, Gadkari said: "This policy will boost buying of new vehicles besides generating huge employment. Automobile industry turnover which is 4.5 lakh crore at present is likely to swell to Rs 10 lakh crore in years to come with India becoming an automobile hub," the minister said. The export component of this which at present is 1.45 lakh crore will go up to Rs 3 lakh crore, he said and added that once the policy comes to practice availability of scrapped material like steel, plastic, rubber, aluminium etc will be used in manufacturing of automobile parts which in turn will reduce their cost by 30 to 40 per cent. He said the policy will give a boost to new technologies with better mileage of vehicles besides promoting green fuel and electricity and cut on India's huge Rs 10 lakh crore crude import bills. "One crore vehicles will go for scrap," he said. Presenting the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 had said that details of the scheme will be separately shared by the ministry. Gadkari had said the policy will lead to new investments of around Rs 10,000 crore and create as many as 50,000 jobs. "The policy would cover an estimated 51 lakh Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) that are above 20 years of age, while another 34 lakh LMVs are above 15 years. It would also cover 17 lakh medium and heavy motor vehicles, which are above 15 years, and currently without valid fitness certificates," Gadkari said. These vehicles are estimated to cause 10-12 times more pollution than the latest vehicles, he said. Last month, the government had said it plans to impose green tax on old polluting vehicles soon in a bid to protect environment and curb pollution while vehicles like strong hybrids, electric vehicles and those running on alternate fuels like CNG, ethanol and LPG will be exempted. The revenue collected through the green tax will be utilised for tackling pollution. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Under the scheme, transport vehicles older than eight years could be charged green tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate at the rate of 10 to 25 per cent of road tax, as per green tax proposal sent to states for consultations after cleared by the ministry. Industry experts said the policy will provide a fillip to the Indian government's efforts to position India as a global automobile manufacturing hub, as well as benefit global automakers with manufacturing industries in India, including Japanese giants Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan, amongst others. On July 26, 2019, the government proposed amendments to motor vehicle norms to allow scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years in a bid to spur adoption of electrical vehicles. In May 2016, the government had floated a draft Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Programme (V-VMP) that proposed to take 28 million decade-old vehicles off the road. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 10:38 [IST] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. It is no longer a surprise why so many American students have come to despise their own country. The latest example of deliberate misinformation comes from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF). Claiming that "informed citizens are better citizens," the NJSBF issued a May 20, 2020 article titled "Explaining the Roots of Institutional Racism." Institutional racism was baked into the U.S. Constitution, dating back to when the Founding Fathers were determining how to calculate the number of seats each state would have in the House of Representatives. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states: '...shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons ... three fifths of all other Persons.' Those three-fifths persons were slaves. In fact, the "words 'slave' [and] 'slavery' do not exist in the Constitution. Thus, as escaped slave abolitionist, Frederick Douglass stated '[a]bolish slavery tomorrow, and not a sentence or syllable of the Constitution need be altered.' Thus, Douglass steadfastly believed that the government created by the Constitution 'was never, in its essence, anything but an anti-slavery government.'" In the "1776 Report" now scrubbed by the Biden administration but available here, one learns that Douglass "initially condemned the Constitution, but after studying its history came to insist that it was a 'glorious liberty document.'" Erick M. Jensen writes in the Heritage Guide to the Constitution that the "three-fifths rule for counting slaves is often misunderstood. When the Constitutional Convention debated the issue of how to count population for the purposes of representation, the Southern delegates to the Convention would have been pleased if nonvoting slaves had been counted as full persons. That way, the Southern states would have had a greater representation in the House of Representatives." Moreover, "counting slaves provided an incentive to import still more slaves." Thus, the three-fifths rule compromise was not in the interests of the slaveholding South. In essence, "the clause does not deny that blacks are full persons (in fact, free blacks were counted on par with whites for purposes of apportionment). Rather, it addresses whether and how slaves should be counted for the purpose of determining the number of representatives in Congress. Including slaves as part of the Southern population would give the South disproportionately greater representation in Congress and therefore more influence in forming the country's laws." By contrast, "Northern delegates favored omitting slaves entirely when determining representation and therefore denying Southern states the advantage in the national legislature. The compromise allowed three-fifths of the slave population to count toward determining representation." Thus, "even though slaves were property under the laws of the Southern states, the Constitution itself acknowledged that they were persons. By tying both representation and direct taxation to apportionment, the Framers removed any sectional benefit, and thus any proslavery taint, from the special counting rule." An article by Malik Simba explains that the "three-fifths clause was part of a series of compromises enacted by the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The most notable other clauses prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories and ended U.S. participation in the international slave trade in 1807." By being shielded from the nuances and the evolution of ending slavery, American students are cheated out of vital information. Instead, Phyllis Raybin Emert at the NJSBF asserts that "despite the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, today institutional racism or [structural racism] is still deeply implanted in governmental entities." And then the obvious leftwing bent of the article rears its head by citing the Huffington Post, where Robin L. Hughes, a professor at the Indiana School of Education, trots out standard left-wing language and asserts that "[i]nstitutional racism is a powerful system of privilege and power based on race. Those powerful structures begin and are perpetuated by seemingly innocent, normal events and daily occurrences and interactions." Thus, "statistics show that white males make up nearly 75 percent of Fortune 500 company boards." Enter the left's fallback position on every issue. Hughes writes, "Since racism is so deeply embedded in our culture, we cannot assume that those who benefit from a powerful system of privilege built on race will somehow learn to see or even want to see inequity and institutionalized systems of racism overnight." Going even farther, Dr. Donnetrice Allison, a professor of Africana studies at Stockton University, asserts that "[w]e cannot eliminate institutional racism unless those in power who deem themselves superior and worthy to maintain their power, give it up." If this were not sufficient to mislead American students, and turn them into left-wing activists, the next article by Jodi L. Miller at the NJSBF titled "White Supremacy Rises Across the Nation" would surely cement the core ideas of critical race theory now rampant in schools across the nation. Miller cites the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which claims to be a legal advocacy organization that tracks hate groups. When it first began, the SPLC certainly did expose many hate groups, but as time has passed, the SPLC has deviated from its once constructive actions. Assuredly, "some of the groups that are named in SPLC's lists, can in fact, be accurately described as hate groups whose platforms are founded upon values like racial separatism, racial supremacy, or the promotion of discrimination or violence against people because of their race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, etc. But many of the organizations targeted by SPLC are not 'hate' groups in any legitimate sense of the word. Rather, they are thoughtful, articulate conveyors of conservative values and principles that are anathema to SPLC, and their inclusion in SPLC's list of 'hate groups' constitutes an egregious libel that is based on nothing more than SPLC's intolerance for ideas with which it does not agree." But "[b]y conflating actual hate groups on the one hand, with respectable conservative organizations on the other and thereby giving the impression that conservative values are somehow inherently hateful, racist, or otherwise repugnant SPLC seeks to shut down debate, shut down free speech, and delegitimize conservatives as odious monsters whose viewpoints do not even merit a fair hearing." The Social Contract Press has done in-depth reporting on the Southern Poverty Law Center. Actually, "SPLC spokespersons Richard Cohen, Heidi Beirich, and Mark Potok serve as attack dogs of the far left as the organization smears law-abiding citizens while ignoring real terrorist threats." At the end of the NJSBF article is the following question: does it matter whether or not a person impacted by white supremacy is a citizen? For most students educated in critical race theory as opposed to genuine critical thinking skills, this is a rhetorical question. They have been marinating in a skewed and hateful view of America since kindergarten. Thus, schooled to be more sympathetic to those who have broken American immigration laws, they will (a) ignore the illegals' assault on the country, (b) view the non-citizens [code for illegals] as meriting more concern than actual Americans, and (c) presume that racism is only a white-on-black occurrence since they have never been informed about the racist attitudes of such groups as Black Lives Matter. This is a perfect stew for the continuing attack on the country by radical progressives. And it is apparently being promoted by the legal profession. The slanted and pre-ordained conclusions corroborate the now popular "anti-racist" approach by Ibram X. Kendi, who "maintains that America was 'stamped from the beginning' with racism and slavery. Progressives will damn as racist any version of the story of our nation that does not affirm this divisive race mongering Narrative." This stands in direct contrast with what students should be taught as explained by Dennis Prager. In 1768, Josiah Quincy, Jr.[1] wrote O, my countrymen! what will our children say, when they read the history of these times, should they find we tamely gave away, without one noble struggle, the most invaluable of earthly blessings? Indeed, 253 years later, what will they say? Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. Image via Flickr, Public Domain. As the FBI began asking social media users to identify people in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, some people thought they spotted a former leader of an organization classified as a neo-Nazi hate group by the Southern Law Center. People believed they saw Matthew Heimbach, the self-described former leader of the Traditionalist Worker Party. But it wasnt him. I was with my stepdaughter at the park [in Tennessee], Heimbach told FOX45. Even with the mistaken identity, authorities were able to discover the name of the person in the photo and it led them right to a Massachusetts pizza delivery driver. That man, 33-year-old North Adams resident Brian McCreary is now facing charges in federal court. Last week, McCreary was arrested and charged with three counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds and two counts of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, according to a statement released by the Boston FBI office. Federal court documents state that after being shown one of the photos, McCreary identified himself as the individual wearing the blue surgical mask inside the U.S. Capitol. He also told coworkers hed been at the U.S. Capitol building, according to the court documents. After returning home from the U.S. Capitol McCreary told a co-worker that he raided the Capitol and sent this co-worker multiple videos depicting rioters inside the Capitol attempting to breach a door, confronting police officers, and towards the end of one video, a gunshot can be heard, documents state. Heimbach, the man originally thought to be in the photos, is well known for his involvement in the Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP), a neo-Nazi group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. For a time after 2015, the group and one of its leaders, Matthew Heimbach, became synonymous with the so-called alt-right, the groups website states. TWP helped organize the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a march that led to violent clashes and fatal attack on Heather Heyer. TWP was also named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Charlottesville victims, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Heimbach reportedly denied any role in the current white-nationalist movement to Fox News, adding that he left the movement over a year ago. The photos identifying Heimbach were in multiple publications. He told the news station that he has consulted with an attorney but isnt sure if hell pursue a case. I really want an apology, Heimbach told FOX45. The first tweet to identify McCreary was on Jan. 10 by one of his former coworkers. This man, with the glasses and mask, is Brian McCreary, my coworker from Dominos Pizza. #CapitolRiot, McDonald tweeted Jan. 10. It has since received more than 20,000 retweets, more than 82,000 likes and more than 3,000 replies. This man, with the glasses and mask, is Brian McCreary, my coworker from Dominos Pizza. #CapitolRiot pic.twitter.com/5n7bRTdh92 Brians Coworker (@ppkidiot) January 10, 2021 For McDonald there was no doubt it was their coworker in the photos. I was like, Oh my god. That is Brian. Like that is his face, those are his glasses, McDonald said. I even recognized his shoes. That was him. I knew that was him 100%. Social media and online tips have been a large part of the FBIs investigation into those who were part of the U.S. Capitol insurrection. The FBI told MassLive it has received more than 200,000 digital media tips from the public and they continue to ask for more. Those with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. We cannot do our job without the help of the American people, said assistant director in charge Steven M. DAntuono last month. Since our call for tips, videos, and pictures, we have received more than 100,000 pieces of digital mediawhich is absolutely fantasticand are scouring every one for investigative and intelligence leads. Two days after their Twitter post, McDonald was in the back of a Black Ford Taurus with tinted windows talking with FBI agents. But that wasnt the first time FBI was connected to McCreary. The FBI believes it first heard from McCreary the day after the insurrection, when he sent text and video clips through one of the FBIs internet portals, federal court documents state. In one of the video clips a shot can be heard, the documents state. Five people were killed at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A review of the video clips provided by McCreary ... showed various video footage both inside and outside the U.S. Capitol, to include rioting on the Capitol steps, a mob of people rushing the doors of the U.S. Capitol, a mob of people breaking down doors and windows of the U.S. Capitol, and multiple videos showing confrontations between rioters and uniformed police officers inside the U.S. Capitol, court documents state. McCreary said he has since been fired from his job and has had a massive increase in anxiety and stress. McDonald has also received a lot of hate on social media for their part in identifying their coworker. They were even written up at work for violating the social media policy. McDonald said they understand why the corporation was upset at first, as many people began to blame Dominos. But its not their fault, they said. Dominos didnt know they were hiring a domestic terrorist any more than I knew I was working with one for three months, McDonald said. McDonald also received threats for the post. Twitter took down a lot of the really, really negative and violent things that were said, they said. But I still remember I got a DM where a person was like ... Im going to come to your house. But McDonald doesnt regret tweeting it out, and helping the FBI. [I] ... would like people to realize that there are consequences to these actions, McDonald said. Its just nice to finally see the justice system working to imprison dangerous people. Related Content: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- YPF Sociedad Anonima ("YPF" or the "Company") today announced its decision to amend the terms and conditions of its amended and restated Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum dated January 25, 2021, as amended on February 1, 2021 (the "Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum"). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum. YPF has continued to engage throughout this process in good faith discussions with Eligible Holders of all of its Old Notes seeking to adjust the terms of its exchange offers taking into consideration applicable regulations. On February 7, 2021, the Board of Directors of YPF received a letter and expression of support from Eligible Holders of the Company's 8.500% Senior Notes due 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes") members of the Ad Hoc YPF Bondholder Group, who in the aggregate hold approximately 45% of 2021 Old Notes, stating that such Eligible Holders would undertake to tender their 2021 Old Notes into the Exchange Offer for the 2021 Old Notes provided YPF amended the terms of the Exchange Offer for its 2021 Old Notes as set forth herein, and announced such amendment prior to 1:00 a.m. (New York City time) on February 8, 2021. Accordingly, the Eligible Holders mentioned above have undertaken to tender their 2021 Old Notes by the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline (as defined herein). These holders have made no undertaking with respect to any other series of Old Notes. Pursuant to this amendment No. 4 ("Amendment No. 4"), the Company has revised the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation to: A. Amend the Exchange Consideration for the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration for the 2021 Old Notes Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents, Eligible Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes and deliver their related Proxies on or prior to the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline (including all Eligible Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes and deliver their related Proxies on or prior to the date of this Amendment No. 4) will be eligible to receive, for each US$ 1,000 principal amount of Old Notes so tendered, US$ 699 principal amount of New Secured 2026 Notes and US$ 408 cash payment (the "2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration"). The 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration has been calculated taking into account Accrued Interest. Therefore, Eligible Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes will not be entitled to receive any additional cash payment for any Accrued Interest on the 2021 Old Notes (such amount is included in the cash payment component of the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration). No additional payments will be made in connection with the Consent Solicitation. Late Exchange Consideration for the 2021 Old Notes Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents, Eligible Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes and deliver their related Proxies after the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline but on or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive, for each US$ 1,000 principal amount of 2021 Old Notes so tendered, US$ 824 principal amount of New Secured 2026 Notes and US$ 283 cash payment (the "2021 Old Notes Late Exchange Consideration"). The New Secured 2026 Notes issued as part of the 2021 Old Notes Late Exchange Consideration (the "Late New Secured 2026 Notes") shall have the same terms and conditions in all respects as the New Secured 2026 Notes issued as part of the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration and the Exchange Consideration for the other Exchange Offers (the "Early New Secured 2026 Notes") (except for the issue date); provided, further, that the Late New Secured 2026 Notes will not bear the same CUSIP number as the Early New Secured 2026 Notes, unless such Late New Secured 2026 Notes are part of the same "issue" or issued in a "qualified reopening" or are issued with no more than a de minimis amount of original issue discount, in each case for U.S. federal income tax purposes. YPF can give no assurance that such Late New Secured 2026 Notes will be part of the same "issue" or issued in a "qualified reopening" or with no more than a de minimis amount of original issue discount, in each case for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Late New Secured 2026 Notes will constitute a single series with the Early New Secured 2026 Notes. The 2021 Old Notes Late Exchange Consideration has been calculated taking into account Accrued Interest. Therefore, Eligible Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes will not be entitled to receive any additional cash payment for any Accrued Interest on the 2021 Old Notes (such amount is included in the cash payment component of the 2021 Old Notes Late Exchange Consideration). No additional payments will be made in connection with the Consent Solicitation. B. Extend the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation With regards to the Exchange Offer applicable to the 2021 Old Notes only, the Company has: amended such Exchange Offer to provide that Eligible Holders of 2021 Old Notes that validly tender their 2021 Old Notes and deliver their Proxies and not validly withdraw or revoke, as applicable, on or prior to 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on February 10, 2021 (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline") will be eligible to receive the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration on the 2021 Old Notes Early Settlement Date (as defined below). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents, we expect the acceptance date and settlement date for 2021 Old Notes that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline and accepted by the Company to be February 11, 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes Early Acceptance Date") and February 12, 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes Early Settlement Date"), respectively, in each case, unless further extended. Eligible Holders that fail to tender their 2021 Old Notes by the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline will not be entitled to receive the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration; and extended the (i) Withdrawal Deadline from 5:00 pm , New York City time, on February 5, 2021 to 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on February 10, 2021 , (ii) expiration time from 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on February 5, 2021 to 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on February 25, 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes Late Expiration Time"), (iii) Acceptance Date from February 8, 2021 to February 26, 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes Late Acceptance Date"), and (iv) settlement date from February 11, 2021 to March 1, 2021 (the "2021 Old Notes Late Settlement Date"), in each case, unless further extended. With regards to the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation applicable to all Old Notes (other than the Exchange Offers applicable to the 2021 Old Notes), the Company has extended the (i) Expiration Time from 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on February 5, 2021 to 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on February 10, 2021 , (ii) Acceptance Date from February 8, 2021 to February 11, 2021 , and (iii) Settlement Date from February 11, 2021 to February 12, 2021 , in each case, unless further extended. Holders of 2021 Old Notes are reminded that only Eligible Holders that validly tender their 2021 Old Notes prior to the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline will be entitled to receive the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration. Additional New Secured 2026 Notes Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents, the Company may issue additional New Secured 2026 Notes as 2021 Old Notes Late Exchange Consideration on or prior to the 2021 Old Notes Late Settlement Date. No New Secured 2026 Notes shall be issued following the 2021 Old Notes Late Settlement Date. Additional Risk Factors If any 2021 Old Notes are accepted for exchange after the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline, the Eligible Holders who tendered such 2021 Old Notes will not receive the 2021 Old Notes Early Exchange Consideration. Holders who validly tender their 2021 Old Notes after the 2021 Old Early Participation Deadline and whose Old 2021 Notes are accepted for exchange will only receive the Old 2021 Late Exchange Consideration. The Company is not obligated to extend the 2021 Old Notes Early Participation Deadline. As of February 5, 2021, 5:00p.m. New York Time, the Company had received instructions to tender from Eligible Holders representing: (i) 14.18% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of 2021 Old Notes (Series XLVII Notes); (ii) 42.00% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of 2024 Old Notes (Series XXVIII Notes); (iii) 34.40% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of March 2025 Old Notes (Series XIII Notes); (iv) 23.93% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of July 2025 Old Notes (Series XXXIX Notes); (v) 18.61% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of 2027 Old Notes (Series LIII Notes); (vi) 19.64% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of 2029 Old Notes (Series I Notes); and (vi) 27.26% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of 2047 Old Notes (Series LIV Notes). Except to the extent specifically provided for herein, all terms of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation contemplated in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum and all other disclosures set forth in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum and the annexes thereto remain unchanged. Eligible Holders who delivered their Proxies pursuant to the Consent Solicitation prior to the date hereof and do not revoke their Proxies prior to the Withdrawal Deadline shall be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation as supplemented by this Amendment No. 4. Direct Participants who have already submitted tender instructions and Proxies and do not wish to revoke do not need to take any further action. YPF has not registered the New Notes under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities law. The New Notes are being offered for exchange only (i) to holders of Old Notes that are "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("QIBs"), in a private transaction in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof and (ii) outside the United States, to holders of Old Notes who are (A) not "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act, "U.S. Persons") and who are not acquiring New Notes for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person, in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act, and (B) Non-U.S. qualified offerees. Only holders of Old Notes who have returned a duly completed Eligibility Letter certifying that they are within one of the categories described in the immediately preceding sentence are authorized to receive and review the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation (such holders, "Eligible Holders"). In addition, Eligible Holders will need to specify in the Eligibility Letter whether they are Argentine Entity Offerees or Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees (each as defined in the Eligibility Letter). D.F. King is acting as the Information and Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation. Questions or requests for assistance related to any of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation or for additional copies of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. by telephone at +1 (800) 848-3410 (U.S. toll free) and +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect), in writing at 48 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, by email to [email protected] or by facsimile transmission at (212) 709-3328. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Documents are available for Eligible Holders at the following web address: www.dfking.com/ypf. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc., and Santander Investment Securities Inc. are acting as dealer managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, 7th Floor New York, New York 10013 United States Attention: Liability Management Group Call Collect: (212) 723-6106 US Toll-Free: (800) 558-3745 HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. 452 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10018 United States Attention: Global Liability Management Group Toll Free: +1 (888) HSBC-4LM Collect: +1 (212) 525-5552 [email protected] Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. 540 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10022 United States Attention: Debt Capital Markets Collect: +1 (212) 710-6749 Toll Free: +1 (888) 770-4828 Santander Investment Securities Inc. 45 East 53rd Street 5th Floor New York, New York 10022 United States Attention: Liability Management Collect: +1 (212) 940-1442 Toll Free: +1 (855) 404-3636 Important Notice This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the New Notes (as defined in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Memorandum) have been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any state securities law. They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of, the Securities Act. This announcement does not constitute an offer of the New Notes for the sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. Any person considering making an investment decision relating to any securities must inform itself independently based solely on an offering memorandum to be provided to eligible investors in the future in connection with any such securities before taking any such investment decision. This announcement is directed only to holders of Old Notes who are (A) "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act or (B) (w) outside the United States as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act, (x) if located within a Member State of the European Economic Area ("EEA"), "qualified investors" as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"), (y) if located in the United Kingdom, "qualified investors" as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA") and (z) if outside the EEA or the UK, are eligible to receive this offer under the laws of its jurisdiction (each an "Eligible Holder"). No offer of any kind is being made to any beneficial owner of Eligible Bonds who does not meet the above criteria or any other beneficial owner located in a jurisdiction where any of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation are not permitted by law. The distribution of materials relating to any of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Any of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation are void in all jurisdictions where they are prohibited. If materials relating to the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation come into your possession, you are required by the Company to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a dealer manager or any affiliate of a dealer manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation shall be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or such affiliate on behalf of the Company in that jurisdiction. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this Amendment No. 4, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this Amendment No. 4 and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law. Notice to Investors in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. The expression an offer includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Notes. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore otherwise offering or selling the New Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. United Kingdom The New Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the UK Financial Services and Market Act 2000 ("FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. This document has not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the FSMA. This document is only being distributed to and is only directed at: (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom; or (ii) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order"); or (iii) persons falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Financial Promotion Order; or (iv) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of any New Notes may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This document is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied upon by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such New Notes will be engaged in only with relevant persons. SOURCE YPF Sociedad Anonima Uttarakhand disaster: Army opens blocked tunnel at Tapovan, rescue ops on To bookmark you need to sign in Indian Army personnel along with Engineer Task Force opened the mouth of tunnel at Tapovan in the flood-affected Uttarakhand's Joshimath as rescue operations continued more than 24 hours after the disaster hit. A senior Indian Army official said: "Rescue work continued throughout the night with earth movers by installing generators and search lights." The rescued people were given medical aid at the field hospital created by the army at the site. Indian Air Force helicopter sorties were carried out for insertion of rescue teams before first light. "Reconnaissance of higher reaches were also made to detect any avalanche threat," said a senior officer. Around 150 people were feared dead in the flash flood that devastated the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited project on river Dhauli Ganga near Tapovan. "An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operation is on, situation is being monitored continuously with the help of district administration and police," the NTPC said in a statement on Sunday. The flash flood occurred in river Rishi Ganga near Joshimath around 10.45 a.m. on Sunday after a part of a glacier fell in the river exponentially increasing its volume. Due to this, the Rishi Ganga hydro project near Reni village was completely devastated. The Border Road Organisation (BRO) bridge on Joshimath - Malari highway was also completely washed away. "There were six grazers with their livestock and they were also taken away by the flash flood," said local administration. Rishi Ganga meets Dhauli Ganga near Reni village due to which Dhauli Ganga also flooded. Around six houses of the village also washed away. Further two bridges connecting villages on the other side of river also got washed away. The BRO has managed to clear and reopen the Rishikesh-Joshimath-Mana road which was blocked at Hathipahad due to the flash flood. The National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations along with the army in the region. The Central government is monitoring the situation and joint efforts of all the agencies are being made to rescue those trapped. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. iClima Earth's Gabriela Herculano catches up with Proactive's Katie Pilbeam once again after launching the worlds first carbon avoidance solutions ETF alongside HANeft last December. Herculano talks through the details of their latest performance as well as the context surrounding the Monthly Global Decarbonisation Market Report. She also touches upon the impact of the US President Joe Biden who has moved to reinstate the US to the Paris climate agreement just hours after being sworn in the job. BOSTON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brighton Marine, a non-profit assisting Veterans with services and housing in Massachusetts, has released a commissioned report by The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) looking at the needs of Massachusetts veterans. CNAS conducted research on demographic trends of the veterans in Massachusetts and interviewed veterans throughout the state. The interviews focused on health, housing, financial security, and social support. "The Covid 19 pandemic hasn't spared our veterans. The CNAS report is timely and highlights the challenges veterans face every day. It's a roadmap for how veteran organizations across the state can better serve those who fought for our country," said Michael Dwyer, President and CEO of Brighton Marine. "Housing, Healthcare, financial resources and social supports remain critically acute areas of need. The CNAS Report will guide us as we work to turn the data into programs that help Massachusetts' veterans." The report made key recommendations for nonprofits which service veterans, policymakers, and the community at large. On February 9th at 11:30 a.m. CNAS will host a virtual forum to discuss the findings and hear from leaders in the veterans' community, including Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton and MA Secretary of Veteran Services Cheryl Poppe . To register please visit: https://cnas.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iJg4pOOQRHuKnCN1EOK54w The Commonwealth of Massachusetts received high grades for overall healthcare, however mental health support remains a strong need for the veterans today. The high cost of housing continues to be a challenge for veterans. Massachusetts has a higher rate of veteran homelessness than the nationwide average. Overall, the system for accessing the variety of veteran support services remains difficult to navigate. Rosye Cloud, Director of Brighton Marine and former White House Policy Director for Veterans, Wounded, and Military Families, pointed out the need for philanthropy to engage in support our nation's Veterans. "Brighton Marine's commission of the CNAS study reflects a commitment to all Veterans in Massachusetts. The report serves as a call to action for government and philanthropy to join in funding critical evidenced-based supports for Veterans," said Cloud. "While COVID and the economic recession have devastated the lives of many of our nation's Veterans, it's also mobilized charitable organizations to better understand the exigent needs of Veterans, leading to innovative service delivery, increase of technology, and mobilization of emergency assistance." The report recommends the following: Implementation of veteran specific mental health care benefits Increased Spanish-speaking veterans service officers Streamlined veteran benefit application process, a one stop shop for veteran services Tailored support for different veteran subpopulations Direct financial assistance to fund basic needs during COVID- 19 To access the full report, please visit: https://www.brightonmarine.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CNAS-Report-MVS-MA-Needs-Dec-2020-Final.pdf Background on Brighton Marine Brighton Marine provides extensive care services to New England's Veterans and connects multiple Veteran service providers through a coordinated care network. In addition to a variety of Veteran services, the campus is home to the Residences at Brighton Marine, Massachusetts' first public and private housing project since WWII for Active Duty, Veterans, National Guard, Reservists and their families; and recently added permanent housing for vulnerable Veterans at the "Veterans Housing at Brighton Marine." For more information visit: www.brightonmarine.org CONTACT: Michael Dwyer, President & CEO [email protected] 617-208-6231 SOURCE Brighton Marine Related Links http://www.brightonmarine.org Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said he is open to rethinking and reconsidering the move to scrap his departments 1989 accord with the University of the Philippines, which prevents the unauthorized entry of security forces into the institutions campuses. I told [UP President] Danny Concepcion that I will think about it, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told CNN Philippines The Source, citing their conversation during both parties dialogue last week. Yes Im open to rethinking that. Lorenzana said both camps agreed to form a panel that would hold future talks on the matter. He then stressed he would be waiting for the groups recommendation regarding the agreement's abrogation and will move on from there. Specific details about the said panel, however, have yet to be revealed. Last month, the DND moved to unilaterally end its three-decade long pact with UP, citing communist organizations' supposed "clandestine recruitment" of students. The agency stressed the need to protect the rights of the majority" of Filipinos. The premier state university has since urged the defense chief to revoke the move, saying the accord was put in place to protect the climate of academic freedom in the institution. Pressed for more details, Lorenzana said the meeting with UP officials was a very cordial one. He added proposals on how to improve the relationship of both camps were floated, but no official agreement was signed. Nowadays, ideological things have been shattered; nobody believes in them, Guo Yuhua, a professor at Tsinghua University who has been friends with Ms. Geng for years, said by telephone. But now that effectively ideological rule has failed, they can also use economic punishment and crimes to convict you. Most Chinese businesspeople accept the partys rule despite complaints about taxes, fees and meddling officials and many are party members. Only a few risk official ire by assisting or mixing with critics of the government. But larger numbers of entrepreneurs are anxious about their wealth and security under a system that gives party officials so much power. The party, in turn, worries about the long-term loyalty of the countrys entrepreneurs, said Wu Qiang, an independent political analyst in Beijing. Those official anxieties, he added, appeared to intensify after pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, when some business owners in the former British colony supported the demonstrations. Chinas future economic development depends on entrepreneurs, Mr. Wu said. But as long as youre in business, the party can always use an economic crime to take you down. Ms. Geng and Mr. Qin prospered in publishing despite the partys tight controls over books by identifying topics that would sell well without transgressing official limits. Their successful titles included Fall in Love With Home Meals and The Four-Week Yoga Weight Loss Plan, and Ms. Geng often appeared at business forums as a host and poised, urbane example of success. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 14:15:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A local nurse (L) hands over work to a nurse from Zhejiang at a hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, March 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) During the visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, they were met with a level of openness even he had not anticipated, said British zoologist Peter Daszak, who is a member of the WHO expert team. BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A member of the World Health Organization (WHO) expert team tracing the origins of the novel coronavirus has said the Chinese side granted full access to all sites and personnel as requested -- a level of openness beyond expectation. British zoologist Peter Daszak said on Friday that the team had submitted a deeply considered list of places and people to be included in their origin-tracing work and no objections were raised from the Chinese side, according to The Associated Press. "We were asked where we wanted to go. We gave our hosts a list... and you can see from where we've been, we've been to all the key places," Daszak said. Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia) Daszak said that during the visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, they were met with a level of openness even he had not anticipated, and that suspicion surrounding it had been "politicized on a global scale." The team was also given wide access when visiting hospitals that "treated patients in the initial outbreak at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020," the report said. It is incredible "to meet the first clinicians" who treated COVID-19 patients and ask them questions, Daszak said. The same level of access was also given at the Huanan seafood market that linked to an early cluster of cases, allowing the team to meet vendors and market managers. "So this is an in-depth, deep understanding of the sites and the people who were involved," Daszak said. By Jeff Lewis TORONTO (Reuters) - Junior miner Canada Nickel Co Ltd has held talks with U.S. government officials about potentially supplying nickel for electric car batteries, its chief executive said, amid mounting concern in Washington about China's dominance of global supply chains. "It's become very clear that there's large portions of the periodic table for which the United States has no local source of supply," Canada Nickel chief executive Mark Selby said in an interview. He confirmed the talks but declined further comment. Canada Nickel's sole project, the Crawford nickel deposit in Ontario, is not expected to begin production until the middle of the decade. Construction of an $800 million to $1 billion mine and mill is slated for 2023, pending financing and permitting. The outreach to Canada Nickel shows heightened U.S. government interest in securing supplies of critical minerals used in everything from electric vehicles to advanced weaponry. U.S. President Joe Biden plans to review critical U.S. supply chains while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week told Reuters there is potential for greater cross-border integration to spur mineral development. U.S. Commerce Department officials held an introductory call in August with the miner to gauge its "ability to supply critical minerals, especially as it relates to EV batteries" and later offered an introduction to the U.S. Export-Import Bank credit agency, e-mails from the U.S. consulate general in Calgary show. The office did not respond to a request for comment. Separately, the U.S. Department of Energy's advanced research arm has sought the miner's input on "energy relevant mineral extraction," a separate e-mail seen by Reuters shows. Program director Douglas Wicks declined to comment. Nickel makes batteries energy-dense so cars can run farther on a single charge. Demand is forecast to double by 2030, driven by use in EVs (electric vehicles). Miners have touted low-carbon supplies from Canada to meet growing demand. (Reporting by Jeff Lewis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By infiltrating farmer protests, Khalistanis want to create separatist mindset in India India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 08: Several pro-Khalistan outfits have thrown their hat in the ring amidst the farmer protests. The likes of Mo Dhaliwal have been blamed for creating a toolkit, which was used by Greta Thunberg to speak in favour of the farmer protests. India has however made it clear that it will not tolerate any outside interference and the farmer protests are completely India's internal matter. Intelligence Bureau officials tell Oneindia that the pro-Khalistan outfits were bound to take advantage of the situation. They have always looked to infiltrate the country and this has been seen for long. Opposition misguiding farmers over farm laws: BJP While the Khalistanis have made several unsuccessful attempts in the past, the IB official cited above says that the bigger worry is about the separatism mindset that these persons are trying to set in. Recently, a former top cop from Punjab, Shashi Kant said that the pro-Khalistan activists are trying to set up base in the United Kingdom, especially in Birmingham city. India has been raising concerns about pro-Khalistan elements in Pakistan misusing the Kartarpur corridor project. India handed over a dossier detailing how Sikh pilgrims visiting shrines in Pakistan were being subjected to pro-Khalistan propaganda. A detailed dossier listing out the activities of the pro-Khalistan groups was handed over to Islamabad by India. The dossier, which was handed over during the Kartarpur Corridor talks at the Wagah border speaks about the various activities of the pro-Khalistan groups, including the Sikhs for Justice. The SJF was recently banned in India. It is carbon copy of Kashmir says the officer. On one hand, they are training the terrorists and helping them stage attacks in Punjab. There has been a sudden surge in activity in Punjab, which includes terror attacks, propaganda and also setting up of modules. Close on the heels of these developments, the Intelligence Bureau has information about how the ISI would try and brainwash the Sikhs. This would be done to give the cause further legitimacy. The ISI would want the locals to speak up in favour of a separate Punjab nation. Once there is local support for such a cause, it makes the job of causing panic even more easier. The locals would be expected to provide support to the terrorists who claim that they are fighting for a separate Punjab nation. Khalistan, the real intent: Why demand for repeal of farm laws is just an excuse PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News Officials say that such protests are easy infiltration points. While the protesting farmers say that they have kept the Khalistan elements away, the problem is that these persons would look to infiltrate the protests. They will use all resources at hand, which also includes getting foreign personalities to tweet or speak about the issue, the official also said. By indulging in such acts, the aim is to create a separatist mindset, like what we got to witness in Jammu and Kashmir, the official also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 13:12 [IST] Imperial Valley News Center Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Criminal Health Care and Tax Fraud Charges Washington, DC - A Florida businesswoman has agreed to resolve criminal charges and civil claims arising out of false claims to the United States for braces and other durable medical equipment (DME), the Justice Department announced Thursday. Kelly Wolfe, of Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and filing a false tax return. She faces a maximum penalty of 13 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Wolfes company, Regency Inc. (Regency), has also agreed to a civil resolution. The department is committed to ensuring that federal health care program providers do not place their own financial gain over patients clinical needs, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Department of Justices Civil Division. When medical professionals and companies knowingly commit fraud to maximize their profits, we will hold them accountable for their unlawful conduct. Fraud and deceit in our nations health care system is not only unacceptable, it is illegal. said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. The U.S. Attorneys Office will continue to aggressively work with our investigative partners in rooting out these illicit practices to ensure that patients receive the optimum care they deserve. This pernicious telefraud schemes ambitions were cut short by the exceptional partnership of our law enforcement partners, said Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). This guilty plea and the forfeiture of tens of millions of dollars back to the U.S. Treasury show our determination to stop such damaging fraud schemes and to bring fraudsters to justice. The FBI is laser-focused on exposing those who cheat our government health care programs," said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael McPherson. "American taxpayers can be assured the FBI and its law enforcement partners are working vigorously to protect federally funded health care programs from deception and greed. Honest and law-abiding citizens are fed up with the likes of those who use deceit and fraud to line their pockets," stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. "Fleecing the health care industry effectively robs us all, and tax fraud undermines the integrity of our nations tax system. Those who engage in these swindles should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable." The VA OIGs continued oversight of CHAMPVA, which provides community care to family members of disabled veterans, is one of the agencys highest priorities because it safeguards the integrity of VAs health care programs, stated David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG). As detailed in the charging documents, the defendants criminal actions resulted in a massive fraud being committed against both CHAMPVA and Medicare, ultimately impacting the beneficiaries of those programs. The VA OIG commends the extensive cooperation between our law enforcement partners in this important investigation. According to court documents, Wolfe and her conspirators used Regency to establish dozens of DME supply companies or, rather, DME fronts using trickery and deception. The scheme involved placing the DME fronts in the names of straw owners. By concealing the true ownership, Wolfes conspirators secretly gained control of multiple companies. With such control, they collectively submitted well over $400 million in illegal DME claims to Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA. The conspirators claimed that the unusually high volume of claims reflected the use of telemedicine procedures, when, in fact, they had simply bribed doctors to approve them. Almost always, the doctors had no telehealth interaction with the beneficiaries. Wolfe further admitted that, for tax year 2017, she had purchased numerous personal items and services using Regencys funds. Rather than properly report this as income to the IRS, Wolfe falsely classified her personal spending as purported business expenditures. In addition to Wolfes criminal plea, Wolfe and Regency have agreed to a civil settlement of up to $20,332,516, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act in a number of ways, including falsifying documentation in order to fraudulently establish DME corporations to bill for medically unnecessary DME equipment, and engaging in improper marketing practices that violated the Anti-Kickback Statute. The civil settlement is based on Wolfe and Regencys ability to pay. The United States previously obtained an emergency temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction enjoining the conduct and assets of Wolfe, Regency, and several of their alleged co-conspirators, in a civil injunctive action pursued by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida. The injunctive action is captioned U.S. v. Regency, Inc., et al., No. 8:19-cv-803 (M.D. Fla.). The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against Wolfe and Regency by Condra Albright, a former Regency employee. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government takes over the case and reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Albright v. Regency, Inc., et al., No. 8:19-cv-686 (M.D. Fla.). The criminal case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida with assistance from the HHS OIG, the FBIs Criminal Investigation Division, the VA OIG, and the IRS Office of Criminal Investigations. The civil case is being handled by the Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida with assistance from the HHS OIG. Except for the conduct admitted in connection with Wolfes criminal plea, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Israeli barbershops and some other businesses reopened Sunday as the country began easing its third coronavirus lockdown amid an aggressive vaccination campaign. The government had announced Friday it was lifting some restrictions imposed since December, when the country saw a rise in COVID-19 infections. Jerusalem barber Eli Aroas was among those re-opening on Sunday morning, the start of the working week. "I slowly notified all my customers that we are back at work," he said. "We have a working schedule and orders, and we hope this will be the end of this saga." While shops were not formally permitted to open, many small stores were making transactions with clients standing outside. Since December, more than 3.4 million of Israel's nine million people have received a coronavirus vaccine jab in what is seen as the world's fastest per-capita campaign. Despite the inoculations, Israel has been registering a daily average of 6,500 new COVID-19 cases, down from around 8,000 in mid-January. Sarit Reuven was shopping for shoes in downtown Jerusalem, just in time for her son's wedding on Monday. "There is a feeling of optimism in the air, I think we can already see the end," she said. "I hope this will have been the last lockdown." A strict nationwide lockdown in force since December 27 was extended four times to combat the infection rate, but January was the deadliest month yet, with more than 1,000 COVID-19 fatalities. But as of Sunday, Israelis were no longer restricted to within one kilometre (1,000 yards) of their homes. 'Can't become complacent' Hair and beauty salons were allowed to have one person providing a service to one client, while nature reserves and national parks reopened. Hotels remained shut and restaurants were allowed to cater only for takeaways, while guesthouses could only host members of the same nuclear family. A suspension of international flights will remain in place until February 20, along with the closure of Israel's land borders. Israelis stranded abroad will be able to return on special flights. The cabinet met later Sunday to plan the further relaxing of limitations, especially in the educational system set to reopen Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis aged 50 and over to get vaccinated, while warning people to not drop their guard as virus limitations were removed. "Relaxing the lockdown does not mean that the rise in morbidity is behind us. To the contrary, it isn't, it's still around and in full force," he said in remarks relayed by his office. "We can't become complacent, we can't be irresponsible, or the numbers will simply rise and exact a huge toll, including lives." The government also increased fines for businesses or schools operating in violation of the restrictions. Many ultra-Orthodox institutions had opened during the lockdown in defiance of instructions, and some frustrated entrepreneurs have announced they will reopen their businesses even before the lockdown is entirely lifted. Israel has registered a total of more than 687,000 cases of COVID-19, including over 5,000 deaths. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Robert Nichols is the state senator for Senate District 3. First elected in 2006, Nichols represents 19 counties, including much of East Texas and part of Montgomery County. He can be reached at 699-4988 or toll-free at (800) 959-8633. His email address is robert.nichols@senate.texas.gov. A Delhi court Monday allowed the CBI to investigate certain documents received from the Switzerland authorities in execution of Letter Rogatory (LR) in relation to INX Media corruption case allegedly involving former union minister P Chidambaram. Special Judge M K Nagpal also permitted the agency to prepare a working copy of the data stored in the data carrier in encrypted form, so that it can be used for the day to day investigation of the case. However, the working copy of the data be prepared after taking all the requisite precautions and all the requisite formalities as per law to ensure that the evidenciary value of the said evidence/documents may not be destroyed or diminished, the court said. CBI told the court that during the course of investigation of the case, one LR to the competent authorities of Switzerland was issued by the court on July 13, 2018 on the request of CBI seeking mutual legal assistance in the matter of investigation in Switzerland. It added that the LR stands already executed by the concerned authorities of Switzerland and it furnished the evidence/documents collected by them during the course of execution of the said LR that also included a sealed packet containing an encrypted electronic data carrier. Letters Rogatory is a formal communication in writing sent by the Court in which action is pending to a foreign court requesting judicial assistance. The most common remedies sought by letters rogatory are service of process and taking of evidence. In August 2019, the CBI had arrested former finance minister P Chidambaram. Subsequently it had filed a Charge sheet against him and 13 others. CBI had registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. Also Read: INX Media case: Supreme Court dismisses CBI's challenge to Chidambaram's bail GAINES TWP., MI - The victim of an exploding cannon at a Genesee County baby shower Saturday night has been identified by police. Authorities continue to investigate the incident that occurred around 7:30 p.m., Feb. 6 in Gaines Township, approximately 14 miles southwest of Flint. The blast killed Evan Thomas Silva, a 26-year-old man from Hartland in Livingston County, according to a Michigan State Police news release. Related: Man dies after explosion at Michigan baby shower Silva was an attendee at a baby shower where the homeowner fired a small cannon-type device in the backyard to celebrate the babys pending arrival, police said. The cannon blew up upon firing, spreading metal shrapnel that hit Silva, as well as three parked cars and the garage where the baby shower was held. Silva was standing 10 to 15 feet from the explosion, police said. He was taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint where he later died from his injuries. He was one of about five people outside the residence where the cannon was fired and was the only one hit by shrapnel, police said. The cannon was designed to fire more like a novelty Signal Cannon, which is intended to emit a big flash, a loud noise and smoke, police said. The homeowner had purchased the cannon from an auction and had fired it several times before the incident took place. The suspected cause of the explosion was gun powder loaded into the device that caused the cannon to fracture, allowing space for shrapnel to spread, police said. The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, Gaines Township Fire Department, and Med Star Ambulance assisted troopers at the scene. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Details of the case will be sent to the Genesee County Prosecutor for review upon completion of the investigation. More on MLive: 60% of Genesee County teachers will soon be vaccinated, health department says Flint school board votes to offer hybrid in-person class options by end of February Extremists have gone mainstream. Lawyers, realtors and every-day folks make up their ranks. Scam calls threatening to shut off utilities in 35 minutes making rounds in Bay City 60% of Genesee County teachers will soon be vaccinated, health department says Pilots allege abuse by late University of Michigan doctor who performed more than 4,000 physicals for FAA Michigan murder convict must return to prison after appeals court balks at release The Minister for the European Neighbourhood Wendy Morton arrived in Azerbaijani city of Baku, according to Morton's official Twitter page. "Salam Bak, Azrbaycan! As the first UK Foreign and Development Minister to visit Azerbaijan, I will be working closely with Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advance womens rights - ensuring they have more opportunities in business and politics and can be safe from violence," she wrote. On her first visit to Azerbaijan, Morton will attend the annual UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue Summit (9 February) and sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries to expand the partnership in environmental and climate issues. Melbourne, Feb 8 : Serena Williams, in search for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, started her Australian Open campaign in an emphatic manner as she zipped past Laura Siegemund of Germany, 6-1, 6-1, on to notch her opening-round win on Monday. With the win, the seven-time Australian Open champion improved her flawless record in first-round matches at Grand Slam events to an astounding 76-1. Serena is contesting a milestone 20th Australian Open, and her 56-minute win over Siegemund was her 100th career match at the event. "This was a good start. Definitely vintage 'Rena," the 39-year-old said after the match. "It's definitely good. I think I'm pretty good at pacing myself in a Grand Slam. "Last year was very crazy for the world, and to be able to do what I love and to be able to come out and compete and play at a Grand Slam, after the last 12 months, it makes me appreciate the moment even more," she added. The American will next face Serbia's Nina Stojanovic on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Serena's elder sister Venus also registered a straight-set win in her opening round contest, defeating Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 7-5, 6-2, at the Margaret Court Arena. Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-2 in her opening round contest which lasted 68 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena. "I feel like for me the most recent memory I have of playing her was in the Osaka final (to win the title in 2019), so it's always really hard to play someone that good in the first round," Osaka said after the match. She will next lock horns with former world number four Caroline Garcia from France, who overcame Slovenia's Polona Hercog, 7-6(6), 6-3. Just when the national temper was cooling down, Mr. Aamir Khan has shared his wifes sense of insecurity, which was blissfully short lived, just as his desire to leave the country but a transient impulse. Ironically enough, though Mr. Khan chose to stay back his momentary distress lead to such a dispute between a couple that the wife chose to depart this world and media is again firing on all cylinders, flagging the urgency of celebrity concerns to the exclusion of a hundred issues of greater magnitude in our impoverished, problem-ridden country. The argumentative Indian is back at the job that he likes best, but is the least equipped for: critical debate. Let us face it. The intolerance debate has conscripted us all to politics, the media included. There is no middle ground; either you are with "us" or you are with "them"; to be neutral hints at moral dubiousness, even downright dishonesty. Normally the affliction of the common man, it has infected intellectuals and eminent historians like Irfan Habib, who went overboard with his comparison of RSS with ISIS. We are now witness to this argument without end, where the disputants reiterate their stated positions endlessly? The banality of the debate can be summed up in the simple binary of "why" and "why not". Or the very dismissive "Worse immorality has been seen"; because, given their record, no political party worth the name can clear the minimum standards of a secular morality. It leads to a selective rummaging of sediments of historical past. If Godhra is the real and active component of the secular offensive, and that moment in the past a never-fading frame of reference, it becomes necessary for those under attack to remind their erstwhile partners now in the Mahagathbandhan of continued opportunistic alliance. And of course, the reference to the "puppies" and "dogs" remark is bound to be countered by the eternal verity of that philosophical rumination "When a big tree falls, the earth shakes". Some more in the same vein accrue to the anthology of such remarks. Whether we like it or not, exploitation of fear is now recognised as a legitimate tool of electoral aggrandisement in our bitterly divisive politics. The Intolerance debate itself was initiated in the run up to the assembly elections to Bihar, and the Mahagathbandhan snatched a spectacular victory from the jaws of a certain defeat; thanks to the increased awareness of intolerance. The more terrorised the community is, the better yields it gives in terms of votes. The minorities flocked together like never before for Mahagathbandhan. The "secular" alliance, Mahagathbandhan, returned the favour by the declaration of election in Bihar as a war between the forwards and backwards, which delivered the so called forward caste, bound hand and foot as bonded voters in the camp of alliance led by the so called "communal" party. So would not one love ones enemy for its egregiousness, if it is so productive? To expect a radical new commencement of politics after the results in Bihar is idle, so we would be foolish to see the end of the debate. The intellectuals have contributed all that they had to the situation; their independent minds and their elegant opinions. Some of them have even gone to the extent of returning their awards. Celebrities have graced us enough with their star presences; but the fire rages on. The Dadri incident itself an abject failure of the local administration which was one of the focal points from which fear and intolerance radiated throughout the country, is as good a point as any to look for solutions. As a former police officer, it fills me with a vague sense of unease: how did one isolated incident here and one there in a vast country like ours add up to envelop the nation in a huge blanket of fear and anxiety? How did the tragic and unpardonable lynching of an alleged beef-eater assume an epidemic form of "mad cow disease", which went on to infect a large population with beef-related anxieties across the length and breadth of our vast country? Communal issues are the staple of a policemans work, and those of us who valued our profession took prompt action and nipped the disinformation machinery by absolutely fair and neutral action. To buttress my point, a couple of days back, the Bihar police shot down two from a mob determined to lynch a runaway driver belonging to the minority community. He had crushed two Hindu villagers to death. The police officer in charge of Hajipur Police station was lynched to death by the "intolerant" mob but the situation was saved. Had the police failed, would it have gone to substantiate the evidence of intolerance? Had Dadri been prevented, would we still be self-flagellating ourselves with the evidence of our intolerance? Incidents of communal nature are amenable to prompt professional response, and if they are taking place all over the country under various political dispensations, are they not contributing to the situation? Should not we be looking for better policing also, apart from what we are doing - engaging in debate, counselling the hate mongers - as an option? The law of the land provides every remedy for creators of distrust. The media plays - ought to play - its role of keeping the reporting to balanced proportions, helps in confidence building measures, which are the antidote to mutual distrust, fear and anxieties. With the unruly and anarchic social media, now the mainstream media has not only to report but debunk the bogus and pernicious floated by the alternate media. Fear is not a naturally occurring germ or virus; it is anthropogenically created information (or deliberate disinformation) riding on electromagnetic waves or other means of communication. Once brought into being, it mutates and multiplies of its own to create anxieties and distrust. We may now recall the background of the intolerance debate: the interviews and remarks of the likes of Sakshi Maharaj, Yogi Aditya Nath, Pragya, and a clutch of sadhvis, Giriraj Singh the collocation is both decisive and damning, they are well known for irresponsible remarks started it all. The emblematic example of the intolerance against Mr. Shah Rukh Khan certainly not the most tolerant of Indians, the man who only recently thrashed the security guards in the Wankhede Stadium in an IPL match, was involved in a high voltage star war performance with Salman Khan, and has reportedly dared one of his insulting followers on social networking sites to give him his home address and be prepared to be thrashed needs to be examined at some length. After a union minister was forced to certify Shah Rukh Khans patriotism, and for good measure heaped a whole lot of praise on him for his many qualities and the contribution that he has made to society etc., we could have expected a closure. (Could one of the lessons be that a citizen must be worried and get his patriotism attested by a union minister should any jerk ever question it?) But that was not to be. Giriraj Singh, an expert on who should be excommunicated to Pakistan, was again up to his incendiary tricks on a channel the very next day. Whose interest was served by providing him a platform? If every deed of a particular hue is blown into every eye, if every hot head with a slingshot and every wounded heart on the receiving end of the shot is to be provided a platform, one cannot but feel snowed down under a pall of anxiety. If the Hinduttva brigade is the original arsonists, are others also not fanning the fire? Paul Tillich, the existentialist Christian theologian of culture says, "He who is in anxiety is, insofar as it is mere anxiety, is delivered to it without help [] The only object is the threat itself, but not the source of the threat, because the source of the threat is "nothingness." My worry is that Mr. Khan may not be the last victim of the anxiety to be "delivered without help". This creeping disease may create deep and abiding fissures in our society which would survive the departure of the man from the national scene who is alleged to be the "fountainhead" of it all. We seem to be a little like the Chinese boy in Charles Lambs Dissertation on the Roasting of a Pig who, in order to roast a pig, burns down the house itself. So it is time for common man and woman to take things in their hands. We plead: we are suitably alert to the situation, give us a break now. We cheer up to think that even before the intolerance debate seized us by the throat we were not known to be a very tolerant nation. Leave aside the ire of the high and mighty, common men like you and me, regularly get involved in road rages, parking disputes, and disputes over something as trivial as sharing of berths. Inter caste and community love affairs have led to murders and honour killings. But we take these things on our chins and move on, and life goes on as usual. People still drive cars, use parking lots, travel in trains, and fall in love across communities and caste. Even those unfortunate enough to have been embroiled in violent communal situations pick up the threads of their disrupted lives and move on. Despite a hundred things that divide us, we have survived together this long. Insha Allah! We will survive some more. India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers. Brand & Communication consultancy, Tilt Brand Solutions has appointed Mandar Gore as Senior Director Strategy. He will report into Paul Dueman, Tilts Chief Strategy Officer. Mandar has over 16 years of experience across advertising and brand consulting. In his earlier stints at FCB, Ogilvy and Sideways Consulting, Mandar worked on brands like Bournvita, Kamasutra, Fosters, Amaron , Castrol, Mahindra & Mahindra and Pidilite, amongst others. His work on them has won him Indian as well as international effectiveness laurels at Effies India/APAC and AME. Paul said "We are really excited to have Mandar lead and drive Full-Brained Thinking at Tilt the philosophy and approach that drives strategic planning at Tilt. The expertise that he brings on board, especially on culture and consumption anthropology, coupled with his rich experience on brand communication strategy and design thinking adds further heft to our strategy team. Strategists at Tilt across Digital, Data, Social, Search, ORM, Brand building and Comms planning will all now be led by Mandar. FBT (Full-Brained Thinking) is Tilts unique strategic approach that seamlessly blends Left-Brained expertise in Digital, Media and Data and Right-Brained competence in Culture, Consumer and Category understanding. Adds Mandar I am thrilled to be part of, and further contribute to what the strategy team at Tilt is doing. I am a big believer in Tilt's FBT framework, and what it can unlock for ambitious brands and businesses. This is exactly the kind of strategic rigor that every brand needs, to be able to win in today's hyper competitive and highly fragmented market place. Slowly but surely, winter begins to recede and spring is approaching. With the sun and change comes the most wonderful month of women and their holiday, March 8. bTV Media Group is preparing special content to remind how special each woman is and how she needs time for herself. And this is one of the most wonderful gifts that ladies can receive. The content of all platforms, which bTV Media Group will create especially for March 8, is a real opportunity for advertising positioning. The March 8 campaign will be titled "Take Your Time." In the digital space of bTV "Take Your Time" will be a special topic throughout the month of March. One of the most visited and loved women's websites Ladyzone.bg will create a Topic of the month dedicated to the campaign, where in addition to the wide range of information, from tips, women's tricks for beauty, peace and health, a key content element will be 5 video interviews with various successful ladies, faces from the screen, and interesting characters. For the first time, these meetings will first be held on Instagram, where users will have the opportunity to ask questions to their favorites. Of course, both "Take Your Time" and March 8 will receive their special place in the radio world of bTV Media Group. Radio N-JOY will organize a special March 8 game with prizes for its listeners, which is a great opportunity for any advertiser. The TV air will give brands the opportunity to share and present the "Take Your Time" initiative through communication with premium advertising forms and linking to exciting, thematic headlines. bTV Media Group again combines unique media opportunities in its special March 8 package, which is more than a suitable environment for the positioning of your brand and advertising campaign. Do not hesitate to contact our colleagues from the Sales Department if you are interested or have any questions. bTV Media Group Sales Department Sofia 1463 Bulgaria Square No. 1 National Palace of Culture, Administrative Building, 11th floor Tel. (+359) 2 9176 800 Tel. (+359) 2 9156 513 Fax: (+359) 2 9176 886 e-mail: sales@btv.bg (Newser) A mostly white elementary school in Utah drew furious backlash after allowing parents to have their kids opt out of Black History Month lessons. As a result, the Maria Montessori Academy has backtracked on its decision, reports USA Today. The controversy began last week when the school's director, Micah Hirokawa, sent out a letter explaining that some parents complained about the BHM lessons and that he was "reluctantly" allowing their children to skip them if they wished, as reported by the Standard-Examiner. The reaction came quickly, with the NAACP, pro athletes in Utah, and lots of other school parents criticizing the move, per the Washington Post. Over the weekend, the school rescinded the option, reports Fox13. story continues below "In the future, we will handle all parental concerns on an individual basis," wrote Hirokawa in a Facebook post. In his original letter, Hirokawa made clear that he personally opposed the opt-out decision but felt parents had the right to request it. We should not shield our children from the history of our Nation, the mistreatment of its African American citizens, and the bravery of civil rights leaders, but should educate them about it, wrote Hirokawa, whose grandparents were sent to a Japanese internment camp in the US during World War II. Of the school's 322 students, only three are Black. Roughly 70% of students are white. If they want to opt out, then perhaps the best thing they should do is homeschool their children, Salt Lake City NAACP President Jeanetta Williams tells KSL. (Read more Black History Month stories.) NEW HAVEN A Yale graduate student fatally wounded Saturday may have been targeted for death, instead of being killed in a random act, police said Monday. Kevin Jiang, 26, who studied at the Yale School of the Environment and lived in West Haven, was shot to death on Lawrence Street between Nicoll Street and Nash Street Saturday night. At a press conference, Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said Jiang was familiar in the East Rock neighborhood, where he was killed. He declined to discuss the matter in detail, noting the ongoing investigation. We are looking into whether or not Mr. Jiang was targeted. We have developed information that the incident may not have been a random act, that he was in effect targeted, Reyes said. This was not, sort of, a drive-by. It seems like it was much more up-close. The department does not believe the community is at risk of further violence connected to the incident, Reyes said. In response to the suggestion that the killing may have been an incident of road rage, Reyes said the department is exploring all angles. It is too early to speculate about the motive for the slaying, he said. Reyes said the department is doing everything we possibly can to arrest Jiangs killer, as well as the individuals who shot at the home of New Haven Assistant Superintendent of Schools Paul Whyte, and to prevent further shootings. The department has seized 16 guns this year, he said, noting its commitment to curbing violence. There is no one thing that I can tell you that is contributing to the violence in New Haven, but we are doing everything we can to make sure the citys safe, said Reyes. Reyes asked the public to supply any information they have about the incident, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Chief Medical Examiner James Gill announced Jiangs manner and cause of death Monday. He said Jiang suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities. Jiangs death was the citys sixth homicide of the year. Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins said the Yale Police Department had offered the services of our entire investigative unit to help New Haven police with the case. Jiangs death was significant in many ways, he said. Reyes stressed the importance of the departments collaboration with Yale, saying their partnership could not be closer, as well as with federal partners. The department will continue to leverage those relationships, as well as its ties to the community, he said. Right now, were in a rough patch, said Reyes. The city is a safe city. Were experiencing a spate of violence, but I have full confidence were going to turn this around. Mayor Justin Elicker and Yale President Peter Salovey expressed dismay and offered condolences to Jiangs family at Mondays press conference. A man outside Jiangs West Haven home said the family did not want to comment at this time. The Yale community is grieving right now. This is the loss of an extraordinary young man. He was committed to applying his talents to improving the world, said Salovey. He wanted to use his education and experiences to make a positive difference in the world through environmental stewardship. ... Kevin gave so much to this community, and he had more to give. So we remember him; we remember him fondly. We feel for his family, his fiancee. Elicker said it was a very, very challenging time for our community, noting that violence had increased in New Haven, as well as in cities across the country, in the past year. I want to underscore that this is a top priority, addressing the violence in the city, said Elicker. This (period of violence) is a tragedy for our city. We have to do everything possible to make sure were doing everything we can to keep people safe and keep people alive. Salovey said Jiangs death illustrated the ways in which we are all connected in this world, and reiterated Yales commitment to the community. Jiang was a volunteer at Trinity Baptist Church, where he was expecting to be married in the near future, Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson said on Facebook. As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Above all he looked forward to Jesus promise of the resurrection from the dead, said Hendrickson. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same. Jiang originally was from Chicago, was an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Washington, according to Yale University. His fiancee, Zion Perry, described Jiang as a gift from God in an email to the Register. Kevin...was a true and righteous man after Gods own heart. Life is so precious and short, and I am so thankful that God brought us together, Perry said. I know that he is with his Heavenly Father now in perfect peace. I cannot wait to see him again in Heaven and the New Heaven and Earth. I believe God can bring life even out of evil death because God brought salvation to the whole world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jiang said in a Jan. 30 Facebook post that he had proposed to Perry and she said yes, and noted his powerful faith and the impact she had made on his life. The Rev. Boise Kimber, at a separate press event Monday, called for the city to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing violence in New Haven and expand its partnerships in addressing crime. He called on the community to aid police and noted his support for further investing in the department. The recent violence had sparked fear among residents, he said. cause behind each of the homicides in the city is important, he said. This is an urgent call for this administration to pull together a major group to deal with violence in our community, said Kimber. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Arguments begin on Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6. Here are five key questions about what to expect when senators hear the case against the former president in the very chamber that was besieged by insurrectionists. Will Donald Trump be convicted? It is unlikely. While many Republicans were harshly critical of Mr Trump for telling supporters to fight like hell and go to the Capitol, their criticism has since softened. The shift was evident during a test vote on January 26. Only five Republican senators voted against a motion that was aimed at dismissing the trial. It will take a two-thirds vote of the 100-member Senate to convict Mr Trump of the impeachment charge, which is incitement of insurrection. If all 50 Democrats voted to convict him, 17 Republicans would have to join them to reach that threshold. Most Republicans have avoided defending Mr Trumps actions on the day of the riot. Instead, politicians have argued that the trial is unconstitutional because Mr Trump is no longer in office. Democrats and many legal scholars disagree. After the January test vote, many Republicans indicated Mr Trumps acquittal was a foregone conclusion. Do the math, said Maine senator Susan Collins, one of the five Republicans who voted to move forward with the trial. People loyal to Donald Trump climbing the west wall of the US Capitol in Washington (Jose Luis Magana/AP) Still, some Republicans said they were waiting to hear the arguments at trial. Ohio senator Rob Portman voted for the effort to dismiss, but said that constitutionality is a totally different issue than whether Mr Trump is guilty of incitement. How do Donald Trumps lawyers mount a defence without angering the Senate? It is a tough needle to thread. Mr Trumps team will probably try to remove the emotion from the case and focus on legal and practical arguments against conviction. In their first filing for the trial, his lawyers made clear that they will challenge the constitutionality of the trial now that Mr Trump has left the White House. That could give an out to Republican senators who are inclined to acquit the former president without condoning his behaviour. The defence could also argue the trial is pointless with Mr Trump no longer president, because removal from office is the automatic punishment for an impeachment conviction. Democrats note that after a conviction, the Senate also could bar Mr Trump from holding public office in the future. Insurrectionists loyal to Donald Trump breached the Capitol in Washington (John Minchillo/AP) To the extent that defence lawyers are forced to grapple head-on with the violence and chaos of January 6, they probably will concede the horror of that day but blame it on the rioters who stormed the Capitol. Mr Trumps lawyers assert that he never incited the insurrection. How do the House impeachment managers get through to sceptical Republicans? It will not be easy. For the prosecutors, the bottom line is that the riot would not have happened without Mr Trump, so he must be held to account. Its a simple case that Democrats feel does not need to be exaggerated, especially because five people died amid the chaos, and senators were victims themselves. The Senate quickly evacuated just as the insurrectionists were pushing up stairwells close to the chamber. Once senators were gone, rioters broke in and rifled through the politicians desks. The House chamber on January 6, before a violent mob stormed the US Capitol (J Scott Applewhite/AP/Pool) In a brief filed recently previewing their arguments, the House impeachment managers used stark imagery and emotional appeals to argue Mr Trumps guilt. Their filing said senators were feet away from the swarming rioters, and noted that those outside wearing Trump paraphernalia shoved and punched Capitol Police officers, gouged their eyes, assaulted them with pepper spray and projectiles. In the House, the impeachment managers wrote, terrified members were trapped in the Chamber; they prayed and tried to build makeshift defences while rioters smashed the entryway some members called loved ones for fear that they would not survive the assault by President Trumps insurrectionist mob. Those scenes will be brought to life at the trial. Prosecutors are expected to play video of the attack during their presentations. Will we hear from Donald Trump? That does not seem likely. He has rejected through his lawyers a request by impeachment managers to testify. A subpoena seeking to compel his testimony is not expected at this point. Donald Trump is holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida (Chris Szagola/PA) Mr Trump also no longer has access to Twitter, which he relied on extensively during his first impeachment trial last year to attack the case against him and to retweet messages, videos and other posts from Republicans haranguing Democrats. With Mr Trump at his Florida resort, his lawyers will be left to make arguments on his behalf. Democrats pledged to hold Mr Trumps unwillingness to testify against him at trial, but the argument may not resonate. It is not clear that Republican senators even the many who are likely to acquit him really want to hear from him. What happens if Donald Trump is acquitted? The likelihood of Mr Trumps acquittal worries some senators, who fear the consequences for the country. Some have floated the possibility of censuring Mr Trump after the trial to ensure that he is punished in some way for the riot. But there also may be another way for Congress to bar Mr Trump from holding future office. A flag hangs between broken windows after a violent mob broke through police barriers outside the US Capitol (John Minchillo/AP) In an opinion piece published last month in The Washington Post, Yale law professor Bruce Ackerman and Indiana University law professor Gerard Magliocca suggested Congress could turn to a provision of the 14th Amendment that is aimed at preventing people from holding federal office if they are deemed to have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution. The professors wrote that if a majority vote of both Houses agree that Mr Trump engaged in an act of insurrection or rebellion, then he would be barred from running for the White House again. Only a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress in the future could undo that result. After completing the two-stage acquisition of the tenement, the company intends to form a joint venture with vendors of the targeted company. PepinNini Minerals Ltd ( ) has signed an agreement to purchase all of the issued shares in Hillside Minerals Pty Ltd, which has applied for a number of exploration licences in South Australia. This includes two exploration licence applications covering 1,129 square kilometres on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. There are recorded occurrences of kaolin clay and both tenements directly adjoin tenements held by ( ) that have JORC 2012 resources of kaolin and halloysite. Acquisition consideration The purchase consideration is payable in PNN shares and options and this will involve PepinNini seeking approval at a shareholder meeting. There are three Hillside vendor shareholders, none of whom are related parties of PepinNini. The transaction will be completed in two stages and in stage 1, which is subject to shareholder approval and due diligence, 1.75 million PNN ordinary shares will be issued to the vendors and the company will acquire all issued shares of Hillside. Under stage 2, following the successful grant of the tenements, 4.5 million PNN ordinary shares and 1.2 million unquoted options exercisable at 35 cents expiring on December 31, 2023, will be issued to the vendors as the final purchase consideration. Proposed joint venture Following the completion of stage 2, a joint venture between PepinNini and the vendors will be established. The vendors will establish a new entity for participation in the joint venture for the exploration of the tenements. This proposed JV will be 80%-owned by PepinNini and will also be managed by it while the 20% ownership will remain with the new entity. The new entitys interest will be free carried until a decision to mine the tenements, at which point an 80:20 mining JV would be established. PepinNini would continue as manager and both parties would contribute to the JV according to their respective shareholdings. NORTH ADAMS Once considered a rising star in the Massachusetts Senate, Ben Downing surprised many when he walked away in 2016, fulfilling a promise to serve no more than 10 years, despite colleagues pleas for him to stay. Few expected Downing, now 39, to leave public service for long. Downings entry into the 2022 race for governor, which he announced Monday, doesnt shock anyone who knows him well. Downing says he is running with a sense of urgency to tackle economic inequality, climate change and wide-ranging racial disparities. In Downings vision for a fairer, stronger Massachusetts, the state would set a higher minimum wage, commit to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, raise taxes on top earners and invest more in public infrastructure, he told The Eagle. If were going to build that type of economy, were going to need someone who sees, feels and understands the experiences of families from Pittsfield to East Boston, and can knit together their stories to build the political coalition to win a campaign, and will govern with their experiences at the forefront, said Downing, who spent the past four years as an executive for solar energy company Nexamp in Boston, where he now lives after representing the largest and westernmost Senate district as a Pittsfield Democrat. To be sure, Downing faces an uphill battle, especially if Gov. Charlie Baker, still popular among voters, runs again. Even Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who carries $1.9 million in her campaign coffers, could hold a financial edge over a Democratic opponent. On the Democrats side, Attorney General Maura Healeys name often has surfaced in the rumor mill. If Healey runs, she would boast strong name recognition and nearly $3 million in cash on hand. Downing is well known among Democratic activists and Western Massachusetts political circles, although fundraising could pose a challenge, said Mary Anne Marsh, a Boston-based political analyst who has known the Downing family for decades. But, a hard slog, grind-it-out brand of grassroots fundraising could work to Downings advantage, Marsh said, if he could pull it off. Downing will lean on the leadership and policy credentials he believes he cemented while in the Senate. Fundraising, he said, represents one of several viability thresholds he will face, but he said he will run a campaign that is grassroots in the truest sense. There is a commitment in every way possible to be in every one of those 351 cities and towns, and to be there to listen first because I dont think I have all the answers, Downing said, pledging to center the lived experiences of Black and brown communities. Independent voters in the states largely white suburbs often decide statewide elections, including for governor. But, turning out new and infrequent voters would be low-hanging fruit for Democrats, Marsh said. The party could gain from getting out the vote in lower-income communities and communities of color, where voters tend to favor Democrats but voted early and by mail at lower rates than the general population in 2020. Its still unclear how the field might shape up, but Democrats chance of victory would benefit significantly if one candidate emerges as the front-runner early on, Marsh said. The quick turnaround from the September primary to the November general election doesnt give voters much time to get to know a candidate new to the spotlight. So far, Danielle Allen, a Harvard University professor and political theorist, and Scott Khourie, a Quincy resident with a background in finance, each has said they are considering a run. Downing believes that he can appeal to Western Massachusetts and Gateway Cities voters, as well as climate advocates statewide, and young families dealing with struggles related to child care and education, he said. He found an early supporter in Chelsea City Councilor Damali Vidot, who said she went all in on Downing after just one conversation. As a councilor in one of the communities hit hardest by the pandemic, she trusts Downing to lead on issues such as racial justice, environmental justice and health inequities. We cannot silo these issues anymore, so, I think its important to get a leader who understands that these issues intersect somewhere, who has the macro-level perspective and can come up with policy changes to help at the micro level, Vidot said. We cant go into governing with just a blanket approach to everybody, and I think Ben will bring a level of care to every community. Born in Great Barrington, the son of Pam and Gerry, husband to Micaelah, and dad to Eamon and Mac would be the first Berkshire native to serve as governor since North Adams Jane Swift was acting governor from 2001 to 2003. He would be the first to win election since Daltons Winthrop Crane won three one-year terms in 1899, 1900 and 1901. Should he make it to the corner office, Downing would bring a perspective shaped by his roots in the states westernmost county, where many have felt overlooked by state leadership for decades. When you have to go back and forth from the Berkshires to Beacon Hill, you go through a lot of different communities and a lot of different demographics in the state, said former state Rep. Dan Bosley, who represented northern Berkshire County from 1993 to 2010. I think Ben learned things that people in the Boston area dont necessarily see, and I think those trips made him very well-suited to speak about what people need. Passion for service Despite the difficulty of a gubernatorial challenge, no one ever saw Downing as one to back down from a fight, particularly given his personal history. This is not the hardest thing Ben has ever done, Marsh said. The hardest thing Ben has ever done was losing his father and losing his brother. Gerard Downing, then the Berkshire District Attorney, died in 2003, at age 52, from a heart attack. Ben, fresh out of Providence College and the oldest of four children, was left broken. Downing on Downing: In his own words Ben Downing, who spent a decade in the Massachusetts Senate as a Pittsfield Democrat, is running for governor. Here are outtakes from an interview with The Berkshire Eagle. On growing up in Pittsfield: All we heard growing up was how good Pittsfield used to be, and the resounding message was, time and time again, basically: Study hard and get out. In Little League, we had people who started the season on our team and then left when their parents got transferred to other [General Electric] and [General Dynamics] workplaces because the jobs were leaving Pittsfield. On losing a brother: Nate had every talent I had, and then some far beyond. He should have had the opportunity to do much more. Any time that I think Im fine with where I am, I remember the day that I lost him, and try to remind myself to not settle ... because I had a gift Nate never had. On addressing gaps in outcomes as well as opportunities: I ended up reading a lot of Bobby Kennedy after my dad died and after my brother died. Make gentle the life of this world [a phrase from Greek poet Aeschylus that Kennedy famously quoted] was one of those things that always rang in my head. ... When I announced my candidacy [for Senate] in 2006, on the steps of City Hall, I referenced that Bill Clinton talked about building a bridge to the future. Its good to build a bridge, but we also need to help everyone get over it. When youve had to eulogize your dad and your role model, it makes things you might otherwise see as difficult much easier, Downing said. I dont know if Id have ever run for office if my dad didnt pass away. It was through family that Downing acquired his genetic passion for service, said state Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, dean of the Berkshire delegation and a longtime family friend. When a state Senate seat opened in 2006, family and friends prodded Downing to run. He remembers his reluctance to sacrifice his graduate studies at Tufts University or his work as a part-time congressional aide, and he voiced some of those doubts in a phone call with his younger brother Nate. Nate hung up on him. The message was clear: Youre running. So, a barely 25-year-old Ben Downing won his first term, defeating former 20-year state Rep. Christopher Hodgkins by just 243 ballots, or 1 percent of the total vote, in the Democratic primary. After Nate Downing, the same brother Ben credits for convincing him to run, died in 2012 from a genetic heart condition at 26, Ben called that period his most challenging time in office. The experience of having been through tragedy, while coming through privilege, shaped Downings approach to life and government. It led him to appreciate what he calls the randomness of life, and to see the role of government as to limit the sharp edges of that randomness. That Downing came away more willing to fight for other people, Marsh said, bears some resemblance to the life of President Joe Biden. It made him a very empathetic person who understands the value of every day, but also understands that theres a lot of good you can do on this Earth and theres no time to be wasted, she said. Given the times we live in, I think a lot of people are going to take a look at him the more they get to know him. Seeking big solutions What Downing has taken away from his four years in the private sector, in addition to a realization that the snacks in the office are much better, is a conviction that Massachusetts is ready to take on climate change and other great challenges. Through his work with Nexamp, Downing has witnessed energy storage innovations and reductions in the cost of solar energy. Those advancements, he said, can facilitate a renewable energy transition that helps, not hurts, the economy. We are just sitting here with all of the solutions ready to be deployed, Downing said. And the only thing thats missing is leadership. When he thinks of effective leadership from the corner office, its former Gov. Deval Patricks work on clean energy that comes to mind. The idea that slowly rolling out climate action reduces costs, Downing said, couldnt be more wrong. At every single step along the way he was told that those steps were too bold, Downing said. Not only did we hit the goals and exceed the goals, but we did them in a more cost-effective manner. Its undeniable that the next few years also will be crucial for climate. The next governor is going to be a governor that is tasked with implementing some of these policies that get us to a net-zero economy and finding those synergies between decarbonization and economic growth, said Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, for which Downing is a board member. Henry called Downing a strong voice on climate but said the group has not decided if it will endorse a candidate for governor. Downing led on climate and social justice before many others embraced those issues, his former Statehouse colleagues said. His work in the Senate, Downing said, provides an indication of how he would govern. In 2008, Downing worked to establish a Pathways out of Poverty program to train low- and middle-wage earners for jobs in clean energy. He now calls that program a precursor to the Green New Deal-esque proposals that will feature in his bid for governor. On civil rights for transgender residents, Downing helped push through anti-discrimination protections in 2011 and 2016. In 2014, then-North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright warned that Massachusetts smallest city was one cycle short of Detroit after the sudden closing of North Adams Regional Hospital eliminated 500 jobs (the Michigan city had filed for bankruptcy the previous year). Downing, in the state budget, helped to give North Adams a lifeline through a one-time $750,000 capital infusion. Downing later would play a role in helping North Adams install a 6,000-panel solar project, redevelop the final portion of a former electric factory as the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and build a new science center at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Alcombright never had to wait more than five minutes to get a call back from Downing on those projects, which he said helped provide short- and long-term economic opportunity when the city was strapped for cash. Access to the guy was incredible, said Alcombright, who called Downing a quick study on issues. If we needed him to come up and meet with a small business that might need some help from the state, hed be there in two or three days. As a private citizen, Downing has not hesitated to criticize Bakers leadership, and he has often done so through a Twitter thread calling to focus on the record. On transportation, which Downing sees as a climate issue, he says a current lack of investment fails everyone. The state eviction moratorium, which Baker opted to replace with a $171 million eviction diversion initiative, should have been extended through the pandemic, Downing said. But, he added, we would have had to bring together landlords, big and small, along with advocates to make sure that we were doing so in a way that was thoughtful and smart. Climate action, for Downing, also requires a greater focus on communities that have borne the brunt of environmental harm. At least 40 percent of money from Massachusetts energy efficiency and clean energy programs, he said, should go to environmental justice communities. Weve seen the impacts of decades of locating fossil fuel infrastructure, locating highways, locating coal and gas plants and pipelines in Black and brown communities, Downing said. If were going to right that wrong, were going to need a commitment on the books. Downings goal to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, a target Rhode Island set last year, is more ambitious than any timeline put forth in the Legislature, where Democratic leaders in the previous session shied away from a 100 percent renewable by 2045 bill that was popular among activists. It all comes back to urgency. Of the cracks and fissures the pandemic laid bare, one Downing finds most pressing is the widening gap between communities that have benefited from economic growth and those that the tide didnt reach. While the district Downing represented was over 90 percent white, he sees the issues that drew him into government as the same issues that most disproportionately impact Black and brown communities. At the heart of Downings strategy is a belief that bridging gaps requires big investments, along with an overhaul of the state tax system to ask more of the wealthiest. We dont do that by simply going back to the status quo, by going back to the normal that we practiced before COVID came, Downing said. Downing knows he cant go it alone, but rather needs to assemble a wide coalition. He brings to the race the personal experience of having traveled from Pittsfield to Boston from growing up in one of the best-known families in the states westernmost county, to shaping policy through powerful posts in the Legislature. But, to win in 2022, he is banking on an ability to understand and win over all the communities in between. Theyre filled with talented, generous, hardworking people who too often have to fight harder than they should to be heard on Beacon Hill and to have their needs met, Downing said. I make a commitment to come to this race with humility and empathy, to put the lived experiences of those who have dealt with all sorts of challenges beyond everything I will ever know in my life first, and to make sure that they inform the type of campaign that we build. Stone from Sita Eliya in Sri Lanka to be used for making Ayodhya Ram temple Allahabad HC rejects plea claiming ownership of land offered for Ayodhya mosque India oi-Deepika S Lucknow, Feb 08: The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed against the allotment of land in Ayodhya''s Dhannipur village for the construction of a mosque, following the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Two Delhi-based sisters had moved the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, claiming ownership of the five-acre land allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the mosque. Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Ramesh Kumar Singh had opposed the plea, saying the plot numbers allotted for the mosque are different from those the petition is filed about. On Monday, justices D K Upadhyay and Manish Kumar dismissed the plea after the petitioners'' lawyer, H G S Parihar, sought to withdraw it. The bench also expressed concerns with Parihar for filing the petition in a cursory manner without ascertaining the facts. Rani Kapoor, alias Rani Baluja, and Rama Rani Punjabi had said in the writ petition that their father Gyan Chandra Punjabi had come to India during partition in 1947 from Punjab and settled in Faizabad (now Ayodhya) district. They claimed that their father was allotted 28-acre land in Dhannipur village by the Nazul Department for five years which he continued to possess beyond that period. Later, his name was included in the revenue records, the petitioners had said. However, his name was struck down from the records against which their father filed an appeal before the Additional Commissioner, Ayodhya, which was allowed, they claimed. UP CM Yogi Adityanath calls for donations for construction of Ayodhya Ram temple The petitioners further claimed that the consolidation officer again removed their father''s name from the records during consolidation proceedings. Against the order of the consolidation officer, an appeal was preferred before the Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Sadar, Ayodhya, but without considering the said petition, the authorities allotted five-acre of their 28-acre land to the Waqf Board for the constructing of mosque, they said. PM Modi speaks on MSP | PM coins new FDI meaning | Oneindia News The petitioners demanded that the authorities be restrained from transferring the land to the Sunni Waqf Board till the pendency of dispute before the settlement officer. The state government has allotted five-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board in Dhannipur village for construction of a mosque in compliance with Supreme Court direction in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque title suit. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 14:47 [IST] Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman formally announced Monday what has been evident since his unsuccessful first campaign for U.S. Senate: Hes taking another shot at it. Fetterman, who launched his campaign with a video for supporters, is the first officially declared major candidate in what is shaping up as a crowded 2022 field for both parties. He enters the Democratic primary touting endorsements from labor unions, a campaign account that has swelled to almost $1.5 million since he told The Inquirer last month that he was considering becoming a candidate, and a progressive track record. I didnt just show up at this dance, said Fetterman, who started his political career in 2005 as mayor of Braddock, outside Pittsburgh. The Democratic Party has moved distinctly in my direction, as opposed to away from my direction. And its because I have always run on what I believe and know to be true, even when its not popular. Despite his unabashedly liberal profile, Fettermans announcement video makes clear his hope that he can also win the support of onetime Trump voters. These places across Pennsylvania feel left behind. They dont feel part of the conversation, he says at one point. Thats why Donald Trump went to these small counties and held these big rallies. We cannot afford to take any vote for granted. We cannot afford to take any place for granted. Fetterman, a vocal advocate for full marijuana legalization, noted that he was the only candidate in the 2016 primary to push that position. Katie McGinty won the nomination that year before losing the general election to Sen. Pat Toomey, a Lehigh Valley Republican who is not seeking a third term. During an interview this weekend, Fetterman repeatedly rejected labeling policies such as raising the federal minimum wage as progressive. He instead cast such stances, including his longtime advocacy for LGBTQ rights, as moral and sensible. Toomeys retirement has stirred big interest for potential candidates in both parties. The race is already in the national spotlight and will likely see tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars spent. The winner will help determine whether Democrats keep control of an evenly divided Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris holds the key tie-breaking vote. Midterm elections historically favor the party that doesnt hold the White House, and the race will double as a referendum for President Joe Bidens first two years in office. Both parties face internal tussles over their own futures, with Democrats split between progressives and moderates, and Republicans divided over former President Donald Trump with most embracing his brand of politics but some rejecting it in favor of more traditional conservativism. READ MORE: Pat Toomey's retirement makes the 2022 elections in Pennsylvania a total free-for-all Fetterman said he respects many of the potential Democratic candidates. Those considering running for the seat include U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Chester County, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Allegheny County, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia, Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh, and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia. But Im the only one that has run and won statewide, Fetterman said, noting that he and Gov. Tom Wolf won reelection in 2018 by 17 percentage points. Fetterman has grown his national profile in the years since, and over the last few months he emerged as a prominent defender of Pennsylvanias election results, with frequent appearances on national TV. He shrugged off the traditional midterm election headwinds, calling himself a 67-county candidate who can pick up votes in more rural parts of the state, not just the big cities and surrounding suburbs. He served as an emissary for Wolf to many of those areas in 2018. Ive been warning Democrats ... that while Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are critical, the small counties are also important, he said. Its never urban versus rural. Its got to be urban and rural. Republicans scoff at Fettermans supposed working-class appeal. John Fettermans look is nothing more than a gimmick, said Mark Harris, a GOP strategist and top Toomey adviser. He is not a biker, or working class, or blue collar as he would like to have you believe. He is a spoiled trust fund baby who worships at the altar of hardcore leftists, like Bernie Sanders. ... In the end, this gimmick will fall flat and Pennsylvanians will reject Fetterman. READ MORE: The Divided States of Pennsylvania: How one state embodies Americas political discord Fetterman and his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, have incorporated her life story into his position on immigration. She came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant from Brazil with her family as a child. I always defer to her position on it because shes so close to it, he said. That was the truth she lived. The social-media-savvy couple has fostered a self-deprecating public partnership his hulking, 6-foot-8 tattooed frame and penchant for blue-collar work clothes rather than suits, hers more stylish and diminutive by comparison. His nascent campaign sent a fund-raising letter from her Saturday with the headline Pothead Second Lady, explaining how medical marijuana has helped her chronic back pain. Fetterman supports Bidens $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package but is dismayed that advancing it through the so-called budget reconciliation process to pass it without Republican support may mean that a proposal to increase the minimum wage to $15 gets stripped out. And he rejected Republican complaints about reconciliation a Senate procedure that allows some bills to pass with a bare majority noting Republicans used it to enact big tax cuts in 2017. Its just part of the fundamental disingenuousness of the party now, he said. There isnt anything rooted in reality at this point thats coming out of their messaging. (In a separate interview with Yahoo over the weekend, he declined to take a position on whether he would vote to allow undocumented immigrants to receive direct payments as part of the relief package.) Fetterman accused some of the Republican senators expected to acquit Trump at his second Senate impeachment trial starting this week as coconspirators in the then-presidents incitement of the deadly Capitol attack. It was straight-up the definition of incitement to say that Pennsylvania, specifically, cheated or was fraudulent or did anything during that other than deliver a true and fair secure result, he said. READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvanias presidential election Fettermans 2018 opponent, real estate developer Jeff Bartos, is one of several Republicans eyeing a Senate run. Others include former U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello of Chester County, Kenneth Braithwaite, who served as secretary of the Navy for Trump, and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain. Costello sometimes criticizes Fetterman on Twitter. Hed be terrible errand boy for a bad governor, Costello said in one tweet last month. If I ran I would smoke Fetterman in the suburbs, he said in another. While Fetterman often takes a social-media torch to many Republicans, he has forged a friendship with Bartos, and said he encouraged his 2018 rival to run. Theres not one negative thing about him that ever comes out of my mouth, Fetterman said of a candidate he may face in 21 months. It would be mind-blowingly cordial if it ever worked out that way. PNM's Concerns 'Disconnection Cliff' Recovering Costs (TNS) Tens of thousands of New Mexico families are struggling to pay their utility bills during the pandemic, prompting some lawmakers to propose special assistance to help pay their debts.Three Democratic representatives introduced House Bill 206 on Jan. 27 to wipe away up to 50% of debt owed by low-income customers in arrears who pay half of what they owe through payment plans they've worked out with electric, natural gas and water utilities.Consumer advocacy and environmental organizations are backing the measure, introduced by Kristina Ortez of Taos, Andrea Romero of Santa Fe and Joanne Ferrary of Las Cruces.The bill would also provide long-term relief by authorizing the state Public Regulation Commission to approve discounted rates for low-income families. And it would create an Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant program to provide local and tribal governments with money to retrofit homes in underserved communities to conserve energy and lower utility bills, Ortez said. "The bill would have a direct, positive impact on families suffering under the pandemic," Ortez said. "There are families in every district around the state who would benefit."The bill is now assigned to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. But it could face opposition from some utilities and PRC members who say it may interfere with relief programs and policies the commission is already managing.Since the pandemic started, the commission has maintained a moratorium on utility disconnections for all ratepayers who fall into arrears while the governor's emergency health orders remain in place. The PRC extended that order Feb. 3 for 100 days for public utilities like Public Service Co. of New Mexico, and 45 more days for smaller utilities and rural electric cooperatives.Once the moratorium ends, the new order also imposes another 90 days for public utilities and 45 days for co-ops, as a "transition period" to arrange payment plans with indebted customers.As of November, about 57,000 electricity customers and 27,000 natural gas consumers were in arrears, according to weekly reports that utilities have submitted to the PRC. Electric customers collectively owed $42.3 million and natural gas customers $4.8 million.The totals are higher. The PRC has only partial counts from electric co-ops and nothing from water companies, which are generally regulated by city and county governments.PNM alone reported nearly 46,000 past-due customers in early February, representing $18.9 million in arrears. But it says the bill, while well-intentioned, could interfere with PRC programs and policies."We're concerned about the need for this bill, because it seems duplicative with certain recent PRC actions with the possibility of some negative unintended consequences," PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval said.As vaccination efforts advance and the economy regains traction, programs mandated by the bill could soon be out of date, but since it would be law, nothing could be changed until next year's legislative session, Sandoval said.Commissioner Joe Maestas said the PRC struggled to balance ratepayer and utility interests in its latest order, setting a final extension and transition period so as not to prolong a "blanket moratorium" indefinitely. Customers are struggling, but so are many utilities, Maestas said."Many smaller utilities are on the brink of laying people off," he said. "Many are deferring needed maintenance and are barely hanging on."Bill supporters, however, say only the Legislature can authorize debt forgiveness. And that's critical for low-income households whose individual arrears now range from $400 to $1,000 and counting as the pandemic stretches on, creating a "disconnection cliff" that will kick in when the moratorium ends, said Gabe Pacyniak, a University of New Mexico associate law professor who helped draft the bill."Customers will have to pay off all their arrears or be disconnected," Pacyniak said. "... This gives low-income consumers time to pay their bills, plus assistance through debt forgiveness to dig themselves out of the hole they're now in."Under the bill, low-income customers could get a three-month repayment period for every month in arrears, plus dollar-for-dollar forgiveness for each payment they make up to 50% of their total debt, said Ona Porter, clean energy leader for nonprofit Prosperity Works."Thousands of low-income New Mexicans face a huge energy burden," Porter said. "Many pay up to 20 percent to 25 percent of their monthly income on utility bills."Utility write-offs would be recovered first with any federal, state or philanthropic funds available through COVID-19 programs. The remainder would then be eligible for inclusion in base rates paid by all ratepayers, said Tammy Fiebelkorn, New Mexico representative for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.The bill also provides long-term assistance by amending the state Public Utility Act to allow the PRC to approve low-income discount rates for the first time. "Non-discrimination" clauses currently prohibit such special rates for a single class of ratepayers.Maestas said the bill tries to do much, logrolling many different and potentially contentious measures like low-income discount rates into a single piece of legislation.But not all commissioners agree."We need better policies to help low-income people," said PRC chair Stephen Fischmann. "I'd love to see the Legislature address the issues in this bill. I don't know if these are the ideal solutions, but we have to start somewhere." A North Texas congressman who had been battling cancer has died after contracting COVID-19. Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, who represents District 6 in North Texas, tested positive for the coronavirus two weeks ago. Wright died Sunday night, the Dallas Morning News' Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports. WHAT, DAN?: Dan Crenshaw mocks celebs for making commercials...after making 2 himself Wright was first elected to Congress in 2018 and reelected last year. He battled multiple bouts of cancer and was hospitalized due to lung cancer treatment complications last fall. Wright is the first member of Congress to die from COVID-19. He was 67 years old. BIG COINS: Tesla buys $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, offers to accept it as payment "Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative. He was a statesman, not an ideologue," his office wrote in a statement obtained by the Dallas Morning News. "Ron and [his wife] Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn. As friends, family, and many of his constituents will know, Ron maintained his quick wit and optimism until the very end. Despite years of painful, sometimes debilitating treatment for cancer, Ron never lacked the desire to get up and go to work, to motivate those around him, or to offer fatherly advice." Governor Greg Abbott offered his condolences on Twitter Monday morning. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of U.S. Rep. Ron Wright," Abbott wrote in a statement. "Ron was a principled leader who fought to preserve Texas values and was an exemplary representative of his district. His personal strength and commitment to standing up for the unborn were unwavering. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy for future generations of Texans. Cecilia and I send our prayers to Ron's wife, Susan, his family and loved ones." SCB, Kiraboshi Business Consulting Vietnam sign strategic cooperation deal (Photo: SCB) Hanoi The Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) has recently entered into a strategic cooperation deal with Kiraboshi Business Consulting Vietnam, the representative of Kiraboshi Bank of Japan. Under the deal, SCB will work closely with the Japanese partner to take care of individual clients of the partner living, working and traveling in Vietnam. The two sides will provide financial solutions for corporate Japanese businesses operating in Vietnam, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported. According to the two banks, such comprehensive cooperation will enable the two banks to develop into a major financial cooperation alliance in the future that is to support businesses and investors of the two countries. They will also expand cooperation to serve clients of other countries alongside Vietnamese and Japanese ones. SCB Acting General Director Jeremy Chen explained said that more and more Japanese organisations and businesses are interested in investing in the Vietnamese market, and this is why SCB has teamed up with the Japanese partner to provide financial support and advice for clients. International Christian Concern, a non-profit group that goes online as Persecution.Org, raised the need for President Joseph Biden, Jr. to continue former President Donald Trump's push for international religious freedom. In a report published in their website on February 5, the International Christian Concern (ICC) expressed appreciation for Biden's declaration that one of his administration's policies is to "push back on China's attacks on human rights." This reinforced the foremost effort of the Trump administration to designate "China's systematic abuse of Uyghur Muslims a genocide." However, the ICC said, the United States could go further than that by freezing "the U.S.-based assets of human rights violators and deny their visa applications." "As important as the genocide designation and Biden's public statements are, Biden has the opportunity to do much more to advance international religious freedom, and not only in regards to China. He, and his chiefs at State and Treasury, have access to a powerful sanctions regime capable of putting a great deal of pressure on religious freedom violators all around the world," the ICC said. The ICC cited the Global Magnitsky Act that empowers the United States to freeze the property of human rights abusers that they can extend in denying visa applications. According to Human Rights First, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act was approved by Congress in 2020. It was extended in its scope by Executive Order signed in Dec. 21, 2017 by former President Donald Trump. "These can be powerful tools for discouraging persecution, since many of the people with power to persecute are the same ones traveling to New York to shop, going to Portugal for vacation, and sending their children to America for college," the ICC added. "The Trump administration imposed sanctions on many religious freedom violators around the world, but many, many more remain untouched as the Biden administration takes over," it continued. The Washington D.C.-based organization stressed that "violent atrocities against religion deserve rebukes" but the United States, along with its "allies in the international community," should go beyond "posture, condemn, and threaten" since they have the "tools" to put "words into action" by taking "advantage" of advancing "religious freedom in the world." In his remarks on America's Place In the World given last February 4, Biden stressed that "American leadership must meet" the "advancing authoritarianism" of China and Russia. He said that America will "take on directly the challenges posed by" the country's "prosperity, security, and democratic values by our most serious competitor, China." "We'll confront China's economic abuses; counter its aggressive, coercive action; to push back on China's attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance," he said. Last Jan. 19, former U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo declared China's atrocities against the Uyghurs as genocide based on available facts his office have gathered over the years. Pompeo gave the declaration on his last day of office, prior to Biden's inauguration. ChinaAid was first to hail the U.S. State Department's decision being its advocacies against the Chinese government prior to International Christian Concern. (Accompanying image: PresidentJosephBiden_POTUSInstagramPost.png) A powerful Caucus in the US Congress has urged the Indian government to ensure that the norms of are maintained and protesters allowed to demonstrate peacefully and have access to the Internet as it held a meeting with New Delhi's envoy here. India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who regularly interacts with Caucus members on a number of issues, had a virtual meeting with the top leadership of the Congressional Caucus last week. The members included congressmen Brad Sherman and Steve Chabot who are the two Co-Chairs of the Congressional India Caucus along with Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, who is the Vice Chair of the Caucus. During this discussion, the caucus leadership welcomed reforms in the Indian economy including in agriculture, sources told PTI. During the meeting, the leadership of the India Caucus, which is the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives, condemned the violence on January 26 in Delhi. Among other things they were appreciative of the government's perspective on the farm reforms, according to those familiar with the meeting. Sherman tweeted that they urged India to ensure that the norms of are maintained and the protesters allowed to demonstrate peacefully and have access to the Internet. I urged the Indian government to make sure that the norms of are maintained and that protesters are allowed to protest peaceably and to have access to the Internet, and to journalists. All friends of India hope that the parties can reach an agreement, Sherman said. The Indian ambassador, who over the last one year has met over 100 American lawmakers, mostly virtually due to the COVID-19 restrictions, briefed lawmakers on the necessity and objectives of the agriculture laws, negotiations as well as sensitive handling of the agitation. During the meeting, it is understood that the leadership of the Congressional India Caucus encouraged continuation of discussions among Indian stakeholders. The members strongly supported strengthening of India-US relations across different fields, particularly in healthcare and appreciated India's efforts to provide affordable medicines and vaccines to other countries. After the meeting, Sandhu tweeted that he has detailed discussions on varied issues with the leadership of the Congressional caucus. Detailed discussions on varied issues with the leadership of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans for the 117th Congress. Look forward to working closely with them to further strengthening India-US ties, he said. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for over 70 days, demanding a complete repeal of three central farm laws. Multiple rounds of talks between the Government and the farmer unions have remained deadlocked. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the farm laws, have criticised the Internet ban in areas near their agitation sites. The External Affairs Ministry has said that any protests must be seen in the context of India's democratic ethos and polity, and the ongoing efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse. "The Parliament of India, after a full debate and discussion, passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector. These reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers. They also pave the way for economically and ecologically sustainable farming," the MEA said in a statement last week. "The temporary measures with regard to internet access in certain parts of the NCR region were ...understandably undertaken to prevent further violence," it said on Thursday, referring to the incidents of violence and vandalism at the historic Red Fort on January 26. In a strong response to the remarks made by foreign individuals and entities, the MEA last week said the "temptation" of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments is "neither accurate nor responsible". (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.) ALBANY New York has dropped its legal fight over key documents that had been sought by families of the victims of the 2018 limo crash in Schoharie. The state Attorney General's office notified the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany on Monday that the state Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles will release documents sought by attorneys for the victims' families. The move came a day before the AG's office was scheduled to make oral arguments in the case before the state appeals court. READ MORE: Times Union's complete coverage of the Schoharie limo crash "Based on the National Transportation Safety Boards publication of its final report and the release of records by the Schoharie County District Attorney, respondents have determined to release the remaining records, subject to appropriate redactions," Beezly Kiernan, assistant solicitor general, wrote the court. The NTSB released its final report back in September, just days before the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 6, 2018 crash in which 20 people died after a 2001 stretch Ford Excursion owned by Prestige Limousine of Wilton crashed into the parking lot of a popular cafe and gift shop going more than 100 mph. The crash, the worst highway disaster in the nation in more than a decade, has been blamed on faulty brakes and negligence by Prestige. The documents had been sought by Albany attorney Paul Davenport, who represents the family of victim Erin McGowan in one of the civil lawsuits brought against Prestige and members of the Hussain family that ran the illegal limo service. Mavis Discount Tires, which serviced the Excursion, has also been named a defendant in the suits. "We are happy the state, after one-and-a-half years of fighting our right to these documents, finally recognized their obligation to provide all the documents we requested under FOIL," Davenport told the Times Union. "However, it is unfortunate the McGowan family had to take the case all the way to the Appellate Division before finally obtaining records that should have been disclosed years ago. Further, these documents reveal, as we thought they would, that this tragedy was avoidable, as it was a combination of actions by the Hussains, Mavis, the (DOT) and (DMV), which allowed this defective limousine to remain on the road. READ MORE: Schoharie crash victims: Who were they? Up until now, the AG's office had argued that release of DOT and DMV records that are being used as evidence in the criminal case against the limo company's manager, Nauman Hussain, could potentially harm the prosecution and taint a jury pool. "Until that investigation is over, respondents should not be required to disclose those documents and risk interfering with the criminal proceeding," Kiernan had argued in an Oct. 28 brief filed with the appeals court. It was not immediately clear what changed to allow the state to feel comfortable ending the fight. Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Malley had already made public many of the DOT and DMV documents that had been sought by Albany attorney Paul Davenport through the state's Freedom Of Information law. The Times Union has also sought the same set of DOT and DMV documents, which the two agencies have so far denied the newspaper. The documents being sought relate to efforts by the DOT and DMV to investigate and fine Nauman Hussain and his father, Shahed Hussain, under whose name the Excursion was registered, for running an illegal limo operation that lacked operating authority from the state. Lori Van Buren Among the sought-after documents is a DOT email sent to DMV officials on Feb. 12, 2018 asking that they suspend the registration of four of Prestige's vehicles, including the Excursion, after the Hussains failed to show for a disciplinary hearing held the previous October at DOT headquarters in Colonie. The suspensions took effect a week later but were lifted on March 8, 2018, the day that the father, Shahed Hussain, agreed to pay a $500 fine to settle the matter. The Feb. 12 email, recently obtained by the Times Union, has not previously been made public. It is significant since it appears to be the earliest time that DOT sought to suspend the Excursion's registration. The other time was a month before the crash. Each time, the Hussains got the suspension lifted by paying a $500 fine, which is less than they charged to rent out the Excursion for the day. SKIP DICKSTEIN/Albany Times Union On March 20, 2018, two weeks after he signed the settlement with the DOT, Shahed Hussain traveled to his native Pakistan where he has remained. A long-time undercover informant for the FBI's counter-terrorism task force, the elder Hussain has not faced criminal charges like his son despite being the legal owner of the limo business. The next day, on March 21, 2018, a DOT investigator ordered the Excursion off the road after a safety inspection revealed one of the rear brakes was not functioning. In charge with his father abroad, Nauman Hussain continued to rent out the Excursion and took it to the Mavis in Saratoga Springs for brake service. But the 31-foot-long limo failed a second DOT inspection on Sept. 4, 2018, a month before the crash, and was once again ordered off the road by DOT. DOT got DMV to suspend the Excursion's registration for a second time on Sept. 14, 2018, although the suspension was lifted on Sept. 20 after Nauman Hussain paid a $500 fine, despite the fact that the Excursion lacked state and federal certifications to carry passengers and still had outstanding safety issues. In its final report, the NTSB faulted DOT and DMV for not doing enough to keep the Excursion off the road - such as seizing the limo's plates. Nauman Hussain's trial on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide has been postponed due to the pandemic. He has pleaded not guilty and has remained free on bond. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. LONGMEADOW An author and two young entrepreneurs will share their stories, struggles and successes during a three-part virtual series sponsored by Bay Path University in celebration of Black History Month. When we asked our students what they hoped to see for Black History Month events at Bay Path, their answer was clear, said Elizabeth Cardona, executive director of Multicultural Affairs and International Student Life at Bay Path. They wanted to celebrate the beauty and the joy that is the bedrock of Black culture, and they wanted to hear from women who looked like them, who had dreams like them, and whose success stories would light their way. Each virtual event is free to attend, but registration is required. The events are open to the public. Kim Roxie, founder of LAMIK Beauty located in Houston, Texas will be one of the speakers during Bay Path University's Black History Month virtual series. The series kicks off on Feb. 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with Kim Roxie, founder of LAMIK Beauty located in Houston, TX. Roxie will talk about how she got into the beauty industry and launched a successful makeup brand while offering makeup techniques and taking questions from the audience. On Feb. 17, from 7 to 8 p.m., author Onawumi Jean Moss will offer an interactive storytelling workshop to help participants embrace who they are and owning their personal stories. Moss of Amherst, Massachusetts is a storyteller, narrator, keynote speaker and author. She was also the associate dean of students at Amherst College from 1985 to 2006. Author Onawumi Jean Moss will be one of the speakers for Bay Path University's Black History Month virtual series. Phot submitted by On Feb. 24 from 7- 8:30 p.m. Sheena Collier, founder of Black in Boston, will be joined by local entrepreneurs to highlight their businesses, share their stories. To register for these events and for information on all Black History Month events and exhibits happening at Bay Path https://www.baypath.edu/blackhistorymonthevents. Related content: Pornhub execs testify before Canadian ethics panel amid child sex abuse investigation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Executives of MindGeek, the parent company of the pornography website Pornhub, testified before a Canadian ethics committee on Friday over allegations that it profited off of child sexual abuse, rape, sex-trafficking and non-consensually distributed content. MindGeek executives David Marmorstein Tassillo and Feras Antoon were questioned by the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which launched the investigation this month. Were trying to create a safe environment for people to consume adult content, and we understand there are people out there that are trying to misuse these platforms, Tassillo claimed, according to CTV News Montreal. On Feb. 1, the committee heard the testimonies of Serena Fleites, a survivor of image-based child sexual abuse distributed through Pornhub, and Michael Bowe, an American lawyer who has been investigating MindGeek sites for about a year. According to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Bowe informed the committee that his investigation found hundreds of cases of rape, abuse and trafficking hosted by MindGeek sites. He shared a few examples, including a 15-year-old girl who was raped while being videotaped. The video was posted on Pornhub and distributed to her community, Bowe told the committee. He also stated that after Pornhub refused to remove the video for three weeks, the company then claimed the video had been removed but was left up on the website for another two months. Fleites told the panel that her boyfriend pressured her to make a sex video of herself and send it to him. Although she felt uncomfortable doing so, she said her boyfriend threatened to leave her if she didnt. When she made the video he requested and sent it to him, she claimed that her boyfriend sent the video to his friends, who later sent the video to other friends. Despite changing schools, she said a new classmate sent her a link to a video featuring her on Pornhub titled "13-year-old brunette shows off for the camera. Fleites said it took weeks for Pornhub to take down the video despite her pleas. The MindGeek executives were asked to respond to Fleites testimony but said they could not confirm if Fleites ever contacted the company without the results of an investigation the company launched after hearing about her testimony in a New York Times article last year. [W]e've started an investigation and we do not have enough information to see if she ever contacted us or not, Antoon was quoted as saying. Bowe cited another example of a child under the age of 10 who was trafficked and had child sexual abuse material made of her for over 10 years posted on Pornhub and remained there until late last year. He added that a 15-year-old girl was secretly filmed then coerced into making other intimate videos posted on Pornhub and her personal information. Bowe claimed this resulted in her suffering long-term abuse and stalking. When she contacted Pornhub, he said they refused to search for the videos or take any other measures to prevent their distribution. MindGeek does not host such videos by mistake, but they knowingly profit from illegal content, Bowe argued. The evidence is overwhelming, he contended. Pornhub is one of the most visited websites globally, averaging approximately 3.5 billion visits a month, making it more popular than Amazon, Netflix or Yahoo. Fleites said her videos posted on Pornhub were clearly child porn. They could tell that was a child in the video, and they were still dragging out this process, she said. They didnt want to take the video down because, at this point, it had millions of views and was bringing them in ad revenue and clicks to their site. Charlie Angus, a parliamentarian from the New Democratic Party, assured Fleites that the body is going to take action. We are going to hold these guys to account, he said. That is our job as legislators and as parents because the system failed you. In December, Pornhub announced that it enacted huge changes after a New York Times expose revealed the company had been profiting off videos of rape and child sex trafficking victims. As part of the changes, only verified users can upload content to the website, moderation will be increased, users can't download content and relationships with nonprofits to flag unacceptable content will be formed. At Pornhub, nothing is more important than the safety of our community. Our core values such as inclusivity, freedom of expression and privacy are only possible when our platform is trusted by our users, a Pornhub statement reads. This is why we have always been committed to eliminating illegal content, including non-consensual material and child sexual abuse material. Every online platform has the moral responsibility to join this fight, and it requires collective action and constant vigilance. During Fridays hearing, Tassillo stated that the company integrated technology and moderators to guard against unauthorized content. Content that is uploaded to the website, he said, goes through several filters" before it is made public. Pornhubs changes come on the heels of credit card companies Visa and Mastercard saying they would temporarily ban the use of their cards on Pornhub and intend to investigate their relationships with MindGeek websites. The site also reportedly removed all content that was not uploaded by either a content partner or a verified user. Angus implied that the company might have violated the law by promoting the videos featuring child victims. At any point, when you were promoting these links of 12-year-olds and runaway teens, was your conversation that you were actually breaking Canadian law? asked Angus. The issue that we're talking about here is criminal behavior, the Criminal Code, your obligations to protect people. CATHY ONEIL is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a mathematician who has worked as a professor, hedge-fund analyst and data scientist. She founded ORCAA, an algorithmic auditing company, and is the author of Weapons of Math Destruction. Registered nurse Heather Hoppe receives a BCG injection in the trial clinic at Sir Charles Gairdner hospital Perth, Australia on April 20, 2020. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) Vaccine Providers Receive Wastage Training Australian Healthcare workers tasked with administering COVID-19 vaccines will soon receive mandatory training. The first vaccinations are expected to be rolled out within weeks. With supplies at a premium, vaccine providers will be trained to minimise wastage from multi-dose vials. The Pfizer vaccine has six doses per vial and the AstraZeneca option has 10. All of the doses must be administered within hours of the vials being opened. The vaccine workforce will receive training in using multi-dose vials, as well as handling and storing vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored below -60 degrees Celsius. The federal government has partnered with the Australian College of Nursing to develop and deliver the free training program. Nobody will be allowed to administer vaccines unless they have completed the course. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid said the training was critical. The World Health Organisation has estimated a wastage rate for vaccination doses of between 20 and 30 percent in some places. Thats already an unacceptably high number, Khorshid told the ABC on Feb. 8. Its really important that everything is done to minimise the wastage of these valuable vaccines. Australia will initially prioritise administering the Pfizer vaccine to quarantine workers, frontline staff, and aged and disability workers and residents. The AstraZeneca option has not yet received the final tick of approval, but most Australians are expected to receive the vaccine in coming months. South Africa has suspended use of AstraZenecas shot after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild to moderate illness caused by the countrys new strain of the virus. However, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt is not concerned about the effectiveness of the jab. I spoke with the UK health secretary in recent days, theyre having very strong results, Hunt told 2GB radio. Australians will receive a certificate to prove they have been vaccinated when the national rollout beings. All inoculations will be recorded on the Australian immunisation register. Certificates proving vaccination, which could be required for overseas and interstate travel, would then be available either digitally or hard copy. The register will record which vaccine people have received. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the government needed to get the passports right. We know that they didnt get the tracing app right, Albanese told reporters in Cairns. So they need to, as the rollout of the vaccine occurs, make sure that they absolutely get it right because our economy as well as our health depends on it. Daniel McCulloch in Canberra Ireland has hopefully already passed the worst of the disease this year and we will not have to go back to a time like January again, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn has said. However, he warned that there are unknowns when it comes to new variants and if people who have been vaccinated can still pass on the virus, and that this can alter fundamentally the course of this pandemic over the next year. I think what we can say to people is that certainly our intention would be that the we have already passed what is the worst of this disease this year and that we will not have to go back through what we went through in January again, Mr Glynn said. Read More I would hope that we will move in a steadily, more positive frame over the coming months. But that is contingent on us keeping this disease actively suppressed once we get disease numbers down. If they go back up, weve seen what will happen, he added. The Department of Health confirmed today six further deaths and 829 more Covid-19 cases in the Republic of Ireland. This brings the total number of coronavirus related deaths in the country to 3,687 and the total number of cases to 204,397. Five of the six deaths occurred in February, and one occurred in January. The median age of those who died was 84 years and the age range was 75-95 years. As of 8am today, 1,212 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 176 are in ICU.There were 39 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. Of the cases notified today, 401 are men and 426 are women. 63pc are under 45 years of age The median age is 35 years old There are 386 cases in Dublin, 39 in Meath, 36 in Cork, 35 in Kildare, 32 in Louth and the remaining 301 cases are spread across 20 other counties. As of February 5, 230,776 Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the Republic of Ireland. Some 151,212 people have received their first dose while 79,554 people have received their second dose. This comes as frontline workers are today due to receive their first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after 21,600 vials arrived in the country. The vaccines arrived over the weekend and were put into cold storage in Dublin. Writing on Twitter, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: Big day: The (HSE) has just sent me this video of the first 21,600 doses of AstraZeneca arriving from Belgium to the national cold chain store in Dublin well done to all. The vaccine is easier to manage than others so far approved because it can be injected by a GP or a pharmacist straight out of a fridge. However South Africa has put on hold the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. British Minister of State for Health, Edward Argar has set about reassuring the British, saying South Africa has only imposed a temporary halt on using the Astrazeneca vaccine. "There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation and severe illness and death, which ultimately is what we're seeking with these vaccines today," he said. It is just over a week since the European Commission granted conditional marketing authorisation for the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for over-18s. Irish public health officials have chosen the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for the over-70s over the AstraZeneca jab due to a lack of data for their effectiveness in older people. Iran and the United States have deepened their standoff over Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers as the leaders of both countries demanded the other side act first. U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated he will not lift sanctions to get Iran back to the negotiating table, saying Tehran must first adhere to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Asked in a CBS interview on February 7 whether he would first halt sanctions to convince Iran to return to the bargaining table, Biden offered a succinct reply: "No." The president then nodded affirmatively when asked if Iran would first have to stop enriching uranium beyond the limits permitted under the deal. Earlier, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States must lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to comply with its commitments under the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "If they want Iran to return to its commitments, the United States must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification and see if the sanctions were lifted correctly, then we will return to our commitments," Khamenei said in comments run by state TV on February 7. "It is the irreversible and final decision and all Iranian officials have consensus over it," he added. Analysts say the comments mark the first time Khamenei demanded verification of any future sanctions relief, reflecting a sensitivity over the issue after former President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew from the deal and imposed crushing sanctions on Iran. In response to Trump's withdrawal, Tehran has gradually breached the deal by building up its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, refining uranium to a higher level of purity, and using advanced centrifuges for enrichment. The dueling comments from the two leaders underscore the difficult diplomatic challenge ahead as Biden seeks to revive a key accord rejected by Trump. In addition to demanding Iran first return to compliance with the accord, the United States is seeking alongside its allies and partners to eventually reach a "longer and stronger" agreement including Iran's missile program and regional policies. Iranian officials insist the country's missile program and regional policies are off the table and that the United States should first comply with the nuclear deal, which required Iran to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. In an apparent walk-back of previous demands, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on CNN after Khamenei's remarks that receiving compensation from the United States for the cost of sanctions imposed by Washington was not a "precondition" for restoring the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, both sides are up against several deadlines. Legislation passed by Iran's parliament in December forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by February 21, including by possibly expelling UN nuclear watchdog inspectors from the country. In another interview on February 6 with an Iranian newspaper, Zarif urged Washington to act quickly to return to the nuclear deal. "Time is running out for the Americans, both because of the parliament bill and the election atmosphere that will follow the Iranian New Year," Zarif said in the interview in Hamshahri. Iran's new year usually begins on March 21 and celebrations last nearly two weeks. Iran's presidential election is in June. Moderate President Hassan Rohani isn't running again because of term limits and hard-liners that already control parliament may take control of the presidency, reducing the chances of a compromise with the United States. "The more America procrastinates, the more it will lose," Zarif said in the interview. "We dont need to return to the negotiating table. It's America that has to find the ticket to come to the table." With reporting by AFP, CBS, and Reuters The US Army got one of the most advanced Apache Helicopter in its possession that has a few tricks up its sleeve. This armored attack copter has one of the most durable airframes for any weapon system. One of the most distinguished helicopters with all the bells and whistles is the Apache that is still in use as America's mainstay in the front lines. Main battle tank (MBT) can-opener Compared to other attack helicopters, the AH-64 has been fighting in many conflicts and has a legendary performance. It has everything needed, even a gun that can penetrate the most formidable tank armor, and it's a death bringer, reported Task and Purpose. One of the first groups of AH-64E version 6 (V6) Apaches will fly the venerable airframe when it arrives. These units will be 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The army announced it as deliveries of the signature helicopter reaches its combat groups. Weapons made for pounding battlefield targets. One of the deadliest gunships built and designed to combat enemy armor and ground targets lethally, with systems better than Chinese or Soviet competitors. Using its M230 30mm cannon, fires depleted uranium roads, Hydra rockets, and Hellfire missiles to ensure anything will get razed. The first operation in 2012, the E-model AH-64, is the last variant planned variant of this line (combat helis). One of the long-time users is the Attack Reconnaissance Battalions assigned to Combat Aviation Brigades. These groups use the armored advanced Apache helicopter in reconnaissance and attack missions. Also read: Australia Increases Attack Helicopter Force, Updates US AH-64 Guardian Helicopters for Armed Reconnaissance Some of the upgrades that increase the punch this weapon system delivers search and destroy all opponents on the battlefield. Finding targets A modern target detection system that looks for enemies is the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision System (MTADS/PNVS). It has an infrared laser to point at targets and use better infrared to see enemies in all weather conditions. Getting better eyes on the battlefield Mounted is a GEN3 Day Sensor Assembly (GEN3 DSA) that sees targets better with an improved color definition. To recognize targets better and lessen friendly fire. Advanced digital communication systems It is equipped with Link 16 communication systems that connect the helicopter to other weapons systems on the battlefield. It allows the aircraft to receive and share info where there is conflict. It also gives real-time situational awareness to the pilots. Pilots can control drones With digital systems that can control drones and give AH-64 crews command of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), this is good for getting information before going out and meeting enemy units. Adding better weapon sensors and giving pilots aids to fly and avoid getting shot down, with flying drones as partners to scout ahead for danger. Such new war aids give the attack helicopter a more dangerous edge. For US operators of the variant, it is a leap in technology that exceeds other combat systems used in other nations. For example, getting an image of targets with the GEN 3 DSA with advanced infrared makes it more efficient in taking out targets. Dangers of friendly fire and no information via Link 16 will give a view of possible targets. Flights of advanced Apache helicopter of the AH-64E version 6 (V6) will be an advantage. Related article: Futuristic 'Defiant X' Flies to Be the next Generation Long-Range Assault Helicopter of the US Army @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China is slated to charge the Australian journalist Cheng Lei with disseminating state secrets overseas. This signalled a continued hard line from Beijing against United States allies and reporters working in the country. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne divulged on Monday that Cheng, a former business news anchor on the Chinese state broadcaster's network, CGTN, was formally arrested on Friday, which was six months after authorities seized her. Cheng Lei Arrested The mother-of-two is accused of "illegally supplying state secrets overseas", according to Payne in a statement without expounding. The journalist had been a familiar face on CGTN's English-language channel, conducting interviews with renowned CEOs from across the globe. Cheng's arrest last Friday commences an official criminal probing and came six months following her detainment. According to Foreign Minister Marise Payne, "The Australian government has raised its serious concerns about Ms. Cheng's detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention. We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms," reported The Hindu. The popular television presenter was abruptly detained on August 13, 2020, and was later accused of broad "national security" offenses. Payne remarked that consular officials have visited Cheng on six occasions, with the latest meeting taking place on January 27, reported SBS. China authorities confirmed Cheng's arrest on Monday, noting her legal rights would be guaranteed. Chinese ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a press briefing on Monday remarked he hoped Australia would not disturb China's handling of this case. According to China in September, Cheng was suspected of initiating criminal activities endangering Chinese national security, among the most serious claims brought against a foreign journalist based in China. Australian Strategic Policy Institute director Peter Jennings stated the situation was severe for her. Also Read: South Korean Social Media Influencer Dropped by Chinese Media Agency for Allegedly Disrespecting China Cheng detention also simultaneously transpired with a specific dispute between China and Australia over efforts by each other's spy agencies to question foreign journalists. This escalated a case that has contributed to tensions between the ties of Beijing and Canberra. Payne added the Australian government has posed severe concerns regarding Cheng's detention. The government expects basic standards of justice, humane treatment, and procedural fairness to be met. According to Cheng's now-deleted profile on CGTN's website, she worked for CNBC for nine years before joining the state-run channel. Australian Strategic Policy Institute director Peter Jennings stated the situation was severe for China born-journalist. He remarked the issue posed questions as to whether Washington would intervene under the tenure of President Joe Biden. Payne revealed the Australian government had "raised its serious concerns about Ms Cheng's detention regularly at senior levels, including about her welfare and conditions of detention," reported The Guardian. Friday's arrest was a day following Payne's office calling for a UN investigation into allegations of prevalend sexual abuse in China's detention centers in Xinjiang, deeply igniting the fury of Beijing. Related Article: China Goes Online to Mock US Capitol Siege as 'Beautiful Sight' @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Texas Is Crafting Measure to Bar Big Tech Censorship, Following Floridas Lead Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says hes working with state legislators on a bill to prevent big tech companies from taking action to moderate user content based on political viewpoints. We are working with Sen. [Bryan] Hughes on legislation to prevent social media providers like Facebook & Twitter from cancelling conservative speech, Abbott said in a Feb. 7 statement on Twitter. His announcement follows a Florida proposal that would seek to penalize social media companies that de-platform candidates during an election. The legislation would fine companies $100,000 a day until the candidates access to the platform is restored. Florida would also require companies who promote a candidate to record such endorsements as a political campaign contribution at the states election commission. Several states are taking steps to protect the free flow of speech and prevent Silicon Valley companies from using their monopoly to police speech they dont agree with. These companies have been scrutinized repeatedly for their perceived political bias and alleged unbalanced moderation of users content. Critics say much of the companies moderation in the past year has focused on conservative speech and speech from individuals deemed to be supporters of former President Donald Trump. Hughes, a Republican, told Inside Texas Politics that the measure he and Abbott intend to introduce will address any unbalanced moderation of user accounts by social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook. Federal law does allow us to regulate these companies and so the bill were getting ready to file will say that if a company discriminates against you, if the platforms blocks or kicks you off based on your viewpoint, based on your politics or religion based on viewpoint discrimination, it will give you a way to get back online, Hughes said. Officials at Google, Facebook, and Twitter didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. On the same day, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also confirmed that his state will take further steps to address big tech censorship, adding that the state has already started by filing an antitrust lawsuit against Google in December 2020. I am so encouraged with what hes doing in Florida. Thank you Gov. [Ron] DeSantis for doing that, Paxton told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures. We have already started. We have a lawsuit against Google that focuses some of the very issues about their dominance, about how they abuse consumers, about how they take their private information, they dont pay these consumers and they then use that information to make billions of dollars without the consumer really knowing how their private information is going to be used. So yes, I think youre going to see more from my state in the coming months and coming years because if we dont do something now, its maybe too late and these companies will have such dominance and so much money. Paxton took the lead in filing that multistate lawsuit against Google, alleging that the technology behemoth had violated multiple federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws. The lawsuit accused Google of engaging in false, misleading, and deceptive acts while the company was selling, buying, and auctioning online-display ads. Trump and his Justice Department repeatedly urged Congress to roll back liability protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for companies that have engaged in censoring or political conduct. They have accused the companies of acting as publishers rather than online platforms when they engage in targeted moderation of user content. Protections under Section 230 arent intended to be used to protect publishers. Meanwhile, the campaign to remove Section 230 protections have received pushback from technology groups. Oman has decided to maintain the closure of land checkpoints for entry into the Sultanate till further notice, said a report. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Oman News Agency reported. The move comes as the number of Covid-19 patients continue to increase. The Committee has decided to allow entry via land borders for Omani citizens abroad wishing to come back home provided they abide by a seven-day institutional health quarantine, in addition to other measures imposed on incoming travellers, the report said. She has an enviable work wardrobe full of timeless ensembles. And Amanda Holden displayed her impeccable dress sense once more on Monday in a sage wrap skirt and matching green jumper after recording her Heart FM show. The radio host, 49, looked incredibly chic as she sauntered through Leicester Square in London after the Met Office warned of 'significant disruptive snowfall' in the city. Wow: Amanda Holden looked incredibly chic in a sage green wrap skirt and jumper on Monday after recording her Heart FM show amid 'significant disruptive snowfall' in Britain Amanda completed her stylish look with a complementing green coat and nude stilettos which boosted her petite height. Accessorising tastefully, the mother-of-two clutched a leather handbag and framed her visage with classic rounded shades. She rocked typically glamorous make-up as her strawberry-blonde tresses danced in the blistering wind. Bitterly cold 50mph gales from Russia and Ukraine are expected to tear across Britain as the country is hit by a foot of snow. Finishing touches: The radio host, 49, completed her stylish look with a complementing green coat and nude stilettos which boosted her petite height Coronavirus vaccination centres were forced to close early on Sunday as Storm Darcy rolled into Europe from the east, causing travel chaos and power cuts. The Met Office has warned of 'significant disruptive snowfall' in London and the South East, especially parts of East Anglia and Kent, as the 'Beast from the East 2' coats southern parts of England in snow and temperatures of -10C. There are also fears of power cuts across the country in the coming days, after Edinburgh residents reporting outages on Sunday evening. Slender pins: The mother-of-two posed up a storm at the Global Radio building before putting on rounded shades and grabbing a leather handbag as she headed outside SP Energy Networks said it was aware of a power cut in Edinburgh and the Lothians and that engineers were working to restore supplies. A Met Office warning added: 'Accumulations of snow will be widely four inches with eight inches in places and a small chance of 12 inches for a few sites. 'Very strong easterly winds with gusts of 40-45mph inland and 50-55mph along north-east facing coasts will also lead to drifting of lying snow. During Monday morning the snow will turn more intermittent before gradually easing.' Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed ANN ARBOR, MI A Michigan Medicine employee assaulted and knocked out in a hospital parking garage Saturday night woke find his car on fire, police say. Police and fire crews were called about 8:50 p.m. Feb. 6, to the P1 parking structure at the University of Michigan Medical Center campus for the report of the car engulfed in flames, according to the Ann Arbor Fire Department. Fire crews were able to knock the fire down quickly, limiting damage to the fifth floor of the structure, fire officials said. The vehicles owner told police he was assaulted near his vehicle at about 7:50 p.m., knocked unconscious during the attack and woke to find his car on fire, according to the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security. The man was taken to the hospitals emergency department where he was treated for minor injures and released, police said. There are no known witnesses to the incident, which remains under investigation, police said, adding they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community. Portions of the parking structure are temporarily closed, pending safety inspections. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police at 734-763-1131 or call the confidential tip line at 1-800-863-1355. More from The Ann Arbor News: Hundreds of psychologists, physicians urge AAPS to offer in-person classes by March 1 Pilots allege abuse by late University of Michigan doctor who performed more than 4,000 physicals for FAA Man dies after explosion at Michigan baby shower Some progressive Democrats have criticized President Joe Biden and his administration for being open to lowering the income eligibility requirements for the $1,400 stimulus checks in the presidents proposed coronavirus relief package. Bidens $1.9 trillion emergency plan, unveiled in January, would send $1,400 checks to individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and joint filers earning up to $150,000, assuming income levels go unchanged from the first two rounds of stimulus payments. The proposal would also provide $1,400 per child or adult dependent. More than 50 House Democrats sent a letter to Biden asking him to keep the $75,000 threshold for individuals to receive the full direct payments as he faces pressure to lower the income eligibility in the first test of bipartisanship during his presidency. We understand that the administration is considering proposals from Republican senators to lower the income threshold for economic relief payments. These lower income thresholds would leave behind struggling individuals and families in regions where the costs are very high, said the letter spearheaded by Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Anna Eshoo of California. A group of 10 Republican senators, led by Maines Susan Collins, released a plan on Feb. 1 that includes $1,000 direct payments to Americans instead of the $1,400 checks proposed by Biden. The plan would provide $1,000 stimulus checks for individuals making up to $40,000 a year and phase them out completely when income reaches $50,000. Joint filers would get $2,000, with the payments phasing out beginning at $80,000 a year with an income cap at $100,000. Biden said on a call with Democrats last week to hold steady on the size of the $1,400 checks but that he would be open to reducing the income requirements for the payments, Forbes reported. Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pramila Jayapal of Washington also criticized Bidens willingness to compromise on the income cap. Story continues We cannot cut off relief at $50k. It is shockingly out of touch to assert that $50k is too wealthy to receive relief, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Friday. Millions are on the brink of eviction. Give too little and theyre devastated. Give too much and a single mom might save for a rainy day. This isnt hard. Omar, who signed the letter to Biden, tweeted on Sunday: Cutting the income cap will poison this bill. It already lacks Republicans support and will lose Progressive support. Democrats with a slim majority in the Congress cant pass this bill without progressives and must resist suggestions that will ultimately tank this relief bill. Jayapal wrote on Twitter: We promised people that if we won the Senate, we would send out $2,000 survival checks. They delivered us to victoryand now we MUST deliver. Targeting checks to a smaller group fails to do that. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen indicated Sunday that there could be a compromise between Democrats and Republicans by capping the income eligibility for individuals at around $60,000 a year. If you think about an elementary school teacher or policeman making ($60,000) or $ 65,000 a year, it certainly seems appropriate that they can use that help to address the extra burdens from the pandemic, Yellen said on CBS Face the Nation. But some Democrats want to lower the income cap for payments. Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said he wants to ensure upper-income taxpayers are not eligible for stimulus checks, NBC News reported. Manchin supports phasing out payments starting at $50,000 a year for individuals and $100,000 for joint filers, according to his office, and doesnt want individuals who make more than $75,000 a year or couples making $150,000 to get checks. The Senate also passed a budget resolution Friday along party lines that paves the way to pass Bidens relief plan without any Republican support. Democrats are hoping to pass the stimulus deal before Mar. 14, the day that $300 weekly unemployment benefits approved in Decembers coronavirus package expire. That timeline has added to lawmakers desire to go with the budget reconciliation route, a process that allows for expedited consideration of legislation on spending, taxes and debt. Reconciliation would allow Democrats to bypass the 60-vote requirement needed to break a filibuster meaning just a simple majority is needed to pass the bill. Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate, split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, as Vice President Kamala Harris serves as the tie-breaking vote. The production company behind movies such as 12 Years a Slave, Gone Girl and Bohemian Rhapsody has snapped up the film and TV rights for Australian writer Meg Masons latest novel a book she says was never meant to exist. Mason, who was born in New Zealand and now lives in Sydney, is the author of two previous works, the memoir Say It Again in a Nice Voice and the novel You Be Mother. She started writing her latest offering, Sorrow and Bliss, in 2019 after grappling for months with a manuscript that was absolutely rotten to the core. Author Meg Mason says shes so incredibly grateful for the success of Sorrow and Bliss. Credit:James Alcock I felt like I reached the end of my abilities, Mason says. I resigned to my publisher and told her I wasnt going to publish again. She stunningly said its fine, just have a little rest. But in my mind it wasnt a rest. I was at a loss as to what to do next. Sorrow and Bliss was released in September last year. It is written in short, striking vignettes from the perspective of a 40-year-old woman whose life is starting to unravel. Reviewers have described it as hilarious but brutal; poignant but dark. A pandemic is not slowing down the vile trophy hunting industry. Tweet this Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said, "A pandemic is not slowing down the vile trophy hunting industry and the shameless conventions that celebrate the violent, needless slaughter of wild animals. As millions of people struggle to survive the pandemic, trophy hunters spend millions of dollars on grim globe-trotting trips to shoot beloved, iconic animals for bragging rights and collections of heads to hang on the wall." The HSUS/HSI analysis shows that the over 800 exhibitors registered to participate will sell not only trophy hunts but also wildlife body parts and products such as taxidermies, knives made of giraffe bones, furniture made of ostrich skin, boots and belts made of shark skin and elephant leather, and other home decor and fashion accessories made from animals. "Science has shown that trophy hunting has caused the decline of wildlife populations including those of African lions, leopards and elephants" said Jeffrey Flocken, president of Humane Society International. "It is not conservation. It's time for trophy hunters to stop hiding behind this ridiculous claim and admit that trophy hunting is just killing for fun." Among the exhibitors are 351 outfitters that together offer hunting packages to kill at least 319 species in 70 countries. These include hunts for the "African Big Five"elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and Cape buffalosand the "Tiny Ten," which are small African antelope species some weighing less than eight pounds. The Dallas Safari Club auction is expected to generate $3.5 million in revenue for the organization. The 185 items include donated hunts to kill at least 205 animals in 24 countries, among them: elephants, giraffes, hippos, Cape buffalos and crocodiles. There are at least 16 U.S. canned hunts being auctioned off. Eight are in Texas and the remainder are in Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania, to hunt species that include elk, exotic sheep and various antelope and deer species. Hunts involving captive animals who live inside a fenced in area are called canned hunts, captive hunts, estate hunts or high fence hunts. Among the most expensive hunts for auction are a $70,000 hunt for desert bighorn sheep in Mexico and a 10-day hunt for a brown bear in Alaska for $52,850. Other hunts include elephant hunts in Zimbabwe and Zambia, giraffe in South Africa, and leopard in Namibia. Items like firearms; apparel made of beaver, mink and lynx fur; Swarovski Optik equipment such as a riflescope; and an $80,000 diamond necklace are up for auction as well. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International have gone undercover in previous years at both the Dallas Safari Club convention and the Safari Club International convention. Outfitters exposed in February 2019 and 2020 by the groups for offering captive-bred lion hunts at SCI are among the Dallas Safari Club's exhibitors this year, despite the club's recent statement in opposition to canned lion hunts. A summary of progress made in 2020 to stop the trophy hunting industry is posted here. Members of the public who are opposed to this senseless cruelty can sign the pledge against the trophy hunting of wildlife. Full report Blog Photos/videos for download of previous HSUS/HSI undercover investigations at Dallas Safari Club and Safari Club International conventions Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States fights the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries. With our affiliates, we rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals every year through our animal rescue team's work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society. Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to Kitty Block's blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast. With a presence in more than 50 countries, Humane Society International works around the globe to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to natural disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms. Learn more about our work at hsi.org. Follow HSI on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE Humane Society of the United States Russia will hold joint naval drills with Iran and China in the Indian Ocean later this month, it has been announced. The naval exercise will see the three countries 'rehearse search and rescue operations' in the northern part of the Indian Ocean in mid-February, Moscow's ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said on Monday. It comes less than two years after the countries held similar naval drills in the region in December 2019. Ms Dzhagaryan told the RIA news agency: 'The next multilateral naval exercises will take place in the northern part of the Indian Ocean in mid-February 2021.' Russia, Iran and China plan to hold joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean later this month. Pictured: An Iranian Navy warship in the Strait of Hormuz Moscow's ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said the naval exercise will see the three countries 'rehearse search and rescue operations' The ambassador added that the drills would ensure the safety of shipping. In 2019, Iran, China and Russia began joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, in what Moscow said was an unprecedented exercise in naval cooperation and training Iranian flotilla admiral Gholamreza Tahani told state television at the time: 'The message of this exercise is peace, friendship and lasting security through cooperation and unity... and its result will be to show that Iran cannot be isolated.' The broadcaster said the drills included rescuing ships on fire or vessels under attack by pirates and shooting exercises. Meanwhile Russia's Defence Ministry said it had sent three ships from its Baltic Fleet - a frigate, a tanker and a rescue tug boat - to take part in the drills, Red Star, the official newspaper of Russia's armed forces, reported. The ministry was cited as saying that it was the first time that such drills were being held in such a format. The Gulf of Oman has remained a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes and which in turn connects to the Gulf. The latest exercise comes as the Pentagon announced it would be sending its USS Nimitz, the only Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East, back to its homeport. In 2019, Iranian flotilla admiral Gholamreza Tahani said the message of this exercise was 'peace, friendship and lasting security' The Gulf of Oman connects to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes The Nimitz was operating just off the coast of Somalia and was in the midst of a ten month deployment when the Defence Department announced that it would be returning. The decision to send the Nimitz home was made in December by the acting secretary of defence, Christopher Miller. The Nimitz was deployed from the US last April and was due to return before the end of last year. However in early December, its planned return was postponed, in part out of concerns about potential Iranian threats, and more recently it was ordered to provide support off the coast of Somalia for the movement of American forces out of the country. The move to send the Nimitz home came just two days after the US flew strategic bombers over Iran as a show of force and a week after Trump warned its government that it would be held responsible for attacks targeting Americans in Iraq. 'Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch' Trump tweeted from aboard Air Force One on December 23. 'Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq... Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,' he wrote. In announcing the decision to send the Nimitz home, Mr Miller made no mention of Iran. By Colin Packham CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia on Monday moved to reassure its citizens over the efficacy of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after South Africa suspended use of the shot because data showed it offered limited protection against a new strain of the virus. Citing data that showed the AstraZeneca vaccine reduced mild-to-moderate COVID-19 by 22%, South Africa said on Sunday it would put on hold the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. But Australia's Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, said the vaccine is effective in its primary objective. "There is currently no evidence to indicate a reduction in the effectiveness of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines in preventing severe disease and death. That is the fundamental task, to protect the health," Hunt told reporters in Canberra. Australia is expected approve the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine within days. Last month, it approved the use of the Pfizer -BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, although it has secured enough doses for less than half of its population and orders remain delayed. Australia is expected to begin using the Pfizer vaccine later this month though Canberra's hopes for a complete inoculation programme rests with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The country has ordered 53 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the vast majority of which will be manufactured locally by CSL Ltd. Australia, however, is under less pressure to begin COVID-19 inoculations after successfully suppressing the spread of virus. On Monday, just one new local case of COVID-19 was reported. Australia has had just over 28,800 cases in the past year and 909 deaths. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Another patient who had been moved from the fire-hit pavilion of the 'Matei Bals' Institute has died, bringing the total death toll in the aftermath of the blaze to 15, according to AGERPRES. "The Health Ministry was informed this morning of a death among the patients who were in Pavilion V of the 'Matei Bals' National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Bucharest during the fire that broke out on January 29, 2021," the Ministry announced on Monday. The fatality is an 89-year-old man who had been transferred to another hospital pavilion. He was suffering from a severe form of Covid-19 and had multiple underlying conditions. "A post mortem examination will determine the cause of the death," the Health Ministry said. Recently uncovered video footage confirms that Roger Stone, the longtime political crony of Donald Trump, was in close contact with Proud Boy leaders, including Chairman Enrique Tarrio and recently indicted Ethan Nordean (alias Rufio Panman), in the run-up to the January 6 assault on the US Capitol. Nordean is one of six Proud Boys charged with conspiracy, which means prosecutors believe his actions were premeditated and planned. Tarrio, who was revealed last month to be an FBI informant, was arrested on a warrant in Washington D.C. on January 4. Stone has long operated as a right-wing dirty tricks operative for the Republican Party, beginning with his work for the Nixon White House. He was convicted in November 2019 on seven charges, including perjury, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, as part of the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. Stone was found guilty of lying to the House Intelligence Committee. Supporters loyal to President Donald Trump clash with authorities before successfully breaching the Capitol building during a riot on the grounds, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump commuted his sentence in July 2020, before issuing a full pardon last December. The Parler social media video, uncovered by journalists Ryan Goodman and Justin Hendrix of Just Security, shows Stone speaking to a crowd of Trump supporters ahead of a rally on December 11, 2020. He is flanked by Proud Boy leaders Tarrio and Nordean, the latter of whom appears to place a hand on Stones shoulder as Stone tells the crowd: We will fight to the bitter end for an honest count of the 2020 election. Never give up, never quit, never surrender, and fight for America! The federal indictments released last week against the six Proud Boys charged with conspiracy stated that prosecutors believed a measure of planning went into disrupting the certification of the presidential vote. Prosecutors cited social media posts from Nordean in which he solicited donations for safety/protective gear, or communications equipment ahead of the January 6 coup. In a public video from December 11, Stone likewise solicited donations from his followers to raise money for the January 6 Stop the Steal rally in the capital. Stone implored those who couldnt make it to D.C. on January 6 to visit StopTheSteal.org and contribute to protective equipment for Trump supporters. According to the New Yorker, the website Stop the Steal was first created by Stone months before the 2016 election. In a preview of what was to come four years later, Stone and Trump planned on using the website to claim that the election was rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. Despite winning the electoral vote in 2016, Trump falsely insisted that he had also won the popular vote, based on discarding all illegal votes. The New Yorker reports that the Stop the Steal website was reactivated on December 23, 2020, 10 days after Trump pardoned Stone and began accepting donations for the January 6 event, including for security. The Stop the Steal URL had previously been redirected to Stones personal website StoneColdTruth.com, according to CNN. Stones appeal for protective equipment was followed by several other public declarations and appearances that establish Stones intimate involvement with the Stop the Steal agitation and far-right vigilante groups. Roger Stone with the Proud Boys On January 2, 2021, Stone and the Proud Boys protested outside the home of Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio to demand that he vote to overthrow the election results. According to the Wall Street Journal, Stone participated in a Proud Boys effort to pressure Sen. Marco Rubio to not certify the results of the election. Mr. Tarrio led about two dozen Trump supporters in front of Mr. Rubios Miami home, while Mr. Stone called in to the rally to speak to the crowd. This was followed by a January 4 interview with Just The News, in which Stone warned that peaceful options for keeping Trump in office are blocked. Stone added, You see why the American people are so frustrated. On the eve of the coup attempt, January 5, Stone was a featured speaker at the One Nation Under God prayer rally hosted by Virginia Women for Trump. In front of the Supreme Court, flanked by Oath Keeper militia members, Stone warned: This is nothing less than an epic struggle for the future of this country between dark and light, between the godly and the godless, between good and evil. And we will win this fight or America will step off into a thousand years of darkness. We dare not fail. I will be with you tomorrow, shoulder-to-shoulder. In the same speech, Stone thanked my friend, GOP operative Ali Alexander, who has revived the Stop the Steal movement. In a late December report by CNN, Alexander is cited as boasting of his close relationship with Stone and their close coordination in planning the coup. This is something Roger and I have been planning for a long time, Alexander said. And finally, hes off the leash. So, you know, its a knife fight and your two knife fighters are Ali Alexander and Roger Stone, and you either fight with us or you get slashed. So Ill let you guys know more about what that means as we evolve. Alexander, along with Republican Representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama, spoke at several Stop the Steal events throughout the country leading up to the coup. Books addressed the rally at the Ellipse on January 6, also addressed by Trump, which preceded the assault on the Capitol. Brooks told the crowd to take names and kick ass. Gosar, Biggs and Brooks were among the 138 Republican House members who voted against the certification of the electoral vote only hours after the fascistic mob had been cleared from the Capitol building. The uncovering of these videos follows another video released by ABC News last Friday, showing Stone accompanied by Oath Keepers militia members outside the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C. on the morning of the coup attempt. Stones affiliation with the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys is several years old. Under oath in February 2019, Stone testified that he had volunteers who worked for him, including Tarrio and Proud Boy Jacob Engles. Stone testified that their relationship was so close that Tarrio and Engles had access to his personal phone and social media accounts. One of the first images of Stone with the Proud Boys was taken in March 2018 in Salem, Oregon. Stone was photographed making the OK hand gesture, which has been appropriated by white supremacist groups as a symbol for white power. The photo was originally shared by fascistic InfoWars host and fellow Stop the Steal organizer Alex Jones on Twitter. Jones captioned the image, InfoWars Roger Stone joined the @proudboysUSA in Salem Oregon tonight. I joined them in spirit! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Former US President Donald Trump (Image: Reuters) Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial is opening this week with a sense of urgency by Democrats who want to hold the former president accountable for the violent US Capitol siege and Republicans who want it over as fast as possible. Scheduled to begin Tuesday, just over a month since the deadly riot, the proceedings are expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated trial that resulted in Trump's acquittal a year ago on charges that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trump's Jan. 6 rally cry to fight like hell and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see. While Trump very well could be acquitted again, the trial could be over in half the time. Details of the proceedings are still being negotiated by the Senate leaders, with the duration of opening arguments, senators' questions and deliberations all up for debate. So far, it appears there will be few witnesses called, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who have been sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors. Most are also witnesses to the siege, having fled for safety that day as the rioters broke into the Capitol and temporarily halted the electoral count certifying Biden's victory. Defense attorneys for Trump declined a request for him to testify. Holed up at his Mar-a-Lago club, the former president has been silenced on social media by Twitter without public comments since leaving the White House. Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are expected to rely on the trove of videos from the siege, along with Trump's incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new defense team has said it plans to counter with its own cache of videos of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches. We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trump's first impeachment. "Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call. Trump is the first president to be twice impeached, and the only one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House approved a sole charge, incitement of insurrection, acting swiftly one week after the riot, the most violent attack on Congress in more than 200 years. Five people died including a woman shot by police inside the building and a police officer who died of injuries the next day. Democrats argue its not only about winning conviction, but holding the former president accountable for his actions, even though hes out of office. For Republicans, the trial will test their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP. Read: Senate Republicans back Donald Trump as impeachment trial nears Initially repulsed by the graphic images of the siege, Republican senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. But in recent weeks GOP senators have rallied around Trump arguing his comments do not make him responsible for the violence. They question the legitimacy of even conducting a trial of someone no longer in office. On Sunday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi described Trump's impeachment trial as a meaningless messaging partisan exercise." Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky called the proceedings a farce with zero chance of conviction" and described Trumps language and rally words as figurative speech. Senators were sworn in as jurors late last month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, but the trial proceedings were delayed as Democrats focused on confirming the new president's initial Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to put as much distance as possible from the bloody riot. At the time, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, drawing 44 other Republicans to his argument. A prominent conservative lawyer, Charles Cooper, rejects that view, writing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Sunday that the Constitution permits the Senate to try an ex-official, a significant counterpoint to that of Republican senators who have looked toward acquittal by advancing constitutional claims. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trumps ardent defenders, said he believes Trumps actions were wrong and hes going to have a place in history for all of this, but insisted its not the Senates job to judge. Its not a question of how the trial ends, its a question of when it ends, Graham said. Republicans are going to view this as an unconstitutional exercise, and the only question is, will they call witnesses, how long does the trial take? But the outcome is really not in doubt. But 45 votes in favor of Paul's measure suggested the near impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Only five Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Pauls motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Schiff was on NBC's Meet the Press, Wicker spoke on ABC's This Week, Paul was on Fox News Sunday and Graham was on CBS' Face the Nation. Baghdad, Feb 8 : The Iraqi Republic Railway Company (IRR) announced that it has resumed limited transportation of oil derivatives from the country's central region to the south in an attempt to revive the railway sector. On Sunday, the government-owned corporation also announced the rehabilitation of 100 of its rail tank cars by the company's workers, who also rebuilt many of the company's damaged buildings and equipment, Xinhua news agency quoted the local al-Sabah newspaper as saying in a report. Under a contract signed with the Ministry of Oil, the IRR is currently transporting 1,000 cubic metres of oil derivatives a day from the Baiji oil refinery in Salahudin province in the north of Baghdad to Umm Qasr Port in the southern province of Basra, said Talib al-Husseiny, head of the IRR. Al-Husseiny pointed out that the contract will turn the railway company to be one of the profitable companies. Moreover, "the company has a contract to import 250 new rail tank cars, of which 39 have arrived in Iraq, and some 150 others will arrive in the coming days, while the remaining 61 rail tank cars will arrive later", al-Husseiny added. Iraq seeks to support and revive its companies, which were negatively affected by years of wars and conflicts, to give a push to the country's economy by reducing dependence on the export of crude oil. Currently, Iraqi economy relies heavily on crude oil exports, which represent more than 90 per cent of the country's revenues. A glance at some of the day's highlights from the Proactive Investors newswire ( ) told investors that the WR-38Z and WR-16aZ wells at the West Rustavi field have been brought back online safely, with oil and gas now flowing into the fields Early Production Facility (EPF). ( ) clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck KGaA, and Inc. As part of the tie-up, 4D pharma will start a clinical trial this year BAVENCIO, a drug for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma developed by Merck and , in combination with 4Ds MRx0518. PLC ( ) is to increase the production capacity of the first module at its Vatomina graphite project in Madagascar to 9,000 tonnes per year. The upgrade comes in the wake of increased demand for Tirupatis high-quality flake graphite. It will also result in an increase to near-term cash flows from operations. ( ) ( ) said its liquid biopsy was integral to a study assessing the progression non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer and understanding why the disease may become resistant to a particular line of treatment. ( ) has confirmed expectations from a November update that its earnings will more than double in 2020. In a brief trading update for the year to December 31, the conference call and remote meeting technology specialist said earnings (EBITDA) are expected to be around 15.3mln, up from 6.4mln in 2019, while revenues are forecast to rise to around 50.2mln from 42.5mln. Learning Technologies Group PLC ( ) said it has acquired PDT Global, a UK-based provider online of diversity & inclusion (D&I) training solutions, for an initial cash sum of 13.2mln. Pan African Resources ( ) has advised shareholders of that it expects headline earnings per share to be between US$0.0205 and US$0.0217 when it reports its interim results for the period to end December on 16 February 2021. The increases earnings and headline earnings that the company is expecting to report come as a result of a boost to gold revenues to US$183.8mln, up from US$132mln in 2019. The average gold price received increased by 27.4% to US$1,865 per ounce, as the company sold more gold overall. Seeing Machines Limited ( ) said its driver monitoring system (DMS) software, a key enabler to the General Motors Super Cruise driver assistance feature, is now available in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade. ( ) has released drill results from definition and step out drilling at the Minto mine conducted during 2019 and 2020. Drilling was conducted on the Minto North II, Copper Keel South, Copper Keel West, and Copper Keel North areas. Highlights included 38.9 metres grading 1.66% copper and 0.51grams per tonne gold, 15.75 metres grading 1.44% copper and 0.35 grams per tonne, and 21.6 metres grading 1.16% copper and 0.64 grams. ( ) has appointed Dr Michael Rendall as its new chief engineer and product officer starting next month. Rendall was previously head of engineering and industrialisation for the consumer electronics product group Dyson, where he led its battery and energy storage programmes. Prior to that Rendall had worked on prototypes for the conversion of ammonia into electricity, a technology being developed by AFC, when he worked at Diverse Energy which was a pioneer in the use of fuel cells as a self-contained power source. ( ) ( ) said a softer market for coal has resulted in a lower portfolio contribution, although the drop is also set against the context of a record year in 2019. The 2020 portfolio contribution rebounded strongly in the final quarter as commodity markets started to recover, particularly iron ore and copper which rallied during the second half of 2020 and coking coal prices which continue to recover in 2021, currently trading at around US$156 per tonne. ( ) said its portfolio company Indorse has announced that its IND token staking dashboard is now live in readiness for the launch of its Indorse 2.0 (IND 2.0) token model. Meanwhile, Coinsilium also updated on the status of its cryptocurrency treasury, saying that as of February 8 the value of its treasury excluding cash at bank was around US$1.98mln, which is predominantly denominated in highly liquid cryptos including Bitcoin, Ethereum and ICX. The company said US$214,703 was denominated in RIF, which will vest monthly over the next 21 months. s ( ) partner in the Algoa-Gamtoos license, offshore South Africa, has provided a new prospective resource estimate which details the potential for some 5.27bn barrels of oil to be present. The company, in a statement, highlighted that the new estimates are triggered by the reprocessing of 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic data which improved the image quality, improved confidence, and identified new targets. Altogether, the new estimates have increased prospective resources by 54%. ( ), the commercial passenger aircraft leasing company said it has entered into a new lease for an ATR72-600 for delivery from the factory in Toulouse. Delivery to an existing Asian client airline is expected to occur on or around the 10 March 2021. The lease is for eight years and is at current market rates. The aircraft was previously purchased into inventory in December 2019. In a statement, Jeff Chatfield, executive chairman of Avation, said: "We anticipate that on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that regional travel will improve extremely rapidly, and that ATR aircraft represents the ideal solution for short duration sub 100 seat routes". ( ) the AIM-listed exploration and development company operating in Europe, has announced the publication of its circular to shareholders concerning the proposed reduction of share capital via cancellation of the company's share premium account, the cancellation of the deferred shares and the authority for the company to buy back shares. Dr Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented: "This timely circular is being distributed in advance of the completion of our new Joint Venture with Ozaltin and Proccea. The proposed General Meeting concerns a capital reorganisation which will enable the Company to pay a special dividend. Since receiving shareholder ratification of the joint venture agreements signed at the end of last year and the approval received from the Competition Authority in Turkey last month, we are expecting to conclude all remaining formal corporate procedures in the near future. We are continuing to advance rapidly on all fronts and we look forward to keeping the market updated on our progress." ( ), the precious and base metals exploration and development company, announced that its new chief executive officer, Shaun Day, has commenced his role at the company. As announced on December 15, 2020, Day succeeds Gervaise Heddle, who will remain on the board and part of the Greatland executive team until March 12, 2021, to ensure a smooth transition. In a statement, Day commented: "I join Greatland at a very exciting time for the business and with a strong platform in place to drive further growth. Greatland will continue to progress its core strategy - advancing Havieron while pursuing value from our other exploration targets with tier-one potential. Beyond this, I intend to apply my experience from growing major mining companies to oversee the development of Havieron and to scale-up the wider business. ( ) has highlighted a strong performance for 2020 despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a trading update for the year to December 31, the regenerative medical devices specialist said revenues for the year will be 12.8mln, in line with the prior-year figure of 13mln despite the impact of the pandemic, adding that it also ended the period with a strong cash position of 9.5mln following a fundraising in June. ( ) told investors that the Perseverance-1 exploration well, offshore Bahamas, encountered hydrocarbons but commercial volumes were not discovered. ( ) (CSE:XOP), an international oil and gas exploration and development company announced that it has repaid in cash the balance of the loan from Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC and YA II PN, Ltd announced on June 15, 2020. The remaining balance of 400,000 was repaid in cash on February 5, 2020, without penalty. As such, the company has met all of the terms and conditions of the lenders under the loan agreement. In a statement, Arthur Millholland, COPLs president and CEO, commented: "We would like to thank Riverfort and Yorkville for providing the loan in June of last year which was strategic to the restructuring of the Company. It has allowed us to proceed to where we are today nearing the completion of the Atomic acquisition." . ( ) ( ) has announced that, further to its announcement on December 21, 2020, it has issued 325,000 shares in the company to Bacchus Capital Advisors Limited in connection with the financial advisory services provided for the period from December 18, 2020, to January 31, 2021. The shares were issued at a deemed price of C$0.27 per share. Mkango said it will issue a further 625,000 shares on December 18, 2021, should its engagement continue with Bacchus continue until such date. The company added that it continues to work closely with Bacchus, whose mandate encompasses mergers and acquisitions, takeover defence, strategic and other financial advice. CentralNic Group PLC ( ), the global internet platform that derives revenue from the subscription sales of domain names and web services, has announced that its bondholder meeting held on January 29, 2021, approved the amendment to the bond terms disclosed in its announcement of January 15, 2021. As a result, Pareto Securities has been mandated to arrange a series of fixed income institutional investor meetings starting the week commencing Monday, February 8, 2021, to issue a tranche of bonds with a volume of approximately 15mln euros (US$8mlm). The group said any debt raised will be used for consideration for the acquisition of near-term identified targets. PLC ( ), the AIM-listed metals exploration and development company said on Friday that it has received notices to exercise warrants over 8,860,758 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each. It said 3,597,600 warrants are being exercised at a price of 1.0p per ordinary share and 5,263,158 warrants at an exercise price of 0.75p per ordinary share. Subscription monies of 75,450 have been received by Power Metal in respect of these exercises. ( ) , the AIM-quoted exploration company focussed on West Africa said that following an exercise of warrants and options over ordinary shares in the company it is issuing 19,188,315 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the company, The group noted that 19,138,315 warrants were exercised at 0.68p each and 50,000 options at 0.37p each. ( ), a minerals exploration and development company, has announced that it will be attending the Mexico Mining Forum from February 10-11, 2021. The digital forum will include a program of networking and informational events that will allow Alien to engage with a vital audience in one if its main countries of operation. Alien currently holds the Donovan 2 copper and gold project and the San Celso and Los Campos silver projects in Zacatecas state, Mexico. The forum typically takes place in Mexico City but will be entirely online for this year's edition, with thousands of e-business meetings that will bring together industry experts in an effective and targeted networking platform. Bill Brodie Good, CEO & Technical Director of Alien Metals, commented: "Alien's attendance at the Mexico Mining Forum will be an excellent opportunity for us to directly engage with key stakeholders and investors in the country. We are very excited to be involved and look forward to meeting other attendees from the mining community to both showcase our exciting projects and also to discuss potential further opportunities for Alien in line with our strategy." Details of the conference can be found at: https://mexicobusinessevents.com/mining/2021 Redx Pharma PLC (LON:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on oncology and fibrosis, announced on Friday that its annual general meeting will be held at 11.00am on March 2, 2021, at Block 33, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TG. In light of the Stay-at-Home Measures which prohibit all non-essential travel and larger public gatherings and to ensure the safety of the limited number of people whose attendance at the meeting is essential, shareholders will not be allowed into the AGM. Accordingly, shareholders may submit questions related to the business of the AGM to the directors in advance of the meeting. by 5.30pm on February 25, 2021, to Andrew Booth, Redxs company secretary, by email at a.booth@redxpharma.com. Following the AGM, the group said its board will respond to any questions submitted by shareholders in advance of the meeting and the answers will be posted on the investor FAQs section of the company website. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote by proxy, appointing the chairman of the meeting, using the card distributed with the notice of meeting, to ensure their vote counts. The proxy is also available in the investor resources section of the company's website: www.redxpharma.com ( ) has raised 301,425.95 (gross) at 7p per share from an institutional investor and a group of private investors for general working capital purposes. New Delhi: FMCG major Bajaj Corp on Wednesday reported a 5.32 per cent rise in standalone net profit at Rs 54.97 crore for the first quarter ended June 30. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 52.19 crore in the same quarter a year ago. Total income during the quarter under review fell by 1.96 per cent to Rs 208.49 crore as against Rs 212.67 crore in the corresponding period last year, the company said in a BSE filing. Bajaj Corp has several products in hair care segment such as Bajaj Almond Drops, Bajaj Kailash Parbat and Bajaj Brahmi Amla. The company also acquired Nomarks brands in 2013. Shares of the company were trading 2.79 per cent higher at Rs 407.15 on BSE. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Why Israel is right to doubt that new negotiations with Iran will work By Amb. Dore Gold In August 2002, the Iranian Opposition, known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), disclosed secret Iranian nuclear facilities at the Natanz enrichment plant, the Arak Heavy Water production facility, the Isfahan uranium conversion plant, as well as other previously unknown Iranian facilities. Rather than negotiate access to these newly revealed plants by international atomic watchdogs, the United States proposed that Iran hold talks with the EU-3 powers (Britain, France, and Germany). The United States was busy with Iraq and the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs of Saddam Hussein. So, it left the Europeans to do the heavy lifting on Iran. The first deal with the EU-3 was struck on October 21, 2003, in Tehran. Iran agreed to suspend all uranium enrichment activities. But the two sides disagreed after their accord was reached over the question of how each defined suspension. For Europe, suspension meant Iran freezing all enrichment activities. This was something that the Iranian leadership would not agree to. A second agreement was struck in Paris on November 15, 2004. The Iranians wanted to leave the definition of suspension vague so that what they were committing to suspending would be unclear. That would allow Iran to build more centrifuges, for example. The Iranians reversed themselves within months, declaring that they would manufacture centrifuges for uranium enrichment. Uranium came in two forms or isotopes: U-235 and U-238. Only the lighter isotope, U-235, could undergo nuclear fission that would release the energy for reactor fuel or an atomic bomb. The father of the Iranian diplomatic approach was Hassan Rouhani, who served as Irans national security adviser and later as its head nuclear negotiator with the EU-3. It is essential to read what he said back in 2003 because of his subsequent advancement within the Iranian system. Today, he is the president of Iran. Decisions are ultimately made by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Rouhani is a major player. In a significant address, Rouhani made clear how he viewed the purpose of negotiations: When we were negotiating with the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment in parts of the facility in Isfahan. The negotiating process, in short, allowed Iran to steadily advance with its nuclear program. The political philosophy of the Iranian officials certainly was one major factor making a reliable negotiation difficult to imagine. But there was a second problem with the Iranian approach that has not changed. Tehran did not open up its facilities to unimpeded inspections. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sought access to the Lavizan Technological Research Center, where the Western powers believed Iran had conducted nuclear weaponization work. The Iranians, however, demolished six buildings at Lavizan and then removed several meters of the topsoil there so that no one could take soil samples that would be incriminating. This type of behavior repeated itself at what was known as the Kalaya Electric Facility, where Iranian experts re-tiled the walls before inspectors arrived so that their swipes would not reveal that radioactive materials had been previously present. In other words, Iran was predisposed to cheat. The Islamic term used by the Iranians for what they were doing was Taqiya, taken from the Arabic root word Waqa. As a theological idea, the Shiite Muslims used it to make reference to their need to hide or conceal their true faith from the Sunni majority in the Middle East. They engaged in deception for self-preservation. Ayatollah Khomeini wrote that the purpose of Taqiya was the preservation of Islam and the Shiite school. But it became a diplomatic instrument that the Iranians employed in their arms control talks with the West. Advocates of a new diplomatic path today need to demonstrate that somehow Iran has really changed. Currently, there is little or no evidence that this is the case. Iran was not about to alter its behavior. In the meantime, it continues to be a dangerous power with both an advanced nuclear program and expansionist policies across the Middle East. It would be nice if this was not the case, but it is difficult to make a convincing case otherwise. Ambassador Dore Gold has served as President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs since 2000. From June 2015 until October 2016 he served as Director-General of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels Ambassador to the UN (1997-1999), and as an advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Home WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Professional winemakers and wine industry employees wanting to enhance their knowledge, skills, business and careers, and serious noncommercial winemakers looking to take their pastime to the professional startup level, can get the technical knowledge they need from Purdue University. Purdues online Winemaking Certificate course is an affordable, compact, yet comprehensive review of commercial winemaking principles and practices. It includes six progressive modules covering ground from grape to glass. Topics covered range from a critical review of winemaking techniques, styles and traditions to advice on aging, stabilization, filtration, bottling, and shelf-life optimization. Portions of the curriculum focus specifically on winemaking in Indiana and the Midwestern and eastern United States, but much of it is applicable to wineries anywhere in the world. The online course is valuable for people in the wine business, whether entry-level winery workers or seasoned winemakers. It teaches individuals who already make wine how to make better wine and how to improve their winery's bottom line. Participants should have prior or concurrent winemaking experience, and it may help to have taken an introductory wine course, such as Purdue's Wine Appreciation course series. The class accommodates different skill and experience levels, and all participants will gain new knowledge and refresh their existing knowledge, even if they have taken other winemaking classes already, said Christian Butzke, Purdues wine professor, who developed and teaches the Winemaking Certificate course. Butzke, professor of enology (the science of wine and winemaking), is a past president of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture and an award-winning commercial winemaker and wine competition judge. Hes the editor of the technical book Winemaking Problems Solved for commercial winemakers and author of the popular textbook Wine Appreciation. Butzke has been teaching winemaking for nearly 30 years and was set to be a visiting professor in Italy in 2020 before the viral pandemic made traveling abroad impossible. He ended up packaging his Italian presentations for online consumption, and that led to the idea of developing the new online Winemaking Certificate course. Everything I know about winemaking is in this course, Butzke said It really brings it all together in a comprehensive package. Each module includes multiple video lectures and supplemental materials, as well as interaction with the instructor and other students. A comprehensive 100-question exam tests students knowledge at the end with an eye to applying what they learned in their own winemaking endeavors. Butzke is available to consult on technical questions, even after participants complete the course. If they have a problem, a suggestion or idea that they want to share with other participating winemakers, they can openly or confidentially discuss it in my class, Butzke said. Someone can finish all the modules in six weeks, but students have a year to work through the self-paced course and earn the Purdue Winemaking Certificate. The cost is $999 for Indiana residents, $1,250 for out of state participants. The modules include: Winemaking Principles, recapping techniques, styles and traditions to ground students in the fundamentals of how wine is created commercially and the challenges involved. Winemaking Issues, covering best practices from designing a winery to running a successful wine business. Wine Stability, highlighting ways to adjust and assure the desired composition and quality of a finished wine, including major stabilization and fining techniques for a low-input approach to winemaking. Filtration, Bottling and Closures, presenting methods for assuring that a well-crafted wine's quality is maintained throughout the final steps of processing, and beyond, allowing the winemaker to sleep well at night. Wine Quality, Aging and Shelf Life, looking at aspects of a fine wine's success in the marketplace and the global wine industry supply chain that allows winemakers to optimize their wines' healthfulness, complexity, aging potential and value. Regional Typicity, Terroir and Climate Change, contemplating the future of winegrowing and winemaking and preparing winemakers for adjustments in the wake of global warming and changing consumer preferences. For more information about Purdues online Winemaking Certificate see the course webpage. Writer: Greg Kline, 765-426-8545, gkline@purdue.edu Source: Christian Butzke, 765-494-6500, butzke@purdue.edu President Museveni has said no group or organisation can defeat his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Read more In the past few months, Western media and academia have placed unprecedented, and somewhat bewildering, focus on Uganda's 2021 general elections. It is puzzling because throughout Read more Uganda: Amin, Museveni and Having to Choose Between Pharaoh and the Red Sea Monitor, 7 February 2021 For me I think (and that's bad English!) a DNA test needs to be made to confirm if Hussein Lumumba Amin is truly the son of former president Idi Amin Dada. Read more Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 22:57:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUSCAT, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Omani Health Ministry on Monday announced 316 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 135,990, the official Oman News Agency reported. Meanwhile, 155 people recovered during the past 24 hours, taking the overall recoveries to 127,853, while one person reportedly died, pushing the tally up to 1,535, according to a ministry statement quoted by ONA. The ministry urged everyone to adhere to social distancing instructions by the supreme COVID-19 committee. Enditem opinion Mr. President, the155 persons who violated the COVID-19 testing and isolation protocols, and evaded last month are a great concern to the public because it poses great health risk. This mistake of COVID-19 patients escaping quarantine should never be repeated again. We have noticed that there is an increase in the number of deaths and an increase in positive cases these days, but yet, the majority of people don't wear masks, don't use hand sanitiser or respect social distance, which the health authorities and the police should be strict with. Mr. President, we welcome the move by the government to increase allowances payable to doctors and PHD holders at the central level of the Ministry of Health to be comparable to their colleagues in the hospitals and other government agencies. This will bring commitment and dedication on the side of the health personnel, which in turn will improve service delivery in the health sector. Mr. President, your government needs to give attention to the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), which is of concern recently. GPA should be given subsidy to improve the ferry services or invite foreign investors like Dubai Ports or Bolore to buy shares and develop the two identities because of the tough competition in the subregion that GPA is facing. Problems like the lack of shore handling equipment, lack of space, including berths for ships resulting in delay in deliveries of urgent commodities is now prominent at the Port. These problems should be addressed soonest. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Gambia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Port should find ways of having its own dredger as it used to have a dredger called Malo in the past. Government should consider selling shares of the Gambia Ferry Services and the dockyard which will help improve the services of these areas. Mr. President, maintenance dragging is a basic requirement to any port to avoid impediment to shipping activities. Prevention is surely better than cure. Government should look for the right experienced people in the maritime industry to be on the board of GPA and not friends, relatives or political friends. Mr. President, all the board members of any institution should be appointed based on their experience in that field and should reside in the country. Gambians outside the country, who are experts in their areas and are willing to come back and work for the development of the country should also be welcomed on board the bus. Finally Mr. President, the government should consider revitalising our River Gambia by encouraging a river steamer service. Government should also seek aid through their bilateral cooperation with Japan, China, Greece and Turkey to help with new ferries and ferry terminals at Banjul and Barra to be modernised with better standards since the OIC summit is next year. Good day! COLUMBUS, Ohio Two teens were killed and two other people were injured when a pickup truck lost control on an icy road and rolled down an embankment into a river. Feixiang Friend, 17, a student at Gahanna-Lincoln High School, and Joshua Friend, 13, who attended Gahanna Middle School East, both died in the crash Saturday night, WBNS Channel 10 reports. Another 13-year-old boy and a 64-year-old man also were injured. Both were in stable condition at hospitals in Columbus, WBNS reports. The deaths were confirmed by Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools Superintendent Steve Barrett in a letter sent Sunday to families and staff in the school district. Everyone involved in the crash was from the same family, reports say. Police tell ABC 6 that Feixiang was driving the 2002 Ford F-150 on an onramp from Dublin Road to I-670 eastbound at about 5 p.m. Saturday. Police tell WCMH Channel 4 that the truck hit a patch of ice and lost control, hitting a concrete barrier. The truck then rolled down an embankment before coming to rest in the Scioto River. Three people were still in the vehicle when rescue crews arrived, according to ABC 6. Feixiang and Joshua both were taken to hospitals but died of their injuries, reports say. The crash remains under investigation. New Delhi: Delhi Universitys fourth cut-off saw a dip of 0.25 per cent from the previous list with the highest settling at 97.75 per cent for BA (Hons) Psychology course at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR). In the third list, LSR had pegged its highest cut-off at 98 per cent for the same course. Second highest cut-off in the fourth list are 97.25 per cent for BA (Hons) Journalism at LSR and BA (Hons) Economics at Hindu College. The DU had announced its first cut-off on 23 June and the highest was 99.66% for BSc (Hons) Electronics in SGTB Khalsa College. About 57 per cent of around 52,000 seats in undergraduate courses in various Delhi University colleges have been filled till now. Admissions that begins tomorrow for the fourth-list will continue till July 15. After approval of admission by respective colleges, the applicant has to make online payment on the varsitys website till the deadline announced by the administration, a release said. Next cut-off list will be released on July 18. The opinion can be used as the basis of legal action against Chinas government and top officials. A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as he makes a statement on trade measures over alleged Chinese human rights violations against its Uyghur minority at the House of Commons in London, Jan. 12, 2021. Available evidence of Chinese state actions establishes a credible case that authorities have committed crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide against Uyghurs in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), experts said in a legal opinion Monday. Lawyers at Essex Court Chambers in London published the opinion citing reports that since 2017, authorities in the XUAR have detained up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps as part of a de-extremification scheme, the rights group Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) said in a statement. Hundreds of thousands are believed to be engaged in forced labor both inside and outside the camps. According to GLAN, which commissioned the opinion in partnership with the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), the lawyers determined there is a credible case that crimes against humanity are taking place including enslavement, imprisonment, torture, rape, enforced sterilization, enforced disappearance and persecution. The opinion also finds that the crime of genocide is occurring, as there is evidence of an intent to destroy the Uyghur population as such, including through a pattern of Chinese State-mandated conduct. Such conduct includes the infliction of serious physical and mental harm to Uyghurs in detention, measures to prevent births in the Uyghur community, and the forcible transfer of Uyghur children outside of their communities, GLAN said. Additionally, the opinion concludes that there is a credible case of crimes against humanity and genocide against Chinese President Xi Jinping, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Peoples Congress Zhu Hailun, and XUAR Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, as well as potentially others. Unlike a court ruling, a legal opinion is not binding. However, it can be used as the basis of legal action. Intent to destroy Uyghurs GLAN called the significance of the opinion far reaching, noting that if a court reaches the same conclusions, it could lead to political and legal consequences for China and the officials deemed responsible for abuses in the XUAR. Additionally, the opinion provides stronger support for national governments to designate Chinas policies in the region as crimes against humanity and genocide, and to take action to investigate and prevent any ongoing atrocities. GLAN noted that the opinion also puts pressure on international business enterprises which may be complicit in such crimes because their supply chains are linked to forced labor in the XUAR. GLAN legal officer Dearbhla Minogue told RFAs Uyghur Service that the finding should convince U.K. parliamentarians of the need to designate Chinas abuses in the XUAR genocide and crimes against humanity. They really need to put party politics aside and just step up and do whatever is necessary for Uyghurs to have a route to a judicial determination on the question of genocide, she said. This is a legal issue as much as its a political issue. Its an objective question: Is China carrying out a genocide and crimes against humanity or not? And this is why we went for these extremely high profile, very, very independent, neutral legal experts to answer this question. We provided the sort of legal aspect to support the Uyghurs quest for accountability. Siobhan Allen, another legal officer with GLAN, said that from a global perspective, governments and businesses can no longer stand back and avoid taking action to ensure that they are not complicit in allowing these horrific crimes to continue. Rahima Mahmut, U.K. director of the WUC, said the finding makes clear that there is an intent to destroy Uyghurs. Governments globally have a duty to take action to protect Uyghurs, to prevent genocide and to hold to account those in the Chinese Government responsible for these crimes, she said. Corporations operating in the Uyghur region have a responsibility reevaluate their relationship with the Chinese government. To turn a blind eye to the truth is to be complicit in the genocide of my people. US designation The legal opinion comes weeks after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeoon his last full day as top U.S. diplomatsaid Chinese policies in the XUAR aim for the forced assimilation and eventual erasure of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group. Pompeo said he had determined China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity in the XUAR against Uyghurs and other ethnic groups, and that Beijing and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must be held to account. The new Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has endorsed the designation, suggesting that President Joe Bidens administration will pursue a more forceful approach in holding China accountable for its abuses in the region. Emily Horne, the spokesperson for Bidens National Security Council, recently told the Washington Examiner that President Biden has called the oppression of the Uyghurs a genocide, and he stands against it in the strongest possible terms. Chinese officials have said the camps are voluntary centers for vocational training that protect the region against religious extremism and terrorism, but reporting by RFA and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in cramped and unsanitary conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination. Last week, when asked to respond to the U.S. designation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called on Washington to show solid evidence to back up its claims about the situation in the XUAR. We urge it to respect facts and stop making baseless allegations and irresponsible or even ill-intentioned remarks, Wang told a regularly scheduled press briefing in Beijing. China experts recently told RFAs Uyghur Service that the most effective actions Washington can take include hitting China with economic sanctions in addition to measures blocking trade and travel placed on Chinese officials and companies in the XUAR last year by the Trump administration. Trade implications Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) to detain all cotton products and tomatoes from the XUAR at the countrys ports of entry, saying that the agency had identified indicators of forced labor including debt bondage, restriction of movement, isolation, intimidation and threats, withholding of wages, and abusive living and working conditions. The U.S. imported U.S. $9 billion worth of cotton products and $10 million of tomatoes from China over the past year, according to the CBP. Most of Chinas cotton is from the XUAR. The European Union and Britain have trade deals pending with China, but experts have cautioned that the U.S. designation should give the relevant parliaments pause. In Mondays statement announcing the legal opinion, Peter Irwin, Senior Program Officer for Advocacy & Communications at the UHRP, warned the international community that history will not treat them kindly if they favor business in a time of genocide. Whether its the 2022 Beijing Olympics or Volkswagen building vehicles a few miles from an internment camp, governments and global businesses will need to reassess their relationship with Beijing until this kind of treatment ends, he said. GLANs Director, Gearoid O Cuinn, said that businesses can no longer turn a blind eye to the situation in the XUAR in their pursuit of profit. Given the gravity of the situation Governments need to act ensure that businesses are held responsible for failing to fully extricate their supply chains from Xinjiang. Reported by Nuriman Abdurashid for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The Syrian Prime Minister has emphasized the governments support to boost the tourism industry by investing in Syrias natural resources, writes the Syria Times. Prime Minister Hussein Arnous has affirmed the continued government support to the tourism sector to help it overcome the damages caused by terrorism. This decision appears in line with the governmental efforts to boost all economic and productive sectors in accordance with development priorities and available resources. Arnous remarks came during his meeting with the Federation of Chambers of Tourism. Arnous underlined the importance of cooperation between the Federation of Chambers of Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism in setting up plans to develop the tourism sector, investing in the natural resources that Syria possesses in an optimal manner and creating the appropriate environment to attract investments and stimulate domestic tourism. He highlighted the necessity of expanding the investments of the Federation, enhancing communications with expatriate investors and owners of faltering tourism facilities, and coordinating with the authorities concerned to provide what is needed to re-operate them. The PM called on the Federation to submit initiatives to activate tourism among the provinces due to its social dimension and its important role in introducing tourist destinations across the country. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 10:23:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Sunday said that 32 illegal migrants, including women and children, were rescued off Libya's western coast. "Another boat returned to Tripoli with 32 people on board, including 2 children and 3 Libyan families. The wooden vessel had set off from Zawiya the previous day," UNHCR tweeted. UNHCR stressed that Libya is not a safe port for the disembarkation of rescued migrants. Unseasonably warm weather has seen a record number of boats trying to leave Libya, with about 1,430 illegal migrants rescued off the coast over the past four days, UNHCR tweeted Sunday. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe, due to the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African nation following the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Last year, 323 migrants died and 417 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, while 11,891 were rescued and returned to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-07 22:54:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attends a symposium with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Lunar New Year in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang extended Spring Festival greetings to religious personages and believers nationwide Sunday on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, extended the greetings at a symposium with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Lunar New Year. Praising the work of religious groups in 2020, Wang stressed deepened understanding of the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and called on them to do their work in accordance with the overall development of undertakings of the Party and the nation. Speaking of religious events during the Spring Festival, Wang called for strict implementation of COVID-19 control measures and advised a minimized number of gatherings and activities. Enditem MoMo Productions/Getty Images Those on Joint Base San Antonio will be required to wear a mask while on indoor and outdoor shared spaces. The change is effective immediately. According to press release on JBSA's website, "shared spaces include but are not limited to inside and outside of all facilities, except a person's own residence." Other areas where masks will be worn include fitness centers, except while swimming or using the showers. READ ALSO: Texas leaders send condolences to family after representative's passing 404 ONTARIO, Ore. --- Authorities have reported a man serving life in prison for the shooting deaths of his two roommates in 2016 died in custody. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Friday that the Oregon Department of Corrections said 25-year-old Mitchell Julio Morris died in an infirmary while incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution. The department does not release the cause or manner of inmate deaths. It is unlikely he died from COVID-19 because the state identified the inmate's name, something it does not do for virus-related deaths. Morris was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder in 2017. The Oregon State Police has been notified of his death. just-foods China market columnist Peter Peverelli digs into the countrys growing pet-food market. Due to rising living standards and urbanisation, phenomena referred to as empty-nest youth and empty-nest elderly have soared in China. The former will strike many western readers as odd, as empty-nest syndrome is typically linked to the elderly. However, remember the subject of the previous Eye on China column the growing number of Chinese young adults living on their own. They enjoy a level of freedom their parents and earlier ancestors had not even dreamed about but they are culturally still Chinese, with a communitarian inclination. If you are not ready for regularly sharing your home with another person but still would like a companion, then a pet is an attractive alternative. The number of these empty-nest youths in China is expected to reach 92 million this year. This comes on top of the more than 250m Chinese aged 60 and above, who traditionally more often own pets. In China, pet owners are not necessarily in the highest income bracket. Some 49.6% of pet owners earn CNY4,000 a month or lower, with a further 26.2% in the CNY4,000-9,999 a month bracket, according to Beijing-based Intelligence Research Group. However, that does not mean pet food should be priced low in China. As pets are perceived as replacements for children, Chinese dote on their pets as they do on their children. Pets are not limited to traditional cats, dogs, fish and birds. Pet ducks, pigs, lizards and other animals have also become perceived as pets. In 2019, the popularity of a celebrity pet duck on Weibo, TikTok and other platforms set off a wave of duck raising, as reported by media outlets including AsiaOne last summer. However, at present, cats and dogs still occupy a leading position, and more than 90% of pet owners raise these animals. The number of cats and dogs raised in cities and towns increased significantly in 2019: dogs reached 55.03 million, an increase of 8.2% year-on-year. Cats reached 44.12 million, an increase of 8.6% (IRG. 11/12/2020). Trade association The China Pet Food Alliance has published the following values of the Chinese pet food market, including estimates for 2021 and 2022. Traditionally, Chinese used to feed their pets with leftovers from their own meals. The arrival of pedigree pets increased awareness of animal nutrition. In particular, as cats and dogs have become perceived more as members of the family, their owners are willing to buy special pet food and snacks. Thematic Reports Are you worried about the pace of innovation in your industry? GlobalData's TMT Themes 2021 Report tells you everything you need to know about disruptive tech themes and which companies are best placed to help you digitally transform your business. Find out more The top-selling pet-food brands in China are still dominated by imports (though partly produced domestically). Online platform Maigoo ranks the top five as: Mars Royal Canin; Nestles Purina in second; another Mars brand Pedigree in third; Pro Plan, also owned by Nestle, in fourth; and Nature Bridge in fifth. Only Nature Bridge is a domestic brand, produced by Shanghai-based Ruiji Pet Needs Co., Ltd. Ruiji was jointly established with an undisclosed Norwegian partner in 2002. The company's founder got his inspiration for 'natural' pet food during his stay in Norway, according to the Ruiji website. However, the brands listed six to ten in this list are all domestic players. The preference for imported food reflects the emotional attitude of Chinese pet owners: nothing but the best for them and foreign pet food is accredited similar higher quality as imported human food. The import value of pet food soared from 2017 to 2019, more than doubling between 2017 and 2018 to US$206.4m and growing again by 49% in 2019 to $307.6m, as per China Customs data, quoted by chemlink.com. Even during the pandemic period, imports continued to grow rapidly. The customs data also show that, while almost half of the imported pet food was canned pet food up to 2017 (43.5%), the ratio of canned food started to decrease rapidly from 2018. It was only 23.6% in the first four months of 2020. Foreign parties intending to export finished pet food or pet food ingredients to China need to seek a registration at the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas (MOARA). Up to the end of April 2020, 822 formula pet food (staple food) had valid MOARA registration approvals, among which 282 were cat food, and 540 were dog food. New Zealand heads the list of regions with licensed companies with 121 facility registration approvals. The countries with double-digit licenses are: the US (36), Thailand (32), Germany (21), Spain (13). and the Netherlands (12). In August 2019, the website gouminwang issued a China Pet Industry White Paper 2019, providing valuable information regarding the product qualities that concerned Chinese pet owners most. Some 54% of pet owners said nutrition was the product characteristic they valued most, the research stated. The white paper did not note an apparent preference for domestic or imported brands but the majority of pet owners in the first-tier cities will choose imported brands. Pets have become regarded as part of the family and Chinese pet owners tend to apply the same quality criteria for pet food as for their own, including a high opinion of the quality of imported products. There appears to be a distinct preference for pet food from Canada or the US. These figures show an interesting contrast with the number of import licenses. Canada has only nine licensed companies against 212 for New Zealand. However, the New Zealand companies include a number of ingredient suppliers. As for preferred sales channels, the white paper states half the pet food was purchased online, followed by specialist pet stores (30%), supermarkets (10%) and others (10%). During my visits to supermarkets in the major Chinese cities, I have seen well-positioned special displays for pet food and most of the pet owners among my Chinese friends buy their pet food there. The large volume of online sales in 2019 can probably be attributed to the 'empty-nest youth'. My acquaintances tend to be in the 60-plus age bracket. So, what are the opportunities for international players in this market? These are still overwhelmingly in the cat- and dog-food segments. With its recent launch of Lily's Kitchen, Nestle is trying to cash in on the broader organic trend in China. Feed for the emerging group of other pets seems to be a segment for potential growth, although there is insufficient information for even estimating that potential. Another promising segment is pet snacks. The white paper mentioned above shows the per capita expenditure on snacks increases faster than that on pet food. There are opportunities here for innovative products, with a focus on flavours and nutrition. Healthy snacking is booming in China these days and owners will be conscious of looking for equivalent products for their pets. Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Italy score 7 unanswered goals Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities What foods can help you lose weight? China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Champions League final: Bookmakers view Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct Real are negotiating with Conte Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation PSG considering Zidane as manager Joker movie may get sequel 33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known 3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks during an interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the HanKook ilbo, at the embassy in Seoul, Feb. 5. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Ambassador Xing suggests linking Moon-Xi diplomatic initiatives to bolster economic cooperation By Yi Whan-woo Continued exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic have brought new momentum to South Korea-China ties, which will have their 30th anniversary next year, according to Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming. The ambassador said he will actively take part in making prospects brighter for bilateral relations. These efforts will include the 2021-2022 Year of Cultural Exchange, proclaimed by President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the so-called China-South Korea Relations Future Development Committee, a body aimed at setting up a cooperative roadmap based on the past "The challenges we underwent during the COVID-19 crisis only heightened bilateral relations," Xing said during a joint interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo, at the embassy, Feb. 5. Among the exchanges listed by the ambassador were multiple phone calls between Moon and Xi; the successive South Korea visits of Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs; and Wang Yi, state councilor and foreign minister; a fast-track entry system for South Korean businesspeople to China; and the seventh annual repatriation of remains of Chinese soldiers who died during the 1950-53 Korean War. "All these efforts were precious because they came amid the COVID-19 situation. Accordingly, they brought new momentum and fresh energy to South Korea-China relations," Xing said. He described bilateral relations since their establishment on Aug. 24, 1992, as "Mostly based on cooperation despite ups and downs." President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping proclaimed the 2021-2022 Year of Cultural Exchange as part of celebration of the 30th anniversary of the bilateral ties in 2022, during their phone call, Jan. 26. Yonhap This year's first phone call between Moon and Xi on Jan. 26, according to the ambassador, is especially meaningful with reference to the 30th anniversary of Seoul-Beijing friendship. "The two heads of state sufficiently exchanged opinions and came up with a grand blueprint for future relations," Xing said. One blueprint item, the future development committee, was agreed on to be formed during a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, in November 2020. "I expect that the working-level officials of the two countries will faithfully implement a shared understanding between our two leaders. Accordingly, I and the Chinese Embassy in Seoul will take an active role to enhance and upgrade bilateral ties," Xing said. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks at the embassy in Seoul during an interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the HanKook ilbo, Feb. 5. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force has cleared approximately 80 meters inside the tunnel near Tapovan Dam in Chamoli district which was damaged after a glacier burst triggered a flash flood in the region, with 100 meters debris remaining inside the tunnel to be cleared. The operation by the ITBP is underway as there is a large amount of debris inside the tunnel, Manoj Singh Rawat, ADG Western Command of ITBP, took stock of the rescue operations by border patrol organisation at the Tapovan tunnel earlier on Tuesday. ITBP officials also discussed the map of the tunnel with the project authorities at the spot. ITBP, one of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), has been playing a key role in the rescue operation in the disaster. More than 200 ITBP personnel are on the spot. The glacier breach on Sunday morning at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district triggered a massive flood that hit two hydropower projects -- NTPC Tapovan hydel powerplant and Rishi Ganga hydel power plant -- following which nearly 150 are missing. However, ITBP and other central and state rescue teams have managed to save lives of over a dozen people buried in different tunnels. The NDRF, ITBP and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations along with the army in the region. Centre is monitoring the situation and joint efforts of all the agencies are being made to rescue those trapped. One column and Engineering Task Force (ETF) of Army, with all rescue equipment have been deployed. Indian Army personnel along with ETF opened the mouth of tunnel at Tapovan in the flood-affected Uttarakhand's Joshimath as rescue operations continued more than 24 hours after the disaster hit. Navy divers are on the standby. Indian Air Force also helped transport NDRF teams and relief materials. NDRF personnel carried the rescue work by clearing the debris with the help of excavators and shovels. Terrain, low temperature and debris in the tunnel is posing a major challenge for the rescuers. Besides this, a team of Scientists, which was flown to Dehradun last night, has also left for Joshimath area for surveillance and reconnaissance earlier in the day. Earlier in the day, a team of Scientists from the Centre for Snow and Avalanche Study of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also left for Joshimath area. The team will keep a surveillance and do reconnaissance of the spot. The glacial burst led to the rising of water levels in the river Rishi Ganga, which washed away the Rishi Ganga small hydro project of 13.2 megawatt. The flash flood also affected the downstream hydro project of NTPC at Tapovan on the river Dhauli Ganga, which is a tributary of the river Alaknanda. The flash flood occurred in Rishi Ganga at around 10.45 a.m. on Sunday due to a glacier falling into it and exponentially increasing the volume of water. Due to this, the Rishi Ganga hydro project was completely devastated. The body double of Chris Hemsworth has said he is struggling to keep up with the Thor actors size. Hemsworth has undergone his biggest transformation yet to play the God of Thunder in Marvel sequel Thor: Love and Thunder, which is currently filming in Australia. But, this time around, Bobby Holland Hanton is finding it harder than ever as Hemsworth is "the biggest Thor he's ever been". Appearing on Novas Fitzy & Wippa, a morning radio show in Australia, he said: Everyone is like, Wow, look at the size and him, but I text him like, Thanks very much dude, you've just made this even harder!"' Holland Hanton, who has been Hemsworths body double since Thor: The Dark World in 2013, has had to increase his calorie intake so he can gain enough muscle. Chris Hemsworth has undergone his biggest body transformation yet for new Thor film (Instagram) This means he has to eat seven meals a day at just the right time in order to attain the same physique as Hemsworth, something he describes as a chore. Its full on, the body double admitted, adding: I dont enjoy eating at all. Despite this, he says hes prepared to tackle the challenge head on. RELATED:WandaVision voice actor dropped by Marvel after revealing big spoiler "I have to be the biggest Ive ever been, Holland Hanton said, describing Hemsworth as "a man mountain". Last week, Hemsworth was pictured on set of the new Taika Waititi film alongside Chris Pratt, who is just one of many Guardians of the Galaxy characters set to appear. Paula Guzzo and her son, Scott My husband and I always strive to do what is best for Scott and to share that information with others. To be honored with the Brian Liebenow Award is a humbling validation that a family's re-definition of normal while also living their best possible life makes a difference. - Paula Guzzo Real Food Blends, makers of 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes, and the company that started a real food revolution in the medical community, is proud to announce the recipient of its third annual Brian Liebenow Award, which recognizes one extraordinary member of the feeding tube community each year during Feeding Tube Awareness Week. Feeding Tube Awareness Week is a worldwide event created by the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation to increase awareness of feeding tubes and enteral feeding. The 2021 Brian Liebenow Award recipient is a truly amazing special needs mom and advocate from Indiana, Paula Guzzo. Her son, Scott, was born in 1983 with a cleft lip, gum, and palate, among other special needs, and has never eaten by mouth. Paula has blended food for Scott since he was 5 years old and became a Real Food Blends advocate when she started using the meals in 2016. Shes also a huge advocate for special needs education, always working to make sure Scott had the resources he needed in school to succeed and then extending her voice to advocate on a local, state, and national level for families like hers. Paula has been an advocate for real food for people with feeding tubes longer than almost anyone else we know. Beyond that, she works tirelessly for families with special needs and in particular has made such a difference for special needs education and with her dedication to the Childrens Craniofacial Association. Were honored to share her story and to recognize her with this award, said Real Food Blends Co-Founder and President, Tony Bombacino. Each year during Feeding Tube Awareness Week, Real Food Blends presents The Brian Liebenow Award to the person who most demonstrates outstanding courage, advocacy, compassion, and leadership within the tube feeding community -- all with a sense of humor, hope, and humility along the way. Each award recipient receives $1,000 and the company also donates $500 to the charity of the recipient's choice in their name. Each year the award recipient's story is featured in a national press release and across Real Food Blends Facebook community, where they are honored in front of over 120,000 people. Paula is a remarkable woman who took the passion she has for advocating for her son, Scott, to advocating for children with special needs throughout her community, her state, and the entire country. What she has accomplished over the past 30 years is amazing, and thats on top of everything she does for Scott to make sure he has a full and happy life, said Julie Bombacino, Co-Founder and CEO of Real Food Blends. My husband and I always strive to do what is best for Scott and to share that information with others. To be honored with the Brian Liebenow Award is a humbling validation that a family's re-definition of normal while also living their best possible life makes a difference. We are blessed by Real Food Blends' recognition of our efforts, said Paula Guzzo. The Brian Liebenow Awards namesake is a veteran, husband, father, cancer survivor, and invaluable part of the feeding tube community who became one of Real Food Blends earliest and most vocal supporters. Brian lives life with a positive attitude despite the challenges that have come his way, and this award honors those who have a similar outlook on life and impact on the feeding tube community. Real Food Blends chose to launch this award during Feeding Tube Awareness Week both in honor of the companys support of the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation and as another way to bring attention and awareness to feeding tubes and how they help improve the lives of thousands of Americans every day. Hundreds of conditions can lead to the need for a feeding tube and whether they are used temporarily or, as in Scotts case, long term, they help save lives. To learn more about Real Food Blends, which offers six different 100% real food for people with feeding tubes that are covered by many insurance plans, visit RealFoodBlends.com or Facebook.com/RealFoodBlends. ABOUT REAL FOOD BLENDS Real Food Blends makes 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes. Born from Julie and Tony Bombacinos love for their own tube-fed son and a belief that we all deserve real food and nutritional variety, the meals contain 5-8 real food ingredients with no corn syrup or preservatives, are shelf-stable, and covered by many insurance plans. With millions of meals sold, they are available nationwide through DMEs, medical supply and home infusion companies or direct via RealFoodBlends.com and Amazon. New Delhi, Feb 8 : As the protests over the new farm laws entered the 76th day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha. The word 'andolanjeevi' (professional protesters), used by the PM, has come in for sharp criticism from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), for allegedly being derogatory to farmers. Reacting to the PM's address, a statement by the SKM said: "We condemn the charge made by the PM and we would like to remind him that it was andolanejeevis who helped India break free from colonial rulers and so we are proud of being andolanjeevis." "It is the BJP and its forefathers who have never participated in an agitation against the British. They were always afraid of people's movements and that is why they are afraid of people's movements even now." On Monday, Prime Minister Modi once again spoke about resolving the impasse over the farm laws through dialogue. According to the SKM, if the government still accepts their demands, farmers would be happy to return to till the fields. It is the government's stubborn attitude that is prolonging the agitation and giving rise to further and activism andolanjeevis. Speaking about MSP on Monday, PM Modi has said MSP will continue. "Hollow statements on MSP won't help the farmers in any manner and such meaningless statements had been made in the past as well. Farmers will only gain in a meaningful manner if a legal guarantee is given on MSP for all crops," said the statement. The PM had also warned people against the new meaning of 'FDI' as Foreign Destructive Ideology. About this the farmers body statement said: "We are opposed to all kinds of FDI. The PM's FDI comment is also dangerous, even we want to keep away from any Foreign Destructive Ideology." On Monday, PM Modi had said: "We are familiar with the words shramjeevi and buddhijeevi... But a new "breed" of agitators called "andolanjeevi" has emerged in the country, who cannot live without an agitation and the nation should guard against them." Bhubaneswar, Feb 8 : Following widespread protests, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel on Monday announced the withdrawal of the draft notification on heritage bylaws issued by National Monuments Authority (NMA) for Jagannath Temple in Odisha. The decision came after delegations of Biju Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from the state met Patel separately demanding withdrawal of the controversial bylaws. "Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi and BJP MPs from Odisha met me and informed about draft notification on Puri. The notification was issued without knowledge of NMA chairman. This is withdrawn immediately," said the Minister in a tweet. In another tweet, the Minister informed that whenever any action will be taken concerning Puri, it will be taken with mutual consent. Notably, the National Monuments Authority (NMA) had come up with heritage bylaws for the Jagannath Temple proposing the 100 metre area around the shrine be declared as 'prohibited area' where no constructions can be undertaken. Notably, scores of developmental projects and beautification of Jagannath temple periphery are underway to make the pilgrim city a world-class heritage site. Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited the 12th century shrine for the first time after Covid-19 pandemic, said, "Nobody can stop the work of Lord Jagannath." He said the Central government should withdraw the by-law notification. "I thank the people of Puri who have sacrificed their lands for development of Shree Mandir. Their sacrifices will not go to waste," said the Chief Minister. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Sunday wrote a letter to the NMA Member Secretary requesting to withdraw the draft notification on heritage bylaws for Jagannath Temple. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Posted Monday, February 8, 2021 5:52 am After months of online learning, Battle Ground Public Schools is preparing to bring middle school students back into the classroom for hybrid learning beginning the week of Monday, Feb. 22, according to a release from the district. Early last week, Clark County Public Health announced that COVID-19 activity has dropped to the moderate level in the county. State mandates allow school districts to bring middle school students into building for in-person learning when the activity level falls within the moderate range. It has been wonderful to see our primary students back in school this week, Superintendent Mark Ross said in a news release. The joy and excitement students bring to our buildings makes all the difference in our days, and we are looking forward to that same experience with our middle school students returning soon. Kindergarteners in the district have been attending school in-person since early November. In early February, the hybrid learning model was expanded to include all primary school students (K-4). Fifth-graders will attend an orientation the week of Feb. 15 to help them get acclimated to their new schools before transitioning to in-person and hybrid learning the following week. The release said the district will follow all state health guidelines for safety and cleaning protocols, including physical distancing, the wearing of face coverings and personal hygiene. Face masks are required for all staff and students per the Washington State Department of Health, except under special circumstances such as a developmental or health diagnosis. Students will be permitted to remove masks to eat meals and during physically-distanced outdoor activities. To accommodate physical distancing during in-person learning, students have been divided into two groups. All students will have two days each week of direct instruction, with Group A meeting in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Group B students attending on campus on Thursdays and Fridays. The remaining three days, students will continue independent learning at home. During independent learning time, teachers will provide assignments for students to continue working on at home. The health and safety of students and district staff is our first priority as we move towards welcoming more students back into our buildings, Deputy Superintendent Denny Waters said. We are committed to doing this safely and we will adjust, adapt and change as need be to ensure that it happens. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P. Americans whose incomes dipped in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic may want to file their tax returns early this year to bank a bigger stimulus check. According to The Wall Street Journal, the $1,400 stimulus payments proposed as part of President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion rescue plan will be based on household incomes listed in either 2020 or 2019 tax returns, whichever is on file with the Internal Revenue Service when the Treasury Department starts cutting checks. With lawmakers and the Biden administration pushing to finalize the next stimulus deal before mid-March, when supplemental unemployment benefits expire, Americans hit hard by the economic crisis last year could stand to benefit by filing their 2020 returns as soon as possible once the IRS starts accepting them on Feb. 12. If your income dropped and you file a return before the checks go out, the payments will be based on the 2020 income, potentially making you eligible for a larger stimulus. If you file after checks are distributed, the IRS will base the stimulus on your 2019 income. Conversely, if you happened to get a raise in 2020 but your 2019 income falls within the final new stimulus thresholds that are still being hammered out, its likely worth it to wait before filing your 2020 tax return. David Kautter, who served as assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department during the previous two stimulus payouts, told the Wall Street Journal that if a tax return is filed electronically, its processed almost immediately, and the information is then available to the IRS almost instantaneously. The same thinking applies to parents who increased their family size: if you had a child in 2020, you could be eligible for any potential dependent stimulus payments by filing sooner and claiming the new child as a dependent. The IRS will base the check amount on your 2019 family size if you file your tax return after the checks start going out. As part of the $1.9 trillion relief package, a bill out of Rep. Richard Neals office would see families receive up to $3,600 per child under 6 and $3,000 for every child between 6 and 17 spread out in monthly payments beginning July 1. The bill, to be unveiled Monday, would decrease payments for single parents earning more than $75,000 or couples earning more than $150,000 combined. Biden has refused to budge after calls from Republicans to lower the $1,400 stimulus checks in his comprehensive aid package. But lawmakers and the Biden administration are still nailing down the income caps, with Republicans and some conservative Democrats aiming to target full payments to those earning less than $40,000, with a total cutoff at individuals earning $50,000 and married couples earning $100,000. Progressives have insisted that lowering the caps to such a degree is out of touch with reality. Many working-class Americans, including educators, health care workers and first responders earning more than $50,000 are still struggling to put food on the table, often because they have children and have had to adjust their work schedules or leave work entirely to provide child care, several Democrats argued over the weekend. In two previous COVID-19 aid bills, Americans earning less than $75,000 and married couples earning up to $150,000 received full stimulus checks of $1,200 and $600; adults earning up to $99,000 and couples earning up to $198,000 received incrementally smaller checks based on income. In interviews with CBS and CNN, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday sought to distinguish between very well-off families and elementary school teachers or police officers earning about $60,000 or $65,000 who face many extra burdens due to the pandemic. (President Biden) thinks, and I would certainly agree, that its appropriate for people there to get support, Yellen said. The overall stimulus package is moving ahead in the Democratic-led Congress through annual budget reconciliation, a process that does not require bipartisan support. Most Republicans have balked at expansive stimulus proposals, and several GOP senators proposed a $618 billion compromise plan. It is absurd to be telling working-class people, somebody who has a decent union job theyre making $55,000, $60,000 sorry, youre not eligible for the program, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont told CNN on Sunday. It makes no sense to me at all, nor do I think it makes sense to the American people. Sanders agrees with calls from Republicans and Democrats alike to avoid seeing checks go to families earning up to $300,000. Related Content: Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Press Release 8 February 2021 For generations, travel has inspired storytelling in books and songs and fueled the growth of cultures and civilizations. But over the last year, the world went on a different kind of journey, swapping passports for puzzles and beaches for binge-watching. Now, a new survey* from IHG Hotels & Resorts reveals how much people are longing for human connection, to be with their loved ones, and to make new memories. Close to 60 percent of survey respondents said they canceled up to four trips (leisure and business) last year. More than half the travelers surveyed said they have now rebooked cancelled trips or plan to rebook them, with family vacations and visiting loved ones topping travel wish lists for 2021. And while the pandemic isn't over, the roll-out of vaccines is igniting hope and optimism, as respondents across all age groups, 18 to 55+, say spending time with family and friends is a primary motivator for travel this year. When the World Opens Advertisements One in five respondents said they plan to make up for the lack of travel in 2020 by going on more trips in 2021. One in five people overall said they hope to travel to a place on their bucket list in 2021, with that being true for one in three travelers aged 18 to 24. Speaking of younger travelers, this age group was five times more likely to say volunteering for a community in need was a primary motivator for travel. One in three surveyed said going to restaurants and trying new foods has the most positive impact on their vacations. Over a third of all those surveyed, including 50 percent of those 55 and older, said they plan to hold off traveling until the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available. Claire Bennett, Chief Customer Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts commented: "It's often said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and our survey results prove that people are hungry for those rich experiences again. But the world has changed, and travel decisions must be made more thoughtfully. As we look ahead, we've all had a lot of time to think about what travel means to us, what trips are most important, and how we want to reconnect with loved ones. So, whether it's that longed-for family beach vacation, a weekend getaway with friends, your first in-person business meeting, or a special anniversary trip - our family of 16 brands is ready to help open up the world when the time is right and welcome travelers back with confidence, as we embark on the next chapter of travel." Taking Care of Business One in three workers globally, and 40 percent in the U.S., stated the lack of business travel in 2020 demotivated them. 40 percent of those who travel for business said they miss face-to-face meetings. More than half of respondents said business travel allows them to "create meaningful relationships with colleagues, customers, and/or clients." Nearly 45 percent shared that business travel improves their working mood and makes them more motivated. That Hotel Life While on vacation, the majority of Americans said traveling with loved ones, creating new memories, and having quality time with others had the most positive impact on their mood, while most Australians said it was sightseeing and for U.K. travelers, it was chasing sunshine. When it comes to what respondents traveling for work miss the most, one in three said it was "sleeping in a comfy hotel bed" and one in four said "room service." Cabin fever kills the romance as one in four of respondents age 45+ said they look forward to intimacy while on vacation. IHG Hotels & Resorts is one of the world's leading hotel companies. With nearly 6,000 hotels in over 100 countries, the family of 16 brands is a collection of welcoming experiences, for wherever guests go and however they want to stay. As people get excited to travel again, IHG Hotels & Resorts is ready to meet them with a growing brand portfolio of stunning new properties like voco The Franklin New York, Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, and Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in South Korea. Photo: IHG Photo: IHG Photo: IHG Photo: IHG *Methodology: Venezuela has jailed for five years two former managers at its state oil firm PDVSA for providing sensitive data about Venezuelan oil operations to the United States, Venezuelas attorney general Tarek William Saab has said. The two manager, Alfredo Chirinos and Aryenis Torrealba, were arrested last year and were sentenced to five years in jail last week for disclosing or supplying information, the attorney general said in a statement posted on Twitter. Chirinos was a special operations chief at PDVSA and Torrealba was the state oil firms general manager of crude operations. These officials leaked sensitive and confidential information from the oil industry, which resulted in the imposition of sanctions by the US government, which have caused significant financial damage to the industry by limiting the marketing of its products internationally, Saab said in a statement after the end of the trial, which included seven hearings. According to the parents of the two former PDVSA managers, they supported the Socialist Revolution of Nicolas Maduro, but have been singled out as criminals because they had publicly spoken about corruption at Venezuelas state oil firm, Reuters reported. At the end of last year, Venezuelas regime arrested oil workers or retired oil workers who had dared to expose the corruption and mismanagement at PDVSA and its dire financial, operational, and working conditions, Argus reported at the time. Venezuelas military intelligence and its national intelligence service Sebin arrested retired PDVSA worker Guillermo Zarraga, who is also a union official, in November and accused him of terrorism over the explosion of a crude distillation unit at one Venezuelan refinery in late October. Leaks about the state of neglect and dangerous conditions at PDVSA often end up in media outlets, which cite internal PDVSA sources. Now, Maduros regime seems to have moved to silence the dissidents. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last week Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was quoted by the media as saying that NRC was not final and Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma filed an affidavit before the apex court making a case for reverification The home ministry has made a case for issuing rejection slips to the delisted people from the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam in a bizarre twist to the controversial exercise completed two years ago. The home ministry has approached the Supreme Court seeking permission for the issue of rejection slips by the NRC Secretariat which is a mandatory step before the people excluded from the register can approach the Foreigners Tribunals. The slips would spell out the reason for the exclusion from the register that was published on 31 August, 2019. In reply to an RTI query, the Registrar General of India has said yes to the development after the application was transferred by the ministry to the department. RGI is under the administrative control of the home ministry. The same application had another query on whether the ministry had written to RGI for issuing the notification on NRC to which the former replied saying no. Interestingly, the ministry also replied to the RTI application which said, The sought information is not held under the control of the designated public authority. The matter is more closely connected with the functioning of office of Registrar General of India (RGI) RGI has not yet issued the notification on NRC which means that the register is not a legal document. Without the notification, the NRC Secretariat cannot issue rejection slips to the people delisted from the register. So, the process of approaching the Foreigners Tribunals for a verdict on the status of these people has not commenced. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced that the delisted people would be allowed to cast votes in the forthcoming assembly polls in Assam. It is unclear from the replies whether it was the RGI or the home ministry that had approached the Supreme Court with the affidavit seeking permission to issue rejection slips. A section of senior Assam government officials expressed surprise over the RTI replies. It is unlikely that the RGI has filed the affidavit before the Supreme Court. The department seems to have landed in an uncomfortable position between the home ministry and the BJP which has rejected the NRC in its current form, claimed an official. The NRC was updated by RGI following an order from the Supreme Court which also monitored the jumbo exercise lasting for close to six years. It incurred expenses of around Rs 1,400 crore and the engagement of more than 50,000 government officials besides 7,000 data entry operators. The NRC deleted the names of 19,06,657 applicants out of a total of 3,30,27,661 applicants. The final count marks an increase of nearly 2.2 million citizens from the draft list published a year earlier and an additional list of exclusion months later which means that a large number of people who were left out were approved after they filed claims for inclusion in the register. Also, in the final list of delisted people were nearly four lakh who did not file claims for inclusion after their names were deleted in the draft list. The ruling BJP is unwilling to accept the NRC in its current form for two reasons. Among the delisted people are lakhs of Bangladeshi Hindus who comprise a prominent vote-bank for the party in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. And the party believes that a large chunk of Muslims from the neighbouring country had enrolled their names in the register through fraudulent means. Besides the BJP, similar demands for reverification have been raised by prominent civil society groups and NGOs in Assam such as the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Assam Public Works (APW). Last September, at a meeting convened in New Delhi and attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, Assam chief Sarbananda Sonowal and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it was decided that the Assam government would file a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking 20 per cent sample reverification of names included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the districts bordering Bangladesh and 10 per cent in the remaining districts. Last week Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was quoted by the media as saying that NRC was not final and Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma had filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court making a case for reverification of the enrolled names. Certainly, all these developments do not appear to be in sync with the idea of issuing rejection slips and the beginning of the judicial process by the Foreigners Tribunals for a verdict on the status of the people delisted from the NRC. Signal, a known messaging platform that has pioneered end-to-end Encryption has been recently blocked by the Iranian government for Censorship issues. As first reported by Slash Gear, the messaging app has suggested a TLS proxy for its users in Iran in an attempt to bypass censorship and privacy limitations. However, multiple researchers have intervened in the process and have managed to see vulnerabilities in the work around that can allow government officials to access Signal TLS proxies, removing the protection. The researchers who discovered the vulnerabilities through Signal's Github repository have their reports taken down by Signal. On the other hand, the messaging app which was seen as a potential tool for users in repressive regimes was banned by the Iranian government How the Signal TLS Proxy is Supposed to Bypass Government Censorship They have published the proxy suggestion in a blog entitled "Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal" in their official website. The workaround details another way to bypass Iran's censorship. The proxy which can be accessed through the GitHub repository can help users escape from the government's radar. Users will execute a few commands, administer the proxy, and participate in the #IRanASignalProxy tweet. Read more: Signal App Owner: Who is Moxie Marlinspike, Country of Origin, and His Take on End-to-End Encryption Researchers Banned from GitHub Repository Moxie Marlinspike, Signal's founder said that reports such as the concerns of the researchers were not given attention due to the volume of reports that they get every day. Thus, they have to be dealt with accordingly. When BleepingComputer asked why the researchers' concerns did not receive a response, Marlinspike told BleepingComputer that Signal gets a large volume of these reports and has to prioritize issues accordingly. However, shortly after the researchers aired out their concerns, they were removed from the repository. The issue page filed was also removed from GitHub and now shows as a 404 error message. According to Signal, they were removed due to the rude comments and inappropriate statemenst that were postd by the researchers that were difrcted to the volunteers. Signal suggests that this is a violation of the company's code of conduct. Researchers have responded to the issue by saying "They claimed to help people in censorship, but they in turn censor whistleblowers." On Twitter, Marlinspike cleared things about the alledged security issue and the reason behind the removal of said Github researcher. At risk of what? Millions of people in Iran use Signal. Any network traffic already identifies them as using Signal. But it's not a secret! This is a set of nginx configs. It's obv possible to determine it is a proxy by connecting to it as a proxy. There's nothing to "disclose." Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) February 8, 2021 We are not scared that someone might figure out you can determine this set of nginx configs is a proxy by connecting to it as a proxy. That is obvious. We only block people if they're rude, mean, abusive, or offensive to others in the community. That's not the community we want. Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) February 8, 2021 We turned off issues almost immediately bc it was starting to attract a lot of generic tech support type requests and discussion threads. We don't find GH issues useful for that, so we posted a note redirecting people in the issues and disabled them. Wasn't "targeting" anyone. Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) February 8, 2021 For others, Signal's move in taking down a public post is just a precautionary action while taking measures to investigate a better solution. Moreover, they do not want to bring up adversaries while trying to fix the problem. Related Article: Michigan State Police Denies their Use of End-to-End Encryption Violates FOIA This article is owned by Techtimes Written by Nikki D 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. FLINT, MI -- Flint-area leaders have launched a campaign to encourage parents, grandparents and caregivers to schedule free developmental evaluations for children ages 0-5 who have not yet been examined since the citys water crisis began. If parents are wondering if their children should be speaking or reaching other developmental markers, the Early On program can help identify needs and resources at no cost. Early On Genesee County provides free early intervention services for infants and toddlers. More information on the program and how to access resources can be found here. Since 2016, more than 5,000 Flint children have been referred to the GISDs Early On program for an evaluation. The program has provided more than 70,000 free early intervention services for children in Flint up to five years old, including but not limited to speech therapy, physical therapy, service coordination, family training and counseling, occupational therapy and other types of services based on the needs of the child and family. Flint mother Joi Gloster said her 4-year-old son Micah has benefitted from speech and behavioral services the family has received through Early On. Gloster requested a free Early On evaluation when Micah was 2-years-old after she became concerned that he was not talking enough and was displaying aggressive behavior. Two years later, Gloster said her son is thriving, thanks to the support and guidance they received from Early On staff. Early On has been a blessing for me and Micah and helped me to become a better advocate for my child, Gloster said. Im very happy with how much theyve helped me because as a single mother, I didnt know where I could go for help in terms of some of the speech and behavior issues I was seeing in Micah. Today, hes a compassionate, intelligent little boy who loves to read and play video games, and he wont stop talking now which is really amazing to me as to how quickly he has advanced in just two years after reaching out to Early On for help, she said. Early diagnosis and treatment for developmental delays increases the chances of improvement rather than simply waiting it out and treating problems later. Treating communication and language difficulties early on can prevent potential problems with behavior, learning, reading and social interaction, Genesee County Board of Health member and Flint pediatrician Dr. Lawrence Reynolds said. Research has shown that addressing delays early on -- especially between birth and age 5 -- can more effectively promote a childs development, even into adulthood, Reynolds said. Due to the water crisis in Flint, education and health professionals are committed to addressing the needs of any child exposed to lead, he said. The Genesee County Board of Health will do everything we can to assure parents and caregivers that Early On is a trusted, reliable source of help for their children. GISD campaign partners helping to promote awareness about free Early On opportunities include Flint Community Schools, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, local physicians and healthcare partners in the community and Flint-area daycare providers. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan will include information about the importance of scheduling an Early On evaluation for children ages 0-5 in all the boxed weekend meal bags it distributes every Thursday to Flint residents at early childhood education sites, according to Kara Ross, the nonprofits president and CEO. Each box contains enough food for three breakfasts and three lunches including dairy, protein, and produce for children 18 years old and under -- as well as a mix of fresh and shelf-stable items. In order to reach more Flint residents with Early Ons call-to-action, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is expanding its free weekend meal distribution program to include all Flint residents under age 18 at any of its early childhood education sites, not just the students enrolled at those learning centers. Weekend meal bag distributions will occur every Thursday from 3:30 p.m.-4 p.m. starting Feb. 11 that will include Early On information cards as supplies last at the following locations: Cummings Great Expectations, G-2200 Walton Ave., Flint Early Learning Center, 5575 Van Campen Road, Flint Beecher Dailey Elementary, 6236 Neff Road, Mt. Morris The Learning Community, 1181 W. Scottwood Ave., Flint Educare, 1000 Gladwin St., Flint In addition, the GISDs Mobile Education Lab (MEL) will support the campaign at the grassroots level, said GISD Early On Intervention Services Supervisor Nicole Jason. MEL is a school bus that has been transformed outside and in thanks to a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The mobile site will travel to various locations in Flint to provide parents and caregivers an opportunity to learn more about Early On services and how to schedule an evaluation for their child. While early developmental evaluations cannot solve every problem, it can substantially improve childrens lives if it is delivered to a high standard to the families who need it the most, Jason said. Thats the goal GISD and our community partners are looking to achieve with this new campaign. MEL and Early On staff are scheduled to visit the following sites as part of the campaign launch: Greater Holy Temple Community Outreach Center, 6702 North Dort Highway, Flint, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11 Flint Farmers Market, 300 East 1st St., Flint, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18 Hasselbring Senior Center, 1002 West Home Ave., Flint, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26 St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center, 3115 Lawndale Ave., Flint, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, March 5 Read more on MLive: COVID-19 vaccination waiting list swells to 40,000 in Genesee County Flint condemns Sunset Village Apartments after finding residents had no heat or water 60% of Genesee County teachers will soon be vaccinated, health department says * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! CHICAGO Karen Lewis, a formidable teachers union leader in Chicago who battled Rahm Emanuel when he was mayor, and who in 2012 led the citys public-school teachers in their first strike in a quarter-century, died on Monday. She was 67. Her death was announced by the Chicago Teachers Union, which did not say where she died. Ms. Lewis had been under treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer that forced her to retire as head of the union in June 2018 after undergoing brain surgery. The cancer was first diagnosed in 2014 and had forced her to abandon the idea, endorsed by many, of running for mayor of Chicago the following year. She had hoped to unseat Mr. Emanuel, a Democrat and former chief of staff to President Barack Obama. Mr. Emanuel was re-elected. Ms. Lewiss death came as the union was close to a final agreement with the Chicago Public Schools that would avert another strike, this time over the question of how teachers, students and school staff members could safely return to classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic. Godzilla vs. Kong is among the much-anticipated upcoming movies of 2021. The trailer of the film was released a couple of weeks ago and created havoc on the internet. Now, a new Godzilla vs. Kong Japanese trailer has been shared by the makers which gives a few fresh glimpses from the monster verse project. Also Read | 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Release Date Moves Again By A Week, Film Pushed To Late March 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong Japanese trailer drops new footages The makers have released a new Godzilla vs. Kong Japanese trailer with subtitles. With many scenes from the previously dropped trailer, this also has multiple brand-new footage. It heavily focuses on the fight between the nuclear dinosaur and the apex ape on the ocean. A fresh look has Godzilla being bombarded by fighter jets that aim at his tail. While in the previous trailer, Kong punched Godzilla, in this one Godzilla hits back with his claws and Kong drops down. Godzilla vs. Kong Japanese trailer revealed that the movie will arrive at the place on May 14, 2021. Check it out below. Also Read | 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Trailer Has Fans Picking Sides Between #TeamGodzilla And #TeamKong Also Read | Godzilla vs. Kong Cast, Plot, Release Date And More Details For Fans Godzilla vs. Kong plot synopsis Legends collide in 'Godzilla vs. Kong' as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance," the synopsis states. "Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans--instigated by unseen forces--is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth". Also Read | 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Director Shares Fans Reaction Videos Celebrating Trailer Success Godzilla vs. Kong cast and more Godzilla vs. Kong cast has Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza Gonzalez, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, and Demian Bichir. Directed by Adam Wingard, the movie is a follow-up to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. The film is the fourth part of Legendarys MonsterVerse. It is also the 36th movie in the Godzilla franchise and the 12th movie in the King Kong franchise. The movie is scheduled to arrive on March 31, 2021, in theatres and on HBO Max. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Carl A. Gerstacker is well-known as one of the members of the extraordinary troika consisting of Carl Gerstacker, Herbert D. Doan, and Ben Branch that ran The Dow Chemical Company from 1962-1971. He was also the chairman of The Dow Chemical Company (1960-1976), co-founder of the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, co-founder of the Midland Area Community Foundation, with his wife, Esther Schuette, and a lifelong philanthropist contributing to community-building in Midland and beyond. But few know of his work during World War II. Local historian, Ellis N. Brandts homage to Carl Gerstacker, Chairman of the Board (published in 2003), provides a good outline of his involvement, but a recently discovered group of historical papers donated to the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, including all his correspondence and military orders from 1938-1946, allows fuller documentation of Gerstackers wartime story. These papers, among a group of other correspondence, genealogical charts, photos, and newspaper clippings, had been in New York at the home of Sandra Schuette Joys, a Gerstacker family member, and they were sent to Lisa Gerstacker at the Gerstacker Foundation in 2019. The papers were in no particular order, but after several weeks of sorting, archivist/historian Tawny Ryan Nelb, was able to analyze the contents and put the papers into a commonsense arrangement. Unexpectedly, thousands of pages were Carl Gerstackers military records. These military orders and correspondence were a rich resource for telling the history of this period, each document a piece of the puzzle. Born among the Greatest Generation Gerstacker, a member of the so-called Greatest Generation, was born on Aug. 6, 1916, in Cleveland, Ohio. Beginning at age 5, Carl Gerstacker and his sister, Elsa, summered in Midland, where his Aunt Elsa and Uncle James Pardee, then chairman of the Dow Chemical Board of Directors, had a summer home in an old farmhouse on Main Street. Later, the Pardees built a home designed by Alden B. Dow on the corner of Main and Revere Streets. Carl Gerstacker attended the University of Michigan, graduating on June 11, 1938, and during this time he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in the Ordnance course. He commented he took the ROTC classes, because you got paid 20 cents a day ($3.68 in todays money) in those days.Twenty cents a day was good stuff. When I graduated, I was a second lieutenant in the reserves. I made up my mind to resign as soon as I could, but you couldnt resign immediately. After graduation, he started working at Dow Chemical for $115 per month while he continued active-duty training as a reserve officer as directed. Although trained as a chemical engineer, he became an auditor for Dowell, Dows oil well servicing subsidiary. Despite his lack of experience in accounting, he couldnt be picky since there was a mini recession at the time. At Dow, he was under the supervision of Charlie Penhaligen, who pounded into him the importance of carefully and accurately analyzing everything. As mentioned earlier, Carls uncle was James Pardee, the then chairman of the Board at Dow Chemical, and he wasnt sure if people were being nice to him because of his status as nephew to the chairman or because he was good at his job. He saw his stint in the Army as an opportunity to go somewhere where no one knew him, and he said, I felt that maybe I could go through a period of understanding and feeling more self-confident. 'You're going to be an artillery expert' In the fall of 1940, hed saved enough to buy a car. But ever the planner, with war already raging in Europe and the U.S. Army already increasing its troops to 375,000 enlisted men, he knew that as a reserve officer he was subject to immediate call to duty. He didnt want a new car on his hands, just in case. When he contacted the Army to ask if he was likely to be called up, they ordered him to report as soon as he was available for one year of active duty. Years later, he said, I was so naive. I cant believe it. The Japanese have a saying, Its the nail that sticks up that gets hit on the head. Thats true of the Army. They might have forgotten me. He reported to the Detroit Ordnance District in December 1940, and with his ROTC training in ordnance, the colonel in charge said, Youre going to be an artillery expert. He was inducted as a Second Lieutenant on Dec. 11, 1940. He was sent to the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois on Feb. 15, 1941, for six weeks training as an Army inspector for ordnance with special attention to the 37 mm gun carriage that would be produced in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois first opened in 1862, and it was a pivotal resource for helping mobilize American industry for the war effort. As early as 1939, the arsenal developed a plan to have responsible private companies with qualified engineering staff and facilities produce Army ordnance. The arsenal provided technical supervision for the manufacture of tanks, artillery, and machines guns, and private manufacturers visited the arsenal to study its operations. With the United States not yet officially in the war, the signing of the Lend-Lease Act by President Roosevelt on March 11, 1941, provided weapons to strategically important nations struggling against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Retooling American private industry for war production was critical, and a major factor in the eventual Allied victory over the Axis Powers. While at the Rock Island Arsenal, Gerstacker studied artillery production by working with the men building weapons, and then he specialized in manufacturing techniques and inspection procedures for 37 mm anti-tank gun carriages. Prior to his training at Rock Island Arsenal, he had been assigned to the Duplex Printing Press Co. in Battle Creek, Michigan, a troubled, almost bankrupt company that had been contracted to make 37 mm gun carriages for the British, and they had missed several scheduled deadlines. Here, his organizational and financial skills came to bare as he reorganized the top management, who mostly came from the automobile industry, to supervise about 500 workers. He said, I was put in charge of teaching them how to do it and seeing that they did it right. He commented, It gave me a lot of self-confidence that I could do things where nobody knew me. He looked a lot older than his 24 years since he lost his hair early, and he said in the Army, since no one knew him, I had a chance to have more responsibility because I looked older. His attention to detail, drummed into him by Dows Charlie Penhaligen, showed them he wasnt a pushover despite his young age, and he was going to look at every expense to make sure it matched the budget. He also discovered that one of the managers had alcohol abuse problems that disrupted his oversight skills, and Gerstacker talked him into resigning. In April 1941, he came down with the measles and was quarantined at Ft. Custer, Michigan in Ward 11 (called the Pest House) of the Station Hospital for a few weeks. A reputation as a top troubleshooter After his release from the hospital, he was made a First Lieutenant on June 20, 1941. The important work continued at the Duplex Printing Press Co. in Battle Creek. The company produced its first 37 mm gun carriage in July 1941 and began full-scale production. After a year on the job, the company received the Army-Navy E Award for excellence as a military supplier. Meanwhile, the Ordnance Department in Detroit added more MrFixit responsibilities to Gerstackers portfolio, so he commuted back and forth between Detroit and Battle Creek. Despite wanting to go abroad and join his friends who were fighting in the South Pacific, his organizational skills kept him firmly stateside as he was already building a reputation as a top troubleshooter for the Army Ordnance department, and according to Gerstacker, they wouldnt let me go. On Oct. 29, 1941, Gerstacker was promoted temporarily to Chief of Artillery Division in the Detroit Ordnance District. He was responsible for about 100 ordnance inspectors around Michigan who were imbedded in businesses making war equipment like he had been. This required him to not only travel throughout the state but also go to arsenals such as Watertown Arsenal in Watertown, Massachusetts, ordnances offices in Washington, D.C. and the Erie Proving Ground in La Carne, Ohio. The disastrous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a vivid example of why anti-aircraft guns were so important for the war effort, and Gerstacker knew his work was making a difference. In a letter to his parents, Eda and Rollin Gerstacker, Carl commented, It seems as if Im in a dream from which I shall soon awake to find that life is normal again.Tomorrow Im going to Flint to tell the superintendent of Chevrolet there how to make guns, then to Buick to tell them how, then to Fisher Body in Grand Rapids, and finally to Duplex in Battle Creek. Am I really dreaming? On May 16, 1942, he was promoted to captain to oversee manufacturers of 37 mm and 57 mm (both anti-tank), 75 mm (anti-aircraft and field), and 3-inch mobile artillery carriages and was assigned to one of the first Industry Integrating Committees for Light Mobile Carriages. Gerstacker commented that the head of Army Ordnance decided he wanted all the companies making similar equipment to help each other. Gerstacker commented this type of company trust agreement would be illegal in normal times, but during the war, the companies could form groups so that if one company was short of something, another company could help them out. If one company could make a part better, that company would make that part in order to push out more stuff and do it better. One officer and one civilian would be in charge of these combines. Such collaboration made all the difference to the war effort. "Every gun I get out may mean the difference between victory and defeat' In January 1943, Gerstacker moved to Reading, Pennsylvania as part of the Philadelphia Ordnance District to be embedded with Parrish Pressed Steel Co., and he worked with multiple companies. Later he said, I have to take my work seriously. For one thing, thats my nature, and secondly, I feel that every gun I get out may mean the difference between victory and defeat. Everything pales into insignificance besides the job of winning the war. If I felt that I was not doing my best, I would be ashamed to live in freedom. During this period, he had a great administrative education working collaboratively with so many geographically separated companies from Regina, Saskatchewan, to Lafayette, Louisiana, to Biddeford, Maine. Sometimes, he worked alongside the tank men from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. helping them repair artillery. Gerstacker wrote his parents, You should see your son sitting astride a gun barrel on a halftrack sawing away with a hack saw. Im not very smart but you taught me one thing so well that Ill never forget it and that is to work hard at whatever you do. If you do that, you dont have to be so smart. 'Seems like everything I work on is an extreme emergency' On June 13, 1943, he was assigned to take on a carriage section of the artillery branch that was in trouble and spend significant time in Washington D.C., and then he continued his intense work with various midwestern companies. For example, during one three-week trip in September regarding production of paratroop equipment and ammunition trailers, Gerstacker went by train or car from Reading, Pennsylvania to Milwaukee, Brillion, Appleton, and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Lansing, Michigan and then travelled back and forth repeatedly between all of these cities during those weeks. He commented, seems like everything I work on is an extreme emergency. Although the heads of companies usually received credit for what was achieved, one of them, The Heil Company in Milwaukee which made artillery air delivery accessories, wrote to Gerstackers superiors saying, We very much appreciated the assistance given us by Captain Gerstacker who truly worked hard on this project and deserves much credit for its being accomplished on time. Despite such accolades, he began to feel guilty about not being in the thick of battle as even his married friends or those with physical problems were being sent to the South Pacific while he was young, healthy, and single. So finally, on Nov. 20, 1943, eager for duty overseas, he went to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to train for field duty. The Aberdeen Proving Ground was established in Harford County, Maryland in 1917, for the acceptance testing of field artillery weapons, trench mortars, and ammunition. Over the decades, it grew to include bomb testing, research and development facilities, safety, and anti-aircraft gun testing. When World War II began in Europe in 1939, Aberdeen expanded its programs to include testing vehicles and even testing for ordnance captured from the enemy not only to preserve and exhibit it, but also to analyze its characteristics for use against those weapons still at the war front. A rocket division was added in 1943. Weapons were sometimes shipped directly from the Aberdeen weapons depot to respond to emergency needs such as for the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, when every 155 mm and 240 mm howitzer on hand was shipped out of Aberdeen, along with many 57 mm and 8-inch guns. 'Am afraid my chances of going overseas were not very good' Gerstacker was required to bring overalls for the work, and class work and drills were the order of the day for him. Writing to his parents, he said, Ive learned a lot. Am afraid my chances of going overseas were not very good. They have a lot of officers doing nothing but waiting for an assignment and many more who could be more easily replaced than I and who are better trained for field duty. Ultimately, his superiors refused to allow his transfer overseas, and he returned to Reading, Pennsylvania and continued his supervision of multiple companies, especially in the Midwest. On Jan. 12, 1944, he was transferred to duty with the Chicago Ordnance District to work as a field representative of the Mobile Carriage Branch. He followed up on production and inspection problems and made sure mandatory engineering revisions were incorporated. On May 30, 1944, he is transferred to the New York City office of the Ordnance Department, where he stayed for the remainder of the war. He was embedded with the R. Hoe Company in the Bronx, New York. R. Hoe had been pivotal early on developing special assembly methods, and Gerstacker was soon working as the Ordnance Representative to the Major Caliber Anti-Aircraft Carriage Industry Integration Committee where he assembled an historical report on their work. A major promotion In early 1945, Gerstacker was frustrated by the delays in gaining his next promotion and said the general he talked to about it said, he would make me major tomorrow if he had vacancies said my efficiency report was highest he had ever seen. Unfortunately, his father, Rollin, died of a heart attack on March 2, 1945, before seeing his sons final promotion, and then Carl was hospitalized for a week with pneumonia on May 1, 1945. The Army finally acknowledged and recognized his skills, and Gerstacker was promoted to major on June 1, 1945. On Aug. 1, 1945, he was transferred back to Washington, D.C. as special assistant to the chief of the Anti-Aircraft and Fire Control Branch of the Artillery Division. This work was primarily production follow-up and making decisions on post-war disposition of materials and equipment. On Sept. 18, 1945, about two weeks after the war ended officially, Gerstacker was assigned to the Arthur D. Little Co. in Boston for six months to school them on artillery since they had been contracted to develop a plan to store World War II artillery in case of another war. Gerstacker commented, Of all the stupid things, anybody who would think that the artillery would fit the manner of war 50 years later, but we did it. A letter from Dow Chemical He thought about staying with the Army. He could have retired after twelve more years and said, I didnt figure wed have another war in the next 12 years, so it would be kind of a nice life. I would go to college, take courses and fool around. Imagine how different his life, and the life of Midland, Michigan would have been if he had chosen that path. But his destiny was to be different. He got a letter from Stephen Starks saying Dow Chemical wanted to rehire him. There was, in fact, a World War II era law, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, that required companies to rehire veterans to the same or a substantial equivalent postwar job, but besides that, he liked Dow. His files also showed that if he hadnt gone back to Dow Chemical, that the R. Hoe and Company probably would have hired him. He started his terminal leave from the Army on Feb. 6, 1946, and he was discharged from the U.S. Army on May 5, 1946, as a major. He reentered Dow Chemical in the Production Engineering Department, and in August, he transferred to purchasing as an expeditor, using all those skills he had gained while in the Army. He stayed in the Army reserves until April 1, 1953. Although he never fought in combat, his work, along with that of thousands of others of the unsung soldiers working behind the scenes in businesses, helped drive an unstoppable equipment supply line that ultimately overwhelmed the Axis Powers and helped the United States and Allies win the war. His six years in the Army had boosted his confidence in his abilities and taught him leadership skills. The experience also inculcated his thoughts on what he saw was his duty to work with the government during times of war. That later impacted the Dow Chemical Companys decision to supply products during the Vietnam War. His military career set the stage for decades of service to the Dow Chemical Company, culminating in his position as Chairman of the Board. Tawny Ryan Nelb, of Nelb Archival Consulting, Inc., resides in Midland. She created this piece with the support of the Gerstacker Foundation. [February 08, 2021] Smart Speaker Market 2020 Global Analysis, Size, Trends, Share, Growth, Competitive Landscape, Key Players, Regional and Industry Forecast To 2025 According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Global Smart Speaker Market by Intelligent Virtual Assistant, End User, Distribution Channel, and Price: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025, the global smart speaker was valued at $4,358 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $23,317 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 23.4% from 2018 to 2025. The report offers an extensive analysis of key growth strategies, drivers, opportunities, key segment, Porters Five Forces analysis, and competitive landscape. This study is a helpful source of information for market players, investors, VPs, stakeholders, and new entrants to gain thorough understanding of the industry and determine steps to be taken to gain competitive advantage. Download Sample Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5017 The report offers key drivers that propel the growth in the global Smart Speaker Market. These insights help market players in devising strategies to gain market presence. The research also outlined restraints of the market. Insights on opportunities are mentioned to assist market players in taking further steps by determining potential in untapped regions. The research offers a detailed segmentation of the global Smart Speaker Market. Key segments analyzed in the research include Intelligent Virtual Assistant, End User and Distribution Channel and geography. Extensive analysis of sales, revenue, growth rate, and market share of eachand region for the historic period and the forecast period is offered with the help of tables. Get Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Smart Speaker Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/5017?reqfor=covid The market is analyzed based on regions and competitive landscape in each region is mentioned. Regions discussed in the study include North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa). These insights help to devise strategies and create new opportunities to achieve exceptional results. The research offers an extensive analysis of key players active in the global Smart Speaker Industry. Detailed analysis on operating business segments, product portfolio, business performance, and key strategic developments is offered in the research. Leading market players analyzed in the report include Amazon.com, Inc., Apple, Inc., Alibaba Group, Alphabet Inc. (Google Inc.), Sonos, Inc., Bose Corporation, Xiaomi, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Baidu Inc., and Plantronics, Inc. (Altec Lansing/AL Infinity, LLC). These players have adopted various strategies including expansions, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, new product launches, and collaborations to gain a strong position in the industry. Access Full Summary @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/smart-speaker-market Key Findings of the Smart Speaker Market: The online segment is estimated to generate the highest revenue in terms of distribution channel for the global smart speaker market in 2017. In 2017, the personal segment is projected to be the highest revenue contributor in the end-user segment. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In 2017, North America contributed the highest market revenue, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. Request For Customization @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/5017 Key Offerings of the Report: Key drivers & Opportunities: Detailed analysis on driving factors and opportunities in different segments for strategizing. Current trends & forecasts: Comprehensive analysis on latest trends, development, and forecasts for next few years to take next steps. Segmental analysis: Each segment analysis and driving factors along with revenue forecasts and growth rate analysis. Regional Analysis: Thorough analysis of each region help market players devise expansion strategies and take a leap. Competitive Landscape: Extensive insights on each of the leading market players for outlining competitive scenario and take steps accordingly. About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of Market Research Reports and Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Singapore firm launches plan to build SGD 1.32-bn medicity in India's Puducherry Velli Ventures, a Singapore-based company with offices in the United States, announced plans to construct a medicity in Puducherry, India. The project is proposed in Karaikal as a one-stop hub for the entire spectrum of healthcare for tourists as well as residents. Photo courtesy: Velli Ventures The SGD 1.32 billion (USD 1 billion) project, to be completed by 2025, will come up over 80 hectares in the union territory's Karaikal district, with the initial development to be completed by next year, they announced in a virtual presentation attended by Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayansamy and Dr Mohamed Kalifah, Diplomat, Ministry of Foreign affairs, MKM Investments, Burj Khalifa, UAE. Others who attended the event included Maneesh Tripathi, Group CEO, SEVAK Limited and Vice Chairman - Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI). Puducherry CM V Narayansamy. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@VNarayanasami "The Aradhana Medicity project will bring a major change in the health care sectors of the Karaikal region, Puducherry which will provide direct and indirect employment to 75,000 people in this region," said Puducherry CM V Narayansamy. "The overall economy of Puducherry will also be improved by this project." Healthcare tourism is a fast-growing business that is capitalising on the economic growth and healthcare development in India. Medical Value Travel to India is also growing at a fast rate of 55 per cent a year and is expected to touch USD 9 billion by the end of the year. "Karaikal Healthcare City, envisioned as a premier healthcare facility, is a first of its kind flagship project spread across 200 acres and will be designed as a unique, integrated and sustainable medical tourism facility that shall cater to patients by providing not only medical treatment but also the recovery, rejuvenation and relaxation of each individual," said Sharmila Nagarajan, the president of Velli Ventures. Sharmila Nagarajan, president, Velli Ventures. Photo courtesy: Velli Ventures It will also have treatment facilities for Ayurveda and other forms of alternative medical practices. Velli Ventures has engaged United States medical management services provider American Medical Holdings and Jurong Consultants, part of Singapore-based Surbana Jurong group, to provide the technical know-how and business advice. "We are here to support Velli ventures in this Medi City project. We will provide all the support needed to execute it successfully. MKM investments are investing in education, industrial, agri, tourism, energy, commercial, trade investment and enterprise, management, oil and natural gas," said Dr Mohamed Kalifah, Diplomat, Ministry of Foreign affairs, MKM Investments, Burj Khalifa, UAE. The project is proposed in Karaikal as a one-stop hub for the entire spectrum of healthcare for tourists as well as residents. Prime Minister on Monday slammed those calling agitating Sikh farmers names, saying it won't do the country any good as he went on to appeal to the protesting farmers to withdraw their over two-month-long stir and give the new agriculture reform laws a chance. He also slammed the politics over the farm laws, saying opposition parties were mum over the reasons for the agitation. Punning on the term FDI, which stands for Foreign Direct Investment, Modi said a new thing of FDI has emerged in India, which he said was Foreign Destructive Ideology. "We need to be more aware to save the country from such an ideology," he said while replying to a discussion in Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget session. He also slammed the mushrooming of a new breed of 'andolan-jivi' -- professional protestors -- who can be seen at every agitation. These "parasites feast on every agitation." In an oblique reference to agitating Sikhs being called 'Khalistani' terrorists and other names, the Prime Minister said the nation was proud of every Sikh. "India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs. This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious," he said. "Language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation." Farmers from Punjab and other northern states have been protesting at the borders of the capital for over two months against the three new farm reform bills that they fear will end the current practice of government buying their produce like wheat and paddy at a minimum support price or MSP. "We mustn't forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. And the business of weapons was carried out in northeast. All this affected the nation," he said. Modi vehemently denied that the laws will end MSP or the mandi system of crop procurement. "MSP was there (in past). MSP is there (now). MSP will remain in the future," he said. "Also, affordable ration for the poor (through the public distribution system) will continue," he said, adding that mandis will be modernised. Reeling out statistics, the prime minister said over two-third of farmers have small landholdings and the new laws give them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere, helping to realise the best prices. Modi also criticised the opposition for not listing out the reasons that prompted the stir against the farm laws. These laws, he said, addressed the root cause of the agrarian problem and are aimed at helping small farmers. The opposition parties too advocated farm reforms, he said citing a statement by his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the need to reform the procurement system. The prime minister asked the farmers to end the agitation saying the government is ready for talks. "Give these reforms a chance," he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) Zambales 2nd District Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla on Monday filed a resolution asking Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to declare as persona non grata the Polish vice consul who allegedly insulted Filipinos after he was apprehended over a hit-and-run incident. In House Resolution No. 1559, Deloso-Montalla detailed how Vice Consul Bartosz Wozniczko, as well as his "unidentified boss" who was with him when he was intercepted by local police in Zambales, allegedly hurled insults against police officers and lawyers at the scene. The congresswoman said this came after Wozniczko "willfully, maliciously, and feloniously evaded arrest...following a hit-and-run case" in Candeleria, Zambales where he is a suspect. "Hiding under the cloak of functional immunity, Vice Consul Wozniczko and his unidentified boss abhorrently discriminated the members of the Philippine Bar as well as the member of the PNP who were present to apply the full force of the law to them," the resolution read. It said Wozniczko labeled Filipinos as scammers and accused the policemen and lawyers as extortionists during their verbal exchange. "Vice Consul Wozniczko and his unidentified boss also insinuated that the members of Masinloc PNP were harassing them which is contrary to eyewitness accounts," it added. Though still unidentified, Deloso-Montalla asked that the supposed "boss" who was with Wozniczko also be declared persona non grata by the Department of Foreign Affairs. "The despicable and deplorable statements of Vice Consul Wozniczko and his unidentified boss against us, Filipinos, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms considering they are supposed to be exemplars of high morals, them being official representatives of the Republic of Poland in our country," the resolution read. Climate change, Western disturbance, or both? Scientists weigh in on Uttarakhand floods India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 08: Global warming or maybe a Western disturbance bringing fresh snow that melted could have triggered the inundation in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, experts said on Monday as they scrambled to understand the reasons for the avalanche and floods that wreaked havoc in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. Recalling the horrors of the 2013 deluge in the hill state in which thousands were killed, a part of the Nanda Devi glacier "broke off" at Joshimath on Sunday, leading to a massive flood in the Alaknanda river system. Till late afternoon Monday, 18 bodies had been recovered and 202 were missing. The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation is investigating the exact reason for the flooding but there are no clear answers yet for a glacier to have melted in the winter. It is not clear whether the flood is a typical Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) or some temporary damming due to a landslide and avalanche that might have blocked the mainstream to form a temporary lake which burst, said Ranjit Rath, director general of the Geological Survey of India (GSI). A GLOF is a type of outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails. Uttarakhand glacier burst: Rescue operations can possibly take 24-48 hours, says NDRF "Once the water level recedes a team of experts will assess the damage as well as the triggering factor responsible for the outburst," Rath told reporters here. As the nightmare envisaged by numerous environmentalists warning against untrammeled development in the mountains came true on Sunday, glaciologist Farooq Azam said a glacial burst is very rare. "We have been trying to understand the event since yesterday. Right now what we can tell is a glacier slipped from around 500-600 metres, which started a landslide with an icefall that triggered this disaster," Azam, assistant professor, Glaciology & Hydrology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indore, told PTI. "For sure there was no glacial lake outburst flood, for sure there is no cloud burst because there is no lake available in the region at this particular time. Even if there are lakes, they are frozen and they don't have any activity. The disaster happened because of an icefall and landslide." he added. Satellite and Google Earth images, Azam added, do not show a glacial lake near the region, but there''s a possibility there may be a water pocket in the region. "Water pockets are lakes inside the glaciers, which may have erupted leading to this event," Azam told PTI. The scientist, however, said further analysis, weather reports and data are needed to confirm if this indeed was the case. "There is no doubt that global warming has resulted in the warming of the region. Climate change driven erratic weather patterns like increased snowfall and rainfall, warmer winters have led to the melting point of a lot of snow," he added. Ghulam Nabi Azad retires as MP, hopes for Pandits' return to Kashmir | Oneindia News Climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll agreed and also said more data is needed. He said the recent climate change assessment report for India shows significant melting and decline in glacier mass over the Himalayan region in the recent decades due to warmer temperatures. Koll also said it was not clear if an accumulation of glacier melt led to this burst, and noted that Western disturbances during last week did bring in a lot of snow over the region, followed by clear sky and warm temperatures. "It is quite possible that climate change and melting of fresh snow led to piling up of water in this area," Koll, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, told PTI. Weighing in with his views, Amit Srivastava, head of School of Civil Engineering, Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab, said Sunday's event was a simple phenomenon. "Natural reservoirs or ice glaciers are created in the top Himalayan region due to hill boundaries. Due to climate change, when temperatures rise, ice melts and turns into a water reservoir," Srivastava, who specialises in geotech engineering, explained. High water pressure breaks the barrier and creates flood-like situations, he said, adding that scientists have been predicting this for a very long time but it is happening now. Pointing out that there is not enough data to give information on what caused the avalanche and floods, Anjal Prakash, adjunct associate professor at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad said, "What we know, prima-facia, is that this looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting due to global warming." According to him, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) shows that climate change has altered the frequency and magnitude of natural hazards. "The scientists reported with medium confidence that in some regions snow avalanches involving wet snow have increased while the rain on snow floods have also increased at lower elevations in springs," Prakash, lead author of the ongoing 6th Assessment report of IPCC, said in a statement. The impact of global warming on glacial retreat is well documented, he said. The IPCC report shows that temperatures are rising in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region and the rise in global temperature will have more impact in the Himalayan region due to elevation-dependent warming, Prakash added. He urged the government to spend more resources in monitoring the region better so there is more information about the change, adding this could help develop better adaptation practices. The glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating under climate change scenario, which is a global phenomenon, Rath said. "With the passage of time, some of the glacial lakes near the terminus often coalesce together and form large glacial lakes dammed by glacial moraines. The constitution of the moraines comprising loose boulders, gravels, sand admixture often containing dead ice, imparts inherent weakness to these dams," Rath said. "These lakes are quite common on the debris-covered Himalayan glaciers wherein the lower part of the glacier moves very slowly and at times remains almost stationary. The breach glacial and outbursts, termed as GLOF, can result in the discharge of a huge volume of water leading to severe damage in the areas falling in the downstream region," he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, February 8, 2021, 17:48 [IST] English German SIKA ACQUIRES MORTAR MANUFACTURER IN RUSSIA Sika has agreed to acquire Kreps LLC, a leading mortar manufacturer in Russia. The company offers a wide range of mortar products for interior and exterior finishing, complementing the existing portfolio and geographical footprint. The acquired business generates annual sales of CHF 15 million. The transaction is subject to clearance by the local anti-trust authorities. Kreps is a well-known local brand with a strong presence in the distribution channels, providing Sika with improved access to major home centers and builders merchants. The combination of Sikas technical know-how and direct sales approach with Kreps developed distribution network and production base will enable Sika to expand the local supply chain and better penetrate the market. Kreps operates production plants in Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, two geographical areas where Sika has not previously had its own mortar manufacturing. The two modern plants manufacture a wide range of mortars, mainly tile adhesives, plasters, and floor leveling compounds. The facilities of Kreps also include a professional training center and well-equipped production laboratories. Ivo Schadler, Regional Manager EMEA: Kreps provides a wide product portfolio and extended geographical footprint for mortars in the Russian Federation. Together with the enhanced access to the distribution channel, it gives us a platform to further grow and strengthen our position in this market. We warmly welcome the Kreps employees to the Sika team and look forward to a successful joint future. CONTACT Dominik Slappnig Corporate Communications & Investor Relations +41 58 436 68 21 slappnig.dominik@ch.sika.com SIKA CORPORATE PROFILE Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 100 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. Its 25,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 7.88 billion in 2020. At the end of 2019, Sika won the Swiss Technology Award for an innovative new adhesive technology. The media release can be downloaded from the following link: Media Release Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. 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. Chinese unable to re-unite with loved ones this Lunar New Year are sending them a taste of home instead, using food packages to bridge the distance, as coronavirus warnings in some regions put a stop to the usual lengthy journeys home. Beijing resident Wang Hui has received homemade dried beef, fried rabbit, spicy tofu and smoked pork that his mother bought online for him after he decided not to visit his southwestern home city of Chongqing. "In her eyes, I'm always short of food," said Wang, 27, who works for an internet firm. "The new year holiday is such a special time that she must make sure I have food I love - that is, home food." The surge in such small comforts for separated families will help consumption in China's economy, where a hoped-for-recovery in spending on services such as restaurants and hotels has been dealt a blow by the disappointing travel season. E-commerce and online sites have benefited as sales of food surged 40% during a shopping festival from Jan. 20 to Feb 3, versus the last Lunar New Year period, state broadcaster CCTV says. The Lunar New Year, which starts on Friday, is ordinarily the world's biggest annual migration, when hundreds of millions of China's migrant workers return to home towns, but travel warnings over virus risks have deterred many this year. China has discouraged holiday travel after recent outbreaks forced widespread testing and quarantine requirements, despite earlier success in reining in the 2019 outbreak that also disrupted last year's Lunar New Year festivities. The transport ministry has estimated passenger trips will fall 40% during the 40-day spring travel season from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. For the first time in nearly two months, China had reported no new local infections by Sunday, a sign that aggressive measures have limited their spread. Mainland China's tally of infections stands at 89,706, with deaths at 4,636. "WILLING TO SPLURGE" Food and beverage orders have spiked ahead of this year's holiday, say e-commerce and retail sites such as JD.Com, Pinduoduo and JD Daojia, with JD.com flagging a surge in items between major cities and smaller regions. "After a difficult year due to the pandemic, people will likely be willing to splurge on food items as a comfort and a reward," said Imogen Page-Jarrett, an analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Consumers will see it as essential to send gifts, including food, to their relatives, even if they cannot return in person." City workers are sending items of local cuisine and staples such as rice and cooking oil to families, while parents send hometown delicacies to children in the city. "Not going home for New Year's, my parents sent 'Spring Festival' goods," has become a trending topic on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter. Beijing has become the top destination for food ordered in remote areas. Delicacies range from West Lake lotus root starch from the city of Hangzhou and red sausage from northeastern Harbin to hot-pot ingredients from southwestern Sichuan and Chaoshan handmade beef balls from southern Guangdong, says JD.com. "It is clear that family members far away also want to let their children in the big cities know they are thinking about them," the platform posted. Producers of local delicacies are cashing in on the demand, with New Year online sales of Beijing brands, such as Daoxiangcun bakery goods and Wuyutai tea, up 135% and 500% respectively on the year, state media say. In the central city of Changsha, one social media user displayed pictures of the Daoxiangcun baked goods sent by her mother, adding, "My mum is still happy, despite my not returning home, saying that distance creates beauty." Monday, February 8, 2021 A version of this article first appeared in the Morning Brief. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe Companies are smashing expectations, but investors are selling the news Buy the rumor, sell the news, is an old saying in the markets. Simply put, you make a trade assuming some future outcome, and when that outcome is confirmed you close out your trade. According to the numbers during this earnings season, it looks like the rumor was that companies would smash expectations. When earnings season kicked off, analysts were estimating that S&P 500 (^GSPC) earnings fell by about 9% year-over-year in Q4 2020. However, actual earnings so far have been beating estimates by such a wide margin that it looks like these companies may have actually delivered earnings growth during the period. As of [Friday], the S&P 500 is reporting year-over-year growth in earnings of 1.7% for the fourth quarter, compared to a year-over-year decline in earnings of -2.4% last week and a year-over-year decline in earnings of -9.3% at the end of the fourth quarter (December 31), FactSets John Butters wrote. If 1.7% is the actual growth rate for the fourth quarter, it will mark the first time the index has reported year-over-year growth in earnings since Q4 2019 (0.8%). According to FactSet, 81% of companies that have announced so far have beaten expectations, which is the second highest percentage since the firm began tracking the numbers in 2008. And those reported earnings, on average, have been 15.2% above estimates; this is the third largest beat margin since 2008. With earnings beating so broadly across companies and by such a wide margin, youd think stocks would respond to the news well. But, that hasnt been the case. To date, the market is not rewarding positive earnings surprises and punishing negative earnings surprises less than average, Butters observed. Companies that have reported positive earnings surprises for Q4 2020 have seen an average price decrease of -0.5% two days before the earnings release through two days after the earnings release. This percentage decrease is well below the 5-year average price increase of +0.9% during this same window for companies reporting positive earnings surprises. (Emphasis ours.) Investors are punishing companies for positive earnings surprises. (FactSet) Three months ago during Q3 earnings season, it seemed beating expectations was actually meeting expectations. Today it seems that beating expectations is... missing expectations? Maybe the market has been expecting more than the analysts. But if we go back to that old rule, it seems to be the case that investors are selling the news. Perverse price moves an ominous sign? Its worth nothing that the S&P 500 is nevertheless at a record high (Just because stocks usually go up, doesnt mean that cant act strangely sometimes). So, maybe investors came back and bid up prices on a lag. Bank of Americas Savita Subramanian, however, cautions that this behavior could be a sign of something far more ominous. Perverse reactions remain a big theme this earnings season, Subramanian wrote last week. The perverse reactions point to euphoric sentiment and rich valuations, similar to the last time this happened: right at the peak of the Tech Bubble. Were not gonna get into the whole bubble debate here. Thats for another time. But we will note that there are also many reasons why today is not a repeat of 2000. Still, prices are nevertheless being a bit weird. In another note last week, Goldman Sachs Spencer Hill and Ronnie Walker observed that stocks werent reacting to economic data like they used to. Financial markets have been far less sensitive than usual to economic data releases during the pandemic, they wrote. The sensitivity of Treasury yields to growth indicators has plummeted to 16% of its post-2000 average, and equity market sensitivity to growth data has similarly fallen to 50% of its usual level. The Goldman analysts believe market participants have their eyes on non-business, non-economic variables. Historically, recessions are periods of heightened data sensitivity, and the simplest explanation for the muted environment in the 2020 recession is that investors instead focused on the public health variables that would ultimately determine its length and severity, they said. To be sure, public health variables are having a massive impact on the economy, the businesses underlying the economy, and ultimately the earnings produced by those businesses. With vaccines now being distributed, things are looking up in the economy, which is a good sign for earnings. When you think of it that way, despite the weird short-term behavior, it starts to make sense that stocks are at record highs. By Sam Ro, managing editor. Follow him at @SamRo YAHOO FINANCE HIGHLIGHTS Mohamed El-Erian on the GameStop short squeeze: 'We came very, very close to a market accident' It's 'delusional' for Biden to use Defense Production Act for vaccines: Expert Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Find live stock market quotes and the latest business and finance news For tutorials and information on investing and trading stocks, check out Cashay ELEVEN publicans across Cork have decided in recent weeks not to reopen when restrictions on pubs are lifted. That is according to chairman of the Cork branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Michael ODonovan, of the Castle Inn in Cork city. He revealed the numbers following Fridays landmark Commercial Court decision that four pub-owners who held public house insurance policies are entitled to be compensated by FBD for the disruption their businesses have suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It paves the way for more than 1,000 other publicans across the country who held the same policy. Mr ODonovan said: For a lot of businesses, it will be a lifeline. Since Christmas and into early January, I know of 11 pubs in Cork that are not opening again. He is also aware of four leaseholders of pubs in Cork city who have opted not to continue their leases. However, Mr ODonovan said: I would think they will still remain as bars. Pubs have been closed under the current lockdown since 3pm on Christmas Eve. Even when things do get back to normal it will take a lot of work to get the publics confidence back, Mr ODonovan said. In the first day our series on the legal implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ann Murphy looks at the impact of Fridays ruling regarding business interruption insurance. SEVERAL Cork publicans are among more than 1,000 across the country who are being written to by FBD this week to confirm they are covered for Covid-related business interruption. The publicans being written to are holders of FBDs Public House Insurance policy. The measure follows Fridays judgement in the Commercial Court that four pub owners who held the Public House Insurance policy are entitled to be compensated by FBD for the disruption their businesses have suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Owner of the Castle Inn in Cork city, Michael ODonovan, is chairman of the Cork branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland. He said he has been receiving calls throughout the weekend from publicans following Fridays ruling. He said the landmark ruling came after 10 months of waiting by publicans. He continued: The judgment runs to 214 pages so it will take time to decipher. Nationally, we are waiting for expert opinion. He added: It is back in court again in two weeks to decide the quantum. While the initial step is very good, there is a bit of a road to go yet. There have been talks of interim payments so hopefully that will be done. He pointed out that even though pubs remain closed, there are many costs still to be met by publicans. Michael ODonovan, owner of the Castle Inn in Cork city and chairman of the Cork branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland,has urged publicans with the FBD policy to lodge their claim. Picture: Dan Linehan On FBDs website, the company said: The judgment handed down on February 5 has clarified that cover for business interruption claims relating to Covid-19 does apply under the FBD Public House Insurance policy only. We will write to all FBD Public House Insurance policyholders during the week of February 8 to update customers of the position and inform them of the claims process. The company has also pledged to process claims as quickly as possible following the ruling. And it says: We will now consider the effects of the judgment with our reinsurers and will revert to the market in due course on the estimated net cost of Covid-19 related business interruption claims to the Company. We expect the cost to be well within the range of considered financial outcomes, with FBD remaining strongly capitalised. FBD believes that the court process was the fairest way to reach a resolution in this matter and tried to ensure that proceedings were as quick and efficient as possible for all concerned. We have had the privilege of supporting individuals, farms, and businesses in Ireland for over 50 years and our commitment to our customers remains as strong as ever. Under the policy, losses are covered where a premises is closed under the orders of a local or government authority in the event of outbreaks of contagious or infectious diseases on the premises or within 25 miles of the same. According to Fridays court decision, cover is not lost if closure is prompted by nationwide outbreaks of a disease, provided there is an outbreak within a 25-mile radius of the premises and that it is one of the causes of the closure. Mr ODonovan said although several Cork publicans hold the policy which was the subject of the ruling, there are others who will be watching to see if their insurers will follow suit. And he revealed that during the Christmas and New Year period, decisions were taken by at least 11 publicans across Cork county not to reopen again, when restrictions are lifted. They are mainly in rural areas. A further four publicans in Cork city, who are leaseholders, have also decided to give up their leases. However, Mr ODonovan said he believes that the premises involved will remain as bars. Independent Cork County councillor, and Bantry publican, Danny Collins says he will be seeking legal advice today from his solicitor to see where he stands. He is not insured by FBD but is hoping that Fridays ruling will lead other companies down the same road. He said: I take my hat off to those four publicans who took the case. He has contacted his insurance broker who told him that he is currently examining on how to proceed in light of Fridays ruling. He had been told prior to Friday that he would not be covered for business interruption. He says he is paying 380 a month on his insurance policy. VFI chief executive Padraig Cribben said: This High Court decision is the first good news the 1,100 publicans who are FBD customers have received since the crisis began last March. Publicans took out business interruption cover with FBD in good faith and the decision by the insurance company to challenge that cover caused huge distress for our members at a time when they were at their most vulnerable. He continued: While the full detail of the courts 214-page decision is still being analysed, we know that publicans with these policies will now be compensated for the losses incurred by the pandemic. A quantum hearing where the amount of compensation will be decided will be held in due course. It now follows that other insurance companies should review their business interruption claims and begin a process of working with publicans to ensure adequate compensation is provided for the interruption of their businesses. Mr ODonovan echoes that view, saying: This decision was only made on Friday so hopefully, in the coming weeks, other companies will follow suit. In the next month, we will have a lot more clarity. He urged publicans with the FBD policy which was the subject of Fridays ruling to contact the company and lodge their claim. He also stressed the importance of having a loss adjustor, adding that the VFI has one on board to help its members. For a lot of businesses, it will be a lifeline. Fridays decision was also welcomed by the Minister of State with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions, and Insurance, Sean Fleming. The findings are lengthy, the matter is complex and will need to be considered in detail, he said following Fridays judgement. The Governments consistent view has been insurers should engage with impacted businesses honestly, fairly, and professionally to honour the terms of the policy cover, in line with the Central Banks Consumer Protection Code. Separately, the Central Banks Business Interruption Insurance Supervisory Framework sets out its expectations of insurance firms in handling Covid-19 related business interruption insurance claims. He stressed the importance of all insurers who offer business interruption insurance in carefully assessing the ruling and how it may impact upon their policies. The Central Bank welcomed the court decision, saying: We will be closely examining the potential impact of this judgement for customers in the context of our sustained and ongoing engagement with relevant firms. During the weekend, the Restaurants Association of Ireland confirmed that its legal advisers have reviewed hundreds of policies of its members following Fridays ruling. Chief executive of the RAI, Adrian Cummins, said the association had written to 12 insurance firms on behalf of members seeking immediate interim business interruption payments. More than 20 restaurants started legal action in the High Court last year against their insurers, having made claims for business interruption due to the pandemic. The Irish Hotels Federation also welcomed the court ruling. HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) A woman who went onto a closed New Jersey pier to try to take a picture was rescued after falling through a gap into the icy water of the Hudson River over the weekend, authorities said. Chief Ken Ferrante of the Hoboken police department said the 24-year-old Berkeley Heights woman climbed a fence near Pier 13 but didnt see the danger due to darkness and snow. Officials said she plunged more than 10 feet into the water through a hole or a gap between the pier and dock. The womans brother tried unsuccessfully to rescue her and then called 911 just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday. An officer reported the woman submerged to her waist in the water, holding onto a piece of metal. Officers stabilized her with two water rescue bags and used a rope to lift her to safety. NJ.com reports that in order to loop a life preserver ring around the victim, two officers had to lower half their bodies into the hole while three other officers held onto their legs. It took a collaborative effort with all officers putting their safety at risk to save the victim from drowning, said Lt. Danilo Cabrera. Officer Duke McCourt told WABC that the situation was unsettling, since officers didnt know whether the pier was compromised. It was all covered with snow, and it was chaotic, and were just happy everything worked out, McCourt said. The woman was taken to the Hoboken University Medical Center, where no update on her condition was available. Cancer cases are on the rise, puzzling specialists. Cancer of the oesophagus, colorectal and lymphoma are the most prevalent, even though researchers are yet to figure out why certain types are more prevalent in particular regions of the country. Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital chief scientific adviser George Njoroge says oesophageal cancer is the most lethal. "The incidence rate for oesophagus cancer is 18.4, which is similar to the mortality rate. This means almost all patients diagnosed with this type of cancer die," Prof Njoroge said. Some 2,974 Kenyans have been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, accounting for 7.1 per cent of the 42,116 new cases reported. Cancer of the oesophagus, which afflicts men and women, is the fourth-worst type. Late diagnosis is the main cause of death. Dr Geoffrey Mutuma, a consultant pathologist and chief executive officer at Zambezi Cancer Centre in South C, Nairobi, says lack of sound policies and research are to blame for the situation. "My 2003 oesophageal cancer research revealed that places where tea and coffee are grown are the most affected by of cancer. I do not know why," said the pathologist. Brian Mberia, 25, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Brian Mberia, a Nanyuki resident who teaches German to Grade Four learners, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This type of lymphoma is common, does not spread and starts in the skin. It is also called skin lymphoma or cutaneous lymphoma. Mberia was diagnosed with the disease at 14, a few days after joining Meru School. "My mother had just died from the same disease. It started as a small painless growth in the neck," he said. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital chief paediatric oncologist Festus Njuguna says more than 3,000 children in Kenya get cancer every year, with the majority occurring in youngsters aged zero to five years. Another cancer that commonly affects children, according to the oncologist, is retinoblastoma, which begins in the retina (the lining inside the eye). Ms Margaret Wanjiru, 20, Lymphoma At just 18, Margaret Wanjiru was bubbling with life - the kind of life that shuttles between school and partying. For a person that age, confidence matters. She was just about to join college. In December 2018, cancer creeped in. It started as a sore throat. "I remember having tonsils, which made my neck swell. I thought it was just an ordinary infection. That was in July," she says. Five months later, the growth got worse, prompting her to seek treatment. By the time Wanjiru arrived at Consolata Hospital, her whole neck was swollen. Doctors recommended an X-ray, thinking she had TB. She had a minor surgery in December. In January 2019, tests showed she had lymphoma stage 2. Lymphoma is a cancer of the body's disease-fighting network. The main types are Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue and weight loss. Gladys Makokha, 62, Colorectal cancer In Musanda village, Kakamega, Gladys Makokha, 62, struggled to sit straight in order to speak to the 'Nation'. She is a mother of four, though two have died. From early 2018, her life was plagued by endless stomach upsets. "I vomited frequently. Back pains set in and it became impossible to relieve myself," she said. "She has had two operations after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Colorectal, bowel, colon, or rectal cancer refers to any cancer that affects the colon and the rectum. It begins when healthy cells in the colon mutate. Factors that may increase the risk of getting the disease include old age, inflammatory intestinal conditions and genetic. It is the third leading cause of deaths in the country and second among non-communicable diseases, accounting for seven per cent of the overall mortality rate, experts say. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya NCDs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Leonida Imeli, 57, Oesophageal cancer In October 2020, Leonida Imeli, who hails from Mukulusu village in Kakamega County, found it difficult to eat or swallow. The pain in her throat had become unbearable. She cried at the thought of drinking water. "I thought it was a cold and took some tablets," the mother of four said. Dr Dismus Elikana of Kakamega County Referral Hospital says many of those who seek treatment alrady have stage three or four of the disease. "Patients present themselves late due to the nature of the symptoms. Early screening is important. It is also important to avoid common risk factors like smoking and alcohol," he said. Diagnosis is still a major problem in Kakamega due to unavailability and inadequacy of equipment and specialists. The National Hospital Insurance Fund, Dr Elikana adds, is the only way out for most patients in the region. The state Board of Elections voted today to certify Claudia Tenney as the winner of the 22nd Congressional District race over Anthony Brindisi, more than three months after Election Day. The boards four commissioners voted 4-0 to certify that Tenney (156,098 votes) won the election by a razor-thin 109 votes over Brindisi (155,989 votes) in the last undecided House race in the nation. The voice vote took less than one minute. None of the commissioners asked any questions or made any statements. But the boards certification may not be the last word in the disputed election. Brindisi, a Democrat from Utica, has promised to appeal a state Supreme Court judges ruling over disputed ballots to the state Appellate Division in Rochester. As the losing candidate in a state-certified election, Brindisi also has 30 days from Monday to request a manual recount from the House of Representative under the Federal Contested Elections Act. Brindisi said last week that a full audit and hand recount of ballots is necessary to ensure that the public trusts the final election results. Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, has asked to be sworn into office as soon as possible, even if an appeal or recount is pending. The voters need a voice in Congress, and I look forward to getting to work on behalf of New Yorks 22nd Congressional District, Tenney said Friday. It will be up to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decide when Tenney should be seated. Pelosis office and the House Administration Committee had no immediate comment Monday. State Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte ordered all eight counties in the 22nd District to send their certified results to the state on Friday, ending a three-month legal battle over disputed absentee ballots and affidavit ballots cast at the polls. Lawyers for Brindisi, who served one term in Congress until Jan. 3, had asked the judge to keep the results unofficial until his appeal could be heard at a higher court. In his ruling, DelConte said its not the courts role to fix a series of errors that prevented hundreds of ballots from being counted. The judge said that should be taken up by state election officials, Gov. Andrew Cuomo or the U.S. Department of Justice. Brindisi and Tenney have each served one term in the House. Brindisi unseated Tenney in the 2018 election, winning by less than 2 percentage points. MORE ON THE NY-22 ELECTION Amid errors and delays, a lesson from New York 22nd race: How not to run an election Claudia Tenney to be certified as winner of New Yorks 22nd race, judge rules In NY 22nd, judges suggests there are no great options to fix Oneida County mistake Whats next in Brindisi-Tenney House race? Appeals, recount, could delay decision for months 700 votes were tossed in Oneida County. Officials ignored state law in latest mess up Oneida County botched 2,400 voter signups, preventing their votes in Brindisi-Tenney race Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 A former member of the Seanad from Northern Ireland could thwart a voting pact between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in two forthcoming by-elections after claiming that TDs and senators from both parties have privately promised him their votes. Armagh man Ian Marshall, who is from a unionist background, lost his seat as an independent in the Republic's parliamentary upper house last year. The former president of the Ulster Farmers Union claims he also has pledges of support from members of the Green Party. "This says to me (the election) is not a foregone conclusion," Mr Marshall told The Sunday Times. "I'm not naive but I detect a lot of internal politics in Fianna Fail, and people will not be led by the nose. And there are people in Fine Gael saying its candidate (Maria Byrne) is wrong because she has no background in agriculture." Mr Marshall was left disappointed last June after he was overlooked by Micheal Martin who did not put him forward as one of the Taoiseach's 11 nominees to the upper house. The two Seanad vacancies follow the resignations of Sinn Fein's Elisha McCallion in October and Fine Gael's Michael D'Arcy the previous month. Former Sinn Fein MP Ms McCallion and two party officials resigned from the party over the failure to promptly return 30,000 in Covid-19 support funds wrongly allocated. The money was mistakenly paid to three Sinn Fein party offices under the Executive's Small Business Support Grant Scheme. Fine Gael has selected Maria Byrne, a Limerick former senator, to contest Mr D'Arcy's seat on the Seanad agricultural panel. Fianna Fail posted ballot papers to its parliamentary party on Friday so members can choose its candidate to replace Ms McCallion on the industrial and commercial panel. Sinn Fein is not contesting D'Arcy's seat and is backing Marshall for that vacancy. It has yet to decide whether to field a candidate for Ms McCallion's seat. The Green Party is not part of its government partners' pact. The understanding is that it will get the next Seanad seat that comes available. Hazel Chu, the Green lord mayor of Dublin, has told party leader Eamon Ryan that she wants to contest the seat vacated by Ms McCallion. Voting, by secret ballot, is confined to TDs and senators. The election quota is expected to be 110 votes. The combined voting strength of the Republic's three government parties is 123. Mr Marshall would need 14 government party votes plus all opposition and independents' votes to take the seat. New Delhi, Feb 8 : The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking transfer, to the CBI, of the investigation of the case relating to alleged suicide of BJP leader Debendra Nath Roy in West Bengal, noting that the Calcutta High Court has already dealt with the issue. Disposing of the plea, a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R. Subhash Reddy said: "The writ petition, having been filed by the widow (Chandrima Roy) of the deceased and entertained by the High Court and directions having been issued by the High Court where liberty is reserved to the writ petitioner to renew her prayer if the investigation is concluded with the submission of the final report otherwise tainted with biasness or any undue influence on the investigating agency, we see no reason to continue further with this public interest litigation." The top court noted that the present petition has been filed by a lawyer and a journalist. In August last year, the top court had sought response from the state government on this petition. The state government in its reply had denied the allegations that death of Roy was a political murder. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the West Bengal government, contended the High Court had already looked into the matter in entirety, while hearing the plea filed by the wife of the deceased and said that there was no delay in undertaking a probe into the matter. The High Court did not find any bias on the part of the investigation agency undertaken by the CID, West Bengal, but allowed the petitioner (Roy's wife) to renew her prayer if the final report of the investigation is "otherwise tainted with biasness or any undue influence on the investigating agency". "Since, this writ petition is being disposed of without affording opportunity to the respondents for an affidavit in opposition, the contentions made in the writ petition be deemed to be disputed and denied," it said. The BJP leader was found hanging near his home in Hemtabad area of North Dinajpur district on July 13, last year. He was elected as an MLA of the CPI-M in 2016, but joined the BJP in 2019. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 How Well Do We Know Our Own Fragrances? The Identification Game Columns When YouTubers Camille & Chris of Making A Stink! recently posted a video called How well does Camille know her own collection? it struck a chord with me. I truly own more fragrance than I could go through in many years so how earnestly connected can I really be with each bottle? Id like to think the answer is very much indeed, but I doubt that is the case. Camille & Chris devised their tag video as a challenge to those who really want to know how familiar they are with their own fragrance collection. The object is to blindly smell and identify a certain number (in this case, 10) of bottles from your collection chosen for you by someone else. Enlisting the help of my partner Shannon who is far, far less fragrance-crazed than I am I reached for the closest thing I had to a blindfold (an inverted COVID-prevention mask) and tried my best for a perfect score. Bulgari Blu Notte! The words left my mouth with an unexpected confidence, leaving me feeling a bit full of myself for instantly guessing the first selection correctly. Shannon sounded disappointed she wasn't able to obscure her first choice, letting out a telling sigh. Its no surprise I was able to guess this fragrance with ease Ive had the bottle for so many years now that I cannot even remember how it came to me. All I know is that I kept it in my bathroom when I was a teenager and now, I have this association with it and warm, relaxing showers. Its top notes have definitely faded, so if anyone knows where I can find a better-kept bottle of this long-discontinued fragrance, please let me know! Indolis from Areej Le Dore was another easy guess as it is an expensive, special occasion scent for me. Like the Bulgari, Indolis is a discontinued -- yet very underrated -- selection from its house (in truth, its the only ALD I am likely to own). I make a point to wear this on the first properly hot day of the year because, in my mind, it proudly flaunts itself as an olfactive ode to all things warm, green, and tropical. After three swiftly successful identifications, I was beginning to worry that this challenge was too easy (that was pure hubris, as youll soon read). Like many, I wear Burberry London around the holidays, so once again, cherished associations made it far too easy to pull this blind. But now, Shannon sounded delighted more than frustrated. I asked what she sounded so thrilled about I just liked that it was wearing a little coat! she exclaimed excitedly. This also smells fantastic. Finally, I was stumped completely. Shannon and I agreed it was best to keep moving and come back to any which stumped meI had to come back to this three times and still could not place it. I was deflated after such a strong start, but excited to sniff whatever was pulled for me next. (Later, when the reveal was made, I felt a lot better about not guessing Rising Mysore 2 as it was the most recent addition to my collection and one which Im thinking about passing along. Though I was disappointed I could not even identify the obvious smell of a fine sandalwood oil). I was beginning to regret any previous cockiness I displayed because here I was, stumped again. Whatever I was smelling was certainly musky, recalling my musk trifecta of Musc Tonkin by Parfum d'Empire, Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens, and Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle. But it was neither sweaty like the first two nor as custard-like as the latter so what could this be? Two more rounds of sniffing couldnt tell me, and when I finally saw that this was Porter Sa Peau a fragrance I recently reviewed positively here on Fragrantica I nearly caught myself pouting. If I tell you what the bottle looks like, youll immediately know what it is, I remember Shannon telling me as I squirmed impatiently trying to figure out what I was smelling. Even when she did describe it to me (claiming she picked it because it reminded her of a bottle of RumChata), I couldnt immediately recall the French name; only its English translation. Agh! Damn, its name is French for wearing ones skin, I said. Ew! Shannon replied. Over halfway through, I recovered a bit of my pride with this stunner from Jazmin Sarai. The unusual note of clay a pet note of mine features prominently in Fayoum. This sun-baked roadside blossom of a fragrance (as my friend and Fragrantica editor John Biebel put it) inspired me so that I had to write directly to perfumer Dana El Masri. She graciously put me on the right path toward creating a clay accord of my own so suffice it to say, my association with this perfume is personal and positive. Shannon incidentally picked the other of the two Roberto Greco fragrances, Oeilleres. But despite how much I enjoy this fragrance, it took me two rounds of sniffing for it to click. Going into this challenge, I was wondering if any fragrances would smell dramatically different on a test strip than how they smell on skin and finally, we arrived at just such a perfume. Nearly everything except the musks in Oeilleres smelled markedly different and muted on the strip, in stark contrast to how symphonic and intense it is on the skin. It took me a while to recognize it. But while I was having a delayed reaction to Oeilleres, Shannon was having a much more visceral one. From behind my makeshift blindfold, I heard a displeased groan, after which a few fast paces away from the sprayed strip. Sorry, I know this is well-made, but its really not for me, she said. Agree to disagree, I guess! Of all the fragrances Shannon could have pulled, this was one Id be most likely to identify and, of course, I did: Burvuvus dry palette of cedar, geranium, and fresh earthy notes are unmistakable. Cheekily, Shannon said I had to pick one of John Biebels! Interestingly, she didnt shy away from this one on the strip, which for her is uncommon given her usual sensitivity to earthy notes (she admired Fayoums artistry earlier, but ultimately found the earthy clay tones repulsive to her personal tastes). Whenever I wear Burvuvu on skin, Ive noticed Shannon doesnt particularly enjoy its sillage. But on strip, she finds the soft woody elements more noticeable. Id be curious to convince her to wear it herself someday. This challenge is much easier when your partner randomly chooses things youve written about before. Apparently, she chose Behold, Patchouli for its sensible packaging: I liked that all the notes were listed for me, Id rather know about what it smells like from the very beginning. Given her first name, Shannons Irish heritage should come as no surprise nor should the fact that she made a point to say she loved the little shamrock on the front! We both took a moment to enjoy its chocolatey take on one of perfumerys most infamous notes. Shannon, someone I know to be overall pretty neutral on chocolate, couldnt help but come back to this strip more than once during the extra 30 seconds or so we spent with it. I love his little jacket, Shannon said as I grinned, knowing exactly what this last one was and fondly remembering the scent memories Id forged with it. I bought a travel size bottle of Clementine California a few years ago before visiting my cousins in the perfumes namesake state. The trip included a long drive up CA Route 1, a winding road which cut through redwood forests, bay laurel patches, and expansive stretches of Pacific seashore Shannon snapped me out of my daydreaming with a cheeky little comment: He wants you to take off his clothes before he lets you in! she said of the leather carrying case which adorns the 30 ml bottle. * * * By the end, Shannon seemed eager to try this again soon, hopefully pulling selections which might be more difficult for me to guess. Her overall favorite from this lot was Burberry London, something we concluded is no surprise since it was the one designed to appeal to most people (at least more so than the rest). Obviously, the scents which I have a special or otherwise-irregular relationship with were the ones which were easiest to guess with the exception of the pair of Roberto Greco fragrances. Despite how highly I praise them, they were among the three I had the most difficult time identifying. This game is an interesting exercise for those with fragrance collections of any size or shape: whether you have 5 or 500 bottles; mostly decants or full-sized-only. It was fun to give control over what I smelled to someone else. In the process, I got to show my partner some really special work and gauge her priceless reactions to it. Im passing off the challenge to my fellow Fragrantica writers and to all readers up to the task! Load-shedding is not only frustrating to households but is a scourge upon the countrys economy with many businesses either unable to operate in load-shedding or forced to purchase backup power systems to continue doing so. Nevertheless, neglecting to manage the grid in this way given the current state of the generation system could spell even greater disaster. Since the current output capacity of Eskoms generation is not always capable of meeting the electricity demand in South Africa, load-shedding is necessary to prevent an imbalance in the system. A large part of this important task lies with the team of workers at Eskoms Simmerpan National Control Centre (NCC) in Germiston, Gauteng. Why load-shedding cannot be avoided Eskom told MyBroadband that while there had been multiple instances of blackouts and small-scale brownouts in other countries, South Africa had not suffered the same fate since load-shedding started 14 years ago. It said itself and several other operators in the southern hemisphere had a precarious predicament they are isolated. Everybody else has got connections to other utilities, so if there are problems they would typically be able to get help from another network, which we cant do, Eskom said. While other countries have not had to implement load-shedding despite their own generation issues and flare-ups, they had a backup in the form of neighbouring system operators. Eskom, by contrast, has much larger installed capacity than any of the foreign operators connected to its wider network in the rest of Africa. Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe combined would not be able to support South Africa in helping to bring the system back online in the event of a blackout. Big team and resources In order to keep the power system in balance, the generation output is changed every four seconds to match customer demand. Eskom said that the team managing the broader system that falls under the system operator is much larger than just those within the National Control Centre. It is made up of around 400 people, which includes engineers, technicians, and computer scientists, working across the sectors of national control, technical operations, the grid code, and demand response. Most of these employees have either BTech or BSc qualifications, Eskom said. A large part of the Technical Operations teams work involves the creation of models to forecast factors like anticipated demand, generation, and impacts on the system due to changes such as new power suppliers coming online. Network planning at the control centre is forecasted two years ahead, two weeks ahead, and on the day. There is also a retrospective analysis which looks at how the forecast differed from what was realised. Aside from the highly skilled workforce that helps monitor the system, Eskom employs Energy Management System software that can perform automatic load-shedding in cases of severe, unforeseen capacity loss. In order to ensure that changes can be implemented without delay, the utility even has its own dedicated telecommunications network which it said was bigger than any of the mobile network operators. If the guy in the control room pushes the button to open a breaker in Cape Town, he does so on the telecommunications network, Eskom said. Inside the IGCC Given its critical role in keeping the grid stable, the Simmerpan National Control Centre is currently under very strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols. As a result, MyBroadband was unable to visit the facility but was instead invited to the Integrated Generation Control Centre (IGCC) at Eskoms Megawatt Park Head Offices. While this does not boast the real-time controlling capabilities available at the NCC, it provides a snapshot of the same information that the Control Room has at its disposal. At the time of our visit, Eskom had around 20,000MW of installed capacity which was unavailable due to planned maintenance and unplanned outages, and it was conducting stage 2 load-shedding. What we saw In the room, a large display made up of multiple screens presented detailed information on all the power stations which form part of Eskoms generation capacity. One screen showed bar graphs for each of the powers stations with the current MW supply of each individual unit relative to the total capacity installed at that station. For example, the Medupi power station showed only one unit out of six was online and generating 421MW of electricity out of a capacity of 4,371MW. This was because coal supply was constrained as a result of heavy rain of the time, leaving five units unable to generate electricity. Other screens showed the status of each unit that supplies power to the grid, with specific explanations given for any outages. Another screen showed a graph with the real-time electricity demand, which had dropped significantly after Eskom implemented Stage 2 load-shedding at 12:00 in the afternoon. Eskoms general manager for production showed us that he was capable of viewing the exact status of each power plants various components including turbines and extractor fans directly from his office. The images below show the real-time overview of the power system which can be seen in the IGCC at Eskoms head offices. Integrated Generation Control Centre Photos Eskom System Operator structure Electricity demand in South Africa vs other African countries A vial of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is seen at the Lochee Health Centre in Dundee, Scotland, Britain January 4, 2021. Andy Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Frontline workers are today due to receive their first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after 21,600 vials arrived in the country. The vaccines arrived over the weekend and were put into cold storage in Dublin. Writing on Twitter, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: Big day: The (HSE) has just sent me this video of the first 21,600 doses of AstraZeneca arriving from Belgium to the national cold chain store in Dublin well done to all. The vaccine is easier to manage than others so far approved because it can be injected by a GP or a pharmacist straight out of a fridge. However South Africa has put on hold the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant. Read More British Minister of State for Health, Edward Argar has set about reassuring the British, saying South Africa has only imposed a temporary halt on using the Astrazeneca vaccine. "There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation and severe illness and death, which ultimately is what we're seeking with these vaccines today," he said. It is just over a week since the European Commission granted conditional marketing authorisation for the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for over-18s. Irish public health officials have chosen the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for the over-70s over the AstraZeneca jab due to a lack of data for their effectiveness in older people. HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry told RTEs Morning Ireland today that older people were being prioritised as an at risk group. The only weakness we envisage is vaccine supply to this country and we are giving it out as quickly as it comes in, Dr Henry said. We will work through greater detail to ensure speed and agility with GPs. The aim of phase three is to get through the over 70s (with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. We anticipate the numbers to combine to half a million over 70s. At the moment we have 43,000 vaccines coming in a week and that's increasing in February and March. Although the AstraZeneca vaccine is not currently being utilised for older people, due to a lack of evidence for this group, this didnt mean it would not be considered in future, he added. We can only rely on the best available information, Dr Henry said. There's a lack of information on the real world experience in older people. We may see evolving evidence in the coming month. If we see data success at reducing serious illness after the first dose and sustained immunity after 90s days (the situation could change.) But all we can do is base our plans on complex delivery plans and storage to give the most effective vaccine to the right groups. The advice is through the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and should the advice change we will adjust our delivery plans. He confirmed 80,000 healthcare workers have so far been inoculated and the next steps would target staff at private healthcare facilities. He added there could be up to 110,000 to vaccinate in this category and he expected this would take a number of months. Read More ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) In an unprecedent move, the prosecutor's office in the Algerian capital has ordered a preliminary investigation into torture and sexual abuse that a student protester claimed during his trial he was subjected to by judicial police. The claim by Walid Nekiche at his trial last Tuesday drew widespread criticism in the media, along with the prosecution's request for a life sentence for the oceanography student. Nekiche was on trial for plotting against the state and possessing tracts against the national interest for his actions in pro-democracy protests. Nekiche was finally sentenced to a year in prison with six months guaranteed behind bars and freed because he had already been held in detention since his November 2019 arrest. But the prosecutor on Sunday ordered an investigation opened into his claims that he had been subjected to violence and sexual aggression by members of the judicial police questioning him following his arrest. The demand for a preliminary investigation comes days before the second anniversary on Feb. 22 since the Hirak pro-democracy movement was born with nationwide street protests that helped force former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to leave office after 20 years in power. Dozens of student protesters were jailed, as well as a powerful coterie of top officials and business leaders for corruption under Bouteflika. The preliminary probe also comes at a time of renewed political tensions with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune absent for months for treatment for COVID-19 and then follow-up care. Axios Southwest and American airlines won't yet resume in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: Southwest had initially planned to resume the service in June, but Sonya Lacore, the airline's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Twitter on February 1 withheld multiple accounts following a government order. (Source: Reuters) Twitter on February 8 said it was cooperating with the Centre which had earlier warned the microblogging site of penal action for not taking down accounts and tweets which posed threat to law and order in the country. In the latest statement shared with Moneycontrol, the social media giant said it was concerned about the safety of its employees and had reached out to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for a formal dialogue. Safety of our employees is a top priority for us at Twitter. We continue to be engaged with the Government of India from a position of respect and have reached out to the Honourable Minister, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, for a formal dialogue. An acknowledgement to the receipt of the non-compliance notice has also been formally communicated, a Twitter spokesperson said in the statement. Follow our LIVE BLOG on Farmers' Protest Here This comes after the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sent a fresh directive to Twitter asking the company to remove 1,178 handles flagged by security agencies as accounts of Khalistani sympathisers or those backed by Pakistan. The Centre had on February 3 sent a non-compliance notice to Twitter for reinstating accounts and Tweets supporting the farmers protest despite a directive by the ministry to block them for posing a threat to public order. The notice warned the social media platform of penal action for "non-compliance of directions issued under section 69-A of the IT Act. It said that it "needs to be mentioned that Section 69-A(3) provides for specific penal consequences in case of non-compliance of the directions issued under section 69A of the Act." Section 69 A(3) of the IT Act says, "the intermediary who fails to comply with the direction issued under sub-section (1) shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine." The February 8 statement said "Twitter believes that the open and free exchange of information has a positive global impact, and that the Tweets must continue to flow." We review every report we receive from the government as expeditiously as possible, and take appropriate action regarding such reports while making sure we hold firm to our fundamental values and commitment to protecting the public conversation. An update is shared through our established channels of communication with the government, the statement read . Twitter on February 1 withheld multiple accounts on its social media platform, including many tweets with #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide linked with the ongoing farmers protest at Delhi borders against the new contentious central farm laws. The handles were reinstated within hours. Read: After PM Modi's invite, farmer leaders say ready for talks, ask govt to choose date The crackdown was carried out based on orders issued by the Centre, asking Twitter to withhold the hashtag and as many as 257 URLs, including nearly 100 Twitter accounts. The government order said the hashtag and the account were spreading misinformation about farmers' protests and had the potential to lead to imminent violence affecting public order situation in the country. Among the accounts withheld, and later reinstated, on February 1, included farmers collective Kisan Ekta Morcha and farmers union BKU Ekta Urgahan both having followers in thousands. Also, several other individuals and organisational accounts, including one of a monthly magazine, were also withheld. Among the individuals whose accounts have been withheld include that of actor Sushant Singh, and other activists. The Delhi Police is probing the Republic Day violence wherein it has lodged multiple FIRs and booked, among others, several farmer leaders leading the protests at the national capital's borders for two months now. Enacted in September 2020, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector. But, thousands of protesting farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points for over two months, demanding the repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops. Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and plans to start accepting the cryptocurrency as payment "in the near future," the electric automaker said Monday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The move is a major sign of support for bitcoin and could encourage other major companies to follow suit in accepting the world's most popular cryptocurrency. Bitcoin jumped after the Tesla announcement, hitting a new high before retreating to $43,176. It is up more than 46% since the start of the year, according to Coindesk. Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, called Tesla's embrace of bitcoin a potentially "game-changing move." "This morning's news formalizes the strategy of Musk and Tesla diving into the deep end of the pool of bitcoin and crypto," Ives said in emailed comments to The Post. "Ultimately, investors and other industry watchers will be watching this closely to see if other corporations follow the lead of Tesla on this crypto path." An HSB survey published in 2020 found that 36% of small and midsized American businesses accept cryptocurrency. Tesla will join big names such as Microsoft, Wikipedia and PayPal in accepting bitcoin worldwide. Several digital currency exchanges, including Coinbase and Gemini, reported technical difficulties amid heavy trading after Tesla's SEC filling news broke. Tesla shares were up nearly 1.5% Monday. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla's chief executive Elon Musk has been vocal in his enthusiasm for cryptocurrency in recent days. In an early February interview on Clubhouse, the popular audio chat app, Musk called himself a bitcoin supporter and said he'd been "late to the party." He also briefly added #bitcoin to his Twitter bio. "Bitcoin is really on the verge of getting broad acceptance by conventional finance people," Musk said in the interview. His tweets also are being credited with driving up the price of Dogecoin, a low-valued, meme-based cryptocurrency that started as a joke between two engineers, in the past week. On Sunday night, after Musk tweeted, "Who let the Doge out," it surpassed 8 cents for the first time. It now has a market capitalization of more than $10 billion and is up 1,266% year-to-date, according to Coindesk. Musk's seemingly random support for the meme coin could raise questions now that Tesla plans to integrate cryptocurrency into its business strategy. The SEC has tangled with Musk over his Twitter use in the past, including a 2018 lawsuit following tweets in which he said he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 per share. (Musk later said this was a joke, and that the $20 million penalty was "worth it.") David Trainer, chief executive of investment research firm New Constructs, said he thinks Musk's focus on cryptocurrency is a "distraction," meant to stir up more interest in the company's stock. "Tesla is terribly overvalued and risky," Trainer said in comments emailed to The Post. "Bitcoin is yet another gimmick to lure more unsuspecting investors into gambling on Tesla's stock." In its last earnings report, Tesla performed well below analyst expectations for earnings per share but delivered higher than expected revenue: nearly $10.75 billion in the final quarter of 2020. The company stands to benefit from the Biden administration's electric vehicle ambitions, including the president's plan for an all-electric fleet of government vehicles. But Tesla also is about to face fiercer competition. In late January, General Motors pledged to stop making gasoline-powered passenger cars, vans and sport utility vehicles by 2035. The Big Three automaker has said it will invest $27 billion in electric vehicles and associated products from 2020 to 2025. As part of its plan, GM - maker of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets and Corvettes, among others - will manufacture about 30 types of electric vehicles. In the SEC filing, Tesla said it was branching into bitcoin and other alternative assets to maximize returns. But it also warned that such currencies are mired in uncertainty and could continue to be "highly volatile." "The prevalence of such assets is a relatively recent trend, and their long-term adoption by investors, consumers and businesses is unpredictable," Tesla said in the filing. "Their lack of a physical form, their reliance on technology for their creation, existence and transactional validation and their decentralization may subject their integrity to the threat of malicious attacks and technological obsolescence." Bitcoin has seen wildly popularity during the pandemic, as economic uncertainty and market volatility brought on by the coronavirus pandemic pushed more people to consider alternative currencies. The digital coin, which was initially priced less than a cent when it was created more than a decade ago, now has a market capitalization of more than $802 billion, according to Coindesk. But the rush of recent popularity still won't eclipse the risk for most companies, Craig Erlam, senior market analyst with OANDA, said Monday in comments emailed to The Post. "Some other companies may be tempted to follow but the vast majority will be far too cautious to expose themselves to the volatile world of cryptos," Erlam said. "Musk isn't one to shy away from bold moves though and has now put his money (well, Tesla's) where his mouth is." 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More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs? Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war 4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval "Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says 15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system? Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest "Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator' Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS) Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS) Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor" Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building" Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country 104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public 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 CANBERRA, Australia - The Australian prime minister on Monday dismissed as speculative reports that a Chinese company plans to build a new industrial island city near Australias porous sea border with Papua New Guinea. In this Nov. 2010, photo, a small fishing village sits on the coastal town of Daru, in Papua New Guinea. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed as speculative reports that a Chinese company plans to build a new industrial island city on Daru Island in the Torres Strait, near Australias porous sea border with Papua New Guinea. (Ilya Gridneff/AAP Image via AP) CANBERRA, Australia - The Australian prime minister on Monday dismissed as speculative reports that a Chinese company plans to build a new industrial island city near Australias porous sea border with Papua New Guinea. Hong Kong-registered WYW Holding Ltd. plans to build a $30 billion city that includes a seaport and industrial area on Daru Island in the Torres Strait, Australian media have reported. The reports cite company letters to the Papua New Guinea government from April last year. Daru Island is a population of 20,000 people within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of Australias Saibai Island and about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the Australian mainland. Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down the prospect of the city being built. I honestly think its just speculative, Morrison told Sydney Radio 2SM. Its just people flying some kites and Im not going to overreact to the noise that is flying around out there. I speak pretty regularly with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (James Marape) and we have a very good relationship and he well understands our relationship and the importance of our other partners and I couldnt see Papua New Guinea being terribly hasty on anything like that, Morrison added. Marapes office said the prime minister wasnt aware of the proposal, but added that his government would not turn away foreign investment that complied with Papua New Guinea laws and benefited locals. Analysts have said the proposal makes no economic sense and some suspect China wants to build a wharf for use by its navy. The Unites States and Australia are partnering to redevelop Papua New Guineas Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island in the countrys north as concerns rise about Chinas growing influence in the region. In November last year, Papua New Guinea signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company to build a $160 million fish processing plant also on Daru. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the government was very keen to discuss with Papua New Guinea what proposals are on the table. I think there are all sorts of sovereignty issues and there are local issues in terms of land owners and land rights, et cetera that I think would provide a significant hurdle, Dutton told Nine Network television on Friday. So, well look at it closely, but Australia will always act in our best interests and ... to support our neighbours, he added. Papua New Guinea is the largest recipient of Australian foreign aid. Papuan vessels can operate in a shared fishing zone between the two neighbours under a treaty that recognizes the trade and family links between the Torres Strait island communities that have existed for thousands of years. Appointment 8 February 2021 Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Kuwait, Al Thuraya City has promoted Zaid Mashini to cluster director of operation and deputy general manager. In his new role, he will oversee the operations of both properties and work to grow the reputation of the IHG name in the country. Teaming with the area GM, Mashini will be the first call for any issues at the hotels, including those relating to capital projects and guest satisfaction. Contained with Al Thuraya City, the hotels together boast eight F&B venues, five ball-rooms, 14 meeting rooms and more than 500 keys. For Mashini, it is a promotion after working as director of sales & marketing at the hotels for four years. He has been with IHG since 2012, according to his Linkedin, kicking off as assistant director of sales in Muscat before being promoted to DOSM two years later. Louise Roe and her husband Mackenzie Hunkin have revealed they are expecting a baby girl in a heartwarming gender reveal video. The TV presenter, 39, took to Instagram on Sunday to share footage of herself, Mackenzie, and their daughter Honor, three, bursting a balloon filled with pink confetti. In the video, the family huddled together and said: 'Here we go, boy or girl?' before the big moment. It's a girl! Louise Roe and her husband Mackenzie Hunkin have revealed they are expecting a baby girl in a heartwarming gender reveal video The fashion blogger and her husband of four years cheered happily to the news of another daughter as pink paper rained down around them. 'Bit too noisy for Honor!' Louise wrote to her followers as she huddled into her dad when the balloon burst with a bang. The toddler was soon all smiles again as her parents threw her into the air in celebration. 'You've got a sister!' Mackenzie told Honor and bounced her up and down with joy. 'You've got a sister!': The TV presenter, 39, took to Instagram on Sunday to share footage of herself, Mackenzie, and their daughter Honor, three, bursting a balloon filled with pink confetti Happy news: The fashion blogger and her husband of four years cheered happily to the news of another daughter as pink paper rained down around them The former Plain Jane host showed off her baby bump in a chic long sleeve navy maxi dress. Louise paired the look with a pair of tan knee-high boots and styled her chestnut locks in flattering loose curls. The TV presenter announced her second pregnancy on Instagram in January, sharing a sweet photo of Honor hugging and kissing her bump. 'We're all very excited and grateful to announce a little addition to the family, is on its way...' Louise told her followers. The couple moved back to the UK last year after 11 years living and working in California. Big sister to be! The toddler was soon all smiles again as her parents threw her into the air in celebration of the happy news Shortly after the birth of Honor, the star admitted that although she loves motherhood, she didn't enjoy being pregnant. The former Access Hollywood host said: '[Honor is] the coolest thing ever. It [pregnancy] goes on, and on, and on, but I think that really prepares you for all the lifestyle changes. The couple tied the knot in front of 150 friends and family members in a stunning ceremony at Eton College Chapel in Windsor, south-east England, in October 2016, before honeymooning on Italy's Amalfi Coast. Louise explained the pair developed a 'real connection and bond' during their time working together on Plain Jane. 'My husband and I, we worked together for years', she said. 'We had a real connection and a bond. Party of four: The TV presenter announced her second pregnancy on Instagram in January, sharing a sweet photo of Honor hugging and kissing her bump 'We were both in different relationships, so I don't think we even thought of it that way, but when I look back now, I know that we made each other laugh a lot. 'We just had a good rapport, and I think it was the final series when we kind of realised there was some more going on, but it took us a minute.' Louise started her career as a fashion journalist, writing for the British editions of ELLE and Vogue, among others, before moving to the US in late 2009. The TV presenter shot to fame on the second season of MTV reality show, The City, alongside fellow fashionista Olivia Palermo, before going on to host Plain Jane, NBC's Fashion Star and the red carpet during awards season for Access Hollywood. (@FahadShabbir) Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Party members at a village of Xibaipo, an old revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Hebei Province, to unite and work hard with the local people for a better life BEIJING (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Feb, 2021 ) :Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Party members at a village of Xibaipo, an old revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Hebei Province, to unite and work hard with the local people for a better life. Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when writing back on Sunday to the CPC members of Beizhuang Village in Xibaipo Township, Pingshan County. Intertek, a total quality assurance provider to industries worldwide, has announced the launch of a new in-country service for fire testing and certification of building products in Saudi Arabia, to support the increasing demand for fire resistance testing from customers in the region. With this Intertek has become the first certification body to offer end-to-end fire resistance testing and certification of building materials in Saudi Arabia. The new service offers testing and certification of building products such as fire doors, walls, glazed partitions, and ceilings. The laboratory, located in Al Khobar, is ISO 17025 accredited and approved by the Saudi Civil Defence, and also tests fire performance of load-bearing elements, skylights and roof assemblies. Featuring a combination furnace, the facility will allow Intertek to test and certify both vertical and horizontal products such as doors and ceilings. Due to the growth in the Saudi construction industry, the demand for fire testing of building materials has increased significantly in recent years. The industry currently has 14,300 active construction projects, worth over $7 trillion. The launch of the new service will benefit companies based in Saudi Arabia by eliminating the need to ship samples abroad for testing, since Saudi companies will be able to test their building products locally in Al Khobar. It will also allow companies to demonstrate that their building products and materials meet all the regulatory fire protection requirements according to Saudi Building Code 201 (General Requirements) and Code 801 (Saudi Fire Code). The facility also tests for compliance with other codes such as the GCC Code, the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code. Interteks unique fire certification capabilities help customers meet global standards such as the ISO, EN, BS, ASTM, UL and NFPA standards. Cristina Perez Domper, Regional Operations Manager at Intertek Building & Construction (Middle East & Africa), said: "We are very excited about being the first certification body to launch this service locally in Saudi Arabia. Now, we will be able to provide our customers with a complete suite of fire resistance testing, and local companies can get their buildings materials tested and certified without needing to send products abroad, allowing for a shorter turnaround time." "We are committed to meeting our customers demands for product safety and helping them protect assets and lives through our fire testing solutions and Total Quality Assurance. Certification of their products will also help Saudi manufacturers export to global markets," he added.-TradeArabia News Service South Africa is pressing pause on its planned vaccine rollout using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. It had planned to start vaccinating front-line health care workers next week but is putting that on hold after a small clinical trial found that it provided minimal protection against mild to moderate coronavirus infections from the new variant that is dominant in the country. The variant, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the countrys COVID-19 cases, appears to be more infectious and there is evidence to suggest it could be more virulent as well. Known as B.1.351, the variant has spread to at least 32 countries, including the United States. Advertisement Before the more contagious variant had spread widely in South Africa, the vaccine had shown to have an efficacy of around 75 percent. But a later analysis that took into account only infections by this new variant found that the vaccine only provided a 22 percent lower risk of developing mild to moderate COVID-19 compared to the placebo. That is well below the 50 percent that is widely seen as the threshold to consider a vaccine to be effective. The study mostly involved young adults so it didnt analyze whether it helped to prevent severe cases of COVID-19. Advertisement Advertisement South Africa has received one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Now the government says it will wait to figure out what the best course of action will be. Meanwhile, it will fast track the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that has shown to have more efficacy against the new variant, although at a lower rate than in the United States. Pfizer and Moderna have also said preliminary studies suggest their vaccines are less effective against B.1.351. The data have raised alarm bells around the world amid concerns that the new coronavirus variants that are emerging could make some of the vaccines less effective. Experts in South Africa said they have also found that people who had been infected with other versions of the coronavirus did not appear to have protection from being reinfected by the new variant. The Third Great Awakening By Dr. Robert Owens As we stumble into President Bidens Dark Winter I want to speak to my fellow believers. Dont despair. Dont allow being out maneuvered in a partisan political process to crush your spirit. Our God, the God of all creation, the God of Angel Armies has spoken to us and His Word shall forever be true. Weeping may endure for an evening but joy comes in the morning. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Often a look at History opens the mind to see the future. The First Great Awakening occurred in the 1730s and 1740s in Protestant Europe and British America and especially the American colonies. This move of God brought revitalization and an increase in evangelical zeal to the Protestant church. It has had an especially powerful and lasting impact on American Protestantism. This mighty move of God came at a time when secular rationalism, or as we call it today secular humanism with its reliance on human reason was being emphasized, and most of the passion had evaporated from organized Christian religion. Legalism had taken the place of spiritual vitality. This first Great Awakening is attributed to powerful preaching by such leaders as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Their preaching birthed a deep sense of personal revelation and of their need for salvation by Jesus Christ. Though both ordained ministers and pastors they taught that the church needed to pull away from ritual, ceremony, sacramentalism, and hierarchy. They sought to make Christianity intensely personal to people by promoting spiritual conviction, the need for redemption, and by encouraging soul-searching and individual commitment to a purely Bible-based standard of morality. This was a widespread movement sweeping all along the east coast and penetrating deep within the British colonies. Other prominent pastors and leaders during the First Great Awakening included David Brainard, Samuel Davies, Theodore Frelinghuysen, and Gilbert Tennent. The backgrounds of these many leaders differed; however, their messages all served the same purpose: they sought to awaken the Church and return it to a religion relevant to the people of the day. Some of the major themes of the First Great Awaking included: All people are born sinners. Sin without salvation will send a person to hell. All people can be saved if they confess their sins to God, seek forgiveness and accept Gods grace in and through Jesus Christ. All people can have a direct and emotional connection with God through Christ. Religion shouldnt be formal and institutionalized, but rather casual and personal. The Second Great Awakening 1795 to 1835 After the Revolution and the founding of the United States many people no longer attended church on a regular basis. There were several reasons why this occurred. Some people thought God was not interested in their everyday walking around life. They felt that God was unconcerned with a person's church attendance instead they would be judged on how they lived their life. To them there was a scale. Did the good outweigh the bad? This was their standard thus seeking salvation through works. Others became consumed with earning a living and felt they had no time to worship or even acknowledge God. To combat this spiritual falling away many denominations sponsored revivals. These were held in churches and especially in rural areas camp meetings where people would bring their whole families and often stay for days listening to various preachers call them to return to Christ. These revival preachers emphasized our utter dependence upon God, that we would not be saved by works or religious ceremonies but instead by faith. Charles Finney, who is often called "America's foremost revivalist," was the acknowledged leader of the Second Great Awakening. After experiencing a dramatic personal conversion from rationalist skepticism to a burning and vital Christian faith he employed his training as a lawyer to convincing his audiences of their personal guilt and their need for Jesus Christ as their Savior. His methods, which he called the "scientific method" or New Measures have served as a template for revivalists ever since. He led a shift in American religious practice from "wait on the Lord" to "make your decision now." Finney was best known for his extemporaneous preaching. He didnt come across as some super spiritual theologian pontificating from on high. He spoke to the people as an attorney for the Gospel. He outlined his argument just as he would have to convince a jury. He used logic and persuasion as he played on the peoples emotions of hope and fear. He rejected the view of the Gospel as complex theology, and instead presented it in a simple form. One early admirer is reported to have said, "Bro. Finney doesn't preach; he just explains what all the other fellows are preaching about." According to Finney the gospel taught that people were not saved by works but once people were saved, they had work to do. He and his followers took this to mean cleaning up Americas overly secularized society so he and those who listened to him began working to make the United States a Christian nation. Taking what was a brave and controversial stand for the times Finney, a strong abolitionist himself, encouraged all Christians to work tirelessly in the antislavery movement. Following his lead Christians began working to become leaders in many areas of American life such as education, prison reform, temperance, and women's rights. This large influx of Christian workers for social reform became so influential they and the organizations they founded became known as the Benevolent Empire. The Second Great Awakening had a greater effect on society in America than the First. The Dark Winter is coming. The levers of power are all concentrated in the hands of a party that believes government is the answer to every problem. And unfortunately, anyone who opposes them seems to be the problem. According to the language of the The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, The new regime will create "dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity and require the Federal Government to take steps to prevent domestic terrorism." And by domestic terrorism they dont mean the Antifa and Black Lives Matter (BLM) people who have been rioting throughout America for many months. Instead, they mean all MAGA supporters. This all may sound scary and it is in the natural. The power of the state is enormous. They have the sole right to use force against their opponents. And seeing the speed with which theyve been rounding up people who entered the capital as opposed to the way in which the Antifa and BLM people have been ignored it appears theyre dedicated to doing what they want to do and do it quickly. Some people who actually believe the public statements of the most radical of the leaders of the Democrat party about compiling lists, de-programming, and re-educating MAGA people cant be blamed for looking forward to a midnight knock on the door, a ride in a Black Maria, and a free vacation in a government camp. Whenever a socialist one-party regime has been imposed on a country whether through revolution, conquest, or election there has been a purge of anyone seen as standing in the way of the long march to a workers paradise. While this is called the stuff of conspiracy theories its hard to see it as such when the people in power are the ones talking about it openly. And though these thoughts are chilling, which is what they are meant to be, they should not be debilitating for those who are members of the Body of Christ. For we can rest secure in Him since no one can snatch us out of His hand. And we know that no matter how it looks He wins in the end. And no matter how bad it gets we should pray, Even so, come, Lord Jesus! And no matter how much anyone will try to hem us in, tie us down, or persecute us we know we are free. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, were a free peoplefree of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. No matter what those who wish us harm may do we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. So be of good cheer, God has a plan for us plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. And we also know the way out of this Dark Winter, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. If we will do this, and I believe we will, this will bring about the Third Great Awakening. As the people of God finally discern the hand that is behind all of this they will cry out to their Father through His Son and He will deliver us. Believe with me for a born-again nation giving glory to God and together we shall watch the rising of the Son. As far as all the chatter on Fakebook and Quiver dripping with anger and hate we can find better things to do than read it or respond to it. Dont waste your time arguing with fools it only makes you look foolish. For the fool has said in his heart there is no God not knowing that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. For when all is said and done, we will see that it was all done just like He said. Keep the faith. Keep the peace. We shall overcome. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, Global Studies, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2021 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Parler, Facebook, Twitter, or MeWe @ Drrobertowens, or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home A United States-based lawyer has accused her estranged husband, Adetokunbo Daramola, of plans to illegally acquire their jointly-owned property in Lagos. Katherine Daramola, 57, said her husband and his mistress are conniving to perpetrate the act. The property in question is a twin duplex at Magodo, an high-brow estate in Lagos. Allegations In 2010, Mr Daramola partly relocated to Nigeria where he began executing contracts for the Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS) and some local government areas in the state, Mrs Daramola told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview. The couple had earlier acquired plots of land at the Magodo GRA where they built the duplex. We got two plots of land at Magodo but we were not able to build on both plots, so we got a developer who paid N10 million on an agreement that he would take two duplexes and the family the other two duplexes, said Mrs Daramola. We built two duplexes and the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) has my name (on it). Mrs Daramola said she contributed 75 per cent of the money spent on building the house and furnished most parts of their home. She alleged that, unknown to her, her husband, while in Nigeria, began an affair with another married woman. Upon completion and furnishing of their home, her husband and his mistress moved into the house, she added. Mrs Daramola said after over three decades of legal practice, she had begun planning her retirement. Im home-grown, I am close to retirement, she said. I need to come home, which is why we built the house, now they are trying to deny me access to my house. Abandonment, infidelity Mrs Daramola said her estranged husband intermittently abandoned her and their four children in the U.S., leaving her to single-handedly cater for the kids. She also accused him of having an illicit and adulterous relationship with a woman whose husband was in the United Kingdom. He came to the United States, spent few months, then came back to Nigeria in 2018. I noticed he was having an affair, but I didnt know how serious it was, she said. In August 2018, Mrs Daramola said while she was buying the furniture and other home items in the U.S. and shipping them to Nigeria, her estranged husband, who was clearing the properties in Lagos. was giving his mistress the impression that he was an American big boy. I handed over everything to him out of trust and that him, being the husband, the man of the home, he should take over. That was the trust and I just continued here buying things and shipping them home, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Unknown to me, his mistress was living in my house. She was the first person that used my Jacuzzi, my brand new bed, my kitchen utensils and everything. She felt that comfortable, whatever he was telling her, I dont know. Mrs Daramola said the illicit and adulterous relationship broke their marriage of 25 years. Due to abandonment and numerous incidents of adultery, and fear of being infected with deadly sexual diseases, I separated from him and asked him to give up my share of the twin duplexes, she said. Lawsuits Mrs Daramola said she visited Nigeria in May 2019 unannounced only to find female items all over their home. She said her husband denied knowing the owner of the items. She said by her next visit to Nigeria, the locks to the house had been changed by her husbands mistress. She accused the woman of planning to take over the house with her mother. She said she hired a lawyer in Nigeria and began filing legal notices against them. Despite several legal notices and lawsuits, both defendants continue to stay in my part of the duplex. Mr Daramola continues to lock me out and I have to break into the house several times. On Sunday, January 9th (2021), I arrived with my children and broke the locks and padlocks to gain entry into my house and found Abisoyes (the mistress) personal and intimate items strewn all over my bedroom and secure areas. My children and I moved her things out of my house and piled them up at the gate. When they were notified by third parties that we were in the house, they called the police and the Isheri DPO invited all of us. Tokunbo Daramola and Abisoye (were) asked to remove their personal belongings from the home. In the presence of the police officers, they both threatened to kill me. The DPO advised us to return with police escort and they came to pick up their load. Abisoye started screaming and insisting them she will not leave my home. Herself and Olatokunbo Daramola conspired and falsely accused me of stealing. They, however, later admitted that none of their personal items were stolen but (still) filed a police report, Mrs Daramola said. She said she has received several threats from the mistress and her mother that they would kill her within six months. Mrs Daramola accused her husband and his mistress of evading court service. ALSO READ: Entrepreneurial Couple Turn Plastic Waste into Brighter Futures What Mr Daramola is exhibiting is the current trend of Nigerian men in the diaspora who walk away from long term marriages and children and subject wives to mortgages while they come to Nigeria and live with other women, she said. Olatokunbo needs to the needful and give me my property. He wants to continue staying over at the house. I spent my whole life savings, I spent over $53,000 furnishing the house. Mr Daramola reacts When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Daramola on the allegations, he told this newspaper, not to get involved in their matter. The businessman said his estranged wife had already gone on Facebook to drag his name in the mud. The Bible says seek the truth and hold on to it, she is just making all sort of lies, but Im not interested in all these publicity. Let her do whatever she likes, he said. I am not interested. She is a serious troublemaker, I cant tell you much because I am not interested in the publicity. I left the house for her. She has been terrorising me for several years, enough is enough. We are going to America so we will start a divorce. We have been to court several times and she has been losing. This is not my first house, I have built houses before I met her, he said. Meanwhile, Mr Daramolas alleged mistress did not respond to phone calls and text messages. The Chairman of Bwari Area Council of the FCT, Gabaya John, has said that being the chief security officer of the council, his Tokulo village has been the number one target of kidnappers in the area. John revealed this while speaking with newsmen at a thanksgiving service he organised after the release of his father, John Makama, at the Tokulo ECWA church yesterday. He said, "As the chief security officer of Bwari Area Council, I know my village has always been the number one target of the kidnappers, which everybody can testify to, with all that have been happening. "Whenever they kidnap there, they believe that since the chairman is from Tokulo village, he will have one or two things to do; he will provide money, he must definitely bring money." He noted that prior to the abduction of his father, suspected kidnappers frequented his village in attempts to abduct the villagers. He, therefore, said based on his discussion with relevant security agents, security measures had been taken to curb the activities of the kidnapers and other crimes across the council. The pastor of the ECWA church, Tokulo, Lazarus K. Jarumi, condemned the activities of armed bandits and kidnappers and admonished them to repent before God descended on them, calling on the federal government to address the spate of insecurity bedeviling the country. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Vietnam has awarded a licence to South Korea's LG Display Co. to raise its investment in the country's northern port city of Haiphong by $750 million to $3.25 billion, local media reported on Monday. The additional investment will help to expand production capacity in the city and would be completed by May and see 5,000 new jobs created, Vietnam Finance online newspaper reported. LG did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. We know that certain sneakers go up in value exponentially once they go out of stock from the retailer. Instagram/vivianakadivine We have seen Ranbir Kapoor wear quite a few pairs of sneakers which originally retailed for about Rs 20,000, but now, go for as high as Rs 2.6 Lakhs. Viral Bhayani Well, Indian rapper Divine recently wore a pair of sneakers that underwent a somewhat similar price increase. Divine was recently spotted at the Mumbai Airport in a rather dope-looking outfit, all blinged up to the T. We have always maintained, that Divine is one of the best-dressed rappers and Hip-Hop artists in India, and he continues to prove us right. Viral Bhayani Taking a look at the outfit, we see that Divine is wearing a rather dope looking, basic black T-shirt from Burberry. Along with that, he has a really nice track jacket from Adidas. Viral Bhayani As for bling, there is that dope looking Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, in 41mm that we had covered earlier. The timepiece truly is a blissful piece for horologists and fans of watches all over the world. Viral Bhayani We also cant miss the rather dope looking belt bag, and that equally dope looking backpack, both from Gucci. While the belt bag retails for about $920, or Rs 68,000, before import duties and taxes, it is his bag that comes with an awe-inducing pricetag. Gucci The backpack that we see Divine carrying, is called the GG Black Backpack, and it retails for $1,920, or just over Rs 1.45 Lakhs. Add to that your regular import & customs duties and youre looking at a price tag of over Rs 2.2 Lakhs. Viral Bhayani That is not the statement piece of the outfit though. They have to be the Air Jordan 1s that Divine is wearing here. Viral Bhayani Also called the Jordan 1 Retro High Fearless UNC Chicago, these Jordans stand out from the rest because of the manner in which it combines two zany-looking colours, together. Nike The sneakers are made of patent appliques of red, white and blue, which give it a rather distinct aesthetic. Hypebeast Up until 2019, when they were new, these Air Jordan 1 Fearless would retail for $160, or roughly Rs 12,000. Now though, they are sold on the second-hand market for as high as $550, as per a number of sneaker trading websites. Hypebeast Thats about Rs 45,000, in just a span of 2 years. Forget Gamestocks and everything, we ought to be investing in sneakers, it seems. Viral Bhayani Coming back to Divines outfit, we have to say that well, it is divine (sorry for the pun)! The man has great taste when it comes to fashion. Elizabeth Olsen was worried how signing up as a Marvel character would impact her family plans. The 31-year-old actress can currently be seen alongside Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in spin-off series WandaVision, but she admitted she had concerns about committing to the character who she has previously played in five movies for so long would work for her family life. And fortunately, Marvel boss Kevin Feige was quick to reassure Elizabeth. What to do? Elizabeth Olsen was worried how signing up as a Marvel character would impact her family plans. The 31-year-old actress can currently be seen alongside Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in spin-off series WandaVision, but she admitted she had concerns about committing to the character Asked by OK! magazine how committing to Marvel affects her life decisions, she said: 'Babies? That's so funny That was part of the Marvel pitch. 'Kevin Feige pitched the new show to me and he told me about Doctor Strange 2 and then I said, 'So when should I think about conceiving a child, if I want to?' 'He said to me, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Zoe [Saldana] and Scarlett [Johansson], 'You like your life and we'll work around you.'" Her husband to be: Olsen (L) and Robbie Arnett attend the 2017 Gersh Emmy Party in LA 'That's honestly the best answer any boss could say.' The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) appears in Marvel Comics. She appears in the films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the forthcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and is a lead character in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021). Elizabeth who is engaged to musician Robbie Arnett loves working with Paul on the show, particularly because they've had so long to develop 'trust' as co-stars. She said: 'I love it. We've always enjoyed working with each other. The hit show: (L -R): Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as VIsion in WandaVision The pair: Bettany and Olsen at the San Diego Comic-Con International 2019 Marvel Studios Panel 'In Marvel movies, you feel stupid most of the time because people are dressed in onesies and they have dots on their faces or they're wearing helmets with cameras because they're eventually going to look like a scary monster. 'For me, I'm standing there pretending to shoot things out of my hands while saving the world, so you feel very silly and that's something Paul and I have become used to. 'We've been put in various positions where we have to forget about how stupid we both look, so we've created this sense of trust. 'Our journey in the story is usually an emotional, grounded, sincere part of the movies while everyone else is being funny or scary so it's been fun for us in this show to be all of the different elements of the story. 'We get to be the mystery, we get to be the humour and the charm, as well as the emotional sincerity. It's great.' Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Bharat Book Bureau Provides the Trending Market Research Report on eClinical Solutions Market by Product (CDMS, EDC, CTMS, RTMS, Clinical Data Integration Platform, eCOA, Safety Solutions, eTMF, RIMS, and Others), Clinical Trial (Phase I, PhaseII, Phase III, Phase IV), Delivery Mode (Web-hosted, Licensed Enterprise, and Cloud-based), Geography (Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and Rest of the World) - Forecast to 2026under Life Sciences Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports. The eClinical Solutions Market is segregated on the basis of product, clinical trial, delivery mode, eClinical solutions are the ones that combine clinical technology with expertise and are widely used to improve the clinical development process through various data tools such as data management and data analysis. Major factors that are characterizing the market growth are increasing R&D activities by biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies, rising burden of chronic diseases, soaring expenditure on the development of clinical trials, and increased adoption of smart devices for healthcare service management. The reasons for the high demand for eClinical solutions are the rising costs of operational and regulatory requirements. Clinical Data Management Systems (CDMS) and Electronic Data Capture (EDC) Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS) Clinical Analytics Platform Randomization and Trial Supply Management (RTMS) Clinical Data Integration Platform Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) Safety Solutions Electronic Trial Master Files (eTMF) Regulatory Information Management Solutions (RIMS) Others (Institutional Review Board Systems, Coding Systems, and Core Lab Integration Solutions) Request a free sample copy of eClinical Solutions Market Report @ https://www.bharatbook.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2260651 Based on Delivery Mode Web-Hosted Licensed Enterprise Cloud-Based Based on Geography: North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World Based on the product, the market segmented by EDC and CDMS, CTMS, Clinical Analytics Platform, RTMS, Clinical Data Integration Platform, eCOA, Safety Solutions, eTMF, RIMS, others. Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) is assumed to be the rapidly growing segment in the forecast period 2020-2026 since the growing importance of high-quality clinical data. The process of data capturing using eCOA platforms improve the quality of information captured, efficient data collection procedures as well as offers potential data analysis. Based on delivery mode, the market has been segmented into three categories: Web-hosted (On-demand), Licensed Enterprise (On-premise), and Cloud-based. Web-hosted solutions have been the dominating segment in the market for eClinical solutions in 2019. The benefits of this segment, such as easy accessibility, usability, and lower investments required, are attributed to the dominance of this segment. Web-hosted products are versatile as they are easily customizable, owing to this fact, providers can also customize the presentation details of information for different user groups. Moreover, these products possess a greater level of interoperability. The segment is predicted to be maintaining its position throughout the forecast period of 2020-2026. Globally, the EClinical Solutions Market is growing at a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period of 2020-2026, with a base value of $6.27 billion in 2020 to $12.76 billion in 2026. The factors which are responsible for driving this market are increasing acquisition of eClinical solutions for advanced data arrangement process as well as the acquisition of novel software solutions, which helps in organizing the research activities in clinical research. This market report will help the market players to comprehend various key market trends, market dynamics, and the needs of the end-users. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market definitely enables the user experience of the report. Overall information is given by the major competitors on eClinical solutions in this report. This research offers present technologies, research activities in the eClinical solutions market. Analysis based on the quantitative of the market assists the users to know the actual facts of the market across four major regions, and then accordingly, the company may plan to enter into any region. Browse our full report with Table of Content : https://www.bharatbook.com/marketreports/eclinical-solutions-market-by-product-cdms-edc-ctms-rtms-clinical-data-integration-platform-ecoa-safety-solutions/2260651 About Bharat Book Bureau: Bharat Book is Your One-Stop-Shop with an exhaustive coverage of 15,00,0000 reports and insights that includes latest Market Study, Market Trends & Analysis, Forecasts Customized Intelligence, Newsletters and Online Databases. Overall a comprehensive coverage of major industries with a further segmentation of 100+ subsectors. Contact us at: Bharat Book Bureau Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: poonam@bharatbook.com Website: www.bharatbook.com The Congress party is looking for a replacement of Ghulam Nabi Azad as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha as the senior leaders term in the upper house expires on February 15. Azad will be unable to renew his Rajya Sabha term from Jammu and Kashmir as the legislative assembly in the union territory stands dissolved since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories in August 2019. Former Congress floor leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, partys deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, former union minister P Chidambaram and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh are the names of leaders doing rounds to replace Azad, according to the sources. There are also chances that Azad might return to Rajya Sabha from Kerala in two months. Congress holds one of the three seats falling vacant in Kerala in April. But the party has doubts over the Kerala unit as if they will allow an outsider to get elected from the state. The unit had earlier refused to accommodate Chidambaran for a Rajya Sabha seat too. Party insiders said Kharge was the front runner for the post as he is considered very close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Kharge was accommodated in Rajya Sabha, despite losing Lok Sabha elections in 2019 precisely for this reason, a leader familiar with the developments said. Anand Sharma was in the race too but his prospects, sources said, diminished after he was part of the group of 23 leaders who wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Seeking sweeping changes in party leadership. Azad was also part of the group. If the party decides to get Azad back in the House from Kerala then it wont need a replacement till April as the deputy leader Anand Sharma can step as acting leader of the opposition. Aurelius Minerals (CVE: AUL) CEO Mark Ashcroft joined Steve Darling from Proactive with news the company has seen more successful results from the drill campaign at the Aureus Gold Project in Nova Scotia. Ashcroft shared with Proactive the company has discovered a new mineralized zone at the Aureus West Zone. This after the company reported discovering a mineralized zone at Aureus East Zone. Pfizer's vaccine will work against the South African coronavirus variant although its mutations could still mean thousands of injected people are vulnerable, a study has suggested. Researchers at New York University tested how well the variant of the virus could be destroyed by the blood of 10 people who had received Pfizer's jab. They found the immune antibodies made by the vaccine were still able to neutralise destroy the coronavirus, but the body didn't make as many of them. Antibody levels would be still high enough to fend off Covid-19 in most people who had the vaccine, and they offered more protection than in people who had had the illness already, the study found. But they did not work as well as they would on older versions of the virus because the antibodies were less perfectly matched to the spike proteins on the outside of the bug, meaning they more often failed to stop them. The results were backed up by a separate study initially released last week but published in a journal today. Researchers at the University of Texas carried out tests on the blood of 20 volunteers and found antibodies triggered by the Pfizer vaccine can neutralise the variant. The studies come after an alarming paper claimed Oxford/AstraZeneca's vaccine only offers 'minimal protection' against mild cases of the variant. It has sparked fresh fears of lockdowns being extended. Although only 147 cases of the South African variant have been confirmed by Public Health England, experts warn this is just the 'tip of the iceberg' and the true number could be 10 or 20 times higher. Dr Mike Tildesley, a Warwick University infectious disease expert and member of the SAGE advisory board, said the news may have 'significant implications' for plans to end lockdown in the UK, suggesting it could be postponed. The New York University study comes after Pfizer and BioNTech both did their own research and found their jab would work against the variant, although Cambridge University scientists cast doubt over whether a single dose would be protective. Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine is one of just two jabs being used in the UK, alongside the one made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca The New York University researchers, led by microbiologist Dr Nathaniel Landau, wrote: 'The findings suggest that the protection provided by vaccination will remain largely intact against the South Africa variant and other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.' The way the scientists tested the vaccine was by exposing different variants of the virus to the blood of people who had had the jab and those who hadn't. PFIZER SAYS ITS VACCINE WILL WORK ON SOUTH AFRICA VARIANT Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is only slightly less effective against the super-infectious South African variant, according to a lab study by the jab makers. Even with the slight reduction in efficacy, the research strongly suggests the vaccine will still be able to kill off the new strain before it can cause serious illness. Researchers from Pfizer and the University of Texas took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying mutations found on the South African variant. They found there was about a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection. The study said it found only 'small effects of these mutations on neutralization... by two [Pfizer] doses.' In a boost to the world's immunisation efforts, the team said the number of antibodies produced was still high enough to kill the mutant strain. This is possible because the immune system generally makes so many antibodies that it creates enough to hit the threshold needed to neutralise or kill the virus, and then many more on top, which are expendable. While the Pfizer results are promising, they are limited because the study did not look at the full set of mutations found in the new South African variant. The research, first released on a pre-print website in January, was published today in the journal Nature Medicine. Advertisement Watching the reactions between them can then show how well different types of immunity destroy the virus and which ones don't. When someone is vaccinated they develop immune proteins called antibodies that are extremely specific to the virus included in the vaccine and, if the immune system is faced with a different version of the virus in the future, it may be less able to stop it. If the virus mutates to look different, those antibodies will latch onto the virus less often, meaning more of the coronavirus can slip through and the risk of illness increases. Antibodies are only one type of the immune response to the virus but are the one that vaccine-makers have focused on. Other aspects, such as white blood cells, may also be acting against the virus but not be getting measured. Pfizer's vaccine was found to be around 95 per cent effective at preventing illness caused by the old variant of coronavirus but this efficacy will now be lower because the people who developed weaker immunity may now not have enough. The jab still worked against the Kent variant, B.1.1.7, they said. But it was less effective against a key mutation named E484K on the South African variant, which is known as B.1.351, although it could usually still destroy that version of the virus. They could not give a percentage effectiveness because the trial wasn't done on people. Dr Landau and colleagues said: 'These findings suggest that antibodies elicited by primary infection and by the [Pfizer/BioNTech] vaccine are likely to maintain protective efficacy against B.1.1.7 and most other variants but that the partial resistance of virus with the B.1.351 spike protein could render some individuals less well protected, supporting a rationale for the development of modified vaccines containing E484K.' Their recommendation that companies make vaccine boosters to deal with the new variant, and more that might come in future, is already being followed by some companies. Oxford and AstraZeneca said last week that their second top-up jab would be ready by autumn this year. Moderna has already committed to making an updated version of its vaccine to cope with mutations that make the original jab weaker. Pfizer and BioNTech are understood to also be working out how they could improve their vaccine. Concerns are now bubbling up that Britain could face longer tougher lockdown rules if the South African Covid variant becomes more widespread. SAGE's Professor Mike Tildesley said the discovery about the Oxford jab could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we cant get on top of this.' Despite the concerning new finding, one of South Africa's top infectious disease experts said today the Oxford jab should still protect against severe disease. Professor Salim Abdool Karim, head of the country's Covid response unit, pointed to the trial of Johnson and Johnson's jab, which uses the same technology as Oxford's and was shown to be 100 per cent effective at stopping Covid hospitalisations and deaths. And UK ministers have urged Brits to keep faith in the British-made vaccine. Health minister Edward Argar urged the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of vaccines which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. The comments were echoed by vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi last night, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the vaccines. Professor Mike Tildesley (left), an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said Britain could face more lockdown restrictions if the South African Covid variant continues to spread. UK health minister Edward Argar (right) urged the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of vaccines which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels SAGE adviser warns UK's lockdown could last even LONGER if South African Covid variant continues to spread Britain could face further lockdown restrictions if the South African Covid variant becomes more widespread, a SAGE scientist warned today. A study on Sunday found the Oxford University jab had 'minimal effect' in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert at Warwick University and member of SAGE, said the finding could have 'significant implications' on Britain's lockdown-easing plans. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'It means that even with high levels of vaccination there will be a lot of people that could potentially get infected and could potentially pass it on and it may mean that more restrictions might be needed for longer if we can't get on top of this.' Despite the concerning new finding, UK ministers have urged Brits to keep faith in the British-made vaccine, saying there is 'no evidence' it will not block severe disease. Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of Covid jabs which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. The comments were echoed by vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi last night, who said preventing severe disease was the 'vitally important' factor for the vaccines. Government sources insisted had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out Boris Johnson had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown. Advertisement Government sources said last night that there was 'no indication' the easing of lockdown would be affected by the findings that the Oxford vaccine is less effective against the South African variant. Mr Zahawi highlighted the low levels of the South African variant means it is unlikely to overtake the Kent one and become the dominant strain in the UK any time soon. A tweaked version of the Oxford vaccine that targets the new strain is already in development and should be ready by August. The current vaccine rollout should buy jab-makers time until the new booster shots are available. Mr Argar said this morning there was 'no evidence' that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is not effective at preventing severe illness from coronavirus. He told Sky News: 'There is no evidence that this vaccine is not effective in preventing hospitalisation, severe illness and death, which is ultimately what we're seeking with these vaccines.' The minister noted that the 'dominant strains in this country are not the South African strain', with 'only a small number of cases of that'. He added that South Africa's suspension of the rollout of the vaccine is only 'temporary' at this stage. The study that found the Oxford jab had a 'minimal effect' in protecting against mild disease caused by the variant involved 2,000 volunteers, most of whom were young and healthy with an average age of 31. The study also appeared to show that the South African mutations will allow for ongoing transmission of the virus in vaccinated populations. Out of 865 people vaccinated with two doses of the Oxford vaccine, 19 contracted the new variant, and out of 884 in the group given a placebo, 23 contracted the disease. Two thirds of the cases were of mild illness, and one third moderate. There were no severe cases. The researchers also found that previous infection with 'original' coronavirus did not protect against contracting the South African variant. Oxford University said the study did not assess levels of protection against moderate to severe disease, hospital admission or death because the target population was at such low risk. A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: 'We do believe our vaccine will still protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to eight to 12 weeks.' The spokesman added that other immune responses, such as T-cell responses, may have a role in protecting against disease, and initial data suggests these may stay the same with the variant. Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London, urged caution about the study's findings. 'It's a very small study with just over 2,000 people,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'But it is concerning to some extent that we're seeing that it's not effective against mild or moderate disease.' Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator on the Oxford trial, said: 'This study confirms that the coronavirus will find ways to continue to spread in vaccinated populations, as expected. 'But, taken with the promising results from other studies in South Africa, vaccines may continue to ease the toll on healthcare systems by preventing severe disease.' On Saturday, AstraZeneca said its vaccine provided good protection against the variant first discovered in Kent, which is now dominant in the UK. Early results suggest the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine protects against the new variants. Early results from Moderna suggest its vaccine is still effective against the South Africa variant. Meanwhile, a booster jab that will help tackle the South African variant of coronavirus should be ready by the autumn, scientists said yesterday. Professor Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher in the Oxford team, said current vaccines 'have a reduction in efficacy against some of the variant viruses'. But she added: 'What that is looking like is that we may not be reducing the total number of cases but there's still protection in that case against deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease. 'That's really important for healthcare systems, even if we are having mild and asymptomatic infections, to prevent people going into hospital with Covid would have a major effect.' Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. Blake Bates, 79, of Selma waited about 40 minutes in his car at Memorial Stadium in Bloch Park near downtown Selma to get a COVID-19 vaccination in his left arm as he sat in his car on Monday morning. I was at the library and I decided to drive by and see how crowded it was, Bates said. It took about 40 minutes, which wasnt bad. Bates is Black, like most of the others who were waiting in line. Dallas County is nearly 70 percent Black. Maegan Austin, spokeswoman for the Vaughn Regional Medical Center in Selma, which coordinated mass testing, said hospital workers are not asking about race on the forms people are filling out before they get their shots. But so far, the racial makeup reflects Dallas and the surrounding Black Belt counties. Its going to be about 70 percent Black, Austin said. The mass drive-through site in Selma is accepting patients from Dallas, Perry, Marengo, Lowndes and Wilcox, which are all majority Black counties. Its going great, better than expected, Austin said. At the rate were going, well have our little community taken care of. The stadium site led by hospital staff and volunteers, and nursing students from Wallace State Community College, had administered about 900 to 1,000 doses of Moderna vaccine by noon on Monday. The site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, through Friday. By Friday, 5,000 doses of vaccine should be administered, Austin said. School teachers were among those getting vaccinated, along with those age 65 and over, those with serious medical issues, and essential workers including utility workers, she said. She said Vaughn Regional Medical Center began administering vaccines to hospital employees and other front-line workers in December. Through January, the hospital had given out 900 doses, to first responders and medical workers, and those age 70 and over. As Bates left the site after his shot, a worker shouted to him: Congratulations! Bates said he was relieved to get his shot. Just the thought of being part of an epidemic is frightening, he said. The Covid-19 death toll now stands at 440, with the deaths of 15 more people yesterday. The Ministry of Health reported the deaths in its daily update yesterday evening. One of the new deaths occurred in Tobago. The Tobago Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development disclosed that the patient was a 38-year-old male with co-morbidities. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. 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Digital Editor TIMETABLE FOR THE TRUMP TRIAL Here is how the Trump impeachment will unfold: Tuesday 1pm: Senate comes to order with president pro tempore Patrick Leahy (D-VT) presiding over four hours of presentation - two from each side - on whether the trial is constitutional Tuesday 5pm: Senate votes on whether it is constitutional to move forward. If there are at least 51 votes to continue, which is certain, the Senate adjourns for the day Wednesday 9am: Deadline for motions from both sides which could be voted on before the trial begins Wednesday 11am: Deadline for responses to motions Wednesday noon: If there are motions, they must be voted on but if there are none the trial opens with Democratic impeachment managers beginning up to 16 hours over Wednesday and Thursday of outlining their case Thursday: Democrats end their case against Trump Friday noon: Donald Trump's team begin their defense with up to 16 hours to make their case on Friday and Saturday. An original plan to observe the Jewish sabbath in deference to Trump's attorney David Schoen has been dropped after he said it was unnecessary Saturday: Trump's team ends their defense case Sunday: At this point the Democratic impeachment managers and Trump's attorneys can ask to call witnesses if senators vote to allow them on a simple majority vote. If there are witnesses, the trial will adjourn for them to be deposed, which could delay it significantly. If there are no witnesses Senators have four hours to ask questions of both sides. Then the Democratic impeachment managers can put forward a motion to introduce all their background evidence and Trump's defense have an hour to argue against with both sides getting an hour in total, followed by a vote, with Trump's side then able to do the same. Unknown but as early as Presidents Day: Once questions are over there are two hours each for both sides to sum up. Then the Senate votes. Conviction needs a two-thirds majority: 67 senators assuming all are present. Advertisement Donald Trump's second impeachment trial will run at least into next week as the Senate gave both sides 16 hours each to make their cases. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell announced a deal on the Senate floor Monday afternoon on how the trial will proceed. The two leaders noted all sides - Democrat and Republican, Trump defense and House impeachment managers - agreed on the procedure. The well of the Senate was ready for the trial to begin on Tuesday afternoon - with tables for the prosecution and defense set up around the dais. Trump's attorneys praised the agreement on how the trial will be run. 'President Trump and his counsel are pleased that there was bipartisan support on how to structure the impeachment trial. We appreciate that Senate Republican leadership stood strong for due process and secured a structure that is consistent with past precedent. This process will provide us with an opportunity to explain to Senators why it is absurd and unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial against a private citizen,' he and his legal team said in a statement. Senators will have to vote on whether or not to call witnesses, under the agreement. And each side would have up to 16 hours over two days to present their cases. It also includes a four-hour debate on the constitutionality of the trial on Tuesday, followed by a vote on that question, similar to a vote led by Republican Senator Rand Paul last month. The presentations will begin at noon on Wednesday, going up to 16 for the House prosecutors and 16 hours for the Trump defense team. Starting Friday at 5 p.m. and all day Saturday, the trial will pause for the Sabbath, at the request of Trump's attorney David Schoen, an observant Jew. The trial would reconvene Sunday afternoon. 'The structure we have agreed to is imminently fair,' Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor. 'Im pleased Leader Schumer and I were able to agree to a fair process and estimated timeline,' McConnell said Monday on the Senate floor. 'This structure has been approved by both former President Trump's legal team and the House managers.' Ahead of the announcement on logistics, Trump's lawyers lasted the trial as 'political theater' and charged Democrats cannot constitutionally impeach a former president. The House impeachment team countered that Trump committed the 'most grievous constitutional crime ever.' The two sides gave preview to their forthcoming legal arguments the day before Trump's second impeachment trial is scheduled to begin in the Senate. Trump's attorneys argued in their 78-page brief that the House impeachment managers are bringing an illegal case against the former president and claim his speech the morning of January 6th was not a call to insurrection. 'This was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people,' attorneys Bruce Castor, David Schoen, and Michael T. van der Veen wrote. Trump attorney Bruce Castor (right) was seen in the Capitol on Monday The Senate chamber on Monday was set up for Donald Trump's impeachment trial to begin on Tuesday - tables are set up around the dais for the defense and prosecution The Democratic House impeachment managers, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, argued Donald Trump committed the 'most grievous constitutional crime ever' Trump's lawyers charge Democrats impeached Trump for 'their own political gain.' Democrats, along with 10 House Republicans, charged Trump on one count of impeachment - inciting the insurrection - after the MAGA riot that left five dead and a wake of destruction in the Capital. 'Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain,' they wrote. resident Trump and his counsel are pleased that there was bipartisan support on how to structure the impeachment trial. We appreciate that Senate Republican leadership stood strong for due process and secured a structure that is consistent with past precedent. This process will provide us with an opportunity to explain to Senators why it is absurd and unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial against a private citizen' How Trump's office responded to deal 'In bringing this impeachment in the manner in which they did, namely via a process that violated every precedent and every principle of fairness followed in impeachment inquiries for more than 150 years, they offered the public a masters class in the art of political opportunism,' they argued. House impeachment managers released a simple response: 'The House states that each and every allegation in the Article of Impeachment is true,' the managers, led by Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, wrote in their four-page response. 'His incitement of insurrection against the United States government - which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power - is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a President,' they charged of Trump. 'The House will establish at trial that President Trump merits conviction and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States,' they added. The brief from Trump's lawyers outlines their dueling defense arguments: The trial is unconstitutional and Trump did nothing wrong. 'In the past, Congress has acknowledged and exercised its duty to not impeach when an official is no longer in office. In the case involving the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon, Congress decided not to impeach because he resigned from office,' the attorneys write. Trump cannot be impeached because there is no office to remove him from, they argue. 'The only purpose of impeachment is to remove the President, Vice-President, and civil officers from office. When a President is no longer in office, the objective of an impeachment ceases,' they write. They also argue the trial violates Trump's first amendment right to free speech and that the House rushed the impeachment process - Trump was impeached one week after the riot - which was a violation of due process. 'House Democrats completed the fastest presidential impeachment inquiry in history and adopted the Article of Impeachment over strong opposition and with zero due process afforded to Mr. Trump, against Constitutional requirements and centuries of practice,' they state. They also throw references to two of Trump's favorite complaints: that then-President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden 'spied' on his 2016 campaign and that Hillary Clinton should be locked up. 'This is a dangerous slippery slope that the Senate should be careful to avoid,' the attorneys write of the Senate trying Trump while he doesn't hold federal office. 'Were it otherwise, a future House could impeach former Vice President Biden for his obstruction of justice in setting up the Russia hoax circa 2016. While he could not be removed from the Vice Presidency because his term ended in 2017, he could be barred from holding future office. The same flawed logic the House Managers advance could apply to former Secretary of State Clinton for her violations of 18 U.S.C 793. Impeachment cannot and should not be allowed to devolve into a political weapon,' they argue. The FBI ran a counter intelligence operation of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign to see if Russia was trying to influence the election. Clinton was investigated by the FBI for using a private email server but was never charged with wrong doing. Donald Trump's lawyers blasted the impeachment trial as 'political theater' and charged Democrats cannot constitutionally impeach a former president Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the bipartisan deal on how the trial will be conducted Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell announced that all sides supported the agreement: 'This structure has been approved by both former President Trump's legal team and the House managers' Trump's lawyers also argue he did not incite the crowd to attack the Capitol when he held a rally outside the White House on the morning of the insurrection. 'Presidents Trump speech on January 6, 2021 was not an act encouraging an organized movement to overthrow the Unites States government,' they say. They then go into detailed analysis of Trump's speech that morning. 'Of the over 10,000 words spoken, Mr. Trump used the word fight a little more than a handful of times and each time in the figurative sense that has long been accepted in public discourse when urging people to stand and use their voices to be heard on matters important to them; it was not and could not be construed to encourage acts of violence Notably absent from his speech was any reference to or encouragement of an insurrection, a riot, criminal action, or any acts of physical violence whatsoever. The only reference to force was in taking pride in his administrations creation of the Space Force,' they claim. They note the FBI, in its investigation, found the insurgency was planned days in advance. 'House Leadership simply cannot have it both ways. Either the President incited the riots, like the Article claims, or the riots were pre-planned by a small group of criminals who deserve punishment to the fullest extent of the law,' they write. Democrats have countered that Trump's claims since Election Day - that the contest was fraudulent and stolen - stoked the flames of the attack. Trump's second impeachment trial will begin Tuesday with a debate over whether it's even legal and will take Saturday off so one of his Jewish lawyers can observe the Sabbath. Meanwhile, Democrats are struggling with impeachment managers' desire to call witnesses and party leadership wanting a speedy process. Trump, last week, declined an invitation from the impeachment managers to testify. President Joe Biden is staying out of it. Upon his return to the White House on Monday, after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Biden declined to answer when asked if Trump should lose his political rights: 'He got an offer to come and testify, he decided not to. Let the Senate work that out.' The president is keeping a packed schedule while the Senate hears evidence. He'll visit the Pentagon on Wednesday and the National Institute of Health on Thursday. And White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden won't watch the proceedings because 'we keep him pretty busy.' 'He will leave the pace and the process and the mechanics of the impeachment proceedings up to members of Congress,' she said at her daily press briefing. Meanwhile, Democratic congressional leadership feels witnesses are not necessary since the actions and fallout Democrats are accusing the former president of inciting happened in plain sight and the prosecution could rely mostly on video. Sources familiar with the nine impeachment managers' plan say they will use clips edited to dramatically intertwine Trump's remarks on January 6 with the ensuing Capitol riots shortly after in a blockbuster movie style sequence, Politico reported. Schumer argued privately that Trump's alleged crimes took place in the public eye and can be shown and proven through video and tweets. Donald Trump's lawyers argue his January 6th speech is protected under the first amendment and was not a call for insurrection President Joe Biden declined to talk about the trial when he returned to the White House on Monday Some of the Democratic managers wanted to call Capitol Police officers who clashed with rioters last month, others wanted to hear from Trump officials who were with him in the midst of the riots Haiti - Coup : The National Association of Magistrates demands the release of Judge Dabresil Judge Jean Wilner Morin, President of the National Association of Haitian Magistrates (ANAMAH) on behalf of the National Directory, said to be informed of the kidnapping of the Honorable Judge Dabresil [HL arrested Sunday in the attempted coup https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32966-haiti-flash-coup-foiled-all-official-details.html ] "ANAMAH calls on the Magistrates of the eighteen jurisdictions of the Republic to a work stoppage from the publication of this in order to protest against the infamy made to the Haitian judiciary." It demands "from the kidnappers" [the PNH!] of Judge Yviquel DABRESIL his immediate and unconditional release. Apart from this, there is no other alternative to resuming judicial work in Haiti. Only cases relating to individual freedom will be taken into account during the period of the judgment. " Moreover, he deplores the fact that heavily armed men, in costume and in uniform engage in harassment and intimidation against members of the Superior Council of the Judicial Power (CSPJ), Magistrates of the Court of Cassation in particular, Yviquel Dabresil, Wendelle Coq and other magistrates such as Jean Wilner Morin, Durin Duret Junior and Noe Pierre Louis Massillon. "ANAMAH appeals to Magistrates of all rank, rank and quality to stand ready to defend the integrity of the judiciary, its esprit de corps and its independence." HL/ HaitiLibre Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 19:15:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARBIN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province saw its exports grow 3.2 percent year on year to 36.09 billion yuan (about 5.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020, local authorities said. The province's total foreign trade dropped 17.7 percent year on year to 153.7 billion yuan during the period, with imports falling 22.5 percent to 117.61 billion yuan due to a decline in trade volume and prices for bulk commodities, according to Harbin Customs. The exports of the province witnessed a more optimized commodity composition, in which exports of mechanical and electrical products rose 7.6 percent year on year to 15.73 billion yuan, accounting for 43.6 percent of the total exports, up 1.6 percentage points. Exports of high-tech products grew 69.4 percent year on year to 5.27 billion yuan, accounting for 14.6 percent of the province's total exports, up 5.7 percentage points. Enditem SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A pedestrian who died in a collision involving multiple vehicles last week along Lake Merced Boulevard in San Francisco has been identified by his friends and family as Sheria Musyoka. According to police, 26-year-old Musyoka was fatally struck by a vehicle along Lake Merced Boulevard at Higuera Avenue just before 8 a.m. Thursday. The collision involved eight vehicles and, as a result, four people were hospitalized, including the driver who struck Musyoka. Musyoka, originally from Kenya, was a Dartmouth College graduate and had recently relocated to San Francisco with his wife Hannah and 3-year-old son Theo. Musyoka's friends and family have created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses and to help Hannah relocate, as well as to help start a college fund for Theo. As of Monday afternoon, the fund had gathered more than $111,000, surpassing its initial goal of $100,000. "We are completely overwhelmed by the generosity and love that has been shown to us," the page read. "Hannah will not stop fighting for justice and accountability, and when the time is right she hopes to start a foundation in honor of Sheria, focused on political reform within San Francisco and beyond. Sheria's name will live on and Hannah is committed to doing her part to ensure no other family ever has to experience such preventable trauma." According to police, the driver who struck Musyoka, identified as 31-year-old Jerry Lyons, was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen in San Jose, police said. Lyons has since been arrested on suspicion of multiple offenses, including vehicular manslaughter, driving while under the influence of alcohol, hit and run, and driving a stolen vehicle, among others. He's being held without bail, according to jail records. Lyons was on post-release community supervision in connection with a previous grand theft conviction at the time of the collision, police said. According to the San Francisco Police Officers Association, in that case, which happened in December, Lyons was also found driving a stolen car while intoxicated. The SFPOA has been a staunch critic of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, accusing him of being too lenient on repeat offenders. Just last month, Boudin admitted his office, as well as other city departments, "could have done things differently" after a man who was on parole for an armed robbery fatally struck two pedestrians in the South of Market neighborhood on New Year's Eve, allegedly while driving a stolen car drunk. "We cannot brush aside the concerns of families and the community by dismissing these incidents as 'accidents.' Multiple arrests. Under the influence. Stolen Car. Destroyed families. These are not wild coincidences," the SFPOA said on Twitter on Monday. The GoFundMe account set up to help Musyoka's family can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-sheria-musyokas-wife-child. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. India wicketkeeper-batsman said that he will donate his match fee for the rescue efforts and would urge more people to help out after a glacier burst in Uttarakhand on Sunday. Pant, who is currently playing in the first Test against England in Chennai, expressed grief over the loss of lives in the calamity. "Deeply pained by the loss of life in Uttarakhand. Would like to donate my match fee for the rescue efforts and would urge more people to help out," Pant tweeted. Pant missed out on a hundred on day three of the ongoing Test and played a quick knock of 91 runs. He also stitched a 119-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (73) for the fifth wicket. At stumps, India's score read 257/6, with Washington Sundar (33*) and Ravichandran Ashwin (8*) at the crease, trailing England by 321 runs. England scored 578 runs in their first innings with the help of Joe Root's double ton. On Sunday, a glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand that triggered massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda Rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. "It is suspected that around 100 workers were at the site out of which, 9-10 dead bodies have been recovered from the river," said SS Deswal, Director General, ITBP. The rescue operations had to be suddenly stopped in Dhauliganga due to the rise in the water level of the river, informed Yashwant Chauhan, Superintendent Police, Chamoli. Meanwhile, Tapovan Hydro-Electric Power Dam, also known as Rishi Ganga Project was completely washed off following a glacier burst in the Chamoli district, said the Indian Air Force's initial report as Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) deployed at Joshimath has undertaken recce of affected areas. Uttarakhand Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the glacial burst. "We are assuming that around 125 people are missing. The number can be higher," Rawat said. He added that the government has all the needed assistance to handle the situation for now. (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.) VANCOUVER - A Catholic order shuffled known abusers from a notorious Newfoundland orphanage to two schools in the Vancouver area where more boys were victimized, a lawsuit alleges. The Mount Cashel orphanage is shown in St. John's in 1989. A new lawsuit alleges that a Catholic congregation shuffled abusive teachers from a notorious Newfoundland orphanage to two schools in the Vancouver area where more boys were victimized. The proposed class-action suit filed Monday in British Columbia Supreme Court says that between 1976 and 1983, six known abusers were transferred from Mount Cashel Orphanage to Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan VANCOUVER - A Catholic order shuffled known abusers from a notorious Newfoundland orphanage to two schools in the Vancouver area where more boys were victimized, a lawsuit alleges. A proposed class-action suit filed Monday in British Columbia Supreme Court says between 1976 and 1983, an order called the Christian Brothers transferred six abusive members from Mount Cashel Orphanage to Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate. The lawsuit says one of the six men, Brother Edward English, confessed to abusing children at Mount Cashel before he was transferred, and all six were later convicted of sexually or physically abusing orphans at the Newfoundland facility. "Following incidents of abuse, the (Christian Brothers) did not act to protect the children in their care, but to protect their abusers from criminal charges by moving them out of Newfoundland to teach at schools owned and operated by the (Christian Brothers)," the lawsuit says. None of the allegations has been proven in court and no statements of defence have been filed. The lawsuit names a number of defendants including the former owner of Mount Cashel, the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John's, which said in a statement Monday that it had just learned of the civil claim. "As with all matters before us, we will take it seriously and seek to deal with it in an appropriate manner," said Archbishop Peter Hundt. "It would be premature for us to make any further public statement on this matter at the present time." Vancouver College is also a defendant and said it learned Monday of "deeply troubling allegations of abuse" in the 1980s. It takes the claims very seriously, is reviewing the class-action filing and will respond accordingly once it has a better understanding, it said. "Crimes of abuse are tragic and horrific, and have lifelong impacts to those involved," the school said in a statement. "Vancouver College expresses profound concern and sympathy to anyone who has been impacted in any way by any abuse." St. Thomas More Collegiate, another defendant in the case, said it expresses profound concern and sympathy to anyone affected by the alleged abuse. The school strives to create an environment built on trust and respect, it said. "Abuse of any kind has no place here, nor in any learning environment," it said in a statement. The Archdiocese of Vancouver said it did not know why it is named in the suit. "Vancouver College and St. Thomas More are not owned or operated by the Archdiocese of Vancouver or Catholic Independent Schools Vancouver Archdiocese," archdiocese spokeswoman Melissa Godbout said. "These two schools are both run by independent foundations. They own their own land and buildings, have their own curriculum, and make all their own hiring decisions." Also named as a defendant is English, who was convicted in 1991 of multiple counts of sexual and physical abuse at Mount Cashel and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Gerald Gabriel McHugh, who was a high-ranking member of the Christian Brothers at the time, and John Kavalec, who was vice-principal of Vancouver College, are also named. The Canadian Press could not reach English, McHugh or Kavalec for comment. The lawsuit states that the whereabouts of English and McHugh are not known to the plaintiff. The Christian Brothers declared bankruptcy in 2011 and are not named as a defendant. Plaintiff Darren Liptrot says in the notice of civil claim he attended Vancouver College from 1980 to 1985, for grades 8 to 12, and he was sexually abused by English. The Canadian Press does not typically name people who say they were sexually abused, but Liptrot has asked to be named. If a judge certifies the class action, Liptrot would represent students of Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate who were physically or sexually abused between 1976 and 1995. The lawsuit says that RCMP began investigating allegations of sexual abuse at Mount Cashel in 1975 and English confessed to police that he had sexually abused boys at the orphanage. McHugh learned from English that the allegations were true, the lawsuit says, but McHugh met with the RCMP and deputy justice minister at the time and agreed to remove several men from the province on the understanding that no charges would be filed. McHugh was involved in sending English in 1976 to St. Thomas More, where he taught until 1981, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges school officials received complaints about English allegedly assaulting students, but rather than report him to police or expel him from the Christian Brothers, McHugh moved him once again this time to Vancouver College. English sexually and physically abused Liptrot at the school between 1981 to 1983, when he was in Grade 9 and 10, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit says Liptrot reported abuse to Kavalec, the vice-principal of Vancouver College, who allegedly "ignored his complaints and took no action." English has not faced criminal charges in B.C. Another man filed a lawsuit against him in 2007 alleging abuse at St. Thomas More and another Vancouver-area school, but the suit was settled out of court in 2011 on terms not made public. The lawsuit filed Monday says in addition to English, McHugh was involved in sending five other Christian Brothers from Mount Cashel to Vancouver College or St. Thomas More after allegations of abuse were made against them. The men, who were later convicted of physical or sexual abuse of children at Mount Cashel, were Kevin Short, Douglas Kenny, Edward French, David Burton and Joseph Burke. The lawsuit says the class members have suffered significant damage including pain and suffering, psychological injuries, addiction issues, inability to have normal and healthy sexual development and spiritual trauma including loss of faith. The lawsuit says the plaintiffs want a declaration that English abused them and the defendants are liable for that abuse, an award for damages for negligence, past and future costs of health care and punitive and aggravated damages. "The conduct of the defendants ... is egregious and so extreme in nature as to be deserving of condemnation and punishment," the lawsuit says. "Compensatory damages alone are inadequate." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version included a quote from a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Vancouver in which she misstated the name of the Catholic Independent Schools Vancouver Archdiocese. As Marijuana is Legalized in More States, Many Companies Have Added Additional Shipping Services to Get their Products to More Customers LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2021 / The founders of The Pot Shop, http://www.thepotshop.cc, a mail order marijuana company located in California, are pleased to announce that they are now offering clients around the nation a wide selection of goods for shipping. Previously, these prodcts were only available in states where marijuana was legal, such as California. As a company spokesperson noted, as more states are making marijuana legal, it is causing a "national mail order weed race." "The mail order marijuana race is in full fledge. Companies such as Cookies SF and popular dispensaries around Colorado have started to offer shipping services," the spokesperson noted, adding that most of these shipping services evolved from delivery services in legal states. With the advent of federal legalization, the spokesperson noted, every dispensary and delivery service around the country is gearing up for this 100 billion dollar market that will see it grow by an average of 20 percent for the next 10 years. In addition to offering expanded shipping options, The Pot Shop is also launching several new products. They include pure 99 percent THC/CBD 1:1 Ratio oil and special extraction rosin from rare genetics that are only found in some pockets in the mountains of Northern California. Other shops such as Tweed are expanding their local delivery expansion to all 50 states. But with the pandemic and people being reluctant to meet in person, most delivery services are pivoting towards mail order services, as the cost of running a mail order business is much less than a delivery service. "The good news is that the lesson and hardship of mail ordered weed has been experienced by Canada, so the U.S. will be in good standing when this sort of retail habits for marijuana go mainstream," the spokesperson noted. About The Pot Shop: The Pot Shop features premium California grown cannabis that can be legally shipped to all 50 states, no rec required. They ship out of California and source from different farms and vendors to get the best prices for their valued customers. For more information, please visit https://thepotshop.cc/shop/ Media Contact: Ridley Tomson One Seo Marketing amy@oneseomarketing.com 626 319 3423 California Los Angeles Contact: Amy Lockheart army@oneseomarketing.com 6263193423 SOURCE: The Pot Shop View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/628289/The-Pot-Shop-is-Now-Offering-Shipping-Nationwide Arista Nashville Maren Morris and her husband Ryan Hurd are joining forces for their duet "Chasing After You," to be released on February 12. Though Maren has provided background vocals on Ryan's previous singles "Every Other Memory" and "To a T," "Chasing After You" marks the couple's first official studio duet. "Every time you say were done/You come back to the love/You were running from/Dont know why dont know why I let you/But I do/Cause I love chasing after you," the couple sings over an acoustic melody in a clip posted to Ryan's Instagram Stories Monday. Maren and Ryan met as songwriters in Nashville in 2013, co-penning Tim McGraw's "Last Turn Home." Ryan is also the co-writer behind Lady A's hits "What If I Never Get Over You" and "You Look Good," as well as "Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset" by Luke Bryan. "Maren and I met writing songs and weve sung on each others records and written together, but this is the first time weve gotten to do an actual duet together. It feels like the timing is really perfect and its a full circle moment to get to make music together in this way," Ryan says. "Chasing After You" follows the release of Maren's new collaboration with JP Saxe, "Line by Line." By Cillea Houghton Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. press release Security, economy, electoral reforms and other essentials of national stability are on the front burner as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensifies arrangements for its planned conference on how to salvage our nation and return her to the path of peace, national cohesiveness and economic prosperity. The party has already commenced consultations with critical stakeholders across board on ways to rescue our nation from misrule through institutional reforms ahead of the 2023 general elections. National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, disclosed the position of the party while receiving the British High Commission's Political Counsellor on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Jonathan Bacon, at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Friday. Prince Secondus lamented that our nation is in her present sorry situation because all the electoral reforms achieved by the PDP to deepen our democracy prior to 2015 general election have been destroyed by the current All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration. "For five and half years now that the APC held sway, our democracy has been under severe stress. All critical institutions of democracy have been brutalized. The judiciary, legislature and the media have been under siege while human rights and rule of law; the necessary ingredients of democracy, have all been flagrantly abused. "Though the APC administration came into power as beneficiary of a transparent and credible election conducted under the PDP, it has not been able to conduct any free and fair election but had rather continued to abuse our electoral process and frustrate the desires and efforts of Nigerians to further amend our Electoral Act to guarantee acceptable elections in our country", Prince Secondus stated. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The National Chairman also bewailed the escalated insecurity in the country under the APC and the lack of commitment on the path of the current administration to decisively tackle the outlaws and end the mindless killings, bloodletting, kidnaping, banditry and other acts of terrorism in our country. He lamented that the security situation has reached a despondent curve where critical stakeholders, out of frustration, are now calling on the people to defend themselves in the face of government's failure to defend them. On the economy, Prince Secondus, noted that the present administration has plunged our nation into the worst economic hardship, which has been exacerbated by the incompetence and lack of clear-cut policy direction, insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians and unprecedented corruption of the APC administration. "Indeed, this is not the way our nation should be. We must come together to rescue our nation by commencing critical conversations within the ambit of the law and democratic practice to salvage the situation" he said. The National Chairman however commended the international community and development partners for their support especially in strengthening our electoral system and urged them to show more interest in Nigeria democracy ahead of 2023 general elections. Bacon had earlier told Prince Secondus that he was in the Wadata Plaza to meet with the leadership of the PDP and discuss the United Kingdom/Nigeria bilateral relations. Candace Owens has said she is considering a bid to be US President. The 31-year-old conservative commentator and writer tweeted at the weekend that she was considering a presidential run. 'I love America. Thinking about running for President,' Owens tweeted. Owens, who gave birth to her first child last month, will be 35 by November 2024, which is the minimum age requirement to be president. The staunch Trump supporter did not elaborate on running but later responded to a tweet from someone declaring that Owens would never be a Republican nominee. Owens retweeted their comment on Sunday, saying: 'This won't age well.' Candace Owens, 31, tweeted at the weekend that she was considering running for US President Owens, who gave birth to her first child last month, will be 35 by 2024, which is the minimum age requirement to launch a bid for president. The staunch Trump supporter did not elaborate on running She later criticized conservatives for being spineless and not speaking up after claiming Democrats were trying to use the Capitol riots as justification to treat 'half our country like terrorists'. 'For any conservatives who do not have the courage to admit this and are capitulating to the sweeping acts that are being committed against citizens -including President Trump - you will come to regret such spinelessness. This is an important time in our country. Speak up,' she tweeted. 'Every good dictator needs a 'reason' and a 'justification' for locking up, censoring, and criminalizing all acts of political dissent. That is why I will #NeverForgetJanury6th. Because it's become a justification for evil against half our country who remain innocent. 'If you're smarter than a 5th grader, you realize that the radical Left is trying to brainwash the world into believing January 6th was similar to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. Absurd. Just a sloppy attempt to justify censoring, surveilling & treating half our country like terrorists.' The right-wing activist has risen to prominence as a conservative commentator in recent years and has been a staunch Trump supporter. The staunch Trump supporter did not elaborate on running but later responded to a tweet from someone declaring that Owens would never be a Republican nominee The right-wing activist has risen to prominence as a conservative commentator in recent years and has been a staunch Trump supporter. Owens is married to George Farmer, the son of a Tory peer She hasn't shied away from controversy and has publicly feuded with liberal celebrities including Cardi B, who she called 'illiterate' and an 'embarrassment to black people' after the rapper's interview with Joe Biden surfaced last year. Owens also criticized Harry Styles after he wore a dress in Vogue and declared that society needed to 'bring back manly men'. She recently slammed New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calling her a "spoiled rotten brat' after the Democrat had said Republicans would likely be 'crying in the walk-in fridge' if they were to work in a restaurant. Owens hit back, saying: 'I used to be a waitress and I worked multiple doubles. I am laughing out loud at how much of a coastal elitist you have to be to view that as the definition of a hard day at work. Please get on a plane and see the rest of the world (or country) you spoiled rotten brat.' During the Trump administration, Owens founded the 'Blexit' campaign to encourage black voters to 'exit' the Democrats as a play on Brexit, the term for Britain leaving the European Union. Owens welcomed her first child last month with her British husband George Farmer, the son of a Tory peer. The couple married over Labor Day weekend in 2019 at the Trump Winery near Charlottesville, Virginia. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Feb. 8, 2021 NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on two important statements made by Pope Francis: There is nothing new about the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion or human trafficking, but what Pope Francis said about them on February 8 is worth a closer look. The pope decried the fact that many nations are retreating on these key life issues. What he said bears application to the vector of change apparent in the United States. The pope said "it was painful" to observe that "under the pretext of guaranteeing presumed subjective rights, a growing number of legal systems in our world seem to be moving away from their inalienable duty to protect human life at every one of its phases." Calling the right to life "a foundational human right," the Holy Father said, "If we deprive the weakest among us of the right to life, how can we effectively guarantee respect for every other right?" Among those other rights, he noted in a separate forum, is the right to be free from exploitation. He pointedly mentioned the plight of those who suffer from human trafficking, the most vulnerable among us. He encouraged all of us to continue "praying and fighting together" in hopes of ridding ourselves of this horrendous condition. Unfortunately, in the United States we are going backwards on both issues. President Biden is determined to be the most pro-abortion president in American history. He spent his first few weeks in office rolling back many restrictions on abortion enacted by the Trump administration. Moreover, never has Biden, or anyone on his staff, called the right to life "a foundational human right." Just as disturbing are the Biden administration's policies governing border security. Let's be honest: He is bent on relaxing the strictures that worked to stop the caravans of Central Americans from crashing our borders. Now they are back. Who is leading them? Human traffickers. They traffic in women, children and drugs. Biden professes to be a "devout" Catholic, and it would be unfair to question his personal relationship with God. But he can be judged on his abortion policies, and on that score he fails miserably. As for human trafficking, no one champions its cause. But that matters little. What matters is whether the policies being promoted act as a deterrent or a lure. Pope Francis has a right to expect more fidelity to his teachings from those who wear their Catholicism on their sleeve than from those who do not. And he certainly should expect more from them than those who are not Catholic. Protoceratrops was a ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous that grew to around the size of a sheep. Credit: Daderot/Wikimedia Commons Why dinosaurs evolved such a huge diversity of crests and frills on their skulls has long been an enigma. But by using modern technology and data analysis, a new study has taken a fresh look at whether some of these features may have been a result of sexual selection. Dinosaurs are well known for their elaborate horns and crests, and none more so than the iconic frilled dinosaurs such as Triceratops. Known properly as the ceratopsians, they are characterised by the large horns and ubiquitous neck frills that many of the species sported. What role these ostentatious ornaments played for the living animals has long been debated. Some theories have suggested that the neck frills were used for protection, others that they played a role in cooling the large herbivores down. It has also been proposed that they allowed animals to recognise different members of their own species. A fourth theory, first raised by the early twentieth century palaeontologist Franz Nopsca, suggests that they instead played a role in sexual selection. This is the idea that certain traits in animals are favoured by members of the opposite sex, and so in time can become more elaborate and fancy. But with so few fossils of most species of dinosaurs, this theory of sexual selection in these extinct creatures is notoriously difficult to prove. Dr. Andrew Knapp, a postdoctoral researcher at the Museum, has been applying modern technology and analysis to the skulls of one species of ceratopsian called Protoceratops. He wanted to see if sexual selection could explain what is going on with their frills. "In many fossil animals we have unusual structures and traits which aren't really seen in living animals today," explains Andy. "Protoceratops didn't have any horns but they still had a huge frill." The skulls of Protoceratops are characterised by a large frill projecting out the back, the function of which is still not entirely know. Credit: Andrew Knapp About the size of a large sheep, Protoceratops is a fairly common and well-studied species of dinosaur that would have lived in what is now Mongolia's Gobi Desert. While Andy and his colleagues were able to show that the frill of Protoceratops likely evolved as a result of social behaviour between members of the species as opposed to, for example, defence, it is difficult to be conclusive that if it was a result of sexual selection. The results have been published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Complex selection The structures and features that we see on living species have evolved, by and large, due to the process of natural selection. This is when environmental conditions favour individuals with particular traits, such as horns or long necks, that help them survive. Over time, these traits become more common within the species. There is another force in play, however, known as sexual selection. Rather than these features helping an animal to survive, they are instead favoured through competition with members of the same sex and by members of the opposite sex. This is how extraordinary characteristics, such as the tail feathers of a peacock, have come to evolve. The way in which individuals within species can vary depending on their observed sex is knowns as sexual dimorphism. "But people have come to realise that in actual fact, sexual selection is quite often more complicated than just males being big and flashy and females being dull," explains Andy. "While there are quite a few examples in living animals where usually females select males based on the size of their tail feathers or calls, it is quite often overlooked that males do the same thing with females as well." Crested auklets are interesting, in not only do they smell of tangerines, but that the sexes select each other for the fancy crests that curl from the tops of their heads. Credit: budgora/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 For example, in a species of bird known as the crested auklet, both males and females have a wonderful plume of feathers curling from the tops of their heads. This is because the plume is used by each sex to signal their health. So while the plume of feathers is a sexually selected trait, it has not led to sexual dimorphism. "It looks like things are a bit more complex than the bigger the male trait the more successful it is," says Andy. Looking at the Protoceratops fossils, Andy and his colleagues found their findings to be equally complex. A detailed look at Protoceratops Andy was able to look at the 3-D scans of 30 complete skulls of Protoceratops, which makes this the largest complete set of 3-D data for any one dinosaur. These ranged in size from tiny hatchlings to fully grown adults, giving him a full growth series of the species. He then compared how different regions of the skull vary and how the skull changed shape as the animal grew. From this, he could look for indications that the shapes of the frills were a result of sexual selection. In living creatures, certain features show a distinct pattern of growth, known as allometry. When the allometry is positive, meaning they show a much greater rate of change in growth when compared to other traits, it is almost always a sexually selected feature, such as the antlers of a deer. Positive allometry often evolves in these traits because it emphasises body size. Bigger, more mature animals often have proportionally larger traits. With what is possibly the most complete set of 3D skull scans for any one dinosaur ranging from adults to tiny hatchlings, Andy was able to look at an entire growth series for Protoceratops. Credit: Andrew Knapp The growth pattern of Protoceratops' frills matched this, indicating that the frills were very possibly sexually selected. However, the team couldn't show any sexual dimorphism among Protoceratops. "That could be because there was none, or that the differences were very minimal," explains Andy. "There almost certainly were differences between males and females but quite often differences are in body size, so females will be bigger than males or vice versa. It could also have been through something else like colouration, which doesn't preserve." This means that while the frills of dinosaurs like ceratopsians were likely down to sexual selection, in reality it is impossible to say this for certain. In extinct animals, there is no way to definitively prove that the individuals with particular traits were more successful and had more offspring. It is for this reason that Andy and his colleagues conclude that the frills were the result of the more general socio-sexual selection, a term that includes other social behaviour associated with such fancy ornaments. "In reality, many 'sexually selected' traits perform additional functions such as establishing dominance in a population, which can improve an individual's access to resources like food, water and territory," explains Andy. "So really, the boundaries between sexual and social selection are quite blurred, and social selection will quite often be an important factor too." Explore further Why frills put female dinosaurs in the mood for love More information: A. Knapp et al. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the skull of Protoceratops andrewsi supports a socio-sexual signalling role for the ceratopsian frill, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B A. Knapp et al. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the skull of Protoceratops andrewsi supports a socio-sexual signalling role for the ceratopsian frill,(2021). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2938 Facebook Will Take Down Posts With Claims About Vaccines It Deems False Facebook announced on Feb. 8 that it will take down posts with claims about vaccines that health organizations or its fact-checkers deem false. Today, we are expanding our efforts to remove false claims on Facebook and Instagram about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, and vaccines in general during the pandemic, said a post from the social media giant. Since December, weve removed false claims about COVID-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts. Today, following consultations with leading health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), we are expanding the list of false claims we will remove to include additional debunked claims about the coronavirus and vaccines, Facebook stated in a blog post. WHO came under fire in 2020 for allegedly mishandling the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus outbreak, leading then-President Donald Trump to withdraw funding to the United Nations organization. Since then, there have been increasing calls for an investigation into the origin of the virus, which is said to have emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019. Facebook added that it will begin enforcing this policy immediately, adding that it will focus on publishers, groups, and accounts that violate its rules. We are also requiring some admins for groups with admins or members who have violated our COVID-19 policies to temporarily approve all posts within their group. Claims about COVID-19 or vaccines that do not violate these policies will still be eligible for review by our third-party fact-checkers, and if they are rated false, they will be labeled and demoted, the company stated. One of Facebooks main fact-checkers is Lead Stories, a company that has received funds via Facebook, Google, and TikTok owner ByteDance, which has ties with the Chinese regime. Twitter announced in December 2020 that it would also begin labeling and removing posts about the CCP virus vaccine that it deems false. Both Facebook and Twitter have come under fire in recent years for what critics have said is an attempt to censor people who express views outside the mainstream media narrative. Last month, Trumps accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms were suspendedprompting an outcry from conservatives and civil liberties groups. And separately, earlier this month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a conference call that the Menlo Park, California-based company will start to reduce political posts. Were also currently considering steps that we can take to reduce the amount of political content in News Feed as well, Zuckerberg said, adding it is trying to create programs to enable people to engage in political groups and discussions if they want to. One of the top pieces of feedback that we are hearing from our community right now is that people dont want politics and fighting to take over their experience on our services, he said. So, one theme for this year is that were going to continue to focus on helping millions of more people participate in healthy communities, and were going to focus even more on being a force for bringing people closer together. The Sierra Leone government has approved a new law relating to the distribution of domestic licenses for cutting and polishing rough diamonds. The government is focusing on trying to leverage the diamond industry to increase employment and income standards for its population. The government hopes that the same industry that was once blamed for sparking the civil war that ravaged Sierra Leone for 10 years will now contribute to re-building the economy. Many companies abroad, according to a local news source, have already expressed an interest in opening diamond-polishing plants in Sierra Leone, including companies from the US, Russia and UK. It is believed that although the initial phase of setting up the plants will be challenging, as they require large volumes of stones and skilled labor, the ultimate benefits from domestic beneficiation on the economy will prove worthwhile. Rough&Polished Townsville police have arrested a further two men alleged to have been in a stolen car rammed by vigilantes who then lost control and killed a young motorcyclist last week. The development comes amid warnings from police that people who took the law into their own hands would be investigated like any other criminal, with additional officers flown north from Brisbane to work with a new taskforce. Police have confirmed the home of 22-year-old motorcyclist Jennifer Board was broken into on Saturday night. Credit:Facebook Motorcyclist Jennifer Board, 22, was killed in the incident. She had been riding along Ross River Road at Kirwan, a suburb of Townsville, on Friday night when the two cars collided and one crashed into her bike. After a 17-year-old alleged passenger in the stolen Hyundai was charged, Northern Police Region Assistant Commissioner Brett Schafferius told reporters on Monday that two 18-year-old men had been arrested. Charges are yet to be laid against the men, with one more still at large. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A school bus transporting a single student at the time was struck in the crossfire during a drive-by shooting in southeast Grand Rapids. A Grand Rapids police officer was southbound in a private vehicle on Kalamazoo Avenue SE, near the intersection of 36th Street SE, when the officer observed someone in a moving vehicle shoot at another moving vehicle. The incident happened at around 3:57 p.m., Monday, Feb. 8, according to a news release from the police department. The officer was on-duty at the time, but did not have the capacity to engage the suspect vehicle in any way, the release states. Neither vehicle involved in the incident were located by police and there are no known injuries in the vehicle that was shot at. Shortly after the officer witnessed the shooting, additional witness calls came into the dispatch center and it became known that a Dean Transportation school bus was struck in the crossfire, the release states. No one on the bus was injured, police said. Also on MLive: Constitutional sheriffs ask Michigan police to stand against Biden, COVID-19 orders Michigan students, struggling with online classes, saw more Fs on their report cards this year Judge finds overwhelming evidence to send Kalamazoo County murder suspect to trial Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted: WEDNESDAY Faces of resistance: A discussion of members of the Black community in San Francisco who have resisted discrimination from Sutro Baths to the Presidio. Hosted by the San Francisco Public Library and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Noon. More information is here. The Purpose of Power book club: Akonadi Foundation president and civil rights advocate Lateefah Simon discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. Fighting disinformation: A conversation about the future of journalism and the movement to push back on the spread of disinformation through social media. With Geeta Anand, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and star of the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Hosted by Cal Performances and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. 7 p.m. More information is here. THURSDAY Headwaters forests: How public and private entities can help protect Californias headwaters forests from wildfire and drought. Hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here. Made in China: Investigative journalist Amelia Pang discusses her new book, Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of Americas Cheap Goods, about Chinas system of labor camps that creates a number of products sold in the U.S. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. Rebuilding trust: Ethan Zuckerman, founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, discusses his new book, Mistrust, and how public trust in institutions can be rebuilt with New York Times journalist Kara Swisher. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here. Angela Davis: Longtime activist and professor emerita at UC Santa Cruz gives keynote address in the human rights lecture series hosted by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. 5 p.m. More information is here. Immigration and womens rights: Human rights activist and Hoover Institution fellow Ayaan Hirsi Ali on her new book, Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here. FRIDAY Anita Hill documentary: Screening of Freida Lee Mocks 2013 documentary, Anita Speaking Truth to Power, on Anita Hills testimony against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas confirmation during 1991 Senate hearings. Hosted by the Mechanics Institute. 6 p.m. More information is here. SATURDAY Executive Order 9066: A discussion about the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Panelists include Shirley Ann Higuchi, author of Setsukos Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration; former Assembly Member Warren Furutani, descendant of prison camps survivors; former Rep. Mike Honda, a camp survivor; and Dale Minami, who headed the legal team that overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu. Hosted by the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. 1 p.m. More information is here. SUNDAY Executive Order 9066: 41st annual San Jose Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Hosted by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee of San Jose. 3 p.m. More information is here. MONDAY Alice Walker: Writer and activist reflects on freedom, Black feminism/womanism and writing in community. Hosted by UC Berkeley Department of African American Studies. Noon. More information is here. TUESDAY Kamalas Way: Journalist Dan Morain on his new biography of Vice President Kamala Harris. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 10 a.m. More information is here. FEB. 17 Condoleeza Rice: A conversation with the former secretary of state, hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. The Purpose of Power book club: Oakland Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. Black Solidarity Week procession: Third annual Black Solidarity Week procession, starting from the Lake Merritt pergola in Oakland. 5 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 18 UC President Michael Drake: Discusses challenges for the University of California, including the pandemic and its economic impact and concerns about racial equity, with Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here. Art of liberation: Artist and social justice activist Favianna Rodriguez discusses advancing cultural change through visual activism. Hosted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 6 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 19 Reparations: On the connections between the incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II and systemic racism against Black people, and calls for reparations for the Black community. Hosted by the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium. 6 p.m. More information is here. Executive Order 9066: Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II, featuring speakers from UC Berkeley Muslim Student Association and Nikkei Resisters. Hosted by the UC Berkeley Nikkei Student Union. 6:30 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 22 Rep. Ro Khanna: Fremont Democrat holds a town hall meeting. Noon. Submit question in advance here; join meeting here. FEB. 23 Erin Brockovich: Environmental activist delivers the Wallace Stegner Lecture on environmental issues can have an impact. Hosted by the Peninsula Open Space Trust. 7 p.m. More information is here. FEB. 25 The Purpose of Power book club: Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza discusses her book The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here. To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com SAGINAW, MI At 72, Faye Presley may be Saginaws oldest Black female barber still working today. Presley has been cutting hair for more than 50 years, working for decades at local barbershops, the Saginaw County Jail, Saginaw County Juvenile Detention Center and elsewhere. Her customers are like her family. Through the years, she has watched some of them grow from little boys to great-grandfathers. I embraced it and loved it, she said. Its never seemed like a job to me. Presley grew up assisting her mother, who was a beautician, at the salon. Her best friends were always boys, and she knew she liked cutting hair, so, after graduating from Saginaw High School in 1966, Presley attended Michigan Barber School in Detroit. After that, she returned to Saginaw, where she worked for decades at House of Style on Janes, until it burned down about 10 years ago. She also cut hair at the county jail for 35 years, at the Juvenile Detention Center for 29 years, at Holland House, and at St. Vincent Home. She still cuts hair two days a week at Shea Galleria One on East Genesee. Ive done quite a bit over these 54 years, she said. Presley said it was empowering as a young woman in the 1960s to enter the field of barbering. It was then and still is a male-dominated profession. At the time, I was the youngest woman coming in and I didnt have any problems. I was received by the guys that I worked for and worked with, she said. Everybody accepted me and they schooled me, they were mentors, and they were kind of protective of me also. They told me the dos, the donts, what to look out for, you know, and I learned people. Presley said being a barber is about much more than cutting hair. When someones sitting in her chair, shes a mentor, a counselor, a friend, even family. These connections are important to Presley, who said she always wanted sons but never had children. I never had any of my own, but Ive got a whole bunch of them around here now. I have so many godsons I cant name them all, I cant count them all, so I was blessed in that area, she laughed. Even though Presley turns 73 in March, retirement isnt on her mind. She plans to work as long as shes able to. When youre young, you work to make a living. And then, as you get older, you work to keep your living because you work to keep going, keep your mind focused, and to have a reason to get up in the morning, she said. As long as you can be of service to someone and youre giving of yourself...it matters. Presley described her decades-long career as a beautiful journey. Every day that I went to work over these 54 years Ive laughed and smiled and its just been a beautiful career. I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. Read more on MLive: Saginaw Art Museum features works by Black artists in Wonderfully Made exhibit Saginaw, Flint leaders among Whitmer appointees to increase COVID-19 vaccine awareness Saginaw woman asks community to send 105 cards for great aunts 105th birthday Saginaw man offering free job training, mentorship to empower Saginaw teens Read and discuss Octavia Butlers Kindred in Saginaw Public Libraries and Justice Library event The lockdowns and reduced societal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected emissions of pollutants in ways that slightly warmed the planet for several months last year, according to new research led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The counterintuitive finding highlights the influence of airborne particles, or aerosols, that block incoming sunlight. When emissions of aerosols dropped last spring, more of the Suns warmth reached the planet, especially in heavily industrialized nations, such as the United States and Russia, that normally pump high amounts of aerosols into the atmosphere. There was a big decline in emissions from the most polluting industries, and that had immediate, short-term effects on temperatures. Pollution cools the planet, so it makes sense that pollution reductions would warm the planet. NCAR scientist Andrew Gettelman, lead author Temperatures over parts of Earths land surface last spring were about 0.2-0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.1-0.3 degrees Celsius) warmer than would have been expected with prevailing weather conditions, the study found. The effect was most pronounced in regions that normally are associated with substantial emissions of aerosols, with the warming reaching about 0.7 F (0.37 C) over much of the United States and Russia. The new study highlights the complex and often conflicting influences of different types of emissions from power plants, motor vehicles, industrial facilities, and other sources. While aerosols tend to brighten clouds and reflect heat from the Sun back into space, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have the opposite effect, trapping heat near the planets surface and elevating temperatures. Despite the short-term warming effects, Gettelman emphasized that the long-term impact of the pandemic may be to slow climate change slightly because of reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, which lingers in the atmosphere for decades and has a more gradual influence on climate. In contrast, aerosolsthe focus of the new studyhave a more immediate impact that fades away within a few years. The study was published in an open-access paper in Geophysical Research Letters. It was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, NCARs sponsor. In addition to NCAR scientists, the study was co-authored by scientists at Oxford University, Imperial College, and the University of Leeds. Although scientists have long been able to quantify the warming impacts of carbon dioxide, the climatic influence of various types of aerosolsincluding sulfates, nitrates, black carbon, and dusthas been more difficult to pin down. One of the major challenges for projecting the extent of future climate change is estimating the extent to which society will continue to emit aerosols in the future and the influence of the different types of aerosols on clouds and temperature. To conduct the research, Gettelman and his co-authors used two of the worlds leading climate models: the NCAR-based Community Earth System Model and a model known as ECHAM-HAMMOZ, which was developed by a consortium of European nations. They ran simulations on both models, adjusting emissions of aerosols and incorporating actual meteorological conditions in 2020, such as winds. This approach enabled them to identify the impact of reduced emissions on temperature changes that were too small to tease out in actual observations, where they could be obscured by the variability in atmospheric conditions. The results showed that the warming effect was strongest in the mid and upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The effect was mixed in the tropics and comparatively minor in much of the Southern Hemisphere, where aerosol emissions are not as pervasive. Gettelman said the study will help scientists better understand the influence of various types of aerosols in different atmospheric conditions, helping to inform efforts to minimize climate change. Although the research illustrates how aerosols counter the warming influence of greenhouse gases, he emphasized that emitting more of them into the lower atmosphere is not a viable strategy for slowing climate change. Aerosol emissions have major health ramifications. Saying we should pollute is not practical. Andrew Gettelman Resources 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. LONDON, Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced the creation of a new energy team in Chubb Global Markets (CGM) that will underwrite and serve as a centre of excellence for all large corporate energy customers in EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. CGM comprises Chubb's London market wholesale and specialty business including the company's Lloyd's platform. Middle market energy customers' risks will continue to be underwritten and serviced locally. The team, which is based in London, is led by Andrew Brown, the newly-appointed Head of Energy CGM. Andrew brings more than 15 years of experience to the role, most recently as Chief Underwriting Officer, Global Energy Chubb Overseas General (COG). He joined Chubb 14 years ago and has held positions across upstream and downstream energy within CGM and has been based in both London and MENA. Andrew will be joined by the following product leads: Melanie Markwick-Day appointed Head of Upstream Energy. Melanie is responsible for managing and developing the upstream portfolio, moving from her most recent role as Upstream Energy Senior Underwriter COG. Adam Groves appointed Head of Downstream Energy. Adam will oversee the management and development of the downstream energy portfolio. He was previously Regional Head of Energy for Chubb in MENA. Riaz Thanduparakkal appointed Head of Multinational and Network. Formerly, Energy Product Head for CGM, Riaz is now responsible for managing the multinational portfolio and network. Matthew Bilbey appointed Chief Underwriting Officer. Matthew joins the team from his most recent role as Regional Head of Energy for Chubb in Asia Pacific. Jason Keen, President Chubb Global Markets, Executive Vice President Europe said: "I'm delighted that under the leadership of Andrew, Melanie, Adam, Riaz and Matthew we have a very experienced team in place and by concentrating our resources we are creating an entrepreneurial underwriting environment that will bring new and innovative solutions to our clients not only within the London market, but further afield across EMEA, Latin America and Asia Pacific." Matthew Hardy, Global Head of Energy, Executive Vice President Chubb Overseas General said: "These structural changes will enhance the value proposition across our Global Energy operation and help us to deliver more focused solutions for our clients and distribution partners. Crafting two distinct operating models, with dedicated underwriting, engineering and claims teams, will enable us to create an effective offering for brokers and clients so we can respond to their needs even more quickly and capitalise on our global insights across both segments. Our regional offices will provide local expertise along with focused underwriting for our clients. These changes also further demonstrate the breadth of technical understanding we have within Chubb Global Energy." About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324916/Chubb_Logo.jpg ALBANY A Syracuse-area development firm whose executives were snared in a sprawling federal criminal case involving Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration is fighting an attempt by the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics to investigate the company's alleged failure to report its lobbying efforts during the height of the criminal activity. A complaint filed against JCOPE in state Supreme Court by COR Development Co. alleges the state ethics panel took too long to open its case and that, under Executive Law, it gave up its authority to conduct a "timeless, across-the-board" investigation of the firm. The court challenge echoes complaints that others have made about the beleaguered ethics commission that its secret investigations often languish for years, and those affected by the probes receive little or no information about their cases. COR Development contends JCOPE had a year to initiate an investigation related to the firm's lobbying filings that were due in June 2016. But JCOPE did not issue a "15-day letter" notifying the company of its probe until December 2017, when it alleged that between 2011 and 2015 COR "did not file the required reports for its lobbying activity with the commission. The same month the letter was sent, JCOPE also served a subpoena on the company for records. "At issue in this proceeding is JCOPEs repudiation of its narrow charter; specifically, its abject refusal to comply with the statutory procedural safeguards while it has waged an unlimited, unchecked and unending investigation of (COR) for more than four years, all in secret," states the complaint filed by the Onondaga County company's attorney. The firm also alleges that JCOPE, prior to issuing the 15-day letter, did not provide COR with a written notification of the alleged breaches, an opportunity to "cure" any filing violations or a notification of the potential penalties all of which are required under the section of state Executive Law that established the ethics commission in 2011. The commission voted in January 2018 to commence a full investigation of the firm's alleged lobbying violations. Two COR executives, Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, were convicted of federal criminal charges in 2018 in the bid-rigging scheme involving former state SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder and physicist Alain E. Kaloyeros, who also was convicted in the scandal. Aiello was also convicted and Girardi acquitted of funneling bribes to Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Cuomo and the governor's longtime confidant. Percoco is serving a six-year term in federal prison. Kaloyeros was sentenced to more than three years but remains free as he appeals his conviction. Aiello and Girardi were sentenced to prison terms of three years and 30 months, respectively. The ethics commission's probe alleges that beginning in 2011, COR had "engaged the services of Todd Howe, a former president of Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna Government Solutions, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm and a subsidiary of the lobbying firm Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna. Howe like Percoco a longtime Cuomo confidant assisted the development firm with "government funded business projects including, but not limited to, the development of Syracuse Inner Harbor," according to the company's court filing. Howe, whose cooperation with federal prosecutors helped convict Kaloyeros, pleaded guilty in 2016 to eight felonies, including wire fraud, tax fraud, extortion and bribery. He was sentenced in April 2019 to five years of probation. The JCOPE letter to COR also references the work of Percoco, noting that for a two-year period beginning in 2014 the company had paid Percoco to use his official position and influence to benefit the company and Aiellos son, who worked for a period of time for the state's housing agency. The December 2017 letter notification to COR came two months after Erin Lynch, an associate counsel for JCOPE, informed Anthony Copani, the company's attorney, that the ethics commission had opened an investigation of the firm. That investigation apparently began in 2016, according to court records. The court battle between the ethics commission and COR took shape in November, when JCOPE filed a petition under seal in state Supreme Court seeking an order to compel the company to comply with the 2017 subpoena. But the petition filed last week by COR revealed the long-running investigation of the firm by the state ethics panel, which normally conducts its business in secret. In its legal arguments, COR invoked the case of Katherine C. "Kat" Sullivan, an alleged rape victim who was an outspoken advocate for the Child Victims Act, which allows victims of child sex abuse to bring civil cases years later. The commission pursued a lengthy investigation of Sullivan, demanding that she should register as a lobbyist even though did not stand to benefit personally from the law. Her "lobbying" included paying a pilot to fly a banner over the state Capitol urging passage of the legislation. In December, a judge in that case ruled that JCOPE was time-barred from investigating Sullivan's purported failure to register under the Lobbying Act because the commission had failed to proceed within a year of when they said the filing should have been made. JCOPE, which faced intense criticism for its pursuit of Sullivan, including from state lawmakers, dropped its probe in December 2019. In another pending court case in which JCOPE is accused of similar overreach and violations of due process, former state Sen. Jeffrey D. Klein filed a petition in state Supreme Court in December seeking to block the commission from holding a hearing on whether he violated Public Officers Law when he allegedly forcibly kissed a female staff member outside an Albany bar five years ago. As in COR's case, JCOPE's investigation of Klein was publicly disclosed through his court filings. By Ritah Kemigisa The ministry of health is set to carry out a countrywide scientific study called a Sero-Survey to ascertain the intensity and prevalence of covid 19. This comes at a time for the past days, the country has registered a drastic reduction in the number of positive cases as opposed to earlier anticipation that the numbers would multiply due to the election period. This has made many assume that the country has successfully managed to combat the pandemic. However the ministrys spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyona warns that covid 19 is still around asking Ugandans not to get complacent. He says it is still too early to speculate about the status of the pandemic adding that its only the survey results that will guide on the true picture. A Serosurvey is a collection and testing of serum (or proxy such as oral fluid) specimens from a sample of a defined population over a specified period of time to estimate the prevalence of antibodies against a given specific infectious pathogen as an indicator of immunity. Cost of vaccine The ministry has meanwhile assured Ugandans that the covid 19 vaccine will be offered free of charge. This follows concern by many people who have since expressed anger and fear that they can not afford paying for the vaccine when it arrives. Uganda expects to get the first batch of over 3.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Covax facility early March. Mr Ainebyona says the government will cater for the total cost of the vaccine which shall be offered to Ugandans freely. He however says talks are on with the private sector to ensure those who can afford it can obtain it at a minimal price. A man charged in connection to the January 6 Capitol riot made racist and xenophobic remarks during a public hearing before the Maine legislature in 2017. Video obtained by CNN shows Kyle Fitzsimons referring to immigrants as "replacements," echoing White nationalist rhetoric that immigrants to America are coming to wipe out White people. From the start of his almost three-and-a-half minute speech on May 10, 2017, Fitzsimons' bigotry and xenophobia were on full display. "I'm from New York; I'm from Rhode Island," he said, holding two license plates up. "I did grow up in those states and I have to tell you that I think they are multicultural hell holes." CNN obtained the video from an eyewitness to the speech, who asked not to be named because of safety concerns. Mainer News was first to report Fitzsimons' remarks. Legislature records, public records and four eyewitnesses all confirm to CNN that Fitzsimons is the man seen in the video making the bigoted remarks. His comments came during the public hearing for a proposed bill that would have largely expanded funding for teaching immigrants English, among other things geared toward helping them. During the January 6 riot and insurrection in Washington, DC, federal prosecutors say that Fitzsimons assaulted police officers, among other crimes. CNN has been unable to reach Fitzsimons directly but in response to the video and Fitzsimons' remarks, his public defender in the Capitol riot case told CNN, "no comment." In the 2017 speech, Fitzsimons' arguments mirrored some of the core tenets of the White nationalist "great replacement" theory. The belief is a delusion often held by White nationalists and supremacists, and it falsely claims there's an active effort to bring in immigrants from other countries to wipe out White people. "I'll level this at all of you because you're sitting elected officials during the opioid crisis that is affecting Maine and killing us off," Fitzsimons said. "Killing off Yankee New England cultural; you're doing nothing to do nothing about it." He then said that the legislators were "bringing in the new third world" and that they were "bringing in the replacements." "I was legit scared for my colleagues" Fitzsimons then turned around, gesturing to someone in the audience who had spoken in favor of the bill. John Kosinski, who was in the audience that day, told CNN it was a Black man. "This gentleman behind me, I believe he was on the news yesterday," Fitzsimons said. "You cleaned up very nice." He claimed the man had been standing in front of a poster the previous day that read, "help the immigrant population navigate the juvenile criminal justice system." "What's wrong with your culture that you need to know that much about how to teach your kids to stay out of jail," Fitzsimons said to the man. Despite an interjection by a legislator, Fitzsimons continued his White nationalist rhetoric, saying, "Keep Maine, Maine. "The state motto is, 'I Lead,' 'Dirigo,'" he said, alluding to the state flag. "It's got two White laborers on it; don't put them at the end of the line." Shortly before the video ends, Fitzsimons walks away from the podium and out of frame. "I remember the gasps," former legislator Roger Katz told CNN. Katz was the sponsor of the bill that Fitzsimons was speaking against. He described Fitzsimons' remarks as "the most racist comment I heard in the eight years I spent [in the legislature]." "I was legit scared for my colleagues," remembered state Sen. Mattie Daughtry, who was listening to the hearing while at the dentist. Daughtry and state Sen. Rebecca Millett both confirmed to CNN that after the comments, a member of the Maine Capitol Police stood in the committee room during hearings for some time afterward. "I will tell you sitting in that committee room... I felt exposed," Millett told CNN. "Not terribly safe, and unsure what this gentleman was going to do given his demeanor." "I hope this guy doesn't shoot me in the face" The 2017 speech wasn't the last time that Fitzsimons had a tense run-in with a member of the Maine legislature, according to state Rep. Michele Meyer. "In the Spring of 2019, Kyle Fitzsimons, who I knew only in his capacity as an employee of a local Kittery business I shop at frequently, followed me into a parking lot, parked his truck behind my car, and positioned himself so close to my car I could not have opened the door," she told CNN in a statement. "It happened quickly." During the confrontation, Meyer said in the statement, "he spoke of the 2nd Amendment, made disparaging remarks about the Governor and speculated America was headed to civil war over gun rights." In an interview with CNN, Meyer said that the entire ordeal with Fitzsimons -- he was not her constituent -- lasted roughly two minutes. She, at the time, said she had co-sponsored a number of bills relating to gun safety. She remembers she just listened to him, something she did often as a nurse with patients. "I listened, because I didn't want to escalate the situation in any way," she said. "I had no desire to argue with him, nor to defend my position, [because] it didn't seem like that would be the wise approach on my part." After letting him talk, Meyer says she asked him to move his vehicle so she could leave, which he did. "When those kind of things happen a lot of things run through your head very quickly," Meyer said. "I thought very quickly -- among the fleeting thoughts I had -- was I hope this guy doesn't shoot me in the face." 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. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Samsung Galaxy F62 will be launched in India on February 15, according to the smartphone's official teaser. The official teaser, released on Flipkart, has been updated to announce the launch date of the mid-range smartphone. The Flipkart page for the Galaxy F62 shows a quad rear camera and confirms that the smartphone will be powered by an Exynos 9825 chipset. While Samsung has not provided all details of the Galaxy F62 as of now, it has been a part of the rumour mill since a while, giving us a fair idea on what to expect in terms of specifications. The teaser also reveals the design of the Samsung Galaxy F62, which shows an Infinity-O Hole Punch display, and a square-shaped camera module at the back. The back panel of the Samsung Galaxy F62 has a turquoise gradient finish, on what seems to be a patterned back panel. In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy F62 will be powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 9825 chipset. Apart from that, it has previously been reported that the smartphone will sport a 6.7-inch SAMOLED display and the Exynos 9825 SoC may be paired with 6GB of RAM. The smartphone has been hinted to come with Android 11 out-of-the-box and have a 7,000mAh battery. It has also been reported previously that the smartphone would have green and blue colour options, and could be priced less than Rs 25,000 in India. If the Samsung Galaxy F62 is priced around the Rs 25,000 range, it will go into competition against popular offerings like the Xiaomi Mi 10i, OnePlus Nord, and the recently-launched Realme X7 5G Pro. 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. Getting to vaccine appointments has been a challenge for many pensioners who usually rely on the bus but want to avoid public transport in the pandemic. Now a form of travel normally seen in the Far East is on offer. Tourist transport company Tuk Tuk Time is using its fleet of vehicles to help the elderly get jabs. It has already transported a dozen pensioners to vaccination centres for free around Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire. Director Lorraine Niederlag, 56, said: 'During the first lockdown, we had 35 or so volunteers who shopped for the vulnerable. Tukking it easy: Volunteer driver Kathryn Farrow (right) with passenger Tessa Pearson (left) outside the Regency Hall in Saundersfoot where Tessa received her first dose of the vaccine 'But ever since the vaccines started being rolled out, we announced we would help people get their vaccines safely. Many in our community are retired, perhaps with adult children that live far away, meaning they do not have any way to get around. 'The vehicles have good ventilation and are safer than the bus, for example. Many people who we helped during the first lockdown reached out again for help.' Volunteer driver Kathryn Farrow said it was a privilege to be able to help her community and people felt safer in an open-sided tuk tuk rather than in a closed vehicle. Tourist transport company Tuk Tuk Time is using its fleet of vehicles to help the elderly get jabs. Pictured: Kathryn transports Tessa in the tuk tuk in Saundersfoot The firm has been providing the service since January 25. Tuk tuks a motorised rickshaw originated in Thailand half a century ago, where they got their name from the sound of their engines. Around 20,000 act as taxis for locals and tourists across Thailand. Mrs Niederlag said the company hopes to transport another dozen pensioners to centres over the next week. Tuk Tuk Time wrote about the initiative on Facebook. It posted: 'What a great pleasure it was we've never felt so hopeful! For the longest time we have awaited some light at the end of the tunnel just within our grasp at this point. 'We're not quite out of the woods, so our continued safeguarding and social distancing is as vital as it has ever been, but boy are we getting closer!' The firm stressed: 'We consider it a privilege to be a part of your vaccination journey.' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply on the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind's address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday (February 8). The motion in this regard was moved by BJP's Bhubaneswar Kalita on February 3. In his reply, the Prime Minister is likely to answer opposition questions on agricultural laws as leaders of many opposition parties, including the Congress, are constantly demanding that the government should withdraw the latest agricultural laws. The Budget Session of Parliament has witnessed uproar in the Lok Sabha on new farm laws almost every day which led to the adjournment of the House several times. Congress has already issued a whip in the Rajya Sabha for the presence of all its members in the Upper House. Live TV PM Modi's address in the Rajya Sabha will be a departure from the norm if he addresses the Upper House. With opposition parties refusing to end protests in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister's address could take place only in the Rajya Sabha. According to sources, the PM's reply to the motion of thanks may take place at 10.30 am today after the Question Hour. During the ongoing budget session, the first six sittings of the Rajya Sabha have reportedly proved to be productive as it recorded a productivity of 82.10 per cent. Amon other developments expected today, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will lay on the table, a statement explaining the circumstances which had necessitated immediate legislation by the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. He is also expected to introduce a Bill to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011. Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeking to replace the Ordinance in this regard, was also introduced during the week. STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) The driver of a private bus in Northern California that crashed in 2008 and killed 11 passengers headed to a casino has been released from prison after his sentence was reduced because of changes in state law. After nearly 12 years in custody, Quinton Watts, 64, was released Wednesday from California State Prison-Solano in Vacaville. His supporters traveled to Vacaville to pick him up, including two of his three daughters who went in an Uber. But they had to meet him at a train station him 37 miles away in downtown Sacramento where prison staff had driven him, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday. Dressed in sweatpants, a beanie and surgical mask with gray goatee hairs showing through the side, Watts didnt look like his daughter, Daisha Watts, had remembered from 12 years ago. She was seven years old when she last saw him in person. But when she walked into Sacramento Valley Station, she recognized him immediately. I remembered his face, she said. Colusa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Thompson took nine years off Watts 26-year prison term during a Jan. 25 hearing, ruling that he was properly sentenced at the time but that subsequent legal changes to sentencing enhancements made him eligible to have his sentence shortened. Watts was driving the bus with 40 passengers from the Sacramento area to a casino near Colusa on Oct. 5, 2008, when the bus veered off the road. Passengers said Watts seemed to be asleep or unconscious, and prosecutors alleged that he was sleep deprived and hadnt properly cared for his insulin-dependent diabetes before the crash. To this day, many people still remember the California Highway Patrols early claim that Watts might have been drunk at the time of the crash. He was not drunk. That was a terrible accident, Quinton Watts said at the train station Wednesday. It should have never happened. I lost my family member as well as they lost theirs. It happened, he added. It was a terrible thing. And I just pray that somehow, someway they can forgive me for even being involved in that. An investigation by the newspaper found that a physician assistant had erroneously cleared Watts to drive despite his history of having a seizure disorder. It said Watts attorney did not put on much of a defense, presenting just one witness; that the prosecution featured statements that Watts made while he was medicated at a hospital hours after the crash; and questioned whether Watts, who is Black, was unfairly convicted by a jury with no Black jurors. John Poyner, the former Colusa County district attorney who prosecuted Watts, told the paper he didnt know about the seizure disorder and said Watts had paid the price and should be released from prison for a crash he didnt cause on purpose. On the ride back to Stockton, Daisha Watts pointed out landmarks to her father. Where she used to go hang out after school. A lake they can go swimming in. He was trying to take it all in and tinkered with his new phone. It wouldnt work, he thought. Hed never seen one quite like it when he was arrested, flip phones with T9 text messages were still top-of-the-line. A few minutes after arriving at his familys home in Stockton, Watts stepped out the front door, ambled down a short path and put his hands on the bark of a tree. He wrapped his arms around its trunk. Then he exhaled. Something as simple as this means so much to a prisoner, he said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Validating the security of contact tracing apps To ensure that contact tracing apps protect users security, privacy and civil liberties, the Department of Homeland Securitys Science and Technology Directorate has tapped a startup to develop app testing and validation services. AppCensus, based in El Cerrito, Calif., already has a platform for at-scale analysis of mobile apps runtime behaviors and their security and privacy risks. The $198,600 Phase 1 award will allow the company to adapt its system to test Android and iOS contract tracing apps and publicly post the results, including descriptions and sensitivity of data the apps collect and the data-use policies of the apps publishers and third parties. The phase 1 award was made under an S&Ts Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) solicitation, which called for a robust application testing ecosystem that would evaluate contact tracing applications to ensure they do not leak, share or misuse data or compromise users privacy, security or civil liberties. Once adapted and enhanced, the AppCensus platform will provide reports based on consistent tests using openly developed criteria of publicly available digital contract tracing applications to make it easy for people to understand potential privacy and security risks, said SVIP Technical Director Anil John. Several states have rolled out smartphone-based solutions to automate the manual contact tracing process. The apps use the devices GPS and Bluetooth functions to collect and share data about where users have been and with whom theyve come in contact. The COVID Alert app launched by Virginia in August 2020 uses the exposure notification protocol developed by Google and Apple that does not rely on personal information or location data. So do complementary apps launched Oct. 1 by New York and New Jersey that supplement public health officials efforts to trace and contact individuals who may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Other states, such as Utah, North and South Dakota, Nevada, Wisconsin, Oregon, Connecticut, Michigan, Florida, have also developed contact tracing apps. AppCensus is the first of six start-ups to receive a Phase 1 award from SVIPs Emerging Needs: COVID-19 Response & Future Mitigation program, which seeks near-term solutions to DHS-specific challenges related to pandemic response and preparations for future mitigation. Other use cases include: Video analytics for Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Solutions for automatic and rapid surface disinfecting. Tools to help monitor, collect, integrate and deconflict quantitative open-source information. Enhanced point-of-entry screening for DHS facilities that protect individual privacy. Tanzania has suspended a medical officer who reported that a mystery disease had killed 15 people in the country and caused people to throw up blood. Felista Kisandu, the chief medical officer for the Chunya district, had described how patients 'vomit blood and die when they get to the hospital late' in an unexplained bout of sickness which was said to have affected more than 50 people. Kisandu said blood samples had been sent for traces of mercury contamination - but Tanzania's health ministry said there was no sign of an outbreak and disciplined Kisandu for causing 'unnecessary panic', according to The Citizen. Tanzania's health ministry has suspended a local medical official who reported claims of a mysterious disease outbreak in the country (file photo) Kisandu had earlier told Turkey's Anadolu agency that the patients, mostly men, had been found to have stomach and ulcer problems and were being told to avoid cigarettes and hard drinks. According to her account, a top government chemist was set to examine blood and water samples for any signs of mercury contamination. 'It has happened in just a single administrative ward of Ifumbo where people vomit blood and die when they get to the hospital late,' she said. Tanzania's health minister Dorothy Gwajima played down concerns, ordering Kisandu suspended for 10 days for 'creating unnecessary panic among residents'. Gwajima also ordered a medical council to investigate, but rejected claims of an epidemic in the area. A similar disease was said to have brought fevers, vomiting and stomach upsets to the region in 2018. While Tanzania is already on the UK's banned list because of Covid-19, little is known about the virus situation in the country - where the government has not published case figures since April 2020. President John Magufuli has continually played down the seriousness of the virus and suggested last year that prayer had brought the epidemic to a halt. 'That's why we are all not wearing face masks here. You think we don't fear dying? It's because there is no Covid-19,' he said last June. Tanzanian president John Magufuli (pictured) has played down the dangers of Covid-19 and suggested it had been vanquished by prayer But concern is mounting over deaths attributed to 'pneumonia', with one doctor saying that 'we see a lot of people but we cannot talk about the disease'. People can occasionally be spotted wearing masks and some speak openly about their fears. Two cases of the feared South African variant were detected in Denmark last month in travellers who had recently returned from Tanzania. Britain has banned all arrivals from Tanzania to keep out the South African strain, while the US warned last week there were 'very high levels' of Covid-19. Breaking with the government's code of silence, the Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania warned its followers to protect themselves. 'Our country is not an island. We have every reason to take precautions and pray to God so that we can move unscathed in this pandemic,' read the letter. John Nkengasong, Africa CDC director, said last week that Tanzania's was 'a stance that I hope they will review quickly'. 'This is a dangerous virus, a virus that spreads very quickly, and a virus that knows no border. It doesn't know whether you're in Tanzania.' Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-08 06:03:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- George Shultz, who severed as U.S. secretary of state in the Ronald Reagan administration, died Saturday at the age of 100. His death was announced on Sunday by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where Shultz had worked for more than three decades. "Our colleague was a great American statesman and a true patriot in every sense of the word. He will be remembered in history as a man who made the world a better place," Condoleezza Rice, a former secretary of state and current director of the Hoover Institution, said in a statement issued by the Hoover Institution. Shultz is one of only two Americans to have held four different federal cabinet-level positions. He served as secretary of labor, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and secretary of the treasury in the Richard Nixon administration. He was secretary of state in the Reagan era from 1982 to 1989. Analysts noted that Shultz, a firm believer in diplomacy, helped steer the Cold War to a peaceful end. He played a crucial role in negotiating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between Washington and Moscow, which leaders of both sides signed in 1987. Citing Russian violations, the Donald Trump administration formally withdrew from the treaty in August 2019. Born in New York City in December 1920, Shultz graduated from Princeton University before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. He later earned a Ph.D. in industrial economics in 1949 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Enditem Seismic activity and a buildup of water pressure can cause glaciers to burst, but one particular concern is climate change. The floods that slammed into two hydroelectric plants and damaged villages in northern India were set off by a break on a Himalayan glacier upstream. Heres a look at how glaciers and glacial lakes form and why they may sometimes break. Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia and some are hundreds of thousands of years old. A large cluster of glaciers are in the Himalayas, which are part of Indias long northern border. Sundays disaster occurred in the western part of the Himalayas. Glaciers are made of layers of compressed snow that move or flow due to gravity and the softness of ice relative to rock. A glaciers tongue can extend hundreds of kilometers (miles) from its high-altitude origins, and the end, or snout, can advance or retreat based on snow accumulating or melting. Ice may flow down mountain valleys, fan out across plains, or in some locations, spread out onto the sea, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Proglacial lakes, formed after glaciers retreat, are often bound by sediment and boulder formations. Additional water or pressure, or structural weakness, can cause both natural and manmade dams to burst, sending a mass of floodwater surging down the rivers and streams fed by the glacier. Why did this glacier burst? Its not yet known what caused part of the Nanda Devi glacier to snap off Sunday morning, sending floodwater surging downstream toward power plants and villages in Indias northern state of Uttarakhand. Seismic activity and a buildup of water pressure can cause glaciers to burst, but one particular concern is climate change. High temperatures coupled with less snowfall can accelerate melting, which causes water to rise to potentially dangerous levels. Most mountain glaciers around the world were much larger in the past and have been melting and shrinking dramatically due to climate change and global warming, said Sarah Das, an associate scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Can such disasters by predicated? Past deadly or highly destructive glacial floods have occurred in Peru and Nepal. But the remote locations of glaciers and a lack of monitoring mean we dont have a clear understanding of how often they occur and if they are increasing, Das said. Given the overall pattern of warming, glacier retreat, and increase in infrastructure projects, though, it seems natural to hypothesize that these events will occur more frequently and will become overall more destructive if measures are not taken to mitigate these risks, said Das. A number of imminent potentially deadly glacier burst and flood situations have been identified worldwide, including in the Himalayas and South American Andes. But while monitoring is possible, the remoteness of most glaciers presents challenges. There are many glaciers and glacial dammed lakes across the Himalayas, but most are unmonitored, Das said. Many of these lakes are upstream of steep river valleys and have the potential to cause extreme flooding when they break. Where these floods reach inhabited regions and sensitive infrastructure, things will be catastrophic. A 2010 information page published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development called for more glacier monitoring in the Hindu Kush Himalayas to better understand the real degree of glacial lake instability. The region where the glacial burst occurred is prone to landslide and flash flooding, and environmentalists have cautioned against building in the region. ENTA logo February is Kids ENT Health Month, a yearly campaign held every February by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. This annual effort offers parents and caregivers the latest information and resources about pediatric ear, nose, and throat disorders. National health statistics show that pediatric ear, nose, and throat conditions remain among the primary reasons children visit a physician, with ear infections ranking as the most common reason for an appointment, according to The American Academy of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat Doctors). Many conditions such as earaches, throat infections, sinus infections, breathing problems, foreign bodies in the ears and nose and recurrent nosebleeds require prompt diagnosis and treatment. February is Kids ENT Health Month, which is a yearly campaign held every February by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, to offer parents and caregivers the latest information and resources about pediatric ear, nose, and throat disorders. The cold winter months make many pediatric ear, nose, and throat conditions more common. February is a great time for parents to become familiar with the available treatment options and services ENT and Allergy Associates offers to combat the following common conditions: Sinusitis is a disorder that is usually caused by an inflammation of the sinuses. It can often begin as a common cold or allergy, and then becomes an infection, which may present as sinusitis, tonsillitis or an ear infection. There are two types of sinusitis: bacterial sinusitis and viral sinusitis. A. Viral Sinusitis is more comparable to the common cold. Sufferers experience a headache and a runny or stuffy nose, which produces clear nasal mucus for a few days and then they begin to feel better. B. Bacterial Sinusitis: Sufferers will experience a headache, stuffy or runny nose, and produce a greenish or yellow mucus from nose and sometimes pain in the teeth. Bacterial sinus infections tend to start after a viral cold after seven days or more and needs to be treated with antibiotics. Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils, usually caused by a bacterial Strep infection or viral infection. Most tonsillitis does NOT need antibiotics, but Strep throat needs antibiotics. When a sore throat is bad a throat culture or in office Strep test can be done to see if antibiotics are needed. When tonsillitis becomes a recurrent problem, happening multiple times a year, a tonsillectomy, which is a surgical procedure may sometimes be requiring to remove the tonsils. Ear infections are also very common this time of year. Infections that originate behind the ear drum are called Acute Otitis Media, or Middle Ear Infection. These are usually treated by the pediatrician with an antibiotic. In cases where the fluid does not go away and there is temporary hearing loss, or the infections continue to reoccur, surgery may be required. This typically involves placing small tubes in the eardrums to drain the fluid buildup and prevent infections. Outer ear infections happen in the ear canal and are also called swimmers ear. However, these types of infections can occur anytime of the year, even without swimming. These infections usually need a prescription ear drop. Sometimes, the ear needs be properly cleaned by an ENT doctor. Nosebleeds can occur anytime of the year, but they very often appear when dry heat during the winter months affects the nasal passages. When a nosebleed occurs multiple times, the nose may need to be cauterized. This is a simple procedure, which can be done in the ENT's office. Snoring or sleep apnea, which is pausing or struggling to breathe, can occur at any age. Enlarged tonsils in the throat, or adenoids in the back of the nose, often will get worse in the winter months with colds and flus. These conditions interfere with a child's sleep and can lead to daytime sleepiness. This can also lead to difficulties focusing in school and behavior problems. An ENT physician will check children who have snoring and sleep problems to see if the tonsils or adenoids need to be treated to improve the breathing. ENT and Allergy Associates encourages all parents and caregivers to participate in Kids ENT month and learn more about ear, nose, and throat illnesses. Some of these disorders can lead to serious complications if not treated immediately. To schedule a same day appointment, book online, anytime at http://www.entandallergy.com/booknow or call 1-855-ENTA-DOC. About ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP: ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP (ENTA) has over 220 physicians practicing in 40+ office locations in Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as New York City and northern/central New Jersey. The practice sees over 90,000 patients per month. Each ENTA clinical location provides access to a full complement of services, including General Adult and Pediatric ENT and Allergy, Voice and Swallowing, Advanced Sinus and Skull Base Surgery, Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Disorders of the Inner Ear and Dizziness, Asthma, Clinical Immunology, Diagnostic Audiology, Hearing Aid dispensing, Sleep and CT Services. ENTA has clinical alliances with Mount Sinai Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, Northwell Health, and a partnership with the American Cancer Society. To learn more, visit http://www.entandallergy.com. In their quest to raise public awareness about the Association and its programmes and activities, the Nusrat-Ex Students Association (NESA) over the weekend held a press conference at the school's ground. The event which was graced by the current and immediate past principals, Mr. Lamin Ceesay and Mr. Karamo S Bojang is said to serve as a platform to sensitise the public (especially ex-students of the school) about the institution's Golden Jubilee Celebration to be commemorated in October this year. Speaking at the forum, the principal of the school Mr. Lamin Ceesay, disclosed that Nusrat is a famous name in this country, and in the sub-region at large for the simple reason that, at Nusrat, both past and current boys and girls distinguished themselves to the very high level of discipline, academic excellence and good nation builders and made the school become a household name in the country and beyond. According to him, Nusrat started in 1971, and this year the school will be 50 years, which is half a century and which he described very amazing and very important as in a life of an institution. He added that the past and present students feel 50 years is something great to be reckoned with considering the status of Nusrat in this country. "The contribution of the press to the success of our forthcoming Golden Jubilee Celebration which will last for a week is highly solicited." For his part, Mr. Karamo S. Bojang, the former principal of the school, who served as principal for over 30 years, said every school has two systems: "the academic and infrastructural systems. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He disclosed that the academic system at Nusrat is fine but the infrastructure is very bad compared to other schools. According to him, he feels ashamed of his school for the infrastructural development when he sees others. However, at the end of the day when the results come out, he said, he was very proud of himself. He added that the central government does not put money in the maintenance and upkeep of the schools, so to find a way out of that bondage, they decided to maintain and renovate the school before October and in that regard, they are asking for assistance from every concern Gambian especially from the past students of the school wherever they are. "The current principal threatened to close the school if the renovations are not done and I personally supported him on that idea because as it stands right now, the school is in serious need of renovation." He continued that right now, there are 34 classrooms to be built and that is part of the programmes of the celebration coming in October. He further explained that Nusrat is 50 years this year, and they really want to celebrate it in a grand style after 50 years of academic excellence. "Students from the school today manage almost all big positions at the medical school, the police force, the army, the teaching profession, banking and even at the University of The Gambia," he concluded. About NESA The Nusrat Students Association (NESA), was constituted on October 2020, with the cardinal objective of contributing to the growth and development of Nusrat Senior Secondary School. The association which is a non-profit making also plans to establish a scholarship fund to support the education of high-achieving students from underprivileged backgrounds. Holladay, Roy "Doc" Roy "Doc" Holladay, 73, of Paducah, passed away on Friday, February 5, 2021 at Baptist Health Paducah. Growing up in Bruceton, TN, Doc moved to Paducah in 1967 to work at Union Carbide. He quickly made friends and brought hisbride to set upa life in his new city. After just a couple of years, he joined the United States Air Force and proudly served his country in Las Vegas,Nevada and primarily in Germany. He was quickly promoted to a maintenancetrainer and led in the upkeep of aircraft during the VietnamEra. His love of the outdoors and living a simple life is apparentto all who knewhim. Lake Barkley was his heaven on earth, and passing along his passion for fishing, camping, and hunting to kids and anyone else who would listen was a favorite way to spend his time. He was a fishing guide for hire and amateur crappie tournament winner several times over, but nothing compared to teaching his daughter, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends to fish. His grandkids were, by far, the light of his life. He didn't waste a minute showing his love for them in big and small ways. He spent many hours doting on them and if you ran into him at Little Castle, Church, or wherever he stopped in to chat, you probably got a story or shown a picture. He loved them more than words can say. He made many friends at USEC before retiring as a master electrician and a member of the Local #550 United States Steelworkers Union. He was known for standing up for what he believed in and giving his best in all that he did at work and everywhere else. At his second home,Twelve Oaks Baptist Church, he was a leader and a humble servant. Deacon, bus driver, maintenance man, greeter, self-proclaimed master popcorn maker, you name it, he did it. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Martha Mae Holt Holladay; his daughter, Heather Holladay Gates and husband, Jim, of Louisville, KY; two grandchildren, Alissa "Ali" Holladay Gates and Colin James Gates; granddog Rudy who he claimed to not like, but was caught loving on him time after time. He so loved his "adopted daughters," Holly Earhart of Paducah and Jana Koch Killifer of Louisville, and his nephews, his "adopted sons," Lute Foster of Olive Branch, MS, and Andrew Foster of Collierville, TN. Preceded in death were his parents, Raymond E. Holladay and Imogene Robertson Holladay; one brother, Dwayne Holladay and wife Patricia Holladay; a beloved Aunt, Gertie Bennett and several otherfamily members and close friends. They are rejoicing in welcoming him home. Visitation will be held Monday, February 8, 2021 from 3:00-8:00 p.m. at the Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah with private services to be held later and burial to be at the Crossroads Cemetery in Parsons, TN. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Twelve Oaks Baptist Church Building and Grounds Fund (2110 New Holt Road, Paducah, KY 42001) or Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 337 Little Soldiers/Holiday House at PO Box 191, Paducah, KY 42002. We appreciate your help in maintaining state mandated Covid restrictions. This includes wearing a mask and maintaining the minimum six feet of distancing within our facility at all times. During this difficult time of Covid, you may show your support by joining the Hugs from Home program where your message will be attached to a balloon in the chapel to remind the family of your love and support. Please go to www.milnerandorr.com to send a hug. You may leave a message of sympathy and light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com. Olive OHara, Annie Meaney, Doris May, Aisha Devoy, Niamh Morrison and Lisa Brinkmann on their horses at Red Strand, Co Cork. Photo: David Creedon/Anzenberger Ireland is set for an Arctic blast as temperatures will plummet to -5C, with the newest version of the Beast from the East set to bring heavy snowfall, severe frost and ice. Met Eireann issued a weather advisory to householders, pedestrians and motorists for the next 96 hours, while the UK Met Office issued snow and ice warnings for Northern Ireland. Dublin, the east coast and northern areas could see significant snowfall between tomorrow and Thursday as icy Siberian winds meet moisture-laden Atlantic air. Gardai and the Road Safety Authority urged pedestrians and motorists to take extreme care when undertaking essential journeys as conditions could prove challenging, particularly over higher and northern areas. Walkers were urged to exercise caution outdoors as it will be bitterly cold. The Arctic spell has been swept over Ireland and the UK from a huge weather front which has driven frigid conditions westwards from Scandinavia and Siberia. The UK Met Office has issued a Status Yellow snow and ice alert for various Ulster counties. However, the brunt of the Beast from the East Mark II will be felt over eastern England, where up to 30cm of snow could fall and blizzard-like conditions are expected in some areas. Met Eireanns Liz Walsh warned that it will be exceptionally cold over Ireland this week with a risk of snow and ice. It will be very cold and the winds will make it feel even colder, she said. Monday will be very cold with bright or sunny spells and scattered wintry showers of rain, sleet or snow, mostly in the eastern half of the country. Many areas will be dry with highest temperatures of just 1C to 4C. Monday night will see showers of sleet and snow in the east becoming more frequent and pushing further inland overnight. It will be very cold with clear spells and lowest temperatures of -3C to 0C, with widespread sharp frost and icy patches under clearing skies. Tuesday will continue to be very cold with further wintry showers of rain, sleet and snow feeding in from the east which will mainly affect the eastern half of the country, especially eastern coastal counties with moderate snow accumulations in places. Temperatures will hover between 1C and 3C during the day and could drop to as low as -5C overnight into Wednesday. Motorists and pedestrians could face quite hazardous conditions tomorrow night and into Wednesday because of severe frost and black ice. Some areas will again see overnight showers of sleet and snow and conditions will remain bitterly cold on Thursday. Sleet and snow will move north-eastward over the country, with significant accumulations possible before it turns to rain. Justice officials are facing growing calls to scrap laws which "criminalise homelessness", after "disturbing" new figures revealed they have been used more than previously thought. Last month the Belfast Telegraph reported that 45 people had been convicted in Northern Ireland's courts since 2015 using the Vagrancy Act 1824. This Act was brought in to make it easier for police to remove destitute soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars from the streets, and it makes it an offence to sleep rough or beg. It has now emerged, however, that another piece of legislation, the Vagrancy Act 1847, is also being used to prosecute rough sleepers and those begging. Figures released by Justice Minister Naomi Long in response to an Assembly question from People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll show 271 prosecutions under the 1847 Act since 2015. The latest year the figures are available for, 2019, saw the highest number of prosecutions - 67. Since 2015, 254 convictions were secured under the Act, with 2019 again seeing the most at 63. Out of court disposals were also handed out in respect of 174 cases from 2015 to 2019. Jim Dennison, chief executive of the Simon Community, said: The differences between the 1824 and 1847 Act figures do suggest that a review of these laws could better ensure that individuals experiencing homelessness and in genuine need are not being negatively impacted." West Belfast MLA Mr Carroll said it is "disturbing" to learn that even more homeless people and those begging have been "criminalised under outdated legislation than previously thought". "It is wrong beyond any doubt to arrest or prosecute people for being in such a vulnerable position. I struggle to understand why moves have not already been made to wipe this law from our books," he said. Mr Carroll will question the Justice Minister about the matter in the Assembly today. "But this can only be the beginning. We urgently need to see more public housing and funding for services which deal with people in need. The pandemic has left people in perilous positions and too many have been allowed to fall through the cracks." Tony McQuillan, director of the charity Shelter NI, said both Vagrancy Acts continue to criminalise homeless people and they do nothing to help tackle the root causes of homelessness. "Our view is that every person prosecuted as a vagrant because they are homeless is one person too many," he said. "It could also prevent someone from accessing outreach services that support homeless people to move away from the streets. We believe there is a need to repeal the act to eliminate the criminalisation of homelessness." A Department of Justice spokesperson said Ms Long is aware of the issue, and has asked officials to review the use of this legislation, "taking account of developments in neighbouring jurisdictions, and to advise her of their findings in the coming months". Global technology leader Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been awarded a key contract by state-owned Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) to provide high-performance grid stabilisation technology to help improve power quality and expand transmission capacity in the strategic Owainat development area in southwest Egypt, where desert wasteland is being reclaimed for agricultural use. The contract was signed in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr Mohamed Shaker. This strategic project will provide EETC with a fully engineered solution based on a 200-megavolt ampere (MVAR) Statcom to be connected to the existing 220 kilovolt (kV) Owainat substation, thus enabling grid expansion and providing more power for rural development and a rapidly increasing population. Hitachi ABB Power Grids technology and engineering capabilities will help the country reclaim untapped land in the vast Western Desert, where projects are underway to sustainably improve social and economic conditions for Egyptian communities. Hitachi ABB Power Grids is proud to support EETC in this strategic project, and to help drive efforts to meet Egypts 2030 vision of integrated, sustainable growth with a focus on the energy industry, said Mohamed Hosseiny, Country Managing Director, Egypt & North Africa, Hitachi ABB Power Grids. With our solutions we are helping our customers transition towards a carbon-neutral energy system, he noted. Grid expansion and reliability are prerequisites for the governments plan to make the country a regional hub for electricity exchange with Africa and Europe, also supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 ensuring that all people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy," stated Hosseiny. EETC Chairman Sabah Mashaly said: "We are pleased to collaborate with Hitachi ABB Power Grids as we believe they have the required expertise and capability to execute this project efficiently, and look forward to partnering on future projects." The Hitachi ABB Power Grids solution is Egypts first fully engineered power quality system. Based on a 200 MVAR Statcom, it comprises an integrated SVC Light static compensator, power transformers, control, protection and telecommunications system. The solution will increase the grids power transfer capability by improving voltage stability and providing a smooth voltage profile under different network conditions, he added.-TradeArabia News Service STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York City officials announced Monday that the city will lift coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions and allow middle school students to return to the classroom later this month. Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a morning press briefing that students will begin returning to the classroom Feb. 25 with teachers and staff returning the day before. A lot of work has gone into this to make sure we are ready, the mayor said. Our children are ready. Our parents are ready for kids to be back in school, so were very excited about this. The mayor and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza credited increased testing capacity with why they reached the decision to resume middle school learning. De Blasio said some middle schools will immediately return to in-person learning five days a week, but that others still need increased infrastructure. Carranza said that half of the citys 471 middle schools will be able to resume in-person learning five days a week, and that other middle schools will be progressing toward that goal. This is something that keeps evolving as we get a clearer sense of which kids really intend and which parents really choose to have their kids in school, the mayor said. We will certainly have a number of schools doing five-day-a-week for a very big chunk of their student community. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, head of the DOE teachers union, expressed support for the announcement as the city had an adequate testing program. These strict standards, and the requirement that buildings close temporarily when virus cases are detected, have made our schools the safest places to be in our communities during the pandemic, he said. They will continue to be the strongest protections for the health and safety of students and staff. After the shutdown in March, New York City took a phased approach to reopening starting in late September, and became the nations first major school system in operation across all levels in early October. The city needed another closure for its school system about six weeks later in late November, when de Blasio said virus cases were on the rise. Students in elementary schools and those with advanced disabilities returned to the classroom starting Dec. 7. The city has yet to say if it will reopen high schools, but de Blasio said Monday that he hopes it happens before the end of the year. Tower Health on Monday announced temporary salary cuts of 10% or 15% for 400 executives and managers. The move, effective in Feb. 19 paychecks, is expected to save the nonprofit system $11.6 million through June. The cost-cutting move comes as Tower, anchored by Reading Hospital in West Reading, attempts to recover from a massive, $439 million operating loss in the year ended June 30, 2020. We have not taken this action lightly. Our board and leadership are focused on a thoughtful and deliberate process to chart the right path forward for Tower Health, chief executive Clint Matthews wrote in an email to staff. COVID-19 hit Tower harder than some of its competitors because it incurred costs and lost revenue from the pandemic, and did not have large numbers of coronavirus patients at many of its seven hospitals. Even before the pandemic, Tower was not on stable financial footing as it wrestled with the integration of the five community hospitals it bought from Community Health Systems Inc. in 2017 for $423 million. Tower bought Brandywine, Chestnut Hill, Jennersville, Phoenixville, and Pottstown Hospitals. In addition, Tower in 2018 paid $24 million for a chain of urgent-care centers, and in 2019 contributed $29 million toward the $58 million purchase of St. Christophers Hospital for Children in a 50-50 joint venture with Drexel University. Towers predicament is evident from the size of its debt. It had $1.9 billion in revenue in 2020 and is saddled with $1.3 billion in long-term debt. In November, Tower Health officials, citing its massive debt load and huge losses over the last two years, said they would consider selling all six Philadelphia-area hospitals that the Berks County nonprofit has acquired since 2017. We as a board will consider any and all strategic options, with a very strong preference, if not an obsession, to preserve the mother ship, Reading Hospital, Towers chairman, Tom Work, told municipal bond investors on a conference call. This week, Tower executives, from vice presidents on up, learned they will temporarily lose 15% of their base pay. Directors, senior directors, and associate vice presidents will see 10% cuts. Both reductions will be in place at least through June. None of the executives and managers will receive bonuses this year. Tower, which employs more than 12,000, cut 1,000 jobs in June, a move that was expected to save $76 million annually.